#Cause embroidery and I don't get along

[thyandrawrites]

I finished my glaceon! Ngl, multiple times during this project I doubted he would turn out close enough to what I envisioned, but I'm fairly satisfied with the end result. All those appendages were quite the challenge, not to mention the pose itself (I do like to make my life complicated lol)

Hope you like it too! I still like my pikachu best tho

[rockscanfly]

Random Charles Smith Headcanon's

Has probably contemplated suicide at more than one point (see “I’m here just to hurt and suffer myself. In this land I feel stuck.”)

Maybe a little vain. He cares for his clothing well, embellishes himself. 

Has auditory sensitivity. He gets very irritable with loud people.

Has never felt like he belonged, always feels cut off

Is comfortable with violence only against folk he sees as on his own level/like himself. Has little empathy for himself so has little empathy for them (hence smoking while Arthur beats a man for information, the efficient and quick kills of the bounty hunter, the poachers)

Has a STRONG sense of justice--that includes responsibility and culpability. People make choices and Charles holds them accountable for them. Sadie is a killer, so he treats her like any other ally. That German family didn’t make that choice, neither did the Wapiti. But he doesn’t have any pity for the gang.

Animals don't choose violence, hence the protectiveness over them and their dignity. 

Comes off as cold because he isn’t loud/not good at chat. He’s really just been alone most of his life. 

Okay with drinking, does NOT like drunkenness. Back to culpability. This can make him unforgiving and harsh at times.

Both he and Arthur are so used to people passing in and out of their lives that they’re afraid to hold on too tight. Then Arthur gets captured by Colm. Hosea talks to him, about Bessie and about Arthur’s dead family. 

“I’m not her,” Charles says. “Not either of them. I’m not asking you to leave your world behind, and I’m not going to wait for you in some house. We’re partners first. I’d lose the rest of it before I let you put me to the side.” 

He likes that Arthur is big enough to push him around, to hold him down and anchor him when he can feel himself getting lost. To toss him over a broad shoulder when they’re swimming around on a hunting trip and settle him down on soft pelts, to pin him and bite the lonely from his skin. 

Charles can kick Arthur’s ass and will do so on request

He’s kind and thoughtful. He’d be the one to make Arthur little presents and leave them around for him. Practical things, made special with the careful workmanship of beading/embroidery/etching. 

Can be impatient—autonomy is his norm so waiting on others both physically, mentally, and emotionally doesn’t come natural to him

Will cut slingload on people he feels don’t value him back—would not pine for Arthur or stick around if Arthur tries to protect himself by lashing out at Charles, even if he still has feelings. His father taught him that he has to protect himself because no one else will do it. Arthur. Well. Arthur’s the only person he’s trusted to have his back. Because Arthur proved it, several times over. There’s no one Charles would have used “do it for me” on other than Arthur Morgan. 

He fell into fighting again because he had begun opening his heart for the first time since he was a child, and then fate took Arthur too. Like Charles said—he was put on the earth to cause pain and to suffer himself. 

He tries to help folks, but he’s not good at talking and he can’t use his privilege to help like Arthur did. He’s everything the US government hates, even more than the Waipiti. They reach a point where his violence is no longer useful. And for a drowning, grieving, heart sick stretch of years violence is all Charles has left to him (hence going to Saint Denis, a city he hates, and fighting people for white folks' entertainment in a transparent suicide-by-cop bid for someone to end his suffering) And then Sadie gives him the option of closure and working beside John reminds him that he is a man, not a weapon, and Beecher’s Hope makes him believe he too can change. 

Charles has never tried to be anything but who he is. He and Arthur are similar in that way. What he realizes, what Arthur realized too late, is that he can change if he wants it. And that maybe he’s allowed his past pain and scars to run his life along a course he doesn’t actually have to follow. 

Brought to you by my on-going replay of RDR2 and my undying love and devotion to princess of my heart Charles Smith.

[joyful-writings]

❀ easy to the mouth and tummy

lee heeseung x fem!reader

word count: 905 synopsis: heeseung gets head for his birthday (ﾉ◕ヮ◕)ﾉ*:･ﾟ✧ (pwp) warnings: SMUT (🔞MINORS DNI🔞), fellatio, a bit of choking, mention of vomiting (no one actually vomits), face-fucking, heeseung calls reader "princess", reader calls heeseung "pretty boy" once (BECAUSE THAT'S WHAT HE IS), swallowing cum

"You don't have to, princess." Heeseung swept some stray hairs from your face, cupping your cheek. His voice said one thing, yet his eyes said another.

"I want to," you soothed. "Wanna make you feel good... You deserve it."

He really did deserve it. He really, really did— especially on his birthday. You knew he was just too polite to demand anything. That, or he was too tired from the day's festivities. "You aren't too tired, right?"

"Fuck, no. Never too tired for you."

With a borderline mischievous smile, you continued fiddling with the waistband of his boxers, reading over the Calvin Klein embroidery as you leisurely shimmied them down. Your boyfriend stared down at you, impatience curdling within him. But he didn't do anything— he couldn't. This was a gift. It'd be rude to take advantage of it.

When you finally pulled them low enough, you nearly drooled upon watching his cock spring free before resting against his stomach. Precum dribbled from the tip, begging for stimulation, any stimulation. You took hold of his erection, feeling him twitch beneath your fingertips in anticipation, and brought your face closer.

Sending Heeseung a sultry gaze, you stuck out your tongue and licked him from base to tip. He sucked in a sharp breath, his stomach sinking and chest rising. Wrapping your lips around the head of his dick, he released that breath shakily, wanting to throw his head back but refraining. He needed to watch you.

You swirled your tongue around the tip, feeling him throb in your hand from the sensitivity. Then, you worked your way down, taking more of his cock in your mouth. What you couldn't fit, you meagerly stroked with a careful twist of your wrist.

Feeling his tip hit the back of your throat, you gagged. Heeseung groaned, his hips bucking upward, making you gag around him again, throat tightening around his length.

"Sorry," your boyfriend sputtered out. You could tell his mind was singled-tracked, only thinking of his impending orgasm. You rubbed his thigh reassuringly, humming since your mouth was full. The vibration had his hips chasing the stimulation.

Pulling away to catch your breath, you let your hands take over the workload. "Feel good?"

"God, yes." His brows scrunched together. The wet sounds of your hands stroking his length filled the room, along with his choked moans.

"Gonna cum for me soon, pretty boy?" He could only nod when you rubbed over his slit, prodding with the tip of your finger just enough to have him squirming.

Satisfied with his shaky noises, you took a deep breath and eased his cock back into your mouth. You focused on keeping your lungs calm as you slowly sunk further down. Your nose finally squished against Heeseung's pelvis once tears began pricking your eyelids, and you internally repeated one phrase: don't throw up, don't throw up, don't throw up.

An unwanted gag caused your throat to collapse around him yet again, and he couldn't help himself. Both of his hands entangled in your hair, gripping tightly, holding you down while he attempted to thrust deeper into your mouth. When he realized he simply couldn't bury himself deeper, he pulled you off his dick.

"Sorry, princess," Heeseung apologized emptily, caressing your face as you coughed. "Mouth feels too fucking good. Need to fuck it."

Recovered, your inhales and exhales stable, you laid your tongue out flat, resting his tip against it. With a small nod, you granted him the permission he wanted— the permission he craved, permission to use you how he needed. Fingers twined through the hair at the back of your head, Heeseung started easy, bobbing your head up and down with a steady pace.

Once you pinched his thigh, he sped up. He pushed and pulled you faster, meeting your mouth with timed thrusts until there was no more organization. With spit flowing from your lips, drooling all over his cock, coating him in a thick sheen, there was no more tidy, either. Heeseung moaned with every gag and swallow, lidded eyes examining the mess he created to remember later.

It was soon building to be too much for you— your boyfriend had never been so needy, so desperate. Digging your nails into his plush skin, relief washed over you when his noises grew higher pitched. His torso tensed incredibly tight, making him sit up, head lolling backward. Pressing you flush against his pelvis, he slightly spasmed with his orgasm. Thick spurts of cum shot down your throat, continuing to leak into your mouth when you pulled away, seriously thinking you would vomit.

Heeseung looked down at you. You returned his gaze, eyes wide and mouth full. The mere sight made him twitch. "You don't have to swallow, princess."

Too late. In one big gulp, your mouth was cleared... for the most part. You were sure some semen still floated around or was stuck in a hard-to-reach place. Your boyfriend groaned, cupping your cheeks and bringing you closer to kiss you.

"What do I taste like?" Crushing his lips against yours didn't allow him any of the flavor lingering on your tongue.

You didn't want to tell him the truth— he was salty and a bit too bitter for your liking. Not bad enough to disgust you, but enough to make you swallow quickly and possibly hurt his feelings. You mentally blamed his diet.

"Like a drink made of honey."

a/n: sorry if this seems a bit sloppy, i was rushing between schedules to try and get this out! his birthday's past now, but i still wanted to post something. better late than never, right?

[readyforthegarden]

When the Nightingale Sings - Part Three

Pairing: Danny Wagner x F!Reader

Synopsis: Medieval AU! In a world where noble alliances dictate futures, you have been betrothed to Prince Emers, a man you barely know and certainly don't love. As you travel towards the royal palace for your impending wedding, your journey is upended, causing you to run straight into a kind, lonesome hunter. With no choice but to trust him, you embark on a journey together towards the nearest village, navigating through the forest and it's perils. As the solace you find in his companionship builds will you choose to honor your duty, or will you abandon everything you've ever know to follow your heart?

WC: 3499

Warnings: mentions of death, blood, anxiety

A/N: A big thank you to @earthlysorrows for beta-reading and editing and helping me along the way!

You slept fine through the night, out cold after crying so much during the day. The finality of death hitting you hard. Danny had moved a few times in the night in his hammock, watching your body to make sure you were still breathing. One of his old tunics had become a nightdress for you, and he watched the fabric rise and fall before settling back and closing his eyes. 

“Could I help?” your voice was soft, catching Danny off guard as he fastened the buttons on his coat. You were sat up, the blanket delicately held to your chest. He hadn’t expected you to awaken while he got ready, and he tried to be even quieter than the days before. 

“Did I wake you?” he asked, concerned. a soft shake of your head was your only answer. “You’d like to come with me and check my traps?”

“I’d like to do something here, if I could.” you answered. “There are chickens outside, perhaps I could feed them for you? I haven’t found a broom otherwise I would sweep.” Danny stared at you, slightly dumbfounded that someone of noble birth was willing, asking, to do menial labor. “I could mend some clothes, if you needed. My mother made sure I was excellent at embroidery.”

“What is with the sudden urge to help?” Danny asked, surprise still lacing his voice. 

��Sitting and staring at the fire all day isn’t exactly thrilling.” you gave him a half-smile. “I believe that’s actually how people go mad.” you laughed softly, something Danny hadn’t heard before. He felt something in his chest stir at the sound, and swallowed roughly, nodding. 

“Get dressed and meet me outside, I’ll show you how to feed the chickens.” Danny nodded and turned, undoing the lock and stepping outside just as you began getting up from the bed. When you met him a few moments later, you were wiping your palms excitedly on your dress, walking over to Danny. He had never seen someone so excited to toss dried barley at poultry before. 

“What do we do first?” your question had Danny smile, as he reached for the empty bucket at his feet. 

“First, we get the feed.” he nodded to a small building, a few feet away from the cottage. It was separated from the main house by a small wildflower field. “Chickens mostly eat barley, so we’ll take some of that and bring it to them.” He handed you the bucket and began walking towards the field. You hurried to keep up, Danny’s long legs carrying him faster than your shorter ones could you. 

The lock on this door was sturdier, and Danny used a key to get in. As the door swung open, the smell of dry straw and hay met your nostrils. It felt warm as you stepped inside, taking the bucket from Danny’s hand. 

“The barley is just there,” he pointed to a large barrel towards the corner. “You’ll want to fill the bucket about halfway, get a good scoop.” nodding, you lifted the lid off the barrel and plunged the bucket in, lifting it back up. You shook out the excess, getting to halfway before replacing the lid. Danny shuffled in behind you, hammering his fist down in a solid swipe to make sure the lid was secure from moisture. You waited for him outside the store house and let him lead you to the other side of the cottage. A small pen was keeping the chickens and roosters from wandering free into the forest. There was a rustic coop in the back, where the animals could hide from the harsh winters among the hay. 

“Do I place the bucket in there?” you asked, glancing up at Danny. He had to hold back from laughing, reminding himself that you had never done the work before, you had probably never been allowed to get near a chicken coop in your entire life. 

“No, you take a handful of it,” Danny reached into the bucket, bringing up a fistful of barley. “and toss it around.” he tossed out his hand, opening it and letting the dried grains fly and scatter. The chickens were startled at first, but quickly scurried over to where the grain fell, pecking at the ground. 

“Oh,” you reached into the bucket, mirroring Danny’s closed fist and tossing out the barley toward the chickens. You couldn’t help the elated giggle that burst from your throat. Danny watched you, a smile on his face as you tossed out more. “This is great! I was never allowed to just throw things before!” Danny felt his heart squeeze in his chest, watching your eyes light up as you tossed another handful. “Can I go in?”

“Not today,” Danny didn’t want to think about chasing after chickens, or his ornery rooster right now, not when his body was still sore from digging the graves. “Just move around the fence, please.” It didn’t dim the brightness in your eyes, his response. You continued to move around the fence line, tossing fistful after fistful on barley. 

“Did you have chicks in the spring?” You called excitedly, seeing some smaller chickens. 

“Aye, I did.” you grinned at him from over the fence. 

“I’ve heard their feathers are so soft, I should love to hold one one day.” 

“I don’t think they’ll let you near the royal coops, princess.” Danny joked. You turned away from him before he could see the smile fade from your face. 

“Of course not,” your voice was quieter, the excitement gone. “It’s no place for a princess, you’re right.” Truthfully, you would rather toss grains to chickens for the rest of your life than sit on a throne that meant nothing. 

“I’m going to check the traps, I’ll be back in a while.” Danny called to you. “Do you remember the knock?”

“Yes, Danny,” you nodded over your shoulder at him, a soft smile of acknowledgement. As you did, the clouds above parted, and light shone down upon you, highlighting the hair that framed your face. The sun's rays kissed your cheek, exposing your pink tinged cheeks. His heart stopped in his chest, watching as if the earth had slowed down your movements and time, your eyes sparkling as the sun glinted in them. He could understand why a prince wanted you. You were beautiful. 

“Daniel?” he snapped back to himself at your use of his full name, your brows furrowed in concern. “Are you alright?” 

“Yes, I-I will be back soon.” he cleared his throat and adjusted the belt around his middle, hunting knives rattling as he did so. He trudged off leaving you alone to finish feeding the chickens. Once you had tossed the last of the barley, you set the bucket by the door of the house, wiping your hands on your skirts and sighed. For the small task you did, you felt accomplished, a feeling you hadn’t had since being a young girl. 

Wanting to keep the high going, you glanced around the cottage, pursing your lips. It was far too cold to wash and hang clothes or the sheets, they would never dry in time for sleep. And you weren’t entirely sure you could wash the furs properly. There still was no broom that you could find, though you figured living alone, Danny rarely tracked in enough dirt to need it. 

Your mind wandered to the store house, and you found your legs carrying you there, cutting through the wildflower field to get there. Danny had forgotten to lock it back up in his haste to get to the traps, allowing you to push the door open with little effort. Glancing around, you tried to find something to do. The barrels and bags of grains were far too heavy for you to lift, you knew organizing was out of the question. 

It wasn’t until you spied a small bag of flour that you gasped. Milled flour was expensive, a rarity even in your home. You bent at the waist, looking over the bag, trying to see if it was older. It was opened, the top rolled down tightly. It took a few moments of deciding before you figured out how to help out more. 

As Danny approached the cottage a few hours later, his back was sore, but he felt triumphant. A wild boar had stepped into one of his metal traps, a good sized one too. If he cut it just right, they could dry some rations for the journey ahead, and he’d still have plenty to keep him through the winter. He couldn’t help the grin on his face as he neared, excited to show off his prize. However, his smile fell as he grew closer, the smell of smoke and something burning meeting his nose. 

Hefting the boar higher on his shoulder, he moved as fast as he could, his mind racing with the possibilities that could await him. Hopefully he could make it in time. 

As he came into the small clearing with his cottage, he watched as you burst through the door, something wrapped in a cloth in your hands and you tossed it away into the grass coughing.  As you turned to go back in, you spied Danny, giving him a sheepish grin and wiping your palms on the skirts of your dress again. 

“Are you trying to burn my house down?” Danny asked as you approached, lifting an eyebrow. “What was that you tossed?”

“Please do not be upset,” you glanced down at your feet. “But I was trying to make us bread.” 

“You-“ Danny cut himself off as he took a closer look at you, flour dusted over your clothing and some in the ends of your hair. A thick line of it was in your cheek, matching one that was on the back of your hand. 

“I know, it was wasteful of your flour, and I will repay you, I swear it.” The determined look on your face made him laugh, and he shook his head, curls bouncing. 

“Don’t fret,” he replied, reaching up and dusting the flour off your cheek. Your breathing stilled at the touch, body frozen. Yesterday his touch had been different, one that was much needed in a time of grieving. This was arbitrary, almost forward. 

And yet when he pulled away, you missed the coolness of the worn leather on his glove, the gentle pressure of the back of his fingers on your skin. 

“I did manage one good loaf, I think.” your voice was softer as you cleared your throat, glancing towards the cottage. “We could have it with supper.”

“I’d like that very much.” Danny nodded. “It’s been a while since there’s been fresh bread in this place.” 

“You don’t make it?”

“There isn’t much time to.” Danny shrugged, grunting softly as he hoisted the beast over his shoulder up again. “And tonight I’ll be busy preparing this.” the shock on your face as you noticed the boar was exactly the reaction he was looking for. 

“Danny, that’s huge!” you glanced around him. “I don’t think I’ve seen a pig that large even back home.” Danny swelled with pride about his catch, beginning to walk with a swagger towards the door to his home. “That would feed two banquets at least.”

“I plan on drying a good portion of it, and we can pack some for the journey to Rockhallow.” he informed you, dropping it by the door before going inside with you. “I’ll spend most of the night preparing it so we can leave in a day's time.”

“That’s fine,” you nodded. “I think I’ll be cleaning ashes out of the hearth for a bit.” You led him to the table, where a nice loaf of bread was waiting. Lifting a knife, you sliced into it, handing Danny a chunk. 

The bread was dense, and Danny lifted it to his lips, taking a rather large bite. Your face shone up at him as he chewed, waiting for feedback. There was no flavor of ale or beer, nothing to leaven it with. He hadn’t had bread like this since The Illness swept through the country and he couldn’t go out for anything. Swallowing the dry, thick bread, he forced a grin to his face. 

“It’s good” he cleared his throat, fighting the grimace trying to take its place on his lips as he used his tongue to unglue some of the bread from the roof of his mouth. “This will definitely hold up well on our trip too.” your smile was enough, and when you turned to wrap the loaf to save it, he quickly put the remaining hunk in his coat pocket. “Have you made bread before?”

“Never!” You chirped over your shoulder, moving the bread to his small kitchen storage. “I used to watch the scullery maids in the kitchens make it when I was a girl. I may have helped knead a loaf once before mother lost her head at me being in the kitchens.” 

“You never learned to cook anything?” you shook your head, smile falling a bit. 

“I was raised being told there would always be someone to do things for me.”  you told Danny. “I wasn’t allowed in the kitchens, or the stables, or anywhere that could be deemed dirty and improper. A lady is meant to be a thing of beauty and anything that could ruin that was something I was kept away from.” 

“Your mother must be something, raising you like that.” Danny crossed his arms over his chest. In his world, women needed to know how to cook and survive in case something happened to their spouses, for their children’s sake and their own. 

“I have never been a child to her,” you shook your head. “Nor my father. I am something to raise and use to find prospects and to sell.” Danny frowned as you crouched by the fire. “The highest bidder wins.” 

This was your lot in life. You realized from a young age when your brother couldn’t shield you from the world any longer. As soon as the first visiting duke took notice of you when, in your opinion and thankfully your fathers, you were far too young to marry, you were trained to be everything a lady ought to be. Smart, but not well-read enough to emasculate your suitors. Beautiful enough to catch the eyes of anyone who passed by you but not so much that you were intimidating. Back-breaking posture while you read and recited sonnets and poems to prove you loved the arts but were still removed enough that you weren’t seen as an artist. You were like the wild boar that waited to be fileted and broken down, a prize catch, and would fetch a pretty penny at market. 

Danny cleared his throat one more time, the last bits of the bread finally making their way down his throat and he considered your upbringing. 

“Well,” he began. “While you’re here with me, you’re gonna learn a few things.” His voice was slightly stern, but in a way that made you smile. “Your first bread turned out well, and you’ll help me dry the pork once I’ve butchered it, and we’ll make another stew for supper.”

You stayed silent, slowly brushing some ashes into your hand as you crouched by the hearth, an older, more burnt loaf waiting for you. Your bottom lip caught between your teeth, fighting the small smile that tried to emerge. 

“You never know when you’ll need the skill,” he finished softly. 

“You’re right.” when you glanced back at him, he was staring at the floor, a pensive look on his face. You saw him as something different in this moment, not the strong young man who had rescued you, but someone who had to depend on himself for far too long. Your heart thumped sadly in your chest, wishing you could reach out and comfort him. “And I will be better for the help.” Danny’s eyes met yours, the amber flecks flickering in the firelight. 

With a stiff nod, he turned on his heel and went back outside, closing the door behind him. Most of the afternoon was spent separately again, him out butchering the boar, and you flit about the cottage, cleaning up the mess from your kitchen experiment. When he was back, Danny set to work with you, having you place the bones and ham hock from the boar into a kettle with water, telling you to let them boil with the parsnips and potatoes you cut up again. 

It was the most flavorful stew you had ever had, both you and Danny gobbled it up, dunking a few slices of bread into the broth and swallowing it down, barely talking.

Your full stomach was helping lull you into sleep, but you strived to stay awake as Danny had pulled a lute from his cupboard, and was laying in his hammock, strumming a quiet tune as the fire crackled in the background. 

“When the nightingale sings, the trees grow green, leaf and grass and blossom springs. In April, I suppose and love has to my heart gone, with a spear so keen, night and day my blood it drains my heart to death it aches." His voice was quiet and breathy, but he carried the tune beautifully. 

“That’s so sad,” you murmured, rolling on your stomach and looking up at him. He opted to listen to you, humming softly as he plucked out the song. “Loving someone so much your heart feels like it’s bleeding out for them.” 

“Is it such a bad thing?” Danny asked, glancing down at you, his fingers still moving along the strings. “To love so deeply you feel as if you’re drained dry when they’re not around?”

“I don’t know,” you murmured, tugging at a small thread on the blankets. “I don’t think I’ve ever been in love. I don’t know that I will be.”

“You will be,” Danny assured you. “You’ll fall for your prince. But a love like this song…it’s not meant for people like us. It’s for the poets and musicians. And even for them, it’s a rare find.” he hummed a bit more as your thoughts raced to your future. How long would it take you to fall for the prince? Could you ever, really? “Sweet-loved one, I pray thee for one loving speech. While I live in this wide world none other will I seek. With thy love, my sweet beloved, my bliss thou mightest increase. A sweet kiss of thy mouth might be my cure.”

You listened to Danny sing and hum until you fell asleep. Your dreams were swirling that night, Danny’s voice drifting in and out of every scene, the warmth of his voice a stark contrast to the cold castle walls and lonely, longing feeling in your stomach. You tried to follow his voice, to find Danny somewhere but his voice always faded as you got near. 

The dream sat you with an uneasy feeling the next day, helping Danny pack strips of pork into barrels of salt in the storehouse. It was tedious work, a layer of salt, strips of meat, another layer of salt, but it was one of the few ways to dry and preserve meat for a long time. 

“They should be ready by tomorrow morning.” Danny informed you. “I cut them thin enough to do so. We’ll pack up and start toward the village.”

“How will we be getting there?” You hadn’t seen a stable nor carriage house on his humble property. Glancing up from your work, Danny was looking at you with raised eyebrows. “We cannot possibly walk the entire way!”

“Unless you have a secret horse hidden somewhere, aye, we’ll be making the journey on foot.” Danny confirmed with a nod.  “I’ve done it often, to sell my pelts, it’s easy enough.” 

Keeping silent, you pushed down your protest. What was a few days of walking before making it to the village? You could handle it if this man was willing to do it to ensure your safe return to your life. You troubled your bottom lip between your teeth, packing more strips of pork beneath salt. Sleeping outside in the late fall nights wasn’t something you were prepared for, especially with the woodland animals in the season of their final hunt before hibernation. 

“You will be okay,” Danny had come to stand next to you now, giving you a soft, reassuring smile. “I will not let anything happen to you on our journey together.” 

“Do you swear it?” your voice trembled as you had become aware that you were woefully unprepared to defend yourself. 

“On my life.” Danny held your gaze for a few moments, the silence filled with something you couldn’t place. Clearing his throat, he turned away, and returned to his own work, the two of you going back to working in silence, preparing for the journey ahead.

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[borninwinter81]

Velvet ribbon necklaces and chokers

This is one of my favourite ways to make a necklace - extremely quick and simple but I think it looks beautiful. I use velvet ribbon but it would also work with satin ribbon and possibly lace, though that might not be sturdy enough. I personally don't like to use leather or faux leather because it can get very sweaty and uncomfortable, but you can absolutely use that too if you want! Craft shops also sell patterned or embroidered ribbon.

I've even done variants on this which were made from just a long strip of fabric which I hemmed along the edges.

In addition to the ribbon you will need rivets or eyelets, d-rings or o-rings, and heavy snap studs to fasten them.

The pendants in these photos came from various places: the flower cameo was thrifted, the wolfs cross was bought from some alternative shop I don't remember the name of decades ago, the leaf and the large ocean jasper came from an Etsy shop called Enchanted Creations (link here) and the ivy is Alchemy Gothic.

For whatever reason I decided I didn't like the necklaces they came on so I remade them. The pendant parts and chains were attached using jewellery pliers and either jump rings or links of the chain if it was large enough.

Then all you need to do is loop your ribbon through the d-rings and poke a hole through both layers (I have a leather punch I tend to use but you can also use scissors) then secure it with either a rivet or an eyelet. You can buy these online or in craft shops, they're usually very cheap, come in various colours of metal and have instructions for how to put them together. They're fairly self-explanatory - one half on each side of the fabric and hit them with a hammer a few times. If using rivets make sure you put the pieces on the correct sides.

You could also use screw on spikes. Anything that will keep the ends together will work - obviously you could sew them too, but this looks neater (than my hand sewing anyway!) and gives a bit of extra visual interest.

To get the right length of ribbon I just put it around my neck making sure to overlap the ends then add a couple of centimetres extra for the folds. If the ribbon is synthetic (most of the the time they will be) use a lighter to singe the ends slightly. This will cause it to melt a little and prevent fraying. Please be careful when doing this! You don't need to put the ribbon *in* the flame, just close enough to heat it.

For fastenings I always use heavy snap studs. These make the fastening very secure and neat looking - it will lay completely flat to the back of your neck.

These studs come in 4 parts.

Again, double over the ends of the ribbon, poke a hole through both layers, put the correct pieces of the fastening on each side and hit them with a hammer a few times. These can likewise be bought online and come with a tool and instructions for use. The most important thing with these is to make sure all parts are facing the right direction so you can close them properly.

Here are some brief instructions I found online for how to use them.

Again, you don't have to fasten them the way I do, whatever way suits you is fine. Even a safety pin would work!

This basic method can be used to make collars too, I did a cyber collar a while back (full post here)

As I said above you can use any kind of ribbon you like, patterned or plain, or even a long strip of fabric, that's what I did for this collar.

You could cover it with safety pins, buttons, embroidery, fabric paint, whatever you like!

[championofnyx]

Olympics in Young Justice... It Escalated

I got bored while watching and started designing uniforms for the made-up countries in the YJ universe along with headcannons on their performance. And of course I started with Vlatavia and Markovia because I'm predictable and they are my personality right now.

Markovia

Warm greens with gold accents

When countries are met with crisis folkish-traditional trends start popping up in different sectors of life, including fashion. I like to think that during the political instability traditional embroidery has seen a resurgence, and that was picked up by the uniform designers with the faux-embroidery motifs

I do think that there was controversy surrounding the Markovian team leading up to the Olympics with people demanding that they were tested for active genes and making conspiracy theories about sneaking metas into the competitions but they still showed up

I have a feeling that historically they have shown up with a "we're just happy to be here" attitude, proceeded to get their asses handed to them, but still were cool about it

Not this year though, oh man, this year it's personal cause now other athletes are questioning their integrity due to the actions of their government, and no matter what the individual athletes' thoughts on that whole mess, they've got something to prove this year

And like, they kind of do?? I feel like they would get gold in some teams even but not really any in individuals and are lucky to manage a bronze but it's better than they ever have done and Markovia made that one gold their whole entire national personality for a couple of decades

I also feel like Tara and Gregor get super into watching the games but are kind of awkward about it given their recent exiles. They still watch all the events they can but stay in their rooms on computers to do it so the other Hub residents will just wake up to excited screaming at the early hours in the morning (time difference), knowing it is coming from the Markov's room, go in to check on them only to find the siblings faking asleep like kids that got caught up too late past their bedtimes.

Vlatavia

Cool Greens with silver and grey accents

The show doesn't tell a lot about Vlatavian culture but from the few pictures we've seen of the country it's been a dark academic wet dream so I figured any opening ceremony outfit that would be accepted by that aesthetic community would fit

Rationally I understand that heads of state don't really concern themselves personally with making the Olympic outfits but I feel like Perdita sent a single, short memo to Vlatavia's planning committee and was like "Give them arrow motifs now, don't ask why" and the poor intern that stumbled upon the email was not gonna question it

They do average in the games again, I feel like they are more winter Olympic powerhouses than summer but they show up and have a good attitude about it

Though they rock pistol shooting. Just have a shit ton of people who are concerning good at handling guns

Perdita is definitely one of the heads of state that sends a delegation to the games and stays the whole time. And since she's younger and most of the athletes are in their twenties I feel like she takes the two weeks to just like, hang out??? There's a video somewhere of her after the closing ceremony doing shots with the Vlatavian soccer team at the Olympic Village that she will use extortion to make sure the press never gets their hands on

I have a feeling that Vlatavia and Markovia had traditionally lived next to each other in the Olympic Village cause they get along, with similar cultures and limited political discourse that could start something, and so they get put together this year, and nothing changes. All of the returning athletes know each other and just hang out. So people have made YJTikTok edits with that one popular audio that goes "*inaudible screaming and chaos* Tone shift, grateful I'm grateful all the time" But it's just a video of the two countries's ambassadors screaming at each other over the refugee crisis-cut to the athletes practically sitting in each others laps at the cafeteria laughing and joking around. Very much giving siblings that are chill with each other while parents are going through a divorce in the room over vibes.

This was fun I think I'm gonna make more I just need to find more fake counties.

[pixelmensupremacy]

you've brought me back into my leon phase and like omg I have a thing for characters that get protective of reader.

so imagine reader is in danger, and he has to save them but just reader came so close to dying he was just freaked out. and maybe that night he was so worried about them they end up having soft sex bc just he wants to be close to them :(( bc he just couldn't handle the fear of almost losing them and he needs reader to know how much he cares :((

A/N:Welcome back to the Leon phase, dear! It took me a while to get to your request for multiple reasons don't mean to complain but I had quiet a shitty weak and I'm not very pleased with how this turned out, but I hope you enjoy it nonetheless! <3

Word count: 2.2k

WARNINGS: GN!reader, canon typical violence, angsty, smut, MDNI, unprotected sex, fingering, creampie, a bit of cock warming, fluffy

“(Y/N)!” Leon shouted their name in utter horror as dozens of courtiers rushed into the maze of emerald bushes, covering the grounds of the gloomy castle garden. A puff of air escaped past their lips in the form of a tired sigh; scanning their surroundings they weren’t so astonished by the seemingly endless flow of cultists pooling out from every possible direction, forming a raven cloud that rapidly grew and moved at a fast pace.

“Watch my back, would you?” (Y/N)’s fiery gaze met his fearful one for a split second. They held their gun in the air and headed for the snowy, marble stairs, distancing themselves from the wave of hostiles. Cold sweat broke out on his skin, causing shivers to run down his spine caused by the fearsome scene, unfolding right before his eyes; yet he didn’t allow himself to fall a victim to the fear, nestling deeply within his heart, but rather he took it upon himself to do everything in his power to prevent his fears into becoming a sorrowful reality. The leather of his fingerless gloves tightened as he took a hold of the stingray, a spark was set ablaze in the icy blue of his one open eye, watching through the scope of the rifle, whilst his index finger was patiently resting on the trigger, awaiting the prefect moment to pull.

Bangs echoed across the space, bouncing off the walls and disappearing into the thick vegetation; a thud resonated near them, blood splattered on their cheek. For a split moment, they glanced at the direction the abrupt sound cane from, noting the lifeless body of an enemy they hadn’t noticed; a knowing smile curled the corners of their lips, before they went on with firing at the incoming courtiers. Crimson creek flowed down the bright white marble along with numerous raven hills of dead bodies; eerie silence fell upon the darkened garden as the life it had inhabited was now gone except for the two agents, who finally reunited.

“I thought I was gonna lose you there for a second.” Leon spoke in all seriousness, whilst he pushed at the tall mahogany doors, a piercing creak resonated across the space.

“Like hell I would. You wouldn’t make it even a day without me.” (Y/N) returned playfully, in attempt to reassure him and mostly themselves. Warm light hit their faces as they were met with the sight of a spacious, luxurious room; the two looked around the space for any traces of their subject- baby eagle- but to no avail. An exceptionally comfy looking couch fell in their field of vision, tempting them to check if it truly was as comfortable as it looked. Throwing themselves atop the furniture, they bounced a little; the cushions dipped underneath their weight, hugging their tired form in a warming embrace. They trailed their fingertips along the golden embroidery of the couch, admiring the contrast between the shiny threat and the deep color beneath. Having inspected the perimeter of the fancy room, Leon sat on the armrest and glanced down at his partner. His icy blues lingered on their resting form, cherishing their presence beside him as the recent events resurfaced in his mind, reminding him just how precious every moment with them truly was. His heart clenched just at thought of them gone. (Y/N) noticed the thoughtful look on his face that deepened the forming creases on his forehead.

“What’s bothering that pretty head of yours?” They rose their eyebrow at him; their palms rested underneath their head as they closely watched him in anticipation. Leon only let out a sigh; his mouth fell open, yet the words dried in his throat as if there was lump that obstructed his speech. His glassy eyes fell somewhere in the distance, purposefully avoiding their curious gaze.

“A lot of things.” His voice was low, quiet, hesitant, barely above a whisper; he lowered his head, causing the golden strings of hair to fall in his face akin to a shiny curtain that hid the distress weaving in his features.

“What things?” They sat up and their palm rested atop of his, their gentle touch anchored him to the present moment, away from the darkest corners of his anxious mind. Reluctantly, he met their gaze; a tear ran down his cheek, leaving behind a trail that glistened under the warm candle light.

“Oh, Leon.” They cupped his face, the pad of their thumb brushed away the creeks of crystal-clear tears, streaming down his face; their heart ached at the sight of him so deeply distressed. Pulling away, they patted the space beside them and gave him a gentle smile. Without a second thought, he obliged and sat next to them with his arms tightly wrapping around their waist and his head resting on their chest; (Y/N)’s fingers weaved in his blond locks, gently massaging and scratching his scalp, whilst their other hand kneaded the muscle of his toned, yet tense shoulders. The melody of their heartbeat putted him at ease and the warmth of their hug aided in the softening of his stiffened body- he felt at peace.

“I-“ His speech was interrupted by a hiccup as another wave of sorrowful, hot tears formed in the corners of his eyes. “I can’t lose you.” He pulled away slightly, so he was facing them.

“You can’t get rid of me that easy.” They forced a smile to comply with the silly joke that most likely did just as poorly to assure him as it did to them, yet he smiled back with tears still running down his face. Reassuringly, they kissed his cheek then his lips, the salty taste spread on their taste buds; he kissed them back in a needy manner as if they would disappear into thin air if he didn’t cling to them. Slowly, his hands slid down from their waist to their hips, where his fingers dug into the soft flesh. (Y/N)’s hands held his head, keeping him in place as they pulled away to catch their breath; their hazy eyes glanced at his darkened, lustful ones, the soft blue of his that they so much adored was barely visible as his pupils were blown wide, a spark was set ablaze in the raven pits of his intense gaze. Subconsciously, they darted their tongue across their parted lips; that single motion of theirs provoked a need within Leon, one that was the only cure to the chaos in his head, and the only person able to cure him was (Y/N).

Greedily, his soft lips latched onto theirs, silencing the yelp caused by the sudden force of his arms that brought them atop of him. Immediately, their hands rested on his toned chest, sensing his erratic heartbeat just by placing their palm flat on his pec; their noses brushed against one another as their gazes were locked together, their hot breaths collided and crashed in each other’s faces. A gasp escaped past (Y/N)’s hips as Leon rutted his hips against theirs; their head fell back as they rolled against the growing bulge, forming in his pants. With the help of his strong grip on them, they set a steady pace that was equally pleasurable for the both of them. The sweet friction tingled their senses, setting the fire of desire ablaze within their core; underneath them, Leon had calmed down, the streams of tears had dried and instead on their place was a pinkish hue that tinted his sides, his soft lips were parted, allowing for the air to easily flow in his lungs as his chest rose and fell with each deep breath. Heat set their pelvis on fire that slowly burned them from the inside out; they whined at sensation of Leon’s hardened cock rubbing against them, yet that was no way near enough for them, nor for him.

Gently, he laid them on the cushions and hovered above them; he took off his shirt, then he unbuckled his belt, allowing for his trousers to pool around his knees, whilst his boxers were still on. (Y/N)’s clothes followed the fate of his shirt- disregarded on the cold floor, where they would sit forgotten for the time being of the short-lived moment of pleasure the two of them would share. Leon’s eyes were focused on theirs, noting every tiny change on their face as his hand slithered down to their crotch; their eyes rolled to the back of their head as his fingers caressed their needy hole. A string of saliva fell down his plump lips and down to their entrance, where his finger pads generously coated their hole with the warm liquid; the calloused skin of his fingers rubbed against the delicate skin of their hole. Gradually, he applied pressure, slowly inserting his digit into them, whilst his gaze closely watched their expressions. A groan ripped past their lips at the burning sensation of his finger thrusting into their folds; with each motion of his hand, the uncomfortable sensation faded as a pleasurable sensation took its place. A gasp drowned in their throat once he added another finger in, spreading them out in preparation. Delight tingled their senses as his fingers hit their sweet spot that had them seeing stars, yet that pleasure was short-lived for Leon pulled away, depriving them of that sweet sensation that had them on cloud nine.

“Leon, please..” They whined desperately as the abrupt emptiness left them on the edge; a smug grin curled the corners of his lips at the sight of them flustered and needy for his touch- it had his heart melting.

“I’m gonna make you feel good, baby. Imma show you how much I appreciate you.” A heartfelt expression was written on his face, indicating the genuineness of his words and (Y/N) didn’t doubt any of the words he said.

“It’s gonna hurt a little.” He whispered in their ear as he lined up with their lubricated entrance; (Y/N) nodded eagerly, anticipating the sensation they sought after. Planting delicate kisses on their face, he gently pushed in just the tip; they groaned, their nails dug into his fair skin as a piercing, burning sensation intensified in their pelvis. Abruptly, he stopped and glanced in their direction, his wary gaze searched theirs; silently, they nodded, urging him to keep going- and so he did. Carefully, his hips rolled against theirs, fully pushing into them up to the hilt; their eyes sealed shut, tears formed in the corners of their eyes at the intense sensation of his cock slowly spreading them out. He backed out in a wary manner all the while he searched their face for any signs of discomfort; he leaned in their ear and planted a kiss on their earlobe.

“Are you good?” His voice rumbled in their ear, sending chills down their spine; they nodded and whispered pleading words in his ear. He chuckled and obliged, pushing back into them; gradually, he picked his pace, thrusting into them at a steady rhythm. (Y/N)’s moans grew louder and more consistent the closer they got to their peak; their body had melted, their muscles were softened at the pleasant sensation tingling their entire body. Leon couldn’t help but moan too as their folds hugged him so deliciously and each of their sweet sound rang in his ears akin to a rhythmic melody unlike any other, prettier and merrier than any other song he has ever heard. Their legs wrapped around his waist, bringing him deeper within them, their arms were latched onto his shoulders; their bodies were pressed against one another almost merging into one. Their skins glistened under the light as sweat coated their bare bodies; Leon’s bangs stuck to his forehead, beads of sweat rolled down his arms, his muscles tensed.

Their moans frequented, his name rolled down their lips repeatedly along with unintelligible words that were muffled by the sounds of skin slapping skin as well as the quiet creaks of the couch beneath them, echoing across the room; grunts ripped past his lips as the pleasure was gradually building up within him. Haze took over the two of them as the strong sensations had their minds blank as all and any types of thoughts were far from them, for the only though occurring was the one of how good the other made them feel.

“Leon, I’m close.” They screamed out as the knot that had formed in their belly was on the brim of unraveling; Leon kept thrusting into them as his arms wrapped around their body, bringing their hips flush against his hips and their chest close to his, where their racing hearts were only separated by their skins.

“I know, baby, I know. I’m close too.” His voice was shaky and breathy; their body jolted, their back arched as electric shockwaves tingled their entire form, a loud scream ripped through their throat. Their folds twitched, unintentionally clenching around his sensitive dick; the sensation was all that he needed to let loose and cum in them, coating them with his hot load though he kept thrusting as he rode out their highs. A mixture of tears and sweat covered (Y/N)’s flustered face, their half-lidded eyes lovingly gazed at Leon, who crashed above them with his head buried in the crook of their neck and with his dick still deep within them. They wrapped their arms around him, their plump lips pressed against the crown of his head.

“I love you.” They spoke, their voice hoarse, yet gentle; his baby blue eyes glanced at them, coming in contact with their (E/C) ones.

“I love you more.” They cracked a smile, which in return caused him to chuckle.

[the-kr8tor]

Dunno if this would go into anarchy but I was doing a brief read on punk culture and the DIY ethic so in my opinion it still counts>:) (My excuse for Hobie helping the girls make their own accessories) Daily Hobie HC! Week two, day six You watch from the kitchen, as you cut up some fruits and slid them into bowls, Hobie giving the girls their own experimental cloths. He was teaching them how to pierce with spikes, sew, simple embroidery, and much more to personally design their own clothes as they liked. A warm sense of deja vu washes over you as you remember your own cloth, the one which Hobie had given you when you was teaching you how to personally design clothes just in case, and you never even once dismissed that memory in your mind. It always came in handy, especially when you learned that Hobie preferred handmade gifts, though anything from you? He was happy with. Hobie meets your fond gaze with his own, helping Ramona out with holding out her cloth while she slowly pierced the needle through and pulled it until the knot hit the bottom. From then, Hobie guided Ramona loosely to make a simple cat face with the thread. Billie watched closely as Ramona poked the needle through and pulling the thread along, copying her. Hobie watched his girls closely, his attention going towards you as you begin to walk into the living room with the three fruit bowls. You placed one down to Hobie, and the two down next to Billie and Ramona. Before you could go, Hobie stopped you with the gentle tug of your sleeve, beckoning you to come stay and teach with him. You couldn't even begin to try to say no as he gives you the iconic puppy eyes, and sat down next to him Hobie smiled warmly as you leaned into him with the bowl of fruit in your lap, his large palms gently rubbing your back, pinching your side playfully every time he caught you stealing his blueberries from the bowl. After experimenting was finished, it was time to move onto the real thing. Billie and Ramona had gotten some plain coloured shirts to design to their own personal liking. Hobie and you watched over them as they planned out what will go where and what to add, making sure that the girls don't hurt themselves while using the equipment. Everything was going calmly until you hear Ramona, who both you and Hobie were convinced that she was a more calm and quiet angel until this point, turn to her sister with 'we should totally sew 'fuck the cops' into them like Dad'. Billie enthusiastically agreed while Hobie coughed from choking on his own saliva, probably causing an earthquake somewhere with how aggressive it sounded, and you bursting into laughter, falling into him. Hobie stared at the two kids, murmuring a 'no swearing, kiddos' before managing to convince them to not sew that into their clothes for the sake of their safety in the world. Instead, Hobie managed to satiate his spawnlings with some spare patches he found, allowing them to pick which ones they liked and sew them into their clothes. Both Billie and Ramona were spiky enthusiasts, clearly getting inspiration from Hobie's iconic leather vest, however Ramona had spent more time embroidering designs and some patches while Billie adding some rips and frays to the bottom of her shirt and edges of her sleeves. After a few hours, Billie and Ramona finally finished their shirts, and until they held them up, Hobie hadn't realized that they were matching. Ramona's shirt was also ripped at the bottom and the edges of sleeves, with the embroidery being a 'devil horned' hand gesture that referencing was obviously used. However, the girls did the embroidering in such a way that the thumbs being curled upwards came into a heart when the shirts were closer together. Hobie couldn't help but feel a sense of pride rush over him as he hugged the two girls close, excited at the entire of having Billie and Ramona give you a little fashion show with their new clothes when you woke up from your unexpected nap on the couch. -🐦‍⬛

Yeess diy is very much a part of it since you don't participate in capitalism and consuming unethically made things

Daily Hobie HC ❤️❤️❤️

Ahhh yes the asian way of saying 'i love you' by cutting up fruit and giving it to you 😆

Iwhxjwdhhwjd HOBIE IS SLOWLY PASSING DOWN HIS SKILLS TO HIS FAMILY 🥹🥹🥹 R being taught by Hobie before they had the girls is peak romance it's such a great detail

Awwww they're having fun and experimenting with designs!!!! Hobie is having a lot of fun too I bet (after the small sobs from either girl after getting poked by a needle)

BAHAHAHAHHA billie and mona didn't hold back 😂

Spawnlings 🤣🤣🤣

THE HEARTS THAT ONLY SHOW UP WHEN IT'S PUT TOGETHER 😭😭😭😭 MY GIRLS THEY'RE SO SWEET 🥹 the shirts are so cute 🥰

[myceliumelium]

Okay lotr/sil OCs I have two that are a package set, cousins sort of? (You don't have to do both ^__^ or, you know, either if they don't spark anything)

One is male, reasonably tall, tan skin, with wide eyes that are grey but just a bit lavender (the kind of color that doesn't really register as lavender unless he wears purple or blue kinda? If that makes sense?).

He has the kind of features people describe as cheerful and sunny. A really nice smile? He has a scar split through the far left side of his lower lip down nearly to his chin from a fight he got into (someone said something he couldn't let go)

His hair is rabbits fur tan-grey. Which I headcanon as a mostly Sindar hair color. (Which meikers and other doll sites never have *sad sigh*) Texture is wispy fine, the kind of hair that starts coming out of whatever style its been put in to immediately after its been put up unless massive amounts of fixture is used, so he only does fancy styles for special occasions. Mostly it goes up in a bun, or a tail, or braids at the temples and pulled back, always with bits flying free of the style. It's usually about waist length if he hasn't burned it off doing something inadvisable.

He wears several gold hoops and studs, with ruby and garnet stones, and bangles, because he likes the clinking sounds they make. He sometimes wears a few rings on each hand (Noldor and their sparkly things) but more often he needs his hands free of things that could catch, so he strings them on the gold chain he wears, along side a small pendant star of Feanor.

He dresses nicely! Except he is one of those people that can't keep away from things that cause messes ever so his clothes almost always end up rumpled or singed or torn.

His cousin is blatantly and unabashedly based, personality wise, on Joan Watson from Elementary. So like, adventurous lady who seems like she's calmer and more careful, but that's only compared to her very smart but somewhat unhinged bestie and partner.

She's a little bit taller than my guy OC, with a similar skin tone, and grey eyes. No lavender for her, her's are thunderhead grey. Her hair is dark reddish brown, and wavy when loose. She has a shallow widows peak. She mostly keeps it back in a tight braid that reaches about down to her tailbone, or up with (sharp) jeweled hair sticks. Style made fancier when she needs it to be.

She has sharp features, and a resting face that says she is Unimpressed. She's got no facial scars, but several slices across the sides of her arms and forearms. Most are faded to almost nothing. She's pretty careful.

She wears a single pair of gold and ruby studs, with a matching necklace and cuff bracelet. She's Noldor but doesn't really 'get' the jewelry thing. She has as much as any lady, but only wears it when she has to. She does quite like fancy clothing though! She very much appreciates lovely colors and fabrics and embroidery. She just often ends up following her cousin onto rooftops and through fens and up mountains so she mostly keeps to practical AND pretty, and saves the gowns for when they're actually in Mithlond or other gown appropriate venues.

Both are generally armed, him with a sword and a bow, her with a shield and a halberd.

If something is mysteriously on fire, and they're in the area, there is like an 80% chance they're involved.

You will notice I have mentioned no names! These two are being SO stubborn about that. No names yet. Just stand ins of Rabbit and Fox!

The ask of not absolutely Drenching a noldo in jewellery was a big ask but I channeled the maximalism into the surcoat embroidery.

Fox is lovely, and I'm so glad you have me the chance to draw her!

I feel like they'd get along great with one of my ocs. same kind of chaos energy.

[itoshi-s]

Ive been rewriting 4th rabbit hole so much and tho i hate sending short ideas but i found this and am obsessed with it,, a cute plushie of rin is your only companion while hes away and tho it will never compare the thought of it is euphoric, giving u enough dopamine to be satiated but the real one wont be so latient with the obv disrespect -🐇 (ps what if u strap it with ur fave dildo... imma shut up now before this gets out of hand)

UWAAAAAAH NONNIEEEEE </3 please this has been livin in my head rent free...... the disreSPECT AKJHFAOIS

cw stepcest /sorry i cannot help myself akfhsalfksa this goes into the i&i au i guess

you're just too needy, all too desperate for your own good :( and it's not even your fault, rin had it coming for him tbh as soon as he got you that silly little plushie - mainly as a joke, because you teased him abt it ever since he told u the news that it's in the making - and started spraying it w his cologne every time he had to leave you for a few days. rin's rules are clear, and usually not all that hard to follow - you're not to touch yourself, at least not without his permission. you don't have much problems following through with it - not until rin leaves for a few away games in a row, and you just happen to hit a slump w all your university work.

you're all too hormonal w your ovulation coming up, too, and you just need to unwind. you're always on your best behavior, it won't hurt to abide the book for once, right? but your toys are locked in the pretty little leather case that only rin knows the code for, and your fingers just don't feel as good as your nii-chans anymore. you try to hit all the spots that would make your toes curl, but it seems like he's the only one who can do that by this point :( finally, you try to hump your pillow - well, rin's to be exact, cause it smells just like him, woody and citrusy - but it's just a tad too big, brings your legs in a weird spread that feels more uncomfy than anything else. you roll onto your back, frustration collecting along your lashline in crystalline tears, and just then you feel something dig into your lower back. reaching down, you pull the silly little plushie from under your body - and hold it up in both hands, eyes slowly widening in embarrassment upon your very own thoughts that pop up in that head of yours. it's silly, you know that, and you're not quite sure how you even got that idea in the first place - but next thing you know, the toy is already snug between your trembling thighs as you grind down on it. the embroidery feels a bit rough, just enough to help the familiar sensation build deep in your tummy, and you’re coming all over the soft plush within minutes. once the realization hits, you truly do want the earth to swallow you whole — cause it really is embarrassing, in a way, how you couldn’t even stop yourself and used the innocent sweet gift from your lovely nii san for such lewd thing. but it feels good, better than the pillows or your lithe fingers; and it smells just like rin, thanks to the generous spritz of his cologne. it helps you out numerous times during your lonely stay at rin’s paris penthouse — and you figure out you might need to treat it just like the usual, proper sex toy, and give it a proper wash. that’s where rin finds you when he comes back home — worn out and exhausted from the games and long ass flight, tugging the suitcase behind him. you don’t really hear him until he’s stood in the doorway in your laundry room, leaning against the frame. ‘hi, baby,’ he hums and startles you enough to make you jolt. your face heats up, right up to the very tips of your ears, and you grip the plush toy close to your chest- as if to hide it away. ‘nii chan- you-you’re back,’ you sound a little funny, rin thinks, and it’s what peaks his interest. you turn around, the stuffed toy in hand still, and he wouldn’t think anything of it at all if it wasn’t for your wide eyes. as if you were caught in the act — of what? he chuckles a bit and furrows his brows, cocks his head to the side slightly, ‘what’s with the look?’ rin muses, reaching a hand out to grab at your own - or maybe at the plush toy. you’re not too sure, and it makes you breathe nervously. ‘missed me much? i knew you’d like it.’ he knows something is up when you pull your hands away and give a nervous laugh <//333 and so, he fixes you a puzzled glance, cogs in his head turning as he watches you shake your head, ‘y-yeah. i- it got dirty though, spilled somethin-‘ you start to blabber and stumble over your words, and as he reaches to grab at the toy - just for the fun of it and to test you out - you quickly reach behind yourself and throw it back into the washing machine. and because he knows you all too well, each and every look of yours engraved in his mind, it clicks !!!!!! and it leaves him speechless 😭 for a second, rin’s eyes widen and he wants to laugh - he’s so amused, by the way you fidget in your spot and give him the widest eyes, embarrassed to a fault - until he realizes that no matter how cute and silly this might’ve been, you weren’t exactly good this time around. he struggles to bite back a chuckle, shaking his head a bit as he pinches the bridge of his nose. ‘you’re unbelievable, baby.’ he sighs - and as humored as he sounds, you know rin nii already. the real deal is always better. and he’s about to prove that <3

[hyunpic]

even if you kept their fits the same but just adding some sort of floral embroidery, even if it were just a shade or two off from the color of their fits, or a bit of shifting flash deco somewhere would've made their fits better. they were just so plain, the fits didn't suit them/their style/vibe at all. and i get that it's not really supposed to, it's the designer's work so it's going to go along with his style.. but i don't see their fits even really being on brand with the theme, either.

it’s all about the little things and details when putting an outfit together i feel.. and all those little things and details were all missing

also yeah i don’t really understand him cause he said in the interview how skz to him represent the modern prep his previous collections have also represented. like to me preppy is one of the last things that comes to my mind when i think about skz, their vibe and styling etc. but maybe we have a different idea of what is considered preppy idk 😭

[yunessa]

I have so many for Yunessa....

🌲- What is this oc's greatest strength and weakness?

🌴- Who is this oc's favorite person?(Can be another oc, a fictional character, a celebrity, anyone)

🍂- What music does this oc like?

☁️- What is this oc's clothing style like?

🌲- Loyalty. Not to a cause or country, but to the people who matter to them. To people who accepted them as they were, helped them, and didn't need to understand Yunessa to be their friend/family. You're almost there in the story where you'll see what I mean. ;)

A lot of people write chaotic neutral characters as wacky and funky folks who ignore laws or do far out funny things. But the thing with CN characters is that they make their own morals and values- those can be good, they can be bad, plain as vanilla, or downright vile. But what makes them CN is that the one thing that they hold close is their own freedom. Keeping that freedom, however the character defines it, is what makes them CN. I've always felt that if a CN character sets their path, regardless of good or evil choices, then it's because they chose to do so.

But on the flip side, while a Yunessa who cares for you would give you their bracelet without regret, they also struggle to express their personal thoughts and feelings. Sometimes you don't need to hold onto shards of a broken glass because the pain is yours.

🌴- In a world where Aivu exists then how can you have favorites? She;s so cute. Alternativly excluding romances, I feel like Yunessa and Siavesh would make for a good KC/ companion pair because they seem to get along swimmingly.

🍂- Old music. Not classic or what they can sing in the bars, but ancient music. Like, songs written on stone tablets or buried in graves millennia ago. They would find it fascinating to learn and give it a twist. Yunessa would be a big fan of the Hurrian Hymn, for example. Alternatively any wordless song they can play on their lyre.

☁️- Loose clothes with lots of pockets, a bit of bardic flair (Embroidery, stripes, etc), in darker colors that don't show stains easily- it's better for travel. They don't like showing off their skin so it's always long sleeves and pants. Getting them away from that style is more of a challenge than you'd think. Desna knows Daeran will try.

[jazarigi-joestar]

Becoming a Tennis Ace [Jazari x Luigi Fanfic]

The following was kickstarted by a Question of the Day in a server. Here was the prompt:

"Is your F/O good friends with anyone in their source, and are they friends with you? How about any enemies? How do you interact with your F/Os friends / enemies?"

This fic explores the rivalry between Jazari and Daisy and their final clash durings the events of Mario Tennis Aces!

Word Count: 3553

I accidently made one of Luigi's friends into an enemy by dating him. You can probably guess where this is going. Princess Daisy! Famous empress of Sarassaland who is also famous for being the love interest of Luigi, and she knows it. The two did date in the past from 1991 to around 2008. Luigi was the one to break the partnership off due to his lifestyle of living with Mario and being on the downlow is in direct competition with marrying a literal high-profile empress and having to move out of kingdom to be with her. Daisy did not take it well but did not directly fight back against Luigi's decision, however the two never made the split-off super public (same for even getting together actually) so fans would still spectulate on "when they'd get together" and stuff. Daisy used this to her advantage to still live vicariously as Luigi's woman without actually dating Luigi.

But Luigi had moved on. And Luigi was single. And in the summer of 2014 had a 'lil run-in with a certain purple clad New Donker that developed into something more. Something more that couldn't be hidden forever.

When Daisy found out that this random guy managed to steal "her man" she was livid, but not upfront about her jealousy. Like any excellent ex she decides to be very passive aggressive over her emotions and subvertedly takes them out on Jazari. Typically these advances don't even work on him because he's autistic as fuck and it's really hard to be passive aggressive with him or they ended up making him look more appealing to Luigi lol. Then the Mario Party incident happened in 2015-16 (date undecided in my lore). With a game that is famous for causing aggression combines with a woman who is naturally competative and her main competition in this game is the man who is currently dating her ex, yeah shit is about to go down. Whether intentional or not she triggers his C-PTSD with a bitchslap during one of the matches leading to Jazari to run off to find somewhere to shut down and Luigi to notice this absence.

Some of the most angry I have ever seen Luigi was when he found me hiding behind some shrubs in whatever Grasslands based party board we were on and seeing that hand imprint. He's a calm and collected type of angry, gentle to those he knows didn't cause anything (and doesn't want to upset them either) but incredibly sharp-tongued to those who wronged him/others. He knew better than to confront whoever did this upfront in the game, so he picks Jazari up, says a few choice words to Mario to explain his sudden departure, and leaves the game along with Jaza.

He already knew who did it, the hand size and flowered embroidery in the mark told all. Frankly, Luigi was downright disgusted with what Daisy had done even if Jazari wasn't trauma sensitive you don't just physically assault someone outside of assigned minigames. And because of Jazari being triggered he had a mental spiral that lasted quite a while, leading to a number of things that would go on to improve himself and his bond with others. The most notable was Luigi going to Daisy's castle himself just a couple days after to give her a piece of his mind, completely disregarding Mario and Peach's concerns which is very out-of-character for him.

I heard what transpired that fateful vist shook Daisy so hard she couldn't even look at him for months which was completely fine with Luigi because he had more important things to worry about.

There is a conclusion to all this, a conclusion that couldn't be made without my improvement. See when you hit rock bottom after thinking you would be permanantly safe living with, oh I dunno, your celebrity idol you somehow managed to rizz up and only the most powerful international hero in the entire Marioverse just to have that security slipped from under you by one of their own close friends the only way forward was up.

After the inital shock and fallout Jazari had a job to do, a job to put Daisy in her place without any of the dirty work the empress is known for. He tackled his demons head on, working through trauma with Lu, shaving his hair to finally properly heal up his hair issues after basically a decade of neglect at his birthhome, and getting on testosterone finally because he had nothing to fear anymore. Nothing more to lose.

It took a bit for his appearence to settle, his hair to grow back, the world to normalize after being hit with a dimensional merge involving paper, a dimensional merge involving Rabbids (that he accidently got Rabbidfied in the process), and the entirely of motherfucking Super Mario Odyssey (which led to Mario realizing he had everything he ever wanted out of a partner with Jazari after Peach's rejection), but soon he was ready to come into the spotlight again.

In 2018 a tournament would be held, a tennis tournament to be exact. It would be one of the biggest tennis events in the kingdom and Jazari loves some good tennis. He couldn't even hope to compete however without proper training and guidence but thankfully a certain Luigi rival was more than happy to help. And it would give the chance for Waluigi to make Luigi jealous over someone giving him more attention insead so he gladly accepted free of charge.

Learning tennis from the second best tennis player in MK was vital for Jazari's plan to work as up until this point he has no awakened Star Power. To summerize, Star Power is the magical awakening of an elemental specific ability within a Star Child. There are around 8 main types, Fire (example Mario), Thunder (example Luigi), Wish (example Peach), Foral (example Daisy), Strength (example Wario), Dimensional (example Waluigi), and Star (example Rosalina). Having an awakened Star Power is vital in Mario Tennis Aces to perform Trick Shots, which slow time in order to hit a fast moving ball and are often in response to a Special Shot, which are the most powerful and fastest moving shots in the game that rely on your Star Power. Jazari has none of these because he wasn't a Mushroom Kingdom native (a kingdom that specializes in awakening your Star Power) so he was at great disadvantage...

Or so it would seem, if his base tennis skills weren't as good as they were by someone who never played regularly or competitively before. Seeing such potential made Waluigi even more interested to teach him because while he would not be the one to take down the long running tennis tournament champion, maybe this guy just might (and he could gloat and market his services afterwards for a get rich quick scheme).

Oh yeah, that long running tennis tournament champion? Daisy. Jazari was out for blood going against her pride and joy, the sport she loved the most and excelled at.

With Waluigi's guidence and competitive edge Jazari was able to leave an imprint early in the game. Being without any Special or Trick shots made his quick success that more impactful, understanding which standard shots to use to throw his opponents off guard as they had become too expecting of someone with magical ability. And he had a killer serve knowing exactly when to hit the ball with peak speed after months of practice.

Your advantage of using shock from your lack of magical ability does wear off pretty quickly though when dealing with a 29 character tournament. Getting into the semi-finals just on pure brute force alone was nothing to sneeze at, but it wasn't Daisy. And he needed to get to her.

Matches started tightening up, Luigi losing suspiciously easy to Jazari was the only moment of reprieve from near broken rackets (resulting in a win to the non-broken player) and deuce matches becoming longer and longer. He had to push through.

Daisy was pretty shocked to see the finalist matchup to say the least. How could someone with no Trick Shot even manage to lob against a Special? She almost wanted to cause a fuss about it being rigged, but the taste of beating his ass was too tempting to ignore, and as she walked right into his trap she came up with a devilish plan on her own.

This entire thing didn't go without any anxiety on Jazari's part either, he isn't some perfect Mary Sue. The weight of what he just put himself into with this final match was almost too much to bear as he stood by the sinks in the breakroom white-knuckle gripping the rim, not sure if he needed to puke or cry. Because of how high profile the competators were he was allowed a great amount of time between matches and a much more private breakroom than most. At least, it would've stayed private hadn't Luigi walked in.

In the heat of pursuing your goals you often forget what caused you to start in the first place. Your reason for trying. This entire tournament wasn't for him, but for the man that stood in front of him. Who was looking very tempting in those shorts of his.

One lore important intimate stress relief later and Jazari finds himself with a newfound pep in his step. A bitch needs to be put in her place backed by the blessing of her less-angry-more-annoyed-if-anything exboyfriend. Especially after the stunt she decides to pull on Live T.V. during shittalk before the match begins.

"Listen here, bucko. I know you think you're all high and mighty because of your high profile sugar daddy and being the successful underdog, but this is MY game. And in my game we play by my rules."

"If you win, you can gloat about it all you want. But when I win, I take my man back."

Of course, one last trick up her sleeve because she's backed into a corner. Well now he was in that same corner too. He said no he would look like a coward and insecure, so he did what he had to.

"...Ya think scare tactics work on me? I've fought my way here, you're just someone who intimidates to get what she wants. Go ahead with your stupid bet, I'm not gonna be the one who has to deal with trying to the Green Guy back."

He saw that striking anger flare up in her eyes, the same one that overpowered him those years ago. But that was then and she can't use the same tactics twice.

The immoveable object meets the unstoppable force with a strong serve from Daisy and a even stronger lob from Jazari, causing her to already use some of her Star Energy for a Trick Shot. All it took was that one starting shot for him to understand everything about her playstyle. She's become overreliant on her magic, more than likely just breaking rackets using tricky Special Shots instead of actual skill. There was only one way to test that theory...

Watching her not make any Star Energy costing moves for multiple passes was telling about what to come. A full gauge means a full Special with plenty of time to aim (wonder why she would need that...). That Special Shot came, blew right past him, and hit the ground in the out zone. A purposeful lose-lose situation (hit too soon, break your racket, hit perfectly and lose a point due to the ball being out) that would have gotten any other player.

Seeing the realization of who she's dealing with couldn't help but make Jazari grin.

"What? You think I was cheating this whole way through?"

"Well-! I-! You-! UGHH!!"

"...Petty tricks like that don't work on me hun, try to play for real next time."

Daisy being pinned down only makes her more dangerous, he couldn't let his ego overcome him just yet. Suspicions where correct when she landed another perfect serve. It's hard to find anyone who can master the serve, twice in a row was lucky, so he didn't become discouraged just yet. He just played as he always did until she hit him with another Special Shot. An inbound one this time that he still purposefully avoided. Now they were 15 to all.

Not hitting Special Shots is a very cocky move, even for him. Typically he would go for them even if he got racket damage as other players used these shots as an opportunistic advantage, not a crutch. He was also purposefully misleading her into sending it out a third time where he was able to perfectly hit and make her miss her next shot.

30 to 15.

An.. unfortunate pattern was quickly emerging. Jazari gets the advantage and Daisy quickly sneaks up after with another point. Would playing fairly ever win against someone with magical advantage?

Skipping ahead all the tennis jargon and mistakes and fault-findings both make the pattern proved very true. The two were evenly matched in a incredibly long and grueling game of deuces. No one was truely getting the advantage and neither were willing to just end with a tie despite worries of overexaustion from fans.

Being beat out of the tournament Mario and Co. were sitting in the bleachers watching this all go down. The tension was thick, especially from the twins who were behind Jazari. In a switchup compared to their typical demeaner Mario was the one standing up anxious, gripping the railing while Luigi was... oddly calm.

"I- I don't know how you could do it, Lu. You guyes reputation is... a bit at stake right?"

Luigi just hums, showing he's listening but not really agreeing.

"He fine. Practice. Prepare," he pauses before finding his next words, "He not leave 'til beat."

"This is his first game! Ever! He's going to wear himself out!"

Lu's hand softly twitches in response, Mario knows how to hit his nerves. He points at Daisy, "Look."

Daisy... was frankly a mess by this point, hair sticking to her, exhaustion in her eyes, and she had to remove her crown long ago due to the weight bothering her.

He shifts his fingers direction, "Then, Jaza."

Jazari was also equally a mess, if not worse than Daisy. But only physically. He had something she did not. A glimmer of a will to keep going in his eyes.

Luigi clasps his hands together afterward with a content smile and eyes full of adoration, "See? He fine!"

Mario could only simply nod in agreement.

Jazari on the other hand was reveling in seeing the princess in this state. A state she's not familiar with, but a state he's more than comfortable being in.

"Neva had to work this hard before, eh Tuts?"

A scowl and a sharp "Shut up and just serve the damn ball!" in midst of pants was all he got in response.

"Hm, odd, just an hour or so ago you were all about taunting me and when I return the favor you just want to play like normal? Are you all bark and no bite?"

Something important about Mario tennis games is a technique where before a game starts you can press A to taunt. It seems insignificant, almost useless at first, until I mention the fact that this taunting will raise Star Power. Daisy was abusing this in the beginning to quickly raise her Star Energy and hit Special Shots, but knowing Jazari it's just a waste of energy at this point.

But, what happens when someone with no Star Power taunts enough?

Even after shooting another perfect serve he didn't stop his taunting. He could see how it bothers her, how it cuts deeper into her now that she's tired.

"Your shots are getting slower Daisy, I'd watch out if I were you!"

High powered Trick Shot in response, even stronger slice on the return.

"Heheh, having to rely on your magic again?"

It is invigorating, heart-pounding to be so confidently spiteful. Winning doesn't even matter anymore Jazari had successfully humiliated her at her own sport.

But, he couldn't stop. The footwork, the paddle angles, the speed of the ball had become second nature by this point. Or maybe his feet were becoming numb by this point. Didn't matter anyway as Daisy loses to a Drop Shot from how her tiredness has slowed her down.

Finally, an Adv. to 40 on Jazari's side. Daisy was getting angry again so now it's all or nothing. Due to her conserving her energy she was able to hit a Special Shot right off the bat, a shot the Jazari hit too early on causing racket damage. A lot of racket damage. This was no good. One wrong move later and all his efforts will be forfeit to someone who frankly didn't deserve the honor of victory.

And because of how much energy she had stored, she Special Shotted. Again. He couldn't be afraid this time. He won't be afraid this time.

Time seemed to slow down upon that thought, allowing him to quickly jump over to the ball's position before striking it back with perfect accuracy. He couldn't figure out the crowd's sudden silence or the wide-eyed look of astonishment from Daisy and the ball was moving too quickly for her to speak. Jazari was quick on the retort.

"Yeah, yeah, I can hit Special Shots good when I want to."

His taunts weren't just taunts anymore as a spark of gold aura appeared whenever he successfully completed a quip now. Daisy realized almost immediately, too bad Jaza was too focused to care.

"Stop..," was all she could mutter.

"What? I hurt your feelings, hm?" Another gold aura.

"Stop!"

"You want to quit? Only if you surrender your win." Another gold aura.

"Stop taunting!!"

But... it was too late when she saw the signature darkening of the arena as he stopped the ball midair with the flick of the wrist. He stared at the ball confusingly, not fully sure of what he's doing. It felt good to spin it around a little bit though, feeling weightless as well. Before he knew it he had built up some serious speed in the ball and serious altitude with himself and set his ball target to be hit in the same spot as what Daisy hit him with that first round.

All he could do was grin and hit the ball with more force than he'd ever have before. "Take this!"

The sound of a cracking racket and the signature yells from the empress signified the end. Jazari did it, things were finally over. Well, once he gets down first.

No one really tells you how difficult it is to make the landing after being magically put several feet in the air so he hits the ground. Hard. Mario and Co. were quick to rush over, Jazari able to make out only bits and pieces. A soft spoken "Oh my stars!" here, frantic Italian there. Being picked up felt pretty sweet though.

He come to in Luigi's arms walking him somewhere, possibly for first aid. Jazari was quick to squirm out and hop onto his shoulders piggy-back (legs to tired to stand).

"Easy!," Lu was quick to say not wanting Jazari to overwork himself so quickly.

His concerns fell on deaf ears as Jazari fed into the crowds uproar with waves and smiles. They loved it, seeing the Kingdom's newest couple not only beat the previously sought after partner for Lu but do so so dramatically. Jaza didn't understand the full scope of this until he peered down at his chest, his purple tennis top now sporting a weird glowing, pulsating lilac star.

"...What's that."

A giggle could be heard to his left as he turned to see Peach (was she there the whole time... embarrassing). "That's your Star Power! The Star Spirits must have seen your tournament with Daisy as a great accomplishment in your personal journey and granted you their blessing."

Another voice could be heard to his right, Rosalina. "You need to rest. Not only did you put your body through incredible stress but now you have a freshly-awakened Power as well."

"Do I keep the glowy chest thing orrr-"

"The insigna will fade, currently it is overactive due to not being acquainted with your form."

Peach sighed, "I can't believe we got to see an Awakening during such a eventful tournament. Let alone have it be broadcasted on T.V.!"

Jazari couldn't help but groan for how he kept finding himself in these life-altering historical events. Being a Rabbid was more fun than this. His train of thought was quickly broken by Peach not-so-subtlely whispering how Jaza needs to be "treated" to some one-on-one "relaxation" later with Luigi laughing in response. He was quick to punch Lu in the shoulder, "Hey! Not me! I not start it!!"

Despite all the noise and chaos around them Jazari felt at peace, leaning into the back of Luigi's head out of exhaustion. He was fulfilled, he didn't have to prove his worth to anyone anymore. Who wins to the Queen of Tennis??

Jazari felt his eyes close as one last thought crosses his mind.

This guy does.

Reblogs > Likes :] If you enjoyed I would appreciate kudos on the A03 version as well! Becoming a Tennis Ace - Jazarigi - Super Mario & Related Fandoms [Archive of Our Own]

[tsmwrites]

Howdy, neighbor!

It's the rusty diggers that catches her eyes first, the matching muddy boots sauntering across the threshold of double-swung doors, but it's the pair of leather gloves that steadies her gaze, affixes it upon the movement of slender fingers hidden beneath them. The woman tugs at them—ostensibly practiced, with all the markings of habitual motion—covering her wrists, letting the leather and tartan hide the swirls of black markings spilled across her skin. Sheer willpower and auspicious timing allows Kateri to catch sight of golden initials sewn into the lining of the gloves—A. C.  

Cowhide isn't common in these parts and neither is the custom of such fine embroidery on something meant for the grit of practical work. She lingers on it, marveling at the handiwork for a moment before turning back to the coin-operated phonograph in the corner of the saloon. Its gaping mouth requests the exchange of coin for a tune, but she knows better than to feed its endless gullet. With a swift kick to the right side of the machine, the bar fills with the crackle and popping of needle on vinyl and a raspy, sonorous voice. 

Between all the ways in which her senses are alighted, she can almost forget about the conversation she was avoiding.

It's one thing to have responsibilities towards the good folk of the town and another entirely to commit to a life with a stranger for political gains. She's against the arrangement on principle and knows Pat is only going to talk her into going along with it to please her father. Not because she agrees with Kateri's father, but because she's conflict-avoidant and a goddamn pushover.

Christ Almighty, she really needs new friends.

Begrudgingly, she returns to her seat at the bar and braces for inevitability, instead finding the newcomer filling the stool beside hers. A cloud of dark burgundy, corkscrewed hair peeks out from under her Stetson, haloing her face. Her clothes look well-worn, loved, but they're rag proper, and the combination has Kateri in a stumper.

"Howdy, ma'am," Kateri says, removing her hat and pressing it to her chest in a slight bow towards the other woman before returning it atop her head. "Name's Kateri. Welcome to Waupun Rise. Ain't seen you 'round here 'fore. You passin' by?" She waves to Pat, using her hands to communicate a Fill-up for me and a nice drink for the lady through an elaborate ceremony of finger-wagging with practiced ease.

She figures her tone's friendly enough—that she neatly couches her interrogation of intent between the appropriate niceties.

"Pleasure," the other woman replies, tipping her hat, "Heard good things 'bout Waupun, 'specially 'bout the Marshal who done fixed up the town. Figured I'd stick 'round a bit and see for myself." She lowers the paisley kerchief from her face, letting it dangle around her neck, and flashes Kateri a sly smile.

"S'that so?" She replies, an edge of curiosity in her voice as she takes a swig of her whiskey. Shit, Pat's applejack sure did wedge the spirit of regret within her; it always settled right above the gut, riling up the bile there.

"Sure is, ma'am." The row of pearls glitter across her face and Kateri fixates on the dimple taking shape on her cheek, perfectly framing the grin.

Sakes alive, she is pretty, Kateri thinks, as she takes another swig of the vile liquor. She'll take all the liquid courage she could get.

Pat glares at Kateri from behind the bar as she's methodically drying glasses and storing them—a warning look that conveys a clear Don't you dare. It nearly causes Kateri to sputter on her drink. She's quick to recover, subtly clearing her throat and turning away from Pat.

"I apologize, I didn't catch your name, darling," which earns Kateri a smirk from the woman and an obvious eye roll from Pat, who abandons her attempts to divert Kateri from following through on disastrous decisions and turns her attention instead to other customers.

Kateri's eyes are drawn to the woman's lips as they catch on bone—as she rolls the lush skin between teeth. "That's 'cause it ain't been given yet, ma'am." She hesitates. "It's Abby."

It suits her, Kateri decides. She also resolves: if her father is going to force a marriage upon her, she might as well enjoy the time she has left. Liberation is always a lot more fun with pretty women—especially, ones she has the freedom to court herself.

And so, she offers Abby a brief tour of the town instead of tending to obligations; introduces Abby to her cutting horse, Buckley, instead of returning to her office; beds Abby instead of planning for her imminent wedding.

Once Abby has shucked off her clothes, Kateri admires the tapestry of ink covering her body. She follows the lines depicting steam from one end to the other—a finger trailing across Abby's back, curving along her neck, settling on her clavicle—and Abby's breath hitches with the movement. Kateri kisses each of the gears intricately tattooed on Abby's back, tastes the winding pinion on her tongue, scrapes teeth against pendulum—kneels at the shrine of time deconstructed—and worships.

It's not even dawn the following day when Kateri wakes up, naked and alone, with only the imprint of Abby's body in the empty space beside her. Her arms and muscles are sore in that good way and she can't help the twitch of smile forming on her lips as recollections of the previous night floods her brain with dopamine. She sobers eventually, sighing while she prepares for the familiar monotony of her daily mayoral routine. As she's pulling on her Justin boots, she can hear Abby and Daunte conversing outside.

The panic settles as gentle as grease fire. Damn. Maybe Kateri had misjudged her—committed a grave error in luring Abby into her home and bed. Didn't she understand the obvious arrangement of a one-night spark? It certainly did not involve sticking around the next morning to make friendly with the neighbors. She can't risk the news of her misdeeds reaching her father—a tall order from a town that loves its gossip—so she hurries outside to cauterize the situation.

"Mornin', Daunte," she says, tipping her derby towards him, eager to interrupt the conversation.

"Mornin', ma'am," he stutters out, awkward and overwhelmed by her sudden appearance. "You—I was juss'—Miss Nakai," Daunte remembers himself and inclines his hat towards Kateri, "I was juss' gettin' to know—"

"Abby. Yes. We've been acquainted already," Kateri says, crossing her arms, with curiosity and amusement.

"Oh, that's real nice, Miss Nakai. I was juss' showing our, uh—esteemed guest—a bit of the farmlands here. And tellin' her 'bout the house." He gestures towards the cabin next to Kateri's—the one that's been up for sale for some months since Billy's family left, traveling further west.

Her brows furrow in confusion.

"Daunte. Why are you showing our esteemed guest," she glances at Abby, whose grin has gained a toothy quality to it, dimple pronounced on her left cheek, "the empty house?"

His eyes widen in realization. "Oh, pardon me, ma'am," he lowers his head, "I thought y'all knew one another on account of y'all bein' new neighbors and all."

There's ice in her veins.

Aw, shit, she thinks, oh, balls.

"S'that so?" Kateri manages to say as Daunte looks helplessly between them. "Abby and I met at Dolly's Wagon the other day and I s'pose it just didn't come up." By the time she finishes the sentence, her jaw hurts from all its clenching. Each word is bit out; it takes effort and Abby appears to delight in it.

This will...complicate things.

Daunte continues, desperate for a topic change, "Well, Miss Catawnee here's excited to be in town—"

"Catawnee?" Kateri feels faint, wishes she could faint, and briefly wonders if she should try to. Abigail Catawnee—estranged daughter of the Catawnee family, proprietor of the Catawnee Railway Systems, sister to—

At last, Abby speaks up, "When I caught wind that my sister was comin' to Waupun for—how 'bout we call it an event—I thought I'd come up as well, make sure the people are as nice as I've heard 'em to be." She places a hand on Daunte's forearm, never taking her eyes off of Kateri. "And so far, I'm finding the town to be extremely friendly." She smiles—goddamn it, why does she have to be so gorgeous—tossing her curls back, revealing the faint trail of bruises Kateri left along her neck in what she assumed would be a parting gift. More like a housewarming, she supposes now.

Daunte looks like he wants to be anywhere but between the two women, the tension between them close to splintering. "Right." He gulps. "So, I'll juss', uh—"

"Daunte, won't you be a dear and help me move some of my belongings into the house?" She's dragging him away, not waiting for a response, and turns to Kateri, "Lookin' forward to getting to know you better, Miss Nakai." She winks at Kateri, leaving her stupefied and absolutely fucked.

Aw, shit. Oh, balls.

[theimpurelily]

To Remember You By

Word Count: 5,057

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“D-do you l-like d-dancing?”  

Riftan winced at the question, not even a few seconds after they met up and she was already bringing up that dammed dance. He shouldn’t be surprised by it; he did tell her he would refuse to dance with that woman. Which he would have if it wasn’t for Ursuline being there along with the fact she would have caused a scene if she had been refused.  

“No, and I didn’t enjoy having to do that.”  

That answer didn’t seem to satisfy Maxi as she continued to look morose while pulling at thread that had come loose from her muted green sleeve.  

“She was starting to cause a scene.”  

"I u-understand.”  

Riftan ran a hand over his face as he sighed, he could feel himself getting irritated, though it was mostly at himself. Once again, there was just a twinge of excitement at the fact she was jealous. Still, he didn’t want their last conversation to be about that leech of a woman.   

Slowly, Riftan reached out to take her hand in his and bring it up to his lips. "I would have preferred to dance with you." 

She finally looked up at him for a moment and Riftan was relieved to see she didn't look as upset as she had just moments before. However, she was starting to look nerves at the mere thought of dancing. That didn't make sense to him. Didn't all nobles learn how to dance or was that a lie told to him by his commander. He thought for a moment that perhaps she just didn't like dancing in public. However, another reason came to mind as a bitter feeling started to sink into his stomach. As much as he knew it wasn't true, the thought that she just didn't want to be seen dancing him wouldn't go away. 

"Unless you don't want to." he murmured, trying to keep any emotions from his voice as he gently brushed his thumb over her knuckles. 

"It's n-not th-that. It's j-just...m-my father, he...he would n-never a-allow it." 

"Not with anyone?" 

Maxi didn't hesitate to shake her head no and Riftan hated how much better that made him feel, that it wouldn't just be him that the duke would shield his daughter way from. 

"W-would you..." she spoke up but quickly stopped herself while looking down, it was kind of cute how embarrassed she was by the cut off question. 

"Would I what?" 

"Y-you said you d-don't l-like...dancing." she mumbled, and he felt himself smiling, getting a feeling of what she was trying to say. 

Riftan truly wasn't sure if Triton would even be able to do what he hinted at. He was doubtful, but his commander was just as stubborn as he was, so there is a possibility. Still, Riftan held off on telling her about the possibility of them dancing. 

There was no need to get both of our hopes up.  

"I'd enjoy doing anything if it's with you." he confesses while using his free hand to brush her hair over her ears. 

"E-even, e-embroidery?" she asked with a shy smile. 

"I can’t promise I'd ever be good at it, but I'll try if it’ll make you smile like that." he answered with a light chuckle. 

Maxi tilted her head to the side, causing the newly tucked away hair to fall from behind her ears. 

"Like wh-what?" 

He smirked as he watched her hair dance around in the wind. Riftan didn't know how much his answer would make sense. He knew her smile could brighten up any room and it always seemed to make her eyes shine. He also noticed that she would sometimes blush when she smiled, turning her freckles into specks of gold while her crimson hair resembled the clouds during dawn. 

She was like the sun.  

"You must know how beautiful your smile is, Maxi." he finally replied, not fully answering her question as he took hold of a stray curl. 

Maxi looked genuinely surprised by his words, it was something he couldn't fathom. As much as hated the thought, he knew there had to be moments in her life where another man had complemented her or given extravagant gifts worth her weight in gold. Unless...would her father keep her away from them? 

Riftan twirled the curl around his finger as he thought back. She had never left the castle grounds before and her father forbade her from dancing with anyone. Could the real reason why Maxi isn't at court be due to her father's over protectiveness? A way to keep his daughter from being courted by anyone? 

Before he was able to theories anymore, Riftan felt Maxi's reach out to cup his face in her hands and all of a sudden, his whole world became solely focused on her again. He wouldn't be surprised if one day he learned she could cast magic with the way she could so easily put him under a trance. 

Slowly, he allowed her to pull him down closer to her flushed face. He couldn't hold back the smile as he watched her eyes dart to his lips before placing a quick kiss. Riftan didn't give Maxi the chance to pull away as he quickly brought up a hand to hold onto the back of her head, keeping her lips against his own. He didn't hesitate to kiss her back with more heat and less innocence compared to her little chaste kiss. 

He liked to think she had kept her hair down in anticipation for him to run his hand through her curls as her own went from holding his face to wrapping around his neck. He wouldn't be surprised if they completely melted into each other with how tightly they were holding onto one another. 

He would miss this; he didn’t know if he could survive going a day without feeling her body against his or tasting her lips as she slowly grazed her nails against from the back of his head down to the nape of his neck. Every little sound and movent from her only seemed to make his body crave more of her until it ached. It wasn't until he lightly bit her bottom lip that she let out a moan which sent a shiver down his spine and made him lose control. 

Unwrapping his arms from her Riftan swiftly took hold of her waist and hoisted her up so he could pin her against the nearby tree. The new height difference allowed for a better angle as he started to assault her decolletage with little bits and kisses. However, as one of his hands started to move from holding her to gilding over her rib cage and up towards her breast that he felt Maxi start to pull away. 

The little moment of resistance from her snapped him back out of his craze. Letting out a slew of curses under his breath, Riftan quickly pulled away from her and set her back down firmly on the ground. 

"R-Riftan?" 

Letting out a shaky breath, he glanced down at her and forced himself to hold back a groan. Maxi was still breathing hard with her hair a mess and her face flushed. Even part of her dress had been pushed away from her shoulder to expose more skin along with the edge of her shift. If anyone was to see her right now, they would have assumed he had fully taken her. 

Riftan tried to keep his breathing steady as he reached out to fix her dress. He could almost laugh, judging by the surprised look on her face, she wasn’t the only one that didn't notice how he had started to push her bodice down. 

"I'm..." his voice came out a little too horse and he cleared his throat. 

"I shouldn't have done that." 

There was a small pause, which he was partially thankful for as it gave him time to cool down...until she shocked him with a simple question of. 

"Why?" 

He had to process what she had just said for a moment. 

"You...last time you didn't like that. You told me to stop, remember?" Riftan was pretty sure he was the only intoxicated one that night. 

She looked away and started to play with her hair, making the curls even fluffier. 

"I w-was s-surprised...and i-it w-was...unexpected but..." She glanced up at him before looking away. "I didn’t h-hate it" 

A loud crack rang out as Riftan closed his eyes and smacked his head against the tree. 

Maxi started to fuss at his sudden action but he held up his hand to stop her, not needed any distracting as he started to try and recite the oath he took. It was the only thing he could think doing at the moment to keep his mind from picturing certain things brought on by the fact she didn't hate him pawing at her like that as he pushed himself against... 

"Fuck."  

Riftan opened his eyes to look down at a worried looking Maxi. With her hair continued to be a delightful mess and her face still red she brought up a hand to touch his forehead, gently removing it from the tree. 

The timid yet kind gesture pulled at his heart but as he brought his hand up to brush a thumb over her lips the bells started to ring out. 

Despite knowing she needed to go, despite her telling him before she couldn't be late, Riftan quickly pulled her in for one last kiss. 

It ended too quickly as she placed her hands on his chest to push him back. 

“I h-have to g-go.” 

Riftan answered her by shaking his head and kissing her again. 

Just a little more.  

Maxi didn’t seem to like that answer and moved her face away. 

“R-Riftan, please.” Her voice was small, and he could hear it shake slightly. 

Sighing, he brought her in for one last hug, holding her tightly as he kissed her temple. His only solace was the fact that, despite her words, she also seemed hesitant to slip out of his grasp. 

As befitting for the final victory banquet, the cavernous space was lavishly decorated. Gold adorned the walls, and the lilting melody of a lute floated through the air. Nobles in their most extravagant finery sat along tables full of fragrant wine, rich food, and fresh fruits.    

Not even a second after he entered the hall Riftan could feel the banqueters' eyes on him, gawking at him as they do every night as if he were a crow in a peacock cage. He had tried to ignore them and joined the Remdragon Knights at their seats. No one could say he didn't attempt to enjoy himself, but his mind and eyes kept wondering toward where The Duke of Croyso, in an ostentatious display of fur and silk, sat overlooking everyone at the head of the table with Maxi by his side. Her dress was an elegant velvet in a deep red that showed off her shoulders with her hair pulled into an elaborate braided bun. 

His heart instantly started to ache as he watched her glance at him before looking back down with her shoulders hunched. It took all of Riftan’s willpower not to stare at her for too long, but the gloomy aura she was giving off made her difficult to ignore. His mood was in a similar state and refused to improve. It didn’t help that the ladies from around the room seemed to focus on him more so than the usual amount. No doubt it was a result of last night's dance. It was to the point where both Hebaron and Gabel couldn’t keep up. Riftan wasn’t sure how or when but at some point they roped Ursuline to dance with the ladies. 

The whole thing made him feel oddly paranoid, as if this was some part of Triton's plan so when he got the chance, Riftan snuck off to hide in the corner of the large room. It thankfully worked for a while with the only ones who seemed to notice him for a moment being a servant who had brought him another goblet of wine and an ecstatic looking Gabel. 

Riftan watched said goodby to the lady he had been entertaining before he approached him while expertly dodging those dancing beneath glimmering candlelight to the bards' songs. 

"Enjoying the festivities, I see."  

"I'm trying to avoid another scene." said while taking a sip of the expensive wine.

Something about the tone of Riftan's voice only made Gabel nearly snort in laughter. 

"Ah, yes, the lady Duranne. Quite the stubborn woman. You know, if you had stuck beside Sir Hebaron and I that could have been avoided." 

"I'm aware." Riftan grumbled as he side eyed Gabel. "How long have you been doing this?" 

"It began when I started to get a feeling you were interested in one of the ladies here. At first it was to see if you would react to any of the women I flirted with.” Gabel let out a sigh. “I was disappointed when it looked like you didn't even notice it."

"So why keep it up?" 

Gabel casually shrugged. 

"I was having fun but I'll take you finally noticing as a thank you." 

Riftan shook his head and laughed despite himself. 

For just a brief a moment there was a peaceful silence between the two of them and Riftan nearly got the idea to ask Gabel about Triton's idea until his ears picked up on the sound of drunken voices. 

“-marrying off the eldest to the royal family would be difficult considering her condition. She would need to bear healthy sons.”    

Riftan head quickly turned to where the voice was coming from. It didn't take much effort to sop the drunken men openly appraising Maxi as if she were a broodmare. 

“Indeed, it is a major flaw, but she is still the Duke of Croyso’s daughter. That is, worthy bride material. No doubt His Grace’s doting will guarantee she comes with a substantial dowry.” The older man, who looked to be well over thirty, said with a sickening smirked as Riftan's hand started to hurt with how tightly he was clenching his fist.

“What good is a dowry if she cannot produce an heir? If you have no successor, your fortune and estate will revert to the crown.” 

“Keep up, my good man. If she is truly as sickly as they say, she will not survive for much longer. You could simply find yourself a new wife once the opportunity arises.” 

The thought that she might be seriously ill was enough to make Riftan feel as if he had been stabbed in the heart, but that last comment caused him to feel an overwhelming urge to kill the noblemen surged in Riftan’s chest. He glowered at them, itching to drag the scum to a corner and slit their throats. That would ensure they could never wag their filthy tongues again.

"The absolute nerve." 

Riftan snapped out of his thoughts at the sound of Gabel clicking his tongue. The younger knight spoke up loud enough to also draw the attention of the drunken men along with a number of others nearby. 

"Imagine sipping on such fine wine provided by your gracious host only to turn around and spread such foul rumors of his beloved daughter." 

The two turned around as Gabel spoke and Riftan rage continued to build. They had the gall to look offended by his words after the foul shit they had just been saying about her. They might have even spoken up if it wasn't for their attention being drawn to Riftan who took a step closer to tower over them. Though his expression was steady, Riftan was well aware that the look in his eyes gave away his anger. 

Riftan turned his gaze to the duke sitting next to her like a warden. Though the man was pompous to the core, he would no doubt be her greatest protector. He couldn't blame the duke for keeping Maxi tucked away in the castle if it meant keeping her safe from scum like these noblemen.  

"I wonder how the duke would react if he knew what you've been spouting." Riftan added with a threatening tone causing their once rosy faces to blanched. 

The older man cleared his throat and tried to fix his posture. 

"H-how dare you make such accu-" 

"Ah! Perfect timing, it would seem our commander would like a word with us." Gabel interrupted with a smirk as he gestured towards where their commander standing near the duke as he waved them over. The noblemen turned to look where Gabel was pointing and Riftan was surprise they didn't just piss themselves right then and there.

"As if the duke would believe anything you would say." The other spat out in an attempt to hide his panic as he gave Riftan a disgusted look. 

And there it was, the face that Riftan had come to be used to seeing at these events. Glaring at him as if he was a stain that couldn't be washed off their perfect society. 

"Maybe, but it'll be fun to find out." Gabel retorted as he started to follow Riftan who had begun to step away, despite how tempting it was to knock out a few of their teeth he knew he had to step away before he ruined their orders reputation.

"Pigs." 

Despite his anger, Riftan cocked a brow at Gabel's comment. 

"What? Even I have standards." the comment made Riftan let out a cynical laugh. 

"You were spreading similar rumors as well." 

"I did no such thing; I was merely testing you. Now, if you'll excuse me, I need to make sure a little rumor reaches the duke ear by the end of the night." Gabel gave a little polite nod towards his vice commander before slipping away. 

Riftan honestly didn't know what to make of Gabel's hypocrisy at the moment, all he knew was that he truly hated the delicate politics of nobility. Riftan would give anything to just throw those two out the window, but he knew Gabel's approach was irritably the most sensible one. He could only hope that the duke's reputation towards his daughter was true. Someone with that much wealth and influence could easily ruin those two. Although, it wouldn't be as satisfying as all the little ideas currently running through Riftan’s mind. 

As he drew closer to his commander his anger slowly lowered to a simmer that possibly matched the rather crossed-looking duke. Despite the smiles both men had Riftan could feel the tension in the air chilling everyone around them. 

"Sir Riftan, would you do the honors of dancing with lady Maximilian?" 

Riftan paused mid bow, not expecting his commander to just out right ask like that. 

"Sir Evan, I was under the impression you would be doing the honors." The duke still held a polite smile but the tone he gave felt like a warning, one which Triton ignored. 

"I'm afraid my injury would prevent me from doing the honors." he said while gesturing towards his arm, Riftan tried not to look so skeptical at the man's words. His arm may still be troubling him, but a simple dance would still be doable, and the duke had to know that. 

"Sir Riftan may not be fond of the act, but as you saw yesterday, he is a fine dancer and would gladly do the honors of showing our gratitude towards your house." 

Riftan’s eyes darted towards Maxi as his commander spoke to see her reaction. Her body looked just as tense as it was before. Despite the fact that it would give them away if she even looked a little happy, he still wished she didn't looks so apathetic. 

"What a...unique gesture." The duke finally spoke, Riftan could feel the hate radiating off the man, it made him hesitate to hold his hand out for Maxi to take. Riftan was possibly the last person the duke wanted around Maxi, no doubt lumping him in with the rest of the scum. 

It wasn't until Triton elbowed Riftan before he gained the confidence to hold out his hand, all the while keeping his mouth shut, not wishing to risk anything. 

Surprisingly, Maxi wasn't as hesitant and gently placed her hand in his allowing him to slowly lead her toward the others dancing. 

He remembered within the first week of gaining his land and title both Triton and Gabel had all but locked him in a room for what felt like an eternity. They had insisted that Riftan learn all the proper dances of nobility. He hated it, he was supposed to be a knight not some pompous fool. Yet they refused to let him leave until he at least learned some of the basics. He's still surprised to this day that he didn't throw away his oaths after that ordeal and he truly hated the fact that it had come in handy a few times over the years. 

There haven't been many instances where he needed to dance with anyone but each time he did he felt a little thankful. It was bad enough that people would gawk at him; he didn't need to add in fuel by stomping on his dance partners' feet. However, nothing they taught him could have prepared for just how many were focused in on him right now.  

Riftan didn't need to look around to see their looks of repulsion as they no doubt scrutinized the lowborn ‘pagan’s’ every movement as he led the duke's daughter. He only prayed it didn't bother her to be seen like this with him. 

As the next song began to start, they crossed their wrists over one another and slowly followed the crowd as they began to move in a circle. His eyes darted from her face to their linked wrist, and he couldn't help recalling the comments of her health as he noticed how thin her arm was. It was something he shouldn't be surprised to see. Each time he held her he could always feel how thin she was and he thought he knew why with how rarely she ate at the banquets. Even during their picnic she would play with her food rather than eat it. So there was no real mystery as to her slight stature

His eyes darted to where she had been injured and that sinking feeling quickly slithered its way back. At, least that what he wanted to believe.

Unable to take the guilt anymore Riftan spoke up, making sure to keep his tone low as they moved from turning in one direction to another while switching wrists. 

"Maxi, I need to know something."

For a moment her mask slipped, and she looked up at him before glancing around at the others around them. 

"How... how is your health?" 

Her eyes darted around once more at the question; she was starting to look as anxious as he felt. It made his blood boil with a mixture of rage and guilt; how many years have rumors of her health been plaguing her? 

Maxi didn't answer him until the dance switched up to where they were face to face with one of her hands now placed in his as he rested the other against her ribs where he could feel her heart racing. 

"I'm a-alright." His eyes narrowed at her tone; it didn't sound like she believed her own words.    

Riftan once again looked at her arm before swallowing down the lump in his throat. 

“So, the venom didn’t have any lasting effect on your health?” 

The question seemed to have surprised her and her body started to relax more, making her ridged movements become more fluid as the tempo started to pick up.   

“I h-had a...f-fever, but it w-went a-away...after I-I w-was healed.” Unlike her previous comment, this one he believed. Yet he still needed to make sure. 

“Truly?” 

She nodded as they began to move faster and Riftan took advantage of their building momentum to push Maxi out into a spin, causing her skirts to ripple and highlight the tones hidden in the soft velvet. The simple little act also caused her once dull eyes to start to shine again.

Did this mean I was fast enough?  

Was that why she had so many healers? 

His eyes quickly darted toward the duke who glared at him.

Is that why you hired so many hierarchs?

Having his eldest daughter hurt like that, nearly dying to something so preventable, of course he would ensure something like that would never happen again.  

Despite her being the one to have been spun around, Riftan started to feel dizzy at the sudden rush of relief. He could hardly hold back a smile and as the tempo of the music reached its height, he took hold of the small of her waist and lifted her up to spin them both around, making her light up the room with her smile. 

To hell with the rumors, to hell with any of them who would dare see her as nothing more than a broodmare. If there was one thing both he and the duke could ever agree on was the need to fend off those who would only see her were some mere object to be used and thrown away. Just the thought that someone could look at her and feel that way filled him with rage and fierce urge to protect her.

Maxi was so much more than that, so much more than anyone in this room could ever dream to be and Riftan felt like the luckiest man here, because he knew they would never know her as well as he did.   

As the dance continued his mood began to lighten more and more. He could no longer feel the eyes of those in the room on him, all he could focus on was Maxi. On the feeling of her in his arms, the soft fabric of her rich dress and the hammering of her heart under his hand as she smiled and laughed while they danced. 

It was like day and night to how she looked just moments ago; her ridged posture and sullen look was completely washed away as her adorable curls started to break free and frame beautiful face. 

She looked so beautiful and carefree and it took everything he had not to pull her in close and kiss her as the song came to an end.

As they parted Riftan brought her hand up to kiss it, trying his best not to linger too long. 

"Y-you're l-leaving...tomorrow m-morning?" 

Riftan slowly nodded as he released her hand. Hearing her ask that made him feel both elated to know she wanted to see him just one last time, but it also twisted his heart since he knew that they couldn’t.   

The once bright look in her eyes slowly faded as she gave him a small curtsy. 

"Th-then, I p-p-pray for your s-safe...t-travels, S-Sir R-Riftan." she mumbled, fumbling with her words a little as her voice trembled. 

He wished he could hold her again, but he held back as he watched Maxi walk away. Although he could already feel his gut twisting in frustration as his stepfather's words, he couldn't stop his eyes from trailing her. He couldn't stop himself from wishing for her to turn around and look at him again. He expected her to keep walking like the fist banquet, but to his delight she did turn back for just a moment before disappearing behind a corner.

For the rest of the banquet Riftan kept dodging the questions from some of the other knights and ignoring the cold glare from the duke as he sipped his wine. It wasn't until the night was nearly over, when most had either left or where now deep in their cups, that he was finally able to thank Triton.

Riftan felt conflicted as he watched the gradually receding Croyso Castle. A small part of him wondered how many days would pass before she regretted everything between them. How long would it take for her to eventually ignore his letters?

Riftan laughed as he shook his head, willing himself to push away that voice of doubt as he remembered what his commander had told him.

Triton had visited just as dawn broke, catching him as he was trying to pack the little pressed flower safely away.

"Good, you're nearly done. I'll need your help dragging Hebaron out of here, the lad indulged a little too much last night." Riftan had chuckled at that, knowing very well that Triton would make Hebaron pay for that latter.

"Did the lady gift you that?"

The sudden question had made Riftan's face burn, and he refused to answer the question as he continued to try and place the gift safely way, padding it with as many of his clothes as possible, though he hated how it would likely stain the scent of her perfume with the smell of horse.

"My wife is completely captivated with her garden."

Riftan had paused his movements as he gave his commander a confused look.

"It's practically her child." he said with a cheerful tone. "She knows every plant and flower that resides on the grounds and could tell you the usage and meaning of each one as well."

He continued to speak before nodding towards Riftan. "That one, is one of her favorites."

Riftan wasn't sure what his commander was getting at until he told him the name of the little flower tucked away, the same one that had once been part of the many others that made up the little flower crown Maxi had once gifted him.

It was strange, the little mirrored moments in life. The first time he had left the duchy his last thoughts had been of her sitting alone in the garden. That didn't change, he could still picture Maxi sitting in the garden waiting form him, however, but his feelings and actions were so different from ten years ago.

Before, he had sworn to himself to never look up and now, he found himself doing just that and while he had scattered the dried flowers across the road, he now held on tight to her gifts with the necklace around his neck and the little handkerchief carefully tucked away protecting the small forget-me-not. 

[innerpalaces]

The Life of a Cannon Fodder Mother-in-Law - 34

Chapter 34: The Step-Mother-in-Law 1

 After the decline of the Qi family, Liu Yuniang slowed down. When she was fifty, she handed over all her businesses to Qi Caimiao and started traveling by herself. Ke Beiyu was always by her side. From the beginning, Liu Yuniang did not force Ke Beiyu to stay and allowed him to leave at any time.

Later, when she saw that he wouldn't leave, she even urged him several times. However, Ke Beiyu refused every time and seemed to be sulking for the next few days after. Gradually, Liu Yuniang stopped mentioning it. In a pure white room, there were tables and chairs, and a familiar face stood in front of her with a smile. The real Liu Huixin bowed to her and said, "Cai Miao learned the three virtues and four obediences from her father, and she was too soft-tempered. Thank you for helping me protect her, and for teaching her how to protect herself." After saying this, her whole body slowly began to fade away. At the same time, there seemed to be someone inside the porcelain bottle on the table. From the beginning to the end, Liu Huixin never mentioned the rest of the Qi family. She must have given up on them a long ago. Before she even opened her eyes again, Liu Yuniang found that her back hurt. It was the kind of pain caused by leaning on a hard place for too long. When she opened her eyes, she saw that the tables and chairs in the room were old, with few bright colors. She was wearing a cloth dress and holding a half-embroidered piece of material in her hand. As soon as she moved, the embroidery needle pierced her fingers. Pain came and she woke up completely. Just as she was about to receive the host's memory, the door was knocked open from the outside, and a slender young man walked in: "Mom, give me your jade pendant and ten taels of silver." 

There was a young woman beside him. She had a good appearance, with a kind smile on her face: "Mom, it's the Li family's birthday banquet, our family can't be too rude." Judging from the way the two of them coordinated, they should be a couple. Even though the value of silver varied slightly in different places, silver mines are always scarce, and ten taels of silver can buy quite a lot of things. Even if Liu Yuniang had no memory, she knew that, given the conditions of this family, ten taels of silver was not a small amount. But the young man spoke so lightly, as if it were ten coppers. "Such a big thing, let me think about it" She didn't dare say too much for fear of exposing herself. The young man was dissatisfied, but he didn't bother arguing. "I knew you wouldn't agree. I will go find dad." With that, he went out like a gust of wind. The woman beside him spoke hesitantly: "Mom, I know you are reluctant to part with that jade pendant, but after we accepted gifts from others, we have to give a return gift. Don't be stubborn, otherwise, when dad comes back, I'm afraid he will be angry..." Liu Yuniang looked at her with a straight face, which made her feel uncomfortable, and she ran away quickly. Liaocheng was one of the prosperous cities under the jurisdiction of Yun State. Zhang Manyue was born in an ordinary family in Liaocheng. Both her parents make a living working for other people. She also has an older brother. Her family is not wealthy, so althoug her father and mother loved her very much, she had to work a lot since she was a child. When she was twelve years old, she started working. When she was fifteen years old, she married Ge Gen, the eldest son of the Ge family, who lived two streets away. Ge Gen had been married before, but divorced his wife soon after she gave birth to their eldest son. It was said that the two quarreled frequently and could not get along. Zhang Manyue got married purely because of the situation at that time.

After getting married, life was okay at first. Zhang Manyue thought that she would live a dull life like this, but she did not expect that the divorced first wife would continue to affect the Ge family. Her tragedy also originated from this. The door was pushed open, and Ge Gen strode in with a displeased look on his face: "I heard that you are unwilling to take out silver to prepare a gift for Song Yu?" He emphasized: "Just last month, we just received a set of gilded jewelry from her. Such a complete set of jewelry is not cheap. Relatives must pay attention to reciprocity, and you should only be stingy in the right place." Yes, in the eyes of the Ge family, Zhang Manyue has never been generous enough.

Liu Yuniang lifted her chin up and said leisurely: "That gilt jewelry jewelry is so exaggerated that it is bigger than my hand. It looks like it could be worn in an opera. How can a proper person wear it?" Ge Gen was surprised: "Such expensive jewelry is naturally very pleasing to look at." "Its only use is being pleasing to the eye." Liu Yuniang smiled: "In my opinion, that set was given to her by someone else. She kept it for a while to take up space, then later thought our family was a trash collector and gave it to us."

"What are you talking about?" Ge Gen was furious and slapped the table, "How can you make such assumptions about someone's good intentions?" Liu Yuniang also slapped the table, and she was even louder than him. "You don't even look at the state of our family. Are we worthy of having such useless decorative trinkets? And you even offer ten taels of silver in exchange. I can't afford such relatives!" After a pause, she added: "You still want my jade pendant? You father and son should give up as soon as possible." Ge Gen glared at her. Liu Yuniang stared back: "Do you still want to hit me?" "I earned all the money in the family!" Ge Gen said solemnly: "This time it's her mother-in-law's birthday, so we have to come up with a decent gift. I'm not discussing it with you, I'm just telling you." As he spoke, he walked to the bedside, reached out and opened a secret compartment, took out two small ingots of silver, and turned around to leave. "It's true that you earn the money, but I help you with the housework and take care of bother the older and younger generations at home so that you have no worries. If you talk like this, then we can't live with each other anymore." Liu Yuniang stepped in front of him: "Guangping's wife is pregnant and needs money to replenish her body. Guangyu's dowry also needs to be prepared. Guangxing is still sick... You may not have enough money for your family to spend. If you give it away, what will happen to our family in the future?"

"I'll think of a way." Ge Gen walked around her. Liu Yuniang followed and stopped him again: "I don't believe it! Ge Gen, I won't stop relatives from exchanging gifts, but we can't do so at the expense of our own affairs!" Someone had come to the open door again, and it was the young man from earlier. Ge Guangping stood there with a serious face: "Mother, let's get through the current situation first. Yan Niang is in good health, and besides, our family can afford to buy good food."

Yan Niang looked considerate: "Yes. Mom, the Li family has given us so many things. If we give less gifts in return because of your greed, it would be unreasonable." Liu Yuniang sneered: "I have planned for you with all my heart. My good intentions are not rewarded." She waved her hand: "Ge Gen, if you take this money and walk out of this room today, we will also go our separate ways. I've had enough." Ge Gen didn't take it seriously and left directly. The father and son discussed the gifts they wanted to buy in low voices and gradually disappeared through the gate. The yard was not big, and there were four rooms at the entrance. At the moment, it was the time to cook dinner. There was a young girl standing at the kitchen door. When she saw her leaving, she immediately pretended to be busy adding wood to the fire.

In the intervals between her busy work, she secretly glanced at Liu Yuniang's expression. "Mom, don't be angry."

Liu Yuniang turned her head and looked at her: "I'm not angry. Go get your third brother and let's go to your uncle's house for dinner." There was no way she would let her and Zhang Manyue's children serve the Ge family! Ge Guangyu was already fifteen this year. Hearing this, she felt a little uneasy: "Dad and eldest brother will be angry when they come back."

"I'm already angry." Liu Yuniang said: "I've been putting up with so much these years, and I also want someone to coax me." She shouted: "Guangxing, come out quickly."

Ge Guangyu said tentatively: "What if dad doesn't coax you?"

Even better! Out of sight out of mind. Liu Yuniang thought so in her heart, but didn't say it out loud. Instead, she said: "Let's go quickly, otherwise your aunt won't have time to cook enough food for us." Ge Guangyu: "..." After such a big thing happened, why did her mother only care about eating? The area where the Ge family lived was considered the outer city. Most of the people around were dressed in common cloth. The people who usually came and went on the street were also people from the surrounding farms and suburbs. The mother and her two children walked among them, and they did not attract attention.

Along the way, Ge Guangyu peeked at her expression many times. Liu Yuniang pretended not to notice. She passed by a roast duck shop and bought one. She was right. The Zhang family was just preparing to cook dinner at this time. Sister-in-law Chen was surprised when she saw the mother and her two children: "Second sister, is something wrong?" Liu Yuniang handed over the roast duck in her hand: "It's nothing, I just want to come back for a meal."

Madam Chen quickly concealed the surprise on her face and said with a smile: "Just come back.  There is no shortage of meat at home; it's too polite to bring things like these. You sit in the room for a while, the food will be served soon." 

Not long after, she called again: "Guangyu, come and help me." Madam Chen noticed that Ge Guangyu was restless and asked in a low voice, "Are your parents arguing again?" "Yes." Ge Guangyu said nervously: "Aunt, mother didn't cry this time, but I feel that she is even more angry than usual." Mrs. Chen frowned: "Is it because of the Li family again?" Ge Guangyu stopped talking! Madam Chen was so angry that she put the wooden basin in her hand hard on the stove: "This is too much. If that woman wanted to leave the Ge family, why doesn't she leave more thoroughly? In my opinion, she deliberately made your parents quarrel and have a hard life. It's a pity that your father's eyes are covered with filth and he can't see it!"

Afterwards, she ground her teeth. Liu Yuniang didn't know what happened in the kitchen, and she went to talk to the old couple of the Zhang family. Zhang Manyue and Ge Gen often quarreled. Zhang Manyue had nowhere else to go, so she would return to her parents' home when the fought. However, she always reported good news but not bad news, and went back after a while.

The Zhang family knew that their daughter was not doing well, but they did not want to expose her embarrassment, so they deliberately did not mention it. Liu Yuniang had no intention of hiding it: "We had a quarrel. This time Ge Gen insisted on using ten taels of silver to prepare a birthday gift for the Li family, and even set his sights on my jade pendant. How could I tolerate him?" Zhang Manyue's grandmother was a maid from a wealthy family. That jade pendant was rewarded to her by her master. It was worth a lot of money. No matter how difficult things were, she would not give it up. It was passed down as a family heirloom. It first fell into the hands of Zhang Manyue's mother, and later when Zhang Manyue got married it was hung around her waist. Such an heirloom should be used as a dowry for Ge Guangyu, but Ge Gen asked for it so casually... Mother Zhang was furious after hearing this: "That's too much! Who gave him the confidence!" Father Zhang looked livid: "What's going on in his head? No matter how good Yan Songyu is, she's already someone else's wife. He can barely make ends meet at home, but he wants to give her face. He..."

"In his eyes, she is a fairy in the sky. Even thinking about her is blasphemy. He wishes he could put her on an altar." Liu Yuniang mocked. "It's obvious that he hasn't let her go. Ninety percent of the money he earned over the years went to the Li family. This time, I will never give in! If he still insists on giving that gift of more than ten taels, we can't continue this life!"

Zhang Manyue didn't want to serve the Ge family anymore, so Liu Yuniang certainly won't stay and make things difficult for herself. The old Zhang family couple looked at each other in shock when they heard her bold words.

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