#the-ultimate-muses

[more-than-a-princess]

Continued from here for @the-ultimate-muses!

She'd only meant to bring something to enjoy while they watched a movie: Sonia had an inkling that Gundham didn't care for her more violent horror films, but Tim Burton? Surely he wouldn't object to one of his films, or one of the Addams Family movies. Until it hadn't really mattered what they watched: she'd set the bottle on the table believing it would be enjoyed slowly.

She'd been wrong. Sonia had taken two shots, sipped a little slowly from her glass. As she was taught: throwing them back was crass behavior for a member of the Royal Family: it was imperative that not only she be able to hold her liquor, but to be able to savor it. Imbibing in sharing drinks with the most powerful people in the world and convincing them to see political issues her way required finesse: charisma, cheer, firmness, and the ability to never appear intoxicated in public.

Gundham, however, did not share the same sensibilities around liquor. Or at least, the same sensibilities Sonia kept unless she was feeling truly awful about her life and herself. "Mmph!" She groaned as, without warning, Gundham had reached out and pulled her half into his lap, firmly against his chest as she got a mouthful of the fabric of his shirt. On instinct, her hands had raised to press against him, to push him away as gently as she could without sacrificing the necessary force needed to regain her autonomy.

On the upside, she realized with a blush, she'd been pulled flush against his chest. On the downside, it had been while he was drunk which violated her rules of consent. He'd also called her his princess, a name she did not particularly care for, even coming from him, when she wasn't working. "My choice was more alongside the amount I drink in a certain period of time, and with certain accompaniments," She explained, muffled against his chest until she was able to push herself free. Once untangled from him, she gave him a sympathetic smile.

"Stay here, you need some water for now, and food with a high carbohydrate and fat content for when your intoxication passes," She advised him, getting to her feet. Thankfully, she kept a small refrigerator in her room for such reasons. For hydration, anyway: opening the door, she produced two bottles of water from the inside, opened up one, and set it before Gundham before opening the second for herself. She likely needed water anyway, if just to cool her cheeks and her head. The first bright red, the other spinning and not because of the liquor.

"Come on, let us drink this."

[arpeggiiosm]

@the-ultimate-muses liked for a starter, trauma bonds ft Kiko & Kaz!

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

The pianist hadn't expected there to be a storm today, so when the sky gets dark and the thunder starts rolling? She's ducking into the closest building that she finds - which just so happens to be the mechanic's workshop.

The downpour starts pretty soon after she makes it in, herself flinching at the next roll of thunder. "Hey.. s..sorry.. mind if I.. stay here for a little...?" She glances over to the mechanic, a hand tugging at her hair while the other has the hem of her shirt balled up in a fist.

[dxncingxqueen]

@the-ultimate-muses from here

It had been another one of those nights where Naya had to be kicked out of the dance studio for staying back so late, her eyes progressively drooping the closer she got to her and Gundham's shared dorm room. Just as she reached their floor, though, She ran into the man himself, looking a bit sneaky and constantly checking his surroundings. Upon asking him what he was doing out, he was weirdly... dismissive, only giving her a rushed and vague explanation along with a request to... not follow him. That... was weird, right? She wasn't overreacting? She probably was. As odd as his request was, she told him she understood, and they parted ways.

As she made her way back to her room, though, her mind couldn't help but wander. Where was he going? Why couldn't he trust her enough to confide in her? He's not-

He's not cheating on her... is he?

But... no, he wouldn't. He's loyal, sometimes even aggressively so, there's no way he'd even think of it...

...Right?

Once she reached their room and set her stuff down, she immediately to pull on a jacket. It was an impulsive decision, she knew, but following him couldn't hurt, right? Besides, if he was cheating on her, she deserved to know, didn't she?

Didn't she?

So, off she went, an urgent but stealthy pep in her step as she ventured out to catch up with Gundham without her noticing her presence. Her heart began to fill with dread as she followed him off campus. She wasn't that repulsive, was she...? But the more she followed him, to a house, to a fence, to... a bunny...?

Oh, great. Now she's kicking herself for doubting him. Of course he was just rescuing another animal, what else would he be doing? It seems her sigh of relief was a bit too loud, though, Gundham whipping around to see her after he'd hopped back over the fence. He looked a bit frustrated to see her, something that sent a slight pang to her heart, but she didn't have much time to dwell on that when a light had suddenly shown on them.

She'd only got a glimpse of the car before she was pulled away, but that was enough time to recognize the vehicle for what it was, her heartbeat getting progressively louder in her ears.

"You see now why I didn't wish you to come?"

That was a shot through the heart, whether he intended it to be or not. An instinctive apology is on the tip of her tongue, but she doesn't even get a syllable out before she's handed the tiny animal and given instructions to return to the dorm. But upon realizing that he was planning to distract the officer so she could escape, she quickly grabbed hold of his coat sleeve, the rabbit resting safely in her other hand.

"W-wait, no, what about you? What if you get arrested? Why don't you come with me?" Her voice is hushed, but frantic. Everything was already going wrong because of her, she couldn't miss this opportunity to make things right.

[not-bcring]

"Kokichi; holder of my heart, tamer of darkness, melter of the dreaded ice; did you perhaps borrow one of my sweaters recently? This one, to be percise?" Ducked behind his scarf, Gundham pulled at the front of a black hoodie worn under his usual coat with his bandaged hand before letting the fabric go in a slow deflate as it reconfirmed to its typical baggy state. "And did you perhaps partake in a bit of mischief while wearing it? Such as the theft of someone's keys? Motorcycle keys, to be more exact?" Where was he going with this- //once again kokichi gets to face the consequences of his own actions uwu -  ✩   「 @the-ultimate-muses 」   ✩  

「 ☆ 」 Kokichi is a notorious thief— allegedly notorious, since he’s never actually admitted to his crimes when cornered about them. Unless comedy required it, but even then he’s prone to flaunting his ill-gained trinket while still neglecting to outright say he ❛ stole ❜ it. Having spewed COUNTLESS confessions about fantastical heists that may-or-may-not have happened, people are more inclined to believe in what goes unsaid when it comes to the little troublemaker. So it’s not strange when he’s questioned about some missing keys… What is surprising is GUNDHAM being the one to mention it. Normally his boyfriends don’t so much as bat an eye to low-stakes shenanigans that don’t concern them.

Interest piqued with a near-missable tension in his shoulders, Kokichi buries the split-second of confusion by donning one of his best neutral masks. Perfect when either having some fun or putting up an instinctive barrier, Kokichi figures its vague purposes will help him stay ahead of whichever direction this conversation goes. Buttered up by sweet nicknames, a round-about method of inquiry, no discernible aggravation in his tone or body language…

Gundham doesn’t seem upset with him.

Then why does Kokichi’s stomach feel sour?

❝ No. ❞ He bluntly chimes, covering all of Gundham’s questions with a blanket denial. However, despite his dry response, gaze is still focused upon his boyfriend. Widened, curious eyes silently urging Gundham to continue even if he’s being vocally dismissive. That taut ❛ no ❜ may as well be a yes as far as Kokichi is concerned and he feels confident that Gundham knows as much. They’re usually good at reading one another. No matter how difficult the two seem determined to make it be at times. 「 ☆ 」

[nickelsdrocs]

It was rather impressive, how quickly Kazuichi managed to scale the bartender like a mere tree, all the while screeching as he wrapped himself around the taller man's torso in a tangle of limbs: "Spider! Kill it! Kill it!!!" //just picture rapunzel and flynn rider in that one scene lol

@the-ultimate-muses

Surprisingly, Yusuke didn't even flinch at the sudden weight added to his shoulders, immediately adjusting his balance. He couldn't help the small chuckle that escaped upon seeing what it was that Kazuichi was screaming about: a tiny spider. "It's just a little guy. He's harmless," the bartender commented, one hand coming up to comfortingly pat the other's back. "Imagine if someone yelled for someone to kill you every time they saw you," he continued as he made his way over to grab something to move the little critter outside.

[toyboxfriends]

"Well, aren't you just the cutest little yakuza I've ever seen!! With the little suit and everything!" Despite the well founded rumors of how said yakuza did not like being called cute, among other such things, Tatiana just couldn't help herself as she scooped Fuyuhiko into a tight hug that put the little man's face right against her chest. "I know this arranged marriage business isn't exactly ideal, but I promise to make it as painless as possible, okay?" //shes ur future wife fuyu shes Allowed to call u cute look at her u cant get mad u just cant-

@the-ultimate-muses

Freezing at Tatiana's "compliment" and grabbing him, Fuyuhiko yelled on instinct, "Let me go, you-! I'm not fucking cute!" He just barely stopped himself from calling her something insulting. He could already hear Natsumi laughing behind him; he didn't need to embarrass himself even further by upsetting his new fiance. With his father wanting to merge families with Carozza-Kotov family, the only way to do that was through a marriage of convenience between two heirs. As much as he loathed the idea, it was his duty to continue the Kuzuryu legacy and strengthen the clan. It wouldn't do to do something that might endanger this arrangement. Despite all this, he still had a reputation to uphold.

Once he managed to wrestle himself out of her restrictive grasp, he tried to calm his rapidly increasing heartrate and breathing as subtly as possible. "You'll have nothing to worry about while residing with us. I promise to protect you with my life," he recited through gritted teeth.

[deoidesign]

Thinking about vampires, death, life, and the space they occupy in between

[youredyingthatsallthereis]

entomologist roach who has been applying for grants left and right to try and get money to study endangered & rare insect species around the world and museum owner soap who decides to fund him so that he can ID and collect specimens for his collections on one condition: soap travel everywhere around the world with him so that they can sightsee together

[pyrosomatic-metamorphosis]

tbh i think that even unwinnable fights should be winnable. some of the BEST fights i've ever run as a dm were ones i built kill the players (in a fun way. I had some cutscenes prepped so even the loss would be a different flavour of win)- but then they were clever bastards and managed to either win the fights or pull themselves out of trouble. I think it's perfectly fine to plan for a fight that players aren't supposed to win, but you need to let them. if they can't win, they can't lose, and the meaning of that encounter is diminished. do that too many times, and they stop trusting you to give them roleplay prompts and start expecting to sit there waiting while you drive the story for them.

but if they can win... if there is always the chance to win, no matter how impossible the odds, then they ALWAYS have hope. they always get invested. they feel the big emotions of success or the big emotions of failure, and you fucking Win as a dm/roleplay prompter/lead bastard.

[10thmusemoon]

Doomed by the narrative.

[more-than-a-princess]

Continued from here for @the-ultimate-muses!

Sonia had accepted Gundham's invitation for a walk, or hike, in the woods readily. While she'd never explored the greenery at the edge of the school, she was no stranger to a good, long hike. In Novoselic, her family's country estate, surrounded by all sorts of woods, fields, rivers, waterfalls, and mountains, was often the chosen respite from busy castle life. In Novoselic's countryside, she could set her various duties aside for horseback riding, or swimming, or good books or games of chess with her father. And of course, long walks through the wilderness and rocky mountain terrain: there was something surreal, after all, about the snow-capped Alps during the longest days of summer.

There was a quietness about it all, too: no constant ringing of her ears of decorum, and manners, and responsibility. Just the rustling of leaves, the chirping of birds, and the sounds of feet big and small scattering upon hearing the crunch of her boots on the forest floor. This afternoon wasn't much different in that, save for the fact she was with Gundham.

And to be perfectly honest, her easy acceptance of his offer was partly because it came from his lips. With, in Sonia's opinion, a sense of anxiety laced within it: as if he'd never made such a request before. Well, who was she to deny it? Even if she'd had a royal engagement that day, she would have argued her way out of it, all to spend a few hours deep into the woods, Gundham at her side.

But they'd both gone quiet, and for once during a hike, Sonia felt compelled to break the silence. Yet as soon as she opened her mouth to ask him how far he'd ventured into the forest before, Gundham's hand shot out, signaling an abrupt stop. She froze, just as she'd promised him before they'd left the school if they encountered danger. No matter what, she was not to get involved in case of injury.

"Grizner?" Sonia repeated, once the tension had dissipated and he'd gone from concerned to exhilarated in the span of a few seconds. It took her a moment to recognize that the large brown bear, complete with big teeth and sharp claws, had been one of his charges whom she hadn't seen nor heard of in some time. The smaller bear, however, was a new addition to the family, one that she watched Gundham embrace more easily than she'd ever seen him accept a human.

Just as well, she thought, as she watched the scene with a chuckle and gentle smile. She doubted their classmates would believe her if she ever described the expression on his face, but that was fine. She'd keep the memory for herself, tucked away somewhere safe and-

Had he just said her name?

That made her heart stop for a moment, more adrenaline coursing through her veins from her name on his lips than the sight of a giant bear in the woods. He never called her Sonia: she was the Dark Queen, She-Cat, Madonna of Darkness, all of the dark and powerful beings he created in his mind, in her image. Titles far more desirable than princess, titles that made her cheeks turn pink.

"I-it is!" She managed to stammer. She was supposed to be paying more attention to the adorable cub in his arms and yet Sonia's attention was fixed on him. Rather like most days, except today had the addition of a bear small enough for Gundham to easily scoop into his arms and hold close.

A tender sight that brought warmth to her smile, though she stayed rooted to the spot. "Gundham, is it safe for me to approach or should I remain here? I should like to greet Grizner and the child with a pet, but if you believe they would not wish for such attention, I would not force myself to give it."

[teeth-of-the-unknown]

he shines like a star in the darkest nights

[dxncingxqueen]

@the-ultimate-muses from here

Oh fuck he saw her. Shit.

“U-um-“ Say something, dumbass! “I-I was just, um, well, my practice ended a little early tonight, and I was planning on just coming in and getting a snack, but-“ Wait. Did he say gumbo? Like, real authentic not frozen gumbo?? Did that just come out of another person’s mouth?? He knows what that is?? Her pupils may have dilated a bit.

“Wait, really??” Geez, don’t get too excited. “I-I mean, I wouldn’t wanna intrude on anything, y’know, since you’re already in here-“ It was in her nature to decline offers out of politeness, some would say it was instinct for her, considering this was an offer she desperately wanted to say yes to, but what if he was just being nice? But-

She doesn’t even notice she’s shuffling in place, trying so desperately not to seem so- well- desperate. “I-it’s okay, really, I’m not even really that hung-“

Only then did her body have to betray her, the undeniable sound of a growling stomach emitting throughout the room and cutting off her tangent. Her cheeks flushed with embarrassment, coming down to hold her stomach with a quiet whine. “Please tell me you didn’t hear that…” Of course he did.

[not-bcring]

✧   「   @the-ultimate-muses   」   ✧  - Continued from ★  

「 ☆ 」 Kokichi prefers when Gundham is ❛ asleep ❜ .

It's what is best for everyone... Kazuichi doesn't have to listen to the incessant ramblings of the dorklord. Kokichi doesn't have to wonder where Gundham is should the breeder leave his sight for too long. Keeping track of both his boyfriends can be straining at times. But Gundham gets the most benefit. Spared what reality has become, existing through the hellish days they are submitted to without the burden of being awake for it. Reminiscent of how his mother would bumble through hers in an alcoholic stupor or slumber, aided by the drinks stolen procured by Kokichi. Even as a small child, he understood the power of escapism... and the selfishness of enabling his mother's addiction, so long as it made life easier.

No doubt it isn't GOOD for someone to spend so much time unconscious, from a medical standpoint. But pros and cons must be weighed, as well as how powerless Kokichi is to keep the other from fits of mania or mechanic-given punishment even if he dared to try. So, he opts to not complain about the bittersweet gift and accept it as he's come to with everything else... Frightening annoying as it is to have to endure the periods between monologues and Kazuichi's violent outbursts.

... It's funny. How scared he was at the start of everything. Not the world plunged into despair, but the TRUE start. When his feelings for Gundham and Kazuichi became too troublesome to deny. Terrified of being hurt, aware enough to understand it would be effortless for either of them. Physically OR emotionally... Sometimes, even after things had settled into a comfortable place, Kokichi wondered if they ever fully understood that. Realized what it felt like to be the smallest of their trio. Safe as he may have been with them, there was no escaping that reality.

Turns out he was right to be scared. It simply took a while for that to come to light. Outside forces bringing his wariness to fruition... Yelping as he's unceremoniously ripped from the grasp of sleep inching towards him, sound catches in his throat when a different hand takes hold. Soon after rejoining his partners, Kokichi had hidden his bandana. Tucked away in a secret nook he discovered late that first night, when he was confident enough the pair was asleep. Not trusting Kaz or Gunnie to refrain from targeting the precious object should their sadism demand.

So icy hand wraps around a bare neck, chilling fair skin. Goosebumps accost Kokichi as his throat bobs with a swallow, pushing into a firm STRONG palm. Cold trails down his body, chest stuttering with a discreet, shaky exhale. Lips slightly parted, air ghosts in slow... shallow breaths. Wide eyes trained upon Gundham's face, blankly staring up at darkened hues. Familiarity and uncanniness mix into one, settling in Kokichi's stomach like a rock. Strange to witness in Gundham, yet reminiscent of the man whose large hands used to pin Kokichi down. Squeezing. Strangling. Subduing. Before— or sometimes while —taking what he wanted from the boy.

Kaiyo had given him the bandana after it happened the first time. Something to veil the bruises marring his neck. To help him feel a bit more protected... False as they knew that security was and suspected it always would be.

He lies there, only faintly aware of what's being said before his mind crawls back to the present. Kokichi doesn't exactly want it to. But of course, it doesn't matter what HE wants... So, light fades back into a mismatched gaze. Brows knitting at the slight squeeze to his throat. Expression hardens, lips closed in a tight frown as Kokichi bristles like an offended animal. One who likely should be tossed into a crate and out of the way of its owners. Breathing becomes a bit heavier, the little jester now aware of how loudly his heart has been pounding in his ears. What was a dulled echo near-deafening. There's a faint whimper behind shut lips... Kokichi tensing ever-so-slightly, as if pained by something—

Before he abruptly spats blood in Gundham's face, courtesy of a bitten tongue.

There. That feels like a suitable answer. 「 ☆ 」

[nickelsdrocs]

@the-ultimate-muses | Continued from (x)

"If you think this is funny, ya should've seen him try to play with my hair earlier. Are ya sure ya aren't datin' a cat?" Yusuke responded to the yakuza heir's remark in jest as he handed him off. He shouldn't be surprised how tight Seto's grip could be considering his ultimate, but it took more effort than he'd like to admit to get him to let go. As soon as the little bundle of lanky limbs detached from him, they wrapped tightly around the new person supporting him.

"Right, I'll let them know, though you should probably be expectin' a round of apologies next time ya visit. Everyone was pretty freaked out when I told them he was your lover. I gave him some before we left, but make sure he drinks plenty of water in the mornin', too," the bartender commented, watching his childhood friend boss flit over the little thief. Said thief having kept his tight hold on the other's neck to drag him into bed as well and cling to him there. He turned to leave at the dismissal, waving it off with a, "Dad's starting a new treatment in a few weeks. As long as I get the day off, ya can call it even. You and Nat should stop by some time. He always asks about you two." With that said, he left to get some sleep before classes.

Once Yusuke was gone, the silent sobs that had dampened Yusuke's shoulder the whole walk over started again with a renewed fervor. "Shp-shp-shpur... shpla..shparrow.. F-f-f-f-f-f-fuyu.... mmm... IIIIImmmm shooooo... sho sho sho... sherry. Mm shirry... ushelesh... Mm ushelesh... pl-pl-pleash.. pl-pleeeeeaaashhhe d-don't trwo me owt. Mm... Mm trwying.. Mm weewwy am! Ah d-d-don' wanna be usheleshh." His stutter mixed with the sobs and drunk slurring to make an almost incomprehensible mess.

But what he said was true. He really had been trying so hard to be useful to the Kuzuryu Clan in the only ways he knew how. But everything fell short. And when the feelings of dread and shame at his own worthlessness tried to rear their ugly heads, he hid at the bottom of a bottle. Or 15.

[toyboxfriends]

"Mage of Smoke and Mirrors, I do believe this one belongs to you, yes? I stumbled upon her after exiting my domain." Holding out a small rabbit to the magician mage, Gundham couldn't help but smile at the fluffy bundle as it sniffed about the air with a wiggle of it's nose. "She seems a most formidable familiar, a perfect compliment to the powers you wield." //bunny : )

@the-ultimate-muses

"Nyeh?" Himiko looked up at whoever was speaking to her. She had very mixed feelings about one Gundham Tanaka. On one hand, he was one of the only ones who referred to her and respected her as a mage. On the other hand, she never knew what he was talking about; it exhausted her trying to decode his flowery language. Luckily, he was being unusually straightforward.

Taking the little, white bunny from him carefully, she corrected, "Yomi isn't my familiar. She's my assistant for my spell where I pull a rabbit out of a hat since they're particularly susceptible to teleportation magic. My familiar is a white tiger cub named Snowball."