#Aqua Trigger Eyes

[myshunodistrict]

When you just arrived in the new town and you're ready to wreak havoc

[ssspringroll]

some sim dump i downloaded recently infected me with the aqua trigger eyes and i loved them so much i went and downloaded the rest of the colors. theyre really nice.

[angeltism]

I hate like 80% of my tag actually

[glossdebut]

take a bite | MYG ★ 1

✧ PAIRING: yoongi x fem!reader

✧ SUMMARY: Your fledgling career as a music journalist is finally going in some kind of direction that must be on the path to success. Your coworkers like you enough to invite you out on Fridays, your boss is starting to think you’re competent enough to let you score a few bylines, and you're finally getting the hang of InDesign. All of your hard work, late nights, and complete lack of a social life are starting to pay off... Even if it all came at the expense of the longest relationship of your life. Fine. You've accepted the fact that romance isn't for you, under any circumstances. You won't risk your career for anybody. Not even Min Yoongi.

✧ TAGS: slow burn, eventual smut, eventual romance, producer yoongi, music journalist reader, neighbors to friends to lovers? you'll see, reader is bad at feelings, reader is post-break up

✧ WARNINGS: social drinking, mechanical bull-related injuries lol

✧ WORDCOUNT: 2.7k so far

✧ STATUS: complete

✧ AUTHOR'S NOTE: hi! i'm aqua and this is my first ever fic so please be nice!! i will be crossposting this work and all future works on my ao3 of the same name. i'm figuring out how this works as i go, so please be patient with me. tags are subject to change with every update. i won't have a posting schedule for this one, but i have the first few chapters pre-written, so expect an update sometime next week!

CH. 1: Lay Your Cards Down, Down, Down, Down

Although this is the furthest thing from your scene, you can’t help but think to yourself that you should invest in some cowboy boots. You could make them work, you’re sure of it.

Even if you know you would never pull the trigger on purchasing any, too far out of the comfort zone of your normal style, the thought is the only thing keeping you sane—that, and the sound of Cowboy Carter blasting through the speakers of the bar, a welcome reprieve from the drawling, boring country anthems you’d been suffering through for the past hour or so. 

You pride yourself on seeing the merit in all genres of music, you do. You were always the type of person who puffed up her chest when you told people ‘I listen to everything,’ uncaring of how pretentious it may sound. You mean it. It’s an asset in your line of work, and as far as you’re concerned, a little bit of pretentiousness is a small price to pay for the, quite frankly, baller route your fledgling career is heading in. 

But a Western bar? Not the kind of place you’d spend a precious Friday night willingly. Another hazard of the job.

After months of skillfully avoiding the weekly Friday nights out with the other rookie reporters at the magazine, you’d run out of excuses not to join them. If four years studying communications taught you anything, it was that connections are everything in the journalism business. Even more so where the music industry is concerned.

So here you are, at your fourth stop of your night of bar hopping with your extroverted and extremely drunk coworkers, nursing warm beer and observing from the least populated corner you managed to scout upon entry. All things considered, you had been a good sport at the three previous stops. You just draw the line at square dancing with the people you work with. College may have beaten your fear of impromptu phone calls and talking to strangers out of you, but your social battery can only take so much. 

Your phone battery, too, you think bitterly as you stare down at the low battery warning on your screen. Okay, so you’ll finish your shitty beer (because you’re not quite successful enough yet to afford wasting alcohol that you’re paying for) and then use your phone’s remaining juice to catch an Uber home. No biggie.

You’re in the middle of turning off your phone with full intent to work out the kinks of your exit strategy when you realize, with irritation, that your chosen corner is about to be invaded.

Your eyes land on a pair of black Jordans ( in a Western bar? your mind supplies, as if you have any room to judge in your Docs) and travel up, past torn black jeans and a black shirt, and just when you’re sensing a theme with this guy, your eyes reach a head of (regrettably, very nice) black hair and a pair of the darkest eyes you’ve ever seen. Anish Kapoor would wail at the sight of these eyes, you think.

As if sensing your apprehension, your corner-thief raises his free hand (the other clutching a plastic cup of his own) palm out, as if to say ‘I come in peace’ and stops in his tracks.

“I can find another spot,” corner-thief says, the low rumbling of his voice barely audible above Texas Hold ‘Em. “I’m just waiting for one of my friends to get bored or injured so I can leave.”

“Injured,” you repeat, despite your better judgment to take him up on his offer and let him be on his way. But your phone is dead and you’re a little bit drunk, bored, and even for an unwanted partner in social evasion, this guy is nicer to look at than the frat guys playing beer pong you’ve been observing for the better part of an hour.

Corner-thief grins a stupidly charming gummy smile, leaning just the slightest bit closer to be heard better but still keeping a respectful distance. As if he’s still wary that you’ll lunge at him if he encroaches on your space any further. Good man.

“There’s a mechanical bull upstairs,” he says, using his index finger on the hand holding his cup to point at the ceiling above you both.

Of course there is. With your luck, you’ll also have to peel someone off of the floor later after going head-to-head with the bull.

“Not your thing?” you guess, glancing pointedly at his Jordans, and he shakes his head, huffing through his nose in what you can only guess is a laugh.

“No, I wouldn’t say so.” 

He pauses, shifting from foot to foot for a moment before speaking again. “So, will you share your wall? I can look around again but this place is more packed than I would’ve pegged it for.”

You nod and he smiles again thankfully, taking the spot on the wall next to you. That should be it. Two strangers who don’t want to be here standing in companiable silence next to each other while they wait for their friends–or coworkers, in your case–to put them out of their misery and let them go home.

But… You consider your options, your phone taking its dying breath in your pocket, and you sigh, turning to him.

“Y/N,” you say, holding out your hand for him to shake. 

He takes it with his free hand, giving you an amused look. “Yoongi.”

“What’s that look for?”

He laughs again, a little bit more this time, and your heart does a stupid, funny thing. “I don’t think I’ve ever been greeted by a pretty girl in a bar with a handshake,” he says, causing you to flush and pull your hand away as if it’d been burned, your shoulders tensing as you take a sip of your beer. 

A western bar certainly isn’t your scene, but admittedly, neither are bars or clubs in general. You got all of that out of your system in college where everyone was awkward as fuck or too drunk to care that you were, and ever since you got your degree you have lived and breathed your work. Your social skills were never quite up to par, but you didn’t realize you were this fucking embarrassing.

“I came out with coworkers right after we got off, so I think I’m still kind of in work mode,” you lie, and as if sensing that you feel slightly made fun of, Yoongi shakes his head.

“I didn’t mean it as a bad thing, swear,” he says, tilting his head at you. Dark eyes considering you. “Honestly, I’m thankful you’re putting up with me at all. I don’t think I’d be so kind if the roles were reversed. I know firsthand how hard it is to find a spot to breathe in places like this.”

You feel your shoulder muscles relax just the slightest bit. “I thought about sending you away, but I couldn’t help it. My heart aches when I see an introvert in need of a hiding spot,” you attempt to joke. 

“At least I’m out with friends,” he says sympathetically. “I’ve done the coworker thing before. It’s a drag.”

“It’s weird ,” you correct. “I mean, I sit in meetings with these people. I avoid answering their emails all day. Why is it considered rude to not want to see them piss drunk?”

Yoongi hums in agreement, nodding his head. “What do you do, anyway?”

“I work for Look Here Magazine,” you reply, straightening up a bit in pride when Yoongi’s eyes flash with recognition, his body turning so his shoulder is against the wall now. You turn as well, facing him. “I write for the music section.”

“No shit? I’ve probably read your stuff, then,” Yoongi says, grinning. 

He’s cute. Hot. You can’t help but notice, no matter how hard you’re trying not to. The way that he seems to carry himself in particular, you think, might end up driving you crazy if you’re exposed to it for too long. Maybe you’ve been living under a rock, but you’ve never met a fellow wallflower that still exuded such confidence. He wears it insanely well.

“Look Here covers a lot of big artists,” you hear him continue. “I’m a little surprised you’re hugging the wall, honestly. This place is nothing compared to music industry parties.”

“Ah, I only started a few months ago,” you admit, looking down into your cup. “Not a lot of bylines yet. I haven’t made it into a room with an artist that big yet.”

“But you want to,” Yoongi guesses, and you nod, looking up to meet his eyes. He looks impressed, impressed by you , and that… does something to you. Huh. “Shit, that’s… That’s really cool.”

“Thanks,” you say. You can feel your cheeks heating up again, and you’re suddenly very eager to turn the attention away from yourself. “What about you? What do you do?”

“Ah,” Yoongi says, fixing his eyes to his cup just as you had a moment ago. “I’m a music producer, actually.”

You perk up at that. So that’s why he reads Look Here, why he seemed so interested when you told him what you do. 

“Anything I’ve heard?” you ask, leaning in like he’s about to tell you a secret. Networking never stops.

He watches as you lean, his mouth turning up at the corners in a smirk. “Probably.” 

You wait for more, but it doesn’t come. Shithead. So much for that.

“You’ve gotta give me more than that,” you say, and god, you can hear the pout in your own voice. Are you that drunk? Flirting for a lead in a story?

“I don’t,” Yoongi says simply, his smirk in full force now. Mean and annoying and hot. He hasn’t leaned away from you yet. “I want to know more about you, actually. Journalism is hard work. I’m surprised you have time to go out like this.”

“Like I said, I was forced.”

“Still. Spending time with your friends or family or partner or whatever must take priority when it comes to your free time.”

Why is he so interested? You scrunch your nose, trying to figure out what he could be fishing for here. You don’t make it a habit to divulge the details of your sad excuse for a personal life to strangers, but the alcohol has loosened your lips. Maybe you need to talk about it. It’s not like you’ll ever see him again, anyway.

“My family is back home. My best friend is this insanely talented playwright. She’s constantly traveling. I see her when she can get some time to fly out.” You take a quick sip of your drink, ignoring the pang in your chest. Sometimes it sneaks up on you, how lonely you are. “Other than her, it’s just me, really. The dating thing… Nobody really seems to get how demanding my job can be, and it always ends in hurt feelings.”

There’s a long pause, and you’re worried you’ve shared too much. You’re enjoying talking to Yoongi. You know it doesn’t matter, that you’ll likely never see him again, but it would really, really suck if his permanent mental image of you ends up being ‘lonely weird drunk girl,’ even if that’s what you are. You force yourself to look up at him. The look in his eyes makes your heart flip stupidly again.

“I get that,” he says, and his voice is soft, barely audible over the music filling the space. You’re reading his lips more than anything, honestly, and you don’t let yourself look at them for too long. He may be pretty—unbearably so, you’re realizing—but he’s a stranger. A mean, annoying, hot, pretty stranger, but a stranger nonetheless. Every guy says he gets it. This needs to stay what it is, you think. Momentary companionship between introverts who would rather die than square dance.

You don’t get much time to agonize over it. Whatever is going on between you and Yoongi is intercepted quickly by his phone buzzing in his pocket and his responding grimace when he pulls it out to check it.

“Namjoon fell off of the mechanical bull,” he says, like he’s completely unsurprised by that news. He downs the rest of his drink and pockets his phone again, pushing off of the wall. “I’ve gotta deal with that.”

You nod, pulling what you hope is a sympathetic face. “Good luck.”

His bottom lip catches between his teeth, and you hold your breath. He looks like he wants to say something, torn between rushing upstairs to save his friend and staying, just for a moment.

You think you know what he wants to say, think foolishly that maybe he wants to ask for your number, and you honestly don’t know if you’d give it to him if he did. You’re so used to saying no.

He runs his fingers through his hair, opens his mouth to speak, and then he looks down like his phone is buzzing again. When he looks back up, it seems like he’s thought better of it.

“Thanks for sharing your wall,” he settles on, smiling congenially. You smile back, and then he’s heading towards the stairs.

Good, you think. You know better. If he really gets it, he does too.

★ ★ ★

You’re dragged out to one more bar before you finally make it home, your interaction with Yoongi having knocked you off-kilter enough to agree to a few more drinks.

It does wonders for your social status at work, you’re sure, but by the time you’re dropped off you’re dizzy-drunk, fighting to stay upright in the elevator of your apartment building.

You’re fumbling and failing at getting your key into the lock of your front door, tongue poking out of the corner of your mouth in concentration, when a voice calling your name a few feet to your right almost makes you jump out of your skin.

You yell, clutching your chest, and when you turn to face the owner of the voice that almost made you lose the contents of your stomach on your doormat, you’re greeted by none other than corner-thief-mean-annoying-hot-pretty Yoongi himself, leaning against the door to the apartment two doors down.

“What the fuck,” you blurt out dumbly, and he laughs. At you! How dare he stand there, lean there, all hot and annoying and in your apartment building for some fucking reason and laugh at you.

“I was going to ask if you needed help,” he says, and oh, fuck. You were safe from just how deep his voice was under the thrum of the music at the bar, but in the quiet of your apartment building this late, you can hear it just fine. Feel it, even. Feel it in places you do not want to humor right now. “I’m going to take a wild guess and say you do.”

It’s obvious that Yoongi is faring much better than you are, although his night clearly didn’t end after the mechanical bull incident. Faster than you can react, he’s right in front of you, gently taking your key from your hands and turning it in the lock, like it’s easy.

“Gonna make it in okay?” he asks, looking down at you. You force your brain to make words.

“I’ll be okay,” you assure him, your tongue heavy in your mouth. “Are you stalking me?”

He huffs a laugh, shaking his head. “I think we’re neighbors.”

“Oh.” Oh. Okay. That’s fine. Just because he’s your neighbor doesn’t mean you have to do something stupid, like see him ever again.

“Give me your number,” he says softly. Oh.

You blink at him, and he grins. Gummy smile. You feel like you’re going to vomit all over his Jordans.

“In case you ever can’t use your keys again,” he clarifies. “I told you, those music industry parties are killer.”

And really, you’re powerless to resist. You give him your number, using all of your remaining brain power to remember the order of the digits. Seemingly satisfied, Yoongi pockets his phone and steps back, heading back to his front door.

“Goodnight, neighbor,” he says, unlocking his door with ease. “Sleep on your side.”

You swallow thickly and nod, slipping inside your own apartment as quickly as you can manage. 

Once you’re in, you sink onto the floor, your back pressed against the door behind you. Your cat, perched on your coffee pot, stares at you in your drunk, flustered state, unimpressed. Offended, even, judging by the way she licks her paw.

You’re so fucked.

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[cry4mina]

Take Me Back to Eden - Part 6 - Vore

(Mina x fem!reader) (Nayeon x Fem!reader)

Take Me Back to Eden - Choke Hold - Part 1

Take Me Back to Eden - Granite - Part 2

Take Me Back to Eden - Aqua Regia - Part 3

Take Me Back to Eden - Ascensionism - Part 4

Take Me Back to Eden - The Apparition - Part 5

Take Me Back to Eden - The Apparition - Part 5.5

Word Count: 11.4k

Fluff/Smut/Angst

Summary: Reader and Mina seem to be getting closer with each other and Nayeon doesn't seem to like that too much.

TW: Cute fluffy shit, Sex, abusive themes, violence, weapons. (Kinda want this one to be a little bit of a surprise, so if you would like a list of detailed trigger warnings, please DM me! <3)

A/N: Thank you to everyone who has requested more of this story, it really makes me so happy to know you all enjoy it! I also hit 300 followers! OMG THANK YOU ALL<3 Thank you for following and keeping up with my silly little stories and yapping with me! I appreciate every single one of you!<3 Thanks to the moots for keeping me sane will I wrote this cuz I was having a TIME. Anyways, love you mean it<3 Feedback always welcome and I hope you have a great day! ~*virtual forehead kiss*~

_

Sirens ring out as they approach your building, flashing lights almost blinding as they whip into the parking lot. Mina has you wrapped in a blanket, holding you closely and using her body as a shield from the outside world. Attempting to keep you calm as the officers walk to the door, checking the situation out and getting a feel for what was happening. 

Mina takes your face lightly into her hands, one placed on each cheek trying to get your attention, seeing the lack of presence in your eyes, she takes control of the situation. Unsure of what Nayeon was capable of. You were honestly scared of her and whatever was coming next. 

“Hey…” softly stated, bringing you back to her soft brown eyes as she let out a small smile. 

“I’m going to go and let them know what happened here, okay?” Tilting her head as she looks into you, trying to gauge how present you were for her. The state of shock is blatantly on your face as you look over to the broken window and see the police officers pointing something out on the ground to each other. 

“Hey…hey, look at me.” Delicately bringing your attention back to her, hands still present on your face as she continues. “I will be right back, okay?” 

Hands reaching up to grab Mina’s forearms rigidly before she takes her first step towards the door, fear rings through your heart knowing that Nayeon knew exactly where you lived. 

“I know…don’t worry, we will figure this out, okay?” calmly reassuring you before she speaks with the officers about what took place. They’re definitely going to want to talk to you before they leave but you find yourself slightly rocking back and forth on the couch, attempting to self regulate as all of this chaos is happening around you. 

Time stood still as you thought about how Nayeon would have known where you and Mina were. She knows where Mina lives, of course, but how did she know where your new apartment was? Could she have followed you? 

The realization hit you like a ton of bricks when your brain connected the dots; you never shut your location for her off. Getting up with a sense of urgency to grab your phone, you immediately sit back down. Quickly scrolling through the contacts to find Nayeon and turning the location off. Noticing that hers was still on and that she was pulling into the apartment complex you used to share. 

“That fucking bitch” said loudly enough for Mina to hear, side eyeing you while continuing to speak to the officer. The uniform, noticing that you were in distress on the couch, points over to you saying something to Mina as she nods her head and starts to walk over to you. 

Squatting down in front of you, maneuvering herself so she could meet your gaze as she rests one hand on your knee, lightly grips your hand with the other. Slowly focusing your eyes as she comes into view, a petite grin forms on her face again. 

“Hey honey, they want to ask you some questions now…are you up for that?” searching for hints of discomfort as she inquires on what you’re comfortable with, lightly running her hand up to your thigh. 

“I-…” peering up at her as she continues to rub your thigh, causing you to turn a special shade of red, you settle for just nodding your head yes instead of stumbling over your words. 

A gummy smile returned to you, sitting next to you before nodding her head to the officer across the room. He walks over to you, looks you up and down before asking the normal questions you would expect. 

“Did you see who did this?” Husked in a southern accent, pen and notepad in his hands as he looks over the rim of his glasses down at you. 

“No, I didn’t” shakiness present in your voice. 

Mina notices this and skims her hand on your upper back, body facing you with her legs crossed. Studying your body language as you continue speaking to the officer, giving you a sense of safety.  

“This ex-girlfriend of yours, has she had anger issues in the past?” Voice scratching against your memory as you plummet into dread trying to remember any tense moments you might’ve had with Nayeon before she betrayed you in the foulest of ways.

“Sir, we spent 3 years together and she was cheating on me the entire time, I just found out about it a month ago so to be fully transparent, I don’t know who she is…and I sure as hell don’t know what she’s capable of.” Leg bouncing as your voice emits dismay and fragility, arms enclosing your own body in an act of protection and defense. 

“Does she know where you live?” Concern coating his voice throwing hot coals into your ears as you try to keep from grieving in front of this stranger in your new home, and Mina. 

“Yes.” Faintly leaves your mouth as you look down at your lap,scratching the sides of your fingers, avoiding eye contact with anyone around you as you start to shut down. 

“Did you tell her where you live?” now obviously frustrated by the answer given.

Mina's eyes snapped up to him as she stood defensively in front of you, “don’t take that tone with her, she obviously wouldn’t tell her where she lived.” 

“She had my location on her phone. We did that years ago…I forgot until this. It’s off now.” Emotions absent from your voice as your eyes start to unfocus under the stress and implications of intentionality from the officer. 

“Do you have her address? We'd like to speak to her.” Officer now taking things a little more seriously. Mina, realizing you aren’t present, takes over the conversation and gives him the address of your old apartment. 

The sound of her saying your old address rings in your ears. The happiness that used to live there, no longer present. Thinking about what happened in that place makes your stomach churn, boiling through the lining as it rips from her mouth. Eyes brimming with the falsity of the emotions you felt so deeply in those walls. They are now stained in the blood from the knife Nayeon slid across your throat. 

Mina is too sacred to know the location of that cold hell you lived in, unknowingly sitting in the iced flames as life burned down around you, freezing your warmth and removing it from your body. A soul crushing, earth shattering ache exists where the frost bite gnawed the hole through your chest. 

 The officer walks out of your apartment and informs the other two cops of the details he just received. They shake their heads and nod as the officer you just spoke to points and waves with his hands, seemingly creating a plan when he gets in his car with his partner and speeding off, leaving one of them there to speak with you of what the evidence found. 

“There are footprints under the window to the living room, unfortunately they’re not clear enough to take an impression. There doesn't seem to be any handprints or fingerprints on anything, so we will update you with any new information we find. We are going to have an officer in their squad car outside for the night, should anything suspicious happen, we will handle it.” 

“Thank you.” Mina politely says while the officer walks away, still handling things for you while you’re in emotional paralysis and completely checked out. 

This was a brand new feeling for you, something very strange seeped into your pores, distorting your sense of reality. Appendages made of stone as you stilled, descending into the void of your psyche. 

Hazy thoughts coated in fear rise into your mind’s eye. A tornado of grief, guilt, and fear rotate around in absolute madness causing the earth to quake within your skin. Arm hair raising at the action of your home being violated by an unwelcome energy, another betrayal from someone once so close to you, now simply a stranger in your heart. 

Mina watched as your eyes unfocused, the way your shoulders rose, arms crossing your chest as your body withdrew inward. She promptly started attempting to remove the stressors one by one.

“Do you have any boxes? And some tape? Packing tape or duct tape preferred” walking to the kitchen, avoiding the glass, to sift through the recycling. You cling to her every movement as she pulls out a flat piece of cardboard, cuts it to size, and lays it over the window to cover the shattered hole.

“Y/n?…do you have any tape?” patiently waiting for you to hear her, knowing how overwhelming this situation must be, especially after what happened at the restaurant. She was learning how to show up for you, but somehow she already knew the best ways to do so.

“Oh! Uhm, sorry…” running to the junk drawer, almost robotic in your movements and absentmindedly forgetting about the glass on the floor. You step right into it without even noticing. So dissociated that it doesn’t even phase you, continuing what you set out to do and trialing a small bloody pattern along the way.

Pull the drawer open. 

Grab the tape. 

Hand tape to Mina.

Wait for further instruction.

Listing the steps as your brain gave you orders, autopiloting its way through the tasks given, completely separating logic and emotion. 

A troubled look on her face as she quickly fastened the cardboard. Disbelief washes over her for a split second. Standing in front of you who just stepped on a very visible pile of broken glass with no wince, sense of pain, or idea of what you just did. 

“Do you have a first aid kit?” a dash of panic present in her tone, eye searching for clues to where it could be. 

Another instruction. 

First aid kit.

Cabinet under the sink. 

Almost like setting coordinates, your muscular system takes the data and converts the math into movements. Taking a step towards the sink when a cold hand grabs your upper arm tightly. 

Malfunction. 

Short circuit. 

Cannot complete assigned task.

“Wait, wait, wait” firm grip keeps you still, hardware unable to comprehend the sudden stop.

“You stay here, I’ll go get it. Where is it?” sternly stated as she steps in front of you, now waiting for your directions.

Pointing to the cabinet under the sink, she rushes to grab the plastic container full of supplies out, setting them on the island in the kitchen.

“Up here,” patting the counter. Hoisting yourself up to sit, she pulls your sock off gently and assesses the injury you inadvertently caused yourself. 

“This doesn’t look too bad,” grabbing the tweezers and pulling the glass out of the sole onto a piece of gauze, double checking to make sure she got it all. Mina disinfects the wound while you giggle at the coldness and texture of the alcohol soaked towelette. 

“Are you ticklish?” mischievous look in her eyes after learning the new information not knowing that this level of care was bringing you back to a state of cognisense. 

“I might be.” A smile returned as she refocuses herself on placing the gauze on your foot and wrapping it gently and meticulously.

“There…should be good, but stay put for a moment” ordered back to you as she finds your broom in the pantry and sweeps up the sharp slabs of glass. The sound of the glass scraping against the tile echoes through the kitchen, the clatter of the dust pan on the floor wakes you up a little more from your numbing haze. 

Mina throws the shatter reminisce of the window away and quickly reaches for the cleaner under the sink and a paper towel, carefully wiping the blood off the floor, making sure she doesn’t miss a single splotch before bringing her attention back to you.

“Thank you, Dr. Myoui…for the house visit, are all your patients lucky enough to receive this kind of care from you?” Bashfully smirking in her direction, acknowledging that this was more than a bandage and some cleaning.

“Dr. Myoui is my father, Y/n.” Playfully biting back, fighting a grin before leering at the floor to make sure the hazard was taken care of, then being sure to put everything back where it belonged as she tidied up the kitchen.

She looks up at you with honeyed eyes, fixing her waist between your knees, placing her hands around your waist. Your bodies pressed together, resting your heads on each other's shoulders, relaxing into her and just enjoying the calmness after the storm.

“Hey, Mina…” almost silent in volume, hesitating to make your request.

“Would you…stay with me tonight?” muttered into her hair, your back unclenching in her touch. 

Mina pulls away, reaching up, lifting your chin with her pointer finger to encourage eye contact again. She’s made of literal magic when she does this. Your stomach cages every butterfly you’ve ever witnessed at her touch. 

Mina’s finger is still under your chin as she kisses you gently. Admiring your features before giving you the answer that you already knew you had.  

“Of course I’ll stay with you” 

—

The bedroom is dark and cold, rain lightly tapping on the window adding to the relaxing state you find yourself in. Absorbing the safety Mina seems to bring with her everywhere she goes. 

Even in one of your old oversized shirts that was so long on her- it was mid thigh, and barefaced, she’s effervescent and elegant as ever.

Laying in bed next to her was a surreal feeling. It felt so natural for her to hold you, both arms wrapped around you, running her fingers down your arm as you rested your head on her chest.

“Y/n?…are you awake?” Lightly spoken into the shadows of the room. 

“Yeah…I’m so comfortable but I can’t seem to keep my eyes closed for longer than a minute” mumbled back. 

“Can I ask you what that dream you had was about?” curiously flows as her hand runs up your back. 

“It was a nightmare. I couldn’t talk or scream or anything. My teeth fell out. Nayeon’s face melted off and she threw me off a cliff into the ocean by my neck…you were there too but you were…glowing? I don’t really know what it means” vulnerability dripping off your jowls as you continue on.

“It was definitely overwhelming…especially with the police and stuff after.” Twisting her shirt in between your fingers, listening to her even heartbeat pace quicken against your ear while you fidget with the cloth..

“I did like what happened in between the dream and the window though…that was nice, but a little unexpected.” Chuckling to yourself.

“Can I be honest?” Mina says hesitantly with a smile, the contradiction of her actions and words confusing, her heartbeat raising again. It’s almost pounding out of her chest as she tells you the whole truth. 

“I…have actually had a crush on you since I met you. I always thought you were so kind and loving, and I mean look at you, you’re stunning. I feel lucky to even have spent any amount of time with you.” 

Astonished at what Mina has just said, you lift your head up to look her in the eyes.

“Really?” 

“I mean yeah…you’re great.” meaningfully spoken with a hint of nervousness, her heart pounding against her skin as she confesses the yearning she’s experienced surrounding you. 

“I feel like this is all happening so fast but…I don’t want it to stop…I don’t think I’ve ever felt this safe before.” you comfortably say without any fear or doubt. 

“It doesn’t have to, as long as you’re comfortable…I know there’s a lot happening right now so if you’d rather take it slow, we can do that. I’m patient…and I don’t want to rush into anything that you aren’t ready for.” a small sense of panic rushes over Mina, you can taste it in her words. 

“Or if you don’t want to…be anything but friends, we can do that too. I just…really like being around you and the time we spent together today, even with all the craz-'' cutting her off with a passionate kiss, running your fingers up her sculpted abs, other hand firmly placed on her neck, leaning into the moment. Your body finds comfort in her touch. 

One passionate kiss, turns into two and slowly dances into where you left off on the couch earlier in the night. Shirts flying across the room, this time with no bras to unclasp, tongues dancing effortlessly and in sync like Mina was always the one this was supposed to happen with. 

Both of you in only underwear, heavily making out. Hands create maps on each other's bodies, exploring the new territory. Mina breaks the kiss, trailing her lips down your neck to your breasts. 

“You can leave marks,” you huff between stimuli as she lightly digs her teeth into your chest. A small whine leaves your lips triggering her to look up at you, eyes half lidded with a lazy smirk.

“Not this time, baby.” between the small feathery bites as she takes one of your nipples in her mouth, softly pinch the other one, eliciting more airy gasps. Your hips start to grind against nothing under Mina’s touch, completely losing yourself in it.   

Her right hand chases the rocking of your hips, playing with the elastic band hugging your skin. Hooking a long delicate finger into it and stretching it up, mouth still swirling on your chest in tandem. 

“Can I…?” playfully snapping the band against your skin, sighing into the sting it brought with it. 

“Please” sheerly leaves your lips. She wastes no time, swiftly removing the blockade of fabric from your body, taking in the sight of you lifting your hips for her desperately to feel some form of contact.  

“Are you really this excited for me?” whispered into your skin, side eyeing the glistening of your upper thighs and the damp spot already forming on the sheets underneath you. You are too ready and willing to even reply. 

“Look at how wet you are…did she make you wet like this too or is this all for me?” swiping her fingers upwards from your entrance to your clit. Her eyes are blown out with lust, basking in the sounds you’re making and how you’re twitching at the minimal touch she gave you.

A string of your slick connects the two of you as she pulls her hand away, giving her fingers one lick and humming at the taste of you before taking her place between your legs, caressing up your thighs with her lips, placing open mouthed kisses that leave you attempting to rut into her. 

Feeling her hot breath against you makes you drip. Scooting closer to her, hips first, aching for her in a way that was unfamiliar. The sense of neediness you had for her was unmatched. 

No one has ever made you want it more than Myoui Mina. 

Wrapping her arms behind your thighs, holding you in place, and sweetly kisses from your hip bones down to your core. 

Slowly sweeping her tongue from your entrance to your clit in the same pattern her finger did. Eyes darkening as she starts to tease with different rhythms and patterns, not allowing you to build your arousal too quickly underneath her. 

“Tell me, baby, how badly do you want this?” cooed into you. She starts to form a regular beat of dragging her tongue across your clit. 

“I need you so b-bad, -ungh, right there- ” unaware of what you were even saying. A devious smirk creeps over your naked body, Mina’s lips not leaving your clit as she builds on the pleasure you were feeling, teasing your entrance with the tip of her finger. 

Carefully sliding a finger into you and curling up, continuing the pattern that causes you to twitch underneath her touch, moaning into the shadows of the room loudly for her to hear. You’re sure the neighbors would know her name by the end of this.

Her dainty frame covering your legs, looking effortlessly elegant in the mess created. She slowly picks up the speed of her fingers and tongue. Complete ecstasy rising within you while your mind focuses on the pure pleasure Mina is giving to you. 

“Mina…I’m gonna -right there right there, fuck-“ ripping from your chest as she sweetly pulls the orgasm from your body. Letting you ride it out in her hands, watching as you buck your hips down on her fingers while making sure not to waste a single drop of you. 

“Wow, so desperate for me…couldn’t keep still, huh?” Teasingly with a devilish smirk as she reaches up to lay her lips on yours. Your own taste floods your mouth, tongues re-familiarizing themselves. The way she melts into you is unmatched. 

Mina breaks the kiss and brings her hand to place it around your neck, squeezing softly just to see your reaction. Moaning for her and halfway chasing her lips again, she chuckles and sighs. 

“Don’t worry, we will have time to explore that together too…you’ve had a hard day, honey, maybe it’s time to get some rest?” laying next to you and draping her arms around you so she can hold you close. Tracing patterns on your back and weaving your legs between hers, drifting in and out of sleep. Mina draws little hearts on your back as if they’re little notes of encouragement to drift off.

—

Stirring in your sleep, the sound of a phone vibrating on the nightstand wakes you. Flipping over to readjust, trying to fall back asleep when you hear Mina breath in sharply and stretch. 

A slap on the nightstand, she grabs her phone, half grumbling as she stands and saunters out of the room to answer it. 

“Hello?” Sleepily spoken, you smile at how cute she is. 

“What?!” The shock laced word spills into the empty living room while you fade in and out of sleep, trying to fight your eyes so you can hear the rest of the conversation or maybe get a hint as to what was going on, but you failed miserably, slipping off into the dreamscape once more. 

—

“Y/n…wake up, my love” whispered to you from mere inches away. Your eyes flutter open, looking next to you seeing the morning sun casting its beautiful rays onto Mina’s face. She brings her finger up your cheekbone and moves a piece of your hair out of your face, tucking it behind your ear.

Radiant as ever laying next to you, sheets covering up to her hips, exposing the rest of her body, your breath hitching at the sight. She studies your face diligently, taking in every inch of detail of you. 

Grumpiness is apparent in your face, frowning at how far away she is from you. You scoot into her chest, closing your eyes again, and nuzzling into her. The skin on skin contact causes a flurry of giggles to erupt out of that same chest you found comfort in. 

“You’re too cute like this,” softly running her fingers through your hair. You slowly wake in her arms smiling at the pure hearted person. She peppers your face with kisses to wake you up a little faster even though it just makes you want to stay in bed with her all day. 

“I heard your phone ring earlier and part of the conversation you had…is everything okay?” concerned tone in your sleep drenched voice.You open your eyes to see her affectionate gaze outlining your naked body. 

Unable to help yourself, the world fades around her. Laying in your bed, holding you, the safe and calm you feel is unmatched to anything you’ve ever experienced. Even with all the stressors that were gnawing at you, none of it mattered when you were here. With her. With Mina. 

“Well….it was the police.” calmness in her voice not matching the anger brewing in her eyes as she continues to take in your curvature. 

“They arrested someone in correlation to what happened last night…and I wasn’t ready for who…” conflict in her eyes, something was bothering her and you wanted to make sure you were fully present for what she was about to say. 

Sitting up in anticipation of the news, her eye contact is absent. She toys with the sheet anxiously, your hand reaching out to still hers. She peers up at you through her bangs, trying her best to focus on your face and not your chest. 

“They arrested Jihyo.” gulping in worry of how you’d take the news. 

“…Jihyo?! There’s no way…” confusion blinds you for a moment, unwilling to accept this as true.

“She confessed, apparently.” rolling her eyes, knowing she’d never do that willingly. Jihyo was wrapped around Nayeon’s finger, ready to do whatever she needed, no matter the cost.  

“Did they even questi-” interrupted by the sound of your own phone vibrating. Both glancing down at the sound before you pick up off the bed to see it’s an unknown number. 

Flipping the phone around to show Mina, both of you confused. You answer it on speaker phone. 

“…hello?” 

“Hey baby, mind if I stop by?” 

Immediately tense at the voice crackling through the speaker. Mina is visibly irritated at Nayeon’s word choice, glaring at the phone while crossing her arms. 

“Uhm…Don’t call me that and I’d actually prefer for you to leave me the fuck alone.” 

“Oh come on babe, don’t be like that. It’s not like you weren’t violently fucking my face two days ago.” Nayeon coyly says in the tone she always used to try and seduce you.

“If you show up here, I’ll call the police again.” anger threads your voice. Nayeon almost moans over it.

“Babeeee, you know I love it when you’re mad. Maybe you should come take it out on m-”  hanging up and tossing your phone back on the bed, repulsed at what just happened.

You turn bright red and avoid Mina’s eyes, not wanting to see her reaction to what was just spoken in front of her. 

“I think I’m going to go take a shower…” softly said, embarrassed at the information Nayeon just threw into the mix.  

“You do know that I already know that happened, right?” Mina asserts in an attempt to reassure you.

“Don’t you remember back at the cafe? Nayeon dropped that information in front of Jihyo…the poor girl. Also, the scratch marks on your back aren’t exactly healed. I, of course, didn’t know about the “violent” face fucking” giggling and bringing her hand over her mouth. She’s really teasing you about this right now. 

“We also were pretty drunk…” Blushing and fighting a smile back, poking fun at you. 

“…I’m thinking maybe I could make some new scratch marks once those heal.” winking at you before grabbing your hand. 

“ Anyways, you’re gonna shower? Is it cool if I join or are you not a shared shower kind of person?” 

A huge grin plastered across your face. Mina sees how you’re absolutely beaming, returning the same volume of light back to you. Swinging her arms around your waist and kissing you passionately before making your way to the bathroom together. 

–

Laying in each other's arms on the couch again, a movie playing in the background, cozy clothes on- the perfect homebody day. Both of you are exhausted and happy to be relaxing with each other. 

Mina laying her head in your lap, quietly napping while you play with her hair, tangling it between your fingers as you doze off to the sounds of her deep steady breaths and the comfort movie you put on to drown out the silence.

Her phone suddenly clatters against the table it rested on, waking you both immediately. Mina sighs, stretches, and slides her finger across the screen to answer without moving her head from your legs, poking the speaker button before a soft and sleepy “hello?” escapes her lips.

“Mina! Are you okay? You were supposed to be at the house already! The banquet starts in a few hours!” Momo roars through the phone, concerned as to why the always punctual Mina was suddenly late. 

“...is that today?” looking at you with her brows furrowed in confusion, sleep still present in her eyes.

“Uh, yeah! Hello?? You helped plan it!” stunned that Mina had forgotten something so important. 

“Shit!” exclaimed in a small panic before she got up immediately and headed to the kitchen, leaving the phone with Momo still connected on the table. 

Watching Mina closely, studying her movements, not as fluid and graceful as usual. Mina was pacing trying to organize herself in an almost chaotic way, fumbling to get the things she needed together. 

It’s cute to see her like this. 

“Momoring!” shouted at the phone to your best friend, knowing it would startle her. The sounds of a scream and her phone falling ring out followed by your hearty belly laughing. 

“...Y/n?! I thought you and Mina were supposed to hang out yesterd-...wait…Y/n…did you and Mi-”

“Momo, shut up!” rolls off your tongue, silencing her instantly.  

“What is she late to?” 

“The banquet auction we set up for Jeongyeon’s birthday…you were invited you know…if you wanted to come…with someone you might be with currently…you total-” hanging up the phone on her and laugh to yourself. 

The private charity banquet was put together by the entirety of Twice for Jeongyeon’s birthday. Hosting it for a local animal shelter, they were going to auction off Twice memorabilia and the money would then be donated to help the shelter build a new facility they desperately needed. 

The perfect gift for someone who has it all. 

It would be nice to get dressed up and go support a good cause for a good friend with a pretty girl. Plus the girls worked hard to make this happen…just because 2 out of 9 were in your shit list, doesn’t mean the rest should be shown up for. 

“Hey, Mina!” volume of your voice a smidge louder than normal. 

“Yeah?” poking her head around the wall to look at you while you spoke to her. 

“I wasn’t going to go to that banquet because I thought it might be a little awkward after everything that happened, but how do you feel about…us going together?” a slight pang of awkward hovers over you, realizing that you were actually asking Mina on a date. 

Stepping around the wall and coming closer to you, Mina places her hands lightly on your hips, eyes softening into yours. You fight the urge to look away from her when she pulls you closer to her. 

“Are you…asking me on a date?” tilting her head to her right and blinking a few times, a gummy smile warms your stomach.

Nodding your head yes, she’s still silently beaming at you. 

“Yes, I’m asking you on a date.” nervously fleeing from your throat. You bite the inside of your cheek and look down to the floor.

Mina rests her body against yours, the closeness forcing you to tilt your head up. The feeling of her on you is so mesmerizing, like a ray of warm sunshine after the chilled rain storm. 

The walls you built around yourself after Nayeon shake and crumble underneath the feather light touch and coziness she presented to you. A feeling so pure and ethereal encompassed you so tightly that it was almost horrifying how close you let her get so quickly. 

“I would love to have you as my date tonight.” noses brushing against each other, her arms resting on your shoulders before lazily falling around your neck. 

Lips meeting gently, a few rapid pecks leaves your mind completely swirling in what reality was to you now. Devastation no longer bleeds through the cracks left by your past. A tenderness blankets the once dark shadows in a brightness that envelopes your entire being. 

“Meet me at Momo’s when you’re done getting ready?” spoken faintly into your mouth before giving one last kiss that was more passionate than the few before. Both of you having trouble pulling away from each other, tension so taut that even a piano wire wouldn’t be able to handle the pressure. 

“I’ll see you soon.” 

—

Settling on black slacks that taper down the legs, a black button down, and a black blazer to wear to the banquet. You were invited before by Jeongyeon herself, you accepted the invitation assuming you’d be going with Nayeon. That was obviously no longer the case. 

Momo had tried to convince you to go anyway, despite Nayeon and Jihyo being there and you were very undecided about going. Not wanting to interact with someone you found to be so cruel, you pushed off making the decision until Momo put the idea in your head that you could, in fact, go with someone else. 

Standing in front of the mirror, making sure you looked acceptable for the black tie event, you can’t help but dive into your thoughts about how much had actually changed within the last month. 

You hadn’t really thought about what life would look like without Nayeon but maybe it wasn’t so bad. The past month had been a whirlwind of many emotions and even through the weight of them, it felt good to see the little parts of you that she had consumed and tried to destroy. 

Even in the anxious mindset of being around her again, you were going to show up to this event and have a good time.There would be barriers between the two of you and it was a larger event, so it’s not like you had to be near her. This thought brings you peace.

Walking through the kitchen, throwing your dress shoes on, and grabbing your keys before swinging the door open to see a dolled up Nayeon standing in front of you. It’s almost like she knew exactly what you were going to wear, showing up in a very similar outfit, unintentionally matching with the person you wish to never see again.

Blood runs warm immediately, you roll your eyes before stepping outside and shutting the door behind you. Eye meeting before you brush past her, aiming to get away from her. You start walking to your car when you hear an agitated huff at you. 

“Can you just talk to me, please?” perturbation refracts off the early evening sky as it emanates from her mouth at the chill of the air. 

“No. Go Away.” matching the temperature of the brisk weather surrounding the confrontation. 

Nayeon’s heels clicking on the concrete behind you, trying to match your pace to try and get your attention.

“Y/n, please just listen to what I have to say!” voice cracking as she cries out to you. 

Whipping around to face her promptly, causing her to almost crash into you. The closeness makes you cringe in disgust. You can feel her breath on her skin. Struggling to take a very large step back, Nayeon’s hands trying to hold onto your waist trying to keep you near. You’re at your breaking point. 

“Nayeon, I am so fucking tired of this! I want you to leave me alone! I don’t want to be with you, I don’t want to talk to you, and I sure as hell do not want you showing up at my apartment!” pointing your key directly at her face in a sign of disrespect, tearing into the pitiful stranger that stood before you.

“ Nothing is there anymore, do you understand?!” irreversible truths spat in the direction of someone who was just a memory in your mind. 

Giving your words a second to sink seer into her, Nayeon’s eyes well up. Finally understanding that this was the fatal blow. The end.

You soften at the sight of her tears, knowing that it was probably hard to hear even if it was her actions that caused this division between the two of you. 

“After this moment, I never want you to show up unannounced or try to convi-”

“I called you earlier, it wasn’t unannounced!” sneered back at you in a tone you weren’t familiar with. Venomous in nature and sour in flavor. 

“And I told you not to come! So why the fuck are you here?!” matching that same irritation she threw at you.

She’s in your face now, screaming at you. 

“Because I knew you were lying! AND know who was here…” sharply slices the air, creating an even deeper wound. 

“Who even are you?...Where I am and who I am with are not your concern anymore. I’m finally feeling some sense of self for the first time in a long time and you can’t even let me have  aunty fucking peace!” clamoring through the sounds of the busy street near the lot where your car was located. 

“Just leave me alone, Nayeon…I really just want you to let me live my life without you.” bittersweetly spoken in a sense of calm.

A failed attempt to keep your voice steady haunts you while getting in your car, starting it and driving off to Momo’s house. Leaving Nayeon in the parking lot of your apartment, absolutely speechless and seething. 

__

Pulling into the driveway, you just sit for a second. Needing a minute to gather yourself after that confrontation. 

All of the emotions of the last month flood back to you immediately and tears are running down your face without care, stinging in the grief that exhausted you to the point of mental break. Nayeon really wouldn’t leave you alone, she knew where you lived, she knew who you were with, and she threw it all back in your face because she didn’t get what she wanted.  

Another layer of betrayal peels off the once rose colored love you had for this person. Seeing her for who she actually was really shook you to your core. Nausea builds in your stomach, an all too familiar feeling as the reminisce of the ache returns full force. 

Unable to help yourself, you sob into your shaky hands. All that time, wasted and all the heartbreak suffered just to end up right back at Momo and Dahyun’s house crying, again. 

The front door is faintly tugged open and rapidly closed, a shadow on the porch shivering with a cellphone in hand. Your eyes are too hazy and tear filled to even register who it was. Simply hoping they didn’t look in the driveway and find you trying to regulate your breathing in the safety of your car. 

Buzzing in your pocket momentarily pulls you out of the fog, reaching for it immediately and glancing down at the lit up screen. A single penguin emoji graced your screen, you answered without even thinking about your state of being.

“Hello?” sniffling into the microphone and blinking rapidly to clear your tears from your field of vision, letting them fall down your cheeks and landing in your lap.

“Y/n?? What’s wrong? Where are you?” panicked immediately. 

You can see the shadow by the door growing restless as it paces, head tilted down, arms crossed.

“I’m in Momo’s driveway, I just need a second.” a deep breath through your lips and a shaky exhale makes the shadow by the door stop in their tracks. 

“I want to give you the space you need but I do hate that you’re upset. Is there anything I can do for you while you are calming down?” very composed in the face of your stress, your heart flutters at the thought of Mina hugging you through this. 

Turning the keys to shut the car off, pulling the handle and swinging the door open, stepping out smoothly. The shadow turns around, you hang up the phone and hastily walk over to it. 

Mina sees the look on your face and takes a single step forward, trying not to rush you and overwhelm you, knowing you just asked for space. The closer you get, the more you see the delicate sadness framed in her eyes. 

Taking large strides to reach her sooner, she lifts her arms up in anticipation of you falling into them and you did just that. Resting your head on her shoulder, fighting more tears now that you feel safe, you hold her around the waist and as close to you as possible. 

Mina just holds you, tracing small soft patterns on the back of your neck, letting you just relax into her. Nuzzling your nose into her neck and inhaling puts your body at ease. Slowly your muscles start to unclench, a sigh of relief leaves you slowly. 

Pulling away from her just enough to kiss her, smiling into the lock of your lips. She happily kisses you back before resting her forehead on yours. Wiping the tears from your cheeks with a feather light swipe of her thumb that morphs into her cupping your face. 

“What happened, love?” concerned at the state you showed up in, looking into your swollen reddened eyes, searching for the answer to her question. 

“Uhm…well, Nayeon showed up to my apartment and wanted to talk to me.” 

“And what did she say?” trying to fight the fire that filled her eyes, even if it wasn’t present on her face. 

“We honestly argued…She said she knew you were there…and that she wanted me to listen to her…I told her to leave me alone. Then I drove here…She’s never spoken to me like that before.” another sharp sniffle cuts the silence as she processes the information just given to her. 

“Oh, honey. I’m so sorry you were put in that position.” rubbing small circles on your back. 

“I hate that she knows where I live. I wish I would’ve turned my location off. I don’t like that she can just…show up like that.” voice quivering with a hint of rage before Mina proposes an idea. 

“Stay with me tonight then.” 

“I don’t want to impo-”

“Y/n…” leaning into you once more to connect your lips, passionately tugging on your blazer while your hands roam up to the back of her neck. 

Quickly turning into something more than a kiss, her tongue swipes the bottom of your lip and  moves in sync with yours for a moment. Mina starts to pull your tucked in shirt out of your slacks, sliding her finger along your stomach to tease you a little when the front door flies open.

“Hey, Mina did you talk wi- OH?” Momo shouts out when she sees the steamy scene happening in front of her. Both you and Mina turn beat red and separate, ears hot in embarrassment about being caught and knowing that Momo is going to make fun of you for it later. 

“Sorry to interrupt! Should I go back inside or?” playfully teasing the two of you when Dahyun emerges from the house.

“Are you guys ready? Our car should be here any second…is everything okay?” asked through the awkwardness of the situation, taking note of your untucked shirt and how close you and Mina are to each other, beat red complexion gracing both of you. 

“Yes, we are.” Mina reached for your hand to let them know that the two of you were more than what was previously thought. Dahyun and Momo smile at the sight of what’s blooming right in front of them. 

“Alright let’s go eat some good ass food and get a new building for that shelter.” Momo raises her hands to cheer as she walks down the driveway towards the SUV that just pulled up. 

Dahyun takes a step forward, looking back at you and Mina. 

“You know…This,” pointing between the two of you. 

“This is cute.” grinning briefly before walking down the driveway. 

“Do you want another minute?” Mina asks, squeezing your hand gently.

“No, I’m feeling much calmer now…and yes.” 

“Yes?” quizzically repeated back to you. 

“Yes, I’ll stay with you tonight.” leaning in to place one last kiss on her perfect lips.

“LET’S GO!” Momo yells from the end of the driveway causing you both to giggle into each other before you walk hand in hand towards the car, now way more excited for what the evening held. 

—

Tremendously elegant crystal chandeliers hang from the hand painted ceiling of the venue, a calm murmur of the crowd buzzing in your ears as you step into the mix, still hand in hand with Mina.

 Jeongyeon is greeting people as they walk in and thanking them for coming before they walk through the gallery of what was to be auctioned off. Patiently waiting to get signed in, you finally have the opportunity to admire your date. 

Makeup naturally laid onto her face, her hair is down and wavy to the middle of her back. Fixating on her lips for a moment, the shape of them now burnt into your brain as it clouds with flashes of that which took place at Momo and Dahyun’s house. 

Your eyes slowly make their way down her body to find black satin fabric cascading down her, stopping mid thigh. Eyes tracing back up to her sleeves that cover the middle of her arms with her perfect shoulders bare. The concave of her collarbones almost sends you into a spiral when her head pivots and catches you red handed, gawking over her. 

A small step taken towards her, threading your fingers together loosely before taking a purposefully big step forward in line, turning around and facing her as she follows. Fingers rotating to a more comfortable position but never leaving each other's grip.

Mina leans into you, arm placed around your waist and chin resting on your shoulder. A big sigh is expelled from her when you place your cheek on the side of her head.

“I didn’t get the chance to tell you how stunning you look tonight.” whispered to her through the low bustling surrounding you as it slowly fades out. She removes her head from your shoulder, keeping a close distance, bringing a hand up to hold your face before laying a small kiss on your lips, smiling immediately at you.

“It’ll be hard for me to keep my hands off of you in this little suit you’re wearing, you look too good. Maybe later I can show you what I mean.” sultry and suggestive in tone.

Mina skims her lips along the underside of your jaw, kissing right below the ear when someone approaches you both, breaking the moment before it could go any farther.

“Uhm…Hi, guys?” Tzuyu is visibly confused at what she’s seeing, looking at the intimate way you are interacting with each other. She visibly shakes the curiosity out of her head as the three of you step forward again, place being next in line. 

“Have you guys seen Jihyo? I haven’t seen her or Nayeon tonight. I’m a little worried because she hasn’t texted me back since the day before yesterday. 

Oh, shit…Tzuyu doesn’t know…Mina looks up at you to find you flushed pale, brows furrowed and eyes unable to keep still. 

“We haven’t seen her yet but if we do, we will definitely let her know you’re looking for her.” gummy smile followed. Not exactly a lie, but not the whole truth. 

“Tzu! Mina! Y/n!...Y/n?! I didn’t think you were coming!” exclaimed with her arms up.

Letting go of Mina and throwing your arms around Jeongyeon for a big bear hug. She notices your anxiety immediately but doesn’t draw attention to it. 

“Well, I couldn’t miss your birthday! Or this amazing event! Seriously, this is so amazing. I’m so proud of the hard work you all put in.” sweetly said with an elbow to Jeongyeon’s rib. 

“Thanks, god why are you so sappy today?” poking back at you, playful as always, confusion in her eyes about your attempt to hide the discomfort you were feeling. 

“That means everyone is here except Jihyo. Have you seen her?” Directing her attention to Mina and Tzu for a moment before worry spreads across Jeongyeon’s face when she sees Tzuyu shake her head no.  

“I tried to call her earlier but I think her phone is off…I hope she’s alright. This is very unlike her.” Jeongyeon pulls her phone out to look for a sign that Jihyo is okay and you feel completely guilty.

You can’t bring yourself to tell her what you know, not willing to ruin the happiness of tonight with the uncomfortable knowledge that Jihyo is probably still in jail, or at least in severe trouble with the company. 

A moment of silence lingers as you all sign in for the auction before stepping into the gallery of what was being auctioned off. 

You walk the halls and follow the glass cases set up for viewing. Various outfits from music videos, solo stages, and performances including TV appearances, autographed pictures and other various items scattered throughout. 

Having a hard time focusing on these moments in Twice’s history, hating the idea that you knew uncomfortable information that was being sought after. The pit of your stomach deepens, waving in anxiety even though you know who should be where Jihyo was. Where ever she was. 

Walking through the big double doors of the grandiose ballroom, many vendors and members of the staff line the floor with tables, animals that are up for adoption, donations booths, and an information center where you can find out how to help other local shelters with their needs.

Heartwarming that they’d go through so much effort to help the community they lived in, it truly was an honor to be a part of this, even with the guilt. It was a sight to see. 

Finding your seats at the table you were assigned to, 10 seats around a table that was lavishly set with perfectly shining silverware, white plates contrasting the black napkins adorning them. Your seat is between Momo and Mina, thankfully.

Jeongyeon takes her place on the stage as everyone else falls slowly into their seats. Nayeon walks up to the table with minimal eye contact and waves to everyone. Mina is gripping your leg under the table, knowing how uncomfortable you must feel with her sitting right across from you, especially after the confrontation that took place earlier in the day.  

Everyone is silent as Jeongyeon makes her opening speech, thanking everyone for coming to support a good cause and briefly reliving memories about volunteering at the shelter. Mentioning how kind the staff was and how much care was put into loving these animals that didn’t have homes yet. The light dim as she steps to the side for a video to play. 

The presentation about the shelter starts by following the early years of the shelter being open, and some of the pets they had saved. Stories about the staff and the volunteers who made the hard days bearable. By the time it was finished, everyone was sniffling and giving a standing ovation. 

“Please enjoy the dinner the chefs have prepared for you! The auction will start at 7pm so please have a great time until then!” Jeongyeon exclaims and then claps with the crowd before finding her seat at the table with the awkward silence.  

__

Poking at your food, you have a hard time eating even though it is delicious. Anxiety keeps you from devouring the meal in front of you as the girls talk around you. Mina leans over to you and checks in every now and then, just to make sure you’re okay. 

The second time she leans over to you, she is interrupted by a loud, harsh voice.

“I get that we aren’t together but can you stop doing whatever this is, in front of me? Kind of rude, don't you think?” sneered to you and Mina across the table. 

“Nayeon, not now.” Momo tries to hush her but she persists.

“You think she can do for you what I did? You think she can be who you need her to be for you?! WE are supposed to be here together, not you and Mina! Mina, of all people!” aggressively throwing her hands as she berates Mina in front of everyone. 

The entire table looks at her in disbelief, unable to understand why she is reacting this way and more importantly why she was doing it in public. Tzuyu looks at you and Mina, and then back at Nayeon who is visibly enraged at the sight of you together. 

Jeongyeon just stares at her in silence, Dahyun can’t seem to find a comfortable seat in her chair, Chaeyoung and Sana are trying to talk among themselves to avoid the conversation but Sana is staring daggers at Nayeon.

“I bet she doesn’t fuck like I do or do you need another reminder of how I fuck you?” Nayeon is now standing, palms down on the table, and leaning forward suggestively. Everyone around the table looks at her with absolute disgust. 

“I can’t believe you wouldn’t want to work on thi-”

“ENOUGH!” abruptly leaves your chest. Loud enough to silence the tables around you, jaw clenching in fury. Everyone turns their attention towards you, surprised at the tone you took.

Mina is continuing to eat but places her hand in yours, resting it on your thigh in an act of comfort. She’s politely chewing her food when she looks directly at you, giving you a look that could only be described as “If you don’t, I will.” They need to know. 

“Nayeon, why don’t you tell everyone where Jihyo is?” spat at her venomously through a tense demeanor. 

“Y/n…I- I don’t know what you mean. H- How should I know? ” stammering now that she has lost control of the conversation. 

“Oh, sure you do!... Weren’t you with her last night?” aggressively questioning her, dropping little bombs of knowledge on everyone around you. 

“Wait, I thought you were here setting up last night…you said you couldn’t come over because of that…” Tzuyu with a saddened tone speaks up through the words being ping ponged across the table.. 

Mina is just smiling next to you, watching as everyone is realizing that they had been lied to. 

“Y/n, shut the fuck up!” growled at you. 

Momo, Dahyun, and Mina start chuckling at the sliver of panic Nayeon was showing, while everyone else just gawks at her for speaking to you the way she was. 

“You haven’t told them yet? Actually, here’s a better question…Why does everyone think we split up?” almost taunting her, dangling the question in front of everyone, hoping they would take the bait. 

“You never did tell us exactly why you broke up…” Chaeyoung is now fully present for the conversation. Sana looks cross, probably from the way Nayeon spoke about Mina. Her arms covering her chest, waiting for Nayeon to explain herself. 

Silence fills the void once more, everyone is staring at Nayeon, waiting for her explanation of what was going on. Panicked in her movements, unable to make eye contact with anyone, she curls into herself. A defense mechanism that you were all too familiar with. 

Standing up from your seat, placing your napkin on the table, tucking your chair back underneath and resting your arms on the back of your chair before dropping the truth on all of the members who didn’t know. 

“Since you aren’t interested in telling the truth…”

“Y/n, please…we can talk about this later” through clenched teeth, Nayeon tries to get you to stop your sentence in it’s tracks.

“I don’t want to speak to you at all. There is no later.” a bite back against her attempt in control. 

“Jihyo isn’t here because of you, you should tell them! After all, don’t you want to claim her since you’ve been sleeping with her behind my back this entire time?” 

An audible gasp from everyone who was unaware of the situation, shock covering their faces as Nayeon’s ears heat up and beam red. 

“Nayeon, are you fucking serious?” Sana being the first to speak up, completely surprised that her elder would do such a thing. 

Your chest tightens as you watch the consequences of her actions come out to smite her down. Feeling overwhelmed that you had to hold her accountable to her closest friends and ruin the perception they had of her. 

“Sorry you had to find out this way. “

Swiftly walking away from the situation and fighting your way through the waves of people, shoulder clashing as you make haste away from the strain you put on their relationship. 

Having a hard time breathing, the panic creeping in. Ducking off to a side room that wasn’t in use, closing the door behind you and taking a set of massive breaths. Trying to regulate yourself from the excessive cortisol in your body, guilt and dread combine to create the feeling of someone sitting on your ribcage. 

In attempts to bring yourself back down to a reasonable level, you take in your surroundings. 

The room is average size with bookshelves built into the walls, filled to the brim with colorful leather laced in gold and silver accents. A dark wood desk sits facing the door, paired with a big leather office chair behind it. Two large glass doors on the far wall that part in the middle to a balcony that oversees a beautiful garden. 

Deep breath in, exhale. 

Deep breath in, exhale. 

Repeating yourself over and over again when you hear a soft knock on the door and a silvery voice speaking your name through your own huffing. You’d recognize that tone anywhere. 

Leaning over to the side, hand missing the knob once before landing on it, twisting it to let Mina in. She immediately hugs you before you hear the latch click shut. She pulls back to look into your eyes, gripping your upper arms with an empathetic look as she studies your current state. 

Realizing that you are having a hard time keeping yourself calm, she goes back to holding you. Her head on your shoulder and hand tracing up your spine to the base of your neck, twirling your hair to give you something else to focus on besides Nayeon’s outburst. 

“It’s okay…It’s alright. You’ve done nothing wrong, okay? You are safe here.” cooed to you from your own arms as Mina tries to get you to come back to her from your panic attack. It’s working better than anything else ever did. 

Breath slowly going back to normal, you lean into her touch, calming down in Mina’s arms was easy. She made hard things seem so trivial and unimportant. You put your entire face into her neck, she giggles in your ear. The ethereal woman fitting perfectly into you.

“Better?” not willing to let go until the answer was given. 

Another deep breath and a nod of your head, she releases you from the hug and starts fixing your blazer and hair, tucking a strand behind your ear before smirking at you. She kisses you quickly. 

“I’m proud of you, Y/n. I know that was probably very hard for you to sa-“ 

The door flies open, knob hitting the wall with a loud crash causing the both of you to jump and swing your heads towards the sound.

Nayeon steps in calmly, using her bag to push the door closed behind her as it bounces back at her, slamming shut. A dent in the wall from where the knob smacked it harshly, chipped paint on the floor at the sheer force used to open it. 

“You’ve got to be kidding me. Can you just leave me alone, Nayeon!? Isn’t this enough for you?!” breaking apart from Mina for a second, scooting in front of her. This wasn’t her argument to have and you weren’t going to let her put herself in the middle anymore than she already had.

“I think it’s funny” Nayeon starts as she paces, “that you two end up here. Together. Was this always your plan, Mina? To steal my girlfriend from me?” lowly spoken towards both of you, malice very present in her demeanor, stepping deeper into the office space.  

Your eyes follow her every move, not familiar with this flavor she was expressing. You’ve seen her act many ways but this tone and body language were unfamiliar, setting off alarms in your head that you needed to get you and Mina as far away from her as possible. 

“Nayeon, you don’t have a sa-”

“Shut the fuck up, Y/n!” snarled loud enough to feel the vibrations of her voice in your chest. 

“Don’t speak to her like that!” Mina shouts, stepping out from behind you to confront Nayeon with you, not allowing you to do this on your own. 

“You can’t just manipulate your way out of this, Nayeon.” slithers through Mina’s lips and wraps around Nayeon’s throat. 

Nayeon is just smiling calmly. It’s eerie the way she’s silent, almost threatening. She reaches into her bag without taking her eyes off Mina, swiftly pulling something small out of it and pointing it right between your eyes.

Your blood immediately runs cold. Chest tightening, heartbeat felt in every inch of your skin as you stare down the barrel of a 9mm handgun held by someone who seemed very ready to pull the trigger. 

Hands fly above your head instinctively, gulping loudly in the face of the muzzle. Sweat beads up on your forehead, trying to figure out how to get out of this situation. 

“Nayeon! What the fuck are you doing?!” Mina screamed while taking a step towards her. Nayeon pulls the hammer down, the sound of the bullet loading into the chamber makes every muscle in your back stiffen, cracking your vertebrae under the tension. 

“One more step and I’ll shoot, I’m sure you wouldn’t want that. Would you, Mina?” an evil cackle erupts her throat as she continues slowly pacing around the two of you. 

You watch her circle like a shark, following her movements as she keeps the gun pointed at your head. Stomach churning, just trying to keep from making sudden movements. 

Nayeon sees the terror in your face and winces. Observing her face to look for signs she was actually going to pull the trigger when you see it. Her eyes soften for a moment, hands lightly starting to shake as she breaks.

“Why wouldn’t you come back to me?!” tears are falling down her cheeks now, sniffling through her sentence; the distraught predator circling her fearful prey. 

“Why would you choose her?!” Shouted while carelessly pointing the gun at Mina, finger on the trigger with her face contorting into a version of her you did not know. 

Mina flinches through Nayeon’s display, jumping every time the firearm is pointed at her. Her hands are visibly shaking as Mina takes a small step back, holding her breath and shutting her eyes.

“Nayeon…maybe you should put the gun down and we can talk about this. There’s no need for something so extreme.” calmly making small movements towards her. She aggressively points the gun back at you. 

Her eyes drowning her face in tears, sucking air sharply between her teeth and holding her breath. Rage, despair, and insanity creep out onto her face, slowly dripping in unison her tears. 

“If I can’t have you…no one can.” Rapidly swinging the gun and pointing it right at Mina. . 

You immediately dive towards Nayeon, the gun goes off before you hit the ground. The window across from you shatters, small shards of glass scatter across the floor underneath you. 

A crunch inside her torso causes her to shriek out in agony. You try to wrestle the gun out of her hand, she tugs down roughly on the back of your neck with her free hand, bringing your faces closer together. Manically laughing at you and smiling.

Kubrick stare prominently on her brow as something blunt hits the back of your head, vision blurring her into two. You collapse on top of her and use as much of your weight as you can to keep her pinned to the floor and away from Mina. This falters quickly with your eyes crossing, dizzying you to the point of being unable to focus. 

The sting on your scalp is almost unbearable. Liquid warmth oozes out of the wound, pooling quickly and saturating your hair before cascading down and dripping onto Nayeon’s face and the floor around it.   

Nayeon pushes you off of her onto your back. The floor temperature cools you, still unable to stand when Nayeon stands up, wincing at every movement, and places one of her heels on your chest, pinning you down as you gasp for air. 

Your own blood is seeping through your shirt as the puddle underneath you grows. You’re suddenly tired, so sleepy. Fighting your eyes to stay open through this. 

“Don’t worry, baby! I’ll get you all fixed up once I take care of this little problem.” grimly ridiculing her intentions. 

“Nayeon, you can’t do this!” Choked out through sobs. Mina looks down at you bleeding on the floor, trying to keep a sense of poise in the face of pure terror. 

Nayeon opens her mouth to reply to Mina, you slam your fist into the back of her knee on the leg holding her above you before she can get her words out. She yelps out as her back slams against the floor, wind knocking out of her and the gun sliding out of your sight. 

Nayeon screams in agony and rage as she crawls over to you, smearing the blood leaking out from underneath you as she reaches you. Your life force coating her hands, 

She straddles your hips, you struggle underneath her too weak to push her off. She cocks her fist back and swings full force at your face, connecting to your jaw. Blood mists out of your mouth as your head is forced to the side. The droplets are audibly hitting the ground as the audible gasp is ripped from you. 

Nayeon throws another punch, wrath seeping from her pores as she swings again and again, slamming her hand down on your chest in an act of pure outrage. 

She gets up from your lap, knuckles bruised, crazy eyes, and in search of the weapon that was out of sight.  

Unable to focus your eyes, lids fluttering, choking on the blood in your mouth. You try to roll over and stand. A swift kick to the gut knocks the wind out of you. The cry stolen from you. The air depleting from your lungs is overshadowed by a combination of crying and laughing.

A gunshot rings out, ringing in your ears blocks out all other sounds. Eyes still trying to gain some form of stability as Nayeon falls to her knees in front of you, clutching her abdomen. Mouth wide open and tears falling, seemingly screaming out in pain when you feel warmth touching your face. 

Head lifting to be placed in Mina’s lap, one hand putting pressure on the wound on the back of your head. Her lips are moving as she looks down at you, seemingly mouthing your name as she tries to get you to focus on her. Eyes fighting to stay fixated on her as you fade in and out of consciousness.   

Tears streaming down her cheeks, the sounds muffled as your hearing slowly starts to regenerate, still ringing when you hear your name frantically called over the high pitched ring and muted screams.

“Y/n! Y/n! Look at me, it’s going to be okay! We are going to get you ou-”

A loud bang echoes against every fiber of your being, reducing your hearing back to nothing. You strain your eyes as hard as you can to focus on Mina, who is completely frozen. Looking over in a daze to see Nayeon, hand over her wound, slouched in the corner with the smoking gun in her hand pointed at Myoui Mina. 

The vibration in your throat tears your vocal chords as you scream out, unable to hear the sheer terror emitting from you as you see the red leaking out of her chest. Mina goes pale, tears spilling rapidly as her breathing picks up. 

You try to reach out with the last stitch of energy you have but fail, fading into total and complete darkness.

[skania]

OnK 153 or all the ways I can tie this back to Akane and Aquakane

I won't try and write any theories about the Revenge Plot™ because, like I always say, Aka will just do whatever he wants however he wants to do it 😂

As the Akane Fan that I am though, I must say that a lot of what Kamiki said this chapter felt like it could've been said by Aqua after Chapter 97 if Akane hadn't caught onto it. So that's what I'll be focusing on below!

I am SO glad we're getting a flashback from the actual Kamiki rather than from Aqua's movie. I'm sure that Ai's feelings were portrayed more accurately in the movie than in Kamiki's self-loathing, skewed view — but it's still nice that we will get to hear Kamiki's thoughts straight from the source.

But that's the first key thing here, I feel: Kamiki's self-loathing. The way he talks about himself and of his relationship with Ai, completely downplaying Ai's side of the equation to make it sound like he was the one one-sidedly clinging to her reminds me a whole lot of Aqua with Akane.

Kamiki felt like he was the only one relying on Ai because he is convinced that Ai never loved him. Similarly, we once saw Aqua feeling guilty for relying on Akane and questioning whether or not she even harbored any romantic feelings towards him.

Granted, Aqua is the one who breaks up with Akane (to protect her), while Ai is the one who "dumps" Kamiki (for unknown reasons). But... all of the things Kamiki says here feel like things Aqua could've said about Akane if she had allowed things to get to that point.

After all, Aqua tried very, very hard to shoulder his burden on his own, but as of Chapter 97 he was breaking under it. Meanwhile, here Kamiki was breaking under it and keeping himself together thanks to Ai and Ai alone.

Kamiki hasn't put it into such words yet, but it's very obvious here that he felt saved by Ai and by his connection with her. Just like Aqua felt saved by Akane.

Even the way Kamiki talks about the burden he carries automatically evokes Aqua/Akane because... that's exactly how Akane has always referred to what Aqua was going through. As a burden that he was trying very hard to shoulder alone, one she wanted to help him carry.

@meruk0 in the Akane server even pointed out that these two panels are framed very similarly, so I wouldn't be surprised if Ai once said the same words — or something close to them — to Kamiki.

The ingredients were all there. So it feels like in Chapter 97, Aqua was well on his way to grow as emotionally dependent on Akane as Kamiki was on Ai. Thankfully, Akane realized it and gently encouraged Aqua to make his own choices, reminding him that if they were to grow dependant on each other, it wouldn't be a healthy relationship.

In all honesty, I can't help but wonder if Ai unceremoniously dumping Kamiki may have been her very, very clumsy way of trying to protect him from being so emotionally reliant on her (if Ai couldn't even be sure that she loved him, I could see her fearing that staying with Kamiki may eventually break him). It's hard to say because we have sadly gotten very little insight into the real Ai and into her relationship with Kamiki, but if Aka pulls that, then that would confirm that all of these parallels are very much intentional.

Regardless of Aka's intentions and of where this may be leading though, it's very very hard to read this and not notice that this chapter contrasts two different kinds of romantic attachment. Those based on superficial aspects like the person's looks, and those based on deeper things like feeling understood and seen by that person. And like I've been saying over and over again, it's also kind of very very hard to not contrast the way Aka has been writing Aqua and Kan@ with the way he wrote Aqua and Akane. But I digress!

One possibly plot-related thing that caught my eye though was the color of Kamiki's stars.

They were white before Kindaichi's words triggered his trauma and changed his view of the world into something much more suffocating, and then they become black and seemingly stay that way. His stars were black during the break-up and he kept talking about wanting Ai to help him carry the burden, so when exactly did he and Ai actually stop seeing each other? Because I believe most of us have been assuming that Ai and Kamiki were already over by the time the twins were born, but they were already born when that funeral took place.

Oh well, no point thinking too hard about it since Aka may answer that next week 😂

All in all, the anon who called that Kamiki/Ai would have parallels to Aqua/Akane exactly a year ago may have been right on the money. I hope you see this, anon!!

[strayheartless]

People absolutely underestimate Rikus potential cryptid energy. We are talking like big “moth man” vibes.

Like he’s my boy, but I’m imagining nights where someone -we will say Aqua- hears noise from the kitchen in the land of departure. when she swings the door open all she sees is these two eyes that catch the light from the hallway.

Aqua yells and turns on the light, keyblade at the ready… only to find Riku standing with a yogurt pot in one hand and a spoon in his mouth.

And Riku’s just like “evening,”.

OR

times when Terra will be looking for him for literal hours only for him to fold out of a dark corner in the rafters like a paper doll. And Terra doesn’t know whether to terrified or impressed.

OR

times when Riku’s dream eater form is triggered (I love that particular fanon) and he’s crawling around and hanging off of ceilings and Roxas and Ven are doubly like “NOT TODAY SATAN”

It would be worse when Sora’s Anti form gets triggered at the same time because then you have one crawling around on the ceiling like some bram stokers nightmare fuel, and the other one crab scuttling across the floor like Gollum on darkness filled steroids. Kairi personally believes she needs a raise. Mostly because she now carries around a spray bottle to stop them from chewing on drapes.

Biggest nightmare fuel moment:

Riku’s dream eater form

Sora’s anti form

And Vanitas (just him in general)

Just coming together for one beautiful awful storm of cryptid behaviour while on mission in beasts castle.

Ven, Kairi and Xion trailing behind their path of destruction, apologising to Belle and Beast for the furniture they chew.

[ikaroux]

Learn to love yourself

Synopsis: There are things about you that you can hate. Curves that are too pronounced. A face that is too round. A more self-effacing character. And you sometimes wonder, "Why did he choose me?"

Style: female reader, Cute, sweet, loving, reassuring, established relationship.

Alert: None.

Characters: Venti, Dainsleif, Ayato.

Note: I love writing about Venti, especially since I started writing "Before the Sun and Moon." I know this character isn't necessarily the most beloved of the boys, and I won't hide the fact that Diluc is still number one in my heart. Nevertheless, I hope to make him more attractive to you… On the other hand, it's quite short, but I appreciate having written for these three characters.

Part 1: Diluc Zhongli Kaeya Xiao

Part 2: Albedo, Kazuha, Tartaglia/Childe

Sitting in front of your dressing table, your eyes stared at that large brown spot with no distinct shape imprinted on your neck since birth. You hated it, you always did… Not only were you born with it, but it was in a place that was nearly impossible for you to cover, except in the winter when you wore turtlenecks. Of course, you tried to use makeup to hide this birthmark, but despite your best efforts, it was impossible to cover it completely.

Your frustration and discomfort had intensified when you met Venti. Over the months, he had become so dear to your heart. So gentle and loving, making you feel beautiful and loved. You had done everything to hide this flaw from him, for fear that it would disgust him… But Venti was the kind of man who liked physical contact, and he often wondered why you always wore something around your neck, preventing him from placing teasing kisses on it. But he never forced you to respond, showing patience and restraint.

Caressing your birthmark with your fingertip, your mind wandering in the twists and turns of your imagination, you didn't notice that your boyfriend had come in through your bedroom window, as he so often did with his anemo vision. When you felt lips brush against your ear, a gasp almost made you fall off the stool you were sitting on as your hand reflexively came to cover your neck.

"Venti! I already told you not to come in through the window!" The young man laughed as usual, apologizing without much conviction as his aqua green eyes seemed to be drawn to what your hand was hiding.

"What are you hiding from me my dove?"

"I-I- Nothing at all! Go wait for me in the living room!" Venti did not move as you asked, instead tilting his head to the side when he caught the tremor in your voice.

"What are you so afraid of, my sweet spring? Don't tell me someone has hurt you?" Venti walked over to you, settling behind your back, his hands firmly on your tense shoulders. When you looked at his face in the reflection of the mirror, something unusual caught your eye… His eyes and the tips of his pigtails were glowing with an intense glow, identical to that of his anemo vision. Anger seemed to be what had triggered this strange reaction.

"No one hurt me… I-" You lowered your head, tightening your grip on your neck. It was then that tender arms encircled your chest as Venti's face rested on the hollow of your shoulder.

"So tell me what you're afraid of. I love you my dove, you know you can tell me anything."

"I don't want to put you off me…" Venti moved slightly away from you, his bewildered eyes staring at you as if you had just said the stupidest thing in the world. You turned your face toward him, your lips close to his. Your hand trembled against your skin, hesitant to move against his gaze. "I love you Venti, I don't want to lose you. You're the best thing that ever happened to me in my life. Try to understand me…" Venti sighed, delicately moving closer to you to place a tender but brief kiss on your lips. As soon as he pulled away, the young man rested his forehead against your shoulder, his arms tightening their grip around you.

"It's more like I should be afraid of losing you. There's so much about me that you don't know… That could scare you or worse, make you hate me. Believe me when I tell you that you are more precious to me than anything else in the world. You will never keep me away from you. Never." Tears welled up in your eyes and slowly, carefully, you slid your hand down your neck, revealing the mark that painted your skin. You closed your eyes, waiting for your lover's reaction. You felt him move behind you before the warmth of his lips kissed your birthmark, making you flinch slightly. "You are beautiful, Y/N. More beautiful than anything I've ever seen. Sweeter than any poem I've ever heard or sung. I'm so glad I met you." And before he could give you time to respond, he held you closer to him, placing eager kisses on your neck, letting only a few moans escape your lips. Venti accepted you completely, carving out a place in your heart that would be reserved for him forever. You hoped that one day he too would be able to face his fears and open up to you…

"Did you see how skinny she is." Whispered a passerby to her friend.

"Yes, how awful!"

"Don't tell me that the handsome blond guy with her is her boyfriend?"

"No way!" Sneered the stranger.

Dainsleif turned around to face the two women who were openly criticizing you, his cool gaze and poise silencing them immediately. He proudly took your hand to lead you away from the atmosphere that he knew was making you sadder than ever.

Dainsleif was not always present at your side, too busy fighting the abyss and protecting the world you lived in. He always expressed his affection, his love for you. But you couldn't help thinking that these women were right… You were too thin, wiry, nothing attractive to men. Dainsleif was… well he was perfect. An angelic face, blond hair framing his jaw perfectly, blue eyes that seemed to hold a deep, quiet ocean, a beautifully sculpted body…

"Don't pay attention to what they say." Dain muttered softly as he continued to walk quietly, his hand still firmly holding yours.

"Why? You know it's the truth. I don't need them to know that my body is… Hideous. I don't even know what attracted you to me in the first place." Dainsleif paused, slowly turning to face you, his gaze still soft when it came to you. His free hand came to rest on your cheek, his thumb tenderly caressing your skin.

"I love your eyes." He said softly, his caresses extending to your eyelid. "I love your nose." The warmth of his finger ran along the bridge of your nose until it reached your mouth, his thumb lovingly brushing your bottom lip. "I love your lips." His hand planted itself on the back of your neck, drawing you into a sudden, deep kiss, eliciting soft moans between breaths. "I love your voice." Finally, he gently placed his forehead against yours, keeping his hand in your hair. Closing your eyes, you both savored this tender moment. "Do you need a reason to love someone? I love you for who you are, not for what others think of you. I absolutely love every part of your body, every part of your soul." And you knew that Dainsleif spoke sincerely, he was a man who never lied, his sincerity and honesty could sometimes be hurtful, but always helped you move on. More than that, Dainsleif had helped you learn to love yourself step by step, even if it wasn't always easy, even if the looks on your face kept tearing you apart from the inside, as long as he stayed by your side, the world would keep turning.

"I love you Dain." A rare frank smile stretched his features as he pulled you closer to him.

"I love you Y/N." Such simple words yet brimming with emotion when spoken by him. Dainsleif held you in his arms for a long time, kissing every part of your face that your proximity allowed him to reach. Ignoring the regular passage of strangers, their curious eyes gazing at your two bodies tenderly entangled against each other.

Ayato was the very personification of perfection. He was an upright man, always elegant, always polite, always discreet… A clan leader leading the cultural commission with a masterful hand. When he spoke, people listened, when he fought, it was always with elegance and determination. However, Ayato had sides that he preferred to hide from others, even from his sister. Manipulative, cunning, ingenious, hiding behind his false smiles his real intentions. Only in front of you could he show himself… The trust and love he had for you made you so happy and yet… You were infuriatingly clumsy. Appearances in Inazuma were something essential in society, the slightest slip could bring shame and dishonor to a clan… Slipping on a stone in public. Spilling a cup of tea. Breaking a precious object. Ayato always stood behind you, catching your blunders. You were so ashamed of yourself. So ashamed to embarrass him in front of those who held him in respect.

You were a burden in his life…

Little by little, you began to refuse to accompany him to official dinners or meetings with other clan leaders, using any excuse to justify your absence from his side. But Ayato wasn't blind, watching your every reaction with sadness. He wanted to wait for you to make the first move to confide in him, which you never did… You were pulling away from him, and he couldn't stand that.

"Y/N, how about coming with me to this new restaurant they opened in town? They serve some strange drinks there that I would love to try."

"Not tonight Ayato, I have to visit a sick friend." Ayato watched you out of the corner of his eye, putting on his gloves with more rigor than he wanted.

"You don't have any sick friends." He said simply, pulling on his white jacket over his shirt, consciously ignoring the stiffness in your body at his words. "I asked Thomas to watch you when I couldn't. I was worried about your change in attitude. Why are you avoiding me Y/N? I'd rather you tell me if I've done anything that might have hurt you than watch you grow further and further away from me." You remained silent, clenching your fists in your lap. Ayato sighed loudly, his arms falling heavily at his sides. "Do you still love me?" He asked in a quavering voice, fear soaking into it like ink on paper.

"Of course!"

"Then why do I feel like I'm losing you?" Ayato finally turned to you, his face marked by loneliness and anxiety. "Tell me what I've done, and I promise to do everything I can to make it up to you. I love you and-I don't want to see you walk away from me again."

"You didn't do anything wrong! I'm the one who… I'm embarrassing you with my clumsiness. I feel… Unworthy of you." You lowered your head, hiding the feeling of humiliation that invaded you behind your closed eyelids. Ayato seemed to want to remain silent, his blue eyes watching you carefully. How could he let you think that about yourself? Did you really think you were beneath him? Ayato felt hurt… Not because of you, no, but because of his own incompetence. Wasn't it him who didn't deserve you? After all, he hadn't been able to immediately see the distress his status had caused you. Hesitantly, he slowly approached you, kneeling beside you and lifting your chin to him with his fingertip.

"Forgive me for not understanding what was wrong…" Your eyes glistened with tears that you refused to let fall. "I love your clumsiness. I love your innocence as well as your pure naivety. All these parts of you melt my heart. It doesn't matter what other people think… Did you ever notice my amusement when you spilled your tea on one of the clansmen?" A tear rolled down your cheek as a soft smile stretched your lips. "Or the tenderness in my eyes when you caught yourself on my arm when you were about to fall? Ayato placed a soft kiss on your forehead. "Oh, and that day when you broke a Kujou clan vase. If I hadn't had my younger sister by my side, I don't think I would have been able to keep my urge to laugh out loud locked inside me." Said he, starting to laugh as he reviewed the images flashing through his head. A blush warmly invaded your cheeks as you tugged on the sleeve of his coat, laughing softly with him.

"It's-It's okay I get it! You can stop right there!" Ayato slowly stopped laughing, affection evident in his eyes focused on you.

"I love you my precious Y/N. Don't turn away from me. You bring so much joy to my life… More than I could ever feel. Don't be ashamed of yourself, because I absolutely love all sides of you." He placed a tender kiss on your lips before rising to his feet, reaching out to help you. "Well, how about we go taste this drink that seems to be all the rage?"

"D-Don't come complaining if I spill my drink on you!" A wry smile spread across his face.

"I wouldn't complain, considering you'll be the one to clean me up." The man made you stammer incoherent words, the red on your cheeks spreading to your ears. "Perhaps I should force this inevitable fate and bring about the catastrophe?" Ayato brought your hand to his lips, a mischievous smile on his face.

"You wouldn't dare!?" A squeak escaped your lips as he pulled you outside the Kamisato domain, lovingly intertwining his fingers with yours…

[magalhaessims]

📩 Simblr question of the day: What's your MOST used pieces of CC? From skin details, to hair, to shoes, and clothes, what are they??

Bonus Simblr challenge: Make a sim with all of the aforementioned pieces of cc >:) (Completely optional :))

Oh, I love that! It's the perfect opportunity to showcase how I made my Sims makeovers! Here you go - read more to check it out:

I had so much fun! Can I tag people to do it too?!? I'm totally tagging some of my mutuals who have the best-looking Sims to drop the good stuff! I tag: @teaprose @missrubybird @bobnewbie @pixelnrd @dreamstatesims

@cowplant-snacks @akitasimblr @hazelminesims @budgie2budgie

01. Hair: I usually like to use vanilla hair, but I'm obsessed with the hairs by @rustys-cc. I have to control myself to not use them on every single Sim! They just look good on everyone!

02. Skinblend: Not to toot my own horn, but I'm still using my own skinblend, especially after @missrubybird released their default version of my other favorite skin, Pufferfish. It's so beautiful, and I love how both pair together!

03. Moles: If I don't control myself, every single sim will have face moles lol. I love them and I think they add personality to my sims. My all-time favorite is this amazing pack by @vegantrait. You can create your own combinations or have only a single mole!

04. Face Details: I'm a huge believer in face details, lol. I think that's why I don't have many skinblends in my folder. I like the flexibility to choose and create unique Sims every time. My current favorite one is the Face Detail 02 by @miikocc.

05. Face Definition: It has to be the one by @nesurii. I literally use this ALL THE TIME. It totally changed the way I make my Sims! I'm totally addicted to it. That's it.

06. Face Shine: @frenchiesimgirl has the best ones! I love to use this one on my more glamorous Sims to enhance the expensive skincare they might be using. 💅💅

07. Eyebrows: I don't have one eyebrow specifically, but I have ALL eyebrows by @goppolsme. Ever since I started using them, I deleted all my other brows. It's honestly true love. I love how they look so much!

08. Eyeshadow: I never believed someone could overcome the Neutrals Palette supremacy, but of course, @crypticsim came and beat his own game with the Channel Surfing Collection. I use both Selfish and Default all the time

09. Eyes & Catchlight: Once again, @missrubybird holds the supremacy in my default folders, and I use their Aqua Trigger Eyes nonstop for almost three years now! I love them so much that I also use the Non-Default versions! I always pair it with @pyxiidis In Out Talons Catchlight!

10. Eyelashes: Kijiko 3D Eyelashes - but I'm obsessed with the Historian Recolor by @anxiousmoodlet. I definitely use it more than the original!

11. Lips: I have a few favorite lips, but the newest one is the Suga Lips by @xurbansimsx. I love all of her lips - I recommend them all!

Extra: Nails! I cannot express the emotional attachment I have with these nails by @xurbansimsx. They look so good and so natural. I'm in love with them! I totally wish she releases more colors... maybe something to match Lamatise's Bare Skintones... *wink* *wink*

[missrubybird]

Under construction

Just a heads up:

I'm currently re-organizing the Aqua Trigger Folder on Simfileshare

The ALL Folder is currently incomplete

I will be updating links as best I can

All eyes are still there but may be sorted into new subfolders

I'm working on a Master post to include all updates and Add-ons

If you have any questions, don't hesitate to ask

[the-real-treasure]

Treasure Treasure!

An OPLA Sanji x Reader

Master List Here

Previous Chapter: Big Big Top Troubles and the Risks of Show Business

Chapter Five: Sweet Syrupy Lies

Summary : A sinking ship leads the crew to an island where liars mean well and pale girls are fed strange stories, and stranger soup.

Trigger Warnings: Threats and descriptions of violence, scars, swearing, threatening language and behaviour, Reader's Devil Fruit power is overwhelming and overstimulating, graphic descriptions of sensory overload and overstimulation, selfharm caused by scratching, blood, body mutilation? Sort of? Word Count: 8, 100 **Edited: 16/09/24**

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Your arms were itchy.

Under the long sleeves of your aqua jacket and the clean cream top you had changed into under it, stretching up your arms past the end point of the wrapped bandages on your hands, they were itching again.

The deep, carved imprint of chain links, the grooves creating deep ravines around your arms from wrists to your elbows, scarring around your upper arm and across the expanse of back between your shoulders.

If you were lucky, it was just the scarring on your fingers and hands that itched, the old hard skin hidden away under wraps of fabric dry and cracking with the heat and salt of sea travel, but today you weren’t lucky.

Nami was perched at the prow of the boat, map unfurled across her knee and glasses on her face. With her and Luffy out here and Zoro inside, there was no where private, no where secluded enough for you to tear off the fabric driving you to sensory mania and bathe yourself in cool water and ointments to relieve the feeling for a while, like Sanji and Zeff would encourage.

So instead you stood, sweat on your forehead and dripping down your back and you scratched.

You were drawing blood.

But you scratched.

"Hey Nami! Nami, Y/n! Look!" Luffy called from beside you, pulling you out of the fevered itching of your skin.

"What?" Standing from his crouched position beside you, he pulls up a huge swathe of black fabric he had been decorating, supposedly under your supervision as "an expert tailor" since you know how to use a needle and thread. Explaining your passion for embroidery to him had been a mistake as you looked at his work, the incredibly lopsided skull wearing an oddly shaped hat at a jaunty angle left much to be desired.

"It's ready!" He cheered from behind the mangled fabric.

"And what is it?" You took in a deep breath and squeezed your eyes closed. The skin on your arms was screaming.

"Please tell me it's not-"

"Our Jolly Roger." You groaned and dropped your face into your hands. "Every pirate crew has to have one. And now we do!"

"If that's what you were doing," you yanked the length of fabric from his hands and inspect the stitching around the edge of the skull, tutting as you pull loose the weakly sewn threads, "you could have just let me handle it. This is..." you look up, eyes meeting his hopeful grin, "it could use some work, you should've asked me."

"Nah. You seemed like you needed a minute for yourself there." He gave your arm a gently poke, where blood had seeped through the fabric just below your shoulder. He keeps surprising you, this captain of yours.

"We're not a crew, and you are not hanging that on my boat."

"You know where you could have hung it."

Nami's eyes roll. "I swear if you say 'my boat, the Guppy,'" her voice turns nasily as she mocks the beginning of your sentence.

"You see the Guppy,"

"Y/n I swear, your boat was not that much better!" she sighs, "And it wouldn't have been much of a pirate ship either, so there would be no point in hanging any Jolly Rogers."

"More of a pirate vessel than this one."

"Zoro!" Luffy called as the swordsman finally left the small cabin, "Zoro, check it out." Zoro stares at the flag for a moment before he smacks his lips together.

"That's unique. Nami, I think the toilet's busted." Nami stared at him reproachfully.

"We don't have a toilet."

"Oh." Zoro turned away from her again. "Well, then something back there's leaking."

"WHAT?!" She jumped up and rushed into the cabin, returning moments later and storming towards Zoro in anger. "We're taking in water. What did you do?"

Hearing the state of the ship, you grab Luffy by the arm and scramble up on to the cabin's roof with him.

"I didn't do anything, what are you two doing now?"

"The way you're clanging those swords around, you must have broken something."

"Maybe if you're such a good thief, maybe you should've stolen a better boat."

"I don't care who did or didn't do whatever, our crew is half made up of Devil Fruit users who, need I remind you both, don't do well in sea water?"

"Guys, guys guys. Ok, crew meeting." Luffy let his torso hang down towards the pair arguing as you clung on to the back of his shirt, eyes sweeping the deck for any sign of sea water that wasn't already there.

"Not a crew." the two chimed together, turning to him anyway.

"We're gonna need a better ship to make it to the Grand Line. A real pirate ship. Not this holey ship, not the Guppy," his head swivelled 180 degrees to look at you as you opened your mouth to let out an indignant "She could make it!", "A ship, worthy of the Straw Hat Crew."

"Wait." Nami interrupted his impassioned speech. "Straw Hat Crew? Really?"

"Yeah! I thought it had a nice ring to it."

"'Demon' had a nice ring to it, headgear? Not scary." Luffy shrugged at the green haired swordsman.

"Who says pirates have to be scary?" The pair look around in confusion as Luffy let's you pull him upright and hops easily down to the main deck, leaving you perched above the trio. "The point is, we need a new ship. So, where do we get one?" Nami sighs and pulls open her map journal, searching around for a moment before answering.

"Our closest bet is the Gecko Islands. We can probably make it there before our ship sinks. Ditch this one and get a better one."

"Good. With a working toilet." Luffy tapped his finger towards Nami happily.

"Great job, navigator." Nami frowned as he lifted the flag from the deck.

"You're still not hanging that on my ship." Luffy smiles at her before clambering back on to the cabin roof beside you. He plonks down on the wood as you stare out to the horizon behind you, pulling the flag into his lap to inspect the threads you had tugged loose in your inspection.

"Hey Y/n.." He mumbled thoughtfully as he looked over his lopsided design.

"Yea?"

"Do you think," he sighs quietly, joining your observation of the wake of your boat in the sea, "that everyone has a dream? Or a wish or whatever you call it?" You hummed.

"Yeah, I would think so, though it might be different then what they think, or they might not even know."

"What about everything?" You turned your head to face him. He shrugged at you. "Like, I don't know..."

"A boat?" You finished his question for him, a smile slowly spreading across both your faces, the itching on your skin long forgotten. "What did you have in mind?"

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"You got to be kidding me." You stood looking over the bulletin board in the small square of Syrup Village, staring at the wanted posted of Buggy, where underneath his name it read 15 million. "That clown was worth 15 million Berry." Zoro was quietly fuming. "We should've stuffed his head in a bag and brought it with us."

"What Marine would pay you that bounty anyway?" Luffy was laying with his back on the ground, legs stretched up the wall, looking up at you and Zoro. He giggled. "You're kind of a wanted man yourself now." Zoro grunted in unhappy agreement.

"Didn't think of that." And, not for the first time, you wondered if word of your actions had reached Baratie yet. If Sanji and Zeff were arguing about what happened to you, if Patty had successfully rescued your beloved baby blue Guppy from the docks at Shells Town. If that fucking merchant had done his job and got that order shipped out yet.

Luffy rolled himself upright and stood. "All the more reason to get to the Grand Line. Fresh start!"

Your chains itched. You resist the urge to drag your nails down your arms or try and scrub your skin off.

"Right." Luffy turned to the returning Nami happily.

"Hey! You got us a ship?"

"Working on it. Did you push the sloop out to sea like I told you?"

"Yeah! No Marines are gonna be following us here." Nami and Zoro eyed each other.

"Well, we're not gonna be here very long. Turns out Syrup Village is known for their ship building. Lots of options!" Luffy grinned.

"Well, what are we waiting for then?" Luffy happily took of in, what you assume, is the wrong direction, Nami quickly following behind. Your pace is more leisurely as Zoro rips the wanted poster off the wall and scrunched it into a ball.

"Stupid clown.

Your quartet traipse through the shipyard, casting critical eyes over the hollowed out hulls and local craftsmen doing their work. At Luffy's request, you keep your sixth sense peeled, hoping some glimmer of want would ripple across the yard and pull you in the right direction.

"Look at 'em all!" He glances back at you, and you shake your head. Just the normal everyday deepest wishes of desperation and desire, like normal. No heart wrenching yearning for the sea, not yet.

"How much do these even cost?" Zoro asks from beside you.

"If you have to ask, you can't afford it."

"Okay, so we need to get one with a very, very impressive figurehead. At least two," he counts on his fingers quickly, "no, no three masts! And a really high crow's nest. Y/n is keeping an ear out for what we need, so we follow their que and we'll work from there!"

Nami shakes her head at your and Luffy's new shared delusion. "We are not gonna be able to sail a ship anywhere near that size. There's only four of us." Luffy's smile doesn't fade.

"Four of us, right now!"

"Well, unless you can find another weird, desperate soul to help us." Something echoes through you gently, the whisper reminiscent of your time aboard the Orbit.

"Speak for yourself." Zoro grunts. You push past him and Nami, falling into step with your captain a moment before your pace pulls you past him too. Nami's hand grabs at the fabric of your sleeve as you start to pull ahead.

"Listen, we are going to need something a little less flashy if we wanna sneak out of here." Her words pull both you and Luffy to a stop.

"You want to steal a ship?" She scoffs at the pair of you.

"How else did you expect us to get one?"

"I don't know. But we can't steal one."

"What kind of pirate are you?"

"One who knows the value of 1) a ship and 2) what he wants!" Luffy nods along with your words.

"A ship is not just a ship-"

"It's our home!"

"-it's a part of our crew! We need to find the perfect one. And we're gonna get it the right way."

"Okay, pitch that to the salesman. I'm sure that'll win him over." Luffy smiles at her understanding.

"Exactly!" And he takes off again, heading closer to the main docks. She turns from watching him go to meet your eyes, aqua and gold staring almost through her.

"No one and nothing does well in a role they're forced into," you whisper. "That's not something I'll let happen, not on this crew." And you turn, following behind your captain as he bobs between boats.

(Please please please)

You continues through the maze of boats and ships, darting past builders and workmen, as the yearning for adventure, for returning to the sea ripples through you.

(Just once more, one more adventure)

Turning a final corner, your eyes rest on the joyful figure head of a beaming sheep, horns curving out and towards you. Slowing to a stop, Luffy follows and lets out a small happy sigh as his eyes meet the boat as well.

(Golden sunsets spread as far as the eye can see. Glorious crisp white peaks on cobalt waves cresting the horizon. Murky green rich with seaweed and stories)

Your chest burns with the want of the sea, it echoes through you, ripples bouncing off of you and back to the boat, going in and out and in over and over.  The more you listen, the more you realise it's not jus the boat the ripples are bouncing off. You let Luffy climb the ladder ahead of you, a quiet reverence having taken over him as he approaches the ship. The wishes thrum through the air around you, the tips of your ears tingling with the energy. The overwhelming itch on your skin fades to a dull throbbing as you both stand below the figurehead. Luffy, with extreme care, raises his hand to the chin of sheep and rests his fingers on it.

"Real beauty huh?" Luffy stares in wonder as you dart your head over the edge of the platform, looking towards the main body of the boat.

"You can talk?" A young man in a red bandana and green vest pops his head over the edge of the boat.

"No! Over here." Luffy joins you for a moment, also spotting the young man. "Yo." Luffy pushes past you to lean further past the platform.

"This ship is amazing." The man's eyes drift up the figure head as he agrees. "What can you tell me about her?"

"Caravel class, top-of-the-line. Ninety-six feet of pure luxury. Whipstaff rudder, full galley." Both your ears prick up for a moment, eyes glancing to each others with a grin. "Cannon decks fore and aft." He gives a small chef's kiss at the perfection of the craft. Luffy asks the obvious question,

"Is she fast?"

"The fastest," he replies with a grin, "Not a ship in the East Blue can keep up with this baby." Luffy smiled with glee and tapped the side of the boat.

"She's perfect."

"You can say that again." You stare at him curiously.

This boy seemed to belong more with the majority of people, with less focus or surety on his true dream, though the tingling in your ears and the fuzziness in your head of your power sends swirling echoes of the crafts' dream of crystal blue water surrounding you, but also that of a pretty, pale girl with big eyes and a big smile fluttering past your mind's eye.

"There you two are." Nami's voice calls from below you as she and Zoro arrive from the smoky air.

"Guys!" Luffy's voice is loud as it rings out beside you, crashing you back to reality, eyes flickering back into focus as the boy in the boat smiles at you warily. You had been staring, finger raised but not sure which way to point. Oops. "We found it! We found our ship. And this guy will sell it to us." The boy stutters as you and Luffy clamber back down the ladders to your crewmates current and temporary travelling companions.

"Uh, wait. Wh-what? Uh..."

"Yeah!" Luffy replies happily, "The ship, we'll take it."

"Technically, she's not for sale." You both look at him.

"Huh?"

"And technically, I'm not a salesman."

"Impressive salesmanship skills for someone who isn't a salesman and has nothing to sell." You have to give him that. He grins in reponse.

"Thanks."

"Do you even work here?" Nami asks, ignoring you.

"Of course I do. I'm Chief Technician in charge of encrustation removal and aviary waste eradication." The speed of his speech stalls your brain out for a moment, and though the title sounds impressive, something doesn't add up.

"Encru-wha?" Luffy is in the same boat.

"He scrubs barnacles and cleans bird shit." Zoro answers plainly.

"He can't help us."

"Wait-wait-wait-wait! I can help you. The owner of this ship just happens to be my closest friend in the world." Smugness layers his speech.

"Your friend owns this ship."

"Not just this one, she owns the whole shipyard. She's," turning to look at you and Luffy from the side of his eye. "rich rich." You and your captain look at each other excitedly. "I'm sure you could strike a deal with her."

Luffy slaps his legs excitedly and you and the young man mimic him immediately. "See?" Nami looks between the two of you.

"Well I guess it couldn't hurt to say hello."

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There are eyes on you. You can feel them.

"I've never seen a house this big before." You and Luffy stand side by side staring up at the mansion past the well, paved courtyard and topiary bushes. Your eyes travel across the garden, you skin itching again as you look for whoever is spying on you and your crew captain.

"Impressive right?" The boy pushes past you both and walks, backwards, towards the house. "Kaya's given me an open invitation to drop by anytime I want." There's movement in the bushes to your left, but you don't turn your head to observe it, yet. "We just have to keep an eye out for, uh, Roku. He doesn't like people wandering near his plants, ya see."

"Wow. All this for just one person?"

"And staff, I suspect. Gardeners, foreman, cooks. If she's a lady, she must have workers of some kind." You ask him.

"Yeah, she lives here with her butler and a few other staff." You hum, eyes sweeping the bushes again.

"Interesting choice, a butler for a young lady. Normally its a maid, or lady in waiting if there position is high enough." He squints at you.

"How'd you know all that?" You shrug.

"I work in a restaurant, clientele varies, so we've had some posher folk come through." He nods. Nami mutters behind you as he and Luffy flop forward over the well and look down at the depth of it.

"Money really shows you who people truly are. Most people only care about themselves and what's theirs."

"Sounds like someone I know." Zoro snides back.

"And a small staff makes for easy pickings." You glance back at them as you follow Luffy and your guide further into the garden.

"Why? Gonna rob the place blind?"

"At least a little blurry." Moving to turn back to your captain, your eyes land on a figure amongst the tall flowers, creeping steadily towards your group, short but dark silver hair peeking out from under a bucket shaped hat.

"So if you have an invitation, why are we going around the back way?" As you all climb the steps and start past the lovely lily ponds, your eyes don't wander from your stalker, the man's figure coming in and out of focus as he sticks to the shadows of the trees at the edge of the property.

"Oh, I never use the front entrance. This is a more of a VIP entrance reserved for special guests." As you hop across the giant lily pads to the other side, Zoro mutters behind you,

"This guys full of shit."

"Yeah, but as long as he get us inside the house, who cares?" Your eyes dart over to the shadows of the trees. The man's gone.

As you all are forced to a stop behind him, the boy peels around and tries to usher you all back in the other direction.

"Oops, you know, there's actually a more exclusive entrance back this way." As he speaks, a knife goes whizzing between his feet, landing in the bed of the lily pad and the (unusually sharp) prongs of a garden rake catch the strap of his bag, pulling him to a stop as it tightens around his chest.

"Going somewhere Usopp?" The voice sounds like its been gargling gravel, the stupid hat tilted low over the man's face to protect his eyes from the sun. His head lifts, and you can see the scrabbly lengths of his fringe curling around and covering both of his eyebrows, his green irises reflecting the sunlight away from slanted gold pupils.

As he straightens, pulling Usopp easily off the overcrowded lily pad and on to the grass, towering over you all easily in scruffy gardeners clothes and stinking of grass clippings. The other man, the one who threw the knife, comes stalking up behind the large man, sneering around him at the boy.

"The hell are you doing here, Usopp?" Usopp stutters nervously

"Buchi, Roku, buddies, uh, Kaya's expecting me." The maid further back lifts their mop as Roku drops his grip on the back of Usopp's bag, stepping aside as Buchi easily grabs a hold of him instead.

"Another one of your lies." He yanks Usopp forward, nearly knocking him to his knees as he struggles against the older man's grip. "You ain't welcome here and you know it."

"I know nothing of the sort," He replies with false bravado, "I'm here to give Kaya an extra-special gift." As Buchi's lips curl away from his teeth, a girls voice calls from further in the garden.

"Usopp!" You all turn to look at the girl as she approaches, arm curled into that of the tall dark butler beside her. Her skin and hair were pale, though her skin more sickly so then natural, and her pink dress, edged with frills, was lifted clear of her feet as she carefully stepped down the stone stairs towards them. "What a wonderful surprise!"

Usopp smiles smugly at Buchi for a moment before pushing off his grip, skirting past the foreboding figure of Roku as he moves towards the girl.

"Kaya! Happy birthday." She smiles sweetly at him.

"You remembered."

"Of course I did." The butler clears his throat and pushes the glasses on his face up with the palm of his hand before looking down at the boy in front of him.

"Usopp. We've had this discussion. You mustn't show up unannounced." Kaya squeezes his arm gently, pulling his attention to her.

"Nonsense, Klahadore. Have you come to tell me another story? I do love hearing about your adventures." Usopp smiled at her gently.

"I'll do you one better. I brought some of my crew." As Usopp turns, you turn with him, searching for any sign of this supposed crew as Luffy joins you in confusion.

"Is he talking about us?" You all glance at each other awkwardly as Kaya speaks.

"It's so nice to meet you. You all must stay for dinner." A smile grows on Luffy's face at the mention of food before the butler interrupts.

"Miss Kaya. It is a bit last minute. I'm afraid the kitchen hasn't prepared for any extra guests."

"Please, Klahadore. It's my birthday. Can't be too much trouble, can it?" She asked, looking up at him hopefully. Aside from Klahadore, the rest of Kaya's staff all restrain eye rolls and try to hide pulled faces.

"Of course, Miss Kaya. Anything for you." He hadn't even finished speaking before Kaya had turned to Usopp smiling happily at the prospect of them joining her for dinner.

"All right!" Luffy clapped his hands in excitement. "When do we eat?"

"You don't. Not dressed like that." Klahadore looks them up and down judgementally, nose turned up at them. "Sham, kindly show Usopp and his friends to the guest suites. You will bathe and change before dinner."

Nami smiles over at you and you join her. "A bath does sound nice."

"You're telling me!"

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Luffy stares dumbly at the ceiling of the dressing room/closet as you and Nami pick through the cloths hanging wall to wall in the large space.

"Why would anyone even need this many clothes?"

"It's not about need with these people," Nami calls back to him, "It's about want."

"What are we even supposed to wear?"

"Anything you want! When are you ever going to get the opportunity to wear things this nice?"

If you were being honest, you were struggling to find something yourself. The nicest thing you had ever owned was the knee length aqua coat, with the gold filigree embroidery edging the bottom and cuffs of the sleeves. Now you stood surrounded by lavish cloths and you were at a loss. Wrapped in a towel so big it dragged along the floor and covered you chest to toes, you had left your hair to dry in the crisp cool air of the evening. The curling expanse fell down past your shoulders, almost to your hips. The itching skin of your tattooed shoulders grated at your nervous, but the cool water and salts had soothed some of it away, though the need to scratch still lingered.

You pause your flicking through the dresses, shirts and suits as Nami emerges from behind the dressing screen. She wore a black dress with navy metallic squares and rectangles crossing the body and skirt.

"Well?" she asks, "What do you think?" Luffy looked at her confused.

"You look like Nami." With a blank face, she turns to look at you. In that moment a memory from your childhood sparks, of a girl only a few years your senior, turning away from her brothers to you with the same blank but unimpressed stare, her big eyes full of disappointment but hiding behind pink hair.

"You look gorgeous," a small smile rolls across her lips as she swishes the skirt around her legs, "but I don't know if the colour suits you. Too dark, I think."

"Yeah.." she looks down at the dress thoughtfully and turns back to go behind the dressing screen again calling out a "thanks!" as she disappeared.

You turn back to the rows and rows of cloths, flicking through more and more until one set catches your eye, just as Zoro finally enters.

"Hey Zoro!" Luffy cheered, finally given a distraction from you and Nami fussy about your outfits. "Whatcha gonna wear?"

"Something black." You don't look up as he passes by you, eyes captivated with what you had found as you pull it free of its brethren.

The suit was a darker shade then what you would normally wear, closer to a teal green than your usual aqua or seafoam shades. The waistcoat would fit well over your chest, and the high waist, wide legged trousers were in keeping with your preferred leg wear. And while it was missing a shirt, you could go without, even if the suit jacket was lighter in weight and material compared to your own coat. Shorter too. It would look good draped across your shoulders, leaving your arms free of restriction like the broad sleeved shirts and coats you liked to wear.

You moved further into the room yourself, bypassing Zoro and Luffy to reach another secluded dressing screen as Nami commented "How edgy."

"Hey, does that butler seem familiar to you guys?" You call out a "no" as you throw your towel over the partition, pulling the trousers up your legs, fabric trailing through the air as you kicked up experimentally. No pulling or tightness. Good.

"Yeah, I think he was at the last dinner party I attended." Nami sassed as you buttoned the waistcoat up your chest, the smooth material cool and soothing across your easily irritated skin. You may have to steal this. (Sorry Kaya.)

"I swear I've seen him somewhere." Listening to the clicking of his swords and scabbards, you drape the suit jacket across you shoulders and shuffle your hands into the trouser pockets. Stepping out from behind the dressing screen, you eye Nami as she reappears as well, this time in a slim fitting black dress with a sparkly sequined cardigan over the top.

"How's this?" You smile as the sparkles catch your eye.

"You look amazing Nami." She smiles bashfully as the boys make their thoughts known.

"Still Nami."

"I said I'm wearing black." You give them both deadpan stares as you stride across the room, trouser legs billowing behind you, in search of some shoes to go along with your chosen outfit.

"I hate you guys. At least someone appreciates good fashion. You look fantastic in that suit by the way." You beam up at her from where you're crouched on the floor, hoking for shoes.

"Thank you!" you reply warmly and she replies with an equally warm,

"You're welcome." Before glaring at the boys once more and going back to looking at clothes.

"I feel kinda bad for Kaya. All this stuff. All this space. It's gotta make a person feel... lonely." Your eyes catch on a pair of pointed black boots hidden behind some red silk.

"Rich people don't have the same emotions we do. This stuff doesn't make her feel lonely. It makes her feel important." Pulling out the boots, you tug the red silk dress out as well, knocking Nami's leg with your elbow and gesturing the dress towards her. She 'ooh's quietly and pulls it out fully to inspect.

"Well, Usopp likes her. And she invited us to dinner. I'm sure we can work out a way to get that ship."

"No way." Nami responds eyes trailing across the patterns on the dress you had pulled for her as you struggled the boots on to your feet as your jacket falls to the floor, "Rich people don't stay rich by giving things away." Luffy smiled at her mischievously.

"You wanna bet?" Nami stares at him, before dropping her arms to her sides.

"What are the terms?"

"I bet I can convince Kaya to give us that ship."

"And when you can't?"

"We go with your plan." You look up at him, startled by the decision. "Steal one and move on."

"Uhh, no, let's? Let's not do that?" you stutter up at them, one boot still laying on the ground. They ignore you as they shake on the deal.

"You're on." You stare at Luffy as he walks away, barely registering the fabric whipping past your head as Nami throws a black silk shirt at Zoro.

"Nice."

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You stood with Luffy and Usopp, picking at the tray of hors d'œuvres Sham carried past you. You bit into one of the miniature quiches , exploring the texture like Zeff taught you, while the boys scarfed theirs down. Your hair was partially pulled up and away from your face, curtesy of Nami corralling you before you could stick it into you usual bandana and ponytail combo and the bandages normally wound around your hands are replaced by a pair of leather gloves.

"Eggs a bit gritty for some reason." You feel eyes piercing your head, and turn slightly to spot the chef, Buchi, glaring daggers at you. You lean closer to the boys. "Might be cooked at too high a temperature."

"Mm! But they're so good."

"I know right? Reminds me of that one time I slayed a dragon, cooked it over an open flame, ate the whole thing myself. You ever had dragon?"

"Nope." He spun to look at Sham. "Do you have dragon?" She looks at him bewildered for a second.

"Afraid we're fresh out."

"Oh well. Hey Zoro!" Luffy called to the swordsman as he picked up a champagne glass. "You gotta try this!"

"I've got all I need right here."

"May I present..." Klahadore's voice echoes from the top of the stairs. "Miss Kaya." He carefully walked her down the stairs to join the rest of them, as the accountant, Merry, climbed up to meet them. You scooted out and away from the boys to stand beside Nami as the pair reached the bottom of the stairs.

"Nami, I love that dress on you!"

"Thanks."

She replied, a smile crawling up her faces at the compliment. Kaya reaches out and touches the fabric of the dress gently.

"It belonged to my mother. It was one of her favourites."

"Oh-" Nami stuttered, "I'm sorry, I-I,"

"Not at all. I'm sure she would agree it suits you splendidly." Nami's eyes darted to you for assistance in this awkward conversation and you come to her aid as well as you can.

"You look lovely tonight yourself, Miss Kaya." The girl beams at you, skin pale and washed out from sickness but still radiating joy. "You look," you hesitate for a second but finish quietly, "Happy. You look incredibly happy."

"Oh I am. I'm so glad Usopp brought you all here, it's so so good to have people around. And you look wonderful as well, the colour suits you." And you laugh, gesturing your half uneaten quiche down yourself in amusement.

"Ha! Suit, because of the colour, but also because," Nami's eyes widen at you and Kaya's smile grows mischievous, "It's what, uh, what I'm wearing, because it's a suit, it was, yes. Hm, clever." You grit your teeth in an awkward smile and stuff the rest of your hors d'œuvre into your mouth to escape taking anymore nonsense. Kaya snorts and giggles at you as Nami's eyes nearly roll into the back of her skull, and you're saved speaking anymore by Merry approaching Kaya quietly.

"Kaya, I wondered if I may have your ear. There are matters concerning the transfer of ownership of the shipyard we need to discuss."

"Merry," Klahadore cuts in, "Dear friend, it's always business with you." The sheep man sighs, "Tonight is about celebration. Shall we all move to the dining room?"

"YES!" Luffy cheers excitedly at the promise of dinner, "Oh! Oh, I'm so ready for this!" As you all move to your seats, you eye the man Roku, confused why the gardener was working at this time of night, and inside as well. His own reflective green iris meet your glowing swirling clouds of aqua and gold, both shifting and catching the candle light around you in the colours. You say nothing, but you hold eye contact as you sit, him standing with back to the wall now.

Sham moves through the dining room as the rest of you eat, carrying a tray of smoked fish. Kaya calls out to her as she passes,

"I'd love to try the fish tonight."

"I'm sorry, Miss Kaya, but that is not possible."

"Maybe just a small piece." Your eyes move up the table to them from your seat between Luffy and Nami.

"Now, you know that certain foods can affect your constitution."

"Are you allergic to any seafood, miss Kaya?" You call up the table. Your own plate sat mostly untouched in front of you, the under seasoned fish and too hard potatoes causing an echo of Zeff roar through your mind.

"No, she is not-"

"Then fish should surely help her here, there are plenty of good fats and beneficial oils and omegas in fish, and with how unseasoned it is, the flavour is hardly going to upset her stomach." You're almost sure you hear a hiss from the cook situated behind her, but you ignore it in favour of keeping eye contact with the silently fuming butler.

"And, I'm sorry you'll forgive me for querying, where did you get your expertise about food from, precisely?" The last word is hissed out through grit teeth. Nami spoke from beside you.

"They grew up and work in a restaurant. A successful one, given the stories of the patrons we've discussed." Nami eyes were narrowed at the butler.

"Yeah!" Luffy chimed helpfully with a mouthful of food, "They clean the dishes!" You screw your eyes and mouth shut as you pair of you turn to glare at your captain, who smiles shamelessly at you.

"Well." Klahadore cuts with a smug smile, "You'll forgive me for not taking the word of a dish washer over an expert medical opinion. Here, Buchi has prepared your special soup." The chef gingerly places the bowl down in front of her, shooting a glare over at you, which you returned.

"Kaya, it's your birthday. You should be able to eat what you want."

"Miss Kaya's medical condition," Klahadore once again cuts in your and Nami's pleas to allow the girl some freedom, "necessitates that I closely monitor her dietary needs."

"Does it mean you also speak for her?" Luffy raises his hand from beside you.

"I'll take her fish." Usopp gulps and tries to divert the conversation.

"Luffy, isn't there something that you wanted to talk to Kaya about?"

"Oh! Yes! Usopp told me that you own the whole shipyard." Kaya smiles slightly.

"Well, actually my parents founded the shipyard, and Merry's been running the business since... well, since they passed." Merry raises his glass to her. "But all of that's about to change. Tonight, at midnight, I will become the sole owner."

"Ah, well. That's great, because we want to buy a ship from you."

"I see! Usopp mentioned that you're sailors." The two share a small smile before Luffy opens his big mouth and ruins it.

"Nope, not sailors. We're pirates." You, very very slowly, lower your head to the table and begin to bang it against the wood surface gently. Usopp spits his drink back into his glass as both Zoro and Nami take longs sips of their own.

"This oughta be good." Kaya's eyes glance between you in confusion.

"Pirates?"

"Yep. We haven't sailed together for very long, but we have already defeated an evil clown, raided a Marine base, and taken down a captain with an axe for a hand and a nasty lieutenant." Your shoulders start to shake in quiet laughter. You couldn't help it, this is going so badly already, and you've all barely started.

"These sound a lot like your adventures, Usopp." He laughs breathlessly,

"Yeah, that's, that's crazy."

"Oh yeah! And we're just getting started." Luffy happily climbs on to his chair and stands on the table, glass in hand.

"What are you doing? Get down from there at once!" Klahadore starts to move around the table, making for Luffy, and you stand to block his way, wanting to allow your captain to at least finish his point. The butler sneers down at you, but you don't move.

"Being a pirate has been my dream for as long as I can remember. And I'm finally making it a reality." He drops his elbow to his knee, making direct eye contact with Kaya. "We're heading out to the Grand Line, where even more adventures await us. And at the end of the journey, I'm gonna find the ultimate treasure," he starts walking down the table, "the One Piece, and become King of the Pirates." Kaya stares up at him.

"You're... serious?" Taking a gulp, he pushes the still mostly full glass into Klahadore's face, breaking up the staring competition you had going on with him, though you don't sit. He growls as he takes it out of Luffy's hand. Reaching down, he takes Kaya by the shoulders gently.

"Kaya. You have a beautiful ship out there. A caravel with a sheep figurehead. It spoke to me. To us! That's the ship we need to follow our dreams. I promise you we'll take care of it. Maintain it. Treat it like any other member of our crew, because a ship is also a home." A small smile begins to form on Kaya's face before Klahadore roars out.

"That will be quite enough! I should've known Usopp would bring riffraff to our doorstep."

"Klahadore, it's okay, I-" but before she could finish her sentence, she begins to cough.

"Now look what you've done. You've upset Miss Kaya. All of you, out of this house at once!" Kaya shakes her head and wheezes out a

"No. It's late. Let them stay the night." Klahadore helps her up as she stands, shakily.

"As you wish, Miss Kaya. But they are out, first thing in the morning." And he rushes her out of the dining room, leaving you all in stunned silence.

"That went pretty well." Luffy chirps as you pull him by the shoulder off his perch on the table, shooting sidelong glares at the hovering staff who were glaring back at you. "Don't you think?"

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You follow Nami quietly as she makes her way through the dark hallways. Watching her pick up different items and feeling the weight of them in her hands before stashing them in her pillow case sack. She had changed out of her dress, but you had kept the waistcoat and trousers on, fancy pointed boots swapped for your wide toed ones instead.

"If you don't like me stealing from her, either say your piece or go back to your room, there's no point in following behind me and judging silently."

"I don't like you stealing from her, but given that I won't be returning this suit, I'm not one to talk." She stops and turns back to you, eyes trailing up your arms and shoulders, following the length of chains embedded in your skin.

"I didn't know you had tattoos. Adds to the whole 'why I thought you were a pirate' thing." She did air quotes around the words and laughed softly.

"Tattoos?" she looked at you frowning and gestured to your still bare arms, jacket abandoned. "Oh! Oh yeah, I don't-" You laugh awkwardly, "I don't know where I got these. Had them as long as I can remember." You shrugged as she looked them over, quietly stunned.

"As long as you can rememb- like even when you were a baby?" She asks, gobsmacked, and you nod thoughtfully.

"Yeah. I don't know if they are, ya know." She looks at you, "Tattoos, I mean, they're- deep, like, really deep, here feel." And without warning you grab her hand, running it up and down the chain links marred across your arm. Instead of the raised skin of an old scarred tattoo, or the smooth skin of a well healed one, the skin under the chains is sunken, like their buried deep into the flesh of your arm, leaving a gap deep and wide enough for you to easily slot your ring finger into. She gagged and pulled away quickly and you chortled at her over reaction. 

"You're right, those-" she gags softly and looks at them horrified, "Those aren't tattoos." Shaking her hand to rid herself of the feeling she turns back to her heisting, dropping a solid, probably silver candlestick in her sack. "Why are you following me then, if not to disapprove?" You hummed, peering out through the curtains to the dark gardens below.

"I don't trust that gardener. Or the maid. Or the chef. Or the butler as it happens." She smirks at you.

"So you don't trust any of them."

"Yea."

"And that means you're following me because...?"

"I know you can handle yourself, but something here feels... off. I thought maybe we should, ya know, stick together. Where we can." You shrug lamely, peering down the dark corridors as she moves further through the labyrinth of halls.

"Well, you're not wrong. I can handle myself, and unlike you," she glares down at your boots, "and those shoes, I know how to be quiet when I'm looting so maybe you should just-"

Footsteps echoing down the corridor drag both your attentions away from the small argument you had started, and in a flash you separate, assuming the other would be following behind. As she books it to the nearest door and slips inside, you twirl around and dash, as quietly as you can, down the hall from where you came, catching hold of one of the floor length curtains and wrapping yourself, perching up on to the windowsill and obscuring your shape behind it.

As the footsteps pass by, you hold your breath and watch the reflection in the glass. A tall looming figure passes, and the sound of rattling follows, the sound dragging along with a "shuff-shuff" against the carpet.

Peeking out from behind the dark fabric, you watch the figure move deeper into the darkness. It is hard to make out but the shape of the floppy dark hat atop their head cause your eyes to widen as you recognise who it is.

The gardener Roku carrying a large sack over his shoulder, with lengths of chains dragging along behind him in the darkness.

As he slips around another corner, the chain clipping the wall as he goes. There's a near silent rustling of fabric as you move beneath the curtain, carefully, carefully, unbuckling and unzipping the black boots on your feet before placing them down on the ground, toes no longer hidden under the length of the fabric. Now bare foot, you drop on to the carpet and look around.

"Nami?" You whisper into the darkness, listening for the noise of dragging chains returning. "Nami?!"

You get no response.

You suck in a deep breathe through your nose and stop. Your hands are shaking as you pull your gold bandana from the pocket of the waistcoat and try to tie it deftly around your head. The scar tissue of your skin and the leather gloves make it hard to bend your fingers, the lack of sensation and tremors from the damage done making them even harder to control.

Your arms were itchy.

Your body aches and you're tired.

You didn't eat much of the disgusting dinner, so you're hungry.

You're head is pulsing and your powers are screaming at you as energy whistles around your ears.

It's dark.

But you focus. And you follow.

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Silently, you follow Roku through the mansion, down, down, down, until he stops in the doorway of the wine cellar.

You stop as well, peering down at him from around the corner as he stands, chains coiled around his feet. He pulls off the stupid hat, revealing two pointed horns of hair, almost mimicking cat ears. One is made from a patch of bright white, a stark difference to the dark hue of grey the rest of his hair is made up off.

There's someone talking in the cellar itself, the low familiar drone alerting you to Zoro's presence. There's the "shing" of a sword being drawn and the twang of thin sheets of metal bouncing off each other before another figure in dark clothing appears in front of the gardener, hands sporting five sharp blades at the end of each figure. Damn those look cool. The shattering of glass breaks the moment as well as the bottle and you realise with a start, that this is very bad. Very bad indeed.

You're standing at the point of a bottle neck, down one Zoro, and up potentially four assailants. And you have no idea where anyone else has gone. Ignoring the scuffling from the room, you turn tail and sprint back up the stairs of the cellar, the only indication you've been heard is the thump of Roku's sack onto the ground and the loud, heavy footsteps following behind your own.

The noise echoes all around you as you make a mad dash through the halls, the gardener hot on your tail as he hisses and snarls in the darkness, voice mocking and raspy as he calls out to you.

"Here, little kitty, come here!"

"Big ol' Roku won't do you no harm!"

"We just needs you to stay very quiet for a very long time!"

"COME HERE I SAY!"

Shooting around one more corner, you spot a door ahead of you, unbarred and hopefully unlocked. As you barrel into it, you're relieved to learn you were right, the latch giving way immediately as you all but tear it from its hinges.

The cool night air stings your lungs and your skin, small sharp rocks in the gravel digging into your feet and burying themselves into your skin. You think, you hope, you pray you had escaped him as your mad dash pushes you out past the topiary bushes and glorious flowerbeds. 

Your eyes just barely spot the faint lights from the distant village before something winds around your foot and lurches you back, sending you plummeting face first into the gravel. Rolling over, you catch sight of Roku's arm outstretched, the length of chain and shockingly familiar grooves cut through his skin. With a yank, the chain on your ankle tightens and hauls you back, your skin scoured by the rocks beneath you, and, in a moment of awful, gut churning panic, you copy his motion, reeling your arm back and swing it forward.

Weight chases up your arm as the chains on your arm shift and pull and snap out of your flesh, the end of the length whipping through the air and cracking him right in the centre of his forehead. For a moment, silence rings out, and then as one.

You both release blood curdling screams.

Next Chapter: Let Sleeping Cats Die

[slyvester101]

I know this is another ask so soon lol but how do you think Wash's and Tucker's relationship would go if Tucker was in season 6? Tbh I already have my own interpretation that they are instant enemies, Wash's worst nightmare and it took the personification of a aqua sim trooper. Their stubbornness knows no bounds and it's worst when they met before having their character development. Someone has to hold Tucker back before he gets murdered by a trigger happy freelancer for not shutting tfu.

Ask away my fine fellow

I think if Tucker was with the reds and blues during season 6, there’d be a lot more roasting of Agent Washington. Church and Tucker bounce off of each other, sending rib after rib to anyone in the area, including the other. Which means that Wash has to deal with twice the amount of insults and bickering. It is easier to manage Caboose since Tucker was the one to keep an eye on him when Church left Blood Gulch first (because Church always leaves first) and he is much better at keeping Caboose on track than Church. 

While I do think Agent Washington dislikes Tucker when they meet, he also recognizes how smart and resourceful the guy is and sees the potential he has and how much he's holding back in order to be underestimated. It makes him wary. Additionally, I think Tucker’s flirting and care-free attitude reminds him a lot of York, so he has to deal with that while also trying to command a guy who reminds him of his dead friend. He tries to stay away from Tucker as much as possible. (It does not work, they fight all the damn time)

(They both consider murder many times)

Tucker is definitely more wary of Agent Washington as well and questions everything he commands and undermines his authority all the time. So basically Tucker being Tucker. Tucker would also be more grumpy about being on this mission since it took him away from his son (if Tucker was to join without completely breaking the timeline, I think it would make more sense for him to go to the desert temple after the whole epsilon and Meta showdown). He would also hold a personal vendetta against Wash since he would be there when Church dies and make that link to his best friend dying to Agent Washington, which means when they meet again, Tucker is down and ready to rip this guy apart.

All this would make Wash’s eventual addition to the team a bit more strained and awkward. Tucker is even more petty and even downright mean to Wash because of everything that happened and takes much longer to warm up to him. Wash takes it with the same amount of grace as always, trying to be diplomatic about it and be a good teammate (I don’t think Tucker would be as willing to call Wash “team leader” after everything that happened, so they decide to be something like co-leaders since Tucker is the highest-ranking soldier and a pretty good fighter in his own right and Wash has the most experience). 

They’re basically begrudging parents to Caboose by the time Carolina shows up. They bicker like an old married couple worthy of competing against Grimmons. (Tucker shows he’s finally warming up to him when he stops calling Wash various names like “agent fuckface” “agent friend killer” “agent team wiper” and starts calling him “Wash”)

While they go planet hopping with Carolina, Tucker learns about Wash and his time with freelancer and he realizes how absolutely fucked up he is (he knew he had issues, but holy shit). He’s a bit more willing to work with Wash, and to some extent Carolina, near the end and after their mission to kill the director. (That whole scene where Wash choses to protect Tucker from Carolina, choses blue team over freelancer, is the day Tucker finally accepts Wash as his friend.)

By the time they crash on Chorus, I think Tucker and Wash have really mellowed their relationship and have learned to rely on each other. They’re the dynamic duo, the one-two punch that leaves you reeling, a scary ass pair for anyone they face. Even after Church leaves again, Tucker and Wash don’t have that power dynamic of “anxious ex-specops authority figure” and “angsty asshole who hates following orders” since they’ve spent a lot of time learning how to work together as blue team leaders. Tucker is still angsty and Wash is still paranoid, but it’s more of a partnership than the mentorship we see Wash having with Tucker in the og show.

I think it makes their separation on Chorus even more heartbreaking for the both of them since they’ve gotten so close. They haven’t trusted someone like this in a long time, someone who’s so good at reading them and knowing when to give encouragement but also not afraid to call out your bullshit. It also makes their reunion so fucking awesome because they can finally let down their guard a little and trust someone else to pick up some of the load. 

I don’t know how it would change the course of the rest of the show since I’ve only watched up to season 12, but I think at that point it’s basically the same as it would be in the show.

[lupusbaby]

hi!! you don't have to respond to this at all but i recently found out my mother may have POTS (she's been living with chronic fatigue since college and known it, but never had a diagnosis for anything) and i was wondering if i could do anything to help? she, my sister, and i all have issues with chronic illness (PCOS for me- not sure if that counts but it definitely affects my life- and my sister is undiagnosed but deals with severe chronic pain) and i want to support them as much as i can. if you have any resources you could send my way that would be lovely!

also huge shout out to you. chronic illness sucks and it takes incredible strength to make it through each day. may your spoons be plentiful and may rest come to your body.

This is so sweet, thank you for loving and caring for them :)

As for support, extra understanding is always helpful. Sometimes plans need to change last minute. Chronic illness can make you so "unreliable" with scheduled activities, and a lot of us hold a lot of guilt about that. In these cases, verbal reassurance works for me, so maybe your family would like that too. Offering a listening ear is great, as well as checking in with them about their needs.

For POTS, keep some salty snacks and extra water in your car/purse/etc. because sodium helps with regulating body fluid volume and orthostatic adrenaline spikes, which both can make people with POTS feel faint.

As for long term- offer up accessible activities. Exercise can be really beneficial for POTS and chronic pain. For people with POTS, that might mean slow swimming or chair yoga to avoid getting symptomatic. I do aqua exercise to help with my chronic pain and POTS, and my blood pressure and heart rate are super stable and normal while in the pool. I also have one of those under-desk peddlers to help keep my knee joints lubricated when I'm more inactive due. Comfy nights in, slow walks, activities that are indoors/temperature regulated, etc.

Like most chronic illnesses, stress is a big trigger. Try to help your people manage their stressors. Also just pay attention when you're with them- glazed eyes, swaying, leaning, panting, shortness of breath, etc. can all mean we don't feel right in that moment. Sitting down and having some water is a good idea at that time.

I'm just rambling now, but I hope some of this is helpful. POTS can affect so many things, like temperature regulation, energy levels, etc. Here is a link that explains it better than I can.

Good luck to all of you, and I hope you find some ease and happiness :)

[silvershayde]

An Acaesian Encyclopaedia

Darena’s Seafarers: Sirelians (Aqua Sirens)

Second Instalment for Darena’s Seafarers! This is about Sirelians! The other Seafarers include: Merfolk, Melusines, and Nymphs/Nereids. Of the four treasures Darena handed out, the Sirelians were given the Bident.

Before I get into the nitty gritty, I wanna go over why I named them Sirelians rather than just Sirens. Everyone knows Sirens right? Well, first off the original version of Sirens were bird like, and many of you may already know that. So because both Sirelians and Sirens have the hypnotic voice that can sing a lullaby of doom, the names have had an overlap and they’ve been conflated with one another, which is why I put in brackets Aqua Siren next to their original name. Another name would be Darena’s Sirens since Zetune has her own Sirens; they treat each other like cousins even though they are in no way related. So yeah they are not Sirens since they cannot fly, are not bird-like and do not fall under Zetune’s domain of Caeli. (For the uninformed Caeli is wind/air.)

Anyway! They’re mostly found in the area within and surrounding Sirelia, which is found in the ocean east of Theia/Turnunda (sorry again my map needs updating, once it is I’ll link it in these posts) which would put it south west of Aquaria. Like Merfolk you can find Sirelians in fresh waters.

First off, yes they have two tails, and the tails blend with the upper body. And yes I know the two tail thing is a Melusine thing, but I have my reasons (I came up with Sirelians first and they were initially supposed to be like Selkies because, again, they aren’t technically Sirens. Calling Sirelians Sirens is a land dweller’s misguided label. Like how red pandas aren’t pandas.)

I will note before I move on that there is practically no gender dimorphism that you can see on a Sirelian no matter what upper body they’re rocking.

Second! Unlike Merfolk their tails are more colloquially fish-like. (I use colloquially because classification and fish are not friends so to hell with it.) Their tails can also either be smooth or have scales and if it exists as a fish there’s most likely a Sirelian variant of it. Their hands are webbed and have it on their ears too. They have gills and their nostrils are just to smell not to breathe.

The sclera of a Sirelian is black, and when in hunting mode or when the prey drive is triggered the pupil dilates a LOT. (The iris being bigger on the right is a drawing error but I’ve sat here for nearly three hours doing it)

Through their hypnotic voice and applying their manipulation of Aqua to shapeshifting, Sirelians can change the way they look. Whether it is changing the sclera of their eyes to white, changing the appearance of their teeth to make it less… uh… terrifying to hiding the webs in their hands, and the extra limbs on their arms. Similar to octopuses and cuttlefish they can change the colour of their bodies, but unlike them they can do it consciously rather than just being an environmental reaction.

The one thing they can’t change the image of is how their upper bodies meet their tails, and how many tails they have. This is why those are the only two reliable identifiers to distinguish Sirelians from Merfolk.

[yuseirra]

Onk 165 spoilers(review)!

Seeing people slapping each other at a funeral is the LAST thing I want to see in any media, not just this one(if it has a proper base, I can take it, but this work just didn't have anyone prepared for this kind of event to unfold) that imagery is seriously haunting me. I really hate it, I hope the artist knows what they're doing, I'm never reading that chapter again, what are they making their readers who cheered for them even read?; I'm.. Just really startled and baffled. They have strengths in terms of constructing emotional experiences, they know what kind of reactions they can invoke through their works, I'm sure. This... Felt too harsh and it wasn't even laid out in a proper way, everything feels so rushed so I don't know what to feel about it. It doesn't even feel tragic, I couldn't even feel sad, I was just baffled and shocked. Seeing a character break down was painful all the same (Kana doesn't deserve this happening to her??)It wasn't a good experience to have. Distraught would be the word. Are they really happy with this? Again, what are they trying to achieve through this? Are they respecting their fans? Does this have a point? I'm genuinely confused. I want to know. I hope the authors are happy about this but I'm not. Who would? I'd have enjoyed this better if all this felt well-constructed.

I honestly still believe the contents of the songs are spoilers, THOSE do better explaining Kamiki's character than what this manga put forth about him after the 154 mark.

Speaking of which, I've mentioned this after 164? 163 was it? How can Aqua do this to Ai's movie? Just what IS the point of having the movie be a huge hit when it's going to be known for a murder incident that's even FABRICATED??? Didn't Ai want her TRUTH to be known? Wasn't the movie supposed to be about HER life and what she wished for? Again, she had her hopes on her boyfriend being saved. And Aqua kills him over it and framed him about having killed a person over the content of Ai's movie. Whatever Kamiki's done, Aqua shouldn't have done that to AI AND HER MOVIE. How- why- does the author think that's a good idea?? This was a movie that was going to be her legacy, right? And even if Ai's lied all her life, isn't THIS the work that she'd wish WOULDN'T BE? The one that'd display her true self, the one that should have gotten her love across to Kamiki? I'm glad the latter did happen but even that's going to be covered by lies all thanks to Aqua. I just can't forgive him for doing that to his mother, how is that for Ai? How?? Did Ai want revenge on Kamiki no matter the cost??? That wasn't it. I feel like this sort of outcome, of her son and boyfriend dying and the story of her life being framed as the trigger of killing themselves over it, would have been the LAST thing Ai would have wanted. Unless they explain the reasoning, the writing is so bad on this one. Aqua managed to make Ai's movie about himself. Couldn't he have found some other way to die if he wanted to do it so much.

The last chapter isn't going to save anything, there are too little pages left.

I've made a lot of theories about Ai and Kamiki being gods and THEY were the ones responsible for the white and black star eyes all along(They have to explain what's up with the eyes and the stars and why they work that way before they go!!!) I actually believe in those theories I've written wholeheartedly because if they're going to get back on the idea of gods, that's like the only way to have it blend in the story altogether. And seeing how the idea of fallen-ness and how "stars dwelling in eyes" were in the anime s2's op, which is not too long ago? I don't think they would have completely dropped that idea? Was it 158? I want to know why Tsukuyomi went about "Love" too. If my theories actually end up being true, then.. Ai and Kamiki are the two characters who were all about love and needed love in order to function properly as gods. That Kamiki was trying to collect "Ai", the fragments of his lover back dwelling within people's eyes after her death in order to reach her again. I really do believe that's the way to go if they want this story to make any sense with it adding up to the song's contents.

So what did Kamiki even do?? They aren't even sure if he is really involved or not because what he did is very minimal, isn't it?? Remember how Airi died when he just told her husband the truth of how she molested him? If we believe him, remember how he wanted to send a bouquet to congratulate Ai for her dome concert and Ryosuke killed her? Remember how Ryosuke pushed Gorou off a cliff when he said he wondered if he should go visit Ai at the hospital? Remember how Yura died when he told her she should watch her steps at a mountain? How he told Nino they should turn themselves in and she went insane to try and go stab Ruby? These are too much to be called as mere coincidences, things don't logically end up becoming this disatrous. Whether if he really wanted things to play out this way or not(and he told Aqua himself that he never wanted to hurt anyone!!) it's not natural. This is why I seriously believe this guy's Sarutahiko the god of guidance and the RIGHT PATHS, that's been given a "fatal flaw" after Ai's death!!! Ai was already worried of Kamiki being afflicted by the darkness of the industry, he just totally broke after the death of his godly wife didn't he??? And now he's been leading people into the wrong paths!!! Because he's a fallen god now! Why else would be the lyrics like that? Then is ANYTHING that's happened HIS fault? I'm not actually sure?? He could have tried utilising his powers to meet Ai again maybe so after that perhaps so?? But what's been happening around this guy's been so weird. It can only be explained through the songs and the mention that THERE REALLY ARE GODS OUT THERE WHO DON'T KNOW THEY'RE ONE, WHICH DIRECTLY CONNECTS WITH THE LYRICS OF MEPHISTO THAT GOES: "I'VE FORGOTTEN WHO I LIVED AS" which I think IS written from his perspective! So there. If this is not the case I REALLY don't know. But they won't explain it right. They have to though.

About ruby...well, she's the amaterasu. I keep saying that... She'll "shine" one way or another. But I hope she could really save someone significant in the story with it.

That's all I can write on the spot for now~

[missvaseline]

Whenever you watch me: Chapter 2/4 (Griffith x Reader) 18+

When Griffith was a child, he found his very first member. They've grown together and she became the best swordsman he’s ever seen, a prodigy. But there is a difference between being a mercenary, and then being Griffith’s.

Triggers: harassment, heavy manipulation, possessiveness, dubious consent, sadism

Read Previous: Chapter 1

The swordsman's eyes focused on the tree line following the river before she turned to the voice behind her.

“You show up and ask me to race now?” The swordsman asked, adorning skepticism on her face.

“Like I’ve been showing up and asking you every sunrise. This isn’t a strange occurrence.”

“While we are… upset at each other?” She corrected.

Aqua eyes searched for every hint of understanding that he could find within her own. Her name slipped between his lips as he scoffed.

“When I told you to retreat for the night, I was no longer upset.”

Delicate lips twinged as she brushed her fingers between the fabric of yesterday’s clothing balled in her arms, a nervous habit over any of her wear. Inky guilt still clung to her while skepticism hid just beneath.

“What if I’m too upset to race?”

“Then I’ll console you.”

A breeze settled through that chilled her without her armor. And it was all the more reason to ponder simply putting on the iron suit and racing with him just for a little bit. These moments stirred her into long confusion, words were usually stuck behind chattering teeth while she struggled to understand. It felt like a need lost and forgotten in the comfortable confines of its near famine which never seemed to fully go away in every cycle

“I’ll put on my armor.” She said.

She slipped passed the linen of her tent and all too quickly strapped herself into her armor. When she had come out he had already gathered their horses, quietly waiting while the morning fog lapped at the metal plates over his calves.

He looked magnificent. It was a standard thought that he tended to himself more often in the mornings. But it seemed as though it was more than usual. How the world around her grows rose tint the closer she got to him. He had this way about him.

The dueler gathered the leather reigns from him, climbing onto her steed. It was soon that hooves trotted in rhythms beside each other. The low of yesternight was melted by the warmth of the morning and already she was in higher spirits. They would go a mile out from camp, riding into a trail that slithered through crowded trees; their score with each other was neck and neck in their races.

“How far do you want to go?” He asked.

“To the hills? Finish line at the big boulder.” The corners of his lips lifted.

“Ambitious today?”

And hers did too, “Are you?” She concurred.

When their horses stopped at the redwood tree they had labeled as a starting point for the area, they had waited. She kept her steed ready.

“We’ll see where the ambition goes after this race.”

She tightened her fingers over leather, already picking out the best routes to take. She brushed the dark brunette main of her steed, leaning in slightly. Blue eyes toured the slant of her body pressed over the back of her mount.

“Listen Viola, we’re going to defeat this chap and I swear, I’ll find as many apples for you to eat. Focus, girl” She whispered to the flicking ear of the stead before straightening herself. The horse chortles and snorts in response, breaths in the cold air danced.

“I could never get over that name, Viola.” He tittered. "I wonder if the apples you feed her will be from spoils or consolations.”

Suddenly, leather cracked into the air as he whipped his reigns, his stallion surged forward leaving a trail of his laughter behind to chase after.

“You cheat!” She yelled, painfully snapping her reins, the quick jolt of her horse being unfelt in comparison to Griffith’s jests.

“Cheat?”  His voice called back honeyed in mock offense as he failed to let her catch up, “Whenever did I call start before?”

Molars pressed into themselves as heels dug into the sides of her steed. Her stomach nearly pressed into the curved leather of her saddle as she leaned forward trying to catch as much speed as possible. Long silver tail hairs whipped like a mocking flag in front of her as she focused.

“I didn’t call start yet!” Her nag finally ate the distance between them.

“Ambition doesn’t wait for permission.”

His fingers loosened over his reins as a form of mercy, slowing down just to mirror her steed.

“There. Better?” He cast his Azure gaze on her as his lips formed into a leer.

“Oh, don’t give me that, you are so cheap.” She said between laughter, both of their steeds galloping easily through the trail. In just enough gradualness, she hastened her mount again to shoot forward. A defiant chortle shot out of her as she snapped back to look for Griffith behind. Though only the empty damp pined path was shown before hearing his horse snort beside her.

“They’re my tricks, don’t you think it would be harder to use on me?”

“Of course.” The swordsman grumbles, leather creaking between her tightening fingers.

His smile turned away as his eyes flickered in behind him and then forward. His horse suddenly stepped in front of her path, halting her.

“Let’s take a detour.” Eyes flickered up to his as her brow tilts.

“I don’t know the paths out this far besides this one and we are racing.”

“Plans changed. You can follow me.”

He says as he and his steed sift in front of her, the golden light from the sky kissing his argent locks into its color.

“We have training-“

“I let them know we are on a longer race.”

The air grew quiet before she finally relented, following him deeper into the forest where the path raised into its convoluted nature. Every piece of land was a novelty in every pace revealed as she grew quiet.

“Where are we going?” She called out as she trailed behind him.

“You’ll see.”

He replied without looking back.

Intuition stirred beneath the surface of her as they ventured forth. Minutes melted into nearly an hour before the trees parted themselves into a small field. Blue speckled between green in the clearing like a secret waiting to be told.

The swordsman halted before going any deeper as trail of parted grass followed his horse until he stopped at the center, the only thin misplaced was a ross ridden boulder. Life had painted him in front of her eyes in a still frame until the breeze whispered between silver, wavy tresses and the greenery below him. Her mind couldn’t fumble the words together as his cobalt eyes pointing the sky suddenly flickered down to her.

“How do you feel?”

he asked, making her uncertainty well to the surface.

“A bit… confused, though, the orchids are beautiful… these are the same flowers we used to collect as children.”

“Why did you decide to follow me?”

The swordsman paused as she searched for his meanings in his eyes.

“Because… you told me to?” She stilled on her horse as she watched him carefully.

“Why when I said so?”

Air thickened with his tone. Asking the question again and again until she made the right answer.

“Because I wanted to.”

Griffith slipped off of his horse, pacing to her, palm open, beckoning her. He silently waited.

“I don’t understand the meaning of this-“

“Take my hand.” He interrupted with velvet shaping the dagger hidden under his words.

Carefully, she reached for his hand, slipping off her horse before he quietly paced them to the center of the field. The dueler moved to pull her hand away but he tightened his fingers to the shape of her palm. Blades of grass and pedals sighed between armor as they sifted to the middle where rays of the sun littered groups of sapphire corolla at once. He finally stopped and turned to face her, his look burrowing into her own.

“You followed me here because you want to. Our shared history. It wasn’t blind faith.”

A tug and she skipped closer.

“You aren’t blindly following me.” He whispered as if the trees that stood around them was an audience attempting to peer into their conversation. Silver brows furrows slightly with a rare look. So unique it was hard to place.

“I see…” The swords master averted her gaze as confusion was hitting to a boiling point. She was scared to say the wrong thing. To stir him when they were alone, damn near lost away from the camp.

She was trapped here with adrift and him. Leather over the pad of his thumb brushed over her knuckles.

“When I stumbled on this field, It scared me.” Silver lashes veiled his eyes as he glanced at the curves that made her palms.

“Why?”

“Because it was something other than what I always thought I wanted for once.” He gave a half smile, “That was years ago. Could you imagine how my thoughts are now?”

“What were those thoughts?” She asked.

A beat of silence and he tugged her fingers to pull her a step closer to him. His presence, larger than the field they were standing in.

“How do I own a kingdom when you’re not there.”

Eyes stared until the cool breeze between them forced her to blink.

“I could be a knight or come to visit whenever I can. I’m sure you’ll be busy in the castle when you get there.” She cooed, trying to soothe his worries. It was understandable, they were like bonded felines- unable to stray too far from each other naturally. At least that was her reasoning

“I mean,” He paused before craning over her, “When you’re not here, like this. This close.”

Blood quickly ran to her cheeks; It felt so dry outside there was nothing to swallow.

“I won’t be leaving you like that. I’ll always be here when you need me.” Was all she could muster. She stilled, eyes widening as she felt silvery, wavy bangs against her forehead as he pressed his against hers. Another breath shortens while leather slipped against her cheek.

“Always?” He murmurs, “Say it again.”

The cold confused her; she couldn’t stop shaking. The dueler took a step back but he followed with another in a duet.

“I-I’ll always be here.” her breath pushed out. She jolted as the thumb that rubbed her cheek suddenly pressed upon her bottom lip, brushing it open. He reeled for comfort again, his compulsive need wrapping around her like a bag over her head.

“Again.”

He took a step closer, caging her against the large boulder she thought was so far away.

“I’ll a-always!“ She coughed as she felt his thumb push against her tongue. “Griff-!“

“Shh shh.” Griffith hushed, His thumb slid deeper while the tip his nose brushed against her scalp, inhaling the ghost fragrance of lilac. “You always reminded me of these orchids.”

The swordsman began to pant. Sheets of her armor scraped against the boulder, the sound that tore from it felt as grating as the gloved finger between her teeth. She yanked her mouth back before she felt the bite of fingers squeeze her jaw harder. Hacks sounded again while a strange tinge coil within her gut.

“Where you don’t need much care to be in the way that’s perfect. Beautiful.” He whispered, “I just needed to keep the weeds away to let you grow when we were kids. It was easy that way then... Do you know how hard that will be when I’m writing edicts and sitting on the throne. How the weeds will come then to steal your time like vultures who were waiting for the kill all along.”

Palms push at his shoulder as she gagged while the finger held her tongue down.

“Griffith-”

Nails skitter at iron plates before he finally relinquished her, spit bridging from her chin while she peeled over to cough violently. Griffith simply held his gaze at her while the wretching continued.

“I apologize for the slip.” He said almost too gently. He kept himself gated behind a boundary he was barely holding up to.

“I had gotten upset thinking about it-”

“Fuck your feelings, you scared me!”

He kept the mask of calm as she resolved herself. She peeled from the rock to quickly get to her horse, scrambling like it was life raft.

“Whatever is going on with you, you need to deal with it!”

She yelled as he didn’t turn to face her. She assumed it was from guilt.

“You don’t even know the way back.”

“I’ll find it!” She yelled as she whipped her reins, the hooves driving themselves away from him- leaving him in the parting of trees. Her eyes were frantic as she shivered on her horse. Why would he do that? Where did that come from? Why was he acting this way suddenly? It was the questions that poured into her because if he were to rock in his resolve, she would feel it. She always did. Even when he appeared calm- it was the slightest tone of his voice that would make her feel it.

He's never this upset unless she spent too much time training with others. In their teens, whenever she would come home late from hanging with the others, she would face his fury in the shape of him sitting in dent in chair at their shack of a home. The hidden resolve would torture her with questions and nitpickings down the bone just for him to reshape her skin with something else.

Flowers hummed against steel as he stood long after she had left.