every year i post about how much i hate it when other trans people betray me by going on their horny sideblogs and conflating topping and dominance. and yet it keeps happening

Oh, Oh! I got an idea for that Demon Jade and Angel Floyd AU!!! (more like a ramble I wanna share sgsha)

So like, what if a long looooongggg time ago Jade was also an angel, and being the twin of Floyd, they were both the most cute little satanic blessings heaven has to offer.

Till one day Jade did something and he got kicked out of heaven, and Floyd being betrayed cause how dare his brother leave him tore a pretty big gap in their relationship.

So now for the present day where they both of them had decided they wanted to invade your peaceful life, you are busy with doing some work/homework.

And these two are just busy waging a war behind you, but you are used to the shenanigans so you just ignore them.

Till they get worse, and you had to kick them out.

And it's raining.

And the both of them are now sitting at your front door like sopping wet cats, begging to be let in. (Floyd can so totally teleport to be by your side cause he your guardian angel but he doesn't want to cause Jade can't and he doesn't like the thought of you pitying Jade amd giving him extra attention cause he is cold and wet, when HE IS SUPPOSED TO GET THAT ATTENTION HE IS YOUR ANGEL FOR CRYING OUT LOUD‐)

Anyways they still both end up fighting in the rain sgshsg

Omg the idea of Floyd enduring the cold rain just so that you won't feel sympathy for Jade and let him inside... T_T he's so petty. But then Floyd can't catch any colds or illnesses because he's an angel, so it doesn't really bother him. It's still not a pleasant experience sitting out there on the stoop and being soaked through, but it's better than having to watch you coddle Jade. >:( the argument definitely turns physical and it isn't long before Jade's trying to tear handfuls of Floyd's feathers out of his wings while Floyd's grabbing at Jade's horns to try to snap them off. ;;; they're mean!!!!

You end up throwing the door open to scold the both of them and they listen surprisingly well (even though they're both a bit miffed that they couldn't properly finish their fight). If either of them wants to come back inside where it's warm and cozy, they'll have to genuinely apologize to the other. It's like pulling teeth when they're both so stubborn, simmering in their still-brewing frustrations, but they manage their apologies if only to appease you. Floyd's injuries don't mean much when he can just heal and he does so without thinking. Jade can do the same, but he wants to be fawned over. You end up sitting Jade down so you can patch him up, scolding him all the while: "You ought to be nice to your brother. He's just doing his job; don't make it harder for him."

Floyd's distraught. :( why didn't he think of that!!!! He could have been patched up by his Shrimpy and yet all of your love and care is going to Jade. It's not fair at all! It should have been him!!!!!

But after you tend to Jade you turn to Floyd and check him over to make sure he's okay, so perhaps it's not entirely bad luck. <3 Floyd places his hands over yours to keep them there for a little longer, and he envelops you in his wings to keep you close. Let him be a little selfish with your affections. He deserves it!

Okay so I've had this soulmark au thingy stuck in my head since my mind, running through multiple ideas at once like usual, accidentally crossed wires on "Shisui" and "soulmates"

Fair warning this is a bit long so uh,, sorry lmao

So! Au where the most of the shinobi population and a portion of the civilian population started developing what they called soulmarks because the higher entities got really tired of everyone killing everyone like idiots-

these soulmarks seem to form on your skin (Haven't decided what they look like) after you meet someone you can truly trust to have your back. Since soulmarks are about trust, loyalty, etc they have nothing to do with any romantic feelings (though they're probably romanticized in media). It is very common to have multiple soulmarks, and they aren't limited to just humans! Those with summons/animal companions they work with almost always get soulmarks to represent their animal partner(s) due to their extreme loyalty.

Soulmarks don't tend to form immediately after meeting but over time- though some get suspicious after a year markless. Sometimes people don't fit together as well as they think, sometimes they change and get along after time, sometimes one of them just can't bring themself to trust the other yet, etc. There's many reasons and cases of those who you think you should have a mark for not forming- while a clear reason is unknown, it quickly became a death/betrayal omen in the more superstitious shinobi communities.

Some extra info- Academy kids soulmarks with their classmates are often taken into consideration for team formations. If the person who's soulmark is in danger, it feels like pins and needles under your skin. If they feel extreme emotions, it either heats up or goes cold. Death causes soulmarks to darken and fade, but soulmarks only truly disappear when you can no longer trust them at all- often followed by betrayal. Soulmarks can be onesided- though more often in the case of one of them being very young (ex: siblings).

Now with all of that, some ideas-

• Kakashi's first soulmarks were his ninken

• Tenzo's first soulmark was Kakashi, i think it kind of freaked him out

• Shisui and Itachi formed soulmarks for each other as soon as they met, despite Itachi being so very young

• Shisui has soulmarks with his Yamanaka family despite refusing to realize he was practically adopted

• Shisui has soulmarks for his summons, which is a very big matter of pride for them

• Kakashi never formed soulmarks with his childhood team

• Gai has shed tears of joy, multiple times, for every soulmark he has

• Shisui and Kisame formed soulmarks for each other

• Kisame got a soulmark for Samehada and Shisui lost his mind when he found out because wtf

• at least one member of Squad Two has unknowingly formed a onesided soulmark with Naruto

• Genma has a habit of checking his soulmarks multiple times a day

• Raidou is fascinated by soulmarks and wants to study them

• Kagami never had a soulmark for Danzo, Sarutobi did and refuses to acknowledge what it means now it's gone

And now the one idea that started it all ✨

• Squad Two not having a soulmark for Shisui, possibly onesided where Shisui has theirs, until right before Danzo betrays him :)

Two main ways you could take this- Shisui somehow surviving the first attempt bc everyone who has his soulmark is pretty much alerted to that he's in danger

Or in hope au style, Shisui doesn't survive and wakes up in the past only for the others to get his soulmark and getting almost phantom sensations bc he's reacting to a danger that technically hasn't happened- maybe even his mark being unnaturally darker than it should be..

Also I'd just love to see how the others would react to having a soulmark from Shisui during his long mission bc it seems like it just kept getting worse for him LMAO

Do with this what you will, i just needed to write it down and get it out of my head so it would stop haunting me

Anyways I hope you're having a great day <3

Wowza!!! ✨✨✨

This is just a magnificent ask, I'm so impressed with the thought you've put into this AU! The delicious delicious platonic found family angst!!!!

What if 🥹 shisui had the squads soul marks the whole time 🥹 but they were between his shoulders (like wings) so he never saw them 🥹 and the burn just blended in with the pain of training, the buzzing chakra of Shunshin, the shame of sharingan eyes always watching him and finding him lacking 🥹 can you fucking imagine them begging to know why shisui didn't trust them with his problems and he breaks down and says they can't accuse him of that shit when he knows he gave them marks but they never gave him any back 😭 the angst, the gut wrenching whump.... This is such a good AU, anon!!!

SHISUI AND KISAME FORMING SOULMARKS AFTER LITERALLY A WEEK WORKING TOGETHER IM SO EMOTIONAL FOR THEM LMAO I CANT DECIDE IF IT'S BETTER THAT THEY DONT REALISE UNTIL AFTER THEY'VE SPLIT WAYS AND HAVE SEPERATE "OH SHIT" REACTIONS AND THEN SHUFFLE AROUND IT FOR AGES OR THEY GET THEM AS SOON AS THEY STAND UNITED AGAINST THE WORLD AND THEY SIMULTANEOUSLY FEEL THE SEAR OF THE MARK AND-!!! OOOOOH BOYYYYYY

Ino was born with Shisui's soulmark on her besides her parents'🥹🥹🥹🥹🥹🥹🥹❤️‍🔥

This is so beautiful and interesting, anon, thanks for sharing with us!!!! Have a great day, this was a lovely way to wrap up the week 🥰

MLP Rewrite AU - Legend of Everfree (if you haven't done it already)

Okay okay okay so like.

I have rewritten this one once before and gone into more SO

My biggest change was re: the powers they were getting. Usually they only get powers when in their Pony Up form. But basically it's because the 'Pony Up' thing transforms them to be able to channel Magic where their Human bodies can't, and the gems that Gloriosa found are able to be used as a Magic Channel. It's being extra funky because the gems are obvs connected to the Elements which are connected to the Group so.....

Anyway!

They're not getting random superpowers, they're getting their Pony Magic. Just it's a combination of 'they haven't really been transformed long enough to use their Magic so they're unfamiliar with it' and also some of them are a touch funky. Let's go down the list

Twilight - getting Unicorn Magic, but it manifests easily as a levitation spell to move objects around

Rarity - Also Unicorn Magic, but as a very visual person she's creating Magic Constructs. At first the barriers, but when she concentrates instead of reacting in defense, she can craft hard-light projections of anything

Pinkie - So the short version here is that Pinkie is part Crystal Pony, which effects her Magic. She's using the Crystal Ponies' Emotional Magic, which means using gems/crystals even further as a conduit to turn into elemental spells. In this case she's picking up on Gloriosa's frustration and transferring it into /sugar crystals/, which causes explosions

Applejack - Earth Pony Strength!

Rainbow - Hers went extra funky because her flight speed is getting the wires crossed with cloudwalking resulting in running speed

Fluttershy - Actually she's 1/8 Siren, which results in Voice Magic, Aka: universal translator.

Sunset - Also part Crystal Pony! But her emotional magic is going into overdrive and turning her into an empath able to feel others' emotions and also sometimes see memories.

So yeah shit's funky! As for the plot:

Twilight's still panicking over the Magic stuff because of what happened with Midnight Sparkle and all. When she confesses to Sunset that she thinks Midnight is still in her head/infected her and is trying to come out and ruin everything and that's why there's Magic, Sunset does her best to assure her without directly addressing the real problem for now.

When weird non-magic shit's happening and everyone's blaming the 'Gaia Everfree' story, even though Sunset suspects the counselors, she's debating on if this is an actual Scooby-Doo-esque 'scare off the businessman to save the camp' scheme or if it's just a camp activity and tries to stay in her lane about it.

Lot of the major plot points go the same. Maybe one or two conversations about things that are from the bigger expanded universe(like the scenes with Flash from when I wrote this as a fic).

Anyway!!

Moving forward to the climax when Gloriosa goes full Poison Ivy:

When they're trapped in the vines and everyone's trying to fight back and Sunset's trying to get Twilight to fully use her Magic and help. Twilight's still terrified, worrying that Midnight will take her over again and make everything worse.

So, even though it's not the best time for this conversation, Sunset tells her the truth: There is no 'Midnight Sparkle'.

Twilight is confused by this, because hello?? All that stuff happened? She would never try to destroy this dimension! Even if she didn't believe in the 'power of friendship', she never would have-

Except she did. Because she used a very powerful type of magic with the exact opposite qualifications. She had felt betrayed, manipulated, hurt and broken and taken advantage of. And she poured all of that into the Elements, and it turned everything so intensely that despair was all she could feel and she'd do anything to make it stop.

Twilight tries to argue, that she had to be possessed. That she gets nightmares about Midnight taunting her, that she feels her trying to take over every time she uses her Magic.

Sunset's like 'Twilight, honey, darling, light of my life: that's what we call a hell of a case of ptsd!!'.

She's still terrified, because even if it's not possession, then how does she know that she won't become like that again when using her Magic?

Sunset, and the others, reassure her. Things are different. She's not alone anymore, she's not trapped in her own despair anymore. She's safe with them. And even if something somehow went wrong, they'd bring her back.

Twilight gathers her courage to use her Magic, only being a Unicorn not an Alicorn because no free Ascension for her.

Okay now for one of the bigger plots: What all's going on with the camp and also Filthy Rich.

So like. There's three things that bothered me in the movie about this situation.

1.) Making Rich the slimeball businessman villain trying to turn a nice camp into a spa resort when in all his other appearances he's actually pretty damn nice

2.) while we love the trope of 'get a fund raiser going to save the business', this doesn't always work. If the business can't make enough genuine profit to survive, a fundraiser only prolongs the inevitable.

3.) If the camp is a family business, why is it just Gloriosa and Timber running it? Especially since they're very young (we don't know their ages, but Timber is in the age range for Twilight's love interest, so he's gotta be under 20).

So here's the underlying story on it for me rewriting:

Gloriosa and Timber usually run the camp with their parents, but there's been a recent tragedy. Not fully sure, but they lost at least one parent and the other is at least very inured. So the inexperienced teens are trying to keep the place going on their own while also facing hospital and funeral costs. Not to mention figuring out how the bills go and getting behind on that and all.

In theory, if they could get an influx of money to handle all that and let them catch up, then they could run the camp like normal and make their usual profits. But the problem is getting that money. Which is where the fundraiser comes in.

Rich is entirely unaware of this, and ofc the siblings aren't exactly going to tell him. So he assumes it's that the business itself is failing, likely through lack of clientele interested in camping given the facility itself being fine. And if the family can't drum up business, why would he think he could do better? Turning the campsite into a spa resort is the next best thing, as he could keep a lot of the 'get away from the city and enjoy nature' thing while changing it up in a way that they'd have new people coming in to spend their money there.

So yeah he's not. He's not trying to run them out of business or anything. It's just that the business is already failing and if he doesn't buy the property than someone else will.

Ofc when he does hear about the fundraiser he does prod into things a little bit and does apologize to the siblings for making them feel even more despair when he could have helped, which includes a generous donation to the fundraiser.

Luz is not in love with Amity, I don't even know why she is attracted to Amity, Do you know the reason why Luz likes Amity (romantically?

In "The First Day" Luz has a line while talking about being excited for what may come that goes 'And maybe meet a hot VULNERABLE upperclassman.' It's meant to be silly but... It betrays the fantasy that Amity gives Luz. She may not be an upperclassman (and actually, she is of 'the upper class' financially so she still can fit) but the points of her being considered one of the most attractive students in Hexide, at the top of her class but also emotionally able to be manipulated and controlled to always forgive Luz all stand true. The fact that Amity started out as a rival only made the fantasy all the more appealing so she could be the Hecate to her Azura, a fantasy she makes the comparison to herself.

And that... Is as far as I'm going with this. I've made my opinion clear with how I feel about what Luz planned in Thanks to Them and what she did in Reaching Out that I don't think Luz cares about Amity post them getting together. Not beyond the spins and the kisses. I could dive DEEP into this rabbit hole and get lit more on fire than this is already going to make me. I'd also make myself INCREDIBLY sad doing so and honestly not be the most productive.

SO INSTEAD, let's go more into the hypothetical and the literary. I'm going to cover three things. 1: What Luz and Amity's theoretical archtypes are, especially in S1 when their characters had the most potential and were their most likable. 2: Why Luz's archtype would be attracted romantically to Amity's. The reverse of what I did in my blog about why S1 Amity loved Luz. And then finally 3: Where I talk about the ways in which Luz's archtype normally struggles to show a partner extra care (and I will try to say why it doesn't apply to Luz).

Though a heads up: While these are my interpretations of the two, the ONLY versions you'll really see me write, I do NOT think they're true at this point. Luz only really fits her archtype at moments and to really fit it you have to believe her words far more than her actions. Amity on the other hand stays to her archtype through S1 but by S2B she has turned into "Generic, morally good character with jokes" which is the majority of the cast. One could easily make the case for this change happening even as early as Winging it Like Witches honestly.

With that said:

1. What exactly are Amity and Luz's archtypes?

I would best describe Luz as a ball of sunshine with hidden insecurities. The Pinkie Pie archtype. This is mostly an expansion, especially in modern times, of just the always happy, always excited and always energetic archtype that gets a bit more angst because they're not quite as confident as they make themselves out to be. This can be simply who they are, due to past trauma, an awareness that their friends may be fair weather fans, etc. like that.

As a note, I would argue this archtype pushes the character to be even MORE full force with their friends and trying to make them happy. They're on their mind pretty constantly and they're constantly trying to appease them, for better and for worse. Often they need to be told they're enough, not just for their weirdness but just as a person. Their value is not tied to how they appease others.

Amity's archtype is actually MORE common than Luz's which is that she's the overachieving, mean spirited high society person with the one twist of having a good heart. She is serious, ruthless to that which stands in her way, intelligent and driven. Her achievements define who she is and her worth is commonly determined, internally and externally, by how much she is meeting the goals put in front of her. While a lot of this can sound negative, really they commonly just need to be reminded to breathe (Luz) and given a reality check from time to time (Boscha).

2. Why would Luz be attracted to Amity?

Amity's archtype can very easily end up being a bully for the sort of archtype that Luz is. They can see the lack of achievements, the penchant for what appears to be wasted effort and energy as a waste of time and space and find them loud enough to possibly even consider them a distraction that needs to be removed. This possible contrast is actually part of what makes the pairing so popular in a lot of media honestly. They live on a knife's edge of being worst enemies or...

Giving the ball of energy someone in their corner that lets them stop second guessing themselves. One of the biggest reasons Luz's archtype is attracted to these sorts of people is because of validation. "If the popular girl thinks I'm doing things right, maybe I can tell myself I'm not the only one laughing at my jokes." However, the danger of that same person calling them out is ACTUALLY PART OF THE APPEAL. Someone who they know cares about them enough to have it come from a good place but also will call them out when, I dunno, they fuck up and have snakes accidentally assault people. As a hypothetical.

As a note, I actually think Boscha's archtype leaning more on ruthless bitch actually fulfills this role even better, especially since she allows Amity to be even more in her own head and less emotionally reliable then. Her approval also hits someone like Luz even harder when it comes because it NEVER should, instead of there being a maybe. I could do a whole blog on why Lumischa is great though.

Beyond that though... A lot of it's actually the basic reasons why anyone would find another person attractive. Amity's archtype is commonly highly capable, highly intelligent, passionate in their field, commonly depicted as more beautiful than most people, etc. like that. Her archtype is depicted as the most popular girl in school FOR A REASON.

That's likely why the Luz has to put a lot more work into forming cohesion and sticking to their Amity than the other way around. The traits for why someone would want to get with Amity are obvious. Why they'd want to get with Luz can be a bit less so, especially since many can find class clowns annoying more often than exciting. Not to say the Amitys of media don't need to work for their partners, they still need to show they support and appreciate and care about them, but as far as what attracts the two to each other, it's a lot simpler for a girl like Luz and ripe for angst about them being 'out of their league'. Mind you, if looks is ALL the Amity has then once the two are close, the ball of sunshine has every reason to leave. That’s when the Amity usually needs to show their better nature, show they can care, etc. like that but baseline what brings the two together to have an interest in each other? Attractive people attract people, what can I say?

I do want to acknowledge that some of this could even be said as exactly what I brought up at the top and I want to remind people: Just because two people get together doesn't mean it's inherently healthy. How they treat each other, their priorities, etc. like that is important. Wanting validation and wanting someone you never have to worry about questioning you are two very different things. One is someone you open up to and be honest with, especially if you have a promise in place, the other is one where lies flow as easy as water because you know there will never be repercussions for your actions. One takes into account how their partner may feel while the other plans in ways that, I dunno, may emotionally devastate their partner because their feelings, their validation, matters more.

3. Luz's archtype and difficulty with differentiating a friend and partner So when who you are as a person has you throw your full force into caring about potential strangers, how the hell do you make a partner feel special? How do you make sure they know that in your eyes, they DO matter more than others? Because when you care so deeply about all and any social connection, it can become blurry which ones mean anything to you. *opens mouth to mock Luz* No. We're not talking about Luz's failure to meet her archtype, no matter how little investment she has in... any of her relationships except maybe Eda and King? This is as close as we're getting. Because a bad writer will make sure a character is more important (and this includes in the eyes of the audience, this isn't just an archtype thing) by having the rest not matter as much. This can happen to the Luzs of media really easily actually. The girlfriend, having someone that close, consumes them and trying to prove that they mean something special to them is a very real problem they can develop. In a more benign way, I would say that the best way to depict is to make their partner be the one who can most easily make them slow down. They get serious with their partner faster than anyone else because they know they don't need to use humor as a defense mechanism with them.They can be honest. And that is probably the absolute best way to make a Luz character, especially if you lean on the insecurities, show love rather than friendship. How much do they let the smile drop and take things at the pace their partner needs them to? How much do they prove that they truly can be there for the Amity who needs to know love isn't transactional and that she can be vulnerable herself? Admittedly, one could claim this for any relationship. That openness and honesty are some of the scariest things we can give as human beings and thus why some only save those things for those they love. Almost any truly healthy relationship doesn't have secrets or lies after all. And yet Luz post Amity and her getting together seems incapable of doing much else but lie to her girlfriend, with catastrophic consequences for Amity attached to those lies. *sigh* Can you see why I didn't want to go in deep on why Luz clearly doesn't love Amity?

I'll be talking on my views on Macaque from s1-2 above the cut, and my opinions of him post s3 below the cut for those who don't want spoilers.

Alright, so I was sort of on and off with this fandom from around like Sep/Oct - Dec last year and I did quite a bit of thinking. Things were realized, opinions changed, etc etc. Sorry if this is a bit messy and for all grammar mistakes. Let's get into this:

My present day thoughts on the Six Eared Macaque...

I think it's no surprise to anyone that he's easily one of my favorite characters in the show. It took less than five minutes for my brain to latch onto him. I think he's fun to watch, and an interesting character both in the show and to speculate about in the fandom or aus.

That's about where my positive feelings for him end, because I'd place him as the worst person in the show were it not for LBD herself. Even then, I wouldn't place him that much below her.

His methods are so...personal. He trains Xiaotian for an unspecified amount of time, though it's enough time for to gain his trust to the point where Xiaotian goes on with fighting the smoke monster that he expresses doubts about because he lost horribly to it earlier just because Macaque briefly encourages him.

Then proceeds to betray him, injuring him and taking his powers, then mocking him with his worst insecurities (that Xiaotian likely shared with him in good faith) while he's pinned and helpless for extra lols. Oh, and tries to kill him just to get SWK worked up.

The second time he shows up is to kidnap Xiaotian's friends and force them to fight him, while implying that he's a horrible friend by not sharing his problems and that they're pissed with him for leaving them in the shadows or something. And may I say that is the hardest I've ever seen anyone project onto another person in my life. Like it's impressive. It's almost funny tbh.

When Mac leaves Xiaotian, he says it's cause he thought he'd been tormented enough, but Macaque already knew Xiaotian was beating himself up before he started attacking. He could've stopped before he harmed him (and continued harming his friends) but he didn't. I think he was so freaked out by Xiaotian almost taking out his eye that he made that excuse up on the fly, because it's weak af.

Now, as for redemption...he has no redeeming qualities. At all. 0. Zilch. He's not redeemable and I'd argue he shouldn't be redeemed in the show. I've joked before that I wanted to see him redeemed and also be violent, but real talk, redemption within the show doesn't make much sense.

Every single time he's on screen he's been antagonistic and manipulative, he's shown no desire nor drive to do better. Redemption isn't about other people. He shouldn't need any reconciliation with SWK to do so. It's about realizing that you were in the wrong and striving better yourself, and he has shown no signs of any of that. He's never even shown guilt before.

If the show did want to redeem him, it would probably take like a season with a lot of focus on him, then subsequent episodes showing his growth after all the shit he's pulled. And, for a show as short as this one, that isn't likely to happen. I actually think it works much better in the story's favor to keep him as a villain.

But with Mac, I especially don't appreciate the elevation of his character at the detriment of SWK's.

I've seen some people say we shouldn't really compare them, cause they're both bad in different ways, but I disagree. We can absolutely dictate who is the worse person between Macaque and SWK. They're both flawed, but flawed =/= bad and vice versa.

The main difference between them is simple:

Sun Wukong needs therapy.

Six Eared Macaque needs several restraining orders...and therapy.

But in all seriousness, SWK's actions, although often wrong, come from a place of genuine care and desire to keep those around him safe. His lack of communication is what often leads to hurt, but it's not purposeful harm.

I'd say it can be tracked down to his half a millennia of self-isolation (which I think is indicative of a severe depression), which would lead to both a lack in communication skills and inability to work in a team. Even without that, he's probably used to dealing with problems by himself because that was basically his job throughout all of jttw.

And, for the sake of argument, let's assume that Macaque's version of their history story was 100% true and unbiased.

Leaving your friend for power =/= actively harming and manipulating an innocent for the crime of being close to person who left you and then kidnapping and controlling several more innocents for the crime of being friends with the innocent who knows said person who left you hundreds of years ago.

Now, do I think Macaque's backstory makes him sympathetic? In my honest opinion...no. Not at all. In my eyes he's pathetic, and not in the making me feel pity way, more of the "wow, so this is the reason you're like that, huh?" sort of way. His behavior and insistence on being part of SWK's life one way or another is extremely obsessive.

Having a friend leave you sucks. It hurts like hell, especially when they're your only friend. I would know. But dude, it's been 500 years at least and ~3,200 years at the most. I'm not one to tell you how you should feel when someone wrongs you, but seriously? Do you not have a life? Besides, what currently matters is what's happening now. And now is when he puts Xiaotian in active danger, to the point of nearly killing him, and doesn't have the decency to at least leave his friends out of the mix.

And dipping into jttw (unless they've seriously changed his history with SWK in there) makes him even less sympathetic since his actions lead to the near death of Tang Sanzang, the actual deaths of several monkeys, cannibalism, theft, false accusations against SWK, and general distress and confusion.

Look, I love Macaque as a character in LMK, and I think he's fun to explore in a number of different ways (the backstory and au material is POWERFUL in this one), but I also really just wanna:

Ya know?

Anyway s3 spoilers and opinions start here:

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Macaque is in an unfortunate situation with LBD. He is actively being threatened with death and/or torture to get him to capture Xiaotian and SWK.

...and he's still irredeemable, and doesn't have my sympathy.

I won't blame him for attempting to capture SWK and Xiaotian to save his own skin, I will however blame him for continuing to psychologically torture Xiaotian for literally no reason, as well as causing unnecessary harm to his friends. In fact it's actually detrimental to him to keep mocking and tossing around Xiaotian and his crew, since every time he does it leads to them escaping. But he Still. Keeps. Doing. It. He just enjoys it, and that's how he loses any potential pity I'd have for him otherwise.

The way the show's going in season 3, I'm slightly less certain that Macaque won't get a redemption arc. Because, there's a weird implied focus on him and SWK's past in the s3 finale when Xiaotian rushes to help Xiaojiao.

But there doesn't seem to be much real focus in that scene on every fucked up thing Macaque does in response. Tang even takes the blame for the messed up ritual. Which isn't really his fault since any other action would've ended in Macaque killing Xiaojiao, so it wasn't much of a choice.

And look, I want Macaque and SWK to have an actual conversation as much as the next fan, but I'm realizing I have very different reasons for that than the fandom. I'm not interested in seeing them reconcile, apologize, whatever. I'm just curious to see what the outcome of a real conversation between the two would be, whether a physical or verbal fight, or just more information on that backstory.

Besides, SWK doesn't need to talk to him. There's nothing to say. He's obviously not surprised to see Macaque alive and running around, and his immediate shutdown of Macaque's attempted banter in s1 implies that this isn't the first time they've faced off after the whole death and resurrection thing.

SWK wants to be left alone, and has made it clear that he wants nothing to do with Macaque. He shows no care or concern for him. The sensible thing to do after so long is to move on with life. But Macaque keeps coming of his own volition to try and fuck up SWK's life.

And I still stand the same with SWK himself. Xiaojiao's rant was justified and needed. She's right, he did hurt them several times through his actions (or lack thereof) and he needed to understand that what he was doing was not working. But it's still not comparable to Macaque's intentional harm. Hell, he's the one who caused the ritual to go wrong in the first place. (And SWK sprinting across the clearing to rip Macaque out of his shadow to force him to face his consequences is easily one of my favorite moments in s3).

After all of this, I think the closest thing Macaque could get to a "redemption" in s4 is an enemy-of-my-enemy type alliance. And then leave them alone after all is said and done. Even then, I'd say that wouldn't quite fit him either since he's still obsessing over the whole SWK left me thing for centuries. That doesn't just disappear, alliance or no.

I think he would've been really fun if he'd willingly teamed up with LBD. I don't think it would've been out of character. But I suppose that's what au's are for...

hihi!! this prompt just came to mind, but could i please request headcanons for the brothers with a mc who gets visibly angry and tells them off every time mammon is insulted? mammon deserves so much more than what he gets and i wish there were more in-game options to tell the others off when they're belittling him :(

Brother's Getting Told off by MC for Their Bullying

(i did keep these rather short but if you want a full in depth one let me know id love to!!!)

---

You were at your wit's end, it was as if Mammon wasn't allowed a sentence with more than six words before one comment was passed around the brothers in the optimum rotation of the conch. It was never just the first one, in that case maybe maybe it could slide with nothing more than a firm look but it was always at least four after that initial one.

Lucifer

He gets slightly guilty, you calling him out on saying that Mammon was his favorite yet to belittle his need to express his sin, give into temptation?

Who was he to talk when he went to make an argument about getting in the way of commonplace of his brothers, to give him punishment that hit him in his pride? Your anger, heat to your cheeks at your intensity, tears even pricking at your eyes with such heavy emotion.

You didn't back up but held your ground, venomous as the other but your venom held virtues not to be stopped until he succumbed, until you couldn't bring your voice to that volume anymore, or until Mammon came to calm you down. Tears in his eyes too at how you went to protect him.

Mammon

He thought he'd be safe from your wrath, not imagining even he would get the glare and harsher tone when he had made an off handed comment about himself.

He doesn't do it often but he tries to be more aware of what he says, but not in the guarded way of expressing his greatness.

Though he is the only one to get punishment in having his face cradled with aggressive compliments being directed at him with such a passion.

Leviathan

His phrases were usually loud yet short, just as natural as swimming to him yet it made you mad. Like when the Shadow-Lord-betrayed-Henry-in-the-side-series-short mad.

He can't help himself sometimes, saying that Mammon made it so easy, and it also being another way he hid affection for others, but he would immediately flinch already knowing how you would react.

Nothing makes him feel worse than when your eyebrows changed from how they rested on your face, the way you would turn towards him with the disappointed look, he couldn't take it.

Your rage may be lighter as you get closer, helping the brothers bond and realizing some are said in falseness, soft in a unique way but it is still present, correcting his words to say what he really means no matter the muttered denial.

Satan

It made him think of Lucifer, it made him think of that time you denied to make a pact with him for his petty squabble. Despite him getting better at holding in his anger, there was something that just bubbled when you were experiencing his sin directed at him. Tempting humans should feel good, right?

It will always create this internal battle of wanting to be angry back versus feeling guilty, the way you phrase your anger and spit something vile back like a rally makes him quieter, contemplative.

He may even leave the situation, removing himself before it gets any worse, he's learned well from handling other anger related issues of his own.

Asmodeus

He gets petty about it, even with you explaining that Mammon is actually doing his best that doesn't really process to him. Because you're choosing the side of Mammon over his.

He will however stop, scoffing with a "whatever. I have stuff to do" or something along the lines before excusing himself, his walk fast and stiff like he was going to tear up before he reached his room or the door to leave the house entirely.

Asmo is more likely to apologize to you, instead of Mammon. He made you stress and possibly gain a wrinkle, less caring to apologizing to Mammon about his back handed comment. Though he will give a brief apology when you ask him to ("unfk u or whatever" kinda energy).

Beelzebub

Beel would probably feel the most genuinely guilty, you raising your voice and visibly mad really put into the concept of "oh so this is actually a really bad thing to do"

He had probably just picked it up, mirroring it from his brothers so it was something natural, if he says something after the first time you call him out for it he will probably recognize it immediately offering a sorry behind it.

His apologies are to Mammon, even if that means letting him order from the expensive restaurants vintage wine. Maybe even bringing Mammon extra snacks to make him "feel better"

Belphegor

He would sneer, openly. Grinding his teeth as he gets up to leave, when he wanted something exciting to happen he didn't mean you being mad at him for something like berating Mammon's expensive tastes.

As he gets closer with his brothers though he would be more likely to apologize, there's something genuine in it even if it is only half full but you can tell there's still some there despite the cloud of anger on your judgement.

He learns how to defuse the situation, smart. Not being cheeky and poking more at the bear that was you, caring enough to memorize your reaction but instead of playing that fiddle, he would let you and Mammon know. His speech loud enough that it wasn't a muffled mutter, but instead using the energy to raise his voice to a good volume to give his sorries.

Tannivh and Astarion

28, 29, and 50.

28. Are they affectionate in public? Is it too much?

Tannivh: Not at all. Well, not beyond general "friendly". He sees no need for PDA if they aren't about to get down and dirty, and he tends to prefer to show romantic interest in different ways. This guy's love language is definitely gift giving or just trying to be extra considerate of the person he's interested in. Luckily, that person is Astarion, which means he's got an easy time of that.

So, yeah, he's kinda Mr. Stoic on the PDA front. I can imagine this would be vexing to Astarion if he weren't busy being affectionate himself, but, I could also see Tannivh's stoicism as one thing for Astarion: "Break that stoic exterior? Challenge Accepted."

Now Astarion, on the other hand: In the beginning, Tannivh would be unsure how to deal with Astarion and any form of PDA. As I've said before, while he's the sort of guy that has certainly gotten around and such, anything alluding to sexy stuff or even slightly (and I mean barely slightly) "steamier" affectionate displays tends to make him a little flustered.

Of course, this means Astarion made full use of that discovery and frequently would be on Tannivh in some manner. An arm around him, nuzzling his neck and whispering such naughty little things to make him squirm. Maybe just up and sitting in his lap at camp, or, worse, pulling Tannivh into his. The boldest display I think would be the classic "sweep, grab, and deep kiss" maneuver. It'd all be far too much for Tannivh in the beginning. After a while, though, once they're both settled in their feelings with each other, Nivh would be unbothered and pleasantly stoic once more, wearing that gentle little smile while Astarion drapes himself on him. He'd be used to his favorite overly-chatty vampire spawn at that point, and happy with the affection.

29. How are they affectionate in private?

Tannivh: Private is a different matter entirely. Like night and day different. Tannivh is incredibly affectionate in private. He loves to touch and be touched, as that is his other "love language", so he'd often wish to be close to Astarion, with at least his arm around him, or vice versa. He's also a serial kisser -- it would seem like he's trying to kiss every part of Astarion possible (in both sexy and not-sexy ways).

As things progress later on in their relationship, and they settle into a bit of a Master-Pet dynamic-undertone to it, Tannivh would become prone to wanting to be in Astarion's lap. That would be his favorite spot, curled up with his lover/Master, maybe nuzzling him, enjoying his presence. I wouldn't say cuddling, quite, but close.

Astarion: Honestly? I don't think there'd be too huge of a change. Initially, the motivations I think would be the same, as he'd enjoy getting a rise out of Tannivh (and sometimes getting a rise out of Tannivh, if you follow what I mean, since they're in private -- the wood elf is easy to get going).

I do think later in the relationship, Astarion would be more... hmm... "gently" affectionate. Petting Nivh's head, little kisses here and there on shoulders and neck, small things. He doesn't need to be so showy in private, and he knows Tannivh relishes touch-based displays, so he'd focus on that for his beloved.

50. Is there anything that scares them about their friendship/relationship?

Tannivh: Lots of things.

Initially, when he realizes he actually has feelings for Astarion, he worries that he's falling into a trap, that Astarion is just leading him on, because it was clear as day that's what Astarion was initially doing with all of them. Using them. Nivh fears that the relationship isn't real, and that Astarion will betray them.

Then there's what Astarion is. Nivh has pretty liberal views for a ranger with druidic roots that worships Silvanus, Solonor Thelandira, and Rillifane Rallathil (though, fun fact: Tannivh considers Silvanus and Rillifane to be one and the same). Undead don't bother him, and he sees them as having a right to exist. That said, he's not naive. He knows more often than not vampires and vampire-adjacent tend to have... less than savory motives, and are often driven by their hunger. So, he fears that he'll have to put Astarion down should he become a real and actual danger. (Yes, this is a different fear to betrayal.)

On the other hand, thanks to Tannivh's roots, he also knows that Astarion's being is at odds with his faith and his upbringing, making him acutely aware that if they were/are to be a thing, that it's something he will have to manage every time they come into contact with other druids and elves of similar faith to him. He fears that will have severe backlash in some way, be it he'll have to defend both himself and Astarion from righteous smiting harm, or some other permutation of that. It's a scenario he doesn't want to ever be in, because there are no winners in that scenario.

In that same vein, as an off-shoot, he is deathly afraid of ever coming across his elder brother with Astarion in his company. His older brother, Sythaeryn, is a Twilight Circle druid. Their ENTIRE gig is basically being druids that hunt undead, because undead break the natural order. Tannivh knows if they crossed paths, he'd have to try to find some way to just grab Astarion and run, and hope that his brother wouldn't give chase, because he wouldn't be able to chose between family and lover, and Syth, well, Syth is the kind of guy who wouldn't be able to be easily persuaded out of killing Astarion.

Lastly, a fear that would be more cemented in his mind as the relationship deepened, would be the classic fear of losing Astarion. I feel like, by the time all the events of BG3 are over, Nivh would probably have, in the back of his mind, that feeling of being Astarion's protector, even if the vampire spawn doesn't need him to be. So losing Astarion, be it to death or something else, would be a double whammy. It'd both be a sorrowful loss because he cherishes him, but also a loss because it'd mean he failed him.

Astarion: It's funny because I think Astarion's fears would be more cut and dry.

In the beginning, it's pretty simple: it'd become clear fairly quickly that while Tannivh isn't a monster hunter, he has the exact same skillset, at the end of the day. As they fell bigger and bigger threats, it'd become even clearer that Nivh not only has that skill set, but that he's just dangerous in general. He could competently hunt and kill Astarion, easily, and that wouldn't sit well with the spawn, at least in the beginning. It'd fuel him harder to make sure Tannivh was on his side, was his weapon. That fear would melt away and become a boon once he realizes that there's feels there between them.

After that, I think it'd be similar to Tannivh's own worry of losing Astarion, Astarion would fear losing him. To death, certainly, but more, to Cazador. Such a life would be the opposite of everything Tannivh is -- wild (well, as wild as a fairly quiet guy like him can be) and free, living his life in the sun. Not just that, but everything he feared about Nivh being dangerous would now apply once more, but now as a tool Cazador could use.

Then, aside from those two, one last fear would be the fear of hurting Tannivh. Not so much physically, as Nivh's a big boy and can bounce back from harm fairly easily. Rather, more the emotional or fatal hurt variety. Of course, being what he is, there is always the risk that he might lose control and kill Tannivh. He doubts it could happen, but still. It's a fear.

And them's The Boys.

Hey! Could I request hcs for la squadra finding out that their teammate has been an impostor all along? I.e. their whole existence is made up, every memory from their past they told are fake, etc. And to make it extra interesting, how about they did it to hide in plain sight from Passione? Maybe they're an unlucky standuser who accidentally got too close to the boss so they're hunted, forced to use their camouflage stand to hide. And where better to hide than with the ones who shall kill you?

(Y/n) Is Sus

La Squadra x Reader (GN), Platonic/Romantic, SFW

Formaggio- If one thing's for certain it's that Formaggio would have been the last person to realise that a teammate of his was living under a false identity. He generally takes his teammates for granted and trusts them regardless, so hiding the truth from him is hardly a difficulty. The truth leaves him shocked and betrayed, but he's one of the more forgiving of the group. After all, you may have joined the team to save your own skin, but befriending them was still a choice. That was all genuine. You're still the person they grew to love.

Illuso- Formaggio and Illuso are alike in many matters but this is not one of them. It can take Illuso months to warm up to a new member, and even with the older ones his bond isn't as tight as it is among the rest of the team. He may even bring up the idea of you being an imposter as a joke once or twice. For obvious stand-related reasons, there's a fair chance Illuso will be the one to discover your lies. Whether or not he supports you is entirely dependent on how close you were before. For the average new member, he'd be happy to turn them out any day, but on the odd chance you have become friends, or even lovers, he will defend you.

Prosciutto- There was always something about you. A sense of nerves that didn't quite line up with normal newbie stress. He put it to one side, though keeping a watchful eye on you, and eventually, his suspicions were proved right. But it was far worse than he ever feared. Of everyone in the team, he is the most likely to become physical with you in response to the truth. You've humiliated him, dishonoured him and his team as a whole. He should despise you, he should kill you, but why does he feel this urge to protect you? It isn't right, it goes against all his principles, but he cannot bring himself to turn you in.

Pesci- You know you probably could have told him you were an imposter on day one and he wouldn't have minded. He never asked for this sort of life and he's sure you didn't either. As long as you coming here wasn't anything malicious against them, he doesn't mind. If anything, he admires your bravery in taking such a bold approach to hiding; he would have just ran. But when the others find out who you are, Pesci is terrified. What's going to happen to you now? Everyone says giving you away might prove necessary, but he despises the idea. He is among the first to speak up for you.

Melone- Something just didn't add up about you. As routine with all newcomers he questioned your backstory scrutinously, and while you had answers for all his questions there was something... wrong about the demeanour with which you answered them. He wasn't quite sure what to make of it. When the truth came out he was... unsure of himself. He mostly sat out of the debate about how to respond. He hopes, deeply hopes, that a positive solution for everyone can be found, but he knows things don't always work out like that.

Ghiaccio- He doesn't believe it at first. He is convinced he must have heard things wrong, or this is just some baseless rumour blown out of proportion. But it's not. This is happening. You betrayed them. He doesn't even care so much about the fact you're an enemy of Passione, more just that you lied to them. That's not what squadmates are meant to do. Ghiaccio takes his anger out on you in the fullest, insisting you be 'dealt with' to put an end to this charade. Even though you are ultimately spared, he regrets these words for a long time.

Risotto- He's very angry with himself for not seeing this sooner. Risotto is meant to be impenetrable. You shouldn't have been able to infiltrate his team like this. Regardless, he has a matter to deal with now, and in that matter is a problem. He still sees you as a member of his team. He shouldn't, but he does. And as a member of his team, he still feels as though he needs to protect you. He cannot, no matter what he wants, let you come to harm. Risotto is still angry, and confines you to the basement until a solution is found, but you will not be harmed. He hopes you can tell this.

Sorbet and Gelato- Well, isn't this a bit of bad luck for you, huh? As it happens, Sorbet and Gelato have been spying on the boss' activities for a while, and they know about your little... well, connection, to him. They day they great you by your real name you nearly choke. But don't worry, they aren't going to give you away. After all, they're technically traitors to Passione as well so it would be hypocritical for them to out you. And besides, alerting Risotto to the truth would only reveal their own crimes. They're going to keep quiet. You continue to be nervous around the pair, that is, until the news leaks to the rest of the team. They get up, and categorically persuade the group to spare you. It seems they really are your allies after all.

Hanafuda || Amane Yugi

(Part 1 of 10)

genre: fluff, school, slice of life, modern au (where all wonders live)

summary: amane yugi spends his school days skipping classes until he meets [name] [surname], a student from the other class, who was also skipping classes and eventually the two of them formed a platonic friendship. cutting classes and playing hanafuda together strengthens their friendship but soon unexpected feelings blossom between the two.

“Amane-kun.” [name] was shuffling the hanafuda cards together for them to play, she glanced over to the choppy haired boy who was sitting crossed legged against the rooftop's railings. “You going to the next class?”

“Nah.” Amane answers while fiddling with his locks of hair. “We probably skipped three classes this day, wanna skip classes in fourth period?” he smirked playfully.

“What class do you have in fourth period?” [name] asked, giving Amane some seven hanafuda cards. “Math?”

“Literature.” He received the cards and scooted in front of her. [name] flashed him a quick grin, her competitive side is showing all of a sudden when it comes to hanafuda. Amane stared at his cards and groaned. “Ugh, why do I get the worse cards?”

“I dunno, I wasn't looking when I was shuffling them.” [name] purses her lips together as she analyzes her cards. Her [eye color] colored eyes met with Amane's amber eyes. “Hm. Let's start!”

“You go ahead, [name]-san.”

“Hm~? Alrighty then~” [name] stretched her arms and let out a satisfying sound from her lips. She placed a sakura card with the tag to its match and took another card from the stack and placed it along with the cards on the center since it has no match. “Winner gets to sleep in the loser's lap.” she added.

“[name]-san, you know so damn well I'm not good with these things.” he murmured with a blush while putting a matsu card on the center.

Amane met [name] by chance. He often skip classes alone week by week, no one seemed to notice his absence which was fine by him. One day, he decided to stay on the rooftop and saw a girl sitting by herself with her phone. It must be fate or a coincidence, he thought.

The thing is, he has never seen this girl from the classes he attended to so he assumed that she's from the different class where Tsukasa, his twin brother, is. “Tsukasa-kun?!” she exclaimed at their first encounter. “What the frickety frack are you doing here?!”

Amane scratches his cheek and sweat dropped. He spoke. “I'm not Tsukasa though, I'm his older twin.”

[name] blinked she stood up from the bench and went over to Amane. The choppy haired boy slightly backed away from her. “Your tone is lowered down a bit, your eyes shaped like the crescent moon, yeah you're not Tsukasa-kun.” she muttered.

“I'm Amane Yugi, first year highschool, from class A.” he introduced himself while twiddling his fingers. “I'm Tsukasa's older brother though.” he chuckled.

“[name] [surname], same year as you but I'm from class B. Nice to meet you, Amane-kun.” [name] sat back down to the bench, she patted the extra space next to her. “Come, sit next to me.”

Amane hesitated a bit but shrugged and sat next to [name]. The female grinned, tucking a strand of hair behind her ear. “I guess you're skipping classes like me.”

“I've been skipping multiple times, no one noticed it yet, how about you?” Amane scooted closer till their shoulders touched, his bangs became parted from the side due to the slight wind that passed by.

“I started skipping on the beginning of first year.” [name] pulls out a packet of melon bread and gave it to Amane which he gratefully accepts it. Amane and [name] ate in pure silence, munching on to the bread that [name] bought recently which was originally for herself.

During those days of skipping classes, they would play hanafuda together on the rooftop. [name] would frequently win during their matches, guess luck really isn't compatible with Amane. The two of them quickly became close due to their meet ups when they're skipping classes together.

“Amane-kun, I know you have the full moon bright card.” [name] eyed him suspiciously but a shadow casted over to her face with a funny glint in her eyes. She placed an ume card with a red tag on it. “Red Poetry Tags, I win again~!”

“I couldn't even get a lot of yaku combinations.” Amane helped [name] to clean up the cards. “I knew I should give up the plain cards.”

Amane blushed at the thought of [name] laying down on his lap, he doesn't even know what to do when that happens, maybe he should play with her hair or massage her cheek?

[name] happily laid down on his lap, Amane grabbed his hoodie and placed it on top of her skirt. “Ne, [name]…” his hands reached over to caress her hair with his fingers. “Let's have lunch together.”

“Sure, I don't really have someone to share my lunch with,” Amane looked down on her laying on his lap and gave her a soft smile. He tucked a lock of hair behind her ear and started to pet her head, he reminded her of a cat. [name] would often keep her distance from others makes her cat-like according to him.

Though there's a part of [name] that doesn't want to open up to people, Amane was pretty much the same as her. “I got tired from work, yesterday.” he mentions with a small chuckle.

“Wait, you have a part time job?” [name] asked as her eyes piqued in interest, wanting to know what he does for work. “Where?”

Amane's cheeks grew warm, he slightly drooped his eyes and said. “I'm not telling you.”

“Why though?”

“You'd probably show up if I did.”

[name] turned her head to face his embarrassed look. She smiled playfully while wiping a dramatic tear from her eye. “You know me so well.” she faked a sniff.

“It's embarrassing...” Amane grumbled. [name] reached her hand out and placed it on to his cheek. He leans against her touch, the feeling of warmth and serenity made him smile a bit.

“But it's not. The fact that you're working is admirable.” [name] assured him with a smile unbeknownst to her that Amane's heart definitely skipped a beat on that act. “Pinch~” she cheekily grins while pinching his cheek.

“Owsh—” Amane tried to say while his cheek is being pulled by [name] and by that she releases her cheek. “That hurts...” he pouted.

“Have this for payback.” Amane returned the favor by pinching her cheek. Her cheeks were like mochi, which he likes to point it out just to tease her. “Mochiii~”

[name] deadpans. “You're treating me like some kind of mochi instead of a person.”

“Exactly.” The bell suddenly rang interrupting the two teens. Amane grabbed his bag that was on the bench. [name] punched a hole on the juice box using a straw and took a sip.

Amane leaned back against the railings, unboxing his lunch and ate. [name] didn't feel like eating, a juice box can satisfy her stomach after all. “[name]-san, don't you have lunch?”

“I forgot it at home.” she replied nonchalantly, she kept on having a stoic face until her stomach betrayed her by letting out a small growl. Amane stop eating halfway at the sound. “That’s nothing~” she denied that she was hungry.

“Here, I’ll give you some of my lunch.” Amane picked up a piece of egg roll using his chopsticks and raised it in front of [name]. “Say ahh~”

“O-Oi!” [name] flinched as she backed away from him. Amane’s brow creases in pure confusion. “Y-You don’t have to...”

“I can’t let you skip lunch, [name]-san.” The choppy haired boy smiled while putting the egg roll near her mouth, then his smile turned into a painful one. “Just take a bite, my hand is getting tired.”

[name] sighed in defeat, she was very hungry and was wrong about the juice box making her full. She tucked a hair behind her ear and ate the egg roll that Amane offered for her, his heart skipped a beat whilst she pulled away. “I guess, sharing lunch is not a bad idea...”

“Also, your lunch tastes good.” [name] scooted next to Amane to see his boxed lunch, she pointed at the ghost-shaped sausages, the bunny shaped rice balls and egg rolls. “You made that?”

Amane nodded with a slight blush on his face but the smile on his face didn't falter. “Well yeah, at the first time I made one of these they were all sloppy but practice makes perfect so I'm able to make one. If you'd like, I'll make you one or we can be matching too~!”

“Let's have matching lunches, duh.” [name] opens her mouth and ate another piece of egg roll that Amane was offering her. “But before that, I'll make us some lunch for us to share.”

“[name]-san, here have a sausage.” Amane feeds her the ghost-shaped sausages which the latter hummed contently. Amane took a bite on one of the sausages, he pulled out his phone and swallowed his food. “Hey, [name]-san,”

[name] stopped chewing her food. “Hm?”

“Wanna go home early?” Amane said with a mischievous grin, he's mostly the bad influence when it comes to reckless things like skipping classes. [name] had no idea why he has a lot of plans regarding this. “This is getting boring, don't cha think so?”

“And how do we plan to sneak out from school?” [name] asked, quirking a brow whilst waiting for an answer.

“We can jump off the roof.” Amane suggests.

“No. We'll freaking die if we did or even break our bones.” [name] shuddered. “If we did, they'll think it's just some lovers' su—”

“Nevermind that then.” Amane flailed his hands in front of her. “I guess we should wait till dismissal then...”

“Wanna play again?” [name] asked as she showed him the small box containing the cards.

Amane smiled. “Sure.”

Amane sat alone on a concrete bench, listening to the soft pitter patter of the rain surrounding him. Holding the clear umbrella from his right hand, he sighed as if he's gonna make a monologue or something.

He has friends from his class but none of them made him feel real. The only person who can make him feel like himself was no other than [name].

[name], to Amane, was everything to him. Meeting her was fate as if they were meant to meet in the first place. Back then, Amane admired some girls yet only because they're pretty. None of them were ever even close to him, he only felt shallow for them.

“Sorry for making you wait—” [name]'s voice cuts him off from his inner monologue. She held up her school bag on top of her head to prevent her from the rain. She grins blithely. “You don't have to be sitting the exact same way.”

“My uniform is a bit soaked.” [name] added with a wince. Amane licked the side of his lip and stood up to put the umbrella above her. “It was literally sunny recently.”

“Hm, I'll be taking you home.” Amane hands her the umbrella to [name], went over to his bike and puts his school bag in the basket. “Which way is your house?”

“That's like a novel way to put it but I guess that works.” [name] pointed out. “Sounds like a romance cliche, not gonna lie, lmao.”

Amane stepped on to his bike, [name] held on to his shoulders from behind. He was thankful that she didn't get to see his blushing face, because that's lowkey what every guy felt when there's a girl behind them on a bike.

Amane started pedalling. [name] closes the umbrella and sits down instead. “It stopped raining, by the way.” she declared.

[name] wrapped her arms around his torso and that's how Amane's face erupt in a huge blush. “[name]-san?!” he stammered at the sudden action.

“...Don't say a word about this.”

“I'm sorry, what?”

[name]'s face flushes, she buried her face on his back and that's where his heart started to beat faster. Out of all the girls he admired throughout the years, his feelings for [name] is different.

How so you may ask? When Amane is around [name] it's like he's sitting on a fluffy pink cotton candy or maybe standing on water that reflects a pastel pink sky with soft looking clouds with her. “You know, with you hugging me from behind isn't that kinda...” Amane turned his head towards [name] and smirked playfully. “Bold for you~?”

[name] tightens the hold in irritation. “Ack—” Amane's hold on the handle became wobbly but managed to maintain his balance. [name] elicits a small giggle in return.

“Hm, wanna skip again tomorrow?”

“If its with you, why not?”

“You're so cheesy.” [name] slightly smacked his shoulder. Amane turned ahead, a smile forming from his lips.

‘Nonetheless, I don't really mind skipping with you even if it means being with you...’

“Hold on tight, we're going downhill!” Amane gripped on the handles of his bike. [name]'s eyes widened when she saw that that they were about to go down on a slope.

“Cheers to us delinquents!” [name] cheered before they go down to the road.

Definition and terms:

hanafuda - flower cards that can be played in a variety of games such as koi koi (the type of game that [name] and amane are playing with the cards)

sakura - cherry blossom

matsu - pine tree

ume - plum blossom

-end of part 1-

thank you for reading, make sure to like and reblog if you love this post~

taglist: @closetwaffle @closetweebsmh

HOLY FUCK DID I JUST DROP THIS!

Yeah, I did not mean for that to happen, and I am so sorry.

Just a heads up: not much is changing in this part because I'm not sure it it would affect the story that much.

Red Queen SWAP AU: GLASS SWORD PART 3!

Picking up where we left off, Maven, Mare, and company all make it to Harbor Bay and get the full list of new bloods, names and locations included.

They get out before getting caught, Maven and Mare seeing their wanted posters in the process and Maven actually realizing that his people suck, and we get an extremely gut wrenching death with Wolliver Galt not hanged, but impaled to a tree by metal spikes and cooked EXTRA, EXTRA, crispy, like burnt bacon, extra crispy. (I will let you decide if Tibe or Cal did it.)

No time to elaborate because

Mare is incapacitated with the sounder, Shade has to deal with two Swifts and a concussion, Kilorn and Farley trying to pop everyone with lead(or whatever bullets are made of), and Maven trying to rain hellfire so everyone is safe.

That becomes a bit of a problem because, in her pained haze, Mare sees Cal approaching and is unable to do anything to stop him.

He kneels down, apologizes to her, saying that he never wanted this for her, for either of them, especially not for Maven.

She isn't, but Maven is and he throws a fireball at his brother and puts himself between him and Mare.

RING. THE BELL. SOMEONE. BECAUSE...

Cal and Maven do not hold back, both NOW raining hellfire on each other and drawing EVERYONE'S attention, Maven even causing enough of a spectacle to buy everyone time to escape. Being brothers, they also argue, Cal shouting that Maven has to come home so he can be safe; he can be pardoned as well, if he agrees to hand over Mare and the rebels.

Maven has none of it and snaps that he's not helping anyone, not when they killed a child

Shade and Farley save Mare, who's unconscious, and Cal martial arts throws Maven to the ground before racing to catch them. BIG MISTAKE, because Maven grabs him and makes him trip and fall.

And then Maven makes it worse by stabbing him in the leg. Cal pays him back with a kick to the face and then the stomach, shouting at him for betrayung his family, more specifically Cal, who had his back the most out of everyone.

Maven stands up and draws the knife he snagged, spitting that Cal DID NOT have his back when he arrested him and Mare, and he's a traitor, too, not to the crown, but to Maven because he still sought after Mare when he was betrothed to Evangeline fucking Samos, who is practically the golden ticket of Queenstrial contestants.

Cal snaps and beats Maven bloody, saying he knows he shouldn't have, that he knew he was marrying Evangeline, and still is, that he knew he betrayed the crown when he helped them escape, but that changes because now it's Mare or Maven or Cal, and Cal, being a soldier first, knows one thing: stay alive.

Just as Maven goes unconscious and Cal goes to shoot him, Shade saves him and everyone else, getting a graze from Cal as he fires.

They're gone in the blink of an eye and another mission fails.

Score 2 for the Scarlet Guard to 0 for the Silver Elite.

Ptolemus shouts, asking what that was, both with Shade and Cal, who's slipping up big time.

Well, it's worse, because they got the list to the Newbloods, people like Mare and Shade. Ptolemus turns to the soldiers and shouts for them to search the blood base and find anyone with a mutation like the lightning girl.

While the Silvers sulk, Mare and crew recover from the battle and retrieve more Newbloods, including Ada and Luther. 

The meeting with Luther is slightly different, though, with Maven being more awkward because he isn’t a huge fan of kids and Luther asks if he knows the general. 

He did, and he knows what Luther’s feeling because he felt it too, being scared of what he could do and who could get hurt because of it. He learned how to control it, though, and a lot of it was thanks to his brother, who helped with the training. 

It stings both him and Mare, but he still helps Luther join up. 

We meet Jon, who prophesizes Maven overthrowing Cal and Tibe by saying, “The flames will die and Norta will be reprieved by shadow.” (Yeah, not creepy or scary at all, thanks, Jon.)

We also meet Cameron, who has just escaped Corros prison, and says that she’ll join, but the minute she sees the King, Queen, or whack job son, she’s out.

What does that mean? 

WELLL, after what went down on Harbor Bay, Cal’s been getting worse and worse by the day, and not because he’s going crazy(even though he kind of is). 

Think of it like this: 

You’re an insanely gifted kid, family favorite and top of your class in every grade of school you’ve been in. You’re good in sports, you have all straight A’s, you’re off to Harvard or Yale, due to those grades and a sports scholarship, or wherever is a crazy expensive overrated school, and your life is the bee’s knees.

THAT IS UNTIL YOU’RE AT YOUR SPORTS FINALS AND YOU FUMBLE THE BALL LAST SECOND AND BREAK YOUR LEG. LIKE, BREAK BREAK. LIKE, CAN’T MOVE BECAUSE IT HURTS SO MUCH BREAK.

Allow me to tell you how that now affects you and your life.

Sports, gone. You’ve broken your leg and the team lost because of it due to your being their best player.

Grades and classes, downhill. You can’t exactly attend classes because you have to get some crazy surgery so you leg gets put back together enough for you to stand and walk again.

That ivy league school you were on your way to going to, kiss it goodbye because you’re grades are slipping and you have no more scholarship.

And you have only two people to blame: Yourself and the guy who ran into you and got your leg broken. 

How mad are you right now? How unfair do you think it is that everything you ever wanted is now broken because of someone else? How wrong is it that you’re losing everything while the real person responsible is getting off Scott free? 

Welcome to Cal’s world. 

Speaking of Cal, he’s in something of a war meeting with Tibe, Elara, Ptolemus, Evangeline, Instructor Arven, and Volo Samos as everyone demands each other on what to do now. He’s bitter about what happened in Harbor Bay, he’s angry at the fact everyone got away, and now he’s even angrier because Arven is talking shit, saying Cal might not have been training hard enough and that all killing Wolliver did was waste time and a resource.

There are more words thrown, i.e. if Maven and Mare been kept in complete opposite cells, they’d be dead right now, if Cal wasn’t such a wet noodle, all of their problems would be over, and it should have been Maven who was next for the thrown, not Cal, seeing as how he never wanted it in the first place.

BANG!

Everyone falls silent as Arven falls to the ground, dead. No one says a word as they all turn and see Cal still holding the gun as his hand shakes. No one moves, not even when he lowers the gun and lifts his head.

“Does anyone else have something to say or what?” 

Nope. Nothing to say at all, but Evangeline sneakily hides behind her brother.

With no one objecting, Cal strategizes that Mare and her grew will be back, as a prisoner from Corros escaped: Cameron Cole, and she exhibited no physical affects when she was captive. 

They agree on being ready for a raid and Cal leaves, though Tibe stops him.

Big mistake because he and we the audience see that Cal has been losing sleep. He has dark circles under his eyes, his hair is a mess, his eyes and bloodshot and silver, he’s slightly paler than usual, and he has the same look his father usually has, i.e. ‘Do what I must, regardless of who I hurt or what happens to me.’ 

Cal excuses himself to train and Tibe and Elara exchange a very fearful glance as Elara tells him she can’t see inside of his mind.

A new piece of jewelry Cal is now wearing: a silent stone bracelet, so Elara stays out of his head and so he knows how to fight in case he gets into a tango in one of the cells of Corros.

A bit of a deleted scene that I’m adding here:

Julian is in his cell, having a terrible time, and Cal stops in for a visit, apologizing for letting this happen and not giving him a better head-start.

Julian cuts right to the chase: What happened to him? 

Cal averts his gaze and states he let Mare and Maven go, so now he has to get them back or he’s dead, too.

No. What happened to him? What happened to the boy that invented in the garage because he could? What happened to the boy that loved his brother? What happened to the boy who saw the world needed changing, but still knew who he had to be and came to his uncle for help? What happened to the boy who was hopelessly in love with a Red girl and knew he could never have her, even if it was what is heart wanted?

Cal snaps for Julian to stop, saying he screwed up, he let his emotions get in the way, he caught a pickpocket and made her become a princess, he almost betrayed the only family he has left and now there’s hardly any time to fix it because his brother and Mare are on the run and the Newbloods will figuratively shatter the world as they all know it.

Julian is stopped by those words and asks Cal what he means by ‘only family left,’ asking if the two are not family, as it was usually Julian who raised Cal, not Tibe.

Cal only answers by walking away, saying he should stay away from the bars of his cell unless he wants to either be burned or electrocuted.

Julian watches him go and shouts that this is never what his mother wanted for him.

Cal stops and states that his mother is dead. If she wanted anything different, she’d be alive right now before leaving, his descent into the darkness continuing

Saru & Yata meet when they're still in kindergarten instead of middle school. Yata & his mom are still currently living with Yata's bio father, so he often shows up to school with bruises/sprains. The boys bond over being outcasts/having crappy dads. Yata's mom gets divorced and remarries like in canon. But I like to think growing up together like this makes it so they understand each other's perspectives of the world better than canon Sarumi did, so they are able to avoid big misunderstandings.

I wonder if this would help things or make it worse if Yata also ended up with terrible coping mechanisms. Like imagine they meet as little kids, both of them end up bonding over how awful their dads are. Yata tends to come to school with bruises and he has this strong sense of dislike for people who pick on the weak, wishing he was strong enough to protect himself and his mom from his dad. One day he sees little Fushimi getting bullied and rushes in to help, beating up the other kids and getting in trouble for it. Fushimi ends up caught in the mess too and later the two of them are in the principal's office waiting for their parents to arrive and pick them up (though Fushimi knows his aren't going to show, he's just waiting until the teachers realize it too). Yata's all on edge because he's worried that his dad will come for him, Fushimi's not really interested in his business but he wonders why Yata's so worried when he started the fight. Yata says his dad is the lowest of the low, the worst ever, and there's this long pause before he hears Fushimi say '….mine too.' Yata looks up sharply but Fushimi isn't meeting his eyes, fists clenched slightly as he murmurs 'that guy is the worst.'

After this the two of them start becoming close, like Yata feels as if Fushimi's the only one who really gets him and Fushimi feels like they at least have some common ground (though I imagine Yata also talking about how he wants to protect his mom and all that and Fushimi doesn't say anything but to him it's like a reminder that no, they aren't the same, because someone somewhere loves Yata). When Yata's mom finally divorces and remarries I could see Yata becoming extra protective of Saruhiko though, knowing that sure he's been 'saved,' but it was all due to someone else and if there's one thing Yata wants most of all it's the ability to save Saruhiko too. I think in this AU they might be even closer in middle school, like Yata won't let anyone else say anything about Fushimi and it's like he's totally focused on helping Fushimi because Yata knows what it's like to feel as if you're stuck in a powerless situation.

But then when they join Homra I could see things still going bad, because even with that common ground there are still things they don't get about each other. In particular I think the difference between Yata being physically abused by his dad but still having his mom for support versus Fushimi being emotionally abused by his dad and having no support whatsoever except Yata, like I could see Yata at least developing some coping mechanisms but also still never quite realizing that he and Fushimi could have different ways of seeing the world. Like when they join Homra Yata is still really happy because he feels like they have a bunch of people now who have their back, that here's this whole group who protects the weak and does what Yata always wished he could do. He figures that Fushimi should be happy now too because he's finally been saved as well, by joining Homra they're now both strong enough to fight against their demons. What he doesn't realize is that Fushimi's demons can't be fought just with power and so Yata is still terribly lost when Fushimi betrays him, not getting how this happened when the two of them have always understood each other (and then I think post-betrayal their interactions could be interesting, because Yata's so upset at Fushimi for breaking their partnership but then at the same time he's still got that ingrained need to protect Saruhiko from everything and it's hard for him to really properly fight Fushimi when he just wants to shield Fushimi from the world even now).

Rio & Buster

Rio: *The worst thing was not even being able to cry. Okay, so that wasn't true but it made the pain, that she thought couldn't possibly be any more, deepen, burrowing deep down inside her, not allowed to be felt, growing there, hollowing her out from the inside. She was hollow now. A literal husk. Like one of those creatures that get eggs laid in its brain or whatever, happily and mindlessly growing the imposter babies until they're big enough to eat their way out. But she hadn't even been tricked, it wasn't mindless, injected on the sly, unaware. She had OFFERED to do this. Happily growing her, the baby, Venus, her baby but not, day after day. Acting as if she could do this. How could they have believed her? How could they be all smiles and happy tears and joy, snatching her from her arms, when she was lying there, torn apart by this. How? She wasn't that good an actress. Buster knew. Had known from the start. Couldn't have listened, could she? No, had to prove him wrong, prove she was a good person, sister. Hope it was worth it. Because what have you got to show for it now? His car came to a stop in the driveway. She didn't get out. Couldn't.  Jay wasn't there right now, obviously, but she'd be back soon. How could she look after her, give her her baths, tell her stories, play with her, cook her meals, when her whole body and mind was screaming to look after her own baby. She needed her. Venus needed her. Rio shook her head, tears silently trickling down her face, finally, a numb sort of acceptance.* Buster: *He'd done everything he was meant to do, months of rubbing her back to try and erase tension and fucking sadness she liked to try and pretend wasn't there, exchanged for hours of the same action, but with pain so physical it couldn't be denied. On the one hand he was grateful that it had to hurt (selfish and cunty as that sounded) 'cause it pushed every other sensation aside, giving her an out, as their was no way she could think of anything but getting the baby out. On the other (yet more selfish and cunty) he was angry that from where he stood there was no forgetting that this wasn't the end, more like the worst beginning, and the next part, the after, he had no idea how to prepare for. Yeah, he could hold her hand in the delivery room and feed her ice when she needed it, no worries, but how the hell was he meant to keep hold when they left (empty handed as he'd warned) and feed her lies that neither of them believed in or found comforting? Fucking hell. It was hell, as much as they'd ever been in it. Buster hadn't felt out of depth when they placed either of his daughters in his arms, but now, holding Rio, he had to admit he was lost. Still, he did it, forcing a closeness he knew she wouldn't ask for. Didn't think she deserved. Wrong again, that much he could let be wordlessly spoken for all the 'I told you so' bullshit he never would.* Rio: *She didn't have it in her to push him away. She had no fight left. She didn't lean into it either though, remaining rigid, not allowing herself to get comfort from it. Didn't deserve it. The 'told you so' wouldn't come, of course, talk what he liked, he wasn't that cunt. But she was. And it true. He had. Punishment enough in what had happened, he surely reckoned. If only. She had plenty of ideas of how she could hurt herself forever over this. Keep that to herself too, knowing he'd try and put a stop to that. What a fucking mess she had dragged him into. Understatement. And just another reason to hate herself.* Buster: *Left without a single option for how to bring her back into the world he simply resolved to bring the world to her. Theirs. 'Cause not everything had changed, it couldn't have. There was already enough to deal with, too much really, and that was just from his perspective. Selfish again, but all he had to work with, his pressure to thrive from, since Rio was making it abundantly clear he was locked out of hers. The silence was pressing down making the car feel cramped, small and cheap. Unrecognisable. Still, that was easily remedied, that degree of escape at least, he unbuckled her seatbelt and carried her out, into the house like she weighed nothing. Compared to this, she honestly didn't, the blanket he covered her with once he placed her on the sofa seemed heavier, equipped for a chill that shouldn't exist, and he knew didn't, anywhere else.* Rio: *Waking up, not knowing how she got here, or when she passed out. Not out of the ordinary back in the day but so very, very wrong now. How could she sleep when she didn't know where her baby was? How she was? Why wasn't her body keeping her awake, sheer instinct, if nothing else? The need to protect overriding any exhaustion and agony, mental and physical. Clearly, she wasn't the Mother everyone painted her to be, that she'd allowed herself to think she was, could be.* What time is it? *It had to be late, it was dark. She must've slept all day. What a useless fucking bitch.* Buster: *He'd kept himself busy, forcing himself into being not just present, but extra attentive while Rio couldn't be. Buster told himself that it wasn't selfish (for once) reasoning that drove him, leaving water beside her rather than tea that'd sit untouched until it was cold, he knew, or coffee that'd leave a sour taste in her mouth. But he wasn't no saint, even now, and if he could be honest if only in his own head, it hurt to look at her. Like this. So he arranged for Jay to be collected and kept overnight before she could take a step over the threshold, barely a fucking reprieve, obviously, but he was trying. Had to. Got other shit done he'd been putting off, leaning hard into the legal jargon, until his eyes blurred but nothing else would. Of fucking course. He'd been making dinner, a recipe firmly in mind, he'd swear, when he heard her and dropped the salad tongs without registering that sound. * Late. Rio: *She nodded, shrugging a 'sorry' his way too for good measure, mouth too dry to attempt any more words than she'd managed there. Voice cracked, broken from the effort that was frankly subpar at best, piss poor if they were being honest and there was no room for any more lies. Especially from her. How was he going to believe her on anything ever again? How was she? That was broken too. She was. The idea that they might be was one too far. She started sobbing, again. Broken record. She was already sick of it so god knows he was. Rio tried to do it silently, as if he wasn't also sneaky surreptitious glances at her that hurt her heart, making her feel as fragile as the look betrayed he reckoned she was now. Not wrong, again. Fuck. Another realisation hitting, how had she been allowed to sleep so long, and why was it so quiet? Panic like a lightning bolt jolting her up and over to him, freakishly fast, desperate.* Where's Jay? Buster: *He nodded himself, a gesture towards the full glass, offering her a drink without having to actually say it. How was he meant to tell her to do anything again, after this? He'd said to do it, giving her the go ahead of something he knew was wrong. And for what, so her brother and his boyfriend could be the only ones all smiles? Fuck that. His jaw clenched, which he felt, pre-ache, while he gripped the counter top with a force he didn't yet. Braced. For whatever. Or so he'd reckoned, until the tears came and proved him not remotely ready for it. The instinct to say 'Don't' was swallowed, thank Christ, but managed to stick painfully in his throat anyway. A hard lump. Burning eyes which he blamed tiredness for rubbing as he reproached himself with the sort of harsh words he'd never aim anywhere else. The silence was even more deafening 'cause it wasn't total now, punctuated by sounds from her. Heartbreaking for how quiet they were, despite the pain that they came from being anything but. Buster tried to shake himself out of this shit, springing out of the rut so it'd change shape. Let it be big enough for two, he owed her that, for everything he'd said and hadn't. Where he'd stopped but not properly drawn a line. Been a pussy. Worse than.* At a sleepover. Better social life than any of us these days, like. *It shook him how normal his voice sounded compared to the hours of internal monologue that'd gone on and on as Rio slept. He was about to shrug, feed that lie that this was a typical scene on another day, but his jaw clinked. A reminder that it wasn't. The wake up call he needed.* If you need me to get her back for you, I can do it. *Blue eyes locked on green. He didn't mean Jay and they both knew it.* Rio: *Rio tried to convince herself that the sleepover was a pre-planned thing, like Jay had been buzzing about it for ages but that was a load of shit and it stung like the slap in the face it was. Another failing. She truly didn't need anymore but she just kept letting them pile up and up; going for a world record, like? She was about to protest, say that he should've let her come Home, and she could've gone...somewhere else. God fucking knew she couldn't face her Mother and Father right now, how she would ever alluding her heartbroken brain too but she'd have found somewhere to curl up and die. She was about to argue her case when he said it. Making confident eye contact, his voice not wavering one octave. Like it was easy. Like it was right. Like she should. She shook her head, taking several steps back, wary.* Don't. Don't fucking say that. Buster: *This shit had him up against the ropes, trapped like nothing else, but he was still himself. Had to be. There was no retreating and staying fucking catatonic for him. Ever. He didn't blame her for trying it, like, wouldn't ever, but Buster McKenna would die fighting his corner. And this was it. What mattered. Rio could tell him that there was no going back, but he knew the only way that was true was if he backed down. Again.* Don't say it ain't what you want. Or that it can't be done. If me and Chlo could co-parent for fucking years, they could deal with you having your kid. It's not like they'd never see her, is it? Demi's got rights, same as you. *He paused to take a deep breath. *Junior'll still be a parent, like you are to Jay. And Kira. Rio: Of course it is, I know how fucking obvious it is to see, but it doesn't matter what I want! *She stared at him, disbelief and pure fury that he was here acting like this were a possibility when it wasn't. It was cruel, unbelievably so, couldn't he see that? Head back to shaking like she was a fucking nodding dog, such a yes woman all of a sudden changing her tune.* They didn't sign up for that. I made a promise and I have to keep my end of it. Legally, yeah, there was no contract, just the exchange of money on a promise, so I see where your brain has gone already but do you think I wanna drag my own Brother through the Courts because I can't keep to my fucking word? *She raises her hands to say 'Well? What's your response now?' because how could she?* I don't know how I'm going to live with this hurt but I'm going to have to. I can't be that bitch, can I? How selfish would I have to be to wish this on Junior? Jesus! Buster: *He couldn't remember the last time he was this angry, or allowed to be. But neither of his daughters were in earshot tonight and of all there was to lose, self control was the least of it.* Bullshit. *He spat the word out like it actually tasted bad. *That's all that matters, Rio. Fuck's sake! *It was impossible to stare back at her with everything he could see in hers when their eyes met, but harder still to look away. Fuck. *Erin didn't sign up for me cheating on and knocking her up, but things happen, yeah? Nothing has to be set in stone. Especially when you can't promise me that your plan is any fucking better. *God he needed a drink. Or to hit something. Maybe both.* It wouldn't get that far, you know that. Junior loves you and if he loves that baby at all he isn't gonna behave like Chlo. He ain't that bitch. *Frustration kept building and he finally pinched the bridge of his nose (not bleeding but it might as well be if they traded any more 'punches') hard enough to focus himself for at least a second. A breath. *Oh, fuck off! He was happy to let you play Auntie for the rest of the kid's life, why is it selfish for him to stay at uncle. Rio: *She rolls her eyes. No doubt would make him madder than he already was but they were past the point of doing and saying, (or holding back from), things to keep the other happy in this moment.* To you maybe but not to anyone else. Sorry I'm not all that fun right now, give me a day at least, fucking hell, like. *Certain that would pack the desired K.O. punch, relying on it honestly because she needed him to stop talking because the more he talked the more she wanted to say 'yeah, you're right, let's do this'. If she let herself agree, to say what she wanted to say, to do what she wanted to do, there would be no going back. She had to hold it together, stop it from happening and it was so unfair because she had never been weaker than now and she had to be the strong one, for everyone's sake. As fucking per. No rest for the wicked, yeah? Rio was trying hard not to listen, it was about all she could do, aside from walking away and they both knew she had nowhere the fuck to be or go. Of course, weren't that easy, head snapping back to him from down at her nails, (like she was so bored and nonplussed), when he mentioned Junior.* Because- that. was. the. agreement. Get it through your thick head, please! It's not as if they've actually snatched her, even if that's how it feels. It isn't selfish because I sat there for nine months smiling and acting like it was what I wanted, you can't blame them, no matter how hard you try. This is my fault, Buster. And I have to deal with that. Buster: Fuck you. *There was a tone of voice he finally recognised, all bullshit he'd just tried to call out stripped away, not just fitting the situation but refusing to diffuse it. He poured himself a measure of whiskey and downed it, slamming the empty glass down without offering her anything, or saying anything else at all. Just as well 'cause he was wasting his breath. He heard that loud and clear. Time for her to get a dose of the same truth, he loved her, really fucking much, but he couldn't do this, what she was insisting she was going to. The 9 months that had just gone by was one kind of tightrope, he'd run the length of it for her gladly, would again without question. But what she was asking (no, just telling him, like) here and now? There was no outrunning that, he was fucking struggling to keep pace already and there wasn't going to be a finishing line. Not until it finished them.* Deal with it then. *It was almost a whisper, the quiet murmur in stark contrast to his before. How quiet it seemed once he got himself to move further than the drinks cabinet, despite the fact he was basically blowing his life up, as he knew and wanted it. Then what, turning his back on the pieces? Yeah. He gave her a glare that said both 'don't wait up for me' and 'don't come after me', insisting with every step he took to the front door without looking back.* I ain't nothing but a selfish cunt, yeah? Looks like there's nothing left in common, sorry babe. Rio: *It wasn't like him to walk away. To not give her the chance to say her piece, and to say his back, and on and on until they resolved it, or got sick of arguing, basically. That's why it was so scary. Fucking terrifying. Meant to sit here and watch him walk out on her, yeah? Fuck that. Surprising herself with how able she was to move, able to shout and scream when just moments ago she could only just croak out a sentence. She wasn't fully aware of, or in control, of what she was saying, hence she was able to be so contradictory and not feel any shame in it.* Really? Really? You're fucking leaving me, now?! Fine, go then, fuck off, go on! *And in the same breath-* Buster, please, please don't! Come back, I'm sorry, I love you! Don't go! *Words and the sentiment behind them a rushed, panicked and angry mess, leaving her at the front door, shut in her face, him on the other side, God knows where. And God only knew if he was coming back for her, ever. Pressing her forehead on the cool glass, the slid down, 'til she was on her knees, a fucking sobbing state on the floor. Too late to pray now, girl.*

Tell me more about the Paladin Training AU! What does the rest of the team think about golden boy Shiro, and how does this effect them when they form Voltron for the first time? Tell me more about the first time they decided training and dark history be damned, they're going to do this Voltron thing their way. Tell me about how the team decided THEIR Shiro, (not the Shiro conditioned by training, quiet and submissive before the command, but the Shiro who rebels and protects) is the one they 1/2

2/2 will follow till the end of days. Tell me how these strangers became the team that will save the universe.

(So I originally wrote this from Lance’s POV in tumblr and then lost all of it when my computer suddenly reset.  This version ended up better anyway.  It doesn’t answer a lot of your questions, but they also weren’t strangers in this AU.  They were raised together.  But here’s that story anyway.

Based on this original post)

The short of it was: nothing was the same since Zarkon betrayed them.

The short of it was: Hunk wished things could go back to how they’d been.

Those first few days right after had been terrifying.  The panic, the yelling, the strained atmosphere.  Hunk had wanted to stay in his room for it, but he wasn’t allowed to, and even if he was, Lance would have dragged him out.  For the longest time, they’d had no idea what anyone was talking about.  There were just clipped commands, being told to sit and wait and be good, while horrifying words like ‘rogue’ and ‘attack’ and ‘death toll’ were thrown around, just barely within hearing.

All of them had been put into one room and while they weren’t told not to leave, the implication was strong.  Immediately, Keith turned to Shiro, trying to get him to spill.  In hindsight, Hunk didn’t know why they’d all thought Shiro would know, except that he was older and he was going to be their leader someday, and he always helped with the answers to their nightly school work, so maybe he knew this too.

Shiro hadn’t.

“I’m sorry, I’m sure they’ll tell us soon,” he told them, hands up in placation, and at the time he hadn’t noticed, but when he thought back, Hunk thought Shiro looked just as scared as the rest of them.

That look only got stronger when one of their instructors burst in.  “Shiro,” he called, voice icy, and Shiro stared back, eyes wide.  Shiro always seemed so much older than them, but in that moment he’d been very young looking.  “You are to come with me.”

It wasn’t even an order.  It was a demand.  It was a threat.

“Just me?” Shiro asked, and ducked his head at the immediate glare.  “Yes, sir.”  Iverson’s hand clamped down on his upper arm, rough in a way none of them usually saw, as Paladins to be.

He was dragged away, and Shiro cast another wild look over his shoulder.  “I’ll be back soon,  Stay calm.”

Then he was gone.

(Read more below)

He was gone for hours.

None of them really managed to stay calm for that long.

By the time the door opened again, Keith had already worked himself up into a dark temper, and Lance was about ready to climb the walls.  But Pidge beat both of them to it, when the door opened and Iverson stood there.  “Where’s Shiro?” She demanded, as though if she was determined enough than every adult in the room would be blown out of her way by the force of it.

Iverson gave her a flat look, then stood aside.  Shiro was walked back in, guards on either side and his head down.

They were treating him like they were escorting a prisoner.

“What gives?” Lance demanded, hopping off the table he’d been using as a seat.  “Let go of him.”

The guards did, but probably because they were finished and not because of Lance’s yelling.  After a nod from Iverson, they filed out.  “If you think of anything else, you will tell us immediately,” Iverson said to the back of Shiro’s head.

“Yes, Sir,” Shiro replied, voice rough and cracked.  

With a last glare, Iverson left.

Keith immediately surged forward, hands clamping down on Shiro’s upper arms as he pulled him over to a chair.  “What did they do to you?” Keith demanded, and he was nearly shaking with fury.  “They’re not allowed to hurt you!”

The bitter smile Shiro gave at that made Hunk’s stomach freeze.

Apparently they could, in the right circumstances.

“They didn’t hurt me.  They just asked questions.  A lot of them over and over.”  Shiro sat down, and he cracked a smile when Pidge practically shoved her way into his lap, holding on to hug him.  “They wanted to know if I knew about Zarkon.”

“Knew what?” Hunk asked, eyes widening.  Had something happened to the Black Paladin?  It would certainly explain why Shiro looked so worn out.  He and Zarkon didn’t have a close relationship - most of them didn’t, because the Paladins were all very busy and didn’t always have time to stop by and check in on them.  But Shiro idolized Zarkon, and had for years.  He looked forward to visits with a kind of hero worship they never saw in him otherwise, and he always tried especially hard to make sure their drills were perfect if he knew Zarkon was going to be reviewing their progress.  For their Paladin to be hurt - or worse - would devastate any of them.

But there wasn’t grief in Shiro’s eyes when he looked up.  Only wounded pain. “The Galra pulled out of the Alliance and attacked.  All of the ships.  And Zarkon tried to get away with the Black Lion.”  Shiro shook his head and closed his eyes, as they all tried to process what the hell Shiro was talking about.  “He betrayed us.”

The words were heavy in the air, but Shiro wasn’t done.  

“And they think I knew.”

***

Hunk didn’t know what to believe.

Alright, maybe he believed about Zarkon.  He always had a dark air to him, a set to his expression that had made Hunk nervous.  When he was much younger he brought it up to King Alfor once.  The king had laughed and patted Hunk on the head and told him that Zarkon had that kind of face, but not to worry.  That he was a good leader and Black Paladin.

Hunk wondered what it would have been like if he’d pressed, but the king had been so sure and Hunk didn’t want to contradict him.  The feeling had never really gone away, but bringing it up to Shiro was never in the cards, so it didn’t really matter.

What Hunk knew was that Shiro was in trouble for it.

Over the next few days, they were taken aside one at a time.  None of them were accused of helping, but they were all very thoroughly grilled on things Shiro had said to them.  Did he ever tell them they shouldn’t listen to their instructors?  Did he ever tell them to keep secrets?  Did he ever express sympathies for Zarkon and his politics?  Did he, did he, did he?

Hunk loved Shiro.  They all loved each other, because they were a team, and they were the only young Alteans in the building (unless the princess visited, but even so she was older than even Shiro), and they were trying to live.

But the answer to all of those questions was ‘yes’.  Shiro had.

Shiro had told them not to listen when Jameson said they weren’t good enough.  Shiro had said it was okay to cry, no matter what Harris told them.  Shiro had said not to tell anyone when he stole extra snacks at lunch, and he broke them out during study hours.  Shrio had drawn on Lance’s face when he fell asleep in his textpad, then held a finger to his lips and told Hunk not to tell it was him, and let Lance assume it was Pidge.  Shiro had mooned over Zarkon’s strategies and flying like Lance sometimes mooned over the princess, had talked about trying them himself and walked like he had clouds for feet for days after.  Shiro had been quiet for a week, once, and then quietly admitted Zarkon had told him it wasn’t fair that only Alteans had been picked for the next generation of Paladins, and that Shiro wasn’t sure he was wrong, and then spent the next hour reassuring them all that no one was getting kicked off the team, that he was just saying.

None of those were bad, right?  They were all fun, or nice, or made Hunk feel better, except for the one about how they were all Altean.  That was just uncomfortable, but it was just Shiro caring about what was fair.

But if they were being asked about it, maybe it meant something Hunk didn’t understand.  He trusted their instructors.  It was important, and they knew best, and had all the answers from the textbook.

So maybe it was bad, but Hunk just hadn’t known.

***

“So are you the Black Paladin now?” Lance asked.  He spun his practice blaster in his hand, ignoring Shiro’s bland look for the lack of gun safety.  It didn’t matter - the shots only worked on Lance’s target, as proven every time he jokingly pretended to shoot Keith - but Shiro was serious about making Lance follow the same rules he would on a real gun.

Hunk agreed with that, but mostly because his own gun made him nervous, some days.  It was so big, and he had to be careful about how he moved it or else he could hit someone and hurt them.

The instructors told Hunk that was the point.

He didn’t like hearing that.

“No,” Shiro replied.  “I’m not old enough.”

Pidge frowned at him from where she was sprawled out on the her own practice bayard resting on her chest.  “But you’re training.  What’s the point of all this if they’re not gunna make us the paladins after?”

“I don’t think they thought it’d happen this soon,” Hunk pointed out.  “Or we’re a later.  What happens when you are old enough?  Do you leave and we wait for the rest to...”  To something.  To die, to be too injured, to betray the entire universe.

Every few days there was a new report, another story about what the Galra had been doing and who they were attacking.

Hunk tried not to think about it, but he did anyway.  He knew the others did too.  Everyone was more tired the day after a report, like none of them had slept well.

“I don’t know,” Shiro told them.  “I guess it depends on the new Black Paladin, when they find one.”  He frowned and glanced toward the hangars.  “The Black Lion is grounded for now.”

Keith sat up, more interested now.  “Well, you can practice with the lion then, right?  Rather than the simulations and headbands.  Maybe you could fly it.”

The atmosphere of the room immediately brightened.  “Oh!  Take us with you!  We want to fly too.”  Lance demanded.

“I want to see the inside of the Black Lion.  Does it look like Green?  It’s so much bigger, is there more space?”

But Shiro’s shoulders slumped and he looked away.  “I’m not allowed in that area.  Not even the hangar.  The entire wing.”

They all fell silent.

Right.  For a minute they’d forgotten, but Shiro was still a suspect. They were probably afraid if Shiro was in the lion, he’d fly it to Zarkon.

“Oh,” Keith murmured, contrite.  “Well, maybe they’ll let you soon.  They have to, right?”

Shiro smiled, but it didn’t meet his eyes.  “Maybe.  For now, we need to get back to work.  We’re supposed to have this done within the next couple of Varga.”

Groaning, Pidge threw an arm over her eyes.  “Seriously?  We haven’t had a break all day.  I can’t move for at least a dozen dobashes.”

“Please, Shiro?” Lance added, eyes very big and blue and lower lip jutting out in a pout.  He didn’t look nearly as tired as Pidge, but he probably sensed an opportunity to goof off.

Normally, Shiro would have laughed and given them time, but today he shifted nervously, eyes on the door to the training room.  “We shouldn’t,” he murmured, and Hunk had never seen such naked fear in his eyes, even the first time he’d lead training all by himself.

“Who cares about should?” Keith asked darkly, and he glared at the door, bristling in a way that made his whole body look a little bigger.  Hunk had no idea how he did it, and more than once he wondered if Keith was actually the heir of a member of the royal family that no one wanted to claim.  It would explain why sometimes he seemed to move in weird ways.  “Screw them, they should have let us have a break.  They shouldn’t treat us like that.”

There was something extra to the tone, an accusation that Hunk didn’t know but Shiro did, because he looked away.  “The instructors know best,” Shiro told them, and it sounded practiced, like something he’d said a hundred times before, at least in his head.

“I could use a breather,” Hunk offered, hunching in on himself.  It was hard to believe that Shiro was plotting against Altea when he was so scared.  But maybe.

He felt less sure, now.

Glancing over all of them, and Hunk had no doubt they were a pitiful sight, Shiro nodded.  “Alright.  Just a few moments.  Then we need to get back.”

They never finished that drill, because before the break was finished, Harris stuck his head in and scowled at them all.  “What do you think you’re doing?”

Shiro flinched from the tone, and from the furious glare directed at him.  “A short break.  We were tired.”  His voice didn’t shake, but Hunk could hear the cracks it would have it Shiro let it.

Expression clouding dangerously, Harris stormed in and pulled Shiro aside, voice a furious hiss that didn’t carry well enough to really hear.  But reading lips, Hunk caught words like ‘rebellion’ and ‘removed’ and ‘proving’.

And Hunk didn’t need to be very observant to see the hunch of Shiro’s shoulders, the way his eyes clenched closed and his back straightened like he was one of the guards.  The bright red color on the tips of his ears and the barest tremble to his jaw.

That was what Hunk knew.

Shiro didn’t do it.  He hadn’t known.

But the instructors didn’t see it.

***

As the news poured in, the pressure got worse.

When Zarkon made an attack on the Okari, Shiro was publicly scolded for daydreaming.

When Zarkon destroyed an important trading base, Shiro was grilled on his textbook readings for half a Varga, and then scolded for not working hard enough when the questions tripped him.

When Shiro tried to defend himself, he was sent to extra training alone, and came back unharmed but shaken.

With each day, Shiro pulled back more, went quieter, spoke less.  They stopped asking him for extra breaks or trying to get him to goof off.  It wasn’t worth the fear in his eyes, or the knowledge that if he gave in and they were caught, he’d come back looking like he wanted to cry.

It burned under Hunk’s skin.  It wasn’t fair.  Shiro didn’t do anything except happen to be the Black Paladin in training, but now they were acting like he was a traitor too.  They were all waiting for him to make a mistake and twisting everything to mean he was going to follow Zarkon out.

Once or twice, at night when the injustice of it made Hunk want to shake and cry, he wished Shiro would.  He wanted Shiro to go and it would turn out Zarkon knew something and he was the hero and the people around them were the bad guys, and they’d get their lions and fly away and they’d be among good people.

But that wasn’t how this worked.  This wasn’t some fairy tale where one side had the nice people and the other had the mean ones, and it was easy to tell who was who.  Zarkon had betrayed them and he was hurting people, no matter what had started it.  That didn’t mean their instructors were always nice people for being on the other side.

Hunk wanted to tell King Alfor that.  He wouldn’t, but he wanted to, imagined it so hard he could taste the canned air of the Castle of Lions.  He’d stand up tall and his voice wouldn’t shake at all, and he’d tell the king that this wasn’t right and it didn’t matter if Zarkon was bad: it didn’t make treating Shiro like that okay.  And the king would agree and he’d talk to all the instructors and they’d see how wrong they were, and they’d apologize to Shiro for being mean and to the rest of them for being scary, and they’d be the good guys like they were supposed to be.

It was a fairy tale, and Hunk opened his eyes and remembered that wasn’t his life.

Some of them weren’t content to imagine.

“They won’t talk to me at all!” Pidge raged, stomping in circles around them.  There were tears in her eyes, but Hunk knew better than to say something.  Pidge hated how she teared up when she was angry enough, and pointing it out would just make them fall, and then she’d be even angrier.  “They just tell me I don’t understand!”

“Same thing with me,” Lance said, arms crossed.  “Well, okay, they said it’s important that Shiro’s ready to be a paladin since he’s the oldest, and so he has more pressure.  Which is stupid.  They’re just mad at him.  This has nothing to do with being a good paladin.”

Keith crossed his arms darkly, glaring at the wall.  “He won’t do anything, no matter what I say.  He just says they’re right and he should do better.  He wouldn’t even let me say they’re wrong.”  His gaze hazed with worry.  “He covered his ears like a kid.”

“What else are we supposed to do?” Hunk asked. “Maybe if one of the Paladins comes, we can talk to them?”

Lance huffed.  “Good luck.  They’re so busy fighting Zarkon I don’t think they’ll come around for ages.  Especially since they don’t have a Black Paladin, and they won’t let Shiro help.”

The Black Lion was still sitting in the hangar, gathering dust like a discarded tech pad.  All of the Paladins in training were strictly forbidden from getting close, when the four of them had tried to sneak in to see it without Shiro.

He’d been in trouble for organizing it, and then for letting his team be out of control when they’d stood up for him.

Hunk’s stomach burned with renewed anger.

“So we’re stuck?  We can’t do anything?  What’s the point of all this if we can’t make things right?”  Pidge stamped her foot, teeth gritted.  “Why’d they take us from our families if we’re just going to ignore us and not let us be Paladins?”

There was no answer to that.

All they could do was sit and watch and be helpless.

***

Then the shit hit the fan.

Jameson shook the knife in Keith’s face, near enough to hit him with it.  “You thought you could hide this?”

“I wasn’t hiding anything!”  Keith told him, teeth bared.  It had always been a quirk of Keith’s, but now it had new meaning.

Keith was Galra.

Keith had been Galra and none of them had known the whole time.

Expression twisting, Jameson scoffed.  “And I’m supposed to believe that?  You just snuck this in here and kept it on you the whole time for no reason?”

“It was my mother’s!” Keith let out, voice cracking.  “I never knew her.  I didn’t know.”

A few months ago, Hunk might not have known what to think.  That Keith had hidden something so big was jarring, when they’d all grown up together and Hunk thought they were close.

But after seeing this play out with Shiro, Hunk had no doubt.  Keith hadn’t known if he said he hadn’t.  End of story.

“You cannot be trusted!”  Jameson roared, and their was a near maniac fire in his ears, ears tilted back aggressively.  The words made Keith flinch and his hands shake.  “We cannot know that you’re not a traitor!”

Hunk was about to say something, and Lance was already taking a step forward, but Shiro beat them both to it.

“Don’t talk to him like that.”

For all they listened to Shiro, for all they knew he was their leader, Hunk had never heard Shiro command someone like that.

Maybe it was because he knew he didn’t need to with the rest of them.  They’d whine and complain and sulk and yell, but they’d listen.

Jameson was different.  So Shiro was too.

Picking his head up, Jameson narrowed his eyes at Shiro.  “Excuse me?”

Shiro stepped forward and rested his hand on Keith’s shoulder, pulling him back.  “You don’t get to talk to him like that,” Shiro told him, tone heavy and flat.  His shoulders settled like there was a heavy cloak over them, and his lips pulled back in rage.  “Step away.”

“Who do you think you are?” Jameson snapped, eyes wide with outrage.  “You don’t get to order me.”

Shiro pulled Keith closer, until his back touched Shiro’s chest.  “I’m the Black Paladin,” Shiro told him.  “And he’s the Red Paladin.  And I do, because he’s on my team, and you don’t get to talk to him like that.  He’s mine to protect.  You will not treat him like you have been, or else you’ll answer to me.”

The words were clipped, not yelled, not hurried.  But there was a light to Shiro’s eyes and a strength to his words.

There was a rumble in the distance, like a crash or something huge shifting.  And then there was a roar.

The Black Lion was awake and responding to Shiro.

Jameson looked at Shiro like he’d just declared war on all of Altea.  While he was distracted, Keith reached out, lightning quick, and grabbed his knife back.  When Jameson tried to take it back, Shiro growled, and the lion’s answering noise rumbled around them like thunder.

Apparently deciding he was outclassed, Jameson glared and stepped back.  He tapped his wrist console, snapping for guards.  “You’ll be punished appropriately for this.”

“Okay,” Shiro told him, head still held high.  “I can take that.  But don’t you touch Keith.”

Keith finally turned around, and when he looked up at Shiro, his eyes were shiny with tears.

That was the point Hunk couldn’t just watch anymore.  Moving over, he stepped next to them both, arms crossed and expression dark.  Every moment that had felt like acid hardened in his chest, and Hunk prepared to defend them both if need be.  “Shiro won’t be punished either.”

“He didn’t do anything wrong,” Pidge agreed.  “Except stop you from being awful.”

“Maybe if you weren’t so shitty the Black Lion wouldn’t want to eat you up,” Lance added, lips pulled back in what was supposed to be a smile.  They took up Keith’s other side, just as protective.  “One bite.  Chomp.”

Jameson looked over them all, and then at Shiro.  “You corrupted all of these children?”

But Shiro just smiled back, eyes roaming over the four of them.  “No.  They make their own choices.  I just make sure they’re allowed to.  And if you have a problem with that, you can take it up with my lion.”

There was chaos at that, as the guards arrived and Jameson called for Alfor, for the other Paladins, for this to be solved.

But that didn’t matter right now.  If they tried to break up this team, they’d have a problem on their hands.

They didn’t need to be Paladins.  They only needed to be a team.

...But having the Black Lion on their side helped a lot.