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#so being able to set that boundary of 'no romance or I'll end things so fast you won't even realize I've blocked you' is so freeing

utilitycaster · 7 months

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Unpopular opinion: the tower conversation between Caleb and Essek was a define-the-relationship conversation on a 20+ intelligence level and with the context that defining a relationship does not inherently mean "we have decided whether or not we are dating from this point onward with the only options being a static yes or no," and if more of the fandom read it that way, there would be significantly less equivocating over their relationship and how often Essek is mentioned in regards to existing and potential post-canon content

This is very funny to me bc if you were not off anon I'd be like "man what does Megs say about it, she'd know more!" Anyway, after this one I'll be taking a break bc I do need to do a bit of D&D prep and this is going to be a slightly long one. To that point, it's below the cut.

Anyway, thank you, because I very much enjoy Shadowgast but I don't know if I've made as much of a study of it as others have, or as I have for other ships, but this led me to rewatch/reread the transcript for this speech (2x133, btw, starting around 3:26:00 for those wondering) and: yes.

I think this is definitely the 20+ INT level version; it is entirely about theory, and the arcane, and everything is subtext. But it's not unprecedented. If I were to do the mathematical thing, and I will, and reduce it to a problem I already know, this is akin to Fjord and Jester's conversation in episode 2x72. Compare:

LAURA: Would you do anything to get them back?

TRAVIS: No. No, but, I feel like I knew what I was doing, and I realized I have no idea.

MATT: "You spoke once of intent, lot of fortunes have changed since. What is your goal? Ultimately?"

LIAM: I think my priorities have mostly shifted since we last spoke about things like this. I think what's going on right now is more important than my petty, earthly grievances. Still very much fascinated with and attracted to ability and skill. And it's not fashionable to say, but to power. Who doesn't feel the tug of such a thing? But, uh-- yeah, I said it knowing what your reaction was going to be. I see you outside. (laughs) But it doesn't matter. There are bigger things than you and I.

MATT: "I think that's the key. The pursuit of magic, in the ways that we know it, in the ways that we've been disparately, but in some ways similarly raised and studied. At a certain point, it becomes about the self. It becomes about what I can do. And it's impressive that you've deviated at your skill level. I just hope it holds."

LIAM: That's the key, isn't it? Because if you were to put the very thing that I have wondered about for so many years in front of me, I'm really not sure what my reaction would be.

It is, as you say, a definition of the relationship. It's not "we are now dating;" it's them figuring out if they want similar things; if they will be not just compatible but good for each other. It's foundation laying and setting boundaries for something that won't come to fruition for some time yet, but it's undeniably something more serious than mere friendship.

I think the tower conversation is also uniquely important because it's Caleb's first romantic overture after meeting with Trent. He volunteers the information about his past not just willingly, but specifically in order to connect with Essek rather than to protect him or push him away. They are even able to laugh about it together, and that's really it. This is the point where romance becomes an option.

There's more - I think that Essek admiring Caleb's ability to set aside himself despite his rapid progression as a wizard is absolutely a flirtation, as is Caleb saying he's attracted to "ability and skill" - but really in the end it's them saying "this is my condition, and you have met it." I think the relationships that lack some kind of condition and stakes like this - and to be clear, it's okay if, as with several relationships I don't cover here, those stakes and boundaries are set not through a clear conversation that serves as a turning point but rather more implicitly/through actions - end up feeling fundamentally empty and lacking in possibility because there isn't that tension and that recognition of each other.

#answered #essektheylyss #opinions rating ask meme #cr tag

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lovelytsunoda · 1 year

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boy in love // clement novalak (mini fic)

summary: when marcus asks clem about the current state of his love life, they were all pretty shocked at the frenchman's answer

warnings: mentions of sex/kinks, nothing too explicit. clement is just a boy in love <3

author's note: this is so fucking self indulgent bye-

"so, clem, how's y/n?" james harvey blair is the first to ask, popping another bottle of wine open. they hadn't started filming yet, the boys wanted a chance to catch up before they brought the cameras and the microphones out.

"she's good. great, actually. she had some stuff she needed to get done today, but i'm going to see her tonight. we're going book shopping, and then getting dinner." the trident driver hummed, reaching for his wineglass.

marcus armstrong coughed, choking on his drink. "you, in a bookstore? i don't even think i've ever seen you read an entire ladbible post!"

clement rolled his eyes as the guys around him laughed. "yeah, okay, laugh all you want. she was going to go on her own and meet me for dinner later but i insisted on joining her."

everybody had been shocked when clement met y/n. she was so shy and quiet and sweet, and clement was. . . well . . . clement. they had personalities that shouldn't have worked but somehow managed to meld together perfectly.

clement novalak was a boy in love. further in love, in fact, than marcus had ever seen him.

"yeah, but it's always the quiet ones, innit?" liam lawson raises an eyebrow, spreading himself out on the couch. "she's gotta be into something wild, otherwise she'd never be able to keep up with you."

they should have known that liam was going to make the conversation go there. it seemed to be the only part of having a relationship that liam was good at, as of late, with a different girl in each new city before he finally found one that put up with his shit for more than ten hours at a time.

"come on, mate. at the end of the day, that's not really any of our business, is it?" james tried in vain to shut the conversation down. "as long as clement is happy, we should be happy for him."

"it may shock you wankers to know," clement began, setting his glass on marcus' coffee table. "that i have mellowed out sexually since y/n and i have started going out."

"those are words i thought would never come out of your mouth." marcus says, finally taking a seat next to liam on the couch. "are you sure you're actually clem, not an alien from another planet?"

"very funny, armstrong. i'm serious. she's not really into anything, if i'm being honest. the first time we tried to take things a little rougher, when i tried to put a little bit of pressure on her throat, not much, just enough that we could both tell it was there, you should have seen the panic in her eyes. and i just knew that i never wanted to be the person who made her feel like that again."

"does it not get boring?" liam gawked

clement shook his head. "we have our ways of keeping it fun."

"care to share it with the group?"

clem laughed. "i'm not sure how much she's comfortable sharing, mate. i'm not trying to cross any boundaries here. but i'll precursor it with this: have you ever worn silk boxers before?"

the laughter in the room was so loud that marcus wondered if he might get noise complaints. clement wasn't sure what was so funny, but the sheer look of horror on liam's face was enough to make him burst out into laughter along with everyone else.

"i'm serious, mate. she goes wild for that sort of cliché romance kind of stuff. this feels different than every other girl i've bene with has. it's more than just a physical thing when we fuck. it's like we're making love, it's a spiritual thing. i have never felt so emotionally close to another person before."

"and that's called character development." james remarked, reaching for the wine bottle. "does anyone want another glass?"

"i think i'm going to need one if this conversation keep going." liam jokes

"please tell me that she at least gives a decent blowie."

clement's face flushed pink. "dude, i am not answering that! why are all of your questions about sex, seriously? wouldn't you rather hear about how warm and fuzzy i feel when i wake up with her in my arms, or how my knees go weak when she smiles? or about how my perception of an awesome friday night has changed from getting shitfaced with you lot to curling up with her on the couch, sharing a bowl of pretzel chips and watching criminal minds re-runs? or how content and relaxed i feel listening to her read her books out loud?"

especially when the romance books get smutty, he thinks, but doesn't say it out loud. those are always the page numbers he remembers so that they can try reenacting the scenes together later.

james and marcus shared a knowing look. it was a feeling that they knew well.

the feeling of being utterly and madly in love.

"i think i'm in love with her, man. no, wait. i don't think it."

"i know it."

#clement novalak #clement novalak x reader #formula 2 x reader #formula 2 imagine #f2 x reader #mini fic #sort of

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omgkalyppso · 7 months

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What does their relationships look like? Not even in simply a romantic way but like are they close with family and friends, do they have someone they protect, etc?

Thank you for the ask, I really appreciate it. 🥺💐

Étoile had a very close relationship with their late mother, my skyrim dragonborn imperial werewolf paladin oc, Wylla, and has a very good relationship with their living mother, my stolen skyrim npc oc the priestess of the daedric prince Azura, Aranea Ienith.

I think Étoile and Aranea write to each other every few months, and as a Cleric in this setting Aranea would have access to Sending so she could reach out to Étoile directly if there was ever immediate news on her end. Something in bg3 act 3 implies that there is a paid public service for this, and so Étoile could also do the same from the city.

I don't think Étoile would reach out to Aranea in bg3 act 3 because so much is happening, and goodbyes are hard. They might arrange a letter before going to face the [redacted]. And based on the ending Étoile got for bg3, they would retrieve this letter and have to write something much longer with much more grief and details of their friends to send to her.

There are things that have happened that would put a strain on Étoile's relationship with their mother, but, you know, spoilers.

I think Étoile believes their relationships to a lot of people in Baldur's Gate before the events of the game were superficial, whether or not that was true for the other person. They feel connected to few people, but many who journeyed with them through their recent, rather extreme, hardships.

They had so much in common with Shadowheart entirely by accident, that they feel extreme kinship with her and her family.

They have nothing in common with Lae'zel, and yet with her it was the same. They were awed by her for being from across the stars and granted her a lot of expect and leeway in adjusting to the differences with her new environment.

I thought during early access I might have shipped Étoile and Lae'zel, but playing the game, I felt like she was too young for them and what they each wanted out of a relationship was too different, at least at the outset.

I didn't look up polyam relationships before diving in and so Étoile (and I) were disappointed that Wyll wasn't an option. I'm still deciding kind of how fast or whether Wyll would grow to be more comfortable with receiving and pursuing the romance he idolizes while satisfying himself with at least one other person present. Wyll's approval was the easiest for Étoile to build. They have very similar values and would continue to be good friends regardless of involvement, but the way the game approached the inaccessibility of polyamory between Wyll and Astarion left a lot to be desired and made it feel like "canon" Wyll didn't respect Étoile's boundaries, preferences and other relationships.

Halsin was a surprise! He wasn't what I was expecting from early access. And after the Wyll debacle, I didn't expect Étoile was going to have other relationships outside of Astarion for another few decades post-game (if they survived, woo...). But then Halsin's dialogue was so generous, and that was so romantic. I laughed in surprise when Halsin expressed complete non-interest in a relationship, but I completely love him. He loves, he loves his friends, he fucks, but he needs to know he can leave, he needs to be able to leave; an easy thing for Étoile to accommodate. They can only grow closer.

To keep from going on too long, I'll bring up that Étoile is largely with Astarion because Astarion was the first companion to flirt with them in early access, lmao. I have a post in their tag even where I was like "oh no! do I wait for Wyll or Lae'zel or go for it?" dfghgfdhdf Now I can't picture them apart. If I'm thinking of Étoile, Astarion is just around the corner / I'm wondering what he's up to.

There are a lot of characters / friends / lovers they would die for. I'm unclear how to answer the question about who they would protect.

#long post #oc tag: étoile

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flying-elliska · 2 years

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Book Review : One Last Stop, by Casey McQuiston

4/5 stars

(light spoilers)

Alright so this was delightful from start to finish. The concept, first of all, was great - loner college student with a knack for investigation, August, falls in love with badass butch amnesiac from the 70s who is stuck out of time in the New York subway, Jane ; awesome. I find subways fascinating, full of history and spooky vibes and potential encounters and dreary routine and urban poetry (I guess this feeds into my obsession with underground places lmao) and the story made full use of the setting. Plus something about the smut scene in an empty metro carriage at 3 am over the Manhattan Bridge was like !!! ok unrealistic but blablabla women being scared away from public spaces and queer ppl being assaulted in the metro etc etc. beautiful. healing.

the dialogue is funny, the two main characters are interesting and likeable and their chemistry has a lot of electric zing and realness to it. sweet but not desexualized or trying too hard to be 'wholesome'. something about their dynamic of two characters who have drifted between places and have never been able to really put down roots due to complicated family history, finding an anchor in each other (on a moving train no less!) really worked for me. plus points for making the love interest a beautiful, desirable, butch character (and Chinese American as well) bc i feel there is so not enough of those. plus it's nice to have a bi character that's an awkward virgin instead of a Casanova, that's also stereotype breaking. honestly good bi rep.

i also really liked the found family of quirky roommates. overall it's a pretty classic stories of early-twenties coming of age, becoming an adult, learning to let people in, putting down roots, daring to become yourself fully, letting go of your past, etc - but done very well. liked all the nods to queer history as well, how entangled it is with city life, and i loved all the 'missed connections' notes of how Jane made an impression on people throughout the years.

unpopular opinion but i was never the biggest fan of Red White and Royal Blue, found it fun but too tropey, kinda bland, and honestly overrated. (and the Disneyfication of US politics really grating. also i just read too many presidential AU fics that were like. better.) my fave part of it was the character of Nora, the foul mouthed witty friend, and the author went with that sort of tone here, which i think she does very well, plus overall it feels like a more original and fully realized story. (which, again, is just my opinion, but it's again frustrating how little wlw stories get attention compared to mlm ones, etc.) so she's kind of won me over with this one, i might pick up 'I kissed Shara Wheeler' at some point.

a few quibbles that kept it from being an all time fave : i do still find her writing a bit, hm, immature in places, not as evocative as it could be. things do get tied up almost a little too neatly, and the love interest's radical politics feel a bit more like an aesthetic gimmick but the book has a big subplot about saving a landmark diner from gentrification so i'll give that a pass. Regarding August, i am also kind of annoyed that every single shitty parents storyline ends up with 'but they tried their best and we're more alike than we know and we reconcile because family!:!!!' like it would be nice to have characters' happy ending be them enforcing their boundaries and wanting distance for once. but maybe that's not fluffy romance territory idk. Also, the cover is - if not awful, nice colors - too close to boring Canva corporate style, i hate this trend, this could have been so much cooler honestly !!! but none of those things are a big deal.

anyway !! i enjoyed it a lot and as a light, funny romantic beach read it was perfect. definitely goes on my list of fave sapphic romances.

#one last stop #casey mcquiston #book reviews #lgbt fiction #bi representation #ellie reads books #wlw books

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korgbelmont · 2 years

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Choices Insiders March 2022

Here we are again with another Insiders, let's get to it.

Ramble Alert!!

I don't often restart chapters, but if I do, it's usually because I made a mistake somewhere

Craving something steamy and adventurous? Explore new boundaries in our most recent Wide Release book, Surrender, with new chapters releasing weekly on Fridays for all players!

This is one of the rare exceptions where I haven't started a book as I know how much of a negative representation of BDSM this book has been, and I just can't.

Get down and dirty with our newest country romance, Untameable, releasing now for all VIP players! Note: Due to technical issues, release times for Untameable chapters will vary on Fridays. We will post updates on our social media pages when a chapter goes live. Thank you for your patience as we work to resolve these issues.

So I've seen mixed responses for this, so I'll see what it's like when it becomes public.

Let’s take a behind the scenes look at some characters you will meet in one of our upcoming VIP books, Immortal Desires:

“Lewyn Junius isn’t your typical vampire. He cares about the human population of Crimson Beech, and you’d never catch him leaving a trail of bodies in his wake. Who better to have by your side?”

“Meet Astoria Yao, the no-nonsense principal of Crimson Beech High. She rules those hallowed halls with an iron fist… but will you be able to stay on her good side?”

Lewyn's description reminds me of a character like that, but I can't remember where at the moment. But I'm curious to see how they'll write him and how he became a Vamp and all that.

I love the name Astoria, and I'm curious as to whether or not she is a supernatural being or if she is just a human. Either way, I'm curious to see what type of character she will be and how she fits into it all.

Going by these, it seems like there is the possibility that Immortal Desires might be a multiple Love Interest book. I always enjoy Supernatural books, so it's nice that we're getting another one.

It looks we will have some points at a high school during this going by the fact that Astoria is a principal.

2. Will The Cursed Heart and Immortal Desires be gender of choice? Yes! Both books will feature a main character whose gender can be customized.

I feel like this may be more and more common as we go forward.

This I think will definitely be a dual POV book like Surrender, but I have no idea if it will be a single Love Interest for each lead or multiple, no clue at all, we'll see what advertising we get throughout the month.

Firstly, I absolutely love the fonts for The Cursed Heart and Immortal Desires.

Going by the title, it seems like Murder at Homecoming will be a High School set book, which I must admit is surprising as I didn't expect we'd see another. But it seems like this will be a mystery book as well.

Two public releases in one month! Feels like ages since we've had this sort of thing. We know that Crimes of Passion is releasing on the 6th April and as a guess, Untameable will be nearer the end of the month. I am surprised by how quickly they are putting out the public releases for Untameable and Princess Swap. I know they said that they were working to get them out as quick as possible and maybe I'm still in that mindset of VIP books releasing publicly ages after the VIP premiere, so yeah.

Can't really think of what more I can say about Nanny Affair without more info, so we'll have to wait and see.

Pixelberry Announcement Something BIG is in the works... We're working on a new product! Right now, it's still in its early stages, but we would love to hear your feedback! Sign up here to join the early closed beta waitlist and to get more news on what's next for us.

I'm guessing that this might be a new app of some form going by what I've seen other people talk about. I'm not going to sign up for it myself. But we'll see what happens and what it's all about.

That's it for this month, keep safe everyone!!

#playchoices #choices stories you play #choices insiders #thoughts and theories

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rosierin · 3 years

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Shinsuke de Hyōgo

this was initially supposed to be for valentine's day- whoops—

a cyrano de bergerac inspired one-shot featuring an oblivious kita, chaotic miya twins and a wheezing suna.

paring: kita x fem!reader

genre: honestly crack, but with a romantic ending

word count: 3.9k

It was a pleasant summer day to be sat in the park. Evening had fallen, the air was sweet, complete silence surrounded them; all the ideal factors conducive to a perfect confession. And what better way to do it then while watching the sunset after a classic date at a high end restaurant.

Kita and (y/n) had known each other since middle school and had been friends from pretty much day one.

It was the sort of friendship that had started thanks to proximity; they lived nearby, shared a class, and continued because of their complimentary personalities. Kita had always been the more reserved type, so (y/n)'s outgoing personality had been a refreshing add-on to his life. It wasn't the same type of outgoing as the older Miya twin either; unlike him she knew of things such as discretion and respect of one's personal boundaries. She knew how to make him smile and her presence had always given him a sense of security and peace that only resonated within her. It was only a matter of time until he began developing feelings for her and as soon as their last year of high school came about, that's when he finally built up the courage to ask her out

Tonight however was different. He wanted to take the next step further, for through years of accumulated infatuation, Kita had never been surer about his feelings for (y/n). He knew it was more than just a crush, more than any old, fleeting feeling one could experience such as a romance built over summer. Rather, what Kita felt he knew was real and tonight was the night he would put those feelings into words.

"(Y/n)." Years of yearning to say everything he'd kept hidden, ready to be told at last.

"Hm?" She turned her head, shifting her gaze from the golden sun and focusing on Kita, a smile on her face.

He took a deep breath.

"I love you."

Silence.

For some reason, his words seemed to hang heavy on the warm summer breeze and all of a sudden, the setting no longer felt so comfortable. In fact, Kita began to feel the exact opposite. Did silences after a confession always take this long? And was it just him, a trick of the light or was she... Frowning?

He pursed his lips. That's it, he'd done something wrong. Was it the tone of his voice? Had he came off as too authoritative? Or cold? His aloofness had never seemed to bother her beforehand though... Gosh. He couldn't remember the last time his hands felt this clammy. Not even his first volleyball game had made this anxious. He swallowed down his dry throat. Patience, Kita. Patience. Good things come to those who wait, his grandma always said. Perhaps she had just gotten shy.

"Oh-"

Oh? Was.. Was that all?

A million and one questions rushed through his head at her response, or rather lack of. No mind Kita, just move onto a different subject, he told himself.

He cleared his throat and hastily tried stringing a coherent sentence together in his head, rushing to kill the oppressing silence, and admittedly, it took him a fair amount of willpower not to stumble over his own words.

"I- erm. Would ya like to do this again next week?"

He didn't miss the way she bit her lip at his question, that simple act alone being enough to make his heart sink.

"Oh!" She exclaimed, somewhat regaining a bit more liveliness to her demeanor. But Kita had known her long enough to tell that there was a lack of sincerity behind that smile; it was the kind she pulled when Atsumu had told her a joke but was too polite to tell him it was terrible. "Erm, well, I'll have to let you know about that. You know, with homework and whatnot," she chuckled dryly. "You know how it can be."

"Of course," Kita nodded, politely and as naturally as he could be without looking like he was about to melt through the bars of the wooden bench. "I understand if yer busy."

"Yep! Gotta keep them grades up."

"Mhmm."

"...."

Another silence filled the air, save for the occasional cricket chirping in the distance. It lasted for a good three minutes, until (y/n) suddenly got up and turned towards the still sitting Kita.

"Well, thank you for this evening, Shin. I think I'm gonna head home for now, it's getting a bit late. Wouldn't want my mum to worry, y'know?"

Then, he stood up and wiped his sweaty hands on his slacks. "Yeah, no, it's no problem." He offered a tiny smile as (y/n) leaned in to lightly peck his cheek.

"Goodnight," she smiled.

A nod. Then, she was gone.

"G'night."

Yep. Something had definitely gone wrong.

˚。⋆.˚。⋆.˚。⋆.

The next day, Kita went to tell everything to his team. He had debated for a long time whether or not it was a good idea, but the way the whole exchange had went in addition to the image of (y/n)'s scrunched up features and uneasiness had kept him up at night. He needed to know what the problem was, that or he feared he wouldn't be able to focus at all for the next... Well, that was exactly the problem— he didn't know when or how he would be able to function if he didn't get any answers. And admittedly, he knew the twins would have more experience in the relationship department than he did— not that that was very difficult since (y/n) had been his first love— but whatever the case may be, unfortunately they were his only hope.

"Well? How'd ya date go?" Asked Atsumu as he finished setting the ball to his twin brother.

"About that. I think I messed it up."

A loud bang followed Kita's words in result of Osamu's powerful spike.

"Why, what happened?" He asked. "Ya didn't make her pay the bill for ya, did ya?"

"No, I paid," Kita said, shaking his head. "I said 'I love you.'"

At this, both twins put their practice on hold to glance at each other. Atsumu propped the ball under his arm and raised a questioning brow at his captain.

"Is that it?"

"Well...yeah."

Osamu's expression mimicked his brothers; a mix between confusion and apprehension.

"Well, what didja say beforehand?" He then asked. Kita blinked. This time, it was his turn to feel confused.

"Nothin'. That's all I said."

An awkward silence settled between the three teammates as they shared a round of dumbfounded looks. Even Suna who was busy practicing his serves further down the court had stopped to listen in on the conversation.

"Ya mean ta' say ya confessed to her outta the blue?" Atsumu asked, his lip twitching upward. Now at this point, Kita was truly at a loss. Were the twins implying that he had done it wrong?

"Ain't that what girls wanna hear?"

A splutter echoed somewhere down the court— Suna. He was clutching his sides and laughing openly before shaking his head and serving the ball on the other side of the court and for some reason, Kita felt like his cheeks had grown very warm.

"Well I mean- yeah, but there's a whole process to it! Ya don't just blurt out 'I love ya' 'cause ya feel like it. It's the buildup she's waitin' for," Atsumu explained through a lazy grin.

"But it wasn't just 'cause I felt like it," Kita argued, somewhat perplexed. "I meant it- And we've known each other for years."

"I know, but still. I'm sure she was expectin' somethin' a little more than just three words, ya know? I mean it's as ya said, you've known eachother since middle school! By now she probably expects a full novel from ya!"

"A full novel?" Kita echoed. Well that seemed like overkill.

"Maybe not that much," Osamu stepped in, "but 'Tsumu's right. I think ya left her feelin' a little underwhelmed."

His captain pondered over his words.

Underwhelmed? Really? But what more could she want? His words were precise, sincere, meaningful. Granted they were only three words, but how else could he possibly express his feelings for (y/n) when that's all he could think to say? He knew other words than love: adore, cherish, admire... But wouldn't it have been the same if he'd used one of those words instead? They all meant more or less the same thing.

"So what am I supposed to do?"

At that, the twins exchanged a look, and Kita could've sworn he saw both of them surpress a smirk as they held their silent conversation. However before Kita could question, Atsumu piped up.

"We'll gladly help ya with yer romance problems cap'n. But on one condition," he started. Kita raised his brow expectedly.

"We're off cleanin' duties for three months if ya succeed in wooin' yer lady," Osamu finished, the mischivous glint in his eyes reflecting that of his older twins'. One tended to forget just how cunning Osamu is seeing as it was usually Atsumu who got labelled as the naughtier twin. But it was in times like these where Kita was reminded just how similar those two really were.

"One month," Kita objected.

"Two months," they chorused.

"Six, full weeks."

The twins glanced at each other, mulled over his answer briefly before turning to him and nodding once, twin smiles splitting their faces in a way that practically screamed trouble. "Deal."

Oh well, there was no backing down now. But oddly enough, Kita couldn't help himself from feeling that he had just made a pact with Inarizaki's two, conniving little devils.

˚。⋆.˚。⋆.˚。⋆.

"This doesn't seem like a very foolproof plan, Miyas," Kita droned as he eyed the twins who stood underneath his loved one's balcony.

Atsumu scoffed. "What? Sure it is! You'll see, we've got this whole thing under control!"

"Just leave it ta' us," Osamu smirked.

"Leave it to us." If Kita could think of one sentence he didn't want to hear from the twins, it was that. Perhaps on the court, during practice, then yes, maybe Kita would accept putting his trust in his two teammates. But when stood below (y/n)'s balcony, dressed in a full suit and tie and holding a bouquet of roses, Kita couldn't have felt more out of place.

"Now c'mon, get her attention!" Atsumu urged, voice low as to not be heard while he made obscure hand mouvements in Kita's direction.

The latter stood stiffly and looked left and right, clueless as to what to do. "How?"

"Use a pebble or somethin'!"

This time the captain sighed and reluctantly began his search for said pebble. He knew this idea was stupid and honestly, debated on whether or not he should just go home and call it quits. It was late, already way past evening hours and he couldn't imagine what people would think if they saw him lurking around a girl's house at this time of night, not to mention in the company of two other boys huddled under her balcony. It was freakin' weird.

Luckily, not many people lived around these parts, meaning he needn't worry about the eyes of others on him as he readied himself to launch a small pebble against (y/n)'s closed window.

Clink.

No response.

"What now? Should I wait?" Kita asked as he tried peering into the window. The lights were still on, meaning she hadn't gone to bed yet.

"Nah, try another," Atsumu whispered as he jerked his head in direction of more pebbles.

"Why am I doing this...." Kita murmured to himself as he reluctantly bent down to pick up another.

"'Cause ya love 'er.' Osamu whispered regardless from somewhere in the shadows. Another sigh. Yes, he was right, he did love her, and that fact alone was enough to give Kita a motivation boost in order to go through with this far-fetched, Miya concocted plan.

Two more pebbles were launched at (y/n)'s window shortly after this exchange, and it was on the third one that she finally opened up her window, only for her to wince when it knocked her square on the forehead.

A fit of strangled chortles could be heard beneath the balcony.

"Ouchie- The heck— Shinsuke?"

As she peered down over her balcony, Kita suddenly felt his chest constrict at the sight of her; damp hair and clad in her summer nightwear and it was only then that it occurred to him that she had just gotten out the shower.

A quiet whistle followed by a low chuckle made Kita stiffen— the Miyas. Had they no shame?

"...Shut yer traps."

"What?" (Y/n)'s voice suddenly sounded above his head. She was smiling, thankfully. At least she wasn't upset or angry at him for showing up so late. "I uh- sorry, I can't really hear you from up here. Do you want to just come in?" She asked.

Kita frantically looked at the twins though kept it concealed behind his best vacant expression. They vehemently shook their heads. "It'll ruin the effect," the elder one whispered.

Kita cleared his throat. "Erm, no. No, thank you. Speakin' with ya from here is just fine."

"Accent! Yer accent!" Atsumu called, quietly while his brother made a cross sign with his arms. Kita discreetly nodded.

"It is far too much of a lovely evening to be locked up inside. It would be a shame not to make the most of it, don't you think?"

At this, (y/n) merely blinked, somewhat innocently before a small smile pulled at her lips. It must be working, Kita thought. He looked at the twins for affirmation, and when they flashed him an enthusiastic thumbs up, Kita couldn't have felt prouder. It served as encouragement for him to continue.

"What's all this?" (Y/n) giggled as she nodded towards Kita's attire and flowers, amusement clear on her moonlit features.

"For thou, my dear!" Kita's usually monotone voice carried across the deserted streets— courtesy of Atsumu's indications. He glanced at him once, listened to his next words before nodding and adopting his same, Shakespearean stance: "A grand gesture, though only a mere token of my affection for if you spare me just a second of your time I shall attempt to articulate the sentiments I have been harbouring for you over the past hundreds of moons!"

"Hundreds of moons?" (Y/n) echoed as she peered down at him from her balcony, lips curling, eyebrows raising. "My, that is a long time!" She marvelled as she leaned further over the balcony, arms folded neatly upon its surface. From where Kita stood, she appeared as a curious cat as she eyed him with all the interest in the world, lips upturned into a mischievous smirk. "But please by all means, I would love to hear these articulated, harboured sentiments of yours."

A pang of worry overcame Kita as (y/n) watched him expectedly. Luckily, he had the twins to lean on. He glanced over at the space under the balcony and saw Osamu motioning to him despite Atsumu's protests. He whispered the following:

"Of course. For (y/n), not only do I love you, I adore you. These sentiments I detain for you are eternal. Like a fruit, our love will be endless; transversing all seasons and growing stronger as the years go by.

To me, you are nothing short of perfection. You're radiant through rain and shine, and I can't help but fathom how lucky I would be, to have you by my side for a hundred moons more."

A smile graced Kita's lips as he repeated Osamu's speech and he was pleasantly surprised by its outcome. For you see, Osamu's speech was simple. It was modulated and concise. He didn't beat around the bush, nor did he use his body to speak. All in all, one could call Osamu's speech effortless. And as the words flowed from Kita's lips, (y/n) appeared bewitched by their appeal.

Now as for Atsumu, he spoke from the heart. Through his ardent words, one could call him cheesy, over theatrical or perhaps even someone who was trying a little too hard. Though through Kita's knowing eyes, all he saw was the same passionate and spirited boy he saw on the court— like love incarnate. And the fire lit in (y/n)'s eyes only served as proof of their efficiency.

However, as elaborate and as heartfelt as his words may be, this only made them harder to relay and much to Kita's distress, he found himself looking over at him more times than he'd ought to. Luckily for him, his twin brother was there, whispering back whenever words escaped him, filling in the blanks.

This little tactic of theirs continued for another ten minutes or so, but as much as Kita wished for it to work, a Miya-elaborated plan could only go so far, Kita should've known that.

He was midway through his speech when Osamu suddenly stopped speaking and the whispering under the balcony got louder.

"Stupid 'Samu. I wasn't done speakin'!"

"So what? She's probably gettin' bored of yer lines anyway."

"Yeah? Not yer stupid, food related love metaphors?"

"Rather that than a discount, Shakespearian rip-off."

"Alright. that's it."

Kita paled.

He watched, utterly mortified when Osamu suddenly pounced on his twin and never in his life had Kita experienced such a drastic change of emotions. He tried subtly getting their attention through shuffles of feet and discreet glances, however it was useless. Without the twins' help, it was only a matter of time until his speech began losing coherency, dying out until it was reduced to silence.

He didn't dare look (y/n) in the eye after that.

"Shinsuke? Are you alright?"

"I, er. It seems I have lost my touch," he spoke, ruefully.

"Oh? Don't tell me you regret your heartfelt confession," she teased.

"O' course not!" Kita replied, his voice teetering into a shout. A mix of guilt and embarrassment had made him unable to detect the playful lilt to (y/n)'s voice and thus the unexpected raise of his voice made everyone's head turn, including the twins. He saw (y/n)'s face fall into a look of bemusement, and sighed quietly under his breath as he recollected himself. "No. It's not that..."

Once again, everything became still. The twins had finally stopped their bickering picked themselves off the ground. And, as they caught a glimpse of their friends' dejected, downcast gaze, they looked at each other before casting him an apologetic look. They tried whispering to him some more but this time Kita refused to listen. Instead he released another, longer sigh, then looked back up at the balcony to meet (y/n)'s gaze.

"Listen (y/n), I'm sorry. Everythin' I said before was true, 'cept it doesn't mean anythin' since none of it came from me."

He paused for a moment in case (y/n) wanted to speak and simply regarded her, trying to make sense of her current unreadable expression. She didn't appear angry or sad, but blank as though she was anticipating his next words.

He took this as a sign to pursue his speech.

"I was so darn worried after the other night that I asked the twins for their help. They said ya didn't like my confession so I wanted to do it right. I understand why it was weird to just confess outta the blue but I just didn't know how else to say everythin' that was on my heart."

"I don't wear my heart on my sleeve like Atsumu does, and I'm not much of a smooth talker. My words are usually harsh and cold— I know that because I overheard the Miyas and Suna talk about it instead of practicing."

The twins promptly gulped but he heared (y/n) giggle. It brought a tiny smile to his face.

"But I mean it when I say I love ya. It took me a while to get there, but actually I think I've always loved ya. I'm sorry I couldn't think of a better way to say it."

Kita let out a long breath as he finished his last words and like magic, his chest suddenly felt a lot lighter. He kept his eyes trained on (y/n)'s face, wondering if perhaps what he had said was enough, and when her face melted into an affectionate smile, he swore he'd never seen anything sweeter.

"You're so sweet, Shin. I love you, too!"

I love you, too.

Warmth bloomed in Kita's chest. Finally the four, little words he'd been longing to hear had greeted his ears. They sounded sweeter than anything he could've imagined. But then again, everything was when it stemmed from her, if it was enounced through her voice.

A series of coos erupted from the shadows and that's when Kita was reminded that he and (y/n) had not in fact been alone. Heat rushed to Kita's pale cheeks as (y/n) emitted a small squeak and she peered over her balcony in attempts of spotting the two perpetrators.

"Hold on, are the twins here right now?!"

Kita pinched the bridge of his nose, ashamed as he watched the twins sheepishly creep out from the gloom.

"Hey, (y/n)!" Atsumu beamed as he and his twin waved. "Fancy seeing ya here!"

Osamu sighed and lightly tugged at his collar. "It's her house, dumbass.."

"...Right-"

At this point, Kita was just about ready to tell the twins to go home, but just as he parted his lips to chide them, (y/n) erupted into another fit of giggles.

"Now I see why the speeches were so lame."

Atsumu gasped, affronted, and Osamu pouted. "Lame?! Wh— How dare ya!" The former yelled.

"Yeah. Well actually, at least the part about the fruit was cute," (y/n) hummed.

Another gasp, a low chuckle.

"Told ya she'd like it."

"Shut it, 'Samu! I was gonna say somethin' similar, ya just beat me to it!"

An affectionate roll of the eyes from (y/n) followed the twins' bickering and even in spite of the ridiculousness of the situation, Kita found himself smiling at them despite himself.

"Why don't you come inside?" (Y/n) asked, nodding her head to the front door of her house below. "I'll go make some tea."

Kita nodded with a smile. "Yer the best."

"I know~" (Y/n) blew Kita a playful kiss as she retreated into her bedroom, leaving Kita and the twins at her doorstep.

However, he noticed that traces of bashfulness remained evident on the Twins' features, and they fidgeted as they stood side by side next to the entrance of (y/n)'s door.

"I'm pretty sure she was talkin' about you too."

Immediately, their faces perked up and the usual brightness in their eyes returned in a matter of seconds. Then, together they entered (y/n)'s house, the twins hot on Kita's heels.

"So..." Atsumu began, "Do we still get those six weeks off or—"

"Don't push yer luck, Miya."

Atsumu nodded. Osamu cleared his throat.

"Understandable."

Kita shut the door behind them.