#BRING HER BACKKKKKKK

[sekaithemystic]

we really really really need charter in veilguard guys bioware spent a bunch of books and comics on how she basically co-leads this chase of solas and you are telling me she won't make an appearance? nah no way i need my elven wife and her magekiller girlfriend to come over and stay forever at solas my lighthouse and just talk trash about him while solas pokerface inside rook's head

[transmasculinizing]

morally gray talia i miss u everyday

[mukuberry]

finished season 2 of Doctor Who im crying what the hell

[mothmanavenue]

i know my place, i know my place, and THIS IS IT

[throwbacktears]

have we all moved on from lazybaby being removed from spotify? yes? okay great.

because i havent

[latin-dr-robotnik]

VOTE PEAK GO GO GO

I love how With Me's orchestral arrangement builds up in the background as Merlina explains her reasons for wanting a world that never ends, almost overpowering the entire scene before taking a sinister turn as soon as Sonic attacks her. Everything here is crafted with so much care.

I love Sonic and the Black Knight. A lot.

[thistooisphanyuri]

BRING HER BACKKKKKKK

[daydream-cement]

Vines Forever Intertwined

Just a little sneak peak of a new Larissa multichapter for the summer <3

“Good morning. Is this the Weems' residence?” 

A non-distinct brunette in sunglasses and a suit stood on your front doorstep. She almost looked to be something from a Men in Black movie, a sight that made you skeptical of her identity and reasoning for being there.

“And who are you?” Typically you were more polite than this, but since your hectic beginning at Nevermore Academy, you had grown to be entirely wary of strangers and their intentions. 

She paused for a moment, looking you up and down, expecting you to be friendlier due to the stories from her coworkers, “Agent Thatcher. I’m here to talk to you and your wife about helping with a little situation we have in Louisiana.”

You had wondered when trouble would come for you once more, but it would take more convincing than a veiled description for you to take part in anything else that could get you killed. Folding your arms over your chest, you squinted at Agent Thatcher, “We?” 

“I work for BOA. The Bureau of Outcast Affairs.” Thatcher reached into her pocket, pulling a business card from her jacket and handing it over to you. 

The card had BOA centered in the middle of the card, typed in small letters. Flipping over the business card, you were greeted with the sight of ‘Agent A. Thatcher’ followed by her phone number in small print in the center. No other descriptions or information was present for you to gain a better understanding of this woman and her intentions for you and Larissa. 

Having this woman on your doorstep was beginning to make you nervous, enough so that you glanced back in the house, hoping Larissa would descend the stairs and interrupt, giving you a reason to shut the door in Agent Thatcher’s face, “Why would the Bureau of Outcast Affairs need our help?” 

At your slight spike in anxiety, the potted petunias to your left crept up and out towards the woman, almost as if they were tentatively checking to see if the woman was of any danger to you. 

The agent persisted, even with your obvious disinterest, “We have seen what you are both capable of. We believe the happenings in the swamps of Louisiana are well suited to your abilities. I’ve spoken with the board about the matter. They can spare you both for a few weeks. If you would like to sit down, we could discuss the matter.”

“No, thank you. We are done with breaking curses and saving outcasts. I think we should leave those things up to the professionals.” With a curt nod, you close the door on the agent, not wanting to expose yourself or Larissa to any more danger. 

There was a small pang of guilt you felt for being so rude, but your desire to help others wasn’t nearly as strong as it was to keep your family safe. A nagging at the back of your head told you that you hadn’t seen the last of Agent Thatcher.

Larissa’s voice called from the top of the staircase, bringing your attention up to her towel clad form. Her hand was resting on her hip while the other held the towel in place, “What was that all about, Fern?”

THEY'RE BACKKKKKKK :))

[nin-jay-go]

LIVEBLOG!!!!!!!

COME ON GUS DONT TALK SHIT ABOUT THE DEAD

aw shit the dragons

awawawawawaw arin's little horns :D

"i love you arin" cuuuute

oh i love how homemade and worn arin's armor looks :)

lloyd is so fucking tired give this man a break

"watering the plants can wait." he says epicly

AMONG US

there is no war in ba sing se :)

PERCIVAL TARTIGRADE!!!!!!!!!

HELLO DR LAROW CAN WE KISS

fucking YIKES beatrix your dictator is showing

"i made it do a thing! i deserve a break ^v^" KAI BUDDY

THESE FUCKING HOTHEADS LMAOOOO

i am! a sneaky man!

wyldfyre i love you so much

yall they're ghosts just splash them with water

YALL. WATER. WHAT ARE YOU DOING.

fuck OFFFFF with that "he created the other realms" bullshit i am cancelling that

oh they just invite frohicky up to the monastery huh

THE ANNUAL SOUP-LAUNCHING FESTIVAL???????

frohicky being the assistant keeper of the monastery could either be the worst decision ever or the best decision ever

oh god the hotheads are together

get cleaned idiot friend: gently sponges you

omg wait there's little swirls in arin's curls!!!! he IS the master of spin :D friend: he does his hair with spinjitzu

they're just playing frisbee

OH DEAR GOD HE BROKE THE SHIP

my friend and i in unison: YOU HAVE SAILS WHY ARE YOU PADDLING lloyd: we have sails us: THANK YOU

IRON LUNG?????????

oh the coral guy from the trailers!

OH THE CRAB. THE GIANT FUCKING CRAB.

CACKLING

I AM GOING TO START CRYING!!!!!!!

dey pay me in woims

ok so we were right the crab is controlling the guy

🆑🅰️🅱️

lloyd you are not beating the cat allegations

skulkin look interesting in their new update

i love this guy's voice he sounds funny

SIR WHY DID YOU EAT THE CUP

BRING BACK SNAKE JAGUAR

or. that. that could work. why did he put on the noir coat again

wyldfyre. girl. YOUR ACTIONS HAVE CONSEQUENCES

i love these lavatides so much oh my god

whoever wrote kai this season nailed it

omg zane's birthday :D

LOBBO LOBBO :D

GULCH!!!! i missed you buddy

ZANE EXPERIENCES A MICROAGGRESSION

INSTALLING WINDOWS

lobbo my love

they gave kai the role of comic relief in lieu of jay being missing

frohicky you are so silly

EYEBALL???

oh boy the jay spirits

....wait. if the spirit of the temple was split in two by the merge... could jay have been split in two?

ZANTH... LIKE XANTHE MY YELLOW NINJA...

oh no nya girl how are you not having a panic attack

this djinn has depression dear god

oh god they're CURSED????

oh the ghosts are djinn banshees that are gonna kill them. great.

nya's gonna have some Thoughts after this

dorama- the elemental master of parlor tricks

"they call it doom" yea its a video game from the 90s

oh the lightning dragon's name is jiro! cool!

effervescent.....

DOOM MUCUS?????

VERTICALITY

COLE'S KIDS!!!! THERE THEY ARE!!!!!

arin voice rapton lives don't matter

alas. i have been. ✨disrespected✨

watch the path be lined with salt crystals

CALLED IT

OH SHIT ITS THE OFFICE WORKERS

BIG ROCK COLE!!!!! HES BACKKKKKKK

ANOTHER FRITZ????? LIKE FRITZ DONNEGAN??????

THE HOARDER??????

cole's boyfriend???? real????? love wins??????

LIKE THE LAND ITSELF IS SCREAMING???? ARE YOU OK?

elemental power of SUPERGLUE

FUSION??????????

dude geo's design is so cool. is he a geckle/munce hybrid or is he a keeper?

bonzle....

oh wyldfyre can just break rocks with her hands huh

SILENT HILL???????????? WHY ARE THE LOST ONES IN FUCKING SILENT HILL

oh geo is a hybrid!

this is a transgender allegory. trust me bro.

oh my god geothermicshipping real

STOP DEADNAMING HER

ALKWGJLKASDKHSKJFDAJH A LITTLE GUY

SWEEPER????????? I WANT 50

there is no heterosexual explanation for them

welcome to the backrooms!

this is an eldritch dimension

this is genuinely horrifying what the fuck

i like how the hotheads were the first to find the core

kai voice hi i have trauma. but i'm normal.

why does the purple serpentine sound like one of the starkid actors

is it jay sending them the messages???? i want him to be a villain so bad pleaseeee

WHY WAS ZANE KIDNAPPED??????? HELLO?????

jay's the manager, calling it now

oh my god we're in the realm of madness??? WE'RE IN THE FUCKING SPIRAL REALM

ADMINISTRATOR IS JAY

why are these computers SO bad

my friend: lloyd garbageadon

OH MY GOD WE'RE IN ACROSS THE SPIDERVERSE

CALLED IT

I FUCKING CALLED IT

LKETS FUCKING GO

IM SO SMART

dorama's gotta be an important character later on bc that's a lot of power he has

zane you are so cool

dude don't just leave the core at home thats so stupid

oh ras is from wyldness? not chima?

?????? why is zeatrix 1) named that and 2) what is that power?????

imperium is not immune to propaganda

jiro's a wildclaw :D i know what my next project is

oh my god drew's cole is so good,,,,

my friend: guy who has only been in theater productions: this is giving me a lot of theater vibes

rapton is dead.

oh they're twins. that makes sense

last time there were twins with powers the power split itself in two. what happened here?

beatrix and harumi would get along like a house on fire

GET THEIR ASSES PERCIVAL TARTIGRADE

surprise! the mad scientist has morals! or at least self-preservation

she is still kissable

what if jay is next season's villain? (still has hope)

oh hotheads my beloved

SORA TRANSGENDER

LMAO NYA JUST CALLED BEATRIX MID JKDSFGBKJSKDJFJ

hey nya you wanna tell the others that cole is alive??????

HOTHEADS MY LOVES

rapton domestication arc

ok rapton is really funny actually

oh dear.

THEYRE GLITCHING THEYRE GLITCHING HTEHSAUHAOWHOUHFHAWHODAUWH

NO WYLDFYRE

ARINNNNNN HE LOVES SORAAAAAAAAAA

OH MY GOD THEY ARE STILL ON BEATRIX'S SIDE

every queer kid cries out in agony for sora

theeeere it is! elemental powers :D all her own :D

LOBBO SAFE AND OK ALL IS GOOD

oh!! the conduit!!!!

DRAGON HUGSSSS CUUTE CUTE CUTE CUTE

7 source dragons huh......

oh god ras has a new student

YOUR MASTER?????

[issatalk]

Iowa / Tech game craaaazy anyone who expected it to be anything but close is crazy! I was expecting VT to pull out the dub, what with Iowa losing so much but VT returning their all Americans

Caitlin is unreal 🔥 saw a lot on her fg% but I don’t think it matters that much if you get the win and are also playing a very difficult team that’s focused on shutting you down

ISSA TALK

(pt.2)

Yesssss the game was long awaited to be seen, i mean if vt would have won against lsu in the final four that would have been the game, it was definitely up to what i expected, tho as you said iowa lost most of their bigs which is super stressful cus they are just trying to figure out who to put in, and vt lost mostly guards which did impact their game but new players can come and bring points. l fell like vt after the 3/4 kinda give up a bit like only georgia is alive by that fourth, she was still shootin and trying to bring a good game.

When they were having a two mark on her it was so good to see her get away with it and get. a call or a bucket it was too good, she was definitely hot (in both ways) cus i mean 44 POINTS IS CRAZY for a college hooper and i mean she’s putting up with at least 30 a game also congrats to georgia for her career high of 31 points!!! Vt are great team but i feel like they are also settling in with the freshmen and triunfo to work it out on court, liz, king and georgia are of course openers but just like iowa they have two spots to securitly fill so it was definitely going to be a good game.

and also to talk about the LSU-Colorado game, wow i mean colorado is honestly a tough program atm and with frida my god, she is so effective on court, 7 triples against the defending champions was on another level. LSU was defo a bit lost and i do feel as though they might have been with their egos too high but they’ll bounce back after all this is just one game. They won against Queens but i’m not sure their program is peeking through so it was pretty obvious LSU would win.

Now PBuckets wise i am so so so happy that she is backkkkkkk, it’s clear geno wants paige to perform to her fullest so he only gives her a couple of mins but her buckets are toughhhh, she is averaging minimum points but when you look at the assists and rebounds compared to the minutes she’s getting it’s pretty good. Aaliyah is eating up the conference! like are you kidding me?!?!? personally i consider that a guard can only have so many point if they are 1- really talented or 2- really really tall, cus like i love seeing all this talent peeking. KEEP THE PAZZI INFO COMING, i miss my moms.

It’s crazy to me how freshmen’s are FREALESS in the game so many good recruits came this year and i’m so excited for them to show off their game.

Anyways that’s the lil info dump of today, thank you.

Issa, out.

[604to647]

OHHHH HE'S BACKKKKKKK!!! And he's hungry 🤭🤭

So happy to see them again and for Joel's comeback success! And now they can be public 🥹🥹 Mallory! I'm in awe of how you balanced such sweet romance (unassuming fancy restaurant? Ordering food that will impress her even though he hates it? FLYING IN DESSERT?! 🫠🫠) with the absolute toe curling filth that came afterwards 😫😫 I was sweating when she slid her foot up his leg, and then I think I might have blacked out when he brought out the camera. What happened again?? I think I'll have to go reread 😏🤭 Thank you for bringing them back in the absolute best way!!

The Return

Batter Up Chapter 7

Pairing: Baseball player Joel Miller x Female Reader Rating: Explicit. 18+ (Minors DNI) Summary: After a month of being away from the game and the girl he loves, Joel Miller is back and ready to play. Warnings: smut, making a sex tape, oral (f receiving), unprotected p in v (reader has an IUD), cream pie, also regular pie, joel miller's dirty mouth, wine. Words: 5,000

A/N: Thank you to my dearest @devineconjuring and her beautiful brain for beta'ing and being my grammar goddess.

Masterlist Playlist

⚾️⚾️⚾️

The crowd chants Joel’s name, lights flicker through the stadium, the ground feels like it’s shaking beneath his feet. He loves this feeling—the rush of adrenaline coursing through him, the loud crowd drowning out every doubt he’s ever felt. After three weeks on the injured list and another week rehabbing in the minors–a month away from the big leagues–Joel Miller is back.

He walks to the plate, digging his heels into the dirt and tapping his bat against the plate as he soaks in the moment. 

“Miller, good to see you back,” the catcher says.

Joel nods, and grunts an acknowledgment back.

His eyes settle on the pitcher, some young phenom throwing 99-mph with almost every pitch. Don’t worry kid, you’ll get old like me.

The first pitch whooshes past him—ball one. 

Ball two.

Strike one.

The pitcher’s keeping it a little outside, Joel inches closer to the plate, squaring up. The pitcher winds up again, Joel takes a deep breath, feeling the vibration of the bat as it connects with the ball. The crack of the bat reverberates through the stadium as the ball soars past the infield, over the outfield, and disappears beyond the right-field fence.

Home run.

The crowd erupts, the celebratory bell tolls as he rounds the bases. His eyes scan the club box above third base, finding you amidst the cheering fans, your arms raised high, that smile of yours lighting up his heart.

Joel Miller is back, doing what he loves, and now in front of the woman he loves.

__

You’re so proud of him. You wipe the tears from your eyes as Joel’s feet touch home base. His recovery wasn’t easy. Every week away from the game for someone as old as him means double the work versus a young kid just in the game. Forty year olds aren’t known for being pro athletes. 

With the long Labor Day weekend, you were able to take time off from work and travel by train to Philadelphia to witness Joel's celebrated comeback, which had turned into a legend after his grand slam. Suddenly, all of your worries are lifted away. The stress of telling your families that you're a couple, your demanding job as a column writer at Sporting Digest that revolves around the ebb and flow of games, trades, and record breaking moments–none of it matters now.

Your responsibilities at work have been stacking up over the past few weeks. Churning out articles on everything from college football predictions to analyses of NBA draft picks. When you were hired you agreed to not cover baseball, what with the conflict of interest and all. Now, you dream of the headlines you could write about your boyfriend’s triumphant return. 

You’ve barely been able to leave your laptop. Last week, you spent three days shadowing a tennis star at the US Open, scribbling notes on her training and the pressure of being labeled the “next big thing.” You’ve barely had time to breathe, let alone do laundry, go grocery shopping, and, most importantly, be there for Joel. You put in countless hours of work to make this long weekend possible, just so you could witness his big comeback firsthand. 

“Heck of a player that Miller is,” you hear the TV in the corner say. “He sure knows how to show everyone he’s still got it, doesn’t he?” 

You clutch his number dangling from your neck, you’re so proud of him, always proving everybody wrong. Well worth every sacrifice. 

__

The Liberties win, 4-0, all thanks to Joel’s grand slam in the first inning. Sports radio is going to have a field day with this. 

You make your way down to the stadium’s corridors, where staff rush around with more important tasks than yours. 

The Liberties clubhouse sits just ahead of you, the two large blue doors stay closed to onlookers. You rest your back against the cold cinder block wall and send Joel a text, telling him to take his time.

A year ago, you never could’ve imagined this. Joel Miller—rugged, no-nonsense baseball star, the man who occupied your teenage dreams—now your boyfriend. The man who keeps your favorite pasta sauce in his pantry. The man who goes mattress shopping with you. It feels surreal, yet so real at the same time.

Every time that damn blue door opens your heart skips a beat, hoping you’ll find Joel walking out. False alarm after false alarm. 

Until…

Joel emerges, hair slicked back, wearing a gray Liberties shirt, khaki pants, and those cheesy white New Balance sneakers you tease him relentlessly about. Joel, you’re way too rich to be wearing these damn ragged shoes. 

“Hi baby,” he smiles as he wraps his arms around you, pushing you further against the wall. 

“Hi,” you breathlessly respond, smelling the body wash on his skin. Damn, he showered. “Good game.”

“It was, wasn’t it?”

You can’t help but smile at how happy he is, back where he belongs, doing what he loves.

“Come on,” he says, pulling you close. “Let’s go celebrate.” His arm stays around your waist as he leads you through the corridors to his car.

It’s so freeing now, being able to cheer for—and love—Joel out in the open, for all eyes to see.

__

“You know you made me cry today, right?” you say, reaching for his hand resting on your thigh.

“I did, huh?” he replies with a smirk on his face.

He always looks so confident as he drives. Philly’s narrow streets, filled with potholes and pedestrians, are nothing like Austin’s, but he navigates them as effortlessly as he does everything else—injuries, tough teammates, media storms. He handles it all like he handles a fastball: with ease.

“Yeah, I’m really proud of you,” you tell him softly, grabbing his hand harder. “I know I’ve said it a hundred times, but I’m just so happy to be here for you.”

He smiles that quiet Joel smile. “That’s how I feel watching you handle everything too.”

"So, where are we headed?" you ask, noticing you're not on the route to his apartment. “I hope I’m dressed okay,” you say, looking down at your simple red gingham dress. 

"It’s a surprise. You’ll be fine, you look beautiful baby," he says.

The car winds through the city. You glance over, watching the city lights flicker across his face as the car turns off the main road, slipping into a quieter neighborhood.

The car pulls up to a small, unassuming brick building tucked away on a quiet side street. No flashy sign, no valet—just a discreet, vintage lantern hangs above the door. It’s definitely a place Joel prefers. 

He turns off the car and turns to you, his hand still resting on your thigh. “Thought we’d keep it low-key,” his deep voice rumbles in the quiet of the car.

You nod, your smile widening. “Perfect.”

He steps out of the car and, ever the gentleman, comes around to open your door before guiding you toward the entrance. You wrap your arm around his, leaning into his warmth as he leads you inside.

—

“Mr. Miller, welcome to Vetri Cucina. We’re happy to have you here. Let me show you to your table.”

“Silvio," Joel says with a firm handshake. "Good to see you. Thanks."

Your eyes scan the cozy space. Shiny worn floorboards, warm amber walls, a glistening chandelier that hangs from the low ceiling–you’ve never seen a place like this before. Little did you know that behind the unassuming brick row home exterior there would be a whole functional restaurant. It feels like the perfect mix of a place for the two of you, rustic and intimate.

Silvio leads you both up a narrow staircase to a private room on the second floor. A table for two sits in the center of the room. A red glass chandelier hangs above it, candlelights flickering shadows across the golden walls.. 

“So, we’re still hiding our dinners with each other away from prying eyes?” you tease as Joel pulls the chair out for you and you take a seat.  

“Not exactly,” he says, taking your hand in his. “I just wanted to show off that I can get us a private table at one of the best restaurants in Philly.”

You laugh. “I’m sure there’s a Golden Corral around here.”

Joel chuckles. “Very funny. But trust me—you’ll love it here. They’ve got all the fancy dishes with those French words you like.”

“You know me too well.”

“Better than you think,” he says, his eyes gleaming under the golden light.

—

A waiter approaches, a polished smile on his face. “Good evening, and welcome. My name is Royal, and I’ll be taking care of you tonight. We have a special tasting menu prepared just for you, personally selected by our chef. It’ll start with an appetizer, followed by a pasta course, a main, and dessert.” 

Your mouth waters as Royal pours you a glass of wine. 

”Each course will be paired with a wine from our grand collection. Your first course will be out shortly. In the meantime, is there anything else I can bring you?”

Joel shakes his head. “We’re all set, thanks.”

“Wow,” you say once the waiter leaves, glancing around the elegantly set table. “I feel a little underdressed for a tasting menu.”

Joel shrugs. “I have a feeling they won’t care what we’re wearing once I pay the bill. Besides,” he says with a smile, “I like you in that red dress.”

“Atta boy, Texas,” you say, smiling as you sip your wine.

—

After a couple courses of delicious appetizers that you happily eat, but Joel barely touches, the water returns, presenting the main course with a flourish. 

"For your entrée, we have our signature dish: salt-crusted tilapia with a bread salad of parsley and tomatoes, alongside grilled artichokes on a bed of smoked squash puree."

You glance at Joel as the waiter expertly cracks the salt crust, revealing the perfectly cooked fish underneath. You know Joel hates fish and artichokes. The waiter sets down two glasses of white wine and disappears, leaving you both alone with the dish.

"Baby, what are you going to do?" you ask, eyes wide as Joel picks up his fork.

“Don’t worry about me. I’m here to impress you,” he says with determination before spearing a piece of the fish. He takes a bite, his nose crinkling ever so slightly as he chews.

“How is it?” you ask, biting back a smile.

Joel grimaces. “I’ve had better.”

You chuckle softly, shaking your head. “Please don’t eat it. I know the only fish you like is fried.”

“Always been more of a Filet O Fish man myself.”

“I don’t think they’ve got tartar sauce here, so please, for me, don’t force yourself.”

He sets down his fork with a relieved sigh, his hand finding yours again. “Anything for you.”

When the waiter returns, he doesn’t comment on Joel’s barely touched plate, but you notice a subtle, appreciative smile as he clears away your empty dish.

“Well,” you say, leaning back, happy and full from dinner. “At least there’s dessert.”

“Never said no to dessert,” he chuckles, before looking you in the eyes with adoration. 

"You know," he begins, his voice low and serious, "I couldn't have done this without you. Coming back after my injury—”

Joel's voice trails off as he searches for the right words. His eyes stare into yours. You squeeze his hand encouragingly, needing to hear more. 

“It wasn’t just physical,” he continues. “It was mental. Wondering if I still had it within me, if I was too old, if it was time for me to hang up my cleats. But you—you never doubted me for a second.”

Tears pool in your eyes as his thumb brushes back and forth against your knuckles. 

"I’ve always been your fan, Joel. I’ll always believe in you.”

He nods, a small smile lighting his face. “I know, and that’s what got me through. I love you.”

“I love you too,” you smile through tears. 

The waiter approaches with dessert, you silently thank the interruption so you’re not left sobbing in the middle of this beautiful restaurant over how much you love your boyfriend. 

A familiar slice of pie is placed in front of you and Joel.

“Uppercrust?” you excitedly ask, your eyes widening at the large, glazed pecans laying atop the golden crust. 

Joel gives a shy, satisfied nod, his lips curving into that familiar, gentle smile. "Thought we’d end the night with our favorite. Had Sarah overnight it to the restaurant."

“Jooooel,” you breathe out, overwhelmed by his thoughtfulness. You stare at the pie, stunned by how deeply he cares for you.

“All for you baby,” he says softly as he lifts his fork and cheers with a playful smile. “Cheers to Austin and that hotel bar.”

You laugh, grabbing your own fork and tapping it against his. “Cheers,” you whisper, trying to steady your voice. 

“Oh my god,” you moan around the fork at the first taste of sweet pie. “I can’t believe you got this. You’re too good to me.”

He barks a laugh. “Baby, this is nothing, I owe you so much.” 

The pie is sweet, but your boyfriend is sweeter. 

The sweet wine served with the pie warms your body, Joel’s smile from across the table warms you even more. You sneakily slip your foot out of its sandal, and run it up his leg, making your way up to his crotch. He jumps in surprise, his eyes leer at you as he takes a sip of wine. Your foot finds its target, against the soft fabric of his pants, thankful for the white tablecloth that hangs from the table. He places a hand on your foot, pushing it closer to his crotch. You giggle as your toes wiggle back and forth, teasing him. 

“So, what’s next?” you ask, with a mischievous grin.

"Well, after we finish dinner, I'll pay the bill, grab some leftover pie for later...and then take you home and fuck you," he responds confidently.

A small hmph escapes your lips at the promise. “Is that so?”

“Oh, it absolutely is,” he replies, a sly grin spreading across his face. He leans in close, his voice lowering to a secretive whisper. “Just think about it—my place, those fancy sheets of mine you love so much…”

His hand wraps around your foot, pressing it harder against him. 

“Now you’re just making me impatient,” you tease. 

—-

The plates are cleared, the leftover pie is boxed up, Joel settles the bill and rises from his seat, extending his hand to help you up. 

Your fingers lace together as you step out into the warm summer night. Joel leads you to his car, unlocking it and opening the door for you. You lean over and seal your mouth over his, relishing in being able to kiss him out in the open. You pull away and give him a smirk before getting in and sliding across the passenger seat, your heart racing with anticipation for the next stop—Joel’s apartment. 

Your time together has been precious and few. Your career keeps you north in New York, Joel’s training and rehabilitation game have kept him busy and all over the states. But now, you finally have three nights together—the most time you've had since his injury a month ago. 

He glances over at you and winks before he adjusts the rearview mirror. You miss his truck back in Austin, the front bench seat allowing you to slide over and cuddle him close. You curse the existence of the center console. 

“Buckle up, baby,” he says with a grin. Your heart races at the double entendre. 

—-

Taking the elevator up to Joel's penthouse brings back memories of that first night together, when you couldn't believe how handsome he looked in that golden elevator at the hotel, not believing you were about to sleep with Joel Miller. Now, his body presses against yours as you lean on him, his head nestled in the crook of your neck as he leaves sweet kisses down your skin to the matching pendant of his number you wear, leaving a kiss against it before his eyes meet yours. 

“I can’t tell you how much I love seeing this on you, baby,” he says before licking his way up to your mouth, sealing his over yours. He grabs your ass, lifting you into his hold, your legs instinctively wrap around his waist, your arms wrap around his wide shoulders. 

The elevator doors open and he carries you into his penthouse, crowding you against the entryway wall. His mouth moves against yours with fervor, deepening the kiss as your fingers tangle in his hair. You gasp against his mouth, the cool wall chilling your overheated skin. 

“God, you’re so beautiful,” he murmurs between kisses, his breath warm and sweet against your lips. “I’ve missed this—missed you.”

He turns and carries you to the living room. The ambient city lights shining in from the floor-to-ceiling windows light Joel’s way. He gently sets you down on the couch and slides his hand to the back of your neck, pulling you closer for another kiss.

“Let me show you how much I’ve missed you, baby,” he whispers against your lips, pausing to look into your eyes.

You nod, breathless and eyes wide. “Please,” you whisper. 

He grins, standing back slightly, taking in the sight of you sprawled on his couch, dress askew. “You look so damn good.” 

His hands rest on the hem of your dress and, with a cocky grin, he slowly lifts it up, exposing the soft skin of your thighs. 

“God, this is all I’ve been thinking about. Drove to the ballpark thinking about you, stepped up to the plate thinking about you, and, baby,when I saw you in the stands… all I could think about was you naked in my arms.” 

“Joel…” you struggle to find the words, already lust-drunk on his words. 

“I need to taste you.” 

He drops down to his knees in front of you, his large fingers slipping beneath the waistband of your underwear and sliding them off.

You bite your lip as he grips your thighs and spreads them apart.

He breathes out a deep sigh at the sight of you. A low whistle leaves his lips. “There she is, she’s so fuckin’ pretty.”

He leans closer and places soft kisses along your inner thighs, teasingly slow, making your heart race even faster.

“Joel…” you plead.

He spreads you wider, warm breath teasing against your core. He licks a long, slow line from bottom to top, humming appreciatively at the first taste of you. 

Your back arches, a gasp escaping your lips. "Oh my God," you breathe.

His rough palms grip your thighs, thick fingers digging into the flesh as he holds you steady. His hot breath tickles your skin as he licks you. "God, you taste so good," he murmurs against you, his voice vibrating against your cunt. “Missed this taste.” 

His tongue explores you as your fingers tangle in his hair, gripping the soft waves of his dark strands.

Two thick fingers slide inside you, stretching you perfectly. Plush lips close around your clit, sucking and lapping at your sensitive nub.

It's been almost a month since he last touched you like this, and now with his skilled mouth and fingers all over you, your body is ready to let go.

“Joel,” you moan. “C-close.”

He enthusiastically hums against you, deep brown eyes staring into yours from under furrowed brows. His fingers pumping in and out of you as his tongue flicks rapidly over your clit. Your pussy pulses against his thick fingers, squeezing them as you bloom under the pleasure of finally feeling his touch. Goosebumps rise all over your skin, cheeks heating, legs trembling, and your eyes tightly shut… and when he curls his fingers upwards inside you, your orgasm crashes into you, your pussy soaking his hand and your voice screaming his name. He doesn't stop, continuing to lick and tease you through your orgasm until it's all too much and you're pulling at his hair.

He pulls back with a satisfied smile and kisses your inner thigh before standing and placing a kiss on your lips. You taste yourself as he licks into your mouth. His plush lips sucking against yours. 

Before you can catch your breath, Joel scoops you up in his strong arms, throwing you over his shoulder and carrying you into his bedroom. You giggle as he smacks your ass and growls. 

He sets you on the edge of his bed, the crisp white sheets cool against your overheated skin. He steps back, his eyes roaming over your body. 

“Stay right there,” he says as he moves to the closet, rummaging around for a moment before returning with a black camera and tripod in hand. 

Your breath catches at the sight as he sets them up, carefully adjusting the angle. 

The tiny red recording light blinks on and the little screen lights up. There you are, all disheveled—dress hiked up, your lips full and swollen from Joel’s mouth. 

His eyes meet yours. “Is this okay?” he asks softly.

You nod, excitement running through your body. “Yes,” you breathe. 

He grins as he removes his shirt, tossing it to the side before he steps out of his pants. He stays behind the camera, standing in the shadows like a director. “Go ahead baby, take it all off.”

You stand slowly, your heart racing at Joel and the camera’s attention. Dark brown eyes watch you intently from behind the camera, his eyes never leaving your every movement. You reach back and unzip your dress, pulling it down, as you slowly slip the straps off, letting the dress fall to the floor, the red gingham fabric pooling at your feet. 

"God, you're gorgeous,” he whispers.

You reach behind to unclasp your bra, staring at Joel as you let it fall away. Your breasts are exposed to his eyes and the camera, your nipples hardening in the cool air. You’re completely bare now except for the necklace with his number. 

"Touch yourself for me, baby," he instructs softly.

You smile, running your hands slowly up your sides, cupping your breasts. Your fingers glide over your nipples, teasing them to stiff peaks before you back up against the bed and lay across it, spreading your legs wide for the camera and Joel. Your hand snakes down your body, across your stomach, down to the apex of your thighs. 

You lock eyes with Joel as you slowly circle your clit, your breath hitching. His gaze is dark from behind the camera, his chest rising and falling rapidly. You can see the outline of his cock straining against his boxer briefs as he watches you pleasure yourself. Your fingers dip lower, sliding into your wet heat.

"That's it, baby," he groans. "Show me how you like to be touched."

Your other hand kneads your breast, pinching and rolling your nipple.

Joel steps out from behind the camera, moving to the edge of the bed. He strips off his boxers, his thick cock springing free. He strokes himself slowly as he watches you.

"You're so fucking sexy," he growls.

You whimper at his words, your fingers moving faster. "Please, baby,” you whine, “I need you."

He grabs your foot and turns you on the cool, slick sheets. Glancing over at the camera’s small display screen to check the angle of your body.  

He climbs on the bed and you instantly welcome the warmth of his presence and his broad body. He positions himself between your legs, gripping his cock and running the head through your folds, coating himself in your wetness. Your breath catches as he slowly pushes inside, a smile lighting your face at finally feeling him inside you.

"Fuck," he groans, his eyes fluttering closed as he bottoms out. "You feel so good, baby. So tight and wet for me."

You moan as he starts to move, his hips rolling against yours in a steady rhythm. Your hands glide over the expanse of his shoulders and down his muscular back, relishing in feeling the flex of his strong muscles with each thrust.

He leans down, capturing your lips. His tongue tangles with yours as he picks up the pace, fucking you harder. 

"Look at the camera, baby," Joel murmurs against your neck. "Let's show it how good I make you feel."

You tilt your head, looking directly at the camera lens with heavy-lidded eyes. The knowledge that you are being recorded, that Joel will watch this later, that the two of you will get off while watching yourselves… it’s a new thrill for you. You moan louder, arching your back higher as Joel fucks you. 

"Touch yourself for me," he commands.

Your hand snakes between your bodies, fingers finding your clit. 

"Oh god, baby," you moan, your fingers working furiously at your clit as he pounds into you. "I'm so close."

Joel's rhythm falters slightly as he watches you touch yourself, sweat glistening on his brow. "That's it. Cum for me. Let me feel you."

Your voice echoes through the room as you cry out Joel’s name, your body trembling as your walls clench tightly around him. 

“Fuck,” he grunts, his hips snapping against yours. “So fucking good, you cum so fucking good for me. So fucking tight.”

He pulls your body towards him, sitting up on the bed, his cock still buried deep inside of you. You take control and ride him, your legs wrapping around his waist as you grind down on him. His hands grip your hips firmly, guiding you.

“That’s it baby. Take what you need from me,” he growls.

Your hands tangle in the short waves of his hair, pulling him in for a kiss. Your tongues exploring each other’s mouths, bodies glistening with sweat.

He breaks the kiss, his forehead resting against yours, his nose bumping against yours. “I love you. God damn baby, I love you so much.”

“I love you too,” you moan as he thrusts up into you.  

He captures your lips again. “I’m close,” he groans against your mouth. “Cum with me baby. Give me one more.”

His hand snakes down between your bodies, his thumb finds your clit, rubbing firm circles against it as you bounce on his cock. 

You cry out his name as you orgasm, Joel’s fingers and cock working in tandem to push you over the ledge. You turn your head to the camera, staring into it as you chant Joel’s name while your walls clench around his cock. 

“Oh fuck baby,” Joel groans, his hips stuttering. “I’m gonna cum for you.”

In one swift motion, he flips you onto your back, your legs instinctively wrap around his waist as he buries his face into the crook of your neck, his hot breath fanning across your skin as he chases his own release. Your hands run down his back, feeling the flex of his muscles with each thrust.

"Cum for me, Joel, I want to feel you cum inside me."

With a final and deep thrust, Joel stills above you. He groans your name as he empties himself inside you, his cock pulsing with each spurt. He fills you with his release, still gently fucking you with soft thrusts, pushing his seed deeper inside you. 

He leans over and grabs the camera, his cock still plunged deep inside you. With a sly smile, he films your face, capturing the bliss across it.

“Look at you,” he admires, “smiling all sweetly, all drunk on my cock and cum, aren’t you baby?”

You moan a response and nod eagerly. 

He chuckles as he pulls out, shuffling his body down to settle in between your legs. Joel positions the camera between your thighs, spreading them apart and running a finger through your cunt, swollen and slick with his spend pulsating out of you.

“Look at you, leakin’ everywhere,” he groans, collecting himself across his fingers and sticking it inside you. “Can’t have that, now can we?” 

His eyes stay focused on the little screen, watching his fingers pump in and out of your overworked cunt. 

“Fuckin’ filthy baby,” he angles his fingers, your slick squelches loudly across the room. 

Writhing and whining under his touch, your skin is overheated, your pussy radiating heat across your body. 

He pulls his soaked finger out, wiping it across your folds. “Show me how you drip baby, let me see.” 

A gush of his cum leaks out of you, the warm liquid runs down your ass, pooling on the bed. 

“Fucccccccccck,” he growls. “Can’t stop looking at this.” 

He zooms out, capturing your whole body in the frame. 

“Tell me whose pussy this is,” he instructs.

“Yours,” you breathlessly respond.

“That’s it baby,” he growls, before his eyes lift from the camera and into yours. “I love you,” he softly says, his eyes rounding in reverence. 

“I love you too.”

He grins, standing up from the bed and switching off the camera before placing it down on the bedside table.

“That was incredible,” you sigh. “I can’t believe we just did that.” 

A smile spreads across his face as he leans down to give you a tender kiss on the lips. "We'll have to watch it later," he says before heading to the bathroom. He returns with a damp towel and gently wipes between your legs, before planting a kiss on your forehead and turning to leave the room.

“Where are you going?” you slur, too blissed out of your mind. 

“To get pie. I’m starving.”

[apollos-boyfriend]

just woke up from a dream where c!purpled came back to us and now i’m depressed

[junikshanasar]

bnha chapter 323 thoughts

im backkkkkkk from Alberta and also bnha deprived!

and yet somehow there are only two chapters to catch up on ಥ_ಥ

But wow, WOW, what a chapter to return to

For one, I love how we finally see how smart Principal Nezu really is. His intelligence as been alluded to multiple times, and heck, his quirk is literally being super duper smart, but so far it feels like UA’s safety system has been overstated, what with being broached by villains twice, but consider that nobody actually broke into UA? It was always in a separate facility.

And nice, this cute rodent set up such an intricate system based off his intuition! What a chad

Nezu just feels so reliable, somehow it feels we can’t go wrong when he’s involved. I also love how he didn’t wait for all the admin stuff and went right ahead to pay out of his pocket, really shows how much he cares for his students, and also what a incredible person he is in this world.

Like oh my god?!! And it totally makes sense he’s a major contributor to quirk morality, as a literal lab rat that we’ve seen holds memories of the way he’s been treated before.

Honestly kaminari is so perfect, he’s just me this entire chapter

Kiri and Tokoyami just pointing at each other lol

I actually really love how we can see the closeness between characters now

Look at Bakugou and Todoroki, I said this before but they are for real such great friends now, and honestly my favourite friendship because their dynamic is just hilarious

Also I lowkey miss the Shiketsu kids, in particular Inasa and Camie. Bring back the Disaster Squad!

Also, awwwwwww we all seem to ferget that these kids have parents! And families!

She’s so worried oh my god poor Mama Midoriya, when I saw this I couldn’t help but want to yell at the crowd to see that this kid they’re all bashing is so young, and has a worried mother crying her eyes out

(also look at Mitsuki holding her back so she doesn’t get hurt, I think these two are still friends? I don’t think Inko or Mitsuki actually knew abt Bakugou’s bullying. Regardless, it’s sweet to see camaraderie between the UA kids parents)

Eri! And Monoma. These two got close when practicing with her quirk, that’s cute. Everyone likes to put together Shinsou and Eri, though I don’t think they acc ever interact in canon. Not that I hate Shinsou-Eri sibling life, but just saying Monoma’s got the older brother role down pat too =￣ω￣=

Kota! And Ragdoll. Is she still quirkless? Eri could technically reverse that, right?

This acc made me laugh, because I genuinely couldn’t recognize Endeavor in this get up

Also holy cow I am so close to beating these civilians up

There’s just so much spite and hostility, Mido’s danger sense is going haywire

But it’s ok, because we have Uraraka, the true mvp of this arc. She does what we all wanted to do, and screams at everyone to open their eyes and look:

Actually you can see she’s been brewing about this for a while,

You can see she took the tackling with full power to heart, and throughout the confrontation with the crowd:

She’s been watching, until she finally decides to take it into her own hands.

Also lol, did you really need the megaphone present mic??

And yea, I love how Nezu’s thoughts about surpassing All Might are over Uraraka’s panel:

Bakugou says it himself, they’re all here to step up when Midoirya can’t by himself. Surpassing All Might isn’t just Midoirya’s duty, but the duty of all of Class A, and the rest of the future generation of heroes.

Truly an inspiring chapter, but anyway im yeeting to go read the next one so look forward to my thoughts on that tomorrow!

[heyyyharry]

Chapter 5: The North Mountain

(from ‘The Winter and The Crown’)

…in which Harry and Y/N set off on a new journey and get stuck in another snowstorm.

Word count: 4.6k

AU: queen!y/n, commander!harry

Description: Y/N and Harry set off on a new adventure to find ‘the cure’ for an ancient curse, meanwhile, the enemies are plotting to take her kingdom.

Wattpad link (Reyna as Y/N)

THEY’RE BACKKKKKKK! There’s another cave scene in this chapter 👀

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“Are you sure, Your Majesty?”

“Yes,” Y/N told Mary for the third and final time, hoping that she’d sounded determined even though her voice was wavering. She could feel Lance’s eyes burning holes on the side of her face. He didn’t want her to go through with this.

The throne room was utterly quiet. There were just the three of them and two guards standing by the door. Y/N hated how loud her heart was beating, as if even it could tell this was a bad idea.

“The journey won’t be easy,” Mary said, lacing her hands together in front of her crotch. “Many have tried to find the lake and those who returned had not even made it halfway to the top of the mountain.”

“I know,” Y/N said coolly.

Mary quickly looked from her to Lance as if expecting him to interrupt and convince Y/N that Harry wasn’t worth all this danger. But Lance kept a straight face, as usual, masking what he truly felt inside.

Mary drew in a breath. Then, she took the silver ring with a black gemstone off her finger and wiped it clean with the sleeve of her dress. “When my sisters and I were born,” she said, “each of us was given a ring like this. It was enchanted with our mother’s blood, so as long as the stone was red, it meant all three of us were alive in this world. That was how I knew my sisters were gone. After I’d escaped from Egon’s men, the stone faded to brown and eventually to black.” She turned to Lance. “This ring will let you know if the Queen’s in danger.” And back to Y/N. “All it takes is a drop of your blood, Your Majesty.”

Y/N met Lance’s uneasy gaze. He sighed and drew out the dagger attached to his belt and handed it to her. She held it firmly, biting her lip and pressing the tip of the blade into her finger until blood oozed out of the cut. Mary took hold of Y/N’s wrist and placed her finger above the ring. The red drop fell onto the stone and it glowed like a tiny flame before subsiding to a dimmer red.

“Blood calls to blood,” Mary said, giving the red-stone ring to Lance. He put it on as Y/N put the finger into her mouth, tasting the iron sting of her own blood. “If the colour darkens, it means she’s in danger. If it turns black, she’s dead.”

The way Mary said it, so assertively and pitifully, sent a chill down Y/N’s spine. But for Harry and her kingdom, she must not be afraid.

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Harry hadn’t expected to see the Queen in the stable. Who would expect to see a Queen out here in the middle of the night?

“What are you doing here?” she asked, looking equally surprised to see him.

He flashed a beam and continued stroking the black horse. “I ran into Jo and she told me to go feed the horses.”

“Feeding the horses isn’t your job,” Y/N said, arching an eyebrow.

Harry’s eyes widened. “It’s not?”

Y/N was speechless for a moment before she sighed. “Guide to surviving in my court: do not take orders from a maid.”

Heat pooled at Harry’s cheeks yet he managed to conceal his embarrassment with a grin. “Sorry. Your maid is pretty scary for a maid.”

Y/N shook her head as she broke into a smile. And Harry felt that weird sensation in his chest again. She’d been cold and distant since the last time they’d spoken two weeks ago. He hoped she’d forgiven him for what he’d done. Even though he didn’t know her, he felt a strong connection between them. He hadn’t had any nightmare lately about her jumping off a cliff or bleeding out to death on the floor, but those scenes had been stuck on his mind ever since the last time. He wished he knew what they meant or if they meant anything at all. That was one of the reasons he’d agreed to join her on this impossible quest – to make sure his nightmares wouldn’t come true.

“What are you doing here?” he asked and quickly added, “Your Majesty.”

Y/N’s mouth twitched subtly as she came closer. The black horse pawed the ground and snorted as if it were happy to see her.

“I’m here to say goodnight to Thunder,” she said, stroking the animal’s head.

“Thunder,” Harry echoed.

“I know what you’re thinking. Northerners have weird names for their horses,” she said. That was exactly what he was thinking. “You two have met before.”

“Thunder and I?” Harry asked, pointing to his chest.

Y/N nodded. “He was my ride on the journey last year. Would you like to see your horse?”

He said yes. And so she led him further into the stable to a beautiful brown horse who neighed and nuzzled Harry’s chest as soon as it saw him. Harry chuckled and stroked the horse’s back.

“Her name’s Lightning,” Y/N said and laughed when Harry raised an eyebrow. “Yes, I’m serious.”

Harry didn’t remember having ridden Lightning before, but he felt like he knew her in the same way he felt like he knew Y/N. The memories might not be there, but the feelings were.

“Will it be just the four of us again tomorrow?” he asked.

“No, some of my men will be joining us. They’ll carry food and water.”

“What about the King?”

Y/N paused for a bit longer. “Lance must stay here. Someone has to run the court while I’m away.”

“And Attwell?”

“He’ll travel back and forth if necessary.”

Harry had heard from the maids that the people in Attwell loved Lance and were excited about the wedding. Y/N would probably receive the same amount of adoration in Isolde if she were a man. There hadn’t been any protests in the past weeks. Harry assumed Calanthe must be planning something else, so Lance had to stay here to pacify the court during the Queen’s absence. He wanted to ask Y/N about it, but he knew she wouldn’t discuss such matters with a peasant.

“Why doesn’t His Majesty go instead?”

Y/N’s expression remained the same as if she’d been expecting the question. “This is my kingdom,” she said, “so it's my responsibility, not his.”

“But he’s going to be your husband,” Harry ventured.

“So?” She lifted her chin proudly. “You think it’s because I’m a woman I cannot finish a job?”

“No, Your Majesty.” Harry could not help but smile. “I think you’re perfectly capable of getting the job done. It’s just...I wouldn’t let my woman risk her life out there while I’m safe here in the castle.”

“Lance insisted on going for me, but I didn’t let him,” Y/N said. “Just like you, I wouldn’t let my betrothed risk his life out there while I’m safe here in the castle.”

“Ahhh, so that’s what betrothed means,” Harry said, rolling his eyes. When Y/N didn’t reply and turned her attention to Lightning, he felt the need to keep this conversation going. “So...why are we searching for the lake? You asked me to come with you but you never told me why.”

Y/N straightened her back and folded her arms over her chest. There was something so serene about her, and Harry would sometimes catch himself staring unblinkingly at her face. He didn’t know if he was allowed to gawk at a sovereign, but Y/N didn’t seem to mind.

“One drop of water from that lake,” she began, “could cure the deadliest disease, heal broken bones, make a mute person talk and a deaf person hear. So if the lake exists and we have access to its powers, we’ll have a great chance of winning against the enemy.”

Harry pressed his lips together and shifted his gaze to his feet. Y/N let out a chuckle. “Don’t tell me you’re changing your mind now.”

“I still want to go,” he said. “It just doesn’t make sense to me why you chose me to go with you. I’m flattered, Your Majesty. But I’m also confused.”

“Because we’re partners in crime,” she said. “Even though you don’t remember anything about our journey, I believe we’ll make a good team as we did, you and I.”

Harry swallowed as he nodded slowly. Being trusted by the Queen with this important quest made Harry anxious and elated at the same time. “I hope this trip will bring back my memories,” he said, then realized he was unconsciously twisting the gold ring on his finger. “Do you know how I got this ring?” He raised his hand. “I asked Kenny and she didn’t know, so I assumed I might have stolen it. I’m not feeling guilty, it’s just weird to wear a piece of jewellery that you stole without knowing how you stole it.”

To his surprise and delight, Y/N broke into laughter. “I gave it to you.”

He blinked. “Really?”

“Yeah. It was a reward for saving my life at the Wind Valley.”

“Wow.” He admired the ring. Now that he knew how he’d got it, he started looking at it differently. “Thank you.”

“You’re welcome,” she said.

He dropped his arm back to his side and let out a sharp breath. “I can’t believe we’ve crossed the Wind Valley and done all those crazy things and I don’t remember anything.”

“I suppose we’ve made a lot of impossible things possible,” she said with a faltering smile. “But that was nothing compared to this. I need to know you’re ready.”

“I am.” He gave a firm nod. “I’ll try my best. That’s the least I could do for you before I leave the court.”

“Right,” Y/N said, almost to herself than to him.

He walked her out of the stable. It was snowing. She told him she could get back to her chamber on her own and wished him goodnight. Harry clasped his hands together behind his back as Y/N turned and started walking away.

He suddenly felt the need to shout after her. “You don’t have to worry! I’ll protect you and get you home safely to the King.”

Slowly, Y/N looked back over her shoulder. Their eyes locked, and a flicker of memory flashed across Harry's mind. It’d been snowing like this. They’d been at this same spot right outside the stable. Y/N was sitting on Thunder’s back, white snow falling all around them, decorating her hair with silvery flakes.

Reality rushed back into his vision when she spoke, “I can look after myself. You keep yourself safe.���

He opened his mouth yet could not utter a word.

Her red lips curled gently. And then she was gone.

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“What is it?”

Y/N’s voice brought Lance back to reality. He cast her a single glance before scanning his eyes around. They were standing outside the portcullis. The sky was just growing light. Men were already gathered, faces red in the morning chill as they saddled the horses that snorted clouds of steam.

“Nothing,” Lance lied, not looking at Y/N. He hoped she couldn’t see through his feigned nonchalance, although it hadn’t been effective lately. Y/N had acclimated to his attitude. Sometimes he thought she had to be the only person left in this world who really knew him. It was sad, as the more attached he grew to her, the more it’d hurt when she got back to Harry.

He unconsciously twisted the red-stone ring around his finger while keeping an eye on the soldiers and servants, acting occupied.

“I’ll be back in two weeks,” she said despite his silence. “Don’t miss me too much.”

He turned back to her. She was beaming. The dawn had reddened her nose and cheeks, and as he stared, he completely forgot what to say.

“I won’t,” he mumbled, averting his eyes before she could sense his anxiety.

She placed her hand on his arm and he tried his best not to react to her light touch. He didn’t like the person he’d become when he was around her. Always so sensitive and predictable.

“I trust you not to plot on overthrowing me while I’m away,” she joked.

He let out a laugh, shaking his head. “I don’t know, my lady, your throne seems much more comfortable than mine.”

Y/N’s eyes wrinkled at the corners as she tilted her head. “When I get back, I’ll have a special cushion made for your throne.”

“I’ll hold onto that promise,” he said, flashing her his signature grin.

They were interrupted by Harry shouting at a servant for threatening Lightning with a whip. He shoved the man out of the way, obviously angry as he took the mare with him and whispered something to comfort her.

“He seems more himself lately,” Lance remarked.

Y/N only shrugged. It made him wonder what she felt inside.

She hadn’t spoken of Harry since she’d found him with the maid. Everyone in court was convinced that she was looking for the lake to use it as a weapon against Calanthe, and not to save Harry’s life. Lance didn’t want to get his hopes up. The things she did and said always contradicted the look she’d give Harry when he wasn’t looking – like she’d die for him. But he’d already died for her and was probably not coming back.

Lance told himself to never settle to be the second choice or even a choice; he’d been that his entire life being born a bastard. Yet, he would find himself looking at her that same way.

“We’re ready to go, Your Majesty,” said one of the men.

Y/N nodded once before turning to Lance. She held his gaze for a moment, probably rearranging the words in her head to make a proper sentence. She’d once told him that she was bad at goodbyes. He hadn’t thought one day he’d get to see it.

He mustered a smile and pulled the hood of her fur coat over her head, leaving only her face exposed. He cupped it with his gloved hands and she placed her hands over his. If it hadn’t been for the promise he’d made after the first and last time they’d been intimate, he would kiss her right now.

“Try not to die,” he said.

Y/N’s lips arched as she held his wrists. “Even if I die, I’ll come back as a ghost and haunt you and your new bride.”

He chuckled.

To his surprise, she pushed his hands down to close the distance between them and pressed her cool lips to his cheek. He instinctively tugged her in, hugging her like he’d always wanted as she wrapped her arms around his neck. The hug didn’t last for long. And when she pulled away, she turned at once and trudged toward Thunder.

Lance stood with his hands behind his back, watching her mount her horse and shout orders at the men. Harry was on the horse beside the Queen. For the first time since his return, he was looking at her the same way the old Harry would.

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Jo had been watching Lance pace these halls for the entire day after Y/N had left. He looked restless and would keep checking the ring on his finger. It had been funny at first, but now it only concerned Jo.

Of course, Jo was worried about Y/N, too. But from everything that'd happened, she’d learned that every time people doubted Y/N, she’d proven them wrong. And so Jo believed in her. Besides, Y/N had been alone the last time. This time she had a group of soldiers to protect her. The biggest concern should be the existence of the lake. But it was not Jo’s responsibility to think about it. Worrying would do them no good. Life had to move on here in court with or without the Queen.

“Are you kidding me?” Jo asked as she picked up her skirt and chased the King down the long corridor. Lance’s legs were longer so he strode ahead effortlessly while she was out of breath trying to catch up with him. “I’m not sharing a room with the witch!”

“She’s not a witch anymore,” he said easily. “Besides, now that the Queen is gone, it’s time for you to make new friends.”

“Said the loneliest man in the world!” she jeered.

Lance stopped walking and turned back to her, raising an eyebrow. “Why are you always so mean?"

She folded her arms, chin lifted. “I’m not sharing a room with the witch.”

“Too bad. I’m the one giving orders.” He spun on his heels and she immediately circled around him to stand in his path.

“Why should she get to live here anyway?” she said in annoyance. “She helped Calanthe kidnap Harry, tortured him and erased his memory. She should have been hung by now.”

Lance regarded an angry Jo as he tightened his jaw and sucked in a breath. “Y/N specifically requested that Mary stayed with you.”

“What? Why?”

The King lifted a shoulder. “Mary’s sister was the one who brought you back to life, wasn’t she? Don’t you think you should at least be nice to her?”

“Yes, her sister, not her!”

“The poor girl has lost everything and everyone, Jo. Have sympathy,” Lance said. “And I don’t hit women, but if she pulls some tricks, you can easily take her down.”

Jo put both hands on her hips as her mouth fell open. “What’s that supposed to mean?”

Lance snorted, shrugged again and sidestepped her. He was walking away when his footsteps slowed and he stopped, standing rigid, staring at his hand. For a second Jo thought he was going to change his mind, but then he turned around and his face was pallid. “The ring,” he said.

Jo’s gaze dropped to his finger. The stone on his ring had turned to a darker red. A prickling sensation shot up Jo’s spine as she locked eyes with the King, both of them horrified.

Their Queen was in danger.

.

.

.

A bad storm hit as soon as Y/N and her men entered the forest at the foot of the North Mountain. The powerful wind roped itself around them, wanting to either choke them or yank them off their saddles. The horses pushed through the deep snow as the trees swayed back and forth, bending in every direction while the howling of the wind grew louder and more frightening.

Y/N could not see. She shielded the flying snow from her eyes with one arm while looking around for shelter. Unfortunately, her vision was blurred by the raging storm, and she was unable to see further than a few feet ahead. The wind became more bitter and vicious. Horses neighed and men shouted. Y/N told everyone to stay calm, not sure if anyone could hear her. The only thing that kept her sane was Harry being by her side from the moment they’d set off. She thought about what he’d said outside the stable last night. Maybe he really wanted to protect her.

A human scream tore through the crying of the wind, making Y/N snap her head up and strain her ears to listen. It was a woman shouting for help. It grew louder and clearer and more desperate by seconds. Somebody else was here in the forest in this storm. But why?

“We must move, Your Majesty!” Harry yelled at her.

“Did you hear that?” Y/N shouted back.

“What?”

“A woman! There! She’s calling out for help!”

“I hear nothing.”

“How can you not hear that? There it is again!” cried Y/N, but Harry only looked at her as if she were mad. She shook her head quickly. “That woman needs our help. We must save her.”

“Are you insane?” he growled. “We can’t even save ourselves!”

The woman screamed again. She sounded as if she were in pain. Y/N thought about the dying pregnant woman she’d pulled out of the burning house and her conscience didn’t let her move on. “Wait here! I’ll be back!”

“Y/N!” Harry snapped. But she’d already pulled the reins and kicked her horse into a gallop.

She hurried through the snow, chasing the screams until she saw a figure crawling on its hands and knees across the white snow. Y/N flew off her horse and rushed toward the woman. She could barely make out the woman’s face through the wind but Y/N knew she was alive.

Y/N swore she could hear the fizz and crack of her own heart breaking. Her hood was thrown back by the wind. The cold stabbed its talons into her skin like a thousand little cuts with a serrated blade. She reached for the woman’s arms to help her up, but as soon as she closed her fingers around what should be human’s flesh, she was grasping at nothing.

The woman had vanished.

In one violent crack, the ice broke beneath Y/N and shattered into a hundred tiny fragments, sending her plummeting into the black water.

A million knives stabbed her skin, slicing her open. Her lungs contracted as her numb hands clawed for something to hold onto. She wanted to yell. Her ribs crushed her heart, and her whole body started caving in.

As her eyes shivered open, Harry’s face was the last thing that she saw through the surface.

.

.

.

Harry knew something was wrong when he saw Y/N get off Thunder’s back and head straight toward the frozen river.

He’d forgotten about everyone else. His thoughts were running wild. He threw himself off Lightning’s back and hurried after her. She was standing out on the ice when he’d caught up. He called out to her, but she didn’t look back. Her hood was off and her head was bare, the wind churning up around her, making her look as if she were made of magic.

And then the ice gave way beneath her. A shudder and a crack and she disappeared into the river.

Harry ran. His heart flattened against his ribs. His feet were slipping on the ice. He dropped to his knees at the edge of a vast hole, plunged his arms into the black water and seized her hand floating just above her head. He pulled her up, dragging her onto the ice and into his arms.

He didn’t remember how they’d got back to their horses. Fear and panic had blurred his mind. They were lost. The others had either moved on without them or stuck somewhere in the storm. There was no time to look for them because he must find a place to hide and light a fire.

Y/N was shivering in his arms. Small ice crystals had formed in her hair and on her lashes and brows. He pushed her onto Lightning’s back and mounted the horse, sitting behind her, her head resting against his chest.

Suddenly, Thunder reared upon his hind feet. Harry feared that the animal thought he’d hurt Y/N. But then Thunder snorted and sprinted ahead. Harry knew the horse wanted him to follow so he kicked Lightning and chased after Thunder. He held the rein with his right hand, holding Y/N in his fur coat with his left arm. The cold was so unbearable that every breath he took caused him pain.

They rode and rode. The wind slapping against their bodies until Thunder stopped at the entrance of a cave hidden behind snow-covered branches. The black horse entered first and Harry and Lightning followed. The further they walked, the warmer it became, but it was not enough to melt the ice from their clothes.

Harry dismounted his horse and placed Y/N onto the ground, holding her closer to him to share his body heat. It was not working. Her clothes were all soaked. The only thing that let him know she was alive was her hot breath against his cheek.

“Stay with me,” he hissed, stroking her back.

His heart stammered as her eyelids fluttered. “I’m tired,” she croaked. “I’m going to sleep.”

“No.” He squeezed her shoulder and gave her a firm shake. “You’re not going to sleep. Promise me, Y/N.”

“I promise.”

Carefully, he laid her down and gathered as many dry sticks as he could find. The horses helped. It was obvious that they’d been trained for rescue missions.

Harry managed to light a fire which he hoped wouldn’t go out too soon.

Fuck, he hoped Y/N wouldn’t go out with it.

He quickly got back to her and dragged her back into his arms. “Here, stay close to the fire.”

The ice in her hair began to melt but her face grew bluer every passing moment. Now he was really afraid. He didn’t want her to die like this, in this cave.

“You saved me,” she spoke, her voice brittle. “Why?”

He schooled his face as their eyes met. “What do you mean?”

“I thought...I thought you hated me,” she said.

He swept her damp hair out of her face and frowned. “I don’t hate you, Peach.”

He hadn’t meant to call her that. It’d slipped out. He didn’t think she’d heard it, because she didn’t react. She was going to pass out.

He shook her again, forcing her to keep eye contact. “Tell me something,” he said. She needed to keep her brain working. “Tell me your most precious memory.”

Y/N’s face contorted as she shook her head. “I-I don’t know.”

“Think.”

She swallowed dryly, her purple lips quivering before she could manage, “Sunset.”

“What else?”

“Sunset...sunset…”

“No, Y/N, look at me!”

But she couldn’t.

Her eyelids slipped shut and her head fell to the side.

“No, no, no,” he chanted, shaking her as hard as he could but she did not respond. She was still breathing but it was becoming weak.

Harry had no other choice. Either this or she'd die.

“Forgive me, please,” he murmured and hurriedly removed her coat and the rest of her sodden clothes before he sloughed off his and spread their clothes beside the fire. His face burned with shame as he took her into his arms and wrapped his fur coat around their naked bodies.

He’d been close to many women, but none of them had been dying, so he told himself there was nothing to be embarrassed about. He was only saving her life.

Her face was buried into his chest. She smelled like winter. He continued stroking her wet hair until her breath grew steadier and her skin warmed up. The relief and ease that coursed through him felt too good to resist. He allowed exhaustion to engulf him and finally shut his eyes.

Outside, the storm was still raging, but at least for now, they were safe. He was just about to drift off when he felt her arm hook over him as she snuggled closer. If she were awake, she’d be able to hear how violent his heart was thumping against his chest. He thought about what she’d said, sunset, and tried to figure out what it meant, until finally, sleep took over him.

.

.

.

In the North castle, Lance sat by the fire, its glow illuminating his face. He heaved a sigh of relief and buried his head into his hands.

The ring on his finger had turned from black to red.

[alinahdee]

bring her backkkkkkk

these king of hell bonus pictures of lucia and dante are so 🥺🥺🥺 like dante laying his head on lucia's lap, then theres lucia holding ivory and them riding together on the bike...what if i explode....theyre so cute 😭😭😭

[elizabethtarington]

Pairing: Female Human x Male Demon Warlock  Warning:SFW (Tsundere, Angst, Magic...obviously, future body image hatred, also plant engulfing??? is that a thing) Word Count: 3856 Note: I’m backkkkkkk. It’s been a hot fucking minute y’all. I can’t remember how long it’s been since I’ve written something and not smut...not yet. Don’t worry you’ll see warlock dangle at some point.  Ao3 Version 

Year 1

“You will come with me.”

It was a simple line, yet Arala didn’t understand it in the slightest as she wiped the sweat from her brow to look up at the man before her.

No, not a man. More of a creature, part human part demon, tall and gangly in stature with horns that protruded from his black hairline bending back to the crown of his head in sharp points. Piercing eyes, blackened sclera with golden irises that seemed to look right through her; cold, almost disinterested in Arala’s very presence. Despite long black robes that covered most of his body, Arala could see dark viscous golden marks, as if carved into his skin, but it wasn’t the only thing that caught her eye. The man’s skin was both human and demon, his pale skin had large splotches of graying purple, looking as if it was constantly being singed by some unseen flame.

Blinking, Arala stood up, her head still processing his statement as she finally noticed both her parents and her sister behind the man.

“I’m coming with you?”

“Do as the warlock says, Arala. We don’t want any trouble.” Arala’s mother hissed, her ice blue eyes locking with Arala’s in an earnest plea.

“Why?”

The warlock glanced back at Arala’s parents, “I thought you informed her.”

His voice was strange, gravelly and echoing, but surprisingly even toned despite his eyes narrowing as if annoyed by the situation.

“Inform me of what?” Arala asked, things still not making sense.

“Maelkath the warlock has asked for you to be his apprentice, and since you’ve been showing more magical abilities we agreed to let you go.”

Arala clenched her jaw at her father’s words, anger flaring up inside her as she looked up at the warlock who stood, unmoving and uninterested in the conversation as a whole.

“Is this true, you asked for me to become your apprentice?” There was a hint of disbelief in Arala as she glared up at Maelkath who didn’t respond the way she was hoping.

“Say your goodbyes and let us be off.”

“You cannot make me go anywhere.”

Arala’s father stepped in front of her, at first she was happy, thinking he was going to defend her or at least put up a fight, “She will go. She doesn’t really have anything that she needs to take with her.”

“What? Father!”

Her father turned, speaking firmly, “We don’t want any trouble, Arala. We have your sister and the village to think of. How would it look if we don’t give you him. What do you think he’ll do to us or the village?”

“If she has things that she wants to bring with her, she may go get them.”

Swallowing, Arala’s gaze shifted from her father up to Maelkath. The warlock’s eyes frightened her the most. It was as if he was watching her every movement, waiting for her to make the wrong move before he lunged for his prey. She noticed his blackened hands with talon-like nails could easily rip into her. Arala had no doubt he probably had sharp teeth to bite into her as well.

If his physical appearance was any indication of how terrifying he was, Arala was scared to see what his magic would do. He gave off the aura of a man who could level a mountain with a single word.

“It’s okay father, I will go.” Arala’s voice was soft as she tilted her face downward, her hair becoming a curtain to hide any tears that were threatening to spill. “I don’t have anything I want to bring with me.”

Arala’s father stepped aside, and she stepped forward, keeping her eyes pinned to the ground.

“Hurry and say your goodbyes.” Maelkath spoke.

She didn’t want to, despite walking around him and giving her parents a forced hug. They didn’t seem as upset as she thought they would be. Fear must’ve beaten sorrow as there were no tears from them or her sister; they didn’t dare upset Maelkath. Arala let them go, she would go with this monster and keep her family and village safe, she could do that for them.

“I am ready.”

Arala watched as the soil of the ground shifted and changed into a purple smokey haze that encased her and Maelkath within an instant. It felt warm, immediately reminding her of being wrapped in a blanket and lying in bed while the sun rose. But that image faded immediately as she now stood in the darkness.

The air was cold and wet as Arala gasped, falling to the ground onto her hands, unaccustomed to teleporting. She could feel damp stones beneath her and could hear the rush of water, but was unsure where it was coming from as she strained to see in the darkness.

“Get up.” Maelkath ordered, “We have much work to do if we are to get you trained.”

With the wave of his hand, flames erupted around the room, settling into many sconces that hung from the walls. It took a moment for Arala’s eyes to adjust but when they did, she was surprised at how expansive it was. Several towering stones with foreign engraved markings stood in a circle around her; behind them was a gushing waterfall that seemed to go through the stone floor.

“Hurry now.”

Maelkath’s voice was farther away now as he had been walking towards a set of spiral stairs, only glancing back at Arala who was still on the floor. She didn’t want to follow him, if she did it might be real. If she didn’t though, her village was at risk, and that was what made her move. It was in this instant that Arala felt nothing but contempt for Maelkath.

She stood, wordlessly following him up the staircase that seemed to go on forever with only the flame from the sconces to light the darkness. It was about a minute until they reached the top into a grand hallway with large stained-glass windows that seemed to ripple and breathe. Curiosity made her reach out and touch the moving glass that seemed to shiver against her touch.

“Keep moving.”

Once again, Maelkath was already down the hall, turning down the left and not willing to wait for Arala.

“Gods, give me strength.” Arala whispered to herself, as she ran after him.

She continued to follow, each hallway similar to the last with only scattered pieces of art that might help Arala to find her way around in the future. It was another minute or so that went by when Arala clued in that she must be in his castle. But where were the other people?

“Are we the only ones here?”

“Yes, but be mindful of the sentries. They will protect you, as long as you don’t interrupt their work.”

“What do the sentries look like?”

“You’ve been passing by them this entire time.” Maelkath pointed to the rippling windows. “They protect everything in the castle, so don’t distract them by touching them or bothering them.”

He stopped suddenly at a door, causing Arala to nearly bump into him, “Be mindful of your surroundings if you want to be a good warlock.”

“And if I don’t?” Arala asked, wanting to show a little defiance.

“Then you will die,” Maelkath spoke in his even tone as he opened the door and stood aside, “Your room.”

Arala wasn’t certain if she was supposed to go inside, instead she peeked to glance around.

“What are you doing?”

“I’m being mindful of my surroundings.” Arala glanced up at Maelkath, giving a little smirk that instantly disappeared as he ignored her.

“The bath is down the hall and to the right. Go get yourself cleaned up. I will come back for you in 30 minutes. That should be ample time for you to continue to be mindful of your surroundings.”

“Was that a joke?” Arala asked as Maelkath began walking away, ignoring her question.

She stood dumbfounded as she looked into her room again, she wasn’t going to have a lot of time to peruse and get acquainted until later. For now, she would do as he instructed and have a bath.

Following simple instructions wasn’t hard for Arala, but when she opened the door to the large bath she wasn’t too sure where to begin. She had never seen a bath like this. Completely carved from smooth white stone, the bath was large enough she could probably swim in it.

The hot water looked inviting, and Arala admitted that she could use a bath. She couldn’t remember the last time she had one. The village wasn’t exactly near a river, so carrying water took time and effort which meant it was a special treat. 

Arala stripped, folding her old dirty clothes and placing them on the floor next to the door, unsure of really where to set them. She had half a mind to bathe and then wash her clothes, but she didn’t have anything else to wear, and she would need to be dressed after her bath. She would consider it later after Maelkath went to sleep, that way they could dry overnight, and she could have clean clothes for tomorrow.

All thoughts slipped away as Arala stepped into the bath. The heat of the water felt good, especially since she had been just working on the garden before Maelkath scooped her up and brought her here. Her muscles were sore and as she submerged herself into the water, it felt like every knot was coming undone. She held her breath for several moments before resurfacing to the bath’s edge where she had spotted some glass bottles.

She unplugged the toppers of each one, sniffing at the contents until she smelled the bright blue bottle. It was a light floral scent that made her think of the wildflowers back home, making her heart ache. Pouring the oil into her hands, Arala cleaned herself as much as she could before rinsing and stepping out of the bath. 

It wasn’t until she was about to reach for her clothes did she notice they were gone. She knew she left them by the door, but now they were nowhere to be seen.

“What in the world?” Arala looked around the steamy room.

After a minute of being unable to find them, Arala grabbed one of the towels, wrapping it around her body before peeking her head out of the room. She didn’t see anyone or really anything except for the hallway itself. Her room wasn’t too far, she could make it before Maelkath came around. That, she was certain of.

She psyched herself up, tied her towel tight and ran as fast as she could into her room. Arala congratulated herself as she quickly closed the door behind her, her towel no longer tight against her as it started to fall.

“You’re late.”

Arala’s eyes widened in shock as she found Maelkath standing in her room with a bundle of blue in his hands

“I-I um, I couldn’t find my clothes.”

“I burned those, they were disgusting and it wasn’t going to be salvageable. This should do for today.” Maelkath placed the bundle on her bed, “Now hurry up and get dressed. You’ve already wasted enough time for today.”

“Waste time.” Arala repeated back, “What are you in a hurry for?”

“To begin your training. There are things you need to master before you fall asleep tonight or is the danger you’re in not apparent? Now, I will not repeat myself again. Hurry and get dressed.”

Arala would have been impressed with his fluid movements, but his manners or rather a lack thereof annoyed her. She was already distressed and felt like she could cry at any moment, but his attitude turned her grief into rage, enabling her to push through her pain. It was her feelings that made her slow, taking her time to put on the pale blue robe and matching slipper shoes he had provided.

She was unaccustomed to the fine silk and the way it clung to her body, or the way it felt on her skin. It was so light it felt like she wasn’t wearing anything. That knowledge alone made her tie the sash tightly around her waist before she stepped out.

Unfortunately, Maelkath wasn’t standing outside the door waiting, he was already down the hall again, “You’re too slow.” He spoke, loud enough for her to hear him.

Lifting the hem of her robe she followed him until they were outside the castle and standing in a garden. It was lush and well taken care of with many strange plants Arala had never seen, some beautiful and some frightening with slime oozing from its spiky leaves.

“While you are my apprentice you will train every day except for the last day of the week. That will be your free day to do as you wish, but until then, every day is my day. I will train you how to control your powers-”

“I don’t really have any powers--I’ve maybe made a rock float once or twice but really that’s it.”

“You really don’t know anything, do you?”

“I beg your pardon.” Arala felt heat rise in her cheeks, “I’m not an idiot if that’s what you’re saying.”

“I’m asserting ignorance not dull-wittedness.”

“What’s that supposed to mean?”

“I’m sure one day you’ll have that answer, but today we are focusing on one thing and one thing only. Your control.” Maelkath stopped to stand in a pale glowing circle surrounded by some extra drooling plants. “Stand here in the middle.”

“How is standing in that circle going to help me with control?”

“Stop asking questions, and do as I say, or else I will make you do it.” Maelkath’s eyes took on a threatening glow as his voice deepened. 

“It’s for the safety of the village and your family, get in the dumb circle!’ Arala chided herself inwardly as she stepped forward as Maelkath stepped out, uttering a guttural word making the circle glow brighter.

“Good. Now take deep calming breaths.”

Arala did her best, but the effort felt forced, “How is this going to help me control magic that I don’t really have?”

“Oh you don’t have magic, do you? Then why are my plants starting to make their way toward you?”

Arala didn’t notice it until she glanced behind her, the particularly drooly looking ones with spindly looking tendrils were stretching toward her.

“These particular plants like unstable and uncontrolled magic, they like it so much that they will devour a warlock or mage whole should they not calm themselves.”

“I’ve never heard of such plants in the wild.”

“Oh these aren’t wild, I made these myself, especially for you.” 

Arala’s blood felt cold as she glanced back at him, those glowing eyes were emotionless as they continued to watch her.

“You have nothing to fear as long as you calm down and breathe.”

“You just told me they will devour me! How can I possibly calm down now?” Arala exclaimed looking back at the plants tendrils that were getting closer and growing larger.

“If you don’t want it to eat you, then calm down.”

“No! Absolutely fucking not! I’m leaving, the village be damned.” She all but shouted it, but her feet wouldn’t move. “What’s happening? Why can’t I move?”

Stoic as ever, “That circle is to keep you in place. All you have to do is calm down. The more panicked you become the more your magic is enticing the plant.”

“I have no magic! I have none! I don’t understand!” Arala could feel the plant grip an ankle, “I can’t do this.”

“You will do this. Inhale through the nose and out through your mouth.”

“I can’t.” Arala cried, finally a sob escaped her lips, “I don’t want to do this. I want to go home!”

It was as if the plant had grown three times as big as it was and quickly wrapped around Arala’s body as panic set in. She wiggled and writhed against it as the plant bulked up, growing fat from her emotions, yet all she could see is Maelkath’s stone-like face before being completely encased in the darkness of the plant. 

Maelkath let out a disapproving sigh before reciting a short incantation, making the plant recede back into its normal state to reveal a shaking and sobbing Arala kneeling on the ground. He waited and watched until Arala had calmed herself down to realize that she was safe.

“You don’t have the training or the knowledge, but your emotions are linked to your magic. You can’t see magic yet because no one has taught you how, but you radiate it and the more distraught you become, the brighter you do as well. If you do not control your emotions, you could end up like this.” Maelkath gestured to himself, “You could hurt anyone, everyone, and yourself. You could summon storms that could destroy your village, plague forests with beasts to ravage the earth so it ruins crops, when you have magic you become the weapon instead of the magic being the weapon. So you must learn to control it.”

Arala heard him clearly as she did her best to stop crying and to wipe away her tears of fear and frustration.

“Now get up, and breathe.”

She didn’t want to, but she did it anyways. She pushed herself up from the ground, only glancing at the plant once more before closing her eyes and beginning again.

“Breathe in and out.” 

In. Out. In. Out.

She could feel the plant ensnare her again despite following Maelkath’s instruction and it wasn’t long before she was engulfed in black darkness once more until Maelkath freed her.

“Again.”

This continued until the sun had set and the moon started to rise. Arala was positive that it would go on forever despite her stomach growling and fatigue had set in. Finally, when she was certain that she would collapse from exhaustion, a miracle happened. As she continued to breathe, calming herself down the plant stayed still, no longer reaching for her, it was as calm as she was.

With a snap of his fingers, the circle under Arala’s feet disappeared, “That’s enough for today. You’ll be doing this every day until you can regularly keep your emotions in check. For now, let’s go back inside.”

Arala didn’t have the energy to argue or to cry anymore, she followed close behind, no longer getting distracted with how the castle looked. It wasn’t until she smelled food did she perk up a little, she thought maybe it was just her nose deceiving her until she followed Maelkath into a dining hall with a long table filled with steaming plates of food.

“Eat, bathe, and then go to sleep. I will be waking you up early before the sun rises.” Maelkath spoke, glancing down at Arala before walking out of the dining hall.

“You don’t eat?”

He didn’t answer at first, Arala assumed it was because he was annoyed at her questions, “The only flesh this form desires, is human--enjoy your meal.”

Arala watched Maelkath walk down the hall, leaving her to think about his words. So the stories she heard of warlocks were true, they eat and consumed other living people for sustenance. Or at least, demon possessed ones. Did that mean he was planning on eating her? Or was it because she was a mage or warlock that he wouldn’t?

The idea of him fattening her up didn’t stay in her head for long as her stomach grumbled. She was starving, having only really had a crust of bread and some cheese in the morning. But she didn’t eat as much as she would have liked with the notion of waking up to find Maelkath eating her as those glowing emotionless eyes stared at her, stuck in her mind either.

Once she was satiated enough, she managed to find her way back to her room and the bath. She was ready for another bath, finding her robe still sticking to her from the sweat from panicking and struggling against a deranged plant all day. She lingered in the bath, taking her time to scrub at her skin and to enjoy the hot water again. 

The luxury she now experienced was strange. Food in her belly, clothes that fit her and were clean, cleaner than she was, although not for long. And now two baths in a day with heated water and oil soap. Much like Maelkath’s words this morning, she didn’t understand how she got here.

She accidentally floated some rocks in front of her sister and that was it. Such small magic couldn’t have been enough to capture Maelkath’s attention, yet here she was and with him telling her that she radiates magic. She was now the apprentice of an angular warlock who was warped from being fused with a demonic entity. He was cold and unsympathetic, yet he never raised his voice at her either. But he was still frightening, and she wasn’t ready to let her guard down.

It left her with many questions, but it didn’t seem like he was going to answer them, not yet at least. Maybe once she managed to exceed his expectations, he would tell her what she wanted to know. 

As she floated in the water, Arala felt conflicted. He was going to train her, but he also was threatening her family and village. She would have to do as he asked until she could become more powerful than him and currently Arala didn’t know how long that would take. It took all day for a plant to not want to eat her.

Once she finished cleaning herself and drying off, Arala walked back to her room to find a white cotton nightgown waiting on her bed. She would have liked to look around her room, but she was exhausted as she hung up her towel and threw on the nightgown, face planting into the bed.

It was like resting on what she imagined a cloud would feel like, fluffy and inviting, beckoning her to wrap herself up and fade into the dreamworld. But Arala was all too aware that the night could bring thoughts and memories, and as she lay alone in her bed, she suddenly remembered sharing a bed with her little sister who hated sharing. 

She imagined the warm hearth of her home, the crackling of the firewood burning lulling her to sleep. Her parents talking in hushed voices late into the night, until finally they both fell asleep as well. Sometime in the middle of the night Arala’s sister would get up and join her parent’s, leaving Arala to have the bed all to herself.

Her heart hurt. She was completely and utterly alone, with no way of knowing what her future looked like. The knowledge that it involved Maelkath didn’t make her feel good, but as the tears came, Arala continued to practice her breathing until sleep enticed her under. She was going to have to learn to be alone.