#A Common Story of a Lady's New Life

[manhwa-animated-cover]

[mangaacoverss]

📓  FULL (1-106)‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎   ┈➤

[mirimangarecs]

a common story of a lady’s new life - POOLMO, jin suyoon

a reincarnated noblewoman wants to be a genius mage in her new life, but gives up when her teacher instead delivers her an ominous death prophecy. 10 years later she’s engaged to a famous duke, who seems to have accepted a mysterious woman from another world into his home

the couple: the miscommunication and misunderstandings are frustrating, but it’s also the charm at the heart of it all. the gradual development is fun and rewarding

story & setting: wuxia and western historical fantasy have never looked so good together. it balances romantic drama and lighthearted comedy with apocalyptic stakes and serious themes regarding cross-cultural interactions

the art: i thought the characters looked vivid and charming, and get even more lively as the chapters progress. the dissonant tones of the two genres mixing together made it really unique to look at

this one might end up in my 2024 top 10 by virtue of its extremely unique premise and overall quality. i’ve never read anything else like it

slightly spoilery rambling

i’m a big fan of how this story manages to stand on its own as an isekai without the “i’m in a book/game” structure to rely on, while also having a very good cross-world justification for reincarnation and magic powers. seeing how the same fundamental phenomenon is interpreted differently both in wulin and a western historical fantasy was fascinating and still tied together shockingly well.

i actually wish it had more time to develop it’s plot. it was a tight story that trimmed the fat, and while it made for a quick and engaging read, i was yearning for further development and some glossed-over plot elements. the finale seemed rushed to me, without even a chance to see the normal lives of the characters. serena’s relationship also shocked me, but it was a bold choice by the author and not exactly out of nowhere. overall, i wish it could’ve had more time to dig just a little deeper

[aryadaiki]

The kids are so adorable and the ml is the most innocent clueless puppy everrr (⁠◕⁠દ⁠◕⁠) Love the artstyle too it just makes everything so much better⊂⁠(⁠◉⁠‿⁠◉⁠)⁠つ

[sidsinning]

Apothecary Diaries is pog as fuck bc serious political issues and dynamics from a woman's POV are rarely depicted in ANY form of media

It's always a man's world where women's issues surround him. Even if we get a female perspective once in awhile- it all comes back to how it facilitates his game in the end. She's a footnote in the overarching scheme of things. Misogyny exists. Back to the real plot.

Apothecary Diaries is strictly from a female perspective and how each class of woman has to act, what limits they have, what rights they have and don't have between each class, etc. These women have to behave a certain way under a patriarchy, which you would think makes it a man's story, but it never is. The women are THE focus of this show, their struggles are THE plot. The focus is about how the patriarch effects them.

Take the concubines for example. The show dives into how bearing a child affects their rank, how traumatizing it is to lose that child, the consequences of that, etc. We have barely seen the emperor who sired all these kids because this is not about him.

Jinshi's personal plot is secondary to Mao Mao's journey- he is mostly there to provide new cases for Mao Mao to solve and to learn more about the shortcomings of his class when taking care of citizens like Mao Mao.

Jinshi is not a bad person, but by virtue of his position in the higher classes, he cannot understand how harsh life as a poor WOMAN is specifically- he can only catch glimpses of it from what Mao Mao tells him and feel outrage but powerless in his wealth and luxury

Mao Mao is a fortunate commoner woman for what privileges someone in her class should and shouldn't have. She happened to be adopted by a knowledgeable man. She is allowed to read, write, learn, and has enough skill to be a poison tester and have a job EXTREMELY out of her class limit as an apothecary, also a job not traditionally meant for women

Mao Mao is not a "noT lIkE oThER gIrLs" protagonist, she is FOR THE GIRLIES. She only wants to help the women around her, and women are whom she has the closest relationships to. She sees a woman being harassed and can't let it stand. She sees a frail, traumatized woman dying from the recklessness of those who should be caring for her and spends day and night nursing her back to health, while also punishing the people who were so careless with her needs.

My girl has STUDIED UP on THE BODY to TEACH these upper class ladies on how to really HEAT things up in the BEDROOM

Sex depicted in Apothecary Diaries is both something women are not shamed to be enjoying, while at the same time being acknowledged as an unfortunately huge economic necessity to market themselves.

Like shit is just so real in this series???

Listen, I can go on and on about how GOATED the series and especially Mao Mao is but you get the picture

[sourcherryandsprinkles]

I have a request for Jacaerys Velaryon x reader. They have been married for some time, but Jace still had feelings for Baela. He has never cheated and was always respectful towards reader, though. Jacaerys and her performed their duties and eventually she got pregnant. The fact that reader is now carrying his child makes them grow closer and Jace starts to fall in love with his wife.

For this one, the legitimacy of Rhaenyra’s children was called into question and there was no betrothals between Rhaenyra’s boys and Daemon’s twins.

Warnings: pregnancy (I don't like pregnancies when I read/write, but this one was okay and mostly a small part of the story)

my taglists are here + you can send requests here at any time

—

When King Viserys fell, a prince showed up to your home and asked your mother, Jeyne Arryn, for her support to Princess — now Queen — Rhaenyra’s claim. In her message, Rhaenyra didn’t fail to mention her mother, Aemma of House Arryn, and remind Lady Jeyne that she shared Arryn blood through her. Your mother was hesitant, knowing her support would make Daemon Targaryen king consort, but she couldn’t give her support to the Greens. So, she agreed but demanded to get something in exchange: a husband for her only daughter.

You didn’t like the idea of being sold for politics, but according to your mother it was part of being a woman. 

Married life wasn’t bad like you thought. Jacaerys was a respectful and kind man, but there was one problem: he had feelings for another. 

You didn’t take long to notice that his heart was elsewhere. It was written in the silence. The way he looked at Baela, the way he smiled at her — a special smile he kept just for her. He had undeniable feelings for her. You begged for attention, time, acknowledgment, but Jacaerys was never fully with you. Him and Baela spent a lot of time together riding their dragons together or practicing High Valyrian in the great hall, which left you hurt and jealous. Other than the red gem on your finger that matched the one of his cloak-pin, you had nothing in common. 

Sitting in your chamber, you held a necklace of your house’s sigil. The gold was cool against your skin, a stark contrast to the warmth of the fire crackling in the hearth. You hadn't seen your mother since the beginning of the war and you missed her dearly. You exchanged messages by raven, but it wasn’t the same as seeing her in person. 

A tear slipped down your cheek, wishing for this war to be over soon. 

The door of your chambers creaked open, snapping you out of your sorrowful reverie. You glanced over your shoulder and saw Jacaerys in his armor after a day spent teaching the dragonseeds. It was a smart idea to get more dragons and riders on their side, but also a lot of work. 

‘’What are you doing?’’ he asked, his voice a mix of concern and curiosity.  

‘’Missing home, that’s all,’’ you replied, quickly wiping the tear away and forcing a smile. The weight of the necklace seemed heavier than ever as you clutched it in your hand.

Jacaerys stepped further into the room, running a hand through his tousled hair. He crossed the space between you in a few strides, his expression softening. ‘’Don’t cry. I hate it when you cry.’’ He wiped your tear and sat next to you. ‘’I’ll take you to the Vale when it’s safe,’’ Jacaerys promised, placing a reassuring hand on your shoulder. ‘’I would take you now if it wasn’t so dangerous to fly over Kingsroad. The Greens have taken Harrenhal and—’’ 

‘’Is my mother okay? You promised you would send a dragon to watch over my home.’’  

He nodded. ‘’Rhaena left this morning with Joffrey and three dragon eggs. They should hatch soon and assure more protection to the Vale.’’ 

You let out a shaky breath, the news offering a small measure of relief. 

A few moons later, you announced to Jacaerys that you were pregnant. It was a surprise as you only had the occasion to lay together two times, but it’s been two moons since you last bled and the maester confirmed your suspicions. You were with child. 

The timing was not ideal, but the Queen was beyond happy for you and Jacaerys. She hosted a small feast in your honor, and made everyone keep your pregnancy a secret. Jacaerys was her heir, making your baby his heir. If the news got to their ears, she feared you would become a target for the Greens.

At the table, Baela congratulated you with a smile. You thought she would be bitter, but she was genuinely happy for you. 

As the weeks went by, the walls that once stood between you began to crumble and you and Jacaerys started getting closer. He would spend more time in the evening in your chambers, talking by the hearth while eating lemon tarts. And ask how the baby was although your stomach was barely round every time he returned from teaching the dragonseeds. 

You’ll never forget the look on his face when felt the baby move for the first time. The stars of complete amazement. He kissed you that night — a real kiss. 

On the seventh moon, as you were getting ready for your bath, you felt blood dripping down your leg.  Terrified, you asked one of the servants to fetch the maester and the Queen. She had other — more pressing — business to take care of, but you needed the reassurance of a mother by your side.

The news ran through the castle and made it way to Jacaerys, who dropped everything he was doing and ran through the corridors of Dragonstone to get to you. 

His face pale with worry when he bursted in your chamber, thinking you were going to lose the baby like his mother did. An early bleeding was how it started. 

‘’I’m fine, Jace. Maester Gerardys said bleeding can happen,’’ you said, taking his hand and pressing it over your belly. ‘’Our baby is fine.’’

—

House of the dragon taglist: @khaleesihavilliard @domoron @ididliquorice @lover-of-helios @lover-of-helios @shine101 @tanyaherondale@mikariell95 @serrendiipty @lantsovheiress @gilliananderfuckme @shine101 @tetgod @clayzayden@memeorydotcom @tnu-ree @futuregws @blackravena @winxschester @mysteriouslydelightfulchaos @xxlaynaxx @secretsthathauntus @pilarxxxaguayo @emmavan39 @stargaryenx @erylilly @bbblackmamba @rainedrop97 @dreamer087 @gothicgay14 @ashlatano7567 @superkittywonderland @justaproudslytherpuff @evesolstice @buckysmainhxe @padfootsvixen @scarletmeii @evesolstice @dkathl @kaywsworld @tetgod @padfootsvixen @domoron  @weird-addiction @angeliod @xjennyx2 @adaydreamaway08  @mymultiveres  @secretsthathauntus  @puffycreamcakes @thirsty4nonlivingmen @naty-1001 @katiepie67 @moshpot24x @hc-geralt-23 @lovelynerdytraveler @saturn-sas  @zgzgh @sssjuico10 @tabloidteen @timetoten @deekaag @wondxrgurl @aerangi @strmborns @astridyoo15 @daemonslittlebitch @queenbeestuffs @severewobblerlightdragon @agentstarkid @msliz @vane1999-blog @fairyfolkloresposts @todaywasafairytale07 @otomaniac @zgzgzh @thebeardedmoon @golden-library @kikyrizuki @hnslchw @camy85 @winxschester @armstrongscommentsection @withfireandbl00d @randomstory56 @JudgmentDays-Girl @darylandbethfanforever9 @darylandbethfanforever9 @aegonswife @dakotapaigelove @jays-bullshit

All and more taglist: @kenqki@hawkegfs@gillybear17@black-rose-29@fudge13@cece05@laylasbunbunny@gemofthenight@beautyb1ade@mellabella101 @vxnity713  @bisexualgirlsblog@queenofslytherin889 @thatbxtchesblog @softb-tterfly @ethanlandrycanbreakmyheart  @xyzstar  @graceberman3   @mikeyspinkcup @jackierose902109 @daisydark @laurasdrey @mischieftom @fanatic4niall @peterholland04 @idkwhattonamethisblogs  @lexasaurs634  @notasadgirlipromise @zoeynicolas @thejuleshypothesis @multi-fandom-bi-bitch @lexasaurs634  @notasadgirlipromise @thejuleshypothesis  @katherinejess  @rafesgirlstuff   @lafleshlumpeater @iamluminosity  @Anouknani-2305 @books0fever @papichulo120627 @qardasngan @ghostlyvoidydragon @M0rgans1nterlud3 @dahlia-blossom21

[lucithecrow]

U CANT DO THIS TO ME.

[chow0w]

oh i just LOVE your style!!!! if you wouldn't mind, could you explain how you go about designing and what your artistic process is with dragons specifically?? I love your lady jewel design the most!!!!!!

Of course, and thank you so much! @aldershadows also asked this question, and I hope I can give you a comprehensive answer, and will be taking this oppurtunity to create a one-and-done design tutorial to answer any similar questions that may come up in the future.

Bear in mind that I'm not a professional, and I'm not looking to dissuade people from following traditional techniques or other advice. This is purely a discussion of MY process, and what I consider to be good/bad design technique.

Where to Start

There are six important conceptual 'principles' I like to consider when in the initial stages of (Re)designing a character: Story, Personality, Aesthetic, Interpretation, and canon/fanon appearance. Fully understanding these principals can help you understand a character, which will make both your life and design better.

Story: What is this character's actual story? What's their lore? Where do they start, and where do they end up - and most importantly, where does your design fit into that timeline? When I design characters, I try to be clear on exactly what part of their journey they are on. (Ex: blaze and the coat -> sandwing succession war)

Personality: This one is pretty easy - what is your character like, and how do they present themselves to the outside world? When you make a character and show them to the world, everything in the canvas is interpreted by the audience: even down to simple details like posture or background. Treat it like an opportunity to show off as much of your character's personality as you can.

Aesthetic: Aesthetic plays the most important role of all: it's job is to make sure your design is cohesive. It can be a common theme, pattern, color pallet or shape - as long as it reoccurs throughout a design, it's good. Use aesthetics to amplify the other principals, and figure out how to make it *look* nice as a secondary goal.

Interpretation: This one is specific to redesigns, but could also be applied to OCs - I like to consider my personal interpretation of a character: the media I see, the opinion I have... Multi-animator projects, other fanart pieces and personal quirks make up my interpretation of most WoF characters. You don't always need to incorporate your interpretation, but it's good to have in mind.

Canon/Fanon appearances: If you want to design and OC, ignore this. If you're redesigning an existing character, it's useful to consider how your audience views them - for example, most of us collectively agree on a few key design aspects of most characters. That doesn't mean you have to follow those conventions, but keep in mind that they may make your character more or less recognizable. You can also call on the other principles of design to make up for any leap-of-faith redesign choices you make.

Narrow It Down

Now that you're thinking, it's time to narrow those ideas down! Be aware that sometimes, less is more: you might have a ton of cool concepts, but your design will look BAD if you can't stay cohesive. The number of different ideas that can co-exist in one design varies a lot by preference and similarity, so be evaluative when doing this. If you follow my blog, you might notice I tend to walk the line between detailed, cohesive design and overwhelming animator repellent. To combat this, I try to step back often and consider if I've gone too far.

At this stage, it's good to make notes or small sketches - anything to get your ideas down.

Experiment

Test your ideas out with more sketches - alter, add, subtract... whatever your heart desires. Experimentation is the best way to discover your specific design tendencies, as well as breaking new ground and stepping out of your comfort zone. The more you experiment, the quicker you'll improve. This is usually the point where I start testing out different patterns, since those are the main highlight of most of my redesigns. Pertaining to dragons, it's always a good idea to test out different shapes - especially wings, spikes, arms and tails, which are generally the most customizable features of a character. Looking to other artists for advice/inspiration is also a great tactic, but be sure to follow the 80/20 rule of originality within your designs!

Judge yourself (not literally)

Evaluating your designs as you make them is always a great idea, but sometimes you need multiple tests/sketches in order to know what you REALLY want. Compare your experiments - what do you like about them? What do you dislike? Which are more faithful to the character, and which ones confuse you? understanding the flaws in your design can help you to overcome even the biggest challenges.

I've used Kinkajou to show how important evaluation is: despite being my favorite character, she has proved exceedingly hard to redesign (to my satisfaction,) even with multiple attempts from this year and the last. She might not even be released by the time this post airs - but with the power of critical thinking and good evaluation, her design has gradually improved over my last few attempts.

Stay on your toes

Did you think you were done? Did you think it was over? NO. Life doesn't get easier just because you made it past the idea stage. When you have your final thoughts and want to get chugging with your reference page/illustration, make sure to stay alert! Keep evaluating, keep experimenting, and make sure to stay mindful of what you do! One of the more common issues I have is that I turn my brain off while I draw, and then slowly my designs drift further and further away from the idea I actually wanted to put down. Asking yourself questions along the way can help to sharpen your design, and train your mind to think more artistically.

It's always good to take a once-over of your final product: check for errors you might have made, and think about whether or not your design still looks good. Does it show personality? Is it consistent?

If you do find that your end product isn't what you really imagined, don't despair - there are plenty of lazy tricks you (And I) can pull to string things back together again. Using gradient maps is a great way to fix your colors, and simple filters like 'overlay' (procreate) can help to neutralize your pallet. My favorite trick is to use the 'curves' tool (procreate) to make certain colors darker, in the case that I feel my design doesn't use a wide enough range of light and dark shades. I also like to turn saturation down if I think there's a color problem, to see if it's actually my pallet or if I'm using too many colors with the same tone.

Keep Going

My design strategy relies on confidence. You won't be able to improve if you doubt that you can! So, my most important piece of advice is to keep going, no matter how fast or slow you seem to make progress. My second most important piece of advice is not to compare yourself to other artists - focusing on their progress is neglecting your own.

To everyone who made it this far, thank you so much! Posting here truly is an amazing experience and I adore you guys. Sorry if this got a little out of hand. I hope this was helpful to you and anyone else with the same question, as well as being a useful resource to other artists in the future! As always, my askbox is open to any and all questions + requests for redesigns!

( ´ ω ` )ノﾞ

[preraphaelitepaintings]

Narcissus

Artist: John William Waterhouse (English, 1849–1917)

Date: 1912

Material: Oil on canvas

Collection: Private collection

Description

John William Waterhouse is very famous for his use of the Pre-Raphaelite style. Most of his pieces express classical mythology, historical subjects, and British poetry. He is known for his great proficiency in oils and watercolors. Narcissus was exhibited at the Royal Academy in 1912.

The exquisite oil painting on canvas displays a woman picking flowers in a field. According to the Greek mythology by Ovid, Narcissus was the son of the river god Cephissus and the nymph Liriope. Narcissus had been promised to live to an old age if only he would not look at his reflection, and so he rejected all women who fell in love with him and would not look at himself. Eventually, he was subdued by Echo, a woman who was deeply hurt by his rejection that she caused the Goddess Nemesis to strike Narcissus that he may look at his reflection in a pool and fall in love with himself. Narcissus then looked at his reflection in the pool till he died.

This story gives origin to the narcissus flower, which grew where Narcissus died. The flower grows almost anywhere but prefers well-drained soil with a sunny or light shade environment. The masterpiece of oil on canvas is set in a beautiful wooded landscape, seemingly with a stream and rocky edges. Wildflowers grow there too, and a young lady is bent picking them. Her countenance is downcast in the flowers. In her other hand, she holds a bunch of already picked flowers. She is dressed in a red dress, perhaps to symbolize love or a burning passion. The flowers she is picking are the narcissus flowers. Waterhouse was always keen to use colours, patterns, and simple objects for symbols of the old mythologies. The Narcissus would be no different. This wonderful work of art brings out his genius with the oils on canvas as he seemingly brings every aspect to life as rich in meaning.

Waterhouse was much influenced and inspired by Greek Mythology and works by Homer, Ovid, Shakespeare, and Keats, among other famous writers and poets from the time. His most common theme from these sources was femme fatale, the woman who ensnares a man. Most of Waterhouse's subjects were women from Greek Mythology, historical or literary texts. Often, he used live models, family, and friends to be his subjects, creating a great mix of the old and new as he used symbolism from the mythologies around current

[nymphea0]

His Youngest Wife

Yan! Count Lysander Albert x Wife Reader

Manhwa : Marronnier Farm Near by the Imperial Palace / Marronnier Farm Next to the Imperial Palace / 宮殿の隣のマロニエ農場 / 皇宮裡的馬洛尼埃農場 / 황제궁 옆 마로니에 농장 / My Farm by the Palace​

Author/Illustrations : Jung yeon / Ollcha(Art)

Manhwa : Fluff / Comedy / Fantasy Manhwa (17-18+).

Ilustrations Acount : ollcha🐥🕯

Count word : 1585 word.

HAPPY NEW YEARS MY DEARS🦋🎆. Is late but hope this years all our wishlist will be came true. this is the fic that i promised a few days ago, i hope you like old men like Lysander hahaha, he's so handsome, i can't hold back, and the fact the manhwa was warm slice of life genre and comedy, and all the chara was good and chef kiss! I think soons i will make other chara in this manhwa🤭, anyways, enjoy my story, i try my best to make it fluff but i guess is fail? Well, i hope you all have a happy new year, much love- Neva🦋🦋

might have some bad grammars, correct me if there are any mistakes in the words in the story I wrote. Anyways i hope you all enjoys my story,love.- Neva🦋🦋

.

.

.

In the Bratania Empire, a prosperous, wealthy and stable Empire. Led by Emperor Iskandar Lionslore Deon Alekto. A handsome young emperor aged 22 years.

Under the emperor's division. There are 4 holy knight commanders

Namely;

Commander of the Holy Wood Knight of the High Elf Family.

Commander of the Holy Flame Knight of the High Vampire 'Noble One.'

Commander of the Warbear Family Knight.

Last was Commander of the Holy Wind Knight of the Golden Cat Sith Family. A 19-year-old cat fairy boy.

But... there is one noble who is right beside the emperor, Count Lsyander Albert.

The man who holds the responsibility for the internal affairs of the imperial palace and is also the direct representative of all Pro-Commoners.

The man who has entered his thirties, unfortunately... does not have a wife.

The reason is quite simple, namely because he is too busy working and does not have time to think about household problems.

Until one day, here he was, standing in front of the emperor who was busy staring at the small hut, watching his farmer neighbor and saying ideas that didn't make sense to him.

"Your Majesty, I believe that the idea of ​​getting married at my age of 3 years old, is somewhat unethical"

Is, the emperor who was busy staring at his neighbor's house just snorted biasedly.

"Count. You know your age is no longer young, ethical or not, there is no prohibition for someone to marry, old or young as long as it is in accordance with the law"

Is looked at the count then patted the count's shoulder gently.

"Count, are you worry theres no one women want you?"

"Your Majesty?!"

Count Lysander stared in disbelief at the emperor's clear words.

As for Is? He just chuckled as he walked away leaving the order, which for Albert was very difficult.

"You have 2 weeks, Count, get married or you will take care of all the internal work of the empire"

The Count just sighed roughly, while thinking in his mind, where could he find a wife?

.

. .

For a week he searched for a wife, nobles, highborn ladies, even commoners to smallfolk he searched, but none of them fit his criteria.

Until entering the second week .. exactly one day before the 3rd week appeared. He met a woman, from a bankrupt noble family. A baron. A noble with a title but without power or wealth. His old heart beat fast as if he was drinking his favorite coffee even though he was drinking coffee, when he saw you he felt his life was in front of his eyes, he fell in love for the first time.

Working hard in a small grocery store, supporting himself. That woman is you, At first the count courted you in a normal and formal way. But you were too shy and always ran away when you saw him.

Until the count decided to use coercion, kidnapping you by force and marrying you by force.

.

.

You, a young woman who is only 20 years old, still single and has never had a boyfriend, struggling to make a living by running a small grocery store, suddenly a man who is already in his thirties seduces you, for you the man is handsome, of course, from the way he dresses to how neat his hair is, you know, this person is an insider of the emperor. A noble.

Even though you are also a noble, the title of baron that you inherited from your parents means nothing.

But here you are?! In a luxurious room that you are sure, even the bathroom is bigger than the dilapidated hut where you live!

Unfortunately you want to run away but can't, because the one who married you is none other than, Count Lysander Albert. The emperor's official aide as the person in charge of internal imperial affairs and also the representative of the common people.

.

.

Lysander, for the past 2 weeks has been observing his wife carefully, his wife who is so young and beautiful, different from himself who is old and looks more like a father than a husband.

During the day, Lysander did not dare to sleep in the same room or even touch you as the first night of the bride and groom. He felt very inappropriate to be with you.

Until one day, Lysander accidentally passed the garden in his residence. Seeing his beautiful and pretty wife, chatting friendly with several noble ladies there.

But the topic of their conversation was what made him silent and wipe his face.

Lady Istar and Lady Maurien. The two women openly spoke so brazenly and boldly to you.

"Lady... seeing how far your relationship with the count is, I do not expect more, the count is old lady. So lady do not be sad if the count cannot satisfy lady. That is normal, right lady Istar". Lady Mauren with sympathy made to pat your arm gently with fake sympathy.

"If I were you, I will certainly try my best to please the Count with my efforts, haa.. the Count is a perfect husband, even though he is old"

Meanwhile, Lady Istar, could only laugh awkwardly hearing Lady Maurien's bold words!.

"Thank you for your concern, Lady Maurien, but the issue of whether or not my husband is able to give me pleasure, that is my business, not yours. Excuse me"

You decided to leave the garden, arguing with the two noble ladies only drained your energy, for you, Lady Maurien's intentions were very clear. Jealousy, even though the Count was already in his 30s, his handsomeness had not faded at all, unmatched wealth, power equal to the emperor, even, being the emperor's father figure when he was little.

.

.

Tonight, you slept alone as usual, the room was this big. Even the husband who married you by force had not shown his face for the past 2 days. It had been 2 days since you had been married to the count.

You were on the balcony, enjoying the night view, only to be surprised by the door to your room being opened roughly.

Turning around, there you saw, your husband, Count Lysander Albert. With hair that was... quite messy and untidy as usual.

The distance between the room and the balcony was also not that far, you could smell the scent of his expensive musk mint cologne at night with the cold air.

"Wife"

His hoarse voice with a deep that makes your hair stand on end. Lysander, looking at you who is so beautiful tonight, you are always beautiful in his eyes, always and forever. With a simple white nightgown, loose hair that moves softly due to the night wind.

"Wife, do you think.. I am like what they say?"

The sudden question made you think deeply, who does your husband mean as "they"?.

"I don't understand what you mean, husband and-" before you could finish your sentence, you were cut off by him first.

"Old and impotent, can't give you pleasure because I'm old, do you think I'm like that?"

Lysander stood right in front of you, gently holding your chin so that you looked right at him.

"Did... husband hear the conversation in the garden?". You felt that you were walking between fragile ice, just asking the wrong question. It could be that your relationship with your husband who was already distant became even more distant.

"Just answer, yes or no"

With a low growl Lysander stared at me sharply.

"I don't-"

"Are you not sure?"

Roughly and frankly Albert quickly pulled your waist, pressing your lips gently to meet, soft and warm, Lysander expertly explored every inch of your mouth and teeth, making sure every corner remembered him.

Gently releasing your embrace, Lysander brought your foreheads together, speaking softly.

"Wife... I know, I forced you to marry this old man, you must not love me either, but my dear, allow me to love you, show you, that I am not just an old man, I am also not impotent my dear wife"

Lysander gently led you into the room laying you down on the bed gently.

"Allow me, to show you, how good I can make you feel good, make you pregnant, make you the mother of my children in the future"

Lysander kissed your forehead gently, down to your neck and kissed your neck passionately with full of love.

"My love, I will show you, how long I can devour you, cry or beg, don't expect me to stop before you pass out"

That night, lit by the full moon that was willing to peek from the window, illuminating the high and beautiful sky at night.

Lysander or people who knew him as Count Lysander Albert, the prime minister of law under the emperor directly, claimed so confidently his wife for the first time, carrying out their first night that they did not have time to do.

Just when you had passed out unable to keep up with the brutality of your husband Albert. Lysander just stopped, chuckled softly before kissing your forehead affectionately, cleaning your entire body with love until it was clean and putting on his clothes that were big enough for you.

Hugging you gently, Lysander looked at you with love. Lysander whispered softly in the quiet night.

"Sleep my wife, I love you, even if the world ends, I will look for you to the end of the world, my wife. My love"

.

.

.

Tag list; @snowflakes666 @nerdygoateepeanut @blurryperrtymoonlight @luminethebest @scenicelixir @n4muqr @cannyyyyy @athena-roy @sirenetheblogger @rai-xxx @thehopingfairy @ryusooze @yaoduriaa @merveeeeesworld

©️Nymphea0 2024 ,OG story, Project Dark Manhwa Character Story.

Please dont steal my work, or use without my permissions, Always be good people Dear. Much love, Neva🦋🦋.

[softlymellow]

The Order Forgot Me First - Chapter 4

☆⁠ PAIRING : Anakin Skywalker x Reader

☆⁠ word count: 3.5k

☆⁠ story themes: lovers to enemies to eventually lovers

☆⁠ warnings: spoilers to swtcw

Part 1 Part 2 Part 3 Part 4 Part 5 Part 6

"I would have died for you. I wanted to."

You threw the wrist comlink attached to your arm on the sand covered floor, the constant beeping began to irritate you as you had other matters to focus on.

Using your mechanics, you had removed the gps chip inside of the comlink back at Coruscant but kept the commlink itself – mainly to have some sort of contact with Anakin. Regardless, the sooner you got rid of it, the sooner you could move on. 

Looking down at the device, flickers of red kept emitting from it alerting you that you had received a new message. It took everything inside of you to not open and listen to it. It was from Anakin. Of course it would be from Anakin. He had stayed up nights and days talking to his comlink as if his life depended on it. He would talk about how much he missed you, how he would find you and that he loves you. It had only been a few days since he had last seen you but it had proven to be the worst days of Anakin’s life.

You never responded to any of his messages, instead you would lay inside of your now wrecked ship you stole from a poor person back in Coruscant and listen to his voice as he talked to you, but he didn’t know you were listening.

At least he hoped you were.

The device had no status ability to tell you if someone was listening or not, a common flaw that irritated the Jedis. And that’s what Anakin had to live with. He would continue to send you voice messages until you would respond to them. 

Your foot hovered over the device ready to smash it, but you just couldn’t. 

“Errgh!” You screamed to yourself in frustration, snatching the comlink from the ground and throwing it next to your destroyed ship from your failed landing.

You inhaled deeply, rubbing your face with both hands in anger. Why couldn’t you just get rid of the damn thing?

“Woah there, lady.” You whipped your head around to see a man sitting on a speeder bike, his eyebrows furrowed in confusion. 

You narrowed your eyes at him and glared at him, “I don’t have time for people like you.” You barked as you walked towards your comlink, covering your mouth as the dark smoke from the wreckage clouded the device. 

“No need to be nasty, you just looked like you needed help.” He joked, his golden locks flying back as the wind hit him, his red goggles sitting at the top of his forehead. He wore a loose collared shirt with the top buttons unbuttoned, revealing his tan skin underneath and baggy tar pants. 

“Piss off,” you sneered, grabbing the comlink and attaching it to your left arm, refusing to make eye contact with the man. 

“Is that any way for a Jedi to be speaking?” He eyed your lightsaber that rested on the side of your hip.

Shit

You instinctively hovered your hand over your saber in defense, afraid that he might pull a move now that he knows you're a Jedi, well was. 

“If you’re going to keep talking, at least tell me how long the walk is for the next town.”  

“We’re in Jakku! You got to be kidding if you think you’re going to walk in this heat.” He exclaimed as he watched your despondent figure. 

“Well, I didn’t plan on crash landing here…” You mumbled to yourself as you began to walk past him, if he wasn’t going to help you then you would do it yourself. 

The speeder rumbled besides you, the man driving it excruciatingly slow to match your pace. 

“It will take you 2 hours to walk but 15 minutes on my speeder.” He sighed.

You paused and raised your eyebrow, “What’s the catch?” 

“No catch.” 

You didn’t have much of a choice, by the time you’d reach civilisation, it’d be sunset and you couldn’t afford that, not when Jakku has one of the coldest nights. Taking a deep breath, you walked over to the man and threw your leg over his bike, his back uncomfortably close to you. 

“Hold on tight,” he exclaimed, a grin plastered on his face. Without giving you a chance to even listen to him, the speeder bursted with speed, your body almost falling off. Your hands immediately rushed towards the sides of his figure but not close enough that your entire body was touching his. 

It didn’t feel good though. You knew that if Anakin had seen this man being too close to you he wouldn’t see the light of day, but Anakin wasn’t here right now. And you didn’t know when you would see him next. 

“My name's Dev!” He exclaimed over the howling of the wind. 

“Cool.” You yelled out, not wanting to really know anything about this man considering you wouldn’t see him again after this.

“Yours?” He exclaimed again.

You remained silent, unsure on how to respond. “....Ani… My name’s Ani!” You didn’t know why you told him that, if anything you knew you didn’t want to tell him your actual name. In an isolated place like Jakku, it wasn’t bad to be too careful about your identity as your name had become some sort of a prodigy. 

Dev nodded to himself, a smile growing on his face, “Nice to meet you, Ani.” You didn’t respond, unease growing in your stomach. 

You both didn’t speak for the rest of the trip, instead, you relished in the feeling of the air hitting your face, closing your eyes as your head lightly hit his back. The speeder eventually came to a halt at a junkyard.

Hopping off of the bike, your eyes darted everywhere, taking in the outpost. Just traders, scavengers and outlaws. 

“Well, there’s not much to it. Then again, you are in Jakku.” Dev said as got off his bike, his hands on his hips as he observed the surroundings. 

“Mhm,” you mumbled to yourself, already walking away from him. 

Dev broke into an awkward speed walk as he tried to catch up to you. He didn’t say anything beside you but followed you around like he was a mum trying to supervise his kid. 

Looking around, there were a couple of jackets and worn out clothing on display. You walked over to the rack of clothing, the wind blowing it out. Your hands gently touched a poncho, it had no sleeves or zipper but was long in the back and short in the front, it shielded your arms from your elbow to your shoulder and had a dirty mediaeval look to it. Taking the poncho, you held it in your hands as you observed the other clothing. 

“You stick out like a sore thumb,” Dev said beside you, a teasing tone in his voice. 

“That’s why I’m picking out clothes, genius.” You pointed out, rolling your eyes as you walked over to the Teedo who had a cocky expression, pleased that someone who dressed classy had come to buy off of him. 

“All of these please,” You plopped your clothing at his wooden desk.

“Republic Credits, no good.” he announced.

Your mouth fell agape, “What?” Ignoring the fact that he immediately thought of you as part of the Galactic Republic. 

Dev tried to stifle a laugh and you shot him a glare in return. “What do you mean, no good?”

“We exchange here.” 

“Yeah, well I’m exchanging my credits for these clothes.” You blinked. 

Dev suddenly pulled out a small bag containing goods inside of it and dropped it in front of him, “Here, take these instead.” The Teedo eyed Dev carefully but Dev wouldn’t back down from his stare, his eyes almost commanding. 

The Teedo cautiously took the small bag and opened it, a pleased smile lit up in his face and he nodded, taking the bag away from him. 

Dev took your clothing and handed it to you. Narrowing your eyes, you took it grimly from not enjoying the fact that he had paid for you. 

“Thank you,” you muttered as you looked down at your feet.

Dev waved his hand around, “It’s getting dark. We can go to my ship and stay there for the night.”

Not really feeling like arguing with him, you nodded and followed him as he led you to his ship. It was a small light cruiser but plentiful for you and him, at least for this one day. The cargo doors open as Dev walks you inside. It was a Republic light cruiser for all you could tell, having had to ride with it many times with Anakin and Obi-wan. 

“Go down the hall, last room on the right, you can shower and change there.” Dev said without looking at you, fixing the manuals on his ship.

You nodded and walked towards the room. It was a bunker and you were going to assume that was where you’d sleep. In all honesty, you had no idea if you could trust Dev, but right now, he would be the only person you could trust in this planet. 

Locking the door behind you with the touchpad attached to the wall, you slowly began to strip off your clothing, afraid that there was a hidden trick to this. You put your lightsaber and your comlink underneath the mattress of the bed, wanting it to be as safe as possible. You walked over to the very small bathroom that connected to your cabin and entered the shower. Turning on the shower, the hot water immediately hit your back as you held back a moan.

You began to slowly wash off the dirt and grime that stuck to your skin and thoroughly wash your hair. You closed your eyes and thought about Anakin, how much you missed him and what he was doing right now. Part of you was still hurt about what had happened between you and the council, but you were so far from it now that it seemed like a lifetime ago. But you couldn’t forget it at the same time. The distrust and blatant disrespect you felt by not only the council but by Anakin and those you loved as well, for them not to believe you but taking the council’s side instead? 

You swallowed down the lump in your throat as you turned off the shower. There was no towel so you had to make do with what you had to dry yourself. You took your new clothing and threw them on, your Jedi robes neatly folded on your desk. 

It didn’t look like you were a Jedi anymore, just a smuggler, but that was the look you were going for. Lifting your mattress, you pulled out the comlink and your saber, hooking it to the belt that was hidden underneath your jacket - making it invisible - and strapping on your comlink in your wrist. Walking out of your bunker, you made your way towards Dev who sat on the floor of the ship with his legs crossed. 

“What are you doing?” You asked, sitting on the co-pilot seat. Dev had two packets of what looked to be some sort of powder or flour and two bowls of water on the floor. 

“Making dinner,” He said without looking up at you. 

Dev ripped open each packet and poured it in the liquid. His eyes focused as he began to stir each bowl with a small wooden spoon, his jaw clenched. 

In almost a blink of an eye, the mixture began to lower before suddenly expanding, and a beige and green bread-like loaf was formed. 

Dev then handed you your bowl with a sheepish smile, “Dinner is served.”

You picked up the bread and fiddled with it with your fingers, your eyes suspiciously rising as the bread had a hard texture almost as if it was just baked. 

“Eat it while you can…Hard work getting rations around here, can’t always rely on your fancy credits.” Dev said as he began to take bites of his loaf, crumbs falling off with every bite he took. 

Ignoring his last comment, you twirled the bread in your hand before taking a bite. It was dry to say the least. Dev was right though, you weren’t back at Coruscant with fancy food and luxury showers, you were in Jakku, practically nowhere. 

“So, Ani,” Dev shoot you a look. You almost choked on your bread, forgetting that your name was supposingly Ani. 

“What brings you here? It’s not common for a Jedi to wander around on this planet.” Dev questioned you, watching your reaction carefully. 

“I’m not a Jedi.” You bit the inside of your cheek, shifting uncomfortably in your seat.

Dev raised his eyebrow, “Sweets, you have Republic credits, Jedi robes and a lightsaber. I beg to differ.”

“I stole it,” you shrugged, avoiding eye contact with him. 

Dev began to hysterically laugh, clearly not believing in your lie. What was so unbelievable about that? I could totally steal from a Jedi if I wanted to, you scoffed to yourself. 

“Okay…What actually brings you here.” He laughed in between his words, setting his bowl down.

There was no point in lying if he knew that you were a Jedi, you just hoped he wouldn’t take advantage of you for that. 

“I got kicked out of the Order,” You confessed in a quieter tone, playing with the loaf of bread. Dev fell silent immediately, a somber expression on his face. 

“Why?” 

You shook your head, spinning in the co-pilot chair to face away from him, “That’s none of your business.” Yes, you could trust Dev after he took you in, brought you clothes and made you food but you weren’t ready to share personal backstories with him just yet. The cuts were still fresh and it hurts even thinking about it. 

Dev went silent as he watched your back, his hands in his pocket. “We should be a team.” 

“What?” You span to look at him, your eyes wide. 

“We’ll do bounties together.” 

“No.”

“You have nowhere to go,” Dev said as a matter of fact. 

“No, I-I do,” All you could think about was Anakin. He would never approve of you for even listening to this. You could even hear Obi-wan scolding you. 

“You have no home, no ship and no money. As a matter of fact, you need a great pilot and just in your luck-” Dev boasted, a glowing smile on his face. Dev was right. You needed a pilot. You weren’t exactly the greatest considering the reason you are talking to him was because of your plane crashing. You always relied on Anakin for flying, he was after all, the best. It was something Anakin had always teased you about.

….

….

“What kind of bounties?” You interrupted him, not wanting to dwell on past stories.

“We only capture people and worst case scenario, killing them-”

“And you always do this?” You asked, feeling suddenly uneasy, internally cursing yourself for even seeming remotely interested. 

“I never pick the good guys, Ani, just the bad ones.” He reassured you, noticing the way you shifted in your seat from side to side. 

“We can do one tomorrow and then you can decide if you really want to be my partner. We’ll split the reward and if not-” He raised his hands, “Then it was a pleasure knowing you.” 

You had to take this. Dev was the only person you could remotely trust on this planet and you couldn’t pass on an opportunity to have some sort of stability. After all what he said was right, you didn’t have a ship therefore, no escape from this planet. 

You nodded slowly, “Okay…Who are we getting tomorrow?” 

“Tala Illnen. She is on the loose for the attempted murder of Ziro the Hutt when he visited his homeland in Sleheyron.” Dev said as if he had repeated it to himself many times, he had already planned to go there with or without you, you assumed. 

“Well, I need weapons. I don’t want to use my lightsaber, it’ll make us a target.” You shrunk in your seat, feeling slightly dejected that you aren’t able to use your saber in the open. 

“Already thought of that, sweets.” He said, picking up both of your bowls and placing them on a table, his back turned towards you. “Sleep on it. We have a big day tomorrow.” You nodded in response, you did in fact have a big day tomorrow. One that wasn’t very clear. 

You got up from your seat, unsure if you should thank him or greet him a goodnight. You weren’t friends but he did help you and you might be his partner in crime. 

“Your clothes suit you,” He complimented you, his back still turned against you and his eyes staring intensely to the empty bowels.  

Okay. 

…

A pink hue began to slowly crawl up your cheeks as you were taken back by the sudden compliment and that he noticed. Dev was probably used to the Bounty Hunter attire so it’d be obvious that he would prefer those on you than the Coruscant clothing. Obviously. 

“Thanks.” You replied, not wanting to think much of his praise. You retreated to your cabin while Dev smiled to himself as he busied himself with the cruiser. 

Locking the door behind you using the pad, you took off your jacket and placed it on the desk and slowly began to remove your shoes.  You turned the lights off using the same pad near the doorway and walked over to your bed. You pulled the covers back and began to slither inside, it wasn’t as comfortable as your own Jedi chambers but you’d have to get used to it. It definitely wasn't as comfortable as Anakin's arms.

Snuggling into your bed, you closed your eyes. You need the rest. Afterall today was a long day. It was officially day one of your journey without the Jedi Order, Masters and Padawans. Without your best friends. Without him. 

You couldn’t go back, not after what had happened. The people you thought were closest to you ending up betraying you, unbelieving of your pure intents and you don’t think you could forgive that too easily. It was like everything stopped for a second and the only thing you could process are the millions of memories and thoughts and emotions. They all collectively hit you at once making it harder for you to run away. You couldn’t forget the busy streets of Coruscant, the ships after ships that flew overhead while blinding you with their beams of lights. The mixture of tears, sweat and rain on your body. The yelling and screaming to find you. The soldiers after soldiers after soldiers that chased you down the tunnels. Because no one believed you. 

But the greatest of comforts was the illusion that the dark is temporary. 

A sudden beeping began to sound in your wrist, sending your heart racing. Pulling out your left wrist, small flickers of red emitted from your comlink.

You quickly sat up and brushed your hair behind your ears. Your heart was practically beating out of your chest while your stomach began to do somersaults. 

“Okay…Okay…Okay…” You whispered to yourself, trying to soothe yourself. It was Anakin. 

Pressing the small illuminated red button on your comlink, Anakin’s voice was heard. 

“-Still nowhere to be found. Every hour that I’m not assigned for something...." he breathed. "I’m looking for you.” He sighed, it was almost like you could see him rubbing his face in discontent. His hair a mess, his jaw clenched and his muscles in knots.

“I miss you, Y/n." He said in a softer tone. His voice low, rough, like he hadn't slept for days.

"Wherever you go, I'm with you." He inhaled shakily. "Every moment that I'm not with you, I can't breathe."

"So please. Please, answer this. I don’t know if you’re dead. Alive. If you made it out safe. Just -force- tell me where you are and we’ll run away together. We’ll leave the order behind. I don't care. We'll get married like we had planned."

There was silence for a few seconds, deep and aching, before he continued. 

“I would have died for you. I wanted to." He exclaimed, his voice hoarse.

You began to fiddle with the comlink, smashing the microphone button to allow you to communicate.

"Anakin?" You called out.

"I’m sorry…I wasn’t there to help you like I should have." He continued.

"Anakin, can you hear me?" Once more.

"I should've burnt down the whole universe for you. I won't fail again.”

It wasn't working. The goddamn comlink wasn't working. It was all because you fucking threw it on the floor. Gritting your teeth you kept pressing all kind of buttons, hoping a little red orb would flare.

“Obi-wan’s worried. He told me to keep trying to contact you. He wants me to remain calm, trust in the force and-” He sighed, “The Council don’t believe that I should be searching for you."

You brought the comlink underneath the covers with you, sniffling into your shirt. 

"But I promise you , I will find you. Even if it's for the very last time. Even if you hate me." He breathed out.

"I love you.” Anakin said quietly. Then a beat of silence.

"This is pointless-” His voice snapped. It was then you heard a loud thud. Like metal clashing. Like in his anger he had hit something.

Static. A muffled voice. And then nothing. 

He'd shut it off.

Groaning, you squinted your eyes and fell deeper in your bed. The comlink being one of the only things tethered to who you used to be.

Rubbing away the tears that threatened to fall out of your eyes, you laid on your side, holding the device close to you as you fell asleep.

a/n: it was a longgg one guys sorry if i bored u with the dev stuff i just need to set the world for when shes gone and the timeskip and stuff dev will also be importanttt laterrrr but next chp we're getting more pov on anakin and obiwan !!!! i also just finished writing their reunion and working out what happens after its not happy is all i can say

Taglist: @endairachristensen26 @hayden-christensen-verse @ducks118 @seventeen-x @movingalongthekiwi @ssnapsaurus @caramelfondu

if u want to be added or removed lmk!

ALSOO in the meantime if anyone wants to req oneshots/imagines of anyone im so down to do it

[bottledpeaches]

hello, sailor!

SYNOPSIS: all aboard the lady luck and set sail for a new adventure! life on land doesn't satisfy you, so why not take to the seas instead? while working under captain aventurine as the primary nurse onboard, everything you've ever wanted is within your grasp, and yet the mystery surrounding your captain is still there, just short of being solved. just what kind of secrets lie hidden beneath that charming smile and silver tongue?

CHARACTERS: aventurine, topaz, ratio, jade, robin

TAGS: fem coded reader (wearing dresses, makeup, but they/them pronouns still used), mentions of drinking, gambling, harassment toward reader, drowning, numby is a regular piglet in this fic, 23.9k wc (get some snacks and a drink ready for this one), mild angst, some suggestiveness

NOTES: thought my aventurine kissery phase was over then hoyo uploaded the pirate art of him and now its back to square one

special thanks to my pookies @https-sourlimes and @tragedy-of-commons for proofreading this behemoth of a fic! with much love mwah 💋

very late but @lowkeyren hihihi ren!! I got u for secret santa and hope u enjoy this fic!

TAGLIST: @harque, @akutasoda, @hazyue, @gabile18, @khoncore, @moineauz, @mikashisus, @vxnuslogy, @papiliotao, @gl4di0lus

The rolling sea has always beckoned you.

It’s always been there, tucked away in the back of your mind, usually hidden but resurfacing like the corals and lost trinkets at low tide you’d go scavenging for when no one was looking. Conch shells hold the secrets of the ocean that enrapture you for hours on end and you drape yourself in weathered jewelry washed ashore. Dried-up starfish and seashells and multicolored sea glass litter your home, and yet it isn’t enough. These trinkets pile up and gather dust in your home as you chase after what you’re really after- a way out. 

You’ve been surrounded by the sea your entire life, born and raised in this very port town. You grew up hearing stories of lands faraway from your parents and the workers down at the docks. Infamous pirates and honorable seamen alike and their journeys were your bedtime stories as a kid. You never see the same unfamiliar face twice in a place like this and perhaps it’s this ability to come and go as you please that captured your heart from a young age. Appearing and disappearing like an apparition with rumors of your conquests and the freedom a life at sea granted… it was enough to grab your attention as a kid and never let go.

And yet, you’ve never ventured into the open seas. The most you’ve done is swim around at the beach, but you’ve never been able to push further than that. Theoretically, you should’ve been able to leave long before now, but your plans never made it past the first step. You’ve been denied passage aboard ships at every turn for countless reasons, all of them stupider than the last. Eventually, your motivation died down until you resigned yourself to a dull life on land- but the dream never fizzled out completely. Even now, you still stroll along the beach and search for answers. 

Down at the dock, you hear of sailors and pirates alike drunkenly telling tales of sirens and their bewitching songs they waged war against at sea. You wager that the sea’s freedom beckons to you the same way a siren’s song does to them- irresistible, enchanting, and inescapable no matter where you are. 

When work is slow, you find yourself staring out at the sea through the window, just watching as the tides recede and crash onto the shoreline repeatedly. At night, you’d catch yourself at the beach with your feet in the sand and the salty waters lapping at your ankles without any recollection of how you got there. Maybe sleepwalking? But something tells you that’s not the answer. 

But this time, you suddenly find yourself standing in waist-deep water, completely alone and without a sound to be heard. Not even the usual sound of squawking gulls circling overhead can be heard. That’s strange. The harbor is always busy, with goods being transported and people seeking asylum. There’s ships docked and as far as you can tell, it’s as normal of a day as any other. And yet, there’s no life to be seen or heard. No crabs scuttling along the sandy beach, no people strolling along the boardwalk, no shouts of street vendors peddling their wares to passersby. Just you, the sea, and its ever-growing temptation.

You think it’s somewhere around early evening from the position of the sun, but you aren’t sure how long you stare toward the horizon, unblinking. But when you do blink, you see a pirate ship coming into view. She’s quite possibly the most incredible ship you’ve ever seen in your life, with several sails, a sturdy hull, and a flag fluttering proudly atop the mainmast. And she’s heading right toward you. If you swim out further or wait where you are for a while longer, she’ll pass by, giving you the perfect opportunity to sneak onboard. 

You look back one last time before heading further out to sea. You slip below the water. It’s pleasantly warm and you wonder why you’ve never attempted this before.

The siren’s embrace, that is the ocean’s form of freedom, is growing stronger. 

Port towns aren’t known for being the safest, especially those frequented by pirates. Public drunken brawls, looting by particularly greedy pirate crews, lechery, and disturbance of the peace with the occasional count of public indecency, are commonplace almost every night. Usually, you’re able to avoid most of it, but today isn’t your lucky day. 

“Hey, pretty lady! Mind comin’ home-”

Crash!

An empty beer bottle goes flying by, barely missing his head and shattering into bits against the brick wall behind him. He lets out an unusually high-pitched squeak for someone of his size and stares as you storm past, his mouth agape. Another sailor behind him laughs at his plight, to which he spins around and cusses toward his face. You make it out just in time as the first punch is thrown. 

One drunken sailor is more than enough to deal with, you decide. You decide that you’ll take your chances and go past the port as a shortcut back home, even though it’s late. 

It’s silent besides the sloshing of the waves and mostly empty. There’s some burly guards patrolling in front of the more ostentatious pirate ships that spare a glance as you hurry by, but it’s otherwise deserted at this hour. 

Until you approach the end of the harbor where few ships are docked. You hear the faint sounds of a struggle- a punch being thrown, a man’s muffled scream, glass shattering, the wet squelch of a knife sinking into flesh, and the thud of a body hitting the ground. From the shadows, you see two people emerge. A blond man drags someone out by the hair with a knife in hand. Even from here, you can see the dark slick staining the wood. There’s a ship directly in front of him. You assume it belongs- or belonged- to the now-lifeless body being dragged along. The blond looks around, then freezes up upon seeing you. The hand holding the knife tenses at his side and the two of you stay locked in place like that for a bit, daring to see who will make the first move. Shockingly bright neon eyes meet yours and you jolt. You’ve never seen anyone with eyes like his.

But there’s a ship that’s still waiting. You recall that strange dream you had a few nights ago.

… On second thought, perhaps today is your lucky day after all. 

You slowly clap, starting to move forward, and the blond steps back. The knife in his hands, now aimed at you, is a tiny thing. It’s rusted, the blade is most likely dull, and even the butter knife in your kitchen would laugh at it. 

“Congrats on winning. Got any injuries you need patched up?”

No response. You try again. 

“I see those injuries you got from that fight. Those wounds of yours won’t heal overnight. Someone has to be there to ensure they don’t get infected.”

“... You’re a nurse?”

His voice comes out smoother than expected. Amusement and snark drip from the words, thick as honey, like he can’t believe you’re a medical professional. And yet, you can hear the tenseness in his voice and see it in his coiled muscles, ready to spring back into action again. 

You ignore the jab toward you and point toward the winding cobblestone streets that you came from. The sounds of a fight can be heard coming from the town square even out here. 

“Run a practice in town. Certified and everything if you’re real nitpicky and care about my credentials. Though most sailors that come through the door could care less when they’ve got a pretty lady lookin’ over ‘em and are used to amputations for the most minor of infections.”

“I’m surprised you haven’t been snatched up by another pirate crew yet then,” he smugly remarks, voice as smooth as velvet yet concealing a sharp edge.

“Oh, there’ve been attempts alright. Promises of double the booty a normal seaman would receive, the finest quarters second only to the captain, medical supplies taking utmost priority when docking, and many many more. Hah! All nice and cute, but we know that in a few months time, all those promises will have fallen out the window and I’ll be regarded with no less respect than the lowliest seaman onboard.”

He leans back against a wooden post, roughly kicking the man from earlier until his bleeding head is submerged underwater. You spare a glance at the poor soul before looking back at him.

“Got a ship now?”

“... It’s not much, but it’s something to start with.”

He looks behind him and as he does so, the sleeves of his rags shift to reveal the injuries lying beneath. A sharp intake of breath is the only sign you’ve seen them, but his keen ears pick up on it. He tugs his sleeves down and glowers over his shoulder in your direction. 

“You don’t have any medical expertise, do you?” you ask, ignoring his irritation. “Not a good idea to go out conquerin’ the seven seas without a nurse on board. Matter of fact, I doubt you’d even get that far. Probably die off from scurvy or something preventable.”

His silence speaks volumes. You brush past him and set foot onto his stolen ship- little more than a glorified rowboat with a mast and a single sail. It couldn’t even be called a sailboat. 

Still, he won’t go down so easily. He crosses his arms in front of his chest and stares you down behind his thick bangs obscuring his vision.

“And why should I welcome you aboard?”

“Simple. We both get what we want.”

You reach your hand out to him.

“You get a trained, qualified medical professional to treat your wounds, and I get to escape this rinky-dink, backwater port town. A mutually beneficial deal, don’t you agree?”

He racks his mind for an excuse, anything, really, to turn you down. But he can’t come up with anything. The wounds all over his body really do need treatment that he doesn’t have the expertise for. There’s enough room for two people in the boat and he knows you’re smart enough to have realized that by now. 

It’s fine. I’ll just dump them off at the next port and be on my way. Problem solved. 

With no excuse that can fly under your radar, he pushes his irritation down and forces a smile onto his face. He reaches a hand out and it’s just now you notice his ghostly blue fingertips.

… He’s not entirely human, is he?

“Your name?”

“(Name).”

“Welcome aboard, Nurse (Name).”

You brush your thoughts aside and shake his hand. It’s cold. 

“Pleasure, Captain…?”

“Aventurine.”

You squeeze his hand firmly one last time.

“Pleasure to be working with you, Captain Aventurine.”

Captain, huh? He tries the title on for size in his mind as you get settled in, rolling it around on his tongue. 

I could get used to being called that.

Even though he initially promised himself that he’d kick you out at the next port, that never happens. You pass by several ports, and yet you stay onboard. Perhaps it’s because he finds his first treasure alongside you on an island that many have sailed past countless times. The treasure was hiding under everyone’s noses the entire time, both of you managing to uncover it with a bit of wit and a hefty amount of luck. Aventurine supposes part of himself feels indebted to you, much as he hates the sensation. You found your first treasures together and you’ve admittedly been taking good care of his wounds born from years of enslavement. The healing process is coming along slowly but steadily.

Perhaps he’ll let you stay for a bit longer. Until you get your share of this treasure. He gives credit where credit is due, at least.

“I can’t believe this has been here this whole time,” you say as the treasure chest is finally unearthed. Aventurine sets the shovel down, and on the count of three, you lift it out to go through its contents.  It’s no sizable amount of loot by any means, but it’s not half-bad for your first haul. Some gemstones that are admittedly rather small, jewelry, a few rusted cutlasses that with some elbow grease, could be restored to their former state, and some golden coins from a bygone era.

You hold some gold chains up in front of him, as if seeing what he’d look like with them on. He casts a glance down and shakes his head in disapproval. 

“I know, too gaudy, right?” you ask as you set them back into the chest. He holds up a handful of uncut diamonds, all of varying sizes, and watches as they twinkle in the sunlight. “At least we can pawn ‘em off.”

“I know someone who can fetch us a good price for them. You won’t have to worry about that,” he responds as he lets the diamonds slip back into the chest through his fingers like fat, glistening raindrops. Diamonds are almost worthless on their own, but if he sends them to a jeweler to be cut and polished and perhaps turned into jewelry, then perhaps he can squeeze out a bit of value from them… Or perhaps he should just leave them the way they are, given her hobby for finding true gems in the rough. 

He finds a string of pearls and after a moment for inspection, tosses them over to you.

“Here. Keep these. You’ll look good in ‘em.”

“Then at least keep one or two of those gold chains as well,” you say as you clasp it shut around your neck. Aventurine shakes his head again, laughing snarkily.

“Nah. Not my taste. Not gaudy enough.”

“That’s what I said earli- wait, not gaudy enough?”

He meets your disbelieving expression with an innocent one and a shrug of his shoulders.

“What? A pirate captain’s gotta look the part. The more in-your-face, the better.”

There’s someone already waiting for you when you return to land to pawn off your treasure. According to Aventurine, she owns one of the most prosperous pawn shop chains out there and always fetches a fair price for her customers, so long as they have something equally valuable to give her in return. 

“Just remember to always address her as ‘Lady Bonajade’ and nothing else. She doesn’t take too kindly to those who don’t have manners,” he whispers to you as you weave your way between the crowded streets to the pawn shop’s address. 

“Sounds like an interesting person,” you whisper back. “Should I be scared?”

He scoffs. “Not unless you’re looking to trade something beyond our treasure. Just don’t say anything rash. Let me handle it.”

The pawn shop is tucked away in a corner of town that sees few people. The exterior is surprisingly well-maintained for this part of town and a sign reading “Bonajade Exchange” in elegant violet cursive lettering hangs above the door. You can’t see into the shop’s windows and you can’t hear any activity from inside either. Upon pushing the heavy door open, you’re greeted with the chime above tinkling at your arrival and the scent of heavy perfume cloying your nose. It smells heavily of florals and incense, with a hint of smoke present. The candle flames waver and flicker as the door shuts and you take a moment to look around the shop. The heavy velvet curtains across the windows are drawn, letting only a small sliver of sunlight in. The only other source of lighting is the candles scattered throughout that illuminate the treasures displayed almost carelessly throughout the store. Polished and cut gemstones lie in display cases alongside gold bars and jewelry. Weapons of all sorts are hung along the walls alongside maps and thick, aged atlases on the bookshelves. It’s silent, save for the faint crackling of waxen flames, until an unfamiliar and elegant voice rings out from behind the curtain all the way in the back. 

“Welcome to Bonajade Exchange. Who are you? And what do you seek?”

There’s a moment of silence that follows, as if the speaker has recognized who you are. A candle is lit behind the curtain and you can make out the silhouette of a woman rising to her feet. 

“Oh, it’s you. We meet again, Aventurine.”

There’s a smile in her voice as she brushes the curtain aside and you get your first look at the owner of the shop. A wide-brimmed black hat obscures half of her face with a pale blue eye peeking out at you. She wears a white dress that’s undoubtedly made of silk or some other costly fabric with a dark blue corset. The silver and jade jewelry she wears (is that where she gets her name from?) clink pleasantly against each other alongside her heels, accompanied by a walking stick clicking against the wooden floor as she walks. As she approaches, you can pick up on her perfume of white florals and red wine. 

She comes to a stop and her eyes rake over you both, lingering on you especially. You catch a hint of something in her slitted pupils, like she knows something you don’t.

“I haven’t seen you before. I’m Lady Jade, the owner of this place. Are you a first-time customer to the Bonajade Exchange?”

Her voice is low and almost a whisper that has you hanging onto her every word. It’s as smooth as the silk used for her dress but there’s an almost unnatural hiss to her words, not unlike that of a snake’s. Her voice is also vaguely snake-like too- the way certain words are stretched out, the weirdly sharp pronunciation of consonants clashing with the almost syrupy vowels that tempt you to lower your defenses, the lack of cadence- all make you unconsciously be on guard. Under her chilling gaze, you feel yourself strangely clamming up and it’s all you can do to nod mutely. She hums and leans in closer, examining you head to toe. You feel like an item being offered up for auction yourself right now…

“And who might you be, lovely lady?”

You’re surrounded by ice.

“Nurse (Name)... Lady Bonajade,” you say, hurriedly adding her title at the end after remembering Aventurine’s advice from earlier. She smiles approvingly, a cold and benevolent thing. 

“You’re a good child who knows their manners. Alas, the same couldn’t be said for the man next to you when I first-”

Aventurine coughs. Jade stops talking, but the mirth still lingers in her eyes. A purple snake appears out of seemingly nowhere, winding around her shoulders and up her forearm before rearing its head at you. Its tongue flicks out to taste the air and it leans toward you before she gently pushes its head back. 

“Don’t mind it. It’s too curious for its own good at times,” she says offhandedly. Her baby blue irises drift toward the plain wooden crate sitting behind Aventurine and the beginnings of a smirk tug at the corners of her glossy lips. 

“Have you brought something valuable for me?”

Aventurine beckons you over and after a bit of effort, you pry open the lid to reveal the contents of the treasure you found. Jade strides forward and stops before the crate, examining it with interest.

“Look at that, you’ve finally found your first treasure. Where was it found?”

She raises an eyebrow and a hint of skepticism crosses her expression when Aventurine tells her the spot. 

“That island has been combed through countless times by other pirates. I find your claim hard to believe.”

Atlases and ancient records are brought out and she finally seems to believe him after cross-referencing the embossing on the back of a coin with a legend from that island. Just as you think you’re starting to get a grasp of the situation, a flurry of financial terms fly over your head as they argue over the market value of the items and how much cash you can walk away with today. 

… You’re way out of your comfort zone now. You’re a nurse, not a businessperson, for Aeon’s sake!

An agreement seems to be reached between the two of them. Jade readjusts her gloves and after calling some men over from the back, they begin going through the treasures and separating them into piles. Meanwhile, Aventurine turns his attention back to you.

“Fifty-fifty split.” You make the first move. 

Aventurine scoffs. “Absolutely not. Eighty-twenty at least.”

“Who do you think you are?”

“The captain, of cour-”

“Self-proclaimed,” you retort. “Doesn’t bear much weight with only a crew of two and each of us handling the work of at least five men. Seventy-thirty split since you want to be stingy.”

“Still too little.”

Your eyes narrow in irritation while his smug smirk never wavers.

“Seventy five-twenty five.”

“Fifty five-forty five.”

“Is that really any different from your initial offer of a fifty-fifty split?”

“That’s a five percent increase.”

“Yeah, only five percent.”

Jade chuckles from where she leans against the counter. The treasure has been fully cleared out and taken elsewhere. All that remains is an empty crate on the ground. 

“A five percent increase isn’t as narrow of a margin as you would think it is. Right now, that might not seem like much, but in the future when you start discovering more valuable and rarer treasures…”

She yawns and covers her mouth with a delicate hand. 

“Who knows? You could be looking at a gain of at least a couple thousand.”

Aventurine clicks his tongue and turns back to you. There’s one last offer you have before you give up and walk away. A new life in this town for the time being doesn’t seem too bad… 

“Sixty-forty.”

He stills at your offer. Jade’s eyes are trained on him as she lightly fans herself with a feathered folding fan. Her snake watches the exchange with seemingly keen interest too. 

“... You drive a hard bargain just like Lady Bonajade over here,” he grumbles as he forks over a portion of the credits to you. He leaves part of it on the counter, though.

“You have an innate sense for business,” comments Jade, as you leaf through the wad of bills. “Perhaps you’d like to refine it to its fullest potential?”

“Lady Bonajade, please stop trying to recruit every promising person that walks through your door.”

“It’s not just anyone I set my eyes on. It’s only those with exceptional talent that shine like gems in the rough,” she corrects. Her gaze flicks over to you again.

“Should you ever grow tired of a life at sea and wish to attain everything you desire… you know where to find me. I have branches all over the seven seas. I’ll be patiently waiting.”

Aventurine hurriedly hands you the stack of credits he set aside earlier.

“We’re running low on supplies. I still have business to discuss with her, so why don’t you go and pick them up for me?”

You nod and leave. The door shuts behind you, and Jade’s welcoming demeanor immediately disappears as soon as the shop is plunged into darkness again. Even though the climate is temperate in this stretch of the ocean, the temperature drops considerably. Her snake comes out of hiding and openly hisses at him. This time, she does nothing to reprimand it. 

“I see you’re planning to let a considerable asset go. My best advice for you would be to not.”

Aventurine barks out a laugh and meets her cold tone with one of his own.

“Meddling in my affairs, you damned sea witch-“

“You would do well to learn some manners from them, child,” she all but snaps. “Remember, I don’t give out advice for free. When I do, it’s because I see a great return of my investment in you on the horizon. It would be in your best interest to listen.”

She hisses the last word out and her pet snake does the same. Aventurine’s heart is racing, but he shows no sign of it. 

“A businesswoman through and through,” he remarks dryly. “Don’t think I didn’t notice how you called them an asset.”

“Oh? As if you see them any better than I do. At least I recognize their value. You, on the other hand, have seen them as a nuisance this whole time.”

She sighs. “Such potential headed straight to ruin under your care. It’s quite a waste. Perhaps I should take them under my wing instead, the same way I did with you… Better yet, why don’t I put them through the same refinement process the way I did with you? It’ll be a valuable learning experience for you both.”

Aventurine bristles, and Jade smirks, knowing she has the upper hand now. He’s reminded that just like that, Jade can take away everything he’s fought for. And shape the rest of your life to what she has envisioned.

“You will have them remain as a crewmate upon your ship. Don’t think I’m unaware of how your wounds are coming along. This is in your best interest as much as it is mine. Understood?”

He numbly nods. Jade hums happily and pats him on the shoulder.

“Good child. I expect even greater things from the two of you combined.”

There’s a knock at the front and the door swings open. The sudden brightness of the sun makes him squint, but he can see you standing there with several boxes behind you and some burly men carrying them.

“Captain, I picked up all our supplies. Is there anything else you need me to handle?”

“No, tell them to take them back to the ship. Wait there. I’m almost finished here.”

You nod and the door closes again. Jade turns to him with a knowing look in her eyes as she pulls away from the counter to head to the back again. 

“Captain,” she repeats with a teasing lilt. 

“Stop that,” he grumbles. She checks the time and barely spares him a glance over her shoulder as she retreats behind the curtain again. 

“The time for conversation has ended. Go now. It isn’t polite to keep your partners waiting for any longer than necessary.”

Just as he’s about to head out the door, he’s stopped by her again.

“Don’t disappoint me now, child.”

The only response she gets is the door slamming shut. 

He finds you waiting by the ship as instructed. You don’t even get the chance to ask him what happened as he pushes past you roughly and hoists the sails. Wordlessly, you weigh the anchor and as you set sail, Aventurine finds himself more thankful than ever for your ability to read the room. 

Yes, he barely tolerates you. He never wanted a second person aboard to begin with. But anything is better than catching Jade’s attention. From personal experience, it takes a very special kind of person to stay one move ahead in her games and he knows you aren’t cut from that cloth. Most people aren’t. You’d maybe hold out for a bit with your hidden wit, but you’d inevitably be offered up as a loan in her many dealings, getting passed around from ship to ship as a highly sought-after medic until you’d work yourself into an early grave. Only then would she lose interest and only because your market value would be at zero. 

His injuries have been healing nicely, but he still needs your care. He makes up his mind to let you stay on his ship for the time being. At least until Jade’s interest in you has died out or until his injuries are completely healed. Whichever one comes first. 

And that initial condition is forgotten about too. Jade’s interest in you never wanes and his scars have faded, but that’s not the reason why he lets you stay. You’re quite the handy person, proving yourself to be skilled in tasks outside of medicine. You surprise him with your skill in carpentry and business, although he already knows about the latter thanks to Jade. He’s a horrible cook, but you manage to save yourselves from starvation with your talent in the kitchen. 

Aventurine begrudgingly admits that you’re also fun to be around as time goes on. You’re quite the charming storyteller with a never-ending trove of stories to share. Many of your nights are shared together under the starry skies with a tankard of rum in hand as he listens to your animated and slightly slurred narration of stories you penned earlier that day, or accounts about your former life in a port town and the… interesting experiences you’ve had. 

“Interesting” is putting things lightly, he decides one night after you described how you chased off some unsavory pirates looking to rob your office of valuable medical supplies with a saw and a kitchen knife. And chased off? More like scared half to death.

He also learns that you’re musically gifted as well. He’s off pawning off your latest treasures while you wander around after gathering necessary supplies as per usual. You had agreed to meet back on the ship but he instead finds you standing in front of a music store, eyeing the instruments they have on display in the window.

“You play?” he asks as he approaches your side.

“Yeah,” you respond without taking your eyes off the window. “Was how I made money before I became a certified nurse. I’d take a gig every night at the local tavern and see how much money a crowd of drunk men was willing to throw at me.”

“And?”

“You’d be surprised. If there’s one thing pirates are good at, it’s getting drunk and throwing their earnings at the first pretty thing they see after months at sea.”

“Do you still want to play?”

You tear your eyes away from the display to meet his gaze for a second, before looking away again.

“... Part of me misses it. Just a bit.”

“...”

You leave the store with a skip in your step and the nicest violin they had for sale in your hands, courtesy of your captain. Music now drifts through the ship and sometimes you’ll perform what you’ve been practicing for him after dinner. He’ll clap along, but you notice he never sings or even hums along… 

You have company now as well. Long after you’ve weighed the anchor, you discover a stowaway onboard in the form of a black cat tearing through your food stockpiles. 

“You thief!” you exclaim as you lift it by the scruff and hold it up to eye level. It’s tiny… is it a kitten or just malnourished? It meows pitifully and licks the finger you extend after cautiously sniffing it, a little sliver of pink peeking out and scraping against your skin.

The poor thing is… kind of… cute.

“Oh? What’s this?” comes an irritatingly familiar voice behind you. You spin around to see the familiar visage of your captain smiling down at the cat in your hands with amusement. “A stowaway, eh?”

“I caught this little thief digging through our rations. Captain, what do you suggest we do?”

He raises his eyebrows in feigned shock. A hand comes up to stroke his chin as he thinks.

“A heinous crime,” he proclaims with drama dripping from his words. “A fitting punishment for a crime is needed.”

“Your verdict?”

“The cat can put itself to good use by staying aboard our ship and hunting down mice. Cats are also a symbol of good luck on ships, you know.”

Without further ado, he swoops in and snatches the cat out of your hands. It purrs loudly as he strokes its cheeks. 

Didn’t take much convincing for him to fold, you think as you scratch its chin. It closes its eyes and its ears twitch. 

“Shouldn’t we give it a name? Captain, any suggestions?”

A big mistake on your part.

“How does the name Doubloon sound?”

“... Doubloon?”

Aventurine sets the cat down and tosses a gold coin out there. The cat immediately goes running after it, green eyes wide and pupils dilated. It pounces on the coin and tussles with it, biting on the metal like its prey.

“Never mind. It’s fitting. Doubloon it is.”

It’s nice, he admits. He has a handy crewmate who is capable of all sorts of tasks and can deal with his antics, surprisingly. He decides to let you stay aboard indefinitely now. And the cat is a nice bonus too. 

Your captain isn’t half-bad company either. He’s still just as annoying as the day you met him, even more so if possible since you’ve gotten to know him. He’s an insufferable flirt, mainly toward you, but also toward others when he wants something. He’ll whisper teasing remarks in your (their) ears, all meant to get under your skin and have you (them) right where he wants. Teasing kisses on your (their) hands and cheeks are commonplace. (Who does he see when he kisses and charms those around him? You or them?) He has a raging gambling addiction, perfectly demonstrated by how he splurged on a poker table and a roulette wheel after only a few discovered treasures. (It doesn’t help how you keep losing every time he challenges you for a round or two.) He never opens up about his past even though you’ve all but spilled your life story to him, from childhood till now. He’ll do as he pleases without warning you beforehand, giving you a scare when he decides to bet his life at a casino or venture deeper than he should into a jungle on a hunch that “there’s more hidden treasure to be found just ahead!”

(You later scold him for his suicidal tendencies while bandaging his wounds with more force than necessary, reminding him that you can hold your own in a fight too! Newly acquired treasure sits just outside the door to the infirmary and he’s beaming all the while, so any hope of changing his mind fizzles out.)

But for all his shortcomings, he makes for a good captain. When confronted by a much larger pirate crew that thinks you’re easy pickings, he first pushes you to safety before diving in headfirst. He distributes treasure fairly and recognizes the value you hold as a medic, always ensuring you have more than enough allotted credits to restock on medicine at every port town. You never find yourself wanting for anything and your days are peaceful. You can sleep in as late as you want and you always have plenty to eat and drink. The ship’s supply of alcohol is always well-stocked with your favorites. You’re richer than ever before and money is of no worry to you now.

The ship also gets several upgrades. After every successful treasure hunt, she gets renovated and upgraded. More masts, an additional sail, a shiny new hull, until there was nothing left of its original structure. Aventurine now commands a true beauty of a ship, one fit for a pirate crew… and perhaps one a bit too big for her measly crew. Most of the ship’s space remains empty. But your quarters are spacious, even bigger than your old room on land. It’s filled with trinkets you’ve collected on your journey and fluffy pillows, and directly connected to the infirmary through a door to make things easy. Even a doctor on land would be envious of the conditions, with plenty of medicine stockpiled and clean from floor to ceiling.

“Shouldn’t we give her a name?” you ask as you set sail the day the last of her original foundation is stripped away. He hums and nods.

“You’re right. Got any ideas?”

“You’re the captain of this ship. You should be the one to decide, not me.”

Aventurine strokes his chin and thinks for a bit.

“How about the Lady Luck?”

“... Seriously? You picked something gambling related?”

He lazily shrugs and grins.

“I’m a gambling man through and through, darling. What else were you expecting from the likes of me?”

A single multicolored eye greets you as he tosses and flicks the poker chip he stole a while ago back and forth. The other eye is obscured by a bejeweled eyepatch and you’re the only one who knows the reason why. 

During your first clash against another pirate crew, Aventurine had shielded you from an attack and potentially saved your life. Unfortunately, he couldn’t move away in time and took a knife to the eye. You had worked tirelessly around the clock that night to save his vision, but you weren’t able to. It’s a regret you carry with you at all times now.

“You’re right,” he agrees. When he notices you staring at his eyepatch, he grins.

“Still thinking about old times? Let bygones be bygones now, (Name),” he jokes as he lifts the eyepatch up, revealing the cloudy  iris that indicates his vision loss. His words don’t have the intended effect though, and you wordlessly trail your finger down the scar cutting cleanly through the center of his brow bone to his cheekbone. He tenses a bit at the contact, but relaxes at your gentle touch after a few moments.

“Do you… ever regret what happened that night?”

“No,” he admits without any hesitation. “I may have lost my vision, but I saved my pretty nurse who stitched me back together and fretted over me afterward, and that’s enough to make a man do anything. And… well… for my eyes, let’s just say I’d rather gouge them out most of the time.”

“I won’t let you,” you state bluntly and it’s the way you say it that makes Aventurine laugh.

“Of course you wouldn’t, sweetheart. You’re my voice of reason.”

“But why? Do you not like them?”

Aventurine struggles to find the words for once and he makes a face like he’s tasted something bitter.

“… Not particularly,” he admits. There’s a scowl on his face. “They’re unnatural. Don’t tell me you’ve met another person with eyes like mine?”

“Well, that’s true, but-”

Venom creeps into his voice and his scowl deepens.

“There’s so many rumors swirling out there now. Haven’t you heard?”

“No,” you answer truthfully. Aventurine hopes you never hear any of the horrible rumors surrounding him.

You sigh and push his bangs out the way of his good eye.

“I think they’re quite pretty, actually.”

It’s supposed to be an innocent compliment. They really are pretty. Like the colors of a winter sunset, but more intense.

But to your surprise, your captain flinches at your touch and it sends a shock wave of guilt through you. He never shies away from your touch, instead always seeking it out like a spoiled house cat.

To make matters worse, he gets up and leaves. But before he does, you glimpse the expression in his eyes- guilty and defensive, like a wounded animal. The door to his quarters slams shut behind him and all you can do is stand there, frozen with shock.

“What pretty eyes. Tell me, do they shine in the dark?”

Aventurine leans against his bedroom door and quietly groans. He knows you meant it as a genuine compliment and that it was wrong of him to react the way he did, but he can’t help but wonder if you’d still think of him the same way if you knew about the story behind his eyes. Would you think of him any less? Aventurine doesn’t think he’d be able to bear it if he ever saw you look at him with hate and disgust. Or even worse, if you’d end up like everyone else, waiting for the day those eyes grew dull and lifeless.

… He’d gouge his eyes out and walk the plank if that ever happens.

He can’t stop himself from spiraling until he hears a knock at his door.

“Captain?”

He quietly laughs. You always did have a knack for showing up at the perfect time.

The door cracks open, and he sees you standing there with a worried and guilty expression. It makes him feel even worse. It’s not your fault. You wouldn’t have known because he never told you, and he was hoping it’d stay that way, but it looks like he won’t be able to take the coward’s way out on this one.

“I’m sorry,” you whisper. “I didn’t realize my words would affect you that much.”

“It’s alright. I know you meant it as a compliment. There’s nothing to apologize for.”

You narrow your eyes at him in confusion.

“Then why…?”

Aventurine lets out a resigned sigh and steps out onto the deck again, suddenly finding his quarters stuffy.

“It’s a long story. But would you like to hear?”

“I have plenty of time.”

Sitting side by side on the deck that night, he tells you everything about his past that he’s willing to reveal. Some parts have a clever twist that hides the truth while others have been outright omitted. But it’s the closest version of his backstory that he can share without coming clean, and he’s not ready for that- not yet, at least. 

“I’ve failed in this aspect of being captain,” he admits as silence blankets the air after his story. “I’ve been keeping too many secrets from you.”

“Captain, everyone’s got their own skeletons in their closets. I know and trust you well enough by now to understand that if you’ve been keeping something secret from me, it’s because you’re not ready to share it, and I respect that.”

You sigh and look up at the stars overhead. It’s a perfectly clear night with mild winds and calm seas.

“… It’s just that one day, I do wish you’d open up more. We’ve been with each other since day one and I’ve told you everything there is to know about me. It would be nice to know a bit more about you.”

He swallows nervously.

“And what if doing so makes me a bad person?”

You fix him with that stare that makes his spine tingle uncomfortably. It’s the look you give him whenever you suspect he’s lying during checkups and you’re prying for the real answer.

“… Well, we’re pirates after all. We’re not exactly good people, are we?”

He can’t help the laugh of relief that escapes him.

“Yeah, you’re right. We aren’t.”

Aventurine also likes to… spoil you, to put it lightly. As your finds become more valuable, the amount of credits he spends on you grows. Clothes are a common gift. Thin silks that feel like you’re wearing nothing, plush furs to drape yourself in, heavy down-stuffed winter coats for ventures up north, and frilly dresses that are a better fit for royalty in your eyes are all sent your way. It’s not an uncommon sight to return to the ship and see several men struggling under the weight of all his purchases while you were busy restocking. It gets to a point where you tell him to stop because your closet is overflowing, but he never listens. “It’s the least you deserve,” is what he always says. “Anything for my beloved nurse that has stuck with me through thick and thin!” At least half of the space in your formerly spacious quarters is now occupied by overflow from your closet.

You also get an upgrade to your uniform around this time. Before, it was whatever you had lying around, but now you have a dedicated set of dresses and pinafore aprons, as well as a nurse’s cap to top it all off. 

Cosmetics are also another common gift. He’ll constantly gift you lipsticks with the request to try them all on or expensive perfumes he knows you’ll like. He even gets you an elaborate vanity at one point to store everything. It’s a beautiful, heavy thing made from bronze and requires the strength of four men to carry. There’s a large mirror in the center with ornate molding surrounding it and two smaller ones flanking it. You’ll often see Aventurine leaning against the doorframe through one of them, watching you with a bemused look as you get ready in the morning. 

(That is, until you begin throwing pillows at his head and yelling at him to get out.)

But you begin to notice some strange things about your captain as time goes on. You’ll struggle with a chunk of meat during dinner while his unnaturally sharp teeth will tear through it with ease. They’re especially noticeable whenever he smiles, genuine or not. The large, sharp canines gleam under the sun. At one point, you asked if he purposefully sharpens them, partially as a joke, but also out of genuine curiosity. He had thrown his head back and laughed, but he didn’t answer your question. Sometimes, late at night when he thinks you’re asleep, you’ll peek out from behind the door and see the ghostly fire dancing around his blue fingertips. Aventurine’s outfits get progressively more gaudy and flashy as time goes on, and one thing he adds to his wardrobe rotation are metal nail guards. But even so, you notice his fingernails peeking out from underneath that are better described as claws. Heavy gold chokers and necklaces stacked on top of each other are an obligatory part of his look but on the rare occasion he decides to ditch the weight and opts for a high-collared linen shirt instead, you swear those are scales you see peeking out beneath the slipping collar after a long day. 

But you merely look the other way. As long as Aventurine remains a good captain, you don’t care who- or what- he is. 

It’s around this time you get the third addition to the crew as well. 

You’re docked at a pristine port town, which is a rarity to come by. White houses with blue roofs line the cliff sides. The streets are white too and the stone used to form them has been worn down and smoothed out by years of wear and tear. The warm air smells sweet and salty and vaguely of hay. In the town square, it transforms into something heavier and richer. The flowering trees blooming throughout make the air feel almost thick, while the persistent smell of sunbaked herbs and the local cuisine follow you everywhere from the restaurants and food stalls.

Aventurine is pawning off your latest finds at yet another Bonajade Exchange branch (??? Seriously, how many branches does this pawn shop have?) while you’re enjoying yourself in the town square, having already picked up on supplies and sent them back to the ship. The town comes to life at night. There’s a live band playing on a stage set up a few minutes prior with people dancing and drinks being passed around openly even though you’re in the middle of the town square and not in a tavern. You indulge a little, but eventually decide you’ve had enough for the night after a few too many men were too insistent on buying you a drink even after you’ve declined their offers. 

The rocking motion of the ship would make most people nauseous, especially someone that just had a few drinks, but you’ve long since gotten used to being at sea. Solid ground underfoot feels unfamiliar now and you let out a content sigh once you’re finally back in your quarters. You get settled in for the night as you wait for your captain to return and proudly show off his earnings from a night of gambling, like he always does. A candle is lit, filling your space with warmth and light as you resume reading a book that Aventurine had picked up for you earlier today.

You’re not sure how long you read for, but when you next look up, you’re shocked at how dark it is outside. A quick glance at your candle that’s almost burnt-out on the nightstand tells you it’s been at least a few hours- and yet, no sight or sound of your captain onboard. It’s silent, save for the sloshing of the waves against the hull outside and the crackling of the wick’s flame as it fights for survival. 

Shouldn’t he be back by now?

Curious and concerned, you go searching. Knowing him, he’s either drinking or gambling the night away. With some guidance from the locals, you scout out every tavern and casino in town for him. A quick peek into the windows or door is enough for you- there’s no sign of his blond hair or ostentatious pirate hat anywhere. As an added bonus, catcalls follow you everywhere and it’s enough to make you want to punch your captain in the face when you do see him. 

After a while of running around, you’ve just about had it. You’re exhausted, it’s late, and there’s still no sign of him. Where the hell could he have run off to now?

At your wit’s end now, you look at your surroundings and realize you’ve ended up at a university. You do remember seeing a map of the town the day you docked and recall a university in the northernmost reaches of the town limits. This is probably it. And from the looks of it, it’s not that big. Just a few buildings make up the entire campus.

One thing you notice walking around is a flight of stairs leading up the cliffside to what you assume to be an observatory at the top. It’s not off-limits, so you take your chances and ascend the stairs. It’s a clear night and you’re sure you can get a great view of the town from here. But as you climb, you hear voices drifting down. One of them sounds vaguely like… your captain? 

You pick up the pace. The stairs are steep and uneven in some areas. Some steps are wet from what you presume is rainwater and you almost fall on several occasions. (The things you do for this man! He should be thankful that you’re always there to ensure his sorry ass stays in line.)

You’re not sure what you were expecting once you reached the observatory, but it certainly wasn’t… this. You see your captain alright, but he’s pressed against the railing that’s the only barrier between him and a long fall down to the turbulent waters beneath. A man with violet hair who you’ve never seen before faces him with his back toward you, pressing a gun against Aventurine’s chest. Strangely enough, Aventurine doesn’t look terrified. In fact, he seems to take delight in the precarious balance his life hangs in, even going so far as to press the barrel of the gun closer to his chest with that same taunting grin on his face all the while. His cheeks are flushed, but whether that be from alcohol or… something else is up for debate. You’re already used to his suicidal tendencies, but just seeing his face after the events of today pisses you off even more. 

“Come on, doc. It’ll be worthwhile, I promise. You surely can’t be satisfied in a place like this, am I right?”

“Captain.”

That blissful look on his face vanishes in an instant, replaced by realization and pure fear. The other man turns around and golden eyes meet your ticked-off gaze. You brush the stranger aside and storm over to Aventurine, who looks more terrified of your wrath than any weapon. 

“So this is where you’ve been this entire time. Did you lose track of time or something? Because it’s been hours since you were supposed to return! I was running around town, looking like an idiot trying to find you.”

He holds his hands up like he can defend himself from the onslaught coming his way. You jab your finger at his chest and he pouts as he looks away shamefully. 

“(Name), at least hear me out first!” he whines. When you raise an eyebrow, he points over at the other man, who clicks his tongue and pointedly looks away. 

“I found ourselves a potential third crewmate and was trying to convince him to join! But it doesn’t seem to be working… Care to try your hand?”

“That’s just another way of saying you’re pawning off the hard work to me!” you complain. And yet you humor his demands anyway.

“You are?” 

He hmphs and rolls his eyes. Already, he pisses you off. 

“Dr. Veritas Ratio, teacher and scholar. And you are?”

“Nurse (Name), working aboard the Lady Luck under the command of our Captain Aventurine.”

“... Said captain is on the verge of collapsing from alcohol poisoning behind you.”

It’s true. He’s clinging to the railing for dear life, the drinks from earlier catching up to him and hitting like a sledgehammer, you imagine. 

“Aeons, how much did you drink earlier?” you grumble as you hoist one arm over your shoulder and awkwardly drag him along. He merely hums and buries his nose into your hair, tripping over his two feet as he attempts to walk. 

“Mm… You smell nice, (Name). Like the new perfume I got you… hehe…”

“Answer the question, Captain.”

He opts to press his nose into your hair and inhale.

“Oh, not that much. Just… y’know… a couple tankards of beer.”

Meaning that he’s definitely had at least five of them and counting.

“… I’ve heard everything I needed to hear.”

Thankfully, Dr. Ratio seems to be adept at reading social cues and assists you with helping him down the stairs, albeit slowly and awkwardly. You invite him onto the ship and after taking a look around the medical quarters, he makes himself comfortable at your desk. He seems quite pleased, so you take it as some sort of roundabout compliment as you busy yourself with getting your captain to bed. You flip Aventurine over into the recovery position, who flops around aimlessly like a rag doll. Soon enough, you hear him faintly snoring. When you return, Dr. Ratio has taken one of the books shelved on your desk and began thumbing through it. 

“You have medical knowledge?” you ask once the door behind you is shut. He barely looks up from the book and continues flipping through its pages. 

“I have the title of ‘doctor’ for a reason.”

A doctor. An actual doctor. One step above you, a nurse. He had access to an education far out of your reach, and you had fought tooth and nail for yours. 

You can’t help but feel the first pangs of jealousy sink their claws into you and you avert your eyes, humiliated. What purpose would you have aboard the ship should he join as a doctor? What’s stopping your captain from deciding the man in front of you can do everything you can plus more and throwing you off the ship? Granted, any medical professional, doctor or not, is highly sought-after on pirate ships and you believe your captain is above tossing you aside after you’ve already proven your loyalty to him. But the knowledge that he will always be regarded as one step above you, seen as more valuable, is enough to leave a bitter taste in your mouth. 

“Overthinking things, are we?”

He meets your gaze with a sharp look of his own.

“Don’t give me that look. Only a fool who wallows in their own ignorance would do such a thing.”

You hadn’t realized you were glaring at him until now.

“Sorry,” you half-heartedly apologize, taking a deep breath to relieve the tight ball of anger in your chest. You just met this man; you know it’s not right to be pissed at him over something like this, but you can’t help it. You massage your temples and gesture for him to continue. 

“I am well aware that you are the longtime nurse aboard this ship, and while I have no doubt you’re just as ignorant as the other fools who proclaim themselves to be intelligent and respected in their fields-“

Is he insulting me to my face?!

“- I will acknowledge that you are at least deserving of your title for keeping you and this ship’s captain alive all this time. A commendable feat considering your lack of a higher education. I thus have no intention of stripping you of your role.”

… Well, that’s your biggest concern addressed. Although, was the remark about your lack of education really necessary?

Now no longer worrying about whether or not you’d find yourself back at that place you swore to leave behind, you relax.

“Then what is your intention?”

He huffs and dramatically snaps the book shut.

“I am first and foremost an educator! My mission is to spread knowledge across the world until ignorance is a cured disease. And yet, the board of trustees at the university are doing everything they can to get me to stay. What a pointless endeavor!”

You cast a doubtful glance at him.

“... But you’re a professor. A fresh batch of students is a fresh batch of minds to educate. Isn’t academia where you thrive?”

Dr. Ratio huffs, like he’s having to explain something repeatedly to a child that doesn’t understand. 

“Zero points! How can I possibly be content with my situation, knowing there’s a whole world of ignorance out there just waiting to be fixed? Besides, we don’t get many applicants per year.”

“Would you like a way out then?”

After a beat of silence, he sets your book down and turns to face you fully for the first time that night. You take in his ruby-rimmed golden eyes, the color of the sunset a few hours ago, that hold the weight of a genius’s expectations behind them. 

“Are you offering me a position aboard the ship?”

“That depends. What skills do you have?”

He puffs his chest out proudly.

“I have eight doctorates in the fields of biology, medicine, natural theology, philosophy, physics, mathematics, engineering… oh, and astronomy. You would be hard-pressed to not glean some value.”

That last part catches your attention.

“Astronomy, you say?”

We are in need of a dedicated navigator… Aventurine can’t be at the helm 24/7.

You turn your attention back to Dr. Ratio, who meets your gaze with a tilt of his head and a raised brow.

“Something on your mind?”

“Have you ever tried your hand at being a ship’s navigator?”

He doesn’t look surprised at your question. It’s like he was anticipating it.

“I can’t say I have,” he admits. “But with my knowledge, it should be child’s play.”

“Don’t say that about something you’ve never tried,” you caution. “If you’re really interested, meet me back here at the docks this time tomorrow night. We’ll see how you do.”

The next night, he’s waiting at the docks with several bags lying beside him. Hm, he must’ve packed all his belongings for a life at sea now. Aventurine whistles at him as you lead him aboard.

“Looks like you’ve made up your mind already, doc. Told you so.”

If looks could kill, Aventurine would be at the bottom of the sea right now. 

Once out on the deck, you hand him a sailing chart. Without a hitch, he dives right in. His spyglass is aimed at the sky as he examines the stars and their positions. With your help in hoisting the sails and Aventurine in steering the ship toward the right direction, you’re on track to your next destination.

“Not bad,” you praise. “You’ll need to learn how to steer the ship and how to hoist the sails, but you can learn that in due time.��

“That settles it then, I suppose,” comes Aventurine’s voice from behind. The soft glow of a tea candle flickering within a lantern fills the space as he steps into view.

“Welcome aboard, Ratio.”

He proves to be quite a skilled navigator, and you’re thankful you managed to snatch him up before any other pirate crew could. Even without a sailing chart or in stormy weather, he still manages to ensure you don’t veer off course. It’s truly remarkable, really, as even sailing from north to south is hardly a challenge for him.

He settles into the empty room next door to your quarters. Bookshelves line the walls from floor to ceiling, with several more stacked on his desk and bed. It perpetually smells like clean linens and chalk from the stash he burns through every week solving whatever problem piques his interest, written out on the rolling blackboard by the windows- or through hurling them at your captain with terrifying strength and speed. Sometimes, you’ll stop and stare at the board for a bit, only to give up after realizing you can’t understand a lick of it. It’s usually something physics or math related. If he’s in the room as well, he’ll try explaining it to you, but it all ends up flying over your head anyway. 

Soon enough, he lets you call him by his first name without the title out in front- a privilege not even your captain has. When not found on the deck, he can either be found reading and solving problems in his quarters, or hovering by your side.

“Rum mixed with… lime juice?”

You’re in the kitchen, surrounded by supplies. A new shipment of rum and citruses sits in the corner and you’re going through them, preparing the crew’s rations of alcohol.

You nod and toss the rinds over your shoulder into the garbage.

“Stagnant water on ships is a gold mine for diseases and pests. Alcohol is usually a safer alternative, and while the captain and I painstakingly ensure the water onboard is safe to drink…”

You shrug and take an experimental sip of the mixture. The strong burn of alcohol all but scorches your throat on the way down, but it’s a sensation you’ve long grown accustomed to, even liking it by now. The addition of lime makes you purse your lips and raise your brows approvingly. It would be even better with some sugar but alas, it’s a very costly material to transport, even by Aventurine’s standards.

“I suppose there are some vices that just can’t be shaken, like a pirate’s love for alcohol. The lime also prevents scurvy. I bet they don’t teach you this in med school, do they?”

Veritas begrudgingly shakes his head.

“We’re taught about the dangers of scurvy and waterborne disease obviously, but never resort to such… crude solutions.”

You laugh and push a glass toward him.

“Well, this is your life now, and you chose it. Better get used to how things are done around here.”

“I’m not saying I have anything against your methods, as crude as they may be,” he scoffs as he eyes the drink in front of him. You think you see a hint of nervousness in his eyes and smirk. Perhaps it’s Aventurine’s influence rubbing off onto you, but you spot a perfect opportunity to tease him.

“Drink up. Cheers,” you say, raising your glass in a toast. “It’s not half-bad, I promise.”

He lifts the glass to his lips and takes a hesitant sip before sputtering dramatically, face scrunched up in an amusing expression of disgust. You all but cackle at his reaction and down half your glass in one fell swoop.

“Liar,” is all he can manage out as he chugs water to chase away the burn of the drink.

“You’ll be singing the same tune I am in just a few months’ time. Just wait and see, I guarantee it.”

“Or that’s just your alcoholic tendencies speaking.”

“Never claimed I wasn’t one,” you respond with an eye roll as you finish the last bit of your drink. He looks at you with an expression of faux disgust as you leave, then looks down at his drink again as soon as the door closes. With a sudden burst of effort, he downs all of it. Veritas feels like he’s about to start breathing fire, but he holds it in for a few seconds before shakily exhaling.

“… It’s passable, I suppose. Five points.”

It’s some time after this that you welcome your fourth member aboard.

You’re docked at the only port to a mining town that, to your eyes, is on the verge of becoming a ghost town. It’s not winter yet, so the town hasn’t completely frozen over and snowed in (which is common this far north) but it’s still so bitingly cold. Supposedly, this is the warmest it gets year-round, but you still find yourself shivering underneath all your layers as you pace back and forth to prevent your limbs from turning into icicles. Even Aventurine, who likes to drink and gamble the day away after docking, keeps things on land as short as possible before running back to the ship to warm up. (Not like there are any taverns or casinos in a place this miserable anyway.)

You’re only here because there’s a severe storm blocking your way and this was the only port that you could dock at. All others, including the one you had left, were too far away to even consider rerouting to. Aventurine is absolutely miserable at the situation and you’re no better. Veritas is probably the worst of you three, being even more snippy than usual and holing up in his quarters. 

One thing you notice is the lack of trees. According to the locals, severe runoff from mining activities has led to trees spontaneously igniting from the industrial chemicals in the soil, leaving only burnt sticks behind. It’s quite sad, you think. The people here can’t even appreciate nature’s beauty. 

Another thing you noticed as soon as you docked are the heavy respirators the residents wear. There are newer models on the market that are lighter, smaller, and just plain better, but the ones you see look like metal helmets from times of war rather than medical devices. They’re old, archaic and clunky. They cover the entire face and you can hear every labored inhale and exhale through the little grate in front of the mouthpiece. 

It’s also so, so gray and dreary. A thick smog blankets the town thanks to the smokestack belching chemicals into the air. There’s a persistent acrid stench sticking to your clothes and skin and hair that no matter how hard you scrub, just won’t go away. Your throat feels scratchy and you’re always coughing and soon enough, you’re forced to don the same respirator everyone else does. You’re uncomfortably hot under the full face of metal and your neck is sore from its weight, while the vision in your left eye is always tinged red because of the glass used for the lens. You only wear it when you have to leave the ship, which is almost never. Aventurine laughed at how stupid you looked at first but before long, he was subjected to the same miserable fate as you.

“I can’t wait till we finally leave this place.”

“Tell me about it.”

On the day before you’re scheduled to finally depart, you decide to explore a bit further than you usually do. You hitch a ride with a resident past the outskirts of the town to the residential area. The pollution out here is significantly less, but still dangerously high by all standards. There’s actually vegetation out here! (Sparse blades of grass that haven’t been cut in ages and come up to your kneecaps. The soil is strangely wet and sticky and you wince after seeing the clumps of mud sticking to your shoes, even more so after recalling the extensive soil pollution plaguing the town.) Rows of identical concrete blocks are stacked alongside each other, meant to be bare-bones apartments. Faded slogans are painted onto the sides of them (“peace to the world!” is a common one you see) and there are small playgrounds out in front situated here and there.

It’s where you also find a girl around your age. She sits with her back to you as she hunches over something. It’s the bits of white hair peeking out from under the respirator that get your attention. You nudge the resident you’re walking alongside and look over at her.

“Who’s she?”

“Ah, that’s little Jelena. Though, she prefers to be called Topaz these days. Don’t ask me why.”

“What’s she working on?”

“Who knows? Beats me. All I know is she’s always mumbling something about leaving this place. Utter foolishness, if you ask me. Once you’re here, you’re never getting out.”

You stay put in your tracks examining her. She doesn’t seem to have noticed you, continuing with whatever she’s working on. The resident looks at you strangely but after a rushed and awkward wave goodbye, leaves.

“... Miss Topaz?”

She jolts and looks over her shoulder at you. Her respirator obscures her face but her posture is guarded and defensive. You can’t blame her.

“Who’re you? And how do you know my name?”

“A resident passing by told me.”

She takes a quick glance at you from head to toe.

“You’re not from here, are you?”

You laugh, hoping to dispel the tension and take a step forward. She looks a bit nervous, but hasn’t left yet. Good.

“What gave it away?”

“Nobody here has clothes that nice and clean. Or hair that shiny and well-maintained.”

She tugs on her own rags and choppy hair for emphasis. Sensing an opportunity, you sit down next to her and take your scarf off, wrapping it around her. Topaz jolts but stills when she feels how soft the material is. With a sudden effort, she yanks the respirator off her head and tosses it aside carelessly to bury her face further into the scarf.. The underlayer of her hair is a shockingly bright red. You match her actions and toss yours aside too. The acrid smell of polluted air hits your nose but you maintain a pleasant smile even though you want to scrunch your nose up and start coughing.  

“Keep it,” you say, patting her shoulders. She rolls the scarf fringe around between her fingers, marveling at how thick the yarn is and how it doesn’t fray immediately. “I have more clothes than I know what to do with.”

Topaz lets the scarf fall from her fingers and looks up at you behind untrimmed bangs.  

“... Who are you?”

She’s curious now. An enigmatic smile graces your face. 

“Would you like to know?”

A nod. 

“Nurse (Name), serving the Lady Luck, a vessel operated under the command of our pirate captain Aventurine.”

“... Pirates?”

Your gaze drifts to her workbook. There’s still questions in her eyes but she turns toward you a bit more to give you a better glance at what she’s working on, sensing your curiosity. A chart filled with lots of numbers and scribbled calculations all around it. 

“What’re you working on?”

“Accounting. I’m studying hard to get out of here. Everyone says I shouldn’t bother and just settle down with a husband already, but I have my sights set on something far greater than what this life can give me.”

You sympathetically hum and nod. There’s a loud squeak and something falls into your lap out of nowhere. It’s a… piglet?? Tiny for one as well. It squeals and flails around a bit in your lap until Topaz swoops in and lifts it up.

“Numby! Stop that!”

It squeals some more as Topaz continues lecturing it. You watch the exchange with a mix of confusion and concern for Topaz’s life.

“Is this… your pet?”

“Hm? Oh, yeah. This is Numby. They’re not just my pet though! They can accurately sense where riches are located and over the years, have even learned how to perform jobs related to security, debt collection, and actuarial sciences!”

The expression on your face must speak for yourself because she laughs and tosses you a gold coin. Numby squeals and flails in her arms, trying to go after it, but Topaz doesn’t budge. 

“Don’t believe me? Toss this coin out there and watch Numby go after it.”

You catch the coin deftly. Topaz covers Numby’s eyes and hands you a pocket knife. You raise an eyebrow.

“Go bury it. Give Numby a challenge. Not like it really is one, but make them jump over a hurdle or two.”

“You can use weapons?”

“Course I can.”

She looks up at the perpetually gray sky and the plumes of pollution being spewed out. 

“There’s not a lot of people here, but life is hard and sometimes people try to take out their frustrations on those around them. Crime is a lot more rampant than you’d expect in a place like this, and unless you want to be robbed completely defenseless, it’s a given to always have something on you.”

You feel like your lucky stars have aligned and all the Aeons themselves are smiling down on you. By Aventurine’s luck, this girl is everything you need all in one package! You feel like this is hardly real. 

“What weapons can you use?”

She shrugs. “Knives, mostly. They’re the most accessible around here. But I have experience with guns too. Swords as well. Nabbed them off the drunken sailors a while back to protect myself and Numby against some idiots who had the really bright idea to turn them into bacon.”

… You feel like you’re ascending right now. Everything is aligning exactly the way you need them to. 

“Stolen a few times before, eh? Looks like you’ve already got experience in piracy.”

She scowls at you and you take that as your cue to bury the coin. You choose a location that’s a few apartment blocks down from hers. The knife sinks easily into the sticky, polluted soil as you dig a little hole before burying the coin. You avoid getting any dirt on your hands, not wanting to even think about what the contamination could and would do to your skin…

“Finished,” you call out as you make your way back to her. Topaz lifts her hand from Numby’s eyes and with a slap to the rear, sends the piglet running. They run faster than you expected them to with their stubby legs and soon disappear from sight.

“They’ll be waiting for us where the treasure is. But in the meanwhile, we can walk and talk.”

The two of you begin walking side by side, this time with less tension in the air.

“What a drag it is being pressured to settle for less,” you empathize, shifting the conversation back to the earlier topic. “What do you want to be?”

“A businesswoman of sorts, climbing up the ladder until I’m sitting at the top. Then no one can tell me what to do.” Even as she walks, she still continues to work, her pencil flying across the page as she performs calculations faster than you can keep up with. 

You raise your eyebrows and let out an “ohhhhhhh” in response. A golden opportunity has presented itself. 

“Well, what do you want in life then?”

“... I suppose it’s to solve problems. There’s many of them that exist in this world and I like solving them. It makes me feel nice, knowing I’m doing something to improve people’s lives.”

“Why not a teacher or something similar then? You’re quite good at math, after all.”

She shakes her head. “Not enough jobs in education around here. The nearest school is in the neighboring town, which is over half an hour away. The nearest university is several hours away in the city. There’s no demand for education in these parts, so there’s no supply of jobs and the current positions are occupied by people who’d rather die than resign.”

She flips to the next page and dives right in. 

“But companies are always hiring, right? I heard from the sailors down at the dock that there’s a few that are rapidly growing and are in need of people. So that’s why I want to become a businesswoman. Because it’s the fastest way to achieve what I want- happiness. And that’s how a job should be.”

You drum your fingers along your arm excitedly and lean forward with a conspiratorial look on your face. Drawn in by your expression, Topaz can’t help but lean in a bit too. 

“What if I said that although I can’t land you a job at a big company, I can guarantee you riches and a chance to explore the world? You can also finally escape those annoying aunties who keep pestering you about marriage and sending men your way who you can’t even bear to look at,” you whisper, temptation and promise dripping from every word. 

Her pencil stills, she comes to a halt, and she looks at you fully for the first time. Her eyes are a brilliant purple with flecks of blue and yellow. Despite the harsh conditions surrounding her, they still retain plenty of life. Quite different from Aventurine, you think. Makes you wonder what he went through to have the life sucked out of his eyes. 

But soon enough, there’s a scowl back on her face and she begins walking again. 

“Money is a means, not an end. I may be poor, but I’m not studying out of greed. Work should make you happy. If that’s all there is to offer, then I won’t be happy and I can’t have that happening.”

“How does solving long-buried mysteries sound? It should scratch that problem-solving itch of yours.”

She hesitates and you can tell she’s starting to seriously consider your offer. You just have to keep pushing and choosing your words carefully. 

“I don’t see how piracy helps anyone though,” she says stubbornly and you mentally sigh. She really wants to know what she’s getting herself into, huh? But that’s already two of her three needs you’ve got checked off and you already have a counterargument prepared for this. 

“We only search for and discover buried treasure that no one has laid claim to and is free game for all interested pirates,” you calmly respond. “None of that town-looting business you might hear about from the sailors down at the dock. And should you wish to donate your share of money earned to philanthropic organizations or invest it elsewhere… you’re more than welcome to. We won’t stop you.”

From the look on her face, victory has already been secured. And yet, she looks uncertain. Unsure.

“But… Why me? Why little Jelena from this run-down mining town when there are so many smart, talented people out there waiting to be discovered?”

There’s a loud squeal up ahead and Numby is jumping up and down in front of the spot you had buried the coin. Topaz unearths it with the knife and pulls out the dirt-stained coin. So she was right. Even better. 

You reach your hand out to her, just like how you did when you made your offer to Aventurine and Veritas.

“Why, it’s simple. We both get what we want. You get a ticket out of here and a hefty share of our riches, while we get a capable bookkeeper who prevents our captain from gambling away too much money, plus a master gunner who’ll defend the ship from foes.”

Your hand remains extended. She stares at it, then at you disbelievingly.

“I…”

You wave the gold coin you plucked out of her gloved hands without her noticing and wave it in front of her face. 

“Every investment has its risks, right? I suppose it’s natural to want to pick the one that has the least risk involved when you’re putting down something as important and uncertain as your future as collateral. But you’re still young with plenty of time left and dreams unfulfilled. If you play it safe, you won’t be able to make a killing later on in life. My days are freer now. All of us are. And I know that freedom to do as you please is what’ll bring you that happiness you so desire.”

Silence greets you. You swallow nervously. (You hope she didn’t see it.) You’re no businessperson, but you know an opportunity when you see it. And this is one you absolutely cannot let slip through your fingers. You’re gripping the coin as tight as you can and your hands are cold and clammy beneath your gloves. 

Her shoulders begin to shake. Your hand twitches and you think you’ve somehow upset her until she begins to laugh heartily. It’s loud and free, echoing off the walls of the apartment blocks. It’s the prettiest sound you’ve heard in this whole town. 

“Wow, talk about a win-win situation! Just the way I like to go about doing business. Nurse (Name), I’ll be under your care going forward!”

She whistles for Numby, who comes running over, oinking. 

“... You’re not bringing anything else with you? We don’t have to leave immediately, you know. We still got a whole day before we leave.”

Topaz shakes her head and lifts Numby onto her shoulders. 

“Nothing worth bringing along. Besides, what’s a better way to signify a fresh start in life by leaving everything behind?”

“Not saying goodbye either?”

Her enthusiastic demeanor fades to something more solemn and her pace slows.

“... No one here supports my dreams. If they didn’t support me from the very start, they don’t deserve to see me at my proudest.”

You hitch a ride back to the docks with another resident. On the way back, Topaz nudges you in the side.

“Are you sure you aren’t a businessperson? That was a very solid offer you drafted and presented to me back there. I couldn’t have done much better myself. You’ve even got the silver tongue for success as well. Perhaps an ambassador of sorts, at the very least?”

You laugh and brush aside her compliments.

“I’m truly flattered, but I really am just a nurse onboard… oh. Right.”

“... Is something the matter?”

“It’s just… I never told our Captain that a fourth member might be joining us. Ah… he’s in for quite the surprise when we get back to the docks.”

In my defense, it’s not like I could’ve told him anyway while I was so far away from our ship… 

Her face falls. Wait, you can’t have this happening already! Not when you just convinced her to join!

“I’ll vouch for you,” you quickly reassure. “He may be annoying and difficult to work with, but he’s not unreasonable. Besides, I’ve been a crewmate for the longest. If there’s anyone he’s going to listen to, it’s me.”

You find Aventurine lounging around in his quarters when you return. He gets up to welcome you back with an eager grin and an embrace, but pauses when he sees Topaz and Numby behind you.

“Oh? Who’s this?”

You plant yourself between them.

“Topaz, meet Captain Aventurine. You’ll be working under him from this day forward.”

As per his usual nature, he merely laughs and extends his hand. Topaz firmly grasps and shakes it. 

“A new recruit,” he chuckles. “Welcome aboard the Lady Luck then. We could always use some more helping hands around here. (Name), why don’t you go show her around the ship?”

But there’s a look in his eyes that follows you into the late hours of the night, through showing her the layout of the ship and introducing her to Veritas who looked as if he couldn’t care less, and the extravagant dinner to celebrate her arrival.

You and I need to talk.

It’s only after everyone has gone to sleep that Aventurine seeks you out. Topaz is sleeping soundly in your bed and you’re leaning against the doorframe outside, waiting for him. When he does appear, the usual carefree smirk is gone, instead replaced by a more serious expression.

“Really? A new crewmate without my-”

You violently shush him.

“She’s sleeping!” you hiss. He rolls his eyes but listens all the same.

“... I’m not saying I’m doubting your ability to seek out talented people,” he begins, voice a whisper this time. “But what if she betrays us? And we’ve been just fine so far with the three of us. What can she do that we can’t?”

You roll your eyes.

“Aventurine-”

“Kakavasha.”

“What?”

His intense gaze doesn’t waver. Ghost fire sprouts from his fingertips and dances wildly around him. A wisp lands on your hand. It’s warm, pleasantly so. 

“Kakavasha. That’s my real name. Call me that, but only when we’re alone.”

“... Really? You decide to finally open up in the middle of an argument?” you grumble. “There’s a time and place for everything, y’know…”

He blinks at you innocently and you resist the urge to push him overboard. Instead, you settle for coughing and swatting the wisp of ghost fire away from you.

“... As I was saying, Captain Kakavasha, she won’t betray us.”

“A bold statement to make with such confidence. How can you say for certain?”

“Kakavasha, this girl came from nothing. You saw the state of town she grew up in. No friends, no connections, no way out. But we gave her the escape she’s been looking for. She won’t sell us out, not while she’s indebted to us.”

You hear a sudden noise behind the door and freeze. It’s silent for several more agonizing moments until you finally relax. She probably just shifted around in her sleep. You really hope she didn’t wake up or hear any of that…

“But if she decides to leave of her own accord to chase her dream further, then who are we to stop her? Of course, even if she tries to turn us in, the authorities won’t be able to catch us,” you joke, trying to ease his fears. 

Aventurine hums. He doesn’t look moved.

“So? What can she do that we can’t?”

… But he doesn’t press the prior topic any further so you assume it’s ok for now.

You beam and hold out the workbook you swiped off her earlier. 

“Captain, we’ll have a dedicated accountant on board now! Just look at this. I saw her complete this entire page in no more than five minutes! Not only is she fast, but she’s accurate! Here, check for yourself if you don’t believe me.”

Aventurine takes it and examines it with an air of disinterest surrounding him. He glances at it for a few seconds before tossing it back.

“Yeah, it’s all correct.”

“But that’s not all!” you continue. “Her little pet that’s always following her? Apparently, they’re skilled in security, debt collection, and actuarial sciences!”

The silence that follows your statement speaks for itself.

“... Don’t look at me like that.”

“Are you drunk right now, (Name)?”

“Hey!” you exclaim indignantly, before remembering that Topaz is still asleep. “I am not! I’ll admit, I was just quoting her claims but her pet is really good at detecting treasure. I buried a gold coin and they found it with no trouble. Kakavasha, imagine how useful they would be.”

“Pigs are a symbol of good luck aboard a ship…” he mumbles to himself and it’s a sign you’re a step closer to convincing him.

“... Should we introduce her to Jade?” you ask. Aventurine looks at you like you’re insane. Then, as if considering your offer, looks at your door as if seeing through it to the girl sleeping in your bed.

“I know you’re good at math and business too, but wouldn’t it be nice to have someone else equally as skilled on board? With a bit of refinement from Jade, she’ll be just as qualified as any other licensed professional out there,” you plead.

He shakes his head. “If you want me to be the bookkeeper as well, I can do that no problem. If you’re adamant about her joining, you’ll have to try harder than that.”

“You’re a pain in the ass.”

“Your pain in the ass, sweetheart.”

“Shut up and don’t call me that, especially right now,” you growl. He merely hums and smiles, his expression strangely cat-like. He wants to make things difficult for you? Fine. Time to bring out the big guns then.

“She’s skilled with weapons.”

“...”

“...”

“How skilled? And with what types?”

Checkmate. 

“Knives, mostly. But she has experience with guns and swords too.”

You can practically see the gears turning in his head and hear his thoughts. He must be thinking about the weapons piled away in the armory with no one skilled enough to use them. With Topaz on board, they’d be put to good use for once- and after enough training from her, there was nothing the crew would fear.

“... Of course, I still have to personally see what she’s capable of.”

He glances at the clock hanging above his dresser mirror. 

“I’ll see to it tomorrow morning. Tell her to meet me on the deck first thing after waking up. I’ll be testing her aim and accuracy, among other factors.”

You’re woken up the next morning by the sound of gunshots. Several of them. Thinking you’re under attack, you scramble to your feet and stumble onto the deck only to see Topaz shooting some bottles lined up on the railing- and she’s hitting every one of them. 

Aventurine takes in the sight of you in your pajamas and unbrushed hair. A snort escapes him. 

“Good morning, my lovely nurse. Did you sleep well?”

… The nerve of this man. Then again, he did warn you the night before, so it’s not like you can blame him for your own forgetfulness. 

He stops you before you can storm off though, beckoning Topaz over.

“Congratulations,” he says while clapping. “Thanks to my beloved’s recommendation and your mastery over weapons, I hereby welcome you aboard the ship as our master gunner, Topaz.”

She excitedly shakes his hand before enveloping you in a bone-crushingly tight hug.

“Thank you! I promise I won’t let you down. I’ll pay you back double- no, triple the amount of investment you’ve put in me. And I always deliver on my promises!”

Your thoughts are a whirlwind as you watch her run down to where your quarters are.

… But I never saw it as you owing me?

Aventurine’s light laughter pulls you out of your thoughts. You scowl at him as he stops before you, gently combing out the tangles in your bedhead with his fingers.

“Stop referring to me by those pet names. People are going to get the wrong idea about us.”

“Oh? I wouldn’t mind that one bit.”

“Veritas has already been giving me strange looks whenever he sees us two together. Add Jele- Topaz into the mix and I don’t think I’ll be able to handle it.”

“Handle what? Sweetheart, it’s just the four of us out on the open sea!”

He spins you around in his arms and you let yourself be dragged along.

“That’s exactly what I mean! And don’t ‘sweetheart’ me!”

“Sure, sure. Whatever you say, sweetheart.”

“You-!”

Topaz settles into the room across the hall from yours. While the space is initially barren, it quickly gets filled up thanks to you. She raids your overflowing wardrobe and takes whatever interests her periodically and half the time, you don’t even realize what she stole thanks to your captain constantly spoiling you. Cosmetics are another common victim of her theft, but it’s more noticeable, especially if it’s a perfume. Books that you’ve finished are piled up in her room and she’ll often come to you with questions about your thoughts after she’s finished reading one. Numby has their own little bed at the foot of hers and you’ll frequently see them chasing Doubloon around the deck. 

It seems that Topaz is good at everything and anything she sets her mind to, because she becomes frighteningly skilled with weapons in a short period of time. Every day, she holds lessons teaching you all how to use an array of weapons, and she’s quite the skilled teacher too. But when class isn’t in session, she can often be found out on the main deck during a sunny day, humming a tune to herself as she cleans out the many pricey pistols and rifles you’ve plundered over the course of your journeys. Or by your side, but that’s a given by now. 

She also gets… seasick. Rather easily too. It’s her one fatal weakness. She gets used to it over time, but if the seas are rougher than usual, it’s guaranteed that you’ll find her hurling into the ocean, face pale and hair sticking to her forehead. And sometimes, it’ll still happen even when the seas are calm! It gets to the point where she’s so fed up she goes to Aventurine himself and demands answers. But he merely tips his head back and laughs.

“That’s the Lady Luck for you! She’s a fickle one like her namesake. Sometimes, she’ll try and drown you just for spite. She keeps even me on my toes at all times and I’m her captain. Isn’t that right?”

Aventurine pats the shiny wooden helm. As if responding to him, she creaks and rolls precariously even though the waves are calm. 

The four of you now are a complete crew. Incredibly small by all means, but a crew that operates smoothly like a well-oiled machine and one to be feared. 

As there’s so few of you on board, all of you have to double down, or even triple down, on roles. Veritas is simultaneously the boatswain and navigator, while Topaz is master gunner and master at arms while also being the bookkeeper. You’re “the ship’s beloved nurse”, as so lovingly referred to by Aventurine, while also being the quartermaster. Smaller roles such as cooking and carpentry are handled on a day by day basis and whoever’s available at the moment- although it usually ends up being you after Numby ran amok in the kitchen and almost burnt the ship down.

Guess being second in command is the bare minimum you deserve after being with him the longest among everyone on board. Although, there’s no real sense of hierarchy when there’s only four of you in total… 

Unlike other pirate captains out there, he wasn’t a rich man or a legitimate captain or even a high-ranking officer on a private vessel before becoming captain. Rather, there’s almost nothing known about him and it’s what makes others regard him with suspicion. How can a man who started off with nothing sail the seas with such ease, outshining even those who were born with a silver spoon in their mouths? 

But it’s all forgotten about in the face of his achievements- always going where no man has dared gone before and finding treasures beyond a pirate’s wildest imagination, as well as discovering several legendary treasures that have been lost for generations. Sea monsters that have been terrorizing ships for years meet their watery demise by your hand with Topaz leading the fray. Even the harshest of seas and weathering three days and nights with little sleep and food isn’t enough to shake your spirits. Mythical beasts meet death one after another and it’s around after the third creature slayed- a kraken whose single tentacle was longer than your ship measured from prow to stern, strong enough to crush her hull into splinters with ease- that you know you’ve made a name for yourselves. Whispers follow you everywhere you go on land and you’ll always hear dramatized retellings of your battles and treasures discovered while passing by taverns. 

The bounty on your heads also increases with each treasure you discover. It wasn’t until the four of you banded together that wanted posters started being put out. The amounts offered started off small at first, but after more and more valuable treasures were discovered, the number of zeros at the end keeps increasing until it’s the staggering number it is today. It becomes a point of pride, seeing how quickly the amount offered spikes with each town you stop at and you’ll have a good laugh over it, especially if the authorities think they’re fast enough to arrest you. You’ll take your sweet time fleeing as officials scurry after you like drunken idiots with two left feet- and giving them a fair share of trouble too. By the time they catch up with you at the port, you’re already long gone with a stash of stolen weapons and alcohol onboard- and a horrifyingly long tab under their name at the local tavern.

All the while having a crew of only three under Aventurine’s command. Truly a once-in-a-lifetime kind of pirate captain.

As word spreads from port to port about his unbelievable luck in finding treasure, his reputation grows and so does the number of people looking to join his crew. At every port, he welcomes anyone wishing to join with open arms. But not everyone is worthy of joining. You secretly put every applicant through a series of tests to see if they’re qualified including, but not limited to: seeing what skills they have to offer that you don’t possess already, if they can handle Ratio’s admittedly hardass personality at times, if they can satisfactorily perform the jobs of upwards of three people, as well as their motives among others. 

And of course, dealing with Aventurine. He’s in a category of his own. 

As expected, none of them last more than an hour. Shame. More hands on deck would always be appreciated.

All of this leads to your reputation as a small but tight-knit crew that would defend each other to the death. Regardless of the size or might of the ship that dares to challenge you, you always emerge victorious. Whether it be down to dumb luck or the collective desire to protect home, no one makes it out alive after encountering you. It’s enough to tell other pirate crews to steer clear, especially after you had considerably roughed up other crews more than twice your size. After the first few encounters that resulted in many dead pirates, you all decide to raise a red flag. It warns others that your crew will refuse to spare the lives of any opponent that comes your way. You’ve actually seen ships turn and head the other way after seeing yours. Now, whether that be from the red flag or upon recognizing the Lady Luck, you’re not sure, but it means less work for you either way, so you aren’t keen on prying too deep. 

Surprisingly, Aventurine doesn’t like to settle things with a duel unless he has to. Rather, his preferred method is with a game. He’ll invite the captain of the other ship below deck for a game of poker or blackjack rather than clashing swords and guns. The wager? The same as usual- the lives of the crew and the supplies on board. The loser and his crew would have to walk the plank and all treasures aboard would be handed over to the winning party. It’s not often it happens, but it’s still a nerve-wracking experience each time. Topaz had nearly passed out from anxiousness the first time he’d bet her life alongside yours and Ratio’s not long after she’d joined, while Ratio had lifted Aventurine up by the collar and nearly thrown him overboard. It was only thanks to your intervention and pleading that your captain hadn’t met his end that day.

… Safe to say, many a pirate crew have lost their lives and treasure this way. 

Like the crew that was idiotic enough to challenge Aventurine’s luck and consequently met their end just a few minutes ago. 

You watch as the captain of the ship anchored across from yours goes overboard with a resounding splash. His crew had already jumped before him. 

“That’s the last of ‘em,” says Topaz as she confirms with the spyglass. “Ratio and Cap’n are going through and seeing what treasure they had. But what would we do about their ship?”

“Leave it. We don’t have any cannons on board to blast it to smithereens and it's not worth adding another vessel to our fleet.”

Veritas and Aventurine push several treasure chests across the gangplank. Once the last of them are on your ship, Veritas lifts the gangplank and weighs the anchor and soon, you’re off again. 

“Let’s see what we have in here,” says Aventurine as you all stroll over curiously. He pops the lids off the chests and collective “oohs” and “aahs” fill the air as you marvel at the sparkling treasure filled to the brim inside. Aventurine lets out an appreciative whistle and lets a handful of multicolored gemstones slip through his fingers. 

“Have at it. Go and take your pick.”

Veritas snatches up the sailing charts while Topaz lays claim to the abundance of weapons. Her eyes are sparkling as she looks at the weapons in much need of some love and a deep-cleaning, and you can already tell what she’ll be up to for the next week or so. Meanwhile, you go through the chests with slim hope they’ll contain some medical supplies. To your disappointment, but not surprise, you find none. You instead settle on some pearl jewelry that catches your eye. 

“You guys barely took anything,” comments Aventurine as he peers into the chests again. “They’re still practically full.”

“That’s because gold and jewelry can only get us so far,” you remind him as he steps behind you to fasten the string of pearls around your neck. The cold metal of his nail guards and warmth of his fingertips lightly brushing over the nape of your neck make you shudder. From the faint chuckle that escapes him, your action didn’t go unnoticed. 

“Credits are where it’s really at,” adds Topaz as she gets to sharpening and polishing a sword. Aventurine rolls his eyes and scoffs.

“Of course the budding businesswoman would say that.”

He barely ducks out of the way in time to avoid Numby being chucked toward his head. 

Heavy wind and rain batters the Lady Luck later that night. But it’s cozy and warm beneath the deck in your dining room. Mismatched dishes and cups cover the round table the four of you are seated around, the food having long since been polished off. Numby is in a food coma by Topaz’s feet and Doubloon purrs contentedly in your lap. Veritas had gone off to bed earlier and Topaz is mumbling incoherently to herself, having drank more than she usually does in one sitting. With Aventurine’s help, you help Topaz to her feet and tuck her into bed while Numby sleepily trots after you. 

The two of you are back in the kitchen, silently doing the dishes and cleaning the space. When you’re finished, you bid him goodnight until you feel his hand latch onto your sleeve.

“What is it?”

“... Stay. Please.”

“... Captain, did you have too much to drink at dinner earlier?”

“I’m fine,” he grumbles. “Not even tipsy.”

The pink flush on his cheeks makes you doubt his words, but you let him lead you toward his quarters. The space is warm and extravagantly decorated. Atlases and maps are piled atop the heavy wooden desk in the corner with several candles burning throughout that fill the room with light. His wardrobe is even more packed than yours, overflowing to the point where you can barely make out the original floor beneath the heaps and piles of clothing. You carefully step over what you believe is a pile of silken robes on the way to his bed, where you lay him to sleep amongst the many fluffy pillows and heavy blankets covering the mattress. 

He stops you again as you’re about to leave.

“Don’t.”

“Captain, you have to go to sleep soon.”

“I’m not tired,” he argues childishly. “I have something I need to tell you.”

The uncharacteristic seriousness of his voice has you straightening up. You cast a glance at the door to ensure it’s locked as he sits up and drapes a luxurious fur over your shoulders. He pats the empty space next to him and after a moment of hesitation over the implications of getting into bed with your captain, you join him. 

“Truth be told, I haven’t been able to sleep lately,” he laments. “I’ve been plagued by nightmares…”

It’s only now you notice the dark circle under his exposed eye and a pang of guilt strikes your heart. You cautiously remove the bejeweled eyepatch and expose his blind eye- a privilege granted to only you- and frown at the sight.

“How long has this been going on for?”

“A while now,” he grumbles. You click your tongue and your frown deepens.

“Why didn’t you come to me about this earlier?”

Aventurine rolls his eyes. 

“Please. It’s nothing worth worrying your pretty head over.”

The remark has the opposite effect he intended. You glare at him and angrily tug on his ear.

“Captain, I think you’ve forgotten this, but it’s our duty to ensure you’re fit to sail even if you do piss us off to no extent at times. I’m responsible for ensuring you’re in good health, Topaz is responsible for making sure we can defend ourselves, while Ratio is in charge of making sure we don’t veer off course. We are all your responsibility just as much as you are ours.” 

He sighs and looks away. Figures. He should’ve known better than to expect you’d let his neglectfulness slip by the wayside. Meanwhile, you roll your neck and irritatedly sigh. 

“You mentioned nightmares. Do you want to talk about them?”

He keeps avoiding eye contact. With a resigned sigh, you lean against him languidly, head resting on his shoulder. Aventurine stiffens, clearly not used to touch, but relaxes after a few seconds. A hand comes to grasp yours. 

“... They always start off the same way,” he begins. “We’re lost at sea somehow and there’s always foul weather. Amidst the lighting, a ghost ship is illuminated.”

He swallows. 

“We then investigate that ship to discover that her hull is filled to the brim with gold and treasures alike, but no captain or crew on board.”

Aventurine begins fiddling with the poker chip he always carries on him. 

“And this is where things can change. Sometimes, I’ll turn and see that she’s hung you all before my eyes. Other times you’ll all have gone overboard, drowned by a rogue wave snatching everyone up except for me. Sometimes she’ll even steal my sight. Either way, they all end the same way. I’m cursed to be her captain forever, sailing the seas without an end in sight. A captain that didn’t go down with his ship and left without a crew.”

He lets out a dry, humorless laugh and tucks the chip back into his pocket. You swallow dryly.

“Do you think it has anything to do with…?”

You look down at his hands, then back up at him. He doesn’t meet your gaze.

“... How much do you know?”

It sounds more like a threat than a question- but a weak one at that. You scoff and take his hands in yours, taking care to remove the nail guards one by one as well.

“What do you mean by that? Kakavasha, you know by now I couldn’t care less about who you are. And honestly, I’m kind of offended that you think I would,” you sigh as you remove his hat and the teal bandana wrapped around his head. “All this time together and I was under the impression you held me in higher regard than that.”

“Cut the theatrics,” he grumbles. You toss his hat and bandana off to the side and pull the blankets snugly over you both. 

“But a ghost ship, hm?” you say, eyeing the stack of open books on his desk. “That’s never a good sign. Surely we’re not sailing towards our imminent deaths, right?”

He draws you closer as you roll over onto your stomach and gaze up at him with sleepy eyes. He feels his heart somersault at the proximity and your warmth seeping into the sheets. It’s an unfamiliar feeling he’s not quite comfortable with yet and tries to play it off with a laugh.

“I’d sure hope not.”

But it’s the first time he’s met your gaze this entire night. You meet his eyes unflinchingly, as you always do, with a lazy smile as you shift onto your side. 

“... There’s no storm that Veritas can’t lead us out of,” you quietly reassure. “No monster that Jelena can’t kill. No injury that I can’t heal.”

A hand sneaks out from beneath the covers to grasp his.

“And no captain better fit to lead us through the storm than you. So chin up, ok? We’ll make it out together on the other side surrounded by calm seas just fine.”

Aventurine shakily exhales. There’s still more on his mind but… forget it. They’re not worth worrying you over.

“... If you say so, sweetheart.”

“‘Course I do. Because I believe in your abilities.”

He stares at you disbelievingly before bursting out into laughter.

“You really are something, you know? Something so incredible I could practically kiss you right now.”

“Then do it.”

Your gaze is steadfast like it’s always been ever since joining. Not once have you ever flinched away from witnessing every aspect about him, both pretty and ugly. Every reckless, stupid, horrible decision he’s ever made was an attempt to chase you off the ship so you wouldn’t see him for who he really is. But for some reason, whether it be your persistence or having figured out his motives, you’ve stuck around. 

He’s a coward of a man at heart, but you’ve surely seen through his grandeur by now. You may pretend to be a mere nurse, but Aventurine knows that’s far from the case. You surely have to know his biggest, darkest secret by now, yes?

“And if I don’t?”

“Then I’ll tell Ratio that you’re the one who’s been leaving obscene doodles on his chalkboard and Topaz that you’re the reason for Numby’s sudden weight gain.”

“Seems like my hand has been forced,” he chuckles. “Fine. You win this round, my beloved nurse.”

The rain continues pouring outside, but it’s still warm and dry beneath the deck. And if one kiss leads to something that lasts until the candles burn out, then… 

That’s a secret for you to keep then, yes?

It’s not the sun that wakes you the next morning. Rather, it’s the weight of a blond man sprawled out on top of you that does. 

“Kakavasha… get off me. You’re heavy and I can’t breathe.”

“Mmm… no. You’re comfy.”

His arms tighten around your waist as you flail around and try to shake him off. 

“Captain, your duties and crew await you! Let go of me!”

After some more incessant squirming and an accidental kick to his stomach, he finally relents. You shake him off and get ready for the day, trying to not think about what transpired last night as you change and do your makeup. The mere thought of it is enough to make your face heat up several degrees… 

When you’re finished, you peek into his room on the way to the main deck out of curiosity, only to see he’s still in the same spot you left him in. When he sees you glaring at him disapprovingly from the doorway, he perks up.

“Help me get ready?”

“Captain, you are a grown ass man.”

“Pretty please?”

He hurries to his feet and scurries over, before sinking to his knees and wrapping his arms around your waist. He fixates you with those big, watery dual-colored eyes and you just can’t bring yourself to say no even though you know he’s playing you like a fiddle

“... Fine. But just this once. And not a word to Ratio and Topaz, got it?”

“Understood, my dear nurse!”

You start by all but tossing his clothes toward him, then turning and facing the other way resolutely as he gets dressed.

“Won’t you help your poor captain out here?”

A loud “oof!” escapes him as you toss his long coat over your shoulder. The weight of it, gold embellishments and gems and all, knocks him flat on his back and onto his bed again. He takes his sweet time getting dressed after that, grumbling all the while until he’s done. 

The wealth of accessories he wears are next. Aventurine slips on the pair of golden anchor earrings that are as heavy as one as you layer his necklaces the way he likes them. He preens like a bird under your attention and you have to fight back the comment likening him to a peacock that brews on the tip of your tongue. 

You re-wrap the bandana around his head before placing his hat on slightly tilted- just the way he likes it. Almost done. Just one last touch before he’s ready. You pull out a tin of salve and dab it onto the scar over his eye. Aventurine scrunches his nose up in distaste at the strong herbal smell, but lets you do as you please. You pat it dry and secure his eyepatch, nodding in satisfaction at your handiwork. 

“Perfect. There’s our captain, ready to command and conquer the seas.”

“I think you meant to say my captain, especially after last night. Weren’t you the one-”

You shut him up with a zealous kiss to the lips that has him sighing in bliss when you pull away, a dazed expression on his face and a pretty shade of pink on his lips that matches the one on yours. 

For such an eccentric man, he sure can be predictable when you have him dancing in the palm of your hand. 

The skies are cloudier and darker than you’d like them to be when you step out onto the deck. It’s also quite windy too. Veritas is lowering one of the sails while Topaz is on lookout duty. Upon seeing the two of you hand in hand, the former scoffs and rolls his eyes while the latter whistles obnoxiously.

“Good morning to you two lovebirds! I take it you had some fun last night?”

You chuck a pastry you had nabbed from the kitchen at Topaz to shut her up. She catches it deftly with one hand while Numby jumps up and down around her, pleading for a bite, but at least it worked. Meanwhile, Veritas is glaring at you with disgust in his eyes.

“What?” you ask innocently.

“I couldn’t sleep a wink last night.”

Oh. Oops.

“You’re just complaining because you’re jealous, doc,” interjects Aventurine with an arm thrown around your shoulder. The purple-haired man scowls angrily and turns on his heel, storming away angrily while grumbling something about the too-thin walls on the ship.

“And wipe that lipstick mark off your mouth,” he snaps at Aventurine. His face flushes guiltily while you snicker behind your hand. 

Topaz lifts the spyglass away with a worried look on her face.

“Cap’n, there’s a storm brewing up ahead. A pretty intense one from the looks of it and because the winds are reaching us out here already.”

Normally, he’d laugh such concerns off and lazily give the order to circle around it. But this time, he wordlessly takes the spyglass from her and looks out toward the horizon where dark storm clouds are gathering and swirling.

“... Turn around.”

You think you’ve misheard him and so does everyone else.

“What?”

“Turn the ship around,” he quickly orders as he places the spyglass back into Topaz’s hands and hurries over to the helm. “If we go now at full sail, we should be able to outrun it until it dies out.”

Ratio and Topaz share confused looks but do as he says, obediently hoisting all the sails as Aventurine spins the wheel. The Lady Luck slowly turns around and soon she’s sailing ahead at full speed. Even so, the storm clouds aren’t getting any smaller. 

There’s a level of urgency etched into Aventurine’s face that you haven’t seen before as he pushes the Lady Luck to her limits. His hands grip the wheel so tightly you think that any more and the wood would crack. It’s as if he’s trying to outrun something, especially with how often he looks back over his shoulder at the encroaching clouds blanketing the sky in pitch-black darkness. 

Even sailing at near-top speeds, you still aren’t able to outrun the storm. Heavy clouds that bring with them an oppressive humidity and electrical charge to the air roll in rapidly, surrounding you on all four sides. There’s a strange buzz in the air and your hair begins to stand on end. There’s a small patch of clear sky in front of you that’s your only escape, and it’s rapidly shrinking. 

Come on, just a little faster… just a little more…!

Her prow just barely breaks free of the storm when a sudden flash of lightning temporarily blinds you all. When you open your eyes again, it’s so dark you can only see a few paces in front of you. Not a single shred of light escapes the thick storm clouds rolling overhead that have finally completely moved in, and you realize the sky is tinged a sickly green when lightning flashes. The air is heavy and humid and mere seconds later, heavy, fat raindrops fall from the clouds, splattering angrily against the deck. The temperature plummets and the raindrops condense into giant hailstones, harshly stinging your skin as they pelt you and the deck with harsh cracks. The slippery surface of the deck and angry seas tossing the ship around as if she weighs nothing make it so that you’re constantly sliding into walls and hitting things. 

You’re surrounded by the storm with no way out in sight.

Ratio lowers the sails as fast as he can and jumps down the second he’s done. Mere milliseconds later, the boom swings about violently toward the spot he was just at. A moment sooner and he would’ve surely died upon impact.

You regroup by Aventurine’s side, who’s staring at the churning waters with barely-concealed horror. Towering, white-capped waves crash mercilessly against her hull and spill onto the deck. The salty spray of the ocean shoots up as high as the masts and stings your eyes. The continuous gusts of winds threaten to rip the sails off the masts and howl against your ears. The Lady Luck rolls violently amidst the choppy waves and your stomach twists into knots at every drop. Poor Topaz is already throwing up over the side of the ship and Ratio is starting to look a little green. 

“So this is it then,” he murmurs under his breath, so quietly you think only your ears heard it. Before you can respond, he gets ahold of himself and gives the order to tie down everything that isn’t secured and for all hands on deck. Veritas and Topaz stumble off first, making quick work of the ship, but you linger by his side a bit longer.

“This is no natural storm, is it?”

“... No,” he responds, his voice clipped as he fights to keep the Lady Luck buoyant. “It isn’t.”

You’re emerging from your quarters when you think you hear a melodic voice drifting over the choppy waves, singing an unknown yet enchanting tune. For all your time spent in taverns and performing in them, you’ve never heard anyone with a voice even close to the one you’re hearing right now. The voice is clear and high-pitched and whoever’s singing hits every note perfectly. You feel yourself go limp and you begin seeking out the voice, even getting up on shaky legs before Veritas yanks you back down. With the last of his strength, he shoves wax into your ears before he too falls victim to the song. Topaz, with her ears safely covered, takes the initiative and with your help, manages to subdue him enough for you to plug his ears. Not an easy task for a man of his size and build actively struggling against your hold. 

You’re practically deaf now. All you can hear is the loudest of the waves crashing against the ship’s hull and the thunder booming directly overhead. Topaz roughly shakes you and you manage to make out what she’s saying even with the heavy rain obscuring your vision.

“What about our captain?!”

Ice courses through your veins. She’s right. You were so caught up in saving yourselves that you’ve left your captain completely defenseless. Oh no.

But when you look around, you see your captain still at the helm, seemingly immune to the siren’s song drifting through the air. He fights the ocean at every turn and spins the wheel to and fro as heavy waves tip her from side to side. He eventually manages to stabilize the ship for long enough to where you can get back up on your feet after being thrown around like a rag doll. Long enough for you to lock the rest of the ship up. 

You cling to anything you can get your hands on as you slowly make your back to the deck, but it’s surprisingly difficult. Your whole body hurts from being thrown around, your arms are sore from holding onto anything for dear life, and your balance is off. Your feet keep slipping and sliding and when you make your way to the deck, you see why: the Lady Luck’s prow is pointed directly up and you already know what’s going to happen next.

“Hold fast!” shouts Aventurine. In the instant before the ice-cold waters sweep over you, Ratio grabs you and Topaz around the waist and hunkers down in the corner of the deck, gripping the railing with all his strength while you latch your arms around his waist. You manage to squeeze your eyes shut and inhale before the force of the rushing waters hits you. Even with your iron-clad grip around him, the bone-chilling cold temperature of the ocean plunges you head-first into shock and your grip loosens up ever so slightly- just enough for you to be swept away. Your limp body is harshly thrown against a corner- something cracks upon impact and needle-sharp pain shoots up your spine- before another wave lifts you up and over the railing, plunging you into the endless, swirling depths. 

“Cap’n! (Name)’s gone overboard!”

The water sloshing around on the deck comes up to his knees now. Aventurine looks down at his legs, then toward the churning seas, then back at his legs. Without any hesitation, he tosses his coat aside and jumps overboard to the astonishment of Topaz and Ratio.

“Captain!”

“You damned gambler! Have you gone insane?!”

Everything sounds muffled and distant as you sink further down and down. Your lungs are burning and your vision is beginning to darken as you gaze up at the hull of the Lady Luck that’s growing smaller. 

Is this… it? And just when I think I’ve finally found the life I’ve been searching for… 

You think you see something dart by- a fish? No, it’s too big for one. The tail is a shiny lilac but the top half is that of a woman. Silvery hair flows out behind her as she stares at you curiously and you realize it’s a mermaid as she swims away. You gasp out of shock, only to regret it instantly when you begin gasping frantically for air after you accidentally inhale some water. You desperately claw and fight your way to the surface but it’s no use; your legs feel like lead and soon your arms follow. 

Right as your consciousness fades and the world goes black, you see a familiar face swimming toward you. Blond hair, multicolored eyes…

Captain? What’re you doing here?

There’s an uncharacteristic regretful look on his face as he gets closer. He says something- you can’t hear it- before he pulls you in gently and kisses you so softly you barely feel the brush of his lips against yours. 

A shimmering teal tail, the same kind as the mermaid you saw earlier, is the last thing you see. 

You feel something warm and heavy nestled against your side. Two of them, actually.

It feels like you’ve been asleep for a very, very long time. It’s a struggle to open your eyes as if they’ve been sealed shut and your body feels stiff. It’s all too easy to fall back asleep, but… 

Upon opening your eyes, you’re greeted with the sight of Numby and Doubloon curled up against you. The former squeals and the latter meows anxiously now that you’re awake. You gently pet their heads.

“... Good morning to you two as well.”

Your voice comes out so hoarse and scratchy you almost get secondhand embarrassment from hearing it. Upon closer examination, you realize you’re in Aventurine’s quarters but there’s no sight of him. You do, however, see Topaz passing by in the door left ajar. She gasps loudly at seeing you moving around and almost drops whatever she’s holding to rush inside.

“You’re awake! Good, we were all so worried, especially Aventurine.”

“Ugh… quiet down a bit please. How long was I out for?”

“Almost a day and a half.”

You slowly shift into an upright sitting position, wincing when you feel a sharp stabbing pain in your chest. Topaz is immediately at your side, helping you up and covering you with furs and blankets when your teeth start chattering uncontrollably. Looks like the chill of the waters penetrated deep into your bones. 

“Easy now. You got some nasty injuries when you went overboard, such as a few fractured ribs. Ratio had to be the one to patch you up after Cap’n brought you aboard and-” her words are punctuated with a light-hearted chuckle “-I’ve never seen him so anxious for a person to wake up. Don’t tell him I said that though.”

She leaves and you lift up the handheld mirror on the nightstand, getting the first good look of yourself since almost drowning. You look relatively the same, save for the bruises all over your exposed skin and the sling your left arm is in. 

“You’re very lucky that you only got off with some fractured ribs, a broken arm, and a bunch of bruises. You very well could’ve died out there,” says Topaz as she walks back into the room with a warm drink in hand. “Ratio’s words, not mine. Although, he’s right.”

You accept the drink and after realizing what it is, gulp it down eagerly. Hot rum with honey, lemon, and cinnamon. A favorite of yours and a classic remedy whenever someone on the ship falls ill. Topaz makes it the best though. 

You stare down at the now-empty cup in your hands, its residual heat warming up your cold hands. It takes a while for your memory to be jogged, but you suddenly remember Aventurine going overboard too.

“Wait, Aventurine, where is-”

“In the bathroom waiting for you. He’s been quite moody ever since returning.”

You think back to when he saved you at death’s doorstep and you loudly gasp when you recall the last thing you saw. Your thoughts must’ve been written all over your face because Topaz merely sighs and takes the empty cup from your hands.

“... I’ll let him explain everything.”

She helps you to your feet and leaves you be. You hesitantly knock on the door and are instantaneously greeted with a “come in” from the other side. 

You see why Aventurine has been confined to the bathroom. The first thing you see is a long teal-colored tail shimmering and swaying lazily side to side in the dim candlelight; far too big for the tiny confines of the bathtub your captain is currently soaking in. The fins are long and slightly translucent at the ends as they smack against the floor upon seeing you enter. You stay frozen in place, eyes trailing up from his fins toward his face. The scales that you swear you’d see peeking out underneath his collar sometimes are on full display now. Patches of them are littered across his chest, arms and face. His hands are webbed now and so are his ears tinged green at the tips and peeking out beneath the mess of blond hair. The sharp fins along his forearms slice cleanly through the water as he shifts around and the gills on his neck flare upon seeing you. 

He stays frozen in place, watching. And waiting for your reaction. For what feels like eternity, none of you speak or even dare to breathe until you finally make the first move. You shakily laugh and exhale- he jolts at the sound- and you sink to your knees besides him, albeit with some difficulty. When you finally do speak, it’s with a gentle voice as you’re eyeing his tail resting in your lap.

“So that explains it all. And here I was wondering if I was hallucinating seeing you with scales.”

Aventurine lets out a laugh of sheer relief. His shoulders droop and he slouches against the edge of the bathtub, all tension seemingly dissipating from his body. He seems to take notice of your injuries after he’s relaxed. A webbed finger reaches out to lightly trace your arm in a sling and he frowns at the sight.

“... I’m sorry.”

You blink, astonished.

“What?”

“I’m sorry,” he repeats, and that’s all he has to say. 

“It’s just some broken bones,” you lightly respond. “Inconvenient, sure, but nothing I can’t recover from. Besides, you saved me from certain death.”

“It’s not just about that. I narrowly avoided the nightmare I saw in my dreams, but at what cost?”

He goes quiet and refuses to elaborate. You decide it’s for the better to change the topic.

“So… care to tell me about your tail?”

Aventurine sighs. He knew he wouldn’t be able to keep this a secret from you forever, but he’s still a bit hesitant to tell you.

“Exposure to waist-deep water gives me legs and vice versa thanks to a deal I made with Jade a long time ago. In exchange for getting to experience life as a human, I would have to bring promising people to her door and continuously supply her with valuables.”

“Jade is a… sea witch?”

Aventurine snorts and scoffs. 

“What, did she not seem enough of a conniving witch the first time you met her?”

“Fair enough,” you concede. “But what made you want to experience life on land?”

“It wasn’t a choice.”

“Oh.”

Your eyes land on the tattoo on the side of his neck that’s on full display now. You dare not say what it spells out loud. He scratches at the spot, conveniently covering it with his hand, and silence fills the space for a bit. 

“What happened after the storm passed?”

You break the silence first. He seems relieved at the distraction and begins playing with the pearl bracelet fastened around your wrist. 

“The storm passed almost as soon as I rescued you. I brought you back to the surface, where-”

“Wait, does that mean Veritas and Topaz know you’re-”

He sighs and nods. You falter a bit.

“... How did they react?”

Aventurine thinks back for a bit. 

“I think they were just surprised. I don’t think they’ve fully processed it either.”

He laughs and shrugs.

“I can’t blame them. Their captain and a feared creature among sailors are one and the same.”

He sighs and looks at the closed bathroom door.

“They’ve been giving me a wide berth since then…” 

“I’m sure they’ll come around. They just need some more time,” you reassure. “But what happened after that?” you ask, pressing for more information. His tail curls around your waist and swiftly pulls you closer to the bathtub- he’s surprisingly strong in this form, you quickly realize as you squirm around only for him to not budge one bit. You rest your tired head against your arms and gaze at him with half-lidded eyes that he meets unflinchingly with a gaze of his own and a lazy smile. 

“Once you’re feeling better, go thank Ratio for his prompt medical care. As soon as I resurfaced, he practically yanked you out of my arms and started treating you. You inhaled quite a bit of water and Ratio had to get you to cough it all out. A bit gross, seeing it unfold in front of my eyes.”

“... You saw it all?” you ask, horrified and disgusted.

His lazy smile turns impish and he flicks some water toward you.

“Ah, you should’ve seen yourself,” he muses out loud. “Flopping around on the deck like a fish out of water and soaked to the point where you looked like Doubloon during bath time. It made for quite the sight- wait, don’t leave!”

He reaches out to you desperately and his tail tightens even more around your waist. You shoot him a withering glare before settling back down again. 

“The storm calmed down soon after I saved you,” he continues. “The Lady Luck sustained some damage to the sails and she sprung a few leaks in the hull, but nothing that Ratio and Topaz weren’t able to repair. Later, you woke up and here we are.”

“Really? That’s it?”

“Really, that’s it,” he repeats. 

“What a coincidence it stops after narrowly escaping death,” you grumble. He rolls his eyes.

“No kidding,” he scoffs. 

Aventurine plucks a glimmering scale off and holds it out like a peace offering to you. It shifts between colors in the candlelight, going from pink to green to gold with a holographic sheen covering it. He notices the confused expression you wear and lightly laughs.

“What? Didn’t you know, mermaid scales are exceedingly valuable?”

You hold it closer, entranced by its dancing colors.

“I thought most of the ones on the market are frauds though?”

“That they are. But a real, genuine scale… those are only offered to the richest of the rich at a closed auction.”

“Yet here I am with one in my hand, free of charge.”

Aventurine laughs and plucks off another one for you. A look of hesitation crosses your face.

“... Doesn’t that hurt?”

“A little,” he admits. “But it’s nothing I can’t handle. Besides, they grow back.”

His words do nothing to budge the frown on your face and Aventurine makes a mental note to claim a scale fell off from natural causes the next time he gifts you one.

“How long do they take to grow back then?”

“... A long time,” he confesses after a beat of silence. 

“... I see why they’re so expensive now.”

You glance down at the two shining scales in your palm. Perhaps you’ll make jewelry out of them- an earring to match with your captain doesn’t sound half-bad…

But your curiosity is piqued now. Mermaids are the stuff of legends and you have one sitting in front of you. A few questions couldn’t hurt, right?

“What else can you do?”

His tail flicks back and forth excitedly. Anything to impress you!

“We can cry pearls and other valuable jewels. Want to see?”

“Wait, don’t make yourself cry-”

Too late. Fat tears slide down his cheeks, condensing into something round and shiny before landing with a soft clink in his hands. Perfect pearls and tumbled sea glass pile up in his palms and you spot some shiny green stones- aventurine stones. He holds them out to you with an expectant look in his eyes. Your captain looks less of a fearsome mythical creature and more like an… eager puppy. You can’t possibly say no to such a face so with a resigned sigh, you accept his offering. 

“... Thank you, but please don’t make this a common occurrence in the future. I don’t want to see you cry.”

He pouts, fins drooping. Boo. There goes a courting attempt out the window. 

Like a puppy, you think as you watch him sulk in the bathtub. You poke at one of Ratio’s rubber ducks Aventurine had stolen from him bobbing along the water’s surface.

“You aren’t horrified?” he asks once he grows bored of staring at the duck. 

“Why would I be?”

“Don’t give me that. You know exactly what I mean.”

His tail swishes side to side agitatedly and his ears simultaneously flatten against his head and fold downwards. 

“Do you realize what I could do to you right now?” he asks in a low tone. “I could pull you under my song, strip you of your defenses, outwit you at every turn despite how clever you are…”

You’re leaning in unknowingly. A grin tugs at the corner of his mouth and he leans in closer, twirling a strand of your hair around a clawed finger. 

“I’ll infiltrate your mind and charm you into doing things you’d never think of doing,” he continues, voice even lower and softer now. “I could tell you to walk the plank and you would do it, no questions asked. I could drag you beneath the depths with me and no one would even notice you’re gone. Ah, but you’re already under my spell, aren’t you?”

“... What?”

“Exactly. I could even do… this!”

With a sudden yank, he pulls you into the tub with him. Water splashes over the edge onto the floor and you scream. Even so, he holds tight and winds his tail tightly around you, nuzzling his cheek against yours and nipping your cheeks. They’re love bites more than anything else, but you shudder at the thought of how different the situation could be had he not been so head over heels for you. 

You also shudder as the cold water soaks through your clothes and sends a chill up your spine. 

“Let me go. The water’s cold.”

Aventurine merely holds onto you even tighter. Tucked into the crook of his neck like this, you can see his gills rapidly opening and closing out of contentment and the self-satisfied smile stretching wide across his face. He seems content to stay in this position for ages, leaning in to bury his nose into your hair and press kisses to your cheek repeatedly, but it’s only until you start shivering that he reluctantly lets go. 

Before you step out the tub, he holds his left hand out. You hesitantly extend your right hand out until he gently bats it away and gestures for your left hand instead. It’s bundled in a sling but you manage to make it work somehow. 

“There we go,” he says once your palm is pressed against his. “Now, close your eyes.”

You do as he says and thick, syrupy words flow like honey from his mouth. The words practically stick together as his voice rises and falls melodically in some unknown language. It sounds soothing, in the way a mother’s voice would lull a child to sleep. 

“There,” he whispers after a peck to your forehead. “All done. You can open your eyes now.”

“What was that?”

“... A prayer,” he admits. “A prayer for your continued health and safety.”

There’s a funny feeling in your stomach and you fight back the stupid smile creeping onto your face. 

“You shouldn’t have. But thank you.”

You curl your good arm around him and with a sharp heave, lift him up. His long tail snakes around your waist and you almost fall over from the weight.

“Stop that! You’re heavy!”

“How heartless of you.”

You dunk him back into the bathtub unceremoniously. His tail splits down the middle and scales begin falling off rapidly in patches. The fins shrivel and dissolve and pearly-smooth legs soon emerge. With a start, you try to look away but he merely scoffs and languidly stretches out in your arms.

“What? It’s nothing you haven’t already seen.”

Now fully dressed, Aventurine emerges onto the deck with you in hand. Topaz is playing fetch with Numby and Doubloon while Ratio is at the helm. The two pets, upon seeing you, dash over to you and run in circles around you with Numby oinking and Doubloon meowing excitedly. Topaz all but topples you over in an excited hug while your navigator scolds her, reminding the woman of your frail condition. 

“How are you feeling?” asks Veritas as he comes to a stop before you. You hum and beam at him.

“Never felt better thanks to your immediate care.”

He brushes your compliments off with a scoff and a wave of his hand, all accompanied by his usual eye roll. 

“Think nothing of it. It was merely my duty.”

Topaz leans against you from behind while Ratio coughs and steps back from you a bit. They eye your captain with the respect and admiration they always have, but now there’s a hint of skepticism underlying it all. 

“Gambler, we deserve an explanation for what happened back there,” demands Veritas. Aventurine sighs and shakes his head. 

“I know, but that’ll happen in due time. For now, let’s just… keep moving forward.”

He takes the helm. Ratio hoists the sails and Topaz climbs up to the crow’s nest to keep lookout. Things are never going to be quite the same as before now, but that’s alright in your eyes. Everyone boarded the Lady Luck for their own reasons and their captain secretly being a mermaid in disguise doesn’t change any of that. You boarded the ship to carve out a life for yourself you would’ve never had back on land. Ratio boarded to spread knowledge. Topaz boarded to bring change into the world. Your captain has already helped those dreams come true. Nothing the legends say will do anything to sway your opinion on him. 

There will come a day when the Lady Luck will complete her last voyage, Aventurine will have to return to the seas, and the crew will be disbanded, but that day isn’t today. It won’t be when he comes clean to the crew either. Rather, it’ll be in the far future when no amount of repairs can keep the Lady Luck from falling apart and you’re no longer able to handle the challenges of life at sea. But you’ll cross that bridge when you get there. 

The seas are calm. It’s clear out with a strong breeze that cools you off amidst the sun’s sweltering rays. Ratio is repairing a tear in one of the sails that escaped his earlier attention while Topaz hums a tune she picked up from you atop the crow’s nest, scouting the surrounding waters. You meet Aventurine’s gaze out the corner of your eye. Wordlessly, he pulls you into his side with one arm as you look out upon the ocean. 

“Have you accomplished your goal of conquering the seven seas?” you tease. He scoffs and smirks.

“Oh, I did that a long time ago already. But there’s one last desire I have yet to fulfill.”

“And what might that be?”

He gazes down at you silently, yet the silence between you speaks volumes. A raised eyebrow and a head tilt. A cheeky wink and a kiss to your forehead. An exasperated sigh from your two crewmates as you pull away from returning the kiss.

There’s always one question you ask when heading to a new destination, and this time is no different. Gazing into his multicolored eye, you can’t imagine yourself anywhere else other than here, now and forever. 

“So where to next, Captain?”

enjoyed my work? the taglist is open!

@ bottledpeaches, do not copy, repost, modify, translate, or feed to ai

[starsintheskyandtheeye]

Respect for the Dead

By Lois Lane and Clark Kent

1,436 words

By now most of the world has been shaken by the news.

Ghosts are real! And ghosts are in danger! The original publication written by Lois Lane can be found here but we are not here to follow that well trodden avenue of discussion.

Here at the Daily Planet we have elected to focus on speaking to the ghosts themselves, rather than debate their existence alongside our fellow papers. During the hunt for the new source of Kryptonite that sparked this discovery Lois Lane made contact with one Danny Phantom. Originally he chose to anonymous but since the outpouring of support from much of the world he has since chosen to come forward publicly.

Given that the ghostly teenager is operating as a hero similar to our own Superman much of his personal history could not be shared. What was safe to share however was very different from what this reporting team had been expecting.

We had gone in prepared to hear the story of what caused a ghost that looks like a schoolboy to lead a life of ghostly vigilantism.

What we got was sweetly sarcastic individual giving us amusing anecdotes of his start as a hero, descriptions of the stranger habits he's gained since his death, and many many tips on how to politely interact with a ghost. At our confusion (who knew there were so many different types of ghost!) Phantom went on to explain and correct several common misconceptions about ghosts. So without further ado; here are the highlights of that discussion.

We begin with what was given to us as the number one rule of human/ghost etiquette. Never ask the individual, be they glowing werewolf, ghostly lunch-lady, or undead rock star, about the circumstances of their death.

It seems simple does it not? A matter of everyday politeness, and yet that is the number one reason for communication breakdowns between ectoplasmic entities and still living humans. Fortunately for the health of the interview this reporting team did not make that mistake. Phantom did not explain the nature of the offense but did not need to. It was clear that the, until then, friendly conversation would have ended abruptly if we had gone any farther down that path.

What we were encouraged (and warned) to talk to a ghost about was their obsession. As Phantom explained, "It's what drives a ghost, why we are still here, or why we formed at all."

When asked about his own obsession Phantom laughed a bit and said, "I'm a bit young for a ghost, so I don't really have one yet, I bounce around a lot. My doctor, he's a yeti, says it's normal for me though! The options are all over the place though. I know one ghost that haunts the high school to prevent bullying, a really nice guy. Another just wants to have her music heard by the world. Unfortunately her music brainwashes people to love her so we aren't super close. Or another that is all about granting wishes, but not in a singing blue genie way, in a fairy tale way, it's a mess whenever she gets over here."

That seems to be a common theme in ghostly/human interaction. Ghosts largely mean no harm but the pursuit of their own obsessions can have devastating effects on any that stand between them and their goal. Something to keep in mind if you're ordering pizza when the Box Ghost is at large.

Hoping it wouldn't cross into the realm of ghostly faux pas we went on to ask how old Phantom is. Once again Phantom seemed somewhat awkward although no more than what seemed to be his baseline when talking to (self claimed) famous reporters, saying only, "Time works differently in the realms. It can be really weird sometimes, you'll be talking to someone that looks like a toddler only to learn that they were last in a human world during the 1400s or something."

As Phantom continued to share however, the everlasting aspect seemed to be the least interesting part of the Infinite Realms, or the Ghost Zone as the Doctors Fenton, previously mentioned as ghostly experts here, call the place where the vast majority of ghosts dwell.

Ghostly yetis practicing medicine, while certainly not the least of the inhabitants were just the start. Phantom went on to share with us a sampling of the being he has encountered in his travels, medieval women moonlighting as temperamental dragons, the very concept of time, a warden of any ghosts that cross his path, and of course the ubiquitous creepy toddler so often featured on the silver screen.

According to Phantom up until extremely recently (whether by ghostly or human terms we were unable to determine) the Infinite Realms was closed off from our own home except for the occasional haunting. Which was explained to us by the telling of what was, to Phantom, a very funny joke about pop culture influencing ghost culture as people died and brought it over with them. From this we can glean several things. That the realms of the living and the dead have never been so far apart as it would have seemed to the living. That the near future will hold many changes as major religions, governments, and the common people hear what the dead have to say as they weigh in on what respect for the dead really means. And that while many things do translate, ghostly humor is not one of them.

Although of course that may be that, despite his real age being possibly many times our own - combined, Phantom is still eternally a teenager. And a teenagers jokes are often incomprehensible to any who do not share that state.

When asked about the sudden ghostly interest in our own living Earth Phantom had this to say, "Lots of ghosts want to go to the lands of the living. Especially anyone that used to be alive themselves. And anyone that didn't is curious what the fuss is about. Earth is so different from the ghost zone but it's still where a lot of us came from. If someone gets a chance to hop through the portal they'll go, to see how things have changed, or to keep things from changing, or just to stretch their obsessions. Really it's a chance to go home, just for a little while," he said, reminding us that for all they look like aliens ghosts are just as human as you or I.

With a few caveats.

The portal Phantom spoke of is an invention by the Doctors Fenton, Ectobiologists. Up until recently Jack and Maddie Fenton had been the worlds foremost ghostly experts, building a portal to the "Ghost Zone" in order to study what up until recently had been considered to be a non-sentient classification of emotional ectoplasmic imprintation.

We spoke to the researchers after our interview with Phantom, at his request. Despite the recent evidence come to light the couple remain the foremost (living) human scientists in the field. When asked about the setback to their work they had this to say, "We were devastated of course. To learn that we won't be able to study spooks -" Jack Fenton broke off there, at an extremely well executed elbow jab from Maddie Fenton who then said. "We got an extreme tunnel vision, a hazard of obsessive science. We were told we were wrong about the existence of ghosts for so long that we forgot to check that we were correct about their nature. We look forward to pivoting to ghostly anthropology and human/ghost interaction technology."

Ultimately we did not learn any groundbreaking secrets, but then if a ghost willing to go on record ( a written record at least, our recorded transcript of the conversation was near unusable due to static) you sit down and listen. We can never anticipate what a reader will take from an article but if we could make a suggestion? In this reporting teams opinion, the balance of ghost and human realms is not unlike the inversion of a mirror. We are reflections of one another. Opposite, yes, and dangerous to one another for it, but ultimately we are all the same. After all what is a ghost but emotion and ectoplasm (according to current science)? And for all that we try to rise above it, what is a human but emotion and flesh?

Fin.

Coming Soon!

Keep an eye out for top ten tips on ghostly interaction and interviews with the Justice League on diplomatic efforts with GHOSTLY ROYALTY!!

[floatyflowers]

"Sorry to bother you, my friend I truly don’t mean to be a nuisance. If it's possible, could you please write a dark story about Sauron x female Celebrimbor (Tolkien), including mind control? I’d really appreciate it. I hope you always stay happy! 💖🕊️🤝

You woke choking on the scene of starlight.

Not the stars of the world you had known, your modern life, long gone, but the endless shimmer of Valinor’s sky, fading into memory as your soul settled into something new. Something old.

You remembered the heat of a forge, the pride of creation, and a name that was not your own:

Celebrimbor.

No, Telperinquar, son of Curufin, heir to Fëanor’s fire. But now, the body was different. Feminine. As if fate had rewritten the vessel.

You have regained Celebrimbor's memories, his last breath, betrayed, broken, the Rings twisted in his hands, and the smile of the abhorred one.

Annatar.

The beautiful stranger with yellow eyes and words like honey over steel.

The one who had instructed you, praised you, charmed you, until the moment he revealed what lay beneath: Sauron, servant of Morgoth. Deceiver. Destroyer.

But now, in this strange twist of time and flesh, you found yourself in Eregion, once more. Alive. And he… he was here too.

"Hail, Telperinquar, most radiant of smiths. Long have I heard tell of your craft, and it warms my heart to see such light in Middle-earth. Might I walk beside your forge? For there is much I would learn, and perhaps more still to offer."

You should have turned him away. Should have called him by his true name and cast him from your realm.

But the forge still called, and his voice still sang to that part of you that falsely remembered what it was to create together, and to trust him.

It was late. The forge had quieted, and the stars above Ost-in-Edhil burned silver in the deep sky.

You stood alone in the workshop, the warmth of the fire still clinging to your skin, though your hands were still.

You sensed him before he spoke.

"You work late, my lady,"

You did not turn.

"Creation does not follow the sun."

He stepped closer. You heard no footfall, yet felt his presence like a chilling wind.

"Of all those I have known," he mused, his gaze keen,

"There is a cast to your spirit unlike the common mould. Indeed, you are set apart."

You laugh in your head at his words which are the equivalent of the cheesy pickup line 'You are different'

At that, you turned, slowly. His face was fair, too fair, and calm.

But his eyes held something now. A question, a flicker of sultry glint.

He reached out, fingers brushing the edge of your right shoulder, not with touch, but with will.

"Trust me."

You felt it slide along your mind, seeking a door, a weakness.

"Yield. You are weary. Let me guide you. Let me take the burden."

Knowing that he is mind controling you, and if you let him, you will be a toy, you decided to ruin his plans.

“Do you ever grow tired of wearing masks, Sauron?”

The silence that followed was not empty it was sharp. As The air between you became tense.

His smile did not falter at once, but something behind his gaze cracked.

"That name,” he said at last, too softly, "is not spoken lightly."

"Would you then prefer I call you Mairon?"

"You have known all along?"

Shrugging at him, you playfully hold the Túrann hammer Sauron has gifted you.

"It seems like you mistook my kindness for naivety."

You gently place the head of the hammer against his chest.

"Tell me, Mairon, what do you have to offer the granddaughter of Fëanor, to continue crafting the rings for you?"

He looked down at the hammer, then back at you, a slow smile spreading across his face, not of malice, but of something akin to admiration. "Everything."

His hand came up, not to push the hammer away, but to rest over yours on the handle.

His touch was warm, almost burning, and a faint hum vibrated through the metal.

"I offer you not just partnership. I offer you a throne. My queen. We could forge a new Middle-earth, one unbound by the old ways, a realm of order and power such as none have ever seen."

He stepped closer, his golden eyes locking onto yours.

"Imagine it, the two of us. Your craft, my vision. We could command the very stars, bend the earth to our will. No more petty squabbles of elves, no more fading glory. Only endless dominion. Together."

As if sensing your uncertainty, his hand moved behind you, fingers brushing against the cool metal of the ring you had been crafting. He lifted it, the newly forged band gleaming in the firelight.

With a gentle pull, he drew you closer, your body pressed against his chest.

The heat of his body was intoxicating. He held the ring up between you, a symbol of the power he offered.

"You shall be my precious,"

[lucithecrow]

LITERALLY GROWLED OUT LOUD

[thisgirlnamedblusy]

Can you do a gardner reader/gp Donna where the gardner was quietly given the cadou, but no one but Mother Miranda knows? Gardner is soft spoken and Donna and reader slowly fall in love...maybe some angst from Donna being scared to lose the gardner but finding out they have forever? If you could have smut (maybe the gardner has a breeding kink), too?

Yesss!!!! Thank you for your request!!! I hope you like it and sorry about the language mistakes!!! :))))

Forever

Pairing: Donna Beneviento x Fem, gardener! Reader

Warnings: G!P Donna, smut, (Minors DNI), breeding kink, angst, fluff, Donna being Donna

Word count: 8,432

Summary: Your life was getting weird...

N/A: Sorry about the language mistakes!!! Requests are open!!! I'm waiting yours!!! I love you all!!!

Living in that village was already synonymous with mystery and disorientation, but it was nothing compared to waking up every morning in a different place. Of course, it wasn't always like that.

You were a normal girl, with a sad and boring life, like everyone who lived in that place. You had a home, a family, the certainty that Mother Miranda and the Black Gods protected you… You couldn't really complain, but deep down you wanted to.

You weren't hungry, nor cold. You weren't even called by the lady of the castle to serve her as a maid, something quite common for young girls like you. You thought that maybe you wouldn't suffer the same fate as your friends, that life had something better in store for you.

Deep down, you weren't wrong.

But when you thought you would dedicate yourself to taking care of a small garden, that you would no longer have any worries other than worshipping the Gods and protecting the crops from frost, something happened.

Even if you tried to look back and retrace each of the steps you took that day, all you could see was the darkness. The first thing your memory recalled when you woke up were those gray eyes, that blonde hair, that woman, Mother Miranda.

According to the priestess, you had an accident, and, of course, the Black Gods had protected you. Although you didn’t doubt her word, although you didn’t distrust the person who protected the village, there was something that didn’t fit in that story.

You weren’t the most faithful villager, and that is why you decided not to question that “divine intervention” and to just thank the bird-woman.

Apparently, your innate ability with plants piqued the blonde lady's curiosity, and after vaguely explaining how she had saved your life, she offered you a job. Distrustful, you listened patiently to what your new role would be, one that you knew you couldn’t escape.

Mother Miranda said that it would be a complete shame if your talent was wasted on simple vegetables, that you deserved something more than that. For that reason, and with you unable to hold her gaze, she indicated that you were destined to serve one of the Lords.

It was something that was always within your possible futures, but perhaps in a different way. You wouldn’t be a maid, or an experiment, you would be a gardener. But not just any gardener; you would be, from that day on, the gardener of House Beneviento.

Naturally, you knew the inhabitant of those grounds, the youngest and most mysterious Lord: the solitary ventriloquist, Donna Beneviento.

She was no different from her siblings. The rumors about the lady in black weren’t foreign to your ears. No one knew her well, but everyone feared her. She was a strange, sick and dangerous woman.

The power to revive your deepest fears, to manipulate your mind like the strings of a puppet kept that mansion as a place of no return, as the last thing anyone stupid enough to enter there would see.

You were terrified of working for her, taking care of the plants that made her power terrifying, but… how could you refuse a request from Mother Miranda?

You soon moved to the house of the one who took your place years ago, the mysterious family gardener, who suddenly disappeared. The uncertainty killed you every day you spent there, but it didn't take long for you to get used to it.

Your new mistress didn't usually come near. Yes, sometimes her black figure walked around the grounds as if she were a ghost, next to the Angie doll. She didn't look at you; you doubted if the lady was even aware of your existence.

It wasn't long before you started to be curious, to wonder what kind of woman was hiding under that black veil.

Little by little that gloomy walk came closer, and the lady in black recognized your work, something strange; you doubted she knew you existed. But contrary to what you might think, the woman did know Mother Miranda's command, that you were her new gardener.

A couple of whispers with a hoarse and melodic voice, slight nods and hidden glances… they were the symptoms that indicated that Donna Beneviento was watching you.

The monster the villagers spoke of faded away with each encounter, and curiosity slowly began to replace fear. Yes, she seemed like a strange, sick woman, and her Angie doll scolded you for being a nuisance, but for some reason, you began to want to see her walking near you, a compliment from the lips you couldn't see, a word with that attractive accent.

Perhaps the desire to get closer to that woman increased due to the loneliness of the place, the feeling of isolation you experienced in that cabin. The days passed slowly without her heels sinking into the snow, without her black presence contrasting with the pure white of the landscape.

Surely you were delirious, or maybe was the lack of sleep that made you imagine longer conversations, maybe having tea with her, making her laugh, making the anguish you saw in her way of moving, of acting, disappear. You were attracted to Donna, and you couldn't deny it, but unfortunately, you weren't the most outgoing girl in the village, and new worries clouded those absurd fantasies.

The days were quiet, the nights were restless, black, a blinding darkness permeated your dreams and the warmth of the fireplace began to disappear. When you woke up, when you opened your eyes, the surroundings were different every day. You could be in the snow, leaning on a railing, on the bridge, near the house...

You had never been a sleepwalker, or so you thought, but waking up every day in a different place, feeling black smoke clouding any memory of the night, made you believe that perhaps your nights were much more interesting than they seemed.

For that reason, you started a diary a long time ago in which you noted the place where you woke up and how you felt. You needed an answer, you needed to find a pattern to that strange behavior, but you never got what you were looking for, just more uncertainty and a irrational fear of falling asleep.

Luckily, that day you woke up in your bed, a rarity that you thought you would take advantage of, perhaps to try to focus on the lady in black, on your discovery of that mysterious woman you worked for.

“It seems that the cold hasn’t caused much damage...” you murmured while pruning some bushes, checking the color, the condition of the plants. “Good, good...”

Your eyes danced unintentionally towards the paths, towards the place where the lady used to appear and a strange smile formed on your face, imagining her slow walking, the lavender perfume she left behind as she passed by you.

“Uh-oh, I think you're going crazy, (Y/N),” you said to yourself, shaking your head and turning your back on the path, taking the lady out of your thoughts.

As if something, or someone, had read your silent request, footsteps in the snow made you freeze and turn your head slowly, unable to stop smiling. Indeed, your silent prayers had been heard, and the dark figure of Donna Beneviento appeared on the path, approaching with her doll.

“Oh, my lady,” you whispered, not being able (you had never been) to raise the volume of your voice.

Despite that, the lady seemed to hear you and turned her head towards you, stopping dead in her tracks.

“Good morning, silly gardener!” the shrill voice of the Angie doll penetrated your ears, making you put on an unpleasant face, but without losing your elegant smile.

“Miss Angie,” you said elegantly, with a submissive whisper. “My lady…”

“What are you doing, silly?” the puppet asked, while its owner put it on the ground, nodding discreetly at your greeting. “You're hurting the plants, huh?”

“No,” you said amused, with an evident blush on your cheeks. “Of course I’m not, Miss Angie, I'm pruning this bush.”

“Sure, sure,” the doll answered while your gaze shifted to the lady in black, who stood with her hands placed elegantly in front of her body. “Hey, hey, the other day I saw in a book that gardeners like you know how to shape these bushes.”

“Really?” you asked shyly, looking down when something told you that the lady was looking at you, even if you couldn't see it. “Well, I don't think I could shape this one, it's too small.”

“Nonsense, it's perfect, just look at me,” Angie said, pointing at herself and eclipsing your daily observation of the lady. “I'm not very big either. Listen, silly, I want you to shape that bush, like me.”

“Don't pay attention to her,” Lady Beneviento's hoarse voice interrupted that strange request as her veil danced while shaking her head.

“Y-Yes, of course, my lady, I…” you stammered, cursing your shy personality under your breath. “W-Well, I wouldn't mind trying and…”

“Yes, and let it be life-size!” the doll exclaimed, comically waving her arms.

“Angie, lasciala estare,” the lady reprimanded the doll, making her return to her side with a gesture of her hand amid sinister laughter. “There's no need to boost her ego, don't you think?”

“Um, well, I guess you're right or, well, I don't know, I…” you stammered, unable to react to a conversation outside of the daily greeting. “Whatever you say, my lady,” you finally said, bowing slightly.

The lady nodded slowly, but didn’t move from her spot; she seemed to be waiting for something that you didn’t understand… Perhaps a conversation with someone who wasn’t made of porcelain?

“Um… um…” you continued to stammer, looking away from her, looking for a place to focus on that wasn't her addictive figure. “I hope you had a good night, my lady.”

“Mm,” she murmured in response, tilting her head as she slowly approached you, filling your senses with lavender.

“Glad to hear it,” you whispered almost without a voice as you felt her black dress brush against your work clothes, as you could see her pale hand, which reached out towards the bush. “Yes, well, I can't do miracles in this cold and…”

“Mm,” the lady murmured again, playing with a leaf in her fingers.

“Is there something wrong, my lady?” you asked nervously as you saw how she observed your work, as you could see part of her hidden face, a pale, young face.

“No,” she answered dryly, getting up again, but staying very close to you. “But you shouldn't be so busy with these bushes, the flowers are my priority.”

“Oh, I know, I'm sorry, I…” you quickly apologized, putting your hands together and taking advantage of the moment to get away from her intimidating presence.

“I haven't asked you to apologize,” she whispered in a stern tone, without looking at you.

“No, but…” you said confused, starting to notice the sweat on your hands.

“Then shut up,” Beneviento ordered you coldly, making you back away further.

“Yes, I…” you said trembling, regretting saying those words again. “I mean, okay.”

“Okay,” the woman repeated, maintaining a stoic pose again.

“Okay,” you repeated stupidly, making the red of your cheeks contrast even more with the snow. “Um…”

“What are you two playing?” Angie asked, interrupting that absurd conversation. “Are you stupid?”

“Angie,” the lady growled, with a tone that indicated a certain nervousness. The question was… was she really nervous? Why?

“Making a fool of myself… is my specialty,” you whispered embarrassed, turning your back to the lady and shaking your head.

“You aren’t making a fool of yourself, (Y/N),” the lady in black said, making your blood run cold. “You're natural, I like it.”

“Do you like me? I mean, do you like it?” you asked timidly, letting your mind get ahead of your reasoning. “I mean, I like you too and… Oh, I'm sorry, I didn't say anything.”

“Sei divertente,” the woman murmured, followed by something very similar to a laugh that came out of her veil. You were sure that you wouldn't forget that laugh, nor that strange conversation.

“I hope that's not a bad thing,” you said blushing, playing with the clippers, but unable to look at the lady.

“No,” she answered dryly, shaking her head, finally walking away from you while gesturing to her doll.

“Okay, I... thank you,” you said confused, bowing as she walked away from you elegantly, carrying Angie in her arms. “Thank you, Donna...”

For a moment you stood enthralled, watching as the black figure slowly moved away, sighing because you knew that the attraction you felt for her was much more than simple curiosity.

Anyone with eyes, or ears could tell the chemistry between you, but it was something you tried to ignore.

Her body was perfect, her words were beautiful like a soothing lullaby, but… Donna Beneviento wasn't one of the girls from the village, who you had some kind of relationships with, she was much more; she was a Lord.

With all the sleepwalking and strange things happening to you, you barely had time to process an internal truth that was running through your heart. You couldn't deny it, but you didn't want to see it: you were madly in love with her.

But love, or what you believed was some kind of platonic feeling, wasn't made for you, not with her, at least. Anyway, if you wanted to stay with her, your job as a gardener was your priority.

“You clumsy fool,” you lamented, ignoring the bush and approaching a corner of yellow flowers, the ones you knew you had to be careful with. “What are you thinking? It's impossible, (Y/N), you don't even know her, you don't even…. Oh, damn!” you screamed as you felt a thorn sticking into your skin, expelling drops of warm blood towards the white snow.

You already had enough distractions and worries, you couldn't think about what you felt for the lady, or you would do yourself much more harm than a simple prick.

“Okay, great, you're great,” you said, sighing and looking away from your wound. “Okay, strange woman, get out of my thoughts,” you added, gesturing comically.

Before you could think about what had happened, an unpleasant feeling took over. It wasn’t just a feeling, but a strange chill on the back of your neck, an uneasiness in your stomach, the unmistakable symptoms that told you that something, or someone, was watching you.

Instinctively you turned around looking for those stalking eyes you thought were watching. A black raven, which flew away at the sight of you, was your only answer. You were so busy thinking about Lady Beneviento that you almost forgot the void in your past, that darkness in your memory, all the strange things that happened to you.

But, between thinking about Donna, fantasizing about what it would be like to really meet her, seeing what her face was like, and trying to get answers about everything that was happening to you… Well, thinking about the lady was much better.

Unfortunately, she didn’t appear on the paths again, and the rest of the day passed with a disturbing calm. The silence of the plants was overwhelming, and your thoughts echoed in your head much louder than usual.

At night, as you got into bed, you wished you would wake up like that morning while you were rehearsing conversations with the lady in black, something that wouldn't make you look stupid, as you almost always did when you spoke to her.

But the work was exhausting, and sleep overcame you before you could imagine, once again, what her smile would be like.

The images in your dreams were quite confusing, but recurring: crows, laughter, darkness, and Donna, always Donna. The feeling that someone was chasing you forced you to move away from her black veil before lifting it, and anguish and confusion always prevailed over your dream wishes.

But the dreams barely lasted. The nightmares weren’t with your eyes closed, but upon awakening. The warmth of your body was a good sign. Something was covering you as your eyes tried with great effort to open. Your head was spinning, like a night out with your friends, but without the taste of alcohol on your lips.

At least it seemed like you had woken up in your bed, right?

Your vision was clearing as your back began to not recognize your old mattress, indicating to you that maybe, just maybe, that wasn't your bed.

Wood, humidity, paint... all those new smells began to run through your nose as your eyes focused on your surroundings. You weren't at home.

When you sat up, the blanket covering you slid down your body and panic began to make your heart beat too fast. That dark wood, the timid light, that table, those chairs... you knew where you were: in the Beneviento Manor.

You had only been in that house twice, but it was enough to remember it, to recognize the dampness of the walls, the timid sound of the waterfall coming through the window. But that wasn't the worst of it.

When your brain fully woke up, it detected something, a presence that climbed onto the couch and almost gave you a heart attack.

“Hey, silly! It's time to wake up!” Angie sang in a squeaky voice, making you jump exaggeratedly.

“Shit, shit!” you screamed, nervously kicking until, with a thud, you fell off the couch. “Ouch! Ouch…”

Trying to regain your composure, you got up from the floor, your nerves on edge and starting to feel the cold seeping through your pajamas. The worst of all was that you had overlooked the figure sitting in front of you, watching you in silence: Donna.

“Oh, my lady!” you exclaimed with an apologetic gesture, watching as her veil moved to follow you with her gaze. “What…? I-I don't understand… what am I doing here?” you asked confused and scared.

“What am I doing here? What am I doing here?” Angie mocked, repeating your words while the ventriloquist remained silent. “You're stupid!”

“Um, -I-I don't know what's going on, I… my head,” you complained, letting yourself fall on the couch and burying your face in your hands.

“Last night you seemed to know it,” the lady in black murmured, finally getting up from the chair, maintaining an authoritative posture.

“What? I don't… I don't remember anything, I went to sleep and…” you murmured, trying, with all your effort, to remember.

“Allow me to correct you,” the lady said, crossing her arms and getting a little closer. “Last night you came to my house, rambling about some crows that were chasing you,” she explained, leaving you completely pale.

“Me? But, but…” you stammered, shaking your head, your whole body shaking. “No, that…”

“Are you calling me a liar, giardiniera?” she asked in a demanding tone, getting even closer.

“What? No, no, I… I have no idea what you're talking about, my lady,” you explained with fear taking over your words. “I don't remember anything, I…”

“My lady? How bold, am I your lady now?” Donna asked, with a mocking voice and a marked accent. She seemed nervous too. “Last night I was just Donna.”

“I'm sorry, my lady, but, but... I don't understand anything,” you whispered, curling up on the couch, with your knees pulled up to your chest.

“You don’t understand anything,” she replied, with her fists clenched on either side of her hips. “What kind of game are you trying to play with me, gardener? What are you trying to do?”

“I-I don't know what you’re talking about... I don't, I don't know, I...” you stammered, with tears beginning to form in your eyes, feeling more and more helpless. “I don't know what happened to me.”

“Hey!” the doll shrieked, watching you. “Hey, Donna! I think she's telling the truth.”

“Mm?”

The situation was too tense. Your best weapon at that moment, the only one you had, was the truth.

“I… it's just…” you began, trying hard not to tremble too much, not to make the blush on your cheeks too evident. “I-it's been happening to me for a while now.”

“Mm,” the lady murmured, making a patient gesture with her head, indicating for you to continue.

“S-Sometimes, at night… I don't know, I do things… I wake up in strange places, outside of my bed and… I-I don't know… I think, I think I'm sleepwalking,” you said nervously, looking anywhere but at the woman in black. “But I don't remember anything of what happened and…”

“You don't remember anything,” Donna repeated with a slightly calmer voice.

“Nothing,” you confirmed with a sigh.

“Niente”

“N-niente,” you stammered.

“Mm, how curious,” she finally said, sitting down again in front of you. “I was hoping you would remember what you told me before you fainted in my arms.”

Your eyes flew open and your heart stopped. You were unable to move a single muscle and the exit was too far away. You had no escape, and above all, you had no idea what she was referring to.

“Did I faint?” you asked in a small voice, making the doll laugh in amusement. “I don’t…”

“You don’t remember,” Donna finished the sentence for you, shaking her head.

You just nodded, preparing yourself for the worst.

“B-But I surely didn't mean it, I was just dreaming and… if I said something wrong, I beg you to forgive me and…” you said fearfully, kneeling submissively on the floor and bowing your head while you joined your hands.

“Yes, it would surely be a lie,” the lady in black sighed with a sad tone, bringing you a steaming cup. “Get up, gardener.”

“Y-yes,” you sobbed timidly, obeying your mistress's orders.

“Here, it's tea, it will calm the cold,” she offered, to which you, reluctant, took the cup from her hands.

“T-Thank you… I promise it won't happen again,” you apologized, unable to look at her black veil, at the place where her gaze was, one that you only knew from an old portrait on the stairs.

“Mm,” she murmured, before standing up with a brusque gesture and gesturing to her doll. “Angie.”

“You are stupid,” the puppet growled at you before leaving slowly.

Doubt was killing you, not knowing was consuming you, what could you have said to Lady Beneviento? Was your job in danger? Maybe that tea was the last of your life? You wanted to know, you needed to know.

“Excuse me, my lady, wait, please,” you said, leaving the cup on the table and standing up, playing with your hands.

The lady's steps slowly stopped, and the veil on her face danced towards you again.

“Finish the tea and get out of my house,” she ordered you sternly, not letting you speak.

“Yes, but… I-I would like…” you said without thinking, getting closer to the black figure, trembling with fear. “I would like to know what I told you, my lady.”

“Mm,” Donna murmured in response, sighing slowly. “You only told lies, (Y/N).”

“I don't understand,” you denied more confused. “What kind of lies?”

“You said that I was beautiful,” she finally whispered, looking away from you with her invisible gaze.

Your blood froze again.

“W-What? Did I say that?” you asked without believing it. You would never say something like that, even if you thought about it, even if every day you hoped to see her heels in the snow, the black against the white, the lavender around you. “Oh, I-I…”

“Taci,” your lady scolded you. “This is the last time your stupid dreams interrupt my tranquility with absurd lies, is that clear?”

“B-But,” you stammered. “My lady, I…”

“Hey, you forgot about dinner,” Angie added, comically tugging at her owner's dress.

“Oh, certo,” Donna sighed, a mocking air in her words. “You also invited me to dinner. Do you find it funny?”

“What? Me?” you asked confused, pointing at yourself.

“Basta, get out before I regret leaving you alive. No one laughs at me, do you hear me? No one!” the lady interrupted, kicking the wooden floor. “I should punish you for this, but Mother Miranda sent you to my care so I'll be merciful, for once. But I don't do favors twice, (Y/N), so…”

“Actually…” you started, trying to save that horrible situation. “It would be an honor to have dinner with you, my lady.”

“Mm, you're so stupid,” Donna laughed, crossing her arms while Angie watched the conversation closely. “Don't make me angry, stupid gardener, get out before I…”

“Yes, I… I'm sorry, my lady, it won't happen again, my lady,” you apologized, walking towards the door, trying to escape as quickly as possible.

It could have been the most awkward moment of your life, but something inside you made you stop with your hand on the door, looking at the ravages of your sleepwalking as an opportunity, not as a mistake.

That little spark of daring was totally unknown to you. You would never have considered continuing to pull the string of her patience. Something was definitely wrong with you.

The stoic look of that portrait penetrated your mind, forcing you to make the most absurd move of your life.

“My lady,” you said with a weak voice, but strangely comfortable and soft. “I truly think you’re beautiful.”

“Mm?” she murmured, bewildered, shaking her head. “Don't you get tired of pissing me off?”

“I... well, I may not remember anything of what happened last night but... I would like to have dinner with you, if you want,” you asked with a strange confidence, with a knot in your stomach.

“You keep insisting, stupida...” the lady hissed, calming down instantly. “Va bene, at 8... and don't you dare to be late. If it's a trick, (Y/N), you'll pay the consequences, now go away.”

You nodded and obeyed. A date with Donna Beneviento? You had dreamed about it so many times that it seemed impossible.

It wasn't a memorable dinner, it was just awkward, strange. The lady in black definitely didn't believe that you made the effort to have dinner with her of your own free will, and even for you it was hard to believe that you were having dinner with her. Confidence was something completely unknown to you, to your shy and gentle character.

It could be something isolated, a test of loyalty or trust in your lady, but Donna insisted. That situation was repeated for the rest of the week.

Laughter, absurd conversations about your life in the village... Little by little, having dinner with Donna became routine, the term "my lady" disappeared, and the love that grew inside you was increasingly bigger, more evident.

The chemistry between you was clearly shown after several days. The lady in black wasn't completely sure that your smiles were sincere, but, like you, and that side of your personality that you had just discovered, she simply let herself go.

The rumors about Beneviento slowly dissipated with each of her shy laughs, her soft and flattering words. She was sick, yes, the blessing of the Gods wasn’t favorable to her, or so she told you, but she was far, too far from being the monster everyone was talking about.

“Aren't you cold? Waking up in the middle of the forest doesn't seem healthy,”-she asked one of those nights of endless chatter, looking at you curiously.

“The truth is that the answer will seem strange to you but...” you said, taking a sip of your glass of wine. “I feel the cold, but it doesn't seem to affect me.”

“Mm,” Donna murmured in response, slightly moving her veil to eat. “I'm surprised you haven't caught a cold.”

You laughed, shaking your head and looking away from the little you could see of her face, from the internal reconstruction your head made of what was undoubtedly a terribly beautiful woman.

“This may seem almost impossible to you, but I haven't gotten sick in a long time,” you explained, frowning, remembering all the strange things that happened while you were falling more and more in love with Donna.

“You could say you're lucky, (Y/N), and so are my flowers,” the lady answered, nodding elegantly. “I don't think I could, I mean, they couldn't live without your care.”

The blush returned to your cheeks, but melancholy took over you.

“I don't think I could live without you either, I mean, without these delicious dinners and... Wow, I... I should stop drinking, I'm just talking nonsense,” you said nervously, noticing the heat of embarrassment on your skin.

“You always say nonsense, like that I'm beautiful,” she murmured, shaking her head again and sighing.

“It's not nonsense,” you answered with a mischievous smile, encouraged by the wine. “I wish I had the courage to tell you when I was awake.”

“Do you always say things like that when you're asleep? The people around you should feel lucky,” Donna commented, playing with her fork, but listening attentively.

“Actually... I haven't always been a sleepwalker,” you said, ignoring that veiled compliment. “Something happened to me a while ago, something that... I still can't explain... there's a fog in my memories, and I can't stop thinking maybe everything that happens to me happens because of that and... well, it doesn't matter.”

“You're right, it doesn't matter,” she said, with a serious tone, getting up from her chair and approaching you again. “Thanks to that, you're with me.”

“I l-like being with you, Donna,” you stammered, taking the hand she offered you, gently getting up until you were at her height.

“You like being with me,” she repeated laughing, bringing her hands close to your face, caressing it erratically. “I like being with you.”

“Great, I guess, I…” you stammered, feeling terribly nervous, noticing on your skin, in your heart, the anticipation of an impossible kiss.

Before you could do anything, her hands moved away from your skin, going straight to the fabric that covered her face, finally revealing to you the beauty you dreamed of.

“Surely you are regretting it now,” the lady sighed, looking down while you, open-mouthed, studied her features.

She was… she was really beautiful. Her black hair, tied in a messy bun, framed her pale skin harmoniously. A horrible scar hid her right eye, being the reason why she always wore the veil. Nonsense, her beauty was so overwhelming that you almost fainted when you saw it with your own eyes.

“Yes, it's true,” you sighed, looking at her lips, gently grabbing her waist, which trembled at your touch. “I regret not telling you before.”

Her eye opened wide and a slight smile appeared on her lips, which were quickly kidnapped by yours in a passionate, wild kiss.

Her hands grabbed the back of your neck, pulling your body closer to hers in a frenetic dance, full of gasps, without words, just kisses, only the moisture of her lips on yours resonating in the old walls.

Passion took over the room, and your bodies, refusing to separate, roamed it erratically, looking for some safe place to rest, to merge. Unfortunately, just when your hands began to roam freely, Donna stopped, pulling away among gasps.

“No, wait…” she sighed, blinking nervously. “Y-You better go, (Y/N).”

“Have I done something wrong?” you asked scared. “Am I going too fast?”

“No, no, io…” she stammered, shaking her head and grabbing your hands, looking at you with sadness, a strange sadness. “Will you come to dinner with me tomorrow?”

“What?” you asked frowning, laughing nervously. “Um… yes, of course but… I-I don't know, don't you want me to stay with you? We were having a good time, right?”

“Yes,” she answered quickly, squeezing your hands in hers. “Yes, but… but… I prefer you to go, (Y/N).”

“Oh,” you sighed disappointed. “Of course, I… I didn't want to make you uncomfortable, I just…”

“I know, I…” she stammered, while the Angie doll, always watching, shook her head, surely rejecting the lady's behavior. “B-But flowers don't take care of themselves. I-I mean, you're still my gardener and…”

“Flowers,” you said with a bit of resentment, searching for an answer for that sudden change in behavior, one that, of course, you weren't able to find. “S-So… see you tomorrow?”

“Sure,” Donna whispered when you let her hands go, running away before you took one more step. “Un attimo…”

After that whisper, your lips were blessed with one last kiss, a quick one, but just as passionate.

Her attitude was truly confusing, and you didn't know what to think, but you did know what to feel. She felt the same as you, and you couldn't blame her for being scared, or for feeling insecure. The best thing would be, as always, to let yourself go.

Of course, it wasn't your last kiss, nor your last dinner. Every night, the same situation was repeated: a delicious dinner, with her beauty already on display, caresses, glances, insatiable kisses that Donna always interrupted and above all, rejection.

Rejection of something more, of spending the night with her, of talking about what you were exactly, what you were to her. Your little nocturnal problem continued to haunt you, but it was no longer a problem.

Donna was the only thing that worried you. You were worried about the love you felt for her, not knowing what prevented her from declaring herself to you, what prevented her from asking you to be with her not only at night, but all day.

You couldn't complain, but as time went by, the situation became more and more uncomfortable.

You insisted on loving her, she rejected you. It could be because of the changes the Gods made to her body, but you knew there was something much deeper that prevented her from giving herself to you completely, something you began to write down in your old diary, forgetting about the strange places you used to wake up in.

“(Y/N)…” the lady protested when your kisses began to descend down her neck, while your body rested on hers, in the intimacy of the old sofa.

“Mm… yes, it’s time, I'm leaving,” you sighed disappointed, getting up after giving your lover one last kiss and walking towards your coat.

“Are you leaving, silly?” Angie asked as you wrapped yourself up, this time, without letting the lady give you one of those goodbye kisses that made you melt.

“Yes, I'm leaving,” you said with a slightly furious tone, tired of being patient, of understanding what was going through her mind. “It seems that I always have to leave.”

“Oh, that sounded like a complaint, silly gardener,” the doll scolded you, while the lady grabbed your waist from behind, kissing your hair.

“I'll see you tomorrow, vero?” Donna whispered in your ear, but your smile didn't widen like other times, you simply turned around cupping her face slightly, before separating yourself from her.

“Yes, as always,” you said in a dry tone, reaching the doorway, but taking a deep breath before disappearing. “Donna.”

“Mm?”

“I just… wanted to tell you that…” you stammered, finding in your words remnants of your former personality. “I love you.”

The lady in black looked at you and a brief smile appeared on her face, but the answer wasn’t what you expected; she simply nodded.

You had confessed, you had verbally declared the love you felt for her and… nod? Was that her answer? There was no patience left that you could use, you were almost desperate.

“Okay, that's enough,” you growled, slamming the door and crossing your arms. “A while ago you asked me what I was playing at, right? Well, it's my turn, Donna: what are you playing at?”

“Cosa? I don't understand,” she murmured, with a sad look, backing away.

“What am I to you?” you asked, approaching the withdrawn lady, intimidating her in a ridiculous way. “We've been doing this for weeks, kissing at night, caressing each other... I tell you that I love you and what's your answer?” you said with irony, mockingly imitating her previous gesture.

“D-Don't talk to me like that,” she said confused, shaking her head and blinking rapidly. “Y-You make me nervous.”

“You make me nervous,” you growled, hardening your words unconsciously, completely forgetting that, with a single gesture, she could force you to jump into the void. “What am I to you, Donna? A toy?”

“No”

“A doll? Your employee who has to work overtime? Is this part of my job? I have to take care of the flowers, and then of you? Donna, I can't take it anymore, I...” you questioned, slowly losing your nerves.

“You don't understand,” the lady hissed, changing confusion into irrational anger. “We can't, I can't...”

“What can't you do? Have sex with me? I've already told you a thousand times that I don't care if you have a...” you answered, thus beginning your first argument with her, something inevitable.

“It's not that, it's not that!” Donna shouted furious, making rationality return to your head and your body start to tremble. “You don't understand...”

“So explain it to me!” you shouted back, making the Angie doll run away from the place in a funny way, hiding under the table.

“Hey, watch your tone, gardener!” the puppet scolded you, to which you growled.

“Shut up,” you hissed. “Donna, I love you and… I, I'd like to think that I'm more than just your gardener… I want to share my life with you, do you understand?”

“I can't!” the lady in black shrieked, making her voice bounce off the walls. “I can't love you!”

“Why?” you asked, watching as her hands trembled more and more, as madness took over her.

“Because… because I… I can't stand the idea of ​​losing you!” she finally said, sobbing, with a tear running down her cheek. “I-I can't, cazzo…”

“Lose me?” you asked a little calmer, trying, unsuccessfully, to avoid an imminent crisis, a terrible one. “Donna…”

“You don't understand, (Y/N), I can't love, I can't let my heart love you because… because I couldn't stand… seeing you… Oddio… tesoro, I can't… you, you're…”

“What am I?” you asked, approaching cautiously.

“You're mortal!” Donna screamed madly, with a burning hatred in her eyes. “You're just another villager and I… I'm going to have to see you… see you die… and I'll lose you and… and…”she said, short of breath, so you put your hands on her shoulders.

“Donna, don't… don't think about it, I… there's still a long way to go… and I'd like to spend my life with you and…” you stammered, trying to make her reason.

“I can't allow myself to fall in love with you… not when I know I'm going to lose you… I… No, no, no!” she yelled, moving her arms, pushing you away. “Porca puttana!”

“Oh, shit, don't do that,” you said scared, trying to stop her arms, which were flailing wildly, trying to stop her hands from pulling on her hair with excessive force. “Donna, please, relax.”

“Cazzo! Cazzo, cazzo!” she cursed while crying in agony. “Ti amo! Ti amo!”

“O-Okay, okay, Donna, please don't…” you whispered, unable to control her.

She was completely out of her mind, running away from your reassuring hands, hitting hard everything in her path.

“Mannaggia! Mannaggia!” the lady continued screaming, kicking the chairs, the table, hitting her head against the wood. “I can't!”

“Donna, Donna…” you called trying to hold her, but it was impossible, she was too strong.

“Who do you think you are to do this to me!?” she shouted at you, quickly grabbing you by the collar of your dress, lifting you in the air. “You have conquered me… just to make me suffer!”

“Donna, let me go… Gods… Angie!” you called to the doll, who approached cautiously.

“Donna, Donna, let her go, come on! You love her, I know it, you told me!” the doll said, also trying to calm her sick owner. “Calmati, Donna!”

The lady let you go, but that didn't stop her anger, which slowly turned into tears, falling to her knees on the floor.

“Don't die... I can't lose you, I can't... they'll kill you, they...” she stammered completely gone, lost, inconsolable.

“Shit...” Angie hissed, running to your side and climbing onto a small table while you crouched down, trying to calm your beloved. “I'll have to call her.”

“Who? What are you going to do?” you asked while fighting the spasms and uncontrolled fury of the lady.

“Mother Miranda! It's me, Angie! Donna's lost her mind again!” the doll screamed into the phone.

Mother Miranda?

After a few minutes that seemed like hours, someone knocked on the door. A shiver ran through your body when you saw the priestess with a serious look that turned sinister when she noticed your presence.

“Gods, what's wrong with you now, Donna?” the blonde asked, ignoring you and forcibly lifting her adopted daughter. “For the Gods' sake, get up, have you taken your medication?”

“Mother... she... she...” Donna sobbed, resting her head on the raven woman's chest, who sighed, caressing her reluctantly.

Miranda's grey eyes locked with yours, making you involuntarily step back and lean against a wall.

“Oh, honey... what did that stupid girl do to you?” asked the witch, continuing to comfort poor Donna.

“I haven't done anything,” you defended yourself, catching her attention again.

“She's going to...” Donna murmured, burying herself in the priestess. “She's going to die, and I love her, Mother, I love her... I love her...”

“Oh, my precious girl,” Miranda said, with a terrifyingly affectionate tone. “Calm down... everything is okay.”

“No,” the lady said unhinged again, moving away from her mother and shaking her head. “N-No, nothing is okay... Mother Miranda, please... I don't want her to die. I'll do anything for...”

“Shhh, taci, Donna,” the witch snapped, wiping the tears from her clothes and lifting the kneeling lady back up. “But how curious fate is... Now, be quiet, dear, no one is going to die.”

You, unable to do anything, terrified by the presence of the priestess, limited yourself to listening.

“No, Mother, maybe not now, but she will die and I will be alone again and…” Donna explained, desperate.

A sinister smile formed on the blonde's face, making you frown.

“No, dear, she won’t die, (Y/N) will live forever,” she commented. “Just like you.”

“What?” Donna and you asked at the same time, making a disturbing laugh bounce off the walls.

“Mm, I must admit that I didn’t expect these results, (Y/N), you were too valuable to be thrown away,” Miranda said, making you, confused, shake your head. “Tell me, girl, haven't you noticed something strange lately?”

“Yes,” you answered coldly, getting a little closer to the women. “My wounds heal on their own and at night…”

“Oh, let me guess, you lose consciousness… you wake up far from home, don’t you?” Mother Miranda whispered, making your eyes widen.

“How do you know?”

“Because I did it, (Y/N)… I must confess that you weren’t a success, but the Cadou didn’t kill you, so I decided to leave you in the hands of my little Donna in case you gave me any surprises.”

The revelation came to your head. That fog in your memories, that empty space in your memory… had it all been Miranda’s doing?

“S-So…” Donna commented, wiping away her tears. “Is (Y/N) like me?”

“Sort of… but she's a failure, aside from her sleepwalking, she's a simple villager, a waste, unfortunately,” the witch commented, leaving you with more questions than answers. “So… well, I guess it's okay if you keep her.”

“Wait, wait,” you interrupted. “Did you experiment on me? What have you done to me?”

The blonde woman didn't answer, she simply laughed softly, passing by you indifferently.

“Cheer up, dear, you're immortal,” she commented before disappearing in a black cloud, leaving you completely in shock.

“But, but, but,” you stammered, with too much information, so much that you couldn't fully take it in. “What? What does it mean?”

“Tesoro…” Donna sighed, catching you by surprise, grabbing your face with a radiant smile. “It means I won't lose you... you can be mine forever...”

“Wait a minute, Donna, I don't...” you said confused, pushing her gently. “I need time to...”

A wild and salty kiss interrupted your complaints, and a hug calmed your doubts, a strong, joyful hug, totally out of madness.

“There will be time to think, vieni,” the lady told you, pulling your wrist. “You will be mine forever, tesoro... forever...” she sighed, kissing you quickly, kisses that were hard for you to return “Now I can love you.”

“Yes, Donna, but...” you said confused, moving away subtly. “I just don't understand.”

“I want to make love to you,” she said in your ear, making your body tense and a burning heat start to rise up your legs.

“Um, I… I…” you stuttered, shaking your head, though you didn't have much time to think, as her arms lifted you into the air, leaving you on the couch.

“Per favore…” the lady begged, climbing up your hips while her lips timidly rested on the skin of your neck.

As always, there was no better option than to let yourself go and you, despite still being disoriented, decided to close your eyes and worry only about the warm of her body against yours.

“Gods, Donna…” you sighed, grabbing her face to kiss her while her hands undressed you impatiently. “Donna…”

“I won't lose you anymore, I'll never lose you,” she repeated among gasps while her nails scratched your skin, cupping your exposed breasts and your hips rubbing against hers. “Mine…”

“Yours,” you answered, with the heat of your cheeks dispelling doubts, with her cold hands contrasting with your hot skin, with electric currents running through your body every time your hips played together.

“Do you want to be mine, tesoro? Mine forever?” the lady asked, deactivating Angie with a gentle movement of her hand while playing with her own dress, thus releasing her throbbing erection, one that made your eyes shine.

“Oh, yes, I do...” you said biting your lip, overwhelmed by the reaction that your kisses provoked in her body, by that impatience, the gentle stimulation her hand made on her shaft. “Donna, Gods... you are big.”

She laughed childishly, embarrassed by your comment but focused on her task, on making you hers abruptly, on taking you after so much time full of doubts and uncertainty.

Your mouth moaned involuntarily as you noticed her heat on your wet entrance, the precise movements she made with the tip on your clit, passing, traveling, conquering your folds in such a hurried way, with that furious madness turned into pure passion.

“I want to enter you, (Y/N), I want your body to embrace me,” she sighed in your ear, repressing the desire to penetrate you quickly, playing little by little to enter your wetness, but being careful not to hurt you. “(Y/N)…”

“Yes, Donna… fuck…” you said in the middle of a frenzy of moans and desperate movements of your hips, wanting to fulfill her wish, wanting to fulfill yours.

“No…” Donna protested, moving away and pulling your hair as a punishment. “Don't talk like that. Pretty girls don't talk like that,” she whispered, biting your lip, like a sinister threat that made you lose control more and more.

“Mm, and what do pretty girls do?” you asked in a suggestive tone, sliding down so that her erection was once again impregnated with your arousal, joining your hand to hers, going up and down her skin, making the lady moan in a tremendously erotic way.

“Pretty girls... let themselves be taken care of...” she whispered in her melodic voice, interrupted by the moans caused by being masturbated by you. “Cazzo...”

“Mm, who's saying bad words now?” you joked, completely losing track of what had happened, letting yourself be carried away by passion as you placed your body in the correct position and slowly introduced the tip inside you.

“Mm…” the lady murmured, pushing herself inside you, stretching your body as your legs parted to make room for her.

The sensation was overwhelming, even a little uncomfortable at first, but your new character, one that surely had to do with what that witch had done, prevented you from feeling anything but pleasure.

“Yes, yes Donna!” you screamed as you noticed how she slid down your walls, how you covered her with your wetness while her hips moved wildly, possessively, desperately.

“Ti amo… ti amo!” she cried euphorically, grabbing your legs to move you as she pleased while emphasizing her thrusts. “You feel so good…”

“Gods, you too!” you moaned, closing your eyes, wanting only to feel pleasure, only to feel her, awakening, unintentionally, one of your wet nighttime fantasies. “Donna, do it inside, fill me!”

“Oh, yes, tesoro, of course I will… you will carry my seed inside you… no one will be able to touch you… you will be mine!” she moaned as she let your movements guide her as you wanted.

“Yes, yes!” you shrieked, hitting the couch, being stopped by her firm hand, by her bright eye looking at you with a chilling desire. “Make me a mother, my love! I want to have your babies!”

“Yes, yes, tesoro… Cazzo, it's… it's too much… I'm going to…” the lady in black growled, moving faster and faster as your premature orgasm squeezed her body with intensity and your screams of pleasure reverberated in the old mansion.

“Fill me!” you screamed in the euphoria of your orgasm, noticing how, after an embarrassed gasp, her seed began to fill you and her movements ceased, staying very close, as deep inside you as she could.

Wet kisses, caresses, whispers… after that lustful act, there was only love, the realization that you would always have each other, that she was yours, and you were hers.

“Um, (Y/N)… I…” Donna murmured, finally pulling out of you with an embarrassed face. “I don't know if I'm ready to… have a baby …”

“Oh, Donna, honey…” you said amused, caressing her face. “Don't give it any importance, it's just a fantasy.”

“A fantasy? Can you explain it to me? I'm afraid I don't know what you're talking about,” she said, a little confused, looking at you curiously.

“Mm, well, I guess I have all eternity to explain it to you but… now… how about you make me yours again?”