#||♢|| not the answer I was expecting

[wildxcardrebel]

WHAT TAROT CARD ARE YOU?

Justice

What would you do to ensure justice? You know full well I don’t speak of lofty ideals and courts and magistrates, dearest. What would you do to those that hurt you? If I dropped them in your lap, what would you do? What kind of pain could you possibly inflict upon them? You are right to do so. You are right to want to do so. Ignore the screaming, dearest, you are the hand of justice now, and they hurt you. Do not look too closely at their faces, dearest. You are within your rights. You spell out your own rights, now. Are you happy about it? Are you certain that this is the right person you hold by the hair? Does your anger hurt less now?

tagged by: @fatexbound

tagging: @epitomees @studies-of-the-soul @the-flower-karasu @hikaricharity @investigationshoujo @electricea @mused-like-roses (Any muse) and anyone else who sees this and wants to do it.

[evelightnavi]

"Secrets in the waves"

♤ Featuring: Aonung x Female Omatikaya Reader

♤ Summary: You came to the Metkayina clan with Neteyam and his family since the two of you were a couple. As months pass Neteyam becomes distant and you find comfort with Aonung. Aonung and you start catching feelings for each other. Realizing you need to have a conversation with Neteyam, things get heated as you discover a secret he kept from you.

♤ Word count: 3.1k

♢ I'm Evelight_Navi on wattpad, this is part of my one shot collection.

♢♢----------------------♢♢

Neteyam had seemed distance, like he was lost in his thoughts. It wasn't like him, but lately it was. Neteyam had avoided you as much as he could without making it too obvious. You had noticed but chose to remain quiet. It was a stressful time for everyone. You didn't want to make it worse. "Whats on your mind?" You questioned him as you sat next to him. There was no way to avoid you since you were in your pod. Neteyam turned to look at you without saying a thing. You looked him in his eyes, searching for the familiar shine his eyes once held. It had been a while since you last saw it. The shine still didn't reappear. "You can tell me. I'm your girlfriend, after all." You said before he looked away from you. You watched Neteyam as he got up. He was giving you the silent treatment again.

Frustrated with his behavior, you stood up abruptly and fetched your bow. Your sudden movements grabbed Neteyam's attention. Neteyam watched you from behind with a puzzled look as you swung your bow around your body. Grabbing your quiver, you heard Neteyam ask. "Where are you going?" Neteyam caught your interest as he spoke unexpectedly. You pauzed briefly as you looked up. "Aonung and I have another hunting lesson today." You replied while counting the arrows in your quiver. Neteyam let out a small chuckle, making you turn to face him. "It's been weeks. Why hasn't he learned yet?" Neteyam sighed. It wasn't a question, and you knew it. Rather, it was an insult towards Aonung.

He wasn't in a place to judge Aonung, not about the lessons, at least. You wanted to make that very clear. "We needed many breath lessons too. Before we could swim properly underwater." You stated. You could see that Neteyam wasn't amused by your answer. He remained quiet once again. You knew that whatever made him give you the silent treatment today wasn't about your lessons with Aonung. If it was, he wouldn't have asked where you were going.

As Neteyam remained silent, you started walking out. You were in the opening of the pod when he spoke again. "Y/n..." Neteyam spoke quietly. You stopped and turned around to look at him. "Yes." You answered, waiting for a response. He wanted to say something but seemed hesitant about it. Neteyam looked into your eyes, and you looked into his. He shook his head before waving you away. "It's nothing. You go on now." He said as he looked away. Your eyes dropped to the floor as you sighed. You turned back around, walking away from the hut towards the place you and Aonung had agreed on.

They place you had argeed on was east of the village, with some rocks alongside the beach. As you arrived, you saw Aonung with his arms crossed, leaning against one of the rocks. He was staring at the sea in front of him. Aonung was early, which was unusual for him. He uncrossed his arms and stood up straight as he noticed you walking up to him. Aonung tilted his head slightly to the right as he studied your movements closely. He sensed you were a bit tense by the way you walked. Aonung approached you, leaving the rocks behind him. One word, rather one name, that was all he needed to know to understand you. "Neteyam?" He asked as he stood in front of you. You nodded as you slightly looked down.

During your lessons, you two had become close. Close enough that you had confided in him about was happening with Neteyam. Aonung had also confided in you about the pressure he felt as the village had high expectations of him. He had told you he liked the lessons with you. Because at least he could be honest and relaxed with you. You didn'thave any expectations from him, so he could be himself around you. At the village, both of you didn't have much time together, except if it was the whole group together. You occasionally glanced at each other or had some small interaction, but that was all. So this was a little getaway you both got together.

You would never admit it, but you had gotten feelings for Aonung. Neteyam had pushed you away for the past few months. Aonung had comforted you, and that's how it started. You felt guilty that you got feelings for him. If only Neteyam knew... He probably wouldn't care, not right now, at least. He would've been furious if that would've happened back at the omaticaya clan. He had changed so much towards you. You knew there was something else going as well, but you weren't sure.

Aonung sat down, crossing his legs with his front facing the water. He tugged at your hand, signaling for you to sit next to him. With a nod, you remove your bow and quiver, placing them next to you. You sat down next to him, crossing your legs as well. "Let's do some breathing exercises." Aonung stated as he looked at you. He knew it calmed you down. You closed your eyes because it made the exercise easier. "Breathe in." Aonung said before inhaling deeply. You did the same, trying to stay in the same rhythm as him. "And breathe out." You both exhaled at the same time.

Aonung looked at you as he noticed you weren't relaxing. You tried to stay in the same rhythm as Aonung but kept losing it. Placing one hand on your stomach and the other on your chest, he startled you with his touch. You opened your eyes and glanced at him, surprised. His eyes briefly met yours before he shifted his gaze to his hands on your body. "Breathe in deeper. " Aonung said as he slightly put more pressure on your stomach. You took a deep breath like he told you as you still looked at his face. "Now hold it until you feel like exhaling." He continued as he could feel your heartbeat. You closed your eyes as you held your breath. You felt your body relax as you exhaled, almost as if all your worries had vanished. Aonung smiled gently, noticing your heartbeat gradually slowing down. You were greeted with that gentle smile as you opened your eyes. His eyes met yours once again before he removed his hands from your body.

You walked side by side to the little forest the island offered. Aonung had mastered shooting statuary targets but not the moving ones. He would lose his posture while aiming at the moving targets. You gave Aonung your bow and quiver before standing back. Aonung got in position and shot every statuary target. He had done this a thousand times already, but you still gave him a smile as he retrieved your arrows. He had to feel confident, or this would never work. You looked at him as he took his position once again. He briefly glanced at you before focusing at the target. He aimed at the target, and he held his posture, which got you confident he would get it.

As he followed his target with your bow, you saw his posture shift. He released the arrow and missed the target yet again. You sighed silently before walking towards him. "Aiming for fish is way easier. " He joked as you stood in front of him. "I don't agree. Fish are way harder." Aonung chuckled at your response. You tapped Aonung's chest as you raised the arm in which he was holding the bow. He immediately understood what you meant. He drew his bow as he got in his position. "Your aim is good, but you need to keep your posture as you shoot." You said, pushing against him to make his posture more stable. "Now aim while breathing in." You said as you were content with his posture. You got close to his face to see which moving target he was aiming for.

Aonung could feel his heart skip a beat as he noticed how close you were to him. "Focuse!" You said as you pushed against his stomach. Aonung chuckled before looking back at the target. "Release while you exhale." You advised, lightly guiding his leg back to its previous position with your own leg. Aonung deeply inhaled as he aimed for the target once more. You had taken a small step back to avoid getting injured. He exhaled as he released the arrow. His eyes widened in suprise as he hit the edge of the target. You can't help but smile as you see how happy Aonung is. "Again." You knew his confidence was boosted at the moment, so it was the perfect time to try again.

Aonung quickly grabbed another arrow. His eyes briefly met yours, both your eyes reflected happiness and a sense of pride. He took a deep breath as he aimed for another moving target. Your eyes followed his to the target in question. He exhaled again as he released the arrow. Aonung hit the target perfectly in the middle. He dropped the bow as he turned his attention to you. "I did it!" He exclaimed happily. "You did it." You matched his enthusiastic energy. Aonung stepped towards you, wrapping his arms around your waist. He lifted you up and twirled you in a circle. It made you giggle. He had never shown this happiness before.

Aonung stopped twirling in a circle, but he was still holding you up in the air. You were now taller than him, so you had to look down to gaze into his eyes. Aonung returned your gaze, looking into your eyes as you had done with his. You briefly glanced at his lips before shifting back to his eyes. Aonung noticed and dropped you a bit, so you were now face to face with him, feet still dangling in the air. "Look what you have started." He murmured softly as he also quickly glanced at your lips. You felt his breath on your lips as he closed the distance between you two. He kissed you, and you kissed back, closing your eyes, enjoying the moment.

You could feel the ground under your feet as Aonung put you down. Both of you remained silent, gazing into each other's eyes. That's when you remembered Neteyam. Your ears pinned back, and your eyes widened in realization. Stepping back from Aonung, you suddenly felt a surge of panic and guilt. You and Neteyam were together, not you and Aonung. Aonung sensed your distress and the weight of your guilt. He took as step forward, placing his hand on your shoulder. Your eyes met yet again, but this time, Aonung saw only guilt in them. "I-I.." You stuttered, not finding your words. Aonung wrapped his arms around you, pulling you into a hug. "You feel the same as I feel for you, don't you?" He murmured softly into your ear. You just nodded before hugging him back.

"Do you still love Neteyam?" He asked as he pulled back and looked into your eyes. You met his eyes but didn't say anything. Aonung searched for an answer but couldn't find one. Aonung dropped his arms as you remained silent. He was disappointed, but he understood. That didn't take away that this was breaking him. He turned his back towards you as he grabbed all the arrows before putting them into your quiver. You stood still looking at his every movement. "We should go back." He started as he grabbed your bow. "It's for the better if this is our last lesson. I learned everything you have to teach." He finished as he started walking back in the direction of the village.

"No." You uttered as you watched him walk away. He pauzed at your voice, turning around to face you. "No?" He questioned, a bit perplexed. "No. I don't love him anymore." You finished as you walked towards Aonung. "I love you." Aonung wrapped his arms around you with the bow still in his hands. He was glad you wanted him like he wanted you. You could feel his heart through your chest. It had a fast pace, and you were sure yours was as well. "If you don't love him anymore. You could break up with him." Aonung stated, silently waiting on a response. "Neteyam and I need to talk. There is still a lot of stuff that bothers me about his recent behavior." You responded. Aonung expected another response, but he was happy with the one he got.

"Everyone will be watching us if they know." You said as you pulled away a little. He knew what you meant. Aonung could relax around you here. If the clan knew, that would all change. Their judgment and expectations would put a lot of pressure on the both of you. "So let's keep this secret." He replied with a grin on his face. You rolled your eyes at him. "It would be scandalous if they found out like this." You said, trying not to laugh. He grabbed your hand as he started walking towards the village. "Then don't let them see it." He started as squeezed your hand lightly. "That is the most fun, after all." You laughed at his response.

You and Aonung had aparted ways as you neared the village. You walked straight to your pod, hoping to find Neteyam there. Once you entered the pod, Neteyam's whole family was there. "Y/n!" Tuk yelled as she ran towards you. She hugged your leg, and you patted her head. "Hey, Tuk." You said before looking around for Neteyam. He wasn't there and maybe it was a good thing. Since you didn't want the conversation with his family around. "How was your lesson with Aonung?" Jake asked while offering you some food. You felt your body stiffen at his question. You politely expected it and sat down. "He is making progress." You casually said, trying to avoid the subject.

It was getting dark, and Neteyam still hadn't returned home. So you opted to go look for him. It didn't take long to find him. He was standing waist deep in the water feeding an ilu. You walked up to him from behind. He hadn't noticed you yet. "She stopped loving me." He said, making you stop in your tracks. Was he talking to the ilu? "It's probably for the best. Then we are both free of each other." He continued. Had he felt trapped in your relationship? How could he not have told you? Even if you didn't live him anymore, it still hurt to hear it. You didn't feel like talking to him anymore, at least not today.

You turned around and started to walk away. You were barely out of the water when you heard him. "Y/n?" Neteyam called your name. You stood still, not wanting to turn around. "How much did you hear?" You could hear him coming closer. "Enough." Neteyam heard the coldness in your voice. He was concerned since you had never been cold to him. "I came to get you." You cut him off as he was about to say something. You started to walk away again, hoping he wouldn't follow you. Even if you knew you both had to get back home. You heard fast movements in the water behind you. Turned around, you saw Neteyam standing in front of you.

"I know you came here for a different reason." He stated as he looked into your eyes. You sighed, knowing the conversation had to happen. You were about to speak, but this time, Neteyam cut you off. "I saw him kissing you." Neteyam inched closer to you. "Can you tell me, honestly, how many times?" You shook your head. "It was the first time." You answered as you looked around, not wanting to believe he was actually accusing you of something you didn't do. You saw Aonung standing in the distance. You could tell he looked worried. "I don't believe you! You had so many lessons together. The bow and arrow are easy to learn and master. You two couldn't just be doing the lessons all this time!" He snapped at you, which grabbed your attention.

"What were you even doing there?" You questioned him, knowing he had gotten some assignments. You saw something change in his eyes. He was hiding something, and seeing his face, he didn't want to talk about it. Neteyam remained silent, searching for an answer he could give you. You studied Neteyam body searching for an answer yourself. That when you saw it, the bracelet. "Izza..." You uttered, looking back at his face. "Who?" Neteyam met your eyes, not wanting to give in. He thought denying it would be easier. "You talk about being unhonest. But how long has this been going on?" You stated as you grabbed his wrist, holding it up between you two. He looked at the bracelet he was wearing before pulling his wrist back.

"Is she the reason you have been avoiding and ignoring me? Is she the reason you vanish and nobody is able to find you?" Neteyam looked down at your questions. He remained silent, knowing he was the one that was being unhonest. "A few months." He muttered under his breath. You shook your head frustrated as you took a couple of steps back. "I should've known. " You uttered, wanting to leave. "I was going to tell you, I-I couldn'tbreak your heart!" Neteyam tried to explain. "I came here out of love! My love for you! And I was just as easily replaced." You started slowly walking backward. "You pushed me away from you. Into the arms of another. And you dare to blame me?" You finished as you looked at Aonung, who had gotten closer. He looked at you pleading. You both didn't want to stay in this relationship. He was looking for forgiveness. "We are done." You stated before walking away. Leaving him behind as you walked towards Aonung.

He wrapped his arm around your shoulder as you both walked away. He held you close, like he would lose you every second now. He had heard you tell Neteyam, you came here for the love you had for Neteyam. But was he enough for you to stay? Aonung was afraid he wouldn't be enough. The both of you sat down by the rocks east of the village. "I don't love him anymore. But it still hurts." You said as you placed your head on his shoulder. "I'm here if you need me." Aonung replied, placing a small kiss on your head. You hummed at his response before looking at the water. Aonung also looked at the water. The both of you fell asleep as it grew darker. Finally, finding some peace together.

[xanaduclover]

⋆ 𝒄𝒉𝒂𝒏𝒈𝒆 ⋆ | 𝒆𝒓𝒆𝒏 𝒚𝒆𝒂𝒈𝒆𝒓

eren x female reader

tw: angst

~ ♤♢☾ ♤♢☾ ♤♢☾ ♤♢☾ ~

“Why are you out here?” Eren called out from behind you, watching as you looked up at the moonlight. “Everything okay?” You sighed, and he walked up next to you, staring at your face, trying to read your expression. “I’m fine.” He didn’t believe that at all but decided not to pry. “You’ve been off these past few weeks…” He says softly, “What do you mean, Eren?” The tone of your voice sounded a bit hostile to Eren, it rubbed him the wrong way but he didn’t comment on it.

“I don’t know..it just seems like…you’re less interested than usual..now you spend most of your time alone..Even Armin is—” You sighed, shaking your head a little. “You worry too much, tell Armin that I’m fine… and that I just want some alone time.” Eren looked at the ground for a moment, evidently not liking this big change in your personality. “What…what about you and me?” He asks, staring deeply into your eyes. He wasn’t too specific on what he meant but you already knew.

“What about us?” You questioned reluctantly. This was a subject t that you didn’t want to elaborate too much on. “Well…I…I’m trying to find the right words to say…” he says, quietly. There was a small moment of silence between you two. You really hoped that he would go on about another topic but he didn’t. “I feel..we have...a strong connection…”

He was trying to sound confident, but his pauses showed he was nervous. You weren't sure how to reply so you simply said, "We’ve always have, ever since we were kids.”

"No.. not like that," He replies quickly, almost annoyed by your response.

"Then how?"

Eren looked at you again and stepped forward. You weren't sure how close to stand but he took the choice from you. “You know, Y/n.” You looked down. You had no idea how to respond to this. You loved Eren, that much was obvious, but you weren't sure how to express your love, not even to yourself.

"Eren..." you began slowly, not wanting to hurt his feelings, "What am I to you?” He asks quickly, not giving you any time to finish your previous sentence. “What?” You asked in a whisper, trying to make out his features in the moonlight. “What am I to you?" Eren says again, his voice becoming more stern.

"You're…you’re one of my best friends…my..companion..someone who I can depend on and trust..."

"That's not what I meant, Y/n."

You stared at him, confused. What was he trying to get at? You tried to think back to your conversations together and see if anything in them might've been able to hint to his question, but you came up blank. "What do you mean then, Eren?"

"i..I..” He took a step back, his cheeks turning a dark shade of red.

"I want to be closer to you, Y/n."

You stood there, still in shock. You were surprised by his confession. You didn't expect it, especially not from him. "Eren..." You said softly, unable to finish your thought.

"Sorry..I know you weren’t expecting that..." he said, sounding slightly embarrassed. “But I’ve been feeling like this for a long time, and I never knew how to tell you, and I wasn’t sure if you would ever feel the same, but I had to say something...I just..I wanted to let you know that you mean a lot to me..and I would like to..spend the rest of my life with you.”

You blinked a couple times, processing his words. Your mind was spinning. You didn't know what to say, but you needed to say something. "Eren..I-i..”

“I love you, Y/n.”

You felt your heart begin to beat faster. You weren't sure how to answer him. It felt like a dream, but you knew that this was real. “I don’t expect you to feel the same..I just needed to get it off my chest..I couldn't keep it in anymore..I'm sorry...I didn't want to make you uncomfortable.." He says, his eyes full of guilt and regret. You looked up, meeting his gaze. “I..I..I think we should go inside..it’s getting late…." you say quietly, avoiding eye contact with him.

Eren didn't respond, and just nodded, looking at the ground. You began to walk away, your mind racing, still in disbelief. “We’ll talk in the morning, okay?

"Goodnight, Y/n.." Eren says quietly.

~ ♤♢☾ ♤♢☾ ♤♢☾ ♤♢☾ ~

au: this was extremely lazy of me, i apologize❤️

[arece]

Hello! This is based on personal experience but how do you the reader would celebrate her birthday with John. Maybe it's her first birthday together and she's never really cared for it but John wants to give her a special day? it's up to you <33

I've Been Waiting For You

♤ Summary: It's reader's birthday, only she didn't expect anything for it. The masterlist

♤ a/n: I've been gone so long and I genuinely feel so guilty. The chaos my life had become for a short while. Anyways, I'm back! And I'm gonna be working through some requests soon! Enjoy!

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You knew something was off, you didn’t know what it was but it was affecting John. He was behaving oddly, more secretive than usual. He was disappearing longer than he usually would for jobs.

While typically that wouldn’t have been abnormal you had unknowingly caught him in a lie. Yesterday John had told you that he was going out to do a ‘favor’ for WInston. He said that it’d take him a day or two at most.

The problem arose when you tried to contact him and got his voicemail. John always answered you, prepared to come to you at a moment's notice for emergencies. At first you tried to brush it off, not wanting to come off as a needy nuisance, but after a while the anxiety was clawing at you.

You came to a compromise with yourself, you decided to call Winston to check on John, prepared to beg him not to tell John that you were worried. You bit at your nail as the phone John gave you dialed - it only had two numbers on it, his, and Winston’s.

“Ah, dear? It’s been a bit since your last call,” you heard him hum. You could tell he was at the bar in the club, the background commotion nearly drowned out his voice completely. 

“I’m sorry, Winston. I was just wondering about John.” It felt stupid to be nervous over a phone call, especially when Winston seemed particularly unbothered. “What made you think to ask me? You know how quiet Johnathan can be, the most I’ve heard him speak is with you.”

You swore you felt your heart physically drop, he lied to you. John lied to you. A number of bad possibilities ran through your mind and you found yourself getting lost in each one. “Dear, has something happened?”

You held back from taking a shaky breath, instead huffing through your nose, “everything’s fine Winston, I think I was just confused.” So very confused. Winston clicked his tongue, unconvinced, “if you say so.”

“I do. Thank you, I’ll visit you and Charon soon, I promise.” You hung up before he could respond out of anxiety. You paced around your room, Dog watching as you dizzy yourself out with dangerous ideas, convincing yourself it had something to do with you, that John was hiding something because of you. 

You nearly felt sick at the thought of upsetting John in any way. You’re not going anywhere, you tried to remind yourself of how he reassured you back when you had those nightmares. But what if it was all just talk. 

Your turmoil was interrupted by the sound of the door clanking open, he was home earlier than you thought and you had yet to calm yourself down. You wait a moment before reaching your room door to greet him.

However you were stopped by a startling, “stay in there!” Your hand froze on the doorknob, ten times more terrified than you originally were. “Please.” He added as an afterthought and it slightly reassured you. Okay, maybe he wasn’t as angry with you as you thought.

You plopped down on the bed, choosing to cuddle with Dog to pass by the time you were ordered to stay in your room. You stared at the ceiling, one hand swiping through Dog’s fur, the other nervously tapping at your stomach.

After a bit your door cracked open, John peeking through, his demeanor tense. You sat up, accidentally forcing Dog’s head off your chest from where she had been peacefully resting. “Come to the kitchen?”

You nodded, walking out, him trailing you close behind. You could feel him staring at you, watching your every move, almost like he was analyzing you. 

You felt lost, finding the kitchen messily decorated with streamers, balloons of different colors oddly thrown about. “What’s this?” John frowned, now looking confused himself. He moved from behind you, dragging a cake you missed before forward.

“I know it isn’t much, but I still wanted to do something for your birthday.” Oh. Your birthday. You had forgotten about the day, lost to your anxieties about John. You had never really cared about your birthday before, and found yourself shocked that John had even known.

You ran your fingers over a raggedly cut streamer, feeling the care and thought that was placed into it. “For me?” You couldn’t quite grasp it still. John felt his heart slightly cracking over how shocked you were at getting even this mess excuse for a birthday surprise.

No fifteen year old should be made to forget their birthday. “I got you a cake, didn’t trust myself to make one.” You turned your focus to the delicately beautiful dessert. You realized that this is the first time you’ve ever been given a cake decorated with the words, “Happy Birthday!”

You had convinced yourself that you didn’t care for your birthday, that it was pointless to celebrate to protect yourself from the hurt of it being brushed over by everyone else. Yet here was John, going out of his way to create something special for you.

You felt embarrassed for getting emotional, nearly angry at yourself. And when he pulled out a pack of candles from his pocket you caught yourself from choking on a cry. “Can we blow them out together?”

“Anything you want.” And as he set up the candles you found yourself deciding not to make a wish, already having everything you could want, not wanting to become too greedy and possibly lose it all.

“Want me to sing you Happy Birthday?” John laughed at the way your nose crinkled just at the thought of him singing.

He lit the candles. “Make a wish.” You both leaned to the candles, and when your eyes shut you couldn’t help but think, I hope to never lose this.

“What’d you wish for,” you asked him as he began to cut up the cake. “It’s not my cake to wish on.” He pushed a plate towards you and watched as you eagerly dug in, a glimpse of childish joy shining through that he hoped to one day completely revive. 

He didn’t make a wish on your cake but he did make a vow, he would do whatever it takes to never have you doubt what you deserved again, he’d keep you safe and happy. He’d show you the love you needed.

“Alright,” he tossed a napkin at you, “present time.” You wiped at your face, looking at him with a raised brow, “this wasn’t the present?” He found himself suppressing a scoff as he placed a small neatly wrapped box in front of you.

“Charon wrapped this, didn’t he?” You figured him out way too easily. “Well if you’re gonna be like that-” You snorted, protesting against him trying to take the present back from your reach.

“No faith in me,” he mockingly sighed. You yanked at the top bow, pulling it loose, “I have the utmost faith in you, promise.” Funnily enough, you found yourself meaning that very seriously. You opened the box to find a small photograph at the bottom of the box.

You pulled it out to see it was of you and John, Dog plopped right in front of you. It must have been taken by Winston as you don’t remember it. You’re looking down at Dog, laughing over how she had her tongue hanging out. John was looking at you, the brightest smile you’ve seen adorned his face.

“You’re getting older but,” John looked over at your shoulder, staring even harder than you were at the photo, “you’ll always be kid to me.” You thought you could have been imagining it, but you swore that John’s eyes had a glassy hue to them.

“Thank you.” You carefully placed the picture back into the box, turning around to hold John in the tightest hug you’re capable of. The picture would be placed in a special frame, sat on your nightstand to stare at continuously each night before you fell asleep.

For a moment, a very good moment, it felt like this is how it was supposed to be; you, John, and Dog.

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taglist: @khaleesihavilliard @ihatemyselfmorethanmydepression @tamnight  @hesvoid34 @scarletmeii @romanreignsluver1 @wi1steria @not-a-big-slay @howlerwolfmax @mizzy-pop @sarapaprikas-blog @angrykitsune01 @commanderfreethatdust @wisepizzatart

[cb-writes-stuff]

An Introduction

(Please read if you’re new here!)

Howdy y’all! I’m CB, which is short for “C. Brookes” (the C is short for “C-cret”, as in you’re not gonna find out) and this is my blog!

What I Will Do with This Blog:

Post about random things I think of, writing, drawing, and other stuff as well (basically, whatever I want whenever I want).

Use lots of colored text because it engages my ADD eyes better than walls of homochromatic text.

Be more outgoing and friendly than in real life.

Learn about myself as a person? Idk.

Answer whatever asks I get, since I have those open.

Keep reading for more info, if you’re interested.

♤ I’m a cis dude (he/him), which I know might be hard to believe given the art. ♤

♡ I’ve never considered my sexuality, so heterosexual, I guess. ♡

♧ I’ve never written an introduction like this before, can you tell? I don’t usually use symbols like this. ♧

♢ I’m an American (Southern, specifically), so I reserve the right to say “howdy” and “y’all”. ♢

♣︎ I’ve been diagnosed with ADD, and I suspect I’ve got other things too! Expect lots of tangents and random things! ♣︎

♥︎ I write as a passion (mainly a fantasy novel), I draw as a hobby (the specifics vary, but I drew the picture down there!), and I sing as a talent (I don’t practice, but I’m just kinda good at it and I enjoy it). I might post about any of these. ♥︎

♣︎ I am learning Japanese! Don’t ask about my progress, though. It’s… mmm. ♣︎

♦︎ I do not swear or discuss NSFW topics. However, I may still discuss adult topics at times. ♦︎

♪ My other interests include Japanese music (especially Ado), DND, anime my friends suggest me (or random ones I find, idk), and sleeping! ♪

☆ I will respect everyone, whether or not I agree with you. I ask that you do the same. ☆

★ I don’t care how you interact with me, but keep it SFW! ★

And lastly…

🍉 Watermelon! This isn’t what I actually look like, but I do really have long hair and oversized jackets. I struggle to look/be sociable in real life, so I hope to be better at that here. Hence the watermelon! I look forward to meeting y’all! 🍉

[toqsiic]

M Y     C O N T E N T

MY CUSTOM CONTENT ♢ MY BUILDS ♢ CC FINDS ♢ MY SIMS

M Y     S O C I A L S

PATREON ♢ PINTEREST ♢ INSTAGRAM ♢ YOUTUBE

M Y   S I M S

ANDERSON-GRAY

O T H E R

ASK REPLIES ♢ TEXT POSTS  ♢ CC REQUESTS

∘ ♡ ∘ ♢ ∘ ♡ ∘ ♢ ∘ ♡ ∘ ♢ ∘ ♡ ∘ ♢ ∘ ♡ ∘ ♢ ∘ ♡ ∘ 

A B O U T   M E

Helloooo, I am a 22 year old simmer from New Zealand. I have been making sims content for a couple of years now inconsistently. I began on youtube making videos, then came over to tumblr and was posting gameplay and most recently have been creating custom content. Something I have learned about myself from making sims content is I quite often change my mind, so have decided to post whatever I want and what I am enjoying at the time, this goes for my themes and where I post content too. What you can expect from me is custom content, sims builds, gameplay photos, cc finds, and of course answering questions. I am wcif friendly and also love talking to you all. I hope you enjoy my content, and am open to any suggestions or requests. Thank you for stopping by!

∘ ♡ ∘ ♢ ∘ ♡ ∘ ♢ ∘ ♡ ∘ ♢ ∘ ♡ ∘ ♢ ∘ ♡ ∘ ♢ ∘ ♡ ∘

F A Q

How do you pronounce your username?

It is pronounced just like ‘toxic’

What reshade preset do you use?

I use gshade, and as for the preset I am currently using my own preset that is not currently released

Will you post on youtube again?

This is one of my biggest goals, it isn’t possible for me to post currently but I am hoping it will be soon... 

Why do you do early access?

This was a really hard decision. I am a mum of two girls under the age of three and currently stay home with them. If I was working, I would not be able to have time to create cc, so in doing early access I am hoping to be able to help out my family a little bit while doing what I love. The early access period is only 2 weeks and I am so extremely grateful to those who support me with that

Can you upload _____ build from your youtube?

Unfortunately since my youtube days I have lost all of my files and therefore do not have access to any of those builds which breaks my heart. I may recreate them one day!

[fallen-vixen]

♢ Heyo! ♢

Hi and welcome to my art blog! I'm FallenVixen, a full-time digital illustrator, although anyone's free to just call me Vixen/Vix.

This blog will revolve around Multi-Fandom/OC content! I tend to hop through interests a lot so expect plenty of variation.

HOWEVER, I also have a pretty suggestive sense of humor. I won't be uploading anything explicit of course, as this account is SFW only, but do be warned! I'd rather if only 16+ y.os were to follow this account for that reason.

Nonetheless, in this pinned post you'll find links and additional information about me, so please read further down! I'd appreciate it a lot🤍

♢ I'm 20 years old and go by she/her! Born in Venezuela, so I may switch between English and Spanish at times.

♢ DMs are always open! You're even free to contact me through Discord @ _FallenVixen_ if you'd like. I'm always up for a chat!

♢ Asks are also open 🤍 You can even send me funny stuff through them, I love when people do that kind of stuff.

♢ DO NOT RE-POST OR TRACE MY ART!

♢ Please don't try to befriend me if you're a minor! I don't mind a bit of chatting or answering questions, but I'm very strict about not becoming friends with minors.

♢ Some of my interests include: Techcore, Inanimate Insanity // Object Shows and Inscryption [Main Fixation!]. Expect to see lots of those!

♢ PROSHIPPERS/ZOOS/'PROBLEMATICS' ARE NOT WELCOME. YOU'LL BE BLOCKED.

♢ I do commissions!! And they're ALWAYS OPEN. You can find plenty of information about them over on my Carrd!

♢ You can also find all of my socials, portfolio, and other additional tidbits over on my Carrd. I heavily suggest looking into it. 🤍

♢ I will be updating this post every so often! Feel free to check it every once in a while as things may change 🤍

Thank you so much for reading!!

[sharpsuite]

♢  — WHICH SYMBOLIC FRUIT ARE YOU?

THE APPLE

The apple is most commonly known for being associated with the forbidden fruit that Eve eats in Catholicism which casts her and Adam out of heaven: original sin. However, apples are also symbolic to Pagan fertility goddesses, the seeds of which are five and showcase a pentagram when cut horizontally. The apple in any case, represents wisdom and knowledge, independent desire and curiosity. You are someone who seeks to understand the world better. You believe in independent thought and asking questions which to some may be hard to answer. There's been times where you may have persecuted for being different from how others expect you to act, but have never let that stop you from speaking your mind and taking what you want. However, be wary of leaping into things you don't understand. Knowledge is a wonderful, illuminating thing, but knowing too much can be a burden to some.

DATES

In Islam, during Ramadan, dates are used to break the daily fast that Muslims engage in and are sacred symbols of faith, abundance, longevity, hospitality and peace. In other faiths, they are also used to represent faith, power and pilgrimage. Dates, being high in sugar, are prosperous in desert regions and were known for keeping men from starvation. In the same way dates are subtly sweet, so are you. More even-tempered than others, though you likely have a more placid surface, your waters do run deep. You're someone who has a strong connection to whatever faith or belief system you believe in and enjoy engaging in deep conversations with those around you. Contemplation and gratitude are words that aren't rare in your vocabulary. You spend much of your time putting others before yourself, getting by on the dates of kindness alone. Just remember, you cannot survive to be there for other people; you have to put yourself first sometimes.

tagged by: no one, i swiped it from my other blog <3 tagging: @wellfell / @crue11 ; @cartelheir ; @honeyrage ; & anyone else who might! and if you already did this shhhhh

[fatedevour]

♢  —    @bogachs​ asked:  ❝ Oh, I have hated and loved you. ❞

REPO! THE GENETIC OPERA SENTENCES

   “ Are you feeling quite well, dear Regrator? “ Dottore asks with an ALMOST lazy drawl as he leans back in the chair, staring directly towards the banker. It is that which betrays the fact that he is not even a fraction as lazy as his low rumble might make him sound – red eyes remain unwavering and focused on the man that stands in front of him, who appears to be equal parts angry and relieved.

  He pulls himself to his feet like a beast pulled from slumber so he can close the distance between them. “ That’s rather UPFRONT for you. “ You, who always uses words like silver knives, hidden under glamor or false truths. He tilts his head a fraction as if he might decide to pick apart the man in front of him at this new development, or perhaps he’s looking for something. Rarely is it easy to distinguish between the two when they often intertwine together to be one and the SAME.

  Instead he moves to the side to circle around till he’s behind the man. “ WHAT FOR? “ He inquires into his ear, close enough for the warmth of his breath to brush over his ear before he moves full circle again to learn back against the cold steel of the table, arms folded over his chest with an aura of expectation.

  Is it CONCERN for the brief lapse in contact while he was away? From some other nonsensical source? Perhaps because Dottore hasn’t gone to see him since his return? Or an attempt for some future purpose to sway through the heart that exists in flesh if nowhere else? He stares at Pantalone for a moment before he turns his head to allow his gaze to slide towards the distant side of his laboratory. There’s SOMETHING about that that draws wary caution from him.

  Hated and loved him? Like Pantalone would ever say such a thing. Pantalone only takes, giving only when forced or when Dottore’s clawed into ugly truth. Pantalone doesn’t speak of love outside of money and having things done on time. He’s never said he LOVED him, unless one counts this moment. But by that account of record, this is likely also something to do with work in some way, shape, or form. Perhaps there’s a request about to be made of him, once the irritation or frustration passes for the other man. Or a complaint, which might be the more likely of the options.

  A gloved finger taps his arm with a steady rhythm, waiting for the answer to his question. It will come. This much he know.

[multistanisms]

Let Our Circle Be Unbroken; Chapter 2 || Multi-Group

FANDOM: NCT [other groups will be featured/mentioned]

PAIRING: Jaehyun x Taeyong, Yuta x OC

WORD COUNT: 5,390

RATING: PG-13

POTENTIAL TRIGGERS: N/A

SUMMARY:  Surviving a near death experience comes with a lot of surprises when warlock Jeong Jaehyun finds a dragon in a place that holds tragic memories for him. Nothing is as whirlwind, though, as when Jaehyun begins to meet the little clan of misfits Taeyong has gathered over the years and a mystery is revealed.

Previous || Masterlist || Next

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“Both clans?” Jaehyun asks, looking between the two men. A witch having two familiars wasn’t something unusual, but the unconscious woman sleeping against Yuta doesn’t appear to have the necessary elements that Jaehyun is familiar with when applied to multi-familiar witches.

Taeyong nods. “Each familiar is part of their own clan, and you can imagine they can be very protective.” The dragon shakes his head a little, running a hand through his hair. “I’ll get the rooms set up, they’re going to want to be close to her.” He watches the pair for a moment before turning to look at Jaehyun. “You wanna help?”

Jaehyun nodded, following Taeyong up the stairs. Despite the location being the same, the mansion had been changed so much that he isn’t sure he could make his way around. The stairs weren’t old and covered in chipped paint anymore, instead covered in carpet with a polished oak railing. “Did you build this?”

“Build it, no.” Taeyong answered as they reached the landing to the second floor. “It was abandoned when I found it, and really needed some work. But a mansion like this is perfect for the clan, just with the three floors and number of rooms. Without magic, there's already a lot of space for everyone. The fact that the property is so large is even better because the larger breeds will have space to run around without the need to worry about being caught.” There's a smile of pride on his face as he walks, looking around. “Fixing it up took time, but it was worth it.” 

“You did it by yourself?” Jaehyun asked, letting his own gaze look around and take things in. 

“The other clan members helped when they could, so there's a little bit of everyone in the house.” Taeyong replied, leading down a hall with doors on either side and to the end. “Arashi and Yuta's room is the last one on the right. We're gonna get the one across and the one next to it set up, that way everyone is close without completely invading Yuta and Arashi's space. Though knowing Wooyoung, he'll be glued to her side for a little while anyway.” 

“Is he a hound familiar?” Jaehyun chuckles, knowing the way the canine familiars are with their bonded witch or wizard.

“Fox, actually, though I suppose that still makes him a canine.” Taeyong laughed a little himself. “He's definitely an…acquired taste, though. But once you get to know Arashi, it makes sense.” He moved to open the door to the room across from the couple’s room, switching on the light. The room was massive, probably originally two large rooms, but Jaehyun couldn’t really recall anymore when looking at the decor and placement of furniture.

“Three beds?” 

Taeyong nods as he slides open the closet door to pull out more pillows and blankets. “I want everyone to be comfortable, to make this the permanent clan residence.” He gives a thankful smile as Jaehyun takes a stack of the pillows from him. “Once Yuta and Arashi picked a room, we set up the rooms to have space for Wooyoung and Youngjo's clans when they visit.”

“If you don’t mind my asking, how many are you expecting?” Jaehyun asks.

“Fourteen, as long as no new mates have been found.” Taeyong answers, tone distracted as he settles folded blankets at the foot of the bed. “Youngjo’s clan has six, Wooyoung’s has eight. Since they’re connected through Arashi, they’re basically a smaller sect of my clan.”

“So correct me if I’m misunderstanding. Arashi has two familiars, correct?”

Taeyong nodded. “She and Wooyoung were already witch and familiar when she met Yuta.” he answers, helping lay the pillows along the head of the beds before a quiet laugh escapes him. “We all met Youngjo by chance, but his bond with Arashi and Wooyoung was quick to form.”

“Forgive me if I’m intruding, but Arashi doesn’t seem to be the appropriate age to have two familiars. Among other things.”

“Technically, yes, that is true. But I can promise you, there’s a very good reason.”

Jaehyun hums to himself as they step away from their respective beds. “Let me guess. One of those things where I have to find it out on my own?”

“Something like that. It’s not something that's my place to tell.” Taeyong answers, making his way to the door. “Come on, let’s get the other room ready. Then I’ll make sure the three of us eat, though I doubt Yuta is moving for a while. Then we can settle in the den for a while, you’ve had a lot of exertion for your first day on your feet.”

“I’ve handled worse when recovering.” Jaehyun counters nonchalantly as they make their way into the other room, going to the room’s closet to pull out blankets and pillows, letting Taeyong take some of them to place on the beds. This room only has two beds, but Jaehyun finds that one bed has a trundle underneath when Taeyong moves to pop open the bed frame and the mechanism reveals the mattress hidden. 

“You may have handled worse, Jaehyun, but considering the circumstances, I don’t think you want to push yourself.” Taeyong retorts, pausing to look at Jaehyun pointedly. His gaze meets Jaehyun’s and the two look at each other, and it’s similar to reading each other’s minds as they stop what they’re both doing for a long moment. Eyes are locked and bodies still, and for a moment Jaehyun is frozen. They’re locked in some kind of moment that Jaehyun has never experienced, and when the moment breaks, he clears his throat to occupy himself with the task before him.

“I didn't mean to sound ungrateful, Taeyong. Or offend you or Arashi.” The words show that Jaehyun realizes the way he came off. “I want her to be okay, too. She saved my life, after all. To be honest, you all three did.” he replied, trying to push the strange moment out of his mind. It was weird to have the kind of moment he’d just shared with the dragon, as if the two of them didn’t need to speak words to understand each other. Taeyong is right though, it would be a mistake to insult Arashi by ending up back how he started, or by sharing her current unconscious state. “How long has she been out before?” 

“No more than a week when it’s happened in the past. She wakes up faster when Yuta stays with her, not that he'd leave her for long regardless. And of course, having both Youngjo and Wooyoung here will also speed up her recovery time, so…” Taeyong cuts himself off and briefly focuses towards the window as he seems to think, rainbow colors shimmering through his irises before he continues. “Depending on how fast they arrive, she may even be awake in the next few days.” 

“That's definitely a strong bond.” Jaehyun mused. “It’s something very special.” 

“Her connection with her familiars is something she cherishes, no matter how often they can get on her nerves.” Taeyong chuckles at his words. “And those clans protect her as fiercely as we do, maybe even more so. With the exception of Yuta, of course.” Finishing his task, he steps back to look at the room, giving a nod. “Alright, let's get food.” 

Jaehyun nodded and followed the dragon out, stopping to turn the light off on the way out and closing the door. “Are all the rooms enchanted?”

“A few of them. Namely the ones currently claimed. The guest room where we had you isn't, it was that big originally. Though I think you already knew that.” Taeyong answers, leading the way down the stairs. If he senses or smells the shock that courses through Jaehyun, he doesn't mention it as he steps onto the ground floor. There’s a brief stop in the den to check on Yuta and Arashi, the witch’s head tucked into the crook of Yuta’s neck as he pet his fingers through her hair gently. Jaehyun doesn’t hear whatever the two men talk about, mind reeling from the dragon’s words. Taeyong motions for Jaehyun to follow and slips into the kitchen, going about finishing the cooking and prep.

“How did you know?” 

“Hm? Know what?”

“That I know the house.” 

“Warlocks can't portal to a location they've never been to.” Taeyong says as if it’s obvious, putting the salad ingredients into a bowl and mixing them, opening a lower cabinet to pluck a big lid out and cover the bowl. He's walking over to put it into the fridge when he continues. “Once Arashi confirmed you were a warlock-”

“How did she-”

“When you're unconscious, your eyes are their natural color.” Taeyong replied, grinning.

“...what?”

“Didn't know that piece of information, huh?” the tone is teasing but calm as Taeyong speaks, taking in the slightly taller male as he speaks.

“I…no, actually, I didn't.” Jaehyun thinks as he moves to lean against the counter. “She saw my eyes when she checked me over.”

“Mhmm. She took vitals and made sure your body responded before she started working her magic, literally.” Taeyong replied. “She’s a damn good healer, but, as you’ve seen, she can push herself too hard when it comes to taking care of people.”

“I wouldn’t be too hard on her. My condition wasn’t ideal for any healer, honestly.” Jaehyun counters, frowning. “I’m loath to imagine what could have happened if I wasn’t what I am.”

“Let’s not breach that possibility. That’s not a scenario I want to consider for a very long time.” Taeyong is placing the dishes neatly into the dishwasher when he makes a gasp of realization and turns to rush towards the patio door when it slides open with ease. Jaehyun’s eyes are taken from the dragon’s form to the door, eyes widening at the sight. Two men are carrying in a large platter of delicious smelling meat inside, one with bright pink hair and a teasing grin reminiscent of a cat while the other has what Jaehyun would consider a peek-a-boo style hair; top half black and a platinum, snowy blonde color underneath. While the pink haired male greeted Taeyong, the other male remained quiet as he entered, not even acknowledging either of the men inside before disappearing towards the den.

“How dare you leave steak unattended!” The pink haired one scolds Taeyong with a laugh as he sets the platter on the counter. He’s well built, energy playful as he looks around the kitchen. “Imagine if we hadn’t gotten here when we did. Your dinner would be ruined.” 

“You being here so quickly should tell you there were more important things, San. And at least the raw meat wasn’t on the flames.” Taeyong rolls his eyes. “Glasses are in the cabinet by the fridge, both of you get some water.”

“Yeah, only one of us is going to drink anything right this moment. His mind isn’t on himself.” The newcomer, San, answers as he walks over to get a glass and fill it with ice water, pausing when he spots Jaehyun. “You’re new.” he muses, two fingers uncurling from the glass to point at the warlock with a curious purr to his voice.

“San, be nice.” Taeyong scolded as he put the prep dishes into the dishwasher. “He’s new.”

“Oo, are we adopting another member?” San perked a little, eyes shifting from dark brown to heterochromatic blue and turquoise briefly as he grins. 

“That’s yet to be seen, right now he’s just recovering.” Taeyong replied, ruffling pink tresses even as San gave a quiet hiss and fixed his hair with his free hand. “Now be nice and introduce yourself.”

“Yeah, yeah.” San grumbles, walking over to hold out his free hand. “Choi San. And you are?”

Jaehyun arches a brow at the pair before San is before him and he takes the other’s hand. “Jaehyun.”

“You have a surname with that or…?”

“San.” Taeyong scolds again, the tone more parental as he turns to look at San, closing the dishwasher. “Why don’t you take Wooyoung some water or something?”

“Geez, you’re touchy today, dragon-hyung.” San quips, but gets another glass to fill with just cold water from the fridge, heading out of the kitchen. 

Jaehyun watches him disappear, head tilting a little, before he looks at the dragon. “Taeyong…who exactly-”

“San is a mate of one of Arashi’s familiars.” Taeyong answers calmly, concentrating on what he’s cooking on the stove and carrying the large pan to drain it through a colander in the sink. Steam clouds up and he leans away from it before setting the empty pan down on a hand towel next to the sink. 

“I take it Wooyoung is the quiet one?” Jaehyun inquired again, startling a little when Taeyong barks out an amused laugh. “What did I say?”

“I can promise you, Jaehyun, Wooyoung is far from quiet under normal circumstances.” The grin is obvious on Taeyong’s face as he speaks. “His concern is just solely on Arashi at the moment, and that takes up most of his focus. No doubt he’s also able to send intel to Youngjo about her condition.”

Jaehyun allows his eyes to wander to the doorway where San had disappeared into the den area. He can hear talking in the room beyond the swinging door; no doubt between Yuta and the newcomers, as he lets his mind soak in what he's learned so far about the people around him. “He has a slim build for a fox.” He comments thoughtfully, eyes reverting back to where Taeyong stands. 

“That's because of his breed. Island fox shifters don't typically bulk up like some other breeds.” Taeyong replied, going to the table to get the plate of steaks San and Wooyoung had finished making. “I just have to put everything together, you can go out with the others if you want.”

“Are you sure?”

Taeyong turns to look at Jaehyun, giving a reassuring smile that Jaehyun can't help but return. “Our kind tends to put focus on a wounded party or friend first. It's who we are as nonhumans. I don't expect you to be different on that front, even if you're recovering from wounds yourself.” 

Jaehyun wants to negate the words in some way, but deep down, he knows it isn't possible. Especially not with his own history of helping people. Taking a breath, he sighs and moves to lay a hand on the dragon's shoulder. “Just let us know if you need anything?”

“Ten minutes and I'll be letting you guys make plates.” Taeyong promises. “Go on, get to know them a little. I won't be long, I promise.” Jaehyun manages a chuckle, nodding and turning to leave the kitchen to join the others currently chatting in the den. 

“-by tomorrow morning, give or take.” San was saying as Jaehyun walked in. 

“Hongjoong didn't want the others to rush, but he knew I needed to be here.” Wooyoung added. “So naturally someone had to tag along.” A pointed look is given to San, who returns the sass just as easily with a wide grin all his own. 

“I was not about to let you go off alone, especially when we've only been to Neo Manor once since Yongie found it.” San countered, reaching to ruffle the ebony tresses at the top of Wooyoung's head. “Dumbass.”

“The important part is that you got here safe, boys.” Yuta says, distracting the pair from each other. “Arashi will be thankful enough for that.” His eyes drift to where Jaehyun stands, a relaxed smile curving his lips as he takes the male in. “Jaehyun, come join us. I believe these two were a bit forgetful of manners upon their arrival.”

“Only Wooyoung.” San comments nudging the male in question, who swats at his arm.

“It's quite alright.” Jaehyun replied. “His focus was on Arashi, I can't fault him for that. I do the same thing when one of my charges is in need of help.”

“Charges? What are you, a witch?” Wooyoung asks.

“Warlock, actually. I run a network of safe houses.” He explained, walking over to take a seat on the chaise across from the loveseat San and Wooyoung occupy. “I'll have to make contact with my current visitors just so they know they're still safe. I wasn't expecting the events occuring.” 

“Life happens that way sometimes.” Wooyoung replied, shrugging a shoulder up. “It's not always all bad, though. Sometimes you end up being better off from it.” His smile is warm, encouraging despite the current situation of his master being unconscious. “That's one thing I've learned from Arashi.”

“She's at least thirty years younger than you, Woo.” San counters. 

Eyes shift in color to a soft gray as Wooyoung rolls them. “I meant how I met her,” he replied. “That situation was one of the worst in my existence. It could have ended a lot more terrible than the event itself, if not for her.” 

Jaehyun tilts his head a little at the words. “If it isn't intruding, how exactly did you meet?” Wooyoung's eyes find Jaehyun’s, and the fox holds his gaze as he clearly thinks. Jaehyun is fully aware of the movement of San’s hand to Wooyoung's knee even as his eyes take in the fox. After a long silence, Wooyoung's head tilts and he begins to speak.

“I didn't have the greatest childhood.” He began, eyes closing. “I found out about my familiar gene as a kid, and it wasn't ideal.” He stops, taking a slow breath that triggers San’s hand to move and take his hand, lacing their fingers together. “By the time I met San, I had no trust for witches or warlocks. Hongjoong, our captain, understood and didn't force me to be around him, which is part of why I decided to stay with the Aurora Clan. San and Yeosang helped me find my footing, myself, really. Without the Auroras, I don’t know if I ever would have found out what it feels like to be happy.” As he speaks, he moves closer to the arm of the loveseat, closer to Arashi and Yuta, so he could reach out and lay a hand on her knee over the blanket. “We were all out for a holiday when we were attacked and got separated. I ended up hurt really bad, passed out despite the sheer terror of being alone and hunted. That's when she found me, just a little fox curled up and bleeding despite trying to stay hidden from attackers. She took me back to her place, got me cleaned up and bandaged. Took care of me while I was near death. I don't know when I changed back into human form, but that's how she found Hongjoong and Seonghwa, who came to check on me.” He laughs a little, more to himself than anything, adjusting so he could half lay on the arm of the couch to lay his head on the arm outstretched to the witch. “She could have done a lot worse, but all she did was keep me alive while she found my clan. It wasn't how I had come to know witches to be, the only exception before that was Hongjoong.” His eyes slowly swirl back to dark brown, watching Arashi sleeping for a long moment. “She could have kept me, held me prisoner.” 

“Arashi has a heart bigger than an ocean.” Yuta mused softly, turning his head to kiss Arashi's temple. “Her capacity to care for others is unparalleled, though my opinion is likely a little biased.”

“You don't have to be her mate to recognize that capacity for love, Yuta. It's just…who she is.” Wooyoung says. He looks at Yuta, the two having a silent moment of communication that curves Wooyoung's into a fond smile. 

“It's a unique attribute, one often taken advantage of.” Jaehyun mused. “I'm glad she found the right fit.” 

“With a clan as big as Neo, there's a lot of support. Even not knowing every member, I know she’s safe with all of them.” Wooyoung replied. “Arashi is the initial bridge that brought our clans together, and for that I'm happy.” The sound of a phone vibrating brought the men from their conversation as San pulled his phone out of his back pocket to look at the screen before he grimaced a second.

“It's Hyunjin.” He says.

“Oh fuck, I forgot to tell him we had to leave.” Wooyoung’s eyes go wide as he sits up, a mix of emotion on his face as San answers. ”Let him know we’ll be back as soon as Arashi’s awake.” He lets his attention switch to Jaehyun as San answers to speak with the caller. “So how long have you been around, Jaehyun?” Wooyoung asked suddenly.

The question takes Jaehyun off guard, and it takes a minute for him to fully register. “I’m sorry?” 

“You’re the newest addition, right?” Wooyoung asks. 

“Not exactly. It’s…complicated.” Jaehyun replies, taking the bowl of food that’s offered to him with a grateful nod. “But as far as time here, apparently about two weeks?”

“You were hurt pretty bad, then.” San mused. “Arashi’s magic doesn’t wane so easily.”

“From my understanding, yes. I must apologize for being the cause of her current state.” Jaehyun replied.

“The important part is that you’re okay. If you were still in bad shape, that would be a reason to apologize.” Wooyoung chimed.

“Hongjoong would smack you for that.” San mused drolly, shaking his head. 

“I said what I said.” Wooyoung retorts confidently, and the relaxed atmosphere continues as everyone begins eating.

“At least it won’t get insane until tomorrow.” Yuta smiled as he answered, tone teasing and obviously content to stay where he was. “For now, all of you worry about getting fed.”

“What about you?” Wooyoung asked, head cocking to one side as he watched the vampire. “You need something, too.”

“I’ll be fine for now, Wooyoung.” Yuta assures. “All of you eat. Yongie and I can show you the rooms after.” 

“Oh, our rooms are ready?” Wooyoung chimes, stopping mid-bite to look at the dragon. “When did they get finished?”

“Arashi still has a few things to bring in, but the main stuff is complete for the clan rooms.” Taeyong replied. “There's plenty of room for mates to have their rooms, as well, but the concern wasn’t on that at the time.”

“Wooyoung doesn't care. As long as he has someone to cuddle him.” San teased, nudging his mate. 

“Says the plushie hoarder.” Wooyoung countered, sticking his tongue out playfully. 

“I prefer the term collector.” San corrected, pouting a little despite the laughter in his voice. Wooyoung leaned over to kiss the male, further apologizing with a nuzzle before going back to his food. Dinner went by with idle chatter, and by the time everyone had eaten and dishes were being done by Jaehyun and San, Yuta was adjusting to carry Arashi upstairs to their room. 

“Let me help,” Wooyoung scurries to the vampire's side, following up the stairs.

“Thank you, Woo.” 

“Of course.” Wooyoung replied. “You don't have to take care of her alone, y’know.”

“I never thought I did. I know you are always going to be there. Kind of like a little brother.” Yuta replied, nodding to the door so Wooyoung could open it, following the fox inside. 

“Hard to believe a few years ago I hated you.” Wooyoung mused, pulling the blankets back on the bed and stepping aside.

“You didn't hate me, Wooyoung. You were unsure about me, about my bond with Arashi. As is your right as her bonded familiar, especially given her past.” Yuta explained as he laid Arashi down and brought the blankets up to her chest, making sure her arms were free. “I could never fault you for that.”

“Doesn't mean I had a right to act like a brat.” Wooyoung countered. He’s quiet for a moment before looking at Yuta. “You know…you don't talk a lot about your past, even though I’m sure Arashi knows some of it.” Wooyoung replied as he perched on the large wicker chair near the bed. “But I know something happened, hyung. And I’m sorry for how I acted back then.”

“You don’t have to apologize, Wooyoung. I would act the same way with my sisters’ mates.” Yuta answered. “But yes, you would be right about something happening, ototo. I'm grateful that you’ve never tried to pry, believe me.”

“Will you tell me one day?” Two pairs of eyes meet and Wooyoung can see the mixture of emotions in the older being’s gaze as the vampire simply looks at him. Finally Yuta breaks away to look at Arashi, brushing the back of his hand along her jawline.

“One day, Wooyoung. For now, though, just know that there is nothing either of us wouldn't do to keep her safe.”

“...Hyung?” Wooyoung asks softly, head tilted to one side in concern.

“Hm?”

“Your eyes.”

Yuta glances up, crimson-gold irises once more locking on Wooyoung for a confused moment before it clicks and he closes his eyes. Slow breaths are taken in and then suddenly, he's still as stone. While it’s startling to see the change, it takes Wooyoung barely a few seconds to realize that Yuta is reigning himself back in. The fox adjusts to sit cross legged in the chair, hands folded in his lap as he watches the vampire. When Yuta's eyes open, they're back to the human color Wooyoung is familiar with - a rich, dark brown like fresh coffee. “You okay now?”

“I'll be better when she wakes up, for obvious reasons, but I'm passable for now.” Yuta teases, chuckling. The sound is a comfort on Wooyoung’s nerves; the last thing he needs is to try and level his master's mate while both of them are worried for her. “You can come on the bed, you know.”

“I'm okay just being in the room right now. Your scents are stronger here, obviously, so it helps.” Wooyoung replied. The words seem to catch Yuta off guard, and he tilts his head as he looks over, a brow arching curiously at the fox.

“Our scents?”

“You can’t be too surprised, you are her mate after all. And you’re soul bonded. Your scents begin to blend a little bit after a while.” Wooyoung replies. Still cross-legged, he leans back in the chair. “Your scents already complimented each other, but since they’re starting to share notes from each other, both of them have the same effect. I can still tell you apart by which part of the scent is stronger.” He’s well aware that even as Yuta settles into the bed next to Arashi, the vampire is listening to him. “Her scent has always been earthy, like a waterfall in a forest. Your scent has more floral notes, like lilies and cherry blossoms.”

“Her scent has always had that earthy tone to it.” Yuta agrees, but there’s a tone to his voice that gives Wooyoung pause. “It’s not something easily mistaken.”

“I like it, and your scents compliment each other really well, so it’s calming for me.” Wooyoung replied, choosing not to mention the sound he could hear in the elder’s voice. “But, ya know, I am a fox, so that has a lot to do with it. I’m sure at least part of your scent has to do with your homeland, though. It’s beautiful scenery.” 

“Osaka is beautiful,” Yuta agreed. “For most of my life I never even thought of leaving the clan territory, let alone Japan.” He goes quiet for a moment, and Wooyoung can sense the brief flash of emotions, eyes shifting to the natural golden green as Yuta pets fingers through Arashi’s hair. “Obviously, things changed.” 

“Do you miss home?” 

There's a long pause before Yuta speaks again. “Sometimes, yes. Mostly I miss my sisters, the scenery. That's the part of home I miss.” 

“That’s understandable. At least Kaiya and Fumiko come to visit, though.” 

“They're actually overdue.” Yuta chuckles. “But yes, it is nice that I get to see them.”

“Would you go back?”

“As in to live?”

“Yeah.”

“That’s a good question. There's a lot of negativity in my mind that goes with being home, and I like the life I've made outside of that world.” Yuta answers, giving a thoughtful hum. “What about you?”

Wooyoung shook his head without hesitation. “Not a chance. Not without my clan or Arashi.” 

“I knew Arashi found you in bad shape, nursed you back to health while she found Hongjoong and the others.” It's quiet as Yuta speaks, eyes watching Wooyoung as he turns on music at a soft level. “I'm sorry you had to go through rough times, Wooyoung. Even though I don't know the exact details, I do know you deserved better.”

“That may be true, but without my past, I wouldn't be here. I wouldn't have found San, or Arashi, or even you. If going through what I did was the path to get me where I am now? That's just how it has to be, and I accept that past so I can cherish what I have.” He smiles encouragingly at the vampire, adjusting to half curl into the soft fabric of the chair. It's the first time they've had a deeper kind of conversation, usually they banter like siblings. Wooyoung is glad regardless after their rocky start. He knows they've come a long way from that first meeting.

“Accepting your past as a way to being who you are is a good view to have. It can help when you're healing.” 

“We're never fully healed, Hyung.” Wooyoung replied. “We just learn to handle what we've been dealt.”

Yuta chuckles as he nods. “Very true.” He agrees, looking up towards the door. “San is coming.” he nods towards the door, smiling as Wooyoung pops up to go to the door. Sure enough, San stands with a hand raised to knock when Wooyoung pulls it open. 

“Hello handsome,” Wooyoung practically chirps, leaning to steal a kiss. “Come to join the fun?”

“Fun?” San shakes his head a little, ruffling mates hair. “You're chaos incarnate, I swear.”

“It's why you love me.” Wooyoung steps aside to let San inside, closing the door quietly.

“Wooyoung, behave.” Yuta scolded, though there was a playfulness to his tone.

“I'm used to him, Yuta-hyung.” San replied, easily finding where Wooyoung had perched and sitting in the chair. The moment he's comfortable, Wooyoung joins him, tucking his face into his neck and relaxing into him. “How's our favorite healer?” 

“She's starting to relax and her scent is leveling back out.” Yuta replied, fingers still brushing over Arashi's arm. 

“I like that, it means the overload wasn't as bad this time.” Wooyoung mused softly. “How bad was the warlock when he got here?”

“Jaehyun was in pretty bad shape, from the blood and mess I helped Yongie clean up. Arashi and I weren't here at the time. It took us a little while to get here, by then he had the bleeding stopped and wounds wrapped. Arashi did a vitals check before she did any kind of work on him. She used her magic to keep him asleep while she worked, that spell was in place for about a week. Even after she broke that spell, it took a few more days before he woke up this afternoon.”

“It was the magic to keep him comatose. It drains her more than any other magic she casts. She should have used a potion.” Wooyoung explained, contently curled into San’s arms. “With that knowledge, she should be okay in a day or two, especially once our little bird arrives.”

“For now, we all need rest.” Yuta explains. “No doubt we'll have a lot to cook and I don't want Yong trying to do it all by himself.”

“I'll take first shift in helping.” Wooyoung volunteers, tucking his face into San’s neck, closing his eyes. 

“Thank you, Wooyoung.” Yuta responds, adjusting the music to a comfortable level and keeping an eye on the two shifters before allowing himself to lay down completely, unsurprised when Arashi moves towards him subconsciously. A quiet chuckle passes through him before he's singing quietly to her, fingers caressing through her hair as he allows himself to fall into slumber as well.

[hcttrick]

-> @ [Freminet ] ♠ ♡ ♢ ♣ It didn't take long for Lyney to seek out his brother, he always had an approximate idea of just where the diver could be found. And today it seemed the desk upon which he appeared to be working served as good a stage as any. The real trick was getting Freminet to actually avert his attention away from his tinkering to listen. A confident hop and the magician made himself comfortable with a perch at the corner of the desk, kicking one leg up over the other in a cross.

"Fre-mi-net~! You'll never guess what I've managed to pull off this time--!" he began, though very much expecting him to guess with little to no context.

Freminet perks up once he heard Lyney's voice, he just knew his sibling was aiming to get him away from his tinkering time as it tends to happen more than once.

He heard the stretching of his name before answering, timidly looking at them as he spoke.

"...oh, hi Lyney. Ahh, sorry...I was just fixing some things...umm what trick did you pull off this time? Something to use in your next show?"

He asks, slightly curious.

[evelightnavi]

Midnight Blue Ⅲ

♤ Featuring: Neteyam x Female Omatikaya Reader

♤ Word count: 1.2k

♢ I'm Evelight_Navi on wattpad, parts will also be uploaded there.

Part 4

♢♢----------------------♢♢

Lo'ak?" You asked a bit shocked, not fully processing what your parents said. You didn't know how you felt about this. You had never seen Lo'ak as more than a good friend, let alone being your future mate. "Yes, Lo'ak. You're always with the Sully kids, you must know who he is." Your father said, crossing his arms. "Of course, I know who he is. I-I guess I didn't expect it to be him." You looked down, feeling slightly uneasy. As if it wasn't bad enough already that you felt uncomfortable around Neteyam. Your relationship with Lo'ak would now change too. "It's has been decided some time ago. Toruk Makto asked us to wait to announce it until they announced Neteyam's arrangement." You nodded at your mother's words, understanding your parents couldn't tell you earlier.

Neteyam had been silent since hearing Jake tell them Lo'ak and you would be arranged. Neteyam knew you were an only child and that your parents would arrange you. Deep inside him, he wished you could be his arranged mate instead of his brother's. You would be so close to him, yet so far out of reach. He hadn't noticed he zoned out until Kiri and Tuk left, meaning it was time for him to leave too. You would be coming over any second now with your family. But instead of leaving, he found himself sitting down next to his brother. "Neteyam leave! This has nothing to do with you." Jake said sternly while looking Neteyam in the eyes. Neteyam was fighting with himself. He wanted to obey his father, but he couldn't just do nothing. He opened his mouth but closed it again before saying a word.

"Neteyam..." Neytiri said gently before being interrupted by you and your family arriving. Your parents were the first to walk in with you behind them slightly looking down. Neteyam searches for your eyes, hoping to make eye contact. He wanted you to notice him. Your family and you sat down across the Sully's after getting a quick welcome. "I'm not going to ask you again." Jake said, grabbing Neteyam's attention. This got your attention as you looked from Jake to Neteyam. Before he could argue or do anything of the sorts, your mother spoke. "He can stay, he is the future olo'eyktan after all." Neytiri looked at Jake, giving him a nod, signaling she agreed with your mother. Neteyam looked back at you, trying to find any hint in your eyes before you looked away.

You look at Lo'ak to try and figure out how he felt. Lo'ak was already looking at you doing the same. He gave you a small reassuring smile. Maybe there won't be a lot of changes between the two of you. It made you feel better, relieved even. Neteyam saw what was happening as he looked between the pair. He had never thought of you two as more than friends. He couldn't imagine it actually.

You could feel Neteyam eyes burning holes in your skin. Both your parents did most, if not all of the talking, making sure everything was settled like they wanted. "We want the both of you to get to know each other better, without the rest of the kids around." Your father stated, you nodded. "Without you too, Neteyam. " Jake said glaring at Neteyam. "I won't interfere, sir." He answered.

Not long after, you found yourself standing outside with Neteyam and Lo'ak by your side. You felt an uneasy tension hanging around. "I better let you two alone.." Neteyam said before turning around and walking off. Lo'ak turns to you with a small smile, trying to make you more comfortable. You give a gentle smile back, which makes him smile more. "Let's go." He said as he grabbed your hand before dragging you along with him. Neteyam had turned back around as he realized he didn't know where he was going. He watched Lo'ak grab your hand and walk off, making him clench his jaws.

Lo'ak had brought you to your ikran. He connected to his ikran, making you do the same. You follow Lo'ak as he flew off before flying next to him. "Where are we going?" You asked as Lo'ak lifted his shoulders. "No where in particular. I thought we could show each other what we liked." He said before diving toward the ground. You smile before going after him. You could see that Lo'ak was good at flying as he dogde al the trees as he flew close to the ground. And man was he fast, but you're fast too. You start laughing as you almost overtook him. Right as a huge floating rock came in view, he flew almost straight up, barely missing it. You quickly swerve to the side to not fly straight into the floating rock.

You slowly fly up to where Lo'ak is waiting for you. "I see you like flying and the thrill of it." You chuckled as you fly next to him. "Yeah, I like to make it a little interesting, don't I?" He starts laughing as we slowly made or way back home. You look in front of you, noticing it's getting late. Lo'ak looks over to you before you two slowly descend and land. "So what is something you like a lot?" He questioned getting of his ikran. "I like looking over the forest. It's just so beautiful." You said daydreaming about the view you last saw with Neteyam. You silenty wished you were there again, before all of this and with the perfect view. "I haven't seen it around eclipse though. " You stated as you looked up into the sky.

Lo'ak nodded as he grabbed your hand. He started walking in the opposite direction than the clan was. You held your ground, knowing you couldn't be late. Lo'ak turned to you confused as you let go of his hand. "The clan is this way." You stated as you crossed your arms. He rolled his eyes, Lo'ak knew which way the clan was. "I'm not taking you back yet." He said, trying to pull you along, making you uncross your arms. "Well, I won't go with you if I don't know where we are going. And I can't be late or my father will ground me." You continue while turning around as you started walking home."I'm taking you someplace you will like very much. I am sure they won't ground you if you tell them you were with me." He said as he jumped in front of you. "I promise you, it will be worth it!" He looked at you with pleading eyes. You sigh, he was right and you knew it. "Okay, show me."

He quickly grabbed your hand as he stared running. Lo'ak knew that if you didn't hurry up, you would miss it. You noticed a huge tree not far away. Lo'ak let go of your hand and started climbing up the tree. You quickly followed him up. Lo'ak helped you up upon the last branch. You looked around and the view was even more breathtaking than last time with Neteyam. You sat down somewhere on the outerside of the big branch you two stood on. Lo'ak sat next to you. "How did you find this place?" You questioned in amazement. "Spider tried to race me up here. He never made it fully up here though." He laughed, thinking back about Spider being exhausted afterward. Slowly, the eclipse took place, covering the entire forest in darkness. You could see all the glowing plants from up here. Like you said before, it was nothing but breathtaking.

[thepraetor]

[ FIVE SMILES ] send for five times one muse makes the other smile and the one time they share a smile.

♢ — 𝐀 𝐂𝐎𝐋𝐋𝐄𝐂𝐓𝐈𝐎𝐍 𝐎𝐅 ‘𝐅𝐈𝐕𝐄 𝐓𝐈𝐌𝐄𝐒’ 𝐃𝐑𝐀𝐁𝐁𝐋𝐄 𝐏𝐑𝐎𝐌𝐏𝐓𝐒 @dimiitri

One. A lock, out of place.

It’s the smallest thing. An afterthought on Dimitri's part, too tired to pay attention to details. Cloe has gone to visit and found him in the midst of research, eyes bloodshot from a hangover and head buried in a book. She stands on the entrance to his workshop, still and just— Watching him read. Their reacquaintance is recent, and sometimes she just watches him, glad to see him again after months of silence.This time is no different, except a lock falls from his carefully arranged hairstyle and Cloe can’t help but smile as he pushes it back into place.

Two. Food, reluctantly accepted.

It’s become a habit, making sure Dimitri consumes more than scotch and cashews. Cloe won’t cook for him, not yet, but she makes sure to keep him supplied with a constant stream of both sweet and savory pastries. One time, though, she catches him before he eats them, and watches in amusement as the bastard actually tests her baked goods for poison. Normally, she would be offended. But it’s Dimitri, she expects something like this. 

So she snorts and smiles. 

“If I wanted to kill you, I wouldn’t resort to poison,” she tells him with a fond grin, startling him. 

Three. A debate, full of passion.

They debate, still. Memory loss hasn’t robbed Dimitri from his opinion, and Cloe remains stubborn, still. They are good natured debates, but they get heated nonetheless. It’s a thrill to see Dimitri react to her words. The little twitch of his brows, the way his lips thins when he can’t come up with a counterargument. It’s one of the times when Cloe is right, that Dimitri goes quiet. Not able to argue any further but not willing to admit defeat. 

It doesn’t matter, she knows. 

The grin that spreads through blood red lips is one full of victory and satisfaction.

Four. Mischief, momentary and fleeting.

Dimitri is not one to tease, Cloe knows this. She knows this. Sometimes she can’t help it though, she teases. Maybe a word, or a pun, slipped into a debate or into a greeting. Small things, only noticeable to Dimitri because they veer from normalcy. It’s never mean, the teasing, just small things she does to see him react. This time, it’s a bread related pun said as she hands him a couple of leftover pastries that she doesn’t want to throw out. 

It makes Dimitri roll his eyes, and Cloe cannot help but answer with a lopsided grin. 

Breadtastic. 

Five. A secret smile, unnoticed.

Dimitri’s smiles are rare, extraordinarily so. This is not a smile Cloe witnesses, but one that happened because of her. She had come to Dimitri with a question, and he had deposited her in the corner of his workroom with a book on the topic. A bit too advanced in vocabulary for a non-witch, but understandable enough. It’s still a hard read, so Cloe frowns as she reads, chewing her lips and occasionally mouthing the words as she reads. 

Dimitri glances up, once, and catches her doing so. 

The smile that crosses his lips is fleeting, but it is there.

+1. The sweet rush of success.

Cloe asks questions, sometimes they have answers, but sometimes leads to experiments. This is one of those times. They are both leaning over a beaker, watching the reaction taking place with curiosity. Blue eyes sparkling as they watch their hypothesis come to life before them. Once the question is answered, they look at each other. Glee on her eyes and interest in his’. 

The smile they share is one brought forth by the sweet rush of success. 

Cloe grins, lips stretched wide at the success. Dimitri’s smile is more subdued, a quirk of his lips, really, but no less satisfied.

[shockingheart]

♢ ♢ ♢

@serpernts​​

“I insist that you elaborate,” Jade urged patiently, the carefully close-lipped smile he wore threatening to split to reveal sharp teeth. From his hands hung a limp leg, creaking in protest as he twisted his wrist until it snapped at the joint. Casually throwing aside the limb and ignoring the thump as it hit the table, he reached over to grasp another leg, waiting for Jamil to answer. 

“Are you afraid of crustaceans as well?” 

Twirling the crab leg in his hand like a wand, he offered it to Jamil, fully expecting an answer. “After all, are these not akin to the insects that crawl on the surface?” 

Glancing at the crab leg he’d already snapped open, he put aside the one in his hand out of habit. Azul does hate it when we waste food. And he hardly thought that Jamil would appreciate eating something he’d tossed aside for... emphasis. He did wish he could crunch the shell between his teeth as he was accustomed to, but these few years on land had taught him that this was indeed not how humans behaved at the table. So he participated, however reluctantly, in their little game- using his hands to crack the red shells open to reveal the soft white meat hidden within. 

Though he had no particular preference between raw and steamed crab, Jade did enjoy the care and thought that went into cooking. He’d familiarized himself with the kitchen due to how often he and Floyd had insisted on visiting Azul and his parents at the restaurant the latter’s family managed. As much as the octopus has complained at their insistence, Jade remembered the time spent together fondly-- so long as he was having fun, what did it matter how others felt? 

He said he didn’t care about how people felt or what they said, but he was dutifully picking out the fluffy meat with a tiny fork, very much minding Azul’s insistence that food be treated with respect. Brining the bite to his mouth, Jade chewed thoughtfully, deciding that life on land had its perks-- the wealth of different cooking methods living high on the list. The interesting characters that dwelled here were also of note, Jamil flittering somewhere below Azul in terms of people he considered fascinating. 

On noticing that Jamil seemed to be hesitating, Jade laughed quietly. “Are you worried I managed to somehow change the recipe we agreed on while your back was turned?” Popping another morsel into his mouth, he made sure to politely chew and swallow before speaking again. “As I am still living and breathing,” not that this was something Jamil particularly cared about or wanted, “you have my word that I have followed your recipe to the dot.” 

It would be foolish to do something as rash as that; his integrity as a chef simply did not allow room for such behavior in the kitchen. Further, it would be ill advised to waste the opportunity to learn from Jamil’s personal brand of cooking. So he waited patiently to see if he’d passed on the basis of being today’s sou chef. 

[fatedevour]

♢  —    @gunnhildred​​​​ asked:  ❝ you can never trust a monster. ❞  But I trust you.

REPO! THE GENETIC OPERA SENTENCES

   With a face concealed beneath his usual mask, it’s hard to say PRECISE expression might be on his face. But his head tilts to the right, like a bird observing something odd, like a scientist whose found something intriguing enough to dissect beneath his eye ( and scalpel - if it wasn’t for the fact it was something VERBAL rather than PHYSICAL. )

   “  Why?  “  Dottore inquires without hesitation. Someone else might have given pause. Such a statement to not trust monsters was rather universally accepted. But Dottore was brash and bold. If he disagreed, he would say so unless something more desirable was influenced to keep him in line and his mouth shut. Here, there wasn’t that. So naturally he spoke.

   “  I disagree. I think MONSTERS are perhaps the most TRUSTWORTHY of anything.  “  It’s a counter that he doesn’t intend to hide from.  “  You know what a monster is. You can trust a monster to be a monster. Be it in the literal animalistic sense, or simply in title.  “  He lifts one hand, palm upwards to further his point.  “  You may ultimately be DISAPPOINTED at it, but in the end, if a monster proves itself to be exactly that, no one is SURPRISED by it. Am I wrong? “

   It was a shame, one day, these talks would inevitably end. He found them surprisingly enjoyable in a way he hadn’t experienced in decades. But, A MONSTER WAS A MONSTER. He was one through and through according to humanity.

   He lifts his head.  “  Monsters cannot escape their titles. They’re like scars. Even if a monster DID genuinely change, there would always be people who doubt it. Beast or person. Such is the way of the human mind. Distrustful of anything once deemed as OTHER.  “

   He watches, keen eyes CURIOUS to how she will decide to answer him.  “  I find the least trustworthy those who seem like they’ve NEVER done anything wrong.  “  He frowns slightly.  “  Well. In this hypothetic situation. More accurately I look at records and reports but, never mind that.  “  His hand waves before folding across his chest.  

   “  When THEY do something, no one expects it. For example, you wouldn’t expect for a little lamb to do anything wrong. Which makes anything they do all the more dangerous. They have people’s trust and faith, and therefore can inflict GREATER harm than a monster could, if more so psychologically than physically, again depending on context.  Think about it. If the most trustworthy, innocent person you know did something horrible, it would be more heartbreaking and shocking than if, say, a fatui member did it. They probably wouldn’t even cross your mind unless there was witnesses or evidence, right?  They can be the infection in the bloodstream so to speak.  No one suspects it till it’s too late. But if a monster is indeed a monster, well, you can trust it to be a monster."

   He allows a moment of silence in reflective thought.  “  It’s strange. As a whole, humans strive for the idea of doing no wrong and hurting no one ever. Yet, most would suspect someone or something appearing as such to simply be hiding the truth or something more sinister. But humans are rather contradictory by nature.  ”   Finally, Dottore settles with a small shrug.  “  I’d take a monster any day. Plus if it is a creature, it’s a valuable learning opportunity.  “  Even if it was a person it could be, but he kept that to himself. 

[alicesought]

♡♠♢♣ ⁀ He pierces her with his unbending stare, expectant, eager, watching every muscle and every twitch in her features. He was looking for a lie. Her calm, her steadiness, the slowness of which she speaks, it did nothing but strain his racing heart in the anticipation.

And that was not the answer he wanted.

" NO-- no, no, no... I cannot tell you the answer, my silly girl, or you will lie like you did last time." His voice, trying its darndest to sound kind, was shaking, but between how he gripped the table or took a moment to look away from them as he said that, who could say if it was anger or tears. His Alice has tried to play along before, but he catches them in the act, he catches them every time and then... he doesn't remember.

" You remember-- I know she does, I know she does... " He whispers, not to her, to something else, hands releasing the table side just to claw his own face. And then-- he erupts from his side of the table, stomping around the edge until he's to her side. " THIS! You! Look at you! " And with one hand he lifts a loose wave of her dress, as if to display its color, and with the other yanks off the hat that hides her blonde hair, throwing it to the growing garden of hallucinations at his back. The only imperfection to her outfit-- loving a gesture as he felt it must have been, to choose a hat for the hatter. It was wrong.

" That's why you're dressed this way-- you knew I would remember the way you looked! The childhood we spent together! The first day you came to tea! Hare, Dormouse, all of us! You KNOW me! I have looked for you ever since, and I have loved you more with every passing moment, don't you understand!? " He didn't mean for it to hurt, oh he didn't mean to be doing any of this, the way he was now pinning her shoulders against the chair, trying to shake her to her senses.

She's either blissfully unaware of the energy taking over her guest's mind or else mistaking it for something else. He does seem rather jittery and jumpy- though he is the Mad Hatter, after all, and he does seem quite energetic from what she's seen of him so far. Perhaps sitting still for long without so much of an output wasn't a great idea... Perhaps trying to have a little meeting all on her own like this would prove similar to trying to handle a handful of firecrackers...

And like a firecracker, he snaps. Angie can't help the little jump she gives when Jervis is suddenly up from his seat, blinking wide-eyed at him for a beat before his words give her pause. Ever since you were a little girl... Some part of her wants to give him the benefit of a doubt- a girl that can turn into a doll, not a doll that only just recently been able to turn into a girl. It's a strange enough idea that she might've gotten away with fooling herself this way, but...

Something's wrong. She had always had a good gut feeling about things, even before she had the guts, and right now her sweet tea is going sour in the back of her throat. She carefully sets her cup back down on its saucer as Jervis continues on, what he was saying just seeming even more nonsensical than usual... Though the whimsy was gone. Now, it was just the madness.

"... Very well." The composure Jervis was losing, Angie wrapped tightly around herself now. She sits straight as she folds her hands neatly in her lap, head tilting just slightly as she gazes over him. Perhaps if she seemed calm enough on the outside, it may help him calm down some as well? Though it was difficult to dislodge the first word from her mouth when she speaks again. "Y-you seem to know what you want the answer to be. Perhaps... You can enlighten me? Who am I, then?"