#but i gave him a few of my own features that i taught myself to love to spite my family members who make negative comments abt them

[yardsards]

the fun thing about taako is he has very little in the ways of canon physical appearance other than "in-universe, he is seen as extremely beautiful" so you can give him whatever features you want and implicitly celebrate those features as beautiful

#eliot posts #taz #the adventure zone #taako taaco #when i drew him last i MOSTLY went w fanon bc i was too lazy to come up w an original design #but i gave him a few of my own features that i taught myself to love to spite my family members who make negative comments abt them #like the bump in the nose and the soft jawline that almost looks like a double chin #and then i also made him chubby bc that's a very fun body type to draw and i think it's underappreciated

[tinydefector]

Till all are one

The fic I did for the poll I did a few days ago because I wanted to make some angst for optimus.

I will do another poll in the future, and my poll fics are mainly going to be my own ideas for characters outside of the request.

Word count: 3k

Warning: fluffy, angst, death of reader

Optimus Prime x Human

____________

Soft eyes watch Optimus from a distance as he sits outside helm tilted towards the stars, blue optics glowing in the darkness of night, the deep whirl and clicking of his mechanic can be heard.

Optimus' optical sensors slowly dimmed offline as weighted thoughts drifted through his mind. The stars above shone as they had on that distant world so long ago, yet their familiar patterns could not dull the ache in his spark. 

Their steps crunch the dirt and grass as they walk to join him, not wanting to alarm him they call out. "Can't sleep?" His audials detected soft footfalls nearby, Turning. He was unsurprised to find his small human friend joined him under the night sky. The human ask while moving to sit on the bolder beside Optimus, and they shoot him a soft smile. "What's on your mind, Optimus?" The familiar face drew the faintest smile across his own face as he rumbled softly, "Rest eludes me, it seems."

Gazing once more to the glittering heavens, he vented slowly. "Cybertron. My home. So much has changed since last I walked her metallic plains and gazed upon the gleaming Towers of Iacon. I never thought such little time on earth would make me miss home so much. I miss my mentor. " Memories flickered of mentors, friends, comrades, all lost to vorns of conflict. 

"Codexa," he said quietly, almost to himself. "My teacher, my guide. I find myself wondering if I honour her teachings as I should or have strayed too far down my own path." His optics glowed faintly as ages-old lessons warred with the grim demands of war. Some burdens, it seemed, even starlight could not lift, nor ease his aching spark.

Their eyes linger on him for a moment. "Your mentor? I don't think I've ever heard you talk about a mentor, I thought you bots were just kinda built ready to fight, " they state while watching him. They watch the way his optics flicker to different stars. He looks tired, almost sad.

Optimus glanced down at his companion, realizing he'd never spoken to them of his earlier life. "It is true most Cybertronians are functionally programmed from the moment of sparking," he rumbled quietly. "But for those who aspired to roles beyond the norm, mentorship was invaluable." 

Memories of those long-ago days surfaced once more as he spoke. "Codexa was an archivist, one who chronicled our world's history and shared knowledge with all who sought it. When I expressed interest in governance and diplomacy, she took me as her protégé and taught me much of what it means to lead. She taught me so much"

A smile ghosted his faceplates as small details came back to him. "She had a way with words. She believed the surest path to peace was understanding other perspectives. Some days, i wonder if that's the reason she became one with Cybertron. " His tone grew distant. 

"Without her guidance, i wouldn't be who I am today, I fear many mistakes were made during the war, made by my own hands . All I can do now is try to follow the wisdom she instilled." His optics rose once more to the stars, as if searching for answers among their eternal patterns.

"What was she like?, she sounds rather sweet if your her protege."

Optimus vented softly at the memory of her. "Codexa possessed a kind and patient spark. Nothing gave her greater joy than helping others, whether through sharing knowledge or lending an audio in times of need."

A faint smile warmed his stoic features. "She was taller than most Archivists, with plating the shining silver-blue of circuitry filaments. And her optics... like pools of molten mercury, taking in all yet revealing little of her own depths. She had a way of listening with her entire being."

"She was taller than you?" They ask with a tilted head.

"She was much taller than me. I only reached the top of her chassis." he chuckles softly. His gaze grew distant as scenes from long ago played across his memory files. "Codexa saw value in all. It grieved her to see our world so divide." 

Slowly, Optimus turned to them. Venting softly, "I miss her a lot. But taking her teachings to spark helps, but i miss her voice. However dark it may sometimes seem, she always knew how to solve things."

They move slowly, hoping from the rock to his knee plating, pulling themself up as they stand there, hands moving to press softly against his faceplate. "You can't change the past Optimus, learn from it, don't repeat it. Humans sadly haven't learnt that, we are on the verge of another war between ourselves too. So all I can say is, once the war for your planet is over, help others learn from the mistakes you made. You can't grow without mistakes" they state while smiling at him softly. It makes Optimus spark clench, they reminded him to much of so many their wisdom of Codexa, love for what they did reminded him of senator Shockwave and their spirit and drive reminded him of Megatron from before the war.

Optimus' optics glowed warmly as small hands offered what comfort they could against the ache of loss and regret. He lifted a great servo, cradling their slight form with utmost care.

"You speak wisdom far beyond your years, little one. My kind would do well to heed such counsel one day." His rumbling voice held an edge of solemn promise. "When at last this long war ends, i would be honoured to show you Cybertron as you have earth." He states softly, Gazing down at their upturned face, Optimus saw reflections of dear ones lost but never forgotten Codexa's compassion, Shockwave's vision of unity, Megatron's original desire to lift all from oppression. And he took comfort, knowing such virtues lived on through those who carried them in spark, no matter the shell. 

"Thank you," he said softly. The two lay together on the dry grass as they looked up at the stars together. "You see that cluster of stars, that's the southern Cross, and that one there is Leo major, and Leo minor," they state while slowly pointing out different consolations. Optimus listened intently as small fingers traced constellations across the sweeping tapestry above. Though his database contained information on Earth's night skies, somehow, the guided tour felt different, more intimate.

"Fascinating," he rumbled softly. "The patterns you organics can discern amongst them is similar to our own." Slowly, his arm rose, a single digit extended to gently point. "And that collection there - if I am not mistaken, you call it Orion. Its placement near your winter skies is fitting."  His voice, though deep, held a gentle warmth matched in the faint bluish glow emanating from his massive frame. Looking down at his small companion, he vented softly.

"Yea, that Orion belt didn't think you would know that one," they giggle as they lay their head against his chassis. Listening to the soft lure of his spark, a soft rumble of laughter emanated from Optimus' chest as he looked down at their silly delight. "Indeed, that particular constellation carries significance beyond mere astronomical fact," he said, tone warming with fond memory.

"When first I underwent the Ceremony of Namegiving as an initiate in the Halls of Iacon, Codexa guided my attention there, to the mighty hunter eternally aiming bow across the galaxy." One massive finger drew graceful lines to connect the three bright stars. 

His optics dimmed briefly in solemn remembrance of his dear mentor and the young innocence of those long-ago days. But gazing once more to the stars, he continued gently, "So in a sense I know the great hunter well, Orion was my namesake and guide, my first gift from Codexa.” Their eyes widen, and their mouth opens slightly in shock before they utter lightly. "She named you, Orion?" They ask ever so softly while looking up into his optics.

Optimus gazed down at the small form nestled against his chestplates, surprise and gentle understanding in his optics. "Indeed, Orion Pax was the name given me by Codexa on the orn of my emergence, as is Cybertronian tradition," he replied in a quiet rumble. 

His massive digits moved to tenderly cradle their slighter form, radiating comfort. "It has been many stellar cycles since I walked under that designation. But some part of that young archivist's spark remains within this frame, however changed by war and duty."

"Hunter of peace, how fitting," they hum softly, listening to the gentle pulse of his spark.

"Indeed," he rumbled softly. "Codexa saw potential where others did not." Optics gazing skyward once more, he traced with one finger the outline of that eternal hunter taking aim. "Perhaps in naming me Orion, she sensed her teachings would carry through the stellar cycles - that I would become not only a warrior, but a guardian of peace, a seeker of understanding among all peoples."  

Venting softly, his field radiated quietly. "It is a legacy I strive to honour through each choice and action. However, the tides of war may seem to turn."

"Orion, I believe in you, I know its not much from a human, but I know some day you'll get to see Cybertron in her glory once again, maybe not the same but you'll get to go home one day I can feel it in my bones" they hum softly.

Optimus' optics glowed with gratitude at the simple yet earnest words of support from his dear friend. "Your faith means more to this old warrior than you can know," he rumbled softly. 

Massive fingers traced gentle patterns against their back as his field radiated warmth. "Through vorns of conflict, it has often been the courage and compassion of smaller souls." he leans down and presses a soft kiss to their forehead. Gazing once more to the starry sky stretching peacefully and eternal above, he vented quietly. "Some stellar cycles, the dream of Cybertron healed, seem remote as those distant lights. But you give me hope."

Slowly, a hint of smile tipped his stoic faceplates. "And perhaps, when that orn comes to pass swiftly, you and yours shall witness its splendour of my own planet”

their prediction was true. He had made it back to Cybertron. New Cybertron. Yet it left him feeling hollow. That memory plays over in his mind often. Their smile, eyes filled with so much hope, hope for a world they never got to see. So close yet so far away. He holds their cold body as he walks the long trails to the heart of Cybertron. To where Codexa and the shines of others he had lost.

Each silent footfall fell heavy as the aged mechanism whined as they carried Optimus through the gleaming, unfamiliar canyons of New Cybertron. Though his optics beheld grandeur rebuilt from eons of ruin, within only emptiness echoed. 

He reached the sanctuary composed of monument and memorial. Gently, with infinite care and sorrow, Optimus laid his precious burden at the base beside so many others given in sacrifice. Small fingers, long since stilled.

He knelt beside the slight form, optics dimming as memory files surged forth - of shared worlds beneath starlight, and dreams of a peace finally wrested from madness and conflict. His digits gently trace their face.

"Orion, you have come to visit me"

Codexa's voice echoes glitchy but her form doesn't move from its spot.

Orion started gently at the familiar voice resonating through the crystalline sanctuary. Turning, he beheld Codexa's shimmering form slowly coalescing from the connecting filaments, her energy signature merging into a luminous projection.

"Codexa," he replied softly, optics glowing with warmth and ache of remembered joys mingled with the vorns past. Slowly, he knelt before her luminous presence, great head bowed in respect and sorrowful remembrance.

"It has been long indeed since last we spoke," he continued gently. Lifting his gaze once more, hints of bittersweet smile ghosted his stoic faceplates. "I come only to pay respects to you and those whose lights have rejoined the Allspark, leaving this someone dear to me."

"Who do you lay with me?"

She asked softly over the figure being laid before her, the human who had passed before getting to see Cybertron in her glory.

"A dear friend who saw me through darkness you could not imagine, they mean more to me than i can put into words," rumbled Optimus gently. "One whose brief spark brought light to this weary warrior when all seemed lost, i wish they got to see Cybertron, but now this is the best i can offer them."

With infinite care and sorrow, he reached to cradle the small still form in massive servos, gazing upon stilled features. Turning optics of fading glow upward once more, he continued softly, "This one gave hope in hours where none seemed possible, helped this old soldier recall why your lessons must never fade, you would have enjoyed talking with them."

Venting softly, memory files surged of innocence resting secure in his palm so long ago. " their heart was young, within a beat of courage to out shine stars. Now decay has claimed what war and time could not. But their light, as yours, have been a gift to me"

Optimus bowed his head. His mentor's tall frame was barely more than flickering lines of code now, held intact solely by the crystal lattice connecting aged components. But through the still-functioning optics' dim glow, he sensed her familiar soothing energy fields reach out to envelop his own in quiet solace. 

"I will guard them as I have many before"

Beside Codexa's resting place, the severed halves of Senator Shockwave plating also lay shrouded by millennia, their vibrancy lost to the eons but memory intact within Optimus' archives.

Reaching out briefly to caress a crumbling digit in farewell, Optimus turned last to the slight form now cradled into eternal recharge among these guardians of his spark. Small and fragile in death as in life. Venting softly, he spoke words meant for audials long since fallen silent. "Until all are one. Rest now, beloved friends" 

His optics glowed with promise as he finished his solemn duty, then rose and turned to walk on, as always, beneath the stars shining endlessly on.

"Thank you, Carrier," he calls softly.

_________

Taglist: @angelxcvxc

#transformers #transformers x reader #transformers x human #transformers idw #transformers lost light #transformers prime #mtmte #optimus x reader #idw optimus prime #tfp optimus prime #optimus #optimus prime #transformers optimus #tfp optimus #mtmte transformers #tf mtmte #transformers mtmte #idw mtmte #idw transformers #tf idw

[once-in-a-blood-moon]

Danger alert with Diavolo?

<3

Diavolo - Danger Alert

Diavolo x GN! reader

Prompt: People can feel when their soulmate is in danger.

AN: Sorry I took so long with this one... or just in general. It's been a chaotic few weeks in my personal life. But all is well. So, without further ado, I hope you enjoy! :)

Warnings: Slight mention of torture if you squint

The crowded halls of RAD split like the Red Sea as the young demon prince made his way through with great haste. The air around him was not of his usual boisterous energy- it was thick and heavy, sparking a great cause for concern. 

Diavolo had been sitting at his desk with piles of papers just waiting for his signature. But the uncomfortable feeling weighing on his heart had made him lose focus pretty quickly. Something was wrong. 

He had stormed out of his office, following the premonition as it got stronger with every step he took. The way it constricted within his chest filled Diavolo with dread. It almost didn’t feel like it was his own- a phantom touch that was clutching his heartstrings and toying with his emotions. 

The chill of the Devildom air brushed Diavolo’s bangs from his face as he reached the end of the hallway and pushed the doors to the courtyard open. The feeling engulfed his whole body now. Whatever was happening must be nearby. 

A scuffle and a flash of light brought his attention to the far right corner. Curious to find out what was going on, Diavolo quickly made his way towards the area. 

Upon arrival, he was glad he had followed his instinct. Backed into the corner was you with a protection ward cast between yourself and a demon who was trying his hardest to break his way through. As commendable as your strength and resolve was, Diavolo needed to put an end to this. Your safety was his top priority, not only because you were an exchange student- but he’d come to care about you as well.

“Enough!” 

Both the demon and you startled. The prince, now in his true demon form, rapidly approached with a fury so dense it hung in the atmosphere. 

“What is the meaning of this?” Diavolo towered above the demon as he backed him into the wall. The demon whimpered at the sheer proximity. “Answer me. Or so help me, I’ll make you pay for your crime in the most heinous way imaginable.” 

“I- I’m sorry! I didn’t realize they were important to you-”

“I find that hard to believe.” Diavolo squinted. “Blatantly lying to your future king, despicable. Your body along with your very existence will rot within the bowels of my castle, I’ll make sure myself and Barbatos sees to it.” And with a snap of his fingers, the demon evaporated elsewhere. 

Beginning to compose himself, Diavolo turned to you. He needed to make sure you weren’t injured. In shock and exhaustion your body gave out, sliding down the wall to the ground. Diavolo was by your side in an instant, slipping his arms around you for support. 

“Are you hurt?” Concern weaved through his words as he pulled you closer to him. Shaking your head, you put his worries to rest.

“Good. That was quite the fight you put up. Where did you learn to create a ward like that?”

“Solomon taught me.” You said matter-of-factly. With a simple nod, Diavolo made a mental note to thank the wizard for doing so. You continued. “How did you know I was here?” 

Diavolo’s eyes softened, tracing your features as he pondered your question. He really wasn’t sure how either. The awful feeling from earlier had dissipated. Perhaps it was connected to you.

“I just had a bad feeling, so I followed it and it led me to you.” 

You hummed. “Maybe we should look into it. What if we were soulmates or something?” 

Diavolo laughed. “Then I would be happy to find that we were ‘soulmates or something.’” 

Giggling at his tease as well, Diavolo lifted you up bridal style and began carrying you back inside. No matter what the reason was, he was certain he'd do everything in his power to keep you safe for as long as you should let him.

#valentine's soulmate event #obey me #obey me shall we date #obey me fluff #obey me diavolo #obey me diavolo x reader #obey me x reader #obey me diavolo x mc #obey me x mc #obey me reader insert #obey me imagines #obey me fanfic #jo writes #blood moon mail

[nochuelinha]

Chapter 4: Lepus

   A few days have passed, I've fully adapted to the Cullen family, my family now. I've spent hours talking about books with Jasper, although he's very reserved and quieter than the others, he's kind and helps me with everything I need, he and Alice make a harmonious and somewhat unlikely couple, but the way their eyes sparkle when they meet doesn't deny the love they feel for each other. With Emmett it was a muscular thing ? We bet on races and hunts several times, I managed to beat him in 3 arm falls and we exchanged punches a few times, amicably of course, he was like an older brother who liked to pick on everything, unlike Rosa who is always delicate and restrained, she taught me several things like how to behave and not let others walk over me, she helped me to have more confidence in who I am.

     Alice is the friend I never had, a sister, a companion, she goes out of her way to help me, it feels like I've known her since I was very little, she taught me how to dress based on the things I liked, she showed me how to apply make-up so that my pale skin wouldn't be my only feature, but she always made it clear that it wasn't to hide my freckles.

___ It's one of the traits that makes you unique, as well as enhancing your beauty, it's common for us to become more attractive with the transformation, usually our best traits are revealed, but I've never seen eternity fall so well on a person and you wear it very well, let's just add a little color, see yourself as a canvas that can always change and show itself differently - she said as she calmly put makeup on me, nothing too extravagant, a little blush to make my cheeks blush, mascara to make my eyelashes look more voluminous and a gloss - you have well-defined and marked features, your mouth is beautiful and fits in perfectly with everything - with every little change she made, compliments would reach my ears, with these little self-care routines with her I learned to think of myself as more beautiful and secure.

     Esme taught me how to make different kinds of tea and when I asked her about a cup of coffee, she was very happy to make one for me, she really acts like a mother, I went for a few walks with her, we picked flowers to decorate the vases in the house, we talked about how the weather in Forks was closed, but at the same time it had an air of coziness and we shared calm and happy moments. Carlisle introduced me to the library, full of all kinds of books, it was probably bigger than the bookstore where I worked, he gave me free access to all of them and taught me things I didn't know, talking to him is very easy, he is wise and manages to put you at ease in his presence, now I can understand his fame as the best doctor in town, not only because of his medical skills, but also because of his social skills.

     Now the time I spent with Edward was very interesting, he showed me all kinds of artists and musical genres, he let me into his world a little, which I noticed was more melancholic and a little melodramatic, but made him more sensitive and delicate in his own way. It was late at night and I was lost in my reading, but with a little attention I began to hear a piano playing. Curious, I got up from my bed, put the book aside, not before marking the last page I'd read, and followed the sound, at the end of the corridor was Edward's room, the door was ajar, I didn't want to be nosy but the melody was so enchanting that I couldn't help but feel drawn to it, I stopped in the doorway, he was playing with such emotion, it was almost a crime to watch without his permission. Then he stopped. He stood up and turned to me. If I still had blood running through my veins, I'd certainly be redder than a bell bell pepper.

___ I-I'm sorry, I didn't mean to disturb you, I heard the sound and followed you, but I'm already on my way back to my room, have a good... - I began to stutter and speak rapidly. And before I could finish my sentence, I was interrupted.

___ You can come in Stella, it's no bother, it's been a while since I last played for anyone, would you like to hear some more? - he asked gently, I looked into his eyes, which were always warm, but something was wrong, they were dim and taciturn. I went in and sat down on a sofa next to the piano - Do you have anything in mind? - Well, I didn't know any classical music, but I remembered one that I heard at Christmas time when I was 15, on the small TV in the orphanage in a special that was on.

___ Clare de Lune? - I let out without being too sure if that was her name, but Edward gracefully sat down on the piano bench and began to play delicately, the sound filled the room and my heart, I remembered my childhood and the things that have lived up to this point, everything I've been through, the difficulties I've faced, everything was thrown back and forth in my head, my thoughts running deliberately as the music played, I let my mind travel through the song, I closed my eyes and just enjoyed the moment, honestly I could spend eternity listening to him play so elegantly. When he finished, I smiled, it was exactly the song I listened to as a teenager.

___ I'm sorry - he whispered, I opened my eyes and stared at him without understanding what he was feeling - Your thoughts were very loud, your childhood and life in the orphanage, the things you've been through, I'm sorry - he explained calmly, I felt undressed again by his gaze, you can't hide anything from him, can you?

___ Those were different days, I don't think I suffered that much, I like to think I was always optimistic about the things I had to go through, then a gift fell on me and after a lifetime, I finally have a family - I didn't want to sound so melancholy, but the moment made me a little sentimental.

___ I can teach you how to play if you're interested - he proposed solicitously, I cheerfully accepted and my piano lessons began at that very moment, learning new things made me excited, it was as if I was now able to achieve everything I'd always wanted, not that I couldn't before, but it seems easier now. Days passed and always at the same time our classes took place, it was easy to be in his presence, we exchanged easy conversations, sometimes he told me more about himself, about his girlfriend, and I had forgotten that detail, him someone, that won't change the fact that we can be friends, I just have to control my heart.

     When I went shopping with Alice, she bought me a new cell phone, and on a whim I asked for headphones. At times when I wasn't with any of the Cullens, I either spent time reading or listening to music, both of which calmed me down and made me happy. My eyes were finally golden, so tomorrow I would start going to school in Forks, in second grade, just like my brothers, it's different to refer to them like that, but it's so pleasant.

     When it was time to leave, I made myself as presentable as possible, Alice persuaded me to change my haircut, the long hair still remained, but now I had a straight, full fringe, I loved the result and Alice went around the house shouting how cute I looked. I chose a wine dress, with tights and boots, a leather jacket and simple jewelry. Was it too much? I did a simple make-up and went downstairs. Rosa was happy with the result and complimented me, like everyone else. We went down to the garage, Emmett, Rosa, Jaspes and Alice occupied a car, Edward opened the door of his volvo, I didn't know which one to get into. I went towards Emmett's car when Edward's voice stopped me.

___ You're coming with me, they're too noisy - he replied laughingly, Emmett and Alice gave him the tongue. I went towards his car and got in - Let's go by Bella's house - and so he started it, the silence was comfortable, when we arrived at Bella's house, I got out of the car under Edward's confused gaze and got into the back seat, a few minutes later a pale girl with brown hair appeared and ran up to the car, she got in and didn't notice me.

___ Hey, you're early today - his voice was murmured and low.

___ Well, it's Stella's first day of school, she's even here - Bella looked back startled and I gave her a smile, she returned it robotically, Edward started the car and the silence now seemed to carry a ton. When we arrived, I almost jumped out of the car, much faster than I should have and ran, as slowly as I could, towards my brothers, Rosa laughed.

___ What, you don't like our sister-in-law? - she joked and I made a cartwheel.

___ She didn't talk the whole way, I can't form an opinion like that, but I don't want to be rude, she smells like a wet dog - I whispered and Emmett laughed out loud, and I scolded him.

___ She's friends with a wolf, that's why she smells like that, but it usually happens when she spends time with him - Emmett replied casually. Edward and Bella didn't come any closer, it sounded like they were arguing, they weren't being very discreet - Here we go again, the couple of the year is arguing again, from what I heard she's wearing a wolf boy's jacket - Emmett was stretching to hear better, Alice tugged on his ear.

___ Don't meddle in other people's lives, let's introduce Stella to the school - she scolded Emmett and smiled at me.

___ She's like a bloody wolf disguised as a rabbit - Rosa said between breaths.

___ Wouldn't she be disguised as a lamb? - I asked without thinking too much, Emmett laughed again and slung an arm around my shoulders and we walked into the school. Apparently it's going to be a lot of fun studying here.

#edward cullen #edward cullen x oc #bella swan #esme cullen #carlisle cullen #the cullens #alice cullen #jacob black #jasper hale #rosalie hale #twilight saga #emmett cullen #romance #comedy #fanfic #when the stars fall

[hadestownmodern]

Halloween Treat

Hey y’all. Long time no see! I..love Halloween. It’s my favorite holiday. I realized there was nothing here for it, so this is my little halloween treat to myself. That being said this has some suggestive moments, and there will be a blatantly explicit variation posted on AO3 in the next 24 hours. I wanted to get this up by Halloween being her and I'm going to make that cut by 45 minutes. I have a few more things I’m hoping to get up this week as well, but this one had the most serious time crunch. Theres some Orphydice. Theres some Persephone. Theres halloween. 

That being said. 

Happy Halloween.

-A

They had no halloween plans when they woke up the day before, nothing set in stone anyway.

They had just been sitting together on the couch, Orpheus on the end with his one year old asleep in his left arm with both his legs tucked underneath him. Eurydice is not far from him in the middle segment, sitting cross legged with various papers balancing on both her knees. She’s flipping through some inventory sheets for the bar- deciding exactly what to feature for November and the weeks leading to Thanksgiving. Hermes had taught her the year prior exactly how much busier they tended to get in the winter holiday season, and she had dutifully made mental note of the increased demands for whiskey, rosemary, and dry red wines. As Eurydice scribbled values into her order forms, she realized the date. She squints, before pushing her glasses back to the proper place on the bridge of her nose as if it would change the dates infront of her.

“Halloween is Saturday?” Eurydice turns her head to glance at him so quickly that her glasses slide back down her nose, this time landing in the papers in her lap. “Like..two days away, Saturday?”  Eurydice’s eyes shift to Melody, newly 14 months old, curled up against her father’s chest. Little eyelids barely flutter with her sleep, and if she were to lean in closer she is sure she’d hear the tiny baby snores she sometimes gave in her deepest moments of sleep. Surely she wouldn’t remember any of it- she wasn’t likely to begrudge her parents for failing to dress her as a little pumpkin and traipse her around their little town. Still, it unsettles Eurydice to have forgotten something that should be a childhood staple. Her left hand raises to capture Melody’s onesie clad foot with a sigh. “I’m supposed to be better than this. You’ve been trying to get into it for weeks…I thought we had more time and-”

They had talked about the approaching day of October 31st very casually. Orpheus would hold up tiny baby costumes when they went to get groceries, usually to be met with soft laughs from Eurydice as she shook her head and pushed forward with following the shopping list on her wrist, ensuring they’d grab something for her once they were more sure of the weather forecast for the Halloween Weekend. He had snuck in pumpkin shaped sugar cookies once or twice, a welcome treat Eurydice wouldn’t complain about. He had suggested cutting open a large pumpkin and sitting Melody inside of it for the sake of pictures, which Eurydice promised they would get to in time.

And now that time is out.

“Hey..hey.. it’s okay.” Orpheus reaches his free hand out, taking hers in his own, his thumb rubbing her knuckles in the practiced way of both a musician and a lover. “She’s little! We can put her in one of her little tutu dresses and say she’s a little ballerina baby.” He smiles- one of those genuine, kind smiles that really do convey that he genuinely believes it will all be okay. “She can’t even eat candy! We can watch a movie with her!” Orpheus grabs for the remote, seemingly ready to get a jump on the movie marathon now. “When I was little, Hermes always put on this one movie for me, about a little girl whose grandmother is a witch in a different dimension and could only come for halloween and they have to go save halloween together..we’d come home from trick’or’treatin’ and Seph would sit and sneak me extra pieces of candy. When I got a lil older she started letting me come to her Halloween party too...”  Orpheus begins to ramble on about the movies, flipping through their streaming options with a purpose. As he looks for the movie in question, he shifts, as he often does, to her. “What was your favorite part of it as a little kid? The candy or the movies or dressing up or-”

“I didn’t have one.”

Orpheus stops scrolling, that being enough to pull him from his train of thought. “...didn’t have a favorite?” Orpheus, no matter how well he knows what his wife’s answer meant, can’t help but hope for a brighter explanation.

“After my mom died, I didn’t really have halloween. Once I got to college I got to go out once or twice! When I was little though, I don’t know if I ever dressed up. I don’t have any pictures or anything like that. I don’t remember it, if I ever did do anything. I’m sure I did when I was little.” Eurydice shakes her head, hair brushing the tips of her shoulders as she does so. She can see the way his face is starting to fall, and quickly squeezes his hand in response. “I don’t want that for Melody, Orpheus.  I want her to have a favorite candy and to light up when she gets to pick her costume and to remember that her Daddy carves pumpkins with her while he watches her favorite movie with her. I don’t want her to end up like-”

She watches as he looks away from her and back to Melody. She can almost see it in his eyes- she recognizes what he is thinking. It’s not a fear of Melody turning up like Eurydice- something Orpheus makes abundantly clear would be one of the greatest joys he would ever have– but rather the fear of her alone. Fear of her losing both of them, somehow falling through the cracks like Eurydice had, being raised without the slightest bit of love or kindness directed at her. It’s an unspoken fear and one that doesn’t need to be said- Melody had an entire family who would fight tooth and nail for her. One that had the resources to do so, if needed, too. Melody wasn’t destined to end up without childhood memories of her own.

“I think this is perfect for her right now.” Orpheus promised, bringing her knuckles to his lips to kiss softly. “Maybe we can even get her a pumpkin to sit in like last year.”

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

Eurydice had fully intended to go to the store that next morning, hoping to comb over the leftover pumpkins, maybe grab more of those cookies Orpheus likes, and grab a chocolate bar or two for them to share.

However, when Persephone arrived at her door with a box full of decorations and a brown paper bag full of some fried breakfast selection, Eurydice’s plans were redirected.

She lets herself through Eurydice’s door frame, shoving the fast food bag into her hands. “I come with gifts.” Persephone sets the box down by Eurydice’s doormat, looking around over her shoulders. “Where’s Miss Melody?”

“Good morning to you too, Seph.” Though She doesn’t complain as she fishes a hash brown out for herself. “Melody is down for her nap- what are you doing? What is that?” Her foot nudges the cardboard as she peaks inside, catching a glimpse of something shimmering gold. “Where’s Junie..is that tinsel?”

“Junie’s at school. I had to finish some decorations for the party and I was bored. You’ve never turned me away when I bring you a meal.” Persephone picks the box back up and heads towards  Eurydice’s living room area. “Besides. You’ve got little nimble fingers for those tricky details.”

Eurydice follows behind on, hands crossed over her chest. “Party? What party? Why are we threading beads on strings-”

Persephone parks herself on Eurydice’s couch, curling her legs up underneath her as she begins to unpack her box. “The combination Halloween-Birthday Party for my husband. Remember? I married a man who hates his Halloween birthday…I do this every year.. Ringing any bells?” She hands Eurydice some gold painted acrylic and a marker pen, before sliding a paper as well. “You have to come this year. You got a pass last year with the new baby…Can you copy that drink menu pretty please? I hired a couple of bartenders to run the drinks- I couldn’t decide between the pumpkin old fashioned, the witches brew martini, or the mim-ghost-as.  Figured bar staff can just make it all.”

She takes the menu and does copy it without resisting, before she sighs heavily, rubbing at her face with the heel of her hand. “I forgot. Just like I forgot Halloween. Go ahead. You can say it. I’m a terrible mother.  Last year I at least had an excuse. She was two months old, we couldn't take her out in the cold like that, you know. This time i’m just forgetful and unorganized and-”

“Oh, shush.” Seph waves off with her hand, the others pulling out golden sequins, which Eurydice can tell are strung together by large round rings. “Junie is five and just started showing interest in Halloween. You aren’t scarring Melody for life. Orpheus was terrified of Halloween until he was at least ten years old, really you’re probably doing her a favor. Speaking of Melody-'' She digs down into her box with one hand, before finally pulling back out with fabric balled in her hands. “Isn’t this just so cute?”

In her hand is a little black onesie, covered in caricatures of candy corn. Some smile and some have little pink bows, the feet adorned with embroidered, smiling ghosts. “ I figured you can bring her over in it, I’ll tell Junie she has matching pajamas in her room, and that’ll get her to go down for the night- she loves the attention of a party.  She actually thinks it’s for her. Hades isn’t going to correct her either, so she’s been telling all of the kids in her class that her daddy tells her she’s a real princess with subjects who come to see her.”  Persephone folds the little pajama set and places it on Eurydice’s thigh.  “My mom will be there. She’ll take Melody and Junie up for bed. You can have a little grown up night alone. You’re so welcome.”

“Seph…it’s too late for us to come. We don’t have costumes. We don’t have time to get them. We’re just going to stay in, Orpheus has some movie he wants to watch. We’ll be okay.” Eurydice draws a little ghost caricature next to one of the signature drink names. “I will cash in that adult night next month though-”

“Eurydice, baby, do what every other girl your age does, throw on some lingerie and a headband and call it a day. You have your whole lives to watch movies on the couch,” Seph goes back to her task of attaching what Eurydice now recognizes as a photo backdrop together, shooting a teasing smile towards her younger counterpart. “You could put on that black corset from last year, some bunny ears. Little playboy bunny moment. Orpheus could be-”

“Excuse me, isn’t that more appropriate for you?” Eurydice interrupts, just as teasing towards Persephone. “Actually, I’m more shocked that you haven’t pulled that-”

“Seven years ago. The theme that year was a Casino.” Persephone admits, coy grin on her face. “This year is the 1920s. Prohibition. All that fun stuff.”

“Persephone, I am a mother. I am a wife. I can’t wear those things in public.”

“And you’re also like..twenty three. You’re young. You’re hot. Besides, you really don’t think it’d be fun to watch Orpheus try to avert his eyes and be gentlemanly  all night? You can even stay over after. It’s not public. It’s my house. Wearing that would not be the worst thing you’ve ever done in my home.” She shifts the decorations back into the box, standing up off of the couch and heading towards Eurydice’s bedroom. “In fact, I even know exactly what you could be.”

“Yeah I'll think about- Seph, where are you going?”

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

“Orpheus, are you almost ready?” Despite her better Judgment, Eurydice decided to go to the party with Orpheus. Seph was right- not only right but also offering free babysitting and a place to stay at the end of the night. They had stopped by the town costume pop up 15 minutes before closing, frantically searching for anything left they could combine into something resembling costumes. She exits their bedroom in the exact thing Seph had suggested, and Eurydice is sure that Seph was not right about this.

The scarlet lace bodysuit is cut to the bottom of her sternum, a wide and deep V held up but the flimsy lace straps that sit on the edges of her shoulders. Under the bottom of the bodysuit she wears red fishnet tights they grabbed at the store, though it isn't as though the minimal coverage leaves much to the imagination. Much like was suggested to her, she wears a headband with little devil horns on top, the same shade of red as the lipstick on her lips.

Persephone had loaned her red patent knee-high boots (when asked why she even had them, Seph reminded her not to ask questions she didn’t really want answers to), that click as she walks across the apartment in them. “Orpheus? Baby, do you need some help?”

Eurydice catches her reflection in the mirror as she walks through the kitchen and nearly shrinks back into their bed and refuses to leave. It felt like too..much. She turns to the side, ready to pick apart her appearance when she hears soft little coos of mama babbling for her from the living room.

She crosses over to her baby, crouching to her level to scoop her from where she sits in her playpen. Melody simply lights up as she sees her, clapping her little hands as she reaches up towards her mother, the widest smile on her face. “Hello my little angel girl.” Eurydice settles Melody on her hip, squeezing at her chubby baby cheeks to elicit a little giggle from her. Little baby hands grasp at the straps of her bodysuit, Melody’s little face burying itself against the skin of her chest. “Are you almost ready for bed? You’re gonna have a little sleepover.. Mama’ll be right down the hall though. I promise.” Eurydice kisses the top of Melody’s curly covered head, debating whether to feed her and put her to sleep now or wait. “Orpheus? Baby, do you think I should feed her or are you gonna need some help-”

“Can you help me with the pink stuff on my face, I think I got it but-” Orpheus finally peeks his head out of the bathroom, the white feathered halo attached to his headband bobbling with his abrupt movement. “Oh my god.”  Orpheus literally drops the pink makeup compact in his hand the instant he sees her, suddenly seeming to forget whatever he was about to ask for. He goes to exit the bathroom only to get his little glittery white wings caught in the door frame. “Eurydice..oh..um..oh my god.” He stutters out again, mouth hanging slightly ajar as he stares at his wife. Orpheus tugs the hem of his white shirt down over the front of his jeans, debating between trying to adjust or simply saying screw the party and carry her right back to their room. “You look…you’re so..”

“Is it too much?” Eurydice turns, red lips dropping into a pout as she is suddenly even more aware of exactly how much of her skin is visible. “I can try to find a shirt or something.”

“You are flawless.” He finally manages, running his hand through his hair in a characteristic display of shock and awe. “Flawless. Stunning. Gorgeous. Pick one. Not too much. Not too much at all.”  Orpheus composes himself- as much as he can when he sees Eurydice in the way he does now. “God you’re so- fuck you’re my wife.”  He steps forward and stares, awestruck. At her. His face is flushed now, even without the blush eurydice suggested to give him that..angelic..look he was going for.

It’s Eurydice who now feels warmth spread across her cheeks, at Orpheus’ oh so earnest reaction. Okay, maybe someone was right in suggesting this for the night out. “You aren’t sounding very angelic right now, my love.” She teases, turning to face him full on. “I’m not even sure you need the blush now.” She walks towards him anyway, kneeling gracefully to grab the makeup compact. One hand holding the baby, with the other she opens the compact and coats her finger with product. Using her middle finger, Eurydice swipes some glittery pink over the bridge of his nose to complete the warm look. She notices the darkness in his eyes- eyes that were glancing right past her face and right down the front of her top. “Hey. Eyes up here.” She teased, snapping the makeup compact and giving him a smile that dances between teasing and coy. “You’re a good boy, remember.”

As if he doesn’t hear her, Orpheus’s hands settle around her waist, pulling her hips flush against his. His hands trail just a little lower, fingers dancing along the- very high- cut lace on her hips. “You wore this before, on um..at..uh…our uh..”

“Honeymoon.The Last night. I remember. And clearly you do too.” She remarks, commenting on the obvious effect she had on more than just his loss for words. Eurydice threads her arm around his waist, biting her lip as her fingers hook under the spandex straps of his little wings. “I like this look. But you aren’t pulling off..angelic..very well when you look at me like that.”

“Mmm, we could stay in..that plan still sounds good..” Orpheus mumbles as he leans down, lips finding the side of her neck just below her ear. “I think I know what a good Halloween treat would taste like-”

“We promised.” Eurydice whines, breath hitching in her throat. “Well, I promised- and we got a babysitter out of it. We’ll have all night..” She leans her head back and pulls away with a sigh, “Come on. Be a good boy and maybe you’ll get an extra treat.”

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

Somehow they make it to the party.

Eurydice wears an oversized leather jacket of his as they take the walk to Persephone’s. They do not stand out by any means- the streets are filled with people wearing less than them both, though Orpheus wouldn’t know. His hand strummed on her hip, hand trailing lower every few steps forward. He nearly stepped off the sidewalk multiple times from his lack of attention to his surroundings. His eyes- and mind- were elsewhere.

The music can be heard  even before they enter the house, and when the door swings open they walk directly into the gold sequin wall decor Persephone had been making only the day before. They are greeted by a waiter with a tray full of champagne flutes, dressed as if he himself walked out of the Great Gatsby and into Persephone’s hallway. Orpheus takes two- holding one for Eurydice whose hands are full of a now sleeping baby that is draped over her chest. He is helping her slip out of his jacket when a voice calls out to them.

“There you finally are. I started to think you weren’t coming.” Persephone greets them from the end of her entry way, shining brighter than the crystal chandelier she had hung above her stairs. She’s wearing a black fringed-flapper style dress with feathers in her hair. Stealing the show is the flashing emerald jewelry from her neck to her fingers. Everything in the room dulls in comparison to the way she herself glimmers, even against what Eurydice would bet are real crystals decorating half the home.  “And look at you Eurydice. She’s a sexy little thing, isn’t she Orpheus.” Persephone teases, holding out her arms. “Here. My mom just took Junie upstairs. She tried to make her father’s colleagues bow to her, introducing herself as the princess and in line for the throne and thus would be their boss. I figured that was enough Junie for the night…I promised her Melody was coming soon in her matching Pajamas.” Seph gently takes the baby– wrapped in her little purple blanket– and cradles her to her shoulder. “Go, have fun. My mama’s got her for the night.”

Eurydice is only slightly reluctant to hand her over to Persephone, kissing her temple as she does so. “Goodnight baby,” She whispers, though Melody was long since lulled to sleep by their walk over. “I can’t believe Demeter didn’t dress up and just came to watch Junie..”

“Oh she did. She’s been Mother Earth every year since I started this party fifteen years ago.” Persephone explains, turning to take Melody away from the excitement. “If you need her she’ll be in Junie’s room. You know where your room is.”

Eurydice watches as Persephone carries her daughter off, feeling the cool glass of a champagne flute slipping into her fingers. Orpheus smiles at her as he laces his fingers into her own, leading her forward into the depths of the house.

Eurydice was having more fun than she expected, she realized a few hours into the event. Plates full of cookies and treats pass her at intervals too perfect to resist, and trays full of drinks are never absent when she is finishing one, always ready to pass her another. She’s on her fourth- maybe fifth- witchy themed cocktail, laughing as Hermes (dressed head to toe in a gold sequined suit, mind you) tells her yet another story about Orpheus’s halloween antics as a little child, when she catches Orpheus' gaze across the room.

He’s talking to someone she recognizes as Demeter, who has returned to the festivities after getting the children solidly to sleep. He isn’t looking at her though. No, Orpheus is leaning against the wall, half empty glass in his hand, eyes locked on her.  Even from across the room she can see just how dark they are, how something beyond his usual admiration fills them. She catches as he licks his bottom lip when she turns to face him, watching the way his chest heaves while his breath catches in his throat. Lust, Eurydice realizes. He’s got pure, unfiltered lust in his eyes. 

Eurydice excuses herself from the conversation, taking one final sip of her drink before she struts towards him. She isn’t sure if it’s the drinks or the way he’s looking at her, but as soon as she reaches him she’s pulling him by the neck of his shirt to her height. She’s got her lips on his in a matter of moments, her back to the wall as she pulls him flush against her.

Nevermind that they are in a room full of people- including his family- Orpheus’s hands firmly come to rest on her hips, sliding lower in the back as soon as he was sure his body obscured any view of them. In a minute or so she pulls back, head leaning against the wall. She notes the way his lips are now covered in her red lipstick, and she is sure hers look no better any more.

“You look like you like what you see. You like the little devil on your shoulder then?” She taunts, her hands threading up to grasp at the roots of his hair.

Orpheus dips his head back to her neck, leaving a trail of her own lipstick down to her collarbone. “You’re just….you’re irresistible.”

“Mmm..why’re you resisting then?” Eurydice teases, her other hand dancing along the hem of his jeans, hidden from view by his body between them and the other party goers (who, may it be said, weren’t even paying attention with the flurry of activities to distract them). “Do something about it, then baby.”

When his hands start to tug at her tights, it is Eurydice who pushes him off of her. She takes him by the hand and leads him towards the corner of the kitchen. Her hand fumbles for the door knob of the same pantry they had found themselves in last thanksgiving, and she pushes him inside.

When Orpheus stumbles out not too long after, with red lipstick marks from his lips to his collarbone, across the front of his white shirt, and -unashamedly- along the top, button, and pocketlines of his jeans it appears that no one had noticed their absence.

When Eurydice stumbles out behind him, one arm over the top of her chest to hold herself in, her lipstick smeared around her once lined lips, she takes his hand once more with her free one. “Come on. I think we have a bedroom to get to.”

#orphydice #orpheus and eurydice #orphydice fanfic #hadestown au #hadestown modern au #hadestown modern #persephone #eurydice and persephone #halloween #halloween fic

[house-of-slayterr]

Some Basil on the Side:

Tag: @howl-fantasies @keffirinne @flaysthings

Basil's POV:

I received a call on my phone from an old colleague of mine. I stared down at it for a while, debating if I should answer. But it seems the choice would be made for me.

"Basil, you can't just let your phone ring, it's annoying, please answer it or put it on silent," Maggie said sweetly.

We had been hanging out all day, Y/N had asked me to keep an eye on her, and get to know her first hand. I sometimes forget this girl was a few years older than me, because she certainly never acted like it. Of course, she knew when to take things seriously, and she had her moments where she could be intimidating when she needed to, but she just had this childlike nature about her. Like my sister does.

"Sorry, zoned out." I lied.

She raised a brow at me, popping a piece of popcorn into her mouth.

"Want me to pause the movie, or leave the room?"

And there it was, the adult im her, the part of her that actually respected people's privacy. If there was one thing I learned quickly about Magnolia, is that she was good for keeping secrets. Even when people attempted to torture them out of her.

"No, it's fine. I'll head off to the other room, fill me in when I get back?"

She nodded, a look of scepticism masking he features.

"Alright, but if you take too long, you'll miss the best part of the film!"

The child was back. I watched as she flopped back down on the couch, wrapping the blanket around herself, with a smile on her face. It was sort of adorable. I gave her a small smile and dismissed myself from her presence. None of the names on my phone was visible, something Y/N taught me. You never wanted someone to have the advantage of knowing who you were talking to. And I was glad in the moment, I had listed. I know she didn't mean it, but Maggie was one of those people that would accidentally read a text over your shoulder because she'd forget it wasn't her own phone. I called the number back.

"Hello," I spoke, not much to indicate my tone.

"Basil, hey are you busy, we could use your help on a case. Felicity found Darhk's place of hiding, and now is the best time for us to catch him off guard."

I thought it over for a minute, the name sounded familiar, but I hadn't kept up with the ins and out of Star City, only monitoring the major threats. I'd grown to care for the company of Thea and Felicity, and I suppose Jon and his wife weren't that bad. But Oliver got on my nerves at the best of times, I hated pretending to care for him. He was spontaneous and it put the team at risk, he was a god-awful leader. But it was for the best, at least for now, to keep an eye on Maggie's family, when she couldn't. I wonder when was the last time Oliver even called her to check in?

"Sorry, whose Damien again? Things have been wild here, it's hard to keep track of all your villains." I didn't mean for my tone to slip, the sass coming through. I must have leeched the trait from Maggie.

"He was in the Lauge of Assasins, he's on a major power trip right now that could kill most of the people in the city, and he won't stop at Star."

Fuck. He was one of those delusions of grandeur-type villains. always wanting more than they have. I couldn't ignore this. And I couldn't leave Oliver and his team to just die, if Maggie ever found out, she'd never forgive me. And Y/N would just be disappointed, not to even get started on what Kara and Alex would think.

"How much time do we have before he makes a move?"

"Three days at max, think you can get here in time?"

"I can make arrangements, Oliver-"

"Yes?" He questioned, sounding wearing.

"Call your sister." "I'm not bringing Thea into this, she's away on something."

"Not Thea, the other one. If things go wrong- If this Damien is as powerful as you say...." I trailed off.

I couldn't let him know I was with her. He had no idea we'd ever met. But he and Thea talked about her enough, it was not odd for me to bring her up.

"Right, thank you for that. I sometimes forget to include her in things."

"She a big girl, she can handle it. But I doubt anyone would be happy if their brother who never talks to them, died tragically."

"Thanks for the vote of confidence Zor El."

I rolled my eyes, I remember now where Maggie got her childishness form.

"I'm being realistic, Queen, you should try it sometime."

I hung up the phone, more than done with the conversation. I squeezed the phone in my hand, hearing the crack of the glass and sighed. Y/N wouldn't be happy about this, but I had to go. And I couldn't explain to Maggie where I was going. I walked back into the room, Maggie was still rolled up in a bundle on the couch. Oswald had dedicated this whole room to others, not ever watching movies much himself. It had all her favourite things in it. I tossed my now broken phone on the coffee table and sat next to her.

"Shit dude, the fuck happened to your phone?"

She shot up, reaching for it. I didn't mean to, but on instinct, I snatched it away from her. I quickly corrected myself, giving her a half-baked answer.

"I dropped it?"

She dramatically reached over to the remote and paused the movie, staring at me like I was the most interesting thing in the world.

"For someone who's trained by Y/N, you lie like a Luther."

I was caught off guard by her comment, when had she met any of the Luthers? Though she was right, Lena was the only one who was decent at lying in that family. Of course, she couldn't hide from me, no matter how hard she tried to fool herself into believing it, I could see right through her. But she wasn't intentionally being two-faced, so I let it slide.

"I may have smashed it." I sighed.

"Jesus, who called you, the pope? I'm sorry your one call was that shit."

I laughed at her choice of words.

"What is it with you and the Pope?"

"Have you seen him, he has a pointy hat! Only wizards wear pointy hats!" She joked.

"You sound just like Victor." She placed a hand on her heart in mock defence.

"Victor wishes he was as cool as me. He and stick his whole fist in his mouth!" She bragged.

"I'm not sure that's the accomplishment you think it is."

She somehow always knew how to lighten the mood, it was a gift she had. I'd even witnessed her calm one of Oswald's infamous tantrums in a matter of minutes. Not even Y/N could do that. And I was glad she did because nobody wanted to hear that man go on another tirade about how nobody in Gotham respects him as Mayor.

"Feeling better?" She asked, with a smile on her lips.

It was so rare o see a genuine smile with the people I work with. Y/N rarely ever smiled, unless she was killing someone with one of her favourite guns. Victor loved to smile at beheadings, and Oswald only smile if he was beating the shit out of someone with his bat, or sitting near Maggie. I don't understand how she had such a calming effect don't the people she was near. A literal war could be waging all around us, and she'd still have that stupid naive smile on her face.

"Yes, thank you." I stole a handful of popcorn from her bowl.

"Basil, you want my advice?"

I looked at her, signalling for her to continue.

"Stop being so serious all the time. Were young, were supposed to be stupid and make mistakes, lots of mistakes at this age. Gotham is no place for stuck-up, compulsive assholes." "Oh, so I'm a stuck-up compulsive asshole?" I asked.

"Yeah, but you're our stuck-up compulsive asshole, and we love you for it. But sometimes you just need to be a kid. I tell the same thing to Brucie all the time, perhaps we should get you, Selena."

Her eyes lit up at her last sentence. I didn't like the smirk at replaced her innocent smile, this was far too sinister.

"What are you plotting?"

"We need to get you a Selena, shouldn't be hard to get you, girlfriend, with that face."

She ruffled my hair and I swatted at her hand.

"Yeah, I'll pass."

"Boyfriend?" She asked.

"What? No! Well, maybe, but that's not what I meant. I don't need to date anyone."

"I disagree, you have the face of a boy who hasn't been laid in far too long. It's making your brain all adult and functional, it's gross. We need to knock you down to the rest of our levels. Joint he dumb bitch horny club my friend."

"Who's the leader, Victor?" I mused.

"Oh for sure, Man can't think straight for days after Y/N is done with him."

I laughed for a moment, before composing myself.

"Hey, I've gotta go somewhere for a few days, might be out more than a week. Try not to burn the house down, or let Oswald cause another riot while I'm gone?" I asked.

"Secret agent stuff?" she asked.

She said it like it was the most normal thing in the world. Like she hadn't actually witnessed me kill several thugs just weeks ago.

"Yeah, secret agent stuff."

"Yeah yeah, I get it, antihero man, go save the world or whatever you gotta do. But were watching Texas Chainsaw Massecure when you get back, you walked out on House of Wax, and for that sin, I don't think the gods will forgive you."

"The gods can bite my ass," I said, brushing off her comment.

I could tell she was hurt by me messing up movie night, but she tried her best to hide it. She enjoyed participating in mundane tasks as if she went being held against her will by three very dangerous psychopaths. Y/N still had her grounded, Oswald wouldn't let her leave the mansion without supervision. I was dreading this tip more than anything I had in a while.

Maggie's POV:

I stared at the spot he left on the couch. We'd only known each other for a short while, but it felt like I'd known him forever. Like Bruce, he just fit in my life somehow. I knew I would be bored while he was gone, everyone was working hard to keep Oswald safe while the idiots in the city tried to overthrow him again. But that's when I remembered the letter. It was still in my bag. Victor was handing around in Oswald's office today, I was pretty sure. Y/N was out doing most of the heavy lifting, as she was mad at him for something again, and needed to blow off steam.

I debated if I should go through it for a second, but my curiosity got the better of me. It would be rude to withhold this information from Victor, and the longer I waited, the more likely he was to get mad. So I crept into the room, knocking before entering to see him bopping his head to some ABBA. Classic Vic, Oswald had him on paperwork duty today and he hated it.

"Need some help with that?"

"What, done playing teens with Basil?"

I rolled my eyes.

"You're just mad 'cause I get along with everyone."

He sighed a noise that didn't often fall from Victor's lips.

"Did you need something? Oswald decided to be a pain in my ass today, and I'm very busy."

I fidgeted with my hands, I always got nervous when he looked at me like that. By now, I should trust that Vic would never hurt me, but Gothamites were always unpredictable, he was one of the worst examples of it.

"Magnolia?" She said, a bit harshly.

"Right, sorry. Umm- here, just take this."

I shoved it in his chest and promptly left the room. It didn't feel right to be there when he read it, even if I did really want to know what the stupid letter said. I waited outside the door, listening in for any signs of anger or upset, but Victor was quiet, scarily quiet. I waited a few more seconds until the door opened.

"You can come back in now Little Mouse," Victor said, his usually somehow flat, yet sing-song tone was back.

I skittered back into the room, shutting the door behind me, and leangn against it. I waited for him to speak first. He made no effort to look at me.

"How long did you have this?" He asked, still looking at the letter.

"Only a couple days, I totally forgot about it. That was my mistake. I brought it to you as soon as I remembered."

He looked at me finally, checking for any signs that I was lying. I wasn't telling the full truth, but I did really forget about it. With so much going on and meeting Basil, it's all been a bit chaotic since I got back. I haven't been able to sleep much, since I still had my connection to Grodd. His thoughts and pain kept me awake at night. But nobody could learn about that.

He tapped the letter against Oswald's desk, something I'd seen him do with his knives, many times. That was never a good sign. He was upset, and Y/n and Basil weren't here to save me. I took a deep breath preparing for the worst.

"Did you read it?"

"No. It was addressed to you, I wouldn't do that. Besides, opening someone else's mail is a federal crime."

He chuckled darkly under his breath.

"So is blackmailing the mayor, Little Mouse, but that didn't seem to stop you from manipulating and using our Little Penguin." He mused.

"Blame your wife for that one, she's the one who taught me."

He actually smiled at that, one of his rare, genuine smiles. He came around the edge of the desk and sat at the edge, patting it for me to come over.

"You want to know what is said, don't you?"

I nodded slowly, trying to decipher if it was a trap or not. But it appeared to be safe. He cleared his throat.

"I'm watching your back since you forgot to watch mine."

"Ok?"

"Signed. V.M. Zsasz" He finished.

My eyes widened. There was no way, but I suppose when I look back at it, it made a lot of sense. The way she was able to sneak in and out of my apartment with ease, her lack of fear or sense of danger, and even the way she talked reminded me of him. But she did look like him, I thought it was just an odd coincidence, my tired mind playing a trick on me. He observed me for a moment, he was surprisingly good at reading people, despite what everyone else thought. Victor Zsasz wasn't some bonehead, he was convening and cunning, and dangerously perspective when he wanted to be.

"You saw her, didn't you?"

I nodded once more.

"She was in my place, looking for you. I would have mentioned it sooner, but I was kinda... busy."

"What does she look like?" He asked.

His tone was almost scared, childlike. It was offputting, to say the least. The great Victor Zsasz, acting like a child who was just scolded by a parent. I chuckled softly.

"A lot like you actually, just with a bit more hair." I poked fun at him.

His goofy grin reappeared, the one he got when he was listing to his disco playlist when it was just the three of us.

"She even has your smile." I complimented, lightly hitting his shoulder.

He paused for a moment.

"I know that look."

"What look?"

"The look you get when you want to interfere with other people's lives. Remember when you tried to set up Oswald and Ed? Or Bruce and Selena..."

I blushed slightly, I didn't realise how often I did that. Perhaps it was because I was so lonely in my life, I didn't want to see anyone else feel the way I do. They all deserved better than that, killers or not.

"You want my advice, don't do whatever you're planning. It's not worth it, just leave it alone."

He stood up, going back to work.

"Your child isn't worth it?" I asked, bewildered.

I didn't mean for it to come out so judgmental. I just couldn't see how he wouldn't want to get to know her. Especially since she was attempting to reach out. Y/N and him always jokingly called me and Basil their children, but he had actual blood out there. I'd give anything to remember mine. How could he spend time with me, yet day she doesn't matter?

"No." He said simply.

"Bullshit!" I hopped off the desk turning to him.

"Excuse me?" He asked, in a warning tone.

"You heard me Zsasz! I'm calling your fucking bluff!"

"I'm going to gently remind you who you're talking to. The only reason I can't kill you is that Oswald would have my head. But that doesn't mean I can't hurt you and blame it on someone else. You are rather clumsy."

I rolled my eyes. Statements like that didn't scare me anymore.

"You don't scare me, Victor, if you wanted me dead, I'd have been six feet under by now. I understood that a long time ago, and I know sure as shit, Oswald Copplepot wouldn't stop you. He didn't stop you when you killed Sofia Falcone."

He stiffened at the mention of her name. It wasn't his proudest moment, and it nearly cost him Y/N. Sure, it was low for me to go there, but the truth hurts.

"So tell me, why are you hiding from this like some scared coward? You are many things Vic, but a namby-pamby isn't one of them. What's at stake here?"

"I can't!" He yelled.

"Can't... or won't?"

He turned away from me.

"You know, Y/N had a child once too..." He stated.

I froze, that was not something I ever expected to hear. Y/N, and actual mother?

"What?" I asked, dumbfounded.

"But after what happened to it, Carmine forced me to make a choice. He didn't think it was worth the distraction. So either I got rid of her, or he did, permanently. I tried to kill her, I really did, but then she looked at me with those big eyes, and I couldn't do it."

It didn't surprise me that Victor attempted to kill his own child. But the fact that he admitted he couldn't, that she was his weakness. The more I learned about Carmine Falcone, the less I liked him. He took everything from Y/N and Victor when they gave him their everything in return. He was a much worse boss than Oswald, at least our sociopath had a heart. One that was still beating.

"I was gonna shoot her, make it quick... but I just couldn't pull the trigger. So I took her somewhere far away and hoped she would never discover how her father was. But I guess I failed at that too."

He rubbed his brow, I'd never seen him stressed like that before. I did something most people want bold neogh to do, I made my way around the desk and pulled him into a hug.

"Falcone is gone Victor, and I won't let a corpse control your life anymore. You're not a robot Vic, despite the limited range of emotions you can feel, you're not weak for feeling them. You're gonna meet your daughter if it's the last thing I do." I declared.

He rolled his eyes at my theatrics.

"You're a good egg, you know that right?"

I smiled at his strange compliment. It was the most Victor thing he'd said all day.

It would be my new mission, something to distract me from the chaos of my own life. The pain of losing Butch and Tabitha, the guilt of leaving Grodd behind. Neglecting Jim, and bruce... maybe I really was becoming a villain. As if to break up the awkward tension, from Victor's inability to cry, my phone rang. I looked down to see Oliver's face pop up on the caller ID.

"Shit, I gotta take this! We're not done with this conversation, ok?"

I left Victor to finish his work for the day, and process his own thoughts. What the fuck could Oliver possibly want right now?

An: Ahhhh! The mystery girl is finally revealed, you'll get a name drop soon. I'm so excited to see where I go with this series. I just use fan suggestions and whatever unholy plot devices come to mind. But I love the little storyline we've created together.

#maggie #magnolia #magnolia blossom #gotham #gotham imagine #gotham villains #my ocs #fang writes #gotham x reader #Basil Zor El

[vaproductions]

May Writing Challenge Day 1

For the month of May @creativepromptsforwritingrwriting is trying to write 200 words a day, based on that I decided to try and write one scene per day because theirs was a more anything-goes challenge, while I want to focus on storytelling. Consider this my evil author month as I write the scenes to alternate universes that exist only in my mind. Since I have a few under my belt I'm back posting what I've already done. This first one is based on Ouran High School Host Club, because nostalgia. There's no editing to be seen here, so enter at your own risk.

I couldn’t help the frown that twisted my lips as I noticed two lone tables on opposite ends of the club room, a single girl sitting across from empty chairs at both. I recognized both of them, the red haired girl who was bullying Haruhi and the girl who was obsessed with Honey and Mori. It didn’t escape my notice that they were both in positions where the other could easily be seen across the room. I fixed my features before Ootori could fuss at me for it as he approached, but I still caught the brief look of reprimand he sent me.

"You two will be doing one on one sessions today," Ootori said in lieu of a greeting, "Haruhi, you’ve been requested by Ms. Ayanakoji. Naomi, you’re tutoring help has been contracted by Ms. Tachibana for english literature."

I nodded, starting to step past before he stopped me with a hand on my arm, "I’m sure I don’t need to remind you to be on your best behavior?"

"I’ll be as polite as a servant."

Ootori frowned for only a moment before he was moving on, leaving me to my fate. I made my way over to where Tachibana was sitting, not going nearly as slow as I wanted to, but not hurrying over either. Honey looked my way and gave me a huge smile as I passed his and Mori’s table, and I spared a brief smile for him and Mori before their attentions were taken by the girls again.

As I finally came to the table Tachibana was seated at, I gave her a smile for the glare she had for me, pulling out my chair.

"Good afternoon, Princess, I hear you’re having some trouble with your english literature class? What seems to be giving you a problem?"

She seethed as I sat down across from her, "Don’t play dumb, you know exactly why you’re here."

"Why of course," I cheerfully responded, "To help you with your homework, or to understand what was taught in class today. But I can’t help you if you don’t tell me which is needed, Princess."

I watched as her eyes alighted with confusion, then anger as my words processed, "Listen here you dirty little half bred bitch," she practically hissed across the table, "You don’t belong here, and the fact that you’re still trying to whore yourself out to the illustrious members of the host club only proves it. You should do everyone a favor and get lost."

I didn’t let my smile falter as she ended her little tirade, watching her for a moment, "Whether or not I’m whoring myself out to them isn’t going to change the fact that I’m a part of the club and you aren’t, but desperately want to be." I muttered, watching as her face finally started to gain an ugly scarlet hue, "And if you want the boys to notice you like that outside of the club, your little acts of harassment aren’t going to help you. Now, I’m going to grab some snacks, maybe you can tell me what you need help with when I get back."

I started to stand, but didn’t get very far, before three things happened. First, two simultaneous screams sounded; second, the small table I had previously been seated at slammed into my abdomen with tremendous force, knocking the wind out of me; and third, the sounds of things crashing onto the floor, that unfortunately included me, could be heard through out the room, if the silence that followed the screams could be trusted.

Pain blossomed from my abdomen as I landed on my back, the table digging into me as we both came to a sudden halt, and it took a moment for me to push it off, covering the place it had landed with my hands. I closed my eyes, forcing myself to take a breath as Tachibana and Ayanakoji both started babbling about Haruhi and me trying to assault them. I could hear the vague words of both Tamaki and Honey defending our honors before banning the two of them from the host club. They ran away with the sounds of tears before Tamaki ended the club early.

"Nao-chan?" I opened my eyes to see Honey standing over me, Mori just behind him, "Are you okay?"

"Oh yeah, I’m doing fine," I tried to give them a smile, but stopped when only a grimace surfaced, "Are all the guests gone?"

Honey looked around briefly before nodding, "They’re gone."

"That’s great," I said finally moving my hands away, "don’t freak out, but could one of you help me to the nurses office?"

Honey gave a gasp at the blood that was no doubt starting to spread across my yellow dress, but Mori was gently scooping me up in his arms, "Nao-chan, you should go to the hospital."

"My personal doctor is still in the nurses office," I said as I exhaled slowly through the pain that was getting inexplicably worse, "She’ll be able to help me faster."

"Mitsukuni, stay here," Mori said before hurrying out of the room.

It became clear all at once that he was trying his best to both hurry and not go fast enough to jostle me, but I gave him my best smile, "Don’t worry about me, just hurry to her office, okay? She’s probably gonna be leaving soon."

Mori looked down at me briefly before giving me a nod and speeding up to a run, "Sorry," was all he said as I gave a little grunt in pain.

I turned my focus to the warmth of Mori’s hands through the fabric of my dress and the sounds of his shoes hitting the marble floor, a lot faster than I thought he would be able to run while carrying me at the same time. It seemed like an eternity before he was pushing into the infirmary.

"Ms. Tanaka!"

I could see the doctor standing right outside of the room she had claimed for her own, her purse in hand, clearly getting ready to leave.

"She’s hurt." Mori didn’t bother adding anything else as the doctor opened the door again and gestured him inside.

"Bring her inside and lay her on the bed."

Mori was very gentle as he set me down on the bed, and I sent him a smile, "Thank you Mori, I really appreciate you bringing me down here."

He nodded, and I could see a few spots of blood on both his shirt and blazer as he pulled away, but before I could mention it, the doctor was shooing him out.

"Get better." Mori said as he left the room.

"What happened?" the doctor demanded, helping me out of my dress to look at the stitches on my torso.

"A girl shoved a table at me today," I paused an uncharacteristically nervous feeling filling me, "It won’t happen again, the problem she had with me was taken care of," when she still didn’t respond I spoke again, "Please don’t tell my parents."

She paused her actions at that, finally looking at me. She didn’t respond to me however, simply pulling my medicine out of her bag, "You’ll get half the dose now, and I’ll call your attendant to escort you home."

I obediently opened my mouth to let the bitter liquid fall onto my tongue, "Please don’t," I said again as she turned to set her bag back down on the desk.

She still had no response for me, but I was already sinking into oblivion.

#ouran high school host club #fanfiction #writing #original character #may writing challenge

[yeahimaloser]

Oooo I also got another good request how about a hawks x reader childhood friends they grow up together she took his punishments for him yk they have each other’s back and then in the future a villian attack and she ALMOST dies but no she gets save then hawks realizes he loves her and it’s all fluff at the end eek

Ok so, I literally love this request so much, I have no idea why it took me so long to write, but it's finally done!

Oh my god it took so long.

they/them pronouns used.

8k words! please enjoy!

16+ a bit suggestive at the end.

. . .

You sniffed, a hand wiping across your face as tears stung your eyes.

You had been training with the commission for a while now, almost a month to be exact. And it was so hard. In fact, it felt more like they were specifically targeting you.

You looked over at one of the other kids in the commissions program, Keigo, he seemed to have no problem with this exercise, in fact, you would have thought he was excelling at it.

But you could only sit and watch as his little wings flew past you.

You were only pulled from your family recently, but you knew that Keigo was here longer than you were. You rarely talked to him since your arrival, maybe it was because part of you didn’t want to become friends with anyone, maybe it was a small way of acting out, you didn’t know why, but you didn’t like him. He was just so much better than you.

Ever since you first came here, you’ve felt weak. You felt inferior to Keigo, you couldn’t help but compare yourself to him, watching exciede everyones expectations.

Compared to him, you were nothing but a dull blade.

You look down at your hands, cursing them as if that would do you any good. Your eyes stung again, the dust prickling against your eyelids.

The exercise was not supposed to be a difficult one, in terms of the gruelling training practices that they made you do, this one was pretty easy. All you had to do was get from one point in the commission's training facility, all the way to the other side of said facility. A simple running exercise. Although the floors were littered with traps, making it harder for you to get there, you knew it was supposed to be easy. And yet, for whatever reason, you had such immense difficulty.

Your quirk was mostly made for combat. It was the power they gave you the ability to control metal through your will. And although others might find it useful, you found it so difficult.

The problem was, your power was flashy, and yet not as easy to use as one might think. The metal had to touch you, which means that you have to get a hold of some metal object. And although technically you would be controlling it through your mind (Making it fly through the air at your own will) the object couldn’t be very heavy. Whatever metal object you wanted to use would weaken you. For example, controlling a knife was no problem, but controlling a 20 pound ball of metal was extremely difficult. which made your quirk almost completely useless here. Doing a running exercise, like you were doing now, there is little to nothing you could do with your quirk. The only times that your quirk would actually be useful, was during rescue missions or during an attack with multiple heroes in a big city with a lot of metal that you could touch. But that wasn't the case, and you hated it.

As you sat in the corner, trying desperately not to show your tears, you felt a gust of air as you looked up, only to be met with red wings.

“Are you…Ok?”

You never noticed how pretty his eyes were, the honey color’s made his features look so much softer.

After a few minutes, you realized he was still waiting for you to answer.

And for whatever reason, you felt your whole face becoming hot.

“I’m fine.” You said all too quickly.

He raises a bushy eyebrow at you, his face quizzical. “If you’re sure, but we are partners.”

You rolled your eyes.

You two were never truly partners. In this compound, there was only yourself to be concerned with.

“Stop pitying me, I can help myself.”

He smirked, “You say as if you’re not on the ground as we speak.”

You felt your face heating up again as you sprang to your feet, your eyes quickly narrowed, trying your best to seem composed.

“Why did you come back for me?”

But Keigo just shrugged, “Saw someone in need of help.”

That was the last straw.

You angrily stomped away. Who was he to judge you? Who was he to act like some hero? You knew he was the commission's golden boy, they loved him, he was their best weapon.

And you knew he was bright enough to know that as well. Although he never got any special treatment, you could tell by the way they trained him, how they paid more attention to his abilities and not so much the other’s.

Including you.

You felt something pull at you, something tugging you back.

You turned to see- a feather?

“Hey wait a sec,” Keigo said, “I wanna ask you something.”

Your face hardened, you two should be getting back to training soon, you knew the instructor would most likely yell at the two of you for falling too much behind.

“Ask your question and let's go,” you said, huffing.

“Do you want to be friends?”

The question caught you so off guard, causing you to stumble over a rock in front of you.

You whiped back to him, your eyes widen as you realized he was completely serious.

“Wha- friends? What the hell are you on about? There are no friends here, that's an idiot's dream.”

But Keigo only shrugged, “Well, then I guess I’m an idiot.”

You stared back at him, a look of pure disbelief written on your face.

Was he insane? Having friends here was almost imposible. The commission made sure of that, pitting you two against eachother, comparing you to one another, they made it so you would fight amongst yourselves.

“Why would you want to be friends with me?” You asked, your voice barely a whisper.

But he just shrugged, “Because I'm curious about you, and that crousity makes me want to befriend you.”

You stilled, thinking and thinking till your brain hurts.

“Look, you don’t have to say anything right now, I know I probably caught you off guard, and if you don’t want to, I understand… I think-I think I’m just lonely.”

You pursed your lips, still thinking it over in your mind before you grabbed his hand.

“Look, I’ll think about it, but first, let's get this race over with.”

Keigo smiled, blushing a bit as you two took off, hoping you two would becoming good friends.

. . .

And as time went on, you two did, in fact, become the best of friends.

By the time you were both teens, you and Keigo (or Hawks as his hero name) became the commissions pride and joy.

Although you were always so surprised that they didn’t want to through you out, Keigo was so much better than you, and you had fallen much behind him.

Keigo was faster, smarter and stronger, you knew that, you knew that all to well.

But, the commission never removed you, you continued to train to become a hero, right besides Keigo. A part of you wondered if maybe you were only kept on because of Keigo, maybe the commission saw how close you two were, watching how much you mattered to him, and maybe they thought they could use you to their advantage.

The thought made you shiver, mostly due to the fact that it wasn’t impossible, and more than likely.

One night, as you and Keigo lay under the stars on the roof of the commission's building, watching the night sky above.

Suddenly, Hawks turned to you, “Hey Y/N,” he said, “can I ask you something?”

You nodded your head, feeling your heart flutter.

“Do you....do you want to become a hero with me?”

You smiled, “Isn't that the whole reason we’re here? To become heroes?”

But Keigo just shook his head, “No I mean...what do you want to do? With your life?”

You took a pause, you’ve never really thought about it all that much. What did you want to do with your life? You’ve always just done what others have told you to do, always choosing to follow others rather than yourself.

You realized you had never thought about it before, never taking into consideration your feelings, you just worked to survive.

“...I don’t know.”

You hated saying it, it felt like such a childish thing to admit, especially with Keigo. Keigo, who’s figured out his life goal already. Keigo, who’s living out his dream. Keigo, who has most of his life planned out.

“I mean- I guess I’m not used to choosing for myself, you know? I’m not sure how to go about… figuring out my life without someone telling me how to live it first.”

But Keigo just nodded, “No, that makes sense, I mean, you’ve lived here most of your life, you’ve worked to become a hero, but that's really only because you were taught to be one. It’s ok to not know what you want out of life, and don’t worry, I’ll be here to support you, Y/N.”

Keigo turned to you, a smile plastered on his face.

That beautiful, amazing, breathtaking smile.

You felt your face become flushed, and you sat up quickly so as to not have Keigo notice.

“Yeah well- thanks,” you said softly.

But Keigo just laughed, “Don’t worry about it dove.”

. . .

Years later, and Hawks had become the number two pro hero. And you hadn’t done too badly yourself, coming in at the number eleventh spot.

You didn’t mind being behind Hawks, in fact, you found yourself becoming a bit proud of yourself because of how far you had made it.

Right now, you were busy on portal, watching citizens go about their day on a rooftop above.

You watched closely, wondering what kind of life you could have been living if you had never chosen to be a hero, wondering if you too, would have been walking on that very same street as some other hero observed you from afar.

Somedays you found yourself wondering if the hero commission hadn’t taken you away, had let you lived your life for yourself, what would you do? Who would you become?

You wondered if you would have met Keigo as well, or if that would only work if you had been with the hero commission.

Maybe in that universe, you two could finally be together.

It happened a while ago, when you figured out your true feelings for Hawks. Although, maybe you always had feelings for him, since you were little kids. But, you had feelings for him had began to bubble over, you found yourself wanting to spend more time with him, wanted to keep him to yourself. But you would never act on these feelings, you knew better.

Keigo Takami would never be yours, not in a million years.

You let out a sigh, just as you heard boots hit the ground behind you.

“Miss me,” a familiar voice asked.

Even though you had known Hawks since you two were kids, you were always caught off guard by those dazzling eyes, the honey gold color swirling around as he stared down at you, pinning you to your spot on the roof.

You smiled, “Hawks, I just saw you.”

He shrugged, “So? I still missed you in that time.”

You rolled your eyes, “Did you come here to bother me or do you actually have a reason to be here?”

His hands flew to his chest, dramatically saying, “Oh angel, how you wound my poor heart.”

You giggled, “Aw Hawks, always the flare for the dramatic.”

He smiled, but then his eyes got serious, “But I do need your help with something, a mission not too far from here.”

Watching Hawks in action was like watching an artist at work, he was careful, skillful, even downright majestic. He took care in his work, he worked quickly and efficiently, like a well-oiled machine.

And, not to sound too cocky, you two made a pretty good team. And considering you two were very close friends, you vehemently enjoyed working with him.

Although, maybe it was cuz you also had a little bit of a crush on him.

Your face felt flushed at the thought, but before you could think your mouth had already said yes.

“Oh? Are you just agreeing so you can spend time with me, little dove,” Hawks smiled teasingly.

He had a habit of doing this, it was a little game he would play on you. teasing was so fun for him, but he didn’t realize how it gave you such butterflies.

Luckily though, although you did have feelings for him, you learned how to push them away for situations like this.

You scoffed, “Hawks, would you just give me the rundown. Or do I have to call the commission myself?”

He put his hands up, “Wow there chicky, no need to get antsy, I’ll explain everything, ok?”

He told you about the mission, nothing to fancy, in fact, it was quite easy.

Some of his sidekicks had noticed some suspicious activity near a specific location near U.A that the commission wanted to be checked out. They had said that they didn’t want another attack to happen yet again to the school.

On the outside, it might have seemed like the commission gave a shit about the kids in U.A, but you knew better. They just wanted to look good, and right now, this was the best way to do that.

“So basically, if we do see any suspicious activity, we’re allowed to bring anyone in there for questioning, and if worst comes to worst, we have orders to use force.”

You nodded, sounded just like a normal mission for the two of you, should be no p.

“Alright,” you said, “Sounds easy enough. Should we head over now? How will I get there?”

But Hawks seemed to be one step ahead of you.

He held out his hand, a smirk plastered on his dazzling face, “Just hold on to me, sweetheart.”

. . .

You’ve flown with Hawks before, considering how close you two were it was understandable that he would have offered a number of times.

But still, it Always made you so giddy.

The way he held you, so secure in his arms, his face inches away from you. And that gleam in his eyes, it always felt like it was only you and him in that moment, only you two in the entire sky. And each time, it made your heart shudder.

“You ok there, dove,” Hawks asked in your ear.

You jumped a little, surprised by his words. You realized you had begun spacing out while looking directly at him.

You composed yourself, “Just keep flyin’ bird brain. I’m just thinking.”

You could almost feel his smirk, “Thinking? Thinking of what, if you don’t mind me asking?”

“Drop it Hawks.”

“Oh,” he said, his tone mischievous, “just like I can drop you?”

Just then, you felt Hawks serve mid-air.

“KEIGO,” you shouted, not even thinking.

But Hawks had regained his hold on you, the prank only lasting for a second.

He laughed, his chest shaking, “You should have seen your face, Chicky! Ha! That was funny!”

But you would disagree, “I swear to God, Hawks, I’ll punch you when we land.”

But you thought for a second, “Sorry I called you your name...so loud.”

Keigo didn’t really like his name, opting to be called ‘Hawks’ instead.

But you knew why he preferred his new name instead. Because of his past.

Keigo was a kid left in the dirt, left and discarded, a remnant of a past that wasn’t so pleasant. You knew that thinking about it only brought pain to him, and saying his name out loud would only remind him of a past he would rather soon forget.

And the name ‘Hawks’ had marked the beginning of a new life for him. It was a way for him to move on past that old life, a way for him to become the best version of himself.

“Sorry,” you whispered.

“It’s ok… I don’t think anyone heard,” Hawks said.

His grip on you seemed to be tighter, more secure.

“And also, you know I would never drop you, right? I could never hurt you, ever.”

You rolled your eyes, “That’s so cheesy. Just don’t drop me and it’s fine.”

. . .

The place wasn’t too bad.

It was an old supply garage, there were about four people from what you could see.

It was definitely near U.A, you could see a clear view to the school, although it was far, it definitely had a vantage point. You could see why this could be a problem, and your brain hurt thinking about what villainous thing they could be planning.

You could hear the guy closest to you, it was a bit hard but you honed your ears.

“So, you all have everything,” a man asked in a scratchy rough voice.

“Yeah,” one of the others said, “everything's here, make sure to give it to Shigaraki with our gratitude.”

You looked over at Hawks, but his eyes were trained on the villains, his black pupils sharpening and watching their every move, before he nodded, signaling to move out.

And then, everything happened in a flash.

Hawks, as always, moved fast and quick, and you come up behind him.

Hawks grabbed one of the men, and held back the other two with his feathers, leaving only you and the two others.

You pulled out your handy metal staff, preparing yourself to bend it to your will.

But you never got the chance.

One of the men smirked a gun in his hand. The other behind him, activating what looked like an ice quirk.

And before you could think, you felt your feet being Frozen down to the hard metal floor of the garage.

“What the hell,” you mutter to yourself.

you tried your best to wiggle your way out of it, but you saw no way to free yourself from your icey binds.

Luckily, with your fast thinking, you grabbed the metal staff, shaping it to hit one of the men square in the jaw, making him drop his weapon.

the other one was taken aback, a perfect opening for your staff to hit him in the face.

But your feet were still frozen to the floor, and a few whacks to the felons was not going to be enough to take them down.

You racked your brain, Hawks was too far away, and there was no way you could get out of the ice on your own.

You brought your metal stuff back, using it to break the ice on your feet. Just as the men were getting back up.

You ran over, preparing to hit one of the men right in the face, a blow big enough to knock them out.

But you never got the chance.

The other man tackled you to the floor, your back hitting the ground.

“Not so tough now, are you, little hero.”

You looked over at Keigo, but there was no use. He was too busy fighting his own battle, and you knew it wasn't fair to rely on him.

So, with all your strength you pushed the man off. Using the metal floor to help you.

Just then, an idea occurred to you. It was risky, but it could work.

You knew that Keigo was far enough for it to work, it wouldn’t hurt him, but the only problem was it wouldn’t trap the two villains he was fighting.

But, considering he was the number two hero, you knew he would be just fine. You trusted him in that.

The ground beneath you is made of metal, you could feel it beneath your feet. You could also feel the two men running towards you.

You dodged their initial attacks, but you knew that they would soon overpower you. You also knew that you couldn't kill them, but you could hurt them.

So your best bet was to trap them, and yourself, before backup came.

You hit your palm against the floor, willing it to your mind. It was a long stretch, and you could feel the strain on your body. The toll that it was taking was immediate, your muscles felt tired, your brain even felt foggy for a few minutes, but you kept going.

You made sure that the ground collapsed, but it wouldn't hurt anybody.

You were not expecting, however, for the ceiling to collapse along with it.

There must have been a support beam on the ground as well that you had taken down with the floor, causing the ceiling to come down.

You looked up, seeing the last moment as the ceiling collapsed on you.

. . .

Hawks hated hospitals.

The smell, the people, the pain. He hated it all, but you were the one in the hospital, so of course, he needed to come.

The days after the accident had been hard, to say the least.

Keigo just remembered watching as the rooftop collapsed, watching your bruised body go along with it.

He remembered screaming your name too, yelling and willing all his feathers to help you, to get you out.

He remembered his heart racing and beating so hard in his chest, he remembered his eyes, tears swelling up as his breath ran ragged.

He didn’t even care about the villains, he had caught the two he had been fighting already, but he didn’t care. He needed to get you out, he needed to make sure you were ok.

After digging for what felt like an eternity, there you were, bruised and bloody. But you were breathing, and he held you close, his tears dripping over your cheeks.

He felt his heartbreak, he couldn't stand the sight of you being hurt, he couldn't stand the thought that he had something to do with it.

He wanted you to wake up, he wanted you to wake up so badly it hurt. For you to look up, and teased him about crying. He wanted nothing more than to apologize over and over, for making his friend suffer, even if it was unintentional.

He knew he could never forgive himself, and he knew he could never make it up to you.

Keigo knew you were in bad shape, so he called the ambulance to take you to the hospital. He was there with you the whole way, watching you, helping in any way he could.

He felt like his heart was being ripped out of his chest, watching as your fragile body was rolled away to the special care unit of the hospital, as the doctors told him he couldn’t come in with you.

“Mr. Hawks,” a voice said in front of him.

He flinched.

Hawks wasn’t someone who was easily startled, seeing as he had years of training, but his mind was so all over the place. Worrying and wondering if you were ok, hoping and praying to god everything would be ok.

He couldn’t lose you, and he realized that only now.

If he lost you, how would he even be able to function? You were everything to him, his friend (if he was being truthful, his only true friend) , his rock, the person he could trust for support and help.

To be honest, if he lived in a world without you, he really wouldn’t know what to do…

“Sir?”

He snapped back to reality, his eyes looking up at the doctors.

“Sorry,” he sighed, “I think I’m just a bit off my game today, you’ll have to excuse my behavior. But what were you saying, sir?”

“Well, L/N Y/N has sustained some pretty severe injuries, such as bruising of the sides and hips, and a broken leg,” Hawks sucked in a breath, “We know how to treat it, of course, but Y/N will need much recovery time. That being said, Y/N seems to not have any family or emergency contacts but you. If it’s ok with you, would you be willing to visit as well as look over Y/N in the recovery period?”

Hawks quickly agreed, “Anything doctor, anything you need or Y/N needs...anything at all.”

The doctor smiled at him, “Thank you, Mr. Hawks, unfortunately though, Y/N needs a bit more time alone, but when we deem it ok, you can come back for a visit.”

Hawks felt his shoulders slump, he knew it was selfish, but he had hoped to see you again, to apologize for putting you in that piston, he felt horrible.

The mission wasn't supposed to go like that at all, it was supposed to be a swift and easy fight. It was really just supposed to be the four guys with easy quirks, and they were all supposed to be an easy fight.

Hawks had learned about the hideout in front of U.A a while ago, when he learned it was also a part of the ledge, he went right to Dabi.

“Are you insane,” he had said, “someone will catch you, and personally, I can’t stand by and let you attack those kids.”

“Oh?” Dabi smirked, “And how will you stop us? You’re a part of the league now, bird boy, and we need this lookout, so just shut up already.”

Keigo huffed, “I can’t let you do that, that’s right by my portal area, my bosses will get suspicious, and I look bad enough as it is. I haven’t brought anyone from the league in, soon someone will put two-in-two together.”

It was a lie of course, his bosses knew exactly why he couldn't bring in anyone from the league, they had assigned the mission after all.

But the problem didn't lie with his bosses, it lay with the other Heroes and the public eye. The other hero’s had started to whisper to each other, wondering why the Hawks hadn’t brought in anyone from the notorious League of villains yet. He heard their whispers, and it made him uneasy. He knew if he didn't act soon, they would just grow more and more suspicious. As for the public eye, he couldn't let his image slide, he had to figure out a solution, and this would be the perfect way to do so.

Dabi pondered the idea, toying with Hawks’ growing anticipation, like a cat pawing at a helpless bird.

“Alright, I suppose we can make that work.”

And so, a plan was formed.

Keigo was to swiftly take the four men in for questioning. Dabi had arranged for it so all vital information was to be learned from the lookouts, and then Hawks could swoop in and go in fighting. The other four men would have no idea what was going on, so it looked like the real deal.

They had set up specific times and dates to make sure they would take the men and the lookout down, that way the league wouldn’t lose any vital information.

“I’ll tell you when, don’t start till I tell you,” Dabi had said, “or else there will be problems.”

And Hawks had done as he was told, he waited for Dabi to give him the all-clear, and went in.

But you getting hurt was never a part of the plan.

Keigo felt guilt clawing at his chest. How did he get like this? He was supposed to be the one to protect you, to make sure that you were always okay.

But it seemed like he was the one who got you hurt.

His guilt was suddenly replaced by anger, it made him ball his fist.

Those men were supposed to be easy to take down, they were supposed to be simple to deal with, but even Keigo had difficulty defeating them all on his own.

This was an error on his part, he knew that, but he also couldn’t help but simultaneously blame Dabi as well.

It was his fault that he hadn’t warned Keigo about the strength of the men.

Keigo was going to make him pay….

. . .

Dabi’s head hit the wall with a loud thud, Keigo’s angry eyes boring into him.

“I should kill you right here, right now.”

Dabi laughed, “Look, it wasn’t my fault your little partner couldn’t handle a few guys, ain't they supposed to be a hero? Shouldn’t they be able to help themselves?”

Dabi’s twisted smile made Keigo see red.

“I swear Dabi-”

“The league will come after you, you know that.”

Keigo felt his hands shake with rage, his fingers wrinkling Dabis' shirt.

“What were they to you? You seem pretty upset there, birdy. Maybe….your lover?”

A feather sharpened at Dabi’s neck, Keigo’s fury never leaving his body.

“Say one more goddamn word and I swear to god I'll kill you.”

“Look,” Dabi said, “I didn't know how strong those guys were, I thought that you'd be able to take ‘em down pretty easily. But I guess we just gave ‘em more training than I thought. That's all. Nothing I could have done about it, and nothing you could have done about it. You should know that stuff like this is inevitable, shit is bound to go wrong.”

Keigo released him, his eyes still boring into Dabi’s.

“If I figure out you had some sort of part in this-”

“Yeah yeah, you’ll kill me. I get it.”

Keigo stormed off, walking away from Dabi.

Keigo wanted nothing more than to beat the crap out of someone, anyone, he just wanted someone to blame, someone to feel the way he felt.

The fact that you were in pain only made it worse.

What was he to do now? He couldn’t go home, he would only be able to think about you, only be able to think about your laugh, your eyes, your lips….

He shook his head. Why was he thinking of something like that? And at a time like this? You were...his friend.

But that thought made his heart sink. Like that thought had filled him with dread.

He sighed, shaking his head, this wasn’t about him, it was about you, it was about helping you. Not thinking about his feelings. Or lack thereof.

He felt his phone ring in his back pocket, just before he was leaving.

Looking at the number, he realized it was the doctor's office that was calling.

Without even thinking he picked up, “Hello?”

“Hello Mr. Hawks, we just wanted to ask if you would want to come in and see the patient L/N Y/N, they have woken up. So if you would like to see them-”

“Yes!” Keigo said, a bit too excitedly, “Sorry- about the interruption- but yes I would like to see them.”

“Alright Mr. Hawks, please come whenever you can, they’ve been asking for you.”

. . .

Hawks had never flown so fast, rushing so fast in order to see you, needed to see you.

When he finally got there, he rushed in, finding the receptionist to find your room.

“They’re in room 236 sir-”

But he cut her off, adrenaline pumping through his body.

“Ok, thank you so much.”

Finding your room was easy, and yet, he found himself outside your room, dreading to go in.

How could he face you? How could he apologize? How could he look you in the eye, see what happened to you, and be able to talk to you.

He ran a hand down his face, why was this so hard? He’s taken down many many villains before, and he had never felt as anxious as he did now?

“...Hawks?”

He jumped, he actually jumped.

There you were, standing, only a few inches away from his face, his eyes widened and he could feel his whole body becoming hot.

Why did he suddenly become like this around you? His heart felt like it was on fire, his whole body felt strange.

But your face, it looked so stunning, that for a moment he couldn’t feel his lungs.

“Are you...ok?” He was surprised that his voice finally managed to work.

You blinked, “Yeah, I’m ok. What about you, though? Your face is all red. Do have a fever or something? I can call a doctor.”

“No no,” he sighed, “just...feeling weird I suppose.”

He felt the redness travel from his cheeks all the way up to his ears, “I-I’m fine, really, don't worry about me, I'm actually here to see you.”

You smiled, gazing up at him, “Aww, you can see lil’ old me? How thoughtful.”

You both walked into your room, and Hawks watched as you lay down on the bed.

The hospital room was nothing special, a state-of-the-art hospital room, similar to one's that Hawks had been in many times. Being a hero always came with getting hurt, but seeing you in this condition, made his heart squeeze.

if he could, he would go back in time and figure out a way so that he could be in this situation, not you. You didn't deserve it, you have done nothing but help him, and this is how he repaid you? He felt sick with guilt.

“Hawks?” You said.

He snapped up, like coming back from a bad dream.

But you just laughed your sweet, kind laugh.

Hawks wanted to hear it again, one more time he wanted to hear you laugh like that, it made him feel like everything was drifting away from him like it was just you and him in this entire world.

“You’re totally out of it! What’s gotten into you,” You said, a smile still plastered on your face.

“Sorry, just thinkin’.”

“Yeah well you must be thinking a little too hard there, are you okay? Do you want to sit down? Something's obviously bothering you, you can tell me.”

but hawks just side, “I don’t know, I don’t want you to be upset with me.”

But you just smiled up at him, “Hawks, nothing in this world could make me upset with you.”

And so he told you, about the league, about the secrets he's been hiding from you. It felt good, it felt good to finally confide in someone, it felt like a weight being lifted off his shoulders. he felt at ease, talking to you like you were the only person who would ever understand. And you probably were.

You listened to him, you listened as he told you about what happened, about how sorry he felt, you didn't blame him for what happened, You just listened. You listened and listened and listened.

So when he finally finished, he was scared of what you would say.

“...I’m sorry,” he said.

“Why are you sorry, Hawks you didn’t do anything wrong.”

He looked up at you, “B-but I got you hurt-”

“That’s not your fault though, you had a mission to follow.”

“But I should have never involved you.”

“I'm glad you did, it could have been you that would have gotten hurt,” you said, smiling.

But he just tsked, “It would have been better if it was me, I can’t stand to see you like this, you know.”

Your hands went to his cheeks, bringing his face closer, “And I wouldn’t be able to see you like this either, I would have blamed myself. I’m glad I came with you, even if it meant I got hurt in the process. I care about you, Hawks.”

Keigo couldn’t breathe, you were so close, your lips an inch away.

“Keigo.”

Your eyes widened, “What?”

“I want you to call me Keigo when we’re alone from now on, I...I like when you say it.”

You paused for a moment, and then burst out laughing, “Where did this come from?”

His face went red, “I-I don’t know, just kinda been thinking about it I guess.”

You giggled a bit before saying, “Ok, I mean, if that’s what you want. Y’know, you’ve been acting strange Haw-Keigo,” you corrected, “are you sure everything's ok?”

There it was again, the pitter-batter in his heart, the nervousness in his stomach.

Something was wrong, but he didn’t know how to say it.

He didn’t know how he would even categorize the way he was feeling, he couldn't explain it to himself, much less to you.

“I’m fine, just...overwhelmed I guess.”

He shook his head, “But I should be asking how you are, you're the one in the hospital, not me. Stop worrying, how are you, how are you feeling? What do you need me to do? I'll be here to help you, no matter what.”

You rolled your eyes, “Eventually you’ll have to go home, and I’m totally fine, Keigo.”

By the mention of his name, he couldn’t help but feel his heart squeeze.

“R-right, well, can I just..stay here. With you? Till you get better?”

You smiled, “Of course.”

. . .

While you were in the hospital, Keigo stayed by your side. He never left you, he cared for you, watched over for you, and was so understanding.

It only made your feelings for him deeper, and you were loath to admit that you enjoyed it.

You enjoyed watching him fawn over you, knowing that he was close to you. You two would talk for hours, about anything, and you loved it. You loved feeling him near you, watching his eyes soften and the stupid silly quirk of his smile. You felt warm inside, you felt so at peace with him at your side.

You knew it was selfish, but you couldn't help loving how long you were spending with him.

But, it all came to an end, and you had to go home.

To your surprise, Keigo offered you to stay with him for a little bit.

Just till you get back on your feet,” he said.

Your heart leaped at the opportunity, sharing a house with the guy you had a crush on for years? It felt like you were a lovesick teenager again. Although, you would always be lovesick when it came to Keigo.

At Keigo’s house, he was nothing but polite to you. Although, a bit too polite.

For all his flirting, for all his suave charm, he was never really like that with you. He was just normal, keeping to himself in the house, but always being able to hang out with you or do anything with you if you wanted.

And yet, you could feel the nervousness oozing off of him, like he wanted to say something, but was holding himself back.

Like something was on the tip of his tongue, but he couldn’t get it out.

It, intern, made you just as nervous.

Were you being a nuisance? Did you say something to upset him? A million thoughts running through your head, and you are worried about all of them.

The last thing that you would ever want to do would be to upset Keigo, but you couldn’t figure out what was wrong.

Maybe he felt bad about the accident?

You sucked in a breath, that had to be it. He felt bad, and therefore, was nervous around you.

You have to confront him, you thought, you had to clear the air so you would both feel better.

You decided to wait till tomorrow morning, not wanting to scare or embarrass him well you could tell he was so nervous.

. . .

“Keigo,” you said, a waver in your voice showing how nervous you were.

“Hm?” Keigo looked up from his phone, his honey-colored irises landing on you, only serving to make you more anxious.

You took a deep breath, “I wanna talk to you about something. and it's pretty important, so I'd appreciate it if you could listen till the end.”

Keigo sat up, “What, am I in trouble or something?” He said in a teasing, yet nervous way.

“No,” you sighed, “But I just really need to talk to you about something.”

You took one moment more to collect yourself before speaking, “We've known each other for a long time, we've known each other since we were little kids when we were both put into the commission's program and since we were both made heroes. So you should know, that I know when you're upset.”

You saw Keigo twitch in his chair, but you continued.

“You've been nervous ever since the hospital, maybe even nervous in the hospital. And I don't know what's going on with you. I... I don't know if it was something that I did, or if it was something that happened, but I'm here for you. And I don't like it that you keep this a secret from me. I consider you to be one of my best friends, and I want you to know that you can trust me. No matter what happens, I'll still always love you. Nothing will ever change that,” a smile pulled at your lips as you said your last sentence.

It was silent for a few moments, the air between you too felt heavy and suffocating.

Finally, Keigo spoke, “Y/N, I want to tell you something, but... I'm not sure how you’ll react.”

You tried to speak up again, but Keigo cut you off.

“I know that you're going to say that nothing can ever come between us, and I do believe you. But... something came up and I just don't know how to deal with it. You mean so much to me, and losing your friendship is my worst nightmare. And I guess…. I just got so scared of losing you that I just didn't think about anything else. I'm sorry.”

Your face contorted into one of confusion, “Keigo, I’m not sure what you mean? What are you talking about? What came up?”

But Keigo just sighed, “Y/n I...I think I’m in love with you.”

You felt your heart stop, your eyes widened as your brain was racing.

What did you say? No... that couldn't be right.

Keigo Takami could not be in love with you, he just wouldn't. You had accepted that a long time ago, you knew that he would never have the same feelings that you had for him. You knew that, so what was going on?

“I...I’m sorry?”

Keigo’s face turned a bright shade of pink, “I-I think I’m in love with you. I’m sorry to spring this on you so suddenly, I know it must be a lot to take in, if you’re uncomfortable being here with me feel free to leave. I completely understand-”

But your lips stopped his words, your body pressed firmly to his.

He was started by the kiss at first, but soon, his body and mind became muddled, hands wrapped around your waist as he tasted your lips. It felt intoxicating.

Before you knew it, your hips were straddling him, keeping him locked in his chair. But Keigo wasn’t complaining.

Your lips tangled with one another as moans escaped both of you, your hands unable to leave each other's bodies.

Your hands traveled down his chest, even ripping open the button-down he was wearing, showing his abs and rippling muscles.

“Y/N..” Keigo said, his voice hoarse.

When you looked back up at him, his eyes were narrowed, slanted, and staring you down. But they had a softness to them, one that made your heart flutter.

“Keigo… god you have no idea how much I love you,” you said.

If this was a dream, you never wanted to wake up.

Keigo smirked, “‘s that so babe? Well, I plan to show you just how much I love you tonight.”

His lips attached to the column of your throat, kissing and nipping lightly at the skin. His hands roaming up and down your body made you feel as though you were on fire. His calloused hands stroked your back, making you arch into him.

“K-Keigo,” you moaned.

But he just hummed into your skin, his brain turning to mush, only able to think about how much pleasure he could give you, how much love he wanted to show you.

“Keigo, I love you,” you whispered into the shell of his ear.

Keigo groaned, still occupied with your neck, but pulled his lips away in order to say; “I’m glad,” and smiled at you.

You returned his smile before your lips found his again.

It would be a very long night.

#bnha #bnha hawks #mha #hawks #mha keigo takami #hawks x reader #keigo takami #hawks x y/n #keigo x reader #pro hero hawks #my hero academia hawks #hawks x you #keigo takami bnha #keigo fanfic #hawks fanfics #keigo x y/n #keigo imagine #wing hero hawks

[sereisstuff]

𝑻𝒉𝒆 𝒄𝒂𝒓𝒅 𝒐𝒇 𝒉𝒆𝒂𝒓𝒕𝒔 // Shuntaro chishiya

Hey guys, I haven’t written in a while and got inspired by @hvrriicane​​ who’s Chishiya imagine is absolutely amazing. I wanted to write for Chishiya too so started off with him, next will be Niragi or Kuina. I still don’t know yet what I’m going to do but enjoy..

There’s literally no point to continue living, nothing but our own lives we cradle like a new bought gift.

“What’s the point of this reality anymore”

I questioned absentmindedly, gazing out into the open window while releasing the tension in my shoulders as I sighed in thought. My mind was running in circles ever since I arrived at the beach, defying all my morality to feel normal again. Selfish wasn’t it, to disregard human law to feel like my body was mine once more. Not some fetish in a game overruled by a faceless master.

The wind was calm, carrying the melodies of serenity with it. It was almost like I was myself again but I knew better than to question that, the pumping outrage of music often reminded me where I was and the stumbling people knocking loudly against the walls kept my mind at bay.

“There is no reason” was spoken in a sultry voice behind you, you could tell who’s voice that was by a mere grunt. Your heart raced and you cursed yourself for ever falling for someone in a world such as this “Living is just a game, you survive based on how well you play” chishiya spoke once more, followed by a light grunt of amusement.

His steps echoed through the room as he slowly approached my place, I didn’t waver nor acknowledge his presence. Concealing what I felt was always my specialty and I’ve yet to met anyone succeeded at deciphering them. He stopped just beside me, hands in his pockets, staring at the sky just as I did. 

“Is there a reason why you’re not speaking to me?” he laughed with a smirk smearing across his features making me furrow my brows in fury, he leaned slightly against the door frame. Hooded eyes meeting my own with the tilt of his head “I don’t want to die, in your attempt to steal” you explained with a fault, a lie no match for Chishiyas intelligence. You hadn’t met his fierce eyes yet, staring aimlessly into the sky, painfully watching the velvet lasers drip from the roof of reality sharply. As if one minute they were there and the next, their existence ceased to exist just like the souls they took with it.

It was an excuse, another reason to lie to his face. You couldn’t bear the thought of having to constantly be around him while concealing your feelings, his mere presence was something hard to resist and you hated yourself every day for it “I’m speaking to you right now” Chishiya raised his sharp brows with the pucker of his chapped lips, he spoke “for the first time in a week” 

“Is there any reason for your visit? Or was it merely to annoy me?” You managed to huff, concealing your heartache with pure annoyance.

Chishiya shrugged, his voice high as his dreamy eyes followed the lining of your body from your toes to your covered figure and then once more meeting your eyes “are you looking down on me?” he said with amusement, the words slipped from his mouth like a devilish command. 

"I would never, your too clever for me to care" 

"I get told that more than you know” Chishiya spoke, slithering his lips into a charming smile.

I cradled my knees closer to my chest as I relentlessly thought about the wonders it would be if we never met “Of course you do” you mumbled under your breath, Chishiya’s laughable gaze slowly rolled down, he looked from the corners of his eyes while swiping his tongue against the floor of his lips.

“Anything I said or did before, it was a lie. I don’t want to be apart of your plan anymore, I just want to go back to normal” There it came, your truth. Merely a disguise for your hearts motives but it bit you back venomously. Normal? Normal was adaptive, Normal used to be walking home at dawn after running to the store for a midnight snack, normal was falling sick and having your mother come and cradle you. You even missed her sharp tongue, preferring that more than the ache of love and the wrath of this immoral reality.

“Normal is adaptive, wicked or not. Nothing ever stays the same as much as you wished, Life is sickening like that” Chishiya spoke leaning against the frame, his feline eyes begging to be sunken into. Similar to you, Chishiya had a knack for emotion, easily able to ignore and manipulate his own but he could tell what you were thinking as if it was a superpower.

“I’ve found you amusing ever since the hide and seek game” Chishiya laughed, his words were sharp but something in you told you he was telling you the truth, you didn’t notice how the sharp tune of your neck snapping towards his direction whilst your fiery eyes met his but just like fire, his eyes calmed something in you. Chishiya raised his hands with a casual raise of his eyebrows and a low giggle. 

“If your here to laugh at me, leave the way you came or I’ll make you” your forced threat didn’t waver him, Chishiya was never one to back down even if he seems so. 

His hands slowly retracted back to his pockets, as he sat casually beside you. You could feel his warmth and enjoyed the mere second until you remembered his reasoning, you hated having to continue as if you felt nothing, wanting more of his comfort “Can I continue?” He asks politely, his eyes never leaving yours so you felt his truth seeping from his callous tongue, he knew you more than anyone else, not even poor Arisu knew just how deeply you thought and how hard you fought.

You sent him a quick nod, finally holding eye contact. Chishiya took this as a sign to somewhat move closer to you, his jersey knitting your sweater as his head stood just a few inches away from your shoulders.

“The world has a wicked way going about telling us about our feelings, showing us what we can and cannot have. Sometimes, we have what we want but we cannot grasp them fully because the world doesn’t want us to have them, selfish at most” 

“What are you trying to say chishiya? I’m not in the mood to play in your game of minds”

“The hide and seek game showed me what I could have, what that meant for me. I’m grateful that you saved me as stupid and selfless that was.” He continued and it was odd seeing this, you could see his own defenses melting but your anger got the best of you and you made an abrupt stand, clenching your fist as you fought the tears brimming your eyes. You felt tortured and played by him as one of his stupid jokes.

“Leave” you spoke sternly.

“Leave Chishiya, I already told you I don’t want anything to do with your riddles right now. I- I can’t handle it”

Chishiya although didn’t falter, you followed his body as he stood. His chest puffed high. Standing just before you “I know you don’t want me to leave” he knew, he knew all along and sat here toying with you like you were nothing to him.

Chishiya’s long lashes fluttered as his cold eyes stared deeply into yours, so deep your anger slowly subsided and you gave him the time to speak “I don’t want you to leave me, you’re an idiot, yes but I know if I let you go now. I’ll feel torn in the future, living at the beach taught me one thing. You can’t trust anyone but somehow I can trust you” he inched closer to you, so you felt his breath tickle your lips and for a moment Chishiya let his comfort seep over you, enjoying your company that he missed.

“Do what you wish with that” and just like that, he was gone again. Leaving you with frustrated thoughts. To untangle his way of words but what you most definitely knew was that your feelings weren’t alone anymore.

#Cheshiya #shuntaro chishiya #chishiya x reader #alice in borderland #alice in border #Alice in borderland imagines #Niragi #chishiya shuntaro #im #imawa no kuni no arisu #imawa no kuni no alice #Plus size reader

[albertasunrise]

Just Another Conquest - Part 2

Masterlist

Warnings: You were sweet, innocent and completely infatuated with Javier Peña. After an incident at the Christmas party, you become the talk of the secretary's at the embassy and everything starts falling around you.

Pairings: Javier Peña x Reader

Warnings: Angst, Mentions of abortions, Mentions of Miscarriage.

Notes: Still a few touchy subjects in this chapter.

Part 1

You lay there waiting for the procedure to start, heart in your throat as you desperately tried to avoid his gaze. You weren’t sure why Javier wanted to be there for it, why he’d refused to leave your side since he’d found out you were in the hospital. You guessed he felt guilty, after all, he was the one that had gotten you into this mess so you had tolerated him. Had been civil. He had saved you from possible jail time, after all, flashing his badge and convincing the doctors not to report what you’d tried to do to your unborn child.

‘Right you ready?” The doctor asked in Spanish and you nodded, mixed feelings engulfing you at what was about to happen.

You nodded and she placed the probe on your exposed stomach, so you shut your eyes and waited, praying for it to be over. Javier watched you, his heart twisting as he watched the conflict you were suffering saturate your features. You had said you wanted this baby. That you were going to raise it alone and that he had an out. So why did it look like you didn’t?

Then he heard it and all thoughts disappeared like a puff of smoke.

The rhythmic thump of his child’s heartbeat filled the air and his own heart seemed to expand in his chest. He turned to look at the screen, the doctor pointing out the baby he’d helped create and he sobbed. He cried openly and you opened your eyes to see him staring at that small shape, hand over his mouth as he let his emotions flow freely. So you allowed yourself to look.

It was instant.

The feeling of love you had for this tiny being that you were growing inside of you. This tiny life that the doctor informed you were currently around the size of an olive. She then left the imaging on screen as she started to clean the jelly from your stomach and as soon as she was done, Javier placed a soft kiss there.

“Hello, little one.” He whispered and you swooned “I’m your Papi and I look forward to meeting you.” He finished before he looked up at you “If you’ll let me?”

You were at a loss for words. You’d not expected him to be so welcoming of this baby and a pang of guilt struck you. What if you had succeeded? You would have taken this away from him. You’d never stopped to consider that he might actually want this. Want to be a father.

You’d been too scared to consider it.

You were discharged later that day and Javier took you home, helped you get comfortable before putting away the medications and vitamins you’d been given. You weren’t sure when you dozed off but you’d been surprised to find that he was still there when you woke up later that day, carrying a tray of food with him as he set himself down on the bed beside you.

“Made you some soup.” He said softly as he placed the spoon in the bowl and handed it to you “Wasn’t sure whether you’d be up for anything bigger.”

“Why are you doing this Javier?” You asked, your brows furrowed as you gave him a questioning look.

“Doctor said you were going to be weak for a few more days and that you’d probably need a little extra help.” He replied, placing the bowl down when you didn’t take it.

“I know all of that I was there.” You grumbled, “I mean why are you helping me?”

“Because I care about you.”

“If you cared about me we wouldn’t be in this mess.” You spat and he flinched at the statement.

“You’re right I’m sorry.” He fumbled as he pushed the tray closer to you and stood “You don’t want me here... Fucking idiot.”

“I’m sorry?”

“Not you… I’m a fucking idiot. Thinking that you’d accept help from me.” He elaborated “Or that you’d be willing to let me be a part of this baby’s life. I have no right.” He finished as he shook his head and made his way towards the door “I’ll get Connie to come and help you. She's more qualified anyway.’ He threw over his shoulder as stepped through the doorway, only to be stopped when you called his name.

“You have every right to be a part of this baby’s life.” You started, expression softening a little “I just… I just don’t want you to feel like you are obligated to take care of me just because I’m carrying your child.”

“But that’s exactly what I am.” He turned to face you, tears pooling in those chocolate depths “It is my duty to care for the woman who’s to give me the greatest gift I’ve ever received. So I will do that however you’ll let me. Not because I need to.” He paused, locking eyes with yours “But because I want to.”

You nodded at him, giving him a weak smile before picking up the bowl of soup he left beside you and hummed in delight at the savoury flavours.

“Did you make this yourself?” You asked and he nodded shyly “This is really good. How did you learn to cook like this?”

“I nursed my mum through cancer.” He replied honestly and you looked up at him in shock “Kinda taught myself to cook so that I could take care of her and pops. He uh… Well, he didn’t cope well with her illness. Even worse when she passed.”

“Javier I-”

“I’m glad you like it Hermosa.” He interrupted with a smile, changing the subject “I’ll be just out here if you need anything.” He finished and you nodded, watching him leave whilst your heart ached for him.

~

3 months along…

“So the baby is around the size of a plumb now according to the baby book I got.” Exclaimed Javier excitedly and you smiled sweetly at him.

“You read a baby book?” Snorted Steve as he laughed at Javier’s statement, earning a smack on the arm from his wife.

“I think it’s sweet.” Announced Connie as she gave Javi’s arm a friendly squeeze.

“Have you told work yet?” Steve asked you, taking a swig of his beer.

“No.” You replied, shrugging as you spoke “We wanted to wait another month. Just to be sure everything’s… well you know.”

“Makes sense.” Connie replied as she placed a steaming mug of herbal tea in front of you “So there’s been no complications from…” She trailed off and you caught the hurt that flashed in Javier’s eyes.

“No.’ You replied simply, giving him a regretful look “We’re both very lucky.” You finished as you placed a hand on your slight bump.

“Still can’t believe you tried to get rid of it yourself.” Said Steve, not seeing the glares he then received from you and Connie.

Javier felt his stomach twist at the memory of it. Standing abruptly from his seat and making a b-line for the bathroom, Steve watched his partner leave with confusion etched into his features before finally turning his head to see the angry stares of you and his wife.

“You really do need to work on your mental filter Steve.” Connie growled as she turned to look at you “I’m sorry. You okay?”

“I am but Javi…”

“He’ll be okay,” Steve waved off but you shook your head.

“No… You don’t...” You paused a moment, remembering the conversation you and he had shared a few weeks back ‘It still hurts him to know I tried.”

…

2 weeks prior…

‘So I got this baby book.” Said Javier as he placed a large paper bag down on the table “And don’t be mad, but I got a few other things.”

“Javier I’m not even 3 months along.” You chuckled “There’s still a risk that-”

“That what?” Javier asked, his tone taking you by surprise.

“That I could lose it.” You said, voice cracking a little when you saw the expression that spread across his face “I just don’t want to jinx it.”

“You tried to get rid of it and it came through that. I’m sure-”

“Why are you still holding that over me?” You snapped “I made a mistake Javier. You need to move on.”

“Move on?” He growled, tears forming in his eyes “Move on from the fact you tried to kill our baby?”

“I was scared, Javier!” You yelled “I let you in, gave myself to you and you rejected me. Quite publicly I might add.” You paused as you tried to calm your breathing “I’m then forced to take two months off because I became the talk of the embassy and in that time I find out I’m pregnant. How was I supposed to feel about it all Javier?”

“You should have come and talked to me.” He said, tears streaming down his cheeks “I would have-”

“You would have what?” You pried “Welcomed me with open arms? Told me that we could be a happy family and that you’d made a mistake telling me I was nothing more than a stress relief exercise?”

“I never said that.”

“Oh no… we were just two friends comforting each other right.” You scoffed “Except I was in love with you...” You stopped yourself there, unable to believe that you’d just blurted that out. “I’m glad you want to be a part of this baby's life, Javier. It’s not exactly the sort of situation I’d ever expected to have a child but we have to play with the cards we’re dealt. So why don’t we just agree not to discuss the horrific thing I tried to do and just celebrate and enjoy this experience.” You paused as you took his hands in yours “I’m sorry I nearly took them from you. I know it hurts you and it pains me that I inflicted that on you but they’re here.” You placed his hand on your stomach “Growing inside me, safe and sound. We’re going to be okay.”

He'd simply nodded, unable to say anything else on the matter but he knew that he needed to try and move on as you said. It had all turned out for the best.

Right?

…

Steve sat there in shock, reeling from what you’d just told him. His partner hadn’t talked much about what had happened, it had been Connie in the end that had told him, after gaining your permission of course.

“I should go talk to him.” You said as you pushed yourself to your feet, only to be stopped by Steve.

“Let me.” He said as he stood from his seat “My fault he’s upset.” He finished as he made his way to where Javier had gone.

He found his partner staring down at a sleeping Olivia, shoulders shaking as he desperately tried to keep his internal struggle from slipping to the surface. He didn’t notice his partner step up behind him and tensed when the man's hand landed on his shoulder.

“What you doing in here partner?” He asked softly, glancing at his sleeping daughter before returning his attention to Javier.

“What if I’m no good?” He asked, taking Steve off guard.

“What do you mean brother?”

“What if I don’t make a good father?” He asked, letting out a shuddering breath “She tried to terminate the pregnancy because she didn’t think I’d want this.”

“Well, you did publicly humiliate her.”

“Fuck I know that Steve.” Javier growled as he fell back into the soft armchair beside Olivia’s cot “I made a mistake but something really wonderful has come out of that. I just… I dunno how this is going to work.”

“Do you love her?” He asked, perching on the changing table opposite his companion.

“No.” He replied, shaking his head “I mean she's attractive and we had a great time but no… I don’t love her. I’m not looking for anything more with her.”

“Well, I dunno how to advise you then man.” Steve sighed, scraping a hand over his mouth “All I can say is that you’re an idiot. She's an incredible woman and you’d be lucky to be with someone like her.”

“Trust me I know but… I don’t know I guess I just don’t know her well enough.”

“Well then make an effort to. See where that takes you and if you still don’t feel anything for her then fine but you owe it to her and your baby to at least try and see if there’s something there.” His partner finished as he got to his feet and placed a comforting hand over his shoulder “Just think about it Javi.”

…

“I should see what’s taking them so long.” You said, your nervousness getting the better of you “I’ll be right back.” You said over your shoulder to Connie before getting to your feet and making your way to where you knew Steve and Javier were, stopping when you heard their voices.

“Well, you did publicly humiliate her.”

“Fuck I know that Steve.” You let out a stuttered breath as you continued to listen “I made a mistake but something really wonderful has come out of that. I just… I dunno how this is going to work.”

“Do you love her?” Your breath caught in your throat as you awaited his answer.

“No.”

Your heart shattered.

“I mean she's attractive and we had a great time but no… I don’t love her. I’m not looking for anything more with her.”

You couldn’t listen a moment longer. You made your way back to the kitchen where Connie was finishing up with the dishes, grabbing your cardigan and purse.

“You off?” She asked, noting the change in your demeanour as you headed towards the front door.

“Yeah, I uh…” You paused, trying to keep yourself together but failing miserably “I’m tired. Say good night to Steve from me.” You choked before heading out the door, finally allowing yourself to fall apart the moment you were out of sight.

…

“She gone?” Asked Steve as he and Javier made their way back into the lounge.

“Yeah just a moment ago.” Connie stated as she looked at them both “She seemed pretty upset.” Her concern was evident in her features.

Javier’s stomach dropped. He said nothing, just sprinted out the door where he found you curled up on the ground as your tears fell freely. He was at your side in the blink of an eye, crouching down in front of you as he tried, desperately, to get you to look at him.

“Hermosa.” He pleaded and you finally look at him “What's wrong? Is it the baby?”

“Leave me alone Javier.” You growled, your sadness dissolving into anger.

“What is it?” He asked again and you scoffed at him.

“I think it would be best if we go our separate ways, Javier.” You said as you pushed him away and got to your feet “This isn’t going to work. I’m going to go and you can go back to screwing whoever takes your fancy. You aren’t cut out for this.” You finished as you cradled your small bump.

He recoiled at that, his own insecurities finally breaking free.

“I won’t stop you from seeing them. I’ll send you my address when I’m settled and if you want to come and see them then that's fine.”

“You’re leaving?”

“We both know I can’t stay here.” You growled.

“But the baby.” He sobs “I’ll miss everything.”

“You were going to miss that anyway.” You spat as you made your way over to the stairs “You’re a fool if you think you were actually going to see this through. We both know you can’t commit.”

With that, you left, stalking down the stairs and leaving a broken man in your wake. You were right. Of course, you were. He wasn’t cut out to be a father, he was deceiving himself and yet he'd wanted so desperately to try. Steve’s words floated around in his head. He should try to get to know you, to try and make a go of it but how could he when you wanted nothing to do with him. He wasn't against the idea of a relationship with one woman, he'd tried once before with Lorraine but that had crumbled to the ground.

Could things be different with you?

Sinking to the floor he allowed himself to weep. To mourn the loss of his child for he knew that you’d keep them from him, you were right to. The floor is where Connie found him a short time later and it was where she held him as he cried. When his tears dried up she pulled him inside, comforted him as he slowly turned into a shell of the man he once was and Steve knew this was his fault. He had to fix it. He just wasn’t sure how.

~

2 weeks later…

Steve had worked hard to try and bring the two of you together. You’d not mentioned leaving again but you’d also not spoken to his partner since that night. He had pleaded with you to try, told you how broken Javier had been since then but you struggled to believe the agent. You’d heard what Javier had said, he didn’t want to be with you and that he wasn’t sure how this was going to work. You knew what that meant. So you knew you had to take matters into your own hands.

You had to do right by your unborn child.

Steve continued to plead Javier’s case, however, telling you that the man was terrified to approach you for fear you would slam the door in his face you gave the blonde an opening. If Javier could come to you and make you believe that he was serious you would stay. If he couldn’t you would leave. Little did you know that the two DEA agents would be shipped off to Medellin for two weeks before he even got the chance.

Javier knocked on your door, flowers in hand and he nervously shifted from one foot to the other but when no answer came his brows furrowed in confusion and he knocked again. He'd had time in Medellin to think about things. To think about how he did want to try and make a go of things. Just because he wasn't in love with you now... Didn't mean that wouldn't come with time. He'd started to picture the family he could have with you and his heart had swelled at the idea. Knocking a third and final time he let out a frustrated sigh.

Still nothing.

Resigned to the fact you weren’t home, he sprinted upstairs and knocked on his partner's door, knowing his wife would be home with, hopefully, a little update on how you were. He’d read in the baby book that morning that now, at 14 weeks, the baby was around the size of a nectarine and that had excited him to no end. He had wondered if your bump had gotten any bigger and how you’d been coping with the morning sickness, something that had been a struggle when he’d last spoken to you.

“Javi.” Said Connie as she opened the door, Olivia in her arms “What are you doing here?” She asked as she bounced her fussy baby in her arms.

“Is she here?” He asked, saying your name when Connie gave him a bemused expression.

“You don’t know?” She questioned, her face crumpling at the realisation that he couldn't have.

“Know what?” He asked, his pulse racing as he watched Connie’s expression change to one he struggled to read “Connie where is she?”

“She left.”

Part 3

#javier peña x reader #javier peña x you #javier peña #javier peña gif #javier peña fanfiction #narcos fanfiction x reader #narcos fanfiction x you #narcos x you #narcos x reader #narcos fanfic #narcos fanfiction #narcos gifs #narcos #pedro pascal character fanfiction #pedro pascal fanfiction #pedro pascal characters

[wy-van-sunshine]

“Minor inconvenience: I fell in love with you” A Wesper fanfiction :)

“Say whaaaat now?!”

Wylan’s cheeks flushed with red as Jesper’s gaze studied him with something between shock and amusement.

They were in a bar together and Wylan had spotted a nice guy, but he hadn’t found the gut to go and talk to him because he had absolutely zero experience. Jesper had tried to encourage him and he’d refused, and after some teasing he’d finally admitted he’d never even given his first kiss. Jesper was absolutely incredulous: that smart, cute red-haired guy had never had a romantic past with anyone? Not even a flirt?!

“What do you want me to say?” asked Wylan, sinking in his own shame: “There’s just never been... the right occasion”

“I get that, but have you never wanted to try it? Even with a stranger, just to know how it feels!”

“I’m not that kind of person, I don’t kiss strangers for selfish reasons”

Jesper rolled his eyes: “Okay prince charming, and what about the guys you’ve liked in the past? None of them?”

Wylan scrolled his head: “I’m an introverted, Jes, you know that. If I like someone I’ll die before even talking to them”

“So what, you just look at them in silence and hope that they will miraculously fall in love with you?”

Wylan shifted uncomfortably on his seat, refusing to answer: yes, that was basically what he did. He was pathetic and he knew it, but what could he do about that?

Jesper stood up, grinning: “Well, Wylan Van Eck, your life as a virgin will be over soon”

Wylan’s eyes wandered fastly in the room, then went back to Jesper: “Don’t talk like that when there’s other people around us”

“My candor is my greatest power” answered the Zemeni with a wink: “I’ll teach you everything I know about flirting, and you’ll never be afraid to talk to a nice guy again”

“What- are you crazy?”

“No”

“Drunk?”

“No”

“High?”

“Stop it! I’m serious!” Jesper smiled: “You are a great guy and I’m sure you just need to learn how to hit on other boys. Once I reveal you all the secrets of love, you’ll be the king. Well, the prince, after me, of course”

Wylan snorted: “Secrets of love? May I remind you we’re the same age?”

“Yes, but I’m fantastic. Learn from the best and you won’t regret it”

“All I’m going to learn from the sorcerer of love is how to be terribly sleazy”

Jesper clutched a hand to his chest: “That offends me! You’ll learn to be spectacularly amazing, just as I am”

Wylan facepalmed, but at the same time he thought: what the hell, what do I have to lose?

“Fine then, if you insist” he conceded with a sigh.

* * * * *

“And that concludes the small talk part”

“Ghezen, that’s so sad”

“Or amazing?”

“Sad”

“Or... amazing?”

Wylan sighed: “Asking someone whether their parents were thieves because their eyes look like stolen stars is so sad. And old. And sleazy”

Jesper smiled, winking with his gleamy eyes: “I assure you it works. It might be obvious, but people just don’t know how to answer and stupidly smile at you”

“I thought they would throw their drink on your face”

“No, they don’t”

“I would”

“But not them”

Wylan sighed again, but this time a slight smile was touching his lips: he was secretly grateful to Jesper because he was teaching him things that were so basic, but which he didn’t know how to handle. Approaching someone, starting a conversation, sending signals of interest without being weird or disrespectful: if he had to be honest, if Jesper had flirted with him with all those techniques it probably would’ve worked. Sure, he would’ve thrown him his drink first, but he would’ve fallen for him, eventually. 

“Now the interesting part: kissing”

Wylan suddenly went pale: “What?”

“All that flirting and no action? That’s not what I want for my students to learn”

“But I- I’ve never-”

“I know, that’s why we’re going to find someone to practice with”

Wylan snorted: “I’m not going to kiss a stranger! Are you out of your mind?”

Jesper rolled his eyes: “Jeez, Wylan, you’re so prudish! Live a little!”

“I’m not kissing a stranger. End of argument”

Jesper huffed: he was loving to share his knowledge on the subject and he was also proud of Wylan for getting over his shyness at least with him. The merchling was a handsome guy and Jesper was sure that with a little more confidence the entire world would fall to his feet. But, jeez, how hard it was.

“I can’t teach you how to kiss if you have no one to do it with”

“I’ll kiss you then”

Silence fell between the two: Wylan had spoken before he could even realize what his words meant, and now he was terrified of what he’d said and trying to avoid Jesper’s eye contact; Jesper, on the other hand, wasn’t embarassed at all, just surprised at his friend’s suggestion. 

Wylan talked first: “I didn’t mean-”

“No, it’s fine by me” Jesper stopped him before he could get any more red: “It’ll be easier to understand whether you’re doing it right”

Wylan gazed at him, unsure of what to say: “Are you... sure?”

Jesper winked: “Anything for you, my friend”

They got ready to practice: Jesper explained some basic “rules” about kissing and some moves he thought were gracefully good and that would make the kiss unique and mostly unforgettable. He saw Wylan’s eyes gleaming at the thought of doing that and his heart softened: he was so pure, definitely too cute for this world. Jesper made a mental note to threaten every guy the redhead would find because they should treat him like a prince or else- 

The Zemeni smiled at Wylan, sure that what he was going to say would make his friend’s brain crash for some seconds. 

“Now we have to put all this in action. Time to kiss, loveboy”

Wylan shifted uncomfortably on his feet and his cheeks went pinker.

Predictable. Cute, but predictable.

“All right. What should I... should we...”

Jesper placed a hand on Wylan’s shoulder and he stepped forward to face him. He smiled, but not his usual, smart, all-knowing grin: the merchling had seen that emotion few times before on Jesper’s features. He was simply honest.

“Please, promise not to freak out. It’s just you and me and we’re practising. C’mon now”

Wylan nodded and took a deep breath, then leaned forward with his head and, after hesitating for the barest second, he gently touched Jesper’s lips for a brief moment. He closed his eyes and left a kiss there, then pulled away, his heart racing in his chest for no apparent reason.

Jesper felt something in his stomach as well: he felt like that sweet, innocent, small touch was the best kiss he’d ever had. And he’d had a lot. What was happening? He cleared his throat and laughed: “That’s all you have? I’ve taught you better, I hope!”

Wylan mentally asked his heart to please stop playing the rock ‘n roll like a drummer, then timidly smiled: “It’s not easy, give me time”

But Jesper didn’t want to wait: he knew what to expect, he knew how the kisses he gave were, and he really wanted that from Wylan’s lips. Just blind desire, he told himself. You just want a good old fashioned kiss, that’s all.

Wylan breathed again, then, with less hesitation than before, he met Jesper’s lips with his and started kissing him. He felt the Zemeni kissing him back, though not in the passionate way he’d expected: he was just answering to his movements, he wasn’t forcing anything. Such a good teacher.

When he felt ready enough, Wylan tipped with his tongue on Jesper’s lower lip and the sharpshooter opened his mouth and let their tongues touch timidly at first, the merchling experiencing all of that for the first time and taking his time to get more confident. He let out a shaky breath, insecurity already taking place in his body, but Jesper felt that and cupped Wylan’s face in his hands, gently brushing his cheeks with his thumbs and feeling his muscles relax.

Wylan summoned some courage then and deepened their connection, dancing in Jesper’s mouth, pushing forward for more contact, letting his instinct take control over his overthinking mind. He put his hands on Jesper’s chest and he pushed him with his back against the wall, something new blossoming in his chest, some unknown desire running down his spine. 

Wylan felt good. It wasn’t just the kiss - he had no experience, sure, but he was pretty sure he was making a pretty good job. The whole situation felt right: the fact that the lips he was kissing were Jesper’s, the fact that the body he was trapping between him and the wall was Jesper’s, just Jesper himself. It was all right because Jesper was the one there with him. And Wylan was starting to think it wasn’t because they were good friends. Almost definitely not.

On the other hand, Jesper was in a total black out, error 404, not found: he was lost in Wylan’s lips and he wasn’t going to look for a way back, he was just focusing on their moment, there and now, on Wylan’s sudden bravery, on the warmth of his body, on the sweet flavour of his mouth. He didn’t know what was happening - or better: he did, but he was too busy to focus on what his actual feelings towards his friend were. 

When Wylan pulled away, desperately looking for some oxygen to send to his lungs, Jesper leaned his forehead on Wylan’s, eyes closed, and he laughed: “Well, damn well done, I’d say. Looks like the student bested the teacher”

Wylan laughed, his cheeks already pink for the kiss, then leaned one hand on Jesper’s cheek, meeting his gaze: “That felt good. I think I’ve learned something, after all”

Jesper cleared his throat, then said in a whisper: “Gotta be honest, I’ve never had such a great kiss”

“Must be because I used your technique and you think you’re the best” answered Wylan, smiling.

“Well, I do love myself, but...” Jesper didn’t break the eye contact and smiled back “I don’t know what happened, but that wasn’t me. You were passionate, for sure, but there was something... I don’t know, soft? It was your kiss, your way to do it. Turns out you’re a natural”

Wylan laughed: “For what it’s worth, I think I was able to be myself just thanks to you”

“Well, then you should...” Jesper hesitated “Try it with someone else?”

The merchling studied the Zemeni carefully: he looked reluctant at the thought, he... didn’t want him to kiss someone else? He smiled, thinking about how his own heart raced, how his own body longed for that contact with Jeper again and again. Wylan also thought about how Jesper had reacted to his kiss, about what he’d just told him. 

What if the hearts going crazy in that room were two?

Wylan grinned then, an eyebrow raised: he took a step forward and he reached Jesper’s face, stopping a few inches from his lips: “What if I wanted to kiss you again? And not just to practice?”

Jesper softly laughed: “Saints, you’re savage, Van Eck, I’ve unleashed a beast”

“You-”

Wylan couldn’t finish because this time Jesper kissed him first. He smiled in their kiss, and they both felt as good as they never had before. 

He’d learned well, after all.

#six of crows #wesper #wesper fanfic #wylan van eck #jesper fahey

[nagipops]

hi! i just saw your shikamaru x smart reader piece and it's so clever and sweet and cute!! can I request kakashi or shikamaru trying (poorly) to cook for a gn!reader?

IS IT COOKED?

FEATURING: shikamaru nara!

SUMMARY: in which you and your lazy, culinary-challenged boyfriend attempt to cook up an edible meal.

WARNINGS: food, profanity

A/N: thank you so much, ari :D lowkey feel like kakashi would be a god in the kitchen, so have shikamaru <3

“What a drag...” Shikamaru sighed, draping over your shoulders as you dragged his limp body into the kitchen.

“C’mon, Shika, I’m feeling lazy today.” You turned so that your chest was facing him instead of your back, so his arms slipped around your waist instead. “Plus, I wanna taste your cooking! I’m sure you’ll be great at it.”

He whined with his face buried in your chest. “Finee... but only ‘cause I like you so much.”

You giggled, ruffling his dark hair and wrapping your arms around him. “Like me? What are we, grade schoolers?”

“Like like you.” He pulled himself upright and planted a hand on your head as he entered the kitchen, pulling you in with him. “Okay boss, show me how it’s done.”

Grabbing ingredients out of the fridge and placing them on the countertop, you folded your arms in front of your chest. “Nope. You’re doing this on your own, Shika.”

His jaw crashed to the floor. “On my own?”

You nodded in satisfaction. “Yup. I told you, I’m feeling lazy today. C’mon, show me what you got.”

Shikamaru’s jaw was still on the ground as he gaped incredulously at you for a whole minute before he picked it up off the floor and stared dumbfounded at the heap of veggies and meats in front of him. “What am I… wha…”

Snickering at the fact that you finally caught your smart aleck boyfriend at a loss, you hopped up onto the opposite countertop, swinging your legs back and forth in amusement.

Your boyfriend gave you an exasperated look, slumping his shoulders. “(Y/N)…”

You flashed him a cheeky grin. “I believe in you! Whatever you make, I’m sure it’ll be delicious. I’ll help you out if you reaaaally need it.”

He trudged over and draped his arms around your shoulders, sighing heavily. “Fine… that cute face of yours is gonna be the death of me.”

A blush creeping up your neck, you smiled and hugged him back. “Mhm. Flattery’s not gonna get you out of this one, though.”

“Damn it.”

The crackle of noodles hitting the pan accompanied by the greasy aroma of cooking oil wafted through the kitchen as Shikamaru fumbled with a stir fry spatula while simultaneously attempting to halve an onion.

“Shit.” The wooden paddle clattered to the ground with a deafening crack amidst the cacophony within the kitchen. Meat was sizzling in the pan next to the noodles, the sink was running over the colander of broccoli, countless bowls, measuring cups, and ingredients were strewn about the countertops. You were running out of room to sit.

Biting back a grimace, you piped up quietly. “Shika, I think you got a little ahead of yourself…”

“I am doing perfectly fine, (Y/N).” He huffed, beads of sweat forming above his furrowed brows as he swiftly stirred the yakisoba noodles back and forth in the scalding hot pan. An earsplitting pop followed by a tall fume of smoke sounded from the pan of meat. Eyes panicked, he hollered, “Uh… your help would be greatly appreciated, though!”

Sliding off your tiny sliver of countertop in the blink of an eye, you rushed to your boyfriend’s side and clamped a lid over the pan before flipping off the burner, heaving a relieved sigh. “My god, Shika, you almost burnt our house down!”

He chuckled sheepishly, stirring the noodles more hesitantly. “Ah… sorry ‘bout that. Looks like I need your help, huh?”

You rolled your eyes, lightly flicking his temple. “Even if you burn the whole house down, you aren’t getting my help. That was a one-time save.”

The end of his mouth quirked up in a smirk. “Is it, now? Should I do it again?”

“Try me, witty boy.”

Shikamaru eyed you with a challenging stare, raising an eyebrow. “Whatever you say, boss.” He reached over to remove the lid from the previously flaming pan as you stood rooted to your spot. Clouds of smoke and the acrid fumes of burnt meat instantaneously corrupted your senses as your boyfriend grabbed a pair of tongs and flipped the bright pink slab of meat over so the impossibly charred side was upright.

The two of you stared at the pitch black block of… what could maybe— possibly— pass as meat.

“Well, it’s definitely… cooked?”

“Ugh… Choji would be utterly disappointed in me, huh?”

“Incredibly disappointed. Keep going, though. This is… still edible. I hope?”

Shikamaru heaved an exhausted sigh. “C’mon, babe, isn’t this valid proof that I’m not built for this cooking thing?”

“Careful, those noodles are going to burn too.” You guided his hands back to the non-burning pan, allowing him to stir them back and forth once again. “Timing is everything. You started the noodles too early, and now the veggies aren’t going to be chopped up in time.”

“Constructive criticism, please. Constructive.” He stirred the noodles with a bit more diligence and effort this time as they turned golden brown.

You giggled, carefully grabbing the knife and chopping the abandoned onion in half. “Look, turn off the heat. I’ll watch the noodles for you, you have to cut the vegetables. Sound good?”

Shikamaru whistled in relief as he flipped off the stove. “Music to my ears, boss.” He slyly snaked his arms around your waist as you organized the countertop for him. “Man, this is exhausting,” he whined into your ear. “How the hell do you do this three times a day?”

You smirked in satisfaction, reaching an arm behind your head to ruffle his hair. “I ask myself the very same question. I think we should cut it down to two, no?”

“Noooo… your cooking’s too damn tasty…” he pressed a soft kiss to your neck as you felt his body get limper and limper.

You clicked your tongue, slapping the side of his head. “Hey, no sleeping on the job. Get to work.”

Digging his chin into your shoulder as he unraveled his arms from your body, he sighed, “Aye aye, captain.”

After an abundance of eye watering slices, near finger amputations, and arguments over if “julienne” is a name or a knife technique, Shikamaru was finally completed with his masterpiece of a dish.

A makeshift blindfold fashioned out of a random scarf was fastened around your eyes as you awaited his creation at the dinner table as your boyfriend rustled around the kitchen.

A deafening crash sounded from a few feet away, and your heart leapt out of your chest. “Umm… Shika?”

“I’m fine!” He shouted, his voice wavering ever so slightly. “Uh, just some— shit— just some technical difficulties!”

Stifling a laugh, you eased into your seat once more. “Okay, I’m waiting!”

After a few more minutes of clattering and curses, you heard the tune of your favorite classical song whistled by none other than Shikamaru. “Welcome to the Narastaurant, (Y/N). For today, I present you with…” His fingers hastily fumbled with the knot at the back of your head. “Wait, shit…”

You heaved an amused sigh as a grin formed on your lips. “You need help there?”

“No, I— I got it…” A sharp tug pulled your head backwards as the scarf unraveled into his hands.

“Shika!”

“Shoot, sorry ‘bout that.” He pressed a soft kiss to the back of your head. “Anyways…”

Your eyes were drawn to the colorful plate in front of you. Meticulously arranged into a rainbow of nearly charred veggies perched atop a heaping pile of noodles and half-pink-half-black slices of meat was a steaming plate of yakisoba. A gasp rose in your throat. “Shika! This is incredible!” You whipped around to face him as he stood proudly over you. “How did you plate this so well?”

A smile tugged at his lips. “Growing up with that flower pig Ino taught me a few things about color theory and spacing and whatnot.” He rubbed at the back of his neck sheepishly. “As for taste…”

You raised your eyebrows, turning back to the plate in front of you. “Ah, yes, the taste…” Clasping your hands together, you gave a quick thank you for the meal before snapping your chopsticks in half and digging into the colorful dish. You raised a well-balanced bite of meat, veggies, and noodles to your lips and were instantly overwhelmed by the pungent, bitter taste of burnt oil. Pursing your lips as your lungs begged for oxygen, you forced yourself to get it down your throat. “Ahem, ahh, this is… this is something!”

Not one to get offended over his mistakes, Shikamaru only chuckled from behind you. “No kidding. Let me have a try.” Whipping out his own pair of chopsticks, he grabbed a bundle of noodles and two slices of charred meat before raising it to his lips, nearly coughing it back up as soon as he did so. “Oh— oh, god, oh god that’s bad.” Both of your hacking coughs rang throughout the dining room. “I feel like I just ate Satan’s ashes.” He whispered in between strained coughs, tears forming in his eyes.

Laughter welled up in your throat in between coughs as your eyes began to water as well. “I mean—” Cough. “I mean, Satan might like this?”

“Gee— thanks, babe. I’m sure he’d love it if we— we showed up to his annual potluck in hell with burnt pieces of who-knows-what.” Shikamaru was laughing too, gripping the edges of the table as he attempted to regain his composure.

The two of you laughed and coughed and laughed at his failed debut as a chef, teasing and poking each other at the dinner table.

Let’s just say you definitely didn’t eat Satan’s ashes for dinner that day.

if you enjoyed this post, likes and reblogs are much appreciated :) feel free to request here, and make sure to read the rules first! have a lovely day everyone <3

#shikamaru #shikamaru nara #shikamaru x reader #shikamaru headcanons #shikamaru nara x reader #shikamaru imagines #shikamaru imagine #shikamaru fluff #naruto x reader #naruto imagines #naruto #naruto headcanons #naruto imagine #naruto fluff #gn #this is just pure crack help me

[ikeromantic]

Rhythm in Kind

A Nobunaga Oda fanfic, approx. 2700 words of fluffiness, featuring a bellydancing MC. Inspired by a conversation with @scruffymctee ^_^

It was mid-afternoon and Nobunaga was having trouble focusing. He’d taken Hideyoshi for a walk around the castle to calm his restless spirit.

Hideyoshi was trying to engage him in a discussion on current patrols. He was doing his best to keep the conversation alive, despite getting only the occasional nod or grunt in response. His voice fell into rhythm with his footsteps as they walked Azuchi castle.

Nobunaga let the words wash over him as his mind wandered. It wasn’t like him to be so distracted, but for the last several weeks his mind was not on his goals. His thoughts insisted on drifting toward the odd, brazen woman that saved his life. She was beautiful. Unpredictable. And breath-takingly honest.

“My lord?” Hideyoshi was frowning at him.

“Yes?” There was no way he would admit he’d missed the question entirely. He stopped and turned to face Hideyoshi. This turned out to be a mistake.

The door behind Hideyoshi was open to the room beyond it. Warm sunlight spilled through the windows, bathing the room’s sole occupant in a golden glow. It was her - the girl that claimed she was from the future. And she was . . .

Hideyoshi turned to see what caught his lord’s eye. He let out a strangled sound as if his breath couldn’t decide whether to move in or out. His mouth hung open and his body froze in place.

Nobunaga barely noticed his friend. His attention was eaten entire by the girl. His little fireball. She’d tied her kimono strangely, the obi sitting at her hip with a large bow at the side. Her arms were held at a low angle, eyes closed, and her hips were moving, up - down, a shiver, then her chest rose and a serpentine wave rolled down her belly.

The girl didn’t notice them. She was humming something, a strange melody. And she was moving to it, flowing across the room with delicate steps.

This was some sort of magic. Nobunaga was certain of that. A human body - even a woman’s - didn’t move like that. Flowing, graceful, with little staccato gestures layered atop the sinuous motions. It lit a fire in him, one that spread from his chest to his loins. A heat more intense than the fires of Honno-ji had been the night he almost died.

“She . . . is . . . possessed,” Hideyoshi stuttered. His face was bright red.

Quite suddenly, Nobunaga didn’t want his friend there. Didn’t want him to see the girl. To be . . . affected by her. He wanted this for himself. His desire grew in leaps and bounds.

Her legs flashed through the gap in her kimono. Thigh and calf tense as she rose and then with languorous sensuality, rolled her hips.

“You may go.” Nobunaga dismissed Hideyoshi.

“My lord, you can’t be alone with -”

“Go!”

Nobunaga’s raised voice broke the moment. The girl’s eyes flew open and her cheeks flushed a deep red. “Y-you!” She sounded half angry, half distressed. “You spied on me!”

Hideyoshi looked at his lord for a heartbeat. His body was tense as a bowstring, jaw set in firm, harsh lines. He was wise enough not to say anything as he turned on his heel and left.

Nobunaga waited for his steps to fade. His eyes were on the girl as if there was nothing else in this world to see. In that moment, there wasn’t.

She stood there, back straight, fists balled at her hips. Staring defiance at him despite her embarrassment. There was so much fire in her. Was it any wonder, Nobunaga thought, that he felt the heat?

“Why are you staring at me? What do you want?” She made the words an attack. Clipped and short.

He entered the room, slid the door shut behind him.

“I already finished my work today!”

Nobunaga smiled.

“Are you going to say something or just creep on me?”

“Please. Continue.” He gestured toward her.

Her cheeks went an even deeper shade of red. “I - No! I can’t . . . not with you - you watching!” She crossed her arms.

“You would deny me?” Nobunaga raised one eyebrow. There were few people willing to say no to him in Azuchi. Fewer that were women. Perhaps, just this one. “Most would be pleased with my regard.”

“I am not most.” If she could have struck him dead with a look, he’d have died in that moment.

Nobunaga nodded. “I know.”

For a long moment, neither of them said anything. She waited to see if he would back down and he wanted to see if she would give in. Finally, she sighed.

“Look. I don’t dance in front of people, ok? This is just . . . something I enjoy. For myself. I’m not some kind of professional. I can’t entertain you.”

He considered her words. Did she think he saw her as a performer? How interesting. And that was a dance of some kind. “I have never seen dance like that. What is it called? How did you come to learn it?”

His questions seemed to please her. Some of the tension bled from her shoulders. “It’s called bellydance. Though-” she laughed, “there are a lot of different kinds of dance that people call bellydancing so this is just my version.”

“And how did you come to learn it? Is it very common in Japan?”

She shook her head. “Not really. I have a dear friend that bellydances. She is much better than I am at it. She taught me some. Some I just . . . try to copy what the girls in the videos do. I’d show you what real bellydancing looks like if my phone worked here.”

“I only want to see you dance.” Nobunaga’s lips twitched up in a small smile. “I do not know this kind of dance, but I think you are very good. You should be proud of yourself.”

Something in her gaze softened at his praise. A crack in her fiery armor. “I - no, you only say that because you haven’t seen anyone else.”

“I say it because you are beautiful and talented. Now. Will you dance for me?”

He could see she was thinking it over. Reluctance warred with something else in her expression - an emotion he couldn’t pin down. Nobunaga wanted to take her by the chin and run his thumb down the line of her jaw. To meet her gaze and pierce the wall she’d put up between them since that first night at Honno-ji.

“If - and only if! I agree to dance for you, I’d have some . . . requirements.”

Nobunaga gestured for her to continue.

“I need some music to dance to. And noone else can watch. I don’t want an audience. People here already look at me strangely. And it can only be one time. Just once. I don’t want to have to dance for you whenever.” She gave him a meaningful stare.

“Done.” He didn’t want to agree to that last requirement, but perhaps she could be persuaded to change her mind later. Nobunaga was a very persuasive man.

She watched him with some suspicion but agreed to perform for him. After some discussion, they set the date for three nights hence. They would meet in his tenshu. The musicians would meet with her ahead of time so she could explain what she needed - a process she was clearly nervous about.She insisted she was no musician herself, but that she could hum the melody and give them the beat - if this was enough. Nobunaga was certain it would be. After some debate, she was satisfied - or at least, less nervous.

Then she left and Nobunaga set about planning. Azuchi had several accomplished musicians. Players of fue, drum, and koto. Even his warlords could play, as music was an important part of their education. Nobunaga just had to find a musician he wouldn’t mind sharing his little fireball with while she danced . . .

The day of the performance arrived and Nobunaga still hadn’t decided on a musician. The idea of anyone else seeing her dance displeased him. That beauty was for his eyes only, and he couldn’t bear the thought of sharing it. He’d considered and tossed aside several solutions. A screen the musician would stay behind. Putting them outside the room. Blindfolds.

Every option had a fatal flaw. The girl would know the depth of his possessiveness. His . . . interest. And, of course, there was no fool-proof way to keep someone present from peeking. So even if he were willing to reveal his own weakness where she was concerned, it would be a pointless gesture.

In the end, Nobunaga realized there was only one solution. One he should have decided the moment he came upon her dancing.

******

The chatelaine arrived in Nobunaga’s tenshu at the agreed upon time. She wore an oversized haori, hiding her clothes under the heavy silk. She was barefoot, her nails painted red, and her skin was dusted with gold, glittering in the lamplight.

“You came.” Nobunaga smiled. He’d known she would, yet it was a pleasure to see she did not continue to resist him. At least not in this.

“I said I would.” She stopped just inside the door and looked around. “Where are the musicians? I need at least a drummer . . .”

He nodded. “And you will have a drummer.” He took out a shimedaiko from one of his shelves. Until today, he hadn’t touched the drum in years. He preferred to listen to others play - those with genuine skill - but today, he would have to do.

The girl’s eyebrows rose. “You?”

Nobunaga sat and placed the drum into position. “Give me the beat and I will play.” Her skepticism only made him more determined.

She shrugged. “Alright. The rhythms are split into two sounds. A deeper Dom and a lighter Tak. This one should go . . . dom-dom tak-a-tak dom tak-a-tak.” She mimicked playing with her fingers against her thigh.

It didn’t seem a hard rhythm to play though it took him a moment to follow. Nobunaga played it for her and after a few moments she nodded.

“Ok, I can dance that.” She took a deep breath, steadying her nerves. “Just try not to speed up ok?”

“I will.” Nobunaga watched as she closed her eyes, clearly remembering some other place and time. He felt a little jealous that in her world, she must have danced like this many times for all sorts of people. Her friends. Perhaps a lover. Was that what she remembered? He might have asked, but she chose this moment to shed the haori and when she did, he found himself unable to make any sound at all.

Beneath the heavy silk of the haori, she wore a kimono that she’d . . . altered. It fit tight through her chest and flared at the hips. The sides were open to reveal the smooth skin of her legs. And she wore some tasselled scarf around her hip that swayed provocatively even before she began to dance.

Nobunaga took a sharp breath as her hips lifted. Then she was moving, her legs flashing, hips swaying. Her chest rose and dipped to the rhythm he played. Tremulous waves rolled from her chest to hip, and up again.

His heart was racing and his face felt hot. It was all he could manage to continue to play the beat she’d provided. There was a connection between them in this - a bond. He didn’t want to break this spell they wove between her body and the music of his hands.

She opened her eyes and for a moment, their gazes met. Her lips were parted in a sensual breath, her cheeks were pink, and in her eyes there was a languorous heat. Her hips rolled forward and dropped, then she turned and he couldn’t see her face. Only the sinuous roll of her hips as they shook, the tassels swaying.

Nobunaga could not have looked away if his life depended on it. He wanted her dance to go on forever. And he wanted to put the drum down and pull her into his lap. Kiss her gold-dusted skin from those soft pink lips to her innermost places . . .

His thoughts colored the rhythm of the drums. Though he kept the general beat she’d asked of him, he found his hands slowing, sliding over the taught drum-skin as they would caress her flesh. It turned the sound to a sensual one. Less staccato and more glide.

Her body followed the changes, moving in slow, tense circles. She danced around Nobunaga, letting the edges of her skirt brush against him. Every touch sent a shock of need through him, a desire he’d never felt for any other woman.

The air between them was hot, crackling with shared passion. Nobunaga felt he would burst if it went on, but he couldn’t bear to stop. The fires in his heart flowed to every limb. He burned for his fireball. He ached.

She knew the effect she had on him. Her lips were turned up in a small, pleased smile. Teasing, she shimmied her chest, bending, dipping just out of his reach. Or so she thought.

Nobunaga could resist her no longer. He stopped playing and reached for her. His delicious little fireball. She squealed as his fingers curled around her waist.

“Wicked girl,” he said hoarsely, barely trusting himself to speak. He wanted to kiss her.

“T-this wasn’t part of the deal,” she gasped.

“Do you always look so delicious when you dance? Or only when you dance for me?” Nobunaga’s fingers trailed down her shoulder. The thin fabric did nothing to disguise the heat of her skin beneath.

The girl squirmed as if she would like to escape, but only wound up with an arm over his shoulder, and a leg around his waist. “You! What? I - I don’t look . . . “ Her pleasure at the compliment warred with her anger at being manhandled.

Nobunaga simply held her loosely, enjoying the way she moved against him. “I cannot decide if you tease me intentionally and I should be wary of you, or if you are simply this adorable.” He stroked her arm, though he wanted to do so much more. He knew she would resist him, run from him, if he did. Patience was the way to make this little fireball his own. Force would only extinguish her flames.

Her lips opened and closed as if she’d been about to say something, then changed her mind.

“When we are alone, you can say whatever you will to me,” he told her.

“Well. Well I don’t intend to be alone with you! Lecher!” She pushed against his chest and he reluctantly let her go.

Nobunaga watched her as she straightened her clothes and shrugged the haori back on.

She glared at him.

“Thank you for dancing for me. I will count the days until your next performance.” He would have her here every night, he thought.

“No. No. This was a one-time deal. Besides, I told you! I’m not an entertainer! I dance because . . . because it reminds me of home. Of happy times. It makes me feel beautiful and strong and . . .” She looked down, unwilling to meet his gaze.

Nobunaga stood. He put his finger under her chin and lifted her head to face him. “You are always beautiful and strong.”

Her eyes were wet with tears she refused to shed. He hadn’t realized she missed her home so very much.

“I cannot-” He paused. Nobunaga hated admitting he couldn’t do something. “I cannot give you back your home. But I will do all in my power to see you safe and happy, here.”

She flung her arms around him and pressed her face to his chest. He could feel her tears soaking the cloth of his kimono. Though comforting was not his best skill, Nobunaga wrapped his arms around her and stroked her back as she cried.

“I . . . I miss my friends. My m-mom,” she wept.

Nobunaga kissed the top of her head lightly. “I would be a friend to you. If you let me.”

She took a shuddering breath and looked up at him. “I - I will. Under all that scariness, you aren’t so bad.”

“Scariness?”

The girl laughed softly. “Yep. And . . . I guess Hideyoshi can be my Sengoku mom. He’s not really scary either.”

Nounaga wiped her cheek with his thumb, removing a tear drop before it could fall. “He mothers us all.” This earned him a brighter smile.

She lifted up on the tips of her toes and brushed a light kiss across his lips. “Thank you.” Then she was gone. Out the door and down the steps.

Nobunaga still felt the warmth of her against his chest. And the petal-soft touch of her lips.

#ikemen sengoku #ikesen nobunaga #oda nobunaga #otome guys #otome #fanfiction #fanfic #bellydance #fluff

[kalstar]

What my Genshin Team members would say about each other

Featuring Jean, Bennett, Chongyun, and Xiao

A/N: This is basically what I think they would say about each other in those "about ___" voice lines in the game. The setting is you the traveler, have put Jean, Bennet, Chongyun, and Xiao in one team. This is what they think about each other after a couple months of fighting and adventuring alongside each other. Is this where I slowly turn into a writing blog?

Tw: mentions of death (?) (no one dies it's just Xiao being mean)

Word count: 2.3k

Story (?) under the cut

Jean

About Bennett

"Bennett? I think he's very charismatic. I hear that he goes on adventures on his own, it must be hard dealing with everything by yourself; he seems like a very independent individual. I think he would make a great member of the Knights of Favonius in the future if he so chooses.

I very much admire his perseverance and positivity. Even when we were faced with near-death experiences, he could still laugh and brush it off as if it was nothing. He always manages to cheer everyone up. It's great having someone like him to boost our morale on the team.

I've heard a little bit about his past from the Adventurer's Guild… How he was found as a baby barely holding on to life… without having any real parents and that extremely bad luck of his, I truly hope that we're able to at least bring him a bit of comfort. I should check up on the Adventurer's Guild every once in a while... "

About Chongyun

"Hm, Chongyun is quite the strange one. At first, I was always so confused on why he always stayed in the shade and it really concerned me how much ice cream he was eating at a time… but then he told me about his congenital positivity and it made a bit more sense. It's strange how this condition of his works, I've never heard anything like that in Mondstadt before. I wonder if we can find a cure for it.

He seems to be very invested in his training as a martial artist and as an exorcist. He's constantly pushing himself to be better and learning how to control his condition. He always asks me about how to train or how to be stronger. I hear he's already the best exorcist in Liyue, I can only imagine the heights he can reach as he continues to grow.

Chongyun reminds me a lot of myself when I was younger. I was very focused on my training and kept pushing myself to the limit. It's quite nostalgic to see that side of me living through someone else. I hope that he can achieve his goals in the future, I think he very much deserves it."

About Xiao

" I thank you, traveler, for giving me the opportunity to fight alongside someone as powerful as Adeptus Xiao. It truly is an honor to be working with him. I never thought I would live long enough to see gods of another region, but you've made that possible. I am in your debt.

Adeptus Xiao is truly one of the strongest fighters I've ever seen. I've only heard stories about the power of Adepti, but to see it with your own eyes is truly a once-in-a-lifetime experience. The way he gracefully moves on the battlefield with seemingly little effort is truly inspiring.

When the other boys are asleep, we often have long conversations over the fire. We would talk about our troubles and worries over the campfire, hearing the wisdom of someone as wise as him, it brought a bit of comfort. There is a lot about Adeptus Xiao that I don't know, especially about this "karmic debt", but I hope that we'll be able to help him get through it."

Bennett

About Jean

“It’s really awesome that I get to fight with someone as cool as Master Jean, and it’s all thanks to you traveler! I always travel alone, so to think that I can go on adventures with someone as amazing as her, maybe I’m not so unlucky after all! I hope my bad luck doesn’t get in the way of our adventures though hehe.

Don’t tell anyone, but I always try my best to impress Master Jean hehe. I always put out my best effort whenever she’s around, not that I don’t usually, but you get what I mean right? I make sure to hit the enemies harder and my fire burns longer! I know it’s silly but if I impress her, do you think she’d let the Adventurers Guild team up with the Knights of Favonius?

She can be a bit intimidating with how strict she can seem sometimes but she cares about everyone a lot! She always makes sure that everyone is doing alright and if they ever need anything. She's taught me about a lot of things, like how to better treat my wounds, what plants are safe for eating, and how to better hit weak spots of enemies. She's just so cool!"

About Chongyun

"Chongyun? I think he's super cool and strong!! Do you see how big his claymore is?? How can he just swing it around so quickly AND he can summon even more swords from the sky! Man, I wish I could do that, maybe more people would want to join my adventure team. I should train with him and ask for tips.

Both Chongyun and I can't eat spicy foods and Chongyun can't even eat anything warm, so we try to be careful of what we eat. Though there has been a couple of times where his condition, I think it's called "Congenital Positivity", started acting up after we ate something hot in Liyue. He acted all hyper and energetic, it's like he was drunk or something. Thankfully I could give him a popsicle before Adpetus Xiao could throw him in a cold river.

Since Chongyun is the best exorcist in Liyue, I asked him if he could get rid of my bad luck with his cool exorcist powers. He used these blue talismans and made a summoning circle thing with his hands, it was so awesome! I think it worked! For like… an hour… but it was still really cool!"

About Xiao

"To be honest, I was really scared of Adeptus Xiao at first... He looks like he could kill me just by his sharp stares! It sends shivers down my spine sometimes... I didn't know much about legends in Liyue since I never really travel far from Mondstadt, but after fighting with him for a while, I can see that he's definitely really strong; he's probably the strongest person I know!

Sometimes I find him looking really sad and when I get the courage to ask him what's wrong he always says that it's none of my concern... I've overheard a few of your conversations with him, something to do with "Karmic Debt" and his burden to carry or something? I don't know much about Adeptus Xiao's past but I wish he would stop being so hard on himself...

Whenever we rest after a really hard fight, I always offer to heal up his wounds. I know what it’s like to get hurt a lot of the time, so I try my best to help patch him up. He wouldn’t let me treat his wounds at first, but over time he warmed up to me and I make sure he always feels better by the end of it!"

Chongyun

About Jean

"It's an honor to be fighting alongside someone as important as Master Jean, I wouldn't have this chance if it wasn't for you traveler, I don't know how I could ever repay you! I don't know much about Mondstadt but it's very interesting to learn more about the areas of the world, maybe our exorcist services could reach their people someday as well.

The first time I saw Master Jean fight on the battlefield I was truly starstruck. She was able to control her movements so well while also supporting all of us; it was amazing! I also heard that she was able to take down five ruin guards on her own, she must train very hard every day to be able to do that...

Being able to meet and fight with Master Jean has been a motivating experience. I hope I can learn much more from her and maybe become as skilled and strong as her one day. She's quickly become a role model for me and I highly respect and admire her. Again, thank you very much for this opportunity traveler!

About Bennett

"Ah, Bennett? I think it's really nice having someone my age on the team that I can easily talk to. Sometimes we exchange stories and legends from our hometowns. I'm glad I get to share more of Liyue with other people and it's also very fascinating to listen to the stories of Mondstadt. It just shows how diverse Teyvat can really be.

Bennett's passion can be a bit much sometimes so I need to keep my distance... I hope he doesn't notice, I know many people tend to avoid him because of his bad luck but I hope he doesn't think of me like that. I just... don't want to embarrass myself in front of everyone ahaha...

Bennett says that ever since we started adventuring together his bad luck has decreased. He thinks that I bring him more good luck and that I’m his “good luck charm”, I think that might just be placebo, but I appreciate the sentiment. Maybe one day it would be possible to exorcise one's bad luck. He would definitely be the first I test it on if I ever figure it out."

About Xiao

"To be honest, I wasn't very pleased when I found out he was on our team. Of course, I have the utmost respect for him, my family and the Adepti have been exorcising evil for generations, but his demeanor isn't one that I'm particularly fond of... But, after spending more time with him, I realize that we have more in common than I thought.

Though Adeptus Xiao is definitely a very skilled and powerful warrior, he can be a bit... strange... We were in Dragonspine one day and I saw him try to eat the snow. I gave him one of my popsicles instead and he looked so confused. He seemed to enjoy it but I guess there are even some things that Adepti don’t know about.

I've gotten to know him a bit more and though there are still many secrets that he holds, I realize that he just wants to protect Liyue like the rest of the exorcists. He seems to face his own struggles and demons as well, whenever he looks more down than usual, I offer him some of my Qingxin infused water and it seems to calm him down a bit. I'm glad that I can at least help him a little bit in any way that I can."

Xiao

About Jean

"At first I thought she was just any other human, but you told me she was the leader of the people of Mondstadt, I quickly realized there was more to her than meets the eye. She's a very skilled fighter on the battlefield, it's impressive to see a human fight with such strength and skill. I've only ever seen that kind of power from you, traveler.

The people of Mondstadt are very lucky to have someone like her to lead them. She can work well with just about anyone. She was brave enough to ask me to spar with her at one point. I assumed she had a death wish but she can carry herself very well and never holds back.

Often times she asks me for advice about a lot of different things. I keep telling her that I'm not a teacher nor a fountain of wisdom, just an Adeptus. Though from what I can see, she seems to be stressed over a lot of the little things that go on in Mondstadt, if this keeps up she’ll burn herself out."

About Bennett

"That Bennett... he can be very overbearing. How can a human be so happy when their life has only been filled with turmoil. It confuses me and I can never understand what sort of tricks he's trying to pull on me... He has such a passion for adventuring but knowing his luck he's going to get himself killed at some point...

Honestly, I pity him. No one dares to go on adventures with him anymore, why hasn't he given up and moved on to something else? You humans are always so confusing. You find it admirable, I think it's just asinine. Though... I guess he is quite a skilled adventurer, it would be ignorant of me to not acknowledge his skills on and off the battlefield.

It annoys me that he can just live without a care in the world. How can one have such bad luck? He’s just… always one step away from death. How has a mortal survived for this long when the archons hate him so much. It truly irritates me how reckless he can be and leaves me to save him at the last second..."

About Chongyun

"It brings me a bit of peace of mind to know that there is another person from Liyue with us. I don't feel... as much of an outcast... I hear that he's from a family of exorcists. I've never paid much mind to the affairs of humans, though because we share similair duties, it was unavoidable that I would cross paths with them at some point.

I must admit that it's fascinating how he exorcises demons. While I exorcise demons and monsters with my spear, he seems to exorcise evil spirits... just by being present... I never knew that such things were possible. I hear it was because of his congenital positivity, I think it's an impressive skill, though he seems to treat it as a curse of his own.

It’s strange, whenever Chongyun is around their screams and cries don’t sound as loud as they usually would be. It’s as if all my years of karmic debt and demons within slowly fade away into nothingness. Maybe it's the cooling aura that he always carries with him or the Qingxins he brings back. I wonder if he actually has anything to do with it."

#genshin impact #genshin #genshin quotes #genshin impact xiao #xiao genshin impact #xiao #genshin impact chongyun #chongyun genshin impact #chongyun #genshin impact bennett #bennett genshin impact #bennett #jean genshin impact #genshin impact jean #jean gunnhildr #genshin impact x reader #genshin impact fanfiction #genshin impact fics #I am slowly starting to ship bennett and chongyun #i think that xiao and chongyun would be really great friends #i think it's cute that chongyun really looks up to jean :)

[snarky-badger]

Okay. Part one of five of my General Grievous... short stories, I suppose. Featuring my OC Kyra.

This was supposed to be a multi-chapter story. Kyra was a child when she met Grievous pre-cyborg. She was on Tattooine, in the 'care' of someone who raised animals and such. ('animals' being a loose term in the star wars universe) Later Grievous goes back, she's around 30 now - finds her. realizes that she's good with animals and 'appropriates' her as a caretaker/trainer for his pet roggwart, Gor. Shit happens. she treats him like a person not a droid/cyborg. he's an asshole, she gets mad at him. they bitch at each other a lot.

There. you're caught up. lmao.

Anyway, enjoy the slight story and definite smut. (I still can’t believe I wrote this)

Please comment on whether you want the other 4 parts.

(Also, should I put this on AO3??)

ONWARDS!

Part The First.

.

.

"Oh really? And how's that been working for you?"

A low rumbling snarl left Grievous as he spun to glare at Kyra, only mildly impressed when she didn't flinch away from him. "And what," he growled, voice harsh, "gives you the right to assume that you know anything about me?"

"I can sense you," she said softly, glancing away when his eyes narrowed at her from behind his mask. Sighing, Kyra rose a hand, one of the lightsabers that Grievous kept hidden in his cape flying into her grasp. He stiffened at the motion, clawed mechanical hands curling into fists, even as she held the saber out for him to retrieve. "I'm not a Jedi, Grievous, and I don't plan on becoming one. But, I don't want to be a Sith either...."

He snatched the lightsaber out of her open hand and activated it, growling as he angled the glowing blue blade close to her face. "I should cut you down where you stand!"

Kyra glared up at him, blue eyes boring into reptilian yellow for a long moment before she snarled at him. "Fine then," she snapped, ignoring how those golden yellow eyes widened in surprise at the ferocity in her voice. "Go ahead! All you've done since bringing me here is treat me like garbage! Worse than garbage! I thought living on Tattooine was bad, but this is worse! I thought, hoped, that some of Qymaen jai Sheelal still remained, despite what you've done to yourself, but you're not who I remember! The being who gave me that promise is dead and gone! So do us both a favor, General Grievous, and kill me already!"

He stared at her in shock, watching the tears that streamed down her face and idly wondering if she even knew she was crying. Something in him twisted at the sight of her pain, and a deep, rattling, sigh left Grievous as he deactivated the saber, his free hand rising to carefully brush the moisture from her left cheek. It surprised him to no end that Kyra shivered and turned her face into his taloned hand, trusting him not to hurt her, despite her outburst.

Slowly, fighting against everything that screamed at him to shove her away, Grievous hesitantly tugged her forward, crouching a little as he wrapped his arms around her. His cyborg form easily took her weight when she leaned into the embrace, her warm breath tickling across the sensors built into his chest armor. The warmth and pressure of her body sent a shiver through him, cybernetic sensors that were implanted in his armor activating at the stimulation. It had been so long since anyone had dared to touch him. And certainly longer since he had felt the urge to comfort anyone.

He felt her fingers curl around some of his back armor, returning the hug as best she could, fairly snuggling into his chest, her head coming to rest just above where the armor protected his gutsack, where the few remains of his flesh lay hidden. Moving carefully, Grievous used his greater height to his advantage, leaning over her a little, the movement bringing his masked head close to hers. A brief thought, and his arms split into four, servos giving a little whine as he curled three of the four appendages around her, the fourth sliding into her fire-red hair, bringing her head closer to his masked face so the olfactory sensors there could drink in her scent.

"Kyra, I.... I....." He growled, one hand clenching into a fist at her back, disgusted that he couldn't bring himself to apologize.

"It's alright," she told him softly, pressing her cheek to his armor as she sensed his roiled emotions.

Grievous sighed and leaned his head against hers, tucking her warm body closer to his, the cloak he wore about his shoulders sliding forward to curl around her as well, partially hiding her from view. "How can you sense me? Dooku constantly complains that not only do I have no Force-sensitivity, but that I'm invisible to his own senses."

"I don't know," Kyra admitted, leaning back a little to meet his bright gaze, blinking at the calm contentedness she saw there. "I've always been able to attune myself to those around me. Until you told me otherwise, I thought it was the same for everyone who could use the Force."

He shook his head slightly. "From what I've learned, you're the only one who can sense the Kaleesh in what I've become," he said, his synthetic voice losing the harsh edge it usually had, more of a whisper now. "Most think me a droid, even those with Force senses."

"I don't."

"I know. It's refreshing. And.... comforting." He gave her the slightest of squeezes, one hand settling on her right hip while two other arms kept her wrapped in a hug, his fourth hand still toying with her hair. "But how can you tap into the Force if Count Dooku didn't sense anything in you?"

A soft smile tugged at her lips. "It's one of the first things I taught myself, how to hide from others. I didn't want to be found by either the Jedi or the Sith...." She paused for a moment, dropping her gaze from his. "Are you going to tell Dooku about me?"

He jerked back, stunned at the question. "No! In fact, I don't want him anywhere near you! If he finds out that you can use the Force, he'll take you to Sidious. Worse yet, if either learns about---" His vocalizer momentarily froze as his mind caught up with what he was about to admit. He had spent so long, trying to lock his emotions away, centering himself on becoming a better warrior, a better strategist. And now, to find himself on the brink of actually admitting to having such powerful feelings towards her was.... disconcerting.

Part of him was disgusted that he was even suggesting the thought of weakening himself, of letting long ignored emotions return to the surface. But the other, the part that had been hidden away, the part that was still Kaleesh, still Qymaen, and flesh and blood, and singing at Kyra's closeness, realized that he had been a coward. Despite all his improvements, all the battles won and the trophies he collected, how could he call himself a warrior if he was afraid to accept the peace that Kyra's mere presence afforded him?

How could he ignore the part of himself that fairly screamed for some small bit of comfort, however fleeting?

Grievous knew that he had been losing himself to rages more and more often, something that he had hardly ever done before. Certainly, he had been, - and still was - an accomplished warrior. But he was also a strategist. He knew that letting anger overwhelm you during a battle was foolish. Anger clouded thoughts, made one sloppy. And a mistake during the high-stake fights he now found himself in would be very, very costly.

As he turned his attention outwards again, meeting Kyra's worried gaze, he suddenly realized that he couldn't remember the last time he had actually felt so relaxed. The anger and rage that usually boiled at the edge of his thoughts had eased, his legendary temper no longer tearing at his control. He felt.... well, not mellow, but certainly calmer than he had in a long, long time.

Giving in, Grievous hugged Kyra to himself, carefully angling his masked face close to hers. "No one can ever know of the fondness I hold for you," he told her, sensors thrumming at the shiver that went through her body. His fourth hand rose to her face, metal fingers playing across her cheek, touch receptors relaying the feeling of silk soft skin against his metallic palm. "Outside of secured locations.... I won't be able to acknowledge this, Kyra. It would put both our lives at risk, especially yours."

She frowned slightly. "They'd use me to get to you."

He nodded, relieved that she understood. "And vice versa, I imagine," he muttered, chuckling a little when she blushed. Growling lowly, Grievous pressed his masked face against the curve of her throat, sensors fairly singing as they took in the softness of her skin and the richness of her scent. "Ah, Kyra, whatever will I do with you? I find myself missing the time where I was more flesh than machine."

The admission tightened something in her abdomen, and she leaned away from his touch to meet his gaze again. "Can I try something? I promise, it won't hurt."

A grumble left him at that. "You want to use the Force on me."

She nodded, raising a hand to caress the side of his mask and smiling a little when he turned his face into her hand. "Will you trust me? It won't hurt, and if you feel the least bit uncomfortable, all you have to do is tell me to stop, and I will."

Her fingers stroked the side of his facemask, heightened sensors in the armor activating under her touch, and it was all he could do not to groan happily at the contact, very aware that her other hand was caressing the metal on his chest. At that moment, she could have asked him to defect to the Republic, and he might well have done it, just as long as she kept touching him. "Go ahead."

Kyra smothered a giggle at the contented growl in his voice, then pushed her amusement aside, focusing solely on what she was about to do. It was simple for her to tap into the Force. Instead of a mystical power, she had always thought of it as a different form of energy; an energy that only a scant few were sensitive to and which even less were able to wield.

Energy could be harnessed if done correctly, like the solar collectors on some other worlds. It could be molded to do many things, within limits. The nature of the Universe couldn't be changed. People lived and died, that was the way of things; but life could be extended to a certain degree, and disease and damage could be healed. Time was it's own master, even the Force was no match for it. Other limits were attached to the one opening themselves to the Force. It took concentration, practice and a fair amount of willpower to learn to harness such energy; and there were bound to be many failures before achieving a specific goal.

Kyra had learned things the hard way, without a guide or teacher. Trial and error had been harsh, but she liked to imagine that she was more flexible than others that used the Force. Some things that she had taught herself were simply not done by either the Sith or the Jedi, according to Grievous' information. Like what she was about to do.

It came to her so easily, like running water, invisible power flowing through her veins as she brushed her fingertips down one of Grievous' arms, triggering and enhancing every receptor and sensor that she knew was hidden in his armor.

The caress, powerful and so very warm, nearly sent him to his knees, little pulses of energy flitting across the circuits that crisscrossed his cybernetic frame. His cyber-organic brain translated the signals into throbs of pleasure, a strangled moan crackling out of his vocalizer as his eyes slid closed, hands clutching at Kyra as a shudder wracked his body. It took him almost a full minute to become coherent again, and even then, Grievous found himself struggling not to beg her to do whatever she had just done again. "W-What did you--?"

"I can manipulate energy to a certain degree," she told him, smiling as she lightly trailed her fingers up and down his upper left arm, causing him to shiver and tighten his hold on her. "I'm just.... sending little surges through your receptors."

Another small wave jolted up his arm, echoing through every circuit and wire in his entire body until he was fairly shaking, the wicked talons on his feet sinking into the dermaplated floor. Urges that he had thought lost rose to the surface, his two lower hands dropping to her waist to pull her pelvis against his as his hips arched towards hers uselessly.

While the action still pulled a rather delightfully breathless gasp from Kyra, he couldn't help but growl in annoyance at his metal body, his mind instantly running through the lewd thought of having some sort of attachment fashioned. The mental images did nothing to stop his newly awakened lust, his voice coming out in a near purr as he picked her up in his lower arms and carried her towards her quarters, upper hands already tugging at her clothes. "You realize that I intend to finish what you've started?"

Kyra met his smouldering gaze and leaned up to place a kiss on his cheek, a little thrum of energy accompanying the gesture. "I wouldn't have started it otherwise."

Growling, he carried her through the automatic door to her room, stepping through and pausing only long enough to balance on one foot while using a metal toe to type in the lock command, insuring their privacy. "You're mine now," Grievous told her, partially burying his face in her hair as he stalked towards her bed.

His final upgrade into his cybernetic body had eliminated the need for sleep, and thus, the need for a bed. But now he found a small part of his Kaleesh mind wishing he could have brought her to his own quarters to claim her there, various memories of his past where he had taken his wives to bed for a night of rather impassioned sex.

The memories only fueled him, a low rumbling growl leaving him as he set her on her bed and crawled above her, eyes drinking in the sight of her before careful talons cut her clothes away. Every bare inch of flesh he uncovered looked like heaven, the hands of his upper arms caressing newly exposed skin while the lower continued to rip the material off of her body. Though it all, Kyra never stopped touching him, fingertips gliding across his arms, throat and chest, pulses and surges of pleasure only intensifying his need to have her laid bare before him.

"I haven't been with anyone since I began upgrading myself," he warned her as he threw the scraps of her clothes over his shoulder, sending his cloak after them seconds later before turning his burning gaze onto her once again, lower hands already mapping her body. "You must tell me if I hurt you. I can't claim you in the normal fashion, but I can still give you pleasure."

Kyra shook her head a little and rose herself on an elbow to bring their faces closer together, one hand stroking the side of his masked face and shivering in anticipation at the lust in his bright gaze. "You won't hurt me," she murmured, sliding her hand down his throat and across his chest until she took his right upper hand in hers, rising it to her lips and pressing a kiss to his metal palm. "I trust you."

That one small gesture sent a stab of arousal through him, his body wracked by a shudder when she playfully suckled on one taloned finger, touch receptors detailing how warm and soft and wet her mouth was. Groaning, he descended on her, all four hands caressing her body as he struggled to map out every inch of her, sensors drinking in every gasp and moan that escaped her, every arch of her back and roll of her hips. He explored every bit of her, easily bracing himself above her as he slid one hand into her hair, the second lightly tracing the curve of her throat while the third closed over one breast, his fourth hand dropping to her inner thighs, teasing her with gentle strokes.

And to his growing delight, Kyra was far from passive. She matched every touch, every stroke. Sometimes it would only be a warm throb that washed through him, leaving him craving more, while others were roiling waves of pleasure that threatened to completely overwhelm him, his breath leaving him in very audible moans and growls. She would drag her fingernails across his armor, the sensation making him arch his back and close his eyes, only to gasp seconds later when she dared to tickle at sensitive joints, the contrast both refreshing and oddly arousing.

Both of his upper hands shifted to knead and massage her breasts, talons ever so careful against the soft skin. His left lower hand settled on her hip, holding her still as his right cupped her, one finger sliding into her wetness. Her hips instantly rolled into his hand, a needy little mewl leaving Kyra as she clutched at him, her blue eyes darkening to a rich sapphire.

Growling, he shifted above her, dropping his face to the crook of her neck to drink in her scent, shivering when she rose a hand to stroke the back of his head, tiny little eddy's of Force energy dancing across his duradium skull. He wrapped his upper arms around her torso, tugging her slightly upright as he rubbed his face against her skin and purring when she placed a warm kiss to the side of his head.

"Touch me," Grievous whispered against her throat, mind whirling as she arched in his arms, her breasts rubbing against his armored chest. All the while, she constantly brushed her fingertips across any bit of him she could reach, the light caresses no where near what he really wanted. "Touch me. Really touch me. No one touches me.... I'm not a droid.... I still remember what it felt like...."

The pained tone of his voice brought tears to her eyes, and Kyra immediately wrapped her arms around him, pulling him as close to her as she could, even daring to rub her left leg against his metal calf. A sort of desperate keen left him, his body giving a shudder as he clung to her, his four hands rubbing over every single inch of her back and shoulders, the lower two dropping to her thighs to further lift her towards him.

Muttering Kaleesh endearments, Grievous rubbed the side of his head against hers, sensors along the front of his body singing happily at the sensation of her pressed tightly against him. The heat of her body warmed his armor, her hands clutching and stroking at every bit of him that she could reach, her caresses stronger now in response to his plea.

He returned the favor, leaning back to gaze down at her as he mapped out every inch of her face and throat with fingertips and palms, his two lower hands sliding down to her chest while his uppers trailed across her shoulders. A pleased growl left him as he cupped her breasts, teasing her by flicking her nipples for a second before kneading the silk soft flesh, watching as her eyes fluttered closed, a pink blush spreading across her face. The sight spurred him onwards, a frustrated curse leaving him as he nuzzled his mask against her left breast, wanting nothing more than to taste and suckle.

A particularly intense pulse of energy nearly sent him over the brink, his breath coming in rough pants as he shook his head and caught her wrists in his upper hands, pinning them above her head. "Not yet," he growled, drinking in the sight of her gasping under him in a mix of delight and lust as he rubbed his lower hands down her abdomen, purring in approval of the hungry look in her eyes.

Her hips arched towards him as he brushed the fingers of his right lower hand against her thigh, his gaze locking with hers as he slowly slid one finger into her, a low groan leaving him as receptors relayed how hot and wet she was. Hissing, Grievous transferred her hands into one of his, dropping his now free upper left hand to massage one of her breasts as he slid the second and then the third finger into her warmth, growling when she gasped and rolled her hips.

Shivering, he closed his eyes, centering his mind on how tight and wet and hot she felt, and lewdness be damned, he was definitely going to look into getting certain 'enhancements' for his cyborg form, because feeling her through his fingers just wasn't enough.

Bright yellow eyes snapped open to stare down at her, wanting to memorize the sight of her arching and trembling under him as he moved his fingers inside her, his lower left arm carefully repositioning one of her legs to give him better access to her. He brought her to the brink twice, stopping each time and waiting until her body had reluctantly calmed before stroking her again, slowly pumping his fingers in and out of her. All the while, he reverently brushed his upper left hand across her skin, caressing every bit of her that he could easily reach.

Shivering, and greatly aroused, Grievous nuzzled his face against her chest, moaning when she gasped his name and arched towards him, one of her hands twisting in his grip so she could brush her fingertips against his wrist. Little shocks traveled along his upper right arm, leaving trails of warmth and pleasure in their wake. He growled at the sensation, repaying her by stroking her inner walls and delighting in the full body tremor the touch caused.

"Now," he growled to her, releasing her hands and closing his eyes when she immediately reached for him. A ragged purr left his vocalizer as he shifted his lower right hand, gently pressing his fingers deeper into her, quickening his movements, pushing her to climax. "Now. Want to feel...."

Gasping for breath, Kyra splayed one hand on his chest, the other grasping his shoulder as he stroked something deep within her that pushed her ever closer to the edge, her back arching as she cried out. Unlike the other times, he didn't let her pleasure wane, his hands continuing to caress her, even as he moved his fingers in and out of her, his lower left arm wrapping around her waist to keep her close.

Struggling to stay in control for just a moment longer, she moved her hand from his shoulder to stroke the side of his masked face, coaxing him to rise his head from her neck so she could meet his reptilian gaze. His golden eyes were filled with all the emotions and words that he couldn't give voice to, and she held his gaze for a heartbeat before leaning up to place a kiss just below his right eye.

The tender gesture pulled a full-body tremble and a desperate growl from him. "Kyra!"

Something inside her snapped, and she cried out as her climax ripped through her, her hands scrambling to hold onto Grievous as he jerked above her, a helpless howl of pleasure leaving him as the energy unleashed by her orgasm crashed into him. His arms locked around her, body trembling as every wave of her climax echoed into him, her awareness of him sharpening for one brief moment before all coherent thought left her, and all that was left was pleasure.

.

.

End Part 1

#snarky is writing #general grievous #still can't believe I wrote grievous smut #smut #grievous x oc #fanfiction #what have i done

[sk1fanfiction]

the many faces of tom riddle, part 4

-attachment, orphanages, and yet more child psych: time to add yet another voice to the void-

FULL DISCLAIMER THAT THIS IS JUST MY OPINION OF A CHARACTER WHO DOESN’T HAVE THE STRONGEST CANON CHARACTERIZATION, AND THUS ALL THIS IS BASED ON MY CONCEPTUALIZATION.

I'm going to be super biased, because my favorite portrayal of Tom Riddle is actually Hero Fiennes-Tiffin as eleven-year-old Tom Riddle, in HBP and I get to chat about child psych in this one, sooo here we go.

First of all, I’m just so impressed that a kid could bring that much depth to such a complex character.

This is the portrayal, I feel, that brings us closest to Tom’s character. Yes, Coulson’s brought us pretty close, but by fifth year, the mask was on.

We don't really get to see Tom looking afraid very often, but it's fear that rules his life, so it's really poignant in our first (chronologically) introduction, he looks absolutely terrified.

The void being the fandom's loud opinions on a certain headmaster. I wouldn't call myself pro-Dumbledore, but I'm certainly not anti-Dumbledore, either. (Agnostic-Dumbledore??)

Since I'm not of the anti-Dumbledore persuasion, I decided to poke around in the tags and see what the arguments were, so I don't make comments out of ignorance.

Most of the tag seems to be more directed towards his treatment of Harry and Sirius, but a few people mentioned that Dumbledore should have treated Tom with ‘exceptional kindness’ and tried to ‘rehabilitate’ him.

As I said in Parts 2 and 3, I am 100% in favor of helping a traumatized kid learn to cope, and I don’t think Tom Riddle was solidly on the Path to Evil (TM) at birth, or even at eleven. Not even at fifteen.

Could unconditional love and kindness have helped Tom Riddle enough for the rise of Lord Voldemort to never happen? Possibly, but...

Yes, I'm about to drag up that Carl Jung quote, again.

“I am not what happened to me, I am what I choose to become.”

The problem with this is that if you’re going to blame Dumbledore for this, you also have to blame every other adult in Tom’s life: his headmaster, Dippet, his Head of House, Slughorn, his ‘caretakers’ at the orphanage, Mrs. Cole and Martha, and possibly more. In fact, if we're going to blame any adult, let's blame Merope for r*ping and abusing Tom Riddle Senior, and having a kid she wasn't intending to take care of.

Furthermore, you cannot possibly hold anyone but Tom accountable for the murders he committed. (I should not have to sit here and explain why cold-blooded murder is wrong.) And if you like Tom Riddle's character, insinuating that his actions are completely at the whim of others is just a bit condescending towards him. He's not an automaton or a marionette, he's a very intelligent human being with a functioning brain, and at sixteen is fully capable of moral reasoning and critical analysis.

I've heard the theories about Dumbledore setting the Potters up to die, and I'm not going to discuss their validity right now; but he didn't put a wand in Tom's hand and force him to kill anyone. Tom did it all of his own accord.

And while yes, I have enormous sympathy for what happened to Tom as a child, at some point, he decided to murder Myrtle Warren, and that is where I lose my sympathy. Experiencing trauma does not give you the right to inflict harm on others. Yes, Tom was failed, but then, he spectacularly failed himself.

We also have no idea how Dumbledore treated Tom as a student.

In the movies, it’s Dumbledore who tells Tom he has to go back to the orphanage, but in the books, it’s Dippet. We know that Slughorn spent a lot of time around Tom at Slug Club and such, yet I don’t really see people clamoring for his head.

I regard the sentiment that Dumbledore turned Tom Riddle into Lord Voldemort with a lot of skepticism.

But let's hear from the character himself -- his impression of eleven-year-old Tom Riddle.

“Did I know that I had just met the most dangerous Dark wizard of all time?” said Dumbledore. “No, I had no idea that he was to grow up to be what he is. However, I was certainly intrigued by him. I returned to Hogwarts intending to keep an eye upon him, something I should have done in any case, given that he was alone and friendless, but which, already, I felt I ought to do for others’ sake as much as his."

Now, assuming that Dumbledore's telling the truth, I'm not seeing something glaringly wrong with this. No, he hasn't pigeonholed Tom as evil, yes, I'd be intrigued, too, and it's a very good idea to keep an eye on Tom, for his own sake.

“At Hogwarts,” Dumbledore went on, “we teach you not only to use magic, but to control it. You have — inadvertently, I am sure — been using your powers in a way that is neither taught nor tolerated at our school."

Again, it seems like he's at least somewhat sympathetic towards Tom, and is willing to at least give him a chance.

More evidence (again, assuming Dumbledore is a reliable narrator):

Harry: “Didn’t you tell them [the other professors], sir, what he’d been like when you met him at the orphanage?” Dumbledore: “No, I did not. Though he had shown no hint of remorse, it was possible that he felt sorry for how he had behaved before and was resolved to turn over a fresh leaf. I chose to give him that chance.”

Now, I think Dumbledore is pretty awful with kids, but I don't think that's malicious. Yeah, it's a flaw, but perfect people don't exist, and perfect characters are dead boring. I am not saying that he definitely handled Tom's case well, I'm just saying that there's little evidence that Dumbledore, however shaken and scandalized, wrote him off as 'evil snake boy.'

It's also worth taking into account that it's 1938, and the attitudes towards mental health back then.

Why is Tom looking at Dumbledore like that, anyway? Why is he so scared? What has he possibly been threatened with or heard whispers of?

"'Professor'?" repeated Riddle. He looked wary. "Is that like 'doctor'? What are you here for? Did she get you in to have a look at me?"

"I don't believe you," said Riddle. "She wants me looked at, doesn't she? Tell the truth!"

"You can't kid me! The asylum, that's where you're from, isn't it? 'Professor,' yes, of course -- well, I'm not going, see? That old cat's the one who should be in the asylum. I never did anything to little Amy Benson or Dennis Bishop, and you can ask them, they'll tell you!

Tom keeps insisting he's not mad until Dumbledore finally manages to calm him down.

I'm really upset this wasn't in the movie, because it's important context. Instead we got these throwaway cutscenes of some knick-knacks relating to the Cave he's got lying around, but I just would have preferred to see him freaking out like he does in the book.

There was extreme stigma and prejudice towards mental illness.

'Lunatic asylums,' as they were called in Tom's time, were terrible places. In the 1930s and 40s, he could look forward to being 'treated' with induced convulsions, via metrazol, insulin, electroshock, and malaria injections. And if he stuck around long enough, he could even look forward to a lobotomy!

So, if you think Dumbledore was judgmental towards Tom, imagine how flat-out prejudiced whatever doctors or 'experts' Mrs. Cole might have gotten in to 'look at him' must have been!

Moving on to the next few shots, he is sitting down and hunched over as if expecting punishment or at least some kind of bad news, Dumbledore is mostly out of the frame. He’s trapped visually, by Dumbledore on one side, and a wall on the other, because he’s still very much afraid. uncomfortable, as he tells Dumbledore a secret that he fears could get him committed to an asylum (which were fucking horrible places, as I said).

It brings to the scene that miserable sense of isolation and loneliness to that has defined Tom’s entire life up to that point (and, partially due to his own bad choices, continues to define it).

And, when Dumbledore accepts it, his posture changes. he becomes more confident and more at ease, as he describes the... utilities of his magical abilities. 

"All sorts," breathed Riddle. A flush of excitement was rising up his neck into his hollow cheeks; he looked fevered. "I can make things move without touching them. I can make animals do what I want them to do, without training them. I can make bad things happen to people who annoy me. I can make them hurt if I want to."

Riddle lifted his head. His face was transfigured: There was a wild happiness upon it, yet for some reason it did not make him better looking; on the contrary, his finely carved features seemed somehow rougher, his expression almost bestial.

I do think Harry, our narrator, is being a tad bit judgmental here. Magic is probably the only thing that brings Tom happiness in his grey, lonely world, and when I was Tom's age and being bullied, if I had magic powers, you'd better believe that I'd (a) be bloody ecstatic about it (b) use them. And, like Tom, I can't honestly say that I can't imagine getting a bit carried-away with it. Unfortunately, we can't all be as inherently good and kindhearted as Harry.

Reading HBP again, as a 'mature' person, it almost seems like the reader is being prompted to see Tom as evil just because he's got 'weird' facial expressions.

So... uh...

Nope, let's judge Tom on his actions, not looks of 'wild happiness.'

To his great surprise, however, Dumbledore drew his wand from an inside pocket of his suit jacket, pointed it at the shabby wardrobe in the corner, and gave the wand a casual flick. The wardrobe burst into flames. Riddle jumped to his feet; Harry could hardly blame him for howling in shock and rage; all his worldly possessions must be in there. But even as Riddle rounded on Dumbledore, the flames vanished, leaving the wardrobe completely undamaged.

Okay, one thing I dislike is Tom's lack of emotional affect when Dumbledore burned the wardrobe, in the books, he jumped up and started screaming, instead of looking passively (in shock, perhaps?) at the fire. Incidentally, I can't really tell if he's impressed or in shock, to be honest. I think they really tried to make Tom 'creepier' in the movie.

This is one of the incidents where Dumbledore's inability to deal with children crops up.

I think he was trying to teach Tom that magic can be dangerous, and he wouldn't like it to be used against him, but burning the wardrobe that contains everything he owns was a terrible move on Dumbledore's part. Tom already has very limited trust in other people, and now, he's not going to trust Dumbledore at all -- now, he's put Tom on the defensive/offensive for the rest of their interaction, and perhaps for the rest of their teacher-student relationship.

Riddle stared from the wardrobe to Dumbledore; then, his expression greedy, he pointed at the wand. "Where can I get one of them?"

"Where do you buy spellbooks?" interrupted Riddle, who had taken the heavy money bag without thanking Dumbledore, and was now examining a fat gold Galleon.

But I'm not surprised Tom is 'greedy.' He's grown up in an environment where if he wants something, whether that's affection, food, money, toys, he's got to take it. There's no one looking after his needs specifically. I'm not surprised that he's a thief and a hoarder, and I don't think that counts as a moral failing necessarily, and more of a maladaptive way of seeking comfort. It would be bizarre if he came out of Wool's Orphanage a complete saint.

Additionally, I think given that the Gaunt family has a history of 'mental instability,' Tom is a sensitive child, and the trauma of growing up institutionalized and possibly being treated badly due to his magical abilities or personality disorder deeply affected him.

And there are points where it seems that Dumbledore is quick to judge Tom.

"He was already using magic against other people, to frighten, to punish, to control."

"Yes, indeed; a rare ability, and one supposedly connected with the Dark Arts, although as we know, there are Parselmouths among the great and the good too. In fact, his ability to speak to serpents did not make me nearly as uneasy as his obvious instincts for cruelty, secrecy, and domination."

"I trust that you also noticed that Tom Riddle was already highly self-sufficient, secretive, and, apparently, friendless?..."

And while this is all empirically true, these are (a) a product of Tom's harsh environment, and (b) do not necessarily make him evil. But the point remains that child psych didn't exist as a field of its own, and psychology as a proper science was in its infancy, so I'd be shocked if Dumbledore was insightful about Tom's situation.

But I've gone a ton of paragraphs without citing anything, so I've got to rectify that.

Let's talk about Harry Harlow's monkey experiments in the 1950-70s.

If you're not a fan of animal research, since I know some people are uncomfortable with it, feel free to scroll past.

Here's the TL;DR: Children need to be hugged and shown affection too, not just fed and clothed, please don't leave babies to 'cry out' and ignore their needs because it's backwards and fucking inhumane. HUG AND COMFORT AND CODDLE CHILDREN AND SPOIL THEM WITH AFFECTION!

I will put more red writing when the section is over.

This is still an interesting experiment to have in mind while we explore the whole 'no one taught Tom Riddle how to love' thing and whether or not it's actually a good argument.

Andddd let's go all the way back to the initial 1958 experiment, featured in Harlow's paper, the Nature of Love. (If you're familiar with Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs, him and Harlow actually collaborated for a time).

To give you an idea of our starting point, until Harlow's experiment, which happened twenty years after Dumbledore meets Tom for the first time, no one in science had really been interested in studying love and affection.

"Psychologists, at least psychologists who write textbooks, not only show no interest in the origin and development of love or affection, but they seem to be unaware of its very existence."

I'm going to link some videos of Harry Harlow showing the actual experiment, which animal rights activists would probably consider 'horrifying.' It's nothing gory or anything, but if you are particularly soft-hearted (and I do not mean that as an insult), be warned. It's mostly just baby monkeys being very upset and Harlow discussing it in a callous manner. Yes, today it would be considered unethical, but it's still incredibly important work and if you think you can handle it, I would recommend watching at least the first one to get an idea of how dramatic this effect is.

Dependency when frightened

The full experiment

The TL;DW:

This experiment was conducted with rhesus macaques; they're still used in psychology/neuroscience research when you want very human-like subjects, because they are very intelligent (unnervingly so, actually). I'd say that adult ones remind me of a three-year old child.

Harlow separated newborn monkeys from their mothers, and cared for their physical needs. They had ample nutrition, bedding, warmth, et cetera. However, the researchers noticed that the monkeys:

(a) were absolutely miserable. And not just that, but although all their physical needs were taken care of, they weren't surviving well past the first few days of life. (This has also been documented in human babies, and it's called failure to thrive and I'll talk about it a bit later).

(b) showed a strong attachment to the gauze pads used to cover the floor, and decided to investigate.

So, they decided to provide a surrogate 'mother.' Two, actually. Mother #1 was basically a heated fuzzy doll that was nice for the monkeys to cuddle with. Mother #2 was the same, but not fuzzy and made of wire. Both provided milk. The result? The monkeys spent all their time cuddling and feeding from the fuzzy 'mother.' Perhaps not surprising.

What Harlow decided next, is that one of the hallmarks being attached to your caregiver is seeking hugs and reassurance from them when frightened. So, when the monkeys were presented with something scary, they'd go straight to the cloth mother and ignore the wire one. Not only that, but when placed in an unfamiliar environment, if the cloth mother was present, the monkeys would be much calmer.

In a follow-up experiment, Harlow decided to see if there was some sort of sensitive period by introducing both 'mothers' to monkeys who had been raised in isolation for 250 days. Guess what?

The initial reaction of the monkeys to the alterations was one of extreme disturbance. All the infants screamed violently and made repeated attempts to escape the cage whenever the door was opened. They kept a maximum distance from the mother surrogates and exhibited a considerable amount of rocking and crouching behavior, indicative of emotionality.

Yikes. So, at first Harlow thought that they'd passed some kind of sensitive period for socialization. But after a day or two they calmed down and started chilling out with the cloth mother like the other monkeys did. But here's a weird thing:

That the control monkeys develop affection or love for the cloth mother when she is introduced into the cage at 250 days of age cannot be questioned. There is every reason to believe, however, that this interval of delay depresses the intensity of the affectional response below that of the infant monkeys that were surrogate-mothered from birth onward

All these things... attachment, affection, love, seeking comfort ... are mostly learned behaviours.

Over.

Orphanages, institutionalized childcare, and why affection is a need, not an extra.

His face is lit the exact same was as Coulson’s was in COS (half-light, half-dark), and I said I was going to talk about this in Part 3. I think perhaps it's intended to make Fiennes-Tiffin look more evil or menacing, but I'm going to quite deliberately misinterpret it.

Now, for some context, Dumbledore has just (kind of) burned his wardrobe, ratted out his stealing habit, and (in the books only, they really took a pair of scissors to this scene) told him he needs to go apologize and return everything and Dumbledore will know if he doesn't, and, well, Tom's not exactly a happy bugger about it.

But interestingly, in the books, this is when we start to see Tom's 'persona,' aka his mask, start to come into play. Whereas before, he was screaming, howling, and generally freaking out, here, he starts to hide his emotions -- in essence, obscure his true self under a shadow. So this scene is really the reverse of Coulson's in COS.

And perhaps I'm reading wayyy too much into this, but I can't help but notice that Coulson's hair is parted opposite to Fiennes-Tiffin's, and the opposite sides of their faces are shadowed, too.

Riddle threw Dumbledore a long, clear, calculating look. "Yes, I suppose so, sir," he said finally, in an expressionless voice.

Riddle did not look remotely abashed; he was still staring coldly and appraisingly at Dumbledore. At last he said in a colorless voice, "Yes, sir."

Here's an article from The Atlantic on Romanian orphanages in the 1980s, when the dictator, Ceausescu, basically forced people to have as many children as possible and funnel them into institutionalized 'childcare', and it's absolutely heartbreaking.

There's not a whole lot of information out there on British orphanages in the 30s' and 40s', but given that people back then thought you just had to keep children on a strict schedule and feed them, it wouldn't have a whole lot better.

The only thing I've found is this, and it's not super promising.

The most important study informing the criteria for contemporary nosologies, was a study by Barbara Tizard and her colleagues of young children being raised in residential nurseries in London (Tizard, 1977). These nurseries had lower child to caregiver ratios than many previous studies of institutionalized children. Also, the children were raised in mixed aged groups and had adequate books and toys available. Nevertheless, caregivers were explicitly discouraged from forming attachments to the children in their care.

Here's a fairly recent paper that I think gives a good summary: Link

Here, they describe the responses to the Strange Situation test (which tests a child's attachment to their caregiver).

We found that 100% of the community sample received a score of “5,” indicating fully formed attachments, whereas only 3% of the infants living in institutions demonstrated fully formed attachments. The remaining 97% showed absent, incomplete, or odd and abnormal attachment behaviors.

Bowlby and Ainsworth, who did the initial study, thought that children would always attach to their caregivers, regardless of neglect or abuse. But some infants don't attach (discussed along with RAD in Part 2).

Here's a really good review paper on attachment disorders in currently or formerly institutionalized children : Link

Core features of RAD in young children include the absence of focused attachment behaviors directed towards a preferred caregiver, failure to seek and respond to comforting when distressed, reduced social and emotional reciprocity, and disturbances of emotion regulation, including reduced positive affect and unexplained fearfulness or irritability.

Which all sounds a lot like Tom in this scene. The paper also discusses neurological effects, like atypical EEG power distribution (aka brain waves), which can correlate with 'indiscriminate' behavior and poor inhibitory control; which makes sense for a kid who, oh, I don't know, hung another kid's rabbit because they were angry.

Furthermore...

...those children with more prolonged institutional rearing showed reduced amygdala discrimination and more indiscriminate behavior.

This again, makes a ton of sense for Tom's psychological profile, because the amygdala (which is part of the limbic system, which regulates emotions) plays a major role in fear, anger, anxiety, and aggression, especially with respect to learning, motivation and memory.

So, I agree completely that Tom needed a lot of help, especially given the fact that he spent eleven years in an orphanage (longer than the Bucharest study I was referring to), and Dumbledore wasn't exactly understanding of his situation, and probably didn't realise what a dramatic effect the orphanage had on Tom, and given the way he talks to Tom, probably treated him as if he were a kid who grew up in a healthy environment.

In case you are still unconvinced that hugging is that important, there's a famous 1944 study conducted on 40 newborn human infants to see what would happen if their physical needs (fed, bathed, diapers changed) were provided for with no affection. The study had to be stopped because half the babies died after four months. Affection leads to the production of hormones and boosts the immune system, which increases survival, and that is why we hug children and babies should not be in orphanages. They are supposed to be hugged, all the time. I can't find the citation right now, I'll add it later if I find it.

But I think it's vastly unrealistic to say that Dumbledore, who grew up during the Victorian Era, would have any grasp of this and I don't think he was actively malicious towards Tom.

Was Tom Riddle failed by institutional childcare? Absolutely.

Were the adults in his life oblivious to his situation? Probably.

Do the shitty things that happened to Tom excuse the murders he committed, and are they anyone's fault but his own? No. At the end of the day, Tom made all the wrong choices.

And, for what it's worth, I think (film) Dumbledore (although he expresses the same sentiment in more words in the books) wishes he could go back in time and have helped Tom.

"Draco. Years ago, I knew a boy, who made all the wrong choices. Please, let me help you."

#tom riddle #the many faces of #tom marvolo riddle #character analysis #character study #albus dumbledore