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arachine · 1 year

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my eyes r rolling omffff waht is wrong w u and how r u so talented! it’s not fair 🙏 but anyway i can’t stop thinking about more stepbro!neteyam and how you’re going through heat and he helps you out

claiming 🫘 if it’s not taken 😁

— sinful desires !

+ pairings :: step!bro neteyam x female na’vi!reader

+ genre :: mature

+ general tags :: 18+ (explicit sexual content, explicit language)

+ content warnings :: characters aged up (20), dark content, pseudo-cest, reader gets her heat, corruption, dacryphilia, vaginal sex, f/m ejaculation...not proofread

+ note :: hi nonnie bb! wrote this as a thirst…went a little overboard hehe :3 + not my usual format ;( bc i wrote this before going to the dining hall LOL! but yeah, this is just smth light before i get started on my actual WIPS.

“c’mon, don’t look at me like that,” he thumbs your cheek, tilting his head with an avian flutter of his lashes. neteyam could be so…generous. always too eager to help—too eager to make everybody’s problems, his problems.

right now he had you splayed out in a clearing, one hand holding his weighty cock, and the other holding the back of your thigh. you’ve been in this position for a while, all heavy breaths and squirms, physically (and mentally) fighting the urge to relinquish your body to him—to let him you.

you always pictured your first heat going a lot smoother than this. that when the time came, you’d be prepared and mated—but you were neither. so, one could only imagine the moral dilemma that arises when you’re forced to choose between two (very bad) options: 1) doing nothing and ultimately succumbing to the pain, and 2) fucking the only guy who conveniently happened to be within proximity.

the latter was obviously, not something you would’ve chosen for yourself—but the pain was excruciating—debilitating, and your current location wasn’t giving you much room for choice.

“look, you can stay here and suffer, bound to the forest soil, or you can let me help you,” the boy slides the weeping tip of his cock over your exposed folds, “which one sounds better? wallowing in pain or big brother helping you, hm?”

the tail of his query is accompanied with a prod to your hole, and you whimper in response, arching up to grasp at his chest. neteyam finds amusement in this, chuckles under his breath and gets real low on top of you.

“c’mon, baby, say it. tell me with your words. not gonna make you do something you don’t want to do,” and with that he’s lifting your chin up, using the pad of his loitering thumb to swipe away crystalline droplets.

you nod your head slowly. first once, then twice, lifting your hips up to meet him halfway. he takes your silent acquiescence as an invitation to glide into you. and, fuck, it’s so easy…fits right in like a glove. overwhelmingly wet and warm, a terrible combination that scares him.

you’re trouble, he thinks. because he knows that after he fucks you, gives you what you want—he’ll only want more. and that hunger will only grow, it’ll fester and fester, until the only way he can get off is with you. and that couldn’t happen, no—because this was only supposed to be a one time thing.

what would the people think of their future olo’eyktan messing around with his little sister? surely, they’d denounce his claim and deem him unfit to lead, right? and what would your parents think? they’d probably disown the both of you, or worse, disown you. and that’s the last thing he wants—to ruin you.

which is why this has to be the first time and the last time.

“‘teyam make me feel good please!” you clasp your hands behind his neck, forcing him to lay atop of you, “wan’ it to stop hurting…please, just…help me.”

there’s a flicker in your eyes when you say it, and he likes it. makes his spine tingle and his pupils dilate. because he wants to hear you do it again.

“you want me to make you feel good, huh?” a slow, drawn out thrust, “want big brother to make it feel better here?” he unsheathes himself from your gummy cunt and taps the top of your mound with the weight of his length.

“mhm, need you now, ‘teyam. please, hurry!” of all the years he’s known you, he’s never known you to be a beggar. the sheer desperation in your voice alone was enough to make him forgo all of his disciplines.

without pause, he guides his mushroomy head back to your leaking hole, and pushes himself all the way in until the fat of his balls is plush against your ass.

its’s so swift, the way he completely takes charge, like he’s done this before—like he’s been inside of you. your body was foreign to him, a stranger, and yet, it wasn’t. and he convinces himself as much because of the way you’re responding to him.

you are putty under his touch, and every moan, grab, clutch, and clench only confirms this.

faster, deeper—harder, you preen. and he obeys. does it when you command it, and doesn’t ease up. it’s almost unreal, the way the two of you are moving in perfect synchrony. like you’re liquified metal, melding together to form one.

“shit, feel you clenching. are you close, baby?” he syncopates each word with a harsh thrust, letting his weight distribute to one arm as he encases the side of your head. you nod eagerly, mumbling a string of expletives, followed after a series of strangled cries.

“f-feel it coming, don’t stop.” you’re so close, so, so, so close to that sweet release that you’ve been chasing after since it happened, and you’ll be damned if you don’t get it.

unconsciously, you wrap your legs tighter around his torso, and pull him down by the neck until his face is mere centimeters away from yours. you’re close—too close. so close that if he were to dip his head down just slightly, he’d kiss you.

your eyes flit to his lips, to his eyes, and then back to his lips. calling. beckoning. pleading.

kiss me, is what he thinks they’re saying. but he’s scared it’s too…intimate. a kiss would solidify things—feelings—and he didn’t have the mental fortitude to come to terms with that just yet.

this was supposed to be something he did to help you, he reminds himself. he was just doing you a favor, because that’s what brothers did, right? just a favor. nothing more, nothing less.

but eyes stare back into eyes, and breaths intertwine with breaths, and shit, he’s a weak man. this was another deadly combination that could only be blamed by the forced proximity. damn this.

he presses his lips to your own, harsh and heavy, leaving no room for anything. no room for hesitation—air—not even for protest. and when you kiss him back with just as much want, just as much need? he’s melting into your touch, ramming into you with such unbridled velocity, that you don’t even register the accidental love bite you gave his lip.

he works through it though, licks the blood up and continues his assault on your cunt. lays thrust after thrust until your body falls lax in his hold and your thighs clench shut around him.

“that’s it, sweet girl,” he coos, “go ahead, give it all to me.” with the encouragement of his sweet words, you come undone all over his cock, with his own release not too far behind.

“fuckfuckfuck, where you want it?” he grunts out through broken moans.

“inside, do it inside!” you sob, grabbing for his neck once more, pulling him down to your chest. you help to draw his release out by moving your hips in unison with his, holding yourself up on your forearms as he sheathes himself in and out of you at a dizzying pace.

with a final piston, he finishes inside of you. the two of you stall in the air briefly before he gently lowers you down onto your back, him following soon after to lay on your breasts.

when his breaths even, and the bioluminescent plants begin to glow, he unsheathes himself from inside you and sits back on his knees. you look so pretty, he thinks. with his spent seeping from your hole, and your skin all slick with sweat.

“this can never…” you breathe, chest still heaving and breaths ragged, “never, ever happen again.”

a beat. he doesn’t answer. and you repeat yourself, only this time, with more power behind your tone.

“hey, this can never happen again. got it?”

he can only manage to give you a nod, but he doesn’t give you his word.

because this? this wouldn’t be the last time. he was going to be selfish, and if that meant ruining you for anyone else in the clan—if that meant keeping you from finding a potential mate, he’d just have to ruin you.

#dark.content #neteyam x reader #neteyam x reader smut #neteyam sully x reader #neteyam sully x reader smut #neteyam sully smut #avatar x reader smut #atwow x reader smut

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cosmerelists · 2 months

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My Top 10 Favorite Stormlight Fights...That DON'T Involve Kaladin

I wanted to do an overall “top fights” list but I found that were all, uh, just Kaladin. So Kaladin’s best fights will be saved for a future post, probably, but for now--let’s give some love for those epic fights that DON’T involve our most dramatic hero.

[SPOILERS FOR ALL OF STORMLIGHT ARCHIVES!]

10: Adolin (and Renarin!) vs. the Thunderclast [Oathbringer]

This one makes the Top 10 for me mostly because of how cool it must have been in theory...although tragically we never do actually get to see Renarin fight the Thunderclast. I mean, Adolin's part is still very cool--gotta love the one guy without Radiant powers nevertheless trying to fight a giant stone monster from ages past. And then Renarin comes and defeats it off-screen, and that is cool enough to make this list even though we don't see it.

#9: Moash vs. Leshwi [Oathbringer]

This is such a short fight, and it probably wouldn't make the Top 10 for most people...but I thought it was cool. We have Moash facing off against a Fused--one of the first Fused we ever see--with a Shardblade, only to realize that he can't beat her with that weapon, so he grabs a simple spear instead (my heart!). Then he gets lashed to the sky...but pulls her with him and stabs her in the chest. And so he kills her, and Lewshi being Leshwi, she's like, "Okay. You're legit and I like you." So kind of a cool character-building moment for both of them!

#8: Adolin & Dalinar & Elhokar vs. the Chasmfiend [Way of Kings]

This fight didn't do it for me one a first read, because frankly I didn't care that much about the Dalinar chapters in Book 1 because I was always waiting to get back to Kaladin. But upon a reread and a re-reread, I liked it much more! Like so many early fights in Way of Kings, it felt like a sort of tutorial for how the powers work, here focusing on how Shardblades and Chasmfiends Work. You get to see Adolin & Dalinar work well together despite their conflicts, and you get to see Elhokar being, well, Elhokar.

#7: Adolin’s Duels [Words of Radiance]

Except for the last one, to keep this ranking Kaladin-free! But Adolin's pre-Whitespine-Uncaged duels were also very legit. Adolin is a great swordsman, and that makes him fun to watch (well, read about). And I loved the way that he had a different way to mess with his opponent in every duel, from unhinged battery to slowly picking apart the other guy's armor. It's great to see someone good at dueling get to do what they're best at.

#6: Szeth vs. an entire party [Way of Kings]

I'm referring to when Szeth assassinated King Hanavanar of Jah Keved...while the guy was holding a big dinner party. And while this scene is a little painful to read, since Szeth slaughters everyone while crying, if memory serves, you gotta be a little impressed by the way Szeth is able to kill an entire room of people, many of whom are armed with Shardblades or half-shards. At one point he even tosses his sword away and goes hand-to-hand with people holding deadly weapons and just slaughters them all, no problem. That guy is frightening good at murder.

#5: Navani vs. Raboniel vs. Moash [Rhythm of War]

Some fights are cool because they involve visually stunning moves or epic swordplay. Some are cool because they rip my heart into a million pieces. This is one of the latter! Navani killing Raboniel is gut-wrenchingly tragic but also so cool (the Fused are impossible to kill and yet, Navani does it)...and then Moash shows up. The confrontation between Moash and Navani was an emotional beat I didn't know I needed until it was happening...and listen, I am SUCH a sucker for self-sacrifice. Raboniel grabbing Moash to let Navani escape, even after Navani killed her? I'll never be over it.

#4: Szeth vs. Gavilar [Way of Kings]

I mean, this one is a true classic. It's the first fight we see, and serves as a basic tutorial on how stormlight and Shardblades work. We have Szeth in the opening of Way of King, going to assassinate Gavilar. He lashes people and things left and right. He's on the ceiling and the walls. He's burning souls and cutting holes in the building. He's desperately fighting Gavilar in what is probably Gavilar's only cool scene in all of the books. It's just classic.

#3: Shallan vs. An Entire Army [Oathbringer]

I'm not sure this would make a "Top Fights" list for very many people, but it is one of my personal favorites. This refers to the Battle of Thaylen Field (yes, Kaladin is in the background but that doesn't count as involvement), when Shallan, Veil, & Radiant summon hordes of alters to distract the Odium-crazed army. Not only does she fend off an entire army single-handedly (holy shit, Shallan), but she does so despite the fact that it is her being killed over and over again in thousands of forms. The image of her, Radiant, and Veil holding hands as she struggles to stay conscious is incredibly powerful to me. And Jasnah goes to help! A+ fight.

#2: Adolin & Maya vs. the Tukari [Rhythm of War]

This is one of my all-time favorite fights. It takes place in Shadesmar, when Adolin runs to help Notum who is being stabbed and beaten by a group of Tukari, Not only is it a heroic fight against grossly mismatched odds, which I always love, but it also demonstrates the bond between Maya & Adolin. And when the two of them fight back to back using the kata... *chef's kiss*

#1: Dalinar vs. Odium [Oathbringer]

I'm aware that Kaladin is, like, in the background here, but the actual conflict between Dalinar & Odium does not involve him. And this isn't a physical fight--there's no clashing of Shardblades or running on the ceiling--but damn if this fight doesn't hit hard. Dalinar fights with a book and with his whole soul, and he refuses to give up his pain or to absolve himself of the guilt of what he's done. This might be one of the most powerful moments in any book, so it gets the top spot here!

What are your guys' favorite non-Kaladin fights? Let me know in the comments, if you want!

#cosmere #cosmerelists #stormlight archive #stormlight archive spoilers #Adolin #Shallan #Dalinar #Szeth #Elhokar #Odium #Maya #Gavilar #Navani #Moash #Lewshi #Raboniel #Renarin

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vlrspace · 1 year

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cw: this is just a small fluff with a slightly bold! 3rd year deku. enjoyy

wc: 4.1K

an: first published fanfic ever, so i’m aware it isn’t the best but we’ll improve.

aizawa’s voice fills the room, most focusing and actually taking down notes, while some are trying to fight to stay awake and doodle. not that you’re dropping into the latter, but lately more and more rabbit like doodles fill up the margins of your book.

it isn’t necessarily that you aren’t listening to what aizawa is actually saying and you don’t care about your grades, but lately funny emotions are erupting in your heart and you’ve been feeling a little bit off.

you are well aware what these feelings are, what more like who causes them and how they were born. however the timing was quite bad, you would’ve been happier if these feelings would’ve come later. in the future when it’s easier to get over your probably unrequited feelings for a boy everyone adores. not that it’s a problem, of course everyone is adoring him, he’s such a sweetheart with a kind nature and his aspiration to become a hero is a huge influence to those around him.

honestly, you couldn’t blame midoriya izuku for being blessed with nothing but good traits. he’s always lending a hand if you’re in need of help with school or training. he’s asking how are you doing at every chance he sees you, gives you an ear if you want to talk, and often he circles his muscly arms around you to pull you closer to him if you need some comfort.

you often wondered if he treated everyone else like this or if it’s just you? although it’s better if that question remains unanswered for your poor little heart. you are already overthinking, your brain is like an ocean, overflowing with thoughts till you zone out completely. barely realising how mina came to stand beside your table asking you if you wanted to grab lunch.

“you have been in your own world lately” tsu says with slight concern laced in her tone. you shoot her an apologetic smile.

“i apologise, sometimes i get carried away and just zone out completely. i am not intentionally ignoring you girls” you beam, hoping your answer is enough for them to not continue on pressing the topic.

maybe though, your answer had been half a lie. you are somewhat ignorant when you’re day dreaming and zone out completely, hoping that the green haired hero-in-training wouldn’t talk to you unless necessary.

mainly, since your second and now your third year at u.a. started, izuku had been through a growing spurt. he’s no longer smaller than most boys in your class but he’s 6 foot something and his hair is tamed with a little undercut. he’s more buff, broader and easily towers over most, even if he doesn’t mean it to come off intimidating. to say he’s gotten hotter is an understatement.

of course, his personality hasn’t changed drastically but he grew a bit more confident in himself and bold as well. he’s still stumbling over his words at times and gets flustered with blood red cheeks but it’s getting rare.

“ohh, what’s on your mind (y/n)? do you want to talk about it?” ochaco offered, her cheeks flushed with slight redness as always as her eyes gazed on you warmly.

“it’s just school and training i guess” you answer softly as you all make your way down to the lunch hall. “thank you though” you give the girls a side hug as you all walk towards the lunch hall.

when you got there, the girls separated to walk towards their own little groups and you cluelessly stood there, not knowing who to join, you’re friends with everyone. without thinking you grabbed mina’s arm asking if you could join her and the bakusquad. she took a hold of your hand while grinning at you, she lead you towards their table.

“(y/n), it’s so good you’re joining us, we dared kaminari to eat bakugous usual lunch” kirishima laughs with sero, wiping their tears. at least jiro covers her mouth hiding her laugh.

so this is how lunch went, bakugou smirking victoriously, kaminari chucking water after water to sooth the spice left in his throat and the others chuckling and eating. plus the nagging thought at the back of your head that a pair of eyes are watching you from afar, but every time you looked around you didn’t see anyone. bakugou must’ve noticed this sitting next to you as he gave you a look.

“are you paranoid or something, shorty?” he smirks as he somewhat softly pushes your shoulder.

“no, i’m not! just my quirk is acting up.” you mumble looking down at your finished lunch. “anyways should we head back to class? the bell rings in a few minutes” you suggest as you start to stand up from your table and thankfully the others follow.

the second you get to class and take a seat, you let out a sigh you didn’t know you were holding, and just as you were about to relax, izuku walks in with shoto, talking about something and his eyes find yours, giving you a wide smile.

oh no, now he’s walking towards you.

“are you alright (y/n)? ochaco and tsu told me during lunch that you’ve been kind of out of it because of school and training. is there anything i can help you with?” izuku stops next to your desk and gives you a wide smile, eyes bright green. why is he looking so intently in your eyes?

you swiftly collect yourself turning to look ahead of you thinking what to say without messing your words up before finally answering his question quietly.

“i’m alright, thank you” you turn to look up at him and he’s smile is smaller, eyes filled with concern. “are you okay?” you ask finally giving him a smile, but his answer goes unheard when aizawa walks in the room and izuku hurries to his seat, muttering a small sorry towards you.

for the second time today, you let out a sigh from deep within you.

nothing interesting happens after that, apart from you bolting from your seat towards the door and quickly make your way towards your dorm room. you catch up with studying and went on a small jog around campus. after a lovely shower, feeling so much better without all the sweat underneath your clothes, an empty stomach is the only thing stopping you from going to bed.

kaminari, sero, kirishima and mina are all shouting, seemingly in a harmless argument as you walk in the common room. you turn towards shoto who was leaning against the wall and ask him what is all the commotion about. he gives you a gentle smile while explaining how the four is arguing about what movie to watch, all four having different ideas in mind. you let out a small laugh, and you start engaging in a small conversation with the bi coloured boy.

the feeling of being watched is returning and you looking around, subtly not wanting to catch shoto’s attention. again, nothing seems to be out of place. maybe you are being paranoid just like bakugou said.

your conversation with shoto is cut off when you feel a presence behind you, causing shoto to look up from you and you turn around. izuku is standing behind you, he’s smiling like always but he’s eyes look a tad different, darker. but it’s probably from the lighting, he’s looking down at you and it’s his hair, shadowing his eyes. yes that’s it.

“the others decided on the movie we are watching. lets go and sit down.” izuku’s hand is already on your lower back, gently pushing me towards the sofas.

“oh okay, what movie are we watching?” you ask, turning slightly towards him, hoping he doesn’t see the slight blush on your face.

izuku answers your question, as you both sit at the edge(!!) of the sofa, ochaco turns to you excitedly, explaining how one of the actors is her celebrity crush. the lights get turned off while you’re focused on your conversation with her, mainly because izuku is sitting next to you, your heart is going wild, you hope he doesn’t hear it, the butterflies in your stomach are doing flips and you feel sick just from the sitting next to him. you got it bad for the green haired male, but you’re only just realising how bad it is.

izuku on the other hand, he isn’t any better than you. he got his eyes on you for a while now, and is absolutely smitten by you. he thinks you’re absolutely stunning, everything about you is pretty (according to him, pretty doesn’t even come close to how good you look - that’s what he said to the dekusquad), but he’s even more attracted to how amazing you are on the inside. you’re smart, considerate and kind to everyone, you’re helpful, a good listener and so on.

he loves being around you, being with you, having you around, he yearns for you, he wants to touch you, hold your hand, kiss your lips, stroke your cheeks, holding you in his arms. he wants to take you out on dates, study with you, train with you, introduce you to his mum, just spending more time with you would make him the happiest man alive.

izuku is more than aware of the fact that everyone in the class knows about his crush on you. he’s thankful that no one said a word about it to you though. what makes him a little bit worried is that no one seems to know if you got a crush on anyone, you always seem so indifferent when the topic is brought up. he would totally understand it as well if you tell him that you don’t feel the same.

at the same time, izuku knows that if he wants to get answers and even if there is a slight chance of you liking him, he needs to step up his game. so after a few pep talk with his renewed friend kacchan and girl best friend ochaco, he became a bit bolder when it came to interacting with you. hugging you, lingering touches here and there and after seeing how you reacted the first few times, he continued on.

because honestly, you look so cute with the slight blush on you cheeks and the way you shyly smile and look away from him. so when the movie is halfway in, he puts his arm on the couch behind your head, causing your side pressing against his toned torso. izuku can feel you stiffen slightly but after a while you ease up and lean back to him, not fully but it made izuku’s heart beat faster and his cheeks are slight flushed. ochaco gives him a quick look with a tiny smirk before turning back towards the tv.

izuku hopes he hasn’t ruined anything between you two with this, but he would’ve talked to you tonight either way about how he’s feeling. he also didn’t want kacchan to tell you about his feelings because the ash blonde boy was too tired of hearing about the lovesick thoughts his friend (we all know they are!!) bombarded him with. he also knows that you’ve been somewhat avoiding him for some reason, he’s not an idiot and his heart can’t take it anymore.

so tonight, izuku will confess to you and he hopes you’ll accept him.

as the movie is coming to an ending, the lights come back on, izuku’s arm is still behind you with his hand now slightly next to your face. you’re heart is beating even faster, knowing that this display will be seen by all of your classmates. on your right, izuku doesn’t seem all that fazed, talking with ochaco, tsu and iida about the movie. for some reason that makes you blush so very dark, you can practically feel your face growing hot at how he’s not afraid of others seeing you two like this.

a hand is slightly brushing against the edge of your shoulder and you turn around to face izuku, who’s looking down at you, beaming.

“what did you think of the movie?” he’s gently stroking your shoulder now, his eyes only focusing on you.

“ah uh, the movie was, uh very good. i enjoyed it a lot” you stutter ripping your eyes away from him but before you could say anything else, you hear a few snicker from next to you causing you to look around the room. everyone is looking at you excitedly, some are smirking and mina is holding her phone towards you and izuku.

oh no, she must’ve taken a picture.

you turn swiftly to look at izuku, who’s looking at you, his face calm, eyes warm and somewhat lidded, lips curled in a small smirk. your eyes are wide in contrast and your lips form a small ‘oh’. your face definitely looks like a tomato, you’re sure of that, you let a nervous laugh.

“i’m going to go to the bathroom” you excuse yourself as you stand up, already missing the warmth of izuku’s hand on your shoulder. you hear someone call after you, but you are almost running towards the elevators at this point to get to the safety of your room.

the second you walk through your door, you rush in and flop on your bed and grab your pillow, shouting into it. now for sure everyone know about your feelings for izuku and you’re even more confused about what he’s feeling towards you at this point, but at the same it felt so good being so close to him. is there actually a chance that he feels the same as you?

while you’re planning on hiding away in your room forever, a knock is heard on your door.

“it’s open” you mumble from under your pillow, not even bothering to see who came in.

“hey girl, did i take it too far?” you feel the bed dip as mina lays down beside you. you take the pillow from your face and throw it at hers, she catches it and laughs.

you turn towards her, eyes a bit glossy but you give her a smile. “no you didn’t, just…you see, uh” you trail off not knowing how to tell her your feelings for izuku. after a few minutes she starts talking.

“i know that someone is going to confess to you tonight” you sit up as soon as you hear that and look at her with the widest eyes ever “but you never told us who you have a crush on or if you even like someone, you know.” she sits up too and starts stroking your arm, it doesn’t feel as good as izuku’s. “i don’t want to put you and the other person into an uncomfortable situation so please tell me (y/n)”

this took you off guard, you never expected anything like this. someone in your class likes you, and you hope it’s izuku. you’re kind of hesitating to tell mina about your crush though. it’s not that you don’t trust her, you simply have a hard time opening up about it.

“i like izuku.” your voice is so small, she can barely hear it. mina can barely contain her smile though, she needs to go through this without letting you know anything. the others are probably having a harder time with izuku anyways, who’s downstairs having a crisis.

izuku freaked out the second you left, knowing he messed everything up and took it too far. everyone was trying to calm him down while he held his face in his hands. izuku loved having you so close to him in the past hour, you felt so warm and soft, but he never meant to make you feel like you had to run away from him because you didn’t like being around him

suddenly kirishima swings his arm around him as he plops down on the armrest. his phone is open in the messages app and shows izuku the last message. izuku reads it, his thought going wild and so is his heart, he cannot believe it.

meanwhile, mina puts her phone away, while you put yourself together a bit. you often turn to look at her and she gives you a reassuring smile. she knows you must be a little bit confused and anxious what the rest of the night will bring you, but she also knows that by the end of the night, you’ll be the happiest human alive, that alone made her happy.

“okay, i think i’m ready to go back” you stand in front of your door, fingers fiddling with the hem of your shirt. “i hope the others won’t be mad at me for storming out”

“no need to worry about that babes” mina hugs you then you two leave your room, her arm linked with yours.

when you reach the common room, everyone is talking and some of the boys are playing games, like nothing happened. kirishima came up to you two, taking you both under his arms.

“you two will miss out on the competition. we are trying to find who’s the king of mario kart-“ “it’s me you idiots” “of course you are bakubro! i feel like he’ll blow up the console if he doesn’t win” kirishima whispers the last bit to you two, causing you all to snicker.

you feel like you’re being watched for the third time today and suddenly you’re reminded about what happened not just long ago. you look around to see if izuku is still around or maybe you completely ruined everything and now he doesn’t want to talk to you or be around you. before worry could fill you up, your eyes meet with his emerald ones from the same couch you two were sitting on. you shot him a small smile and he’s eagerly sending you one back and then you turn your attention back towards mina and kirishima, trying to focus on them.

ten minutes later, you are somewhat engrossed in the conversation about music with jiro, you feel him before he makes himself known, jiro excuses herself quickly as you turn to look up to izuku from your seat. he gives you a warm smile, but his eyes are nervous, voice a bit shaky when he asks you “let’s go and talk somewhere private, yeah?”

you only nod, following him outside and into the back garden of the dorms and you two take a seat on the bench, facing the building. there is a slight tension, and it’s a bit uncomfortable for you both but then izuku starts speaking.

“i’m sorry if i made you uncomfortable during the movie or any other time” he starts of quietly “i didn’t mean any harm, ever, i just wanted to be closer to you. you always make me feel so warm and happy like i’m always on cloud nine (9). you’re so amazing, smart, kind and pretty too! “you turn towards him, indecisive if it’s a good thing that he says all of this or a bad thing and he’s about to reject you. either way your heart is in your throat “oh my, you’re so pretty, i always dream about you. i ache for you (y/n), every time we are together i feel whole. i admire you for your patience towards others, your drive to be a hero and you always know how to make someone smile. i will make you smile every day too, if you take me (y/n), i adore you so much, i feel like i’ll burst” he ends his confession and turns your way, eyes teary and cheeks red, you haven’t seen izuku like this in a while.

the person mina said will confess to you tonight is izuku, you have a fat crush on izuku! now that’s mind blowing.

your thoughts are everywhere and nowhere, and you know the longer you stay silent and the worst izuku will expect to happen. you gather your thoughts as fast as you can and turn fully towards him.

“i adore you so much too izuku” your words are barely audible, he can barely make it out what you’re saying, but when he does, his eyes go wide and you let a giggle out. that seems to bring him back, giving you a small smile. “we could burst together” it comes out more of a question, you’re returning his smile.

at that his smile gets wider and circles his arms around you, pulling you extremely close. he tucks his face into your neck and you swear you feel tears running down from his face. when he pulls away, one of his hands find the side of your face, and presses his lips on yours. your arms round his neck and fingers disappear in his curls, his hands make their way down to your hips. his tongue swipes across your lower lip, asking for permission and you gladly gave it to him.

izuku didn’t intend on leaving your lips till you both are breathless but you leave first, making him chase after your lips and you let out a soft giggle, which makes him smile. you pull away a bit to look up at him, still not believing that he feels the same way as you. you take in his face, eyes lidded and dark, face slightly red and lips plump, slightly wet. he leans in a gives you a long peck before pulling away, moving so you sit on his lap. you play with the curls on top his head, seemingly deep in thought and izuku decides to pop the question.

“i would really like it if you became mine” he whispers, one his hand finds its way to you cheek again, caressing it. the smile on your face becomes bigger, looking at those emerald eyes that swirl in nothing but pure love and adoration.

“i would love that” you give your answer, which he was probably waiting for, quite long time. the second the words leave your lips, he stands up and twirls you two around, making both of you laugh. he sets you down on the ground and kisses you again, this time with more passion. “let’s go back inside, mina’s and ochaco’s eyes will pop if they stare out on the windows any longer” you snicker.

izuku takes a hold of your hand and you walk next to each other, both of you still trying to process everything that just happened. when you woke up, you did not expect tonight turn out this way. you look down at your fingers being laced with his, and trying not blush at the fact how his fingers were twice the size of yours.

when you two arrive back at the common room, everyone is pretending like they are doing something but when they see your hands, the girls crowd around you, all of them giving you a hug, while the boys shake izuku’s hand. the girls bring you aside, asking you to tell them everything because they did see bits, but didn’t hear anything. you gently squeeze izuku’s hand, silently letting him know that you’re leaving and he squeezed your hand back with a smile.

you’re in the middle of the story, the girls surrounded around you as you all took up a whole couch the farthest one away from the boys, when you feel like you’re being watched again and this time you found who the pair of eyes belong to.

izuku is sitting on the couch, all of the boys around him as well and they are all talking to him but his eyes never leave you. izuku couldn’t even focus on anyone else right now even if he tried, he feels like he’s high on ecstasy. the girl he’s been pining for a year now, wants him as much as he wants her. he’s yearning for real this time, and he know he won’t be able to get enough of her soft lips, gosh he’s thinking about kissing them right now. when he had you in his lap, so close to him, he wishes he could hold you just as close again. the butterflies in his stomach must be rioting because when you look back at him, he knows you feel just like how he does.

and you never felt so safe and loved under a gaze like that before.

(a few days later, izuku’s background on his phone changed from all might to the picture mina took of the two of you)

#deku x reader #izuku midoria x reader #izuku x reader #midoriya x reader #bnha x reader #midoriya x you #deku x you #izuku x you #midoriya izuku x you

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writing-with-gremworm · 1 month

Text

A Bothersome Herbivore

I'm not sure when it happened, this tiny herbivore started clinging to me. It's hard to get a break since they follow me everywhere. When I nap, they nap beside me. When I eat, they follow along. Though, the latter is better than the time they slept so soundly I was able to leave them for a few days. When I went back to my normal napping spot they were sitting like a dejected mouse. They had teary little eyes, and their complexation was terrible.

I learned later that they slept through lunch, so they ended up just not eating the first day, and they refused to move during the weekend when I hadn't retuned yet. The worst part about it is they were so happy when I came back. They were like a stupid dog, so happy to cling to me again.

I let them be for a while. It wasn't really my problem, and they didn't actually bother me most of the time. They were surprisingly quiet.

"Why exactly do you follow around like a lost dog?"

"I dunno. I just like you. So, I stay with you, because you're safe."

It was weird. I shouldn't be safe for them. I'm just a lousy second prince with nothing in my future but disappointment. I am, and will always be, second best in the eyes of anyone else, so why is it that this creature clings to me? I still don't understand it.

The thing that irks me the most is that I started to worry about them. I woke up from a nap as usual, expecting them to be beside me. They weren't there. The little mouse had scurried off somewhere and that made me uneasy.

"This is bullshit."

I must have done so subconsciously, but I ended up looking around the places I usually went, expecting to find them there. I only found them when I returned to the greenhouse. They were sitting, waiting for me to come back.

"Leona!" They sounded so happy, their eyes lighting up as if the best person in the world was standing right in front of them.

"Ah." I had so many questions, but none of them mattered. 'Why did you wait? Where did you go? Are you okay?' They were here, so why did it matter?

We returned to routine. But one thing did change. I started leaning on them. I don't know if they noticed, they never mentioned it to me. This change ... felt necessary.

In time it felt stranger to be separate from them than to be near them. In a way, I guess I must have found them comforting too. So, it felt strange when one day, they started crying.

"What's with the tears?" I asked, not really expecting an answer.

"I don't know. I just- I." They sobbed quietly, sniffling and rubbing their eyes. They tried so hard to calm down, only to sob more. It hurt, hearing them quiet their sobs. I felt like I saw a bit of myself in them. Maybe that's why I spoke up.

"Don't force it, just sob okay?" It was a useless comment. They would probably cry for a while anyways. They did stop trying to choke back their sobs, though they kept sobbing quietly, as if they forgot how to cry loudly.

"I'm scared. I don't know if I want to go home or stay here. I feel unwanted either way. I don't know if anyone would miss me if I left, of if anyone in my world even realizes I'm gone. I'm terrified because it doesn't matter which world I choose. I'll be alone again in either world."

A beat.

Right, they needed to go home eventually. They weren't from this world. I forgot that somehow. Unlike Yuu, who was social, this one wasn't particularly close to anyone. Except maybe ... me.

"Oh? Aren't I right here? Do you think I'll forget you because you vanish for a little?"

"I-I ... I thought you were annoyed by me."

"Then why would I let you cling to me? I could have actively ignored you."

"But you ... you left me alone and I ..."

"So? People can change their minds. I'm not running from you anymore, so don't go running from me, okay?"

"Heh, hehehehe."

"Why are you laughing?"

"Sorry I just- I didn't expect you to say something like that. It's so sweet."

"Don't get used to it."

"Hehe, I know. I'm just ... Thank you."

"... It's fine."

Things were nice after that. We returned to routine.

Or, as close to routine as possible. I found myself gazing at them for longer than I intended. If they were still asleep when I was up, I would pick them up. If they were hungry, we'd eat early, or I'd get Ruggie to buy us snacks.

'Fuck.' I had fallen for them. It was confusing. They weren't particularly pretty, or smart, or even useful. Even so, I found them undeniably breathtaking. I couldn't look away from them.

It was juvenile, but I couldn't help but touch their hand. Just to feel their skin against mine. I wanted to kiss their forehead, to hold them in my arms, to claim them.

I'm no idiot. I know I'm handsome, I know my position, though lesser than my brother's, is coveted. I understand that being a member of royalty limits my options for love. Despite everything, I wanted them to stay with me. If nothing else, I just wanted to continue our days like this. The litte moments of warmth, their laughter, their joy. I wanted to bask in it.

When did my world stop being gray?

No, not my world. Just them.

It's still hard to justify waking up, to find a reason to move forward every day. But even still, I want to be selfish and be beside them. I wonder if this is what it means to feel safe with someone.

"I'm going to graduate this year. You've still got a few years left."

"... Yeah ..." They smile sadly.

"Come to me. When you finish. Find me, and I'll have a napping spot ready to share." It was a stupid promise. They might be blocked from my side. They might not even be able to understand me outside of school property.

But I think their smile was worth it.

"You've been sulking in that window every day, brother." A grating voice says, a smirk decorating the words.

"So what?" I glare, irritated by the interruption. I come to this window whenever I think about them. It seems like a spot they'd like. Or maybe they just liked me. Maybe after all this time they forgot me. It would be better that way. For them to forget me, they can live a different life, instead of being tied to the second prince.

"I was just worried. How can I not worry a little when you're my brother?"

"Piss off."

"Ah, I see you don't want company. Should I send your visitor away?" My ears twitch. It's rare I receive visitors. It's even rarer my 'perfect' brother bothers to tell me about them.

"A visitor? Haiz. I have enough sense not to turn visitors away." I shift, hopping down from the window ledge.

My heart is beating faster than I would like. It seems like my chest is going to burst at this rate. It will be disappointing if it's not them, so I shouldn't keep my hopes up.

"Leona?" A familiar voice chimes as I enter the room. They smile warmly at me and walk over, looking at me somewhat reluctantly.

"I'm surprised you actually came here." I hold out my hand. They take it carefully and I pull them into a hug, "Welcome home." I add with a whisper.

They tear up, hugging me tightly.

"Yeah, I'm home." They mutter. They feel warm in my arms. They feel like the keystone of an arch, holding me together despite being so small.

'So, I still love you.' I think to myself, closing my eyes and forcing myself not to do too much. I want to give them soft kisses, I want to whisk them to my room and cuddle with them. I want to tell them how much I love them. But the words don't leave my throat. I can't love them, not as a royal.

"Well, isn't this a nice reunion." That ruined it.

"And you're still here because? This is my guest. I thought you'd leave." I hiss, glaring at my brother.

"There's no need to be hostile. I'm just surprised you have someone close to you."

"Oh? Thanks, I didn't realize I needed to tell you these things."

"I'm not chastising you, I'm glad. Really. Ah, I should probably introduce myself to your lover."

"Lover?"

"Are you two not? Ah, I'm sorry for misunderstanding." He doesn't sound even slightly apologetic.

"I-It's fine."

"... This is my brother. That's it, don't worry about getting close to him."

"Oh- okay." They smile sadly.

"Well this does complicate things a little. I had just convinced the elders to let you have your lover join you here. But if they're not your lover, then I'll have to clear that up."

"That won't be necessary. It'll be more convenient if everyone assumes we're lovers anyways." 'Though I'm not particularly fond of receiving help from you, I won't turn it away when it benefits me.'

"S-So then- Do I- have to pretend to be your lover?" They seem surprised, their face flushed a bit. It's cute. It makes me want to lick their cheeks and nibble on their ear.

"No, just act like before. Us spending so much time together will get the point across."

"Oh! Okay." They nod, seeming perhaps a little disappointed.

"Last time we spoke, I promised to have a napping spot pick out for us. I think I found one. Though, you'll have to sit on my lap if you want to lean on me." The window ledge wasn't wide enough to sit side by side unless you laid against the window.

'This spot is chosen partially out of my selfishness. If nothing else, then I can hold you tightly. Not that you need to know my reasoning.'

"That's okay. If you're okay with it, I mean. I've always kind of wanted to hug you when napping." They admit wanting to cuddle closer.

'I wonder.'

I pick them up, cupping their rear as they cling to me. They seem a bit surprised.

"W-We could just walk there-"

"We are walking there. What? Did you never wonder how I carried you before?"

"I never thought about it- This is embarrassing. I could just walk with you."

"Hm, no. You clung to me this long, cling to me more, won't you?"

"Leona." They whine.

I can't help but chuckle a little. This was warm. It felt nicer than just remembering them.

"Hey, do you love me?"

"What? I mean- yes. You're the closest person I have."

"I mean, romantically, sexually. How, do you love me?"

"T-This is very sudden- and I don't know how to answer- aah."

"That's fine. We've got plenty of time." I sit down, letting them situate themselves on my lap as we sit by the window. I wrap my arms around their waist, and rest on my chin on their shoulder.

"You're more affectionate than I remember."

"Well, I have to make up for the missed nap time cuddles somehow, right?"

"What? Hah, hahaha. Sure, let's go with that. Leona. I missed you."

"Yeah ... me too."

"I never thought you'd admit it ... so ... the question."

"Do you love me?"

"Yeah, that one ... was it, because you love me?"

"Yeah."

"W-wait really? Um! How so?"

"Hm, I'll tell you after you tell me. I did ask first."

"Hahaha, okay, that's fair." They lean into me, resting against my chest, relaxing in my arms. We sit there for a while, just enjoying each other's company. It doesn't really matter how they answer. We'll stay beside each other anyways. I can tell that much. They wouldn't have found me if they didn't intend to stay.

"Hey ... Leona ..."

"Yeah?"

They turn their head and move so their mouth is close to my ear before whispering their answer. Perhaps embarrassed, or worried that telling me loudly would hurt me. Regardless, the action was cute.

"I'm not sure. I've never felt anything like this before. I've never had the chance. So, I may not get it right the first time. I don't know what type of love this is."

"Okay, then let's figure it out together." I've waited this long, waiting a little longer should be fine. Besides, I'm with them now, so that is enough.

#twisted wonderland #character pov #leona kingscholar #twst leona #leona twst #fluff #warm and cozy #self indulgent #gn reader #reader insert #I let him have like two swears. It's fine.#Have soft Leona #he deserves some softness.#he's just a silly guy #a bean #Anyways #i hope you enjoy #Sorry for not posting

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suffarustuffaru · 7 months

Text

my feelings on certain otto [redacted] flags in arc 8 👍

heyyy so this is gonna have major spoilers so ill put it under the cut 👍👍 again, this is all my opinion so youre perfectly welcome to disagree <3

ok so. i dont know if this is controversial to say or not but i dont think otto should actually permadie. instead, i think that he should have a fakeout death (also you know, deaths that get reversed by rbd if you want to go that route too). but not a PERMANENT one.

and ok i know anyone whos looked at my blog content lately would probably be like “oh you dont want him to die for real because hes one of your favorite characters ever???” and like no yeah, but its not that im opposed to punishing my favorites. im opposed to otto permadying because i feel like him permadying would be spitting on the purpose of both his character and certain themes in rezero.

otto is a very sacrificial person. hes a lot like subaru—he is willing to die for his loved ones. he would sacrifice anything, including himself. all of ottos deaths in rezero so far are reflected in that. he dies in arc 3 because he goes back to save subaru after pushing him out of the wagon in the white whale loop but he dies on the way back. he dies in arc 4 because he pushes subaru out of the way and gets killed by garfiel. otto writes a suicide note in arc 4 before confronting garfiel because hes perfectly willing to die for subaru. ottos been going on a darker path now, because now we know his absolute sacrificial loyalty extends to letting entire countries die, letting people subaru cares about die (louis/spica), and opposing subaru to the point where otto deems it his “reason for being”—aka his reason to be in vollachia, his reason to be in the emilia camp, and his reason to exist and live. otto is set up for a collision course with subaru, and this wont be ending well for him.

ottos faced consequences for his actions in the past—when him bringing the tome into priestella caused the siege, he was severely injured and left bedridden. this was a personal consequence for his actions there. but he hasnt faced any lasting consequences yet, especially when hes fully convinced that he himself knows whats best and is doing the “right” thing, and so hes perfectly set up to have lasting consequences at some point in the future. hes the perfect candidate for a permadeath, even—the arc 7 side stories brought him closure to the plot point of him being exiled from his hometown, and hes someone whos death will create ripple effects from his family and marone (who’ve featured in various side stories as well), the emilia camp (both as a friend and internal affairs minister), and subaru most of all (who, well, has rbd and is determined to save everyone, as we know, and subaru is aware of the possibility of otto ending up like chisha).

but i still have problems with otto dying permanently.

otto permadying punishes everyone around him more than it punishes HIM, the latter of which has been the buildup for his entire arc. otto permadying would only really have that as a narrative purpose—punishing the people otto cares about, particularly subaru. thats ALL that would be accomplished out of an otto permadeath when a fakeout death would not only still get the emotional impact across but also be a better writing choice in general.

as ive said, otto is prone to sacrifice. otto is prone to self-sacrifice on top of that. he always has been since his debut in arc 3. the way hes most likely to die is and always has been through self-sacrifice, especially for subaru, and especially since ottos death flags are a parallel to chisha (who died to save vincent). otto also parallels subaru a lot. more specifically, his current arc follows similar beats to arc 4 subaru or even greed if subaru - otto is, frankly, a control freak who thinks he knows best, refuses help from anyone else, and is self-destructive. but subaru gets called out by the narrative in arc 4 for going down this path, and greed if shows the complete consquences of this (aka - greedbaru ends up dehumanizing everyone, including himself, and tramples over other people's free will). so why is subaru allowed to learn the value of his life and continue trying to grapple with that lesson over the next couple arcs while ottos arc goes down the same path as subaru's but has the potential to end up with him ultimately dying?

then again - yeah, subarus the main character. and yeah, otto permadying wraps up his arc and character in a nice little bow. it's had a lot of buildup and would be a very perfect tragic character arc for him. however it is 1. i personally find this to be the more boring choice in a series where characters can die and come back to life, especially for a crucial side character to subaru like otto and 2. this is the more straightforward predictable choice given the Numerous Obvious Hints that something bad will happen to otto, namely permadeath, and 3. i think that the amount of characters being fridged for subarus character development should be kept to a minimum. we've already seen this with rem being gluttonyed. and being fridged for subaru's character development is something that otto would be very fine and happy with, so again, this is punishing everyone around him more than its punishing otto. ottos character arc buildup does suggest that he'll have to face consequences eventually. him permadying is not the most interesting narrative consequence that could happen imo, and given his parallels to subaru, i feel that this would not serve as a reflection of how otto is a dark parallel to subaru. otto permadying would be less a reflection and a warning to subaru and more so just otto winning over subaru in a story that supports subaru choosing companionship and trying to save everyone.

"what do you mean 'otto winning over subaru'?" otto is, again, a dark mirror to subaru. otto values his loved ones over everyone else, and he is willing to pay any price to save his loved ones. he is willing to destroy everyone else for their sake, and in arc 8, he has always tried to choose the more ruthlessly logical and practical choice over the morally right one that subaru embodies. otto goes nope, lets leave vollachia for dead but only take the people subaru cares about while subaru insists on saving everyone, as he always has tried to do since ARC 1. ottos even warned subaru in arc 8 - what happens if someone very close to subaru, like anyone in the emilia camp, gets hurt or dies all because they decided to stay in vollachia? otto permadying, especially as a result of the vollachia conflict, proves him right all along. that they shouldve chosen the more practical option over the morally right one. which i feel that would kind of miss the whole point of the STORY ITSELF supporting subaru trying to save everyone while holding onto hope and stayed determined since, again, ARC 1.

"but subaru needs to learn that he cant save everyone, and otto permadying would be a good way to show this." yeah. thats true. subaru needs to learn that he cant forgive and redeem everyone, subaru needs to learn that some things are just unavoidable, and that some things cant be forgiven. otto is very against subarus ideology to the point where hes decided his whole reason for being is to be against subaru. otto dying is very fitting, and if he does permadie, he'd represent the friend and loved one that you cant save - the friend that you try to help, refuses your help, and then ends up destroying themselves. its a very realistic, human thing. but 1. again, i think characters being fridged for subaru should be kept to a minimum bc the whole point of rezero is that they are ALL people with their own lives and 2. again, ottos parallels to subaru make this a little. odd, for lack of a better term. 3. subaru has other chances to learn that he cant save everyone, because ultimately the otto subaru conflict needs a middle ground.

so 1. about fridging characters for subarus development. again, its not as if you cant kill or hurt characters for another character. you can still do this. but i think this should be kept to a minimum - or at least have more than just "subaru will learn a lesson from this" as the narrative purpose behind it. subaru over the course of the entire main route learns that the people around him are just that - PEOPLE. not npcs or anything like that. and now once we get to arc 8, he has a lot of empathy for others. hes quick to forgive, especially because hes seen so many people at both their worst and best, and many of the worst times happened in timelines that no longer exist ergo those people are no longer those people. this is especially poignant in a series with so many damn side stories and side characters each with their own complicated lore; these are people. they still have lives outside of subaru. fridging characters for subarus development, i think, kind of undermines this if thats the ONLY reason youre gonna kill or hurt them.

especially when it comes to permadeath. it isnt a writing choice you can make lightly - especially in a series where, again, characters die and come back. so 2. given how much otto parallels subaru and his perpetual struggle with valuing life and valuing himself, neither of which otto values unless its his loved ones (and even then otto is willing to emotionally devastate them if it means theyre safe), i think an otto permadeath would kind of. undermine subarus struggle in that sense, imo - because otto is struggling with almost the EXACT SAME THING.

would it be interesting if subaru has to see otto end up permanently dying for similar reasons that subaru often dies for? would it be interesting if subaru has to see otto destroying himself in ways that hit a little too close to home? yeah. it would. and it WOULD continue that ongoing motif of otto mirroring subaru in the darkest ways. subaru has to look at otto and see not just himself, but see that he could end up like otto. but i think that this is ALREADY happening. subaru seeing the parallels with him and otto will happen, if it hasnt already, and it sure can happen without killing otto permanently. if otto tries to sacrifice himself and fails to do so, subaru can still see this and be impacted by it. if a fake otto death happens, subaru will still be destroyed by it. and of course, eventually subarus bound to figure out ottos thoughts and plans regarding louis/spica, along with everything else going on in ottos brain right now. theres no need to kill otto for good when all of the emotional weight behind it is still possible in many other ways without undermining subarus character development - because otto is going through very similar character development. and again, otto would be HAPPY to die for subarus sake. calling out subaru while letting otto do the same thing as subaru would feel a bit. odd. to me.

and 3. yeah. subaru has other chances to learn that he cant save everyone. he has multiple chances, in fact, and this already started with rem being gluttonyed at the end of arc 3/start of arc 4 (along with injuries that occurred in the white whale fight + crusch being gluttonyed). subaru learned that sometimes terrible things can happen and rbd wont be able to reverse it because his save point updated to AFTER it happened, and rem was a good example of this because she was the person he was closest to at the time. this continues on later, too - the injuries that happen in priestella, for one (such as the juukuliuses being gluttonyed, the dragon blood, numerous citizens, etc), along with subaru having to face this in vollachia when he tries to pull off his bloodless sieges and avoid as many citizen casualties as possible. or when he thinks about if todd can be redeemed only for todd to continue proving him wrong again and again. and this is on top of all the other people subaru befriends in vollachia, of course.

"but subaru needs a PERMANENT consequence." well, theres also the fact that subarus trying to save 50 million people, aka the entire population of vollachia right now, which is very much a herculean task. if he manages to save almost everyone but some citizens die, this would still get the point across. and if you need a bigger, more personal consequence to subaru than that - louis/spica is RIGHT THERE.

the current conflict over spica is already sowing the seeds for this, because this is a lasting, permanent conflict. people like julius and otto want spica dead and acknowledge that, given the amount of people she's hurt, that is the most likely scenario for her. people like the rest of the emilia camp acknowledge that spica is guilty, but that its difficult to punish her given her mental state right now and the fact that subaru and rem care about her. meanwhile subaru and rem themselves care for spica like a daughter and dont want her to be hurt or punished in any way. that being said, the louis/spica conflict - again, needs some kind of solution, and i dont think letting louis/spica scot-free is the right solution here from a writing perspective.

we already get robbed of an arc from louis in the sense that after she fucked around and found out (ie: experienced rbd for herself after messing with subaru), by start of arc 7 she just. became mostly a blank slate. of course its understandable that shes traumatized after experiencing rbd, but it is also kind of. a bummer. that we dont get an arc where she actually grows and changes gradually she just goes from Point A (pre-arc 7) to Point B (now having the mind of a toddler in arc 7+), but there is a slight intrigue to her now being a blank slate. how do you reconcile her past actions and past self with who she is now? is she still capable of doing those things she did before - is the person she was still in there? because you know, since she cant really communicate properly its hard to understand her straightforwardly too. but i dont think that louis should get off the hook - unlike many other people subaru has forgiven, she didnt grow. her past self basically got erased. and its not like all those people whove done things in other timelines that they wouldnt do now - things that ultimately only subaru was affected by because hes the one who knows and hes forgiven them of course. but louis? subaru and rem arent the only ones whove been hurt by her, theres SO MANY others whove been affected by louis and gluttony in general. every one of them has a say in what happens to louis, and her getting no consequences kind of misses the point.

that and. well, subaru can learn that he cant save everyone because 1. he is forgetting that he is not the only gluttony victim here ergo he is not the only one who has a say in what happens to louis and 2. if he sides with louis/spica over everyone else, this is going to have disastrous consequences for him. not just in the sense that you know, this is causing friction with his friends - and not even only in the sense that thisll cause a TON of uproar if this gets out publicly because again, a lot of people have been affected by gluttony - but also because theres the question of if that past louis is still there. or what happens if louis gluttonies someone on accident? or on purpose? can subaru still really side with her then? can he really save her when theres a LOT that shes done? and if someone like otto manages to kill louis and subaru is prevented from rbding - hes still going to be absolutely destroyed emotionally. spica is not freed from consequences just because subarus claimed her as his. and subaru is not freed from consequences after deciding to choose spica over many of his friends (julius is a BIG one, because subaru of all people knows how much julius - and joshua - were fucked over by gluttony). subaru cant save everyone. he has to learn that eventually, and spica is somewhere to start.

that being said, again, i dont want otto to win either when it comes to the vollachia arc in general. his habit of keeping secrets and doing things behind other people's backs and fading into the background whenever it suits him has gone on for a while, and he NEEDS to be called out for it. subaru and otto's moral dilemma conflict just needs to have a middle ground of some kind, and i really dont want ottos ruthless pragmatism to be the end all be all. but i also dont think subaru should win at EVERYTHING either, because his idealism needs to be reeled back a tiny bit. as it is in vollachia rn, its not sustainable and its not realistic. rezero is not a children's story about how no one dies and everyone's friends in the end, but it damn sure tries to be with its main route in the sense that the point is that you TRY to do that to the best of your ability. but if you cant - if youve exhausted all other possibilities and theres no other choice - then you just cant. the point isnt that you give up and abandon people to suffer and die. the point isnt that you hurt people on purpose either. the point isnt that you try to save EVERYONE even to everyones detriment. the point isnt that you try to be perfect and completely flawless at all times too, because thats not possible.

the point is that you do your best, try to save as many as you can, and thats enough.

"ok so if otto isnt permadying then how is he gonna get punished by his hubris???" easy. do EVERYTHING to hurt him shy of actually killing him permanently. that and like - if he decides to pull some shit similar to chisha and make a whole plan to sacrifice himself for subaru, but then he still lives afterwards... what do you do now? how do you live on now? thatd be more mortifying to him - living on and being emotionally vulnerable with everyone around him after planning to die - than ACTUALLY DYING. living and knowing all his loved ones see him as who he is in all his entirety - the good and bad and the really ugly - would, again, be a worse consequence for him than DYING. make him get close to death and then yank him back and youd get more interesting results than just straightforwardly killing him. because hes been planning for this since that time he wrote a suicide note in arc 4. if subaru doesnt get off the hook for this behavior, then otto narratively shouldnt.

therefore a fakeout death for otto would still get all the emotional weight and narrative punishment that a real death would, complete with being able to see the effect this has on subaru + ottos other loved ones. a fakeout death would be the perfect middle ground between a permadeath + letting otto live. and when otto comes back, he’ll still have to face consequences for his actions, including having to learn how to live for his loved ones, not die and sacrifice for them.

#rezero #natsuki subaru #otto suwen #louis arneb #arc 8 spoilers #i feel very strongly on this subject aljsdfljs i just think that the otto flags being real would be the LEAST interesting option here. and #dont see many other people talking about the pros and cons of that actually happening - just that its likely to happen - and from a writing #perspective it makes me a little salty bc imo i think it kinda undermines some things flajsldfj. im not that big of a lore nerd #unless it comes to Character Arcs. and so i feel very strongly on this hah

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bleue-flora · 4 months

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Well, now I feel challenged /lh /j.

I think that cDream being autistic make sense quite a lot BUT I definitely think that it is not a root of all / most misunderstandings - at least at the beginning, he was being absolutely challenged by cWilbur and cTommy and I think that he did the only logical thing, trying to protect his server and friends. His friends later turning their backs on him bc he was unable/unwilling to explain his reasons and feelings adds to the autistic theory but as a toxic cDream apologist I can not help but blame them for just abandoning him without really trying to understand him - like, even if he could explain himself better, I really don't think that would change that much - the root of all problem here would be more other people being unable to understand HIM, not the other way around (although cDream definitely made some wild assumptions(or didn't understand how some people think at all) regarding certain people (*cough* Sam) that backfired spectacularly)

(again, this is meant to be completely light-hearted, I like your hot take, just wanted to challenged it. This is also my first time trying to analyse dsmp outside of my brains so sorry if it's weird 😅

Nah not weird, welcome to the fun! Glad you’ve decided to share. (Hopefully this won’t deter you from pitching in in the future. <3) Don’t worry it’s all light hearted around here, as far as I’m concerned this blog isn’t about arguing it’s about discussion. Agree, disagree, further add, I just have a good time talking about my obsession. :) Generally speaking, to me I don’t think it’s about right or wrong (though to be clear I am always right/jk lol XD) because I think there is typically a bit of both mixed in and there is always something to take away.

Anyways… yea so challenge accepted lol. (just as fyi I did write this and the essay kinda simultaneously so umm whatever I don't cover here is probably in that... somewhere....). Now, I did pick my wording very specifically and it’s ok to kinda miss exactly what I was saying. So just to clarify, I did say ‘a’ root because while I believe it is a huge factor at play I do recognize that it is by no means the only factor at play. Along the same lines, you are exactly right, it is not just about him failing to understand or communicate but also largely about them misunderstanding him. It is very much a failure on both sides and assumptions made that cause this miscommunication. When I mean misunderstanding and miscommunication I mean all around. Though I also agree. As an autistic person (and a c!Dream apologist) I do tend to see it more as a failure to understand c!Dream and a lack of willingness to try on the part of the others. Because as an autistic person I am often the one without the information to realize that something has gone wrong. I may not recognize when I’ve broken an unspoken rule or when I’ve failed to communicate properly. But even if I did the other people have to be willing to hear me out in the first place and understand my actual intention.

With that in mind, it does go back to the very beginning. I challenge you to watch the early streams (especially when c!Wilbur gets involved) and see c!Dream struggle to be heard and get his viewpoint across. The founding of L’manberg? Make no mistake it was in large part due to declaring c!Dream the unfair tyrant and villain. And it was easy for them to do so because a) c!Dream is at a disadvantage to communicate the latter. - And it’s not for a lack of trying. Because he does try, he pulls out dictionaries, he pulls out former events, he tries so hard to get them to hear him, but time and time again they miss it. And make no mistake that is on them, as you said they are to blame here. -

And, b) because c!Dream is different that spurs people to think he is wrong, often more subconsciously. (I’m not going to get into too much more detail on this point as this is already so long and I meant for it to be shorter…. oops. So I am aware this is overly simplified and likely poorly worded, but I'll try and cover it more in the essay.) But yes not only is miscommunication and the misunderstanding at play but also misunderstanding in relation to their perception of each other. Both their misconceptions about c!Dream - taking c!Tommy and c!Wilbur’s words at face value, making poor assumptions about him, and fearing/hating what they don’t quite understand - and his poor assumptions about them (don’t even get me started on c!Sam…), often stemming from their brains being literally different.

#yo thanks for responding hopefully my reply was sufficent? made sense? was helpful?.......#<3 <3 <3 <3 #dsmp #dsmp analysis #autistic headcanon #c!dream is autistic #c!dream #did someone order an essay?#I sure hope so lol....#slowly losing my mind trying to convey why c!dream is autistic while also being autistic...#like its really hard to point out him being different based on society when he makes perfect sense to me...#dream smp #dreblr #dream smp dream #dsmp dream #autistic c!dream #hello there

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sepublic · 1 year

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View on Twitter

Luz and her friends race against Belos to confront the Collector and save the Boiling Isles.

Not only does this confirm that we’ll pick up where we left off (rather than For the Future following the events of the last few months from the Demon Realm side of things), but I find the specific terminology interesting. They’re racing AGAINST Belos, and the description frames it as having to make sure Belos DOESN’T come across the Collector.

Descriptions can be flawed, so maybe we’re reading into nothing... But you’d think they’d WANT Belos to meet the Collector to be instantly splatted again, right? Which reminds me of the theory/suggestion that while in the human realm, Belos figured out how to defeat the Collector, and potentially use their power for HIS plans. This sounds a lot like that, as well as the possibility of Belos trying to manipulate the Collector again, but the latter is less likely since the Collector KNOW he’s full of shit.

But who knows? Philip can be clever and still use that to his benefit. Likewise, having to race to meet the Collector first... Could just be a case of defeating them to prevent Belos from seizing that power for his own. Because they’d want Belos to fix that problem for them, UNLESS fixing the problem by himself gives him a dangerous advantage, hence the theory that Belos will use the Collector’s power as his Plan B to kill all witches.

(Belos possesses the Titan’s corpse theory anyone???)

At the same time, it gives me hope that, amidst many other things, some of them meta... The conflict will also be framed as protecting the Collector, as a previous, fellow victim to Belos, and possibly getting them on their side? Persuading them, since it seems with the Collector, there is no fighting them directly; Only talking to them under their own rules, knowing how they think, to convince them. That’s what Belos did for centuries, and that’s how King worked and has probably worked these last few months to minimize damage.

So it’s not just defeating the Collector, perhaps; But also a race to redeem and save the kid themselves, and pull him away from the path of bitter, destructive rage that someone like Belos has followed, and would delightfully drag the kid down towards. Maybe that’s his plan; Use their past, amidst other things, to make the Collector fall into a genuine wrath against everyone and everything, and lash out by destroying the isles.

Belos might just seed doubt into the poor kid’s head, pointing out how King is JUST like him, manipulating the Collector, and he’s not totally wrong. All to put the idea in the Collector’s head that nobody loves him, there’s nobody he can trust; And so he should just give up and destroy it all as retribution. And in the ashes, when nobody is left but the Collector and Belos... THEN Belos enacts whatever method he has planned to defeat the Collector, too.

But yeah, it almost sounds like a race to save the Collector and get them on their side as it is a race to save the isles. Which could make the Collector VERY mixed, because again it’s people only valuing them for power and knowledge, and not just as a person and friend. Which King might be able to provide...!

It’s the trope of the all-powerful, vulnerable neutral party who just wants to be loved for who they are and not seen as a weapon, caught between two parties, one good and the other evil, who see the potential in influencing that person for their goals. All while they have one true friend, more aligned to the protagonists, who actually does care and might end up lashing out that nobody cares for the powerful person unconditionally. Because as his ‘friend’ for months, King may have gotten a glimpse into the Collector’s loneliness and realized how similar they are...

Maybe the Collector realizes their power is the problem and gives it up to finally be seen as a person, which is great! Even if it means they can’t one-shot Belos for everyone, which is fine. OR... Belos takes advantage of this moment to take that power for himself.

#the owl house #psa #the owl house collector #emperor belos #philip wittebane #speculation #theory #analysis

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flamebringer0 · 7 months

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More About Nightwing Powers

I decided I had more to say about this post, so I reblogged it and wrote some more. It seems like when you do that Tumblr doesn't put the post into tag searches, so nobody can actually find it. I'm just going to copy the full text into a new post. I'm sorry if this spams anyone's feed, I just don't understand how this site works yet. I've never actually had a blog before.

-----

Ohhhh damn I just had another thought about this. This is my problem, I think about this stuff all the time and I keep coming up with new things I think are cool, but now that I've written all this out and published it for the whole world to see I can't change it so easily.

It's actually fine though. These thoughts are kind of a mix of things I think are canon but sufficiently non-obvious to be worth stating (All Nightwings have powers at hatching and then lose them), things that are definitely not canon but I feel like it doesn't mess with the story too much to change them (Prophets have a silver scale on their foreheads), and things that are ambiguous and I'm just filling in the blanks (fake Nightwing magic is based on their sense of smell). But there's a fourth category, which is things that I don't like about canon but changing them would basically entail writing a whole new story. I'm pretty sure this new idea falls into the latter category, so I wouldn't really have put it in that post anyway.

But let's explore the hypothesis that Tui T Sutherland and Scholastic collectively lose their minds and give me the rights to Wings of Fire, and also I have infinite time, resources and motivation to make my own adaptation of the story. Then what happens? Well, the first thing is obviously to change animus magic to be something other than total omnipotence, because omnipotent characters are the kind of albatross (tee hee) you don't want around your neck when you're trying to write a coherent story. And the second thing is to make it so the terrible Rainwing queens in book 3 are hereditary royalty and Glory is not, because I've never liked the valorisation of hereditary royalty in WOF (or in general), and that would be an easy way to subvert that. And THEN I would turn scavengers into lizard people, because I am a furry and I think that's cuter than making them humans. Lol.

But somewhere down the list would be the fact that I don't actually vibe with the idea that normal Nightwing seers/mind readers apparently have a built-in power limiter that varies randomly according to the specific individual, and the special gift you get for hatching under three moons is just to have that limiter set to 0. I don't like this because, first of all, the fact that it works like that just doesn't fit into my brain in a satisfactory way. Hatching under zero, one, or two full moons each results in a qualitatively different outcome, so in my mind, the third full moon should also do something qualitatively different. But it doesn't, it's just the same as two full moons but better. And then I'm left to assume that there are probably very rare cases of twice-moonborn Nightwings who have all the power, just because whatever secondary factors there are happened to line up in their favor? Weird.

But the more important reason is, I don't really like the idea of Clearsight as someone who has extraordinary power because she just hatched that way. Nor do I like the fact that the reasons for this are, on the one talon, unexplained (maybe inexplicable?), and on the other, not a function of who she is as a character. I think it would make for a much stronger motif if run-of-the-mill seer Clearsight were able to take down once-in-a-generation chosen one Darkstalker because she's diligent and doesn't believe in destiny while he's entitled and sure of his glorious future. At its core this feeling is actually the same thing as what I said about the Rainwing queens above: I just don't find it satisfying when the hero has some kind of special trait that makes them naturally better than everyone else. A villain can have that, but a hero I want to prove themselves through their own efforts. But that's explicitly not what happened in canon: Clearsight IS naturally more powerful than all the other seers, that's an essential part of her story, and changing it requires basically rewriting the books. I don't love it!

So anyway in the universe where I'm rewriting the books, here's a thought about how Nightwing powers might work. This partially contradicts what I wrote above, but I've decided I'm cool with that. I love contradicting myself actually, and maybe next week I'll contradict all of this again. There are no laws.

Some Nightwings are seers, some are mind readers, a few are both, and most are neither. But aside from the fact that an individual might or might not have these powers, they don't vary in strength from dragon to dragon. All seers have equally strong abilities, and all mind readers have equally strong abilities. But the strength of the abilities does vary: not per individual, but over time. Specifically, the current state of the moons affects the abilities of empowered Nightwings. On a hypothetical "darkest night" with three new moons, all Nightwings are effectively powerless. On the brightest night, empowered Nightwings experience the full strength of their abilities. Seers can easily look down many different paths into the distant future, and mind readers can easily examine any information in the mind of another dragon. Of course, the phases of the three moons are not synchronous. Most of the time, the moons are all in different states, and empowered Nightwings experience abilities somewhere in between those extremes.

Above, I said that the "strength" of Nightwing abilities doesn't really vary per dragon. Strength, as I use the term here, only refers to the raw potential to look into the future or into another dragon's mind. But different individuals do have different levels of adeptness when it comes to applying their abilities. On the brightest night, any seer can look with relative ease into the far future, down multiple timelines, examining subtle ripples of possibility. The rest of the time, most seers can't use their abilities on that level, but a particularly adept one can get closer. What makes one seer more adept than another? Well, it's really just training. If you're someone who, for whatever reason, keeps looking into the future, over time you'll get better at it, just like anything you keep doing. This is what sets Clearsight apart from her peers. She isn't more blessed by the moons than them, because no seer is more blessed by the moons than any other. Clearsight just looks into the future all the time, to a degree nobody else does. She works harder on her visions than any other seer, so her abilities are more advanced than those of any other seer.

There is one exception to the maxim "no seer is more blessed by the moons than any other". The special gift of the thrice-moonborn is that they are exempt from the cyclical waning and waxing of power with the phases of the moons. They hatch on the brightest night, and its power soaks into them and becomes permanently part of them. And so, they live as if every night is a brightest night. They always have the potential to see the ripples that spread into many distant futures, and they can always pluck any information they want out of another dragon's mind. What other Nightwings may train and train for, these dragons do as easily as they breathe.

There are few Nightwings who never dreamed as dragonets about what it would be like to have hatched under three full moons. How different their lives could have been from those of the common powerless Nightwing, or even ordinary seers and mind readers! And not just directly because of what they could see: the thrice-moonborn are almost inevitably beloved by their tribe, showered with attention, and elevated to the highest strata of society. Wouldn't that be nice, think the dragons who could have walked that path but for something as meaningless as the sky under which they hatched.

It's unsurprising that many covet that life, but it's not entirely as pleasant as they imagine. The adulation that surrounds the most powerful Nightwings is instrumental. As laid out in excruciating detail just behind the eyes of smiling dragons, few love them for who they are; many more love them for what they are. They will never have any interaction with friends or family that isn't fundamentally shaped by the asymmetrical power dynamic implied by their abilities. It's easy for a dragon in that situation to become profoundly isolated, especially without support. But the brightest night comes so rarely that most Nightwings who receive its gift will grow up with neither peers, nor mentors who can relate to these experiences. That many ultimately respond in unhealthy, self-destructive ways is a given; that the self-destruction of such powerful dragons often also destroys those around them is a recurring tragedy in the history of the tribe.

But it's not inevitable. No dragon's fate is actually written in the stars or sealed by the moons. It's always possible to choose a different future.

#the nice thing about making a blog is that now i can record the infinite cascade of thoughts im always having about night dragon moon magic #without feeling like im compelling any particular person to listen #next time ill talk about a different topic though #probably #wings of fire #wof #wof headcanon #headcanon #wof nightwing #nightwing #wof clearsight #clearsight #wof darkstalker #darkstalker

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stressedbisexualtm · 7 months

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WAIT HOLD ON I HAD A BIG BRAIN MOMENT

For anyone that didn't catch Wilbur's stream today: when he checked the mailbox in front of tallulah towers looking for clues on where Llulah is, he noticed he had a letter from the federation. It basically said that Lovejoy is funding the federation, and they're proud of Wilbur. It also had a picture attached of a painted drawing of the Brazilian cargo ship on fire, in the same style Lovejoy's album covers have all been lately. I noticed this during the stream, but didn't have much time to think about it. However, a user on twitter pointed out that there's gotta be some deeper meaning there, which lead me to look back on Lovejoy's recent releases.

First up: Call Me What You Like - A single released by Lovejoy very early in the year (february or march I think, but idk for sure) whose album cover depicts a plane crashing toward the ground, on fire. I, like any good sleuth, immediately connected it to the French plane. The French crashed into the island via plane, and I do belive it was on fire before they hit the ground. The thing that made me jump the most was that this was, as far as I remember, released before the qsmp had even STARTED, much less when the French joined the server. Another small detail I noticed that might not be important is that Quackity appears in the music video as well as cc's not affiliated with the qsmp and people I could not identify any of the times I watched it (probably just background actors, but my brain's working overtime anyway).

Next up: Wake Up & It's Over - Lovejoy's latest EP, which includes the single Call Me What You Like. It's album cover depicts a train on fire, heading sideways off of its tracks. This reminded me of the first trains on the island - the ones that brought the initial English and Spanish speakers to the island. There was never a problem with them crashing or being set on fire as far as I remember, but it could be poetic. Another thought I had was about the create mod. For the past month or so, about since the eggs left I think, people have been experimenting with the create mod more - mostly using trains, actually. This could be a future event occurring with all the trains people have been building, something going wrong or some crazy angsty lore, idk. Again, it could be more of a symbol or an omen, but with cmwyl and the picture the federation gave q!bur I don't think it is. Another very obvious possibility is that it represents new members joining, like the other two do.

Third, and final: Normal People Things - Lovejoy's latest single, released just a week or two ago. The cover image for this song depicts a car crashing into the side of a house, the car very clearly on fire. I don't know if it's worth mentioning, but the other three covers all seem to take place during the day, but Normal People Things looks like it's happening during a sunrise/sunset (likely the latter). This cover is one I'm not really sure what to do with. It obviously follows the pattern of the others, so it's gotta fit in somewhere, I just don't know where. Nothing like that has ever happened to the players so we can be sure it's a future event. I'm not sure if it represents new players joining or just something the residents will have to deal with. (This last bit that I'm about to talk about is a huge stretch, but I've seen crazier connections.) As I was looking at all of the album covers, I thought a little bit more about the lyrics in npt. It reminds me of the happy pills arc, where Forever was taking pills and going a little insane. Here are a few of the lyrics:

Panic attack,/Backing track

Background hum/Of the cerebellum

What a blessing/To meet someone like you

With eyes as dead as mine, it's fine/It's normal people things to lie here in silence

(skip)

Spending days in/Self-medicating

Lost too much weight/Unpleasant aftertaste

We look the same/Play different games

This is probably the biggest leap I have ever made when theorizing, and it's most likely wrong, so don't judge me too harshly for it lol. I've probably got something with the covers, though, so I'm gonna be keeping my eyes out for that, and JESUS this is so COOL

#qsmp #qsmp federation #qsmp wilbur #qsmp lovejoy #(that's a tag now)#generic talking tag #wilbur soot #q!wilbur

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allycot · 7 months

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I thought of sharing my crazy thoughts about the lin kuei bros a little. Not trying to prove anything, but just thinking in my crazy way.

although the plot of mk1 and some characters’ actions in the story still seem quite chaotic to me to some extent, it’s actually possible to see the characters are really more complex than they seem, and I realised that, immersing into the details (that may be both contrived or real.) And the internal conflict happened among the three of them is more deep than just a sketchy idea that “the one is good and the other is bad.”

Tbh, I don’t see Bi-Han as “an absolute evil”, though, at first sight, he may seem so, as his controversial character traits are shown harder, as I think. To my mind, everything happening to him personally and among the three brothers is a huge, cursed, freakin’ mental problem, starting growing slowly, since their childhood. Refusing to consider Tomas a brother does not surprise me because not everyone may be ready to accept an unfamiliar person in their family, especially when you put blood first; especially when it’s the decision of the father you can’t accept either. And there was no guarantee Tomas wouldn’t have avenged his own family someday, on a sudden. Maybe such suspicions made Bi-Han worry about Kuai Liang getting close to Tomas, so he might think of drawing the line between them two?

I wonder what is the actual reason why Kuai got close to Tomas: maybe they are more close in age and have a little more similar personalities in comparison to Bi-Han; maybe they weren’t even that close until their father died and their common grief is what made them closer. It’s impossible to know for sure without knowing the backstory, only assuming.

Also, I couldn’t understand Tomas’s motivation in the plot, I mean, all he did was just following Kuai Liang & Liu Kang and not even trying to stop the fight of his brothers, not even with a single word. This thing surprised me. Maybe he didn’t have to. Or it’s because nrs does not focus on the details of the story, unlike us, and that’s what we got.

But, after noticing Kuai’s few intros, I feel like he was actually very close to Bi-Han. And the events making him leave his brother did hurt Kuai deeply. Who knows if Bi felt the same, but in the moment, when Kuai tried to escape and Bi-Han gave him the last chance to join him, I got a thought like he did care about Kuai (but he’s not that person who would ever express that openly.) Maybe he would have accepted Kuai if the latter, after all, had come back to him and to the clan (after one massive fight, probably.) Because it’s one blood, one family, and I guess these things do mean something to Bi. But Kuai is different if to speak about family values. That’s why he was able to accept Tomas.

I wonder if one the reasons why Bi and Kuai’s relationship came to that was a usual jealousy, hidden in the depths of the soul. Maybe it was hard for Bi-Han to realise his blood brother considers Tomas “a better” brother than Bi, so he distanced himself from them. Everything’s possible.

Anyway, their decisions and actions do not make them fully good or bad. The escape of Kuai and Tomas at the VERY RISKY moment when their brother needed them the most does not make them better, but yet I can understand them. As well as Bi-Han’s desire to resist Liu Kang does not make him worse, and I can understand him here. It depends on whose side you’ll look at the conflict from.

And all of this is very tragic and heart-breaking — perhaps, their future confrontation will not end well for one of them. Unfortunately.

#crazy thoughts #mortal kombat #mk1 #kuai liang #bi han #tomas vrbada #mk sub zero #mk scorpion #mk smoke #lin kuei

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howtofightwrite · 1 year

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I've been replaying the Fallout series and it got me thinking. The protagonists of most of the games, 1, 3 and 4 if you go with a female Sole Survivor, are naive newcomers with zero combat experience, yet they go on to slaughter armies and change the fate of the wasteland. I know they're rpgs, but how would you translate a character like that into a believable, linear story? Can it be done?

So, there's two distinctly different cases here.

Fallout 3 and 4 (and really basically everything from Bethesda Games Studio in the last 20 years), are ARPGs. They have more potential for environmental roleplay than games you'd conventionally think of as ARPGs, like Diablo or Path of Exile, but Bethesda's Fallout games are primarily about the combat loop with subsequent looting and loot sorting as preludes to the next fight. While ARPGs can deliver an enjoyable story, they don't tend to travel particularly well outside of the game. To a large extent, the violence is the fun, and without that, you're left with wispy sinews of a story that existed to draw you from set piece to set piece.

The counterpoint to something like Fallout 3 and 4 would probably be Cyberpunk 2077, which, for all its flaws, is basically an ARPG with a strong narrative focus, and as a result, it would hold together a bit better as a linear narrative.

Ironically, one of the strengths in BGS's writing is something that really cannot translate to the page, the reactivity. While it's not frequent, Fallout 4 and Skyrim do a pretty good job of reflecting what the player has done elsewhere in the world when interacting with NPCs. It's not always consistent, but membership in the various factions, and some previously completed quests, do flag for dialog in the future. (When joining the Railroad, it's surprisingly difficult to get Deacon's line without any reactivity.) Unfortunately, there's no way to naturally convey this in a linear narrative because those prior events will always have happened.

In the case of these kinds of open world ARPGs, the actual narrative you could draw from that is more about the specific stories your character(s) experience.

Fallout and Fallout 2 are verydifferent experiences from the later Bethesda titles. (With, New Vegas sitting somewhere between these points.) Critically, these are both games where you can reasonably play a non-combat character. So, with both of the original games, between the Good Natured trait, and the skill tagging system, it's pretty reasonable that your character might not have a combat background. That's not a problem. It is a limitation of the character, but it is not an insurmountable flaw. The fundamental difference between the Black Isle Fallouts and Bethesda's is that there will almost always be alternatives to fighting.

You can play out the story of Fallout as a conventional gruff wasteland gunslinger, wandering through another post apocalypse, or you can take on the role of a charismatic con artist who isn't particularly adept at fighting, but tries to talk their way out of violence as often as possible. Somewhat obviously, this won't always work, and violence may occur anyway (also, a full pacifist run will strongly benefit from foreknowledge of what you're looking at, so that you can avoid quests with mandatory combat, and avoid a few fights that might appear forced but can be avoided through careful preparation.)

I'd argue that the latter is a more interesting story. There are a lot of cases in Fallout and Fallout 2 where the non-combat solution is a lot more interesting and amusing, than simply pulling a gun and starting a combat encounter, even if it can be seriously satisfying to just start carving your way through New Reno.

As for the character's proficiency with combat? Fallout and Fallout 2 will punish you for not speccing into combat, and then getting into fights. Again, this isn't a storytelling problem, if you have a character who starts their story with a deficiency, then it should hamper them for awhile. Eventually, this is something that a character can recover from if they live long enough. It's reasonable to have a character who can't do everything, and that includes being unable to fight. It's also reasonable for them to eventually overcome some of those limitations, through hard work, and commitment.

The original Fallout games were about a post apocalypse that was in the process of rebuilding. There's a lot of lawless territory, and places where petty despots hold sway, but there's also new civilizations getting started, and there are places for socially skilled characters within. It's something that can easily be lost in post apocalyptic narratives that focus on combatant protagonists. I don't think this is a problem, per se, but it's something that Fallout and Fallout 2 considered. You are free to pursue other roles (even if a number of those options in Fallout 2 are a bit... “shallow.”)

As for 3 and 4, the problem isn't so much that the various characters evolve into combat gods, it's how quickly they do so.

A play-through of Fallout 3 will take the player character from being a normal-ish teenager to a battle hardened slayer of men in about six in-game hours. (Which works out to about 18 minutes.) After that, your character will be ready to blast their way through entire camps of borderline feral bandits in pursuit of whatever shiny objects they may be carrying.

Fallout 4 isn't much better. The player character (whichever one you're playing) goes from domestic bliss to casually murdering the locals in less than a day (unless you choose to deliberately procrastinate, and rework Sanctuary into an armed compound, instead of trying to find your son.)

In both cases, like I said, the problem isn't that they become skilled combatants, it's how easy and fast it is to get them there. Again, this is a function of how those games are designed, and not a narrative consideration. The introduction to Fallout 4 already drags enough that most players are going to skip the pre-war and Vault 111 sequences on subsequent playthroughs, just load the exit confirmation save and reconfigure their character, if they want to go again. (Or use an alternate start mod.) And, without any external context, it doesn't make a lot of sense that within hours of touching a handgun for the first time, Nora is blasting her way through entire waves of raiders. The game is built around combat, and that's what we get.

If you want a combat focused, post-apocalyptic RPG sandbox with a more gradual power curve, I'd suggest looking at something like Kenshi. It's not going to give you a lot of dialog to work through, but it does have a real knack for dynamically creating stories as you try to avoid being eaten by bonedogs.

-Starke

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#how to fight write #Starke answers #writing advice #writing reference #Fallout #post apocalypse

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witchcraftandgeekness · 11 months

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Let's talk about Vicki Donovan

I am currently rewatching first season of TVD and I noticed thing that I never noticed before. A lot of people in the fandom hate Vicki Donovan, and this shocks me after understanding this character.

So, she was raised without her father and the fact that she never knew who he was is really painful for her (she mentioned it to Damon). Also, in the town so small the lack of father may produce rumours about both their mother and Donovan siblings, tho I think Vicki is more affected by this. I mean, if her mother has reputation of careless, "available" then Vicki would inherit this reputation (and she did, if you listen closely to what others say about her) because "like mother like daughter".

Her mother was ignorant and alcoholic who had little care about her children, clearly, she wouldn't abandon them if she did care. Vicki probably started working as soon as she was able to (I don't remember what age is allowed for part-time job in US, 14?) because how else can she and Matt survive? I don't say it is not possible for kids with parents to start working at young age due to financial issues, but Vicki and Matt had no parents to bring actual money home (or if Kelly cared enough to send the kids some money, I doubt it was sufficient to support both of them), only what they gained themselves.

It leads to discussion of how did Vicki, as an older sister, managed to support both herself and her little brother? Nothing was said about this in canon, but Vicki's involvement with drugs may be connected to her trying to earn money. Maybe she met wrong company, and knowing her financial struggles, somebody offered her money if she would help with dealing?

Returning to her "inherited" reputation, Tyler provided us with a lot of things that are told about Vicki among her peers. "Vicki Donovan says no, that's new". She has reputation of "available", to the extent that in the Pilot Tyler tried to rape her, probably thinking that nobody would believe that it was done by force and what is her, some lower class girl's word, against his, right? He is son of mayor(s), who would dare to punish him for anything. Especially for assault of the girl with bad reputation. Later on season one Tyler tried to ambarass and belittle her numerous times, always reminding what place in society she occupies.

Knowing all of that, Vicki still hangs out with Tyler and seems genuinely excited by the fact he gives her his attention. This tells us that she rarely receives attention from anybody, and thus boys being interested is the only substitution for what she really needs and craves – somebody to care about her.

You may say that she still had Matt who was interested in her wellbeing, but maybe that was the problem. She told that herself, it seems to her that Matt is naturally getting out of this situation – he is good at foodball and has opportunity of some college offering him scholarship, he is nice and handsome, which means that girls still like him and he can "marry someone and have kids", like Vicki placed it.

And Vicki? She is drug-addict, with reputation which makes Mrs. Lockwood wince from mere idea that her son may have something to do with this girl, Vicki is not too good in grades (was that caused by her skipping classes? Was she skipping because of her attempts to earn more or because of drugs? Or maybe first one gradually morphed into the latter?) and doubts in her ability to recieve any scholarship.

In Vicki's eyes, she is hopeless. No future, no one who cares for her, besides her brother who has his own life to live, and little Gilbert boy who wants to play white knight and safe her from her misery, stupid teenage obsession that she may see patronizing (she mentioned that his interest in her is temporal and later he will return to his good, middle-class life, and forget all about it). And his family doesn't want Jeremy involved with Vicki, Elena didn't like her brother fawning over Vicki long before she turned. Notice that nobody tries to prevent anybody from interactions with Matt. Because Matt is polite, Matt is nice, Matt is the "golden boy" who everyone likes. Vicki is none of that.

Additionally, she was tormented by vampire. She survived few attacks that almost lead to her death. At that point Vicki is so lonely and unneeded that her only option is to pour out her soul to Damon, the guy who she barely knows, who tried to eat or simply kill her more than once, and who obviously can't care less about her fate. Damon heard it. And helped in only way he knew – he killed her. Saved her from her "pathetic" life.

Of course, we know that Vicki was not dead completely. No, the life was not quite done with her yet. Vicki has last chance on life she wanted as a vampire. Damon didn't care much for his now sireling, and let her leave (tho he mentioned leaving would be a bad idea, but never tried to actually make her stay and explain her new status as undead), which lead to the line of stressful events. In her transition Vicki suffered physically and mentally, all her supressed depression and loneliness felt on a higher level due to vampire's enhanced emotions. Even then, she tried to not harm the only two people she cared for and who cared for her – Matt and Jeremy.

Despite all the effort, Vicki did in fact finish her transition. She became vampire. And I think that truely, Vicki had a chance. Vampirism would leave her with a lot of perks that might make her life better.

Unfortunately, not everyone would agree. As an addict, Vicki has little self-control because she never tried to have one – she had no hope of escaping this circle before. She probably thought that one day she will die from overdose and quit being a burden for Matt. But now Vicki needs to learn it extremely quickly because two grown up vampires are watching over her and vampire hunters are at loose in the town.

But that was not how story was destined to end. Her actions lead to her being impaled by Stefan. Which seems a bit unfair. I think that there were other options. Yes, she tried to kill Elena dearie, was that the only reason she end up dead? Because Caroline was turned too, and more than that, she actually killed a man but nobody murdered her. They helped her, they taught her, and she became one of the most natural vampires in the whole show. Why was Vicki not granted with this chance? One may argue that she had less self-control than Caroline but who may think that s1 Caroline would be so excellent in vampirism? Giving Vicki some time would have been fair.

In her 18 years Vicki Donovan suffered more than some adults, and what did she received in return? Evil words about her, terrible attitude, abjection from society. Did she deserve Tyler being ashamed of presenting her as his girlfriend? Did she deserve Mrs. Lockwood calling her trash? Did she deserve anything of what she got in her life? She went through all of this, just to end up being dumped like a trash Carol Lockwood described her as, and forgotten? Just another hopeless girl without future died, right? Not a big deal? Naturally, she wanted revenge in afterlife.

So no, I don't understand why her character is showered in hate. Vicki Donovan was complicated person with personality that was not polite or too likeable, but that was not the reason to hate or despise her. I ask for justice for Vicki Donovan.

#this got longer than i planned it to be #just cant understand why vicki cant receive a portion of sympathy #vicki donovan #matt donovan #jeremy gilbert #elena gilbert #damon salvatore #tvd #tvdu #tvd thoughts #in defense of vicki donovan #i feel myself a defense lawyer #miserable people may receive some love instead of hate and neglect #tyler lockwood #kelly donovan

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cynnabunnie · 4 months

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Fineeee I GUESS I'll be a good friend and ask something

Venus's relationships with other utmv characters? :0 like the most important ones?? You can also be silly and put ocs in there tooo

TEEHEE, THANK YOU, HAKUUUU ❤��

Venus actually has a decently important role as The Oracle of the Multiverse, which sounds crazy, but there's lore.

She has the ability to hear everything in the multiverse through her antenna (kind of like a radio signal), this includes future events!! But she can only hear, she can't see.

She only discovered this ability when she was pulled out of her AU, since it's not an ability she's actually born with, it's just her antenna picking up on everything around her.

She does have important relationships with some of the other characters, so lemme give a run down!!

Ink

Ink was actually Venus' first real friend when her AU was destroyed. Her hearing allowed her to hear him all the way in the Doodlesphere, and as someone who was new to the concept of the multiverse (and with scary new hearing abilities), she assumed he was a safe presence.

Ink actually also enjoyed her company as well, he used to draw her a lot, and her hearing abilities were considered helpful to him. However, after so long of being with him in the Doodlesphere, he noticed she wasn't really thriving in the ways he knew she could, so he ended up putting her in the company of someone else. That would be Fresh.

Their friendship is super strained because she misunderstood his true intentions, but they are mostly friendly, and she does cooperate with him when he needs her omni-hearing.

Error

Venus considers him her other coworker alongside Ink. She finds herself between the two on many occasions, but doesn't seem to mind. She actually does find Error pleasant, but they still struggle to actually get along because of their lack of an energy match.

Thanks to being between Ink and Error, Venus had to make a Vow of Neutrality, promising that she would not withhold oracle information from either of them, and they would get the same information. This vow is broken when Ink breaks his truce with Error, and Venus sides with the latter instead.

They get along on the occasion, but she mostly find him to be a fun target for teasing and irriating. When he destroyed those AU's, she was very much angrier with Ink than him.

Fresh

Fresh is pretty much Venus' best friend, and the only person that knows almost everything about her.. aside from Hatter. (More on him another time!!) They're an iconic duo in the Multiverse, almost never being found separated from each other.. unless they're doing their own thing, obviously. Otherwise, they're practically attached at the hip.

They're pretty much a major headache to anybody that has the fortune of being within 30 feet of them. They have an almost perfect energy match and no idea what a volume button is, so they're loud!! Venus has known Fresh since what feels like eons, even managing to escape becoming a potential vessel.. for a bargain, of course.

Cross

This one was actually pretty complicated to get an idea for because I know she didn't like him at first. Venus thought he was a problem thanks to the X-Event and the chaos that followed, however her mind changes.

She realizes that she needs to separate her anger towards Ink's broken promises and recognize that Cross was genuinely going through a lot of internal problems. Some that even she could relate to.

She definitely attempted to speak to him while he was in the Omega Timeline, since she was already there to comfort the poor anomalies that already lost their lives or homes.

Dream

Venus doesn't typically work with Dream, but seeing as they're both emotion based, they probably team up occasionally. Especially where Venus' powers involve emotional projection, she's able to help increase the flow of positive energy to give him a decent boost.

They're friends at best, often having similar opinions on things and even similar ideals!!

Nightmare

Venus has her ears on this guy for sure. In fact, she uses her emotional abilities in The Hub (more lore on that later) to help others get rid of their negative feelings. She wants to ensure that he has trouble causing or bringing harm to anyone under the influence of their own feelings. Unfortunately, she isn't always successful.

Rue

@rainyecho 's OC

Venus actually does like Rue a lot, she considers them a good friend despite the fact that they hang around Error all the time.. but she knows better than to let that dictate her opinions on people!!

She finds them pretty odd, seeing as they're a virus, but she's no better for hanging out with the parasite, so she pushes that aside. As long as Rue doesn't become a real threat towards Venus, she believes they're totally great best friends.. or something.

Null

@hakunakii 's OC

Venus is familiar with Null as the Multiverse's form of transportation, but they don't cross paths often enough to chat all the time. Regardless, in the few times they have stopped to chat, Venus has found them rather pleasant, but confusing. She feels like they have a potential energy match, but she's not too sure.. they seem odd. But once again, she's never let that prevent her from making a friend!! Perhaps she'll have to invite them around so she can get to know them better.

Void

@demifinnyfib 's OC

Venus thinks Void is pretty silly and.. also pretty stupid, but that doesn't mean she doesn't like their company!! She pities them, actually, considering they lost their memories. She believes it's depressing for forget who you are and who you came from, but Void seems so shockingly nonchalant about it. She just can't wrap her head around them. She's very fond of them, even if she feels bad for poor Goldie's loss.

Golden Guard!Sans

@demifinnyfib 's OC

Venus comforted Goldie when he first came to the Omega Timeline with the belief that his friend was dead. She thought it was such a heavy burden for him to have to carry all on his own, especially after finding out that his friend no longer had their memories.

Her heart aches for his situation, but she chooses not to get involved. Only offering her comfort when it's necessary, and sometimes even a piece of advice for him. She's fond of him, but lately his uptight nature has made him the punchline of many of her teasing remarks.

------

That's pretty much the gist of it!!

If there are any more questions, just ask!! It's super fun to answer questions and I definitely have the time to!!

And please lemme know if I missed anyone that you guys are curious about!!

#underverse oc #underverse #undertale oc #undertale #send asks #oc opinions #ink!sans #error!sans #dream!sans #nightmare!sans #fresh!sans #so on and so forth #oc lore #im sorry this is so long

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starlitangels · 4 months

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To Steer By

Hiii... I was writer's blocked on this one for A While™. But I bring to you, the next chapter! And, uh... I'm sorry for the cliffhanger... 2.4k words

Ch 1, Ch 2, Ch 3, Ch 4, Ch 5, Ch 6, Ch 7

—

Chapter 8 - Arrival in Aria

—

Moments after Estelle collapsed, her eyes were opening again. Avior was just grateful he caught her before she hit the ground. “Estelle?” He cupped her face. “Are you alright?”

She scrunched her eyebrows. “How long was I out?”

“Not long. Few moments.”

“Oh good. That didn’t feel like enough magic to warrant another all-day blackout,” she mumbled, regaining control of her muscles. “But… I do need to sit down.”

“Let’s get you back in the carriage and we’ll be on our way. We’re only going to travel a bit longer to find someplace to rest for the night anyway,” Avior said. He scooped her knees up and took her back to the carriage, where Vindemiator had convinced Caelum to go back to the driver’s bench of the darker carriage.

The inside of the white carriage had two benches, one facing the direction of travel, and one facing the other way. Avior laid Estelle on the former and took the latter for himself. He felt Vega get back in his position and heard the snap of reins encouraging the horses to go.

The carriage lurched and off they went.

Estelle didn’t bother to try to sit up. Just lounged across the bench, pinching the bridge of her nose. Avior watched over her intently.

“That was incredible,” he said.

She peeked one eye open and looked at him. “You lit a candle from a distance with the snap of your fingers. You’ve got power yourself.”

“Mm. Nothing like yours. I’m half-demon. My powers tend to be… fiery. Destructive and dangerous. I can do other things but it’s difficult. Yours… it was… that was… pure. Radiant, even.”

She snickered. “You should see my brother’s,” she said. “I’m nothing compared to him.”

“I find that hard to believe.”

She shuffled so she was on her side, facing him. “You met Morgan. My brother. He’s the Crown Prince. He’s the one who got the lion’s share of the magic. He’s the one who can see the future, not me. I can use the positioning of the stars, sun, and moon to make a few guesses and predictions, but Morgan is far more accurate.”

“But can he make that swarm of falling stars?”

She smiled. “He could make a bigger one. He actually is the one who taught me how.”

Avior hummed in thought. The carriage hit a dip in the road and bounced. Estelle winced but otherwise didn’t react.

He stuck his head out the window. “Vega? Are we stopping soon?”

“As soon as we find a defensible position to make camp,” Vega replied.

“Hm… well… hurry up.”

“Yes, sire.”

—

Vindemiator kicked his ankles up onto Scorpius’ lap. Who, for his part, didn’t bother to push them off. “See, the problem,” Vin said, “is Avi’s wife has white hair and I don’t know how to work with that.” He glanced over at where Avior had Estelle curled up on his lap. She was asleep and Avior was quietly speaking with Vega. “Like. All of us except Caelum have dark hair. I can make anything to work with dark hair. But I don’t know how to make anything for hair that pale. Like. With dark hair a red outfit pops and is sexy. But white hair? Which is the pop? What do I do with it?”

“Vin, you know you’re not actually the royal tailor right?” Scorpius asked. “Like. You know you outrank the royal tailor by a lot. Right?” He snickered. “Besides. The king will probably hire a female seamstress from Castle Town specifically for Estelle’s wardrobe when she needs anything.”

Vin scoffed. “Rude.”

“All I’m saying is she’s brought her entire wardrobe with her. She’s not going to need anything new for a while.”

Vindemiator stared at Scorpius, disbelief painted all over his face. “Are you implying she’s not going to have an entirely new gown made for her coronation? Which, by the way, is in two weeks?”

“No one in Aria will know that the gown she wears isn’t brand-new.”

“They’ll have a decent guess if it’s got Star Kingdom written all over it. She needs something that shows she’s our queen. Something that feels Arian.”

Scorpius rolled his eyes. “Whatever,” he muttered.

Vindemiator pulled out his little book where he liked to sketch out design ideas. Caelum shuffled where he was asleep on his bedroll beside Vindemiator. Caelum’s hair had once been blond. But the transformation had turned his hair a soft, pale pink. Vindemiator could work with pink. It was the white he wasn’t solid on.

White just stood out so much. If he wanted to do a pop of color, the white would still outshine it. But a white gown—in Vin’s opinion—was too much of the same color. He needed something to complement the white. Her wedding gown had been even paler than sky blue. Which had been… nice. He supposed. He didn’t work with pastel shades for anyone other than his brother. Maybe he’d have to learn.

Across the small campsite, Estelle was asleep on Avior’s lap in the dimmest light of the campfire. Vindemiator narrowed his eyes at her and glanced down at his book.

He sketched the basic profile of a grand gown, and in the corner wrote, Dark Red? Black? Maybe one of those would work. She’d probably prefer a pastel, considering everything he’d seen of her wardrobe. But a deep, dark shade would be more Arian.

He brought his legs off Scorpius’ lap and bent his knees up as a firmer surface to draw on, adding details to the gown and material considerations. Satin and silk were nice but she needed something richer for a coronation. Velvet and taffeta were added to his list of notes. He didn’t care that he wasn’t the actual royal tailor. He liked the work and he liked the artistic expression.

Vindemiator kept designing long after everyone else had drifted off—barring Vega, who’d elected to keep first watch.

—

“Caelum?” Vindemiator asked his brother as the party finally crossed into the Arian castle keep’s walls. “Why don’t you show Avior’s new wife around the castle? Give her a grand tour?”

Caelum perked up. “Okay!”

Avior gave Vindemiator a confused look. Vin just shrugged.

Caelum scampered over to Estelle. “Can I show you around?” He bounced a little on his feet.

“Of course,” Estelle replied.

Caelum tried so hard to be proper. He offered her his elbow and tried to be dignified. But the second they reached one of the doors, he grabbed her wrist to point out something and went back to bouncing.

“Why Caelum?” Avior asked.

“He’ll show her all the best parts of the castle and make it easier for her to remember how to get around. And I wanted to talk to you,” Vindemiator replied.

What few members of the guard had been rebuilt were helping to unpack the supplies from the journey. Avior nodded away from the group and led Vin after him to somewhere more private. “What’s on your mind?”

Vin opened and closed his mouth a few times. “Your wife is going to need an attendant,” he said. “I… I was thinking that… my partner might be interested. I haven’t asked, but I know they were wanting to try something new. Their current job hasn’t been fulfilling for them. They need more interaction with people, not just being alone.”

Avior nodded. “Go ahead and ask them. If they’re interested we’ll get them started. See if it works for them.”

“Thank you.”

“Of course.”

Before Avior could move to leave, Vin stepped into his path. “There’s one more thing,” he said. Avior paused and gestured for him to go on. “We’ve, uh… we’ve been like this… for a month, Avi.”

“Was the attack a month ago already?” Avior muttered, sounding tired.

“Yeah. Uh… it’s been long enough that… that I… I don’t really feel like Vindemiator, anymore.”

Avior’s head tilted slightly to one side. “Alright…”

“I’ve been thinking about this a lot. Would… would it be okay if you all call me Gavin, instead?”

“Of course. If that’s what would make you the most comfortable.”

“I think it would. Caelum can still call me Vin, but, uh, I think I’d prefer it if the rest of you call me Gav if you’re going to shorten it.”

“That’s something we can do. Would you like to tell the others or do you want me to?”

“Normally I would. But you’re the king now. I think they’ll listen to you better.”

Avior couldn’t help but chuckle. “I think you put too much stock in their respect for me, but I’ll talk to them anyway and make sure they respect your decision. I’m sure they will, but I’ll talk to them.”

“Thank you, my king.” Gavin bowed slightly.

“My honor,” Avior replied.

They shook hands while Gavin rolled his eyes at the formality of it all and Avior smiled.

—

Estelle listened to Caelum raptly. He was excitable and young and sweet—but he also knew the castle and explained it and its layout simply. His rambles tended to wander aimlessly, but always snapped back to the subject of the castle when something of note was in their path. He also kept his directions simple.

“Oh, oh!” Caelum whispered, bouncing on the balls of his feet. “This door is one of the offshoots of the kitchen.” He gave her the youthful version of a sly smile—the smile of kids sharing secrets. “This one is the one where they make the cookies.”

Estelle twisted her head to face him properly and dropped her mouth open. “Is that right?” she asked conspiratorially.

Caelum nodded. “Don’t tell the baker I told you.”

“No, of course not.”

Down the corridor, she noticed when Caelum clammed up. It was the first time it had happened—it’d be hard not to notice. He slowed his pace and looked at where several planks of wood had been propped up over a hole in the stone wall out to the courtyard, trying to block the draft. He stared at the hole, brows tilting, lower lip sliding out, eyes watering. Estelle squeezed his hand where he’d been holding onto hers.

“Hey,” she asked softly. “What’s wrong?”

He whimpered slightly, shaking his head.

Estelle gathered him to her, resting his head on her chest and putting her chin on the back of his head. “It’s okay, little guy,” she said, rocking back and forth. “Whatever it is, it’s okay.”

He shook his head, horns nearly getting caught in her dress’ bodice. “That—that’s where the demon broke through the wall,” he managed to say. “The… the one that hurt Vin. The one that did this to us.” He grabbed his horns and pulled on them. Almost like he was trying to pull them off his head entirely. Estelle grabbed his hands and eased them away.

“Hey,” she entreated softly. “None of that. I know you must miss who you were. How you looked. But you’re okay. You’re alive, your brother’s alive. Neither of you were seriously hurt. And you’re different now but you’re still you. Having a little bit of demon blood in your veins doesn’t stop you from being the sweetest kid I’ve ever met.” She raked her fingers through his soft pink curls. “Don’t let something you had no control over get you down when you and your brother are stronger because of what happened to you.”

He sniffled and wrapped his arms around her in a hug. “I-I-I’ll try.”

“Trying is all you need, buddy.”

“Cae? What’s wrong?” a familiar voice demanded. Estelle turned to see Avior and Caelum’s brother picking up their pace at the end of the hallway. Jogging over.

Vin took Caelum from Estelle’s embrace and into his own. He glanced at the hole in the wall. Understanding dawned in his eyes. He glanced at Avior. “I’m gonna take him back to his room,” he said. Avior nodded.

Once the brothers were around the corner, Avior offered his elbow to his wife. “May I finish his tour?”

“Of course,” Estelle replied, taking his arm.

“Caelum is young. He’s had the hardest time… adjusting to all of the recent changes.”

“I guessed as much. At least he has his brother.” She sighed. “What’s his full first name again?”

“Growing up, the name he was given was Vindemiator. But he’s asked that we call him Gavin now.”

“Oh thank the stars. I have a good memory but I couldn’t get that name. Gavin I can remember easy.”

Avior smiled.

The tour of the castle continued for a bit, and Avior paused on the third floor. “Wh…” He licked his lips and sighed. “Where would you rather sleep?”

“Pardon?”

“Do you wish to join me in my chambers, or would you rather maintain your own?”

“Oh. I… I admit, I hadn’t really thought about it.” She reached up with her free hand and fidgeted with the ends of her hair. “Is whatever I decide now… permanent?”

“It doesn’t have to be if you don’t want it to be.” He pushed open a door and led her in. “These are my chambers. They were my father’s.” With his free hand, he gestured around. “As you can see, plenty big enough for the both of us to maintain our own space when we want.” He cleared his throat. “Unless you’d rather have several more tons of stone between you and I when you want space.”

“Um… how about…” On the one hand, she was well aware that she barely knew him. They’d been around each other constantly for a week, but was that enough? It would probably be kinder to both of them if they maintained their own space until they were comfortable enough with one another to share living quarters.

On the other hand… the thought of sharing space and seeing him at his most vulnerable, comfortable, and casual bore a deep appeal.

“Let’s try together at first,” she said. “If we feel like we need more space until we know each other better, I’ll be fine with that.”

Avior nodded. “Then that’s what we’ll do.”

—

Tag list: @pinksparkl

#To Steer By #fic #Redacted ASMR #Redacted Audio #Starlit Fic #Redacted Avior #Redacted Starlight #Starlight OC #Redacted Caelum #Redacted Gavin #Redacted Scorpius #Redacted Vega

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