#the unexpected science experiments are sometimes fun though

[mrvelocipede]

There has been some welding and grinding of the metal stair-rail, sending showers of little metal fragments all down the adjacent wall. It turns out the drywall screws, under their layers of patching compound and paint, are slightly magnetic.

[jermer10]

How would you feel about writing drabbles about pyro, heavy, medic, scout and spy with a clown/jester reader? :o)

They often engage in trickery, play silly (and sometimes horribly messy!) pranks on people and overall have a goofy personality along with colorful clothing. (You don't have to do it if you don't wanna, I love your writing and headcannons!)

TF2 mercs with a clown/jester reader

gn reader | jester reader is so silly i love it

includes: pyro, heavy, medic, scout, spy

drabbles under the cut :P

Pyro: Pyro loved your vibrant, clownish energy the moment they saw you. With their mutual love of chaos, you quickly became a duo of disaster. Today, you’d rigged up an elaborate prank - fake flowers filled with water in place of Pyro’s flamethrower. You watched as Pyro gleefully sprayed your target, Engineer, soaking him from head to toe in a wave of unexpected water. Engineer groaned, but Pyro clapped in joy, their muffled laughter contagious. You couldn’t help but join. “Ya’ll ever thought about not doin’ this?” Engineer sighed, wiping his face. You just gave him a huge grin, honking your nose with a silly honk. “Where’s the fun in that?” Pyro high-fived you with a grunt, and the two of you ran off to plan your next prank, giggling like school kids.

Heavy: Heavy sat, deep in thought, quietly cleaning Sasha, when you slid into the room. You tiptoed up to him, eyes gleaming with mischievous intent. Your colorful jester outfit clinked with bells, but Heavy didn’t notice—too focused. Perfect. With grand gesture, you reached behind him and pulled out a massive rubber chicken. Waving it like a magician about to perform a trick, you gave a loud squeak by slapping the chicken against Heavy’s back. Heavy slowly turned his head, one eyebrow raised, completely unamused. “You think this is funny?” he asked, though the twitch of his lip betrayed his amusement. “Yes!” you giggled, your clownish laughter ringing through the room. “Very funny!” Heavy shook his head but couldn’t help the chuckle that escaped him. “You are…very silly.” He let out a small, deep laugh and ruffled your colorful hair. “But Heavy likes silly sometimes.” You beamed, bouncing away to plot your next grand jester act while Heavy watched, shaking his head but smiling fondly.

Medic: Medic was deep in his medical laboratory, concocting some new bizarre experiment, when you decided it was time to bring some color into his sterile workspace. With a wild grin, you quietly slipped in, clutching a bucket of bright, sticky goo. “Ah, mein experiments! Zey are coming along nicely,” Medic mumbled to himself as he worked. You tiptoed closer, your bells jingling slightly, but Medic was too engrossed in his notes to notice. Then, you dumped the bucket of neon goo all over his latest creation. “Was zur Hölle—?!” Medic spun around, eyes wide in disbelief. “What have you DONE?” You stood there, grinning ear to ear, hands on your hips in a victory pose. “Brightened up your day! Science is more fun when it’s colorful!” Medic stared at the mess for a moment before a laugh bubbled up from his chest. “I cannot argue with zat!” He scooped up a bit of the goo and threw it right back at you. Within minutes, the lab was a battlefield of goo, the two of you laughing like mad scientists—or rather, like one mad scientist and their jester accomplice.

Scout: Scout loved your chaotic energy. In fact, he encouraged it. The two of you often teamed up to prank the rest of the team, and today was no different. Armed with a bag of itching powder, you set your sights on Spy’s study armchair. Scout leaned against the doorway, snickering as you sprinkled the powder all over. “You’re a freakin’ genius, ya know that?” he grinned. “Of course!” you twirled around, flashing him a bright smile. “Clowning is an art form!” Spy walked in moments later, completely oblivious. As soon as he sat down, the itching powder kicked in. “What the hell is zhis?!” Spy jumped up, scratching furiously. You burst out laughing, practically rolling on the floor while Scout doubled over, holding his sides. “Oh man, that’s too good!” he wheezed. “You shitheads!” Spy shouted, glaring daggers into your tear streaked faces. Scout gave you a high-five. “We’re the best team, babe. No one can top our pranks!” You took a deep, exaggerated bow, already planning your next chaotic endeavor with him.

Spy: Spy prided himself on his composure, which made you want to test his limits even more. You darted around the base, spreading your pranks, but Spy? Oh, he was your ultimate challenge. Today, you had set up an elaborate ruse: an innocent-looking box rigged with confetti and a loud BANG. Spy walked into the room, his usual air of elegance intact. You hid behind the door, barely containing your glee. As Spy approached the box, he paused. “Hm,” he muttered, already suspicious. But curiosity got the better of him. He lifted the lid, and POP! A spray of confetti exploded in his face, coating him in brightly colored paper. “Mon dieu…” Spy sighed, wiping the confetti from his suit. “You do realize this suit costs more than your life, yes?” You peeked out, grinning. “Totally worth it, monsieur!” Spy looked at you for a long moment, completely unamused. Then, to your surprise, he plucked a piece of confetti from his shoulder and flicked it at you. “You are incorrigible,” he said, though you caught the slight smirk on his face. “I don't know the meaning of the word!” You twirled around, bells jingling as you skipped out of the room.

[inkabelledesigns]

Fanwork creators self rec! When you get this, reply with your five favorite fics/art/podfics/etc. that you've made, then pass on to others. Let’s spread the self-love 🌼

(No pressure if you don't want to though!)

Star, thank you so much for sending me this! Delighted to be included and honored to be asked! While I don’t have a ton of fics out there (and some of my favorite parts of them aren’t even public yet) I think we can pick out five I really love. And I’ll encourage all of you to share works that you love from your own libraries! Please share, I wanna see what brings you joy!

Raindrops and References

If you thought I wasn’t gonna include this one, you had another thing coming Star. XD One, thank you for letting me explore your world through my own lens, and two, thank you for your kind words. I wrote this fic when I was just getting back into writing, and it was an early step in learning to write for my own enjoyment after having been expected to create for others for years. It was satisfying and fun for me, and I’m glad it’s been that for you and so many others as well. I still get emails of people leaving a Kudos on this from time to time, it’s wild. X’’’D Sometimes you give a gift and get an unexpected one in return. I’m still glad I wrote this, it made a positive difference.

Trapped in His Web

I don’t know if this one is still canon to Step Right Up, but regardless, I’m still honored to be a part of @bertrumstrousers wonderful circus world. Thanks for letting me write for Jacob and the make-up and costume department Giandark, it’s a treat and I love them so much. It was such a good time getting into Jacob’s head and Bertrum’s, and the horror and transformation elements of this story brought me so much joy. 

The Kraken’s Labyrinth

One day I will pick this up again, now that I have a clearer idea of what to do with it (thanks Audrey). XD It was inevitable that I was gonna put Bendy and merfolk together, with a little sprinkling of Samsie, but I didn’t expect how much joy this was gonna bring to the table. Still love this world a lot.

Searching the Depths - The Heart of the Studio

Ah yes, my “magnum opus” fic. Of course I have this as a favorite. XD I have a lot of fun working with the entire Bendy cast and my silly little OCs. I’m letting myself learn to just let go and have fun, and this fic continues to teach me everyday what I want in a story. It means so much that you guys have loved Bella and co, thank you. <3

Richard the Keeper - The Studies of 214

My most recent fic and a surprisingly strong source of brainrot as of late. If you like witty banter, unethical science, and Bendy levels of shenanigans, highly recommend this one! It’s got three chapters now with a focus on Richard, a keeper, running experiments to unlock the secrets of how the ink works, with the help of Bella, his prisoner and one of our cyclebreaker protagonists. Richard and Bella have such a fun dynamic, Sammy has been a delight to write in this one, and Wilson? Oh he’s horrible, I love writing him too. XD Please get me to talk about this one more, I’m having a blast with it. 

Honorable Mention: 

The Role I Was Made For

Not so much a fic as it is an audio skit! This started out as a dialogue test to see if I could voice Audrey and a cartoon Bendy (I blame Erin Lehn for putting the question out to the community of what Baby Benders might sound like, that’s what sparked this). It turned into a much deeper script about what makes a Bendy, and how Bendy and Audrey feel about who they are. It needs some heavy editing, but it’s one of the best scripts I’ve written in a long time. I’d say I like it just as much as Break Time, and another collaborative skit that hasn’t come out yet. Stay tuned, your girl got to co-write something awesome and perform as a very animated Susie Campbell, I look forward to when that’s ready to be heard. XD

Here’s sending you all the good vibes! Go take some time to reflect on what you love about your work, it’s very rewarding.

[hokuspokus-1]

The Cocktail Club Menu That Turns Any Night into Something Special 

If you're checking out a cocktail club menu, you're not just after any drink—you want something that grabs your attention the moment you read it. Today’s menus are doing a lot more than listing ingredients. They’re turning drinks into a whole experience. 

You’ll notice it right away: drink names that feel like mini stories, unexpected ingredients, and flavor combinations that make you pause. Whether it’s a smoky bourbon mix or a floral gin base, menus are stepping up in creativity—and people are loving it. 

When a Menu Tells a Story 

Drink menus in clubs today often feel like short novels. Each section might follow a theme. Some menus take inspiration from science, travel, or history. Others go more playful, using pop culture, old-school remedies, or magical themes. This keeps things fun and gives each drink a personality before it even arrives at your table. 

And it’s not just about the names. The ingredients back up the story. A drink with chili and lime might remind you of a summer market. One with lavender and smoke could make you think of a rainy evening by a fire. The best menus don’t just tell you what’s inside—they set the mood. 

Drinks That Think Outside the Box 

Boring isn’t part of the plan anymore. Think beyond vodka soda. Many menus now bring in infusions, aged mixers, and even food-based ingredients like honeycomb, coffee, or herbs. These aren’t there to be fancy—they’re there to surprise your senses. 

Smoked glass? Yes. Ice spheres filled with syrup? Absolutely. Some drinks even change flavors as they melt. And while these touches seem dramatic, they’re really about keeping you curious and coming back for more. 

A Fresh Look at Drink Types 

You might think a drink is just a mix of alcohol and juice—but club menus today go deeper. They split their lists into profiles: 

Fruity and sweet 

Sharp and sour 

Deep and smoky 

Light and crisp 

Each section lets you move toward the flavor you enjoy without guessing. Some even mark drinks as “strong,” “refreshing,” or “dessert-style,” so you’re not surprised by what lands on your table. 

How Clubs Set the Mood with Menus 

Good clubs know how much design matters. Their menus are clean, clear, and easy to follow. You’ll usually see short drink descriptions, flavor hints, and sometimes even small illustrations. Some add icons—like a fire symbol for spicy or a leaf for herbal—to guide you quickly. 

This helps even first-time visitors feel comfortable. You won’t need to ask ten questions or pretend to know the difference between every spirit. Just point, order, and enjoy. 

Drinks for Everyone at the Table 

One of the best parts about modern drink menus is how flexible they are. You don’t need to drink alcohol to enjoy the experience. Many places now offer alcohol-free versions with the same thought and care behind them. 

These mocktails go beyond juice—they use syrups, spices, teas, and sparkling elements. You’ll find drinks with layers of flavor that feel just as special as the boozy ones. 

A Place Where Drinks Become Conversation 

Some drinks start conversations before they’re even sipped. Maybe it’s the color, the way it’s served, or the garnish on top. A glowing cube in the glass? Dry ice fog? A drink that smells like burnt wood? These become part of your night. 

Menus now act as icebreakers. They invite questions, spark comments, and turn ordering into an experience, not just a task. You’ll find yourself asking your friends what they got, trading sips, and maybe even ordering a second round of something bold. 

Personal Touch That Stands Out 

Even though menus are written ahead of time, many clubs still leave room for personal input. Some bartenders ask a quick question before making your drink. Do you want something more sour or more sweet? Do you like smoky flavors or clean ones? 

You’ll also find places offering off-menu specials—secret drinks that change based on the season or the bartender’s latest idea. These small touches show how menus stay flexible without being overwhelming. 

When the Menu Becomes the Reason to Visit 

It’s no longer just about the space or the DJ. People choose places based on the drink list. A good menu gives a bar its identity. One might feel like an old library with whisky-heavy drinks. Another might look like a science lab, filled with drinks that bubble, fizz, or change color. 

Once you find a club with a menu you enjoy, you’ll want to go back—not just for the drinks, but for the surprise of what’s new. 

Where Drinks Become Experiences 

A good cocktail club menu today isn’t just a list—it’s part of your night out. It makes choosing fun, helps you try new flavors, and gives you something to remember. The right menu can set the mood, bring people together, and even change the way you think about drinks. 

If you’re curious about where to experience something truly creative and fun, Hokus Pokus is a great pick. Their drinks are unexpected, their themes are clever, and every order feels like you’re stepping into something a little different from the usual night out. 

[nyt1ba]

      Unexpected friendship bloomed in the most unlikely places,   a bond that only grows stronger with time,   and a natural sense of familiarity that had brought them closer despite the divide that stood between them.   Truth be told,   Adam hadn't planned on staying here long-term,   Shinra was merely a means to an end,   a way to provide him with experience and the necessary resources he couldn't afford when starting out.   In a few years' time he had planned to start his own business,   to separate himself from the political aspect of the company to better focus on achieving something for the benefit of mankind.   With Aerith however,   he finds himself most reluctant to follow that course of action,   leaving his map of thoughts in a state of uncertainty for the moment.   He needn't rush things,   despite the burning desire within him to make a change,   if he truly wished to improve lives,   wouldn't he be betraying his own principles if he didn't bother to care towards the individual before the whole ?   It shouldn't be mistaken for obligation,   rather an empathy that brought him to care for her as much as he did.        ❛❛   Is that so ?   I'm flattered.   ❜❜        The scientist chuckles,   it was a high praise for someone in his profession,   as most of his peers had indeed been too rigid and logical to even crack a smile,   perhaps it was the atmosphere in Shinra that brought them to such dullness,   he can imagine as much.

        ❛❛   You're plenty of fun where it counts,   it's only the Turks that are allergic to anything that isn't work.   ❜❜        He quips,   a thoughtful hum to follow his words.   For someone trapped in the same walls every day,   she always gave them a run in for their money,   he likes to watch the chase sometimes,   even cover up for her if she took to hiding in his office,   seeing the sour look on their faces was worth its while.        ❛❛   Well,   let's not get ahead of ourselves,   it's a far stretch,   bringing it to life would have its many obstacles,   still   ...   I have a feeling it would do a lot of good.   ❜❜        Adam thinks aloud,   a hand settling at his chin in thought.   The traces of something lighter eases his expression,   smile widening a tad as his gaze would shift to meet her.   He never sought praise for his work,   but Aerith's own excitement serves as a way to amplify his own drive,   though she claims to have little understanding of science and mechanics,   she understood his vision and never missed a chance to encourage him,   it was such a little thing,   but it meant the world to him.        ❛❛   Work is work at the end of the day,   everyone just wants to get on with it for their own varying reasons.   It's a shame,   to have all these resources in your hands and have them go to waste   ...   Hojo works for Shinra first and foremost,   I refuse to be like him,   just another cog in the machine.   No,   I believe humanity is capable of change,   I want to build a future where all are equal.   It's   ...   only a dream,   but if I'm able to carve the path towards that future then I would be glad to have achieved something of importance.   ❜❜

When he admits that he missed her maybe a little, Aerith's smile gets even brighter. She doesn't have much people she considers friends here, of course. She's always trapped inside the lab and she can't walk around without being watched. However, with Adam, she feels that he's some kind of friend, or at least, he's the closest thing to what Aerith can call a friend. And it makes her feel warm somehow. There's someone inside Shinra building who genuinely cares about her, who's interested in what she has to say and in what she does. Aerith's entire life is a mess, but Adam manages to make it feel better somehow. Each moment she spends with him is some kind of gift, and she'll always cherish them.

"You're the only one inside this building who's not boring." She shakes her head and brings a hand to her chin, pretending to think. "Well, the Turks are fun, too, but I don't think they think I'm fun." Because watching over Aerith must be an actual nightmare. She always tries to escape from them. Of course she knows she can't go too far, but she enjoys testing them. She has to find a way to enjoy herself with the small things, after all. And making fun of the Turks is fun. She genuinely cares for them though, at least in some ways. Maybe it shows how lonely she is.

She follows Adam, a bright smile on her features as she takes a seat and looks at his blueprint. She then raises a curious eyebrow. It's not like she knows anything about science or anything, but she'll gladly listen to whatever he has to say. "Wow! If it ends up working, it'll be revolutionary! A lot of people could have a new life thanks to you!" she exclaims happily. Her smile then softens a bit as she puts her hands together. "You know, I'm glad you use your knowledge to help other people. Most people here only think about money. Or they're just mad like Hojo. You're different. And being different here means a lot."

[tutantmeenageneetleteetle]

Spare time

So obviously the turtles can't train 24/7 (no not even Leo) so this is what I assume they would keep busy with

Leo

Normally

Has his free time planned into a schedule

Always keeps busy

Would make time for you but if you don't see him on a regular basis you'd have to let him know up front

Not that he'd just leave you alone to do whatever he had planned if you come to the lair unexpected, but he'd have to completely change his schedule again

Likes to meditate with his dad sometimes

He's definitely read spaceheroes fanfictions or headcanons like the geek he is

Also likes writing them but he's not very good at it so he keeps them unpublished

Likes baking (under supervision)

When he's bored

Watches spaceheroes again

Endless scrolling through tiktok

Rearranges the furniture in his room

Would probably do chores and secretly enjoys folding laundry

Takes a shower or does other forms of self-care

Raph

Normally

Watches movies or series

Likes to just listen to music and do nothing once in a while

Plays his drumset

He'll go outside for a walk

Or to smash things

Or both

Most of the time he'll go see if Casey is free to join in on smashing things

Also enjoys playing games like gtaV

Likes building or fixing things around the house, like broken paper screens

Makes a little woodsculpture once in a while

So far he has made a bear, a wolf, an owl, a squirrel, one of those old cars, a spoon, and a turtle ofcourse

When he's bored

Tries to do trick shots

Looks up "how to not be bored" and does whatever it says

Bored eating

Instagram

Plays some game on his phone that he downloaded from an ad

Donnie

Normally

Likes to code or build things

Endlessly researching whatever he's currently interested in

Sketching new inventions

Likes to just stare at a wall and think

Makes plans for events that will probably never happen, like how to take over the world or how he would break out of prison

When he's bored

Online shopping

Would clean and organise his lab

Asks his brothers for broken trinkets to fix

Or let's Leo touch the toaster if there's nothing else to fix

Takes a nap

Reads a few chapters of a book he started and never finished

Looks up complicated math equations and sees if he can solve them

Mikey

Normally

Loves to play video games like Mario kart and some other games on his DS

Goes skateboarding

Sometimes he goes on Omegle (without being on screen obviously) and talks to strangers and makes new friends

Likes to practice his sweet dance moves and maybe learn some new ones

Really likes painting and usually makes a huge mess

Likes to cook (dinner) or make lunch for everyone

When he's bored

Prepares pranks

Does things like balance the light switch or see how many of *insert thing* he can stack

Just walks around the lair

Tries on some of the clothes he has

Just like Raph, he's a bored eater

Together

Leo just likes to go see what his brothers are doing and sit with them for a while, even if he's not bored

Mikey, Donnie and Leo like to draw and color together

Raph sometimes joins them but not always

Raph and Mikey like to just wrestle for fun and Raph and Leo like to spar once in a while

Raph and Leo play card games together

Donnie likes to prepare chemistry experiments and show them to Mikey and explain the science behind it, though Mikey is mostly there for the sparks and explosions

Donnie sometimes let's Mikey make a drawing or idea for an invention that Donnie will then try to make reality

Raph and Mikey will go play pranks on the poor people on the streets of New York

Raph and Mikey also like to read and discuss comics together

Donnie and Raph like to take on fixing large things together, like fixing the shell raiser or maybe even renovate the house

Donnie and Raph also like to watch a series together once in a while

Leo and Donnie like to have discussions about anything and everything. When they disagree about things, a lot of the time it's head against heart, but they both appreciate that the other has a different point of view

Mikey joins them sometimes, but he always ends up with saying things like "okay, but what if the zombi-apocolypse would happen at that moment though" as an counterargument

Leo also likes to help Donnie out with his inventions (because sometimes you just need one person to hold something in place, while the other puts in the screws) while Donnie will often talk about how he feels about April

Leo and Mikey like to do creative things together and like to also take that as a moment to check in on how the other one is doing

They would all play boardgames together and play Mazes&Mutants

They'd definitely also do a lot of less wholesome sibling things when they're bored but that my friends is a post for another day...

[aquariasmoon]

Random Neoborg/Blitzkrieg boys Headcanons

Spencer, despite being in the abbey the longest, is the one who is the most mentally stable. Simply because he suffered the least amount of abuse because he was good at following orders. He's Not that talkative but (like his concept art says) is very kindhearted ,definitely helped the other kids when no guards were around. 

Spencer is also the one who adjusted to life outside of the abbey the fastest the others kinda latched onto him for support for the first few weeks/months. 

Tala styles his hair up but only to keep it out of his face, he isn't all that bothered about how it looks. He has had that hairstyle since he was little and just never thought or could never bring himself to change it so he just does his best to keep it out of his face. The two strands of hair he has are slightly too short to stay tucked behind his ears and end up falling in front of his face. He aften tucks them back behind his ear…to which they fall back in front of his face lol 

Talas hair is wavy when down :) 

Byrans pierced his own ears (the ol heating a safety pin over a lighter to “sterilize” it ) and the two gold hoops he wears are actually pickpocketed. 

He ended up doing that to the rest of the guys once they got their hands on earrings. Miraculously they all somehow avoided an infection.

Byran and tala continued to steal and pickpocket after going to the abbey. They would pickpocket guards often and when they could, civilians too. They are still good at it but tala doesn't do it anymore and but byran sometimes does it for fun. 

Tala and bryan have food insecurity from childhood and in the abbey one punishment was withholding food. Now out of the abbey despite having a full kitchen both have a small stashes of food in their rooms. 

Ian *hates* having his hair cut so he lets it grow. In the abbey once it got to a certain point he was forced to have it cut. Once he gets out the others don’t really care what he does with his own hair so he grows it out. It gets pretty long.

Ian does end up growing quite a bit but still ends up being the shortest and coming up a little shorter then kai (who I also headcanon as short lol) 

Tala ends up pursuing a law degree (I honestly have no idea why I think this, i just think it would be cool? I guess?) 

The abbey was 100% training child soldiers. All the boys do know how to handle firearms and know survival training. 

Bryan is the only one that uses those skills though, he is into bushcraft and camping. Uses it as a way to relax and get away from it all for a while.

Tala has crippling migraines when he gets too stressed. It's a result of experiments at the abbey. (Honestly this is born from the english dubs weird insertion of “cyber tala” haha)

Spencer is definitely the first to get a girlfriend, probably the first to get married and have kids too. 

All the boys are pretty strong drinkers just cuz they tend to kick back and hang out with a few drinks a lot, that is except for tala who does not drink and the rare times he does he never drinks enough to get drunk. He hates the feeling of not being fully incontrol of himself. Bryan will drink whatever is on offer, Spencer prefers whisky and rum, ian is a beer guy.

All the boys are actually quite intelligent and pretty well read. Sergei prefers history,sealife and novels…..secretly loves trashy romance novels after mistakenly picking one up to read on the plane to a tournament. Ian switches it up, one week its dinosaurs the next its the history of rice cookers then greek mythology, he often goes down true crime rabbit holes. Byan is into mechanics and computer science, it was a bit unexpected but he ended up having a real knack for computers. Tala is into novels , phycological and thriller are the best kind but also ends up falling down the true crime rabbithole with ian. 

All the boys grew up around other boys and around male guards/abbey workers. They only came into contact with women the rare times they were around civilians. They were brought up to be the perfect soldiers so they were never really were concerned with girls and really had no interest in them since they had a lot of other things to be doing.This left them a bit ignorant about girls once they got out of the abbey but it also meant that they never learnt a lot of sexist views, never seeing girls as weaker or anything like that. They did (and still do) have a bunch of toxic views that could be seen as toxic masculinity but they are things like “crying is weak” and being “being vulnerable is weak” but they also apply these views to women.  Girls are just “other people”. It takes them a while to figure out romantic and sexual feelings are a thing after they left the abbey. 

Also they all were thought to be self sufficient. They all know how to (kill and) cook food, sew and mend clothing, clean, do laundry ect. It was a bit of a culture shock when they found out that a lot of people can’t do all these things. 

None of them can handle spice except Ian who loves spicy food. Often baits bryan into eating it with him. Often ends with ian enjoying his meal while bryan has tears streaming down his face desperately trying to prove he is tough and gasping the spice does not bother him at all.

Spencer is the most liked team member. He is the one often approached by other teams once they find out he is actually pretty friendly and polite. The first to figure this out is Mathilda who then spread the news. This annoys tala quite a bit since he is team leader and he has seen people ignore him and walk right over to spencer.

Ian isn’t actually into blading after leaving the abbey. He takes a while of trying to force himself to blade but he ends up just giving it up. he keeps his blade and bitbeast because they are still important to him, He turns the bit into a necklace cuz snakes are cool.

Both tala and bryan are a bit oblivious to flirting. Byan gets better at noticing when someone is flirting with him as he gets older and more social, even though he is a bit of a flirt himself he is often just being friendly. Flirting with tala is kinda like flirting with a brick wall, you gotta be as subtle as a hammer to get through. Romance is 100% not on his radar, Will often seem indifferent/ignore the person flirting with him, but inside is actually strangely flattered. 

I often mix manga and anime together or sometimes pick and choose between them. 

For example my bryan headcanon is he is like the anime ver until he gets out of the abbey then his personality changes (over about 2-3 years) to manga bryan. They are pretty different lol, manga byan is actually a really nice guy XD. 

I also love both manga and anime tala, I love how much of a huge catty bitch he is in the anime but I love how feral he is in the manga. I tend to lean more towards manga when hes not blading but more anime when he is. 

Both Ian and Spencer are hardly in either so a lot of my head cannon is just me making stuff up but also stuff that was often said as fanon in the early fandom days say about 2003-2010 . There were a lot of false things going around at that time that were treated like canon, like people thinking kai was half or full russian. (I still like that one tho)

[nerdnag]

Yeeaah I recognise that my response probably was a bit unexpected. XD Hopefully it didn't freak you out too much. It's just that you are one of those people on tumblr that I've regularly but randomly started thinking about over the years and gone, "man, Isaac really was so cool and nice and had so many interesting things to say, I hope he's doing well".

And on that note, I'm glad you are doing sort of well? Things seem to be going in the right direction at least, based on what I can tell from your reply. And hope for the future is always good!! I had a pretty awful period of my life that started in spring of 2022 and (at least in practice) ended last summer, but I am really only just now starting to come back from it tbh. Sometimes these things take time. You just gotta find a way to actually live life even in the middle of all that stress. Be mindful and all that, y'know.

As for my work, there's a lot I can't really talk about in a tumblr post. 😅 But I'd be happy to tell you more in a DM! I can say a few things here though. Maybe you remember that I studied law? If you don't, that's fine. But basically I had no idea in which particular field of law I wanted to work (and I even really didn't know I wanted to study law until I applied, I thought I wanted to be a musician or writer when I was younger, but then my experiences with studying music in high school sort of ruined it for me and made me want to do something radically different).

The very last class I took in uni was a class in IT law, which I found really fun and interesting. There was another student in that class who was taking her law degree on the side while working, and she was starting up an IT law department in her workplace. After a presentation I made in class one day she went up to me and asked whether I wanted to come work with her. Since I am honest to a fault, I said something along the lines of, "I would love to, but just so you know, I have zero work experience and also I am probably autistic". She was like, "you gotta start somewhere!" - and then she hired me, and it turned out great. I'm still working with her today actually (7 years later!), although in a different constellation. And yeah it does have good benefits. Though my work situation in particular is a bit of a special case, so I don't know how helpful it would be for you to hear more about it. But again, we can talk more about this in a DM if you want. I'd be happy to tell you more there! ^_^

Ooh, I think I remember you being a research assistant, actually? It sounds like you do very important work! I know very little (if anything) about that field so please imagine me looking at the image above with eyes as big as saucers, going "it's a corn-cob guy with a diamond hat :O". Respectfully, of course!! I am in awe of science-doers.

But I can understand the issues about payment vs. how much skill it takes. Do you have any ideas about what you might want to do instead? Do you want to do something in the same exact field, or branch out?

Btw I went through the absolutely horrible chore of trying to search through my blog for the instances where I tagged you. I probably missed some but here are two (though the first one isn't really a tag game at all): (1) (2)

Some times, although they are few and far between, I feel like I'm actually making a difference with my work. Like something I do has an appreciable, positive effect on people's lives. It doesn't have to be big, just something that has an effect in practice; not just paper pushing, but an actual impact on how things are done in the industry. It always gets me when that happens, and I'm so glad I'm in a place where that is possible for me. I'm so glad I can do good in my own way.

[ackerfics]

hi, rory! <3 what majors would the sc veterans take if they were in the modern world?

hi, anon !! thank you so much for this ask, this is heaven in disguise from all my schoolwork. tbh, the whole time i was working for a lab report, my mind will go back to this ask bc i wanted to have the association as accurate as possible hhhajshw

i asked one of my friends for help and thank God for them bc my single brain cell really said 'it's time for you to rest' after staring at one backlog. without further ado, here are the veterans' majors if they're studying in university:

first off, hange zoe, because if you ask me this question in real life, they would be the only one i can answer. every damn time i would think of them in a college setting, being a biology major is really hange's forte. at this point, this is what everyone would associate them with.

hange is all about experimenting and doing brilliant breakthroughs in any field of science but knowing that they have this unparalleled fascination with the unusual and unexpected life-forms (ahem titans ahem), the biology lab would be the surest place where you could find hange. i feel like biology is too broad so i will add that microbiology or bacteriology are just some of the specializations they will be taking in their time in college.

imagine, being lab partners with hange and immediately knowing that you will have one of the highest grades in the class because they're that well-versed in a specific lab report. and if you're partners with them for the rest of the academic year, you might as well have a shot at an immaculate grade. i'm not saying that you should depend on them too much though hHHHH, hange is still a member of the majority of the student body who relies heavily on caffeine to keep them invigorated. who isn't at this point?

so far, some of the biology majors that i encountered (well, more like chatted behind a screen — online classes suck), they have this energy that could drain my social battery too quickly and hange fits that description. (note that this doesn't apply to any college bc i observed this in mine soooo 🤭) they're the type to always go on a tangent on a certain science article or coerce you into joining this org thing. i can imagine levi just looking at hange like they're the one sucking his brain cells out whenever they speak about a documentary in bbc they watched the night before.

and if you're stuck on anything biology-related, hange will be the best person to ask help from. they're the first ray of sunlight you get while waking up. they're that approachable.

okay, so erwin smith.

don't come at me but he just radiates this ceo vibes and with that, one of his probably majors is business administration. i know this is so stereotypical of me but let's face it, erwin is a smooth talker through and through and if he doesn't take up marketing, business is one way to spend his college years. knowing his personality in attack on titan of establishing deals easily with a determined resolve, he fits the broadest description of being a business administration major. (again, don't come at me because my consultant for this statement is google and nobody comes after google sometimes hhhhh)

just for the benefit of myself, i will add what google says about this major, "[they] learn the mechanics of business through classes in fundamentals, such as finance, accounting and marketing ... students find ways to solve problems using data and they develop communication and managerial skills." and i thank you.

he's also probably the most well-spoken and most professional when conversing with others among his friends (and i'm not saying this to drag the other characters but this is what i pick up on) and that is exactly the qualities his major specializes. it is expected for them to strike deals and be a people person and who better character for the job than our very own erwin smith 🤩

now i mentioned 'one of the probable majors' and yes, aside from business administration, philosophy just exudes erwin smith. ngl, when i imagined erwin in a college setting, this major will always come first. his mind is just so sexy to me??? and i hope you guys think the same, too, because i don't want to be the only one who thinks that 👀 kidding aside, erwin is one of the smartest people in attack on titan and every time he speaks in one episode, my brain will instantly go mush, and that's what i feel when i hear philosophy majors talk.

philosophy majors (according to any other youtuber who does lookbooks for various majors hhhhhh) challenge what is unanswerable and analyze questions with no right answer. i feel like erwin, like hange, will talk all night to explain a theory. just imagine a date with him and you just listen to him rant about a topic that they should be making a report on. just listen to this man, okay?? it's adorable when he lets his guard down to include you in his little bubble of philosophies. he would also mention random things that he learned in classes, sometimes finding joy in knowing the philosophies of other people, or even deciphering levi's dream of an apocalyptic world. (it pisses levi off but he just leave him be.)

if you want a man who can do both of these majors, erwin smith is the answer 😉

sigh, mike zacharias.

this man holds so many talents and will forever amaze me.

i assume all of us here watched the movie perfume. and no, i'm not saying that mike is going to be a murderer but just like the main character of that film, making perfumes will be his forte with that sense of smell of his. and here, i conclude that mike will definitely take up chemical engineering.

he gives me the vibes that if it covers the one thing he does best, he will love his major. (mr. zacharias, can you please spare me that quality because i really need that now 😩) being in the labs while experimenting mundane things that can be found in the environment to create different scents is also a likely situation you can find him in, again, very much like hange. he's the type of student who really puts so much effort in staying afloat the honors list, even to the point of topping midterms in his major, for the sake of his dream. there will never be a moment where you will catch him complain about his major and professors.

he's that type of friend in college who agrees to any rant you say but in reality, he's got his life easy 😭

i headcanon mike owning a perfume shop after college just like how levi always dreamed of having a tea shop.

okay, imagine this little scenario if you're dating mike where he creates this unique perfumes as random gifts for you. they're not the typical perfumes that can seep through the room and can make you gag for no reason, they're subtle scents that will stay for the duration of the day. because again, he's got a sensitive nose, so making perfumes according to what his sense of smell dictates will always result in a revolutionary experiment. if you're randomly blurting out that you want a fusion of flowers and fruits as your perfume, say no more, he's your man.

now, the veteran who i find the hardest to associate a major with — levi ackerman.

after much deliberation and a break from plant physiology, i see him taking up law or criminology.

(i asked some of this from my mom because she attended law school :>>>)

levi is so organized and detailed in the things that he do and he fits in either of these majors since they require tedious memorizations and analysis of laws and crime scenes while being assertive enough to defend someone. he's the typical person who blurts out the true situation of a crime scene when watching film adaptations. yeah, he's that person, the one who sucks the enthusiasm out of you while watching a movie because he just had to correct some of the scenes. nevertheless, he means well though, he just wanted you to understand the reality unlike how films portray gruesome murders. movie nights always end up with levi ranting about half-assed mystery clichés.

levi's binder of readings are always too bright for everyone's good. his notes are full of highlighters and scribbles that it can blind someone. for one, he's always up all night studying his readings and cases for a practice court so by choosing neon highlighters, it's a way for him to wake up. there isn't one book in his possession that he doesn't highlight like it's a fricking coloring book. hange once jokingly said that his binder now acts like his bible and for once, he agrees because he was never seen without one. hange had a field day since levi never agrees with them.

when doing practice courts though, his go-to resting bitch face always come in handy when carrying out his role as one of the lawyers. he's just so sexy with his hands in the pockets of his slacks as he tries to justify his supposed client. the way he questions the accused definitely isn't hot because he's like one of the panelists in your thesis defense, the one who just comes up with questions that have you melting on the spot. he's dangerous i tell you. it also doesn't help if you accidentally hurt one of his friends or just landed randomly in his blacklist for being annoying as hell. relax though, he doesn't mean harm other than the fact that he's ready to throw some hands from all the pent-up rage he gathered in his body.

of course, i couldn't forget how he dresses up like a typical dark academia fanatic so look out for eye-candy.

if you want someone who can recite articles from the constitution, this man is perfect for you 😌

i had so much fun doing this !! again, i'm not generalizing every major i've talked about in these little headcanons, this is all for fun and based on the people i encountered in college. if you want more of this, don't hesitate to ask !! 😚

[my-writings-and-musings]

Firstly, I've just been dying to tell you I love your writting x3 it's absolutely fantastic! My favorite is the young liason ones. I think they're just the cutest! Would it be alright if I requested Fortress Maximus and Brainstorm for that? Please take all the time you need, and I hope you have an awesome day! You rock :D

Awww thanks a million!! I do strive to provide the cuteness, and I shall do so here! I'll also link the past Liaison posts for those who haven't read them yet!

Part One: Here!

Part Two: Here!

Part Three: Here!

Part Four: Here!

Part Five: You're Here!

(I've already done Fort Max in part four but I just couldn't help doing him again with a different setup.)

Fortress Maximus

·Stuck in his cell after his "incident", he's unaware of the liaison program when it initially begins, and is thus clueless of what goes on beyond his tiny space in the dark. Amongst the crew, the young humans quickly learn of the ship's considerable history in its short run, including the hostage situation that nearly cost them their beloved psychiatrist. The humans are shocked by the details, but none more so than the news the bot responsible is jailed up in the depths of the ship. All at once, they begin to question such a practice; wasn't this poor bot just acting out of pain? Hasn't his victim recovered and forgiven him? Being told that Fort Max is too dangerous to risk does nothing to dissuade them, and thanks to their youth, the gathered group soon hatches a plan to see something for themselves.

·As one might expect, Fort Max is beyond surprised when he's awoken at night by a number of very tiny visitors to his cell, and is shocked to see that they're all human! Autobot training kicking in, he's immediately concerned for their safety and gets on his knees to encourage them to leave. Lots of these prisoners are dangerous! To top off his shock, the humans say they're not lost and are there for him. They explain the new program with the Lost Light, how they heard his story, and how they're all here now to see him. For an instant Fort Max is speechless, because these tiny humans have just done more for him than the entire Autobot cause ever did. It takes more willpower than he cares to admit not to let his voice crack.

·Despite all of his assurance to the liaisons that what he did was wrong, and that he deserves to face punishment, they hear none of it. Even urging them to leave and stay on the safe parts of the ship go unheeded. They've decided that they like him and don't want him to be lonely. It's incredibly selfish, but he can't bring himself to deny the comfort their company brings him. Every night, with stealth granted by their tiny size, they visit him for as long as they can. Some bring games and entertainment from earth to share with him, and in time he gives up trying to convince them to stop, finding each one of them to be a treasure he just can't give up.

·It's mostly by bad luck they're eventually caught. Ultra Magnus just so happened to be conducting a late night inspection when he came across all the liaisons gathered about the supposedly deadly Fortress Maximus in what appeared to be a slumber party. The former Enforcer had immediately called for back up and demanded the children be released, not backing down when they all made the baffling move to clamor between the cell bars and shield the gigantic Autobot with their tiny frames. No amount of explaining the big bots potential danger could make them leave. Eventually Rung himself had to be summoned to mediate, and at the sight of Fort Max so carefully cradling his friends and begging that any punishment only come to him so they would be spared... The psychiatrist happily declared there was no need for such caution.

·Put on the spot, Ultra Magnus had decided to allow a partial commutation of the bots sentence. Though he's under watch and isn't permitted to have weapons, he's allowed to have his own room and far greater range of the ship, but under supervision. The liaisons accept only after Max does. In no time they're helping him settle into his room, bringing him housewarming gifts, and coming over as often as possible to visit. It almost doesn't feel real to the poor bot. In an almost comical turn of events he's been freed and has gone from loneliness to being surrounded by tiny, loving friends. Even Rung visits from time to time, joining in on the fun and making it clear he holds no ill will towards the big bot for anything that happened. As they all gather for another movie night together, it occurs to him that his painful past has never felt so far away, and for the first time in so long he feels ready for the future.

Brainstorm

·Ever the on the move genius, his curiosity had been piqued the instant he heard humans were going to be on the ship, as a new species is always a fascinating opportunity. He's not all dissapointed by the gaggle of bright eyed youngsters when he finally meets them. Their tour of the ship is quickly guided to his workshop, and in no time he's showing them all the fun ways he's breaking physics or on the cusp of doing so. Pretty soon the rest of the tour is delayed so they can see absolutely everything he's working on. Brainstorm finds their attitude of "science just because" to be monumentally refreshing in the wake of his occasionally stiff crewmembers. Why does he need a reason to experiment on certain things? Sometimes it's fun and invigorating to just invent something because you can!

·As he finds them incredibly motivating and they love helping however he can, he quickly gives each human permission to accompany him as his assistants. With their unique human perspective, he finds himself seeking out ideas that could benefit them directly, whether it's purely for their entertainment or for more practical purposes. Their need for "food" in particular offers a great deal of potential. He's not foolish about it, of course! These little guys are delicate! But if he can make delicious meals that can be stored easily and prepared instantly, why not? Humans need to eat multiple times every single day, why not make it easier and more fun! The hardest part proves to be getting them not to explode...

·The liaisons come to love the incredible energy he brings to every single experiment, and the feeling is mutual. Even if he doesn't understand the references to "Bill Nye" or other such things, he happily allows the humans to take selfies as he works. Spreading the word to their fellows on earth can only help their species catch up, after all. In time though, he starts to socialize with the group outside of his workshop, even bringing them to Swerve's with him to introduce them to all his friends. They stick to him the entire time even though their enthusiasm proves popular with every bot on the ship. Having often struggled to fit in, he finds the feeling of belongings refreshing in ways he never could have anticipated it might be. He'd protect each and every liaison with his life.

·It's quite unexpected when somebot brings up his... stunt, with the briefcase. He'd been so happy for once that his failures had simply... not registered. Thus, he's caught off guard when the humans start asking baffled questions. It's all he can do to mumble an excuse and leave, the confusion in their bright eyes burning into the core of his spark. So many instances of them looking up at him with respect and excitement now seem far more precious, because there's no way they'll ever want to be around him again. Now they know he isn't just the ship's eccentric scientist, and that at his most desperate he tore time and space apart... In hindsight, how could he have allowed himself to forget? He's dangerous, and the liaisons should have been kept distant to begin with... Humans are far too delicate to risk anything happening, and he never would have forgiven himself for allowing harm to come to them.

·Unbeknownst to Brainstorm, the entire group was far from aghast at his actions. If anything, they were heartbroken for his sake. To have been so desperate he'd happily tried to erase himself from existence, in part to save a bot he loved... They want at least to talk to him. Using skills he taught them, they hack past the gridlock on his workshop, and the scientist is shocked by their effort. Before he can say a word they're surrounding him and offering the most effusive of reasurances, particularly regarding how they never want to lose their beloved science bot, and he takes it upon himself to comfort the crying group with a promise he's not going anywhere. In an instant, something becomes incredibly clear to him; these little beings care about him. They don't want him to leave. Trying not to cry himself, he assures the group that he's long since learned his lesson. There's plenty of wonderful things in the present to stick around for.

[akaluan]

The thought of kisuke building wings for himself is stuck in my brain for reasons beyond me or my control. Please take it from me

Kisuke frowns at the mess of mechanical and magical parts scattered across his workbench, trying to make the bits and bobs resolve into something logical; when he’d started this project, he hadn’t expected it to be so… so convoluted, but maybe he should have.

There’s a reason humans rely purely on magic in order to fly, instead of crafting themselves actual wings, after all.

But he’s set himself upon this path and he’s not going to give up just because it’s hard. He’s pretty sure that he can figure it out given enough time — hopefully without resorting to using reiatsu in the process — and then he’ll have actual wings to play with!

And if he can do this then… then…

He doesn’t know.

Maybe he’ll sell bespoke wings to people who want them? The extra funds would be nice, but the idea of having to deal with commissions is a strange thought. Truthfully, the idea that anyone would want anything that he makes is an even stranger thought, but he’s spent more than enough time on the internet to know that there are people out there who will pay absurd amounts for actual working wings. He just has to offer proof of concept in the right places, to the right people, and things will fall into place.

Kisuke sighs and reaches up to tug at a lock of hair, trying to refocus on the present instead of a potential-future. Nothing matters until he can finish up this set for himself, of course, which means he has to actually finish it. Not stare blankly at the pile of parts and hope vaguely that it takes form by itself.

He hums. Leans in.

Gets to work.

\\\

He doesn’t work on just his wing project, of course, so a day turns into a week turns into a month turns into months with no end in sight, but he’s making progress. Slow progress, but progress none-the-less.

It’s actually a pretty rewarding project, if he’s being honest. It’s fun, fun in a way that things haven’t been in decades. Fun in a way that he never thought anything could ever be again.

It’s challenging and intriguing and logical, but it also requires that he dive into research fields that he’s never touched before in his life. There are so many Living World sciences to learn that he’s never quite known where to start, but this project… this project is giving him the opportunity — and the reasons — that he’s never had before.

He researches how birds fly, researches how air moves, researches metallurgy and magical manifestation and robotics and so many other bits and bobs that sometimes it feels like he’s drowning in information. Sometimes he has to set the project aside in order to build something else, just because a thought won’t leave him alone once his brain has put the pieces together.

He never really shows anyone those side-projects — doesn’t think anyone will be interested in them, to be honest — but they’re fun and they do have a use.

The more Kisuke puts together, the more he learns and the better he gets. His first efforts are… crude, to put it mildly, more mess than use, but even his failures are fascinating; Seireitei doesn’t have magic per-se, not to the same extent that the Living World does, so he’s never put any effort into researching it before now. Seeing all the ways it can fail is like discovering kido-crafting all over again, and sometimes he can’t help but shove magic types together just to see what happens.

(Explosions, usually.)

(But sometimes something else, something new, something fascinating occurs instead.)

(He lives for those moments of discovery.)

By now, he’s, ah… renowned in certain circles. He has five mages willing to supply him with both standard elemental crystals — a dime a dozen online, but he’s starting to trust these mages and their abilities — and with rarer, more expensive set-spells. They’re even interested in the results of his experiments, sometimes to the point of offering him extra crystals or new set-spells to experiment with.

(Apparently, not many people are willing to risk explosive experiments.)

(That’s fine.)

(More fun for him!)

It’s not his original project, but Kisuke doesn’t believe any research to be wasted research, so it’s fine.

He’ll find his answer eventually.

\\\

Somewhere along the way, he ends up… accidentally stumbling across his answer while shoving different combinations of set-spells together to see what happens.

It’s a complex, delicate piece of work when spun together into a single spell; its carefully balanced elements make its structure as beautiful as lace and stronger than steel when crafted just right, and it takes weeks for his mages to figure out how to cast it correctly. There’s plenty of explosions in the process, based on the mishmash of notes he finds in the shared research document, and it makes him abruptly cognizant of exactly how lucky he is.

(He would never have been able to reach this moment without his favorite mages supporting him and working together.)

(As talented as Kisuke is, he’s no mage and never can be.)

(Magic is for the living and for the spirits of those who were mages when alive.)

(Kisuke is neither.)

Of course, the just right bit is important, because the slightest disturbance during the initial casting can turn the set-spell into an explosion waiting to happen, as Kisuke learns while experimenting with the first one he’s sent.

It’s fine, though, it’s fine. The mages are worried-apologetic-dismayed when Kisuke reports it, but Kisuke doesn’t care.

They’re working through email and shared notes and the occasional live chat, not side-by-side. Kisuke doesn’t expect perfection in these cases — wouldn’t expect it even if they were working side-by-side, considering how experimental this whole thing is! — so a little unexpected explosion every so often is fine.

(Not that any of the mages seems to agree, considering how much the others chide him about being careful with brand new spells.)

(The concern is… strange, but also… nice?)

(Weird.)

Still, the next several set-spells Kisuke experiments with work out better, and he quickly learns how to tell which ones are viable and which ones aren’t. There’s a sort of… hum… that set-spells have, he’s realized, not so much audible as something felt while holding the crystal, and if he focuses closely enough he can sense which ones are unstable and which aren’t. It’s a useful skill, though apparently a rare one? At least according to his favorite mages, it is— something about it meaning he’s extra sensitive to magical energies, even though he isn’t a mage himself.

(Apparently, if he’d been a mage, he’d have instinctively blocked the sense out when he was young in order to not be constantly overwhelmed by it.)

(He wonders how many mages can’t do that, and are therefore constantly on the edge of over-stimulation because of it.)

(He wonders if he can find a way to help.)

(Hmm… a project for later.)

Regardless, now that Kisuke’s pretty sure he has the set-spell necessary to support flight, things go faster. He builds and tinkers and tears apart and rebuilds, slinging the exo-skeleton on and off with growing ease, the magical connection becoming smoother and cleaner with every iteration. Kisuke doesn’t want there to be a menu or buttons or anything of the sort to control the wings, not when magical prosthetics are already capable of interfacing with the brain and translating intent into action.

He just… needs to adapt it to work with limbs the body’s never had.

Somehow.

Somehow.

Except the brain is an incredible thing on its own, and it ends up being less about teaching the interface to work with extra limbs as teaching his brain to consider the wings part of his body. Which is a bunch of trial and error — lots and lots of error — but eventually the stuttering, twitching mess slung across his back starts to smooth out, starts to flex and shift and spread, and the interface—

The interface does what it was built to do.

Kisuke can feel it as his new wings spread. Can feel it when he accidentally bumps a wing against his workbench. Can feel it when he runs a hand over bare metal struts and magical feathers. Can feel so, so much—

It’s a bit too much, if he’s being honest, especially when he takes the wings off and suddenly loses all that extra input. It doesn’t hurt, at least, but it’s weird and leaves him feeling unbalanced for a while afterward.

(A side-effect he’d never considered, but one his mages are quick to point out is expected if he’s going to use that method of connecting the wings to his mind.)

(Ah well, he’ll adapt.)

(It’s what he does, after all.)

From there, it’s just a matter of refining the wings, both in looks and in function, and then… and then—

And then he can finally fly.

\\\

His first flight is less ‘flight’ and more ‘uncontrolled tumble’, but Kisuke isn’t bothered by that.

(He maybe trying to run (fly) before he can walk.)

(Just maybe.)

He gets up, brushes himself off, and tries again.

And again.

And again.

Until he finally figures out how to coordinate his wings to gain lift, and then it’s almost like everything just clicks into place; not that it becomes easy as such, because it doesn’t, but things start to make sense at last.

(His dreams become weird, tangled messes of extra limbs and feathers and darting flight.)

(Even his normal dreams start to be invaded by wings.)

(It’s weird, but apparently normal?)

(How do brains even work?)

It’s fun though, especially as soon as he stops face-planting as often! Soon he manages to take off, fly for a bit, and then land without falling, and if that’s not an accomplishment he has no idea what is.

(Landings are hard okay?!)

It gets even better when Kisuke has Tessai record one of his short flights and then send it to him, so that he can share it with his favorite mages. Almost instantly he has five very, very interested mages who want their own wings to play with and, well, who is he to deny them when they’ve helped him so much?

They give him suggestions on what to try, too, and while some of them work out terribly, other suggestions actually help. They’re basically writing the whole manual from scratch here, which seems to excite everyone, and Kisuke… Kisuke sometimes can’t help but stare wistfully at his screen, wondering what it would be like to work alongside these five in person.

(He bets it would be incredible, bets it would be like nothing he’s ever done before—)

(But this is still more than he’s ever had before, so he’s going to treasure every moment he gets.)

(He’s learned not to look a gift horse in the mouth these days.)

(Besides, now he has wings!)

(And that’s enough for him.)

[hidden-otaku-stuff]

Different but the Same (pt. 17)

tw: sex, knotting, marking, cursing, insecurities/anxiety, praise, mentions of rough/degrading sex, mentions of guilt/fighting, discussion about consent

Word count: 6.5k

Rating: R18+/M

Omegaverse AU, Rating: 18+/M

Pairings: Iwaizumi x fem!reader, Ushijima x fem!reader

Summary: An unexpected encounter at the Inter-High tournament tossed you into a whirlwind. Being tugged between two males, two different packs, who will reign supreme in this battle for your heart?

Masterlist | prev | next

ch. 17: Honesty Hours

The golden light filtered through the curtains and bathed her face, causing her eyes to flutter open. An arm tightened around her waist, pulling her closer into the muscular chest that vibrated against her back. “Good morning princess,” he rasped, a deep baritone as his own sleepy eyes peeled open. His warm breath tickled the shell of her ear.

“Haji,” she purred, turning slightly so that she could bury her face into his chest. Iwaizumi chuckled, voice husky as a hand carded through her locks.

“Sleep ok?”

The opening of the door surprised Iwaizumi as he glanced up from his dinner, the familiar scent of strawberry filling the room as he stood abruptly - chair screeching as it dragged against the floor. 

“You’re back.”

“Haji.” She beamed back at him. 

His heart stuttered. “I would have picked you up if I knew that you were coming back tonight.”

(Name) shrugged, “I didn’t wanna wait for you, I just wanted to be back.” The words ‘with you’ hung over them.

Iwaizumi’s brown eyes scanned her figure, taking note of the lack of new marks, though the stench of mountains still lingered. He swallowed, nodding. As she opened her mouth, he held up a hand. “I know you’re tired, baby. Why don’t you go shower, and meet me in the nest? We’ll talk about it later.”

Relief filled her features as she bit her bottom lip. “Are you sure?” 

Iwaizumi swallowed his reservations, nodding. She had returned to him as she had promised, and for now, he’ll have to accept that. 

He spent the rest of the night holding her close to him, hoping to completely saturate her with his scent. Not quite ready to give her up just yet.

(Name) nodded, eyes shutting as she took in his warm embrace - the scent comforting her. This was how she preferred to wake up: in Iwaizumi’s arms, surrounded by his love as they cuddled in their nest.

“I’m glad. We have a fun day planned ahead, baby. We need to get ready soon.”

“No.” She snuggled deeper into his chest. 

“No?”

Iwaizumi chuckled again as Omega’s lips jutted out against his left pectoral. 

“Can we cuddle longer?” She asked childishly, peeking up into his face. (Name) admired the way the sun highlighted the golden flecks in his brown eyes. Iwaizumi nodded, a hand slipping under the shirt she had stolen from him as it gently gripped her hip.

“Of course, princess. Anything for you.”

*****

“Ah, Haji!” She grinned, spinning towards him. The long woolen sweater swaying with the movements. (Name) was wearing an oversized wool sweater paired with some leggings and boots. Iwaizumi was wearing a woolen button-up with dark blue jeans. He grinned at (Name) before they looked around their surroundings. 

They were standing outside the Sendai Aquarium, a place that (Name) had grown up visiting as a child before her parents moved away and before she started high-school. It had been ages since she had last visited.

“Oh Haji, you’d have so much fun!” Her eyes sparkled as she fell into the depths of her memories. “They have all types of awesome marine animals, and their dolphin show was so fun!” 

“Is that right?” 

They were sitting at the kitchen table, working on homework assignments. (Name) had been doing research on marine animals for her science class, which is what spurred on the topic of the local aquarium. Iwaizumi watched with fascination as her expression filled with such wonder as she flitted through the various photos. His brown eyes darted down to the date before opening a private window on his laptop. 

As he viewed the options for extra packages, he glanced back up at his mate. 

Anything to make the love of his life happy.

“You’re the absolute best,” (Name) squealed as she flung herself into his arms. 

Iwaizumi chuckled, swinging her slightly before gently placing her down. “Just wait until you see what else I have planned.”

Her eyes widened, “really?”

Iwaizumi threw his arm around her shoulder as they walked into the aquarium, “Really, really.”

He couldn’t help but watch in awe as she led him through the aquarium, following the dimly lit paths as they visited exhibit after exhibit. They had a wonderful morning after their extended cuddle session.

“Haji!” she protested, pouting. “Let me help!”

As she reached for the chopsticks, Iwaizumi smacked her knuckles. “No, this is your birthday and I will spoil my mate,” he scolded, eyes flashing dangerously. 

(Name) pouted, crossing her arms as she plopped back onto her seat - her legs swinging. “C’mon, you don’t have to do all that. What happened to being partners and mates before all else?”

“Yeah we are partners and mates before all else,” Iwaizumi agreed, stirring the eggs in the pan. “But that means that I’m allowed to spoil you whenever I see fit, so take the spoiling!” 

She rolled her eyes, watching patiently as Iwaizumi finished the rolled eggs. It was definitely a different experience to see Iwaizumi taking over her kitchen, though it wasn’t an unwelcome change. It made her heart flutter to see how hard her mate worked in order to treat her, even if it was just for her birthday. Iwaizumi laid out the bowls and plates down in front of her, setting down the grilled salmon in front of her accompanied by the rolled eggs, pickled salad, agedashi tofu, and a bowl of miso soup and rice. A small plate of steamed gyoza sat in between them for them to share. (Name) giggled, of course Iwaizumi would include his favourite food for breakfast.

“What?”

“Nothing baby.” 

Iwaizumi’s gaze softens as he takes his seat beside her, holding her hand and brushing his lips against her knuckles. “I love you.”

“I love you too, Haji.” She picked up her chopsticks, playfully tapping them together. “This looks so yummy, thank you, baby.”

“Anything for you.”

A soft smile breaches Iwaizumi's face. He glanced at his watch. “Hey baby, let’s make our way back to the stadium, yeah?”

Her face drops slightly as her eyebrows furrowed. “Oh uh, sure?” They had just been about to visit the Oceania exhibit where the fairy penguins were. 

She followed his lead as he gently escorted her to the stadium, fighting back to suppress the excitement that throttled his body and pulsed through her mark. “Haji?” she asked, her free hand covering the mark slightly. “Why are you so excited?”

“Shh, you’ll see in a second.”  They entered the stadium where Iwaizumi had her stop for a moment. “I’ll be right back. Stay here.”

“Alright.”

(Name) watched curiously as Iwaizumi went up to the staff before returning with a massive grin. The pangs of his anticipation got harder to ignore. “C’mon.”

“Are you going to tell me what’s going on now?” 

“Ta-da!” 

With a splash of water, a dolphin hopped onto the flat surface of the floor right beside the water-side. 

“Oh my gosh!” (Name) gasped as the dolphins squealed at her.

“Happy birthday, princess.” 

“Miss, come with me.” One of the employees stepped forward, extending a hand for (Name).

“Oh okay!” She glanced between Iwaizumi, the employee, and the dolphin - barely able to restrain her own excitement. Iwaizumi watched with crossed arms as (Name) sat beside the dolphin, her eyes widening with unadulterated joy as she was guided to gently stroke the smooth and rubbery skin. 

“You can sit with her, sir.” 

Iwaizumi glanced at the employee, giving them a short nod. “Thank you.” He squatted down beside her, letting one of his arms fall around her waist as they posed for pictures with the dolphin. He couldn’t wait to see how the photos from today would turn out. 

As they walked away from the stadium, (Name) threw herself into Iwaizumi’s arms. “Haji! That was so cool! I’ve always wanted to do that.”

Iwaizumi chuckled, holding her tight. “I’m glad you enjoyed it, babe.” 

“You’re the absolute best,” she sniffed, burying her face into his shoulder.

“You say that, but the surprises aren’t over yet,” he smirked mischievously.

“I feel like my heart is going to give out with all of these surprises,” she mumbles, shaking her head slightly. 

“I promise, you’ll like it.”

“I know I will. That’s why I’m not ready,” she replied looking up at him with semi-glossy eyes. “Thank you. Really. Thank you so much for making this the best birthday a girl could ask for.”

Iwaizumi cupped her face. “You’re the love of my life. My mate. My soulmate. I won’t accept anything but the best for you, alright?” He pressed his lips to her forehead before straightening up, slipping his hand into hers. “Now c’mon, let’s take you to your other surprise,  yeah?” 

 He brings her back to the Plaza of Marine Animals, just outside of The Seas of the World exhibit they had just been at before they had left to interact with the dolphins. Iwaizumi double-checked his watch once more. 

Right on time. 

The staff members grinned, waving at Iwaizumi, recognising him. He had gone to visit the aquarium weeks ago with the rest of the Seijoh third-years in order to see the various programs and to see what would be best for (Name)’s birthday present.

“Hi Iwaizumi-kun. Are you and your mate ready?”

“Yes we are,” he affirmed, squeezing her hand. (Name) looked curiously at them, tilting her head slightly. 

“What are we doing?” 

The employees looked at one another before handing her a bucket. Her eyes widened, making the connection as they led them to the penguin exhibit. “Oh my god, Haji!” She squealed, tears really threatening to overwhelm her now. “Are we-?”

“Well, you never shut up about penguins so I figured you might like to feed them sometime.” Iwaizumi shrugged slightly, hiding his own smile as her entire expression lit up. Her happiness warmed him like the sun on a summer’s afternoon, completely bathing him as if he was a cat sunning itself. 

(Name) squealed, trembling in sheer excitement as she made her way along the glass before setting into the opened gate. “Aw, look at you dapper little fellows,” she cooed before she offered them their fish. 

The employees snapped photos of them together. A photo of the penguins cuddling up and swarming around her legs as (Name) giggled. Iwaizumi crouched by the penguins, a hand extended to offer a fish to the penguin. 

“Haji look!” (Name) gasped, pointing at the penguins who dove back into the water after getting a fish. Baby penguins sauntered out of their den, ruffling their fluffy feathers. “They’re so small!”

“Just as small as you,” Iwaizumi teased, eyes sparkling with mischief. 

“Haji!” She pouted, nudging his shoulder with her knee. 

“You can get your photos at the front.” The employee informed them as the couple took the last of the fish. “Thank you for supporting our aquarium, I hope you have a wonderful day.”

“Thank you so much!” 

The duo bowed before they made their way to the restrooms to wash their hands. 

“Oh Haji, this was so much fun, thank you so much.” Her eyes brimmed with unshed tears as she peered up at her mate, heart racing. After years of being together, and many, many dates, this had to be her all-time favourite. 

“Just wait, there’s more,” Iwaizumi smiled, a hand settling on her hips.

*****

The couple arrived safely home, Iwaizumi closing the door behind him as (Name) shyly looked away. After the fun at the aquarium, the couple had gone to a cafe where Iwaizumi had surprised her with a class on how to make peach nerikiri. From there, the couple had journeyed home.

This was it. 

This was the moment. 

Turning to face her mate, she was surprised to find him standing right in front of her, his hand tilting her face up to his. Minty breath fanned across her lips before he captured them with his own. She could faintly taste the peach from the sweets they had made earlier. 

“Wait.” She put her hands onto Iwaizumi’s chest. “Before we get started...do you wanna help me make my nest?” 

Iwaizumi’s eyes widened, his arms falling around her waist. “Really?” 

(Name) blinked shyly at him, nodding. “It’d feel right. If we had a nest.” He scooped her into his arms, pulling her into a kiss as he carried her towards the room. 

“It would, wouldn’t it?” He purred, nosing the mark he’d placed on her. She reciprocated his movements, placing open-mouthed kisses on the spot where her mark would go; her chest vibrated as her purrs met his. “Now, let’s build a nest, shall we?” 

Iwaizumi pulled away, his brown eyes sparkling as he looked at his perfect mate. She nodded, affectionately nipping his neck before springing out of his arms. Iwaizumi shivered with pleasure, eyes squeezing shut before he opened them to the sight of his Omega grabbing her nesting blankets from her closet. 

“What should I do?”

“Can you grab the other blankets in the closet and scent them for me?” She climbed onto her bed, neatly arranging the blankets. Iwaizumi did as she asked, excitement spiking through him. 

In all of their years of courting, she had never before asked him to help her with a nest. Sure he’s been in her nest before, and definitely scented things for her, but never helped her make it. The act of it now felt so much more intimate than he had expected. The room filled with a flurry of pine and strawberry clashing as Iwaizumi moved to hand her the freshly scented items. The Omega pressed them to her face, letting out a satisfied chirp at the scent, before she padded them into the nest. “Can I get your volleyball stuff too?” She turned, lip jutting out.

“You don’t have to pout like that ‘Mega, you know I’d give it to you if you ask. I’d give you the world if that's what you wanted.” Iwaizumi chuckled, grabbing his duffel and pulling out his volleyball jerseys. “Sorry, I’ve washed them since I used them.” 

He tried to hand them to her only for her to push his hand back, his eyebrows quirking up. “Scent.” His deep baritone laugh filled the air as he complied. 

As soon as he was finished, she yanked it out of his hands, patting it into the nest. With a satisfied trill, she jumped in, disappearing from sight. Iwaizumi stood beside it, waiting patiently as he listened to her happy chirps as she rolled around in it, unseen. Her head popped up, beaming as bright as the afternoon sun. “You can come in, Haji.” 

With a soft purr, he pounced. Diving in, he was quick to wrap his arms around his little Omega. She squealed, curling up into him as he started scenting her. “My beautiful mate,” he breathed, decorating her face with kisses. The setting sunlight trickled in, bathing her in a pool of golden light. Iwaizumi’s eyes sparkled as he took in her beauty, heart fluttering. His hands rested on either side of her head, propping himself up. “I can’t believe you’re mine.” 

Brown eyes roamed her face before settling on her mark. 

His mark. 

His Alpha howled with excitement. 

“I’m yours, Haji. Always have been.” Soft hands found his face, cupping it as she leaned up. Her scent consumed him as tender lips met. Gently at first, until the fire of desire overtook them. His tongue traced her lips only for her to eagerly part them, her breath coming as low pants.  

A hand slipped under her shirt, tracing small circles into her hip as his fingers tightened his grip. “I love you so much baby,” he whispered against her plush lips, peppering kiss after kiss as the fire raged through his body. “So much.”

“Haji, I love you,” (Name) gasped, pulling back. Her eyes blown out with desire and lust. “Please, I need you.” Her hips rolled up, meeting his as her neck tilted to the side, exposing the mark up to him. “I’m yours, Alpha.”

Iwaizumi’s eyes darkened as the sight of his mark filled his vision. His breath catches as his hand comes up to cup her neck, the other sliding down and tugging at the bottom of her shirt. “Take it off,” he demanded, licking his lips - his eyes not leaving the mark.

(Name) purred, scooting back slightly before tearing the shirt off her body. Her fingers tugged at Iwaizumi’s shirt, whining as she glared at the offending material. Iwaizumi’s lips found her mark, gently nibbling on it as his arms reached down to strip the shirt off. 

“You’re so beautiful,” Iwaizumi breathed, inhaling deeply against her mark. “My pretty mate. Mine.”

“I’m yours,” she whimpered. 

Iwaizumi ripped down her leggings, tossing them onto the floor out of his way before he pushed off his own dark-blue jeans. He settled between her legs, the scent of their arousal thick in the air and clashing. 

(Name) whimpered, pressing her hips up against his, slick escaping her. 

“Lemme take care of you baby,” Iwaizumi cooed, nibbling on the side of her neck as he stroked his hard cock. 

“Please,” she gasped, jolting as he tapped the head of his cock against her clit. 

His hips rolled against hers as he pushed himself forward, lips frantically capturing hers. His tongue slipped into her mouth just as his dick sunk in - welcoming him home. Soft, breathy moans met his baritone grunts as she clenched on his cock. “Fuck baby, just like that,” Iwaizumi cursed, sucking on her bottom lip. “Fuck you’re so tight.”

“Feel so good, Haji,” she whimpered, her hands scrambling to grab onto whatever she could until they settled on his biceps. He hissed as her nails dug in, the pleasure overwhelming him. Her velvet walls caressed his dick as he slowly pushed his way in. “So big,” she moaned. Iwaizumi waited patiently as he bottomed out, the tip just kissing her cervix. He leaned closer, a hand gliding up her back as he held her close to him, leaving a trail of goose-bumps. 

Hot, open-mouthed kisses were pressed along the column of her throat. Iwaizumi sucked on her flesh, littering the flesh with darkened marks. Her arms came to rest around his chest under his arms, letting her nails scrap his back. Fingers tapped his back twice, “you can move now Alpha,” she whispered, nosing along his collarbone and planting her own desperate kisses. 

During her heats or his ruts, they were prone to having rough, aggressive sex where he would spit on, slap, and spank her for hours, chasing orgasm after orgasm until they’d both nearly collapsed. He took it slowly this time, enjoying the sensation of each movement as he held her tightly against him.

“I love you so much baby. Never wanna hurt you.” Iwaizumi lapped at the love-bite he had just left on her chest. She whimpered under his caress. Iwaizumi chuckled softly under his breath as he felt her pussy pulse around him. After so much practice, he knew (Name)’s body like the back of his hand. He knew exactly how to position himself, how to hold her, and just how much pressure he needed to bring her to the brink and back. He was hers, and she was his and moments like this just proved how well their souls were meant to be. 

But if all those times were just fucking, then he wanted this to be the time he made love to his mate. This time was special after all - it would be their first time they would have sex since he’s marked her. 

Where she would finally place her mark on him. 

Electricity shot through his spine at the mere thought. 

Finally, he would be able to claim her as fully his - just as he was fully hers from mind, body, and spirit.   

“Please baby, I wanna make you cum on my cock,” Iwaizumi moaned, his nose nudging hers as his eyes squeezed shut. “Make you fall apart on me, wouldn’t you like that, pretty girl?” A sharp thrust had him pressing against her cervix again. He shuddered, his orgasm creeping up on him. “(Name),” he choked out, eyes snapping to her face. She made the prettiest faces when she was falling apart under him. It was a sight that he would never tire of. Nothing could compare to the unbridled pleasure of having his mate in his arms. 

Her eyes snapped open, anxiety squeezing her heart. “Yes, Hajime?”

“Tell me you love me.” His brown eyes glistened as a glimmer of hesitation graced them.

“Haji, I love you. I love you so much.” She cupped his face. “I never want to be without you, ever.” Frantic kisses decorated his face, his chest, anything she could reach. “I’m yours,” she whispered, leaning up to nose his scent gland.

 He let out a stifled moan, shivering under her touch as another wave of pleasure swept over him. “Mark me baby.” His nose brushed against his mark, sending sparks through her. Her pussy clenched onto him.

She pressed a kiss to his gland, licking her dry lips. “Together,” she breathed. His cock twitched at the suggestion. “Wanna be yours,” (Name) murmured, hands tracing along his jaws delicately in contrast to the aggressive way his hips met hers. “Forever.” 

“Always, baby,” Iwaizumi promised, sweat dripping down his forehead. He leaned forward, exposing his gland to her as he nosed along her mark. (Name)’s jaw opened, canines pressing lightly down onto his flesh. Iwaizumi shuddered, groaning at the brief contact, thrusting forward and grinding his dick deeper against her cervix. Delicately placing his teeth onto her mark again, he brought them to the brink. One of his hands slipped down, messily rubbing circles onto the sensitive bud while the other gripped the back of her neck. 

With one final thrust, her walls fluttered so deliciously around him. 

As his orgasm surged forward like a raging flame, his teeth sunk into her flesh, bonding them together once more. Iwaizumi’s eyes rolled back as she placed her mark onto him. An explosion of lights flickered behind his eyelids, every nerve burning as pleasure raged through him.

“Haji!” She cried, pulling back. 

Red coated her teeth as tears flowed down her cheeks. (Name) placed delicate kitten-licks over the mark, body quivering under him as wave after wave of pleasure washed over her.

“Fuck,” Iwaizumi’s body seized up, ropes of cum coating her walls. His movements slowed to languid thrusts, his knot swelling and locking them together. “I love you, (Name),” Iwaizumi panted, licking away the last traces of blood from his marking. 

“I love you too, Haji,” she whimpered under him, eyes fluttering shut as her head fell back onto the bed. He pulled away, wiping the blood away from his lips before he captured her lips with us. He’d never cum as hard as he did when she’d marked him, and based on the wetness between them, she’d felt the same way. “You’re stuck with me for life,” (Name) teased, bright eyes looking up at him.

“I’m okay with that.”  

*****

“I was really scared I’d lose you.” 

A pang shot through her as a wave of sadness slipped through the mark. She shifted, tilting her head up to look at her mate. They were still laying in the nest, his arm around her waist holding her flush against him. 

“Ever since middle school, girls would go out of their way to become my friend or show interest in me, only to go behind my back and confess to Oikawa.” A scoff left his lips. “I was so fucking happy when we met at that volleyball game.” 

A tug, and she was on top of him, legs intertwined with his. Their eyes met, and she could just see her reflection in his glassy eyes. A sigh left his lips, the warm air fanning across her cheeks. 

“Finally I could have something that was mine. I couldn’t catch myself from falling for you.” Calloused fingers reached up to tuck her hair behind her ear. His eyes closed, and she buried her face into the crook of his neck, pressing her lips gently to their mark. “And then that asshole messed around with you, and I thought that I had lost the only person who was supposed to be mine.” 

The wave intensified, becoming a current that they were being dragged out into. His grip tightened while his scent burned. 

“You were so defenseless and I just felt so helpless. I couldn’t protect you, and I was worried that you’d leave me because of it.” Droplets rained onto her skin as she listened. He had never opened up to her like this before, and she didn’t want to interrupt, didn’t want him to close back up. Her hand reached up, caressing his cheek. A soft whimper escaped him as he leaned into her comforting touch before he cleared his throat, willing the icy claws away. 

“But when you stayed, I couldn’t help it, I got so insecure.” His voice quivered as he continued, gulping loudly. “And then you were managing the volleyball team, and that’s when I started feeling worse. Ushiwaka in a position of power over you? Who knows what he could’ve made you do, what fucking shit he’d put you through. All the time we used to be spending together, you’d be spending with him. I just couldn’t help thinking to myself, is he making her happy? Does he know how lucky he is to have you there during practice? Do you prefer his pack over mine? And I just kept thinking about how he’d convince you to leave me, or somehow show you that he was the better option.” 

The droplets became a stream. He sniffled. 

One of his hands reached up, playing with her hair in an attempt to comfort himself. She began to pump some soothing pheromones in the air, letting him rein in some control of his emotions - sensing there was more he needed to say. 

“And after he marked you? I thought it was over for us. Of course you’d choose him, he’s a fucking Apex Alpha. He’s one of the best aces in Japan. How can I compete with that?” 

At this, she pulled away from his grip, sitting up and pulling him up with her. He whimpered at the loss of contact. “Hajime.” Her eyes surveyed his face as her hands went to cup his face. Leaning in, she kissed away his tears. 

“You’re the love of my life.” 

A kiss to his right cheek. 

“There’s nobody more perfectly imperfect than you.” 

To his left cheek. 

“There’s not one day where I don’t think about my future with you, about our future.” 

His nose.

“A life without you is not one that I want to live in.” 

His sniffles got louder as he gripped her hip harder. She pulled his head into her chest, gently combing through his hair as he let go, crying into her flesh. “I’m so sorry that this happened. I promise that you’re the only Alpha for me. This pack - our pack - is the only one I want. I don’t give a fuck about Ushijima. I don’t need an Apex Alpha or the best ace in Japan. I don’t care what people say, you’re the best ace. I only want you, Hajime Iwaizumi. My soulmate, my Alpha.” With that, she pressed a kiss to his forehead.  

His tender sobs became hiccups before he became overwhelmed with emotion once more. “Be mine?” he whimpered.

“I always have been. For now and always, I’m yours.” 

As they laid in the comfort of each other’s company, (Name) couldn’t help the breathy sigh of satisfaction that left her. How lucky was she to find someone who loved her as much as Iwaizumi did? 

*****

“I would like to apologize for my actions.”

The two best friends sat awkwardly in their dorm, Tendou on the top bunk and Ushijima at his desk. 

“I could have died.” 

Ushijima sucked in a harsh gulp of air. “I know.”

“Wakatoshi, you’re my best friend. You know I would do anything for you, right?” 

He let his head hang as he nodded. “I know. But that does not remove my guilt. I am sorry that I put you in danger.”

“I know I shouldn’t have gone back to the dorms, but I was worried.” 

Tendou hummed slightly, fiddling with his white plush dragon, the very same one that (Name) had gifted him after learning about his Studio Ghibli preferences. 

The last remnants of strawberry clung to the room. Ushijima’s rut had eased up after he had knotted (Name) that first time. After proceeding to do so another three or four times that night, Ushijima had regained control over himself. He had felt only extreme remorse since she had left his dorm room.  

“I did not mean to worry you.”

“You were in a lot of pain, Wakatoshi. The whole floor could hear you and I figured that would be the case after you marked her. How are you feeling now though?”

Ushijima’s fingers drummed on his desk. “Guilty.” 

“What for?”

“I should not have marked her.”

Tendou snorted, nodding. “You aren’t wrong there. So what now?”

“What do you mean?”

“What do you plan on doing about your relationship with her?” Tendou raised an eyebrow. “You know as well as I do that she’s our Omega, you essentially trapped her into that.”

Ushijima’s brows furrowed. “I did not trap her. I gave her a choice.”

“A choice where she would have to decide between Alphas she knew and trusted and other Alphas she’s barely interacted with.” 

“But that was still her choice.”

Tendou leaned over the bunk, vermillion eyes fixing Ushijima with a hard stare. The Apex Alpha flinched, unused to such a serious expression on his best friend's face. “Wakatoshi. It doesn’t matter what you or your Alpha believes. (Name) has a bond-mate and you intruded on that relationship by courting her. Did you even ask her?” 

Ushijima’s nerves froze. A bond-mate? Why hadn’t she said something sooner? He shook his head, eyes darkening. 

“I gave her the watch and she accepted.”

“But did you verbally ask her?” 

Ushijima paused before shaking his head. “I did not think that I needed to.” 

Tendou barked with shrill laughter. “Seriously? I would have thought you knew better than that, Wakatoshi. We’ve moved past those traditional times. It’s all about consent these days.” 

“I- I didn’t know.” 

The middle-blocker snorted. “I care about you deeply, Wakatoshi-kun, but this is a difficult situation. You and (Name) need to both talk it out, face-to-face, without any influence from pheromones or your rut and her heat. She’s probably bonded with that wing-spiker by now.”

“I know.”

Tendou gave him a final nod before rolling back over. 

“Are you hurt?” Ushijima asked. 

Tendou looked over his shoulder, giving his friend a small smile. “Nothing that I can’t recover from Wakatoshi. Good night.”

“Good night, Tendou.” 

Ushijima climbed out of his chair, plopping down onto his mattress and laying down. The strawberry scent floating up from his bedsheets. He rolled over, burying his face into the pillow where the scent lingered the strongest. 

He knew he wasn’t guilt-free here.

He knew that (Name) was in a difficult situation. 

He knew that his Alpha, his instincts, had landed them both into this. Why hadn’t he tried harder to control it?

Ushijima huffed, squeezing his eyes shut. He had to fix this. 

He had to. 

BONUS

“Oooh, Iwa-chan look!” 

Oikawa grabbed the octopus hat, shoving it onto Iwaizumi’s head who scowled at his best friend’s antics. On his other side, Makki and Mattsun were engaged in a swordfish fight, smacking the plushies around in an attempt to force the other to submit. 

“I should have never asked you idiots to come with me,” Iwaizumi growled, snatching the plush swordfish out of Makki and Mattsun hands before using both to smack Oikawa across the head.

“Ouch!” Oikawa whined, rubbing his head. He pouted. “Well why invite us if we can’t even have fun?”

“We aren’t meant to be here for fun!” Iwaizumi replied, replacing the merchandise before apologising to the store owner. “You’re supposed to help me decide which thing (Name) would like better.”

Makki snorted as the group made their way to the exhibits. “Wouldn’t you know that? Since you’re her mate and all.”

Iwaizumi face-palmed. 

Why oh why did he think this would be a good idea?

“Do you think we could kidnap a penguin?”

The third years turned to see a grey-haired lanky male, who had his face pressed against the glass as he stared at the penguins. 

“Y’know what, I’m just going to talk to the employees. Stay here.” Iwaizumi gave Oikawa  a pointed look before he disappeared in search of an aquarium employee. 

“Maybe we should try and steal a penguin too,” Makki muttered to Mattsun. Loud footsteps distracted the Seijoh third-years, drawing their attention to the entrance of the exhibit.

“Lev!” A short Alpha stormed towards the tall multiracial male, kicking him square in the back. “I told you to wait at the entrance for the rest of the pack!” The Alpha glared at the taller Alpha before grabbing his arm and dragging him off. “I swear, we can’t take you anywhere.”

“But Yaku! You can’t lose me.” Lev’s eyes sparkle as he points at the fairy penguins. “You’re as big as these penguins! You’ll see me anywhere you go.”

An angry tick-mark appeared on the libero’s forehead. “Lev!” He snapped, his Alpha tone slipping. 

Lev flinched, a shiver running down his spine as he let out a little whine. “Don’t get mad!” 

“Yaku, stop harassing the first year.” Kuroo appeared, crossing his arms as he tapped his foot. “You already know he’s an idiot, so why do you continue getting upset over it?” 

“Just cause he’s an idiot doesn’t mean he can’t respect me,” Yaku scowled. “Where’s everyone else?”

“Reminds you of anyone else you know?” Makki snickered, glancing between Oikawa and the direction that Iwaizumi had taken off in. Oikawa ignored them, still picking through the various shelves of the gift-shop.

Kuroo shrugged. “Fukunaga and Inuka are taking photos with the seals.”

“You can take photos with the seals here?” Makki asked under his voice, nudging Mattsun.

“Do you think we could steal a seal?” Mattsun joked before they both chuckled. 

“C’mon, let’s go find the rest of the pack. We don’t have much time for this “team-bonding” before we go meet Karasuno.”

“Karasuno?” Oikawa muttered, eyes narrowing as he snapped to attention. He sniffed the air, scanning the Alphas. “Who are they and why are they meeting them?” 

The question was answered by the tall halfie. 

“It was such a long trip from Tokyo,” he whined. “Why can’t we spend more time here?”

“Lev, just do what we say,” Yaku rolled his eyes, his nostrils flaring slightly.

At that moment, Iwaizumi returned. 

“Hey, I got everything booked. You ready to head out?” He checked his wrist. “If we’re lucky, we’ll be able to hangout with (Name) at home and have dinner.”

Makki’s face lit up. “(Name) and food? Sign me up!” 

As they walked off, chatting about their plans, Oikawa kicked the ground angrily muttering under his breath.

Iwaizumi rolled his eyes. “Why are you so pissy?”

“Why do all the other teams get to practice with Tokyo teams? We’re just as good!” 

Irritation filled the wing-spikers face. “Why don’t you talk to the coaches? That’s how Karasuno did it.”

Mattsun raised his eyebrow. “How do you know that?” 

Iwaizumi shoved his hands into his jacket, “I talk to Kageyama sometimes.”

“You what?!” 

Across the town at the Karasuno gym, Kageyama sneezed mid-set. 

*****

“Welcome to this short class! Today, we’ll be learning how to make two different types of nerikiri wagashi, Strawberry Daifuku, and three-colour dango and we’ll be pairing those with matcha green tea that we will brew later.” 

(Name)’s eyes sparkled as she bounced in her seat, eyes flitting from the instructor to her mate. Iwaizumi looked calm and collected as he leaned back in his seat, his elbow on the back of her chair. 

“Since you all have partners, we’ll be working on both two different desserts at once. Please choose one person to work on the nerikiri and the other to work on the daifuku.” 

She carefully followed the instructions to mix the flour, sugar, and water into the pot to dissolve. Beside her, Iwaizumi followed the instructions to make the strawberry daifuku. Amusement filled him at the sweet scent of the fruits. He preferred his mate’s scent to them. 

“Why are we taking this class again?” Someone whispered behind them as the instructor went over the ingredients that they would be using.

“Aone wanted to.” An Alpha snorted. 

The voice seemed vaguely familiar. Iwaizumi’s brow furrowed, throwing a curious glance over his shoulder. He almost choked as he realised who was behind them. 

“Guess even the mighty wall does cute stuff for bonding, huh?” (Name) said softly, grinning as she looked up at her mate. 

Iwaizumi chuckled, shaking his head. He definitely hadn’t expected to see them there, nor did he expect the formidable middle-blocker of Date Tech to be the very reason they were there. 

“Your peach nerikiri is so cute Aone-san!” 

The couple jumped slightly, startled by the loudness of the voice. Heads turned to the tall, blonde-haired male as he eagerly bounced in his seat.

“Kogane!” Futakuchi scowled, face-palming. His nostrils flared as his cedar scent spiked slightly. “What did we say about inside voices?”

Koganegawa pauses, tapping his chin. “To use them when we’re inside?”

“Exactly.” The newly appointed Captain sighed. “Now, let’s be quiet and finish this class, okay?” 

“Yes Captain, sir!” Kogane salutes only to accidentally knock the bowl of dry ingredients, sending it flying all over Aone. Koganegawa’s jaw dropped. “I am so, so sorry Aone-san!” 

Aone blinked. 

Then the middle-blocker gave the young setter a nod before turning his dough. The Alpha carefully smoothed out the wrinkles, shaping it. Futakuchi glanced over from his dango, observing the fluid movements. 

“Have you made these before, Aone?” 

Aone nodded again, eyes locked on the pastries. 

“I didn’t know you were into sweets,” Koganegawa whispered to no avail. His voice still echoed in the classroom. 

“I grew up making them.” Aone replied simply. 

Futakuchi tilted his head. “Was it to impress Omegas?” 

Aone shrugged, remaining silent.

“Omegas like it when you make them desserts?”

(Name) stifled a giggle as she tried to keep her eyes on her own treats. She had no idea who this ‘Kogane’ was, but he reminded her of Goshiki and Kindaichi. Her heart hummed, missing the two young males. Silently, she decided to host a mini-dessert party with her underclassmen as soon as she had a chance. 

“I swear to god, Kogane, I’m glad you’re a Beta.”

“Thanks!” Koganegawa paused. “Wait, was that supposed to be an insult?” 

“Just make your daifuku.”

*****

FUN FACTS

💟 Iwaizumi had been miserably picking at his dinner and staring at photos of him and his mate when (Name) had unexpectedly arrived

💟 As soon as (Name) felt that Ushijima had enough control, she had left his dorm. She didn’t like the way she had to rush off that morning and how her conversation with Iwaizumi had ended

💟 Regardless of whether or not she was in heat, (Name) had a nest built in her room. She enjoyed the safety it provided and it wouldn’t feel complete without Iwaizumi

💟 Iwaizumi had been invited to that final trip to the aquarium with (Name) and her parents, but had to skip out due to his own family obligations. Outside of visiting it with the Seijoh 4 to plan this date, Iwaizumi had never actually been to the aquarium before

💟 The Alpha typically only cooked with (Name) or cooked for her when she was sick. The Omega typically wouldn’t let him cook by himself if she had a choice

💟 Marine animals are (Name)’s all-time favourite. She can’t choose which she likes the most and will default to ocean documentaries whenever she has a chance. Iwaizumi and the Seijoh boys will get her plushies of the animals whenever they notice one she doesn’t have (which isn’t very many)

💟 The couple got a DVD of all the photos they had taken that day. The employees - knowing that it was (Name)’s birthday - also managed to get some sneaky pictures of the couple around the aquarium. Iwaizumi plans on printing those out and displaying them in their apartment 

💟 Initially, they would take turns planning dates but after a few months of courting, they decided just to plan them together as those dates would end up more fun

💟 Iwaizumi loves to buy (Name) sweets, but he thought it would mean more if he learned how to make it himself. Secretly he was already planning on going to Oikawa’s place to learn how to make other sweets

💟 It wasn’t often that Iwaizumi would voice his insecurities, and it always meant the world to (Name) when he did. She never pressured him because she knew that he would be more stressed out. Instead, she would provide him whatever support he needed

💟 (Name) had been shopping when she saw the plushie of Haku and knew immediately that she had to get it for Tendou

💟 Tendou had never spoken up before about the situation between (Name) and Ushijima. Initially, he was all for Ushijima’s happiness and congratulated the male on finding a mate, but after getting to know her better, Tendou couldn’t help but feel guilty 

💟 During their swordfish fight, Makki had knocked over a glass bowl which would have shattered. Thankfully, Iwaizumi predicted that would happen and was already primed to catch the bowl      

💟 Lev was unsuccessful in his scheme to kidnap a penguin, but Fukunaga - wanting to one-up the first-year - managed to steal one up until they were about to walk out. The two are now banned from the Sendai Aquarium

💟 Date Tech has a monthly hangout where team members all switch off on getting to pick what to do. This month was Aone’s choice

💟 Futakuchi meant his comment as a back-handed compliment. He worries how Koganegawa would treat his Omega if he was an Alpha, especially since it was common knowledge that Omegas love sweets.

AN: I need your help! I’m looking towards the future and planning for a new team-based series and I need your input. Please fill out this form. If you’ve already left a comment or an ask, please fill out the form again! Thank you

Taglist: @sawamooora  @kriswu46 @pantasticalcat @shadowkunoichi @awuariyuh @4lfalfagarlic @kuroowh0r3 @sourapplex @pastelpuffbar @froyopet @michelepiekenma @gywjd0131 @aideen00 @loudpoetry23 @kaizumi @chrisrue15@aideen00 @mayor-chu-of-many-towns @ ephemeralninon @kinkymint  @dabilove27 @sol-demure @dark-mermaid25 @otaku-explosion @fake-id-69 @zlatanakermann @killuaking @hxsxxk-180294  @uwukris @cheerysparkle @seiijixcia @tsumue @shoyomeow @vicassa @newfriendjen @jubilee40  @kiritokunuwu  @cuddlesslut @terminallyvolatile @indecisivehusky @kaitycole @bioticbarbie @queenluce13 @ash-aph​

*Bolded names were unable to be tagged

Please contact me via ask or my inbox to join the ‘Different but the Same’ taglist! 💞  Check out this link for information about my taglists.

[twstarchives]

Ace Trappola・Voice Lines

Additional Voice Lines: Dress-Up Groom Event Card

School Uniform - R

Unlock Card “Don’t drag in any kind of trouble again, alright? ‘Cause I’m not helping you out this time!”

Groovy “It’d get exhausting always being so serious about everything, wouldn’t it? You just gotta be efficient about things ♪”

Home Setting “Let’s take it nice and slow today!”

Home Transitions “Something’s always going on whenever I’m with you. Seriously, it doesn’t ever get boring.”

“Hm? I don’t really hate school. It’s not like I need it, though. Haha! If I didn’t go, I’d just have nothing to do.”

“Professor Crewel called me over when I ditched class duty today... He gets so intense when he’s scolding his students!”

Home Transition (Login Greeting) “Oh, you’re finally here. So what’re you doing right now? C’mon, pick something~”

Home Taps “It’s kinda nice that our outfits are already picked out for us everyday. If we got to wear casual clothes, we’d have to spend some time trying to put together an outfit.”

“My dreams for the future? Nope, don’t got any! Striving hard to achieve your dreams is so... bleurgh, I can’t do it. It’s just not my thing.”

“Yeah, yeah, what do you want with me this time? You’ve got some serious dedication to this whole prefect thing.”

“I’m glad our dorm color is red. I like red. It stands out, it’s stylish, and it fits me nicely, doesn’t it?”

“Alright, alright, stop pulling so hard; I can hear you just fine! ...So? What is it?”

PE Uniform - R

Unlock Card “I’m pretty confident about my reflexes. Wanna take a look at my magift skills?”

Groovy “You can tell just by looking at me that I’m the type who hates losing. Come do some intensive training with me!”

Home Setting “It’s not good for you to just be standing still like that!”

Home Transitions “I seriously can’t handle Coach Vargas. He’s so intense and conceited... It’s tiring just being around him.”

“I have a lot of fun in the basketball club. I get along well with upperclassmen from the other dorms too.”

“I think sports and magic are kinda similar. I mean, you’ve gotta put all your effort into both of them everyday.”

Home Transition (Login Greeting) “PE class is about to start soon. You’ll get left behind if you keep moving so slow~”

Home Taps “Did you already eat yet? If not, let’s go pick up something from the store. It’s boring being cooped up inside all the time.”

“No way. I don’t even have to ask; I can tell just by that face that whatever you have to say is something real troublesome. Don’t tell me.”

“I don’t wanna turn into some macho guy who’s totally ripped, so I can take it easy with my training.”

“Cater actually has pretty good reflexes. I should ask him for some Flying tips later.”

“Ahaha!! What do you want~? You keep poking me in the side over and over again!”

Lab Coat - SR

Unlock Card “Working together’s really important. ...So anyway, let’s do our best on this assignment!”

Groovy “It’s fine to slack off just a little. Just do your best not to get caught.”

Home Setting “What, you’ve got a question? Alright, you owe me one.”

Home Transitions “I saw Deuce in the library looking really serious about something. I guess he’s studying for our next test.”

“Hey, did you finish the homework? Let’s do it together if you haven’t yet. That way we can split the work and get it done faster.”

“Sometimes there are potions with effects that make you think ‘What would you even make that for?’ I’d never wanna drink one, though.”

Home Transition (Login Greeting) “They don’t call Night Raven a prestigious academy for nothing. I gotta study sometimes too or I’ll get behind.”

Home Transition (Groovy) “Why do you have so much motivation for your classes? Don’t tell me you’re actually planning on making Grim a great mage, or something?”

Home Taps “The Headmaster really shows up and vanishes at the most unexpected times. Yesterday it almost gave me a heart attack when I noticed he was sitting behind me.”

“Be careful if you come across any talking flowers in the Botanical Garden. People say they’re really mean.”

“Potions are so nasty. And yet in the Queen of Hearts’ country, they were supposed to have tasted like things like pies and juice...”

“What do they even do at the science club? Trey invited me to stop by earlier but it seemed boring so I said no.”

“Ah, I seriously can’t deal with intense people. Go do that kinda stuff with Deuce, not me!”

Home Tap (Groovy) “Have you gotten everything ready for our next experiment? I’m kinda worried about how slow you are.”

Ceremony Robes - SR

Unlock Card “Wearing these feels kinda... ah, don’t laugh at me! You’re not one to talk either!!”

Groovy “Hehe! I give off that prestigious Night Raven College! vibe, don’t I?”

Home Setting “Don’t cause any trouble today!”

Home Transitions “Hah... Why do the teachers have to talk for so long? It’s so boring. I wish they’d  wrap it up in three minutes flat.”

“What kinds of things do you guys have celebrations for where you come from? Do you celebrate Unbirthdays?”

“Before enrolling here, I thought these clothes looked so old-fashioned, but now I think they’re very fitting for a mage. Heheh.”

Home Transition (Login Greeting) “Oi, Prefect. Grim starts causing all the mischief he wants whenever you’re not here!”

Home Transition (Groovy) “Tada! I pulled a hedgehog out of my hood...! Wait, I messed it up. Magic tricks using living creatures are really hard.”

Home Taps “If you’re free, how about we go to the lounge? Well, the only thing I usually do there is play cards though.”

“Doesn’t this school have a serious lacking of entertainment?! There’s absolutely nowhere to have fun! What about a café? Or some live shows?!”

“My shoulders feel kinda stiff... I’m really not good at formal things.”

“I think my brother was even happier than my parents when they found out I was accepted here. He’s an alumni from the same dorm as me.”

“No, you can’t sleep right now! You were dozing off in class the other day and even I could tell from sitting behind you!”

Home Tap (Groovy) “Oh, perfect timing. Could we have a card game tournament at Ramshackle tonight? ...It’s fine, no one’ll find out!”

Dorm Uniform - SSR

Unlock Card “My winning trump card is the Ace of Hearts!”

“I’d rather not get all heated and serious about things. ...Hey, are you even listening?!”

Groovy “You want to come to Heartslabyul? Haha, we’ll always welcome you!”

Home Setting “Let’s hurry and get this done!”

Home Transitions “Wanna go to the Unbirthday Party together? I promise there’ll be a delicious tart. ...I can’t promise the Dorm Leader will be in a good mood, though.”

“I know a magic trick that can make multiple cards appear from just one. Wanna see?”

“Euegh... I ate too much pie and now I’m so full... Trey’s sweets are just so good; I couldn’t stop eating.”

Home Transition (Login Greeting) “Prefect-! Come help me take care of the hedgehogs we use for croquet!”

Home Transition (Groovy) “So? How do I look in my dorm uniform? Handsome? ...Er, complimenting me that much would just sound like a lie.”

Home Taps “I showed the Dorm Leader a card trick and it actually surprised him. That felt nice ♪”

“If I was put in a different dorm... mm, I can’t even picture it. I guess Heartslabyul just fits me the best.”

“The freshmen have four people per room. It’s crowded, but it’s always full of energy so it’s a lot of fun. You should come hang out sometime.”

“Red vests are part of both our school and dorm uniforms, but the ones we wear with our dorm uniforms also have a traditional pattern associated with the Queen of Hearts on them.”

“Hey, now even you are acting just like Grim does; stop it! This keeps getting more and more out of hand.”

Home Tap (Groovy) “I wish you were part of Heartslabyul too. You don’t get the thrill of wondering when your head’ll get chopped off anywhere else.”

Duo Magic Ace: “Oi, Deuce! You better not just drag me down!” Deuce: “You’re so full of yourself! Who do you think you’re talking to, Ace?!”

Birthday Celebration Outfit - SSR

This card was only obtainable during Ace’s birthday event (Sept 18 - Sept 25, 2020).

Login on Birthday “Hey Prefect, do you know what day it is today? It’s not an Unbirthday... It’s Ace’s birthday! Which means I’m the star of today. What should I do for it~?”

Unlock Card “Today I can have the first slice of cake without worrying about losing my head, right?”

“Hey, what’re you gonna get me for my birthday? Oh, if you’ve got no idea, a cherry pie would be nice~”

Groovy “Having a giant party isn’t as bad as I thought. Thanks for coming to celebrate too!”

Home Setting “This get-up’s so embarrassing! It’s screaming ‘Look at me!’ way too much.”

Home Transitions “This heart-shaped pin is reaaally sparkly. It’s kinda intense with how special! it looks.”

“When I was at my club earlier, the soles of my basketball shoes fell apart. Floyd has a good sense of style; maybe he’ll give some to me as a gift~”

“I don’t mind Cater posting pictures of me on Magicam... but I don’t know how to feel about him tagging it as ‘Acey’s Growth Record.’”

Home Transition (Login Greeting) “Sorry, but we can’t have an Unbirthday Party today. ‘Cause today’s my actual birthday!”

Home Transition (Groovy) “After the party, can I come over to Ramshackle? Let’s invite Jack and the others and play cards till it’s morning.”

Home Taps “When I was little, my older brother one time blew out the candles on my birthday cake. We got into huge fight after.”

“I’m only one year older now, but everyone’s making a huge celebration out of it... I’m not saying I hate it, though~”

“Deuce said he’d treat me to whatever pastry I want at the school store! Hahaha, let’s ask him for the most expensive one. You in?”

“My brother’s not the only one good at magic tricks in my family; my dad’s really good at them too. On our birthdays, he used to show us tricks using gift boxes.”

“Aghgh, I get it! We’re done saying ‘Yes, Happy Birthday!’ ...It’s kind of really embarrassing...”

Home Tap (Groovy) “I can ask you favors since it’s my special day today, can’t I? When you finish that assignment, come join the party!”

Duo Magic Ace: Ortho, wish me a big happy birthday! Ortho: Happy birthday, Ace Trappola!

Lv Up “Oh, this feels kinda nice!”

“Yay! Level up!”

“I gotta get even further ahead of everyone else.”

Max Lv Up “This feels incredible. Now that I’ve got this, it’ll probably be a lot easier for me to back up a certain someone who can’t use magic.”

Episode Lv Up “Ahaha! So these kinds of things can happen too. I always thought people like you would be the ones I’d get along the worst with, but I guess not! ...Just messing with you.”

Magic Lv Up “I could win against the Dorm Leader now that I’ve got this power, right? ...Oh, what I said just now is a secret, ‘kay?”

Limit Break “Whaaat? Aren’t you expecting too much from me? Well, alright. Guess I just should just work a little harder!”

Groovy “I’ll keep showing you more and more of my cool side, so look forward to that!”

Lesson Select “What class are you doing? Hurry up and pick. I’ll be sleeping straight through any one you pick anyway.”

“You’re so enthusiastic about this... Okay, okay! Stop pulling on me so hard!”

“Make sure to keep a close eye on Grim during class, alright, Prefect? He tried ditching earlier and the teacher got mad at him.”

Lesson Start “Let’s get this over with!”

Lesson End “It’s done~! Ahh, I’m tired.”

Battle Start “Okay~ I’ll make you all hit rock bottom!”

Battle End “Nothing to say about it. I won!”

Other

Profile Quote “Man, the Queen of Hearts is so cool! Nobody would obey a queen who’s just kind all the time, right?”

January 2020 Trailer “Ya better not be late! Or the scaaary queen will chop off your head!”

Countdown Poster “Stop daydreaming. Don’t you know you can get lost in the rose maze?”

Take His Hand “Let's head on over there!”

Player Birthday Wish “Eh? Was there something going on today? ...I’m just messing with you! It’s your birthday, right? Of course I remembered. Happy birthday, Prefect.”

Valentine’s Day Gift Letter (2021)

These letters were originally in English. I didn’t translate or edit them in any way. They came with official merch from Aniplex, and are not present in-game.

Hey you, Thanks for the present. But what’s up with the sudden gesture? Are you trying to apologize for something here? …JUST KIDDING! I actually need to talk to you about something, too. See you in class later!

[asmallermorehonestsoul]

RWBY Manga Anthology - Vol. 5: Shine reaction

Team RWBY is not the only group of Hunters and Huntresses in the world of Remnant!

Get to know Jaune Arc, Nora Valkyrie, Pyrrha Nikos and Lie Ren, one of the strongest—and most fun—teams of Grimm Hunters in the hit series RWBY! From a team of exciting new manga artists comes the fifth volume in a series of short story collections, this time showcasing Team JNPR!

Nora’s Pet: Of course Nora would try to adopt a Grimm puppy (though we’ll just ignore that I don’t think they even have babies) And of course she happily puts up with it until it hurts Ren. Anyway, let Nora get a pet and also let Zwei and Weiss see each other again, that was cute.

In Memoriam: I will never be over Pyrrha :( If I had to nitpick, I am not sure I would say Ren was at this mental headspace to be so open about his feelings even at the start of V7, but it was a sweet conversation as he tries to reassure Jaune. Nora listening in was also sweet, as was the idea of them being the ones to give Jaune the haircut (I know it got memed but it grew on me). Just a sweet hypothetical JNR moment.

Grimm and Grottoes: The idea of people in Remnant, a world of weapons and powers and monsters, playing a D&D parody is hilarious to me. But I guess it is more science fantasy than DnD seems to be. I love Yang as a GM, hilarious. Pyrrha as a half orc was an unexpected choice. And Ren as an elf and Nora as a dwarf made sense lol.I wanna say Jaune is a paladin for his class? Which makes sense. And Ruby gets to be the patron, ha! The plot was sweet too, because Jaune loves his team and they love him, but he also wants to improve. Also, Blake and Weiss are too depressing to play D&D with.

Beacon Days (JNPR): As with the previous ones, some cute and goofy slice of life stories! I think Atrocious Treatment is my favorite. Coco will look out for Velvet, though I think Nora and Pyrrha should have gotten to break Cardin’s legs.

Cupid Relay: A very cute story about Nora and Pyrrha’s troubles with confessing to their boys! Jaune writing Pyrrha a song was so cute. I wish we could have seen that in canon.

Message: I wanted to cry, what a heartbreaking idea for Jaune getting the training videos from Pyrrha, and her circlet. Well at least the idea of the videos was sweet…

Dumb_JNPR.pdf: Eh, they’re ok. Decently funny. Dumb_Jaune.png was probably the funniest, poor Pyrrha.

Creeping Shadow…? : Some hilarious dumb teen antics from JNPR, and a touching moment of friendship between Nora and Pyrrha! And the ‘ghosts’ were just Sun’s Semblance, ha! Also Nora, history is important! And oh Jaune, liking historical fantasy video games lol.

 Brave: This one hit hard. I could definitely see it as a missing scene. Jaune trying to give Ren an encouraging pep talk was sweet, but even if it made me sad I do also like how they showed Ren beginning to consider Ironwood’s side. It didn’t occur to me that he might have been thinking about his father’s advice that taking no action can sometimes be the worst action when he began siding with Ironwood. And the scene with the boy who had his mother killed at the rally and looked up to Pyrrha… very touching.

Don’t Worry Too Much: A good look into Nora’s worries over Ren and his reservedness. They do care about each other, even if they have different ways of showing it. And even if it was still about the boys, a sweet Pyrrha and Nora moment!

Jaune’s Singular Determination: Poor Jaune, ha! I’m sure the gap between him and Pyrrha did wear on him, but she loves him and so do their friends even if they tease! He’s definitely gotten stronger by the current volumes, though if he’s in Pyrrha’s class, I am not sure.

The Prince and Me: CINDER THAT MIGHT BE A DREAM BUT YOU KEEP YOUR 20SOMETHING HANDS OFF JAUNE. Yep, dreams can be awkward though. But the weird fairytale was fun!

RWBY DOODLEVERSE: I liked the second half of the comics better than the first. Dishes was a sweet moment with Jaune and Saph, and Pose was funny, as was the idea of people leaving Pyrrha Pumpkin Pete cereal as a tribute.

Training Arc: Once again, Jaune needs a confidence boost, and Pyrrha is willing to help. But yeah Jaune, remember to tie your shoes!

Cereal Experiments Jaune: THE ORIGIN OF THE HOODIE! Very cute, I miss the hoodie. I thought it was cute that Pyrrha inspired him to want to follow through with something, even if it was eating no great cereal for some hoodie. And it’s cute they ended up together on the team! And that celebrity endorsement photo!Pyrrha seemed different than how she really was and that’s why he didn’t recognize her.

[theseathatsparkles]

On Bugs

so for creative writing class we were told to imitate Amy Dillard’s writing style. This is the essay on bugs that I ended up making. Not Bleach, I know, but I thought someone might enjoy it. 

This took so long to write oh my god ;-;

also, I am fully aware that not all insects are bugs, and that spiders aren’t either of the two, but. bug is much more fun to say.

Word count - 1500 on the dot

@despairforme THE BUG ESSAY. IT’S HERE. @onenicebugperday you inspired me to write a four page essay about bugs i hope you’re happy

When I was in third grade, I dropped a dandelion down the back of my classmate’s shirt. She was upset, having thought the rather inconspicuous dandelion was a daddy long-legs spider. She’d screamed, slapped me on the chest in an attempt to escape her arachnid harasser, and had decided to wage war against me for the rest of our time together in school.

I never was afraid of spiders the way she was. Spiders and snakes and all sorts of bugs, so long as I could be assured they weren't poisonous, had always held a special place in my heart - and, more often than not, my hand. Growing up in woody, wet Germany gave me a healthy dosage of ladybugs, crickets, and snails at a young age, and I never looked at a bug with anything other than fascination. 

It’s the middle of winter, now. There aren’t many bugs around. Forty-two little silhouettes in the light above my desk, but none of them move, empty exoskeletons like shells. They’re probably dry, and if I touched one I’m sure it would crumble under my fingers. There seem to be more of them every time I look up; it’s the middle of winter, so the warmth of the indoors must be especially tantalizing. Right now, there isn’t any wind outside, but the world seems to be painted in shades of grey. Even looking outside makes you feel cold, and the drifts of iced-over snow outside of the window just emphasize this.

I have mixed feelings about winter. I love the snow, love having an excuse to stay inside wrapped in blankets on the days I don’t have school. I love that there aren’t mosquitoes to follow me around - I must taste good to them, since they always seem to swarm me. But the lack of the bugs I do like - spiders, caterpillars, grasshoppers, even the jeweled dragonflies that swarm our canoes in summer - makes winter feel especially harsh. 

When I’m feeling more grey than usual, I turn to the internet to soothe me. My computer has a tab open - one nice bug per day. The third picture that appears on image search is a gorgeous skeleton leaf moth, the row under that containing a domino cuckoo bee. I smile, looking at the pictures.  A photo of a hissing cockroach wearing a tiny paper party hat jumps out at me, curled around a leaf. I click on the picture, save it to my gmail by emailing it to myself. I’ll take some time to admire them later.

The bigger the bug the better, of course. Small bugs are hard to track, and the idea of one getting somewhere without me knowing about it gives me chills. That’s probably why I hate ants; they swarm up your legs and into your shoes and socks and it takes far too long to extract them all, and you feel phantom itches on your body for the next day or so. 

The fear of ants is called myrmecophobia, and often goes hand-in-hand with entomophobia - the fear of insects. When I was young - still in Elementary school, at a time before my decision to quit soccer - I’d practice with my mom in the field a bit southeast of the elementary school tucked at the base of the mountain pass. The playground had been north of us. I always wanted to go back to the playground. The whole complex had been a good half hour’s drive from my house, so we didn’t go there often, but it had an excellent jungle gym and some new swings. It got hot easily, out there under the sun; if I didn’t bring water, the ninety-degree weather would feel twenty degrees hotter, the sort of heat that makes you lightheaded and grumpy. 

But my mom had told me to play soccer, and she wasn’t the sort of person who you could say no to easily. I tried, of course, in futile attempts that would end with me in tears and my mom seething, but always ended up on that field, kicking the ball back and forth as my mom chastised me for skipping to the goal. Skipping, apparently, was slower than running.

 I’d hated soccer. 

It was one of those days that solidified my fear of ants. Wyoming doesn’t have fire ants or most other nasty biting bugs, so I was never in real danger, but that didn’t stop the whole experience from being traumatic. My mom, of course, had laughed about it later; it seems to be a habit of adults to take the irrational fears of children lightly. The ants crawling up my leg had probably been just as afraid of me as I was of them, but knowing that didn’t help any. Adults will tell you that the shark that bit off your arm was just as afraid of you as you were of it, but that doesn’t change the fact that your arm’s gone. 

I’d been unlucky enough to step right in an ant nest, the sort that stays hidden by the short grass until something, or someone, disturbs it. It hadn’t looked different from the regular ground from my five feet, but the moment I felt a tickle on my leg, I knew. 

I’d screamed. I think anyone would have screamed when confronted with one of their worst fears, so I never was ashamed of my reaction, even if I’d hated the exasperation and faint amusement on my mom’s face. The ants had come right off, lady fortune smiling on me that day, and I hadn’t found any tiny ant corpses in my shoes when I took them off that afternoon - a rarity; ants always seem to turn up in unexpected places post-encounter. I’d been paranoid, though, and had hopped around on one foot until I was a safe distance from the nest before shoving my hands down my socks to search for any lone ants. There were none.

I refused to resume play until I was positive there were no ants on me, of course. Even when we started the game again I was wary, taking light steps and watching the ground like a hawk for any sign of another insect. It had taken the fun out of the game pretty quickly, and we went home soon after.

The internet goes out for a moment, and the photo of the mantis I’m looking at shifts to a grey screen. I frown, take a second to stand up and stretch. My legs and shoulders are especially sore. By the time I sit down again, my picture has loaded again, and I scroll to the left to see a swallowtail butterfly looking out of the screen at me. They have yellow fur around their eyes and antennae, and look vaguely curious. This picture also goes to my saved folder to look at later, and I keep scrolling.

When I was in second grade, we studied bugs in science class. Not extensively; there’s only so much work you can get done as a scatterbrained second grader, and bugs weren’t on the top of my list of priorities. But we studied them, and after a few weeks our teacher imported seven Madagascar hissing cockroaches to be our class pets.

Nobody in my class was afraid of them; I think we were too young to be afraid of something as hideously cute as those little insects. They remind me of pugs now, disgusting in the sort of way that makes you want to coo over them. We’d kept them in a little glass terrarium in the back of the classroom, and took them out during lunch break and sometimes to sketch them during art. Our teacher had told us how to tell the males and females apart, but the information had gone straight in ear and out the other, like water through a sieve. There are two things I can remember about them now: first, that they would shed their skins sometimes and we’d have to clean out their terrarium; second, that if you poked their heads, they’d hiss.

The second thing was the most important to my little second-grade brain. My classmates and I took great satisfaction in poking the cockroaches and watching them puff up and make little hissing sounds like air coming out of a tire. They’d always make their funny wheezing sound, and we’d sit there for minutes on end - the longest amount of time our young minds could stay on track for - and tap them, giggling uncontrollably as they got progressively more frustrated.

I like bugs. I’m no entomologist, I would never spend my days in the wild watching them through magnifying glasses. But I still like them. Their colors remind me of spring and summer, and I love their size - perfect to pick up and put on a fingertip. They’re much more simple than people, never worried about money or jobs or politics. They have no worries, no fears.

I would love to be a bug.

[ellaenchanting]

Hypnovember 2020 Master List

Now that I have awoken from my post-Hypnovember nap, it’s time to post my 2020 Master List! in comparison to last year’s entries, a lot of stories this year delved more into either more intense kinks or more of my intense personal feelings than my stories last year did. Sometimes writing stories is a bit like reading my own tarot cards in that way- letting an ambiguous prompt roll around in my subconscious and sometimes being surprised or amused or even slightly unsettled by what it turns into. I hope you will find something in this group of works that soothes you, that turns you on, that intrigues you, and that most of all provokes a response. If you do, I’d absolutely love to hear about it. :)

Copying one of my favorite @jukeboxemcsa  ideas, I’ve also included a HypnoBS rating for every work about how realistic the hypnosis/mind control is in each work (IMHO). In this ranking, 1 means to is absolute bullshit and 5 is a normal Tuesday night (for someone).

Icons- 📰- story. 🔊- audio 💻- technology 😍- romantic 🌈- queer 😴- regular ole’ hypnosis 🛀- brainwashing and/or character in tub 👻- spooky 🐈- at least one happy pussy ❓- bad or reeeally questionable consent 👨‍🔬 -science! 🤪 -crackfic #-#sceneideas 😭-feeeels ⭐-author’s personal favorites

Day 1: Instant M/f 📰 😴🐈#😭

Choice quote: “Sean chuckled as he moved in closer. And closer. ‘I thought you wanted to know what it was like to be hypnotized, sweetheart. To follow suggestions? To have someone else take control? It’s not real control if I’m doing something you already wanted, now is it?”

HypnoBS- 5. Read the whole thing but- IMHO totally plausible.

Fun Fact- These are the same characters from last year’s Day 5: Poison.

Day 2: Coils F/m 📰 😴 💻 👨‍🔬

Choice quote: “Daniel rolled his eyes. ‘I bet you could hypnotize me with a bar of soap if you wanted to. That still doesn’t make me like spirals.’”

HypnoBS- 5. Maybe 4 because I don’t love the induction but- maybe you will? Also- oh no poor Daniel is so conditioned that he’ll go under to anything Jamie does! How hard for him. :(

Day 3: Staged Hypnosis (Stage) F/f 📰 😴 🌈 🛀 ❓

Choice quote: “No one needed to know she was a plant. A confederate. A stooge.”

HypnoBS- 1.5. This would collapse like a house of cards. It’s a fun concept though.

Day 4: Psychic F/nb 📰 😴 🌈 😍 👨‍🔬⭐

Choice quote: “Something about the hypnosis- being in and out of each other’s heads and in and out of each other’s bodies all weekend- made her feel like she and Tris had merged in some way. Like there was a new, deeper understanding between them now- a telepathic bond.”

HypnoBS- 5. Maybe a 4.5 if you’re recognizing some nre magical thinking here. But- I’ve definitely had this feeling and this kind of experience- and I hope some of you have had it/will have it as well. :)

Day 5: Visor F/multiple 📰 😴 🛀 💻 👨‍🔬 🤪#

Choice quote: “Besides, everyone knew stormtroopers were kinky.”

HypnoBS- 4.5. Some of the exact details would need to be changed and thought through more thoroughly, but I absolutely believe you could do something like this if you wanted to. (And if you do, you definitely have to let me know. I know some of y’all out there go to Dragoncon.)

Day 6: Pendulum F/y’all 🔊😴 👨‍🔬

Choice quote: This is a trick I first learned from a science book I read in 5th grade.

HypnoBS- 5. The real thing.

Day 7: Song Aliens/the human race 📰 💻 👻❓

Choice quote: “Anna didn’t know what she was singing.”

HypnoBS- 1. I hope. Why do the song based stories always turn out so creepy?

Day 8: Performance unknown/f 📰 👻❓😴# ⭐

Choice quote: “With each snap, the gears inside her doll body click click click clicked into action. She turned, jerky but graceful. She was determined to do well. “

HypnoBS- 5 (if part of a fearplay scene, which is my headcanon for this story)

Day 9: (Hot Under the) Collar F/f 📰 😴🛀🌈 🐈#⭐

Choice quote: “She was wearing her collar. She was aroused. It was as simple as that.“

HypnoBS- 5 With time, I think you could do this. Maybe a 4.5 for the 30 minutes thing- that might lead to a bit too much cramping.

Day 10: Gentle 🔊😴

Choice quote: “Just look into the spiral....”

HypnoBS- 5. I hope.

Day 11: Summoning Sappho (Summon) eventual F/f I hope 📰 😴🌈 🤪

Choice quote: “In fact, the only ideas left to try on their brainstorming board included ‘sexy alien invasion’, ‘sexy witches’, and this. Shockingly, at this point a sexy seance seemed the most practical.”

HypnoBS-1. Although stay tuned for Femme Flirt 2021.

Day 12: Plants unknown/m 📰 😴🛀#

Choice quote: “If he focused, Chris could feel that new suggestion also growing stronger and stronger, becoming more and more firmly rooted inside of him. “

HypnoBS- 5, with the right person

Day 13: Artifact F/f 📰 😴🛀🌈 👨‍🔬 ❓

Choice quote: “She fumbled through the contents when suddenly her hand found something unexpected from her past.A red lipstick tube. An artifact.”

HypnoBS- 4? There’s different ways of reading this story, but my headcanon is that the consent here is pretty dubious.

Day 14: Tail M/f 📰 😴🛀❓👻#

Choice quote: “It was no use. She could sense her tail was still behind her. She couldn’t shake him. She should have known he’d come for her.“

HypnoBS- Let’s say 2. Although I think this could work really well for a fearplay scene in an appropriate setting (where someone wasn’t actually left unmonitored with extreme paranoia).

Day 15: Serve F/m 📰 😴#⭐

Choice quote: “He had put his heart and soul into the dish.They were hers now.”

HypnoBS- As a scene? 5 (depending on the person). As a long term effect, much lower.

Day 16: Memory F/f  📰 😴 🛀🌈 😍

Choice quote: “Mesmera waited for Galaxy Girl at the door.”

HypnoBS- 4, you could do an induction along these lines but -1 for psychic powers

Fun Fact: These characters were originally featured in last year’s Day 19: Hideout. 

Day 17: Toy F/f m/f 📰 😴 🛀🌈🐈 #

Choice quote: “Dolly hated to have Bad Manners. “

HypnoBS- 4.5. This is pretty deep into headspace, but I wouldn’t want to rule it out for the right person.

Day 18: Monster m/f 📰 😴 ❓😭⭐

Choice quote: “That kind of stuff wasn’t fair to think about here. It wasn’t everyone else’s fault that she was so warped.”

HypnoBS- 5. Ouch my heart. Poor young!Ella.

Day 19: Eyes M/m 📰 😴 🌈 😍

Choice quote: “Scott looked into his partner Brandon’s eyes. Brandon had hypnotized him so many times over the years in so many ways but- this was one of Scott’s favorites.”

HypnoBS- 5. Especially in a long term relationship like this. (In my pretend Hypnovember universe, these guys are some of the patriarchs of the hypnokinky convention scene and absolutely wonderful advice givers.)

Fun fact: The story of how these characters originally got together is in last year’s Day 12: Stage story. 

Day 20: Possession F/f  📰 😴 🌈 😍😭

Choice Quote- “Things that were hard to do for herself during these times became easier to do as something owned by Thadra. Taking a shower. Getting up and going to bed at the right time. Making sure she ran once a day. Making sure she ate.”

HypnoBS- Errr....4 trending upwards. Although for this to be safe and healthy you’d really need to be checking in with a therapist and working on your continuing mental health at the same time (IMHO). Please do not get relationship advice from my porn.

Day 21: Snaps 🔊😴👨‍🔬

Choice Quote- “No, that one was up.”

HypnoBS- 5. I’m not sure quite how this translates to audio but this is the kind of shenanigans I pull with friends all of the time.

Day 22: Restrict  F/f 📰 😴 🌈 🐈👨‍🔬 

Choice quote: “’Hmm. By ‘weird’ do you mean ‘hot’?’ asked Zahara, lounging above her on the couch. Nikki nodded. She definitely meant hot. “

HypnoBS- 2. A month is a long time and this is a strong reaction. But- maaaaaybe would work for a bit, especially within these boundaries?

Day 23:  Villain there’s a m and a f  📰 🛀👨‍🔬❓#

Choice quote: “They had been planning against that damned do-gooder reporter Lizzy Lampost for months and now they were about to finally have her in their clutches. “

HypnoBS-1. But you’re not reading this one for realism, are you?

Day 24: Drink F/f 📰 😴👨‍🔬🌈 😍

Choice quote: “’Leah,’ she said. ‘I’ve found a drinking game! This might be fun! Want to try it?’”

HypnoBs- 5. With the right person. (That part of the end might be a bit harder.)

Day 25:Worship: F/m 📰 🛀🌈 

Choice quote: “After all, it wasn’t the time to work right now. It was time to worship his Mistress’s cock.”

HypnoBS- Someone on AO3 told me this fic just wrecked them. Lucky that person- this one’s a 5. Maybe not with everyone, but an awful lot of people should be able to do an awful lot of the activities in this story. :)

Day 26: Fey M/f 📰😴 😭⭐

Choice quote: “Humans do not know the spells they weave.”

HypnoBS- 1 Only true in that metaphorical way. (So- really, really true. But not factual.)

Day 27: Recording F./m 📰 🛀❓👻#

Choice quote: “It’s a recording, he reminded himself. “She’s not there. No one is there.”

HypnoBS- 2 At least, I don’t know how to make this happen (outside of a consensual scene).

Day 28: Obsession M/F 📰 🛀😍👨‍🔬

Choice quote: “Some guys had cars. Some had computer systems. Some had home brewing. But Mark’s obsession was Julia.“

HypnoBS- Oh gosh. Errr...2.5? Hard to say. 

Fun Fact: This started as a one-sided scenario, then it changed, then it felt really hot, now it feels like a sweet silly sitcom premise. (If you want to read some episode synopses of this hypothetical sitcom, there are some brilliant ones here! Also- feel free to send me more!)

Day 29: Helpless F/m 📰😴😍

Choice quote: “’I want to be helpless,’ he replied. Juan felt his headspace changing. He threw himself into that feeling, trusting Josie to take the reins.“

HypnoBS- 5. Not a scene log, but pretty much How I Top.

Day 30: Awaken 🔊😴👨‍🔬

Choice quote: “Aaaaaand-awaken!”

HypnoBS- 5 Hypnotist BS- also a 5

Thank you all for reading these! Thank you especially to everyone who reblogged, wrote me comments, and generally supported me through this past month. I’m going to specifically single out @daja-the-hypnokitten​, @wellgnawed​, and @spiralturquoise​ for the encouragement- y’all are the best. :)  I know this is a long post, but I’d really appreciate reblogs of it!

Also, I didn’t have time to contribute myself but- if you donate to Hypnokink for Trans Lives, let me know and I’ll write you an epilogue for any of these stories that you choose.