#AND DONT GET ME STARTED ON HAPPY WEDDING DAY RIBBON | Explore Tumblr Posts and Blogs

luxexhomines · 5 years

Note

Hello! I was reading through your blog and wanted to ask if you could write for Tsumugi with a female S/O who is the Ultimate Witch? In or out of the V3 universe is fine. Thank you!

Hullo, anon! Thanks for the request!! Although Tsumugi isn’t my favorite character, I so enjoyed writing this. I put it out of the V3 universe, so there are no spoilers for anyone wondering. Wasn’t sure if you wanted the reader be doing “real magic” or magic tricks, so it’s a little vague, haha.Icon credit to 64pxs! Also wow my third request finished in one day although it’s past 1AM & technically a new day here now!

Guess I’d classify this as fluff, too. It’s not that long, so it’s not under the cut. Here you go!

Tsumugi x Female! Ultimate Witch! S/O

You knocked on her door and grasped the doorknob, fully intending to open it and peek in the gap, but your plans were abruptly foiled by her voice.

“Don’t even try,” she cackled. “The door’s locked and I’ve got a chair keeping it closed, you know?”

When you tried to turn it, it was true. It wouldn’t budge an inch.

“Oh, come on, Tsumugi!” You whine right outside the door, making sure she could hear you loud and clear. “I haven’t seen you leave that room for a third day now! I know that you’ve got snacks and a bathroom connected to your room, but that can’t be healthy,” you beg. “Please come out…”

Either she’s ignoring you, or she’s ignoring you. Two perfectly possible options. You could even hear her plaintively humming a random tune, a tune that seemed reminiscent of a folksong–but what did that matter now, when part of her reasons for doing so was to drown out the sound of you?

“Can I at least come in, Tsumugi?” You knock on the door again, but you’re soundly rejected.

“No! You’re not allowed in here for the rest of the week, even if I do come out of the room,” she says firmly.

She was getting strangely obsessive about hiding the contents of her room from you, and you were extremely worried. The only times she ever pulled stunts like this was when she hadn’t finished preparing a cosplay for a con coming up soon, but the problem was that there were no cons coming up soon. As you understood it, she had taken a leave from work to do whatever it was she was doing in that room, and you had no clue what was so important that she’d take a week off of work to do it. She thrived off of that income to make living wage and make cosplays in addition to all her the money from her sponsors.

You could only sigh at the plain white door and walk back to your own room, resigned to your lonely fate for the rest of the week. It was anyone’s guess what she was doing or why she was hiding it from you, including your own, despite being her girlfriend.

You supposed you’d go practice your magic for the upcoming magic show you were holding while Tsumugi did…whatever it was she was doing. There was no time to waste at her doorway, calling her name to a silent answer or pounding on the door in exasperation.

You took a deep breath and gathered your focus for the first act, a rather simple attention-getter with birds flying from your sleeves like colorful ribbons spewing from them. Somehow, it was always the easiest magic that was easiest to mess up, so you ended up practicing the act for at least an hour, worried about the possibility of success in a live performance.

Falling back on the bed, you pant slightly in exertion. Who said magic was as easy as waving a wand? That’s only what magicians wanted other people to believe, after all. If the magician was dropping dead from exhaustion, no one would enjoy the show–no, it was much better for them to believe that the magician possessed unlimited amounts of mana and could continue performing magic for an entire day but just ended it at around an hour for the audience’s scheduling convenience.

But even magicians weren’t immortal. You decided to take a break and walked to the kitchen, grabbing a drink of water to hydrate yourself before returning to practice, throwing a bitter, yearning look toward Tsumugi’s closed door.

It was going to be a long week, just you and your magic.

On the day of the magic show, you hoped Tsumugi would emerge from her cave, maybe make an appearance. But it was fifteen minutes before the show, and she still hadn’t come.

You let out a sigh of disappointment and return to your dressing room as you pick at your ratty, ripped seams of what used to be a smart looking, black long-sleeved tailcoat and matching pencil skirt. You’d had it since your very first show, and you liked it very much, but it was ready to retire and had been for a while now.

In fact, you were surprised Tsumugi hadn’t commented on it–she usually would make note of any clothes you owned that were no longer serving a functional and aesthetic purpose and bring you out to buy new ones. Speaking of Tsumugi, your dressing room just burst open with a long, blue-haired girl in spectacles and carrying what looks like a newly pressed outfit in black.

“Tsumugi! You’re here,” you gasp. “I thought you weren’t coming.”

She rushes over to you, out of breath and frenetic.

“Oh, good, you’re in your dressing room! Take this,” she thrust the plastic protected outfit at you along with a box of what you assumed to be shoes. “Sorry I’m late, it took me so long to finish this. Go change, your show is starting in ten minutes!”

You look at her in confusion, but do as she asks. You’re used to her frantic nature, even if she was rather laidback most of the time. When you finish dressing, she claps her hands together in delight, and swooning.

“Oh, I knew you’d look great in this! I’ve had this idea for forever, I’m so happy I finally get to see you wear it. I can die happy now,” she declares passionately, almost drooling with excitement, her blue eyes glimmering brightly.

You examine the outfit, which includes a pair of white gloves, black heels, a black top hat, and a similar black tailcoat, black dress shirt and pencil skirt, along with a tie of your favorite color wrapped snugly around your neck that curves over your bust gently.

“Tsumugi, you made this for me?”

She nods proudly.

“I think I did a bang-up job of it, too! It’s absolutely perfect for you,” she beams at you, as lovely and warm as the golden sun, and you can only grin like a fool in response.

“You sure did. You sure did,” you repeat, amazed by her accurate, neat needlework and toiling dedication she had offered you in making the outfit.

“Now, go out there and amaze the crowds,” she encourages you, giving you a light push on the back and going out to join the audience below.

The magic show goes splendidly–you don’t know if you’ve ever done a better job, and all kinds of flowers, roses, daffodils, daisies, skyrocket toward your lone figure standing at the center of the black stage, hoping to be caught by you. You wave at the audience happily and skip on and off the stage to the standing ovation before exiting for good.

Luckily for you, Tsumugi is waiting at your dressing room, so there’s no need for you to push through the masses to find her, and you immediately envelop her in a hug, tackling her, and her breath leaves her with the impact you’ve come at her with. She wraps her arms around your back, and you can feel her pride for you simply seeping out like radioactive waves.

You don’t let go of her for a long, long time, and when you finally let go of her, you smile at her in a daze. You can’t believe your girlfriend is this gorgeous, kind, devoted, thoughtful girl standing in front of her.

“I think I’m in love with you, Tsumugi,” you say, staring straight into her eyes, endless pools of blue.

She smiles back, pushing her spectacles up slightly.

“A good thing, too, because I think I’m in love with you, too. That is, if you couldn’t tell after I spent over a week cooped up in my room to make this ensemble for you,” she replies, gesturing at your outfit.

You pat her on the head.

“Yes, yes, I know, good girl. But I was so lonely,” you pout. “Did you have to leave me alone like that for such a long time? I could have died of loneliness!”

She simply laughs full-heartedly.

“I suppose we’d be in trouble if you were a rabbit, huh? But there’ll be no more loneliness on my watch. That sounds rather presumptuous of me to say, but you can trust me on that,” she smiles charmingly as she puts a hand on her hip.

You laugh back at her, sharing in her joy and playfulness.

“You’d better live longer than I do, in that case,” you tease.

Tsumugi bends toward you and places a small kiss on the tip of your nose.

“Your wish is my command, royal magician of the court,” she chuckles.

You smirk and slip a hand around the small of her back, pulling her in closer so that both of your bodies are pressed against each other, and kiss her on the lips deeply.

“Then, my first command is that thou shalt stay at my side for the rest of our mortal lifespans.”

You can feel the corners of her lips stretch out and upward at this, and you take that to be her response as you draw her in for many more sweet kisses.

11 notes · View notes

tumblunni · 6 years

Text

Weirdass Real Cis AF Conversation going on downstairs

"Oh my daughter's wedding yeah i want the girliest dress yeah she loves girly stuff. Like even when she was a baby she'd always wear frilly petticoats."

Like..umm.. You put her in those clothes...?

Serioudly she was on about how she bought a whole fancy old fashioned petticoat for a literal one year olf including frilly knickers, and how THE DAUGHTER IN QUESTION said she didnt want to raise her own kids so heavily gendered from such a young age as she was, but the mom was like "oh just wait til theyre born and you see them! You'll totally understand! Mommy instincts blablabla!"

Like wow i've never seen talk of these certain type of baby underwear instincts before. Seriously man that must be so uncomfortable for a literal one year old in a diaper to have frilly scratchy stuff everywhere?? And like an eight layer petticoat she cant even run around in?? Like if you're really insistant on only buying stereotypically feminine clothes you could just go to the actual baby clothes aisle and pick up something pink? Man it must have been hell for the mom too, to get all that stuff off every time a diaper needs changing!

And then seriously how can you say 'oh my daughter liked that and my son would never like that' when theyre both too young to even say their first word? Of course theyre gonna wear whatever you put on them, they cant exactly fight you off! They dont even have object permenance or a concept of what dresses ARE, let alone the social implications of fashion and gender roles! I just wanted to interrupt and be like "oh your son doesnt like it? So you've let him try it? And you've let your daughter try other outfits too?"

And It doesnt really bloody sound like the daughter liked being dressed that way as a kid if she argued with you about doing it to her own kid. And she was all laughing about "oh lol my son was always covered in sick instead of his clothes, he'd always pull them off haha Boys Amirite". Dude your kid is just a nebulous blob of vague comprehension of the world. Both of them would be running around being 'little terrors' if both of them could run! And serioudly thats just how much babies HATE clothes at first, they dont know why they have to wear a thing around their neck and chest or why its bad to take it off. Can you imagine how much more fidgety a kid would be in the most over the top petticoat nonsense? And not being able to crawl or run or play because she's not allowed to get stains on the stupid thing?

Ugh man i wore a frilly petticoat like that when i was a kid up to around age 6 or 7. Because it was all i had and my parents decided what i wore every day. And i didnt know that some things were 'girly' or 'manly' let alone that i was trans yet! Well i mean i guess i kind of still was me but i didnt know to feel bad about it cos i didnt know boys couldnt wear this or girls had to wear this. I just had no feelings on it except that it was annoyyyyying to wait thru all this long process of putting it on each morning and i'd fidget like hell. And then it was uncomfortable and i just had to get used to it because i thought ALL clothes were just as bad? I liked how the skirt fanned out if i ran but i hated that i wasnt supposed to run in it. And i still tried to run around and climb trees and roll in the grass and hide behind the sofa and make forts and be a "little terror" even when i kept getting told off for "ruining" my good clothes. And i think thats where i started my general hatred of shoes cos those fancy dress shoes were so tight and cut up the back of my feet. I'd take them off as soon as my parents werent watching! And theyd all swear that i "loved" having my hair tied back in a ribbon even though i'd cry about people tpuching and pulling my hair and then keep conveiniently losing the ribbon by the end of the day. Seriously bad parents will just make up a personality for you and never bother to actually ask you! Like i mean i dunno of this lady is a bad parent just cos she believes in kinda exaggerated gender stereotypes, but my parents did and yeah it reminded me of they who were very much not good :/

OH MAN LOL its funny looking back on how my parents were ~so concerned~ at my ~sudden phase~ of hating dresses and choosing to wear "boy clothes" literally AS SOON AS I LEARNED THERE WERE OTHER OPTIONS. And they still chose everything i wore so i'd just have to go for the least feminine of the bunch and like ignore half of the closet until they got the hint. Imagine like entire years of slowly getting slightly more neutral clothes until eventually i had one singular t shirt. Still with care bears on it. And as soon as i actually got to choose my own clothes i was totally off on the me train! "What has caused this alarming new trend out of nowhere?" Asks zero memory mom, who was complaining about the same damn thing every time i did anything non girly for the last decade. Also they complained that i was "less vibrant and happy and didnt run around like you did as a kid" despite the fact they friggin punished me for running around and not being a demure young girl :/

And then there's the whole subject of how all babies regardless of gender wore frilly smocks and bows in victorian times. It was still considered unmasculine for a grown man but it was like in an "immature" sense. It was called the breeching of the child, i think? That age when you get old enough to start wearing pants, it was treated as a lil life milestone celebration. There's loads of other stuff like that of our ideas of masculine and feminine clothing switching sides throughout history! Baby blue was considered the primary feminine colour for a long time, and pink was just considered a shade of manly red. High heels and tights were both invented as male fashions,and you see LOADS of regency era men wearing them in portraits! They only became degraded as a women only thing because crossdressing women would wear them and society had a homophobic transphobic panic and decided to abandon the trend. And over time it was all forgotten and the idea morphed into a 'ultinate symbol of straight femininity' just like it was the ultimate straight masculinity before...

So yeah lol sorry i just overheard a very stupid excuse for why imposing super over the top gender roles on a kid is ~totally good~ and i just went off on a brain thought train about the whole subject. I guess im still a bit upset from the whole transphobic mess yesterday and im probably judging this lady a bit too harshly.

7 notes · View notes

darkwing-katy · 7 years

Text

Second Chance - Part Eight

Guys, I’m posting this from my new home in Florida! Whoot-whoot!

Thank you so, so much for your patience with me. My life has gotten incredibly hectic, and it’s taken me a while to be able to update. But it’s finally here, chapter eight of Second Chance! It will be a while before chapter nine comes out since I’ve got to unpack and apply for jobs and get settled in here. Thanks to all who have commented on this fic or messaged me--I still jump for joy when I get a notification that someone’s said something about it! Let me know if you want to be tagged in upcoming chapters! Special thanks to @sannvers who is busy with band camp and still managed to edit for me.

Title: Second Chance

Pairing: Eventual Gaston x Fem!Reader

Rating: T

Words: 7,466

Summary: You try to stop Gaston from shooting the Beast and falling to his death, but you arrive too late to save him. As you sit there, sobbing, the Enchantress offers you a second chance to save him.

Tagging: @i-wished-upon-a-star-one-night @with-a-hint-of-pesto-aioli@hobbithorse19@leah5684 @princessbelgoof @captainskyline @theoncergames@geeky-girl-394@were-allstoriesinthe-end084 @brooke-supernatural16@certainasthesvn@jordyhaley @superlokidwholock @smilesnjh @prongspower@bitchingqueenoferebor@scarletdarkholme @hemmingbaes @bae-kage @areuslow@lovelylpevensie@uknwwhttheysayboutthecrzy1s @moonbeams-and-pie @17gnomes-in-a-trenchcoat @superwholockedrosx @panda-reads-stuff @ultimatetrashlord@elenawrit@the7thsilence @blackxthexbeast @rainwing-galaxy @arkhamsnight @imoyu-trashblog @martapetrovic @ciaprincess @juggernaut-jones@fangirlx26@fangirlx26 @epicfallenismine @izzymaria1994 @loveablelulu13 @malfoy-milkovich-royalty @kylorenlover15 @banana-cat @withouthannah @stone0502 @shiroyuki18 @thestrugglesofateenagedirtbag @lainris @banana-cat @samaxraph99 @honey-badger-dont-give-a@daisiesflower @afairytaledreamer @flufycorn384 @lovelyturtle36 @kairi73 @aerondrage @softbcky @pnchingwalls101 @chalatea @crowleysfavoritehuman @afairytaledream @silverwingedfox @asymmetrical-flower-child @my-whataguythat-gaston @elyza-jeanette @migirl323 @soulgirl518 @betterlattethennever @bonemarrow-writes

Previous Chapter

“I still don’t understand why you wouldn’t let us take a carriage,” Adam grumbled, though he was only half-serious.

“You’re enjoying this just as much as (Y/N) and I are, so stop complaining,” Belle replied, rolling her eyes.

It was a bright morning, with not a cloud in sight. For now, a gentle breeze cooled you, but you knew that come afternoon, it would be quite warm in the direct sunlight. You leaned forward and patted your horse’s neck; you were going at a slow enough pace that you felt comfortable doing such.

The three of you were en route to Villenueve to officially announce the engagement of Prince Adam and Belle, and also to invite the whole town to the wedding celebration. The happy couple had decided they didn’t want to wait too long, so the wedding was to be held in the beginning of August. Today marked the beginning of July, which meant you had a month to plan the festivities.

It was a bit daunting, but considering Adam had dozens of servants, you were fairly certain it could be done. In fact, tonight, you, Belle, and Adam were to have a meeting after dinner to start discussing the details.

You allowed your thoughts to drift to Gaston, whom you’d visited briefly before leaving. He’d been asleep deep enough that your approach hadn’t woken him, and you’d decided to let him continue sleeping. You had left enough food for both breakfast and lunch with him, since you weren’t sure if you would be back at the castle until evening. He hadn’t stirred, not even when you accidentally set the tray down too fast and the plates had clinked together. Macbeth was sitting next to him, a piece of straw marking his place.

Remembering the sight brought a faint smile to your lips, at least, until you thought about his uncharacteristic behavior last night. Your smile faded at the memory of the depressed man who hadn’t even bothered flirting with you. LeFou will have an idea of what to do, I’m sure. Although should I even bother cheering him up? Maybe this is the slap in the face he needs to realize his faults.

“…right, (Y/N)?”

You shook your head and looked at Belle. “What?” you asked.

Belle smiled. “I was just telling Adam about how I thought we should have doves released from behind us once the priest declares us man and wife,” she replied.

You frowned. That didn’t sound like Belle at all. “Really?”

“No!” Belle shook her head at you, her eyebrows creasing as if she was disappointed in you for believing her. “Are you alright? You’ve been awfully quiet this morning.”

“I’m fine.” One of her eyebrows raised in doubt. “Really, I am!”

“Did something happen last night?”

“No! Everything is fine!” you insisted. You met Belle’s eyes with your own in the hopes that she would drop the issue. She squinted a little bit, as if trying to peer past your defensiveness, but you met her gaze steadily. You could handle Gaston; she had a whole wedding to plan.

She blew a tuft of air out her nose and turned back to her fiancé, knowing that you were just as stubborn as she was and that if you didn’t want to answer her properly, you weren’t going to. The small victory made you smile internally, though you were careful to not let it show on your face.

Adam must’ve sensed the rising tension, as he suddenly cut in with a, “I think I’ll ask Lumière to be my best man.”

Both you and Belle smiled at him, the momentary tension dropped. “Oh, he’ll enjoy that,” Belle grinned. “He’ll be singing about it for days before and after the wedding, just to annoy Cogsworth.”

Adam winked. “I’m almost counting on it.”

You imagined the tall man you’d met yesterday dancing around the older servant and laughed, catching the prince’s attention.

“Will you be alright dancing with him for a song or two, (Y/N)?” he asked, turning his blue eyes on you. “Plumette won’t mind.”

“Who’s Plumette?” You remembered hearing her name a few other times, but you’d yet to meet the woman.

He thought for a moment before replying. “You’ve seen the Madame and the Maestro, haven’t you?”

You nodded.

“Plumette is Lumière’s love. She’s one of the maids in the castle, and Lumière is utterly devoted to her.” Adam glanced at Belle as he said that, prompting a soft smile from her. You blushed at his words and actions, feeling once more like you were intruding on a private moment between lovers.

“If she’s his lover, then are you certain that she will be okay with us dancing?” you asked slowly.

Both Adam and Belle nodded. “Oh, yes, I’m positive of it,” he affirmed. “But I will say, Lumière is quite the dancer. Are you up for that?”

You and Belle started laughing at the seriousness on his face. He scrunched up his face in confusion. “Your highness, I enjoy dancing,” you said, still laughing. “I just don’t get the opportunity to dance very often.”

A sudden vision played in your mind’s eye: you, in a cream-colored ballgown, surrounded by many, many other couples in similar colors. Maestro Cadenza sitting at his harpsichord, the beautiful Madame de Garderobe next to him, arms outstretched as she sings a marvelous aria. You with Lumière, smiling at each other; the feeling of floating as you glide around the grand ballroom that you so admired. A bow, another spin, a partner switch. You look into green eyes that smirk at you, matching the expression on your new partner’s lips. Firm hands grasp you, one around your waist, the other holding your hand out as you begin a waltz. The rest of the dancers fade away, leaving only you and Gaston and the music. He’s wearing a red vest over his usual ruffled shirt. His hair is perfectly coiffed into its usual ponytail, a red ribbon tying it back. You let him lead you in the steps, fully trusting that he knows what he’s doing.

The vision vanished as quickly as it had appeared, only lasting a few blissful seconds.

“Well, I’m sure he’ll be happy to have a partner like you,” Adam said, eyes twinkling. You nodded at him, and the conversation turned to food. You paid attention and chimed in when you felt like you had a worthy comment, but for the most part, you let the engaged couple discuss the meal. After all, it was their day.

By the time you all but reached the village, the meal had been decided upon as well as a general idea of decorations. During the last few moments before entering Villenueve, you noticed Adam sitting up even straighter, his casual demeanor still there but somewhat diminished as he made himself more…princely. He looked calm to your eyes as you rode into town, but when Belle put a gentle hand on his arm, you realized he must be nervous. After all, hadn’t you heard yesterday that he’d used to tax the villagers heavily? The poor man probably felt guilty for his pre-curse self’s actions.

A crowd gathered around you three as you went further in. You felt uncomfortable with the amount of attention on you, even though you were certain everyone was watching the royal couple more than you. Why couldn’t we have simply had the town crier announce it? you allowed yourself to wonder as you tried to sit up straighter. It would’ve made this much, much easier.

But you knew part of the reason, at least, was Adam’s guilt. He wanted to show that he was no longer the man who would let a village suffer to pay for his pleasures. He wanted to demonstrate that he was approachable, a prince that they could rely on and trust. It was all an effort to fix his image, although you were also certain that even if the villagers all hated him, he would be content as long as he had Belle’s love.

Would Gaston do the same? He clearly felt some guilt for his actions, based on the conversations you’d had with him. He might not apologize out loud for what he did, but showing remorse counted. Well, in your mind it did, but only because you were sure that his pride would never allow him to fully apologize the way he should. It bothered you, but you shrugged it off. After all, you win some, you lose some.

You scanned the crowd for LeFou but didn’t see him. The three of you continued through the marketplace and stopped at the washing fountain, where you all dismounted. The crowd followed you and stood there, muttering to one another about the reasons why the prince had come to town. Adam sucked in a deep breath as Belle tucked her arm around his. You looked for LeFou again and spotted him in the middle of the villagers, Tom, Dick, and Stanley standing by him. He gave you a small wave that you reciprocated. Suddenly you felt a lot better about everything.

“People of Villenueve, I have a very important announcement to make,” Adam began, his voice silencing the curious murmurs. “I know I haven’t been the best prince in the past, and for that, I am deeply sorry. I promise you, it will never be like that again.” All eyes were on him and Belle. “As part of my amends, I would like to invite you all to a royal ball next month. It’s not just any ball, though.” He looked at Belle, who beamed at him. You heard a couple close to you whispering, but you couldn’t make out their words.

“It will be a ball of celebration—celebration of a curse being broken, celebration of families being reunited, and, most importantly, the celebration of Belle and I’s marriage.”

It felt as if everyone was holding their breath in the seconds that followed his announcement. Then someone began to clap. The lone clapper was soon followed by cheers and shouts and even more clapping as the whole town joined in. Even the Bimbettes and the schoolmaster, who hated Belle, were whooping at the announcement. You grinned; the clapping had started from the part of the crowd you’d seen LeFou in.

You looked back at the engaged couple. Belle was laughing and covering her mouth at the sight before her. You looked closer and saw that her eyes were watering—the town who called her ‘funny’ and practically ostracized her at times was now cheering for her with genuine joy. She didn’t need their acceptance, but you could see that it still meant a lot for her.

You couldn’t deny a perverse sense of pleasure at the scene. You hated it when everyone had made fun of your friend and her kind father (and you, occasionally). Now that she was marrying a prince, they wouldn’t dare speak against her so openly. She wouldn’t have to worry about Maurice being called ‘crazy’ or thrown into an asylum (granted, that was more Gaston’s fault than anyone else’s, but still). She could finally stop worrying about what Villenueve thought of her.

A man—Monsieur Ames, who often sold eggs in the market and flirted with Madame Charee—stepped forward, his arm raised. Adam nodded at him. “Congratulations, your highnesses,” Ames said, bowing to both him and Belle. “I just—did you say we were all invited?”

Belle laughed. “Yes, of course! There’s room for everyone who wants to come,” she replied with a kind smile.

Ames’s dark eyes widened in pleasant surprise. “Thank you, your highnesses! Let me know if you need any eggs!�� He bowed again and turned to step back into the crowd.

“Actually, we wanted to let everyone know that you are all welcome to participate in our preparations,” Belle added. “We’ll need help to get everything ready on time.”

All of a sudden, everyone began throwing their arms up with shouts of what they could volunteer to the wedding. Some of it was unnecessary, you knew—Belle was planning on working with Garderobe to design her wedding gown, so she wouldn’t need the seamstresses, and you were fairly certain that Lumière would be insulted if someone not of the castle cooked the meal. But there were many offers to help get the grounds ready, and you knew that would be a task that would require lots of teamwork to get done.

You caught another glimpse of LeFou in the crowd, and this time, he made eye contact with you. The both of you smiled, and he pointed towards the tavern. “Meet there?” he mouthed—or maybe he said it, but it wasn’t like you’d be able to hear him. You gave a nod of affirmation, hoping that he’d understand it might be a while. With a grin, he spun around and headed in that direction.

You sighed. You were eager to talk to him, but first things first. You returned your gaze to Adam and Belle, who were already talking to villagers about what they could do to help. Oh, yes, it was definitely going to be a while.

You slumped down into a chair and let your head slide to the table. Lefou laughed. “Long day?”

“You have no idea,” you mumbled against the rough wood. He laughed again, and you slowly lifted your head up. “And they’re still at it. I have no clue how they do it.” You’d talked to maybe a third of the villagers before eating lunch with Maurice, then you’d left Belle and Adam to continue talking to the villagers on their own while you met LeFou. Their patience and politeness had no end, it seemed.

Then again, Belle would probably say the same about you if she knew the depth of your interactions with Gaston.

Before you could bring up the captain, Stanley, followed closely by Tom and Dick, walked up to your table. He had two mugs in hand, as did Tom (or was it Dick? You never could tell them apart). “Brought you another drink,” he said easily, setting both mugs down. “There’s one for you, too, mademoiselle,” he added, sliding one mug to you.

At first you were confused by his actions, but then you saw that Tom (at least, you’d decided you were calling him Tom) also had two mugs of ale, one of which he gave to Stanley. “Thanks,” you said, grinning at the man. A little beer would be nice right now. I’ve earned it, you thought, grabbing the handle and taking a gulp. The bitter liquid made you splutter; you didn’t drink often, and you were unused to it. The men chuckled at your reaction, but you could tell it wasn’t out of meanness. With watering eyes, you choked down the drink and gave them a smile that probably looked more like a grimace.

“Maybe next time you shouldn’t take such a big gulp,” Dick said helpfully.

“Yeah, good idea,” you muttered, pushing the mug away from your body. After shaking your head, you sat up to better face them all. “So…erm…” Well, this was awkward. How on earth were you supposed to ask LeFou about Gaston with them around? “How are you?”

Great, (Y/N). Engage them in conversation. That’s the way to get LeFou by himself.

“Good,” Tom replied. Dick shrugged in agreement.

Stanley’s eyes flicked to LeFou and back. “Good,” he agreed quietly.

You opened your mouth again, but before you could ask another generic question, LeFou leaned forward and spoke: “We’ve been asking around about Gaston,” he said in a low tone.

You flinched at Gaston’s name. Wait, did he tell them the truth? you wondered, feeling suddenly nervous. You’d trusted the shorter man—surely he wouldn’t betray your trust like that!

“Yeah, LeFou mentioned that you were helping him plan the funeral, so we helped him ask people to attend,” Dick said after taking a gulp of beer.

You felt a wave of relief at his words. LeFou hadn’t told them the truth. The secret was safe (for now, the dark voice in your mind muttered). “How did that go?”

From the looks of the four men in front of you, not well. “It seems that most of the townspeople are still mad about the whole storming the castle and unwittingly leading them to destroy their loved ones,” LeFou explained.

You winced. Well, when you put it that way…I can’t really blame them. “Fair enough. And that’s everyone, you said?”

“Pretty much,” said Tom.

“Except maybe a few,” Stanley indicated the table.

Dick waved a finger. “And a few that are not currently present.”

“Such as Jean and Ames and Stanley’s sisters—” continued Tom.

“Sisters?” you couldn’t help but ask.

“You know, the triplets?” Tom looked at you like he was genuinely surprised you didn’t know.

“Wait, the Bimb—the triplets?” you exclaimed in disbelief. You looked at Stanley, who lifted his mug in acknowledgement. “Those girls are your sisters?”

“Yes, they are,” he sighed and took a drink.

Well, there’s something you don’t find out every day. “Well…it’s good that not everyone hates him,” you said, more to yourself than to the rest of the table.

“Not that it matters,” interrupted Dick, “since he’s dead.”

“To Gaston!” declared Tom, who’d somehow almost finished his mug and lifted it up. Dick and Stanley echoed him also raising their mugs for a drink.

You felt warmth creep up your neck at their sadness. You knew it was for the best that they didn’t know of his survival right now, but you still felt guilty that they were mourning their friend.

LeFou sighed and rubbed the back of his neck. “I need some air,” he mumbled, playing along with the dampened mood. You took that as your cue and stood.

“I’ll come with you. I need to go back to the castle soon, anyway.”

“Will you be alright?” Stanley asked the stout man as he rose from his chair.

LeFou patted Stanley’s shoulder. “I’ll be fine. Thanks.” He smiled at him, and for a moment, you felt like you were missing something between them. You gave yourself a mental shrug, chalking it up to their friendship. After all, you and Belle could sometimes speak without words.

“Goodbye,” you told them, giving a small wave. They all raised their mugs in farewell of you and LeFou, and you both made your way outside.

“Sorry about that,” LeFou said once you’d exited the tavern. “I wasn’t sure how long you’d take, and they’ve been staying close to me ever since Gaston’s…death.” He sighed.

You shook your head. “No, you don’t need to apologize. It’s good that they care enough about you to be concerned.” You automatically started walking towards Belle’s home, but LeFou pointed in a different direction.

“May I?” he asked, clearly having a place for you to talk in mind.

“Of course.”

You walked in silence for a few moments before he spoke again. “So, uh…how is our friend?” You could hear his eagerness at news. You felt a soft smile forming on your lips. LeFou truly was a good man.

You sighed, letting the smile drop. “Well, it’s odd,” you began, stepping around a mud puddle, “but he’s…different, I think.”

“Oh?”

“Was he ever depressed with you?”

LeFou stopped in his tracks. “Depressed?” he asked, tilting his head in confusion.

You nodded. “Yes. Depressed.”

“How so?”

He resumed walking, and you saw that you were going to a part of town you’d never really gone to before. The shops were sparse, instead replaced by a few small homes. Ahead of you was another archway that led out of Villenueve to the woods. Where are we going? “Well, Adam proposed to Belle yesterday evening, and apparently he saw it from the cell, and when I visited him last night, he was, I don’t know…sad. He kept going on and on about how he’d thought Belle was the one for him and how ‘of course, she’d marry him’—‘him’ meaning the prince—and he was much more introspective than I’ve ever seen him.”

The wind blew gently, rustling the leaves of the trees. You caught a glimpse of something in the woods. Is that a house?

“Has he been sleeping?” LeFou asked, almost sharply, like he was more concerned than you’d expected him to be.

“I would assume so,” you replied, frowning as you tried to recall if Gaston had seemed like he was getting enough sleep. “He was when I brought him food this morning.”

LeFou let out a short whoosh of air. “Good,” he muttered.

You raised an eyebrow. “Why?” You were now almost certain that you could see a house in the woods. It was close enough to easily walk to and from town, but far enough that it earned a bit of comforting isolation.

“He has a history of not getting enough sleep,” came the shorter man’s hesitant reply.

“What?”

LeFou sighed and ran a hand through his dark hair. “We were in the war together, you know? We fought and survived, but it was hard on him. He had nightmares about it almost every night for the first few months back.”

“I thought he loved the war? He told me it was glorious and fun.” You could make out the outline of the house and wondered if it was perhaps were LeFou lived.

“Yeah, but that doesn’t mean he didn’t have nightmares. You can love something and still be afraid of it.”

I suppose.

LeFou continued. “That’s how he was with it. I followed him back here after it ended, and he let me move into his home with him. That’s how I know about the nightmares. That’s also where his mood swings come from, I’m almost positive of it.” He stopped, and you wondered if he was done with his statement. “Did he talk to you about it at all? The war?”

Alright, maybe he wasn’t done. “A little. We were up late one night and he told he about being chased for three days.” That was the first night he asked me to stay.

“That was a hard three days…but he never once lost his grip, you know? He was always in control, always in command, even without sleep.” LeFou’s voice had taken on a wistful tone, like he was mentally reliving those days. “He was amazing.”

You felt yourself blushing at his reverence. You knew that LeFou loved the man, but it almost felt like you were intruding on his memories.

A comfortable silence fell between you two as you made your way to the small cottage. LeFou, ever the gentleman, opened the door for you and let you enter first. It was a bit dim inside as the sun was slowly setting and most of the windows faced the east rather than the west, but you could make out a few details: there was a black bearskin on the floor, a lavish wooden armchair sitting in front of an unlit fireplace, a simple table with benches, and there were odd shapes on the wall around the fireplace. As you observed your new surroundings, LeFou walked to the other side of the house and pulled back a piece of cloth that covered a few of the west-facing windows, illuminating everything. You saw that the odd shapes were simply animal heads—a buck rested directly above the fireplace, a smaller bear head to the left of it and a boar head to the right.

My God, there’s a lot of antlers here, you thought. Antlers crisscrossed over each other on the mantle, there were antlers hung on the wall, antlers inside a large wooden tub on another table. There was a small chandelier hanging from the ceiling—well, you say chandelier, but it was made of, of course, antlers and probably other bones.

“Yeah, Gaston really loves using antlers in his decorating,” LeFou explained, joining you and offering a cup of water. You took the offered drink and nodded, eyes wide at the overabundance of antlers.

“So I noticed.” There were also furs abound, most likely from all of the animals he’d hunted. There were also a few pillows, some of which had simple embroidery and others which had more elaborate designs. There was a large trunk against one corner of the wall, no doubt filled with more furs and blankets for the cold winters. “Did you make the pillows?”

LeFou scoffed. “I wish. No, those were all done by Gaston’s mother, the Madame Legume.” One in particular caught your eye—a faded red pillow with a black fleur-de-lis encircled by cream deer antlers. It was odd to see a fleur-de-lis here, since they were only for royalty to use in designs. Along the edges of the pillow were cream swirls and lines. “That one’s his favorite, too,” LeFou said quietly, following your line of sight.

“It’s not what I’d have expected from his mother,” you replied. “Did he ever talk to you about her?”

LeFou shrugged and motioned for you to sit in one of the chairs. “Not really,” he said, taking a seat next to you. “He doesn’t like talking about his family.”

“He told me his mother died in childbirth and that his father was a hunter, but that was about it. I got the impression that he and the Monsieur Legume didn’t get along.” You set your cup on the table and leaned back against the chair.

“I’m surprised he even told you that much.” The shorter man leaned back as well, his fingers dancing across the armrests. “He told me bits and pieces of his childhood when I served under him, usually when he was drunk. Then, when we came here and he invited me to move in with him, he revealed a little more.” He exhaled deeply and glanced at you. “I think his father blamed him for the death of his mother. A few times when he got really, really drunk, he rambled about never being good enough, never living up to her. For a while I thought he meant a woman that he’d loved and lost somehow, but then I realized it was his mother.”

You sat in silence, absorbing all of this information as he spoke. That sounds horrible. At least Papa never said anything of the sort to me.

“I think that’s why he’s so…himself, you know? He always wants attention because he never got it from someone he cared about.”

“He’s still trying to prove himself,” you murmured, not intending to interrupt LeFou but doing it nonetheless.

His brow furrowed. “What was that?”

You pursed your lips, trying to find the right words before elaborating. “If his father always told him he wasn’t good enough, maybe he was constantly doing things in order to prove himself. That’s why he became the best hunter. That’s why he joined the war. It might even be why he protected the town from those invaders years ago. He’s got a hero complex, but it’s not borne out of narcissism, however he may act like it is. It’s out of a desire to show that he is good enough.” And that in itself is sad. It doesn’t excuse his actions, but it explains them. All of the pieces of the puzzle that was Gaston were slowly falling into place the more you learned about him.

You could almost picture a young Gaston trying to earn his father’s favor by rallying up the villagers against the Portuguese. Afterwards, he might’ve gone up to the elder Legume and announced that he’d defended Villenueve, and the older man would’ve ‘hmmph’ed in response. So what could he do? A few years later, when the war presents the ultimate opportunity to prove his worth, naturally, he would join.

He said his father died during the war, though. So that means he must’ve come home, ready and eager to be commended at last for his status as Captain, and learned that he was dead, along with any chance of redeeming himself in his father’s eyes. Merde, that’s awful.

You suddenly wanted to embrace Gaston, and unlike previously, it wasn’t due to your crush. You sympathized with him.

“You said no one seems too upset about his ‘death’, right?” you asked, frowning.

LeFou shook his head. “Most of the villagers are still angry at him.”

You sighed. “Can’t say I blame them. He was horrible that night.” You sank your head into your hands. “What are we going to do? How are we going to let everyone know he’s still alive if they hate him?”

“If we could convince everyone else to give him a second chance, then the wedding would be a perfect time to announce his survival.”

“But what good will it do if everyone decides to riot against him?”

“Would they?”

“I don’t know!” You lifted your head and slammed your arms against the table. “Maybe that’s a worst-case scenario, maybe it’s not, but it doesn’t make a difference because I’m going to have to tell him that the people he wanted to adore him actually despise him!”

LeFou winced at your violent reaction. “That’s not gonna be fun at all,” he muttered.

“No, it’s not!” You inhaled and exhaled, trying to expel your frustration. It didn’t work, and you looked at a window to calm yourself down.

The sun had begun its descent, giving the outside a gold hue. You’d spent more time here than you’d meant to, and now you had to go back to the castle to give Gaston dinner. And possibly tell him about how many people hated him. And then plan a wedding.

“You seem frustrated. Are you okay, (Y/N)?” LeFou asked, concerned.

You considered faking a smile, then realized that he was too shrewd to let that fool him. “No,” you admitted. “It’s just…sometimes it’s hard, doing all this.” You returned your eyes to him, secretly appreciating the way he was leaning forwards, showing his genuinely concern for you. “It helps that you and Belle and the Prince know, but there’s just all this responsibility on me to take care of him and I wouldn’t change it for the world (Use it wisely echoed Agathe’s voice in your mind, conjuring up a mental picture of golden haze) but sometimes it’s just so damn hard.” Your voice cracked at the end of your rant, and you felt tears prick the corners of your eyes.

“Take deep breaths,” LeFou said gently, using his hands to illustrate inhaling and exhaling. You followed his movements, breathing in and out for a few minutes until you felt better. Once you let out a deep sigh, he took your hand in his. “It’s going to be alright, (Y/N). You did a good thing, and you did it for the right reasons. That doesn’t mean it’s going to be easy, but if you can convince an Enchantress to turn back time, then I think you can handle this.” He grinned at you. “You’re strong and smart, and if anyone can figure this out, it’s you. And I mean, I’ll help. And so will Belle!”

You felt yourself smiling at him, and this time, it wasn’t forced. “Thanks, LeFou. You’re amazing, you know?”

He laughed. “I try.”

You laughed, too, and sighed again. “I need to go. But thank you for everything—you’re right, we’ll figure this out.” You scooted your chair back and stood, stretching. “I’ll see you around, okay? And you’re always welcome to come to the castle and visit, even if you don’t want to visit him yet.”

“Thanks, (Y/N).”

You waved goodbye to him and opened the door. The outside air was still warm, but it was pleasant. Perfect weather for a slow evening ride back to the castle.

If you rode slowly enough, you could use the time to mull on your conversation with LeFou. He’d given you a lot to think about.

You took your time going up the steps to the cell. Not because you were reluctant—rather, you were eager to see Gaston—but because you were still mulling. You felt certain in your conclusions about the captain; they made a lot of sense in regards to his personality and actions.

I don’t know if I could ever ask him, though. Would he even trust me with that kind of intimate knowledge? He only told LeFou when he was drunk, and LeFou’s his best friend. Still…I can’t imagine what that must’ve been like growing up. No wonder he craved attention from the villagers.

Gaston didn’t acknowledge you when you entered the cell. He was once again leaning against the wall of the open door, but he didn’t ooze charisma the way he normally did. If anything, you felt as if he was angry: his entire body seemed stiff, and when you walked over to be across from him, you saw his mouth twitch.

“I see you’ve finally deigned to visit. Apparently I’m not worthy of your presence anymore,” he said, venom lacing his words.

You flinched at the harshness of his tone. Where the hell is this coming from? “I’m sorry?” was all you could think to say as you slid down the wall to the ground.

He let loose a sardonic chuckle. “It’s been a whole day, a whole day of me sitting in this godforsaken prison, with naught to keep me company save for this book.” He picked up the copy of MacBeth and waved it at you before throwing it across the cell. You flinched again. “What am I to you, (Y/N)? A pet? A toy? Someone to talk to at your own whims when you don’t feel like talking to Belle?”

You frowned. This was a much different Gaston than you’d seen last night. Last night he’d been quiet, melancholy. Tonight, he was on the offensive, attacking you viciously with words.

Your lack of response only spurred him on. “Nothing to say? Of course. You only care about conversation when you’re in control of it.” He sneered at you. “Typical.”

All of your confusion suddenly flared into anger. “Excuse me? That’s not the case at all! You steer the conversation just as much as I do!”

“Is that what you think? I know how you work. You lure me with acts of concern and compassion—you pretend to care about my injuries, then you act as if we’re friends, and then you vanish!”

“Gaston!” you exclaimed, feeling heat surge up your cheeks and down your neck. “What the hell are you talking about?”

He slammed his hand onto the floor, making you jump. “Don’t try to deny it, woman,” he growled.

You blinked, then felt your own face form into a snarl. “What the hell is wrong with you tonight? Why are you acting like this?” Without thinking about it, you stood, needing to be taller than him.

“Oh, don’t pretend like you actually care!” he scoffed, jumping to his feet as well.

“I do care!”

“And why would you?” he shouted, gesturing to himself. “Why would you care about me?”

You threw your arms up in disbelief. “Because that’s what friends do! They care about each other! They express concern when one of them is acting like an ass!”

“We are not friends, (Y/N).”

Those five words cut into your heart, as did his green eyes, glaring at you. You tried to think of something to say, anything at all that could hurt him as much as he’d just now hurt you. Nothing came to mind, leaving you standing there, fuming. As you stood there, mouth agape, you began to notice things about Gaston: the dark bruises under his eyes, the way his hair had gotten unusually tangled, the fact that he seemed almost jittery as he glared at you; his fingers twitched against his legs, and he was swaying where he stood. It was barely noticeable, but it was there.

Something’s wrong.

As upset as you still were, you forced yourself to swallow your anger. “Gaston, what is wrong?” you asked softly, hoping that maybe a quieter tone would calm him down. “You haven’t been yourself since last night.” Instinct told you to take a slow step towards him, so you did. “I just want to know why.”

His eyes darted from your face to your feet and back to your face, but he didn’t say anything.

You continued. “Even if you don’t think of me as a friend, I think of you as one. And as your friend, I’m worried about you.”

Gaston wouldn’t look at you. He stood there, no longer glaring, but his fingers were still dancing along his calves. They alternated between tapping and curling up on themselves, almost as if he was making a fist and then abruptly deciding not to. “We’re not friends,” he repeated, this time in a low voice that lacked the previous harshness.

“Yes, we are,” you replied. You cautiously reached for his arm. When your hand grazed him, he flinched, but he made no move to stop you. “What’s wrong?”

He tossed his head, but it was slow. Finally, he sighed. “I’m tired.”

You gently tugged down on his arm. He followed your cue and sat, with you sitting next to him. It was as if the fight had disappeared from him. “Why are you tired?”

“Because I haven’t slept,” he mumbled.

“What?” you couldn’t help but demand. He leaned his head back against the stone wall. “But you were sleeping this morning!”

“I was trying to sleep, but it wasn’t working.” Gaston sighed and placed his hands in his lap. “I couldn’t do it.”

You frowned. “Why not?”

He sighed again. “Nightmares.”

You felt the minnow of fear swim into your stomach. LeFou had mentioned this. “How long have you been having them?”

“Since the night I told you about the war.”

The minnow doubled in size and you realized just how long ago that had been. “Gaston, that was three nights ago. Are you saying you haven’t slept in three days?”

He grimaced. “That sounds about right. Feels longer, though, but that might just be me.”

“Is there anything I can do to help?”

He hesitated, then sighed again. “Can you just…stay and talk?” He sounded so defeated, so vulnerable. And he was looking at you with those eyes, pleading with you to just stay with him.

How could you refuse? “Of course,” you whispered. He patted your thigh, but it didn’t feel like he was trying to flirt. It felt like camaraderie, like he was relieved that you weren’t leaving him yet again. “What do you want to talk about?”

“Anything,” he muttered, closing his eyes and leaning his head back once more. “Just hearing another voice helps.”

“Alright. Well…once, when I was about six or seven, my cousin Amèlie convinced me to sneak into her stables and ride my aunt’s horse bareback. I’d never ridden a horse before, so you can imagine how well that went.” You didn’t know where to go from there; it felt too stiff of a conversation. “Umm…I used to love pretending I was a pirate queen. My father didn’t think it appropriate for a good Christian girl, but my mother would indulge my imagination. She would find sticks or brooms and we would pretend they were swords clanging together.” This story felt a little less awkward. “Sometimes she would hide things around the house and make a little map for me. It wasn’t anything too difficult, of course. At first they were drawings that told me where to go. Then, when I began learning to read, she would write destinations that I could sound out. As I got older, she began writing little clues that I’d have to solve, and while I would search through the house Papa would sit at the table and watch. Sometimes he would roll his eyes, sometimes he would smile.” You grinned at the memories of the game. “Once or twice, Mama managed to convince him to play along. He would be the King, kidnapped by some nefarious enemies, and I, the Pirate Queen, would be the only one who dared to save him.” You paused for a moment before continuing. “I guess it didn’t occur to me that had a pirate actually rescued the King, then she would still be hanged, regardless of her good deeds.”

Gaston snorted, and you took that to be a good sign.

“Mama is the one I got my imagination from. She always wanted to be a writer, but that’s not something that her parents thought proper, so she was never allowed to publish. Nor would she be able to, if she’d been allowed, I don’t think. I think I told you that she taught me to read. ‘Reading is living a thousand other lives,’ she once told me. ‘Lives that you’d never be able to experience any other way.’ Her favorite book is The Adventures of Arabella, which she gave to me before I moved here. It’s my favorite, too.”

“I see.”

As you continued to share tales of your life, you noticed that Gaston made fewer and fewer noises to indicate that he was listening, although he did eat some of the food you’d brought. It seemed that having someone to listen to was exactly what he needed in order to relax. You wondered if LeFou had done this for him before—stayed up late just talking.

A thought occurred to you as you ended your latest story. “Gaston?” you asked.

“Mmm?”

“You threw a dagger at me yesterday afternoon.”

“Yes?”

“You told me you haven’t slept in three nights, correct?”

“I suppose.”

“You threw a dagger at me when you hadn’t slept in two days?”

He flashed you a grin, that grin you felt like you hadn’t seen in days, and shrugged. “I never miss my target. I should think you should be impressed.”

“Impressed? How about I stay awake for two days and throw a sharp, pointy thing at you? Then we’ll see who’s impressed!”

You gave him a light punch to the shoulder, which earned an exaggerated ‘Ow’ from the man, but both of you were smiling. “I could teach you, if you want,” he offered.

“Deal.”

Then he did something unexpected: he leaned his head on your shoulder. You blushed at the action, although you knew he was doing more because he was so tired than for any other reason. Or so you think. Maybe it’s because he wants a pillow, maybe it’s because he likes you, that taunting voice whispered in your head.

“You can keep talking,” he mumbled.

You leaned your head forward a bit to see that he’d closed his eyes again. “How about I read?”

“Mmm.”

You took that to be his approval, so you shifted forwards to reach for the book. Your movement made him lift his head (was he pouting or were you imagining that?), but the moment you’d grabbed the book and sat back against the wall, he replaced it. You smiled to yourself and opened the book to where he’d marked his last stopping point.

“Scene six. Forres. The palace. Enter Lennox and another lord. Lennox speaks: ‘My former speeches have but hit your thoughts, which can interpret further, only, I say, things have been strangely borne…”

As you read aloud to Gaston, you yourself started to feel a little tired. But you’d promised that you would stay, so you ignored your own feelings and kept reading. By the time Lady MacDuff and her son had encountered the murderers looking for Lord MacDuff, Gaston was snoring softly. You yawned; it had been a few hours since you’d come up, and now it was late at night.

You glanced at the sleeping Gaston, his head still resting on your shoulder. In order to make himself more comfortable while you read, he’d scooted closer so that your shoulders were touching. His body radiated warmth in the coolness of the cell, and you were glad of it. The blanket was crumpled up within arm’s length of you, so you grabbed it and spread it across both yours and his legs. Then you marked where you thought he’d fallen asleep at and continued reading the book to yourself. Without realizing it, you felt yourself drifting off, the words on the pages blurring together so that you had to reread a few sentences over and over again.

Malcolm: Well, more anon—comes the King forth, I pray you?

Doctor: Ay, sir, there are a crew of wretched souls That stay his cure: their malady convinces The great assay of art; but at his touch— Such sanctity hath heaven given his hand They presently amend

…they presently amend…

…they presently…

…amend….

#second chance #gaston #gaston x reader #gaston imagine #kate writes #beauty and the beast #batb

367 notes · View notes

arplis · 5 years

Text

Arplis - News: Arlyns Warm (& Sort of Last-Minute DIYed) Holiday Reveal

Spoiler alert: This starts sad, but I promise a happy endingjust like your favorite Hallmark movie. Yes, its a post about decorating for Christmas, but its a bit of a journey (and your prize for sticking around is seven tips for a pretty holiday look without a ton of planningnext to a cash reward, what more could you want, hm?).

Before moving to LA, I had a long-standing Christmas tradition that involved a sleepover at my place with my twin nephews. Wed go buy a fresh tree, head to Target to pick out their yearly ornaments (and okay, I usually caved and bought them several when they couldnt pickauntie privilege), and settle in for the night with a big ol cheese pizza and tons of candy to decorate and watch holiday movies. When I left Florida, my absolute favorite weekend of the year stayed behind along with my family, and frankly, I didnt feel festive enough last year to decorate. Sure, I bought a tree and then proceeded to cry my way through placing all the memories from years past on it (like I said, no this whole post wont be one giant Joni Mitchell River-esque depressing monologue). But, its been almost two years, and I realized that it was time to start making some new traditions, starting with proper decorations to set the scene for the season.

By proper, I mean nothing more than something that actually brought me joy. In my last home, I didnt care even the tiniest bit about my Christmas aesthetic. Id throw around scraggly bows, dangle strange garlands in places that would inevitably fall off (left unfixed until January). While I appreciate a classic, kitschy look, this didnt make me happy. Looking back, it was a lot like the holiday aisle at Big Lots come December 26sparse, random and nowhere I wanted to be. BUT THIS YEAR IS DIFFERENT. Guys, I really actually tried, and whoa, I love coming home. I get so jazzed to know Ill walk through that door after work to all the fairy lights on (thanks, timers) and all I need to do is light my pine-scented candles.

When I first discussed decorating and shooting my place for the blog, I told Emily I would take the more last-minute DIY angle for this story, except, ha, I should know myself better than to think Im a DIY person (have I talked about the unfinished dining chairs sitting in a corner of my master bedroom enough times for you to understand the stakes here?). Im more of an early minute buying personif we can all agree thats the opposite of last-minute DIY, but dont worry Emily, I pulled out a few stops even for me to salvage this story. Really, though, its an excuse to show you guys my living and dining rooms again, this time just festooned for Christmas using nearly everything Target, because those guys have affordable holiday decor on lock.

Aside from what I bought, there were a few things I planned on doing going into this: dried oranges for garland and ornaments, and the addition of real greenery to anything faux for a lusher more natural look, but more on that in just a bit when we get there. Lets start in the living room:

Creating a Christmas Couch With Simple Textile Swaps

Swapping out textiles seasonally always felt to me like the equivalent of womens magazines telling me when I was younger that Id be going from day to night far more often than I ever have (never). Who was really doing this? Sure, my mom would throw a random Christmas pillow on the sofa when I was younger, but a full swap was absolutely something Id NEVER consider doing. Except well, for the sake of this shoot, I did it, and guess what. IM OBSESSED WITH IT. Dont knock it til you try it.

I left one of my everyday pillows out because it played well with everything else, but Im half tempted to never actually switch them back. Im officially living the cozy life and DONT MAKE ME GO BACK. But seriously, seeing that Fa la la pillow and those little gold embroidered Christmas trees fill my heart with childlike wonder and joy and Im now a winter textiles swap person (once I figure out a more permanent solution than throwing my year-round pillows and blanket in the guest bedroom).

Neutral Tree + Homemade Goodies

The (Christmas-celebrating) world is divided into two subsects: those who take no issue with faux trees, and those that choose to torture themselves with a real evergreen. I am the latter. Every year, when it comes time to recycle this baby, I curse myself for the massacre of needles. But alas, I cant be stopped and I will always opt for a real tree. This is a noble fir that I picked up at Lowes and it has that gappy vibe everyone is into right now. I like how you can load up a branch front to back and things dangle so nicely, sparkling and dazzling in the twinkle lights.

As for the decor, this is actually the first year in a long time I went with white lights. Ive always been a colored-lights just throw crazy stuff up on the tree and call it a day girl (correction: let your small nephews throw crazy stuff up on the tree and call it a day). Someone once asked me if I changed my trees color motif every year and Im pretty sure I rudely laughed in their face before I realized they were serious. No. I am not that person. This is why this year, once I realized that oh wait, people will be seeing my home and I needed to try, I opted to go for something a little more neutral so I could build on it over time. I also had a box full of handmade and drawn ornaments from my nephews that I needed to be sure made it up on those branches (see the paper and crayon snowman, for example). Theres enough going on in my apartment that something a little more minimal didnt make me want to crawl out of my skin a week into the merriment.

Because I wanted some color, I thought to do what evidently everyone else on the internet also thought to do this year: dried oranges as ornaments. I definitely did not get the mailer that must have gone around to tell everyone this was the look of 2019, but regardless, I love it. Some string (in a white and red becauseChristmas), a bag of small oranges and a few hours to dry them out in the oven (Erin from Francois et Moi has a great tutorial here) and boom, I supplemented my tree for about$4. LAST-MINUTE DECORATING LIFE HACK. Put dried oranges on just about everything and you have an instant holiday lewk that feels warm, unpretentious, welcoming and a wee-bit British (i.e. all I ever want to feel).

Some of my favorite ornaments I scooped up this year with my nephews top of mind: the sloth, the fabric Santa, the clip-on glittery birds, and the ceramic turtle doves (I promptly forced my husband Charles to sit and listen to why I got those to represent our undying love). Oh goodness, and I cant move on before discussing that Cookies For Santa plate and milk jug. No, there are no children in my house, but when I saw it, I knew I needed to hoard it for the day that there are because every year my sister runs around trying to find something to put cookies and milk in and it always ends up being an awkward mini loaf pan or something and this feels like a pat yourself on the back for planning ahead moment that I wanted to put on display.

Mix Real + Faux

HOT TIP: Faux garland is so great for using year after year and traditionally, I used to think it looked very fake, but Target has some good stuff. I went with their faux white pine and berries strand here and over the archway and Im so happy with them. This one is 72, so, maybe dont be like me and instead measure before you figure out how much of something you need. I ended up with about 8 inches of bare mantel and had to guinea rig a solution. The left side there, by the candlesticks, is actually a piece of faux greenery also from Target in the same color/finish that I added to the end and BOOM, fixed.

Once I put the eucalyptus wreath on the door, however, I realized it was much cooler in tone than the garland and side by side, they looked a little jarring. My solution? Get some actual eucalyptus (I had some leftover from my Thanksgiving tablescape) and shove in pieces of it about every 6 inches or so. This accomplished two things for me: it married the color/style gap between the wreath and the garland, but it also brought some life to the faux-ness. (Again, this stuff is good, so it doesnt NEED it, it was just a visual preference for me).

Can we talk about the cutest stocking? Growing up in Florida, a land devoid of mantels and fireplaces for obvious reasons, we were not a stocking family. Every now and then, my mom might tie some to the stair banister, but they were never full of anything. Well folks, thats over. I live in LA now, a land with NON-FUNCTIONING fireplaces, but fireplaces nonetheless. LA is all about illusions after all, so as long as it looks like a fireplace, thats all that matters, right? Throw some fairy lights in, no problem (and maybe light some candlesI used these candlesticks from Targetif youre brave and attentive for that real fire feel). This knit guy with the poms is maybe my favorite thing I got this year but HEAVY (hence the nutcracker on top of the stocking holder for that oneI have a little cut-out in the molding that meant less stability, but itll probably be fine if you have a normal 90-degree angle on your mantel).

And, in one of my favorite last-minute moves to use up random leftovers of things, I took some ribbon I had bought for my gift wrap, tied a little piece into a bow and velcroed it to this art piece. Dressing up your artwork can be SO fun for holidays (remember Emilys googly eyes over that oil portrait?). Its so unexpected, costs basically nothing and will get everyones attention, I promise.

Sprinkle Christmas Cheer Throughout Other Vignettes

This whole post should be titled Never Underestimate the Holiday Styling Power of the Bottle Brush Tree because if you look closely enough, there is absolutely one in nearly every shot angle of my home. I threw some on my console table, on a side table, on my coffee table, on my TV standand just WAIT until you get to the dining room. Bottle brush tree galore! They are very affordable and if you dont mind glitter sprouting from nearly everywhere until the end of time, theyre almost all you need to fill in your home with some Christmas spirit outside of the big moments (tree, fireplace). Same goes for leftover ornaments, pieces of greenery (such as free scraps from the tree lot), and super budget-friendly figurines, like these reindeer that make me so happy.

That blonde wood bowl is VERY good guys, and I will absolutely be leaving it out year-round, but for now, it screamed FILL ME WITH JINGLE BELLS so I had to oblige. These are 2-inch bells and honestly just so dang fun. Put them in a vase or bowl but save a few to sprinkle throughout other vignettes (or on a gift!).

The last moment I threw together in this room was the bench by my window. I moved the rust-colored velvet cushion into the guest bedroom (which honestly, I treat like a storage unit, so I know this is not a universal solution) and draped my sheepskin pelt a little asymmetrically. I gotta say, Im quite proud that this placement was my first go at it. The less fussing you do sometimes, the more effortless things look. I over-ordered pillows for my sofa, but thank goodness, because they worked great on here. The green pillow with the poms is SO cute and you might not see it here, but it has these little wood beads at the base of the pom pom which makes it extra special.

Alright, lets move this party into the dining roomafter you.

Accentuate Your Architecture

Ever since I saw Ginnys garland-bedecked archway into her dining room, I dreamed of being able to do the same thing. So when I stepped foot into this apartment for the first time, I instantly knew it would fulfill my greenery-over-archway dreams. This is three pieces of faux garland, hung with some small nails I dug out of an IKEA art hanging kit. Because of my 100-year-old plastered and heavily textured walls, Command hooks simply laughed the THREE times I tried themin three different sizes and configurations (both the laughter and hook type). I finally gave up and went to get the hammer. Cant wait to patch those holes come January, trulythough worth it to me.

Implement a Big Holiday Moment (Thats Actually Really Easy)

Over on the console, I went for a sort of kind of holiday village. It was my initial vision to do a jam-packed Christmas village here, so I bought what felt like hundreds of trees and houses, and then I put them all down and the credenza ATE it. It was like starting with a pan full of fresh spinach and ending up with 2 tablespoons of cooked spinach. My dreams were dashed and I came up with plan B: mix in everyday things with some holiday feels and pretend it was your plan all along. Im actually very happy with it and dont think I havent sat at my dining table some mornings and nights just looking over here with a twinkle in my eye and sugar plums dancing in my head. When you boil it down, its really just three new vignettes: the two bottle brush trees + seasonal candle (above), a footed bowl with some leftover greenery and bottle brush trees (below) and ceramic houses with some fairy lights shoved up into them on top of books which were already there (photo after next). Oh, and some oranges from the grocery store because #theme.

My favorite thing about this whole scene is probably those beautiful wreaths hanging by velvet ribbon over the windows. I LOVE a wreath-over-window (or, as youll see, mirror) moment and two windows meant I had two chances to do it in this room. Quickly: Im very much obsessed with this wreath. It looks so high-end with the dangling brass bells and it matches the garland in the living room, so both spaces speak to each other.

Over on the bar, my vintage gilded mirror called for another ribbon-hung wreath, but I went for the faux cypress leaf version instead to keep things more minimal. The addition of some new brass barware (the Project 62 line looks really good, folks) and a few bottle brush trees and voila, my holiday bar.

When In Doubt, Keep It Simple (For Real)

When it came to what to do on my table, this was REALLY a last-minute DIY situation because I had no idea (which is typically the case with my table). The day before this shoot, Emily texted me that she had some leftover garland at her house from her shoot, and I could come grab some if I wanted. So grab it I did, not knowing what I planned on doing with it, but I ended up throwing it on the table just to think and when I finally came to, I realized it was exactly where it belonged. I pulled out my kitchen sheers because I do not have clippers (apartment living), trimmed it to size and pulled out some small, cheap glass votives I had in my cabinets already to make things moody. AND THEN, I had some extra oranges from my tree ornaments and I just scattered some throughout to connect both rooms visually.

But wait, theres more. At the last minute (okay, the night before), I wanted to give the room more of a casual party vibe and wanted a dessert set up, so I ran out to Ralphs with the intention of making something with the zero minutes I had left in my life to whip up a baked good and found a pre-made bundt cake instead. A simple glaze (though Im sure you could find one glazed already), some cranberries I rolled in sugar, and a smattering of fresh sage leaves is all I needed to fool Sara into thinking I had actually made this when she made it over to shoot. SEMI HOMEMADE TRICKERY.

I will most certainly be doing this again in the future, and if you do, as well, everyone will think youre a domestic goddess. Set out some cute appetizer or dessert plates (these from the Hearth & Home with Magnolia are super cute with festive sayings on them that are subtle but still fun), flatware and napkins, and with very little effort, you just became the hostess with the mostest time to actually blow dry your hair before people show up.

And thus ends my holiday dissertation. It started out bleak, but I promised it would end on a high note, and theres no higher note than being pulled together enough to maybe put some curls in your hair (at least for me).

I rounded up ALL the goods I got from Target below in a few groupings, and yes, at the end of the season, you might find this stuff is sold out either in-store or online, so for that Im SO sorry, but ALWAYS check your local stores because they restock or people make returns and you might just find what youre looking for. Oh, and for a few more exclusive tips, I wanted to share the story Ruemag.com featured of my home as well, so check that out if youre interested. Thanks for stopping by and the happiest of holidays and the merriest of Christmases to you all.

***photography by Sara Ligorria-Tramp, design and styling by Arlyn Hernandez

The post Arlyns Warm (& Sort of Last-Minute DIYed) Holiday Reveal appeared first on Emily Henderson.

Arplis - News source https://arplis.com/blogs/news/arlyns-warm-sort-of-last-minute-diyed-holiday-reveal

0 notes

ourholly101love · 7 years

Text

Chase the Lightning Inuyasha chapter 4

They could have gone back to the cabin but it would have been long after dark before they arrived so it was decided to stay at the hotel And head back early in the morning, I'm sorry Inuyasha I didn't mean for it to go so far its just that it got away from me.It was stupid kagome, I couldn't stand there and watch them kill you!". why couldn't you he hasked coldly.Kagome rolled her eyes Inuyasha I have no doubt that you will one day come to a violent end but I do not wish to see it. do you really know how to use this thing?Inuyasha asked her. Well yes and no sango did try to teach me to shoot, and she told me about it , but she said I couldn't hit a bulls ass with a handful of Banjos...that statement made Inuyasha laugh.. all we have to do is pretend to be happily married for a few weeks something else will come up it it always dose. Then we can get an annulment you can tell them what ever you want I don't care I can never come back here anyway Tell them you kicked me out because I was a terrible wife, or i could tell them you left because you were tired of living with a filthy half breed they would believe that. his words were bitter...what if I don’t want an annulment? what you want to stay married to me? You don’t get it kagome, I’m inu-hanyou weather or not I was forced your my mate my wife I couldn't turn my back on you, you could leave me but I cant leave you, This certainly wasn't in her plans she fought her attraction to him but it was Impossible for her to do.she sat up with him at night when he was injured watching him sleep, sitting by his side during the storm, but that was different this was real they were married in a church in front of the whole village, how could she turn her back on him it would just prove she was no better then everyone else that turned their backs on him. but could she love him? well we would have a funny story to tell our grandchildren...Well maybe not our grand children you'll find someone else,No I wont this... you will be the only one I will ever have.you need someone who can love you, someone that lights up when you smile,someone who knows what your thinking before you say a word,someone who could read that twinkle in you eyes.....Oh how stupid could she be she knew it was her she knew she would never be happy with anyone else.For a brief time he believed she wanted to be married to him had tricked him somehow, but as she paced the room and tried to explain he realized with a sinking heart that she was as reluctant a bride as he was a groom. he sat in the dark with his back against the wall and listened until he heard her even deep breathing and was certain she was asleep and then he whispered good night Kagome Takahashi my love.They returned to the cabin early the next morning and Kagome kept herself busy with anything that would keep her mind off Inuyasha.she mended her cloths and his, not that he needed them he seemed to prefer a red and white kimono he always wore. fire rat was what he called it. To put it truthfully she liked seeing him in it, her reluctant husband seemed to be anxious to put distance between them, disappearing early in the morning and returning late at night. Some nights he came home while Kagome was still awake,often as she stood in the main room and brushed her hair, or sat in the rocking chair and mended cloths. Usually the girls of the villagewould come by Ayume was the only one she really liked, Eri and Yuka only cared about gossip and what was happening in her marriage. Inuyasha watched as she bustled around the table looking everywhere but at him. She had gathered together to many plates in her handsand they were threatening to topple over at any moment. but she was angry she tripped and fell so suddenly Inuyasha barely had time to rise from his chair, before kagome was sitting on the floor with tin plates and bits of food all around her. Inuyasha almost laughed but he smelt her tears. are you hurt? he knelt beside her, I think I twisted my wrist. Inuyasha took her arm and gently pushed back the sleeve it was already starting to swell, its not to bad he said in a comforting voice you should be more careful, I don't make a very good wife, Nonsense your just upset because of...i just don’t feel comfortable going back to that place, in order to do that I have to go back to the church where i was forced to marry you at gunpoint. And sit there on display for a bunch of people that would sooner see me dead,as sitting in the pew in front of them. I know I’m sorry Kagome burst into tears, He couldnt make her stop even though he begged her to. Finally Inuyasha wrapped his arms around her with a curse and held her head against his shoulder while she cried herself out.He felt helpless he had to admit kagome made him feel more helpless then he ever had before. Dont cry you'll make some rancher a wonderful wife." But I’m your wife I don’t want some rancher she cried more. what? he wanted her from the moment he'd allowed himself toto kiss her that had been his first mistake. His longing had become an obsession on their wedding night. As he sat in the dark andlistened to her breath. Now it would be so easy to make the marriage real but could he do that to her he's a hanyou?. She'd saved his skin twice already could he really let her go?. Stop crying she smelled like crushed flowers and I'll...I'll go to church on Sunday, and the picnic,yes and the picnic he had a feeling he’d been had but it didn't matter. Her sobs were slowing, her breathing returning to normal, she backed away from him with a frown on her face. Inuyasha wrapped her wrist with a scrap of lavender calico, that purple looks better on you then me.what do you say to a man?, when you sense your falling in love? falling in love with the wrong man. But she was and there was no going back from here.but she couldn't deny that she felt a certain responsibility towards Inuyasha and she wasn't going to hurt him now.she knew what she had to do it was all so clear now. The week went by rather uneventful in Kagomes mind, Inuyasha had gone into the village earlier to get supplies and hadn't yet returned. She glanced out the window half expecting to see him approaching on that frighteningly large black stallion, of course he was nowhere to be seen. Inuyasha piled goods on Suikotsus counter silent as always Yuka was stacking newly arrived bolts of material next to ribbons and lace on The counter in the back of the store he wondered what Kagome would Kagome like?, what was her favorite color?,did she like satin or lace? he knew the Moment Naraku came into the store, Inuyasha Ignored him as he always tried to do.Hows married life treaten you Takahashi? shes a pretty little thing your Wife is Naraku continued a haunting tone in his voice.what dose she think of coming here and finding herself married to a goddamn half breed?" Inuyasha kept his back to him.Naraku was looking for a fight, he wasn't popular but Naraku seemed to hate him more then most.dose the misses have a sweet tooth,Inuyasha was loosing his patients, what else dose she like Inuyasha?, I bet I know what she likes, Inuyasha felt a rage building,rage that was coming dangerously close to the surface every muscle in his body was tense, everyone in the place was staring at them.If I had known what a round healed tramp she was I woulda........ Inuyashas fist flew back so fast that Naraku never saw it coming,not until the back of Inuyashas fist pounded into his face splitting his lip before he could recover Inuyasha spun around eyes red fist pounding into his face Inuyasha was so enraged that Naraku's attemps at fighting back were futile, stand up both of you!!"Sesshomarus voice was cold, Naraku swiped a bloody hand across his shirt, he jumped me for no reason goddamn savage beast should be destroyed, Inuyashas eyes narrowed as he watched his accuser this had happened so many times in the past.he turned his head and looked at Suikotsu go to the cabin and get Kagome i dont want her there alone...pleaseSuikotsu stepped forward and looked at the blood on the floor Lord Sesshomaru Naraku started it, he insulted Inuyashas wife, truth be know if Yasha hadn't hit him I would have myself, Sesshomaru looked at Naraku is this true? did you insult my brothers wife?, No sir...Daddy? the voice was soft, pumpkin? you shouldn't be here, Suikotsu is telling the truth Naraku insulted aunt kagome Rin said I wont repeat what he said, thats not necessary, you ought to lock Naraku up if he were my boy i would give him a Good whippen one woman said. One by one the other customers Stepped forward,Your lucky he didn't kill you, and your lucky I didn't hear you or You would be dead. little brother I expect to see this new wife of yours soon, KEH Me come to that house,I'd Rather not, then I will come to you, fine just keep that harppi mother of yours away, a small smirk crossed Sesshomarus face very well but you know she is not my mother, my mother like yours was shot and killed, you know Naraku has it in for you? and now you have more then just yourself to think of, watch yourself little brother, Inuyasha almost flinched at his Brothers warning, this was all kagome’s doing he knew that everyone liked kagome and were beginning to see him as an extension of her he didn't know if he liked that or not until now he always knew where he stood with these people,he left without acknowledginghis brothers warning or assistance loading up his saddle and heading towards the mountains it would be late before he returned to the cabin, that was good he need time to think and the ride to Kaedes hut would give him that time.Early the next morning Kagome was ready to put her plan into action, where are we going? I want to meet your family, No!Inuyasha shot to his feet, you have let that woman get the best of you."You don't know Inuyasha Shouted." yes and your not going to tell me I've resigned myself to that, but I have a plan. I’m sorry to here that, revenge Yasha, revenge? you know I know your fathers wife,you do? not personally but I know her type, women who feel it necessary to wear their fanciest dress to church to dress their Daughters to look younger then they really are to make themselves look younger they worry about every wrinkle over every possession another woman has, they must have the best of everything, they are power hungry and as ambitious as men in there own twisted way. how can you know my fathers wife, I've known women like her all my life this should be fun,just cooperate with me I promise you'll see your step mother boil she'll turn red in the face, she'll want to explode by the time I'm done with her, wouldn't you want to see her drop that facade she built around herself? This is dangerous Kagome." I can handle her remember kagome reminded him don’t loose your temper, and what ever i say when I ask you a question simply say yes dear.... yes dear he said just to shut her up he didn't want her to see how nervous the prospect of facing his fathers wife made him, he helped her down, a muscle in his face twitched and his shoulders were stiffer then normal. you made it little brother so this is kagome? she is very beautiful You did well for yourself. Its an honor to meet you Lord Sesshomaru, nonsense just call me Sessh after all we are family no need to be so formal, I'll take you to meet father he has been I'll lately and his scent is off its very strange. The room was dark and Musty and not a breath of fresh air stirred in the hot bedroom... who are you Toga whispered weakly..Kagome Takahashi Inuyashas wife, this man has the and smell of death and I’m human, a light came into his eyes as he looked at her, yashas here? he wont see you at least not yet...whats wrong with him?" Toga frond I’m not sure I was always healthy all my life and now this. but I don’t want to talk about that hows Yasha? Im glad hes married finally will you bring him to see me? I need to see him before it is to late, will you bring him to me?I'll try she took his hand but something was wrong it seemed the mans skin was yellow and he had a rash on his arms and the hand she held was cold and clammy, tell Yasha I made a mistake, a terrible mistake, mistakes can be mended.is he taking medication, Yes sesshomaru answered, stop giving it to him I’m not sure but I think hes being poisoned what are you doing here?!", I brought her here you do well to remember your place women. While he is like this I am Lord of this ranch as his eldest son, You must come again my dear we should have a nice long visit you and I and Yasha if he'll come talk to me ask him please. Ill be back Mr Takahashi very soon and I have a felling you'll be just fine very soon, I'll show you back to Inuyasha Sesshomaru took her hand and led her out of the room but before he left he turned and spoke to his step mother, IF What Kagome says is true Nefertari your dead. The lace curtain fluttered down but two figures could still see the couple at the buckboard, I can shoot him right now with that pretty little wife of his diverting his attention he'd never know what hit him." If you were a decent Marksman Naraku he would have been dead weeks ago" That wont work now with Sesshomaru protecting them he would kill us both.Plus we have the girl to think of" shes a miko I can feel her power. I should have killed that half breed years ago, that baby she carries has demon and miko blood, perhaps we should arrange a little accident something that takes the lives of both of them a fire perhaps, Naraku nodded that old cabin should go up pretty fast like when lightning hit the barn damn you should have seen it, the flames spread so fast. I cant stand the thought of toughs two Destroying our plans, Naraku smiled I'll take care of them both a fire a late night night Blazing fire.Inuyasha sat against the wall of the cabin thinking, he couldn't tell her how he was feeling or how she made him feel he couldn't tell her that it confused him as well, and that he couldn't understand how a simple brush of the lips on hers stirred feelings he never knew he could have,A Sensation he had never felt before that went deeper then simple desire,though the passion was there In a matter of days she wouldn't be his wife any more not that she ever was not really thats the way she lived playing games,imagination more a part of life then reality.How could he blame her? How could he blame anyone for that? The problem was he was going to miss her to much, reality could be brutal no one knew that better then Inuyasha, But here he was becoming more and more Attached everyday to the very sort of woman he despised.It was her smile that lit up her whole face and made him want to smile, her beautiful brown eyes that delved into his very soul,looking for answers to questions, Inuyasha had buried long ago, Inuyasha buried his head in his hands,he never should have kissed her.He was no expert on seduction,his psychical relationships had been with women who understood who he was and what he wanted,he had always managed to distance himself so he never kissed a woman,and had her place herself so completely in his hands. He could feel it,Kagomes trust and her wonder, her confusion,he had convinced himself it was for the best, He knew now he would never be the same,he would always carry a piece of Kagome with him,A memory an empty place in his heart he had abandoned long ago. Inuyasha heard the sound of horse's nearing the cabin,He was instantly alert he rose slowly back still against the cabin, hoping the darkness would hide him. Inuyasha slipped around the corner,easing himself over the rail and onto the porch. The clouds danced overhead,revealing the moon once again and Inuyasha was still,the riders had stopped he heard low voices, then they lit the torches,Bathing their faces in harsh yellow light as the flames grew one of the riders broke away,and Inuyasha realized that the man was probably headed for the back of the cabin. Sweat broke out on Inuyashas face and he bellowed Kagomes name. She had to get out of the cabin now! That old place could go up in minutes. The rider in front of the cabin recoiled in the saddle,And then he tossed the flaming torch through the window to the room, he knew kagome was sleeping ....and he realized with desperation that the other man was probably tossing the other torch into Kagomes room. Inuyasha threw open the door and stepped into the main room,smoke filled the cabin drifting from the hallway and the kitchen. He heard a man behind him and turned with an Impatient growl,to grab the Intruder. he could tell it was Naraku, the smoke was thick he opend his mouth to call for Kagome but got no answer he wrestled the man to the floor,even with the mask he knew it was Naraku, his only thought was to immobilize him so he could get to kagome. he glared into the Narakus eyes and saw a spark of fear. Naraku always was a coward.But Naraku held on,even as the smoke grew around them,threating to blind them both. They rolled across the floor,Narakus grip on Inuyashas arms, tenacious, reckless, finally Inuyasha was able to pin Naraku to the floor,and he brought his fist back to still the squirming cowhand. All Inuyasha heard was a single footstep before he saw from the corner of his eye the stock of a rifle swinging towards his head. The force of the blow knocked Inuyasha back off Naraku,and he saw the two men rush from the cabin before everything faded, Black smoke and flaming walls was all Inuyasha could see when he opened his eyes. the men who had started the blaze weregone, and Inuyasha's only thought was to get Kagome out of the cabin, he turned on his hands and knees to the hallway the smoke was dense, smoke was surrounding him like a dense fog, that distorted his scenes, the flames climbed the walls, as he crawled down the hallway, he could feel the heat on his face, his hands his back, how long had he remained unconscious?A minute, five, what if he was to late, he opend his mouth to call Kagome but his voice was harsh and raspy, the calico curtain to the bed room was burning, furiously Inuyasha Increased his pace. Inuyasha burst through with dread building in his heart she was lying on the bed untouched by the flames but still not moving now he was beggening to panic she was limp and un responsive,he couldnt tell if she was breathing, he wrapped her in his fire rat kimono it would protect her from the flames and with a piercing scream jumped through the window shattering the glass as he shielded Kagomes body he rolled away from the cabin the cool clean air from the night washing over him he lay kagome in the grass and gently unwrapped his fire rat she hadn't been touched by the fire but her eyes were still closed and she wasn't moving, but then her eyes fluttered and a small frown formed on her face she started to cough and opened her eyes to look at the man that held so close, w...what happened? Kagome lifted her head and stared in awe at the burning cabin the heat was intence, even at this distance and she was overwhelmed by the power of it, it was like a living thing a monster devouring its prey, Inuyasha was still holding her close she made no attempt to move away from him, they tried to kill us, who? Naraku I saw him...your burned," I'll be fine. we have to get to the big house you need medical help. No I don't know who the other man was it could have been anybody whoever tried to kill me wants you dead now as well, Inuyasha pulled himself to his feet slowly and painfully holding kagomes hand. wait here,Inuyasha Returned a few moments later with his horse, but I don’t know how to ride, I'll hold on to you dont worry, Inuyasha vaulted up behind her he turned away from the blinding heat and headed into the mountains.Hows your arms? Not to bad Ill take care of it tomarrow. He set up camp a few hours later in a secluded spot get some sleepwe wont be going any further till morning,you need the rest more then I do, Inuyasha knew he wasn't going to be getting any sleep not after what happened not with the pain in his head ,arms and shoulders and not with Kagome sleeping inches away,she pressed her cheek against his smooth skin feeling his warmth he turned over to face her and pulled her closer to himKagomes hands roamed with a will of their own her fingers caressed his neck and face and finally grasped the back of his head her fingers Entwining in his long silver hair, Inuyasha's lips trailed down her throat he slowly pushed her nightgown up pulling it over her head Kagome? is this a dream? Kagome ran her hands through his hair her breathing faster now as was his, IDon't think so Inuyasha, Inuyasha stopped moving and now was completely still, don't stop yasha she whispered, I have to you'll ..we'll be sorry later, I wont, your in heat kagome you have to stay away from me I cant control myself your sent is driving me mad, i don’t care anymore I want you, I need you okay I love you Inuyasha please don't leave me,there were no more words spoken, no more needed kagome clung to inuyasha and followed her bodys instincts he was a part of her now she knew she needed him in the soft light of the morning sun Kagome watched as inuyasha removed his pants and tossed them aside he was the most Magnificent sight she had ever seen and she drank him in with passion filled eyes the sight of Inuyashas Manhood swollen with his need for her should have scared her but it didn't, Inuyasha would never hurt her Inuyashas eyes traveled over her body as he eased her panties from her,you are so beautiful he whispered Inuyashas lips found hereager ones again and she met him ardently, hungrily and when he pressed against the moistness between her legs she lifted her hips to take him drinen by a pleasure she didnt understand he enterd her slowly more gentle then she had imagined he wouldwhen he shattered her maidenhead Kagome couldn't help the sharp intake of breath Inuyasha covered her mouth with his showering her with comforting kisses and lying very still she let him know when her pain had passed lifting her hips slightly and moving beneath him, Kagome returned his kisses with greater passion every move she made,every rocking of her hips or caress of her fingers was driven by something deep within her something that had been locked away waiting for Inuyasha to release it, it was passion he had only hinted ar with his kisses feeling his release upon him Inuyasha reached down and started to stimulate her clit in time with his thrusts, your going to cum arent you Bitch, your a good Bitch aren't youKagome? with the way he was talking and the double stimulants Kagome threw her head back and screamed as her release came upon her. feeling her muscles clamp down on him pushed him over the edge Kagome froze when he sank his fangs into her shouldermarking her forever as his mate,Inuyasha could smell her tears, I'm sorry kagome but you are mine now oh god what have I Done, Its alright Yasha its what I wanted, I dont understand why you are so upset we are married, but this wasnt part of you plans remember you wanted a rancher not a Hanyou, well you know something I changed my mind besides I heard you say you were a rancher I love you Inuyasha you are my husband and now i am your mate as well, dont you understand I didn't want this for you you Deserve so much more, but i want you.... I need to get you some where safe.When they broke through the trees and kagome saw the small hut she was stunned, the hut was nestled on a grassy flat it was a beautiful spot green and Isolated Inuyasha called out to the woman inside Ive brought you a visitor kaede she heard Inuyasha say, Have ye brought me your wife Inuyasha, sit sit Inuyasha, Inuyasha obeyed her, yes I am but not for long Its about time Inuyasha took a wife, I see Ye marked her as well it is a good sign, a sign of new beginnings she looked over at Inuyasha You have been hurt, i will fix you right up, I Must teach you to make this so that when im gone you can make it Inuyashas always getting himself into trouble and coming to ne with blood drying on his skin kagome was amazed Inuyasha never flinched, never made a soundand kaede wasn't being gentle with him, I think Ill go to the spring and clean up a bit, Kagome left the hut without a reply.she wanted to scrub every place on her body inuasha had touched, she had felt for a short time so much love and then she looked into those cold eyes and seen the truth he had simply used her because she was convenient, but why did it feel like her soul was "dying"she burst from the cabin in tears, kaede slapped a handful of salve over the small blisters,Inuyasha winced whats wrong with you BaBa?"Now it pains you I thought Perhaps ye had developed skin like iron scince the last time I saw ye? its not good to pretend with ones you love, I don't love anyone, Kaede ignored him, I like your kagome, keh everyone likes kagome, and this is a bad thing ?the girl is a Miko, her powers are strong but I do not think she knows how to use them or even realizes she has them, if you push her away now that Ye have Marked her you will Break her Soul and she will die as will you, Inuyasha stood in stunned silence, surly Ye knew inuyasha that mating with her would bind your soul to hers and hers to Yours,I have to think Inuyasha stood slowly and left the cabin, take heed Inuyasha Ye need kagome"Back in edo things were much different all hell was erupting, have you found my Brother and Kagome?!", no Lord Sesshomaru we havent found them yet but we found Byakuya near the cabin hes dead, are you saying my Brother killed him?"well how else do you think it looks?" it looks like Byakuya started the fire that killed my Brother and Kagome and someone killed byakuya to make it look like my brother did it, we don’t know if their dead or not we'll find them, well you better sheriff because if anything happens to my Brother and his Mate because of this village, the village will suffer greatly, what about the Bitch that was trying to kill my father, we haven’t found her or Naraku either i asure you we will find them. if you don’t I Will and they will both die for what they have done you better hope my Brother and his Mate are still alive.""""""""""""000 """""""""""""""""""""""" """""""""""000;"""""""""""" """"""""""""three of them ate around the fire in Kaede's hut the profound silence grew more and more uncomfortablewhen the meal was finished kaede reached into a small bag and withdrew three small pieces of candy, Inuyasha brings me sweets and canned goods for the days I am tired of dried meats and do not have the energy to fish, but when he is here he always leaves me fresh meat kagome frowned Inuyasha took care of this old woman that much was clear, didn't that alone prove that he had a tender place in his heart? that he wasn't completely cold, he risked his life to save her from the fire, she was confused maybe somewhere in his heart there was room for her. As If Inuyasha could read her thoughts he rose abruptly he didn't look at her as he mumbled something that might have been good night, goodbye or even good riddance and he was gone before kagome could say a word, why cant Inuyasha let me love him why cant he love me, he is stubborn but he loves you as he has for no other hes just afraid to show it, she found herself telling kaede everything the night he stumbled into the cabin and how he made everyone think they were lover when they weren't and how she saved him kaede laughed when she described the wedding ceremony, I see kaede said,I should have found a better way to save him or we should have gotten the annulment right away, why didn't you, there didn't seem to be any other way, so you find yourself married in the human way, but not in your heart?No Inuyasha was never married in his heart, and you? I love him there will never be another for me I feel like I'm dying inside.A Low rumble was heard, oh no not tonight, kagome?..Inuyasha confuses me one minute I think I know him and the next hes cold as ice.but god help me I do love him, Have you told Inuyasha? Oh no! he would never...He doesn't want a wife not at all Idon't want to bind him to me I rather die you cant force someone to love you, Its to late for that child your souls were bondedtogether when he took you as his mate, the thunder was coming closer, joined by flashes of lightning that lit the sky. Inuyasha! wheres Inuyasha?", out on the bluff, he cant stay up there during a storm, he has stayed up there during muchworse storms then this, it is his place to think, and he has much to think about I believe." Kagome left the shelterof the hut clouds masked the moon and she was in complete darkness another flash of lightning lit the night andshe saw him sitting motionless on the edge of the bluff, Inuyasha! she called out, what are you doing out hereGo back to kaede you'll be safe with her, NO! She could see him well enough to see he was angry, you cant stay up there! its to dangerous, GO! NO I'm staying with you if you climb back up there, Ill follow you I swear. Inuyasha grabbed her arm and pulled her along running not to the hut but away from it he came to a sudden stop and shoved Kagome into a dark cave releasing her hand she knew he was still with her she heard him cursing and muttering just a few feet away from her,Inuyasha built a fire near the entrance and when it was blazing he turned to look at kagome with fury in his eyes Kagome watched without a word as the anger was replaced by something else.. the same bewilderment that was tearing herapart. it was gone as quickly as it appeared and Inuyasha turned away from her to sit by the fire. why did you leave Kaedes?I was worried about you, Kaede said you were on the bluff and the lightning, Inuyasha unrolled his bed roll he was planning on staying the night in the cave inside was a change of cloths, he pushed a shirt at her and told her to change and when he looked away she looked down, I don't understand you Kagome this is dangerous, there aren't any bears in the here are there?you know what I mean, yes I know what you mean lightning." WHAT?" Lightning kagome repeated that's what we are you and I you cant capture it but its there, your not making a bit of sense, am i not I cant believe what happened between us this morning happens between every man and women, no it doesn't Inuyasha agreed, but Kagome leaned over to lay her lips on his it was a gentle kiss,Tell me that's not lightning she dared him, tell me that's not special, tell me we wouldn't be fools to let it get away.InuYasha pulled her into his arms and kissed her again a raw hungry kiss that was almost brutal in its power she gave herself over to him completely melting in his embrace, I love you, I don't want to be away from you, you don't know what your saying his voice was no more then a whisper, yes I do I want to be married in our hearts and I want to be your mate, your mine forever now kagome he whispered perhaps she was carrying his child at that moment unconsciously he placed his hand on her belly, Kagome placed hers on his.I Hope so she whispered it would be the most beautiful thing in the world a baby boy with silver hair and amber eyes and your cute ears I hope you wont find me to unattractive when my stomach sticks out, he kissed the top of her head I love you he mouthed the words she so longed to hear Inuyasha caused a stir in the village before but nothing like the one he and Kagome created as they road into town every soul came out to gape and stare, until Ayume ran out your alive, of course were alive kagome said, i suppose that means everyone heard about the fire?All hells broke loose since the fire the cabin burned clean to the ground, I know we passed it on the way to town, there wasn't even enough left for us to...well we figured you two for dead even lord sesshomaru was threatening to destroy this village if youwere, Inuyasha saved me it was Naraku and another man that started the fire we thought we should come to the sheriff and then wecould find out who the other man was,the other was Byakuya hes dead we found him a few days later near the cabin, yourfolks are here," My Mother and Father, yeah and another man who claims to be your Intended, Hojo? well their to late I'm already married and mated to Inuyasha they cant tell me what to do anymore, Kagome!" it was her mothers near hysterical voice I know your in there young lady!"ayume looked at Inuyasha there is a back door", It's just my mother for goodness sake I'm not going to run away from her, her mother was the firstto rush in they said you were dead, but 'm fine I was never in any real danger, her father burst into the room and placed hisarms around her mother father This is Inuyasha takahashi my husband, Kagome hojo is with us he was so distraught when you disappearedbefore the wedding, I never agreed to marry him you tried to force me I came here and chose my own husband thank you,that not what I heard her father spoke up, I heard a story of a shotgun wedding to a savage half demon who rightly should have been killed long ago. Daddy That,s not true, well some of it is, but I do love Inuyasha and no one is going to change that, he disgrased you before you were married, that's the part that's not true I was never pregnant I only said that to keep them from killing him, were leaving soon heading west Inuyasha wants to start a horse ranch, I don't expect Inuyasha will be going anywhere the sheriff broke through the crowed and appeared in front of them your under arrest for the murder of Byakuya oni, cant you just leave us alone, Don’t worry I'll take care of this a voice from the sheriff was heard, you know the law Sesshomaru, don't quote the law to me sheriff I know my brother didn't do it and we'll let a judge decided that wont we, Inuyasha go with the sheriff and let me handle this, but Kagome?I'll take care of her little brother, He didn't kill anyone Sesshomaru, I believe you miko, but I'm afraid no one else will believe meLook at them their afraid of him you can see it in their eyes no one will believe us because they want to see him dead." I'll help him, you will ? yes he is my brother and I know him better then anyone he would not do that so yes, Kagome?, what are you doinghere?, and this is the thanks I get for coming to save you from the clutches of a demon?"back off Hojo I'm married and I don't want anythingto do with you, you came all this way for nothing go back to japan and leave me alone and that goes for you as well Kagome we only want whats best for you her father spoke, don't make me laugh you only want whats best for yourself not me. Kagome borrowed a buggy from Suikotsu and asked him not to tell anyone where she had gone, she heard gossip that Toga Takahashi was better but still Ill Kagome didn't know if her theory about the poison had been correct or if Inuyashas father had truly had something else wrong with him kagome knocked at togas door opening it without waiting for a response,god afternoon Mr Takahashi your looking so much better then when I saw you last .I quit taking my medicine much to Nefertaris dismay its a slow process good I could have been wrong you know i suspected that you might have been suffering from arsenic poisoning, no you were right I'm sure of it, so certain I wont eat anything unless sesshomaru brings it to me, well I,m glad your feeling better, Is Inuyasha with you?, no Inuyasha is in jail he was accused of killing Byakuya oni, Damn* I cant believe no one told me I didn't even know he was dead, I've got to get out of this bed ,Inuyasha will be fine sesshomaru is helping him. but he has you now as much as I would like to have Inuyasha in my life I don't believe it will ever happen, but I'm leaving It would serve no purpose to explain, Why I Thought that finally Inuyasha had...... Is it because of the accusations, oh No I have never doubted himI can give you a reason to stay my will Ive left this ranch to my first born grandson a child you now carry, what about your wife?I should have gotten rid of that woman years ago, if I had recognized her sooner for the schemer she really was Inuyasha might not have left, when did you change the will?. six month's ago, do you know someone shoot Inuyasha a few weeks ago, and someone tried to kill Inuyasha and I By Burning the cabin we were in it was Naraku and Byakuya, you think this all happened because your wife found out you changed your will?... very good my dear Nefertari stepped into the room followed closely by Naraku.And very unfortunate for you, you should have left well enough alone Missy, what am I going to do with? the question seemedto be one of annoyance nor morality Nefertary would have her killed without a second thought and her baby...she couldn't let them know about her baby, you've been nothing but trouble sense you came here, what are we going to do with her Narakus voice was cold, you want me to take care of her, well I cant have you take her out and cut here throat or shoot her not yet anyways take her up north to the line shack tie him up so he cant call for help, If Inuyasha hangs she can meetthe same fate a fall from a cliff or some other accident, Ill meet you up there later, and just so you don't think someone will come in and find you the house is empty there is no one here, and when Inuyasha is dead I'll come back and finish you off myself then I'll have complete control of the ranch, I wouldn't be so sure Sesshomaru wouldn't let you get away with killing his father and brother, you really don't think we will let him live do you, No he'll die as well, you kill Sesshomaru I can sense his power you could never kill him hes not stupid he'll never let you get away with this he'll kill you both. back in the village Inuyasha was beginning to panic no one could find Kagome,shes most likely fine if she doesn't turn up by morning We'll look for here. you cant wait put together a search party, shes only been gone a few hours Like I said if she doesn't show up by morning we'll start searching for her, I was afraid you would say that, then I must ask that you release my brother." What?! I cant do that, Then I'll kill you, you wouldn't dare, Oh wouldn't I you want to bet on that or perhaps I'll put a bullet in one or both of your knees although not life threatening will cause you to have a rather nasty limp.not a desirable trait for a law man, this Doesn't End This Yasha." I know nothing will end it but my death right sheriff, Where do we start little brother any Ideas? we can start at home first then follow my nose she is my mate, And I do know her scent mine is a part her now, very observant little brother, now your excepting her as your mate after pushing her away, you told her to leave with her family, shes pupped you know."what?" No I didn't I have to find her,we will little brother, we'll find her, but you need to tell her how you feel before its to late.

Authors Note Looking For Ideas for Art to fit This Fanfiction And Any ideas as to how to continue it

0 notes