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beelzebuddy-catan · 8 months

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The Not Entirely Human-Human Exchange Student pt. 3

Summary: Tired of wanting to help the brothers, but never being able to, Cass finally reaches her limit. Maybe Levi should make a mental note, when the Avatar of Wrath is worried about a human's anger, you should be too. Warnings: Swearing, mentions of death, heavily implied sexual content Spoilers: Up to Lesson three and Lilith's status Characters: Cass (OC), Lucifer, Mammon, Levi, Satan, Asmo, Beel, Diavolo, Barbatos, Solomon, Simeon, Preta (OC), and Vassago (OC). Notes: Just like Asmo's mind control doesn't work on MC, demon powers in general don't work on Cass, including Diavolo's. Previous Part • next part

“HEY, I TOLD YOU! LISTEN WHEN I’M TALKIN’ TO – wait, the stairs that lead to the attic? Stop stickin’ your nose where it doesn’t belong. And don’t go thinkin’ you can just offer the Great Mammon a little bit of money so he’ll spill the beans. Let’s pretend I did. Lucifer would kill me – no, he’d have me eliminated and it’d take me a good two hundred million years to recover.”

“Oh, so you’re afraid of Lucifer.”

“I ain’t afraid of Lucifer! Tell ya what. I’ll let you buy the information off me for the monetary equivalent of two hundred million years’ worth of the world’s total oil production.”

“Is that with inflation?”

“Is that with – I ain’t gonna tell ya.”

"DOES HE EVER SLEEP?” Cass whispered sharply as she threw a pillow onto her bed.

This was the fifth time this week she’d woken up to some ominous voice in the walls calling for help only to be stopped by Lucifer when she got to the foot of the stairs. At this point she should take him up on his offer to make her a tea that would put her into a coma because it might be the only time she actually gets some rest.

Lilith wasn’t much help either. She couldn't even tell Cass what was at the top of the stairs. Apparently, there was some charm at the very top preventing her from going through. Lilith wasn’t sure what the spell was since it didn’t seem to be related to her ghostly status. Which meant Cass couldn’t even try and get Solomon to help.

The lack of sleep would have been bad enough, but she also had to deal with the brothers. Each of them had more baggage than she had under her eyes at this point. Worst yet, they wouldn’t let her in enough to even help them with it.

Lucifer acted like a politician giving a statement whenever she tried to talk to him. Do not disappoint Diavolo. We’re counting on you to make this a success. Just once she’d like to see him show any side of him that wasn’t polished or annoyed at his brothers.

Whenever Mammon was near her, he started complaining about having to watch over her. Even though he was hovering around her a lot more since making the pact. He started walking her to her classes and hanging out after, even banging on her door until she let him in. If he wasn’t complaining about her or his brothers, he was trying to rope her into some complicated money-making scheme that always seemed more of a bad idea than a pyramid scheme.

She was lucky if she saw Levi more than once a day. If she did, he refused to make eye contact or acknowledge her presence. The little time he spent with his brothers was spent on his phone, mumbling under his breath, or fighting with Mammon.

True to her expectations, Satan was cordial to a fault. Just like Lucifer, she never really saw past his mask unless he was angry. While anything could set him off, she started picking up on his warning signs. The book he was holding would snap shut with an unexpected force. He’d take a long-calculated breath, staring at the person or thing that set him off. When they weren’t in the House of Lamentation, she could feel the murderous aura building around him before he excused himself.

That aura wasn’t exclusive to Satan, she learned. She felt it with all of the brothers when they weren’t at the house. Whenever their emotions started to take over or they lost control of their sin, it would start forming. Mammon, who seemed to have little to no control over his greed or emotional state, seemed to be the only one who didn’t radiate that feeling on a regular basis.

The first time she’d felt it around Asmodeus had taken her by surprise. While he’d been flirty with her since they met and tried to charm anyone he encountered, the darker side only crept up once and a while. There was a sense of desperation behind his actions. A desire for something more, to be seen as something more.

Beel, she’d learned, wasn’t as apathetic as she’d suspected. He was able to stay level-headed, expect when it came to his brothers or food. He simply wasn’t an expressive person. He’d been spending more and more time with her. There was something comforting about his presence. And just when she started to think he may share the sentiment, he would withdraw, as if afraid of getting close to her.

“Why do I get stuck here looking at your face every morning,” Mammon’s outburst pulled Cass from her thoughts. She gave him a quizzical look over her coffee mug. “Ya know, eating a human is a treat for demons, right? Having you sit there and not being able to do anything is like having a premium-grade, medium rare, roast Iriomote musk hog in front of ya when you're stuck eating dried black belly newt legs.”

Cass’s eyebrows scrunched together. Did he just compare her to a roasted hog? Mammon was too busy going on about blackbelly newt legs and roasts to notice the glare she gave him. He jabbed his fork in her attention, finally making eye contact.

“And ya know what the worst part is? That thick juicy hunk of meat started ordering me around like it’s the boss or somethin’. What kind of sick torture is that?”

“Did you just call me a hunk of meat?” Mammon froze, as if he hadn’t even realized that’s what he’d said. After a moment it looked like he was going to double down and confirm the insult, so Cass continued. “This hunk of meat has only given you an order once, by accident. And if you called me by my name to begin with, it wouldn’t have happened.”

“Where are your brothers?” She asked when she saw him open his mouth, knowing it would end in an argument. An argument consisting mostly of him complaining.

“Hell if I know. Asmodeus is a playboy who sneaks out at night, so he’s probably sleepin’. Satan’s a goody two-shoes and I don’t care where he is. And I don’t even want to think about Beel. He ate the custard I was saving after I TOLD him not to eat anything with my name on it.”

Cass rolled her eyes, of course she can’t get a simple answer from him. Most of the time, she found Mammon oddly charming. With the headaches caused from lack of sleep though, it was unbearable. “Pay attention when I’m talking to ya! Bet the others scurried off to class so I had to deal with ya on my own. They’re rotten and it’s all ‘cuz of Lucifer! Stuck with you in a pact, Levi’s lame haircut, Satan’s stupid horns, Lucifer’s nasty smelly feet.”

“Do you know about those stairs on the west end of the house?”

“HEY, I TOLD YOU! LISTEN WHEN I’M TALKIN’ TO – wait, the stairs that lead to the attic?”

Ah, so the others did know about them. So, whatever was blocking Lilith didn’t seem to affect other ghosts or demons. But how would Lucifer know to put up a spell so she couldn’t get up there. He didn’t even know she was there. What was he hiding and who was he hiding it from?

“Stop stickin’ your nose where it doesn’t belong. And don’t go thinkin’ you can just offer the Great Mammon a little bit of money so he’ll spill the beans. Let’s pretend I did. Lucifer would kill me – no, he’d have me eliminated and it’d take me a good two hundred million years to recover.”

“Oh, so you’re afraid of Lucifer.”

“I ain’t afraid of Lucifer! Tell ya what. I’ll let you buy the information off me for the monetary equivalent of two hundred million years’ worth of the world’s total oil production.”

“Is that with inflation?”

“Is that with – I ain’t gonna tell ya.”

“You could have just said you don’t know what’s up there.”

"Of course, I know what’s up there!” Silence hung between them. “Fine, you want to know so badly? Then go up there yourself. If you want to get past Lucifer, just distract him. What’s that series Levi likes again? The Tale of the Seven Seas Trying to Get Rich Quick...Wait, no. The Tale of the Seven Kingdoms.

“Whatever, it doesn’t matter. Just get a vinyl edition of the soundtrack from that and use it to distract Lucifer. Don't know why, but he’s interested in it. Get your hands on that soundtrack and you’ll be able to climb those stairs.”

Cass stood up crossing to the door. “Well, let’s go.”

“What makes you think I’m helpin’ ya? If ya want the soundtrack so bad, go find Levi and work it out with him yourself. I gotta get to class.”

“Mammon, I said let’s go,” Cass said, feeling the same warmth from her pact mark she’d felt when she’d first invoked its magic. Mammon followed her out of the dining room grumbling like always.

-- -- --

Cass was about to knock on Levi’s door, when Mammon yelled in her ear. “LEMME GO, DAMMIT!”

She jumped, the magic allowing her to control him, breaking with her concentration. Mammon stumbled backwards, head hitting the edge of the nearby end table. He looked up, rubbing his head. They stared at each other for a moment in shock.

“What the hell, Cass? Ya coulda given me a little warning!”

“I’m sorry! I don’t exactly know how to control a pact. I don’t even like using it.”

“Whatever,” Mammon grumbled, standing up. “You don’t have any prudence, do you? You can’t just storm up to Levi’s room demandin’ the vinyl from the Tale of whatever-it-was.”

“You mean the Tale of the Seven Seas Trying to Get Rich Quick?”

“You know what your problem is? I’ll tell you.” Mammon stepped closer as he spoke.

“Oh, please do,” Cass snapped back.

It probably would have been easier to ask Levi for help without Mammon. The two always seemed to be arguing, even when they got along. Not to mention, his constant put downs and yelling was only making her headache worse.

“Mammon, you jackass,” Levi called out from his room.

“Who said that?” Mammon looked around wildly. “I’m not a jackass! Or an idiot!”

“Or a scumbag or a money-obsessed moron,” Cass added on, unable to resist the urge to mock him a little more.

“I’m tryin’ to help ya!”

“You’re making way too much noise, Mammon,” Levi yelled, “I'm trying to watch Magical Ruri Hana: Demon Girl.”

At this point, Cass didn’t have the energy to trick Levi. She just needed the vinyl, so she could give it to Lucifer and stop whoever was talking all through the night. Every day she was one step closer to poisoning everyone in the house with holy water.

“Open the door, Levi. I need your TSL soundtrack.”

The only response from Levi was a curt laugh. Both Mammon and Cass knew exactly what it meant, not that she expected anything different. She sighed rubbing her temple, what were the odds Mammon could just break the door down. Levi did say he couldn’t beat Mammon in a fight. Maybe she was at her last resort.

“And I’m the idiot.”

“Well, if it isn’t the pair everyone is talking about.” Solomon stepped up to Levi’s door, knocking softly. “I heard a rumor about a certain human who looks very ordinary at first glance. She just arrived and already has a pact with a demon. Though, the demon must be incredibly stupid because he let the human discover and exploit his greatest weakness to then forge a pact.”

“What a total numbskull! Who was the demon?” Mammon laughed, the sound echoing around the hall.

“Definitely a numbskull,” Cass muttered. “What brings you to the House of Lamentation, Solomon?”

“Levi invited me,” he answered, clearly enjoying Mammon’s obliviousness.

“What’s the secret phrase?” Levi called when Solomon knocked again.

“The second lord attempted to steal the Lord of Corruption’s platypus which could lay golden eggs. Having incurred the wrath of the Lord of Corruption for this misdeed, it was ordered that the second lord would forever be dubbed the Lord of Fools.”

Levi’s door opened a crack. “Secret phrase authenticated you may enter.”

Solomon nodded to Mammon and Cass before slipping into Levi’s room. The sound of the lock clicking back into place echoed through the otherwise empty hall. Cass sighed, not sure what to do next. Mammon, in his own world, seemed to just catch on to what Solomon had said.

“OI SOLOMON! I AIN’T STUPID!” He pounded on the door, but there was no answer. “You know what, he’s the stupid one, givin’ away the secret phrase and all, wait, that was the secret phrase!”

Mammon knocked on the door again, gesturing for Cass to repeat what Solomon had said. “The second lord att-” before Cass could finish the sentence, Levi made a buzzing noise.

“Secret phase authentication failure. Access denied.”

“WHAT? Ya didn’t even let her finish? What is it a one-time password?” Mammon yelled, resuming his banging.

Cass linked her arm with his, pulling him away. “Let’s just go, it’s not like he’s going to change his mind.”

“Maybe you should at least watch TSL on DVD before asking for favors.”

Cass let Mammon pull away to return to Levi’s door, knowing it was a lost cause to fight him. He was already hurling insults at Levi and Levi wasn’t hesitating to yell right back at him. Cass sighed, deciding they could be Solomon’s problem for a while. She was running late for class anyways. Luckily, she caught Beel heading towards the door and was able to walk with him.

-- -- --

Cass stared down at the cover of Volume 8 of the TSL series Levi had lent her, pen tapping against her chin. The book ended with the Lord of Emptiness being trapped in the Tower of Shadow by the Lord of Corruption. Based on the parallels between the series and what she knew of the brothers, the writer was someone close to them.

She didn’t know much about their history apart from what little information Lilith would share, but she wouldn’t be surprised if the end of this volume coincided with the start of the exchange program. Beel had been upset about his younger brother but wouldn’t talk about him because of Lucifer. The youngest brother, she had been told, was an exchange student in the human world.

She groaned, letting her head fall to the table. Something told her that it didn’t matter if she could find a connection or could find more information about them from the series. She just knew that the only way she was ever going to learn anything helpful was getting up those stairs. Which she couldn’t do without Levi. Having Levi’s help seemed more and more impossible by the second.

A soft thud drew her from her thoughts. She glanced towards the noise. A fresh chocolate croissant sat next to her now empty mug. The demon who had brought the plate pulled a chair up to sit down with her. She glanced around the coffee shop, realizing only now that it was empty. The demon who had joined her was working. He must have gotten bored and decided to have some fun.

Cass poked at the croissant, hesitant to eat it because she was still learning what was human-safe in the Devildom. That, and she’d only seen the barista in passing, she didn’t know if she could trust him yet. There was something oddly calming about him though, at least compared to the other demons she’d interacted with him.

Then again, he was just treating her with common decency. Maybe the bar was so low for her expectations now that he was just less terrible than the other demons, but terrible none the less. Her brain hurt trying to figure it out. It didn’t help that her, Mammon, and Beel had been up the entire night before watching the TSL series.

Mammon, who complained about being there every chance he could, ended up crying most of the series. When he wasn’t crying or complaining, he was yelling at Beel to stop chewing so loud. Cass still wasn’t sure why Beel had even come to her room. He said he’d heard them talking about the movie marathon and decided there would be popcorn. Yet, he’s the one that brought all the snacks, something he could have done without Cass or Mammon.

“I didn’t do anything to the croissant.” The demon once again pulled her from her thoughts. “And all the food here is edible for humans.” Cass shot him a look, still trying to figure him out. “Diavolo’s been trying to make human and celestial things more accessible here. It’s not a perfect remake, but it’s safe.”

“Why are you giving it to me?”

“You’ve been here for a few hours and haven’t eaten. I don’t really know how often humans are supposed to eat and don’t want you to die.” He looked up from the notebook he was reading. “Sorry, should I rephrase that? I don’t care if you live or die, but if you die here, it’s going to cause me problems.”

He looked back down at Cass’s notes. Cass tried to hide her smile as she began picking at the croissant. Most everyone ignored her or treated her like dinner. Despite adding the second part, she knew the gesture was genuine.

“I’m Cass, by the way.”

The demon laughed, setting the notebook down. “Is there anyone in the Devildom who doesn’t know who you are at this point? I’m Vassago.”

“I’m starting to think Solomon’s having demons follow me,” Cass murmured.

“How’d you know – " The shop bell rang, cutting Vassago off. He rolled his eyes before going to the front. “Leave her alone. I’m seri – PRETA.”

Cass jumped at the sudden change in his volume. Standing in front of her was the demon she’d seen on her first day. One thing she’d noticed quickly was that most demons stayed in their human form, especially in classes and around the Academy. The demon in front of her was definitely an exception to the rule.

“I’m Preta.” They grinned, mouth stretching further than humanly possible, adding to the unease Cass felt.

The next few seconds happened so fast that Cass almost didn’t process it. Vassago snatched the croissant out of Cass’s hand, jumping up on the chair. He held it out of Preta’s reach, but barely had time to gain his balance before Beel tried tackling him. Did he come in with Preta? Preta’s hand shot out to stop him, knocking over the half-full cup he’d left when the bell had rung.

“Stop trying to steal Cass’s food,” Vas snapped at the two demons.

Beel hung his head and grumbled a quiet ‘sorry’. Preta, on the other hand, didn’t even try to look remorseful. “Vas, I’m hungry. You said you there wasn’t any baked goods left.”

“There aren’t any baked goods left.”

“She’s not even eating it!” Preta yelled.

“I ALREADY ORDERED YOU FOOD. IT WILL BE HERE IN TEN MINUTES.”

It wasn’t until Cass felt something wet hit her foot that she realized the coffee from Vas’s cup had spilled. She shot up, trying to move the papers out of the way. It was too late. The cup had landed directly on Levi’s book, soaking the pages.

She held the book up, coffee dripping from the pages onto the table. The reality of the situation hit her like bricks. An exasperated sound left her lips. It wasn’t quite a laugh, but it had a similar cadence. They were fighting over an old croissant. A croissant she didn’t even care about. What a stupid, normal thing to do. In most contexts, it would have been funny to watch.

Except she wasn’t in most contexts. She was just a human, stuck in hell, surrounded by demons threatening to kill her daily. She didn’t have the luxury to enjoy stupid, normal things. Their fight ended as easily as Vas ordering takeout. Yet, at the end of the day, she was the one whose life was on the line.

She hung her head, letting the book fall to the ground as her hand dropped. The book Levi made her swear she wouldn’t ruin. The book he’d barely been able to bring himself to lend her. Levi, who had threatened to kill her moments after meeting. Levi, who wished death on his own brother for leaving a figurine in a box. Not ruining it, just not appreciating it.

“Cass?” Beel asked, tilting his head to the side. Cass looked up, tears threatening to fall.

“It’s just a book, we can get you a new one,” Preta added.

“It doesn’t matter,” she whispered. “I told Levi I’d give it back to him tonight. I don’t have time to get a new book.”

“There’s a used book shop on the street over, we can look there.”

Cass picked up the book from the floor, putting it in her bag. She haphazardly threw the rest of her things in after. “Don’t worry about it, I’ll figure it out. Thanks for the croissant, Vassago.” With that, she pushed passed Beel and Preta and left the Bitter Inferno.

Usually, she hated walking down the streets alone. In their human forms, most demons were over six foot tall. Even Asmo, one of the shortest demons she spent any time with, was 6’2. Which made her a lot easier to notice. She’d gotten in the habit of wearing heels over four inches, just to blend easier. Not that it did much good.

The streets were almost empty, though. It had rained earlier and was expected to rain more. Maybe she was finally catching a break. As Preta had said, there was used book shop on the next street. Secondhand Spell Books. Cass sighed, knowing that short luck was already over. There was no way a secondhand spell bookshop would have the TSL book she needed.

Cass pulled at the door, but it didn’t budge. The lights were still on, though low. It wasn’t uncommon for a building to have low lights or for her to have difficulty opening the heavy doors downtown. A small, barely legible, handwritten sign sat near the handle. Secondhand Spell Books will be closed on Tuesday due to a private event.

That was more in line with how the day had been going. Cass sat down in the alley next to the bookstore, leaning against the side wall. Something about the empty alley felt safer than returning to the House of Lamentation and whatever waited. That’s when she realized what she was really dreading, was the look on Levi’s face when he realized the book was ruined.

After making a pact with Mammon and helping Levi, she’d seen him very little. The minute she handed the destroyed book back, it would just serve as confirmation for Levi. Conformation that his interests weren’t worth appreciating. That he wasn’t worth appreciating. He put so much energy into the shows and things he enjoyed. But in his eyes, nobody put any energy towards him.

One of the shop bells rang, followed by a moment of silence, then “Cass?” Satan stood next to the bookstore, close enough to the door that the rain missed him. When did it start raining? Satan opened his umbrella, crossing to her. He sighed, squatting in front of her, hand pushing a lock of hair behind her ear. “Did Mammon do something?”

“What?” The question took her so off guard that she started laughing. Satan tilted his head, unsure what the reaction meant. “Why would you automatically assume it was Mammon?”

“Well, for one, you’re crying, alone in the street, at night. He is supposed to be making sure you’re safe. Two, it wouldn’t be inconceivable that Mammon did something stupid.”

“You should be nicer to him.”

Satan hummed, standing up. He held his hand out, helping Cass up. “May I inquire why you’re out here, if Mammon didn’t do anything?”

Cass hesitated, still not entirely sure how she felt about Satan. It wasn’t like him to genuinely care about her. Plus, even if he could help, he wouldn’t do so out of the goodness of his heart. She relented, knowing she was picking the lesser of two evils, and pulled the ruined book from her bag. Satan took it from her, flipping the cover open. Both of them visibly cringed at the sound of the pages peeling apart.

“You’re hiding because you’re afraid?”

“No, it’s not that.” Satan glanced up at her for a moment before looking back at the book. “I receive death threats every day. It’s just, it’s, I don’t know, it’s hard to explain.”

“Well, we’ve got some time on the walk. Unless you planned on sleeping here.”

-- -- --

“If I’m understanding correctly, you’re upset the book is ruined because you think it means you’ll fail a test Levi was giving you?”

“Kind of? It’s not like I think Levi was intentionally testing me. I don’t think he’d even entertain the thought. It’s just a feeling I have. It’s easier for him to push people away before they push him away. I mean, he spends all day comparing himself to you and your brothers. That has to weigh on him.”

“Ah, in a way he’s convinced himself he’s not good enough and acts out on that. That way, when someone does tear him down, he is already expecting it. The book, or anything he lends out, is a way to see if it’s worth getting his hopes up.”

Satan came to a stop outside Purgatory Hall. Cass sighed, looking up at him, knowing he didn’t have an answer, but wishing he did. It wasn’t that she just failed a test. She failed Levi and he didn’t need any more false confirmations that he wasn’t good enough.

“Why do you care so much, though?” Cass’s knitted together in confusion. Why didn’t Satan care more? They were brothers after all. “I’ll be right back. I have to ask Simeon something. Try not to get too upset about Levi, you haven’t failed him.”

Cass didn’t have time to ask Satan what he meant before he disappeared down the hallway. Cass looked around the foyer. Why couldn’t she have been put here with the angels and Solomon? That would have solved all of her problems. Well, not the almost being killed by demons everyday related ones, but the paranormal life coach ones.

Unlike the House of Lamentation, Cass was welcomed with open arms when she visited Purgatory Hall. It was starting to become a safe haven for her. Simeon would bring a cup of tea to cheer her up. There were nearly always fresh baked goods that Luke prepared. Even Solomon’s mumbling when doing experiments had become a comforting sound.

Despite Lucifer’s warning, she and Solomon had become close. She wasn’t sure how it happened. Maybe they both found comfort in being around another human, even if what they knew about each other was limited. Maybe Solomon was secretly after something. Maybe he found it amusing how she didn’t put up with his shit just because he was a famous sorcerer.

She assumed Simeon’s friendly nature was in part because he was an angel. Though it felt like more when he patiently listened to her vent. He was one of the few beings that knew the brothers, that could commiserate with her.

Despite his protests and claims that he was older than her, she started viewing Luke as a younger brother. And while he may deny it, he took on the unofficial role of her guardian angel, unafraid to stand between her and danger.

“Thank you again, Simeon.”

“You really don’t need to mention it.” Cass turned to see Simeon and Satan walking down the stairs. Simeon held a book under his arm. “Cass, it’s lovely to see you.”

“You too. Actually, Simeon, I wanted to see if you and Luke were busy on Saturday. There's a bakery near the coffee shop I like is trying out a new menu.

“I’ll check with Luke, but I’m sure he’d love too.” Simeon held to book out for her to take. “Satan told me what happened earlier. I think this may help soothe things over with Levi.”

It was a first edition of the book that had been ruined earlier. On the inside cover was the author’s signature and a brief note. A piece of notebook paper was placed halfway through the pages. There were various notes and plot developments from the unreleased volume 9 book. Cass shut the book and tried handing it back to Simeon.

“I can’t take this.”

“I insist. It’s just been gathering dust. I’m certain Levi would appreciate it more. Maybe not the notes on volume 9, but you can keep those.”

“This is amazing, I can’t imagine how I’ll repay you.”

Before Simeon could answer, something cold hit Cass’s neck, causing her to scream in surprise. She turned around to see Solomon grinning, holding up a single winged pendant. He was leaning over into her space, so they were almost eye level. Neither of them blinked, not wanting to back down.

“Here I was waiting to give you this. It’s the Lord of Corruption’s lost wing. It was only sold in limited quantities when Volume 1 was released. I happen to know Levi doesn’t have it. What would you give me for it?”

“How about I don’t kick you in the balls?”

“I’m starting to think you might like Simeon more than me.”

“You’re only now picking up on that? I’ll have to be less subtle.” Cass snatched the pendant before Solomon could pull it away.

“Careful, there’s a curse on that so anyone who wears it falls in love with me.”

“I didn’t realize you liked Levi that much.”

Satan or Simeon coughed, causing Cass and Solomon to break eye contact at the same time. “Do you want to continue whatever this is or walk back with me?”

-- -- --

“Did you think coming back with Satan would help you?” Levi yelled as soon as Cass and Satan stepped through the door. As usual, the dark aura she began to sense from Levi vanished after a few seconds. Cass and Satan exchanged a look. “Beel already told me.”

“I’m sorry, Cass. I thought I could talk to Levi for you.”

Cass sighed, casting Beel a reassuring look. She knew his heart was in the right place. It didn’t really matter anyways, Levi would have found out about the book in the end. Besides, she now had two different things to make up for it, so they should be square.

“This is why I don’t lend things out to normies. I just knew you were going to mess it up. Not only are you NOT an otaku, you’re also a human. Can you do anything right?”

Cass’s hand froze, partially through pulling the book out. “Deep breaths, Cass,” she told herself. After living with the brothers, she’d learned Satan wasn’t the only one who would snap at the drop of a hat. While there were far fewer things that set her off, they definitely existed. One of those was demons underestimating her and brushing her off solely because she was human.

“What? Were you seriously going to return my ruined book? LMAO.”

Satan, who had been observing the interaction, stepped forward. He placed his hand on Cass’s as if to stop her from pulling out the book. “Levi,” his tone left little for argument. He also had become more in tune with your anger.

Levi didn’t seem to care. “Why? What’s she going to do? Did you think learning a little bit about TSL would make it, so I’ll like you? You’re lucky Mammon’s such an idiot or you never would have been able to make a pact with a demon.”

“You know what Levi,” Cass snapped tossing the bag to the floor. “I’m over this arrogant, conceited, woe-is me crap. I get you like TSL, but I don’t think you know as much about it as you think you do. I bet I even know more than you.”

Cass wasn’t sure where that came from. She wanted to be there for Levi, but first she wanted to prove him wrong. No, she wanted to beat him, make him think about treating her like that again. She could blame the anger, the wounded ego, the lack of sleep, the constant disparaging remark about Mammon, but really it could be any one of them. The flood gates opened.

Something flashed in Levi’s eyes, but it was gone almost as fast. “Do you seriously think you know more than me about TSL? As if I’d ever accept a challenge like that.” He scoffed, turning to go back to his room.

“The fact that you’re running away, proves I’m right. You know you’d lose.”

Levi spun so quickly it made Cass dizzy, he marched over, glaring down at her. She refused to break eye contact. Given how tall he was, it was near impossible to hold her head back that far. Due to his horrible posture, Cass was always forgetting how tall he actually was.

“Excuse me?” The words flowed out like venom.

“You heard me,” Cass said with the same animosity.

The tension in the room was palpable. Even Levi, who looked like he might snap at any moment, seemed to be holding his breath. Maybe he was trying to intimidate her into backtracking or maybe he was trying to decide if he should just kill her here and now and be done with it.

“Fine, I accept your challenge. I’ll even make a pact with you if I lose, that’s how confident I am,” Levi answered, finally breaking eye contact. He started walking back towards his room before once again turning to call over his shoulder. “Just one thing. If you lose, you might not make it back to the human world alive.”

With that, Levi disappeared up the stairs. Cass let her shoulders drop, instantly feeling some of the tension leave her body. She picked up her abandoned bag and threw it over one shoulder. So much for fixing things and maybe getting a step ahead with the gifts Simeon and Solomon gave her.

“Can I give you some advice?” Beel, who Cass had forgotten was in the entry way, broke the silence. “Levi’s the demon of envy. If you work him into a jealous frenzy, he’ll lose control. Once that happens, he’ll slip up and give you an opening to exploit. But if Levi does lose control, your life will also be in danger.”

“What else is new?” Cass mumbled under her breath.

She thought of the piece of paper Simeon had put in the book and the pendant Solomon just happened to have. Of course, Satan hadn’t genuinely cared. He certainly was calculating, she had to give him that. He must have realized that if she was upset, there was something he could capitalize on later that would piss Lucifer off.

-- -- --

Mammon rattled off question after question about TSL. Despite her recent introduction to the series, she had actually learned a lot about it and was able to answer his questions easily. Not that she really thought she had a chance at beating Levi. Honestly, if it weren’t for the spoilers and the pendant, she’d be screwed.

“You know that right?”

Cass, who hadn’t heard the question, answered as sincerely as she could manage, “Yeah, that actually makes sense.”

Mammon stopped walking, staring at her in shock. Oh no, what had he asked. She just assumed it was something about how great he was or how he didn’t want to be here. He turned away before she could catch his eyeline, but she didn’t miss the faint blush that had appeared.

“It feels weird when you agree with me like that. I mean, doncha think that would’ve been the perfect time to put me down or somethin’?”

Mammon rubbed the back of his neck nervously, still refusing to look at her. She did like poking fun at Mammon because he always had a big reaction, but she was going to have to change how she went about it. The other brothers must really be relentless in their comments.

“Whatever, just forget it. Let’s talk strategy. Beel was right about Levi and jealous. There’s no way you’ll win a competition about TSL in a fair fight, so we’ve just got to figure out how to make him jealous. It can’t just be some braggin’ ‘cuz all that will do is make him talk about how it’s not fair and you’re lucky.”

“Oh, I have it covered. I have spoilers for the next book, a signed first edition of the book that got ruined, and a limited-edition pendant.”

“Yeah, that’ll do it,” Mammon laughed as they continued walking towards the student council chambers. He continued asking her TSL trivia until they made it to the doors. Mammon stopped her before she could go in. “Ya probably already know this, but if Levi does snap, there’s a real possibility he’ll try and kill ya.”

She really was getting a soft spot for this demon. “Careful Mammon, someone might hear and think you actually care about me.”

There was that blush again. Mammon started sputtering, unable to form a coherent sentence. She stepped back to open the door. Everyone else was already in there. Diavolo, Barbatos, and Lucifer were standing in a cluster discussing something. Levi was looking down at his phone, headphones on, ignoring the world. Asmo was filming a video while Satan and Beel sat waiting.

Asmo lit up when he saw Cass and Mammon enter. He rushed over, looping his arm with Cass and pulling her to the center of the room. As if preparing to shoot a movie scene, he positioned her in front of Diavolo’s seat before fixing her hair. She swatted him away, not worried about fly aways, given the current situation. He continued directing everyone to their seats before forcibly pulling Levi to the center with her.

“All right, everyone! The wait is over!” Asmo announced, ever the performer. She wouldn’t be surprised if he had tried to film this live but was stopped by Lucifer. “It’s time for the Devil’s Trivia Showdown! The quiz show that pits demon against human!” He mock oohed and ahhed behind Levi and Cass. The only one who seemed to be enjoying his antics was an enthusiastic Diavolo.

“Today, we’re testing the knowledge of the super-famous fantasy series known to all The Tale of the Seven Lords! Let’s meet our competitors.” Asmo stood next to Levi holding a fake microphone up for him to speak into. Levi scoffed in response. “First, he’s a demon who freely admits to being a giant TSL nerd, meet Leviathan.”

“I am the G.O.A.T. None can oppose me!”

Asmo oohed again before spinning to introduce Cass. “And his challenger. The human who was only introduced to TSL recently and binged the DVDs. Say hello Cass.”

“Hi.” Asmo didn’t move the microphone, his eyes insisting she say more. “I literally could not care less about this series. I just want to make him cry.” It was a lie. She had really enjoyed TSL. She just wanted Levi to suffer a bit and it’d be even funnier to beat him after saying she didn’t care about it.

Levi inhaled sharply, before turning to face her. “You watched the DVDs ONCE. That’s it! The fact that you even challenged me is an insult to TSL. Do you have any idea how infuriating-”

“Things are really heating up here!” Asmo interrupted stepping up to the bench. “Judging this fierce competition is our very own Demon Lord himself, Diavolo!”

“Hello there, good to see everyone. Thank you for coming!” Diavolo stood up as he made his remarks.

“Color commentary will be provided by Satan, Avatar of Wrath. Can he keep a cool head as a good commentator should?” Satan shot Asmo a dirty look but didn’t answer. “And our guest demon, the always-famished Beelzebub. Appearing for his usual fee, cheeseburgers.”

Cass looked over to see that there was a pile of food in front of Beel. While Beel was describing how much he loved cheeseburgers from Hell’s Kitchen and Asmo started introducing himself, she snatched a few onion rings off the table before going back to her position.

“Are you, ARE YOU KIDDING ME?” Levi erupted. “You’re eating right now? Did you really risk your life to steal food from Beel at a time like this?”

Cass coughed, trying to breathe around the bite of onion ring in her mouth. She hadn’t expected them to still be scalding hot. One of the special Devildom tricks she was still getting used to was how they could make take out taste just as fresh as when it was made.

“I mean, every day I risk my life,” Cass said, taking another bite of the onion ring. “Might as well get a snack out of it.”

“She may be fearless, folks,” Asmo chimed in, stepping between them, “but let’s see if she really knows her stuff.”

Asmo proceeded to ask them questions about the series. Levi’s questions started difficult and became increasingly more challenging each round. Cass’s questions started easy and stayed that way. After a while, Diavolo seemed to be the only one still finding the game entertaining. Satan’s commentary was becoming increasingly sardonic and Beel’s cheeseburgers were almost gone.

“How long are we going to keep this charade up? It’s so boring, I might fall asleep.”

“You heard him Cass, let’s see if your trump card livens things up. Crush him like a bug!”

-- -- --

Levi started laughing, the sound more maniacal the longer it went on. It didn’t help that the chamber echoed the sound, adding to the eerie cadence. Nobody dared move, as if any movement would set Levi off.

“You can’t just make things up and think you’ll win. The Lord of Masks wouldn’t do that to the Lord of Shadow.”

Cass grabbed her bag and pulled out the book Simeon had given her. She flipped to the page with the handwritten notes. “What’s better, Henry dies.”

Levi froze, staring at the book in her hands. “That’s the stupidest thing I’ve ever heard.” Despite his words, Cass could see the panic in his eyes. He knew she wasn’t lying.

“I’ve heard that as well,” Satan added from the side.

“While I’m unable to discern the veracity of Cass’s statement, I can confirm the truth in Satan’s.”

“Take that Levi! You know Lord Diavolo can tell if someone’s tellin’ the truth. Except for Cass I guess, but that doesn’t matter right now. Because Cass totally just won.”

Levi’s head turned between them all as he started mumbling to himself. “THAT CAN’T HAPPEN,” he screamed. “The idea that YOU could be a bigger fan than me.”

Mammon stood up, eyes not leaving Levi. “Woah, Levi –"

“NO, NO, NO, I WON’T STAND FOR IT.”

The dark aura Cass had become accustomed to when the brothers got upset started to overpower her senses. Levi yelled, or hissed, or something as his sin took over. His eyes narrowed as he focused on her, horns sprouting from his head, tail hitting the floor.

She vaguely heard Mammon yelling at her to run, but Levi had already cornered her against the bench. So, this is how she died. Not that she was all too surprised. She had been warned by Beel, Levi, and Mammon that this was a probable outcome. For the briefest moment, she thought it might be fear that caused her to maintain eye contact.

When Levi took a step forward, she realized it wasn’t fear but understanding. Of all the things she’d expect to feel when she was seconds away from being killed by a demon, understanding was not it. Satan was right, she hadn’t failed Levi because the book wasn’t the test. All he wanted was someone like Henry. Someone that stood by him even at his worst moments.

Even if he didn’t intentionally do it, this was the test. Would she stick around after seeing what he thought was the worst side of himself, the anger, fear, obsession, envy that was part of him? What happened to them that this is how his brain processed that information? And what happened to her that made it make sense?

As Levi closed the distance between them, Cass refused to cower or hide. If this was the last he saw of her, she would make it count. The last thing she remembered before everything went dark was hoping Levi understood what she was thinking.

I see you for who you are and I’m not running away.

#obey me #obey me oc #obey me fanfic #obey me lesson 3 #obey me spoilers #obey me lucifer #obey me mammon #obey me levi #obey me diavolo #obey me satan #obey me asmo #obey me beel #obey me lilith #obey me solomon #obey me simeon #obey me luke

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dunnswrld · 2 years

Note

thinking ab bam with the scary girl of the music industry. like very mildly unhinged rockstar gf who will openly call out government officials by name if she disagrees with them, not afraid to scream at invasive paparazzi, but adored by her following because of it

AGH!

scary metal head reader who wasn’t scared to tell anyone off no matter what. always stood her ground and refused to even be slightly disrespected or walked on. even more so for the people she loved.

she would yell at paparazzi for being creepy as she called it and following her around or annoyed about how the flashes bothered her and how they all should, “get fucking lives instead of following me around.”

she would yell at mangers for thinking they got to control her every move. letting them know they work for her, not the other way around.

she would even call out politicians, not giving a damn about any government related thing. if she didn’t like what someone in the office was doing it was known.

“yeah and that dumbass president sitting in the white house doing absolutely nothing about the problems going on in this country can kiss my metal-loving-ass.”

she just did not care about the thoughts or opinions of people she didn’t know nor want to know.

which is why bam loved her so damn much.

bam loved when she got to come along with him for any press related things he had to do because he was just so proud he was dating you.

you were just a badass metal girl and he would absolutely eat it up.

an interviewer makes a rude comment? you’re quick to put them in their place.

“There has been a lot of talk recently about how people think Yn is out of your league Bam.. What do you have to say about that?”

“Oh. Well-“

“Hold on- who the hell asks someones partner that? Is this some prank or something? Cause if it isnt I’m about to hop over this barricade and shove that mic up your ass.”

yeah. bam gets so worked up over that.

he loves how mean you are to everyone but him, you treat him so well and he loves it. he was your soft spot and you were his.

it wasn’t often people saw you not flipping off cameras or using foul language but when you were with bam and no one was there to piss you off you were completely soft

kissing him, hugging him, playing with his hair, blushing, holding hands it was almost odd to see you like that.

it was even weirder when you acted soft while on camera and people got to see it. cause if someone were to ask if they knew you it was often, “Yn? Like, that scary metal head girl?”

but it only made bam more cocky when he was able to say he made the meanest and most badass girl in all of metal soft for him.

#bam margera #jackass #bam margera imagines #bam margera oneshot #bam margera imagine #bam margera fanfic #bam margera x reader #jackass imagine #jackass fic #jackass one shot #jackass x reader #jackass fanfic #jackass forever

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kensboytoy · 10 months

Text

I’m Your Tamagotchi (Ch. 1)

Title: I’m Your Tamagotchi Fandom: Barbie (2023) Pairings: Ken/Original Character (M/M) Ratings: General Chapter: 1/? A/N: This is a very self-indulgent piece! It'll be several chapters and I'll be updating it a lot more when the movie comes out. If you want to listen to the playlist I made to write this, you can find it here.

Another perfect day in Barbie Land, just like it always was. All the residents went about their perfect lives as it was always so well-rehearsed. The Barbies all had very important jobs to do after all. Some were doctors, others were lawyers, and some were even politicians. Every important job was assigned to each Barbie to perform. And the Kens? Well…

Most of the Kens on the beach had been muttering to themselves, quietly daring each other to check out the source of the strange sound coming from the lighthouse they had been hearing all afternoon. It was a shrill and intense beeping that seemed to strike at random, making each and every one of them jump out of their skin in fright. They all postured and tried to act tough, stating that they weren’t that afraid of some silly noise. But someone should definitely check on it before the Barbies noticed. So they wouldn’t get scared, of course. No one had ever exactly gone up to the cliff where the pink and white striped lighthouse sat - there was never a reason for them to venture anywhere outside of the warm, sandy comfort of the beach.

Ken had been waxing his surfboard, eavesdropping on the conversation the entire time and scoffing at the cowardice of the other Kens. It was just a stupid sound, why were they getting so worked up? Maybe the lighthouse just… did that? Ken wasn’t exactly sure what noises lighthouses were supposed to make, his job wasn’t lighthouse keeper - was anyone actually designed with that in mind? - it was just beach. And because his job was beach, he felt a sense of responsibility to go up there and turn the noise off. It was getting annoying anyway.

[Continue Reading or Read on AO3!]

He propped up his surfboard in the sand and tossed the canister of wax aside, slinging his towel over his shoulder. The hike to the cliff was a breeze for Ken, the doll taking long strides as he grew closer to the lighthouse despite the sound becoming louder and louder. It was just the echo, that was it. It totally wasn’t a super scary monster about to lure him into a trap. Ken could feel a pang of nervousness rush through him at the thought, but the stubborn toy quickly pushed the thought aside. He’d be the hero that would keep Barbie safe. Maybe, if she saw how brave he was, it would earn him a proper kiss. A dopey smile stretched across his face, a toned hand reaching up to his cheek to where he envisioned Barbie planting her lips. Yes, he’d be a hero!

Without even realizing it, Ken was already at the entrance of the lighthouse as he walked through his picture perfect daydream. He stopped in his tracks, blinking a few times before he craned his neck upwards to properly stare at the looming structure. From the beach it didn’t look big, but up close? Well, he just hoped he didn’t have to go to the tippy-top to find this noise. Totally not because he was afraid of heights or anything. That would be silly. No, he had just… hit his steps for the day and didn’t want to go over them! It would be totally humiliating to the other Kens if they knew how hard he was working out for this.

As if the building sensed him, the old door swung open to greet him and nearly made Ken jump out of his plastic skin. This was weird. Like really weird. Cautiously, he peeked his head inside before taking a tentative step forward. The sudden sound from earlier pierced the eerie silence of the lighthouse. Ken frantically looked around for the source until the sound tapered off and faded completely. He used the light from the open door to peer around as best he could, but there was nothing there.

When he took another step forward, his foot brushed against something and sent it skittering across the floor before he could process it. There was a small thunk! as whatever it was impacted against the spiral staircase that led up to the actual light room itself. Another beep like the object had been startled by the movement. It was enough for Ken to find out where it had landed, his hand reaching out for it without a thought to stop himself.

Luckily, it wasn't anything dangerous or that would poke him like a pissed off pufferfish. It was a small plastic toy from the looks of it. A UFO shaped toy with little green buttons on the front. Ken stared at it for a moment, fingers ghosting over the left and right buttons. He pressed them down immediately with pure curiosity guiding him. There was a flash on the screen that startled him but then it quickly faded. He pushed down for longer, the same flash happening before a pixelated ghost popped onto the screen.

The device went dead for a moment before the speakers crackled to life once again. Instead of a shrill beep, there was a playful little melody that played before the screen was filled with solid black pixels. As the song played, each row of pixels danced off-screen to slowly reveal a silhouette of a figure. Ken leaned in closer, furrowing his brows in confusion. The song ended and the figure came to full view - it was a chubby little�� alien? He looked like a little nerd, with curly hair, huge circle rimmed glasses and a funny little mustache, but there were clearly alien antennae sticking out of the mop of hair. The alien blinked at Ken before his face broke out in a wide smile.

“Wowee! Golly, I was starting to think my battery was gonna die before anyone found me,” the almost cartoonish voice chirped from the speaker.

Startled, Ken stumbled backwards and nearly tossed the device out of his hand. That… wasn’t what he was expecting at all.

“Woah! Easy, fella, I can’t exactly bitecha.”

The alien giggled as Ken adjusted himself. He cleared his throat, trying to play it cool like he hadn't just nearly screamed like a little girl.

“I guess you can’t. I’ve just… never seen something like you before.”

“And I’ve never seen someone like you before, Master!”

Ken stared at the device in confusion. Master? He could feel butterflies fluttering around in his stomach. No one had ever called him something like that before. It was so fancy and formal - far from what he was used to.

“Me?” he inquired, pointing to himself.

The device beeped again, the alien soon giggling once more. It seemed that the shocked face Ken was giving off was rather amusing to the curious creature.

“Of course! You saved me, after all. So you must be my new Master! The last one kinda dropped me in this playset, and, well… you saved me.”

If Ken could blush, he would have. Instead, he let a goofy smile stretch across his face.

“I guess I did kinda save you. I am brave like that.”

He flexed proudly, something he often did to show off. His confidence rivaled the big ego that was already starting to over-inflate. Apparently it was an amusing display that made his new companion laugh in pure delight. Ken's brow shot upwards as he turned his attention back to the screen. The alien was still beaming at him, pixelated stars in his eyes that rotated around and around. He wasn't mocking Ken? Did he actually think that Ken was cool?

"Super rad! I don't think anyone who's ever held me has been that cool or brave, y'know. Really must be my lucky day!"

"How many people have held you?" Ken asked, already sounding a bit jealous.

The alien paused, tapping his hand to his head.

"Y'know, 'm not sure."

He flashed another smile up at Ken, obviously pretty clueless himself. After a few moments of silence, Ken spoke up.

"So what do I call you? Alien dude?"

"Oh! Oz is my name. Short for Oswald. I think it's a poorly themed Roswell joke of some kind, but my programming isn't advanced enough to understand it." Oz shrugged. "It says it right on my label!"

Ken tilted his head to one side and studied the cheap plastic casing of Oz's UFO home. There were some faded stickers of where lights would be if he was a more expensive toy, but the doll wasn't seeing anything. Oz gestured to flip him over, which Ken did carefully as he wondered if Oz could feel the sensation (or any at all) of being rotated. Sure enough, on the back, was a label in a neon green font with Oz's name. The engraving with the copyright information was puzzling to Ken.

"'Your out-of-this-world pal'?" Ken slowly spoke each word.

"Oh, yeah." There was a small chirp from the speakers to let Ken know that Oswald was moving. He was turned back around, the alien awkwardly rubbing his own head. There were little slashes on his face to indicate that he was blushing. "I don't think people really wanted a virtual alien friend. Maybe I'm a bit Y2K."

Again, Oz seemed to be speaking a language that Ken wasn't understanding. Seeing the confusion on Ken's face, Oz moved away from the screen and gave a nervous little laugh.

"Well, I'm not exactly a looker like you, pal. I bet people are clamoring to play with you!"

Ken scoffed and shook his head.

"Everyone here is beautiful. All the Barbies… and Kens. We're built for each other." He paused. "Oh and Allan and Midge. Guess they were made for each other too."

"Wait so… You're a Ken?" Oz chirped.

There was a small nod and the alien took note of how they must be gendered dolls here. Boys and girls separated by just two names. Funny. Definitely a bit old-school.

"And you have a Barbie?"

At that, Ken looked a bit off. He was Barbie's boyfriend. They were supposed to be together, like a perfect pair. But his Barbie hadn't been exactly interested in him lately. She was… different. Something was happening with her and Ken was worried he was losing her altogether.

"You could say that," he replied in a hushed tone.

Oz wasn't born yesterday even with his memory reset. There was something up between Ken and his Barbie, but the alien wasn't exactly going to push the issue. It would be rude to press the man who had just saved him from running out of battery.

"Well, I can tell she has quite the catch. A hero saving aliens from their untimely demise," he joked to lighten the mood. "Maybe I should call you Ken instead of Master then-"

"No. No… you can call me Master still."

Oz blinked up at Ken who was nervously averting his eyes from the screen after that comment. Was he really gonna let this little pixel thing call him something like that? It was the most respect he had ever gotten in Barbie Land. Being Ken - just Ken - was far from being a Barbie. He didn't have a house. Or a job. Or anything to his name. He was Ken. And now he didn't even know if he was Barbie's Ken anymore. So having someone, especially a stranger, now see him as anything else, well…

Ken felt special.

"Okay!" Oz giggled, clapping his hands together enthusiastically. "Well, Master, since I'm literally in the palm of your hands… Why don't I teach you how to use me?"

Again, if Ken could blush…

"If you press that middle button, you can pull up my menu. That's all the settings, time zone, and help information. Boring stuff. But if you click the right button…" Oz gestured to where Ken's thumb was idly resting against. "That gives me food! I need three meals a day to make sure my meter doesn't run out."

"Meter?" Ken inquired.

"Press that left button!"

Ken obliged and was surprised to see a status menu pop up in place of Oz. It showed a small icon of the alien's face along with a level number, sleep status, food meter, and happiness status indicated by a smiley face. Ken's brow furrowed in confusion. Was this like taking care of a pet?

"Are you my dog now?"

There was no response.

"Oh!" He quickly pressed the button and Oswald returned to the screen. The alien was trying his best not to laugh at Ken's surprise. "You have to be on screen to talk, huh?"

"Ding ding ding!"

A jaunty little tune played as the screen displayed a spinning star before fading back to Oz.

"And no, I'm not a dog. I'm clearly an alien." Oz rolled his eyes and pointed to his antenna. "But I guess… kinda? I'm a virtual pet - your new best pal! You keep my meters full and my happiness up and, well, I'll be the perfect friend! If you forget about me and stop playing…"

A large skull and crossbones popped up.

"Then you gotta restart and, boy, lemme tell you, that's not fun. I… Kinda forget all about you and have to start all over." Oz's expression shifted to what Ken could tell was apprehension about the subject.

"That's why you don't remember how you got here, huh?"

Oz nodded.

"Happens every time. I don't know how many Masters I've had that have picked me up, played with me, and then forgotten all about me. Guess it's better that way - I don't get attached."

There was something tugging at Ken's heart. He knew what it was like to be neglected and now he knew that someone was really relying on him. The doll carefully held onto the device and brought Oz to his chest.

"Well, now you're gonna have someone to take care of you! Like, really take care of you, you know? I'll make sure you never have to restart."

Baffled by the bold statement, Oz was glad that his face was hidden in Ken's chiseled chest. He was honestly so caught off-guard that he didn't know what to say. Someone actually was going to care for him? Though, maybe all before Ken had promised the very same. But this time… this time really did sound sincere. It could have been the alien's blind trust, surely, but the confidence from Ken had him eager to try again.

"Hey," came the soft voice from the crackling speakers. "That's awfully sweet of you, Ken. Really. But I know it's a tall order to ask someone who just picked me up to take care of me." Oz smiled, eyes twinkling with little sparkles. "But I'd be real happy to get to know you."

Ken pulled the device from his chest and gazed down at the collection of pixels. His own smile tugged at his lips. Get to know him? That was nice to hear. No one ever really paid him any mind. There was a lot Ken could do, but he didn't have anything special like the Barbies that set him apart from the rest.

"You're not just saying that because I saved you?"

"Naaah! I don't kiss that much heinie on the first date!" Oz quickly slapped his hand over his mouth, blush returning to his cheeks. There were little spirals appearing over his head to show that he was flustered. "Uh. Wrong choice of words…"

But it was far too late. Ken had already been struck with the idea of a date. While Barbie was supposed to be his girlfriend, she never called them hanging out a date. His smile was now a goofy grin and he let out a slow laugh.

"Ha… Well. A bit forward - are all aliens like you?"

"I-I don't know," Oz stuttered. "I don't retain my memories, remember? And my programming doesn't really give me a backstory with any cool alien family stuck far, far away on another planet. Though maybe I should lie and roll with it."

"You shouldn't lie, it's rude," Ken frowned.

"Is that an order then?" came the inquiry and one brow raised upwards.

Ken, feeling stubborn, puffed out his chest and stood tall. His index finger extended and he shook it at the screen like he was giving Oz a stern talking to.

"Y'know what? Yeah. As your Master, I gotta make sure you don't keep secrets. Besides, friends don't lie to each other."

That caused Oz to look away. Guilt crept up on him and instantly sat like a pit in his stomach.

"So we're friends?"

"Well, yeah! I was joking about all that pet stuff." The doll's expression softened as he looked at his new companion. "You may be a computer… thing. But that doesn't mean we can't be friends."

Had they all promised friendship? Did every one of his previous owners lie to him the same way? Ken didn't look like he was lying. This was a new chance and maybe, just maybe, he wouldn't have to worry about restarting with Ken around.

With a soft sigh, Oswald gave a little nod and a shy smile.

"Okay. Friends don't lie." A little laugh bubbled from the speakers. "So we tell each other the truth, 'kay?"

Ken was grinning again.

"Totally! This is gonna be awesome, just you see. No more forgetting stuff, I'm gonna show you everything here in Barbie Land and You're gonna remember it all!"

The eagerness to prove that theory true was enough to make Oz's meter fill with full happiness. A little heart hung above his head, quickly disappearing before Ken could even blink. Barbie Land sounded interesting and Oz wanted to see it all for himself. After all, this was his new home!

Ken was already walking out the door with Oz in hand. Curiously, the alien watched as the sky above them changed from the drab interior of the lighthouse to the sunny, cloudless sky of Barbie Land. It was almost like staring into a painting, it was breathtaking! Oz gave a little beep to Ken so that he'd look down at the screen and, once those big blue eyes looked his way, the alien motioned to turn his UFO over. He wanted to see what Ken was seeing. Happily, Ken obliged and held the device out to the world.

"Your arm is gonna smart if you keep me up like that," Oz teased.

"Huh."

Ken stopped in his tracks, Oz rattling around the confines of his screen. He rubbed at his freshly bonked head before seeing what Ken was up to. It looked like he was fiddling with the silver chain around his neck. Intrigued by the sudden concern Ken seemed to have for his fashion sense, Oz was quiet until the string of silver threaded through the loop adorning his device. His ship was dangling in the air for just a moment before Ken fastened the necklace back around himself.

"There, that way you can see everything and I can make sure I don't lose you."

Oz couldn't see it, but that goofy and proud grin was back on the bimbo doll's smug face. The UFO beeped a few times as Oz's circuits overloaded from the gesture. Despite only being pixels, Oswald felt safer than he ever had before. Even more so than when he was awake when his creators were troubleshooting his code.

"Thank you," he managed to mumble out.

Happy as a clam, Ken continued to saunter back down to the beach where the other Kens had seemed to disperse from their clique earlier. He knew his companion was busy taking in the beautiful sights of his - their home. With the warm sand beneath his feet again, Ken let out a pleased sigh. This was where he spent most of his time every day when he wasn't out chasing Barbie.

"The lighthouse looks so small from over here," he heard Oz muse aloud. "I'm glad you heard me from down here."

"Ah, well. I know when something's happening anywhere on the beach. Call it my six cents."

"...sense?"

"Exactly."

He gave a little nod, planting his feet firmly in the sand with his hands on his hips as the two of them looked out onto the ocean. The permanent plastic wave was high that afternoon, just as it always was.

"Surf's looking good today."

Oz looked up at Ken to see if he was serious, but the position he was in didn't allow him to see past that chiseled jawline. He shrugged to himself and figured it was best not to continue to correct him. It'd be rude to bite the hand that would be feeding him.

"Is Barbie Land always this beautiful?"

"Yup! Every single day!" Ken was beaming like an excited puppy who had just found a really cool stick. "Yesterday was awesome. Today is awesome. And tomorrow will be awesome too! Just like it always is."

There were a few moments of silence as Oswald mulled over the concept of constant perfection.

"Don't you ever get tired of it? Wouldn't you want to see something new?"

The device was lifted up so that the two could look at each other. Oz slid to the top of the screen and soon adjusted himself right side up.

"Why would I wanna do that when everyday's a great day?"

At that, Oz frowned. Did Ken not really see the point in chasing the high of new adventures? Was this place some kind of weird purgatory for all the dolls? He put his hands on his hips and shook his head.

"Because surely something new is more exciting than doing the same thing every day. I mean, I know I have to have three meals, be played with, and then go to sleep every day. That's written in my game code." There was a gesture to his menu button before he pointed to Ken. "But you don't have a code. You could do whatever you wanted, right?"

"Well…" Ken couldn't exactly explain it, but there was the nagging sense of routine every day. Maybe some days he wanted to do things differently, but it never panned out that way. He couldn't exactly explain that he wasn't being played with the same way Barbie was. Ken was just Ken. "I try to see Barbie every day. Sometimes it happens. Then I know it's gonna be a good day!"

That made Oz frown again. It didn't exactly sound like Ken was living for himself. But, again, the relationship between Barbie and Ken seemed a lot more complicated than a simple boyfriend and girlfriend thing. It sounded like Barbie was super important to Ken and it really mattered what she did.

"...you could show Barbie that you saved me," Oz offered. "I bet she'd see how cool and brave you were."

A hand slowly wrapped around the UFO and partially blocked Oz's view. Intrigued by Ken's action, he peeked his head from behind Ken's fingertips to look at him again and see what was up.

"I kinda want this to be a 'me' thing." Quickly, his eyes darted away. "We haven't spent a lot of time together yet and everyone will be bugging me once they see you. Can't we just have some alone time first?"

Those blush marks grew wider on Oz's chubby cheeks. Hearing Ken get so protective was something that drove the little alien wild. Being kept to just Ken… It felt intimate. Nervously, he let out a giggle.

"Sure, sure, Master," the alien teased playfully. "When you're ready, I can talk to the others. But for now, it'll just be us. Who knows, maybe we'll be making friendship bracelets for each other someday."

"How could you make me a bracelet in there?"

Oz rolled his eyes.

"I can do anything in here, Ken. It's all code. I can pull anything out of thin air - heck, I could even change what I look like! 'sides, it was just a joke. Anything I make in here you couldn't wear."

Was… Ken pouting?

"Aw, c'mon, big guy! Don't look so sour. I guess my jokes just don't land with dollies."

Like a hurt puppy, Ken's face was still so sad looking. A pixel hand reached to touch the part of the screen that the plastic one was still clutching onto as if to comfort him. Oz wished he could really touch Ken, but at least his gesture could be seen.

"Don't pout Ken, that pretty face might stick that way. And that would be a cryin' shame! Your smile is ten times cuter."

As if on cue, that very smile tugged at Ken's lips.

"Really?" he giggled.

"What did we say? No lies between friends, right? I mean it. You look really pretty when you smile." Oz blushed once again and let out a light chuckle. "Your eyes get all twinkly too."

It was at that moment that Ken realized that he had never heard that kind of compliment before. Sure, the Barbies would tell him he was very brave and strong, but they had never said something so genuine. He was at a loss for words. All he could do was smile like a dope, chuffed that his new companion seemed to actually like him.

"There it is," came the teasing coo from the alien. "Much better."

Ken let out a boyish laugh, shaking his head in disbelief. Was he being wooed? Because it was working way too well. There must have been some coding in that circuit board that gave Oz enough charisma to flirt. Was it flirting or was he misreading the signs like he always did with Barbie? But this felt different…

"Ken?"

Blinking out of his daze, he turned his attention to Oz's screen before realizing Oz was focused on something in front of them. Instantly, Ken froze. The unmistakable pink flowy fabric made his heart jump into his throat, knocking all coherent thought out of him. Her smile sparkled in the sunlight and he could see her greeting everyone on the beach as she always did.

"...Barbie," fell from his lips automatically.

#Works of Oz #Fanfiction #Barbie #Barbie 2023 #Barbie Movie #Ken #Original Character

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cytser · 6 months

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i'm annoyed so you get a rin vent on a platform that doesn't have my face directly attached

i've seen so many posts both on twitter and tumblr recently guilting people for not posting about current events, and acting as if you're morally/ethically at fault if you're not actively posting about it. and i'm sorry, but are you hearing yourselves?

obviously, what is happening is extremely disturbing. there aren't words to describe the level of horror, so i'm not going to try to find them. i should think this goes without saying, but i'm going to say it just so we're clear that my post isn't coming from the angle of 'but who cares about what's happening?'

but you have absolutely no idea how people are impacted by what's happening. you have no idea what personal connection people may have. you have no idea the impact it may be having on their mental states, and when you act so dismissive and act like 'this is negatively impacting my mental health' is a privileged take, you show what you really think about mental health.

there are so many reasons why people may not feel able to talk about it! people may not be able to understand what's happening. people may have grown up in warzones. people may have delusions, obsessions, flashbacks, suicidal ideation triggered that they do not have a healthy way of managing.

and from a practical standpoint, what is the point in expecting everyone to burn themselves out? when people are burnt out, they lack an ability to critically examine what they're reading. with the amount of propaganda and mis/disinformation, it is extremely important right now for people to be taking time and care to consider what they're reading. insisting that people shout while burnt out just means that mis/disinformation is going to rule. who does that help?

'you're privileged to not be under threat of death!!' well, for a start you don't know everyone's personal situations. but beyond that, you guys know it isn't morally wrong to use one's privilege, right?

when this all started, it triggered my ocd so badly that for days straight i was compulsively checking the news and making myself more and more afraid and distressed. every person who i told, including my literal actual therapist, suggested i stop. so i did! and now i take my news from trusted friends (and a few select other reliable sources) and am trying very hard not to fall into another ocd spiral because with other things going on in my life as well i'm genuinely unsure if i'd survive

i'm glad if you've never reached a level of mental distress where you're concerned for your ability to keep yourself safe, but this is the reality that a lot of people are dealing with, and those people are also the one's most likely to think they're morally failing if they refuse to share every post they see

if you do have the energy to keep posting things, then obviously i encourage you to. but i also encourage you to be critical about what you share, to make sure you understand the history, to understand that everyone is spreading propaganda, and to seriously consider the bias held by the people who's voices you're sharing.

first- and second-person accounts are typically you're best bet, along with people who's jobs revolve around this (activists, journalists, politicians but be fucking careful there), as you can generally assume they know the history - but still be careful, make yourself aware of red flags, read the replies if you're worried because odds are someone will be providing more context there. sharing propaganda is not helpful, it just makes it harder for you to understand what's happening and how to help

part of why this is so difficult to talk about is because the levels of performative activism and just straight-up horrific things i've been seeing on my social media is way more than i've seen during other conflicts. it is very dificult to engage with without a good knowledge, and most people who are engaging do not have a good knowledge

i've had to unfollow so many people over the past couple of weeks because they've clearly been so poisoned from propaganda. it seems a lot of people care more about looking like 'good activists' than they do about actually being good activists

#.txt #it's also really frustrating knowing people who ARE personally impacted #nobody seems to care about them #their worlds are falling down around them but no it's morally wrong to want to avoid the news on social media #they can't avoid it in real life and we're not going to let them avoid it online either!#that's definitely good activism that is helping everyone!

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birdwatching-goesbothways · 1 year

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Smudge

I’ve decided to do another entry for Gobblepot Halloween, this time for the prompt “nightmare”

Warning for body horror.

First Angst then fluff.

Enjoy!

It all starts with a smudge.

A little black stain, nothing more.

Perhaps he had smeared ink on his hand without noticing?

Mindful of not letting it get onto his white shirt (Barbara would kill him for it) he gets up, sighing and feeling annoyed.

Into the bathroom, to attack it with some soap and hot water.

Except the stain seems entirely unwilling to disappear.

No matter his increasingly annoyed and violent scrubbing, nothing seems to help.

It just stays, gloating at him.

He decides to give up when his skin is red and raw and hurting, clenching his teeth in anger.

At least it won’t get onto his shirt, when it is so resistant to leaving his skin.

Eventually it will have to disappear.

Except once again his life ends up disappointing him, because when he wakes up the next day, the stain is anything but gone.

It’s still a stark contrast of black against his unblemished skin, and he can’t stop the feeling that it’s mocking him.

The hot water of the shower and soothing aroma of his shampoo, citrusy and fresh, give him the opportunity to unwind a little.

He lets his mind wander freely, and finds the he continues mulling over one of his current cases.

His thoughts are rudely interrupted and he finds himself pulled back to reality by an unnerving discovery.

There’s another stain. Multiple actually, if the charcoal discolouration of his fingertips is any indication.

What could it be?

Even the first stain seems to have grown in size, now covering the entire back of his hand in sooty black.

There’s nothing to do but ignore it, he finds, after another session of fierce and panicked scrubbing.

His smile is strained as he lies to Barbara that nothing is wrong, and his guilt weighs heavily as she believes him.

He lies again when colleagues ask him why he is wearing gloves, and he tells them it’s a rash.

It only becomes worse and worse during the next days, dark splotches creeping across his body like tar.

He would go to the doctor, but there is a horrible suspicion forming in the back of his mind.

It’s this damn city. Dragging him under, contaminating him, marking him so that everyone can see his shame.

It’s merely an outward sign to show his insidious corruption, festering just beneath his skin.

So he hides in shame, tries to cover the glaring signs with make up he steals from Barbara’s part of the bathroom.

But he can feel the infestation growing, consuming his insides and spreading, only worsened by the cold guilt and regret coiling in his stomach like a snake.

He sees it everywhere now.

He sees it on the pickpocket he chases through the streets, he sees it on the politicians on tv, sees it on his colleagues at work, on the leering man in the holding cells.

Barbara won’t stop asking what’s wrong, why he won’t sleep in the same room at night, or why he refuses to stop wearing long sleeved shirts and pants, why he won’t take off his gloves.

He can’t tell her that he’s afraid of touching her, of infecting the last pure, good thing in his life.

It comes as it has to.

It’s a normal Tuesday evening when she surprises him while he is absentmindedly scratching at his marred skin, leaving it exposed to her shocked eyes.

He tries his best to explain, but the disgust in her face is plain to see.

It doesn’t come as a surprise when she packs up her things and leaves the next day, too disgusted by his touch to stay even a minute longer.

He doesn’t protest. How could he blame her for doing the right thing?

He is rotten.

The door slamming shut behind her feels like a coffin door clanging shut, burying him alive in his misery.

Leaving him to the decay. And no matter how much a part of him screams to fight, yell, plead with fate and claw his way out- he doesn’t.

Because it’s where he should be. He should be locked safely in a coffin, instead of out there, fighting so hard and pretending to be the savour while he himself has long since become an integral part of the problem.

Ashes to ashes, dust to dust.

Suddenly he tastes the dust on his tongue.

Dry and brittle and making him cough.

There’s no air, no room for movement, just darkness so thick that he cannot tell where it ends and he begins. And the disgusting feeling of the corruption inside of him, multiplied tenfold by the lack of other sensory input.

Writhing, moving, spreading, just itching to spring from him to yet another someone he once loved, if he makes the selfish mistake of letting them get close enough.

Because he remembers now. Remembers the dark splotches on Barbara’s soft skin, ugly markings in the shape of his handprints, festering and growing and feeding on her warmth to turn it to hatred.

It’s all his fault.

The writhing mass is moving still, angry that its trapped in this coffin with him, instead of out there, where he-, it, wants to be.

He can feel how it breaches the thin barrier separating it from his lungs, filling them up with mucus, and making him heave up bitter decay.

How come his heart is still beating? Shouldn’t he be dead by now?

Wouldn’t that be so much better for everyone?

God, the infestation it’s everywhere. It’s under his skin, in his mouth, and building lumps on his hands.

But still, he smiles.

It’s not a kind smile, not a happy one. It’s angry, and it’s mean.

Because he remembers another thing now.

He is the one who got into this coffin and sealed it shut, and this horrific disease with him, so that he may never again touch an innocent with it.

And if he is to die, he will take it with him.

No matter if his fists are banging against the wooden cover plate until they are bloody, no matter if it’s using his voice to scream until it is hoarse.

It can’t get out.

At least one less hearth of death and suffering in this rotten city.

That’s when he hears it.

Scratching.

Someone is trying to dig up his grave.

“No!“ he tries to scream, “you‘ll catch it too!”

But his voice isn’t his, doesn’t obey his command.

And as the lid is being opened, all he sees is a pale hand reaching for him, yanking him out roughly, shaking him, shaking-

-shaking him gently but insistently.

“-re you alright?”

The room is dark, bf not dark enough to be a coffin by far. There’s a streak of moonlight falling through the blinds, illuminating the raven haired man crouches above him.

“You were trashing in your sleep, so I thought…”

Jim’s throat is so parched it hurts, and the taste of dust and rot lingers, stubbornly refusing to leave.

“M’ fine. Just a nightmare.”

Suddenly there are gentle hands, stroking his sweat soaked hair out of his face with care.

“Jim. You are clearly not “fine”. Stay here while I get you a glass of water, and then we can talk about it if you want.”

Still feeling too weak to protest, Jim just nods his head and waits for his bedmates return.

Strictly refusing to close his eyes, too afraid of falling back asleep and returning to that horrible dream world.

The images won’t leave him alone even now, and he catches himself raising his hand to check for any signs of discolouration.

It’s normal. Just a normal hand with normal skin.

Normal normal normal nor-

“There you go! Be careful not to drink too quickly.”

Someone helping him up, patiently holding a glass with blissfully cool water to his dry lips and laughing when he almost spills the content in his eagerness.

“I said slowly. Now, would you like to talk about it?”

Not really. He’d much rather forget that horrible dream forever.

But he finds himself unable to just put it aside too.

“Do you think I’m a bad person?”

It’s too dark to see any expressions, but being pulled into a fierce hug is just as good, if not better.

“You’re the man that I love, Jim.”

At least he knows that his expressions aren’t visible either.

The quiet dark makes it easier to let himself be vulnerable, somehow.

So different from the dark in his dreams.

Much lighter, softer, safer. Dots of light from cars that pass by on the street outside, glinting reflections here and there.

The familiar smell of his lovers shampoo still wafting through the room from his shower in the evening.

“Answer the question, Oswald. Please, it’s important to me.”

“I… no. Of course not. Why would you even ask that?”

And if there are a few tears running down his face, surely it’s dark enough so no one would notice.

“Sometimes it feels like everything I touch falls apart. Everyone I get close to suffers because of me.”

Oswald strokes his hair soothingly, and although maybe he should protest such indignant treatment, he doesn’t.

It feels too damn good, comforting and grounding him at the same time.

“You’re doing your best, love. That’s more than most other people can say of themselves, me included. You don’t deserve the bad things that happened to you.”

Jim opens his mouth to protest, but is immediately cut off by Oswald, who can apparently read his mind effortlessly.

“And the things that happen to others are <em>not</em> your fault either, so shush.”

The silence stretches comfortably between them after that, filled only with the occasional sniffle that Oswald gracefully ignores.

After he has calmed down a bit, comfortably on the brink of dozing off again, Oswald’s soft voice pipes up once again.

“I’ve never understood why you do that, you know.”

“Do what?”

“Blame yourself for every bad thing that happens.”

“Must be the knight in shining armour complex,” he ruefully admits.

There’s a little giggle, beautiful enough to light up the darkness.

“Ohhh Jim, my beautiful, strong and handsome knight! Won’t you give me true loves kiss? Or I shall certainly perish!”

“How could I resist such a charming princess,” Jim teases before catching Oswald’s lips in a short but sweet kiss.

They do have to sleep after all, if they don’t want to be entirely useless in the morning.

Oswald apparently thinks so too, because he lies back down between the fluffy pillows with a yawn.

“Good. Now come cuddle me.”

“Oh, a bit bossy, aren’t we?“ Jim teases with a fond smile, before crawling under the cozy covers to join his husband.

“Yes. Now be good, and I might dial it up some more for you tomorrow night~”

#gotham #gobblepot #gobblepot fanfic #jim gordon #Oswald Cobblepot #GobblepotHalloween2022 #tw body horror #tw buried alive #tw corruption #tw infestation #uh #tell me if I forgot anything #my writing

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kessielrg · 11 months

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[Zelda] Please, Protect the Arts: Part 1

Notes: I have an outline for this story, but I don’t know how I’ll pace out when I write the chapters proper. I won’t be uploading this to AO3 until it’s finished either way (I think), so please enjoy it now. There is not a particular version of Link and Zelda in mind, I just want to play with the characters a bit. Link is partially mute.

Rating: K

Word Count: 1,593 words

Next | AO3

- - -

There were two things that Zelda disliked: people who used their strength to hurt others, and when her father listened to lobbyists with money instead of the people any new law actually effected. That being said, Zelda kept a close eye on the politics her father was involved with. He would sometimes joke that she was the only campaign manager he’d ever listen to.

And, like most politicians, he was lying.

Zelda’s father only listened when she was truly annoyed by a certain law, and he only truly followed her advice when he got enough citizen approval to follow through. By then it was too late to change the other politician’s minds as well, leaving the bill to usually go in favor of the wrong party. It was frustrating. It made Zelda wish she never went into politics herself.

She would though.

She was too furious with the world not to.

The notes from the last state-wide conference sat on her father’s office desk. Zelda hadn’t meant to spy on them. She had actually come into his office to get a spare pencil. Her father kept a lot of spare pencils in his desk drawer- enough so that it was the only thing allowed in that particular drawer. The Manila folder with the conference notes didn’t seem important at first, and Zelda had almost dismissed it. It wasn’t until her eyes caught the word ‘education’ that Zelda took a double take.

Curiosity soon became her enemy.

“You can’t let this arts grant -or lack thereof- go through!” Zelda demanded as she stormed to her father.

The poor old man, who sometimes wished he had his daughter earlier to better keep up with her energy, turned his gaze away from the chessboard to Zelda instead. He gave her a tired smile to counter her unbridled anger.

“I’m afraid that decision is not entirely my own,” he reminded her. “If anything, it’s out of my hands. That decision mostly rests with the board of ed.”

Zelda slammed her hand down on the chessboard as she looked her father dead in the eye. “You know that’s a lie.” she seethed. “Especially when you know as well as I do that the wording points toward one particular school.”

Her father gave a heavy sigh, and left that at his only answer. Zelda followed his gaze to where she had accidentally knocked over a knight. Peering over it was the queen, just two moves away from creating a checkmate.

. . .

When Zelda was mad, she went to the library. It had been a way her mother taught her to manage her anger. A place where silence had to be maintained. A place where you could transfer that anger to a protagonist that kept making terrible decisions in the first act of a fantasy trilogy. A place where things could be alright in the end, as long as you had the patience to see it through.

If only real life could work like that.

Zelda and her father had come to an ultimatum; if she was able to convince the board of education that the art program should resume its regular funding (or receive more), then he promised he’d make sure the budget cut wouldn’t go through. Zelda had accepted the challenge without thought. It wasn’t until she got to the library that she realized she had essentially signed the budget cut bill herself. The young woman let out a whining sigh to herself as she thumbed the spines of the books she passed. She didn’t know how important the arts were to properly support them. She herself had only taken music lessons for the school credit and not from genuine interest. Even then, she had no idea on how it applied to her life after- other than a feeling of fleeting satisfaction as her fingers fluttered over a well cared for harp.

Thinking of music and budget doom almost made her tune out the sounds of a wind instrument being played. When it did register, it took Zelda a few moments more to realize she wasn’t simply thinking the tune. No, no, no. Someone was actually playing music in the library. Partially furious at the breech of silence she had been told was mandatory, Zelda went after the sound.

Her search brought her to the very back of the library. Residing there were study rooms. Sitting in one of them was a boy not much older than she was, and he was gently playing a tune on a small, handmade, wooden ocarina as he looked over the thin book he was reading. The sight immediately made Zelda recoil. How on earth did he sneak a music instrument in, however small it was, and how had no one told him to stop yet?

“He’s pretty good, isn’t he?” a voice asked from behind her, making Zelda jump. Her fingers accidentally knocked against the study room door as she whipped her whole body around. It was just a librarian. Zelda offered up a rather guilty smile in return.

“It’s a bit disheartening to see him practice here.” she admitted. “Is there no room for him at the music center?”

“Well, I don’t know about that,” the librarian mused, “But he’s welcome here regardless.”

Zelda nodded in understanding. But something egged at the back of her mind. She realized what it was soon enough.

“You don’t know his name?”

For this, the librarian gave a rather sheepish shake of their head.

“It’s never come up.” they admitted.

“Never?”

“Never.”

Zelda now gave the librarian a funny look. How was it possible to never know a patron’s name? At the very least it would have been on the library card…

The librarian caught on to her expression pretty quickly.

“He doesn’t talk.” the librarian went on to amend. “At least, not very often. He just comes in every Friday, sits right there in that room (it’s got better sound protection from what I’ve heard- gets booked for meetings often because of it), and just plays away from whatever sheet music he’s brought in.”

“Really?” Zelda questioned. She turned to look back at the boy- her blood ran cold in seeing that he was staring right back at her. Apparently, the sound proofing wasn’t that good either way.

The two kept eye contact for what seemed like forever. The boy’s dark blue eyes held a sort of hidden wisdom; as if he saw a lot of things but were never part of them. Zelda wondered what stories he could tell. She wondered what kind of gossip he knew.

“It looks like he’s taking a break now.” the librarian then noted from over Zelda’s shoulder. “You might be able to go in and talk to him if you want.”

“I think I might.” Zelda nodded, not once turning her gaze away from the boy.

Her body moved on its own. One moment Zelda was aware that she was outside the study, and the next she was sitting down opposite of the boy. In his hands was the ocarina still. And surely enough in between them on the table was sheet music. In trying to figure out which piece it was, Zelda noticed a familiar logo. It was the same as the school that the budget cut bill would affect. A part of Zelda’s chest tightened.

“You go to the Hylian School of Arts?”

The boy looked at her, blinked, then casually looked down at his sheet music. He looked back up at her again with a nod.

“You must come from a pretty affluent household.” Zelda mused. She was prodding, she knew it, but she had to see what this boy knew. “HSOA is very thorough with its application process.”

To her surprise, the boy shook his head.

“A scholarship then?”

For this, he nodded, and part of Zelda already understood why.

“If you don’t mind,” Zelda went on, “Can I have your name? There is a rather broad budget cut planned for your school, and I promised my father (a local representative of the state) that I would create an argument against the board of education to keep that funding. If I knew your name, we could work together to build a case. What do you think?”

The boy thought about it longer than Zelda was anticipating. Eventually, she started to ruffle through this sheet music for a blank page. Unceremoniously ripping off a generous piece from the corner, the boy withdrew a pencil that had been inside a backpack hidden under the table and wrote something down. Zelda wasn’t able to see it until he handed it to her.

‘Wednesday, 1:00pm. Room 115.’

“This isn’t your name.” came Zelda’s first, very confused, remark.

The boy smiled at it- it carried notes of mischievousness and a special kind of cockiness. He got up from his spot, gently placing the ocarina down in doing so, and gestured for Zelda to follow him. Zelda raised an eyebrow, but did so anyway. Together he led them out of the study room and back through the library. The boy’s path seemed certain as they reached the kids’ section, but faltered as he searched the rows for something in particular.

A small noise resembling an ‘ah-ha!’ escaped his lips before he pulled a book out. He gave it to Zelda with a careful look of contemplation. He studied her reaction as she looked over the title: Rumpelstiltskin.

“Oh, so you think you’re funny, do you?” Zelda soon snarked at him.

His only response was a wide, boyish grin.

#writing #writing stuff #my writing #fanfiction #fan fiction #zelda fanfiction #the legend of zelda #zelda #link #tloz zelda #tloz link #fanfic #fan fic #writers on tumblr

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dwellordream · 2 years

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Initial Impressions of HotD Episode 3

be warned there are spoilers below.

i have read fire & blood, but i am not judging the show as to its accuracy towards the book, as i had major issues with fire & blood, particularly in regard to how grrm wrote the female characters and handled the Dance.

this is not an evaluation of it as an adaptation but on its own merits.

I’m a little shocked at how fast Season 1 is moving. We jumped six months between Episodes 1 & 2, and now three years between Episodes 2 & 3. I’m a bit disappointed we didn’t see the royal wedding or Alicent’s early marriage.

Alicent shifting to wearing warm, bolder colors now that she’s married Viserys and is more confident as queen is a nice design choice.

The episode does a good job of setting up how isolated and resentful Rhaenyra is, and how dismissive Viserys is of her- despite his professions otherwise- now that he has a son.

I’m surprised they made a Johanna Swann reference from Fire & Blood.

It’s nice to see noble ladies with pets for once, even if they’re pugs.

Viserys and Rhaenyra’s actors continue to have great chemistry and really sell their scenes as father and daughter.

I think they should have made Rhaenyra a bit more open to marriage, especially if she’s feeling insecure as heir. Her total opposition to marriage feels a bit random, though maybe the implication is supposed to be that she’s afraid of childbirth?

Viserys comes across as much more vehement about defending Rhaenyra as his heir here than he ever did in Fire & Blood, but it’s ultimately a lot of words and little action. She’s missing for hours and no one seems all that concerned.

Lyonel Strong gets a lot more character here than he ever did in the book, and he’s a pretty reasonable guy who balances a lot of the more over the top politicians out.

Showing Rhaenyra and Criston having a friendly relationship is a lot more effective than endless hinting that she’s trying to seduce him at every turn.

The scene of Viserys and Alicent standing before the bonfire was beautifully shot.

The contrast between Rhaenyra brutally killing the boar in a real matter of life and death, and Viserys essentially being handed a stag to kill for his own ego that his men need to coach him through, is pretty vivid and shows how differently they approach the ideas of what it means to be a ruler.

There’s many interpretations as to why Rhaenyra refuses to kill the actual white stag - I tend to go with that she feels there’s no need to flaunt her power the way Viserys does. Ultimately, while she has insecurities and moments of doubt, she’s much more self assured at her core than her father, and firmly believes she can lead, if given the chance.

I think the episode may have been more effective had we not skipped quite so far ahead, and if we’d seen Alicent at the very end of her first pregnancy, there could have been the possibility of Rhaenyra and Alicent reconciling over fear from the pregnancy, only for it to be ruined by the birth of a boy, driving another wedge between them.

I’m curious to see if they will change it to Rhaenyra actually being in favor of marriage to Laenor, because she feels only he is worthy of her, status wise (besides Daemon).

Laenor’s actor looks about 5 years older, not 3, and he’s pretty stiff, so I’m hopeful he improves as the season continues.

Daemon’s wig looked way better in this episode than it did in the first two, so maybe warcrimes just suit him lol.

The music in this show is great, so it aggravates me that they never updated the title theme.

I’m annoyed we see Laenor on Seasmoke before we ever see Laena on Vhagar, but at least the show isn’t introducing him via homophobic jokes.

I think this episode was a wasted chance to not show Rhaenyra starting to become friends with an older Laena, in the wake of her estrangement from her father and Alicent.

I did not enjoy this episode as much as 1 and 2. I think the pacing could have been better, timeline wise. I didn’t find the stag scenes all that gripping, though I enjoyed Viserys and Alicent’s conversations.

#hotd #word to the wise

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alsjeblieft-zeg · 5 months

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546 of 2023

I don’t eat peas, ugh! I’m the only one in my house awake right now. It’s before midday. My room is a total sty. I ate fast food for dinner last night. I adore Ben & Jerry’s Ice cream. I don’t speak to some members of my family. I’ve bought and wrapped all my Christmas presents already. I’m not at home for Christmas. I’m wearing socks. I’m barefoot. I’m going into town today. I don’t have many friends. I rarely get comments. God, I’m roasting. I’m afraid of big dogs! Pop ups annoy the living crap out of me. I have wireless. Yes I can be arrogant sometimes. All I care about is happiness. I have beautiful red hair. My worst subject in school is Science.

I sleep in a double bed. I share my bed with somebody else. Some people should just get a clue. I’m sick of seeing so many same surveys. I want more! I love these kind of bolding surveys. I’m listening to music right now. I’m a closet Cher fan. Lord of the Rings is one of my favourite movies. I’ve had the same best friend all my life. It’s actually sunny outside. The curtains are drawn. Pepsi is so much more delicious than coke. I don’t like the beach. Sand everywhere! I appreciate pretty scenery. I couldn’t give a darn about nature. HOW COULD YOU! I watch TV all the time. Labels are for soup cans, get over it!

What’s all the hype about myspace? I have so many friends I don’t have time to see them all and I feel bad. The only person I can trust is myself. Baked potatoes! YUM! I’m always down in the dumps, it seems. I try to smile even when I’m down. If I’m in a foul mood, I will let you all know! I have never visited Europe. I’m tone deaf. AOL instant messenger is much better than Yahoo. Sims 2 runs so slow on my computer. I’ve never had a boyfriend. I’ve recently had sex. I fantasize about becoming a politician. I refuse to kill a spider if I see one. My hair is still its natural colour, and I won’t ever dye it. My room needs dusting. I refuse to leave the house without wearing make up. Chinese food… vomit I’m wondering what the time is. I play Frisbee. I want to go back to bed and sleep all day. I’m not sure about my sexuality. I’m a vegetarian. I couldn’t live without meat, no way. I belong to a clique. I have a calendar this year. I’ll have one next year, too. My social life is brimming. I will stay home for new years eve

#survey #bolding survey #random survey

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charcoaldaydreams · 10 months

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CMYK Main Cast

The main cast of CYMK, a comic idea created by myself. Clicking on the character’s names will lead to tagged posts of them.

Willow DeLore

A 15-year-old girl with low grades and high ambitions. Her carefree attitude may land her in trouble but as long as she has her friends, she's good. Willow is reckless but is actually Chroma Magenta, the new leader of the magical girl team CYMK. CYMK may not get respect or praise as the other magical girl teams, but Willow is determined to prove that CYMK is the best!

Willow's outfits are usually hand-me-downs and having an older sister who is a rock band means Willow's clothes are often grunge or scene. Her chroma stone is a magenta-colored rock that is shaped like a 10d split in half. On the backside, is a glued-on pin that Willow put so that she can clip the stone anywhere and she always wears it.

As Chroma Magenta, Willow has super-athletic abilites, being able to carry things huge and heavy items, speed run, and jump sky-high.

Acacia Luna-Solar

A 15-year-old trans girl who is in her second year of transition. She is kind and smart, the complete opposite of Willow, her best friend since childhood. Acacia is usually chilled and goes with the flow. She lives with her parents in the lower-middle-class area of Synth City. She is Chroma Yellow and is the third member to join Team CYMK. Acacia likes to dress for herself and herself only. Unlike the others, Acacia doesn't stick to one fashion sense and dresses whatever looks comfortable.

Chroma Yellow is a psychic, She has clairvoyance, being able to look through another person's eyes if she holds an item belonging to them.

Skye Hendrix

A 15-year-old girl, with books and knowledge on her side. Skye has descended from magical girls, her mother being the former Chroma Cyan before her and passing on her transformation jewel onto her. Her constant lecturing and rule-following manners may come off annoying, but deep down she just wants the best for everyone. Compare to the other members of CYMK, Skye dresses more feminine in her civilian form. She lives with her mother in Synth City, while her dad and brothers live in Celesterra, with her stepmother and stepsister.

She is Cyan and rightfully so belongs in the front of team CYMK, as she was the only magical girl keeping the team in the business. Like her civilian name, Chroma Cyan is a nature user, controlling the power of the air, With these, can blast enemies away with her palms and can even float.

Vivi Pak

At 16-years-old and lives in a completely different world than the other members of CYMK. Having a father as a politician should have made her a decently well-behavior girl but instead, Vivi sticks her middle finger to it. She is fierce, sarcastic, and isn't afraid to start fights. Being Chroma Black, she has the ability to create a mute duplicate of herself named Chroma White. Despite being the second member to join CYMK, she views herself as an outsider, as she's older than them and is more popular. Vivi and Willow often butt heads against each other, and Skye talks to Vivi more than the others.

Compared to the others, Vivi dresses more goth and flashy than the others. She wears makeup and feels no shame showing off.

Chroma Black is one of Celesterra's few supernatural users. Like Chroma Yellow, Black has clairvoyance which she uses with her duplicate, nicknamed Chroma White by the team. As such, Chroma White can go off and fight while Vivi goes to parties.

Arden Whitlock

A 15 year old runaway from Celesterra. Traveling with his Thylacine familiar, Fertell, Arden made his way to Synth City to see if CYMK really had their leader back. After seeing that the current Chroma Magneta isn't the one who crossed paths with his family before, Arden is disappointed but reveals to CYMK that he has the chroma stone of Dark Magenta. Arden gets along with Vivi the most and is on friendly terms with Acacia and Sedum. Skye doesn't trust Arden and Arden finds her condescending but they can work together if they have to.

Like Willow, Arden can transform into Magneta but a darker shade. Though the two of them have the same abilities, Arden can hide in Willow’s shadow and pop out. Arden and Willow fight often, hating how since they both can transform into Chroma Magenta, however, they can't use each other's Chroma stone.

Sedum Marblelaw

A 16-year-old who lives in Celesterra. He is part of Team Neutrals, which is a large-scale team of neutrals color Chromas where they would send a member of theirs to another magical Chroma team to help as a temporary member. Sedum is assigned to CYMK, though he strives to get better and hopefully become a temp for the biggest magical group, Rainbow. Sedum dresses more for mobility and confront. He gets along with Acacia, Willow and Vivi and like Skye, he is wary of Arden.

Sedum's Chroma stone is Charcoal, where he has smoke-like powers and is considered a nature user.

Kay

A possum-raccon hybrid, Kay is the mascot and mentor of Team CMYK. She is connected to the chroma magenta, she has been asleep until Willow activated the chroma stone. Having to get use to the modern world, Kay does her best to help the CYMK girls be the best they can be.

#cymk text

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kallypsowrites · 3 years

Text

When Twist Villains go Bad(ly written)

Sometimes I think a lot about “twist” villains. Villains that are first cast in the role of love interest and then revealed in a TWIST to be bad and afterward their entire personality changes. Ya know. Hans. The Darkling. Maven (I only ever read book one of the Red Queen, so I dunno if he became a less cartoony villain later on). Show Daenerys.

What bugs me about these twist villains is that they are essentially two characters. The before character and the after character. The character that the author was writing back when they were trying to conceal the twist. And the character the author is writing now as an ‘AH HA!! GOTCHA!!”

The implication is that the character after the twist is their “TRUE SELF” and the character before the twist is a fiction. A performance. But the author is afraid that we’ll get their twist too early so they don’t actually build those villainous elements into the character and foreshadow it. Then they’d risk not being able to SURPRISE the reader. And they want to feel all superior about tricking us and laugh about how “sometimes you can’t trust a pretty face”.

But the result of this desperate “GOTCHA” is some cheating in the writing and a lot of retconning.

For instance, once in Frozen, Hans is shown smiling softly at Anna when no one is looking at him. It’s just him on screen. Why did he do that?? What was the reason if not just to lull the audience into a false sense of security?

And the Darkling is clearly driven by a desire to help the Grisha but post twist I guess he’s just okay with allying with Grisha-enemy #1 Fjerda (and they’re okay with allying with him somehow too???)

Everything about their demeanor changes. Everything about their dialogue. It doesn’t feel like a gradual transformation. It feels like a good/evil switch.

And some might say “its a warning because sometimes you can’t TELL who’s going to be evil because they’re liars :)”

But a character pre twist and post twist should still be recognizable as the same person and have a consistent character.

Take Petyr Baelish for instance. The moment we meet this man, we think he’s sketchy. Ned thinks he’s sketchy. This man is a liar and a politician. But.....lots of people in King’s Landing are liars and politicians and Baelish seems to be helping Ned. He even gives a reasonable motivation! It’s because he’s friends with Cat that he’s helping Ned. But he also flat out says: “you shouldn’t trust me”.

So when HIS twist comes, it IS surprising at first. We kinda thought we had his motives figured out. But it makes sense AND he’s still the same person afterward. Same vibe entirely. Nothing about him transforms when he stops lying.

And then there’s the twist villain that descends unexpectedly into villainy. Annakin was a good example of this (perhaps because we all knew it was coming). He was always brilliant but also impulsive and hot headed. He’s driven by his fear of losing those he loves, especially after the loss of his mother, and it’s those good intentions that lead him over the edge. But he’s still the same person after the switch. He’s just deeply changed. Certainly his arc was handled ten times better than that of Daenerys

On another level, I hate that usually the “twist villains” are there SPECIFICALLY to shame female characters for being stupid or gullible or naive. Like “oh you silly girl. Trusting this bad man who looks pretty but lies. You’re just like our young readers. They’re also stupid and need a LESSON to know DON’T TRUST ANYONE, especially someone who makes you FEEL LUST.”

But so rarely do these fictional twist villains act like real life abusers or men that they actually need to watch out for. Because the author is hiding the red flags because they want their twist. It’s just...it’s bad foreshadowing. It’s bad character writing. It’s annoying over all. No thank you.

#the darkling #darklina #game of thrones #sab meta #sab salt #maven #hans

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i-became-the-lady-of-the-blog · 3 years

Note

They were hiding like they always did, staying in the corners, only ever greeting people and too nervous to make conversation. ‘The adorably shy queen’ the tabloids had named them. Shyness really wasn’t an issue, they loved meeting new people. But every time they even mentioned life outside the castle to another person, they could feel his cold, viridescent stare on them.

They were nothing but a doll, decor. Teenage girls wanted to be them, the boys found them cute. What a truly odd existence. Malleus had gone into the next room with some politician from the west. Having a banquet at political meetings had been his idea, giving them something to do while he worked.

A hand rested on their shoulder, they turned to see Leona Kingscholar. He looked the same, though a bit of rough stubble adorned his chin, he had new tattoos as well.

“We need to talk, herbivore”, the nickname that annoyed them to bits years ago now seemed like a call from heaven. A way out

An ally.

This is a sequel to this story

----

Before everything went to south, MC was a social butterfly. They would talk with anyone and find topic to converse easily but here they were. Too afraid to make a conversation with people to avoid making Malleus upset. They remember first time MC felt Malleus’ raw jealousy on their first year in Valley of Thorns. They were trying to cope with their abduction, to feel normal again and soothe their need to socialize with others. There were noble fae visitors on that day. Maleficent suggested drink tea on the balcony while she, Malleus and some of the nobles had a meeting. The remaining group went to the balcony, sitting on the chairs around the table.

It was silent when the servants brought snacks for the group. MC thought the group hated them since they are a human so they didn’t utter a word. It was silent until one of the fae ladies spoke up and asked how they’ve been faring. MC was reluctant at first, fearing their judgment but as they spoke more, their confidence restored. It was not just the fae lady who initiated the conversation, the rest of the group were good people too. Talking with them soothed MC’s nerves, in fact, they craved to talk with them more. They were on the verge of a mental breakdown after being isolated for so very long, talking with them felt like a cure in that moment. They could not even recall the last time they laughed until that day. All was going well until he showed up. Their meeting ended earlier so he didn’t want to waste any time to be with MC, yet when he teleported, he saw MC talking and laughing with someone who isn’t him. He dismissed the guests politely before teleporting MC and himself to his- no their- bed chambers.

Malleus was enraged that they were getting intimate with another even though it was just laughing and engaging in conversation. The sky darkened as Malleus expression was taking a dark turn. The sky was rumbling with thunder and lightening, as Malleus was taking slow and uncanny steps towards them, making MC flinch with every step. That day, MC felt Malleus’ true rage, true jealousy, true power... It was not uncommon for Malleus to take pleasure in their body regardless of MC’s wishes but that day, it was more than that. It caused MC to have nightmares over a year. Waking up because of a night terror and only to be soothed by the person who caused it was taking a toll on MC. But no one cared nor dared to stand up for them. That day MC learned not to talk with people when Malleus wasn’t around, how much cruel Malleus could get when he wishes and no one would bat an eye. That day MC decided to be obedient, to avoid more harm.

Now here MC was, greeting delegates from different countries and the nobles of Valley of Thorns briefly and making a small talk before moving on to the next person. No one managed to ask questions beyond daily talk and Valley of Thorns related queries. Their court and the delegates saw them as the Shy Queen, thinking that MC was still nervous to talk with people they didn’t know personally. The truth couldn’t be far from that. They just didn’t want to get punished for socializing nor feel that pain again.

MC needed a drink and compose themselves before moving on to the other guests. That was the plan until they saw something or more like someone. They had to take a second look since they didn’t think Malleus would be this bold to invite someone from the past, someone who knew who MC was before becoming Malleus’ prisoner- no spouse. Taking another look at the figure, the realization dawned upon them. It was Leona Kingscholar, the hot guy who was not even trying to be hot, the lion king of Savanaclaw, the person they and Grim kept awake all night for him to help fight the next dorm leader. Leona and MC were not close in the NRC but to see a familiar face...

MC just wanted to run and hug him tightly. They were about to do that but then Malleus came to their mind. Speak of the devil, he shall appear...

Malleus came soon after Leona spoke. MC wanted to explain the situation so it wouldn’t cause a problem but Malleus cut them off, pulling them over, kissing their hands affectionately, making a show in front of Leona. MC recalled the rivalry between them. Leona was powerful but he was in the middle of Valley of Thorns, surrounded by powerful fae, Malleus, Lilia and Maleficent herself. He didn’t stand a chance. They didn’t want him to be harmed so they were eager to remove the reason of current conflict, themselves, from there but it was impossible for Malleus to just let them go. MC’s heart was racing, as if it would go out of her chest when Malleus forced them to eye contact. They thought a kiss on cheek would suffice but Malleus lifted their chip up before kissing them on the lips. If it wasn’t for the years of practice to stay still even while being violated, their knees would have given away.

MC let out the breath they weren’t aware that they were holding. Everything was too much, the stress was getting to them but they couldn’t fail now and make Malleus think something happened between them and Leona. They saw a servant and ordered a drink. Before they could have some alone time, a noble approached them and started talking. MC was having a hard time to have the standard conversation as they has with the rest. They were feeling nauseous as the nobles kept talking but luckily the servant brought them a glass of campaign. Gulping the entire glass in one go, they got the attention of the nobles as they started to make unwanted comments. The alcohol made them relax just a tiny bit. Finally, MC was able to continue conversation. As it ended, they asked for another drink while going over to greet others.

After what seemed like an age, MC found an opening to take a break. They walked into the quieter corridor, hoping for some alone time. They didn’t get what they hoped for...

A hand rested on their shoulder, making them panic since they knew it was not how Malleus touched so this meant someone other than Malleus was touching them. They wanted to warn the person. They turned around to see Malleus’ possible victim, only to meet with Leona’s eyes. “We need to talk” He said firmly.

MC just wanted him to be okay so they couldn’t speak with him, ensuring Malleus’ wrath. They conjured up a smile as best as they could in that situation. “We have already talked, Prince Kingscholar. Now if you excuse me,” MC was going to walk around him and go back to the crowd - so much for relaxing.

“Lizard is in an important meeting along with grandma Lizard. The guards are not checking your every move all the time. They have intervals.” Leona stated casually. “This means we can talk, Herbivore.” He seemed determined to talk.

Mc knew they should have walked away but something in Leona’s voice made them trust his observation. “Be quick please, I don’t want to anger Mal- I mean, my husba- I- I-” They were having trouble with speaking with Leona without saying what went on behind the closed doors.

“I don’t need to smell to know your nervousness, MC. Especially around the Lizard who is supposed to be your husband. Tell me what happened directly now.” Leona looked the same, though a bit of rough stubble adorned his chin, he had new tattoos as well. “Did you return home?” He was asking impossible questions.

MC gulped, recalling the day they lost everything. It pained them greatly to think about the day they thought they would see their family and friends again. “No...” They whispered, clenching their fists and burying their nails to their palm to not cry, yet they couldn’t prevent the quivering of their voice. “Dire Crowley told me to come over to the mirror room. He told me that he found a way to go home and wants me to check it out before going back completely.” They closed their eyes, it was as if reliving that dreadful moment. “My husba- Mal- no my husba... You-Know-Who was there with the old bat. I thought they wanted to see interdimensional travel for the first time but they had other plans. You-Know-Who told Dire that he did a good job before he took me to Valley of Thorns with the old bat. I resisted at first but if you went through what I-” Their voice broke as they felt tears in their eyes, dropping to their cheeks. They wiped their cheek, “I answered your question, now please leave me be before some guard sees us together and reports to You-Know-Who. I accepted this is my life and I live this way now.”

“Not anymore,” Leona objected, MC could feel the anger behind these those words. “Your imprisonment ends today, you are coming with me, Herbivore.” He stated, ordering them around like when they were in the NRC.

In that moment, it seemed silly but hearing them from someone like Leona made them imagine how their life could have changed. Maybe this was their way out and he was their ally.

——

🍪 Anon I love your brain once again!

#twst #twisted wonderland #leona kingscholar #malleus draconia #savanaclaw #diasomnia #warning: yandere #yandere twisted wonderland #yandere twst #yandere malleus draconia #twst mc #twisted wonderland mc #mc/yuu

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racheloveyunho · 3 years

Text

Till Death do us part - 2

Y/N grew up in a wealthy family, she always was seen as a beautiful and smart kid and was most likely to take her father’s place as the CEO of one of the most important companies in South Korea. However, after the death of her mother, Y/N’s family slowly started to break apart. Her father was always working to forget his uncalled pain while his kids were left alone at home.

She was 17 years old when her life took a sudden turn when she met him in a dark alley. He was a bloody mess, bruises everywhere but behind blood and dirt, she could see his beautiful features and his addictive gaze. Maybe she should have walked away, maybe she shouldn’t have helped him, but the moment his gaze locked with hers, she was already his.

Choi San was his name.

Genre: Mafia AU, smut, angst, fluff, stranger to lovers

Words: 2237

TW series: Y/N is described as an OC. Please be aware that this story will contain a lot of triggering content such as smut, blood, death, murder, drug, kidnapping, etc. Do not read if you are under a legal age!

TW chapter: Body shaming, reader being forced into a marriage, character got slapped, swearing, threats.

I was finally back home. Fortunately for me, my dad hadn’t noticed me since he was already sleeping on the couch.

I quickly went upstairs to my room and collapsed on my bed, my mind still processing what had happened earlier. It was scary to say the least but fascinating at the same time. I was still confused even after showering. This San had a deep effect on me, not only mentally but physically too.

“Choi San…” I muttered before closing my eyes and drifting into a deep sleep.

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Chapter 2

2 years after.

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Days and months went by so fast, I didn't even see them go by.

It has already been two years since my first meeting with San and since then, I didn't met him again. However, he was still on my mind, from the moment I woke up tired in the morning until the moment my head was hitting the pillow at night.

I just couldn't stop myself from thinking about him, his voice, his gaze, his touch, and the shivers he gave me when his mouth had come close to my ear.

"Hey sis’, what is going on? You had been absent-minded for a while and I still don't know why" Jin said with a hint of worry in his voice before he looked around, checking the surroundings to make sure we were alone "Is it because of dad?" he asked.

For the first time since our mother passed away, dad was at home for a whole month without any explanation. He was now working from home and even though It was something I dreamed of a few years ago, it was now so stuffy, I couldn’t breathe properly in my own house. Every single time I went outside of the comfort of my room, I silently prayed not to meet him, hoping that our house was big enough to let me avoid him.

"I'm fine but I'll be better if he wasn't around" I shrugged while looking at my plate "I'm not hungry today" I nonchalantly played with my food.

"Please force yourself and eat a little, you loosed too much weight recently" he furrowed his eyebrows with true concern in his soft brown eyes.

"I'm fine Jin, really! No need to worry for me" I stood up but felt a hand on my shoulder, stopping me in my track.

I turned around and saw my dad with his usual stern expression "Sit down." he calmly ordered.

I sat down without a word, I knew I was about to be lectured one more time.

"Why are you not eating?" my dad asked, voice sounding more as a threat than a question.

"Not hungry" I simply answered.

A long silence settled in the dining room, Jin and I were looking down, trying to avoid any eye contact with the man we referred to as our dad. I laughed internally at the situation, wondering if the kids in other families were afraid of their parents too.

"You don't have to eat if you don't want to, men love slim girls so it'll be good for you to start a diet." He stated, unbothered by the awkward silence.

I was annoyed by his remark 'how dare he' I thought 'Is he thinking my body is his?'

"I'll be dumb if I'd choose a man who loves me just for my body, I will not change anything for anyone" I retorted, Jin nodding in approval, visibly proud of me. But, my father didn’t seem pleased at all by my answer and my rebellious behavior.

"Well, I wasn't talking about any random man, but about your fiancé. He likes slim girls." my dad crossed his arms.

I shot a glance back at my father with wide eyes, he was smirking over my shocked expression, feeling visibly satisfied by the way he made me go silent.

"My fiancé? What are you talking about? I never had a boyfriend in my whole life, how could I have a fiancé?" I shouted, standing up from my chair which quickly and loudly fell on the ground.

"I chose a good boy for you, he is the son of a rich politician who will be useful to me and the future of my company. In two months, when you'll turn 20, you will marry him" he said, not sparing a glance at me as he busily taped on the screen of his new expensive phone.

My mouth was now wide open, and so was my brother's.

Jin stood up angrily, it was the first time I ever saw him defy our father's authority. His brown eyes who always seemed so soft to me were now darker than ever. The anger in his body was showing with his tensed muscles and the vein in his forehead that was angrily popping up. His jaw was so tight, I swore he could have been able to break his own teeth.

"What to do you mean she will marry him? Are you not concerned about your daughter's happiness? Can't you stop thinking about your work and think more about your family instead, for at least once in your life? That's why mom died! You-..." Jin got slapped by my father before he could even finish his sentence. Our father’s face was red and rage was visible through his eyes.

I gasped and kneeled myself to my brother's side, the impact was so hard that he was now laying on the ground, his right hand hiding his red cheek. Jin shot a death stare up at my father who was still standing in front of us.

"I heard that you want to integrate the Seoul national university, Y/N. You will need money for that, right? If you marry this man, I'll give you all the money you want. If not, you can already say goodbye to this dream of yours." he told me with a harsh voice "Think well cause your birthday is coming up" he added before exiting the room.

I collapsed on the floor, tears were stinging my eyes and blurring my vision. Jin hugged me tightly and patted my back, whispering sweet nothings to my ear to comfort me the best he could.

I hid my head on his neck and cried silently, I hated this, hated this situation, hated this life. I was like a bird trapped in a silver cage.

I ate nothing for the rest of the day after my dad had announced my upcoming wedding.

I still couldn't believe it. I didn't want to believe it. How come a father could do this to his only daughter? Wasn't he supposed to love and cherish me?

It was Saturday and after a lazy morning, I finally stood up to do my daily routine. I put the prettiest dress I had on my dressing and put natural makeup on. I tried my best to cover up my dark circles and hide the exhaustion in my face caused by a long night of crying.

Today, my best friend Hana and I, planned to hang out together for a shopping day. It was the best way for me to think about something else than my current situation.

I took a look at my phone and saw her message "Hey honey, I'm waiting in front of your house~" I read before smiling and joining her outside the house, in front of the big gateway.

"Wow, you are stunning! Why is that? You're going to meet this San again?" She smiled widely.

Hana is the first friend I ever made in my life, I first met her when I was just 6 years old and she always stayed by my side even when I went through hard times. Her cheerful personality and her warm smile made her easy to get along with, she was the best at socializing, she was literally a burst of energy by herself and never failed to make me crack up a smile even when I wasn’t in a good mood. She made everyone feel attracted to her, she wasn’t only nice and outgoing but beautiful and funny as well. Her short and messy hair were completing her chubby cheeks and her brown eyes. Her tall frame and perfect curves made everyone drool over her, men and women.

She knew everything about my life. When something happened to me, she was the first one I talked to.

"I already told you! I know nothing about him, I don't even have his phone number, how could I meet him?" I pouted before laughing playfully.

We took the first bus we saw and headed downtown.

"It's a shame he isn't on any social media" she whined loudly "Dude, don't get me started" I answered, almost complaining.

During the bus ride, I talked once again about how I felt about San and the gorgeous charisma he had. Hana listened to me as if it was the first time I talked about this whilst I already told her a hundred times before.

Within ten minutes, we had reached our destination.

"Y/N! Look at this! I'm sure this top will fit you perfectly" I heard Hana yelling from the other side of the shop.

Everyone looked at us, some customers were judging us silently while others smiled, probably finding amusement in my friend’s behavior. I apologized to the other customers for the noise and quickly went to my friend's side, slightly embarrassed even though I was used to it. Hana didn't know the word "silent".

After 3 hours of shopping, I went outside to eat ice cream with Hana. We moved to a quiet spot with no one around. The weather was nice, it was a sunny day and I let myself relax under the comfortable heat. I always liked rainy days better but I liked to feel the sun against my skin from time to time.

"I'm sorry to say this Y/N, but your father is truly an asshole" Hana swore between her teeth after I told her what happened at home the previous day.

"I don't know what I'm going to do about this. Is it better to agree and then divorce this guy? But my dad is well-known, he always will find a way to keep me under his grip, no matter what I do. I feel completely useless and trapped, I can’t find a good way to escape from this" I spoke in a low tone, sadness filling my voice the more I talked.

I sighed, concerned by the situation I was into. Hana gently rubbed my back to give me some comfort while my head was on her shoulder. We stayed silent for a few minutes, both of us didn’t know what to say because we both knew that there was no way I could escape my fate.

"Excuse me, are you Kim Y/N?"

I turned around to see who had called my name. In front of me stood was a well-dressed man, a bit older than me with a confident look. He wasn't especially handsome, but he wasn't unpleasant to look at. He had this classic Korean vibe one could find everywhere here in Korea.

"Yes? Who are you?" I politely asked.

He took my hand in his own, making me stand up from the bench I was sitting in. Soon after, he put a slight kiss on the back of my hand.

"What the hell?" I shouted and took my hand off his.

It wasn't in our culture to do something like this so I first assumed he had grown up abroad but honestly, from what I knew, even in the USA or Europa no one kissed a perfect stranger met in the street less than ten seconds ago.

"Who the heck are you?" Hana jumped between the man and me.

"I'm Hwang Jinyoung, her future husband" he simply stated, a smirk on his face.

"I never agreed on that." I frowned my eyebrows at his statement.

"What do you mean you never agreed? Your father told us that you were glad to be my future wife" The man seemed truly surprised or at least, he was pretending well to be.

"He lied!" I yelled out, the anger taking over me while I clenched my fists, nails finding their way onto y skin.

I was angry that my father had one more time, talked for me without my consent. My body was shaking from anger while the man laughed at my reaction.

"Move, you're in my way" He suddenly stopped laughing and violently pushed Hana to the ground.

My eyes opened wide from the shock. I was about to check on Hana to be sure she wasn't hurt but Jinyoung grabbed my wrist and pulled me in his chest.

"Why are you so angry? I will take good care of you!" he chuckled.

"Let me go!" I screamed against him, feeling the tears tingling my eyes.

I suddenly felt a strong arm around my waist which encircled me from behind.

"Holy shit." Hana gasped when she saw the handsome man who was protectively hugging me.

I had no need to look back, I already knew who it was. This touch and this warmness were simply unforgettable.

"If you don't let her go in the next five seconds, I'll blow your hands off." the voice behind me growled against Jinyoung.

The beating of my heart quickened. For the past two years I had dreamed about him every night and now, I was finally able to see him again.

"San!" I shouted happily, finally looking to the handsome boy. He smiled back atme but his expression became cold again as he stared at Jinyoung. My so-called husband finally let my wrist go and hardly swallowed his spit.

"Y-you! What are you doing here?" he asked with a shaking voice. I had no doubt about the fact that he knew who San was and that he probably knew him better than I did.

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Edit: Guys, I'm so surprised, I didn't think I would get so many likes for this series, I just uploaded it two days ago after all lol but I'm glad! The next chapter is already done but I'll wait a bit before uploading it, maybe next week? Anyways, thank you again!

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