#playing the game as normal and unfolding all the story as it was meant to be unfolded

[aq2003]

i need the waxwitch agenda to spread so bad. yes i know you can only meet icarus after beating chronos and you only see him in the furthest zone on the surface so far. yes i know you have to get there multiple times to piece together his backstory with mel. yes i know his storyline is barely finished and he can't show up at the crossroads and he doesn't even have a 3d model or finished character art. i can wait patiently

[hannahbarberra162]

hOrnithology for Beginners, Part 6

on Ao3

Chapter 1 Chapter 2 Chapter 3 Chapter 4 Chapter 5

Note: there's a loose end I forgot to write into this chapter so I'm gonna do an epilogue.

I mentioned this elsewhere, but my work picks up a lot in the fall / winter. I'm still writing, I just have less free time. I liked writing this story a lot, I thought it was fun. Just a lil silly for some laffs.

Marco POV

“Marco, what the fuck.” Thatch was genuinely upset, which was a rare occurrence. Marco grimaced. 

“I know, I know.” He put his thumbs on his temples, rubbing his forehead with his index fingers. He knew he was playing a dangerous game by not telling you that he was the Phoenix, but he didn’t think it would end like this. 

“No, Marco, really. What the actual fuck?” Thatch was gesticulating wildly with everything he said and getting louder with every word. Marco needed to diffuse this situation before they got kicked out of the restaurant and caused even more trouble for Etta. She’d excused herself quickly after the scene unfolded, picking up your section to work them both. She was trying to hold herself together, but he’d seen some tears on her face. You’d all fucked up, but he’d fucked up the most and had to fix it somehow. 

“Let’s go yoi, I caused enough trouble here.” Marco threw money enough to cover the bill down on the table and stood up, walking quickly out the restaurant. Thatch rose immediately, following Marco closely, continuing to berate him. 

“That’s just evil, Marco, how could you?  You knew that poor girl didn’t know who you were and you lied to her? Both ways? And you were going to her house tonight? That’s messed up, man. That’s low.” Normally Marco would have stopped Thatch’s rant, but he knew he deserved it. He didn’t know how to make amends, but he’d find you and try to get you to understand that he didn’t do it to be mean or spiteful. Things had spiraled and he hadn’t taken control of the situation to suit his own interests. He didn’t think you’d believe him, but he wanted to try. He had a good guess of where you’d go - he took off towards your waterfall.

Your POV

You quickly made your way to your house, grabbing only the essentials you’d need for a few nights out. You’d rather suffer in nature than sit in your house and brood. You couldn’t go back to that job and face the scene of your complete humiliation. Not only that, you really didn’t want to see Etta. Her betrayal had hurt worse than anything else. You expected pirates to be terrible, that wasn’t anything new. But to have your best friend double cross you made you feel like a bullied child again. 

You grabbed your supplies, some food, a change of clothes, strapped your blow dart gun to your thigh and hit the road. You knew no one was coming to find you, but you wanted to be gone in case someone saw you on your way. You didn’t want them to get their last laugh while you were still upset. A few days by yourself and you’d be back to the way you’d always been - alone and aloof, but this time bitchier than ever. You walked past a building with wanted posters plastered along the side wall. You’d never really looked before, you didn’t care about any specific pirates. But glancing along the wall of wanted criminals, you quickly saw Marco, his picture showing him half transformed with wings instead of arms. He had a really high bounty - in the billions - he seemed like a big deal. All that meant was that everyone else but you knew he was The Phoenix and no one bothered to let you in on that little secret. You ripped it off the wall in anger. Fuck him. 

Making your way to the waterfall, your mind kept returning to Marco’s face as you put everything together in the restaurant. He didn’t seem to have a “gotcha” look like you’d expected. He’d looked shocked, like a deer caught in the headlights. Maybe he was a good actor, maybe he really felt that way. Ultimately it didn’t matter since he was the one who hadn’t told you he was a Zoan devil fruit user and let you think he was just some pirate and an unrelated phoenix. You set up your camp rapidly, going through the motions without thinking. You shoved your sleeping gear and food in the tent. You stepped into the pool, swimming towards the waterfall, going through the cascading water to the alcove behind the falls. It was large enough for a few people to relax, or you to wallow in your misery. 

You’d chosen to go behind the waterfall for a few reasons. One, Marco wouldn’t be able to follow you, if he wanted to come rub his victory in your face. You weren’t exactly sure about Devil Fruits and water but he probably couldn’t make it through the pool and definitely couldn’t make it behind the waterfall. Two, the loud droning sound of the waterfall was relaxing and drowned out any other sound. Like the sound of crying. You hadn’t cried in years, you always felt that your life was okay compared to a lot of others in the world. You felt guilty crying over something small like your articles being rejected from ornithology journals again when there were people being enslaved the world over, birds being hunted to extinction, and children starving on every island. But in the back of the waterfall, hidden from eyes and ears, you finally allowed yourself to cry. You cried over your lost friendship, your romance gone south, and your memories of the phoenix being tarnished instead of the highlight of your life. You cried for your loneliness, your broken heart, and for finally realizing you’d never fit in anywhere. You sobbed, letting your tears fall while the waterfall concealed you and your sorrow. 

You felt exhausted. The adrenaline from earlier had worn off and combined with your crying jag, you felt completely spent. You leaned back against the alcove, hugging your knees. You weren’t hungry or thirsty, you just sat there dazed for long enough that the sun started to make its descent. You thought about coming out from behind the waterfall but lacked the motivation to do so. It was so seldom that you allowed yourself to really dwell on your feelings that when you did it was all consuming. Even though the waterfall was loud, you could hear a little from behind. Loud sounds like shrill bird calls, monkeys howling, and one familiar voice. 

“Where are you yoi? I know you’re around here, I see your tent. Please, I just…I want to apologize.” Marco was looking for you, which made you suspicious. You didn’t say anything, he could rot for all you cared. 

“Please, I know what I did was wrong. More than wrong, it was cruel. I should have told you from the beginning. Please, let me make it right yoi.” You snorted, you couldn’t think of anything he could do to make it right. He just wanted to apologize to make himself feel better, not you. It was like when adults made kids say sorry, you knew it wasn’t really sincere.

“If you’re behind the waterfall, that’s really clever. I can’t get to you. But…I can outlast you yoi.” You looked towards the sounds as if you could see him. Outlast you? What was he planning to do? Lay siege? Confident in your ability to get him to fuck off, you stayed where you were. He’d get bored of picking on you and leave.

“I have to say, you have nice camping gear yoi. I could use a little rest. And I see you brought more pineapple for me. I’m going to enjoy it since you’re still hiding.” Hiding?! Marco was trying to use your anger against you and irritate you enough to come out so he could talk to you. Well, it wouldn’t work. You had good reason not to talk to him, even if your stomach was growling and you wanted your pineapple. “And you left your sketchbook here, I can finally see your drawings yoi!” You felt your blood boiling in your veins. He had the audacity to use your things and eat your food and look at your private drawings? After he set you up to look like an idiot? Well, you weren’t the only one who’d look like a fool.

“FINE!” you yelled angrily. You went back under the waterfall, heading towards Marco. He hadn’t been lying - he really was eating your pineapple and sitting on your camping chair, looking at your sketchbook. Such a dickhead, you thought to yourself. Coming all the way out of the pool, you stomped up to Marco, grabbing the sketchbook from his hands. You gave him a dirty look and crossed your arms over your chest, protecting your favorite possession. You walked back over a few feet away from Marco, putting space between you. You had nothing to say to Marco, so you just glared at him.

“I deserve everything you’re thinking and more yoi. You can let me have it,” Marco said remorsefully, hand on his heart. So you obliged him and did just that. You shot him with your blow gun. 

Marco POV

Marco was a seasoned pirate. He had fought thousands of opponents and was the first Commander for an Emperor of the seas. Marco was known for his lethal fighting style and ability to recover from attacks, which was reflected in his billion Beri bounty. And yet, you had managed to hit him with your blow gun. To your credit, for a civilian you were incredibly fast. And he hadn’t been expecting you to attack him and was caught off guard. The dart itself didn’t hurt him much, but it didn’t feel great either. Marco yanked the dart out of his left thigh, looking it over. Something appeared to be dripping off the tip that wasn’t his blood. He started experiencing mild itchiness around the wound site but ignored it.

“Ow,” Marco muttered. “I deserved that yoi.” You were smiling like you’d won the lottery.

“You did,” you replied, pleased with yourself. “You might want to go home now,” you continued. Marco wasn't worried, he healed the puncture wound instantly.

“I’ll be OK, the dart didn’t hurt that much -” Marco paused as he caught himself scratching his thigh. It was true that he could recover from almost anything, but not quite everything . Marco hoped his intuition was wrong. “Was there anything on the dart?” he asked, dreading the answer.

“Of course there was. Darts wouldn’t be an effective poaching deterrent if they weren’t poisoned.” You smiled even wider.

“Ah. It wasn’t that Peel Rhino venom, was it?” Marco secretly sent a prayer to every god he had ever heard of, trying to keep his fingernails from digging into his skin. You huffed. 

“Even I’m not that cruel ,” you said, throwing his earlier words back in his face. You gave Marco an indecipherable look.  “You’re going to have a rough time, but no, it wasn’t an aphrodisiac. If you fuck with me again, next time it will be. You’re going to have round bulls eye rashes that are hot to the touch and are incredibly itchy. Lasts about 8 hours. Hope you have zinc oxide and ferric oxide.” Marco was thankful you’d shared that information with him, he was already feeling more spots starting to bother him. He wondered if shifting would help but he doubted it. Like Ace had discovered, some toxins couldn’t be helped by Devil Fruits. He’d probably be able to clear it faster than 8 hours, but it depended on the specific toxin. Marco sighed heavily. This conversation would be uncomfortable physically and emotionally. 

Your POV

“I’m sorry. I didn’t want things to be like this, I should have told you from the beginning. I wish I could go back and change things.” Marco was contrite, having dropped his act to irritate you. At least he had the decency to look remorseful for you, that was a nice touch. But he might just be more open to being nice now that you’d shot him. His hand kept drifting down towards his muscled thigh as the itching got worse. You’d accidentally pricked your finger once with the toxin and it had felt like ants were under your skin.

"Yeah, I don’t forgive you. Leave me alone” you interrupted. You didn’t give a shit what he felt, you wanted him gone and you thought the toxin would do the trick. Marco was powering through much longer that you expected him to. You were a little glad he’d stayed, getting your anger out felt good. He stood in front of you and you could almost watch the rash developing in front of your eyes. 

“I know I don’t deserve forgiveness -”

“You don’t.”

“And I’m not asking for it. Can I please just apologize to you yoi?” You wavered a little in your mind, even if nothing in your expression or body language changed. Some small part of you wanted to hear him admit what he’d done and hear how it had hurt you. Not that it would make you forgive him, but it was rewarding to finally have someone admit wrong-doing after a lifetime of weak non-apologies. 

“Say what you want, I can’t stop you.”

“I’m sorry I didn’t tell you I was the Phoenix. At the very beginning, I thought you knew yoi. When I realized you didn’t, I should have told you right away.” Marco scratched his thigh through his pants.

“Why didn’t you?” Thinking back to those times when you were with the Phoenix made you cringe. You’d swam naked in front of him, for quite a while. You had been feeling a little bad about the toxin but remembering that tidbit made you happy he was itchy again. 

“I don’t know how to explain it exactly, the Phoenix is a part of me but it is also its own separate entity. It really likes you yoi. It liked the way you acted towards it, and I did too. I…it made me feel good,” Marco finished lamely. “But that doesn’t mean it was right yoi. I’m sorry. I regret making you feel -”

“Ashamed? Humiliated? Mortified?” you helpfully supplied for him. 

“Yes. All of those yoi. I know you don’t want to see me anymore but I thought I could do one thing for you.” You narrowed your eyes as Marco scratched harder. What could he possibly offer you?

“You shouldn’t scratch it, that makes it worse. And I don’t want anything from you.” You did actually. You wanted him to hold you in his talons and fly in the sky. But he didn’t need to know that.

“You might yoi. I know you want to know more about the Phoenix. I’ll answer any questions you have and allow you to sketch whatever you want. You can publish the information as long as it doesn’t compromise my or my crew's safety.” You made no movements but inside you were freaking out. If you were able to find out information from Marco, maybe one of your articles would finally get published and you’d be able to join the Ornithological Society of the Grand Line. Joining the OSGL had been your dream for as long as you could remember. Marco transformed one of his legs into talons to scratch at the other as he waited for your answer. His control over his Zoan form was incredible, maybe you could…no. You didn’t want him to think you’d forgiven him. Before you could speak, Marco had sliced through his pants with his talons in an effort to scratch his leg. 

“I’m afraid I have to leave yoi. I’m going to try finding ointment that can help. Think about it, I don’t need an answer now. I’ll come back here tomorrow at noon. If you’re interested, we can talk yoi. If not, you never have to see me again. Take care.” With that, Marco transformed his arms into wings and flew off into the evening air. He was still scratching at his left thigh in phoenix form. Served him right. 

Even though you were furious with him, you still couldn’t look away from the sight of the heavenly bird. 

You had the whole night ahead to decide what to do. After Marco left, you took out the Phoenix feather he’d given you. It had some kind of bio-luminescent properties and glowed in the moonlight. You ran it along the skin of your arm, enjoying the soft sensation. It didn’t feel like a normal feather, it felt like having your fingers near a tea candle. You could almost feel the warmth of the candle, but not quite, it was just out of your grasp. It made you shiver no matter how many times you’d run it over your skin. You couldn’t bring yourself to get rid of it, no matter how badly Marco had hurt you. It was too beautiful, too precious and you didn’t want to squander such an invaluable item.

Deep in thought, you pondered Marco’s offer. Your articles had been rejected many times from the OSGL, no matter how interesting you thought the subject matter was. If you wrote about the Phoenix, your article would be accepted for sure, given how little information was known about mythical birds in general. And you’d be able to get reliable information out of Marco rather than relying just on your observations or theories. 

On the other hand, if you accepted Marco’s offer, you’d tacitly be accepting his apology. Your ego still stung from the wounds he had inflicted. But…you doubted you’d ever get another chance like this. Marco had practically handed you a once in a lifetime opportunity, one that could catapult you into ornithological fame. It was a twist of fate that the same person who would be helping you achieve your dreams was the one who had crushed your desires. You stayed up late into the night, watching the stars, thinking of how to solve your dilemma. 

At noon the next day, you were waiting in the spot Marco had indicated, holding a notebook and pen at the ready. You weren’t sure this was the right call, but your curiosity would only be satisfied one way. Marco arrived promptly, again half transformed. He had no visible rashes, but looked tired. 

“You’ll answer all my questions?” you asked coolly.  You didn’t want him to think he was off the hook just yet but you were bursting with questions for him. Once you had decided you were going to take Marco up on his offer, you wanted to go all in. 

“To the best of my ability yoi.” Marco yawned. You gave him your meanest smile.

“Rough night?” 

“Unbelievable yoi. I haven’t been that itchy and uncomfortable since…I can’t remember. Do you distill that toxin yourself? You could have a career in poisoning yoi.” Your smile turned a touch more genuine. You did make it yourself and it was a taxing process. 

“I don’t have sympathy for you -”

“and neither did anyone else. My brothers were rooting for you to shoot me again today yoi.”

Arching an eyebrow, you continued “well, hopefully it doesn’t come to that. I do have a lot of questions for you. So tired or not, I hope you keep your end of the deal.” Marco smiled calmly.

“Have at it yoi.”

“What do the other colors you get from the phoenix’s cones and rods look like? And can you see them in human form? Or just bird form?” Marco appeared surprised.

“I’m not sure I follow yoi.” You rolled your eyes. He didn’t even know about his own biology? 

“Birds have five types of cones, which support tetra-chromatic color vision and a double cone which is thought to mediate achromatic motion perception. Humans only have three types of cones in their eyes. Ergo, you can see different color spectrums when you’re in bird form. What does that look like? Can you describe it?” Marco’s eyes widened slightly.

“You know, I never looked up why my vision is so much more vibrant as the Phoenix yoi. That makes a lot of sense. I’m not sure I can describe it exactly, it’s like more shades and depth to the colors we already see.” You jotted down a few notes.

“I hope the rest of your answers are better than that, otherwise this isn’t going to be worth it. OK, next question. When you’re half transformed, are the transformed bones hollow? Can you feel the difference in weight when you’re flying between your hollow bones and your regular bones?” 

Marco’s POV

Marco rubbed the back of his neck as you continued your interview. At times it felt more like an interrogation, but his Phoenix half was absolutely loving the experience. You stayed seated on your rock, writing Marco’s answers down at a furious pace. The Phoenix took all your interest as praise and was utterly charmed by you. If Marco didn’t control himself, the Phoenix would have broken out into birdsong for you. Your questions were precise and interesting, prompting him to think about things he hadn’t before. Marco found himself enjoying the discussion. He was used to answering the same questions over and over. Questions like, did he enjoy flying (yes, of course), how did he transform only some parts of his body (practice), can he understand normal birds (yes, if his head was transformed), did he lay eggs (no), things like that. No one had ever asked him if he molted (yes) and if so, if it was complete or partial (partial). He’d never given thought to the unnamed yearning he sometimes felt when he was on land for long stretches before you asked him if he ever felt compelled to migrate. Both he and the Phoenix were engaged and throwing themselves into the conversation, answering your questions fully. Of course Marco didn’t answer anything that could be used against him in combat, but your questions were so esoteric he couldn’t imagine the uses beyond pure scientific research. 

You also had Marco pose periodically in various stages of transformation for you to draw. You took your time sketching the exact anatomy of numerous body parts. The Phoenix was in heaven, your undivided attention to every detail of its body giving Marco the chills. Marco watched you sketch, completely absorbed in your work. Your sketches were perfect, capturing the essence of the Phoenix with just a few strokes of your pencils. He wished he could keep some but he knew better than to ask for one. After a few sketches, you’d resume asking him questions. This process went on for hours, but Marco never tired of it. If anything, he enjoyed your company more and more. 

“Finally, do you form monogamous pair bonds? And if so, for how long?” you asked without a hint of shyness. Marco was nonplussed at your bold question, especially given the situation between the two of you. 

“I’m sorry, I don’t think I’m going to answer that one yoi. If the World Government found out that I had a pair bond for any amount of time, that person would never be safe.” Marco didn’t want to answer you, he was sidestepping the question. He knew that he and the Phoenix preferred a single monogamous partner but that was difficult when he spent so much time at sea. The Phoenix didn't care about the tension between the two of you and would have happily accepted a pair bond between you at this very moment.

“All right. Well, thank you. If you can get mail, I’ll send you a copy of my article if it gets published.” Marco was hoping you’d ask for him to take you flying. That would be a surefire way to get further back in your good graces. Instead, you offered him your hand. “I’m still a little mad but thank you.” Marco swallowed his disappointment and took your smaller hand in his own, shaking it.

“I know it will get published, yoi. If you write like you draw, you’ll be a famous scientist soon.” You gave him a small smile. 

“Bye.” You started packing up your things. Marco knew this was it, his time with you was over. 

“Thank you for letting me talk with you. I…wish I had done things differently yoi.” 

“Me too,” you said quietly. “But it’s time for you to go. Bye Marco.” Marco took his cue, transformed and left. He turned his head and watched you marvel at the sight of him one last time. 

~~~

Seven Months Later…

Marco came to the top deck of the Moby, he’d heard that Doug had brought a letter for him. The old, cantankerous news coo hated everyone, including Marco. Approaching the bad tempered bird slowly, Marco saw Doug had a large envelope in his satchel with Marco’s name on it. He could only think of one person that might like this uncooperative coo and use him as a mail courier. Marco reached for the letter, got bit by Doug, and took the letter from his satchel. Doug gave Marco the bird equivalent of the finger and flew off. 

Opening the envelope, Marco slid out a heavy scientific journal with art of a Phoenix on the front cover. There was a short note taped to the journal, which Marco read with a smile. He quickly flipped through the lengthy article, scanning it with the intention to pore over it later. Still reading, he turned to go leave it in his room, nearly running into Ace.

“Watch it! What’s got you so focused?” Ace tried to read over Marco’s shoulder but Marco held the magazine high up in the air. With Marco being over a foot and a half taller than Ace, it was an effective strategy. 

“None of your business -” Marco was cut off as Thatch suddenly grabbed the journal from Marco's hand. Ace was shorter than Marco but Thatch wasn’t. Marco loved his siblings but sometimes he wished he didn’t live on the world’s fastest rumor mill.

Thatch was looking at the cover with his mouth hanging open. “That’s you Marco! Who did this drawing? It's incredible! What the - is this whole article about you? It’s like 35 pages long!” Thatch was flipping through the journal. Marco knew better than to reach for it back - he didn’t want it to get damaged in a scuffle.

“Yes, it’s about me. Give it back yoi. Now. Unless you want a wound that won’t heal quickly.” Marco eyes flashed as he spoke. He hadn’t intended to sound so menacing but the Phoenix wasn’t playing around. It had been moping for months, hoping to reunite the lovely little ornithologist who doted on it. Thatch handed over the journal quickly once he saw how serious Marco was.

“Wow, didn’t know it meant that much to you. Is this from that one bird island? With that bird girl?” 

“Yes, that’s her yoi. She published an article about the Phoenix. And it looks like she’s speaking at the Grand Line Ornithological Society’s annual conference.” Marco was proud of you, he hadn’t been joking when he said you’d be a famous scientist. Flipping to the information about the conference, Marco read through the details of the upcoming event. He suddenly felt a yearning to fly. 

Your POV

You hadn’t expected your article to be so well received that you’d be published and offered to speak at a conference in under a year. You’d sent a copy to Marco via Doug, like you said you would. You loved Doug and thought he was the sweetest news coo you’d ever met. No one seemed to agree with you but that was neither here nor there. Standing backstage at the conference center, you fiddled with your jacket anxiously. You weren’t comfortable with public speaking, you barely liked to talk to people in small groups. Part of you wished Marco was here to charm the scientists and answer everyone’s questions so you wouldn’t have to. But that was just a pipe dream, you knew you had to do this alone.

Writing the article and finalizing the drawings had you thinking a lot about Marco and the time you’d spent together. Even though you now knew he was the Phoenix, you still had a lot of love in your heart for the bird. And you could admit that you’d had fun with Marco when you’d been bird watching together. But none of that mattered, he was long gone and you’d never see him again. You took in a huge breath and held it in, releasing it slowly. Your neck was aching from all the accumulated stress, even though you were also a little excited. You were the next speaker to present and your notecards for your speech were damp from your sweaty palms. You could do this, you’d spent so long preparing.  You were the most nervous for the question and answer portion of the presentation, since that wasn’t something you could prepare in advance. 

You heard your name being called and you walked out onto the stage to the restrained applause of the crowd. All of a sudden, the crowd started clapping louder, with some members even standing to clap and cheer. You were confused - you hadn’t spoken yet. You saw flickering blue flames in your peripheral vision.

“Thought I would join you yoi.” You looked up to see Marco standing next to you, resplendent in his half transformed form. 

“I..I didn’t know you were coming,” you said while avoiding the microphone den den. Marco fully transformed into his human form, bringing the attention of the crowd off of himself. 

“Surprise yoi. Now, let’s hear your wonderful speech.” Marco was collected and peaceful, which helped you calm your own nerves. You began by introducing yourself and Marco, though he needed no introduction. The audience was completely silent during your talk, held in rapt attention as you spoke about Marco and his Zoan form. At the end, Marco gave a demonstration of his complete transformation to the delight of the crowd. Surprisingly, the audience members had few questions that were directly for Marco. Instead, they focused more on your research and theories about legendary birds. Thanking everyone for their time, you hurried off the stage with Marco following you. You were elated, this may have been the beginning of your professional career. You gave Marco a quick hug around his middle.

“Thank you Marco. I'm glad you came. A heads up would have been nice though.” 

“I can’t announce where I’ll be yoi. I’m a wanted man,” Marco teased gently. You supposed that was true, though this conference didn't have any World Government officials. It was all scientists whose area of expertise was of no interest to the WG.

“Well, I appreciate it anyway.” You felt awkward, you didn’t know what to do now. You were thankful for his help but weren’t sure how you felt or what he wanted to do now. 

Marco leaned down to you and whispered into your ear, causing you to shiver. “I have one question for you, since you asked me so many. Would you like to go flying?” You felt like you’d found the One Piece. Flying had been your dream since you were a child, that was what had sparked your interest in birds. Maybe...you could relent and give Marco a little bit more of your time. You could take things as they came and enjoy the ride. After all, you were an ornithologist. It was your scientific duty as a researcher to spend time with this interesting, infuriating, attractive, funny, smart pirate. And you took your professional responsibilities seriously. Very seriously.

[isa-beenme]

For the bingo, could you do friends to lovers with Azriel? Also, I love your writing!

First of all, thank you very much, I really appreciate this type of comments about my writing, it makes me so happy and I always feel motivated 🥺🥺🥺🥺🥺

NOW

I was on my normal Taylor Swift moment and BOOM she said "Damn, never seen that color blue" and I knew I was done from now on if I didn't write something for Azriel with this song 🥹

Here we are, thank you

Delicate

As the night unfolds at Rita's, you and the Inner Circle are enjoying yourselves together, laughing and sharing stories with each other. The atmosphere is lively, and the free bottles of wine are definitely contributing to the merriment. Since Rita's birthday when Rhysand gifted her a ridiculous amount of wine that she was sure she couldn't sell she's been proposing games every Saturday night and obviously the most eager to participate were you and your friends.

Tonight the idea is to go up to the stage and share one secret with everyone in the bar. If they think the secret is good enough they'll scream and you can go back to your table with a bottle of wine. It started pretty light, some nonsense secrets that people only laughed at and no one took a bottle. However, as the night progresses, the secrets start to get deeper and more personal, granting a lot of people an unhealthy amount of alcohol in their bodies.

You and your friends decided to participate too, knowing that whatever you said up there would make people scream. After each member of the Inner Circle goes up on stage and reveals a dumb little secret, it's finally your turn. With a slightly tipsy but determined gait, you take the stage, capturing everyone's attention, including Azriel's, who's watching you with curiosity but a bit of concern, taking your itty bitty drunk state.

You hesitate for a moment, thinking about the secret you wanted to reveal. I mean, now everyone in Rita's knew they couldn't use the table in the House of the Wind after Nestha's confession. Yours wouldn't hurt that much, right? So you take a deep breath and begin to speak. You started light, recounting the years you've spent together with your friends, the adventures you've shared, and the unbreakable bond you've formed as friends. A story that made everyone happy.

Until you finally pulled the card from your sleeve, telling everyone the day you met Azriel and how you felt. The friendship you created with him and how exactly your feelings started to develop after the years you spent together. The funny moments and the sad ones too, the love you felt for everyone in the Inner Circle would never compare to how you felt about the Shadowsinger. And you meant it, you are in love with him, for the cauldron's sake! You said you are content with being his best friend, but you love him so much that sometimes you think you might explode.

Your declaration of love is met with stunned silence by the whole bar and then a round of applause from the Inner Circle, who had no idea about your feelings until this moment. Rita grants you three bottles of wine at once, your state not making you understand exactly why but you accept it gladly, trembling back to the table with your friends.

Azriel's heart skips a beat as he listens to your words, trying to process the depth of your emotions. He's touched by your honesty, damn, he feels every bit the same for you, but he also knows that you had quite a bit to drink, which might have influenced your decision to share this with everyone. Especially when you don't react to the provoking of your friends and just play along, not quite comprehending why everyone was so excited but happy to be happy with them.

As the applause finally dies down, and the rest of your group opens another bottle, Azriel quickly stands up, thanking everyone for the entertaining night and requesting their understanding that you might be a little overwhelmed right now and that he would take you back home. You protested and tried to sit back, only for him to take you on his shoulder, guiding you out of the noisy bar and into the cool night air.

Once outside, Azriel lets you down and wraps his arm around your shoulder, supporting you as you walk. Saying that going home on foot would help you sober up a little bit.

-You know, you didn't have to do that - He says gently, concern evident in his voice - Anything you said would be good enough for them.

-I know - You funnily reply, your cheeks flushed with both embarrassment and alcohol, your words getting out tripping from your mouth - But I just... I couldn't keep it in any longer. I had to tell you. I love you this much - You let go of him just to open your arms wide and show him the amount of love you had - Maybe even more. It would need the whole court to open their arms to show you how much - He laughs at you and makes you walk again, holding you close to him the whole way.

-You mean the world to me, do you know that? I never want to lose you, I think I might die if I do - Your shocked expression makes him laugh again, the sound fluttering your heart again.

-No, don't die, Azriel, please - You hug him tightly and then place a hand on his cheek - I don't want to lose you ever ever. And even if you don't feel the same way, I need you to know - Azriel's expression softens, and he gently takes your hand, squeezing it reassuringly.

-Let's talk about this tomorrow when you're not under the influence of gallons of wine. I promise we'll figure things out, okay? - You only nod, trusting him completely, and allow Azriel to lead you to the Town House.

Back in your room, you found a way to stumble into every single fitment in every single room you went through, laughing each time your body hit something different. Azriel guides you to your bathroom with gentle care. Your steps are unsteady, and your words are still a bit slurred, a clear indication of how much alcohol was still in your body, and that the walk did nothing to sober you up. Despite your inebriated state, you kept trying to talk to him, but your words were sometimes muddled and difficult to comprehend, which only made Azriel agree and continue to take you to your destination.

-I hope you're not mad at me. I know it's a delicate matter to you and I said it in front of everyone in the whole Velaris - You turned to him when he made you sit in the tub edge while he turned on the water and filled it with shower salts and scents - Is it cool that I said all that? Maybe I crossed the line. Sometimes I wonder if you would ever look at me and think about me the same way that I do. Is it too soon to have this conversation? I feel like I made a mess of myself now and-

-Shh, it's okay. You don't need to explain anything - Azriel whispers, his voice soothing - We'll talk in the morning when you're feeling better. Right now, let's get you cleaned up and ready for bed.

He helps you undress and assists you into the tub, his gaze never lowering for too long from your face. Making sure the water is warm and comforting he washes your hair and helps you clean your body when you distract yourself with the bubbles floating in the water or when you have sudden low peaks of energy and simply lies your head on his chest and lets him do all the work - that he gladly does.

After the shower, Azriel wraps a fluffy towel around you, gently patting you dry until you say you can do it alone. He hands you a glass of water that he summoned from the house, encouraging you to drink it to help with the inevitable hangover. You comply, taking small sips at times while he dresses you in some of the sleeping clothes he found in your massive wardrobe, his eyes still filled with affection and yours with gratitude.

-Will you stay with me tonight? - You ask with a plea in your voice once he settles you in your bed, now that he dressed you in a nightgown and dried your hair.

-Of course - Azriel replies without hesitation, his heart aching at the sight of your vulnerability. He climbs into bed beside you, pulling the covers over you both, cocooning you in his warmth. He wraps his arms around you gently, holding you close as you snuggle into his embrace, feeling his scent and the heat that irradiates from his skin.

-You're my best friend - You murmur, your words still slightly slurred - I'm glad I told you how I feel. Or everyone at Rita's. Even if... even if it's complicated.

-I'm glad you told me too. And I promise, we'll figure this out together. But right now, rest. We can talk more tomorrow when you're feeling better - Azriel brushes a soft kiss on your forehead, slowly wrapping you with his wings as if testing the territory.

As the night wears on, your breathing steadies, and you drift into a peaceful slumber in Azriel's arms. He stays awake for a while, watching over you, his mind a whirlwind of emotions and thoughts. He cares and loves you so much that his heart aches sometimes, and your confession has brought a mix of joy and trepidation to his mind.

In the quiet darkness, he decides that whatever the future holds for him, he will always cherish your friendship and be there for you, just as he has always been. And as he finally succumbs to sleep, he hopes that the morning will bring clarity and understanding for both of you, strengthening the bond that has held you together for so long.

The morning light begins to filter into the room, gently rising you from your slumber. As you open your eyes, memories from the previous night flood back, and you can't help but cringe with embarrassment at your drunken confession and all of the conversations that followed after. You try to cover your face with your hands, wishing you could disappear, but you're met with a strong pair of arms holding you still in place. Tracing the tattoos you know so well you realize who exactly is holding you in your bed. Azriel stirs beside you, sensing the movements you were making. He brushes a hand over your back soothingly to calm you down.

-Hey, there's no need to be so hard on yourself, slow down a bit - he whispers softly.

You finally gather the courage to look at him, expecting disappointment or awkwardness in his expression. Instead, you only find warmth and understanding in his eyes.

-I remember everything - You admit, voice tinged with shame - I'm sorry, Az. I must have made a complete fool of myself. And you probably felt so embarrassed - Azriel lifts your chin gently, causing you to meet his gaze directly, his touch not letting you look away.

-You have nothing to be sorry for - He says earnestly - Last night, you were just being honest about your feelings. I value that honesty, and I value you. It doesn't change anything between us.

-But... but I was drunk, and I told so many things about us, things that no one knew - You stammered, your cheeks flushing with embarrassment.

-Yes, you were drunk, I acknowledge that, but your feelings were still genuine. And to be honest, I've been wrestling with my own feelings too - Azriel smiles softly, his thumb brushing against her cheek.

-You have? - Your eyes widen, hope flickering in your heart.

-I didn't want to make any rash decisions last night, but this is something I've known since the first time I met you. I care about you deeply, and I've been in love with you for a long time too - Your heart skips a beat at his confession, a wave of relief washing over you.

-You have? - You ask, needing to hear those words again.

-Yes - Azriel replies, his voice steady - I love you too - Unable to contain your emotions any longer, you throw your arms around him, hugging him tightly.

-I was so scared I'd ruin everything - You admit, your voice muffled against his shoulder. Azriel holds you close, pressing a gentle kiss to your forehead.

-You could never ruin anything between us. I cherish our friendship on top of everything, but I've come to realize that what we should have is something even deeper. I want to explore this with you, if you're willing to - Tears of joy and relief gather in your eyes as you pull back to look at him.

-I want that too - You say, voice filled with love and happiness - I want to see where this takes us.

-Then let's take it one step at a time. No need to rush anything. We'll figure it out together, just like we always do - Azriel smiles, his hand cupping your cheek tenderly.

-Thank you for being understanding and for not pushing me away - You say gratefully, kissing the palm of his hand that were holding you. He slowly leans in, pressing a soft kiss to your lips.

In that moment, you and Azriel were embarking on a new chapter of your relationship, one filled with love, trust, and the knowledge that you have been each other's best friends and confidantes all along only to become the best of lovers. And honestly, you weren't feeling any bit of nervousness, the years you spent growing your friendship making you sure that you wouldn't get out of this situation hurting. Actually, you were sure you wouldn't get out of this situation. Which you were completely content about.

-I could never push you away - He whispers, your foreheads resting together - You mean too much to me.

[autumnwhistles]

Middle Of Nowhere — Full Lyrics

As promised, here are the first lyrics to the first song in my Last Life Musical concept album (“Middle Of Nowhere”) a few hours before its release!

The song is split into two parts – the overture (which isn't strictly an overture since there's also singing, but still is a mainly instrumental section meant to introduce future themes), which isn't heavily plot relevant but does talk a little about what happened in the 'world' preceding this one (aka 3rd Life); and the main song, which introduces us to the Last Life world through the eyes of the chorus, who are Watchers narrating the events (as I'm basing it on Martyn's canon).

Normal text is for chorus, bold is for players, and italics are for lyrics happening at the same time as each other:

-Overture- Ludo ludete,* Ludo ludete, Ludo ludete! [Intrumental] Oh, gone, the kingdom fallen on the mountain Bare, the sands, their cacti alone Flowers razed and castles left abandoned Now we stage another show! So build up the frozen north! A south that shall fall to flames – Renew and repeat the game!  [Instrumental] -Middle of Nowhere- There is an old, old tale to be told, Of green like the spruce, of crimson and gold. Of crystals and curses, lives swapped and sold, Stories we’ll now behold. There is an old, old song to be sung/Look to the frozen north! Of victors that lost and victims that won/Look to the south in flames! Bonds forged in fire lie shattered and dull/Look to the fallen fort! All cast aside for one/Come on and play the game There is a land, in the middle of nowhere. It was too long ago there, Since last stories arose. So the tale is told, of the middle of nowhere: Watch and witness the show there, As our appetite grows! There is an old, old world to be moulded, Flames to be doused and craters unfolded Forests to spread, dark shadows to sprawl-/ Look to the names! Herald the cue!  Red leaves to mark the colours of the first to fall/Rise, rise anew! There is a call, and flocking, they come, Like moths to a flame or clouds to the sun! Ships to a whirlpool yet struggling still- Look to the trees! Look to the hills! Look to them, all the same/Look to the peaks, Helpless to play their game/Good for defence, style’s just pretence/Gather the sand, gather all the cane you can! And look there, could be a home, let's form a plan!/Ahhh Six, five, four, three, two, one! Look to their land, in the middle of nowhere!/There is an old, old right to be fought for: lives to be lived, and not lived for naught – Through the wants and the woe there/To laugh, be alive, defend our pride, Herald what must be done/To cause chaos, to protect, to attack! Best all in this land, in the middle of nowhere/Strike one! Strike two! You're done! You're through! Take your friends for your foes there/No time for mercy Till a champion has won/when the only thing that you can do is- Four for the traitor, four for the pawn, Six for the swindler selling the dawn; Five for the wolf and three for the mole, Two for the witness outstepping his role. Four, the enigma and expert alike, Three, the beholder, avoiding the strike; Two for the martyr, six for the moon, Two for the fierce-hearted cynic, untombed! [Instrumental] Three for the hero, four for the dame/There is an old tale, now soon to come, Six for the self-dubbed master of games/The stage has been set, the bell has been rung, let curtains soon rise, let lights dim as one! Two, for the king with no subjects to call/The audience trembles, anxious to know what joys and disasters they shall be shown in- Two, the canary, destined to fall.../-all, when the curtains fall... Caught in this land, in the middle of nowhere. Will it still end in woe there? Will it all come undone?/Did you hear that sound?** So many feelings so grand can arise from the middle of nowhere!/Did you hear that voice?** But – let our stars lead the show there, Heeding: our will be done!

(all lyrics and music by me)

*(hopefully) "play the game" in Latin (imperative for multiple people) **the player who sings this is Martyn – but listener Martyn is NOT canon, I am going by his lore. It's a setup to the fact that the voices speak to him (they're probably letting him hear some to mess with him), and also a way to move the musical to his perspective for the next song.

[yukidragon]

Do you have a theory or headcanon concerning the post Sauce had made featuring Sunny Day Jack in an '06 Anime-esque style?

Considering how many cutesy yet gory anime came out around the same time I thought it would be an interesting analysis.

Oh, you're talking about this picture, right? There's not much to theorize per say about an art style, but perhaps it can spark an AU~

I will admit I got Higurashi vibes from the way Jack looks here, and I was really digging the anime when it came out during this time period, so perhaps I can craft an AU along those lines. Plus it's been a while since I played with a story about an infinite bloody time loop with a murder ghost.

This is not a pure SDJ x Higurashi crossover, it's just inspired by Higurashi. The core of this AU is a time loop, a horrible horror time loop situation. Much like the song Heat Haze Days, the Amnesia otome game, and other horror time loops like them as well. MC is, well, the MC of the time loop. Their life was normal up until they found... Jack.

Was there a tape in this AU? MC can't quite remember. Just one day he was... there. Jack is their friend, keeping them safe and happy...

It's a shame that he can't seem to do the same for others.

Things start off normal. MC wakes up from a nightmare they can't remember. They go about their life, Jack brightening their life even as they try to grapple with the idea whether he's real or they're losing their mind...

Someone they know dies gruesomely. Maybe it was in front of them, maybe they came across the body. An accident? A killer? Either way MC is horrified, traumatized.

Jack fortunately is there to help them, redirect them away from the body, keep them calm... but MC is shaken, terrified. He promises he won't let anything happen to them. He won't ever let anything happen to them...

More incidents happen and MC seems to be nearby when they do. They're more shaken up by it and Jack... Jack seems to be suspicious. Not enough to make it seem like he's behind it, but he seems... off. He's especially concerned by MC's wellbeing, sometimes guiding them in ways that help them escape accidents.

Jack is there for MC always, supporting them through all their trauma. Would they even make it through this nightmare that their life has become without him?

Unfortunately MC winds up in a dangerous situation where they too die horribly.

...Only to wake up in their bed before everything happened.

At first... they're willing to chalk it up to a nightmare. Something long and just... insane. Jack, like most mornings, asks MC what they dreamed about. They usually don't remember and mention as such, but this time don't want to talk about it at all.

When the day goes the same way it did before on the same date they "dreamt" about, MC starts getting more alarmed. The first body they found... they hang out with that person all day to prevent their death. Sure they might be crazy and it was only a dream, but they've got a ghost spending time with them so they're not taking chances!

The death MC "dreamed" about doesn't happen and they can breathe a sigh of relief... only for another death to happen in another place and time where they find the body. More horrifying events unfold, and MC is desperately trying to avoid dying or others dying. Jack will protect them... even if it means someone else getting into the accident meant for them.

More horrors happen, more deaths, and MC dies horribly again, only to wake up in their bed... on the same day they woke up from the "nightmare" the first time.

Maybe it's on this loop, or a future loop, that MC lets it slip that they're reliving the same period of time. Jack is shocked and feels awful for them... but he believes them. They're best friends after all, so why wouldn't he? Something feels a little off about it, but his concern for them is real.

Jack helps MC avoid the deaths that happened... or at least he phrases it in a way that sounds like he's trying to make sure no one dies. In reality, Jack has been through far, far more time loops than MC has... and despite all his best efforts, death has come for MC every time. It's like a supernatural entity stalking MC, trying desperately to kill them in gruesome gory ways. Maybe it is an actual entity like Jack... only this entity wants to snuff out his sunshine's light and make them miserable as they die a horrible, painful death.

The deaths that happen around MC are Jack's attempts to deflect death from them. An accident intended for MC winds up targeting someone else. Jack isn't exactly okay doing it. He feels bad about it, really! But he's going to save his sunshine this time. He has to.

Maybe for a while MC wonders if Jack is the one doing the killing, maybe they almost lose him in the process, but they wind up dying trying to run away from him... and Jack has to calm them down when they start another loop, prove to them that he only wants them to be safe, happy... alive.

A supernatural thriller, full of paranoia, gore, and death essentially. Maybe the entity makes other characters lose their sanity at times so they try to kill MC. Maybe they turn yandere in some time loops and other times not.

How sane MC and Jack would be at the end of the story is debatable. Jack probably isn't sane by the point that MC started remembering the time loops.

Jack has seen his sunshine die far, far too many times, in so many cruel ways, and he's willing to let the entire world die if it means saving them. His love for them has gotten to the point that it consumes everything. He will save them.

How MC will handle this scenario and a Jack that is more desperately yandere because of it is up to the individual MC of course. Will they cling to Jack just as desperately because he's the only one who remembers the time loop and is on their side? Will they become scared of him being so possessive and willing to let others die to save them? Will they take advantage of the time loops in less than savory ways? Will they fall into despair?

The climax of course would be figuring out why the time loops are happening and why this supernatural force wants MC dead so badly in order to end this loop once and for all. Maybe even it's tied to Jack being attached to them in the first place in this particular AU.

With my MC personally... Alice is going to be horrified and clinging to Jack right away. After the first "dream" she would confide in him since she would be pretty traumatized and need to spill her guts. She can trust him with a secret. He comforts her, telling her she doesn't have to think about it anymore, letting her believe it was only a bad dream...

On the next loop Jack does admit that he's been living through these loops. He hoped Alice remembering that one would be an anomaly that maybe it was a sign of the loops ending and she would be okay... He never wants her to suffer with seeing deaths and dying... let alone over and over again.

Alice does believe Jack. She becomes more dependent on him, but she wants to keep everyone from dying... solve the why this is happening in the first place. Jack will help her, but if it's her life or someone else's...

Not that Jack will tell her of course. Alice is traumatized enough without knowing that someone died to save her life! He'll try to keep her from seeing it... cover her eyes if he can't steer her away in time at the very least. He'll comfort her when she finds another body... sees another friend die gruesomely in front of her.

Jack can't die. Alice at least can take comfort in the fact she won't see him die a gruesome death. The loops make her pull away from others, avoid other people besides Jack so they won't die... all the while trying to uncover the mystery so that no one has to die. Her friends, of course, are worried about her avoiding them, and a certain ex is being so persistent to see her...

Of course... if Alice avoids people completely, death will come for her, and Jack can't risk it...

Since I'm a sucker for my OTP to be happy in the end despite horrifying circumstances, I'm going to headcanon that they do figure out a way to stop the loops and horrible deaths. Of course, Jack and Alice are going to be super messed up mentally and very much trauma bonded, but, at least they'll have each other to help them cope with a time loop hell.

Though if Higruashi could have a happy ending where the kids (for the most part) don't remember the horrors they faced, then maybe Jack and Alice could have that sort of ending too. Maybe it's too fluffy an ending for such a horrifying premise, but, well, I did say I'm a sucker for my OTP to be happy in the end didn't I?

@channydraws @earthgirlaesthetic @sai-of-the-7-stars @cheriihoney @illary-kore @okamiliqueur

[daidonzo]

Chapter 18 - Brown eyes, I hold you near [Chishiya x Reader]

"You broke your nose. It happens."

"To who?"

"Boxers?"

"You didn't just say that."

"What?"

"You are telling me "ohhhhh, it happens" as if breaking my nose was the most normal thing in the world and when I ask, my dear, my love, my sweetheart, light of my life, my moon, my stars, who does that happen to… You say people who literally punch each other's faces for a living!?"

Chishiya chuckled, and Kuina burst into laughter. But you were not laughing at all. Your nose was broken, which meant it was crooked, which meant you looked ugly. And one would believe looking ugly should have been the least of your concerns in a place where you were doomed to die if you didn't play stupid, psychotic games. But they would be really, really wrong.

The blonde man was holding your face between his hands, examining your now officially declared broken nose.

"You never called me any of those things."

"What do you mean?"

"Dear, love, sweetheart. Light of your life, your moon, your stars."

You were shooting daggers with your eyes. Kuina was almost on the ground, wheezing and squeaking from laughing so much.

"It's not that bad. You still look very pretty."

"You used to say beautiful before."

"You still look beautiful. But…"

"But!?"

"You are bruised under your eyes. It will go away, but you look slightly bloated. Your lips too."

"Have you ever seen anyone getting a nose surgery?" The woman with dreadlocks intervened, still wearing her blue bikini, but now also wearing jeans on top. You had all changed outfits - Chishiya was wearing grey sweatpants, a darker grey t-shirt and a grey and white cardigan (the man knew his color theory and was sticking to it). You were wearing jeans as well, although not bedazzled like Kuina's and a funny graphic t-shirt in your favorite color.

"Kuina!" You cried out.

"Your lips tho… You look like Angelina Jolie."

Both of your friends (was Chishiya your friend? Was he something more? What was he? Sometimes you thought you were lovers, sometimes merely very good friends) were having fun, and you were glad for it. But, did the punchline need to be your face?

You were on your way to a subway station, Chishiya had said. He had found a drawing, even before you met, in the jacket of a player who had tried to kill them in the game he had shared with Arisu and Usagi, that he just recently realized was a map. To you, it looked like a circle with a million lines.

"Do you keep and carry with you every little piece of paper you find?" You had messed with him.

"No. Just this one. Ah, and your drawing of a tree." He got the piece of paper out of his pocket, unfolded it, and showed you. And there it was.

You honestly hadn't been paying too much attention after that moment, lost in his brown eyes as you were while he was telling the story, but you had gathered that the person in question had been wearing a horse mask and that Chishiya thought he had been the dealer of the game, just like Asahi was of the ten of hearts.

You, of course, wanted to know what the deal with the dealers was, as redundant as that sounded. But, just for a day or two, you needed a break. The three of you had days on your visa, all of the numbered cards and were alive. So you had decided not to think about it.

It wasn't working out well, since your friends kept bringing it up. They were not like you, they didn't like to use ignorance as a coping mechanism.

But… Now at least they were focused on your nose. And whole face, apparently.

"Don't worry." The blonde man said, pressing for a second his lips against your forehead. "You will heal."

"Will it look crooked?" You asked in a tiny voice, wondering if he would feel pity for you and it would earn you another one of those kisses.

"No."

There were no more signs of affections, but at least the news were good.

----------------------------------------------------------------------------- You cussed on your mother tongue.

You had finally reached the place in Chishiya's map. It was, indeed, an incredibly tall and futuristic-looking room that one would access through subway tunnels.

It was… Hard to describe. It almost reminded you of a beehive. Or of a betting house. Both, actually. There were plenty of computers and screens, maybe even hundreds of the latter. Headphones, pens, papers, chairs and other office materials were scattered around. And corpses. So many corpses.

People that were killed by the laser in the sky, judging by the hole on their heads and on their chins. And not long ago, as they hadn't begun to rot.

You were about to say something, but Chishiya grabbed you by the arm. "Come, someone else is here."

And he was right, of course, because no less than five minutes later Arisu and Usagi entered the room. Chishiya's posture visibly relaxed, making you realize just now he had been tense since he had heard footsteps. What was going on inside that beautiful head of his, and why couldn't he let you and Kuina know?

"So you finally found this place, as expected from someone I have high hopes for." Chishiya said, letting you go and walking towards Arisu, and you almost had to contain a laugh. You literally, had arrived maybe 10 minutes ago. Maximum. The smile on your face lingered for a few seconds until all the corpses came into your peripheral vision. It faltered, then. "We meet again." The blonde man continued.

"Probably Arisu and Usagi are not excited as you since you betrayed them." You thought to yourself, but said nothing, not wanting to bring it up. You had avoided talking about it, as well, trying to tell yourself that if you were to love Chishiya, you had to love all of him. Including his Machiavellian manoeuvres.

"Thanks to you guys, I have all the numbered playing cards with me. So, thank you." The blonde man showed them the cards, curving his lips upwards.

"How did you find this place?" Arisu asked.

Instead of answering, Chishiya showed him the drawing he had found in the body of the horse-faced dealer. "Took me some time to realize this is actually a map, of a subway station." He put in back into his jacket, walking aimlessly around the room, hands in his pockets. "What happens when we collect all the playing cards? I thought I would know the answer after I came here. But there's only one thing I discovered."

"That makes one of us." You whispered, low enough none of them could hear you, looking at Kuina from the corner of your eye, who seemed as clueless as you. You had your own theories, of course. One of them and your particular favorite was that you were actually in something like The Truman Show, a reality television program, and there were hidden cameras everywhere, broadcasting your every movement to the whole world. Hi mum, hi dad! But it was not plausible.

Other had to do with George Orwell's 1984… Wait, that one actually made sense.

"Judging by the fact that they were all killed after our victory…"

"There's someone above them." You said, out loud, everyone in the room looking at you. You felt cohibited all of a sudden, but after seeing the proud look on Chishiya's face, you decided you were going to share your conjectures in public more often, crazy as they seemed.

Big Brother was still watching, then.

"But who could they be?" Usagi wondered.

"Who knows? They could be aliens. Or God himself." Chishiya was still looking at you, and you tried to hide a smile by pressing your lips together. You knew he was messing with you. You had told him about those two theories.

The screens around you started to flicker, and power turned on in the building.

SPECIAL URGENT BROADCAST.

"Congratulations to all players!" A woman's voice exclaimed, excitedly. You got closer to Kuina, who had the best vision out of the five of you, but also placed yourself as near as possible to Chishiya, suddenly feeling scared and wanting the comfort of his presence.

The woman was nothing but a blurry figure at the beginning. When the image focused, you all saw Mira. One of The Beach's Executive Members.

Big Brother was not only watching, he had been infiltrated between you. All this time.

"With the exception of the face card games all of you have cleared all of the numbered games so far, and emerged victors. A sweet victory achieved by sacrificing numerous lives. I wonder… how many of your comrades have died?" Her face was so innocent, so pure. She looked like a person who wouldn't even hurt a fly.

"Try remembering… Those that were shot dead with a gun." You didn't need to think too hard, as images of players getting shot started to play on the screens. "That girl you burned alive." One of Arisu's games, in which him and four others were screaming in panic, the body of a girl burning in front of them. "Those struck with the lasers, and those who drowned." This time, you saw yourself, chained by your legs to the bottom of a glass container, screaming guesses to stupid riddles in agony. "Those whose heads were blown off. Those comrades of yours." Images of the massacre at The Beach. Of other games.

"The despair you've felt so far and those dying moments that you can never forget. I'm extremely touched!" No, what she was, is a psychopath. "We would like to give you a present."

"Are you returning us to the original world?" Kuina deadpanned.

You knew the answer before Mira said anything.

"There will be new games!" Please, no. "Let's play together! You'll fight for face cards!"

"I don't dislike the idea." Chishiya whispered, but he was looking at you. His hand finding yours once more.

You were surprised at how calm and collected you were. The realization that you had absolutely no power or control over your life hadn't affected you at all. And you knew why.

You had been expecting it.

You had been hopeful, yes, but no matter how much you liked to play dumb, you were not stupid. You sighed, and to Chishiya's interrogating look, you simply nodded.

You were fine.

You would play the games.

You would survive.

"The next stage will commence tomorrow at noon." Mira announced.

"At least one thing is different…" Arisu hadn't taken his eyes off of the screen. "Now we are seeing our target."

You left the building to appear at the centre of Shibuya, where all of the screens were showing "NEXT STAGE" in all caps, as if it was the more exciting thing to ever happen. Giant zeppelins were flying through the city, each of them displaying one of the remaining cards.

"We are going to get through this." Chishiya's voice. You realized you hadn't spoken a word yet.

"I know."

"I am not going anywhere."

"I know."

He smiled.

"I love you."

You were this close to saying "I know" for a third time, just like Han Solo did in Star Wars. But that was not like you. You looked at him in the eyes, feeling butterflies, wasps, bees, fireflies, beetles and every fluttery-insect in the animal kingdom inside of you. He loved you.

Everything was going to be okay.

"I love you, too."

And then, the noise of an anti-tank rifle being shot.

[lackoftrumpets]

Outside Influence: A Roleplaying Board Game about Manipulating Mortals' Fates

https://lackoftrumpets.itch.io/outside-influence Outside Influence has to be one of most experimental games yet! The game takes place in the world of Pytha, a slanted world that is constantly in conflict. Because of the large amounts of wars that are waged, creatures called "forces" have taken an interest in the struggles of Pytha's people. These forces play with mortal lives almost as if they are pieces on a chess board. Some forces wish for an end to the constant wars, to make sure the conflicts continue, or for their two favorite mortals to fall in love. Every force has their own desire, but they will do whatever they can to make sure it becomes a reality. Just like how the forces of the world view the conflict, this game is played with an actual chessboard. The major players in the conflict are all represented by pieces on the board. Every player has the ability to move any piece, changing how that character's story might unfold. The game is meant to be played without a GM, so players will end up sharing roleplay duties at the table. Unlike other board games, Outside Influence has no set win condition. At the start of the game, players choose what they believe their force's ideal goal would be. This game is designed to be a roleplay sandbox where players can roleplay as many different characters in a wide variety of locations. All while manipulating the fates of other mortals. This game was designed for @officialguild66 (or SighTdesigns) Narrative Design Jam. I wanted to make a game that extended beyond the normal boundary of a narrative TTRPG and I think I mostly succeeded at that. Having the chessboard be the game space I think was a good thematic decision for it. The game jam was made to embrace all types of narrative games, so there is more than just narratives TTRPG. I recommend you check out all the other great games people have made!

[witchhatproductions]

i’m sorry did you say street magic: A Review

i’m sorry did you say street magic (which does actually have that capitalisation in its title) is what you might tentatively call a ttrpg, but could more accurately be described as a collaborative worldbuilding exercise. A hack of Microscope by Caro Asercion, it guides the table through creating a city and its neighbourhoods, landmarks and residents. This is not a new game by any means, but we played it recently and it was an absolute riot.

Street Magic‘s main selling point is that it enables the players to build a city that none of them would have been able to dream up individually. Our starting set of adjectives was ‘old’, ‘grungey’, ‘mythic’ and ‘science fiction’ and from there we created a city of advanced technology steeped in old traditions, which harvests dreams to power its spaceships, whose governance and economy borders on the dystopic at times and which is the last bastion of civilisation after a mysterious apocolypse destroyed the rest of the universe - and all in about 4 hours.

Somnia: The City of Dreams at the End of the Universe

In Street Magic players take it in turns to develop parts of the city through building blocks of increasing specifity. The top level elements of the city are its Neighbourhoods, which contain Landmarks which house Residents. Each round, one player gets to declare a ‘compass’, which is essentially the theme for the round. At the end of a given round, the leading player also dreams up an Event, which will affect one or more of these elements in some way (and which are the tented cards on our table above.)

This system works really well, and is excellent for encouraging players who might not normally worldbuild or GM to take the reigns of creation. It relies heavily on the principles of improv, and works especially well if all the players are willing to take on board the ideas suggested by others. While making a given element, the active player has the final say as to what goes on the little flashcard that represents that element, but after that it is on the table for everyone to interact with as they see fit.

Each ‘element’ - Neighbourhood, Landmark, Resident - has certain aspects that need to be detailed by the players. Street Magic encourages conversation, and the written details are meant to be short reminders rather than verbose descriptions - as the game itself says: what is said is more important than what is written. Consequently, the game also places an emphasis on what it calls ‘liminal cartography’ rather than concrete spatial geography: this is a game about stories and emotional connections rather than lines on a map.

Street Magic excels at enabling the players to map out the emotional and social contours of the city they create, and it’s a lot of fun to watch it grow and spread and to see the story of the urban environment unfold over the course of the play session. The only area where Street Magic falls a little short is in the clarity of its terminology. A Neighbourhood, for example, is required to have a Title, a Reputation and a True Name. A title is its commonplace name (in Somnia we had things like ‘The Factory of Sleep’ and ‘The Garden of Paradise’), while its reputation is broadly what its known for and what the inhabitants of the city think of it. The True Name, though, is the bread-and-butter of Street Magic: it’s the vibe of that place. A True Name should ideally comprise two or three sensory images that capture the essence of the location. In Somnia (yes, we called it that for this joke) our Neighbourhoods had True Names like ‘New Tech Propping up the Old’, ‘Nightmare Fuel’, ‘Blinding’, ‘Anything can be bought or sold’. The True Names can be as detailed as desired but should ideally be short and snappy, and it was a lot of fun trying to boil down complex places into a few words or sentences.

Beyond Neighbourhoods, however, the terminology starts to break down a little. Landmarks have Titles, Addresses and True Names, while Residents only have Titles and True Names. At our table, we kept giving Landmarks reputations even though they don’t technically have them - and eventually we decided to swap out ‘Address’ (which is a vague indicator of where in its attached Neighbourhood a Landmark is) for the same Reputation field that Neighbourhoods have. There doesn’t seem to be a reason why the other two elements can’t use the ‘Title’, ‘Reputation’, ‘True Name’ schema that Neighbourhoods use so well, as it just causes confusion to have each of the three building blocks require different descriptions. Furthermore, ‘True Name’, while being a fun descriptor, can at times be difficult to wrap one’s head around. We generally found it easier to refer to it as the ‘Vibe’ of a given element or its ‘Essence’.

Ultimately, this semantic issue doesn’t spoil the game in the slightest, but at our table it did lead to some confusion. At the end of the day though, it doesn’t really matter: the information on the flashcards is for the benefit of the table, and thus can be whatever you want it to be. If you’re sitting down to play Street Magic, it might be worth considering whether you want to house-rule any of the terms, especially if your players seem confused by the given system after having it explained to them.

To sum up, then, we had a lot of fun with Street Magic, and it offers a very different experience to most ttrpgs. Definitely check it out if you’re looking to do something different with your rpg group - or if you want to give people who normally only play a chance to partake in what is usually the GM’s exclusive activity.

[iloveabunchofgames]

#JakeReviewsItch

A Normal Lost Phone

by Dear Villagers

Genre: Adventure, Interactive Fiction, Puzzle

Pitch: Look through text messages, photos, and more on a lost phone to learn about its owner.

My expectations: I've heard of this! I don't expect to have my mind blown, but this series is fairly well regarded, right? Is "normal" meant to be ironic, like I'm about to stumble upon some horrific mystery, or is this going to be a contemplative look at the hints at the life of an ordinary individual captured on a piece of consumer electronics? I hope it's the latter.

Review:

Content warnings are important. They are an encouraging sign of social progress, and I hope we never move backwards. It is awesome that we live in an era where it is common to respect each other’s sensitivities. I hate content warnings.

I hate when a well-crafted, slowly unfolding story—a story where all the mysteries would fall into place if you just knew that one crucial piece of missing information—gives away the whole game before it’s even begun. A Normal Lost Phone presents an absorbing slice of life, written with a masterful grasp of nonlinear storytelling and keenly observed characters, but I was on the lookout for the thing before I’d clicked past the title screen.

A content warning was the right call. No one who might be hurt by said content deserves to be caught off guard. I wish I had a better solution, but I don’t. I mean, I’m being as vague as I can, but I’ve already told you there’s a thing.

A single, admirable, necessary sentence tainted my experience, but it did not ruin it. The call to empathy and understanding still resonates. This story’s strength is not in its ending but its telling. Highly recommended.

+ Invites you into the life of a stranger. Spins an absorbing, painful, small-scale yarn within the confines of a phone, where all the disconnected, seemingly disconnected puzzle pieces click into place as the context is revealed. + Dreary indie pop from a surprising number of artists. It's not enough music to cover the game's total playtime, and I never found an option to make the playlist automatically repeat, but I found my fingers tapping along to the tunes often enough that I didn't mind having to manually reset it.

– Content warning gives away major themes too soon. The seemingly incongruous details that should be intriguing fall flat if you've already predicted where the story's going. (A content warning was still the right call.) – While I like the idea of the handful of password-cracking puzzles, and even felt satisfied with some of them in execution, it's a drag when you know you've seen the answer somewhere and have to dig through dozens of messages to get what you need. – SPOILER! SPOILER! SPOILER! Are you playing a character? Are you playing as yourself? This question is left to your imagination, but whoever you are, there's no reason to believe you have any connection whatsoever to the phone's owner or any of the characters in the story. In order to progress, you must read personal message, send sensitive messages and even photographs—not as yourself, a stranger who picked up a stranger's phone, but as Sam, the phone's owner. It's incredibly invasive, and it serves no purpose except to satisfy your own curiosity. Now, if I could do the thing that I would realistically do in this situation (look for contact information and return the phone to its owner without invading anyone's privacy), we wouldn't have a game. I don't feel bad about playing a game in the way it was intended, but I do feel weird about it. It's a game about feeling empathy for a person who keeps secrets; a person who is right to keep those secrets; a person whose secrets should be respected. And the goal is simply to satisfy my own curiosity, no matter what violations that entails? Weird, weird choice.

🧡🧡🧡🧡🤍

#JakeReviewsTwitch is a series of daily game reviews. You can learn more here. You can also browse past reviews...

• By name • By rating • By genre

[etherealperrie]

HEARTFIRST {pt. V}

– In which a trip down to the San Diego Naval base  to visit an old friend turns out to be more than a simple reunion, as the reader finds herself in the presence of an infuriating, cocky blonde and an old flame she thought had long fizzled out. –

Jake “Hangman” Seresin x Reader, Bradley “Rooster” Bradshaw x Reader

Word Count: 1.9k

Contains: Bi!Natasha | Reader is old friends with Natasha “Phoenix” Trace | Reader has a past with Bradley “Rooster” Bradshaw” | Reader has a lot of feelings about Jake “Hangman” Seresin

Warnings: lots of angst/fluff, explicit language, references to drinking/alcohol & sexual activity

A/N: Part five, baby! Tag-list is at the bottom, go ahead and send me a message or reply to this post if you'd like to be added for future parts of this story. Most importantly, I hope you enjoy! <3 If you'd like to go back and read part 1, you can do that here. Or, read part 2. Or 3. Or 4. Also, check out my playlists for the dynamic of each guy & reader, you can do that here: Hangman x Reader & Rooster x Reader

...

5:

The next couple of days were entirely uneventful. You were left to your own devices for the most part, except for the evening’s, when you’d meet up with Natasha and everyone at the Hard Deck. It was becoming a familiar routine: your days spent on the beach with a good book and your nights filled with raucous laughter and beer. You were making it a point to stay away from the tequila and to keep your distance from Hangman. Bradley, on the other hand, was apparently fair game. Maybe he’s not so much fair game as he is familiar. He was around often and you couldn’t deny his presence, nor the way the two of you just fit together so easily. The past few nights his arm would end up around your waist, his hand resting on your hip as if it were normal, as if nothing had happened between the two of you at all. It was silly, sure, to let yourself be this close to him – to let yourself live in this daydream – but it felt too good to question it, so you didn’t. Instead you cozied up to him, relaxed under his touch, often letting your head rest on his shoulder. Everyone took notice, but you didn’t care. No one, except for Natasha, knew your history. You could play this thing with Bradley off as a one-time thing – a chance Summer connection. Either way, everyone knows it’s not meant to last. 

“You sure you don’t wanna play?” Natasha asks, tossing a football between her hands. You come back to your senses on the beach, the deep orange sun glaring down on the sand as it begins its descent from the sky into the horizon, your skin hot. Laughing, you shake your head. 

“I’ll lead the Phoenix cheer team, how about that?” you say, lifting your arms to shake mock pom-poms. You can’t even recall when or how you got roped into witnessing the game that was about to take place amongst the team, but you couldn’t bail now, not when everyone – including Hangman and Rooster – was aware of your presence. 

Natasha snickers. “Oh, Hangman is going to hate that. You have my full support.” 

“Now just don’t make me cheer for the losing team,” you say, half-joking. 

“You’ll be better off shouting ‘Hangman’,”  Jake says, passing by, cupping his hands around his mouth to mimic the sound of a stadium audience cheering. “I never lose.” He reaches around Natasha’s torso and grabs the ball from her, spinning it on the tip of his pointer finger. He winks at you, his white teeth sparkling in the sunlight as he smirks. 

Bradley’s footsteps close in as he comes into view behind Natasha, running up from the water, taking Hangman by surprise, smacking the ball out of his hands. “Save it for the game, Hangman!” he shouts. Jake groans, tearing his eyes away from you to chase after Rooster. Natasha shrugs and turns on her heel to catch up to them. 

You settle down into the sand, kicking off your sandals and watch the scene unfold before you. It’s a treat for the eyes, the sight of everyone in bikinis and boardshorts. Your eyes drift to a shirtless Bradley, his skin tan, lightly greased with the sunscreen, the sun casting a golden hue over his body. He looks over his shoulder, his eyes connecting with yours. Heat rises in your cheeks as he catches you, but he just laughs, rolling his body seductively. You laugh too, but the moment is short lived as he’s tackled to the ground by another body, loud ‘oohs’ and ‘aahs’ of exclamation coming from the group. 

Hangman pops up seconds later, the ball between his hands, his chin lifting as he looks in your direction. Rolling your eyes, you slide your sunglasses down from their place on the top of your head so they rest on the bridge of your nose, hiding your stare as you take in the image of Jake. He’s still looking at you, pushing off the others as he defends the ball, his body slick with sweat. His blonde hair looks almost auburn in the light of the sunset, making his eyes that much more green, a stunning combination. You push the image of Hangman away and refocus on the game as they set up again for the next play.

The game continued for a long while. Late afternoon stretched into early evening, Hangman and Rooster ignoring everyone and everything else but each other, going toe-to-toe on every play. It came down to a two-point difference and thankfully for you, but much to the chagrin of and debate from Hangman and his teammates, you were rooting for the right team. 

Celebrations led you to the Hard Deck, a dozen sweaty, sunburnt bodies piling into the bar, the music almost deafening. Things escalated quickly, liquor slipping past your lips with ease as you tried to keep up with the group. You didn’t know where the drinks were coming from, but you didn’t care. An old crowd favorite blares through the speakers of the bar, everyone singing along loudly, including you and Natasha, her face blurry as you dance through the room, tossing your head back as you sing off key. So it wasn’t exactly the ‘good behavior’ you intended to follow a few days ago, but you’re simply following everyone else’s lead. 

A hand wraps around your wrist and tugs you away from Natasha, your body colliding with someone else. 

“There you are.” Bradley’s hands snake around your waist. You falter forward, bracing your free hand against his chest. 

“Here I am,” you laugh, looking up at him. His face is flushed bright red, his pupils dilated in the dim room, whether from adrenaline or desire you’re not sure. Maybe both. His hair is wild and untamed, much like his grip on you right now, totally uninhibited. You’re not sure if you should be thanking or cursing the alcohol, deciding to do neither, the feeling of Bradley’s hands on your waist as you dance the only thing on your mind.

He hums, grinding his hips roughly against yours, his hands sliding around to the small of your back, pulling you closer to him. “I’ve been looking for you,” he mumbles, slipping his fingers beneath the hem of your tank top. You gasp at the feeling of his skin against yours, but you don’t stop him. 

“I’ve been waiting to congratulate you,” you purr, lifting yourself onto your tip-toes to get close to Bradley’s ear. You’d be lying to yourself if you said you hadn’t thought about where tonight could go and how much you wanted it, even if it was foolish. The hungry look in his dark brown eyes tells you he’s thinking something similar, his gaze raking over your chest and neck, his lips pressed together in a hard line as he holds himself back from you. He spins you around as the music changes, tugging you back into him as a slower song kicks in over the speakers.

“I’m here to collect my prize.” His voice is low and husky, his breath hot on your neck as he leans in to place an open mouthed kiss to the spot just below your ear. Your knees buckle beneath you, your breath catching in your throat. God, he was undeniably hot. You swallow hard and pray you don’t get burned. 

“Well then ya big stud,” you say slowly, reconnecting your eyes with his, “take me to bed.”

“Show me the way home, honey,” he drawls, flashing you a spectacularly eager smile. He slides his fingers between yours and releases you from his grip on your waist, leading you towards the door. Your heart is beating impossibly fast, thumping against your chest with anticipation.

A bell rings loudly over the music and chatter of the bar. Bradley curses to himself, stopping to turn back to face you. Looking around, you spot a brunette woman behind the bar shaking her head, her eyes intent on Bradley. She holds up a long receipt. 

“Shit, let me pay the tab, then we’re out of here.” He makes his way through the tight crowd towards the bartop, fishing around in his pockets for his wallet. You lean against the doorframe and exhale a breath you hadn’t realized you were holding in so tightly, the fresh night air helping return you to your senses. You turn your face to the night and close your eyes, worried the gravity of what you’re about to do might hit you, but it doesn’t – the tequila keeping all logic at bay. 

You’re not sure how much has passed when you open your eyes again, surprised Bradley isn’t back at your side. You look back to the bar, your stomach dropping at the sight before you. A tall blonde woman’s hands slide across Bradley’s chest, slipping behind his neck, fingers interlocking as he eases down into a barstool, allowing her access to his lap. She wastes no time crawling on top of him, pressing her lips against his harshly.

A wave of heat rises through you, your breath quickening as you process. The room begins to spin, the alcohol in your system churning in your stomach, threatening to come up. Shaking your head, you think about storming over, consider tugging him up out of the barstool and to the car; but you don’t move. It wasn’t you he cared about. It wasn’t you he wanted tonight. It was anyone willing, anyone with a pulse poised and ready to bend to his drunken desire of getting laid. 

Squaring your shoulders, you fight off the urge to run and blindly accept Rooster’s selfish decisions like you had before. No. Not tonight. Two could play this game.

“Not again,” you whisper.

“You talking to me, sweetheart?” Hangman says as he passes by, his eyes flickering to you. 

“Jake.” Your heart lifts, a sinister smile spreading across your lips at the sight of him. He raises an eyebrow, trying to decode that wild look – a new one to him – oddly reminiscent of the one you gave him on your first night on base: the one you claimed not to remember. 

You don’t give him a chance to question you, closing the small space between the two of you in one step, pressing your body against his. His lips are on yours in the next second, warm and wet, a moan escaping your lips as he deepens the kiss. His tongue and spit mix with yours feverishly as you slide your hands down his abdomen towards the waistband of his jeans, fingers dipping beneath it. 

His hand captures your wrist and he pulls back, his lush green eyes dark with desire. He pants, his eyes on you, still unsure of your motives. “Thought you said it was never gonna happen?” There’s a smugness in his tone, almost as if he’s considering withholding this from you now. 

Ignoring him, you place a hand on his chest and push him back gently against the doorframe, kissing him roughly, grinding your hips against his front, feeling him grow strained beneath the fabric of his pants. Chuckling, you lean back and nod in the direction of the bathroom, a question in your eyes. He just smiles, his fingers already working at the buttons of his shirt. 

...

Tag List: @arianna-bradshaw @n3ssm0nique @blue-aconite @supernaturaldawning @revolution-starter @saramaple @bittergomez @coco-loco-nut @unluckymonaghan @jointherebellion215 @supernaturalstuff83 @kkrenae @littlebear423 @shadeds-library

[hqcult]

SWITCHING POSITIONS ## akaashi keiji

doms and subs are overrated. it's hella fun being a switch and keiji couldn't agree more.

. tw smut, switch! akaashi, switch! reader, some baby girl and baby boy calling, mommy kink, sir kink, drunk sex, unprotected sex (dont try this at home), oral (m receiving), creampies, slight degradation . wc 3.8k

the night is young. as young a night gets for two college students after finals week. while countless people from different frat houses have already invited you to come to their year-end parties, you never really enjoy that scene. it's too much of an effort to dress and doll yourself up when, after such a stressful week, you just want to wind down and get drunk here in your dorm with your best friend. 

plus, keiji tells way more compelling stories than boys you've encountered at parties and that's saying something, considering you had been drunk as a skunk but didn't find them funny at all. 

yeah. offense.

right from the get-go, you figure he's never one for small talk but there's a fondness in his eyes when he talks about his days as a volleyball player. he becomes more loose-lipped, sharing to you memories of his teammates and games. you really didn't care whatever topic he chose to talk about, you just know you'll listen to him anyway. it's great listening to him talk with that comforting voice of his. 

"you know," you lean your head back against the couch, cozying up in your hoodie. "maybe you should start a part-time job as a youtuber. you can be one of those people who do asmr videos or something." you chuckle, finding the random thought amusing. 

"but i'm already on a full-ride. i don't think i need to get a part-time job," he lies comfy on your couch. one arm hanging, hands over the can of beer. 

you sighed staring up at the ceiling. "lucky. it's hard maintaining grades when your professors are a bunch of snobby assholes who don't care about their students."

his knee nudges the back of your head lightly. "don't say that," he scolds. "that's bad. they're still your teachers."

always so polite.

just as you reach forward for another slice of pizza, akaashi speaks again, eyeing you thoughtfully. "well… maybe i can start an asmr channel and we can split the money i earn."

you laugh, torso turning around to face him. you bring the beer can up to offer a toast. 

"see, this is why i love you, keiji."

after clicking his can with yours, you turn around to have a bite of your pizza — completely missing the red flush on his cheeks, thrown off-guard by the strong proclamation you just made, albeit he knows you probably meant it in a platonic way. he didn't know what to say next so he took another swig of his drink. 

he doesn't know. really. what triggered him to look at you as something way more than a normal friend would. for someone so self-aware as him it's frustrating not knowing how and when his feelings for you even changed. because the only time he realized he was knee deep into liking you was when he was also at the brink of losing you. 

which reminds him… 

"what happened to that guy you were texting two weeks ago?" he asks. 

"ah, him? he's too… what's the word, assertive? intrusive? i don't know — it's like he wants to monopolize my time. like he wants my whole world to revolve around him and it's… kinda creepy actually."

akaashi scoffs, sitting up to get a slice of pizza. "you guys were only talking for two weeks."

"i know! that's what i'm saying!" you say, hands wildly gesturing to and fro. he's afraid you might spill the beer. "like — dude. maybe it's either he needs to chill the fuck out or i'm just not into doms. or maybe he's a walking red flag."

he hums thoughtfully, slumping next to you on the floor before dusting his hands off from pizza crumbs. "he's a red flag. obviously."

"okay but random thought: doms are overrated," you reach forward to open another can of beer, thinking out loud. "subs too. i feel like it's kinda tiring being a top as much as it is being a bottom. being a switch, on the other hand, is like getting the best of both worlds and who wouldn't like that? it's some good hannah montana shit."

now akaashi keiji can't help but laugh at that. "are you drunk? how did our conversation end up this way even."

you bump his shoulder, laughing with him before drinking your beer. "oh, come on. humor me a little, keiji. think about it. i'm right. aren't i?"

"and how do you know?" he turns his head towards you. "have you been a top? or bottom —"

"i have," the smile you gave him sent butterflies to his stomach. "both. back in my all-girls high school. being a bottom's not too bad but… eh, still. i'd rather just be a switch. it's exhausting to top all the time."

"don't i know it," akaashi mutters under his breath. flashbacks of all those awkward and embarrassing endeavors filling his mind. "guys are always expected to top. it's like a stereotype. can't i just sit back sometimes and follow orders, too?" 

he feels the heat crawling up his neck and it makes him shrug off his jacket, leaving him with the plain white shirt underneath. 

"i can give you orders."

akaashi almost chokes on his beer. 

"you literally just said it's exhausting to top."

you shrugged. "yeah, but — i mean, it is! it is but… you know."

he can see exactly how embarrassment is taking over your features and he wants to stop and move on from the conversation. he wants to. he should. but there's an inkling feeling inside him that doesn't because he wants to see how this unfolds. his heart is beating erratically and he can't take his eyes off you since that little comment you made. 

"i'm sorry," you chuckle, a dismissive tone in your voice. "nevermind. anyway…"

akaashi shouldn't entertain his thoughts. 

it's improper. you're his best friend. literally one of the few people who he's managed to befriend in college. he can't lose you. he can't risk being awkward with you. his not-so-platonic feelings for you should never get in the way of that. never. plus, you're both intoxicated right now and you were probably just kidding around. akaashi isn't that kind of guy. he respects you. he should dismiss the conversation but —

"then give me orders."

you froze. eyes widening as you stare at the forgotten netflix movie playing on your laptop, unable to look at the man sitting next to you. afraid of the weight of his stare. you didn't know why you blurted out whatever you did a few seconds ago but you never thought he'd entertain it. not that you mind, anyway. this is your best friend we're talking about. well-mannered akaashi keiji with the ocean eyes hiding behind those cute square glasses. 

the akaashi keiji you've been crushing hard on since you saw him at the freshman orientation two years ago. 

"would you… spread your legs for me?"

light rustling can be heard as the microfibers of his socks drag against the carpeted floor. just as you reach forward to push back the coffee table, akaashi beats you to it and does it for you. making sure to push it far so you won't accidentally hit your back on the edges. 

with one smooth swing of your leg, you're sitting snug on his lap. the rough fabric of his jeans grazing your thighs as your hands tremble whilst dragging down the planes of his torso. 

akaashi grabs your hands, stopping you. 

"you look hesitant. you don't need to do this if you don't want to." his tone is low, understanding as always. 

you look at him straight in the eye. leaning forward until your lips are all but grazing each other as you spoke. "i want to. i want you."

you dive down to start peppering kisses down his neck and you hear him let out a shaky sigh. you lick a stripe up the side of his neck before kissing the shell of his ear. "go on, keiji. you can touch me. don't you want to touch mommy?" 

you feel him shudder, his dexterous fingers mapping random lines underneath your hoodie, slowly raking higher and higher until he's saying "mommy, please take it off" in low hushed tones. the blush in his cheeks prominent as he can't seem to stare at you in the eye. so cute. so submissive. so stupid thinking you'll let him undress you so easily.

"did i say you can take it off?" you hiss, reaching down to cup him from over his jeans and shoving his hands off you. "don't tell me baby boy is being bad, are you being bad? i thought my baby keiji's a good boy for his mommy." 

"but… but i am a good —"

akaashi hisses, knees jolting when he feels you tracing circles on the insides of his thighs with the tip of your nails. for someone who just claimed they didn't like topping, you're doing an impeccable job at it and he doesn't know whether or not he loves it or hates it. when your sneaky little hands unbutton his jeans and teasingly pulls the zipper down, okay, no, he definitely loves it. the determined look in your eyes as you pin your gaze on his features, watching like a hawk at every furrow of his brow, of every sharp intake of breath, every time he throws his head back. 

"if you're such a good boy why don't you strip for mommy, hm? won't my baby boy give me a show?" he can't take his eyes off you as you smile, sultry, leaning over to lick at his bottom lip as your ass slowly grinds against his jeans. how merciless you are, when you gave him a peck and pulled away. "go on. strip and sit on the couch."

blindly reaching around the coffee table, you grabbed whatever beer you can hold before raising it up to your lips and staring at him over the rim of the can as he throws his shirt off. you suck in a breath when his abdominals come into view. his torso lean and smooth, siding a little more on the petite size with a tiny waist. and you shamelessly check him out even more when he leans over and hooks his thumbs under his jeans, pushing it down. 

you didn't speak until you saw the black waistband of his boxers.

"those, too."

he pauses, looking a little lost. "i'm sorry, what —"

"everything, baby boy. i want everything off… including those boxers. wanna see your dick throbbing. bet baby boy's already hard because mommy kissed his neck and gave him hickies, isn't he? bet you'll love it if mommy licks you all over, or when mommy rides her baby boy's cute thighs. would my baby keiji like that? would you? does my baby boy deserve it?"

damn were you good at this. the more you spoke the more it's making him ache and he wastes no time in shoving everything down. true to your words he was throbbing. the mushroom tip oozing precum and his dick standing tall. maybe it's the alcohol in his system or maybe it's the desire for you that he had kept locked away for so long, but akaashi can't bring it in himself to feel embarrassed. not when you're looking at him like you want to devour him whole. 

the same bright eyes of his adventurous best friend who's stuck by his side since being wide-eyed first years in this huge university — he'll probably never see you in that same halo ever again, already tainted by the image of you now. 

he sees you swallow, eyes never straying away from his girth and akaashi feels a little proud to have you looking star-struck. when you rise from your seat, his muscles tense in anticipation, staring at your hand as it slowly reaches forward — only to pause mid-air. 

akaashi looks up at you questionably and he sees the unspoken question in your eyes, asking for his consent. and your baby boy's answer was instantaneous.

 "please, mommy. touch me?"

the smile on your face was cocky. definitely cocky as your hand wraps around his girth, the other wrapping around his throat as you coo. "aw, how can i resist when you're asking so nicely? why don't you sit on the couch and i'll grant whatever my baby boy wants, hm?"

he mewls, leaning back on the couch and eyes you with lust. "like this, mommy?" he mutters, desperate. he even tilts his hips up a little to offer you a better view as you hum in approval, straddling his hips as you stroked his cock. 

"such a good boy for mommy, aren't you? how pretty." 

he hisses when he catches sight of you kneeling before him in between his legs, looking at him with the most captivating sultry gaze he's ever seen. "mommy's gonna give you a 'lil prep, yeah? so it won't hurt when i ride your dick, baby boy." 

"yes, momm — ugh." 

akaashi throws his head back when you finally wrap your lips around him. the image of your hollowed cheeks forever ingrained in his mind. his eyes fly close, focusing his attention on your swift tongue as it lies flat against the underside of his cock, taking him eagerly from the base to the tip. your tongue swirls around the head, sneakily poking around the hole where precum oozes out. 

"mommy," he whines when your tongue travels back to his girth, tracing one of the prominent veins in his dick before your hand comes up to play with his balls. "mommy — shit. so good… feels so good…"

it urges you on, hands retracting to wrap around whatever your mouth couldn't cover. his back is arching and you suck him with fervor, eager to push him to the edge, to make him believe you're going to lick and play and suckle until he's creaming around your mouth — only to pull away at the last minute. 

"no!" he moans, looking down at you desperately as you rise from your seat. "i was-i was gonna cum!"

you dismiss him easily with a wave of the hand, too busy shuffling out your clothes. maybe if you had the energy, you would've punished him a few rough spanks but you were far gone already. thoughts of that dick splitting you in half as you ride him consuming your mind like a plague.

akaashi groans when you hop onto the sofa and crash your lips on his. you never would've imagined kissing him this way. sloppy and wet and painfully induced with lust. the stretch is amazing, there was the lightest stinging sensation but was overridden by pleasure. he groans, pulling you close and peppering your shoulders with kisses. 

you grabbed his shoulders and started bouncing on his lap in a slow, stimulating manner that made you feel every vein and curve of his cock as it deliciously drags against your walls. you hear him wine. you hear him talk about how it hurts and how he can't take it anymore. how he needs his mommy to move faster. faster, mommy. please fuck me faster. but you ignored him, so caught up in domspace to see the growing irritation in your baby boy's eyes. to see the sudden shift from clinging onto you so desperately to gripping possessively against the soft flesh of your sides.

the air was knocked out of your lungs when he slams you down on the sofa.

"you dare ignore me?" his face is passive, eyes cold and steely as he pinned you with a dark stare. "time's up. i think you got a tad bit carried away there, don't you agree?" 

"want me to show you how it's done?" you shiver in excitement when he takes your wrists in one hand. his thighs flex as he gets on his knees before hooking your legs over his shoulder, thrusting his dick deeper into you. akaashi bends forward, a hand firmly gripping your face. "i want you to address me as 'sir' and nothing else, do i make myself clear?"

his low assertive tone so painfully attractive you clenched around him as he drills into you with vigor. akaashi chuckles, the low rumbles of his chest stimulating your perked nubs as it grazed against him with every thrust. "yeah, you like that? like it when i speak to you like this? ah, fuck you're so tight. you're pussy's practically choking my dick — look, fucking look, baby girl."

your head grazes his as you both watch his member disappear inside you, getting off at the lewd sight of the glistening sheen of your essence wrapped around his cock and the loud squelching noise it makes when he rams it into you again. you whimper, pulling akaashi down for a kiss as your ankles hook around his back, pulling him deeper as his pace quickens and his balls slap against your skin.

"see that? your pussy keeps sucking me back in. bet you're desperate for my cock, aren't you?" you never thought akaashi to be the type who's into talking dirty, you thought he was the gentle, vanilla type. but alcohol always brings around quite interesting things about a person after getting drunk. 

you cling onto him for dear life as his hand reaches down to draw figure eights against your puffy clit, eliciting the most feral of moans from you that could rival that of pornstars. "sir," you shudder. "please, sir. please."

"please what?" he grabs your lower back, pulling your torso up to hit an angle that makes you see stars. 

"please, let me cum! please."

akaashi clicks his tongue before raising a perfectly plucked eyebrow. "you didn't listen to me when i was the one begging, why should i listen to you?"

your hands wrap around his neck, sobbing against the crook of his neck by the sheer pleasure you felt. he can't understand your mindless babbling. all inside keiji's mind is the feel of your perked nipples grazing his chest and your plush walls wrapping around him so prettily. he never did it raw, having you as his first time doing it without a condom pushed him way over the edge than he wants to admit. 

"be-because — ah — i didn't —"

akaashi hauls you up into a sitting position, arms wrapped around you securely as you straddle him. he yanks you away from his neck, a tight grip wrapped around your throat as he stares straight into your eyes as he fucks up into you, feeling his balls slap against your skin. "what? cock's that good you can't even speak?"

he feels your hips stutter as you sob, tiny hands wrapped around his wrists. you didn't even try bouncing and meeting his thrusts anymore. "sir, please! s'too much! wanna cum —"

"then fucking work for it," he stils his hips. "fuck me back, baby girl. come on. you said you wanted to ride me, didn't you? bet this is what you've been thinking about for the whole night. that's the only thing my baby girl's capable of right? thinking 'bout my cock and nothing else? such a dumb little baby."

your legs quivered and shook as you obliged and pulled yourself half way up, before meeting him halfway and impaling yourself back down his cock. the first time you did it had both of you whining, akaashi quickly threading his hands through your hair to yank your face towards him. he wants to imprint this memory into his mind. to be able to merely shut his eyes and be transported back to the night you both were intoxicated and you let him use your cunt like a fleshlight. 

all sense of manners were thrown out the window as his ocean eyes memorized the way your eyes rolled back when he hits a sweet spot, the way your nose scrunches when the pleasure becomes overwhelming, the way the drool shamelessly trickles down the side of your lips as your tongue sticks out and he so badly wanted to spit but he didn't in fear of making you uncomfortable. everything. he wants to memorize everything. 

"just a little more, pretty girl. you can do it. together, okay? cum before me and you'll fucking regret it."

he grabs you closer, burying your face in his neck and planting his feet firm on the ground as he pistons his cock into you. it's not the heat of your body, or your pretty cries, or the lewd sound of skin slapping that made him cum. no. it was your sheer desperation and vulnerability as you bit his shoulders and yelled at the top of your lungs. 

"keiji!"

he pulled out at record speed and had made a mess on his torso but he was hardly able to register any of these. so fucked out and sated and content to have you sitting on his lap as he stares at your plain ceiling. he doesn't even realize you've dropped down to your knees and started lapping up the essence splayed on his torso until he felt the hot muscle of your tongue. "(y/n) —"

"what happened to baby girl?" you tease, a playful smile on your lips as you meet his eyes. "you were so into it, 'kaashi. you should've seen your face — well, i was… kinda into it too, anyway."

it took akaashi around three seconds for everything to finally sink in, to fully sober up and let the gears work in his head. the realization of what had gone down on your sofa, of the things he told you, brings about an embarrassment greater than anything he's ever felt in his entire life. suddenly, he's shoving you away from him and draping the discarded blanket around your naked form whilst politely looking away. then he quickly covers his soft dick with one of your throw pillows.

"oh, my god. i'm so sorry. this is a mistake — shit — i'm sorry! you see, i've liked you ever since and not as a friend and i swear i'm not the type to just —"

"keiji" you snap him out of it. "i like you too, okay? now don't go around saying it's a mistake or i'm going to throw you off the roof. do you want me to throw you off the roof? right. i don't think so. now, come on! get your sexy ass dressed, we're going somewhere."

"where... are we going?"

"i'm craving ice cream. so for our first date, buying ice cream at 2am!"

[kaypeace21]

Crash-course for all the evidence of Will creating the mindflayer/upsidedown

* Honestly I’ve talked about this stuff in my did theories- where I explained how the upsidedown/mf/ the lab subjects/ and russians all connect back to Will creating them. But since so may people assume that Will got his powers from the upsidedown/mf rather than Will creating it all subconsciously (with his powers). Thought i’d do a short analysis of just that connection (without boggling it down with those other plot lines that are interconnected) . *So I’m not mentioning the lights -because it interconnects with the numbers/lab.I’m just going to list every example in short succession from every season for brevity’s sake (so it won’t be structured as eloquently as prior analyses). 

refresher of how Will influences the mf/upsidedown ...

S1) 

Will ( in s1e1) says to Dustin if he could have any comic it would be the xmen. Dustin later  says "do you think - el was born with her powers like the xmen? " Will plays a d&d game saying the demogorgan got him -so it does irl. Will writes stories where bad guys weakness are fire so the mf/ demogorgans are lit on fire in s1-3 (and it's their weakness). Will watches poltergeist so Will is forced to be the child character in that film- who was trapped in a alternative dimension and could only speak to their mother through tech. The demogrgan is said to resemble a shark by nancy-mathcing Will’s Jaws movie poster in his room. in s1 Mr clarke describes the vale of shadows (later the upsidedown) as being created by “necrotic” (’dead’-zombie boy) and “shadow” (shadow monster/mf) “magic”. In d&d the Vale of Shadows, is  as a lush valley hidden in the mountains that holds a sacred pool with the power to make dreams reality. In d&d the demogorgan is literally called the "deep father" in d&d Nancy also says the demogorgan is like a “lion” the meaning of the name Lonnie- is literally “lion”. We see it attack Will when using lonnie's gun (in lonnie's shed). And it knocks the bat out of Jonathan's hand too. (Baseball/hunting were taught by their dad lonnie). The demogorgan also hurts a deer- mirroring Jonathan's story about how Lonnie forced him to kill a rabbit and how this upset him as he was a fan of the rabbit character from the film bambi.. El when she first sees the demogorgan also sees it eating it’s own eggs-aka symbolically the father hurting his own children.  Will's password for cb is rhadagast a wizard who protects Wildlife (the opposite of Hunter-lonnie/the demogorgan). 

Duffers cited as inspo the silent hill videogames): And in s1 Hopper named dropped the character Alessa’s last name. “The bad guys faked Alessa’s death. Kaufmann prepared a substitute body of alessa;  and performed the fake autopsy (like Will) . Alessa had precognition (future/intuition-like will the wise is said to have in s3) and pyrokinesis (firepowers mentioned  Will the wise has in s1).  Alessa’s latent psychic abilities are triggered and she shrouds Silent Hill in fog and an altered reality to prevent her ab*sive parent’s schemes from advancing. Many of the drastic changes that befall the town in the game, such as the horrific creatures that come to inhabit it, are conjured from her imagination and delusions. “ 

Will also says in s1ep1 he wants xmen 134-about the dark phoenix saga. ‘dark phoenix’  - has pyrokinesis ( fire powers-like Will the wise). And the dark phoenix also  “was able to warp reality on a universal scale”. One of the phoenix’s host was even the god Thor (god of lightning-an element Will is associated with a lot in s2)

(in s1 Will also spit up a slug- in d&d putting a slug in a humanoid can create/turn that humanoid into a mf. foreshadowing Will being posessed/becoming the mf in s2. ).

S2)

 Will plays digdug (a videogame about underground tunnels) so the mf creates tunnels. Will's dog dies so demogogans become demo-dogs. He also watches Ghostbusters- where a character is possessed by the ‘gate keeper’ and can control demon dogs. So this happens to Will too -similar to s1 with poltergeist .In s1 , Hopper even mentions the book Cujo about a violent dog, who is replaced by a new dog named ‘Willie’ (to allude to this).In s1 we see  Mike holding a drawing of Will’s- where Will's wizard has lightning powers (coming from his hand). everytime Will uses tech in s1, the phones explode and lighting appears out of them- hopper makes a BBQ joke about the burned phones.later in s2 the mf has these same lightning abilities and the lab technician makes the same BBQ joke.Joyce even describes the tunnels of the mf/ that Will’s draws as “like lightning.”  We also see the russians eviserated by lightning next season too.

A lab tech calls Will a wizard-and they monitor his brain waves, record him on video, just like they did to El .(when the mf first appears at Will’s house- the lab techs even notice ). The drawing of the mf is next to a baseball (Lonnie ref) and Will says it was a drawing for a story he wrote. In s2 Nancy describes the mindflayer (but she’s actually describing Will).“So this thing is like a brain that’s controlling everything.”Because it’s not the mindflayers’ brain - it’s Will’s brain controlling everything. ( a “hive mind” aka the mf/WILL share a brain ). Owens in s2e1 (BEFORE the mf possession) says Will's ‘anniversary affect’ would make him remember “tra*matic memories” and “OPEN the neurological flood GATES” (aka Will’s neurological GATES are the gates between the real world and upsidedown - which are connected to the mf).  

 Owens in s2e1 (after mentioning the “gates”) even says Will's ‘anniversary affect’ /  “tr*umatic memories” would  cause temporary “personality changes”for Will (the later mf possession) . I mean... Owens wasn’t entirely wrong was he? Will even feels the back of his neck in s2 and says it has to do with “memories” ...and in s3 feeling the back of his neck meant Will was sensing  the mf. Similarly, before his possession-mr clarke  mentions phineus gage who after an accident had a “complete change to his personality” (and the shot pans to Will).

Nancy even calls the mind flayer the “mind-flamer”- hinting at it’s connection to Will the wise who has fire powers). And Dustin says the mf “takes over minds with it’s highly developed psyionic abilities “ And to “summon an undead army... cause the mindflayer loves brains ” ( and in s3 the mf creates a undead army by taking over people’s brains). Hopper  even says “So how do we kill this thing shoot it with fireballs ?” (which destroys the flesh-monster in s3) ”

S3) 

Will (the “zombie boy”) writes a story about juju zombies after watching a film about zombies at starcourt in s3 - then the mf creates a undead army -which was also foreshadowed in s2 (and similar to Will’s  s3 d&d story).  We also see Will wrote this d&d story in front of "the thing" poster. So the mf creates a flesh monster resembling the creature in that film too.  We also see someone get bit (el) like in Will's story and when his friends retcon his ending to be about “sacrificing themselves via explosion (Hopper).” Will just says “fine you win” (so it ends that way).Also, the shadow monster is now called the Mindflayer - and mimics the mf from d&d (both can control rats with their powers in the show/game).  

Will in s2-3 grabs the back of his neck and he attributed it to “memories”, “dreams”, and sensing the mf. Will created castle byers after his dad left and he grabs the bat in cb which was next to the Will the wise drawing (similar to how the baseball was next to the mf drawing in s2) and destroys cb with said bat . Then Will touches his neck and admits the mf has returned.  EVERY moment Will senses the mf can be loosely connected to Lonnie. Lonnie used to call him h*mophobic sl*rs so anytime he subconsciously thinks of his feelings towards Mike the mf appears-1st time it’s on one of their ‘movie dates’, 2nd time when Mike and El walk off together down the hill to make-out, 3rd time right after he smashed castle byers after Mike says “it’s not my fault you don’t like girls”, 4th time (after the fight with Mike) when Billy is yelling to open the door (a trigger) and confides in Mike, 5th time when Mike asks him to go away so he can talk to El in the hospital waiting area, and 6th time when Mike says he loves El. The 7th time is when Jonathan is fixing up a car -something Lonnie used to do.Lonnie fixes up cars as a hobby-showing his remodeled car to Jonathan in s1 . Will then senses the mf and grabs his neck-which he said are connected to old “memories”.  max and Mike are silent until Jonathan says  says “got it (the distributor)”. Then Mike screams for his older sibling. We also see in s1 Jonathan checked to see if Lonnie threw Will in his trunk- something the mf does to some of his victims in s3.

Dustin and susie sing “never ending story”- which is literally about a seemingly normal boy  named Sebastian with a bowl cut (from a single parent home) subconsciously making a fantasy world being invaded by a dark force (representing the loss of hope/dreams) that only his imagination powers can fix . “make believe i’m everywhere ... what you dream will be...Rhymes that keep their secrets Will unfold behind the clouds.And there upon a rainbow Is the answer to a never ending story” . Cough-Will’s rainbow ship he CREATED.Both times the  lyric plays  “Rhymes that keep their secrets WILL “ ( it pans to Will). 

The film also follows a false chosen one who everyone says is supposed to save fantasia- named Atreyu (el). Specifically, for that plotwist that Sebastian (Will) has to be the one to do so , not Atreyu (who sebastian subconsciously created). In the novel/film-Atreyu ( the child who was deemed the ‘chosen one) is knocked from Falkor’s back, and into the sea of possibilities. There he wakes on the shore of abandoned ruins. 

“There Gmork (The Mindflayer) reveals himself, having been lying in wait.And then latches his jaws onto Atreyu’s leg.”

-Before the duet, Susie tells dusin she’s reading “ a wizard of earthsea” and says ged is about to save his world. The book is about a boy-wizard  named Ged (Will) who casts a powerful spell, but the spell goes awry and instead he releases a shadow creature! The new Archmage, Gensher, describes the shadow as an ancient evil that wishes to possess Ged. But the ‘shadow’ turns out  to be a representation of the darkest aspects of his personality. And the only way for the world to be saved is for the 2 to merge and for Ged to accept himself . 

-Will says he’s a wizard ( writing on a music tape in s3 “will the wise-wizard mix’ and having his password for castle byers be ‘rhadaghast’- a lotr wizard). The way they describe d&d Wizards matches Will/mindflayer perfectly “Wizards are adepts and magicians who combine according to the type of their spells. Relying on the subtle weaves of magic that permeate the universe, wizards are able to create spells of explosive fire, sparking lightning, subtle deception, and gross mind control. Their magic summons monsters from other planes of existence, predicts the future, and turns defeated enemies into zombies. Their most powerful spells can transform one substance into another, summon meteors from the sky, and open portals to other worlds” (all these powers Will the wise/mf are implied to have)

- Stranger things d&d comic (published post s3) : Will creating a illusion army of monsters -as Will the wizard.

- stranger writers twitter reffed several movies which discuss artist/writer WILLiam Blake who helped make the art exhibit “worlds turned upsidedown” 

possible reason for the flayed eating  chemicals& fertilizer (in s3)

full link/credits here.  Lonnie’s gf has a biker shirt from Harley davidson- with the eagle logo and their saying “live to ride’. Which would imply lonnie is also in such biker circles. Harley davidson in the 80s had dr*g gangs too (primarily m*th).

 One reason m*th is so prevalent in rural areas is that it can be formulated, or “cooked,” by small producers and one of the ingredients is readily found on most farms – anhydrous AMMONIA fertilizer. Both farmers and chemical suppliers have experienced thefts of anhydrous particularly in the Midwest.“

WHICH REMINDS ME OF the FLAYED EATING FERTILIZER AND CHEMICALS IN S3 . Nancy even says farmers/chem suppliers  are having fertilizer stolen! And she later thinks flayed tom was on drugs- “A mysterious  case of the missing fertilizer- a Nancy Drew Mystery”. This is also in the same season one character (who looks a bit like Lonnie) is a biker is corrupting the town.

Will creating /basing the supernatural from suppressed memories -means it’s from a very young child’s perspective . young Will would equate people eating chemicals, ammonia fertilizer, and ammonia... to using those SAME chemicals to create m*th and then physically consuming them . Why we see mrs driscoll eating fertilizer & Billy drinking ammonia.

The reason the flayed started behaving differently is probably because in s2 Will was forcibly injected with a needle & woken up with ammonia by Hopper-jogging some of those old memories. 

EVEN Nancy’s proof Tom is on dr*gs is a symptom of m*th use or withdrawl from it-excessive sweating (like all the flayed in s2-3). M*th causes hyperthermia (body is at a higher temp than usual)-so they like it cold!!!!! Even clammy hands that she mentioned is a symptom of m*th use. in children it can even cause seizures- like Will :(

And when m*th is made via fertilizer it first is made into a highly corrosive liquid which is sometimes green-like the Russian lab.“six pounds of toxic waste is created for every pound of m*th manufactured. The waste is often dumped on farms, in rivers and and is harmful to the environment.” Like all the chemical leaks relating to Hawkins lab/mf that affected the crops in s2/this pic of water in s3.

m*th was even called ‘bathroom crank’-which is sketchy given the bathtub is what mf fears and how the sensory deprivation tank is also called a ‘tub’ by el . Becky even said Brenner would get terry high and throw her in the tank/tub.

It also does take some chemisty knowledge to COVERT various substances (including fertilizer and other chemicals) to make m*th- which reminds me of the kids saying they can convert one substance into another (when explaining why the possessed are eating chemicals)- they say they’re making a new chemical “in themselves”

other hints

Will’s b day is march 22 . Which is when “fire burns most brightly” and his ‘birthday number is number 7′ (”it was a 7 the demogorgan it got me′) . The number 7  is specifically associated with  “wisdom and psychic abilities”.  His b day even adds up to 7 (3+2+2).His horoscope is also influenced by the shadow god-ketu (who is also associated with wisdom and psychic abilities too). 

* There’s way more details/depth/ other st inspirations in my DID analyses -specifically pt 2. (where i discuss how the mf/upsidedown connects to the numbers/russians- and also specifially Will).But this is just a crash course about the flayed/upsideown/it’s creatures connect to Will.

People will dismiss all of this as just the Duffers liking to reference random things they like/ and foreshadow via d&d without any in universe reason.  but I really think that’s a disappointing explanation/outcome. Especially the predictable cliche theory that the mf is just experiment #1. Not only is it boring, cliche, and predictable af- but it doesn’t line up as well with the mental health themes mentioned in ever season.Will created everything via tr*uma cause of his dad- and overcomes this: is not only a “twist” that will make rewatching more enjoyable given all the hints- it’s more narratively sound given how much the series touches on themes such as overcoming tra*ma, mental health, and problematic fathers. The #1/ex experiment=mf theory doesn’t explain why they made the supernatural connect to Will in this way . And with such a boring cliche ending it would quickly be forgotten like other big sci-fi/fantasy shows that quickly lost relevancy after being popular: like heros, g.o.t, etc.One makes the show cliche another makes it remembered for decades (ex: jacob’s ladder).

[rainsoughtflowers]

red strings tie me down

tw/cw - angst.

a/n - chishiya with the soulmate trope? i think yes.

they say that in ancient times humans were born with two heads, four arms and four legs. they were powerful beings, strong and resilient, and the greek gods perceived them as threats to their thrones. to prevent such an outcome, zeus split the humans in half, and damned them to spend the rest of their lives searching for their missing piece. apollo, god of healing, felt sorry for humans, and decided to ease their pain. he created a red string, long and unbreakable, that would guide humans on their journey for completion. 

the idea of soulmates was a widely discussed topic even during current times. although one could only see their own string, people were always encouraged to walk a path that would lead to the other end. as a child you were fascinated by the concept, your tiny mind desperate to grasp the idea that somewhere out there was a person meant just for you. you often wondered what they would be like. how their smiles would form and whether they preferred to sleep in or arise early. you longed to learn more than the red wrapped around your pinkie.  

the string itself was beautiful, an apple red that twisted and swirled around your body throughout all hours of the day. it never tangled or got caught on an object, nor did it ever disappear out of sight. you liked to think that your soulmate would be similar. gentle and loving, always by your side. sometimes you even imagined that the string was your soulmate wrapping their arms around you, the bow around your finger a promise for forever. 

and yet, you never expected this. you never expected to meet the person with the other end of your string in a world like the borderlands, filled with death games and violence. you had assumed it'd be under normal circumstances, like stumbling upon him at the store or following the string until the end. if it had been under those circumstances, you wouldn't have worried over the different factors that would play into your meeting. because before, your only worry was when you two would meet. and now, it was how you'd get him to love you back.

it honestly surprised you to see him upon entering the grand lobby of a seaside hotel. after a terrifying night of participating in your first game, citizens of the beach had led you to the so called utopia, and you had stared wide eyed at the hundreds of people dancing in the center of the room. it had been pure luck, or maybe it was fate, that your eyes caught onto the white hoodie in the corner of the room. something in your heart urged your attention to linger, raking it across his form that was leaning against the wall. brown eyes, appearing cold and calculated, watched the scene unfold before him. his posture was relaxed, but his expression screamed boredom, as if he had better things to do then stand there and people watch. you had found him interesting enough to stare for another beat longer, before noticing that your red string disappeared into the pockets of his hoodie.

your breath caught in your throat, muscles tense with anticipation. there was no doubt about it, people could only see their own strings after all. that man, whoever he was, was your soulmate.

you don't know what came over you at that moment. one second you were staring dumbfounded from the realization and the next you're brushing past several bodies as you stride across the room. a feeling of hope bubbled within your chest, the string seemingly pulling you closer to his direction. you barely thought twice over what his reaction would be upon meeting you. you had heard so many stories from completed souls and how they wasted no time filling in the missing parts. surely your soulmate would share the same thoughts.

when you finally reached him he only had the time to widen his eyes in surprise before you engulfed him in a hug. your arms wrapped around his neck like it was familiar, body pressed tightly against his own as you finally felt him. the warmth of his body and the beating of his heart, reminding you that he was real and not just a figment of your imagination. your heart stuttered within your chest, and all the aches faded away as it synced with his own. you were finally with the person you were in love with since before you even knew what the concept was.

"i found you." you whispered against his skin, fingers bunching up the fabric of his white hoodie. it all felt so surreal, like a dream or something out of a fairy tale. you didn't want the moment to end.

but then you were getting shoved off, thrown towards the ground from the unknown force. you blinked in surprise, head swimming from the sudden change of pace. what just happened? you lifted your eyes up, and you felt the smile on your face drop at the man's expression. you had assumed he'd be happy. or maybe even surprised. but the cold look in his eyes, the blank state of his face, that was far from the excitement you had anticipated.

"what are you doing?" he asked, voice dripping with acrimony and his eyes colder than before.

even with those words you still couldn't understand.

you quickly scrambled to your feet, taking a step forward but faltering when he took a step back. you brushed it off as shock, assuming that he wasn't the affectionate type. that was fine by you. it didn't matter if he didn't care for hugs or the simple brush of fingers. as long as he was by your side you didn't care what sort of relationship the two of you had.

you mustered up another smile, holding up your pinkie where the red string swirled around it, "our strings, they're connected. that means we're soulmates!"

you thought he'd finally understand with the words said out loud, but instead he scoffed, like the whole concept was ridiculous. his eyes drift towards the side, "what a joke."

confusion fogged your brain, still unable to grasp the fact that the mans words and actions meant exactly what you feared. you quickly took another step forward, holding up your hand, "but it's true, see? this means that-"

"it's just a piece of string. it doesn't mean anything." he interrupted, and the words made your heart break.

"but-"

"don't touch me again. and don't go around trying to talk to me. i want nothing to do with you." each syllable was harsh leaving his lips, winter storms swirling within the brown of his eyes. you were so shocked that you didn't even realize he had already left, disappearing out of sight.

but you knew which direction he had gone, the string followed him after all. you didn't know if that made you relieved or furthered the aches in your heart that had returned.

you stood quietly at the back of the room, head pounding from the blaring music and the words continuing to echo within your brain. he said the string meant nothing. but, that couldn't be right. because to you, it meant everything. you lifted your hand, studying the red, and the tears began to fall swiftly down your cheeks. it didn't make sense to you. how could you have thought so highly of this string of faith, loving every fiber of it, only for it to lead you to a man like him, who clearly did not feel the same?

why was he being so stubborn over the fact that you existed only for him?

-

days passed and you never ran into him again. either he really had disappeared, or he was really good at hiding. you figured it was the latter, since your short time here at the beach had shown you that members weren't allowed to leave unless authorized to or for games. but you thought deeply during that time, coming to a conclusion. even though he was hiding from you, and even though he had been clear with his words of wanting no association with you whatsoever, you didn't spend years dreaming about the day you'd meet your soulmate just to give up over a few simple words.

no, you'd prove to this man that you two were destined to be, and you'd prove it no matter what.

you decided you wouldn't explicitly go looking for him. not only would it be meaningless because of your string, but you'd rather run into him by chance since you could blame it on fate and not on your own stubbornness. so, as you waited for the blonde strands to appear you took the time to explore the building you were staying in. you wanted to get used to it since you'd be there a while, but who knows. maybe you'd come across one of his hiding spots as well.

and a hiding spot you did find when you stumbled upon a door with a sign, different from the hundreds of others you've come across thus far. you inspected it, finding a white figure going up some steps with an arrow pointing in the same direction. this must lead to a rooftop then. wanting to see what the view would be like, you pushed the doors open, climbing up the stairs until you found yourself on the flat ground of the roof. you smiled at the clear blue sky and the hundreds of buildings in the distance, breathtaking and beautiful. you turned in a small circle, halting mid way when you caught a glimpse of white at the far corner of the rooftop.

there, just several feet away, was your soulmate, sitting down near the edge. his hands were in his pockets and his hoodie rested on the top of his head, just like the first time you saw him. realistically it could've been anyone, but the red string swirling around his body said otherwise.

smiling, you quickly psyched yourself up with confidence before walking over, careful not to make too much noise. he didn't immediately turn when you made your way to the edge, so you took that opportunity to slowly sit down. you made sure to leave enough space between you both so it wasn't uncomfortable, but still close enough that you could engage in a conversation.

"hi." you said, kicking your feet back and forward while wringing your hands between themselves. you waited nervously for an answer.

his eyes glanced at you, irritation visibly making its way onto his features upon recognizing you. he let out a sigh, turning away, "it's you again."

"you can't get rid of me that easily." you smiled, taking the chance to scoot just the tiniest bit closer.

once more he sighed, refusing your proximity as he turned around and stood up, "unfortunately not."

you watched in surprise as he began walking away, quickly scrambling to your feet to follow after him, "hey! wait! where are you going? i just got here!"

"exactly. that means it's time for me to go." he replied, not sparing you a single glance.

"at least tell me your name!" you shouted. you wanted to know at least something about this man, and knowing his name would give you a good start.

he paused, staring at you for several quiet moments. hickory brown passed swiftly over your face, and you almost had hope when he smiled, "no." he replied bluntly, reaching for the handle of the door that led back inside. you quickly pushed the door open as well, following him down the stairs.

"come on! you want me to call you the love of my life or something?" you were being sarcastic, but if it really came to it you wouldn't mind having that in replacement to his name.

he stopped, turning around to look at you. you were just a few steps above him, clearly taller, but even then you felt small when he fixed you with cold, brown eyes, "call me that and i'll push you down the stairs."

"then give me something to call you!" you quipped back, your stubborn nature returning as you refused to look away. something told you if you did he would never open up to you, and that was the last thing you wanted.

"how about, 'off limits'" he muttered, turning back around and continuing the descent.

"that's not-"

"later." he replied, giving you a mere wave from over his shoulder. his words and actions were frustrating beyond belief, but still, you didn't want to give up. at least he was talking to you, and even that in itself was exciting.

you walked just a few feet behind him, taking in everything you could during that tense silence. his hair was dyed blonde, roots coming out to its dark natural color while the strands curled at the bottom. he wore the same hoodie from the first time you met, white with not a speck of dirt. it looked cozy, and you briefly wondered if it smelled just like him. what did he smell like anyways? maybe fresh? or sweet?

"stop following me." he broke the silence, and it surprised you that he could tell you were still there. you were being as quiet as possible after all.

you quickened your pace to catch up to him, sending him a mischievous grin, "i'm not. we just so happen to be going the same direction."

"i'm sure that's the case." he muttered back, having not bought your white lie in the slightest.

you hummed, clasping your hands behind your back, "since you won't tell me your name, how about i tell you mine?"

"don't care." he was quick to reply, but you didn't let the answer deject you.

"too bad, i'm going to give it to you anyway."

at the sound of your name falling from your lips he didn't seem phased, expression remaining as unreadable as ever. but you thought you saw the slightest bit of emotion flicker across his eyes.

the man suddenly stopped, your feet quick to copy him. you thought that perhaps he'd finally come to his senses and talk to you, your smile widening at the thought. instead, however, he opened a door, disappearing within the room without a goodbye.

you blinked in surprise at seeing the closed door, realizing it was a hotel room and you could not follow in after him. you sighed, running your fingers through your hair. but even though the man was irritated the majority of your interaction, you still considered it progress. he had talked to you after all, and even though you didn't even know his name, you had learned a lot about your soulmate. this made you smile, and you quickly shouted that you'd see him tomorrow before walking away to your own room.

-

despite the borderlands being the world you met your soulmate in, it was still a cruel one, and every now and then you had to leave the beach in order to play the games that allowed you to live. at first it scared you, recalling the violence and death that stained every crevice of the earth. but the thought of seeing him if you survived was enough to get you through each and every one.

your recent game was tougher than usual, a 7 of diamonds that ended with only two survivors and a lot of blood. unfortunately for you, most of it came from the crimson dripping down your arm, searing and painful. but you were alive, so you took yourself to the infirmary that resided in the beach to get it inspected and bandaged without so much as a cry for pain.

you sat within the room quietly, having just gotten the wound cleaned and tightly wrapped. you were waiting for the woman who had helped you to return with extra gauze and some painkillers that would get you through the healing process. as you waited, swinging your legs back and forward, you saw the door open, heart stuttering within your chest at recognizing who it was.

he closed the door behind him and looked up, eyes hidden beneath his hoodie. but you could still see the surprise evident on his face, quick and fleeting. he glanced down to the white gauze around your arm, and for a split second you thought that you saw a flash of worry. or maybe it was confusion, but he was still wondering what had happened to you, and you took that thought with you and kept it close to your heart.

the woman came back, handing you the items and you thanked her before looking back at him. you watched as the male made his way over to the same woman, asking her something and she nodded before walking off. he continued to stand there, waiting, and you decided that you'd try and initiate yet another conversation.

"now, before you ask what i'm doing here," you began, earning a scoff from the male.

"i wasn't going to." he stated bluntly.

you ignored him and continued on, "i'm all okay! barely any injuries in fact!" you flashed him a smile, to which he just released another scoff and glanced away.

"doesn't look like just barely." he muttered, meaning he really was examining the extend of your wound.

the thought made you happy, and you were quick to reassure him, "you see, it may look like that, but it doesn't even hurt!" you picked up your arm, regretting it immediately when you winced from the heaviness of the limb and the pain that spiked along your skin.

"sure." he replied, glancing away at seeing the woman come back. she handed him what looked to be medical supplies and he thanked her swiftly before leaving. quickly you hurried after him, opening the door and following the red string that went up the steps. you caught up to him rather quickly, clasping your hands behind you back as you walked beside him.

"where are we going today, love of my life?" you asked, giving him a wide smile.

"i told you not to call me that." he grumbled, picking up his pace.

you picked yours up as well, "i don't really have any other options now do i? oh! i could call you soulmate, would you prefer that?"

it was definitely not what he wanted to hear. his eyes hardened, and you tried not to falter under the gaze, "are you always this annoying?"

"i wouldn't say annoying, but more so driven." you quipped back.

"more like stubborn."

you let loose a small laugh, "sure sure, we can go with that too."

all too soon you arrived at his bedroom, feeling the disappointment bubble up inside of you. you had barely caught up to him and he was already leaving, the interaction far too quick for you to savor. you wanted nothing more than to continue talking to him like this, even if he was being mean to you.

you tried your best to mask your disappointment, keeping the smile on your face, "i'll see you around then-"

"chishiya."

you blinked in surprise, your brain not comprehending the name that had fallen from his lips, "what?"

he sighed turning back around to face his door, "my name. so stop calling me all those ridiculous pet names. it's annoying."

"chishiya..." you whispered to yourself. you smiled, liking the way it felt on your tongue. it suited him, "i'll see you around then, chishiya!"

he just stared at you for a moment before nodding, disappearing inside of his room just like before. you felt your heart burst inside of your chest at not only having a name to your soulmate, but he had also agreed that he'd see you around. maybe he was just accepting the fact that you weren't going away anytime soon, but the small progress was better than nothing.

menu. strawberry crepes. part two.

[youarejesting]

Wash out.19

[Master List]

Banners: @purpleskies1999​ Pairings: Dolphintrainer!Taehyung x SharkDiver!Jin,  Mer!Jimin x Reader, Scientist!Namjoon x MerKing!Jungkook, Mer!Yoongi x Mer!Hoseok. Rating: 16+ Genre: Mystery, Romance, Comedy, Drama, Fantasy, little bit of Action, Slice of life, Enemies2Lovers, Friends2lovers, Social media au, Fake Texts, Fake Subs.

Summary: Taehyung and his best friend Y/N are Dolphin trainers at Wash Out; Marine Wildlife and Theme Park. When the nerdy marine biologist and resident veterinarian Doctor Kim Namjoon goes missing; the two friends form a ragtag team with Taehyung’s rival Seokjin and a…. Fish?

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The group got ready to move, shoes secured tightly and plans painstakingly drilled into their heads. “Okay, once you're in the drain the hard work is done.” Seokjin grunted, helping load Jimin into the back of his car. He didn’t want to admit it but he was nervous, scared for their lives. One wrong move and they were all going to prison, he had too pretty of a face to waste in a prison. It was raining quite heavily and the group was unsure if the weather would help or hinder their plan.

There was a nervous air surrounding all of them and Seokjin felt odd, normally he would feel nothing if he saw the dolphin trainers suffering. Normally he would gloat, but it was as if their suffering amplified his. When had he gotten attached.

The front seat felt cold and his body was tense making the ride a little rougher than usual. He heard a small sniff and looked into the rearview mirror meeting your eyes.

“Y/n, why are you leaking?” Jimin asked, his face and tone expressing his concern and curiosity, “Are you hurt?”

“It’s called crying,” Seokjin said, taking pity on the boy's unanswered questions. You were clearly unfit to answer without bursting into tears. He hadn’t realized the two of you had grown so close. It was obvious now, how could Seokjin have been so blind to your growing feelings for the young man. Just like Romeo and Juliet your love was doomed as you were a human and he was part fish.

“Human’s cry when they are sad,” Seokjin’s voice softened his eyes, blinking away the mist in his own eyes. It wasn’t good for a driver's vision to be impaired. 

“Why are you sad? I am going home,” Jimin smiled, touching your shoulder, Seokjin saw you turn away, squeezing your eyes shut as if to expel all your tears at once.

“You are going home, we are happy but it means we will never see you again, we will never be able to laugh, talk, play and eat food together,” Seokjin sighed, he glanced in the rearview mirror at the young man seeing him swallow and his smile fall. It seemed he didn’t realize what going home meant, “On top of that, I think You and Y/n have gotten quite close and losing someone you are close to hurts.”

“It’s okay, I am happy too,” You laughed wiping your eyes forcing a water smile, “I want you to be happy and being stuck in a bathtub or tank won’t do that for you.”

The group were getting closer, you had taken a range of side roads in hope of avoiding the check points. Seokjin saw the police and froze up, they asked him to pull over and he took a few panicked breaths. 

“Play it cool Jin,” Taehyung squeezed the older man's hand but it wasn’t registering. They had to get to that drain pipe and they had to get there now. With shaking hands Jin turned up the radio Loner by Outsider played the soft melody through the cabin of the car and Seokjin took off past the police rapping at top speed.

He took turns left and right through the suburban area and looked in the rearview nothing yet but he could hear the sirens, screeching the lyrics, his face red. He pulled up and the three of you scrambled out of his car as Seokjin took off down the road.

The group slipped into the drain quickly, the police hot on Seokjin’s tail. 

The water splashing up to their knees and clutching Jimin as best they could as they ran. The group kept moving as quickly and quietly as they could, the water was up to your hips, meaning you would need a way out and quickly. The rain was heavier and would fill up the drain quickly, so time was of the essence. 

Taehyung was running as fast as he could through the water. Emerging out the other side of the private beach by Namjoon’s home. Up by the house were the police and the men from the amusement park. Swearing the two of you ran straight for the beach, shouts echoing from behind. 

“Take him, I am slowing you down, I will hold them off.” You shouted at Taehyung, grabbing Jimin’s face and kissing him. Tears were falling softly down Jimin’s cheeks and he touched them confused, you pulled back running at the police trying to block them off. 

Taehyung dragged Jimin across the sand into the water, the two of them watching as you were tackled to the ground. Taehyung had gotten Jimin out far enough, CEO Schmidt had caught up not stopping for Y/n but heading straight for his prized possession. Jimin lashed out clawing the old man until he fell limp in the water.

“Get out of here and stay safe,” Taehyung smiled

“What about you guys?” Jimin said the tears were unable to stop, his face contorted in pain as he heard you crying in fear. The roar of an engine could be heard along with police sirens filling the air.

“We will be fine, we will-” Taehyung’s face froze in horror, Jimin took off not letting Taehyung finish, shocked by the sight unfolding before him like it was in slow motion.

Seokjin knew there was no way this would end well, he was running out of road so he headed for Namjoon’s holiday home, driving at top speed he tore across the grassy lawn mud flying everywhere in the rain and pressed the accelerator to the floor aiming for the cliff.

Eyes squeezed shut he hit the water with a jolt hard like an aggressive game of bumper cars, he didn’t know when it happened but the water filled the cabin, he undid his belt calmly and pushed open the door. He was a professional diver, he had his experiences with controlling and slowing his breathing.

He felt a hand on his and he was dragged across the ocean, Jimin encouraged him to take a breath, his voice muffled but just as sweet and melodic underwater. Following his instructions Seokjin felt himself able to breathe, taking shallow breaths and letting Jimin pull him along.

The police were shocked they had seen the two carrying a mermaid back to the water, they watched it kill the CEO and swim away. The whole situation was insane. 

“Excuse me, I think there has been a mistake, my name is Rory Davidson the leader of Management for Wash Out theme park. If you would like to listen to the full story I am happy to explain and show you evidence but these two have done nothing wrong.” Rory explained, Taehyung knew he was a good guy after he let them take Jimin in the first place. “They were falsely accused of stealing from the park when really they were returning the young Merman to the ocean. We are happy to answer all your questions, provide you with evidence and revoke any charges set on these two.”

The police were provided with all the evidence they needed and even though they were still confused they had to admit, there was no evidence they had done anything wrong. 

“I would like to give you back your jobs, we will release a public statement that it was a false accusation. I know this is hard right now with the loss of your friend but take your time, you will have paid leave and can come back when you are ready.” Rory explained, “I have been working my way up the chain of command in the park hoping one day to be able to become a more human place. Animals and people shouldn’t be locked up. I am sure you know that by now.”

With those last words the two of you were dropped out the front of Taehyung’s apartment where the two of you spent the night curled up crying in each other's arms.

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Tags: @backinblack1967​ @miriamxsworld​ @moccahobi​ @simplymemyself​ @a-gayish-unicorn​

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[emmys-grimoire]

Lesson 52 analysis + 53 predictions

Turning this into a routine thing now! They’re fun to write and they’re popular (moreso than my actual commentary posts lmao).

Y’all like my ramblings.

Things guessed correctly from prior lesson

The House of Lamentation was an illusion produced by the fairies

The arc culminated in the completion of the Trial of Patience (star received via Simeon)

The illusion did a number on Simeon's feelings as well due to his fondness for Lucifer and the brothers

They shoved Mammon and Luke off to the side and plopped them back in only after the Satan/Simeon arc was complete. There was no arc for Luke. To be fair, though, they did get more content than I expected even so.

Things guessed wrong

The banshee didn't show up at all. It was a red herring.

There was no significance to the geranium found in the mysterious book

Our adventure also completed the Trial of Generosity. (I incorrectly attributed this to Diavolo, who actually gave us the Star of Gratitude)

Still ???

Whether or not there is some kind of transfer of memories/experiences going on between the brothers' past selves and present selves due to our meddling in time. We've confirmed that past angel Beelzebub has turned into a glutton in between the time we last saw him and now, but we haven't confirmed if it *is* our meddling that has induced that. Currently, no change has manifested in the present brothers, nor has the timeline of events seemed to have significantly changed.

Whether or not present Lucifer becoming more "angelic" in season 2, in lieu of past angel Lucifer's growing doubt, will be a significant plot point. The parallels are getting stronger, though. (This is elaborated on further down)

It feels like 50/50? I’ll probably keep a list like this going for future analysis/prediction posts just so I can keep track of how right/mistaken I am throughout the playthrough. Might help me make less mistakes in my analysis!

As a general rule I try not to meander too far off into symbolism or out-of-game lore because what I write begins to sound like this:

And this is an otome game that is light on writing and plot. Nine times out of ten, it’s not going to be that deep. So I work with the details given and the plot points shown and try to draw connections within the framework of the story, in an attempt to try to deduce where the devs are taking the plot. Unfortunately for me, the devs like red herrings, and red herrings are designed to mislead you. With me, they are quite successful! I’d like to get better at spotting them.

The book was consequential -- it’s used to imprison Satan later -- but that’s the end of it’s meaning. Maybe the Bible verse had something to do with it, too -- those were some weird ass numbers to just throw in the title -- but maybe not. Either way, it doesn’t really matter. 

But enough of that, onwards! We have a lot of points to go over that may be interesting to note, right or not.

Satan the Memory Thief

Back in 50-B we learn that it was Michael who taught the brothers the stories behind the human world constellations. 

When we’re tossed back in time-dreamland (?) again, it is Satan who takes the opportunity to teach the brothers the human world constellations. The room had just been remodeled: Michael hasn’t had the opportunity to give them tours yet. Lucifer mosied into the room so he and the brothers can get the first glimpse.

Sooo if in a future lesson we ask them about where they learned the constellations in the present timeline and they say “oh a guy named Sully, who suspiciously looked just like Satan, taught us!” then we know our meddling is having significant consequences.

It IS worth noting that unlike the prior dream sequence, Satan and Simeon remember what they just went through. This particular time-dream could very well just be an illusion meant to give Satan/Simeon some kind of emotional resolution and nothing else. This is kind of why I hate that they’re bring time travel back into the story: it makes stuff like this confusing and borderline inconsistent. Some sequences may have effects and others may not. 

The chat between Lucifer and Simeon could also be consequential.

“Do you *really* mean that?”

There is a parallel at play here!

After you wake up after dozing off, you go off to find Lucifer and Simeon conversing in a forest clearing, evidently unaware that you’re eavesdropping on them. Simeon says although he knows it is just an illusion, that he was glad to see angel Lucy once more. Angel Lucy is predictably confused, and reassures Simeon that they’ll remain like this forever.

Simeon, of course, knows better. He tells Lucifer that he knows he’s been meeting with Diavolo and he’s having doubts about his place in the Celestial Realm -- and if things really will remain the same. Lucy is caught off guard, and starts to explain with some clear hesitation... and of course we pass out before we could hear his answer.

There’s creepy loud heartbeats when it fades out. Normally I associate them with tense, pivotal decisions -- but it could also just be related to us waking up and returning to reality.

If Simeon ends up being wrong -- and there will be real world consequences to this conversation -- they could be very significant consequences. We’re not sure if the conversation continues for a bit longer after we pass out, but Simeon already woke up before we come to.

Obviously the brothers still fell (they’re still demons in the present), but I wouldn’t underestimate the potential of a butterfly effect changing the circumstances of the Great Celestial War. I kind of hope they don’t do that, though, because they haven’t even begun to explain the present details of that event. We know only the broad strokes. Suddenly changing them to make the resolution between the demons and angels more smooth will feel really forced.

And that parallel I mentioned: Diavolo expresses similar worries and doubt in Lucifer’s conviction in season 2.

I have no doubt Lucifer actually means what he says to Diavolo, unlike his dialogue with Simeon, but Diavolo is aware of just how far Lucifer will go for the sake of his family -- and he’s probably #2 on the priority list, when push comes to shove. Lucifer forsaking the Celestial Realm for Lilith was the thing that brought him to Diavolo in the first place.

Of course, this lesson has Simeon suggesting that Diavolo’s influence on Lucifer was significant prior to all that unfolding, and it may have eventually happened regardless. It was only a matter of when, not how.

Still, Lucifer be writing checks he may not be able to cash. We also get this foreboding warning from Barbatos in Season 2:

As I’ve said before, the inevitable conflict the story was hinting to at this point doesn’t happen in Season 2. Lucifer isn’t forced to make a choice like this. The Night Dagger didn’t demand it.

I’ve also expressed my belief that Season 2 and Season 3 were likely written back-to-back due to the small window of time between their releases, so I believe details overlooked in Season 2 may suddenly become more relevant in Season 3.

It’s worth remembering Diavolo’s growing feelings for MC -- and Lucifer’s inner conflict about it -- were hinted at early in Season 2, as well. It doesn’t really get going until the conclusion of Season 2, leading into Season 3.

Do I have any clue of what this is actually leading up to? Not at all! If it mirrors Season 2′s format, though, it’ll suddenly come to a head in the last 3-5 lessons. I remember feeling equally clueless then, and Season 2 had a lot more foreshadowing...

... a lot of which actually didn’t pan out! But it might now. 

Guardian Angels

Another smaller, but interesting detail. Guardian Angels are indeed a thing.

I think they’re gonna become a thing soon. The devs very sneakily changed a small detail in Season 2, suggesting they might have realized that it may interfere with their plans for later seasons. 

Old version.

New version.

I’m thinking they may have decided giving Michael guardianship of an entire swath of the population was cheating, and they may be individualizing the role of Guardian Angels.

Which leads me to who I think Michael’s chosen human squeeze is:

My man has been scoping him out long before we came around.

It makes sense, too. We know Michael gave his Ring of Wisdom to Solomon, which seems to have kickstarted his career as a demon-pacting sorcerer (though he clearly was a sorcerer before this).

This is a very powerful item, described as the Ring of Light’s counterpart, that would be very useful for a high-ranking angel to possess. I don’t think Michael would fork it over to just anyone, particularly when we remember how he felt compelled to interrogate us via dream hi-jack before the Ring of Light fully came into our possession.

Solomon also makes Michael angst in a way a well-meaning but misbehaving child would make their parent angst:

Solomon also really doesn’t seem to regard Michael like some distant, all-powerful alien being who could smite him out of existence.

Contrast this with how he responds when he’s forced to hang out with Diavolo for a day (he gets more comfortable, but he initially wants to punt the responsibility back to Lucifer ASAP).

And he knows a surprising amount of small details about the guy:

I think Solomon is a significant part of Michael’s long-term plans, but he may not even be fully aware of how. Or he is, and they’re in some kind of mutually beneficial agreement -- possibly related to cross-realm peace -- that we simply haven’t been made aware of yet.

Personally, I think Simeon should be made MC’s ‘official’ Guardian Angel if they’re gonna be a thing with official mechanics behind them. I know Michael is supposed to be the Big Cheese and ridiculously hot, so it may make sense to have him linked to the MC of an otome game because they’re super special too, but Michael may already have Solomon. He shouldn’t get to hog everything. It’s not like assigning Simeon to do job would really inconvenience him, either: MC is Solomon’s apprentice. He can easily work with the arrangement.

Luke may feel left out but he’s a kid so...

Seven Brothers Constellation

We learn there’s a constellation representing the brothers in the Celestial Realm. Everyone there knows the legend, but Luke doesn’t know what the three stars ‘watching over them’ represent. 

He, Mammon, and Satan begin to theorize and Satan suggests they may represent the three realms. The other two like the idea, and Mammon insists the ‘human’ star represents MC. 

He’s probably right, but I’m willing to take it a step further: it represents MC, Diavolo, and Michael. The three “guardians” of their respective realms, and the brothers. Season 3 has been repeatedly beating us over the head with how much Michael still cares for the brothers and his relevance to their upbringing, and likely their future.

It bears repeating: Diavolo and Michael are aiming towards the same goal, though their visions of what peace and harmony looks like may be very different.

Solomon could also qualify as a self-appointed guardian, but I think he lacks the connection to the brothers MC obviously has.

Still, he has the same resolve, and he’s not leaving the story any time soon.

Predictions

I sniff out even the smallest Michael details because he’s clearly the key to whatever is gonna blow up.

This might give us some insight on how the initial dealings with him may unfold:

It’s hard to deduce just what this actually means. Either Michael tends to overthink things that just aren’t that deep (can empathize) and that in itself leads to needless complications, or he’s apt to misread situations and as a result gives poor advice. Or a combination of both.

My initial read on him makes me think that he thinks the best of humans/angels but the worst of demons. He is very, very complimentary towards MC as soon as they start answering his questions.

Am I now? Really?

It could just be the game making characters butter up the MC to make the game more enjoyable for the player of a self-insert character, but dude we just met.

When you tell him you did what you did out of love for Lucifer:

That’s a very telling pause/ellipsis. It’s like his brain momentarily short-circuits and he needs to regain his composure before he continues, and he still doesn’t sound entirely sure of what you just said lol

He also just outright admits he initially thought you must be wicked just because the brothers liked you, and this is a guy who is still fond of them himself. I think he’s having a very hard time with it.

So the inevitable bumps in the roads ahead with him will likely be a result of this, and/or his dad being an asshole. Neither he or Diavolo are actually in charge of the realms they’re overseeing -- they’re both de facto leaders -- so maybe the parents will suddenly barge in and try to knock over their sand castles for whatever reason. It is kind of weird that the exchange program has been agreed to in the first place, particularly on the Celestial Realm’s part.

Regardless, I have no clue what the next arc will be. I know we still have three trials left, but they could combine two again to leave more room for the actual storyline to progress. The climax is going to be the last trial of our sorcerer’s exam, or something happening afterwards. Not sure which one I’m willing to bet on yet: I remember Simeon’s play and the silly Blood Moon contest in Season 2 were what kept use preoccupied for Season 2 until SUDDENLY LUCIFER GETS AMNESIA AND THE WORLD IS IN DANGER AND WE HAVE TO STAB HIM TO SAVE EVERYONE. But they did heavily foreshadow that in the very beginning lol. They just didn’t fill in the blanks until much later.

I wonder what the trial of chastity is gonna be like and how hard we’ll actually fail and the game will need to overcompensate for that

[hexalene]

What's your wildest cruise ship story?

Oh shit I meant to post this sooner whoops

Uh

I have less “ONE BIG THING” stories and more of like, a series of surreal Events that happened to me over the course of the years and years I went on cruises (my family could go on cruises for free, so we abused the shit out of that for reunions and vacations for a long time)

So here’s a few of those, and I SWEAR TO GOD they’re real, and I might have photos buried somewhere to prove some of them, but idk, that’s like effort.

-I loved wandering around ships super super early in the morning. Like, crack of dawn early. I’d usually go hang out on one of the open floor restaurant areas around the middle of the ship, which had built in window seats you could curl up in. Pillows n shit too. Super comfy. I’d draw and listen to music, ect. One morning, I looked up and saw the Black fucking Pearl from Pirates of the Caribbean sailing by. Did not believe my eyes. It and four other ships, two of which were for non-pirate movies, were being sailed into a bay on the island we were headed to. I did manage to get a distant shot of it when I got on land.

-In 2006 (date relevant) I met two men in two different families, who were not related and had never met, named Tony Stark. As this was before the movie came out, I was left tragically alone with no one to be awed at this strange coincidence with me. One of them was even a dark haired man with a nice goatee.

(The other was a cute chubby grandpa type)

-Given the opportunity to demonstrate how corporations rig the system against the consumer, my father brought me down to the casino level and sat down across from a very fancy claw machine that dispensed iPads and other expensive tech prizes. He told me, “some people will win, and I’ll tell you when they will.”

I was like “okay dad sure” but we sat there for HOURS, and dad would say “okay, this guy will win if he goes for this prize” or “this guy will lose” and finally, “that woman will win an iPad.” Of course, most were losers, but he was DEAD ON every time someone would win. After a while he explained that the machine would only dispense prizes after collecting the money to pay for two more of whatever was won. He’d just sat there and done the math on the people playing the game and when it added up, he’d wait to see what they went for and let me know if they won. It had absolutely nothing to do with skill.

To make his point, he waited, counting out loud the money being put in, before standing up and slapping the button randomly on one of the lower rank prizes. He won an otter box phone case and told me that no one will ever give you the chance to win out at a loss to themselves, so don’t make a bet unless you’ve rigged the game to win. I was 14.

-uhhh what else

-The dance troupe arranged to do shows suffered a tragic undisclosed accident, so the short term bullshit to entertain people in the theatre was an honest to god passenger led talent show. Surreal on its own, but one of the passengers was a contortionist, and ran off to get their suitcase.

Now, they did a lot of fun bendy stuff, very weird, very cool, but they asked for volunteers at one point. I, my sister, our cousin, and two other kids were asked to come on stage. I was the oldest, maybe 12/13ish, my sister and cousin were 9, and the other two kids were between 6-9.

This MADMAN, without straining any of us to bend in any weird or uncomfortable way, managed to fit all five of us into his empty suitcase. I was in the damn thing and I have no idea how he managed it. He then zipped us all up inside and walked around the stage a bit. And it was fine, like not uncomfortable or hard to breath or anything!

I remember getting out of the suitcase clearest of all. We’d all been fit inside so snugly, in this order:

Me, stranger kid 1, cousin, sister, and stranger kid 2. To get us out, he lay the case flat and lifted my sister up. Somehow this like??? Was like those monkey in a barrel toys, we all just neatly unfolded with her, no tripping or falling or anything. That feeling, where one moment I’m staring at my cousins’ feet and some other kid’s elbow, and then I see the dude lift my sister and then all of us just RISE WITH IT and unfold like a flower blooming I have no idea if this makes any sense at all but it felt magical.

- Something bad happened back home, but we didn’t know what. My dad had a business meeting but mom wanted to see the beach. We got off the ship, and like, HARDCORE struggled to find a way to get to a beach, any beach. We were in....Mexico, somewhere in the neighborhood of Chichén Itzá, maybe an island nearby I think? There were some massive ruins somewhere, I remember that much.

While mom hunted down a beach, my siblings and I sat under a giant box fan, near a TV. Something was happening, the employees were changing the channel, trying to find the clearest signal to the American news. I remember looking over at the grainy footage being interrupted by commercials and other signals and piecing together through the static and the employee trying to translate that back home, the 2008 financial crash was happening and that mom’s insistence that we find a beach and have fun was because that business meeting dad had stayed behind to deal with was him trying to make sure we’d still have a house to live in when we got back to the states, and she didn’t know if this would be the last truly carefree time we had before we went home to face the music.

-However, mom’s eternal struggles to find a beach didn’t begin in 2008. The previous trip we’d taken had another Beach Adventure.

That time, it was also just mom and the siblings. I don’t remember why dad was staying behind, maybe a poker tournament or something?

We disembarked and the struggle began. Nothing was in English, other than the scant few signs the cruise ship put out to guide passengers off the docks. However, THIS was not a problem, as I was about as fluent in Spanish as a third grader restricted to the present tense, and this worked well enough to get us around.

There was a massive bus to a beach, just PACKED to the gills with Americans. As we waited in line, a nondescript man came up to us, and said, “that bus will go to a very crowded beach with many other passengers of other ships. I know a better beach, and cheap! I’ll charge only half of what that bus will charge you and my beach is much much nicer!”

You might be thinking that common sense would tell us not to get in a random unmarked car with an un-uniformed man offering an amazing half off deal to a perfect isolated beach in broken English on a largely rural island, wouldn’t you? You’d be wrong.

My mother is a sweet devout catholic lady with a hidden core of raw chaos. Her idea of a nice day out in the snow with her tiny children was to strap us in the back, drive to the massive Schnuck’s parking lot, gun it up to 90mph, and hydroplane/drift like a fucking drag racer across the ice, laughing. Common sense does not exist in any normal capacity in this woman.

We spent an incredibly tense, silent, 45 minutes driving into the wilderness packed into a tiny car with no AC, sweating with heat and nerves as he drove us out in the middle of nowhere. Suddenly the driver pulls over. There is literally nothing but trees and cliffs for miles and miles. Mom is clutching my hand, my baby brother, and her knitting needles. The driver runs quickly to the center of the road, leans over, and picks up a huge tortoise that had frozen up when his car approached. He carried it over to the grass, and pat it goodbye.

Before he comes back Mom turns and looks at me and says, “a serial killer probably wouldn’t save a turtle, I think we’ll be okay.”