Octopodes Nuts😊

✧･ﾟ: *✧･ﾟ:* fic masterlist*:･ﾟ✧*:･ﾟ✧

𝒛𝒉𝒐𝒏𝒈𝒍𝒊 𝒇𝒍𝒖𝒇𝒇𝒕𝒐𝒃𝒆𝒓 ✧･ﾟ: *✧･ﾟ:*

sfw | Zhongli

╰☆╮day one day two day three day four day five day six day seven day eight day nine day ten bonus 1 day eleven day twelve day thirteen day fourteen day fifteen day sixteen day seventeen day eighteen day nineteen day twenty

𝒄𝒆𝒍𝒆𝒔𝒕𝒆'𝒔 𝟏𝟎𝟎 𝒇𝒐𝒍𝒍𝒐𝒘𝒆𝒓 𝒆𝒗𝒆𝒏𝒕 ✧･ﾟ: *✧･ﾟ:*

𝒔𝒕𝒂𝒏𝒅-𝒂𝒍𝒐𝒏𝒆 𝒇𝒊𝒄𝒔 ✧･ﾟ: *✧･ﾟ:*

sfw | Kaeya

╰☆╮the flowers blossom at midnight

╰☆╮love is right next door to hate

sfw | Zhongli

╰☆╮don’t make the same mistake twice

𝒅𝒓𝒂𝒃𝒃𝒍𝒆𝒔 ✧･ﾟ: *✧･ﾟ:*

sfw | Childe + Diluc + Kaeya + Zhongli

╰☆╮wilting in the breeze

sfw | Childe + Kazuha + Kaeya + Zhongli

╰☆╮ don't waste your tears

𝒉𝒆𝒂𝒅𝒄𝒂𝒏𝒐𝒏𝒔 ✧･ﾟ: *✧･ﾟ:*

sfw | Zhongli

╰☆╮headcanons

╰☆╮more Zhongli headcanons

𝑺𝑴𝑨𝑼𝒔 ✧･ﾟ: *✧･ﾟ:*

sfw | Zhongli

╰☆╮money matters

╰☆╮lunch trumps work

𝒄𝒐𝒍𝒍𝒂𝒃𝒔 ✧･ﾟ: *✧･ﾟ:*

sfw | Zhongli & Itto

╰☆╮ elemental supercharge event (@/Zhongrin)

sfw | Zhongli

╰☆╮new beginnings collab (@/venexus)

𝐎𝐍 𝐓𝐇𝐈𝐍 𝐈𝐂𝐄 | 𝐀𝐋𝐇𝐀𝐈𝐓𝐇𝐀𝐌 𝐒𝐌𝐀𝐔

𝐆𝐄𝐍𝐑𝐄❆ Friends to lovers, angst, slow burn

𝐒𝐔𝐌𝐌𝐀𝐑𝐘❆ As a figure skater on the national team and full time student, you have a lot worry about. Namely, preparing for the upcoming Olympics and finishing your first year of college. Despite your friends’ insistence, you refuse to believe that there was enough room for love on your plate. Until now, that is.

𝐒𝐓𝐀𝐓𝐔𝐒❆ Ongoing, tag list is open

𝐏𝐑𝐎𝐅𝐈𝐋𝐄𝐒❆

𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐬 𝐢𝐬 𝐚 𝐜𝐫𝐲 𝐟𝗼𝐫 𝐡𝐞𝐥𝐩 | 𝐞𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐧𝐚𝐥 𝐝𝗼𝐮𝐛𝐥𝐞 𝐝𝐚𝐭𝐞

𝐈. 𝐢𝐭'𝐬 𝐛𝐞𝐜𝐚𝐮𝐬𝐞 𝐲𝗼𝐮'𝐫𝐞 𝐠𝐚𝐲

𝐈𝐈. 𝐧𝐞𝐰 𝐟𝐞𝐞𝐥𝐢𝐧𝐠

𝐈𝐈𝐈. 𝐬𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐞𝐞𝐧 𝗺𝐢𝐬𝐬𝐞𝐝 𝐜𝐚𝐥𝐥𝐬🫦

𝐈𝐕. 𝐡𝗼𝐰 𝐝𝐢𝐝 𝐭𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐠𝐞𝐭 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐫𝐞?

𝐕. 𝐜𝗼𝐮𝐥𝐝𝐧'𝐭 𝐰𝐚𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐛𝗼𝐚𝐫𝐝 𝐭𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐢𝐧𝐟𝗼𝐫𝗺𝐚𝐭𝐢𝗼𝐧 𝗼𝐮𝐭 𝗼𝐟 𝗺𝐞

❆𝐓𝐀𝐆𝐋𝐈𝐒𝐓 (𝗼𝐩𝐞𝐧)

@whipped-for-fictionals @makimakimi @baelloraa @softlie @starryeyedkoko @hhaithamos @alhara @duhsies @sunsethw4 @thelonelyarchon @dksfl920 @im-bili @kunitales @imkaaayy @daimiyu @nambii @istgnature @1999mercury @certaindreampost @momdancingtomcr @lady-elodie @faela404 @starbbearie @amaruthine @no3hg3nshin @deathkat657 @klementime @temshouineichi @imma-too-many-fandoms @phoenix-eclipses @hydration-is-for-weenies

head empty, only rin loving kisses and being waaaaaaay to proud (shy) to ask for them.

he would love nothing more than to be able to work up the courage to ask you to kiss him, he’s touch starved and needs constant attention, but he’d rather eat rat poison than ever confess it to you. you have the effect on him, you’ve torn down his walls and shown him all the praise and affection he is worth giving, and you’ve turned him into a sucker for kisses.

which is wonderful, since you’re so keen on giving them to him.

terrible when all he wants is a kiss and you don’t notice it.

he’s pacing back and forth in the next room, desperate, craving, needing a kiss or two on his forehead and one on his lips, in a line like you usually do. routine, is how he’d describe it, but deep down, he’ll take anything he can get. his big hands are carding through his hair, and god, he’s thrilled no one is able to see him like this.

“what’re you doing, baby?”

fuck.

except you.

he nearly leaps out of his skin as you make your way to him, and when he whips his head to face you, your brows a furrowed in concern and your arms are crossed over your chest. “you vanished,” you explain. “missed my snuggle buddy.”

“eugh,” he grumbles. “we’ve talked about the nicknames, haven’t we?” he scolds, and you merely chuckle.

“we have, i just choose to not listen to you.”

“and that’s exactly why you’re a pain in the neck.”

then, you shrug, “so im a pain, meanwhile you’re stuck in here waiting for me to come give you a kiss because you can’t ask for it?”

fuck.

he scoffs, but it’s shaky and unconvincing, “yeah right. as if id ever need something as juvenile as a kiss to lure me back. i just needed to stretch is all.”

“yeah, i’ll bet,” you snicker. then you spin on your heel, and rin feels his heart sink, “well, ill be on the couch. waiting for you.”

no, no, no, his chance is walking away from him, literally, disappearing down the hall and leaving him a yearning mess, pining for your affection that he’s just not sure how to ask for.

his head drops in disappointment, fists balling slightly, and he pouts softly like a child as he wracks his mind to try and work up the courage to go. he’s pathetic, can’t even ask for affection from his own partner, someone he sleeps next to at night and lets smear a green, cold face mask on him, someone he’s so in love with they turn him into a damn petulant child at the lack of attention, and-

“hey,” you whisper. he looks at you through his lashes, embarrassed.

you smile and toss your arms around his neck, rising up slightly to press a kiss to the apple of his cheek. his eyes blow open. then, you kiss his nose gently. his lips twitch. you plant your lips on the ticklish spot on his neck, and he jerks slightly. you giggle.

“oh, you’re so cute i can’t stand it,” you purr, kissing the other side of his cheek. “i just love loving you.” you press a kiss to his chin, and by now he’s smiling shyly, cheeks blazed in red from embarrassment and excitement for the attention he’s finally receiving. “i could just eat you up, you’re so cute.” you kiss the corner of his eye, which flutters shut in ease. “i can’t not kiss you, it’s against the law.”

finally, stiffly, his arms wrap around your waist, “who would you be to break the law?”

“i would never,” you hum, moving your hands to gently cup his cheeks, forcing him to meet your gaze. his eyes practically have little hearts in them, and a wobbly smirk is on his lips. “you want some more?”

his eyes widen again. you shush him softly, thumbs stroking over the swells of his cheeks, “just nod or shake your head, my lovey boy.”

against his own determination of ‘not needing’ your attention, he finds himself nodding in your hands, butterflies in his stomach going crazy as you smile back and continue to press kisses over his face, voice dripping with honey with every adoring coo you offer him.

cantaloupe island

atsumu miya HATES jazz. unfortunately for him, his brother is starting a new event at his restaurant. live jazz every friday night. even more unfortunately, he’s expected to help out. on the very first friday, word gets out of atsumus hatred, and the groups pianist dedicates herself to making atsumu fall in love. with jazz of course. what else?

atsumu miya x f!reader

warnings/notes: timeskip, kys jokes, lots and lots of jazz references, it comes with the territory sorry! strangers to frenemies (idk weird term) to lovers, language, alcohol, reader plays piano, jazz haters (its truly heartbreaking), smau, lots of grammar mistakes, some maybe purposeful idk yet, some written content, mostly smau though probably, check chapters for any other warnings

taglist: open! send an ask or reply to be added!

status: ongoing

intros: the osaka quintet - the goats

one: take the "A" train

two: red clay

three: coming soon.

MY DARGON BABES

ME & MY DRAGON

summary — Through the darkness of the night, his heartbeat quickened. His guilt strengthened its hold on his cloudy mind. Such weaknesses for someone supposedly as highly as him.

cw — gn!reader; they/them

includes — Neuvillette; Dan Heng (Imbibitor Lunae) with mentions of Jing Yuan and Blade, spoilers for the Xianzhou Luofu Trailblazer Quest; Malleus Draconia, mentions of Lilia but his name isn’t mentioned

notes — I just got back in all games at the same time (happy cuz burn out over, yippee ! But school restarts in one week so no yippee…) and realized I have a type and it’s the soft dragon boys

mlist

word count — 2.9k (total)

requested ? no

— NEUVILLETTE (1.0k)

Trials after trials. So many judgments that he lost count of how many of them had happened last century. In a way, he is like the waves of the ocean he belongs to. So beautiful and breathtaking. Full of grace and wonders that the most adventurous would dare to cross and defy the laws of nature itself.

Yet, under such magnificence lies something hidden for pretty sparkling eyes. Welcoming different creatures, it is bound to let the hearts of the more vulnerable drown in the everlasting depths it carries like the biggest burden. He is bound to drown himself. Letting the waves reflect his tear stained face back to him. Giving a show as the salt of his sadness mixes with the sweetness the ocean offers.

How he wishes more than once that it would carry his birder abroad. Letting every single problem swim away and get lost in the dangerous wonders its deepest parts offer. Somehow, it always fired back at him at the most inconvenient times. After all, storms are unpredictable, the same way feelings are.

Ah, feelings… Such a vast term to describe the emotions swirling around the heart. It keeps people safe to know what they are feeling, but it also blinds them to what else could be beyond it. Fearing to see the other side, fearing to be met with an unknown and transparent truth. Maybe that’s why humans lie the same way they breathe.

Perhaps, that’s what brings him closer to them. Wearing a mask to hide the everlasting flame of his sadness. If even he is capable of lying about what lies beneath his facade, then the whole world can. His own emotion is but a whole of clouds that he doesn’t dare to explore. For a being like him can also be fearful of the void calling out to him.

A hand in his hair brushes against the pale skin of his neck. His whole body trembles, from his head the the tip of his fingers clutching so tightly the clothes of his partner that his knuckles turn white. Clear tears fall on his pristine cheeks. Even in this state, he is as beautiful as he usually is. His grace unmatched even when he is the most vulnerable.

What brought those feelings out ? Their acceptance. He heard tales on how humans behave in front of the uncovered lies. Deceit gone as the naked tragedy of life is presented like a gift a husband would use to get his wife’s pardon. He didn’t wish to keep so much hidden from his lover, but he was scared to tarnish their love for him by showing them what really lay underneath the Chief Justice of Fontaine.

He prepared himself for harsh words. Even perhaps insults as they cursed his very own existence for hiding so much from them. He would have understood this outburst of emotion. However, he was met with only a tilt up of the corner of their lips. Their fingers found his in a small dance before he felt a warm palm on the already wet skin of his cheek and their lips brushing against his. He was ready for anything but that.

The previously sunny day now gone into ashes, washed away by a sudden rain that nobody understood the root of. Nobody except the one holding him. Securely hidden in his office. He barely let out any tears, only small sobs and a shaking of his body each time he sniffled spoke of the state he was in. He didn’t need to cry, as the sky seemed to weep for him at this instant.

The embrace he was buried in felt cozy, and for the first time in a while he felt safe. In the past, he would have to drown his emotions deep within himself. Letting the ocean of his consciousness carry his burdens deep within his heart. Yet, the waves that awoke by such gentleness brought up everything he had tried to settle down inside the heart he thought he had steeled.

How much of a fool was he for thinking such lies ? Of course he would never be able to do such things. He knew himself, yet he was as stubborn as ever into believing this would work. Just another problem. Then another one. Maybe a last one ? There was never a last one. He never listened to his own distress and instead started to go deeper and deeper into the abyss his own misery became with hundreds of years of repressing everything he felt.

Yet, all of it became still all of a sudden. A warmth spread from the middle of his stomach as two cozy palms rested against the wet skin of his face. Cupping his head as his gaze was forced up. His violet eyes met the gaze of his patient and loving significant other, their smile appearing like a welcoming home and a safe place for him to dive into. For the first time, his home became someone he could spend his life with instead of a plain and boring place he needed to pay for.

He didn’t fail to notice the sparkling of their own eyes. An ocean was inside of them too, yet, it didn’t stop the love in them to flow out and to give him a tender and forgiving caress on his forehead. His eyes closed at the feeling of their soft lips on his forehead. Like a blanket draped over his heart to protect it from breaking apart more than it already did.

If repenting meant loving them with all his being. Perhaps Celestia itself already saw him as a forgiven man. Because there was no doubt as his eyes opened once again. There was nothing but pure adoration and devotion. His soul yearned for everything his lover was, for everything they were, and everything they will be.

— IMBIBITOR LUNAE (1.0k)

The past hits hard. Like a slap across the heart that shakes one’s very own core and bends them down onto their knees. Waters under their feet from their own sorrow at the realization of everything they have done wrong throughout their life — and the awareness that more mistakes have yet to come.

As impassible and unaffected Dan Heng makes himself to be, he feels guilty. Having seen Jing Yuan’s sadness as he claimed to not be his past incarnation. Dan Feng — or whoever he was in his previous life — had done many atrocious things. Such as forcing the once innocent and free of burdens Yingxing into what Blade became by giving him his heart to save the person he was the closest to.

He did so many wrong things, to the point that the past came back rushing like a strong breeze screaming at the top of its lungs his wrongdoings. He spent so long running away from something inevitable that everything came crashing down when he realized that he had to face consequences. It wasn’t his intention to become a runaway, but everyone is the same. Running away from threat is a normal response — hence why the fight or flight response was created.

In the confinement of his own room, he ponders on what he once knew. Was everything he did in the past worth it ? He created a criminal by giving immortality to Yingxing. Wait, no. Dan Feng did. But… he is Dan Feng’s reincarnation. So, in a way he did it. But he’s also not him fully. It took Blade to forcefully stab him to awaken his past form. Still, the ‘real him’ was sleeping inside of himself the whole time. How can things be so complicated even for someone as knowledgeable as him ?

A groan escaped his rosy lips as his fingers ran through his tangled raven strands. All of this was giving him a headache the more he thought about it. Yet, there was nothing he could do about it. But someone else could do something about it. His whole body came to a stop as a hand fell on top of his. Pulling his fingers out of his locks and softly fixing his hair before a kiss was placed on top of his head. He could recognize that comforting presence anywhere and anytime.

An arm wrapped around his neck, pulling him back. He let himself naturally lean towards his lover. Closing his eyes, he relished in that welcoming presence he always yearned for. His head fell on their lap. He looked up, eyes widening. From his position, lights danced behind his partner as their soft eyes gazed at him. They looked like the sun he always saw them as — but he’ll always be too shy to admit it fully in their presence.

He couldn’t control his own body. An arm extending forwards as the tip of his fingers came in contact with the plush skin of their cheeks. So soft. His breath got caught in his throat when the palm of his hand fully rested against the side of their face. Their hand came on top of his. Their fingers interlaced with his briefly before their eyelids fluttered closed, eyelashes dancing with the air in the room. Leaning into his palm, he could only admire how much they looked like a deity as his eye sparkled with love and adoration.

Time seemed to have stopped at this instant. The aching pain and guilt in the man’s heart ceased as all his mind could focus on was the love that filled his stomach. Creating butterflies in his stomach that flew up in his throat and stopped him from breathing correctly. They wanted to turn into endless compliments. But talking wouldn’t be wise. Silence was of gold, and the tongue was of silver after all. He had all the years and promises the future held to shower them fully with fondness.

He only realized that their eyes reopened when he felt their fingers trace the bags under his eyes. Ah. He forgot that he lacked sleep. The burden of the past weighting on his shoulders makes him unable to close an eye at the darkest hours of the night. All he was able to do was to pound on everything that had happened the past few days and pray for it all to be a bad dream. He wasn’t a traitor. He wasn’t guilty. He didn’t do all that. He wasn’t him. He wasn’t…

Their thumb traced his nose fully. They didn’t have words, neither did he. The two of them had their tongues tied in front of everything that was now naked in front of the whole world. Both arms wrapped around his neck, hands clasped together above his chest. Feeling everything deep down him. Every drop of his distress and the misery he currently felt was unfolded just by the quick and messy pattern of his beating heart.

An apology was muttered. No one was at fault here. Both were on the same level. Sinners who didn’t know anything about the world. For the guilt ate them out from the inside like the plague that devoured their mind and rationality. Lowering their head. Yet, no kiss was given. For those lips did nothing but utter lies all throughout their respective lives. Such deceit didn’t deserve love, nor affection.

He felt the need to comfort their fears. As two sinners, guilty of crimes the past let resurface in the saddest parts of the day. Their heartbeat now matched as his hand found the way to their hair. Both let out a breath they were holding at the same time, and their lips finally met. A drop of wet salt falling on his cheek as another fell directly from his eyes. The past set ablaze misery in their heart, but perhaps, the ocean that joined their souls together would destroy it back to dust as it was before those unfortunate events took place.

— MALLEUS DRACONIA (0.9k)

Another storm. Black clouds covering the sky as a green storm was preparing to flash down. All it needed was a spark. The drop of a tear coming from the fae who was calling himself lonely. Living alone was taking a toll on him. No matter how many people he used to know stayed by his side, the fearful stares of the outside placed an irreparable sadness in his very being.

He was sorry. But of what ? It wasn’t his fault and those who knew him were aware of this truth. He didn’t decide to be born with such strength. He didn’t decide to be born in such conditions. Stripped away from his family because of a stupid war, left in the hands of a general who at that time didn’t know what love was. As for him, taking care of the newly born prince was more of a duty than a way for him to know the true meaning of fondness and peace.

He doesn’t deserve all of that. Clutching at his own pillow out of frustration as he tries to calm down his own fury. He knows the wonders of his own magic. He doesn’t want to give them another reason to be afraid. For he means no harm, and all he wishes for are people he would have the luxury to call his friends. He learnt everything from his caretaker except on how to show the harmlessness of his heart.

His mind was clouded with ways to repent himself from what he didn’t commit. He was so deep in his own distress that he didn’t hear the creaking of the door, nor did he notice the figure entering slowly so as to not startle him. Startling him, such a joke for the outsiders. All he was for them was a cold and vicious monster who knew no fears. But the heart that longed for his love knew all better, as he was more human than some who were born humans.

Fingers carefully took the blanket and moved it. Claiming on the bed behind the weeping dragon, his face hidden in his pillow as he hugged it close. Their eyes immediately caught the tail that he didn’t hide in the safety of his own chambers. It was wrapped lazily around his own arm to make sure it won’t bother him — or them. In his heart, he knew they would come, but he wasn’t so sure.

Yet, his doubts were calmed down as two arms came around his torso. His hold on the poor pillow faltered. The comfort already going through his whole system. They were here. They came. He didn’t care if it was because someone called or if they saw the storm approaching by themselves. All he cared about was the presence of the one he yearned for next to him. But he didn’t look back, nor did he move from his current spot.

His tears were his weakness. He wouldn’t let anyone see them under any circumstances, not even the one the closest to his heart. They didn’t mind that. They knew of the insecurities and problems that plagued his mind. As much as he brushed them off usually. They saw the envious gaze as he looked at two friends chatting. The clenching of his jaw when a party was mentioned anywhere near him. The urge to walk away when people cowered in fear once they recognized his impressive figure.

He was currently a mess. The whole opposite of the prince he was. A crying dragon, reduced to tears as he started to doubt his own values. If people feared him, how would he rule and impose himself as the king ? Would his subjects like him ? Or, would they fear him like the humans he lived with in this school ? Listening to his orders because they would be scared of facing punishments rather than following what their hearts desired.

Their fingertips traced the side of his face. Brushing the hair away. Eyeing the dragon scales on his skin that were now uncovered. Such a pretty boy. Who would even find someone like him scary ? His height sure is impressive, but it just hides a heart as whole and big of love as the world — if not bigger. Their lips came in contact with the dark scales, giving him a well–deserved kiss. Right instantly, he reached back. Wrapping his tail around their waist before moving them in front of him. His arms went around their neck as he grabbed a handful of their hair.

He was gentle as he put their face into the crook of his neck. They smiled, it was his silent way to beg for comfort. He never learnt properly how to love in the past, so he does what he can to show his care and love, even with the state he’s currently in. The world doesn’t deserve him in the slightest bit. They obliged to his request, closing their eyes and nuzzling into him as their fingers found his collar. Another small kiss on his throat and they felt the skin heat up slightly. A hum left their mouth, a smile plastered on their face. At last, he was back to his usually affectionate self.

Taglist; @zimelu-eloni-nova-lycan

Hi if you dont mind even its temporarily posted to your page can you please consider sharing and extending your support to help me relocate to a safer place(Egypt). I need help immediately.Thank you from the bottom of my heart

!¡PLEASE SUPPORT PEOPLE WHO ARE CORNERED IN GAZA AND OTHER TARGETED PLACES TO BE ASSISTED TO SAFETY¡!

⭒ㅤwhose (not) random kid

premise. crash landing from the future is apparently your kid, not that you know that anyway... in the form of a mixture between you, and your... supposed counterpart, clues are bound to pile up as to whose child this is.

parts. rosehearts, kingscholar, ashengrotto, al asim, schoenheit, shroud, draconia

cont. gender neutral reader, use of 'mada' which is just 'mama' and 'dada' cut in half for our resident shrimp (aka yuu), a yummy 5.8k words that I did not expect to get this long lol

note. I only have a rough outline of what's going to be included with the others parts after the names of the kids lol. I'll probably write leona's as usual after this but I can't promise I'll release one more part after his this month, the rest will probably come next month considering I'm bombarded sadge. paper defense, then final exams next month save me

also hello! my unnofficial: I'll try to post more

late edit: comment if you want to get tagged <3

riddle

when you slid a foot over the portal to heartslabyul there’s some sort of a strange–inexplicable air that surrounds it. usually the dimension is light to be in, unlike the tingling feelings of being in octavinelle or the eeriness of ignihyde. all dormitories had their own particular sensation that weighs on you depending on where you were.

you squinted, deciding to shrug it off. there was no way you had a sixth sense for feeling in the literal air!

barely a foot in though, was something you could only explain as an army of card… soldiers trudging from the other end of the sidewalk to the next. dumbly, you stopped right in front the shimmering portal that settles into a smooth sheen of silver behind you as they just kept coming.

they seemed to be looking for something–or whatever but you don’t really want to know what so you slowly inched to the side, hoping to sneak past them even if you had to go into one of the confusing mazes (which was a struggle considering you’re trying not to laugh as one of them trips).

must be ace’s wretchedness rubbing off of you.

the real question was, where in the seven were your resident idiots? you’d already sent a text over for your impromptu visit to the chat consisting of you three and figured they had seen it like they usually do then waited for you with feigned begrudging-ness that does not fit well with them showing up in the first place. 

you fish for your sad excuse for a phone in your pocket, cater’s words not yours. you’re more busy trying to merge your backside as you shuffle and pull up the chat to notice the ever nearing edge of the hedge wall that makes you stand out in comparison to the lighter shade of green brushing against your uniform.

not deuce: you guys ever notice the card soldiers infestation near ur mirror portal…?

not ace: you nedea to RNR RUN RN!!

not yuu: what???

there’s not much time to ponder about the cryptic, seemingly panicked expression of deuce’s message as you looked up from your phone, feeling a slight chill crawl up to your spine like you attracted some sort of unwarranted trouble that is also unwanted.

disclaimer: you (uu) did

“over here!” an unfamiliar voice yells, freezing you in your tracks just when you were about to make the sneak of the century. without a moment’s hesitation you darted deeper into the maze and shoved your device within the confines of your pockets as you held in a mortified scream at the sudden mob upon your tail as you ran.

WHY WAS THERE SO MANY? you yelled in your mind. number one rule in horror games don’t look back. don’t look back. don’t look back–

oh sevens you’re looking back.

the decision immediately fills you with regret when you spot the diabolical amount of card soldiers trailing after you like you just slaughtered their queen in front of whatever kingdom they came from! was this someone’s unique magic? there was no way riddle would let this sort of thing go rampant on his dorm!

you almost keel over in shock when the pointy end of a heart on the end of a pole sticks right on the patch of grass you just barely managed to trudge across with increasingly heavier steps. maybe you should actually take jack’s offer to join track and field–your stamina is horrible–you’re gonna get stabbed.

goodbye world. you thought warmly with a chorus of pants.

a deeper voice bellowed from the crowd from your behind. “three of hearts! are you thin-headed? do not harm the majesty!” the steps behind you stop almost abruptly, and you don’t stop running even as the voices fade. idiots for choosing to chastise their idiotic comrade but you’re not complaining as long as you get away from this horrid situation.

your majesty what now?

you don’t know how far you ran by sticking to all left turns until you flop down on the entrance of the maze, the archway barely offering you any relief as you took deep breaths and fought the urge to lay down on the grass and hope it camouflages your grey uniform.

that won’t work but you’re coping at this point.

not deuce: HELLO  I ALMOST GOT SKEWERED BY LITERAL CARDS?

not yuu: that’s a humiliating way to go down from

not ace: don’t be insensitive ace! are you ok?!

not deuce: NO? WHAT IS GOING ON

not yuu: riddle got dethroned and i'm not even happy

not yuu: it's the absolute WORST AT THE DORM!

not yuu: you better turn back rn and get away from ‘labyul coz it’s getting run by a kid

not deuce: BACK INTO THAT DEATH MOB? no thanks

not ace: yuu brace up, cater texted that the new boss is on his way to you

not yuu: F for yuu

not ace: F

not deuce: F u

what you expect to be the final boss of your life, you guess from the approaching pairs of footsteps nearing your defeated form sprawled across the flecks of grass and still heaving comes in a surprising form of softness, and youth.

“mada.” 

the blueness of the sky is shadowed by a tiny little head peering over your head. you’re startled by the tuff of red hair, and familiar pair of eyes which was strange, considering you have never seen this kid in your life. this was the new queen of heartlsabyul? you thought incredulously, since when were kids allowed in nrc…?

the thought was a breeding ground to raise the most evil person on the planet, considering the equally as evil people in night raven.

out of habit from the familiar chubby, round face you blurted: “riddle?”

the child blinked before they shook your head. “I am not papa.” their lips twitched into a small smile directed to you. if taken a closure look, this child’s resemblance with riddle really is uncanny. from the hair, even to a small golden crown sitting primly on the middle of their head. “mada, I am glad I found you. I have not seen papa yet.”

was this season 5 of stranger things?

they straightened. attention straying from you as you glanced to the other pairs of legs, whom you put a face to quickly. trey and cater both cast you a look of exasperation and pity.

then done like a true riddle–their face does a complete 360 and curls into anger as they stared off inside the maze. “all of you!” the tiny child rages with a concerning… change of color around their cute face, fingers pointed accusingly. how can a child be so horrifyingly scary?

the two third years do not mirror your confusion as you sat up, following the kid’s gaze to the archway where a myriad of thundering footsteps almost have you scampering away if not for them laying a small hand on your shoulder and somehow managing to ground you to stay still.

whose kid is this? you looked to cater who shakes his head uselessly

then to trey who wore a resigned smile.

the child’s brow twitches when the card soldiers lined up obediently. “I thought I had made it clear you not hurt mada.” they seethed, voice tilting in clear threat and a I demand you! sort of way. the card solider, three of hearts who had scared the living soul out of you trembled less subtle compared to the other guards.

of course this child had to get more terrifying by being observant, they caught the shiver of one soldier and narrowed their eyes. “ah, found the culprit. three of–”

trey shuffles forward with an awkward laugh that belies his usual laid back with–on his face is a twinge of concern as he raises his palms in a placating gesture. he steps forward three more times, sliding between the child and the line of soldiers but keeping the distance warily. “hey, kid. maybe we can discuss this with some tarts, and some tea?” he tries. children love sweets, right?

they keep their head level despite the astounding height difference. “I told you, uncle trey! being called ‘kid’ is disorderly! It's alice!” still, despite the brief protest their eyes sparkled with interest at the notion, even if they seemed a bit embarrassed to admit it. “i’m not supposed to eat sweets on mondays.” 

“huh.” cater mumbled before the thin line of his lips rose into a familiar grin. “as in, rule 102 of the queen?” he queries with a nervous slide of his fingers through his hair. he’s not so obvious to directly state that he’s tiptoeing around… alice but a bit of months knowing him, you can tell.

alice nods along. they no longer look as bothered as before, the card soldiers all slump their tense shoulders a little when alice shifts their piercing gaze from the three of hearts before settling onto cater, who they offer a brief nod of agreement before returning back to trey.

well, a kid is a kid. 

“but i can eat sweets on tuesdays.” they added hastily. like they don’t want the notion of trey’s treats slipping from their fingers but that would be strange, if the look of confusion you three share with each other you would have thought trey had initially baked for alice based off the tone of wistfulness in their tone.

trey smiles at them. “tomorrow it is.” reassured by their sheepish innocence he stops in front of them and grasps their shoulders, turning them away from the stiff soldiers. alice spares a brief glance at them. “what about these rule breakers?”

you stood up fully. “uh, don’t worry, they didn’t do anything wrong. i ran for too long.” you supplied in defense. if anything , a resemblance to riddle of all people meant that they could have the head offing in their blood. you did not want to stick around to find out, neither did cater.

alice considers you for a moment with a small sparkle in their eyes, with a wave of the small wand that maternalized in their hand, the soldiers fade into glittering spots of gold. only then do they let trey lead them back to the main pathway towards the dormitory of heartslabyul.

you fall into step behind cater who probably sees the question in your eyes so he lowers his voice discreetly, glancing at the back of trey who keeps the child’s bay attention so they don’t notice you two slowing down a little. nonetheless, still walking.

“that was little alice’s unique magic.” he says to you with a shrug, sighing after a glance at the former’s small, regal form. “pretty overpowered… kind of like my split card but less cute, and more dangerous.”

he winked, you frowned.

in front of you two, alice seems tame in comparison to the subtle bribing of trey questioning about their favorite sweets as you all finally reached the nearing entrance of the main dormitory

“where’s riddle?” you questioned.

he pursed his lips, navigating though the fountain in front of the dorm. “last i know, he went out early to campus cause of a meeting with his club for the upcoming NRC tour festival…” 

oh, right. I have not found papa. alice’s voice echoes in your mind, so you echo the question that appears in your mind right after the memory. “alice called riddle ‘papa’ which i’m pretty sure is a term for a parent…” you trailed off. riddle seemed to be the least likely person to have a secret love child of some sorts, he seemed like he had most of his life planned out.

if riddle bent over backwards for his rules then he wouldn’t stray from the path he had set.

there’s a flash of interest in cater’s eyes, it was already there before, just dwindled. you watch it spark to life. akin to lighting some sort of fire within the guy, a gossipmonger at heart as he leaned in eagerly just as you both trudged up the stairs to the front doors who opened politely, and closed behind you as you walked in the main hall of heartslabyul.

“they look, and act like riddle!” he chuckles. “imagine our shock when alice popped up straight out of nowhere with an army at their beck and call.” cater clutched onto his arms, and shivered. you leaned away when he reaches his arms out to you in a teasing manner.

he adds. not at all offended by the way you scrunch your face at his ‘affections’. “they seem to listen to you though. like someone.”

you only regard him with an impassive raise of your brows. “i don't think so. riddle doesn’t listen to anyone. much less me.” befuddled by the mere idea, you scoffed. in all your magic-less glory, the best thing you might have achieved here in this other dimension was having the ability to wake leona kingscholar up from one of his power naps.

cater doesn’t seem to agree. only sighing at you from what it seems to be an of course. “only you can be so oblivious to the chaos you leave behind.” he says in response, making an exaggerated show of peering behind your shoulder and widening his eyes in feigned shock.

you humor him as you turned your head. the scene of the main entrance of the dormitory was the only answer to your eyes as you both walked into the living room–where little alice sits alone. you caught a glimpse of trey’s dark hair as he disappeared into the kitchen, most likely going off to make her a treat.

vaguely unsure if the male had heard him, cater calls out a “make us some too!”

“not my fault the students here are so… unstable.” you remarked with a roll of your eyes. remembering the overblots to be the most plausible reference to the chaos cater was talking about as you begrudgingly sat down on the couch and reeled in any other remarks for the child in the room.

who was now shuffling closer to your seated frame even if they thought they were being subtle in the movement.

what was two seats in the space between you and alice eventually became none at all, as they settled beside you and peered up with innocent eyes.

you tilted your head at them, alice copies the movement.

then to the other side.

they mirror the lull of your head.

“besides those.” cater cleared his throat after a bewildered glance at the child. “what’s more impressive is that you’re still here, yuu-yuu. night raven is like… a pack of wolves trying to run you off crying, and you? you’re a very weird sheep.”

still a bit enraptured on this child, you replied without your stare wavering from the roundness of alice’s cheek as you reached up to pinch it. to yours, and cater’s surprise. their previous cute ferociousness is not present at all as they leaned against the warmth as though instinctive. “i didn’t do anything.”

you don’t entertain the accusing look in cater’s eyes.

“if that was you not trying to beast tame the school then i don’t know what’ll happen if you put in the effort.”

you both lapse into silence as cater–who seemed to sense the finality of the conversation lets it slip fully and instead, busies himself with the entertainments his phone provided. you redirect your full attention onto the elusive red-headed alice.

“so,” you started. “how did you end up here? must be a great feat if you were able to go past the barriers.”

alice curls their fingers within the fabric of your blazer, inspecting it as they reply softly. “i’m not sure, mada. i was just sleeping, and woke up in a garden. the hedgehogs showed me the way after i offered them a caterpillar.” they do not mention a bleary moment in their sleep where they curiously wondered how you and riddle came to be as they drifted off. “as pertaining by rule 210… if you are lost in a maze, give the hedgehogs an offering and they shall show you the way.”

you can’t help but let your mind drift over to riddle, who echoes the rules to be followed when mentioned.

your lips twitch into a smile, much to the delight of alice. “strange indeed. must have been scary.”

their eyes squinted. “i’m not scared.”

you chuckled and pinched their cheek. they pout.

“where are you from?” you ask instead, wanting to know more about the.. figurative alice from nowhere. 

alice looks at you strangely.

“from the queendom of roses…” could they simply be a relative of riddle’s? you thought mindlessly. drawing your fingers through the surprising soft red locks who seemingly part eagerly for your touch. “with my mada, and my papa. sometimes my uncles visit.”

unsure of how to reply, you merely nod along. parting their hair by half and twisting it into a braid. “you called me mada.” you hummed.

“because you are my mada.”

she says like it’s the only thing that makes sense in her small world, not relinquishing her grip on your blazer but instead tugging at the wrists to expose the small slither of skin and hold onto it. clingy. you thought, deciding not to question it.

… was this your freaking kid?

the smell of strawberries wafts over the space of the living room alongside the ticking of the oven–momentarily taking both alice, and cater’s attention. the latter stretches before standing to stride over to the source of the smell, no doubt requesting trey to change the taste once more.

alice’s eyes, like yours slid to your own. a bit shy in their demeanor as they clutched onto the skin of your wrist. “can i eat some of uncle’s tarts?” they queried under your breath, only meant for you alone. you felt a bit confused but nodded nonetheless. 

their lips twitched into an eager smile before it settles into a more controlled look of impassiveness.

that was adorable. you thought, unable to resist leaning down to scoop them into your arms as you stood. alice makes a sound of brief surprise before their arms loop around your neck. they sat pliantly still as you walked over to follow cater inside the kitchen, catching a glimpse of your scent that they sought for, so alice nuzzles their face into the warm pulse on your neck.

trey glances up from the animated retelling of cater about the crazy day. “new responsibility?” he wore a humored smile, apron long discarded and folded over the handle of the oven for the meantime.

if riddle saw this, he would not believe it no matter how intelligent he was. trey deduced.

he gestures to the tray set on the counter. “there’s frosted strawberries, blueberry cornmeal, and the good old mont blanc since i got left over ingredients from the last unbirthday party.” 

alice feels the shift of your head as you glanced down at them, they don’t remove their head from the crevice of your neck for a moment and meets your eyes with a raise of their own. “frosted strawberries, please.”

“good choice, little alice.” cater comments.

“careful, it’s hot.” trey chided gently as he watched you pick up one of them, drawing it near alice’s waiting hunger as they tilted their head up from your shoulder. they took a small bite at the corners of the tart, smiling at the taste and only wider when you wiped remnants of crumbs around the edges of their mouth.

alice chews, and swallows before they spoke again. their eyes gleaming with admiration as they stared at trey. “it’s always the yummiest when it’s fresh out the oven.” they recited.

trey blinks.

“you’re a bright one.” he remarked, ruffling their hair when he drew near. “don’t tell anyone about the wicked secret ‘round the kitchen, all right?”

they nodded vigorously. “thank you, uncle..” they spewed politely, but evidently genuine.

cater munches from the other end of the counter. “we gotta protect alice,” he chuckled, eyes crinkling as he pointed his phone to you, tapping to snap a picture of the scene despite your warning stare. “too nice for the vultures we call students here.” 

“you might be right.” trey shook his head, and you nodded mutely. more absorbed into letting them take bite by bite into the tart until it was about finished halfway. only then do you lay it back on the tray. how much sweets was ideal for a child to take anyway? regardless of you deeming it as enough, alice stays quiet and does not complain.

if they wanted more, you wouldn’t know.

“later.” you promised, leaning back when you were satisfied with their prim appearance. a pat of their hair to smooth down trey’s earlier disruption.

“later..” alice echoed. 

a resident third year enters the kitchen. only to pause in their tracks and back away.

“domesticity is really the enemy of the students here.” cater sniffed, earning a chuckle from trey who found the comment funny. “imagine being happy, being broody and emotional are the real requirements to get admitted.”

cater finishes his snack with a pleased hum, and a grateful nod to trey. “by the way i messaged adeuce, sent them to stall dorm leader from going back as long as the dorm was… kind of in a wre–predicament.” he cleared his throat, casting a brief glance at alice to spot if they had taken offence to his almost uttered word.

“so now they’re en-route?” trey guessed, transferring the leftover tarts to a glass bowl. leaving the tray in the sink to wash for later. cater nods in response, typing on his phone with one hand. likely in cahoots with the two right now. “told them the coast was clear! no more trampling soldiers scampering around.”

trey eyed him. “what about the–”

just then, whatever trey was going to comment in rebuttal of cater’s easy reassurance was promptly interrupted by new individuals peeking inside. ace, and deuce poked their heads from the corner. as if trying to ascertain the danger level of whatever may be inside.

ace rougly nudges deuce when he spots you with a child in arms. for two people insisting on their unique, varying selfs. they mirror each other’s look of bewilderment as though their brain cells crackled and connected into a singular one. “what the seven?” ace mouthed.

you all do not notice the look of familiarity on alice’s face.

nor the brightening when riddle strides in with a petulant huff,

if riddle thought strangely, or disapproved of the two’s behavior then he wouldn’t have had the chance to comment on it before he was leveling trey with a sharp, inquisitive stare. “i would like a very good explanation as to why my hedges have been mangled to the ground.” his eye twitches with the effort of containing irritation. “three hours i’ve been gone. three! and when i enter heartslabyul the first thing i see is devastation upon my gardens!”

perhaps emotionally, riddle cried out in the last sentence.

even though such an expression should have frightened a child to some degree, alice relaxes in your arms but their face clouds in shame at his voice.

riddle whirls back to the other two lingering by the doorway who both flinches imperceptibly–cater tries to intercept with a nervous chuckle but is only met with a steely don’t even start! “ace, and deuce have me running around the school. saying something about yuu getting kidnapped by those.. vermin excuses of… students from octavinelle!" riddle seethed, breathing still a bit labored as favor of his statement about running around.

“dorm leader!” ace stood straight stiffly.

oh, did he just come from a frantic search in octavinelle?

“i even had to threaten collaring azul who i thought was lying about yuu.” with a deep intake of air, riddle breathes out and pinches the bridge of his nose, collecting his temper. much to the chagrin of deuce.

“we apologize.” deuce added sadly.

cater feigns ignorance by looking away but it’s trey’s look that has him adding to the defense of the two, rather than using the opportunity to scamper away with his head in tact. “ahem… we had these two keep you busy. so don’t be too harsh on them, riddle. us upperclassmen will take responsibility.”

a nod of agreement from trey gets riddle quiet.

the former tilts his chin to you. “yuu is fine, they’re right here.”

like he hadn’t even noticed before (he really didn’t), riddle’s head snaps to you immediately. his eyes would have been stuck to you, prodding for a valid explanation to your ignorance to his angry calls but instead, settles on the bundle in your arms.

“who…” a blink. “why in the world do you have a child! they are not welcome on school grounds! especially this time in the school year–.” riddle sputtered, instinctively sauntering over to take a closer look at alice who only stared without an inch of fear.

“papa.” they mumbled, voice measured but still echoing in the now quiet kitchen.

ace leapt up to your side. “that’s not right!” he gasped, squinting dangerously at riddle. any traces of earlier mortification gave way to whatever emotion he’s got on his face. “how could you sully yuu! they’re not a babysitter for your kid!” 

“what?” riddle seethed, head flicking from ace, to you, then to alice.

despite a look of great reluctance, deuce nods from the doorway still. mumbling to himself. “dorm… dorm leader has a child…”

you vaguely remember trey offering the dazed guy a glass of water.

“unconfirmed earlier, confirmed now.” cater adds unhelpfully to the blazing fire of riddle’s rising anger.

riddle’s teeth grind together, jaw clenching as his fingers tightened into a fist. it was more of one his attempts at calming down rather than preparation for a physical alteration. “I did no such–!”

“don’t be mad at mada.” alice reaches for him, tugging at his blazer which surprisingly, quells the reddening of his face. now, he just looks a bit confused.

alice turns their head slightly. “mada, you can calm down papa.”

deuce paused before dropping to the ground.

“AH! he’s dead. this is why you don’t betray us by keeping secrets, yuu!” 

“uh oh… trey help me with deuce… wait, should we just leave him? i mean, he’ll be just fine here, right?”

“... just take the other arm, cater.”

all the way back to the living room, riddle’s face remained tinged with warmth. alice, while reluctant to part with your embrace, seemed wholly pleased to stay by the other red-heads' side. insisting you sit next to him when you moved to sit by your two friends.

you obliged them despite riddle’s interest with the carpet.

the couch dipped at the weight of another. even so, the non-verbal conversation between alice, and riddle continued. the former pressed their lips together thinly, seemingly assessing the… youthfulness of the latter. they aren’t so used to this kind of look from him.

cater flinched, and look away from the flash of his phone. he elbows a dazed deuce.

“so,” ace cleared his throat, blinking his still wide eyes. “who the heck is this kid?!”

“language.” riddle chided sharply. though softened from its usual end even he isn’t so sure why it is from the mere presence of alice alone. 

“rule 13, always present yourself with appropriate language.”

“always present yourself with appropriate language.” alice repeated.

riddle squinted at a relaxed alice, who tilts their head as if to ask ‘what?’.

“genetics is crazy. what’s next, the kid beheads us too?” ace points between the two. 

alice shrugged. “only if you break the rules.”

“i do not have a child!” riddle protested.

“i am your child.” replied alice.

“apparently this one’s our kid.” you agreed begrudgingly.

riddle stares at you with a mixture of disbelief, and confusion.

darting between you and the kid like they're gonna start collating him in all his glory! sure, alice had red hair like him but quite a lot of people in the island have it too besides his relatives. the idea of… of him and you is just so out of this world that he can't wrap his head around it.

you? you who he hadn't paid attention to when you arrived at the ceremony? the very first person in that event that broke the rules? you, the very fading into the background student whom he believed to be a bad influence to his students ace, and deuce? 

you he had almost hurt beyond repair at the bursting of his control so tightly held in his hands?

the brief skip of his heart when your eyes meet over the head of alice is enough to send blood rushing to his head, coloring it with his signature red whose warmth doesn't feel like the usual simmering anger he struggles to keep submerged. if anything, this feeling is practically leaping out the water and baring his face to everyone. 

riddle does not look away. managing a look of what he tries to name as conviction but easily crumbles to fluster.

then the idea wasn't so bad considering this young child has proved to be raised dutifully, correctly without any worries of what he used to be burdened with as a child.

it gives way to curiosity. 

despite his incredulously, riddle queries. “the gardens.” he starts with a measured narrow to his eyes, not too intense to possibly upset this.. future child of his whose eyes are strikingly familiar enough to halt the normal circulation of his heart once more for half a second. “were you responsible for the destruction of some hedges I've come across?”

alice shrinks into themselves. “i'm sorry papa.” they pursed their lips, voice genuine by the lower tilt. “i thought i could use my card soldiers to look for you, and mada. you told me about this place called heartslabyul before?”

“i have?” riddle blinks. the idea isn't too bizarre, it's only natural to think back on such things.

they nodded. “yes, papa. you talk about it a lot on our friday’s. about how it looked, how you were as it's dorm leader…” alice peeks a glance at you. “and your parties with mada.”

“unbirthday parties.” trey corrects. “sometimes birthday parties if it really is someone's birthday.”

ace perks up. “let me tell you then! from first hand experience!” he blanched. like opening light about his own struggles in heartlsabyul magically meant the truth to riddle’s own kid. “labyul is really strict on rules. you know on my first day, I ate a tart and—”

deuce stirred slightly.

at riddle’s glare, ace visibly wilts to which cater snaps a picture with snickers. “I mean… the tart was really good, made by riddle and all…” he sweatdropped.

“you shouldn't eat a tart that is not made by you.” alice replied thoughtfully. riddle can't resist a light smile at her words, feeling a sense of accomplishment as he nodded along. his hand hovers for a moment before it pats down on their hair. “that's right. I must have taught you well.”

you absentmindedly patted their head, taking turns with riddle to do so while  expertly avoiding his gaze. “you said friday though, why?”

“on friday’s we don’t go out.” alice says.

“that isn’t a rule by the queen of hearts.” riddle points out.

“you made that rule papa.” they replied innocently. “in our home, so we get to spend time together as a family.”

silence reigns.

“wow.” you cough. sparing riddle an approving glance. that… sounded nice… domestic, and nice. you supposed even as an adult riddle would still have some sort of grip on rules, considering he grew up with them, it helped him live.

and now rules he shaped helped him live with alice, and you apparently. 

tick.

tock.

tick.

tock.

alice peers down at the watch they pull out from under their little adorable coat, oblivious to the stunned silence they left behind. hesitantly, they place a hand on your knee, legs swinging as they rest the other on riddle’s. “mada.” they smiled, this time widely. “papa. I gotta go.”

“what?” riddle's eyes widened. “you haven't finished your tart yet.”

“it's okay. I already ate a tart earlier, papa.”

“you can eat another, just this time. if you want.” he insisted, strangely worried.

cater raises his hand. “can I?”

riddle disagrees immediately. “no.”

muttering something about favoritism, cater looked away with a long sigh.

riddle's eyes lingered on the roundness of alice's face. from the shape, to the more detailed parts of their features. eyes, your eyes. the lushness of their hair, the soft curve of their lips tilted with innocence sends an unexpected grip in his heart, like it's heart stopping.

gosh. his heart just stopped. would he really have his own alice? his eyes darted to you. with you?

alice huffed lightly, skin glimmering lightly as their shade slowly grew transculent and faded with each blink of your eyes. “I can always eat papa's tarts. they're so delicious.” 

“don't use too much magic.” riddle scolded with a crease in his brows.

you add. “don't anger riddle too much.”

“please eat his tarts.” ace encouraged.

trey shot him a look. “don't teach alice bad things.” he sighed, glancing at said child with a smile. “I'll teach you how to make your own tarts, ask uh… future me?”

cater, not wanting to be outdone quickly perked up. “as a future magicam star, I'll make you one too. little alice!” he added, self assured of his future fame.

when it all settles, all that remains is a space between you and riddle that feels too little than vast. and a remainder of your future.

“atleast we know what name we'll choose.” you can't resist but tease. riddle does not blow up like you would have thought from your remark, only sparing you a look of feigned annoyance with warming ears that doesn't support the idea of his irritation.

he resigns to a small nod. “I am assured they are taught well.”

ace glances between you, and riddle. “I miss alice already. riddle seemed a lot more lenient with them around. you think they got embarrassing stories from the future?” he comments off-handedly, leaning back against the couch and blowing on the fringe over his forehead. “when are you guys gonna make an alice? please make one now.”

cater whistles out of there.

trey shakes his head.

deuce–still passed out is thankfully considered by trey, who dragged his limp body with a nod of goodluck to ace.

you waved at ace. F indeed.

wait! don't leave me, upperclassman! ace cried in his mind, feeling the panic splinter his state of mind.

“ACE!” riddle gritted his teeth. “i'll hand down my sentence, the verdict comes afterwards–”

ace paled.

“off with your head–!”

trivia

alice’s name is very much inspired by alice from the one and only: “alice in wonderland”.

their unique magic is called: under my decree which is simply being able to summon card soldiers, and command them at their will! (in this case, after being sent to a maze and finding their way out thanks to the hedgehog. alice was able to discern that this was heartlsabyul, and figured they might be able to find their parents here, hence, why they used their magic.)

alice is written to be a well-behaved 8 year old.

the watch is a nod to my previous commissioned work who also dealt with the concept of time travelling and related to going back (ha, ha).

alice woke up by the sound of a clock ticking, and knew that hearing it again meant that their time was up.

the entire thing happened due to alice helping untangle a fae who happened to get stuck in their gardens at the backyard while they were looking for a hedgehog that had not yet eaten (spoiler: hedgehog was hiding in a small crack under the tree) the same fae visited them at night whilst sleeping and granted them a dream of whatever they wanted to wish. alice, feeling swayed by the magic despite being not aware made a wish to fulfill it.

boom! baby rosehearts in your faces!

alice woke up and immediately said young riddle was funnily shy to yuu. much to the confusion of actual current riddle!

their favorite tart is: anything with strawberries, like riddle.

rule 13, and rule 102 are entirely fictional and made up by me… for plot purposes…

not deuce = is actually yuu

not yuu = is actually ace

not ace = is actually deuce

deuce been sleeping for the entire time lol.

ace got roped into fixing the gardens with the collar on  #thatswhatyouget

riddle invites you to study for the nearing quiz season the following day.

this is too funny to me cus bro these are the shows on sae's tv back there

and i hollered cus i had one sae x reader in the draft somewhere but with sae secretly getting invested in spanish soap opera... (not reality TV, but well, close lol). like he won't admit it, but you once caught him watching an episode of [insert uber dramatic title here] with way too much focus... and you're in japan. yes, your living room tv in japan now has dedicated spanish soap opera channels—which, you're certain, was NOT your doing.

"it was just on," he says.

but the remote is right there, untouched. and he is leaning forward slightly, jaw set, arms crossed, too focused on the drama unfolding on screen.

you don't call him out right away. just quietly lounge on the other couch beside him and watch, waiting to see how long it takes for him to realize you're onto him.

at one point, you clear your throat and go,

"so what's the deal with the husband again?"

"ex-husband," sae says neutrally, his eyes still on the screen. "he's a serial cheater who's slept with her best friend, her colleague, and now her younger sister. and now she's had enough."

"who's the younger guy from earlier."

"that's the guy who's pursuing her now. a man ten years her junior." he continues, still hyper-focused.

you're smiling so, so wide now. oh, he knows all the dirt of all these characters.

“are you rooting for them?” you ask innocently.

sae barely blinks. “no.”

but the way his jaw tenses when the younger guy finally confesses says otherwise.

Therapy? Never heard of her. Is she a celebrity?

silence

[ wanderer!scaramouche x okami!reader ]

summary: completely lost after his defeat in becoming a god, he searches not only for a new purpose but also for a certain someone who brought him comfort greater than his own kin would.

notes: aka scara is a baby and comes crying to you because he's a sore loser /jk | m.list

words: 2933 | warnings: it's scaramouche /jk there's nothing bad here just comfort and shit, also the pacing is kinda shitty cause i wrote this at work lmao

you have always loved the silence.

the eerie silence that enveloped a battlefield after a fight, where one side mourns for the dead and the other celebrates their victory far away. the tranquil noises of nature in the forest, your abode—if you focus enough, you can hear the white noise of the wind rushing above the sky, the flight of birds, the footsteps of every animal within your vicinity, and the gushing waterfall hitting the surface below. the muted thoughts of people, all with voices to scream yet defiance against authority means death, so they choose to silence their cries for help. the stillness of the night, where you can faintly hear the howls of your kin from afar, reminding you of past battles won and lost.

but somewhere in the distant memory of your past, you miss the complaints of a certain boy whose voice never seemed to shut the hell up.

your words, not mine.

he used to be so loud, crying even whilst he slept. whining and complaining about how you imprisoned him in this otherworldly forest of yours, yet he shuts his mouth after being reminded of his reality of being a casualty to those he comes across.

a puppet gone mad, out of its master's control, strings tangled.

"you're not here to be tamed, brat."

"then why are you keeping me here?" kunikuzushi glares at you from the other side of the stone table, a hand gripping the knife you casually gave him so he could practice on his own.

you always seemed to be his dummy target though. not that he could hurt you in the slightest, the gap between your capabilities is that of the height you need to reach celestia. it's quite an exaggeration, but far from a lie.

"so you don't go around accidentally causing more unintentional problems. learn how to use your brain or something, you have one for a reason," was always your answer to his repeated question, laughing at the way his face contorted to apprehension. "i don't have the patience to shape you into whatever humane person or puppet your creator wants you to be. so i'm doing you a favor by letting you be whatever the fuck you want to be. kill whoever you want, destroy whatever you want, go pour your anger as much as you want. it matters little to me."

"doesn't that contradict your past obligation as inazuma's former defender?"

"exactly what the title says," you shrug your shoulders, throwing your hands up without energy, "that is in the past. inazuma's concerns do not matter to me now that my god is gone."

placing your chin on your palm, you send him a knowing smirk, a sight he realizes that he does not like, "you can destroy this nation all you want and i wouldn't mind one bit. it would be interesting to see you as a god and not just a little brat."

he would always grow silent after the nth time you had this conversation, pondering, imagining the imagery of what you just said. it's almost as if he's in a trance.

the silence of someone having an inner conflict in more ways than one, is something that you would say is better than the silence when someone is mourning.

because this kind of silence is always followed by chaos.

"oh? where do you think you're going, little doll?"

"stop calling me that," he hissed, turning his head to glare at you.

for some reason, the change in his personality these past few months was refreshing, so unlike the whiny little brat who used to cower away from you. the same brat who's always frustrated at himself.

but at the same time, it's such a shame that he didn't change his ways. still reckless and careless.

this recklessness will kill him someday, you thought.

"well, answer the question."

he falters, taking a few steps away from you when you tilt your head, urging—demanding for his answer. he still couldn't look you straight in the eyes when you become like this—when your voice goes a little deep, eyes staring him down and the authority in the way you poised yourself.

"to the fatui. i'm not going to let myself rot in here."

"you're a puppet, you're not supposed to rot."

he scoffs at the comment, vile irritation building up his throat at the way you remained unbothered, almost uncaring, indifferent and as if this means little to you. you act more like a puppet than he does, he realizes.

he hates that about you.

it's ironic. he's the same way, more venomous through his words—but with you, it's like talking to a stone cold wall.

"i'm leaving to snezhnaya."

"hm," you turn your head to the vast forest, shrouded with tall trees and thick fog—wait, when did the fog get so thick? kunikuzushi was so sure he could still see far and beyond the first few layers of those trees, why did the forest suddenly seem so eerie and… predatory.

"you can leave."

"huh?" he stares at you in disbelief, with a hint of sadness.

are you… really going to let him go that easily?

for some reason, despite the freedom given to him, he wanted you to stop him.

"find the exit yourself," your trademark grin appeared on your face, challenging and daring him to do so. it's infuriating, makes him feel like you're looking down at him and his capabilities. "if you successfully get out of this forest, then i trust that you can handle the world outside and beyond this nation."

i take back my words, he scoffs, i don't need their permission to leave. they can't stop me.

"i don't need another petty test of yours, i can take care of my own," he sharply turns away and into the direction he swore was the exit just a moment ago.

"oh, trust me, doll," your giggles echoed through the forest, ringing in his ears for the last time, way too close than from where you just stood a moment ago.

"the forest is a cruel place to get lost in."

and since then, your abode returned to the way it was.

placid, motionless, and isolated. just like how it should be.

yet you look forward to the day that he comes back crying—you stifle a laugh at how pitiful he would look—scrunched nose and furrowed eyebrows, grumbling curses to the world as he slumps down on the ground, hissing at you as you tease him for being a baby before he falls asleep on the sprawled blanket you have in the living room of your cabin. your spirit watches over his sleep, dispersing his nightmares before it can even take root in his mind and blanketing him with your tail despite his inability to feel the change in the temperature.

no, he's too deep in his sleep to ever catch you doing such things.

some days, you'd sense a feeling of fear crawling inside the back of your head. it takes a form of visions and voices. it would whisper using the boy's voice, show images using his face, speak in a way he does. it's times like this that you take pride in your strength. you know better than to crumble against fear and its illusions. such emotions are not strong enough to push through the height of your defenses that were built from piles upon piles of lost loved ones.

yet your heart clenches at the thought of this boy, robbed of the opportunity to grow properly, succumbing to the demons of this world.

it's a shame that even you can't be the person to guide him, for you are the same as he.

you can only hope that he finds himself in his journey.

"ah, it seems like it's that time of the year once again."

you stretch your limbs with a pur-like groan, your tail swinging in anticipation behind you. now that the weariness from sleep had faded, your sharp eyes admire the red and orange colors blending within the forest, the sound of leaves crunching beneath your feet every step you take music to your ears and the cold breeze wafting in the air.

the season of fall always brings out the playful side of your soul.

your attentiveness is sharper than usual, eyes turning to every little bit of movement in your surroundings despite knowing that no threat can occur in your abode. you carved its landscape with your very own hand, grew each and every tree rooted on the ground, wrote protective spells into every tree bark to form your very own barrier, opened ponds and breathed life into its very ground through the leylines. it's your safe haven, nothing can disturb your peace and it is a part of you to an extent.

that's way, when a familiar presence stepped inside your abode with no struggles whatsoever, your ears perked up and tail sways in anticipation.

fall is indeed a season for farewells and reunions.

"you're back quite earlier than expected, did the world outside the forest scare you?" you needn't look to know that he's standing right at the entrance of your favorite clearing, your figure sat near the pond with your feet dipped into the clear water.

"you're exaggerating," he grumbles, footsteps getting louder and closer until he's close enough, stopping just next to you.

"most certainly not," you hummed softly, tilting your head up to look at him after a few hundred years of not seeing him. your ears twitched.

instantly, you know something is different about him.

"you've changed."

"hmp, perhaps," he scoffs loudly, taking a seat beside you in a criss-cross position, slouching a little bit. he's barely looking at you, but that's not something new.

the way you imagined he would years ago.

"you're still grumpy though, might want to change that."

"you're still insufferable. i shouldn't have come back."

"yet you're here. i'm surprised you were able to enter without a problem. i was hoping the forest devoured you when you left. turns out you were able to get out, a shame," you sigh, "i should check on my barriers soon."

"you—" he hisses—the same way you adored, like an angry kitten—turning his head to glare at you, forehead scrunched in irritation, "so you don't even know if anyone gets caught in your shithole? did you assume i just up and died right before i got out?"

he can feel something warm in his chest at the way you laughed freely.

he hasn't heard that sound for a long time.

"you're alive though," he groaned at the familiar sly smile on your face. "besides, i wouldn't have let you go if i didn't know that you'd make it out alive."

"you would in a heartbeat."

"hm, if it were someone else, perhaps. but not you," you turn your head back to the pond, a contented smile on your face, voice unintentionally turning soft, "not my brat."

those words were the key to kunikuzushi's vulnerable state.

the silence that followed after your words was… unnerving, for some reason.

yet you felt as if you should give him the time he needs to gather himself, to give him a choice to talk or to keep things to himself. it stayed like that for a while, tuning into the sound of birds above and humming to make him more comfortable—or was it for your own comfort that you tried to fill in the silence? the feeling of being unsure is so… uneasy.

why am i doing so much for his comfort?

just when you're about to speak to change the topic, he opens his mouth—and he speaks.

piles and piles of words upon words, like a scroll being unravel down the flight of stairs to the narukami shrine. his voice, clumsy and blurry words as it may be, sings to you tragedies in a kabuki performance. he opens his doors to you and only you, almost breaking down on the spot if it wasn't for his ridiculous pride—you surmise that you may have influenced him in that case. it plays a theatrical scene that takes eternity to finish dialogues upon dialogues.

he's a puppet whose strings are cut short, but he picks himself up, tangling the fragile strings in the process.

and you are his only audience.

you're his standing ovation when no one bothers to stop and see him for what he is.

perhaps, you are more suited to be sat beside him, joining in his play instead of just a witness—because you are more than just some random bystander who happens to pass by a puppet show.

it took him a while to finish his story. just like any kabuki, time is crucial in the production, and kunikuzushi is a person who barely had the time to see the world in its purest form. yet time is also what brought him his demise.

the gods did not give him enough time to feel and learn.

when he finishes, the sun has already hid itself behind the ocean of trees and the sky is blanketed by a starry void.

a false sky, he said in one of his stories.

somehow, kunikuzushi's head ended up on your lap—he dares not to bring attention to this fact, he already feels embarrassed as it is.

"how did it felt?"

he stares at you with a grain of salt.

"to what? to almost die? quite the experience, i didn't enjoy falling head first though. would you like to try?"

"no, dumbass," he hisses when your finger flicks against his forehead. before he could even cover the assaulted area, you swat his hand away to replace it with yours. an uncharacteristic gentle touch on his skin, a caress. he resists the urge to melt towards your hand. "how did it feel like to almost have something within your reach but realize it won't do you any better? to learn how to decide for yourself, for the better, after experiencing bitter defeat?"

he purses his lips, turning away from your direction to stare at the pond reflecting the dark sky.

your hand slips across his forehead to his hair, gently caressing the familiar stresses—familiar stresses that reminded you so much of a former dear friend that you lost long ago. you didn't expect him to answer your question yet, to push forward for an answer would be adding salt to an open wound.

and the last thing you want to do is give him a reason to pull away.

"you know, if i was ei, i would have chosen you to rule with me."

"stop saying things to make me feel better, that's not like you," he scoffs—unbeknownst to the way his cheeks turn a little warmer.

such a human feature to have.

"i would love to see you be the god you wanted to be," you continued to mutter with a soft smile, brushing your fingers through his hair.

"stop it."

"i would watch you build yourself higher and have greater goals as a god."

"what is wrong with you!?" he quickly pushes himself off of you, whipping his head to look at you with a bewildered face. "are you out of your mind!?" he glares at the way your smile turns sly.

"i would have chosen you, someone with no human heart yet able to feel what it's like to be human," your hand pats his head playfully, snickering when he swats it away roughly.

"you," growling, he turns away from your direction.

"but alas, i'm not patient enough to baby you or anyone else," you shake your head shamefully, shrugging your shoulders. "go do whatever the fuck you want yourself, learn shit for yourself. but that does not mean you can do it alone, dumbass."

"why are you talking like this?" he mumbles, but you can see the way his shoulder trembled in the slightest, no doubt nibbling on his bottom lip to stop himself from something as 'pitiful' as crying. "shut up, i came here to rest, not to listen to your nonsense musings. i had enough of that already."

"well then," you reach out to his shoulder, gently directing him back on your lap. he faces you this time, eyes clenched tight to avoid looking at you, his only pillar in this world. he feels too light headed, whether if it's from your words or the feeling of finally resting after so many years of suffering, he's not too sure. he'd deny the former with everything he has though. but he cannot deny that he feels safe in your haven, here in the comfort of your arms.

"rest, you can think of the next step after you get some shuteye, don't make me knock you out myself."

he clicked his tongue, before it became quiet again.

this time, it's a comfortable silence. nothing like the tension from the first time you met him, nothing like the few times he spent quietly sobbing on your shoulder every time he awakes from a nightmare—nothing like the eerie quietude in the middle of the eye of the storm, waiting for the real disaster to come surging. soon, the boy falls asleep to the warm and loving touch on his head.

in the silence, you whisper words that you could not tell him.

"i would've gone through celestia and the abyss to give you a heart."

you, despite claiming that you will not baby him, held him in a way a parent would towards their child. with gentle hands and feathery touches, and a heart that you would give him if you could.

taglist: crossed out names mens i can't tag you oof

@thedianaclark @blockswon @thenyxsky @crazypriestess @someone-with-wild-imagination @koi-chairowo @shizunxie @smirpsmirp @brookeisqweer @mariataliya @saoiirsee @atsuki-mitsuri @camzpetite @fandangotales @genshinfinatic @chimsblogg @nette-yang @vienettacream @notyuki @shiragi2 @atsukawolfcat @frzenhans @kkazuyass @tartarsaucechi1de @nunontherun @a-simp-with-daddyissues @thetruepair

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◟⊹ MOUSETRAP — you’re just a stranger I know everything about ⋆｡°. IWAIZUMI / AKAASHI x READER SMAU

your longtime motto: KEEP TO YOURSELF!!! it’s year two of college—when dragged into deep drama, the unlikeliest of knights come to your rescue. that doesn’t change anything …right?

tags : college au, love triangle, childhood friends to lovers, angst, fluff ending (?), slow burn, miscommunication, pining

warnings : foul language, sexual jokes, conflict, slight violence, manipulation, suggestions of abuse or mistreatment, photos will be used for visual purposes - note that warnings may change as story progresses

status : coming soon ┊ taglist : open (ASK/REPLY)

the only cast ever

joint funeral // iwa & kids // study group 3

･ ⋆ ･ ⠄⠂⋆ ･ ⠄⠂⋆ ･ ⠄⠂⋆ ･ ⠄⠂⋆ ･ ⠄⠂⋆ ･ ⋆ ･ ⠄⠂⋆ ･･ ⋆ ･ ⠄⠂⋆

prologue : a scott street goodbye ✎

◟ EP1: don’t die tanaka

◟ EP2: perchance

◟ EP3: low blow

◟ EP4: AITA ✎

◟ EP 5: sandbox wedding

◟ EP 6: first name basis (base) ✎

◟ EP 7: clean up time

◟ EP 8: don’t date the dropout

◟ EP 9:

PROMISES THAT REGARDLESS OF HOW MUCH I LOVE MY SOULMATE IWA THE ENDING WILL BE AS UNBIASED AND FAIR AS I AM CAPABLE OF !!! I triple swear that keiji has just as much of my heart as haji does x

with love, ree <3