#this is before the race btw in case anyone was wondering

[hungriestheidi]

Singapore 2022

[cumulo-stratus]

Love Like a Fathers

Request: Hello, hope you're having a good day/night, I was wondering if I could request Spencer x Father figure reader, theyre On a case the unsub tries to kill Spencer but reader protects him and gets hurt himself.

Pairing: platonic!Spencer reid x Father figure!reader

Summary: Y/n gets hurt protecting Spencer from an unsub, and y/n and spencer spend some time together at the hospital

warnings: cannon typical violence, gunshot wounds/blood, swearing, s1 spencer being an adorable little cutie-pie <3

A/N: Friend I'm so so so sry this has been a WIP for like month😭- I've had like no motivation to write :( thank you for the patience and for the lovely request, and although ive never written platonic for spencer, i did my best! btw the lovely dividers are by @cafekitsune (not proof read)

1.3k

Spencer Reid and Y/n L/n weren’t related by blood, but if you asked anyone that knew them- they would tell you that it doesnt matter. y/n treated spencer like the son he never had, and spencer treated y/n like the father he lost. Even if you didn’t know them, you could tell the pair were close. Spencers intellect bounced well of y/n’s wisdom. Hotch knew this, and often paired spencer with y/n because of it. And when they got called to a case in the small town of Trutney, Alabama, it was no different. 

As soon as the plane landed l/n and reid had been paired off to go to the M.E.’s to look at the one body they had so far. And so the next 2 days went by as uneventfully as they could go on a case with the BAU. Interviews, and case files - take out around a conference table and calls to garcia- just a regular BAU case. Until the last day when they were sure they had the right guy; Daniel Wilson, he fit the profile perfectly. And so the team was spilt into 2 groups; one going to the house and one going to the workplace. Hotch sent y/n and spencer to the back knowing y/n would have spencers back if anything happened. 

As they crept through the long hallways silently the pair would share glances every now and then. When they reached a split Y/n made a silent flick of his wrist ordering spencer to take the path to the right while y/n would take the path to the left. Y/n stalked down the hall with his gun raised leaving Spencer to do the same with the other hallway. 

Y/n was clearing the final room at the end of the hall when the distant sound of grunting and a gun shot. Without another though y/n raced down the hall toward the continuous grunting yelping. Y/n just barely remembered to call for back up as he ran- Morgan's voice sounding through the phones speakers.

"What's up L/n-"

He was interrupted by y/n's out breath voice.

"I heard a shot from Reid's side of the house I need backup" 

Before Morgan could respond y/n hung up, stuffing the phone in his back pocket. When y/n reached the source of the sounds, he found a door slightly ajar. He pushed it open all the way to find Spencer on the loop ground with the unsub above him. They were pushing against eachother trying sway the barrel of the gun in their favor. Spencer was trying to push the barrel away from his head while the unsub did the opposite. Without hesitation y/n crossed the room and grabbed the unsub roughly by his shoulders throwing him away from spencer. Spencer took no time at all the scramble away, his feet sliding as he fumbled to push himself away.  Meanwhile y/n and the unsigned were in a struggle for the gun. And almost as if in slow mo, spencer saw a bullet leave the barrel and enter y/ns shoulder- right where his neck met his shoulders. The resounding bang that came with it caused spencers ears to ring. but caused everything to come back to normal speed was the second gunshot, from y/n to the unsubs chest. He fell to the ground, bleeding out. 

“Spencer! spencer i need you to put pressure on the wound- okay?” 

Despite the many filed first aid books he’d read, spencer couldnt recall a single bit of information- and was only listening y/n’s instructions. 

“alright now use my sweater- ya its right over there. We need something to stop the bleeding-“

Y/n interrupted himself with small grunts and grimaces every time his shoulder moved. But luckily spencer was in it enough to properly use the sweater y/n had provided.

At this point spencers hands were soaked in blood, and so was the sweater. It was warm, and sticky- drying and cracking on the back of his hands. Just then Morgan came storming in, a mix of swat and paramedics trailing behind him. A paramedic took the sweater from spencer’s hands and he was pulled away by Morgan to checked out- despite his protests. spencer was quite insistent he stay with y/n but Morgan settled him enough to get checked out by telling him that he would be updated if anything happened. 

Spencer stood in front of the open doors of an ambulance- restlessly wringing his hands together while an EMT patched the small gash on his forehead. Spencer had resisted saying anything about how he thought it was unnecessary- as it wasn’t even bleeding that much. But spencer knew better than to argue with Morgan at this point. 

Spencer practically ran- which he didn’t do very often- to the nearest large black SUV. As he walked/ran across the lawn he called out to morgan.

“St. Mary’s right?”

“on 32nd street-“

spencer didnt allow morgan to finish- instead climbing into one of the FBI vehicles littering the street. 

The fluorescent lights of the hospital burned spencers retinas as spoke the woman at the desk. 

“excuse me where is Y/n L/n’s room?’

as he spoke, spencer drummed his fingers against the desk- anxious to see y/n. Make sure he was okay. 

“Down the hall and to your left, room 328 sir”

Spencer barely managed a curt thank you and nod before he was speed walking down the hall. the lights in the hospital clashed with the stark white of the hall when spencer entered. They were dimmed to be only slightly brighter than the dark sky through the glass. spencer found y/n asleep soundly with a large bandage across his shoulder and butterfly bandages littering his exposed chest and face. Spencer could feel some of the weight lift off his shoulders when his eyes met y/ns closed ones. 

----

Despite the dim light it still took effort for y/n keep his eyes open once he woke up. The first thing he noticed was sleeping form of Spencer draped over an uncomfortable looking chair. His back and neck were bent forward in what looked to be a not very comfortable position to sleep in. 

Spencer stirred when y/n grunted quietly from the pain of sitting himself up. Spencer immediately rubbed the sleep from his eyes and went to help y/n, and as always y/n tried to tell Spencer he was fine and didn't need help. But y/n always made an exception for Spencer- especially he insisted with his innocent honey brown eyes. 

"Spence I'm fine bud- come sit with me"

Y/n had a smile on his face and patted the spot next to him which he had now made by scooching over. Spencer shyly climbed up next y/n, his slacks and blazer looking out of place to the hospital gown y/n was wearing. 

"You know you really scared me back there-"

Spencer was staring at his hands as he spoke- remembering the blood that had once coated them. Y/n took the opportunity to place a comforting comforting hand on Spencer's back, rubbing back and forth the way y/ns own family did. 

"I know- but you can't rid of me that easily bud"

They both laughed lightly at that and instead of responding verbally Spencer leaned his head on y/ns shoulder, appreciating the warmth of y/ns excess internal heat. Spencer was often the one to take advantage of the human heater of a person y/n was. And this was one of those moments. 

No more words were needed for the rest of the evening. They weren't needed for anything- the team could handle it (and it helped that Hotch knew how stressed Spencer was and let him know he could stay at the hospital with y/n). 

And there; in the dimly lit hospital room, that smelled of disinfectant, Spencer felt more comforted than in his own home. 

The End 

Pls leave a like and a reblog!

[decolonize-the-left]

The legal offensive, led by Dana Remus, who until 2022 served as President Biden’s White House counsel, and Robert Lenhard, an outside lawyer for the party, will be aided by a communications team dedicated to countering candidates who Democrats fear could play spoiler to Mr. Biden. It amounts to a kind of legal Whac-a-Mole, a state-by-state counterinsurgency plan ahead of an election that could hinge on just a few thousand votes in swing states. The aim “is to ensure all the candidates are playing by the rules, and to seek to hold them accountable when they are not,” Mr. Lenhard said.

WHAT???

You're telling me that this guy

Suddenly gives a single shit about the rules???

The headlines about this are fucking insane also

"will giving voters access to vote for whatever candidate they want dooming democracy"

Normal headline for a country that definitely isn't being run by fascists.

Btw this is Dana Remus

"In August 2022, President Biden questioned in a 60 Minutes interview “how anyone can be that irresponsible” when asked about classified documents in the possession of former President Trump. But when President Biden said this, he knew he had stashed classified materials in several unsecure locations for years, dating back to his time as vice president and even as U.S. senator."

[...]President Biden’s attorneys claim to have first discovered classified material at Penn Biden Center on November 2, 2022. However, President Biden and his lawyers kept it secret from the American people before the midterm elections. CBS News broke the story in January 2023, leaving Americans to wonder if the White House had any intention of ever disclosing that President Biden hoarded classified documents for years.

You know what else they did together? Lied about codifying Roe v Wade if they won mid-terms. 6months AFTER dems won a narrow majority, Rie v Wade was overturned.

And like not to be a wacky conspiracy theorist who's right again but

"The case concerned the constitutionality of a 2018 Mississippi state law that banned most abortion operations after the first 15 weeks of pregnancy. The Mississippi law was based on a model by a Christian legal organization, Alliance Defending Freedom, with the specific intent to provoke a legal battle that would reach the Supreme Court and result in the overturning of Roe"

Guess what the Alliance Defending freedom works with and serves an agenda for?

Project 2025 yeah, the heritage foundation lists them as partners

Yeah remember how Dana Remus worked with Samuel Alito? Guess who's vote helped overrule abortion rights?

Samuel Alito, correct. Guess who else? Thomas, Gorsuch, Kavanaugh, Barrett.

All Trump appointments.

Odd company to find yourself in without having ANY ties to the ADF or heritage foundation or project2025.

I wonder who the lawyers involved were?

Scott G Stewart. Interesting. Well who appointed him, right?

In 2021, Mississippi Attorney General Lynn Fitch appointed Scott G. Stewart as Solicitor General for the State of Mississippi.

Oh so she was voted in.

Well im sure it was a normal election that Democrats didn't tamper with or anything. Like SURELY they didn't intentionally platform this woman using the Pied Piper method? SURELY NOT after platforming Trump and making the entire 2016 elections about anti-Trumpism. SURELY, they wouldn't have tried to make themselves look better by positioning themselves against extremists only to LOSE the bet they were making.

SURELY WE DIDNT LOSE ROE V WADE BECAUSE DEMOCRATS WONT STOP USING THE PIED PIPER STRATEGY TO WIN ELECTIONS? R I G H T???

Riley Collins, 53, is running against the state's treasurer, Lynn Fitch, who was the chair of the group Mississippi Women for Trump in 2016. Riley Collins is running an explicitly anti-Trump message, saying Monday that she doesn’t understand how Donald Trump's Christian supporters can reconcile their politics with their faith

Oh.

Welp.

Everyone thank democrats for Trump and the stacked supreme court and the loss of Roe V Wade. It Truly couldn't have happened without them blasting primetime tv with alt right candidates 24/7.

One day democrats will stop platforming right wing extremists and election tampering but I guess it won't be anytime soon.

Let me ask, what's the biggest argument for voting blue this year?

Right.

And how's that going? Y'all feel confident in that strategy right now?

And don't forget what they did to Bernie. Because Biden is very poetically doing the same fucking shit to sabotage 3rd parties right now.

Remember to act surprised when Trump wins.

Like voters and progressives and leftists haven't been saying for MONTHS that we won't vote Biden. Like swing states aren't voting uncommitted. Like labor unions aren't voting uncommitted. Like he isn't tanking the polls.

You know I will say that this election is a little different. Clinton didn't have nearly this much pushback so early in the race.

Biden's massive gap of votes compared to Trump is gonna look like the grand fucking canyon.

[tunnelofphriendship]

on phandom whiteness, race and stereotypes

I've been meaning to make this post for a while. I have never been very active in this fandom space, and part of that has been due to a discomfort I have felt that i have never felt i could discuss openly. So while I want to be a part of this phandom, I need to adress the elephant in the room and I want this sideblog I created to be a space where others like me can feel safe to voice their feelings and thoughts.

To preface this, I am not looking to "cancel" dan and phil. I just want to talk about my experiences both as a hardcore phan for years, and as someone who deviates from the usual dnp fan: I'm not a white person from Europe, US, Canada.

To put it bluntly, some of their videos are extremely hard to watch and enjoy and it makes me feel alienated when no one talks about it. There is no media without "problematic" elements, but I feel like in other fandom spaces people at least talk about elements worth questioning because they may be offensive or ignorant.* And yet dan and phil are hailed as "unproblematic kings" when this is not the case at all, and it's hard to bring up how I feel.

I'm not looking to make a comprehensive list of everything they've said, but I will talk about a few examples to illustrate what I mean.

Sexy Internet Dating (1:59-2:03)

d: whats yo name

p: i like how the guinea pig is now a sassy black woman

A Day in the Life of Phil and Dan! (3:58-4:03)

p: Suncream d: suncream for your albino face p: yea d: i don't need it because i'm already black

Does anyone remember the Mexican Dan thing? He seems to have deleted most of the things associated with that period where he was tan and "jokingly" fancied himself a different race because of it but this little window to that time remains in one of the most beloved videos of all time. Can you see how this might be hard to watch? When even the most iconic videos they've made are sprinkled with little instances of ignorant comments like this?

And let me be clear, I know this was ages ago. I'm aware they might have grown and changed. What really gets to me is how nobody in the phandom ever talks about these moments. It makes me really lonely and disappointed that everyone turns a blind eye to things that might tarnish the image of their faves.

Like for example, the pewdiepie situation. I'm not going to discuss everything he did and said. But imagine how it might feel as a non-white fan to want to rewatch old dnpgames videos and find that they kept their videos with him up all this time:

They were clearly quite friendly with F*lix. Besides these videos, Felix is also casually mentioned in some of their videos and livestreams from the time before he was "cancelled" (more on that later). But did they ever say anything condemning his actions? I think that given how they had collaborated and were friends, I would expect them to say SOMETHING rather than just never speak on the matter (as far as I know, the closest they got to this was in a liveshow where dan said he had had "a conversation" with felix in a way that implied he disapproved of his actions.) Or at the very very least, is it really that hard to delete a video? They have deleted old videos for a variety of reasons. How is collabing with a known racist not reason enough to go through the trouble of deleting a video? But deleting other videos just because they're a bit"cringey" is worth that time?

I just wonder how regretful they really are at having been friends and collaborators with him. In fact, part of me wonders if they are still friends behind the scenes. If this is ever confirmed btw, that will cause me to stop watching them forever. And they might still be friends in their little white circle for all we know. After all dan and phil are long time friends of KickthePj. And PJ is STILL friends with pewdiepie.

Now, besides PJ being dnp's friend and having once been part of the phantastic foursome, I don't care much for his content except for when dan and phil have been featured (lol sorry not sorry). And this might be the case for many of you as well! But some of you ARE avid kickthepj fans and decided to ignore the fact that he uploaded a video with pewdiepie last month. There is no plausible deniability here anymore. Despite the harms pewdiepie has done in internet spaces--and how that extends to real life--NOBODY said anything about how kickthepj doesn't care enough (or at all) to simply NOT make a video with pewdiepie.

It's staggering to me that no one cares. It's shocking to me that in these videos i've mentioned, you go to the comment section and everyone will be happily enjoying the video with no mention of these things.

Is this what being "cancelled" looks like? It seems to me like with the passage of time, Pewdiepie and his friends and followers just want to sweep it all under the rug. How is it that the internet will tear a man to shreds for plagiarism but then find it in themselves to excuse racism?

Why does no one care? Is it because this space is overwhelmingly white? I think so. I think it's a conscious choice to turn a blind eye when it's convenient. So I just wanted to make this post to say that if you ever feel alienated by the white ignorance of dnp or their circle of their fans, then you can come talk to me and I won't ignore you.

I want to be a part of this phandom, I really love dan and phil, but I'm not going to "stan" them. I'm not going to make excuses for them. And I'm not going to keep quiet just so I can be a part of this fandom without making the vast majority of white fans uncomfortable.

*I'm thinking of my experiences in the supernatural fandom. (Although, i'm not saying it's perfect. There are certainly a number of fics that have made me feel very disappointed inthe creator for falling into the trap of racial stereotypes in OCs and stuff like that, and despite that so many people enjoy it and include it in rec lists.)

[adiabolikpastel]

How does Callista celebrate Reiji's birthday? And if possible, I also want to know how Reiji celebrates Calli's birthday 👉🏻👈🏻.

Awe! See, now you've caught me off guard ~ I am never prepared for anyone's birthday at any given time on this blog. But I will do my best!

So, this year in particular - since it’s so close to a full moon, and not just any full moon - our last Super Moon for the next 15 years! I am thinking this would be a huge catalyst moment in the Reista ship. I have tried to explain her story as one at a crossroads. You would progress through the route, and as you answer and make choices - it steers the story either towards Reiji or Shu.

(I have also recently been toying with the idea of scrapping that and doing a poly... I love the idea but we can talk about that another time if you would like.)

So, since this birthday has such lovely conditions, it only make sense to have it be interesting. Now, in my cannon - only certain demons are affected by the moon. Vampires of course, as well as aquatic demons - but eagles not so much. I don't see why the moon would have any sway over an Adler, when eagles in nature don't have any special thing with the moon itself.

Answers will be under cut for length - enjoy~

Callista celebrating Reiji's birthday

I like to think that Callista goes all out for birthdays. Having spent half of her life as the only child, and then suddenly having little brother after little brother - birthdays were always big in her family. That being the case, I believe she would decorate for a fancy evening.

Knowing Reiji well enough to surmise that big surprise parties are not his thing, I like to think Calli would plan an elegant dinner - with navy blue and golden décor. Employing the shadows to ensure that the mansion be in pristine condition. Strangely though, Reiji himself would be absent most of the night.

While not uncommon for Shu to stay cooped up, as of late Reiji had kept her company. Callista would find it strange that on tonight of all nights he would choose to be alone. Never the less, she continued her preparations - determined that whenever he made his appearance, he would be surprised and delighted.

Hours past. No sign of either the boys. Callista knew they were in the house, she could sense them. So what where they doing? She wondered if the smell of dinner would get them moving. As she worked over the stove, beginning the cook the bacon for the spaghetti carbonara she'd be preparing.

Suddenly, a presence makes itself known. A hand reaches to align with hers, the slow touch tickling her skin. The weight of another looms over her, the soft breath wisping past her ear. Her heart skips a beat, as the scent of the younger vampire engulfs her senses.

Callista feels the bloodlust shiver through her, had he not fed lately? Was he going to bite her? He'd never done that before. She could feel the heat from his fangs press just so slightly against her neck. What should she do? What did she want to do? Push him away? Or...

Just as quickly as the sensation was there, Reiji's presence vanished. Her body once warmed by his desire, fridge with his absence. Callista stumbles slightly, turning off the stove and steading herself. Her heart pounding. What was that all about?

What's more... why was her heart racing. She'd always had a liking to Reiji but this - what would Shu think? Would he notice? As Callista collected herself, she notices a note on the counter. Reiji left it, thanking her for her consideration, but that he would not be able to participate in the festivities.

Reiji celebrating Callista's birthday

(her birthday is on 9/27 btw … so it's coming up. I don't even remember if I did that on purpose that it went Reiji, Callista, then Shu for birthdays but they are back to back.)

On a much lighter note - now that the moon isn't in the way. Reiji is definitely the type that I feel will go all out for a birthday. If he cares - and when it comes to Callista he definitely does. Even before feelings get involved, he cares about her enough due to the alliance she secures for the big plan.

Reiji and Calli are similar in the way that they both prefer the finer and simpler scale of things, rather than something elaborate or extravagant. Since he also enjoys cooking, can see him preparing a special dessert for her. Something simple to commemorate the occasion, but nothing too outrageious that it would be seen as over stepping.

He would be finishing up when the Adler princess wanders in, wondering what smells so good. The two would begin pleasant conversation, when she'd comment on his piping skills. Playfully challenging him that she could do better. He'd raise that challenge and the two would hold a little competition, and in the process getting a bit messy.

Rather than become upset by the mess, Reiji feels at ease. Normally something like this would bother him, but it wasn't as though the demoness was unskilled or clumsy. In fact, her skill was elegant and she was charming. Even the sight of crème on her cheek didn't bother him. In fact, without even realizing it, his finger found its way to her face, and gingerly cleaned it off.

With a soft blush on her face, Callista would thank him, and check herself. It wouldn't be appropriate to be in such close proximity to Reiji alone. But she couldn't stop how safe she felt near him. With a soft smile she would thank him for his baked gift, and enjoy the one he pipped, rather than her own.

[manofmanymons]

Keith = Takuma

Nathan = Kaito

Kotetsu = Minoru

Barnaby = Saki

On another note, I have to find more people to ship Kaito with- (sadly? Takuma is the most shippable person in the group. Share some ships with others)

Assuming this is about this post you are absolutely correct lmao

Also now I feel compelled to turn this into a Kaito ship pitch so like

Okay hear me out. Ryo, right?

They could be introverts together. They could be really good at communicating without necessarily having to use words together. They could just do separate things but in the same space as each other. Obviously they would also do things actually together but there is like 0 pressure whatsoever to do the normal pleasantries or to "look like a couple" or anything. Ryo could teach Kaito some of the household skills he's picked up in his mom's absense so he can better take care of Miu. Pure vibes up in here.

I think shipping him with Minoru would be utter chaos and I'm not not into it.

They share a braincell when it comes to being violent and impulsive and almost nothing else. I imagine they could have a reasonable amount of fun together in maybe like an outdoorsy sense? Like Minoru just perpetually thinking it would be fun and cool to explore places and it being like "race you to the top of this hill" or "bet I can I climb this tree faster than you." Also Kaito being kind of blunt and kind of a dick (affectionate) mignt actually be good for Minoru and his insecurities? Just like "but what if I'm not good enough?" "Well that's fucking stupid, of course you are." Like you can 100% trust that if your bf who always tells it like it is says he thinks you can do something, you can do it. Minoru could indoctrinate his bf into the wonderful world of using fiction to avoid your problems and projecting your feelings onto your favs instead of like beating up kids at school sksjkd

I'm insane so instead of stopping there I'm gonna attempt to make a case for Saki

I thought it was really interesting that in the harmony route she told Takuma that she always thought Kaito was really sweet and it makes me lowkey insane that she didn't tell Kaito that before it was too late. Like idk maybe they'd get along better if she actually said "btw I appreciate you a lot and I'm happy you're here" cuz rn he just does not know that she thinks of him like that. And if they did actually talk and reach a point of like "oh hey wait you're cool and I like you" it could be kinda cute? Saki being able to see right through Kaito and understand his intentions even if he doesn't explain them well is cute! Her still calling him on his bs when he's being dumb and helping him be better is cute! Him reminding her not to worry what others think about her and that anyone would have to be a dumbass not to like her is cute! I feel like he would do something embarrassing in public just to prove to her how much other people's opinions do NOT matter and it would make her smile.

I am physically incapable of shipping him with Shuuji. Not because there's anything wrong with it but because I've spent entirely too much time thinking about them in the context of "they could have the cutest friendship ever" like just imagine Shuuji trying be the brother he wished he had but for Kaito because he knows what it's like to be unappreciated and be a disappointment to your parents and he just wants to look out for this kid and not let him feel what he felt

...

I got carried away with that last part I just felt the need to explain why I wasn't trying to make a case for Shuuji as a ship so no one thought that I forgot about him or didn't like him or anything

And like obviously I'm not mentioning Takuma or Aoi because I've talked about them before and because you were literally talking about shipping Kaito with someone OTHER than Takuma

But anyways yeah you can ship Kaito with anyone if you try hard enough.

[pikatrainer99]

I drew my Trollsona again! Hope you guys like the drawing!

(If you guys can't read my terrible handwriting all over the place in the drawing please let me know and I'll tell you what it says 😅)

He's in his early teens in this drawing, and he's on his way back to his pod with a freshly replenished stock of berries, one basket in each hand as well as one being carried by his prehensile tail. This is basically concept art, hence all the details pointed out by arrows. He chooses to swing through the trees using his hair to travel faster and minimize the chance of running into other Trolls...because he's gray from being nothing but bullied by them, all because he was born with hypersensitive senses, especially his hearing, and can't handle parties and normal Troll stuff because of it, he's also very shy and introverted, and no one knows who or where his parents are (they left the egg containing him in the village, then immediately dipped, and there's been no sign of them at all since), so he's been a village outcast right from the beginning when he hatched, and has never had a single friend. He has been completely withdrawn and isolated, hiding away in his pod for years by the time this drawing takes place, and hasn't spoken a single word the whole time, not even to himself, the only communication method available to him now is his tail (which, since he's the only Troll in the village with a tail, also got him bullied...the others would physically hurt him by pulling his tail), which is the biggest indicator of his emotions. He only leaves his pod whenever he needs to gather more berries for food. He's also a smart cookie, he managed to soundproof the walls of his pod all by himself so he can feel safe there without having anxiety/panic attacks because of the loud noises and music of the village (despite the fact that he chose to hang his pod as close to the forest as possible without leaving village grounds, in order to minimize potential encounters with other Trolls when he goes out berry picking), and he spends his days now with a silent voice and racing mind, he's always thinking and writing about anything and everything that comes to his mind (it's all negative stuff, like him wondering why no one would be friends with him even way back when he was super little before he lost his colors and would try his best to reach out to the others). He's a depressed, traumatized, confused boy, but if you work hard to earn his trust (which will take a LOT of hard work), and he deems you trustworthy, he will be your friend for life (all he's ever wanted in his life is a friend...just one friend...poor little guy).

I think that's enough about my Trollsona's story for now. Just in case you were wondering, I based his story and behavior off of my own childhood (unlike my Trollsona though, I do in fact have parents), where I was very much bullied relentlessly myself for being autistic and different from everyone else around me, I couldn't make friends to save my life and I completely withdrew from society and isolated myself, had convinced myself that all people were bad for a LONG time, and didn't trust anyone because all I had ever experienced from other people was bullying and abuse...I have PTSD from it, and I'm trying to work on healing, and one of the most effective ways for me to process things is through writing and creating things, so I based my Trollsona on my child self as a way to hopefully help my wounded inner child to process and heal from the trauma. So I'll be using my Trollsona to write a series of stories (that I will NOT be posting online btw) that end up with a good outcome for him despite his suffering through his own traumas.

If you'd like to know more about my Trollsona and/or his story, please feel free to ask me about him! This post may be kinda long, but it honestly barely scratches the surface when it comes to my Trollsona and his story! 😅

[patchworkpuzzle]

Hey I really hope I’m not bothering you or anything but if requests are open, can I request a Hanta Sero x f! Reader smut? With kinks such as spanking and breeding? Also blindfolding. Thank you! I love your blog btw.

Listen, my dear sweet anon, you will never be bugging me. AT ALL! I enjoy when anyone pops by, including you!

And um...... yes. Yes, one thousand times I will make this because it is just *chef kiss*

word count: 2.6k

paring: Sero x f!Reader

warnings: being blindfolded, dick slapping, calling him ‘papi’, impact play, breeding, creampie

Hanta Sero wanted to try something new in the bedroom.

When he brought up that fact, you could say that your interest was peaked. And though you pestered a little bit, poking at him to share more, he didn’t budge. All he asked was a reminder of the things that you wouldn’t do, just in case.

And after that he was silent as the grave on that topic. It was exhilarating for you. You mind racing for days after wondering what it could be; your fantasies running wild without abandon. So much so that you often took longer showers, you spaced out while cooking a few times, and hell – even your co-workers brought up how ‘in the clouds’ you had been lately.

You always brushed the concerns off, simply stating that you had an event you were looking forward to soon. Though not totally a lie, it was most certainly not an event your co-workers would think of. And as the day’s passed, you felt yourself buzzing with excitement for Friday to arrive; to finally get an answer to such a titillating prompt.

When you got home from work that night you found him, sitting with one ankle over his knee, in your living room. And though he looked so casual, normal even, the atmosphere that surrounded him - and flooded the room – was overpowering. The sexual tension that hung in the air was heavy and made you shiver.

Though you made sure to not let it show, as you slowly took off your coat and shoes at the front doorway “What’s up? You seem like you have something on your mind!” You chirped, hanging your coat in its usual spot as you glanced at him.

“Come here” He mumbled, sitting more upright on his spot on the couch.

“Hanta… you okay?” You asked, fidgeting slightly as his eyes remained locked on your face; expression unreadable which was the cause of your unease.

“Strip.”

This made you stutter, words not forming properly as you fluttered your eyelashes at him. Not fully sure if you heard him correctly you stared back at him with wide eyes, not moving in the slightest. When he repeated himself, tone firmer, you knew he was serious. It wasn’t the first time he asked you to do this, but it always made you feel timid; the way his intense gaze would stare at your exposed skin always made you bashful.

With slightly trembling hands you began to slowly take your clothing off. Unable to meet his gaze through most of it; not that Sero minded. He enjoyed the timid façade you were giving, the shaking hands and flushed skin of your face slowly creeping its way down your neck, making his cock twitch.

He gave an appreciated hum once your body was fully bare to him, giving you a once over with dark eyes that made you shiver once more as you brought your arms to wrap around your middle. Though embarrassed, you were thrilled to see where this was headed.

“Cariño, move your hands” He purred, standing from the couch to stand before you; gently tugging your arms away from your middle – humming once again in delight when they went to your sides “No need to hide from me”

“S-sorry” You murmur, still not fully meeting his gaze as you shift on the spot.

“A little shy, are we?” He gave a soft chuckle as he saw your blushed deepend “No need to be shy, pretty thing, I like what I see. Now, turn around.”

You did as you were told, heart racing in anticipation to see what he would do next; your mind racing at all the possibilities once more. You heard him shuffle and then your world went dark. Soft silk-like fabric was placed over your eyes as you felt his nimble fingers slowly, and gently, tying it in a knot at the back of your head.

“Is it too tight?” Sero asked, his tone broken from its dark raspy husk proving he was nervous “Is it too much?”

It was your turn to give a little content hum as you shook your head, this was certainly more than okay for you. Having him take complete control to do as he please; you were more than willing to oblige to that. You bit your lip, your mouth was already salivating at the thought, your core pulsing and thighs rubbing together slightly heat surged through your entire body.

“Green light.” You whispered; your voice breathless as you felt his fingertips ghost over your shoulders.

“Good, now on your knees.”

The tickle of his breath on your ear made your flinch away slightly; inhaling shakily you nodded your head as you slowly sunk down to your knees. You felt him take a step away from you once your knees hit the cold surface of your floor; causing you to sit back on your heels as you waited. 

It was quiet for a moment, so quiet you thought he left the room for a moment, but then you heard the sound of fabric moving and the soft wisps of noises it would make once it hit the floor. It was the clinking of his belt buckle that made you shift on your knees; wanting so badly to feel him in your mouth made you breath quicken.

“Open wide.”

Sero commanded, his voice was low and dark, and it made goosebumps rise on your skin. The low sound of wet skin slapping made you whine as you wished you could see him slowly pump his cock from above you, wish you could see his face as you heard the low hiss that erupted along with it.

You did what you were told, opening your mouth as wide as you could, sticking your tongue out for good measure. The sight made Sero groan as his teasing jerks on his cock quickened in pace, it made you give an airy laugh as you waited patiently for the heavy feeling of his tip to touch your tongue.

You let out a surprised noise, almost a moan, as you felt the tip of his thick cock slap your tongue; over and over again. Going too quick for you to have the chance to suck the tip into your open, and inviting, mouth. You could hear him snicker above you as he continued to tease you, enjoying your frustrated whines.

“Come on, Princesa. Beg for it.” He took a step away from you, slowly stroking his cock, letting out a groan to help encourage you.

“Please Papi! Wanna make you feel good, please?” You whined, your voice taking on a higher note, knowing he could never hold off long when you sounded so sweet.

“Good girl, now go on. Suck my cock” Sero breathed out, setting the tip back on your tongue “No hands.”

He made sure to clarify once he saw you sit up and move your hands to his hips. You obeyed his request, moving your hands to sit on your lap as you slowly wrapped your lips, suckling gently as you hum at finally being able to have him in your mouth; enjoying the moan he let out when you do.

You go slowly, hollowing your cheeks to make it as pleasurable as you can for him as you made your way down his length. At every inch you took you would make sure to pause and suck, massaging that spot with your tongue before moving back up and repeating the action, albeit a little lower. His soft groans and praise were causing you to become even wetter, hands twitching with the want to touch yourself; but never doing so.

Before long you got to the base, his pubic hairs tickling your nose, as you felt his tip hit the back of your throat. His fingers intertwined in your hair to keep you flush against him as his loud moan rang in your ears, making you squirm as the burn in your throat was becoming unbearable. When you finally gagged he pulled you off him, allowing you to catch your breath.

“So good, Princesa” He sighs as he wipes some dribble on your chin “So, so good.”

He mumbles the last part so quietly you almost didn’t catch it, and maybe you wouldn’t have if you didn’t have the blindfold on to heighten your senses. Though you couldn’t dwell on that for long. Sero pulled on your hair once more, causing you to gasp, and forced his way into your warm mouth once more.

The pace he sets isn’t rough or fast, but consistent as he continuously hits the back of your throat with every thrust. It was making your eyes water, your lungs to burn as you struggled to breath through your nose, and your throat to constrict and threaten to make you gag every time he would push further and further down your throat. But you loved it.

You loved hearing his groans and growls as he chased his release, the little praises he would mix in for being his ‘good girl’ and for ‘taking it so well’. You wanted nothing more than to feel his hot cum hit the back of your throat; and to hear the whine-like moan he always let out when he came. And you could tell he was close, if the erratic twitching of his hips were any indication.

But it never happened. He ripped you off him, panting, petting your hair as he tried to calm himself down; you made no reserves in hiding your disappointed whine as you tried to regain your own breath. It made him smile and let out a little laugh as he bent down to scoop you in his arms.

“Don’t be like that, we’re just about to get to the fun part!” He cooed, kissing the top of your head.

He plopped you down on the couch, maneuvering your body so you were laying atop of the arm. Forcing your body to arch as he settled behind you; slowly petting up and down your backside, amused by the wiggle of your hips as you begged him for something more. He pulled his hand back, only to swiftly crack it back down. Watching the fat of it jiggle with hungry eyes as he delighted in your yelp.

“M-more…..” You mumbled, hands bracing themselves as you rested your cheek on the soft material “Please?”

“Aren’t you a naughty girl?” He teases, enjoying the way you whine and wiggle yourself more into his grasp. “If you want it, you better start counting.”

Before you could nod, both hands came down hard on both sides; the slaps seemingly echoing around the room at the force of them. The stinging pleasurable pain made you cry out, the moan sinful as you called out ‘one’.

His spanks came in quick succession, barely allowing you a chance of reprieve or to even get the number out before cracking his hand down once again. Your moans only getting louder the harder he went and the redder and tender you ass became, encouraging him further.

One you cried out ‘twenty’ was when he stopped, gently rubbing the raw flesh as he cooed at how well you had done. Shushing you as you whined and hiccupped, twitching your hips to try and rid yourself of his touch on your sore skin.

“Shhhh, it’s okay Princesa” He whispered, shifting your hips more upward to press his hard length against you “Going to fuck you nice and good now, okay?”

You barely got out a nod before he entered you; not bothering to take his time as he sheathed himself fully into your tight heat.  The sudden intrusion and burning stretch of your walls trying to accommodate him, made you silently cry out as you gripped the couch cushions tightly, knuckles turning white.

He didn’t give you time to adjust either, his hips immediately slamming down into you at a rapid rate; his hands gripping your waist and pinning you down to keep your back arched the way he wanted as he fucked you fast and hard like you were his personal fuck toy.

Your wails of pleasure come out of your mouth like a mantra, unable to control your volume, every single time he pounded into you; every single time he hit that special spot inside you that made you see stars. His balls hitting your clit in that harsh but sweet way, and it’s what you couldn’t help but focus on the most as your climax approaches.

“You gonna cum so soon? But I barely started!” Sero mocked, putting more pressure on your back to make your arch more dramatic “Well if you are, you better do it now. Come on, baby, cum all over my cock. Cum right now, do it baby, fuck!”

You couldn’t help yourself, not when he was growling in your ear the way he was. It was the added factor you needed to tip yourself over, gushing all over his hips and your thighs, as your cunt clenched tightly around him, making him moan out.

But it didn’t slow him down in the slightest. His pace remained ruthless as you tried to come down from your high, the squelching noise making you keen in embarrassment. High-pitched mewls replaced your loud moans, as you brought a hand back to push at his hips; pleading for him to slow down as you babble a string of nonsense that you hope he would understand.

If he does, he doesn’t act on it. Simply grabbing hold of your arm and pinning it against your back as well, his pace remaining ever steady.

“You got one more in you, don’t you Princesa?” He asks between groans, his breathing labored, signs that he was reaching his limit.

“Cum with me please, Papi!” You wail, your body going taut as you felt that familiar coil starting to snap once more “Fill me up, stuff my pussy full!”

“Oh yeah?” He taunts, bringing a hand to push your head into the arm of the couch “Want me to claim your cunt? Want me to breed this sweet little pussy? Stuff it so full of cum that it’ll be leaking out of your hours after we’ve finished?”

You could only manage a muffle whined, that resembled a pleading yes, as you did your best to push your hips back against his. It made him groan, his pace faltering as he felt your sweet cunny clench and gush around him, milking him for all he was worth. A few stuttering thrusts and Sero spilled his hot load into you, moaning as his hot white seed painted your insides.

After a moment, he shifted. The action caused you to whimper as he released his tight hold on your body, rubbing soothing patters on the sore skin.

“Don’t waste a drop now, okay?” Sero murmured into your ear as he pulled out of you with a small groan.

You hissed at the sensation, your poor cunt sore after the ravage fucking it just endured. You let out an uncomfortable mewl as you felt Sero’s finger prod at your folds, stretching them open as he watched a few drops of his cum fall down them.

You yelped when you felt his hand come down on your sore red ass once more. Sniffling and shaking when you felt him turn your body to face him, laying you flush against the soft cushions of the couch.

“What did I just say, Princesa? Looks like I’ll just have to fuck another load into you.”

[formulatrash]

Hi Hazel! I value your opinion on F1 more than basically anyone else’s, so I hope it’s ok if I ask this. I believe I’ve seen you mention before that you have Asperger’s/autism and I was wondering, do you get like, neurodivergent vibes from any of the f1 drivers?

(I’m also autistic btw)

hello,

I do have a major case of autism, which is quite funny because I didn't know until I was like 27 and now I'm like how could you not know???? but anyway.

yep, for sure, a lot of the drivers have massive neurodivergent vibes. the stuff they have to do when they're in the car requires a level of concentration that would be non-typical anyway, so their brains are trained to operate in a different way than people who don't do what they do, regardless of any original neurodiversity. it helps, if you have the ability to intensely concentrate on things that you enjoy/want to the exclusion of nearly anything else, which is of course a fairly classic neurodivergent take.

I don't want to armchair diagnose any of them or pick out any specifically but that extreme focus is definitely something where it can actively help to be neurodivergent or have neurodivergent traits. they actually have to be really, really clever - I think I've mentioned this before but what they have to understand about their cars, now, in things like F1 and FE and WEC etc but even GT racing, even lower/junior series, is so fricking complicated. to be able to develop a car, to look at upgrades and changes, is then an entire another layer and so drivers in factory teams in any series have to just be insanely smart.

they might come across a bit uhhhhh unconnected to the world let's say when they're not doing that because they have their hyperfocus thing and so much of their brain goes into that they're just like 😵‍💫 the rest of the time and they also do live pretty weird lives so they end up just confused by mundane reality.

all of which can make them seem neurodivergent, regardless of whether they started as diagnosably so. which, on a meaningful level, doesn't really have a difference; basically the job encourages neurodivergent traits, some of them may start out with them anyway.

I hope that makes sense I just woke up and have not had my neurodivergent juice (coffee) yet.

[navalcriminalimagines]

Can you please do one with Gibbs and jealous reader. Maybe one of his ex wives shows up, or someone flirts with him and reader confesses her feelings. Please and thank you

Btw, I love your work!💕

Based on S12, E11: Check, but Rebecca isn’t a suspect and she isn’t getting married (and Diane doesn’t die).

Tags: @hotch-meeeeeuppppp @madamsnape921

Jealous

“This is wife number two. We have a visual!” Tony exclaimed, as you, him, Ziva and Tim watched your boss, talking with two women. One of them was Diane, and the other Rebecca, someone you’d never heard of, until today

“Get back to work!” Your boss barked at the four of you and you all obeyed. But you couldn’t stop wondering what they were doing here, at a crime scene.

Back at the office, Gibbs was clearly pissed off and not because of the case. You stared at him from the corner of your eyes. He was slamming at his keyboard, and when he looked up at you - probably sensing you were staring - you immediately turned your attention back on your screen.

He’s never the one to leave the office first, but that day he did. He wanted to avoid Rebecca and/or Diane. You had been carpooling for a while with him, but he wasn’t driving you back home that night. “McGee, give L/N a ride home when you leave.” he said before taking off.

The next morning, Gibbs was still pissed off. By 9am, he was already on his third cup of coffee. “Didn’t sleep much last night, Boss?” Tony teased him and instantly regretted it. Gibbs shot him with the worst glare he ever shot at the Senior Agent. “Sorry,” Tony broke Rule 6.

Later that morning, you were on your way to the bathroom when you heard your boss’s voice from a corridor. You hid behind a wall and listened, knowing he would shoot you if he knew.

“I honestly don’t know.” You heard him say. “This is unexpected, Rebecca. Long time has passed since we--” he trailed off, and listened to Rebecca’s response.

“I know that, but that’s not the point.” You could almost hear her asking what the point was. “I’m not sure where I stand.” What the hell is happening between them.

“No, I don’t regret last night.” Oh. “Give me some time, okay? … Yes, bye Becca.” He hung up and you felt trapped.

You opened the first door you saw and rushed inside. You stayed there for a moment, analyzing what you just heard. “I don’t regret last night.” He’d said. What had happened last night? Did they hook up? That thought made you sick in your stomach. Were they getting back together? She cheated on him, they divorced years ago. Why would he get back with her? That would be the worst idea ever. Gibbs deserved better than that. If she wanted to stay with him, she shouldn’t have cheated in the first place. How can anyone cheat on Gibbs? You knew you wouldn’t. Ever.

You exited the small room you were in and tried to avoid the lump forming in your stomach for the rest of the day.

More than carpooling to work, you and Gibbs had the habit of drinking bourbon in his basement every now and then. There was no reason for you not to show up that night. At least, that was what you thought, until you were standing on his stairs, looking at him and Rebecca kissing. He had her pinned against his boat, his tongue down her throat. A sick part of you stared at them for a moment, until you felt the tears rolling down your cheeks. You didn’t let yourself be heard and walked away.

In the morning, he told her he wasn’t sure about where he stood and at night, he was kissing her in his basement. It should have been you. She screwed up years ago, now it was your turn. Your chance. You couldn’t keep your feelings to yourself anymore. Even if it destroyed your relationship with him and that you had to quit NCIS, you couldn’t care less. He had to know. If he had to make a choice, it was better he had all the cards in hand.

If he turns you down, well then, maybe you'd be able to move on.

“Do you mind coming upstairs for a minute?” You asked him, standing next to his car, the door opened. It was the next morning, and Gibbs was picking you up to go to the office.

“Why?”

“Just-- please.” you pleaded.

He sighed and got out of his car. He followed you into your apartment. “Coffee?” you offered, after closing the front door.

“Just finished one. What’s going on?” He asked, genuinely concerned.

“Okay,” you took a deep breath. “I really don’t know how to say this and after I do, things won’t ever be the same but-- here we go,” you briefly paused. “I love you, Gibbs. I’ve been in love with you for-- a while. And yesterday, I heard you talking with Rebecca over the phone and then, I saw you two kissing in your basement and it--”

“That was you?” he exclaimed. “I heard the door shutting and when I rushed upstairs, nobody was there.” he explained.

“Yeah, that was me. And honestly, I wish I didn’t follow my instincts cause now, I can’t shake away the sight of you and her and--” tears were forming in your eyes again and Gibbs immediately saw it.

“We just kissed. Twice, but nothing more.”

“Are you getting back with her? Do you still--like her?”

He shook his head no and a huge relief left your body. “I admit that--it confused me. And I needed to see something.”

“See something?” you repeated, not knowing what the hell it meant.

“See if I could stop thinking about you.”

To say it was unexpected was an understatement. For a moment, you forgot how to breathe and just stood there, in the middle of your apartment, staring at the man you were deeply in love with. Gibbs smirked at your facial expression and took a step closer to you. You still couldn’t move a finger.

“I didn’t plan on you seeing and hearing anything,” he whispered, softly grabbing your hand into yours. “But at least, it got you to actually confess your feelings, so--” he brought his palm flat against yours before intertwining his fingers with yours. “If you could say something now, that’d be nice.” But you just kept staring. “Y/N. If you don’t say a damn word in the next ten seconds, I’ll give you one good reason to be silent.”

Ten seconds passed and you were still silent. Gibbs wasn’t sure if you didn’t it on purpose or not. He let go of your hand in order to hold your face. He slowly closed the gap between your lips. It was happening. You could feel your heart racing. You were panting already, but that bastard just brushed his lips against yours and kissed your nose.

“Damn you, Jethro. Kiss my nose one more time--” you threatened him and of course, he did again. And again.

On the third time, you lifted your chin and his lips met yours instead of your nose.

[arvandus]

So hopefully I got in on time! Btw, I’ve been absolutely loving your HC’s, the stutter one was friggin adorable! I love soft Dabi, there’s not much of him out there in stories 😢

Anyway! I was wondering if you could do HC’s with Dabi for someone who may be deaf or just hard of hearing? Ifff your comfortable, I would love to see what he would do for a male s/o (or platonic friend/league member, etc, whichever you choose!) If you don’t want to do this it’s completely fine and you can switch it to ambiguous/female (I don’t know if you have ever done men before haha!)

Hello! I’m so flattered for this ask because you’re trusting me to portray something that’s personal to you and outside of my own experience. I can absolutely do this with a Male Reader (my first one!).

I’m not sure what type or level of hearing loss you had in mind, so I did my best with this and went with an acquired hearing loss that’s moderate-to-severe. Also, I wrote Reader as someone who wears hearing aids. I hope that’s all right, since that’s typically the case for those with more severe hearing loss (otherwise communication is really difficult to do, since I don’t suspect Dabi would know sign language). Also, I got a couple of cute ideas that I really wanted to fit into this that follow more of a friends-to-lovers sort of vibe rather than established relationship. Anyway, I hope you enjoy!


Headcanons for Dabi x M!Reader who’s Deaf/Hard of Hearing (HOH)

Warnings: None.

Word Count: 1240

💙 When you first join the LOV, Dabi will be skeptical at first, as he is with all things. How could someone with a hearing loss really be of any value to the league? He can’t help but wonder what skills you’re bringing to the table to that convinced Shigaraki to allow you to join.

💙 Dabi doesn’t interact with you right away... he prefers to observe. Part of it is that he doesn’t care for attachments, even amongst his comrades. Another is that he doesn’t expect you to last very long in the League. If he does interact, it’ll be through snarky quips and insults. After all, he loves getting under other people’s skin... it makes him feel like has an advantage.

💙 So, it goes without saying that Dabi will be a hard nut to crack at first. He’ll definitely have some crappy preconceived notions about people with hearing loss that he’ll get to face as he’s forced to get to know you.

💙 For example, he learns super fast that your hearing has little to do with your intelligence. You’re fucking smart and more than capable of handling yourself, much to his surprise. You quickly become an important member of the team, and even Dabi can’t really argue your value. It only makes his interest in you grow, his skepticism giving way to curiosity.

💙 Another thing he learns about you... you value your independence and hate when others coddle or dote on you due to your hearing loss. The first time Toga had tried to treat you as something fragile (granted she was trying to be nice), you’d quickly put her in her place. Dabi couldn’t help but grin at that exchange...

💙 The great thing about Dabi sitting back and observing everyone else most of the time is that he gets to learn by proxy how to interact with you.

💙 Don’t mumble or talk too fast. Don’t look away when talking to you. Talk more clearly, and slower, but for God’s sake, don’t treat you like you’re dumb. You’re hard of hearing, not stupid.

💙 Even with all of that taken into consideration though, he’ll notice that while you seem to do fine in one-on-one exchanges in quiet environment, you’ll withdraw more in group gatherings. Is the chattering of multiple voices too much? Is the noise overwhelming? Even he can’t always tolerate the prattling of the social butterflies of the group, so he wouldn’t blame you if it got under your skin too.

💙 His interest will finally be piqued when he watches you retreat during a rather boisterously loud game night amongst the League. He’ll follow quietly behind you, watching as you pass your own room in favor of the stairwell leading up to the rooftop.

💙 You don’t notice he’s followed you until he sits next to you. Your eyes betray your surprised at his presence.

💙 “What are you doing here?” you demand.

💙 He’ll give you a grin and a cock of his head. “You didn’t seem like you were havin’ much fun back there. Got anything to do with these?” he’ll tap your hearing aid playfully.

💙 You huff at him. “If you want me to hear you better, you’ll need to sit on my other side. My hearing aid battery died.”

💙 “You don’t have a backup?” he asks as he adjusts his position.

💙 You shake your head.

💙 “Doesn’t sound too bad.” He’ll tease. “I wish I could turn off my ears, especially when Toga laughs.”

💙 You give him a glare at his insensitive comment. “You don’t know what the hell you’re talking about.”

💙 He raises an eyebrow at you and think for a moment, before looking back out over the cityscape. “Why don’tcha tell me about it then.”

💙 You give him a skeptical look but he waits silently for you to continue. His smirk is gone as his sharp eyes glance back at you. He's serious.

💙 You’ll finally open up to him, explaining how hard it can be sometimes. How noisy environments can make your hearing aids nearly useless when the noise is too much, when everyone is talking at once. How frustrating it is to not be able to follow a conversation let alone participate, and how it can sometimes make people assume things about you. At best, they’ll assume you can hear fine with your hearing aids and therefore assume you’re being aloof or don’t want to interact. At worst, they’ll think your slow or stupid, and look at you with pity.

💙 Dabi will listen, but he won’t offer much up except sarcastic remarks about the others in an attempt to make you feel better. After all, sympathy isn’t his strong suit. But you’ll find yourself feeling better by the end, just grateful to be able to vent to someone.

💙 When you smile at him and tell him thanks for listening, it’ll take him by surprise. Not because of your reaction – he expected that, at least. What’ll surprise him is his reaction to it – a strange sense of satisfaction will wash over him, filling him with an unfamiliar warmth. He realizes - a moment too late, before he can bring down his barriers - that he likes seeing you smile, especially when it’s at him.

💙 You’ll feel slightly closer after that, finding more opportunities to hang out on the quiet rooftop and chat.

💙 He’ll surprise you on your next visit with a brand-new pack of hearing aid batteries. You’ll give him a suspicious look, asking where he got them and how he knew what kind to get you, but he’ll give you a wicked grin and brush off your question with an evasive comment.

💙 It won’t take long for you to start developing a crush on him, and against your better judgment, you find yourself staring at him a lot more and finding ways to be around him more. Hanging out at the bar, going on missions together, sitting next to him during the LOV discussions… you try to brush it off as ‘becoming friends,’ but deep down you know better.

💙 It doesn’t take long for Dabi to take notice and begin to suspect that maybe… just maybe… all of your secret glances and increased attention aren’t strictly platonic.

💙 What a wonderful turn of events. He wasn’t sure if you were interested in men, but now he’s 99% sure you are... or at the very least, interested in him.

💙 It leaves his skin feeling hotter than usual, his heart pounding in his chest with excitement. He wonders if you know... or even suspect... that he watches you too in mutual attraction.

💙 He’ll start testing the waters, just to make sure, of course. Hit you with a few flirty nicknames to see how you react. As soon as he sees you fluster and flounder in obvious embarrassment, he’ll know he’s got you, and it makes your exchanges only that much more entertaining.

💙 The more he learns about you, the more interested he becomes. He’ll start to do research on ways to support you with your hearing loss. It’ll be purely out of curiosity, of course... it’s not like he’s gonna go out of his way or anything. But he ends up finding himself down the rabbit hole of hearing aid supports, and learns about Bluetooth capabilities, FM systems, infrared systems... ways to send targeted noise – like speech for instance – straight to your hearing aids, bypassing any pesky background noise.

💙 It won’t take long for him to get an idea – two birds with one stone, so to speak...

💙 You’ll be on the rooftop together, when he says, “I gotta surprise for ya.”

💙 He pulls out a box that’s labelled ‘Dynamic FM System.’

💙 If you try to reach for it though, he’ll hold it out of your reach. “ah ah ah... we gotta find the right place to try it out.”

💙 He’ll lead you downstairs and you’ll think he’s heading to the common space where the others are, but instead he takes you outside of the hideout, leading you down the street.

💙 “Where are we going?”

💙 “You’ll see.”

💙 The two of you will end up outside of a bar. Not just any bar, though… the line of patrons is already a huge hint of what you’ll find inside.

💙 “Wait isn’t this….?” You’ll start.

💙 Dabi will only smirk at you though, before he grabs your hand and leads you in.

💙 Inside will be loud. So loud you have to turn down the volume on your hearing aids, and too loud for you to hear anything of value. But as you look around, your suspicions are confirmed - instead of the usual opposite sexes pairing up like you find at most bars, this one is different. Men are pairing up with men, women are pairing up with women. Your heart is beating like a drum in your chest, your pulse racing with excitement. Of all the places for Dabi to bring you…

💙 You keep close to Dabi, holding onto his arm. He loves that, loves that you’re looking to him for protection. And protect you he does, his eyes threatening violence to anyone who stares too long at you.

💙 He’ll sit you down at the bar with him in the center of the noise while drunken gay couples flirt over their drinks and a group of girls laugh in the corner. He’ll say something to the bartender, and a minute later, two fresh drinks are place before the two of you.

💙 He won’t try to talk to you yet as he opens the box and begins taking out all of the pieces. He’ll plug in the small, cylinder-like component into your hearing aid - the receiver. He’ll be completely up in your space when he does it too, grinning at you with his ocean blue eyes. In his hand he holds the transmitter that contains a button with a microphone on it.

💙 Once everything is hooked up properly, he’ll speak into the mic, his finger on the button.

💙 “Hey there.” He says. His voice comes through crystal clear.

💙 “Hey.” You smile.

💙 Once Dabi knows you can hear him, his devilish grin will widen and he’ll lean casually against the bar counter as he stares at you, his eyes drinking you in. “Have I ever told you how hot you are?”

💙 That’s when it finally clicks… Dabi is actually interested in you. And he’s taken you out on a date.

💙 BONUS: If the bar scene ends up being too much for you, he’ll be more than happy to spend the rest of your date on your favorite rooftop spot with some take-out. 10/10 will kiss you by the end of the date.

[mrpenguinpants]

i came from your red string of fate fic with xiao and it was so good, and it also reminded me of this one fic i read which was just packed with angst but was so relieving in the ending. the fic was basically how the guy saw the red string of fate tying him to reader suddenly break out of nowhere(dw, he gets it back after), so i was wondering if u could do something with some of the boys witnessing your strings breaking- your choice for the boys and if they get a happy ending or not >.<

Ah I believe this is @foreverinthedarkforjokes? I’m gonna assume so in which case, I’m so glad to hear that you liked that fic! I was super iffy on it and I wasn’t sure if people would enjoy it but it seems my worries were for naught^^ One day I will commit myself to writing a 180k word slow burn fic. I’m at 20k right now, only a couple more thousand pages to go. That’s not even me joking btw, I actually have a 20k fic in my drafts except it’s not for genshin. I’m almost embarrassed to admit who I spent that much time writing since I have a friend who also likes that character. I ain’t ready to expose myself just yet and that fic is the most self-indulgent mess that will never see the light of day. 

Ahh this is such a good idea?? I am in such a moral dilemma of fuck, I really want to write this now. I want to make Xiao suffer even more because I’m a horrible person. Fucking christ, imagine it’s during the archon war and he sees his string break. Just imagine the thoughts that race through his brain. Strings of fate weren’t suppose to break unless the other one had died. 

You know who I really want to hurt today? Chongyun. I can already see it in my brainworms mind. Him believing that it was the affect of a demon that caused your strings to be broken because he can’t accept that you passed away. Xingqiu doing his best to comfort his friend and trying to make him realize that you’re gone. You’re not coming back.

You know what sucks even more that a character death? One day you’re both walking and then suddenly your strings break. You’ve fallen out of love for him. You don’t know who he is anymore, the boy you fell in love with in Khaenri’ah doesn’t exist in the person you’re standing next too. I actually have a 180k fic idea in my brain right now for Kaeya because I went on a full tangent with hilichurl anon about hilichurl language actually being Khaenri’ah (NO YOU WILL NOT TAKE THAT HEADCANON AWAY FROM ME). I’m an absolute sucker for happy endings but who knows, I might be saying this before I rip your heart in half.

YOU WANNA KNOW SOMETHING EVEN SADDER? You love Diluc with all your heart and yet your strings never reattach after that incident. You both agree to just ignore it and go through the motions because you don’t have anyone else. You’ve been together all this time that your relationship becomes a routine. You don’t know if Diluc fell out of love for you or if he truly believes that he doesn’t deserve your love. 

I know I mentioned this already but I am SO DOWN to brainrot with you if you have any ideas. Of course, anyone feel free to join in. Once my request box is open, please come back and re-request it;; stay with me don’t go. I might...actually write this. Right now. Possibly. 

[rodeo-boots]

Hi there! Im not sure if I've requested from you before have I?

So I was wondering if I could have a one-shot Sadie/F!ChubbyReader? Something sweet that gets steamy.

I was thinking that it could be the readers having a rough time because she thinks she's unworthy of love and the fact that she's into women makes it even harder.

Take your time, no need to rush~

Feel free to message me if you cant/won't do this I understand Xx

You hadn't requested from me before, btw. BUT I really loved writing this one for you! I hope it's what you've been looking for <3 (I also hope there are no more errors left, I only proofread this once)

Rating: Explicit

Words: 2679

Warnings: NSFW, Low Self-Esteem Reader (Body-Image issues)

AO3

––––––––––––––––––––––

It was one of the rare occasions when camp was quiet, most gang-members fast asleep as darkness spread over Clemens Point.

You had missed the silence, already used to the rambunctious songs, to the laughter and chatter of the others. Even if those good times never were to last.

These days, it was hard to achieve happiness, to feel even remotely safe, your travels East having shaken the entire group to the core.

And sometimes, you wished you had stayed in the West, had bought land and settled down like you've planned, even if that might not have changed a thing.

When it was quiet, like now, your mind often wandered, drifted along with the sounds of rippling water.

It was nice here, better than it had been up at Colter, but you still felt out of place. And no amount of fresh air or crisp water could change that.

With a sigh, you leaned further against the log behind you, your arms crossed in front of your chest where you sat.

At least in the darkness, no one had to stare at you. Had to see you.

You could just be, with no obligations to be appealing to anyone at all.

Never before had Dutch sent you out to distract any targets, to use your good looks on unsuspecting fools like the other women at camp often did. Because you had none. Or so you told yourself.

Of course it was harsh, of course you had other things to offer. But with a couple pounds too many, with chub around your cheeks and your hips, you didn't feel as attractive as you wished you would be.

You envied Abigail, Mary-Beth, Karen, Tilly... if not for their appearance then for their confidence. And Sadie? Sometimes you wished you could walk a day in her shoes, that you could stop caring about what other people thought and put on some pants.

Though you feared you'd only get stared at more like that.

Time went by without you noticing. Maybe you've nodded off somewhere down the line, the sight of the water gleaming beneath the moonlight oddly tranquil and soothing to you.

Your thoughts continued to roam, continued to shift and flow like the water in front of you.

Occasionally, you'd see a fish jump out of the lake, would hear a nocturnal bird taking flight within the nearby trees. And you yearned to be free like them; free of judgment, of society's standards, and your own low self-esteem.

You wondered if they perceived beauty like humans did, if they stared down at the two-legged, wingless creatures, saw long and flowing hair idly whipping in the breeze, or a freckled face and bright eyes and fell in love.

It would be a loss if they didn't, if they were unable to see what you did – and you decided that maybe, being a human might not be all that bad.

Sure, all you could do was behold the beauty around you. You knew you would never get a chance of something more; knew you couldn't compliment the way Sadie's yellow blouse flattered her figure and receive more than a simple "thank you".

It had always been like that – you, finding beauty in another woman, finding beauty in her voice, the sparkle in her eyes and the way she strutted and sauntered along the way. You knew you couldn't change that, knew that you would never be 'normal', but hell, you didn't want to be. If there even was such a thing as normal.

In the past, and even up to the current day, you've struggled with it. With your sexuality.

You had come to terms with it, of course, but you knew that you only stood out more with your chosen way of life. If your body wasn't enough to keep people away, your orientation might just be, and it worried you, what the others might think should you ever come out to them.

It hadn't been your intention to grow upset, your brain doing it to yourself no matter what you tried to do about it.

So you sat and stared out onto the lake, gaze blank as you simply beheld the beauty all around. Watching, and doing nothing, as always.

The sound of boots upon sand drew you out of your thoughts, your head turning to see a familiar figure approaching.

She was tall, slim, her hair braided beneath her hat. A few strands hung loose, though that only held it's special charm.

"What're you doin' out here?" Sadie asked, sitting down on the fallen tree behind you. She kept a bit of a polite distance, crossing her legs as her elbows rested upon her propped up knee.

You swallowed softly, looked back ahead and out onto the wide lake. "Just thinking," you explained, unable to come up with anything else that might explain you being restless and awake at this time of day.

The other woman hummed, her own gaze trailing over the water in front of her.

It appeared black in the dark of night, only little light reflexes showing the movement of the soft waves.

"Did someone say somethin' again?"

Her sudden words brought you back to reality, the silence between you having stretched for a couple minutes before. It wasn't rare that the less pleasant people at camp upset you over your insecurities, pointed out facets of yourself that didn't need to be addressed.

You shook your head, anyhow. Today, that hadn't been the case. Besides, you never knew Sadie paid any attention to the treatment you received. "It's me," you mumbled after a moment of consideration. "Me who made me feel like crap."

And while you huffed at the words you spoke, they were genuine. Oftentimes, it was you who made your life harder than it had to be.

Sadie pushed herself off the log, plopped down into the slightly moist sand by your side. You watched her from the corners of your eyes, unsure what she was intending to do.

But she didn't do anything, merely sat with you and stared out into the water, thinking about what you had said before.

"I did that a lot," she eventually spoke up, turning to face you. "Guess it ain't the same, but I– sat and thought a lot, too. That never seemed to help." She chuckled, but the sound was rather mirthless, her tone more serious than anything.

You had seen her in the past, had seen her sitting outside of camp, far from anyone else. She's had a broken heart to nurse, had a terrible loss to get over, and in the end she had come out stronger than ever.

"You don't gotta tell me, if you don't want. Maybe it'd make you feel better, though."

Inhaling, you thought about her words, wondered if you would even be able to put your innermost thoughts and feelings into words.

Never before had someone asked you to share them, no one ever having as much of an interest in you as that.

"It's nothing," you tried to deflect, tried to invalidate your troubles in order to not burden Sadie with them here and now.

The woman snorted, however, raised a brow as she looked at you. "Don't look like nothin' to me," she pointed out, not impolitely.

"How about this–" she sat up, her back against the log as she gestured for you to come closer, to lean back against her chest.

For a moment you could only stare in disbelief, though you took the chance now that it was offered to you. It had been a while since you've last been physically close to anyone, after all.

"Comfortable?" Sadie asked. You gave her a nod, your heart racing in your chest and beating within your ears.

Holy Shit. That hadn't been how you'd imagined this night would go.

Sadie wrapped her arms around you loosely, rested her chin atop your head. She seemed content herself, seemed like she had wanted to do that for a long while. The thought made your heart skip a beat.

"I know you think you're worse than you are," Sadie spoke up again, keeping her voice low while speaking to you. It was oddly soothing, her usual rough tone sounding more than just pleasant to your ears. "But you ain't bad. Truth be told, I admire you."

That made you pause, your breath catching in the back of your throat. "Me? For what?"

She chuckled kindly, brushing through your hair to tuck a few strands behind your ear. "For knowin' who you are, and what you want. For stayin' true to yourself no matter what anyone says."

Yet again, you hadn't expected her to be all that perceptive, hadn't expected her to know much about you at all. For as long as you've known her, your conversations had been brief, cut short by your occasional shyness and nervosity. Sadie seemed to have read you better than you ever could've thought.

"I..." you weren't sure what to say, or if you should say anything at all. The woman's arms around you were soothing, almost soporific, though the warmth pooling within you made it hard to consider dozing off.

"I always wanted t'know more about you," Sadie continued, nuzzling the top of your head, her lips brushing over your strands of hair. "Wanted to know more 'bout the beautiful woman who's stolen my heart."

You were sure this had to be a dream, that you had passed out after all and your mind was playing tricks on you by now.

But Sadie felt as real as could be, her hot breath in the nape of your neck, her arms around your waist, thighs left and right of your hips. Whatever you had thought of before, all your insecurities and doubts, it all seemed far away by now.

"Me– Me, too," you brought out, confessing to your feelings without directly doing so. Sadie was more bold and confident than you were, was more brave and straight-forward in your eyes. And just like she had said before, you admired her just as well. But most importantly, you were sure you loved her.

Feeling enlivened by her words, empowered by the warmth swelling within your heart, you turned around, straddled her lap and properly looked her in the face. "I think I love you," you properly confessed, cupping her freckled cheeks like you've wished to do for so long already.

She smiled up at you, keeping her hands on your waist for now as she leaned in, and captured your lips with her own.

The kiss didn't last as long as you've wanted it to, but upon pulling away, Sadie spoke up again; "I know I love you." Her smile grew, your forehead resting on hers when you returned the gesture.

Once your lips had met the first time, you couldn't stop yourself from going in for a second kiss. Your eyes fluttered shut, fingertips gliding along Sadie's sides and down to the hem of her shirt. Now that you knew of her feelings towards you, and were fully certain as those within yourself, you only wanted more.

She reacted in kind, teased your tongue with hers when her lips parted ever so slightly, a moan slipping into the kiss. You weren't sure if it had come from you or her, but that didn't matter much, not when your hands soon met bare skin, fingers gripping her sides while her own ran along your thighs.

"You wanna do this right here?" She asked, leaning back a little to capture your stare.

Slightly out of breath, you nodded. Hell, you didn't care where you'd do this, as long as you could feel her skin on yours.

Without missing a beat, Sadie worked on helping you out of your dress, glancing back, only to make sure camp was as quiet as it had been before.

Even if a few drunkards were still milling about, you couldn't care less, your fingers working on her buttons to relieve her off her top layer, before climbing off her lap to get her pants off her hips.

Naked, you laid back in the sand, invited her to follow you only for her lips to meet yours again. She placed her hat on top of your head, gave you a small smirk as her lips wandered lower, over your collarbone and down to your chest.

Moving boldly, her mouth latched onto one nipple right away, one hand kneading the other breast while she suckled and licked your sensitive bud.

Your breath hitched, spine curving to get closer to her heavenly mouth, your head already swimming without her having done too much just yet.

Soon enough, she had stimulated your other nipple to full hardness as well, laying down on her side next to you, and pulling you in for another kiss. "Let's keep this quiet," she muttered, her fingeres wandering once again until they reached your sex, a hum leaving her lips when she discovered the hot wetness there.

She caressed your folds, encouraged you to hitch one leg up and around her hip while coating her fingers within your slick. Slowly, her fingers circled your clit, made your hips jerk sporadically and your muscles tense here and there.

"Can I?" You had only pulled away from the kiss for a second, glancing at her while your fingers slid down her flat stomach.

"Be my guest," she grumbled, trailing lovebites along your collarbone and up to your shoulder, the small motions of her fingers on your clit steadily driving you insane.

To offer her the same kind of pleasure, your hand soon found the spot between her legs, met with an equal wetness as that between your own. You groaned, teasingly gliding your fingers through her folds before your thumb focused solely on her nub.

She gasped, almost sounding surprised, like she hadn't been touched there in a while, though that only spurred you on more. You wanted her to feel as good as possible, pulling away after another few moments only to propose another idea.

"I wanna taste you," you muttered, fingers disappearing from her soaked cunt as you laid back. Seemingly catching on right away, Sadie climbed on top, straddling your face while hers was right in front of your own crotch.

With the new position, you dove in without a moment's hesitation, held onto her hips and pulled her close as your tongue licked through her folds and up to her nub.

She moaned out, had to have bitten down on her lip to keep more sounds from surfacing before she leaned down herself, and focused on your clit right away.

Besides the sounds of your actions, the occasional slurping, squelching and your labored breaths, it was still mostly quiet, the area belonging solely to you in this moment.

You rolled your hips upwards, chased more of the heavenly feeling of her mouth on you as you felt yourself getting close.

Clearly, Sadie wasn't all that far, either, her abdominal muscles flexing while her thighs tried to squeeze your head, the motions of her tongue growing more desperate the closer she got to her climax.

It was over much too quickly, had been too long for you to hold back at all, your body tensing for a moment before releasing in a rush of endorphins that was better than anything you've had before.

You pulled back for air, slipped two fingers into Sadie's tight cunt to grant her a satisfying release as well, and watched, when she shook and trembled through her very own orgasm.

She rolled off of you after a moment, cursing under her breath as she did so.

It wasn't long before she crawled back up to you, however, before her lips met yours and you could taste yourselves upon each other's tongue.

"You fancy a midnight swim?" She asked when she pulled away, sitting back on her knees and helping you up when you agreed.

[marumafan]

Your answers have only given me more questions. If half Mazoku cannot use maryoku than does that mean half Mazoku men can’t give birth either? How does that work if you can chose to just not be Mazoku anymore? How is Mazoku an ethnicity when there seems to be a biological basis for it, like an ability to give birth, so can male humans just chose to be become Mazoku and give birth?? Give up being Mazoku and lose their ability to give birth? Does giving up your Mazoku ethnicity change the quality of your soul?? Is it actually not biological and mpreg babies are somehow grown from your soul?? If half Mazoku don’t have Maryoku how do they even age so slowly? Also, do Shinzoku age slowly like Mazoku do, or age like humans? Maybe that’s why Jason and Freddy are ten years old but don’t speak the common tongue? They’re actually really tall toddlers. Also if Mazoku is the one that is an ethnicity and not Shinzoku than how the hell can you wish for Houryoku and actually get it?? The way Mazoku and Shinzoku are does not sound like a clear cut race and ethnicity, it doesn’t make sense?

Oh my!

Magic Half mazoku don't have maryoku, yes. Yuuri is a special exception (or maybe he's not half at all<-fan theory of mine).

Male pregnancy Male pregnancy doesn't exist in the maruma universe. Neither mazoku, nor half mazoku, nor human men can give birth. Wolfram clarifies this in Gaiden 1; The taming of the bear - Day Three, -> "Neither Yuuri nor I are giving birth that's because we're men". I'm not sure how translations have handled this, but it was just a joke by Conrad. I wonder how many fans out there think this is a thing. I'm sorry, no mpreg.

Mazoku and aging Again, mazoku is an ethnicity. Everyone who's human-shaped mazoku now, was once human. They were simply 'a little different' and had some powers (different for each tribe) and they were chased away by humans. Shin Makoku has existed for 4000 years, for example, and the healing hands tribe, joined them 2000 years ago. They're the ones responsible for mazoku extended lives. All other mazoku didn't live that long. But when the healing hands started healing them their life expectancy increased slowly to what is now. (This is in novel 1)

Soul Giving up being a mazoku doesn't change your soul. In Adalbert's case, he's simply not using maryoku anymore (If he ever could, we don't know if he could before. He was a warrior, but we've never been told if he had maryoku powers, some mazoku don't have powers. It all depends on the type of soul they have). He's also decided to use houryoku (which anyone can learn) instead.

Shinzoku aging Shinzoku don't age slowly like mazoku, like I said, mazoku aging comes from the healing hands tribe (Gisela's tribe).

Jason and Freddy I know there's a reason why Jason and Freddy don't speak the common tongue but can't remember exactly now. Something like they were with their families that didn't speak it (They speak something different in Seisakoku-> (Something French-like; remember the common tongue is German-like)), and then they were locked in with other children who didn't speak it well and were also never educated so they can't speak well... don't quote me on this, it was something similar to it. Other questions ->Also if Mazoku is the one that is an ethnicity and not Shinzoku than how the hell can you wish for Houryoku and actually get it?? We don't knowXD This is the rule and it's stated in the ma encyclopedia (written by the author, these are her definitions). It probably has to do with plot points we haven't found out about yet (I can venture a fantheory: something like everyone who looks human is essentially 'human' and that some were more gifted to use it than others - just like some people can run faster than others. Shinou created the two types of magic: the regular one, and the one that obeys him and mazoku. Essentially it's the same thing, but some elements decided to obey him and not everyone else. In that link I sent in the other reply you can see there was an original ancestor for the shinzoku, too. Also Shinou looks quite shinzoku if you ask me XD Anyway, it seems like all was cool until Shinou decided to create problems. But he also made a land where everyone who's 'a little special' can move to. Shinou is also the one assigning the special souls here and there, so probably he's at fault for choosing where each special soul goes to. Fan theories ) -> The way Mazoku and Shinzoku are does not sound like a clear cut race and ethnicity, it doesn’t make sense? Well, mazoku can be: " Noble princes from here and there have gathered to this country from various places today, in addition to representing various families, and some here and there that had human-like shapes. The flying bone race that I've befriended and their relatives, the ground bone race, like gargoyles on an American building, people with four legs that look like gray leopards, palm-sized petit-macho men that make the sound of an aburazem) (maybe a fairy), and a huge tuna lying on the soaked floor conspicuously.: (novel 1 chapter 10) I'd say that putting tuna, skeletons and humans all under one label qualifies as calling mazoku an ethnicity. (Also, Yuuri literally says they are an ethnicity and not a race in "Do you want an exorcism 2") Shinzoku are identifiable by their looks, which is why I called them a race. But yeah, human, shinzoku and mazoku are all human shaped, and clearly connected in some way. Btw, the reason why more humans don't use magic (if anyone can get it) is probably because humans are scared of people who are 'weird' and they'll probably get tossed off the land if they do learn it. My guess is that's how mazoku came to be to begin with. (<- Guesses of mine, nothing stated in canon; just putting info together) Hope that helped!

[nanami-says]

Part III (1/2): chapters 19-25

Vs. Mahito Arc

Chapter 19 (aka why this blog exists)

J:”Yeah, we know that. But we flatter her because she looks easy.”

⇒ ”And the three of them know it as well. But they flatter you exaggeratedly anyway because they think you’ll let them do you”

Actually Junpei’s lines.

J:”I can’t believe people like that go to my school.”

Not incorrect, I just want to point out that Junpei didn’t just say “people”, the word he used is “race” (人種）, which implies he doesn’t see them as the same kind of human he is.

J:”Was it that guy who did it? There’s no way a person could do that! If he did it, he must not be human.”

⇒ “Was it that person just now? No, would such a thing be even possible for a human being? And if it was, would they really be a ‘human being’?”

Overall correct but the flow was different. Mind you, 人 can be translated both as “person” and “human being” (among others) depending on the context. Imo this captures the nuance better but YMMV!

N:”I’m here to identify the truth and uphold the law. There was a time when I thought the society had the same goals”

⇒ ”Adapting to the facts [in front of you] and managing yourself accordingly. That’s who I am. There was a time where I mistakenly believed society operated on the same basis.”

This was really hard to translate, especially since the phrase Nanami uses here is rather formal language. I actually checked the official anime subtitles for this one and they went with “I adhere to the facts and judge on that basis”, which I guess is close enough? I’d probably go with it as well if not for the fact that he doesn’t just say 律する but 己を律する (己/onore = I/me in humble language).

Seems like the exact meaning of the phrase is difficult to understand even for Japanese people - there are whole articles out there breaking down the meaning and giving examples of how to implement it in life 8D Anyway, the simplest explanation is “to control yourself”, with further nuance of “enforcing rules on yourself in order to achieve a goal”, “restricting your desires and impulses by your own will” etc.

Thanks a lot, Gege.

Btw, Ino, who respects Nanami greatly and considers him a mentor, actually uses the same phrase, word for word, in ch. 95! (事実に即し、己を律する) That’s how important it is. Also, continuity!

Y:”Let’s do it!”

N:”There’s no need to get excited”

⇒ Y:“Let’s go all out!!”

 N:”No, if moderate’s enough, let’s just do it moderately”

They both used descriptors for just what kind of intensity they should approach the mission with. Imo, an important distinction because after they learn the full extent of the situation, Nanami takes back his words from this moment and agrees with Yuuji, going as far as to use the same words Yuuji did here.

N:”I wonder what others would think hearing you say that”

⇒ “I’m sure the others wouldn’t want to hear that from you [of all people]”

So not so much “don’t be rude” as “dude, you’re the weirdest of them all”. Emphasis mine.

N:”What I learned at Jujutsu High is that jujutsu sorcerers are idiots” 

& “What I realized while at the office is that work is idiotic”

He actually says “shit” both times lol. If it was just the humour that suffered here, it still wouldn’t be too awful but unfortunately it’s not just that. The “sorcerers are shit” line gets recalled when Nanami’s facing death, trapped in Mahito’s domain, which makes it pretty damn important. It gets translated yet differently by the official release then, too, which further damages continuity I believe Gege intended for this.

”So I took the lesser of two evils. Nothing more, nothing less”

⇒ “If both are shit, then I just chose the one I’m more cut out for. That’s all as far as the reason for my coming back is concerned.”

I mean, if we realllllly insist on watering down everything that Nanami says (as JJK translators apparently did), then the basic meaning was conveyed but the original wording and nuance was closer to what I proposed.

N:”Prove to me that you can be useful in spite of the demon Sukuna inside of you”

⇒ “Give your best to prove that you’re useful despite carrying the bomb that Sukuna is.”

Considering how 2 pages later Nanami tells Yuuji that he’s not the one Yuuji should be proving himself to, it’d have been weird if this is actually what he’d said, wouldn’t it. But Nanami’s nothing if not reasonable, so that wasn’t the case.

Y:”I’m weak and useless. I’ve been hearing a lot of that these days”

⇒ “That I’m weak and useless... I’ve been realising that to a painful extent these days”

“I’ve been hearing it” would imply that someone was actually saying it either to Yuuji himself or to others which he was aware of. (I mean, other than Sukuna.) The original wording doesn’t really hold such connotation.

N:”If you think you’re in trouble, let me know”

Y:”Have some faith in me, will ya? Just a little.”

N:”It’s not about faith.(...)”

Y:”A child? I’d rather be underestimated”.

⇒ N:“If you decide you cannot win, please call me.”

Y:”Aren’t you underestimating me too much?”

N:”This is not about ‘underestimating’ or ‘not underestimating’.(...)

Y:”[Even] being underestimated would’ve been better over being treated like a kid.”

I guess the translators wanted to avoid saying “underestimate” 3 times in a row? Albeit that’s what the original does.

More importantly though!!

N:”I’m an adult and you’re a child. I have the obligation to look after you”

⇒ “(...) It’s my obligation to prioritise you over myself.”

Quite a different nuance, right. Not just “I have to look after you” but “your well-being [life] takes priority over my own”.

N:”Experiencing these little losses is what helps people grow into adults”

⇒ “It’s the accumulation of such small despairs that turns people into adults”

Not that wildly different but despairs (hopelessnesses) >>> losses, y/y. Also “helps” made it sound more positive when it’s both a poignant and at the same time dry statement.

Chapter 20

N:”There are techniques that aren’t affected if revealed to certain enemies”

Those two feel more like separate examples to me. I.e. that there are techniques that aren’t affected if revealed, and there are some enemies that you can afford to reveal your technique to. Could apply simultaneously but don’t necessarily have to, if that makes sense?

“There is a merit to revealing one’s hand and the rules it initiates. You can make your technique even more effective.”

⇒ “It has its merits too. The ‘binding’ of ‘revealing one’s hand’ amplifies the effectiveness of your technique.”

Wild lost “binding” appears! Like I indicated before, it’s the lack of consistency to translating terms that are consistent in the original, that has negatively affected the fans’ ability to understand the basics of jjk techniques and world-building.

[Explaining Yuuji’s divergent fist]

GJ:”But it’s a lot easier said than done for anyone else.”

⇒ “It’s not something that can be easily done on purpose”

N:”His physical strength is superhuman. The impact of his hit doesn’t have incredibly strong energy, but it’s still about 20% more than a normal sorcerer. That means his delayed hit comes from his main source of cursed energy. It must be quite annoying for those on the receiving end. Such potential. If he’s able to go out all and combine his full physical strength with a cursed technique…”

⇒ “(...) The initial impact contains little cursed energy but it still achieves 120% of an average sorcerer. And then the actual cursed energy hits with a delay. For those on the receiving end it must be more unpleasant than one could imagine. And he’s got potential for growth, too. If he becomes able to add 100% of cursed energy to a 100% body…”

Uhh, this was a tricky one because on the first read it doesn’t seem that terribly wrong but when you read the original carefully, you realise this and that got lost in translation. My version should be closer to the original meaning.

I:”We’re going to have to ask the murderer about the technique”

⇒ “That’s just something that you can’t know unless you ask the offender about their technique”

Obviously Ieiri wasn’t suggesting to literally ask the murderer.

“However there’s evidence the brain stems were modified. Their consciousness were also modified to create a state of confusion”

⇒ (...) This was probably done to create a disturbance of consciousness... a state of mental confusion”

Slightly different nuance for this one.

Y:”For me, the gravity of death is the same regardless. This isn’t right!”

First sentence is mostly correct but it should’ve been “the gravity of death of another person” (emphasis mine).

Second sentence sounds too mild for what is actually Yuuji being super mad specifically about the way those people were killed? The phrase he uses means something like "This is just in way too poor taste”, “way too vulgar” etc. I guess if you went for a less literal translation, you could say “just too disgusting”/”revolting”.

N:”This matter won’t be taken care of so easily. Let’s do it”

⇒ “Looks like ‘moderately’ won’t be enough here. Let’s go all out.”

This is the instance of Nanami retracting his words and backing Yuuji up by borrowing his own words that I mentioned earlier!

M:”Jujutsu sorcerers brand such entities as “special grade potential spirits” and fear them as much as powerful curses. The fact that they categorize them as such really shows their shallowness”

⇒ “Jujutsu sorcerers register them as “special grade potential apparitions” and remain on alert against them [on alert for their appearance]. The same applies to powerful unidentified curses. That they categorise them as ‘potential apparitions’ just shows how little they truly see.”

It’s not that sorcerers fear them per se but that they (most likely) monitor them and are on guard against them. When followed up by the “what people truly genuinely fear are natural disasters [forces of nature]” conversation, it becomes clear that what Mahito scorns sorcerers for is their short-sightedness for thinking all powerful curses must be born out of people’s imagination, ~urban legends~ etc.

[Junpei asking what Mahito was born from]

M:”Thanks to the hatred spewed between people I was born”

⇒ “I’m a curse born out of the fear and hatred people harbour towards [other] people"

or even

“I’m a curse born out of people hating and fearing people”

Again a quite different nuance. They really shouldn’t have edited “fear” out.

Chapter 21

J:’Don’t you think that whoever first said, ‘The opposite of love is not hate, it’s indifference’ must be rotting in hell? There’s no way hating people is better than feeling indifferent towards them.”

⇒ “(...) There’s no way that approaching others with evil intentions is better than not interacting [with them] at all”

The first sentence is mostly fine although the original doesn’t include the “is not hate” bit, it only says “the opposite of love is indifference”. The second part is quite different. After all, hating doesn’t necessarily imply there’s any action taken.

“Complicating simple things for the sake of meaning is such a Japanese thing to do”

⇒ “Japanese sure love it - complicating simple answers and gloating in it”

I didn’t like the “for the sake of meaning” bit, imo it’s over-interpreting.

J:”Indifference. That’s what humans should strive for.”

M:”Sounds more like revenge”

J:“Are you saying that I got it all mixed up?”

Junpei’s first line here is fine although interestingly enough he puts it as “a virtue humans should strive for”. Then it’s

⇒ M:“And yet you wish for revenge”

J:”Are you trying to say I’m contradicting myself?”

M:”In this world, only I understand the soul’s composition. I can even transmogrify living beings. Emotions come from the soul. It’s too simplistic to call it ‘heart’. People overthink the things they can’t see. (...)”

⇒ “In this world I’m the only one who understands the soul’s composition. After all, I change the shape of living beings by touching it. Emotions are products of the metabolism of the soul. It’s altogether too mechanical [of a process] to call it a heart. People assign too much value to things invisible to the eye.(...)”

Last one is literally “consider ‘special’ way too much”, simpler wording than what I went with but I tried to make it more legible.

The “metabolism of the soul” phrase is especially vital because Junpei throws it at Yuuji almost word for word when confronted by him at the school after his mother’s death.

More philosophy lessons from Mahito-sensei \o/

“Don’t limit yourself to just being indifferent. There’s no reason to live by such a restricting philosophy.”

⇒ “Don’t allow yourself to be shackled by the ideal called ‘indifference’. There’s no need for there to be consistency in one’s way of life.”

Mahito actually takes the “is ‘consistency’ necessary” stance a few times in the manga, including when he and Getou squabble about the relationship between the body and the soul in Shibuya. A pity about the mistranslation here.

“I support everything you represent, Junpei”

⇒ “I’ll affirm your everything, Junpei”

Imo the act of supporting and the act of affirming while similar aren’t one and the same, hence the change.

N:”Either come alone, or risk bringing Itadori with me. I chose the former, nothing more. He’s still a child, after all.”

⇒ “The risk of venturing [into the enemy’s territory] alone, or the risk of bringing Itadori-kun with me. I simply chose the former. He’s still a child, after all.”

Idk, I feel like cutting out “the risk” from the first option makes Nanami sound more callous? Like Yuuji’s a liability and going by himself is a sounder option. Whereas, it was actually him weighing two risks against each other and deciding that potentially endangering Yuuji is the one he can afford less.

[After Yuuji asks why he doesn’t know important jujutsu related stuff.]

I:”Because Gojou’s your mentor.” ⇒ “it’s because Gojou’s ...”

He actually uses a lovely adjective to describe Gojou, which can mean a plethora of things, including: irresponsible, sloppy, lazy, unreliable, careless, perfunctory etc. etc.

Ichiji? Not a member of Gojou Satoru Fanclub.

Y:”This feels like a bad plan”

⇒ “This feels so staged, I don’t like it.”

Lit. “play [perform, read] one's own work”. I think what Yuuji might’ve meant here was that the plan felt dishonest? Second sentence could also be “I don’t feel up for it.”

Chapter 22

M:”Was that some kind of cursed technique?”

N:”What do you mean by ‘some kind’? I don’t appreciate questions that are left open to interpretation”

⇒ “(...) I hate abstract questions that put the whole burden on the other person”

Lit. “that leave it to others”. Other than Nanami being more straightforward with “hate”/”dislike”, I think this was him expressing he doesn’t like people who don’t even try to think for themselves and immediately demand answers from others instead.

“It would be silly to not assume a connection(...)”

⇒ “It would be more unnatural not to assume a connection(...)”

Different wording (unnatural instead of silly), which imo affects Nanami’s characterisation.

M:”The shape of the body will always be dependent on the shape of the soul”

This sounds a bit too passive and generic? Closer to “The shape of the body gets pulled along by the shape of the soul”, which is literally what Mahito’s technique does.

I’m heavily paraphrasing but!

magazine raw scans: ”it's 6:30 PM now and I started working at 11 AM, so I'm going to finish by 7PM no matter what”

official English release:”it's 5:30 PM now and I started at 10, gotta finish by 6”

The time change is so random, I wonder if Gege simply changed it themselves for the volume release. Maybe to bring it closer to the common office job times? Typical Japanese work day at the office begins at 9AM and lasts 8h + 1h break (completely unpaid but compulsory). I guess if Nanami skipped the break then working 10AM-6PM would make it exactly 8h?

The biggest mystery of jjk.

Chapter 23

M:”Even if sorcerers can protect their bodies using cursed energy, they can’t protect their souls”

⇒ “Even if sorcerers can protect their bodies using cursed energy, they [just] aren’t used to protecting their souls”.

So it’s not that they “can’t” as in “are incapable of” and more that there’s never been the need, so they never learned how and aren’t used to doing it. As proven by Yuuji later it’s not impossible.

M:”Overtime? He restricts himself based on time! He was limiting his power until now!”

⇒ “Overtime work? A ‘biding’ based on time! He was suppressing his power by himself until now!”

Another instance where “binding” as a term makes its appearance (it even uses quotation marks) but wasn’t properly denoted by the translators.

M:”A large-scale attack, and he doesn’t care if he gets hit while doing it!”

⇒ “A large-scale attack [done] with the resolve of [potentially] getting killed along with me!”.

The phrase Mahito uses here is 相打ち, lit. “killing [hitting] each other at the same time”. Also, “doesn’t care” and “is prepared/has the resolve” are quite different, aren’t they.

Chapter 24

J:”The way a perfectionist is willing to lay everything out there is beautifully portrayed”

⇒ ”The change in emotions [leading up] to a perfectionist abandoning everything is properly portrayed here”

I’m including this because knowing Gege, it’s not just simple movie talk, and it’s actually foreshadowing Yuuji’s future fate or something 8D

I can’t decide if it’s “abandon” (also “throw out of the window”) or “sacrifice” because the word used can mean either. I’m leaving that to everyone’s interpretation.

“Like I thought, that sorcerer’s nuts!”

⇒ “He doesn’t look it but he sure does reckless things, that sorcerer”

How does "he doesn't look it but (...)" even become "like I thought (...)"? He was laughing at and enjoying the contrast between Nanami's appearance/attitude and his actions/fighting.

M:”My cursed energy is also controlled by my will”

⇒ “The spending of cursed energy too is among things I can supply by myself.”

I’m not entirely sure because it’s a tricky one, so take this one with a grain of salt. But the official release is definitely missing “spending/expenditure” and Mahito isn’t talking about using/manipulating his cursed energy in general but “the amount of cursed energy spent”.

“Mr. Irresponsible Gojou” ⇒  “Devil-may-care Gojou-san”

“Mr. Mature Nanami” ⇒ “The adult of [all] adults Nanami-san”/”the adult above all adults”

I just really enjoy Ichiji and his little epithets, I guess.

J:”Have you ever killed anyone?”

⇒ “Have you ever killed a human being/another human?”

Just putting it out there because imo there's a distinction between “anyone” and “a human being”. Especially considering how much of this arc was questioning what being a human means.

Y:”Um… I mean, the choice to kill will definitely find its way to me”

⇒ "How to put it... once I've killed someone, "killing" would become one of the possible options [to take] in my life".

Maybe the nuance was there in the official release too and I just didn't pick up on it but to me the former makes it sound more like he’s saying "I may still have to kill one day". Whereas the original seems to hold the connotation that if you do something once - even if it’s something as horrible as killing another human being - it becomes easier to do it again in the future because it's a choice you've made before, it's not untouchable anymore.

Chapter 25

[Yuuji expressing his regret over Nanami choosing to go fight Mahito alone.]

"Am I in your way, Nanamin?”

⇒ “Am I a burden [to you], Nanamin?”

A different nuance for this line.

“’My friend died but I wasn’t there because I’m a child.’ I wouldn't do that to you. That said"

⇒ "’My comrade died. But I wasn’t there. Why? Because I am a child.’ I would hate something like that" [to be put in such a position]

And this is just pure mistranslation. The whole “my comrade died but I wasn’t there because I’m a child” line is actually Yuuji painting a possible scenario (he does it with short sentences but the speech is overall polite). What they translated as “that said” was actually a follow-up to that scenario and could be translated as “something like that”.

N:”Being a child is not a bad thing”

⇒ “Being a child is in no way a crime”

I wanted to point this out since the original word’s most common meaning is actually “sin”, which is significantly heavier than just “not a bad thing”. Could also go with a milder “is not something to feel guilty about” here I guess.

G:”How’s the curtain coming along?”

M:”Can’t get in, can get out. This only applies to humans with weak cursed energy.”

⇒ G:”What’s the effect of the ‘curtain’?”

M:“Can't get out from the inside, can get in from the outside. (...)”

Literally the opposite for the curtain’s effect. Emphasis is Gege’s, too! Also Getou’s question was actually about how exactly the curtain in question would work, and not just how it was coming along.

M:”We’ll make them fight and force Yuji Itadori to make a binding vow in Sukuna’s favor”

Just to reiterate, whenever “binding vow” appears, it’s actually just “binding”.

[to part iii (2/2)]

[to part iii (2/2)]

[justleaf]

Summary

Roche and Iorveth go on a date with Geralt as their chaperone (not the hat).

Content Background

This one is especially painful to yeet because it was already completed, together with 50% of the next chapter that was the smutty bits. It was finished right about the time I posted Chapter 5 and would have fit in as Chapter 11, but it just didn't make sense with all the additional plot points I'd shoved in.

I've redacted the parts that could potentially get my tumblr banned btw please donut laugh when you see it.

Original Fic

It Took Years

Length

2,300 words

_____________

“Geralt, remember when I released you from prison and saved you from the Nilfgaardians a year ago?”

The white wolf raised his eyebrows in surprise. Roche had never called in a favour for him, and he could tell that Geralt knew it was going to be quite significant. He had thought about it too many times and despite the embarrassment and possibly never being able to look the witcher in the eye, he simply had no other choice.

“Look, I just need you to help Iorveth and I create an alibi.”

“... Uh-huh?”

“We have a meeting with Dijkstra in Novigrad in a week's time, and I plan to…” he swallowed hard when the words became momentarily stuck in his throat. It took another second for him to gather his courage to speak, and the slight tremble in his voice was immediately noticeable.

“I plan to spend the night with Iorveth in one of the inns the night before. But we need someone to cover us.”

The white wolf seemed to grow even paler and his lips pressed together in contemplation.

“You know that I have enhanced senses.”

“I know, but I need to make sure that no one catches us. Not the Scoia'tael, Blue Stripes, Dijkstra’s spies, Redanian spies, any Nilfgaardian-”

“Alright, alright, I get it. You just need to make sure that everyone thinks that I invited you two for a drink and make sure that no one is listening in.”

“I know I’m asking a lot of you, but you’re the only one I can trust in this situation. I haven’t… Iorveth and I don’t have any other opportunities. I can’t even hold his hand without worrying that someone is watching.”

Geralt stared blankly at him and Roche’s heart began to pump harder. His worry must have shown on his face, for the witcher immediately sighed and shook his head.

“Come to the Chameleon. I’ll get you guys a suite. With a wall to separate the living area and the bedroom.”

Roche looked up at him and down a few times, wondering first if Geralt had misspoke, and then if he had misheard. When the witcher said nothing and shrugged, Roche finally accepted it with a nod.

“Thanks, Geralt. Drinks are on me,” he muttered and hung his head a little. Embarrassment was beginning to burn his cheeks.

“Don’t mention it. I’ll see you soon.”

<center>_________________________</center>

“Why are we here so early when Geralt only wanted to see us after sundown,” Iorveth whispered as they passed the guards that almost ripped their papers in half. Roche had smooth-talked his way in and Iorveth was impressed, even though he didn't let it show.

They had set aside their armour and entered the city dressed as merchants: Roche in a nondescript outfit that let him blend in with the rest of the nobles, and Iorveth draped in a cloak that obscured his elven features.

The sun was nowhere near setting when they arrived in the city. Roche had intended to take him on a date around the city, but didn’t want to admit it.

“I didn’t want to disappoint Geralt by being late.”

“Gwynbleidd would have understood.”

“Well, since we’re already here, we might as well explore the city. I heard of a tavern along the docks with an elven cook. Would you like to go there?”

The mention of food changed Iorveth’s expression immediately and Roche suppressed his laughter.

They dined at the Golden Sturgeon, where Iorveth immediately received preferential treatment from a redhead with freckles (it's Bea btw). She made sure to seat them in a relatively hidden corner and Roche could see the elf progressively relax as his shoulders began to sag. He even spotted the hints of a smile dancing on his lips when she put some strange fish dish in front of him.

Just when Roche thought that Iorveth was incapable of enjoying himself even more, he became increasingly pliant when they sat down at the Chameleon for a pint while a band played in the background. Roche didn't understand the first thing about music, but his two mugs of ale were enough to get him to keep his reservations.

Besides, he had something really cute to look at.

The elf's cloak was finally down and he could see the tips of his pointed ears twitch with every beat of the drum. He thought about how nice it would have been to pin him down to the bed and toy with his ears. His eyes trailed across the elf’s neck. If they didn’t have anywhere to be tomorrow, he would have left bite marks across that smooth skin.

<em>Mine,</em> he thought, and he wanted the world to know once all this was over.

“You play the recorder don’t you,” Roche asked out of the blue. Their eyes met and Iorveth was slightly startled by the intensity of his gaze, but he didn’t back down.

“Yeah. There’s been too much going on recently and I haven’t had the chance to though.”

“You can practice with mine tonight.”

“Vernon,” Iorveth warned with a glare, and then quickly glanced around the room to see if anyone was within earshot. There wasn’t, but the tension in his body didn’t leave.

“I could polish yours all night too, you know.”

The elf flinched and could see the pink develop along the tops of Iorveth’s high cheekbones and the tips of his ear. Past his flustered expression however, there was a particular heat blossoming in his eyes. Roche didn’t let up, his curiosity driving him to see just how much he could take it.

“My carrying case is a bit small, but I’m sure yours will fit in with a bit of a shove."

This time, Iorveth couldn't resist the urge to push back. Dandelion's tavern was filled with his regulars who were deep in their own conversations, and they were just talking about music, right?

"So you admit that my instrument is bigger."

"Well the quality of the instrument doesn't matter if the musician has no idea how to handle it."

"I think we've proven that I'm the better player though."

"Our last few encounters haven't exactly been skewed in my favour and I still managed."

"There is no fairness in music and in battle. You should know this, <em>Commander</em>."

The way Iorveth said the word made his mouth go dry.

Now <em>that</em> was truly unfair, and his [banana] agreed. He was seconds away from tugging Iorveth upstairs when the doors swung open and in stepped the white wolf.

"Geralt!" he called out and waved a hand.

"Nice to see you both. I hope you didn't wait long."

The witcher took a few steps towards them, sniffed the air and wrinkled his nose. He had this resigned look about him and Roche immediately knew that he could smell their arousal.

"Let's drink in my room," Geralt suggested and grabbed four mugs of ale from a passing waitress. She protested at first, but nodded and flashed him a huge smile when she saw who he was.

They headed up the stairs and Roche had to try very hard not to openly stare at Iorveth's ass. It [eggplant] and he had no choice but to stare ruefully at the ground.

As soon as he saw that the second floor was empty, he reached out and pinched the elf's behind. Iorveth jumped at the touch and almost spilled his own mug of ale, and Roche was treated to one of those embarrassed glares. They quietly ascended another flight of stairs and neared the room, and Roche could feel his heart race and his breathing grow ragged.

Finally, after two weeks of planning and trying to fit all the pieces together, it was happening. It had been a year since Dol Blathanna and months since they started seeing each other, and Roche was raring to go.

Geralt opened the door to a suite on the top floor that was exactly as he described: a small living area with a table for four and a few sparse furnishings, though it was far more comfortable than the arrangements he was used to. Partitioned off by a wall and door was a bedroom mostly occupied by a sizable bed and more pillows than he could count. A decision made by the bard, no doubt.

As soon as the door closed behind them and they set down their mugs, Roche grabbed Iorveth’s collar and shoved him towards the bedroom. The elf looked mortified and nearly lost his footing, but he recovered within the span of a few steps. He grabbed Roche’s arms and plucked them off him, then tried to shove him backwards but Roche held his ground.

“What the fuck, Roche?!”

Roche took a step back and considered Iorveth’s anger. The elf's gaze had grown sharp and alert, but he was mostly just shocked at the audacity of his actions. He just flashed him a devious smile and was returned a twitch of confusion.

“What? Didn’t you always like roughhousing me on the forest floor?”

“Not in front of Gwyn-”

Roche barely gave Iorveth a chance to answer. He charged forward, wrapped an arm around the elf’s waist, and threw him straight into bed. Iorveth went flying into the mattress with a groan and Roche climbed straight into his lap. Heavy footsteps thudded behind them and stopped by the door.

“Oil’s on the nightstand. Don’t get the sheets dirty and take your shoes off before you get in bed dammit. I can’t afford to pay for new sheets too.”

“Gwynbleidd, what is the meaning of this.”

“Just a little gift from me to the both of you. Have fun, Iorveth. Just try not to make too much noise.”

The door behind them closed and Iorveth just stared blankly at Roche, who was already taking off his top. No words came out of the elf’s gaping mouth, so Roche blurted out the first thing that came to mind.

“Enjoying the date so far?”

“Explain yourself Roche, I’m not-”

The elf had to pause when Roche began grinding in his lap. It worked until it didn't, and Iorveth grabbed onto his hips to still them. Roche just wanted to get to the fucking already, but the elf refused to be distracted no matter how much he tried.

“Did you plan all this? Coming to my camp to pick me up. Picking flowers for me along the path. Bringing me to the tavern for dinner. Having drinks. This fake meeting with Gwynbleidd.”

“Of course. When else was I going to get the opportunity to take you out on a date?”

Something in Iorveth cracked visibly and Roche went dead still with nervousness. The other lowered his gaze and Roche cupped his face in his hands, desperate for his elf to be okay. He stroked his cheek gently and tilted his head up to try and get a better look at that unreadable expression. This was the opposite of what he hoped would happen and worry began to pool in his stomach.

“Hey, hey. What’s wrong. Talk to me,” he urged and placed a peck on the scarred cheek. There was no answer, so he continued fluttering kisses along his jawline. He felt like his world might come crashing down at any moment and resisted the urge to salvage the situation before he knew what was going on.

It felt like Iorveth was cycling through a thousand and one emotions. He cupped the elf's face in his hands and pulled back, where he was greeted by a vulnerability he had never seen before. The other had this dazed and awed look in his eyes, and if Roche wasn't so flustered by the sudden change of pace, he might he caught his surrender.

“Vernon…”

“I’m here. What is it? You can tell me.”

“It’s just...overwhelming.”

“In a good way or bad way?”

“Good way.”

Roche released the breath he didn’t realise he had been holding. It was nice that the reaction was somewhat positive, but Roche’s poor heart couldn’t take the anticipation. Surprising Iorveth was turning out to be quite bad for his health.

“Well. Have you enjoyed yourself?”

“Mmn.”

“It's okay. We'll take it at your pace.”

“I just... need some time to process this. I’ve never been treated like this before. It's overwhelming.”

“Well you deserve it. Take the time you need, it’s okay,” Roche encouraged again and placed another peck on his nose as he undid the bandanna that obscured half his face.

This really wasn’t how he thought the evening would go, but he had to admit that it was nice. At the core of it, all he really wanted was to be able to kiss and hold Iorveth intimately without fear of someone catching them. Now they were in bed and there was someone trustworthy to watch their backs, he supposed he had achieved his goal. Maybe they could just hold off the fucking for a while more.

“Do you want to take a nap with me,” Roche offered after they'd sat in silence for a while.

“Yeah… I would like that very much.”

Iorveth tried to take off his cloak, but Roche shushed him and pushed his hands aside. The elf had a blank look on his face and hurt momentarily flashed across his eye.

"Let me," Roche rushed to salvage as he pulled loose the strings on his cloak.

“I can undress myself you know.”

“I know you can, but just let me pamper you a bit more.”

The tips of Iorveth's ears were bright red and Roche suppressed the urge to tease him about it. Slowly, he helped the elf strip down to his underwear and slipped him beneath the sheets. Then he took off his own garments and joined him, snuggling up to that warm and slender body that seemed to fit so perfectly with his.

Yeah, he could wait.