AmaranthPrincess21

Shiny Enthusiast * Has backstroke for days * World's Smolest Pastry Puff * Listen I had to keep something from my old brand so the weird self-descripters are staying, God damn it. Anyway this is my fanfic blog.

[lurkinglurkerwholurks]

ICYMI, there was fear that companies were scraping public AO3 fics to train their AI without the consent of AO3 or its users. That fear has been confirmed.

AO3 has written about what they’re doing (and what they’re not able to do), and they recommend restricting your work to AO3 registered users only. [Instructions here]

This gross misuse of the archive by techbros is why I’ve locked down my fics for the foreseeable future. I recommend the rest of you do the same.

[amaranthprincess21]

A Tale Worthy of a Novel: Chapter 1

Fandom: Genshin Impact Pairing: Kamisato Ayato/Reader Rating: Mature AO3 Tags: background Ayaka/Lumine, fuck canon Kazuha has sisters now, she/her pronouns for the reader, Family Drama, Marriage Proposal Fic summary: Being a writer, it's easy to get sucked into the worlds you create. But that's all they are in the end: fantasy worlds and scenarios that you can escape whenever you please. When you marry Kamisato Ayato, it feels as if the lines blur between reality and fiction. And as time goes on, that line gets more and more faint as things you once considered the truth are exposed as lies.

And as Rina looked down the cliff, she realized that the waves and rocks below cracked the shackles that kept her bound to horror. The monster was no more, sinking beneath the waves. She could breathe; the fresh sea air cleansed her lungs. It was over. 

There was a shaky kind of excitement that came with finishing a novel, especially one that had been serialized for the past two years. It was similar to that feeling of being too little sleepy, that jitteriness that tells you you’ve made a mistake. But this wasn’t a stomach-sinking, icky feeling. Your heart was soaring and it felt as if a weight had been taken off your shoulders. This should be the last edit of your novel. And then it would be completed. And before the deadline, too! Well, four hours before the deadline. Still, better than nothing! You quickly shoved the manuscript into your satchel and made for the door.

The Outsuka Manor seemed to be in a tizzy, lately. It felt like more servants were around, which you guessed made sense. It was a pretty nerve-wracking time for the household. You hurried down the stairs, careful to avoid any servants or your… you weren’t sure what to call them, but the elder Lord and Lady Outsuka, the parents of your sister’s husband. You gave them a polite greeting before heading for the door.

“I thought I heard you. Where are you going?” So close. You turned around, seeing your sister stride out of her husband’s study. Surprisingly, there wasn’t a servant there to help her walk. After all, everyone was doting and waiting on her every whim because she was pregnant. And they were just letting her walk? On her own? The nerve. 

“I’m going into the city for some dango milk,” you lied. “Do you want me to bring you back some?” 

“No thanks. Ugh, the thought of it makes me sick,” she said, gagging. It could be the pregnancy, but okay, you wanted to say, but didn’t. Her husband, Lord Outsuka Tsutomo, came out to join you two. He carried a pouch that jingled heavily. 

“You’re heading into town?” he asked. You nodded.

“Yes, sir.” 

“Thank goodness. I was going to send a servant to do this, but given you’re already heading into the city…” He handed the pouch over to you; it was heavy and you stashed it into your satchel, careful not to reveal the manuscript inside. “You need new houmongi. Go to Ogura’s and commission her for at least two.” Homongi? You had one, but given you never accompanied your sister or her husband on their visits to other estates, you never really wore it. Perhaps they wanted you to be more involved in clan affairs?

“Uh… Yeah. Yeah, I can go to Ogura’s. I’ll try and be back before dark, but who knows?” you told them. 

“I’m sorry I can’t go with you, but you know, baby, and all of that,” Big Sister said with a laugh.

“No, don’t worry about it,” you reassured her. Thank goodness she was pregnant and couldn’t go on long trips. How you’d escape to visit the publishing house with her in tow, you didn’t know. You slipped your shoes on and hurried towards Inazuma City. After all, your manuscript wasn’t going to turn itself in.

Hanamizaka was quiet that day. The weather was nice as always. But perhaps it was still early enough in the morning that everyone was still rousing from their beds and getting ready for the day. Hajime was already at work at the blacksmith’s, and you gave him a polite greeting as you passed. You didn’t really know him, but your families were connected, and etiquette and all of that. 

At the very end of the district was Yae Publishing House. No one seemed to be around, so you let yourself inside. One or two editors were already in, but none of them yours. They sat at their desks, chatting with Lady Guuji herself. She was a more frequent figure at work than one would suspect. Although she was the head of the Grand Narukami Shrine, she still visited the publishing house every morning. Their eyes turned to you as you entered. 

“Sorry to interrupt. I have my final draft for Shigeru,” you told him. “I’ll go ahead and put it on his de–”

“Not so fast.” In a blink of an eye, Lady Yae was in front of you, taking your manuscript out of your hands. “Let's take a look," she said, flipping through the manuscript. You stood there, watching her face as she read through the manuscript. Time crawled to a halt as you stood there, watching her read. Was she being slow on purpose? The only sense of time you had were her little nods, the occasional flipping of paper, and the quiet conversation the other editors started up. What if she didn't like it? What if you had to go back yet again and rewrite something? This chapter had been through so many revisions already that you weren't sure you could have a new version done before the next publication date.

"I see," Lady Yae finally said after a tense silence. Or perhaps it was only tense for you. "It's quite good. I'll go ahead and mark it ready for publishing." Your heart leaped out of its chest.

"Thank you, Lady Guuji." You tried not to sound too relieved. Who knew how'd she take that?

"It feels like just yesterday you signed with us, although I suppose it's been a few years now," she commented.

"It has. But I suppose these books took longer to finish than I thought they would," you commented. Shortly after your older brother had taken control of your family and promptly left the country, you'd gotten signed with Yae Publishing House. That'd been three-ish years ago. Maybe getting close to four.

"So, do you have any ideas for your next work?" she asked.

"No, not yet. I was thinking of taking a break for a couple months while I try to figure something out," you told her.

"A break? Well, I do suppose you've been working constantly since signing. Have you thought of taking commissions?" Commissions?

"Um, no I haven't. I've been too busy with the duology to even think about taking on other writing projects." She said nothing, and spurred by the silence, you continued. "Is. Uh. Has the publishing house been asked to write something?"

"No, not officially. I've been thinking of commissioning one of our writers for another serialized piece for a newer publication we'll be starting in a month, but the person I was thinking of is going to be taking a break." The edge in her voice was enough to make you flinch.

 "Well, if I don't have to think of the main premise, I suppose I could take it on," you told her. Her mood brightened immediately.

"Wonderful! Come, let's talk in my office. I don't think this is something you'd want to discuss publicly." I've made a mistake is the first thought you have as you follow her into the small building, into the loft office she had above the printing press room. It was a small space, but it didn't need to be large. It wasn't like she was here 24/7.

"So, what would the premise be?" you asked her, sitting down in the chair opposite hers.

"Has anyone told you about the new publication?" You shook your head. "That's Life has been taking off and as such, some of the other women in the office and myself are thinking of creating a bi-monthly magazine for older women. I have reporters and columnists lined up, but I would like a fiction section in each issue," she explained.

"The premise for our first serial is simple. Our heroine is sold to a prominent bard by her parents, who are strapped for cash. The story would involve the heroine coming into the bard's inner circle and falling in love with him."

"I... So, it's a romance? Just to clarify," you added hurriedly.

"Yes, although I think the better term for it is a ‘bodice ripper.’ They’re all the rage in Mondstadt currently. I recognized the premise may seem a bit outlandish, but I know it’ll do well. Especially if you’re helming the project," she told you. A bodice ripper? Oh no. Oh no no no no no. You only knew two things about the genre: lots of romance and even more sex.

"Lady Guuji, I'm very honored that I'm your first choice for this serial, but truthfully, I don't think I'm the right person for this," you began, and she immediately cut you off.

"So you think my judgment is off?"

"No! No, not at all!" you squeaked. 

“Then I look forward to seeing your outline and first chapter in two weeks.” There was no arguing with her or turning this down. There was a weight on your body as you nodded and bid her farewell. How on earth were you going to write this? Maybe you could get away with not writing a lot of sex scenes. That would take care of one problem. But romance? As the main focus? Every step you took towards Ogura’s Textiles, it was as if your heart was sinking further and further into the ground. 

“Oh, good morning, Miss Outsuka!” Ogura Mio greeted you cheerfully. It wasn’t worth it to correct her. You lived with your sister and her husband; for all the commoners knew, they had adopted you into her husband’s clan. It hurt, but it felt silly to correct anyone.

“Good morning, Miss Ogura. I’ve come to commission two houmongi.”

“Go ahead and pick some fabric and we can get to work.” Choosing was certainly going to be a difficult choice. There were always so many beautiful fabrics in Ogura’s. Just picking one seemed rather impossible. You looked along the racks, eyeing the various bolts. Part of you wanted to ask for prices and pick on that. But you knew if you did, not only would it be humiliating, Big Sister would be furious. It was lucky she got married before your clan completely fell from grace; she married wealthy and got to spoil herself. It was a miracle she was able to secure a good marriage, all things considered. 

There were footsteps and a flash of blue and red caught your eye. Although you wouldn't call yourself friends, you knew the girl who just walked into Ogura Textiles. Her silvery hair was pulled into a ponytail and she was accompanied by a tall man with strawberry blond hair. Lady Kamisato was someone you knew, but you'd never spent much time with her. Her family had much higher status than yours. And besides, both your brother-in-law's family and your family (before yours had dissolved) had served under hers.

Lady Kamisato looked over to you and a sweet smile spread across her face as she gave a small wave. 

“Lady Kamisato, Thoma, good morning,” you said politely.

“Good morning, Miss Outsuka,” she said. She didn’t know better. “A fine morning to go shopping, isn’t it?”

“It is.” What could you say? Would it look bad for your sister's family if you said the wrong thing? But would it be worse if you said nothing? “It’s awfully early for you, isn’t it? Your estate is quite far.”

“It’s true, I had to wake up earlier to be here. But it’s fun to go out and about so early, don’t you think?” You didn’t want to give her the honest answer.

“It is.” There was a beat, you two smiling politely at each other, panic in both of your eyes as you ran out of topics to discuss. “Um, what brings you here?” Shopping, obviously. What were you even saying?! 

“Oh, Thoma’s favorite yukata caught fire and he needs a new one,” she said with a shrug, as if that was a normal occurrence. “How about yourself?”

“Big Sister wants me to get some new houmongi,” you told her. 

“Is she out shopping too?”

“No. She’s expecting, and her husband and the servants are keeping her home as much as possible.” Lady Kamisato’s face lit up.

“How wonderful! Congratulations on the addition to your family,” she said with a wide smile.

“Thank you. She’s not very far along, but they’re being cautious,” you said.

“I can imagine. Pregnancy is a rather scary time in someone’s life,” she replied. “I… Oh my, I’m so sorry. I didn’t–”

“Oh no, it’s fine,” you replied just as fast, trying to make sure she didn’t feel as if she imposed. “It happened years ago. It doesn’t hurt. I’m sure my sister will fare better than our mother did, anyways.”

“R-right.” She cleared her throat and turned the bolts of fabrics. “Are there any you’re fond of?” She was… helping? Sure, you knew her, but this was the most you two had ever spoken to each other. During formal functions when you were younger, you and your brother mostly stuck together. Talking to Lady Kamisato wasn’t something you did. But, as odd as it felt, you needed to roll with it lest you embarrass your sister’s family.

“I’m fond of all of them. It’s a problem,” you sighed. Lady Kamisato nodded and stepped closer to the fabrics, surveying them all. She glanced at you, and then pulled a bolt out. 

“These colors would suit you well,” she told you. The fabric was a beautiful ombre in the colors of the sunset. Hydrangeas just as beautiful, outlined in golden thread, seemed to float in the sky that was the fabric. It was incredibly beautiful, but was this fancy enough? Or would it be considered gaudy? You couldn’t remember the kinds of houmongi Big Sister had when she was cou–

“Is it not your style?” Lady Kamisato’s voice jolted you. You looked over to her, seeing her trying to gauge your expression and there was the faintest look of disappointment on her face.

“No! No, not at all. That’s not it. I’m sorry, I spaced out for a moment,” you hurriedly replied. “I’m just trying to think if it would get my sister and brother-in-law’s approval.”

“I see.” Lady Kamisato nodded.

“Lady Outsuka likes hydrangeas, doesn’t she? If I remember right, the last time she visited the Kamisato Estate, her kimono had hydrangeas on it.” You jumped a little as Thoma spoke up, still going through the premade kimonos. 

“Now that you mention it, I think it did,” Lady Kamisato murmured, tapping her finger on her cheek in thought. “Surely she would approve of a similar design?”

“She does like them.” Lady Kamisato seemed so fond of the fabric. Well, you needed two, right? You could get one in this fabric. ”I think she would be okay with me getting a houmongi with this fabric. That just leaves one more.” Lady Kamisato’s smile rivaled the sun’s brightness as she went back to searching through the bolts, letting you hold the first one she’d picked out. She was awfully pretty when she smiled like that. There was an energy about her that seemed positively infectious as well. You couldn’t help but grin. She sharply turned to the wall of fabrics and pulled out another bolt. 

“Perhaps this one would do?” she suggested. It wasn’t as vibrant as her other suggestion. This one was a pastel ombre with elegant gold and silver embroidery of birds and a flower you didn’t know the name of. It was much more of a mature vibe, but perhaps that’s what you needed? It vaguely reminded you of something your brother-in-law’s mother wore once, albeit hers was more ornate. Again, she looked so excited, you couldn’t bear the idea of letting her down.

“I think this is the one. I can’t thank you enough for your help, Lady Kamisato,” you told her, and she smiled sweetly at you.

“I’m so glad I was able to help,” she replied, still radiating that pure, joyful energy. For a moment, you wondered why you’d never bothered to speak to her before. 

Ogura Mio said the new houmongi would be done in a week, and sure enough, a week had passed and you got word they were ready for you to pick up. It was fairly early in the morning and before your brother-in-law got to work. While it wasn’t a rule, you always told him or your sister if you were leaving the house. But as you approached his study, there were the faint strains of a conversation. 

“... Kanade, I don’t think you should get your hopes up,” you heard your brother-in-law say. 

“What, are you saying she’s not marriage material?!” Your blood froze over as you realized the topic of their conversation: you.

“No, that’s not what I’m–” he sighed. “I mean I don’t think you should assume she’s going to get the best possible suitors, considering… Her family situation.”

“She’s an Outsuka now. She has been since we took her in.” Was that really your sister?! Her voice was ice cold and had an edge sharp enough to put a knife to shame. 

“You know she’s not officially a member of the family,” he said gently, but Big Sister scoffed.

“Tsutomo, she. Is. An. Outsuka,” she spat out. “We are going to get her married, and married well. And soon.” 

“I don’t think she even considers herself an Outsuka since we never truly adopted her,” he pointed out. “She’s still very much a–”

“She absolutely is NOT,” your sister spat. “Either way, the sooner she’s married, the sooner she’ll have a proper family name and not have to dwell on the past.” Every word they said added a stone on your heart, tearing at the fragile skin and pushing it further and further down into your stomach. One more stone and you were sure your heart would fall to the floor. You turned away quickly, bursting through the front doors and plowing into the courtyard.

You were not an Outsuka. Why was Kanade always like this?! Insisting you were a member of a family that you most certainly were not. Tsutomo was nice, but he and his family made it all too clear you were not one of them. You were your sister’s family. Not theirs. To Big Sister, it was as if your real family was somehow a dirty secret, something meant for you to forget. But you couldn’t. You wouldn’t. They had been the ones supporting you, who loved you. Even if they were no longer around.

The sakura tree in the courtyard weeped petals. It felt fitting to the mood. Sitting underneath the tree, you were showered in the soft pink petals. Even they seemed to have weight, your shoulders seemingly sagging as you sat there. No. You needed to leave. You needed to get out. You needed to go on to Ogura’s to pick up your houmongi. Without telling them. If only your brother was still in the country; you could stay with him for a while. 

Standing up, you brushed the petals off of yourself and started the short walk to the gate. But as you got closer, you heard the sound of a horse neighing and then human footsteps drawing nearer. A guest? This early? You stopped for a moment, confused. Lord Outsuka did get visitors, but not usually this early in the morning. Was something wrong? Was something important happening?

A figure appeared at the gate: tall, immaculately dressed. He had a smile similar to his sister’s, yet there was something about it that was… off. Off in a way you couldn’t quite put your finger on. But still, he was handsome and pleasant to look at. 

“Ah, Lady Kaedehara, good morning,” Kamisato Ayato, the head of the Yashiro Commission, greeted you with a gentle smile.

He got my name right.

[tlirsgender]

Weird peeve time. Calling lab grown gemstones "fake" is stupid because it's the same shit just not formed naturally. An artificially grown diamond is the same shit as a natural diamond it is the exact same material bro it's all fuckign carbon

[tlirsgender]

It's carbon it's pretty and it didn't involve slave labor what's not to love??? Hi I'm having geology opinions tonight apparently. And I'm right

[tlirsgender]

There is so much bullshit in the diamonds industry to be mad about tbh. It also ties into the bullshit of the wedding industry as a whole but we don't have the time to unpack all that

[val-ritz]

not even going to lie, the day i learned i could get like 15 lab grown rubies the size of dimes for $20 is the day i spent $20 on rubies, and i have never once said to myself "man, i wish this cost $1,600 and the lives of eight children to produce"

[fuckyeahmineralogy]

We are a pro-lab-grown mineral blog here, not only is it massively cheaper but massively more ethical as well in many cases.

[thegreenpea]

another very cool lab grown gem is Moissanite. It has a 9.25 on the mohs hardness scale where diamond is a 10. Moissanote also has a 2.69 refractive index in comparison to diamond’s 2.419 and here is the difference 

and the best thing about moissanite? It is all lab grown and it costs only a fraction of what diamond costs. So fuck the diamond indsutry and buy lab grown gems which cost significantly less

[kiterinsen]

Moissanite is literally a fucking disco ball that you can wear on your finger. And since the patent from the original creators of lab moissanite ran out a few years ago, you can get it even cheaper than before.

I mean, look at the sparkle on that rock (that’s an 8 mm 2ct lab moissanite) and tell me that a diamond is better.

[ladyhistory]

My wedding ring stone is moissanite and 10/10 can confirm ✨SPARKLY AS SHIT✨

[memoriestwstzine]

Zine Released!

Memories in Wonderland is a free, digital zine created in celebration of the game’s first anniversary! Though it may be small, each of the creators have poured their heart and souls into their contributions, and we’re very proud to share the results of that love with you today!

Download the PDF for this zine here!

Thank you once more for everyone who helped to make this project possible!

[eye-cri]

Heh

They

[dark-wizardess]

Aww looks cute!

[dark-wizardess]

Because I felt like it, and Yes Lyris is a bit pissed off

[amaranthprincess21]

While these are supes cute, @dark-wizardess you kind of whitewashed Zeus. Maybe it was a mistake or you’re not familiar with the term/concept, but depicting characters with deeper skin as whiter is not okay and racist. Maybe you weren’t aware of this and/or it wasn’t done out of malicious intent, but now you know and I hope you steer clear of doing this in the future. /gen

[blueluneacy]

Twisted wonderland asks? *slams table* can i get Malleus x reader, where the reader is able to get their own GaoGao dragon and Malleus is doing the *insert heavy breathing* meme and lowkey freaking out cuz they can be friends and also lowkey falls for the reader even more for being wholesome af?

I love your excitement, haha

Malleus definitely is the oblivious type to me! Everyone makes him as big bad, but honestly I see him as super stupid when it comes to being in love, haha

no warnings! just soft

Malleus quickly turned his head to the sound of beeping. He almost instantly checked his pocket, but he knew the faint sound couldn’t be from his. After all, it was too far away, and accompanied by such innocent laughter. He paused as he looked over, seeing you sitting with something in your hands and smiling. Well, this was odd. Malleus usually saw you around but you usually weren’t alone. You at least had that cat with you, right? But here you were, sitting by yourself and looking into an object in your hands. When Malleus got closer, he instantly recognized it and smiled.

“What did you name yours?” He asked. You looked up with an expression of shock, but it quickly softened into something lighter.

“Ah, I haven’t decided yet!” You said. You were always so much calmer around Malleus than other people. It seemed like your lack of magic made it so you didn’t quite pick up on the powerful aura that Malleus seemed to give off that scared other students, even some of his own dorm mates away. He appreciated that. Something about your naivety, the lack of knowledge you had about the rules of this world were comforting. You never shied away like so many others did.

“How long have you had it then?” He asked. For him, he named his Gao Gao Dragon almost instantly. It was a silly name from when he was younger, but still.

“Ah, well… A few hours ago, I guess?” You laughed sheepishly. “It’s super similar to something I had as a kid. I didn’t think you guys would have them. I saw one, secondhand, at the store and I just… Well, I’ve never been the best with money, I guess.” You told him. Malleus smiled, leaning over to look at yours. It was… Awfully cute. It was an adult little blue dragon, with small little horns and wings. He chuckled a bit at the sight of it. 

“It’s alright.” Malleus pulled out his own, showing it. Immediately, you looked in shock. It was well taken care of and super cool looking. 

“Woah… I can only dream of mine looking like that! Man, you’re always so cool, Tsunotarou!” You laughed. And there it was, the least cool nickname that you could give a man, and yet he still smiled over it. There was something about it that was a good deal more comforting than the fearful “Lord Malleus” that he was accustomed to.

“You really think it’s cool?” He asked. You grinned and nodded, before remembering something you had seen online about Gao Gao Dragons. You gently tapped the side of yours against Malleus’ and giggled.

“Come on, I hear that like this they can go over to each other’s little homes and be friends!” You told Malleus, watching excitedly as your little dragon started to walk on over to Malleus’ and they began to interact. And once again, Malleus was shocked by your forwardness, the way you had leaned in and gotten closer to him. It was a good thing you couldn’t detect how his heart started beating faster or the red that started to dust his pale face. You just smiled and watched the two little dragons interact in awe.

“Wow, yours is way bigger than mine. I guess it makes sense, with how much taller than me you are.” You told him, before gasping and pointing. “Look! They’re becoming friends!” You exclaimed, grabbing onto Malleus’ arm with excitement. Malleus just looked and blinked. He took a moment before responding with a hum.

“Well, that’s good. It would make sense, considering our own personalities mesh quite fine.” Malleus felt like he was taking a risk when saying that. What if you disagreed? But, you agreed wholeheartedly quite quickly.

“Yeah! I guess that’s a good way to think about it. I don’t think mine really acts like me yet, but yours sort of does.” You teased, pointing at Malleus’ dragon. “It’s big and aloof. No one ever knows what it’s thinking. Some people might even find it scary.” You told him. Malleus felt his heart droop. He knew that some people found him scary. But, did you? Did you fear him too? 

“Ah… I see.” He responded. Although he was doing his best to hide it, you noticed and immediately started to clarify.

“Ah, but your dragon also has a soft side. See?” You pointed to Malleus’ dragon nuzzling against yours and smiled. “I’m sure your dragon is also a really good friend. I sure think you are.” You watched as Malleus almost instantly perked up at your words. Good. Something in you hated to ever see Malleus upset, even if it was over something entirely miniscule. Malleus smiled, starting to become used to the closeness the two of you adopted as his heart began to slow. He noticed how you talked about your little dragon with such excitement, even asking Malleus for tips on how to care for it to make your dragon as “cool” as his. 

When the bell rang, he almost felt sad when your eyes widened.

“Oh god, is it really that late already? God, Crewel is going to kill me!” You got up and pulled her Gao Gao Dragon away from Malleus’, shoving the toy into your pocket. “Um, I’ve got to go! Thanks for hanging out with me, but I’m super late to class right now!” You told him. Malleus gasped as you got up and started to leave him, instinctive reaching out and grabbing onto your arm. You looked back in bewilderment as Malleus looked at you, seemingly in the same amount of shock you were. He took a long moment before answering.

“Ah, can we do this again sometime? Show each other our dragons, I mean.” He asked. You blinked at him before smiling.

“Yeah, of course! Feel free to come over tonight, I’ll show you my progress.” You told him. The second bell rang, and you immediately went into panic. “The warning bell already?! God, this is terrible!” You pulled away from Malleus, running off in hopes of getting to your class before you really were about to be murdered for being late. Malleus just watched you run off, holding a hand to his chest. As he watched you run, his heart rate started to increase again. Maybe he would have to ask Lillia what exactly such a feeling meant. After all, he had never experienced anything like it before.

He had never been so sad to watch someone leave, while being so excited to be able to see them again before.

[ryomensukunamoved-deactivated20]

[wolken-himmel]

In which Malleus can't help but think that (Y/n) is courting him with the way she gives him shiny stones as presents, loves to touch his horns, and is not afraid to fall asleep in his presence.

To determine if she really is courting him or not, Malleus has compiled all his arguments into a hilariously serious argumentative essay for a presentation to his retainers.

Request by @kagomekirigiri.

Malleus Draconia was sure that you were courting him: All the signs were there!

So why was it that he was breaking his head over this matter right now, his three retainers not being much of a help. In an empty classroom, the three students sat on chairs while their dorm leader stood in the front where the chalkboard was located.

Malleus held a small piece of white chalk in his slender fingers to add aspects that spoke for you attempting to court him. In his other hand was a stack of papers that were filled with neat bullet points and paragraphs detailing the arguments he was about to present to his audience.

"Thank you for coming to my presentation, today," Malleus exclaimed calmly, catching Lilia and Sebek's attention while Silver remained asleep. "I appreciate your willingness to aid me in my time of need. I would like to have your opinion on this four-page essay I wrote yesterday while my dearest treasure was asleep."

"Malleus, dear..." Lilia mumbled, furrowing his eyebrows. He would have laughed if it weren't for how serious the dragon fae actually was. Lilia and Sebek shot each other a confused glance, wondering what had gotten into their young master. The bat looked a little bit dumbfounded as he returned his attention to Malleus. "You made a whole presentation for the question if (Y/n) is trying to court you or not?"

"I mean... how else was I going to find out if (Y/n) is really courting me," Malleus explained in a matter-of-fact way. He didn't understand why his retainers furrowed their eyebrows at his demeanour. Shrugging helplessly, he merely flipped through the papers that made up his essay. "Humans are so strange to me; I never know what they intend to do."

Lilia's quirked up once he realised how utterly frustrated Malleus seemed to be because of this matter. Waving his hand encouragingly, he shouted, "Aw, no no, Malleus. Go on!" Then, he pulled his knees up to his chest and watched the dragon fae adoringly — like a proud father. "This is just too precious."

Sebek rolled his eyes as he crossed his arms. "I don't see anything precious about this," he murmured, rubbing his temples in annoyance of what he was about to sit through. "I could be training or reading right now instead of listening to a presentation about that human. Also, why is Silver allowed to sleep through the whole presentation—"

Lilia laughed as he extended a hand to ruffle Silver's hair, whose eyebrows merely scrunched up at the slightly disturbing gesture. "Don't worry, I'm sure he's still able to listen to Malleus," Lilia explained, eagerly nodding at Malleus for him to begin. "You'd be surprised at what the boy manages to catch in his sleep."

Malleus nodded with an excited smile on his face. "Great, now that this matter is settled." He took a deep breath and straightened his back to prepare himself for the presentation. "Can we begin?"

"Go go! I forgot to make popcorn, but I'm sure we'll survive without it," Lilia commented as he scratched his head in sheepishness.

Lilia's words caused Sebek to start panicking, and the knight turned to Malleus to look at him desperately. "Young master, start your presentation before Lilia can make popcorn, I beg you."

The corners of Malleus' lips tugged up into an amused smile. "Very good." Finally, he let his gaze sweep over the audience consisting of three Diasomnia students. "Thank you all for attending this meeting to help me solve my dilemma: Is (Y/n) (L/n), prefect of Ramshackle, trying to court me, Malleus Draconia? In the following presentation, I shall put forward all the aspects that speak in favour of my thesis."

Sebek quirked an eyebrow at that. "And what about the arguments that speak against it?" he asked, leaning forward in utter confusion.

Malleus coughed into his fist as he he remarked, "We won't talk about those here."

"But—?! Aren't those just as important?" Sebek yelled in disbelief as he shot up from his seat. His jaw hung low, and his eyes were ripped wide open in surprise at how his master wasn't thinking so rationally for once. "What's gotten into you—"

Malleus waved his hand to shush Sebek, and the knight complied even though he didn't want to. The dorm leader hummed in satisfaction as silence returned for him to cut through. "I have a handful of arguments in form of scenarios that support my thesis that (Y/n) (L/n) is very much trying to court me."

"I hate to say this—" Sebek murmured, covering his face with his hands, "but you're hopeless, young master."

Lilia merely laughed as he shot everyone an amused smile. "Ah, let him be! Let him be!" he chirped to Sebek. "Malleus is just in love."

Malleus didn't let himself be disturbed by the murmurs that broke out between Sebek and Lilia, and he instead continued in a professional tone, "I will try my best to retell the scenarios in the most detailed way I can." He demonstratively raised his essay into the air for his retainers to marvel at. "I think four pages should be enough to prove my point..."

"No, spare us the details, please," Sebek groaned whilst paling in dread.

Malleus shook his head stubbornly. "I'm afraid they're necessary in order for you to fully understand my dilemma," he announced, sending his protesting knight a teasing look that spoke of feigned pity. Sebek felt his cheeks reddened in embarrassment at his master's mocking, and he quickly sought to hide himself in his jacket. Malleus pointed to the papers in his hands and coughed into his fist to prepare himself for speaking. "My arguments are the following."

Argument 1

[(Y/n) (L/n) gifted me a gem.]

His first example had occurred during one of your nightly strolls together.

"Malleus! Look what I found here!" you yelled in utter excitement, your cheerful voice cutting through the silence of the night. Malleus, who had been busy watching the gargoyles in the courtyard, turned to your bent-over form. It never surprised him what you managed to find on your nightly strolls together, so he quickly joined your side.

"A... stone?" he questioned as his glowing eyes stared down at the object in your palms. His eyebrows furrowed in confusion; he definitely hadn't expected you to show him such a trivial little thing. But, the way your eyes lit up so adorably made him reconsider his thoughts.

You laughed as you held the stone out to him, urging him to take it. "Yes, but it looks heart-shaped!" Ah yes, with a second glance, he could make out the curious shape of the grey and cold stone. He raised it into the air and let the moon light hit the coarse material of the stone. When he lowered it once again, he was met with your shimmering eyes as you gushed, "Isn't it pretty?"

"I do see its charm." Malleus smiled as he extended a hand to push a stray hair behind your ear. You giggled as he did so, and it pained him to think that you were just friends. At that thought, his smile turned bitter, but it persisted and stayed. "It would prove to be a good trinket," he commented, holding it out to you to take it back.

Although you smiled up at him happily, you made no move to claim the stone once again. "Yes, you're right," you merely whispered as you nodded. "That's why you should keep it."

Malleus' eyes widened in surprise. "You're giving it to me?" he asked, his voice quivering slightly. You were giving him a present — did you know what this meant? The dragon fae narrowed his eyes at you, wondering if you knew you were in the process of courting him. That was the first time he had gotten the impression you were actually trying to court him.

You smiled up at him as you clasped your own hands over his opened palm and closed his fingers around the stone. "Yes, I don't want you to forget about me!" you said, laughing in an almost bitter way. A little bit saddened, you turned your eyes at the ground as Malleus desperately tried to search for your gaze. "You know... I'm a human and will die before you do. And besides, what if your princely duties won't allow you time to visit me?"

"Don't worry," Malleus said, squeezing your hands with his other. He felt a strange warmth in his stomach at your touch, and he wanted to feel more of it. Determined, he smiled down at you. "That won't happen."

Laughter spilt from your lips. "You're saying it like that, my dear friend." You shook your head like an old wise woman, yet you hadn't lived as long as Malleus. Sighing to banish those sad thoughts from your mind, you let go of Malleus' hands. "Keep the stone as a present. You never know what the world might throw at us."

Argument 2

[(Y/n) (L/n) touched my horns.]

His second example had occurred as Malleus and you were hanging out in Ramshackle dorm at night since it had been too cold outside for you.

Both of you were sipping on the hot chocolates you had made, and were just overall enjoying your time with comfortable silence. Just as Malleus was about to lose himself in your eyes, you suddenly piped up, "Malleus, you have something there on your horns."

"Really?" he asked, furrowing his eyebrows. He raised his free hand to run it across the serrated texture of his horns. Giggles escaped your lips at how the mighty fae looked so adorable when he couldn't find anything. Pouting, he eventually just gave up. "Do you mayhaps have a mirror around here, little treasure?"

You shook your head as you set down your mug on the coffee table of your living room. "No, I don't—" A little smile appeared on your lips as you announced, "But no mirror needed! Just bend down."

Malleus furrowed his eyebrows, but in the end, he did what you asked of him; he trusted you, after all. "Alright," he mumbled as he slouched forward, wondering what you would do.

What you did next caught him off-guard: You touched his horns. His pupils dilated and his jaw fell down in utter shock at your soft and almost airy touches. His heartbeat quickened, and his mouth suddenly turned dry at the sensation of your fingertips running across his horns.

This was the second instance that made him question whether you were courting him or not; touching his horns was quite an intimate act, and you were doing it so casually.

It seemed like Malleus was on another plane when you finally gazed down to see his eyes ripped wide open and his eyebrows furrowed strongly. Noticing how your friend seemed to he in utter distress, you stopped to ask, "Hey, are you alright?"

Malleus had a hard time regaining his composure, but he did eventually manage to suppress the pleasant shivers running down his spine to answer, "Yes, I was just surprised." He spoke in a hasty way, looking at you with beautifully glowing eyes. "Do go on... do go on..."

You hummed, glad that everything was alright. There were quite a few leaves that had managed to stick to the surface of his horns due to the rain acting as a weak glue. You made sure not to touch his horns more than needed since you were aware that the gesture was fairly intimate due to what Lilia had told you. "Here!" you exclaimed after you had finished plucking all the leaves from his horns. "You had a lot of leaves stuck to your horns."

Malleus hummed in utter delight as he watched you leave the living room to discard the leaves. "I thank you, dear treasure."

Argument 3

[(Y/n) (L/n) fell asleep in my presence.]

His third example had occurred whilst you two were doing homework in the library. You had chosen a quaint little corner that barely ever anyone passed by — perfect to spend some time together. You finished your homework quicker than Malleus since you had less to do, and now you were waiting for your friend to finish, too.

Alas, Malleus eventually jotted down the last sentence, thus completing his last alchemy assignment. Letting out a little huff, he turned to his right to announce, "(Y/n), my treasure? I have finished Professor Crewel's assignment, do you want to go gargoyle watching—" His eyes widened in surprise when he found you asleep, your arms sprawled across the table, and your head resting on the table with your cheek pressed against the surface. "Oh, you've fallen asleep."

His gaze softened as he gently prodded your shoulder, causing you to pry an eye open to look at who dared to disturb your slumber. He scooted closer to you, and you immediately took the opportunity to latch onto his arm like he was the most comfortable pillow ever.

"Hm..." you mumbled as you snuggled into his upper arm, exhaling in bliss. "Don't move, Mal..."

Malleus was caught off-guard at how close you were — but what startled him more was that you had fallen asleep... in his presence. Did you truly not fear him? Did you trust him enough to let your guard down around him? Now he was almost entirely convinced that you were courting him.

The happiness he felt would have made him jump in utter joy if it weren't for you clinging to him like he was your teddy bear. Clicking his tongue in amusement, he reached his other free hand out to run it through your hair. "You should know better than to fall asleep in my presence," he drawled as he pressed a kiss to your scalp, taking in the scent of your hair. "Do you not fear me?"

"Safe... with you..." you muttered quietly, smiling.

"I'm speechless," was all Malleus managed to say. A smile snuck its way to his lips as he twirled a strand of your hair between his fingers. "You truly think so, my treasure?"

"Hm..." you managed to press out before you succumbed to a peaceful slumber without any nightmares since your dragon was there to protect you from them.

Malleus finished his presentation with the following statement, "These arguments are the reasons why I — Malleus Draconia — believe that indeed, (Y/n) (L/n) is courting me."

Lilia immediately jumped up from his chair to clap and yell, "Bravo! Bravo!" Malleus bowed with a big smile on his face, thanking the audience for their time and attention.

A permanent scowl had etched itself onto Sebek's face. "I hate it here."

Lilia's clapping caused Silver to finally awake from his nap. He pried his eyes open despite how heavy his eye lids felt to see what was going on. "Wait, did the presentation begin already?" he asked, his voice hoarse, as he rubbed his eyes in exhaustion. Sebek shot him a dirty look, wishing he could have slept through the whole presentation, as well.

Malleus merely laughed as he exclaimed once again, "I thank you for listening to my problems." He lowered his essay onto the teacher's desk before sending his retainers an expectant look. "So, what say you?"

"She's courting you!" Lilia yelled without hesitation.

"She's not courting you," Sebek replied, his voice monotonous and bored since he still struggled with finding his will to live after having lost it since the beginning of the presentation.

Silver shrugged, asking, "Why don't you just ask her—"

That immediately got everyone else's head to snap towards the unexpectant knight. "Silver! That's unheard of!" Malleus exclaimed, gasping in utter shock. His slender fingers clasped over his mouth, and he exhaled dramatically. "You don't just ask someone if they're courting you. It's... strange."

Silver rolled his eyes, wondering why they wouldn't simply communicate. But oh well, it wasn't him that would be stuck in embarrassing situations. "You guys are strange," he mumbled under his breath before he straightened his back to look at Malleus. "Nevermind, if you're so sure about it, then go and tell her you're accepting her courting efforts."

"Amazing advice, Silver!" Malleus chirped, completely ignoring Sebek's protests. Grabbing the essay he had worked so hard on, the dragon fae then strolled out of the room with a certain bounce to his regal step. "I'll be on my way then."

Sebek slammed his head onto his desk. "He's hopeless..."

"Shh, Sebek. This is adorable!" Lilia cooed as he squealed in utter excitement. "Oh my, I can't wait for my grandchildren..."

[attackonheroes-resurgence]

🤫🔥

Art by Director Julia @bioswear © 2021

[wizardessheart-sideb]

[Image ID: a screenshot of a tumblr blog, pro///kareito. They are marked in red in Shinigami Eyes (meaning they are transphobic). The post in question on their blog promotes exclusion and from other transphobes. /End ID]

...

It's recently come to my attention that @/pro//kareito is a transphobe. They are, unfortunately, a member of the Wizardess Heart fandom and while I usually just block transphobes and move on, I cannot let this slide.

Our fandom is super small and full of queer people. A transphobe in our fandom is a threat to all of us, regardless if we are trans or not. Anyone who decides they can dictate others' identities and how those identities are expressed is a threat. You are the only one who can decide what your identity is. You are allowed to express and perform gender in whatever way you want. No one can tell you what your identity is and those who police identities are dangerous.

I encourage everyone to block them (unless you're a transphobe too, in case here's a new friend and also block me) and also NOT to harass them. Block and ignore. Do not harass them. DO NOT HARASS THEM.

And for Pro, although I've blocked you, we both know this fandom is small and Tumblr's block feature is broken. And my putting slashes in your name only stalls the inevitable. I know at some point, you'll see this. All I want to say to you is that I hope someday you realize how harmful transphobia is and how by siding with transphobes/TERFs, you are siding with oppressors. Gender is a deeply personal experience and you and your TERF friends are not people who can tell others what their identity is. There is no one way to be a woman or a man.

And I ask you this: why are you siding with people who want to tell you how to be a woman or how to be a man? Why are you siding with people are heavily restricting gender roles and gender identities? I could go on and talk about how dangerous life is for trans people, but I imagine you don't care about that, do you? So I'll level with you: these transphobes that you're siding with are not the friends you think they are. They may say they are protecting people, or that they're feminists, but they aren't. These people are not your friends and I know several TERFS that would turn on cis people who did not perform gender in the "correct" way to them.

I hope that you take the time to reflect and change your ways. But as it stands now, I will not stand for a transphobe being in a fandom full of queer people, myself included. Even if we were all cis, I still wouldn't stand for it. Because no one should have their identity policed, even cis people.

[amaranthprincess21]

As the Curtain Falls

Rating: M Fandom: Twisted Wonderland Pairing: Vil/Reader (Eventually >:3c) Synopsis: As summer approaches, you look for a job on El Capitan: Twisted Wonderland's version of Broadway. Getting into a show is the chance of a lifetime, but as rehearsals go on, the flaws of the show and its production team slowly come to light. The ship you're on is burning and there's no way of backing out. You will have to make the best of things and deal with the drama that comes your way. And here comes Vil, your co-star, making things more complicated as the two of you become closer during rehearsals.

A/N: okay so I need to make some things explicit: 1) Although this going to heavily riff on LND, a lot of experiences that are in this fic are experiences I had while acting and a lot of this fic is honestly just me trying to make sense of some of the weird shit I went through. A bad sequel musical is really just the setting and I doubt any of this stuff actually happened during LND production so don't like, look into too much? I just wanna bitch about acting drama I went through years ago and also make some jokes about LND. I'll most likely talk about those experiences more in author notes so I guess look forward to that? 2) also i'm sorry if you genuinely like LND bc I will be making fun of it a lot. And also Phantom like I'm a fan but I'm def gonna roast it 3) For reals tho, I don't know if this is going to be slow burn or not so alskjdfahsd

----

The moment I stepped into the large rehearsal space, a sense of dread and excitement washed over me. The space looked like a small warehouse more than anything else. Large props or set pieces (I couldn’t tell) were pushed towards the back of the room. One whole wall was full of mirrors. I wasn’t the first one here, thank God. But seeing just how many people were in the room was… not reassuring. Along one wall there was a long table set up and several people were seated behind it. It had to be the investors and the production team. 

Man, I was really in over my head, wasn’t I? My callback would be getting judged by ten people and I was up against so many people. But then again, I should’ve expected this. This wasn’t some school musical: this was the Broadway of Twisted Wonderland. Everything was bigger here and the stakes were higher. I needed to make sure I was perfect. I needed this job. I needed this role. 

A few people were already warming up, stretching on the ground. Okay, let’s be social. After all, these might be my new coworkers. I tried to exude friendliness and confidence as I went over to the group, saying hi and introducing myself, but I just wanted to throw up. More people trickled in and every time the door opened, I found myself looking over. Some joined us in warming up, others went behind the table. 

“So, what’s your background?” a tall redhead woman asked. My head whipped to look at the group to see everyone staring right at me, expectantly.

“Oh, uh, I don’t have much of one, to be honest. I did musical theater in school, but this is my first professional audition,” I told them.

“Really? Congrats on making it to callbacks, then!” someone said. I wasn’t sure if it was genuine or a snide remark. 

“T-Thanks.” Might as well err on the side of niceness. “What’s your guys’ backgrounds?”

“I’ve only ever done ensemble before, so this is my first time being called back for a principal role,” one said. As they all started talking about their backgrounds, the door opened again and I instinctively looked. I had to do a double take as Vil walked in, joining the others behind the table. 

“Am I seeing that right?!” the brunette next to me demanded, elbowing me. “Is that Vil Schoenheit?!”

“That, or we’re having the same hallucination,” I told her. It wasn’t like I was friends with him or anything, but I didn’t know he liked musical theater. I thought he was just a model with some TV guest star credits. But then again, I didn’t know him. We just saw each other during prefect meetings with Headmaster Crowley. But I think Jack mentioned one time he was wealthy. Maybe he’s investing in the show? I mean, it’s that or he’s a part of the production team.

“Well, this just got way more interesting,” she commented. I glanced back over to the table. Vil seemed deep in conversation with the other auditioners. Yeah, interesting seemed like a good fit. An older man with a bright teal tie stood up from behind the table and clapped his hands. All conversation died and we all looked at him.

“Welcome to the callbacks for Romance is Immortal. You’ve all done well to make it this far. But sadly, only a few of you will make it into the cast,” he said. Way to pile the pressure on. “We’ll start with the sides and song we emailed you. We’ll call you in as small groups. The holding room is through that door.” He pointed and wordlessly, a few actors got up and made their way over. 

Okay, this was happening. This was really happening. The callback was starting. The brunette helped me to my feet and as I walked to the holding, I stole another glance at the panel. Vil’s sharp amethyst eyes caught mine. He gave me a small nod. This was weird. This was so weird. To think Vil would be judging my audition was a strange one. Would things stay this weird if I got the role? Would it be weirder if I didn’t? 

The holding room was fairly spacious and I found a spot by the water cooler. One of the auditioners was at the door, calling a few names already. The auditioner and actors left and the door shut behind them. Quiet conversation started up, filling the room. I pulled my phone out of my bag and saw a few texts from Ace and Deuce, telling me to break a leg. Those poor guys. I’d dragged them along on this journey and sang so much in our hotel room that Ace left to get noise cancelling headphones at one point. It wasn’t the most reassuring thing, even if he told me he just got them because he couldn’t hear his video game audio. But I knew he wasn’t really into musical theater. Deuce wasn’t either, but his mom loved musicals so he at least was willing to try and sing opposite me for prepping this callback piece. That was awkward. I never want to act like we have sexual tension ever, ever again.

I texted them back, thanking them and asking how sightseeing was going. I opened Magicam to see if they posted anything. They hadn’t put anything up yet, but Vil did. He had some vague things on his story. Showing he clearly wasn’t at Night Raven College, getting a smoothie this morning, basic things like that. I started scrolling through his profile, wondering if I’d find any past work of his on there. Mostly it was just selfies and modeling pictures. He really was pretty. Beautiful, even. Unfairly so. A notification popped up on my phone; a text message from Deuce, saying they were at an observation tower taking in the views. I really wish I could’ve seen that with them, but I had a job to get. Maybe if I got this role and got a place here, I could go sometime.

I waited and waited and waited for what felt like hours, although my phone said it was just a half hour. The first group returned and the assistant called out a few more names. My stomach lurched as my name was called. Trying not to shake, I stood up and followed him and a few others out to the main audition space. The room looked so much bigger without all the actors there. The assistant motioned for us to sit on the sidelines against the mirrored wall. As I sat down, I glanced over to Vil again, only to see him getting up. Was he leaving?

“We’ll start with auditioning our potential Opera Ghosts and Carolines. We’ll be double-casting these roles,” the man in the teal tie told us. “We’ve already had Mr. Schoenheit sign on as our main Opera Ghost -” Huh?! He was already in the show?! Was there another audition session I missed? Something about this unnerved me and I couldn’t place my finger on it. Sure, it was unusual, but I couldn’t tell why it was bothering me so. 

The man in the teal tie called out a name and a woman stood up, joining Vil in front of the auditioner’s table. I looked down at my script, reading through the lines again. I didn’t really need to; I was a fast learner and Deuce and I had gone over this enough times for me to remember it. But it was nice to stare at something that wasn’t other people.

Nerves were starting to eat at my stomach. The other actress sounded so good. Was I really cut out for this? I mean, I’d be thankful for any role in this show, but what if I bombed this so badly I wasn’t cast at all? 

… No. I couldn’t think like that. I had to get this job. I had to. I just needed to put everything I had into this. Nerves or awkwardness be damned. If I didn’t get this job, I wouldn’t have the money to get a place to stay this summer. I’d be homeless. Grim would be homeless. If I blew it, it wouldn’t be just me that would suffer. I needed to get this role at any cost.

I breathed in and out, trying to calm myself as one by one, each actress went up and read with either Vil or another man. I listened to the notes the auditioners gave, watched the way each actress portrayed Caroline, decided what choices I could make. I needed to keep a level head. I needed to destroy the competition. 

Suddenly, my name was called out as someone returned to sit with us. A deep breath. I could do this. I could do this. I got up and walked to where Vil was standing. I wasn’t sure if reading with someone I was acquainted with was going to be the most comfortable, but whatever. 

“Are you off-book on the sides?” A woman from behind the table asked. 

“I am,” I replied. She grinned.

“Go ahead and stow your script under the chaise lounge, then,” she instructed me. I gently tossed it under the lavish chaise right behind Vil and I. She was writing something down when I looked up; a majority of them were. My stomach was starting to knot itself again as I waited for the go-ahead.

“Hey.” Vil’s voice in my ear made me flinch. I looked at him. Up close, he was ever more beautiful, more beautiful than any photo could capture. “Is it okay if I touch you?”

“Huh? Yeah, it’s totally fine. Is it all right if I touch you?” I asked back. 

“Don’t mess up my hair or makeup,” he replied. 

“If you set your makeup right, that shouldn’t be a problem,” I said, grinning. He raised an eyebrow and I couldn’t decipher the look on his face. He was amused or pissed. One of those.

“All right, places!” the man in the teal tie called. Vil and I hurried to our spots, him on the chaise lounge and me just off to the side. I tried to channel Caroline, the heroine of the show. “Begin scene!”

After the sudden disappearance of the Opera Ghost, my mentor, I’d found his hiding place. I barged in, breathless, relieved that I’d found him. Yet, despite my joy, I was unsure, no, in denial about the true reason I wanted to find him. He shot up from his seat, shock written on his face.

“I…” The situation was hitting me. What could I say to him after everything that had happened? “I’ve found you.”

“So you have.” Cautious. He moved behind the chaise, keeping it between us. “Why are you here? To bring a mob to me?”

“No,” I breathed. I couldn’t bear the thought of him being hurt. “I don’t want you to be hurt.”

“Even after everything I did?” he demanded. Slowly, I started to move toward him.

“Even then.” I reached out to grab his hand, but in a flash, he moved away from me. My hand slowly fell back to my side.

“You have always been too kind for your own good,” he said softly. “...  I am not worthy of your kindness.”

“Don’t say that!” I cupped his face with my hands, praying my touch could convey my feelings for him. “You are deserving of love…” He smirked, his fingers brushing against my cheek. The touch made my heart race. I leaned into him.

“Do you really believe so?” he asked with a smirk.

The music began, the keyboard blaring. The heavy notes filled my blood and I could only imagine how it would sound with a full orchestra. Vil’s honeyed voice filled the air and I had to fight back surprise. Who knew he could sing? His hand slipped into mine, leading me around the room. His words dripped with innuendo and the walls around my heart were falling. Although I was to be wed soon, I fell under the Ghost’s spell. 

Soon, he wasn’t just leading me. I grabbed at him, pulling him close, desperate to be closer to him. His fingers dug into my hips. In an instant, he twirled me around, body pressing into my back. Oh, he wasn’t kidding when he said he was going to touch me; his hand was right on top of my thigh. Our duet was becoming faster, heavier. All I wanted was him to take me, to ravage me, to make me his. I was tired of his teasing touches. I needed more.

Once again, his hands gripped my hips tightly, walking me back to the chaise. Carefully, he laid me down. My heart was racing as he climbed on top of me. This wasn’t the closest we’d been and yet my heart was thudding so loudly I worried other people could hear it. I reached out, hand resting on his back and bringing him closer to me. We sang our last notes together, voices melting together. His face got closer to mine, our lips practically touching. But he didn’t close the small gap. We froze, waiting for the auditioners to end the scene.

“End!” someone called. I breathed a sigh of relief as Vil got off of me. My heart was still racing in my chest and I hated to admit it, but I felt winded from that scene. Vil offered his hand to me and helped me get off the chaise lounge. Was it so obvious? 

Some auditioners were still jotting down notes, others looking up at us. Vil stood by me, waiting patiently to receive notes.

“Your chemistry is fantastic,” one person said to us. They turned to me. “Towards the end, you were losing a little bit of energy. Be sure to keep that up through the whole piece.”

“Thank you,” I replied.

“Your vocal performance didn’t suffer too much from it, but again, it wasn’t as confident as we’d like,” another added. It hurt, but I nodded.

“Thank you,” I replied again.

“Vil, come back here. We’ll audition for another Opera Ghost.” Vil didn’t spare me a single glance, heading back to the table to join the producers and creative team. It’s not that I wanted him to stay with me, but man, I needed a breather after doing an intense scene like that.

The rest of the audition went fine. No one was as intense as Vil was and I did my best to take the notes I’d been given and improve on it. As I sat on the sidelines, I watched after time and time again Vil be fairly aggressive with the other potential Carolines. Part of me wished they were intimidated by it, but no, they all did really well. As expected of professional actors. 

“Great job, everyone,” the man in the teal tie told us as callbacks wrapped up. “We’ll email you with the results. If you don’t hear back within the week, you haven’t been cast.” Why did we have to wait so long? I’d have to spend this whole week anxious and checking my emails every hour.

“Have a good evening, everyone,” one of the auditioners called out from behind the table. The tension in the air disappeared immediately. It was over. I pulled out my phone, ready to text Ace and Deuce that I was done. As I left, I glanced over to the table. Vil was deep discussion with the producers. Oh well. I could get away with not saying bye. 

---

“So, did you have to do anything other than the song and lines?” Deuce asked me as we sat in our hotel room, boxes of pizzas in front of us. 

“Yeah. We did a quick dance portion, but it was mostly the sides and singing,” I replied. Now the audition was done, I could indulge a little in junk food.

“Doesn’t sound too bad,” Ace said, mouth full.

“It wasn’t. It was tiring, though,” I admitted. “I started off intense so it was an uphill battle. Vil was pretty aggressive.”

“Vil? He auditioned too?” 

“Yeah. It was that seduction scene Deuce and I suffered through and he was going for it. A couple times I legit thought he was going to touch me. But he didn’t!” I added hurriedly as looks of rage came over both Ace and Deuce. “He asked if he could touch me and I said it was fine, don’t worry. He wasn’t going around just grabbing my thighs like a life preserver without consent.” Their bodies relaxed.

“Are you sure you want to do this show if the audition is like this?” Ace asked. 

“Of course I do! If I get into this show, it’s a job and I don’t have to rely on Headmaster Crowley for everything!” I fired back.

“Jeez, calm down.” Ace crossed his arms in front of his chest. “This just seems like a weird show.”

“You’re saying that as if the first musical wasn’t weird,” Deuce commented.

“I’ve never seen The Opera Ghost and I’m not going to. My grandma took me to see Dance of the Vampires when I was a kid and that’s the first and last musical I’ll ever see,” Ace said indignantly.

“You can’t base every musical off of one you saw,” Deuce argued. I just grabbed another slice of pizza and kept eating as they fought. As much as I hated it, Ace’s words stuck with me. Sure, I didn’t know the first musical, but this was a job. A job I needed. Right now, I was technically taking dorm funds for necessities and although I doubted Crowley cared, I needed some way of making my own money. Who knew how long I was going to be here? 

I needed to start trying to be independent.

… No. I’ve worked hard. I can worry about money later. I pushed the anxiety to the back of my mind, jumping back into the conversation Deuce and Ace were having. The night went on and despite my long day, I had a hard time sleeping. 

I lay awake in the stiff hotel bed, staring up at the ceiling. Deuce was sound asleep in the roll-away bed that was wedged between mine and Ace’s beds. I sighed, rolling over towards him and the night stand. I grabbed my phone and unlocked it. Instinctively, I double-checked I was on the hotel’s wifi before doing anything.

There was a notification bubble on my email app and my stomach did a backflip. I took a deep breath and opened it. I didn’t want to get my hopes up, but still, my insides were starting to vibrate. There were two emails, one from the school about something I didn’t care about and the other from the people who’d sent me the music and sides for the audition. My body was shaking as I opened the email. My eyes read over the words quickly and that bubbly feeling grew and grew.

They offered me the role of Caroline.

My phone fell onto the mattress with a soft thud. My heart was about to beat out of my chest yet again today. I did it. I got the part. I wouldn’t have to worry about money soon. I had a job. I had a paying job. 

I got up and went into the bathroom, shutting the door behind me. My body shook and I jumped up and down, trying to get the adrenaline out of my body. I did it! I had a job! Everything was going to be okay.

But as I tried to calm myself down, something came to mind. My audition with Vil. Who was already cast. … Was I going to have to do that scene again in front of more people?!

[amaranthprincess21]

me too, google. i’m always asking myself that.

[amaranthprincess21]

you know you’re dedicated to a fic idea when you’re watching a terrible, terrible musical just for research.

[soul--surgeon]

Well well well~ seems our infamous Laito plagiarist is at it again! How exciting.

However, when you got evidence to support a claim up the whazoo, you might as well expose it, right? Plagiarism is a crime and should not be tolerated in any form, whether it be books, articles, translations, or in this case, fanfiction!

There are many authors and writers who work too hard and bust their asses in research to come out with stories which are free for us to read and enjoy.

The translation disaster in the DL fandom was bad enough, but the recent rise in plagiarism is indeed a menace that needs to be stopped at its source.

Case Scenario #1 - the author of Misaki’s Memories: Misaki Akiyama

It’s been known that she has been recently stealing from a story known as “In The Shadows” on archive of our own or A03. Don’t believe me? Read the comparison screenshots for yourself with time stamps and all! :D

http://archiveofourown.org/works/5507105/chapters/13720729

This is the website for reference in case my screenshot texts are a bit too small to read. I just used my entire webpage to show that I didn’t edit/steal or make up anything I’m claiming here.

I made sure to snap the time stamps of when this particular chapter was posted based on the comments, which I’ve blacked out the users so their identities will be protected.

I don’t really care for this shit, and it should not be tolerated. 

I don’t have anything against people who make OC x canon blogs because I find them fun and entertaining, but to STEAL CONSISTENTLY TIME AND TIME AGAIN is something I will not keep quiet about.

@diabolik-misaki @misaki-akiyama @the-sakamaki-brides your days of plagiarism must cease to an END. You are a danger to the community by purposefully stealing from talented authors, and if you really want to write, then by God, just use YOUR OWN MATERIAL!!!

Plenty of OC x canon blog ships do that, there’s no excuse for what you’re doing so JUST FUCKING STOP IT ALREADY!

The community has a right to know what you’re doing, and I will be that voice in exposing the truth.

Laito: Nfu~ forgetting something else, Bitch-chan?

Oh, yes! Of course!! And for those of you out there who WILLINGLY knew about this and participated in trying to cover her up, you’re all just as guilty as she is!

Honestly, it just amazes me what people will do in order to remain ‘popular.’ Just do things because you like them, and don’t resort to stealing from others to make yourself look good, it just gets you in trouble.

Or caught.

By me.

[bakujho]

I 👏fucking 👏 love 👏 receipts.👏

So, all you “where’s the proof she plagiarized” folks, here’s some!

[amaranthprincess21]

Not to be a fandom grandma or whatever, but I’m honestly so glad we’ve moved past the whole “if your fanfic isn’t canon compliant you WILL be shot on sight” bullshit.

[nonsensical-twistedriddles]

31 i𝖋, 𝖇𝖞 𝖈𝖍𝖆𝖓𝖈𝖊, 𝖎 𝖋𝖊𝖑𝖑 𝖎𝖓 𝖑𝖔𝖛e

𝖍𝖊𝖑𝖑𝖔 𝖍𝖊𝖑𝖑𝖔 ! i’m not really sure of what to call this but basically it’s about malleus falling in love?? with you?? in his perspective?? hhh?? this is only part one though! i’m not a very good writer so i’m sorry in advance for any confusing sentences you come across while reading (╥﹏╥) 

【☆】𝖕𝖆𝖗𝖙 𝖔𝖓𝖊

There was always a strange feeling in Malleus’ chest whenever he spent time with you. An ache that made it harder to breathe.

Sometimes it would leave tears brimming the corners of his eyes at the sight of your laughter to which you’d ask, “Malleus, are you okay?” when noticing his pained expression. He’d always play it off as a kind of discomfort. If pressed, he’d give you a reason far from the truth since the last thing he wanted was to worry you over a silliness that has been plaguing his mind– “the heat of the sun is starting to get to me” or “I couldn’t get enough sleep last night” or “Divus’ voice is making my ears bleed”

Keep reading

[leonthecardboardunicorn]

Matchmaker, Chapter 2

Pairing: Mainly HugoxLiz, but there’s a whole bunch of smaller ones in there

Summary: Liz wants to confess to Hugo. Instead she proposes that they play matchmakers! Will she ever be able to confess her feelings?

Start: Chapter 1

Keep reading