#that would be yuri ring of fates

[tsuutarr]

Pairing: Tokyo Debunker Ghouls x Reader

Word count: 12K

Content: angst, pining, loss

Summary:

Your potential death due to your curse was no secret, yet there was still a promise of time – time for you (and those who’re willing to help you) to find a cure, a solution to your plight. 

No one expected your death to come so suddenly.

(Or, a look into how the Darkwick Academy ghouls may react to your passing)

You’re no stranger to tragedy, but your death still comes as a surprise to you. Perhaps you should’ve expected it, what with your luck continuing its downward spiral to misfortune. Maybe you should’ve expected someone who despised you to take matters into their own hands, deciding to rid this world of your existence before you became a disastrous anomaly – before you even had a chance to fight your fate.

Regret upon regret builds a castle inside your bleeding body. Apologies, confessions – all of them slowly die in your throat.

You should’ve expected it all.

But you didn’t.

So now you lay, your blood a perfect canvas to frame your loss of life.

Your sage’s ring glows dimly on your finger.

.

.

.

“The Honor Student has passed away,” the Masterpiece Newscasters proclaim, their monotone voice ringing clearly throughout Darkwick Academy. “The culprit is yet to be found. All residents are forbidden to leave the premises until the criminal is found.”

As the Masterpiece Newscasters continue to prattle on about the false information of the Honor Student’s – your – passing, Yuri can feel a headache erupt from behind his eyelids. He’s already slept less than the recommended amount today, he doesn’t need this added stress! There’s no way you’re gone, it’s just not possible. You so bravely faced that immortal anomaly after all, so how could you be dead?

Yuri Isami is only heading to your place of residence to put these bizarre rumors to a rest.

Even when he sees your crumpled body on the floor, Yuri doesn’t believe it – you must have chosen to sleep oddly!

Even when he feels the coldness of your skin, he doesn’t believe it – you just need a blanket!

Even when he doesn’t hear your heartbeat, he doesn’t believe it – you must be acting!

No, no, he has to be realistic. You’re definitely sick. He has to help you. He has to save you! He can save you! He’s the greatest doctor, after all! He can think of so many ways to save you. He can, if you just enhance his stigma, so why don’t you do it? Yuri clutches your hand in his, hands trembling.

“Why won’t you enhance my stigma, worm?” he mumbles. “You can do at least this much, can’t you? You have the opportunity to help the great Yuri Isami! It’s an honor!”

“Yes, it’s an honor to help you,” you had said, laughing. Yuri could be quite particular about laughs, but he didn’t mind yours because there wasn’t anything patronizing about it. “You’re amazing, Yuri.”

“Hmph, well, it’s good that you know your place,” he had responded haughtily. He wishes he could’ve told you how grateful he was that you believed in him. That you were interested in him and his research. That you cared for him.

Yuri’s grip on your hand gets firmer, the coldness of your skin seeping into his. He looks at your eyes, thinking of the way your eyes would light up when he would showcase his scientific discoveries.

He looks at your lips, remembering how you’d smile so grandly at him whenever you two would talk. He remembers how you’d learn what song he was humming just to hum with him.

He looks at your hand, recalling the warmth and strength he felt when he first held it. The way your hand shook due to your own fear remains engraved in his brain – the way that you supported him despite looking like you’d fall. You’ve been able to stand so long, haven’t you? You can’t be gone now.

“Jiro!” he calls, voice cracking. This surgery needs to be a success. He can’t – he won’t – hand you over to another researcher. “Bring the Honor Student to Mortkranken! They need treatment immediately!”

At Yuri’s call, Jiro immediately reaches for you, cradling you in his arms as he lifts you up. He’s never really been one to be gentle, especially in regards to corpses. As long as the corpse is intact, is there any reason to be “gentle”? Jiro doesn’t really think so. But, even so, Jiro can’t bring himself to manhandle you, tossing you around like he would anyone else.

As soon as he saw you on the floor, he wanted to gather you in his arms and carry you back to bed. He wanted to open up his suitcase and conduct your weekly health checkup. He wanted to ensure that you weren’t dead.

Unfortunately, Jiro is cursed with objectivity and he knows – knows – that there’s no way you’re still alive. He also knows that there’s no way to bring you back. Maybe if they had found you faster. Maybe if you were a ghoul. Maybe, maybe, maybe…

But it’s too late now, isn’t it?

He thinks about how you reacted whenever you saw blood and gore. He thinks about how much you fret over him and his injuries, even though he reassures you constantly. He thinks about the warmth of your palms.

He thinks about the ridiculous care you put into everyone.

“What’s this packet? I can’t eat solids,” Jiro had stated bluntly when you passed him a box. It was pink and cutesy, decorated with ribbons.

“It’s not a solid,” you said, grinning cheekily. “Look inside!”

Jiro looked at you blankly, but still did as you instructed. Yuri was strange, but you could be quite strange, too. “...Oh.”

“It’s chocolate milk! It should hopefully be easier to eat,” you beam at him. “Happy Valentine's Day, Jiro!”

Jiro cradles you closer to his chest, like you’re made of glass. You’re so cold, your skin feeling like his. He never thought that someone who was as warm-hearted as you could ever feel so desolate. “...I told you it’d be a problem for me if you died,” he murmured, softly, as he quietly trailed behind Yuri to head to Mortkraken.

When Rui hears the news of your passing, he’s pretty sure the world just stopped moving around him. He has to hear the news several more times to really come to terms with it. It’s unfair, he thinks, it’s so unfair.

You were fighting so hard. You were working so hard.

How could that come crashing down so suddenly?

It’s not fair. You of all people should’ve been able to live a long life. You of all people should’ve been able to be happy. 

He tried so hard to stay away from you, to prevent him from accidentally killing you with his curse. You tried so hard to bring him comfort, despite the looming danger of his power. He’s flirted with plenty of people, but you’re the only person he’s ever thought he’d actually love to spend forever with. He cursed himself for those thoughts, knowing that longing for something that can’t be will only hurt him more. But there isn’t an easy end to longing.

“Sometimes, I wish I could’ve met you as a regular guy,” Rui had confided in you, one day, as the two of you sat in his bar. He swirled his wine, his cheeks slightly ruddy from the alcohol. “I guess you wouldn’t have given me the time of day if we had, though.” His laugh left his lips, hollowly bouncing around his glass as he took another sip.

“You’re drunk, Rui,” you had said, though your tone didn’t hold any malice. “...But sometimes, I wish I could’ve met you before our curses, too.”

This is why he couldn’t get over you, no matter how much he tried. This is why he couldn’t distance himself from you, no matter how much he tried. You drew him in closer and closer like a trap, and he was more than okay with being ensnared, even if he was scared of being hurt.

“Chuu!”

Rui blinked, surprised, as a cute teddy bear smooches him on the cheek.

“Sorry, you seemed distracted,” you hummed, making Rui laugh.

“Ah, yeah– yeah! Sorry about that,” he responded, “I def wasn’t trying to be.”

“I know,” you replied. “But you got to pay attention now, okay? I want you to meet someone!” You waved the teddy bear’s paw. “This is Honor Student Teddy!” Through your puppeteering, Honor Student Teddy offered Rui a hand, which Rui took with an amused look.

“You’re so cute.”

“Beep! Incorrect! The one that’s cute is Honor Student Teddy!” you said, looking away bashfully. Cute. “...So, I was thinking. Since we can’t touch, maybe we could use Honor Student Teddy as my replacement?” You grabbed Honor Student Teddy’s other hand, the one not in Rui’s grasp. “See? Doesn’t it kind of seem like we’re holding hands?”

Honor Student Teddy remains in Rui’s room, pampered and loved as it should be. As you should’ve been. A dry laugh escapes Rui. 

“...Maybe this time, we can really hold hands.”

Blearily, Lyca opens his eyes, the sound of his phone buzzing waking him up. He sees that the message is from the blonde gigolo, which initially makes him annoyed. But Lyca has good instincts – his gut feeling is telling him to pay attention. So, instead of ignoring Rui, Lyca sleepily reads Rui’s texts.

His sleep soon evaporates from his being.

“It’s a lie!” he yells, jumping out of his bed and running to his bedroom’s door. There’s no way you’re gone. There’s no way he’ll never be able to smell your sweet scent ever again. There’s no way you won’t lay down with him and gently thread your fingers through his hair. There’s no way you won’t be able to draw together again. There’s just no way. There’s no way!

But even if Lyca wants to burst out of his bedroom, following your scent to find you, he can’t open the door. He can’t open the door to confirm if you’re really gone. He doesn’t want to go downstairs to see that you’re not waiting for him. He doesn’t want to go to the balcony where you’ll no longer be able to eat with him.

Lyca doesn’t want to lose you. Opening the door to the bedroom feels like he’ll lose you. Carefully, he goes back to his bed, where the blanket from Neros and the blanket from you lay side by side.

“Lyca!” you beammed, making Lyca tilt his head. You had a sweeter scent than usual today. Something that indicated that you were quite happy.

“What’re you so egg-cited about?”

“Heh.” You gave him a big grin. It was something he’d come to like seeing, especially since so many on campus gave him a grimace. “Ta-dah!” With a flourish, you presented Lyca with a soft blanket. “I got you a gift!”

Lyca frowned, looking at the blanket in confusion. “I already got one.”

“Yeah, I know,” you responded, not at all discouraged by the bite in Lyca’s tone. “It’s an extra one! I thought it’d be nice if you could have some more blankets. You can be twice as warm and cozy now!” There was a hint of hesitation as you say your next words, “I can take it back, though. Sorry, I guess I got ahead of myself.”

“...S’okay.” Lyca took the blanket from you, feeling cozier as soon as he touched the soft fabric. It smelt like you. He liked how you smelled – in some ways, it reminded him of home.

Lyca looks at the blanket on his bed, the one that you got him. He grabs it, softly, in his palms. He remembers your encouragement when he had told you that he’d work hard so that he could live with humans. You said he could do it and when you said it, he really did feel like he could. So, you can’t be gone yet. He needs you.

With a deep inhale, Lyca snuggles the blanket that smells like you because maybe, just maybe, he’ll be able to chase you and tell you not to leave him if he memorizes your scent.

Rui’s message about your death comes as a surprise to Ed even though he knows that human lives are fleeting – they’re fragile and easily broken. In some ways, that is why Ed has always thought that human life is so beautiful. 

Still, he thinks your life would’ve been so much more beautiful if you had lived it to its full extent. If you could’ve continued to laugh like you had, if you could’ve continued to shine bright like you had – he thinks you’d have made the world a better place. 

He’s lived for many years, yet the loss of someone he considers dear somehow still stings. He thought he managed to rid himself of such stinging emotions, yet it appears that even age does not make you immune to loss. 

Or perhaps you're just one of those humans – one of those humans that make a lasting impact on those around them. But how could you not make an impact? After all, you were so hardworking, both for your sake and for others. 

Who wouldn’t find you precious?

“Okay, Ed! Let’s watch some sad movies!”

Ed had texted you a few minutes ago, bemoaning his exhaustion. He hadn’t expected you to barrel into his room, a bag of snacks in your hand.

“My, my. What brought this on? Not that I am opposed, of course.”

“Well, you said you were tired, right? And you also said you drink tears, right? Well, I brought over some movies I’ll definitely cry to!” you gave him a confident grin. “Don’t worry, Ed. You’ll feel better really soon!”

“How reassuring,” he mused, welcoming you into his messy room. Rui had cleaned it up a few days ago, but Ed found it quite difficult to maintain cleanliness. You didn’t comment on it as you made your way over to him, settling yourself by his side. It was quite cozy.

Laying in his bed isn’t quite as cozy if you’re not there, he realizes. He scrolls through the videos you’ve sent him, imagining how you reacted to these videos. It is reassuring in some ways to have remnants of you left behind, but the pain that he can now only reach you through the remnants of your memory leaves him feeling vacant.

“Being with you really does bring up old, old memories,” he muses. “Perhaps it’s because you remind me a little of her.”

He wonders if there’ll be anyone who reminds him of you.

Not everyone who dies becomes a ghost. Yet, deep inside, Zenji had hoped that you’d have turned into one like him. He had hoped that you’d be able to spend time together, finally being able to hold your hand in his. However, he knows that it’s a selfish desire, one that cannot come true. He scoured the entire campus for any sign of your soul, after all, and came up empty handed.

He wishes that you could’ve been alive instead, then.

He’d rather live by your side, unable to touch you, than not be able to see you at all.

He’d rather you live your life like you want to, happily.

He wishes he could’ve done something more for you – after all, you’ve done so much for him. He’s a ghost, someone that most don’t know the existence of. Yet you made sure to greet him and spend time with him whenever you had time. You’ve been a source of his inspiration, his muse, because of how much you make his heart swell with joy.

He is an artist, so creating is in his blood. However, how do you create when you lose a piece of your hope? How do you create when you lose your source of inspiration?

“My dear, what do you think about this piece?” Zenji had asked, flourishing his biwa with grandeur. 

“It’s great!” you said, earnestly. “I especially like how it felt like a full narrative – I got so tense when the biwa’s sound got deeper in the middle, just like the climax of a story!”

“Astute observation, my dear! That is indeed what I was aiming for.” Zenji couldn’t express the unexplainable joy that blossomed inside his heart when he heard your praise. You were a beacon of light that shined in the desolate lands. You were the purple wisteria that danced from the tree branches over the Hotarubi lake. Your beauty, your kindness – it was all so beautiful to him. He felt like the moon to your sun. “I really am the luckiest fella around.”

And now, he’s the unluckiest fella around, Zenji thinks. You’re no longer by his side. You’ll never be by his side, at least, not in this lifetime. The thought makes Zenji’s heart throb painfully. “Maybe we really did meet too late,” Zenji murmurs, watching wisteria petals float around the lake. “But it’s all right. I promise I’ll find you in the next life.”

 Haku can’t say he’s ever been too happy to be able to see ghosts. Sure, Zenji’s fun to be around and it’s not like his ability really harmed him in any way, but he can’t really think of many times he’s been glad to have his ability. When he hears of your death, denial is the first thing that settles in his brain. Then, the grief follows. But hope blossoms in a corner of his mind. He can see ghosts – maybe he’ll be able to see you? Hope glimmers in the corner of Haku’s heart as he tries to find you.

The glimmer soon dies out, however, because it’s all for naught. Not everyone becomes a ghost. It was foolish of him to think that you’d have become one.

But then what’s the point of his power – his stupid ability to see ghosts? What’s the point of it if he can’t even see the one he wants to see?

Haku feels like it’s all a big practical joke from the universe, and he wants to be in on it because he’s failing to see what’s so funny.

Living an ordinary life, dying an ordinary death – that’s something you deserved to experience, and now you’re gone. It’s an inexplicably painful feeling that stabs at his heart. How is he supposed to fill the hole you left behind?

“I don’t know if this is a good idea…” you murmured, looking shy.

“You look beautiful,” Haku said, easily, a teasing grin on his face at how flustered you looked. His words were far from teasing, though. They were filled with an earnest praise of how gorgeous you looked decorated in white. Just seeing you in wedding attire made him think that it’d be a shame if anyone else got to see how beautiful you looked, but also a shame if no one else got to see. A weird balance of wanting to show you off, yet wanting to keep you to himself lingered inside him.

“Sure, sure,” you grumbled without any bite. “Let’s just get this over with.”

“Thanks for agreeing to help, by the way,” Haku said, offering you his hand to take. You took it gratefully, before you shook your head with a laugh.

“It’s nothing. I’m glad I can help your junior in some way, though.”

“Yeah, she really appreciates your help.”

“Good.” The satisfaction on your face made you glow with a sort of shine one could only find in gold. It was precious, it was soft, it was so darling that Haku wanted to make sure that you continued to glow and shine forever. Even if it meant that you weren’t by his side (even though he so desperately wanted you by his side).

“...I know I’m being selfish – but sometimes, I wish you’d forget about me…” he murmured, low enough that he hoped you wouldn’t hear it. You gave him a glance, only squeezing his hand in response. He wasn’t sure how to interpret your reaction, but a part of him wants it to indicate that you wouldn’t ever forget him, even if forgetting him would most likely make you happier.

It’s hard to balance the desire of being remembered and the desire of being forgotten.

He wasn’t sure what he was feeling.

“But I guess that doesn’t really matter now, does it?” Haku muses, looking at the skies above. Stars sprinkle the navy-colored sky like diamonds. He can only hope you’re out there, shining.

From the age of four, Subaru was molded to perfect the performing arts. A child star, a prodigy – those are the titles given to him. He never feels like he deserves that praise – he’s not sure if he’ll ever feel like he deserves that praise. After all, growing up, anxiety was his most reliable companion, following him everywhere he went. How can he not doubt himself?

Yet while he breathed the performing arts, he’s developed mannerisms most around him find peculiar and odd. It’s hard not to think of himself as a bother when he can’t seem to blend into society as well as he’d like.

Because of his oddities, he never thought he’d ever be able to have a normal school life. Somehow, however, he's able to come to Darkwick Academy, experiencing pleasant social interactions due to the kindness of the people around him – people like yourself. You’re someone who Subaru can find a semblance of comfort in, despite his anxiety.

He knows he’s probably annoying you, but you’re always there, always so patient. You don’t make fun of him for his discomfort, nor do you push him beyond his boundaries. Instead, you patiently wait for him, allowing him to walk alongside you at his pace.

So when Subaru hears the news that you’re no longer with the living – no longer with him, he can't stop his mind from spinning. You’ve always been someone that waited for him patiently, yet now you’ve gone off by yourself to somewhere he can’t reach.

Emptily, he looks at the sakura mochi on the shelf – he had bought it for you. You’d eat his meager offerings with gusto, even if not all of them suited your palette.

He’s not sure how he’ll stomach some of the food he’s eaten with you from this point onwards. You’re not here physically, only your memories lingering in the ingredients of his meals. He’s not sure if he’ll be able to stomach the food you’ve made for him if someone else makes it, either.

“I’m sorry,” he had said, running up to you, out of breath.“I didn’t mean to be late.”

“You’re not!” you responded cheerily, patting the spot next to you. “Come, sit!”

“Thank you.” Gingerly, Subaru took the spot next to you, placing his hands on his lap. You peered at him curiously.

“Where’s your lunch, Subaru?”

“Ah.” Subaru ducked his head in embarrassment. “I ended up not being able to get anything.” Despite making you wait, despite his best efforts, he just wasn’t able to secure anything. How shameful. “But it’s all right. I can drink water for lunch.”

“No, don’t do that,” you chastised, lightly. “I actually packed my own lunch today because I thought it’d be busy everywhere. I packed a lot, so why don’t we share?”

“Ah–” Subaru looked at the delectable way your lunch box was crafted. “No, I’d hate to intrude.”

“You aren’t intruding, Subaru.” You nudged one of your lunchboxes into his hand along with some chopsticks. “I’m offering! I’m actually pretty happy with how some of these came out. Won’t you try some?”

At the delicious smell of your lunchbox, Subaru’s stomach let out an embarrassing growl. His face flushed, mortified, but you made no comment on it, instead offering your lunch again. “Well, if you insist,” he murmured, finally taking a box from you. 

Once he took you up on your offer, you dug into your own lunch. Though, Subaru couldn’t help but notice how you’d glance at him nervously. It was kind of cute.

Not wanting to waste your kindness, Subaru took a bite of the lunch, before his eyes widened with glee. “This is delicious!”

“Whew– I mean, great! I’m so glad,” you beamed. “If you tell me some of your favorite food, I can try to make it for you! I can’t guarantee it’ll be as good as Sho’s, but I can try!”

“I couldn’t ask you to,” Subaru responded, bashfully. The thought that you cared for him was enough to satisfy him. “I would hate to be a bother.”

“You’re never a bother, Subaru.” Your voice was so kind, so soft and genuine that Subaru didn’t really know how to react.

“Really?” Disbelief laced his voice. He hated being a bother but always felt like he was. He knew that you were already spending your precious lunch with him when you could spend it with anyone else. There wasn’t any way you’d care about him to that extent, right? 

“Subaru?” you asked, concerned.

“I just can’t believe it – why…” Subaru paused, suddenly hit with a bout of embarrassment. “Ah– I don’t want to seem like I’m testing you, I just… I get really anxious sometimes… I’m sorry. I’m being weird, aren’t I?”

“You’re not.” Your voice rang clear inside the storm in Subaru’s head, letting sunshine stream through the clouds. “I’ve never thought you were a bother. I actually really enjoy my lunches with you.”

“Really?”

“Yup! So if I’m not too much of a bother, let’s eat more lunches together!”

Subaru had promised, promised that he would. He promised that you’d always eat your lunches together because that’s what he sincerely believed. He believed that you two would be able to bask underneath the sunrays, seated on your favorite bench, laughing.

He wants to believe that you’ll still be able to eat together. He wants to believe so desperately. Because who else could bring him the comfort you did? Who else will patiently wait for him to catch up, gently guiding him when he needs it?

But now you’re gone – you’re gone. You won’t be able to come back. It tears at Subaru because his anxiety and inferiority complex tell him that it’s his fault – that he could’ve done something, anything, to save you. 

Why couldn’t he save you?

Why couldn’t you have been saved?

The room that Subaru is in feels too big for him as it slowly fills with his grief.

According to Article 230 in the Japanese penal code, “a person who defames another by publicly alleging facts shall, regardless of whether such facts are true or false, be punished with penal servitude or imprisonment not to exceed three years or a fine of not more than 500,000 yen.” Doesn’t Darkwick know that? Why would Darkwick allege such odd things like your death, Ritsu wonders. Still, he’ll record what the Masterpiece Newscasters are saying – after all, it’ll be useful to leverage against Darkwick when he takes you to argue his cases.

There is little he finds more important than being able to argue his cases, which indicate his proficiency. He needs to be proficient in order to be able to become a fantastic lawyer like his father – this has always been his goal. Even after meeting you, it’s been his goal.

Some may have thought that you would’ve been a distraction for Ritsu, but he’s certain that your presence in his life has been for the better. You’re a fantastic business partner, being perfect to bounce his ideas off of. It’s admirable that you’ve taken on the mantle of ridding yourself of your curse, too. Ritsu finds that most people aren’t that hard working or really worth his time (unless they’re clients), but you’re different. You’re worth his time.

“Could I ask you to accompany me a little longer?” he had asked one day as you’re about to leave the diner. “I realize it’s outside of business hours, but… I would appreciate it if you could make a special exception.”

“Oh?” you looked surprised, though it was soon replaced with a smile. Your smile was something Ritsu appreciated seeing nowadays – something that felt like visible proof of Ritsu’s hard work. “Yeah, sure! I have time. What do you need?”

“I have to go over a few notes,” Ritsu responded, passing a notebook over to you. “I’ve already gone through these once, but I’d appreciate it if you could go through it, too. It’ll prove beneficial for you.”

“Yeah, sure, leave it to me!”

Your eagerness to help Ritsu cemented the fact that you were the right choice for his business partner. As the hour slowly trailed on, the both of you focused on your respective reading, Ritsu found that he didn’t quite mind spending time with you like this, outside of business hours. He found your presence calming, yet also helpful – he found it easier to focus when you were around.

It was nice. Even as the two of you began to wrap up, Ritsu wasn’t in as much of a hurry to disappear. 

“I’ll take your thoughts into consideration,” Ritsu said as you two left the diner. The night sky stretched out beautifully above you two. Ritsu had never noticed it before.

“Sounds good!”

Ritsu cleared his throat, offering you a hand to shake. You shook his hand without much preamble. He appreciated it. “It seems we make better business partners than I would have expected. I look forward to a long and prosperous relationship with you.”

“Likewise.”

He still thought about the smile you’d given him that night, bright like the moon. It was a smile that made it obvious that he had someone by his side to support him – someone that he can support in return. 

So, there’s no way you’re gone. Not when you have him as a business partner. That’s a ludicrous thought.

Still, he can’t seem to shake the ill feeling from his body. Why aren’t you responding to your texts? You’re usually quite timely unless something has come up. Something…

No, there’s no way you’re gone. There’s just no way.

Ritsu’s grip on his briefcase tightens.

He feels like he’s going to be sick.

Romeo wants to scream, so he does. “Everyone, leave!” His voice echoes in his room, his workers trying to scramble out of Romeo’s wrath. With a frustrated string of curses, Romeo collapses on his expensive chair, the one encrusted with diamond – the one that you’d complimented.

Romeo truly, utterly, feels sick. He feels annoyed. He feels disgusting. His perfect porcelain skin is marred with wrinkles, a frown deep set in his face. How dare you – how dare you have the audacity to leave him. He never gave you permission to do things like this, so how could you go away? He’s always known you were bad at following directions, but this is too much, even for you.

No.

What’s too much is that someone, someone, thought that they could come in and take you from him. How dare they! They didn’t even get permission from him! They didn’t… So why would they? They can’t take you away from him, not when you’re the only one that listens to him. Not when you’re the only one who seems to care about not making wrinkles appear on his face. Not when you’ve been doing your best.

It’s not fair. It’s just not fair.

“Why are you carrying that?! What if you drop it and it breaks?” Romeo exclaimed, watching you carry a very expensive vase.

“Ah – I heard you say that the guys who’re supposed to move this haven’t done their job, so I thought I could help!”

Help?! Romeo couldn’t help but look at the way your arms trembled with the weight of a price that far exceeded your budget, doubt coloring his face. “I’ll get one of our young guys to do it, so put it down already!”

You huffed, putting the vase down carefully, with a defeated sigh. “Sorry, I just wanted to help.”

“Help where you’re actually useful,” Romeo grumbled, crossing his arms. If those idiots that he’d asked to move the vase actually moved the vase, then he wouldn’t be in this predicament. “Those WTWUT make my life much harder.”

“Wall-to-wall useless trash, huh?” you mused. Romeo thought that amusement looked good on you – it gave you a cocky look that suited you. If only everyone else could be like you, then he wouldn’t be as stressed as he was. 

“I need a face pack,” he muttered.

“Do you want me to get it for you?”

“Hm. Sure.” Romeo paused. “Get one for yourself while you’re at it.”

“Me?” you looked at him with curiosity and shock written across the apples of your cheeks.

“Who else?”

“I just… I dunno. Do you think it’s okay?”

“Of course. What could you possibly be afraid of?” Romeo asked. “You’re one of my people! Who’s going to say anything?”

You looked contemplative, before a light smile crossed your features. “That’s true. I guess no one can really say anything to you.”

Your words make him feel powerful. Your actions do, too. When he’s with you, he feels like the world is in his palms. But now he’s without you. Now, he’ll always be without you.

Anger thrums through his veins. 

You’re one of his people. How dare they take you away from him? Romeo won’t stand for it. He’ll snipe down the bastard that did this to him – that did this to you.

“You BTH!” Romeo yells, storming into Taiga’s room with the fury of a thousand bulls. “You’re still lazing around?”

Taiga doesn’t respond, twirling a gun in his hand. He’s not entirely in his right mind right now, but he can still pick up “revenge” and “snipe” among the various words Romeo spews.

“You better do your part,” Romeo hisses, finally deciding to leave Taiga alone. Maybe Romeo would’ve stayed longer to nag at Taiga if Romeo were in a better state of mind. Taiga can’t really bring himself to care at the moment, though, his own state of mind is a jumbled mess.

Flashes of memories, flashes of thoughts – they alternate inside his head, before phasing out of existence. He’s not sure when it started, but his mind has been deteriorating, memories floating in and out of his head. What most would consider “common sense” is also something Taiga has been losing grasp of.

Even in spite of that, somehow, you’ve made your way into his brain, like a little parasite that burrows into his thoughts. He didn’t think he could remember someone – not in his current state of mind, anyway. He didn’t think he could form an attachment to you either, not with how he just doesn’t want to care anymore. The world’s going to burn, everything unfurling into a messy pile of futures that could be and won't be. It’s all messed up, it’s all gonna be messed up. Yet, somehow, despite all that, Taiga can’t help but think of you as some source of light, a beacon of hope that he kept around to stop him from completely drowning in the dark murkiness of the future.

“That’s it, kitty-cat,” he had said, placing you in his lap as he prepared to play another round of blackjack. “I feel like my luck’ll change if you’re around.”

“I don’t know about that,” you responded, watching as the dealer handed out everyone’s cards. You fidgeted in his lap like a cute little cat, clearly trying to break your discomfort.

“Quit failing around,” Taiga said, looking at his cards. To Taiga’s amusement, you settled in his lap to the best of your abilities, leaning into his chest. He pulled you closer, as he continued to play blackjack. 

The longer he played, the more he felt some odd sense of peace with you snuggled in his lap. Your smell and warmth wrapped around him like a little security blanket. In some ways, it made him want to consume you wholly until you couldn’t think of anything else that wasn’t him. It made him hungry.

But now, there’s a hollow feeling inside of him, something that bypasses physical hunger. He hungers for your soul that’s now no longer here. The pitch-black murkiness of the future spreads even further across his eyelids, being the only thing he can see. Fate has dealt him a bad hand that he had tried to win against.

He never could win, though, could he?

“Tell me something, would you?” Taiga laughs in his empty room, eyes staring at the ceiling. He searches and searches, but can’t find any sight of you. “What could I have done different to change this outcome?”

Ren has always thought that coming to Darkwick Academy was a mistake. His experience didn’t exactly start off nicely, what with him being sorted into Jabberwock and having to deal with the annoying Jabberwock captain. All those stupid anomalous animals made it so that he rarely had time to himself, even if he tried his best to lock himself in his room.

Still, there’s a silver lining to everything. Sure, Towa keeps trying to feed some odd looking porridge. Sure, Haru is still meddlesome and annoying. But they’re… not bad. And you’re here, so it’s kind of okay. 

He’s always thought that people doing annoying things for the sake of friends or whatever were delusional – frankly speaking, he could care less. Yet, when he looks at you, he thinks that maybe there are people out there who do things because they want to. Initially, you’d been somewhat of a doormat to him, but then he realized that your voluntary help came because you care about others – about him.

He can’t count the number of times you’ve come to help him out, whether it’s with the anomalous animals or a raid in his new game. You’ve just… always been there. He didn’t think it was possible, but your constant presence had carved out a you-shaped hole in his life, a place only you could fit.

So how’s he supposed to fill that emptiness now? It’s all your fault, Ren thinks. If only he hadn’t met you… but then, if he hadn’t met you, he doesn’t think he could’ve survived.

“Well done me for surviving another day…” Ren had grumbled, dusting his jumpsuit off. He hated getting dirty, but it wasn’t like he could avoid it in Jabberwock, especially if Haru was going to hound him continuously. 

“Good job, Ren!”

He looked up, seeing how you still looked cute despite the mud and disheveled hair. He found it kind of unfair. “Oh, same to you,” he said. “I don’t know how you can do this stuff voluntarily.”

“The animals are cute and you guys need the help,” you replied, waving at him to bend down. “Ren, there’s some mud on your face. Do you mind if I wipe it off?”

“Huh? You’re the type who does this kind of stuff, huh?”

“Ah, sorry–”

“No, you can,” Ren said. It wasn’t like he gave you permission to help him because he wanted to feel your touch, though. It was because he couldn’t stand the mud on him. Yup. That was definitely the reason. Still, even then, he couldn’t help the way his heart thudded against his chest as you gently wiped the grime off of his face. “It’s from that stupid bull anomaly kicking dirt in my face, isn’t it?”

“I think that’s when it happened, yeah,” you responded with a laugh. “But I’m here if you need me, so I can help you.”

Ren didn’t know what to say to your honest desire to help him, it was oddly sweet of you. You had been his only real source of comfort, what with everyone else wanting so much from him. You were the only one who watched his B-horror movies with him – the only one who’d game with him.

“There, all done! Let’s go back to the dorms. I’m sure you’ll feel better after a shower.”

“...Thanks,” he muttered, walking with you back to the Jabberwock dorms. The skies were painted shades of pink and purple, the sun ready to head to bed.

“Even though it’s hard work, it’s nice to be able to see the sunset, huh?” you hummed. Ren liked the sound of your voice – not too loud like Haru’s and not too incomprehensible like Towa’s.

“Yeah.” He breathed in deeply, feeling the fresh air purify his lungs. “Every day here is a fresh hell, though.”

“Aw, Ren,” you laughed. “Yeah, it’s pretty hard work, huh?”

“...Yeah. But, you’re suffering through it with me, so I guess I’ll stick it out for a little longer…”

But how’s he supposed to stick it out now? You’re not here anymore. You’re not going to be there to help him. You’re not going to be there when he wants to watch his B-horror movies or play games. You’re not going to be there when he buys you a drink as he walks you home.

You’re not going to be here. And he didn’t even get to say goodbye…

Ren’s always been bad at goodbyes – he couldn’t even wish Calamari farewell. But he’d have rather been able to say something to you since he’s not going to be able to say anything to you ever again now. Never, ever again.

Ren doesn’t know how he’s going to survive.

Ever since Towa found out about your death, the skies in Jabberwock have been marred with thick clouds and thunder. His precious, precious Dandelion – how can you be gone? You can’t be gone yet. You haven’t told him all the love stories you had in your arsenal. You haven’t tried all the flowers Towa wants to offer you. You haven’t shown him all the reactions you’ve stored away for him to slowly bring to the surface.

You can’t be gone just yet, he won’t allow it.

Murkiness swims inside Towa’s heart as he grapples with the anger and sadness that fight and merge into an incomprehensible seed of emotion that is planted deeply within Towa’s heart. Should he just strike everyone down? You’re not here, so as long as he avoids Haru, it doesn’t matter who he hurts. It’s not like he particularly cares about anyone else on campus anyway. 

But he can’t allow his emotions to explode out of him just yet, not when the tree on the hill is dying. You care about that tree as well, after all. 

But then where is he supposed to spill his anger? His grief? Where does it all go?

Is this what love is? This agony?

Towa hasn’t ever really been certain about what “love” is. 

“Well, love can be a lot of things,” you had said, laying by his side on the hill with the tree. You were enraptured with the stars, but Towa couldn’t help but look at you. You were so much like a dandelion, your resilience and strength shining through despite your troubles. And you were cute like a Dandelion. Your voice was nice, too, like the wind that carried dandelion seeds across the world. “Like… there’s romantic love, platonic love, familial love, and all of that, you know? Even within romantic love, it can be a lot of different things.”

“Like what?” Towa asked, making you hum in thought.

“Uh… like soulmates, I guess? Some people meet their soulmates, some don’t. But even if you don’t meet your soulmate, you can still find someone you romantically love. Maybe you’ll meet your soulmate but not realize they’re your soulmate too. It’d be hard to tell, right?”

“When you meet your soulmate, it feels like getting struck by lightning. Did you know that? Have you felt it, Dandelion?” Towa’s words made you turn your head towards him, finally paying attention to him instead of the stars. Towa liked the way you looked at him.

“I don’t think I have,” you responded, truthfully. “But I’m not in a rush. I’m sure I’ll find the person I love, even if they’re not my soulmate. Hell, maybe anyone can be your soulmate. Maybe soulmates are made when you love and grow with each other. Who knows?” A yawn escaped your mouth as you finished your thought.

“Heh heh.” Towa’s eyes crinkled at the sight. “Are you tired, Dandelion? You’re so weak. It’s cute.”

“Hey!” you laughed. “I’m getting stronger, y’know.” Flexing your arm, you show off a small bit of the muscle you’ve been building up. Towa couldn’t help but be amused at your little display of strength, miniscule in front of his own power. It was hard not to find it cute that you tried to carry so many burdens on your shoulders despite your own weaknesses. Towa could only surmise that your resilience came from the love within you. He hoped that he could be a part of that love inside of you.

“Do you like me, Dandelion?” Towa inquired, smile bright. “Because I love you!”

Towa doesn’t fully know what love is – it’s an idea he’s always been in love with, but has no experience and understanding of. You’re the closest he’s ever gotten to potentially finding the answer he’s been looking for. But now you’re gone. He doesn’t know how he’ll understand love now.

He hugs the great tree on the hill, tears trickling down his face.

 When the little mermaid turned into seafoam, did she feel this way too?

Haru is always busy. He wakes up busy and sleeps busy. Nothing ever seems to stop for him, time constantly slipping through his fingers like sand no matter how fast he runs.

So why did time have to stop for you?

Even as Haru makes his rounds, Towa’s lightning in the backdrop as he works, he can’t seem to keep his mind busy enough to not think of you. Thoughts and memories of you run around his head again and again and again. They run so fast that he can’t seem to catch up.

So Haru does what he can do to maintain routine. At the very least, maintaining routine should help him adjust, shouldn’t it? But as he carries out his daily chores, all he can think about is how you’d help him around Jabberwock. How you would give him sweets to amp up his energy. How you loved Peekaboo like it was your own.

“Boo…” Peekaboo says, aware of the tenseness and wariness on Haru’s shoulders – aware of the fact you’re no longer there. Peekaboo’s tears make your death weigh even heavier on Haru’s heart as he cuddles the small beast in his arms.

“You sure are fond of the Honor Student, aren’t you, Peekaboo?” Haru had asked, looking at how Peekaboo cuddled up against your chest as you fed it. “You did nothing but bite me for the first three days after we met.”

You laughed brightly, releasing a sound that Haru was quite fond of. “The only reason Peekaboo’s not biting me is because it’s used to you, you know.”

“You reckon?” Haru responded, reaching out to pet Peekaboo who welcomed the touch.

“See? Look at that. Peekaboo loves you so much.” You gave Peekaboo a kiss on its cute fluffy forward, making the small anomalous animal make happy little squeaks. “You like your dad quite a bit, don’t you?”

The sight of you and Peekaboo together made Haru’s heart warm. He was constantly managing things by himself that he never really expected to find a stable support system. Towa, while competent, could be quite moody. Ren, too, while able bodied, refused to do a lot of the work. So, of course, work always fell on Haru’s weary shoulders. He never expected to find someone that could provide him the support he needed – like the other parent of Jabberwock. “Then you’re a bit like Peekaboo’s mother, eh?”

“I wouldn’t mind – not when my child is as cute as Peekaboo!” you replied brightly, patting Peekaboo’s back to allow it to burp. After releasing a burp too large for such a small animal, Peekaboo cuddled into you, satisfied. You hummed out a little tune as you rocked the little anomalous animal to sleep. Seeing you made a smile stretch across Haru’s face.

“Really learned the ropes here, haven’t you?” he said, gently ruffling Peekaboo’s fur. “Once we have a little cash to spare, I’ll buy you your own Jabberwock uniform!”

You’d no longer need it, though, Haru thinks, thumb brushing against the fabric of the Jabberwock uniform he had gotten for you. While you aren’t officially a part of the Jabberwock House, it’s hard not to feel like you belonged. 

But you’re no longer here – you no longer belong to the living, so how could you belong to Jabberwock? Haru wishes that you were still here, though. It hasn’t even been a day, but he already misses you. Even if you couldn’t help him out every day, just getting a text message boosted his spirits. Just thinking about the fact that you’d help him with Jabberwock duties and his personal issues helped him get through his cumbersome day.

You were someone he could depend on and he wanted to be someone you could depend on. But, in the end, he couldn’t protect you.

His responsibilities sit heavily on his shoulders.

Sho has always kept himself busy. Whether it’s cooking, playing sports, training, or something else, Sho has always liked to do something. Maybe that’s why he’s in the kitchen, cooking your favorite meal, while he tries to process what the Masterpiece Newscasters had prattled on about earlier.

You’re dead?

There’s no way. You can’t be.

He thinks back to the first case you worked on together, the one with Takeru. He had failed to protect you then and vowed he wouldn’t put you in the way of danger like that again. So how? Why?

Who killed you?

Sho slams a fist on the kitchen counter, lips pressed in a thin line. Frustration bubbles inside him as curses leave his lips in rapid succession.

You can’t be dead. You can’t. Not when you’ve been working so hard. Not when you’ve been doing everything in your power to survive. Not when you’ve inspired and helped him to the point that he still feels like he has to repay you. Not when he hasn’t done or told you everything he wants to.

“Fuck!” he yells, slamming his fists on the kitchen counter once more.

You jolted when he yelled a curse, slamming a fist on the wall.

“Shit, sorry. Didn’t mean to scare you,” Sho said, sheepishly rubbing the nape of his neck. You were fun to tease and get reactions out of, but that didn’t mean he wanted to scare you.

“What’s the matter, Sho?” you asked, putting down your knife. “Tell me. I might be able to help you.”

“It’s nothing,” Sho started to say, before the look on your face made him stop. He snorted at how displeased you looked. “It’s just that some back order stuff got delayed. I won’t have enough forks for tomorrow.”

“Oh, is that it?” you asked, looking relieved. “I have a bunch of plastic forks back at the cathedral, actually. Do you want me to get them?”

“Huh? Why do you have a bunch of plastic forks laying around?”

“Uh… let’s just say that I had some ordering issues.” You waved a hand to dismiss the question. “Anyway! I can go get them.”

“Nah, let’s go together.” He shuffled around, before pulling out a helmet and tossing it to you. “Here, this helmet’s for you.”

“Oh, this one looks awesome!” you beamed, turning the helmet around in your hands. It was in your favorite color with your favorite patterns. Sho huffed out a laugh at your response. You were so cute sometimes.

“Glad you like it. C’mon.” He pushed the door to the food truck open with his foot. “Let’s go.”

“Okay!”

“After this,” he began, closing and locking the door once you were both out of the food truck, “I got some time today, so I’ll take you somewhere. Anywhere you wanna go.”

He still remembers the way your arms felt around his waist as you clung to him while he drove. He still remembers the way your eyes sparkled watching your favorite scenery. He still remembers how his heart pounded in his chest, the feeling of liberation lifting his spirits, as he drove through the streets with you clinging to him.

Your determination has always felt like freedom to Sho – it’s what inspired him to put more effort into his life at Darkwick. It’s what inspired him to take things more seriously. 

But maybe he should’ve taken things more seriously when he had the chance. Now that you’re gone, so is his chance to prove himself to you. You've gone somewhere too far, somewhere no one else can reach. 

This isn’t the freedom he had envisioned for you.

Whenever Sho gets too emotional, Leo is quick to make fun of him. It's stupid to get too riled up, Leo thinks. The world is boring and easy to manipulate, after all. Why should he get upset? 

Leo has always been able to get what he wants – he even became vice-captain, for fuck's sake. He basically solved Takeru’s case by himself while also trying to get rid of you because your stupid stigma enhancement might overshadow him. Sure, he couldn't get rid of you then but it's not like he can't try again, especially when you keep sticking your nose where it doesn't belong.

But this isn’t how he wanted to get rid of you. Who said you could just die? It’s so stupid. It’s so dumb that it makes Leo feel angry. You stupidly kept going despite his scathing remarks, despite people walking all over you and disrespecting you, so why are you dead? You’re not allowed to be dead.

You still need to help him use Haxs. You still need to be there so he can get a sense of validation when he watches your reactions. You still need to be here because out of everyone on campus, your presence is somewhat tolerable. Who’s he gonna comfortably boss around now?

“Ha ha. You were photobombing one of my pics so I uploaded it and said I had a new girlfriend,” Leo snickered as you brushed his hair. He didn’t think you’d be so good at it, but he found that his hair was smoother when you brushed it. “10K interacts in less than an hour. Suckers.”

“Is that okay?” you asked, making Leo roll his eyes.

“It’s fine, Honor Roll. In fact, shouldn’t you be grateful?”

“That’s not what I meant.” you huffed, tugging his hair lightly as you untangled a knot. It felt nice. “I mean, are you okay? Don’t influencers get harassed if they post about their significant others?”

Leo hated this whole goody-two-shoes act you had going on. Why were you so concerned about him? It wasn’t like he was particularly nice to you and it wasn’t like you necessarily treated him better than you would anyone else. Were you just stupidly nice in general? “Being an influencer means you get hate mail anyway,” he responded, closing out of his social media app. It wasn’t really all that interesting anymore.

“Hm… I see.” You became silent, which made Leo feel oddly annoyed. “People can really suck sometimes.”

Leo snorted. He had been anything but kind to you, really, so he thought you’d have already come to that conclusion a while ago. “It’s whatever. They’re all basic.”

He knew that this was the point where you could say something about him coming to you to talk (which he would never do, barf), but you don’t. Instead, you continue to thread your fingers through his hair gently.

He hated to admit it, but it was relaxing.

“Okay, I think I’m done,” you hummed, removing your hands from him. He noted that it was slightly colder when you left, but chalked it up to the poor heat regulation in Vagastrom. “Oh, and Happy Valentine’s Day, Leo! I got you something.”

Leo turned to you curiously as he combed his fingers through his hair, which definitely felt softer. He gingerly took your offering, before his eyes widened. “This is that ultra-spicy chocolate they only sell this time of year… I’m actually genuinely stoked right now.”

“I’m glad!” you beamed. It was a smile that Leo thought was slightly less ugly than usual. In general, you had been looking slightly less ugly lately, actually. That thought made him feel nauseous.

“Wanna make a bet, Honor Roll?”

You blinked at him, suddenly looking wary. He used to think that expression was so stupid, but now he thought it was kind of cute in a dumb kind of way. “What type of bet…?”

“A bet over which will come first – me falling for you, or you getting hooked on me.”

There’s no conclusive way to find out the end to this bet now, not with you gone. But he thinks you probably got hooked on him first – after all, it’s not like he’s thinks about your stupid laugh or dumb words of encouragement when he feels down or anything. Besides, as far as the internet’s concerned, you’re already dating him.

He briefly thinks about uploading a post about your death. Those suckers online would eat it up, sending him pity and sympathy. But the thought is so unappealing that he drops it. It’s not like your death is gonna matter to other people.

After all, life sucks and then you die, right? It’s just a part of living and he’s not pathetic enough to suddenly miss you. But there’s a disgustingly hollow feeling in his chest as his thoughts ring too loudly. You’re just an NPC – aren’t NPCs supposed to live quietly in the background while the main characters get their character development or whatever? 

Why couldn’t you just quietly live your life like that?

You’re so stupid.

Alan has always felt like a monster. His hands – his stigma – have crushed so many things until they’ve become nothing but dust. He’s never been proud of this strength, not when he causes so many to cower. 

He had expected you to cower, too, especially after he ripped Takeru’s ghost apart in front of you, so lost in the bloodlust. But you hadn’t. You stood by his side with as much care and compassion you could muster. When he wanted to keep looking into the case of Takeru’s ghost even after it was considered “finished” by Darkwick, you offered to help him even though you didn’t need to.

Alan’s never really been a conversationalist, so he didn’t expect you to spend time with him unless it was necessary. Still, he can’t say he dislikes having you around. Even when he’s tinkering with his car, it’s nice to have you sitting nearby, talking about your day.

You’re someone he appreciates – someone who does their best no matter how dire the situation is, someone who strives to do better. How could he not grow fond of how hard you work on a daily basis?

“I pat people on the head a lot? Didn’t notice,” Alan had said, after placing his hand on your hair. He really hadn’t realized – it was a force of habit, especially when you had done such a good job. “I’m doing it again?” he murmured, removing his hand, “...Sorry.”

“It’s nothing you have to be sorry for,” you responded, honestly. “It was just an observation.”

Despite knowing that his hands were akin to weapons, Alan couldn’t help but be drawn to touching you. Unlike him, you were soft and sweet. Still, he felt guilty. He hadn’t ever wanted you to feel uncomfortable, after all. 

“I actually kind of like it when you pat my head,” you said. “You’re really gentle with it, so it makes it feel like I did a good job!”

Alan would never describe his touch as gentle, but he felt like he could believe it if it came from you.“You’re doing a good job.”

“Thanks!” you responded, giving him a big smile that he couldn’t say he had seen from other people. Most other people here had cunning smiles or looked fearful of him. He liked how genuine yours looked. “I can keep trying my best because of you and the others, you know? Thanks a lot.”

Alan couldn’t really recall if he had done anything to receive this type of praise from you, but your words made him feel relaxed. He felt like you helped him feel more human. “I’m lucky I’ve got you,” he said, trying to express his gratitude. “As long as you’re with me, I feel like I won’t lose sight of who I am.”

But now you’re no longer here. It makes Alan scared of himself in a way that he’s never felt before. He had treated you gently, like you were made of glass, because he was scared he’d break you. Yet you weren’t ever scared of him breaking you. Being with you softened up his edges and made him feel more human than monster.

You’re no longer here, though.

Perhaps it has always been his fate to become a monster.

Kaito hasn’t stopped crying since he’s heard the Masterpiece Newscasters relay the news of your death. It hurts so bad. 

Kaito doesn’t think he’s ever been so badly hurt in his life. 

Kaito’s never been one to like pain, which is why he avoids training and going on missions. He wants to be normal and being a ghoul is abnormal. The non-ghouls around him cement that on a daily basis. Yet you’re one of the only non-ghouls who has always treated him kindly no matter what.

Even when he’s a pathetic idiot or a stupid coward, you’ve always been so patient and kind to him. Kaito has liked a lot of girls on a surface level, but his feelings towards you have evolved beyond that. He thinks you’re pretty and lovely and all of that, of course, but more than that, he thinks you’re an amazing person. Amazingly strong, amazingly hard working – you’re someone he values so deeply. Even when he knows he’s being foolish, you’re there by his side because you care about him, aren’t you? So how could he not grow to care about you? You’re the few people that he feels he can truly be close to.

“Whoa, when did it get so late?!” Kaito gasped, looking at the window outside. You two had been baking since noon, but ended up goofing off at some point, delaying the baking process. “Sorry, I didn’t mean to keep you…”

“I’m still good!” you responded, before taking a big bite out of your cookie. While chewing your sweet treat, you offered Kaito a piece, too.

“Really?” Kaito asked, taking the cookie you offered him.

“Yeah, I like spending time with you.”

Your words made Kaito’s heart swell with so much gratitude and affection that he wasn’t entirely sure what to do with himself. He always considered himself lackluster in practically everything, but he felt like he could do better and try to be better because you were there. He couldn’t help the cheesy grin that came onto his face.

“Oh, look, Kaito! The stars look so pretty!”

Kaito looked over at the large window in the kitchen, watching as the stars twinkled in the night sky.

“It kind of looks like granulated sugar if you squint, don’t you think?”

“Yeah, I can see it!” Kaito responded, before tentatively asking, “...Do you like stars?”

“I do,” you replied, taking another bite of your cookie. “Why d’you ask?”

“Oh, um,” Kaito hesitated, feeling a little bashful all of a sudden. You weren’t the type to just reject him harshly, but sometimes Kaito felt nervous in more intimate moments. When you genuinely seemed to return his affections (romantic or not) it made him feel valued as a human being, but it also made him nervous. “I was just wondering ‘cause there’s this place where you can see them really well, so I thought you’d want to go some time…”

“I would love to!” you beamed at him with a smile that could rival the sun. Kaito didn’t think the sun needed to shine if you were around. “You always do find the best places.”

Your words of validation made Kaito feel teary. You’d always been by his side, no matter what. You didn’t have to be his princess or anything like that. In fact, you’d saved him a lot of times before. Still… “I know I’m weak, and a coward,” he began, “But I really do want to become your knight in shining armor.”

In the end, Kaito never could become your knight in shining armor. Not when you’re gone like this. He couldn’t protect you and it tears him up inside. If he had trained and went on missions, would things be different? If so, why couldn’t the other ghouls help you instead? You deserve to be alive – you deserve it so much more than anyone else.

Kaito continues to wail inside his room, frustrated that he’s upset at other people not saving you – it’s him that couldn’t save you. It’s his fault. It’s all his fault and he’ll never be able to make it up to you.

He’ll never become your knight in shining armor.

For the first time since coming to Darkwick, Luca feels numb. He’s not sure how to cope with the fact that your death has come so suddenly. He had promised you that he’d help you absolve your curse, just like you promised him you’d help him subjugate a demon. Yet… you’re gone. You’re not here. You cannot keep your promise to him and he cannot keep his promise to you. It makes him feel hollow.

Luca has always felt that honesty was the best policy, which contributed to his straightlaced nature. He’s been called inconsiderate because of this and he’s lost people who could’ve been his friend. Him being a ghoul hadn’t helped, either, since he was the only ghoul back in Emrys Academy. When he came to Darkwick Academy, all he expected was to learn ways to subjugate a demon. Sure, it would’ve been nice to make friends, but Luca wasn’t going to get his hopes up. Not when he was so set on his goal to find his brother, at least.

Most aren’t understanding of Luca’s honesty and desire to bring back his brother, thinking his one track mind is a hassle. But you’ve never treated him like he was a nuisance. You’ve always greeted him brightly and worked with him. Whether you guys looked for information on curses and demons or practiced meditation for a clearer mind, you’ve been there.

But you’re not going to be there anymore, are you? Not when he’s meditating, not when he’s looking things up in the library, not when he needs the encouragement – you’re not going to be there.

He at least has hope that he’ll be able to bring his brother back. With you, he knows he can never bring you back. You’re gone, forever. You’ll never be there to experience anything with him anymore.

“We have experienced many joys and sorrows together since becoming friends. I’m very glad we met. I look forward to walking the road ahead with you,” Luca had said one day, while you two were meditating. While meditating, Luca couldn’t seem to clear his mind from thinking about you and all you’d done for him, so he thought it was only right for him to express it.

“Me too,” you responded, earnestly. Luca liked talking with you because you were candid with him, but patient. Even when he interrupted your meditation. “You’ve been a great ally to me, so thanks a lot, Luca.” You stretched your arms over your head, before staring at the setting sun. Sometimes, Luca wasn’t sure what went through your head.

“You’ve been a great ally to me as well.” Luca could scarcely remember people who tried as hard as you. He was duty-bound to a fault that he had trouble abandoning his mission, so he had trouble understanding people who wanted to run away. You were one of the few that came back despite wanting to run away. How could he not be impressed with you?

“That makes me glad to hear!” you replied, beaming brightly. Luca liked your smile. It radiated a warmth that reminded him of home. “Let’s keep doing our best!”

“Yes, let’s.” Luca watched as you kept your gaze on the setting sun. The soft colors of the sky were quite a sight to behold, but Luca wasn’t sure why it was distracting you.

“You know, Luca?” you called, as if you could read his mind. “They say that as long as you’re on Earth, you’ll see the same sun as the people you love. Isn’t that nice?”

Luca could be slow to pick up on things sometimes, but he wasn’t stupid. He could tell that those words were meant to console you after you’d been stripped from your family so suddenly (he’d come to understand the reasons for your desire to leave that day when you were working on your first case after many conversations with you). Yet, your words carried an undertone that implied that you told him about the sun to console him as well. Him, who was far from his family. Him, whose brother had gone missing. Him.

Those words were meant for him, but he cannot see the value in them now. Not when you’re no longer on this Earth. Not when you’re no longer alive. The sun still shines so brightly over Darkwick as if undeterred by your death. It pains Luca because time feels like it’s stopped for him, yet the world seems to move on. 

Luca closes his eyes, heart throbbing.

“I’m sorry… Yet again I have failed to protect the people most important to me…”

The first thing Tohma does when he hears of your death is smoke to calm his nerves. He’s counting down the minutes until Jin calls him, but Tohma can’t seem to shake the sudden burst of numbness that shoots through his veins.

He hates to admit it, but your death has shaken him up more than he’d like. Of course, he’ll have to hide it. He’ll have to get a hold of himself – especially since everyone else will be in a tizzy. But even though he knows this, he’s having a hard time controlling his own emotions.

You’re the only one who is stupidly earnest in everything you do, allowing him bits of amusement in his life. You’re the only one that’s helped him feel like he could forget everything he’s got to do and be. You’re the only one who tries to lift the burden on his shoulders. You’re the only one and it makes Tohma’s lungs feel empty.

What vermin had killed someone as lovely as you?

“Welcome to high society,” Tohma had said, taking your hand in his for a dance. “That outfit suits you well. With that poise, you’ll have no trouble fitting in here.” And he was right, you looked beautiful, like the belle of the ball.

“Aha, sure,” you murmured, wincing as you stepped on his foot. “Oh god, I’m so sorry! I’m still so bad at this…”

“Inexperience is not a crime,” Tohma responded, twirling you in his arms. “The important thing is choosing to not remain ignorant when you don’t know something.” While most would assume Tohma was talking about your dancing capabilities, you knew that he meant something beyond that, too. You were smart like that, after all, and so hardworking. You chose to not remain ignorant.

“You’re right.” You nodded. “I’m gonna do my best.”

“I look forward to your efforts,” he hummed. “And in times of difficulty, I hope you’ll turn to those around you for help. I will be there to keep you safe.”

Tohma takes another drag of his cigarette, watching as the smoke fills the room. He told you he’d protect you. He told you, didn’t he? And yet he couldn’t.

Perhaps a lowly servant like him could never have protected you in the first place.

At the news of your death, Jin’s first move is to slash though the expensive furniture in his room, unsure of where else to let his emotions explode. His hand tightens around his sword as he stabs his sword in the ground, visualizing whoever had the audacity to touch what is his.

How dare they hurt you? How dare they take you away from him?

You, who’s been so stupidly obedient to him without any expectation of riches or glory. You, who’s been stupidly kind to him despite his terse nature. You, who’s been by his side without complaint as long as he ordered it. 

“...I was too active yesterday. Massage me, servant,” Jin muttered, rolling onto his stomach to give access to his back. Without a word of complaint, you do as you’re told, though Jin couldn’t say you could be a masseuse anytime soon. “...What the hell was that? Put some muscle into it.”

“What? I’ve been told I give really good massages, though.”

Jin frowned. “From?”

“My dad.”

Jin snorted out a laugh. “Try harder.”

“Fine, fine,” you muttered, stretching your arms in front of you. “I’m gonna put my back into it!” Jin wondered if you’d actually be able to give him a proper massage, but the effort in itself was amusing (cute, even). Still, regardless of your massages, it was nice to have your hands on his back. He liked being close to you. “How was that?”

“It was fine.”

“What!” you exclaimed, incredulous, before grumbling, “You give a guy a massage and all he does is say it’s bad. Not even a word of thanks.”

With how you were yapping, you must’ve gotten quite comfortable with him. Jin couldn’t say he disliked it. “Never learn, do you?” he asked, rolling onto his back so that he can pull you on to the bed next to him. “I don’t take you being here for granted. I know it won’t last forever.”

Your eyes widened. “Huh?”

“That’s all I’m going to say.”

“Wha– you’re so–” you huffed, before shaking your head, seemingly pleased. “Fine, you win, your majesty. I suppose it's time for this servant to leave.” You made a move to get up, but Jin stopped you.

“I’ve got plans early tomorrow. Your house is too far. Stay here tonight.”

He still can’t forget the way you looked that night – bashful, sweet. He wanted to lock you in with him so that he could have you for as long as possible. Maybe he should’ve. He never took your existence for granted, valuing every second he’s spent with you, but when he said that he knew that your relationship wouldn’t last forever, he never thought it’d be because someone killed you. The thought makes hot rage course through his veins again.

He’s going to kill whatever bastard took you from him.

.

.

.

Faintly, your sage’s ring glows on your finger. 

It asks you a question it’s asked you many times before: “What do you desire?”

You answer the question exactly as you’ve answered it before: “I want to go back.”

The sage ring glows brighter in response.

You wake up on a train.

Your phone beeps.

[creepercraftguy]

Pokemon Scarlet/Violet - Voice Actor Headcanons.

So here’s the latest update of this little series on my blog where I assign official voice actors to characters that don’t have them. I also did this with the previous title, Legends: Arceus.

I have to reiterate the same points every time, but it’s just so we’re all aware - 

This is NOT CANON. These are HEADCANONS and are unofficial. It’s just a hypothetical situation. If the characters were voiced, this is who I imagine would voice them.

Every major character in both games is included here, so there are HEAVY SPOILERS for the game’s main storylines. DO NOT READ THIS POST IF YOU HAVE NOT PLAYED THE GAME OR DON’T WANT TO BE SPOILED.

The only character I did not include in this is Jacq. He already has an official VA thanks to the Pokemon Go Gimmighoul Trailer. I don’t know who it is though because they go uncredited.

So without further ado, I hope you enjoy my ideas. Or don’t. Your choice.

Nemona - KAYLI MILLS

Also Voiced:

Emilia (Re:Zero)

Alice Synthesis Thirty (Sword Art Online: Alicazation)

Keqing (Genshin Impact

Katy - DOROTHY FAHN

Also Voiced:

Konan (Naruto)

Tsumugi Shirogane (Danganronpa V3)

Mercedes (Fire Emblem: Three Houses/Three Hopes)

Brassius - ROBBIE DAYMOND

Also Voiced:

Goro Akechi (Persona 5)

Hubert (Fire Emblem: Three Houses/Three Hopes)

Prompto Argentum (Final Fantasy XV)

Iono - IRONMOUSE

Also Voiced:

Herself (On her twitch videos and Speak of the Devil)

Tanith (An Incorrect Summary of Elden Ring | The King & The Serpent)

Kofu - CHRIS RAGER

Also Voiced:

Hercule Satan (Dragon Ball)

Marshal D. Teach/Blackbeard (One Piece)

Gahuko Asano (Assassination Classroom)

Larry - XANDER MOBUS

Also Voiced:

Joker (Persona 5)

Master Hand (Super Smash Bros)

Rokuzo Taguchi (Bungo Stray Dogs)

Ryme - REGINA KING

Also Voiced:

Huey and Riley Freeman (The Boondocks)

Kreela (The Ant Bully)

Dynamite (Planes: Fire and Rescue)

Grusha - ALEJANDRO SAAB

Also Voiced:

Cyno (Genshin Impact)

Yuri (Fire Emblem: Three Houses/Three Hopes)

Izumi Miyamura (Horimiya)

Tulip - MELANIE MINICHINO

Also Voiced:

Alice Hiiragi (Persona 5 Strikers)

Anya Corazon/Spider-Girl (Spider-Man (2017))

Yan (Indivisible)

Director Clavell - KIRK THORNTON

Also Voiced: 

Kisame Hoshigaki (Naruto)

Shadow the Hedgehog (Sonic the Hedgehog)

Jade Curtiss (Tales of Zesteria)

Penny - AMANDA CELINE MILLER

Also Voiced:

Toko Fukawa (Danganronpa/Danganronpa Another Episode)

Boruto Uzumaki (Naruto)

Makoto Kino/Sailor Jupiter (Sailor Moon)

Mela - ERIN FITZGERALD

Also Voiced:

Chie Satonaka (Persona 4)

Noire/Black Heart (Hyperdimension Neptunia series)

Junko Enoshima (Danganronpa series)

Giacomo - SEAN CHIPLOCK

Also Voiced:

Diluc (Genshin Impact)

Rean Schwarzer (Trails of Cold Steel)

Guido Mista (Jojo’s Bizarre Adventure: Golden Wind)

Atticus - TODD HABERKORN

Also Voiced:

Korekiyo Shinguji (Danganronpa V3)

Death The Kid (Soul Eater)

Shiro Iori (Kill La Kill)

Ortega - CASEY MONGILLO

Also Voiced:

Emporio Alnino (Jojo’s Bizarre Adventure: Stone Ocean)

Protagonist (Shin Megami Tensei V)

Shinji Ikari (Neon Genesis Evengelion)

Eri - CHERAMI LEIGH

Also Voiced: 

Makoto Niijima (Persona 5)

Asuna Yuuki (Sword Art Online)

A2 (Nier:Automata)

Arven - KAIJI TANG

Also Voiced: 

Owain (Fire Emblem Awakening)

Gonta Gokuhara (Danganronpa V3)

Archer (Fate)

Rika - SUZIE YEUNG

Also Voiced:

Eula (Genshin Impact)

Makima (Chainsaw Man)

Pumpkin Pie Cookie (Cookie Run Kingdom)

Poppy - KIMBERLY ANNE CAMPBELL

Also Voiced:

Nahida (Genshin Impact)

Hayase Nagatoro (Don't Toy With Me, Miss Nagatoro)

Typhon (Re:Zero)

Hassel - JAMIESON PRICE

Also Voiced: 

Sojiro Sakura (Persona 5)

Leo Whitefang (Guilty Gear Strive)

Rider (Fate)

Geeta - SHARA KIRBY

Also Voiced: 

Candace (Genshin Impact)

Franceska Mila Rose (Bleach: Thousand-Year Blood War)

Tomomi Takei (Kageki Shojo!!)

Dendra - ALEX CAZARES

Also Voiced:

Rebecca (Cyberpunk: Edgerunners)

Oblina (Nickelodean: All-Star Brawl)

Dagr (Fire Emblem Heroes)

Saguaro - PATRICK SEITZ

Also Voiced:

Dio Brando (JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure: Stardust Crusaders)

Ira Gamagoori (Kill La Kill)

Ladiva (GranBlue Fantasy: Versus)

Salvatore - BRYCE PAPENBROOK

Also Voiced:

Kirito (Sword Art Online)

Eren Jaeger (Attack on Titan)

Nagito Komaeda (Danganronpa 2)

Tyme - REGINA KING

Also Voiced:

Huey and Riley Freeman (The Boondocks)

Kreela (The Ant Bully)

Dynamite (Planes: Fire and Rescue)

Miriam - XANTHE HUYNH

Also Voiced:

Haru Okumura (Persona 5)

Marianne (Fire Emblem Three Houses/Three Hopes)

Ui Hirasawa (K-On)

Raifort - ALLEGRA CLARK

Also Voiced: 

Shamir (Fire Emblem: Three Houses/Three Hopes)

Maki Zenin (Jujutsu Kaisen)

Beidou (Genshin Impact)

Professor Sada - JENNIFER LOSI

Also Voiced:

Ganyu (Genshin Impact)

Shinobu Kawajiri (Jojo’s Bizarre Adventure: Diamond is Unbreakable)

Mizuki Nakahara (Lycoris Recoil)

Professor Turo - KEITH SILVERSTEIN

Also Voiced:

Zhongli (Genshin Impact)

Johan Liebert (Monster)

Hisoka (HunterXHunter)

[asklesbianonceler]

Ymir quest ending thoughts and sorcerer corruption kind of as a whole?

I'm going to get really into wording for a second but that kind of thing and nuance is very important in Elden Ring

And of course, just my interpretation but 🤷🏻‍♀️

It seems like the main question about Ymir's quest is "why is he upset at the end?"

And before I get into it I'm gonna site other sorcerers and their outcomes:

Ranni: best ending arguably. She is never corrupted and returns the world to the untainted fate of the stars and greater will. She has love in her heart but does not let it guide what needs to be done. She is detached enough and not over ambitious but she does love, she tells us to tell iji and blaidd she loves them

Sellen, Lusat,Azur, Graven Masses: overly ambitious, devoid of emotional connection and only interested in pure knowledge. They gazed too far into the primeval current/greater will and in a lovecraftian way are driven mad and transformed and essentially die. Another thing with her is she wants to study the Elden ring (the cycle) not the greater will at large

Rogier: would not acknowledge grief, anger, and regret. Died for the pursuit of knowledge and trying to understand the golden order (which is broken)

And now Ymir: Ymir had too much love in his heart and was guided by it and this is made clear by items, Jolán, and his own actions towards Yuri. He mentions the natural pursuit of truth and power as well as abandoning the moon. He says that Metyr is corrupt and that we need a new, true mother, never specifically saying he's thinking about it being him, but we can assume. He is capable of being ambitious to a bad extent. Then Yuri dies.

We overhear him, so this is his true thoughts in this moment, that he "failed" and that he "truly wanted to be HIS mother" not THE TRUE MOTHER. Just Yuri's. He loved his child so much. He was satisfied. Yuri was enough. And him saying he failed is really implying he is done. He isn't trying anymore. He has loved and lost and it was too painful*. There is not a single hint of madness here, just grief. Then we kill Metyr and she phases out- putting her corruption into Ymir. So why's he pissed? Metyr is corrupt and he says it himself he failed already. He wanted something and is accepting its loss appropriately prior to this. When he's "possessed" he says he will be the true mother. But when we kill him we get that classic last bit of a characters humanity and true feelings coming through when he is no longer "possessed" where again he just says, Yuri, I wanted to be "YOUR" mother. Singular. Done.

He didn't want this anymore. We fuckin did this to him. Yuri made him realize he could be content exclusively with just the love between a mother and child. His genuine words are exclusively about Yuri... He originally went into it with desire to replace Metyr and then said "no. This love is enough and the loss was too painful"

He is so sympathetic and tragic and wonderful and I feel so bad for him.

Ah, how we had to see the tragedy to see the beauty in it

*Edit: after watching my wife do the whole quest and listening to all dialogue again, his gravestone dialogue to Yuri also includes, still specifically, that he will try to give Yuri life again, so not giving up on him specifically but not speaking of being THE mother just A mother, again singular. He is only thinking of Yuri. Like he never privately talks about replacing Metyr despite that definitely being what he went into this wanting.

Additional feeling add ons: I think we can also take, from his private conversation about Yuri's nightmare before this, that it was always Metyrs power, so a tainted one, that let him birth Yuri because it sounds a lot like Yuris nightmare is about Metyr. so Yuri is apparently aware of Metyr despite likely not having seen her.

Him willing to try again to give Yuri life does further my belief that the gravestone is readable pre quest because Yuri may have been a real child he lost who he continues to project on to, but we'll never really know for sure but that is completely irrelevant.

Either way it is the loss and love of a child continuing a cycle we see a lot in Elden Ring and whether Yuri was always the fingercreeper or a child he lost some time prior, really doesn't matter.

If there's one thing Carians will always do it's get wrapped up in what their heart wants and be guided by it. Three-way handshake between Renalla, Relanna, and Ymir- succumbing too much to love.

Literally the most heartbreaking thing still that his last words are just about Yuri JUST LIKE RENALLAS ARE ABOUT RANNI??? FUCK THEY LOVE THEIR CHILDREN SO MUCH

[bigfan-fanfic]

Iphicles - The Lightning Thief (Brother!Reader x Percy Jackson PLATONIC)

Part 1 here

Having a brother like Heracles definitely made Iphicles' life harder.

Heracles, when driven mad by Hera, killed Iphicles' children. Though Iphicles was a strong warrior and a Kalydonian boar hunter in his own right, he would never be out of his brother's shadow. Even his death was usually related to helping Heracles in some way.

But maybe, like you, he didn't care.

Or rather, he cared so much more for his brother than for himself.

Percy gets expelled from Yancy Academy and comes home, and you hate that you can never email him or anything because then the monsters will keep after him, and letters don't work because they'll tend to frustrate Percy when he tries to read your handwriting.

But at least your little brother trusts you - he tells you about Mrs. Dodds, and how everybody thinks he's crazy.

"Well, you are crazy." you tease him, and he elbows you with a smirk. "But I also believe you. I saw that awful old woman at parents' night, remember? Wore a leather jacket? Accent thicker than honey?"

You'll always believe him. What else is a big brother for?

Percy's surprised when you get home. Because the dynamic has shifted a little. You have a new part time job at AGS River Shipping - really Aegeus, one of Poseidon's other names. There, Poseidon or some mercenaries hired teach you how to fight.

You're not a demigod - you don't have those hard-wired battlefield instincts or the ability to innately read Ancient Greek.

But you can learn, and learn you do, training with a Celestial bronze spear - since you can't heal with ambrosia or nectar, you need as much distance between yourself and danger as possible. The mercs also teach you how to use a handgun - apparently the Cyclopes are working on a modified celestial bronze handgun.

In any case, your confidence, your slowly improving physique, your new knowledge - it shows in the way that you carry yourself, the way Gabe is more hesitant to engage in conflict with you. And in your more strained relationship with your mother.

You disapprove of Sally keeping Percy in the dark. And subjecting you both to Gabe because of her own hangups, about taking care of herself, about losing Percy... it's taken a bit of a toll - you want to be able to tell Percy, but both your mother and Yuri... and Poseidon have told you to let him find out on his own.

But, like always, there's that annual trip to Montauk.

For a moment, it all feels like old times. You joke and smile as usual.

But the winds heighten and the waves crash, and you sense the message from the lord of the sea: danger.

If Mom won't protect Percy, you will.

You're about to steal the car when Grover shows up, and Mom drives you all away from the monster that arrives.

Asterion, she calls it, and you know instantly what she means. You lean out the window and hurl your spear, which you can summon to your hand from a ring you wear now.

But Sally is distracted by this sudden reveal, and the car crashes.

You see that the Minotaur squeezes her into light, and she vanishes, and you see your brother turn the beast to yellow powder - and faint.

It's your job to get him to safety now. You're the only one left who cares about him.

With the last ounces of your strength, you throw Percy over one shoulder and Grover over the other, and you carry them both across the boundary line.

The last thing you see before passing out is a man in a wheelchair and a concerned man in a Hawaiian shirt looming over you.

"Oh dear... Uncle's been fiddling with Fate."

[i-am-baechu]

Pairing: Seokjin x (f) Reader / Jungkook x (f) Reader 

Genre/Tags: Ceo!  CEO! Seokjin, Store Manager! Reader, arranged relationship, slow burn, angst, drama, fluff, and smut

Series Warnings: Foul language, alcohol consumption, family drama, ableist, talks about past accidents, injuries, doctors, anxiety, insecurities, and sexual content

Status: Preview #2

═════ ∘◦❁◦∘ ════════════ ∘◦❁◦∘ ══════ 

Summary: Choi Y/N was used to being the background character to her older sister's life. Yuri was everything that her parents wanted and Y/N was left by herself. It wasn’t preferred but she managed her life perfectly fine. It wasn’t until Yuri asked, “Can you do me a favor?” that her life changed and she became the main character.

═════ ∘◦❁◦∘ ════════════ ∘◦❁◦∘ ══════ 

Honest and pure love is something made for stories. The words on the pages make you feel whole when the lonely nights take over. A vision of white lace is just that, a vision. The bell that is supposed to ring is broken and there are no instructions on how to fix it. That’s just how life is for those who are less fortunate. Especially when you’re broken, not just on the inside but on the outside. There’s a sign on your back that is bright and captures everyone’s attention but not in a good way. You hope to see the look of love but instead, you get pity and that’s the worst thing you can receive. I have come to accept my fate in life that life will never be kind and I should just accept the harsh reality. No one would love someone who's broken on the inside and out. A project that will never be finished. It’s easier to accept the truth than to seek out a lie that can do more damage. That is the life that I am destined to live. 

Y/N glanced at her parents who were patting Yuri's back with so much pride. She turned around and walked outside to the balcony to stare at the stars with a frown. The wind gently touched her as if it was trying to give her a comforting hug. She stared at the bright moon and closed her eyes, I hope this year will make me happy...just one year...please. 

She opened her eyes and her eyes widened when she saw a shooting star. She smiled to herself thinking that someone heard her. She turned around to walk back into the ballroom with some hope in her heart. She looked around and her eyes landed on Jungkook who waved at her. She couldn’t help but go towards her friend as her mind lingered on the shooting star. You never know what will change...what will make a great story. 

[glassofspoiledmilk]

OMG I CAN'T BELIEVE IT THAT YOU WRITE FOR YURI ON ICE I AM LITERALLY STARVED OF CONTENT YOU ARE MY LORD AND SAVIOR I LOVE YOU SO MUCH. Anyway if it isn't a bother I'd like to request a yuri plisetsky x reader who can't ice skate for the life of them. Like imagine him trying to get the reader on the ring but they are so scared they will literally gran onto anything there is just to not go on the centre of the ring. I'd like for it to be romantic. Thank your for your service for the yuri on ice fandom

Icebreaker

But I can’t help (falling) in love with you

Synopsis: Yuri is your boyfriend, and a famous figure skater, but you’ve never step foot on ice before.

Note: sorry it’s not perfect, trying to ease my way back into writing 😣

You’d probably assume that from all the times I’ve sat through Yuris practices and competitions that I’d pick up a thing or two about figure skating. Unfortunately, I haven’t.

Every time he’s asked me to go skating I’ve turned him down, partially because I’m afraid of making a fool of myself, and partially because I’m awful at it. The only time I’ve ever been on the ice was when I was two and I tried going on with sneakers and fell back and needed stitches. Not fun. But this time I couldn’t blow him off like usual.

“Hey Y/N, there’s an open skate this weekend and I was wondering if you wanted to come since you said you were free” his text message read.

I stared at my phone, hoping either the message would change or I would come up with a miraculous excuse to not go.

But I had nothing, so I decided to finally give in.

“Sure…but fair warning I suck at skating” I message him back.

“You can’t be that bad, I’ve watched kids face-plant the second they get on the ice” he replies.

“I am those kids” I add.

“Don’t be dramatic I’m sure you’re fine, meet me at 12 on Saturday. I borrowed a pair of Milas old skates so you don’t have to use the shitty rentals” he sends.

“Wow, what a gentleman” I reply sarcastically.

“I think what you mean to say is thank you” he adds.

“Thank you Yuri” I text back, rolling my eyes.

“You’re welcome”

I shut off my phone and groan, rubbing my eyes slowly.

The unfortunate day came before I knew it.

I had completely forgotten about the date until I got a text from Yuri about it last night.

After accepting my fate I got up and changed into a somewhat comfortable yet flexible outfit, and a pair of sneakers.

I suddenly hear a ‘ding’ come from my phone.

It’s Yuri.

“Still on for today?”

“Yep” I replied reluctantly.

I walked outside and over to a local coffee shop, hoping that a little caffeine would help settle my nerves.

After grabbing my order I started on my way to the rink.

I sighed and opened the door.

I’m older now, it can’t be that bad right?

I walked inside and felt the cold air fill my lungs. I looked into one of the doors that led to the ice and saw a bunch of kids zooming around.

“Y/N?”

I whip my head around to see Yuri behind me.

“Oh hey, Yuri..you scared the crap out of me” I reply with a slight shake in my voice.

“I paid for our tickets and..”

He lifts up a pair of beat up skates.

“These are for you”

“Thanks” I take the pair and he opens the door for me.

We sit down on the hockey bleachers and I slip off my shoes.

I picked up the right skate and slid my foot in, which was harder than I thought it would be.

I picked up the two laces and tried to figure out how to tie them, but I kept making knots.

“Do you need help?” Yuri asks.

“Um….yea” I awkwardly admit.

He gets down on his knee and gently lifts my foot, resting it on his thigh.

In a few swift movements, I find my skates fully tied.

I smile, my cheeks slightly pink with embarrassment.

He stands up once more and holds out his hand.

“You ready?” He asks.

“I think..” I hesitate as I grab ahold of his hand.

“You’ll be fine..just try to keep your balance,” he says as he slowly walks me to the entrance of the rink.

He stepped onto the ice and gently pulled me on.

As soon as his hand moved I could feel my feet slipping from underneath me.

“Shit!” I say I feel myself start to fall back.

However, my fall is broken by Yuri's arm.

I exhaled a breath as I realized I was safe.

“Stay leaning forward, and bend your knees,” Yuri said as his arm snaked away from my waist.

“I got you” he softly whispers as he takes ahold of my hands.

I sigh and carefully move forward, slowly, but surely, getting the hang of it.

“Now that you can go forward, do you wanna go backward?” He asked with a devious grin.

“Oh nonono Yuri I don’t think I can do that I mean-“ I replied, but was cut off mid-sentence by Yuri skating behind me and wrapping his arms around my shoulders.

“Yuri! I'm gonna fall!” I laugh as he gently guides me backwards.

“You’re fine, you’re such a baby” he laughs as he tucks his head into the crook of my neck.

I laugh with him.

As the skate came to an end, Yuri helped me off the rink and onto the bench.

“So what did you think?” He asks and he bends down to untie my skates.

“It wasn’t as bad as I thought it would be,” I said with a smile.

“I’m glad, and you did a lot better than most people do their first time” he adds.

“That’s all thanks to you” I chuckle and he slips both skates off my feet.

“What would you ever do without me?” He chuckles as I lean down and place a gentle kiss on his forehead.

[yukyunotabibito]

Celebrating TOA and the people who contribute to make our group what it is.

Repost, don't reblog. Only fill in what you feel comfortable sharing!

Happy anniversary, TOA! Here's to many more years spent together.

From neffi <3

Name: Vergil

Pronouns: She/He/They

Birthday (no year): November 14th

Where are you from? What is your time zone? I'm from the Midwest (America), but my current timezone is PST

How long is your roleplay experience? 'Bout two and half years total I think? If tumblr RP

How were you introduced to roleplaying as a whole? Does warrior cats on the playground count?

How were you introduced to TOA? Stalked the twitter for like a year

-

Do you have any pets? I have a cat back home, but she's not with me at college

What is your favorite time of year and why? (Season, holiday, general period) Fall! Because it has my birthday :3

What is your IRL occupation? Student <3

Some interests and things you like/enjoy? Well isn't this embarrassing. My current obsession is 2ha/Erha

What non-Fire Emblem games do you play? Devil May Cry, Bayonetta, Elden Ring, Persona, Ensemble Stars, etc.

Favorite Pokemon type & Pokemon: Dragon! Appletun <3

Tell us some funfacts and trivia about yourself! I'm a marine biology major!

-

How did you get into Fire Emblem? A friend of mine introduced it to me in 6th grade and like any autistic child I immediately got completely obssessed

What Fire Emblem games have you played? (In order of the number), Blazing Blade, Path of Radiance, Radiant Dawn, Awakening, Fates, Three Houses, Engage

First & Favorite Fire Emblem games: First was Fates. Current favourite is Radiant Dawn I think.

List your 5 favorite Fire Emblem characters across the series! Nasir, Kurthnaga, M!Corrin, Erk, and Zephia

Who was the first character ever to make you go “ooh I like this one in particular” and why? Can be any context and reason!

Any Fire Emblem crushes? 😳Camilla. Any hot woman in general, so most of them. Vaguely Nasir.

If you’ve played (or are familiar with) the following games, who was your first S support? Who would you S support nowadays? - Awakening: First was Chrom. IDK now. - Fates: First was Jakob. Mozu now. - Three Houses: First was Claude. Yuri now. - Engage: First was Alfred (Male Alear). IDK now.

Favorite Fire Emblem class? Kinshi Knight!

If you were a Fire Emblem character, what would be your class and stats? Would you be playable? Random village NPC #12

If you were a Three Houses character, what would be your affiliation? (Black Eagles, Blue Lions, Golden Deer, Church of Seiros, Those Who Slither in the Dark, unaffiliated civilian, other - for example Almyran) Black Eagles

If you were an Officers Academy student, what would be your boons, banes and potential budding talent? Boon: reason, bane: gauntlet, budding talent: bow

If you were an Engage character, which nation would you originate from? (Firene, the Kingdom of Abundance; Brodia, the Kingdom of Might; Elusia, the Kingdom of Knowledge; Solm, the Queendom of Freedom; Lythos, the holy land of the Divine Dragon; Gradlon, the desolate land of the Fell Dragon) Elusia

-

How do you pronounce TOA? 🤔(separate letters, to-ah, other?) As the letters, so Tee-oh-ay

Current TOA muses: Kurthnaga, Nasir, and Zihark!

Past TOA muses? (In no particular order) Velouria, Anankos, Izana, Cadros, F!Morgan, Forrest, M!Corrin, Cadros, Erk (am I forgetting anybody???)

Who was your first TOA muse? If you no longer have them, can you see yourself picking them up again? Velouria. No, I don't think I can see myself picking her up again at this current point.

Do you believe you have a type of character you gravitate towards writing? (If you filled this out last year, has this changed in any way?) I don't even know anymore. Zihark has confused me. #Girl send help.

Do you have characters or types of characters you don’t think you can handle writing, but wish you could? God. If a man could dream.

What kind of scenes, situations etc do you believe you enjoy writing the most? (If you filled this out last year, has this changed in any way?) Emotional drama :3

Do you have any scenario in mind for your muse(s) that gets you thinking “man I hope I get to write this one day”? Hm... I'm not sure

Favorite TOA-related memories? Dollhouse.

Present or past tense? Past? I think?

Normal size text, small text, no preference? Normal please wah wah wah

Got any potential muse delusions to share? 😉Under the right circumstances Yukimura could happen. But I don't that will be any time soon if ever

[rabarta]

MADELON - FINAL FANTASY CRYSTAL CHRONICLES: RING OF FATES S/I

name: madelon tribe: selkie / clavat age: 28 (pre-timeskip), 31 (post-timeskip) occupation: tailor

BIOGRAPHY:

during most of their childhood and early adult years they lived with their family in a certain district of rebena te ra, what is now old town - this district was particularly vulnerable to flooding from heavy rainfall, as the architecture was in a constant state of disrepair.

when madelon was around 11-12, they happened upon a journal written by their mother, which revealed that they were supposed to have two siblings before them, but they died during childbirth. to honor these siblings they never had, madelon made twin dolls and transferred a part of their soul into each of them, dubbing the boy calca and the girl brina. as an aside, due to the ‘sharing’ of the soul, madelon is able to control the dolls as if puppeteering them, but if one of them is significantly damaged, madelon will share the pain, and vice versa. as a result, madelon is very evasive when fighting and uses magic instead of close combat. they can communicate via telepathy, so instead of 'using' calca and brina, they exist alongside madelon, almost like parts of them.

as for their role in the game’s story! madelon became acquaintances and then trusted friends of sir latov and lady aleria, as well as meeth and alhanalem, the latter two madelon formed a particularly close friendship with. they, too, helped in establishing the villa outside of rebena te ra, and live in a small house on their own, near the cliff so they can see lake cyela.

i'm actually thinking of changing the scene where cu chaspel appears and kills sir latov because frankly i found him a kind of boring antagonist, except for his redeeming trait being that he’s voiced by liam o’brien, which was cool as hell. in my hypothetical version of events, the lich shows up to the house instead, masquerading as alhanalem like she typically does, but latov's death takes on a much more dramatic turn considering that someone wearing the face of one of the family’s closest friends (and for all intents and purposes al is a part of the family too) ends up being the one to kill him. i don’t know whether i'll commit to this change or not, but regardless of the version of events, madelon is taken by blackguards from the temple who wanted to eliminate anyone associated with the events that took place at rela cyel and were there during tilika’s sacrifice, whether or not they personally witnessed it or not. they then end up in the cavern underneath rebena te ra, with the crystals subjecting them to visions of every possible past, present, and future.

MISCELLANEOUS INFO:

madelon has helped take care of yuri and chelinka since they were born as well, and their previous experience in tailoring doll clothes means that they often provide the family with new outfits — they do get a bit upset when the party commissions armor from the town shops, but their skill doesn’t extend to any sort of protective gear or clothing, so “it can’t be helped”, as they would say.

madelon also often accompanies alhanalem when he gathers medicinal herbs, because some of the plants that grow in the usual locations can be refined for dyes or similar materials.

as they are a tailor, their fingers are covered in bandages, because they prick their fingers often with the needle.

the gemstone in their choker is not a gemstone, rather it is a small beetle encased in amber that was found among the ruins of rela cyel in the past - it was then fashioned into a piece of jewelry by alhanalem as a gift for them.

[badass-at-fandoming]

Hello! Love your yuri recs ! You seem to read alot of yuri so I was wondering if you knew of any yuri with bisexual leads? I love I'm in love with the villainess and was hoping to read more like that.

Ahh, thank you! I love yuri manga, and, thank God, there's always more to discover. I'll do my best, but if you want to do a real deep dive, I definitely recommend following @yurimother! Her Year End Yuri Guides are treasure troves. Here is the 2023 manga one. My blog here is mostly about queer vampire shenanigans.

I'm In Love with the Villainess is the crème de la crème! You have great taste! Because it's the best, it was hard to find another title where all those great elements came together: it's got slice-of-life school stuff, transmigration into a fantasy world, and explicit queer rep. Your mileage will vary with a lot of the below recs. Due to cultural factors and the Japanese publishing industry, most stories never state the characters' sexual orientation. It was a major deal when I'm In Love with the Villainess used the word "gay" and "lesbian." I tried to find manga with two or three of the story elements that make In Love with the Villainess great.

My Next Life as a Villainess: All Routes Lead to Doom! + Side Story: Girls Patch - This light novel/manga/anime/otome series is probably your best bet. An otome-obssessed high schooler dies and transmigrates into the otome Fortune Lover...as the villainess character! Determined to avoid her character's grim fate(s), Katerina basically goes out of her way to befriend everyone. Men AND women fall for Katerina, but she's oblivious to their feelings. The Girls Patch side stories features alternate scenarios where Katerina recognizes the women's feelings. The series isn't yuri in the traditional sense, but Katerina's chaotic bisexual energy is off the charts.

Revolutionary Girl Utena - After receiving a rose signet ring from a prince, Utena vows to become a prince herself. Her princely senses are outraged when she discovers her elite boarding school has a secret, underground sword tournament to win the hand of another student. This "Rose Bride" needs rescuing, and Utena steps up! The manga and anime differ, but either one are classics of the yuri genre. Probably the second closest of what you're looking for.

These next 4 are fantastical/transmigration yuri stories, but I couldn't figure out if the characters are bisexual:

The Executioner and Her Way of Life - Executioner Menou is tasked to protect her world from transmigrators by killing them, without mercy, on sight. She doesn't question her task until she meets Akari, whose immortality presents a serious problem. A darker story, but an interesting deep dive and perspective reversal on the transmigration genre.

The Magical Revolution of the Reincarnated Princess and the Genius Young Lady - In a magical country, Princess Anisphia has no magic except the "magicology" she remembers from a past life. Euphyllia is a magical genius with a broken engagement. Together, can they revolutionize magic as the world knows it?

5 Seconds Before a Witch Falls in Love - The witch Meg loves making trouble for local witch hunter Lilith, but a prank goes too far when Lilith turns into a cat. Stuck caring for her nemesis, Meg's feelings change from animosity to something else entirely.

The Whole of Humanity is Yuri Except for Me! - Marika is determined to be a normal girl and live a normal life, with a job, husband, and kids. Accidentally traveling to an alternate, all-woman universe puts a serious wrench in her plans! Hilarious sci-fi fun.

The last 4 are contemporary stories featuring people with previous partners:

Girl Friends - Mari is a shy student at a big high school. When the bubbly, popular Akko takes her under her wing, Mari wonders where the line is between friendship and romance. I ADORE this manga. Morinaga-san is my favorite mangaka.

Kodama Naoko's work - Kodama-san has three titles that fit and I wasn't sure which would perk your interest the most. NTR is trashy teenage sexcapades about two women "practicing" physical intimacy with each other and enjoying it more than time with their boyfriends. Melodrama and teenage stupidity to the MAX. My review here. I Married My Best Friend to Shut My Parents Up is like the reverse of that: a fluffy, p mature rom-com about falling in love after marriage. Days of Love at Seagull Villa is a mix of the two, with melodrama, sexy silliness, but between two adults. Kodama-san is fond of ridiculous boob physics XD

Citrus - Speaking of trash, have you read Citrus yet? Yuzu comes home from school one day to discover her mom has remarried. She takes one look at her new step-sister Mei and realizes she's a lesbian lol. Just like, turn your brain off and settle in for a soap opera. I'll just link my review of this one because it's terrible but compelling. A Journey.

Even Though We're Adults - To end on a high note, Even Though We're Adults follows Ayano and Akari, who meet at a bar one night and let the sparks fly. Drawn to each other, they must decide how much of their comfortable lives they're willing to change; most notably Ayano has a husband!

Best of luck, Anon! It's a bright world out there.

[galaxydynamite]

i think i’ll talk about madelon some since they’re definitely the most fleshed out of my self inserts that i actively use (sorry blake i havent been fixated on gx in a while)

i will preface this with a warning for mentions of child death/possible miscarriage implications.

its something thats part of their backstory but if i presented it as intended to be told ingame it would be very vague e.g. “i was supposed to have two siblings, but… their souls are among the cyela lights now. ignes fatui, your father called them.”

during most of their childhood and early adult years they lived with their family in a certain district of rebena te ra, what is now old town - this district was particularly vulnerable to flooding from heavy rainfall, as the architecture was in a constant state of disrepair (blame the hierophant for not sending in anyone to repair it! that’s part of why it’s so overrun by miasma and monsters, an npc mentions this at one point)

when madelon was around 11-12 (think yuri and chelinka’s age after the timeskip) they happened upon a journal written by their mother, which revealed that they were supposed to have two siblings before them, but they died during childbirth. to honor these siblings they never had, madelon made twin dolls and transferred a part of their soul into each of them, dubbing the boy calca and the girl brina (because i love my mythology gags i guess - ring of fates’ plot DOES heavily involve the moon as well)

shortly after rela cyel was established, madelon intented to move there in order to study magic, partially as a means of protecting calca and brina. since they weren’t born a crystal user, on their own they have only mastered blizzara and fira, as well as a shield spell and the simple cure and clear spells - although by pooling their magic with their respective doll (calca for ice and brina for fire) they are able to cast the level three spells, blizzaga and firaga. thunder spells are notably missing from madelon’s skillset due to a childhood fear of thunderstorms they never conquered.

as an aside, due to the ‘sharing’ of the soul, madelon is able to control the dolls as if puppeteering them, but if one of them is significantly damaged, madelon will share the pain, and vice versa. as a result, madelon is very evasive when fighting and uses magic instead of close combat. they can communicate via telepathy (which would bring some nice interactions with chelinka, since she also communicates telepathically with the party members.) so instead of 'using' calca and brina, they exist alongside madelon, almost like parts of them.

as for their role in the game’s story! madelon became acquaintances and then trusted friends of sir latov and lady aleria, as well as meeth and alhanalem (whom they are closest to because of my obvious bias LMAO.) they, too, helped in establishing the villa outside of rebena te ra, and live in a small house on their own, near the cliff so they can see lake cyela. madelon has helped take care of yuri and chelinka since they were born as well, and their previous experience in tailoring doll clothes means that they often provide the family with new outfits — they do get a bit upset when the party commissions armor from the town shops, but their skill doesn’t extend to any sort of protective gear or clothing, so “it can’t be helped”, as they would say. (meeth and al have unique ~sentence enhancers~ to their soeech so. ifigured i’d give madelon one!) madelon also often accompanies alhanalem when he gathers medicinal herbs, because some of the plants that grow in the usual locations can be refined for dyes or similar materials.

i’m actually thinking of changing the scene where cu chaspel appears and kills sir latov because frankly i found him a boring antagonist except for his redeeming trait being that he’s voiced by liam o’brien, which was cool as hell. in my hypothetical version of events, the lich masquerades as alhanalem like she typically does, but latov’s death takes on a much more dramatic turn considering that someone wearing the face of one of the family’s closest friends (and al is for all intents and purposes just as much of a part of the family as latov and aleria are) ends up being the one to kill him. i don’t know whether i’ll commit to this change or not (i’m planning another playthrough on the day of the game’s anniversary, and i did have an idea for a yuri and chelinka roleswap au) but regardless of the version of events, madelon is taken by blackguards from the temple who wanted to eliminate anyone associated with the events that took place at rela cyel and were there during tilika’s sacrifice, whether or not they personally witnessed it or not. they then end up in the cavern underneath rebena te ra, with the crystals subjecting them to visions of every possible past, present, and future.

this is where i don’t have a totally clear idea of development now. if i go with ny possible rewrite, aleria’s role will be shifted around a little bit, so i had the idea that the hierophant could have used madelon as some sort of proxy to view all possible fates — essentially, all of them would be at his fingertips instead of having to rely on an oracle

[thuganomxcs]

pregnancy meme / accepting / @monmuses​ :“You are going to be a father.” [sets here from Yuri and runs]

Yusuke was currently eating his noodles, a recipe he's been working on, a broth that would blow away other ramen companies out of the water and it seems as though the fates were smiling on him on this day as it seems that he’s mastered his recipe. Then he heard Yuri’s voice ringing through the room, saying that she had news for him, oh knowing her it was probably that promotion she was looking forward to, she was such a hard worker so he wouldn’t be surprised if that was it. 

“I’m in the kitchen babe,, wait til ya taste this broth.” He spoke as he awaited her news. Sipping a little bit of broth in the meantime whilst she began preparing herself to give him the news. There were several things in her hand but at the moment he paid them no mind and continues sipping against his broth, adding just a little bit of spice to it and continues to stir the pot, raising the spoon once more to dab the warm broth against his forearm and prepped to taste it.

BUT she spoke, she told him he was going to be a father..the brought was not brought to his lips, and the wooden spoon that was once in his hand was now within the pot as his entire frame was just stiff as a board. “What? How in the hell did that even ha-” Then he remembered that ONE night, the ONE night. “Well shit..” They have always planned for little ones..but now?? “Holy shit..you mean this is really happening?” He reaches out for her hand, holding it gently. “Crap I’m about t’ be a father..oh shit..what if I fuck up?”

[fourleaf-artlocke-tracker]

HGSS - Stream #1

Stream began on 9/11 around 5:30 CST Announcement Tumblr Post

Stream Summary below the cut :3

Starter chosen! A Cyndaquil named Kettle! +1 Pokemon!

Ethan is Forrest, how fun! :3

After a long debate and one misspelt poll name (minon -fish) the rival is named! Wallow, the evil version of Willow who is Definitely Real and Willow totally didn't just commit those crimes. Totally. Yep. Awesome.

The rival's creature is name Potodile.... cute creature with pot on head

One time, it didn't talk to it's ingame mom before leaving and it felt so bad that it reset the game. That is a canon thing that they said. honestly real and canon.

The first encounter, a Pidgey! Named Moe Wings! +1 Pokemon!

An idea was tossed around about giving her yuri wings and a lot of history was discussed during the drawing of this creature!! very cute and a v fun segment

tbh i had to go get water and missed Poke Bowl's catching, but we got Poke Bowl the Metapod with only Harden! How fun :) + 1 Pokemon!

Soon after, Willow caught a Spinarak! Between the choices Bobbin and Spindle, it chose Bobbin! Personally, this guy is my favorite thus far :) + 1 Pokemon!

Then, we arrived in the Belsprout Tower! Thing! (idk ive never played HGSS) and caught a silly Ghastly! Dimple! Well, silly sure is a word for it. Watching this thing being animated was... interesting. :) + 1 Pokemon!

Mob Psycho Ghastly. Horrible. Higher resolution image because the people need to see this.

I agree, user keyboardTennis and user Plush0fairy.

Accidental creature jumpscare.......

Zubat encounter! We catch it with general ease! This name was a chat-name, and we chose Doctor LawRent. Awesome. Perfect. Darling baby. I would kill for her. She works a solid internship and wants to move her way up the corporate ladder. Good for her. Graduated with honors. +1 Pokemon!

oh my GOD its so low quality forgive me. pleasee…

The chat enticed Wyll with the Wooper, but the false prophet himself, a rodent. The allure of life, only to discover failure itself. Fate's cruel hands have touched this creature and have hurt the people. Velvet joins the team. + 1 Pokemon!

angry creature... and transgender.... and yuri with Moe Wings

Whoopass x Pidgay yuri mention!!! woo!!!! tragedy...

Willow realizes that the level cap is 13. Oh No...

"HE IS A BALL!!! He has nothing to drop but himself! and my standards of him..." - Willow 2k24

oh!

awesome!

Dimple almost dies soon after. 4 health vs a lvl3 Belsprout. Good job, Dimple. Woo!

Velvet x LawRent arises as the new yuri ship... OH AND POLYCULE IDEA HAS BEEN TOSSED INTO THE RING! WOOOOOOOO!!!

Willow defeats the tower's Elder Li!

it just tried to teahc flash to dimple oh no oh fuck oh NO

After a quick almost-death with Moe Wings, Willow dives into the gym! Falkner makes a great show of how bird pokemon are superior and then gets his first pokemon absolutely DESTROYED by Moe Wings.

Attempting a switch, Dimple is brought down to 4hp after a single gust. Swap out into Kettle, a few close-calls, and then the first gym badge is Willow's!

Rock Smash.... i want to rock smash in my skull for writing this

oh my god chills voice. what the hell. deku?

Willow uses hacker power. magic. i think. i dunno. they use their magical powers of inserting numbers into boxes to roll the Mareep egg in the word game...

oh my god it encounters a wooper after we've already got velvet... the true prophet watches our failures and laughs... laughs... laughs... on and on... but we are the fools, the jesters among the courts of man and it knows. It dances around our wishes and sets them ablaze. "No water types!" it screams and shouts.

hehe creature

they are all 5 pixels tall in his screenshot.... so tiny...

KETTLE EVOLUTION!!!! darling child baby boy.....

chills possession arc went crazy

litte creatures....

im going to be so fr rn. i did not watch the rest of the stream because i had work in the morning and did not want to stay until 12am for the HGSS anniversary... guys i have to pay my BILLS.

so if anyone was there and wants to submit a quick summary of the events then that transpired, then do tell me!!!

the stream is still ongoing if its september 11th so... :)

ADDED POKEMON: +7 LOST POKEMON: 0 NET POKEMON: +7

[hqmillioncorn]

FFxivWrite: Day nine.......Yawn!

‘Hope bloomed from the abyss.’

cherrypit had been two years old for a very very long time. but sometimes you just get used to how things are for a while  then you dont get used to it 

Cherrypit knew he was different from the other kids.

It was a little odd to have never come across any other children risking life and limb to save Eorzea or at least none of the ones he and Babycorn had ever run into had ever been as young as him. 

Most kids he and his sister ran into tended to hang around in one place and when Cherrypit asked a group of them in Ala Mhigo if any of them also had an imaginary best friend that taught them how to harness the power of darkness within them most of them looked at him like his head had fallen off.

(don’t ask how he knows what that look looks like)

In Cherrypit’s experience it always ended up the same way.

He would meet some new kids (most of the time they would be a few years older than him Sometimes they would be much older than him) They would talk about how cool it was that Babycorn was the Warrior of Light and how cool it must be to travel around with her.

“My friend told me the Warrior of Light is super strong!”

“Did she really fight a whoooole dragon?!”

“That’s nothing!I heard that the Warrior of Light is strong enough to fight a hundred dragons by herself!”

“Bebe has done all that and more!!!!” Cherrypit answered in his own way. Sometimes it would be hard to decipher what his excited baby babble was really saying, in these sorts of situations only Babycorn and those really close to him would be able to understand him.

In the situations other kids understood what Cherrypit was trying to get across they would ask him what cool things he saw traveling with Babycorn. The story Cherrypit always told was the one about how he and Babycorn once had to go through a jungle once and fight a bunch of monsters. And also eat cheese!

Then he would tell everyone about the time Babycorn let him break a really big rock.

He would then proceed to demonstrate how he broke said really big rock.

Since really big rocks weren’t too easy to find, Cherrypit always settled for cracking the ground beneath them. “Ta-da!” Then Cherrypit would turn around, his arms in the shape of claws and his face twisted and distorted in all sorts of different directions.

Cherrypit had come to expect that most people ran away screaming after that.

Sometimes he would get lucky. There were a handful of children that were fascinated by Cherrypit’s terrifying feats, though those were few and far between and Cherrypit would almost never see them again after that since he and Babycorn were quickly whisked someplace else.

Cherrypit was too caught up in making his own fun to let something like that bother him.

However, after their adventures in the First were done and everyone was finally back home, he and Babycorn decided to wander Eorzea for a hot minute just to see how things had been holding up in everyone’s absence. That’s when Cherrypit noticed something. All the kids he’d talked to in the past were growing up. Some of them had even gotten a lot taller now.

Almost all of them immediately recognized Cherrypit. It wasn’t too surprising, he had hardly changed at all over the years. Cherrypit overheard some people say this to Babycorn, her only response was to laugh nervously before she got all quiet.

Cherrypit still wanted to play with the kids who were older now. He tried to make his arms and legs bigger so he would be taller. He couldn’t maintain a stable shape to them and they ended up scaring them off.

“Where are you going?” Most of Cherrypit’s full sentences by now were just echoes of other things people have said around him. By now though, he was used to saying this particular string of words, in that order.

Most of the time Cherrypit was too busy having fun and running around to worry about things like that. His life didn’t feel any different than it would have if he was older and he liked to be small enough to crawl into places. Then he could pop out and scare people with a big loud BOO!

It also helped that he had friends at home too!

All the stuffed dolls and toys he had were his friends! Babycorn had taught him to treat his toys nicely and they would be nice to him back. It was a harmless lesson Babycorn told him so he wouldn’t be too rough with his toys and break them. She never would have imagined that Cherrypit had some sort of special way with dolls that made it seem they were alive.

Though, according to Cherrypit they were alive. Nobody had ever asked his toys before him.

Cherrypit was also friends with the other kids at home. They didn’t find him weird or scary at all! Not Colala, not Gyosei, and not Linnet! They were all his friends! Linnet was even a big fan of the tricks he could pull off and was always amazed at how he pulled them off.

Colala was the most like Cherrypit, though he wouldn’t catch on until years from now. For now she was a really good friend that with both of their heights combined-could reach even the tallest shelf! And though Cherrypit had to be reminded multiple times not to chase Gyosei too much, he enjoyed waddling behind her.

Cherrypit didn’t really mind that he was stuck like this, at least, not all the time.

There was one day when Cherrypit had overheard that Lunya was going to invite her own little brother, Taro, over for lunch that afternoon. Cherrypit ran around on the ceiling in excitement all morning and when the afternoon finally came he waited outside in the bushes with Babycorn to say hello to Taro.

They’d already met beforehand and Cherrypit thought that Taro was the coolest guy he’d ever met since he saw Estinien do that cool backflip once.

“Where? Where?” Cherrypit zipped his head from left to right looking for any signs of him.

Babycorn held her brother slightly above the ground as his feet wiggled in the air. “I know you’re excited to see him Cherry, but why don’t we let Taro and Lunya have their lunch before you go and say hi to him?” She knew as much as anyone did that sibling hang-out time was not to be interrupted.

“Okaaaayyyy” Cherrypit whined.

Babycorn and Cherrypit waved to Lunya as she walked past them to go say hi to Taro. Cherrypit noticed she was wearing a pink sundress and he tugged on Babycorn’s skirt to ask her if he could have one like it too. Babycorn nodded and smiled, promising to get one for him later.

As she carried him back into the house, Cherrypit looked behind her to see that Lunya and Taro were standing next to each other, talking with one another. 

Cherrypit had never really noticed it before because Taro had never stood next to Lunya in all the times he’d played with him but now that they were next to each other. It was easy to see that Taro was much taller than Lunya was.

That didn’t make sense. If Taro was Lunya’s little brother, how could he be bigger than her?

Taro was talking to Lunya, and Lunya was talking to Taro. Lunya didn’t need to pick him up to talk to him. It looked like they were having a lot of fun.

If things had been different, would he had been tall too?

Maybe he and Babycorn would still be adventuring together? If he was taller he would have been able to walk beside her everywhere. They wouldn’t have had to hide everywhere. No one would run away from him when he walked up to them. He would have so many friends.

Cherrypit didn’t realize it at the time but he had somehow tapped into something he was never meant to see.

There was white everywhere he turned to look, except for the dark chasm near his feet. Cherrypit tried to look to see what was on the other side of the cliff. 

There, clear as day, was his family. They were laughing and talking with each other. His mama and papa looked just like he remembered them but Babycorn looked like what she looked like just a few moments ago. Next to her was someone Cherrypit didn’t recognize but he knew who it was.

It was him. An older him.

They all looked like they were having so much fun…

Cherrypit didn’t stay there looking for long. It took a few seconds for him to blink back to his reality. Babycorn was still carrying him. “I hope Lunya saves some leftovers for us! I saw her making these cute little cakes and they looked so yummmyy!” Cherrypit had seen her decorating them too! They had strawberries on top!

“Bebe?” Cherrypit tapped on his sister’s head to get her attention.

“Hmm?” When Cherrypit made a motion to put him on the ground she gently set him down, “What’s up? Oh! Do you want a snack?” It was almost snack time.

Cherrypit shook his head and put his hand above his head as much as he could. When he felt that wasn’t enough he stretched out his arm and let his other appendages come out too. Babycorn would have to reapply his bandages but they had a lot of those now, unlike before.

“Am I big one day?” Cherrypit asked.

“Of course!” Babycorn didn’t miss a beat, nothing had changed her mind that one day Cherrypit would be able to grow up and do whatever he wanted to do with his life when he grew up. “You’re gonna get soooo tall Cherry! I know you will! Maybe you’ll even be taller than me!”

‘I’ll cry if that happens…But if it's what Cherry wants…’

“Tall! Tall! Big! I;m gonna be…big!” Cherrypit jumped up and down and waved his arms in the air. If Babycorn told him he was gonna be big one day, then of course he was gonna be! One day! Maybe even tomorrow! “Yay! Yay! Yaaaaaay!” he cheered.

“Woahwoahwoahwoahwoaowa! Cherry w-wait! N-Not with your arms like that! Noooo not the ceiling!!!” Babycorn zipped to the left to dodge a piece of the ceiling falling on her. 

It went right through the floor and into the basement. She looked down at the hole that now lead downstairs. “...I hope Coco won’t fall into this hole too…”

[yarichin-imagines]

I would love to be in a poly relationship with Jimmy and Yuri

Thank you so much for requesting! I didn’t know if you wanted a scenario or headcannons so I figured for right now, I’d do headcannons. If you want a scenario, or NSFW headcannons, let me know and I’ll gladly do them!

Poly relationship with Toru Fujisaki (Jimmy) and Ayato Yuri

So let’s start this out with how you met and got to know our good ol’ boy Yuri. It seems logical in my brain that he would be the first one you meet and actually have a friendship/relationship with between the two. Realistically, Toru would have an interest in whatever Yuri did. So if you weren’t involved with Yuri, chances are - Toru wouldn’t blink twice at you.

But any-who

Let’s sprinkle some of that fanfiction magic and say despite your gender or how you identify - you ended up at Morimori Academy. You fell from the sky like the angel you are. Or you climbed up from the depths of hell with a purpose. However you came, you ended up in the academy with your mind set on the photography club. Several of your classmates had hinted that you should join said club because its good for the entire school. 

So after joining the hot mess that is known as the photography club, you got the joy of laying eyes on the one and only Ayato Yuri. 

Your initial relationship with the pink haired sex maniac could go two ways depending on how you go about things. 

If your first response is to pull the same attitude as our lovely protagonist Toono, Yuri might find you interesting for only a small amount of time. If you don’t have much of an interest doing the horizontal tango, chances are that it might be a little difficult to form a bond with Yuri right off the bat. But if you’re resilient enough, and take time out of your day to hang out with him, he could grow attached to you very quickly.

Now let’s say you’re like me and would be an absolute HOE in this universe, Yuri would be itching to have a go with you. Your bond would be formed with the base being sex. And if you’re a switch, Yuri is gonna be star struck. In my opinion - it would be easier to form a bond with him this way because it’s an area of common ground while mixed with the chemicals that are released in your brain during sex. It makes him think about you in a very warm hearted way.

He finds himself wanting you to stay longer after each encounter the two of you have. You’d slide out of bed or off of any surface he decided was suitable for that tryst and begin to put your clothes on. And before you knew what was happening, he would be pulling you back to him and keep you by his side until he decides that the two of you probably need some kind of sustenance. 

You would know he was getting a soft spot for you if he began to appear more and more in the hours of your day to day life. Grabbing lunch in the cafeteria? He’s suddenly by your side probably stealing your dessert. Leaving your last class of the day? He’d already be outside, ready for a round in the sheets. 

The thing that would seal the deal for him and how he feels about you would be after you had a particularly rough session with another guy. You would be feeling pretty low since aftercare isn’t a thing of this universe apparently and your first thought would be to go to Yuri. Depending on what time of the day it is, you’d most likely find him in his room.

When he opens the door and sees you standing there covered in red marks with tears in your eyes, he would connect the dots pretty fast. We love our smart boy. 

I feel like he’d take a shower with you and wash you off. It’s his way of saying that whoever touched you - they are no longer on your skin. With Yuri, he shows he cares more than he tells you. He’s not quite good with words. He’d use his shower products and run the suds over every mark on your skin. He’d definitely was your hair too. 

Afterwards, he’d take you back to his dorm and bundle you up under his covers and watch your favorite movie with you on his phone. Of course you’d hardly be able to focus when he’s always leaning over begging for kisses.

But after you went to sleep, I definitely think he’d stare at you - his mind racing. I think it’s hard for Yuri to put things together (outside of schoolwork) so his mind would be racing all night with different thoughts. But in the end, I think he’d whisper in your ear as you slept that he would continue to protect you.

The next morning, you’d probably wake up alone. He doesn’t tend to sleep much or when he does, he’s a restless sleeper. So he’d most likely wake up long before you. 

But - as you’re getting dressed, you’d find one of his rings placed perfectly on one of your fingers. Now it’s your turn to connect the dots. I absolutely do not think Yuri would come right out and confess and ask you to date him. I don’t even think the two of you would have a basic run-of-the-mill relationship. I think the closest thing to what the two of you would have is on open relationship?

Yuri tends to do his own thing and he would expect you to do the same. Continue to be a hoe, he’d like that. But!! You’d be the only person that would be allowed to see him vulnerable or to sleep with him in his bed. That is something he would keep between the two of you.

Now when Toru comes into the picture, things would shift drastically. Initially, he would only find an interest in Yuri. If we continue down the plot of the manga, Yuri would still save him from the rooftop that fateful day. So of course Toru would take a liking to him.

From his stalking ways, he would soon find out that you were the only person going into Yuri’s room each and every night. That is what stirs the burning feeling of jealousy inside him. He wanted to be in your shoes. He wanted to be that close to Yuri.

One day after sneaking into Yuri’s room, he’d stay in there long enough to hear your giggles as Yuri pulls you into his room after dinner. He’d be the one to witness how Yuri let you take out his piercings to soak them in cleaner or how he would let you paint his nails. And from his place under the bed, he’d finally realize that whatever the two of you had, it was pure. 

When he saw how you’d take care of Yuri - physically as well as mentally and emotionally - that is when he started to look at you differently as well. Toru knows that he is not in the right head space and a small part of him starts to crave the warmth and affection that you give Yuri.

That is how his obsession with you began.

Yuri, being the smart cookie that he is, he would catch on very quickly to how Toru’s eyes drifted over you every time Yuri would look his way. And while many guys looked at you throughout the day, there was something different in Toru’s gaze. A longing that no other guy had.

Soon after Yuri began bumping uglies with Toru, he would begin to form a plan. If the way the other male stared at you had anything to do with how he felt, Yuri was going to sniff out whatever it was that Toru was feeling.

Yuri would definitely feel a little protective at first. He cares for you deeply and would not want anything to happen to you at the hands of Toru. 

But when he finds himself also starting to care for the blushing man, he would feel conflicted. All his plans would quickly fall apart as a sense of fear and paranoia filled his mind. It is never in his intentions to hurt you and he feels that Toru having a place in his heart would really bring you down. He knows that you are okay with all of his other sexual escapades simply because you know Yuri does not care for them. But sleeping with Toru while he has feelings for him - Yuri would view that as betraying you in a way.

But you on the other hand - had taken an interest in Toru as well.

His heart almost stopped when he joined you for lunch one day and found you laughing and talking with Toru. When he sat down, you turned to him and almost out of the blue - you asked him if the dark haired male could join you in the bedroom one night. When Yuri nodded, you simply cheered and went back to talking to Toru.

After several interesting nights with the two of them, you could see how Yuri reacted to the other male. It was almost how he started with you. You knew that Yuri would never purposely hurt you. But you could also see what drew Yuri to him in the first place. Toru was a shy boy, never really knowing how to voice his emotions without crying. You felt the pull towards him as well in terms of wanting to care for him. And the sex was always great - that was a bonus.

The more you watched the two of them interact - the more your heart warmed. There was no way you could split them apart. When you entered Yuri’s dorm one night to find him putting Toru in a chokehold with his thighs - simply because Toru wouldn’t let Yuri pierce his ears. And with that, your decision was final.

After an intense round one night, you lay snuggled between the two as you all attempted to catch your breath. There was such a serene quiet over the room that you figured now would be the best time to confront the two about their feelings. So as you played with Toru’s hair as he rested his head on your chest, you craned your neck to look at Yuri where he lay spread out towards the end of bed - his head on your thigh. 

When you confess to knowing about how they feel about each other, both of them would suddenly be on high alert. Yuri would be scared that you were about to leave him and Toru was scared that he might get his ass beat. But when you confess that you like the both of them too and wanted to stay like this with them for a while, they both would look at each other before smiling widely.

It feels good to be accepted for who you are and what you love so when you validate their feelings, they will be on cloud nine.

And tbh, the three of you would be the school power poly couple. I don’t think anyone would mess with you considering Toru would literally fly out of nowhere - ready to beat some ass for you. And Yuri would be the life of the relationship, never letting there be a dull moment.

And now I am going to go cry in the corner because I know I will never get this. Ever.

I hope you enjoyed! I got really caught up in how the relationship came to be and not enough on the dating aspects if the three of you were already together. So if you want a continuation, do not hesitate to send a request in!

- Admin Pinky

[tare-anime]

A silly idea pop up in my head, greatly inspired by dancingpineapples fic: A Rose by Any Other Name Go read that amazing Regency AU! Summary:  Yor has been taking care of unwell Yuri for three days. She promised to always called the Forger residence to check on the family at a certain time. But today the phone didn’t ring. (AO3) ------------

Yuri stirred awake slowly, and he realized that for the first time since the last couple days, he felt light and his head didn’t pound anymore. The black haired man then opened his eyes and in a much better mood looked at the concerned face with blue eyes at his bedside.

Wait a minute.

“Hey. How are you feeling?” The man at his side asked him.

Ah… so apparently I'm still dreaming. It is impossible that this man was watching over me during my sick time. Tsk. Such a terrible nightmare.

Yuri then sank back to his pillow, and closed his eyes.

After taking a deep breath for several minutes, once again he opened his eyes. This time he double checked.

Head pound. Gone.

Nasal congestion. Gone.

Body ache. Gone.

The ceiling. Mine.

The bed. Mine.

The person that had been taking care of me…….

The young man turned to his side and saw none other than…..

“LoiLoi!!!” He shouted and abruptly sat up, “What are you doing here?! Where is my sister??!!”

“SHHH!!!” Loid put his finger in his mouth, then pointed in the direction of the couch at the corner of the younger man’s studio apartment.

The younger Briar then turned his head following the direction pointed, and was relieved to see that Yor was fast asleep at the couch. Covered in blankets.

“So I see that you’ve recovered. I’m glad.”

“Thanks to my sister. Not you!”

Loid chuckled, “Obviously. But did she get enough rest while she took care of you?”

“Of course!! I’m not a child who needs to be watched 24 hours a day!”

The elder man glanced at the sleeping woman and muttered, “I can see that.”

Yuri growled at the silent accusation, “I’ll let you know that I-...”

But the elder one didn’t get him to finish his sentence as he got up and walked toward the kitchen area, “So, are you hungry?”

The younger Briar gritted his teeth, “I’m not going to eat anything made by you!”

Loid again chuckled as he took a bowl and put a big spoonful of the dish from the pot, “This Southern Stew is Yor’s specialty. I cannot make this.”

Despite growling at the elder man, Yuri couldn’t stop the sparks in his eyes when he received the bowl, and within minutes finished the dish.

Just when the younger man relished the warm taste of the stew, the elder one needed to ruin the moment by speaking, “I can see that you also had your appetite back.”

“Like I said, I’ve recovered," He spat, but didn't fight back when Loid took the empty bowl from his hand, and refilled it with another portion.

"How did you know where I live?" The red eyed boy asked while receiving the bowl.

Loid lifted his brows, and answered, "Yor told me."

There's several seconds of pause there!  

"You lied!" The SSS officers accused the spy, "Why would my sister tell you about my place?"

There's a little twitch at the corner of Loid's eyes, when he answered, "Why wouldn't she? She's my wife, and that makes you my brother. My family."

Yuri really felt uncomfortable hearing the man flawlessly relaying the reasons. The fact that it was true that by marrying his sister, this good for nothing man did become his family too, didn't feel right to him. But Yuri couldn't retort. He blamed his sluggish brain for that.

So he chose to glare at the man before him, "Tsk. I'm fine now. You can go home."

Loid then lifted up both of his hands, "Okay… okay, I'll immediately go home after fixing your door. I’ll pick your sister up tomorrow morning."

Loid then stood up and went to the direction of the door.

"Yeah, just do tha-...." Yuri blinked, "What do you mean by 'fixing my door'?"

Then something clicked.

Hey, how the hell did he manage to get in?

Loid sheepishly scratched the back of his neck, "Well….. I didn't have the key. And since nobody answered my call, I had to think of the most efficient way of coming in…."

Yuri gawked when he saw the state of his apartment door, "You whaaat??!!"

---------------------------------

( A little earlier that day….)

Frankie was pulling the folding door to close his tobacco shop when a hand stopped him in doing so.

Glancing up, he met with a panting Twilight.

Lifting his brows, the shorter man silently asked why he was there.

Twilight then shoved a stack of cash in his face and whispered, "I need Yuri Briar's address. Fast."

"Whoa…. Calm down," Frankie furrowed his brow and eyeing the amount of money being offered, "Why don't you just ask Yor?"

"She's supposed to be with him right now."

"Then why would you need his address? Nothing will go wrong when the sister is in her brother's home."

"Look, Frankie, just gimme the address….."

Most of the time as an informant, Frankie wouldn't care less of what his information would be used by the spy. But this time, his conscience kicked in. It was not right to disturb a reunion between siblings if there were no urgent reasons behind it.

So instead of giving what the spy wanted, Frankie opted to fold his arm and lean on his shop's door frame, "Why?"

Twilight growled in frustration, "Operation Strix's fate is on the line here, Frankie…."

"If Yor didn't give you the address, then there's a possibility that she didn't want to get disturbed. So you better tell me the urgent reason, or else…."

The blond man sighed and finally relented, "Fine. Yuri is sick, and Yor went to his apartment to take care of him."

"So???"

"This is the third day she took care of him."

"And which part is wrong with that?"

"The part where we play as good husband and wife. She promised to call me each day at our agreeable time. Today she didn't."

Ah….. he misses her….

"People might get suspicious if suddenly a wife doesn't contact the husband. And this is the SSS officers house we're talking about."

And he worries about her…..

"If other SSS officers sniffed about these oddities, Operation Strix's fate is in danger!"

Frankie gave Twilight a ridiculous look when hearing all the lousy excuses. The informant then sighed and asked, "And what is the time she usually called?"

"4 pm."

He glanced at the clock in his shop, "That's not even an hour late yet….."

"Here, I'll double the amount. Just gimme the address already."

Taking a deep breath, Frankie then took a piece of paper, wrote down the address, and gave it to him, "Look, just don't make any scene, allright?"

"Of course! I'm just playing my part as the good husband."

Frankie just shook his head.

"Oh, and this is the key to my apartment. Anya should be home in an hour."

The shorter man just took the key and waved at the already running figure.

[philliamwrites]

The Dawn Will Come [Chpt.1]

Fandom: Fire Emblem Three Houses

Pairing: Dimitri x Reader, Claude x Reader, Edelgard x Reader, Yuri x Reader, Edelgard x Byleth, lots of minor pairings

Tags: #gn reader, # platonic love byleth & reader, #reader is a tactical unit, #angst, #slow burn, #subplots, #unreliable narrator, #pining, #remporary amnesia, #reluctant herp, #canon divergence, #lost twin au, #many chapters, #original content

Words: 5.2k

Summary: Waking up in a forest without any knowledge of your past and who you are, you join the house leaders of the Officers Academy to search for a way to return your memories. Unfortunately, the church has different plans for you, and Fate places you in the centre of a cruel game with deadly stakes. It certainly doesn't help to fall in love with a house leader who is doomed to be your demise.

Notes: Chapter 2 There’s also a playlist for this story that you can find here and here.

Chapter 01: A High Destiny

A high destiny seemed to bear me on until I fell, never, never again to rise.

[Mary W. Shelley, Frankenstein]

    It starts as it will end: in darkness.

    Black dots dance in front of your eyes, merging into dark shadows clawing at your consciousness. A dull throb pounds in your temple, a steady rhythm that speaks of life but isn’t enough to allow awareness of your surroundings. Memory is a foreign word you can’t explain, and trying to think of the past 24 hours is an unachievable task. Every glimpse slips through your fingers like sand, and the only steady reference point is the solid ground pressing into your hands and back.

    Slowly, you open your eyes. Treetops dance in the wind, towering above you like silent guardians of ancient times. The sun winks at you through thick branchesa and dancing green crowns, indicating it’s long past daybreak—but how do you know? Your memory is still a vast pool with no bottom and no means to dive into, and yet you think there’s a voice calling out to you, a heart-wrenching young, boyish voice—no, those are real voices ringing through the woods, appearing close to you. Alarmingly close.

    “You’re awake,” a woman’s voice starts, moments later followed by a corresponding face. Round, lavender eyes surrounded by thick, white lashes peak from above at you, blinking curiously. It’s an expression far from friendly, but not exactly hostile either, and of all the things you can think of at this moment, it is how strikingly beautiful she is. But before you can say anything, another person joins, leaning too close in for comfort.

    “You got us worried there, stranger,” a young man chimes in, squatting down beside you. His uniform isn’t exactly what you’d call fit for travelling through the woods. A heavy yellow cape falls over his shoulder, more fanciful display than practical use. But something in his posture seems very attentive, his broad shoulders taut like a drawn bowstring that won’t miss its target. “Weird place to take a nap, but hey, I’m not judging.”

    “I wasn’t—” you start, immediately struck by a throbbing pain behind your right eye that reverberates through your skull and wretches a groan from you.

    “Take it easy,” another voice joins, and panic spreads through you because of the amount of people surrounding you. Where the first man is a picture of warm colours—gold and sun kissed skin nourished on warm summer days, the other man observing you with a worried expression is clad in blue and black, blond hair falling into a pale face that carries the most striking blue eyes you’ve ever seen. Or so you think, because surely a colour like this, a blue stolen right out of the sky, wouldn’t be easily forgotten.

    More movement and rustling of fabric, and a chill settles in your bones as you begin to fear that you’ve run into a bunch of ruffians who’ve only kept you alive for so long because they’re hoping for valuable information. More people emerge from the underbrush, carrying large sacks and backpacks with billycans dangling at their sides. Among them, a tall man with a beard, clad in robust mercenary’s gear, steps forward, concealing another young woman with sharp features and unusual greenish blue hair.

    The sight of her strikes you like a bolt. It tastes like familiarity and the relief of being reunited with a long lost friend. But that is impossible. This is the first time you meet her.

    Is it?

    “You brats, I told you not to head off too far,” the older man bellows, crossing logs for arms in front of his broad chest. The first three take one big, polite step away from you, but don’t look apologetic at all.

    “I’m sorry for our hastiness, Captain Jeralt,” the girl says, her eyes darting from you still sitting on the ground to him towering in his full height above them. “But it seems we would have otherwise not found this person.”

    “This person who wasn’t really much conscious a couple of minutes ago,” the boy in yellow adds with a crooked grin. “How bad would it have been if someone else would have beaten us to it?”

    “No need to make me look like the bad guy,” Captain Jeralt interrupts with a raised hand before the boy in blue can join his friends' justifications. Instead, he turns to you and regards you with a scrutinising look.

    “What are you doing out here?” he demands. “Where’s your family? Friends?”

    “Uhm, they’re—” you start, but nothing comes to your mind. Not only that. You don’t know why you’re out here, where you are exactly … and basically anything that should come to you about your own person remains shrouded in darkness. “I don’t know.”

    Jeralt nods like that explains the very reason you’re still sitting on the ground like a misplaced cargo of cabbage. He kneads the nape of his neck, his face softening the tiniest bit. “And what’s your name?”

    Unable to hold his piercing eyes, you drop your gaze to the ground, curling your trembling fingers into the fabric of your wool jacket. “I, uh… don’t know.”

    If you thought you didn’t have their attention before, now their eyes are glued on your face in different levels of shock and disbelief.

    “A case of amnesia?” the blond male says, not quite managing to achieve the right balance between blatant curiosity and polite worry. “Does this mean you have nowhere to go? Don’tknow where to go?”

    “Goddess help you, Dimitri,” the other boy groans, running a hand through his short, brown hair. “Be any more tactless, will ya?”

    “He isn’t wrong,” the girl says, observing you like you’re a fascinating new specimen in her collection of strange things. “You need a place to stay. And help until your memories return.”

    If they return, you don’t dare to say because despite all things, hope still clings to you in the deepest corner of your heart, not allowing you to follow that train of thought and what it will mean for your future.

    “Then by all means, if you want to join,” Jeralt says, waving a dismissive hand in your direction. “I don’t think you kids accept a No, so I’m going to save my breath.” He turns around with a grunt. “Get them your horse, Byleth. We’re late as it is, and another night of Alois talking my ears off will make me do something I’ll regret.”

    The woman called Byleth keeps staring at you even as Jeralt walks past her and gives her shoulder a solid clap. You can’t say if she’s mute or just speechless because she’s filled with the same strange overflowing sensation like you: like a basin filling with water but unable to drain off. It appears you’re the same age, a couple of years older than the other three but still much younger than Jeralt, and yet the moment your eyes lock, it feels like there is something far older than any of you together passing between you. Something ancient.

    “Well, first off, on your feet, little one.” Strong hands curl around your elbows, hoisting you up in one swift movement. A wave of dizziness hits you like an unavoidable spell, and the pounding from before settles back behind your right eye.

    “Amazing, Claude,” the girl hisses, and quickly steps forward to steady you, pressing one hand against the small of your back where her strong fingers curl against the curve of your spine. Her other hand gently holds yours as she helps you regain your balance. “Excuse his manners. I promise not everyone from the Officers Academy behaves like a brute.”

    “The what now?” you ask, hit by another wave of dizziness that might originate more from the girl’s soft lavender fragrance rather than the world spinning around you.

    “The Officers Academy at Garreg Mach Monastery,” Dimitri provides this time. His posture is straight like an arrow, the stance of a soldier speaking to his officer. “That is where we attend as students and hence are going right now.”

    “And you want me to come with you?” you ask like you have the option to refuse and go somewhere else. Strangely, the thought of joining a group of armed knights and mercenaries doesn’t fill you with fear or anxiety. You’re about to tread into foreign waters, and yet your heart is calm like a still compass guiding you in the right direction.

    Claude clasps his hands behind his head like he’s got nothing to do with you feeling unwell at the moment. “Unless you have another place to be?”

    Luckily, your head does come clear and breathing becomes a little easier. You nod to the girl and she holds you a second longer before she nods back and lets go. “I guess not,” you mumble, looking at each one of them. Byleth still hasn’t moved. By now you can’t really tell if she’s looking at you or through you. Surely, she would have said something by now if she thought you were familiar, right?

    “Then it’s settled.” The girl nods solemnly, throwing her silky, white hair over her shoulder. “We welcome you in our company. Allow me to introduce myself. I am Edelgard von Hresvelg, heir to the Adrestian Empire.” Edelgard gives you a tight-lipped smile that quickly thins into a white line when the other two introduce themselves as Claude von Riegan, grandson of the Sovereign Duke of the Leicester Alliance and Dimitri Alexandre Blaiddyd, future king to the Holy Kingdom of Faerghus. None of these names ring a bell to you, but you nod, pretending to know exactly what they're talking about.

    “Okay, we need a name for you as well,” Claude proposes, tapping a slender finger against his chin. He has a strikingly sharp jaw that looks fit to cut stone. “Can’t have everyone call you stranger or little one now, can we?”

    “No,” you say. “Especially since we’re about the same height.”

    Claude laughs like you just told him the best joke he’s heard in years. “Soo, since we found you here … how about Glade? Or Woody?”

    “How about no,” you say with furrowed eyebrows.

    “Apologies.” Edeglard sighs and shakes her head, her expression a mix between disappointment and annoyance. “Claude isn’t much accustomed to the notion of consideration.”

    Claude rolls his eyes. “Then you come up with something, princess. Or is it impossible because you can’t take out the stick up your—”

    “Claude,” Dimitri half shrieks, his pale cheeks splotched with red dots. As he stumbles over his own words trying to apologise for Claude’s behaviour, Edelgard simply deadpans, “Bold words for someone in stabbing range.”

    The fourth in this round of strange people considers you with a blank expression, her steady gaze like a solid touch on your skin. Before a greater argument can break free between the students, Byleth says a name with a surety like she’s never said anything else in her life, and hearing it, this barely whispered word immediately lost to the wind, you just know it’s your name.

    “Yes, much better than what Claude proposed.” Dimitri nods, regaining his composure even though he’s still staring daggers at Claude. “It sounds more civilised as well.”

    “You didn’t even suggest anything,” Claude remarks, but the huff of annoyance quickly dissipates from his voice when he jerks a thumb towards Byleth. “That’s Byleth, by the way. Funny story is, we met her just a couple of hours ago as well.”

    “Fate must have brought us together here today,” Dimitri agrees with a solemn nod. “I swear on my honour as a noble knight from the Holy Kingdom of Faerghus that I will see you safe to the Monastery. Lady Rhea will surely be able to help you there.”

    “Okay. Thank you,” you manage, unable to connect a face to this name in your head that feels like it’s about to burst any second anyway. The only course of action lies within those strangers who are so willingly offering help that you can’t stop worrying it’s a ruse. But without anything to offer them except your life, there’s little coming to your mind that they can anticipate in taking you with them. Tthe fact that Byleth knew your name doesn’t sit right with you as well. There’s something waiting to be grasped at the tips of your fingers, and yet you lack the strength to embrace it.

    Following the little group of soldiers and students through the woods, you remain silent on the journey, only answering questions with approving or denying hums. How did you end up in this particular forest? According to Jeralt, you’re currently moving away from a village called Remire and towards the mountains to the northeast where the monastery lies tucked away between two mountains. Judging from the clothes you’re wearing, you’re a commoner, and when Edelgard pushed a slim dagger in your hand, nothing rung in intuitive knowledge about how to handle a weapon. Your mind remained silent, like an untouched chord.

    There’s little you can say about the first impression those people left on you. There seems to be a unanimous dispute between the three students, hanging palpable in the air whenever an argument starts that’s pregnant with implied insults or passive-aggressive comments. From that you gather there’s tension between the governing fractions in Fódlan, something else you’ve learnt from listening to them squabbling.

    Byleth and Jeralt acknowledge their bickering as if it was flies buzzing around their heads. They keep more to themselves and their mercenary comrades, indicating they’re really as much of strangers to the students as you. Their conversations are a lot quieter as well, their heads leaning close together for the illusion of privacy. More than once you notice Byleth sneaking glances in your direction, and every time you lock eyes, there’s something close to comprehension when she looks at you. The further you march through the woods, the less you try to meet her gaze. Reaching the monastery is the first step to regain who you are, or so you hope, because the opposite would mean you’ll continue stumbling through the darkness with no lead to your past or why you’re in this particular part of Fódlan, and you can only hope that this Rhea person really will be able to help you.

    A sound from the underbrush cuts through your thoughts.

    Thinking it might be an animal, you don’t let it bother you too much. No one else seems to have heard it, so maybe it was just your imagination. But your brain refuses to let it rest, and fails to push it away from your mind because something about the sound doesn’t seem to be right. The more you try to focus on it though, the blurrier it gets; the less you understand its origin.

    Then, you hear a voice from within the woods. It sounds like a slurred whisper.

    “What was that?” You stop in the middle of the road, looking around the thick trees. Claude barely manages to avoid walking into you. “What was what?”

    “There’s something here.” Unable to explain further, you wave your hand around for emphasis. He looks at your hand, incomprehension written all over his face. “And that something is what exactly?” he asks.

    “I don’t know.” You wave your hand wilder. “But I don’t have a good feeling venturing further.”

    “You may be still tired,” Edelgard offers, not hiding her irritation that the journey stopped. “It won’t be long until we reach Garreg Mach. You can rest however long you need inside the monastery’s infirmary.”

    “I’m not tired,” you hiss, hand falling back to your side where it clenches into a fist. “I just really don’t think we should go further for now.”

    “And why is that?” Dimitri inquirers. He raises a hand and the soldiers following them come to a halt, a murmur of unrest breathing through their lines, and it’s just enough that you question if it would be better to play if off and admit your mind is playing tricks on you due to exhaustion.

    But whenever you blink, a red veil falls over your right eye, blurring your surroundings. Little red dots move slowly in the distance through the forest. If you didn’t know better, you’d say it’s some sort of life form far away, slowly advancing on your position. “Because someone is coming,” you finally manage, scratching the thin skin below your irritated eye that’s started twitching slightly. “Someone is coming towards us from southwest. And I can’t say if they’re friendly or not.”

    Three pairs of eyes consider you like you’ve grown a second head. Only Byleth stares into the woods like she might find the strangers you’re talking about waiting behind the trees if she just looks hard enough.

    “Little one, are you sure this isn’t just an aftereffect from you hitting your head?” Claude offers, squinting into the woods. You’re pretty sure he’s staring directly at the moving dots but for whatever reason can’t see them.

    “Unless amnesia is suddenly another term for going crazy, I don’t think so,” you snap, unable to hold back the irritation raising to the surface.

    A whistle echoes through the tree crowns. Byleth snaps her head in the direction of the sound, growing all tense. She raises her hand into a tight fist, and all movement stills behind you. When you turn around, you see the mercenaries waiting in the underbrush like a flock of crows ready to swipe down on their prey. Jeralt breaks away from them and approaches Byleth, a frown cutting a deep wrinkle into his forehead.

    “Bandits,” he says, and quickly signs a hand gesture to the nearest bowman. He nods and disappears between trees. “Another mile away. If we stay on this road, we’ll walk right into them.”

    “Seven hundred feet, actually,” you blurt. Jeralt looks at you like you’re a cockroach under his boot. Another whistle cuts through the woods, one long followed quickly by two short. Byleth exhales audibly, and only now you notice she’s moved to stand beside you. “Seven hundred feet,” she mutters, her eyes fixed on you.

    Jeralt tenses. “How do you know, kid?”

    “I don’t know,” you mumble towards your boots. “I just see.”

    There’s an uncomfortable silence falling around you, and you’re too afraid to look up and read distrust in their eyes.

    “Does it matter?” Claude finally breaks the silence, sliding his bow from his shoulder. “They won’t be a problem with the knights and mercenaries on our side.” He jerks his chin towards Byleth, already plugging an arrow from his quiver. “You should really see her fight.”

    “Wait,” you say, reflexively reaching for the hem of his cape. “Don’t engage them yet.”

    Claude stops, one eyebrow arched up in a curve. “Beg your pardon?”

    “They come from the woods. Which means this is their hunting ground and they have the advantage. They have dozens of archers. I think they’re waiting until you reach a glade. And then open fire.”

    “Which means we’ll end up as skewers.” Claude scratches his chin and twirls the arrow between his slender fingers. “I can think of better ways to shuffle off this mortal coil.”

    Dimitri perks up. “You’ve read the Tale of Hamelot I gave you?”

    “I’ll give it a six out of ten. His soliloquies were awful.”

    “Boys.” Edelgard snaps her fingers impatiently as Dimitri opens his mouth to protest. “Not the time.” She takes your wrist and pulls it away from Claude’s cape, her hard gaze like a sharp knife. “Are we simply ignoring the fact that we have someone in our midst knowing the enemies’ movement and deployment?” she cuts in harshly. “Is this a plan to lure us into an ambush?”

    “You think someone would give away their comrades’ position just like that?” Claude eyes her wearily. “Don’t be so suspicious of everyone.”

    She glares at him. “I rather be suspicious than dead.”

    Which is a valid point and a trait you willingly admit to share with her, but that doesn’t really solve the problem at hand. Luckily, Dimitri seems to think the same. He doesn’t unfasten the spear on his back yet, but his fingers dance swiftly over the handle, immediately resting on where he can easily pull it from the straps if needed to strike down an enemy. “Fact is enemies are approaching,” he concludes, looking at his fellow students in search for a consensual ceasefire. “We must put an end to them before they target defenceless travellers on their way out of the forest.”

    “Spoken like a true crowd-pleaser,” Claude says, either unable or not caring to hide the mock in his voice. “We can resolve our new friend’s condition after we take down the enemy.”

    “I don’t agree with this,” Edelgard declares, but nonetheless unclasps the double-bit axe from her back and swings it on her shoulder like it weighs nothing. “But I accept that this is a more pressing issue.” The easiness in the movement robs your lungs of air, and even though there are more important matters to focus on, you wonder how her muscles play under her black uniform swinging around a thing like that. Your admiration comes to a quick end when Jeralt and Byleth close the circle. Her hand rests on the hilt of a short blade as she scans the underbrush, her body rigid with battle anticipation.

    “Let them come to us,” Jeralt announces. “Let them think they have the advantage.”

    “Your knigths over there move slow through the woods,” you say, gesturing at the waiting man clad in heavy armour and armed with shields. “But their amour can resist some stray arrows coming down on us. It’s the rearguard that will take them by surprise from another direction and—”

    “And charge their flank or rear to finish them off,” Jeralt ends with a crude nod. “Indirect approach. I thought of that as well.”

    Your mouth goes dry. The idea plopped seemingly out of nowhere in your mind, but yes, now that you think about it, that is the indirect approach tactic, first recorded after the Battle of Nicaea in … Faerghus? Or was it Adrestia? The picture in your mind is still blurry, but now you can make out definite lines of objects: Books with drawn pictures of pointing arrows and coloured lines, each lettered with a name or an approach in a neat handwriting that isn’t yours. The picture triggers another wave of dizziness, disappearing as fast as it appeared.

    “They’re going to faint in three, two, one…” Claude’s voice rips you back to the present. You glare at him and raise a fist to show how close to fainting you really are. He only laughs at the tiny fist in front of his face.

    “Enough brats, get into position,” Jeralt bellows, and the students scatter with a bouncing step in all their strides as they take the lead of a small unit.

    You’re about to retreat to the furthest point away from battle when Jeralt blocks the way. “Not you. You’re going with Byleth.”

    “I’m what?”

    “Byleth,” Jeralt nods to the young woman ahead of you, “will be the commanding unit and you’ll help her.”

    The world tilts a little as panic takes hold of you. “I can’t. I don’t know how to fight.”

    “You seem to know enough to plan a counterattack.”

    “That doesn’t mean anything.” Your voice sounds horribly piercing even to your own ears. “It was just a lucky guess.”

    “I don’t know what’s the deal with you,” Jeralt says with a finality to his voice that doesn’t allow objection, and this time you clearly see the head of a mercenary guild, one that gives commands with every breath. “But that wasn’t a lucky guess. You see what it needs to win a battle. So you guide them.”

    He turns around sharply and leaves, not bothering to check if you plan to abandon them. It’s madness. You should abandon these people, should flee from the fight that will demand blood and death. One, two, three … six steps and you’re standing beside Byleth, taking deep breaths. It doesn’t help. She eyes you sideways with a raised brow, and you flinch at the metallic rasping sound as she draws her sword.

    “I shouldn’t be here,” you mumble, staring into the woods. The red dots are approaching faster, forming into more recognisable features of humans. “I’m going to die. Without knowing who I am or why I’m here. This is the worst day of my life. I think. I don’t know. It has to be.”

    Byleth hums beside you. You can’t tell if it’s a thoughtful or an affirmative hum. “This might sound crazy, but I do trust you.”

    “Maybe you shouldn’t,” you say, struck by a sudden fear that this all is a fever dream and you're about to lead them into ruin. It’s enough that you don’t even notice this is the first time you two are talking to each other since your meeting.

    Byleth studies you out of the corner of her eyes, then says, “A very persistent voice inside me tells me I shouldn’t.”

    “That’s your survival instinct. Listen to it.”

    “Yeah,” Byleth says, and there’s something like a faint smile tugging at the corners of her lips. You blink and it's gone. “I might do that.”

    You don’t really understand what’s there to smile about, but the moment quickly disappears as silence settles, only occasionally disturbed by a bird sitting in the trees above you.

    “So what exactly do you see?” Byleth whispers after a moment, barely shifting in her crouching position. You on the other hand really want to move your legs before they go numb.

    “I don’t know why you guys even believe me,” you mumble, and pinch the bridge of your nose with your fingers, trying to stave off another rush of dizziness. “And I don’t understand it myself. It’s the opponent, in a way. I see their strengths and weaknesses, their amour and weapons. It’s like … it’s like the flow of battle is displayed in front of me.”

    Byleth hesitates a moment, then nods like everything is pretty much self-explanatory. You wonder if to her it really does sound plausible, as she is someone who is practically born in battle, a daughter to a mercenary who breathes battle and fighting. Before you can explain anything further, she ducks more into the bushes and silences you with a sharp hush, her body tensed. The first bandits approach the glade, their bows and arrows ready to strike as the Academy’s knights engage them. Swords and axes clash against each other, battle cries ring through the woods. Byleth gestures you to follow her, and out of the corner of your eyes you see the students do the same, moving around the bandits. From the distance, you notice Claude gesturing wildly. It’s a mix between pointing at himself and then at the space a couple of feet away from his unit, and though you’re unable to fully comprehend it, you shake your head. He gives a thumbs up and slows down until he halts inside the thick cover of ferns.

    Just when you reach the right angle, Byleth looks back at you, waiting for your approval, and after briefly hesitating, you signal with a short nod to attack. Edelgard is the first to emerge from the underbrush. She has a dancer’s grace and a seemingly unerring instinct for what her opponent will do next. Her axe cuts through the first bandits who are too surprised to regroup in time. Dimitri and Claude are quickly to follow her. The crown prince of Faerghus wields his weapon of choice like he’s never done anything else in his entire life. The spear is the instrument to a deadly song they know by heart, and whoever stands in the way of their melody is cut down swiftly. Claude doesn’t disappoint with his steady aim either, his eyes sharper than an eagle’s. He nocks his bow, draws and impales a bandit that’s been running toward a mercenary with a crooked nose and eye patch. The mercenary gives him an offhand salute and goes back to fighting a thug twice his size.

    And then there’s Byleth. At first you don’t see her as the battle’s chaos swallows her and she disappears between moving bodies. But once your eyes catch up to her again, it’s hard to look away. Byleth moves through the enemies’ lines like an avenging angel on a mission. Her sword arm causes havoc as it conducts the tact of death’s complicated choreography and one by one the bandits fall to her deadly dance. Strangely, what describes it the best, you think, is divine.

    The battle is almost over. The last bandits fall or flee back into the woods as they abandon their comrades who lay down their weapons and yield. A miserable sound of relief escapes you when you see the end nearing with little casualties on your side, thanking whoever watches over you and guides your weapons in victory.

    That is until you see something, and at first you aren’t really sure you see it. Veiled by a red haze, a gruesome scene unfolds before you: As Byleth is focused on helping a soldier back up on his feet, a bandit strikes her from behind, wedging a dagger through her spine and into her heart. When you blink, the scene is gone and with it the red veil covering your surroundings.

    You don’t think twice. Jumping out of your hiding spot, you quickly recognise what will be Byleth’s murderer. Only he never gets the chance to approach her. With everything you’ve got, you charge into him and send him flying on the ground, you on top of him. The bandit groans, groggily turning on his back to see what struck him, and before you can start to fear for your own dear life, Byleth is beside you and rams her sword into his throat, silencing him forever.

    She looks down at you and you feel like she knows what just happened. Why you jumped in. It’s in those keen, piercing eyes that speak of a unimaginable wisdom. She reaches a hand out to help you up, and when you stand, the last bandits have been secured and the chaos finally settles. That is when the throbbing pain in your right eye doubles you ever, the pain akin to a pinprick of ice hammering into your skull. The pain makes you sick as stars explode behind your closed eyes, and the more they dance in feverish circles, the harder you press your hands against your eyelids, trying to smother the pain by pressure. It doesn’t work.

    Unable to breathe properly, your stumble, and when you move your hands, your fingers smear something warm and wet across your cheeks.

    Someone takes in a sharp breath. “Your eye,” Byleth breathes, a hand raised but remaining hanging in the air like she’s unsure if it’s okay to touch you. In the background you hear someone calling out you’re bleeding, and it takes a few seconds to understand where you’re bleeding from. Your right eye cries blood when the pain finally knocks you out, darkness falling onto everything.