#this chapter wasn't even long but I wanted to die while I was editing

[kaiser-author-san-iii]

Star Light, Star Bright | Fatui Harbingers x (Fem)Creator!Reader

A/N: holy Tsarista, I did not think that it would be this popular. Thank you so much!! It's been a couple months since I got into Genshin, but I'm glad that the Harbinger trailer dropped cause otherwise, this probably wouldn't have existed lol. I apologize for the late update. I have been quite stumped in the plot and just taking a moment to come up with one. If I didn't tag everyone, I'm sorry! DM or reply to be added to the taglist! :3

Summary: Caring for children is hard, but it's especially hard when around the Fatui. Getting isekaied was the last thing on your mind after landing in the icy tundra of Snezhnaya all while your nephew is with you. What will happen when you encounter not only a Fatui Skirmisher but a Fatui Harbinger?

Tags/warnings: female reader, God!reader, Cult AU,

Not edited or beta read, we die like Signora.

First>> Next>>

Masterlist>>

Chapter 2: The Creator's Welcome

Silence.

What could be said while the entire palace and the surrounding area waited with bated breath for their Grace to awaken?

They were fervent - they waited to leave and search for the "meaner" that has done harm to their Beloved but that would leave their Previous Grace with only the Heir for company and guard.

The Precious Heir - they have heard of them only from what was written centuries ago. He was beautiful - he was innocent and was crying for their Grace to wake up all while the Harbingers stood by with the Tsarista finally making her appearance, rushing towards the bed that their Grace rested in, bending the knee and holding their hand.

"Your Grace. Your Excellency. Oh, my Beloved Creator. What has that Meaner done to you?"

Nugget never left your side as he clutched onto your waist, but being careful with your arms as he was told by the blue-haired man with the mask. He was a doctor and clearly knew what he was talking about so the little one made sure to listen well. The Doctor man and the others gave them a room which is what his Auntie expected and though he was focused more on taking care of you, it was nice to wander around the room all while the Harbin Gingers (It was some word that he had trouble saying) always came to check on him and his auntie and even gave him coloring books and sweets and fruits. It was all so good and he made sure to save you some whenever you were going to wake up.

But he especially loved the Tsarista and Columbia (Colombina)

They were very nice. They held him when you were still asleep and he couldn't be there for the operation.

For what seemed like forever, when it was only a matter of four days, the bed shifted as Nugget was reading the latest book that the guy with the funny hat gave him. He wanted to read it to you when you woke up and his wish was soon coming true as he felt movement and looked over to see your [E/c] eyes. He gasped and immediately snuggled into the sheets and wrapped his small arms around your waist.

"Auntie! You're awake! You're awake!"

Soft wet globs of tears started to stain your shirt as you looked down at the child who held you tightly and didn't want to let go. It would have been endearing if it wasn't for the fact that you had almost died from possible blood poisoning from ignoring your wounds. Your Nephew remembered seeing a lot of gold and despite still learning, he knew for a fact blood was red.

Carefully holding him up and ruffling his hair, you kissed his forehead and wiped his tears away.

"I'm sorry I made you worry, Nugget. I promise, I'll be sure to look after myself but my main concern was you."

That response earned a pout but your nephew thought it was good enough for now. If you weren't healthy and in one piece, how are you supposed to find a husband or a wife?!

"Just don't go to sleep anymore or at least for a long time. You made everyone worry!"

"Everyone?"

At the mention, your Nephew saw the clear confusion on your face and smiled brightly, but with a glint of mischievousness as he swiftly, with his small feet could go, hopped out of bed but careful to stay clear from your arms, rushed to the door and yelled out.

"Auntie [Y/n] is awake!" he said with a bright smile that was quite contagious, but it was last minute that you saw a figure by the door, or make it two figures. They had hoods over their head but it was the masks that covered their identities - the sheer happiness was clear from their body movements and one of them rushed out to who knows where while your nephew ran back to your side and started to share all the books he's read while you were recovering.

He's always had trouble reading so it was a feat itself to see him now reading at his supposed grade level. He still had trouble with certain words but nothing to worry about.

While trying to process all that was happening around you, you heard multiple footsteps before the door flew open, and in walked in about a dozen people.

Your face heated up at seeing all the gorgeous faces quickly surround you, pulling your nephew close to your side, weary of what else could happen. But you could have sworn that there was a hint of sadness in their eyes from your pull away from them.

"Don't be scared. They helped us! They helped you! Especially the Doctor man." Your nephew grinned as he held your hand and decided to make you sit up and face the group properly and pointed at the Doctor. The Doctor that he mentioned was practically preening from the praise like a peacock showing off its feathers.

The grip on his hand lessened as you looked at all twelve people one by one. It didn't take a rocket scientist to distinguish the power that they all radiated. Though at the time, you didn't know of the power you held yourself.

The elegant lady with long white hair, icy blue eyes, and who seemed to scream 'Ice Queen', slowly walked up to your bedside with a gentle smile as her hand moved to slowly hold yours. Now, you wouldn't have minded if it was your nephew or family, but this was a stranger. A stranger with a very firm grip despite how delicate it was.

"Now. How shall we punish the meaner that's done this to you?"

Eh?

-x-

It was... a change to have people cater to your every whim despite half of them being just jokes like bringing you the finest gem. The honor of bestowing such a gem was by none other than the 9th Harbinger, Pantalone.

Your nephew was having a great time, especially when he got to get along with a majority of the Harbingers and the Fatui, who took the mission of entertaining Nugget very seriously.

Once your arms were good as new, you asked for the group of Fatui soldiers that you and your nephew first encountered. At first, they were adamant about having you and Nugget leave the palace but you needed to get back to your car and get the rest of your things.

But funnily enough, you don't remember a palace or an organization going by the Fatui in your life...

Not to mention, these people seemed to recognize you and your nephew despite you two not knowing any of them.

If you thought of it more, a headache occurred and the Tsarista was adamant in asking you to save your energy and that it didn't matter if you recognized them. That all that mattered was that you and the Heir were fine.

While bedridden, your Nephew had the privilege to waltz around like he owned the place and even got you some books to read in the meantime. You saw mentions of a Divine Creator, a God-like figure that was first in creating the world around you and beyond, the one that made the stars and skies. A Divine Creator from the Beyond gave life to a speck in the skies and named it Teyvat and thus, its first child was born.

During a certain period when the Creator was roaming freely, they announced that their sister was with child and so, the Creator named the unborn babe the Heir to Teyvat.

The book was quite the read and wanting to know more about why the people around you and Nugget called you the Divine Creator and the Heir, you took it around with you.

"Your Grace, you must bundle up. Snezhnayan winters are quite brutal. People freeze to death here, quite literally in fact." announced a Fatui sniper, the one that first saw you and Nugget as he came behind you and placed a coat, courtesy of Pantalone of course, on your shoulders and your nephew too.

Stepping out to the brutal snow, instead of the harsh snow that you were expecting, it was a light snowfall that shocked the group of Fatui that decided to travel with you.

[Nephew's Name] stepped out from behind you and cheered happily as he rushed out to the snow and started to play, making snowmen and snow angels with, of course, the Fatui looking out and being won over by the child's heart-felt giggles.

They were all trying to make sense of why the snowfall was reduced to just light snow instead of the blizzards they're used to until they recalled that their Divine Grace and the Heir were right here with them. Teyvat was the Divine Creator's first child and as the loyal child it was, it could always sense where they were. Though Snezhnaya was the domain of the Tsarista, the Cryo Archon, the Divine Creator's word was Law.

Ehe.

Everything came to a slow stop as the world first heard the giggle from the Creator and with each step that you had taken, noticeable patches of green started to appear and grow more and more. The chilled winds of winter called down as the grey skies parted to make way for the rays of the sun.

The Tsarista felt the pause of winter, looking out that the frozen lands of her region have warmed up to what it had been long ago before her ascension.

Her Grace has given warmth back to the frozen tundras of Snezhnaya to the point that the flora and fauna basked in the sunlight. "Nugget. Be careful. The snow is melting."

And like that, the snow stopped melting just enough for your nephew to enjoy making snow angels.

'Welcome to Teyvat, Divine Creator!'

TAGLIST:

@lizzhearthz, @yoshikuno , @anonclyde , @khalhaimdad, @ellenoir

@yunsblog030 , @lsleepysimpl, @potol0ver, @kitty-chan33

[ecogirl2759]

Welp-

I reblogged this post earlier, and I wanted to elaborate on my stance since I messed up my reblog and my message didn't show up :(

LONG ramble about Taka and Ishida under the cut :)

(Spoilers and death and all that good stuff, as well as a couple screen caps)

Heads up:

Just real quick, I'm gonna make a couple points based on this snapshot from an old interview. Here's the source. (I will translate some parts of this below, too.)

OKAY

SO

For starters, I don't think Taka was ever meant to survive.

I really think he should have, but I don't believe he was ever going to. Hot take, ik lol

As basically everyone knows by now, Taka was meant to kill himself in Distrust. That ended up being changed since the whole suicide plot would've been revealed too early for people's liking, so that point was given to Sakura. So even before the game was refined and shipped, Taka was going to die. (Edit: OKAY this info is actually false. Leaving it in so that people can read what I had originally said, but this part is NOTTTT ACCURATEEEEE okay thanks)

Taka's FTEs also stopped when he changed into Ishida, and while Ishida had one unused FTE, it was only one. I doubt there was ever much planned for Taka past Chapter 4 (maximum), so they decided to just kill him in Chapter 3.

Kodaka did speak a little bit about what he had wanted Taka's death to feel like, so I think that's pretty solid evidence that he was always going to die.

[ROUGH TRANSLATION:] [Kodaka: You could say that. However, even in a sad situation, I didn't want to make it [his death] cruel/brutal, so when it comes to it, it was on purpose.]

Ishida was also not a very well-received character lol.

Apparently, when the game first came out, Ishida was one of the least liked characters in the whole game. The staff also didn't care for him much, so they probably wanted to get rid of him as soon as possible.

[ROUGH TRANSLATION:] [Komatsuzaki: I felt like the characters were weaker when combined (laughter).] [Kodaka: That [Ishida's FTE] was also scrapped, and almost all of his appearances were lost. For that reason, Ishimaru himself was very popular although Ishida wasn't popular in the slightest. It's unfortunate... (laughter).]

The wordage here makes me think that there were originally going to be more chances for Ishida to appear, but that was thrown out in the earliest stages of planning. [ボツ roughly means "rejection (of a manuscript, etc.)]

Kodaka DID want to dive deeper into Ishida's character, though! He said so here:

[ROUGH TRANSLATION:] [Kodaka: I wanted to dig a little deeper regarding Ishimaru and Oowada's union, "Ishida," though...]

However, not even the interviewers really cared for Ishida lol.

Also, just to bring it up, here's where the claim for Taka's nonexistent backstory comes from, as far as I can tell:

[ROUGH TRANSLATION:] [Kodaka: I thought about depicting that [his experience in junior high] a little more in his Free Activity part, but that was becoming too dark/gloomy, so it was retired.]

So it's not that he had one that was scrapped after he died. He never had one to begin with.

MIGHT I REMIND PEOPLE OF ALL THE CRIMES IN THIS SERIES?? WHAT COULD BE DARKER THAN, LIKE, MUTILATION, SA, SH, SEWERSLIDE, ECT ECT????

The staff do agree that he was rushed, though. Kodaka admitted that he probably rushed his death a little at the end, but he was trying to achieve a certain feel with it.

[ROUGH TRANSLATION:] [Sugawara: Ishimaru's facial expressions were fairly abundant, but I felt like his time to die seemed too quick to carry out.] [Kodaka: Be that as it may, I feel I was too quick regarding Ishimaru. But, I really wanted the event when Ishimaru died to be like Robert Rodriguez's "Desperado".]

Now, I haven't seen Desperado, so I have no idea what this reference means lol. If anyone has seen it, lmk! (Defo going on my Must Watch list hehe)

SO IN CONCLUSION:

Taka was likely always meant to die, but his character was incredibly rushed and shallow that he ended up dying without much to his backstory or personality.

It's really unfortunate, though. I've always felt like Fuyuhiko was kinda like what could have been for Taka, even on my first playthrough of the second game. Taka's character did and still does have SO much potential, including the fact that his percent chance of surviving his death is MUCH higher than any other character that has died thus far.

If there's ever a new Dangan installment, I want a Taka cameo where he didn't actually die because the freezer room basically acted as a life support system for him and slowed his circulation of blood, letting his head injury heal just enough to escape Hope's Peak some time after all the survivors are already out but before anyone comes back, but because he has severe untreated head trauma he's kinda crazy.

BUT THOSE ARE JUST MY THOUGHTS!

Sorry for the ramble hehe

[galvanizedfriend]

I’m about to be cheeky and ask whether we could have a sneak peek of the next chapter of the Wolf????? Or am I being too rude in asking that 😂.

Hi, nonnie! No, it's not rude at all!

I got this part out of the opening scene of the chapter, but I have to warn you that I am yet to review or edit anything, so it might change a little bit yet.

It's Caroline and Kol having a rather spiky heart to heart. I hope you like it! 🥲

---

"I was wondering when you'd come out."

Caroline sighs. Of course, Kol would know she was there. She wonders what it means that he didn't tell the others. Maybe he was trying to spare her, or maybe he just didn't want her presence to overshadow a moment that should be entirely about Davina. Either way, she's grateful.

"I almost didn't. Wasn't sure I should even be here, to be honest."

"Where are your loyal wardens?" he asks flatly. "Don't tell me they're so overcome with guilt after condemning an innocent girl to hell that they couldn't indulge in a bit of gloom. It's their favorite kind of party."

"Klaus wanted to come," Caroline admits. "But I told him not to. Didn't think it would be wise."

Kol huffs out a weak snort. "Since when does he care about being wise?"

"He doesn't," she replies. "But I do."

"Right. And he always listens to you." He pauses. "It must be nice to have family who gives a damn about what you think."

Caroline's jaw sets. She lets her eyes focus on the elegantly carved letters of Davina's name on the headstone. It's beautiful, but rough. Not a lot of details, no quotes or messages about her being a good friend, a loving girlfriend. Feels hurried. Unfinished. Less than she deserved.

"I hated Davina when she tried to Klaus," she says after a moment, words tumbling out of her mouth without consent before she can give them a second thought. "I didn't hate, hate her. Not really. But in that moment, while she was there screaming her spell from the top of her lungs, saying that he'd lived long enough… I hated her then. She didn't really care whether he survived that whole thing or not. She wanted to get you back and she was willing to sacrifice whatever it took to do it."

"What are you on about?" Kol turns to her, a sharp edge to his voice. "Nik didn't die."

"Because Marcel betrayed her, and Stefan and I let an unstoppable huntress with a magic stone loose in the city to create enough diversion that could have backfired in so many ways, just so we could stop it. And then I killed Aya with my bare hands before she could have the chance to try again, and took back the white oak bullet she was going to use to test the effectiveness of Davina's de-linking spell,” she lists. “If that sounds like a too long and complicated combination, it's because it was. It took a village for Klaus to get out of that place alive, and if any of those things had failed, he wouldn't be here right now. And even then, Davina still managed to break his sire line, which made him vulnerable, including to Lucien, who was then free to threaten him and everyone else at will, because his life was no longer tethered to Klaus'." Kol's expression darkens. If looks could kill, Caroline would probably drop dead right there and then. But still, she keeps going. "She knew what she was doing, she knew the consequences, and she didn't care because getting you back meant more to her than Klaus' life."

"I wonder why," Kol hisses. "You talk as if Nik hadn't given her extraordinarily strong reasons to have such disregard for his well-being."

"I'm not questioning that, Kol. Klaus is… Klaus. Whenever someone tells me they hate him, I just assume they have a good reason. It's usually the case. She did, too. But that's beside the point. What I'm saying is that she made a choice that night, and I’m sure it wasn’t an easy one, if not for Klaus, then for everyone else who stood to lose if she failed, including Marcel. We're all put in impossible positions sometimes, and we have to make choices that we might regret for the rest of eternity."

"That's brilliant," he says, lips twisted into an awful smile. "I expected that kind of bollocks from Elijah, but I thought you, of all people, would not try to defend the indefensible."

"I'm not defending it. And I understand your anger, Kol. I really do. Better than I wish, actually. I never wanted Davina to get hurt or to pay for what she did. I don't think she deserved what happened to her. You trusted your family, and… They let you down," she says, her voice fraying around the edges. "You're right. You should hate us. You, Marcel, Vincent. I would hate us, too. But what I can't stop thinking is that I hope I'm never put in the same position as Elijah and Freya. I hope I never have to find out who I would be willing to sacrifice for my daughter, or for Klaus. I wish I could say that I would do the right thing, but the truth is… I don't know. And I would hate to find out. Because there is no right answer. There's only a guilt that eats away at you, and then living with the consequences of your choice. I mean, yesterday would’ve ended in a funeral either way. If not Davina's, then mine and Klaus'. I'm sure you'd be happy to have her back, and regardless of your feelings for us, you'd feel sorry for your niece. But because of what Elijah and Freya did, I'm here today, and Davina is not. I'm grateful to be alive, but I'm not happy. No one is. I wish it didn't have to be like that."

Caroline swallows around the tight lump in her throat, forcing back the tears threatening to escape. Somehow, she doesn't think she gets to cry over this. Not here. Not in front of Kol.

Kol's jaw clenches, his face scrunched up with an emotion she can't really define.

Caroline hesitates, considers telling him that he will always have a home with them, but decides not to. He doesn't want to hear that right now. Not from her, anyway.

"I'm sorry for your loss, Kol," she says instead, and means it. "I really am."

Then she turns away and leaves him to mourn Davina in peace.

[kristinamae093]

Hey There! I saw this, and I couldn't agree more! Nothing says I love you more than "I'm willing to try this for you." And this works for all kinds of relationships: romance, friends, and family, too.

Would you be able to create something showing this for one of your characters or pairings? It could be a drabble, fic, edit, art - anything at all!

NO PRESSURE AT ALL - only if you want to, but I'd love to see what you could come up with!

Hey @jerzwriter! 👋 Thank you so much for sending this my way! This was a lot of fun and I hope you enjoy this silly nonsense I came up with! 🙂

Baking Memories

Everything else can be found here.

Book - TRR

Characters - Constantine, Liam.

Warnings - There's like, one bad word.

Word Count - 2489

A/N 1 - This is a one-shot from my HCTS AU, but this can absolutely be read as a stand-alone. The only thing you really need to know is Constantine didn't die as he did in canon and beat his cancer, but has been diagnosed a second time. Kyla (F!OC) is mentioned but not present, so I guess this takes place sometime between the previous chapter and the next.

A/N 2 - I slipped in the third @choicesflashfics prompt — “Why are you being so weird?” that will be bolded.

A/N 3 - (last one) - thank you SO MUCH @ao719 for reading through this for me and your suggestions! Any errors found are mine and mine alone, and I didn't really edit this a whole lot to be honest, so...... There's your warning lol 🙃.

Most characters belong to Pixelberry.

Constantine Rys was once a hard man; born and bred for royalty, he never got to enjoy and experience the little things in life. It never bothered him before, considering he was the reigning monarch of an entire nation with the world at his fingertips. However, since his retirement he found himself longing to experience all the things he missed out on. Today specifically, he wanted to learn how to bake; not just anything, a very specific recipe. 

His first wife was clueless in the kitchen and Regina knew very little, but Eleanor spoiled him with various baked goods consistently while she was alive. When she found the time for it Constantine never understood, but she always had warm cookies for him and the children to enjoy. He'll never forget the memories of retiring to his quarters after a long day and opening the door to hear the boys and Eleanor’s laughter, accompanied by the sweet, heavenly smell of whatever she prepared for them that day. 

Now, especially since his time left on earth was limited, he wanted to learn all these things he never had the opportunity to experience before. He found an instructor and Bastien vetted the person before scheduling a private lesson right in his quarters. His intention was to set everything up so Kyla could join him, but the teacher was only available on a specific day and Kyla was off. He knew she would still come if he asked, but he didn't want to impose on her personal time. Regina was his backup, but unfortunately, that day was a no from her as well. 

Even so, Constantine was still excited about his lesson. It may only be a class of one, but he was looking forward to putting his new skill to use. 

A knock sounded on his door and he quickly scurried over to answer it. On the other side stood Bastien, a woman who he assumed to be his 'teacher', and Liam, who Constantine hadn't told. It wasn't that he was trying to hide anything or keep secrets; he initially wanted to recruit Liam for this venture to begin with. However, he knew all too well how busy a Friday afternoon was as a solo monarch and figured it would be of no use to ask. However, his unexpected presence made Constantine hopeful that perhaps they would get to share this experience after all.  

"Son! What're you doing here?"

"I just so happened to be taking my lunch when I saw Bastien with Mrs. Finch." Liam motioned to the woman with a polite smile. "Care to explain to me why you're having bakers come to your quarters?"

"She's going to teach me."

"You want to bake?" Liam asked with an arched brow. 

"Precisely." 

"Why?"

"Do you remember those cookies your mother would make? The molasses ones?"

Liam's mouth involuntarily started watering. "I do… That's what you want to make?"

"Eventually I'd like to try other things, but that's where I’ll start. I haven't had them in years and the staff just can't make them the way she did, anyway. I was hoping if I took some lessons, perhaps I could give it a go." Constantine stopped talking as he took in Liam's nostalgic expression. "Care to join us?"

"I don't bake, or – haven't in quite a while."

"Then this is the ideal time to perfect your skills!" Constantine hopefully suggested.

Liam's face instantly fell at seeing him so excited. "I really wish I could, but I have a meeting soon." 

Constantine was trying his hardest to smile, but on a few occurrences he realized Liam was doing what he'd done to him and Leo for years; putting the crown first. He never realized how much it truly hurts to be left alone when the person you're longing to spend time with is occupied. Of course, he understood Cordonia does ultimately have to come first, but perhaps since his time was limited he was beginning to develop a love-hate relationship with the word duty. 

"Ah, I see... No worries, son." Constantine sadly smiled and motioned for the woman to come in. "If everything goes right, perhaps I can bring you some." 

"Thanks…" 

The woman stepped inside and disappeared with Constantine. Liam remained outside the door, suddenly feeling guilty for leaving. His whole life all he wanted was a genuine relationship with his father, and now that he'd been blessed with it he often had to put the crown first. However, now that his father's time left was dwindling, he found it was practically impossible to walk away.  

"Bastien," Liam started, "Clear my schedule for the day – no, the weekend. I'm unavailable unless it's an emergency." 

Bastien smiled and bowed. "Of course, sir." 

Liam made his way inside his father's quarters to the in-suite kitchen and couldn't help but laugh as he saw his father wearing a white, puffy chef's hat. When Constantine looked up and saw Liam enter, the pure excitement radiating off of him was enough to fill Liam’s heart so full he was sure it would burst any moment. 

"Liam! What're you doing here?" 

"As it turns out, I had a cancellation." Liam winked. 

"Get in here, then! You need a toque as well." 

"I don't think–" 

"We are pastry chefs right now; it's absolutely necessary." Constantine held out a hat to him. 

Liam stared at it for a long moment before he took it and reluctantly put it on. "Happy?"

"Elated. Now, Mrs. Finch, what are we doing?" 

"First we'll start by creaming the sugars and butter together." She showed the pair her measurements, as well as how to soften the butter. Using a hand-held mixer, she swirled the bowl until the task was completed before continuing, "Now, the eggs. The biggest thing to remember is don't over mix, or your cookies won't turn out properly."

Constantine nodded and picked up an egg from the supplies laid before him. “I’ve never done this before…” He held it up with furrowed brows as he intently studied it. "How do we get – inside?" 

Mrs. Finch laughed. "We have to break it, sir. See? Like this." She gently cracked an egg on the counter and emptied it into the bowl. Liam silently chuckled at Constantine's flabbergasted expression; something so simple was blowing his mind, and his elation was incredibly contagious. "It's easy, you just need a hard surface. You try."

Constantine nodded and tried to mimic her by using the counter, but that resulted in multiple yolks in his palm after a number of failed attempts. Finally, he looked around the area searching for a different surface to try when he got the perfect idea. He took the egg and although he intended to lightly tap it, he ended up smashing it against Liam's forehead; the egg splattered but thankfully most of his hair was shielded by his new accessory. However, the yolk and slimy membrane started dripping down his face, accompanied by the remaining shells. 

Liam squeezed his eyes closed as the goo slipped over them and his mouth fell open in shock, but he quickly closed it to not ingest anything. He felt something soft on his forearm and blindly reached out to accept a towel someone offered him. 

After cleaning his face, Liam turned to Constantine with narrowed eyes. "Seriously?!" 

"I guess I do still have some strength left." Constantine nervously chuckled before he added, "I apologize, son, I had no intentions of being so… brute."

"Why my head, though?!"

"She said a hard surface…" 

"Ha. Ha." Liam grabbed an egg and without breaking eye contact used one hand and cracked it perfectly against the side of the bowl. "Gently, grasshopper – and it goes inside the bowl." 

Constantine’s mouth fell open. "You may be upset, but you will not refer to me as a bug–" 

"It's – Nevermind… Mrs. Finch, please continue." 

She did as instructed and walked them through the various steps to make the cookies, plus gave them tips and tricks along the way to help make sure the recipe turned out correctly. They sifted their dry ingredients together in a separate bowl and were preparing to combine everything together, but Constantine insisted he wanted to be the one to use the hand mixer this time. Liam was absolutely reluctant, but ultimately caved after a five-minute debacle. 

Liam stood beside him watching Constantine's every move; so far, he was doing incredibly well with this specific job. Mrs. Finch was slowly adding their dry ingredients and Liam started to relax, thinking that things were smooth sailing from here on out. 

His phone rang and he stepped away to answer it but remained in Constantine's line of sight. Liam spoke with furrowed brows, his face red, and Constantine could tell he was speaking sternly; it instantly piqued his interest. 

The conversation was short and Liam reappeared a moment later completely unfazed. "Who was that?" Constantine practically shouted over the mixer still whirring in his hand. Liam answered, but Constantine couldn't hear him. "What?!" Again, Liam said something, but Constantine couldn't make it out. 

There was text beside each button on the machine, but they were so small Constantine couldn't see which one was labeled power. He ended up increasing the speed to the maximum setting, causing the mixer to shake and vibrate in his hand. Liam walked back beside him and spoke again, but Constantine paid him no attention as he was trying to read the tiny prints. Instead of leaning over to try and find the correct one, he decided to bring the mixer to eye level. 

It happened in slow motion; everything was fine one second, and the next their still very thin batter was flying all over the front of Liam’s suit. Constantine naturally turned his direction to Liam instantaneously as he held the mixer at arm's length, away from his own body. The machine continued to forcefully whirl until the beaters were clean, all its contents now covering the front of Liam’s face, body, and a little of the surrounding area. Liam could only stand there in shock; mouth agape, arms raised, completely flabbergasted. 

Constantine finally pushed the correct button and the mixer slowly stopped. He had a sheepish smile as he lowered it back into the bowl before speaking in a soft, timid voice. "The good news is there's still plenty left…" 

Liam only stared at Constantine with narrowed eyes. Constantine nervously chuckled and swiped his finger across Liam’s cheek before licking the contents. "Mmm – delicious indeed." Liam opened his mouth to speak, but Constantine quickly added, "Don't be mad, son… It was simply a mistake…" 

Liam took a deep breath and slowly let it out to keep his composure. "I'm not upset," A vengeful, mischievous idea struck him. He smirked and said, "matter of fact, perhaps we should hug this out." 

"I don't think that's–" Constantine tried to protest, but soon found himself engulfed in Liam’s strong arms. He looked down and saw Liam rubbing his face on his shirt, thoroughly cleaning it, and couldn't help but chuckle. "I suppose I deserved that." 

Mrs. Finch was quick to take over and simply talked them through the rest of the process to avoid any more mishaps, although they did help form the cookies. The sweet, heavenly aroma that filled the air as their delicacies baked brought back memories for both. Their goods came out of the oven and Mrs. Finch was dismissed, paid very well for her services, and Constantine even insisted she take some with her. 

Now, they were simply relaxing on the couch, enjoying the product of their work, and reminiscing with a cup of hot tea. Although they were missing Leo and Regina, it was nice for just the two of them to relive moments they’d shared while creating new memories at the same time. Constantine expected his ‘class’ to be rather boring but informative; never did he think it would turn into a chaotic, beautiful memory for him to relive for the rest of his limited days.

"Liam," Constantine started as he sat forward and grabbed another cookie. "Thank you for joining me today. I know things didn’t go quite as smoothly as they could have, but I'm thankful you were here… I had fun." 

Liam smiled. "I’m glad… There were definitely some mishaps–” He stopped to rub his forehead. “–but I had fun too. And, these cookies turned out amazing." 

"I concur. Mrs. Finch did an excellent job and I have to say, they are quite close in comparison to your mother's." 

"Here, here," Liam agreed whilst holding his cookie up to Constantine, which he returned before they both took a large bite. Liam swallowed and spoke again, "Listen… I know I'm busy, but I'll always try to make time for stuff like this – especially now…" He trailed off with a sad expression. 

Constantine signed and patted Liam on the knee. "I know. But I'm also aware of how demanding the Crown is. I don't want you canceling obligations on my account – again." He gave Liam a knowing look. 

Liam held his free hand up in surrender. "It wasn't that important! Neville comes here and bitches consistently, I'm sure he'll be back in a few days." 

Constantine couldn't help but chuckle. "Perhaps I could give you a warning next time, then… So you can try to pencil your old man in." He playfully grinned. 

Now, it was Liam’s turn to laugh. "You don't need 'penciled in', but a notice would be appreciated." 

"Done," Constantine suddenly stood and extended his hand. Liam shoved his last bite into his mouth and took it, confused, but Constantine was quick to pull him into a tight hug as Liam rose. "I love you, son." 

"I love you too." 

Their moment hung for a few seconds before Constantine stepped away with a bright smile. "Let's plan our next endeavor! It'll need to be during Kyla's work time, which proves beneficial to the both of us…" He stopped talking to wiggle his eyebrows. "Actually... What would you like to do? Perhaps something to woo her? We could go to a massage–" 

"Why are you being so weird?” Liam interjected. "You decide what you want to do and we'll figure everything out from there." 

"Hmmm…" Constantine trailed off, deep in thought. He snapped his finger a moment later. "We enlist Duchess Olivia and–" 

"I'm going to stop you right there; anything pertaining to Olivia means weapons and that's an automatic no." Constantine tried to retort, but Liam held a hand up. "Do I really have to pull the King card again? Think of something else, and we'll talk." 

Constantine opened and closed his mouth a few times before shaking his head and mumbling something as he sat. "What was that?" Liam asked with an amused grin. 

"I said you can be a bit of a hard ass sometimes." 

Liam smirked and confidently replied, "I learned from the best."

HCTS Tags (If you'd like added or removed, please let me know):

@choicesficwriterscreations @ao719 @queenrileyrose @tessa-liam @angelasscribbles @kingliam2019 @differenttyphoonwerewolf  @bascmve01 @busywoman  @belencha77 @mysticalfangirl @nestledonthaveone @lovingchoices14 @lunaseasblog  @malblk21 @sfb123 @twinkleallnight @emersyn-in-cordonia @walkerdrakewalker @tinkie1973 @queenmiarys @choicesflashfics

[shadofiredragon]

Legends Never Die

{ Big shout out and thank you to my dear friend @000marie198 for beta reading and taking part in editing! Grammar mistakes are real guys }

Part 1 ~ Immortal Escape

Chapter 2 - Undercover Immortal

The fox felt something pull at his attention, a sensation that felt both familiar and foreign. His ear twitched towards where the strange energy seemed to be coming from and was about to turn around out of curiosity when Kant, the timber wolf, clapped him on the shoulder.

“You're a hoot, Kit! Are you this funny in sparring?" The wolf gave a crooked grin.

Kit's ears corrected themselves and he shook off the warm pull that had caught his attention, chiding himself for being so easily distracted.

He cracked a smile, forcing himself, with some level of disgust, to match the haughty expression of his comrade.

"Well, why don't we spar sometime and you can find out?"

"Oh-ho! That sounds like a challenge!"

The other two mobians, a rusty brown squirrel and a black and white raccoon, clapped his shoulders with their hands.

"Rookie wants a fight, eh?" the raccoon laughed, the squirrel joining in with some amused chuckles.

"Hey, I might be new here but I've had plenty of experience elsewhere," Kit warned them playfully.

"Alright, then how about a sparring match tomorrow?" Kant grinned.

Kit's smile disappeared for a second, his feet shuffling nervously.

"Well, I'm not sure about that... I might be relocated again tomorrow."

Kant scoffed and the other two mobians groaned.

"C'mon, Kit, do you really move around that much? You only got here a couple weeks ago!"

"Hey, it's not my fault our superiors find my skills adaptable to all our locations," Kit said, smirking.

"Oh you're so full of yourself, Kit," the raccoon mumbled, rolling his eyes.

The squirrel looked at him curiously, "What kind of person do they move around so much? What kind of skills could possibly have you being relocated so much?"

Kit shrugged his shoulders with a sigh, "Sorry guys, top secret information there. And I'm pretty sure you don't have the clearance."

"Hardy har har," Kant replied sarcastically while the raccoon snorted his amusement.

Kant continued, "Fine. You're busy. How about tonight instead?"

This also caused Kit to pause, considering. He would have preferred to complete his mission in the evening and leave before lights out. He'd already been there for so long, he was looking forward to finally going back home...

I guess I could use another night to properly prepare... If I get too hasty, I might miss something, and that would only make things more dangerous for us down the road. He thought.

Trying not to show his reluctance he shrugged. "Sure, why not?"

Kant grinned, his shining white canines flashing in the light as he slugged Kit in the shoulder.

"That's what I'm talking about! Let's hear it for Kit, finally stepping up and taking on an actual challenge!"

The two other Mobians hooted and cheered, turning some civilian eyes to them.

Kit laughed at their antics, joining in with the rowdy whooping as they continued back to base. But inside, the unruly antics only made him feel bitter.

~•~•~•~

Kit rotated his arm, stretching the sore limb as he walked through the long hallway that led to the living quarters. Sweat still coated his ruddy orange-brown fur, and he probably would have had some bruises if his body wasn't used to years of close combat.

He'd just finished his sparring match with Kant. The wolf had been declared the winner after Kit had submitted mid-fight, and the two canines had shaken hands afterwards in respect for one another.

Of course, Kit had to let him win. He had previously decided against sending the wolf yelping with his tail between his legs, though, in all fairness, he very well could have. Even though it felt weird not being able to use the full extent of his skill and experience, he really didn't want to draw more attention to himself than was necessary. He wanted to be present, but not memorable. And from what he could gather, beating the wolf in combat would've been a very memorable moment.

The crowd of over fifty other soldiers gathering for the fight was a testament to that fact.

In any case, he was ready for bed. It wasn't lights out yet, but if he was going to complete his initiative in the morning he needed some good rest tonight. He also needed to let the others know he was going to be a little later than planned.

Quickening his steps he reached a corridor lined by doors, each with a numbered plaque nailed to the front. Upon reaching door number 207 he pulled a card from his uniform vest pocket and pressed its face to the black scanner next to the door handle. It beeped twice before a green light blinked, followed by a large click as the door unlocked.

Tucking the card back into his pocket he twisted the handle and stepped into the room.

An overhead light instantly blinked on at his entering, illuminating one bed on the farthest wall, a sink and mirror to his right and a desk with drawers to his left.

It was a humble living quarters, but he didn't complain. Most facilities only had such accommodations ready since he would arrive without any warning, giving the agency little time to prepare.

And soon I'll be leaving again.

He tried to find comfort in that fact, letting his mind muse over what he'd possibly come home too as he stripped himself of his uniform.

‘He's probably torn the whole lair apart by now.’

He chuckled to himself, sliding off all but his gloves and socks and folding them over the back of his desk chair. He glanced in the mirror, baring his fangs to make sure he hadn't gotten any food stuck in them. He nodded in satisfaction when he found none.

He resisted the urge to look more closely at the rest of his appearance and his light blue eyes.

Striding over to his cot he plopped down onto the covers and reached into his pillowcase, pulling out a small black device that he carefully lodged into his ear. He tapped the device until it beeped once, signaling that it had activated and had made connection.

"Kit to base," he whispered, looking up at the wall as his tail swished behind him, "Anyone there?"

There was a long silence before a robotic voice replied.

"Affirmative. My systems are picking up your message with complete clarity."

The fox felt a smile pull at his muzzle.

"Hey, 'Mega."

"Have you completed your initiative?"

The smile left. "No. Not yet."

"Is there reason for the delay?"

"Not really. I just needed time to get some of the others off my back." Kit hesitated, before lowering his voice, "Is, he there..?"

A moment of silence.

"He grew impatient, again, and has taken to resting in his quarters until further notice."

Kit couldn't help feeling disappointed.

"Would you like me to awaken him?"

Kit sighed. "No, let him rest. I won't be doing anything tonight, so might as well leave him be."

"I do have one inquiry..."

Kit turned over onto his back, one hand tucking under his head as he stared up at the ceiling.

"Inquire away."

"If you do not plan on completing the mission tonight, when exactly are you going to go through with it?"

"Tomorrow morning," Kit replied frankly, reaching up with one hand and twisting his fingers in an attempt to amuse himself, "I'm getting up earlier, so less of the base will be active. It'll also give me some time to set everything in place."

There was another pause, and Kit could practically hear Omega's whirring processor.

"Hey, 'Mega? Could you make sure that I wake up in time? 3:30 please. I'll keep the ear piece in while I sleep so I can hear you."

"Do you not trust yourself to wake at the desired time?"

Kit felt his muzzle begin to twitch up to a smile. "Organic creatures aren't as efficient at timekeeping as machines."

"Very well. I will have him wake you when it is time for you to arise."

A warm grin came across his muzzle. How a machine was able to read his mind was beyond him, but he was grateful for it.

"Thank you."

"Your gratitude is unnecessary, but accepted."

Kit chuckled, a comforting, happy feeling that was so different from the laughter he shared with the brutes who called themselves guardians.

There was a long pause in which Kit could tell the A.I. across the comm was thinking.

"Something wrong?"

"Negative. I was simply wondering..."

Kit tilted his head. "Yes?"

"Do you think... You will be able to locate him this time..?" The robotic voice quieted as it spoke, as if nervous to really be asking.

Kit's expression grew solemn.

"I don't know... I hope so.”

"Do you think a machine, such as I, can feel hope as well..?"

This question took Kit aback a bit, but he softened at the A.I.'s uncharacteristic timidness.

"Yes, I think so."

The robot took a second to process this before responding.

"Good. Because if not I would have asked you to run diagnostics on me and check for viruses upon your return."

Kit snorted in amusement at the A.I.'s brash logic.

"I don't think that's necessary."

"No. I suppose not. This hope... I enjoy the feeling it evokes in my programming."

"Then why would you want me to erase it in the first place?"

"Because any threat must be eliminated. And if it would cause me to turn on you then it should be removed with haste."

The seriousness of Omega's robotic tone made Kit wince.

"Don't worry. That won't happen."

"The sentiment is foolish, but appreciated."

Kit chuckled, rubbing his eyes with a yawn before rolling onto his side.

"Okay, I need to get some rest now. Just thought I would update you both that I'll be heading back later than expected."

"Affirmative. Enjoy pleasant renditions of your imagination during your time of rest."

"You too, pal."

"I am unable to conjure dreams since I do not own a subconscious."

"Good night Omega."

A short pause before, "Good night."

Silence descended upon him and he clapped his hands once. The light overhead obediently flicked off, plunging him into darkness. Shifting his weight off the covers, he draped them over his slightly sore body and quickly drifted off to sleep.

~•~•~•~

Knuckles walked in through our front door. As usual, my brother and I greeted him with warm smiles, Sonic patting him on the shoulder while I gave a simple fist bump.

"What brings you down to the humble surface of Mobius, Knuckles?" Sonic teased the echidna. "Got tired of waking up on your magical island paradise every day?"

Knuckles huffed, crossing his arms indignantly. "No, I did not. And I've actually been 'down' for a while now, thank you very much."

This caught my attention and I tilted my head curiously at him. "Really? Then, who's guarding the Master Emerald?"

Knuckles waved his mittened hand dismissively. "No one. And for security reasons, I'm not telling you where I hid it."

Sonic and I exchanged glances, his green eyes looked at me with amusement and I shook my head, unable to keep the smile from my face.

"But I didn't come here to talk about my duties as the guardian," Knuckles said, his face growing serious, "There's, something I found out... That I need to tell you..."

His violet eyes flicked between me and Sonic, our expressions growing confused.

"It might be a bit crazy to hear- but as your friend, I feel it's my duty to tell you what I've found. And, Tails..?"

His eyes locked with mine, and the deep sadness I saw there made me feel frightened.

"I don't know if you'll like it."

I swallowed hard. Sonic took Knuckles by the arm and led him into the living room, prompting me to follow.

"Here, Knuckles, how about we sit down a sec?"

The Echidna didn't resist, solemnly taking a seat on the longer couch with Sonic taking a spot next to him. The hedgehog’s emerald eyes scanned the echidna with concern.

"Are you sick or somethin'?"

The echidna sighed, looking down at the floor between his shoes.

"No, I'm not sick."

His gaze came up to meet mine, and I'm sure he could see my confusion and worry.

"Tails, what do you know about your parents? Or any of your ancestors?"

I sucked in a breath and I saw Sonic stiffen at the question, no doubt for my sake more than his own.

"Nothing," I answered honestly, trying hard to ignore the ache in my heart and reminding myself that I'd found my true family. I didn't need my blood relatives. Not while I had my friends and, technically, brother by my side. "I don't remember anything about my parents and if I did have any other relatives, they didn't make themselves known."

Knuckles' expression darkened, only filling me with more worry.

"Tails... I know this is going to sound crazy, but about a month ago I was... conversing, with the Master Emerald."

"Talking to yourself," Sonic coughed under his breath, earning a glare from the echidna. But the joke did make me feel better, breaking the suffocating seriousness of it all with a chuckle.

"Anyway," Knuckles growled, ignoring Sonic's tease, "While I was tending to it, I had a vision. It was confusing at first, kinda like a dream where you can't clearly see what's going on, but you just have this feeling that thing's are happening..? But it showed me something... Something about you..."

Even Sonic had leaned forward in his seat, brow furrowed.

"And?" He questioned.

"Tails." Knuckles' expression was so serious, so pitying, I could hardly handle the suspense.

"I think you’re a... Kitsune."

It felt like the air had been sucked out of the room. At first I was confused. But then all the retellings of legends and myths that Sonic collected from across the world came flooding back.

Kitsune. A mystical being rooted in eastern culture. Often possessing great power, and revered for their cleverness.

Most commonly identified as a multi-tailed fox.

I shot up from the chair, my confusion turning to cold blooded shock.

"No.” I shook my head, "No, you're wrong!"

On top of that, how dare Knuckles make jokes about me like that?! I felt my shock turn into anger. "And it's not funny to make jokes like that!"

Knuckles stood from his seated position, extending his hands apologetically.

"I'm not joking, Tails... I did some research, and it all matches with what the Master Emerald showed me."

My tails lashed behind me as I glared into the echidna's solemn violet eyes.

He was serious.

A sick feeling spread through my chest, poisoning my stomach with dread. It couldn't be true... It just couldn't...

I looked to Sonic for help, my angry blue eyes pleading for him to say something, to stand up and tell Knuckles that he was wrong. To tell the echidna to apologize for even thinking up such a cruel joke.

But Sonic wasn't looking at me. His emerald eyes were distant and I'd never seen his expression so thoughtful.

"Sonic?"

His emerald eyes looked up at me, but now they held the same heaviness that I had seen in Knuckles'.

Tears burned under my eyelids as I stared at him, begging for him to affirm the denial in my heart.

"Tell him he's wrong!"

Sonic opened his mouth and I felt my hope rise.

That's right. My brother was going to tell Knuckles that everything he was saying was false. I couldn't be a Kitsune! What a ridiculous idea!

But then the hedgehog's mouth closed again, and he looked away.

He looked away.

I staggered back, hitting the edge of the chair with my leg. But I didn't care.

My head swam, tears blurring my vision and I clenched my fists.

"No. No! I don't believe you! It's not true!" I shouted at them, "You're lying!"

Sonic stood up now, taking a step towards me.

"Tails-"

"Don't, Sonic!" I snapped, "How can you agree with this?! Kitsune aren't real! They're just legends!"

"Come on, buddy, just hear him out," Sonic pleaded.

I shook my head, taking another step back.

"No! I won't listen to lies! I don't want to listen to either of you until you tell me the truth!"

I spun around and ran upstairs, furiously taking the steps two at a time. Tears had begun to stream down my cheeks and even more fell when I heard Sonic's voice call out desperately behind me.

"Tails!"

But I ignored him. I didn't want to hear it. I didn't want to hear any of it.

My heart thudded in my ears and my head felt dizzy. I ran to my room and slammed the door shut behind me, making sure it was loud enough for the both of them to hear.

Once in my room, I couldn't help it. I slid down the door, unable to hold back the tears. A sob choked me, the tears running hot down my muzzle.

I never felt so scared, confused, and angry all at once. I wanted to feel betrayed, Sonic was supposed to be my brother! Why didn't he stand up to Knuckles and talk him out of all this nonsense?!

But I couldn't. Because I didn't have to think too hard about it to know that what Knuckles had said was true.

I didn't want it too, I didn't want all the pieces to fit, and I hated that they did...

Another sob racked my body, as I pressed myself to the door.

"No, it can't be real. I have to be dreaming. This is a nightmare. It's not real. It's not real."

All the stories Sonic had told me came rushing back to my mind. It was customary for him to share bits of interesting folklore from different cultures with me and now everything he'd told me about Kitsune clouded my mind.

Many Kitsune possess a variety of powers, such as flight, shape shifting, and illusion.

A whimper tightened in my chest.

Kitsune are identified by their multiple tails, which showcase their power and ranking among other Kitsune.

I tucked my dual tails closer to my body, clutching them as I sobbed into their soft fur.

The most powerful of this creature is a nine-tailed Kitsune, which is rumored to be so powerful, that the whole world cannot provide enough energy necessary to satiate it.

I pushed my hands over my ears, as if doing that would be enough to stop the thoughts from continuing.

A Kitsune gains a new tail for every 100 years of its life, though some Kitsune have been known to be granted an extra tail as a reward for noble deeds.

I didn't want to hear it, I didn't want to think about it-!

Because of this, Kitsune are considered immortal. Reaching full power and maturity at 900 years.

I screamed against the thought, trying desperately to blot it out. I stood up from my sitting position, shaking my head and shouting denial.

"It's not true! It's not true! It's not-" a sob hiccuped from my throat, cutting me off.

I desperately wanted comfort, for something or someone to reassure me that it wasn't real, that it was all just a sick joke, and that everything would go back to normal. But I couldn't face either of the two who could do that. So I ran for the next best thing.

Crashing onto my bed I curled onto my side, snatching up my pillow and hugging it to my chest as I sobbed, desperately willing the thoughts to go away with little success.

Eventually my tears ran out and my cries subsided, leaving a dull emptiness in my chest. I curled tighter around the pillow, wrapping my tails around myself and pressing my eyes closed.

I don't know how long I laid there, feeling lost and hopeless. And I didn't know how it had happened, but I had somehow accepted what Knuckles had said.

Sometimes it's a curse to be clever...

I heard the door handle click followed by a small creak, but I remained unmoving, not even twitching an ear towards the sound.

"Tails..?"

The sound of my brother's voice sent a jolt of grief through my body and I clutched the pillow tighter, more tears threatening to unleash themselves.

He didn't move for a moment, allowing a moment of silence to settle between us, before I heard his gentle steps enter the room and approach my bed. I didn't turn to him, pinning my ears tighter to my head and pushing my muzzle farther into my pillow, making myself as small as possible.

I felt his weight bend the mattress behind me, but I couldn't face him. I couldn't bring myself to look at him. Not because of how betrayed I had felt earlier, but because of how ashamed and lonely I felt now.

A gentle hand rested on my arm.

"Hey, bud. I know you're upset... but-"

"I don't want to talk right now..." I managed to squeak out.

Sonic paused, before I felt the mattress move beneath me once again.

"Okay. We don't have to talk."

His shifting stopped and I could feel his presence sitting on the bed behind me, most likely hunched against the headboard.

"Let's just sit here a bit..." He whispered, his hand remaining on my arm.

My breaths shuddered in and out as I struggled not to cry. Just having him there made me feel a bit more comforted. And yet, at the same time, Sonic's presence only deepened the gaping hole in my heart.

I couldn't help it when I turned around to finally face him. Releasing my pillow, I propped myself up on the bed and looked up at my brother, who returned my gaze with a small smile.

"Hey."

"Hey," I croaked back.

His bright emerald eyes held nothing but kindness and understanding as they stared into mine.

Suddenly the tears rushed back and I couldn't stop myself from breaking down again. Only this time, I curled against Sonic's side, crying into his peachy fur.

He wrapped his arms around me, hushing me and stroking my back in slow, soothing movements.

"Hey, hey don't cry. It's okay. I know that was a bit of a shock down there..."

Understatement of the century...

"And I already talked to Knuckles, about how discretion can be a virtue..."

I nuzzled closer to my brother, feeling his ever present aura of warmth and safety steady my shaky breaths and slow my tears.

Sonic tilted his head to look down at me, a gesture I wasn't quite willing to return yet. He didn't seem to care though.

"But really, being Kitsune isn't something to cry over."

I could hear the smile in his voice, trying to help me feel better.

"I mean, it's not like they're something hideous, like a golem or a troll," he mused, and I felt a weak smile pull up the corner of my muzzle.

He continued, "I mean, come on, a Kitsune? They have all sorts of cool powers! No clue what they all could be- but shape shifting is one right? How cool would that be! Think of all the pranks you could get away with!" His voice grew more excited, and I could tell that he was trying to get me excited about it too.

It was almost working.

Sonic whistled to himself in wonder, "And to think. I get to say that my brother is a Kitsune of legend! Forget hero of Mobius- I get the title of, 'Bro to Ultra Awesome Fox Boy'!"

I laughed weakly at his joke, and he seemed to like that. His positive energy emanating from him in stronger waves.

My smile disappeared. Was that how I could feel Sonic's energy..? Because I was Kitsune..?

"Yeah, that'll be a neat headline," Sonic grinned, unaware of my troubling thoughts.

There was a comfortable silence that settled between us before I finally worked up the courage to say what was eating me away on the inside.

"Sonic..?" I rasped.

He looked down at me.

"Yeah, bud?"

I fisted my hand against his chest, feeling it rise and fall with every breath he took.

I hesitated to say it. The idea too horrible.

"Will..." My eyes were transfixed on his rising and falling chest, tears blurring my vision once again, "Will I have to watch you die..?"

A sharp inhale filled his lungs, raising his chest under my fist abnormally quick. The feeling made my heart hurt and more tears rushed to the edges of my eyes.

"Will I outlive all our friends..?" My voice cracked, and a tear broke loose, trailing down the side of my muzzle.

Peachy arms wrapped around me, pulling me tighter to their owner as Sonic rested his chin on my head. I allowed his radiant energy to wash over me, snuggling closer to him with a sniff. My ear was pressed against his chest and I couldn't help but listen to the strong, speedy beat of his heart, treasuring its liveliness.

"I don't know, buddy," Sonic whispered.

I couldn't ever remember hearing him sound so sad.

"I don't want to..." I whimpered, pressing myself as close to him and his warmth as I could.

Sonic didn't answer for a while. And that was okay. I just wanted him to hold me. To be there.

"Tails," he finally whispered, his tone sounding serious, but I could detect the pain behind it, "Maybe... Maybe you, or I, should talk to Shadow."

I jolted, looking up at him with wide eyes.

"What? Why?"

Sonic averted his gaze.

"Because, maybe he can give you some advice... If you're really..."

I could hardly believe my ears.

Sonic sucked in a breath, tilting his head up towards the ceiling and smiling weakly.

"He'll be able to take care of you. After I'm..."

I shook my head vigorously.

"No, don't say that. No one could ever replace you!"

Sonic looked back down at me and I couldn't help but marvel at the spark retained in his emerald eyes. How could he still be so hopeful? So himself?

"He wouldn't be replacing me, Tails. You'll always be my main man and little brother!But," a somber smile came across his muzzle, "You'll need someone to keep you company. It'll be good for him too, I think." Sonic mused over the idea.

But my stomach only churned with bitterness and a resurgence of denial.

"Knuckles could be wrong," I said, holding onto the rebellion that reared up inside my chest, "He could've misinterpreted what the Master Emerald was trying to say, or maybe's he's just jumping to conclusions again-"

"I think we both know he's not," Sonic said, squashing my hopes as quickly as they'd dared return, "I always sensed there was something different about you. And as you've gotten older, that feeling has only grown stronger."

I ducked my head in defeat. I knew what he was saying was true. Deep down, it felt right. It made sense.

Sonic continued, his smile still on his muzzle,  "It's not a bad thing, Tails, and I don't want you to be mad about it. If you're Kitsune, then that's what you are. Sure it's gonna be different from what you expected, but you can use that to make a difference. Even after I'm gone, you can keep making a difference! You can change things and help people, you can continue living life and using that clever head of yours to make this world a better place for everyone!"

My tails twisted behind me, uncertain.

"But... What about you..?"

Sonic's smile faltered. Only for a moment.

"Don't worry about me, little bro. I'll keep living my life to the fullest, right alongside you, for as long as I can."

"Maybe, maybe I can figure out a way to-"

He cut me off, "Tails, no. We can't interfere with nature. As much as we'd like too. I promise, that as long as there's some fight in me, I'll always keep on running. But as much as I hate to say it... Even I can't live forever."

Tears were filling my eyes again, my chest aching with an oncoming sob.

"Hey, Tails..."

The deep voice startled me, both Sonic and I sharply turned our heads towards the voice. Knuckles was standing in the doorway, an awkward expression on his face as he rubbed the back of his neck.

He opened his mouth, but his voice sounded hazy.

"Tails..?"

I tried to listen closer, but it felt as though all the sound had been sucked out of the room. I looked to Sonic and I watched his mouth open as if to speak.

"You awake?"

The voices weren't making sense. What was going on?

"Tails??"

I looked around, everything was beginning to fade as the voice grew more clear.

"Hey! It's time to wake up!"

~•~•~•~

Kit awoke to a voice speaking directly into his ear. He groaned at the jarring sensation of being so awkwardly pulled from the dream world and into reality.

"Five more minutes," he mumbled, turning over onto his other side and pulling the rough covers further over his head.

An amused chuckle came from the device he'd left lodged in his ear over night.

"No can do! You wanted an alarm you got an alarm! Now- Up and at 'em!"

Kit let out another groan, this time to make his annoyance audible to the person on the receiver as he threw the blanket off of himself and swung his legs over the edge of the bed. He blinked his eyes blearily, trying to get them to clear.

"Come on! Today's the day we'll finally find something! I can feel it."

"That's what you say every time," Kit, or rather Tails, muttered, rubbing his eyes and squinting ahead, trying to get his eyes to work.

"Well someone's a pessimist today. What happened, did you wake up on the left side of the bed?"

"I woke up with a very, very loud voice in my ear," he grumbled, standing up. His vision had begun to clear, and his keen eyes had already begun to adjust to their dark surroundings.

"If I'm really such a pain in the morning, why'd Omega tell me you wanted me to wake you up?"

Tails could hear the smirk across the comm.

"Maybe because, as obnoxious as it is, it's still better then an online audio recording of an air horn playing on repeat?" He answered, clapping once to turn the light on and recoiling as the sudden light burned his retina.

"Still better than the air horn. Can't be that bad then!" The voice joked.

Tails laughed weakly, still rubbing his stinging eyes.

"So! You awake yet?"

"Yes I'm awake," Tails answered, finally opening his now adjusted eyes.

"Good! You ready then?"

"Well give me time to get in uniform." Tails grunted, grabbing the uniform off the back of his chair and working to slip the shirt and pants on.

"Make sure you're still in character while you're at it," the voice nonchalantly reminded, "You sometimes lose it while you sleep."

Tails paused with pants halfway up and glanced at the mirror. Sky blue eyes stared back at him, clear and bright. His brown fur from last night was gone, replaced by fur with a vibrant, golden hue.

He let out a sharp sigh in frustration.

"You lost it didn't you?" The voice was unbearably smug.

"No, I didn't," Tails protested, quickly focusing on his appearance, watching in the mirror as his body changed back to the fox from the night before. In only a few moments, he was Kit again. His attention then went back to the pants. "I'm just having trouble with the pants."

"Ugh."

Tails could practically hear the shudder over the comm.

"Pants... See? This is just more proof that this organization is no good. Mobians wearing pants. Pure evil..."

Tails rolled his eyes, but couldn't help smiling at the voice's dramatic over-exaggerations.

"Oh sure, forget the fact that they've locked up an innocent Mobian and kept him prisoner against his will for over 150 years. No it's the pants that makes them evil."

"Hey- I'm not saying it's a worse crime, only that it adds to it."

Tails shook his head with a chuckle, slipping his boots on and tucking his newly donned pants into them in the uniform style for G.U.P.

"Is Omega ready to go?"

"Affirmative." the robotic voice of E-123 Omega responded, "I am fully operational and prepared to fulfill my role."

Tails finished buckling his boots, as well as the belt that housed his weapons. Looking over himself once in the mirror to make sure he was properly disguised, he turned back to the desk and opened one of the drawers.

Moving a stack of papers he spotted what he was looking for and snatched up a black device with two stylized tails marked on the top. It was about the size of a large USB drive, but didn't have any noticeable place to port it into a computer.

He tossed the device into the air, caught it mid fall and dropped it into one of his vest pockets. Inhaling sharply, he turned towards the door. He knew he could do this and yet, somehow, the knowledge did nothing to rid the butterflies  that fluttered in his stomach and made his heart skip.

"Ready?" The voice prompted into his ear.

Tails exhaled slowly, forcing the butterflies into submission as well as consciously making an effort to relax his tense muscles.

200 years and he was still acting like a scared kid.

Well, not today.

Confidence flooded his body and he nodded sharply. "Ready."

He stepped forward, putting his hand on the door handle and turning it.

"Let's go find our friend."

~—~—~—~—~—~—~—~—~—~—~—~—~—~

{ Story Facts! : What is G.U.P?

Guardian Units of the People, or G.U.P for short, is a military organization primarily focused on internal security. It's main goal is to keep peace within the nation and protect the citizens therein, acting almost as a more superior police force.

Though international security is in the minds of the officials, national problems are often handled by the parent organization, Guardian Units of the Nation, or G.U.N.

In accordance with their role, G.U.P is much more active in local communities, exercising judicial authority over their inferiors. As the child organization, G.U.P does have some ties and connections with G.U.N. However, these connections are mostly in the form of command chains in which officials of G.U.N will pass down instructions or alerts to G.U.P should the need arise. For the most part however, G.U.P acts on its own accord, and is fairly innocent to matters of international security.

G.U.P is very conscientious concerning its people groups. For this reason, it splits its troops into two segments, Sapiens and Bestia. This separation includes separate barracks, training facilities and tech support.

This separation of races was deemed beneficial since it would be easier to send like-species teams into certain environments or communities that might lean more towards Sapien or Bestia in population. Because of this, it is fairly normal to only ever see Mobian Guardians in more Mobian populated communities, and Human Guardians in the more Human populated communities.

Though experimentation has begun in establishing race specific bases, in which there is one base for only Bestia or Sapien respectively, it is still in the testing phase. With G.U.P still preferring to use larger multi-species bases with the separate accommodations made for each race. }

[Here it is! Chapter 2!! Thought I would post it for Wholesome Sonic and Tails Wednesday since I’ve been a little busy to do much else. There’s a heart-touching Sonic in Tails moment in here- so I’m counting it XD Hope you all enjoyed! Hopefully the third chapter will be up soon! As well as this story on AO3. So keep your eyes open!]

Chapter 1 | Chapter 3

[streetkid-named-desire]

@ouroboros-hideout tagged me for WIP whenever!

I'm tagging @wanderingaldecaldo @luvwich @ghostoffuturespast @genocidalfetus

I am working on editing some old VP, taking some new stuff. Waiting for a certain pose pack to finish so I can take preview pics for it 😏 here are some refs to tease you

I finished chapter 11 and need to edit/revise but my brain just hasn't been in the mood for it.

Here's a chapter 11 excerpt. You can get a hint about who Rivka is if you search for the first line in all caps in the Hanukkah fic

Cheri didn't look up from her computer when she saw V. He was such a frequent flyer for so long she knew him by the sound of his footsteps. She merely motioned to the device on the counter, prompting him to jack in. V thought about Bea, how she felt and how she smelled, how she looked, the color of her hair, the softness of her legs, the shape of her breasts. A beeping sounded in his head and four headshots were displayed on his retinal field. Angel and Skye were who usually showed up. They ran into each other at Riot a few months after Evelyn's murder where he explained himself. They flirted and parted on good terms. Two new faces were displayed underneath the other two portraits. One was a beautiful Hispanic woman with gold eyes and purple hair, and the other was someone that looked almost exactly like Bea. But even in the small frame, he could tell it wasn't really her. He selected that photo and a name popped up underneath, "Rivka". "Rivka just started. I'm sure you'll like her," Cheri said. Professional politeness, she didn't actually care how V felt. He stashed his pistol and knife in a locker before passing through a scanner. He walked to booth 5 and gently touched the glass door. It slid open without a sound and he stepped into the dimly lit room.

Got more of the collab smut outline done that I'll put under the cut. I hope to learn a lot from the person I'm working with (I admire their writing a lot also sorry idk if you wanted it public or not yet) and write better smut in the future

Starts coming back from a gig, Bea has a slash on her shoulder, V has a minor GSW in his hip

V got impatient and rushed in, outnumbered but both dispatched all. However, they weren't supposed to kill the target.

Start in the weapons room, bickering and bandaging each other up, each being rough to make it hurt. Bea's bloodlust dips in and wipes up his blood with her finger (you could have her sticking her fingers in his mouth, maybe with a little mean quip)

V does the same with her slash but jerks her face towards his with his fingers inside her mouth

Heal their wounds, go to the couch to relax and debrief. She’s in a tank top, pants, and still wearing shoes, he’s just in his boxers. Start nitpicking and blaming each other. V says something about her combat skills like she relies on her smartweapon too much and it would have gone a lot smoother.

She punches him (where?) not hard enough to do damage but hard enough to make her point, she stands up they exchange a certain look where they’re not actually mad and need to release the rest of the tension and adrenaline before they can go to sleep

She starts quizzing him about guns (I can research this) and every answer he gets wrong she slaps him which just makes him hard, visible bulge, etc

He gets snippy and she throws him to the floor and steps on his bare chest, painful but hot, leaves a print, quips about like watching his back, how he’d die without her, how she could move her boot up to his neck and kill him now. She puts more of her weight on him and he’s starting to struggle to breathe a little.

Grabs her legs and flip her back, cracking her into the table and scraping her side. He is on her fast and pulls her shirt up to lick the blood

She slams her palm into the GSW making him roll off her. While he’s recovering she gets undressed and orders him to sit against the couch where she then kneels on the couch to ride his face BUT he’s a complete teasing little shit which she loves but pretends to hate it and he’s just enjoying/shoving in her face how much he can control her

That riles her up and she drags him to the bedroom and throws him on the bed to do the same, her teeth DEFINITELY scrape his dick a dangerous amount and he’s really fucking annoyed and also genuinely a little scared

[catsandgoodbooks]

20 Questions for Writers

Tagged by @bleue-flora (I am sorry it took so long it's been like a month I was procrastinating)

1. How many works do you have on AO3?

22, because my brain hates to stay focused on one idea at a time and I just have to make everything worse. I've got a lot more half-formed ideas and three-paragraph beginnings of fanfiction too <3

2. What’s your total AO3 word count?

124,920 - that's...a lot. And it's only been about a year, so yay!

3. What fandoms do you write for?

Dream SMP. I'm lurking in a couple other fandoms (mostly the Locked Tomb and Dragon Age), but I haven't written anything for those yet.

4. What are your top five fics by kudos?

1. Off the Planned Course

Not that surprising because it's one of the fics I've been writing the longest, is the longest of my actual stories (so not counting Whumptober stuff), and it also has the most people reading it (I blame including the Syndicate for that). It's probably my favorite too, so the validation is really nice (even if I keep getting writer-blocked by it).

2. Unfortunate Circumstances

Also one of the long ones, so it makes sense that it's on this list. Also, literally the second Dream SMP fic idea I ever had, so it's great that it's still going.

3. Easier Said Than Done

This one I kind of feel bad about - I decided to change a few details a while ago and I'm still not done with editing the old stuff so I can start on new chapters, so I really haven't been writing much for it recently (i.e in the past six months). Maybe this will get me to work on it again but I wouldn't hold out hope. It's not abandoned, but it's still basically on hiatus.

4. Shared Scars

I really like this one, but I didn't really expect anyone would read it because it was just a random AU with no basis in canon about two side characters, y'know? It's just really fun to write.

5. Dive Deep Into The Dark

This one is the one that surprised me, because it's just a collection of Whumptober oneshots that I wrote in like an hour each. But, hey, apparently people liked that, so yay?

5. Do you reply to comments? Why or why not?

Whenever I can, because they're taking the time out of their day to read my stuff and going the extra step of leaving a comment, and because I just like talking about my stories and stuff <3

6. What’s the fic you wrote with the angstiest ending?

Okay, this and the next question are kind of difficult because I am allergic to finishing anything, ever, and that means I have to stick to oneshots, but I'd say either everything I've ever written for a Whumptober prompt (because those are all terrible, basically) or Old Habits Die Hard (Old Reliances Die Harder) because it's an angsty canon-compliant (ish) oneshot where nothing is resolved and everything is just terrible. In my longer fics, I don't really plan for tragic endings, because the ending should be happy even if the journey there wasn't, or else the whole things sad and there's not really any point.

7. What’s the fic you wrote with the happiest ending?

Again, only oneshots count for this, so I'd probably say burn the scorecards, balance out the scales, because the ending is hopeful and probably the best possible outcome via rivals duo.

8. Do you get hate on your fic?

Not really, which is great. The most I ever get is a confused comment or someone making assumptions, and that's all fine.

9. Do you write smut?

No, and I don't plan to.

10. Do you write crossovers?

No, but I have some ideas I might write that involve crossovers and I might write them eventually.

11. Have you ever had a fic stolen?

Not that I know of!

12. Have you ever had a fic translated?

No, I have not <3

13. Have you ever co-written a fic?

No, but I would like to in the future.

14. What‘s your all-time favorite ship?

Drunz, for sure. It's the ship that really got me into the fandom and I've always liked that sort of toxic codependence even though they're terrible for each other.

15. What’s the WIP you want to finish but doubt you ever will?

All of them? Well, besides that, I'd probably have to say Off the Planned Course, because, although I really love it, I have no idea how to end that thing or when.

16. What’s your writing strengths?

Absolutely no idea, maybe internal monologues? It's hard to evaluate your own writing.

17. What’s your writing weaknesses?

Dialogue. 100% dialogue. I get in my head about if it sounds natural or if anyone would ever say that or if I'm writing a character right and then it turns about clunky because I'm too busy worrying about it.

18. Thoughts on writing dialogue in another language for a fic?

I don't have a problem with it, but you should provide translations in that situation so the readers have context and know what's going on.

19. First fandom you wrote for?

Dream SMP

20. Favorite fic you’ve ever written?

Probably Off the Planned Course, there are some chapters were I was just having the time of my life writing that thing even if they were immediately followed by two months of struggle.

Not tagging anyone because it's been ages and I'm bad at doing anything quickly so yeah. Also, it's my birthday today and time is really fucking weird <3

[red-dia]

It feels like the pacing for this arc and past arcs after the “Phos Goes to the Moon” arc starts to go faster and faster so there is a lot to be desired in between. It feels like the story goes from A to Z without putting in the other letters in between. I really wanted to see how the Gems would react to becoming Lunarians, because their fast acceptance was something I just can’t understand why it was so easy to undergo such a drastic transformation without any qualms. There were also interactions I wanted between some characters that did not happen or were written in an unsatisfying way that felt like the nuance in them just disappears.

I understand that time skips with the length of decades to centuries to millennia means that Gems can change drastically, especially in the setting of the Moon, where the Lunarian world allows the Gems to have more freedom to find themselves and find their own resolutions. Now I just have to hope and pray “The Party at the End” book added in with the special edition Vol 12 preorder will give me some answers and explanations. But part of me also is expecting mostly Cairnmea content in it per usual.

I dunno, part of me feels like Ichikawa is going through both burn out for this series and also wanting to move onto other projects aside from HNK, considering she works with Nintendo and is a character designer for Pokémon.

Agreed to a lot of this; the thing that bothers me the most is that there's so many characters that seem like they're set up to get some kind of development, and then the story kinda leaves it hanging, and for a while I had assumed there would be conflicts and resolutions and closure, but these issues dropped off the face of the earth....

The shift from the gems being hunted for sport for their entire existence only to be integrated among the lunarians, and nobody has hard feelings about it, everybody is happy to have left the earth where they've lived forever, everybody just kinda 👍 their way though it, fine we are lunarians now, okay we can restore dead gems because we changed our minds this is fine actually, whatever happened to Ghost and Lapis though, or whatever complex situation Rutile & Padparadscha had, or whatever are the ramifications of dusted gems coming back to life only to find almost everything they knew is gone and they have to live a new way of life without ever having asked for this :/

Not saying she shouldn't have done it at all, but the lack of extra time to introduce it made it feel pretty ooc to me. Especially given that "everybody has to die at some point" has been admitted as a plot point for a long time, so rushing it wasn't necessary at all. It also feels like there's a lot of missed opportunities...

That's not even mentioning things like the admirabilis, or earth stuff like the ice floes, but i'm still holding onto the hope there might be some more answers for that in the upcoming chapters. I'm also waiting to see if there's interesting stuff in the vol 12 booklet (though i'm not getting my hands on it, so i'm not sure if anything will be shared), but i'm not expecting much either though, but at least it might be fun!

+ regarding ichikawa being burned out, i'm not sure. I do think hnk is important to her because she put a lot of effort into it even when it's not necessary (cf artbooks, updated pages for manga releases, etc). If i had to guess, either she 1. happened to have a different vision of the story and she's fine with that, and/or decided on a deadline (ch108?) and eventually realized she was running late and had to scrap things/rush the story a bit and couldnt say everything she wanted to. The second option seems doesn't seem unlikely to me since hnk can only go so far with 20 pages per month, and she's trying to supplement it with additional material.

Either way yeah, i don't exactly know how hard hnk is on her since she takes hiatuses pretty liberally when she's working on other projects. A hiatus is still pretty different from a finished series though, so you may be onto something if she is trying to diversify her line of work...?

[madwomansapologist]

notes on A Unexpected Party

"In a hole in the ground there lived a hobbit." — The Hobbit, Chapter 1.

Bilbo is the moment. I would die for him. I would kill for him. I would not eat the last cake so he could. Bilbo deserves a million praises.

He's so polite, even when it would be better if he wasn't. He would pretty much rather all the dwarves and Gandalf to explode, but he keeps getting food for them and preparing more tea. Relatable.

Talking about food... He ate three cakes. Three cakes. And Bilbo was like "to be a good host, i will make the sacrifice of not eating anymore." BILBO YOU JUST SAID YOU ATE SUPPER AND BAKED MORE TWO CAKES? So iconic of him. You go boy, you deserve all that food.

He loves guests, he just would prefer to be the one to invite them.

All I can do is imagine the other hobbits seeing a lot of dwarves entering the house of most respected of them. Imagine the gossips. The rumors. Oh, that's so exciting.

Also, he didn't want to be included on the dwarves narrative, but when he them saying he wasn't fit for that.... He suddenly became Bilbo, the killers of dracos.

He is the moment.

The fact the he has rooms to clothes is amazing for me. You can totally see that it would be so easy to read hobbits as tiny fat guys who only think about food and not moving, but since the first page you know than way better than that. They care about their looks, about others opinions, about having a good life to enjoy. Isn't it the dream? To be able to live confortably without shame about your desires?

It was surprise to learn that he loves flowers. Wasn't expecting that. Good detail.

I love that little guy. Can't wait to see him suffer.

About other characters (since we didn't spend a long time with them — not when compared to Bilbo — i don't have a lot to say about them. Not yet):

Gandalf is so funny. All the exchange about the "good morning" is so good, it taught you a lot about him. My first experience with Tolkien was LotR, but imagined the people reading Hobbit in 1937. It's such a great scene.

Also, his hat is blue.

And he could have explained to Bilbo what would happen, explain to the dwarves that Bilbo didn't knew a damn thing, but no. Of course he wouldn't. I respect him for that.

The explanation did not seem to explain.

I just read the first chapter, so understand that I'm talking about the few first scenes: Thorin was kind of made dirt in the movie. Now, thinking in hindsight, I do still enjoy how he was introduced. Is just that the book showed more courage to make fun of him. Yes, he is important and respected, but that didn't change he fell into Bilbo's house. Yes, his journey is dangerous and he is showed as a great leader, still he could talk amenities for hours without even noticing.

Tolkien clearly had so much fun writing this book.

The two songs can show a lot about his writing. While the first one show that the dwarves could see throught Bilbo's facade, they still were more polite than Bilbo would expect. And the second was so emotional that for a second Bilbo pictures himself fighting dragons.

Also, the way he handle the informations about what isn't present in the scene is so great. Tolkien isn't stopping the scene, making you get out of that good feeling of a new story beginning to form, to tell you something that happened to someone's cousing. No. He does it so well. You learn more about Bilbo's parents, about the Shire, the Hill and The Water, without ever feeling like you were "interrupted."

I feel like an asshole trying to "judge" Tolkien.

Also, some thoughts about the world so far:

The dorknoob was in the middle of the door.

Hobbits created golf.

Now I wanna talk about that book edition I have. First things first: the preface and introduction were on the point. The explanations about the language and maps were amazing.

That part may only interest portuguese speakers. So, apparently in english is more common to say dwarf and dwarfs than dwarve and dwarves. So in portuguese it would be more common to say anão e anões, but to keep that sense of weirdness they made it into anão e anãos, which is right but is just so fucking weird to say. A really great change.

I'm sick right now, and that book was a great company.

[willowser]

hi willow, i hope you're doing well! i'd like to request 19 and 24 for the ask game if that's alright ^^

oh, i hope you are doing well too, friend ! thank you for the questions, you're so sweet ! 🥺

19. Tell me a story about your writing journey. When did you start? Why did you start? Were there bumps along the way? Where are you now and where are you going?

✧ oh lordy ! the earliest i can remember writing is age 9; i used to steal the notebooks that my school classroom offered so that i could write my own stuff in them, and i would carry them with me everywhere ! i think my desire to write comes from seeing a certain media or story or concept and thinking, what would i do with that ? and so i want to write my own spin on things, and that's why i think fanfic is so fun for me, because i get to play around in a world already existing and bring my own ideas to life !

✧ as for bumps along the way — i've probably talked about this enough times that it's annoying LOL but i spent a lot of time in writing groups over the last few years, and while i will always credit them for giving me the motivation and kick in the ass i needed to try and put my original ideas on paper — it was also very damaging to my mental health LOL i think there are a lot of people that have a lot of opinions on writing and what is "good" and "bad", what is "correct", and that's fine, nothing wrong with that, but there comes a time when it's a bit too aggressive, i think, and i was younger than i am now and very nervous and shy and impressionable, and i really set what some people said to me in stone. for a good chunk of time, i was severely unhappy with my own writing because i felt like, no matter how hard i tried, i just wasn't doing it "right", and i wasn't able to squish it into this category and follow all these "rules" and i fully quit a story, walked away from its publishing date and all that i needed to edit, and spent an obscene amount of money on a cover that will probably never see the light — because i felt like i wasn't capable of doing it the "right" way.

✧ — and now i am here ! having more fun with writing than i ever have, creating things i love to share and am happy to put out into the world. i have a lot more confidence in myself as a writer, and i look at who i used to be compared to who i am now, and i think that me would be flabbergasted at the change that has occurred. so i don't regret my time with those groups, because there were plenty of wonderful things about them, but more importantly, the lessons they taught me creatively have completely changed me, in some ways. as for where i'm going, idk ! i have also said this before, but i have no idea how long i'll do this. no plans to stop in the foreseeable future, though i plan to focus on and release my own original works, one day. i have a fun, necromancy, weird-west story that i'm nervous and excited to work on, and i eventually want to return to my little elf boy that i abandoned, in all my fear, and i want to give him and his little family the story they were meant to have.

24. How much prep work do you put into your stories? What does that look like for you? Do you enjoy this part or do you just want to get on with it?

✧ hmm, this is interesting. i think it depends. i used to be a die-hard plotter, but i found that i was just spending a lot of time trying to figure out details that would maybe, maybe not make it into the actual text itself, and i would often burn myself out before even touching the first chapter. it's like, by plotting it, i've told myself the story once and so it doesn't hold as much interest for me, if that makes sense ? these days, i really enjoy discovery writing and just making shit up as i go LOL i said this earlier, but all my stories start as little here-and-there scenes in my daydreams, and sometimes — that's all they get. i also have a personal discord server that has channels sectioned out for excerpts and also categories for certain fics, that way i can save stuff there as it comes to mind, and it's really helpful because i don't always know where it's going to belong in the actual story. prep work can be really fun, i think, too fun, because it's having the joy of your creation without actually having to do the manual labor of writing it LOL sometimes i need to just get on with it, or i'll drag my feet forever.

[mon-blanchetts]

Set If Off, Because You Know You Want To (4/?)

She’s convinced that Jon won’t fight for her, so she decides to fight for herself. He sets out to prove her wrong.

Nothing was going to stop her from getting to her chambers, Sansa decided. She kept her eyes solely in front of her, unmoved by the looks that courtiers and servants threw her way when she passed them. Her ears strained to catch the sound of footsteps behind her; she would run if she had to, appearances be damned. She needed to get as far away from him as she could, and she would do anything to ensure it.

Alys was perched on a seat when she arrived, but the handmaiden was on her feet the instant she realized who had entered.  

 “I’d like to be alone, please,” she announced before the other woman could voice anything. For a moment she feared that Alys would pry deeper; it was a complete relief when she didn’t. Sansa was sure she would have snapped, but she didn’t need to make anymore enemies here.

 Sansa didn’t wait for the door to close before dropping into a bench closest to her. Hair stuck to the back of her neck; she leaned her head against the stone walls, desperate for some respite from the flames that licked at her insides, spreading across all her limbs. She knew better than to blame the southron heat for her current sufferings, much as she wanted to.

 Jon had gone mad. That was the simplest way for her to rationalize his behaviour out there, not to mention the only explanation she thought safe to entertain. He had no right to speak of the things he’d brought up, and she desperately wanted to hate him for it. He was out of his mind if he thought he could whisk her back home where they could amend things, not when his aunt and her court were under the assumption that he was ready to offer his hand to another.

 It could have been so different, she lamented, pressing her eyes shut. There was no relief from the episode Jon had just forced her to endure; his words crowded her mind with such vivid force that he mine as well be present in her room, echoing the same sentiments he’d done earlier. It was all useless, anyway, because she was right: it was too late. Jon may love her still, but his feelings meant nothing in the face of Northern interests.

  It could have been so different.

“A pretty voice, yes, but I’m sure many would say he’s got an even prettier face,” Tyrion whispered. “I’m not wrong, am I?”

 Sansa looked away from the singer in question to spare her neighbour a brief glance. “I suppose it’s a matter of preference, my lord,” she whispered back, leaning towards him so he could hear her better. In truth, she hadn’t been paying attention to their current entertainment; it was a difficult feat, considering the weight of Jon’s gaze. More than once during the feast she’d caught him watching her, but it was even worse when his aunt caught them both. No wonder Daenerys thought she might be colluding with him.

 The singer had picked a ballad that brought light upon Jenny of Oldstones, crooning yearningly about love in conflict with royal duty before cautioning those willing to listen about the folly of the individual who believed himself above the interests of his family. Fitting enough, Sansa thought, as the performance came to an end; she added her own applause to that ringing through the gilded hall.

 “He is a handsome man,” she commented, as soon as the noise died down. “But I do like his voice more.”

 The Hand nodded beside her. “I’m sure he’ll be more than pleased to hear that. You know what men like do in order to sound that way after all these years, don’t you?”

 She did, and the thought made her blush. When she glanced at her neighbour again, Tyrion was grinning at her.

 Sansa didn’t know if it was the change of setting or the potency of the wine, but it seemed that everyone was acting out of turn tonight. If this had all been Percy Falker’s intention, he’d right well succeeded, she thought, turning her head to look at their host. The wealthy merchant sat at the high table to Daenerys’s right, Jon on her other side. It was an honour of the highest calibre to have not one, but two members of the royal family in his manse, and it was clear he was determined to put his guests in awe. It had been a long time since Sansa had witnessed entertainment on this scale, even though the list of attendees was somewhat minimal. The choicest cuts of meat and the rarest of ingredients had been present, but the best of the best had been offered to the high table only.

 “How much would you sacrifice for your craft, my lady?”

 She played with the napkin on her lap. Now that the performance was over, there was no reason to talk softly, but that didn’t seem to matter to the Queen’s Hand. Sansa nearly didn’t hear him amidst the dense noise of other people’s talk and the clang of pewter.

 “I’ve never been passionate enough about any craft to know,” she answered. Gods, she was tired. Her eyes burned from the light and smoke, while the heavy jewels chained around Laetitia Falker’s neck weren’t helping. As protocol would have it, the merchant’s wife was seated beside Jon; she must have been as aware as her husband was what a position she momentarily held. To have the Winter King’s ear for the bulk of the evening—who knew what she was whispering?

 Tyrion tilted his head to the side. “But I see you’ve been dabbling in the art of matchmaking, have you not?”

 “I’ve made no sacrifices for it, my lord,” she said, in a tone she hoped referenced her boredom. A figure approaching their table stopped her from saying more.

 “A piece of the subtlety, my lady?” offered the page who had been serving Jon the entire evening. He presented a golden platter that held generous pieces of the elaborate confection exclusively made for the occupants at the high table. “His Grace says he wishes to bestow a favour upon you.”

 “Of course he does,” Tyrion quipped, leaning forward precariously in his seat to grab himself a piece. Sansa stared at the offering; without thinking, she shifted her gaze towards Jon. It didn’t surprise her that he was watching her, those solemn gray eyes boring into her own clear blue ones, silently willing her to accept what he wanted her to have. It was an explicit gesture that none around them missed, least of all Daenerys and her wealthy host. Sansa dropped her gaze as soon as she caught the displeasure on the queen’s face. She’d murder Jon for this, if she could.

 “Are you going to accept?”

 Tyrion’s question made her look up again. The page was still standing before their table, a thin sheen of sweat over his youthful face.

 “Give it to the Septa, please,” she instructed. The page bowed his head quickly before obeying; she stared at his back as he scurried off to the back of the crowded hall. Don’t look at him, she ordered herself, fisting her napkin. Don’t look at him.

 The Hand was sucking the ends of his fingers when he spoke. “The smallfolk will have you to thank when they shit gold tonight.”

 “That’s not true. They can blame His Grace for that.”

 Her neighbour chuckled. “And he has so much on his mind already.” When she looked at him, there was a curious glint in his eye that instantly made her nervous.

 “His Grace has summoned you quite a few times for a private audience, has he not?”

 Tyrion’s knowledge of that didn’t surprise her, but that wasn’t enough to ease the discomfort in her belly, a nefarious coiling she could not ignore. “Anything Jon wants to me he can say before everyone else.”

 Her companion quirked a blond eyebrow at her. “Aren’t you worried you’re courting His Grace’s disfavour?”

 Sansa held back a snort. Not when he’s already courted mine. She had vowed that their previous encounter would be the last of that sort, and so far she had made good on her promise. Being alone with Jon was too dangerous, she realized; it was even more so now that she knew how he felt. “His Grace isn’t the kind of man to be offended by such a minor slight as that.”

 “Well, may that be a good mark on his character,” he said. Light dance on his silver brooch, like magic was bringing the metal hand to life. “His Grace’s spirits, on the other hand, could use some improvement. I do hope a good match will accomplish that.”

 The corners of her lips curled up. “I said something of a similar vein to him once.”

 “Did you, now? And what did Jon say to that?”

 Sansa shrugged. “Nothing. The idea of having Arianne Martell for a bride would probablt render any man speechless, I daresay.”

 “If Jon’s bride is to be Arianne Martell,” he corrected, eyes twinkling beneath the flicker of candle lights. “Did you think your letters to the Princess necessary, Sansa?”

 She watched as Lady Hollanda approached the high table, her deep blue skirts billowing behind her. “I thought it was just another way for me to be of service to Her Grace.” She’d written the first letter that same day Jon had spoken with her, only to follow up with another a few nights later. Each correspondence contained the highest praise for her cousin, the King, most of real than not. It had given her pause to remember why she loved him so much, but what had she expected?

 “And you would make yourself indispensable to the Princess as well, once she arrives?”

 Sansa whipped her had around to scrutinize the Hand. “Are you just as worried as Her Grace is about my loyalty?” The words came out sharp, but she could still hear the exasperation muddled in her voice. No doubt Tyrion did as well.

 He shook his head slowly. “I don’t doubt your loyalty at all, my lady,” he assured, but he was looking away from her while he spoke. She followed his line of sight until her gaze landed on Jon again. Percy Falker’s wife had diverted his attention elsewhere.

 “No, I don’t doubt your loyalty at all,” Tyrion repeated, softly. “If anything, it’s him I ought to be worried about, not you.”

 The singer approached their trestle later that night, holding his cap out for any tokens. Sansa dropped in a few coins, but Tyrion offered nothing.

 “The man’s a paramour to a wealthy nobleman who just happens not to be present,” he explained, shrugging. “It pays to be warming the right person’s bed, you know, a lot more than what we put in his cap.”

  There was a tingle on her side of her face; despite the familiarity of it, goosebumps still rose along the back of her neck. She lifted her gaze to the high table—sure enough, Jon was staring openly at her now, his long face shrouded with what she could only describe as naked want.

AN: There's more to this, but I got to lazy to edit it. You'll just have to wait for the next update to read it (it won't come out next lunar new year, I promise). Thanks for all your support and comments, everyone! It means a ton to me.

[seb-owns-these-tatas]

7th Dimension (Chapter 3.1)

7TH DIMENSION SYNOPSIS/MASTERLIST

PREVIOUSLY ON CHAPTER 3

WATTPAD LINK FOR 7TH DIMENSION

Characters: Gojo Satoru x Small!Naive!Fem!Foreign!Reader | THIS IS A MULTI-CHAPTER FIC. THIS IS AN X READER FANFIC WHO HAS BEEN BROUGHT TO THE DIMENSION OF JUJUTSU KAISEN | (Trust me, you'll live. I hope?)

Summary: (PART 2) It has been three days that you were unconscious and on bedrest. Gojo Satoru was restless due to the fact of the relics you own---the manga panels you had on hand while surviving a car-crash in the middle of the Hanami incident. He was impatient for information and Satoru was not one to keep himself out of the subject matter especially that these artifacts you acquired had memories of the one and only bestfriend he had and also sketches of a future that left him clueless for whatever lays ahead for him.

Warnings: Brief mention of Riko Amanai. Please don't hate Satoru on this one and with the way he was thinking. Megumi, Yuji and Kugisaki moments.

Tell me if you want to be tagged whenever I publish chapters for 7th Dimension! Send an ask or message me!

A/N: I'm sorry I keep publishing chapters with part 1, part 2 and so on. I tend to be descriptive, so I've been cutting it into different parts so y'all won't get too overwhelmed by it. 😅😂😥 (My cat keeps walking on my lap for the tenth time today while I'm trying to edit this---I apologize the typos and grammatical errors!)

COMMENTS AND REBLOGS ARE SUPER-DUPER HIGHLY APPRECIATED! IT GIVES ME SUCH MOTIVATION AND INSPO!

Words: 2.5k words. (Kinda short! This was the next part for chapter 3. I just had to cut it into two because if I did include this on chapter 3 then I would've reached 9k words for one chapter? Hehehe)

Disclaimer: PNG's or pictures used in edits are not mine even the GIF's too. I only own the plot of this whole fanfic. But, not Jujutsu Kaisen's storyline. I apologize for the typos or grammatical errors by the way! English isn't my first language so I'm so sorry in advance! Character development and personalities are based from my understanding and how I want them to be. This has no connection towards the anime or manga as this is a FANFIC.

KUGISAKI NOBARA, A FEMALE FIRST YEAR STUDENT OF GOJO SATORU, a classmate of Yuji Itadori and Fushiguro Megumi who had high reserves of cursed energy and is an expert on manipulating it, wasn't known to be a very patient woman especially when she was ecstatic upon going to places she hardly knew of. She was definitely infuriated over the fact that their Sensei was taking too long than what he promised. It has been twenty minutes already and her anticipation and enthusiasm over experiencing to dine in another known Sushi Restaurant around Tokyo was starting to die down because of their time being bided.

To a great degree of the fact that it was on Gojo's call for the sudden gift of treat.

"Adults are really annoying---," Nobara mumbled beneath her breath, growling through gritted teeth as she crossed her arms in disdain and also glaring at their teacher from where she stood beneath outside. The first year student acknowledged your presence who stood thunderstruck and petrified beside Gojo, painstakingly the contrary of him who wore the brightest smile while sending down a big wave to his students. She was dressed in her typical Jujutsu school uniform, A dark-blue button-down jacket and a long matching skirt that reaches just above her knees.

"--They take long in everything."

"Not all adults. Probably just, Gojo-Sensei." Megumi took his time upon descending the stairs with feathered foot steps, his scowl from the first experience he had with you and Gojo left a lasting impression that you were bound to be chaotic with the Sensei when you finally warm up to him more.

Though, if he were in your shoes, waking up and remembering nothing nor knowing who they were is surely not a problem to take lightly, right? It was like taking a baby out of a woman's womb when it was simply not the right time yet.

"Entirely irresponsible. Tch." The female student continued to grouch, tapping her foot impatiently, watching you and Gojo be engrossed in a conversation that only he endeavored because you still appeared to be lost in space, "---He promised to treat us out after the Tree incident because of the effort we put,"

"The effort we put." Megumi emphasized phlegmatically, taking an impassive gander at the woman.

She loudly huffed in return, disbelief filling her emotions as it reached her mouth. His words being taken to heart as if she was offended, "What do you mean by that, Fushiguro?"

"You were knocked out by Mai-senpai."

"---and you were brought out of the scene by Panda in the middle of it all, Fushiguro!" Nobara barked back, snarling in the process of their raillery.

Banters that spread across the place from left to right was considered as a customary for the trio. A habitual disposition between the first year students, following the additional repartees that their Sensei constantly includes every now and then. Megumi, being thoroughly accustomed by her aggressive attitude blinked languidly back at her, "If we were talking about the sweat under one's brow then Itadori, Todo-Senpai, Gojo-Sensei and the others get to be the people praised for the incident,"

"Sensei!" Yuji Itadori began to holler out loud,  waving back a big one as Gojo managed to give them a glance.

"He's been stalling all this time for chit-chat!" Nobara complained for the fifth time under twenty minutes of her time being partially wasted, she could hear Yuji chuckling beside her for no reason why, sending out a beam to the man who was intentionally being late for their treat-out.

She had no reason why but hearing Yuji's guffaws made her temples twitch in which he earned a glare from her.

"Kugisaki, you're being impatient, Gojo-Sensei's busy interrogating the girl who called Fushiguro, a 'Sea Urchin,' "

Megumi was quick off the mark with what Yuji declared. The cheerful, pink haired student blinked back at him that lacked of guile. His features quickly turning into a depiction of irritability from the wrinkles on his forehead.

There was no need for Fushiguro to mutter a word because his antagonizing silence was immediately understood by him.

"I needed to grab my phone back in my room and I happen to overhear some of the conversation?" Yuji tried to lessen his vexation by being honest, constantly scratching his head as he does so.

Megumi's frown deepened, he responded with a disgruntled hum. Yuji's teasing forever being a plague of peeve that he surely won't get over with every once in a while, "I like her then." Nobara took the mickey out of him, simmering his tea-pot a little more than it can ever take.

"Tch."

Fushiguro was left to his own aggravation as they were already used to his outwardly stoic expression and personality. The possessor of the Ten Shadows Technique, an inherited technique passed down in the Zenin Family---stifled his thoughts to himself and chose not to interact to their personalized taunts. He quietly listened to their continuous discussion, hearing Itadori ask Nobara a simpleminded question that was ought to be answered with no graveness considering that he was asking the female first year student.

"What would you think she would name me?" Yuji innocently mumbled, ignorant that Nobara coherently understood the subconscious spout of his tongue.

"Idiot, probably." she impassively mooted single-mindedly.

"Eh?" The possibility of not hearing her clearly passed by Yuji's subconsciousness, till he realized that she was giggling in the background from how he nodded back at her like he completely agreed to what she professed. All of a sudden, he turned downright taken aback, expression entirely flabbergasted, "---EH!"

The Land of the Rising Sun. Japan, the eleventh-most populous country in the world, as well as one of the most densely populated and urbanized.

At the time, it was beyond your capacity to comprehend what was happening around. Biting Gales swept passed your matted hair, the indignity of your once bedridden state came to your consciousness as you stood wonderstruck beside the guy named Gojo Satoru, wishing that everything was just a dream and that you hoped to finally wake up on.

Being in an overwrought state brought such intense humiliation that you were finally on your senses, with each retaliation from the moment you woke up in Megumi's room until you were behaving mad as a March Hare struck your senses that you actually existed and this was a reality that you were bound to believe in.

Perhaps, did you feel humiliated because everyone looked beautiful enough to be considered make-believe dolls and you appeared unprepossessing to their standard of appeal?

You had no idea, but an absolute feeling of mortification was punching you in the guts when Satoru began to pipe up a mocking question, presumably a slap to the face.

"Still don't believe me?" he motioned out onto the unlatched windows where fresh air began tousling your hair in different angles, "---We're in Tokyo Jujutsu High." Gojo retracted his hand away from your head, rather stunned that he would have the audacity to do so. Yet, he did not give you the benefit of seeing that he was somehow a little bit bewildered from his choice of gestures.

"To-kyo-Ju-jutsu-High." you've heard him repeat more with emphasis and with a lesser bit of an accent. He inserted his hands inside his pockets, leaning a lot more on the edges of the casement as you felt him slyly keeping you under his observation.

Despite of his bandaged eyesight, you could technically feel that he was trying to monitor your every move.

Was it making you uncomfortable? Yes. It was. Confining to the point that his mere presence was enough to make you breathless.

"I already graduated college, why am I even here?" was the only question you could muster, focusing on the three, young students right below the building who seemed to be making fun of each other.

Gojo meekly waited for any indication---signals that can tell him that you were capable of using any amount of Jujutsu. Was he anticipating it? he was taking in such pride towards his postulated convictions, expectant to be of liberty over another omission that transpired in the past. Having said that, Satoru did not want another Riko Amanai in the midst of what was happening around the Jujutsu Society today. He was trying to see through you, why you were capable of providing him grounds for whatever was drawn on such pieces of papers. To others, it was probably zilch but he trusted that it conveyed something out of a simple sketch.

Even showing signs of the bare minimum that you could be trained as a sorcerer, the ability to see cursed spirits was thrown out of the window specially that he could not see nor feel any ounce of cursed energy nor born with any innate talent.

None.

This woman who stood beside him, you---you were another substandard being. Weak, to be more frank.

He didn't need to escort another girl who he deemed as a puny human.

From the moment of your intervention alongside the trespassing of those Special Grade Cursed Spirit during the Kyoto-Sister-School-Good Will Event, up to the time you were being on the mend by Shoko, Gojo knew then and there that you were futile. Nevertheless, confiscating fragments of occurrence that involved him, a bestfriend he knew very well and the Jujutsu Society optimized him that you were teleported to their dimension for a cause.

But, for what reason?

You were unaware of how his smile went minimal upon his own dwelling, never knowing what he was thinking nor recognizing or being accustomed to his habits on how he actually lived as a human since this was the first time you met him, "You seem young, probably a few years younger than me." he nonchalantly stated, claiming his guesses like it was the truth and he had no idea that he was right.

"I'm taking an airplane and I'm leaving here to go back to my country," you firmly avowed, stepping back from the unhatched windows with a determined expression on your face, the way you nodded to yourself with clenched fists says that your decision was final.

Gojo couldn't help but laugh at that, his large palm being placed over his chest as he chuckled back.

"Ha! You sure about that?" he snickered, raising a brow underneath his blindfolds. His response made you give him a double take of your surprised glances, suddenly noticing the slight peek of Ivory-tinted brows that slipped from his bandages in which you tried to ignore, thinking that he had it bleached for whatever reason he wanted, "---Any form of transportation requires money, correct?"

Upon hearing his mockery, your clenched fists began to unfurl from the unforeseen apprehension. There was nothing. It didn't go unnoticed by Gojo but he saw you were stealthily trying to be sensible for any wallet or cellphone upon a clothing that Shoko has dressed you in. It was basically just a plain set of jogger pants and a white tee that was certainly unidentified because as much as you remembered, the clothing you wore back before you were moved to Japan were a set of working clothes adored.

You tried to ignore the smirk on his face and looked away, the heat from your toes coming through your veins and growing till the apples of your cheeks and forehead, knowing he got you there when you couldn't feel your own possessions with you, not even your cellphone.

"Are you saying you've been fondling my pockets when I was asleep and saw no wallet?"

He was keeping it. You knew it was with Satoru. Everything felt like you were being held hostage and you wanted to scream out loud for the conflicted emotions you were currently feeling.

"Yes." the elephant in the room crowed for his early conquer, crossing his arms over his chest as he heard you grumble here and there for his interminable confidence and nonchalance.

"This blindfolded creep,"

There was definitely a consuming equanimity flowing in his blood. It was driving you to distraction. The exasperation of his absolute self-confidence with an arresting poise and stature ending up as being the fracas of your heart and mind. Your level of conscience and sensations plucking the strings to your heart turning a discordant of fueled emotions.

"Correction. A handsome, great, blindfolded teacher." Gojo was candid as he declared so.

Your aggravation was short-lived as Satoru stooped down to your level, bending over to your height as if you were face-to-face, taking you aback from the prompt movement and from the lack of juxtaposition he offered which made your breath hitch.

He lifted two of his fingers, the middle and the pointer one. The latter oddly aimed the tips of his hefty fingers in between your forehead, lightly flicking you off which gained him a scowl from your point of view.

"Hey! My head's still throbbing! Are you trying to hurt my head for the second time?"

What was he trying to do? Make your amnesia go bye-bye like was some kind of god?

"Huh?" Satoru audibly muttered out loud, unable to process what just happened.

The fruitless result knocking him sideways as he expected you to go hit the hay with one flick to the forehead. He was definitely caught on the hop. Satoru had to repeat the gesture for the second time around to double-check again which had you backing away, much to his disappointment. The strongest Jujutsu Sorcerer was incredulous over the disenchanting conclusion of it all, he just couldn't believe it.

Maybe, you existed for a certain reason after all.

"Interesting. I can't believe I'm not exempted in this and here I thought..." he went back to his soaring height and shrugged to himself, sticking his hands inside his pockets again before he shrugged to himself.

"Eh, There's no use then." Gojo Satoru began to walk past you. His distinct, odoriferous perfume brushing past, making you feel giddy for some undivulged reason that you couldn't comprehend. "---Come with us for a while, you can plan an escape route along the way,"

He paused, chuckling in the midst of his statement and actually ceased wending one's way across the hallway dorms of Tokyo Jujutsu High, pretending to act like he forgot something essential to say which can actually help you make a break for it. Satoru turned to see you take a dim view of his words, knowing that he was far from giving you the desire to leave.

This man was beyond buoyant that you could even think of leaving.

"That is, if you could run away from us, Jujutsu Sorcerers, Tiny-Chan!"

Chapter 3.1 has now ended. Next chapter has 5k+ words. Hope y'all are excited!

FEEDBACKS ARE VERY MUCH APPRECIATED! I WOULD LOVE IT SO MUCH! THANK YOU! HEEHEE!

[garoumylove]

The way the OPM manga has been going...

I debated for a long time whether to write this post or not because it seems I’m the odd one out, though I know there are many people off Tumblr that think the same, but I honestly do not like how the manga has treated Garou ever since he got to the surface.

I really, really don’t. I feel like Garou has been robbed of his dignity in the manga. Much more so than the webcomic and much more than needed.

And I’m by no means a webcomic purist. Of course I have read it but it was a while ago and my issue with the manga is not because “It’s not following the webomic!! >:(” I have no problem with plot changes. But the characterisation and treatment of Garou has been...not good. 

Overall, he has been treated as a joke and humiliated over and over again. I’m not always good at putting my ideas into words. I'm very good at expressing and capturing Garou's personality and psychology in fanfiction but when it comes to just saying it straight up I struggle 😅 A Reddit user u/toringen_ made this comment a few weeks back and it perfectly summarises how I’ve been feeling:

“i still heavily maintain that the point of the webcomic arc was that garou was already tareo's hero, which is a perfectly good first step in carving out who he wants to be. and i was honestly looking forward to the manga vindicating this, but it feels so cheap atm that i can't even be happy about it.

i am once again confused as to why the manga seems so determined to make him a passive agent. compare garou saving bystanders on his way to dine and dash vs. him accidentally rescuing people this last chapter. one demonstrated intent, the other is a gag that says nothing about him. just like how him almost punching fubuki while unconscious in the manga says nothing, but him deliberately choosing to leave her alone and then lie about it in the webcomic said a lot.

i know that the series often lets characters off the hook pretty easily, but an important takeaway (i felt) was that garou had to take responsibility for who he is from now on. he can't keep letting other people's impressions of him determine who he is. garou was so afraid of vulnerability and emotional honesty that he would quite literally rather die than confess to something as innocuous and innocent as wanting to be a hero. anyone seeing beyond this veneer would be an indication of weakness, and if there's one thing garou fears, it's weakness. that's literally why he had his breakdown in the webcomic.

it's also just weird to me how this feels exponentially more humiliating for his character than the webcomic did. everyone is seeing one of his most private, repressed traits, and it's being played for laughs. the webcomic, for all its teasing, still treated his conflict with a lot of weight and empathy. it understood that garou, like literally every other character, still deserved to have his feelings treated with seriousness. i'm not getting that from the manga at all.

this just feels like such an oversimplification. garou wasn't some tsundere who tripped and fell into heroic accidents. he was much, much more than that. i have no idea how it's possible the manga has expanded his arc this much, only to ultimately feel more 1-dimensional. like he is literally a prozd sketch right now. why? for what??

edit: also, in chapter 94, after tareo intervenes, saitama asks garou to define himself. he's obviously not a monster, so what is his true occupation? that forces some introspection on garou's part, and although he doesn't respond, it's obvious that it's something he's still contemplating in the webcomic. whereas literally everyone and their mom is giving him the answer in the manga. i just feel like he needs to figure that out. he needs to be the one to accept who he is, on his own terms, when he's ready. once again, his role is being assigned to him rather than something that is organically his. that feels like the opposite of what his character needs.”

And I couldn’t have said it better myself. That chapter where he was fighting Saitama but ended up saving people over and over and Saitama teasing him about how he’s really a good guy...I literally felt pain in my heart. He’s being humiliated and retraumatised all over again, his vulnerabilities completely exposed for laughs. To be honest, as someone that went through shit ton of bullying at school for being an immigrant, being different etc, it was kind of triggering. 

His good side is his biggest insecurity and he rarely lets people see it because he associates it with weakness and he feels a lot of shame for it. So for them to keep exposing it like that while it makes him angrier and angrier feels extremely cruel to me. That’s it. I think the way they are treating him is cruel.

He was supposed to be this cold, calculating fearsome menace (on the surface anyway) and his good side revealed in a subtle way but here in the mange he’s been completely defanged. He lost before he even started since everyone was treating him like a good guy. I saw a Twitter comment on one of the recent chapters that said something along the lines of “In the webcomic, the purpose was to get Garou off the path of evil, in the manga he is prevented from ever getting on that path.” 

Not only have they humiliated and treated Garou very cruelly in the manga, they took away his determination, grit.

In the webcomic, despite knowing Garou is actually a good guy, there was a sense of danger, we were concerned, if only for a moment, that he might really cross over to the dark side. In the manga, the thought never even enters the mind because of how explicitly we’ve been told over and over that he’s good. Even his shell breaking on his face so early was a disappointment. There was no suspense at all. 

I know most people will disagree with me. That’s ok. But I love Garou way too much, with all my heart and soul, and have done so for years and it physically hurts me to see him treated like this. I just had to share that. Thanks for listening. 

P.s. I really did not like the last panel of the latest chapter. It made Garou look like some big toddler who's been put in time out. It left a really bad impression for me. I don't mind Garou and Saitama talking but that positioning and that expression just made me wince.

[xsugarysweetsx]

𝒞𝒽𝒶𝓅𝓉𝑒𝓇 10

Warnings; Long!, Angst, blood, stitching not too much, biting, language, mention of character death, mentions violence, surgery while awake (poorly written), self-inflicted cut, proceed with caution!! Fluffy end~

A/N: First of all thank you, EVERYONE, for coming on this journey with me! This is by far my favorite original I've written so far and of course, thank you all for the constant support and feedback <3 And a very very big shoutout and thank you to @shrimp1026 for helping me edit and come up with ideas for chapters and the flow of the story! This could not have come together without you! ♥️

Previous End.

°°°°° °°°°° °°°°° °°°°° °°°°° °°°°° °°°°° °°°°° °°°°° °°°°° °°°°

...

"Unless what four eyes!?" Levi raised his voice in desperation

"The moon is still high and will stay there for about 2 hours, that would give us enough to clean the wound and try to.....turn her," Hanji said cautiously knowing Levi was sensitive to the topic

"Over my dead body!" he said holding you closer to him he could feel your blood soaking into the dress you wore "There has to be another way, I'm not doing that shit again!"

"Levi...there's no time. The most I can do and stitch the cut but she's lost too much blood."

Looking down at you in his hold, you were so pale and weak. He couldn't risk potentially kill you, but if he did nothing you could still perish. He wasn't even choosing for his own life, this decision would completely alter your life as you knew it.

"..I'll completely change her life. She won't see her family, her friends, her job, any of it. She'll have to switch to blood, no more sunlight...how the hell do you expect me to strip her of so many freedoms to suffer like we have"

"Levi-"

"No! You know damn well this is no way to live! No sun, no family, no children, now you tell me who the fuck am I to take that from her?!" Hanji knew he was just hurt right now, frustrated and most of all terrified of what may come

"Levi we're losing time," Erwin speaks up "It's either you don't turn her or she dies here tonight!" he says "it's up to you...let her live or die...."

He looked down at you with a pained expression. He was going to have to do it. He rests his forehead on your own praying to any god willing to listen, begging not to take you from him. The grip he had on your weakening form couldn't even be broken by death. He knew this was the only way but if he causes your death….he wasn’t sure if he could live on after…

He stood up slowly and gently carried you over to the alter you were on before. You groan slightly as he settles you down on the stone bed...the moonlight made you so beautiful. Even in this state, the way it illuminated your face, he was sure he was in the presence of an angel. He pushed your hair from your face and caressed your skin gently. He came down to place a gentle kiss on your forehead

"Y/N....Y/N can you hear me?"

"Mmmm" you try but groan at the lightness of your head and ache from your wound

"Listen...Hanji is gonna stitch you up....and I'm going to...to turn you...I need you to tell me now if you want to go through with it..." he whispered to you as he takes a hold of your knuckles and kisses them.

"Mhm....as long as...it's you..." you give consent squeezing his hand back with as much strength as you could

"Alright Hanji, let's get this over with," he said eyeing the moon still overhead. Meanwhile, Erwin and Molbit start to set things up, bringing extra blankets for you and set Hanji's tools up. Levi quickly gathers Floch and Zeke and ties them together, he'll deal with them later on.

"Y/N...I'm gonna have to make this quick and you'll have to deal with the pain a little alright? If it gets too much tell me okay?" you nod getting ready for what was to come

"Hey, I'm right here okay?" Levi said coming to your head, his hands coming to put some weight on your upper body. Your hand came up to brace his bicep as you feel Hanji pinch the skin and begin to sow the skin. The first one wasn't too bad but closing the stitch was like hell

"AAHH!" you squeeze Levi's arm the puncture of the needle, the thread going through, and the tightening of the skin shot your entire system awake. You couldn't tell if you were awake from the pain of the wound or the stitching but either way, it kept you conscious.

"I'm sorry, I'm sorry!" Hanji said trying to work faster but with mercy "Just three more okay?"

"L-Levi...it hurts..." you whine as tears spill from your eyes

"I know...I'm so sorry, you're almost there, I'm sorry" Levi will take all the blame for this. Your pain, your injury, your entire world colliding with his. Hanji keep stitching the wound keeping track of how much time was left. With one final pierce and stitch it was done

"Done...." haji said out of breath as a shakey hand wipes away some sweat. "Y/N? How ya holding up?" he asked as Levi let you go wiping away your tears and mentally prepared himself for what was next

"O-okay...." you respond in a raspy voice

"Y/N I need to listen to me carefully...I'm going to be turning you..." Levi said making sure he had your attention, you nod your head in acknowledgment "after the bite, there's going to be a pain, then burning....and..you'll die....but you'll come back. It'll feel like a very long dream once you're back. We can still turn back if you want to."

"I trust you, Levi...I trust you with my life." he lifts your body from the tale and sits you in his lap. He pulled you onto his lap and you sling your hand to drape around his neck. He held you gently yet securely to his body. He lowered his face into the crook of your neck, placing a few small kisses along the column of your neck. A way of him apologizing for what he would do. He stopped at the crook of your neck where your shoulder and neck meet.

"I'm sorry, Y/N..." he whispers before he bears his fangs and sinks them down into your skin. It was sharp but quick almost like a shot but this was a different feeling. Your head was spinning as a dull pain started to ache at the puncture. Levi draws a bit of blood but not too much, but damn the taste of your blood was so sweet, it was hard to not take more. He pulls away before he could lose control, your breathing starts to become heavy, and your arms clench at the back of his shirt

"L-Levi...Levi, it burns" you whine as you thrash around a bit, it was finally taking effect

"I know...I know it does but you need to hold on, it'll be over soon" Levi bit his lip as he tried to hold and calm you while the bite took its course "Y/N look at me...please" you look up at him the best you could as your vision blurred and spotted

"Just know I love you more than anything in this world...and when you wake up, I'll be there to hold you, to comfort you, and to take care of you"

"L-Levi I-I..." your grip tightened as your vision darkened and your breath became shallow, your heart was pounding in your chest. It felt like it was going to jump out of your chest from the fear you were feeling. But somehow the fear felt welcoming, maybe it was because Levi was holding you maybe it was his words. But you knew what was coming, and yet you smiled...

"I...love you..." you say on your final breath as your eyes close slowly and your body goes limp in his hold. That's it, it was done. This wasn't normal, you should be smiling, and making bad jokes with him. You should be holding his face like you always do, making his heart flutter in his chest....but you were as still as a coffin. Looking overhead to the moon as it started to descend and lose its red hue. Fortunately, he was on time, which meant you should wake in 2 days.

"Let's get outta here." He said carrying you bridal style. For the first time in his life, Levi was tired and all he wanted was to curl up next to you and sleep. Sadly that wasn't the case. In this case, he would lay next to you until he saw your eyes open again.

<>

It had been 3 days since the turning, and nothing yet. You were as still as a corpse for 3 days and 2 nights. Levi was growing desperate, and more concerned by the minutes. He hadn't eaten anything, or drank anything nor did he sleep. He would pace the room, sit, lay down, brush your hair, kiss your knuckles and even talk to you.

"I saw some of the leaves changing color today, I remember you said you liked the fall...I want us to take a walk through the meadow when you wake up so you can see all the trees. So hurry up so we can go and lay under the trees"

However, when he did take a break he would go somewhere secret. Levi was a very reserved man who kept certain things to himself, this was one of those things. There was a basement under the large home he shared with Hanji and Erwin.

He had discovered it a while back when he needed it for some safekeeping. After getting you home Zeke was still conscious of what had happened. Now if you would think that I leave I would let him off the hook so easily oh, then you are very mistaken. To Levi, this man could never be forgiven for what he had done. As for Floch, he had said something about you that Levi wasn't too fond of...Long story short he tied him to a tree to let the sun come up and end him.

As for Zeke, he had gone only once for the past 3 days. The rest consisted of him sitting in front of a window with bars and each morning the sun would sear his skin until it had risen completely. Once you woke up, he'd take care of business himself. However, for now, his place was here by your side.

"Hey Levi, nothing yet?" Hanji asked as she came into the room with tea in hand. She gave him the cup of his favorite blend "here, it's fresh."

"Thank you," he said taking the cup and taking a sip of it

"Y/N would want you to take a break ya know..." she pointed "She'll be up before you know it"

"And when she does she'll be in shock and I have to be here with her," he said taking a glance at the brunette.

"I know but-" Hanji was interrupted by coughing. They quickly look over to you. Your eyebrows were knitted as your body jerks from the coughing. Levi shoots up to be by your side and pats your back to help you get it all out.

"L-Levi" you said weakly as you reach in search of him to hold on to. However, as you reach your arm out a beam of sunlight that crept through the blinds had kissed your skin and burned you. You hiss and pull your arm close to your body

"Hanji the blinds! Go get Erwin and Molbit" he said getting a better hold of you to calm you down from the shock

"Got it!"

You were dazed...and confused. To be frank, you were..somewhere, not here but somewhere. It was cold and pale. You had seen many events in your life take place in front of you. Your first day of school, first time driving, first kiss, and even the day you met Levi. But you were cold and confused and suddenly you had woken up as if it were a long dream.

"W-what happened? Levi where is Z-zeke, I-I-"

"Ssshh, sshh, you're safe. I've got you. You're safe. Here," he reached over and grabbed his pocket knife, gliding it over the skin of his forearm "you've been out for 3 days. You need to feed or you'll get sick. I'll explain everything..but first, eat."

You were still confused, things coming back to you slowly but surely. Meanwhile, Levi's arm was bleeding in front of you, and was expecting you to..drink blood. Taking a hold of his arm you gently bring it towards you, Levi urging you to drink. You latch on hesitantly taking your first gulp of blood.

A sudden, passionate urge to chug more overcame you as you bit down into his flesh. He didn't flinch instead coaching you how you should drink. You couldn't help but drink greedily, you felt as if you were starved for years. The warm liquid running down your throat parched your thirst and satisfied your hunger. You finally release his arm with a slight pop and pant.

Looking at Levi's arm you could see the marks you had left on him. Two holes appearing where you were latched on to. Your fingers come up and feel at your teeth where two new fangs were placed. They come down slightly lower than your regular ones, with much sharper ends.

"Y/N, I know you're confused...do you need anything before I explain what happened?" he asked sitting down and taking your hands in his. They were..so warm and comforting. The way they completely captured your own made you feel at ease.

"A-a..bath?" you ask weakly. Nodding his head he helps you to stand only for you to stumble and fall. Catching you before you could hit the floor.

"I got ya," he said carrying you to the bathroom with his hands underneath your knees and your arms around his neck. You wouldn't be able to stand for what he knows so a hot bath should do you good. He started to run the water and as it filled he helped you to strip from your clothes.

For the first time in a while, he saw your naked form once again. It was paler, a bit thinner, it wasn't the same as before but it was still you. As he slides down the dress he kisses your shoulder, your collarbone, your heart.

"I've missed you" he whispered helping you to stand and walk to the tub.

"I did too" you smile softly as you step in the warm water carefully and sit down in the comforting water. You lie back against the cool bath tile as you let out a sigh

"how long was I asleep for?" you ask looking over at Levi as he sat on the floor caressing areas of your face

"3 days, 2 nights," he answered

"So...so...I'm a vampire now?"

"Yeah...I am so sorry, you've got to live this way now," he said clenching his jaw "if I had done something before...you wouldn't be this way-"

"Levi," you cut him off "if you had done something before I wouldn't be here. Right now, with you....hell I wouldn't even be alive. Everything you've done up until now has saved my ass more than once. I think it's only right I can spend eternity with you now. Right?"

"I suppose"

"Hey look at it this way, now we can do more things together right?" you try and get him to smile "hey do you think could do it on the ceiling now?" you even managed to get him to chuckle a little

He smiled just a bit at the thought of you being his, of having someone to live out this life forever. "Listen I have to go and take care of something. Think you'll be okay until I get back? 5 minutes tops, if anything call Hanji."

"I'll be fine" you smile at him he gets up and walks to the door "hey Levi?" he stops

"Yes?"

"..I love you."

"and I love you"

~

"ah my favorite masochist is back to hopefully end my misery" mocked a voice from a specific blonde who was tied to the chair. He could have gotten away from it but Levi takes certain measures to keep him there as long as he wanted. However lately he's been wanting to just finish the job and get over with it.

"Hardly." he said bluntly "however if you're not dead by sunset I'll kill you myself and get over this crap," he said opening up the blinds more until Zeke was fully covered in sunlight, his scream filling the basement. Steam rising from his body as the hiss of his skin filled Levi's ears. Grabbing a rag he stuffs it into Zeke's mouth to muffle out the screams "ugh can't stand the sound of your voice. Keep it down we've got people in recovery ya know. It's rude"

<>

You had been in the bath for just a few more minutes before you felt to get out. You grabbed a towel, dried off, and made your way back to the room you were sharing with Levi. All your stuff was still there, your clothes, your phone, your shoes. It really was like you died...you sigh and proceed to get dressed in something warm and comfortable.

"You really scared the crap outta me ya know.." gasping you turn around quickly to the voice of someone you had missed with your entire soul "You could have told me but I heard from your vampire boyfriend instead," he said wiping her tears and practically tackling you in a hug.

"Sasha! B-but how? I mean...how?" you ask her never letting go

"I kept calling and calling after you told me about Floch. He went missing and I never heard from him again. I thought you might have killed him" she laughed "your boyfriend explained everything and I'm..still shocked but..happy I still have my best friend." she smiled with glossy eyes

"Oh Sasha"

"..By the way, Levi is perfect for you" she winked making you both giggle, "Levi told me to come over and he explained how you had gotten into some trouble. So I came and helped to take care of you and even brought you some things"

*meow* looking down at your feet your beautiful cat was at your feet "Mochi! Oh god I missed you so much!" you said picking him up and kissing his soft head "remind me to hook you up with a cute guy, any guy you want I'll make it work"

"Yeah yeah come on, let's head downstairs" taking Mochi with you, you leave the room to head downstairs. Mochi followed at your feet as you walked down to the front door where Erwin and Molbit were

"Y/N! you're awake! How are you feeling? Do you need to sit?" Molbit offered ready to get a chair

"I'm fine, thanks Molbit" you smile as you come to give both of them a hug "and thanks for what you guys have done for me up until now"

"Hey, you're part of the Coven now...if that's what you would like to see it as." Erwin smiled softly

"I think I'd love that" you smile "hey where's Hanji?" Erwin pointed over his shoulder to the hallway that lead to the kitchen. Walking down the now-familiar hallway you come into the room with Hanji and Levi talking over some tea

"Hi Hanji.." you say to catch her attention

"Y/N I'm so glad you're better" she sighed as she came to hug you "I'm sorry by the way, about the whole stitching thing with no medication" he scratched the back of her neck

"It did hurt but you did save my life Hanji, thank you"

"Oh it was no problem really" she blushed putting her cup down "but I think Levi needs some of that credit as well"

Looking behind her was the man who truly did save your entire life. He was also the man who held your heart in the palm of his hands. What started out as a bystander simply helping you, then saving your life another two times turn into something so much more. You walk over to Levi who stood by the window gazing into the trees. Hanji walked over to Sasha gave her a small tap on the shoulder has assigned to give you both some privacy

"hey" you whispered

"How was the bath? Are you Hungry? Cold? Anything?" he asked

"No, I just wanted to see you..." you said as your hands come up to rest on his chest, his finding your waist

"You should be careful, those fangs might attract Erwin and I don't wanna deal with his shitty eyebrows," he said making you chuckle and rest your head on his chest

"You know you're the only one for me" his finger finds your chin and lifts your gaze gently towards him

"heh, I better be" he smirks as he captures your lips in a passionate and fiery kiss. The kids screamed how much he had missed you, how much he wanted you, and of course how much he loves you. He held your body close to his own, fearing if he let go something would take you from him

You wanted to stay here forever. In his arms, in his kiss...well you could now if you wanted.

"What do you think about it?" you pull away wrapping your hands around his neck

"About what?" he asked you

"How's your life now that you have me? Now that I'm yours forever?" you asked as he came to rest his forehead against your won

"The day that our worlds collided, I knew it had to be you" he pecks your nose "my one and forever"

°°°°° °°°°° °°°°° °°°°° °°°°° °°°°° °°°°° °°°°° °°°°° °°°°° °°°°

END~

Taglist: @mysteriousmagicx @kameko-ko @chronic-claire-universe @shrimp1026 @captainchrisstan @givemea-dam-break @actual-trash-goblin @leiaausmus @sugarysweets-appreciation-blog @levisfilm @outcast-thingz @leviiiiiiiii @dilirx @super-peace-fangirl @ultimateelitepenguin @happygalaxymilkshake @lola2001 @sillykawa @queenofcursesx @fanfictionreaderholic @notgoodforlife @deludedimagines @xcityretro @chocolatrchip @carley-chan @christina-mj-stan @sxlt3dcarqmelx

Thank you for reading! ~🍰

[bbq-hawks-wings]

Chapter 316: BBQ is capable of critiquing BNHA and… Oh boy.

Let's start this off properly, Horikoshi's typical quality of writing has been diminishing in recent chapters, but this week it was so different that it didn't even feel like Horikoshi was the one who wrote it.

To be clear, I'm not blaming Horikoshi for the issues I'm about to bring up. The man is criminally overworked, usually doesn't even get the final say in what makes it in the final drafts, and even in his other rough patches he's still produced decent chapters that hold up amongst the grand scheme of things. This feels like something else is going on behind the scenes, and while I have my suspicions on who/what might be the culprit behind it, I choose not to share it at this time because if I name names some people might go off on a crusade, and that's not what I want.

I just want to be clear that I'm not blindly firing off shots in the dark, but despite my frustrations I want to wait to see if this gets resolved down the line, and while I do I can complain about the specific reasons this chapter left such a bitter taste in my mouth.

Buckle up, buttercups, because we got a lot of points to cover.

Where's the Gun?

Not a literal gun, but I mean Chekhov's Gun. It has always been a staple of Horikoshi's writing and the reason so many of his long-standing plot lines have paid off so well.

Chekhov's Gun is a writing principal that if you see a gun on the table in the first act of a play, it will be used in the murder that happens in act 2. Basically, the author should include details that are relevant to the story and not betray the audience by leading them in one direction and at the last minute pull the rug out from underneath them to go in another direction.

Horikoshi has done this to phenomenal success in the past. Just as one example, he dropped hints about Nomu being human experiments early in the series but held off explicitly stating it for a while. He hinted at the loss of Shirakumo in the main narrative and that he was important to Aizawa and Mic as well as approved it for Vigilantes so when it was revealed that Kurogiri was Shirakumo's body, not only did it narratively make sense but it also pulled in Eraserhead and Present Mic's emotional stakes into the battle with the Doctor, and then when Ujiko reveals he was after Aizawa's quirk the whole time it made the payoff for Mic punching him in the face all that much better and brings the weight of his crimes and the impact they have on the victims full circle.

That's 3 different guns paying off in the long run: the Nomu, Shirakumo, and both Mic and Eraserheads' personal arcs past the loss of their childhood friend and that they could finally finish processing their grief and avenge him in full righteous fury instead of chalking it all up to cruel chance.

He has left details, some particularly innocuously, in plot lines like the Touya Todoroki reveal, Hawks' backstory, Shigaraki's blood connection to Nana Shimura, even with Mr. Compress's backstory, and more. When re-read, these details become more obvious and usually leaves us with a greater sense of satisfaction in the plot knowing that twists and turns were not only planned, but built up to and hinted at for us to find so the payoff is that much better and it feels purposeful instead of just shock factor.

None of that happened this chapter.

Lady Nagant has zero business being in this plotline. She was never hinted about before this arc, and her existence does nothing to tell us about the plot moving forward or the world that they're trying to change. Nothing her existence provides actually has any bearing on the universe or tells us anything we don't already know. But that's not how she was presented.

In the beginning we're given a glimpse of her helping Overhaul escape from Tartarus. The focus on her was odd enough to begin with as a new character, and the fact that she didn't look like she fit the profile of someone who belonged in Tartarus was like a flashing neon sign saying, "Pay attention! This new character is important!!!" She then shows up later with Overhaul in hand to attack Deku out of the blue. We get her talking about how she thought Overhaul might be useful and her disillusions with Hero Society. We catch her mannerisms with eery similarity to Hawks only to find out immediately after she was a senior colleague in the HPSC. Never once to my knowledge has Hawks referred to any of his senior colleagues as a "senpai" - not even his fellow heroes - and when he catches her in midair, he uses the words, "Don't die on me, senpai!" as if she's near and dear to his heart.

The entire character arc is set up for her to have known about Hawks and grapple with her desire to help people and her fear of re-creating what she hated, and this also set up Hawks to be the successor who succeeded where she failed and helped bring her to a place where she could be a hero without guilt again. What actually happened?

They're strangers.

They have never actually met before, and while he seems to know a lot about her, she doesn't even seem to have any idea of who he was - at least as far as being another hero under the thumb of the HPSC. So ALLLL that setup, all that gesturing, and all of the potential themes that would be right at home in an arc like this goes completely out the window.

Her story doesn't tell us anything new. The HPSC bad. We knew that. They're not above throwing innocents under the bus to achieve that goal. We knew that. They preyed upon young hopefuls with powerful quirks with the intent to maintain the status quo. We knew that even if the fact that Hawks isn't the only one now makes more questions than answers. We know that these young heroes can never say no under threat of steep, life-shattering consequences. We knew that already.

So what does Lady Nagant even bring to the table?! The entire "you're just a puppet doing what you've been told" angle is a little tired and out of place in this point and time with actual anarchy in the streets (not to mention hypocritical considering she was a blind puppet following orders and offers zero actual solutions that supposedly fall in line with her heroic nature), and it could have been left to any number of other villain characters who could have executed on the theme better - you know, like Shigaraki who's justification this entire time has been, "hero society doesn't make people safe, it just makes them feel safe" from the moment of his inception.

So from that angle she's unnecessary.

Her presence messes with the continuity of the series as well. If Hawks is supposed to explicitly replace her, that would mean that he wasn't just a fluke find on the commission's part and grabbed to mold into their own special superweapon; and that also would mean that her killing of the former president was before he was discovered which should put her at least in her forties. If this isn't the case, and he was meant to simply replace her in a "special agent" case, that still begs the question of how many more gifted children the commission preyed upon and are still out there.

And maybe the worst kicker for me is that something stinks. The way the art in this chapter is presented, if you completely blanked out the speech bubbles, is the same setup I had before - Hawks reaches out to his former mentor and pulls her from the brink of despair with a moving message about why he never gave up hope in being a hero who could actually make a difference.

Again, this is not what we got. He claims he knows her, and it's implied to have been a deep, personal character witness; but at best he only knows about her from secondhand sources. Even his reasoning as to how he never lost hope doesn't vibe with his character.

We have gotten so many cool one-liners for Hawks, but there has always been a consistent tone and imagery with them.

"Those who can fly, should."

"I don't belong in a cage."

"I'm free of my shackles."

"Can I be a shining light, just like him?"

What we got was, "I'm an optimist to a fault" which was the wording the official release went with and was by far the best iteration I have seen, but even this falls short of being truly in character for him and answering her question properly.

@mikeana made an edit of the titular panels for us Hawks stans this week with dialogue we and a few other friends felt was more fitting not only with the imagery of the chapter itself but internally consistent with the specific expressions Hawks uses in his heartfelt, personal dialogue. I just tweaked it a little bit more to fit what I was going for in our original conversation.

Which brings me to another concern.

2. What's the point?

There was no use for Nagant in the series as she's been presented so far. But more than that, Hawks has no business in this fight to begin with. He literally did nothing to earn this emotional moment, and this should have been Deku's moment.

We were teased in an interview with Horikoshi that Hawks was going to get a special moment as an important end-game character as a "shining light" of hope for others to follow as well as promises for Ochako to have another moment in the spotlight to make a difference.

If this was Hawks' shining light moment, it wasn't necessary, and it does nothing to move the plot forward or develop characters in any true or believable way. It just happened because plot. This should have been Deku's victory through and through, and even he is the reason BOTH Hawks and Nagant made it out alive instead of painting the street below them.

Deku's victory was stolen from him, too. It sours the other promises made to us about other characters moving forward, as well, if this really was Hawks' "Shining Light" moment.

By the way, did you forget about Overhaul? Me too!!! What was the point of getting our hopes up about reintroducing this beloved character with the implications this was a major arc setup to have him scream about pops and then get detained with no clues about what's going to happen to him besides, "Say you're sorry to Eri, and you get to see pops"?!

All this posturing and clumsy narrative flailing only actually succeeded in getting Deku in front of AFO again for plot when we already know Mr. Potato Head could summon, show himself to, or find Deku at any time he wanted. But instead we get this time skip with a bunch of heroes completely mended walking into a big, spooky mansion for AFO to evil monologue at Deku for… *counts*

FOUR PAGES!!!

Only to then give him the "I want YOU!" point over a pre-recorded message and the final nail in the coffin to me that something is off.

3. Ex-pu-LOOOO-SHUN!

It's become almost a game among friends to count how many explosions have happened since the end of the war arc - and specifically fake-out explosions. In the end of 311 we get All Might's car attacked via explosion and Deku cornered by Nagant only for All Might to be fine in the next chapter. In 315 Lady Nagant herself explodes in a blaze of glory to once again not be dead.

Gee! I wOnDeR if aLl the heroes were AcTuAlLy cornered and KiLlEd in that explosion in the mansion!

None of us do. They're fine. We're going to see it first thing next week. The shock has worn off, and it's repetitive and annoying at this point. There is no cliffhanger despite how the framing might try to tell you otherwise.

It's BAD WRITING.

The writing has been moving far too quickly and clumsily with no explanation in sight, and even character interactions are being cut short to the point of them being meaningless and empty.

This doesn't even feel like Horikoshi's bad writing. It feels like someone else is trying to call the shots and rushing him through these final bits of the series, and he's run out of things he's previously set up for months and months to reappear so someone is trying to get Dabi-reveal levels of attention with arcs and storylines that don't have the build-up to result in a satisfactory payoff.

4. At least it can get better... I hope.

Maybe those who share my suspicions or know what particular suspicions I have are with me in believing that this is a temporary disappointment and we haven't seen the last of the writing that's captivated me for years. I don't blame Horikoshi for these glaring faults that all came to a head in this chapter.

It CAN get better later, and I think it WILL- we just probably are going to have to wait for it. Until then, I'm going to enjoy the Hawks panels we got, maybe edit the last few chapters to be more in line with something more like the BNHA I know in a "fix it fic" fashion so I don't groan in anticipation of how long it might take us to get there.

See you all next week, hopefully on a much brighter note.

[boop-le-snoot]

PARTY FAVOURS I CHAPTER 15

first time reader - click here

TW/SUMMARY: Is bad humour a trigger? Cards against humanity. Loki in the wild. Chaotic Tony, chaotic Reader. Team bonding, a gag chapter lmao

My beta is babey 🥺 @miscmarvelwritings

If someone had bothered to ask me what kind of relationship I had with Tony, it would've made my brain glitch. In the weeks we spent fucking, sciencing and hanging out with the Avengers, it never once crossed my mind. We had fun and it was easy. Unlike both of our lives, it didn't require much mental energy for us to get what we wanted from each other. For me, it was easier to ignore my skin aching for Tony when he was already spending so much time on me. I wasn't sure if it would ever be enough, really, so taking exactly as much as he was giving was my best bet.

We built things in his workshop with Pete by our side and it wasn't awkward. The spiderling said he was happy as long as we were happy and didn't mind it too much when Tony got handsy. The man had at least some morals and stuck to kisses, ass-slaps and lewd comments which made Peter snort and fake-retch sure, yet the boy never displayed any real discomfort. It was endearing. He really became the little brother I never thought I would have.

The sex was fantastic, to say the least. We fucked on just about every flat surface on the residential floors. Steve caught us once, although I am almost hundred percent sure Tony staged it all on purpose. The good Captain didn't even blush, instead just silently closed the door behind him as I stared in his face, gripping Tony's head with my thighs.

The weather grew dreary yet both of my parents still stayed out of New York. Mother went back to Canada and dad continued his never-ending party on the West Coast, conquering California and living his best life. My house was dark and cold, and I started hanging around the tower more often than ever. If I wasn't with Tony, I was busy catching up Wanda and Bucky on pop culture, teaching Thor how to bake cakes and doing other meaningless, domestic stuff. The Avengers tower bustled with life at all hours and there always was someone...

I never felt lonely. It was such an unusual experience. Comfort and reassurance was always one room away. Be it Thor with his gratuitous amount of physical affection or his brother's incredibly witty, dark humor, I never had to stay one-on-one with my thoughts for too long.

Personally witnessing Bruce's coming out of his shell was the highlight of my life, no lie. I was so used to the quiet, mousy Banner that my brain refused to acknowledge his amazing sense of humour at first; I wasn't sure if he was joking or ... Or what? Truth to be told, Brucie-bear was as snarky as Tony,Loki and Stephen. The sorcerer had started visiting more often too, under the guise of tutoring Wanda, but all of us saw the way he lingered in the communal areas after their study time came to an end.

If loneliness was a sickness then the tower's inhabitants and frequent visitors were beginning their recovery journey.

"Have you guys heard about Cards Against Humanity?" I asked one evening once the movie credits began rolling. Wanda was squished into my side with her legs in her brother's lap; Clint laying atop both siblings like the trash bag that he was. And I meant it fondly.

On the other side of me, I had Bucky and Loki, who had begun to discuss their respective collections of sharp and pointy things once they deemed the movie lacked action. Legally Blonde and action, did they really think..? Nevermind.

"Yes, and if you're offering, the answer is yes," Clint mumbled, reaching for his second pack of Cheetos.

We gathered in a circle as I brought the shoebox that had the original deck plus a couple of expansions. This was beginning to look interesting. "So, I have the special Avengers edition right there..."

"Say no more," Clint even abandoned his snacks. "But I'mma put on the episode of Lucifer I missed. Multitasking," He winked, wrestling the remote from Pietro. We waited patiently as they finished the obligatory round of horsing before settling down for the game.

I explained the rules of the game, choosing to disregard Loki's scoffing and Wanda's doubt about the quality of the humor in the game. We played a few rounds with me explaining some of the deeper pop culture references. At a point where all of us were engrossed, laughing and poking fun at each other, more of the Avengers parked themselves on the couch.

Stephen, Tony and Bruce evidently had been sciencing, all three men having had their safety goggles perched forgotten atop their heads. Sam, Natasha and Steve - probably sparring. All three of them brought the smell of soap and laundry detergent to the room. All of the newcomers observed us with mild interest, periodically glance at the TV.

It was Wanda's turn to be the card Czar. I had to take a moment to finish my last giggling fit.

"Okay, the white card goes..." She paused dramatically. "I never truly understood blank until I encountered blank." With that, she poked the timer app on her phone. The sixty second countdown began.

I did a quick inventory check. Then I snorted. I had to quickly stuff two knuckles in my mouth, biting down, to attempt to silence the hysterical fit of laughter I was on the brink of. Loki was definitely going to stab me but the opportunity was too good to pass. No fear, we die like men.

"Ooh, she's got something," Clint teased, having noticed my shaking shoulders.

The timer beeped. Naturally, Loki went first. He wore a mildly disgusted smirk. "I never truly understood parting the red sea until I encountered third base," The trickster caved and began chuckling.

Somewhere behind me, Sam and Tony began cackling while Stephen and Steve groaned loudly in mild distaste.

"Press F to pay respects," Pietro clapped Loki on the shoulder with a sympathetic chuff. "I raise you - I never truly understood licking things to claim as your own until I encountered the clitoris," The young avenger struggled through laughter, followed by everyone else this time.

"That's a keeper, ladies," Sam's rich baritone quipped.

I laughed along, inwardly preparing for the inevitable. "Yikes," I whispered, side-eyeing Loki. "I never truly understood daddy issues..." I trailed off, hearing Bucky and Steve beginning to tease Tony. "... Until I encountered Loki, the trickster God."

The room drowned in a sea of laughter, Tony and Clint busting a gut so hard they fell over. Said trickster God was less than amused, however, glaring in my direction with the force of a pissed off bee swarm.

"Ow, that's cold, Princess, that's just cold," Clint squeezed out.

"Loki," I abandoned my stack of cards, crawling over Pietro and Bucky on all fours, settling prettily on my knees in front of Loki. Making my very best puppy eyes. "I love you, with all my cold black heart. And you're technically the patron saint of fun and shit, so that means you must approve of this very clever joke," I pouted, batting my eyelashes.

"Baby girl, I think you're laying it on too thick," Tony gasped, slumping on the couch, holding his sides. Everyone kept laughing, now at my feeble attempt at placating the upset Loki.

Who, by the way, looked a bit spooked. Subtly but surely, the raven-haired Asgardian leaned away from me.

"Don't be mad, I'm too cute to be mad at," I finally snorted, pat-pat-patting him on the shoulder. "It's okay, you can join my club. We have hot old dudes and cookies."

That broke it. First, the corner of his mouth twitched. Then, Loki looked away. I saw the storm before it crashed; with a weird noise of his own and his cheeks puffed out, Loki joined in on the shit-fest, howling full volume and doubling over. I followed suit, until all of us were writhing around on the floor. We'd stop and then someone would make another remark and it would go into another round again.

"Menace," Loki scoffed at me, smiling. "And for the record, the hottest old dude, as you put it, would be me." That said, he went back to calmly waiting for his next turn. "I'm about a thousand years old."

"Thor's older," Bruce noted thoughtfully.

Loki scoffed. "That man cannot chew with his mouth shut. If that's considered attractive, I'm leaving this forsaken planet."

That struck a thought within me. One that was brewing a long time, to be honest. "Thor is the god of himbos," I said with the same tone as "Eureka!".

"Shit, you're right," Sam exclaimed, following with another, weaker fit of laughter meanwhile Bruce had to be the one explaining the term to the poor, poor, clueless members of the Avengers.

I need to find a way to award them some kind of points for learning the gen-z lingo. "Patrick" stars maybe, since they lived under a fucking rock?

"Princess, never a boring day with you around. You don't half-ass this shit," Tony's warmth reached me as he shuffled around on the couch, sitting directly behind me. I leaned my back against his legs.

"I'm not a clown," I shot back. Tony stiffened. Dramatically flailing my hand I announced: "I am the whole god-damn circus!"

As the game progressed, we found out that Clint was That Guy - meaning, the dude every CAH group had, the one who grossly overused the "Bees?!" card and made Star Wars references whenever humanly possible. The only even slightly funny joke was about a lightsaber up the ass, in the end all of us finding out that Bucky knew a little too much about modern sex toys - "Hey, I saw one on Amazon, I'll send you the link, Birdman" - to Steve's open-mouthed horror.

What Loki lacked in references he made up in wit. The play on "During sex, I like to think about genetically engineered supersoldiers" had Bucky scrambling to switch places with Wanda whilst Loki himself was attempting to shoot bedroom eyes at Steve. It was a mess.

Bucky's own play had Steve abandon all pretense at being in any way appropriate as he struggled for air. "The Avengers new rules prohibit using Mjölnir as a dildo." Me and Tony became somewhat of a messy guffawing octopus of limbs for a moment after the super-soldier said it.

"Don't. Tell. Thor!" Strange gritted out, hiding his laughter behind a palm, uncharacteristically having lost his stuffy attitude. By god's will the man was attractive when he smiled.

As time ticked, each one of the starting players had attracted a newcomer. There weren't enough cards for everyone to play (Tony had, of course, ordered additional ones but they wouldn't arrive until the next day) so people kind of whispered and pointed at what they thought would fit.

Natasha conspired with Wanda, Sam went to his bird-bro, Bruce was forcefully dragged by Bucky to his side. Surprisingly, Steve teamed up with Loki which made Pietro stick his nose up in the air and promptly declare he needed no backup.

I already had Tony on my side. The genius wasn't of much help, however, he simply annoyed me out of my skull by randomly giggling and making immature jokes. It should've alarmed me that Stephen was eager to join me and Tony - usually he just butted heads with anyone who had any opinion whatsoever.

I was left bewildered upon discovering the wizard liked drama as much as the Kardashian clan and was quite competitive at causing the most shit.

My clown crown felt threatened.

"This one," Tony poked at a card in my hand.

"If you think that's funny, your intellect is obviously overestimated." Stephen dismissively waved a hand. "This one," It was unmistakable whom the trembling finger belonged to. It pointed at a card on the other side.

"Wizards are just hilarious," Tony seeped sarcasm.

"Try me, Beyonce," Stephen murmured darkly.

That was just background noise to me. I had all my undivided attention on the TV, my last two functioning brain cells focused on the scene unfolding right in front of me. The Lucifer episode, the devil and his insatiable thirst for honey. The timer buzzed but I was still drawn towards Tom Ellis dipping two of his fingers first in the honeypot, then in his mouth, all the while looking like a damn snack himself. Illegal. I've never simped so hard for a fictional character.

A golden glow snatched a card out of my grasp, levitating it.

"Girl, what the hell?" Wanda saw my face and attempted to revert me back to earth. "Someone turn off the TV, there's not enough water in the tower to quench her thirst."

"Hey, did you two just - don't ignore me!" Tony whined, managing to tug on my hair and attempt to reach for the card now held in Stephen's grasp, simultaneously.

"I don't blame her," Clint mused. "That right there is one very fine dude."

I shook my head, clearing any untoward thoughts. Focus. "First of all, Bird, you're a dude. That there," I pointed up at the TV. "Is a man. A Man." I emphasised, getting a jealous poke in the back from Tony. "Second of all..." I turned towards Stephen. "The quaffle, the snitch and the AUDACITY OF THIS BITCH!" The last of my sentence was pitched. The sorcerer had raised his arm, clutching the card, and I struggled to reach it.

"What... What did you just say?" Stephen was laughing, not at all phased by me climbing him like a tree to take hold of what's mine. Tony was actively helping - or, trying to. One-handed. The other hand attempted to snatch the rest of the cards from my grasp.

"And that's an F on teamwork," Bucky's sarcasm was complemented by Steve's famous Captain America Is Disappointed In You look.

"Uhh... Guys? What's going on?" Peter's timid voice leaked confusion.

"Hello, friends," Thor boomed, drowning out the boy's questioning noises.

"We're playing a game. Cards Against Humanity."

Wordlessly, Peter towed Thor along with him to find a spot amongst us. And even if Thor didn't get any of the references, he still was good fun. His laugh was infectious. The way he cheered for every winner was incredibly wholesome. Golden space puppy. The urge to immediately pet Thor and give him endless pop-tarts was strong in me.

Loki was one dramatic, vengeful bitch. "Women get turned on by the Devil himself"? I was ready to throw hands with the trickster. Everybody's laughter drowned out any cursing I might or might have not directed towards Loki who looked far too satisfied with himself. I was going to substitute the sugar for his tea with salt one day, mark my words.

I wouldn't admit it over my dead body, but the way he got back at me for the daddy issues joke was kinda funny. Okay, very funny. It was fucking hilarious. I admire a clever man.

THE TAG LIST IS NOW OPEN! @another-stark-sub ​ @mostly-marvel-musings  @vozit ​ @littlegasps ​ @pilloclock ​ @shereadsinquiet @downeyreads ​ @hermione-grangers-wife ​ @individualistfem ​ @sleep-i-ness @capbrie @lillsxd @agustdowney @dee-vn @justanotherblonde23 @fanngirl19 @persephonehemingway @softie-socks @schemefrenzy @letsby