#ozymandias makes fun of him for it

[peachenle]

down the hatch

pairing: park sunghoon x fem!reader

genre: college!au | fratboy!au | fluff, established relationship | some suggestive content at the end

word count: 5k

warnings: lots of drinking, profanity, sexual themes, fake frats, more semi-unhumorous banter, sunghoon biceps

༄࿔˚✧ synopsis: “a collection of moments with sunghoon, shared over meals, snacks, and drinks. a riff off of timestamps. not in chronological order. a continuation/epilogue of captain’s log.”

tagging: @dearhee @ozymandia-s @judeduartewannabe @pokemonpartyworld @thejjrl @end-hyphen

jungle juice

There wasn’t a lot you could do when it came to football game weekends. You knew the drill. Your roommate Yunjin would be pestering you to “Can you please show at least a little school pride?” as she posed you for pictures, dressed in your university’s sanctioned colors. Sunghoon would be off doing god knows what to prepare for the HYB tailgate. However, today’s game was much later in the day, and you were saved from the tragedy of drinking at 8am like last time.

Sunghoon had warned you that he’d be busy that morning, buying groceries for the pre-game, the tailgates, and the afterparty. You decided you’d return to the library, cramming a couple assignments (like usual) before the chaos of the upcoming afternoon.

Not even an hour into your studies, and uncharacteristically, Sunghoon began sending you a string of messages.

sunghoon: is this a good juice brand *photo attached*

you: its orange juice i dont think you can go wrong but yes

sunghoon: is 1kg of strawberries enough

you: why did they let you buy groceries by yourself this time

sunghoon: *photo attached* I’m with riki

you: …

you: remind me to not consume whatever you guys are trying to make

*Sunghoon disliked a message you sent.*

The festivities of the day included a pregame at the HYB house, carpools to the main stadium parking lot for the tailgate, and cheering alongside everyone else at the actual game. Naturally, the night would end at HYB.

You were still shy about letting yourself inside the house, even though you knew they never locked the doors on days like this. Sunghoon once insisted on giving you a key, to make it easier for you when you came over. And though the other guys that lived at the house gave him permission to do so, you - maturely - explained that you had to respect their spaces as a guest. Sunghoon met you with a pout and a reluctant nod of understanding.

I’m outside, you texted your boyfriend, stepping up the stairs to the front doors. You heard yelling and music, and you were surprised the fun had already begun.

You stepped back as the door swung open, meeting your boyfriend’s sheepish smile and Jay’s bright one. Sunghoon grabbed your hand, brushing a quick kiss on your forehead.

“Alright, Y/N, so we fucked up the jungle juice,” Jay stared at you expectantly, his face fully flushed already.

You made a face, “How is that possible?”

Sunghoon laughed, “Just wait.”

Next to the two large tubs of their creation, the kitchen’s island was littered with empty juice cartons and several empty liquor bottles.. and many beer bottles?

One of the other HYB brothers followed your gaze, “We put beer in it to make it bubbly.”

Sunghoon passed you a cup. You stared at the little strawberry floating within an unnervingly bubbling red-orange concoction. Safe to say the beer was not a good choice, the ratio was definitely off - how can something so fruity taste so bitter? “Yeah, it does taste like shit.”

“Okay, but who drinks jungle juice for enjoyment?,” Riki suggested, shuffling through the songs playing from his phone to the speakers.

Jay, sarcastic, stated. “Jungle juice should be treated as a delicacy.”

Sunghoon, amused, replied, “Then why did you defile it by adding cheap beer?”

“I saw it on TikTok, leave me alone.”

Some other guys arrived later and called for help to set up, so you and Sunghoon were left to figure out what to do with the drinks.

Your guys’ solution was to just add more orange juice, which didn’t exactly mask the beer taste, but it made it more tolerable.

The pregame wasn’t eventful, mostly HYB guys and their significant others taking shots before packing everything (and everyone) into a few cars to take to the university stadium.

The parking lot was crowded, different Greek groups mingling with each other. You and Sunghoon sat in the back bed of a friend’s pickup truck, next to the tubs of jungle juice, watching the chaos unfold.

People were grilling meat, passing lettuce wrapped morsels amongst each other. Everyone was decked out in school colors, some holding signs cursing out the other team.

Sunghoon laid a drunken head on your shoulder, taking a hand into his. You felt him shake with laughter as some of the boys wrestled over a football. Other guys were funneling shots and you thought of your boyfriend, certainly the least chaotic (in terms of drinking) out of all of them.

“Hoon, I wish you’d just own up to your true frat potential.”

“The way you tease my friends for being alcoholic fuckboys really holds me back from that.”

You paused, “You’re the exception to the rule. It’s not anyone’s fault Jay has a new flame each week - he’s just embracing who he is - a HYB brother.”

"I think it's time I hang up the frat paddle and just be a wholesome student."

“Dude, you just picked up a Little, what are you talking about?" Riki interjected (the Little in question).

Sunghoon sighed dramatically, “And I regret it everyday.”

Your school’s team won, and everyone traveled back to celebrate appropriately at the HYB house. The daytime festivities (and drinks) left you tired, and you pulled Sunghoon away from the action to selfishly have him help you to sleep.

It was only 9 pm and you knew there were still drinks to be drunk, but it was getting difficult for you to keep your eyes open.

Sunghoon led you to his bed, climbing in shortly after. You two were silent as he took you into his arms, the warmth of his chest lulling you into darkness.

You woke, the wisps of your hair clinging to your forehead with sweat. You were surprised to find Sunghoon’s limbs still intertwined with yours, considering the bass of the party’s music downstairs still vibrated his bed frame. He definitely did not mean to fall asleep. You brushed the loose hairs out of your face, staring at your boyfriend’s features in the glow of his LED lights.

Sunghoon’s sleeping face was so peaceful, and you often took pictures to relish at the image if you missed him. You were so content. You burrowed your face back into the heat of his neck, not minding how his proximity literally made you sweat. Just being able to be with him… you couldn’t care less.

tiramisu

Your third real date - you could not consider invites to his parties actual dates - Sunghoon wanted to take you to his favorite dessert cafe downtown. The last time he took you out, he offered to drive, picking you up right on time, and with a single tulip sitting on the passenger’s seat.

This time, however, he asked if it was okay if you two could just walk and ride the bus together. Sunghoon had his moments of pure charisma, teasing you smoothly, and finding a way to break out a smile from you. There were other times where you were absolutely astonished at his clumsiness. While Sunghoon was in the final stages of crossing over into HYB, some of the things you had to witness him go through… thank god he was handsome.

The midday sun was beaming brightly, a gentle wind passing through your thin layers - not offering you much comfort to soothe the beads of sweat on your forehead. Sunghoon was dressed casually, a short sleeved button down - revealing just enough of his toned chest, and some loose trousers.

“You know, I asked to walk with you today so that I could have more time with you, but I’m kinda regretting it,” he said pointedly, gesturing at the hot spring rays of the sun.

“Wow, are you saying time with me isn’t worth a couple minutes of sweat?” you said, with a blank face.

Sunghoon’s face contorted to one of apology, his lips opening to ramble a sorry, but then stopped and broke into a smile. “Yeah, you’re less cute when you’re sweaty.”

You scoffed as you pushed his shoulder, discreetly swiping a hand across your forehead.

The bus was packed, and you two were left with the option of standing body to body with other passengers. Sunghoon grabbed a hanging handrail for support before the bus took off, but the others in your section were occupied. The bus jolted forward and you stumbled into Sunghoon’s torso, his free hand catching your shoulder.

Your cheeks burned with embarrassment, and you peeked up to see him bite back a smile. After stabilizing your stance, Sunghoon’s free hand traced down your bare arm. He gently grasped your hand and directed it to his bent arm, offering you his bicep to hold for support.

“You’re sly, Park Sunghoon,” you whispered. His arm was toned, and it felt firm under your grasp.

“Hey, I hit a PR at the gym yesterday, this is a reward for both of us. You should thank me really.”

After making it out of the bus, you didn’t bother to let go of his arm. He coolly slipped his hands in his pockets as he led you to the cafe - you stared at his red ears and knew the impact you had on him.

You picked a table in the back corner, the cafe was decorated brightly and had walls lined with bookshelves. You let Sunghoon order for you. He returned with a bright smile, setting the order pager on the table.

“This place has the best cakes,” Sunghoon was beaming with excitement. You laughed, his giddy expression was so endearing it was hard not to reciprocate.

Sunghoon stood to pick up the order when it was ready, and passed you your pink smoothie. He set a green tea cake and slice of tiramisu in the middle, taking a sip of his Americano.

“So they make tiramisu the authentic way.” Sunghoon began to explain how tiramisu is supposed to be made (who knew he was such a fanatic?), and you spared him of the knowledge that you too knew how it was actually made. “The owner says they get imported coffee beans especially for their espresso, so the flavor is super strong!” He used his spoon to point out the different creamy layers.

The cake did look delicious, but the sight of Sunghoon’s eyes glowing staring at his favorite dessert was more satiating. You sipped your smoothie as he finished his ramble.

Sunghoon slowly carved into the cake with his spoon, and held it out to you.

“Are you really feeding me right now?”

He smiled, “I know you want it.” He was right. You did.

The cake was creamy and soft, just as it looked, but you scowled at the clashing taste.

“I don’t think fruit smoothies with tiramisu is a good pairing…” you smiled sheepishly.

He passed you the cup of his Americano to wash the flavor away before scooping another bite for you. Sunghoon smiled as he noted your expression of approval. The taste of the espresso was bitter, but the cream and cocoa melted to coat your tongue with sweetness.

Sunghoon didn’t mind that he traded his Americano with your smoothie. He didn’t mind that the tartness of the fruit totally ruined his favorite dessert. Your happy expression was enough for him.

somaek

Being in a relationship with someone so popular, and so involved with his social circles, unknowingly pulled you into many social events and gatherings. You were intertwined with his organization, and joining some of their philanthropy events led you to become a desired member in some sororities.

You simply explained you didn’t have the time to commit to anything. You had your own orgs, your own part-time job, and your own studies.

Probably the first problem that you two faced early in your relationship had to do with just that - balancing each of your respective responsibilities. Being in Greek obligated him to attend many events, and him living in a frat house didn’t make things easier when it came to alone time.

You loved his friends, and truly saw some of them as your own now, but spending time with your boyfriend in a room right between Jake and Jay drove you mad sometimes.

There was knocking at Sunghoon’s door. You two were sitting on the floor, your laptop propped up, educating your boyfriend with iconic Vine compilations. “It’s Jake!”

Sunghoon stood to open the door and see what his friend wanted. Naturally, Jake pushed inside disregarding Sunghoon.

“Dude, I’m right here?”

“Hey, Y/N, can you explain the post-lab that’s due tomorrow? The summary part seems so redundant… I don’t get how it’s different from the analysis.”

You blinked at him, half-eyeing the soju and beer bottles you and Sunghoon were peacefully sharing just a minute before. Sunghoon sighed and you snorted.

“Jake, can I please just have a night with my girl? You see her like four days a week in class, and could’ve gotten help then.”

Jake made an O with his lips, realizing his brashness and laughed. “My bad! And I’ve actually seen her everyday this week because of supplementary labs!”

Sunghoon basically dragged his friend out, locking the door behind him.

“Sorry about him.” You shook your head, amused, pretty much accustomed to this behavior already.

You refilled Sunghoon’s beer glass, and poured in a shot of soju right after. “If it makes you feel any better, that post-lab was actually due today.”

Sunghoon downed the drink in one shot, his cheeks cherried from the alcohol. “This is why I love you.”

He paused. That was the first time he said I love you to you. You snickered, “That still counts even if you’re drunk.”

He pouted his lips, then smiled, “Honestly, I consider that a win.” He stuck his tongue out at you. “Ha! I said it first.”

suggestive content in the end of this last section - feel free to skip!

peppermint hot cocoa

Sunghoon was always patient with you, pausing to make sure you were enjoying yourself, never hesitating to ask if you were alright. He was gentle and caring, and never rushed.

However, your first time with Sunghoon consisted of a lot of moving parts. Clashing limbs and rushed whispers, you were out of breath before even really starting.

You’d had your share of one night stands, purely lust filled nights: chaptered with drunken exchanges, entangled bodies, and the dreaded walk of shame the morning after. Only rarely were you lucky enough to have snuck out before the rise of the sun.

Since you two started talking, you had access to HYB and hockey club parties, which were at least every other week. It was still fun to party with your girlfriends, before sneaking away with Sunghoon to play pool or some drinking games.

Each night was riddled with ST and for better or for worse, he never advanced anything further than a couple sessions of making out.

Hell, there was one night where you made out for what felt like two hours straight. One of his hands was finally on the inside of your panties, rubbing you expertly, but as soon as you reached for the front of his jeans, Sunghoon stood up. You two were drunk, but even then you could tell that his “phone call from Heeseung-hyung” was nothing more than him pulling up the calculator app and putting it to his ear.

“I just don’t know why he doesn’t want to sleep with me?” You brought up to Yunjin the next day. “He had a girl in his bed and he pretended to call Heeseung.”

Yunjin bit her lip, and looked at you with the most serious expression. “Y/N, that’s so fucking tragic. Me, personally, I’d stop talking to him.”

“It’s not that I want to just have sex with him!” You whined. “I like him. But you know, we just keep stopping right before.”

She continued, “Imagine getting hot and bothered with a girl on top of you and the thing he thinks of to get out of it is Heeseung. Your tongue was down his throat and his best out was Heeseung.”

“Okay, now this just feels like a jab at Heeseung.”

“He ghosted me, Y/N! I was supposed to do that.”

You rolled your eyes at your best friend. “What do I do?”

“You said the only times you’ve gotten close were when you two were drunk right? Maybe he gets whiskey dick.” She grins.

You pause to think about the things you’ve felt, the times where you’ve run a palm down the front of his pants, just to hear a pretty gasp from him. Or the times where you straddled him, and he grabbed your hips to push you further onto him.

“Yeah… I don’t think so.”

“Honestly, he’s probably just nervous. Anyone can tell just how headass you two are for each other. Or maybe he doesn’t want to do it drunk.”

Yunjin then muttered, “Couldn’t be me. Drunk sex is…”

During a lecture - as you and Jake were hunched over his laptop, going over the practice case scenarios together - you saw a text message pop up on Jake’s screen.

hoonhoon bro: should i just ask her out again

Jake cleared his throat and slowly turned his screen towards only him, “Lemme check something real quick.”

You snickered, “Very subtle, Jake.”

He gave you a look, “I could just lie and say you told me you aren’t into him anymore.”

“You wouldn’t dare.”

Jake smiled brightly, “Yeah you’re right, I like you guys too much.”

You then received a text message.

park sunghoon: Are you busy tonight?

you: yes i’m going on a date

park sunghoon: what

Jake looked up from typing on his laptop. In a hushed whisper, “You’re seeing other guys!?”

You kept your eyes on your phone and continued.

you: yeah i started talking to him from a hockey club party

Jake poked your arm angrily, and turned his screen to show you the texts between himself and Sunghoon.

hoonhoon bro: SHES SEEING SOMEONE ELSE WHAT THE FUCK

me: WTF DUDE LET ME ASK HER

hoonhoon bro: wait dont

hoonhoon bro: THEY MET AT A HOCKEY CLUB PARTY?? IVE LITERALLY KEPT MY EYES ON HER AT EACH PARTY I never saw her speak to any other new guys

You covered your mouth to silence your laugh. Jake was seething, waiting for your explanation but you still typed on your phone.

you: yeah his name is sunghoon

park sunghoon: ???

park sunghoon: oh

park sunghoon: We’re going on a date tonight?

you: aren’t we? you asked if i was free lol

park sunghoon: I’ll pick you up at 6

You heard Jake sigh in relief, “I seriously went through all the stages of grief just now.”

When the lecture finished, Jake turned to you one more time. “If things ever go south… Just let him down easy? I like you, dude, but I can’t guarantee your safety from Jay if Sunghoon comes home crying one day.”

All you could do was gently smile and nod.

That evening, fresh from the shower and loaded with the jitters of the impending date in about an hour, you received a text.

park sunghoon: Are you craving anything

you: you

park sunghoon: huh

you: can surprise me

You laughed out loud at yourself. You saw your roommate stare from the corner of your eye. “Embarassing,” she teased.

When Sunghoon notified you of his arrival, you took a deep breath before exiting the dorm building. This was only the second date - sure you’ve had many hours of drunkenness with him at parties - but it didn’t settle the nerves of a date any less.

He smiled at you when you opened the passenger door, a single pink tulip waiting for you on your seat.

Sunghoon’s car always smelled deeply of him, so clean and fresh. He smelled of soap, or crisp linen, and sometimes, like today, you noticed hints of coffee.

“So, I was thinking, does sushi sound good?”

“It’s not really a surprise if you tell me before we go,” you quipped. “But yes, of course.”

He poked your cheek. Sunghoon shared details about his day, discussing a couple of hours at the rink before class.

He snorted, “It’s always awkward giving lessons to kids who have tiger parents. This little boy today ate shit on the ice practicing his loop and his mom yelled at him from the stands.”

Sunghoon grimaced, “Then she yelled at me…”

Your conversation flowed throughout the drive into downtown. He asked you about your day, and you left out the flurry of texts you read about yourself, courtesy of Jake.

“Another girl dm’ed me asking if I wanted to rush next semester. And then she explained she could guarantee me a bid.”

“They must be desperate if they’re asking you.”

“Yeah, like I don’t know if I’d want to ru- wait. What are you trying to say?” You punched his shoulder as he cackled.

“Don’t hit the driver! Very dangerous.”

The restaurant was packed, but since Sunghoon had called ahead of time, you were seated very quickly.

“What would you have done if I didn’t agree to sushi?”

“I would’ve brought you here anyway. Surprise!”

The sashimi was delicious; and you and Sunghoon, shamelessly, audibly groaned at the taste. You two argued over which fish was best, obviously the salmon, and though he disagreed, he happily scarfed down the last piece of salmon when you offered it.

You let Sunghoon guide you through the streets of downtown for a couple blocks, thinking you were just aimlessly walking, before he stopped abruptly.

“You haven’t been here have you?”

He brought you to the skating rink. Sunghoon followed your hands with his gaze as you gripped the ends of your thin long sleeve.

“Don’t worry, I have a jacket in my work locker!” He took your hand as he led you inside.

His coworkers greeted him brightly, a couple of them squinting at him suggestively when they noticed you were holding hands.

Sunghoon helped you select some skates, before taking your hand again to lead you to the back area to his locker. He grabbed the skates out of your hands to exchange them for his hoodie, grinning as you slipped it over your body.

He balanced the two pairs of skates in one arm, still gripping your hand as he took you to the actual rink.

You sat down at a bench on the outskirts of the stands and stared as Sunghoon squatted down in front of you.

“Here, I’ll help you lace them up,” he said, smiling up at you.

“Ok, dad.”

He rolled his eyes, and you blushed as he took one of your feet in his hands to guide it into the skate. He said nothing as he tightened the laces, and tied them expertly with his long fingers.

You gulped. You couldn’t keep your eyes off of his hands as he put on his own skates.

Sunghoon on ice was a different version of him altogether. He took both of your hands into his, gliding backwards. Effortlessly, he kept his eyes on you, while you stared at the ice at his stable feet and your shaky ones.

“Look up at me; it helps with balance,” he said as he tilted your head up with a finger.

In efforts to hide your embarrassment, you responded, “Ice skating seems like the perfect way for you to charm women.”

He grinned, “Yeah, and judging by the look of you… It’s working, isn’t it?”

If you weren’t so uncoordinated on ice, you’d have grabbed his shirt and kissed him right there.

After freshening up in the bathroom, wiping away the sniffles from the cold and fixing up your hair, you found Sunghoon chatting with his coworker at the skate counter.

“You don’t have anywhere to be early tomorrow do you?”

You thought of the 9 am study session you were invited to go to before class. “… Nope, I’m free.”

“That sounded like a lie, but I’ll take it because I feel selfish today,” Sunghoon joked. You thought of how attentive he was today. He was anything but selfish. “Let’s watch a movie, we didn’t properly use my surround sound last time.”

For once the HYB house was quiet and peaceful. The walls were still lined with funny banners, or old decorations. Each time you were at the house previously, it was at night, the rooms only illuminated by LEDs or strobe lights. This time the front of the house was brightly lit by the chandelier. You noticed the fond remains of a certain poster.

This was the first time being in Sunghoon’s room, without the excuse of tequila or rum or a “loud party” ushering you two inside. You could actually make out the couple trophies that were set on a shelf. First Place Park Sunghoon. Another one reading: Runner Up National Champion - Novice.

“Did you ever think of going pro? Making it your full career?”

Sunghoon smiled softly, “Everyday since I started when I was 9, and until I was 17.”

“Injury?”

“Man, we’re getting into the deep stuff… but no, actually. I think I just started getting tired of skating being the only thing I knew. I had like 3 friends on a good day.”

He sat on his bed, patting the space next to him for you, and continued, “I still skated in comps up until last year before I transferred… But it hadn’t felt the same since high school.”

You placed your hand on his knee in support, saying nothing to let him continue if he wanted.

“Now, I’m just trying new things, learning more about what’s out there. I still skate, obviously, but I think I feel better about just having it a hobby than making it my whole life.”

“You’ve gotta show me your old competition videos.”

Sunghoon frowned, “Too embarrassing.”

“Totally googling you later.”

“I’ll show you under one condition,” his hand shifted onto your lap, and leaned towards you. You could almost feel his breathing.

You nodded slowly, “And what would that be?”

He leaned back and grinned, “You share something equally embarassing of course! Your face is so red… Jeez, what did you have in mind, Y/N?”

You couldn’t take it anymore. The flirting, his suggestive eyes, his teases.

“Kiss me,” you stated. “Please.”

Sunghoon blinked in surprise, his teasing smile fading into one of confidence, of pride.

“Well, only since you said please,” he whispered.

You fluttered your eyes closed and you gripped one of his arms as your lips catch his.

Sunghoon smiled and pulled his lips away for a second, “I can’t believe you ordered mint hot cocoa. I can taste it,” his forehead resting against yours.”

“Don’t like it?” you teased.

He kissed you, before saying, “Normally, never. On you? I guess I can tolerate it.”

You pulled him back in, teeth clashing and eager eager hands reaching for the nape of his neck. One of Sunghoon’s arms snaked around your back, guiding you to lay flat on his bed, his other arm leaning by your head to support his weight above you.

He traced kisses down the side of your jaw and you sighed.

“Please,” you hushed, tugging on the hem of his shirt. As he pulled his top over his head, your fingers eagerly glided up his toned abdomen, over his chest, before settling on his wide shoulders again. He leaned down to brush trails over your neck with his lips, his tongue slipping out to fully taste you.

“Seeing you in my clothes…” he mumbled against your skin. You were indeed still wearing his hoodie from the rink.

A worried thought crossed your mind, which was jarring since your only other thoughts were how good his lips felt on your skin, and how nice his fingers were as one of them teasingly toyed with the waistband of your pants.

“Hoon.” His body stopped moving and he looked up seriously at you with hooded lids.

“Why haven’t we ever … gone all the way?”

Sunghoon leaned back, and then laid next to you on his side. “I didn’t want the first time we did anything more to be when we were drunk. I… wanna really remember it. I’m sorry for not explaining that each time I’ve stopped us…”

“Yeah, not sure Heeseung would appreciate being tangled in a lie.”

“OK. That time, I admit, I don’t even know why I did that. I was so nervous,” he covered his eyes with a hand.

“You’re more sappy and sentimental than you look,” you traced a finger over his lips and kissed him, his eyes still covered.

“Alright,” he finally looked at you, his eyes dark. “What do I look like?”

You smirked, “Someone who looks good underneath me.”

And it was true. Sunghoon looked real good. And he was well worth the wait.

[intrepid-fictioneer-7]

I've come to the conclusion that, in my humble opinion, Higashide is the writer in TYPE-MOON who makes the best ships involving Heroic Spirits.

Which might sound really weird. After all, the central couple in Fate/Apocrypha is Sieg/Jeanne d'Arc, and it's a pretty divisive one. No offense to those who like it, but it's always a dynamic I thought made no real sense narratively and didn't have much chemistry. Sieg on his journey of self-affirmation and personhood didn't need a romance (except maybe with Astolfo, with whom the dynamic is much more fun). Jeanne, the historical figure who rejected a marriage proposal, wore male clothing, and whose famous nickname refers to her celibacy, getting into a romance just never vibed with me (especially when it felt like the parallels/relationship between her and Shirou Kotomine were far more relevant). Add to that the ending copying Last Episode without what made LE have a strong impact, and it makes the whole even less appealing.

But despite that, Apo is also the work where there is the surprising ship of Shirou Amakusa and Queen Semiramis of all people: the semi-legendary Assyrian queen credited with making one of the Seven Wonders of the ancient world falling in love with the young charismatic Japanese Christian who rebelled against the shogunate and failed. It's a very strange crossover ship between two people who never could have met if not for being brought back and it somehow works in being endearing.

(Achilles and Atalanta kinda count I guess, but it's a one-sided ship with little reasoning, that I care so little about, and is eclipsed by the more compelling foils each get, Chiron for Achilles, Jeanne for a Jackie the Ripper-driven mad Atalante.)

Higaside having grown and improved as a writer by the time of FGO, what followed this growth was him not doing a repeat of Sieg/Jeanne, but writing better ships mostly involving Servants. Asterios the Minotaur and Euryale the Gorgon; last Byzantine emperor Constantine IX and fictional Popess Johanna; heck, you can even see the relationship between Mordred and Dr. Jekyll this way (it also works as simple close friendship). Being characters from usually completely different mythologies and historical cultures, there is care done to make it clear why they fall for each other and as a result these couples are very different from one another instead of being the same formula everytime. In a game where a lot of (female) Servants are made to fall for the last Master of Chaldea for sometimes very little reason, these are a breath of fresh air.

For all my problems with her, Sakurai does something similar, though her ships are usually people who canonically were together in their legends: Sigurd/Brynhild, Aslaug/Ragnar Lodbrok, Julius Caesar/Cleopatra, Ozymandias/Nefertari, Tomoe Gozen/Kiso Yoshinaka, etc. They can be one note and there is a repeated thematic tendency of hers of writing "inhuman woman discovering humanity by falling in love", but they tend to be very cute and I easily understand that these people are in love even beyond death, so I root for them to reunite. Higashide also has "canonical" pairings, but the results are more muddled here: Siegfried and Kriemhild are adorable as a divorced couple where there are clearly still feelings, no matter what the tsundere wife says. But Rama and Sita are just...there. I understand the point of their separation, but it's not very engaging and Rama essentially disappeared after the American Singularity, while Sita was yeeted to Arcade. A mark against Higashide, but not as bad as Sieg/Jeanne and overshadowed by the numbers of better ships he wrote in FGO.

And there's Orion and Artemis, where I'm split. Super Orion and LB Artemis was really good and poignant. Orion the teddy bear and ditzy Artemis are a realy bad joke that overstayed its welcome.

FGO prioritizes Master/Servant relationships, both because the last Master of Chaldea is a blank slate for players to self insert into, and also because human×Servant is the type of ship Nasu specializes in (Shirou/Saber, Rin/Saber, Kuzuki/Caster, Caren/Angra Mainyu, and to a lesser extent Bazett/Cu, Yukika/False Assassin, and Ayako/Medusa in FSN; Fate/Extra as a whole; Ritsuka/Castoria in FGO). But even there Higashide made better choices than when he penned Sieg/Jeanne. Charlotte Corday is a surprisingly well-done choice for her archetype, it seems like it's going to be another Kiyohime but no, he actually makes her a good character you get attached to.

And then there is Kadoc and Anastasia. Words cannot describe how much I love them, how their personalities clash and complement each other in the best way, how aesthetically good they look put next to each other, etc. And it's not even just that we got a MasterxServant relationship outside Ritsuka, though that helped.

Basically, Higashide has become my go-to source for good ships, especially intra-Servants ones where Ritsuka is not involved and characters are allowed to not orbit around their Master. Sakurai also provides in that last aspect, but Higashide is doing that and also giving that crossover flavor you see in things like that one Cartoon Network ad with Johnny Bravo and Velma, and that works really well for me.

[agent-8449]

Agent Logos CJverse chatroom summary.... REAL!!!!

Clears throat. This may be a long post, be warned. Actually, yeah. Bwoink.

The OG AU: Voice of Reason

Whole: Dead as fuck. Sort of. Way before the events of the comic, their Whole 'died'. We refer to not-dead Whole OOCly as 'Hope', but he also sort of exists afterwards as a figment of himself-- the 'shadow' called Cast. Cast can only speak in song lyrics, and currently resides in... the TMAverse, as a cursed item. Woaw.

Heart: Would kill you if you called him Heart. Ozzy/Oz/Ozymandias is a real piece of work. Sourceless guilt incarnate, magically influenced by a cursed mirror to eat it, in a symbolic attempt to erase himself. He's so chill. So fine. So cool. Definitely not so close to collapsing at all times. Got glasses though.

Mind: Tinker/Ulysses. So violently soggy, but hides it under his inexplicable British accent and polite demeanour. Made the transmitters that allow Thirds to traverse between their Surrealities. He half-regrets this. The only one of the three fully aware that Cast is an actual sentient guy. Hid his Soul's trident in his hand after the comic, and so that hole is very much still there <he's 'fixing' it atm...>

Soul: Coda. Coba. Coba Cola. What a disaster. After the comic, it <he/it> was kept in his room as much as possible. Then Oz left, and he completely lost it. It was a big storyline, so feel free to ask about it. Coda is really fun because he's not sane

Me-only AU 2: The Negatives

Whole: Eris... also known as Chase. The Negatives are a sort of "reversal of personality". Eris is a shitty content farm-making YouTuber, and generally hates this too. He also has to deal with the Cold War he sort of constructed with his own Thirds. He remembers what his Thirds do, which is good because he split <past tense> often... like. Every day. They called it 'shifts'. Yeah.

Heart: Phobos, ahhhhh my horrible boy Phobos. Personification of egoism, self-aggrandization, imagination, and intrusive thoughts. Green. Mean. A bitch and a half. Generally sadistic. The de-facto leader of the Negative Thirds. Wears crocs. Idolises Whole.

Mind: Deimos. That is all. Personification of logic, reasoning, and thinking ahead. He is also an absolute goon and pushover. All too happy to be Phobos' lackey.

Soul: Nemesis, though he hates that nickname. Personification of 'cringe culture', self-doubt, second-hand embarassment, and critical thinking. Basically ignored by the other two. Does all the work in the Vessel. Clinically annoyed by everything all the time. Very spiteful.

ASSORTED GUYS <from co-op AUs>:

Allen: Soul from Voib, Andy, Shade and I's AI AU, also known as Reification Initiative: Apotheosis. Yeah I came up with that. My bad. Allen is shitty. So very shitty. Ran away. That's all I can say for now.

Valentine: Heart from WAAAILSSSSSS IT'S ONLY ME BUT HIS COUNTERPARTS ARE ALL DEAAAAD. The Bachelor AU, a 'Lonely' AU. He is trying to live his life now that he fucked up and he's alone. He committed arson. He has to go to government-mandated therapy. He is beloved.

Nyx: Whole from Xanadu AU. Haven't done much with him, but he's in space, and he's an idiot.

Vlinder: :>

Thyme: Mind from the Aonaran/Apocalypse AU. The world ended. It be like that sometimes. And the stress got to their Whole. Thyme killed multiple people.

Pursuit: Heart (2) from Voib's Labyrinths AU. He is big kitty cat lad. Does eat people. Tries to maintain the status quo. Genuinely satisfied with the state of things.

Magna: Mind from Demersal AU. Basically, he got pitted instead of Heart for being a delusional little shit. He did not get any less delusional. Conspiracy nut, drowning 1/4th of the time, and generally horrible person.

Brevity: Soul from Voib and I's Syncopation AU. Olde Mann. No legs, they froze off. He is not mentally well at all, but he's got to keep it together if he wants to continue being 'him'.

Crawl: Heart from the Asides AU. Fourth-wall breaking eldritch horror. Collector of things. Collector of extinct things. Full name 'Crawl of the Horizon'.

"Quinn": Soul from Good Day. Very new AU with me, Voib, Q-ott, and Ledge <@/nitroish>. Meant to be close to album guys. He's denying his halves exist and matter atm.

There you go! Not including the alternate timelines because jesus christ

[hellionil]

Studying history and archaeology is fun when you get to learn stupid things to make fun of Fate characters about, like someone shoving a bunch of beads and a small bone up Ozymandias’ nose after he died so his mummy’s snoot would keep it’s shape

Mummy photos under the read more cause some people might not want to see that, but I think we should all start drawing him with his real life nose cause it is cute and very shaped.

It makes me wonder if he was specifically proud of his nose shape and asked for this to be done when he died or if the mummy prep person took it upon themselves to make sure his snoot would stay shaped because they just wanted to.

[holygrailcycle]

I'm still mulling over things and putting together Thoughts regarding Sigurd's Lore Dump about us and the Origin War, so while I percolate, I thought I'd go about identifying the eight other Servants summoned by the Solar Cell/Heavenly Divinity. Some of them we've seen, others will probably be familiar if you've played FGO and kept up with the JP server, and one is... well. One is QUITE interesting. So, in (almost) order of appearance:

The Beastmaster: Tezcatlipoca. In charge of the Pyrrhic Forest. We know he's been replaced by Lancer/Setanta.

The Healer: Asclepius. In charge of the Fugue Hamlet. We set off his defenses by contracting with Rider again and were forced to eliminate him.

The Slayer: Nagao Kagetora. Was mentioned to have been replaced by Nikitich by Sigurd during the banquet.

The Keeper: Ptolemy.

The General: Karna. In charge of Flicker Port. We saw him annihilate Izou during Chapter 2.5.

The Pharaoh: Ozymandias. In charge of the Transient Megalopolis.

The Protector: Gawain.

And last but VERY much not least...

The Priestess: Tamamo no Mae. In charge of Sunbeam Row. Was mentioned to have been replaced by Tamamo Aria by Sigurd during the banquet.

Theurgical Holy Grail War more like the fucking 'Tamamo Everywhere System'. Which makes sense given she seems to have started this whole shebang off in the first place. But if Red Caster and the previous Priestess are one in the same it'd certainly explain a fucking LOT about our encounters with her (including Foreigner calling her a cheater) and how much she knows about us.

So you know. That's fun!!!

[rynnthefangirl]

My Top 10 Favorite Breaking Bad Universe Episodes (+ explanations/analyses because I can't not gush about these shows dammit)

"Face Off" (BrBa, S4E13)- this episode had me on the edge of my seat like no other one in the entire BrBa universe. It's not my favorite in terms of themes or character development-- which are my usual priorities in a show-- but good god, it was an EXPERIENCE. And it held up SO GOOD on rewatch, even knowing how it ends the pacing and buildup is done so phenomenally that it almost feels like watching it for the first time. It's just epic. And that final scene... coming off the thrill of watching an evil villain like Gus Fring be defeated... relishing in Walt's victory and relief... then the camera slowly tracking inward to reveal the Lily of the Valley.... that sudden shift as you realize the guy you were just aggressively rooting for is a monster as well... Oh my god. Perfection.

"Ozymandias" (BrBa, S5E14)- do I even need to explain why I love this episode? It's often regarded as the best episode in this universe, and for good reason. It is Walter White's downfall, the epic culmination of 4 1/2 seasons of steady moral degradation, the consequences of Walter's greed and ego finally brought to horrific fruition. This is one of only two episodes in the BrBa universe to actually make me cry (the other being "Granite State", when Walt Jr. tells his father he should just go and die). Hank's death is abrupt and horrible. "I watched Jane die" makes ME want to go die. Walt's fight with Skyler is both devastating and somehow cathartic. The acting is some of the best I have seen in my entire life. It truly is the peak of Breaking Bad, and there will never be anything else quite like it (although my #3 comes close).

"Plan and Execution" (BCS, S6E7)- this episode is so effective, that I could barely even stand to rewatch it. And not just Howard's death, but everything building up to it. Watching Howard suffer and be humiliated, knowing all the while that this is his last day on Earth. That this is how he is spending his final hours. And the fact that the whole thing has the fun and whacky tone of the other McWexler scams makes me want to throw up. Watching an oblivious Jimmy and Kim dig both Howard's and their own graves with joy and gusto. The inevitability of it all too, how every little detail conspires to put Howard and Lalo in that room together. I never thought a cockroach scampering across a screen could make me want to scream, but here we are. It's honestly unbearable. And then of course the final scene is breathtakingly brilliant. Howard's amazing speech, the sudden tonal shift, the horror of his death. The candle. And this all barely even touches on what it means for Jimmy and Kim's characters, but this is getting long enough, so lets just leave it at P&E is their very own Ozymandias.

"Chicanery" (BCS, S3E5)- I love how perfectly rated Chicanery is in the fandom. I feel like an episode like this would be prone to being totally overshadowed by the more action-packed ones, and I'm so glad that it isn't. Because it is brilliant. To me, Chuck and Jimmy's relationship is the single most compelling dynamic in the BrBa universe. And this is their ultimate showdown, both giving their all to take the other down, Chuck with righteous glee and Jimmy with bitter reluctance. Chuck's final breakdown/monologue is incredible both in terms of writing and acting-- this is the moment we see Chuck McGill for who he really is. Years of bitterness, and jealousy, and frustration, and desperation, finally let loose. And while Jimmy won, it's not a triumphant victory. It's a somber one. Because like Kim said, all they did was tear down a mentally ill man. A man who needed help, beneath all the hatred and envy. Aghh. Chuck.

"Felina" (BrBa, S5E16)- I love the vibe of Felina. There's just this palpaple tiredness and resigned acceptance from Walter. He destroyed his family, they will never forgive him, he is going to die alone. He has realized his ego and selfishness, but it's too late. Everyone is just sitting in the ashes of the world they once knew. And yet, with that acceptance, there also comes a sense of peace. Nothing left to do but make things right in whatever way he still can. Finding a way to get his money to his family, admitting to Skyler that "I did it for me", seeing Holly and Jr. one last time, avenging Hank's death. Then there's Jesse and his resolution, "do it yourself", him crying and screaming and laughing as he drives away, a well earned freedom. The final shot of Walt is bittersweet in the best possible way. A conclusion worthy of the phenomenal series that came before it (rip GOT but BrBa is different).

"Waterworks" (BCS, S6E12)- where Saul Gone is the resolution of Jimmy's arc, Waterworks is the resolution of Kim's. And I think Kim's ending hits me harder, because while we always knew that Jimmy would break bad, Kim's corruption felt like such a betrayal. And it made it all the more sweeter when she redeems herself and begins to come back from that dark place she was in. The Florida scenes were utterly unnerving in how empty Kim was, but then it was so cathartic to see her finally let all that emotion out (and Rhea Seehorn absolutely KILLED IT, she was ROBBED at the Emmy's). Her scene with Jesse was beautiful too, and a perfect example of how to do fan-service in a meaningful way. Also, as a devoted Howard Hamlin stan, I loved seeing him haunt the narrative and watching Cheryl stand up for him again.

"Saul Gone" (BCS, S6E13)- another excellent and worthy conclusion to an amazing show! Jimmy is one of my favorite characters, and like with Kim, it was so beautiful to see him find himself again. I'm very fascinated by Jimmy's coping mechanisms for his grief & guilt, and this episode is where we see them finally be torn down. The whole confession scene is wonderful, A+ writing and acting. Particularly him finally saying out loud that his actions led to Chuck's suicide -- that knowledge has controlled Jimmy for the past three seasons, and him facing it at last is the final nail in the coffin for Saul Goodman. Saul is Gone, and Jimmy McGill remains. I love it.

"Lantern" (BCS S3E10)- this one killed me on rewatch. Watching Chuck completely unravel and destroy his home after he was finally on the road to recovery from his mental illness. Howard and Chuck's falling out, with Howard's pain in having to force Chuck out of HHM and Chuck's pain in losing the last good relationship that he still had in his life. "You've never mattered all that much to me."🫠💔 Chuck's suicide, and knowing how it will haunt the narrative, how it will lead to Howard's destruction in P&E and Jimmy's transformation into Saul Goodman. Daggers. The whole episode - Daggers.

"Fly" (BrBa S3E10)- I am so so glad this episode exists. It wasn't necessary towards the plot at all, but it's such a wonderful little character study. The first half is comedic gold, some of my favorite whacky Walt + Jesse banter. Then the slow shift to the more somber and pensive tone as the sleeping pills set in. Everything is just dripping with importance and symbolism. Especially "it's all contaminated" -- one of my favorite lines in the whole show. And Walt’s speech about the perfect moment for him to have died... I don't even know the word for what that evokes in me. "Beautiful" doesn't cut it. It's ethereal.

"Peekaboo" (BrBa S2E6)- if I wanted to show someone why I love Jesse Pinkman and could only pick one episode to do it, Peekaboo would be that episode. It so perfectly encapsulates his character. Jesse goes to a house to threaten and get money from two junkies, and spends the entire episode trying to look after their neglected child. His conscience and decency at constant odds with the necessity of appearing strong and dangerous. And this is reinforced by the episode's bookends - Jesse delights in a small bug before Skinny P comes along and squishes it, foreshadowing the horror of Spooge getting his head squashed. Jesse is a sensitive soul scrambling for control in a world of the blackest violence. I'm so glad it never was able to fully consume him.

Honorable mentions:

"Point and Shoot" (BCS S6E8) and "Fun and Games" (BCS S6E9)- I feel so bad leaving both of these out of the top 10, because they are such phenomenal episodes. But I feel like my favorite moments are scattered across them and "Plan and Execution", and it's really the triad of episodes that makes up one of my favorite arcs in either show. So as individual episodes they don't quite outrank the others I have, but in spirit they are definitely up there sharing the #3 spot with P&E.

"Better Call Saul" (BrBa S2E8) and "4 Days Out" (BrBa S2E9)- I have to give a shoutout to two of my favorite chaotic and hilarious Breaking Bad episodes. Walt and Jesse's dynamic is so perfect in 4 Days Out, and Saul absolutely killed his introduction to this universe (+ the additional heartbreak of rewatching knowing why he was so freaked out about Lalo).

[ardenssolis]

CHARACTER INFO SHEET

tagged by: @dayrisen, @holyrisen (thank you! //////) tagging: Idk who has done this so TAKE IT

Name: Ramses / Rameses / Ramesses

Name meaning: 'Born of Ra'

Alias: 'Rider'

Ethnicity: Egyptian

THREE HEADCANONS YOU’VE NEVER TOLD ANYONE:

☼ Despite Ozy's pride, he is PRACTICAL. If he feels he cannot do something alone, he has no issues relying on another if necessary. He puts stubbornness aside and focuses, instead, on what needs to be done. If he must work with someone who was a former enemy, then so be it. The only thing is that sometimes he has to be convinced to do so, and it must be because there is absolutely no other course of action left to him but this. Nitocris is an outlier because she is a fellow pharaoh and he respects her a great deal for her sacrifice to the throne.

☼ Although he loves the beauty of the sea, he is not fond of the thought of actually riding a ship on it. The vastness of the ocean is intimidating, even more so when you are far away from shore and all that can be seen for miles upon miles is water. Sailing fascinates him, but he knows for a fact that after the intrigue wears off, the unease will set in and he will hate it.

☼ He has a great love for sheep. They are soft---

THREE THINGS YOUR CHARACTER LIKES DOING IN THEIR FREE TIME:

☼ Napping. Ozymandias just really loves to take naps. He sits around on his throne a lot, and during that process, he tends to get sluggish and tired. It’s easy enough for him to perk up when he’s aware that someone is visiting him, however. Being able to just lie back and rest is not something he had really experienced in life because he was constantly kept busy by something or another or had to keep up certain appearances, so he takes advantage of that when he’s summoned. In a sense, he might as well be a cat at that point.

☼ Playing video games. Although video games confuse him, he actually really likes them. It’s so ‘quaint’, and yet, it holds his attention for hours. Ozymandias doesn’t quite understand why this is, but he’s not complaining. Let him play something like Tekken Tag Tournament or Skyrim and wham, the day has gone by.

☼ Reading. There are a vast amount of books out there with a vast amount of stories to tell, and as one who was more or less used to being told things orally, it all fascinates him. He is a big fan of 'the hero's journey' kind of stories. He also likes things with complexity beneath what appears simple on the surface. Political intrigues are always fun for him as well.

SIX PEOPLE YOUR CHARACTER LIKES/LOVES:

Some people in his canon:

☼ Nitocris

☼ Cleopatra

☼ Arash

☼ Nefertari

☼ Gilgamesh (complicated)

☼ Arthur (complicated)

-- Sun related Servants in general pretty much

TWO THINGS YOUR CHARACTER REGRETS:

☼ Ozy doesn't have any big regrets aside from how he wished he could have done more in regards to his rule, but unfortunately, his lifespan was finite like every other human being. If asked if he regrets anything else, you won't get an answer aside from 'no'. Whether that's true or not is left to the imagination.

TWO PHOBIAS YOUR CHARACTER HAS:

☼ He doesn't really have any phobias. Past fears, maybe. Swarming insects do make him somewhat uneasy. This, though, is not enough to freeze him in his tracts or make him feel the gnawing of panic. It's just unpleasant.

[kudzucataclysm]

se lore dump time wooo

THERE ARE 4 TYPES/CASTES OF MARTIANS: WORKERS, KNIGHTS, PRINCES, AND KINGS. There can only be ONE type of Chimera, or at least that was thought to be the case…until NOW.

FRANCIS AND OZYMANDIAS: TWO IN A TRILLION!!!!

Caste-type Chimera don’t exist because their non-alien parent’s social structure and biology typically doesn’t account for it! Chimera can function pretty well independently outside of a social group (very much like humans or wtv their terran parent is) whereas Martians NEED companionship and socialization to survive (being isolated/away from other Martians for so long can literally fucking kill them lol).

A very distinguishing trait that Frank and Oz share due to their unique biology are their “needles” and ability to constantly regenerate- they can even regenerate their eyes, impossible for even Martian princes!! They can also do much more complex shapeshifting than their standard sibling counterparts. The twin’s regeneration abilities are thought to originate from their human mother Roxanne due to her being a D-type mutant, though this hasnt been proven as a main factor

*it should also be stated that unlike Oz, Francis is disconnected from her identity as a Chimera; she doesn’t know what she’s capable of or what she truly is, and thus is unable to utilize the full extent of her powers. for her to even match the regeneration and shapeshifting speed of Oz (whose is near instantaneous), she’d have to expel a tremendous amount of energy at once which causes her skin to boil and steam off and her blood to catch fire. Very fun times ahead for Francis

They’re both extremely agile and because of their constant regeneration, they have super high levels of energy!! They gotta constantly move!!!! its super hard for them to get tired

They both also have 3 hearts, which the Chimera species entirely lacks! its because of these extra organs that their timers are stabilized and they can't explode as easily (rip Francis)

Francis and Oz are both intersex due to their eye type- in low light settings/the dark, their eyes appear female-oriented while in the light they appear male-oriented. Valentine, a Martian scientist, theorizes that this intersex eye type is required for caste-type Chimera to exist.

say hi to oz :3

their father being a king martian and their mother being a D-type human mutant allegedly gives them some special benefits!! (as well as some disadvantages)

note - their biology is by no means perfect; while having the same powers and abilities, each twin has their own set of differences, strengths and weaknesses physiologically and mentally

heightened level of hearing, to the point where each twin can potentially be able to hear your fucking thoughts!! hearing of this magnitude is typically associated with martian women, and while Francis doesn’t have prehensile hair, Oz DOES- so he can read people’s minds without assistance and without as much concentration that Francis needs 

super strength and speed, much more than the average Chimera and Martian. Oz is much stronger than Francis however due to practice, knowledge,  and environmental factors 

they each have the ability to administer POISON through their needles, with Francis able to also inject poison through her tail (yes she has a tail). with this comes heightened resistance to toxins and certain substances such as drugs and alcohol; Francis typically has to drink much more to get a buzz, and to simply REMAIN drunk she has to KEEP drinking or within an hour she’ll be sobering up due to her extremely high metabolism 

resistance to Vena Cava!! its hard for any potential ghost to possess these twins and it’s extremely difficult to mentally trap them in any sort of reality vortex. unfortunately for Francis, her mental and emotional instability can make this resistance ineffective.

their shapeshifting ability is to the extent where they can change into weird, new forms! Francis can't do this (yet) but Oz can turn into a relatively him-sized dragon creature and even grow wings :D

they both have the potential to gain the abilities of Martians they eat!!! Oz can shoot lightning out of his fingers for example

[fandom-go-round]

Can I request headcanons of Ozymandias trying to woo an unaware master regarding his romantic advances? (Male reader if possible)

Warnings: Oblivious Master, Implied Sexual Situations, Trying to Initiate Romance, Kissing without Warning

Ozy is torn between being impressed and frustrated beyond words. The two of you go everywhere together and there isn’t another Servant that you’re closer with. If that was the only thing that the pharaoh wanted, everything would be perfect. Unfortunately for him, he’s been trying to flirt with you for months and you’re oblivious. He wonders if it’s because you’re both men but shakes it off; you realize when other men flirt with you just not him.

He goes out of his way to get you gifts and shower you with attention, spending time with you one on one. You think that he just enjoys being able to relax. He’ll compliant you on your fighting and leadership skills. You think that he’s hoping you praise him next. Once, he got a little drunk and told you that you’re the only person he ever wants to be with. You laughed it off and put him to bed.

Everyone else at Chaldea can clearly see how he’s struggling and you’re out of the loop. Gil thinks it’s the funniest thing ever, laughing and making fun of Ozymandias as much as possible. The two of them almost destroy the cafeteria on more than one occasion. Nitocris offers great advice if she gets over the fact that it’s Oy asking; it doesn’t happen often.

Finally, he loses patience with you. Or himself more likely. He’s never had issues getting people to realize he desires them, just you. The two of you are spending time in the baths after a long mission and Ozy gets tired of you being so far away. He grabs your arm and pulls you into a kiss. It’s just lips on lips but the shock on your face is worth the mood. He smirks as he sees you begin to put the dots together, leaning back against the walls. Even if you reject him, as least the dance is finally over.

[hrodvitnon]

Random Tiamat Thoughts/Ideas/HCs

(just to clarify, this is Frostbite, I just changed my name lol)

I feel there's an interesting juxtaposition to have against Godzilla, who is also a creature of the seas but had humans willingly given to him as tribute on rafts- whereas Tiamat would lure people into the ocean with her songs. Maybe the humans saw Godzilla in a similar vein to how Bahamut is viewed in the classic Bahamut-Tiamat myth; and they would pray to Godzilla in order to keep Tiamat at bay.

I see Tiamat's relationship with the other Titans as somewhat strained. Opinions of her range from her being mildly annoying to insufferable by some. Of all the Titans, it's the most strained with Shimo.

They don't get along. At all. Shimo sees Tiamat as a chattering, promiscuous brat who can never seem to grow the fuck up and show even the slightest amount of respect. Tiamat sees Shimo as an overdramatic wannabe hero who sucks up to any Titan she can with flattery and feigned respect. Shimo gets annoyed when other Titans put up with and even play into her whorish and disrespectful tendencies, feeling like it validates her antics and makes her just do it more; and Tiamat visibly rolls her eyes whenever Shimo pulls out one of her stupid poetic titles or hymns of tribute to other Titans.

This relationship is much worse in AbraxasVerse, as there's the added stipulation that they were both mated to Ozymandias at one point. They both internalize some nasty assumptions about the nature of their respective relationships with him. Shimo, upon learning Tia was Ozzy's mate after her, assumes that Ozzy must've been *really* desperate to take someone like her as mate, and beats herself up about disappearing some more because 'if I were still around, he would've never gotten desperate enough to seek out *her* company'. Tiamat is very confused by the revelation that Shimo was Ozzy's first mate, seeing her as way too boring and prude to be mated to the famously sex-hungry and fun-loving Ozymandias. In her mind, it all but confirms her theory that Shimo's reverence and overt respect to her fellow kaiju is all performative flattery and just a way to get people in bed with her- something that actually worked on Ozzy. A caveat of this is that Tia assumes Ozzy could never have been sexually satisfied with her, and that Ozzy would've dumped her the instant he got a taste of Tiamat in bed. The assumption helped Tiamat sleep and night and put down the anxiety of actually being Ozzy's second mate (and that Ozzy never dumped Shimo, she just disappeared).

Angsty Idea: I can see this eventually boiling over if Tia ever gets on one of her rants against Mothra not using her powers to find Ozzy, and has the gall to suggest that she was the only one that ever really cared about Ozzy and she in turn was the only one her ever truly loved; right in front of Shimo and Mothra (and maybe Goji). Shimo would probably explode into full-on category 5 blizzard mode at Ozzy's name being used against her like that, disregarding her usual calm and respectful demeanor for ripping into Tiamat about being a pesky little bitch who couldn't grow up with a gun to her head, and promptly ripping into Mothra/Goji about putting up with her bullshit. Goji or Mothra would need to break it up before things got violent between the two, either one probably getting really angry too about hearing Ozzy's name thrown around in that manner.

I've heard theories here about Tia's species being famous for sexual promiscuity, and I think that would boil over into sex being so casual and so normalized to Tiamat that 'making love' would be a weird concept to her. Sex was just sex to her, and she may even find it a little weird that some Titans or humans engage with sex in that way.

A lot of people seem to forget that Tiamat has a very similar bio-electrical ability to Ghidorah. Recently, in Shamhat, we see Ghidorah use that ability in a very- interesting way on her. She probably never would've thought to use that ability in that way, but now that Ghidorah's demonstrated it on her, she would probably look to utilize that power in literally any way she can on any Titan she lays with. San's basically inadvertently given her the sexual equivalent of a nuclear bomb to utilize how she pleases- and this is one of the few times I would rather trust Ghidorah with something than Tiamat…

On her Siren's Song: I think it would be something comparable to Godzilla/Ghidorah's Alpha Roar, except instead of forceful and demanding- it's persuasive and sweet. She can reach a similar effect to hypnosis by focusing it down on a single target, but people and Titans with sufficiently strong wills can resist it, unlike the Alpha Roar which seems to be irresistible to any who hear it; only other Alpha-Bornes (Kong, Caesar, Shimo). Are immune. 

Now I'm picturing Tiamat bragging about the new "trick" she learned from San and everyone is horrified at him for unleashing sexual terror upon the world... except for Shimo, who's just like "Still have to use underhanded tricks just to get a rise out of your target, eh Tiamat? I'm unsure if that's sad or hilarious." On a good day, Tiamat and Shimo are the Titan equivalents of Blanche and Dorothy, only if Tia tries trash-talking Shimo's looks, it falls flat on its face.

"What're you talking about, Shimo's gorgeous!"

"I always liked them tall and imposing..."

"You think it's 'cause Tia doesn't have hands in her real form?"

[peachenle]

enhypen as frat boys

genre: head canon | fratboy!au | suggestive themes

members: enhypen's hyung line

word count: 1k

warnings: mentions of drinking, hook ups; a lot of Greek life lingo

perm tag list: @ozymandia-s

༄࿔˚✧ synopsis: the older enhypen boys as typical frat bros, with glimpses of them in all their party glory.

TOO YOUNG TO DIE. TOO DRUNK TO LIVE.

// HEESEUNG is…

an executive board member for the chapter for SURE. Not quite president, something less taxing like Alumni Liaison or House Manager. Heeseung LOVES to help DJ at parties, he’ll drop his mixes if the party that weekend was successful.

Heeseung’s not above hookups at the house and is (notoriously) clumsy about forgetting to sexile/warn the other brothers. Super flirty with or without alcohol, making him a big fan amongst regular partygoers. Outside of parties you will never see him outside doing charity runs or any events that are super outdoorsy… he’d opt to volunteer to be the bro at the check-in table, or a driver… he’s a lil lazy… but he never fails to complete his duties! Strangely good at kegstands despite being so tall. Beer pong and beer die king.

When he was pledging, he was so enthusiastic and willing to do whatever embarrassing thing the upperclassmen threw at him… Heeseung’s passion, it almost scared them. He was paired with everyone’s desired Big AND was the most sought after Little in his pledge class.

"Theoretically, do I really have to play beach volleyball with the dudes?" "Heeseung, it's rush AND you're an exec, the answer is always going to be yes..." "Yeah, but it the League LCK semi finals..."

// JAY is…

definitely another exec: either VP or Risk Manager or Panhell Chair or something like that — he’s the strictest one on board. Everyone’s intimidated by him, he’s strict about deadlines, he’s always the one assigned to do the scolding… but he can DRINK (all the bros wanna be him). Jay is also not shy about hookups and letting loose at parties. He charms people by making drinks, offering them his special brandy/cabernet/etc he’s been “saving for the right person.” The bottles are always at least half gone because of the amount of people he’s shown. A wild card when it comes to beer pong. Some nights he'll dominate, but other nights, he's truly a disgrace.

Had a HARD time during pledge, (a lot of the dudes were jealous of his popularity!) and was picked on a lot, so Jay had his doubts. But getting his bid meant way more than he expected. Would definitely be the type to stay in touch as an alumni, going to events, dropping fat checks here and there. Every potential Little wants Jay as their big, he SPOILS them like crazy… (rumor has it that he’s planning on buying his latest Little a whole new custom PC...)

"Please I don't want Jay as my partner!" "Why? I beat them at pong last time?" "Yeah, but your track record dude... one and done..."

// JAKE is…

the life of the party. He’s the most welcoming to new people at the house, ushering wallflowers to the core of the action. He’s all about slinging arms around people, drunkenly claiming new friends, and his giggly laughter is CONTAGIOUS. He doesn’t have much interest in a leadership role, but he’s been Rush Chair for two terms and he absolutely killed it each time. Jake often volunteers to be a sober chaperone, because “I know how to have fun sober too!”. In this role, you’ll always see his hands full of mini water bottles and a plastic bag or two in his pocket as he patrols the house. Jake is the more studious type of frat bro, sometimes snapping at his bros to keep quiet the night before an exam (he’s studying physics, of course). And no, not really the hookup type at parties… Jake is too soft for that and enjoys the energy of the party too much to leave it for a quickie. His drinking game of choice is King's Cup, just because he likes to try to fool people into drinking more.

Surprisingly breezed through the pledging process despite not being that big of a drinker, and got picked up by a really good Big in the same major (they put each other as number 1 choice). As an upperclassman, he’s a little awkward navigating as the Big Bro - referring to his Little as his son. He means well, but can be a little embarrassing!

"Oh, you're the Question master? What was your name again?" "Nice try, you're not gonna get me." "Sorry, what? Music's too loud." "I said, 'Nice tr-'" "Gotcha. Drink up!"

// SUNGHOON is…

not your average frat boy - only in looks <3. He was way more reluctant to be involved than one may expect. He genuinely pursued it for the friendship/camaraderie/The Brotherhood. But the parties and attention were a plus. To outsiders, he looks a step out of place, always laughing AT his bros, not usually WITH them. Real ones know that he can be just as chaotic. Especially after a pint of beer and maybe 1.5 shots - that’ll do it for him. Always cracking lame jokes, earning the nickname of Dad amongst his class. Hooking up is not his thing, but if someone has really caught his eye… well, a private conversation on a balcony doesn’t have to mean too much, right? Sunghoon surprisingly really enjoys Rage Cage, and honestly, he's the type to purposefully miss his ball sometimes just to have to drink.

He's really good at tabling and mingling with potentials. His frat wants to make him their poster child - there's a solo picture of Sunghoon in every Instagram slideshow that's posted.

He barely rushed, but he worked his ass off as a pledge. Sunghoon was also another fan-favorite to be picked up as a Little. As a Big… other than him paying for a lot of things… when it comes to advice and the mentorship side of things, let’s just say its hard to tell who’s the Big and who’s the Little sometimes.

"You guys have used my pictures like 5 times this week for all the rush posts..." "Hey, don't look at me, Sunghoon. Blame our media guy! He says your face attracts the most likes." "I should charging... can you take it out of my dues?"

BONUS:

// SUNOO is…

desired by every social frat. But he couldn’t find any that appealed to him. Embarrassing for them really, their desperation. Sunoo found more of his home in a service frat! Has access to parties, the classic Big/Little pairing still, but in a more diverse environment with less pressure and more focus on the academic/philanthropic side of things.

Sunoo still gets invited to the crazy frat houses, in case he changes his mind, but only goes for the alcohol and the excuse to go out with friends. He’s friendly and magnetic at parties, befriending nearly everyone that gets lucky enough to talk with him. Every next morning he wakes up to tens of new follow requests from people he doesn’t even remember.

[centi-pedve]

hullo! if you adapted Island of Ideologies in another media, let's say a novel... would the narrator still be Five like in the first few pages of the prologue? someone else in universe (like Dr Slay. i mean. Dr Rose)? or an omniscient third person narrator? also what would change drastically (like things youd skip in a novel but not in a webcomic and vice versa)?

GIGGLES MENIACALLY. ohh ozymandias you read us so well for we have a fascination with media type differences.

we actually considered ioi as a novel at multiple points! so thankfully we've thought about it a bit prior. we imagine the narrator would be third person - the primary reason why we have five as the perspective character is because it's really hard to do comics in proper third person.. to us.. but third person we're more comfortable writing with, and it allows for more neutrality. dr rose would be such an interesting perspective character because he's a curious little beast to us but it probably wouldn't function well for the prologue specifically. for a lot of reasons but mostly just coming back to the fact that he's not a good person specifically in a way which would fuck the narrative a bit lol... he doesn't view most people as being as human as him, especially certain characters, which makes it kind of difficult to tell a story about humans doing human things, and his weirdo tendencies would be difficult to depict internally without also making us seem like a weirdo! it's fun to think about though.

as for what would change drastically... the dialogue omga... we're a novel writer before we're a comic writer and we think that kinda shows. so the way we go about dialogue has to be different by result of the fact that we don't have any other words at our disposal to make up for anything that might be lost in the dialogue alone that isn't also picked up by the visuals. most comic writers seem to more so have the perspective of This Is Just How Dialogue Is rather than feeling like they need to make up for the fact they can't make use of prose, so, we'd definitely be more in our comfort zone if it was novelized. maybe less melodrama in every syllable lmaooo

we don't think there's anything we'd Skip that would be like, notable, because story is story to us... if we can't include a certain necessary series of events in a piece of media then we won't consider it as an option. since comic stuff takes a LOT of time it's basically only scenes we feel are necessary, either because it progresses the plot or gives some sort of needed character insight. but if it was novelized we'd probably spend a bit more time on certain things to let scenes breathe.

despite us being more comfortable with novel writing, there's a few reasons why we didn't go with it... first, less and less people are interested in novels, ESPECIALLY if they don't fit into certain mainstream categories. meanwhile people are more likely to give a comic a shot even if they don't regularly read comics because it's easier for the average person to pay attention to. (we're kind of the opposite, weirdly, it's easier for us to read light novel adaptations of a series than its manga counterpart, but we understand what's normal for most people.)

second is. the character names are literally SUCH an issue that they could singlehandedly ruin any attempts at novelization. right now they're fine but once the focus shifts on the bajillion characters whose names are just different ideologies, it will become very. very difficult to read. if not unreadable. ideology names are wordy as hell and shortening them like anarcho primitivism -> anprim, would make it even harder to distinguish between characters despite being less wordy, because sure it's functional normally but not when anprim is in a scene with anmon, annatur, ansoc, and primprim. the general advice is to not have too many characters which start with the same first letter but we're performing overkill here. +, we only think memorizing characters would be possible if there was some sort of visual aid. even if you can't remember the name you can probably associate that specific character design with specific actions, which doesn't work in print. if you forget a name then you'll either have no clue what's going on or you'll have to search it up which is a hassle. if we ever used prose to tell any part of ioi then we'd have to make use of specific guidelines and be fairly intentional with what characters we use in order to not be confusing and awful.

[forthedancingandthethriving]

Leto grins. "Well now, don't I look cute?"

She brushes some hair behind an ear. She looks at the reflection of herself in a waterfall. Her skin was a soft green, covered in shining scales. Her hair was long a wavy, a gradient of light blue to dark. She wore a dark blue dress top, with golden bands at her shoulders. Connected to it were translucent, sparkling green fabrics connected to golden rings on her middle fingers. She wore a split dress bottom, which had the same green fabric in the middle and green shorts and shoes. Her tail sways behind her, and her pale green horn glints in the light. Her frills just under her neck now cover her shoulders, almost like a scarf. Black eyes glinting, she grins.

"Uh, boss?" Lumi walks up, hopping up on the Companion Cube she quickly summons. "What are we doing exactly? Why did you connect all the worlds?"

Leto hums, turning from the waterfall and walking, her shoes clacking. Lumi follows her, the Companion Cube trailing close behind.

"We're going to make a grand little venture." Leto hums, clasping her hands together. "A little.. fighting ring."

"Aren't those illegal?" Lumi's ears lower.

"Not if the front is a club." The Program grins.

Lumi swallows thickly and follows her boss. The two enter into an absolutely massive room, designed almost to be like an arena. Though it was far more modern, with lightning, many areas where programs could get things they want.

Leto smirks. "A place for Viruses and Programs to mingle. Fights will inevitably break."

"How will this help us defeat Ozymandias?" Lumi frowns.

The Program chuckles. "Oh, trust me, I have an idea. I've heard through the waves that there's a little snake of his rooting around."

Lumi thinks, wracking her memory. "Wait, does he have someone working for him?"

"Worse."

A dangerous look comes to the sea serpent's eyes. "He has a little offshoot. Do you remember that white-haired girl you saw during an expedition to SM64?"

Lumi's ears pin back. "Wait, she's an offshoot of him?! How are you so sure?!"

"That white root you managed to snag when she was showing.. him." She growls softly, memories flicking to Antivirus. She loathed him the most, no doubt experienced in fighting beings like her. Her only advantage was that she was invulnerable, but he was still an annoying pest.

Leto exhales. "Maybe if we can draw that offshoot, we can come to some sort of agreement with Ozymandias. Present her to him, have a temporary alliance, and then stab him in the back when he doesn't expect it."

Lumi hesitates before nodding. "Sounds good.."

"Great." Leto grins. "Now, why don't you get to spreading the word? Wave-Mania is officially open."

As Lumi nods and rushes off, Leto hums and drags her hand over a railing overlooking the arena. Codes with the appearance of water all around, getting to making everything look good.

Plus, why can't she have a fun time while waiting for Ozymandias to finally get his head screwed on right and escape? She deserves this.

[blanddcheadcanons]

Lex Luthor commissioned 3 clones over the course of his supervillain career. Project Indigo (Indigo), a clone of Braniac who he made to serve as his lieutenant on the Legion of Doom. Project Kr (Conner), Superboy, who was his attempt to have a Superman he could control. And Project Ozymandias (Alex Jr.), a perfect clone of himself he imbued with super intelligence. All of these clones ended up turning on him and becoming heroes and they all make fun of their 'Dad' for being a loser.

[bafflement]

Deaged Oz AU The Third

It had been a month since Qrow went to go and find his nieces. He said that he'd come back, but Ozpin was really rather worried at this point. Had it been long enough to go and find him?

His forms were getting better. Not quite to their normal strength of course, but the speed was there, helped out with judicious use of his semblance which he was rather relieved to still have full access to.

Oscar's face when he'd first been caught in it had been interesting to say the least, though. Speaking of Oscar, it was strangely like having a brother had felt in those of his past lives that had had the pleasure. He seemed to look up to him, uncomfortable though that made him feel and he was well aware that, in matching outfits, they even looked like they could be distantly related. Oscar had got tired of asking Qrow questions evetually, but only because Qrow had told him exactly who Oz was. That had certainly been interesting, but he had been a teacher for twenty years. Not all of it had been by choice, but he knew how to train young students. Oscar had seemed pretty handy with the axe they'd found in an old shed one day and he was getting better too.

There was a cough at the door as Miss Pine interrupted them.

"You'll need to go soon, won't you?"

"It does appear that way, I thank you again for your hospilality miss Pine, but Qrow did set a schedule and I have taken long enough to recover as it stands."

"Oz... it's been a month. Call me aunt Em, okay? Oscar more or less sees you as a brother. Speaking of, I think we need to talk alone, don't we?"

Oz nodded, following her into the other room.

"Oscar is quite likely to follow you when you leave. You know that, right?"

"I was attempting to find ways to discourage it..."

"Don't. Had things been different, he would have been at Signal by now. He's wasted here. Just, I need you to promise me that you'll look after him, Ozpin. Make sure he lives to make it home to me. That you both do."

"Miss Pine, I..." He sighed, sounding ancient. "Aunt Em, if I can bring him back, I will. But this is a war."

"Which is why I've already made Oscar promise me that you'll both come home, too. You're protective of him, yes, but he's protective of you too. Something tells me that you'll need each other. Now, are you all packed?"

"As much as I can be. There are a few things I still need to take care of, though."

"Ah yes, the hairdye Qrow gave you? I must admit it will be rather odd, seeing you with dark hair."

"It's temporary, though hopefully it will last as long as Mistral. The less obvious a target I make the better for Oscar." He carefully slipped Long Memory into a hollowed out wooden sheath, hopefully nobody would look too closely at the walking aid for a child and at this age, he still had that limp, after all... besides, holding it gave him comfort that was sorely needed since Ozymandias had started talking to him again...

He emerged from the bathroom ten minutes later, scowling, his hair now a deep red instead of the brown that Qrow had promised him it wuld be. Oscar grinned at him.

"Huh, that suits you, Oz!"

"Thank you, Oscar. I think. Still not keeping it like this though. Qrow swore it was brown."

"That might be better with your skin tone, actually." Aunt Em opined, trying not to laugh. Oz's ten year old scowl was just precious after all.

"Well, I think that's just about it. Oh, one more thing, Oscar. While we're travelling, would you call me Tip? Just while we're travelling. It adds an extra layer of security."

Oscar pulled a face. "I'll try, I guess. Hey does that mean you've given up trying to stop me?"

"The station is close enough that we're unlikely to run into Grimm before we can catch a train, but things will get dangerous later on. If you'd let me, I'd send you home."

"No! I know war is dangerous Oz... Tip? That'll take some getting used to. But I promised to look after you."

"Then let me look after you in turn?"

"It'll be fun! Where'd Tip come from, anyway?"

Oz shrugged, looking uncomfortable again.

"It's just a name."

"Oz?" Aunt Em interrupted, her tone serious. "Use Tip Pine as long as you're traveling. Actually, until you're both home again. It might mean both of you are safer."

Oz nodded, understanding the necessity of the ruse then stiffened as Em swept him into a hug. he still didn't like being touched, but this could be an exception. Just this once, though.

"Oz?" Oscar asked as they made their slow way to the station, wincing slightly as he watched Oz's limp. "Where did Tip come from?"

"It's my name, Oscar. You are Oscar Pine and I'm Tip. I just... prefer not to use it unless absolutely necessary. Call it personal preference." There was something dark in the wide amber eyes as he spoke, though, which made Oscar shiver slightly. He kept trying to remember that Oz was a lot older than the ten year old he resembled but sometimes that was harder than others. In that moment, though, it was something he didn't think he'd ever forget.

Oscar didn't notice that Oz had stopped moving for a second or two after he did. Looking back, he had frozen, staring at a mountain of a man at the other end of the station, eyes wide and face scared. Hurrying back, Oscar let the smaller boy lean on him even as Oz whispered through a hurried explanation. The likelihood they'd run into someone from Oz's past seemed so small, and yet...

Getting to the ticket machine, Oscar bought them both tickets to Mistral, using Oz's funds. The large man had seemed to take very little notice of two young boys, barely glancing at them before looking away with a huff. That might have been the artificially red hair Oz bore, or the fact that the stick he leant on looked like a stick as opposed to the highly recognisable cane it actually was, but at this point they'd both take that blessing. The man was huge, far bigger than either one of them. Best not to fight him unless they had to, especially if he was working for Salem. Over the month Oz had been staying with Oscar a little bit of his caution had rubbed off at least, as had the stories he'd told him. Oscar knew there were things he didn't know, things Oz hadn't told him, but he'd given him the bare bones of the story at least. Warning him off? Maybe, though it hadn't worked. Oscar had wanted a brother for as long as he could remember, he wasn't about to lose them now he had one!

"Oscar? Promise me, if we ever see that man again, run. His issue is with me, not you. He's dangerous and he could kill you."

"And he couldn't kill you? You're half his height... Tip. I don't care how good you are, facing him would be stupid."

"Then I will endeavor to avoid the situation. I think the name may be an adjustment for both of us, I haven't used it in long enough it's taking a few seconds to remember that technically it is my name."

"Then we'll use it more! You'll get used to it quickly enough. I mean, I've seen you fight, you do things no ten year old should be able to!"

"We'll see. Anyway, I believe we're almost at Mistral, we need to go and locate Qrow. Knowing him, he's likely in a bar somewhere, however there are a great many in Mistral and current appearances may prove an issue. Any ideas?"

"Must you use everything as a teaching opportunity?"

"Hmm, yes, I really think I must. Two children wandering into a bar may be questioned, after all."

"Can't we just tell them we're looking for Qrow?"

"Yes, but why?" Oz pressed, smirking slightly.

"Aunt Em sent us? to look for... yuck, uncle Qrow?"

"Yes. I believe we could use that. The look on his face would certainly more than make up for the height jokes at my own expense."

Oscar's smirk matched Oz's as they started walking down the street towards the nearest bar. This would take no time at all!

Five bars later, two of which they'd been almost bodily thrown out of for being children in an adult establishment, they were both rather regretting this course of action.

"And you're sure there's no other way of finding him?"

"Knowing Qrow, not really, no. He never has his scroll on him when he goes out drinking."

There was a cough from further down the street and the boys looked up, meeting the stare of a man that seemed vaguely familiar to Oz, dressed in hunters gear.

"I heard you boys were looking for Qrow? May I ask why?"

"Aunt Em sent us. He's a friend of hers, more an uncle to us than anything else." Oscar stated, but the man turned to look at Oz, one eyebrow raised.

"And you, boy?"

"Qrow is our uncle. He told us to meet him in Mistral. I thought checking the bars was the best chance we had at locating him quickly."

The man's brow rose further at the phrasing before he sighed.

"Okay then kids, I can help you find your uncle Qrow. I will want an explanation later, though, I was certain he only had nieces."

With the huntsman's help, they only needed to check three more bars before finding Qrow, slumped in a corner with a mostly empty glass. He looked up as they entered, the huntsman, seeing that they'd found Qrow left again, muttering rather fondly about drunks.

"Heeey, boys, welcome to Mistral! Glad you could find me, but aren't you two a little young to be in a bar?"

"We needed to find you, uncle Qrow." Oz stated, flatly. Qrow, noticing the hair, snorted, before blinking at the title.

"Well, ya found me. I ain't your uncle, though, Oz. What's the other one doing here, anyway?"

"He refused to be left behind."

"I'm not letting him go off to get killed on his own!"

Qrow sighed, getting up from his prone position.

"Follow me then, boys. I'll take you to meet the others. Maybe we can make something of this situation after all."

"Can't we just talk to Leonardo?"

"Ah. That's where things get a bit ropy, there are signs he might have been compromised. I'm sorry, Oz, I know he was your friend."

Oz curled in on himself. looking devastated. Oscar drew him into a hug, noticing that he'd started to shake. Oz didn't fight it, which told its own story.

"This is why I shouldn't trust people. This always happens, they always end up betraying the promises they made."

"Nah, you can trust some of us. Leon might just have got scared, there might be an innocent enough explanation."

"You don't believe that, though, do you?"

"Frankly, no, Oz, I don't. What are you calling yourself right now, anyway?"

"Tip. Tip Pine, with miss Emerald's blessing." He sounded hollow, though, worn out.

"Okay, yeah, I think we need to go. Ruby and some of the others are waiting on us."

There was a knock on the door, light and hesitant. It sounded too light for Qrow. Looking at each other. Nora shrugged and opened it, blinking down at the two children on the other side. Looking past them, she could see Qrow, but the fact that there were two little boys with him seemed slightly worrying.

"Hello, there. Who might you be?"

"I'm Oscar, this is my... brother, Tip. We found uncle Qrow at a bar, could we come in? Is there a Ruby Rose here, at all?"

"What do you two want with Ruby?" Nora asked, but she was obviously wavering in the face of the two cute little boys on the other side.

"We need to talk, miss Valkyrie." Oz spoke up, seriously. Nora blinked.

"Huh? Who are you... Tip, right?"

"We'll explain once you're all here, but I'm afraid that it's rather more complicated than that."

[ardenssolis]

@pairidaezah said (inbox):

"Azizam," Kaveh murmurs idly, not looking up from his place at the stove, hip thudding against a lower cabinet as he pulls another pan from it, "would you mind handing me the eggs?" It takes him until he's partway through slicing onions to realize what he's said, face going slowly, thoroughly hot. Only the fact that he's still holding the knife- one of Ozymandias's knives- keeps him from slamming both hands into his face and dropping into a crouch to hide. Instead, all he can do is keep cooking, working on their breakfast with the continued presence of the heat in his face. Whether Ozymandias calls him on the slip or not, Kaveh remains flustered and contrite, uncertainty lingering in the shadows of his gaze. "Sorry," he finally says, still keeping his hands busy (with making coffee now) as he glances at him from the corner of his eye. "That was... presumptuous." Gnawing at his lip, his hands finally still and go flat, fingertips tapping at the counter nervously. "I never really asked- do you... mind it? Endearments and that sort of thing, I mean."

     AZIZAM. THAT NICKNAME WAS unexpected, such snapping him out of his thoughts as he turned his attention away from his logbook. Numbers and calculations were forgotten in that instant, brows raising with surprise. It was a simple term of endearment, one shared between friends, family, and lovers alike, yet even so, he was not aware that Kaveh had been pondering granting him such. So, that did beg to question – where did he stand in the other’s mind? In which category did he fall in when it came to the Architect? Should he tease them? ❝Ah, now this is certainly…different. Have you been mulling over this for some time?❞ Then again, the ease at which it slipped from those lips was most curious in itself. Although Kaveh continued on prepping for breakfast, the fact that his back was turned spoke volumes to Ozymandias. No doubt he was not meant to hear that at all.

     How interesting.

     Humming softly, there was mirth in such as he turned his gaze back to the book laid out before him. ❝It is fine. I do not mind it.❞ Smirking, he did not glance back at Kaveh, but they probably heard the amusement in his tone before anything else.

     They would not get by lightly.

     ❝Should I give you one too? Perhaps before I turn in tonight, I will think of something for in the morning.❞ Was he being serious? Was he merely jesting? It was hard to tell with him, even more so when it was always so much fun to see Kaveh flustered. Only time would give them a definite answer. In the meantime, however, they would just have to wait and wonder.