#even after finishing reading the manga‚ but now I really like her a lot and feel strong sympathy for her!! | Explore Tumblr Posts and Blogs

Visit Blog

Explore Tumblr blogs with no restrictions, modern design and the best experience.

Fun Fact

130K people were victims of a chain letter scam that affected Tumblr in May 2011.

#even after finishing reading the manga‚ but now I really like her a lot and feel strong sympathy for her!!

snickerdoodlles · 3 months

Text

one of my most formative fandom experiences was a comment i had gotten on a fic i wrote for a halloween themed fandom event.

this was for a manga/anime, so the fic was a general ghost story obviously set in Japan. the beginning of it involved a pizza delivery and while writing it, i had spent like 30 minutes just double checking tipping customs and the types of pizza they serve and even fell down a wikipedia rabbit hole looking up the history of pizza in Japan.

now, i just like the research part of writing, i do stuff like this because i have fun doing it. and while i was writing this particular fic, i had laughed at myself for my 30 minutes of googling that amounted to 2.5 offhand lines in a 3500 word fic. i didn't think anyone would care about or even notice those particular details except for me, especially since none of them were relevant to the ghost part of this ghost story.

except, when i had sent this fic to a Japanese friend, the first thing she said to me about it was "OH MY GOD YOU GOT THE PIZZA RIGHT"

and that was the moment when it had really clicked for me. what had just been 30 minutes of effort on my part had become a moment of relief for her. my friend was far more used to reading ethnocentric fic that ranged from unintentional ignorance to outright superiority against part of her culture (the original story's culture no less). and even with the "innocent" ignorance (heavy quotes on that) far outstripping any outright maliciousness, that's still so many people saying her culture was not worth learning about. the pizza in my story was a small detail, but i had cared enough to put in some effort to check it. and for her, coming from a fic experience where her norm was bracing for hundreds of inaccuracies born of ignorance, especially at that time after a flood of stories centered around "Halloween as a cultural holiday in the US" premises instead of the "Halloween is a commercial gimmick in Japan" reality, seeing someone put in some effort even for minor story details meant something to her.

this also throws me back to the discourse that arose in a french show fandom a few years ago because there were a lot of fic authors that wrote 'dollars' instead of 'euros'-- but when people brought this up as a prevalent issue across the fandom but an easy one to fic/watch out for, many of these writers instead pushed back to complain that they were posting stories for free and it wasn't that big of a deal. which really upset a lot of people, but then this upset was met with a new wave of indignation that people needed to 'get over it' because they're writing fic ~just as a hobby~. but, even if 'dollars' instead of 'euros' wasn't a big deal, by digging in their heels about the issue, they were saying "your culture isn't worth even five minutes of my time or effort."

I've been thinking about these things lately because the ethnocentrism in Thai drama fandoms is...staggering. just over the turn of the year, there were waves of Christmas fic for Buddhist characters. and just. Christmas in Thailand is a tourist thing at best. sometimes a pop culture gimmick for international audiences or maybe an offhand high school thing to blow off steam between midterms. it's not a cultural thing. and even if a character is a part of the Christian minority, a Christian Thai's holiday customs and culture are going to be vastly different than a Christian's customs in the Americas or Europe. and while the Christmas fic is at least finished for now, I'm already bracing myself for the Easter fic wave that also seems to pop up for Thai dramas. it's so frustrating to see this sort of cultural overwrite all the time, especially since most Thai drama holiday works aren't about Thai holidays.

but the thing that really got me bristling about all of this again was i saw a post the other day where op said that they weren't going to write [thai drama] fic because they don't know much about thailand.

what an absolutely appalling statement to make.

google is right there. wikipedia is free. you don't even have to leave tumblr or AO3 to learn more because there are Thai natives in fandom who write essays to explain common elements of their culture. hell, even just watching these Thai stories and considering the values and messages imparted by the narrative framework and story lens tells you something about that culture. the audacity to look at a culture different from your own and say "this is not worth my effort or time to learn anything more about," are you kidding me?!?

the messages and values of a story tell you about the writer's values, which are going to carry their cultural values, beliefs, and biases. Thai culture is going to be heavily relevant to any Thai story, even the ones that aren't explicitly about Thai culture/customs/etc. (hell, Thai bl/gl as a genre alone-- just the fact that queer Thai writers are making these stories in Thailand's current political climate is highly political, even the "fluffy" ones that don't seem to make outright political statements.) to approach any story like it was made in a vacuum is to remove the writer(s)' culture and values and to overwrite them with your own.

especially because this is fandom. these are the lowest stakes to learn! it sucks to see people say things like "but i'm scared i'll get something wrong" and hold up that fear as a shield to justify their ignorance. no one's expecting anyone to get every detail right, especially not for a culture that isn't theirs, just make an effort to learn something new about it. pick out something that caught your eye as different to learn more about and see where it leads you.

and for the record--making a mistake trying to broaden your horizons is a far, far better thing to do than to superimpose your culture on everyone else's because you're scared to confront your ignorance.

edit: check out this reblog thanks

#fandom

1K notes · View notes

everlastingremorse-blog · 3 months

Text

Dungeon Meshi and the Paradox of the Winged Lion

I just finished reading Dungeon Meshi, and I really liked it. It took me about 4 days to read it, and I was looking for a good manga, and it really whet my appetite after I saw that there was an anime.

So I’ve been mulling this over since I finished it, as I needed time to digest the narrative, but also, I wanted a little intro to warn about spoilers. Lots and lots and lots of spoilers.

So we eventually learn that a certain character, The Winged Lion, is, in fact, a demon. Now, that’s not necessarily too much of a twist. I didn’t see it coming, but it didn’t completely come out of left field.

But what is really interesting is how holy and sacred The Winged Lion is. If I remember correctly, TWL is first referenced as “the land’s guardian,” by Yaad, prince of the Golden Kingdom.

Now, a lion with wings is a novel idea, even if it isn’t a super innovative one. But most importantly, that’s not the extent of TWL’s design. It’s implied his more natural state is a 4 armed, anthropomorphic, winged lion with 5 eyes and 4 horns. That’s probably not it’s original form, but it does seem to be the form it identifies with. (It’s also super hot)

Image for reference.

Now, I’m not the only person that saw it, right? This is very similar to a ‘biblically accurate angel.’

Quick note on that term, biblically accurate is a bit misleading. The Bible is full of contradictions. So an angel as a human with wings is as valid as a ring covered in eyes with a pair of wings on it. What we consider “biblically accurate,” is more often seen in stuff like Dante’s Pardisio.

Anyways, back to my point. Is TWL a demon? Or is it an angel? (Let’s put translations aside, because I do not speak Japanese nor do I think it matters too much.) But TWL is called a demon by the canaries (aka the dungeon investigation squad, I think) as the kind of the “root” of the dungeon.

TWL was explicitly summoned using “dark magic,” from a “realm of infinite energy.” Now, Marcille specifies that “dark magic” is a social construct. It’s not inherently evil or corrupting, but it is ancient magic that is taboo.

But the main point from that is that TWL is not from hell. If anything, a “realm of infinite energy” is closer to my understanding of God. A being of infinite power that is so vast that it’s own body is a dimension. That would put TWL as a kind of “angel,” a being made from god’s power/body.

Another thing about TWL is that he is inherently Faustian. He brings about the desires of others so that he can eat them. Much like a farmer or beekeeper, he has a dungeon master so that he can grow their desires and eat them (and also so that he can escape and eat all desires everywhere, all at once)

Now, the thing is is that he can’t just grant desires. He has to have a specific desire to grant, but he can only grant them in specific ways.

TWL offers to bring Marcille’s father back, but the the best he can do it make a doppelgänger. He can maybe bring Falin back, but that’s because she died and became part of the dungeon. And I haven’t made it clear before, but he is the dungeon. Thus he can maybe bring Falin back because she is a part of him.

It’s why Marcille tries to use monsters to invade the surface in order to extend her friends life. Because escaping is the only way TWL could possibly extend everyone’s life, because they would be in his stomach.

But back to the point, TWL, technically, is trying to help. He has no choice but to help. In a very Faustian kind of way, engaging with TWL damns you no matter what your desire or motivation is.

And according to Namari, being inside TWL’s stomach is pleasurable. At least at the beginning, when she only got to be there for, at most, like, 30 minutes. I don’t think the exact time is specified, but she did seem to have a good time. It’s possible, that like the citizens of the golden kingdom, it starts out pleasurable, but that doesn’t stop you from desiring new things. I personally doubt that, because they weren’t in the state of bliss that Namath described, but it is possible that the infinite realm isn’t as heavenly as it appears.

Just like The Winged Lion Himself.

Now, I am not a Christian. I only have a kind of pop-culture osmosis of Christianity that comes from living in America. So this next part might be my misinterpretation of the Christian doctrine.

So, I mentioned earlier that an angel as a human with wings is just as valid as a “biblically accurate” angel.

Thus, to make a lion divine, you can give it wings too. Angel lion. Literally, if you look up “angel lion,” that is what you get.

But lions are significantly both in fantasy and Christianity. A lion is often the symbol of a king. King of the jungle. Strong, powerful, and regal. As in Richard the Lionheart. Thus, it makes a lot of sense for it to be associated with Liaos, the future king, devourer of all horrible things. A lion is a predator, after all.

But Christianity is where it gets a bit interesting, because lions are sometimes associated with the lion of Judah. I do think this is more Old Testament stuff, ya know, pre-Jesus, but I do think it gets associated with Jesus. Check me on that if I’m wrong.

Anyways, this creates a kind of messiah symbolism that TWL shares. It is trying to bring out a revelation about how the world works. And quite frankly, he does. The queen of the elves ends up theorizing that TWL was just a manifestation of mana so that it can communicate with the sentient population. Or, it could be following Marcille’s approach, and showing that ancient magic is just another form mana can take.

This messiah metaphor is amplified by the other form TWL takes: a lamb. TWL would offer up it’s own body in the form of a lamb so that humans can eat it. Hell, that’s how it started in the world, offering up it’s body so that something else can eat.

The Winged Lion quite literally sacrifices it’s own body for the survival of others.

Finally, the winged lion is in everything, and everything is a part of the winged lion. This is most apparent in the dungeon, where monsters are literally parts of the winged lion.

It’s king of hard to see, but the winged lion’s face is made out of different monsters in the image.

I think this is significant for two reasons. Christians can see god in anything. As an atheist, this has confused me, but I think I get it. When I look out and see beauty, Christians see the beauty of god. We see the same thing, but just disagree where it comes from.

But TWL is technically in everything. Certainly the main characters, as they’ve been eating monsters, but also in the inanimate objects of the dungeon. The water and the walls and the treasure are all parts of the dungeon itself. And if TWL is, as the queen said, a part of mana itself, is inside every individual. Or it might be more accurate to say, TWL comes from something that is inside everyone.

Either way, this seems very analogous to “the Holy Spirit.”

In conclusion, this is a strange paradox because it isn’t inherently contradictory. Demon’s are not exclusively bad, even in the Bible (for example, In The Book of Job, God seeks out Satan’s advice). But it creates an ambiguity within the winged lion that examines the importance of understanding and living with life’s shortcomings; that we incorporate the world into our bodies and identities; and that sometimes the solution you’re looking for is just a hearty meal.

#dungeon meshi #the winged lion #dungeon meshi spoilers #tons of spoilers #themes #media analysis #character analysis

109 notes · View notes

mint-yooxgi · 2 years

Text

{4} - Hotel California - Yandere!Demonic Entities!Ateez X Reader

Yandere AU & Demon AU - Based off of This ask and Hotel California by Eagles

Genre: Mature, Horror, Angst, Slight Humor

Pairing: Ateez X Reader (Focus on Seonghwa & Hongjoong this chapter)

Words: 11,370

Warnings: Talks of self-esteem and body issues. This is a Yandere story, it will contain themes such as stalking, violence, obsession, possessive natures, and just general overall creepiness and swearing. You have been warned.

A/n: Hehehe, here it is!! The next part!!! I really hope you guys have been looking forward to this as much as I have! I still have a lot planned, so stay tuned for more!! As always, feedback is greatly appreciated!! Enjoy~

Main Story - Part Two - Part Three

A full two weeks have passed since the day you decided to turn your life around while being held captive in this place. It certainly has been a change of pace, but you’re really starting to get used to things here. Especially now that you know of all the different places in the building that you can hang out in.

You had also managed to call your sister. It was on that same night that you had called your parents. After you had finished unpacking, of course. She gave you quite an earful for worrying your entire family, telling you not to give them a scare like that again. You, obviously, promised that you wouldn’t do such a thing to them again in the foreseeable future. Then, just like your father said, she teased you about running away with a mystery lover.

You had shook your head at that, frantically attempting to quiet her teasing and reassure her that that was most certainly not the case. She, like your mother, didn’t believe you, opting to send you a knowing look and a wink before her husband interrupted her to say hello. Needless to say, in the end, the both of them were at least glad to know you were okay.

That night, you had collapsed into bed, mentally exhausted from the day you had just had. You’re just glad you finally had your stuffed animals to hold onto when you fell asleep. It certainly made it much easier, and for once, you slept straight through the night. After so many restless bouts of tossing and turning over the past two weeks, you finally found comfort in something familiar.

Now, more often than not, you find yourself spending your days in the library. Sometimes, you’ll bring your laptop, your headphones already connected as you just watch videos to pass the time. Other times, you’ll bring a book, either browsing through the vast selection they’ve seemingly hand picked out for you, or pulling books off of your own shelf. You’ve already went through your entire collection of Demon Slayer manga again, rereading the series with a soft smile on your face.

Little did you notice the pouts on all of their faces at your choice in reading material. Each man couldn’t help but feel like that particular choice in manga was a pointed selection, given the situation you still find yourself in. Sure, both San and Mingi might have made progress with you that one day, and maybe even Yeosang and Jongho a little bit, but you still are guarded against them.

At least those four you can now stand to be in the same room as, even going so far as to start conversations with them on your own. Hell, you’re even joking around with them at times! A fact of which drives the other four insane.

Slowly, Wooyoung and Yunho have been attempting to make progress here and there, but they’re still nowhere near being any closer to you than they were before.

The first time Wooyoung walked into the game room to see you already sitting on the couch playing Pokémon on the switch, your whole body tensed. Your thoughts were cautious, keeping a close eye on whatever it was that he chose to do. The fact that you seemed so uncomfortable with him sitting so much as on the opposite couch with his own switch in hand, had a pout pulling at his lips.

Why couldn’t he make any progress, too? You seemed interested in his dancing when they showed you the studio. So, why haven’t you asked him to dance for you yet? He’s even been purposefully leaving the door open whenever he practices lately in hopes that maybe you’ll be walking by, and you’ll stop to stare.

What he wouldn’t give to feel your eyes on him as he dances. There are so many songs, so many choreographies, that he wants to show you. Ones that he’s made for you, or with you in mind. All that there’s left to do is perform them for you, and then maybe you’ll understand his true feelings. After all, dance has always been his best form of self expression, and to be able to share that part of himself with you would be a dream come true.

Similarly, a certain artist desperately wanted you to come to him and ask him about his paintings. Even so much as a fleeting interest in flipping through his sketchbook by you, and he would be there in an instant, offering this part of his soul to the one he loves most. You already own it, anyways. Everything he was, everything he is, and everything that he is sure to be, belongs to you.

Unfortunately for him, and despite what his brothers shared with him of that precious moment with you, you do not seem to want to be anywhere near him.

Really, it pains Yunho to no end. Based on your reactions to his work so far, even if you’ve only truly seen the one painting he made for you that’s currently hanging in your room, he thought you would have at least come to him to ask about it by now. You seemed so curious in San’s memory - so touched - that he was sure you would have knocked on the door to his studio to get him to show you his collection. Even still, your thoughts on the matter still warm his heart every time he recalls the shared memory. Finally, he had done something that made you speechless - that made you happy.

Speaking of your thoughts… Yunho, it seemed, you were constantly watching yourself around. He noticed you even started to develop a strategy of thinking about a giant black void around him to cover your thoughts. Unfortunately for him (and his brothers), this strategy seemed to be working. You didn’t do it often, but when you did, it was one of the worst things in their lives.

Now, whenever they would sense you thinking of this ‘eternal void’, as they so nicknamed it, your mind wouldn’t just go blank, but it would seemingly protect you from them attempting to invade your thoughts. It would be as if they were looking into the blackest lake, the water rippling beneath their subtle intrusions to attempt to know what you were thinking. It was frustrating.

The only upside about it would be that you still didn’t know how to fully master it, and you couldn’t think of it all of the time. However, they couldn’t help the pride that would fill their chests at the thought of you figuring out a way to outsmart them like this. Sure, some of your overtly loud thoughts would still make it through, and if they expended a little more effort than simply brushing their minds against yours, they could still invade your thoughts. However, they digress. How much more perfect for them could you be?

As for you being around Hongjoong and Seonghwa… well, they were a completely different story.

Yes, you were still tense as all fuck around the both of them, but ever since you were shown the library, they could all sense a shift in you. Towards all of them.

No longer do you pointedly ignore any of them, but Hongjoong can just tell that you’re avoiding him as much as you can. You don’t quite know how, or what, to feel about him, but he knows you’re fighting yourself against every good thought you have.

All he wants to do is make you happy, but you seem to have such a difficult time accepting him and letting him do such a thing. He just hopes his next surprise for you goes better than the last, especially where he is involved.

At least he’s not the only one wallowing in their own misery when it comes to you.

You still avoid Seonghwa’s tailor shop to no end, making him frustrated that you can’t even pass by the place on your own yet. Each time he would overhear your thoughts getting closer, he would perk up, hopeful that maybe, just maybe, this time, you were coming to see him. Yet, every time, without fail, he would be disappointed. You would rather take the long way around to the library, or pass through the courtyard by the pool, than so much as walk past his shop.

It doesn’t help the fact that when both Mingi and San had shared their memories of that day exactly two weeks ago, you again had refused to so much as look in the shop’s direction. That had nearly crushed his heart, and the worst part is, he has no one but himself to blame.

One of the happiest memories of his life in centuries and he can’t even share in that joy with you. No, you’d opt to think of it as - well, Seonghwa isn’t quite sure what to make of your jumbled emotions every time he catches you thinking about that incident that occurred within those four walls of his shop, but he knows one thing. Despite your best efforts, you do still think about it. About him. About the feeling of his hands on your waist and his lips on your skin. A fact of which could not make him happier.

Now, as he makes his way towards his shop in the morning after those transitionary two weeks have passed, he finds a bitter feeling sitting in the centre of his chest. Just last night you were smiling and laughing with Jongho in the library, discussing some book the two of you had both read. Seonghwa could not deny the growl that had built in his chest at seeing the two of you so close, both physically and emotionally.

That should be him. He’s the eldest. He’s the one you should be smiling at - the one you should be laughing with first. Seonghwa just wants you so badly, that he can hardly stand it. If only you could see that.

At least torturing that pathetic excuse of a human two weeks ago was fun. Oh, how enjoyable it was to hear the bastards’ screams, his pleas for mercy as they cut into him, only to piece him right back together so that they could start all over again until they were sated.

Truly, he has to hand it to his brothers. Seonghwa doesn’t think they’ve been that creative with their torturing in a while. He doesn’t think he’s ever seen Hongjoong that vengeful before in his entire life. Hell, he doesn’t think he’s ever been consumed by that amount of rage in all of his long years of living. Even Jongho and Yeosang, the calmest of the bunch, were near insatiable in their fury.

Shaking his head, a smirk tugs at Seonghwa’s lips. At least he doesn’t have to wonder any longer about what they should do - about what they would do - if someone ever wronged you.

Hell hath no fury like eight demonic lovers on a warpath to protect the one they love most. Or, well, six in this particular instance. Even so, Seonghwa knows that both San and Mingi were there in spirit with them each step, or rather, each cut of the way.

A low chuckle escapes his lips as he rounds the corner, shaking his head in the process. He shouldn’t be thinking about this right now. He has more important things that should be filling his mind, like what you’re up to on this particular morning. Besides, he’d much rather listen to your thoughts. They’re far more entertaining, anyways.

It’s instantaneous. The second his mind reaches out to yours, he’s freezing in his tracks just outside of his shop as his eyes behold the sight before him through the glass panel of the door.

Seonghwa blinks. There’s no way you’re sitting there, in his chair, behind his work counter, in his shop right now.

It has to be a dream. You are most certainly not holding what looks to be a torn sweater in your hands, and you most certainly are not silently cursing under your breath as you begin to stitch the fabric back together at the seams.

His breathing deepens, overcome by the sight before him. Truly, the feeling is indescribable - nothing but unfiltered joy coursing through his veins at the thought that you’re here, in his space, doing something that he loves.

A silence settles back around you as you relax into the stitch, the movements flowing smoother together the longer you sit there with your needle and thread. What’s truly remarkable, is the way there seems to be a faint glow surrounding you the longer you work at the one sleeve of the sweater. Almost as if there’s another presence standing behind you.

You, on the other hand, are none-the-wiser to the watchful gaze of a certain demonic presence as you sit there. You can just hear your mother’s voice echoing through your head as you fall into the natural rhythm of sewing your sweater back up, telling you how you’ve got your grandmother’s touch.

Sure enough, once Seonghwa focusses his eyes on the area just beside the right of your head, he sees a presence standing behind you with a hand resting on your shoulder. The lady is a bit short in stature, but he’d bet anything that this is your grandmother’s spirit manifesting around you right now, watching over you as you share in this moment.

As if the figure has heard his own thoughts on the matter, your grandmother’s head snaps up, looking him directly in the eyes. Her gaze narrows ever so slightly, as if attempting to recognize him, before smiling softly with the gentlest of nods in acknowledgement in his direction. Then, as if blessing him with her approval, she disappears.

Seonghwa’s whole body shakes as he attempts to control his breathing. Not only did you come to seek him out, and are currently sitting in his own personalized space, but he just got what seems to be your grandmother’s approval. Even she can tell that he has no ill intentions towards you, and that he’ll keep you safe - make you feel loved in every and any way he can. Like hell is he going to let that feeling go to waste.

Cautiously, he enters his shop, not wanting to scare you but also needing you to know that he’s here. He’s tired of playing this little game of cat and mouse you seem to have going on. You’re here now, and that’s all that matters.

As soon as you hear the little jingle of the bell above the shop entrance, your head is flinging upwards. Your wide-eyed gaze meets Seonghwa’s own, his lips quirked upwards softly in the corners.

Immediately, you freeze.

“Uh-“ too many thoughts begin to flit through your mind all at once.

Should you apologize for invading his space? The door was left open. Should you explain what you’re doing here? Well, it’s pretty obvious with the torn sweater, needle and thread held in your hands. Should you go back to what you were doing and hope he ignores your presence? You know that with him, that won’t be possible. Should you leave? Yeah, maybe you should. You’ve gotten what you’ve came for, anyways. You can always finish mending your hoodie in your room.

At least you don’t seem to be thinking of that damned void right now, for your thoughts echo shamelessly through his head. And he wouldn’t want it any other way.

“I don’t know if I should be surprised or offended that you didn’t ask me to mend your sweater,” there’s a teasing lilt to his voice as he approaches you, crossing the room in a few strides as he comes to stand before you.

“I am perfectly capable of doing it myself,” you retort, shooting him a pointed look as he leans against the counter beside you.

“Then by all means,” he grins, eyes shining as he watches you fondly, “don’t let me interrupt.”

Your spine straightens, and you can just feel his gaze on you tracking your every movement. You’ve never liked it when people payed too much attention to you while you worked, and having his eyes on you now, it makes you so nervous. Still, with pursed lips, you attempt to continue.

It takes only a minute for you to be heaving a sigh, seemingly deciding against your better judgment for the moment regarding what you’re about to do. Averting your gaze so sweetly, you hold the material of the torn sweater out to him without a word. He is a tailor, after all.

The smile that breaks out onto Seonghwa’s face is unlike any he has worn in a long time. The vibrance of it alone nearly lights up the entire room as he gently takes the material from your outstretched hand, pulling up a stool to sit beside you in the next second before starting to mend your sweater.

Seeing as he immediately begins to work, you go to stand. You figure since he’s stitching your sweater, you no longer have to stay. Besides, he probably wants his chair back. Only, before you can so much as take a step towards the door, his hand is shooting out to grasp your wrist gently.

You turn to look at him, and the way he’s staring at you - eyes wide and practically begging - has your heart racing in your chest.

“Please,” his voice is soft as the plea falls from his lips, “stay.”

You hold his gaze for a brief moment as you hesitate on what to do. Then, against your better judgement for the second time in the past five minutes, you surprise both him and yourself as you slowly sink back into your seat.

“Do you at least want your chair back?” You ask, eyes following the way he releases his hold on your wrist so carefully before retracting his hand.

“Not at all.” He shakes his head. “I’m just happy you’re here.”

You give him a small smile in response, and even though it’s forced, he cannot help the way his heart races in his chest.

“What happened, anyways?” He quirks a brow, eyes briefly darting to the torn sweater in his hands as he continues to stitch the fabric right where you left off. “Why bring it with you if it’s this torn?”

“Well,” you let out a puff of air through your nose, “believe it or not it was fully intact when I packed it.”

He frowns, not quite following along. That is, until your memory of both San and Mingi literally tearing apart your favourite sweater right before your very eyes flashes through his mind. He pauses only for a brief moment as he gets caught up in the memory before continuing once more.

“Remind me not to ask two of you to do something for me at the same time again,” you huff out a laugh, leaning back into the chair as you cross your arms over your chest, crossing your legs at the same time.

“Ah, I see,” he nods, eyebrows raising in faint amusement. “Those two failed to mention that in their daily recap that day.”

“Daily recap?” You quirk a brow, voice a bit skeptical.

“Mingi and San simply filled us in on what we missed when we were gone for the day,” Seonghwa explains, humming to himself in the next moment as he finishes off the one sleeve, moving on to the next in an instant. “Well, not everything apparently.”

“Is that a common occurrence?” Your eyes, which have been staring at your slipper clad feet, dart briefly over to him. “Sharing your memories with each other.”

So, this is what your meek curiosity feels like floating through your mind. Seonghwa has to stop himself from humming contently at the revelation.

“Yes, and no,” he answers truthfully. “Some moments are meant just for us, while others we can and do share with one another.”

For a fleeting moment, the incident with the dress the first time you were here flits through your mind.

“Yes, like that one,” he comments, not even shifting his gaze from the task he’s currently working on. From the looks of things, he’s almost done.

“I take it they weren’t supposed to find out about that one,” you say, shifting slightly in your seat as you recall the way the other seven reacted the first time they learnt of the memory.

“At least not for a little while,” he hums, before shifting his eyes to meet your own, nothing but sincerity shining within. “That one I wanted to have a little more time to cherish for myself.”

A heat rises to your cheeks, once more averting your gaze as you recall the exact memory he’s referring to. A memory which you still aren’t too sure how to feel about for the moment. Yet still, at seeing the way you become so shy in front of him, because of him, Seonghwa cannot contain the way his lips pull up in a smirk.

You can’t help it, but your gaze drifts to his hands as he finalizes the last few stitches in the seam. The way his nimble fingers stretch and pull the fabric, the thread being tied off in the next moment has you swallowing the dryness in your throat. Again, you’re reminded of what his fingers felt like on your body.

“That’s not all they’re good for,” his eyes are dark, hooded as he watches you from merely three feet away, that same damn smirk pulling at his lips.

Your breath hitches in your throat, mind going to exactly where he’s insinuating. A fact which only makes a pleased growl rumble within his chest as your thoughts of his fingers on your bare skin, stretching you open so delicately as he buries them in your tight, wet cunt, reach his mind.

Now, if only he could make all of your fantasies come to life. You really only need to ask, and Seonghwa is ready and willing to do anything for you. Everything you could ever imagine would be brought to life, and the fact that he would be the one making all of your dreams come true would bring him a pleasure unlike any other.

Instead, what he receive in response in you reaching over to smack his arm, your entire face heating as you attempt to calm yourself down and clear your mind.

“Pervert.” You mutter, the prettiest of pouts tugging at your lips.

Lips which he longs to feel pressed against his own.

He chuckles, rubbing over the spot you’ve just slapped him in tenderly with his hand. Only, he cannot help but focus in on a certain, singular emotion that’s flowing through your mind right now. An emotion that leaves him absolutely confused for the moment, wanting to understand more about why you’re feeling this way.

“Should I add that to the list of reasons as to why I call you Handsy?” Your voice manages to draw his attention to you once more.

This time, it’s his turn to pout. “I really wish you wouldn’t.”

“I guess we can’t always get what we wish for,” you sigh, almost wistfully.

A small silence settles over the both of you, as he smiles. Finally, he seems to be making progress with you again. At least you’re talking to him, even if it’s a little rocky to start. Still, that emotion from only moments before swirls through your mind, and Seonghwa finds his brow furrowing, expression falling as you begin to overthink.

You stare at your hands, thoughts drifting through your head. You cannot help but to recall the dress incident again, and how you felt while it happened. Even now, with this newest memory, you close in on yourself, allowing your whole demeanour to shift in an instant.

If Seonghwa didn’t know any better, he’d say that you look and feel sad.

Then, before your brain has a chance to catch up to your mouth, you’re speaking.

“Do you want to know why I reacted the way I did when that happened?” Your voice is small, as if scared of the words coming from your own mouth. Of what admitting them out loud might mean.

Immediately, concern washes over his features as he shifts closer to you. Your sweater is placed onto the counter with the utmost care, momentarily forgotten by you as your thoughts consume you. He reaches for you, but at the way you stiffen, pulling yourself the slightest bit away, he freezes. No matter how badly he wants to wrap you into his arms right now, perhaps it’s not quite the best idea. After all, he’s still on pretty thin ice.

“You caught me off-guard, for starters,” you lean forwards, curling in on yourself more as you rest your elbows on your knees. Still, you refuse to meet his gaze, staring at your hands which begin interweaving your fingers together anxiously. “You surprised me,” you notice him swallow out of the corner of your eyes, his Adam’s apple bobbing with the movement, “but not in the way you might think.”

Seonghwa does his best to maintain his breathing at a steady pace. Your mind is all over the place, and he can’t exactly pinpoint where this is going, but given your track record, he can’t help but think the worst. Even so, he won’t let go of you so easily. No matter what you say, he won’t ever stop trying.

“At first, I was worried,” you admit. “I didn’t know who you were, or what you were doing. Especially not what you could be capable of.” The briefest of flashes of that same fear that had them recoiling in the foyer two weeks ago has him flinching yet again now. “I know better now, and I don’t know if that made it worse or better but…”

You trail off, your gaze focused so intently on your hands. He holds his breath.

“It doesn’t change the fact that I-“ you swallow, wetting your lips with your tongue, “I enjoyed it.”

Your admission knocks the wind right out of him.

“For what felt like the first time in my life, I felt like I was finally someone’s first choice. Finally, someone wanted me; I felt seen. No one has ever looked at me with such…” you search for the right word, gaze flitting everywhere in the room but at him, “passion in their eyes before. Such longing. I’ve never had someone touch me like that - caress me as a lover would,” you confess, whole body heating as you think about what admitting this out loud means. Not just to yourself, but to him, “and I wanted to revel in it."

“I was confused, and I still am. I didn’t, and I still don’t, know how to exactly feel about it. You have to understand. I am not used to being desired, especially not in the ways that you all want me. I found it hard to believe - still do - that any of you could want me. You’re all demons, for crying out loud! I’m only human. I’m just-” you take a shaky breath in, shoulders seemingly deflating as your expression drops, “I’m just me.”

All he can hear of your thoughts now is you berating yourself, telling yourself that you’re not good enough. You don’t want to believe that you are worthy of all of this, and that is what terrifies you. To accept their proposition, their love, would mean accepting yourself, and you don’t have the strongest relationship with her right now.

“But why?” Seonghwa’s voice is soft, expression filled with a type of sorrow you don’t quite understand. “Why would you think that?”

“Well,” you almost let out a humourless laugh as you lean back in the chair, motioning to your entire body as you do so, “look at me.”

And so he does, his eyes trailing over your figure softly. There’s a certain spark in his gaze that you still don’t quite understand, and when he trails it back up to meet your own, you nearly let out a sigh at the confusion you still see tugging at his features.

“It’s because I’m not-“ the words catch in your throat as you avert your gaze once more, voice barely above a whisper as you speak the words you’ve always believed to be the truth about yourself, “I’m not beautiful.”

Seonghwa can only sit there, stunned for the moment at the confession that has just fallen from your lips. He blinks.

All of those times his brothers and himself caught you staring at your reflection in the mirror, trailing your blank gaze over your body, was in disgust? You weren’t admiring yourself like they always did? Like they always thought you were doing? Instead, you were scrutinizing every little detail of your body? A body of which would make them fall to their knees in seconds, ready and eager to please you at a moment’s notice. A body of which they absolutely adore.

For all of their powers, they couldn’t read your thoughts through the glass. Sure, they could influence your decisions if they tried hard enough, but with that barrier there, they could never truly be sure of what you were thinking. It pains his heart now to know what you truly think of yourself. Of what you believe to be true.

“That is the filthiest lie that has ever fallen from your lips and you know it.”

You’re taken aback by the sudden harshness of his tone as he frowns, and you find yourself averting your gaze once more. Regret instantly washes over you for what you’ve just done. For what you’ve just admitted.

“Please, do not be ashamed of sharing this part of yourself with me.” Immediately, his gaze is softening. “You could never disgust me, or scare me away. Or any of us for that matter.”

You cannot deny the way your eyes widen, even if only slightly, at his words, tears beginning to line the corners.

Carefully, he stands from his seat. Then, as if he were holding the most delicate piece of glass in his hands, he reaches over to guide your gaze back to his as his fingers come to rest beneath your chin.

“I meant every word I said to you that day. We all did,” he stares deeply into your eyes as he leans into you, making sure to not crowd you, but letting you know how serious he is about the words that are coming out of his mouth. “And I would do it all over - say it all again - in a heartbeat.”

You blink, the first of your tears escaping and trailing down your cheek. He wipes them away gently with the thumb of his opposite hand, moving to caress the side of your face in the next moment while still supporting your chin with the other.

“We would do anything for you. We only want to cherish you, to protect you, to make all of your dreams come true. We want to take care of you, to be there for you in your darkest times, and share with you in the light. We just want to make you happy. To hold you, to please you, to worship you is all that we truly desire. Please, do not doubt that. You are the only one that we will ever want. You are the only one that we will ever need.” His voice is firm, never faltering for one moment as he stares deeply into your eyes, nothing but sincerity shining behind his own as he leans in closer.

“We are so in love with you, it hurts. It pains me to hear you say these things about yourself, to know you think these things to be true. They are not. They never have been, nor will they ever be.” He cups your face in both of his hands, caressing your cheeks so tenderly as he holds you delicately in his palms. “You are so unbelievably beautiful. You seriously have no idea the effect - the hold - you have on us. Your existence is the best thing that has happened to this world, and for the first time in centuries you make us feel alive.”

His confession has a soft gasp escaping you, breath hitching in your throat as your lips part ever so slightly. The raw honesty of his words is reflected in how rough his voice has become as he continues to speak.

“There are not enough words in all of the tongues of the universe to describe your beauty, or what you mean to us. To me.” His thumb brushes against the skin of your cheek once more as he slowly begins to lean in closer with every word. “You are gorgeous. You are stunning. You are sinful in the most delectable of ways.”

You can practically hear your heartbeat ringing in your ears as you watch his eyes dart down to your lips.

“More than all of that, though,” he breathes, tongue darting out to wet his own as he swallows thickly, “you are,” his eyes begin to swirl with that all too familiar blackness as he comes to rest his forehead against your own, “My Divine.”

Once again, your breath hitches in your throat, and you cannot tell who is shaking more: you or him. With every exhale he makes, you can tell that he’s doing his best to control himself right now. Being this close to you, in this position, given what he’s just confessed, is scraping away at the very last bits of sanity that he has in this moment.

Your heart thunders away in you chest, your breaths mingling as you can practically feel the warmth of his lips ghosting against your own.

“Please-” the word is but a strained plea from his lips. “Please, can I kiss you?”

The question makes your heart flutter, your mouth parting with an answer before your brain can even catch up. However, before your response can even so much as escape your lips, the sound of the bell chiming above the shop door alerts you to another presence having just entered the room.

“Seonghwa,” Hongjoong’s dark eyes narrow as he fully takes in the scene before him. “What are you doing?”

The eldest closes his eyes, exhaling a deep sigh as he reluctantly pulls himself away from you for the time being.

“Well, we were sharing a moment, brother,” Seonghwa’s eyes flash as he turns to face the younger, noticing a letter clutched in Hongjoong’s hand despite his arms being crossed over his chest. “I was simply mending our beloved’s sweater.”

Hongjoong’s eyebrows twitch, clearly unamused. “I’m sure that that’s exactly what you were doing.”

Jealousy flares beneath his skin as Hongjoong continues to glare at Seonghwa. He’s been waiting in the hallway just outside of the shop for much longer than either of you two realize, concealing his presence as he listened in to your conversation. Of course, he agreed with every word Seonghwa spoke to you, and it pains him to no end that you would think of yourself like that.

However, there’s also a part of Hongjoong that despises the fact that it was Seonghwa of all people that you confided in with this first. Really, he should have made his presence known sooner. Maybe then he would have been able to comfort you along with his brother, instead of simply eavesdropping. How you even got on this certain topic of conversation eludes him, but the fact that you shared these insecurities with Seonghwa, the man who has made it painstakingly obvious that he cannot control himself around you, irritates Hongjoong like nothing else.

That should have been him.

As soon as he heard his brother even think the question, he knew he had to intervene.

In his own, sick, twisted way, Hongjoong wants all of your firsts. He craves them just as he craves you. He wanted to be the first one to touch you, and technically, he was. He will never forget the way his fingers tingled with electricity when he brushed them against yours when he handed you that fake keycard. However, Seonghwa truly beat him to it, his touch having graced your body in ways Hongjoong has only ever dreamed of.

The thought of somebody else’s hands all over you, even if that someone is his own brother, makes him sick. A rage begins to burn within his core that needs to be sated in any way he can. Like hell is he going to let Seonghwa have your first kiss with one of them, too. That should be him.

You cannot dictate between us who can and cannot have her, brother, Seonghwa’s voice echoes through his head. Only she gets to decide that.

I know. To say Hongjoong is frustrated would be an understatement.

Stop treating everything like a competition. Seonghwa retorts, crossing his arms in front of his chest.

Then, why does it always feel like I’m in last place? Hongjoong snaps, eyes tinging with that all too familiar blackness.

She’s not an object. Seonghwa nearly growls.

Believe me, I know that. Hongjoong has to suppress the roll of his eyes. It’s you who needs to stop treating her like one. Always placing your hands on her like you own her.

Don’t give me that crap, I know you would do exactly the same as me in a heartbeat if given the chance. Seonghwa’s own eyes tint black, his lips tightening into a thin line as a growl builds in his chest to mirror Hongjoong’s own.

Knock it off. The both of you. Yunho’s firm voice cuts through the silent tension in the room like a knife. The last thing we need is you two shitheads fucking things up when some of us have finally started making progress again.

He started it, Seonghwa grumbles.

And I’m ending it! Yunho replies, clearly exasperated. They can just tell he’s rolling his eyes at them right now. Lucifer below!

You know, this is something we’re all going to have to get used to if our relationships with her continue to progress. Jongho chimes in, a teasing lilt to his voice.

Of course Jongho would be the one to say that. They all know he’s the closest to you for the moment. A fact in which makes them all scowl.

Oh, can it, happy. Wooyoung huffs.

You, on the other hand, had zoned out for a moment there, getting caught up in your thoughts about what just occurred. Focussing in back on the room in front of you, you see the two males continuing to glare at one another. Neither move from their spots as a mental battle seems to be taking place right before your very eyes.

You swallow, wiping at your lingering tears with the back of your hand. A fact of which that seems to draw Hongjoong’s attention to you for the briefest of moments. Then, his gaze is softening immediately. “Are you okay?”

“Yeah,” you blink, nodding a few times, “yeah, I’m fine.”

Really, you don’t want to talk about what just happened for the moment.

As if to collect his own thoughts, Hongjoong releases the tension in his shoulders, dropping his crossed arms as he turns to look at Seonghwa once more.

“The council has been summoned,” he says, their disagreement being momentarily forgotten about.

While you are confused by Hongjoong’s words, Seonghwa simply heaves another large sigh.

“What do they want us to decide on this time?” He’s irritated, in more ways than one.

You, on the other hand, take this as your cue to leave despite the curiosity lingering in the back of your mind. Honestly, you’re still reeling from what’s just occurred between you and the eldest here in his tailor shop. Again.

Taking a deep breath as you stand, you’re quick to reach over and grab your sweater off of the counter. You spare Seonghwa a brief glance, lifting your hoodie in acknowledgment, “thanks again.”

He smiles, eye crinkling at the sides, “of course.”

With an almost shy smile of your own painting your lips, you’re quick to scurry past the both of them and out of the shop. You really don’t want to linger there any longer, for you have to sort out your own emotions for the time being. A lot has just happened in the span of twenty minutes, and you need to settle your mind.

Making it back to your room, you hang your newly fixed sweater in your closet, a smile tugging at your features as you feel the material between your fingers. That, overall, went much better than you had expected, especially after Seonghwa had showed up. Perhaps he isn’t so bad after all. At least now he understands your feelings on the matter.

Your expression drops, panic painting your features as you realize something.

It would take Seonghwa nothing at all to share your vulnerability with the others in their ‘daily recap’ as he so put it. You don’t know if you’re ready for that, but then again, would it really be so bad? They’ve given you no reason not to trust them so far, other than the whole kidnapping thing, but a month in and it’s not like you’re really being held prisoner here. They’ve proved to you time and time again that they’ve created this place with your best interest in mind. The library alone speaks for itself.

Maybe it wouldn’t be such a bad idea if he shared that particular memory with them. At least then it would save you from reliving those fears, those insecurities, every time you told one of them. Or maybe, just maybe, you could do it yourself.

Perhaps, you’re actually starting to trust them after all.

Walking back out of your closet, you cannot help but to think back to the moment you’ve just shared with the eldest not even ten minutes ago. Were you seriously just about to let him kiss you? Some sweet words with his eyes shining in sincerity, and you were ready for your walls to come crumbling down?

You nearly scoff to yourself. It shouldn’t be this easy to get you to crack. You shake your head, banishing the thoughts without so much as another glance in their direction. Time to take your mind off of things for a while, and you know exactly how you’re going to do just that.

The library has become sort of like your own sanctuary, and you find solace within its walls. So, grabbing your book off of your nightstand, you begin to make the trek to that all too familiar place. Only, this time, instead of taking the long way around, your opt to pass right by Seonghwa’s tailor shop.

Not a sound is made, nor even an acknowledgment towards the shop as you walk by, but at least you no longer feel the need to avoid it at any cost. There is no tenseness to your steps, nor in your shoulders as you hold your book in your hands, keeping your head held high as you walk passed.

What you fail to see, however, is the way two particular men watch as you pass by. Seonghwa wears a small smile, feeling as if a weight has been lifted off of his own shoulders as his gaze trails after you down the hallway. Hongjoong, on the other hand, frowns, lips tugging downwards in a slight pout as his eyes follow your every move.

Making it to the library, you’re quick to enter. You’ve already found a favourite spot: by the large windows right across from your own collection. The seats are plush, and the space is comfortable. You could not have asked for a better area to call your own. (A fact which has smiles pulling on all of their faces as they hear you think such a thing each and every time you sit in the library.)

Settling down on the couch, you tuck your feet beneath you as you fall into the pillows. Opening your book, you begin to read.

For the next hour, you manage to escape into the pages of your book, perfectly content to lose yourself in the writing of this particular author. In fact, you manage to relax so much that your eyes start to droop.

It’s only happened a few times, but you have fallen asleep in the library before. How can you not? It’s comfortable, warm, cozy, and you feel safe. So, when your eyelids flutter shut, you don’t fight it, letting the exhaustion you feel wrap itself around you like a blanket and pull you in to that all too familiar comforting darkness.

An hour and a half later and you feel yourself regaining consciousness. Slowly, you begin to shift, feeling your neck twinge slightly at the position you had fallen asleep in. Rubbing at your eyes, you hear a chuckle sound from across from you.

Immediately, your gaze is locking on the figure before you, seeing Hongjoong leant back with his legs crossed in the chair opposite the couch. A book rests open in his one hand, elbow placed on the arm of the chair as he reads, his attention appearing not even on you for the moment.

“Sleep well?” There’s a teasing quirk to the corner of his lips as you crack your neck quite loudly.

“How long have you been there?” You yawn, blinking a few times to further clear your vision.

“Oh,” he hums, nonchalantly, as he turns a page in his book, “about half an hour.”

“You’ve been watching me sleep for half an hour?” You tilt your head at him in disbelief, your one brow quirked.

“Well, I came to speak with you,” he says, marking the page in his book before softly closing it and resting it on the arm of his seat, “but you were sleeping. I figured it best not to disturb you, and to let you rest.”

“You dodged the question.” You deadpan.

“You still haven’t answered mine.” Hongjoong smiles softly in response.

A small silence settles over the both of you as you meet his gaze. You blink a few times before exhaling a sigh through your nose.

“I nap in places I feel most comfortable in,” you admit. “So, yes, I did sleep well.”

Your confession warms his heart more than you’ll ever know.

“I’m glad,” his smile widens, eyes crinkling at the sides as he watches you.

Still creepy you were watching me sleep, though.

Your thoughts have a laugh escaping him, “you know, I’m not the only one that enjoys watching you sleep.”

Immediately, you freeze, eyes going wide as you halt your movements of flipping through your book to find the page you were on to mark it.

“Like I said,” you mutter, shaking your head as you find the page, “creepy.”

Great, now you have to worry about them sneaking into your room at night to watch you sleep. So much for privacy.

“Do you really think we would do that to you?” Hongjoong asks, a huff of disbelief escaping him. “We respect your privacy enough not to do that since that night a month ago.”

“But you have done it before then.” You frown, clinging to the book in your lap for support.

“I believe Yeosang and Jongho explained the whole glass situation, no?” Hongjoong hums, quirking a brow expectantly at you. “Besides, I’m not the worst culprit for this.”

If you didn’t know any better, you’d say that there was a pout tugging at his lips as he crosses his arms over his chest and leans further back into his chair.

“Then who-“

“There are many reasons why Jongho always finds you in the library,” he cuts you off. “Some are at times when you don’t even know he’s here.”

“Are you telling me that he’s come in to watch me nap, left, then returned right afterwards once I’ve woken up to spend time with me?” You nearly laugh at the thought.

“That’s exactly what I’m telling you,” Hongjoong smirks, meeting your incredulous gaze. “He’s not as innocent as he seems.”

“I still like him better,” you grumble under your breath, and you can see Hongjoong stiffen out of the corner of your eyes.

A growl forms at his lips, wanting desperately to escape as he hears the words you’ve left unspoken echo through your mind.

Than you.

You still like Jongho better than him. A fact which makes his blood boil, a scowl pulling at his features. Yet, for all of his anger, Hongjoong cannot help but feel disappointed. In himself. In the situation. Why can’t you like him? Can’t you see that he’s trying? What can he do to prove to you that he’s really not as bad as you think he is?

An overwhelming sadness washes over him, suffocating his heart in its hold as he glares at the antique coffee table in between the two of you.

“You said you wanted to speak with me?” Your voice, somewhat timid, yet curious at the same time, pulls him out of his thoughts.

“I do,” he hums, glad for the change in subject, but also glad that you don’t seem to want to run away from him for the time being like you usually do. “I’m sure you recall me mentioning a certain council earlier.”

You nod, you eyes gleaming in recognition as you angle yourself towards him. He nearly hums in content from that fact alone.

“The eight of us are the heads of the realm, the leaders, if you will.” He explains. “Sometimes we need to attend certain events because of formality, and other times we get summoned to meetings or to settle disputes.”

“Geez,” you huff out a breath, “just how powerful and important are you guys?”

There’s an air of playfulness to your words that makes him grin, even if the lingering uncertainty in your mind boarders on fear.

“The council has been summoned to take place a week from today.” He says. “It’s one of those ones that we can’t miss, or decline the invitation to.”

“Makes sense, if you guys really are the leaders or whatever,” you nod, still attempting to wrap your head around what you’ve just been told. Then, a thought crosses you mind which has you mortified. “You’re not expecting me to meet the entire council, are you?”

“At some point, yes.” Hongjoong replies honestly. “We would like to someday introduce you to them as our Queen. Our equal.”

You cannot stop the way your breath catches in your throat at his words, your back straightening as you sit there with wide eyes.

“But we know we’re not there, yet.” He continues, somewhat sadly. “Nor are you ready for that.”

Unknowingly, you breathe a sigh of relief. In the back of your mind, you begin to wonder where this is all going.

“I’m getting there,” Hongjoong sighs, sitting forward to rest his elbows on his knees. “Because of these,” he pauses, searching for the right word, “unfortunate circumstances, we’ll have to leave the house for a little while. Which means that you’ll be by yourself from anywhere between an hour and a half or longer.”

Your mouth parts in shock, pure excitement coursing through your veins. “Really?”

“Don’t sound so excited.” He grumbles, a slight pout to his lips.

“Wait. You’re not fucking with me right now, are you?” You narrow your eyes at him accusingly. “Because if you are, this isn’t funny.”

“I would never joke about something as serious as this, My Love.” His voice holds nothing but sincerity as he meets your gaze. “Especially not to you.”

The brilliant smile that stretches across your lips can no longer be contained, a giggle escaping your lips in the next moment from how giddy you feel. The mere thought of being left alone with, well, your own thoughts for even just an hour is the best thing you’ve heard in a month. Finally, you have something to look forward to.

Although the context is not preferable to him, Hongjoong still cannot deny the way your excitement surrounds him, flooding his veins and making his lips quirk upwards slightly. Now, he finally understands the same feeling of happiness that his brother’s have felt when doing something that makes you smile. For the first time since you’ve gotten here, Hongjoong can finally say that he was the one and only cause of your pure and utter happiness.

He just wishes you were a little more upset by the fact that they’d be leaving you alone for a short period of time. Still, he cannot deny the way his heart positively fluttered when you giggled. A sound of which he hopes to hear more of, and soon at that.

“Is that all you wanted to talk to me about?” You physically have to prevent your hands from shaking in anticipation, holding on tightly to your book for dear life.

“Well, yes and no,” he replies, standing to his feet. “I also wanted to show you something.”

Carefully, he extends his hand out to you in offering, eyes shining as he looks at you. Your own gaze darts to his hand, curiosity pulling you onto your feet as you place your book onto the coffee table before you. Your entire body is still humming with adrenaline, mind reeling at the fact that you’ll finally have some time to yourself after so long with having them invade your mind and listen to your every thought. You still, unfortunately, haven’t mastered that void, yet.

Crossing your arms in front of your chest, you nod, “lead the way.”

Exhaling a sigh through his nose, Hongjoong drops his hand. At least you didn’t deny his entire offer.

With each step he takes towards the newly formed doors on the opposite end of the library, he cannot deny the way anticipation tugs at his own mind. His heart begins to pound in his chest as his nerves start to get the better of him. What if you don’t like it? He worked really hard on getting everything perfect, just like the library, and even though you love that, you might not exactly love this.

Reaching the doors, Hongjoong throws one last tentative glance over his shoulder at you. The corner of his lips twitch upwards as he sees your brow furrowed in confusion, mind racing with the thought of never having seen these doors before in the library.

Slowly, and with the utmost care, he opens the doors.

A gasp escapes your lips almost immediately at the sight that greets you on the other side. Your hands come up to cover your mouth, eyes shining as your heart races inside your chest.

Before you rests the most beautiful garden you have ever seen in your life, flowers of all types lining the cobblestone path leading to a sparkling fountain right in the centre. You can already smell the aroma coming from outside drifting into the library, even as you take a step forward to take everything in.

“Did you do this?” Your voice is soft, full of the same awe that he sees reflected in your eyes. “For me?”

“The guys all helped, but it was my design.” He admits, smiling softly as he give a slight nod. “You said that you wanted a garden, and we- I am more than happy to provide.”

“I wasn’t being serious,” you reply, taking your first steps out into the open space. “I wasn’t expecting this.”

Hongjoong makes sure to follow close behind, clasping his hands behind his back a little bashfully.

“Sure, you may not have been,” he hums, “but we want you to know how serious we are. I want you to know how serious I am about you. We- I would do anything for you. You need only ask.”

“I can’t believe it,” you whisper, reaching the fountain and turning your head to see a few benches tucked away on either side, covered gently by foliage to provide some protection from the sun or from rain. There even seems to be a greenhouse a little ways ahead.

Every step you take, every move you make through the garden, Hongjoong watches. That same soft smile never leaves his face as he hears all your thoughts projecting the awe you feel right now. From what he can gather, this is almost the exact same type of emotion you felt when you first saw the library. A fact that could not make him prouder than he is in this very moment, or any more in love with you than he already is.

Slowly, you make you way around the open space of the garden, taking in every minuscule detail. Each flower is in full bloom, delicately picked to compliment the ones beside it, the colours reflecting beautifully in the light. Everywhere you look, your favourite flowers stare back at you. Roses, peonies, forget-me-nots, lilies: none are left out in this stunning symphony of life as you take it all in.

Suddenly, you are once again overcome by the fact that this has all been done for you.

“This is…” you trail off, reaching out to grasp a peony in your hand, brushing your thumb over its soft petals as you take in its scent.

“This is…” you swallow, seemingly choked up by your own words as you search for the right one.

Hongjoong holds his breath.

“Incredible,” you turn your gaze to look at him, and what he sees shining in your eyes knocks the wind right out of him.

For the first time since you’ve gotten here, you are looking at him with such tenderness, such gratitude. As if he hung all of the stars in the night sky only for you. Which he would, if you asked.

Your gaze, so tender and soft, nearly sends him to his knees right then and there. However, it’s your next words that truly make his head spin.

“Thank you.” You breathe, nothing but sincerity shining within your eyes as you meet his own. “For this.” You briefly trail your gaze around the area before coming back to settle on him. A faint smile, gracious and absolutely breathtaking pulls at your lips. “For all of this. The library, too.”

“I’m just glad you like them,” he replies honestly, his shoulders sagging in relief as a weight he didn’t realize he had been carrying is lifted from his shoulders.

Is this what it’s like to feel like he’s actually making progress with you? If so, he cannot wait to continue. Having you look at him like this - so tenderly and full of awe - simply makes him want more. Hongjoong craves you in a way that he’s never craved anything or anyone in centuries. He just wants to make you happy, and from the looks of things, he’s finally doing something right.

“Oh, I more than like them,” you reply without thinking, leaning in to smell the roses as you walk passed. Your eyelids flutter shut as that same smile tugs at your lips. “I love them.”

If only you knew exactly how much your words mean to him, your confession causing his eyes to swirl with that all too familiar blackness as pure, unfiltered joy courses through his veins. Not only joy, but satisfaction, excitement, and eagerness for what has still yet to come. More than all of that, though, love pours through his very soul as he continues to watch you, subconsciously taking a step closer to you and reaching a hand out to place it onto your lower back.

Immediately, you stiffen, his touch unexpected. You step away, clearing your throat.

His expression falls, averting his gaze as he lets out a low breath through his nose. You seem to have no problem letting the others touch you, but you always pull away from his own touch. Still, your words from earlier echo through his mind. “I’m sorry.”

You blink in shock, clearly not expecting to hear those words coming from his mouth. Then, as if recalling your own memories from earlier that day, your lips part ever so slightly.

“I-“ you swallow, now being the one to avert your gaze as you clasp your hands in front of yourself almost nervously, “I’m just not used to being touched. Especially not so intimately by another person.”

“You seem to have no problem letting the others touch you so intimately,” before he can stop himself, the bitter words are out of his mouth, the jealous fire once again prickling beneath his skin.

Your eyes narrow, and immediately, your guard is back up. “That does not mean I’m used to it, nor does it give you the right to act like this. I am not yours.”

Yet. You are not his yet. Still, Hongjoong has a long way to go before he can so much as think of calling you his own. Well, out loud, at least.

Yet, you’re right. He knows you’re right, and that he needs to calm down. If he wants any type of chance with you, to be able to hold your heart in the palms of his hands like he already knows his is in yours, then he needs to relax. He had finally started making progress with you, only to screw it all up almost immediately afterwards.

Tears of frustration line his eyes as he averts his gaze, his heart squeezing painfully in his chest. No matter what he does, he can never seem to do anything right. Especially when it comes to you.

Closing his eyes, he allows his body to calm down, the shaking in his hands dissipating for the time being. He takes a deep, albeit uneven, breath in.

“You’re right,” he swallows, eyes opening to meet your own in the next second. “I’m sorry.”

You seemingly let out a sigh of relief as you see him visibly relax. You were just having a nice moment with him, and despite this little hiccup, you are still grateful for the amount of effort he’s put into this place for you. Perhaps you should attempt a truce for the moment. Being tense around him all the time is exhausting.

So, you quirk a small grin.

“Good,” your tone is cautious, but light, teasing even, “For a moment there, I was worried I was going to have to stab you with another knife there. At least none of the others can say they’ve shared that intimacy with me before.”

Hongjoong snorts out a laugh, “and I’ve still got the scar to prove it.”

“It scarred?” You blink, brow furrowing slightly in confusion as he nods. “I would have thought it healed considering the fact that you’re- you know.”

The way you motion to his entire being with your hand has a grin tugging at his lips, a pleased hum building in his throat.

“Yes, we can heal both ourselves, and others,” he confirms. “Quite quickly at that, too.”

“Then, why?” You attempt to wrap your head around what he’s just told you.

“We can also prevent ourselves from healing, or in this case, savour a certain wound until we feel the need to heal it.” He explains. “Though, I don’t think I’ll ever get rid of this one.”

“Why wouldn’t you?” Again, your brow furrows, not quite understanding the fact that he wouldn’t just simply heal himself.

“Because,” Hongjoong’s eyes flash, a smirk tugging at his lips as he meets your gaze, “now I have something to remember you by marked on my skin for all eternity.”

“Oh,” his words cause you to blink in surprise, especially at the way his dark eyes seem to be devouring your figure all of a sudden.

In the back of your mind, you cannot help but to think about what other types of marks he has hidden all over his body, if any. Then, just as quickly as the next thought appears, you’re banishing it into the deepest part of your mind, a heat rising to your cheeks.

A pleased growl rumbles in his chest as he catches you thinking about what other types of marks you could leave all over his body. Marks which he would proudly wear for as long as he possibly could. Perhaps even going so far as to make the ones you would leave from your nails trailing down his back to pull him closer into you scar.

“Still,” you blink, drawing his attention back to you and away from his own thoughts about how he would go about marking you, “I guess I should apologize.”

This time, it’s his turn for his brow to furrow. “Whatever do you have to apologize for, My Love?”

“I did stab you,” you reply. “Though, to be fair, you did scare the shit out of me. I was only acting in self-defence-“

The chuckle Hongjoong lets out has your voice dying right in your throat.

“What’s so funny?” Your eyes narrow, a pout tugging at your lips as you cross your arms in front of your chest.

“Do you think I’m upset that you stabbed me?” He asks, his lips tugging upwards in amusement. “My Love, that was one of the hottest things that has ever happened to me in centuries.”

“Oh,” you straighten, a heat once again rising to your cheeks.

“Not to mention how impressive it was that you caught me off guard,” he adds, taking a cautious step forward to close the distance between the both of you.

“I’ll keep that in mind,” you murmur, mild shock still coursing through your veins at his confession.

He simply hums in response, hooded gaze drinking in every detail of you in this moment with him right here, right now. A warmth spreads through his chest as his lips quirk, happy to know that he didn’t happen to scare you away from him again.

Progress. He’s making progress.

A small silence settles over the both of you, comfortable and soft. You take a moment to simply breathe in. Again, the smell of the flowers invades your senses, and you are reminded of where you are. Taking a brief look around, that gentle smile caresses your lips once more, gratitude flowing through your mind as you glance past Hongjoong and at the library just through the open doors behind him.

Those same emotions you felt when you first entered the library echo through your mind now. Truly, you are touched by the amount of effort and thought that went into this place, and the fact that even if you were joking about having a garden, they went above and beyond to continue to provide for you any and all comforts that you may need.

Maybe it really isn’t so bad being here with them. Maybe you don’t have to be so worried all of the time. Perhaps you are starting to trust them a little bit more every day. Over time, you think you could seriously get used to this. A life with them wouldn’t be so bad, now, would it? They have already proven time and time again that they are ready and willing to provide everything and anything that you may ever want or need.

Seonghwa’s words from earlier echo through your mind.

Perhaps they really aren’t so bad, after all.

“Would it really be so bad, then, if you were to fall for us?” Hongjoong asks softly. Your thoughts linger in his own mind, giving him one of the greatest gifts of all to hold on to as he meets your gaze: hope. He swallows, “for you to fall in love with me?”

You take a moment to observe him, eyes scanning over his face as you truly consider the questions he’s just posed.

“No,” you shake your head gently as your lips twitch upwards. “I don’t think it would.”

954 notes · View notes

fumifooms · 4 months

Note

I've reached a certain point in the manga now where Sissel heckles Marcille and mentions how "half breeds" are sterile.

And now I can't get out of my head the idea of a Marcille who can't become a mother herself, but ends up being able to experience something of the sort through meeting Chilchuck's daughters (even if they are all grown already.)

And allow me to go further, but also imagine that there is a point where Chilchuck does finally bury the hatchet with his wife, but have come to accept that they just don't work anymore, and decide to divorce formally on amicable terms.

The daughters therefore all slowly get to know Marcille, and even without the intent of being motherly, she dotes on them all anyway (because they're just so cute and so sweet!), and they see how their crabby father's eyes goes soft when they see Marcille interacting with them that by the end of it, they corner their father and tell him they approve.

Yes!!! YES!!!

You seem to not have finished the manga yet so I want to avoid spoilers… But no if I’m going into this topic I’ll absolutely end up spoiling some things lol. So beware, spoilers in the links I put and under the cut! I also talk about this topic/dynamics headcanons a bit here, and here, and specifically about his wife and him reconciling or not here, and my fanfic Grind Me Down Sweetly has bits and headcanons like these, but it’s an aspect of marchil with lots of potential!! Not obligatory reading btw lol, I just like to keep things as tidy as I can with things I cover many times plus there’s more stuff I won’t say here. I’m gonna be talking for a while though!!

I feel she could genuinely get along great with Flertom and Puckpatti, their personalities seem pretty compatible! Meanwhile Meijack’s more reserved, but Marcille would grow on her too. Meijack 100% would be the one who sticks more around her father as Marcille and her sisters chat enthusiastically when she first meets them, and out of nowhere she goes "She suits you." and Chil spits out his beer, but he swallows back the urge to deny it and then agrees.

One of my marchil timelines is that they stay close friends for a long time after post-canon, before maybe or maybe not dating. I like to think that after they meet, Marcille starts exchanging letters with Flertom sometimes because they hit it off and Chilchuck is like "Why are you on first name basis with my daughter!!! WHY ARE YOU ON FIRST NAME BASIS WITH MY DAUGHTER!! WHEN DID THIS HAPPEN, STOP INFILTRATING ALL OF MY LIFEEEE-" <- Man who has her on his mind 24/7 and is kinda going mad over it. Hehe I’ll let you read the fic I linked in the beginning if that sounds fun to you!

I know that in my fic wips where confessions or proposals happen I tend to bring the topic of the daughters up. Here’s my favorite that lowkey guts me

Post-canon spoiler but I like the idea that when the Toudens die from age or one thing or another, if one of them forms a family and has kids (through adoption or anything) then at least over the centuries she’d still overlook the lineage of royals and would find a sort of solace from that, always being surrounded by lots of caring people. I think this is a bit healing for her single child self as well! Her notion of family and childhood are very tainted by loneliness and loss, and though she needs to accept that all hellos end with goodbye and find closure and happiness even through that, something can definitely be done about the loneliness! And as you can see with my fanfic wip, in a perfect marchil world I also think that she would fully become a part of Chilchuck’s family and generations down the line either people at family gatherings call her "great-auntie", or inversely no one really knows and just goes "oh her? Yeah that’s Marcille. She’s in the family -shrug-". The family dinners would be awkward at first since I imagine Chilchuck’s prejudices on elves come from somewhere lol, but it’d be so sweet.

But yes, back to the daughters! Marcille is 100% a mom friend who loves caring for her loved ones (I have a post examining that a bit here), there’s how she likes to bathe Izutsumi and Falin after all (Kui has said it herself that she loves when characters care for others in ways like that, which reflects in Marcille, and with Milsiril & Kabru or Mithrun & his caretakers, etc~), but I don’t think she’d actually want a kid herself if she had to choose, maybe she’d grow to want it one day but I think what kind of bonds she’s looking for currently are more platonic and such than familial in nature, that she wouldn’t want ro raise a child herself quite yet. She likes spoiling people she loves and caring for them in domestic ways, but not the ‘everything else’ part lol. So I actually think this works out great!! She 100% dotes on them as you said, but in many ways I think their dynamic would be a lot like gal pals chatting every once in a while, Flertom and her share in the latest gossip and they talk about fashion amongst other things! With Meijack being more akin to the usual stepmother dynamic where what ties them together is Chilchuck, until they grow to have a bond based on familiarity over time (I feel like due to these she’s the one that would have a mother-daughter relationship with Marcille the most since Flertom and Puckpatti would be more casual with her, but I basically think all the daughters and Marcille see each other as equals). Their common point above everything is caring about Chilchuck, and though of course Marcille would be ready to offer motherly comfort or support for them if they wanted it, the girls are pretty past that age so I don’t see it happening all that much, at least not in the first 5 years or so~ I think once Chil dies (probably not very late with how he drinks a lot of alcohol and was malnourished/"strict dieting" for what’s implied to be a very long time) the reverse is gonna happen, where Marcille is gonna be absolutely gutted and will reach out to the girls a lot to grieve together and spend time recovering together. Talking about him and whatnot. If his wife goes to his funeral and they meet, Marcille and her could potentially also have very interesting interactions.

Girl sure wishes she wasn’t right here :( Unbeknownst to him she’d be giving him lifespan buffs ad infinitum if she could

And! It was so easy for me to miss this detail when I first read The Adventurer’s Bible (the world guidebook) but Marcille’s mom remarried! Marcille has a stepfather herself! It’s interesting that Marcille’s relationship with him or her stance on her mom remarrying is left so open, but she certainly acts enthusiastic about families and kids so doesn’t seem like there’s a complex there. I think this would give her a lot of thoughts about potentially being a stepmother though! I think it might influence her in her casual attitude, where she doesn’t want to push herself as ‘the new mother’ and whatnot, and I think honestly if the girls ever wanted to vent to her about how their family situation made them feel, Marcille and them could have really heartfelt and understanding conversations.

Ah yes ah yes, might as well unload my ‘Chilchuck has a second family of clingy asses’ timeline I adore: Marcille and Izutsumi, + the rest of the gang to a lesser degree~ I already linked a post in which I talk about how Marcille’s somewhat of a motherly presence for her, and Izutsumi’s relationship with Chilchuck is def rather father-like too (post going into that here)! A post-canon Marcille hc I love is that Marcille gets a cat~ A black one to fit with her witch aesthetic, and with how the cat hairs are black like the dresses she now wears all the time so it’s less apparent that she’s covered in them lol. It reminds her of Izutsumi a bit as she goes on her journey, it’s kinda like the chickens she had around her as a kid, she loves having things to care for and spoil AND also it’s the end place of her character arc about appreciating loved ones even if they’re short-lived, and having the courage to want to know and love them anyways… It always comes back to marchil and his stupid only 20 years left to live I swear 😭 I genuinely feel like Marcille tends to keep some emotional distance from others during canon to try and minimize that effects of loss would have on her, but more on that in another upcoming post. But yeah I feel like every time she sees a stray cat while strolling out she starts tearing up a little… She wonders if Izutsumi is okay and eating well and all… But she learns to live with not fully knowing, and optimism & being hopeful are her trademark thing so she puts them to good use! Sometimes her and Chil will hang out of his shop and they’ll see a stray cat. They start leaving some food out for them. Chil is all "Bad idea! They’ll become overly reliant on our food and it’ll be bad for them!" at first but he caves. So then they watch it feed on what they gave it, and she brings up what was both on their mind. "Do you ever wonder where Izutsumi went, if she’s alright…" "You say that as if she didn’t visit three months ago. Aren’t you supposed to be the one for who long periods of time mean little here?" And a silence falls, but then after a bit he finally replies, without snark. "… I do." Marcille’s cat would 100% be a stray she decided to adopt actually. I am seeing how a marchil fic being written centered around this would work~ Before she brings it to the castle and officially adopts it, she sees it standing out in the rain all pitifully in front of Chil’s shop once and she invites it in (to Chilchuck’s despair), and from then on it’s still a stray but it has a home to go back to. And it can showcase Marcille and Chil’s relationship alongside that metaphorically and it’s like… Domesticating love… 😭 I think I hold a Grind Me Down Sweetly sequel here~ Chilchuck is so the ‘doesn’t want a cat dad who ends up being the cat’s favorite’, both with his cat daughter and the actual cat lol, and Marcille’s not a cat but he certainly wasn’t looking for another romance so hey!! Chilchuck expected to live alone forever after his wife didn’t get back together with him, but surprise!!! Ok cat tangent over I promise <3

Meeting the stepmom energy… Plus the dwarven bachelor. And the king. Maybe he didn’t make up with his wife "like how well it goes in stories" like he hoped for, but her wish sure did come true!! She met his family!! :] I’m planning a huge character arc post about this part of their interactions in canon, but optimism and hope did at least half the job <3 Especially since he hadn’t seen his daughters in years too. She’s good for him!!! And he’s good for her!!!

#Dungeon meshi #Marchil #marcille donato #chilchuck tims #flertom #meijack #puckpatti #izutsumi is in here too #headcanons #fic wip #Ask #thank you for the ask!! And sorry for the monster answer. Have a nice first read! Don’t spoil yourself!#dungeon meshi manga spoilers

60 notes · View notes

yourlocallyneysimp · 1 year

Text

Genshin Impact x Makima!Reader

Characters: Scaramouche, Columbina, Lyney, Hu Tao, Gorou, Kazuha, Childe

A/N: This is rlly short- I also just finished watching Chainsaw Man because my friend forced me to. I still don't know much about Makima's character since I haven't read the manga, so I'm just going by the information in the anime. 😴

Warnings: Reader is manipulative, Makima's power is mentioned, blood in Scaramouche's part, hint of yandere themes

Scaramouche-

You make him anxious, a lot. He won't ever admit it of course, but he always goes out of his way to avoid you. It's just the way you always have the most normal expressions while talking about disturbing topics. He also feels like you could see right through him, through all his lies and secrets. It makes him uncomfortable just thinking about it.

He didn't think you were unusual at first since you looked pretty weak, but when the Tsaritsa partnered him up with you, he finally understood the reason why he always had this uneasy feeling around you. While having no luck finding the rest of the criminals the Tsaritsa tasked you both to find, you decided to use the ones you already caught to "end" the rest. As you were blindfolding them, you asked if Scara could cover his eyes too. He honestly thought this was all pretty stupid, but did it anyway since your gaze made him feel uncomfortable. After you were finished with business, Scara took the blindfold off and went on with his day as if nothing had happend. He wasn't going to waste his time with your silly games so he went to go look for the criminals himself. After he while, he found them. But....they were already dead..? At least he could see that one of them was the criminal since his head literally was twisted in the wrong direction. He couldn't tell from the others though aince they literally had no remains left except for blood. Wait.. This wasn't your doing..right? After putting the puzzle pieces together, he concluded that this was caused by you. He finally understood that you weren't human, but you were nothing like him. You were something that even he couldn't describe. A monster. That's what he came up with. Now he avoids you at all costs, not wanting to ever upset you fearing for what you would do.

Columbina-

What an odd, but interesting combination. You two would get along quite well. Columbina sees right through your lies and sweet talks and you could see right through her sarcasm. The Fatui could never tell if you both are serious or not since you both like teasing each other with interesting remarks and poking fun at the other harbingers. Columbina also loves your power. She personally enjoys seeing you crush your enemies with only the use of your hands, it's honestly a funny thing to look at. Columbina is sick and everyone around her knows that. She is the 3rd Fatui harbinger after all.

Lyney-

This combination fits really well. Two manipulative people finally meet each other. Your interactions would look normal to the people on the outside, but if they knew better, they would be able to tell that you both are in a constant state of conflict. Lyney likes teasing you while you enjoy acting as if his attempts of getting a different reaction out of you are not that obvious. You two also work well together when it comes to manipulating your co-workers. It's honestly a hobby that you both enjoy, seeing the determination on your workers faces as they try to amuse you.

Hu Tao-

Hu Tao likes you. She finds you fun and interesting to be around and loves that you don't treat her different like everyone else. She also tries to pull pranks on you, but never gets the reaction she always wants. It usually dissapoints her, but that quickly turns into happiness when you start giggling at her small attempts to scare you. Honestly, she doesn't even try to scare you anymore, she just want to hear you giggle again. It's a melody that she will never get sick of.

Gorou-

You got this man wrapped around your finger. Poor Gorou, he knows that you're not a good person, but he can't help but following you everywhere and all of your orders. He can't help but wanting to be your favorite dog. He also wants to be a loyal soldier to Watatsumi Island, but the way you treat him is strangely refreshing. You spoil him and reward him when he does something good. You would pet him on the ears praising him for his accomplishments. He would find many ways to impress you just so he could get praised again.

Kazuha-

Kazuha knew from the moment he saw you that you weren't the person you were claiming to be. He could tell that your act was clearly fake and that you weren't a good person. So, why did he become so interested in you? That's a question he could never solve. It's odd, he should be avoiding you since you were so overbearing to be around, but he finds himself always coming back to you. The way you make him feel, it's something he never felt before, even with the traveler! He was so addicted to this feeling, the feeling of being adored and loved. He knew you really didn't love him, that you were just using him for your own gain, but he still finds himself staying by your side craving for your love and affection.

Childe-

Childe knows better, he really does. He flirts with you a lot, but it's only because he wants to know more about you and your fake persona. He knows that you have many secrets, many that even the Tsaritsa probably doesn't even know about so he finds himself even more curious to uncover that information. Little does he know he fell right into your trap. Poor Childe, now he is wrapped right around your finger, unable to escape. Honestly, who knew that the 11th Fatui harbinger could be so careless? Well, he is the weakest after all.

#genshin impact #genshin #genshin impact x reader #Chainsaw Man #Makima #Scaramouche #Scaramouche x reader #Columbina #Columbina x reader #lyney #lyney x reader #reader #Hu Tao #Hu Tao x reader #Gorou #Gorou x reader #Kazuha #Kazuha x reader #Childe x reader

446 notes · View notes

dayseternal-blog · 1 month

Note

Fanfic you ve been reading recently? Love your tastes btw!

:) You sent this months ago, but here are the fics that I've been reading recently, like this August/September:

"The Mission" by Lunawrayth - Rated M, Canon-Divergent AU, Multi-chapter, Ongoing. It wasn't that Hinata never expected to work with Naruto, just never on a mission quite like this.

-I check this one for updates so often. at least once a week, but more like multiple times a week.

"thus a silenced memory" by @keroppri - Rated T, Modern AU, Multi-chapter, Ongoing. Eight years flown on by and Naruto makes his return to the city where he once fell in love, only for him to leave hollow and broken after she was persuaded to leave him. Plagued by her memory at every corner, a chance meeting changes fates, minds, and hearts. Thus he tries to silence the memories. Inspired and based on Jane Austen's Persuasion.

-ahhh loving the yearning angst of unrequited love (but it's actually requited) in this fic.

"Amaranthine" by @opttagoyeo - Rated T, Various AU, Series of unrelated one-shots. A few drabbles/ideas ranging from fluff, confusing, humor, and angst regarding the most iconic and popular canon couple of Konohagakure, Naruhina.

-just started reading this! Full of cuteness.

"After Office Hours" by Pandora_Imperatrix - Rated M, Canon-Divergent AU, Multi-chapter, Complete. Naruto is lonely after Sakura and Sasuke left the village to travel together, he keeps leaving the office later and later, things start to change after one night when his secretary Hinata and him share a couple of vending machine beers. In this AU Naruto becomes Hokage a lot earlier than in the manga and The Last never happened.

-It's been years since this was updated, and recently Pandora updated and just finished it!!!!!!

"Friends with benefits" by @pastillesch - Rated T, Modern AU, Multi-chapter, Ongoing. "I'm dumping you" --Naruto blinked once. Twice. "But we're not even together". It was more a stress relief than anything romantic, really. A hobby one would say. And now it was time to search for a new hobby. Or at least a new partner for this kind of hobby.

-Another one that I was super excited to see updated again!!!!

"Casual Touches" by Lunawrayth - Rated M, Canon-Divergent AU, Multi-chapter, Ongoing. It's the casual touches that do it.

-Since I'm really feeling Luna's style, I checked out this story, too, and it's super cute. Love it.

"Fairy Tale" from "NaruHina Erotica Oneshots" by @makuro767 - Rated E, Fantasy AU, Two-shot. Naruto moved to an old family home to start anew and found an unlikely existence in his backyard...

-I am a total sucker for this type of size difference au. Like, it's just such a weird trope. It's just so weird. I love it. Makuro767 does a wonderful job with it!

"Love Is Not A Cage" by @nightowl27-writer - Rated E, Canon-Divergent AU, Multi-chapter, Ongoing. When Naruto comes back to his senses after the battle with Pein, the first thing he remembers are those baffling words she said just before she nearly died for him, and he NEEDS to hear them again. Will the truth set them free? Or are some confessions too much for the soul?

-that recent update killed me. In a good way. but oh man.

"Hinata (Mirror, Mirror)" from "Chicken Ramen for the Pervert's Soul" by @wickermayne - Rated E, Canon-Compliant, One-shot. Naruto rolled his eyes at the purchase asking why she needed it and complained about how much room it took up, but Hinata enjoyed modeling different dresses in front of it, loved how it let her see all the many different angles. And that seemed to keep Naruto quiet enough about the mirror.

-🙊🙈🔥

So, I guess it's been months since I worked on this list. Because it's nearing the end of March 2024 now. And up at the top, apparently I was last working on this list in September 2023. And at that time, it had been "months" since the asker sent this. Well, here's the ones I've been reading recently:

"clash of possession - naruhina" by @powerful-niya - Rated E, Yakuza AU, Multi-chapter, Ongoing. In the heart of the yakuza underworld of Tokyo, the passing of Hiashi, the leader of the Hyūga clan, does more than just break Hinata's heart, but it exposes her to vulnerability. Seizing the opportunity, the ruthless Naruto, Uzumaki clan leader, targets not only the conquest of the Hyūga clan but also wishes to claim Hinata as his most prized possession, no matter the cost.

-It's been awhile since I read an irredeemable Naruto, and Niya's not lying when she calls the characterization ruthless!!

"Prey" by @sessakag - Rated E, Modern/Gangs AU, Multi-chapter, Ongoing. Following a midnight chance encounter with Hinata Hyuuga, a smitten sociopath, Naruto Uzumaki, tries his hand at romance, determined to make her fall in love with him the only way he knows how.

-it's the mystery of Hinata's background that really fuels this piece for me. Icing on the cake is Naruto as a wonderfully sexy and dangerous stranger and the sexual tension between them that is absolutely exquisite.

"Paper Rings" by Its_Levioooosaa - Rated E, College/Soulmates AU, Multi-chapter, Ongoing. In a world where soulmates are found after a touch and after a brief moment of pain, resulting in a red loop circling the first knuckle of each person's pinky finger. Fating the two people together and leaving it up to them to decide what their relationship will be. Hinata had just stopped at her friends for a piece of pizza, little did she know that she'd be leaving with a soulmate.

-It's a cute premise and I can't wait to see what happens next! I love a good soulmate AU!

"Wanting More Than A Poolside View" by @bunny-hoodlum - Rated E, High School AU, Multi-chapter, Ongoing. Just a Sukumizu fetish scenario where Hinata is the target of a panty thief and recruits Naruto to investigate himself.

-I've been loving all of Bunny's updates this year, but I'm really hoping for an update on this one....or Narutoland haha, but I dunno what it is about High School NaruHina and their immaturity, it's just so fun!

Kay, that's all. If I don't post this now, I never will lol.

#anon #naruhina fanfic recs #this ask must be AT LEAST a year old

49 notes · View notes

usernameforaboredcat · 7 months

Text

Wasn’t Fated To Succeed

{Spy Ace X Marine Reader}

(I thought of this idea from a manga side story where Ace breaks into a Marine headquarters and fucks around n thought “hey, I can make sum angst with this shit🤷🏻‍♀️” so tehe like look at him!!

He’s such a silly goofy guy I love this mf so much!! Anyway-

Warnings⚠️: Angst, very sad angst, smut, p in v, virginity loss, use of nicknames "princess" "sweetheart" "good girl" ect, fingering, groping, very very slow burn, like this might take a while to read, death, daddy isn’t the best lol

It didn’t take long for him to notice her.

Who?

That young woman maybe a year or two younger than him, sitting at the large table, leaning comfortably in her chair with her arms and legs crossed with an annoyed and tired scowl on her face. Whist on his infiltration mission, Ace got dragged into a Marine meeting. He was more in the back, hiding himself to stay unnoticed while listening in.

Something about her was trying to telling him something he couldn’t hear, and he was trying desperately to make out what it was. To be fair he had been listening to everything, making as many mental notes as possible.

“What about that Straw Hat kid?!”. His ears perked up. “That punk has caused enough trouble as is!”. A loud disgusted “uhg” echoes through the room, drawing all eyes to that girl. She’s wearing a white low cut sailor dress with a beautiful pink flower in her hair. “Is there something you’d like to say?”. She gets asked, the man talking in an angry tone. “First of all I don’t quite appreciate that tone of yours when talking to me”. She starts, her eyes like daggers.

Ace felt a shiver run down his spine, her cold tone freezing the temperature of the whole room. “And second I don’t think that child should be a problem of ours”. She leans forward in her seat, propping her elbows on the table and resting her chin on her laces together fingers. “He is a child, gentlemen. Us marines should be adult enough to not get too affected by him”. She finishes. “But miss! Haven’t you heard all the trouble he’s started! Lougetown! Alabasta! Water 7!?”. A man yells.

The girl rolls her eyes dramatically at his words. “Please, I quite frankly think we have much higher risks and problems than him! And even if we did follow through with his antics and arrest him, what exactly do we do? There’s no laws regarding child pirates so what? Do we execute a child? Just like how if a grown ass man committed theft we just give him a smack on the ass like a child who stole a cookie from grandmas kitchen?”. She questions.

The room goes silent, no one knowing how to respond or even daring to respond. Something switched in Aces mind, something that felt weird and funny and new. Seeing such a ice cold girl with a burning fire of true justice set his heart ablaze. She wasn’t wrong, there aren’t any laws about punishment for pirates under the age of 18. He couldn’t help but let out a quiet chuckle.

The girl stands up from her seat, resting her hand on her hip. “Now, personally I think we have more important things to deal with at the moment! Send a team out on a patrol of the city and see if there are actual problems we should take care of, report them back to me by the end of the day”. She explains as she starts to make her way to the door. “And if I find out that there’s been an incident that hasn’t been reported to me I’ll make sure to serve you at the next hot pot in the hot pot”. She threatens, then exits the room.

The room bursts into whispers and murmurs. The room started to clear out, the meeting ending basic after the girl had left. As Ace starts to make his way out, he hears whispers about her. “I don’t get why she’s here”. “Bitch really think she’s the boss of us”. “Hey! Don’t say that!”. “Why? Scared her daddy will kill you?”. “Yes!”. So her dad has a lot of power in the Marines then. Interesting.

The room had emptied, the halls slowly emptying with people heading off to their jobs. With not real job, Ace scrambles down the hall and walks into a random room. He sighs as he closes the door, the click of a sword being unsheathed makes him freeze. ‘Oh fuck’. He slowly turns around, seeing the girl from before standing behind her desk holding her swords handle in her dominant hand ready to pull out. “You’re not supposed to be in here”. She tells him. “Why are you here? And what’s your rank?”. She asks him.

He straightens up and chuckles nervously, scratching the back of his neck. “I just wanted to say that what you said back there was cool! A real sense of justice, I’ve never seen something like that from a marine”. He admits to her. “I see”. She mutters. She clicks her sword back into place and makes her way over to the little kitchen in the office, opening a cupboard. “Care for a coffee?”. She asks without looking at him. “No thanks, not a fan of bitter stuff”. He answers.

She nods. “Very well”. She only takes out one mug. “Tell me, are you new to the marines? With your wording ‘I’ve never seen something like that from a marine’ implies that you haven’t seen a lot of marines talk or any meetings”. She explains as she puts coffee grounds and sugar in her mug. “Yep! I haven’t been here too long!”. He answers. Technically he’s not wrong. “Tell me then, how are you finding the marines?”. She asks. “Definitely not annoying and sick of people telling me what to do”. He explains in a chuckle.

She lets out a small chuckle as she fills her mug with milk. “I can’t imagine having to listen to marine would be easy for someone like you”. She states as she stirs the milk. “Especially for someone like you, Fire Fist Ace”. She adds. Aces eyes widen, but he gets back his cool demeanour and tilts his marine cap up as if it’s his classic hat, his finger alit. “Guess it was only a matter of time before someone figured me out”. He chuckles.

She lets out a chuckle again, walking over to the kettle. “It only took me a second. Unlike my colleagues I’m good with faces. As soon as you walked in I was able to recognise your face”. She explains as she fills up the kettle with water and set it on the stove. “However I do not wish to report you or arrest you”. She adds. She tries to turn the stove on, but it’s refuses to turn on.

She lets out an annoyed sigh, turning back to the pirate. “Mind giving me a hand?”. She asks, her voice in a more softer tone. “Uh…sure!”. He agrees happily, walking over to her. He places his hand on the kettle and sets his hand on fire, the kettle slowly starting to boil. “So…how come you’re not gonna report or arrest me?”. He asks her. “Because I hate the marines”. She blatantly states.

The kettle quickly starts to whistle causing Ace to move his hand away, the girl grabbing the kettle by the handle and filling up her mug. “I’ve always hated the marines”. She walks towards her desk, taking a seat. She gestures him to take a seat in the chair across from her, which he does. “Ever since a young age we’re all taught the black and white of marines good and pirates bad, however those with a brain can tell you that it’s mixed. I’m only young but I’ve seen good pirates and bad marines”. She explains.

She leans back in her seat and takes a sip of her drink. “For example…That Straw Hat Luffy”. Aces eyes widened. “I had been keeping an eye of what’s been happening in Alabasta for a few months now but because of our affiliations with Sir Crocodile the marines never did a thing. I felt terrible, for the king, Princess Vivi, and their people! I honestly thought that Sir Crocodile was going to distort that poor country, until I heard that Straw Hat arrived and was able to take care of it. I’m honestly surprised someone just a year younger than me was able to take him down, colour me impressed”. She explains.

Ace let’s out a chuckle as he leans back in his chair, arms propped behind his head. “That’s my little brother for ya! He’s full of surprises!”. He laughs loudly. “You’re joking! You and Straw Hat are brothers?!”. She yells out in shock, almost dropping her cup. “Nope, Luffy’s my baby brother”. He confirms. “Hm, you learn something new everyday I guess”. She mutters. “So if you hate marines so much, why become one?”. Ace asks her. “Because like hell I’d let the corrupted marines stay in power and continue to ruin the world government. I’m just waiting for the day the head admirals kick the bucket and I’ll take over! With them gone, I’ll finally be able to fix this twisted government up”. She explains to him.

“Now it’s my turn to ask a question”. She sets her coffee mug down on the table, crossing her legs and setting her hands down on her knee. “Why are you here?”. She asks. “Simple! I’m here to gather information, is there anything else to it?”. He responds. “Well if that’s the case”. She takes a key out her pocket, opening a filing draw at her desk. She grabs a note pad and a pen, sliding it over to Ace. “What would you like to know?”. She asks him with a growing smirk, Ace smirking and chuckling in response as he takes the note pad. “Whatever you know”.

Ace had been around the marine base for over a week now, working as a small team with a very powerful woman in the marine world. (Y/n). That’s the name she told him, he trusts that it’s her real name and not a name she’s giving him just to play with him. They where a team of people from two worlds. Ace had thought she would have outed him by now, but instead she’d always vouch for him if he was ever in trouble and let him sleep in her office. In his eyes she’s truely an amazing person.

The room was quiet, the faint light of a candle lighting up the desk enough for the woman to work. She lets out a sigh as she finishes reading the last of the reports, crossing her arms and laying them on the desk to use them as a pillow. The door to her office opens without a knock, she knows who it is. “Hey hey! There’s my favourite marine!”. She giggles to herself and she looks up, seeing Ace closing the door behind himself. “Evening Ace, how was your day?”. She ask him in a soft tired tone. “Ah ya know! Pretty good! Almost got my ass beat today but I in fact was the one who did the beating!”. He says proudly as he walks over and takes a seat across from her.

“I wouldn’t recommend drawing too much attention to yourself”. She says as she look up at him. “I’ll be fine! I have you!”. He responds. She smiles to herself, tilting her head. “I can only do so much you know, have you forgotten the kind of number that’s on your head?”. She tells him, then letting out a yawn. “Hm? You okay?”. He asks her. “Yes yes, just tired from work is all”. She explains. “You want me to leave and let you rest?”. He asks her, concern in his voice. “No no no, it’s good that you’re here. It’s better when you’re here, I feel like I don’t have a stick up my ass”. She explains to him, laying her head back down.

“Aawww, you chill out around me! Aren’t you cuuuuuute”. He coos at her, heat rising to his face. “I mean you’re not a marine, I don’t have to try to impress you”. She admits in a soft tone, looking back up at Ace for him to see her reddening cheeks. “I wish you never have to leave”. She adds, smiling up at him. “It has been fun, but if I stay here any longer it might start to cause you trouble”. He adds to her statement.

“Hey, how about tonight we drink? To a better future!”. He suggests to her. She hums, smiling at the idea. “That sounds quite nice, I approve”. She agrees. “Actually-“. She gets up from her chair, walking over to the fridge and taking out a bottle of fancy expensive alcohol. “I’ve had this since my 18th birthday and I thought now would be a good time to use it”. She explains, grabbing two glass cups. “Wow! Pulling out that good stuff! Very nice very nice”. He responds, his hand on his chin as he rubs it.

“Only the best…for me!”. (Y/n) says happily as she grabs glasses, shrugging. She walks back over to her desk, popping open the bottle and pouring the liquid into the glasses. She takes a seat, the two taking a glass each. “Well, even with this funny predicament…I’ve enjoyed our time together”. (Y/n) admits, swirling the drink then taking a sip. “Why not come with me?”. Ace suddenly asks. (Y/n) looks at him wide eyed. “What?”. She asks simply. “Leave the marines, come join the White Beard Pirates with me! The old man would love ya, take ya in as if you where his own daughter”. He explains to her.

She continues to look at him in shock, then turning to look away from him. “Ace I-… I can’t just leave the marines! It’s all I know, it’s what I’ve grown up with. Besides, if I left the marines to become a pirate my father would for sure kill me”. She explains, the thought of death sending a shiver down her spine. “By the way, who is your father?”. He asks. “He’s a…an Admiral”. She answers, refusing to look at him. “Damn! No wonder everyone is so shit scared of you!”. Ace yelps, almost spitting out his drink.

“Hey! Don’t spit that out! It’s expensive!”. (Y/n) snapped at him. “You never told me that your dad was a fucking Admiral!”. He snaps back. (Y/n) scoffs and rolls her eyes. “It doesn’t matter anyway. You wouldn’t know what it’s like to have a father like that, especially a father that kills the innocent despite being a “man of justice”, yeah justice my ass”. She mutters, chugging the rest of the drink. “I’m guessing you don’t know my father then”. Ace chuckles. “Hey, I have a lot of people to do background checks on and to keep track of!”. She defends. Ace let’s out another chuckle, chugging down the rest of his drink. “Ever heard of Gol. D. Roger?”. He asks. “Okay now you’re fucking with me! No way your father is the King of Pirates like 20 years ago!”. She snaps. “Yeah…”. He mutters out. (Y/n) leans over and refills both of their glasses up.

“So tell me lil Roger Jr. What do you think about him?”. She asks, taking a sip of her refilled drink. “I don’t really care, I don’t see him as my father anyway! White Beard is my father and always will be”. He answers. (Y/n) smiles softly as she looks at the older man. “That’s cute”. She admits. “What about you? What do you think about your old man?”. He then asks her. “Ah. I don’t know, he treats me like his own personal army toy. He raised me to be a marine and I never really got to have a life. No friends, no other family, no hobbies, no nothing to me! I never wanted to be a marine or even a pirate, I’d rather just be a normal girl”. She goes on. She sees Ace looking at her with a soft smile, causing her to take another sip of her drink to hide her plush.

“I didn’t mean to go on”. She apologises. “No no no, it’s fine”. Ace reassures her. “I just…never really had the chance to talk to anyone like that”. She hums. “Oh Ace, you have no idea how badly I wish I could go with you. Travel the world, find who I am as a person, meet people of all different…well…everything!”. She rants. “But…I’m stuck here”. She chugs her drink again, quick to fill it up again. “Come on kid, you’re drinking a little too much”. Ace states, getting up from his chair and walks over to take her drink from her. “I’m not a kid! Don’t you dare call me that!”. She snaps, quickly chugging the drink before it can be taken away.

“Maybe we should get you to bed”. Ace says, taking the glass from her and placing it on her desk. “I’m fine, okay? I don’t need you to baby me like everyone else!”. She snaps, looking up at him. He chuckles down at her, amused by her cranky face. He reaches and grabs her chin with his thumb and pointer finger. Without thinking, he leans down and presses his lips against hers. Regret immediately flows through him, but it instantly vanishes when he feels her hands on his cheeks to pull him closer.

He could taste the alcohol on her lips, tasting it more when she opens her mouth to let him slide his tongue in. He pulls away from her, looking down at her to see her big pleading begging eyes and kiss puffy lips. “For a marine you’re absolutely beautiful”. He whispers just loud enough for her to hear. “For a pirate you’re incredibly handsome”. She whispers back loudly. This time, she leans up and kisses him. She pulls him closer by wrapping her arms around his neck, Ace leaning over and easily picking her up to wrap her legs around his waist.

He sits down in her chair, letting the younger girl sit on his lap. She pulls away from Ace, the two panting of the lack of air. Fire, want, and need builds up in their bodies, (Y/n) slowly starting to grind herself over Aces growing length. He chuckles at her neediness, rubbing her hips up and down. “Never in my life would I ever think I’d see a marine be so needy for a pirate”. He chuckles as his hands travel to her thighs and going over her dress.

He uses one hand to move her panties aside and the other running a finger through her wet folds. “Ah! Ace~”. She moans out, grinding against his hand. “Jeez you’re so wet already, it makes me want to take you here and now”. He teases. “Then why don’t you?”. She asks in a giggle, running her hand down his chest to his hardened bulge and rubbing it through his pants. Ace hisses at her actions, causing (Y/n) to giggle as she leans in close to his ear. “Although I’d rather be the one to take you~”. She whispers into his ear, then kissing his ear lobe.

“God!”. Ace let’s out in a loud groan. He grabs her chin again with his spare hand and grabs her chin, pulling her in closer. (Y/n) moans into the kiss, letting out a cry of pleasure as she feels him slide two finger inside her warm wet entrance. She pulls away and whimpers at the new slightly painful feeling, her legs shaking as he slowly drags his fingers in and out. “I just realized…you’re a virgin”. Ace states. “Oh shut up”. She gasps, slamming her lips back on his. Ace picks up the speed of his fingers, using his thumb to rub against her clit.

He pulls away from the kiss, moving his hand from her chin to the low cut neck of her dress. He smirks as he pulls the dress neck down, her boobs sliding out from the motion. He’d be lying to himself if he didn’t at least wanna cop one feel of her tits while here. He aggressively grabs her breast and squeezes it, pulling and pinching on the nipple. “A-! Aaaaaace~ please!”. She cries out, needing something more. “Pleeeeease let me feel you inside me!”. She begs. Ace smirks as he lets out a single chuckle, pulling his hands away from her as he goes down to his pants. With ease his undoes his belt buckle, belt and zipper, easily being able to hop with her on top for him to slide his pants and boxers down to his ankles.

(Y/n) feels a shiver go down her spine as she looks down at his erection. He’s so long and thick, probably the first time in her life she’s ever felt intimated. “What’s the matter? Scared?”. Ace chuckles, grabbing the base of his cock. “Quiet!”. She snaps. She puts her hands on his shoulders to use to keep herself stable. She lifts herself up and hovers over his cock, feeling his hot leaking tip against her entrance. “Take it slow princess~”. Ace coos her, his hands back on her hips and rubbing them to comfort her.

She sinks down on his cock, feeling his tip slide inside her aching hole. The aching feeling of need grows stronger and stronger, craving him to fill her up. Without thinking she sinks her whole body onto his cock, his tip slamming painful against her cervix. “Fuck! Fuck! Fuck!”. She cries, feeling as if electricity shock through her body. “Sssshhhhhhit! Ah fuck me! Shit you’re tight”. Ace pants out as he squeezes his eyes shut, feeling his cock getting squeezed so tight inside her he could explode inside her already.

He opens his eyes but his vision isn’t the clearest, light headed from the feeling of her insides. He looks at the girl on his lap, seeing her still trying to catch her breath as tears run down her cheeks, a painful grip against his shoulders. He slowly starts to rock her hips, sliding her up and down on his length. Her cries turn onto moans, starting to move her hips on her own. “That’s it, good girl~”. Ace praises, rubbing circles on her hips over her dress.

(Y/n) picks up speed, smoothly bouncing up and down on the pirates cock. Ace happily leans back in the chair, his limit approaching fast at the feeling of her right pussy sucking him in and trying to milk his cock of every single drop of his cum. More. More. He grips her hips tight, getting a tight hold on her and pulling her up and down on him, using her as a toy. A very pretty, very off limits, very hey she’s literally your enemy, toy.

He can’t help but start thrusting his hips up into her as he slams her down, the two meeting half way as Ace oh so desperately tries to chase his fast growing high. He needs to cum. Specifically he needs to cum in this marines perfect tight pussy. A now strong believer in the idea of if he cums in her it’ll make all his dreams come true. Without warning and a hard slam he releases deep inside her, his hot seed filling up her insides. (Y/n) shutters at the feeling of his warmth.

She pants as she tries to get off of him, but Ace slams her back down, drawing a whimper from her when she whimpers. “I don’t think so”. He pants out. He moves his hands under her thighs, swiftly picking her up and laying her on her desk. Ace smirks as he looks down at the marine, seeing her breasts raise up and down with each breath, her pussy still stuffed with his cock as cum starts to leak out the sides. He reaches over and grabs the forgotten bottle of liquor, taking a massive chug of it till the last little remaining drops are gone.

He leans down with each of his hand on either side of her head, her hips trying to move to chase the aching need of release she still hadn’t gotten. “We’ll be here all night until morning, hope you like the shitty coffee they have here cuz you’ll need it”. He tells her as he slowly grabs her ankles and pushes them up to her chest. “A-Ace~”. She whimpers, feeling him so deep inside her he might just be inside her womb. “You’re in for a looooooong night sweetheart~”.

The wind was cold, giving a gentle touch every time to touched her face. There’re no clouds in the sky, just a blue ocean above and in front of her. The sound of ringing and feet pattering rush over to the young lady’s sitting spot, some marine in a much lower rank than her running towards her with a transponder snail. “Miss! Your father is calling!”. The man calls. She reaches out and answers it. “Hello father”. She greets him. “Hello (Y/n)”. He responds with his bored gruffed voice. “What is the pleasure I have for you to call me out of the blue?”. She asks. “I wanted to check in that you’ve arrived to the base safely”. He answers. “I’d prefer you’d be here but you made the mistake that lead not to”. He adds. Ah yes, a mistake. A living, growing “mistake”. She runs her free hand over her stomach, only a few month’s pregnant by this point. “I’m sure everything would go smoothly without me, besides I’m not really in the mood to see something like an execution”. She informs him. “Yes, I’m sure”. He agrees. “How long now?”. She asks. “8 hours until that Fire Fist is dead”. He answers.

(Y/n)s grip tightened, her hands shaking. “Mr Akainu! We have to go!”. A voice is heard in the background of the call. “These idiots need me, I’ll be leaving”. And without a goodbye, he hangs up. (Y/n) ends the call on her end, shooing away the marine. She takes a deep breath as she closes her eyes, feeling the soft breeze on her face. She starts to hum a random tune as she rubs her stomach, hot tears falling down her cheeks. “I’m sorry, little one. I’m afraid your father won’t get to meet you”. She mutters under her breath. “Oh Ace, I’m sorry that this happened…I hope…I hope somehow that brother of yours saves you so I can see you again…and…and you to meet our little one…”.

The winds where fast, the breeze smelling like sea salt as music rode along the winds. “CAPTAIN!”. The crew pause their antics, looking towards the navigator. “MARINES APPROACHING!”. He yells. The Captain shoots to the head of the ship, sitting on the lions head. “Do we attack?”. The cyborg asks, getting ready to ready for an attack. “THEYRE WAVING A WHITE FLAG!”. The sniper informs them. “What do we do captain?”. The swordsman asks. Their captain looks at the oncoming ship, laughing. “This could be fun!”. He laughs.

The ship slowly gets closer, the two ships setting down their anchors. The pirates watch as the marines look over their ship to look at them. A young woman walks up to the side, a high ranking woman. Without a second thought she jumps down, easily landing on the ship. The woman is wrapped in a long white cloak, maintaining eye contact with their captain. “You’re Straw Hat Luffy, correct?”. She asks him. “Yeah? So what?”. He asks her. “There’s something I’d like to discuss, is there somewhere more private for us to talk?”. She asks. “Don’t worry, if you’re questioning my intentions your crew mates are free to join which I think you’d rather”. She adds. “Yeah sure, we can talk in the kitchen”. He answers.

He leads her to the kitchen and dining room of the ship, the crew following behind them. “So, what’s up?”. Luffy asks, taking a seat at his spot at the head of the table. “If I remember correctly your older brother was Fire Fist Ace, yes?”. She asks. Luffy shivers, looking at her with murder in his eyes. Why would a marine come to him asking about his brother NOW?! “Yeah, what about it?”. He asks. The woman smiles softly as she takes off her coat hanging around her shoulders, setting it on the table to reveal a sleeping toddler in her arms. A little girl, long black hair with freckles. She looks like… “I know Ace never got the chance to meet her, but I thought her uncle should at least know she exists”. The woman explains.

Luffy looks down at the girl wide eyes, his eyes softening as he looks at her. “Wh-what?”. He stutters out. “WHAT?!?!”. The other crew members yell out, causing the baby to stir and begin to wake up. She looks up at her mum, who sweetly looks at her. “Mama?”. She asks. The woman giggles as she points Luffy to her, the little girl turning to look at him with wide eyes. “Rouge, this is your uncle! You know that stretchy guy that grandpa yells about? Say hi”. She tells the little one. “Hi”. The little girl greets, giving a little wave. “Would you like to hold her?”. (Y/n) asks Luffy. He doesn’t answer, just taking the girl from her arms and holding her close to himself. The other crew members crowd around their captain, looking down at the girl with aws and coos.

“Aawww she’s so adorable!”.

“She’s so pretty!”.

“She sure does look a lot like her daddy”.

“Wow! You’re an uncle!

“Uncle Luffy!!”

(Y/n) takes a seat at the table as the Straw Hats coos and laugh at her daughter. “How old is she?”. Robin asks the mother. “She’s two”. She answers. “She’s so adorable! You and Ace really made the cutest baby I’ve ever seen”. Nami compliments, taking a seat next to the mother. “Thank you! A day doesn’t go by that she doesn’t remind me of her father”. She thanks. “Honestly with how much she looks like her dad I’m surprised there hasn’t been anything in the news about it”. Nami points out. “No one’s figured it out yet, which I’m hoping never happens. If anyone asks about her father I tell them it was a random I had a drunk hook up with at a hotel so I don’t know what he looks like”. She explains. “Hey Marine Lady”. Luffy calls, the mother turning to him. “Yes?”. She responds. “What’s your name?”. He asks. “It’s (Y/n)”. She answers. “And hers?”. He asks, referring to the girl in his arms. “I named her Rouge, after Aces mother”. She answers.

“Luffy, I have a request”. She then starts. “Yeah?”. He responds. “If something happens to me, weather I die in war or I get executed for birthing Aces child, no matter what if anything happens to me…please take care of her. Either she’ll get raised to be a marine soldier like I was or killed as well, I want her to live free and I know you and your friends will teach her the right things. I know you’d be an amazing uncle and teacher for her”. She explains to him. He smiles brightly and nods. “Of course!”. He says happily. His expression changes into a more serious one, but still with a smile.

“If anything happens, I’ll make sure to protect and save her! I won’t make the same mistake again!”.

66 notes · View notes

shiro-s2e2-erukinzu · 7 months

Text

Anime only watchers and people who aren't caught up with the Manga, BEWARE... Cuz I'm about to discuss Spy X Family Mission 88... You have been warned...! 👌

[SPOILERS AHEAD FROM THIS POINT ON]

OMG...!! 😍 THIS WAS SUCH AN ADORABLE CHAPTER FOR THE MANGA TO RETURN WITH...!!! 💗😆💗

We had to wait a month and a half for this chapter, and I think that it DELIVERED!! 😁 So let's talk about it, shall we...? 😊

This chapter begins with a plot line that's been brewing since Mission 61...

THAT'S RIGHT!! 😆 DAMIAN IS FINALLY GONNA GIVE ANYA THE CAKES THAT HE PROMISED HER!! 😁

And it only took 27 chapters for Damian to accomplish this...!! 😌 I honestly just love how Endo does stuff like this, where he brings something back up a bunch of chapters later (even if it's the smallest detail imaginable...!! 😊)

But moving on, we get something that I did not expect to see...:

ANYA DRAWN IN THE FREAKING SHOJO ART STYLE!! I JUST-- I JUST CAN'T...!! 🤣🤣🤣

This is one of the best and funniest things I've ever seen in Spy X Family, and I honestly can't wait until THIS gets animated...!! 😆

After spotting his dream girl from afar, Damian tries to give her the cakes that he promised, but...

There is just too many people around for him to give Anya the goods...! And with Anya overhearing his thoughts about giving her the cakes (but not fully understanding why Damian wants to give them to her in secret), she devises a plan to meet with Damian in the courtyard...!

And after receiving a seemingly bloody message from Anya, Damian agrees to head to the courtyard with her...

But as you can see, Becky, Emile and Ewen decided to follow them...!! 😅 So Damian and Anya decide to BOOK IT, while the others follow suit!!! 😆

After getting chased around for awhile, Damian determines that he's done with this shit and ultimately decides to just throw away the cakes (which Anya hears), and then...:

ANYA, ARE TRYING TO KILL DAMIAN...!? 🤣 HIS LITTLE HEART CAN'T TAKE IT...!! 🤭

Honestly though, this whole page is just so adorable (even if Anya is only doing this for the cakes...!! 💗😄💗)

Anyway, because they were so wrapped up this cake situation, Damian and Anya didn't realize that a wild Henderson has appeared to scold them for missing the the bell...!

Now the two of them have to stay after school, but it isn't all bad...:

After finishing writing their apologies, THE G.O.A.T., Mr. Henderson, offers to have some tea and cakes with Damian and Anya...!! 😁

Then, Mr. Henderson asks Damian about the cakes, and get this little flashback...:

HMMMMMMM..... 🤔

This flashback just makes me continue to be suspicious of Melinda... 😤

But, anyway... To end things off, Damian questions why Anya wanted to meet with him in the first place, and well...:

THESE TWO I SWEAR!!👏🤣👏🤣👏🤣👏🤣

And that was Mission 88, a really fun chapter to get us back into the swing of things...!! 😆

I'm pretty sure a lot of us were expecting something big to happen this chapter (like how I was hoping for Yor's full backstory because season 2 of the anime started), but it didn't, and I'm okay with that...! I'm just glad that we finally got another chapter of this amazing series to talk about...!! 😊 And though that month and a half long break was killing me (I mean, I had Undead Unluck to read in meantime), I just hope that Endo got some well deserved rest!! 💗🤗💗

Also, that flashback with Melinda is just giving me red flags all over the place...!! 😵 I don't know if Donovan is the one telling her to do these things or if she's doing this to get to Anya herself, but everything that Melinda has done thus far has made me feel constantly uneasy... I just hope that she didn't do anything to those cakes that will harm Anya or her powers in any way...!! 😡

Well, that's pretty much all that I wanted say about this chapter, and like always, I can't wait for the next one!! 😆 So, until the next Mission... Take care, be safe out there and be kind to one another...!! LATER!! 👋😄

#spy x family #sxf #spyxfamily #spy x family manga #sxf manga #spyxfamily manga #Mission 88 #anya forger #damian desmond #becky blackbell #emile elman #ewen egeburg #henry henderson #ENDO STRAIGHT UP DREW ANYA IN THE SHOJO ART STYLE...!! 😆#THAT WAS FREAKING HILARIOUS!! 🤣#I am still very suspicious of Melinda...#I am PRAYING AND HOPING that Melinda didn't sneak something into those cakes...!!! 😩#Do not hurt my baby...!! 😡#manga spoilers

61 notes · View notes

lawbin-archive · 2 months

Text

Lawbin Dressrosa Analysis 1: Dating while handing over Caesar team

Finally, I finished re-reading dressrosa! It's probably one of my favorite arcs. Maybe top 3 haha The other two are probably Wano and Enies Lobby. The pacing in manga is definitely way better, so I actually enjoyed this arc more. I might missed something because I was too immersed into the story and sometimes I forgot to jot down notes lol But anyways, let's start!

As usual, things highlighted in purple are my delulus.

Warning: It's my personal blog so don't read it if you don't like lawbin, include lots of delulu :D

~LAWBIN ALLIANCE PHASE~ why can't I choose yellow on tumblr anymore?! :(

Chapter 700: Law hates bread

Robin weird thoughts always live in my head rent free. I also like how most of the crew are complaining or interrupting Law but Robin (and Zoro) just listen to his plan. Of course it's also because their personality is similar (they mostly won't say anything unless something it's wrong), and I think they just trust Luffy hence they trust Law.

I love the fact that Robin's favorite food is sandwich but Law hates bread!! It's gonna be a funny debate between them about bread!! >< I also find Robin and Zoro just follow their captain and ignore Law's plan are so funny. (Remember this, it's changing in the upcoming plot *wink*)

Chapter 701: Adventure in the land of love, passion and toys [This is the actual title of this chapter] That's kinda obvious is it? That's where all the love starts *smirk*

Every time they are together is such a beautiful panel, (maybe I shouldn't said that people will say I ship them just for their aesthetic haha it's like that's a problem) The *aggressive* *calm* *calm* *aggressive* combo is also really interesting and entertaining, I can understand why Oda will choose Robin and Usopp to be Law's companion. Or maybe Law chose Robin himself to spend more time with her?! It didn't say how they assign the team but in any way, I'm sure Robin and Law realize they have similar personality. Robin even found Law's plan fun haha. Their mind just sync a lot and I think Law will appreciate to have Robin here because she's the only one that follow his plan without a complain lol. And from this point, Law & Robin started become a "I want to scare Usopp just for fun" team. (and also Caeser but I don't think they give a fk about him lol)

Chapter 705 ~ 711: Let's go to Greenbit

Again, the aesthetic is just ~amazing~. I'm gonna compliment it regardless, they look good together and that's a part of why they have good chemistry to me. I'm not gonna deny it! And I like it so much that Robin and Law are sitting across each other, they can see each other clearly!

They really look like they are on a secret date together! >< (minus Usopp and Caesar I'm sorry) I saw a newspaper poster (made by a one piece theme park in Japan, but it's closed now) and this "news" was saying they found out Law and Robin secretly meeting? (I'm just guessing) Literally create my vision of them getting caught dating haha And I like how they share a lot of common knowledge - they know how dangerous CP0 is and recognize them is right away. At least I think most of the straw hats won't recognize and realize who they are.

The small bickering they have are so cute, Robin isn't scared and she's super calm but she has her little complain that she expected fish to look like a fish (maybe that's the only complaint she has haha) and Law was like "Looks like a fish to me". It’s like she hates gum because she expects food can be swallowed.

I'm always wondering who's Law talking to here haha because Robin & Usopp are the ones who fight the fish after but from where he's pointing, isn't look like he's talking to Caesar either. So maybe he's telling Robin don't need to worry? If that’s true, that means Law cared about her haha I feel like the whole time, he just want to talk to her and teasing Usopp only

~LAWBIN FRIENDS PHASE~

From this point, I think Law and Robin started to trust each other more and treated each other as friends. At least you can see their interactions are more friendlier. I will explain a little bit more later.

They even sit together on the Caesar hot air balloon!! In my mind, it's probably Usopp scared to sit in the middle because he might fall and Law being a gentleman so he volunteered to sit in the center (less safe). If you think about it, this could be their date lol Going to a cafe, fight some fishes and sitting on a hot air balloon. Law planned the whole thing and Robin was like *I have fun with this* the whole time haha. Robin likes to explore and Law's hobby is wandering around. They just seem to get along so well together!

I think I already explained a few times that how they both get so investigative once they arrived at Greenbit they are so similary in lots of ways!! They both will analyze the situation and environment they are in.

Robin can see through him so easily. She probably can figure out how he did it anyways And see how Robin changed her attitude so much?! From distrusting him and observing him a lot in Punk Hazard, and now she's teasing him. If she didn't get close with someone, she probably won't say anything and just observe. That's definitely a sign that she got closer with him and a friendly behavior.

I like how Law already knew what each Straw Hat specialized with and ask them for help. And again, only Robin listened to Law. She looks like she enjoyed the adventure so much and I'm actually surprised Robin just followed Law here. I guess after Punk Hazard, she found he isn't a bad person so she just followed his plan. But also mainly because Luffy trust Law.

The first thing Robin woke up is to think about how to contact with Law (and also care about Usopp of course) When I was reading the Greenbit part, I actually thought Robin is gonna tell Law where she is and he can use his ability to transfer him and Caesar to underground, so Doflamingo couldn't find them there haha. But my delulu didn't come true ;'(

I also saw a person said the reason why they ship lawbin it's because Law treat Robin differently than others. And here is one of the evidences, when he was talking to other straw hats, he usually just order them around lol and for Robin, he's like *help me using your intelligence skills* *ok I understand* it's just seems he is so much calmer in front of her, like they can actually communicate without arguing. I wouldn't say he cared about her but at least he is nice enough to say good luck to her too. Robin actually treat him differently than others too. She said "Good luck" to him, something I rarely seen Robin did to other people outside of straw hats and Robin worried about him a lot in this arc (again I'll elaborate later on, there is so much to talk in this arc omg ><!)

When the whole Greenbit shaking, Robin worried about Law's fighting. Their relationship really change drastically here. Robin seems to care about Law a lot more. To be fair, I think the whole crew started to care about Law's safety in this arc a lot and of course it's natural to care someone that's an ally of you. But also if I really compare, Robin seems like she cared the most about Law maybe after Luffy.

I actually think Law is so similar to Robin here. He really gave me the Enies Lobby Robin vibe here. In my perspective, I don't think he really meant to use straw hats at this point (definitely yes before tho), I think he told Doflamingo he is using them to try to protect them. So Doflamingo will think it's useless even he threaten Law he is going to kidnap the rest of the straw hats because Law said he won't care about them. (the mind games). Law and pre-time skip Robin are so alike, they always try to take all the responsibility to themselves or sacrifice themselves in order to protect others. Law didn't even bring heart pirates to here is just like when Robin pretend to be betray the straw hats in Enies Lobby sigh :(

If Law is really using the straw hats, he is gonna betray them once Doflamingo is defeated, but he kept his promise to defeat Kaido. That's one of the reasons why Law is one of my favorite characters, even he looks so unbothered and sometimes mean on the outside, his actions always tell the opposite >///<

And it’s cute that during Dressrosa, Robin is the one who cares about Law a lot and once they get into Wano the situation switched haha the feelings are mutual!!!!

That's it for today! Thank you for reading! <3 I think I have talked too much again lol I will probably start writing about the rest of the arc soon! Hopefully I can finish writing the whole arc under 2 parts! (probably not) I actually have something to write about my thoughts on other ships during dressrosa, uhm maybe I will briefly talk about it next one.

#lawbin #one piece #trafalgar law #nico robin #law #robin

40 notes · View notes

iamhereinthebg · 9 months

Note

thoughts on the new chapter?

*salt about tbhk incoming* :')))

I already announced it on instagram but my interest in tbhk have dropped drastically since some time and I was gonna give the manga the benefit of the doubt because chap 104 was okay Ig?

Chapter 105 just showed everything I have been not liking about the writing in tbhk in one chapter youhou

let's go on the positive first!

I adore class 1-A I would die for them

The pages in black and white were cool, the art is perfect as always. Maybe seeing an Akane and Hanako team up would be fire af but with Teru here I doubt it so this is a tiny hope I will put in hell with everything else for now.

I love you Kou and Mistuba

Yokoo is rocking this outfit too. I like the fact that the clock being destroyed just stops everything and everyone's time (like a certain character but who has a limit *COUGHS* probably for this reason Ig)

them

Idk if I am strong enough to go on a full explanation on why my interest dropped since some chapters, this didn't start on this one, this one was just the last straw. I will just show the most obvious choices that I don't like ( my opinion btw this is just the feeling I have while reading, take this with a BIG grain of salt)

I've been reading tbhk for 4 years and I am tired of waiting for stuff the author litteraly won't do anything about and just stay in their comfort zone

No repercussions on the mcs for some choices they made, no repercussions on wounds/stuff that happened which should have need time to heal for the characters or for them to grow, giving us always the same team up so no room for real character/relationship development beside the obvious (and with how slow Hanako and Nene have been going honestly making the same characters always interact doesn't help at all apparently L O L), BIG difference of pacing for characters growth, making the story take always the same route with the same characters being kidnapped and the same ones doing the savings, putting characters in an arc they have no reason to be part of so just making them stand in the background like a caricature of themselves, making characters 'mysterious' or forgetting their character development just to use them as some sort of deus ex machina, and the worst of all:

Making Nene just a reason for Hanako to react and nothing else. No character development for her, no reason for her to be in some scenes, this is just sad to watch at this point. Aoi had this problem at the beginning of the manga for Akane mostly for comedic reason and they had growth, seeing they are putting Nene in this position after more than 100 chapters and her being the mc is just awful.

I honestly just want more diversity in the choices they are making in their writing, and the last chapter proves me that either it will come in a long time or it never will.

At least the art is pretty, and the worst part is that I KNOW AidaIro knows how use setup, they know how to write really good stuff and good characters, complex stories, and it's GOOD. So seeing this in the recent chapters just makes me even more tired x'))

Once again, my opinion, but the way Nene and Aoi are treated in the manga makes me wanna explode. AidaIro are capable of writing good female characters (thank you Mei and Sumire for being perfect from start to end), Aoi and Nene had wonderful time too, so idk why all of this is happening rn tbh. It's just sad.

Maybe the brainrot will come back, I still love the characters, but I really need to take a break from the fandom anyways (not gonna expand on this but oh boy how annoying a part of the fandom is, a lot of people are the sweetest but a part makes me wanna explode, I've been more than 3 years here and I think that the most I can take at this point)

ANYWAYS :DDD idk what I will do with this account for now ^^ I will probably still rb some stuff or post old tbhk doodles I never finished :00 Idk what I wanna draw now probably ocs stuff so I won't post them here I think ^^ I hope everyone is alright yay

#tbhk #jshk #toilet bound hanako kun #asks #this is all the salt I ahve been keeping for 4 years #I really try to tone it down but I am too tired for it at the moment #biggest rip #once again #my opinion you don't have to agree with this AT ALL #I just am tired of how female characters are treated #I really thought Aoi and Nene would be different #I am sad Aoi isn't more present but I prefer her to stay like this rather than how they have been treating Nene #let her be in the bg doing nothing while having really good arcs/character develoment than whatever tf is happening to Nene

53 notes · View notes

killerandhealerqueen · 8 months

Text

Oh...oh I have so many feelings.

So, I just finished binging the One Piece Live Action. And as someone who has never seen a single episode of the One Piece anime nor has read a single page of the One Piece manga...I really really really loved this live action.

First of all, I love the story. I think it’s really well done and the plotting works for the adaptation. Second of all, I love the characters (and I will do a whole section on them in a minute) and I love the cast. My god the cast. They each played their roles so fucking well and I’m glad they chose who they did because I really can’t see anyone else playing these characters. Also, the backstories man. Look, I am a sucker for backstories and they delivered on them. And also, also, the fucking flag at the end?! The icon flag with the skull with straw hat on it? Bitch, I am emotions

ANNND DON’T EVEN GET ME STARTED ON THE RELATIONSHIPS THROUGHOUT THIS SHOW…the relationships make me emotional

Now, for the characters (at least the mains and maybe like the villains):

Mains:

Luffy: I love how he was portrayed in this. I’ve seen gifsets of this guy and he is both so loveable but also a gremlin and a little shit and Iñaki played him so well. I couldn’t stop cooing over how fucking cute he was. My god. I think the CGI for his rubber was actually quite cool/good. Really unnatural looking but hello...the dude’s skin is fucking rubber, it’s gonna be unnatural. And it worked

Zoro: He was badass and a cunt and a bitch and I love him. The middle finger in the first episode? A man after my own fucking heart. I also really liked Mackenyu in the Fullmetal Alchemist series as Scar, I thought he played him really well. I think he did a really good job (and I’m excited to see him in Knights of the Zodiac whenever that comes out)

Nami: Her actress reminded me a lot of like a younger Jennifer Chastain (it might be the orange hair) but I really liked her character. A badass but with a good heart and also a little bit of a bitch. (If a character is a little bit of a bitch, I’m going to like them, that’s just how it is).

Sanji: I loved his actor. And I know him and Zoro a little bit better than the other characters and I know that in the anime he’s quite a ladies man. Like a lot of a ladies man but I like that they kind of toned that down here. He’s also another bitch and I love him. I’m also very glad they kept his eyebrows normal and didn’t do the spiral because I don’t think that would have translated well

Usopp: He has a lot of heart. I really liked how he cared for Kaya and how he cared for his friends and yeah he was a bit of an exaggerated, he’s really just trying to make people smile. But damn if that little fireball thing that he made wasn’t fucking cool as hell as it exploded that fish guy. Like get fucked

Garp: I liked his actor. I don’t know much about the character himself but I liked his actor and I thought he was pretty cool for a Vice-Admiral. But I have to ask the fans...what is up with the dog hat?

Koby: Apparently according to fans he’s not that big in the anime/manga but I liked him here. I thought he was cute, in a bright-eyed, bushy tailed kind of way. A good kid. And I’m glad he and Luffy became friends

Villains:

Alvida: Oh, she was cool. Her and her big ass spiked clubs? Fuck yeah, my dudes. That was fucking cool

Buggy: Loved the actor, hate the character. Buggy is just creepy as shit. But I also hate clowns so there’s that. But the actor really did bring something to this guy where like...you definitely got that there was something off about him but he wasn’t overbearing. The CGI for him was *shudders* but also really cool

Arlong: Oh my god, I hated the character but the actor’s voice???? Hello??? I could listen to that man speak all day, holy shit, I could not get over his voice. His character though, was a dick and I’m glad he got his pagoda fucking smashed on his fucking head, he deserved it after what he did to Nami and what he fucking put her through.

Now, will this live action make me want to read the manga or watch the anime? No. But did I enjoy the fuck out of it? Yeah, yeah I fucking did. I haven’t screeched with laughter in god knows how long and it was really good to watch/binge and while I may not understand a lot of the background or the plot, I still really enjoyed it and could follow along pretty well.

But also, for the fans because I am genuinely curious...does Luffy ever find the One Piece?

#one piece live action

38 notes · View notes

cookiesandbiscuits · 10 months

Note

Hello.If it's don't bothering you may i ask headcanons Kalego x Fem! Human! Assassin! Reader as Yor Forger from Spy x family.If you don't watch this one, then how you imagine yourselves relationship Kalego and Fem! Human! Assasin! Reader. I think it's kinda cute he is guardian dog and she is the soldier-protector of her country

Hi!!! Thank you for asking! It's not a bother at all, really ^^

I enjoy writing stuff for other people to enjoy, hence why I created this blog aside for my hyperfixation ramblings.

I did watch the show until the 9th episode and read the manga until the 58th chapter (I got busy with school so I can't finish it yet :'D). Honestly, I understand how Yor got her fame in the fandom (I love seeing a badass female character that's also pretty soft on the inside)

It's been a while since I wrote a headcanon tho... Anyways, hope you enjoy this!

Happy reading!

Soft but Deadly: A Dating Headcanon

Pairing: Kalego Naberius x Fem! Human Assassin! Reader

Genre: Fluff

Warning: might be a bit OOC and out of order (I blanked out in some parts, oops 😬 damn my sleep-deprived brain); Narnia Naberius is such a jerk here (I'm still salty about what he did to Iruma in that chapter) not proofread

MASTERLIST

Dating Kalego is a very interesting experience. Expect to have numerous discussions about your shared interests.

He is a very romantic person on the inside (lemme have my romantic Kalego okay?)

He'll be taking you out on a date whenever your schedules align. And he'll be gentlemanly about it. Dinner dates, a trip to an opera house, and the like are the typical setting for the dates that he planned. However, that doesn't mean that it's boring. He makes sure that you'll enjoy the dates to the fullest because you only deserve the best of the best.

In short, dates planned by him can get a bit fancy for your taste. That's why you make sure that he also get to experience new things in life.

Dates planned by you are simple yet enjoyable enough for the two of you. Picnics, travel dates, movie dates, and the like are the things on your list.

He enjoys the massages you offer to him when you know he's tired from work. You just know what points to focus on to make him loosen up (due to the nature of your job)

He does not bat an eye on your job as an assassin. But that doesn't stop him from worrying about your safety. He'll be the one who'll take care of the wounds you got from your latest mission. He'll be scolding you while dressing them though.

When you told him about the nature of your job, he first thought that you were pulling his leg. You were so gentle with others, how can you have such a profession as your job?

But after seeing the serious look on your face, he knew you weren't joking around. Well, it's okay. He can live with the fact that the love of his life lives a double life as an assassin.

Before the start of your relationship, Kalego used to be so cold, bordering on mean to you. But that didn't stop you from admiring the demon, even though it was evident that he did not return the same sentiments.

So you were surprised when he asked you out on a date one day. He had liked you for a while now, but he doesn't know how to tell you.

The only reason that he asked you out was that Balam was pressuring talked him out to confess to you.

And apparently, he got fed up with his friend's nagging that it gave him the courage to ask you out.

He can be subtly protective of you in public. But this becomes more prominent after you reveal to him that you were human.

He knows that you are capable of defending yourself from physical harm, but you can't use magic, so you won't be able to save yourself when your opponent used their magic on you.

He wonders how you got into the Netherworld in the first place, but he doesn't ask you about it. He knows that you'll tell him once you're ready.

But like all relationships, the two of you also experienced a lot of setbacks, mainly from his brother Narnia.

I saw it, you saw it. We all know how Narnia feels about humans from that chapter. So naturally, he's against his brother's relationship with you.

For some reason, Kalego's older brother discovered your secret and was very obvious about his prejudices. But your boyfriend defended you from him, claiming that it doesn't matter to him whatever your race is.

Kalego doesn't play around when he decided to enter into a relationship with you. He does not date around just for fun, no. He is serious about you and considers asking for your hand in marriage in the future.

Once he made it clear to his brother, Narnia decided to back off. He still does not like you but he also doesn't want his brother to resent him.

While Kalego was thankful when his brother got the message, you also knew his plans for the future now. Well, it doesn't matter. It's not like you'd refuse him when he finally asks the question, no?

#mairimashita iruma kun #mairimashita! iruma kun #m!ik #m!ik fanfic #kalego naberius #naberius kalego #kalego sensei #kalego x reader #kalego naberius x reader #m!ik kalego #cookie writings

95 notes · View notes

lai-mar · 18 days

Text

Can't wait till this blog is old enough so posts start showing in main tags, but for now, a salty lil rant

Shipping aside, I'm surprised by how Laios + Marcille even as friends doesn't get as much fan attention as I expected considering how heavily the series focuses on their development? I consider Laios to be the protag and Marcille to be the secondary protag but I can see the argument for the two of them being dual protags especially starting from around Thistle's house arc / Marcille becoming the dungeon lord. The protagonists are party members who bond over losing and finding a loved one. They save each other multiple times and live with each other in the end. They get copious amounts of screentime together and separate. They clearly care for each other and love each other (in whatever way). And there's no forced romance.

Before I read the manga, I saw all the yuri on my TL and was like YESSSSSS I'M READING THIS FOR THE YURI WOOOOOO and finished the Red Dragon anime episodes like "wow that was soooo good and gay. Let me go on Tumblr to see what people are talking about— people are shipping Marcille and LAIOS??? Probably annoying straight people who cannot conceptualize a friendship between a man and woman 🙄". So I started out with a squick for the ship. I think the fan perception made me believe F/M is canon and anything else would be like queer erasure? Except I later learned no ship is canon and was genuinely confused when the manga started giving us L/M crumbs (like the succubus chapter) because I thought the shippers were pulling this ship from thin air lmao.

The more I read, the more I was like.... "okay.... why are they kinda... okay I get it now... why am I.... oh shit... I'm really in it now" and I apologise because I really get it now 😭 and it baffles me to see people who have seemingly finished the manga going "Laios and Marcille have NO CHEMISTRY their only line of connection is through Falin". Like, okay, maybe that was how they were at the beginning (but I would argue they have chemistry even from the first few chapters), but that's the POINT and we get to see them evolve and get closer because they both love and miss Falin. Laios moves on from being "Falin's brother" and Marcille moves on from being "Falin's friend". L+M know about each other's deepest, subconscious desires. Marcille lives with the siblings at the end. No matter the bond, they are the two most precious people to her.

I was still squicky about romantic L/M even at the succubus chapter (which I know is probably the starting point for a lot of shippers) but THEN THE RABBIT CHAPTER. And after that when the Canaries found Marcille and she immediately jumped onto Laios I was like "Oh fuck. I'm really in this now fuck fuck FUCK". (Nothing makes me get into a dynamic more than having an initially squicky reaction because I'll need to have a strong enough conviction to overcome the squick LOL)

Anyways. Seeing people being annoying and pissy about L/M only made me like L/M more 🤡 because at least the shippers appreciate their bond. I'm a little desperate here. Even their platonic bond is kind of a rarepair in the English fandom 💀

I'm so glad the anime is going at the pace it is now because this is only the beginning of the L+M development!!!! The anime onlies will understand later!!! I made the same mistake and judged too early and I'm sorry!!!! So many anime L+M moments and panels and crumbs yet to be seen 🥺

Anyways. Laios and Marcille's bond is absolutely central to the plot and character development. But I wouldn't have guessed that if I didn't read the manga and just based it off fan attention.

#mine #salt #once again my duo with copious amounts of screentime and canon support is seen as a rarepair in the fandom lol #even as just a platonic duo that doesnt 'threaten' other ships #'theyre like siblings' 'theyre siblings in law' ok sure but before that they were fellow party members and companions and FRIENDS IN CANON #after the end of the manga they are no longer solely defined by their mutual connection to falin!!!! (arguably this started midway thru)#besides. for shipping. people can have two hands #also in my mind laios had a squish / platonic crush on marcille #[clears throat] i love it when and a man and a woman are friends. sometimes their bond compels me more than- [THROWN OUT OF THE DUNGEON]

17 notes · View notes

rainingfishandfrogs · 3 months

Text

Sailor Moon Thoughts - i know i'm 10yrs late but Crystal's not that bad actually

so i recently got back into sailor moon

grew up on the english dub 90s anime (watch the jpn sub in 9th grade)

had only read the manga once in the past and that was in college; however i just recently bought the first 2 volumes of the collector's edition (just finished V2 actually!)

but this is my first time watching Crystal (mostly bc when it was first coming out there was so much backlash and hate and it made me turn away from it)

now that i've read volumes 1&2 and watched S1 i gotta say...when compared to the manga Crystal's honestly not that bad and i'd say overall pretty faithful

Spoilers for Sailor Moon Crystal!

Usagi and Mamoru

first thing's first! mamoru's age is fixed! fucking yay!

in both the manga and crystal he's a 16yr old 2nd year high school kid! not a 1st year college student dating at 14yr old little girl! he and usagi compliment each other and it really shows in crystal imo

90s-SM fleshes out this couple individually more in the first season and i'm in love with that and they have some really sweet moments and i still ship it ofc i do BUT the age difference got so iffy and squeakable for me when watching again as a grown ass adult!

some of usagi's emotional intelligence is downplayed and she sometimes comes off as even younger than she is and that makes the ship feel uneven and i just keep thinking "there he goes off with his child bride 👋🏽" and it really doesn't help that they animated mamoru looking so much older and acting like a mature 20-something (even tho yes, he's closer to 18 but an 18yr old dating a 14yr old is still so squeakable to me)

the manga is where this ship thrives and it's more believable that they fall for each other especially bc they're on more equal footing but crystal adds in a scene in S1 that i personally love that's when sailor moon and tuxedo mask are fighting zoisite toward the middle of the season (before venus shows up)

i'm massively paraphraseing but in this scene usagi doesn't just tell but shows mamoru through her tears and pained expression that she understands he's deeply lonely and that it hurts her, she doesn't want that for him, she wants to do everything in her power to make sure he never feels that way again

and mamoru tells her that SHE is everything he wants and he doesn't need a magical stone to find out who he is and where he belongs not when she's standing beside him bc her strength and kindness are inspiring and he's not afraid or lonely when around her

"i won't let you be alone anymore" / "seeing your strength makes me so happy" couples are my downfall and this scene cracks me right open

and this is BEFORE they regain their memories i'm fucking dead!

5/5🌙

English Dub

i vaguely remember ppl shitting on the English dub of Crystal and yes i watched it in Japanese first but the English dub is actually really great?! especially when compared to the 90's English dub!! i love Usagi's VA and i think all the voices match the characters pretty well

4.5/5🌙

The Transformations and Character Designs

okay so those 3D transformations are bad

the animation is really jarring at first and yeah it's not good i don't like it but after a while you just sort of...idk get used to it and it's not a make-or-break thing imo now did the 90s anime do it better? fuck yeah! but by the end of the season i just felt meh about them and barely cared

1/5🌙

i remember the character designs getting A. LOT. of hate and yeah i agree that they are too sharp and angular and that the manga was more a cross between the 90s and crystal character designs - but that's another thing you get used to and also doesn't that get fixed later?

plus idk i kind like that both animated versions each take one end of the spectrum with the manga in the middle 🤷🏾‍♀️

2/5🌙

The Big One

okay now the big one - the supposed past love between the 4 heavenly kings and the inner planet guardians that wasn't in the manga and definitely not in the 90s version where these guys are handled more interestingly

i think this subby-subplot that's not even really a subplot is stupid and doesn't amount to anything and doesn't actually make a ton of sense if earthlings and...and moonlings being together is forbidden the serenity had to SNEAK AWAY to see her earth prince and it does sort of take away some of the tragedy that is serenity and endymion's doomed love

like i was going "what was the point of that" when the kings all die and the sailor girls are weeping for 2secs before getting back to busniess and i get wanting to expand more on all 8 of these characters, but that's not how you do it - 90s-SM expanded on these characters better because plot points were stretched out and we got to know the characters more slowly over a longer period of time (plus 2 of the kings were lovers! that's cute as hell!!)

basically this whole thing was shoved into the story last minute with very minimal build up barely any conclusion and it's really uninteresting

0.3/5🌙 (only bc venus dropping a few hints every few episodes was done well enough-ish but it was still stupid in the end and shouldn't have been included the way it was)

Conclusion

even with that though crystal still isn't that bad - overall it's actually pretty good and i love experiencing the manga coming to animated live

the OST is beautiful! and even tho NOTHING tops the 90s theme song that crystal usamamo love theme is fucking gorgeous 😍 in fact all the music in crystal is top teir imo

i do miss the focus on the female friendship tho and kinda wish crystal took some of that 90s-SM female friendship focus BUT 90s-SM just had so much more time to work with and at the end of the day SM is a romance so i understand why the anime adapting the manga more closely focused on the romance more heavily (and that usamamo scene i talked about above is still so. damn. good!)

anyway if you're like me and didn't bother watching crystal bc the hate and backlash when it first came out i say give it a try

it's still cute and still sailor moon and so far it's getting a 4/5🌙

i'll probably do another one of these when i finish S2 (jon and eng) and the volumes it adapted

14 notes · View notes

jonathan-samuel-smith · 7 months

Note

I think that Jon likes Naruto and Dami is just writing a shoujo is the funniest thing ever

Like Dami would look at shonen and "yep, my parents are fucked up too" or "based" (he also like shonen but he's not too fanboy over it) because he life is a mess, he family have a lot of problems (the all are a bunch of crazy people, they all love each other but still...)

And then he just opens a shoujo because "oh I wish my life was simple like that" and Jon is just "... do you want to talk about it Dami?" "Yeah They're finally holding hands" and Jon is just very worried about this bat

Dami likes shoujo and slice of life stories make so much sense, he really likes these domestic life stories where nothing bad happened

DC has the opportunity to put the more edge Dami possible after Alfred and Ra's dead but here we have Dami, hugs his cow and reads things as Kimi ni Todoke, Skip and Loafer, Say I love you and stuff

I also believe Dami would love Vinland Saga (former child soldier gives up of violence and starts a farm) and things like that

(in the start Jon was happy because he had something to share with Dami, but now he just worries)

Idk I just want to share this though with someone

Absolutely!

Jon reads shounen because he likes stories where what's bad is obvious to nearly everyone and they can actually do something about it. He likes the teamwork and friendship because he's lonely. He likes the excitement because he's from a small town. And then it becomes something familiar, a friend to him. I don't think Jon just likes it because Ninjas are cool, I think he probably sees it as a microcosm of society and human behavior, to some extent.

Jon likes the idea of being brave and facing things head on. Damian knows that some things it's better to just walk away from.

Shoujo is his way of studying human behavior, it's the kind of interaction he's never been party to and it's the perfect escapism for one that lives such a dramatic life. I think he and Jon watched The Devil is a Part Timer together when it aired. Jon loved the brief action sequences but Damian adored the love story and the once-villain now getting to live an every day life and be content. He probably related to the main character. I think Jon loves wholesome moments so he was pretty happy with it.

I think Damian starts reading slice of life Yuri because he relates to the gayness of it but comphets himself into thinking it's because he likes girls. But you can take or leave that headcanon.

I think part of why Damian likes Jon so much is because he's so sturdy and dependable and Damian craves stability whereas Jon loves the vitality and vibrancy of Damian, who is capable of bringing out his best and his worst, who shows him new and exciting things, but who is ultimately there for him when he needs comfort even though he never thought to ask for it. Jon is ordinary and stable like a shoujo manga and Damian is exciting and cool like a shounen manga.

I really love the idea of Damian trying his hand at being a mangaka/manga artist and he's writing shoujo and he shows it to people and they're like "why is the male love interest like Jon and the female love interest like you?" And he screams at them and goes to change it but he can't bring himself to change it too much because he likes it as it is.

He goes "Damn it. I don't care what they say, this is just good writing. I'm finishing it like this."

When he shows it to Jon, he finds himself uncharacteristically nervous for some "unknowable reason".Jon fawns over it and asks Damian to draw him a poster of the main girl because he thinks she's so cute, and he wants to hang it up in his room and look at it every day. Meanwhile the girl literally looks like Damian with makeup and a sailor fuku.

He briefly becomes obsessed with Damian's oc and draws fan art and infodumps to him about headcanons and they're all things that Damian cut out about her that made her more like him and Jon's talking about how she's so cute and he would love to date her. Damian's thinking "I wish I was a girl. Then I could date Jon and we would be so happy. But I'm not so I'll just move on with my life I guess." (This is not an egg Dami moment in my story but if you'd want to write trans Dami here go for it)

Then later Jon comes out as bisexual (the poster is still up in his room next to his bi flag but he's not obsessed anymore) and Damian literally cheers out loud and Jon's like "oh my friend is happy for me!" And Damian is having gay panic "WHY AM I SO ELATED ABOUT THIS?!" and he realizes he's in love with Jon, and now he's embarrassed that his brothers were right and he was writing about Jon.

One day Damian starts a conversation:

"So, Jon. Do you remember Suzuki Amaya from my manga I wrote in 8th grade?"

"Yeah! I love her." Damian's heart skips a beat. "Remember when she almost killed that guy who tried to mug Hishiro? Hishiro didn't even need the help but he was just turning into goo over her saving him and so was I! I mean it's really sweet in a fucked up kind of way, you know?"

"I..." Damian pauses to clear his throat. "I wrote that story about us, without ever really intending to... because when I think of slice of life I think of it as warm and comforting and domestic, and when I think of home... I think of you. It's always been you."

"Oh thank Rao I'm not the only one who thought Amaya was just like you. She always acted so cute and seeing her happy just made me so happy too. I wanted to be Hishiro and make you happy like he did for her but... I mean... I didn't know-- you like guys, right? This is a confession?" Jon asked, looking for confirmation.

Damian scoffed. "Yes, you idiot. I like you. How else do you want me to say it?"

Jon released the tension in his body language. "Any way is fine as long as you're the one saying it. You know I like you better than Suzuki, right? Cause she's not you. You're you. And you're... amazing. Really, Dami, I mean it. I love everything about you. Even the things I dislike about you I like, because I associate them with you. You're my morning star. My guiding light, you--"

Damian talks through a smirk. "Your son-of-two-writers is showing. I love you too."

Jon smiles. "Can I kiss you?"

Damian had been sitting perched on the backrest of the couch and he clambers down to sit next to Jon, their knees brushing. Damian nervously balls his fists up in his lap. "I've never done this before. Can you give me a moment?"

Jon nods. "I guess my secret's out, now. You know that when I said all that embarrassingly mushy stuff about Suzuki I was really talking about you... I was such a cringe pre-teen. Oh Rao, I kissed the poster on her cheeks when I was pining after you... look at you getting red, you're so--" Jon is cut off by Damian knocking his teeth into Jon's in a botched attempt at a kiss.

Jon lovingly places his hand over Damian's cheek and uses it to guide their faces to slot together nicely as they share their real first kiss. It's closed mouth, warm, soft, they can feel short soft stubble where their faces meet. Damian remembers to close his eyes and just feel. He forgets that he doesn't even know what to do with his hands. He forgets all the worries he had about Jon rejecting him and their friendship ending. They break away.

"I think I'm going to have enough material for a second book." Damian tells Jon.

---

So there's my minific, I think I'll come back and polish it up later. I hope I did your idea justice! Thanks for the ask! Come back anytime.