#<-name for this future flora au

[overthattwilight]

Professor, I'd never dream of betraying you. You trust me, right?

Future Flora AU

In this AU, instead of Future Luke, there is Future Flora who guides Professor Layton and Luke in Future London

She is part of the family, but is helping Future Luke to stop Future Layton. So she is a spy

Future Luke still exists, but due to him being in trouble recently, Future Flora takes his role. Until Future Luke fully recovers, she will be there for Professor Layton and Luke

However, there is something dubious about Future Flora...is she really on Future Luke's side? Can she be trusted?

About her true identity, her real name is Chloris. She is a stage actor hired by Clive. The reason she joined him is to have revenge on Bill Hawks

Future Flora taking Future Luke's role wasn't what was planned, but no problem to Chloris. She is a professional at acting, and she plays her part well

Her being a dubious character is intended, to let Future Luke step in whenever the time comes. She doesn't know exactly when, but she's keeping the character until she gets the sign

[biinaberry]

Did I make an au just for a rarepair? Yes, but heres my idea of a shen twin au

In my version Shen Yuan transmigrates into the body of 5 yr old Shen Shi, twin of Shen Jiu. It is very important to note that in this au SJ and YQ refer to SY with "A-Shi" and "Xiao-Shi" respectively, and SY takes up the identity of Shen Shi. SY is also fully cognizant when he migrates so he has the complete thoughts of a 20~ yr old while in the body of a 5 yr old. This causes some major dysphoria and also anger at the helplessness of being in a body that does not fit him and also the fact that he has no social nor physical power because he is a child. He also views SJ and YQ as his little brothers even if he is actually the youngest physically.

He eventually is taken in my the Qiu family alongside his brother. It is when SJ starts to bond with Qiu Haitang that it finally pieces together that his brother is going to be SQQ and grieves for the events that he knows is going to happen to him. The building rage and anger at the helplessness of the situation culminates in Shen Yuan starting the massacre with SJ instantly jumping in and causing the majority of deaths. When SJ carries out the unconscious body of Qiu Haitang SY realizes the opportunity in front of him. He knows that she is going to be the kickstarter of his brother's downfall and in that moment grabs the nearest weapon, and with a heavy heart, kills her as SJ watches in shock. He turns to SJ telling him "You can't leave any witnesses, they always eventually spill" before both run off. I dont know what to do with the Wu Yanzi so I'm ignoring it for now. And im also unsure if he gets a system but we'll see.

Eventually they meet up with Yue Qi now Yue Qingyuan and the anger SJ has towards him. SY is also angry but its more so for SJ's sake than his own. The two of them become a part of Cang Qiong sect and while SJ is taken in by the Qing Jing peak, SY is taken in by the beast and flora peak (which I do not have named). They both become head disciples and later peak lords. SY also is able to clock that SQH is not the original version due to airplane saying a modern phrase and a friendship forms. SY is also the one to start biting and defending his brother when QQQ or LQG take potshots at him. It's while they are still disciples that SY meets Su Xiyan while hes on a mission and they worked together for a bit before SXY split. They continued to meet up until eventually a friendship formed and SY meets TLJ a "companion" of SXY. SY clocks who the two of them are goes to SQH to learn all he can about them and their future. SXY and TLJ eventually fall for each other and SY makes sure to prevent the palace master from finding out as long as he can. He also warns them about the palace master and to not trust any letters not hand delivered by SY as he will act as a middle person to make sure no one intercepts them. It is also during this time that SXY and TLJ both gain interest in SY. Neither can explain fully why but his autistic swag, photographic memory and ability to name drop paragraph long information in seconds intrigued them. They start courting him, shen yuan is of course oblivious. It is also important that SY introduced himself to TLJ and SXY with the name "Shen Yuan" so only the two of them refer to each other as such. He also clocks when SXY is pregnant and tells her as such when symptoms start to show and again, not to trust the palace master. By this time he is now a peak lord alongside his brother.

Eventually the old palace master finds out and instead of targeting TLJ, he first targets their lynch pin, shen yuan. He sends letters to SJ and YQY about SY being a traitor. Showing him being a demon sympathizer and hanging out sect secrets that actually SQH was leaking due to the system. SY is captures, a trial occurs and SY is charged as guilty with the punishment of execution, but YQY and SJ object. Since it was CQ secrets he was sharing they have the official say. So instead of execution they instead lock him up on the beast peak using talismans and sigils. He is not allowed to talk to anyone besides fellow peak lords and his head disciple. He cannot leave the peak without another peak lord monitoring him and this also applies when teaching. This lockdown completely breaks him as he lost trust with his family and the confinement dives him crazy as a peak lord he commonly left to document and work upon his bestiaries. This leaves him in a depressive state and constantly paranoid as he cant trust anyone. And No One has told him definitive news if SXY and TLJ are safe, SQH has confirmed that TLJ was not captured and helped SXY but he has no clue where they are now and if baby LBH is with them. As SY is confined on his mountain he stops caring about appearances and starts wasting away seen in image 3. I havent figured the rest out with LBH but he does become a part of cang qiong sect under Qing Jing, the abuse he faces stays the same. If he is raised with TLJ and SXY or by the washer woman I do not know yet. LBH hearing about the rumors of a monster on the beast peak heads out and comes face to face with SY who is delighted to see him but also horrified that about 14+ years have now passed. This pushes him a little out of his depressive episode because now he has a son to take care of and he can't waste away in front of him. He needs to act strong. He teaches LBH the best he can while contained and tells him about his parents. The two form a father son dynamic where both cant really escape the situation they are in but at least have each other for company. SY also holds onto LBH's jade pendant so it isnt lost. He also tells LBH that if he meets a demon named TLJ, to mention the name Shen Yuan.

While on a mission LBH meets up with TLJ and tells him that he's met SY and TLJ loses it (pos). He asks where he is as SXY and TLJ have been trying to find him with no success. He is told that hes on the beast peak in cang qiong and has been contained there for the last 16 years. TLJ then hatches a game plan to free him and the decide to use the immortal conference as a distraction. Most of the cultivation world will be at that conference so minimal security will be held at the sect. They use this to their advantage. TLJ strikes a deal with MBJ to cause a distraction to keep the cultivation world on the two of them even if alarms go off that SY is escaping. MBJ agrees to this as TLJ allows him to target any huan hua disciple he sees (they dont tell SXY this). While they cause a distraction by appearing on the 7th day of the conference, SXY sneaks into cang qiong peak and works on the talisman and sigils. This works and eventually she gets to SY he sees the bad shape he is in, but it was better than what LBH originally saw. The two of them start crying and SXY activates a 2 way communication artifact with TLJ telling him it was a success.

TLJ then turns to MBJ and MBJ teleports, appears in front of SXY and SY and teleports the two of them to the demon world. TLJ then turns to his son who's demon seal now broke and decides to do some father son bonding and the two both go into the eternal abyss together, as this is a tradition for heavenly demons. The two of them return after 1-2 years and have MBJ teleport them out rather than using Xin Mo.

[starry-bi-sky]

finally giving fem danyal her own au and fulfilling my 'danny is an animal whisperer' agenda at the same time: mother of monsters danyal 2.0

i say "2.0" because TECHNICALLY 'mother of monsters danyal' is an au I made back in June for Dark fem!Danyal (who I promptly named Layal). However, I haven't posted much for her yet, and I like the "mother of monsters" premise too much to leave it only to Layal. Plus Danyal in that au was going to become the mother of monsters anyway, just with significantly less world domination and mass extinction.

'Animal whisperer' Danny has been something I've been thinking about since my latest DP 'wolfpack au' post and it's! So fun to think about, and who no better to assign the idea to than Danyal Al Ghul? Who comes from a family infamously known for their love of animals and nature?

Fem Danyal is just purely self-indulgent. *gestures wildly at her* i just lomvb,,, her,,,, I've only really mentioned her in context of the 'Things in Threes' au/my first Danyal al Ghul au with the facial scar, but she's!!! I love her. She deserves her own au <33

So kill three birds with one stone! Make a post about it.

Anyways, Danny has a large lair. Similar to cult leader danyal, her lair is a giant mountain region resembling nanda parbat with a big temple/palace-like area built into the mountain. It's large, it's overflowing with natural flora, with its own mini-floating islands hovering over some areas, and it's also completely empty.

Danny takes one look at her lair upon first meeting, -- noting that it looked relatively smaller from the outside -- and promptly, with the elegance of an Al Ghul, goes "What the hell??" Because yes, while she does enjoy her own solitude and privacy, this is a bit ridiculous.

For heaven's sake, there's even a massive lake in there! What's she going to do with all this space? Can she make it any smaller? Why is it so big in the first place? This looks borderline like one of the mega-islands!

She finds out later that apparently, the amount of ectoplasm a ghost has can have an effect on the size of their lair. And since she has such a large core, her lair reflects that. Wibbly-wobbly timey-wimey stuff, it's bigger on the inside so it doesn't take up "too much space" on the outside. Don't worry about it too much.

Danyal isn't totally opposed to having such a large lair, she's just... a bit baffled by it. It feels like so much wasted space is all. All this flora and no fauna to enjoy it with. It's practically eerie.

She decorates her temple-palace area, transforming rooms to match her needs as she sees fit. In the center of the inner gardens is a massive tree that she likes to climb, with twisting, winding branches. Sam and Tucker have honorary rooms, even if they can't safely leave the specter speeder for long periods of time, even with proper safety equipment. So does Jazz. Ali (Dani) has one too, but he can actually use that one, and Danny brought him to her lair so he could decorate it himself.

She has a personal garden, but for the most part she lets the flora exist as it is. Too much space to cultivate it en masse anyways.

Skip to a few weeks later, on her next visit to Clockwork. She developed a habit of going to see him semi-regularly just because. She enjoys his wisdom, and he has a lot of stories to tell, and when he's not being the cryptic and esoteric timekeeper, he's a bit goofy.

(pushing my dadwork agenda here,,, i think Danny deserves to go 'hey, Lord Clockwork, do you want me to buy you something' while she's at walmart, only to receive a singular glowing sticky note that says 'cucumber gatorade'.)

(She insists on referring to him with his proper titles even for the most mundane of things because it's proper, but Clockwork sees a future where she eventually calls him "Cee" and by all things in existence is he determined to get there. Anyways,,,)

On her next visit to Clockwork, just as she is about to leave, Clockwork stops her and goes; "Ah, I have something for you. Hold out your hands."

Danny does as such, and Clockwork doesn't give out things often, so her curiosity has spiked to the highest levels. He turns away from her for a moment, using his staff to summon whatever it is he needs, and when he turns around.

He drops a fish into her hands. Granted, a fish in a small glass tank. But a fish nonetheless. A small one, roughly about the size of her finger, with a blue-black, eel-shaped body and four sets of glowing eyes. She can see thin, almost translucent, but spiny fins down its back and the start of bioluminescent markings. It's swimming around in circles in its small container.

"Lord Clockwork." Danyal says all too calmly.

"Yes, Danyal?"

"What is this?"

"That is an adolescent leviathan, Danyal." She’s transfixed onto the tank, but she doesn’t need to see Clockwork’s face to hear the smile he’s stifling.

The myriad of emotions that runs through her all at once threatens to overwhelm her, and she can’t tell if the feelings are negative or positive. So she carefully closes her eyes to breathe in through her nose.

“Clockwork.”

“Ah, I see you’ve dropped formalities.”

She ignores that.

“Why have you given me an adolescent leviathan?”

She's expecting the trickster to look amused when she opens her eyes. Instead, he just looks endeared. "I know you're fond of animals," he says, "and you always look amazed when you come across an animal of the realms. So I thought you might enjoy taking care of the young beast, it's mother is dead so it has no one to care for it."

Oh.

"But, if you don't like it," Clockwork's hands reach out for the tank, "I can simply take it back--"

Danyal shifts the tank out from his reach and hugs it possessively. "I never said that. How do I care for it?"

And so clockwork gives her a list, and when Danyal returns to her lair, she sets up a large tank in her room for the leviathan to swim in -- it's much too small for the lake right now, she thinks. She'll feel better if it's somewhere she can find it. She names him Suhā.

Suhā grows quickly, and by the end of the mortal month she transforms one of the rooms into a large pond for him to swim around in. He's a very loyal beast, recognizing her as it's mother of some kind. Danyal takes great care ensuring that her beastie gets quality care, and Suhā swims to the surface to see her when he senses her in the room.

It spirals from there. Somehow, Pandora catches wind that Clockwork gave her a leviathan, and so the next time Danyal visits the Greater Athens, she gives her a baby chimera. It's eyes are still sealed shut, Danyal can't bring herself to say no. She names the little beastie Firas.

Frostbite hears about it too, and not to be outdone, gives her an animal she's never even heard of. Infinite-realms born, apparently. A fox-like creature with two small horns like an impala, four eyes, and tall legs. The name isn't something she's quite sure how to write down, and she's positive that her friends won't be able to comprehend it. She names her Eira.

Getting the three of them used to each other was... interesting. Suhā tried to eat Firas when Danyal first introduced the two, and they've hated each other ever since. Firas and Eira are seemingly getting along. Her island already feels full enough with the three of them on it.

Of course, that's not the end of it. With her luck, she begins stumbling across other monsters. Realms-borne or otherwise. An injured hydra in the Grecian islands that, through lots of trial and error, Danyal is able to rehabilitate and heal. It routinely comes to visit her afterwards.

A griffin with a broken wing that she moves permanently to the island that likes to keep to itself, but tends to come down when she's near. It gets along best with Firas.

A panther-like monster from the Shades Woods that had six legs and three tails, with ends that reminded her of a venus flytrap. It stuck around the heavy foliage and she can only make out where it was when she saw its golden eyes reflect.

She befriends a young indrik with its leg injured, and much like the hydra it follows her back to her island, and stays there in the mountains. It comes out when she's alone, much like her other beasts.

She receives two more leviathan -- one from clockwork, and one she finds herself while exploring the deeper and darker recesses of the Ghost Zone. It was huddled against the carcass of its mother, and she managed to befriend and get close enough to it to bring it back to her island. Suhā is fully grown by then, with a head bigger than Danyal herself and he still likes to stick her head out of the water for nuzzles when she's near.

He's not very happy with his new siblings, but he's not trying to eat them when she's not looking. So she calls it a win in her book.

And it's not just large beasts either; smaller animals begin popping up when she's not looking. Bird-like creatures and small mammals, and she swears she saw a doe (or something resembling a doe) grazing in the forest while she was walking by.

She takes back with her a lone snake egg once, and it grows so big it wraps around her island and sleeps with its massive head on the mountain beside the temple, like some smaller breed of Jörmungandr.

And on and on it goes. Some of the beasts she comes across never step foot onto her island, some of them follow her back, while others she has to carry back. Not all of the ones that follow her stay, and Danny rehabilitates the injured and releases them when they're fully healed.

It's hectic, and busy, and frankly she loves it. Some of her rehabilitated beasts return to visit her, or to have their children somewhere on the island, or whatever it is they need to do.

She becomes a bit infamous for it. She goes to visit Dorathea once, and as she's walking through the streets she can hear some of the denizens whispering while she walks past.

"Is that her?"

"Her highness' friend? Yes--"

"--that's the one--"

"--Mother of monsters--"

Danny's not sure how to feel about that.

Although, she can't say she's opposed.

Danyal Al Ghul, Mother of monsters, raiser of beasts. It has a nice ring to it.

[hopeless-avo]

AU | SY Transmigrates as Someone Else | WQW Edition

ヾ⁠(⁠*⁠’⁠Ｏ⁠’⁠*⁠)⁠/~

In this world, when attempting to transfer SY into SQQ, the system glitches.

This glitch happens as the ‘SQQ villain’ role is still occupied, meaning SQQ would have still been present in his body, probably being able to counteract/treat the Qi deviation when it started, as he had some magical herb or another that he had on him due to his previous occurrences and history of bad deviations, so he survives.

SY is just there in the system’s waiting room, watching this screen and text glitch out.

He questions this malfunctioning system on wtf it wants him to do /who he would have become, cause come on, obviously he was gonna be isekai’ed and has suspicions on where he would be going as of what he was going off about and the voices he heard before he expired.

He chooses to shelve his panic and grief for later when he has time to process and mourn once he removes himself from whatever the fuck this situation is, cause like duh, he is dead he’ll never see his family againohmygod-

Anyways, he finds out that he would have been placed in SQQ’s body and nope what the hell do you want me to die?!?! and tries to see if he could be anyone else, ‘cause like come on, it’s PIDW!

He wants to at least be able to see all the cool flora and fauna if he has no choice of what world he will be living in, and although living as a woman may mean he gets to live longer, there is the threat of the heavenly pillar and the sudden transition of living as a man to a woman would be just too jarring.

So! After the system sorta relents at seeing that this guy is giving it another way to operate as well as saving its ass from being taken to see its higher-ups, it gives a list of potential other people that he can become that sorta has similar power and potential to affect the plot as being SQQ would have granted, although never as much given SQQ’s natural predisposition.

SY gets given the choice of LQG, QQQ, The Old Palace Master, Gongyi Xiao, and a few others.

Given his desire of wanting to live a relatively alive existence, he forgoes the more plot-present characters, such as Gongyi Xiao and The Old Palace Master, as well as LQG (cause he does not want to get shanked by SQQ, please and thank you), and due to previous arguments and reasons, he forgoes QQQ.

He looks over the remaining names and sees WQW, a character that doesn’t actually appear or get mentioned much in PIDW, is known to be the peak lord of the sword-forging peak, has massive muscles and has literally, like, one line when LBH got sent over and picked up Zheng Yang.

Additionally, the guy owns that sword that can tell if someone is possessed, so he would only have to stay away from the thing if the system doesn’t ensure that he can’t be ousted as such.

With this, SY as WQW would be living his best life as this guy bc he can fly on his sword all day and stay away from the plot while planning his escape when Cang Qiong Mountain Sect sets alight!

So with his choice made, SY, now WQW, wakes up half-disorientated, his forearms aching and the sounds of crying children and concerned/panicked teenagers.

After he gets dragged to Qian Cao Peak, the still-glitching system gives him the rundown of the situation of how he entered his new body; apparently Original!WQW got caught up in trying to stop a disciple from experimenting with volatile sword materials and the forge blew up as he tried to do damage control after he got everyone out, gaining a head injury and leaving him with plausible temporary amnesia, in addition to a sort of broken/glitched OOC lock that gradually corrupts over time till it's gone due to the vague understanding of the guy.

SY|WQW [we’ll just call him WQW from now on] realised that he was placed in PIDW a few months before the disciple choosing where LBH officially enters the sect, gets picked, and then is abused by SQQ [future him problem!!!] and although he doesn’t want LBH to face all those injustices, the system will not let him take purposeful actions to change certain plot points in the face of system punishment.

After he is fully released from Qian Cao Peak, he is expected by both the sect and mandated by the system to attend the disciple choosing.

While watching the poor children climb the massive staircase and start digging their hole to the best of their ability in an attempt to become a part of the prestigious sect and change the course of their life which they would most likely wish they didn’t join when LBH sets this place on fire…and sees what he thinks is a smol fluffy girl who has the determination and a spark in her eye attempting to dig a massive hole meticulously to catch the eye of a peak lord.

He runs through each wife in LBH’s harem to see if he can match this cute jie-jie with, and can’t seem to match her.

Looking around, he takes note that the other peak lords are overlooking her, seemingly disinterested or glancing her over with slight disgust at her thoroughly worn-through but obviously meticulously cleaned-up/washed clothing.

His eyeing had caught the eye of a little girl, most likely NYY who stood next to who he could only assume to be SQQ. She asks SQQ something about having a new martial sibling, which draws the attention of both SQQ and LQG to the girl.

Obviously having changed something as now NYY is eyeing this girl instead of her future demon harem husband system don’t punish me, as well as placing this jie-jie in the lane of SQQ, who is eyeing her with an unnamed but obviously not good look cause this cute girl is in front of a lecherous man as well as in the sight of LQG who wow has such a womanly visage I'd have thought that he would be more gruff who is set to die off in a few years and is peak lord of a boyish and brutish peak which he doesn't think that such a pretty jie-jie should be on, there is only one thing he can do!

So, at the end of the day, he ends up picking this smol bean before these ppl can get their hands on her, as obviously she wasn’t accepted in the original PIDW and if she had lived would have most likely ended up as a harem member, cause no way would such a cute bean not grow up and not catch the eye of LBH!

Obviously he won't let her suffer such a fate or leave her in the hands of SQQ. This causes some of his martial siblings to side-eye him, as he has a history of choosing more well-built candidates and not skinny dirty runts that look like death-warmed-over.

This smol jie-jie has sparkles in her eyes as she gets called over by one of WQW’s runners, which light up more the closer she gets to her new to-be-Shuzin!!! HIM!

WQW feels proud of his choice and decides that that is enough of tempting fate and the system, so he turns to leave, promising himself to ensure this little jie-jie lives her best life away from the plot [and LBG and his harem] on his peak!

…not seeing the system glitching and erroring to hell and back, not able to punish him as it was not a purposeful choice and raging in its system space at the hell that its higher-ups would put it through.

All because SY|WQW didn’t take note of the child’s outerwear. :)

[nanite-city]

hey uh. remember my fallout au? its okay if you don't just know im still thinkin abt it This is "John Dory and the Fabulous BRO-TONES", often shortened to just "The BRO-TONES".

im still figuring out what Brozone's whole Deal is, but the shortened version of the convoluted thing thats in my head is that they were a singing group living in a vault, and eventually they split up, left said vault, and abandoned branch there as a baby, similar to canon except Brozone is moreso based on some of the Very First boybands, like The Ink Spots and Frankie Lymon and the Teenagers. Anyways this is them BEFORE the horrors. Read more if you're unfamiliar with Fallout and want a little more context !!

For those unfamiliar with the Fallout games, its more or less set in what America in the 1950s Thought the future would be (think robot butlers, flying cars, everything powered by nuclear fusion energy, etc), aaaand then that future had a nuclear fallout, hence the name. The "aesthetics" of the game are Very tongue-in-cheek 1930s-1950s "American Dream" with classic songs from the era, radio dramas and the general cultural "vibe" of that era, where everyone with power and money pretended everything was perfect and it was very much not. Anyways the entire world ended, some people got too irradiated and became what are known as "ghouls", the fauna and flora mutated in extreme ways, and its a desolate and hostile environment to survive in, but its all good bc we still have music by Billie Holiday. Bioshock on land. Well technically Fallout was first so Bioshock is Fallout underwater. Anyways its. its Skyrim with guns. whatever lmao.

[holylulusworld]

Pen Pals (2)

Summary: The withering rose never finds love. Right?

Pairing: Lord!Clark Kent x Lady!Reader

Characters: Lord Bruce Wayne, OC Aurelia, unnamed parents

Warnings: angst, regency au, mentions of betrayal, angry Clark, fluff

A/N: This is an alternative version of Windfall with different characters.

Catch up here: Pen Pals

The wind gently tugs at your dress as you walk toward your destiny. You wandered off to your favorite tree, not far from your father’s house. Even after you burned all the letters, you still feel the betrayal of Lord Wayne’s lies.

If only he’d been honest, you’d have gladly helped him court Flora. She deserves all the happiness in the world. But he had to awaken hope in you.

For years, you told yourself it’s not the end of the world to end up as a spinster.

With Lord Wayne writing to you all summer, you believed these days were past you. A bright future was almost tangible. Now, devastation and hopelessness have overcome you.

You’ve never been hopeless before.

Believing you��ll end up alone, you try to find something to fill your lonely life. Reading and gardening were your escape. You spent hours plucking your favorite flowers to press them. Lord Wayne ruined it for you, too. Only looking at the flowers would hurt you even more.

“Lady Y/N,” you stiffen, hearing a familiar voice call your name. This can’t be. He cannot be here to see your cheeks covered in tears and your favorite book torn apart because he told you he loved it too. “Your father was worried sick. We were all looking for you.”

If not for your perfect manners and your excellent education, you’d love to scoff at his words. How dare that man come here, pretending to be worried about you?

“I left a note.” You can barely keep the anger out of your voice, but ry your best. While Wayne stands a little further away from your shelter, the tree you found when you were five years old, you gracefully get back up. “I told him that I'll spend some time reading under the tree.”

You turn your back on him quickly to wipe the tears off your cheeks.

Taking a deep breath, you try to calm your nerves. This man can never know he broke your fragile heart. Even if you never felt a deep connection with Lord Wayne, you had hoped time would help you fall in love with him.

“Lady Y/N, I wanted to—” He steps closer, almost brushing his fingertips over your shoulder, when another voice calls your name. A deeper and rougher one.

“Wayne, stay away from Lady Y/N!” You gasp at Lord Kent’s angry expression. He knows you fled to your tree to forget about the embarrassment you still feel. “You have almost ruined her reputation!”

“Lord Kent,” you say, taking a step toward Lord Kent. “You shouldn’t…” You shake your head. “What if my father hears any of it? You’d be the one ruining my reputation.”

“My lady,” Lord Kent says, dropping his gaze for a second. He didn’t expect you to scold him for coming to your rescue. “He cannot talk to you ever again. Not after he came to court for someone else. He has no shame and no honor.”

“Lord Kent!” Lord Wayne steps closer to you, and Lord Kent. “Take that back! You speak in such a manner about me.”

“Tell me, Lord Wayne, how you still call yourself a man of honor.” Lord Kent laughs right in Wayne’s face. “You made this beautiful flower believe you wanted to marry her only to court her cousin.”

You’re too scared to even move when Lord Kent steps in front of you, blocking Lord Wayne’s path. “A gentleman of your standing should know better. How dare you come here and talk to her! I will not allow you anywhere near my chosen bride!”

Your eyes widen at Lord Kent’s words. “Lord Kent…” You try to calm his anger. If he does more than insult Lord Wayne, people will know about the secret you tried to hide. “Please bring me back to my father’s house. It’s getting cold.”

You rub your arms, pretending to be cold, to get Lord Kent’s attention. “Lady Y/N,” he turns around and strips his coat off to wrap it around your shoulders. He drops his eyes to the torn pages on the ground, sighing deeply. “A minute, my lady.” Lord Kent hastily picks the pages up to stuff them back into the book, which he hides in the pocket of his coat. “I’ll guide you home now.”

Lord Wayne huffs behind you. “Without a chaperone? You’re not a man of honor yourself, Lord Kent.”

“I brought someone with me.” Lord Kent bites back. He’d love to wrap his arm around your shoulders to protect you not only from the wind getting colder, but he knows better.

As Lord Wayne follows suit, Lord Kent points at Aurelia. The good soul figured out what happened between you and Lord Wayne and offered her help. “Unlike you, I won’t bring shame and pain over Lady Y/N.”

He nods at Aurelia when she takes your hand. Lord Kent wishes it were his hand you’re holding. Being a gentleman sometimes means denying himself the simplest things. Like feeling your soft hand in his.

“Y/N,” your father says, watching Aurelia guide you inside the house, followed by Lord Kent and Lord Wayne. “What happened? Where have you been all day?”

“Father,” you say, dropping your gaze, sniffling. “Please forgive me. I forgot about the time over reading. I wanted to press a few flowers too. The last one before winter arrives.”

“I found her at the tree.” Lord Wayne tries to get your father’s attention. All too proud, he tells your father he wanted to bring you home safely.”

“I arrived only a moment later.” Lord Kent steps in before Lord Wayne can ruin your reputation by telling everyone you spent time alone with him. “Miss Aurelia was kind enough to come with me as a chaperone.”

“Lord Kent.” Your father looks at you, and then at Lord Kent. He knows you’re hiding things from him. You’re a smart woman, and you tried your best to hide your pain. Still, your father saw the shame and hurt in your eyes. “Let me thank you for bringing my beloved daughter home safely.” He shakes Lord Kent’s hand, squeezing it tightly. “Aurelia, thank you too.”

“It’s my duty and honor to protect Lady Y/N,” Aurelia says to your father, but glares at Lord Wayne. “Even a lion couldn’t defeat me if I had to protect Lady Y/N.”

“I’m sure about it,” your father chuckles. He quickly turns toward Lord Wayne, shaking the man’s hand. “Thank you too, Lord Wayne.”

You watch your father guide the men out of the room while your mother and cousins rush into the room to look you all over. Their chatter and hugs distract you from your racing heart.

What if Lord Wayne now tells your father about the letters?

“Lady Y/N,” Lord Wayne once again sneaks up on you. He came to your father’s house earlier in the morning to discuss matters of importance with your father.

“Lord Wayne,” you curtsy and turn to leave the hallways. Being near the man who betrayed you still hurts so badly.

“Y/N, my dear,” your father says as he walks out of the study, Lord Kent by his side. Your eyes widen when the Lord immediately steps toward you to take your hand. “Lord Kent came to me to ask for your hand.”

“He…what?” Your voice trembles, and you feel dizzy. Lord Kent takes your hand while you’re staring up at him with wide eyes. He knows about the letters and still wants to court you.

“I told Lord Kent it was your decision, my dear,” your father softly says while keeping an eye on Lord Wayne. Just as assumed, he came this morning to talk about the wedding with Flora.

“Lady Y/N,” Lord Kent softly says your name. “After I lost my beloved wife five years ago, I believed love would never find its way into my heart again. You, my lady, enchanted me with your grace, your wit, and your kindness.” He kneels down on his left knee, still holding your hand. “Would you give me the honor of becoming my wife and make my life brighter again?”

He opens his other hand, offering a beautiful golden ring to you. It carries a ruby, an emerald, a garnet, an amethyst, and a diamond.

You’re speechless. Lord Kent is charming, and you cannot deny that he’s a very handsome man. He lost so much, but despite that, he showed more heart than Lord Wayne ever could.

Where Lord Wayne only sees a pretty face, Lord Kent sees the light and warmth in your eyes.

“Lady Y/N?” Lord Kent feels his heart drop when you take too long to answer.

“Lord Kent,” you stammer, unsure how to answer his question. Should you take the ring or simply say yes? The silence following his title is painful for Lord Kent. “You’re an honorable man. You only ever showed respect and kindness towards me.”

You take a deep breath before covering the hand holding the ring with yours.

“I am honored to accept your proposal of marriage, Lord Kent.”

Tags in reblog.

[yuumcbr]

TWST X OBEY ME! 2

part 01

Some people asked for a second part, about this post

So here are some more characters:

AU Summary: Years after graduating from NRC, Yuu lives with a boy from TWST and he proposes to Yuu.

After accepting, Yuu says that she would like him to meet her family.

Yuu= MC

There is a better explanation in part one.

Just as Jade knew that having you around was like having Grim around, you knew that dating Jade meant constantly living with Floyd.

So it was obvious that when you went to Devilton to meet your family, you would be taking both of them. Jade was against taking your brother at first, but gave in (You know he only said Floyd wouldn't go because he wanted to tease him a little).

When you arrived in Devilton, you told them to be careful when touching or/and eating anything, since poisons and curses are extremely common.

Which only made Floyd more out of control, you were happy that Jade managed to hold him back (it would be bad to start a fight here, especially since you didn't know how merfolk would fare in a fight with demons).

You decided to stop at a grocery store in Devilton to buy some Cursed Candy Apples to take to your brothers and some Apples of Truth for Jade to use when her One Magic had already been used on someone and no longer worked.

But when you noticed, the trio of two mers and a monster cat had disappeared and done one of the few things you didn't want them to do: eat something and get into a fight!!

Apparently Floyd and Grim found the names of some of the food at the stalls next door amusing and forgot to pay, when Jade tried to pay for them, the owner refused the Taumarks and didn't hesitate to get into the middle of the fight.

The fight:

Salesman, Jade, Floy and Grim: *Fighting with punches, kicks and magic*

Yuu: STOP IT!!

Jade, Floy and Grim: *Look at an angry Yuu*

Salesman and the other demons who joined the fight for fun: *recognizing MC*

Demon A: Damn, I told you it was a bad idea to fight

Demon B: You said the complete opposite!!

Salesman: Sir/Miss MC - *walks away from the twins* - I apologize for the confusion, but these thieves can't get away with it.

Yuu: When you have a problem like this, take a picture of the thief and take it to the authorities, there's no need to get into a fight.

Yuu: As for the costs and expenses of this fight, I ask that you write a letter with the damages and send it to the House of Regrets within 3 days and I will settle it.

*Yuu turns around*

Yuu: And you 3, come with me!

As they walked a little:

Jade: *smiles* Oh, that was unexpected, Yuu-san!

Floyd: Shrimp is always full of surprises, hehe!!

Yuu: I'm still mad at you guys!!

Well, it didn't take long for Jade to notice that you worked a lot on government issues, or that there were only demons around.

To say that he and Barbatos got along would be an understatement, when Barbatos started talking about recipes with Hellfire mushrooms and Cat Ears mushrooms, you had the slight impression that Jade was exchanging you for the fauna and flora of Devilton.

You already imagined that your next days off would be spent exploring mountains that would have a new landscape.

It's better for you to make a list without Jade knowing which ingredients he brings to the Devilton Lounge are cursed or/and poisonous to give to Azul just in case.

Mammon found Jade to be a strange person, especially when he smiled. He seriously felt scared, he even asked you if you really wanted to marry a weird version of Barbatos.

You laughed at that, the two looked alike, but they were very different.

Barbatos is quiet and reserved, as he does not want to spoil or interfere in the future and thus be surprised by the paths that time will follow.

Jade is quiet and reserved because he likes to observe every detail of a person and get to know them better, to learn their strengths and weaknesses and use them if necessary.

Jade also had a very soft side when it came to nature and his passion for learning was extremely motivating.

Not to be outdone by Barbatos and his mushroom recipes, you gave Jade cigar cookies rolled with Hellfire mushrooms that you bought in town.

It was fun to see his reaction when he discovered the ingredients in the cookies:

Oh, do you eat Hellfire? I never thought you could make something so sweet with mushrooms, maybe you should try with the ones you have at home, you're going to help me make them for Azul and Floyd, right? After all, we don't want them to miss out on something so amazing.

When I thought about what Cater's proposal would be like, I initially thought he would do something as magically loving as possible.

But if you've gotten to the point where Cater proposes, I'm guessing you've been through a lot of ups and downs in your relationship and it must have been hard to break through the barriers he's built to protect himself from the world.

I think for Cater, it would be perfect if you proposed to him, in a quiet place with little to no movement.

Now, I'm sure he'd try to tell you that he's looking forward to meeting your family, but along the way make sure to calm his nerves (he's nervous to meeting your family).

Tell Cater that your family is a busy one and if your brother Asmo says something about Cater not being as beautiful as him, it's because Asmo believes he's the most beautiful person in the world, so there will never be anyone more beautiful than him.

He finds your family names a little strange, but he thinks it's something about different emotions.

Before going to Devilton, meeting the queen of the rose kingdom, Rose was something he will never forget.

And her saying that she considered you family, so that extended to him and that he would take good care of you was extremely, how can he say it, encouraging? Honorable? Charming?He doesn't know how to describe this feeling, but he's sure it's something positive.

On the other hand, nothing really scared him more than finding out that he would be surrounded by real demons for the next few days, you could have told him that, Prefect!!

What do you mean you didn't think about it? You explained to him that since you noticed that TWST was a place where all races lived practically in harmony, you didn't think there was a need to say which race your family belonged to.

Cater even thought that you could be a Demon, but you explained that you were just distant relatives who only found out they were related months after meeting each other.

It's obvious that you, Cater, Mammon and Asmo went to countless places like restaurants, spas, theaters and tourist spots.

When they're at an electronics store (Asmo and Mammon are picking out items to improve the quality of Asmo's Devilgram posts [Mammon is carrying the bags]):

Cater: Nee Nee Yuu-chan, what do you think of these headphones, we could match *Cater shows you a pair of headphones with white and red patterns so that each earbud has the opposite color pattern to the first*

Yuu: *smiles* That looks amazing!Cater: I know, I have great taste, I'm your fiancé after all! *winks*

Yuu: *laughs* Yeah, I couldn't ask for anything better!!

Cater: *loses her composure for a few seconds* He, aren't you a cute person?

Yuu: That's right!! I just remembered *takes something out of her bag*

Yuu: Here!! Remember when we first met and I said I didn't have a cell phone and you asked me to go buy one?

Cater: Do you still remember this? picks up the wrapped box and opens it to find a weird looking cell phone

Yuu: This is a DDD, it's like the cell phone in our world but different.

Cater: stops looking at the DDD when she sees Yuu showing her own DDD with a lilac and pink sheep on the cover

Yuu: Now we're a match!!

Cater: smiles as she turns around and sees a reddish and yellow sheep on her cover

Obviously you met Lord Diavolo and visited the castle, and Cater fell in love with Luke's cuteness (he said he wasn't cute [he is]).

You avoided the dangerous places with Cater, since he wasn't the biggest fan of adrenaline when it meant running or dying (which is something that happens a lot in Devilton).

You got the impression that he really enjoyed having tea with Simeon, Luke and Barbatos, maybe because it reminded him of the time they were in Heartsbyul.

Yuu, thank you for existing!

What did you say, Cater?

Hmm? I didn't say anything, Yuu-chan~♡

Ever since college ended and his romantic relationship with Leona was revealed, things had been tense.

Leona said it was worse before and that this is common in society. He noticed how people found it strange that you two were dating, since Leona is an unfriendly and lazy person and you are someone who always helps everyone and is kind.

(In fact, you get into a lot of trouble and when you get out of it you end up solving a problem that no one else could solve and this made others think you were someone extremely dedicated and helpful).

Leona felt strange with you getting so much attention, but it was funny to see people's faces when you ran to him like a happy puppy when it saw its owner, abandoning anyone else who was talking.

Always putting him as your main priority, always keeping curious and nosy people away when he was irritated and wanted silence, always surprising him in a strange way.

He didn't expect you to get used to the etiquette, rules and politics that involve royal life so quickly.

He didn't even expect you to get used to it, actually.

However, you even taught Cheka's royal etiquette teacher some tricks!

That's why he wasn't so surprised to see that you and Queen Rose were such good friends, since she values ​​elegance and natural beauty above all else.

As the years went by and the pressures of a royal wedding appeared, it wasn't that Leona didn't already have it in mind, she was just waiting for the right moment.

However, any planning Leona, Ruggie or Falena had for the right moment to happen was thrown out the window when a tiger-like beast of a man flirted with you with the excuse that there was no proof that you were engaged (i.e. no ring on your finger).

And that pissed him off so much that he proposed to you right then and there.

When you said that before the wedding you would like him to meet your family, he found it strange.

Weren't you from another dimension, planet or something?

Taking Leona to Devilton was complicated, but you knew how to get the lion out of its den (this is one of the reasons Kifaji goes after you all the time).

The house of lamentation was reasonable for Leona, maybe small, but it would do.

He knew you had seven siblings, since Falena had asked if you had siblings and how your relationship with them was.

Falena's idea was to say that an older sibling has to take care of the younger ones and that he expected you to understand the expectations that the relationship between the two of you would cause.

He remembers that you said that every day was something new with your siblings and that you never stopped discovering something new about them, since each one had a different personality, it was difficult to understand each one's feelings and thoughts.

And instead of you starting to think about your relationship with Leona, it was Falena who started to think about his relationship with Leona.

For Leona, it was normal to have a feast at every family meal, but it was rare for all the food to be eaten so quickly.

Was your family starving? You had to explain to him that at the beginning of the meal you had to put everything you wanted to eat on your plate, otherwise your older brother Beel would eat it all while you were chewing the third bite.

Leona didn't even need an explanation as to why, since like Beel's introduction previously said, he was the sin of Gluttony, so he would eat constantly.

You introduced him to Satan and Solomon, saying that they were great at chess, but he thought they were similar to Azul and Jade at first.

You said that Barbatos was more like Jade and that Satan acted more formal when meeting someone new.

When Leona understood that all her knowledge of etiquette and social rules had been learned by frequenting a castle in the region, it was as if a piece of the puzzle had been completed.

When Luke said Michael's name, it caught Leona's attention, since you were wearing that guy's ring.

It was Diavolo and Barbatos who had to explain that this ring was like an extremely powerful magic seal and that it would prevent you from losing control of your magic.

You and the others didn't like this subject.It was strange for Leona to see you sharing a giant cow pillow with one of your brothers, Belphie, but he soon fell asleep nearby.

Mammon saw the scene and took photos that he knew you would definitely pay a good price for.

After all, you had said you would take something for Ruggie and why not add the embarrassing photos of Leona as an extra souvenir? It could be a motivation for a certain lazy lion to get out of bed and do his duties.

Okay, Leona is definitely against this anti-nap friendship.

At one of the tourist stops to meet Solomon:

Yuu: *Hands Solomon a potion*

Yuu: Sorry I didn't give it to you sooner, I think it must have worked this time!!

Solomon: Hmm... I see that even after graduating you continue your studies, huh? *shakes the potion to analyze the color*

Leona: *Raises an eyebrow in doubt* what potion is that?

Solomon: An immortality potion *says opening the gafara and drinking a little*

Leona: What?

Yuu: Before I went to NRC and met you, I was sad to know that among everyone in my family, I was the only one who wouldn't live for thousands of years.

Leona: ... an immortality potion would be practically impossible.

Yuu: It's not impossible, Solomon has made it before, I'm just trying to replicate it.

Leona: Have you made it? If it's true, why don't you tell me the recipe?

Solomon: Memories of certain things fade after a few thousand years.

Solomon: Now MC, there's still something missing, I suggest testing it on one of your brothers, I think Mammon would be happy to know there's a chance you could live longer.

Yuu: ....

Leona: So you're after immortality?

Yuu: No, just the recipe for the potion. I don't think it would be worth living in a world without you.

Leona: ....

Leona: You're annoying. *looks away*

Yuu: Yes, I'm your annoying bride! *wink*

Solomon: ...

It was always unusual for Leona to have someone give up something important for him or make an important decision without considering him.

So...

You know, Herbivore, it's not like I care about spending eternity taking care of your shit, but I guess your brothers do care if you're not there to take care of theirs.

Phew, I'm done!!

I never wrote Jade and Cater, so it might be weird.

Leona is kind of OC too, I think he should be a little more selfish and I don't think he would react that way to seeing Yuu arrive and make friends with everyone when he hasn't been able to in years.

I also think I made Cater more shy, I think that even though he's always smiling and taking pictures, he's still a very different person.

I thought that as the years went by, he would start to act more like himself, although I'm not sure.

And about Jade, I have no idea what came out in the end and if he's similar to Jade.

I always found him very enigmatic.

[sapphicseasapphire]

Hii! Hello, I really love your Cryptid au!!!

Something I'm wondering about, if it makes any sense

So like, Time is A God, right? And over however many hundreds of years, he loses his connection to humanity?

So, in the far future, maybe like around Botw, he'd probably be more like the other deities and more well known, right?

Would characters like Flora or Impa, for example, if they knew who he was, be like super amazed about the fact that there is just straight up A God talking to them?

ahh if that makes sense, it's kinda hard to explain!

Hi! This is a great question, thanks for asking! Allow me to ramble and hope that I answer it in a roundabout way haha!

(Under the cut because long)

So, Time’s journey into Godhood is a very long one. His progression from mortal to deity goes quick, but he doesn’t truly embrace his power for centuries after his mortal lifespan is over. In his own era, with Malon and his children, he tries his best to just be a normal guy. He wants to be a dad, a husband. He wants to worry about the fate of the ranch, not the fate of the world. Mostly, he’s afraid. He never wanted to be a God. He never uses his powers.

(He’s like this for the majority of his travels with the Cryptid Chain)

Every Cryptid Link that comes after Time’s era has a different version of the God of Time, the earlier ones not really having an established God but being influenced heavily by his power, and the later ones knowing plenty of myths and legends about the God of Time, but his impacts on their lives are much less obvious. Easily written off.

Time’s most important era, other than his own, would be Twilight’s. This happens only like a hundred or two years after his own life should have ended, and Time is very committed to protecting his family. And so, as the Man of Many Faces, he personally sees to it that Twilight learns how to fight. As the Hero’s Shade, he trains the young Shapeshifter and rewinds time to save his life or give him another chance when things get rough.

He watches when Twilight finishes his adventure. He watches when Twilight leaves to go on the Cryptid Chain’s adventure. He watches until the journeys are over, the battles are won, and everything is quiet. He watches Twilight breathe his last.

After that, he decides that he can’t do that anymore. And while he still protects his boys in their future adventures, he doesn’t get nearly as involved. And it’s not just the Links that he stops interacting with- it’s all mortals. He still does his job diligently. He keeps the timelines in order, he protects his people. He receives prayers and answers what he can, but he does his work from the sidelines.

Because of this, as he truly ascends to Godhood, he is a mystery to mortals. Like I said- earlier Links have been more personally impacted by Time but didn’t know who he was (he was too fresh of a God to be established) and the later Links have been more indirectly impacted by Time but it could be interpreted as mere coincidences. Time would be more well known, but less detectable.

By the time he’d reach Wild’s era, he’d be very reclusive. Flora, the history major we all know and love, would absolutely know about the Hero of Time and all of his titles and names. Impa, Paya, the religious leaders, would also be very knowledgeable about Time’s legends and myths. Purah, our favorite Sheikah researcher, 100% knows all about him! It’s common knowledge, I think, in Wild’s era, but these ones are especially familiar with Time’s history.

Except… the God has not shown himself to the world in thousands of years. I actually do have a scene in mind for one of my storylines where Flora meets Time. She doesn’t know exactly who he is- Cryptid era Time doesn’t act very God-like, at least not like any that she’s come to know of- but there’s something about him. Power rolls off of him in waves, his mere presence is overwhelming. He seems to shine with subtle iridescence, his voice is quiet but it carries. She knows, on some level, that he has authority over her. Over All. (Time would deny this to the ends of the earth, but there’s no denying the truth: he is a God. There’s no escaping that).

I hope this makes sense??? Trying to talk about Time’s lore gets confusing since there’s so many time jumps and rewinds and skips. To summarize, Time stops interacting with mortals so he becomes somewhat of a mysterious God. So while Flora would know of him, she wouldn’t know what to look for. When she meets Time, his present is her past- her present is his future- and present Time is nothing like future Time, so Flora doesn’t recognize him.

This is all Pre-God Reveal, of course haha!

I hope this answers your question?

[lightthemaskedone]

I would like to see more of your ghost AU for The Painter

You ask, I deliver!! Unfortunately Im too lazy right now to actually color them and all that jazz so I'll do that later. Here's a few of them!!

Fred (and Pocket!!)- His head being shaved and skinned with sandpaper was the only info we got about his death, so I gave him a sandpaper mask that now acts as an actual face! He can take the sandpaper mask off and reveal his skinless head (which you can see a bit poking out from the sandpaper) but he likes to keep it on. Since Fred technically helped the killers at some point with dealing them drugs, a few of the ghosts have beef eith him and arent very fond of him, but other ghosts are nicer to him than most. He's good friends with Paul and Sean, and still making amends with the other ghosts. Surprisingly, he's also good friends with Flora and Isabelle. Pocket is always around Fred, now a flesh cat with a skull as the only noticeable bone on her. She's usually found sleeping on Fred's shoulder or prancing behind him.

Mae- I want to clarify, in this AU, Mae is TRAMPLED to death. I don't like how she originally dies in the series. Thanks to her horse-based death, she came back as a centaur ghost! Her hands are claws and detachable now, but she can't take off the handcuffs. Since her face was mutilated, she can now open her mouth even wider (hence the markings by her mouth). But she rarely ever does this since it scares people. You can usually find her talking to her husband Ian, granddaughter (forgor her name oopsie), Isabelle or the Collin's mother! (no confirmed name for her)

The Collins Barrel- Since there are multiple bodies stored in the barrel, their spirits now inhabit the meat and flesh mixture inside of it. Usually the mother is in control, but in some cases her daughter takes the wheel when the mother is too tired. They didnt have confirmed names, so I can't really name them. The mother is still really upset about Bill and haunts him the most out of spite.

Paul- Probably one of the most chill ghosts of the group. Since his mouth was sewn shut, he speaks through a rip in his throat caused by the killers shoving a knife down his throat. Yes I changed that part of his death too. He talks to Flora and Janice a lot, relaying to Flora a lot since she died while her sister watched it happen. He's good friends with Fred and Sean too! He also has a rope tied around one of his wrists since he was tied to the counter while Janice died. What about his other wrist? Janice has the other rope on her wrist! They have no clue how it got there.

There's four of them!! I'll post more in the future and color these too :))

[starrspice]

Hey hey did you know I love Monty almost as much as I love Sun and Moon?

So @paper-lilypie and @honiegoo and I came up with this and have been brainstorming ideas for it for DAYS

Here's my version of what I think they'd look like

So to summarize what this is about

Y/N is a field scientist sent by NASA to observe and study flora and fauna of a planet while preparing it for a small human settlement in the future. But something goes wrong and their ship crash lands on the wrong planet!

Imagine their surprise to be captured by an alligator alien named Monty. Monty is also stranded on this planet but takes Y/N as a prisoner, initially believing they had something to do with the attack on his ship and crew. But a little time together might soften that tough exterior

You guys. This AU is so silly and cute and I love it so much. Lily and Goo have given me SO MANY BRAINWORMS

[bunny-dr34ms]

the love fate demands of us - chapter 1

- mystical!txt x angel!reader

summary. you were perfect in every single way; beautiful, kind, not even so much as a blemish out of place. perfect apart from the fact you had magic coursing through your veins and the worst possible thing you could be in the land of flora, was magic. at least you have your companion, horangi, who was the only one who comforted you through all your sorrowful nights. but fate never fails to be cruel and you find that the world was against him as much as they were against you. what will you do when they try to take the only kindness you've ever known away from you?

cw/ tw; f!reader, elf!yeonjun, vampire!soobin, werewolf!beomgyu, wizard!taehyun, fae!kai, fantasy au, royalty au

features; txt, names of other idols that i decide as i go

wc; 4.8k

Chapter 1: The Wingless Angel Cries

You sat on one of the many exquisite swings in the Esor estate, gently swaying back and forth as you admired the white rose vines climbing up the gazebo overhead. Bathed in the warm orange glow of the sunset, it was almost as if your skin shimmered in the light. The scene was truly enchanting—not just the roses, but you as well. At 18, your youthfulness bloomed on your cheeks, face as fresh as a flower, you completed the view, really, you completed any view with your unrivaled beauty. It was no wonder why you were spared. You, a child of infidelity. You, a child of magic in a kingdom for humans.

The people of Esor remember as if it were yesterday when the princess was born. They knew she would be the last child of the King and Queen, which made her all the more precious. However, news of her birth quickly spread, and the shock it carried soon reached even the farthest corners of Flora.

You were spared from death, but you could never forget your origins; they wouldn’t let you. Beyond the constant whispering and the odd stares from both maids and knights, your family ensured you were always aware of your difference. Your father enjoyed your presence but detested when you spoke or moved, preferring you to be nothing more than a statue in his sight. Your older brother, Prince Hyunjin, is sweetly cruel, and you can’t discern whether his feelings are of hate or love. In truth, he is deeply concerned for you, yet he feels guilt for it, knowing he'll never do anything more than watch you struggle. Your older sister, Princess Yeji, harbors a deep-seated loathing for you, making it clear to both you and everyone else in the castle. Your mother is the only one who truly loves you, but not for who you are as her daughter—rather, because you are a beautiful reminder of her lost lover. Even as she runs her hands through your hair and caresses your face with a yearning for another, you choose to return her love. Love, no matter how cruel and bittersweet it may be, is still love.

So there you sat, swaying gently in the wind, nestled in a secluded spot of the garden, wearing that sorrowfully blank expression that seemed permanently etched upon your face. They said the tears you shed were the source of those endlessly sad eyes. You, without friends. You, without a suitor. You, with no future, condemned to remain in the castle, wasting away. No matter how extraordinarily beautiful you were, it would never be enough to overcome the stain of your tainted blood.

Somehow you stayed kind, choosing to look at the brighter side of things, caring for others even though they would cast you aside given the chance. Even as the maids approach you reluctantly to tell you the queen was looking for you, you nod and only mention to them that the roses need to be watered, but tell the gardener tomorrow as it was getting late.

“Come, my beloved, sit,” mother says the moment she sees you, ushering you past her gold doors just to lock it behind her. There was routine to this meeting, every other night you would be called to mother’s chambers so she could, ‘comfort her troubled heart’ as she says. Like clockwork, you sit on the edge of the bed, the side closest to the window where the moonlight shines in. She’s already all over you, running her hands into your hair, forcing you to look up at her while she mutters sweetly about how much you resembled him. Minutes later she’s finally sitting next to you, her hands caressing your face.

“Oh, how angelic, how ethereal you are, my love,” she whispers her face inching closer and closer to yours. She presses her cheek against yours, relishing in the feeling before she pulls away to look into your eyes. You don’t speak because it ruins the moment for her, you can only speak after she allows you to retire for the night. Moments pass of her just staring in your eyes as tears fills in hers, memories of another man, long dead, flashing through her mind. She told you the first night she asked for you, that she felt guilty for her lover’s death, that it was her fault she kept you because of it wasn’t for that, she would’ve never been caught. In that sense, it was partially your fault too, so helping her cope was the least you could do.

You cry with her, because the heartbreak you saw in her eyes was painful too. Warm tears running down your cheeks as your mother pulls your face closer and closer to her. Your eyes flutter shut when she pulls away to kiss your tears mumbling, “I’m sorry, I’m so sorry, I love you.” There are times her lips press so close to your own that you wonder if she’ll ever end up kissing you. She never does. As much as you wish you could reciprocate her passion, you didn’t feel much no matter how she held you, just the bittersweetness of longing and grief.

Mother does this for two hours before she dries your tears with a handkerchief and then her own. She takes your hand in her own as she does every night, waiting for you to look up at her with those wonderous pink eyes of yours. “Thank you, my dear. You cannot imagine how much solace your face brings me.” “I am glad to have been of help,' you say quietly, not making the effort to return her smile. With that you’re permitted to leave, your mother wasting no time to click the door quietly the moment you are out.

Before you could start walking, a hand ravels itself in your hair and yanks it back. Yeji. "You're a fool if you think Mother loves you," she seethed as she drags you towards her, "But I'm sure you know that, disgusting things like you cling on to whatever affection you can get." Tears fills your eyes again as your trembling hands try reach up holding on to your head, "Yeji, please" you plead as she jerks your head up, watching as your face contorted in pain. At that she throws you on the ground, glaring as she stalks towards you, "Look at you pleading to your sister, have you no shame?" She grabs your face, brutally squeezing your cheeks together, fingers digging in deeply, "so unworthy of this beauty," she mumbles running her eyes across your features. All you could do was hold your breath, eyes frantically begging her to let you go. When she does, she tosses your head back into the carpet, leaving before you could manage to right yourself up on your arms. "Your existence is revolting. No amount of beauty will ever change that." With that, you're left alone.

Again, you're sobbing into your arms, curled up in your bed while your body continued to shake. The only comfort you had was your puppy, Horang, based on the unique striped patterns in his fur. You found and took him in when you were strolling in the woods a few weeks ago. At first, you considered releasing him after his paw healed from how much he would snarl and bite at you, but he warmed up after a few days, going as far as lying next to you when you cried. "He pities you too, princess," your maids would joke when they came around to tidy your room. He's grown quite quickly since then and now he's curled around your feet, almost wrapping all the way around you, whining each time you sniffled, staring at you with saddened eyes. Eventually you look up and run a hand through his fur, petting him gently, "you're all I have in this place, in this world," you sigh sadly. You move around and lie your head softly on top of him, tears dampening his fur as you whisper, voice broken and worn, "you're the only one I truly love."

It's a good thing you're a deep sleeper. You can't feel the clawed hand running over your cheeks, brushing the blonde locks in your face behind your ear. You can't hear him as he murmurs sweet nothings, admiring the way you radiate in the moonlight. He wraps his large arm around your body, pulling your small figure into him, his tail covering your body, mentally scolding you for falling asleep atop your blankets again. Even when you shift under him, he doesn't react, knowing your sleeping habits by heart, instead he nudges his head into yours, breathing in your sweet floral scent.

When you wake up the next morning, you’re greeted by a kisses from Horangi on your face, warm tongue excitedly panting when you sit up. You pet him between his ears drowsily, “Good morning, you’re excited today?” Horangi barking as if he understood you, brought a smile to your face, something rarely seen, which naturally led him to jump up on top of you. Your maids come in soon after, asking you to quiet or control your pet as they got you up and ready for the day. “Sorry Horangi, I’ll see you later.” You pet him sadly before you leave your room.

“Prince Hyunjin asked for you,” your personal maid, Eunchae, says as you stroll down the hall, “he insisted it was of utmost importance.” Eunchae is a pretty, kind girl who was often caught staring at you for too long, genuinely admiring your angelic appearance. She was someone in the castle with whom you felt at ease, or rather, she was the only one who didn’t treat you like an outsider. “I see,” you say, changing your route to go to Hyunjin’s office, “I shall be going then,” silently bidding her good bye.

“Come in.” his smooth voice beckoned you in the moment you knocked. “Good morning brother,” you greet him, closing the door behind you, “You asked for me?” Hyunjin puts his quill down, humming as he stands up, walking around his desk, “Indeed I did. There is something you should know.” Confused, you stood there, quietly waiting for him to continue. He leans against the edge of the brown wood, arms crossing in front of him, sighing heavily before looking up at you. “You are forbidden from seeing Mother any longer. She must learn to manage her grief without you.” He understands how much Mother means to you, how she is the only one providing the false sense of security, the illusion of family bonds, and a semblance of love. Despite how harsh it may appear, he is doing this out of necessity. He needs to protect you from the deceptive comfort she offers while he still can.

Hyunjin knew you weren't going to take it lightly but when you speak, retaliate really, he can't help but be surprised. "No, I...I refuse. I can't leave her alone, she needs me!" Your soft voice pitching with each word, a tightness building in your chest as you think about how woefully Mother cries, looking at you as if you're who she is grieving for. You watch as he sighs again, looking down to his hands as, head shaking as he fiddles with the ring brandishing the family crest, "Y/n, I'm sorry but I'm not going to allow this to continue. It's sick, the way she's using you." Trembling you step back, holding tears in your eyes as you stare at him with disbelief, "S-She's not..Mother is not using me, she loves me, you don't understand." Hyunjin walks over, stopping right in front of you, staring at you with pity, the same way everyone in this castle does. Placing a hand on your shoulder, he could only watch as tears roll down your eyes, then as you started sobbing into your hands. He knows you'd accept this the way you accepted everything else unfair about your life, even so, he feels an ache in his heart as you crumble away a little more.

"Horangi, why is fate so cruel to me?" you mutter, burying yourself into his fur. It was night time now and after your break down in Hyunjin's office, you sat there for a couple hours, curled up on one of the chairs as he worked away. He was kind enough to let you stay while your tears dried up, making sure no one came to bother you until you left on your own. It wasn't until you decided that it was best to see Mother one last time before she becomes another family member you have to avoid. Hyunjin seemed to know where you were going, reassuring that he'll make sure Mother gets all the help she needs. You knew your brother was kind, that deep down he wasn't like the others. He really does care about you, maybe even wishes he could love you like the baby sister you were supposed to be. Alas, he is the crown prince, loving his anomaly of a sister would go against the image he needs to rule. As you hesitantly opened Mother's door, she was taken aback, her hand flying to her chest as she hurried towards you, bombarding you with questions while you quietly closed the door behind you. You could never forget the look of despair on her face when you revealed the news to her, nor could you forget how she fell to her knees, clutching your hands tightly, pleading for forgiveness for all her failings: for not loving you as a mother should, for all her sins, and for the sin of bringing you into this world. A few more hours passed as you reassured her with whatever words were needed to calm her down, guiding her to her chair and gently countering every self-deprecating remark she made about herself. As the sunset marked the end of your visit, you dried her tears and then wiped away your own before you finally took your leave.

Horangi whines as your hands tighten into fists in his fur, his head raising to look at you as tears rolled down your face. "How unfair this all is. There truly is no one who loves me in this world is there?" You sob, scarcely aware of how Horangi curls up around you more tightly, his tail brushing gently against your feet. You think that if it weren’t for him, you might have lost your mind long ago. When his head nudges you, you look up at him, seeing your own exhaustion mirrored in his sad, almost concerned eyes. Your hand moves from his fur to gently stroke his face, "Your eyes are beautiful too Horangi. They hold so much emotion, just staring at them makes me feel better," murmuring as he bunted his head against your hand affectionately. You take a deep breath, inhaling the familiar earthy-musky scent of his fur that has begun to permeate your room since you first took him in. The comforting aroma washes over you, and you can feel yourself drifting towards sleep, your body finally relaxing as the fatigue of the day takes hold.

You were so exhausted that you didn’t notice him slipping out of bed after a few hours, nor did you hear him moving around, extinguishing the candles. You remained unaware of his tender efforts to lift you and tuck you back under the blankets, only vaguely sensing a slight adjustment as you settled deeper under the covers. He crawls under the sheets with you, facing you, nose to nose as her admired how peaceful you were asleep. His sharp eyes could see how each eyelash kissed the top of your cheeks and the little details of your lips. The way your body curled up made you look so small compared to his long lanky body, barely reaching the end of his torso. Oh, how he longs to pull you into his arms and hold you tightly against his chest. Instead he decides carefully scooch a little closer, brushing stray strands of hair behind your ear. Words he wishes he could tell you escape him, voice deep and silky as he whispers, "I'd love you until the end of the world." He stares at you for a moment longer, holding his breath as if your eyes would flutter open to see his human form and react to his words. When you remain asleep, he reassures himself that it’s for the best. Relieved, he allows himself to drift into a light sleep, taking care to avoid detection by morning.

The night would have continued as it usually did, with him slipping out from under the blankets, shifting back into a medium-sized dog, and then leaping back onto the bed to resume his sleep. But tonight was different; Hyunjin had sent maids to check on you, the image of your distress still vivid in his mind. A sudden scream jolted both of you awake as the maid discovered a man sleeping beside you. Your heart pounded in your chest as you shot upright, scanning the room for the source of the alarm, only to realize there was an equally startled man sitting up beside you, naked and in your bed. Your mouth opens to let out a similar scream but he turns into Horangi right before your eyes. "Werewolf! W-Werewolf in the castle!" The maid shrieks, collapsing to the floor in terror as she scrambles towards the door, calling out for help. Horangi barks and whines, darting around the room in a frantic frenzy before halting to look at you as you get out of bed and slowly approach him. Strangely, you weren't scared, even now, knowing he is a mystical beast, he is still your Horangi. He laid down on his belly, his tail wagging anxiously as your hand reached out to pet his pressed down ears, his eyes looking at yours with newly found fear. Your heart raced in your chest as you think back to the man who had the exact same eyes staring down at you. Horangi really was a werewolf, you think, but when his ears flop up at your touch, you find yourself mesmerized by him. Did he understand all the things you told him? Has he been listening this whole time? Does he love you too? Horangi had magic in his veins, just like you, he knew you were half-human and tolerated that too.

"Horangi I- " you begin but The sound of numerous knights thundering down the hallway made his eyes widen with panic, and it was only then that you grasped the gravity of what was about to unfold. You sprang to your feet and positioned yourself in front of him, arms outstretched as you tried to shield Horangi from view when the soldiers burst into your room, "Move Princess, that is a danger that we need to exterminate immediately," the head knight said his sword at the ready. For the first time in your life, you cried out, desperate as you tried to use your title, "Please stand down! Obey your princess and lower your weapons! He is not a threat!" Your hands trembled as you strove to maintain your stance, even as the knights pressed ever closer to you. You could hear Horangi's whimpers, the shuffle of his body pressing closely to the floor and backing into the wall. You've lost so much in your life already, you won't lose the only thing that supported you all this time.

"Princess, please step away, else I use force. That thing is a an endangerment to us all. You are putting us at risk protecting that monster," the head knight shouts. Their blades drew nearer, and you found yourself with no space left to retreat. Who were you kidding, believing they would listen to you? After all, to them, you were part monster as well. The knights encircled you, driving you into a corner, the dread prickling your skin as their advance remained relentless. They only ceased their approach when an eerie howl echoed through the room, soon followed by a fierce, loud snarling sound. You turn to see Horangi in an aggressive stance, teeth bared with gaze focused on the knights, feeling yourself pale when he stalks forward. "N-no, no no, Horangi no, don't! Please just trust me!" You rush towards him, kneeling in front of him, wrapping your arms around his head, stroking his muzzle, hoping to calm him down. Taking this chance, the knights only come closer, raising their swords, the head knight raising his voice, "Princess you leave us no choice! We will fulfill our duty to protect the people at all costs!" With that, you brace yourself, pushing against Horangi the best you can, trying to stop him from jumping forward, shutting your eyes tightly.

"How dare you raise your weapons against the princess!" Hyunjin's voice boomed, enraged and labored as he stormed into the room. “Lower your blades this instant, or I will have your heads by dawn,” he commands sternly, his gaze fierce. The knights, swiftly sheathing their weapons, stand at attention before him. "Your highness! There is a werewolf and the princess is foolishly protecting it! We must eradicate it as soon as possible!" the head knight reports. Hyunjin signals with a wave of his hand for the knights to part and make way for him. He strides closer, his eyes scanning the scene until he sees you clinging to what he recognizes as the pet dog you rescued months ago. "Y/n. Give him up. I shall spare him from death, seeing as you care for him so deeply, but I cannot permit a beast to roam freely within this castle."

At first, you shake your head, preparing to plead for mercy. But as your gaze meets Hyunjin's, you realize this may be the extent of mercy Horangi will receive. Frantically, you pull Horangi's head against your own, staring into his wide, fearful eyes, hoping to convey your desperation, "Go with Hyunjin peacefully okay? No matter what they do, do not harm any of them and try your best to be good, for me, hm? I will see you as soon as I can, Horangi. Please, have faith in me," You reassure Horangi as much as you can, stroking his fur. Just as you are about to say more, Hyunjin steps forward, pulling you away gently but firmly. He nods to the knights, signaling them to take action. They clasp a muzzle around Horangi's head, tying multiple ropes around his neck, going in different directions. As Hyunjin holds you, you collapse into uncontrollable wails, your tears flowing freely. Through your blurred vision, you see Horangi walking out with a shockingly calm demeanor. He turns to look at you one last time before disappearing through the door.

You turn to Hyunjin, your hands gripping his collar tightly, your eyes pleading with him as you struggle to stay upright. Your voice trembles as you fight not to collapse to your knees, "Please make sure he lives. You have to make sure they don't kill him. I have never sought a favor from you in all my days, brother, so I beseech you, grant me this one request." You are met with the same pitying look as yesterday. Hyunjin gently takes your hands and guides you to your bed, helping you sit down. He then kneels in front of you, his expression softening as he looks up at you. "Chan would never let them kill an animal, even if it's a werewolf. However, I can't promise you'll see him ever again once he is released," he says calmly, gripping both of your hands tightly, trying to ground you.

You burst into tears once more, pulling your hands out of Hyunjin's to cover your face. Fate truly is cruel. Hyunjin leaves you after a moment, understanding that you won't be speaking to him anymore. The night passes agonizingly slow, the fear for what was happening to Horangi invading your mind. The loneliness of his cell if that was all he was condemned to. All you could do was cling on to the hope Hyunjin's words gave you about the grand commanding knight. You had just barely drifted off into a restless sleep when the brightness of the sun peeking through your windows awakes you. Immediately, you're clambering out of bed and rushing out the door. You ignore every maid and every question that comes along your way as you race to the dungeon.

When you arrive, you're initially shocked, never having ventured into the dungeon before. It's dark, the air damp, and the hallways, lined with brick and iron bars, seem to stretch endlessly. Each cell is just barely the size of a horse stable, and the oppressive atmosphere presses heavily upon you. For a moment you think if this where you would've called home if you weren't so fortunately beautiful.

At your first step into the maze like dungeon, you hear the sound of chains rustling and a whine so familiar, it makes your heart ache. Running towards the sound, you check every single cell you pass for your beloved friend, for both a dog and for a boy. Finally, almost seven cells down, you find a slightly different cell, one with a pillory hanging from the ceiling and Horangi's watery eyes staring at you. You can't help but fall to your knees, horrified at the sight in front of you, your hands clasping over your hands to muffle your cries. Horangi was forced on his knees, dressed in rags that hung off his beaten frame, blood was dripping down his arms from the way he struggled against the pillory. A similar red decorated his neck and ankles, Horangi wincing every time the metal touched his skin. Silver.

"Oh, Horangi.." you mumbled, hands wrapping around the bars of his confinement, muffling yours sobs for his sake, "Oh, I'm so sorry, this is all my fault." For the first time in your life, you find yourself cursing this world. This evil world where magic was unfairly condemned, where you couldn't protect the only friend you've ever known in your own castle because of that magic.

A voice, worn yet smooth, echoed through the cell, pulling you out of your thoughts, "Don' be sorry, s' not your fault princess." You're sure this is the first time you've ever seen Horangi speak but you swore you recognized it. You shake your head, trying your utmost hardest to not break down right there. No, you needed to be strong, you needed to help Horangi. "I'm going to help you, alright?" You start, talking past the lump in your throat, "I promise, I'll get you out of here."

A few moments pass, the dungeon eerily quiet save for the constant dripping of water bouncing off the walls. His eyes search yours, you can see them shining under his long, shaggy hair, the pure trust contrasting yours, full of worry and pain. "I trust you, princess," he says softly, "I trust you with my life." If it wasn't for him breaking the silence, you might've stayed there for another hour, tears running down your eyes, heart shattering piece by piece at his state.

Willing yourself to stand up, you're on your feet and nodding at him, "Thank you for your faith, I'll be back as soon as I can." Before you walk away, you linger for a second, to take in his state once more, to ingrain his pain in your heart if it wasn't already. You begin to walk away, a million thoughts on who to confront, who to ask, who to beg.

“Wait.”

You don’t make a few steps before he calls you back, the urgency in his voice beckoning you to come back. And you do, resuming your place in front of him, heart racing at the tension built by his gaze.

“My name is Beomgyu,” he whispers, eyes not faltering from yours, “Choi Beomgyu.” Your hands reach up, trembling as they grip the iron bars, pulling yourself as close as you can to him. “Beomgyu,” you breathe, echoing his name back to him and you can see how it affects him, his hair bristling wildly as if it was alive. For the first time, you can clearly see his face and you etch it into your mind, new tears rolling down your cheeks. A fluttery feeling bubbled in the deepest part of you, your breath catching in your throat on its way out. He was beautiful. Such distinct and wild features, surpassing even your brother, who shared the beauty of Mother. You don't think you've ever seen a face that wound your heart so tight.

And by Flora and all of her powers, you were going to save him, you owed that to him. You were going to turn this whole castle upside down if you had to. For the years of oppression you’ve endured, for the new spark burning in your heart, for Beomgyu.

"Oh Beomgyu, I promise you, I will do everything and anything I can to save you, I will save you."

author note: sorry for the long wait this took forever to come out because i was doing every thing but finish this one(which means this is not proofread yet) we finally get the first member! let's see what our princess does to help beomgyu>< the upcoming chapters will most likely be much shorter than this one, we'll see! thank you for those who have been waiting^^ as always, reblogs, likes, and comments are always appreciated <3

[elsfleur]

⋆·˚ ༘ * WHERE THE FLOWERS BLOOM | 0.1

ellie williams x reader x abby anderson

summary: the small tight knit city of jackson anticipates scandal in the arrival of brooding newcomer ellie williams who finds herself drawn to local flower shop girl, though she is not the only one.

content warning: this is a rewrite for something on my old account if it seems familiar, lightly nsfw content, modern!au and presence of original characters for the sake of world building. this is a slow burn fanfiction but hopefully worth the wait.

word count: 1,684

🪷 ʾ ⠀

you exchanged glances across the room as though sharing a secret in code neither of you fully understood but remained too stubborn to demand translation. abby, your abby, if you could call her that, was always the one to break eye contact first, a sip of her drink, a rub of her eyelids. months have passed since she had been truly vulnerable with you, a wretched mess of pouts and tears– the way she had arrived drenched by the rain, nearly falling against herself at your doorstep, begging for kindness, left you imagining terror scenarios for weeks. you held her till the shivers stopped and the sobs softened, dragged her muscular figure onto your bathtub and undressed her into the warm bubbly water.

and you felt sixteen again, caring for the girl who would not hold your hand in public but melt at your fingertips behind closed doors, she who was jackson high school’s basketball captain and miss all star in all her glory, she the daughter of a prestigious surgeon destined for great things and ivy leagues, she who dated owen from soccer but you the girl she truly wished to kiss.

she would call you her little secret as though it was endearing, a pet name, and it drove you sick to your stomach but you were down at your knees with her thighs pressing your cheeks and the moaning echoing louder than the wetness of your tongue by her clit– whenever she would brush the hair away from your face coo you pretty girl with her fingers down your slits you convinced yourself there were worse things to be than hidden, for starters: not hers.

dina caught on to your staring game, clearing her throat as she poured you a second drink in raised eyebrows and suggestiveness. your best friend and her unacquaintance of subtlety had stained your relationship with abby beyond repair, acting as though one trustworthy person having conscience of your affair was equivalent to a stab in the back, you remembered the way she’d screamed at you: i’m not gay! i just… i just liked you. just you. that doesn’t make me anything we are not the same! there were hardly excuses to be made, there were no repairs possibly done. you were an average nobody doomed to jackson and girls forever, whilst she was abigail anderson, trademarked by standing ovations, promising rising star.

you bitterly guessed her ego bested her once the injury happened, stealing away an nba future and a full ride ivy league sports scholarship until all that remained of her was the same honey blonde braid and a new pair of uniforms to replace the basketball jersey, sheriff slacks. abigal anderson, an average nobody doomed to jackson and girls forever, just with an added layer of self hatred on top. you dismissed both your old lover’s and best friend’s stare.

“i hope whoever rented the shop is nicer than flora was”

“i don’t mind either way as long as they’re as hot as flora is to make up for it–“ dina answered with a side smirk retorted by her on and off boyfriend eavesdropping a few tables away with a glare “you know anything about them, anderson?”

the entire town of jackson had stopped on its tracks to peek into the blacked out windows of what used to be flora’s bakery, an exciting guessing game at every arrival of trucks unloading black leather chairs and tall unopened boxes that according to jesse made heavy noises to the shake. the owner, whoever they may be, haven’t made their way to the building yet, and all pointed towards a newcomer. jackson wasn’t used to those.

abby licked her whiskey coated lips before speaking “didn’t take you for a gossip, dina”

“we both know you did”

her eyes were on you again, pale blue like a stormfront, searching your expression. abby anderson was a different kind of beauty, ragged around the edges, rough and sharpened. everyone guessed college would straighten that out of her, ivy league with the rich and powerful far enough from jackson you’d think nostalgia was a disease amongst the trophies and gpas. the cowards wouldn’t look her in the eye since the return, stamping failure further into her skull. she just drank.

“you should get them flowers” jesse cut the tension “from your shop, like a welcome to the neighborhood sorta of thing”

a silly game blossomed into your heart years ago, the inspiration for your flower shop really: how everyone you meet could be described by the floral language. dina thought hers too common, but it was your favorite, a daisy, standing for loyal love and “i’ll never tell”. jesse, a white jasmin, sweet love, amiability. even abby, forget-me-nots. you hoped to see the newcomer before blessing their arrival, if not, daffodils. new beginnings. a safe choice.

“i doubt they will like them” abby scoffed “it’s gonna be a tattoo shop, the owner, ellie, doesn’t really seem like the flowers and sunshine type of girl”

“tattoo shop” dina mused “hot”

🪷 ʾ ⠀

…and she was. the week had ran through you like water between your fingers and with daffodils in hand you were ready, flipping away the open sign from your shop and skipping towards your neighbor. hands busy with the plant pot, you pressed your face against the tinted glass windows as to search for the newcomers who had just hours prior been described to you over the phone with multiple flamable metaphors.

“are you looking for something?”

you were startled, nearly knocking down the vase in your hands and you understood, dina’s voice echoing gasoline, fondue, forest fire, cinnamon liquor through your brain to the point it fogged your response and reactions. freckles like starry war paint, eyebrow scar, pale green iris, peach pink lips, auburn hair gently brushing her shoulder at length. breathtaking, you immediately named the feeling, but she looked worn, tossed around. you blamed it on the lightly bruised eye she carried, caught onto sky grey vibes. you damned the daffodils, immediately thinking of something better: without knowing a single trait, you saw red carnations grow behind her in the way spiritualists would claim to see auras. red carnations; “my heart aches”.

she caught your eye for a second while awaiting your response, taking you in under her shuddering gaze in such precise detail you were sure all the lines and dots connected into the paiting of your face had made themselves a maze under microscope. she searched for something in you, a reaction, you barely even noticed how your breath had hitched until you ran out of air. her hand slowly reached towards your face in what appeared at first to be a cheek caress, before she tugged a leaf from behind your ear, stuck to your hair.

“uh yes! you! hi i’m your neighbor, the flower shop girl” you commented embarrassingly quiet, nodding your head at the leaf and the bouquet as though a flustered explanation.

“hi flower shop girl, i’m ellie”

ellie. you tasted her name on your tongue and melted into the feeling before she took the gift from you, arms extended. the heightened sleeve of her grey t-shirt exposed a beaming sun by her bicep, detailed sad expression in black ink across its center. you took notice of everything. ferns and a moth grew from her hand to the very end of her forearm and covered scars you could only assume to have been self inflicted. a sword pierced through the spare space of skin next to a phoenix and finally angel wings alongside a well hidden initial: J. you wouldn’t ask, but you wanted to.

“welcome to the neighborhood” you finally managed to say “those are daffodils, the flowers for new beginnings so i figured it fit”

“they’re beautiful, thank you” she answered, clearing her throat in uncertainty “anyways i have a tattoo appointment to get to in a couple of minutes, but it was nice meeting you”

“oh! yeah! of course! nice meeting you too, ellie”

you planned out your next meeting in your head, showing up with cookies as they do in the movies, catching glimpses of her sketches on the wall, giving them backstories to fill the gaps. it wasn’t so strange to be eager as you were taking into consideration how rare these opportunities had presented themselves: you never left jackson, not even on vacation. the world was meant to turn on its axis but you were destined to stay still, an agoraphobia rooted into your veins like movement would burst your chest open, bloody and broken. the flowers had been a therapist’s idea: to take care of something innocent as a purpose, exist outside the shell of a body you painfully cared for in pure obligation. your personal garden arsenal though, had meaning. yellow tulips, that’s what you were. the flower for unrequited love. the one tattooed by ellie’s hipbone you were yet to see.

too busy watching ellie walk away you barely caught abby’s gaze from the corner of your eye, her patrolling uniform perfectly neat and spotless in the same way she pretended to be, you too enthralled in the newcomer to watch her jaw clench. the return to your shop was hasty, the same daily people in line for a new centrepiece bouquet until the pleasantries and weather talk went quiet, jackson preparing itself for early slumber with the sunset.

🪷 ʾ ⠀

you were about to head up to your apartment when she opened the glass door, bells echoing out throughout the store “we’re closed” you called out, not turning around from your position rearranging pots until the heavy breathing made itself known to you, not following any steps towards the exit, the anxiety suddenly sending you shivers before your eyes could meet the entryway and harden at abby.

“we have to stop meeting like this-“

“shut up” she stopped you bluntly, in a stride finding her way towards your body and pressing it against the counter with her hips and grabbing your neck in a chokehold before rushing her lips against yours in a breathless sloppy kiss.

[holylulusworld]

Pen Pals

Summary: The withering rose never finds love. Right?

Pairing: Lord!Bruce Wayne x Lady!Reader; Lord!Clark Kent x Lady!Reader

Warnings: angst, unrequited love, unrequited feelings, regency au, mentions of rejection, a hint of fluff

A/N: This is an alternative version of Windfall with different characters.

A summer night dream, that’s what it was, and nothing else. 

A summer filled with love letters and daydreams of a withering rose came to a sudden end. 

Fall came much too soon. Along with the heartbreak caused by rejection.

Lord Wayne made you believe he’ll court for you when he returns from his summer residence. All the secrets you shared in your letters were for nothing.

He didn’t have the guts to look at you when he stepped inside your father’s house. Lord Wayne ignored your longing looks, and that you put flowers in your hair to impress him. 

He told you so many times about his favorite flowers and you wanted him to know you read every line he wrote to you.

You wrung your hands and waited for him to mention your name, only to ask your father for allowance to court for someone else.

He didn’t say your name. 

Flora. A beautiful name for a beautiful young woman. The name of your cousin, not yours.

He came to your home, but not for you. A man like him only courts for the pretty dames, young and polite. Petite and most importantly, without wit. 

Lord Bruce Wayne came back only to court for your cousin, not you. Your heart broke into a million little pieces when you realized that you are not the woman he’ll ask to become his bride.

“Oh my, did you hear,” your cousin swoons, unbeknownst of your broken heart, “Lord Wayne invited me to go for a walk with him!”

“That’s wonderful,” you force a smile on your lips, and nod. “You shouldn’t let him wait,” you hastily say to make her leave. “You’ll make a beautiful bride.”

Flora smiles at you like she used to when she was much younger.

You’re like an elder sister to her, and you don’t have the heart to tell her how the man asking for her hand led you on…

“Dear Lady Y/N,” you read out loud before ripping another letter into pieces. You throw it into the fire and watch it turn into dust. Just like your hope for a future with the Lord. “He lied…”

You read another letter and another. He talks about his travels and never answers your questions. When you read the sixth letter you realize Lord Wayne only ever asked about your cousins.

“Oh,” you throw them into the fire to read the next one. Again, he asks about Flora’s favorite flowers. Back then, when the letter arrived, you believed he only tried to include your family. Now you know you were a source of information to him, nothing else.

Lord Wayne used you to find out what Flora likes, and how to court her. You talked highly about him to your father all summer long; only for him to ignore you, and the role you played in getting his happily ever after.

You stop reading the letters and throw them into the fire, along with the flowers you pressed for him during summer. You wanted to show Lord Wayne the ones you love the most. Another mistake you won’t do again.

The fire eagerly feasts on the dried flowers, and you start to cry. The poor flowers are just like you, withered and colorless.

“Goodbye, Lord Wayne,” you whisper as you throw the last letter into the fire. 

“Lady Y/N,” Aurelia, the housekeeper calls for you. “Can you please come downstairs?” she politely asks. You know her all your life, and her tone tells you something must be wrong.

“Coming,” you softly say and wipe your eyes. You take a deep breath and decide to forget about your broken heart.

The moment Flora leaves your home to marry Lord Wayne, you won’t see much of him and her ever again.

The Lord lives secluded, far away from others. He won’t allow Flora to visit you often because he’s not a very sociable person.

That’s what you liked so much about him. You’re awkward around too many people too.

You open the door and leave the safety of your room to walk downstairs. You put on a fake smile as she tells you that someone came to visit.

“Lord Kent,” you curtsy and try to force a smile on your face. “What brings us the honor of your presence?”

“Lord Wayne asked me to join him for a visit at your father’s house,” Lord Kent politely replies. He gives you an honest smile and dips his head as the housekeeper seems to be glued to your side.

“You missed them by an hour, Lord Kent,” you reply, barely hiding your anger. “If you hurry you can catch up with them. But be aware, Lord Wayne already courts Flora. You must settle for Calista instead.” 

“What? I-“ He’s speechless by your bluntness. “What if I wanted to court someone else?”

“Flora is taken, my Lord,” you force a pained smile on your lips. “They are both beautiful and well-behaved. One like the other, a rare flower you can plug. If you hurry, you can still catch up with them. Have a pleasant day, Lord Kent.”

You turn around to walk back upstairs. Aurelia holds back a chuckle as you ignore Lord Kent’s existence.

It’s impolite to not invite Lord Kent for tea, but your parents aren’t around, and you don’t want to end up being called something worse than a spinster.

“Lady Y/N,” Lord Kent says a little louder. “Please wait. I didn’t come here to court for Flora or her sister.” He steps closer and almost touches your shoulder. “Please look at me.”

You sigh and turn back around. “Lord Kent,” you meet his gaze, and let your eyes wander. His hair is a little longer, and a beard frames his handsome features. He's a little rougher around the edges since he's alone.

Some years back he lost his wife, and ever since then, he changed.

“Please let me explain my sudden appearance at your doorstep, my lady.”

“Lord Kent, this is inappropriate, and you know it,” you whisper. “We don’t have a chaperone around. Please tell me why you came here, and I’ll inform my father when he comes back.”

“Lady Y/N,” he clears his throat. Lord Kent nervously runs his fingertips through his locks, messing his hair up. “I came here to tell you that Lord Wayne’s intentions aren’t pure. The letters he wrote to you were…”

“What do you know about the letters?” You gasp and cover your mouth with one hand. “Please don’t tell me he showed you my letters. Please, Lord Kent. I…my father cannot know.”

“He only wanted to get to know more about Flora,” Lord Kent gently grabs your hand to hold it. “I found the letters and confronted him. I came here to make sure he won’t ruin your reputation.”

“I-“ you shake your head. “We only wrote a few letters. He was my pen pal during the summer. I burned all the letters now.” You give Lord Kent a pained smile. “I’m past him, and his lies.”

Lord Kent nods slowly. He watches your lips wobble and sighs deeply. “He should’ve never led you on.” His hands twitch when you pout. “A real man would properly court you, Lady Y/N.”

He lifts your hand to bring it to his lips. Lord Kent brushes his lips over your knuckles before placing a chaste kiss on your skin.

“I—” 

“I am such a man, Lady Y/N,” he wraps his large hands around yours, dwarfing your hand with his own. “I will return when your father is back.”

He releases your hand, and bows as he says his goodbyes.

You’re too stunned to even breathe. Did he just imply that he wants to court you?

You can only watch Lord Kent walk away. He has a spring in his step, and you wonder if you are the reason. 

Part 2

Tags in reblog.

[fancyfeathers]

Society of Protection (Yandere Bungo Bungou Stray Dogs x reader x original characters) (normalized yandere au)

Chapter Twenty Three, Assassins

(A/N- We are back bitches! So much happens in this chapter and I love it!

We have tragic lesbians with Jane and Dr. Stevenson

Platonic soulmates with Leo and Gaston

And found family with William and the reader)

Read past chapter on Ao3

Miss Jane had your driver called after your meeting, along with you she had William and Wells accompany you away from the party. When the car pulled up for the three of you, you turned to look at Miss Jane and asked…

“What are you going to do, Miss Jane?”

“Well…” She smiled, glancing back at the hotel. Her eyes had a certain happy shimmer in them, but you couldn’t quite place it but you felt you have seen it before on others. “…I think it is about time I started living my own words.”

You watched as Jane turned on her heel and marched back into the hotel and you could have sworn you saw a skip in her step.

“Zelda!” A young Dr. Stevenson called out her friend’s name. They were both young girls at the time, Jane still going by Zelda and both of them still so innocent to the world. The future doctor had her skirt tied up as she waded through the creek in the woods by their hometown. “Look I found a frog!”

The young girl ran up onto the land to show her friend what she held in her hands, her wet, bare, feet collecting dirt and she ran toward her friend. The young Jane sat under a tree reading a book, dressed up nicely and wore a sun hat that gave her even more shade from the bright summer sun. She let out a high pitched squeak when the young Stevenson set the frog beside her friend.

“Robin! Get that away from me!” Jane leaped to her feet, not even caring to keep a grip on her book, letting it drop to the ground. The little girl’s eyes were full of horror as she looked down at the slimy frog at her feet.

The future doctor watched her friend’s expression, but her smile quickly faded at her friend’s fear. The little girl quickly picked up the frog again, turning back towards the creek and releasing it into the rippling water. She glanced over at the horrified Jane, still standing and shaking where the frog once was. “I…I am sorry, Zelda.”

“It is alright… I just got startled.” Jane took her seat, slowly, back on the ground, avoiding the ground where the frog had been set down. The young Robin, came to sit next to her friend, also leaning her back on the trunk of the tree. The two little girls looked up at the branches that were decorated with the green leaves of the midsummer. Jane’s lips pressed together in a thin line as she looked up at the flora and sky above the two of them. “…Do you have to leave?”

“Do you think my mother will give me another choice?” Robin answered her best friend’s question with another. Robin wrapped her arms around her knees, pulling her legs closer to her chest. “I do not wish to go, but at least it is not forever. Besides, you can come visit me in London sometime.”

“I suppose-“

“Robin!” A stern voice called out to the future doctor. Both girls looked to where the familiar voice was coming from, it was Robin’s mother. She was a rather stern looking woman, looking much like the doctor in the present day and age you knew her in, on,y her mother never smiled and was much older than the doctor, noticeable wrinkles thick formed lines on her aged face. She approached the two little girls, ignoring Jane completely and instead going over to her own daughter and seized her up by the forearm. “Come now girl, you will make us late for our train. It is already bad enough that you went around showing your face around town and soaking yourself in the mud after what you did.”

“Wait, Mrs. Stevenson-“

“Zelda, I suggest you stay out of this affair if you know what is good for your family.” The stern woman cut the little girl off, shooting her a sharp glare at sent shivers down the girl’s spine. “You best run along back home now.”

“But-“

“It is okay, Zelda.” This time Robin cut her friend off, shooting her a sympathetic smile. “I promise I will write.”

Now the little girl could do nothing but watch as her childhood and best friend got dragged off by her mother. Tears filled the little girl’s eyes before she grabbed the book in her hand and with slow and heavy steps she walked back home. Once she reached the town she heard the horrible and disgusting words from the people of the town. She could feel the glares from the people, glaring at the little and innocent girl all because she was friends with that monster…

…Robin…

…the girl who lost her mind and killed her father.

Miss Jane pushed open the doors to the ballroom and all eyes turned to look at her, a woman that clearly did not fit in with the expensive scene. There were whispers that began to spread through the ballroom as she pushed through the crowd of people.

“Is that Miss Austen?”

“She hasn’t been seen in months.”

“What is she doing here?”

“Jane?”

That all too familiar voice of her oldest friend called out from the bunches of people. Jane quickly whipped her head around to see Dr. Stevenson, who was dressed in a long mermaid style dress, red, with lace that curved up her body gave the illusion that if something slipped it might reveal something that one may or may not want to see. She was standing by a few individuals dressed in uniform that you would be able to identify as the Hunting Dogs, Jouno, Tecchou, and two individuals you would not recognize, a young pink haired woman who looked more like a child and an older gentleman with gray hair and who was riddled with many scars.

“Robin.” Jane managed to speak out in response as she looked at her old friend who stood there in shock. Jane took forward, but the doctor closed the gap, running up to her old friend, wrapping her arms around her as both ladies began to cry. Jane managed a laugh as she held onto the doctor. “I am so sorry for lying to you, I promise I will explain everything-“

“I don’t care what happened.” Robin cut her off and she pushed away to look Jane in the eyes. “As long as you are okay, I don’t care.”

“I… I… Thank you, Robin.” Jane replied, she could feel the entire ballroom watching them. “There… there is something I need to tell you.”

“Then tell me.”

“I… I love-“

Jane was cut off by the sound of her flesh being stabbed into.

Robin looked up in wide eyed shock at the person who stood behind Jane, another person mask, an assassin…

Her lips fell agape as Jane collapsed in her arms…

Why…

Oh dear…

Why…

Just let me in…

Why…

Let me in!

The voice in her head grew just as loud as the ringing in her ears and the commotion in the ballroom, so distracted that the doctor did not even notice the faint glow from Jane’s wound.

The doctor did not even realize she was reaching out to attack the assassin until the strong arms of the Hunting Dog, Tecchou, was restraining her. She could only watch as other members of the Hunting Dogs also retained the masked assassin and other guests went to tend to Miss Jane who was losing consciousness…

And that voice like claws on a chalkboard spoke in her head once again…

She was going to tell you that she loves you…

She is in love with you…

And you let this happen to her…

Your mother was right…

You are a failure.

—————————

Leo sat on the velvet covered piano bench, pulled up to the grand piano that was a gift from Gaston for his birthday last year. Karma had gone to bed a few hours ago, but Leo could not sleep tonight. The Russian man had a feeling of dread building up inside him that he tried to drown out as his fingers trailed over the keys of the piano playing a tune that the composer taught him, or rather sang to him when they first met when he saved his life…

Leo sat by his window on a loveseat in his own private estate in St. Petersburg. The prince had a book on his lap that he was reading over, an old novel written a number of centuries ago, but still a classic. His mind did not linger on the book, something in the back of his mind itched him. It has been so long since he has felt something, anything. The zest of life has vanished, only the skeleton remains. Abandoned to distraction in order to forget how people waste their lives, including the young royal.

Then the sound of the door opening followed by footsteps ran through the empty drawing room.

“Not now Anatole, I am busy.” The prince spoke out to the person who entered the room, thinking it was one of his rather rowdy friends who had a tendency to invite themselves in his home, but he could not be more wrong.

The next thing Leo could process the sound of a gunshot…

The stinging pain of a bullet sinking into his arm…

The prince should not be shocked by an assassination attempt but no one has ever gotten a shot on him before. Leo would have applauded his assailant for his, her, or their good job but he was in so much pain that his vision blurred and wanted to vomit from it. He could hear the muffled shouting of his housekeeper, who was formerly his governess in his youth, shouting in response to the racket of the gunshot and the sounds of pain from the young prince. But he quickly realized these were not in response to the shot, she was shouting to someone else. There were other footsteps rushing down the hall in a fevered pace, that were followed by the waddling footsteps of his housekeeper…

As the assassin approached the young man who was on the carpeted ground-

“Stay low, your highness!”

Before Leo could even process the instructions given to him, another gun was shot off, but not at the prince. The bullet pierced the skull of the assassin and they fell to the ground with a heavy thud. There were quick words exchanged between the stranger and the prince’s housekeeper before she ran off to do something. Leo then felt the stranger help him off the ground, bracing his good side as he lifted the blonde man up to lay him down on the expensive sofa. Amidst of all his pain, the prince was now able to see his savior’s face clearly, he was a young man a few years younger than the prince, perhaps twenty of nineteen, he had a scar trailing down his cheek that looked newly healed, the brown eyes that looked down at the prince matched the man’s slightly curly brown hair.

The prince watched as the young man rolled up the sleeves of his white dress shirt so as to not dirty it with blood, before reaching up to undo his scarlet tie that was tied loosely around his neck. He took the tie and brought it down to the wounded and bleeding prince’s arm, and Leo nearly screamed in pain as the young man used his tie as a makeshift bandage to stop the bleeding.

“It’s okay, it’s okay, just listen to my voice.” The man spoke as he tied the piece of fabric around Leo’s arm. “I am here to help you, just breathe.”

The prince’s eyes grew heavy from the pain and as he was slipping into sleep’s hold her heard his voice sing, beautiful, gentle, and careful…

“Think of me fondly

When we've said goodbye

remember me once in awhile

promise me you'll try

on that day that not so distant day when you are far away and free

if you ever find a moment spare a thought for me.”

Leo sighed as he recalled that memory that resurfaced, he just needed to remind himself that his musician friend would be alright and the plan would move on without a hitch. The ringing of his phone that was set on the coffee table on the end of the couch caught the prince’s attention. Leo adjusted his button up sweater he wore over his dress shirt as he stood up, walking over to his phone, he picked his phone up and flipped it over to look at the contact name and his heart sank…

Gaston Leroux…

Gaston was supposed to be moving forward in the plan, not contacting Leo out of all people. Leo wondered for a moment if he should just ignore the call but curiousity got the better of him and he answered, bringing the phone up to his ear.

“Leroux?”

“Not quite.” That voice made Leo’s breathing stop, but he had to quickly regain his composure at hearing the voice on the line.

“Fyodor…” Leo spoke through gritted teeth, trying to show no unnecessary emotion, after all that is like showing your cards. “What do you want?”

“To simply speak to you, after all it is not everyday one gets to speak to such nobility as yourself.” Fyodor replied to the royal’s question. “I also suggest that you do not hang up, his life is in my hands.”

“We both know that Leroux will not die by your hands, you would not dare to lay a finger on him and even if you tried he would manage to outwit you.” Leo bit back with a small laugh in his tone. “We are getting smarter, you know that, and you are growing afraid of us aren’t you?”

There was a sigh of annoyance from the other end of the line before there was the sound of beeping, indicating that the call was ended from the other line. Leo sighed and set his phone back on the coffee table before making his way to the bar cart kept by the piano. He picked out a bottle of red wine and a glass, he popped the bottle open before he began to pour a rather large glass for himself.

Then there was the sound of shattering glass as Leo fell to the floor, dropping both the bottle and glass. Something had broken through the window of the prince’s apartment and hit him just above the hip bone. It would not be a fatal wound so it was strange that an assassin would attempt to strike him there, but as the prince saw a light blue glow admitting from the wound he realized…

This was an ability…

Just needed to break skin in order to work…

The prince’s blood mixed with the wine from the shattered bottle and glass on the floor which was a shocking sight for the young Karma who ran into the room at the sound of the commotion to see his savior on the ground.

—————————

The car ride was silent between you, William, and Wells. It felt as if the whole world had fallen silent, like a battlefield when the dust cleared but the fighting was not over just yet. The car haunted to a stop in front of the towers that were the headquarters of the Port Mafia. The driver came around to open the door for you all, but only you and William stepped out, leaving Wells behind in the car. You two bid her farewell for now as you entered the towers and all eyes were on you. No words were spoken but the man who led you both upstairs apparently knew why the two of you were here. You were able to get a clear view of the man who was leading you both upstairs, a man with short messy red hair, a bandage covering his nose, he wore a green jacket with a fur collar, being in the mafia seemed like a stage line of work for someone his age, he did not look much older than yourself, perhaps a year or two younger or older.

You soon reached the same door that you were behind before, Mori’s office. The young man opened the door for the two of you, letting you step inside without him following behind you. There was the sound of conversation across the dark room of about four or so people. You cleared your throat as you approached those whom were present, but Williams stayed in the shadows near the door, just watching.

“I know you were going to send Chuuya for me, but something came up.” You spoke but you did not make eye contact with anyone as the room fell silent in your presence, but you did extend your hand that held the book that you were asked to retrieve. “I did get what you requested though.”

“Thank you, I am glad we were able to cooperate on this together.” You heard Mori replied and you watched as his white gloved hand came into your sight, grabbing the book from your hold. You heard his footsteps walk over to his desk and set the book on top of the furniture piece. You glanced up for a moment as his back was turned to you and you were able to get glimpses of those present in this room, Mori and Chuuya were familiar faces to you, but then there were two others present that you did not know.

The first unfamiliar face was a beautiful woman with the most red hair and eyes you have ever seen, those both contrasted and complimented her traditional clothing she had chosen to wear.

The second unfamiliar face was a blonde man with blue eyes, his style of clothing with his dark suit, tan overcoat, and brimmed hat, almost reminded you of the fashion trends that were popular among your European colleagues, especially of Leroux and Hugo, the French members.

Your attention was drawn back to Mori as he approached you once again, he was about to say something, but his eyes drifted up just past your head, looking right at William in the back of the room.

“I see you brought a friend.”

“Yes… this is William Shakespeare, we were assigned to work with each other during the party.” You replied, watching Mori as he stared at William. You could not see William’s expression but you could feel the tension in the room. “He is well aware of everything that is going on.”

“I see…” Mori spoke in response to you and a smile came across his face as he looked at William. “Would you like to join us for a glass of wine, you seem like the type to enjoy such things.”

“You would be correct with that assumption, but I am afraid I must turn down your offer.” You could hear William’s voice draw closer to you as he stepped forward to stand by your side, his shoes sharply clicking against the floor. “(Name) and I were just about to leave anyway and besides I don’t think I would like to stink with someone like you.”

“Oh? And what do you mean by-“

“You know exactly what I mean, don’t think I have forgotten about what happened when our organizations have come into conflict with one another.” He bit at the head of the Port Mafia, cutting him off. “You turned me and my wife over to the Guild and I would rather not have someone I see as a sister be in the company of people like you all.”

The whole room fell silent at the ex-assassin’s words, all eyes either on the English man or looking at one another. Then out of the corner of your eye you spotted the blonde man stand up from his chair, setting his glass of wine on the table next to him. He shoved his hands in his pockets as he began to approach you and William, looking the two of you over, but William did not notice, his gaze fixed on Mori, and his hand fixed tightly and protectively around your own.

“I was wondering where I recognized you before.” The blonde man spoke as he set a hand on Mori’s shoulder, silently signaling to let him handle this. Mori stepped aside and William finally got a clear view of the man, you heard a gasp from your friend and you turned your head to see William, wide eyed and horrified. “I see you have recovered, honestly I really tried not to hurt you too badly, you were still so young then.”

“William?”

“(Name), stay behind me.” He replied to you calling his name, his hand that held you pushing you to stand behind him.

“William? What’s going on?”

“Do you remember what I told you that night?” He asked and his eyes glanced back at you for a moment, and you could just see the fear in them. “About my parents.”

“I-It wasn’t exactly a Crime Organization, it was a group of us who worked underground for The Order of the Clocktower, a British government entity. Our cover was a crime organization, but in reality we were just a branch of protection for the Crown.” He began this tale, speaking of it as if it is almost another life, someone who wasn’t him. “Forgive me for being so emotional, it has just been a long time since I told anyone this because everyone else in the Society already knows. For a long time that was the only life I knew, I was raised to be a spy, the greatest kind of actor. My parents were also in such a business, but they were good people despite it all, they loved me very much but didn’t have a choice. I served in the war as a child spy with them and then went on to serve the Crown as an assassin… I hurt a lot of people...”

“I-I’m sorry…”

“Don’t be, there was nothing you could have done. Besides, what happened to them wasn’t your fault…”

“Them?”

“My parents… they were killed…” William’s breath hitched in his throat before he took a breath in an attempt to calm himself. “I was still fairly young when this happened, but my parents were on a job, guarding the Queen. They were killed that day alongside many other ability users by another assassin, he almost killed the Queen as well but ended up killing her body double… I-I can remember his face clear as day, blond hair, and a black hat… god I would have given anything to kill him in that moment… They called him the King of Assassins.”

“Oh… oh my god…” That was all you could manage as your eyes looked up at the man that stood before you and William, the King of Assassins.

“It seems that you have told her about me.” The blonde man spoke, as his eyes now looked down at you, a smile across his face as if nothing was wrong despite the fear that pumped through your veins in this moment. You could only watch in your frightened state as he reached out his gloved hand past William to grab your own that was held close to your chest and he brought it up to his lips to kiss the back of it. “It is a pleasure to meet you Miss (Name), my name is Verlaine, Paul Verlaine.”

[alwayswriting101]

The Nutcracker (Fanfic)

Hi everyone,

I've been working on a Flora/Helia Christmas/Ballet AU for a while...and even though it's nowhere close to being done I just wanted some thoughts on my prologue chapter to see if this is something people are even interested in or.... not. So here it is! Please provide any thoughts or opinions below. And to give some context this fic is loosely based on Barbies "The Nutcracker" (iconic, I know). Thanks! (And if anyone is willing to beta-read any of my future fics it would be much appreciated)

Ethereal string music projected from the orchestral pit, floating into the rest of the music hall as the prima ballerina danced in perfect time. She was a fairy, floating on the harmonies as her body delicately spun, stretched, and leaped into the air.

The ballerina performed for the hundreds in the audience before her, yet little did she know there was another admirer behind the scenes, watching her every move with bated breath. 

The music began to swell as the trumpets and the woodwinds flourished with the string instruments and choir, so young Flora peered from behind the wings of the stage, very obviously neglecting her duties, to view her favorite part of the performance. The ballerina lept and glided across the stage as Cinderella, somehow looking as delicate as she was powerful—and Flora, selfish as she was, imagined herself on that stage in Cinderella’s place, soaring. It’s all she’s ever wanted,  to dance until her lungs burned, until her legs were numb, but her heart and mind ascending above any amount of pain. She would dance before the world, dance until she died of happiness, and then continue to dance before The Lord and all of His angels, until she was commanded to stop. 

It’s all she’s ever wanted. 

The prince has now joined Cinderella on stage, their partnership enhancing the performance as they skillfully danced together. Flora held her breath as the prince carefully lifted Cinderella above his head, but they together showed no hesitation. It was as if Cinderella belonged there, lifted and admired above the prince’s heart. 

The prince gently placed Cinderella back on the ground, to which she then continued to perform a series of twirls to the offstage wings as the prince began to perform his solo…which was right towards Flora. 

…uh oh. 

Flora quickly rushed deeper into the wing, grabbing her small broom and dustpan, busying herself with sweeping nonexistent dust off the floor, and the ballerina rushed to the wings. The ballerina practically collapsed onto the floor, breathing in gulps of air as if it were water and she was dying of thirst. For a moment, she didn’t even notice the little stowaway hiding in plain sight. 

“Hello,” the ballerina called, “My name is Isla, what’s your name?”

Flora shirked back a couple of steps, “My name is Flora, madam.”

“Flora,” Isla giggled, “And what are you doing here, little Flora, are you lost?”

“No madam,” Flora whispered, “I’m supposed to be cleaning…”

“Cleaning?” Isla raised an eyebrow and looked around the wing, which had been spotlessly cleaned by the adult maids not even two hours ago, “It looks pretty clean to me.”

Flora, hung her head in shame. “I am supposed to be cleaning in the back, with the other girls, but I wanted to see the ballet!” 

Isla couldn’t help the laugh that erupted from her mouth, which became even heartier as Flora blushed heavily. “Well, I can’t blame you…the costumes are really pretty aren’t they?”

“They are so pretty, you look like a princess!” Flora bounced on the balls of her feet as she looked up to Isla, “but I also really like the dancing! I want to be just like you when I grow up!”

“Really,” Flora swore Isla’s eye twinkled like the stars from above. “Well Flora, then here’s something to jump-start your career.” Flora held her breath as Isla slowly reached around her neck, pulling off a silver necklace with a small silver nutcracker on the chain. It glistened as the stage lights reflected off it before Isla placed it on Flora’s neck. “This is my lucky charm…with this necklace, all your dreams will come true.”

“Really?”

Isla never answered, for her cue to return to the stage had arrived. Flora stared from the sidelines as Isla performed a perfect arabesque, and joined her partner on stage. 

Flora looked down at her new necklace. It felt cool against her neck.

(DONE)

So I'm thinking of going for a magical fairytale vibe, where the narrator speaks in these dramatic, overly detailed sentences...but I'm not sure if it's good! 🥲. Please advise.

[101flavoursofweird]

📓

For the ask game?

((Thank you— and sorry I ended up writing a mini synopsis here…))

AU fanfic where Don Paolo reaches Flora’s tower before Layton and Luke.

Like, a couple of days before. Layton and Luke haven’t even been informed of the village yet. 

Before Lady Dahlia even sends out her letter, Don Paolo crashes his flying machine into St. Mystere’s tower— by accident! 

The tower’s falling apart and Don intends to make a run for it, but then he hears a girl shouting for help, and he can’t just leave her! (He may be an evil genius with a hatred for a harmless archaeology professor but he’s not heartless.) 

So, he goes to save the teenage girl from the cottage at the top of the tower and he escapes with her. 

The girl was furious with him for ruining her tower, but after they escape, she’s just happy to be alive. She laughs with him, revealing a curious apple birthmark on her neck. 

The girl asks the man for his name— something no one has asked him for a long time— and she wonders what kind of flying machine that was. Don Poalo boasts he designed it himself. Then, he asks who the girl is and what the hell she was doing up in that tall tower. (Who even designed that?)

So, Flora tells him about her true identity and the village’s purpose and even the robots— though, she leaves out the part about her family’s hidden treasure, just in case. 

She asks Don Paolo what he plans to do now, without his flying machine, and he says he’s just going to leave and build a new one. Flora asks if she can go with him. Don Paolo accepts— as long as Flora is willing to help him with her robotics knowledge. (It’s got nothing to do with the fact that he would enjoy her company.)

So, they leave St. Mystere together and Flora becomes Don Paolo’s apprentice. Flora— though still good-hearted— helps Don Paolo with his schemes, especially against Professor Hershel Layton. 

The Professor might act like a gentleman, but Don Paolo informs Flora about how Layton has always been jealous of him. Layton stole the attention of Don Paolo’s mentor and stole the love of Don Paolo’s life! 

Of course Flora wants to help poor Don Paolo get back at Layton. 

Sure, she’ll help Don Paolo steal the Elysian Box. (Though, she’ll call an ambulance for Dr. Schrader!) She’ll follow Layton and his apprentice (an annoying boy called Luke) onto the Molentary Express and spy on them for Don Paolo. She’ll break Don Paolo out of prison!

She’ll help Don Paolo find out what really happened to his lost love in ‘Future London’, even if it means working for those shady guys…

Because Flora is Don Paolo’s apprentice, and he saved her in St. Mystere, and he’s never treated her like a dainty princess in a box.

And she knows he cares about her, even if never says it out loud.