Do you have any just in general romance headcanons for warden Ingo? He’s always been my favorite and seeing him in PLA broke my heart, I just wanna love him even more

I do indeed.

CW: some hurt/comfort, ingo being a sad boy for a few moments, FLUFF!

With the warden, his lack of memory has always made him feel isolated from others in hitsui.

He is always plagued with broken memories that never seem to finish.

The smiling man in white is his biggest enemy.

He feels like he is meant to mock him, to ridicule him for losing him memory and his life before hitsui and the pearl clan.

He can not find any comfort with the others of the pearl clan or anyone within hitsui

that is until he meets you

When Irida told him about the recent addition to the Galaxy team he had assumed that they were more settler coming to hitsui for a better life.

When she told him that you has felled form the sky he was surprised to say the least!

Even that story caused the normally stoic man to raise and eyebrow with such a story.

He wasn't one to doubt the clan leaders words but he was a bit skeptical about that story.

Even with creatures such as Pokemon, a person surviving from falling from the sky only seemed to belong in a myth.

When he arrived at the small village, the young children were speaking excitingly about the new member of the Galaxy team.

They spoke of how strong you are, how you were able to take down any Pokemon that stood in your way!

He was certain that their imaginations were exaggerating upon your actions but it did warm his heart to see them so excited during these uncertain times.

Though his memories were still blurred, he knew in his heart that he cared deeply for children, he believed that they could tell instantly how a person was and he was happy that you seemed to be a strong person in their eyes.

It was only when he lead you though the caves that he had gotten an understanding of how you were.

you listened to ever word he said during your track, even when his voice wavered you did not interrupt him, even for a moment.

once you two were out of the caves, you had blindsided him with a hug!

The warden had no idea how touched starved he was before you hugged him but once you did he found himself leaning towards your embrace.

"I promise I'll help you however I can." You whispered into his ear with enough force within your voice to show your determination on your promise.

After quelling the frenzied lord, you became glued to ingos' side.

while your memories were gone as well, you had more of a decent grasp of the time you were taken from.

You two would spend hours with one another either reminiscing of the lives you had or the one you currently were living.

After sometime, ingo had began expecting your appearance at least once a day.

Of course, he didn't mind in the slightest.

When he is around you, he felt a little less alone in this strange land.

He finally had someone who could relate to feeling like an outsider even with other people.

Once the warden realized why his heart grew faster whenever you were around, he was pretty much sure of it.

He is a little flustered and sorta in denial of his feelings for you.

But he wasn't the type to lie, not even to himself.

Ingo is the type who does thing close and personal so when he confessed to you, he did it somewhere hidden but beautiful so improve the message.

"My dear... it has come to my attention that I had made an unscheduled stop within our friendship... I don't believe i wish for you to be my passenger anymore... I wish to become a two cart train!"

He wants to date you... He wants to date you!

Ingo face was bright red that could match a magikarp scales, his eyes were tighten in embarrassment at his dorky actions, he felt like he was the least charming thing from what he wanted to be.

But its' his dorky charm that nails you!

When you said yes, he stared at you for a moment with a non moving face.

Before tears start to gather in his eyes as he is overwhelmed with joy!

After that, you were became even more glued to ingos' side.

You always make sure to bring him food and remind him to eat and take breaks from training.

Ingo is fucking domestic, he absolutely adores how you care for him.

Everyday he makes sure to remind you of how much he appreciates your care and love for him.

With either a kiss to the cheek or with words that were filled with honey! You can't get enough of this sweet man.

"My darling, you have given this old engine enough fuel to keep on running this track of life, I always wish to be your home station... Please allow me the honor of being yours for the rest of our lives."

He asked as he got down on one knee, he didn't know why he did it but it just felt right to ask for your hand this way. To give you all of him.

(paceplace) / honestly ttcc writing is very messy i agree. i love the game to bits and dissecting it but the flaws in it are as enriching to pick apart as it is frustrating to discover. it really, truly does break my heart that toons aren't as appreciated as the cogs and i wish there were toon characters you could focus on in the same way the mgrs are. the NPCs you meet along the taskline are charming and i adore every single one of them but as much as i personally like them i don't think its enough to capture people's attention in the broad sense.

irt my qualms w/ how ttcc handles its game i think one of the many main issues boils down to the fact that they're disorganized. their issue w/ how lore has been distributed has been addressed twice by the team itself iirc (once in th same tweet where they confirmed fire\\setter as canon and once in their writers backstage post from around a yr ago). their writers backstage post helped give a little more perspective on why the lore was scattered around Like That.

as all over the place as the lore is, i do feel it's important to mention that they said in their backstage writers post they plan on eventually migrating all of their social media comics to the website so things like the rain\\diver comic is very likely to still be canon they just haven't added it in yet. idk why they don't add it around the same time its posted on social media my guess is maybe they're still trying to organize all the lore or redo some of it since its so all over the place (a couple of the comics we have rn on their website that are considered canon has info that was technically retconned) but yeah. i have hope that the way they handle their lore and (hopefully!) their taskline when they get around to rewriting it will improve in the later updates. i try very hard to stay on top w/ clash's lore esp since i have ppl come to me w/ questions regarding clash's story, characters, etc. but sometimes it is Very headache-inducing so i sympathize w/ how confusing/frustrating it is to a casual player. or just any lore-enjoyer tbf. i swear on my life i almost went crazy trying to make a timeline with btl

anyways you don't have to answer this if you don't want (i gen. apologize for the wall of text i really tried to get straight to the point w/ what i'm saying. and even then there's still a lot i wanted to say) but i'm really glad to see discussions on it. oftentimes criticism gets mistaken for hate and it shuts the entire convo which Peeves me. even if w/e's being criticized turns out to fall flat its better to address or talk about it than it is to not, imo.

Yes, exactly! I agree with all the points you've made here.

It's so strange to me that ttcc doesn't really lean into more how the cogs affect the toons, or toon society for all that matter, its a wonder people are so baised with cogs because we really dont get anything about toons. Their less part of the game and more set peices for this war, which sucks!

Theres obviously alot more room to write about toon lore and it would be easier to implement it in game, yet it gets brushed aside to further characterize the cogs and thats sad bc alot of the toons are cute and unique! Ttcc has great toon designs!

I also have to agree with the way the lore is handled, id even go as far to say big updates themsleves are handled in a frankly. Unprofessional manner. I mean, compare the update live streams done in jokey powerpoint slides to ttrs panles where they talk about progress on the updates. We really get little to no inside information until it's already ready to drop. Sure the game updates more regularly but all these updates are starting to feel like filler and padding. I at least can hope that hammerspace and mix and match at least come with some toon lore?

Its a shame that alot of what drew me into this game ends up weighing it down : (

Also yeah lol i didnt main tag this for a reason i do want to keep the discussion open! But all great points!

I recently re-read my first ever Chucky fic (go back on my blog and read it if you haven’t so this will make sense) and I think that I can do better. So this is my official rewrite of that first ever fic, with a similar structure and plot, but with better writing (or at least much improved writing). If you guys like it, I’ll rewrite the two follow up fics in that au and (maybe) write a part four…

————————————————————-

When Nica was seven, she was assigned the task of making a Father’s Day card at school. All of her classmates talked about their dads with such pride and excitement, whilst all Nica could do was bite her lip and look down at the floor. They were meant to draw a family picture with their dads in them, but all Nica managed was a stickman with a question mark over the face.

When she went home that afternoon, she presented the card to her mother, who looked like she was about to cry. But then Barbie came home from school and the matter was forgotten. However, that evening as she was being tucked into bed, Nica looked up at her mother and quietly asked:

“Mommy, what happened to my Daddy?”

Sarah startled at the question, unable to meet her seven-year-old’s gaze. She’d always believed that honesty was the best policy, but how could she tell her young daughter the truth? That she’d been taken in by a stranger in a bar’s charm and allowed him to impregnate her? That her one night of foolishness meant that her husband (Nica’s stepfather, as shameful as it was to admit that) was killed? She couldn’t say that, so instead, she looked at Nica and said (guiltily):

“Your father’s dead, honey.”

It wasn’t a lie.

————————————————————

When Nica was sixteen, she was walking home from high school with some friends when she was stopped by a blonde woman wearing sunglasses. She was used to this (a surprising amount of older people were patronising to people in wheelchairs - especially when they were children) so she launched into her well-rehearsed ‘smile and nod’ routine. But she was thrown off when the woman gushed:

“Oh, you look just like your father!”

Nica was stunned by this. She had no polite comeback prepared, she just sort of awkwardly stammered:

“I… do?”

The woman nodded and replied:

“Yes, I can’t see any traces of your mother at all- which is a good thing, believe me.”

Still confused, Nica politely laughed and tried to make an excuse to leave. Then something important hit her.

“Wait… how did you know my dad?”

There was silence, and then…:

“I’m his wife.”

Nica asked her mother if her father had been married to anyone else when she got home that day. Her response was that sometimes people make difficult choices. And that was the end of it.

————————————————————-

Alice’s doll was looking at her. Nica didn’t know why or how, but he was.

————————————————————-

Hours later, Nica had realised that there was a very specific reason why the doll had been looking at her. He was alive, and now her entire family was gone. Her poor mother, struck down first by a vengeful ex-lover (was that even the correct term? Maybe just captor, yeah, that sounded more accurate). Next it was the nanny. Then it was Barbara, killed by a childhood tormentor. Finally it was her brother in law, who didn’t deserve his fate. Now it was only her and Alice, and poor Alice probably didn’t have long left.

Nica could feel a heart attack coming on (why couldn’t she just die from the killer doll instead of her heart condition?) and then there was a clicking sound. Looking down, she noticed that her heart medication was being injected into her thigh… by Chucky. 

She didn’t really know what to say about that. Why wasn’t he killing her? Was he playing with his food before the final hunt? Or was there another reason? She asked him why he was doing this and he simply gave her an odd smile and responded:

“Not telling.”

Before she could say anything further, the police arrived, and Chucky became inanimate once more. But she could have sworn that he winked at her during the trial.

————————————————————-

The mental hospital wasn’t fun. Neither was life itself, Nica didn’t particularly enjoy living anymore. So when Chucky told her that he would be possessing her, she didn’t resist as much as she would have. Of course a lot of it was to do with the drugs, but she herself didn’t oppose it either. She asked him why he wasn’t killing her just to get it over with, and just like at the house he offered her a strange smile and said ‘Not telling’. Only this time, he softly added:

“You’re a smart girl, you’ll figure it out.”

It sounded almost like praise, but before Nica could ask what he meant by that, voodoo chanting filled her ears, and the world quickly went dark.

————————————————————-

Living with Chucky was quite strange. Tiffany Valentine was one thing, with her weird ‘family bonding’ activities that she insisted upon for whatever reason. Nica had the strangest feeling that she’d met Tiffany before, but she didn’t know where she’d seen her. 

Tiffany was one thing, but Chucky was something else altogether. He was weirdly… respectful, he’d always look away whenever Nica got changed, and Tiffany had told her that he closed his eyes whenever he got changed in her body in order to respect her privacy. He’d use her body to seduce guys, sure, but he never went any further than flirtation (anybody who tried to kiss her/him was given an especially brutal murder). 

The weirdest thing of all was that he seemed to be looking out for her well-being. Every night he’d talk to her and say what he’d eaten that day as if to assure her that he’d eaten the correct number of calories. He urged her to eat, sleep and bathe when she had control of the body and on her birthday she found that her favourite book series had been ordered for her by Chucky and that her favourite movie had been bought on the tv.

He’d even make conversation with her whenever her mind started to spiral. He’d talk about his childhood in the late sixties, and sometimes he’d ask about Nica’s childhood (he seemed especially interested in that subject). Sometimes he’d tease her whenever she thought of something particularly embarrassing (having someone read your thoughts was bizarre) but it was always fairly lighthearted as opposed to cruel like she’d been expecting.

One day, she couldn’t take the niceness any longer and asked him why he was acting this way. He played it off at first as him just being concerned about the well-being of the body he was inhabiting, but Nica pushed further and further until Chucky gave in and said:

“Look through my memories and find the night of your conception.”

Nica was confused, but she did so, mildly unsure as to why Chucky knew when that was. What she found was terrifying. The memories seemed hazy, and reminded her of being drugged at the hospital, or the few times she’d decided to get drunk. The memory seemed like a lot of Chucky’s memories from back then, with him seducing an ill-fated young woman to her death, but there was something different about this memory as opposed to the other ones.

In this memory, Chucky said something that must have been funny, because the woman laughed, and the laugh was so… familiar. Nica concentrated harder and realised that the woman was… her mother. All the pieces suddenly fell into place: the reason why Chucky helped her, why he was so weirdly nice to her, why her mom was cagey about the identity of her father, even why she recognised Tiffany (the ‘I’m his wife’ comment suddenly made a whole lot more sense). But she had to ask one more thing:

“How long have you known?”

“Since I first met you. You look a lot like I did when I was in my original body.”

Nica nodded, unsettled that he’d known that long. But that made her ask another question:

“But why did you hurt me when we first met? If you knew I was your… y’know… why did you cause me pain?”

Chucky seemed quite defensive when he responded:

“Hey, I saved your life when it came down to it, and tensions were high, I’m sorry if I lashed out.”

There was one more question.

“Why did you possess me?”

Chucky (Nica’s father, apparently) responded in a shockingly casual tone:

“I wanted to get closer to you.”

At that point, Nica may have began to lash out herself:

“Instead of talking to me and being like ‘hey, you’re my kid, sorry for the emotional trauma’ you decided to voodoo your way into spending time with me?”

“Would you have agreed otherwise?”

That was a good point.

————————————————————-

Glenda stared down at the person claiming to be their father. They refused to believe this story until they (he?) started to describe the dreams that Glenda and Glen had been having for years as if they were facts, fond memories even. When Glenda was convinced, their father grinned and nodded to himself.

“I’d like to introduce you to someone. She’s taking a nap right now- big day yesterday, took up a lot of energy- but this is your older sister, or her body at least. Her name is Nica.”

Glenda was confused by this, and asked how on Earth that came to be. The response they got was:

“I’ve lived a long and complicated life, kid. You’re the youngest of three, I can understand how that may be a devastating blow, but your sister is an amazing person, she’s smart, talented-‘

“How the hell did Glen and I get red hair if our sister is a brunette? Was she born with red hair and decided to dye it?”

‘No, I had her in my original body, you and your twin were born when I was in a doll. You got the doll version of me’s red hair, although I’d argue that you inherited my human eye colour, and you and Glen definitely got my original nose.”

As Glenda processed this, their father began detailing their plans to escape Tiffany’s house.

————————————————————-

Nica had had it. She couldn’t take Tiffany anymore, and she’d fully snapped. She had no guilt or remorse as she stared at her nemesis down the barrel of a gun. She couldn’t feel the gun due to her new metal limbs, but she was so fuelled by rage and bloodlust that it was as if the cool metal was beneath her fingertips.

Tiffany screamed and begged for mercy, but all Nica did in return was let out a cackle that sounded vaguely familiar to her and fire the gun.

Hidden away in a bush, Chucky watched this happen with a beaming grin, filled to the brim with overwhelming pride. ‘That’s my girl’ he thought.

reply roundup :)

I am so sleepy. also photo of my fancy phone case I was so excited about under the cut.

on [flap] @macro-microcosm​ said: HAPPY KIRBY FLAP HAPPY KIRBY FLAP HAPPY KIRBY FLAP- so glad I'm not the only one who thinks he does this. and I relate, things aren't great but at least there are cute things to be a comfort

he is my little projection orb, therefore he must flail his little nubs around in excitement as I do. (also I hope things have improved for you, I’ve still got another 2 1/2 weeks to wait but hopefully the news will be good -n- )

this is how the phone case turned out btw! it’s by CandyDulceDeco on [etsy] or at candydulcedeco.com, they were very patient with working out all the little details and everything :> (that little post in the top corner is for a little loop to put phone charms on, I repurposed a bracelet with rainbow gummy bears as a little phone strap sometime after taking this photo)

on [meds] @plushslug​ said: I have MCAS too. Sucks hard. Keep fighting the good fight out there and may your symptoms be manageable 🫡

same to you *salute emoji I can’t find rn* (love your icon btw)

on [milk] @graycoin​ said: Ah shit, that sounds rough. You can Get Through It, but I am sorry you gotta. :/

thanks, I appreciate both the vote of confidence and the sympathy -n- (and in your other comment as well. thank you in general to the folks leaving supportive comments even though I don’t post them all, I really do appreciate it.)

I also appreciate everyone who rushed to give baby his choccy milk or demanded he get it, with special mention to @justawanderingfan​ who went so far as to [add] the glass (and the resulting smile) themself :)

on [keyblade] @angeryspeedo​ said: look at him. he is just a little guy...

every time someone tags my kirb as “just a little guy” or “a bean” or something like this I become more powerful :) (I even made a post on my personal blog when I first saw this tag that it means I Win At Art. there are many ways to win at art and I win often. drawing something that makes me laugh, drawing something my wife thinks is pretty, drawing something, drawing something that makes a stranger add a funny tag, etc. these are all Art Victories of equal value. I think this is a good way to think of creative hobbies.)

also on [keyblade] @joekingv1 said: *wonders who was baby's favorite character*

I think of the playable characters in birth by sleep, ventus would be their favorite. (both because kirby probably relates to him most and because his combat is most amenable to just mashing regular attack and dodge the whole time (which is mostly what I did lol)) out of all of kingdom hearts I do think they’d vibe with sora. my dirtboys.

on [crochet] @duerme07​ said: this -feels- crochet in a way that few other images have conveyed

thanks! it’s because I hate making small gauge amigurumi and have bad eyesight so this is exactly what I looked like for approximately 3 hours immediately following this drawing :)

on [blanket] @ceylonsilvergirl​ said: life has its ups and downs, is never just one or the other. stick it out through the difficult times And I will find comfy blanket time again

comfy blanket time can be anytime. even or especially during the hard times. (I hope you’ve got a break coming down the line too.)

on [valentimes] @wishiwould​ said: I sent this to all my family and sent the creator money on ko-fi bc delightful

extremely sweet of you, thank you so much! I always love finding valentines like this to send to my wife so I’m so glad I could make something similar for someone else lol (yes I did send this drawing to my wife and my partner for valentines day :v )

on [vacant] @sagessmoke​ said: he's a static image right, when i scrolled onto him he blinked and i need to know if im okay

yep, he’s a static image. when you’re seeing stuff directly from me, I always tag any moving image with “gif” even if it’s a small amount of animation. (my eyes play tricks on me sometimes too.)

anonymous asked: Do you like META KNIGHTTTT METAKNIGHHHHHYYYTTT

yeah he’s pretty neat! significantly more Shapes required to draw him than a kirborb tho lol

/Transcript app activated/

/Turning on microphone…/

/Starting transcript/

…

Squig: Oooh! This seems like the kind of show Jasprix would be working on…

Iris: Oh yeah, you said the dude was like, big on horror.

S: I looked into it and he was quite literally raised on a horror show.

I: Hah! Sounds familiar!

[Scoff]

S: It wasn’t a horror show, it just was a horrible time. Big difference.

S: Anyways, he should be around here somewhere… he’s short but he also literally has horns and wings so, shouldn’t be that hard to spot…

Jasprix: Wings are gone now actually. Did a little experiment with Security a couple days ago. Worked great for me.

S: Oh there you are! And I see that now, I imagine your wardrobe options have vastly improved.

I: [Quietly] Oh you weren’t kidding about the short part.

J: The horns still cause an issue with wearing things, but they are much easier then the wings. I like the heart bun thing you have going on, looks good with the outfit. And the rude spider android person.

[Sharp gasp]

S: Hah yes, my options with the straps on this mask are either up-do or nothing, so I decided to have a bit of fun with it. I think it adds to the charm.

I: Wha- S-Squig, aren’t you going to defend me!

S: You really need to learn how to have inside thoughts sometimes Iris. Jasprix don’t mind her, also Jasprix, this is Iris, she’s the Head Security back at my facility.

[Tail thumping against a wall as Jasprix laughs]

J: I’m used to certain comments occasionally, though I’ve never had them said right in front of my face. I’ve also never seen a security that wasn’t just… those things over there. Pleasure to meet you Iris, you have a lovely name.

I: [Muttering] I tried to be quiet about it…

J: I have slightly better hearing then most humans.

S: Also Iris your default volume is already really loud, I don’t think i’ve ever heard you speak even close to a whisper before.

I: Alright, message received. Ahem. Nice to meet you too Jasprix, and yes, the Security around here are all quite similar, so I supposed that makes sense.

J: I like them though, they're great as threats, looking like horrifying monsters. Are you a spider android because you’re head security, or is that a normal sort of look for where you work?

I: Hah nah, I used to look boring as hell, but when you work with those 12-foot fucks every day you end up losing a lot. Decided to lean into it after a while, it’s a lot more fun don’t you think?

[Series of mechanical whirrs]

J: Yeah, that’s some cool shit you got going on there. Could jumpscare somebody if you wanted, or be the most unassuming enemy in a movie. No one would suspect it until it’s too late. Have you ever considered trying that out?

I: Hah! Yeah all the time, love doing it to pretty much every new hire we get, though obviously sometimes they can’t really react.

[Chuckling]

S: Alright, enough chit-chat, Jasprix, how’s it going with the bird hunting?

J: It’s going… I hunted him. It’s, this is going to sound mental alright, but you remember that I mentioned the gay chicken thing right?

S: Oh of course I do! Has he given up yet?

J: He hasn’t, he’s very stubborn about it, I guess. Or maybe he actually enjoyed that I did what I said and took him on a date. I’m… not actually sure what he thinks about this game anymore, but he hasn’t backed down, so neither can I

I: Ah, well if you need any tips, Boss Lady here knows a lot about not backing down from gay chicken.

S: I suppose that’s true. So, a date, that’s how you’re using your newfound freedom?

J: I mean, I’m using it for other things as well, like checking out Lostfield and seeing where stuff is in case it seems like something I could bring back here, but the date was one thing I did with it, yes.

S: Of course, of course, I was just teasing. No worries.

I: Where’d the two of you go? Me and Boss Lady ate at that “Denny’s” place last night.

J: I was considering bringing him there when I checked it out, but I can’t eat most things there. Breakfast foods don’t seem to involve a lot of meat. I found this place called Longhorn Steakhouse instead, and it smelled absolutely delightful. The food that it came from also tasted perfect.

S: Maybe we’ll have to stop by there the next time we’re in Lostfield.

I: Wait did you have access to a company card? Or did the two of you do a good ole dine and dash?

J: There are company cards?

S: Yeah, I mean unlike pretty much every other business ever, we don’t really have anyone at the top hoarding money, it just all goes back into production. We have like, mildly excessive amounts of extra. I’ll see what I can do for you.

J: That’d be very kind, especially with what you’ve already done to get me a proper place to swim and let me take visits to town. It would be nice to have money though, because we did have to run very quickly after leaving the restaurant. A difficult thing to do, when handcuffed together and the other person is a bit faster than you.

[Silence, 26 seconds]

[Loud laughter mixed with static]

S: Iris, volume. I suppose [Giggling] that was your solution to making sure your little bird couldn’t fly away?

J: [Grumbled huff] That was loud, but yes. I knew he’d run off if I took him outside, so I needed to keep him near and close with something. My other option was a dog collar and leash, but I felt like that would bring unwanted attention.

[Wheezing mixed with static]

S: In a town like Lostfield at least that certainly would. But you’d be surprised by what people ignore in big cities.

J: I think I’d have an incredibly uncooperative bird on a leash, honestly, and he’d make them pay attention. He’s very… distinct. Hard to miss, easy to notice, all that uh… The cuffs worked the best, is basically it.

S: Oh, I’m sure you’d be able to tame him eventually. But I suppose on a slightly more serious note, I am pleased to hear that you’re keeping him busy enough he’s not trying to stage any more explosions or something else that would cause lots of problems.

J: Yeah, I don't think he’s got any more plans for that. Or if something does go wrong next, it’ll probably not be because of him this time. I think there might be an issue involving the archives, but I don’t know enough about that to get too involved beyond being aware that it's company blog is having a problem.

S: Ah yes, I saw that. But when it comes to Archivists there are a lot more protocols in place to get them back in line, so I wouldn’t be too worried.

J: It is only one of the multiple having the problem I guess, after all. Anyway, do you want a tour around the set, maybe know what this show is about? Maybe itll help make this scene work and get the actor to stop fucking up her murders.

S: I think we have some more spare time before we have to head on back, what do you think Iris?

I: I’ve already checked out everything else I wanted to see in the Mall, why not.

J: Just be careful about the blood everywhere, I’m sure it must be an absolute nightmare having to clean between all that plating.

I: Ugh, you do not know the half of it.

…

/Transcript app deactivated/

/Uploading transcript…/

/Upload successful!/

☕️ HOT BEVERAGE, 🕷️ SPIDER, 🎭 MASKS, 💔 BROKEN HEART

☕️ HOT BEVERAGE - do they prefer hot or cold drinks? what is their favourite drink? It strongly depends on his mood and the situation. When he’s working, especially paperwork, and it takes all day, he prefers hot drinks, black coffee, or black tea (with lemon, sometimes with milk). During his free time, he likes cold drinks a lot as well, especially if they’re magically iced. His favorite alcoholic drink is expensive high-quality wine, red more than white and rosé, rich flavors, dry, often Chelish wine, and Sangwine. He also enjoys harder drinks: gin, rum, whisky, as long as it's the right brand. His favorite non-alcoholic drink is black tea. 🕷️ SPIDER - what is their biggest fear? do they have any irrational / mundane fears? Spiders are his number one regarding irrational / mundane fears. 😂 – Spiders and certain kinds of insects with long or especially prominent legs. But yes, his arachnophobia truly is serious. Of course, Salvadore tries his best to hide it. As surprising as it sounds, Daeran is the one in their relationship who brings the bugs and spiders outside again (or their servants). Regarding his biggest fear: There is nothing that causes Salvadore stronger horror than being the puppet of another being and not the master of his own thoughts and decisions anymore. His willpower is very high in general. This prideful persistence comes in handy because he can’t bear it when someone tries to break into his mind with magic and will fight it with all he got. In general, you could say that his worst fear is losing control: 1. Due to overwhelming emotions or due to an inability to function or perform in the way he expects from himself because of injury, illness, weakness, or magic. It always becomes a literal nightmare for him when his mind or body won’t obey for this reason or that. 2. Due to failure in an outside situation he’s responsible for. The second version comes connected to his other biggest fear: To fail those he’s responsible for, that they suffer or die due to a mistake he made, or because he wasn’t able to predict the outcome, miscalculated or things literally went out of his hands. Another strong fear of his is the thought to die a nobody and without reaching any of his high ambitions, without bringing any improvement for anyone, and just being forgotten. 🎭 MASKS - do they act differently around certain people? what's different between the way they act around friends, family, strangers, etc.? Salvadore appears very conceited and cold, with a smug side and a little joke here and there when the situation allows it, but mostly serious, focused, and occasionally quite imperious (in a quiet and demanding way) to different degrees, depending on the situation and if he just talks to someone or gets a report / gives orders or even holds a speech. During social gatherings or with political peers and allies, he shows his charm, firm in his opinions and goals, but great at phrasing them with diplomatic elegance. If necessary, he lies or gracefully twists the truth just enough to get the results he hopes for. If he gives his word, he always keeps it though. He never pretends to be someone he isn’t and never abstracts his own main goals in a way that would make them something else entirely or utterly unrecognizable. Standing true to what he wants to achieve and much too prideful to hide behind a mask, he only withholds or changes facts out of political and strategical reasons and also doesn’t show the parts of him that are only meant for those he loves. He doesn’t trust easily and doesn’t allow people to see his private self unless they manage to get close to him. Those who succeed in it (or take some time to observe him beyond first impressions), find out that the cold he shows the world is only a part of the whole picture and one that fades in private and reveals what’s underneath: strong passion – for his goals and the people he loves, friends, his partner, children if he has any –, idealism, warmth, tenderness and an intensely romantic side. Some may find it surprising, but with people close to him, he acts quite playful too, flirty, enjoying quit-witted jokes and exchanges and affectionate teasing. 💔 BROKEN HEART - what could their partner do that would absolutely break their heart? Leave him. It would break his heart If his partner would pick someone else, someone “better”, and replace him with this person. It would also break his heart if his partner would tell him or show him that he’s not important to them anymore or that he never has been and just was useful to them for a certain purpose (protection or prestige for example). Salvadore is the forever kind of person and he means this very literally. He doesn’t start a relationship and takes the risk (Eneas’ teachings still sit deep) to become this vulnerable unless his feelings are extremely serious. If Daeran would act in cruel ways beyond his usual level of provoking, sometimes even dangerous pranks and jokes and do something completely against Sal’s principles – like actually harming or killing someone (who isn’t an enemy and an immense threat to them) –, it would break his heart too and cause a crisis in their relationship. But there is nothing, literally nothing, that could happen to make Sal give up on him as long as Daeran still wants and loves him too.

For the writer ask meme; 23, 25, 45, and 46! I'm pretty curious ^^

From the questions for fic writers:

23. What’s a trope, AU, or concept you’ve never written, but would like to?

Hmmmmm....I would like to write a version of "enemies to lovers" for Hitsuhina though I would probably twist it to "misunderstood people to lovers" haha (partly because I don't know if I could ever perceive them as true true enemies).

I also really want to write a slowburn!!! I think it takes a lot of skill and patience to restrain yourself from having two characters immediately get together (at least for me lol).

In one of my first long fics, which was a Bleach take on Cinderella with Toushiro as Cinderella and Momo as Prince Charming, it was a 'strangers to lover' situation. But since I was reinterpreting a fairy tale, I think I purposely moved things quickly? (tho I wrote the chapters too long as I said before lol)

25. What other websites or resources do you use most often when you write?

Ah, can't say that I really use any formal websites haha. But YouTube for listening to music and Google for finding synonyms for words I repeat too often lol

But! When I'm writing a new character I'm not familiar with, I try to read other writer's interpretations of them as well as re-read their moments in Bleach manga/watch clips of them on YouTube.

45. What’s something you’ve improved on since you started writing fic?

I answered this question here, but for a different response, I think I've learned how to detect what really makes a great story.

I am by no means an expert or a writing genius, however as I partake in other forms of media -- like reading other people's stories/ watching movies/ reading manga/ reading novels-- it's become more clear to me what makes a great story. Either having clear goals for characters, deliberate pacing, symbolism, believable language and motives, tight plots; this has all made me revisit older stories I Loved as a child and evaluate if I still enjoy them.

For example, in Card Captor Sakura (if it's not already obvious how much I enjoy this story through my multiple repeats of it or my profile picture haha), I think what was super compelling about the story was that yes it was about magic and magic girl adventures. But! At the heart of things it was about love and all its thematic nuances! Specifically with Syaoran, whose inital motives were in the self-interest were for getting stronger but then he is slowly broken down by Sakura's kindness and finds himself falling for her (in a very steady progression if you watch the anime!)

I think there are even scenes where there is no card captured in favour of Sakura helping her family/loved ones -- which I think strengthened the show over other magic girl ones.

46. Do you prefer writing on your phone or on a computer (or something else)? Do you think where you write affects the way you write?

I primarily write on my laptop. However, I do keep a little document on my phone of short snippets of ideas or prompts I want to explore for later-- partly because I don't have an idea more than a few words or key lines. However, when I scroll through it, I'm always surprised at what I write because sometimes I don't quite remember writing it haha (and also because it's usually such random sentence fragments)

Here's a snippet of the portion of the doc that had some concepts for i just called to say (and a bit of trepidation!)Not all of it makes it in or its in the wrong order so I'm not always married to what I write down here too. also not me cropping out the other parts of the screenshots because i have a feeling i'm going to write those fics eventually

Lately, I've gotten into the habit of writing dialogue on my phone if it suddenly comes to me and I am immediately enamored with the pacing and tone of it (before I forget it or if I don't have the chance to go to my computer).

07.25.2022

tags: jerking off, marking... [whatever, term for "weirdly rubbing penis on you"]

Bird is あ / Avvy is つ

つ：dunno why but my morning mental image following me around the room as i go about my business has been tsukasa laying on his stomach pleasantly while amane lifted up upon his palm and knees over him is jerking off, and biting the loose collar of his kimono above his neck, pulling it up off of tsukasa's back. tsukasa is kicking his legs behind them happily

あ：oh a good day for him. thank you for sharing

you love the discrepancy that will start to occur like. if amane could let himself get this far at all. the fact that he'd be quite fraught still doing anything while tsukasa is like💕

つ：amane is breathing through his nose and looks frustrated, like a cat flicking its tail

あ：yes. it's like. it's always severe up there this guy

つ：you look at it like…. is this improvement? it is.

あ：guy looks mad that he is about to nut. but its an improvement bc he's letting himself nut here yk

wait i swear to god i was having such intrusive thoughts the other day about a similar position. though it was more like, knees on either side of shoulder while tsukasa is laying stomach down and amane is hovering above, jerking off. but sometimes like. rubs cock on your nape. it was kind of insane but. it's like tfw i get here i can't be fucking normal at all about jerking off in any way to tsukasa

you get this far and its like i have issues.

つ：oh whats the issue. he like has to be facing away and hands to himself. oh he's so weird….

あ：don't look at me don't touch me. [comes into your collar]

つ：[nene looking at this] and this is a good day for you?

あ：It's times like these she really has to be like I guess, there was a lot to their relationship, that Hanako-kun was running from I hope i watch this get a little less ???? ???? [no concluding thought]

つ：i hope it. something

あ：Some sort of gut instinct is like this surely isn't the final version of this . right

つ：a crude crayon drawing final mental image which is like tsukasa and hanako kissing and hugging, ? maybe like that ?

あ：🐠💭🫂💏🧑‍🤝‍🧑❔❔.... .. ❔

つ：no, maybe thats unrealistic….? [tries to imagine…. something less extremely different… hanako… looking pleasant/relieved jerking off above tsukasa, who is facing him] [feels weird envisioning this]

hanako-kun would not like this image i have conjured…. i should stop thinking about it………….. maybe I can't… even imagine…..?

あ：take a minute and ask yourself how often you have seen hanako looking relieved during sex in general

つ：oh god

あ：chotto matte.

つ：like ahm, wait wait. its not like that… even with me. now is it no, wait… he has issues with….. his heart, in general…..

あ：i think the closest he looks to being 'relaxed' would be like idk the smug egotistical streak but that's still kinda like [snarls] you've seen hanako relish in things at times. but he is kind of like a. maniac?

quickly trying to convey this pose also in my mind. its like. rubs cock on your spine.

つ：OH ITS ALL SO ENDEARING SOMEHOOOOW the dynamic is so funny fkls;jgkl;fkgj

あ：ITS VERY FUNNY. [final pam voice] god forgive me

つ：i think this is hanako at his funniest!!!!!! tsukasa is so heeheeheehee I LOVE IT!! god hanakoooooooo!!! its like tsukasa neutralizes his charm and also redoubles it

あ：chemically balanced

Does make me wish i saw more art of hanako being . like so awkward. his turbo virgin energy you know

つ：god do i wish. like a weirdo who cant kiss you without looking like hes crying

あ：looking like its really disintegrating him to want to kiss

ok.

[sends this image]

つ：WOOOOOOOOOO YEAHHH!!!!!! hold baby hand comfort him while he is being a bigboy confronting his demons (lust for tsukasa)

あ：it is so hard. for him.

つ：nene being the world's best girlfriend everrrrr

あ：patient good gf. generous

つ：giving to the poor [tsukasa] imagining hanako is skuffing his shoesies together as he does….

あ：a truly skittish boy. shuffa shuff...

つ：ah its my favorite to imagine situations like this lasting a very long time 'cuz of the anxiety halting nut….. just means it can stretch so long

the combination of horribly horny and yet trapped on the edge

あ：yyyeah it's just a common result of the sheer intensity, inability to relax, desire to flee. makes him really have to be handled like a tied up horse whfhghf… i imagine this is even specifically an instance where they have to do a lot of foreplay through clothes just bc amane is that apprehensive. its like when i couldnt handle a bj and needed pantomime… just rubbing and licking and breathing on thru fabric for a while. UNTIL it becomes so unbearable, amane himself has to go for pulling himself out

and then it's like hehe ok. lot of massaging with fingertips..

つ：needs to be given some kind of permission to touch it raw. so you've just got tsukasa breathing on it for a while which is already: I made a mistake i made a mistake taking it out

あ：this wasn't smart I don't know what I thought would happen

Part two of whatever I’m doing with big boss MRE man au stuff

———

“So, have you introduced yourself yet?” Adam pressed the plunger down on the cafetière, the aroma of fresh coffee filling the apartment. His tone was light, curious, but John could see the intrigued glint in his eyes.

“Not yet. I think he’s… busy most of the time. I don’t want to intrude.”

“Mm.”

Neutral, unbothered, all the things Adam was not. He had a vested interest in John’s personal life even after their own unconventional relationship had ended. He’d kept an ear to the ground concerning his old friend, checking that he had been eating enough and actually leaving his apartment for more than just the occasional run or trip to the store for groceries. “I hear he’s got his own business,” he offered nonchalantly.

John raised an eyebrow at him, silently conveying his distaste for Adam’s interference. “And just how do you know that?”

“Oh, you know, the usual channels. Tanya seems to think he has a military background, might give you something to talk about.”

He poured two cups of coffee, adding a drop of milk to his own and two sugars to John’s without a word.

John took the mug and cradled it in his hands. He hummed under his breath and blew the steam away. “Maybe.”

They drank in silence for a minute as Adam searched for something new in the small kitchen, any sign of movement or change. There was a new microwave, some model that he knew claimed to be more energy efficient and had a built in grill. It wasn’t much but at least “Big Boss” was improving the old outdated appliances one by one.

“I heard from Eli,” he offered, “and George.”

John looked up briefly.

“They didn’t ask about you but I know they wanted to. David is due to visit California in a few weeks, something to do with a training exercise for new recruits. I hear he’s doing well.”

Another hum, another sip of coffee. “Good.”

The boys were a slightly sore subject. Sore was an understatement but they were working on it slowly. John had never wanted to be a father, and their conception was… unconventional at best. But it was old news at this point, and updated we’re all John wanted beyond paying for their education out of his veterans pension and the generous payout he got from the government for his services back when he was one of the best soldiers they had.

Adam took an envelope from his jacket pocket and held it out.

“What’s that?” John asked, reaching out to take it. It always made him smile, the trust John had in him; anyone else handing him an unmarked envelope would have been told to unveil its contents first.

“A work offer,” he said, “I know someone who needs a hand escorting a VIP to the airport next month. He is aware of your record, knows we are connected and wanted me to pass on the information. You don’t have to say yes, don’t have to say anything if you don’t want to, but it might be a bit of something familiar enough to be comfortable.”

John rubbed the envelope with his thumb, his eye fixed on it. Sometimes his face was like an open book to Adam, his emotions painted on his features in exquisite clarity, but other times… there was nothing discernible on his face. There was no arch of his brow, no sardonic smile, no frown or wrinkle of his nose. Adam waited. He had waited many times for John to act or decide not to act. He’d wait as long as needed, always would. His loyalty to this man was unwavering even after all these years.

“I’ll think about it. That’s all I can promise for now. Is there contact information in here?” John turned the envelope over before putting it in his back pocket.

Adam nodded. “Contact info, dates and times, payment details; everything you’d need. I’ve done background checks on the contact and the client, so if you decide to go ahead-”

“I’ll know exactly who to come to,” John smiled at him, that wonderful curve of his lips that always made Adam’s heart beat a little faster. They might not be partners anymore but he would never be immune to John’s charms.

They talked for a little while longer, old friends catching up on one another’s lives. Adam asked about the videos, gave his opinion on the latest, and suggested John looked into creating his own display of packaging and inedible items he had found. John latched on to the idea, body moving quickly to a space in the living room that could fit a shelving unit and describing how it might look. The coffee was long gone by the time they had decided how many shelves and compartments could fit in the space and Adam had already set a time aside in his mind to take John shopping for wood and tools.

“It’s getting late,” he said at last, looking at the clock with a pang of sadness. “I should get going.”

“Work?”

He shrugged, tapped the side of his nose and smiled. “Can’t tell you, confidential business.”

John laughed, a low and comforting sound he heard less and less these days. “Fine, keep your secrets. You’ll just tell me next time.”

“Maybe, but I have to have a little mystery to me. You know far too much already!”

They smiled at each other fondly. He still loved John, wholehearted and unreservedly, but it just wouldn’t have worked. Their differences were too great at the end of things, even if he wished they weren’t.

“I miss you,” John said suddenly.

Adam stepped closer and put a hand on his friend’s shoulder. “I miss you too, John. See you next week?”

John nodded, reaching up to squeeze Adam’s hand. “Next week.”

John saw him out, the door shutting behind him with a light click. Adam smoothed down his jacket, walked down to the lobby, took the unopened letter he had picked up when John’s back was turned and slotted it into his next door neighbour’s mailbox. Maybe that would spur a bit of conversation; he’d find out next week.

idk if you’ve seen it but the heart and soul vine is MC and tomura 💀💀 (i just finished warm healer and i love it so much!!!)

https://youtube.com/shorts/deBdzC5QVQw?feature=share

It’s them!

Also, thank you so much for taking the time to send a sweet message and letting me know you enjoyed it! I’m still surprised to get messages about Warm Healer since it’s a few years old now, but very happy if it still holds up 😭💕 if you read the sequel I hope you enjoy it too! I just finished it recently 😊

a night in the hospital wing

A snippet from the adventures of the Potter-Lupin-Black family, i.e. the Wolfstar raising Harry and Teddy story that I will never actually write in full but which lives in my brain rent-free:

---

“Evening, sunshine.” Sirius pressed cool fingers to his forehead. “How are you feeling?” 

“Awful,” Harry croaked.

Sirius gave him a gentle smile. “Compared to how you felt yesterday, awful is an improvement.” 

Was it? The last thing Harry remembered was flying high above the game, scouring the air for any sign of the Snitch. He didn’t know why he was in the hospital wing. He couldn’t even recall the end of the match. 

“What happened?” he whispered. 

“You took a blow to the head from an enchanted Bludger and fell about two hundred feet.” Sirius let out a slow breath. “Don’t think I’ve ever run that fast in my life, to be honest. Flitwick got a Cushioning Charm under you just in time, but you still broke six different bones and fractured your skull.” 

Harry groaned. No wonder he hurt everywhere. “Who did it?”

“A couple of Slytherins and a Ravenclaw trying to throw the match.” Sirius’s expression hardened. “They’ve since been expelled.” 

“Sirius--”

“Honey, you could have died. No, I’m sorry. This goes well beyond harmless house rivalry. Frankly, they got off lightly.” 

Harry was too exhausted and in too much pain to argue. He let his eyes drift closed, Sirius’s fingers in his hair lulling him into a doze.

“Where’s Moony?” he murmured finally. 

“Taking your biggest fan for a walk,” Sirius said, a smile in his voice. “He was getting restless.” 

Harry groaned again. Teddy. He’d watched Harry play plenty of informal Quidditch pickup games whenever Harry was home for the summer hols, but this was the first time the five-year-old had been allowed to come watch a match at Hogwarts. He’d been so excited. 

“Did I scare him?” he asked, opening his eyes again.

“Luckily, he didn’t see it happen. Remus had taken him to the bathroom, and he missed the whole thing,” Sirius said. “He’s worried, though. He’s been making Remus read to you, to help you feel better.”

Sirius nodded at the bedside table, and Harry turned his aching head to see a generous pile of wizarding children’s books sitting there. 

“Moony does do the voices better than you,” Harry said solemnly, and Sirius snorted. 

“So I’ve been told. Anyway, Ron and Hermione have been by to visit you several times already. They had classes this afternoon, but they said they’d be back after dinner. You also had a young man stop by this morning. Cedric?”

Harry’s stomach swooped. “Oh?” 

He was aiming for a casual tone, and knew he had failed when Sirius raised his eyebrows. “Yes, he seemed quite concerned. In fact, I got the impression you two are good friends, but I don’t think you’ve ever mentioned him in your letters home.” 

“Er…well, I just know him, that’s all. He’s on the Hufflepuff team, so we talk sometimes. About Quidditch.” 

“Uh-huh.” 

“And we’re in the Dueling Club together.” 

“Right.” 

And he’s really tall and he smells nice and when he smiles at me I feel like I might throw up and have you seen his arms, Sirius?? 

Thankfully, Harry was saved from pouring his heart out to Sirius about his embarrassing crush by the arrival of one Teddy Lupin-Black, who barged through the gap in the curtains with a shriek of, “Harry!” 

Sirius’s quick reflexes saved Harry’s battered body from further damage. He caught Teddy around the middle and tossed him in the air a couple of times, to Teddy’s utter delight. Remus appeared then, his face lighting up when he saw that Harry was awake. He bent down to kiss Harry’s forehead and then give him a gentle hug.

“I’m so glad you’re awake, love,” he said. “Are you in pain?” 

“A bit.” 

“I’ll go talk to Poppy and see if you can have another pain potion yet.” 

“Daddy, let go.” Teddy was in Sirius’s lap now, but he squirmed against his father’s grip, reaching for Harry.

“Edward,” Sirius said gently as Remus went off in search of Madame Pomfrey, “we talked about this. Harry’s hurt, and you have to be very gentle with him. Soft touches only. You can’t jump on him or anything like that.” 

Teddy let out an explosive sigh, but obediently settled down. “Yes, Daddy.” 

Sirius lifted Teddy off his lap and set him carefully on the bed. Teddy didn’t immediately crawl on Harry, which he would have under normal circumstances. He sat very still, one hand gripping Harry’s pyjama shirt. “Hi, Harry.” 

“Hi, Teds.” Harry poked his nose, and Teddy giggled. “Did you enjoy the match?” 

“Yeah, it was wicked!” 

Harry laughed. Wicked was Teddy’s new favorite word. “Glad to hear it. Dad says you and Da were reading to me?” 

“Yes! About dragons! They’re my favorite.”

Harry chuckled. “I know, Teds.” 

“Here, Harry.” Remus was back. He handed Harry a vial filled with a purple potion. “Drink that. It will help with the pain, but it’ll probably make you fall asleep again.” 

That was fine by Harry. “Thanks, Moony.” 

“Da, can you read to us?” Teddy asked while Harry downed the potion. He made a face at the taste, and Sirius gave him a sympathetic smile. “I wanna finish the book!”

“I suppose that can be arranged,” Remus said, settling in the other chair by the bed. He patted his lap. “Why don’t you come sit with me, Teds?”

“No!” 

“S’alright,” Harry said as Teddy snuggled into his side. He was already feeling drowsy again. Sirius’s fingers returned to his hair. “I don’t mind.” 

“If you’re sure.” Remus picked a book out of the pile and opened it. “Let’s see, where were we…”

character studies; haikyuu boys

requested by anon(s); character studies for haikyuu boys that had been requested for my 1k Event around a month back! sorry for making you bbys wait so long :(

characters; hoshiumi kōrai, kuroo tetsurō, kageyama tobio, daishō suguru, daichi sawamura, asahi azumane, miya atsumu, kita shinsuke, iwaizumi hajime

synopsis;

the character’s general personality 

the character’s general motivation 

the character’s motivation towards you 

the character’s love language 

the character’s preferred dates 

what kissing the character feels like

what being with the character feels like 

genre; fluff

warnings; just some curse words!

notes; if you’re interested in other characters, check out my masterlist! :) if you requested for a jujutsu kaisen character and i haven’t written for them yet, don’t worry, i will! 

HOSHIUMI KŌRAI 

hoshiumi’s general personality; there isn’t enough of this cutie honestly :( but honestly, the more i read of his personality and see of him in manga panels, the more i love him. i hope i can put this in words: hoshiumi is scarily skilled, in the sense that when you watch him, you’re not intimidated by him, but rather, in awe. you can visibly see all the effort he’d put into honing his skills whenever you watch him play. especially because he’s so quiet and concentrated during games, making him a completely different person on court. as a person, i see him as being extremely reliable and having a really strong, but quiet presence. so that when you’re around him, he doesn’t have to speak to let himself be known, you know? also! i remember him being really offended when an interviewer commented about how good of a player he is despite his height, and i honestly understand it. no matter what he does, he’s constantly being reduced to just his height, and how that influences everything, but there’s so much more to him than that. of course, his reasoning behind joining volleyball and becoming one of the best in japan is a little silly, but he is driven in general, and very determined. but i also don’t think he’s smug or overly confident or arrogant about his skills, even if he should because of the ladder he’d had to climb to get to where he is. he’s confident, of course, but he’s not annoyingly so. he won’t rub it in anyone’s face, because he has peace with it, in a way? like he himself is aware of it, so there’s no need to get that constant validation from others. like i said, him on court and him off court are two different people: so yes, he does love being showered in appreciation and attention, but for him, not for his volleyball self. he knows he’s good at volleyball, but appreciate him for more than that, for more than being so good despite being short; appreciate him for being caring, for being diligent and hard-working, for being a constant, reassuring and uplifting presence in everyone’s life. as i mention in the motivation section, i think hoshiumi is a very curious individual, in the sense that he’s always looking for adventure, always looking for something to catch his eye, snatch away his attention, to leave him in awe, to leave him breathless and exhilarated. i don’t think he’s an adrenaline junkie, after having said that, but i do think he’s in love with spontaneity. 

motivation; i think hoshiumi’s motivation is very simple, and it’s to better himself. to not have his inspiration and drive rely solely on to be a better version of his brother, to be better than his brother in general, but rather improve so that he can hone his own skills, so he can wow everyone around him, to be given the title of best spiker without a single comment on his height, to the best, regardless. to be the best just because he is the best. towards you, it would probably be his curiosity. like i mentioned above, i see him as really curious, so he watches you from afar, observes you, wondering how much more there is to you, wanting to learn more about you. he wants to learn of your interests and hobbies, whether they align with his or not, whether he can give you all you want or not. 

hoshiumi’s love language; physical touch and acts of service. despite what i initially thought, i don’t think he’d be too into pda. he won’t mind kissing you in front of others, of course, because there is a little part of him that’s incredibly smug about being your partner. but then again, he prefers things like holding onto your hand, or linking your pinkies together, or piggy back rides. he loves to constantly be helping you somehow, and also consecutively feed into his ego a lil, so he’ll constantly be carrying your things for you, helping you cook by cutting up vegetables, or handing you ingredients, or helping you renovate your room at three in the morning. he really likes the little things that build up to shape domesticity between the two of you, but loudly, you know? as in the love he has for you is well-known: he’ll proudly wear your scrunchie on his wrist, or let you do a little make up on him and walk around with it. he’d tattoo your name on his forehead if he could. 

hoshiumi’s preferred dates; the beach, hiking, theme parks, staying in and playing physically active games like twister, fast food drive throughs 

kissing hoshiumi; really playful, and a little giggly too. it’s not silly kissing, it’s serene, but it leaves you feeling all bubbly in the way he wraps his arms around your neck and pushes you to him like you’re the only one that matters in this world 

what being with hoshiumi feels like; baking with someone and making a mess with the ingredients, but you can’t stop laughing 

KUROO TETSURŌ

kuroo’s general personality; oh boy here we go. okay so we all know provocative, smug, cheeky kuroo, yeah? and i firmly believe that yes, that really a part of his personality. there is a part of him that really is like that. a person’s personality is never black and white, and that’s exactly the case with kuroo: there’s a lot to him. it’s not just that at first glance he seems intimidating and scarily attractive, he is. but i think there’s a reason for that, and in a way, it��s a coping mechanism. kuroo is, deep down, a huge dork, and a really big nerd. but like i said, there’s nothing wrong with being both that and a little bit of an asshole sometimes. it’s just that i think there’s a reason that other part of his personality developed, and it’s a way to protect himself, you know? i’m pretty sure it’s canon that kuroo’s parents didn’t entirely get along, and it’s really easy to feel alone in situations like that, so that really suave and attractive and charming part of him developed so that he can attract people to him, so that he can have this pulling effect on others. it makes you want to spend time with him, lose yourself to the hours with him. that doesn’t mean kuroo tries to hold back his nerdy side, or that he’s ashamed of his funnier, dorkier side. if anything, i think he’s pretty confident in both sides of him. because just as that ‘cool’ side of him is dazzling, the louder, cheekier side of him is pretty charming too. on a completely separate note, i think kuroo cares, oh he cares so much. his heart is too big, if i’m being honest. he wants his friends to succeed, wants to see them be their best, is always pushing them to be better. he means it, he really does. he won’t say it out loud, but if you need him, he’s staying up extra hours for you, getting you your favorite snacks, being extra touchy on a day he notices you’re upset. he’s very aware of everyone’s emotions around him, and that might be because of his parents too, in which he’s become really hyper aware of any telltale signs, you know? all that being said, pair him with bokuto and he’s a crackhead

motivation; i honestly think kuroo always puts people above himself. i can’t explain why, but i just know that he does. make sure my friends are okay, then i’ll check on myself. push my friends to do better, and then work on motivating myself. watch my friends succeed before i look at how far i’ve come. being so proud of his friends, before he realizes how proud he is of himself too. so, in turn, his motivation would be the people around him. he thrives on communication and socializing and having strong, close connections and relationships with people. that is his main motivation. in regards to you, it’s a little different. i mentioned in one of my headcanons for him that he’s really suave and cool around everyone except his crush, and i stand by that, honestly. the only way to rid himself of that nervousness and endless amount of butterflies in his stomach would be to confess to you, removing that weight off of him. also you’re like, really pretty lol

kuroo’s love language; very touchy, very, very touchy, so it’s definitely physical affection and physical touch, with possibly acts of service. acts of service in that he notices when you stay up late to help him practice, or his own willingness to stay with you as you power through an all-nighter, or just silently knowing right away what either of you need without having to speak. he loves, loves, loves pda. he will make out with you in public, he doesn’t care, nothing can stop him. likes to have his arm around you constantly, or does that stupid thing where he puts his hand in your back pocket, or approaching you from behind and and hugging you and kissing all over your neck even if you’re in the middle of a conversation with someone

kuroo’s preferred dates; literally anything they’re all fun with him. fancy dinners or diner visits, movie dates at the cinema or at home, arcade visits, walks at the park, the beach

kissing kuroo; oh it’s breathtaking. it’s always really passionate, and always has you gripping at his shirt at the way he forces your heart into your throat, or the way he has your stomach flipping at the small gasps he lets out when he kisses you open mouthed, which happens more often than not

what being with kuroo feels like; like hugging someone you haven’t seen in years, where your arms are thrown around them tightly and they hold you to them and your heart is about to burst from your chest 

KAGEYAMA TOBIO 

kageyama’s general personality; the most misunderstood character :( he is not just an angry boy >:( he is just really, really passionate, especially about volleyball, and he wants other people to try and share that passion with him. he’s just really bad at expressing his feelings, and communicating with other people. like all it is is that kageyama loves volleyball, and he takes it very seriously, and when other people don’t, he takes slight offense to that, because in his eyes it just seems after they’re discarding or mocking the sport. that annoyance translates wrong into anger, but the place it originates from really is just pure. have you seen how happy volleyball makes him? he’s not a bad person, not by a long shot. and his character development too! it wasn’t that he wasn’t willing to communicate, it was that people weren’t willing to try with him. they took him for what he seemed like, not what he truly is. when he joined karasuno, they allowed him space to properly express himself, and they introduced him to what became a family to him. he learned to trust, learned to communicate. he’s not a bad person!! he’s just!!! a kid!!! he learns, slowly but surely, and he changes, for the better. okay but, completely different thing to mention. kageyama’s good at volleyball. no, he’s good. and he knows he is. he’s not really smug about it, but it’s not like his confidence is misplaced. he’s just aware of his skills, but he’s also aware of his flaws, and as he grows as a person, he’s more willing to take a step back and look and observe himself, to better himself as a player. i also think kags is insanely determined. like that episode where he studied his ass off just so he could pass and barely made it to the tokyo training camp? how does that directly translate into determination? he really is willing to put his all and more to improve, to play, to the best. 

motivation; like i mentioned above, it’s definitely to become improve himself. it’s not that he’s never satisfied with how he is or his skills, it’s more that he’s sure there’s still more space for him to better himself, that this isn’t all that he’s capable of and that he can do better, that he can be better. like i said, it’s not that he puts himself down about not being enough, on the contrary; he believes that he’s one of the best, but that’s not his limit, there’s more to him, there’s more for him to explore. towards you is a little bit trickier, honestly. he honestly wouldn’t even know he has a crush on you until one of his upperclassmen noticed his reactions towards you, and they confront him about him to which he responds ‘oh, so that’s what that is?’ like he really is so clueless. i don’t think he’d have a full on motivation with you, he just wants to be around you, because he finds that he kind of does enjoy the feeling he experiences when he’s around you. it’s really as simple as that 

kageyama’s love language; acts of service, absolutely, and, privately, physical touch. it’s not that he won’t hold your hand if you slip it in his, or he won’t return your kiss if you do kiss him in public, but it’s more of you’re the one that usually initiates these things. but! that does not mean kageyama isn’t touchy. he really is, a hundred and ten percent, touch starved. look at him! please! he is craving your touch almost always, he just doesn’t like initiating it in public, and occasionally he’ll take the initiative at home. but please, hug him, hold him, cuddle him, grasp his hand for hours, kiss all over his face. he absolutely adores it. and he shows his love better, takes initiative of it more, when it comes to giving. one of my headcanons for him i mentioned that whenever he gets milk from the vending machine, he gets you your favorite snack too, just because in his head he’s like ‘oh, they’d like that.’ it’s things like that with kags. 

kageyama’s preferred dates; don’t do anything involving competitiveness he will go crazy. but things like carnival dates, or diner visits, or ice skating, or stargazing 

kissing kageyama; really soft and sweet. it’s very timid and careful and cautious, but he always kisses you fully on the lips, his eyes fluttering shit, his hand coming to rest at the base of your throat, slightly on your chest

what being with kageyama feels like; falling asleep on the beach, sunburnt, with sand and salt on your skin, your body warm but the breeze cool 

DAISHŌ SUGURU

daishō’s general personality; i feel like all the haikyuu boys have so much more to them than what seems as a front. like our introduction to suguru was him being this snake-like, manipulative character. i mean nearly all his and his teammates tactics against nekoma were related to manipulation. but why is he inclined to that trait? i don’t know much about canon him, but i like to think that he was kind of in the shadow when he was younger, and the only way he could’ve gotten people to listen or pay attention to him was being this unlikeable and intimidating character. but canon-wise, i think just as his manipulativeness is his strength, it’s also his weakness, and i also think he’s really aware of that, and he knows this tactic has its faults. i also don’t think he’s insanely determined, because yeah he was upset after the match with nekoma, but it wasn’t earth-shattering. from what i’ve seen with his interactions with mika, though, i think he’s very loving, deep down, and very subtly. he doesn’t show it outwardly, but you can see the way he looks at her, the way he gets so proud whenever she remembers something about volleyball. i don’t think he’s a bad person, per se, because at the end of the day, this is also seventeen, eighteen year old suguru, and there’s so much space for him to grow out of this. i think it’s more that he’s the type of person to prefer the easy way out, so he relies on things like getting on the referee’s good side. it could also be that he’s aware of his downfalls so he wants to have anything to his and his team’s advantage, you know? it’s not to say he doesn’t put in effort, because i still think he does, or even that he’s lazy, but it’s more that he wants something and he has a way of getting it that’s faster for him, you know? like i said, i don’t think he’s a bad person, at all. everybody has their flaws, and i think all the haikyuu boys have their own, it’s just that suguru’s is more explicit.

motivation; so like i mentioned how he likes the easy way out, i think suguru’s motivation would be to have high achievements. he seems like an insatiable person, one that always wants more, and more, and more, so he’s always climbing up higher. but also, even though he’s insatiable, he kinda? gives up easily? or not that he gives up easily, it’s more that he’s okay with a loss, or that he accepts defeat relatively easy with a shrug, as in “there’ll be more opportunities, it’s not the end of the world.” towards you, suguru would probably want to have you as his s/o to prove to himself, or to prove to others, that’s capable or worthy of someone like you. it’s kind of sad in a way, because in his head you’re way out of his league, but he makes it seem as a front that you’re just barely worthy of him when he asks you out, simply as a defense mechanism. 

daishō love language; subtle acts of affection, 100%. you could see how happy he was to explain to mika all about volleyball, and how happy he was to know that she had been listening and actually putting in an effort to understand the sport that he likes. it’s things like that that really, really matter to him. listening intently when the other speaks of something they’re passionate about, remembering tiny details, like their favorite drink, or their go-to order at a restaurant, or something they’d mentioned in passing that they really wanted, or the way they prefer to sleep at night. that’s the way he expresses his love, definitely. 

daishō’s preferred dates; visiting movie theaters, staying in, late night strolls on the beach, clubs/parties

kissing daishō; really, really slow and lazy, kinda lewd as well, in that it’s shameless, and loud 

what being with daishō feels like; the feeling when you predict a plot twist in a movie or show correctly 

DAICHI SAWAMURA 

daichi’s general personality; dad. what a dad. such a Dad. dadchi sawamura. i think it’s very obvious that he’s a very mature character, and he easily fits in the role of a leader. i think him being captain is perfect, because he leads the team perfectly, and he knows all his teammates really well, and is able to respond to each of them correctly, knows how to motivate them perfectly. in that way, he’s a very, very reliable person. he’s someone you can lean on constantly, whenever, wherever. someone you can turn to knowing that your best interests are in their mind when he reaches out to give you advice. he’s someone that will tell you what you need to hear, not what you want to hear. he’s also not the type of person that considers the role of a leader and captain as a burden, not someone that thinks it’s a really big responsibility which he wishes can be taken off his shoulders from time to time. no, he appreciates the role, and takes it with all of its heavy weight. he’s really independent and mature in that sense. it’s not to say that he’s very stable constantly, because everyone has their moments, and although he really is unbothered by the responsibility, i think he constantly overthinks his decisions. maybe not so often, but it happens, because every decision he’s ever taken has impacted all of his teammates consecutively, you know? he has to think big, consider the big picture. but yeah, daichi is a very reliable and mature person. will it get annoying and will it have you begging him to loosen up every once in a while? maybe, but is he also very childish at times? yes. make sure to get it on camera though

motivation; much like kuroo, the fact that they’re both captains aside, he does everything for other people. it’s different though because kuroo puts other people above himself, but daichi thinks for everyone including himself. the only one with braincells. he thinks broadly, and considers all consequences for both himself, and for others. his motivation would probably be to see himself and everyone succeed and be their best, to see their efforts put into work, to be able to be incredibly proud of everything they’ve achieved. he really is such a dad. towards you, however, it’s a lot sweeter, and it’d be something like his infatuation with you. he’d want to be the reason for your happiness, wants to be yours, wants you to be all his. kinda possessive but like, in a sweet way. 

daichi’s love language; confessions and domestic acts. daichi is unafraid to let you know he loves you, regardless of who’s around, or where you two are. he’s super okay with wrapping his ams around you randomly and just pressing a kiss to your temple and going “i love you.” he doesn’t know why he does it so often, maybe every time he says it, it reassures him. domestic acts in how he’s so comfortable waking up next to you, or how when you sleep over at his house you still get up and make breakfast, or how even folding laundry together is fun. he finds huge comfort in being able to appreciate the most mundane things, like doing the dishes or cleaning around the house, can feel so serene and loving with you. 

daichi’s preferred dates; fancy dinners, mini golf, theme parks, road trips, driving up mountains 

kissing daichi; weirdly, it’s not soft as you’d expect, more rough and possessive. he always kisses you like someone is watching and he wants to show you off, to prove that you’re all his. 

what being with daichi feels like; listening to a love song and feeling nostalgic, even if you’ve never been in love 

ASAHI AZUMANE 

asahi’s general personality; oh i love this big teddy bear <3 that’s literally what he is. i absolutely adore the fact that he’s really intimidating physically, but his personality is the farthest thing from it; in fact, it’s the complete opposite. i have something important to include though!! in the same way asahi’s very fragile, especially his esteem, and the same way he guilts himself entirely and places the blame on himself whenever something goes wrong, he’s also very easily, and very steadily uplifted (as in, a win is a win, it’s sure and certain and it’s grounding), very easy to accept wins for everyone, not just take all the credit. when he spikes a ball and they score a point, it’s not a win for him, it’s a win for the entire team. that easily translates to asahi being a very giving and thoughtful person. he has a heart too big for him, and yes he’s an over-thinker, but that just means he’s mindful of others, very cautious and careful. although i think if you approach him with an issue, like you’re straight up sobbing, at first he’d be a little wary and anxious and awkward, i also believe he’d be exceptionally good at comforting someone after a few moments. his presence alone is comforting, but he knows if you need to be held or not, knows if you need to be listened to simply, or if you want advice as well, knows if you need comfort in food, or comfort in distraction. asahi just knows. and he’s definitely the one that uses that physical intimidation to his advantage when it comes to like, walking girls home, so that no one bothers them, or being in the same area as someone he knows that’s constantly bullied because just his figure alone scares them off. and my goodness, he’d definitely just subtly slide up beside a girl that he’s noticed is being eyed by men. he’s just... really pure. 

motivation; i think asahi’s motivation is a little more personal, and it’s probably to believe more in himself. it’s to put himself in situations where his skills are tested so that he can improve, to lessen of his fears, to lessen of his self-doubt, to grow more confident and sure of himself, you know? towards you, oh my god. asahi would never approach you. he really wants to, because he really likes you, has liked you for as long as he can remember, but he won’t approach you, unless one of his friends threatens to do it for him. that’d probably be it honestly: he just chooses to embarrass himself instead of having anyone else embarrass him. at least he has a little more control in that former option. 

asahi’s love language; he’s most definitely touch starved, so physical affection!!! he always wants to be touching you, even if it’s simple hand holding. he definitely links your pinkies together too! and honestly, i think he would like public displays of affection, even if it gets him really flustered. of course, don’t straight up make out with him in the middle of a public setting, but give him a little peck on his lips, or cheek kisses, or random hugs where you wrap your arms around his waist and rest your head on his chest and press a little kiss there too. also!!! forehead kisses!!!! he always, always gives those!!! 

asahi’s preferred dates; stargazing, beach picnics, park visits, nights in, any place he can dance with you to slow, serene music honestly

kissing asahi; it always makes you feel all warm inside, and always flutters the butterflies in your stomach. it’s not slow, nor is it fast, it’s just steady, but it’s pouring love and passion 

what being with asahi feels like; being the only one awake at home at a really late timing 

MIYA ATSUMU 

atsumu’s general personality; i’m sorry if i bore you guys because fair warning, this bout to be long as hell. unlike oikawa, who i think has this charming, intimidatingly skilled attitude as a front, i think atsumu’s personality is just expressed or comes off incorrectly. as in, for example, he’s really sensitive when it comes to carelessness in regards to volleyball, but it comes off as selfishness and rudeness, even though the origin of it all isn’t his want to be rude. it’s not that he doesn’t know how to express his feelings either, because i know that his feelings are loud, it’s just that he doesn’t know how to make it add up, in a way? i also think he’s self-centered, yes, but as a defense mechanism. this is gonna sound really sad but it’s more like, “i won’t give you a chance to make something awful to hate about me,” and something like, “i’m in control of why they hate me.” also, there’s no way that never affected him. maybe as a child, it didn’t really cross his thoughts, because he’s always had osamu anyways, and he couldn’t really make sense of it all, but as he grew older, the more it became clearer that he wasn’t entirely likable, and that really took a toll on him, worsening his attitude towards people. people aren’t rude for no reason, you know? there’s always a place it stemmed from. he takes refuge in that he’s good at volleyball. yeah he’s a piece of shit, but his setting? no one can top it. he has that, and he owns it, and no one can take it away from him. i think atsumu’s one of those people where, over the years, you can watch and see their light dim, in a way. like he’s not a depressed person or anything like that, he just becomes less and less... bright? angrier, irritable, less inclined to trust others and let them in, self conceited. it’s also probably a result of being left out or rejected by others. but the thing is, atsumu is all these things, but he’s also childlike, and so full of love. you can see the way he interacts on the court, his dynamic with his teammates, the way he reacts to kita’s ‘get well soon’ bag. he really is just a ball of sunshine, but it’s all cooped up inside. it’s been buried underneath a mountain of self destructive thoughts and negativity from others. i also consider him a very impulsive person, the type to never think twice before anything, but that can translate into spontaneity too! it’s both a positive and a negative thing. atsumu is also very, very trustworthy person. in short, atsumu is very cheery once around the right people, in the right setting, but he’s so quick to shift into intimidation if necessary. 

motivation; of course, just like osamu, atsumu’s main drive is his brother, whose been there since he was born. there’s no one he can rely on as much as osamu, regardless of their unbelievable competitiveness and their constant arguments. however, i think there’s a little more to atsumu. going off on what i mentioned above, volleyball is his safe haven. it’s something he can fall back on and be sure and certain of the safety net available. it’s not what makes him atsumu, but it’s a big part of him, a big part of shaping his personality, which is why i think constantly improving is atsumu’s other motivation. he can’t ever let himself go, you know? towards you, well, it was probably something really stupid honestly. you might have to play hard to get with atsumu, even though either way he’s gonna like it, but the chase? he adores it. 

atsumu’s love language; acts of service and physical affection. he’ll save your favorite go-to orders for every restaurant on his notes app, he’ll blow-dry your hair for you after a shower if you’re too lazy, he’ll learn hairstyles for you, he’ll hold your shirt down as you take off a sweater so it doesn’t ride up, he’ll make you try food he knows you’ll like, he stays up on facetime with you after recognizing the telltale signs of you being upset, he’ll go shopping with you, giving you a thumbs up, halfway, or down for each outfit, he’ll collect notes for you if you’re off from school, and so much more. that’s how atsumu expresses his love; that, and physical affection. always touching you somehow, someway, with his hand in yours, or on the back of your neck, or on the small of your back, or on your waist, slipping slightly beneath your shirt, or around your shoulder. and he’s always kissing you too, either on your cheek, or on your lips, or on your knuckles, or on your wrist, or your temple. and he’s always hugging you, and i mean always, you’ll have your head on his chest, or his chin tucked on your shoulder. atsumu doesn’t say i love you, he shows it. 

atsumu’s preferred dates; campfires at the beach, stargazing on a rooftop, waterparks, carnival visits (tries to win you everything but can’t do shit), bowling, drive throughs

kissing atsumu; really playful but always leaves you hot and bothered. he kisses like he’s trying to prove a point, which you can’t decide on, but it always leaves you a little breathless, a little dizzy, and even more in love with him

what being with atsumu feels like; leaving a movie theatre and slightly dissociating from reality 

KITA SHINSUKE 

kita’s general personality; omg i love!!! him!!! kita, as shown in the anime and manga, is a very methodical person. he does things the way he always does them, routinely, and he finds comfort in that. and he doesn’t do things for the end result, he finds satisfaction in the productivity he feels, in seeing his efforts play out, in it all adding up and building up to the end product. it’s not what’s produced that matters to him, it’s more what he did and went through to be able to produce such a thing or result. which is why i think kita really is confident in his skills, and that’s obvious and seen when he’s on court. it’s because he knows all he’s done and all the effort he’s put in to be where he is now, and he knows they’re not going to fail him, he’s sure of it. his efforts are his safety net. that relates to kita being reliable, and being everyone else’s safety net. he’s very similar to daichi in that he’s the glue that sticks the team together, the final puzzle piece that completes a set. he’s also exceptionally good at being a captain, not because he leads very well, which yes, of course he does, but he knows his teammates. he knows what they need to hear, and is unafraid of telling them so, knows how to handle them properly, individually, and as a group. he’s also insanely observant in that not only is he good at reading people and situations, but also at being aware of the position he stands in. he knows he’s not what could be considered a ‘genius’ at volleyball, but not only is he aware of that, he accepts it, and accepts it with grace too. he understands that not everyone is special, but that also everyone is special in their own way, and are built based off of what efforts they put. which ties into the fact that kita is really mature, making him a reliable presence. 

motivation; like i said, kita finds comfort in routine. he never truly has an end goal, just that whatever is achieved from what work he puts in he’ll believe is worth that. kita’s motivation is his everyday routines. it’s waking up, making his bed, making breakfast, cleaning around the house, or going to practice, putting in the work, staying after to clean. it’s the little moments that make up his entire day, that add it all up, that really matter, that really are his drive. for you, it would be a really simple “i want to be with them.” i don’t think kita would sugarcoat his feelings, or try to deny them with himself, even if yes, he will absolutely get flustered. his motivation towards you is literally just his desire and want to be with you. 

kita’s love language; everything, but subtly. you can see that kita loves you with the way his attention is entirely on you when you speak. you can see he loves you with how he moves your hair out of your face for you. you can see he loves you in the way he says good morning to you, a soft smile on his face, a gentle kiss pressed to your forehead. you can see he loves you in the way he twirls you in his arms when you slow dance with him in the kitchen. you can see he loves you in the way his eyes light up at the simple mention of you, or the fact that everyone is aware of his love for you, in that it’s not kita, but kita and you. kita loves you wholly, and he will say it if you need to hear it, if he wants to say it, but it’s blatantly obvious, spottable from a mile away, clear and bright as day. 

kita’s preferred dates; pottery making, art classes, drives around town, grocery shopping together, fancy dinners 

kissing kita; everything kita does is methodical except kissing. kissing is where he lets loose, allows himself to be a little more carefree, a little more daring. he always kisses you like he’s afraid of losing you, like you’ll disappear in mere seconds 

what being with kita feels like; being on vacation and waking up really early at a hotel

IWAIZUMI HAJIME 

iwaizumi’s general personality; iwa iwa iwa!!!!!! i know we all like to paint iwa in this mature light, like he’s the dad of the team, but the reality of it is iwaizumi’s just as much immature at times, it’s only that he’s the most responsible and least immature out of all of them. and he is! responsible that is. he really is, and he’s reliant too, but that doesn’t mean we should reduce his personality to ‘brat tamer of oikawa’ because, come on, there’s more to him than just that. iwaizumi loves, and he loves too much, loves too hard, he cares too much, cares too hard. his way of showing it is through violence, sure, and maybe he’ll be super aggressive when he finds out you’re not taking care of yourself, but will he go to the ends of the earth to make you feel better? yes, he absolutely will, no doubt, no hesitation in it at all. it might be a little bit of a flaw too, but when iwaizumi loves, he literally hands you his entire heart in your hands with the full expectation that you’ll take care of it. he strikes me as the type of person that always expects the best of people. he’s not naive, but he does always see the best in people rather than just immediately seeing the worst. i also don’t think he’s violence-prone, either. like yes, he will beat up his friends no questions asked, but he wouldn’t start a physical fight, nor would he provoke anyone to initiate one. the only exception is to protect or to defend his friends or loved ones. i feel like that’s a red line you shouldn’t cross with iwa, because he will abandon any inhibitions when it comes to them. friends and loved ones first, then anything else. so yes, like i said earlier, iwaizumi is responsible, he’s reliable, he’s strong and sturdy (i mean,,, both physically and conceptually ig), and he’s someone that you do not want to ever lose once he enters your life. not because he’ll hurt you or anything like that, but because the loss of him in your life is significant and it’s impactful. that’s not to say iwaizumi’s not an absolute child at times, considering he literally, canonically has a godzilla phone case 

motivation; honestly? i think iwaizumi does things,,, just to do them. like he gets satisfaction of course, from achieving certain things, like being one of the top aces, or from getting into a really good university, because of his good grades, from having a clear career path, from having the body that he does, from being where he is today in general, but he never had a direct motivation towards the actions that got these certain results. like sure he got into volleyball because it was a fun sport, his best friend was in it too, he got really good, he stayed, and sure he has really high grades, because he needs to, but why? he just does. he does things because he feels the need to achieve, you know? that’s his drive, essentially. the need to feel productive and satisfied with his achievements. towards you, however, it’s more serene. he wants to get to know you. that’s it. he’s genuinely just interested in you, in what you have to say, in your hobbies and interests, and your favorite movie, and your favorite song or artist, and your favorite color, what your aspirations are. iwaizumi just wants to know you. 

iwaizumi’s love language; domesticity and acts of service. iwaizumi will fall in love with you if you feel like home, if you give him that deep sense of comfort settling in his chest. yes he wants the rush of it all, of being in love, the excitement of loving someone, but he also wants the calmness that accompanies it, the sureness that tags along. he likes certainty, stability, you know? and his actions will always speak louder than words. every date he greets you with flowers, meets you in front of the school gates if he hasn’t walked you and greets you with a gentle kiss on the lips and a “good morning.” will he explicitly say “i miss you”? no, but he will appear at your window at three in the morning with a backpack filled with your favorite snacks and an extra hoodie for you to borrow. he loves you, he loves you widely and large, but you have to really know iwaizumi to recognize the pattern 

iwaizumi’s preferred dates; go-karting, late night drives, concerts, the beach (but at night, including swimming), picnics at sunrise 

kissing iwaizumi; i can fully see him being a little shy, especially at the beginning! his kisses start off really gentle, as if he’s afraid to break you, but overtime, they develop into possessive, and a little rough, kisses. still absolutely breathtaking though 

what being with iwaizumi feels like; being in an empty parking lot, with music seeping through your car’s speakers 

end note; this took me like three separate days omg. i really, really hope i didn’t miss anyone haikyuu requests for this past event. it’s closed now my loves, but maybe it’ll make a comeback soon! hold onto your request till then :)

excuse any mistakes made in this if there are! and thank you for reading! i hope you all enjoyed <3

the stardust crusaders' hogwarts adventure: HCs

tw // none

dora's note: is this dora posting? what the hell? yes it is, i'm finally working. hopefully. i promise i'm doing by best yes ^^ i felt like doing this today, so... finally got to finish a draft that has been there for quite a while.

DISCLAIMER !! y/n is NOT a student in joseph's HCs, they're a GROWN ADULT with a JOB. !!

taglist: @fragolaaaaaaa @outofthiszawarudo @sky1mercy @cheemerthebebopfreak @berryvalentine @yandere-lovebites @catboy-kira @komaeda-kinnie [if you wanna be removed or added, all it requires is a dm or an ask !!]

kujo jotaro

♥︎ when he first sat down under the sorting hat, he didn't know what to expect and did not care in which house he would have ended up. everyone in his family, though, always had been one of two precise houses: slytherin or hufflepuff. so, very deep down, he hoped in one of them. but a different one would have been cool with him too, he would have been the first in his family with a different house sorting. he waited for a time that seemed neverending, but earlier than expected, the sorting hat said: "slytherin."

♥︎ the two of you met for the first time during a quidditch tournament. jotaro was a seeker, one of the most precise ones hogwarts had ever had. you caused him an accident, running over him with your broom, causing the two of you to fall to the ground. needless to say, he held a grudge on you for several days, until you had to get along to train for quidditch again.

♥︎ you wouldn't expect it from a wizard like him, but his favourite subjects are care of magical creatures, to study them, protect them, and get on an empathetic level with them, and muggle studies, to get to know more about muggles, in honor of his father, kujo sadao, who's not a wizard.

♥︎ it didn't take long for jotaro to manage to manifest his patronus. he had tried to practice that spell, since before the arrival of the dementors at the school. the two of you used to practice together after quidditch trainings, making you the first person - apart from him, of course - to witness the awaking of his patronus: a beautiful dolphin, a symbol of intelligence and protection.

♥︎ you will probably have to be the one to ask him first out on a date. he's not the best one when it comes to grades, and he spends quite a lot of time with his friends, trying not to think about it. no, he doesn't really care about having the best marks. you should ask one of his best friends, kakyoin noriaki, about what to do to convince him to go out on a date with you. most likely, he'll say yes because he trusts you enough to feel safe.

♥︎ jotaro does not underestimate your powers and doesn't feel the need to constantly protect you, but he must admit that as soon as the teachers of defense against the dark arts start disappearing every year or try to attack the students themselves, he's a little bit worried about you. he starts showing up outside your classroom at the end of every lesson, to check on you and keep you company until you get to you next lesson's classroom.

kakyoin noriaki

♥︎ when he sat down under the sorting hat, he was really nervous. what if it said that he wasn't even a wizard? what if he ended up in a house that would have disappointed his family? the redhead was shaking like a leaf, even at the point that the sorting hat itself asked him to calm down to allow it to examinate him better. noriaki's terror soon disappeared, as soon as the hat spoke. "okay, okay, my guy. you can calm down. ravenclaw!"

♥︎ the two of you met for the first time in the library of the school. you were looking for a specific book, the one about the fantastic beasts of the wizarding world and where to find them, when a guy who wasn't looking where he was going, hit the ladder you were standing on, making you fall, right... in his arms. ugh, that sounded like a pathetic love story beginning. until you heard a giggle from the corner of the room. the guy that was making fun of that scene was kakyoin.

♥︎ noriaki's favourite subjects are transfiguration, since he always says he has a talent in transforming objects in what he wants, and defence against the dark arts, since he wishes to become a professor one day. why is it related to that? well, since the professors of defence against the dark arts seem to change every year for some reason, his turn will come sooner or later, or not?

♥︎ for kakyoin, it was a little bit more complicated to manifest his patronus. he kept on focusing on the technique and the way he had to move his wand, instead of focusing on his inner power and mind. but after many efforts, it finally showed up: a beautiful fox, symbol of wisdom and guidance. he told you first thing.

♥︎ noriaki will probably be the one to ask you out for a date first. but he would do it through a letter. he's smart enough to write one that will convince you that he's worth it and that he's perfect for you. the redhead can't imagine you already think of him as such. either way, the letter will be very sweer and heartfelt, even if a little bit awkward sometimes. but you'll say yes regardless, he put a lot of effort in it, and has always been respectful towards you.

♥︎ he wouldn't be much worried about you at first, hogwarts is a safe place for the students, after all, right? right? oh, what? in a bathroom the little hermione granger almost got killed by a troll? you know what, nevermind? the guy is gonna be glued to you the whole time, he'll even skip lessons for it, despite how much they mean for him. you're not gonna get attacked by anything, with him by your side.

muhammad avdol

♥︎ everyone envied him when he sat down under the sorting hat, because despite the young age at the time, he looked absolutely calm and collected. he had no anxiety, and his eyes were closed, in complete relaxation, as if him and the sorting hat had some sort of mental communication going on. his smile was endearing, his fingers intertwined in front of his chest. but the hat seemed to take a lot of time sorting him. "your heart said gryffindor, my dear boy. but your soul spoke hufflepuff to me." the hat declared. but then... "hufflepuff!"

♥︎ the two of you met for the first time on the stairs. yes, the ones that like to change. your books had fallen from your arms on the stairs, and since he was passing by, he decided to lend a helping hand. what you didn't notice, was that you were standing right between the stairs and the floor. when the stairs changed, hadn't it been for muhammad's quick reflex of pulling you on his side, you would have probably fallen down several floors.

♥︎ avdol is naturally gifted, when it comes to subjects like astronomy, or his favourite one, divination. he seems to be the only student who doesn't stare at mrs. trelawney as if she were completely crazy. the majority of the ravenclaws, his friend noriaki included, sometimes don't even listen to her. but avdol does, and he's completely in love with the subject.

♥︎ it hadn't been difficult at all for avdol, to manifest his patronus. almost natural, for him. you weren't there to witness it, but you studied and practiced with him for it several times. the last time he tried, a beautiful and graceful phoenix escaped muhammad's wand, symbol of resurrection and life after death, a patronus that the student took as a symbol of hope.

♥︎ none of you two will ask the other out for a date. the love between you and avdol would bloom spontaneously, without the need of dating. you would find yourselves behaving like a couple just naturally. he likes to give you tarot readings and to stargaze with you. the stargazing sessions are the ones that get the two of you closer to each other.

♥︎ avdol would be protective over you since the very beginning. he can sense something's off in the school, and his tarot readings about hogwarts's future keep getting darker and more mysterious everytime. but every single reading hints at an upcoming source of danger, that most likely would be voldemort, he supposes. he has to keep an eye on you. he's scared.

jean pierre polnareff

♥︎ oh boy, this guy was mad nervous when he sat down under the sorting hat. everything but slytherin, everything but slytherin. surely, he knew he wouldn't have ended up in ravenclaw. he wasn't that much of a smart guy, but he did his best. either way, everything would have been cool to him, apart from slytherin. it just didn't sit right to him. but luckily, before jean could ask the sorting hat why was it taking so long, it spoke. "okay, okay, i get it. gryffindor, no doubts!" it said, making the young wizard feel relieved.

♥︎ the two of you met for the first time while he was trying so hard to find his way to the next classroom he had to be in. the school was huge, and polnareff couldn't help but to get confused in the corridors. you offered him your help, but he tried to play it cool, running away and dropping a book. well, you would have brought it to him.

♥︎ polnareff's favourite subjects are charms and flying. they're pretty basic, but he finds them the coolest things about being a wizard. he's a huge fan of quidditch too, but he wouldn't see himself playing. flying lessons give him the same feeling of freedom though, and he loves it so much.

♥︎ it took pretty long for jean pierre to manifest his patronus. he just couldn't focus enough. you've been practising with him, and you manifested it first, so it would have been good to try to help him. until he managed to do it. from his wand, a beautiful horse was freed, a symbol of power, independence, freedom, and nobleness. you could tell jean was satisfied, and grateful to you for helping him in manifesting it.

♥︎ he'll definitely be the one to ask you out first, probably not much time after you helped him to manifest his patronus. that event made him so happy and made him grow so fond of you, that he genuinely wants to improve your relationship, and hopefully, get something more from it. hopefully your heart, hopefully a kiss. but he means it genuinely. he's not trying to exploit you to get your help with assignments. for real.

♥︎ as the years go by, polnareff would start noticing hogwarts isn't the same place that it's always been, or that dumbledore claimed it was. he grows more and more protective of you, every year a worse mess happens, and it's always connected to voldemort. he's not liking it at all. not to mention you're worried, since the gryffindors seem to be pretty involved in it. more than you and jean pierre like to admit. he knows something he's not telling.

joseph joestar

♥︎ in his youth, when he sat down under the sorting hat, he didn't give a shit of what house he would have been sorted in, all he wanted was just start learning magic stuff. joseph was laughing with some handsome boys and pretty girls at the table, and was hoping it wouldn't take long to sort him, his adventure had just started. but the hat actually took really little time to figure out where he was gonna go. "slytherin." it announced, almost immediately.

♥︎ going through the corridors of hogwarts reminds him of many years ago, when you first met. he would never forget the way you told him to go fuck himself, while he was just standing on a chair, reminding everyone that him and his best friend of the time, a young lucius malfoy, were the best kind of wizards because they were purebloods. that was a bunch of bullshit he truly used to believe. luckily, he grew up to understand it wasn't true.

♥︎ now, joseph is a teacher. the last student you would have expected to become one, but he did. a teacher of defense against the dark arts, and he's not planning on leaving anytime soon. he'll keep his eyes open, he heard teachers have been disappearing every year. not to mention a lot of scary stuff is happening at hogwarts. he didn't choose a good time to work.

♥︎ he's always been a quick learner, and he managed to manifest his patronus quicker than many of his classmates. a really cool eagle, a symbol of truth, majesty, strength. despite his attitude, it was clear that joseph was a good wizard, it had to be given to him. and you grew to be into it. to admire it. he secretly liked you, too.

♥︎ joseph took the first step towards you, but he didn't quite ask you out, let's say that to keep his cool, he TOLD you that you and him were gonna date. as if to announce you. you were okay with it, and didn't accept just because you were feeling forced. you accepted because you liked him, and recognized it as a great opportunity to get closer to him. you would have worked on improving the romantic field throughout your relationship.

♥︎ now that he's a teacher, he has to recognize that there's so much going on, that the students do not see. joseph is acknowledged about how dangerous the situation is getting, and more than ever, he reaches out to you, or phones you, no matter the fact that you're working. everyone is talking about voldemort, and he doesn't like the smallest bit of it. he just wants to make sure you're safe.

𝐌𝐘 𝐋𝐀𝐃𝐘. ━━ ❦ caliban, the prince of hell.

𝐀/𝐍— ❦ hi! this is my first caliban imagine in almost over a year n omg it feels so amazin writing for my baby again... hope y’all like this. also, i changed the request just the tiniest bit... there is fluff, but it also got a lil dirty in some parts? sorry, anon! anyways, please reblog, like n share if you enjoyed this lil thing. also, feedback is very much appreciated! thank you for reading.♡

𝐑𝐄𝐐𝐔𝐄𝐒𝐓— ❦ ANON ASKED; Can I please request a Caliban imagine where the reader (female) is mortal but he’s superrrr whipped for her and calls her “my lady” and keeps saying how much he loves her and is just really sweet to the reader??? Thank you. Xx // also, you may send in a request(s) here.

𝐒𝐔𝐌𝐌𝐀𝐑𝐘— ❦ caliban, the prince of hell, is totally whipped for his girl, you.

𝐏𝐀𝐈𝐑𝐈𝐍𝐆— ❦ caliban x fem!reader.

𝐖𝐀𝐑𝐍𝐈𝐍𝐆𝐒— ❦ 18+! slut shaming! fluff n mentions of sexual themes! adult language! & any grammatical mistakes are my own!

𝘮𝘢𝘴𝘵𝘦𝘳𝘭𝘪𝘴𝘵.

♡࿐ Caliban was in love. No, scratch that. He was so fucking in love, it hurt. The whole ‘love’ thing was new to him, like a foreign language one was just beginning to learn. Once he started feeling this strange emotion, it was like he became a whole new person. In his eyes, he saw himself as a better, new and improved version of himself.

Caliban always thought love to be a weakness, that he didn’t need it or that he felt it wasn’t worth his time. But with you, it was different. It felt different. Because of you, he was in love. Happily so, might I add. The two of you have only been dating for a little less than a year, but unholy Satan, it felt like decades had passed. It was like the two of you knew each other for centuries.

In all honesty, Caliban thought he would’ve been alone for all of eternity, which at the time, he was perfectly content with the thought of that. At least, before you – he was used to bringing whores to his bed chambers every night. Whilst he enjoyed himself most of the time, when he grew bored and had no more desire for said whore any longer – he’d either toss them aside, or kill them.

Although, now was different... All because of you. Speaking of you, Caliban had just finished ordering one of his most trusted followers to bring you to his chambers – and shall there be even a single scratch on you, he’d tear them apart limb by limb and watch with glee as their souls burned in the pits of Hell. “My Lord, as you requested, here is Lady –“

“Yes, yes – Beelzebub, you may go. Now.” Caliban commanded carelessly, looking up to see you stepping around Beelzebub cautiously, your eyes lighting up at the sight of him. Caliban smirked, standing up from the leather chair he was resting on, tossing the book he was reading aside and rushing towards you, wrapping you in his strong arms. Beelzebub bowed respectfully, but not before throwing you a disgusted look on his way out, the large wooden doors slamming shut behind him.

“Caliban,” you greeted, your heartbeat starting to race. You felt like a lovesick fool. “I – I can’t believe..why d-did you...?” you stuttered, craning your neck back to look up at the handsome Prince. “I can’t believe you sent one of the Plague Kings to come and get me,” you gasped, sounding like you were trying to keep that information strictly a secret. “You know I’m not supposed to be down here and what if –“

Caliban smiled down at you, quickly silencing your worried ramblings as he bent his knees down slightly to press his lips against yours, both of his hands reaching up to cup your face, your lips meeting in a frenzied, passionate kiss. You practically whimpered into the kiss, parting your lips as you felt your boyfriends tongue run across your bottom lip, knowing what he sought out for. Once your lips parted, Caliban wasted no time in slipping his warm tongue inside of your mouth, tasting you and groaning at how sweet you tasted, both of his thumbs lovingly stroking each of your warmed cheeks as he kissed you senseless.

“I missed you,” Caliban groaned into the kiss roughly, suggestively grinding his hips into your pelvis. You giggled in response, running your tongue along his, your teeth slightly clashing together with his, but neither of you cared enough to stop. You two could never get enough of each other – ever.

Your hands ran up to tangle themselves into his dirty blond hair, digging your fingernails into his scalp, causing him to hiss in pleasure. “I missed you more,” you breathed, before opening your mouth wider for him, feeling Caliban’s tongue run over the roof of your mouth. Next, he started slowly sucking on your tongue, swirling your tongue around with his, almost choking you in the process with how long his tongue was, but you didn’t care. If you had it your way, you’d never stop kissing him. Fuck, he tasted amazing... like spearmint gum and some sort of sugary sweet, he tasted delicious.

Then, Caliban began to run both of his warm hands down your sides, gripping and squeezing and touching and – fuck. He was so amazing and perfect. You loved him so much, he drove you absolutely mental sometimes. His hands were so big and strong and you were so obsessed with them when they were caressing you, you swear the feeling of his skin on yours was pure euphoria.

“My Lady,” Caliban murmured, trailing his lips to the corner of your mouth, then to your cheek, kissing it tenderly. “My Lady, my lady, my lady...” Caliban praised, causing your stomach to erupt in butterflies and your pussy to start gushing uncontrollably, knowing how much it drove you wild when he called you his lady, like you were royalty. Which, in his eyes, you were. You were his, always.

Caliban’s lips moved down to your neck, kissing the skin underneath your ear so gently that it barely felt like he was doing anything, while his hands were now firmly massaging and gripping your ass through your tight jeans. “Caliban,” you sighed, growing frustrated, your pussy now starting to clench down on nothing but thin air. You wanted him, you wanted him so badly you thought you’d snap any second.

It’s been days since he last visited you in your bedroom in the Mortal realm, and he fucked you so good and hard that night that the next day, you could barely walk. That night he was absolutely feral, he wasted no time in fucking your brains out, and you could’ve sworn you felt his cock in your guts as he pounded into you from behind that night. Although, that goes without saying that hours before, he was a complete tease. Eating you out for hours without letting you cum, which made you annoyed and crazy and you really thought you’d start crying hysterically if he didn’t quit his teasing then. Luckily – for the both of you – he did, and he – of course – slowly and sensually slid his cock deep inside of you, before fucking you like a good little slut.

Caliban loved you, there was no denying it. He’d do just about anything for you if you asked him, and he could be so sweet and charming, and most of the time so cruel, just the way you liked him to be. But praise Satan, he knew how to fuck you just right, like when to be soft and gentle and affectionate, with a dark twist of being rough and quick and downright sinful. You swore it was a talent only he possessed, which wouldn’t be a total shock since he did live in and helped rule Hell sometimes.

“My Lady,” Caliban sighed, grabbing your attention as you came back down to – well, Hell – and looked back up at him, snapping out of your sexual daydream. “Hmmm?” you questioned, batting your eyelashes up at the scowling Prince. Fuck, he was so pretty. The Prince of Hell smirked down at you, reaching one hand up to gently grasp your chin with long fingers, holding it as he examined your pretty face up closely and rubbed his calloused thumb over your swollen, bottom lip.

“Was my angel daydreaming again?” he chastised, his tone sickly sweet, as if he were talking to a five year old girl. You were always so fucking cute, playing dumb and naïve, but he knew you knew better. And oh, oh – he was teasing you, the bastard. Two can play that game. As expected though, your plans always seemed to backfire on you as you unconsciously started to rub your clothed thighs together desperately, knowing what was about to come.

Fuck the consequences.

So, you played along, praying that he would have mercy on you tonight. “No, my Lord, I’d never disobey –“ Caliban snorted, cutting you off completely as you amused him at your failure of attempting to lie to him. Him, of all people. Caliban chuckled, shaking his head fondly and kissing your lips once more, making you respond instantly as you stood on the tips of your toes, kissing him back eagerly. Your arms reached up to wrap themselves around his neck once more, pulling him so close that both your chests were pressed so tightly together, your hearts beating against one another’s as one.

Before speaking, Caliban wrapped you tightly in his arms, interlocking his fingers together behind your back, resting his interlocked hands right above your ass. “My Lady, I thought you learned your lesson the other night,” Caliban spoke in false kindness, leaning down to lightly drag his tongue along the shell of your ear. You hummed quietly, tilting your head slightly to give your boyfriend more access, feeling excitement flow throughout your body. Or, were you just a horny little slut, like your boyfriend said you were?

Caliban paused, taking in a short breath, feeling his cock harden almost unbearably at the thought of punishing you again, just like a couple of nights ago. “Bad girls don’t get to cum unless they tell the truth. And you, my lady – have sinned.”

fin

hihi!! i've had my fun with the headcanon prompt meme, so i just had to come pass some along :)

can i request ☾ [sleep headcanon] and ♡ [romantic headcanon] for jumin if you don't mind? thank you <3!!

hello my friend. sorry im a big fat procrastinator!! your request is granted.

Sleepy Jumin ☾

☾ He is all about having a regulated and healthy sleep schedule. He tries so so so hard to get at least 7 hours in, but honestly he falls behind quite often.

☾ He works late a lot! He can get super sleep deprived… Sometimes so much so that he won’t even notice how tired he is until he finally sits down at home and just immediately knocks out

☾ Night time is a relaxation period. Especially in the hours before going to bed. He probably will make some toast, have a cup of tea, and he definitely reads almost every night before going to sleep.

☾ He looooves dreams!! They’re on par with his fascination for black magic— because dreams are magical! He knows exactly what sleep positions promote certain types of dreams, so his positions change up a lot.

☾ For the most part, he’s a side sleeper. Half of his face is sorta smushed up against his pillow (very cute!) and he wakes up with INTENSE bed head (also cute!). 100% talks in his sleep too

☾ There is no big or little spoon. He basically just clings onto you like velcro throughout the night. He ALSO probably takes up a lot of the bed space since he is constantly moving closer and closer to you lol

Romantic Jumin ♡

♡ He is known for his love language of gift-giving— this is true. He loves to give. Yes, he buys you things a lot. But, he is also very artistic and creative, something a lot of people forget about.

♡ He likes to MAKE things for you. Food is one of them. He is constantly learning how to cook food you like, constantly trying to improve his recipes, and always always always does an incredible job. He likes to make everything into cute shapes too! Like cat shaped pancakes, heart cookies, or something as simple as a salad with a tomato smiley face.

♡ He learned origami, and every now and then you’ll see him whittling away at some scrap paper. He leaves it for you to find around the house, or he just gives it to you after he makes it. Every time he hands it over he looks so bashful, full of pride and love.

♡ Yes, he’s stoic. And charming and a smooth talker— but he is definitely easily flustered. Anything you say could make his heart melt and his face flushed.

♡ Addicted to your affection— all he ever wants is to hold you, cuddle, touch, hold hands, etc. He loves to play with your hair and if you play with his he is literally going to purr lol. He LOVES it.

♡ Would do absolutely anything with or for you with no doubt in his mind. He is softer than others think— they only see his CEO facade but he is so much more than that!

Futures Past pt15 / on AO3

Nie Huaisang returns to the Unclean Realm after his failed year in Gusu

The Unclean Realm, usually a noisy place, had fallen nearly entirely silent as most of the disciples and quite a few servants gathered around its gate. They were all careful to keep a respectable distance from the gate in question, in case things went wrong, but still did their best to be close enough to get a good view. Not that it was particularly necessary to be near enough to hear what was happening. Nie Mingjue had a voice that carried, and it only got worse when he was angry at his brother.

Which he currently was, of course, and for good reason everyone thought. After all, Nie Huaisang had just returned from his time studying in the Cloud Recesses, though he’d apparently done little learning there.

But it wasn’t his failure to pass his exams that had his brother so upset. It was more the fact that on the way back home, Nie Huaisang had decided to leave on his own and disappeared for well over three weeks. The other Nie disciples travelling with him had just found a note on his bed one morning announcing that he didn’t feel like going home yet. They had panicked and sent an urgent message to their sect leader, who had also panicked and launched a search for his brother, in vain.

“You could have been kidnapped!” Nie Mingjue shouted at his brother, who had arrived that morning, looking as careless as if he’d just been gone for a shichen on an errand. “You could have been attacked by bandits! Did you even have your sabre with you?”

“Of course I did!” Nie Huaisang exclaimed, patting the weapon at his waist. “What was I going to do, walk around?”

“It would have been safer than flying in your case! What if you’d fallen?”

Nie Huaisang rolled his eyes. His cultivation had actually improved quite a bit while he was in the Cloud Recesses, if only because the Lans didn’t let him avoid training as much as his brother did. He was even quite close to forming a golden core, something he’d more or less given up on, and for which he hoped he’d get praised, whenever his brother calmed down enough to hear the news. So while he wasn’t the strongest of flyers, he was doing much better than he used to.

Not that Nie Mingjue was in any mood to hear that.

“I was careful, I swear,” Nie Huaisang sighed. “You’re always saying I should be more independent anyway!”

“Independent, not reckless! And who’s that?” Nie Mingjue roared, pointing at the person next to his brother.

That had been the question on everyone's mind since Nie Huaisang had arrived a little earlier, a boy much younger than himself walking at his side, but so far Nie Huaisang had avoided answering.

“Oh, that’s Xue Yang,” Nie Huaisang cheerfully announced, patting the young boy’s shoulder. “I picked him up along the way. You should test him, I really think he’s going to be a great cultivator someday! Xue Yang, that’s my brother, say hi to him?”

Xue Yang threw Nie Mingjue a very unimpressed look, and gave a half-hearted bow.

“It's an honour to meet Nie zongzhu,” he said with some uncertainty, probably wishing he hadn't been so close while Nie Mingjue shouted at his brother like that.

“Huaisang, where did you find that child?” Nie Mingjue asked.

“It’s a long story,” his brother said.

Nie Mingjue nodded, and waited for the story in question to be told. Nie Huaisang just smiled at him.

“Are you going to tell me how you found him?” Nie Mingjue insisted when nothing more came.

“No. It’s a long story, but it’s not very interesting. He’s here now, though, so that can’t be helped.”

Hearing this, Nie Mingjue turned his attention to Xue Yang, as if hoping he might get an explanation there. The young boy just gave him a wicked smile.

“He said I’d get candies if I came,” Xue Yang said. “Am I gonna get them now or what?”

Nie Mingju’s eyes snapped back to his brother.

“Huaisang, did you steal a child by offering him treats? You realise how bad that looks?”

“It’s not stealing when it’s a person,” Nie Huaisang protested, nervously twisting his fingers for a moment before hiding his hands behind his back. “And I think children count as people, not things. Right?”

“Fine. Did you kidnap a child?”

A little embarrassed, Nie Huaisang hunched his shoulder and looked down at his feet without answering. A mistake, it turned out, because Xue Yang took that as his cue to explain things.

“It’s okay, I don’t have a family anyway,” Xue Yang announced. “He asked before taking me with him, to make sure I’m an orphan. And your brother’s nice. He took me to all those nice inns along the way, and every time he made sure I had food and a bath. He said the baths were very important.”

Nie Mingjue glared at his brother who winced because that could indeed be misunderstood. Which was exactly why Xue Yang had said it like that, he suspected. But really, Xue Yang had been in a pretty bad state when Nie Huaisang had picked him up. His hair was nearly stiff with dirty, he’d recently bled all over his clothes, and he had lice, and...

“Fine, I guess I’ll have to tell the story,” Nie Huaisang grumbled. He had already come up with a sanitised version of events that he could actually share with his brother, but it still annoyed him to not be trusted more. “So, I wanted to visit Kuizhou, you see? Everyone says the landscapes around it are so gorgeous, and so melancholic, and they are by the way. I want to go back to paint and write and…”

“Focus, Huaisang,” Nie Mingjue ordered, pinching the bridge of his nose.

“Yes, right. So, I went there,” Nie Huaisang said, playing with the hem of his sleeve. “And I was visiting and stuff, and then I see a grown man punching and kicking a kid! Just because the kid had grabbed a few things from him!”

“Yeah, it was just his purse, and there wasn’t even that much money in it,” Xue Yang helpfully provided. “Well, and a few buns from his stall, and those apples from the stall next to his, and…”

“Shut it,” Nie Huaisang hissed, before returning his attention to his brother, a bright smile on his face. “So, you always say we have to defend the weak, and nobody’s weaker than a kid, so I went to check what was going on, right? And the man told me that kid is a terrible thief that’s plaguing their town, and he’s going to beat him up until all his bones are broken and he can never bother anyone else. But it’s just a kid!”

“Yeah, I’m just a kid!”

“Shut it! Anyway, I rescued the kid, because he really was in a bad state. And then I figured, well, how can someone that’s just a kid be such a good thief, right? So I checked and he’s got good dispositions for cultivation!”

It had been a lucky realisation, because he hadn’t known for sure that Xue Yang even was meant to become a cultivator, nor a talented one for that matter. In fact, the whole thing had been unbelievably lucky. Sure Nie Huaisang had spent three whole days searching everywhere for Xue Yang, but he’d been about ready to give up when he’d finally found him in roughly the exact way he'd described.

“The local sect are a bunch of pricks who didn’t want to take him in when I asked,” Nie Huaisang explained, as if he could ever have left Xue Yang into the care of strangers who might have failed to stop him from becoming evil. “So I brought him home. He’s going to be a great disciple!”

Having listened to that story with mounting annoyance, Nie Mingjue glared at his brother.

“Huaisang, that’s…”

“You always say people deserve a chance no matter their background!”

“Oh so you do listen when I talk sometimes?”

“He’s an orphan, and he’s talented, and someone has to do something, and we can’t send him back or else he might continue stealing maybe!”

“I’ll definitely continue stealing if you send me back,” Xue Yang promised with a smirk.

Nie Huaisang glared at him. Evil or not, Xue Yang knew how to be annoying.

He also knew how to be charming, though. He’d been absolutely delightful with a bunch of people they’d met on the way to Qinghe whenever he’d thought he could get something out of it. And it had worked, too. Xue Yang had obtained a lot of sweets from a lot of people, as well as some money here and there. And that was without mentioning the stuff he’d just outright stolen, sometimes from the very people generously sharing something with him. He was a little pest, all right.

But he was smart too, smart enough to understand what an incredible opportunity he’d been given. It would have been easy for Xue Yang to run away into the night, taking with him all of Nie Huaisang’s money. He was a skilled enough thief to manage it, especially once he’d realised that Nie Huaisang wasn’t a skilled enough cultivator to pursue him. But he hadn’t, because he’d been promised a chance of becoming a cultivator if Nie Huaisang could just convince his brother.

Of course, that was a pretty big 'if'.

A year earlier, Nie Huaisang would have been certain that he could convince his brother of anything. He’d never had any reason to doubt that, not until his future self had come into his life uninvited and whispered poison to him about Nie Mingjue having a bad opinion of him. And maybe he was right, that old prick. Nie Huaisang had messed up so badly in the Cloud Recesses, failing his classes in a way most people never did. He’d shamed his sect, his clan, his brother, and now he had the galls of asking for a huge favour, as if he had any right to…

“How old are you?” Nie Mingjue asked Xue Yang, who shrugged.

“Dunno. I think I’m older than nine, maybe, ‘cause I remember that bad drought we had one year. But old Cheng says I’m probably less than twelve, ‘cause I don’t have all my teeth yet.”

To prove his point, Xue Yang clenched his jaw and bared his teeth. He was indeed missing one canine on the left, while the right one was just starting to regrow. It made for a very odd smile, and yet Xue Yang knew how to use that to look cute sometimes.

Cuteness wouldn’t work on Nie Mingjue though. Years of dealing with Nie Huaisang had made him nearly immune to it.

"What did my idiot brother tell you to convince you to come all the way here from Kuizhou?" 

"He said I'd learn to be a cultivator, and people wouldn't beat me up ever again for stealing," Xue Yang recited. "And he said I'd have to learn to be good and stuff, because it's a second chance for an honest life, and I figured, well, it's better than the streets."

Nie Mingjue nodded, though he still looked severe enough that Nie Huaisang wasn’t sure yet of his victory. 

"We have a certain way of doing things in my sect, and dishonesty isn't allowed. And I'll need to check if you can be taught at all. Come closer and give me your hand." 

Xue Yang, impossibly cocky a moment before, suddenly hesitated and glanced at both Nie brothers before hiding his hands behind his back. 

"Which hand ?" 

"Either one, it makes no difference." 

"It might a bit," Xue Yang grumbled before reluctantly raising both hands. 

Nie Mingjue frowned when he noticed that one finger was missing, but Nie Huaisang took it to be an encouraging frown and finally relaxed. It expressed concern rather than anger, and that had to be a step in the right direction. 

"That looks old," Nie Mingjue noted, grabbing Xue Yang's left hand to inspect it. "Hm. That's not neat enough to have been cut off. What happened to you?" 

"Someone's cart ran over my hand on purpose," Xue Yang muttered, trying in vain to pull his hand free. "I was little. It's fine now, I swear!"

It was far from fine, actually. Xue Yang himself might not have realised it since he was used to it, but Nie Huaisang had noticed that the young boy favoured his right hand a lot more than was normal, even for a right-handed person. In another sect, that might have been a problem. But Qinghe Nie was more martial than most others, a little more reckless too, and they had their share of cultivators who'd had nasty accidents. 

A missing finger in a stiff hand wasn't so bad compared to some people. 

"We'll have to get you a light sabre," Nie Mingjue said, mostly to himself after a quick check of the boy’s meridians. "Something you can use one-handed, like Huaisang. And I'll ask our doctor to have a look at it. It looks painful." 

"No, it's fine, I don't feel pain anymore," Xue Yang proudly announced as he pulled his hand free. "Trained myself out of it, mostly."

"You are definitely going to see Zhilan," Nie Mingjue replied, frowning harder. "Huaisang’s right, you do have potential, so we'll train you.” He turned toward their audience of disciples, and gestured for one man to walk closer. “Zonghui! Come and give that kid a tour, and a meal. When he's eaten, take him to see Zhilan, and have a bed prepared for him."

“I’m in?” Xue Yang asked, so startled that for once, he really did look his age.

He glanced at Nie Huaisang who grinned at him and nodded, then turned his eyes back to Nie Mingjue who nodded as well.

“You’re in. Go with Nie Zonghui, he’ll explain everything you need to know about being part of this sect.”

With surprising obedience that had to be a side effect of surprise, Xue Yang trotted away with Nie Mingjue’s first disciple. Nie Huaisang tried to follow, equal parts curious and worried about what might happen next if he lost sight of Xue Yang. He hadn’t taken two steps before Nie Mingjue grabbed him by the collar to stop him.

“And where are you going?”

Nie Huaisang pointed toward Xue Yang. His brother gave him a pointed look, and started dragging him in another direction, leaving him no choice but to follow or be strangled.

“I’m tired,” Nie Huaisang complained. Then, noticing that they appeared to be going toward the training grounds, he struggled against his brother’s grasp. “Wait, da-ge, I’m really tired, I mean it! We’ve had to walk so long, you know! We’ve only been able to hitch a ride on carts for some of the way, so I can’t feel my legs anymore for how much walking I’ve done lately.”

“If you’d come home directly from the Cloud Recesses, you’d have ridden in a carriage,” Nie Mingjue retorted without an ounce of pity. “Now let’s see if you’ve made any progress with your sabre, aside from using it to run away. We’re going to spar together.”

“I can’t, I’m so tired!” Nie Huaisang whined. “I’m going to die if I have to move! And you’re so much stronger than me, there’s no point in training together, the difference is too great! Da-ge, have some mercy, let me eat something first! Let me rest! And I need to change clothes too, and I really should check how my birds are, and…”

“Shut up you brat! This is your punishment for getting me so worried!” Nie Mingjue snapped, pushing his brother onto the softer soil of the training ground. “Do your warm-ups!”

“But I’m starving, da-ge!”

“That’s your own fault for running away!” Nie Mingjue replied, showing yet again he was the most cruel person in the entire world.

And yet as soon as Nie Huaisang started stretching in preparation for a friendly fight, Nie Mingjue asked a disciple to go ask the kitchens if they might send some fresh buns and a little tea that way. Aggravated as he was that his brother only cared about checking his cultivation and martial art progress, Nie Huaisang couldn’t help but smile.

After everything his older self had said about Nie Mingjue really despising him, he’d been worried that his brother would indeed be furious at him for everything he’d done, from failing his classes to forcing him to take in a miscreant. But no matter how shouty and frowny he currently was, it was clear to anyone who knew him, as his brother did, that Nie Mingjue was worried-angry rather than angry-angry.

Nie Huaisang had gambled and won, thus proving to himself that he definitely knew his brother better than his older self did.