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amongemeraldclouds · 2 months

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better than revenge | chapter two: practice?

Lorenzo Berkshire x Slytherin!reader (ft. Ex!Mattheo Riddle)

Series trope: Fake dating

Chapter two summary: As with any good fake dating scheme, you’ve got to have rules and perhaps a little bit of practice.

Warning: Kissing, mention of cheating, no use of y/n

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“We have got to come up with a nickname, something like Operation Freedom,” Enzo says, leaning back at his desk, using his hands to support him.

I look up at him from the chair and snicker, “cute but kind of obvious. Wouldn’t work if we want to keep our arrangement a secret. Hmm how about calling it an ordinary item like shoes?”

“Because of how we’ll walk over Mattheo’s patience?” Enzo quips.

I grin, “or a broomstick because of how we’ll beat his sorry ass for cheating on me and all the brotherly trauma he has no doubt caused you.” It was fun hating on Mattheo with someone who gets it.

Enzo laughs then suddenly gets concerned, “So he cheated on you, huh? I never expected much from Mattheo but what a shitty thing to do.”

I curl my fist, “well, what we’ll do will help me get my revenge. I don’t think we can keep mentioning shoes and broomsticks though, let’s keep it simple like,” I scan his dorm, “the book! Since this all started in the library.”

“So every time we talk about The Book, people will think it’s an inside joke between us,” Enzo says.

I nod, “let’s go over the rules one more time. Rule number one, no more hiding from Mattheo. It’s time for me to reclaim my space. Number two, we hang out at areas where he would be 50% of the time so he would see us a lot but not all the time. Just enough to rub it in his face.”

“We do have a life, after all,” Enzo adds. “Number three, I tell my father I am smitten by a wonderful lady,” he says gesturing to me with his hand, “who also happens to come from a powerful family.”

I mock curtsy in the chair, waving both arms to fan my imaginary dress and raise my chin.

“And we have to attend a ball together,” he adds. “I know you hate them, but I promise I’ll make it fun.”

I nod and continue, “Number four, only we know about the arrangement. Now officially called The Book. And I think that’s it.”

“Nope,” Enzo shakes his head, “there’s one thing we haven’t discussed yet. Kissing,” he says playfully.

“Kissing?” I ask, blushing. I look into his dark eyes. He may be smirking but he’s looking at me intently.

“All this may be fake but I don’t hate the idea of kissing a beautiful girl like you to really sell our story. One of the perks of The Book,” he says.

“I haven’t kissed anyone since Mattheo,” I admit and I hate it. I hate that Mattheo is still the last person I kissed. I hate that I miss the way he used to kiss me like his life depended on it. My lips would be haunted for hours by the ghost of his lips on mine. Now all that haunts me are the memories. I need to do something different, to feel different.

“No pressure, we will only do what you’re comfortable with” he raises his hands and flashes me a kind smile.

“You know, you’re not bad yourself,” I stand up and move towards him. “Maybe I don’t hate the idea of kissing a pretty boy like you too.”

“Practice?” I ask, standing on my toes to move closer to him.

He moans his agreement and closes the gap between as he presses his lips on mine. He kisses me gently and I feel something like butterflies in my stomach. It feels nice to be kissed again and to kiss him back. As our lips move in a steady rhythm, I move my hands up his soft hair and he takes this as a cue to pin me against the wall behind us.

I feel his body against mine, he’s so warm and nice. I take his lower lip between my teeth and I’m rewarded with a moan as the kiss deepens.

He places his hands firmly on my waist, his grip strong and reassuring. He licks my lips gently and I open my mouth to accept his tongue. I feel warm and electric from the core of my stomach all the way down my toes.

Theo suddenly opens the door, “Enzo, would you tell your brother he can’t just—”

The kiss ends way too soon as Enzo looks at his roommate, face flushed and hair disheveled. I stare at his angular jaw and admire how good his side profile looks. I lucked out with my fake date.

“So you really did get a room,” Mattheo’s voice breaks my gaze from Enzo, sounding amused. He enters the dorm behind Theo and I move to leave but Enzo keeps his reassuring hold on my waist. He shoots me a meaningful look, reminding me I no longer have to run away.

“You’re killing my game,” he tells Theo. “Either leave or we will continue even with you around.” Enzo looks at me with a mischievous smile and resumes our kiss. I smile on his lips and close my eyes, drowning out the world around us.

His kiss is hungry this time, committed to the show. When he trails kisses down my jaw and neck, an involuntary moan leaves my lips and I raise my chin to give him more access. My body feels alight with fire. As I tilt my head, I notice Mattheo staring at us, his jaw clenched and murder in his eyes.

I move my hand back to Enzo’s hair as Theo turns to leave, pushing Mattheo out with him.

When the door closes, Enzo takes another second to kiss my neck, gently biting the skin. My toes curl.

“That was — wow,” I say out of breath when he moves away, putting more space between us.

“Yeah,” he says equally flushed, grinning. “And to think we’re just getting started.”

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Author's note: Thank you for all the positive feedback on chapter one! Feel free to comment if you’d like me to tag you when the next one goes live.

I told myself I would publish weekly, but here I am just days later. I didn't expect to write as fast as I have! I have six chapters written and am nearly done with the seventh one. More or less, there will be eleven chapters in the series.

Enzo was the first Slytherin boy I liked and I was frustrated there wasn’t enough fan fics of him. A lot of this is for my fellow Enzo girls (and guys or them). The next chapter will be for Mattheo lovers, it's my fave one so far!

Taglist: @hoeforvinniehackerrr @i-think-you-are-gr8 @thecraziestcrayon @adreamingpendulum @themarauderswife7 @midsoulz

#mattheo riddle x reader #lorenzo berkshire x reader #slytherin boys #mattheoxreader #mattheo riddle x you #lorenzo berkshire x you #enzo berkshire x reader #enzo berkshire imagine #mattheo riddle imagine #harry potter fanfiction #hp fanfic #enzo x reader #mattheo riddle #lorenzo berkshire #mattheo x you #enzo berkshire #slytherin x reader #slytherin x slytherin #amongemeraldcloudswrites

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still-a-morosexual-help · 1 year

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okay so lately I have seen a lot of people claim they hate mammon bc he steals from mc, and like there's nothing wrong with disliking a character lol but I don't recall mammon ever stealing from mc?? like the only thing I can think of is that one time in season 1 I think where he was going through their stuff and said he was looking for something to sell (I think?? it's been a while) and beel straight up calling him a liar lmao l'm just wondered if I missed something? or if this is just newer players who maybe misunderstood that one scene? and I figured if anyone would know it would be you lmao

I got so fucking pissed about this (not at you anon <3) cos this is the third time I got an ask like this, that I scrolled all the way down my 'Obey Me Mammon' tag to June/July 2020 and then slowly scrolled my way up pulling all the receipts I could.....I saw this immediately after you sent it and I just finished now...... turns out it takes 5 straight hours to go through my Mammon tag😶

I have answered this exact same ask twice before and I can only assume it's new people? Like honestly you can't play the game for a long time and still think this (they prove this false within the game in LESSON FOUR)

Not only does Mammon NOT steal from MC, he also:

a.) Gets legitimate/legal jobs whenever he wants to buy MC something (which is pretty frequently)

b.) Shares the money with them when he comes into a large sum of money

But anyway here are the links to the posts talking about all this:

(everything is directly taken from canon or based off canon)

A.) No he doesn't steal from MC

• Full Summary of the Lesson 4 locked chapter where he goes through MC's stuff and a compare and contrast of what we know about Mammon from future lessons, events, devilgrams

• First post talking about this, goes more into detail about him not stealing from them

• Second shorter post about how he doesn't steal from them

• They're literally Partners in Crime

• He straight up refuses the Midas touch (multiple times I believe) after realising it means he won't be able to touch MC anymore

• HEADCANON that maybe he steals/borrows their clothes, with their knowledge, to wear

• In the small introductory manga page they say the thing he likes as much as money is MC

• In S3 he admits to loving MC more than he loves money

B.) He goes out of his way to get MC Presents (which we works actual jobs to earn money for)

• Mammon at the Office Devilgram, where he gets an actual office job so he can buy MC a watch he saw them looking at

• In the Movie Date Devilgram he rents out an entire theatre for the two of them because it was the anniversary of the day they first met

• In the You Always Ride Shotgun Devilgram he rents out a pool for the two of them

• He's always giving MC presents

• Usually he buys matching things for them

• He buys them shoes in their favourite colour

• Mammon's love language

• He wants to share his winnings from a lottery with MC

• He finds a secret second map in the pirate au event and tells only MC so they can share the treasure

C.) It's not just MC, he puts the others before Money too

• In the Presents From Mammon Devilgram he buys presents for everyone

• In The Guardian Demon Devilgram he saves a 9yr old orphaned homeless human girl from a mugger, fosters her and plans to pay for all her needs until she's an adult/can provide for herself - which is why he's always in debt to the three witches who look after her for him, there's also extortion going on from them towards him

• He'd rather lose the entire fortune he won than make Luke upset

• List of times he's put others before money

• He straight up tells Luke he doesn't mind missing out on a reward as long as it means Luke is alright

• Socks for Beel

• He gets a stone for his birthday which can give him whatever he wishes for, he wishes for fortune to come to whoever has the stone and then gives the stone to a student who tried to hurt him

D.) How Mammon works as a character

• Solmare makes you form certain expectations about him and then starts breaking them within the next few lessons and it's amazing to witness

• Friendship, Actions & Reality Vs Calling MC 'Servant'

• Mammon, MC and their Friendship

• Mammon being smart and why he comes off as an idiot

• His thoughts about himself vs MC

• He's actively changing and growing as a character and he knows it

• How Mammon actually views himself

• Why there's a difference in his level of affection in public vs privately

• Jerk with a heart of gold trope but better

• Mammon and how much he cares about consent

• How outsiders see Mammon vs how people from the city see Mammon vs how his close friends and family see him

• Chasing some creep away from MC

• How his relationship with MC changes and grows throughout the season

E.) Other reasons to love him

• Examples of how much he loves MC

• How supportive he & MC are of each other

• Some of his funniest moments

• He's objectively terrifying

• Mammon being a good brother

• He's extremely ride or die for MC

• He waits for MC when they've got to stay late at RAD for other work

• Despite being an ancient being all his best memories consist of the time he's spent with MC

• He created a whole line of toys based around missing MC

• Everything he says about loving MC in his 2022 birthday event

• List of things he's good at

• The amount he loves MC

And this is just a few of my posts about mammon, his character and what there's to love about him

And look it's MORE than okay for people to dislike a character but at least dislike them for something that actually happened?

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wovenstarlight · 8 months

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and another rant i have built up over jinjae is their everything around food. the first instance i can remember is the courtesy chocolates SHJ brings HYJ after the Babar dungeon, when he's in the hospital (chapters 80/81), which he says is for HYJ due to the stress he must be feeling over HYH. and then immediately kills any goodwill in the very next sentence by going Wowww you're so useful and i'd love to acquire you etc etc. HYJ's not even the one who accepts them from SHJ, that's BYR, and later HYJ says he only eats them because he has nothing better to do (no other option than SHJ, huh...) and even then the Dokkaebi ends up eating half the box. gift that's barely accepted.

the next instance i can think of is post-human trafficking auction in chapter 127 where SHJ makes him eggs, but. well. literally as he's cooking they have this exchange:

(this got so fucking long i had to put it under a cut. takes your hand come with me on this journey)

[SHJ] “I’d like for you to stay unharmed until I grow bored. Mentally, I mean.” [HYJ] “And my body doesn’t matter?” [SHJ] “If your bulk decreases, you’ll be easier to carry around.”

so "i'm making food for you" but also "i don't care if your health deteriorates and/or you lose weight, as long as you're useful". an interesting combination of messages to send, given that HYJ's also struggling in this scene to figure out what SHJ wants from him, what with seemingly looking out for him and his loved ones by lending Sillekia to BYR for fighting HYH, but also still continuing with this "my item" shit and only looking at him for his usefulness. but this instance IS notable in that it's the first time SHJ cooks for HYJ. a slight turning point in their relationship...?

it does seem so cuz after that... HYJ becoming sick of orange- and apple-flavored mana potions because he chugs them so often, and SHJ responding to this in chapter 185 (birthday arc, before HYJ admitted he stole his memories) by acquiring swiss chocolate-flavored mana potions for him. already he's started with the little treats.

and then. sorry i'm feeling the 216 feelings. 1 minute. Okay normal. and then. yes once again it's chapter 216, when SHJ first starts making readably genuine attempts at kindness towards HYJ, starting the entire interaction by making him a drink that "looked like it was just juice, but it was actually sweet. Tasty." normal behavior from SHJ to rent out the entire rooftop pool and bar to show off his bartending skills to HYJ btw.

then the VR dungeon arc, where SHJ can't see HYJ until he installs the first disc, but the moment he does he starts being absolutely unbearable, the relevant part being when HYJ's reached Achates and is stressed out over HYH's treatment to the point of losing his appetite, at which point SHJ sends him the "Must Eat Well" quest to coax him into eating, rewarding him with chocolate-flavored mana potions, which HYJ himself admits remind him of SHJ:

‘But why are they chocolate-flavored?’ It made me think of that person. It had tasted good.

we're told in chapter 249 that SHJ needs to expend tremendous effort to give HYJ quest rewards and that whatever he gives usually gets cut down (he's talking about point conversions there but i suspect it applies to other rewards as well). so to specifically seek out two potions, especially ones he knows HYJ will prefer more than the common fruit-flavored ones... [puts on my large jinjae-shaped sunglasses like that shit they sell for new years]

and ok i jumped ahead to 249 for the rewards thing but come back to 245 with me and look at that series of cooking quests SHJ sent HYJ to guide him through cooking dinner for himself and HYH. copying over my discord messages from when this chapter dropped for this part of the analysis:

ALSO SPEAKING OF SHJ that chain of quests at the end. he is driving me crazy but yes the cooking quests. like. okay. I mentioned before [...] that I considered this a jinjae scene chapter because. the layers of it all right. he sees hyj wants to cook for his brother but can't decide what to make/how to make it cuz the decision paralysis is hitting after the longass day he's had. so he goes ahead and picks a meal and gives him step by step instructions. overly specific so hyj doesn't hit some dumb roadblock like "idk where the spatula is" and lose it for real. it took multiple quests to give the instructions it might've been easier to give him a prepared meal from whatever store he's picking these rewards from but he spent that time anyway because I'm pretty sure going through the process soothed hyj. normality after the Everything of it all. and then at the end of it because he Knows hyj is prone to not eating when he gets stressed he baits him into eating with rewards. like. Bro. Bro like. OUGH. he cares. he cares.... AND ALSO THAT LAST FUCKING QUEST "made with a spoonful of your partner's love" IS NOT SOMETHING THE SYSTEM WOULD SAY SHJ I KNOW YOURE LEANING INTO "OH NO THE SYSTEMS ALTERING MY MESSAGES DW" AND LETTING YOUR FEELINGS SHOW. YOUR PAPER THIN MASK overemotional over cooking. god. god and even after the cooking thing knowing that hyj would freak upon waking up and not seeing hyh and so keeping an eye on hyh and sending him a quest to tell him where he is.... like fuck dude. FUCK!

ok that's enough of that excerpt this is starting to derail from food analysis. wait hold on actually 249's point about the cost of sending quests and rewards makes the cooking quest series even more impactful because how much did SHJ spend to go to that level of detail and care for HYJ!!!

anyway back to food analysis. 256 where HYJ dies to the inscription process and SHJ purposely serves him bitter tea and sweet cookies to point out that he shouldn't take rewards that come at great costs. SHJ you really love communicating things to people through food, huh? but the fact that the second he's understood SHJ takes away the bitter tea and replaces it with something less bitter and more savory. the fact that when the scout finds him, the last thing SHJ does, even after draping his coat over HYJ to protect him from the shards of falling sky, is refill his teacup. the fact that HYJ drinks it and thinks about how it's warm.

GOD!!! do you see my vision. do you see. SHJ and HYJ and cooking and eating as an act of caring. an act of love.

#star.txt #my sranks #jinjae #han yoojin #sung hyunjae #nsglb #im probably gonna put these in the queue so i see them again later in case i remember something to add

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nonobadcat · 11 months

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For @oklolnoty

Down the Rabbit Hole - Five Chapters - 20k words - Yandere Shigaraki Tomura x Rabbit Quirk Female Reader

Rating: 18+ readers only - Minors DNI

Whole story TW: Noncon, yandere with kidnapping, severe quirk based discrimination, binge drinking, canon typical threats of violence (reader directed), canon typical death (nonreader directed), oral (give/receive), PnV (doggie), breeding, and expensive designer clothing everywhere.

Summary:

Working at Animal Instinct, the city's premiere hostess club for those who like their girls "pawsitively" attractive, may pay the bills but it'll cost your soul. Playing the brainless bunny girl everyone expected you to be, you were prepared to waste your life selling over priced champagne and sham companionship just to afford rent. When your efforts are rewarded with the client from hell, you try to stick to your bubblegum bimbo persona. However, being called boring by some crusty incel with the social skills of a trashcan is not something your pride can let slip by. ...and finding someone who hates society's games as much as him is not something Shigaraki Tomura can let go.

Chapter Navigation: 1|2|3|4|5 🐇 Ao3 Mirror

Chapter 1: Dumb Bunny - 3.4k words

TW: Binge drinking, quirk based discrimination

“Omigosh he’s back again!”

Plastered against the glossy black bathroom door, Nyanko’s twisted grimace and bristling tail ill suited her glamorous styling. Rhinestone trimmed claws pawed for purchase as an annoyed shriek hissed between tight teeth. It was fortunate that lilac satin squeezed her willowy frame like a vice. The very dress that transformed her bust line from “average” to “savage” restricted her air intake, keeping her whining to a polite volume.

Twisting the golden cap of your Yves Saint Laurent lipstain back on, you dabbed at your cupid’s bow. “Crusty boy?”

“Yes!” She groaned, pinning her cat ears to her skull. “Mama-san has paired him with twelve different girls in the last month. Boy’s got a heart made of Teflon! Won’t stick to anyone!”

You raised an eyebrow. “I thought this club was a kurabu? Isn’t the first pairing long term?”

“His dad is some sort of big deal so he gets special treatment, but mostly it's a mutual hate-hate thing,” Nyanko explained, wagging her finger. “He can’t find a girl he likes and all the girls beg Mama-san to let him try someone else. Even Aru didn’t want him and you know she has thick skin!”

“Quirk~ist,” you sang out, tucking your make-up back in the small, pearled handbag. “Just because she has an armadillo quirk doesn’t mean her soul is armor plated.”

Nyanko’s tabby tail swished. “Why does he keep coming back if he’s never happy?” she demanded, stomping her spike heels.

“I like those.” You nodded to the red bottoms. “The flower lace on the mesh is cute.”

“I know, right!” She twisted this way and that, showing off the shimmering details. “Abe-san got them for me last week. I think he has a foot thing but I’m not complaining.” All at once, her hair bristled. “Wait! Don’t try to change the subject! I’m in a real bind here!”

You popped your lips, smoothing down a stray lock of hair. “Oh? Why?”

“Because I’m one of the few he hasn’t chewed up yet!” She shivered and rubbed her arms. “I’m terrified Mama-san will pair me with that creep next!”

“Then quit your job and take Abe-san up on that mistress position. It’s not like he can last more than twenty seconds anyways so you won’t have to do much work.”

Her face fell flat. “Honey, hell’s got your name.”

You kicked off the faux marble tile and strutted over to the petite, raven-haired cutie. A single finger reached out, straightening the curl of her long bob. Patting her shoulder, you flashed her a grin and whispered in her ear. “Then it’s a good thing none of us go by our real names here, isn’t it?”

She giggled before rolling her eyes towards your new lip color. “Speaking of 'people who just want to take a poor girl away from this place', is that a gift from your one hero client?”

You nodded. “Oshida bought it for me on the paid date. Asked me if he could put some of his cum in it.”

“Guess he’s not as family friendly as his press agent makes him out to be,” she muttered.

“I told him I couldn’t use it if he did because I’d be too addicted to the taste.”

Nyanko flashed you a judgey side eye and pushed open the bathroom door. “How are you that good a liar?”

“Nyanko, what are you talking about?" You plastered on an airy smile. Each word tumbled out wrapped in sweetness. "Everyone knows that bunny girls aren’t smart enough to lie. ♡”

The words burned bitterly on your tongue.

Nyanko huffed, turning on heel. “I hate you.”

“Hate you more, sweetie,” you teased, following her down the long hall.

Pink tiles with golden veins lead the way to the reception desk. On your right, Animal Instict's main bar buzzed with flirtatious conversation, fake smiles, and exhausted salary men. One of the puppy girls, wrapped in cherry red spandex and ten centimeter black platforms, clung to her elderly client's arm like a fly on garbage.

"Is Pochi back early from her paid date?" You asked, slipping under the glossy countertop.

"Kiba-san's bunions are acting up," Nyanko whispered, cupping the side of her face. "You know, the bunions that flare up when Pochi wants a fourth helping of foie gras."

You looked the other hostess up and down. Her rosy cheeks glowed as she smoothed her glossy tail across her lap. "She's pounding the champagne again. Her heat cycle must be close."

Nyanko waved her hand. "Don't date the dog if you ain't got the bank."

"Catty of you."

She hissed.

"Ladies," a firm voice warned. "You are on the floor."

You both turned towards a sultry middle-aged woman. Clad in a cocktail dress crafted from delicate golden mesh and rhinestones, her long, peacock plumage glittered every shade from sea green to deep navy in the warm light. She fixed you with a sharp glare before snapping open a fan. Its fluttering teased at her long, fake lashes.

"Yes, Mama-san," you replied in synchrony, bowing your heads to the boss.

She narrowed her eyes, craning her long, graceful neck to inspect your makeup. When it passed muster, she snapped the fan shut. "Honey, Tano-san requested you tonight as Usagi is out with a migraine."

Wow… just going to work his way through the bunny girls, huh? Guy wasn’t even subtle about his fetish.

"Of course," you agreed, bowing again. "Thank you, Mama-san."

Mama-san turned her scrutinizing gaze towards your companion. “Nyanko—” she crooked boney finger— “come with me.”

Nyanko’s ears drooped. “Y-yes, Mama-san…”

Mama-san rapped the cat girl with the lacey fan. “Professionalism.”

Nyanko forced a pained grin before snatching up a hot towel from the stack. “O-Of course!”

You shook your head, selecting a rolled towel of your own and placed it on a silver platter. Then, smearing on an airheaded smile, you followed the leader around the large, gangly money tree. Just past its scraggly leaves, two men came into view.

On the left, dressed in a deep navy sport coat and matching pleated pants stood a solemn faced man in his late sixties. He peered into the entryway’s mirror, fussing with his thinning, silver streaked hair. The wide, rose-gold rolex watch made his wrist look fat and did horrible things for his yellow undertones. When you came into view, he jerked away from his preening. Hungry eyes traced the line of your leg from heel to hem. His thick tongue lapped at the corner of his mouth.

“Tano-san,” your boss guiding you forward. “This is Honey Bunny.”

“It's so good to meet you, Tano-san!” You added a sugar rush bounce to your step. “We hope Usa-chan should feel better soon. I hope it’ll be okay if I take care of you for her until she’s better?”

With a grunt, he took the towel, clumsily groping your fingers along the way.

Mama-san turned to the man on the right. Hiding his face behind a mop of pale blue waves, a surly looking twenty something hunched against the wall. Blazing red eyes stared out from under hairless brows. He tugged at his collar, as if the beautifully tailored Armani three-piece was strangling him. It wasn’t hard to guess how he got the moniker “crusty boy”. Patchy scale peeled from his under eye bags.

“Shigaraki-san, this is Nyanko-chan.”

Nyanko playfully scratched the air, before speaking out in a voice half an octave higher than her own. “It’s a purr-asure to Meow-chu, Shigaraki-san! I hope we can become good friends!”

He sneered at Nyanko before raking his neck with ratty, broken nails.

Your coworker smiled so hard you thought her face might tear. “Would mew like a hot towel?”

He plucked the moist terry cloth from her outstretched hand with two fingers. He half-heartedly scrubbed his hands before walking right past her. “Let’s get this over with.”

Nyanko’s tail drooped as she skittered off after her guest. You pressed a coy hand to your lips to hide a grimace.

This was going to be a long night.

One hour into the evening, you would have paid Usa-chan to take her client back.

At first, you thought Tano simply fumbled his cigarettes due to some nervous condition. However, after the third one in half an hour, you caught beady eyes peering down the front of your dress as you leaned in to light them. He ordered nothing but the cheapest wine on the menu (2.6k yen per glass + the 25% service fee) and nursed his drink like an old woman. Those squirmy hands of his kept “accidentally” brushing against your tail every time he shifted in his seat. Conversation was hard fought and mostly about how much he hated his boss.

“Are you and Usa-chan related?” he asked for the fifth time that night.

You brushed your long, silky ears back. “Well, I’m a Lop and she’s a Lionhead.”

“Oh. So it’s not the same thing?”

If you smiled any harder your teeth would crack. “I know, right? They sound so similar I always get them confused.” You hoisted the green bottle up. “Here, it looks like you need a refill—”

He quickly covered the glass with his palm. “Let me touch your ears?”

Rot in the gutter, you steaming trash heap.

Hesitant humming accompanied a thoughtful head tilt. “Mama-san kinda sorta told me I’m not supposed to because it’s against club rules or something.” You clicked your tongue and beamed at him. “Makes me sad because I love having my hair brushed. Oh well, right?”

He scooted closer. “You could just ignore her.”

Wide, panicked eyes sold the frantic, high pitched squeak. “Omigosh! But it’d be bad to do that right?”

Rancid breath poured over your bare neck. “I can make being a bad bunny really fun.”

Die.

You laughed, “playfully” shoving his shoulder so hard it pushed him a solid half meter away. “Oh Tano-san! No wonder Usa-chan loves you so much. You’re so funny!”

…and wringing your floppy neck with your ugly Gucchi tie would be even funnier.

On the other side of the tufted leather booths, Nyanko seemed to fare even worse.

“So… Shigaraki-san, do you work for your paw-ther?”

“He’s my mentor, not my father.”

“Oh! That’s so neat! So he’s like a father to mew?”

One word grated through gritted teeth. “No.”

Nyanko winced at the harsh tone, her smile shaken for only a moment before she rallied. “Your mentor must be very generous to send you here so Meow-ften.”

“It’s annoying,” he groused, scratching his neck like a dog with fleas. The pungent stench of iron caught on the breeze from the air conditioning. All the women around you wrinkled their sensitive noses.

“It doesn’t have to be.” Nyanko placed one hand on the cream leather next to his thigh and leaned in. A long golden necklace slipped down her décolletage, pointing the eye towards her assets. Pouty lips forced her tongue high against her fangs, playing up an alto’s vocal fry. Delicately, she twirled her hair behind her pointed ear. Dangling diamonds glittered in the dim glow of the teardrop chandelier. Round, golden eyes peered at him from under sooty lashes. “Neh, Shigaraki-san, what kind of girl do mew like?”

The booth squeaked as he scooted away. “Someone real.”

“I’m all nyan-tural,” she purred, letting her free hand trail down her bust.

With a sharp “chcc”, he groped for his cell phone.

Nyanko cocked her head. “Oh? Nyu like video games?”

“A little,” he muttered, loading up an app. Comic book style red and yellow text exploded across the screen. Four different voices called out: “Hero Center Battle Royale!!!!”.

“Ooooh!” She clapped her hands together. “Which ones do mew like?”

“The ones where the heroes die.”

“Sounds exciting!”

“More exciting than this conversation.”

Fight on, Nyanko-chan!

While your coworker clawed for any hint of mutual interest, Tano leaned back into his seat and manspread until he was pressed against your bare thigh. “Seems like the pretty kitty is having a rough time.”

Awk-ward….

“Really?” You smiled so hard the muscles below your eyes spasmed. “It sounds like she’s having fun learning a lot about a new person to me.”

Face flushed, your patron sipped his wine. “You’re kinda a dumb bunny, aren’t you?”

Yeah… That’s what your university professors thought too. At least, until your grades put you second in your class by only three points. Maybe if they stopped staring at your ears long enough, they would have seen the brain between them.

“Nyanko-chan loves to meet new people,” you chirped back, sitting on quivering hands to avoid throttling your meal ticket.

Tano thumbed his chin. “Wonder if she’s so persistent because she’s gonna go into heat.”

Ew… can you just not?!

"That must be a pain, going into heat.” Beady eyes flashed to you. "You do too, right?"

Gross. Disengage! Disengage!

You tapped your chin. "Huh… I dunno. Maybe bunnies are different or something."

…cause a three second Google search couldn't have told his horny self that?! Seriously…

Faking a sweet smile you reached for his glass. “Heat or no heat, I think that connecting with others is a reward in and of itself."

And if Tano could connect the dots he would have the decency to GO HOME if he wasn’t going to drink.

He pulled his cup away. "I don't need a refill."

You set the bottle down. "Oh! My bad! I just really wanted to take care of you. You worked really hard after all. You deserve a little rest."

He leaned back into his seat and smiled to himself. "Yeah. Guess I do."

Ugh… Just drunk enough to be a self-centered douchebag, but not enough to get you a sales bonus. This sucked.

He cracked open one eye and glanced at you. "But seriously, aren’t you even a little worried about her or are you just too stupid that to read the room?”

You leaned into your palm, using the thick of your hand to stifle the snarl. “Finding the right fit for every guest can be hard but everyone here loves the challenge.” One ear flopped across your eye. You inhaled, letting the rise of your ribs strain the bust of your gown. “I’m just so glad we have such good chemistry.”

His greasy grin made you nauseated. Greedy eyes drank up your coworker’s long tail and tufted ears. He licked his lips. “Should I offer to save her then? Having two of you around sounds like fun.”

….and entirely defeated the point of coming to the type of classy club where you are supposed to have an intimate, one-on-one conversation with your hostess. Not to mention, you’d have to split the tip. Then again, that assumed this cheapskate didn’t skip it all together.

You bit your cheek until the taste of iron pricked your tongue. Painted lips slipped into a puffy pout. You turned your head, letting tears pool at your lash line. Ducking low to play up the shadows between your cleavage, you pinched his sleeve between two fingers like a schoolgirl tugging on her crush.

“Ah… I suppose it’s true that Tano-san is so cool he could have two women at once.”

His breath caught in his wrinkled throat.

With a forlorn smile, you glanced down at the connection between you before dropping his sleeve like it shocked you. Your voice pitched high as you hurried out a breathless apology. “Oh! Sorry!” Nervous fingers prodded together as you hid behind one ear. “When I am around a man like you, I-I sometimes just get these instincts...”

He gulped.

Time to go in for the kill.

Your eyes danced away from his. “It’s been such a long time since I felt this way, I forgot that it happens. It’s hard, but I’ll try to control myself better.”

Tano reached for your hand, but you pulled it away to bop it into your fist. “Oh! Speaking of instincts, Usa-chan told me once that you negotiated a lot of big contracts for your company. How did you get so good at your job?”

He leaned back into the booth, puffing out his chest. Wrapping one arm over the back of the chair, he crooked his finger at you. “Come a little closer and I’ll be happy to share.”

Ugh… You needed a drink.

“Oh my gosh, Honey-chan he was just the worst!”

Nyanko’s whiskers tickled the side of your neck as she buried her face in your shoulder. You sighed, wrapping your arm around her. The smell of fried food and beer wafted in the summer air. Plump moths collided with the streetlight three paces away. Two wobbly salary men waved. The one wearing a tie on his forehead blew a wet kiss. Your party of three wiggled your fingers and giggled like shy school girls. As soon as they were out of sight, the smiles dropped like corpses on a battlefield.

You patted Nyanko’s shoulder. “There, there. You did what you could.”

She sniffled, fanning her flushed face. You passed her a tissue. She dabbed at her make-up. Flecks of mascara peeled onto pale paper. Another sob wracked her body. “WHAT DOES HE WANT!?” she wailed.

“Seriously,” Pochi scratched her dangling ears. “Mama-san gave him to me last week. He told me ‘your skills need a level up’. What does that even mean?!” She swished her silky black tail. “Let’s see his mummy lips pull three champagne towers in one night!”

“Three? Were you in heat?”

She sneered wide enough to flash her canines. “I faked it.”

You laughed. “Hot, but scary Pochi-sama.”

She jerked a thumb over her shoulder, motioning to Nyanko’s limp body. “Blame Little Miss Crafty Kitten there. For 30,000 yen, she gave me a run down on my tells and I did my make-up and perfume to mimic them. Worth every penny.”

Nyanko’s blank eyes stared at nothing. “I am a good hostess. I am a good hostess. I am a good hostess.”

You gave her a long side eye. “You charged 30,000 yen for that?”

A shaking hand rose into the air. She clenched her thumb and index finger into a ring.

“And I’m the one going to hell?” you teased, handing her off to Pochi. “Here. I forgot something at the club. You two get going before the last train leaves. I’m close enough to walk.”

“Whatever,” Pochi groaned, hugging the crying cat to her chest. “Come on Nyanko. You had too much to drink.”

With a gentle wave, you watched them as they staggered down the sidewalk leaving only Nyanko's miserable whining in their wake. When the last sob slipped into silence, the false feelings melted from your expression. Every hair on your neck bristled. A hard heel thumped on the pavement. Fists clenched to your side, you dashed off into the nearest alleyway. Wrenching off your expensive pumps, you set them on the ground out of reach. Your vision swam blood red, you zeroed in on the filthy dumpster. All at once, a frustrated shriek tore through the night air.

"SCREW YOOOOOUUUUU!”

You slammed your heel down into the dumpster, leaving a dent in the rust.

"SCREW YOU! SCREW THIS JOB! SCREW EVERYTHING!”

Blow after blow rained down on the innocent trash receptacle.

"DUMB BUNNY MY COTTON FLUFFY TAIL! I HAVE MORE BRAIN CELLS IN MY MANICURE THAN YOU HAVE IN YOUR ENTIRE FAMILY TREE!

Twisted metal groaned under the weight of your fury. Memories of fresh-from-college job interviews flashed through your mind.

"I don't know that you're a good fit for our culture." "You seem really nice but we're only looking for serious candidates." "Oh…. I have another position you can interview for, sweetie."

Judgey stares and smarmy grins seared your brain. Lava hot rage bubbled through your veins as you kicked the dumpster five centimeters off its axis.

"I'D THREATEN TO RAZE THIS WHOLE SOCIETY BUT NONE OF YOU IDIOTS ARE EVEN SMART ENOUGH TO KNOW THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN RAZE AND RAISE!"

Panting and raspy, you heaved for air in the middle of the pavement. With a final huff you tossed your hair, hiked up your purse, and strutted away.

At the end of the alley, bloodshot scarlet eyes were watching your entire tantrum. Just below them, a ghostly white smile glinted in the flickering amber light.

Next Chapter Expected: June 30th, 2023

Expected Completion Date: Mid-Aug 2023

Chapter Navigation: 1|2|3|4|5🐇 Ao3 Mirror

Taglist: @bat-eclecticwolfbouquet-love @shig-a-shig-ah @castershellwrites @smilinghowever @krystalwithakay @iris-goddess @ss-syche @mortallysparklyfun @meameows @magnificentclodpiezonk @betterfettered @utena-akashiya @ventdavi154 @st4rrust @imaginedheroine @the-lady-writes-what @shiggysimp69 @toughbook @naughteehee

#shigaraki x reader #yandere shigaraki tomura x reader #shigaraki tomura x reader #shigaraki tomura x you #yandere bnha x reader #bnha x reader #yandere shigaraki #yandere shigaraki tomura #female reader

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teenidlegirl · 3 months

Text

꣑୧ ݁.﹒𝓜𝐄𝐄𝐓 𝓜𝐄 𝓗𝐀𝐋𝐅𝐖𝐀𝐘 .ᐟ

𝐜𝐡𝐚𝐩𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝐭𝐰𝐨 ┆ 𝐜𝐨𝐢𝐧𝐜𝐢𝐝𝐞𝐧𝐜𝐞

ઇ ˚ ݂ ֹ ꒰ miguel o’hara 𝓍 fem!civilian!reader ꒱ ! ۟ ׅ ♡

˒ ♡ ៸៸𓂃 𝒔𝒖𝒎𝒎𝒂𝒓𝒚 ˖ ׁ ⁩ .ᐟ after working nonstop, you finally get some free time by rewarding yourself a visit to your favorite bookstore. after shopping and walking back home, you get into a bit of trouble with a drunk man. spider-man comes to your rescue once again and you two have a talk.

˒ ♡ ៸៸𓂃 𝒄𝒐𝒏𝒕𝒆𝒏𝒕 ˖ ׁ ⁩ .ᐟ fluff, some angst, suggestive (someone annoys reader but nothing serious happens), slight violence, mentions of blood, swearing, tension

꒰ previous chapter ꒱ ⋅ ꒰ masterlist ꒱ ⋅ ꒰ next chapter ꒱

it’s been four days since your ‘lovely’ encounter with spider-man. just liked you wanted, he’s been out of your sight. well — you’ve been trying to be out of his sight. that pissy attitude of his convinced you to avoid trouble as much as possible. and you’ll never forget he called you an idiot. so damn rude.

but his rude remarks didn’t stop your daily life routine. ever since, you’ve been working nonstop and you are entirely worn out. the amount of workload tossed onto your plate has been overwhelming and stressful to the point that you haven’t caught a break. you couldn’t even visit the local grocery store to buy your usual groceries for the week. that proves how stressful work has been, eating you up mentally and physically. you need a damn break.

luckily, it’s the weekend; your days off.

finally, the long awaited break.

but your first priority is to go buy groceries. there’s only a carton of milk, three eggs, leftover watermelon that’s almost finished, a few carrots, and water. yeah you definitely need to groceries immediately. don’t even mention your pantry, that shit is almost empty.

after changing into some comfy clothes, you grab your purse and head out the door. the shopping went smoothly, got everything you needed. on the way back to your apartment, an elderly man offered you a white tulip for free. originally he was selling them but he decided to hand them out for free. he said to you ‘a beautiful flower for a beautiful lady.’ your heart melted at his kind words, thanking him with a smile as you took the lovely tulip from him. that made your day. not to mention, tulips are your favorite.

once you return home, you put away the groceries. now your fridge and pantry are filled once again. it doesn’t look that depressing anymore. since it’s the weekend and you finally have time off these next two days, you decide to treat yourself a visit to your favorite bookstore that’s a few blocks away from your apartment building. there is a book that you’ve been dying to read so you’ll take the chance today to buy it. you changed out of your outfit and slipped into a favorite comfy dress of yours. after getting ready, you leave your apartment once again.

━━━━━━━━ ִ ۫ ꒰ ♡ ꒱ ۫ ݂ ━━��━━━━━

a squeal of excitement escapes your lips. you found the book you’ve been wanting. a sci-fi and mystery romance novel that you’ve been eyeing for weeks since its release. luckily the store still owned some copies and you finally managed to get one. after purchasing the book, you head over to the quiet reading section to read a few pages. once you find an opened table near the back, you sat down and begin reading. a dorky smile graces your lips as you open the book to the first page. finally, a moment to relax.

wow — originally, you were gonna read the first five pages but you ended up reading two chapters. that’s how addictive the book is; it’s that good. after finally convincing yourself to stop reading so you can read more at home, you exit the bookstore and begin your journey back home. you didn’t realize how long you stayed, it’s nighttime now. gotta get home quick.

while walking, you pass by a sketchy alleyway presumably covered in graffiti and trash scattered across the floor. there’s a older looking man sitting on the dirty floor with a beer bottle in his hand, head lowered and elbows resting on his knees. that guy is hella drunk. the best strategy is ignore him. but that doesn’t go as planned when a grouchy voice calls out, specifically towards you unfortunately.

“heyyy there pretty lady.” the idiot slurs out, the audible drunkenness in his tone.

you simply ignore him by walking faster, arms crossed over your chest as the cold air makes you shiver a little. damn — should’ve brought a sweater.

“wait comeback—“ the drunk man got up and quickly follows you, grabbing you by the shoulder.

“fuck off—“ before you could turn around to push him off, you hear a loud groan and a thud from behind. swiftly turning around, glimpses of red and blue stand in front of the now beaten man that groans in pain while laying on the floor. his bloodied hand covers his face, red ooze from his broken nose.

it’s spider-man. the asshole of a hero.

if it wasn’t already a damn coincidence.

the tall hero heavily glares at the weak drunk man, chest heaving and talons sticking out. miguel would do more unspeakable things to this son of a bitch but not in front of civilians. not in front of you. the last thing he wants is to scare you. supposedly this fucker got lucky, a ‘get out of jail free’ card.

he turns back to you, his crimson eyes scanning for any signs of injury or bruising. “you don’t ever listen, do you?! how stubborn are you?! i specifically told you to stay out of trouble!” he hissed.

you scoff in disbelief. this motherfucker had the audacity to blame you for this. “are you serious right now?! it isn’t my fault the fucker went after me!” you gestured at the beaten pathetic man on the floor.

a moment of realization kicks you when you notice how tall he is. dear lord — this dude is a giant, practically almost two feet taller than you. he’s so tall that you have to crane your neck all the way up just to look at him. it’s honestly annoying.

spider-man groans out of frustration, rubbing the temples of his face with one hand. “ay dios mio, i’m not blaming you but you need to be careful! you could’ve gotten hurt if i wasn’t here! or even worse!”

“ay chingado hombre, i know how to defend myself! plus, i have pepper spray and a pocket knife.” you protest, glaring at him with bloodshot eyes.

“those aren’t reliable resources.” he argues flatly.

this motherfucker. god you never wanted to smack a bitch so much in your life right now.

“you know what? for being a hero, you’re such an fucking asshole. ever since i met you, you’ve been nothing but rude and critical of me. like i don’t know what’s your deal but fuck man — what did i do to you?!” you were out of breath at the end.

he just stares at you dumbfounded by your words. you’re right though. he is being a total asshole to you and now he regrets it. miguel still doesn’t know why he’s being so harsh on you. of course he wants you to caution about your own safety and surroundings but yelling at you and being rude isn’t right. but his big ego won’t allow him to go soft.

“look… i’m not blaming you, it’s that son of a bitch’s fault. you just… you just need to be more careful with your surroundings.” he dials down his tone, an attempt to be more polite but still stern.

a sad sigh escapes your glossy lips, shoulders slumped. “i’m fully aware, spider-boy. like i said, i can take care of myself.” you crossed your arms.

miguel flinched at the nickname, heavily dislikes it, sounds childish. “don’t call me that.”

a playful smirk forms on your lips. “what? that’s what you are, right? half spider and half boy. spider-boy.”

oh now he really dislikes the nickname, his eyes narrowed through the mask. “no. spider-man. not a boy, a man.” he said through gritted teeth.

damn you’re annoying, he thought.

you giggle at his pissed off expression. how amusing to watch him get riled up by a simple nickname. maybe you should say more often just to tease him.

hearing you chuckle made him more mad but also embarrassed. yeah it’s a dumb childish nickname and he hates it, but hearing you giggle because of how pissed off he is makes miguel flustered a bit.

“do you want me to take you home or should i just leave you here?” he changes topics, his eyes scanning around for any other potential threats.

you shoot him a dumbfounded look “wow. is that how you treat a lady? abandoning her on the street?” you arch a brow at him with sassy posture.

“ay mujer, por favor.” miguel runs a hand over his face, muttering numerous spanish slang out of frustration. “just let me take you home before more creeps show up.”

you roll your eyes. “alright, alright. so, you gonna swing me there, huh? sounds fun.”

“how else would we get there?” he deadpans.

you snort which makes him groan. swinging with spider-man, that sounds exciting. besides, you didn’t want to walk those 15 minutes back home anyways.

━━━━━━━━ ִ ۫ ꒰ ♡ ꒱ ۫ ݂ ━━━━━━━━

god you’ve been so afraid of heights before. the moment he hopped off the roof a building, you held onto to him for dear life. his poor ears were filled with your squeals and yelps as he swung from building to building. while you were too busy squealing, miguel was smirking underneath his mask. he couldn’t help but like the feeling of your arms tightening around his thick neck and you face buried in the crook of his neck, relying on him. but he held you securely in his hold by the waist. he would never let anything happen to you. not on his watch.

once he reaches your apartment, miguel plants you on your feet on the floor of your balcony, your legs feeing a bit wobbly from all that swinging around.

“careful.” miguel warned softly, holding your hand to help you balance yourself. he takes notice of the size difference of your hands. wow yours is so tiny compared to his, how amusing.

you let out a shy chuckle, adverting your eyes from his to hide your slightly embarrassed face. “does this makes us friends now?” you look back at him, a playful smirk on your glossy lips.

miguel scoffs in response. “absolutely not. this is just a simple transaction, not an acquaintance.” he switches back to his cold, intimidating persona.

you snort at his lame ass excuse. “okay, spider-boy.” you watch the eyes of his mask fall flat, an obvious annoyed expression at the childish nickname. the sight makes you giggle. “see ya around, spidey.” you flash him a soft smile before heading inside your apartment for the night.

those ruby eyes follow your small figure until you’re safely inside the comfort of your home. a quiet sigh of relief escapes his plump lips. as he turns around and hops on the glass railing of the balcony, miguel turns his head to the side to steal one last glance of you, making sure everything is okay.

turning back after confirmation, he jumps off the balcony and swings back at HQ. while swinging from building to building, many thoughts ran through his mind like wild. what the hell just happened? got into another argument with you? offering to take you home and making sure you got in safely despite the fact it’s five stories high? well of course it was the right thing to do. escorting civilians home after accidents were a common occurrence. but why was it so different with you? like mentioned before, he doesn’t know you and you’re just a simple citizen. so why is he acting like this? why are you making him act like this? whatever it is, it’s scaring him. that thought alone send shivers down miguel’s spine. he brushes those thoughts away as he continues swinging back to HQ for the night.

but one specific thought, or question, keeps infiltrating his mind:

why are you any different from other civilians?

ᡣ𐭩ㅤㅤ ݁. 𝓣𝐀𝐆𝐋𝐈𝐒𝐓 ˖ ࣪ ༘ @loser-alert @keepitreal001 @iamperson12280 @nostalgicdaira @flordelalunas @oharasfilipinawife @cho-coquette @lavenderslemonade @palesatan @awkward-d3rs3-dr3amer @lilscast @beanieboy23 @dorck26 @kakabskbskdnd @4crew @deputy-videogamer

#꒰ ˖ ࣪ . 𐙚 ⊹ ꒱ — 𝓜𝐄𝐄𝐓 𝓜𝐄 𝓗𝐀𝐋𝐅𝐖𝐀𝐘 .ᐟ #miguel o’hara x fem!reader #miguel o’hara x reader #miguel o'hara x fem!reader #miguel o'hara x reader #miguel o’hara x you #miguel o’hara x y/n #miguel o'hara #miguel o'hara fanfiction #across the spiderverse #fanfic series

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yunjardi · 1 year

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my heart bel♡ngs to daddy [series]

[young sugar daddy jake x fem.reader au]

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[click here for this series's masterlist to read previous chapters, general warnings, and playlist]

[‼️chapter warnings‼️: smut [mdni], angst, DADDY KINK, mentions of food, eating, smoking weed, high sex, rough sex, dirty talk, marking (scratching), unprotected sex, squirting, family issues (the plot thickens fr), slut-shaming in a way, lots of drama overall, lmk if i missed anything!] *please note that these are in no particular order

*sorry for any grammar errors

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-♡-♡-♡-♡-♡-♡-♡-♡-

chapter 12, part 1: when worlds collide

the day was finally here: project presentation day.

you, jeongin, and yeji were nervous as one can be considering that your final grade is riding on this project and presentation.

graduation was so close that you could practically taste it.

"please tell me i'm not the only one who's about to nervously piss like a scared dog," yeji said with a nervous chuckle as she scratched her head. “nope, you’re not the only one,” jeongin responded, wiping his sweaty hands on his pants.

"we're gonna be fine, guys," you reassured them both, "we made a great project.” you squeezed both of their hands to reassure them further.

just then, the lecture hall door opened, the previous group exiting and letting you guys go in to do your presentation.

"good luck, guys," one of the people walking out said with a deep breath, which worried you guys even more.

the three of you walked into the lecture hall and immediately got down to business, not wanting to waste your professor's time in fear that you'd somehow lose points for doing so.

you three exchanged looks and began your final presentation, ready to fake some confidence in order to sell yourselves.

'next up: graduation,' you thought to yourself as you took a breath before beginning your presentation.

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"congratulations, you three. you've gotten the highest grade so far, and you know what that means," your professor smiled as he pushed up his glasses, "you three have passed my class and are eligible to graduate."

yeji couldn't hold back her excitement and practically screamed in the lecture hall, her voice echoing off the walls as jeongin flinched in surprise.

"thank you so much, professor," you smiled with relief, yeji and jeongin chiming in with their own thank you's.

"the pleasure is all mine. now, you all make sure that you go on to do big and bright things after you graduate," your now past professor encouraged with a warm smile.

"time to celebrate!" yeji said with a sly expression as you guys walked out the lecture hall doors for the last time, letting the next group enter after you.

knowing that you were gonna graduate was such a rewarding feeling. you finally felt accomplished for the first time in awhile.

maybe you really do only need yourself.

"oh, yeah!" jeongin said, excitement coating his tone of voice, "i forgot to mention that yeji can also come to the winter ball with us! i asked my parents, and they improvised the seating so that we could all be there together!"

"hell yeah," yeji smirked, "we get to have a fancy celebration after we graduate." you smiled back at the two of them in response to the information.

life was so eventful lately that you let the winter ball slip out of your mind, but you were still more than happy to attend with your two best friends although you basically forgot about it.

graduation and the winter ball? it sounded like a lot to handle, but you felt a rush of excitement regardless.

partying with your two best friends was a great way to escape the jake drama.

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after returning home from your semi-stressful final presentation, you put on your house slippers and flopped down onto your couch, thankful that university was officially over. it felt good to close off that chapter of your life and move on to bigger and better things like your old professor said.

'you know what would make positive thinking feel even more positive?' you thought to yourself mischievously, 'weed.'

you went into your room to dig through the purse you used on the night of the halloween party, eventually finding the leftover blunt that you snuck into your bag while smoking with the others.

"yes!" you whisper-yelled to yourself, eager to get a little high again. you proceeded to dig through a kitchen drawer to find a lighter so you could light the blunt up. thankfully, you found a lighter with just enough fluid to light a quick flame. clicking the lighter with your thumb at a swift pace, you were able to light up your blunt and finally begin smoking.

you took a long hit, letting the familiar feeling of smoke settling into your lungs take over your being before puffing it out. you'd forgotten how calming it was to smoke all by yourself considering that you smoked with a group of people, not to mention jake, the most recent time you did it.

looking over to the side, you gazed into perry's fishbowl for a second, wishing you could let him take a hit of your blunt so he could feel as euphoric as you did in this moment.

your gaze was broken by a sudden and loud knock on your door. annoyed at the fact that someone had interrupted your private time, you groaned dramatically as you stood up off the couch to answer the door.

you opened the door and immediately starting talking, not wanting to linger at the door for a second longer than you already had to.

"i'm a little busy right now, so if you could come back at a better time, that'd be great. now- wait w-what?" you interrupted your own sentence as you looked up at your guest, "jake? w-what are you doing here?-"

"i need you."

you looked at him with a tilted head because literally haven't spoken to him since going home from his party, so what business could he possibly have with you?

"what do you mean?" you raised an eyebrow, kind of growing annoyed to a point where you took another deep inhale of your weed subconsciously.

"you know what i- wait, why are you smoking again?" jake asked once he saw you blow out some smoke.

"i just felt like it," you shrugged, "but anyway, what was it that you needed?" you asked him with a mildly cold tone, which you'd never used on him before.

"i already said i need you," jake said as you let him into your house.

"that meaning?..."

"i need to fuck you," jake admitted with a deep breath, "i haven't felt your touch in days, and it's killing me." jake blurted out.

now that you were thinking about it, you wanted to feel jake just as much as he wanted to feel you.

so you gave in.

“get in here,” you breathed out with lust, putting the blunt down on the counter next to the fishbowl before you pulled him in for a lustful kiss. jake grabbed the blunt from the counter before the two of you, lips still interlocked, moved to the sofa.

he unlatched his lips from yours to take a hit, motioning to you to come closer so that he could shotgun you. jake blew the smoke into your mouth as you let out a quiet moan at the feeling of his lips being back on yours. he took a second to slip his hoodie off before taking another hit.

after the blunt was basically burnt out, jake made a move. his hand found its way into your panties, his fingers toying with your entrance until he eventually swiftly slipped his middle finger inside you.

you held onto his wrist as he skillfully pumped his digit into you, whining whenever he would curve his finger upward.

“good girl, taking my finger so well,” jake praised as he continuously curved his finger, “aww, already creaming all over my hand, yeah?” you nodded as your arousal ran down his palm, your pussy overstimulated. he removed his finger from inside you and made you lick it clean which further turned him on.

“i can’t wait any longer,” jake admitted breathlessly, “ i have to be inside you.”

at that, you two stumbled into your room and stripped yourselves down with eagerness.

before you let him put his cock in you, you licked the precum off of his pretty pink tip before laying on your back. the feeling of your tongue made him shiver as he let out a slight whimper, which you found quite cute.

he positioned his tip outside your pussy, this cock throbbing needily as he slid himself inside you, your walls immediately clenching around him. you two moaned in sync as you wrapped your legs around his waist, needing to feel him closer.

"jake! s-so good," you moaned out loud followed by a quiet mewl. the marijuana definitely amped up the pleasure, your parts becoming more and more sensitive with every little movement.

"my good girl," jake groaned against your neck at the feeling of 1. your tight pussy and 2. your nails digging into his back in pure pleasure.

he continued to thrust cleanly into you while you squirmed underneath him, whimpering in pleasure.

"you like when daddy makes you feel good?" jake whispered in your ear, goosebumps forming on his body as your nails dug into his skin again. "mhm," you mumbled out, "w-wanna cum so bad."

jake smirked at your indirect begging, guiding your hand down to your clit and ordering you to rub it as he pistoned his veiny cock in and out of you. jake could feel himself getting close at the same rate as you, but he wanted to make sure that you came first.

he pounded you from below, your face buried in his neck, mewling and whimpering as you felt the heat of pleasure building up in your core. you were feeling a new type of sensation that you couldn't comprehend as you bit your lip and moaned out for jake.

he left marks underneath your boobs as you continued to whine out for his cock.

just then, a sudden force pushed on his cock, prompting him to pull out. he smirked when he realized that you just squirted on his cock, well, it wasn’t enough to wet the bed, (just part of his lower abdomen) but it was a squirt nonetheless. jake cooed at the way you clung onto him because of how overstimulated you were from squirting for the first time, and you came to the conclusion that the weed was a huge part of the reason you were able to do it.

“aww, baby,” jake cooed, kissing your face, “was that your first time?” he asked as he stroked your hair. you nodded your head then proceeded to hide your shy face in his collarbone. “you think you can give me another one?” jake asked with a gentle yet amorous tone, still gently stroking your hair. “maybe,” you mewled quietly. “let’s try,” jake proposed, “okay, baby?”

and you obviously fell for that, letting him fuck you relentlessly again.

he pulled you into another position, wanting to see you from all angles as he fucked you until you couldn't remember your name.

you took jake from behind, your palms grasping onto your blanket as jake spanked your pretty ass.

it didn’t take long for you to end up orgasming again, leading jake to his climax from the feeling of your arousal soaking his member. you let him cream you as the two of you held each other to calm down from the overstimulation.

"daddy," you panted out, "more."

jake looked at you with a raised eyebrow, unsure if he heard you right or if he was just hearing things because of smoking.

"more?" he asked to confirm to which you nodded.

"well, whatever princess wants, princess gets," he smirked against your neck before pressing wet kisses down to your collarbone, wanting to surprise you once his tip slipped into you without warning.

you yelped slightly but that quickly turned into a lustful moan at the feeling of him stretching you out. jake began to thrust in and out of you again as he adored the way your body looked underneath him.

you ran your hands down his toned abs while he fucked you, goosebumps forming all over his body at the sensation of your gentle touch.

it truly didn't take long for the two of you to become undone once again. after all, this was technically round two and you were already previously overstimulated; this just made it more extreme.

“my good girl,” jake whispered before reaching over onto your nightstand to grab tissues and wet napkins, which you started to keep next to you for situations like this, to clean you and himself, "you did so good for daddy."

once he finished cleaning the two of you off, he immediately pulled you close until you felt yourself drifting off to sleep.

you were slowly, at the literal pace of a snail, starting to believe jake when he said that he chose you.

--------------------------------------------------------

an empty bed.

you sighed.

once you woke up after from your little nap, he was nowhere to be seen, which was odd considering that he typically got pouty when the two of you had to get up after waking up from a post-sex nap.

at least he left his hoodie folded neatly next to you so that you weren't completely devoid of his presence.

you fell into the little trap that he crafted, reaching over to grab his hoodie, curious if his scent still lingered on it. with a quick sniff, you confirmed that the smell of his cologne was still settled in the soft fabric of the hoodie.

he knew what he was doing.

you then lifted your head from your pillow to see a hefty amount of cash and a folded piece of paper, with something written on it in pink pen, on your side table that read:

for being such a good toy for me ♡. buy yourself something pretty, my princess ♡.

-jake ❤︎

'even his handwriting is pretty,' you sighed to yourself.

for some odd reason, you were unsure of how to feel. on one hand, you felt like you were jake's entire world, but on the other hand, you felt as if you were just a random girl who he was using for a bit of fun. thoughts of him using you as a worthless pawn always occupied your brain, and it was truly becoming a fear of yours. but why did it even matter?

at least you had some money to accompany your thoughts, right? and it looked like more than enough to get a fancy dress for the winter ball.

realizing that, you decided to get ready to go dress shopping alone, which is something you'd never done before.

fuck it. you don't need jake to hold your hand through everything.

--------------------------------------------------------

it felt like a lifetime since you last went to a formal ball like this, but it also felt as if it was yesterday when you went to the previous one with jeongin. the only difference between this ball and the last one is that yeji would also be tagging along, which will definitely make things more interesting.

this time around, you were gonna walk in with a clear head and ready to have a good night.

after hours of dress shopping a few nights before, you opted for a loser-fitting dress instead of a tight-fitting one like you'd usually wear because you've been feeling a bit bloated lately (maybe from stress again) and would rather not be reminded of that while you're trying to live your life.

you were putting together the final touches of makeup that you needed when you heard your phone vibrate.

once...

twice...

you decided to ignore it until you were fully finished with your makeup because you figured it wasn't important considering that the only thing you had going on today was the winter ball.

after taking one last look at your makeup to confirm that you were finished, you decided to pick up your phone and check why it was vibrating earlier.

you unlocked your phone to see something completely unexpected.

you practically froze with shock.

why now?

why today?

it's like she knew that you had something special going on today and wanted to fully ruin it. 'she' being your bitch of a mother.

though it took every ounce of your being to not start sobbing and sending her a worse reply to her already horrid texts, you weren't going to give her the satisfaction of ruining your night whether she was there to witness your downfall or not.

without replying, you shoved your phone into your bag while you waited for a knock at your door.

you wanted to cry so, so, so badly, but you had to stay strong.

good thing the sound of your friends knocking at your door was able to make you feel a little better knowing that you weren't gonna be alone tonight.

--------------------------------------------------------

the winter ball was at the same location as the previous ball but had a completely different atmosphere.

a huge christmas tree in the middle of the entrance, extravagant decorations all over the room, basically what you'd expect from rich people on christmas.

the place was practically screaming the holiday spirit.

you'd forgot about all the photographers that would be swarming the venue since it was a high-profile event. there were paparazzis snapping candid photos of you, yeji, and jeongin walking into the main ballroom to get yourselves seated at your respective table. once the three of you were seated, the paparazzi focused on the next group of people entering.

once mostly everyone was seated, jeongin's family included, the night's emcee began giving introductions and the whole 'thanks for the great year' speech of many to come. you were quite zoned out for most of that part.

then came the meal portion of the night, and good god the food was some of the best food you've ever tasted. you didn't and never have had a high standard in regards to food, but all you knew was this food tasted unreal. but then again, maybe you were just hungry?

you looked over at yeji who seemed to slow down though she still had some food on her plate, and you just couldn't help but ask:

"...are you gonna eat that?"

you could totally tell that yeji was trying her best not to erupt with laughter at the way you asked your question. she found it out of the ordinary, but still, she (tried) to discreetly switch plates with you, shifting her eyes side to side to see if anyone was looking at you two weird.

"i saw that," jeongin clowned you two as you both snapped your head to the side to look in his direction, "but i don't blame you, the food is really good." he sweetly moved some of his food from his plate onto yours, making you smile though your mouth was stuffed with food.

the rest of the dinner portion of the ball was a blur since you were busy shoving food down your throat as people talked all around you.

well in all honesty, everything that had to do with the formal award part of the ball was a blur until jeongin's family business was awarded something which snapped you out of your slight daze.

you and yeji clapped for his family when they went up to receive the award and even snapped pictures of a smiley jeongin holding onto the shiny award that would soon be on display in their main building. other than jeongin's family receiving their award, you didn't pay any attention to the rest of the ceremony but before you knew it, it was time for the party half of the ball; the part everyone had been impatiently waiting for.

waiters and waitresses began wandering around the ballroom holding fancy silver trays filled with even fancier cocktails. you weren't in an alcohol mood, so you opted for a non-alcoholic beverage instead before being dragged to the dance floor by your two best friends.

you smiled and tried not to laugh to hard while you all tried to have a three-way slow dance. thankfully, the dj switched to a more party-like so you guys didn't have to try to goofily slow dance.

somehow in the midst of dancing on the overly huge dance floor, yeji and jeongin ended up with glasses of alcohol in their hands as you all danced together.

"sip?" yeji asked, tipping the glass toward you to offer you a drink to which you declined, not wanting to feel the after affects of the alcohol the next day. especially because your graduation ceremony was taking place tomorrow, which those two probably forgot considering that they began drinking.

you soon. decided to go sit back down at the table with yeji while jeongin mingled with his other friends and family. yeji looked like she needed a break from dancing anyway so she followed behind you, placing her now empty glass on a waiter's empty tray before getting seated.

you two sat down just in time because the dj began playing another cheesy slow song that you'd rather not dance to.

"i'm glad we're all here together," you let out a content sigh, "i always smile so much when i'm with you guys." yeji blew a raspberry at you jokingly. "you didn't even have any alcohol, and you're being cheesy," she teased you as she nudged you by your forearm. you swatted at her playfully as you two laughed, having a genuinely fun time together.

but your joyous time would end once you let your eyes drift to the dance floor while yeji checked her phone.

it was him. unmistakably him. and it was her. unmistakably her.

you blinked your eyes a couple of times to confirm that what you were seeing wasn't a figment of your imagination, but alas, it was real.

painfully real.

this time, you let your head turn to the side to get a better look for further confirmation. just in case.

you wished you didn't do that.

you watched as jake slow-danced with the evil bitch who'd been harassing you at work ever since you met him. she had such a big smile on her face, and he was smiling back at her. it made you wonder if it was her who was making him happy this whole time and not you. in the back of your mind, you knew you weren't the only one, but actually seeing it tore your heart out of your chest.

you also wondered if he knew about what she did to you. and if he did know, was he just okay with it?

it was painful to look at, but you couldn't look away for some reason.

and as if he felt your presence, he happened to glance over to you, the two of you locking eyes for a second before you turned away because you felt your eyes becoming glossy with tears.

you gathered your purse that was hung on your chair and stood up, needing to leave as soon as possible before something went down.

"hey, what's up? where are you going?" yeji asked with an alarmed tone.

"i have to go," you responded, trying your best to sound as casual as possible, "a-after all, tomorrow's graduation and i should probably get some rest, right? you know how i get when i'm tired." you joked lightly to steer her away from thinking something is wrong.

"a-are you sure? do you have a way to get home? innie and i have been drinking, so-"

"yeah, it's all good," you forced a smile, "i'll get home safely i promise." you held out your pinky finger for her to which she held hers out too, the two of you pinky-promising before you gave her a hug. "just tell innie that i decided to head home," you requested, "i don't want to interrupt his... boy time." you chuckled as you shifted your eyes to him drunkenly slow-dancing with one of his friends. yeji chuckled back and gave you one last squeeze before you sped out of the venue.

did you actually have a ride home? no. but you were gonna get there the old fashion way.

--------------------------------------------------------

you tried to be casual and avoid the stares you were getting on the underground train. you couldn't blame them, though.

you were in a full gown riding the underground train with mildly smeared eye makeup from tearing up, so no wonder they were staring. you were just trying to get home.

"y/n?" you heard someone ask, snapping you out of your dreary thoughts. you looked over to see a familiar face.

choi yeonjun.

you were slightly taken aback, but responded.

"oh, hi," you chuckled with a bit of embarrassment, "i didn't expect to run into you here at this hour." he smiled back at your shy face.

"you're dressed all fancy," yeonjun complimented you as he looked you up and down, "where are you coming from?"

"just this fancy ball," you replied, "but i wanted to leave so here i am." you chuckled nervously again.

"well..." yeonjun trailed off, "if you're down we can head to my place." his tone turned flirtatious.

you didn't think much before just impulsively replying.

"i'd love to."

--------------------------------------------------------

a/n: hi gang, this chapter is super late but i hope you still enjoy reading it :) lots of plot twists this time

taglist: @axartia @jjhmk @valiantwastelanddelusion @jayroseyy @ayohahaha @asaheyow @lhsng @i-dalso @bunhoons @red-xherry @duolingofanaccount @lix-freckle3 @l0st-h0p3s @leeis @muffinminnie @green-orangeade @imbaeksbae @sunghoonmybeloved @tum73er @dilftime @sjakewrld @markleeisdabestdrug @futuremodeldiary @jeondolly @lil-iva @lalalalawon @noirgray @jckeplanet @teddy-lhj @meinapricity @jjkshies @bubbleseo @cherryunie @mqndnolia @bently-baby @fluffypiesstuff @ihrtk1ve @wonkiluvr @teti-menchon0604 @lovienikitty @rjsmochii i @omgjwon @sunshine-skz @wy1999t @lv4rin @oceanyocean @nyfwyeonjun @mxshimoo @multifandombtvh @donghyckl @iloveoceaneyesss @jakeswhore @jinsfavoritedoll @brownsugarbaybee @heehee01 @mesopret @heesitation @heeverseblog

*some accs could not be tagged (pls make sure your tags are on before asking to be added to the taglist <3 )

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teaberrii · 1 year

Text

Chapter Seven: Let's Play Pretend

Alhaitham has the looks and the smarts. He will also be the stand-in CEO for his grandfather's company for a year.

But, he's been mysteriously cursed to turn into a cat every night since his eighteenth birthday… until he meets you, an employee at his grandfather's company, who rescues him as a cat and changes him back with one kiss.

Alhaitham/You

Notes:

Cross-posted on AO3

Female reader

Chapter index at the end of chapter one

Your heart is racing when the four of you sit down for pizza that evening.

You haven't got a chance to speak to Alhaitham alone. You’ve decided to help him, but you need a plan. How are you going to sell your romance to your family? It’s not like you can suddenly come out and say you’re dating. Not after that encounter between him and your mother in the hallway. There’s also Lumine. She’d be dying to know the entire story. You have to make sure your stories are aligned and—

“So, what do you do, Alhaitham?” Lumine asks, grabbing her third slice of cheese pizza.

You and Alhaitham exchange a look as if wondering the same thing. Should he tell your family he’s your CEO? Well, you have an answer to that. You gently kick his foot underneath the table without taking your eyes off him. Your lips are in a neat line as you slightly shake your head, trying not to make it obvious.

“I’m a scholar at Akademiya,” Alhaitham says, picking up on your cues.

“Oh, really? Were you also a student there?”

Your mother's eyes almost shine when she hears about Alhaitham's career.

“Yes.”

“Ooh, I bet you were a top student,” Lumine says. "You look the type."

He glances at you, and his lips curve into a subtle smile. “I was Valedictorian.”

You almost drop your pizza. So, not only did this guy graduate a year earlier than everyone else, but he was also Valedictorian. You’re almost annoyed at his achievements. Can this man please have some flaws for you to poke fun at?

“Whoa! I guess you love to study then,” Lumine says.

“Rather than studying, I love researching,” Alhaitham says. “It gives me a sense of purpose.”

Your mother looks at you. “Did you hear that? Research gives him a sense of purpose.”

“I heard him loud and clear."

Alhaitham looks from you to your mother as Lumine says, “Mom wanted Sis to go to graduate school, but that didn’t happen.”

“We fought a lot before,” you add. “But, we’re okay now. Right, mom?”

“She was always stubborn, but I guess I can say I'm proud of her now.”

"You guess? Even after I won Best Screenwriter at the Best Hit Awards this year?"

The small smile between you and your mother doesn’t go unnoticed by Alhaitham. If he could, he would add that your mother should be proud of you. If that meeting he attended that day with your manager was anything to go by, how you talk about your ideas and how you bring them to life is inspiring.

He grabs a slice of pepperoni pizza. “My parents were the opposite.”

This gets your attention. “You mean… your parents didn’t want you to pursue higher education?”

“It was expensive,” Alhaitham explains. “Even though I was on a scholarship, they still encouraged me to find work instead.”

Lumine puts down her glass of juice. “That’s unheard of.”

“...Did they have a reason why?”

Alhaitham looks at you, and you look away as if he’ll catch the curiosity and interest in your eyes. Well, too late. He’s already seen it.

“They thought I would make more if I went in other fields,” Alhaitham says.

“How did you convince them?”

Unbeknownst to you, Lumine and your mother glance at each other at your question.

"I told them research is the start and the building blocks for many inventions we see today. In the end, I made a deal with them to give me two years to prove my research would bring monetary results."

“I guess you succeeded,” you say. “It must’ve been rewarding.”

Alhaitham smiles. “It was.”

You hold his stare for a second too long. Then, you pour yourself more juice. “You did choose a very lucrative field. Technology will only continue to evolve. With the way it’s going right now… it’s scary but exciting.”

“Scary… but exciting.” He puts his elbows on the table, not taking his eyes off of you. “Care to elaborate?”

You put down your pizza. “There’s been a lot of talk on how it’ll replace writers in the future. With how people are talking about it, it does sound scary.”

“Yet you don’t sound worried.”

“I don’t think you can ever replace human connection,” you say, looking at him. “Regardless of what you’re writing about, it requires some kind of research. Whether that research is analyzing human interaction to write better dialogue or interviewing someone for a news article, all technology can do right now is string together words to make a sentence. But, whether it accomplishes your goal is another thing.”

“You make a good point,” Alhaitham says. “In terms of your work, would the ultimate question be: does this sentence sound human enough?”

"Regardless if it's written by a person or not, you can always tweak writing to make it better or clearer." You wipe your hand on a napkin. "Still, it's interesting to see what technology can offer. I suppose it's more of how you work with it than against it."

"That's a reality some people have difficulty accepting."

"Well, it opens more doors, but we have to be cautious about how it's being used and how we respond to it."

Alhaitham chuckles softly. "...As in, take what it says with a grain of salt?"

"Is that really a problem with technology, though?"

"Or is that a problem with human nature?"

You laugh. "Some people will believe anything they see on the Internet regardless if it's posted by a person."

When you and Alhaitham stop to eat some pizza, you notice that your mother and Lumine are staring at both of you. It’s also then that you realize that only you and Alhaitham have been talking the entire time.

You finish your pizza and wipe your hands with a napkin. “Um, let’s talk about something else.”

“Oh, no, please keep going,” Lumine encourages. “That was very… enlightening.”

“It was as if we weren’t even here,” your mother adds jokingly.

Someone's phone buzzes, but it doesn't take long for everyone to realize it's yours. Then, finally, you see an unknown number on your screen. A little suspicious, but you open the message anyway. That's when you see the familiar words: Destiny awaits…

“What the…”

“Is someone looking for you?” Lumine asks.

You show your phone to your mother. “What is the meaning of this?”

“Ah… I signed you up for the matchmaking party.”

“What?! Why?”

Your mother wipes her hands on the napkin. “What do you mean why? You know why.”

“I can’t believe you’d just sign me up like that!”

“Don’t think of it as a matchmaking party. It’s just a place to relax and have a little fun chatting with people.”

“Strangers, you mean,” you deadpan. “You should know I’m not one of those people who talk to strangers for entertainment.”

Lumine laughs. “Yeah. Sis barely likes to talk to people.” You give her a look, and she innocently looks away.

“You’ve been so busy with your work and the move,” your mother says, “I thought you’d like to relax a little.”

You and Alhaitham glance at each other. “W-well… I can’t.”

“What do you mean you can’t? Don’t tell me you’re busy that day. I know you aren’t.”

That’s when you decide to risk it all.

You calmly put your hand on top of Alhaitham’s. “Actually, I am. I’m going on a date with Alhaitham that day.”

Silence.

Your heart races a hundred miles per minute until you feel Alhaitham hold your hand. You look at him, and he smiles.

“Is that true?” your mother asks him, eyes wide.

He'll probably play along, but there's still a seed of doubt. However, it instantly vanishes when he says, "It's true."

Why is he still holding your hand?

Lumine squeals. "Holy moly! Are you two... dating? Why didn’t you say something?! When did it start? How did it happen?”

“...Actually, we aren’t dating.” You glance at Alhaitham. He’s so calm that it almost scares you. “Not yet, at least.”

“Who asked who out first?” Lumine probes.

Alhaitham holds your hand tighter, and you feel the heat rush to your cheeks. You hope it’s not as red as you think it is.

"Me," Alhaitham continues. "I asked her out a few days ago… but she didn't give me an answer. So I suppose"—he looks you in the eyes—"I can take this as a yes to my offer."

Lumine tilts her head. “Offer? That’s a funny way of putting it.”

“Anyway,” you quickly say, “We aren’t exactly dating. We’re just… getting to know each other.”

“Well, who am I to break up a budding relationship?”

Your mother doesn't sound as enthusiastic as you thought she would. Is she onto you?

She stands with her empty plate. “I’m hoping to see a lot of pictures.”

“...Pictures?”

Your mother smiles at you. “It’s your first date in such a long time, dear! You must take a lot of pictures for us.”

“Why?”

Lumine claps her hands together. “Yes, I agree! It’s time for you to get dolled up, Sis!”

“Hang on a minute… I still don’t understand why I have to take pictures for you on a date.”

“...Leave it to me.” You immediately turn to Alhaitham. “I, too, would like to commemorate the occasion.”

He would like… to what?

“Wonderful!” your mother exclaims. “I’m glad we’re on the same page. It’s been so long since she dressed up.”

“Wha—”

“Ooh, this is so exciting!” Lumine giggles. “I bet Aether would get a kick out of this.”

This is not how you're expecting things to go.

Once dinner ends and the table is cleared, your mother and Lumine are at the door, preparing to leave. "Don't tell me you're staying over, Alhaitham."

"No," you quickly say. "There's something I have to talk to him about."

Lumine looks from you to Alhaitham. "What is it?"

"Something that's only between him and me."

"Fiiineee..."

Your mother opens the door. "Well, have fun that day, you two."

“Don’t forget about the pictures!” Lumine adds cheerfully.

“We’ll see about that,” you mutter.

Alhaitham takes your hand. “...We won’t.”

Lumine starts hitting her mother's shoulder, unable to contain her feelings, as she quietly squeals. "Hey, Sis. You better take good care of him!"

“And what if he turns out to be a psychopath?” you deadpan.

"Eh… I doubt it. He passes the vibe test."

“And what kind of test is that?”

Lumine smiles. “A test that determines if I like the person or not.”

“Very reassuring.”

“I’m flattered,” Alhaitham says with a small smile.

Your mother looks over her shoulder. “Well, we’re off. Call us if you need anything, dear.”

Just before Lumine closes the door, she peeks into your apartment. “Don't have too much fun!”

◆◆◆

That late evening, you and Alhaitham are staring at each other. He made his kitty transformation out of your line of sight. You're awfully curious about the process, but you respect his wishes to keep that scene private. He’s lying on his tummy on your couch. You’re sitting on the floor with your elbows on the cushions. You scratch him behind the ears, and he leans into your touch. Clearly, he’s enjoying the little massage.

“What if I just left you like this?” you ask jokingly.

Alhaitham narrows his eyes, and his quiet meow leaves you smiling. Then, you put your chin on your hand so you're at eye-level with him.

“...Well, I guess we only have one shot at this.”

Alhaitham puts his head on his front paws and slowly scoots closer until his nose barely touches yours. Then, his tail swishes upwards, and his eyes go wide.

“You sure like to take your time, Catman.”

Catman? There’s another new nickname. He went from Pervert to Catboy to Catman. Well, it’s… an improvement, he supposes. Then, Alhaitham leans forward and lightly kisses your nose.

One second.

Five seconds.

Ten seconds.

Nothing happens.

What’s going on?

You hear your phone buzz. So, you stand and walk toward the counter to check it. It’s a message from Collei, an old friend from school, and she’s asking you if you’d be interested in attending a school reunion at the end of the month.

From across the room, Alhaitham is staring at you. Is it just him, or do you look a little troubled? Now, he’s curious. Who messaged you? He jumps onto the floor and walks toward you. Even when he’s sitting in front of you, you’re still paying attention to whoever is on the other end.

Alhaitham circles around your feet, making sure to brush against your leg. When he doesn't get a response, he frowns. Is that person really that important? You nearly trip over him when you start walking and look down to see him staring at you with wide, innocent eyes.

“That was uncalled for."

Alhaitham meows. You give him a deadpan look, and he returns it with a subtle, mischievous smile. You sigh and put your phone on the table.

“Looks like that time was a fluke."

Is it, though? Alhaitham has doubts. So, he jumps into your arms. Then, he puts a paw on your collarbone and leans close to you. You think you understand what he's getting at. So you put him on the sofa and watch him clean his face with a paw.

“Well, here goes nothing… again.”

You lean down just as Alhaitham looks up. His lips touch yours, and…

Poof.

You quickly spin around just as he grabs one of his folded clothes to cover himself up.

“Very interesting…”

“Let’s talk after you put some clothes on,” you sigh, your face turning slightly red.

You’re sitting on the couch when Alhaitham comes out fully clothed from the washroom. You meet each other’s eyes. “Welcome back, Catman.”

“Looks like it wasn’t a fluke after all.” Alhaitham sits on the couch adjacent to you. “...But it looks like you have to kiss me for it to work.”

“I guess whether you get to live as a cat or a human for the night is in my hands,” you joke. You stand and put a hand on your hip. “So, you better behave yourself.”

Alhaitham smiles slightly. “Could you resist, though?”

“...What are you saying?”

“I don’t think you’d be able to resist a kiss,” he says, standing.

You scoff. “Someone’s got an ego.” Still, you look at him with a mischievous look in your eyes. “Should we find out?”

Alhaitham holds your stare. “I don’t think this was part of our deal.”

“Natural curiosity. Might as well have some fun while we’re doing this.”

Your phone buzzes again. You and Alhaitham look at it, and he’s expecting you to pick it up, but you don’t.

“...Not going to answer it?” he asks.

“I’ll look at it later,” you sigh. Then, quietly, “It’s not like I know what to say right now.”

“Is everything okay?”

“Fine.”

He clearly knows it's not, but he doesn’t ask further.

“Alright, Catman, we got an answer tonight. You ready to go home?”

You walk him to the door, but just before he leaves, he turns around and says, “I hope you’ll look forward to our date.”

You wave a hand dismissively. "We don't have to go on a date. Just take a few pictures at some popular places, and then we're done."

“Who’s the one who said we should have some fun while doing this?”

“Well… that’s…”

Alhaitham leans closer to you. “...So, you only want to have fun while kissing?”

“That is not what I meant."

Alhaitham puts his hand around your head and gently pulls you closer so that his forehead almost touches yours. “We have to make it convincing, don’t we? That’s the point.”

You hear your heart hammer once, and then you quickly pull back. “...Well, I have some high expectations.”

“Do you?”

You don’t. You’ve never really cared what you were doing on dates. It always came down to how the other person made you feel while together.

“I’m good with whatever.”

“...Are you sure?”

You refuse to look away. You don’t want him to know that he’s making you nervous. “...Yeah… why?”

He leans slightly closer. “Then, we can spend the day experimenting.”

“Wha… what are you saying?!”

Alhaitham leans upright. “Is something wrong?”

"You only turn into a cat at night. So how can we experiment during the day?"

You know you messed up when you see his lips curve into a small smirk. "I meant we can go to different places and try things together."

…Oh. Of course.

The silence is too loud for you to bear.

You awkwardly clear your throat. “Great idea.”

“Your idea also sounds nice, though.”

You frown. "Don't make me kick you out.”

“But I’d be human,” Alhaitham continues. “...If you’re okay with that.”

You point to his condo across from yours. “Goodnight, Catman.”

Alhaitham chuckles. “Goodnight… Batwoman.”

Your deadpan look doesn’t change when you close the door on him.

Chapter Eight

Tag list: @suoshiii @lordbugs @seirenspinel @lxry-chxn @sakiimeo @ashtree-and-the-cats @ceylestia @forsh4dow @deathkat657 @kalpie @elernity @sentieence @chichibleeps @sunsethw4 @hjjks @tanspostsblog @nqctre @just-simping-over-genshin @uchihaeirin

#alhaitham x you #alhaitham fluff #alhaitham x reader #alhaitham #genshin impact alhaitham #genshin al haitham #al haitham x reader #al haitham x y/n #al haitham fluff #al haitham #alhaitham x yn #alhaitham x y/n

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kaibutsushidousha · 9 months

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Thoughts on Kiara and the CCC Sakura's?

Kiara is a character that took time to warm up. I played CCC and loved Kiara and Anderson as a pair but didn't like either character individually. SE.RA.PH also impressed me very little, but she got a fun part to play in Paradise Lake so that's one contribution from FGO. But it was with her part in Tsukihime, literally just two lines of dialogue, that I got to think back and realize that I like Kiara, actually.

Anyways, the central idea that defines the whole of Kiara's character is that she doesn't know how to read. She's an unstoppable force that reshapes the world with her genius of religion, sexuality, psychology, programming, and magecraft, but literature is her weakest subject. She's blind to themes and symbolism, dull to metaphors, and unaware of subtext.

Her story is that she was born with the saintly nature of a bodhisattva, but confined to a bed in an isolationist Tachikawa cult. It was a harsh childhood where she was sick and objectified but she had the company of books telling her the teaching of the Buddha and heartwarming tales like The Little Mermaid.

Her life changed at age 14 when she was introduced to the internet. Thanks to it, she learned her disease was easily treatable and fixed herself, but most importantly, she discovered no one in her village healed despite it being super simple. Remember this is a Buddhist devotee who sucks at reading. She grew up reading that the sattva defines sentient beings as any life capable of compassion, and with her abysmal interpretation skills, believed this was completely literal. Therefore, the people around her weren't sentient. By Kiara's dumbass definition, was the only human being she knew.

What makes Kiara is the fact that her dehumanization of others and the power her talents give her over people's lives often lead to megalomania. People kill themselves en masse over her and her reaction is thinking that's hot, actually. People confront and checkmate her and her reaction is to kill herself before the hero who took so many innocent lives to reach can have the satisfaction of doing it. (Amazingly timely with the new SE.RA.PH chapter that came the day after I received this ask)

But despite her pride consistently getting the better of her, that pride is still derived from the fact she is sentient, therefore capable of compassion. She's a natural-born bodhisattva (mostly) always extending the hand of salvation to those beneath her. Just... the functionally illiterate Tachikawa Buddhist way, which involves making the entire world nut into moksha. But hey, at least her heart is in the right place. I can fix her. (Note: this does not mean you can fix her. I'm talking specifically about myself because, at least on paper, I'm a licensed Japanese literature teacher)

CCC is the story of her attempt to cheat the Holy Grail War in order to reach the Enlightenment necessary for this, and her partner there is Andersen, the author of her favorite childhood stories. Andersen's Noble Phantasm can reshape fate to ensure her plot goes as intended but under the condition it must be true to the themes of Andersen's stories. And understanding the themes just happens to be Kiara's greatest weakness.

Kiara hacked the ability to fall in love into a Mooncell superior AI to she could seduce Sakura into giving her early access to the Grail, but when Hakuno shows up for Sakura's help first, Kiara decided it was hotter that way and left Hakuno to do the brunt of her work. At this moment, her loss is already decided. No matter how many times she lovingly read Andersen's tales, she's a poor enough reader to never have realized he's a writer that punishes his protagonists for short-sightedness. The Little Mermaid and The Girl Who Sells Matches died for this.

The type of protagonist Andersen rewards are the ones like The Ugly Duckling, who never have it easy until they reach the discovery that changes their lives. And Kiara just made Hakuno into The Ugly Duckling of CCC instead of her.

In reality, Kiara could never get what she was asking for out of Andersen. Her win condition under his literary themes was for Sakura's love and Kiara's interactions with the rest of the CCC cast to make her find compassion in others, grow out of her messiah complex, and find ordinary happiness in the company of her fellow sentient human beings.

And that's all from CCC, but Kiara is one of the most recurring characters in current TM, so we have FGO and Tsukihime showing different facets of Kiara under the circumstances of different timelines.

FGO ultimately hijacks its Kiara with her CCC counterpart, but before that, she has a quite fascinating set of circumstances. Here we have a genuinely saintly Kiara. Unlike in CCC, here she was visited and cured by a wandering doctor instead of finding the solution to her illness on her own, so she never had the opportunity to arrive at her "I'm the only human being" mentality. After leaving her hometown, she still became a qualified therapist as usual, but this time earnestly dedicated to the benefit of her fellow sentient beings.

But the curious thing about this deviation in her backstory is how it relies on the FGO timeline having some wandering doctor in 2006 who somehow didn't exist in any other timeline to help Kiara there too. Unrelated picture of Dr. Romani Archaman (2004-2016) during his initial years of globetrotting before he returned to Marisbury.

Anyways, the transplanted CCC Kiara is defeated and drops her Alterego in Chaldea out of curiosity. Her next main story role is in Oo'oku, she gets to find her opposite in Kama and ultimately drags her to a new home where the two of them can find the simple happiness they lacked, preferably far away from each other. Lastly, her summer in Paradise Lake shows off a more balanced Kiara, still kinda high on the messiah complex and still the bad reader demanding a sequel for the sake of a sequel, but knowing where the draw the line. The AnKia fluff is also sublime as always.

Then Tsukihime is technically Kiara's latest appearance. She only gets two lines to explain her backstory, and it's honestly the funniest thing ever done with her megalomania. Tsuki Kiara is completely successful in her ascension to the rank of Maradeva but learned how much of a small fry she was compared to the True Devils of the Buddhist universe and noped back to Earth where she was still almighty (does that make her a tengu or am I being as literal about Buddhist definitions as her?). Tsuki Kiara has no excuses left to pretend this isn't about her ego first and foremost, but at least she found a place in the Burial Agency, where she can still offer others some kinda salvation.

Anon is also asking about the Sakuras, but I think I'll leave that for another time in another ask because this has already gotten really long just talking about Kiara. Sorry for delivering only half the answer.

#type moon #fate extra ccc #fate grand order #tsukihime #sesshouin kiara #hans cristian andersen

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nightghoul381 · 6 months

Text

Clavis 3rd Anniversary Event

A Beast's Dream Realized by Beauty

Chapter 1

This a fan translation so it is definitely not 100% accurate. I do not own anything related to Ikemen Prince. Support Cybird by buying their amazing stories!

Part 1 | Part 2 | Premium End | Epilogue

In the Kingdom of Lelouch, ruled by Prince Clavis, in the corner of the country lies the only bookstore.

The bookshop, which was set up for me by the man himself after talking to the owner, continues to attract many people today.

However, due to the immigrants and the diverse population, many of the people cannot read.

In order to popularize books, it was first necessary to teach reading.

Boy: “… Someday, I want to learn to read and become a bureaucrat.”

One day, while teaching reading and writing to people gathered at the bookstore,

A young boy not yet old enough to read, spoke his dream with sparkling eyes.

Emma: “Wow, what a wonderful dream. Why do you want to be a bureaucrat?”

Boy: “It’s rewarding and well paid! Plus, I hear it’s really popular with girls.”

(Oh, it was a more sinister motive than I thought.)

Emma: “I see… Who did you ask, by the way?”

Boy: “Prince Clavis!”

???: “Haha, you’ve got potential don’t you?”

Emma: “…Gah!?”

A warm breath caresses my ear and makes me jump.

When I whipped around, there stood Prince Clavis, who was supposed to have left that morning.

Emma: “Please don’t surprise me like that! You almost made my heart stop.”

Clavis: “My God, that’s terrible! We must take care of it right away.”

Clavis: “Most fairytale princesses can be cured with a kiss, but—”

Emma: “No, thank you!”

Boy: “Why are you here Prince Clavis?”

Clavis: “Ah. Wherever my fiancée is, I will also be. Remember that.”

Clavis: “But there is quite a crowd.”

Prince Clavis knew that I was teaching the people in the bookstore how to read.

The rows of desks and the materials that everyone was using were all gifts from Prince Clavis.

(…You’re supporting me.)

His pouting lips didn’t last long.

Emma: “It’s all thanks to the great publicity you’ve given us, Prince Clavis.”

Emma: “Everyone seems to have something they want to do by learning to read.”

(It’s not just the boy who has a dream.)

By learning to read, there become more jobs to choose from.

Perhaps because so many people visit with that hope in their hearts, this place is full of dreams.

Boy: “I’ll definitely become a bureaucrat one day. Prince Clavis, hire me!”

Clavis: “Of course. If you become a man who’s funny enough to make me roar, I’ll have to consider it, won’t I?”

Clavis: “But if you’re satisfied with only one dream, then you’ve still got a long way to go.”

Boy: “What do you mean?”

Clavis: “The more dreams you have, the better.”

Clavis: “You only live once. It would be a waste if your only dream was “I want to be a bureaucrat.” wouldn’t it?”

(That’s one way of thinking.)

(It’s true that your not only allowed to have one dream, and it would be fun to have many.)

Emma: “Did you have any dreams, Prince Clavis?”

Clavis: “Oh, do you want to know? You want to know don’t you. Okay, I’ll tell you.”

(As usual the pressure is strong…)

Clavis: “As a child, I wanted to be the best gentleman on the continent. I also wanted to be an excellent butler.”

Clavis: “I wanted to set up a shot and sell what I liked, and I wanted to be a chef.”

Clavis: “Also, I wanted to be a doctor, and I aimed to become an unprecedented trapmaster.”

Boy: “…That’s too many.”

Clavis: “But I made it all happen in the end, didn’t I?”

Boy: “Really?”

Emma: “Yeah. Aside from the chef, the rest might be true…”

(He’s a tremendous gentleman, he organizes the servants, he runs the shop…)

(he’s as bright as a doctor in medicine, not to mention a trapmaster.)

He’s also become quite skilled at cooking these days, if only he focused on how it looked, his dreams would come true.

(It’s really amazing that you’ve been able to achieve these results while working behind the scenes.)

(…he’s cool, after all.)

Clavis: “What do you think? Isn’t it amazing? You’ve fallen in love with me all over again, haven’t you?”

Emma: “I’m in love, I’m in love, Prince Clavis is so cool.”

Clavis: “….”

Emma: “…I really respect you, you know?”

(I just can’t say it without making fun of it because I’m too embarrassed…)

As if running away from the questioning gaze, I turn my heated face away,

Clavis burst out laughing.

Clavis: “Well now, is it Miss Grumpy day today? My fiancée is as cute as ever.”

Boy: “Hey, how can I make so many dreams come true?”

Clavis: “Hahaha, that’s easy!”

Clavis laughed loudly and for some reason hugged my waist—

Clavis: “Do you want to know?”

Emma: “But first, move your hand!”

I tried to shake him off and run away, but I was no match for his strength.

Clavis: “If you won’t make eye contact with me, surely I can at least enjoy your body heat?”

Emma: “Not you can’t! Not in public—”

Boy: “Yeah, yeah I know you’re in love, so please tell me.”

(Hey, you look so unaffected…!)

I’m the only one who’s flustered,

The people gathered as an audience around us were reacting like “Here we go again.”

I was embarrassed to be the only one making a fuss, so I decided to obey and settle into his arms.

Clavis: “Look, take action now.”

Boy: “Right now?”

Clavis: “Mmhmm. From the moment you have a dream, think about what you need to do, and start doing it.”

Clavis: “I’ll do it tomorrow, I’ll do it when… The moment you think that, your dream will remain a dream.”

Clavis: “You don’t have to do anything spectacular. If you take action that leads to your dream, even if it’s trivial…”

Clavis: “It all adds up and naturally, your dreams will come true.”

(Clavis’s way of life is really cool.)

(…ah, I thought he was cool again.)

When I casually look up to see his expression…

Clavis: “…”

(Huh? Why does he look so sad…?)

Clavis’s expression clouded for just a moment, but was quicky replaced with a suspicious smile.

The other people didn’t seem to notice anything unusual, and the boy’s eyes lit up when he heard the story.

Boy: “Well I’ll start studying letters even more now. Miss Emma!”

Emma: “Ah… Yeah. Okay, looks like we’ll be hanging out a lot.”

Emma: “And look, Clavis is here to help too.”

Clavis: “Haha, temporary teacher? Fair enough.”

Clavis: “Emma will cover all of the tuition fees. Everyone, call me Professor Clavis.”

Boy: “Hooray!”

Clavis finally let me go and entered the applauding circle of people.

(I hope that was my imagination…)

That night—

Emma: “—So, this is how I cover the tuition fees?”

Clavis: “Ah, that’s right. My fiancée doesn’t take a bath with me very often.”

(I mean… Do all lovers in the world do this?)

(I feel like my heart is about to explode.)

Clavis, who sank into the bathtub in good spirits, embraces me from behind.

At first, I took refuge at the edge of the bathtub, but I half-heartedly accepted his invitation when I couldn’t stretch my legs.

Feeling restless and fidgety,

The fingers around my waist begin to trace the line of my breast.

Emma: “Ngh, watch where you’re touching!”

Clavis: “You don’t like it?”

Emma: “Don’t do that, it’s making me feel hot!”

Clavis: “Haha, that’s tough. But don’t worry, if you get hot, I’ll treat you well.”

Even though he was talking suggestively, he didn’t touch me any further, typical of Clavis’s gentlemanly behavior.

(…But, how that it’s quiet, it’s uncomfortable.)

(That’s it. Now’s the time to ask.)

Emma: “Clavis… Are you concerned about something?”

Clavis: “Are you concerned?”

Emma: “Earlier, during the day, I noticed that you looked sad for a moment…”

Clavis: “……”

Clavis: “Right, you’ll understand.”

Clavis took a long, drawn-out breath and tightened his grip on me.

Clavis: “I just remembered a lot of things.”

Clavis: “I’m a man who has made all my dreams come true—but there are still many dreams that haven’t come true.”

Part 1 | Part 2 | Premium End | Epilogue

#ikemen prince #ikepri #ikemen prince translation #ikepri translation #clavis lelouch #ikepri clavis #ikepri clavis lelouch #ikemen prince clavis #ikemen prince clavis lelouch

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valiant-portabella-pirkko · 6 months

Text

ok so I actually completed SotO's new story chapters on day 1, but I've taken a little while to put my thoughts together on it. some of it's good, some not, but I did my best to be fair and direct on it.

so anyway here we go, major spoilers under the cut!

The Good

I like the map, I like the writing direction, I like the lore. I liked most of what we got, honestly. dungeon fixes, customizable character screen backgrounds, bugfixing the new 'green circles' mechanic, and adding a mount ley-line toggle are also all huge things that people have been wanting, and I'm very very glad they listened.

Peitha is shaping into an absolutely fascinating character too, and it's getting a lot more obvious why she connected to the Wayfinder so quickly... they feel very much cut from the same cloth, two strong leaders fighting to make their worlds better. and yet they're also burdened by the weight of that choice, and the sacrifices that must be made for their vision to be made into reality.

moments like this hit me like a bag of bricks; there's so much going on in the Kryptis homeworld. it's fascinating starting from the perspective of the Ward, seeing them all as just these vicious invaders... to now finding out they have names, ambitions, homes, maybe even families. we're told time and time again that their motivation is fear. the Wanderer, Irja, the little grunts we kill en masse to power the beacons, even Heitor herself.

'There's a version of this world where she joined us.'

like... just thinking about that. man. a version where Heitor hadn't lost hope so completely that by the time we come along, Peitha informs us that she wanted to die-- if only because she knew that at least we'd make it quick. it's horrifying to think about on its own, but the reality that it didn't have to be that way makes it so much worse.

it's... such a clear illustration of why their world has to change. they're fighting and dying to preserve the status quo not because it brings them comfort or privilege, but because they've been living in hell for so long that they don't believe an alternative exists. for as alien as the Kryptis seem to us, we're every bit as alien to them.

it feels like there's a really solid direction here, and I hope that it continues being solid through to the end. I could talk WAY more about my feelings on the story, but I'd better keep going.

I also like the Convergences; they're fun and I hope they survive. having public vs private instanced content seems to cause issues with publics staying populated long-term though, which... concerns me. I STRONGLY prefer publics just because you can bring Jade Bot protocols in, which makes it easier to travel freely and keep boons.

and now that I've dug into all that, uh... let's get to the less fun stuff.

The Bad

there's a lot of things to like about this release, but there's also a lot to... Not. the main 'drop' for Convergences outside of raw essences are Concealed Unstable Kryptis Essence Coffers... lootboxes which can only be opened with an Unstable Kryptis Motivation, which at the moment costs... upwards of 10 Gold per pop if you buy them off the TP. the only other way to get them is grinding tier 2 and 3 rifts, and good luck getting one because they're RARE.

I do not like this direction, for a LOT of reasons. the biggest one should be pretty obvious: it's making a portion of the victory rewards inaccessible to players who can't shell out the gold or the rift farm time to get the keys OUTSIDE the Convergence. the other is that the rewards aren't even worth 11 Gold anyway, so the coffers are dropping rapidly in price while the keys stay high. at this point it's arguably better to just sell the keys on the TP than to ever actually use them. the market on these is gonna get wacky I'm sure.

I don't want to see that become a trend. just.......... no.

the other main gripe I have is that... there's no portal of entry in and out of Inner Nayos. no, really. you can't get in and out at all without porting one way or another. it's right next to the Wizard's Tower but there is no entry point connecting these two maps. I thought I was going insane at first so I turned on the story again while in the Wizard's Tower to see if it'd point me towards a door. nope! it just sticks the story star icon on the Inner Nayos map and calls it a day.

aside from making travel in and out unnecessarily irritating and costly, this also means that you can't easily get alts into the dang map without a TP to friend. otherwise you have to do the story on them, whether you're ready and willing to or not.

I don't like that shift either, and really hope they remedy it when the 'under construction' gate opens in the future. that said, that should have been made available as soon as you finish the story.

and now the final segment, you know where this is going.

The Ugly

it's... short. really, really short. like, no, really. I finished all the story chapters in an hour and a half tops. now at maybe three, four days in I already have enough mastery points to top off the last mastery in the new line. I've map completed the new zone twice. both of the new Vault tasks are done. everything went so so so so fast.

and for reference: this cycle is going to last even longer than the last, based on the Vault reset time period.

additionally, the weaponmaster training underwent a stealth change: the new weapons can no longer be equipped on characters under level 80. this was not listed in the update notes. while that didn't affect me, it does seem kind of cheap to pull the rug on that when a lot of players were using that to level their characters since, well... a lot of core weapons just aren't that great. I can't really blame anyone who would rather use weapons that don't hit like a wet paper towel.

there have also been some... interesting bugs on release, of which the biggest one was unlimited hero's chests per day from the Inner Nayos meta. some people got a month's worth of chests in one day before they turned the chest drops off entirely to fix it.

they're back now, but that was still... something to behold.

I've also heard rumors that the new Legendary Kit from the Vault may be bugged; some players are reporting opening the kit and getting nothing out of it. I can't confirm how frequent that issue is, but... yeah that's a little concerning. I'll hold onto mine for now, just to be safe.

Overall Impression

despite the many sore points mentioned, overall I'm... okay with it. I like what we got, but I wish there was more there to like. from the much smaller Vault selection, to the shorter story, to the single-waypoint but otherwise very cool map that feels like it could have more going on in certain areas... I dunno.

but on the other hand... if my biggest complaint is that I like it enough to want more of it, that's an alright problem to have when we know we're going to get more. I'd be more worried if what we got was a miserable slog and I didn't even want to return to the maps-- and in fact, the opposite is true! I want to return to the map frequently and I want more to do in it-- and mostly I want easier access to it.

my hope is that the slowdown is an indication of resources being put into other backend work, such as the dungeon fixes, the character select screen, and so on. because, realistically, if they can fix up the core more, that would streamline their workflow a LOT and make it easier and quicker to work on things in the future.

I guess in short, my impression is... tentatively optimistic.

that's all I've got on it for now, maybe I'll talk about story more in-depth in the future though because boy I do have a lot of thoughts on that-- which... is part of why I had to redo this post like 6 times. it kept getting way too long and rambly over story. (oops)

#my posts #soto spoilers #gw2 soto #secrets of the obscure spoilers #secrets of the obscure #i did my best to be fair to it in terms of my thoughts and feelings and give an honest but earned opinion on it #hopefully it's at least mostly coherent lol

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sparklyslug · 2 months

Note

just here to say i am obsessed with The (Monster-Hunting) Shop Around the Corner and am eagerly awaiting the last chapter!! idk if you ever do lil previews, totally fine if not, but just here to beg for a little snippet in case you do!

WAUGH THANK YOU SO MUCH! I really really appreciate that! I’m sorry it’s taken longer than planned for the final chapter, work revved up in February and this month I’m focusing on my @strangerthingsreversebigbang, but THEN! UPDATE! I PROMISE! But thank you so so so much for enjoying it so far.

So such patience and kindness of course can only be rewarded with a snippet ahahaha!

……….

Steve’s ringing up a sweet mom (looking for something for her 10-year-old daughter: B*Witched was an easy sell, hiding it from Ned was not) when Eddie Munson breezes through the door. Raising what looks like two paper coffee cups in greeting, one in each hand, and grinning at Steve.

After a moment of surprise, Steve gives him a one second nod, and focuses on wrapping up the sale. Out of the corner of his eye, he tracks Eddie carefully setting the cups down and moving around the shop. “Let me know how she likes it,” Steve says to the mother as she hands her the bag and her receipt, tearing his eyes away from Eddie. With a nod and a smile, she’s out the door, and Steve rests his arms on the counter, regarding Eddie.

He’s lucky it’s just Steve in here right now; he’s apparently forgotten that this time of year your average Chicagoan usually is wrapped up in several layers, a winter coat being the most essential one of them. But Eddie seems comfortable as a September day in his charcoal gray sweater and black jeans, even pushes up the sleeves a little to expose tattooed forearms as he dives into a crate of classic metal LPs.

“Hey kid,” he calls across the store, when Eddie appears to have vanished completely into some music nerd heaven, and forgotten whyever it is he showed up here. “You gonna get your greasy mitts all over every cover, or you actually gonna buy something?”

Eddie’s head shoots up, and after a moment’s confusion his face breaks open into another grin.

“Dude, were you also a frequent shopper at The Tune Factory? Because that was a perfect Mr. Wilkins impression.”

“Where do you think I got all my Wham tapes?” Steve laughs.

“Funny we never ran into each other there,” Eddie says easily, making his way back over to the counter.

“Yeah, that’s true,” Steve says slowly, thinking that it isn’t that funny at all. He doesn’t know which would have gone over worse back then: if Steve had tried to strike up a conversation with Eddie, or if Eddie had tried the same thing with him. He figures Eddie has to know this too, but. Yeah, it’s nice to pretend that it would have been otherwise, now that they’re here.

There’s something different about Eddie today. And not just the forgotten jacket, or the break from his undertaker monochrome approach. Maybe it’s just how he leans a hand on his chin easily, smiling up at Steve.

Huh. Guess it takes seeing Eddie without that thread of stress running through him, to realize it had been there this whole time.

“So what’s a guy like you doing in a dump like this?” Eddie asks. And actually bats his lashes at Steve, which is alarmingly effective given the materials the guy is working with.

“Making minimum wage,” Steve says dryly. “You’re in a good mood.”

“Well, I had my hands full with this totally needy freeloader all last week, and I finally got my place back to myself,” Eddie says easily. “So, lots to celebrate.”

“I bet,” Steve says, cocking an eyebrow at him.

“Speaking of which,” Eddie says, looking around for where he left the cups. “How are you feeling?”

“All good,” Steve admits, pointing over at the display case currently displaying Eddie’s drinks. “Not even a sniffle. And the, uh, sting already looks smaller.” That could be because the bruising around it shaped like Eddie’s mouth has finally faded, but Steve isn’t going to say that.

Eddie grabs the cups, and comes back to the counter.

“Glad to hear it. And feeling any otherworldly urges? Any cravings for blood, or likelihood of sprouting wings?”

“Oh, y’know. No more than usual.”

Eddie rewards him for that one with a laugh. “My business here is two-fold. Okay, actually–three-fold. I did really want to see how you were doing. But also, happened to be in the area, which happens to also be the area of one of the best cocoa spots in town. And also…”

Steve snorts a laugh as Eddie slides one of the cups across the countertop, pushing it along with one finger and looking at Steve with a wide-eyed smile.

“And also… someone might have been spreading rumors around town that you’re all on your lonesome this week, for a certain celebration of American consumption and excess.”

“Someone, huh?” Steve takes the cup, wrapping both palms around it and enjoying the warmth for a second. “Whoever could it be.”

“We may never know,” Eddie says solemnly. “But I figure Wayne's got a big ol couch with room for one more. And I would personally appreciate someone who can entertain him on whatever is happening with ‘The Big Game’–” Steve snorts as Eddie does the air quotes “–so I can get a turkey nap in, undisturbed.”

“So, are you doing me a favor? Or Wayne a favor?”

“Please, I am doing myself a favor,” Eddie says firmly. “I have been trying for more than twenty years to persuade Wayne that there’s no converting me to football. Being gay? After a weekend fishing trip to collect his thoughts, he took that no problem. Being bored to fucking tears by the struggles of the Colts? He’s never been able to accept it.”

Steve laughs. “Yeah, I can talk sports with your uncle for an afternoon. Give you a break.”

Eddie stands up straight, blinking in surprise before he can cover it with an awkward smile. Which is, uh, fair. Steve kind of surprised himself too. Had no intention of actually talking to Wayne and Eddie about Thanksgiving in the first place, whatever he had promised Dustin (which Dustin had probably figured, since he clearly worked it from the other angle, the little jerk). Even in the moment, once he realized what Eddie was asking, he had been mentally preparing a gentle brush off, maybe an I’ll think about it and then conveniently forgetting to say anything until, whoops, whaddaya know, it’s Black Friday.

Steve takes a sip of the cocoa to cover this inexplicably awkward moment, and sputters at the taste.

“Best cocoa in the city?” He manages.

Eddie reaches into his back pocket, and pulls out two mini bottles of whiskey.

“With a few Eddie Munson adjustments,” he says. “Perfect for a long walk home, on a cold November night.”

#my fic #steddiebang #stranger things fic

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monstrousvoice · 1 year

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Hi, followed after your latest chapter, so anyway thought you would enjoy the mental image of Morgott trying certain foods for the first time as King.

Normally he wouldn't partake in fancy [to him] foods, but sometimes there's dinners meant to serve for strengthening the nobility's measure of him. And it would look suspicious as hell if everyone BUT him ate.

So I just keep imagining him trying honey cakes, roast boar, chicken, fruits from orchards he half saw during a initial patrol as Margit. All while trying to keep a straight face. Hell, warm food that isn't burnt in some way probably feels weird to him for a while.

I don't know, i just keep imagining he purposely saves eating those things for when he Has to because he likes them So Much that it becomes a thing he denies himself-- like a bed or tailored clothes.

I have thoughts and your fic hasn't helped stop them.

Oh Anon you sweet bean!!

I do think that Morgott is the type to deny himself any simple pleasures when he can. Sleeping? Anywhere that is out of the way of others and that gets the job done. Doesn't matter if he wakes up feeling sore and uncomfortable, a being like him doesn't deserve the luxury of a bed.

Clothing? The same story. He is dedicated to protecting his city and the Erdtree, any fine clothing would be torn to shreds during battle, not to mention it only hinders his movements. What does it matter if his wishes to feel soft cotton against his skin instead of coarse fibers that are worn and frayed and smell of his own sweat? He hasn't earned the right to feel such things. He has always wanted to see if he would look...somewhat less horrifying if he was dressed in clothing that had his mother's gold as an accent color. Would he seem less shameful to her then?

And food? Food is the most tempting and cruel thing he denies himself. Fun fact, the short I'm finishing up and going to post next goes over this issue a little more 👀

When he first donned the Mimic Veil and took his place as king, he actually could not eat the food given to him. His body was malnourished (still is actually) and the food was so rich in nutrients for him that his body couldn't handle it.

But he was so hungry.

He is ashamed for it, but it was a night where he actually caved into his shameful desires and ate as much of the food he could get his hands on. It smelled so delicious...A smell he had only ever caught a whiff of while hiding in the shadows of sewer tunnels, when the common folk walked above him eating and selling from carts.

He ate, and ate, and ate. Until he could eat no more.

And he very quickly regretted it. His stomach roiled and rebelled against the onslaught of rich proteins and pure sugars, and he was sick. He threw everything back up almost as quickly as he had caved to his desires and scarfed it down.

Months later, when he was studying in the library, he would learn that the reason for his sickness was indeed due to his malnourished state, but at the time? He had thought it was a fitting punishment by Grace, the Greater Will, for succumbing to his cravings and eating the food that belonged to the people more deserving than him.

If he must eat, such as at a party of nobility, he eats the very bare minimum regardless of how his stomach may growl and beg. The sights and scents alone can be overwhelming for his advanced senses, but he manages to pull through.

As his Lord Consort (and possibly God depending on how you like to think you got married to him) you take it upon yourself to help him with these issues. Its a long and arduous process, one that has the both of you get angry or cry or feel like giving up. But the key to being Morgott's beloved? You're just as stubborn as he is.

You help him with these habits and even encourage him to improve himself more. For the food in particular, there are a couple ways to convince him to eat. You can guilt trip him, or make it a secret and reward.

Guilt tripping is when his response to your prodding is anger, which happens the most in the beginning. If he's in a mood where he refuses to eat and gets angry when you convince him otherwise? Bring out the crocodile tears and sniffling. He's going to let all this wonderful food, made just for him, go to waste? Food that the chefs spent hours on, just to be thrown into the back alleys for the rats to eat? When there are those out there who don't have anything at all? This triggers his memories of being a starved child...and he finds he can't actually send you away.

The method of making it a secret and reward is the most common way to convince him to eat, and the most effective. Take a couple bites of the meal yourself, lay it on a little thick how good it tastes, how wonderful it is, to get his attention. When he looks to you, say you got it for him but it's so delicious you couldn't help but sneak a bite. He doesn't mind, truly. It's the exact opposite actually, he is rather happy to know that you are fed and healthy.

Then offer it to him as intended. When he tries to refuse, make it into a "game". You won't tell anyone, least of all the Greater Will, that he ate some of the meal. It's your shared secret, and no one else will ever find out. And if it's a secret between just the two of you...then it's okay to do it this one time, yes? Just one time, he'll take a bite and be done with it.

But then he chews and swallows...and you praise him. Tell him that you're so proud he actually ate! And it was so tasty right? Maybe he should take another bite, just to really savor the taste and texture. It's just a small part to add to your new secret! No one will know...

And before he knows it...the whole meal is gone. Sitting comfortably in his very full belly and giving his body the nourishment it's been craving. Eventually he gets so used to these little "secret" food meetings between you both, he doesn't even need you to pretend any longer. You can just come in and settle down with him and hold his food out, and he takes it without hesitation.

#Elden Ring #Morgott #Morgott the Omen King #Morgott X Tarnished #Morgott X Reader #TW Eating Disorder #Good lordy I really went ham here #I love talking about character habits and anon you got my gears turning #Hope you stick around for future chapters and stories!!! 💖#Bee buzzing and crow cawing

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inmarbleimmobility · 4 months

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1.1.4 - "Works to Match Words"

well look who finally got caught up enough in their real job to do their les mis letters posts! (and figured out how to use the title feature!) oh boy there's so much here y'all.

the title immediately stands out to me - it reminds me of a bible verse, though I can't immediately pinpoint which one. a quick google tells me probably james 2:17 (faith without works is dead) but i think 1 john 3:18 fits better - "[...] let us not love in word or talk but in deed and in truth". this whole chapter is an exploration of what people *say* (or what their titles/positions say about them) vs what they *do*.

Pun Count is now 2 ("My highness cannot reach that shelf", maybe my fave pun in the whole book)!

Myriel refers to the Saint Augustine quote ("place your expectations in him to whom there is no succession") as being "something odd", just like Hugo later says he has his "own strange way of judging things" - driving home that point that for a priest to follow christ's actual words and intentions isn't the rule but the exception.

not sure how the anecdote about his cousin fits my words/works thesis but let me get to the end of this post and I bet I'll find it!

"using the tomb to feed their vanity" seems to imply there's something else these men should be using the tomb for - most likely a contemplation on heaven?

"A pennyworth of paradise" - lots here!! someone else brought up Myriel choosing to convince people to good acts through love rather than fear; we're seeing the fear approach work here, but only insofar as it gets Geborand to donate a single penny - a token contribution, a "work" that is more word than deed. he can say he was charitable, therefore he thinks he'll get into heaven. Myriel's saying it doesn't work that way - that a pennyworth of charity only gets you a pennyworth of paradise, perhaps also that the greater your works on earth, the greater your reward in heaven? this is a view I personally don't vibe all that much with as I feel like in practice it only encourages performative "works" instead of its intent (to reward fully those who were truly good). it *is* a very biblical take, though; see the beatitudes.

the Marquis de Champtercier - others have mentioned him as a kind of precursor to Gillenormand, which, yeah! the "words" here are the marquis claiming he's prioritizing his own poor while the actual work is to deny "Myriel's poor" his donation. Myriel (and I) disagree with the "my poor/your poor" distinction - the suffering of any person is the responsibility of all of us to alleviate, hence "give them to me". interestingly this was the first time i read this line as "give *them* to me" instead of "give them to *me*" - the latter is, again, Myriel saying he doesn't discriminate between "his" poor and the "Marquis' poor"; the former feels like an even cheekier followup to "you must give me something" - if it won't be money, it'll be "his" poor.

"God gives light to men, and the law sells it." Myriel is speaking literally here re: the door and window tax (which I know nothing about; what's the logic there??), but in a larger sense, he also isn't. Light is one of the things I'm specifically looking for on this read, and this feels like the setup for the points Hugo will make later with his other usages of light. God gives light - hope, love, education, belonging, whatever it is - to men, and the law - literally, but also just society and government - sells it (at a monetary cost but also a less tangible one - your soul? your humanity?) goddamn, I can't believe I never thought more about all the things Hugo is subtly setting up in these chapters and passing off as Sick Bishop Burns TM.

"My brethren, be compassionate; see how much suffering there is around you" - it says he's preaching this at "the cathedral", but I don't know much about the demographic of Digne at this time. are his parishioners mostly rich? mostly laborers? a mix?

I appreciate the inclusion of Myriel's knowledge of Southern dialects more now that I know a little about the context of Occitan/lenga d'oc/Provencal at this time! i want to spend some time researching the history and linguistics of Occitan here soon, it's fascinating to me.

lots of people have expressed that Myriel's doctrine of repressing the body so as not to sin as rubbing them the wrong way, and same. unfortunately it very much jibes with the Catholic view of sin. nothing'll give you Permanent Weird Feelings About Your Body And Specifically Sex like Catholicism! (this last to be read like a tagline on a commercial with, like, the Mr. Clean guy doing a thumbs up above it, only he's wearing a miter.) from a modern viewpoint I'd expect Myriel to think a bit differently on this point the way he does on a lot of other Church doctrine things, but I suppose if he really "got it from the Gospels" there's plenty of textual evidence to support that. ew, Catholicism.

also not the first person to point out "but be upright" as paralleling "un juste", the title of this book, but wow it's good.

gonna be vulnerable here and confess I don't really get what he's saying about the "offended hypocrisy" that's "quick to protest and run for cover". pot/kettle I guess? maybe it's just worded in a way I can't wrap my mind around.

again with the Big Three - women, children, and laborers (here "servants". Hugo via Myriel directly identifies the corresponding oppressors - husbands, fathers, and masters - but in this case I'm not sure how much I agree with those. masters certainly, but husbands and fathers? certainly they *can* be oppressive and create those conditions Hugo so strongly opposes, but not always - and in many cases those husbands/fathers are also laborers, so. I much prefer his followup of the strong, the rich, and the wise. once again Hugo says eat the rich.

"the guilty one is not he who commits the sin, but the one who causes the darkness." alright everyone, pack it up, we're done here, we've found the Main Idea! lmao can you imagine if that's where Hugo stopped? hilarious.

the counterfeiter. the "word" here is claiming to uphold justice, when the "work" is actually just upholding the law. I especially like the wording of saying the prosecutor had "brought truth to light" here - going to have to go grab my French text and see if this is a Hugo wording or a FMA wording, but either way it goes back to that theme of light - in this case, how the truth of the case isn't necessarily the same as the Light, the good.

the condemned man. there's so much here. "[Myriel] called [the condemned man] by his name" - this brings to mind musical!Valjean's line "my name is Jean Valjean!" when Javert persists in addressing him as 24601, as well as his later surprise when the bishop treats him like a person. sometimes all it takes is treating a person like a person. i'm sure this won't be the last time I say that. Hugo also refers to death as "an abyss" here; that recalls "I am reaching, but I fall/and the night is closing in/as I stare into the void/into the whirlpool of my sin". I don't think this is the first time Hugo refers to the unknown as an abyss, either! in this case, it isn't just the unknown of death that the condemned man fears, but likely also the judgment after, which he knows won't go well for him (he's specifically said to be "not ignorant enough to be indifferent"), much like the abyss of Valjean's sin. Myriel sheds light on this abyss ("showed him the light") and teaches the condemned man not to fear death or the afterlife. fascinating also how we're specifically told Myriel stays with the man onto the cart and all the way onto the scaffold, literally accompanying this man to his fate, helping him not be alone to the very last moment.

the upper classes see Myriel's reaction to the guillotine as "affectation" - because if they were to show the same outward reaction, it *would* be affectation for them.

haha hey did you guys know there's a character limit on tumblr posts? because i do now!! so uhh part 2 in a second i guess.

#les mis #les mis letters #lm 1.1.4 #i didn't even know i had this many thoughts jesus christ!

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