#siren type shit fr fr

[starry-bi-sky]

i have been unmedicated for the entirety of spring break and thus have had little interest in writing this down, but i have been thinking about this for the entire week (as well as a dpdc clone danny au that resulted in it becoming its entirely separate batman au that includes a teenage vigilante bruce wayne, an ocarina, and me entirely incapable of making a batman au without making bruce dirt poor but we're not talking about that) and so i've finally went 'fuck it' and forcibly grabbed my laptop. I will get this done in one sitting even if it kills me.

BUT. This is about neither clone^2 danny nor about who i am calling Ocarina Batman. This is about my Danyal Al Ghul Au and more SPECIFICALLY it's me thinking about his relationship with Sam and Tucker specifically.

Tucker and Sam? Adore this asshole (affectionate) with every fiber of their being. And it is very much a reciprocated feeling, but Danny's thoughts will not be delved into much other than he would kill for them.

Tucker? The only person currently capable of getting a deep, loud, belly laugh out of Danny. Sam can get him to smile and to laugh, but it's the kind that's a chuckle-under-the-breath. The quiet, looks-down-while-huffing laughter. Snorts once with laughter and then grins stupidly.

But Tucker? Tucker can crack a slew of stupid jokes and Danny will be incapacitated for the next five minutes because he's laughing so hard that he can't breath. He lands one well-timed pun or quip and Danny will be close to tears. His laughter is their favorite sound in the whole world.

Sam is lowkey jealous of this ability, and she's gotten a belly laugh out of Danny a few times. But alas, it is Tucker who wields this power and has gotten it the most times out of the two of them.

-

They're also both physically affectionate with Danny as much as possible. It started roughly around when they were 12-ish, a year since they befriended Danny, and they noticed that he sought after touch but never seemed to initiate (and was in some ways repulsed by it). They started slowly being more touchy with him. Hooking a finger around his to lead him somewhere, tapping his wrist, looping arms. Little touches, grabs, etc, to get him used to it, and once he started doing it back they started increasing it.

It's gotten to a point where he will now just. Lay on them. Like a lizard sunbathing on a rock. Leaning on their backs when they're sitting in class before the bell rings, his chin on their heads. He'll talk about anything with his arms looped around their shoulders.

If they're sitting on a couch at either of their houses, he'll lay his legs on theirs. Him and Tucker will press their feet against the other's and try and push against them (newsflash: Danny always wins, Tucker claims its the ghost strength but Danny's been winning since before his accident)

-

Naturally, both Sam and Tucker know where Danny keeps his weapons on his person, and are allowed to grab them off of him if they need it. His only requirement is that they don't lose his weapons if they take it and forget to return it immediately.

They both understand how big of a thing this is from Danny, and so they do their best to treat his weapons with a lot of respect and care because they know its his way of saying he trusts them.

-

Sam and Tucker are so fond of Danny it's insane. Like fr. That's their goddamn best friend, and they are so protective of him. Emotionally, physically, you name it. They will tear the head off a grown man if they need to, Danny's had scars since he arrived in Amity Park and Sam and Tucker both are going to find the person who put them there and make them pay for it.

One time, Tucker overheard a bunch of upperclass girls speaking nastily about Danny and about the rumors surrounding him, calling him names like 'freak', 'monster', etc. Danny was with him and heard it, and seemingly appeared unbothered by it, even telling Tucker that he was used to such rumors.

Tucker was so furious that hacked into the school system later that night and tanked those girls grades. They were kicked out of their clubs and had to go to mandatory tutoring for the rest of the year. He made sure to leave some way of letting them know it was him who did it.

And Sam doesn't like using her money for things, doesn't like abusing that wealth. So instead, whenever her parents talk bad about Danny, she causes a media incident that has her parents scrambling to deal with. She does something wild, outrageous by her parents' standards.

She heard some boys on the basketball team making fun of Danny once, similar to those girls had. She kicks up a fuss about something eco-unfriendly at school and forcibly holds a protest on the same day of the big home basketball game, forcing them to cancel the event and reschedule to a visiting school.

She anonymously donates money so that there's new uniforms for the team but oops! Looks like she "forgot" to donate enough money for them to get uniforms for all the team members, and strangely enough those boys in particular didn't get them! Looks like they'll have to wait until more money gets donated for the basketball team to get their new, nice uniforms. The old ones look so ratty in comparison, right?

And since the football team gets most of the sport money, that might just take awhile. And if (and when) they kick up a fuss? oops! Off the basketball team you go, :) such unsportsman-like behavior is unfit for the team.

(The only good thing about how corrupt the school system is is that she can use it to her advantage too.)

The both of them know that Danny suspects them for the sudden misfortune falling on these people, but he doesn't call them out on it. He's kinder than he used to be, but not kind enough to vouch for people who speak badly of him. Sometimes, he might just congratulate them on not getting caught.

Because Danny is their wonderful, hurt friend with a "slightly" Blue and Orange Moral code, and enough scars that people have been calling him a criminal (and worse) since he arrived in Amity Park when he was ten. And they'll be damned if he gets hurt anymore.

[milgram-tournament]

MILGRAM Best Song Tournament, Round 1, Match 6 ALL KNOWING AND ALL AGONY vs. TEAR DROP

Propaganda for both options under the cut!

Propaganda for AKAA:

"AKAA is wonderful song with such bitter irony, bc that doesn't look like song someone who was voted inno… And we know more about Haruka! we see his mother! AND "MAKE MY DREAMU COME TRUE"??? NO I AM NOT CRYING YOU ARE CRYING (also I should say this is first song i heard and I love AKAA so, so much <3 let's do it <3)"

---

1. It establishes so much of Haruka's character and backstory that was omitted from Weakness!! It helps shape Haruka's character so much and really helped with voting.

2.THE VOCALS OH MY GOD. This song really lets the voice of Haruka's VA shine!! It has some really nice growls but also has that soft part in the bridge!!

Overall it's just really good I love Haruka Sakurai

---

Propaganda for AKAA:

Definitely one of the most hype songs from T2

The vocals are Banging

Absolutely love the taxidermy symbolism

Haruka is a sad little puppy

Everyone stand for the Mommy Issues Athem 🫡

Propaganda for TEAR DROP:

"yuno kashiki enthusiast here anyways tear drop propaganda WE BALL

let's start off with the lyrics! holy fuck, i'm so glad yuno finally got to say what she's wanted to say!!

and she fully shows the fact that she does compensated dating through the lyrics ("the wanted wanting the wanted")

and even if it sounds like she's scolding the audience for the song, she's also scolding her clients! they only perceive her as a certain type of character and deciding that's all she is. She's upset that we decided based on how "naïve" she looked instead of her actual crime (to be honest, I could write a whole analysis into why her murder is perfect for her character anywa) and she doesn't care what will happen to her, she needs her opinions heard

also kinda rap section?? banger fr

THE VISUALS!! GOOD LORD THE VISUALS!!! THEY ARE SO BANGER!!! they're really pretty and gosh i literally don't know what to say, the scene where vampire is in the background and it transitions to yuno sitting on her bed... the pink tinted glasses (YES FUCK I LOVE THAT MAN!!!!) THE COAT!! THOSE INBETWREN SCENES i'm obbing

AND THE INSTRUMENTAL!! PLEASE IM BEGGING YOU ALL LISTEN TO THE INSTRUMRNTAL OF HER SONG THERES SO MANY SMALL DETAILS!! SIRENS, TEAR DROPS RAHHH THE CLAPS/CLICKING TJE TECHNO PIANO GUITAR??? THE INSTRIMENTS I CANT NAME I THINK THEY ALL HAVE SOME READON OF BEING IN THE SONG AND I WILL FIND OUT IN AN ANAKYSIS POST I JUDT LOVE IT AUEUEU

literally tear drop is the banger ever i listen to this shit religiously thank you for listening to my tear drop propaganda"

---

-Yuno’s voice. Enough said. -The imagery in the MV is brilliantly used, and doesn’t shy away from the horrors of Yuno’s line of work. -Vampire cameo!!! -Almost Lo-Fi vibes to the instrumental?? I can’t really explain it but it’s a vibe and I’m 100% here for it,

---

"For teardrop: The pink aesthetic in the MV as a whole makes it super nice to look at :D"

[kaicubus]

Dating Bianca Barclay

warnings ✩° : bianca being jealous, i think that’s it.

pairing ✩° : bianca barclay x gn!reader

authors note ✩° : i don’t care if she toxic. i want her. so bad. literally fucking look at her. GONGEOEUS LADEE.

- Dating her is a little hard because of her whole siren thing going on, and the fact she’s super popular and all her friends look like they’re going to kill you. But somehow being her partner kind of puts a barrier around you so no one can hurt you, physically, emotionally, or socially.

- You basically become untouchable.

- It’s also kind of tricky to date her because there’s so many rumors that she manipulated you to get with you but that isn’t true at all.

- Bianca has so many doubts and fears that you’ll leave her like her exes have done in the past because of some rumor that happened, so she’s secretly insecure and VERY jealous. She just hates seeing you talking with anyone who isn’t her.

- If you’re talking to anyone with status ((or even worse, someone with no status at all)) she’ll interrogate you with 50 questions.

“So, Y/n, who were you talking to?”

“My—“

“You know it’s actually funny because I heard that the person you keep leaving me to hang out with actually sleeps with multiple people, so I don’t know what you're doing with someone like that since it obviously is weird and you're MAKING it weird by ignoring me for them.”

“Bianca that’s my cousin.”

“…Oh! Ignore what I said.”

- Ok besides all that other stuff, Bianca is so sweet and protective towards you. She also spoils you a lot and doesn’t take no for an answer.

- Her love language would be acts of services and also giving gifts, but not like Enid, since her gifts usually have more expensive taste—hence why when you protest against it. When you decline, she doesn’t take no for an answer. It WILL show up in your dorm room on your bed or on your desk if you refuse in person.

- Something she loves to do is when it comes to showing affection Bianca really likes when she’s able to wrap her hands around your waist and pull you into her chest, as close as possible, and give you soft kisses on the back of your neck.

- When you really get to know her, she’s actually really deep ((haha siren joke)) and interesting. At first you thought she was very surface level ((haha another siren joke)) like most popular people in Nevermore were. Especially with Bianca who’s a perfectionist.

- Expect really introspective talks because of that, like the kinda talks that make you really think about your life and how far you’ve come. Usually they take place at the Weathervane or on the dock by the lake under the stars.

- She likes your bitchy side a LOT. Especially when you’re shit talking someone you both don’t like, she gets totally giddy from her end. Plus she really likes looking and swooning over you when you’re heated in the moment. Despite being fuming.

- Corner. Mouth. Kisses.

- Light touches when she kisses you too, like just barley there grazes of her fingers against your cheeks and collarbone.

- Fights with her don’t last long because they’re usually caused by her insecurities and fears, but if SHE makes the mistake then she does everything in her power to fix it. Yeah, she’s silent at first because she’s stubborn ((like me fr)) but after a day, at most, of giving you the silent treatment then she finally comes to sit by you and just roll her hands on her knees and apologize very quietly.

- Biance is the type to compliment you for you. Example : “You make me feel safe.” “You have the type of presence that makes everyone feel better.” “You have such a warm soul.”

[sh0tanzz]

Do u ever see the way sungchan like,,,interacts w people and just wanna scream “it’s the fucking Leo Venus”

Like as someone who also has a Leo Venus he is painfully just like me fr. idk how to explain it but baby that placement be barking and scratching at the walls so obviously when it comes to him like😭 that placement seems realllllll strong for him 😭😭 just straight up lover boy / tinkerbell “if I don’t get attention immediately I will actually die” type shit. He’s just so real …

quite literally I knew Sungchan had a leo placement as soon as their youtube vid with Josh teaching them the Siren choreo came out.

in the video he was just like "NOTICE MEEEEE" LMFAOO and his leo venus paired with his libra mercury makes him want to have a good lasting impression on people he'd like a connection/attention from. Even when he was BREAKING HIS NECK to speak to Josh you can tell he wanted to make him laugh or brighten his mood.

You can see it between him and Shotaro too because when Shotaro is laughing with a different member Sungchan will be like "😃 MY TURN"

Then I realized he was a cancer moon and thought to myself..."I bet he's the youngest and is used to attention on him" and then BAM he has an older brother..

I think it's cute and endearing tho LMFAOOOO

[wannab-urs]

The Spreadsheet Digest - Fic Recs | Vol 5

Happy friday, friends <3

It's that time of the week again! Here are (almost) all of the fics I read this week + my unhinged rambling. As always, you can find my complete spreadsheet here.

This week, I left off a bunch of fics I read because they're part of a little thing I'm doing with my friends called Peg That Middle Aged Man Campaign 2023 - pegging a bunch of pedro boys!! Those will be put in a masterlist next week and I will link that list on next week's Digest.

Cowboy Like Me - a Javi P series by @cutesyscreenname

-> Every single thing about this is so good. The bi reader. The soft javi. the banter. the smut. the slowburn. the buildup. I am SCREAMING. Hannah this fic is ruining my life it's so good

Bad Mood - a Joel one shot by @javiscigarette

-> If I had this man to spank me out of my bad moods i'd be happy forever

Lead me not into temptation - a Marcus Pike one shot by @whataperfectwasteoftime

-> Based on midnight mass + fleabag, I have a thing for sexy priests... so I was intrigued. I wasn't raised catholic but I do have religious trauma so this is right up my alley lmao. The internal struggle within Marcus is portrayed beautifully. The way he describes his lover, the way the lord's prayer is interwoven... UGH this is stunning. It's really emotional but is also really hot (bc when do I ever read non-smut lmao).

Bekväm - an Ezra one shot by @whataperfectwasteoftime

-> Lol just realized i read this a while ago (pre-spreadsheet) while trolling their masterlist but anyway. I love one armed Ezra so much. And this is a really great take on that. The main character is so fun. The concept was neat. They capture Ezra's voice nicely. The smut was gorgeous and wonderfully captured the experience of someone recently um... disarmed.

The Crucible - a Marcus Pike one shot by @whataperfectwasteoftime

-> Holy shit dude! I love a good BDSM fic... this one manages to capture that soft, sweet angel baby vibe you get from Marcus while also weaving in his confidence and sexiness. The "soft dom" voice and actions being literally juxtaposed with what his right hand is doing??? Incredible.

Siren Song - a Joel one shot by @proxima-writes

-> This is so fucking hot dude. Joel being needy and desperate is everything I needed right now. I really liked the dynamic with Tommy also.

Fuse - a Din/Ezra series by @marisferasiop

->My mind is blown. I was speechless for 5 full minutes after reading this. I was thankful for my vivid imagination while reading it because those were some WILD positions. I also somehow never considered merging Mando and Prospect? It's so perfect! Din and Ezra together is something I didn't know I needed. Put me in that sandwich please.

Lie to Me - a Javi P series by @iamskyereads

-> Javi is so soft and protective and cute ugh. And I love the TV show Lie To Me because I'm a crime drama junkie, so the human lie detector!reader is really fun for me. I'm on the first interlude at the time of writing this (so about 5 chapters in) and I've been thoroughly sucked in to the story. Also the way you're weaving in plot elements? Or rather weaving your story into the existing plot so seamlessly? Masterful work, fr.

My World a Dio one shot by @sneetsnootyoit

-> So cute and soft and sweet and HOT. And love that the reader is GN! Soft and sweet Dio is such a fun change from the type of fics I usually see for him and I am so here for it.

Red Smoke - an Ezra one shot by micha-alien (ao3)

-> Dirty talking Dom Ezra, set just before the movie. It is... unreasonably hot. He's mean in all the best ways in this and a little feral and so very fucking yummy.

----------

Recs from pre-Digest era that literally live rent free in my head:

Please - a Dieter one shot by @ezrasbirdie

Sex Worker!Frankie AU - a Frankie series by @prolix-yuy

Meant to Be - an Oberyn series by @radiowallet

The Crush - a Javi P series by @the-ginger-hedge-witch

----------

I've put out some pegging fics this week so go find those and keep an eye out for the masterlist if that's your thing.

Also I'm putting finishing touches on Burn Slowly/I Love You ch 2 (my soft sweet former firefighter!Frankie AU)

[itsmehemma]

What are your headcanons for the type sibling relationship between Kent and Divina?

first request !!

⋄°∙✧ 𝐝𝐢𝐯𝐢𝐧𝐚 & 𝐤𝐞𝐧𝐭- 𝐬𝐢𝐛𝐥𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐫𝐞𝐥𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐬𝐡𝐢𝐩

• oh boy I’m excited

• Divina is definitely the older twin, she just gives off that kind of vibe.

• Kent is the little brother with no common sense whatsoever. Divina has pulled him out of doing the stupidest shit, either by his long hair or his ear.

• Divina probably scolds him often, like during the Poe Cup scene where Bianca lost.

• Adding onto that, they fight often. Not serious physical fighting, but more like “I’m ignoring you and I’m going to make it obvious” (from Kent) or “I will try to Siren Song you into doing stupid shit” (from Divina).

• Either Yoko or Bianca help them make up after they get annoyed enough.

• I feel like they casually share/steal each others clothes?? Like Divina probably swipes Kent’s hoodies or sweatpants, and Kent steals her jewelry, like her rings and necklaces.

• They’re very well groomed. I feel like, as sirens, they’re pretty vain. Divina probably spends time with Kent by doing each others hair, and sometimes skincare.

• Adding onto that, Divina braids her little bros hair, sometimes putting into pigtails or brushing it out. Kent tries his best to do Divina’s hair, and he’s pretty damn good at it too.

• When they were younger they definitely got into mischief together, like pulling people underwater, or messing with their things.

• They probably have more siblings, but they’re both the oldest. Divina babies the little ones while Kent shows off to them.

• Divina and Kent have sibling trips into Jericho on the weekends, where it’s just them shopping and helping themselves to coffee at the Weathervane.

• Study buddies!! They meet up in Kent’s dorm, lay on the floor, and spread out their homework assignments, books, and notes. It usually ends up with them sleeping on top of one another or Divina scolding Kent.

• In the end, they really care for each other and cling onto one another as if they were kids. My favorite sibling duo fr fr . :))

[sirensplayhouse]

Hey siren, I just want to appreciate the fact that you don't get yourself involved in pointless drama. You just mind your business and life your dream life 💅. You kinda remind me of Beyonce because all you do is sit pretty and mind your own business like the unproblematic queen you are. These other blogs be full of bullshit. They can't stay a whole month without getting themselves in some drama 🙄. I bet these types of people ain't even manifested shit. Because fr where do you get the time if you're happy and living the life you desire. I don't trust these new loa blogs. I only trust you and the og loa blogs. The only new blog I trust is @littlemissprettyprincess.

All hail Queen Siren, may she live long and prosper

😂because I’ve never been one for drama don’t care for it I am grownnnnnnnnn and there are plenty of other good blogs too✋🏾nie and I love there blog sm💕

pleaseeeee not hail queen siren😭y’all is mess

[starrbeast]

intro post

-> name: siren, star, or aether

-> pronouns: they/them

-> 20, lesbian, disabled, nonhuman

——

‘types

-> dragonkin

moss: brown and green forest lung dragon, covered in thick fur. most art has a shark tail but i’m not super sure about that anymore lol (also possibly a white and aqua form too, but i’m unsure)

naolin: green and pink sea dragon. white base, green spots, shark tail, pink mane

-> catkin

star: pink and purple calico furry lol

sol: somali cat

brown and white cats

pretty much every kind of cat tbh

-> kitsune therian

aether: red, red markings

aether: silver, blue markings

aether: arctic, light blue markings

aether: marble, purple markings

-> gryphon

alduin: bearded vulture gryphon, around 7ft at the shoulder. my daemon, but also me, if that makes sense

-> probably other stuff that i’m not thinking of tbh

-> other considerations, like shark, elf, satyr, whatever

——

byf

-> dni is the general shit— queerphobe, proship, pro-contact para, incest, maps, anti-nonhuman, yada yada yada. + homestuck, yandere, trauma core + hospital core, discourse blogs

-> i may occasionally talk about discourse-related topics but i don’t want to talk about that shit forever. if you start arguing with me and expecting a bunch of answers i’m just gonna block you.

-> cool with being tagged (to mention me and to show me stuff + picrew chains)

-> cool with being referred to as person/people, human is okay too (tho i do prefer being referred to as an animal/critter/creature/whatever)

-> absolutely open to be friends if you’re over 18

-> i am partially visually impaired. i try to id all of my photos and make things as legible as possible for myself and others, but sometimes i make mistakes. please let me know if i need to fix anything!

——

tags

-> siren song: my text posts

-> kin art: art of myself

-> sirens art: other art

-> kinlike: me fr

-> catkin: kitty stuff

-> dragonkin: dragon stuff

-> gryphonkin: gryphon stuff

-> starfall grove: hearthome

-> cool art: cool art

-> yearning: dreamy sigh

-> treasures: treasure reblogs

-> sirens hoard: my treasures

-> kitsune things will always be on @kitsuaeth

i don’t always tag for triggering things but if you send me something and lmk i should tag something i absolutely will :)

——

in order: star, moss, naolin, alduin

[hun-whatreyoutalkinbout]

It’s like, I have this self perception that I’m this manipulative siren that plays with men’s hearts for fun till I get bored of ‘em. And it makes me feel guilty about any fun fling I want to have. Anything less than a totally couples-therapy level of open communication feels like I’m being manipulative. And like, I worry that I “prey on the weak”? Cause that’s what a cat would do with a mouse, y’know? Like, these guys obvs consent to everything we do, it’s reciprocated and we’re vibing, but like I worry that some of these men aren’t like, emotionally put together enough to make these types of decisions? But it’s also like, these are grown ass men who can do what they want? And they’re responsible for the consequences of their own actions if they get themselves into a situation with me that they can’t emotionally handle? Man, I’m just tryna have a lil flirty fwb thing here and is it my fault if you fall in love with me? If I’m being all kinds of sweet and lovey and shit? Like, I’m fr rn worrying about the ethics of being nice and considerate. But it’s also all not that deep and I just make a big deal about it sometimes. Whatever, I am nice and even if I leave I’m not like a bitch or mean about it and I try to be open about the vibe I’m after so 🤷‍♀️

[izukult]

“hey this song reminds me of you…” MHA BOYS

songs they canonically would send you if they were interested (horikoshi approved)

izuku midoriya— be your man; H 3 F

he’s such a cutie, such a sweetheart. he says it reminds him of you, and then proceeds to send about fifty texts following before you can even respond (“i mean not romantic!! as friends!!” “unless you’d mean romantic” “but i’m not saying that!” “blech icky” “NOT SAYING YOUR EHICKY” “NO” “OKAY SORRY JUST IGNORE THIS HAHA(´⊙ω⊙`)”). he absolutely clearly means it in a romantic way, for someone who’s keeping the secret of the number one hero he is a bad mf liar.

runner up: japanese denim. he likes love songs, he thinks they’re kind and anything he hears that’s the slightest bit about love he’s gonna associate w you

katsuki bakugo— bitches; mindless self indulgence

he wants you to be bitches? he wants u to love him cos u know that he can rock?!!!!?!!!?!?! that he can rhyme?! that he can fuck?!!!! THAT HES ON TIME?! plain and simple. he does not say this reminds you of him, he does not link it with you in any way. he just randomly sends it (if even).

if you were really lucky he’d send you love me dead by ludo.

denki kaminari— natalie; HUNNY

he tells you to ignore the name, of course, (unless your name is natalie lol) but the whole rest of it is absolutely applicable. he’s very upfront about it. is acting a lot more reassured than he is but he’s literally about to shit himself he wants you so bad bro. he practiced ways to tell you it wasn’t for you / “he didn’t mean it like that, man” before he sent it to you just incase you rejected him lol.

right after you two confess he sends you teenage dirtbag by wheatus and says “fr felt it when they said whatever it was they said, anyway u free tmrw?!”

eijiro kirishima— someone to you; banners

ew this is so cliche. this man would be so cheesy, especially in the preemptive stages of a relationship. if he wants you, you know (i mean maybe not, he’s nice to a lot of people, but he clearly cares about you). he’s on brand fr, but he really, genuinely blares this shit at full volume in his earbuds and headbangs. this is fr how he feels…. he probably wouldn’t panic sending it, he doesn’t think it’s a big confession, he just thinks about you when he hears it so he wants to share.

a kiss; THE DRIVER ERA. his main reason for this one is “just the vibes man!!” he selectively pays attention to lyrics

hanta sero— love is only a feeling; joey bada$$

he’s corny and very transparent about it. he sends it to you like three days before he asks you out. he’s pretty confident, but he types and deletes ‘i’ve got a song that makes me think of you’ about five times before he sends it. i think he listens to a lot of music, but rnb and rnb rap are probably his romantic go to’s in my mind.

alternatively: me and your mama; childish gambino

shoto todoroki— on an evening in roma (sott’er celo de roma)- remastered; dean martin

idk i feel like he listens to a lot of really old pretentious shit. he likes the music, it helps him stay calm, it makes him feel warm. he thinks the instruments are nice when they swell just right, and he wants to share that with you. he has also definitely offered to take you on a trip w his dads money (i hate fanon characters but i absolutely thrive off the idea that shoto buys his s/o shit w his dads money)

also a high chance hed send scene one— james dean & audrey hepburn; sleeping with sirens and that makes me sick to my stomach it’s so cheesy. he’s not like a coward and once he figured out he had feelings for you, he’d be pretty blunt about it.

neito monoma— star killer; bear ghost

if you ask why it makes him think about you he’s gonna say some arrogant shit about how you want him. but actually this is a really good song and he for sure sings it in his bathroom mirror and checks himself out. how humiliating. idk what to say other than listen to it

alternatively: the ballad of big poppa and diamond girl; cobra starship. this song screams neito to me, if i could dance w him to this song life would actually be okay? the only reason i didn’t put it as the main is because i didn’t know if it was projecting, anyway THIS.

hitoshi shinsou— k; cigarettes after sex

this would lowkey be embarrassing for him tbh. this song feels so personal and intimate, if someone you weren’t dating said this reminded you of them, youd have to be really into them for it to not weird you out. however luckily you are really into him. he knows his point is gonna come across, and he’s confident behind it. he sent it as a way to say hey mf im into you, i know you’re into me

compass; the neighbourhood. he kinda listens to teenage girl music, he’s going through that phase. this song is so cute tho!! he’s kinda doting in a weird way, it’s sweet.

[nctsiren]

HYEYOUNG x JOHNNY

hyonny best couple i don’t make the rules i just enforce them

(yes i know this is a shit edit but this was requested and im excited so THIS IS FOR YOU ANON ILY)

PLEASE lmk what you think!! if u ever have any questions about them (or any of the ocs or reqs) i encourage you to send me asks! thank u loves, enjoy!!❣️

TAGLIST (hmu to join! applies to all of my ocs): @moonbeamsung @aqueenieme @atinygracie @jinsoulorbitzen12 @btshook​ 

THE BEGINNING:

hyeyoung met johnny in 2017, a bit after he debuted in 127

he came around the training center, since he had trained for so long and had friends there

he also liked to meet new trainees! he’s a super kind guy, he wants to try to be support for them, since he trained for So Long

when he first saw her he thought she was gorgeous

and vice versa, yknow. she was shy because he was a Debuted Idol AND a Handsome Man

yeah they both found each other attractive and that was. about it yknow? for a while

THEN in 2019, rumor was that hyeyoung would join an nct female unit

she was already friends with mila and lily, having trained with mila, and lily was friendly with trainees

but she started talking to the guys more, meeting them properly and getting used to them

and johnny was so .. you know how he is

she fell really quick tbh

lily noticed this QUICKLY and did what she could to make them interact and she THOUGHT she is what got them together

but johnny was texting her on the low .. he loved her the minute he had his first conversation (in person) with her

THE ~TALKING~ STAGE:

johnny is a Romantic™️ and we all know it

so this man COURTED her like a damn maiden

hyeyoung, evie, and gem: *arrive at the siren dorms and open the door*

hyeyoung, evie, and gem: ...

evie: hyeyoung who sent you twenty vases of roses

no that IS NOT A JOKE

literally an old movie romance, complete with the yearning and such

he always texted her good morning and good night

sent her coffee or tea on the low while she was training

“hello beautiful”

hyeyoung was lovestruck. she felt able to actually talk to him after a bit, and it was so easy for her to trust and feel close to him

she got shy when he did big gestures or sweet things- but it was making her fall HARD

and johnny? well he wasn’t MUCH better just more composed outwardly

our smooth, flirty bastard john ..

would absolutely GUSH about her to the members. smiling like an IDIOT at his phone

once lily said she couldn’t hang out because hye wasn’t feeling good and johnny’s heart DROPPED he didn’t know what to do

come to think of it he hasn’t gotten a text from her in a while :((

didnt she say she hadn’t had pizza lately?

and that’s how johnny ended up at the trainee girls’ dorm at 11pm with a pizza. and the dark chocolate she liked.

he watched a movie in hyeyoung’s room with her ALONE and she leaned into his side so

tbh it wasn’t a bad night

HOW HYONNY BECAME OFFICIAL:

hyeyoung was fr wondering if this would be anything

she was thinking about her career, yeah, but her heart YEARNED for him. she was falling in love with everything about him

she didn’t need the grand gestures, she just needed him

and, it probably goes without saying, but so did johnny

he stopped by her practice room with evie and gem one day

he had just finished his own practice and called hye closer to the door of the practice room she was in with the girls

cue lily practically shaking with excitement

“i don’t think this will seem out of the blue... do you wanna get dinner, sometime? as an actual date this time”

the smile she gave him nearly made poor john’s heart stop

“i thought you’d never ask” she responded, stepping on her tip toes to press a kiss to his cheek

CHEESY SMILE until jaehyun pulls him away

“howd it go, romeo?”

then they heard the girls squealing audibly and talking at the speed of light

“oh no big deal. just the most beautiful amazing woman on the planet likes me back”

NOW KITH:

the first date was literally later that night, in hyeyoung’s room, with takeout and the nicest red wine johnny could find

tbh he couldn’t wait and she was free that night

“keep the door unlocked!” - evie

the two just talked and laughed and the movie on the background was ignored

hyeyoung was used to feeling shy with people, but she was so comfortable early on. it felt right

and yeah the night DID end with them making out

with the door locked, screw you evie (johnny’s words, not hyeyoung’s)

they fell into being a couple very easily

they told the company a few months in to make life easier and surprisingly .. they were pretty okay with it, though they obviously had guidelines

they couldn’t be seen alone in public (sometimes they break that rule with masks and hats and disguises since the managers will let them sometimes)

a lot of their dates are in the siren dorms because it’s quieter and all of the girls have their own rooms

she comes around to the 127 dorms a lot

they couldn’t interact more than she would interact with the others, and absolutely no pda

((tbh with mila and lily, it’s more acceptable, since they grew up with their members, but the other three have stricter rules .. evie almost breaks them sometimes tho. and sometimes the guys will give casual, familial hugs to them))

they said they loved each other a few months in

johnny said it first, and hyeyoung said it back immediately

it was natural. they fully and truly love each other

they will 1000% percent get married, and they will do so whenever they can in the future

they want to keep their relationship quiet just because hyeyoung’s career has JUST started

but johnny wants to reveal it as soon as the company lets them because he wants the world to know he loves her with all of his heart

johnny’s parents have only met her over facetime, and they already love her. she talks to johnny’s mom a lot too

he has met her parents and siblings, and obviously they love him 

her dad is protective though since she’s his youngest daughter and his baby

johnny is still big on keeping the romance alive and planning things for her, always telling her how much he loves her, and showing physical affection

hyeyoung is a softer type of girlfriend, and she is big on quality time and expressing to him how much she loves him. 

they will never, ever doubt how much they love each other. forever type shit

HYONNYCORE

johnny and hyeyoung ARE mom and dad

especially to hyuck. hyeyoung LOVES him and thinks he can literally do no harm, similar to how she is with lily

mark used to have a crush on hyeyoung hehe but i think we ALL know he’s interested in someone else now ..

taeyong, yuta, lily, hyuck, jaemin, evie, ten, jungwoo, taeil, chenle, hendery, and yangyang are their biggest shippers. they believe in hyonny supremacy

jaehyun is OBVIOUSLY happy for his bro but he’s a chill, cool dude y’know ..

he’s johnny’s go-to though and he and hyeyoung have a very sweet friendship, jaehyun always looks out for her and makes sure she’s okay

johnny will be chill about the eventual rumors about hyeyoung and jaehyun tho because he knows there’s nothing there, and as far as he is concerned, that means that their relationship is safer without any lights on them

they aren’t jealous people (AHEM take note lily AHEM)

the two of them will still flirt with fans, and they rate each other’s flirty comments to fans

“nah, baby, that’s basic. be smoother”

“john, they literally just asked me to tell them i love them”

yeah they’re teased tho and you KNOW they are

ten is CRAZY dude he was already big on the innuendos but now .. goodness

he doesn’t step out of line tho and he’s more subtle and would never do anything to harass them (well mainly not hyeyoung because flashbacks to “i wanna have xxxx with you fatass! love you forever darling” johnten always wilding)

y’know that clip from stranger thing when that dude asks jonathan how the pull out was... “the couch”. yeah. stuff like that from ten

hyuck doesn’t tease them much surprisingly! because again. mom and dad

i can sum up mark in a single sentence:

“you guys are, like, perfect for each other, y’know? i’m happy for you guys, seriously.”

yuta teases sometimes, but chenji is RUTHLESS

if hyonny even looks at each other they’re like OOOOO HEHE GET A ROOM

most of wayv is .. well .. we know how wayv is

taeyong is so warm to them about it all and it’s super sweet. taeil loves them together and is unintentionally funny saying things about young people and love

the girls are PROTECTIVE of hyeyoung even tho they know johnny is perfect for her

lily is in a permanent state of trying to square up with johnny and hyeyoung thinks it’s funny

they have great reception overall, everyone loves them

sm family loves them TOO and heechul is the REAL captain of their fan club and red velvet as a whole loves them together 

do you know how many times they hear “awwwh cute!” 

spoiler: it’s a lot

GOD the two try to help lily with her love life and she hates it

they’ll end up trying to help everyone but lily is their focus

they have lots of couple-isms

“baby” “love” “honey” stuff like that

they have inside jokes

SO MANY PICTURES OF EACH OTHER

fashionable ass couple

he watches old films with her 

they’re the type of couple to slow dance in the middle of the kitchen

they both know like. they know what the other would order from where, what to do for them after a long/hard day

she knows how to make his coffee perfectly

johnny knows what temperature she likes her baths/showers and what wine she’ll enjoy most

hyeyoung knows where johnny’s back is most tense and his slight change in posture when he needs a massage

they know each other’s style, and they surprise each other with little gifts

they basically know each other like the back of their hand. two halves of the same whole

[hxwks-gf]

😩 I wish we were friends irl so I can make you some celebratory cookies for 1k!! You totally deserve it! 🥳

I hope I can do this matchup request correctly 😂.

Bakugou is my comfort character. I think I picked him bc I see myself in him but I'm not as aggressive as he is. I think we both tend to let our feelings come out in a more aggressive type of way. I don't like anyone else to bully my friends other than me as well, so I think that's another thing I we have in common lmao.

My favorite troupe is enemies to lovers (not sure why). It's just something about 2 people developing feelings for each other from butting heads a lot that's just so satisfying.🤌🏽✨ Oh and don't get me started on those relationships where the guy is an ass but has a SOFT SPOT for his boo!! 🥴 And his s.o has to like LEARN how to take care of him/understand him bc he doesn't know how to express himself (me too tho👀).

I'm short asf (5'0" to be exact). I am USUALLY a happy go lucky person and try not to let a lot bother me, but I also hide how I feel a lot. It's a reflex atp 😂. So usually I seem irritable and annoyed to others when they try to help me and I want to fix it myself (aka I know I need help but I don't want it). I love to help others! So ig my role in mha would be to heal people or help if ABSOLUTELY necessary (I'm not coordinated enough to fight fr fr). I've always thought about my quirk being something like a siren/telepathy type of thing. I alter other people's reality and disorient them if needed with my voice depending on my pitch or the melody of the tune.

Hope that's enough! Haha congrats again!

I WILL TAKE VIRTUAL COOKIES MY DARLING, THANK YOU SO MUCH 💞✨❤️🥺

hxwks-gf’s 1k follower event!  *✧･ﾟ:*

“Will you just listen to me for once?” you snapped, trying to step in front of Bakugo. “This is supposed to be a team effort, you know. You can’t solve everything yourself.”

Bakugo scoffed and side-stepped out of the way, turning his nose into the air. “Oh yeah? Watch me.”

You wanted to rip your hair out. “Are you kidding me right now?”

“Are you going to finish this rescue mission or not?”

“I’m trying to finish it, but you’re not working with me!”

Bakugo turned his back to you and continued walking, his footsteps echoing through the ruined building. “Either follow me or go back to the agency. I’m sure they’ll send another incompetent hero that will just whine and complain the whole time.”

“You’re an asshole,” you seethed, but you followed him anyway. “I thought you grew out of that shit after we graduated.”

“Shut up and let me work, will you?”

God, he was insufferable. You had known him most of your life and had accepted a position at his agency not too long ago, hoping he had grown out of his incorrigible attitude, but you were sorely disappointed.

The rumble of falling debris pulled you out of your thoughts, and before you could figure out where it was coming from, Bakugo was turning around with an expression of horror and shoving you out of the way. Senses regained, you quickly tumbled into a roll and safely got to your feet once the debris had stopped falling. 

“Bakugo?” you coughed, waving your hand in front of your face to disperse the dust as it settled. “Bakugo, are you hurt?” 

There was no answer. 

“Bakugo!” you called again, already feeling the panic setting in. “Answer me!” 

A moment later: “God, why do you have to yell so loud?” 

You shoved a piece of rubble out of the way and saw his face peeking out from beneath it, covered in dust and dirt. He blew some of it off of his lips and glared at you. 

“Are you going to help me out of here or not?” he snapped.

You rolled your eyes and gripped his hand, pulling him free in a waterfall of broken concrete and rebar. He dusted himself off and held up one of his gauntlets, dented from the impact. 

“You pushed me out of the way,” you said, staring at him. “You...saved me.” 

“Tch,” he scoffed, inspecting his bruised gauntlet closer and turning away from you. “Don’t go getting ideas.” 

“Bakugo...” You paused and bit your lip. “Thank you.” 

He looked up and scowled, but was unable to hide the blush that had crept into his cheeks. “You’re welcome. Dumbass.” 

“Are you always this insufferable?” 

“Are you?” 

“Are you hurt at all?” you asked, stepping closer to study his head in case he had gotten injured by the falling debris. Without thinking, you reached up and ran your fingers through his hair to get rid of the dust, as well as feel for any wounds. The entire time, Bakugo stayed completely still and just...stared at you. 

“What?” You dropped your hands and stepped back. “What’s that dumb look for?” 

“Nothing,” he muttered, lowering his eyes. “I’m not hurt.” Saying nothing else, he cleared his throat and gestured towards the rest of the building. “Let’s finish this.” 

The rest of the rescue mission went by smoothly, and you found yourself back at the agency in Bakugo’s office watching the city skyline light up as the sun went down. You should’ve been focusing on the rest of the paperwork for the mission, but your mind kept wandering to the way Bakugo acted after you had touched him. Never in your life had you seen him stand so still, so quiet. 

“What are you still doing here?” Speak of the devil. 

You turned around and saw him standing there by the door, dressed in street clothes. “Finishing the reports, because I know you won’t do it.” 

Bakugo rolled his eyes and adjusted his scarf. “It’s late, (y/n). We can take care of it tomorrow.” 

“The HPSC will be up your ass if you miss one of these again.” 

“Goddammit,” he groaned, kicking at the linoleum floor, but he dropped his bag and sat on the edge of your desk, looking down at the stack of paperwork in front of you. “Fine.” 

“Lucky for you, all you need to do is sign them,” you teased, holding out a pen. “I already took care of the rest.” 

Bakugo blinked at you. “All of it?” 

“All of it,” you repeated, wiggling the pen. “Figured I owed you one after you pushed me out of the way earlier. Consider my debt paid.” 

“I wouldn’t have been able to forgive myself if you got hurt on my watch,” he muttered, staring at his feet. He noticed your dumbfounded expression and a furious blush colored his cheeks again. “Don’t get the wrong idea! I was just doing my job.” 

“Right,” you grinned, arching an eyebrow. “Will you just sign the reports, please?” 

He was at a loss for words, but reluctantly took the pen and leaned over the paperwork. You got up from your chair and pulled your coat on as he scrawled his name, picking up your bag and moving towards the door. 

“Oh, you’re walking me home, by the way,” you casually threw over your shoulder. You could feel his eyes burning a hole in the back of your head. “Is that a problem?” 

Bakugo dropped the pen and fought to keep his pace even as he caught up with you and flicked off the light. “No,” he growled, leading you out of the agency and into the chilly night air, not-so-innocently placing his broad hand at the small of your back. 

Maybe he wasn’t that insufferable. 

[milgram-tournament]

MILGRAM Best Song Tournament, Round 2, Match 4 TEAR DROP vs. BACKDRAFT

Propaganda for both options under the cut!

Propaganda for TEAR DROP:

"yuno kashiki enthusiast here anyways tear drop propaganda WE BALL

let's start off with the lyrics! holy fuck, i'm so glad yuno finally got to say what she's wanted to say!!

and she fully shows the fact that she does compensated dating through the lyrics ("the wanted wanting the wanted")

and even if it sounds like she's scolding the audience for the song, she's also scolding her clients! they only perceive her as a certain type of character and deciding that's all she is. She's upset that we decided based on how "naïve" she looked instead of her actual crime (to be honest, I could write a whole analysis into why her murder is perfect for her character anywa) and she doesn't care what will happen to her, she needs her opinions heard

also kinda rap section?? banger fr

THE VISUALS!! GOOD LORD THE VISUALS!!! THEY ARE SO BANGER!!! they're really pretty and gosh i literally don't know what to say, the scene where vampire is in the background and it transitions to yuno sitting on her bed... the pink tinted glasses (YES FUCK I LOVE THAT MAN!!!!) THE COAT!! THOSE INBETWREN SCENES i'm obbing

AND THE INSTRUMENTAL!! PLEASE IM BEGGING YOU ALL LISTEN TO THE INSTRUMRNTAL OF HER SONG THERES SO MANY SMALL DETAILS!! SIRENS, TEAR DROPS RAHHH THE CLAPS/CLICKING TJE TECHNO PIANO GUITAR??? THE INSTRIMENTS I CANT NAME I THINK THEY ALL HAVE SOME READON OF BEING IN THE SONG AND I WILL FIND OUT IN AN ANAKYSIS POST I JUDT LOVE IT AUEUEU

literally tear drop is the banger ever i listen to this shit religiously thank you for listening to my tear drop propaganda"

---

-Yuno’s voice. Enough said. -The imagery in the MV is brilliantly used, and doesn’t shy away from the horrors of Yuno’s line of work. -Vampire cameo!!! -Almost Lo-Fi vibes to the instrumental?? I can’t really explain it but it’s a vibe and I’m 100% here for it,

---

"For teardrop: The pink aesthetic in the MV as a whole makes it super nice to look at :D"

Propaganda for BACKDRAFT:

"Backdraft may be a minute shorter than Bring It On, but it’s still over three minutes long, and it makes up for the lost minute with a complex form. The “Pressure! Pressure!” might be the only part that truly repeats.

At the beginning, Fuuta is showing off, acting cool. Then the music slows down as he ponders his verdict. Then the music picks up the pace again and gets more and more frantic as the consequences of his actions catch up to him.

See that structure in the three distinct verses that sound nothing like anything else in the song: cool, contemplative, and “oh no, what have I done”.

The “chorus” (burn burn!) never stays the same. You’ve got the “cool” first chorus. Then you have the muted second chorus as it sinks in that Fuuta’s victim was a middle-school girl, which leads into the tense final chorus (which is twice as long as the first) as the victim and Fuuta both burn.

The instrumental and the spoken-word from the beginning combine in the end, changing the mood of the stanza from confident and showy to panicked and desperate.

And the words… You can hear the wordplay in the last stanza, even if you don’t understand it.

Appreciate this chaotic masterpiece of a song."

---

- Fuuta being very cocky at first before realizing how fucked he is (it is kinda funny) - The use of spray cans and overall graffiti symbolism, it’s so good - The multiple eyes and people off camera showing how paranoid Fuuta has become, it’s really well done without being obvious - The name backdraft meaning when a fire deprived of oxygen gets a sudden influx of it. A kind of metaphor for what Fuuta did. Then it being shown through a spray can explosion, aaaa it’s really cool! - Fuuta’s overall look changing, being more realistic on how he actually looks contrasting Bring It On’s idealistic version of himself - Es at the end!! The only time Es shows up in a prisoner’s MV!!! And they looks so damn cool - Also the entire eye thing referencing the audience, he perceives us lmfao

---

"Back draft is incredible because it not only has great visual symbolism with the use of the spray cans but its visual symbolism shows a progression from ‘Bring it on’. In ‘Bring it on’ the channelling is glorious , fuuta is surrounded by people and fuuta idealised himself (taller , better teeth , better posture ect) , the people he cancelled were portrayed as these powerful rpg monsters but now in back now the channelling is portrayed as vandalism a crime as destructive , the ally is empty we only ever see others as hands or his victim fuuta is alone and fuuta is no longer idealising his appearance and his mind is now portraying his victim as a harmless cutesy drawing. This shows a change in how fuuta views his crime between T1 and T2. It wasn’t glorious, it wasn't justified , he was at fault. The fire being recontextsied as something out of control , all consuming and out of control which is the opposite of how it was portrayed in ‘Bring it on’ we really see how the vote has changed fuuta."

"There are so many things in the song that show a progression "

-“ deliciously scorched till your mouth waters” > “I don’t want any more”

-fuuta spray paints the camera hen as the end es spray paints him/the camera

-the pressure graffiti changing

"There’s so many interesting details like the applause towards the start of the song , the personality in the subtitles like them going from “Burn , burn!” To “burn , burn?” But the pressure’s punctuation mark stayed the same:   “pressure , pressure!” , the way FIRE is the only word in full caps till LIES. The thumbs down fuuta does during “the fights up here! Come up to the ring and face me!” Part which is like his T1 art , the way the lighting changes from green towards the start and becomes red by the end (stop go colours) , The way fuuta is constantly interacting with the camera , spray painting it twice and kicking it."

"Backdraft actually makes amazing use of the camera , things are often shown from the (camera)audience’s perspective rather than us seeing the events removed. We are there like we are the ones doing it/looking through the eyes of the person doing it. When fuuta/the others spray paint the graffiti of his victim and the ice gorilla it's from the audience’s perspective , we don’t see them do it, we see it like we are doing it. When the spraypaint can explodes it's like it’s exploding in our face and then when es spray paints fuuta at the end they are spray painting the camera(audience). "

"Backdraft makes the most references to the voting system and uses it well to make the audience re-examine if they really are any different. Aren’t we using little information and inferences to hold people accountable for crimes we have no stake in? Aren’t we causing unintended harm? Aren’t we judging them from the safety of our screens? "

"And on a more silly level"

-ARTHUR CONANT GOES SO HARD IN THE VOCALS!!!! COME ON LISTEN TO BURN BURN AND TELL ME THIS MAN ISN’T GIVING IT HIS ALL!

-cat mouth fuuta :3 how can you not love cat mouth fuuta?

-lowpolydog designed amazing graffiti 

[internallyinarticulate]

Frustration

(Yandere Cop!Abbacchio x Female Reader) 

Alright this is my second attempt at a jojo fanfic, I hope you all enjoy! This is the first chapter of this series! (I don’t know exactly how many chapters there will be, but there will be quite a few! I’ll make sure to link them all together on each post I make for this series!)

 Also this chapter is long, so buckle up!

Chapter One: The Call

(3rd Person Pov)

The gently setting sun cascading a plethora of warm colors put (y/n)’s mind at ease, letting her know that the busy day she had earlier was finally over. Being a manager in a decently sized book store near the heart of Naples was not something to scoff at, especially considering the fact it was Saturday. The busiest day of each week, which always drove (y/n) to a point where she wanted to slam her head onto a table due to the volume of annoyances she had to deal with. 

From people complaining about prices, children ‘playing’ too roughly with the books, to just dealing with the rush of people in general. Now that isn’t to say that (y/n) hated her job, in fact she loved it, most of the time she was greeted with a quiet bookstore filled with people who understood what a bookstore was and how to treat it decently. And the people that she met during these times were almost always polite, save for the few people that would come back from Saturday's and Sunday's excursion with some type of complaint. These things would frustrate (y/n) but it was nothing that she couldn’t handle. The pay for the job was not bad at all, it allowed her to own a nice maisonette with two floors to decorate to her heart’s content, and even splurge on trips around Italy. All in all, her life was tranquil at the moment, and that was exactly what she strived for.

(Y/n) entered her home and quickly took her shoes off, throwing them down in triumph as she quickly made her way to the couch positioned in front of the t.v.

“Finally, some peace and quiet.” she said as she sprawled out on the couch, letting out a content sigh as her mind raced through the events of the day. From the moment she woke up at 6:30am to the time she got home at 8:04pm, she had been running around non-stop. Even her break was spent running down to a bakery to grab food for her co-worker and herself! She let out a groan as the sound of a phone ringing was heard in the distance. She begrudgingly sat up and went to retrieve her purse from the coffee table in front of her. She looks at her phone and sees it’s a message from her boyfriend (B/n).  

‘Hey sweetie, I just wanted to check in on you. How was work today?’ she lays back down as she messages him back,

‘It was crazy busy like every damn Saturday, how was work for you?’

‘Could have been better, but hey, at least we're both out of it now!’ she chuckled at how excited she imagined him sounding, he also enjoyed relaxing after a hellish day of work. Just as she was about to message back she heard a knock at her door; she stood up confused, who the hell could that be at this hour? She set her phone down on the coffee table and headed over to the door, concern filling her head. 

“Hello?’ she called out as she approached the door, hesitantly looking into the peephole. No one was there, however a piece of paper on her doormat caught her attention. She opened the door and half expected to be ambushed by someone, but was met with nothing but a light breeze and a starry night sky.  

“It got that dark already? How long have I been home?” she asked herself as she bent down to grab the paper.  It was folded up, a bright red check mark greeted her as she unfolded the page. 

“What the hell?” she said out loud, she quickly looked around her surroundings and proceeded to head back inside. She looked back at the paper in her hands, flipping it around, trying to find something else besides a giant red check mark. She sighs as she sets the paper down on her kitchen counter, it was probably some kids trying to freak her out with some stupid prank. She wonders whether to get some food or go back to her couch and fall asleep to some late night shows. 

An ear piercing shatter sounds off by her head as she lets out a scream, the sound of broken glass falling from her kitchen window makes her look up and freeze in horror. Someone’s arm was working on pushing the glass shards that were left behind from the shattered window. (y/n) snaps out of her trance and bolts upstairs, just as a man places his hands on the window frame and lifts himself inside. A man with shaggy dark brown hair, a black tank-top with the words ‘Freedom is anarchy’ crudely written in white paint, an open black hoodie, and ripped up black jeans stands up slowly; almost comically, and scans the room for his target. 

“Now where did you run off to little lamb?!~” he yells out as he walks through her kitchen into her living room. He glances around and makes his way through all possible hiding places while (y/n) hides in her closet upstairs. 

Meanwhile in the maisonette next door, the sound of the broken window alerted a young man by the name of Alessandro Romano. He knew that his neighbor, (y/n) (l/n), was not a rambunctious person; well at least rambunctious enough to break a damn window. The loud feminine scream which followed immediately after solidified to him that she was not the cause of the window breaking, which prompted him to grab his phone and called the police.

“311 what’s your emergency?”

“Hello, I believe my neighbor’s house is being broken into. I heard a window break and I heard her scream, you have to help her quickly!” 

“May I have your name, and the name of your neighbor; Along with your addresses?”

As Alessandro worked with the 311 operator the man in (y’n)’s apartment had begun to grow irritated as he looked around for his victim. He brought out a large knife and began to drag it along the wall as he started to slowly walk upstairs, calling out to her. 

“I know you’re upstairs little lamb, let me in. I promise your death will be quick, though I can’t promise it will be painless!” 

His footsteps were almost comically slow as he pressed the knife harder into the wall as the smile he held grew wider at the aspect of cornering his victim. Though he had to admit, he would be thrilled if when he opened the door she attempted to run, he loved it when they tried to run. He started to slam his footsteps down onto the steps leading to her room, each one louder than the last, until he was practically bashing his foot against each stair. He wanted, no, needed to scare his victim. It’s what made this all so pleasurable; Not the aspect of ending a life, but the thrill of the hunt and the case that would ensue. Sometimes from him, sometimes from them, it didn’t matter. The only thing that mattered was that he caught his prey in the end, and rewarded their exhilarating tears and screams with a painful death. 

(Y’n) heard the dramatic footsteps and cursed at herself for forgetting her cellphone. She cursed herself once more as she remembered the conversation she had with her boyfriend and how insistent he was to have her put a home phone in her bedroom. 

‘Honey I have my cell phone on me 24/7, why would I need a home phone in my room? Besides it will be loud as hell when people call!”

‘That’s kind of the point (y/n), also you can set the tones of the calls received to be softer rather than louder.’

‘Well i think it’ll be a waste of time and money to set it up, i’ll be fine with just the home phone downstairs and my cellphone!’

‘*sigh* Alright, but when we move in I'm putting in a home phone.’

‘Fiiine!’ 

‘Dammit (B/n) I hate when you’re right about shit like that’ (Y/n) thought to herself as she clenched the tiny pocket knife that she had managed to grab from her dresser before she hid in her closet. She opened the door slightly and looked at the door that separated her from a grisly demise. She didn’t have a lot of furniture in her room but what she could easily move, she used. Her desk chair had been propped up against the door along with a wooden chest that she had received from her father as a nice parting gift when she moved out. She had managed to position the chest next to the chair in a way that would prevent the killer from being able to open the door too widely; It was an extra precaution just in case this mad man was able to break down the lock on the door and shove down the chair that was propped up against the door handle. She closed the door and took a deep breath; She was attempting to bottle up her emotions so she wouldn’t give this bastard any satisfaction from hearing her cry or scream in fear and frustration. All of this just had to happen to her, out of everyone in Naples it just had to be her! She would laugh if she wasn’t so scared at the moment, clenching the knife even harder as she heard the man finally make his way to her door. 

“Officer Abbacchio, Come in Abbacchio do you hear me? Over.” a radio sounded off in a police vehicle which was slowly cursing down a busy street in Naples. A young officer quickly picks up his radio and confidently answers back,

“I hear you, what is it? Over.” 

“We have a 10-16, break in at a residential area. Suspect is suspected to still be inside the residence, the only occupant of said residence is a young female named (y/n) (l/n), I’ll have the rest of the information relayed onto your screen. Over.”

“10-04, heading over to the address right now. Over and out.” 

Officer Abbacchio turns on his sirens and presses down on the pedal, speeding along with the rest of traffic, his mind focusing on the possible situation he might be stumbling into. 

‘There’s a high possibility that the perp will have a weapon, scratch that, he definitely has one considering he broke into the home through a window.’ He thought as he quickly read what popped up on his screen. He presses down on the pedal harder as he sees people moving to the side to let him through, a determined look crosses his face when he sees from his gps that he is no more than 5 minutes away from the address given to him.

‘I’ll make it there in three minutes with how quick people are letting me through, this is perfect!’ 

He arrived in the exact time frame he predicted and quickly got out of the vehicle, his hand gun drawn immediately. He approached the front door of the residence with extreme caution, following his training perfectly, he scoped the area and when he knew it was clear, he kicked down the door. 

“This is the Naples police! Come out with your hands raised!” 

A deep voice yelled out after the door was broken, the sound of two firm kicks alerted the mad man inside that he was no longer alone with his victim, an officer has interrupted his game. The man got to work and slowly opened the door, only to find it locked. He smirked as he put his blade down and quickly pulled out a multi-tool, getting to quick work on the outer casing of the door knob as the officer below started to sweep the area. 

“This is the police! I am aware that you’re in here, come out with your hands up now!” 

The officer yelled louder than before, worry evident in his demanding tone. The man had finished with the door knob and carefully removed the handle, undid the mechanism which locked the door, and attempted to open the door. The handle on the other side popped off and the chair that had been pressed up against the door knob fell, alerting both the man and the officer. The man tried to open the door again, only for it to open roughly halfway before having it stop yet again, the rushing footsteps of the officer downstairs gave the man an adrenaline rush as he forced his body through the door. He was greeted with a dark room, he quickly flipped on the switch as the officer made it to the bottom of the stairs. 

“Come out! Hands where I can see them!” the officer yelled out again, hoping to get some kind of response. The man snickered and scanned the room, his eyes landing on the closet, that had to be where his little victim was. 

(Y/n) held her hand to her mouth tightly, pressing her fingers against her lips in an effort to not scream as she heard the killer barge into her room. She had heard another voice yell out but it was muffled by the distance and doors between her and said voice; She thought it was her killer, becoming enraged at her attempts to keep him out of her room. The sound of the closet door knob moving both startled her from her thoughts and filled her with fear. She grasped onto the doorknob tightly as she felt the man desperately trying to break in. 

“Come on little lamb, let me in so I can rid you of your suffering!” 

The man screamed out as the doorknob stopped moving. The sound of a sharp thud alerted her as she held the knob tighter, unsure of what he was doing. The deranged man’s smile widened to a sickening degree as the knife made one final thrust into the door before the blade went through it, showering (y/n) with splinters of wood as it pierced through. A loud scream ripped from (y/n) as she saw how close the blade came to her face, just one more inch and she would be done for! She could not let go of the knob, or that would let the killer in; So she quickly tried to readjust herself before he had the chance to attack her through the hole he had just made. Loud footsteps caught her attention as a new voice shouted out 

“Put your hands where i can see them!” 

(Y/N) dared to look through the hole that the killer made and saw a very welcoming sight. An officer with white buzz cut hair and piercing dawn eyes glared at the man who stood in front of the closet door. (Y/n) took a deep breath before she called out,

“Officer, I'm in here! Please help me!” 

Officer Abbacchio looked over at the closet door, noticing a (e/c) eye looking back at him through the knife hole the man made. He noticed the scared look in the young woman’s eye and grew more determined then before to help her. 

“Don’t worry, the situation is under control.” He called out to her as he went back to glaring at the man before him who had begun to snicker. The young officer felt a chill go down his spine as he got a close look at the man, The blade he held in his hand was covered in a dark red substance, which officer abbacchio assumed was blood given the current circumstance. 

“Drop the weapon now, and put your hands up.”

“Now why would I do that officer? Can’t you see i'm a little busy here?” 

The psycho rammed the knife into the closet again, eliciting a scream from (y/n). Officer Abbacchio gripped his gun tighter, giving the woman in the closet a quick glance through the hole, he saw tears start to fall from her (e/c) which only added fuel to his urge to protect her. 

“Do it now or I will shoot you! This is your final warning!” 

The man’s smirk grew as he turned to the officer, and lunged at him. Officer Abbacchio took aim and let out a single round, the bullet casing clattering onto the hardwood floor as the sound of the shot resonated within the room. 

-CHAPTER 1 END-

(Thanks for reading!)

[meetthetank]

Peccatum Chapter 9: March

Ao3 Link: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14454675/chapters/33391545

Rating: Mature Archive Warning: Graphic Depictions Of Violence Category: F/M Fandom: NieR: Automata (Video Game) Relationships: 2B/9S (NieR: Automata), A2/A4 (NieR: Automata), Jackass/The Commander (NieR: Automata) Characters: 2B (NieR: Automata), 9S (NieR: Automata), A2 (NieR: Automata), A4 (NieR: Automata), 6O (NieR: Automata), 21O, Jackass (NieR: Automata), The Commander (NieR: Automata) Additional Tags: Alternate Universe - Fantasy, Alternate Universe, genre typical violence, long fic, Slow Burn, War

“So you shat your pants?” 11S asks.

The other scouts at the table can’t help but laugh at 9S, who buries his face in his arms in an attempt to make himself as small as possible.

“No! I keep telling you I didn’t shit my pants!” he yells just loud enough for the whole mess tent to hear him. He catches a glimpse of 2B giving him an odd look before he sinks into himself more, “She just...We were sparring and she won and I got embarrassed. That’s it!”

“Oooh no, that’s not it,” 801S, an older scout, says with a sly grin, “You were all sweaty, squirming, acting all hot and bothered.”

“I was not!!”

“Yes, you were!” 801S’ singsong voice makes 9S groan, “Did getting your ass kicked by a lovely lady...excite you? Is our Nines a little deviant?”

9S feels his face flush beet red, prompting a round of laughter from the table, “I’m gonna kick your ass if you don’t stop!!”

“What a story this will be!” shouts 42S, an aspiring bard, “9S, the young scout with a troubled past, returns from his northern excursion with an exotic and mysterious Coatyl woman! Her beauty only matched by her ferocity! A simple sparring match goes awry when things become deliciously heated and they-”

“That is if 6O doesn’t snatch her up first.” mutters 32S.

The table erupts into laughter once again. Fed up with their antics, 9S abruptly stands up and tries to make a hasty exit from the mess tent.

“Attention!!”

The bellowing voice of Commander White stops him in his tracks and silences the tent of hungry soldiers in an instant. Her steely gaze scans the tent to make certain she has everyone’s full attention.

“Tomorrow at dawn,” she begins, “We will be beginning our march towards Vigo.”

Murmurs ripple through the mess tent.

“I realize this is a month earlier than when we had planned originally, but we have received word that an aquatic demon of unknown size has been sighted in the bay. All ship traffic has been halted until the demon is either destroyed or moves on.”

Again, she waits until the muttering amongst the soldiers comes to a stop.

“Our task remains the same, however. We will assist Vigo in the evacuation of civilians, defending refugee camps, and transportation of supplies. The only thing that’s changed as of now is when we’re expected. Dismissed.”

The moment Commander White turns to exit the tent, conversation erupts from all the tables. All except the scouts, who share concerned looks with each other. Even 9S returns to his seat, his annoyance with the others quickly abandoned.

“A demon in the bay? What do you think it could be?” 32S mutters.

“Maybe a siren type?”

“I thought those were smaller…”

“They can get big, I’ve read reports of one that was the size of a mammoth.”

“That wouldn’t be enough to shut down a whole trade city.”

“Maybe it’s just a whale?”

“Whale’s don’t come into bays, dumbass.”

“What if…” 9S says, staring through his friends, “What if it’s something new?”

The others give him odd looks, “What do you mean, new?” 11S asks.

“I mean what if this is something we haven’t seen before? An aquatic siege engine type? Transport type? Or maybe some weird whale hybrid they’re trying to roll out.”

“...If it’s that, how in the world would we get rid of it?” 801S rubs his chin in thought.

9S shrugs, “Dunno, but that’s not really our job, is it?”

“No, but I’m gonna guess you’re gonna try and find out what the plan is,” he says with a grin.

“I won’t be doing anything if you lot don’t keep your mouths shut.” he growls.

The scouts ease back into their normal conversations, mainly complaints about the early start tomorrow. Before he gets drawn back into the group, he spots 2B on her way out and gives her a small wave. She returns his gesture, and he can’t help the wide smile that spreads across his face.

“Have you ever been to Vigo, 2B?” 6O asks as they exit the mess tent.

“-M made a point t’ stay away fr-...m human settlements.” she responds with a mouthful of potatoes, “There were too many stories we were told as cubs of Coatyls being hunted for sport or paraded around circuses.”

“Right…” 6O sighs, “so, does that mean you’re not gonna stick around when we get to Vigo?”

“I...I’m not sure yet. I still don’t have a good lead on where A2 is. Maybe this city will have something.”

“You think they might be hiding out in Vigo?”

“Or someone that may have seen something.”

“You’re not seriously going to ask every person in the city if they’ve seen them, are you?” There’s a hint of genuine concern in 6O’s voice that makes 2B huff, “Well when you say it out loud…”

6O giggles and playfully jabs her in the side. “I’m just teasing you. I’ll help you ask around when I’m off duty.”

2B mutters a quick thanks, then quickly looks over her shoulder as the laughter of the scouts' echoes through the tent. For such small men, they could certainly be quite loud.

“Well, we’d be glad to have you stick around with us, 2B. I know there would be some of us that would be sad to see you go.”

“Hm...Perhaps.”

  True to her word, Commander White’s wake up call came before the sun had begun to rise. Or rather, Lieutenant Jackass’ wake up call. She parades around the camp, slamming two iron cooking pans together and shouting as loud as her lungs will allow. One by one, annoyed soldiers emerge from the tents, only to be immediately assigned a task to break down the camp. Within minutes, activity surges through the encampment and it begins to disappear, packed into crates and carriages, piece by piece. The sun is just cresting over the horizon by the time there’s nothing left but a worn down patch of dirt.

9S and the other scouts are assigned to helping the stablehands with the horses. They hitch up the temperamental beasts with little resistance. Despite being bred for war, they seem to sense that something is about to change and need to be calmed down with pats and bribery treats every so often. 9S isn’t too bothered, however. He’s been around horses as long as he can remember; their bizarre behaviors comes as no surprise to him. In fact, they seem to be fairly comfortable around him, one of the large chestnut geldings even nibbles at his hair to get a laugh out of him.

2B, on the other hand, does not mix well with horses.

With her dragonic strength, she volunteered herself to lift some of the heavier crates. Things that would take two or three full-grown men to lift, she would carry like it was nothing. Occasionally, 9S will stop in his tracks as he watches her heft box after box into a carriage, with 6O standing close by cheering her on.

Other times he watches her try to pat the dappled mare that’s hitched to the carriage she’s loading, only for the agitated beast to try and bite off her fingers. She squawks and leaps back, yelling profanities and jumping between common and a strange language 9S presumes to be dragonic. The mare, of course, doesn’t yell back. She just snorts and shakes her head at nothing in particular while 2B hisses at her.

It’s...much less impressive than watching her feats of strength.

Still, he can’t help but laugh. It makes her seem far less intimidating. Endearing, even. It’s nice to see she’s not always so dour and serious, or at least not the point that she isn’t above arguing with a horse.

She really is something...

He snorts as 6O eventually steps between the huffy Coatyl and the horse as if she’s separating two brawlers. They’re too far away for him to hear the conversation fully, but he swears he hears 6O telling 2B that she would lose that fight. 9S makes a mental note to tease her about this later. For now, though, he has a list of tasks to deal with, including helping his mother load fifteen cages of ornery ravens into carts.

Being the unofficial assistant to a healer means 2B is volunteered to help sick and injured soldiers into a cramped carriage set to be in the middle of the march. Her strength makes lifting full grown men easy, but 6O and the other healers have to guide her into not jostling broken limbs and tender stitching too much.

By the time the army would normally be settling in for breakfast, they begin the march towards Vigo. By 21O’s rough estimation they would reach the city within the week, but they would have to keep a quick pace. Traveling alone is one thing, but traveling with the entire company is another. No falling behind or rushing ahead. Everything must be in time with each other, otherwise, the whole caravan would fall apart. Commander White rides at the front, flanked by Jackass and several high ranking officers. Behind them, most of the army keeps pace with supply carriages dotted within the ranks. A troop of the best performing soldiers brings up the rear as a precaution against surprise attacks.

However, a solid mile ahead of the main army, the scouts travel in a loose and unsuspecting band, with one addition. 2B circles above them, flying ahead for a mile or so and then doubling back to circle a few times, then repeating the process. She insisted on staying with the scouts despite the protests of 9S. He did not take too kindly to her pointing out that they were small and easily targeted by anything larger than a house cat. She was right, but she didn’t have to say it so harshly…If a fight did break out, having a dragon overhead would be an incredible boon.

He could do without the teasing, though.

“You’re a lucky little bastard, you know that?” 11S says as 2B circles their group.

9S looks up at his friend and sighs, “What?”

“You know what people would give to have a godsdamned dragon be interested in them?”

He feels his cheeks heat up, “She’s not interested in me.”

“Why is she literally hovering above you, though?”

“Cause we’re easy targets!”

“Getting a bit defensive there, aren’t ya, Nines?” 801S says with a sly smile.

“Yeah, you’re not subtle there, buddy.” adds 11S. “It’s pretty obvious what’s going on.”

“And what exactly is ‘going on’?” 9S huffs.

“You fancy her.”

9S sputters and stops in his tracks, “I d-...Bu-....Y-...Shut up! She can probably hear you!”

801S cackles and 9S swears he sees 2B’s head tilt downward before she soars on ahead once more.

“So you do!”

“Well it’s obvious isn’t it?!” 9S growls. “I mean, you’ve seen her, she’s gorgeous and strong and-!”

He feels a roiling in his stomach at the admission of his feelings coming to light. It’s nonsensical though! It’s not like he’s about to propose to her, he’s just admitting to finding her attractive. So why does it feel like he’s about to vomit?!

“Tell her then,” 32S mumbles bluntly.

“Are you mad?! No! She’d eat me alive!”

“She didn’t eat you alive when you got a hard-on from her kicking your ass, that means she likes you, right?” 42S says to himself mostly.

“I did not-!!” 9S takes a deep breath and tries to calm his embarrassment before he ends up shouting loud enough for the Commander to hear, “...Look, so what if I do...fancy her, there’s no way she’d ever give a moment of her time to someone like me.”

801S gives him a sideways glare, “What the hell are you talking about, 9S?”

“2B’s the kind of person who’d end up with a legendary hero or something, not some scrawny half-breed.”

“You might not be entirely wrong, but there’s plenty of self-made heroes in this army,” 801S says with nothing but sincerity in his voice. “Yet she’s spending her time with you.”

“And 6O,” 42S adds quickly.

“And 6O but, let's face it, Nines. 6O is more likely to be your new step-mom than she is to snatch up 2B.”

“Hey, wait a second, what the hell does that mean?!”

Their conversation switches in the blink of an eye and as 9S gets drawn into another round of teasing, he sees 2B flying a bit closer to the ground than before. Their eyes meet for a brief moment, and in an instant, she’s soaring ahead of the group once more.

9S feels his stomach drop and flutter at the same time.

[majestyrising]

Cantio

Notes: Just a normal night in the the Magnanimous Magpie.

Pings: @hellkite-fr, @fusefr, @kattafr, @archaic-fr, @mask-fr, @griminal-rising, @wearetherot, @jadedragons, @palewastelandking, @lumoselm, @webwingalpha, @slighteyewing, @deadwapiti-fr, @shardclan, @fr-blackiebelle, @airris-fr, @frxemriss, @fitzfr, @nochnyr, @jaggeddragonbones

The smooth croon is a shock to everyone in the bar. It’s pretty busy tonight, the sun having set a couple of hours prior with all the mercs filing in after work. The cold radiating from the metal surfaces counteracts the swell of body heat of surprisingly calm occupants; chatter ebbs and flows; it’s been good for business without being aggressive and Oksana’s unfaltering smile shows that off.

But the croon, the crooning voice is a surprise.

Alcibiades tilts his head back with the slightest shit-eating smirk on his face. He knows damn well who that is, and although he is as shocked as everyone else for a very different reason, he doesn’t let on. His fingers gracefully shift the song he was playing from it’s soft relaxing rhythm to something darker, deeper, and altogether more sultry.

She plants one hand on the piano, long hair as deep as the abyss sliding from behind a frilled ear to cover part of her face as she sings.

Too bad she’s batshit. And not a man. Maybe he’ll ask after any brothers.

The duet turns the bar silent for a good couple of minutes before it ends. Everyone hesitates. Should they clap?

“Aren’t you going to thank us both?” Alcibiades purrs into the awkward silence. There’s a chorus of ‘no’ and ‘fuck you’ and then the chatter returns. He swivels on his seat, coattails sliding across the plush leather, and props his long dainty fingers underneath his chin.

Aisha lights a cigarette.

“What,” she says, flatly. Her purple eyes don’t reflect any of the light, but the crescent moon tattooed along her face glows slightly. She’s looking right past him; she’s actually looking at Gabriel, who silently raises a glass.

“I didn’t expect that from you tonight,” Alcibiades says, looking up at her through his eyelashes. She rolls her eyes before meeting his gaze. “Oh, ice cold.”

She shrugs noncommittally, inhaling deeply and then exhaling the smoke, thankfully away from his face.

“Aren’t you going to offer me one?” he asks, licking his bottom lip, “It’s a courtesy.”

“No,” she replies, brushing her hair back with her other hand. A single ruby ring shines on her fingers. “You’re a good pianist and nothing more. You are not my-“

Her lip curls in disgust.

“Friend,” she spits, framing the word with air quotes. This time, she does blow the smoke into his face. He doesn’t blink, even when his eyes water and twin trails of tears drip down his face. Nor does his little smirk falter.

“You wound me so deep, beautiful,” he says, sweetly.

“No,” she says, mildly.

“You have such a lovely singing voice,” he continues, casting his gaze to the heavens as he tilts his head back, “Such a siren.”

“I change my mind. Your playing is adequate at best. Stop talking to me.”

“And yet you’re still standing in front of me,” he notes, looking back at her, “You want something extra, cutie?”

Before he can react, she’s grabbed a knife from her hair- she was keeping that in her hair?- and holds it flush to his Adam’s apple.

“Hot,” he purrs, no fear in his eyes whatsoever.

“Ugh,” she mutters. Without the fear, it’s no fun.

He wonders for a moment if she’s going to stub the cigarette on his face, but she doesn’t. She lets go of him and saunters off; his eyes follow the swing of her hips before he looks up to find Oksana staring down at him.

She wipes his eyes with a handkerchief. It comes away with salt water, eyeliner, and a significant amount of pink glitter.

“Oksana,” Alcibiades complains, drawing out the last vowel, “Aisha was mean to me.”

“You know how she is,” Oksana says, patiently. “I don’t know why you talk to her. She’s an assassin. You know their type.”

“You told me to talk to more people-“

“I said, you should make some friends,” she interrupts, waggling a finger, “I didn’t mean try to bond with her. Why don’t you talk to someone else.”

“I do!” he complains. Dramatically he snatches her hand by the wrist and stands up. His outfit is perfectly tailored and hugs his slim body, the picture of grace. Some heads turn in surprise, but most ignore him. He turns around, heeled shoes clicking. “Gustav!”

Gustav turns around from his booth, blinking. Alcibiades gestures with one hand and Gustav gets up, slinking through the crowd to the grand piano. He brings his drink with him. It has an umbrella in it, but they both know it’s nothing but fruit juice.

“Yes Alci?” Gustav says, his soft wavy hair perfectly tousled around his perfect baby face.

“You like me, don’t you?” Alcibiades asks, his tone imbued with a heavy sense of drama.

Gustav mulls this over, looking up at the ceiling. He studies the crystal chandeliers for ten entirely silent seconds.

“You’re alright,” he decides on, before sipping his drink.

“See!” Alcibiades exclaims, turning back to Oksana.

She shakes her head and pats him on the shoulder before returning to the bar. Alcibiades sits back down with a huff, placing both hands on his knees.

“Why were you talking to that psycho?” Gustav asks plainly, looking at Aisha where she’s now leaning on the bar provocatively. She rotates her wrist as she talks to Gabriel, who nods slightly.

“She can sing,” Alcibiades says, his voice light.

“I’m aware of that now,” Gustav says, with the air of someone only slightly annoyed by that statement, “And that doesn’t answer my question.”

“It doesn’t? It should. I look for musicians, darling. I don’t care about their personalities,” Alcibiades explains, ghosting his fingers over the keys of his beloved piano. He slides his index finger up and down before going back to improvising a slow, relaxing song. “All I need is for her to sing.”

“I’m not a musician,” Gustav points out.

“No,” Alcibiades says, thoughtfully, “Not in music. But you’re a musician on stage, no? You dance. You can charm a thousand men with that smile. And you’re cute.”

Gustav giggles, thick serpentine tail swaying around his legs.

“It’s nice for someone to notice,” he says, basking in the glow of his own ego for a handful of seconds before he adds, “But you know you won’t get anywhere.”

“With you, or in life?” Alcibiades says, squinting one eye shut.

“With me,” Gustav says.

“Ah, yes,” Alcibiades murmurs, quieter, “You’re in mourning. Ah, no, don’t bristle. No, you haven’t said anything. I don’t know what you’re mourning, my sweet little peacock, but I do hope it was an angel.”

Gustav pauses. He watches Alcibiades play for a moment, the song a little sadder than before. Slower. Or maybe he’s imagining that. His electric blue eyes turn to look out the window. The night sky is black. In it, he sees a bouquet of roses, formed of the dark space between stars. He swallows thickly.

“Yes,” he answers.

“Mm,” Alcibiades muses, “We all have our lost angels. Not to worry. I won’t say anything to cause anyone enough ire to harm me. But for music, we must take risks. For our craft. You understand, don’t you?”

“I don’t know if I do,” Gustav says. “You step on everyone’s toes on purpose, Alci. I know you do.”

“Do you?” he says. “Do you know me at all?”

“No,” Gustav answers, easily, “You don’t know me either.”

Alcibiades smiles.

“Would you like a song, Gus?”

Gustav finishes his drink and tip toes to perch on the opposite end of the piano bench.

"Play for me.”