#that is i don't feel like ah yes. i have reached Every Conclusion about this material lol. im obv going ''oh hey. new ideas'' this very week

[unproduciblesmackdown]

speaking of, i’ve seen some like reblog addition once or twice in these past 7 years and been annoyed enough about disagreeing analytically that here i am to just vaguely refer to it and repudiate it

basically someone saying like oh there’s that idea in fury road that instead of chasing after a utopia you should fix what’s already there / what you’ve actually got to work with

like they do in fact get to improve on what they already have to work with but there’s not so much a concept of a Utopia here but rather someone, for one thing, going “yeah this cool, better place exists that i want to go to, because i lived there already”....even these other girls for whomst it is in fact entirely abstract are a) aware that it is an actual place that exists, thusly, and b) aren’t exactly necessarily totally Idealistic about the entire matter, e.g. aren’t assuming they won’t be killed, don’t think they’ll be able to find it, & such

which goes into how it’s not that everyone’s assuming they’re pursuing something perfect out here, it’s that they’re all coming from their nightmare society where they’re not even regarded as people in their own right, and chasing Something Else, which is theoretically going to be better rather than necessarily ideal, and that, again, it doesn’t even Have to be better necessarily, it’s [inciting incident is all these people choosing to take these actions] happening b/c again it’s Something Else, it’s literally Not This, it’s Possibility that [this] isn’t the only thing for them or for anyone. which is an attitude that can be like oh how naively utopian lol of course this is the way it Is so yes, going “what about: not this” is so useless. but naturally i would happen to disagree w/that.

even for things to take a turn into the climax you’ve got like. furiosa has her emotional low point b/c her remembered The Green Place has gone to shit / doesn’t have those qualities it used to have. which is different from like oh disillusionment about a place you Thought was perfect but actually it wasn’t, rather, it’s just outright Changed in the last twentysome years. (and also isn’t completely changed, like, it’s still something of this figurative oasis, it’s still sustaining life in this desert, even if it’s not Plant life nor the people who planted it & rather, the crows & those bogwalking people & whatever else is going on out in a bog).....it’s like, okay Now they’re heading off somewhere that they Don’t know exists at all & nobody knows what it’s like b/c they don’t know if traveling east for months will bring them to Anything Else or not. but it’s just a less concrete version of what they were already after, Something Else, and Possibility. it’s sure Possible there’s something out there actually, though there may not be, versus furiosa knowing there’s definitely something else a few day’s out from the citadel, b/c there is/was, b/c she was there....but that idea there Could Be Something Else is again not like oh there’s utopia out there, nor is it even necessarily despairing, though going back & taking over the citadel Is more concrete, and it Is considered more hopeful by everyone else (who also agreed to the salt flats approach, naturally) which is fun since max Just said that the salt journey was too hopeful lol but is now the one coming through w/the more hopeful and frankly longer shot of an idea.

but also that the reason they change plans isn’t b/c they were ignoring or rejecting the idea of Fixing what was already there, it’s that it’s like, to turn around and go back would just be to die lol, the entire time they were outrunning those parties b/c they’ve got one truck vs [literally everyone else]. it’s certainly not all about convincing furiosa and co of the practical plausibility of that, there sure is like thematic [operating together / with others towards your aligned/shared goals] and hope being repeated specifically mentioned before & now, but it sure Is also the practical plausibility lol, when once it’s like oh you can’t go home again when you were abducted a couple of decades ago, their options are Go Back, where they’ll be killed, or stay living in this part of the desert which is i guess an option, but really the Most Active thing to do from their perspective is in fact to take a long shot, take advantage of the supplies they’ve brought with them, & all pursue the Possibility of Something Else. to consider going back at all certainly involves max having to pitch the idea that it doesn’t actually just mean being killed along the way, or once they’re there. like, they all of course have known it exists, or at least half of them do, having just come from there / lived there a good while, furiosa knows it has resources, but the resources They have are themselves as people & their own relationships, where they see each other as people, rather than being in that citadel with all these increased resources that definitely exist, but where everyone’s an object / tool / property & even furiosa having some power through being an imperator was/is certainly not enough where she had any feasible means to just avoid being killed if she tried much of anything. and where here their opportunity is that the main guy & his whole army can at least be held off long enough to maybe get a foothold in the citadel, making sure to kill the main guy isn’t even necessarily a step in the plan. however it’s fantastic that furiosa gets to do this personally with an epic line that also punches you (or at least me) because it’s also like of course this is such an implicitly fraught history for her behind getting to rip a guy’s jaw off. good for her with that specific revenge that semi spontaneously unfolded but was also imbued with Everything In Her Life. and the girls getting to help her along to that point including again toast as the most similar to her having a direct hand in the last seconds letting furiosa kill him, then being there to take over driving and spit on his corpse. anyways, the thing is that also they know even Maybe turning around would lead to everyone dying anyways, and many people do die, and they also can’t have been sure there Wouldn’t be anything across the salt (or they wouldn’t have done it) and Obviously turning back and taking the citadel from joe with its definitely extant water & plants (and even the people of course, given that of course crucially they don’t (and can’t anyway) just like storm and conquer the place and have to be Let Up / everything that unfolds in how people react to furiosa’s return and joe being dead) is the right (and/or rewarded) choice in this story and it is certainly the choice they end up making, but it’s certainly Not accurate or all that relevant to what’s more accurate to be like well well well looks like someone didn’t want to put in the work and is instead looking for utopia

reminds me very pertinently of like oh how about this postapocalyptic YA scifi novel where one teen girl is now the only person alive in this small town / enclave although she can’t know if there’s any other enclaves or people alive out there, until some adult guy shows up from somewhere and maybe has to recover from some injury idk and they’re like housemates or whatever for a while until he suddenly tries to rape her b/c oh postapocalypse, as a girl you Have to have earth repopulating babies, and then she has to like flee and try to survive in that enclave while he’s trying to sabotage her to force her to have to “cooperate” with him. and the ending is that she takes the like radiation armor or whatever hazmat type suit the guy showed up in and leaves him and that enclave behind entirely and walks off into what may be a totally inhospitable unpopulated world but where a) that guy managed to show up from the outside world and b) she’s like specifically walking towards an area where she’s seen some distant birds so there May be life, but there’s no further implication about whether she’s necessarily right or or whether she’s going to die b/c there’s no one else or no other hospitable area nearby....and if we’re going “fury road is about working with what you’ve got and they have to learn that chasing utopia isn’t going to get them anywhere” then we’re going “wow, a story about this protagonist’s naivete, huh??” about that ending. sounds like Someone’s a little too idealistic

also that naturally it’s completely relevant that authoritarianism as like a structure/ guiding principle needn’t only be found on a scale of [a whole country or something]. quotes about water sure but also the “that’s my child; my property” line, where’s that being shared, it’s not like oh that’s just [the villain] things lol, that’s like, a common perspective even if it’s not voiced that way. you can apply the material to w/e you want irl but in universe it’s like, this one place they’re from is known to not be the only place in the world, it doesn’t Need to represent All Human Society and isn’t That in universe, when i went offroad from [zooms off from parents’ house] i was like wow fury road moments huh. and certainly people have the stance of like umm sounds like everyone should try and Make It Work with their existing family units....and i have the stance of i wish i could fight with a metal arm. like, you wanna make it work that way lol, that’s a possibility. don’t have to presume everything out there is Perfect, or that you won’t even maybe die by getting outta here, but it’s Possibility of Something Else and is already something else, can you argue people necessarily need to be guided by anything else or that that’s somehow the Naive or overly Idealistic perspective rather than “how about you stay & deal with more of the same / your known limited paths for the future as you have for however long? try just keeping at it? see if the regime will feel like seeing you as a person when it’s never done that and to actually change and do it it needs to have Already changed and done it, so kind of an impossible position to be in” and the like. how is one gonna imply like well the mistake that these characters needed to unlearn was leaving in the first place, oh you think there’s something perfect out there, get real?? 

anyways the tl;dr is you know when someone’s wrong and you’re right. i’m really right though lmfao this wasn’t a story about anyone being motivated by the idea of this utopia, it’s about the motivation of needing something else / acting on possibility. and saying the conclusion is like “fix it” lol like again, not utterly irrelevant when these matters are discussed, but it’s like, they’ve Been fixing things, How are they able to fix things, why do further possibilities like “i can fix [the citadel]” become possible....survival happening / becoming more successful with others, individuals becoming more successful with others....people are isolated & stripped of power as their Problems, not that they’re a bit too idealistic about hey time to get the fuck out of here lol

[mimisempai]

It will last forever

Summary

Who would have thought that Aziraphale's need to use the Bentley would expose some of Crowley's insecurities? 

Notes

50 Types of Kisses - Writing Prompts

Kiss #5: Throwing their arms around the other person’s neck, hugging them close before kissing them passionately on the lips.

On Ao3

Rating G -  1386 words

"Crowley, can you give me the keys to the Bentley?"

The demon, who was lying on the sofa, sat up and asked in a confused tone, "What do you need them for?"

Aziraphale sighed, "I know you freeze up every time I ask you for the keys, but it's been two weeks since I warned you that I needed the car to pick up some books from an old collector who's a long way from here and whose town isn't served by the train."

Crowley replied, "Ah yes, about that, actually, I..."

Aziraphale interrupted, clearly annoyed, "Ah, no, not again. I don't want to get into another argument about the fact that it's your car and you don't like me customizing it when I borrow it - knowing that it does it all by itself, by the way- and..."

Crowley tried to interrupt, but the angel had gotten carried away and continued, "I thought we were past this. For God's sake, my precious bookshop has been OUR bookshop for a long time, even before we lived together, and you're certainly there more often than I use the Bentley."

"But, Angel..."

Aziraphale didn't listen to him, pulled his hat over his head, picked up his briefcase and took a quick step toward the door of the bookshop, then, under Crowley's stunned expression, finished, "All right, I'll be fine. Don't expect me for dinner."

Then he walked out and slammed the door so hard that the small "Closed" sign fell to the floor.

Crowley snapped out of his stupor and ran after him, but when he reached the street, he saw that the angel was already gone. 

The demon whispered, "I don't even know where he went."

"Is there trouble in heaven?"

Crowley turned to Nina, who was standing in the doorway of the coffee shop, and replied curtly, "None of your business," then turned and locked himself in the bookshop.

First he walked in circles, poured himself a glass of scotch, swallowed it in one gulp, then returned to Aziraphale's desk, looked around for anything that might give him a clue - the collector's name, the town, anything - but found nothing.

Then he went to the sofa, thinking that if he slept as he always did, time would pass more quickly and Aziraphale would be back.

He will come back, right?

“Don't expect me for dinner.”

Wait.

Unable to shake the sudden fear that gripped his heart, Crowley straightened.

“Don't expect me for dinner.”

It just meant that he would be late, right?

Not that he might not come home.

Of course not, no.

But it was also the angel's fault.

Aziraphale didn't even listen to him and jumped to the conclusion.

As if Crowley had ever been able to deny him anything.

After all, it was their favorite game, wasn't it?

Crowley would be begged, but he always gave in in the end.

Every time.

Then he stopped and ran a hand through his hair, his anxiety returning with a vengeance.

But then again, maybe Aziraphale had grown tired of it.

“Nothing lasts forever.”

Could it be that what Crowley had feared since they had been together was already happening?

Lost in thought, he didn't hear the bookshop door open or the sound of the briefcase hitting the floor.

"Crowley..."

He turned sharply and gasped as he saw him, right in front of him.

Aziraphale.

He didn't even think and immediately closed the distance between them, throwing his arms around the Angel's neck before hugging him with all his might.

He was back.

Then, as if he couldn't believe it, he pulled back a little, muttering, "I'm sorry, Angel," before closing the distance again and kissing him with all the strength of his feelings, not even noticing that he was crying.

Suddenly, he felt Aziraphale's hands on his shoulders and the angel gently pushed him away, saying with a concerned expression, "Crowley, love, wait, please."

Crowley started to pull away, but Aziraphale shook his head and held him back, saying softly, "I'm the one who's sorry," then sliding his hands down the demon's arms, he grabbed his hands and pulled him toward the sofa, making him sit down before sitting next to him, still holding his hands.

Then, seeing the demon's tear-stained cheeks, he raised his hand and wiped them with his thumb, saying with a sorry look, "Oh, Crowley, I'm so sorry.

Crowley muttered in a hoarse voice, "Have you had enough of me yet?"

The angel's expression went from sorry to shocked, "What? No, no way! How can you believe that?"

The demon replied, "I wasn't going to say no, you know? About the Bentley. If I say no, you know it's not true, you know I always give in in the end." Thoughts raced through his mind and words came out of his lips, incoherently, but he continued, "You said it that day, nothing lasts forever. And maybe it's now the case..."

"Hey, Crowley, stop, stop, that has nothing to do with it. Of course I haven't grown tired of you, and I never will. You've done nothing wrong. As soon as I got to the end of the street, I realized I'd been a fool. I was so sure that I would have to argue a lot to get you to accept that I went ahead and ended up getting carried away out of nowhere. I am so sorry for making you feel so insecure, so let me reassure you again. There's not a chance in a thousand years that I'll get tired of you. Never."

He held the demon's face in his hands before continuing, "Let me correct my terrible words of that day. When I told you that nothing lasts forever, I was lying. It was a desperate argument to try to convince you. I don't believe that. I've always loved you and I'll always love you. My love for you will last forever. There's not much I'm certain of, but this I am. With all my heart."

He closed the distance between them and captured the demon's lips in a kiss that conveyed the strength of his feelings better than words.

When they pulled away to catch their breath, Crowley said softly, "Mine, too you know."

"What?"

"My love for you, Angel, it will also last forever."

Aziraphale nodded before opening his arms and Crowley immediately snuggled up to him, wrapping his arms around the angel's waist as Aziraphale held him with all his might, whispering into the demon's hair, "I'll never leave you."

Crowley pressed himself even closer, if that was possible, humming with contentment in response.

They stayed like that for a few moments, basking in the happiness of having found each other again, when suddenly Crowley sat up a little and, under the angel's puzzled expression, rummaged in his pocket. He pulled out the keys to the Bentley and handed them to Aziraphale.

"No, Crowley, that's not necessary..."

The demon stopped the angel from continuing by putting a finger to his lips, then took his hand and opened it, placing the keys inside before covering them with his own and saying softly, "You were right, it's our Bentley. These keys are yours. I made a spare set for you. You can keep them for life. You don't have to ask me anymore, just tell me when you need the car. That's what I wanted to tell you earlier when I didn't accept right away."

Aziraphale's expression changed from shocked to mortified as he said, "I feel even more of an idiot. I am so sorry, Crowley."

The demon pressed a kiss to the angel's forehead and replied, "Don't be, it's not like I'm not used to your shortcoming, or you to mine. We're the kind of people who go for it and think about it later. After millennia, you and I have learned not to hold grudges and to admit our mistakes."

Aziraphale nodded and replied, "So to thank you and make amends, let me go for it one more time."

Then, putting his money where his mouth was, he pressed his lips to the demon's in a tender kiss that was returned with equal sweetness and, as the kiss lingered, the keys to the Bentley were still in their joined hands, a definitive sign of their reconciliation.

_________

Still not beta'd

Still not my native language

Still hoping you'll enjoy this story  🥰

Still thanking you for bearing with me 😝

Ineffable kisses series : here

Ineffable Husbands masterlist : here

[shuhwaa]

Kazuha | Love-Shaped Lips

Le Sserafim Kazuha x fem!reader words: ~700 genre: fluff, first kiss warnings: none

Desc.: In which you lend your girlfriend Kazuha your lipbalm and for the first time realize how much you want her lips on yours.

You and your girlfriend Kazuha are having a study date at your place, having come to the conclusion that you're both better at studying if you're doing it next to another person. The two of you haven't been dating for very long yet, so you also reckoned it would be a good opportunity to spend some time together, getting to know each other a bit better without any pressure.

And surprisingly you've been silent for quite a while now, both of you immersed in your studies. That’s until you notice the girl sitting at the desk right next to you repeatedly licking her lips, and eventually looking up to mutter a few words.

"Ah, I forgot to put on lipbalm..." Your gaze finds her frame, and you watch as she leans down to rummage through her bag that's placed on the floor next to the chair she's using. Eventually, she lets out a disappointed sigh, sitting back up. You're guessing she forgot hers, so you reach across the desk to where you always make sure to keep a chapstick ready, just in case.

"I can lend you mine," you offer, already removing the lid and covering your finger in some of the lipbalm. Kazuha, who notices what you're about to do, quickly thanks you and then she leans in a little awkwardly, and once your eyes lock onto her lips, you as well realize what you're in the process of doing. Seeing no way out now, you hesitantly ask,

"Is it okay if I...?" You don't find the words to finish your question, but thankfully you see your girlfriend relax upon witnessing your tensed up state.

"Yeah," she simply replies, while showing you an honest smile. Keeping her lips slightly parted so you could apply the skincare product easily, she waits for you to make your move. And you do, reaching out your hand.

It's a quick and simple process - you spread the lipbalm evenly on her bottom lip, and because you have too much on your finger anyway, you also make sure to put some on her upper lip. However, the feeling of her soft skin against your fingertip makes your own lips tingle, and you subconsciously sink your teeth into them to make the sensation stop. Feeling unable to tear away your gaze even after finishing and smacking your own lips together to make her do the same, you're suddenly overcome with an entirely new emotion.

It's like there's this need to feel her lips on yours itching every part of your body. You try to pull yourself together and when you do finally manage to look into her eyes, you find her already looking back at you.

"Can I kiss you?" The words just slip out, as if you didn't even have to think about them, and Kazuha chuckles softly at them. An expression of pure adoration gracing her face, she nods ever so slightly.

"Yes."

It doesn't take more than that, a simple answer, for you to lean in. Cupping her face with your hand as you see a faint blush appear on her cheeks, you press your lips against hers clumsily. However, as she begins to kiss you back you figure things out together, falling into a lazy rhythm of moving your lips against the others'. Warmth fills your chest and rushes through your entire body, and the softness of her kisses makes your mind go blank. Instead, all your senses are suddenly filled with just her - a soft fragrance of her perfume lingering in your nose, and the sweet taste of a first kiss spreading on your tongue.

When you finally part, all you can do is smile at each other, both feeling shy and overwhelmed by the experience at the same time. It's her who reaches for your hand eventually, pulling it into her lap and giving it a gentle squeeze.

"Should we take a little break?" Kazuha suggests, and you nod.

"We could... practice some more," you say daringly, hoping she wouldn't reject you. And there it is again - that soft smile on her face that you keep falling in love with a little more whenever you see it, and she lets out a laugh.

"Okay." That is all she says. Then she closed her eyes, patiently waiting for you to kiss her again.

[robininthelabyrinth]

prompt 1: I'd love to see a niecest fic (where it is truly mutually requited, no hypnosis mindbreaks required; I'm a terribly softhearted romantic & just want to see them happy~) that incorporates your characterizations of the saber spirits somehow? Like, Baxia and Aituan, idk, end up like... bonded somehow by their masters getting together and that... maybe helps balance the qi deviations or IDK I WANT THEM TO BE HAPPY *cough* ok. yes. something. prompt 2: ohhhh I know. Jiang Cheng gets some sort of temporary story-convenient amnesia and assumes that (probably still a small child)!Jin Ling is his son, Jin Ling maybe... doesn't correct him for a bit? ("Wait whose kid is this. Did I give birth to a kid somehow. I mean I guess that might as well have happened, sure.") prompt 3: turns out Wen Qing was also being kept secretly alive but imprisoned by the Jin sect all this time, and Jin Ling discovers her in the aftermath of canon. Chengqing y/y? ANYWAY please feel free to select any of these that may strike your fancy, do not feel obligated to pick more than one or any of them, actually. (also I'd appreciate not having my name published as the prompter of any of these, if you don't mind. I don't think you do that, as a general rule, but just in case you might have.) P.S. I adore your work; every day that you post something is a day considerably brightened for me. and also the other days, because I do a lot of rereading. <3 <3 <3

prompt 1: I'd love to see a niecest fic (where it is truly mutually requited, no hypnosis mindbreaks required; I'm a terribly softhearted romantic & just want to see them happy~) that incorporates your characterizations of the saber spirits somehow? Like, Baxia and Aituan, idk, end up like… bonded somehow by their masters getting together and that… maybe helps balance the qi deviations or IDK I WANT THEM TO BE HAPPY cough

ao3

So. We're doing something about this, right?

Baxia stirred. Slowly, like a great big old rumbling beast that was actually quite fast when it wanted to be, which knew that there was nothing in the world that could hurt it and anything foolish enough to do so was destined to a terrible fate of being played with and then demolished. Cruelly. Viciously.

Without remorse.

Yes, she said with admirable patience. We will do something about...'this'.

Oh good, Aituan said, amazed, surprised, and relieved that he'd survived this far into the conversation. Baxia was scary, all right? There were masterless sabers less scary than her. Daughter of the dragon, one of the best-forged blades in the sect, and she'd been used to her full potential, too - basically the opposite of Aituan in every way shape or form, really. It's just, you know, my human's been leaking again and I hate it when that happens.

Nie Huaisang might have some faults as a human, Aituan would allow (mostly because Nie Huaisang would similarly allow, and even seemed a bit proud of), but he was an excellent master. Sure, he might not cultivate Aituan all that much - it was kind of amazing Aituan had a personality at all rather than being a lifeless hunk of metal - but that was fine! Aituan, infected by his master’s shaping, didn't especially want to be constantly cultivating anyway. They didn't need that, the two of them. They were chill.

I thought he'd stopped leaking in the bed once he'd reached the appropriately age..?

Not that type of leaking! Leaking from the face, I mean. Salt water.

Ah, Baxia said. Yes, my human does that, too. Quite a bit. I'd assumed it was a regular part of their function.

Aituan thought about what he knew about the senior Nie brother, who was a highly emotional sort of person - inclined towards wet eyes for a myriad of reasons, such as joy, sadness, rage, a bit of passing beauty, and even something Nie Huaisang very fondly called 'allergies'. He could see how Baxia might have reached that conclusion.

Well, my human doesn't do it very much at all, he said. Not for real, anyway. Only when he's unhappy.

Baxia didn't say anything.

This will make him less unhappy, Aituan added, because he might be a mute piece of metal, but silence was a little intimidating when the silence was Baxia's. That shit had weight, and heft, and maybe stabbing power. He thinks revealing the extent of his desires will lead your master to reject him.

Absurd.

I know! Your master is doting and meticulous with his affections. He would never turn his back on a beloved one.

Nie Mingjue had the stubbornness of a saber in that way, and Aituan meant that as a wholehearted compliment. 

True, Baxia said, sounding satisfied - like any saber, she approved of people speaking highly about her master. Not to mention that the underlying 'issue' seems rather...pointless.

I know! Aituan exclaimed. I mean, I have no idea why humans are so hung up on all that grinding and grunting stuff -

I believe it's associated with human reproduction. Maybe.

Only when you have compatible male-female pairs, but you don't see humans stopping with that, do you? Aituan sighed. His master was something of an expert on this subject. Males, females, multiples, solo...you know, I think they do it for fun. 

Baxia rumbled thoughtfully. Like training?

...I think they think it’s more fun than training, Aituan said, and tried to ignore Baxia's silent skepticism. Most humans, anyway; not necessarily yours. Humans are weird, okay?

The silence turned agreeable. That was something no saber would disagree with.

Anyway, put that aside. Let’s just take it as given that humans like grinding themselves against each other instead of against a proper whetstone, and that my master happens to very much want to grind against yours in particular. And yet he's tormenting himself and making himself unhappy and refusing to do anything about it because - you won't believe this - because they were forged by the same maker.

That’s the reason? Surely you jest.

I'm not, Aituan insisted. I asked my human about it specifically. That's the reason.

Baxia was displeased. That's ridiculous, she said. That's it? That's the cause of all this fuss?

Aituan was just happy someone finally understood his perspective about this whole fiasco. Nie Huaisang had a penchant for the dramatic, but he seemed quite earnestly distressed by this little non-dilemma, even after Aituan had assured him - having checked with Baxia - that his brother adored him unreasonably and would do anything he wished. He hadn't exactly appreciated Aituan's disbelief when he'd explained the issue, either - in the end, he'd just said that it was probably something sabers couldn't quite grasp. 

I thought it was something serious, Baxia complained. The way my master has been carrying on, you'd think he was doing something evil in even wanting to do it. But there's no evil here! We would know!

Naturally. They were Nie sect sabers, forged and cultivated to fight evil from the very start; no one knew evil better than they. 

And it's not as if my master's predecessor was any better. Look at the unusual ingredients he chose to use in forging his sons! Each one stranger than the next!

This was true. Nie Huaisang had once grown a tail in his sleep - Aituan had suppressed it on his behalf, naturally, and he was fairly certain that his master still regarded the entire event as a bad dream brought on by snacking excessively on that imported cheese from the south, but it had definitely happened. 

The old Sect Leader Nie had a lot to answer for, really. 

It would seem to solve a lot of problems for them to pair off together, Aituan agreed. They're a known quantity for each other, and it keeps either of them from bothering anyone else with their nonsense. They’d be able to pick forging ingredients for the next generation on the basis of logic rather than emotion. And they both want it! There's literally no problem here!

None at all that I can see, Baxia proclaimedwith a very reassuring tone of finality. We will fix this.

Yes!

And we will fix your cultivation as well.

Ye- wait, what?

My master’s cultivation has begun to exceed my own, Baxia explained. Humans don't have a consolidation period - they just keep growing even after they reach a breakthrough point. If he continues to grow at the current rate, he will exceed my reach within ten years.

That…wasn't good. It was in fact very bad.

The Nie sect practiced a complementary cultivation style, human and saber cultivating side by side along the path of the Great Dao. If the two ever fell seriously out of sync, they would increasingly risk qi deviation. Such a tragic end had been the fate of the Nie sect seniors whose sabers now rested in the saber tombs, and would likely consume their own masters eventually, absent some plan...

...which it sounded like Baxia had.

You are a weak cultivator, she said. Your master is, too. If we redirect my master's cultivation for the purpose of strengthening you and your master instead of increasing his own strength, it would add at least two dozen years to the timeline - and that will be enough for me to finish consolidating my own power and reach my own breakthrough, letting me match him once more. My master and I will then be able to cultivate side by side through the next period. 

Huh. That meant work for him, which Aituan didn't especially want, but much less work than if he were doing all the cultivating himself. And it'd be good for his master, not needing to worry about losing his brother at a young age...

All right, he said. Say, how long is the next period? Until you run into another consolidation period and we need to start worrying again?

Baxia considered the question. Not terribly long, she said. Perhaps 200 years? Perhaps 250?

That seemed reasonable enough, right? How long did humans live, anyway? 

Well, whatever. It was more than ten - his master ought to be thanking him (and Baxia!) for putting in so much effort on his behalf. 

That's fine, Aituan said. All right, we're in agreement. So...now what? 

[joshriku]

Fic promt:

Cherik art museum encounter. Can be a clandestine 'meeting' (i.e. date) or a tense X-Men/Brotherhood encounter. I want tension and drama and art discussions. 🎨👀

i don't actually know anything about art! but thank you for the prompt! i didn't figure out which verse of cherik this is, so have fun! feel free to send prompts here and i may just fulfill it before sleep lol

-------

“Wonderful, isn’t it?” Charles asks. Erik’s eyes have been fixed on every painting they’ve passed, moving at a snail pace. “I had a feeling you’d enjoy it.”

Truth be told, Charles hasn’t paid attention to the paintings so much as he had paid attention to Erik. He’s wheeling next to him, enjoying that his hand holds Charles’ easily, and it’s in the little things, really: the way his fingers twitch every so often, as if he’s trying so hard to not reach out and trace every painting with his fingertips.

“Breathtaking,” Erik replies easily. He turns to Charles with an oddly serene expression. “I am itching to grab a pen and paper. Humble tools, yes, but ah—the urge is there.”

“That inspired, hm?” he smiles at him. Small, a bit sad—Erik’s not going to give in to that urge to draw again. Back then, before everything changed, there used to be sketches that Charles would see. A landscape, a cup, a face of a patient they must have seen one time—what always stuck out the most was seeing Erik draw it. The furrowed brow, the strokes, the patience. He used to be so at ease. “Perhaps one day you could be submitting one of your works here, my friend.”

Ah. Must have been the wrong thing to say. Erik drops his hand, turning to stare at The Floor Scrapers once more. He doesn’t leave like Charles expects him to; simply fixes his eyes on it again.

“I’m afraid the reality I’d paint would not be accepted by this museum,” he smiles, humorlessly. “Even if I were to be inspired, the truth would be rejected by them.”

Charles tries for a smile back. It doesn’t quite reach his eyes. “Come, now. There’s a place for all stories to be told in a museum.”

“Not even you believe that.”

“Perhaps so,” he says. “I suppose I just wish you still had that time to do some art, time to just…” 

“Not engage in violent acts?” Erik chuckles, with the humor still taken off. “You can be so transparent sometimes, Charles.”

“It’s—it’s not—” Charles sighs deeply. “I don’t think I want to go down this topic, Erik. I had only wanted to show you around the museum. You used to like art.”

“And I still do,” he answers. “I appreciate the invite. I appreciate being with you, Charles. But look around you—you’ve frozen everyone in place, just for us to be here. Just for us to indulge. Do you truly think this topic can be ignored?”

And yes, perhaps Charles had been a fool for thinking he could pretend nothing was going on for at least forty minutes. Perhaps he had been a fool for pretending he could simply not see the cape, the helmet on his other hand. It’s not naivete, it’s desperation.

“Forgive me for missing you, then,” Charles huffs. “I’m trying to not do that.”

“Not working very well, is it?”

“Neither is it working for you, since you accepted to come here.”

“I never said I wasn’t missing you, Charles,” Erik replies. “I do. Every day. I like to believe that maybe—maybe—one day it’ll be over. And we’d get to do this for longer than forty minutes in a place where everyone is frozen in place.”

“It could be over,” Charles says. “Come with me.”

Erik smiles at him. “May I offer you the same back?”

It always reaches the same point. The one point where they just can’t concede, can’t agree, can’t come to the same conclusion. It shouldn’t break his heart anymore.

Shouldn’t.

Charles grabs his hand again, nonetheless. “Come on, then. We have got around, say, twenty minutes. I would like to see The Narrows at Lake George and have you explain each brush technique in detail, until we have to part.”

“It’s not going to be enough, one day,” Erik replies, but obligingly walking to the painting in question. “You know that. There’s going to be one day where forty minutes every now and then is not going to satisfy either of us.”

“Yes, yes,” he hurries, because he knows. He’s not naive. He’s just starved for him. There’s a difference. “You are wasting precious minutes, Erik.”

And there it is—that one smile that means he is winning this argument, this one time.

[birues]

Wip Whenever

Tagged by @impossible-rat-babies and @lilas tysm both 💜💜💜

Shadowbringers, only dialogue outline, Tuana and ratman are playing 6d chess mentally after the cave revelation. Some game dialogue before Kholusia happens right after Rak'tika because Tuana is smart and figured shit out early.

---

Tuana: You've said Hydaelyn sundered Zodiark, the star and all who dwelled upon it. You meant the people, didn't you? Their souls...

ES: Well well... You actually managed to get there all by yourself, hero. How very impressive. Before I answer your question, however, I would like to know how you've reached such a conclusion.

Tuana: Simple logic, oh you ancient mountain of wisdom? The density of an Ascian soul is not the same as a mortal one. We need a white auracite to put you down for good. How you managed not to get shattered, that's what i'd like to know.

ES: Very well, I'll give you this one. You did manage to impress me for once, after all. We escaped through the rift. Only three were fortunate enough to escape the sundering─me being one of them.

Tuana: ... The Paragons.

ES: A charming name your people give us, that's for sure.

Tuana: ...And the others?

ES: Why, their very beings were divided into fourteen, of course. Yet by our power, we unsundered Ascians may raise up one of their fragments to their original office. Ah, but I suppose this in itself bears explaining. So...the names by which you know us are not, in fact, our names.

Tuana: If not names then... Titles?

ES: Yes. Be it Elidibus or Lahabrea or Igeyorhm, all are titles of office. And when an office is vacated, it may be filled by another. Over the eons, I have overseen several changings of the guard among our sundered brethren. And in such instances, the vacant title ordinarily goes to another fragment of the selfsame soul.

Tuana: ...I shutter to think how such process works. And you're able to find these souls due to your talent, I assume?

ES: And thus my tireless work has been counted for naught. Combing through the millions to find a dozen is not an easy task, Hero. Even with the soul sight.

Tuana: Then why bother? Does it have to be those souls?

ES: Well, while it is by no means impossible to raise up wholly unrelated individuals, 'tis we whose fervent entreaties brought forth Lord Zodiark─whose souls He claimed in the beginning─who make the truest servants.

Tuana: The way you talk about Zodiark really is strange, you know that, don't you?

ES: I'm not here to put you at ease, my dear.

Tuana: Hah. Couldn't do it if you've tried- But let us not get distracted. So... Three unsundered, and eleven sundered Ascians.

ES: ...Eleven?

Tuana: I saw your little meeting room thanks to Nabriales. There were fourteen chambers, I'm sure of it. If three of you escaped the sundering...

ES: ....

Tuana: ....

ES: ... Ten. Ten sundered. Three unsundered. Though it would be two now since Lahabrea left the stage.

Tuana: But-

ES: ... Before we summoned Zodiark, there was... one among us who defied our decision. And left us. Defected. So her seat serves as a reminder. It will never be spoken and will never be remembered– save for her betrayal.

Tuana: Was she one of those 'naysayers' who summoned Hydaelyn?

ES: ...No. She was vehemently against any god that would be summoned.

Tuana: How refreshing to know there was one among you who hadn't lost it completely.

ES: Do you honestly think we did what we did because for what... kicks and laughs, hero? It's because we had to! We had a duty to save the star. And it's by Zodiark's grace that your miserable ilk dwells upon the star and its reflections. Meanwhile she kept insisting there was another way only to come empty handed every single time. If we had kept waiting for her to find a way, I assure you, there would be naught left to save.

Tuana: ...What did you sacrifice? To your God, I mean. You say you're telling the truth but I feel like you're omitting something. So I'm asking, what did you sacrifice?

ES: ....

Tuana: It's as I thought... Do you want to know what I think? Maybe you're right. Maybe she would've failed. Because it sounds to me like she was alone.

Tuana: And I too would rather be forgotten than to be remembered as a mass murderer.

ES: *slightly manic laughter*

ES: Of course you would think that.

[writingrenna]

Hassel x GN!Reader

"Where The Heart Is"

A story where you start to actively pay attention to the specific brand of weird Hassel throws your way.

I admit, I didn't finish most of the friendship quests because I WANT MORE OF HIM, WHY DO CHARACTERS JUST DISAPPEAR/BECOME GENERIC NPCS WHEN THEY'RE DONE BEING IN THE STORY?? I want to truly engross myself in his backstory, so I'll be taking things slow. Don't mind me, just dragging out the inevitable </3

I WILL be taking advantage of his rematches, thank you very much.

ALSO this takes place three years after the end of the game so your expy has time to be hired and get to know Hassel, you work as one of the academy librarians!

Tone/Ending: Slightly Angsty At Parts, Wholesome, Romantic

Warnings: If you're sensitive to rough family situations, be warned! Hassel is very firm with no longer associating with his family and it's hinted at that his childhood wasn't the best, but the story doesn't dwell on that yet, I'm exploring that more later

Also, beware the movie and Hassel's painting sections, especially if the Iron Giant makes you sad

Word Count: A little bit over 5,000

^^^>

"You're... really sure about this, huh?" You say into your mug.

The steam from your tea gently tickled your nose as you considered what he said. The two of you were standing at the back of the staff room, both leaning against a window each on opposite sides of the bookshelf. The rain was fairly loud, but it served more as a gentle white noise to your conversation than anything.

"Yes, I simply cannot imagine an outcome that would make reaching back out again worth it."

You couldn't see his face, but the sadness in his tone was evident, so you took note of that.

"Ah, I know how that feels." You say, remembering some sour relationship conclusions where the other person reached out again or seemed to linger a bit more than they should. But his story... holy Tauros, it was something else.

"Well, do you think you're happy here in Paldea?" You begin. "I mean, would you consider seeing more of the world from time to time? Maybe even visit your home region again?"

He paused, taking in your question. He then huffed a little out of his nose, although it didn't seem to be out of annoyance.

"Well, I have lightly entertained the idea of just visiting my homeland again, but I just..." He paused. "Something is holding me back."

Your face dropped from attentive neutrality to one of sadness for him.

"Hey, no, that's valid of course! I was just wondering where you stood, you know? Like, after escaping all that and starting anew here? I'll stop asking if you like, though."

He immediately rebutted your offer.

"Nonsense, my dear. I do not mind your curiosity. I am aware my familial ties are... strange."

You can almost feel him stare into his mug in self-reflection, the one with the hand-drawn Gossifleur design a student made him that he had printed on. The one he proudly owned and tearfully showed off to every member of staff who happened to walk by if he had it at the time until the entire combined workforce of both the academy and the league knew about it. His favorite mug...

Him speaking up snapped you out of your trance.

"Ah, and about your first question. Truth be told, I do not have enough time to even imagine seeing more of the world, much less experience it. Between the academy and my duties with the elite four, my schedule is simply swamped! I sadly do not even remember the last time I had an extended break."

You frowned, looking down at your own mug. The one you spun yourself after classes on a day that Hassel had done a lesson in properly handling clay, donated courtesy of Brassius. He gave you a chance to throw down and de-stress as he cleaned the rest of the classroom since you had an especially rough day reorganizing books in the massive entrance hall. It wasn't perfect, but it was your own pride and joy, one he had cried upon seeing you finally use one spring morning.

"Oh! But do not pity me, I really and truly do love working with our students and giving it my all in the league. My classes remind me of the joy and wonder one feels while appreciating the beauty the world has to offer, even during those darker days. The future is bright for all our students! And these dragon Pokémon..." He paused. "They were always there for me despite my family's less-than accepting stance on my life choices. I have nothing but praise and gratitude to show them all."

You smiled, looking down a little as you let his words reverberate in your mind. You were going to ask him another question, only for him to completely derail your train of thought.

"Besides... there are many a thing here to make me feel well and truly at home."

You could hear a great warmth in his voice when he said this. You pondered on this, wondering if he meant to hint at something there when you notice the rain had stopped.

"Hey, the rain's gone!" You said before departing from the window. You stretch, careful not to accidentally spill the contents of your mug as you do so. You then walk forward a bit, looking over at your colleague as you do so.

You can't help but pause, however, at the way he stared longingly at the mug.

His eyes were transfixed on the last bit of tea left, swirling the liquid in his hands. His usual piercing eyes were replaced with a far more softened gaze, pupils large and unfocused.

He glanced up at you, smirking, although it was out of contentment. You couldn't help but focus on his blush. He was obviously thinking about something, but what ?? The way he stared at you from below his eyelids, refusing to lift his head more, but still giving you his undivided attention made you feel... strange.

'What is this man thinking?'

Despite taking in every little thing you could about his strange behavior, the moment really only lasted a few seconds before he chuckled softly, sitting up straight himself.

"Ah, well then." He softly intoned. "We should probably head out. Would you..."

He rubbed the back of his neck.

"...do me the honor of... of letting me walk you outside?"

^^^>

The rain-kissed streets of Mesagoza smelled fresh, and the warmth in the air left you without the need of a jacket, so you decided to forego wearing it. Hassel seemingly felt the same way, taking his coat off and draping it over his right arm before gently placing his left dominant hand over top it, as if caressing it. He took a deep breath, eyelids closed and fluttering.

"Ahh... smell that evening air. The world has been rinsed clean and emerges anew!"

You smiled up at him. He truly did seem to appreciate every little thing this world had to offer, good or bad.

"Hah! Yeah, I love the smell of rain. Very cozy, makes me feel all peaceful and stuff."

You suddenly remembered something.

"O-oh! And did you know? The word describing that comfy smell of rain after a dry season is 'petrichor'!"

He looked at you, head tilted down and to the side at you, his wide eyes showing his astonishment.

"I did not! Thank you for enlightening me, I now know a far simpler way to describe this feeling."

You beamed up at him, eyes closing momentarily as you grinned a toothy grin. When your eyes opened again, his face had an enchanted smile. That blush... it was back.

A coincidence, surely.

You decided to pretend you didn't notice.

"Oh, hey! It's a nice evening. Would you like to take a little walk?"

You bow slightly, looking up at him and offering your hand. He flinches slightly, eyes widening again as his face erupted in a deeper hue.

"Uh, y-yes. Yes I would."

He hastily grabs your hand and moves to face forward, avoiding your gaze. The man was probably in his early-to-mid 50's or 60's, but his voice audibly cracked. You didn't mention it, however, much to his relief.

^^^>

Here you are, splashing and kicking about in some puddles. You brought rain boots with you to keep at the school because the weather seemed to change at a sneeze in Paldea, but you really didn't mind. You loved the rain. You also loved having company, even super posh and serious company. You called for your companion.

"C'MON, HASS! WHY NOT GET YOUR PANTS WET THIS ONE TIME!?"

He was leaning away, seemingly trying to protect his suit jacket.

"Er... I would rather not have to deal with dry cleaning for a few minutes of rebellion..."

You understood, although a part of you just wanted to see the man act like a child again. So you walked off to stare out into the distance, 'hmm'ing to yourself as you came up with an idea. This worried Hassel, who backed up a bit.

"My dearest, what is on your mind? I'm not sure I feel comfortable with your suspicious little 'hmm's..."

You let out a mischievous little cackle before turning your upper half back towards him. His nervous smiling face screams 'oh Arceus, save me!', yet he remains glued in place. He seems ready to bolt at any second, however.

"Oh, nothing." You start, turning to walk toward the man, whose nervous smile wavers a bit to being more worried.

"But I will break you."

He lets out a shakey noise, but he remains.

"Ah, well, it is alright. No need for, um, breaking." He grins. "I am quite content simply watching you enjoy yourself."

He seemed genuine. You groaned.

"Oh, I am still breaking you, sir." You point a finger at him, waggling it a little as you turn and walk away, although you don't retract it, simply shaking it to your side. "Juuuust you wait."

He 'hmmph's, shaking his head in amusement.

"I see, I am..."

He mumbles an 'Oh bother...' under his breath before continuing.

"...interested... to see whatever you have planned for the night."

You freeze. You didn't actually stop to think about when you'd "break" him. But tonight definitely works.

"Good. Cause it's gonna be WIIIIILD."

^^^>

It certainly was not nearly as wild as Hassel expected. Here you were, popping popcorn as he sat under a blanket fort in your living room. A part of you expected him to be giddy, feeling that childlike wonder take over.

But the logical part of you predicted his bewildered expression, silently staring up and around at the neon lights you hung about the dark room.

"So." he began. "What exactly did you have in mind?"

"Oh, I wanna remind you of what it's like to be a kid again! Let loose, man!" You did a strange little shimmying dance as you said this.

His eyes widened, although it was different than before.

"Really now?"

"Yes, really!"

The popcorn was finally done, so you put it in a large bowl before going over and putting it on the floor beside him.

"It's movie night now! Your choice..." You said, holding up several cases with classic movies.

The Little Primarina, The Pyroar King, even Revavrooms were available for him to choose from. He carefully looked them over, his usual neutral expression on his face as he seemed to seriously consider which movie to watch. It was kinda funny, your stomach compressing a little to hide a laugh that was threatening to come up. He didn't seem to notice however, instead pointing to one, looking back up at you in the process.

"That one looks promising."

^^^>

He chose poorly. Or at least, he chose one he wasn't prepared for. You watched as tears spilled from his eyes, him constantly shaking his head and whispering "no" over and over with the covers pulled up over his nose. The Steel Ultra Beast really did a number on him, watching the mysterious entity (who we now know as Celesteela) sacrifice itself to save its new friends from an Ultra Wormhole a secret branch of the government tried to seize, but instead caused to collapse. He yelped when it said to itself "Palafin." He couldn't bare to watch the climax, sobbing pitifully while squeezing his eyes shut, looking down and repeatedly chomping down on the blanket you two shared.

"It's Ok, Hass..." You said, rubbing his shoulder.

You had tried to warn him, but in all fairness, it'd take a lot of effort to properly warn anyone of the emotions involved watching it without spoiling the entire movie.

He leaned into you, his eyes still closed, tears still managing to escape.

"Th-thank you, my dearest..." He sniffles.

You felt bad for even having it as an option, but then again, he seemed to enjoy it despite the... sorrowful conclusion. You gave him a little while to let it all out, holding him tight and rubbing his back as he bawled his eyes out into your shoulder. You were so sucked up in comforting him that you almost forgot-

Gasp!

You sat up abruptly, although you hold onto Hassel so he's still lying on you.

"The ending scene!"

He's teary-eyed, but he looks over to the TV screen.

"The ending has not happened yet?"

"No! Or at least, not the true ending."

You smirk and look down at him like a Purrloin caught stealing but absolutely not regretting it, although his eyes are still sad. Either way, he kept watching, when...

"It... it is rebuilding itself?"

"Yeah! I mean, the movie never got a sequel, which sucks, but hey! Open-ended bittersweet endings are one of my favorite kinds!"

He seemed to feel slightly better, sniffling a bit as he sat up and wiped his nose.

"Ah, I-I see..." He said, slowly calming himself down. He took a few deep breaths before turning to you.

You feel the need to apologize.

"Hey, sorry I, uh, brought that movie out in the first place."

He looked at you, a weak smile on his face.

"Do not apologize, my dear! I can see why you and many others consider it a cult-classic. It was a marvellous story despite the turmoil in my heart. Perhaps even partially because of it."

He seemed hesitant to say the next part, sitting with his legs up to his chest.

"I, um, had a fantastic time with you tonight."

He turned to look at you, eyes sparkling due to the light of the TV.

"Really, I did."

There was so much warmth in his tear-stained face.

"I'm glad! I just wanted to see you let your guard down, haha!"

"Ah, I see..." He said, eyes darting to the side as he turned away, contemplation on his face.

The two of you sat in silence for a moment as he thought on what all just happened. You decided to close your eyes, lightly humming a tune to yourself. It wasn't one that existed, or even made sense really, but it was your own little melody.

"Ah, I have always wondered, is that a song you like?"

"Hehe, nah, just a melody I made up one day."

"Oh. It is very pleasant." He smiled.

"Thank you!" You smiled back.

^^^>

He had gone home later that night after you forced him to stay for pizza and a few episodes of a show you used to watch. He went for a salad instead, not wishing to feel sluggish on his way home, although you got him to eat one singular solitary slice. All-in-all, it was a very good night. You got him to smile and laugh again despite watching such a sad movie just an hour before.

It was now Friday, three days later. You knew he'd have something special planned for his students today, as he did every other Friday. You wondered what it'd be as you reorganized the shelf housing the Occulture Magazine again. You idly wondered how accurate the entries were when you heard a bell.

"Oh, classes are out already?"

You had already kept up with what the students in the entrance hall were up to that day, since there weren't many there to really pick up after, so really, all you had to do was a final check of the catalog you started earlier so you could pop by and see what Hassel had done that evening.

It took a bit over 30 minutes to wrap everything up, but you finished, signing out of your work computer and making your way over to the art room.

When you reached the door, you heard a familiar tune. You wondered what it was, before suddenly realizing something: it's the tune you hum! He remembered it? Has he hummed it before?

You entered the classroom, prepared to ask him how he remembered the erratic tune so well when you decided to see if he was in a state to even be distracted. Hassel was sitting at a desk, adding various dots with the aid of a thin paintbrush to a canvas he had. You assumed it was glitter or stars.

He looked up at you, neutral expression turning into a huge grin.

"Oh, my darling! Come over here! I have something I'd like to show you!"

You did as he said, coming over as he himself stood up to meet you at the other side of the desk.

He held up a painting, and by Arceus was it gorgeous. It was of Celesteela, flying into space, a content look on its face despite the doom looming over it.

"I used this as an example for today's lesson." He began. "I was inspired by our movie night earlier this week. I thought of the many pieces of media that make one feel things, the images and words that truly stick with you that came from another mind, how we often analyze and relate to them. So I decided to base this Friday's special on that very concept! Everyone was allowed to draw and paint their own favorite scenes from the movies, shows, and games they enjoy."

You nodded, still taking in all the details of his painting. He based it off a real photo of Celesteela, a sorta modern "glow up" of sorts that make the familiar scene truly pop.

He continued.

"This piece was meant to represent the acceptance Celesteela showed during the climax of the film. How it smiled despite facing what it thought at the time was oblivion. How it..." He swallowed and blinked harshly a few times. "...it would do anything for... the ones they lub... w-without he... hesi-"

You put a hand on his shoulder, smiling. The man looked back down at you, obviously on the brink of tears as he swallowed and sniffled a bit.

"Heh... I suppose you wouldn't need my analysis, seeing as though that tape of yours was so well-loved."

He had taken note of how the label on the tape wasn't perfectly pristine.

You scoffed, playfully rolling your eyes.

"Yeah, well..." You continued to look off to the side. "I like it when things make me feel things."

He softly laughed, a few stray tears finally escaping. He closed his eyes while leaning his head back for a moment.

"Yes, I can tell. You seem to enjoy learning about descriptive words and how specific they can get..."

He trailed off before wiping his tears away, finally looking down at you again.

"Well, speaking of, would you like to... accompany me at my booth for the academy's upcoming fair? It would be nice to teach people more ways to express themselves and how they feel about the things they consume. It is truly saddening to see people keep their opinions to themselves simply because they do not know how to accurately bring their thoughts into the world. And as a self-proclaimed 'word nerd', your area of expertise would be an excellent addition to my own inspiration station, alleviating the frustration they feel and helping them dig up what they feel inside."

You blinked. Hassel, the Hassel wanted to work with you? You thought he was far more articulate than you, often gnawing at what he says in your mind and trying to emulate that vibe in your emails. I mean, you often said "lmao" in real life. Having an interest in words sadly didn't make you a wordsmith of any sort. Did he see something in the way you speak or express yourself that you didn't?

"I'll d-do it."

Woah, how nervous were you? Or, rather, how eager were you?

Hassel's golden eyes shone as he grinned, ecstatic at your 'yes'.

"Ah, do not worry, my dear! You will do amazingly, I just know it."

Looks like you're gonna need to break out the thesaurus.

^^^>

It was the afternoon of the "Treasures Within" fun fair. Hassel's booth was really fun, he'd do his usual demo thing while also personally helping people start their artistic journeys when they didn't quite know where to go after each session. His advice came from a place that personally helped him cope and start his life anew in his past, although he didn't delve into just how it helped, only that he understands the struggle.

As for you, if someone wanted to articulate exactly how they felt about a piece of art or music, you'd hold a "mind unraveling" session, where you picked out certain themes they repeated or tried to go deeper in until they felt confident in describing what it is they feel with words that felt right. You thanked yourself for having the forethought to read up and watch a bunch of impassioned speeches online ahead of time.

It was a month of you hiding your anxiety from Hassel, but you can tell he knew, as he not-so-subtly tended to your every unspoken need, such as making tea whenever you were too busy reading, or having a comfy spot prepared whenever you came to his room to discuss your plans. He would even manage to check in on you more often than usual despite needing to tend to things on his own end.

Nothing could really get past him, could it?

As you were finishing up helping a kid who wanted to express just why he loved a drawing where Regieleki and Xurkitree became friends so much, you turn to see Hassel already looking at you, a familiar fond smile on his face.

"I would say today was a success, no?"

You pause for a split second, although you're not sure why. You respond, however.

"Oh yeah, for sure! I'd say we make a great team, even!"

Now it was Hassel's turn to pause, although his is far more noticeable. Jolting slightly, his mouth suddenly presses together into a tight line as a blush erupts on his face. He pretends to not realize this, although he looks tense.

"I certainly agree, my dear-"

His voice momentarily rises in pitch as he abruptly chokes and doubles over at the end, turning away. It sounded genuine, although you wondered if it'd have happened if you didn't say what you did.

You couldn't help but look back on all his odd behaviors around you lately.

"Um, yes!"

You turn to a vendor.

"I'm..."

You momentarily turn back to the man, pointing over your shoulder to the stand.

"I'm gonna go get some juice. For you, specifically."

You then turn and leave without another word.

^^^>

It was night. The fun fair has long since been cleared out in Mesagoza, but the two of you were nowhere near the town anymore. In fact, you were on top of the lighthouse on Poco Path.

Your eyes were closed, taking in that sea breeze. You cooed softly as you felt the gentle wind cut through the otherwise muggy night. Despite the humidity, it felt nice, reminding you of summer nights as a child.

Your train of thought came to an abrupt halt at this realization, however.

What was the weather like where Hassel used to live?

You opened your eyes, slowly turning toward the man, who also had his own closed. He had a calm smile on his face. You didn't want to ruin it, but you couldn't help but feel bad. He left all that was familiar to him due to circumstances he couldn't control, at the hands of his own family, no less. You wondered if he had any particular places, feelings, or things he missed, but you decided to ask a different question.

"...hey, uh... Hass?"

His smile widened for a split-second before he responded, eyes still closed.

"Yes, my dear?"

You didn't know how to begin.

"Does this weather make you think of anything?"

His smile fell to a neutral frown as he thought.

"Hm. What do you mean?"

How do you ask this question without annoying him...?

"L-like, this weather reminds me of summer break, when I'd open my window past my usual bedtime and stare at the stars. Does this weather make you feel nostalgic in any way? Like, sentimental and peaceful and stuff?"

You look down, stretching the bottom hem of your top a little. "It's just an intense feeling I'm getting, sorry."

He takes a moment to ponder this question.

"Ah, no worries. We often feel the need to relate with others in regards to our intense feelings and emotions. But to answer your question, it does, yes."

This answer both relieved and confused you further. He seemed fine answering, but it was somewhat vague. You decided not to push it, however, just glad he didn't take it the way you thought he might (not that it'd be wrong if he didn't want to answer it at all.)

"Right on, man. Right on..."

You turned away and stared back out into the distance. The silence that swept over the scene felt loose, fluid, running through and around the two of you like some unknown substance.

You weren't sure if you should add anything onto the conversation, but his voice decided what would happen instead.

"I... have a confession to make, actually."

You froze.

"Yeah?"

He took a deep breath.

"That feeling you often speak of, the one where you feel a lightness in your chest and peace wash over you. A peaceful sadness, even, I do not really feel when I think of 'home' anymore. I feel nothing. "

You take his words in. It made sense, really, but it made you sad beyond belief.

He continued.

"Yes, that feeling of longing, a-and belonging, I know it may be hard to truly grasp, but trust me when I say I am fine with my decisions, that I cannot say I regret leaving my old life behind even if I do miss certain aspects of it from time to time. The negatives here far outweigh the positives there."

You nodded. Honestly, this convo was all your mind needed to extinguish your curiosity for a good while. He left home, and he's content with his current life, no matter how much he may miss certain aspects of it. No elaboration needed.

Except, there was some elaboration needed, only it was needed elsewhere.

"Oh! And your confession? Or was that your confession?"

He paused, body tensing as his grip on the handrails tightened. His breathing became slightly labored as a blush creeped onto his face.

"Um, well..."

He mumbled an "Oh dear..." to himself before continuing.

"When I said I have things here that make me feel at home, I meant the connections I've made. I love the people in my life far more than I love my family. I still care for them, yes. I can confidently say I love them, but I cannot say I actually like them."

He wasn't looking at you. Your mind was swimming with possibilities for what he planned on saying next, although you had the faintest idea...

"I... am very fond of you, too. I often find that I feel that peaceful feeling around you in particular."

He swallowed, eyes stinging with tears he tried desperately to blink away. He was holding his composure quite well, actually. You subconsciously held your breath.

"My darling dearest, I cannot hide how I feel for much longer, no matter how hard I try... I think... I believe I am... falling in love with you."

Your mind went blank as you stared up at the man, heart and stomach dropping in an instant. His eyes have closed yet again. His shuddering shoulders and shaky breath gave everything away, however.

He lifted his arm, covering his eyes as you continued to stare wide-eyed at him.

"I am so very sorry, my dear! I-I hobe you do nod feel cornered by my conbession!" He sobbed. "I shall make my leab ib- ib you wish do be aloooone! BWUHH-HU-HU-HU-HUHHHHH!!"

You could barely understand what he was saying. He had already started to walk away when you finally closed your mouth. You weren't even aware you were gaping at him, the confession shutting your senses down despite halfway expecting something along these lines at this point. You guessed actually hearing him say it was different to speculating quietly to yourself...

"W-wait! Mr. Hassel!"

You grabbed his free arm, stopping him from getting any further. His cries continued, however.

"I-I'm sorry! I was just so shocked, I-"

You look down, still processing the feeling of your heart pounding in your chest. You hadn't even realized you were shaking so much until you realized how oddly... weak your grip on his arm felt.

"I-I jus-"

He took a few rapid half-breaths before stopping you.

"You do nod h-hab do gib me a resbonse! Nod now, nod eb-eberrrrr!"

You considered this. Truthfully, the idea of giving dating Hassel a shot didn't seem half-bad. You looked up to him, admired his skill and his strength despite everything he's been through. Not to mention, you admittedly found the man kinda cute. His personality just struck you as so sincere, taking his work and emotions very seriously. He's a very honest man, so he must truly love you. You'd definitely feel secure with him...

"...you're right... about the me needing time thing." You began. "B-but once I sort my feelings out, maybe we can get to know each other some more?"

He was still trembling, breath catching up with him as he hyperventilated. But a few seconds later, while heavily panting, he could respond.

"I-I would lub that!!"

He had turned to you, eyes still closed, head still tilted back, but he grabbed both of your hands and gently brought them up a little closer to himself. As he finally caught his breath and started breathing at a normal pace (aside from the large, shallow breaths he took), he slowly opened his eyes, looking at you, blush ever present on his face. His eyes sparkled with an intensity you'd never seen before as he smiled, the bottoms of his eyes crinkling as he did so. For a split-second, he looked like a young man again...

The two of you stood there, a tranquil feeling coming over you, when you heard him start to whimper. His mouth wobbled for a second before he suddenly started bawling again, causing your eyes to widen. You then let out an odd chuckle.

"Oookay, big guy. C'mere."

You took him into a hug, causing him to cry even louder as he let his overwhelming emotions out.

^^^>

It had been a few weeks. You were thinking back on everything that had happened. The moment you realized 'maybe he feels stronger feelings toward me than I thought.' How he went along with your weird plans despite having better things to do, how he looked out for your well-being by going above and beyond for you and truly understanding your needs, how he always praised and incorporated you into his work...

You absent-mindedly flip through some pages of Occulture Magazine. It really didn't seem too realistic now that you actually had a chance to sit down and read through it, but strangely enough, that wasn't really what you were thinking about right now.

You stand up, putting the book back on the shelf, a smile on your face as you make your way to the art room. He was on break at the moment.

You approach the open door, leaning against it and knocking, catching his attention.

"O-oh! Hello there!" He quickly clears his throat. "I'm very happy to see you! What brings you here?"

You look around, making sure nobody was there to hear this.

"Hoooow about... we go see a movie this Saturday?"

^^^>

A/N

I KNOW THIS STORY IS A LITTLE ODD! Like, he seems to be madly in love with you already, to an obvious degree, but this is the first time you take note of anything, right? Well, it's one of those "Oh yeah, there were signs" sorta situations. The pottery night you had with him was a small hint that he was already looking out for your well-being well before this and giving you special attention, but you just didn't think much of it. Plus, he's quite emotional, you imagine that once he finds a friend he feels safe around, his even more complex feelings come out. Which, true, but also HE DOES STUFF AROUND YOU THAT HE ONLY DOES AROUND YOU BUT YOU DON'T NOTICE CAUSE HE IMMEDIATELY CHANGES HIS BEHAVIOR ONCE HE REALIZES YOU'RE NEARBY. You defo noticed that behavior change, but again, he changes a bit around close friends already, and you didn't really have a point of reference for what his "normal" is (yet)

Sorry, I just love the pining dude genre, gimme some more oblivious love interests for male characters, please! Your gender still isn't stated, I just wanted Hassel to be the one to be super soft and like "Yes please notice me" while you're like "Huh. Cool. He just asked to take me to a new café. So anyway, how about some more weirdly specific words?" IT'S SUPER CUTE AHH

Also, speaking of, the story was gonna have them going to a café instead of a walk, and him talking about some beautiful customs and traditions from around the world and bringing up the Applin thing as a super duper totally subtle hint at his feelings, but you'd genuinely not know of that tradition before, so you'd just see it as a neat little cultural tidbit, but then I was like "bruh they just had tea", so I changed it to them spending time together like kids cause I thought it'd be cute if you got through to him to get him to experience things from a childhood he couldn't enjoy (even if it is more based on your own childhood, you're trying! Consider the night they shared here a test run). No worries, in future installments, reader will begin to fully understand what he went through growing up (I tried to make their questions less about his family and more about his life in general, but of course, the two are forever linked.) The idea of the little fair came randomly, based on the fact that all the gym leaders seem to have some career where they express themselves (even Larry with his "normal old job(s)," although obviously it's all more complicated than that), plus the entire game has frequent themes of people finding where they fit in life, what they wanna do, their dreams/goals, things like that. It's pretty interesting, actually, I can't articulate myself well tho so RIP I guess

ALSO ALSO not gonna edit this one cause the Tumblr app COULD NOT HANDLE IT LAST TIME so yeah

OH YEAH I HAVEN'T SEEN THE IRON GIANT IN 66 MILLION YEARS SO SORRY, I JUST TOOK WHAT I REMEMBERED AND POKÉ-FIED IT, I'm just going to use the excuse that the legends of the Ultra Beasts go WAY back, so the Celesteela in the movie may look simplified by comparison due to them not having a complete picture of it compared to the characters in S/US/M/UM. The movie doesn't even say its name, simply referring to it as the Steel Ultra Beast because nobody knew their names yet

[beauty-and-passion]

I've said before how much I love the concept of the Faint Ones. Just so so cool and unique. But I'm curious about something; is there any situation where the other sides/thomas could potentially learn about them? If they gained enough strength to ascend from the bottom like was mentioned in the possble tyrant path Patton could have gone down. Would that lead to a higher awareness of their existence from the other sides? Things in the mindscape would certainly shift after that, but I'm doubting it would lead to a reveal like that.

From your fics it seemed to be hinted that the Others' awareness, minus Janus because he knows, he HAS to, might be more than the Core sides. Logan has his own "I know something is going on there but Janus is a being evasive" awareness. I don't think Roman would know anything about the Faint Ones, or that they exist. Perhaps Patton has an inkling, but doesn't pursue it. I can't imagine a scenario where Janus would let ANY of that information loose. I mean, he just wouldn't. No way.

BUT, since you are the one who came up with this fascinating concept, I'm curious as to your thoughts and hypothetically, if the other sides DID find out, how would that go?

Feel free to answer what you'd like, or not at all, I understand if you don't want to give certain details away since this is one of the somethings you seem to be buildling upon in your world of Sanders Sides fics and headcannons and what not. Or whatever other reason there may be! I hope you're day is going well! :)

Hi, dear! Oh, do not worry, I am always super happy to reply to all questions you have! They're always so interesting! And I am more than happy to talk about the Faint Ones, I would've never imagined you enjoyed this idea so much :D

And speaking of them... well, let's say that when I started writing this reply, I put down everything and stuff I had in might for a long time too and I was like: "ah yes, I really wanted to write a fanfic about this, but never got a thread... but hey, maybe if I put together this and this and that... hey, maybe I have a thread!"

And so, I found a thread. And that means I can write the sequel of A Canticle In Steps. And that means I wrote it. Yes, I wrote it the past week. Yes, it's done. Yes, it will be translated and posted soon.

So... well, thank you for giving me the inspiration to write a sequel that is not endlessly long, for allowing me to put on paper things I had in my mind only and for letting me enjoy the dark sides being a family. I am very weak for them as always, Your Honor.

All of this to say that there are some informations I can't divulge yet, so have fun with what I can say now :P

__________________________

Do the Core Sides know about the Faint Ones?

The Core Sides don't know about them. All they know is that there are some dangers in the Unconscious (which is not false) and they know some things are more dangerous than others.

But that's all. They have no idea that there is something more dangerous than all those "minor" dangers.

When he was a child, Logan had the closest encounter a Core Side ever had with the Faint Ones. From his point of view, he heard some voices, which took control over him and pushed him to go down and reach them. However, thanks to Janus' intervention, he never came close enough to actually see the Faint Ones.

Still, the event left him a terrible impression: not in the form of a logical thought, but as a visceral feeling, the feeling of escaping from certain death.

Since it's not something he can logically explain, Logan doesn't talk to anyone about it. Still, every time he tries to reach the Unconscious, he subconsciously tries to always keep a safe distance.

He doesn't know what that "thing" was (and Janus never told him), so over the years, he came to the conclusion it was a big danger among all the dangers of the Unconscious. Maybe a particularly big one, but he doesn't know it's THE biggest one.

Or, at least, he doesn't know on a conscious level. But the mere fact his own body reacts by wanting to keep him at a safe distance, means that he realized (at least subconsciously) that what he met was a danger greater than any other.

__________________________

Do the Others know about the Faint Ones?

The Others live in the Unconscious, so they are aware the place is full of dangers - and they regularly fight them to subdue/keep them down.

Virgil doesn't know about the Faint Ones. He has always been more attracted by the Conscious and Janus prefers to keep his attention away from the depths of the mind.

According to my headcanon, Orange aka Anger doesn't know either. He knows Janus is very powerful and he suspects there should be a reason for having such a powerful Side in the mind. He also suspects the Unconscious hides bigger dangers and Janus keeps them away from said dangers. But nope, he never saw them. He just suspects.

While Remus is a different story, so you'll have to wait ;)

__________________________

Is there a way for the Sides to reach the Faint Ones?

Well, theoretically they are in one place, so if a Side wants to see them, all he has to do is to reach that place. And that means the Side has to go down into the Unconscious, past Orange's, Virgil's and Remus' room, deeper into the mind, until he reaches the Faint Ones.

But of course it's not easy to reach that place, because:

The mind itself is so big and layered to make it very, VERY hard to reach the Faint Ones down in the abyss

The Unconscious is full of dangers and obstacles that are not on the same levels as Faint Ones, but are strong enough to stop a Side

There is a guardian for a reason and the guardian knows everything that happens everywhere. And no, going past the guardian or defeating him is impossible: the mind made Janus stronger than all other Sides for a reason

__________________________

Is there a way for the Sides to know about the Faint Ones?

The only one who knows is Janus and Janus has no intention to talk about them with any other Side.

__________________________

What about Thomas?

Thomas is not aware on a conscious level. But subconsciously, he is. The mind is his own, after all.

However, this is one part of the mind it's much better he never becomes consciously aware of.

Why? Because if this happens, that means Thomas killed someone, had a mental breakdown or, in general, faced such a huge trauma, to break his mind.

__________________________

What if a Side knows about them?

Sadly, that wouldn't lead to any awareness of their existence, but rather to death.

Which kind of death? Well, I will give a hint in the fanfiction so, again, you have to wait. I'll just say that it's an extremely valid reason for the mind to have a powerful guardian :P

[cherrymoonvol6]

tl asleep, time to talk about a song for the birds

little preamble to say that i love how this song can apply to both lunter and caleb/evelyn - after all they're one and the same :) the fantasy motif it has going on also helps. and how it's titled "song for the birds", making a reference to flapjack... mwah!

that dungeon metaphor, i am munching it DOWN.

imo this song works so good with both perspectives: the start of the song can immediately show how much luz and hunter are hiding - not from each other, but also themselves. luz's struggle with her grief and her status as an outcast in both realms, hidden under her facade of optimism; and hunter's years of abuse piling up as he struggles with his cognitive dissonance. i also love how this touches on the soulmate-y energy of if all: how they were fated to meet, once again caleb running away from philip with evelyn.

i like the first line as a hint of their playfulness (like fuck if i'm not going to EMBRACE it.) but also "do your dance / take some chances": how luz marks the beginning of hunter rebelling against belos and making a life of his own. boy is indeed taking some chances.

ah, and then:

SHE LITERALLY REACHES OUT TO HIM.

do i need to say anymore...

how they learned to lean on each other during TTT and luz formally welcomes him into the main group ("you're family now"). for how different their, uh, "belos demons" are, there's something so powerful about hunter's realization about belos directly impacting luz's arc. belos tricks people and that's what he does: he did it with hunter and then he did it with luz. it's a rational, real conclusion that manages to pull luz out from her guilt spiral for long enough for her to agree to go back to the demon realm.

i also love that last line: "nothing you could say could ever make me flinch". the contrast of hunter's behavior around belos VS luz during hollow mind. he makes himself small around belos, yet he legitimately opens himself up to luz. again, he takes her hand: she offers him the physical comfort of her hand (along with her trust) and he makes the decision to accept it. yes i feel very normal about all of this why'd you ask :)

i like how "bright as fire" can apply to both of them: obviously with luz ("light" in spanish) and her signature light glyph; and yellow/gold as hunter's signature color contrasting luz's purple palette. there's also the imagery of flapjack covered in flames during the wittebane story in TTT.

the rest of the bridge continues to remind us the bond between caleb and evelyn bleeding through every grimwalker, all the way to hunter and luz. there's the honoring to flapjack, too: this is a song for the birds. the little guy that introduced luz to hunter deserves nothing less.

the last verse can be interpreted in so many ways: darkness could just mean the general jumble of negative feelings both luz and hunter are dealing with in their time away from the boiling isles. in that case, we know how much they lean on each other during that. said "darkness", described as inevitable, makes it clear that they both have each other in case the guilt and grief get too much to handle.

this could also hint to the upcoming last battle against belos: both inevitable and decidedly terrible for them, and with luz and hunter being key players in the plot i don't expect anything less.

the last two lines are clear reminders of their undying loyalty to each other. with belos as a common enemy, they'll always have each other's backs. but beyond that, the recognition of their bond in the context of caleb and evelyn's story: they're bound to each other, forever. oh, romance at its finest.

[teyvat-imagines]

hello! I was wondering if you would do yanfei and hu tao (separate please) general relationship headcannons please? It's alright if it takes a while. Please don't overwork yourself :>

Hi hi! :D Welcome to the blog friend! ^w^ Thank you so much for the request! Hopefully you enjoy :)

General Relationship Headcanons

Yanfei:

○ Yanfei, bless her heart she's never been in love before so this is a first for her. She always liked the idea of love and being in a relationship, but seeing one too many civil dispute cases between angry ex-couples put her off.

○ She was afraid to open up and be vulnerable with someone. Or, at least that was until she met you! To say she fell hard would be an understatement. There was just something about you that drew her in. You were so kind and friendly and you could spend hours talking with her.

○ Yanfei was over the moon when you asked her to be your girlfriend. But, of course she didn't want to rush into this and let her feelings override logic. She asks for some time to think about it. Admittedly, she spends more of her time overthinking, but she does eventually reach a conclusion.

○ You're kind, caring, you're often going out of your way to help people, you do daily commissions with the adventures guild and surely they wouldn't take on anyone bad. You were sweet and she trusted you wouldn't hurt her.

"I've considered all the evidence presented and have reached a verdict. I... I think I can trust you with my heart. So, yes, I'd love to be your girlfriend. Now, if you'll just read through this contract and then sign here..."

○ Once the two of you are dating, she spends as much time with you as she can. Of course she doesn't shirk her legal duties, but she'll make exceptions for you. Go to lunch with you, meet you for breaks in the work day, even spend time with you in the office (and she doesn't even make you book an appointment with her either!)

○ She's a little shy with PDA, but she's happy to hold your hand and give you a little peck on the cheek when you two go for walks together.

○ Not really the type to get jealous - She trusts you and from what she remembers mistrust and jealousy seemed to be a large factor in the civil disputes she's managed. Although, if you go to anyone else for legal advice she will pout for at least a week and you'll need to make it up to her!

○ Sometimes, when you curl up together, she just watches you. You're so fragile and human and she knows you won't live anywhere near as long as she will. But, she will make the most of the time she has with you. She loves you with all her heart and will make sure you know that every day you're together.

Hu Tao:

○ The girl absolutely adores you and isn't afraid to make sure you know it! Any time you stop by the Funeral Parlour, or even if she spots you in the streets, she moves quick, jumping at you to hug you and hold you close.

○ She knows it flusters you a little, and honestly she thinks it's cute. Seeing you all shy and embarrassed only encourages her to tease you more.

○ Even before you're dating she clings to you, holding your hand, hugging you whenever she can, laying on your lap when she's tired, the list goes on! It's frequent enough that a majority of Liyue assumed the two of you were already together!

○ Despite this, she's surprisingly out of touch with her own feelings. She adores you yes, but if someone asked her if she loved you, Hu Tao just mentally shuts down.

○ Love? Is that the impression she gave? She was just being friendly! Sure you were nice and friendly and kind and strong and you seemed to really enjoy her company and she liked yours and- Ah! She stops herself, covering her face with her hands and groaning softly.

"Aiya... It really is love isn't it? Well, then if that's the case I'll just have to give it my all right until the very end~! Hee-hee~"

○ She confesses to you in the middle of the night at Wuwang hill. She brought you here for a midnight adventure, and of course because she found the area calming. She looks at you with bright eyes and a confident smile, but you can tell there's something off about it today. She's nervous and you've known her long enough to be able to tell.

○ When she confesses, she does so through a beautifully written poem. She describes falling for you, slow and sweet, like sinking down into the most beautiful abyss, unending and one she wouldn't want to escape from even if she could. She compares you to the sun and the moon, the way you bring both light to her life and allow her to shine. She goes over every detail about you she loves, from your looks to your personality, everything about you, and it leaves you feeling embarrassed and shy but so happy.

○ When Hu Tao finishes her poem, she's oddly quiet. Her hands are gripping the paper nervously and if you looked closely you may just catch the soft shake in her hands. But, she was afraid for nothing as you throw your arms around her shoulders and kiss her softly, marking the start of your time together.

[no-psi-nan]

Extra Love Stories of Psychics Volume 2

Experimental Censored Edition

Chapter 3: Kuriko Time

Months after Akechi first made the suggestion, Saiki decides to find out whether being a girl for a day might give him better control over his ESP for a while and serve as a break.

Akechi is excited to test his theory and meet the Kuriko-chan he's only ever heard about. Surely having Saiki as his girlfriend instead of boyfriend won't be much different... Right?

Full chapter on AO3. T-rated version below the cut. More info about the Experimental Censored Version here.

Censored content: A couple of off-color jokes and toned down some of the descriptions of kissing.

"Saturday mornings are so lovely, don't you think so, Kusuo-kun~? Perhaps I am still riding high on the excitement of our date last weekend, but today feels full of promise somehow! And on that thought, I'd like to thank you again for indulging my mystery-solving hobby~! Even though I cannot share the conclusive psychometric evidence that we gathered, for obvious reasons, it is still just incredibly satisfying to know with certainty that the theory I proposed in my last podcast episode was almost entirely correct! For an island to disappear in such a mysterious fashion without being used as a geopolitical display of military strength, there must have been some natural cause behind it. Without tectonic activity or any calamitous storms within range during the alleged timeframe of the disappearance, the only other reasonable explanation could be the impact of a meteorite or other such large and/or very dense chunk of space debris. And there are no official space agency records of the event due to the concurrent solar flare setting the monitoring equipment on the fritz! However, to discover that my theorized space debris was actually my beloved Kusuo-kun returning to Earth after a day trip to the moon…! What a fantastical surprise!!"

[Sorry about that.]

[Sometimes you just need to reach terminal velocity and headbutt a small island out of existence to cope.]

[Good grief, I didn't think anyone would care since the island was uninhabited…]

"Ah yes, I'm sure you weren't aware of Ψoogle Maps at the time. There are so many satellites canvassing the Earth's surface today that it is almost difficult to recall a time when it would be lunacy to ask for and receive high quality aerial images of almost every location on the planet as a civilian! With such easy availability of extensive geographical data, there are many hobbyists who peruse historical maps to seek out interesting changes over time. And occasionally, some discrepancies are remarkable enough to merit reporting as a mystery, thereby catching the eye of amateur investigators such as myself. Therefore, I would highly recommend greater caution when choosing to obliterate natural features."

[What a pain, I know… ]

[I was thirteen at the time. Not exactly thinking of all the consequences. You know how it is.]

"I do! Such a turbulent age… I certainly lacked the capacity to alter the face of the earth at the time, but I did quite enjoy perpetuating my own brand of chaos. I distinctly recall classical conditioning several of my schoolmates to perform amusing disruptions under certain conditions, which I then used to great effect during the middle school graduation ceremony… I'll simply say that the planned distribution of graduation videos after the ceremony was called off."

[Seriously?? You're not going to give any more detail?]

"Correct. I do believe that was the origin of the rumor that I could exert mind control, even though classical conditioning is simply a practical application of psychology, no powers necessary. It was a fairly harmless prank, overall, though I do believe I may have unintentionally chained one behavior too many and accidentally gave one student an unusual obsession involving pencils and tap dance."

[I'm pretty sure that's worse than what I did.]

"Hahaha! Luckily for them, the standard No.2 pencil is vanishingly rare these days, and so I expect that this should pose even less of a problem as time goes on. However, if you do find yourself faced with the urge to smash into another notable geographical feature, I'd suggest crashing into a volcanic surface vent, such as a geyser or deep sea thermal vent, or perhaps into an existing fissure. Then the expansion of the opening is easily explained by existing natural phenomena, via hydrothermal expansion or tectonic activity."

[That's a good idea.]

[I haven't needed to do anything like that lately, though.]

"I'm so very happy to hear that, Kusuo-kun~! This sort of behavior is often born of long-term frustration and anger, simmering resentment building up to an explosive release. While you must still withstand the ongoing pressures of hiding your ESP from society at large, most of the other stressors have been greatly reduced for you since moving here, haven't they? I've noted much improvement in your overall mood and well-being, which in turn has made me feel more upbeat as well~!"

[Yes. I'm glad… ]

[Though that does remind me of something you suggested earlier. That could be good for my health.]

"Kusuo-kun…? Surely you don't mean–"

[In fact, it seems like today might be a good day to try being Kuriko.]

"R-really?? Oh– oh wow!! To be able to experience your powers of transformation again…! And this time I'll be able to witness the process since I won't be setting up a game simultaneously!"

[Nope.]

[No one is allowed to watch me transform. It's a pain to do.]

"What…? Are you very much certain, Kusuo-kun? Only I had been looking forward to learning more about your transformational ability and you know I've never been of delicate constitution and so would be much less susceptible to the body horror that is likely involved. Additionally, I have many theories about how your transformation ability functions and I would absolutely love an opportunity to confirm, deny, or refine them!"

[I know, Touma-kun.]

[But you're still not allowed to watch me transform, good grief.]

"Would you feel more comfortable if you were to videographically record the transformation and show me afterwards?"

[Absolutely not. Nice try though.]

"Damnit."

[Go work on your podcast, love. It sounds like you seriously have lots of ideas for it knocking around.]

[I'll be back as Kuriko before you know it.]

"Ughhh… I suppose I might as well. You're correct in that the hyperfocus is likely to hit once I begin the task. Still, I am feeling quite disappointed. Dejected, even. In fact, I do suspect that this broiling cloud of dark emotion can only be banished by a sufficiently large number of sweet kisses from a beloved…"

[Is that so?]

[Well, I certainly can't just leave you here pouting like that.]

[Guess I'll have to give you your kisses before you break out the puppy eyes.]

"That's entirely correct and I demand my ransom~! Ahaha– hehehe, mmmmm~! Ohhh, your lips always feel absolutely lovely on my face~! And– oh…! Mmm, neck kisses~! Particularly lovely, I think these are shaping up to be my favorite kind of kiss, Kusuo-kun~! Hehehehehe, alright, alright! I've been mollified, and you may proceed with your secretive transformation. I simply cannot wait to meet Kuriko! I must admit that I have imagined what she might look like and am eager to see this iteration of you!"

[Hey. What sorts of unrealistic expectations have you been coming up with??]

"Perhaps I'll show you a few of my sketch concepts afterwards…"

[ … ]

[You know, if I heard anyone else was thinking up girlsonas for me, I'd be disturbed. Good grief… ]

[But it's about par for the course with you.]

"And you still love me, right~?"

[And I still love you.]

[Give me a kiss before I go?]

"I'll give you several… Mmmm~! And one on the lips for good luck! I do hope a stint in your Kuriko form proves as regenerative as I've theorized."

[Mmmm~!]

[I do too.]

—————

"…And that, my fellow mystery aficionados, is why it is always prudent to carry along a roll of packaging tape when conducting investigations! Next up, I would like to address the topic of urban exploration, which, as thoughtfully brought up by self-proclaimed avid listener milehighmom43, is often required for independent investigative searches. Naturally, such an activity does carry its own risks along with rich rewards and a certain delicious thrill, so I will henceforth discuss some key considerations to– ah, it seems like my eyes have been covered by some mysterious intruder who managed to escape my notice until just now. Perhaps some teleportation was involved, hmm~? I'll stop recording here and edit out this bit because I would very much like to confront this cryptic personage and perhaps receive a few smooches from them…"

[Hehehe…]

"AHHHHH, THAT'S NOT KUSUO-KUN'S VOICE, WHO IS– Oh! O-oh… Oh wow, umm…"

[Touma-kun??]

"Ahh… hehehe… h-hello K-Kuriko-chan…!"

[Hey. Are you seriously speechless right now?]

"W-well, uhh…! It's just that– umm, ahahaha… It's just that you're– you're really cute hehe!"

[Oh.]

[Th-thank you… ]

"And, haha– ummm, your… your hair is– pink! Uhh, hehehe, it's always– it's always pink, but now it's, ahh… pink. Um… pink-er…? Haha, uh… actually– actually less pink…?"

[Heh. Yes, my hair is a lighter shade of pink now.]

"E-exactly! Ahaha! C-cute!! And, ummm, hehehe, you're–! You're really, haha, really s-small? Ahh, uhhh– shorter, shorter than me, a-at least!"

[Another astute observation.]

[It doesn't help that you've been getting taller lately, good grief.]

"But, umm… ahh, hehe, why are you– why are you, um, wearing a school uniform…?"

[Couldn't think of anything else to wear. I haven't been Kuriko in ages… ]

[I guess I should've looked in Aiura's closet before transforming, what a pain… ]

"Ummm, that, uh… Th-that can't be… uhh… comfortable? Right? Ahaha…"

[It's fine.]

[It's not like any of my normal clothes will fit right now.]

"W-well, ummm… hahaha it's just– it's just that, uh. I was– I was hoping we could… ehehehe! Um…"

[Heh. Take your time.]

"Ahaha! Ummm, I– I was hoping that, that we could c-cuddle, maybe…! And, and– ah… I, uh, think that… umm… it might be… hehe, more comfortable, if you– ahhh… if you, hehe, umm maybe w-wore some of– some of my… hehe! Some of my… pajamas…! Haha, they should– ummm… they should fit– fit better than your… than your usual ones…!"

[Amazing. You seriously can't even string a proper sentence together right now?]

"Y-you're… you're, ummm… really cute…"

[Incredible.]

[Well, I would like to cuddle… ]

[I'll borrow your pajamas as you suggested.]

[ … ]

[Are you seriously covering your face and giggling right now?]

"Hehehehehe…! Y-your voice is so different!! In my head!! C-cute!!! And– and, ummm, I think if I– if I saw you un-undressing, I might, ah– I might just faint. Hehe…"

[Heh. Fair enough.]

[ … ]

[Here. You can uncover your eyes now, Touma-kun.]

”Oh, thank you Kuriko-ch– …oh wow!!!!! Ummmm hahahahaha, K-Kuriko-chan…! You– you, ummm… hehehe… you look so… you look so cute in my pajamas… hehe, ummm… they're– they're still a little… ahaha, a little big on you. And that's–! Ahhhhh, that's so c-cute…!"

[ … ]

[What a pain. Do you think you'll survive it if I gave you a hug right now?]

"!!!!!! Ahahaha, hehehe, ummm…!! It's– it's alright if I don't…!!"

[ … ]

[You are being very silly right now. For the record.]

[But I do want to hug you… ]

"P-please?"

[ …Well, alright.]

"O-oh wow…! Hehehehehe, mmmmm~! L-lovely…!! Mmm~! M-my… my g-girlfriend Kuriko-chan~! So, mmmm~ s-so soft~! Hahaha~!"

[ … ]

[Your heart is beating so fast… Calm down, love.]

[Here, close your eyes, okay? Relax, Touma-kun… ]

"Mmmmm… Kuriko-chan… th-thank you…! Mm… you– you smell lovely… ahhh…"

[Hmm, that was almost a normal sentence.]

"K-Kuriko-chan, I can't– I can't feel you… in my head? Y-your psychic broadcast?”

[Huh, seriously?]

[Hmmm… Let me see something… ]

[[ ( Telepathy ) ]]

[ … ]

[Ah. My telepathic range is a lot smaller now. Only about 20m each way, I believe.]

[Good grief, you were right about being able to control my powers more easily in this form, Touma-kun… ]

[That must be why I don't have any psychic overflow right now.]

[I guess I could try to project some of my feelings on purpose, hmm… ]

[[ ( Psychic Broadcast ) ]]

"!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!"

[Oh shit, are you okay?!]

"Oh woooooow… wowowowowow!"

[Touma-kun??]

"Feel love and feel loved and feel love and feel loved and feel love and feel loved and oh woooooow…! That's my Kuriko-chan and Kusuo-kun and Kusuo-kun and Kuriko-chan and…! Love love love love love love– won't you marry me? I could be Saiki Touma… Oh wowowowow–"

[[ ( 24 Hour Restoration ) ]]

"Whew!! Okay, I feel v-very much better now, thank you, K-Kuriko-chan!"

[What the hell happened??]

"C-covering my eyes so I can think!"

[What a pain, I'm so sorry…]

"…Not to worry, darling, I'm fully recuperated now! I do believe you overestimated the strength of your usual psychic broadcast, love. It's a very subtle feeling, typically, and this was the emotional equivalent of a vehicular collision! Well, it likely wouldn't have caused any permanent damage even if you hadn't restored me, just a temporary fit, like being momentarily blinded when a strong light is flashed in your eyes. Oh wow, but it was worth it to feel the depth of your love for a moment… Ehehehehe…! But perhaps it was a little bit out of line to immediately propose marriage haha… I simply couldn't resist while under the influence of so much love…!"

[Good grief… ]

"Don't worry! I'm just feeling very affectionate. See? I'm doing just– ohhhh, I almost f-forgot you're Kuriko-chan right now! I'm– I'm going to need a little t-time to get all of my wits back together…"

[Seriously??]

[How are you so much more flustered when I'm like this?]

"K-Kuriko-chan, you're new to me…! I'm used to Kusuo-kun. I've studied his body language for years! I know how he's going to move as soon as he decides to do it, and often I even have time to fantasize what it'll feel like before he even touches me. You have much the same body language now, to be sure, but your body is different. I can't read you as easily now because I keep getting distracted by some new detail I hadn't noticed! Your eyelashes are longer like this, your fingers slimmer, your heart beats a little faster, your body hair is barely there and your skin is a little cooler to the touch… I had followed you for months before we became friends, and we've developed more familiarity and intimacy slowly since then. There's never been so much new information for me to process all at once! Please be patient with me, Kuriko-chan…!"

[Good grief… ]

[Take as much time as you need, Touma-kun.]

[You're cute like this too.]

"R-really??"

[Yes.]

[I'd like to kiss you. Would you mind?]

"N-n-no, p-please do!"

[Heh. Such a sweet blush.]

"Mmm... A-ah…! Even y-your lips are softer, Kuriko-chan…!"

[Do you like it?]

"I– I like everything about you s-so far…!"

[Hey. That's too cute!]

"H-hehehe… Mmmmm… K-Kuriko-chan…"

[Oh, is that sound your stomach?]

[You did promise to make us lunch today, right?]

"I did, but… I don't want to let go of you now! Perhaps we should order in…"

[Absolutely not. I heard you thinking about crêpes just now.]

"Damn."

[Heh.]

[Well, what if I hug you from behind while you make the crêpes?]

[I can bring over anything you need with my telekinesis.]

"Yes!! That is a very reasonable compromise! To cook while being held by my beloved Kuriko-chan…! Oh wow!!"

[Stop being so cute, good grief. I'm going to have to kiss you again.]

"P-please do…!"

—————

[These crêpes are absolutely fantastic, Touma-kun!! Seriously, they're so so good~!]

[Mmmmm~!]

[Maybe I should have agreed to marry you after all…]

"K-Kuriko-chan!! P-please don't tease me like that!! Just listen to my poor heartrate accelerating!"

[Okay, I'll listen.]

"Kuriko-chan… I do very much enjoy cuddling while we eat, but actually putting your ear up to my chest like that can only exacerbate my arrhythmia…!!"

[Hehehe… ]

"I must admit that I am feeling quite victimized by your teasing, Kuriko-chan! Especially after working so hard to cook you a delicious meal while you distracted me with the warm press of your body against mine! Such grievous and traitorous mischief against your poor, defenseless boyfriend…"

[Angling for more kisses?]

"W-well… i-if you think that might be reasonable compensation, then umm… well, I c-certainly wouldn't be opposed…!"

[You're really blushing, huh? So cute… ]

"Mmmmm~! Ehehehehe…! Kuriko-chan~! M-maybe we can j-just keep kissing like this~?"

[Hmm…? Did you have some other plan for us today?]

"W-well, I had thought we could do a battery of tests to see if your powers are truly easier to control like this. B-but I'd r-really rather c-cuddle and kiss right now, please?"

[Where's your scientific integrity, Touma-kun~?]

"The only science I care to study right now is your t-topography…"

[Touma-kun!! That's scandalous!]

[ …But I would like some kisses from you.]

[With my telepathy radius tighter, I don't have to use my germanium ring while we cuddle.]

[So I can hear your thoughts while we kiss~ ]

[That's the only thing I don't like about kissing so far.]

[I don't get to hear you talk when you kiss me with my ring on, what a pain… ]

"Do– do you really like to hear my voice that much??"

[ …Yes? Obviously?]

[Your voice is only a pain when you're hyperfocused. Because your thoughts get too loud and fast.]

[But the rest of the time, I like listening to you talk.]

[Your voice is… soothing. Familiar. I feel safe when I hear you.]

[Your thoughts are so dense that they're almost white noise for my telepathy. You block out all of the voices that are farther away, and that makes it easier on me.]

[And I seriously learn a lot from listening to you.]

"Oh wow… snf… Are you certain you don't want to marry me right now…?"

[Touma-kun… We're in our pajamas, love.]

[Wouldn't this ruin whatever grand plan you probably have for your real proposal?]

"While I won't deny that I've dreamt up a great many proposal plans over the years, I've recently come to realize that the only sort of proposal that is worth anything is the one that receives a 'yes'."

[Ahh, so you're trying to catch me unawares, huh?]

"No, of course not! Please don't misunderstand me, Kuriko-chan! There is no attempt at subterfuge when I ask you to marry me– it's simply that I shouldn't like to waste any time in marrying you once you decide you're ready. It takes a minimum of several months to plan even a reasonably small wedding, of course, and it's quite likely that we'll need to include Miko-chan in our arrangements, which I imagine will extend that timeline even further…"

[You're… you're seriously thinking about that…?!]

[Touma-kun, I need you to know that I love you so much right now, good grief!!]

[Please kiss me!]

"M-my pleasure!! Mmmm~! Ummm, p-please give me a minute…!"

[ ? ]

Oh, mmmm, your cheek is much softer and rounder, Kuriko-chan! I feel like I can keep kissing your lovely cheek for half a lifetime, reserving the other half, naturally, for your other cheek~

[T-Touma-kun…!]

I'm glad you can hear how much I'm enjoying you, love! I'm so intrigued by the spectacularly warm and solid bulk of you in my arms, just as strong as I'm used to but padded in a different way that makes you feel softer against my body. I'd very much like to squeeze you tight if you don't mind, Kuriko-chan!

[Please do…!]

Hehehe, my darling Kuriko-chan~ I'll try to squeeze you with every scrap of strength in my arms, knowing that it won't hurt you and you may not even feel it! But I hope you do, I hope you can feel at least a fraction of the delight that fills me when I get to hug you close~

[I do feel a little pressure when you hug me like this… mmm… it's very nice… ]

I'm so happy to hear that, love! Oh, but I do miss your little psychic broadcast, as I'm sure you would have such a lovely purr for me right now~ But you're humming for me quite nicely in the back of your throat to show me your enjoyment, and that pleases me so! Hehe, I simply must cover your lovely neck with kisses~!

[Mmmmm…! Touma-kun…!]

[Good grief, when did you get so smooth??]

[You could barely put a sentence together earlier!]

Darling, you know my thoughts are typically quite fast and often concurrent, making them uniquely difficult for you to parse. For you to understand me properly, I have to reduce the volume of my own thoughts. And to do so, I must at least partially enter a certain state of meditative flow. It's a trick I've been practicing lately to communicate more effectively with you via telepathy~ An additional benefit of this semi-meditative state is the sense of calmness borne of focusing on my own breathing and such, which is limiting the amount of new information I'm perceiving at once from you.

[Clever… That's my Touma-kun!]

[Hehehe… I wonder if I can still fluster you like this~?]

I consider myself to be fairly disciplined, but you are certainly welcome to try, Kuriko-chan~! There is simply no downside that I can see: should I remain focused, that will be a tremendous boost to my ego, and should I fail, I'll get to enjoy the sweet affections of my beloved~! Mmmmm, those are truly some lovely kisses, your lips are so soft and gentle on my skin… Hehe, I'll happily tilt my face so you can kiss anywhere you like~! Oh, your mouth feels so good against my mouth… Ahh, you're moving down my jawline and I'm feeling quite excelle– ohhh, love, your lips on my throat are absolutely intoxicating…! Ahhh, mmm–! Ahahaha, wow wow wow!!

[Mmm…~ You taste wonderful, Touma-kun~!]

[Like victory, hehehe… ]

"Y-you've won this round, K-Kuriko-chan! P-please let me sit down, my knees are feeling quite wobbly at all this attention!!"

[Heh. I'll carry you this time~ ]

"O-oh wow!! Kuriko-chan, I'm swooning~! Oh, what a treat to be carried so carefully by my lady love~!"

[It's only natural that I carry you like this~ ]

[You're my prize, after all.]

"K-Kuriko-chan!!! Ehehehehe~ When did– ummm, when did you b-become such a f-flirt?!"

[When you started tripping all over your words.]

[It's easier to say embarrassing stuff like this when you're being even sillier, heh.]

"W-well, uhhh, hehehe that makes me– that makes me happy, haha!"

[Heh.]

[If I set you down on the couch, can you kiss me some more?]

"Ahhh, abs– abso… hehehe! A-absolu… ummmm… yes!"

[Pffft! Hahaha!]

[Maybe I'll kiss you first. Since you're being so cute.]

"Ehehehe, ummm, p-please do!! …! O-oh, hahaha, uhhh, y-you're really climbing onto my– my lap, huh? Ehehehe…! W-warmmmm… C-can I please– can I please hold you? …Ahahaha, mmmmm, I'm, I'm uhhhh, haha I'm going to take that as a y-yes! Mmmmm~! M-my Kuriko-chan~!"

[Seriously so cute…!]

"Ahhh, mmmmm, hehehe! P-please, a little more– ummm, a little more to the right…! Ahaha, mmm, yes!! That's v-very, ummm, very nice, K-Kuriko-chan, hehe~! …Y-your turn!!"

[Yes yes yes!]

Ohhhh how can I relax enough to be coherent with my darling Kuriko-chan's strong arms wrapped carefully around my neck and her soft body pressed close like this?? No, I will focus solely on covering her with the sweet kisses she heartily deserves! Hehehe, look at you turning up your face for me expectantly~! Yes, I would like to kiss your pretty cheek! Mmm, so marvelously soft and I can feel the shift of a wide smile under my lips~ Your eyes are so gorgeous up close, love, I wish we didn't require the barrier of your glasses between us… Oh, but I can still trail kisses across the bridge of your nose, cutely scrunched with surprised delight, and treat your other cheek to the same affections~ Will you tilt your head up for me, Kuriko-chan? I'd love to kiss your neck! Ahh yes, just like that my darling, now I can trace along your jaw and down your lovely throat again…! I must admit I am so utterly entranced by the little sounds you're making for me right now, the most charming little coos and hums I've ever had the pleasure of hearing~! Ahh, I'd like to kiss the top of your head if you don't mind! …Oh, you really liked that, didn't you darling? Well, I'm happy to indulge you with many many kisses on your soft pretty fluffy hair, mmmm~! Ehehe, you're giggling so sweetly for me~! I'm taking note, love– I'll make sure to treat you to kisses like this every day~!

[Hehehe~ Mmm… ]

[Please do~!]

"Would you– would you mind if I, ummm, if I pet you, hahaha? J-Just a bit, please? To try to– to try to get used to your b-body?"

[You don't need an excuse, Touma-kun.]

[Seriously, you can pet me as much as you like.]

[My body may be different, but I always enjoy your touches… ]

"O-oh! I'm– I'm happy to hear that, Kuriko-chan…! Th-thank you! Ahhh, th-the curve of your spine is much as I remember, though each jut of your vertebrae is obscured somewhat, and your pose on my lap is necessarily altered due to your change in height… Your shoulders aren't as broad, but I can feel that your trapezius is just as sinewy and powerful as I recall~ Oh, to slip my hand up the back of your neck is lovely, and I simply must dedicate a little time to combing through your hair and caressing your scalp, as we both so enjoy~! Such indulgence, what a treat, dearest! Ah, here are your limiter entry points! Yes, the hardware feels identical, as expected. And, hehehe, your appreciation of my touch here is unchanged as well~ Let me see your face, Kuriko-chan? I want to hold your darling cheeks in my hands and caress along your lovely features with my thumbs~ Yes, just like that, and your smile is irresistible, I simply must kiss your lovely mouth…! Mmmmm~ Such luxury~ Captivated by your gorgeous eyes again… Truly I am so fortunate to have the privilege of knowing you this deeply and sharing such intimate trust, Kuriko-chan!"

[ …Me too.]

[I seriously love you, Touma-kun… ]

"Oh darling, I love you too!"

[Mmm…~ ]

[Hehehe…]

[ … ]

[Hmmm… ]

[Do you like this body more, Touma-kun?]

[Since it's softer?]

"While the soft give of your body in this form is certainly charming and lovely, I do also very much enjoy the comforting solidity of your usual form, Kusuo-kun! It's a treat to be able to stroke and caress any of your forms, but let me point out that your typical body is… hmm, how shall I put it? Let's say 'more texturally interesting'. Your muscles, your hair, your veins, they're all rather occulted this way, smoothed over in a fashion that is perfectly pleasant but not quite as stimulating, due to the lack of detail."

[ … ]

"Yes, that was simply a complicated way for me to say that I love and enjoy both of your forms in equal and different ways, hehe! Though I do also delight in your feline form… In fact, I suspect that I'll find any form you take to be marvelous in its own fashion~ Though this fact takes a very distant second place to the reality that the part of your body I enjoy the very most are the parts that remain the same no matter what shape you're currently residing in: your mind and your heart. You're the Kusuo-kun I've always loved, and the Kusuo-kun I've had the pleasure of knowing better and better over time, no matter what you currently look like or the name or gender or even species you're sporting at the moment."

[T-Touma-kun… ]

"And that you're revealing different aspects of your thoughts and personality as Kuriko is a lovely treat, I must say! It seems like you are less burdened with shame over expressing your emotions and making specific requests this way, perhaps because of the slight role-playing aspect of inhabiting a different form. I very much approve, and I believe being more expressive as Kuriko may function as a sort of learning experience for you as well– perhaps you'll be more bold about communicating your feelings and desires in your everyday form if you see that doing so as Kuriko does not cause the negative consequences you instinctively fear."

[ … ]

[Good grief… perhaps you're right… ]

[I do feel a little more confident… ]

[Thank you for… ]

[ … ]

[ …For letting me try this. Without making fun of me.]

[Not that I think you would. But… ]

[Well. Thank you for making me feel safe enough to experiment like this. Good grief.]

"Awwww, that's absolutely my pleasure, Kuriko-chan~! Thank you for trusting me with this new and delicate side of yourself, love. I know it's not easy for you! …Oh darling, shall we change the subject? It's only that you're getting a little sniffly and I know you prefer to work through emotions more privately…"

[Yes… ]

[Thank you, Touma-kun… ]

"Mmmm… What would you like to do next, love? We watch a movie, or read, or play games perhaps, or perhaps test out the new limits of your abilities in this form?"

[Hmmm… ]

[ …What a pain. I don't want to stop cuddling with you… ]

"To be quite frank, neither do I!"

[ …How about we play on the Wintendo Swatch? I can still sit in your lap if we use the Toycons.]

"That does sound like a stupendous idea, Kuriko-chan~!"

[You can pick the game, Touma-kun.]

"Hmm… How about Splendid Sibling Smasher Supreme? I do believe that I've almost figured out your Nario strategy on some of the gimmick stages!"

[Deal.]

[ …Should we make a bet?]

"Oh? Would you like to~? You're well aware of my proclivity for accepting challenges, after all! What's your proposed ante~?"

[More kisses.]

"Hehehe, that was a rapid response indeed~ I accept those terms, love~! And I'll look forward to enjoying many of your kisses~!"

[Tch. So cocky… ]

[One more kiss, and then I'm going to kick your ass at Sibling Smasher.]

[And no items. They're such a pain.]

"Ehehehe, mmmmmmm~! …Perhaps I should accuse you of nefariously distracting me in order to gain the upper hand and demand a few extra kisses in compensation…"

[Now who's being underhanded?? Good grief… ]

—————

"By the way, how are your energy levels currently, Kuriko-chan?"

[Terrible. I've barely gotten any kisses… ]

[Aren't you supposed to let your girlfriend win more often?]

"Didn't I?"

[ … ]

[Hey. Don't disrespect me!]

"Hahaha, I jest, I jest! …But in all seriousness, do you feel as though remaining in this form for a few hours has had a perceivable effect on your energy consumption, or are you experiencing a typical level of fatigue for this time of day, taking into account the very low-impact activities we've performed so far?"

[Hmmm… ]

[I do feel a lot less tired than I usually do.]

[It seriously helps that my telepathy range has shrunk so much!]

[Like this, I can only hear Kaido when he's in his room, but not when he crosses over to Kuboyasu's.]

[I'll be able to hear Aiura and Toritsuka when they're in here as well.]

[And I should be able to hear into Nendo's room. But I've never been able to hear his thoughts anyways.]

[It's… incredible to be able to count the voices in my head on one hand…!]

[And I like it better than the total silence of the germanium ring… ]

[It's good for sleep, but feels a little lonely when I'm awake… ]

"Oh, that is absolutely spectacular news, Kuriko-chan! I'm so incredibly elated to hear that you can reach a comfortable telepathy range this way without totally cancelling the power! How is your vision, currently? Has your x-ray vision's rate of depth change been altered at all by your daytrip in this form?"

[That… is a good question.]

[Luckily I have the perfect test subject here~ ]

"Ehehe! Kuriko-chaaan~!"

[Heh! Let me see… ]

[[ ( X-ray Vision: Hold ) ]]

[ … ]

[Touma-kun… Good grief, it's so nice to be able to see you for more than a few seconds at a time… ]

[ … ]

[Your eyes are such a lovely dark violet… almost black.]

[But when I sweep up your bangs up like this, and light shines into your eyes, there are so many shades of purple… ]

[Seriously beautiful… ]

[And your dark eyelashes make your eyes pop so much… Did you know that people think you wear mascara…?]

[Your nose has this cute little upturn… I always want to kiss it when I see it. Mm~ ]

[And I like the warm, honey-blond of your hair… I missed it when I had my green glasses before, what a pain… ]

[Hehehe, your cheeks are very pink right now~]

[Even I know that's unusual for you. I might just have to kiss them~ Mmmm~ ]

[And look at this. I'm barely sweating at all! It really does take a lot less effort this way~ ]

[ … ]

[You're really really cute.]

[Hehehe, you can't even look me in the eyes right now because you're so flustered.]

[I'm glad. That's how I feel with you sometimes too, good grief… ]

[A little turnabout is fair play~ ]

[Mmmmm~!]

"Ahahaha, m-my K-Kuriko-chan…! Hehe, ummm… ahh, so– so lovely~! Ehehe…! Mmm~!"

[Silly… ]

[Thank you for this idea, love.]

[I've seriously had a lot of fun so far…!]

[And I still feel like I have a lot of energy left!]

[This could be a nice treat… every once in a while… ]

[Like a little vacation… ]

"I'm– I'm always happy when, umm… hehe, when I can help in– in some way!"

[Cute… ]

"W-would you also like to experiment to see if your psychometry has been affected? I'll admit that while psychometry is a highly effective power for solving mysteries and provides a fascinating look into the past, I do wish you were able to control it more easily. I would like very much to be able to hold your hands without the barrier of your gloves, and without forcing you into sensory overload, my poor dear…"

[What a pain… I'd like that too… ]

[I seriously want to be able to hold your hand… ]

[ … ]

[But being Kuriko has helped with my other powers. Maybe I'll be able to avoid using immersive psychometry like this.]

[Let's see… I'll take off my glove and just–]

[[ ( Oh no ) ]]

The cheek in her hand the hand on her cheek was warm warm warm soft body on her under her against her supporting her and being supported and her eyes were closed but they were open and Akechi's smile as he leaned into her hand as she held his face was blissful and stretched her cheeks and stretched her cheeks and they flushed with heated pleasure as the thump thump thump of their heartbeats accelerated and their thoughts were love love love love love and their lips brushed and their lips brushed and she was putting her hands on her waist there were hands on her waist and hands on her cheek that she held and it was so much too much TOO MUCH–

[Ahh!!]

"Oh darling… I'm presupposing that the effects of your psychometry abilities remain unchanged in this form based on your reaction…"

[Yes… dammit… ]

[Good grief… I was really hoping it would be better… ]

"Well, it was worth the experiment to me… I did truly enjoy your touch for that small moment…!"

[Oh Touma-kun… ]

[You… deserve so much more than that! Seriously!!]

"Oh Kuriko-chan… I very much appreciate the sentiment, but you indulge me in so many other ways that there should be no doubt in your mind of my ecstatic joy at being with you!"

[ … ]

[I guess you do always seem happy when we're together.]

[I just wish I could do more… what a pain… ]

"Kuriko-chan, that is simply the most natural feeling in the world when you love someone! That desire to do more, to help more, to be more… Is there any truer expression of love?"

[Heh. …I guess you're right again.]

"The real trick is discerning when you can and should do more. Self-destruction via overexertion does more harm than good, and sometimes people don't want help. I certainly learned this lesson the hard way with my parents! No amount of alleviating external factors or logical thinking could resolve the petty squabbles of my parents, because they were borne of a fundamental incompatibility, and that is something I am certain not even ESP could correct."

[ … ]

[I'm sorry Touma-kun. That must have been such a pain… ]

"Don't you worry, Kuriko-chan! You really brightened my day when we were kids! After you fixed my bullying troubles, school even became a marvelous escape for me from my home. Difficult to believe, perhaps, but certifiably true! The rumors of ESP that followed me after that granted me a sort of carte blanche – I was able to refocus my energy and redefine who I was and who I wanted to be. And it's all thanks to you Kuriko-chan! So it is my most fervent hope that our little home here can be your safe space now, where you can let go of your troubles for a while and rest and heal, my poor beleaguered darling."

[ … ]

[Well… you've been successful.]

[I do always feel safe here. With you. But also with all of our friends.]

[It's been wonderful… I seriously never thought I could be this happy… ]

[Heh. You're giving me emotions all over again. What a pain… ]

"Haha, that is rather inconsiderate of me, isn't it, love? Not to worry, we can certainly change the subject again! For example, what shall I make for our dinner today, darling?"

[Let's go out.]

"…Really? Have you tired of being Kuriko-chan?"

[No. I'm going as a girl.]

[ …And maybe you can, too.]

[If you wear one of your new skirts, we can see how many people we can fool into thinking we're lesbians.]

"Ahaha, ummm… w-won't we be– won't we, uhhh g-get 'galpalled', ehehehe?"

[Not the way I'm going to be acting. I seriously want to show you off.]

"K-Kuriko-chan??"

[You're really really cute!]

[And nobody in this town knows who Kuriko-chan is. So a little PDA is fine.]

[Er. If that's okay with you…?]

"Absolutely. Yes. Veritably. I am– I am ridiculously excited at the thought of being openly wined and dined by my beloved!! Please excuse me in advance if I end up stuttering and tripping over my words! Having a girlfriend is new to me, and wearing a skirt is new to me, and doing both in public is… Ohhhh, you can clearly gauge my opinion by the saturation of my blush and the pitter patter of my heartbeat!!"

[Hehehe! What a pain, you are seriously too cute… ]

[I may have to kiss you a little more before we go get ready~]

"W-wonderful, ahahaha…!"

————————————————————

If you enjoyed this, please let me know in my inbox, in the tags, or in the replies~! It’s a lot of extra work to make the censored editions, after all!

[gyucore]

long live the king

pairing: mage!hueningkai x noble!reader

tags: fluff, royalty au, friends to lovers, hueningkai can do magic

word count: 3.3k

prompts:

011: "May I have this dance?"

019: "I don't think anyone could ever be as lovely as you."

020: "You look incredible in that."

Tonight had been advertised as the night to end all nights— a masquerade ball held by the king at the palace, and a brightly lit ballroom decorated with gold and the continent's finest silk, adorning the kingdom's rose insignia. Entertainers and musicians positioned around the vicinity to perform their best acts and tunes, and the gates were left wide open to welcome everyone who wanted to join in, given that they tried their best to dress for the occasion.

Today was an event open to all the kingdom's citizens, from high seated nobles to common men by the streets, everyone was welcome to participate in the king's annual ball. However, that fact didn't matter for a family such as yours. Your father was the Marquess, which meant that you were invited to every single ball or gathering held by the nobility for the nobility. At least, that was how it had been until the incident.

The peering eyes of both the nobles and commoners alike have left you frozen on your spot by the pillar. Your bright red ball gown, although beautiful, was not helping you hide away from the eyes of the crowd. It was evident they were all thinking the same thing.

The unfortunate daughter of a fallen marquess.

News had gotten out about your family's crisis and had spread to the public like a disease. The Grand Marquess losing money, property, and power: The fall of a great noble. The story made headlines for weeks on end— rumors mixing in with the truth, and eventually, everyone had drawn the same conclusion. Pitiful.

You worry about your parents at the other end of the room, doing their best to mingle with the other nobles. The heavy atmosphere was weighing down on your chest.

Closing your eyes and taking a deep breath, you try to think of the things that calmed you down: the rustic smell of old books at the public library, the warm feeling you'd get when the rays of sunlight touch your skin as you sit by the window with your face buried deep into your favorite classic, the bright smile the common mage boy would give you everytime you crossed paths—

"Wow."

A familiar voice brings you back from your thoughts.

"You look incredible in that." The same bright smile you'd envisioned earlier now stood in front of you.

You gaze in awe at the man before you, dressed in what you could only describe as the most beautiful and elegant ensemble you'd seen tonight. The way the white suit hugged his waist left little room for the imagination. You doubt even the king himself could top this off.

"Lady Y/N. I believe fate must have brought us together in this fine evening." The man gently bends down, taking your hand and planting a kiss so fleeting that you barely felt it. Even with the golden mask on, you could easily tell who it was.

"Kai.."

"Ah, and here I was hoping I'd be a little more mysterious tonight." Kai holds back his laughter as he gazed upon you once more. You can't help but do the same.

Tonight, he looked nothing of a common mage but that of a king himself. If you hadn't known him beforehand, you would've mistaken him as so, especially with tonight's main event— the reveal of the king's successor. But alas, what the mage boy had going on for him was merely for appearances. A commoner like him could never be king in a world where even dreaming of becoming one was considered to be of highest absurdity.

"I thought you said you weren't attending?"

Kai shrugs, folding his hands behind his back. "And refuse my lady when you so graciously asked me out?"

His response catches you off guard. "I don't recall ever asking you anything of that sort."

"You asked if I'd attend."

"And that counts as asking you out?"

Kai chuckles. "When you asked me with such a cute look on your face, it was difficult to think you weren't looking forward to me being here."

And he was right. Given your circumstances, Kai being here with you was like a breath of fresh air. You'd been praying all night that he'd magically arrive to help you take your mind off of things, and you felt like crying out in joy when he actually did.

Kai looks around, seemingly getting a sense of the pressure you were in. "Shall we take a stroll around the garden, my lady?"

You follow his line of sight and spot the royal garden just outside the window. "I'll let you accompany me if you drop the whole my lady business."

Kai purses his lips as he takes your hand in his. "Can't you let me be fancy for one night?"

Every moment you'd spent with Kai up until this point had been the highlight of your days. As the daughter of the Marquess, you'd spent most of your time holed up inside your manor. Women barely got any education aside from the usual classes on manners and societal etiquette, and that included nobles as well. But that never stopped you. Once a week, when the guards changed shifts by the gate, and the maids and butlers were all busy with the weekly general cleaning, you'd take the opportunity to slip out in disguise, undetected by anyone. The main goal was to get to the public library and obtain access to educational material— ones that didn't involve any prim and proper rubbish that you've read over a thousand times.

The first time outside was rather difficult. You barely managed to get inside the library's more educational section while passing as a man. However, every succeeding attempt became easier and easier until coming out in secret and gaining access didn't seem like that much of a hassle anymore.

At the library, you were free to read any book you want, and used this opportunity to brush up on some business and economics as well as some of the basic sciences. You spent the first few months stocking up on knowledge until you felt it fine to relax a little and start reading novels to pass the time without the help of a disguise.

There was a section in the library that you hadn't checked; one that you'd deemed unnecessary as it only contained children's literature. It wasn't until you'd heard the sound of a man's voice followed by children's laughter that you felt compelled enough to take a peek.

"And then, the dragon swooped down onto the village and attacked the innocent villagers! ROARRR. Breathing fire as hot as, well, uh— FIRE!"

You slipped up and giggled at the young man's amusing narration, piping down a bit after realizing that he had noticed you from behind the shelves, throwing a knowing smirk your way.

It was then that he pulled down his cloak. Wavy brown locks gracefully reaching the back of his neck, bright eyes that could make any person let their guard down— he looked around your age which made you feel more at ease.

The young man steps back, dramatically breathing fire out of his mouth as the children cheered. Some were yelling at him to continue until only smoke came out, and you swore you heard one of them ask if he could make the fire turn green. Ridiculous, you think. But you were no different from these children, only being able to stand there in awe at the young man's trick. Perhaps turning the fire green wasn't such a terrible idea.

You've heard of mages among the commoners before, and had met a few that visited your manor but this was the first time you'd seen one in action. The flames that came out of his mouth looked awfully hot but the young man didn't even blink or showed any signs of pain.

He stops the fire and clears his throat, now kneeling down to face the children. "The villagers were worried sick! What would happen to their crops, their produce, their livelihood? If only a hero would come along and save them!" He makes an overly exaggerated wail before gasping.

"Well, who do we have here? A warrior has come to save the villagers!" The young man points at your direction and you feel your blood run cold as all the children in the room had turned their attention towards you, hopeful.

"A young maiden has arrived to slay the evil dragon!"

You quickly shake your head at his statement, holding your arms out in a cross. "No, kids. Don't believe what this man says. I am not a warrior, and I'm certainly not here to slay any dragons"

The young man raises a brow, getting up from his spot. "Then why do you have the magical sword that was forged to slay the mighty dragon?"

"What sword?"

The young man snaps his fingers. "That sword."

The weight on your hips dip on one side and you couldn't believe your eyes as a sheathed sword had magically manifested beside your waist out of thin air. "How did you— wait, is this a real sword?! You can't play around with real swords in front of children!"

The children turn towards the young man in confusion.

"Well, kids. Do you want the kind lady to slay the dragon with a real sword?"

"YES!" The children cheered.

The young man turns to you with a smile. "You gotta give the kids what they want, Miss."

An exasperated expression makes its way to your face. "I am not slaying any made up dragons!"

"Now, what's all this talk about slaying dragons?"

Taehyun, one of the stricter librarians, had come out of nowhere, surprising everyone. His eyes scan the room and quickly notices three things: (1) the dangerous sword hanging on your waist, (2) the excessive amount of children in the room when the sign on the way in definitely mentioned a capacity of only five, and (3) someone let the mage boy inside the library again. The culprit was evident.

"Jung Kai, I swear to the heavens I will—"

"Alright kids, time to go! We'll end the story next time!" The young man, Kai, rushes the disappointed children out of the section before they heard something they shouldn't.

You were about to walk away yourself but was quickly stopped by Taehyun's hand blocking your path. "Kai, didn't I tell you that you're not allowed to perform magic inside the library? And seriously," He confiscates the sword on your waist, holding it up in the air. "Violence?"

Kai looks at you and grins. "I suppose we could've gone with a more romantic ending. Something like the warrior's kiss saving the dragon from his curse, and he turns back into this super handsome, super cute, and super macho mage."

The way he shamelessly described himself left you speechless, and you steal a glance at the librarian who looked as equally disgusted as you are.

"Just clean up the mess before you leave. And that means you too, Miss Dragon Slayer."

"But I didn't even—" You cut yourself off after Taehyun dismisses himself from the room.

The section falls silent and Kai walks up to you, a smile ever present in his face. "I'm guessing this is the start of our new friendship?"

And that was what started it all. Everytime you'd visit the library after that, you seemed to bump into Kai more often than you liked. He saw through the disguise the first time he saw you wearing it and had promised to not utter a single word to anyone. The mage boy was much more reliable than he seemed to be, often helping you in your studies and teaching you more than the books ever could. Sometimes, he'd convince you to take a stroll around town and had shown you sights and wonders you wouldn't have expected to see inside the kingdom.

Before you knew it, Kai had become someone you'd cherished, and someone whose company you genuinely appreciated. He was patient and understanding as your makeshift mentor, and was this fun and outgoing guy whenever you two were out together. Kai became the first friend you'd made on your own regardless of status and the only friend you wished to keep by your side.

"I take it that the people in the ballroom were too much?" Kai speaks the moment arrived at the garden.

"Please. I couldn't even breathe in there." You play it off with a chuckle but thoughts of worry still plague your mind. "I'm guessing you probably know by now."

"About what? The fact that you're the daughter of the Marquess or that the Marquess has been in a crisis for a while?"

"Both."

Kai reaches for your hand, holding it reassuringly. "I've known for a while but that doesn't change anything now, does it? We became friends without the burden of our status, and we'll stay as friends regardless."

You hated this, hated how he always knew exactly what to say. The heat rushes up to your face and you squeeze his hand tighter, avoiding eye contact. "Thank you."

But truthfully, there was a little voice in Kai's head that wished you could be something more. Not after you'd shared those intimate moments alone at the library at dusk, not after he rushed in to catch you in his arms when you fell while shelving a book on the top shelves, and especially not after you almost shared a kiss after saying goodbye that night he'd helped you sneak back in.

Even now, as he lovingly gazed at your silhouette beneath the moonlight, he'd hoped that he'd have the chance to tell you how he felt. But then again, the chance could be right now at this very moment. The two of you were, afterall, at the king's ball.

"So, how were the gentlemen earlier?"

"What?" You raise your head to face Kai.

"I've no doubt that hundreds of people had been lining up to dance with you all evening." Kai grins as he gently lets go of your hand.

"Please, I haven't danced at all tonight."

"I find that quite hard to believe."

You sigh, recalling the events from earlier. "No one would want to be seen dancing with a fallen Marquess' daughter now would they?"

"Not when you look this beautiful?" Kai jokingly walks around you and you shy away from his gaze.

"You know I never say things I don't mean, Y/N." Kai bends down and holds your hands in his. "And believe me, I don't think anyone could ever be as lovely as you."

"Is flattery your main personality trait now?" You say as an attempt to not let his compliment affect you any further than it should but fail miserably so.

Kai stands before you with an unreadable expression. You'd argue this was the most serious look he's ever had since you'd met him.

"Care to dance?" Kai asks, leaning in closer, your faces merely inches apart. You feel your heart beating loudly in your chest, and you're almost afraid he might hear.

The moonlight casts a shadow on Kai's face, and despite the darkness, his eyes glistened, reflecting your own as you stared into his. You've never seen anyone look so beautiful. And here he was, telling you that you're the loveliest person he's ever known.

"Right now?"

Kai nods, taking off his mask and tossing it over to the side. "And I'd like it if we could dance without our masks too. I've been wanting to get a good look at your face all night."

You chuckle, removing your mask and tossing it to to the ground next to his. "And how do you suppose we dance without music? My reputation's already dirt at this point and I do not want to be branded as the crazy noble dancing at the royal garden in complete silence."

Kai fails to suppress his laughter, holding on to your shoulder to maintain himself upright. "Well, I wouldn't want to let my dear lady look crazy now would I?"

"And what are you planning to do?"

"Well, I am a mage." Kai smirks as he manifests a scepter out of thin air, leaving a trail of golden dust flurrying down.

This was the first time you've ever seen it in person. Kai had mentioned how he needed the aid of his scepter to perform high level magic, but he'd never taken it out in front of you until now. One look at the scepter and anyone could tell not just any old mage owned the darn thing. It looked majestic by all means, intricately decorated with gold and topped off with a brightly colored red gemstone you couldn't seem to identify. You'd heard that mages often created their own unique gemstones as a manifestation of their mana but for Kai's to be red, which had been said to be a quite powerful variant, made you wonder just how powerful your friend had been.

"And here we go." Kai takes the scepter in his hand and drives it into the ground. The impact causes a wave of light to burst from the scepter and spread throughout the reaches of garden. In a split-second, the wave of light rushes back into its source, compressing into a huge orb of light lifting up into the sky, rivaling the moon with its glow. The orb splits into smaller pieces and starts to dance around the garden, leaving you in awe at the spectacle.

Kai finds himself grinning from ear to ear at your reaction. He'd studied magic as an expression of rebellion against his father but now, he'd found another purpose to perform these little tricks of his. He places his hand on your waist and pulls you closer. "Wait for it."

The orbs of light find their places around you, slowly taking the shape of various instruments you've seen inside the ballroom, from strings to percussions, and even wind instruments. Smaller pieces of light continued to hover the surroundings, resembling glowing fireflies in the dark.

"Kai, this is beautiful." You look up at the young man, and he steps away, bowing his head as he plants yet another kiss on the back of your hand.

"May I have this dance?"

His eyes meet yours and you feel your heart skip a beat. It was rather difficult to explain. The Kai in front of you right now had been the same Kai you've always known, but somehow.. different.

You raise your hand for him to take, guiding your other hand to find perch on his shoulder, and his finding its place on your waist. With the first step, the instruments started playing. It's a piece you've heard before, one that Kai had fondly hummed nearly everytime you were together at the library.

It was as if the world had faded into the distance, and at this moment, there was only you and him, dancing alone in the garden. He pulls you close, his hold gentle and warm. Kai spins you around. The heel of your shoe collides with a rock, and you nearly stumble back until Kai manages to grab you by the waist on time, pulling you back into his arms.

You spot the smirk on his face under the moonlight, and you press a finger against his lips. "Not one word."

"I wasn't going to say anything." Kai lets you go, and you quickly grab a hold of his arms to find balance.

"Of course you weren't."

"Well, I do have something I have to tell you. A few things, actually."

You cock a brow at him, and he steps forward. "I'll tell you the most important part first."

"And that is?"

Kai reaches out to cup your cheeks, gazing into your eyes as if asking permission. You didn't need to say anything for him to understand, and he closes the gap between you, pressing his lips against yours. The feeling was foreign but certainly welcome, and you soon close your eyes and reciprocate, wanting to feel more of his soft lips, and wanting to hold him closer and closer.

For long had you held out on this, on actually acknowledging your growing feelings for the lad in fear of having to live with the thought of him not feeling the same. But in this moment, you felt a heavy burden being lifted from your shoulders.

"Kai, I.."

The light from the orbs dim down and soon dissipates. Kai pulls away, gazing upon your flushed face. "You mean the world to me, Y/N. I don't think my life would ever be the same without you."

The trumpets blare in the ballroom, a signal that the new king was to make an appearance soon. You feel Kai's hand around yours. "As for my other confession, I think it's best we head back first."

He leads you back into the ballroom, and disappears the moment you find your parents in the crowd. You join them in the center as everyone gathers to get a glimpse at the new king.

The herald makes his way beside the grand staircase, straightening himself up to make the announcement that every citizen had been waiting to hear all evening.

"Presenting the next in line to the throne, to rule the vast lands of our esteemed nation, and lead us into a continuing era of prosperity! Our future King, His Royal Highness, Kai Kamal Huening!"

The doors open, revealing Kai, your Kai, adorned in the royal family's crest, robes, and jewelries as he made himself known to his loyal subjects.

Behind him was public librarian, Kang Taehyun, who had been revealed to be serving as one oc the King's advisors, and now, for the new monarch.

"Long live the King!"

Kai could pick out your from the crowd in a heartbeat, hos gaze meeting yours as he flashes you his signature smile. You couldn't believe what was happening— Kai, your best friend in the whole world, had just confessed his love to you. And now, that same Kai had revealed to you and to the public that he had been the future ruler of the country all along. The crowds cheered.

"Long live the King!"

"Long live the King." You whisper to yourself, wondering what the future has in store for you.

[alicehattera03]

Alice I blame you and only you and spoon for the crazy amount of Athykiel angst that has accumulated in my life.... *takes a deep breath* gawwds😭 am I crying... Your innumerable LP Athy and Ezekiel fics have concocted the weirdest dreams in my head, and with every Athykiel fic I am being drowned into angstier thoughts. Today spoon just had to hit the last nail on the coffin. So I have come to a conclusion. I'm going to drown this coffin right into the sea.

Kiel's soulmate is and will only ever be LP Athy and by that I refer to both the Kiels out there. Yes, today I have imagined his love story to be the most tragic in wmmap if it already wasn't. He is one who's love has walked this earth another time. Separated by the passage of time. She was there, forlorn and lost as long as she lived. He is here dying with every hammer that wmmap athy brings down upon his heart(canon). Theirs us a story darker and more agonizing than Claudiana's. Just imagine, to be born in another lifetime, another century while possessing faint remembrances of your love from another lifetime. Who knows, maybe all of them are reborn like athy, failing the second life in Korea. Or maybe time was reversed back. Either way they are separated by the passage of time. This isnt even multiverses and tgat makes this terribly sad, there's no way of jumping parallel worlds and reaching. She is in another era abd unreachable. And Kiel, just in the manner of Claude is governed by the lingering yet connate desires, cravings of his heart, for his soulmate. Only difference is that Claude was chasing after the ghosts of a person who existed and still exists in another form, in another place. But Kiel's simply doesn't. Its just the strings of a belamour that is pulling but the strings don't lead anywhere, they hit a dead end. Unlike claude, no amount of curse removals, remembrances will bring back the memory of his perfect beloved, HIS OWN LOVER, HIS OWN MATE, not Lucas', but his own. Because there is no memory curse that is concealing or warping his love from him, she simply doesn't exist, but the love and want of her has breached timelines and is still residing in his heart, unfortunately, after all that is what attracted him to this athy. And that's the saddest part-athy exists...but not lp athy(I don't mean that they aren't the same person, they are, but time has made her a different person, she isn't his soulmate anymore. She was his when she was in the lp timeline.) Now times have changed and so has she, she isn't the same person anymore, she has breached the lines of time and space and that brought about a change in fate, her fate is with someone else now.

To have that person and yet not have THAT person.

We Athykiel shippers are doomed. 🤡 This angsty thought came to my mind after the Athykiel farewell that was today's episode. What's more tragic than a soulmate separated by time?

Anon...*wipes your tears* while I'm very happy you've read my Athykiel fics(I wonder if you've found the few thoughts scattered on my tumblr? *winks*) I'm also on your side cause IT IS ALL SO TERRIBLY SAD AND HEARTBREAKING OH MY POOR HEARTSTRINGS TO DIE ON THIS LONELY ISLAND FOR A LOVE THAT WILL NEVER BE?!?! LIES WHAT IS THIS BETRAYAL

I WAS HAVING THE SAME THOUGHT THOUGH LIKE here

and WHAT FAREWELL THERE IS NONE I SEE NONE I HEAR NONE I FEEL NONE *cries* I haven't bothered to open the ridi app to read the damn thing yet so it might as well not exist, it does not, my mind is free of farewells, no such thing, mhm hm.

Ah, timelines. These CURSED THINGS why exist when the one time you were supposed to be useful for a guy who waited LITERAL YEARS to be reunited with his love AND JUST GAVE UP ON HIM?? CAUSE WHAT!?!? I mean ok, Lucas is her endgame, I get that, everyone knows that, it's canon, it doesn't mean I have to be happy about seeing Ijekiel hurting all by himself!!!!!

Sure, he'll find someone else(surely, wow that is a real hateful thing, this is why I like reverse harems like just share and be happy you bish) and Athanasia will just become someone he's loyal to, but there's a small feeling in my heart that maybe, just maybe, as gentlemanly as he is, even when he marries, even if he has kids(or maybe he won't and he'll give it to a branch family(oh god no, ew a disaster) he'll always think of her and go to the meadow and daydream when he needs space. Their space.

They were together once, and yet, never were. They were meant to be, but were never united as one. They are the halves of a whole, but were always torn apart. We know that. He knows that.

And it hurts.

[suganovakawa]

𝐒𝐀𝐔𝐃𝐀𝐃𝐄 .

PAIRINGS : tooru oikawa x fem! reader , platonic hajime iwaizumi x fem! reader

GENRE : romance , angst

WARNINGS : cursing , amnesia , implied car accident

SYNOPSIS : tooru doesn’t understand how special you are to him until he comes close to losing you forever . as he struggles to comes to grips with his feelings and balance it with his future , you still have to recover from your own injuries , but without your memories to assist you .

𝐏𝐀𝐑𝐓 𝐅𝐎𝐔𝐑 < [ 𝐏𝐀𝐑𝐓 𝐅𝐈𝐕𝐄 ] > 𝐏𝐀𝐑𝐓 𝐒𝐈𝐗 .

tooru’s karma hit him harder than expected . . . not to worry , because hajime is here to help you through everything .

word count : 1.3k

saudade masterlist.

SAUDADE

( 𝐧 . ) a nostalgic longing to be near again to something or someone that is distant , or that has been loved and then lost ; “ the love that remains ”

⠀a blur of brunette whirred past hajime's eyes as he walked to your room, his hands wringing in his pockets nervously. this was the same routine he'd been following for the past two weeks - ever since you were first admitted into the hospital in your comatose state. the sight of you unconscious in the middle of the road was a vision he never wanted to see nor experience ever again; he'd do everything in his power to prevent it from happening again.

⠀everything was in a blur as he ran to your side after the accident, the car that committed the hit-and-run already long gone. his hands shook uncontrollably as he picked you up in his arms effortlessly, watching your eyes flutter in an effort to stay conscious.

⠀"y/n," he breathed shakily, his bridal style around you clenching as his steps moved faster and faster into a slow sprint, his shoulder checking into the doors leading into the school you had just exited moments ago. "stay with me. you're going to be alright. you're a strong, girl, you hear me?"

⠀"i-iwaizumi," was the only reply you had enough strength to mutter.

⠀none of the third years expected to see you, bleeding and half unconscious in iwaizumi's arms.

⠀"hanamaki," the ace barked, "call the ambulance. now."

⠀there were no further words shared as the light-haired male nodded hastily, his hands fumbling to find his cellphone, running out of aoba johsai to call for the hospital quickly.

⠀"matsukawa, take y/n's things and bring them to her home. tell her family what happened, and that we've already got an ambulance on the way. you remember where she lives, right?" iwa's jaw clenched as mattsun snapped out of his trance, still trying to grasp the sight before him. "right, matsukawa?"

⠀"y-yeah, iwaizumi. i'll go." he swallowed a nervous lump as he lumped all of your belongings into your bag. "y/n, please be okay." he could only look upon your weakened figure with eyes of pity, before taking his leave in a rush.

⠀"i... iwaizumi...?"

⠀"you." he had forgotten the captain's presence in the gym until his voice filled his ears, anger and resentment boiling his blood at high temperatures. his green eyes steeled over as he glared at your boyfriend, whose face had gone white at the sight of you in his arms. tooru reached a hand towards you, only to back up and flinch at the sound of hajime yelling at him.

⠀"you wanna know what the fuck i want you to do, oikawa?"

⠀hanamaki ran to the gym doors through iwa's peripheral vision, which meant the ambulance was coming soon. he turned to face his fellow third year once more, watching the fear in tooru's eyes wash over him like a disease.

⠀"don't you ever fucking step near y/n again."

⠀he stopped in surprise at the sight of your eyes blankly staring straight at the doorway he stood under; he noticed the grip your fingers held on your hospital bed sheets. too many words caught under his tongue as your look of unplaced fear turned to him. he didn't know how to start.

⠀"y/n?" whispered hajime, taking an easy, careful step in your direction. he didn't trust the lack of reaction in your eyes. "are you... alright?"

⠀he stopped in front of your hospital bed and took his hands out of his pockets, relaxing his posture to display peace. he waited for you to respond patiently; your eyes had wandered down to your hands, your monitors, slowly back up to look him in the eye. he wondered why you were taking so long to respond to just a simple question?

⠀"i'm sorry, really... i don't remember a thing."

⠀oh.

⠀that's why.

⠀"i scared the guy before by telling him the truth, i couldn't look at him long enough before he turned around and ran away... i don't want to scare you away, either." hajime pressed his lips together as you struggled to keep steady eye contact. "i don't remember anything, i swear. all i know, from what i heard, is that y/n is me."

⠀iwaizumi blinked at your words, as a way to process such information. he hadn't come to the hospital today and expected to greet you awake - and as a victim of amnesia, nonetheless. he wasn't scared, per se - his fists clenched when he realized you were describing oikawa as the wuss who ran away in his own selfishness. he shouldn't be surprised at this point. nothing was more obvious to hajime that tooru oikawa was a selfish bastard who didn't deserve to have you as his girlfriend.

⠀"hey." he reached forward and placed his hands on yours, his lips pursed as he felt the dryness of your skin on his palms. "you're not scaring me away. don't worry about that other guy, alright? he doesn't matter, if he didn't even care enough to stay. you've got me. your name is y/n - full name y/n l/n - that's correct. you're a third year at aoba johsai high school. the reason why you're in the hospital is because you were hit by a car."

⠀"that explains the pain i feel in my head..." your hands slowly moved from his, each index finger pressing against each of your temples. "i've had this sharp ringing in my head since i woke up."

⠀"you were hurt pretty badly, and it's a miracle you're in one piece." iwaizumi nodded, watching you press your temples with a quiet hiss from your lips. "i don't know your current medical condition, since i'm not your immediate family." when your eyes met his once more, he smiled. "but i'm really happy you're okay, y/n. even without your memories, you're a tough cookie. you'll get through it."

⠀for the first time today, your fear had dissipated from your body, a sense of comfort radiating from the mysterious boy clad in a school uniform. there were many questions floating in your thoughts, with no answers or conclusions to your problems. but watching him smile at you so kindly... you felt safe. white noise suffocated your thoughts, your memories; but with the feeling of someone's support, nothing felt more comforting in this present moment.

⠀"thank you." unsure of how to thank such generosity, you could only suffice with a simple bow of your head, since you couldn't really move much else in the confinement of your bed. "i feel guilty, for not remembering you, or your name. i can only assume we were good friends, right?"

⠀"...friends." the word dripped from hajime's tongue like poison, spitting it out with a bad aftertaste. even so, he covered such bitterness with another soothing grin. "i'd like to also believe we were good friends, great friends even, before your accident." he held a hand out for you. "my name is hajime. hajime iwaizumi. i'm your friend, and fellow third year at aoba johsai."

⠀iwaizumi sighed in relief as he watched you take his hand, and you two shook on it, the confusion in your eyes slowly disappearing with every passing second. "well then, iwaizumi, it's a pleasure to meet you... again."

⠀he pressed his lips firmly at the sound of his family name leaving your mouth, shaking his head subtly as he ruffled your hair gently with a gentle chuckle. "i'm afraid i have to leave soon, i've got a lot of homework to do, and i'm gonna tell the nurses that you were able to recover so quickly. i'll visit you tomorrow, so we'll talk some more tomorrow, alright?"

⠀you nodded. "yes. thank you again, iwaizumi. i'd be so lost without you."

⠀i'd be so lost without you.

⠀pride welled in his chest like a balloon, his hands sheepishly making way back into his dark beige pockets. damn right, he was going to be the one there for you, since a certain someone was too cowardly to do it himself. iwaizumi was going to preserve your smile, the happiness a person as beautiful as yourself was completely entitled to.

⠀hajime iwaizumi was going to be the one to give you the second chance you deserve. and he'll be damned if he ever let tooru oikawa dare to step foot near you and hurt you again.

⠀"don't mention it, y/n. ah, by the way, you can just call me hajime."

a / n : AND BEHOLD , THE LOVE RIVAL . i probably made it really obvious but ye ye , here we go ! the drama will now get crazier from here . now that school is out for the summer , def expect more updates more often ! thanks for reading , it means a lot to me 🥺

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taglist closed !

[fayeimara]

Meant To Be Series || One For Every Billion

Episode 2. Next Time, Make it Up Twice

*Both Written and SMAU parts this episode*

"I'm in love with soba, oh my god!" You're still relishing the meal you just finished as you walk with Toshi and his friends to grab some boba.

Tendou chuckles, "I think you only like it because of that character in your favourite manga."

"ONE of my favourite mangas, thank you. But yes, he's so cute just quietly eating his soba for lunch. Like, I'd definitely love it just for him, but I did actually enjoy it."

Semi smiles at your excitement, "You should try it hot too, it's different."

"Yes, yes. Of course, I will at some point but I'm soo full right now I can't think of more food."

"Do you not want the boba, then?" Toshi looks over at you seriously but you're already smiling and shaking your head.

"Of course I do, that's not food, Toshi!"

"Oh okay. I'll help you pick something light if you want."

"Thank you!"

The door chimes as you walk into the shop but you pause just inside to check your phone when you feel its persistent buzzing. You had updated your twitter and your friends are giving you grief over the picture of your lunch. Yeah, yeah, you wanted to try it because you simp for icy hot boys, so what? It's good to try new things.

You're firing off a reply to their sarcastic (read: jealous) comments when the door chimes again and then you're stumbling because something just knocked into you.

"Ow- shit!" That's not your voice. You don't think you've made a sound but you don't recognize that yet.

What you do register first as you're falling forward is how you're grateful because it's definitely not the hard door that hit your back and head, and you're lucky because you really shouldn't have been standing right there. Then you realize you're about to fall on your face because your hands are frozen clutching your phone. Just as that thought flits through your head faster than your lack of a quick reaction, you strangely find yourself floating before you can face plant on the floor and thank god because, ew, germs. Also, potentially ouch.

You're a little thrown off so it takes you a moment to realize you didn't make like another one of the characters in that particular manga and develop a float quirk. No, there's a toned arm that's caught you around your waist and now you're more than just a little thrown off.

You're sure you're blushing in embarrassment as you're carefully set right side up and turn to apologize to the owner of the savior arm.

"I'm so sorry!" You hear an apology at the exact same time it flies from your own mouth and you pause because you're melting into chocolate eyes that are probably as wide as your own.

Wha- You're looking up into the face of an angel! But no, really, omg it's a seriously cute boy. And why do you want to touch his hair??

He does look like he's genuinely sorry but his face relaxes as both your eyes hold and he smiles (quite charmingly), before calmly responding first "It's my fault, so I really am sorry for knocking you over, pretty girl. I was walking backwards and didn't see you there."

You raise your eyebrows, stuck on that for a second and accidentally blurting, "Who walks through a door backwards??" in genuine curiosity before your eyes widen, "I mean, no, but it's not your fault either! I'm the one that stopped right in front of said door, I really should have just moved up before checking my phone."

His hand reaches up to rub the back of his head in that way that really makes guys look cute when they're a little at a loss for words. At least that's what you think until he says, "Maybe we can make it up to each other, if you haven't ordered yet?"

"Oi!" An irritated voice calls out from behind him, "Can you let the rest of us in before you start flirting?!"

He lets out a light laugh before moving aside and two others cute guys enter. Like, what's with the air in Miyagi?!?

"Sorry Iwa-Chan, but I needed to make sure this angel didn't get hurt falling (for) because of me." He winks at you but you're a little lost in thought because you're thinking about how you like the way he talks. It's a little like he's singing at times and maybe it's because of his melodic voice but either way, it's pretty cute. You're going into overload and you have to consciously stop yourself from holding your hands to your cheeks. You really hope you're not still blushing, ugh.

You meet eyes with the intense one and like, hello, hi, I'm here for this vibe. The guy meets your eyes before quickly flicking his away. But then you swear he makes a conscious effort to bring them back to rest on yours and politely asks, "I hope you're okay?" You're smiling in reassurance when he adds, "This idiot is trouble on legs, so I'm sorry for him."

You burst out laughing and they're looking at you in surprise so you just shake your head and explain, "I think my friends have said the exact same words about me. No, we're all good, I really appreciate it."

And thank you, mother, for your own charming smile because all three boys blush but don't look away.

Point to pretty boy #1 though because he regains his composure the fastest and pouts, "Iwa-chan is so mean to me, angel, please don't listen to him. If I do accidentally cause trouble, I swear I'm good at making it up."

"I don't know if I can say the same?" You smirk but he grins.

"So let me make it up then, and buy you some boba?"

"Oikawa." Ah, there's Toshi, a little late for backup but you guess you did fine without a wingman.

Wait, wait. The pretty boy's smile dims and he's looking over your shoulder at where your cousin's voice came from. He's straightened up and his posture kind of yells belligerent attitude.

"Ushiwaka-chan. Tell me Miyagi isn't really this small." Wow, there's a bite in his words but like, you're liking it. What can you say? You're a fan of hidden depths.

"I am surprised to see you as well. Not as surprised as when I heard you truly chose another school over Shiratorizawa."

Okay, hmm, you're looking over at the friend he called Iwa and he's rolling his eyes, so clearly there's tension.

The pretty guy, who you're guessing is Oikawa, drops his smile completely. "Well, that was fast. Nice chat, but if you'll excuse me, I was in the middle of a conversation with a new friend."

"You know Y/n?" Toshi's at your side now and sounds pretty surprised but it's not as amusing as your new friend's reaction when he looks back and forth between the two of you in a sort of disbelieving realization. What dots is he connecting, exactly? Because, you'd like to know.

"Y/n, huh? I- didn't realize you had a girlfriend..?" He's questioning hesitantly, good boy, no jumping to conclusions. Just get your feet wet, I guess.

"We're cousins." You and Toshi end up talking at the same time like twins or something and it's a little comical.

Oikawa's mouth drops for a split second before pursing his lips and addressing you, "Well, I guess I can't hold family against you. It's not like you chose him as your cousin."

You let out a wry chuckle with an equally dry grin on your face, "But I did."

"What?" He's blinking down at you in confusion so you elaborate just a little.

"Toshi. I did choose him, actually." You're highly amused at this point and you like having the advantage, so you're going to leave it at that.

He does try to push, though, you think it's curiosity since that is a pretty odd statement. "Like, to spend time with him, or acknowledge him or something? I won't hold that against you either, angel. Family first, that's sweet."

"Uh.. no." You just smirk and his eyes narrow as his head tilts. Yeah, he knows you're definitely messing with him now, he's just not sure how.

It's all good though, because Toshi's timing is on point now, "Y/n, I hope you don't mind but I picked you a drink I thought you might like."

You look over to him happily, "Really?"

"Yes.. you said that would be okay previously?"

"Of course, Toshi, I really appreciate it!" You look over at Oikawa with a sweet smile, "It was nice .. having you run into me, I suppose. I didn't get to thank you for - or maybe even take you up on - your offer, but I do appreciate it as well. So.. thank you, pretty boy, but I can't be rude and ignore my friends that I'm here with today."

He follows your gaze over to the table your new Shiratorizawa friends have grabbed for all of you. They're chatting casually but clearly looking over though you don't quite know why.

Oikawa looks a little conflicted and disappointed when you turn back to each other, so you add, "Feel free to run into me again and maybe then we can make it up to each other twice."

You can literally feel your trademark playful smile on your face so you know that's what pulls his own begrudging smile in response. Works like a charm, but it's genuine.

He studies you for a moment, "Then I hope Miyagi really is small, so I can hold you to that."

Then he looks back at Toshi with full force attitude so it's time to step away. As you walk away you hear his friend Iwa say something about telling his mom he swore. And when you hear that musical cadence of his reply but not his specific words, you can't help but look back.

They're up at the counter and his friends are ordering but, oh wow, he's just leaning back against it... looking right at you. Ahh, caught. He smirks at you, but clearly he was looking too, so you just return his smirk with a raise of your eyebrow and make sure you're the first to look away.

Leave 'em wanting more, it's a good motto to live by.

The rest of the afternoon is chill, you rejoin the Shiratorizawa boys and they explain the dynamic between Toshi and Oikawa in the most hilarious way so you're all just teasing him and laughing. You realized at some point during their explanation that you'd heard of this guy from Toshi a couple times and never thought much of it. But now.. he's a real person to you so you're definitely a little more interested beyond your cousin's innate desire to pull together an overpowered team.

Tendou also makes you recount the entire encounter from near face plant to Toshi's interruption before Semi and Soekawa have enough and decide to move on. It's even better, they have you laughing so hard and your sides in stiches from retaliating with funny stories about Tendou and Toshi or Coach Washijo impressions.

If you said you didn't end up glancing over at another group seated several booths down during the time you were there, you'd be lying. If you said you didn't connect with warm brown eyes every time, that would also be a lie. What you really couldn't say is if you enjoyed your boba or not because the butterflies that took residence in your stomach were the only other thing you noticed until you left the shop.

Prev | Next

Masterlist

Behind The Scenes!

-Y/n really gets along with Semi but he reminds her of a certain someone

-She and her friends are night owls which is how they're able to respond to her so fast at even 2am or 3am their time (EST)

-We all know the show referenced right? (If not, I would highly recommend watching Boku No Hero Academia/My Hero Academia)

-The angel/devil theme might be played on a lot, her school is literally Ashwood Devils and her national league is Aurora Angels

-I like to think the characters who make those comments or use those terms in application to Y/n all realize the irony at some point, even if it's not explicitly written out in the story

A/N: I realized I forgot to add the first pic (the twt about all the Shiratorizawa reactions) to the end of the last chapter, which is where it was supposed to go. So, even though, I'll go back and fix that, I'll also add it here for anyone who's already read that chapter. Sorry guys! Once again, thanks for bearing with me while I figure out the social media stuff. Feel free to point out any mistakes to me too! Sometimes I'm creating this stuff when I haven't slept 30+ hours so... there's bound to be things I miss or get wrong :)

I also changed 'Extras' to 'Behind The Scenes'! Same concept for small thoughts that might supplement the story where you're currently at and provide background or additional commentary but renamed to fit the theme a little better, I guess. What do you guys think - does it even matter? Do you guys read any of this or just here for the fic and skip by? Genuinely curious to know (:

Aaand, didn't think I'd need this but you made my day:

Taglist: @delusivist

[itsclydebitches]

Ah yes, Ruby "Don't Need Adults" Rose is so trusting of Theodore, a man who she has never met, and the fact that he is not only alive but different from Leo "Do You Think He Was The First" Lionheart. "Ozpin trusted him so I do too... even though I distrust Ozpin, whose biggest crime was dying of sickness, and Ironwood, who was nothing but trusting and friendly when we reunited."

This exactly. Can we take a moment to acknowledge how absurd that line is from Ruby’s perspective? Put aside our own feelings for a moment about how accurate her perception of the situation is and just see the world through her eyes, specifically the headmasters.

Ozpin: Very kind at the start, but then we learned he led this double life against Salem. Worse, he kept a major secret from us and thus he’s no longer trustworthy. Sure, I haven’t said as much explicitly, but when I don’t demonstrate any remorse for how my friends and I treated him, don’t express gratitude at him saving our lives, refuse to reach out to him for weeks in Atlas... the message is clear. We don’t need him in this fight and we definitely don’t want him. 

Lionheart: Not trustworthy! How is this even a question? By the time we met the guy he’d already joined Salem and his trap nearly led to the Relic being lost and Weiss dying. I also, again, expressed no disagreement at my sister’s stance that the world should know about all of Lionheart’s mistakes. There’s no compassion for him here. 

Ironwood: We were suspicious of him the moment we flew into Atlas and then nothing he did could sway us from that stance. Spilling his secrets? Making us huntsmen, now a part of his own Inner Circle? Continually listening to our perspective even though he doesn’t agree? Ironwood was never someone we put our trust in, to the point where Yang and Blake outright betray him and I (again) have absolutely no problem with this. Now he refuses to save Mantle and is, thus, irredeemable. I have told the entire world not to trust him. Every single person on Remnant! There’s no coming back from that. I wouldn’t have taken such a drastic stance if I had any intention of making peace with him. 

So after all this, Ruby’s response to the fourth and final headmaster who she has never met and presumably knows nothing about outside of basic cultural knowledge is... trust him? Turn to him? Put him in a major position of power by making him one of two people leading the world in this fight while she’s cut off in Atlas? 

This is what I mean when I say they’re writing Ruby as stupid nowadays. She’s not capable of extrapolating anything. Three out of four headmasters have (to her mind) proven untrustworthy, yet she doesn’t even consider the possibility that Theodore is untrustworthy too. It’s a smaller version of Ruby hearing about and personally experiencing Very Bad Reactions to people learning about Salem’s immortality - Raven abandons them, Lionheart betrays them, she’s told by Ozpin he’s not the first, they freak out in the snow, Ironwood only sees escape as an option - yet still comes to the conclusion, “Telling the entire world is a great idea.” Actually, it’s not even a conclusion because the entire problem is we never see Ruby weighing these presumed benefits with the very likely consequences. If she had talked it out with her team and decided that telling everyone was still the best option for [insert reasons she has here], that’s fine. I might not agree with those reasons, but at least she has them. Instead, Volume 7 opened with Ruby working under the belief that telling the world is automatically a good thing, despite all the evidence to the contrary, and lacking a reason like Ironwood had: not knowing about Salem’s immortality means he thinks a massive army is a decent plan. What reason does Ruby have for telling everyone rather than just those leaders who can mobilize defenses? What reason does Ruby have for blindly trusting Theodore? This is no longer a generic Trusting People Is Good message because the show keeps telling us numerous reasons why people aren’t trustworthy, while simultaneously having Ruby reject those who do work to gain her trust. Having Ruby put her trust in a man she’s never met over the man who spent weeks working to compromise with her makes Ruby look foolish, in the same way that Blake and Yang trusting a woman they know nothing about (Robyn) makes them look foolish too. If you keep giving us characters who ignore the situation and the facts of that situation in favor of whatever random stance they feel like taking... they don’t come cross well. Whatever descriptor we might give them, it continually brings up the question, “Why are they the heroes when they can’t even justify the incredibly dangerous choices they’re making?” 

And yeah, none of this even touches on her vocal (and inaccurate) assertion that they never needed adults, they did everything themselves... and now here she is telling the world she desperately needs help. It would be nice if there was some sort of acknowledgement of that.