#set during the first timeskip year

[raayllum]

The holidays had already been hard enough without his mom. 

Facing the prospect of birthdays and the solstice without Harrow too had run through Callum’s mind that first miserable morning at the Moon Nexus, the grief rampant and wild until he sat down to wait for Ezran to wake at dawn. 

But facing winter without Harrow or Rayla is unbearable. 

Callum can barely drag himself out of bed, turning his face away from his pillow as a quiet knock comes at his door, and then his brother enters without a response.

Ezran sits on the side of his bed as they share a glance, Ez’s eyes similarly teary. Then he lies down next to him, the way they used to when they were little and too excited to sleep for the start of eight candle days proceeding the Solstice, small trinkets and good food awaiting them every night.

Callum takes the tiny hand Ezran offers him, grasping it snugly. He’s not alone in his grief or worry and it’s good to be reminded of that sometimes, Ezran’s brow looking almost a little bare without his crown. It makes him look even younger than he already does.

“We can have breakfast brought up here,” Ezran offers softly, his own voice small. “If you want.”

Callum exhales, snow falling outside the window. He can feel the changes in the wind now, a reminder that as much as he’s lost, he’s gained too. Memories and magic if nothing else as sweet as permanence. 

He squeezes his brother’s hand and clears his throat. “Yeah,” Callum says, suddenly grateful beyond words. Springtime will be easier. “That sounds good.”

[aria0fgold]

The pain of writing is that there will be a scene that includes stuff the writer doesn’t know much about so it’s time to go on a distracted journey googling and reading about the Thing. In my case it’s baking.

[bby-deerling]

a long, long time (zoro x reader)

timeskip reunion fic <3 artist!reader, but as always, can be read as a standalone

ft. making out, heartfelt reunions, soft zoro wc: 899 masterlist

tagging: @eelnoise

A wave of bright, soft sunshine casts across the floor of the bar, spreading like wildfire as the heavy wooden door creaks open.  Bottle of sake in his hand, Zoro turns towards the source of the light illuminating the dim and moody bar.  His heart stutters at the sight of your figure, silhouetted by the light pouring in behind you; radiance, confidence, and strength oozing from your aura, you’re a fallen angel, kissed and smothered by sunbeams in one last blessing before being cast from heaven.  Doe eyes soften at the sight of him, resoluteness replaced with fondness and affection.  

“Had a feeling you’d be here soon.” he says with a lopsided grin, setting his bottle on the table.  Nearly vibrating with anticipation, you rest your bags on the ground and walk towards him; there’s a sense of hesitation hanging in the air as you approach, attempting to partially mask your unadulterated glee, but you can’t help the way your feet start to fly across the floor with increasing velocity.  Dropping all pretenses, you fling yourself into his arms, grinning from ear to ear and burying your face into his neck.  “You look great.” he murmurs, pressing his lips to your forehead before nuzzling his cheek into yours.

“So do you… I missed you.” you mumble, the vibrations of your voice spreading underneath his skin.  Smothering your senses in the familiar scent of sweat and steel, a veil of comfort and security falls over you like a warm, clean blanket straight from the dryer.  Both of your bodies have been molded and changed over the past two years, but your skin still melts into his as if the two of you were never separated—as if no time had passed at all.

“Missed ya’ too.” he says quietly, rubbing his thumb rhythmically across your cheek.  Nestling your face into his palm, head tilted, your eyes stare back at him with dreamy reverence.  During your separation, in his dreariest moments, he had wondered if you would mind his missing eye and the assortment of new, small, white scars across his front; however, the love and adoration brimming in your eyes crushes all hint of fear or apprehension—you were simply ecstatic to be in his presence once more.

Leaning forward, he smirks at your eagerness as you mimic his motions and attempt to brush your lips against his; it’s been over two years too long, and yet he can’t help but tease you for just a moment longer, delaying the kiss you were both yearning for by softly dragging his thumb across your bottom lip.  Seeing the overflowing want pouring from your gaze is worth the seconds lost and then some; cupping your face, he gently pulls you towards him and presses his lips to yours, sealing your reunion.

It’s soft and gentle at first, and a smidgen clumsy as a result of time spent apart, sparks spreading and stomachs fluttering at the intimacy you both had been deprived of for far too long.  Zoro’s hand travels up along your jawline, every movement filled with passion as the kiss deepens, his fingers eventually reaching your hair and tangling into your tresses.  The heated drag of your lips against one another is a long-lost song heard once more, satiating both a feeling of nostalgia and a craving for more.

He pulls away for a moment to admire the pink blush covering your face, the one that he’d imagined creeping across your cheeks for years.  The long, sleepless nights spent pining and waiting dissipated with a blink, flung away like weightless grains of sand; all that mattered was that you were here, with him, again.

Zoro’s lips meet yours once more, both of you smiling into the kiss; thumb running along your jawline, he pours his heart out to you, each swipe of his tongue conveying his yearning.  You reciprocate in turn, and he accepts each silent confession of emotions greedily, drinking them in and committing them to memory.  There was nothing outside of the two of you, as your mouths parted, still wet with the remnants of unspoken words, the only world that mattered was in the warmth of your connected gazes.

He loved you; he loved you so much that he could barely speak, despite spending over two years craving the sound of your voice.  He’s rendered you lovestruck and speechless too, unable to do anything but smother his face in kisses, giggling softly between each press of lips to skin. 

A dark, amused chuckle snaps both of you from your trance—Shakky had returned behind the bar, the click of her heels against wooden floorboards had fallen on deaf ears.  Snapping apart as Zoro nearly drops you, both of your faces turn red with embarrassment, gazes fixed at the floor.  “Aren’t you going to buy her a drink?” she asks Zoro with a smirk and motioning for the two of you to sit at the bar. 

“Got any infused sake?” he asks her as he returns to his bottle, blush fading as he regains his usual confidence.

“I’ve got mango, yuzu, strawberry…” she lists, index finger tracing along her collection of spirits behind the bar.

“Still strawberry?” he asks you with a ghost of a smile on his face as he admires you.

“Still strawberry.” you reply with a soft smile, cheeks still pink and rosy.

[armed-with-a-waffle-iron]

Bat Timeline vs Bat Publication Timeline

I kept my receipts and citations here. I felt canon ages are the best tool to track time. Also, I used cover dates.

Neat things I noticed:

Nothing much happened in Gotham until Robin arrived both in continuity and in print history. Sorry but your lone wolf Batman doesn't exist :P

Dick permanently becomes Batman at the same age Bruce was when he became Batman; 25. Kinda poetic if you ask me.

Babs was Oracle longer than she was Batgirl in both continuity and publication history!!

Completely forgot that Dinah was literally her own mother once upon a time. Weird stuff.

There's not enough Jason!Robin stories to fit the 3 years some fans claim he was Robin for. Also the 3 years idea doesn't work if you track Dick's age. My guess is he was originally younger than 15 when he died but DC aged him up so he could be an adult when he returned as Red Hood.

It's pretty clear that Helena's integration into the group began the expansion of this complicated "family unit". She set the precedent for those noirish vigilante work relations.

Tim has to be a vampire if he's meant to be 17 three whole very explicit in-continuity years after he had his 16th birthday.

Stephanie has basically been in this gig as long as Tim! And almost as long as Helena too. Proper seasoned ass-kicker who Damian should look to for pointers.

Also remembered that Cassandra's Batgirl run is the best thing to come out of Gotham in the early 2000s.

I dunno I think the One Year Later timeskip was just unnecessary.

Kate and Renee are almost as new to the vigilante gig as Damian!

Bat-adjacent Rose Wilson was said to be 14 during her first appearance around Year 15 so she's the same age Tim.

Not Bat related but Lian Harper's age works with my timeline so yay! Born early Year 14, she's 5 during Cry for Justice in Year 19.

I have a theory, based off of Batman #416, that Dick graduated high school at 17. He says he was Bruce's partner for 6 years and that after he was fired; he left college after the 1st semester, then moved around the country, had his own adventures, and "eventually" ended up with the Titans. Also, he was 21 during the Titans' 3rd anniversary (New Titans v2 #71) and 19 when he became Nightwing (Tales of the Titans #44) so the Titans (re-)formed when he was 18. This means he probably only turned 18 in the academic year he began college (or has a summer birthday). So he was Bruce's partner from ages 11-17, did his own thing for a while as he did in the 70s, eventually joined the Titans at 18, and became Nightwing at 19. Jason comes into the picture soon after Dick retires the Robin identity.

[in1-nutshell]

Uh hi, this my first ever resquest, and i'm sorry if things don't make sense, english is not my first language.

Could i get tfp bot buddy who has shadow powers(like can turn into one and use them as portals), has the appearance of nightmares and is close to Ultra Magnus(dunno if is platonic, familial or romantic)?

They kinda been living as Ultra Magnus shadow since forever and help him on missions,tasks or just anything, but in one of their missions, the decepticons maneged to reallyyy hurt buddy and buddy, not wanting to die, retreated to Ultra Magnus shadow and went into stasis to heal but Ultra Magnus didn't knew that and thought that buddy had perished.

Only now on earth did buddy finally wakes up.

Could i get reactions from the team or something like that if not, that's okay :) also love your writing

Magnus was so close to having a spark attack when he saw Buddy pop out of his shadow the first time they used their powers, that's for sure.

Hope you enjoy!

Bot Buddy with shadow manipulation and being Ultra Magnus's Amica Endura

SFW, Platonic, Cybertronain reader

TFP

Buddy met Magnus through Optimus.

He introduced them to Magnus during the earlier years of the war as his Second in Command.

Magnus just thought he was getting to know another coworker.

A couple missions later, several late-night conversations and some free time later they become Amica Endura.

“You know you never did tell HOW you became Amica with Commander shoulder pads over there. Was it a bet you loss?”--Wheeljack

“No bets were lost Wheeljack. We became Amica out of our own choice and free will. Nothing else to do with it.”--Buddy

“Sure…”--Wheeljack

Buddy loves to prank Magnus with their shadow powers.

Magnus does not find this funny… but he does find it a bit endearing after a while.

Being an Outlier was rare to find in this world.

Even rarer to find after the war broke out.

So many had been the first ones targeted at the beginning of the war there were barely anymore left.

It was a risk putting Buddy in the Wrecker’s, but so far it brought greater success to the unit than any point in their formation.

“Freeze Autobot scum!”—Random Decepticon

Buddy putting their servo in the air almost mockingly.

“There’s three of you and one of me… what ever shall I do?”--Buddy

Buddy’s servos start glowing a bit.

“Have you met my Amica?”--Buddy

“Why would we—”—Random Con

SLAM!

Magnus takes out the three mechs after appearing from behind thanks to Buddy’s shadow powers.

“That was brutal!”--Buddy

Magnus fixes his blaster a bit.

“I hate when you put yourself in these situations.”--Magnus

“Its in the job description Mags.”--Buddy

“Buddy we’ve been over this.”--Magnus

“And we’ve been over this too.”--Buddy

“…”--Magnus

“…”--Buddy

“First one that takes out five Cons has to buy the other a drink.”--Buddy

“If you insist.”--Magnus

Buddy has defiantly used their powers to get Magnus to sneak up on unsuspecting troops.

Magnus is always there for Buddy when they overexert themselves and need someone to watch over their back.

One trip left Buddy badly injured.

They saw Magnus’s backside as he was trying to find them in the rubble of the exploding base.

They tried to call for him, but they could barely keep their optics open.

His shadow was the closest thing they could reach so they snuck into his shadow.

With a quick nap, their wounds would get healed in no time.

Magnus thought that Buddy had died in the explosion after coming back to the base for regrouping.

He checked all other places they set rendezvous points and in none of the places did he even find a trace of Buddy.

Magnus could see it in the optics of his Wrecker’s that the war was about to turn bloodier than it was now that Buddy was gone.

Hopefully things would get better…

Hope was the last thing they had.

Timeskip to Magnus being on Earth…

Buddy finally feels ready to get out of the shadow.

Yeah, it took a while to finally get healed, but they are sure they are ready now.

By their calculations they missed about a couple weeks in the war. Things couldn’t have changed that much.

Magnus is arguing with Wheeljack when Bulkhead sees something wrong with Magnus’s shadow.

“Hey guys, shadows aren’t supposed to do that right?”--Bulkhead

Miko looks from the perch.

“Wow! Wheeljack made Magnus so mad his shadow gained sentience!”--Miko

In a blink there is a bot laying on the floor rubbing their helm.

“Urgh! Never doing that again… hey Mags when did we get better lighting—Mags?”--Buddy

Ultra Magnus stares at Buddy with wide optics.

“By the Allspark! Buddy is that you?!”—Wheeljack

“Who’s that?”--Miko

Buddy moves their helm a bit and spots Wheeljack.

“Wheeljack? I thought you left cycles ago—Hey!”--Buddy

Bulkhead scoops Buddy from behind giving them a crushing hug.

“Bulkhead!? I thought you left to team Prime? Magnus? Magnus what’s going on?”—Buddy

“Seriously who’s that?”--Miko

Magnus remains still just staring at Buddy like a ghost.

Buddy gets out of Bulkhead’s grip stumbling a bit until they reach their Amica with a worried look on their face.

“Mags? Are you okay?”--Buddy

“I…I thought you had perished in the explosion. I looked everywhere…”--Magnus

Buddy scratches their helm a bit.

“Yeah, I got injured pretty badly back there. Your shadow was the closest thing I could reach and… well…”--Buddy

“So, this entire time you’ve been in Ultra Magnus’s shadow?”--Wheeljack

Buddy furies their optics a bit.

“You’re making this sound like I was gone for millennia. I was just gone for a couple of weeks most.”—Buddy

Magnus gives them a sad smile.

“…You never were good at your calculations Buddy.”--Magnus

Magnus puts a servo on his Amica’s shoulder.

“Mags?”--Buddy

“Mags?”--Miko

Buddy finally looks over at Miko.

“Who’s this?”--Buddy

“I’m Miko! Welcome to Earth!”--Miko

Buddy’s optics widen.

“How long was I in there!?”—Buddy

Optimus walks into the room with some of the reports.

“Ultra Magnus where—Buddy?”--Optimus

“WHY IS PRIME SO BIG!?”--Buddy

[irisintheafterglow]

like we’re made of starlight (timeskip!iwa x you)

summary: on the night of your birthday, you accompany hajime to the olympic team's new year's celebration, meeting the players and receiving a small surprise.

wc: 1.78k

cw/tags: swearing, alcohol and drinking, established relationship, crack and fluff and atsumu being dumb, one (1) down bad iwaizumi hajime, implied fem!reader but they/them pronouns used

note: this is dedicated to the #1 iwa lover @shotorus <3 i hope you have a spectacular birthday and enjoy this little thing for you and your man :))

likes, reblogs, and replies are appreciated !

“You know, if I’d known they planned this whole shabang on your birthday, I would have asked them to reschedule.” He squints skeptically at the colorful strobe lights shining outside of the club, one of the most prestigious in the city and the venue for the Olympic team’s belated New Year celebration. You could only imagine how loud the inside of the club would be, especially since it already seemed overwhelming outside and you weren’t even in the building yet. “I promise I’ll make it up to you this weekend, something a little…quieter.” 

“It’s okay, really,” you reassure him, setting a comforting hand on his thigh as he continues to bounce his leg in the driver’s seat. You run your thumb over the expensive fabric of his dress pants and he visibly relaxes, releasing a deep exhale and giving you an apologetic smile. The line for the valet was long and your boyfriend had politely declined your suggestion for him to hop out while you get the car situated. “I’m here for you and to meet the guys.” 

“That’s also something I’m a little anxious about,” he admits.

“How so?”

“They can get a little wild at these kinds of celebrations.”

“Well, we can bail whenever we want, right?” He nods, still a little unsure. “So, if the vibe is off or people start getting a little too wild, we leave and eat soup on the couch with a movie on.” The last comment about lounging around finally makes him smile and you lean over to press a light kiss on the side of his face, taking note of the way his ears become a little pinker even in the darkness of his car. A few minutes later, Hajime helps you step out of the car, tug on your coat and leads you to the entrance of the club, bypassing the extensive line with a tilt of his head to the bouncer. 

“This place was 100% Bokuto’s idea,” he mutters when you both step inside. “It’s like we’re at a frat party again.” A club employee escorts you up the stairs to a private, second floor balcony that overlooks the dance floor. “All the lights and music and drunk people is very reminiscent of that one during–”

“During junior year, second semester. The one I dragged you out of your dorm for because my roommates flaked out and I didn’t know anyone else to go with,” you grin, looking down at him over your shoulder as you climb the stairs. He’s quick to close any remaining space between you two once you reach the landing, snaking a protective arm around your shoulders while the employee gestures for you to join the rest of Hajime’s coworkers. “Except this time, everyone’s of age to drink.”

“In theory,” he murmurs. “I still think Hinata’s younger than he says he is.” You stifle a snort into your fist and catch him smirking before you’re bombarded by several suit-clad athletes with varying levels of alcohol intoxication. “Watch out for Atsumu. He spit-talks when he’s drunk.”

“Our beloved trainer has arrived!” On cue, the more chaotic Miya twin appears in front of you with one arm slung around his Jackal teammate, a buzzed-looking Bokuto, and followed closely by Hinata and Sakusa. “What took you so long?”

“I couldn’t find my good cufflinks,” he shrugs, revealing the silver volleyballs hiding on the inside of his wrists, the ones you got him on his first anniversary of working as a trainer. “Thought they were appropriate for the occasion.” You smile, watching your boyfriend act as cool and casual as ever, even in the face of his very enthusiastic colleagues. “I, uh, have someone for you all to meet,” he says, glancing at you with a questioning glint in his eye. Are you ready? You nod, taking a deep breath as he introduces you as his partner. 

“Like, in business?” Atsumu asks with such a genuine expression that makes you giggle. Behind him, you can see Sakusa slap an exasperated palm against his forehead. “You have a secret side hustle?” You bite your lip to keep from laughing too hard and look up to find your boyfriend with a similar expression. 

“No, dude,” Bokuto says slowly. “He means like, romantically. Like, a life partner.” Atsumu’s eyes widened to the size of car tires. “A partner for life, you know?” 

“Holy shit, you’re married?” You catch Sakusa mouth oh my god under his breath before he walks away from his dumbfounded teammate. Hinata is quick to steer both of his friends to a table before they fall over and rejoins the conversation as Hajime introduces you to the more collected players of the group. 

You shake hands with the stoic skyscraper that is Ushijima as well as receive a warm hug from Komori. Both note how great it was to finally meet you in person after your boyfriend seemed to never stop talking about you, before the man in question hurriedly introduces you to another player. Suna and Sakusa are quietly polite but open up more once you ask them about how training is going for the next Olympic games. While you chat with them, Hajime pulls over Aran and Yaku, introducing you as his partner with poorly hidden pride. Once they’ve assimilated into your conversation, he disappears into the herds of players and staff again to no doubt drag out another coworker.

“Forgive him for coming and going so much,” Yaku says apologetically. “I think he’s been waiting to show you off for a long time, even if he won’t admit it.”

“He’s really excited for people to meet me, huh?”

“I’ve never seen him this hyper and I’ve been drunk at a karaoke bar with him,” a new voice says who introduces himself as Kuroo, a tall guy with spiky hair that you remember Hajime arguing with over the phone several times. “Our offices are right next to each other and I like to play pranks every so often,” he explains when you ask him about why your boyfriend yells at him so much.

“Technically, it’s his fault for being out of the office so often,” Suna reasons. “And I only say that because I’m one of the accomplices to the office pranks. We all are.”

“I bought the wrapping paper for the one on his car,” Aran adds. “Yaku pitched in for the Post It notes on April Fools day, but we don’t let Atsumu in on the pranks anymore ‘cause he talks too much.” Your mouth gapes in disbelief, unable to imagine the organized, well put-together machine that is your boyfriend getting pranked so easily. 

“It’s only because we love him as a trainer, though.” Yaku is backed up by nods of agreement from the rest of his team. “He really loves his job; I think the only thing he loves more than volleyball is–”

“You, obviously.” Hajime returns from fishing out people to introduce to you, easily finding his place by your side. “They tell you about how much they fuck up my office?” The perpetrators’ voices overlap each other in protest, arguing that he’s the one who keeps leaving his door unlocked. “Yeah, yeah. Just you wait until I get this one in on pranks against you guys.” He tilts his head towards you and is met with friendly taunts of competition, saying that you’re too nice to prank them or that they’d never fall for any of his pranks. His head dips to whisper in your ear while the team is preoccupied with debating what song to request from the DJ to create one big Olympic flashmob. “Mind if I steal you away, real quick?”

“Of course. But be fast; you need to be back in time for the big dance number,” you tease and he rolls his eyes with an amused smile, lacing his fingers in yours and pulling you down a back hallway of the club. The black walls reflect the moody shades of pink, orange, and blue shining from the lights above and you find that the music isn’t as loud in the little corner he finds for you two. When you’re ready, he pulls out a small box tied with a ribbon from his pocket.

“Wanted to give you this on your actual birthday but didn’t want Atsumu’s big mouth to ruin it out there,” he says and you chuckle, carefully taking the box from his fingers and unwrapping the bow. You pull off the lid and find a delicately silver chain threaded through a pendant indented to resemble a volleyball; flipping it over and admiring it in the light, you discover a stamped “H” on the back that only appears when the light hits it just right. 

“Hajime, this is beautiful,” you breathe. 

“You like it?”

“I love it.” You remove the necklace from the box, but before you can fasten it around your neck, he stops you. 

“May I?”

“You are a hopeless romantic,” you grin. 

“Only for you.” His fingers brushing your neck send goosebumps over your skin and he carefully secures the chain at the back. 

“How do I look?” You turn to face him and see his pupils blown wide open, licking his lips and blinking to maintain his restraint. 

“Like you’re mine,” he rasps and he closes the remaining distance between your bodies, letting your back hit the wall and tilting your chin up with two fingers to kiss you. Your fingers comb through his hair and he groans into your mouth when you tug on it experimentally. His hands firmly grip your waist while he kisses you infuriatingly slowly, like he was savoring this private moment without the prying eyes of his teammates. He pulls away to breathe but doesn’t go far, nudging his nose against yours. “The guys didn’t say anything dumb to you, did they?”

“No, but they did let me know how much you talk about me,” you whisper and he rolls his eyes again, your eyelashes brushing his face when he leans in close again. “And how much your dumbass gets pranked.” 

“In my defense–” You cut him off with an uncontrollable fit of laughter, one that he joins into with a tired shake of his head. “You know what? I don’t have a defense. Happy birthday, my love.” He presses a sweet kiss to the top of your forehead. “Every day I think about what I did to deserve someone like you.”

“You existed and I found you,” you say simply. “That’s just how it works and now you’re stuck with me and all my future birthdays.”

“You say that like I’m not ready to grow old with you in any lifetime.”

if you enjoy my writing and would like to support me, you can buy me a coffee on my ko-fi! you can also check out my full masterlist here :)

[juyeonszn]

(NO) STRINGS ATTACHED

PAIRING lee hyunjae x f!reader

WORD COUNT 5.58k

GENRES smut ﹒angst ﹒fluff

WARNINGS 18+ MINORS DO NOT INTERACT, mature language, strangers to fwb to lovers, a few timeskips here and there, hyunjae is a manwhore but what else is new, he’s also a criminal justice major so, mentions of alcohol, mentions of roblox? idk, reader is lowkey horny as hell 😭, handjob, oral (m!receiving), mentions of sex in various places, hyunjae is an emotionally constipated idiot, juyeon appearance crowd cheered, also cha eunwoo appearance but crowd did not cheer, hyunjae goes through the five stages of grief, no foreplay but what can u do about it, marking, unprotected sex (wrap before u tap u know the drill), cowgirl position yeehaw, creampie yeehaw, little bit of cockwarming st the end ngl

SUMMARY becoming friends with lee hyunjae after his valiant attempt to save your life (stopping you from drunk driving) was certainly not on your year’s bingo card. also not on your bingo card? waking up in his bed every other night following, but it’s not like you’re really complaining.

MORE bruh. first of all. i’m so sorry this is so late. 😭 second of all, NOT ONLY IS IT A DAY LATE, BUT ITS ALSO LIKE AN HOUR AND A HALF LATE 😭 my time management was not all there this past weekend, and also due to some unfortunate decisions on my part, this fic was delayed a bunch but WE ARE SO BACK pls. i hope u all enjoy this bc i kinda hate it and im sad bc i was so excited for it and its nothing like how i wanted it to be… pls rb if u liked it 😿 also this is lowkey for izzy bc we’re both going through insane hyunjae brainrot rn..

SERIES MASTERLIST

PERM TAGLIST @winterchimez @maessseongs @itsbeeble @zzoguri @deoboyznet @cloverdaisies @vernyangel @ericlvr

TAGLIST @millksea @from-izzy

In Hyunjae’s defense, he didn’t mean for any of this to happen.

When the two of you first met, he really was just trying to be a gentleman. He’d always been raised as someone who should do the right thing without expecting anything in return. He prided himself on sticking by his mother’s lifelong wisdom.

Okay sure, he might’ve had a few slip ups here and there in the form of random girls he’s hooked up with, but could you blame him? He was a university criminal justice major after all. There’s no harm in a little one-night-stand fun. Learning the ins and outs of the world of law and order was soul-draining enough without the freedom to stress-relieve whenever he felt fit.

Right. Back to you.

Your first encounter took place at the Tau Beta Zeta end of semester party. The fraternity had been working towards securing their victory against the KAT sorority just so they could host the damn thing. Hyunjae had yet to find a girl to entice him for the night, instead bothering some of his frat brothers. For example, Jacob Bae, who had just won the IST University boys’ volleyball team a championship title.

He could’ve gone after Lee Haeun, Jacob’s ex, but he had higher standards than that. There was also the incident earlier that day, while setting up for the party. He tried making a move on the KAT president to piss off Sangyeon, but that ended up failing. Honestly, he didn’t even care much about sleeping with anyone at these things anyways. Usually pretty girls came up to him first, but then ghosted him once they realized he wasn’t looking for anything serious. That was the only reason why his rap sheet was so long. He’d never intended on being the resident fuckboy.

Hyunjae remembers spotting you across the room during one of the numerous rounds of beer pong that night. Rather than Juyeon refereeing with Younghoon like they normally did, he stepped in to let the younger male enjoy the party with his girlfriend. The current match-up was Sunwoo versus Changmin with their respective partners. He had glanced up after witnessing the soccer prodigy miss a cup, making eye contact with you accidentally.

You tucked some hair behind your ear, bringing your drink to your lips and taking a sip before looking away. Your friends had sucked you back into the conversation you were having, effectively blocking Hyunjae’s chance to shoot any shots. He quickly got over it upon witnessing Changmin and Sunwoo arguing over the game, egging them on like the instigator he was.

Most people would’ve thought that was the end of it. Just a fleeting glance at each other, dozens of people standing between you. In hindsight, Hyunjae partially wishes that was where your story ended. You would’ve just been another girl to him, a stranger he saw once and never ran into again.

It’s funny how the universe works in strange ways.

By two in the morning, when over half of the partygoers had left the TBZ house, Hyunjae felt his social battery reach empty. He woke up earlier that morning to study for his Victimology final and felt drained by the time he walked out of the lecture hall. (He knew he aced it, but that didn’t mean it wasn’t mentally taxing.) He was just about ready to call it a night when he saw you sitting on the bottom step of the stairs, blubbering into your phone about something.

“What do you mean you left?” You wail, cheeks stained with mascara streaks. “I don’t care about your boyfriend! I’m too drunk to drive home and you were supposed to be my D.D.”

Your words are slightly slurred, a hiccup following your last sentence. Damn, you were cute even when you were crying like a baby. Hyunjae observed as you argued with who he assumed to be your friend over the phone, exasperated by the end of it. Despite not knowing a single thing about you, not even your name, he decided to step in and offer aid.

“I didn’t mean to eavesdrop, but I heard you saying you’re too drunk to drive yourself, and as a TBZ member I just can’t let that happen,” he extended a hand to you. “I’d be more than willing to let you stay here until the morning, if you’d like. You can have my room and I’ll just crash in one of the others.”

Your lower lip quivered, as if you were on the verge of even more tears. You sniffle when you respond, eyes doe-like and glassy. “R-Really? You would do that f-for me?”

“It’s a better alternative than taking a rideshare home alone while drunk,” he nods. “And I’m definitely not letting you drive anywhere yourself.”

Hyunjae doesn’t know why he felt so protective over you. The thought of some potentially creepy man taking advantage of you because you were under the influence didn’t sit right with him. He poked his cheek with his tongue, hand still outstretched to you. You took it gently, allowing him to guide you to his bedroom. He grabbed some of his clothes so you could be comfier and gave you a washcloth so you wouldn’t go to be with your makeup on. He felt better knowing you were in the safety of his fraternity house rather than anywhere else. It kind of pissed him off that your friends would leave you to fend for yourself like that.

The next morning, you came down the stairs drowning in Hyunjae’s clothes, rubbing at your eyes sleepily. You held the heel of your palm to your temple, wincing from the headache no doubtedly caused by your hangover. It was around 11 AM when you woke up and most, if not all, of his frat brothers had already left to head home for the holidays.

You found your knight in shining armor sitting at the breakfast bar in the kitchen, a mug with the default male Roblox face in his grasp. He was scrolling through his phone mindlessly, taking sips of his coffee every now and then until he heard you. He spins around in his chair, offering you a warm smile.

“Good morning, Sleeping Beauty. Did you rest okay?” He asks, getting up to grab you your own mug.

Your cheeks burn up at the nickname. The whole situation is still a bit odd to you. You knew of Lee Hyunjae through the grapevine (every other girl at your school), yes, but you’ve never held an actual conversation with him before. And now here you are, taking shelter in his home and sleeping in his bed. It was sweet of him to be so hospitable, though. He could’ve kicked you out and pretended you didn’t exist.

“That’s probably the best I’ve ever slept in my life,” you laugh to cut through the tension. “Thank you for keeping me alive last night. I feel indebted to you forever.”

“It was no problem, at all. My pleasure, actually,” he grins, passing you a mug filled with fresh coffee. “By the way, I never got your name.”

“It’s Y/N,” you tell him, mouth pulling into a smile at the cup he just gave you, which happened to be the female adjacent to his. “Hyunjae, right?”

He doesn’t know if he should be embarrassed by the fact that you already knew his name or not, but given his previous reputation, he thinks it shouldn’t be that big of a deal. He clears his throat and nods as he drinks more of his coffee. He tries to distract himself from the weird feeling bubbling in his chest with how cute you looked in his clothes.

“Do you not have any plans for the break?” You switch the subject, noticing that the house was empty for the most part.

“Nah,” he shakes his head. “I’m from here, so it isn’t really much of a drive to visit home. I’ll go over on Christmas Eve, Christmas Day, and New Years but that’s about it. Other than that, I like to enjoy having the whole house to myself.”

“Woah, me too! My friends are all from out of town though, so I’m usually really lonely. It’s always so odd thinking about how this is just a stepping stone for people’s lives and I’ve been here all of mine.” You stir some cream and sugar into your coffee, pursing your lips. “So, I take it you’re not doing anything today?”

“Nothing. Zip. Zilch. Nada,” Hyunjae leans back in his chair. “I’ll probably just watch some movies and call it a day. What about you? Any plans for the break since all of your friends are gone?”

“I have just as many as you.” You sip on your beverage.

“Well, the couch space next to me will be unoccupied if you’d like to join me.”

“I think I might take you up on that offer.”

You feel like maybe this was some sort of elaborate scheme to trap you. Your eyes kept flickering from the TV to his profile, entranced by the blue light illuminating his features. You wanted nothing more than to claim your seat on his lap and ride him into the sunset like a gallant steed, which was ironic considering the way the two of you met.

It’s in the middle of the third movie that you finally feel yourself grow restless. No way could you sit beside Lee Hyunjae, spend the whole day with him, and not jump his bones. It was, like, the most obvious thing to do. It was Lee Hyunjae. Did he expect you not to?

He feels you squirming next to him, glancing at you from the corner of his eye. In all honesty, he’s surprised he’s abstained from touching you this long. From the moment he saw you in his clothes this morning, he wanted you underneath him. He doesn’t know how to initiate anything without seeming too forward though.

Luckily, he doesn’t have to make much effort on his part.

You place one of your hands on his thigh, dragging your nail along the seam of his sweatpants. He turns to you with a raised eyebrow. All you can do is bat your eyelashes at him innocently.

“You know, Hyunjae, I never got to properly thank you for your act of nobility last night,” you start, fingers creeping up higher. “And I just thought of something that I think we’ll both like.”

He doesn’t have the strength in him to restrain himself after that, pulling you into a heated kiss. He nips at your lower lip and tangles his tongue with your own, getting easily lost in the spellbinding of your touch. Your lips trail along his jaw and down his neck, hooking your fingers into the waistband of his pants. You suck deep marks into the skin of his pulse point while simultaneously palming him through his underwear.

You’re moving fast, but you’re on a mission. You’ve been waiting for this all day, you can’t imagine slowing down now. It doesn’t appear that he plans on stopping you either.

Hyunjae throws his head back, hissing when you discard his boxers. The cool air of the house hits his cock at the same time you bite down on the divot where his neck meets his shoulder. Your hand gently wraps around his length, thumb running over the slit to collect the precum that’s formed there. He watches in a trance as you go on your knees between his legs.

You press a sweet kiss to his tip before taking him into your mouth. He groans, twisting your hair around his wrist so he can control your movements. Hyunjae doesn’t think he’s ever wanted head this badly in his life. He’s always been a giving person, always providing the pleasure for the girl he was with. There were only a handful of times that he’s ever been on the receiving end and none of them were memorable. But this time is different.

For some reason, you’re the only one who’s ever been able to get him this riled up this quickly. You’re still relatively a stranger to him, and even though he’s had plenty of one night stands, it’s unlike any of the others.

Your throat relaxes so you can swallow more of him, tongue swirling around the tip. He’s the biggest guy you’ve ever been with, making things a little harder for you, but you were never one to back down from a challenge. And getting Lee Hyunjae to cum from the work of your mouth alone was the ultimate reward.

Hyunjae moans when your attention focuses on his sensitive slit. The sound is music to your ears, goading you into continuing your task. You gag around his dick and tears prick at your eyes when he pushes your face down further, your nose brushing the lower part of his abdomen. One of your hands wanders, tracing and scratching his abs as the other jerks him off.

He swipes away some stray tears with his thumb, bucking into your mouth and hand. “Fucking look at you, taking me like a good girl. You’re so filthy.”

You whine, squeezing your thighs together for your own friction. You can wait, though, entirely too focused on getting him to finish. You’re thankful it isn’t that much longer until he does, painting your lips and cheeks with his release when you pull off of him to press a cute kiss on the same spot. He knows he finished too fast for someone of his caliber, but he doesn’t have it in him to care.

“You’re so hot,” he brings you up to connect your lips once again.

It was very easy to fall into a habit after that.

Throughout the entirety of the break, Hyunjae would call you over or vice versa and you’d rock each other’s world’s. It was practically an entire month of fucking nonstop. You’d done it in the TBZ house living room, in his bed, in the kitchen, in the shower and every other surface you could think of. Your own apartment had been christened plenty with your sexcapades also. Both of your cars had seen you naked too. But the most memorable place had to be his childhood bedroom the night of Christmas. He went to his parents’ for a couple days and hit you with that 3 AM “You up?” text when his libido couldn’t quell. That was probably the quietest you’d ever have to be.

Hyunjae had to explain to his mom that no, he hadn’t gotten mauled by a wild animal in his sleep. It was harder coming up with another plausible lie to cover the source of the hickeys on his neck, but he’d rather tell his mother something stupid than the fact that he was an insatiable freak.

When it came time for everyone to return to school for the spring semester, you’d deluded yourself into thinking there could be something real between you and Hyunjae. I mean, what else were you supposed to do? This gorgeous man had spent almost every single day of winter break with you, even if it was mostly for the sex. That wasn’t all you did though. You shared meals together and talked about your life goals. You truly got to know him better than just the hot frat guy who’s made his rounds with girls on campus.

However, Hyunjae did not think he was ready for that level of commitment.

After spending a month with you and learning all of your little quirks, he thought he was going insane. He’d been in situationships in the past and none of them ever ended well, especially because they always caught feelings. He didn’t want the two of you to fall down the same path. But he noticed the linger of your touches and kisses and the way your eyes sparkled when he spoke. He didn’t want to be the one to break your heart.

He just couldn’t see himself getting into a serious relationship. He was preparing to apply for law schools and get his shit together. He didn’t think he couldn’t handle throwing a girlfriend into the mix. Even if it was you. Bold, pretty little you, who had Lee Hyunjae wrapped around her finger without trying.

Things come to a speeding halt for both of you halfway into the second week back.

Hyunjae was walking out of his Crime Mapping II lecture when he saw you chatting up Cha Eunwoo outside of the building, giggling and being all touchy with him. He doesn’t know why he feels so… stuffy… when he sees that. He doesn’t know why it makes him mad. He doesn’t know why it feels like his heart has just been stomped on a handful of times.

He walks over to you and clears his throat, hands shoving into his jacket pockets. He tries to ignore how cute you look in your puffer coat, nose rosy from the cold. You pause in your conversation to say hi to him before resuming whatever you were saying before. It was like he was invisible.

“I gotta go, but I’ll see you in class tomorrow?” You tuck some hair behind your ear, smiling at the male.

“For sure. Talk to you later, Y/N.” He says, waving as he takes off.

Hyunjae starts in the opposite direction wordlessly, leaving you to stumble behind him like a newborn deer. He looks upset about something, but you’re not sure if you should ask. When you finally match his pace, you frown, tapping his shoulder.

“Hey, what’s up?”

“Since when were you friends with Cha Eunwoo?” Hyunjae blurts, tone catching you off guard. You blink at his outburst.

“For a while, I guess? We’re in the same department and we’ve had a few classes together. Why? Is that a problem?” You stop your steps, forcing him to do the same.

“No, why would it be? I’m not your boyfriend. You can talk to whoever you want.” He backtracks, realizing the connotation behind his question. Shit, why does he not think before he speaks?

“You could be,” you shrug, gaze casted downward to avoid his stare. “You could be my boyfriend.”

Again, because he’s a stupid boy, he chooses not to use his brain in such a critical situation. “I don’t want to be. You can date him for all I care.”

Hyunjae didn’t want to be the one to break your heart, but he knows he did when he sees the flame in your eyes die out. He thinks he broke his own too, chest constricting when tears well up in the corners. You wipe your runny nose with your gloved hand, sniffling with a scoff.

“Fuck you, Hyunjae,” your voice is surprisingly calm, and that scares him more. “Fuck you and your stupid fucking commitment issues and your lack of empathy. Stay away from me.”

He can’t even think of something quick enough to stop you. Of course, his mind runs at a million miles a minute when it’s the worst time. But when he needs it to work most, it fails on him. That’s exactly his luck.

He just stares as your figure gets smaller and smaller, getting further and further away from his reach. His stomach feels ugly, twisted in a way it shouldn’t be. Maybe it’s because he’d considered you a close friend at this point, and now there’s no way you didn’t hate him. He told you things that he hadn’t even told his brothers, things that he hoped would never see the light of day. He’d spoken his insecurities out into the world and you were the one he let see that vulnerable side of him. He had something good going for him finally, and he went and ruined it.

Who could he be mad at but himself?

When Hyunjae sees you again, it’s been at least a week since your argument in the middle of campus.

He’d been beating himself up over the fight the entire time. Numerous what-if scenarios ran through his mind when he should’ve been sleeping. He wonders what he could’ve said to make everything turn out differently. Had he just told you what was bothering him, told you about that icky sinking feeling in the pit of his stomach, perhaps you wouldn’t have walked away.

He’s pretty sure you’re doing it on purpose. You avoided him until you knew you’d definitely see him, and then you’d flaunt yourself to purposefully piss him off. Despite only knowing each other for a little over a month, you had Hyunjae read like the back of your hand. You knew he was stubborn and had to be pushed into admitting he was wrong. He’d never outright confess to his mistakes unless you backed him into a corner and forced him to.

So you can imagine his reaction when he saw you walk into that week’s TBZ party with Cha Eunwoo around your shoulders.

If Lee Hyunjae had any faults, it was that he was too prideful. He realizes this when you stroll right past him, ignoring his presence. You giggle at something Eunwoo said as you grab some drinks. There’s no way you aren’t doing this to get on his nerves. Especially not in that outfit.

His grip on his cup is not normal, he knows that. But it’s not subtle if anyone notices and when Juyeon of all people points it out, he knows it even more.

“Yo, dude. Are you good? You look like you might kill somebody if we’d let you.” The younger male pats his back.

“Honestly, no, not really. But there isn’t really anything I can do about it.” Hyunjae huffs, welcoming his defeat with open arms.

“You can talk to me about things. It’s kinda weird but I always feel like getting out your thoughts is better than internalizing and blowing up randomly.” He says after a moment.

“I guess I’m just confused why I’m so jealous of something that isn’t mine.” The heart to heart with his frat brother follows the entire five stages of grief, starting with step one; Denial. He’ll keep denying the real reason he feels the way he does.

“Are you talking about that girl you were messing around with during break?” Juyeon asks, bringing his cup to his mouth. “And the fact that she’s here with Cha Eunwoo?”

Step two; Anger. His cup snaps and the sharp edge of the plastic scratches the inside of his palm. “Why would I be jealous of her being here with him? I could give less of a fuck about that. She’s not my girlfriend, she can do whatever she wants.”

He raises an eyebrow at how defensive his senior gets, lips quirking up. “Sure, Hyunjae. You’re not jealous. But you’re acting like it and you know you are.”

“Well,” step three; bargaining. “I’m not not jealous, I just— I don’t know. I’ve never been on this side of the situation before. Am I even allowed to be mad about it?”

“I mean, it’s a little unconventional, but yeah, I think you are. You spent the better part of a month getting to know this girl. You’ve seen her in ways other people haven’t. Even if you weren’t going into it with the intention to start something, I think it’s hard not to want anything after. Unless you’re completely heartless. But you’re not exactly The Grinch, so.” Juyeon sounds too wise for standing in the middle of a frat party.

“Nothing’s gonna happen now, though. She hates me and wants nothing to do with me because I screwed up.” Step four; Depression.

“You don’t know that unless you make an attempt to fix it,” his junior sighs. “Look, she’s gonna keep projecting how upset you made her if you aren’t gonna do something about it. But there’s a high chance that she’ll forgive you if you’re just real with her.”

And last, but not least, step five. Acceptance. Lee Hyunjae has finally accepted that he’s not an emotionless robot incapable of producing feelings for someone. He takes Juyeon’s advice right then and there, deciding that this is something he has to do immediately. (He also knows how much you can drink at these things and he preferred that you were sober when he spoke to you.)

He thanks his friend and sets off to search for you in the sea of already drunk university students. He’s anxious. He’s never been the type to have serious discussions about anything, really. He assumes that it stems from never seeing that in his own parents. They loved each other, yeah, but they never really talked about difficult topics with each other. Or, in front of him they didn’t.

Hyunjae thinks he might throw up when he finds you in the other room. Cha Eunwoo is still glued to your side, but he’s hardly paying attention to you, talking to his friends. You look bored, like you were waiting for something— or someone— to save you. This was his opportunity.

Your eyes widen when you see him heading straight for you, swallowing thickly. There wasn’t any route of escape so you were stuck having to deal with him. In all honesty, the hurt was still very fresh for you, and you weren’t sure you could handle talking to him yet.

“Can we please talk? I need to tell you something,” he yells over the loud music.

“Why should I listen to what you have to say?” Your tone is shaky, wavering slightly, but you’re grateful that he can’t hear it with how voluminous this party is.

“Y/N,” he pleads almost, eyes communicating what you needed to hear. “This is important.”

You concede, sneaking from Eunwoo and following Hyunjae blindly. You could be getting whisked away to your demise, but the former hardly even notices, too engrossed in whatever he was saying to his friends. You’re a bit apprehensive when Hyunjae takes you into his bedroom, biting your cheek when the memories of what you’ve done in here come flooding back to you.

“Okay, I don’t know how to put this into a coherent thought,” he turns his back to you.

“Can we just get this over with? You don’t want me, remember? I don’t even know why I’m giving you the time of day—“

“Of course I want you,” he exclaims, spinning around and pinching the bridge of his nose. “God, are you blind? It’s so obvious that I’ve wanted you for so long, Y/N. I’m just stupid and I fucked everything up, because I was scared that things would change and I’m afraid of change. That’s the reason why I have commitment problems. I don’t want to commit myself to something just for everything to change in the blink of an eye.”

You shut up after that, your heart skipping in your chest. This was what you wanted. You wanted a messy confession. Something that told you it wasn’t all in your head. That you weren’t making things up. That he felt the same way you did.

Your lips collide in a rough, desperate manner. Hyunjae’s never had a way with words, so kissing you with every ounce of longing in his being and holding you like you’d disappear any second was his outlet. This was how he could show you his true feelings. Your heart rate transitions from your pulse point to your ears, amplifying with each suck of your bottom lip between his teeth

You’ve done this so many times before, but it will never be the same as this one. No one could ever make you feel the way Lee Hyunjae does. It might be crazy, but it only took a month for you to realize that there will never be another for you. The conversations that trickled into early hours of the morning following going at it like jackrabbits were perfect to you. They weren’t ideal, but they were enough.

The two of you walk backwards until he’s sitting on the edge of his bed, your knees on either side of his lap. You cup his jaw in your hands, grinding down on him every time your lips move together. Hyunjae’s fingers dig into your sides and push up the material of your dress. He’s moving fast, rushed like you might decide you don’t want this and walk out of his room.

You can’t really blame him, your pace disorganized with only one goal in mind. Neither of you could be bothered with the foreplay, too needy and craving the touch of one another as quickly as possible. You part from him to pull off your dress, eyes fluttering shut when he starts leaving a trail of kisses down your stomach. He doesn’t want to waste time commenting on the fact that you were braless underneath so he busies himself with pecking the tops of your tits. Your fingers card through his hair with an extended sigh, noticing how long it’s gotten since you first met.

Hyunjae pushes his pants down his legs as you yank his shirt over his head, reconnecting your lips. He uses his ring and middle fingers to shove aside your underwear, discarding his own shortly after. Your mouth nips and bites your favorite places on his neck, ensuring you mark the surface so everyone knows who he belongs to. You were the one who acquired the key to Lee Hyunjae’s heart.

Your teeth sink into his skin the moment he slips inside of you, both of you moaning when he slides right into your cunt like he was meant to be there. You whine when he bottoms out, your sensitive clit bumping into his pelvic bone. You’re so warm and inviting, Hyunjae feels like he’s falling under a spell. Just being inside of you feels like a form of hypnosis. If it was up to him, he’d stay here forever, content to sit with his cock stuffed in you without interruption. But you both yearn for more than that.

He tightens his grip on your hips, bucking upwards into you and watching with heavy eyes as a whine spills from your lips. You look so fucked out despite him doing absolutely nothing to you yet. He thrusts up again experimentally, grinning when your upper half knocks into his.

“Feel good, baby?” He coos into your ear, nipping at the lobe and the area surrounding.

You nod with a whimper when his cock brushes that sweet spot deep inside your pussy. “Mhm, feels so— fuck, Jae, want it harder.”

“Anything for my pretty girl,” he smiles into your skin.

He increases the speed that he fucks into you, pinning down your hips so you can’t move and all you can do is take it. It’s like you can feel him in your abdomen, his cock plunging in you so far. You’d think after a month of fucking practically every day, you’d be used to his size by now. However, that was just not attainable. You don’t think you could ever get used to how big he was, how thick he was.

The force that he drives into you with is unmatched, miles apart from what he’s given you before. It’s like he wants to burn the shape of himself inside you, so you never forget that he’s the one making you feel like this. Nobody but Hyunjae can fuck you this well.

He moves you further up the bed, flattening his feet on the mattress and laying down so he can press deeper, a new angle that has your vision going blank. You don’t think twice about the volume of your cries, letting him know how good he’s giving it to you. You’re encouraging him, wanting him to get cockier so he can keep fucking you into oblivion. Your fingers grasp at the sheets beside his head for support.

Hyunjae’s nails impress crescent shapes into your waist, his mouth returning to your tits so he can leave his own marks all over your chest. It’s when your clit rubs against his lower stomach again that you let go, your orgasm crashing into like a train. It winds you, ripping your breath from your throat and stealing your oxygen. He’s close behind, the feeling of your walls clenching around him in rapid intervals triggering his own.

He fills you up nicely, both of you releasing guttural groans at the sight of his cum dripping out of you. You’re too exhausted to get up, collapsing on top of him. He doesn’t mind, more than happy to stay buried inside of you even if you didn’t do anything.

“So…” You start after a bit of silence, drawing unrecognizable shapes on his chest. “You’ve wanted me for so long, huh?”

“Shut up,” he laughs, eyes closed while he recuperates from using all of his energy on you. “This is still new for me.”

“I know, Mr. Emotionally Constipated And I Don’t Date ‘Cause I’m Going To Be A Big Fancy Hotshot Lawyer,” you tease, pecking his lips and then his nose. “I must be extremely special to be the one who changed your mind.”

“You’ll be the death of me, you know that right?” He shakes his head, brushing some of your hair from your face. You smile down at him with an unfamiliar fondness in your eyes.

“Why else do you think we’ve gotten this far?”

© juyeonszn. do not steal, claim, or repost.

[sir-griswold-of-macelwain]

OK so I think the only way for season 7 to work is if there's a substantial timeskip. I don't necessarily mean "let's go straight to 1940 and have WW2", but at least eight years or so. Have the grandkids be teenagers (well the three eldest anyway). Not as old as Rose, so it gives us another kind of storyline, but old enough to start taking their place in society while still being outside of it.

Give us Mary feeling anxious over George's incoming coming of age and the fact she'll have to rule over the estate with him since I'm pretty sure he owes like half of it. Give us Lucy doing her best to keep Sybbie in check but it's hard, man, it's super hard, to control a teenage girl who's not your daughter but also is. Give us Edith juggling the magazine and the marchioness title as well as she can, perhaps planning to hand the magazine over to Marigold when she becomes an adult, since it was Gregson's. Heck, give us Marigold learning who she is!!! Give us Johnny Bates and Caroline Talbot friendship. Give us Talbot & Branson motors news! Have they gone into production now? Are they still car salesmen? What about a secret, seventh grandchild? After all, it's not out of the realm of possibilities that Mary, Edith or Lucy would have become pregnant again during the timeskip!

Give us the Three oldest grandkids start getting involved in politics! once Robert dies, it's George who will have a seat in Parliament! Sybbie literally can't not have a political opinion of some sort, with her heredity, or make her not give tuppence about politics and Tom being despaired by it! And for the absolutely cruel, dramatic irony, have Marigold be the one (there's always one in series happening during the rise of fascism) who's seduced by the fascist ideals! And then discover her bio dad was killed by brownshirts! And then have a crisis!

Give us Atticus and Rose coming back from America, perhaps because Lord Sinderby died and Atticus inherited the title! Give us Atticus and Rose with more children born in the mean time! Give us Robert being convinced there won't be a war and Cora not being so sure, and give us Daisy who runs for the local elections as a joke and becomes Downton's first labour party mayor! Give us Anna Bates being trained by Mrs Hughes to take her place when she retires (she can't afford to retire because of her sister, sure, but what about the B&B she opened with Carson? give us news of that, too!!).

Anyway i'm starting to ramble about everything i hope will happen instead of just things I think would make it a good set up but also I'm cautiously optimistic while also being super thrilled it's happenign!!!!

[tulipsforvin]

Hello, may I trouble you with one silly request? 👉👈 Moriarty brothers headcanon reaction on first meeting their future s/o when she's climbing over the fence in awkward fashion (wearing a dress and carrying a heavy parcel). Fem! s/o, or gn!, I don't really mind. Thank you, wishing you lots of fun and positivity!✨💖

This is like that one scene from Horimiya lolll I had tons of fun writing this. Thank you for the request, anon! Hope you have a marvellous day/night awaiting you.

Characters: Louis J. Moriarty, William J. Moriarty, Albert J. Moriarty.

Tags: Fluff, Very, very, very slight angst (At Albert's part), Headcannons, Moriarty The Patriot.

Format: Headcannons.

Note: Just a heads up - some are pre-timeskip and post-timeskip. Might cause confusion.

“Beyond The Fence„

Moriarty Brothers x GN!Reader

William J. Moriarty

(Pre-timeskip)

— He finds you while talking a stroll through the university during his lunch break, grasping feebly onto the wires of the fence as you make a horrible effort to climb over it.

— “Who would need actual hurdling equipment for aspiring athletes such as yourself when there is the university fence to conquer?”

— You would tell him that your brother was a student here and that he forgot his lunch box, that you were sneaking it in through the fence because the guard at the gates wasn't letting you in.

— “Allow me.” William says, amused as he holds out his hand for you to pass the cake onto before setting it down. He then scales the fence effortlessly, making it seem like an easy task before he helps you cross to the other side.

— He offers to hand it over to your brother in your stead.

— Playful banter that makes you giddy.

— “Professor Moriarty, are you plotting to snatch a slice of this cake?” “I assure you, my interests lie in far greater endeavours. Although your delectable confectioneries do seem tempting.”

“i suppose I'll have to keep an eye out, just in case it falls in the wrong hands.” “I must say, I'm quite offended. Are you perhaps implying that I am the wrong hands? I could offer you a wealth of knowledge and intellectual discourse and yet, you suspect me of cake thievery.” “I suspect you of great many things. Cake thievery is just one of the more delightful possibilities.”

— Literally how it goes for the remaining semester. The two of you meet everyday during lunch break under the guise of making William deliver your brother's lunchbox, when in reality, the two of you have begun to grow feelings far surpassing platonic ones and just want to spend more time with each other.

Albert J. Moriarty

(Post-timeskip)

— You, an avid botanist, absolutely obsessed with the nature of plant life, find yourself trying to claw your way up the fence and to the other side where a burying ground lies that you thought was abandoned since the gates to enter it was locked and that you found a really unique species of flora there. The parcel contains all the studies you have been researching for the past three years.

— Imagine the awkwardness that one must feel when you lock eyes with Albert, who thinks you're a creep trying to steal bones or bodies, gazes back at you with uncertainty.

— “I am afraid you won't be able to get your hands on any bones here. These graves are all empty, you see — with one for my younger brother who's body has yet to be found since his initial dissapearance and for me and the youngest to lie in when our time comes.”

— You feel guilty for trespassing onto private property and immediately start apologizing, head bowed as you make an attempt to frantically explain your reason of arrival.

— He seems even further intrigued when your focus lands on the empty graves, lush green grass and flowers emerging from the burial site. You begin to tell him about what the flowers that have grown on the grave where his younger brother, William, should supposedly be put to rest symbolise.

— “Moonflowers symbolise the awakening of a soul. A new beginning. I am sure that your younger brother has found a new start somewhere, perhaps in the afterlife but a new start nonetheless.” “..ah” is all he says before he begins to full on sob infront of you, a total stranger.

— From that day onwards, he finds solace in your company, tagging along on the journeys you go to for your research on plant life; falling asleep at the sound of your voice or gazing at you dreamily when you go on & on about your passions.

Louis J. Moriarty

(Post-timeskip)

— A huge festival was coming up. Thus, explaining the streets that are all bustling and noisy with human life trying to get past each other and squeezing in even from the smallest of gaps and crevices.

— You, a talented seamstress who has been commissioned to deliver a beautifully crafted dress find yourself in a dilemma; trying to think of a way to get past through these crowds and to your destination without issue.

— You decide that a fence, out of all things, would be the easiest way to reach your destination. And so you begin your attempts to climb over, the dress you're wearing making things only further difficult.

— “Excuse me, do you perhaps need help with the dress and the fence?” “Yes, please! Business has been bad lately and I just really need to deliver this so I can continue to be able to be able to pay rent for my boutique.”

— Will observe the dress in the parcel first to make sure you're not actually lying before nodding his head and agreeing to help you.

— Although he seems very focused on the task, such as the tasks assigned to the M16, he still can't help but help a person in need.

— “Your talent deserves recognition. As luck would have it, I have connections with influential individuals in society. I could help spread the word about your boutique and introduce you to clients.” [literally the government and a man (Read Mycroft) who serves directly under the Queen.]

— That's how it starts - the beginning of your romance. Louis helps you with your boutique and you, in exchange, deliver information that you hear from clients at your workshop regarding jobs that could help him in the M16.

[kitashousewife]

loved you better

an: this is sort of based off of sad by lany. this is also extremely based on my real life! clearly this is me healing

pairings: timeskip!atsumu x fem!reader

warnings: angst tons of angst, fluffy ending, breakups, mentions of cheating, v brief mentions of sex (no smut), fighting (verbal), alcohol mentions/consumption, i think that's all

wc: it’s longer, i wasn’t able to get an accurate # but over 2k

-

it's been three years since atsumu has seen you. one hundred and fifty-six weeks, and just over a thousand days. he's thought about you from time to time, but the feelings and memories are a lot heavier when he visits home.

laying on the floor in his childhood home, his thoughts spin around, playing out past events on the bare ceiling above him. they're vivid, almost tangible. visions of a young osamu chasing him through the house, ones of himself on the kitchen counter, feet swinging as he watches ma cook, but most of them involve you.

things weren't always tough.

atsumu met you in high school. bumping into each other one day, both too nervous to introduce yourselves. similar schedules led to the two of you passing each other every day during your first year. finally, right as the end of the year rolled around, the two of you exchanged numbers.

an entire summer of texting, surface-level conversations about your lives wrapped up into a nervous reunion. now second years, both of you had changed in many ways from your last encounter. atsumu, a lot taller and stronger, hair a new shade, and attitude much more confident. you, a little taller as well, a touch more outgoing and sure of herself. after only a few short weeks of stolen glances during class and spending passing periods talking, atsumu asked you to be his girlfriend.

the two of you were the talk of the school, calls of your name and whistles sent your way every time atsumu would walk you to the bus stop, hand in hand with a proud smile on his face. most weekends were spent getting ice cream, getting ramen, staying out too late, and sneaking through the house to avoid getting caught out past curfew. the first year was perfect.

atsumu was your first kiss.

the start of your third year was when the rose-colored lense started to fade. it was slow at first, things falling apart in smaller ways until it began to crumble all at once.

atsumu began to put his all into volleyball, heart set on continuing past high school, focused on becoming professional. those weekends spent together began to morph into something different. ice cream shops became gyms, eating ramen in the park became bringing him some water while he trained. you, as well as your relationship, began to take a back seat to the sport, which you didn't mind at first.

he's never forgotten the conversation that was the beginning of the end. he's sure you haven't, too.

and he's correct.

a few weeks before graduation, the two of you were spending an evening together, something quite rare at the time. both of you on your backs, staring up much like atsumu is right now, enjoying each other's presence. atsumu remembers it perfectly. you were on his left, fingers playing with his, the clock ticking on the wall, heart hammering in sync. he remembers sighing, thinking about the upcoming graduation, the scouting camp he's been invited to, and interviews with potential teams. the thoughts swirled around and began to become heavy on his chest. he sat up abruptly and let out a shaky breath.

"i think we should break up."

you sat up, giving him a look that to this day sticks in his mind.

"w-what?"

the rest of the conversation is a blur, mostly due to his thoughts of trying to cope with it all. you were devastated, completely shocked. atsumu felt bad, his own fears of the future creating a rift in one of the most important things he had ever been a part of. his heart ached. ultimately two of you stayed together, attempting to enjoy a final summer before you went off to university and he launched his career.

atsumu was your first time. your first everything.

your first break up.

everything ended because of a rumor. a week before you left, atsumu had been at a party with friends, packing as much fun as he could in the final months of his youth. a mutual friend saw him talking to another girl, mistakenly believing that he was unfaithful. you found out the next day. after a summer of missed calls, forgotten dates, and staying up late waiting for atsumu to get back to you, you felt defeated. everything seemed to break, the dam finally cracking after a year of built-up emotion finally made its way through.

your first fight happened that day.

"why the fuck would ya think i would do that to ya?" atsumu groans, his head was thrown back in the driveway of his home. the two of you stand in front of your car, headlights illuminating the night with a sickeningly yellow glow.

"they told me last night. they saw it!" your voice raises, shaking at the same time. deep down, you didn't believe your friend, but you weren't so sure.

"i was just talkin' to her sweetheart. i didn't-"

"don't lie to me atsumu!"

his jaw drops. hot tears fill your eyes, one blink away from rolling down your cheeks. that was the first time you shouted at him.

"i may be a lot of things, but i'm not a fuckin' liar." he seethes, angry eyes set on the quiver of your lip.

"maybe we should be done," you croak out, mind speaking before your heart even got a chance.

"maybe we should."

atsumu's head throbs as the memories finally dissolve before him. running a hand through his hair, a sigh of relief slips through his lips when he's brought back to reality.

"are ya good?" osamu comes down the stairs, slipping his phone into his back pocket before falling onto the couch. "ya seem a little upset."

atsumu shakes his head. "just thinkin', but i'm fine."

"everyone wants to see ya tonight at the bar," his twin rubs his eyes, referencing their friend group. "i told them i would ask ya, though."

he smiles. "sounds good to me."

atsumu wishes they had picked a different bar. it's not very packed, fairly quiet and everyone was able to make it, but he feels uneasy.

a year after the break up, almost to the day, atsumu saw you at this bar.

he was in town, fresh off of joining the MSBY jackals, and his friends decided to throw a party for him. it was fantastic to be with those he loved, especially after probably one of the hardest years of his life. little to no social life, every waking minute spent practicing for, training for, or thinking about volleyball. it all paid off, better than he could have imagined, but something was missing.

your laugh caught his attention, distracting him from the girl he was flirting with. he saw you, sitting in a booth with your friends, probably hanging out with them one last time before you went back to uni. atsumu remembers it like it was yesterday. the two of you made eye contact, your mouth opening to speak before forming into a small smile, but your eyes were wrought with hurt. he panicked, looking away as fast as he could. feeling jealous, sick and anxious.

after an hour or so, you finally regained the courage to talk to him. before you reached him, he noticed you, and in a rather poor last-second decision, atsumu pulled the girl on his side in for a kiss. when he pulled away and met your eyes, he wanted to cry. you turned around and walked out the front door of the bar without a word.

that was three years ago.

"to atsumu!" aran cheers, and atsumu blicks a few times before raising his glass with the rest of them. throwing his shot back with a grimace, he pushes his feelings down and focuses on the moment.

"you with us man?" aran pats him on the back, and atsumu nods.

"yeah, i-"

"ya did this earlier, 'tsum. is everythin' alright?" osamu leans forward in the booth, and suna nods.

"yeah, you seem a little out of it," suna sighs, putting his phone down on the table. "penny for your thoughts?"

atsumu sighs, pushing his hair back with an airy chuckle.

"i don't know what it is about bein' home, but i haven't been able to stop thinkin' 'bout her."

"i knew it," suna smirks, pouting quickly after kita kicks him under the table and shoots him a glare.

"the two of you have a lot of memories here, so it makes sense," aran shrugs, sipping at his beer. "this probably isn't a good time to say this," he sets his beer down, ignoring the glare kita sends his direction this time. "she's seeing someone."

"how do you know?" atsumu's voice wavers slightly, attempting to hide the sinking feeling in his stomach. of course you are. it's been years, why wouldn't you move on?

why haven't i moved on?

"i told him, actually," kita offers an apologetic wave. "i saw her a few months ago, she was visitin' family and she talked to me when i was out doin' deliveries."

atsumu nods. "is she happy?"

kita shrugs. "she seemed that way. said he treats her well."

"that's all that matters."

sensing his brothers strife, osamu claps his hands together.

"next rounds' on me!"

the next day, atsumu decides to go for a jog to clear his head. everything feels so heavy, weighing down his thoughts. his dreams are of you, his thoughts are of you. he turned down a potential training at inarizaki this week, not even feeling up for playing volleyball. he wishes he could've treated you better, he wishes he could go back in time and shake his high school self, scream at him that volleyball isn't everything and he is, in fact, better when he's with you. a bitter taste fills his mouth, tears threatening to slip out when he argues with himself in his mind. he's so thankful for every opportunity he's had, every experience being the product of his tireless work all those years.

atsumu wishes he could have found a balance, though.

the concrete grounds him with each step, the familiarity of his hometown numbing his brain just a little. he follows a familiar route, one he used to do often to stay in shape. kids play in the park next to him, laughing and carrying on without a care in the world. he smiles at that, and decides to run through the park instead.

after a while, atsumu decides to walk back home. he takes his time, going down streets he normally wouldn't, looking at the changes of the buildings since he's been home last. he decides to run to onigiri miya to visit his twin, hoping he can get a free meal out of it at the same time.

"tsum?"

he stops walking. not that his legs would work anyway. his heart pounds in his ears, the air suddenly difficult to breathe despite his leisurely pace. he's in front of a coffee shop, he knows that from the smell. he turns around slowly, taking a deep breath.

it's you.

you're here. in front of him. tucking a piece of hair behind your ear, a nervous habit that's clearly never changed, adjusting your weight to your other foot. drink in hand, keys in the other, your head tilts.

"hi," he breathes, finally getting the words out.

you look similar, but not the same. you're older and more beautiful than the last time he saw you, if possible. your hair is different, and you're a little less baby-faced, but it's you.

"what are you doing in town?" you raise a brow, beginning your examination of him. he's taller if possible, hair less yellow, now a much lighter shade, bringing out the glow of his eyes. he's huge, but you knew that. he isn't exactly hidden. almost every day a photo of some kind reaches your feed. even when you aren't looking for him, the universe sets him right back in your life.

"oh, i had a break and decided i would come home and see ma and 'samu," he scratches the back of his neck, a nervous habit of his own. "what are you doin' here?"

you chuckle. "i moved back, actually. just finished school."

he smiles wide. "congratulations! i know how important that was to ya. i'm so proud of ya!"

tears form in your eyes, and your stomach does flips. many people have said the exact same thing to you over the last couple weeks, but this carries much more weight.

"thanks," you mumble, looking down.

"do ya wanna sit? it's a little chilly," atsumu points towards the cafe doors, and you nod. he holds the door open for you and follows you to a small table. sitting down with a sigh, he shakes his head.

"i can't believe i ran into ya," he snorts, folding his arms over his chest. you set your things down on the table, and atsumu's eyes frantically look at your hands for a ring.

"i know! who would have thought we would be home at the same time?" you smile, looking around the shop. it's new, one of the few places you haven't been before.

truth be told, you were hoping you would run into atsumu. it's been years, and you have so much to tell him.

you only hope he wants to hear them.

in a selfish way, you want to brag. there's so much you've accomplished, seen, done, experienced, and been a part of. you've watched that movie series he was always talking about, and you went to a few places you swore up and down you would never go to.

"so, what's new?" atsumu smirks at you as if reading your thoughts. if you were standing, you would go weak in the knees.

"well i graduated, which i told you. i just got an apartment, and moved in a few days ago actually."

"come on, that's all ya have to say after all these years?" atsumu laughs, and you roll your eyes.

i haven't stopped thinking about you.

you give in, telling him every detail of your life for the past several years, leaving no details out, and atsumu is entranced. nodding often, laughing at your stories and sharing in your heart ache and rough times. he wants to hug you, tell you over and over again how proud he is of you, how you deserve the world.

the world he didn't give you.

"i can't believe ya watched 'em! after all those years of me beggin'," he scoffs and you laugh.

"what about you, 'tsum? how's the professional volleyball player life?"

he gets sheepish, and every ounce of confidence completely thrown out the window.

"it's been great, yeah. i have the best teammates and the coolest job in the entire world. i do what i love and i get paid to do it, and i know most can't say the same," he looks down at his now empty water cup. you hum.

"why don't you seem happy then?"

he wants to cry, scream, pick you up and never let you go. his mind is racing. how is he supposed to tell you that he misses you, that everything in his life seems like it's missing a piece, how every accomplishment that he's had thus far loses some of it's sparkle, all because you aren't there to relish in that with him?

as he stares at you, right into your worry-filled eyes, fear washes over him. it's a similar fear to what he felt that night many years ago on his living room floor, fear of the unknown. except this time, he won't make the same mistake. right now, atsumu doesn't know when the next time he will see you will be, and instead of backing out, he jumps in head first.

"i miss you," he starts, nervously looking up into your gaze.

"but i'm right here," you laugh, but you know what he means.

"i miss us. for the past week, i've done nothing but think about us and how much i fucked up. i ruined everythin', all because i was young and stupid," he rambles, suddenly feeling overcome with emotion. you place your hand on top of his.

"of course we were stupid atsumu, we were teenagers," you console, rubbing your thumb on the back of his hand, the same hand you were playing with that night. he shakes his head.

"not anymore. were older, we've both done so much, i mean look at us. i just," he trails off, shaking his head. "i just miss ya. i love ya, i've never stopped either."

you sit in silence for a minute or so. your mind is a mess, so many thoughts going through your head. every failed date, every small relationship ended by yourself for reasons unknown, all receiving their answer right now.

it wasn't atsumu.

you'd be lying if you said you hadn't missed him. that night at the bar was heartbreaking, leading you to try and find someone else as soon as you could. after some time, and lots of maturing, you realized who you wanted to be with.

atsumu, the boy who remembers every detail of your life. atsumu, who refuses to let his food touch on his plate, no matter how much he's ridiculed for it. atsumu, who brings you flowers for every single occasion, or none at all.

atsumu, who loves you for you.

"i've missed you too, 'tsum. and if we're being honest," you exhale, long and slow, really thinking about your next words. "i love you, too."

atsumu feels relief, letting out a loud sigh, before lacing your fingers together across the table. he calls your name, before looking you right in the eyes.

"i have ya to myself again, and i can't let that go. somehow, i get a second chance and i'm not gonna mess it up, not again," he begins to tear up, laughing to himself out of embarrassment.

"how about i take ya out? i'm in town for another two weeks. i'll take ya out every night if ya let me. i just wanna start over."

you smile. hope fills your body, much like a deep breath after finally coming to the surface.

"i would like that."

[blacklegsanjiii]

This might be long as fuck BUT I can't stop thinking at this AU I did with Fem!Sanji and good!124ji

Reiju and Sanji are twins in this AU, and 124ji are triplets and younger than canon. To explain, before the TS Reiju and Sanji are 19 and 124ji are 14, and after the girls are 21 and the boys 16. Sora still dies when Sanji is 6, but this time there are the triplets who are 1 year and something. Since Judge don't care about his kids and just makes servants care of them, both girls start to take care of their little brothers. After all, even if what killed Sora was the amount of poison she drinked during the triplets pregnancy to stop the experiments and still didn't work, Reiju and Sanji could never hate their boys.

They pratically raise them for some time, until Judge locks Sanji in the dungeon. Reiju can't stop crying, because her father told her that her twin sister died. But she tries her best to take care of the triplets, her sister and mother would want that.

Two years later, Sanji hears Judge talking about how these boys, even if strong, are too emotional just like their failure of a sister (Sanji), and about a experiment to turn them into real robots. Sanji panics, thinking about her now 3 years old little brothers turned into machines. She yells, so loud, and makes so much noise that Reiju hears. The pink haired princess is surprised and horrified, even more after hearing what Judge is planning.

They make a plan, and less than a week later, they act. Reiju steals two boats, alongside some things that they can sell. While Sanji, free from the dungeon and the helmet, takes 124ji and go at the second boat. Reiju sinks the first ship, faking the deaths of the five of them. And they set sail.

After that, Reiju and Sanji raise their brothers alone. Is it a good idea, letting two traumatized 8 years old raise three 3 years old? No, actually. But it's their only choice. They make it. The girls sell one item at a time to have berries and food. It's a small boat but it's comfy and safe for them.

They live this way during two years, until a storm where Sanji falls from the boat, and stops at the rock. She is panicking. But there's no option other than praying her siblings are alive and she will stay alive until help comes. She meets Zeff, who don't understand the way this kid is panicking until she tells that her and her twin sister have been raising their little brothers alone for two years.

Then they're saved be Dracule Mihawk, who is with her siblings. All the siblings are relieved to see Sanji. After this, Mihawk starts to take care about the kids and later on, 01234ji meet the Warlords Hancock, Jinbei, Crocodile and Doflamingo, who all the adults start to care about them like parents do.

Zeff keeps contact because he started to care for the eggplant and her siblings and tells about Baratie. Sanji wants to work there, truly, because her dream is become a chef and find the All Blue, but she don't say anything since she has to help Reiju with their brothers. But Reiju just... knows, she knows Sanji wants this, but her sister is as selfless as Sora was so she more their parents talk with her to tell that it's okay if she wants to go work there.

Sanji start to work at Baratie after this, with a lot of letter and calls and visits. Until when she's 19 and she meets this StrawHat boy and join his crew. Canon happens except that East Blue Polycule happens (before the TS). This is until after TimeSkip where a while after the crew meet at Sabaody and they're talking when Sanji mentions something about "having siblings" and the others are curious. So she tells about her twin sister, Reiju, and her young brothers, Ichiji, Niji and Yonji, that are just one year younger than Chopper.

At some point, Robin says that the maths doesn't make sense and then Sanji tells about her and her sister raising the triplets since the boys were 3. This surprise everyone because this means Sanji was 8 and raising her brothers. Then they just ask so much, that she talks about her bio father who is a abusive asshole and that both twins started to raise the boys after their mother's death when Sanji was 6 and 124ji were 1 year old.

It's shocking for everyone but also makes sense thinking about how much Sanji's "caring and protective older sister" insticts kick in when she's with Chopper.

WCI happens but after Judge talk shit about Sanji he asks about the "other failures" since they left too and Sanji don't answer. She don't want to do so. Then Wano and Jinbei, one of her adoptive fathers, is in the crew now. And she can't help herself but ask "how are my siblings doing?" without caring if all the crew is hearing and Jinbei answers "they're doing great, daughter!" with shocks everyone. The news that Sanji and her siblings were adopted by the Warlords (Boa, Mihawk, Jinbei, Crocodile and Doflamingo) when Sanji and Reiju were 10 and 124ji 5 years old comes after this.

And the crew can't help but find amusing how happy and soft Sanji look while hearing about her siblings, how Niji is better at the kicking fight style, how Ichiji seems to have more interest about swords everyday, how Yonji is liking to make clothes, how Reiju is even better at making poisons. It's clearly how she truly loves her siblings

Then, when the StrawHats make an alliance with the Cross Guild and go to Karai Barai, Sanji's partnes finally meet all of Sanji's parents and siblings.

The StrawHats really like the triplets and Reiju, and it's kinda easy to find some habits the boys get from Sanji after so much time of the twins raising them. It's also easy to see how much the triplets look up at the sisters in a "in between old sis/mom" way.

They also walk on a lot of moments between the siblings, like Sanji teaching Niji a strong kick, baking with Yonji, reading a book with Ichiji, letting Reiju do her hair. It makes them warm, specially Luffy, Usopp, Zoro and Nami.

Okay, that's a lot but it's so good. Let's get crackin' with the Warlord!Vinsmokes. Sounds like a total fucking shitshow on all ends tbh and Mihawk has to be going grey so fucking fast, he has streaks full on rogue streaks during most of this. Okay. Also noticed an issue with the math if 124ji are five years younger that makes them one year older than Chopper, hope it's okay I went with that?

Reiju and Sanji being twin girls, Reiju a success more so than her younger twin. While both have emotions it seems far more innate to Sanji than Reiju who seems to have learned from Sora and Sanji during her younger years before she was banned from seeing Sora. Then they are introduced to their little brothers when they are five: Ichiji, Niji, and Yonji. They are named by what their powers were supposed to be hence them being out of order but it doesn't really matter, Sanji is deemed a failure either way. Especially after Sora dies and Sanji can't stop crying, she and Reiju have been taking care of their brothers since they were born basically. Sanji is six when she is thrown in the dungeon with her helmet and left to rot. Reiju is mourning her mother and her sister while trying to help raise her younger brothers and do as Judge orders. She is strung thing and wrapped around the triplets fingers. They don't know better, they're one, they don't know where their other sister is, don't really remember her. They do their best to comfort Reiju, which if you've ever been comforted by a toddler you know it's either the best or the worst, when she's crying.

Judge is wandering the dungeon discussing plans with some scientists when he mentions the boys, now three, are deemed failures like she is and the next experiment should fix that. Sanji screams, she's finding out she's been trapped for two years and their father plans to destroy the humanity of her baby brothers. It's loud and heart wrenching and earns her a beating from her father before he leaves. Reiju finds her later, eyes wide and filling with tears as Sanji cries at seeing her sister as well. The reunion is short and sad and Reiju is furious as she starts hatching a plan to get them out. When the plan is formed and prepped and arranged she gets Sanji and her brothers, Sanji and the triplets loaded into one boat and the other set off at the same time as Reiju makes it to her siblings and sinks the other one. They watch their home sink into the horizon as they leave and hold their brothers, who don't have memories of Sanji, ask Reiju who she is and what's going on. Reiju explains as best as she can to them, but they're three, they don't have the brain capacity to really understand exactly what's going on, just know they're going to be safe but it's going to be hard for a while. They travel for a while, selling jewelry to keep their boat in good condition and have food. It's going okay, surprisingly, for how young they are, they don't know if Judge is after them, can't find much in the papers and try not to think too hard about it. Then a storm hits and Sanji is thrown from the boat. They were near a pirate battle during the storm, could hear the cannons roar over the harsh winds and thunder.

Sanji wakes up on a rock with a geezer who is staring at her and she's staring back. He asks her about her dream and she remembers all the books she had servants bring her to the dungeon, the All Blue fresh in her mind and a good lie to avoid death by this old man of a pirate. He nods and tosses her the food bag and says he'll keep watch on the other side of the rock. Sanji rations her food out, she and Reiju used to rationing their shares to make sure the triplets could eat, now five as the eleven year old stares out over the sea and waits. Waiting for a boat, a few pass that can't see her or hear her. When she goes to find Zeff, crazed with hunger and finds the bag of treasure she starts sobbing and asking why. Why would he save her? Her? He answers they share the same dream. Sanji can't believe someone outside of her siblings would be kind to her, it's unrealistic in her eyes. When the next boat comes and Sanji is screaming, voice hoarse and dehydrated she thinks she's hallucinating when she sees the colorful heads below her with a man who is known to be extremely powerful on the seas. How they ended up with him is for later as they're saved. The five year olds piling on Sanji and demanding answers as Mihawk tends to Zeff and gets Reiju to set the sails and get them out of there. Mihawk helps Reiju when he's done so Reiju can check on her twin. Zeff is watching this all go down and asks Mihawk a few questions about how he got four brats, five now, technically. He answers there was a storm, likely the same one that put him and Sanji on the rock, where he found four kids crying and screaming in the rain for their sister as their boat filled with water and getting ready to capsize. So he fished them out and took them with him. Sanji is blinking at her siblings who are on top of her as Reiju scans over her sister and then holds her as well. Sanji is almost the same size as her siblings. With Zeff dropped off with a doctor and Sanji checked over and everything they thought confirmed, the five are taken with Mihawk to Kuriagana. Sanji is taken to Reiju's room, which only has one bed but that doesn't seem to bother the girls as Reiju pulls Sanji into her bed to sleep. Mihawk gets the boys settled as much as he can with the excitement of their sister joining them on the island. Sanji is jumpy because a powerful man is once again raising her and she flinches when he approaches too fast and quietly, when he raises a hand to her without making his intent known. Mihawk doesn't ask questions, just makes sure to announce his presence and ask her questions and if he can touch her. She recieves letters which she and Mihawk respond too, as he had seemed to grow fond of the blonde while they were on the rock and Sanji talked about cooking. He is getting ready to open a restaurant and has invited them to opening day. They go and 124ji enjoy the hustle and bustle of the establishment and it's fish shape as each of the now six year olds are paired with an elder to keep an eye on them. Sanji is particularly doted on by the staff and Zeff.

When Mihawk becomes a Warlord he wants to trust the five of them alone but he also knows Zeff will never let them to Baratie again if he does leave them on Kuriagana alone for an indeterminate amount of time so he takes them to the meetings with him, leaving them in the inn they're staying at for the first few until 124ji beg to come, they don't throw a fit but they can't go around town alone and the inn is boring and they're losing their minds. Father, please? So Mihawk relents and takes them as long as they promise to be quiet and behave because that means they get to leave sooner than later and go home. The triplets cheer as the twins giggle and they head off to the meeting. The other warlords stare at Mihawk and his children who come in and set up in the corner with coloring books. It goes fine for most of the meeting until the boys start fighting and Reiju and Sanji can't get them to calm down and so Mihawk excuses himself for a moment and goes and calms them down, and by that he takes Niji and Yonji back to the table with him, one under each arm as they're pouting. Crocodile asks him what the fuck he's doing and Mihawk explains his triplets begged to come and Mihawk let them if they behaved, they aren't behaving so their punishment is to sit at the table and listen to boring pirate topics. When Hancock asks about the girls Mihawk says they are utter darlings but he is trying to get them back into being children, it's a task. Jinbei nods and says that's part of his duties with the Sun Pirates and he is more than willing to help, as is Boa. Sir Crocodile keeps his mouth shut as Doflamingo takes one of the boys from his. Red eyes meet blue and Doflamingo asks where he even got the kids and Mihawk explains he fished Reiju and the triplets out of the ocean and found Sanji on a rock and it was pure coincidence to find their missing sister with Zeff on the rock, also the girls are twins despite the obvious size difference. Something happened and he hasn't pried. Once the meeting is finished and Mihawk is getting the kids ready to leave when four warlords approach and offer to take them to lunch which makes the boys cheer as Sanji hides behind Mihawk and Reiju stands guard. Hancock tries to get Sanji out from behind Mihawk but Croc tells her to stop scaring the kid. Mihawk asks the kids and the boys agree and Reiju nods her head wearily after making eye contact with Sanji. So they get lunch and Jinbei and Doffy play with the kids as Hancock asks what the girls are dressed in and says they need real clothes. Crocodile agrees all the kids need real clothes so now they're shopping much to Mihawk's dismay. The girls finally have some dresses and outfits that aren't for training, same with the boys. Mihawk sighs as he's told the kids are expected now, even by Crocodile. Jinbei and Hancock agree with the earlier assessment of the girls being utter darlings.

Over time they are entrusted to, or kidnapped by the other warlords when Mihawk has missions he needs to go on, when he doesn't have a choice in favor of his bounty being kept frozen so that he and the kids can still be peaceful more often than not. Baroque works loves the kids, Bon Clay still has the soft spot for dressing Sanji up but this time Reiju gets to join. Doflamingo has even more kids for the kids to play with and train with. Jinbei trains them in haki and meditation and starts them with fishman karate because it'd be a useful fighting style for them all to learn. Hancock tries to give them all extra education and teaches Sanji more kicks and martial arts that focus on legs specifically at Zeff and hers request. Easy enough to follow. Over time they all grow to adore the kids even more, they don't spoil them, heavens no. They are loved and adored though, spoiled with care from the five adults actively raising them and the man that is basically their grandfather who has Sanji helping at the restaurant until she's old enough to work there full time. She gets lots of calls, letters, visits from all of her family and it's vastly different from her time in Germa she sometimes doesn't believe it. Despite everyone telling her how proud they are and how loved she is. Mihawk, unknown for affection does place forehead kisses on her and Reiju on their eighteenth birthday with hugs to both of them, telling them how lucky he is they are his daughters. Especially with how much convincing it took from everyone to even get Sanji to take something for herself. Selfishness does not come easy to her, sure she wants things, wants experiences but she's always taking a backseat to her siblings, to her brothers and Reiju who are also telling her it's okay, that they're glad she's working and happy there. It's all they've wanted for her. She still doesn't take, she's smoking much to everyone's displeasure but at least she has a vice they suppose.

When Luffy destroys the Baratie and her father is visiting and lets some green haired guy live and leaves without so much as word to her and she joins the crew. Everything goes as canon for a while, just Sanji's a girl and it's known and she starts dating the other members of the crew before they hit the Grand Line. Does she break her back on Drum? Yes. Does anyone really know this? Nope, it's really just Chopper. She fights hard and is strong willed and it was her parents pride with how strong willed she and her siblings are to survive what they have. Then Sabaody happens and Zoro is transported to Kuriagana and looks at a pinkhaired Sanji and Ghost Girl staring at him as Mihawk is preparing to leave and tells the girls to take care of him. When he comes to he looks at Pink Sanji and asks when she changed her hair, he liked the blonde better and Perona and Reiju laugh at him thinking she's Sanji. They leave him be and Reiju leaves Kuriagana to stay out of the way.

When the crew gets back together Sanji makes an offhanded comment about siblings and Zoro mentions seeing a pinkhaired her on Kuriagana and Sanji laughs and mentions her sister and that's probably who he saw. When Zoro asks why she would be there Sanji just shrugs and says she doesn't know why she was there, she thought Reiju would be with their brothers. Robin asks how old her brothers are and Sanji mentions they'd be sixteen, that she and her twin sister raised them since the boys were one until she was forced to be absent due to some extenuating circumstances until the boys were three and they were reunited and on their own fully, two eight year olds sailing and raising three three year olds and everyone immediately shows concern, especially because her siblings were not at the Baratie with her. Sanji just smiles and doesn't let out who her parents are but it makes a lot of sense why she's fairly protective of Chopper, who's just a year younger than her brothers. Everyone is concerned about what's she said and the way she shrugs off what's happened to her. She's just happy to be with her partners again as she, Nami, Usopp, Luffy, and Zoro go to the captain's quarters to sleep and cuddle and be together again, they've all changed, but they're still them. Even after what's happened, even if Ace lived thanks to several warlords. One of which they see on Fishman Island and he seems close to both Luffy and Sanji for different reasons, the touches fatherly to both of them but one far more comfortable to the blonde than the straw hat.

When Sanji sacrifices herself for her partners and crew and deals with Germa alone for the most part, taking beatings from Judge at her arrogance for being alive. Sanji stares at the girl she's supposed to marry, the same age as her brother's which is kind of gross. She doesn't like the whole situation that's going on, even after she beats Luffy and tries to leave the crew twice over her time there and fights against and with Germa at separate points she sees one of her fathers coming to help the escape. Nami and Luffy hold her once they're relatively safe and headed to Wano, even as Judge lays into her for her brothers and sister being failures with her, asking if they're dead. Which they're not and she says so, but he'll have to work to get to them and it won't be easy. He'll lose if he tries. Judge glares as he leaves her with her partners and crew and she's so exhausted as she's closed in on. When they reach Wano and everyone is reunited Jinbei scolds Sanji lightly that this is not how they raised her. Sanji laughs and asks how her siblings are and Jinbei laughs and tells her they are well, that they are with one of her other parents as he's lost track of who is where and what is going on with them all. Luffy asks what that means and Jinbei raises a curious eyebrow as Law comments he thought she was raised by that one old guy in the East Blue with a fish shaped restaurant. Sanji says that's her grandfather but she and her siblings were raised by five of the seven warlords of the sea and she's helped take down two of them because it's funny and would make them proud. Robin realizes she's the triplets older sister and she's the Sanji Crocodile had talked about and how he was raising five brats with four of the other warlords including Doflamingo. So Robin asks why Doflamingo still tried to kill her and she answers it was more of a test against her and the crew. Sanji is of course waving this all off because she was raised by the man and it was far better than Judge and Germa and her parents were decent for who they are. Zoro confirms Mihawk is one and Jinbei has already confessed to being one and the last one is Hancock who Luffy complains about her being obsessed with him despite him dating four people. When Jinbei asks which four and Luffy names the East Blue crew, he just nods and says he approves but that is up to Sanji's other parents and her siblings to be responsible for shovel talks, he will not partake. Wano goes well luckily, even with the raid suit she discovers was slipped in somewhere enacting her modifications she didn't know she had. When it's all said and done and she's supposed to be injured like the other two thirds of the trio but isn't she just feels slightly despondent. She covers it well as they celebrate and party and she does what she does best which is cook and care for others.

When the head to Karai Bari for an alliance with the Cross Guild despite Nami, Luffy, and Zoro's hatred for the clown and Croc, which she gets whole heartedly after becoming friends with Vivi but she's just so excited to see her family again on friendly terms and see her brothers. She's so fucking pumped as they make landfall and the triplets welcome them to the Cross Guild as they crowd her once they're on solid land and Mihawk is also there to greet them with a soft smile on his face as she tells him the cat's out of the bag, and they all know he's one of her dads. He rolls his eyes as he pulls her into a hug and says it's good to see her alive and well and that with Jinbei here the whole family is there. The boys are cheering as they act more like twelve-year-olds than sixteen-year-olds like they should be. Especially for children of the Warlords and Sanji is just smiling and listening to their stories as Niji complains no one is teaching him like they taught her and she says he needs to ask Mama not their dads about kicks. Besides he was taught Fishman Karate too, and while she doesn't use the actual martial art of it she does incorporate it into her repertoire but she will spend time with him to train as Jinbei leans into Mihawk and whisper some things to him which makes him frown heavily and flick his eyes to the crew as they find Buggy and the other former Warlords.

Are the East Blue crew given a multitude of shove talks? Yes. Do they mind? Yes, except for Luffy who laughs at them all. Sanji spends a lot of time with her siblings and parents and the crew notices habits she's picked up from them and what her brothers have picked up from her. Niji likes to fight with her style, Yonji likes to cook like her but doesn't want to make it a whole career like she does, just likes to use it like its science which in a way is right but she watches in horror sometimes at what he's doing. Ichiji seems to be coming up in a very military way because he wants to help protect those he cares for especially after what happened to Amazon Lily and everything. Sanji says that's understandable and Ichiji asks what it was like seeing their birth father again and Sanji says it wasn't great. Says it was a lot like growing up there and Ichiji frowns because he and their brothers don't remember and Sanji says that's good, that was her and Reiju's goal but Ichiji points out she has to deal with it. Sanji just ruffles his hair and leaves it at that. She lets Reiju dress her up and do her hair. Compared to what the rescue team saw and heard this is a complete 180, which they're thankful for, because they see people pushing Sanji to be selfish just like they have.

[edens-serigala]

please enjoy this usosan brainrot

usosan cuddles. usosan cuddles. usosan cuddles.

they're these casual, desperately intimate things that often just happen with no warning.

mid-conversation, just after a fight, first thing in the morning, as sanji is going around serving people during meal times/parties, because they want to. any time is a good time for a hug.

and they're always really warm to.

usopp likes to rest his head against sanji's shoulder or collarbone, which is perfect because sanji likes to rest his chin on usopp's head.

for usopp, it makes him feel protected, he likes feeling small when sanji has him, it makes the world a little less intense somehow.

for sanji, he likes how soft usopp's hair is, loves taking any opportunity he can to pet it, to tuck it behind usopp's ear (so he can kiss said ear), loves the little noises sanji isn't sure usopp is fully aware he's making.

it either takes years for usopp to realise as such, or seconds, that anytime he asks, sanji will be there.

if he needs help, sanji will be there.

if he doesn't need help, but wants it anyway, sanji will be there.

sanji will always come to usopp.

usopp forever has an ally in his corner and neither really acknowledge it because no one really acknowledges gravity or what it's like to breathe, either, it's just nature.

what usopp does know, though, is that sanji really likes flowers.

sanji tried to pot some pretty bluebells whilst they were still on the merry but he couldn't do very much because he was scared of the worms in the soil, and usopp was strangely sad over the little garden's loss in particular when they got the sunny.

during the timeskip, usopp learned to take care of bluebells and other flower breeds alongside his pop green ingredients, and he brought some back with him to sabaody and in the week sanji hadn't arrived yet, he set up a plot just for sanji's flowers.

unfortunately, when sanji finally arrived, usopp got really shy, and didn't tell sanji for days that he had made the garden for sanji.

it took nami's prompting to spill, and sanji loved the gesture, thought the flowers were so pretty, thanking usopp so much (honestly usopp kind of disagreed. the flowers were pretty? sanji was pretty. the flowers didn't compare.)

usopp had the habit of biting his nails for years, and it still returns every now and then when usopp is particularly stressed.well, sanji has become perceptive of when this is happening and he likes to take the time to do up usopp's nails all pretty - clean them, file them to be uniform, gently, so gently rub in lotion, and just hold usopp's hands ('s what got me to break the habit).

in a way it has the opposite effect on usopp, because it's just so nice to be pampered like that, that usopp's kind of addicted to sanji holding his hands.

if sanji needs a second opinion on colour combinations for desserts or anything at all, he will got to usopp 11/10 times.

they often spend evenings together, especially in the autumn/winter months when the sun falls earlier.

there's a peace to the night that makes their heads quiet for once.

sometimes usopp will be in sanji's lap, leaning against his chest.

other times, sanji will be.

sometimes, they stargaze, other times they just daydream together, other times they tell each other all their thoughts, other times still they're just silent and comfortable.

[musubiki]

most recent story development in my brain: ive decided to actually seperate taffy and coco during the timeskip

initially i had it that taffy sticks with coco because he has nowhere to go and they eventually get together over the timeskip. the new version is that he runs away and disappears right before mochi leaves

in my head i see him as the type to run away after what mochi and coco do for him-- after coco put in so much effort and time advocating for him because she saw that there were traces of a good person under his antagonistic nature, and after mochi beat his ass for the final time and finally cleared his curse, he doesnt know what to do with himself.

the rest of the guild at that point (mochi included) has an attitude of "We know why you were the way you were. Now that there's no reason for you to hate us, you're free to go where you want. You can even stay with us." and this sentiment eats him alive. the guilt he feels is insane. the fact that he spent months (years?) trying to ruin mochi, brewing in bitterness and rage and all of a sudden all of that is gone and replaced with forgiveness and warmth is unbearable and he cant stand it, so he leaves.

this is all coupled with his feelings for coco and the attitude on his end of "I don't deserve this. I don't deserve her. All I can do is bring them down. All I can do is bring her down. I have no right to stay here. I have no right to want to stay here."

so theres a pivotal scene in my head where he has all these thoughts, standing right outside the side door to mochis house hearing them all chattering inside, and has a long moment of hesitation before going inside. in the OLD version coco opens the door before he can make up his mind and forces him inside with the rest of them, but in the NEW version i think its much more taffy-like if hes gone by the time she notices and gets to the door

(tldr timeline: mochi removes his curse -> he disappears -> he only appears for the last amanita fight because really thats HIS fight as much as it is mochis -> he leaves again RIGHT after. i imagine coco tried to stop him or say goodbye but this man is notoriously good at escaping quickly)

and so timeskip-wise coco attends university on her own. she keeps in touch with oscar and lime (more oscar than lime) and while she never directly set out to look for taffy, there was always that desire to look for him in a crowd or something, maybe hoping to run into him at random or that he would show up out of nowhere like he did the first time.

I'm not totally sure what he does during the timeskip then. something far away from coco and the guild, but somewhere close to the ocean because he could never find it in him to stray too far from it for too long. maybe lost his touch with water magic a bit because he was too afraid and guilt-ridden to use it. never really stopped thinking about coco but couldnt muster up the courage to go find her again. for YEARS hes convinced that she doesnt want to see him and he wouldnt do anything to make her life better. hes done too much to all of them for them to ever accept him, he thinks.

until one day coco just. shows up. after tracking him down (with mochi and sulluvans help). sitting on a barrel at the docks he works at in some city somewhere, eating some cotton candy she bought at the docks like "Heyo! Mochi needs another guild member, and you kinda owe us one, soooo..."

[add1ctedt0you]

I read your zhanchengxian post and I feel the same. So Ive got a question: do you know of any fic with timeskip zhancheng where canon is substantially changed by it? I'd love to read one is why I'm asking

Hi! I am happy to know someone agrees with me! Anyway, I've not read a fic like that, sorry, but I've this habit of saving for later fics and never read them, so I've got some recs, even though I've never read these fics.

Fic (I've never read but seems zhancheng timeskip ~ canon divergent):

time waits for no one by adasinon

“Ah, Er-gege,” Wei Ying forces yet another laugh, it is breathless and helpless, and painful as always. “So inappropriate. What would Jiang Cheng say?”

Lan Zhan doesn’t recoil, or laugh. He really has changed.

“You didn’t tell us you’re injured,” Lan Zhan gently moves his arm around, dotes on Wei Ying like he cares for him the way Wei Ying wishes him to. He’s convincing, for sure, and Wei Ying tries not to pretend his delusions are coming true.

(Years ago, Wei Ying went to Lanling on his own, and died during the ambush. He returns to a changed world, where the loves of his life have seemingly been doing better without him.)

((Established Zhancheng, but we all know where this is going))

Fics set during Sunshot campaign:

Wonder of all Walkers by CoolTapes

Lan Wangji and Jiang Wanyin search for Wei Wuxian, rescue a dog, and fall in love.

Let Me Hear The Sound Your Heart Makes by Nantai

In a universe where you can hear any music your soulmate makes (be it singing or playing an instrument or just humming under your breath) Jiāng Chéng often hears his soulmates play together, but he doesn't dare join in. Because he knows Wèi Wúxiàn can't be his soulmate and Jiāng Chéng certainly won't come between him and Lán Wàngjī.

This changes when Wèi Wúxiàn goes missing during the Sunshot Campaign.

moored by fluffysocks

Lan Wangji comes over and they kiss. Lan Wangji comes over and they have tea.

Lan Wangji comes over and they talk.

It turns out that the available study materials are contradictory and unenlightening.

Fics I've read and enjoyed, that portray an interesting zhancheng dynamic during wwx's death (they don't reach canon, being set during the timeskip, but they set the mood actually)

mirror-bright scale by sugar_shoal

It's a serie! Dragon!LWJ AU, that follows canon events. At the moment there are only two fics about snippets of zhancheng moments, but it's not completed! First fic:

The Care and Keeping of Dragon Pearls by sugar_shoal

Lan Zhan's mother wore Qingheng-jun’s pearl around her neck, as big as Lan Zhan’s small fist; he stared up at it. Tints of gold shimmered in its surface, the same gold as Lan Zhan’s father’s eyes, his father’s qi. But despite the warm colors it still appeared cold to him, fastened around her neck with a chain. He touched his own smaller, paler pearl that rested in the hollow of his throat.

Lan Wangji always watches Jiang Wanyin with rapt attention. So he sees the moment of startled joy when Wanyin opens the small silver-inlaid box and realizes what it contains, the warmth that brightens his eyes. He sees when that brightness dims.

* * *

Jiang Wanyin closes the box and holds it back out to him. “Wangji,” he says, “I can’t take this from you.”

Beyond the Autumn Waters by omphalos

Two days after the first siege of the Burial Mounds, Jiang Cheng returns there to hunt for Suibian. What he finds is something completely different, but he takes it home all the same.

A found family and friendship AU that branches from canon shortly after Wei Wuxian’s death and covers the period until just before his return.

(this last one is not jgy friendly- and it's not tagged-, I don't know if it's a deal-breaker or not, but be mindful!)

[raayllum]

How Terry and Claudia Compare / Contrast Rayllum in S4

So Terry/Claudia and Rayla/Callum parallel each other as couples. Let’s talk about it.

Intro

The first is their set up, after all:

Rayla and Claudia have been foils ever since the first season. Both failing their fathers in 1x03, with Claudia letting the egg slip through her fingers and Rayla taking a hard stance against Runaan. Them being pushed into their fathers’ death seeking paths of dark mage and assassin, and being pushed further into those roles in S4, somewhat or downright reluctantly. Wandering Xadia for two years on a quest regarding Viren — one to save him, one to kill him. 

Then you have Terry and Callum’s parallels. Both are concerned with their names in 4x01, agency in 4x07, and feelings, well, throughout. In some ways their differences are more pronounced in S4 because of what Callum has been through and their differing trauma; for Callum, he chose to shut down. For Terry, he decided that he would be “strong enough to do whatever [he] needs to do and still have feelings — to feel all the feelings” (4x07). But I’d wager if we put Arc 1 Callum next to S4 Terry, their goofier, sweeter natures would stand out even more — even with their “trees to meet you” notwithstanding. 

Not that this is how the parallels always go. Callum and Claudia are both mages and Aaravos’ pawns with Rayla and Terry along for the ride. Rayla and Terry also have parallels (“I think too much, get confused about the right thing to do” —1x08 / “Claudia says I think too much about everything, and that it makes me weird, and wonderful, so” —4x07). 

However, we’ll return more specifically to the Claudia-Rayla, Terry-Callum parallels later in regards to S5 speculation, so put a pin in that. For now, let’s just look at episode set up and contrast, beginning sparingly in 

4x01 — Partnership VS Isolation 

On Callum’s birthday, and Viren’s re-birthday, the final two scenes of the episode both feature couples, introducing where each currently are in ways the episode hadn’t previously prioritized establishing. 

In Claudia’s final scene in 4x01, we meet Terry and learn that they began dating during the timeskip. In Callum’s final scene in 4x01, we learn that Rayla’s been gone for at least a year if not longer, and that Callum’s worried sick / still madly in love with her. The contrast is immediate and apparent, amplified by Janai and Amaya’s engagement earlier on in the episode; two couples are happy together — hell, even Claudia is happy and with an elf no less, but Callum’s previously rock solid partnership has broken apart. He’s alone. [If you’re interested in a more thorough breakdown of this aspect and indeed 4x01 in general, please check out this meta regarding 4x01 and this one about 4x02.]

Where one couple came together during the timeskip, another fell apart, both featuring a human mage with abandonment issues and an elf with too good a heart and one too many thoughts (but again, more on that later).

We of course have the parallels already demonstrated above of Callum and Terry meeting their girlfriend’s father, respectively. Terry, by virtue of having a season sharing screentime with Viren, gets to develop a much more fleshed out relationship with him than Callum does with Ethari. What’s interesting, however, is that Terry is concerned (somewhat) with Viren’s approval, and he doesn’t comment often on Claudia and Viren’s actual dynamic, even if he does nudge at it:

This is a direct contrast to Callum, who does vehemently challenge the assigned role and treatment Rayla receives upon her homecoming and reunion with Ethari:

Claudia has also suffered greatly to bring her father back to the dead, Terry seemingly witnessing most of that, a tantamount of trauma being the reason Terry probably does step back and let her steer the ship (even more so than Viren does in S4, but getting off topic again). I think it speaks to Rayllum vs Clauderry’s roots - one was formed on the basis of a shared goal (returning Zym) vs supporting a singular goal primarily driven by one of them (resurrecting Claudia’s father), and then tag teaming their way through. 

However, Ethari does take to Callum quickly when all is said and done, however brief, whereas the first time Viren seems to really consider Terry is in 4x04, but we’ll get there when we get there. For now, let’s talk about the episode that probably has some of the biggest and most overt parallels between these two couples in the season, which is

4x03 - Mornings and Murder

We cut from Rayllum at nighttime, despondent and salvaging something of a reunion that didn’t go the way either of them actually want, to Claudia and Terry, flirting and talking happily even and bathed in the rising sunlight even if they’re about to attempt something dangerous. 

Then we get an exchange from Claudia and Terry that should feel eerily familiar, in both dialogue and in action:

Rayla: Just one more thing. I go into the portal alone. Callum: Rayla—

Rayla: No. You said it was dangerous. I’m not going to risk both of us. Callum: Fine. But the second it seems like you’re in danger, I’m jumping in after you. 

Terry: But since you’re going in alone, you need to promise me you’ll signal if you need help. 

A bag is handed over, a deal is made, and we see Rayla and Claudia offer more of their independent streaks (“It’s down to me, isn’t it? Of course it is” —Rayla, 1x05 / “It’s up to me again, she thought. It’s always up to me” —Claudia, Lost Child short story) in the face of boyfriends who would really prefer they don’t risk themselves like this. Now for Terry, this does make more sense — his plant powers are useful when he has the element of surprise, but he doesn’t seem like a particularly combative elf or that he has much of a background in fighting — whereas Callum is perfectly capable of both of those things as a mage. However, Terry is still the one to bail Claudia out, much like how Callum ends up saving Rayla and helping them both escape in Through the Moon, and we see Rayla’s duality — Callum is allowed to risk his life for the things he believes in, and she’ll even encourage and offer to fight by his side, when those things aren’t her.

Rayllum do get a sweet morning scene in 4x03, though, with Terry tending to Claudia’s hair, and Rayla taking care of well, her prince’s less than dignified drool, but the softness remains largely the same (even if, like Claudia, she departs at the end of the scene).

The bulk and perhaps most immediate parallel, though, is how much Rayla and Callum are tied to Claudia and Terry through Ezran’s speech. While it is about many things and a reiteration of the show’s overall themes of breaking the cycle of violence and vengeance, it is also applying more literally to both Claudia’s ongoing fight with Ibis in the first half of his speech, and Callum’s feelings about Rayla throughout the season in the second half of his speech.

Ezran: It hurts! I feel pain about this and I am angry! We all want peace and we all want love. But violence tests us. In a twisted way, it converts us to its cause. Because pain and loss feel so terrible inside, you want to hate. You want to hurt someone else. So what do we do? How can we stop this cycle? Violence, loss, pain. Violence, loss, pain. More violence. Stop! Stop. I just want to yell stop. But that’s not enough. It won’t work. 

Ezran: But… It’s not that easy or simple. Because people are still hurting and they are still angry. We can’t ignore that, or pretend it will go away. Somehow, we have to hold it all in our hearts at the same time. We have to acknowledge the weight of the pain and loss, but open up our eyes and allow ourselves to hope and maybe forgive and love again.

Callum: You’re right, though. It feels silly with everything that’s going on, but... I don’t know how to feel about Rayla either.  Ezran: She’s been trying hard to get things back like they were. Callum: But things aren’t like they were. And she messed them up! And when she came back, I was so happy but so mad at the same time. I wish I could just forgive her, but it—it—it’s so hard. 

The most worrisome thing, however, even if we don’t know which side of Rayllum (or possibly both) it may parallel in the future is what Terry infamously does for Claudia. 

Now, there’s the obvious takeaways here: the parallels between this scene and Soren stabbing Viren in 3x09; the fact that Claudia’s path will continue to perpetuate the cycle and hurt the people she loves by proxy; the way the Dragon Prince rarely portrays murder in a less than devastating note; to further Terry’s character and his unique role to play; to offer up parallels to Viren that are explored next episode and even Callum later on in the season; and last but not least to harken back to Runaan’s words that Claudia definitely hasn’t lived by—“Life is valuable. Life is precious. We take it, but we do not take it lightly.” 

But Ibis’ murder and Terry’s subsequent breakdown over taking a life does raise certain questions about Callum and Rayla going forward in two key ways, respectively. Rayla’s is the most straight forward so I’ll start there.

One of the ways that Terry and Rayla are most bound, currently, is their relationship to killing. For the first three seasons, Rayla is primarily an assassin who has never taken a life, something that is a source of shame, transformation, and occasional pride for her (although not often). It is in fact her level of doubt / belief in her own inevitability of failure that pressures into her concluding that Viren is secretly, somehow alive, propelling her to leave in Through the Moon. Then 4x03 gives us Terry, a similarly good hearted elf, who flat out breaks down sobbing after taking an innocent life - and admittedly one that was about to take Claudia’s. Then you have Callum later on in the season, for a variety of complicated reasons and muddled emotionally processing on all ends, asking Rayla to do the same thing. To take his life before he can hurt someone else - the people he cares about, as the camera pans right to showing her in the shot. Ouch. 

It’s pretty clear that Rayla will not successfully and/or permanently murder Callum, if she’s even willing to attempt it at all, even in self defense. However, through Terry, the show explores the heaviness of doing something terrible largely against your will, under the burden of desperation or threat of coercion, something that both Callum and Rayla are going to have to wrestle with. For Callum, he’s already grappling with it (“I’m afraid he’ll force me to do awful things”), and for Rayla, she’ll be forced to wrestle with it at the same time as him if Aaravos does take him over again. 

This is also where Callum’s parallels to Terry gets particularly interesting as well. The Dragon Prince repeatedly frames murder in the face of self defense (specifically in defense of someone else) as something that removes agency: 

This is exactly what Callum is worried about - having no choice because of Aaravos’ ability to possess him - even if there could be other forms of coercion and manipulation at play. Viren did plenty of terrible things to protect his family and says as much outright in 4x04; Soren did something awful to protect Ezran in 3x09; and Viren was prepared to do something awful but “necessary” in murdering a baby, even if he didn’t go through with it, pulled in by the allure of power. 

Which is to say: Rayla’s test of love will probably be refusing to kill Callum, and working to save him from possession. Thus, that begs the question of what Callum’s test will be, specifically: What will he do to protect his loved ones, perhaps Rayla in particular?

Only time can tell, but I think S5 is setting up to see the lengths Callum and Terry will be willing to go to, and what their respective girlfriends are willing, or not willing, to ask of them, in order to save their girlfriends’ parents, and/or to free/stop Aaravos in the first place. 

But that’s all speculative. For now I want to talk about one of the smaller but still sweet parallels in the season, as well as one of the more interesting tradeoffs. 

4x04 - Watching Your Lover Sleep / The Middle of the Night

There are four scenes this season where Character A watches Character B, with whom they have/had a romantic entanglement, sleep, which isn’t a ton but is still funny that it happened four times. I’ve already talked about one of them in 4x03 with Rayla watching Callum sleep. 4x04 boasts the second one (and the only one that doesn’t involve Callum at all) with Terry watching Claudia sleep, and is also one of my favourite scenes for their dynamic.

Then Callum and Rayla have another one, in 4x06 (which is also one of my favourite pining Rayla looks, ever). 

Last but not least we have Claudia also overlooking a sleeping Callum in 4x09, but with a decidedly different reaction compared to the previous three scenes.

Then of course, you have the parallels in 4x04 of Terry and Rayla both sobbing in the middle of the night, accidentally waking Viren and Callum respectively. Again, their similarities and differences between all four are highlighted in a quite clear contrast. Terry is apologetic but opens up without hesitation, while Viren mostly silently listens, sympathizes somewhat, and then offers his “Get a grip” and goes back to sleep. Meanwhile upon being caught, Rayla attempts to shut Callum out four times (“Get away from me” + pushing him away, running away, pushing him away again + “Please leave me alone, I don’t want you to see me like this,” and walking away when he attempts to put a hand on her shoulder). Callum, however, persists, and says all the right things, leading to a much better resolution, even if the weight of Rayla’s failure and exile hasn’t entirely left her.

Now for the last episode specific focus, which is:

4x09 - Hand over Heart 

The season finale brings both couples, somewhat, to a crossroads of sorts. Rayla, for her part, sees Viren again, and has her own two cakes moment: can she chase what she feels she has to do, her self-proclaimed duty, without risking the loss of Callum - whether as a person to death, or as a partner? And Callum, for a variety of complex reasons, says “Yes,” she can. 

Rayla’s drive causes her to clash directly with Claudia, as she takes Terry hostage and Claudia turns the tables on her, flaunting the coins. But where Callum gives a complicated ‘approval’ and show of unconditional love, Terry rightfully pulls Claudia back to herself through his disapproval. 

T: But what you just did, the way you tricked that Moonshadow elf? It was just... cruel. 

On a surface level, we can read Callum’s “I know” as him finally believing in Rayla’s reason (even if I don’t think that’s quite right), but I do think it’s interesting, then, that Claudia giving back the coins is what allowed each girl to ‘come back’ in a way. For Rayla, it was a literal return (as who knows if she would’ve left the cave, or not gone after the mage fam further, without the need/desire to protect the coins) and for Claudia, an emotional/metaphorical one. 

With some final, heartbreaking 4x09 specific parallels to boot:

Honourary Mentions

Other fun parallels that didn’t fit an episode focus:

Callum and Terry’s first scenes in episode 4x01, in some ways largely opening and closing their respective plot lines (A plot in Katolis, B plot in the cave) are focused on their names. Callum stumbles through his different titles while Terry emphasizes his own name, amid trying to figure out which title, if any, he should use for Viren.

This is then impressed upon further with the emphasis on agency in 4x07.

The fact that Terry and Callum are both recipients of canonical panic attacks.

Worry over their girls not being back yet, although for Terry it is of course a much, much briefer separation. (Terry, interestingly enough, also waltzes in and saves Claudia from Soren’s impromptu ‘kidnapping’ / restraining, for lack of a better word.)

Last but not least, I want to talk a little bit more about the Rayla-Claudia parallels this season. It’s a little tricky, as most of their big parallels have to do more with Viren-Callum and Claudia-Rayla, respectively, with the bulk of the Clauderry-Rayllum ones listed up above. However, there are still some worth mentioning.

Rayla and Claudia are both defined by the parents who chose to leave (and to not come back, for forever if not years). They are both acting more and more like their fathers (Rayla with Runaan, and Claudia with Viren) as they also work to one day free/save them in S5. Rayla is far more jaded than she used to be, and Claudia is likewise increasingly unstable, even if both girl fronts decently well at being ‘fine’ most of the time. I am deeply curious to see where they will go as individuals and where their relationships with Terry and Callum will go, as well - whether each one will get better, worse, or something in between. Luckily, just a little over one more month to find out!

In Conclusion

Rayla and Callum have always been the pairing in the show the most prone to having parallels with the show’s other main couples. From a kiss-embrace-forehead touch like the Queens of Duren, holding hands while vowing to protect Azymondias like Lain and Tiadrin, sadly watching your loved one disappear onto the horizon to save someone like Harrow and Sarai, or a bittersweet goodbye kiss initiated by an elf who’s too self sacrificial for their own good like Runaan and Ethari, it seems Rayllum’s parallels to Claudia/Terry are no exception.

It makes me wonder if beyond S5, and if Claudia and Terry to have a physical-ideological split, if Callum and Rayla will also factor into what helps Claudia and Terry repair their dynamic. Forgiveness and being able to move forward, together, are tenets that Callum and Rayla still very much have to learn  - but maybe they could pass it onto someone else, someday, too. 

[welcometogrouchland]

Btw the reason why the hexsquad had kinda weird Grom outfits in the photo set during the timeskip is bc their junior Grom was themed "back to the 'fraidies" (pun on 80s) and was one of those cheesy vintage themed school dances. They're all wearing old outfits scoured from thrift stores and their parents closets.

Speaking of, the entire hagsquad was there to chaperone and they spent the night being nostalgic and sorting out their own issues (bc their own Grom was very very Messy. The dalador friendship breakup happened here, there was tension between Lilith and Eda over it being the first year Eda had a date (Raine, who had drama at home that year and ended up crashing on the Clawthorne's couch after Grom rather than going home) instead of going stag w/ Lilith, who almost didn't come that year, but ended up going with Perry Porter, who was generally just kind of awkward around his miserable "date" the whole night. It Was Not Fun)

The soundtrack was boppin' and the fashion was horrendous. Darius and Alador made out that night in a corridor. The school, led by Gus, teamed up to defeat Grom permanently. Bump announced his retirement and Eda cried. Overall fun night!