#Home Buddies Bazaar

[beingjellybeans]

Home Buddies Bazaar: Your Ticket to Budget-Friendly Home Style

In the bustling world of home enthusiasts, the renowned Filipino group, Home Buddies, is poised to mark its third anniversary with a remarkable event. Aptly named the Home Buddies Bazaar, this grand celebration showcases the best in home improvement, décor, and design from over 30 passionate local merchants. A Fusion of Style and Savings At the heart of Home Buddies Bazaar lies a dedication to…

[celestemona]

𝐖𝐇𝐄𝐍 𝐓𝐇𝐄𝐘'𝐑𝐄 𝐃𝐀𝐃𝐒

a brief look at their daily life & random family’ moments (not the same timeline)

pairing: dad & husband! wriothesley, cyno, kaveh x fem! reader

cw: original characters, maternity, pregnant reader in wriothesley's part, parenthood, use of endearment names, arabic terms & fluff stuff. not beta-read.

reblogs and comments are appreciated ♡

x

Wriothesley

Busy with your daily tasks, you and Wriothesley enjoyed each other's company in his office allowing only the rustling of papers and the noises of the pen signing documents to cause any sound in the slightly silent environment. 

The weight and movements in your womb didn't bother you as much as the discomfort caused by the swelling in your feet, and so you took advantage of those moments to work while allowing your body to relax on the sofa that your husband had recently bought.

A stack of papers was supported by your belly as you placed all the revised documents to be filed on top of it, but Wriothesley could see that all that paperwork didn't interest you as much as the crossword puzzle from The Steambird newspaper that you currently entertaine yourself.

“Honey, quickly. Known as Liyue’ enlightened beasts or gods. Seven letters.” 

Wriothesley looked up from a form and pondered for a few seconds before smirking, “Easy. Adeptus.”

You smiled excitedly, gratefully and scribbled down the answer right away.

Moving on to the next riddle, you had barely noticed someone knocking on the door until your husband allowed their entry and the presence of your teenage son was present. The boy peeked shyly through the crack in the door before entering.

“Mom. Dad. Are you busy?”

“Never for you, sweetheart,” you replied, setting the newspaper aside and placing the other papers on the tea table in front of you, gesturing for him to come closer. Cameron smiles sweetly and walks over to you, sitting next to you and soon being covered by your attention and affection. 

“Is there a problem, buddy? I thought you were in the city with Quentin,” Wriothesley asks. 

“No no. Everything's okay, don't worry. Quentin forgot that today was his parents' performance day and Corinne picked him up while we were at the beach. Éveline is also busy so I decided to come home,” the boy explains. 

You and Wriothesley nod in acknowledgement and your husband stands up from his own table announcing that he was going to prepare a pot of tea for the entire family. 

Cameron leans into the warmth of your embrace as you return to entertain yourself with your puzzle, but never pushing your son away from you. Meanwhile, seeming to sense her older brother's presence, your daughter starts kicking your stomach as if she too wants attention. Both you and Cameron laughed. 

“Does it hurt?,” he asks.

“No. I mean... Sometimes it feels like your sister thinks my belly is a playground and not even my ribs escape unscathed, but that's nothing I can't handle with,” you respond as you feel the boy's smaller hands caressing the area where Marie's little feet stretched. Gradually the heavy kicks became light nudges and you breathe a sigh of relief. 

“I can’t wait to meet her,” Cameron coos. 

Smiling, you kiss the top of your child's head and respond, “She's looking forward to meeting you too.”

A few minutes later, as Wriothesley returned with tea and some treats, the sight of his wife and son welcoming him warmly brought a small smile to his face. Even after so many years together and living this life, Wriothesley felt that there was nothing as beautiful and full of love as his little family. He was truly grateful for you three. 

Cyno

The General Mahamatra was accompanying the Less Lord Kusanali back to the Sanctuary of Surasthana after a long meeting with all the sages and the scribe of the Akademiya when he saw you leaving the Grand Bazaar with the twins by your side. 

The sparkle that briefly crossed his eyes when he saw his family could have gone unnoticed by most people who, themselves, would avoid entering the matra's vision at all costs. However, as smart and aware of her surroundings as she could be, the little dendro archon giggled softly and suggested that Cyno end his day's work to enjoy that comfortable afternoon with his wife and children. 

“Don’t worry about me. I'm just going to take a look around here and I'll be back home before dark,” she assured. 

Hesitant and perhaps a little worried about the little girl's well-being, Cyno took a while to accept the offer, arguing that he’d see you at the end of the day. However, after much persuasion from Nahida, and perhaps even inappropriate use of her hierarchy, the electro user soon found himself thanking the goddess for her kindness and bidding her farewell as he made his way to you and your children next. 

As if his senses were warning him of a new presence, Isaar was the first to notice his father approaching — welcoming him with a genuine smile and an excited wave that drew his twin's attention and yours back to him. You greet your husband with a quick peck on his cheek that didn't fail to leave him embarrassed and you amused, and the twins approach to receive a pat on the head simultaneously. 

“Hey baba, guess what,” Isaar announces excitedly “We’re having Shawarma Wrap for dinner tonight!”

Cyno blinks contemplatively and stares at you with a raised eyebrow, “That’s unusual. Any special occasion?”

“I won three rounds against Yan in the Invokation TCG, and we had bet that whoever won would be able to order mama for a special dinner.”

Cyno nods in understanding and Aryan sighs in defeat but already resigned. 

“I really wanted to eat mama’s Panipuri. Grandpa even helped me pick the best potatoes for them,” the quieter twin murmurs, but you hear him and let out a giggle, stroking the boy's face. 

“I’ll make them next time, Ary. Promise. I’ll even make double the quantity just for you,” you respond quietly so only he can hear and your son nods.

The general, unable to avoid listening to your conversation, also smiled a little. Here you were once again resolving a situation that might seem insignificant to others, but to you, it’d never cease to be important — and just with a few simple words you managed to express exactly what your son wanted to hear. 

In the end, Cyno removed the shopping bags from your reach and held them tightly with one hand while the other reached for yours before intertwining your fingers, guiding you back home. The twins walked in front of you two engaged in a conversation in their own language, never leaving their father's or mother's sight. 

Even though moments like these were rare given his and your duties, Cyno enjoyed every second he could get in the presence of the people he loved most. Because as simple as they were, they were just as special. 

Maybe he should ask Nahida for a holiday. But just maybe. 

Kaveh

“Daddy, daddy, daddy! Guess what! I will marry Hakim!” 

Those were the words your sweet girl announced as she entered the kitchen, making you pause your lunch preparation to look at her and Kaveh choke on the wine he was currently enjoying. 

The architect needed your help to relieve the coughs that filled his throat and inhale deeply to recover from the situation that almost dug his grave before his time — the words of his little princess, not the wine. 

“Princess, I thought you were going to marry daddy,” the man reminded her with a shaky smile and voice. You snorted.

“No! Daddy is already married to mommy. Also, look how beautiful this drawing Hakim made for me!” Zahra responds excitedly and hands her father a colorful and childish, but almost identical, replica of the Palace of Alcazarzaray. Although he didn't want to acknowledge it, Kaveh had to admit: the mini copy of his best friend had talent. 

“Oh my. How beautiful Zaza,” you praise the drawing as you lean over your husband, “Did you thank him properly, right?”

“Yes! I gave him a rose,” she says proudly. 

Kaveh's heart suddenly softens. Zahra truly was a thoughtful, sweet, and kind child, and he was proud of the beautiful girl he watched grow up every day — taking only the best traits from both her parents. That's why Kaveh protected her so fiercely because his little princess was too precious and he’d never forgive himself if something took that bright smile away. 

“Daddy is still against this marriage, though,” he says suddenly after snapping out of his reverie, “You are too young, I doubt Hakim would have the ideal resources and qualities to provide you with a good home and above all, men, in general, are horrible. But daddy isn’t. So daddy is the best option!” Kaveh ends his speech by crossing his arms and pretending to make a displeased face. You roll your eyes and pinch his cheek. He pouts at that. 

“Let kids be kids, love.”

Zahra, in turn, didn't seem sad or shaken by her father's words at all, but rather contemplative. The little girl's brow furrowed for a moment before she answered him.

“But daddy, Hakim promised that we’d get married when we were big like you and mommy and his mama and papa. He said that when he grows up he’ll become a great house artist like you and then he will make a house for the two of us to live in and you can visit us all the time!”

Kaveh was internally horrified. They were already making plans for the future and Zahra hadn't even had her seventh birthday yet. 

That was unacceptable, intolerable — the architect didn't even want to think about other possibilities. 

But looking at his daughter's sparkling golden irises and genuine smile because of all that fairy tale, the man couldn't retort but sigh in resignation. Besides, Hakim's word about he being a great artist were appreciated. But just a little bit.

“Fine. But you won't get married until you're thirty-seven. And Hakim has to build a palace with many rooms and a beautiful garden. And I will visit you every day!” he snorts and Zahra nods excitedly, giggling hugging him afterwards.

Meanwhile, you kept watching them with mild amusement and a warmth comforting your heart. 

If only your husband knew that childhood friends to lovers was a very common thing he’d go back on his words.”

.

a/n: i planned to write a part for kazuha and alhaitham but i'm a little bit tired so maybe in the next update? we'll see...

please let me know if there’s any mistakes ;)

[jennaispunk]

Gift of a Friend

Summary: An unlikely meeting leads to something unexpected.

Pairing: Din Djarin x OFC (Talia)

Word Count: 1.6k

Warnings: none. This is just fluff (sorry not sorry). A “This is how they met” story. It’s just two people who could use a friend finding each other. Maybe it might lead to more…..

Notes: I wrote this for the @swiftiscruff friendship exchange. This is for you @sawymredfox!!! I hope you like this. Thank you for being brave and reaching out to me. Look at us, two introverts making a connection lol. You are too sweet and my world would be a little less bright without you in it. Love you. 💜💜

The title is from a Demi Levato song.

Thank you @fallingforthearch for being my beta.

graphics and support banners by the amazing @saradika-graphics

The sounds of the bazaar filled her ears: children laughing… vendors calling out sometimes in their native tongue and sometimes in basic, peddling their fruits and vegetables or homemade goods. The sun beat down on the dirt as she made her way through the bustle and cacophony, looking for a few things to make up her dinner for the evening.

Another long shift at the hospital had come and gone, mainly assisting with patching up drunken patrons from the cantina whose mouths had earned them a fist to the jaw or the nose.

Gathering the last things she needed, she headed to her small home, ready to finally relax and maybe start the new book she’d been dying to read. The sound of babbling behind her caught her attention. She looked down to see a small green creature looking up at her. His big dark eyes looked up at her curiously, almost as if he knew her. He babbled again and reached his arms out to her.

“Hey, little buddy…. Are you all alone? Where’s your mama?”

Her eyes darted, searching the crowd. He was an unusual looking creature. Not a species she had ever seen before, but so adorable. Surely, someone must be looking for him.

His ears twitched, and he made a sound that sounded almost like a whine. He instantly lifted his arms again, and she scooped him up. The little creature babbled happily in her arms. She stared at him, feeling a sense of comfort and peace with this little guy she hadn’t felt in a long time. She felt he was trying to communicate with her, even though all his sounds were only gibberish.

“Do you speak Basic?” Talia asked. “Can you tell me where your parents are?”

The little green creature babbled again, tilting his head. His little hand reached out to touch her face. She softly gasped at the unexpected contact but relaxed as she felt the warmth and comfort wash over her.

“There you are…”

Her eyes shot up to behold a broad man clad in armor and a helmet. She recognized his armor immediately; he was a Mandalorian. She blinked rapidly at him, her tongue briefly peeking out to wet her lips.

“He's yours?”

“Yes…he belongs to me.” His voice was devoid of emotion through the modulator. He stood rigid and tall, an unmoving statue. The sun created an almost halo-like ring around him, making him look like some ancient god she’d read about in a novel.  

“Friendly little guy, isn’t he?”

“He doesn’t usually like a lot of people.” His response was short and to the point.

A puff of air escaped her lips as the little green creature babbled in her arms. This mysterious Mandalorian was so hard to read and apparently not one for conversation.

“Come on, Grogu. It’s time to go home.”

Her brow ticked skyward. It was an interesting name. The little guy completely ignored him, continuing to coo and play with strands of her blonde hair swirling in the gentle breeze.

He exhaled loudly, his right knee jutting out slightly as his hands went to his hips.

“Grogu…”

The tone of his voice made Grogu’s ears droop slightly and he pouted for just a moment before leaping from her arms and returning to his Mandalorian.

He scooped Grogu into his arms and turned away without another word. She huffed. Was he just going to walk away without a word? She opened her mouth to insult him, but Grogu’s high-pitched noises stopped her. The Mandalorian stopped as well, keeping his back to her but turning his head to the side.

“Thank you…for looking out for him.”

She called out to his retreating form, her arms crossed tight across her chest. “You’re welcome.”

“Mudscuffer.” she added under her breath.

Din walked away with Grogu babbling in his arms, reaching back toward Talia. Din shook his head, a strange feeling in his chest. Something about that girl intrigued him. Maybe it was how sweet she was with Grogu. Perhaps it was the way she called him a Mudscuffer when she thought he couldn’t hear. She had spunk, and he found himself wanting to see her again.

Halfway through the bazaar, she realized her mistake. The shopkeeper offered his son to carry the packages home for her, but she refused, her pride overruling common sense. She’d been saving for months to buy this easel and canvases, and she didn’t want another set of hands all over it. Besides, she’d made it this long on her own, and she could do this too.

“Dank Farrik!”  she groaned, adjusting the packages in her hands, determined to make it back home without dropping them.

Din watched her from a distance as she struggled, silently chuckling to himself. She was a stubborn one, too damn prideful to ask for help. His heart stirred at the sight.

“Here, let me help you with that.”

Taking the packages into his arms with little effort, he looked down at her, his helmet hiding his smirk.

She stared at him, opening her mouth to speak then closing it again. She hadn’t expected to see him again, although he had managed to find a way into her thoughts over the last few days.

 Before she could speak, Grogu took the opportunity to jump into her arms.

“Hello, little friend.” She laughed as she booped his nose.

“Which way?” he asked. The glint of his armor caught her eye as he shifted his weight.

“Oh, uh…. this way.” Her hand jutted out in the direction of her place.

An awkward silence fell over them like a heavy fog as they walked toward her house, neither one willing to break the tension. His boots softly scuffed the dirt in a steady rhythm, lulling her into a strange sense of comfortability.

“Do you have a name?” Her voice cut through the silence. “Or should I just call you Mando?”

One of his shoulders raised slightly.

“I figured you’d just call me Mudscuffer.” His chuckle was like a soft whisper through the modulator.

She swallowed hard and fixed her eyes on the road. She couldn’t believe he’d heard her say that. She thought he was out of earshot when she let that slip.

“My name is Din.”  

“Talia,” she offered before he even had a chance to ask. His head turned slightly toward her, giving her an almost imperceptible nod.

He sat the package down in her living room and straightened, admiring the small space. It was sparsely decorated but cozy—like a home. A worn bookshelf stood tall in the corner, filled with books and a few small trinkets. He wondered what sort of books lined those shelves and if she imagined herself in those worlds as she read them.

She watched him standing in her living room, the sun beaming in and reflecting off his Beskar armor. She found herself wanting to know more about him…. anything about him, really.

“Thanks for your help.”

She tucked a strand of hair behind her ear and smiled. Grogu shuffled around on the floor, fascinated by the space.  His coos filled the air, punctuating the uneasiness between them.

“You’re welcome.”

She opened her packages and set up her easel by the window, adjusting it a few times to find the perfect angle to catch the light. The canvases were stacked neatly into the corner under the small shelving holding a small assortment of paints and brushes.

“You paint?”

Din could almost imagine her sitting by this window; tiny speckles of paint freckled across her cheek, her brow furrowed in concentration as she worked. The sunlight streaming down, illuminating her golden locks, would have been breathtaking.

“I’m getting back into it again. I had to save for a while before I could afford a new easel and a few pieces of canvas.”

He quietly cleared his throat, shifting his weight uncomfortably. He wasn’t used to talking to people. He couldn’t remember the last time he had an actual conversation with someone. Talking to her was…nice. His cheeks flushed under his armor, and he was grateful she couldn’t see his face. He was a bounty hunter and a trained warrior, not some little boy with a crush.

“Would you and Grogu like to stay and have dinner with me? It’d be nice to have some company for a change.” Her cheeks burned with heat as she asked the question. Her heartbeat quickened with every moment he was silent.

“Thank you for the offer, but Grogu and I should be going.”  He didn’t know how to explain to her that his creed forbade him from revealing his face to anyone but his riduur. That was a conversation for another time. He’d broken that vow once and endured too much to redeem himself to risk it again.

Her chin briefly tilted toward the floor before she returned her gaze to his helmet with a smile that didn’t reach her eyes.

 “Sure…. maybe another time.”

His chest tightened as he collected Grogu. This feeling was strange to him—this feeling of wanting to connect with someone. He’d spent his whole life without any real attachment to anyone until Grogu. Now, he found himself wanting to be in her presence, wanting something with her that he always longed for but denied himself: a friend…and maybe something more.

Without thinking, he stopped in the doorway and turned back to her.

“Our home is just outside the city. If you’re ever interested, there’s plenty of good lighting and landscape to paint.”

The words tumbled from his mouth before he could stop them.

“I’m sure Grogu would like it if you came to visit sometime when you’re free. He seems to like you.”

Her smile could have lit up the deepest mines of Mandalore. This mysterious stranger had her completely captivated. She’d realized how much she missed having someone to just be with… someone to fill that void of loneliness she tried to ignore for so long.

“I’d like to visit Grogu sometime, too.”

[ymilksh]

➫ A SCHOLAR'S LOVE (2)

♡theme/warnings: cyno/reader, fluff, slight jealousy

♡summary: cyno is terribly smitten by you. absolutely head over heels. thinks everything about you is great- but has no confidence to actually say it to you. you've picked up on his antics and so has your friend group... so will he stay love-sick, or tell you the truth?

"kaveh, those balloons don't go there." you stated, pointing to a bunch of coloured balloons stuck behind your couch. "i know you're into interior design, but..." you put a finger to your chin, squinting your eye at his choice of decoration. "it really looks like a clown threw up behind our couch."

kaveh raises a brow at you, setting down the last group of balloons with a weight attached to their strings. "oh really now? since when did you spend years researching the ideal grouping of indoor decorations, miss decorator?"

"since it was my birthday, mister."

kaveh groans, moving the balloons back to their original position. "thank you, kaveh~" you sing, walking into the kitchen of your small dwelling. as students of the akademiya, you were given homes to share with each other for the duration of your schooling. you and kaveh shared a house along with al haitham, and cyno and tighnari shared a house with one of their acquaintances.

earlier that day, kaveh had helped you prepare some desserts and appetizers for your birthday party. it was lucky your birthday came on a saturday, leaving you some much needed space from your studies and some time to relax on your special day. some friends and family would be over to celebrate soon, and the after-party would consist of you and your buddies having a sleepover.

everything was perfect, until you realized after looking at what kaveh had made for you; you didn't have a birthday cake.

"kaveh? y-you never made a cake, did you?" you shouted from the kitchen, a little panicked at this discovery.

kaveh walked into the kitchen, analyzing the food on the counter. "shoot. i- sorry, y/n. i must have forgotten… the grand bazaar might have a few stalls with some ingredients- but al haitham said most of them were shut down for a performance." kaveh explained with a hint of regret. he had previously made a list of things to make for the day ahead- yet threw it out thinking he could rely on his memory to finish everything.

"this is because of you getting cocky again, isn't it? listen, i told you to stop being so competitive with al haitham! you can clearly plan a party better than him, i know that, there's no need to prove that to me." you scolded him, putting away the other food you inspected.

"really, y/n, it's nothing like that! i honestly forgot about that stone-faced al haitham today, he's been out all day since the morning doing who-knows-what. i just impulsively threw away the list of food i was supposed to make." he shook his head with his palm on his forehead, disappointed with himself.

"okay, kaveh. i forgive you. we'll just...have to go without one. i'm sure i can whip up some small tart or find a pie stall-"

a knock on the front door cuts your sentence short, some muttering outside catching your attention. kaveh stays in the kitchen, panicking at the leftover mess he forgot to clean up as well.

opening the door, your eyes light up when you see cyno next to tighnari, cyno's hands full with presents and an oddly large square box. "cyno, tighnari! you're here early! come on in." you smile, opening the door fully. cyno says hello and blushes after walking in, tighnari throwing you a wink as a greeting.

having your friends’ company was just the type of pick-me-up you needed after hearing your party wouldn’t be having a birthday cake. it was an integral part of the celebration, after all! kaveh definitely owed you one. after getting everyone situated in the living room, you helped cyno place the presents onto the coffee table.

“oh, ah, y/n. that one-“ he points to the large box, “it needs to be refrigerated.” tighnari quirks a brow at him, wondering what the box’s contents are. “sorry if it’s any trouble, i know it’s quite large.” he deadpans, making you chuckle.

“no, not at all. here, come bring it to the kitchen, we can put it in the fridge. just what is it, exactly?” you inquire, your brain brimming with curiosity. maybe a fruit platter? no… he would have let that stay in plain sight. a new type of mechanical device? nah, he knows you better than that.

“it’s…nothing too special, i’ll let you know when you can look inside.” cyno sounds unsure as he tells you, following you to the kitchen.

kaveh greets him immediately, jumping at your entrance. “ah, cyno’s here! and i’m guessing tighnari tagged along with you?” kaveh nervously asks, tucking his dirty cloth behind him. you roll your eyes, snatching the cloth from him and tossing it into the sink.

“don’t mind him, cy-cy. he’s just embarrassed he managed to make this much of a mess yet didn’t bake me a birthday cake like i asked.” you informed him, throwing a light fist bump to kaveh’s shoulder.

cyno’s eyes lit up at your nickname for him- did he hear you correctly? cy-cy? he could feel his heart begin to swell with joy, a small cough erupting from him out of shock.

“ah- cyno, are you feeling okay? that cough sounded a little dry. anything you wanna drink?” he shook his head, refusing the offer. “okay. just let me know.” you smiled, placing a hand on his shoulder. he shuddered at the action; when did you get so friendly towards him? were you always so attentive like this… ?

at this moment, cyno realized tighnari was right. his worries had definitely caused some clouded judgement.

at around 4:30pm, al haitham returned home with a bouquet of flowers and a couple bottles of wine to mark the occasion. closing the door behind him, he met with you all in the living room and set down his items on the coffee table, discussing everyone’s day so far.

after talking for some time, it was now around 5pm; the sun painting the sky a beautiful shade of blue with streaks of orange dawning the horizon. everyone gave their greetings to you, wishing you a happy birthday and all the best ahead. you beamed at the energy in the room, it was overwhelmingly positive.

cyno however, was lost in thought, imagining a million different ways this evening could go. would you enjoy your gifts? was what he prepared… too bold? tighnari had told him to make a passionate and sincere gift for you; explaining that when you don’t have the words, sometimes a handmade gift can communicate a message a lot easier. of course he would still have to clarify what his intentions were, but tighnari was sure you would love whatever cyno made. even if it wasn’t the prettiest.

still, the dark haired student had no idea what cyno ended up doing for you. he was just as confused as you when you saw the box, almost second-guessing his advice when he saw how large it was. but remembering how carefully cyno treated his interactions with you; in his heart, he had faith in his friend to make the right decision- to really put his heart into this gift. whatever it may be, tighnari trusted cyno’s judgement.

eventually, people started to filter in and out of the party, parents and grandparents parting a little earlier due to their older age. some presents were opened and others were left to be opened later, as you had gotten pretty tired from all the dancing you did and all the food you consumed. despite kaveh’s oversight of the cake, you would say your party went just as planned!

after all the excitement died down and the sun had finally set for the night, al haitham noticed you had fallen asleep on the couch, laying a blanket over your body. it was just the five of you once more; everyone taking a separate position in the house. cyno was sitting on the other sofa opposite you, head buried in a book al haitham had left on the side table. al haitham was checking to see if you had drank too much- kaveh was cleaning up the decorations strewn across the living room, and tighnari was packaging the leftover food.

as he put some containers of food away, tighnari noticed the box cyno had brought sitting in the middle of the fridge, a pang of guilt hitting his stomach as he forgot to remind cyno to take it out. “ah, dear me. he’s probably got his legs between his tail over this being left behind.” tighnari sat the leftovers down, grabbed the box and brung it to the living room.

“cyno, i think there’s something you forgot to give to miss y/n.” he smiles, setting the box down to poke you awake. you stir in your sleep, making a cute whimper sound that cyno can’t help but squeeze his eyes shut at. you were just… way too cute. it felt out of character for him to be so affected by your actions… but he nonetheless welcomed this warm feeling inside of him whenever he looked at you.

“hwaaa~ hey eweone, whad did i miss?” you yawned, your distorted voice causing kaveh to laugh at you. “don’t laugh, your words are barely comprehendable when you’re awake!” you retort, half smiling at him.

“well, cyno still hasn’t given you your present, you know.” al haitham explains, curious as to what this will lead to. his friends had clearly been planning something behind his back… and it seems behind yours and kaveh’s as well.

“ah, that box! well, come sit everyone. i’ll open it right now.” you smiled, tearing into the wrapping paper. cyno watched with anxiety, nervous about your reaction. tighnari just smiled at him, a silent plea for him to calm his nerves. you can do it, cyno. trust yourself with this.

“wow- oh my goodness, c-cyno, did you really make this…for me?” inside the box was a decorated cake with two layers, the words ‘happy birthday y/n’ written in cursive draped along the top. adorning the rest of the cake were stick figures made of pretzels and frosting, flowers and animals beside them representing you and your friends. “it’s so lovely, when did you have the time to make this?”

cyno’s face was now fully tinted with red, watching you examine each of his dressed pretzel figures with such precision and care as if they were real. “i took the time to study the preparations of a birthday cake a few days before the party. i wanted to make you a gift… that sent a message to you, one that symbolized your importance to me. to us.” he explained, holding your hand as you listened to him, teary-eyed.

“but that isn’t the only part of my gift. i wanted to take you somewhere to show you something. is…that alright?” he asked. tighnari was ecstatic at cyno’s response to his advice- he even planned something extra? it was quite the coincidence that he could make your dreams of having a birthday cake come true- but this was just the icing on top.

“yes, of course. do you guys mind at all? i’m sure it won’t take long.” you asked your friends, hearing no objections. al haitham smirked at the situation before him, of course it was like this, how could he have missed it? kaveh was thinking the same, both of them shooting a glance at each other.

“okay, we’ll be off then. i promise it won’t be long.” cyno smiled, nervously taking your hand in his to guide you outside. there was a small patch of land near the neighbourhood you lived in, clear enough to see the skies and all the stars that wandered across it. he laid next to you on the grass, turning to face you.

“y/n, i have something to tell you that i’ve been thinking of for a while.” he takes a deep breath, reciting his thoughts in his head. “the only reason i chose to say this today was because of tighnari- well, you know how he is. when he sees a flower beginning to bloom, he can’t keep his mouth shut about it.” he chuckled, looking off to the side.

you stared at him dreamily, wondering what his next words would be. the fact you were alone together enjoying the starry sky surely was a gift in itself, but was the flower… meant to represent you two?

“and, my pretty padisarah, you are who i’ve been wanting in my g-garden.” he stutters, making you giggle.

“oh archons, tighnari definitely said that to you as an example of what to say, didn’t he?” you continued to giggle, your contagious laughter spreading to him as well. resting the back of your hand against cyno’s cheek, you tucked a strand of his pearl coloured hair behind his ear, leaning a little closer to him.

“i want you in my garden, too, cyno.”

smiling, he leans further in as well, unsure about his next move until you press your lips to his. the kiss you share is sweet and pure, eliciting sparks in your chests at having your feelings reciprocated.

as you pull away, cyno lies flat on his back, and you copy him. “i’m relieved you feel the same, y/n. i’m sorry if i offended you with my staring lately, i couldn’t figure out how to tell you i liked you.”

you sigh happily, wrapping your arm around cyno’s waist. “oh, don’t worry, part of me felt it was something like this… i just wanted to see if it was really true. truth be told, i wouldn’t have known how to go about it either. i’m glad our friend did the heavy lifting, hehe.”

“yeah, me too.” cyno agrees, staring up at the sky with you. two constellations have become visible now, intertwined with each other as they float across the atmosphere.

[dindjarinandlysakane]

The Sweetest Taste | Chapter 7 - Trouble?

Din Djarin is happy on Nevarro. He has a home, a family, what more could he want? But when a woman turns up selling bread and cakes at his doorstep, how can he not fall in love? And how can he also stop her from getting hurt at the hands of her partner behind closed doors? Will the hero save the girl and get the girl? Warm and sweet fluff/romance/hurt/comfort fic.

Masterlist

Chapter 7 - Trouble?

----

“Do you know someone by the name of Crix Val’shif?”

Din was stood inside the Chief Magistrate of Nevarro’s chambers.

He had come straight here since his run-in with the thug known as Crix on Lysa Kane’s doorstep, and he was still seething.

Grogu was happily sat on Karga’s tabletop helping himself to handfuls of poit-nuts, watching as his father paced nearby.

Greef Karga, who was sitting on a grand, high-backed chair in the centre of his large and imposing desk, cocked an eyebrow up towards Din.

“Doesn’t ring a bell,” he replied. “Why? Trouble?”

Din gave a huff, stopping in his tracks.

“I’ve just got a bad feeling about him,” he said in a low voice.

Karga was silent for a moment, eyeing Din.

“Anything to do with the lady I saw you escorting to the Bazaar earlier?” the Chief Magistrate said in an interested tone. At this, Grogu also gave a chirp.

But Din merely shot him a look, causing Karga to raise both hands either side of his head in defeat.

“Alright, alright,” Karga muttered, before lowering them and tapping away at his holographic datapad. “If you think this guy is bad news then I’ll trust your instincts.”

Din moved over to the desk and watched as Karga searched Crix’s name in the extensive database.

Grogu who had eaten his way through half a bowl of nuts, waddled over to Din, reaching for him.

His father of course obliged, lifting his son beneath his tiny arms and settling him against his chest with one gloved hand.

“Hmmm,” murmured Karga after a long moment or two.

“Anything?” Asked Din quickly. But Karga shook his head.

“Couple of bar fights but that’s it,” he said with a sigh. “Nothing notable.”

Din gritted his teeth together.

There had to be something on this guy.

“Want me to ask around?” Asked Karga. “See what I can find out?”

The masked Mandalorian gave a nod. 

“Thank you.”

…….

Five long days had passed since the incident on Lysa’s doorstep. And the Mandalorian had been on edge ever since.

Crix’ threats had meant very little to him, but the thuggish man’s foul attitude had not gone unnoticed. And neither had the bruise that marked Lysa’s, otherwise smooth, skin.

Din was almost certain he knew where that bruise had come from, but without any proof to back up his hunch, what could he do? Lysa had made it clear to Din that she hadn’t wanted him to intervene or interfere. And as much as Din wanted to rip Crix limb from limb for speaking to her the way he had, the Mandalorian had agreed so far to abide by her request.

But as the days had drifted by, Din had begun to grow concerned.

Lysa had promised a weekly delivery to his and Grogu’s cabin, but now it had been nine days since her last arrival here on her landspeeder.

Din had even put off going to chase after another bounty hunter job, in case he missed her.

But for her to not even turn up?

Din, who had been sat at the scrubbed wooden inside his small cabin cleaning a couple of spare engine parts from his Starfighter with a greasy rag, had been staring into space for at least a minute.

A deep frown line was pressed between his brows, obscured behind his beskar helmet.

Would he be an idiot for going to Lysa’s place just to check if things were ok?

Din knew he liked her…as a friend of course, that was all it was. But nevertheless, he could still be concerned about the welfare of a friend, couldn't he?

Din’s attention was drawn suddenly by Grogu hopping up onto his lap.

The Mandalorian shook himself quickly from his stupor.

“Hey buddy, you wanna head into the city with me?”

Grogu chirped, cocking his head to one side in interest.

“I wanna chase up our missing delivery,” Din explained, letting out a heavy sigh.

----------

Let me know if you'd like to be tagged.

[bryan360]

Just we’re about to set up for tomorrow’s 🎅🏻Christmas Day🎄; especially when prepared for my art gifts that thankfully finished as soon I’ll be sharing as secret blog exclusive.

In the meantime, look how my Filipino pal’s doing for his Christmas postings so far. Always one step ahead while I’m trying my best without any slacking off. 😅

That being said, it was an impressive feat that he’d gone at the Valenzuela Food Fiesta Christmas Bazaar back in Dec. 10th this year. His thoughts after trying out the burger, a shake, and some pizzas pack in his tastebuds. Not some of them were mind-blowing wonderful. Heck, I never had an Hawaiian pizzas before just for the best to avoid them. I’m more into pepperoni with meat on it.

As for his two festive holiday artworks, a very nice job. 👍 Having spaghetti dinner with Cude and his small human friend was nice, but for his friend Leapant that sure to like it very much.

🦊⚽️Sam: Yeah. PopiKir sure know how to make good meals for these two. Not to say I’ll be joining in, though. I’ll be happy if she can make some good rice and veggies for me. 😋

🐰🖌️Maxwell: I’m sure she’ll won’t mind, buddy. Better yet, how about having a Christmas feast with friends and families they’ll be worth a while?

🦊⚽️Sam: Oh, yeah! Besides, we’re almost there before Christmas coming a long. Can’t wait of what we’ll be bringing this year with our friends. 😉🖌️

🐰👊💥May: Umm, let’s not forget about Aace’s part. How nice he’s gotten his own new friend’s clothes that wasn’t the first time he had. All in all, it’s fitting for having red and blue colors in him.

🐰🖌️Maxwell: Aside from me that I do have my original red and blue clothes, but just saying. Anyways, hope we’ll won’t be missing out for tomorrow’s 🎅🏻Christmas🎄 ahead and into New Year’s. 🎆🎉

[aidenlyons]

*Time Skip*

Of all the holidays this year:

Harvestfest - A feast and, of course, Football.

Winterfest - Small gifts, a lonely house as people went home to their families.

New Year's - Epic house party.

The one that Aiden has been dreading is... Love Day.

(WARNING: NSFW images below!!)

A few clients gave him cards. Aiden isn't sure why he kept them. It's been a miserable day and Kory organized some sort of party downstairs. He'll hate himself tomorrow but for the first time he tries to numb his sadness with drink.

Elias comes up from the party to find Aiden, slightly drunk and miserable, wallowing in bed. He's not exactly sober himself, worried about his friend.

E: Hey buddy. Didn't see you downstairs.

A: Didn't want to. Too many happy couples.

E: Yeah? Thought you had a date last week?

A: Ugh. No second date. It was awful. It's always awful, Eli.

E: M'sorry, man. Really thought this one'd be different. You said he was nice.

A: He was. S'pose he could be a friend. But not.. he wasn't.. There was no chemistry.

A: You don't have trouble.

E: I struggle.

A: With what?

E: Dunno. That I might want somethin' I didn't know I wanted.

hat gets Aiden's attention. He knows he's a little drunk but now he's confused.

A: Wait.. what d'you mean?

E: Think.. I don't know. Talking to you, and.. I'm around a lot of guys. Here, in the locker room. I'm not bein' creepy! Thinking recently that.. some are kinda cute.

Aiden huffs a soft laugh and looks at Elias in confusion.

A: Are you.. coming out to me, right now?

This is the most bazaar Love Day he's ever lived through, he thinks. But he's also really proud of Elias. It's hard to accept thoughts that change how you see yourself.

E: I.. don't know? But.. I've been getting more curious, lately.

A: About what?

E: Everything? I mean.. A hug's a hug, they're all nice. But would kissing a guy feel the same as a girl? That's wierd, huh?

A: Nah. Think it's normal. But I dunno. Never kissed a girl.

Elias gets himself off the floor now that Aiden is sitting up, considering that.

E: It's.. nice. Girls are all just.. sorta soft. A lot of lipstick taste gross though. Like wax.

Aiden snorts a laugh, then sobers, considering that.

A: Sounds like kissing is the same.

Aiden considers. He's nervous, drunk, but hopeful. Elias is handsome, he's a friend, maybe he's the solution to why it doesn't seem to work with anyone since... Jake.

A: Well.. you wanna try? You can kiss me, if you want.

Elias immediately looks at Aiden's mouth.

E: Can I?

A: Didn't I just-? Yeah. I'd like it too.

Elias leans in and touches Aiden's jaw. He can't say he hasn't thought about it, especially with how close they've gotten this year. Who better to experiment with than a friend?

E: Alright.

One soft kiss turns into two, turns into a slightly sloppy makeout session. Eli's never been with a guy, so Aiden knows he's going to have to take lead here. It's not what he's used to, but he remembers he did it before, what feels like a lifetime ago.

Aiden nudges Elias until he lays back and then starts to crawl over him after their kisses grow heated and hands start wandering. They're both breathless.

A: Is this okay?

He has enough presence of mind to check in.

E: Yeah. Yes. Come here.

For a moment Aiden has a strong sense of deja vou and has to shake his head a little.

E: You okay?

A: Mhm. Yeah. Yeah, I'm good.

Rather than think, he attempts to shut up his brain by resuming their kissing and enjoying Elias' curious, wandering hands.

Elias thankfully is eager, and a quick learner. Aiden is sober enough to make sure they'll both enjoy this.

(EDIT: These images have been altered from original to be less NSFW)

It's good. It's damn good. Elias clearly has some skill and he's attentive. He may never have done this before but he's a quick study. It's been months since Aiden felt this good.

Afterward, there's tipsy cuddling. Elias knows he's a fan of cuddling in general, has heard it enough. He pays attention.

A: Oof, what are you doing? You're heavy.

Aiden giggles, relaxed and still high off those happy hormones.

E: That was amazing.

E: Hmm. Thank you.

A: Isn't that my line?

E: Nope. You're beautiful, know that?

A: You're drunk. We're both drunk. *giggles* We need sleep.

E: Can I stay?

A: Yeah. I'm not going to suffer alone in the morning.

[buddymobilitycare]

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[kings-collection]

Godly Delusions

Chapter One Part Three

The girl wakes up drooling over herself. She had been learning about the world in the ruins. It turns out it ended a few days after the chaos of the fall of the settlement. People have been moving in and there is a bazaar with small accommodations around. She helped around where she could and decided to get multiple maps and create her own map in her concrete shack ¨hmmm¨ grim walks in dragging the corpse of a local animal ¨heya gr-? Grim are you ok buddy?¨ getting bandages and alcohol to clean any wound he has. He drops the body as she holds him, he licks her face happy and with no wounds though he has some stinky breath ¨oof……Jesus¨ she puts him down and grinds up some mint grabs a bit of leftover meat, and coats the leftover raw meat with the mint and feeds it to grim. As usual, he is dramatic because he doesn't like mint ¨don't be a baby you'll try and kill me if you had a cut like a few days ago¨ he barks still butthurt ¨cheer up grimmy¨ She pets him and then tickles him, he begins to bark and bite her but seems happy ¨who's a good boy who's a good boy¨ he pants happy ¨GRIMMY!¨ he awoos in joy. She laughs and begins to hang up the corpse and prep up butchering up the deer ¨just like when he brought me on his first hunting trip¨ she begins to slice up its skin putting it aside to create a water pouch ¨ok we gonna sell the shoulders and all the tender parts and we will eat all the good squishy meat¨ grim barks as she butchers the animal into all its such parts and lets grim knaw on the bone ¨ok I'll go sell the meat so don't wander you know how people feel about wendigo dogs¨ she pets him and gives him a forehead kiss ¨see you in a bit¨ he barks and begins to chow down on the bones. She walks into what would have been the barracks and walks to a meat vendor ¨heya John I got another haul of the meat”   he whistles ¨damn Sol if I would have thought you stole from a caravan group¨ she laughs so obviously trying to fake a laugh ¨oh no you caught me. Naw caught this sucker up near where I'm at ̈ he laughs taking the meat and weighing it ¨best I can do for this haul¨ he checks the meat “Sixty-fifty credits¨ she laughs and shakes on it ¨fifty I don't wanna make your broke ass even broker¨ she takes her credits and finds a dog bone toy ¨Ooo ma´am how much for the dog chew toy¨ the old woman wakes up looks at the bone and then back at her ¨two credits¨ she says shakily as she takes out four ¨here take four because I have a little dog back home¨ the old woman gets up and takes the four and gives the bone to her ¨thank you dearly, sweetie, ¨ she sits back down as she walks back through the backroads of the market to the point of entering the ruins and back into her shack ¨grim I'm home¨ grim is out cold full because he ate the bones of the deer, he barks tired but stays asleep. She laughs at him putting the bone on the shelf for later she sits at the table she found and looks at her map ¨now let's pin down this so-called captain¨ she begins to place down many pins and notes and all the sort getting the gist of what new things are in this new world

[maguro13-2]

Death Vengeance ~ Origins of the Ink Demon Chapter 3 Pt.3

[Secret Altar - Hideaki Kobayashi]

Master Phanto : Today is the year 2003, this is a very big day for ahead of us, and I have one great task to go clean up that Shinra act of their's. So this is your first day of showing me your powers that I gifted to you and I'm aware to use it properly.

Moirai Albarn : Well, gladly we can do. I have so many questions to ask or for their, answer. My sister and I have been obtaining the souls from one of those heartlesses and we will do well on gathering magnificent energy. Sister?

Maka Albarn : So, much of you had bear the fact that I have the reason that there is a city in a foreign country on the planet.

Master Phanto : It's called the USA. It's probably home to that plumber who is the hero of the mushroom kingdom or eventually hero of Subcon or Muu, the place that we althought that me and people used to live in that world only connected by dreams. We heard that an enemy to witchkind is responsible for possesing people with the Poison Spear. There is one enemy that holds the Poison Enemy, and her name is Shaula Gorgon, one of witchkind's most renegades and that renegade is one pretty slick creature. But that's not the Shaula Gorgon they know, the one that the witches sent wasn't a member of the Majo Order. [a hologram of the Sand Scorpion from Sonic and the Secret Rings appears] This is the creature of the Poison Spear, Sand Scorpion. A monster that is usually some kind of scorpion with eyes and it could bring poisonous epidemic to the populace.

Moirai Albarn : We'll do! Even though, Witchkind was not really that smart enough to think that the witch Shaula they sent was really an imposter. But my suggestion that this girl wanted to defeat her so badly it's unbearable that it's only one doppelganger that is dumb enough to attack one country. I bet it's after making it's attempt to find Heartless Medusa and that Demon Spider Jorogumo as well in order to revive Shinra's grandson.

Master Phanto : Shinra's Grandson? Is that what they're after? Well you do have a point, that Shinra fella is always one heck of a hero. He always keeps his cool and has a hero complex for that matters. So I want you to do to find this Shaula Gorgon doppelganger and destroy it before it could spread chaos on the planet.

Moirai Albarn : Yes, father. We'll do.

Maka Albarn : We mustn't give up, we'll have what it takes for to have that challenge.

Phanto's Servant : Master, the transport to Earth is ready. I've just set up the coordinates to Nevada, USA.

Moirai Albarn : This is should be a piece of Cake!

Maka Albarn : Yeah!

Maka's Mother : Be careful when you are needed to get back.

Maka Albarn : Okay, mom.

Moirai Albarn : Let's get to it.

Master Phanto : Remember. We're a proud Phantonian race. The human race could not the bear fact that human-turning weapons made from the bones of Shotaro aren't that lucky to face the true evil itself. Our blood is capable of using magic as a weapon and it's advanced to our old civilization.

Moirai Albarn : We'll do and understood! Come on, sister! We got somewhere to be!

[the two leaves and the scene changes to Mai Thi Hoang at a bazaar in the real world version of Death City]

Mai Thi Hoang : Oh my, the place for this weird fictional city in a foreign country is really not satitisfying for a place to live in, not exactly what I'm capable for. (sighs) Dumb Shinra Kusakabe and his stupid legacy of his, always the bastard for being a hero of why did he chose this place for a home of the legacy. If the Men of his influence wouldn't suspect of handling the truth out of the public eye, then I would get the truth spread from the mother of Maka Albarn. I wish if there was a way that I could really spread truth to the people and would just live in the real world anyway.

Shaula Gorgon (?) : [in a creepy voice] PSST. Hey, buddy. Over here.

Mai Thi Hoang : Huh? Who said that?

Shaula Gorgon (?) : I got a surprise for you.

Mai Thi Hoang : Really? Say, you kinda look familiar than that the "Real" Shaula Gorgon who was hiding around the world, somewhere. Are you sure that I can really trust you?

Shaula Gorgon (?) : Sure you do. After all, I can't say "no" to a girl like you.

Mai Thi Hoang : Are you sure?

Shaula Gorgon : Does it look unsure that if I may lick you for a special treat.

Mai Thi Hoang : Oh, about that. Well I basically do and--Wait, did you say you are gonna lick me like a dog?

[JOJO SFX : Menacingly]

Shaula Gorgon (?) : [chuckles] And now you just become a traitor like the rest of them.

Moirai Albarn : Hold it right there, Heartless creep!

Maka Albarn : And where do you think you're going of licking that girl's face like a dog or something?

Shaula Gorgon (?) : What the-?! [turns and sees Moirai and Maka appearing behind them, wearing Phanto's mask] Huh? Who are you?

Moirai Albarn : We are the daughters of Phanto, and we are the sworn protectors of Earth!

Maka Albarn : And we come to destroy the evil that is the dark forces of Evil!

Moirai Albarn : We knew that a heartless Doppelganger like isn't getting away of destroying this planet!

Shaula Gorgon Doppelganger : Y-You! How did you know that I'm a heartless doppelganger of the "real" Shaula Gorgon?

Moirai Albarn : It's easy. We found out that your little licking maybe the poison spear and therefore, Heartless knows it's true form that is a living shell.

Maka Albarn : Yeah, a living shell.

Shaula Gorgon Doppelganger : DAAAAH! Now I know you two really are! You're the daughters of that mask enemy Phanto from weird alien race! He was Phanto, he was the guardian of the key! He is that badass who is a soul-eating monster!

[The Grudge - Jun Senoue]

Moirai Albarn : I've known your movements, your plan on resurrecting the Kusakabe's grandson was a plan to destroy the legacy that Shinra created! Now tell me, why would Witchkind ever sent a Heartless phony like you to attack this mysterious city built in a foreign country? or else I'll have my blood to destroy you and take your soul away for good. You won't be dealing of destroying the Kusakabe Legacy anymore, you heartless moron!

Shaula Gorgon Doppelganger : Okay! Okay! You got me! I was expelled from Shaula Gorgon's heart and we heartlesses wanted to destroy the whole planet! We're on a path to genocide and it's all that demon spider's fault! The one who stole Shotaro's creations the demon weapons that are actually made from his bones and of course, Alchemy! But all that Death and Destruction made us realize how brainless we are! Thought that Ansem might be at the highest stake to have the whereabouts of opening the door to Darkness, so it turns out that this was all a tricky trap orchestrated by him to lure the heroes out! But more importantly, the Arachne Gorgon I know that stole the bones of Shotaro or a witch, isn't her at all. It's Jorogumo, the demon spider who wanted to feast on Shinra's Grandson. That spider was so stupid that it's attraction to Demon Vibe's power is so incredible, no witch on the planet would able to resist!

Moirai Albarn : So what's it going to be? Facing the light, facing truth, or facing my powers of blood magic?

Shaula Gorgon Doppelganger : Okay, I'll tell you who wanted to destroy the devil's legacy! It was Demon V-

[DBZ SFX : Energy Blast]

Moirai & Maka : [in shocked]

[Shaula yells and reverts to it's true form, which turns out to be a Neo Shadow heartless]

Moirai Albarn : That energy of light. Was it Keyblade Magic?

Maka Albarn : Could be.

Mai Thi Hoang : That stray beam of light. So this strange witch that tried to possess me was a Heartless Imposter all along? I...didn't see that clearly.

Maka Albarn : Hey, sis. That weird "Thing" that the stray beam of light hit it's back, was this a "Heartless" that father talked us about?

Moirai Albarn : Yeah, it could be. But this one over here is just bigger heartless. It's called a "Neoshadow", an adult-sized form of a heartless that way big and super strong. These heartlesses that have the ability to change one's appearance and become it's doppelganger. Luckily, this witch Shaula Gorgon that everyone mentioned about and known, is actually a Heartless doppelganger disguising itself as a witch using with dark evil magic. Not only that it fool the humans easily that much, but everyone in the real world had no idea she was a heartless herself.

Maka Albarn : So, it's just a Heartless Doppelganger. Why in the world would anyone think that Heartless Doppelgangers would easily fool the human race that easily?

Moirai Albarn : Apparently, this isn't the work of Witchkind, it was probably someone else that has been pulling the plug. Nobodies made by Xemnas, or the Shadows their selves.

Mai Thi Hoang : I see...Technically, thing that has been poisoning every human being the tongue of a Poison Spear. I get it, there was something fishy with the witches on this planet. They were hiding something superstitious about the Kusakabe Legacy that has been connecting to Soul World for a long time. The world of Smash knows that half of the Ohkuboverse was destroyed by the powers of the Time Eater, and now there is hope to finding out the answer of why are these heartlesses attack Soul World and what is their demands of destroying a hero's legacy?

??? [voice heard] : It was I, who sent the Gorgon Sisters' doppelgangers to destroy the devil's legacy and had it plans that the Ohkuboverse will soon be gone into nothingness. It was a simple plan to bring the true forces of evil that is me and I will have my puppet to dispose of you and conjure this planet for myself, wether will be me or the Time Eater gets it.

Moirai Albarn : Ngh! Who is this?!

??? : This is the ruler of Shadow Realm, and I'm putting everything on tight schedule. Although I did say that the so-called "Madness" is all nothing but a wordplay. But to me, It should be the fate of others.

Moirai Albarn : Fate of others? What are you talking?

[images flashing]

Moirai Albarn : Aaah! [holds head in pain] *painting* Fate of others, just what are their demands of destroying the legacy, and what's this silly fantasy world of theirs have to do with ending it with darkness or the time eater will destroy it?

~ Thirty-Fourth Scene : Monsters in Disguise ~

[thytaenic]

You're writing is so cute! If requests are open may I request a scenario where Characters Riddle, Kalim, and Azul meet their fiancé? Like arranged marriage AU!

Aligning The Stars

in which you, a busy person are tied to an arranged marriage and so, the first time you meet them was unexpected for you and marked as the best day in your calendar.

✧･ﾟ: *✧･ﾟ:* 　　 *:･ﾟ✧*:･ﾟ✧

bcs this is my first request, i hope it meets your expectations ! im still trying to figure out what to put for the rules of requests and i might’ve also overwritten these scenarios. anyway, enjoy <3

✧･ﾟ: *✧･ﾟ:* 　　 *:･ﾟ✧*:･ﾟ✧

⊹˚︵‿₊˚ʚɞ˚₊‿︵˚⊹

ʚɞ ～ ❝ 𝐀𝐋𝐈𝐆𝐍𝐈𝐍𝐆 𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐒𝐓𝐀𝐑𝐒 ❞

╰‧₊˚ riddle rosehearts, kalim al-asim, azul ashengrotto x fem!mc

Bakes For You, a bakery shop handled by (y/n) and two of her friends, ace trappola and deuce spade. for the past few days, the shop has received a lot of requests from birthday cakes to farewell cakes too. as a professional baker, she managed to keep up with the deadlines and delivered a great service to her customers.

(y/n) who's in her early 20s was set up in an arranged marriage by her parents with a nobleman's son, most likely her father's friend. because of her packed schedule, (y/n) had told her parents that she wont have time to find someone for her to spend the rest of her life with.

"goodbye, sweethearts. OH, before i forget. put it under the name riddle rosehearts, thats his name." they bid her mom who placed an order for her wedding a nice goodbye as she exited the shop, leaving behind a note. boy, just by looking at the note, her heart raced faster than usual.

“riddle rosehearts. riddle. riddle rosehearts. rosehearts. mr riddle rosehearts. mrs (y/n) rosehearts.” she muttered, giggling to herself at how silly she was.

who would've thought its finally her time to enjoy a marriage life? but with a stranger whom she never met. she shook away the curiosity and went back to the kitchen to start working on the order.

two days went by smoothly as the shop got busier than before. the day of her weeding drew closer too. (y/n) locked the door behind her, closing her shop for the door when she suddenly, she heard footsteps coming her way. who could it be? turning around, her eyes met with a pair of ash grey iris of a man dressed in a formal suit. they shared a look for a moment before looking away in unison. "good evening, miss. seems like your shop closed the moment i got here. i was wondeing if i could take order under the name riddle rosehearts?"

"oh, my apologies. since its a wedding cake, i was tasked to set it up on the venue tomorrow. but im guessing youre mom's assistant. may i know your name? i could tell mom about this matter." she spoke, hoping to know his name at least. she scanned the male standing before her. his eyes were red and so was his hair. but he dressed very well, maybe a nobleman? but why would her mom picked an expensive looking man to be her assistant?

the male's eyes widen, shocked at the way she's addressing him, "no, dont mind about it. i'll be going now." and so he hastily walked back into his car. 

“wait! at least, your name?”

he smiled at her, “riddle rosehearts, i’ll see you at the ceremony tomorrow then.” zooming away from the street and disappearing into the darkness of the night. truth be told, (y/n) felt a familiar sense of happiness the moment they locked eyes just now. without paying attention to the situation, she went home to rest for her wedding tomorrow but she couldnt stop thinking about him

“so thats riddle rosehearts. i wonder if he knew about the wedding.” oh but little did she knew, she managed to spark some fancy from him making the male blushed so hard that he couldnt focus his eyes on the road.

“gosh, shes so cute.” he noted, clearing her throat before continuing his drive.

"hurry up, kalim. we dont have much time."

"jamil, wait! i need to buy a gift for my future wife."

the two buddies went out to the bazaar that day to search for something needed for the dinner preparation. kalim was told to marry the Land of Sand's famous businesswoman named (y/n). speculations said that she's the nation's sweetheart.

dragging his friend past the crowds at the bazaar, they stopped in front of a huge shop building. from the glass windows, the inside was decorated with extravagant chandelier and modern setup of displays for what seems to be bottles and packs of perfumes. jamil was about to say something but was taken aback by kalim who continued to drag him into the shop. 

greeted by how good the smell of the shop is, they couldnt help but to take a long around the shop. “jamil, what do you think? do you think (y/n) will like this?”

“searching for a gift for someone special?” suddenly a voice came from the second floor of the building. a lady with a purdah on to cover half of her face came down the stairs and walked towards them, greeting with her eye-smile.

“yes, im looking for a gift for my future wife. but its going to be my first time meeting her today so i dont know what she loves.”kalim explained as she listened to him carefully. 

grabbing a glass jar from the shelves behind the two male, she showed it to kalim. “this is our new invention. its called a scented candle. when you lit this candle, it acts as a fragrance for the room its in. im sure your wife will love it.”

jamil nooded, most likely amazed. “we’ll take two of this then.”

after spending a long time at the bazaar, kalim and jamil reached the Al-Asim’s residence. they had to prepare for the joint dinner with Al-Asim’s family and the bride’s family. kalim who was excited before couldnt stand sitting in his room as he grew restless.

“nervous?”

“a little bit.”

“its time. lets go to the hall to greet them.”

the two of them walked down the corridor of the mansion, passing through several rooms and even the garden before reaching the door. the long haired male pushed open the door, revealing a long dinner table with lots of chairs. the food were looking so mouth-watering too. at the other end of the hall stood a group of people.

approaching the group, kalim spotted a familiar figure among the people. finally, theyre together with the group. jamil on the other hand facepalmed when he saw (y/n) standing next to her father. “ah, kalim. meet (y/n), shes the one i told you about.”

changing looks with (y/n), the white-haired male’ eyes widen but this time with a smile on his face. “pleasure to meet you again, (y/n). please take this. do you love it?”

(y/n) chuckled and gently accepted the gift from him, “i did tell you that your wife will love it, no? because i really love it, kalim.”

azul ashengrotto, the current owner of the well-known Mostro Lounge which had over 20 branches was rumored to marry a woman of his parents' choice. no wonder he's every girls ideal type. but the rumor really started a huge issue in social medias. speculations, gossips, old stories, you name it.

netizens went crazy over this. as for azul, its a good thing their parents managed to find the best bride for him despite their packed schedules. fiance or not, strangers or friends, he only hoped for one thing which is to be able to marry a woman who can accept him for who he is. and once the rumor calmed down for a bit, its finally an ideal time for the two parties to meet each other.

"azul, personally speaking from a friend of yours. you'll have to spend more time with your future wife more than doing business." jade who was one of azul's friend suggested to him. knowing how busy he was, marriage is a good way to keep him from working too hard and staying up until late night.

recalling back jade's word, his heart went restless and raced faster. is it really a good choice? upon entering the fancy restaurant he booked for the meeting, azul went to the receptionist to look for the reserved table and thus, he was brought by the waiter to a table full of people. his parents spotted him firstand stood up to welcome him. "we're so glad you could make it, azul dear."

"its only natural for me to attend this meeting, no? greetings, mr and mrs (l/n)." azul said, shaking hand with (y/n)'s father who pulled him into an unexpected embrace. standing next to him was (y/n) dressed in a beautiful purple dress.

(y/n) politely bowed to greet azul but was caught off guard when the male gently took her right hand, drawing it close to his lips as he placed a soft kiss on her knuckle. such a gentleman, she thought. "im honored to finally meet you, (y/n). i hope i dont keep you waiting."

"of course not, dont worry about it. i just arrived here too." she replied, smiling at azul who failed to control his excitement at how cute she was. she then gestured everyone to take their seats. dinner were served quicker than they expected and they enjoyed the evening, taking the opportunity to get to know each other better. he learned that (y/n) was also a businesswoman and this is certainly a chance to broaden his business with collaborations.

once the dinner was coming to its end, azul excused himself first from the gathering to go back to his office. "leaving already? at least bring her h-”

“who said im leaving her? i was about to take a night drive. care to join me, (y/n)?

they walked away from the parents and bid them goodbye before exiting the restaurant and walking towards azul’s car. for being a gentleman he was, azul helped her to get to the passenger’s seat before entering the car too. “so, why do you accept it?”

“the marriage? because i wa-’

“money? i can give you money and we can stop this marriage.”

it was unbelievable for (y/n) to hear that coming from azul ashengrotto. he realised his words too and sighed. he was harsh, he didnt know what has gotte into him. was it because he saw the worst in marriage life? or was it because marriage life will affect his business?

“i didnt say that. i never said that, azul. i accepted because i wanted to know you better. and to love you too. is that wrong? tell me, what part of wanting to love you and wanting your love is wrong in your eyes? i know we just met tonight but part of me wanted this arrange marriage to be considered based on love, and not just because its arrang-” (y/n) ranted out, getting furious and was about to say more when a pair of arms wrapped around her torso, pulling her into such tight and warm embrace. azul sighed, tightening the hug more.

“lets get married soon then.”

[swampythesweetsketch]

Cult of The Dragon AU

A Ninjago and Cult of The Lamb AU

The Main Six

Lloyd - Green - The New Deity of Destruction

The last dragon among the living and son of the previous Deity of Destrcution, Garmadon. When he hatched, years have passed and his father's soul (in the form of his crown) leads him on his journey to accumulate his own cult. His journey brings him among friends and enemies, some of which he must decide who is trustworthy.

Jay - Blue - Unwilling Beast of Hunger

A octopus once set on the chopping block in a fish market, Jay was saved by a nice dog couple Ed and Edna. As time passed in his home, The Sea of Sand, a new cult leader Pythor had taken over the brutal terrain and turn his cult members into cannibalistic monsters who snatch the dwindling non-cult population for their meals. Jay and his parents were unlucky enough to be taken in, but with Jay bearing resemblance to a once great desert monster, Pythor has changed him with black magic into a being not even his poor parents recognize.

Kai - Red - Swordsmith of Ignacia

Once part of a renowned family of fighters and swordsmiths, Kai lived in a remote village in Ignacia with his baby sister Nya and their parents. When their parents, the strongest fighters in the village, were killed off by Samukai's cult; The rest of the village split up and ran to save themselves, only to be picked off and killed. Leaving Kai and Nya the only real survivors of the village. While Kai may of not learned the whole ropes of smithing before his home fell apart, he well makes up for it by making wild and enchanted weapons for fighters to buy.

Nya - Cyan - The Executioner

Her first memories were of her small village being torn apart by cultists and her older brother, Kai, carrying her to safety. As she began to grow up, Nya vowed to kill any cultists she finds. Which in her early years of battling have given her a little too close encounter with death. She improved, and now seen as the Executioner to many. But not all journeys are without peril, and Nya gets captured by Samukai's cult to be sacrificed to their Deity, Garmadon! She hopes that she can break free. If not, then it's up to Kai and Lloyd to rescue her...

Cole - Black - Wayward Trader and Semi-Thief

A lone ram that travels to forget his past, Cole has been traversing the mountains, valleys, and cities of Ninjago as a independent seller. He doesn't hate cults, but he knows the dangers that come from being sucked into one, yet stills does business with them once in a while. As he and Lloyd meet, Cole is on his way to his favorite bazaar when they discover Master Chen taking his fellow traders as prisoners on his island. Even if he doesn't want to, Cole joins Lloyd as they journey to Tournament Island to save his buddies and maybe steal some cool stuff along the way?

Zane - White - The dethroned Deity of Home Found as a little owlet with promising powers to protects and elongate live and prosperity by his "father" Dr. Jullien, Zane was a mortal promoted to deity in the Cult of Birchwood. Until a new figure came into power shortly after his father's death and being casted out. Now forced to watch his old home fall apart under a new deity's power, Zane has changed his ways to become a resource trader. Happilly marries to his crow wife Pixal, and father to several babies with his youngest Gidgette on his head at all times. He seeks Lloyd out for help as his home is now on the cusp of death as the new deity, the Overlord, vows to consume the cult's lifeforce and use his vessel to find another cult once done ruining the current.

[writing-the-end]

LoL Chapter 39- Periapts

Masterpost

A Wizard Hermits tale (AU, designs, ideas belongs to @theguardiansofredland)

How many hermits does it take to find protection amulets? And not bring home even more junk like a target run? And what do they do when the Guild of Gedeon discovers them?

_________________________________________

“Grian, those shoes are worthless for you- you already have wings!” Iskall waves his arms, exasperated by his shopping buddies. In the midst of the Redland bazaar, the hermits have separated out to find supplies they both need and could use. Iskall tones himself down as two Gedeons walk by, the entire area going quiet and watching as the council guildmembers march on. What are they doing in Redland?

“Yeah, but you don’t. You guys could use it though!” Grian buys the sandals without second thought, and without haggling for the price. Mumbo groans. They have yet to even purchase a protection or repelling item- or any amulet. He’s not sure if Grian understands saving money, and can only look away, across the busy, bustling bazaar to see who else is having better luck. 

Hypno can’t help but play with the dowsing rods in his hands, only for xB to grab one rod before the two pieces can cross paths. “Those aren’t a toy, give me those things. Do you want to summon a storm?”

“It could be useful! A big storm to battle off a husk storm!”  Hypno grins, before patting his hands against his friend’s shoulder. “It’s alright, man, we can grab some talismans right after this. But this is too cool to pass up!” 

Together, with xB’s innate kipling knowledge of enchantments, they pick out a few talismans. Wards against harm and unfortunate thoughts. Removing the law of attraction, or at least easing it. Two of the talismans were mass produced, before xB advised Hypno that unique amulets were likely stronger, picking through boxes and glass cases full of strange, vibrant pieces. 

But it doesn’t take long for xB to get distracted on his own. Reeling back when he sees it. “Whoa, I didn’t know these still existed! I thought the last of the moodium ores have died out!”

“But xB, we’re supposed to be looking for amulets.” Hypno mimics xB, but he’s grinning. “What even is it?” 

“It’s a mood ring!” xB’s voice rises and falls to make it sound mysterious. 

Hypno isn’t much impressed. “You mean the trinkets you get from the candy store as a kid?” 

“No! Those were inspired by real mood rings. Watch this.”  xB slips the ring on, and covers the pink, round cut gem and closes his eyes. Hypno snickers, watching for the stone to change color just because of xB’s body heat. His snicker fades, lip quivering as he feels globs of hot tears fall from his eyes. What the hell, why is he crying? Why does he feel so sad? 

“You…” xB’s grin and a wiggle of his bejeweled finger is all he needs to see to know what’s happened. “Asshole! You changed my emotions!” 

“No, I didn’t. You were already sad about something, I just amplified that. I also can smell that you didn’t brush your teeth this morning.” xB covers his nose, pulling off the ring before taking a deep, relieving breath. 

Hypno isn’t sure what he’s sad about, but it was obviously there. He wipes away the tears, large droplets and streams down his cheeks. Ruining his cool guy attitude, just crying in some random shop in the middle of a bazaar. He looks around for something to raise his epic points, but becomes distracted when he sees three Gedeons roughing up a shopkeep, demanding some kind of council tax he never heard of. In fact, all of the bazaar is quieter than other times he’s been to Redland. As if a nightmare patrols with Sidero’s henchmen. Perhaps that’s what saddens him. Even here, the Council’s influence is felt. 

Further down, nestled in an arcade offshoot, Ren, Jevin, and Cleo are in the middle of an intense battle. Not with swords or magic, but words. 

“300 rupees.” Cleo declares, holding up the protection talisman. The sigilized stone dangles in the air, twisting and casting it’s armoring gaze out on the bazaar.

“800, little lady.” The portly merchant reaches out, threading his fingers around the cord and starts to pull it back.

“350, and you get to keep your fingers for calling me a lady.” Cleo lays her other hand on the hilt of her sword, smiling a demure grin, her sickly green skin stretching for him to see. 

“Fine.” The merchant untangles himself from the fight and the amulet, grumbling under his breath as he takes the money from Jevin’s outstretched hand. “I dunno why people are suddenly buyin’ up all the protection amulets. There some kinda guild war about to break out?” 

“Not exactly.” Ren snickers, before trodding out of the tent and back into the sunlight. If he were on Eremita, he’d stretch out and sunbathe, sunglasses perched just so that he can see the clouds make their own creations in the sky. His daydream is ruined, however, when he feels a rap against his rear, tail tucking between his legs. 

“Hey boy, wanna get the stick?” Jevin teases, waving a snarled old staff for Ren. 

The mixed-up mage isn’t amused- though, the werewolf in him does make his heart beat in excitement to chase a stick. “My dude, I’m not even a real werewolf. I just know I rock a tail and ears.” 

Cleo shakes her head. “This is ridiculous. Who would waste 2000 rupees on some stick? These merchants are out of their mind. Now I see why Scar left his home.” 

“That’s not just ‘some stick’ li-” The merchant stops when a flash of metal glints against the sun, backing up until Cleo sheathes her sword again. “I- it’s a shift stick. It’s a one time use, takes the holder back in time a minute. A do over, a chance to fix a mistake. Perhaps even more useful than any stone necklace. One of a kind, and for such… unique customers like you, I’ll lower the price to 1500 rupees.” 

Jevin pulls out 5 gold rupees, before Ren and Cleo can say anything, and clutches the stick. “Totally worth it.” 

“How do we even know if it works?” Ren isn’t sure if it does exactly what it claims to do. They may have bought the most expensive branch in the world, but Jevin refuses to let it go. 

“We can ask Xisuma. He can check or something, he’s a smart guy.” Jevin shrugs. They have enough money, especially with how well Cleo’s haggling has gone. They could buy three shift sticks with the money they’ve been given, and still have enough to buy even more talismans. 

The three wander along the bazaar, meeting with other hermits on their way. BDubs and Keralis show off an entire chest of shielding stones, while Scar is laden with more golden amulets than anyone. When Cleo presses him on how he managed to find so many unique and powerful charms, he only smiles. “I know a thing or two about the trade business.” 

“Those are the dragon spirits on them.” Cub points out the twisting, dancing dragon. Without wings and the white pearl accents, it’s easy to identify which of the spirits is depicted. Ashtios, the Northern Wind Dragon. Another depicts winged dragons, finned dragons, sheared dragons. Fire, water, and earth. The spirits and sages that aided the gods to create the earth, and who provide median between the two realms. Nothing is more protective than a dragon, and they can feel the strength in the spell of each amulet. 

Down the bazaar, the hermits jump at the sound of metal clashing and magic being cast. Followed by yelling, Keralis and Doc are chased from a shop. The shopkeep waves her broom at the two. “What kind of freak eats a bug in the middle of my store! Get back here you cretins!” 

Doc’s gruff snicker is only matched by Keralis’s whimper. “But it was gonna help us. It was just a noisy locust.” 

The two escape from the bazaar, disappearing into the crowds of Redland. BDubs points in the direction his friends just escaped, blinking away confusion. “Should we be concerned about them?” 

“Keralis is with Doc, he’ll be fine.” Xisuma waves. “Besides, their grown men.” 

“Looks like we weren’t the only ones who got distracted by other goods.” Cleo nods her head at the books in X’s arms. 

Xisuma looks offended by the statement, and stutters over his breath to explain himself. ‘The-these are ancient works! They could have important information about dark magic!” He looks at the stick Jevin’s holding. “What kinda crap are we bringing home now?” 

“We have flying shoes.” Iskall holds them aloft, Grian preening the white feathers flat against the golden laces. 

“Dowsing rods and a mood ring.” xB keeps the metal rods far away from Hypno, who seems all too keen on starting up a hurricane in the city.

“And what we hope is a stick that can turn back time.” Jevin holds it up. “Otherwise I’m going to use this stick to beat that merchant for lying.” 

Lucky for Jevin and the merchant, Xisuma can feel the magic in the whorls of the wood. “I’ll say, these are all pretty impressive. Useless for our cause but… temporal magic is difficult. Were all our rupees wasted on things we didn’t intend to buy?” 

“Not the Convex!” Cub grins, hefting the smaller of the duo over his head, blue embers gleaming from their eyes. “We have enough protection amulets to destroy whatever Dolios got!” 

Xisuma opens his mouth to answer, but another voice cuts through the air, his own faltering and fading against his mask. “Now what reason could you have to go against Magistrate Dolios?” All of the hermits turn, seeing a squadron of members from the Guild of Gedeon, red tassels that mimic the Council’s golden ones fluttering in the wind. Behind them, the broom wielding merchant sticking her tongue out at the hermits. “Wait a minute- I think I’ve seen these scum before.” The center mage points at Mumbo. “You beat me in the duel!” 

Xisuma meets his gaze with TFC, both with their eyes wide. Behind him, Iskall rolls up his sleeves and snaps his gloves tight, ready for a fight. Mumbo’s fraught voice whispers out from beneath his mustache. “No one bought any smoke bombs, did they? Anyone?”

The guildmembers hear his words, and three magic circles rise. Mumbo shrieks and hides behind Grian. “Why did we have to send our two best fighters to Alphasgard?” 

Wind blusters against the hermits, tearing flags against their poles and sending the bazaar into chaos. Grian’s wings open, flight feathers brushing against the stone walls on both sides of the bazaar. He beats his wings down, and a gale force wind sends the bucket-headed goons of the Council knocking into one another, rolling down and into the mudcaked gutter. “Alright, I think the shopping spree is over guys. Time to bounce!” 

One second, the head mage is on his feet, the next he’s collapsed on the floor, snoring. Hypno’s wild purple magic circle twists in his hand, eyes blank and full of sleep while he searches his own mind. Digging through his dreams. The other two wizards slip their way out from the gutter, sharp spines of one’s spell driving forward like horns of a bull. But a dense fog appears in the midday sun. 

It’s also bright blue. Beef turns, taking the sudden cover as his chance to escape. All of the hermits follow suit, though Joe remains a few paces behind to follow Hypno. “Blue fog that smells faintly of cotton candy...I would love to study your psyche and dreams one day, my dear friend Hypno.”

[yuri-cocaine]

prompt 1: crux

In which two small Viera children try their luck in the outside world

When Mua hears about Mojote’s mad scheme to Make Big Money, she immediately demands to go with him. She even borrows the village chocobo cart and yokes Stinky and Buddy, her mother’s two big palfreys, and drives them out to the edge of the baobab forest when Mojote is trudging along with his giant backpack. Despite the scorching heat, he covers his ears in a dull white hood. Now he looks like an overgrown, tail-less Miqo’te.

“Mua, what are you even doing here?” Mojote demands. “Where’d you get that cart?”

“Uh, hello? I’m coming with you, Jote!” Mua delightedly rings the chocobo bell, and Buddy chirps. Stinky, true to his name, has already filled his dropping bag under his tail and is making a new mess on the dusty road.

“Throw your stuff in the back! Let’s go to the city!”

Mojote sighs, but he climbs into the cart. Mua is his twin sister, but as is traditional for Viera, he is taken away by his father before he can even feed from their mother. Male Viera are not allowed to live in the tree villages. They are not to be seen by anyone.

He thinks of Dei-ijla, and all the villagers inside their baobab houses, and how the desert wind sings dead songs through the day and through the night.

He thinks of Rabanastre, sapphire of the sands, and their royal fusiliers marching closer and closer to Viera land year after year. Even though they have so much. Even though their songs are full of life and joy and vibrancy.

“I made a bunch of charms and jewelry and things,” Mojote told Mua in the forest last week. “I’m going to Rabanastre and selling in the Muthru Bazaar. Ba says people are always clamoring about how exotic Viera wares are. If I sell some, I’ll make money!”

Mua was fascinated. “Oh, wow. So you’re going to be rich? What are you going to buy?”

“I’m going to pay the Dalmascan soldiers to get out of the forest.”

Mua understands his reasoning. If soldiers are paid to invade and kill and burn, then with the right amount of gil they can be paid to go home. It’s genius!

The two children think of Dei-ijla, of the sun-baked elders moving so slowly in the grass, of the wood warders endlessly patrolling with storms on their faces.

When the skyline of Rabanastre comes into view after a week and a half of traveling, the sight takes their breath away. The soaring spires! The gleam of ornate glass windows! The packed main road, so full of people of all shapes and shades speaking in so many tongues! Mua cannot contain her excitement. She runs up and down every block, poking her head into every storefront, greeting every passerby.

And then the bazaar…

Muthru Bazaar is a riot of smells and colors. A Seeq is playing a high, lilting tune on a giant flute for a band of dancing moogles. A trio of Bangaa with an enormous, violently pink chocobo is selling equally pink chocobo chicks out of a basket. The stalls have fruits in all colors of rainbow, food from every place in the world, clothes and shoes of all styles, and weapons so ornate and shiny they are blinding. It feels like walking in a dream.

Mojote spreads a patterned blanket in front of an alleyway and sets his goods down. Mua vanishes and returns a few minutes later with her arms full of food samples. Her mouth is full of something wriggling. She gives him a honey-covered fried tarantula on a stick.

Their wares are so boring compared to everything else, Mua thinks. They have wooden bowls and wooden cups carved with Dei-ijla patterns and inlaid polished bone. They have curse-warding charms spun from yarn, like pure white cobwebs with a lump of amber in the center. They have little curved daggers and fossils dug out from beneath the grass and sand.

Nobody really stops to buy from them all day, but that’s fine, for the unending din of the bazaar is fun to listen to. Mua and Mojote eat through their snacks, and wait.

Then, a Hyuran woman comes over with a group of friends in tow. Her eyes are wide with wonder, and she points at Mua.

“Oh, goodness, look! A Viera girl! A real live Viera girl!

Mua springs to her feet. “Come look at our wares! We’ll even give you a, uh--what was it again?”

“A discount for being our first customers,” says Mojote from under his hood.

“Yeah! A discount!”

Mua twirls in a silly dance for them, and Hyuran women coo with delight.

“Oh, aren’t you just adorable! Look at her fluffy ears, oh! Very well, sweetie, we’ll buy something!”

The word about a little dancing Viera girl spreads. A crowd builds, and they cheer and coo as Mua sings her village songs to them and spins. Mojote gathers the gil they make in a pull string pouch. So maybe Mua coming along isn’t such a bad idea. People seem to like her a lot. They pat her head and stroke her ears.

The Muthru Bazaar doesn’t sleep. Even as darkness falls, the market keeps running. It’s the heart of the city, Mua and Mojote think, and it beats on and on.

A Hyuran man and his group of friends approach them with drinks in their hands. Mojote stiffens, realizing they are Dalmascan soldiers, probably here to relax after their patrols. Mua chews the inside of her cheek, and after a bit of thought, she flicks an ear at her brother and gets up to greet them.

“Welcome to our shop!” says Mua, twirling. “We sold a lot of things already, but feel free to have a look!”

“Little merchants, are we?” says one of the men. “And what are little merchants doing so far from your woods?”

“Um, well,” Mua turns to Mojote and whispers, “Can I tell them?”

Mojote thinks. Eventually, when they have enough gil, they’ll have to tell the soldiers to leave anyway, so why not just tell them now? He nods at his sister.

Mua takes a deep breath. “We’re making money so when Dalmasca tries to come into our forest again, we can pay you to--to go back home.”

There’s a silence.

It’s so quiet, even the bazaar seems to have hushed.

Then the men laugh. They laugh, and laugh, and laugh, and it’s the ugliest sound Mua has ever heard.

“Ah, kids at play,” says one of the soldiers. “They’re like my own brats at home, but with big old rabbit ears.”

“Oh, little lady, if you want us to go home, you don’t have to be out here in civilization selling shite on a towel,” says another. He comes close, so close.

“Just tell your parents to lay down their weapons, and we’ll plant a big flag in the ground, and then we’ll march right on home. See?”

Then one of them grabs her, yanking her arm so suddenly Mua yelps and nearly trips. Mojote leaps to his feet, drawing his bone knife. “Let her go!”

His voice is drowned out by laughter.

“This one’s adorable! A little rabbit at home would be just what the lady wants.”

“Stop! Stop it!” Mua tears herself free and runs to Mojote’s side, but the soldiers are all around them. Mojote holds his knife with shaking hands, and to his horror, someone pulls the hood off his ears.

“By the gods, look! A male Viera!”

“I didn’t think they existed!”

“We should put him in a menagerie or something. These things are rare as diamonds.”

They are grabbing his ears. The knife is knocked to the ground. The lights of the city are glaringly bright, and the storm of noise from all around builds and builds and builds. He has to get out of here. He has to get Mua out of here.

Coming here is a mistake.

Coming here is a mistake.

Mua screams. It’s a high, terrible scream, and the Mist surges over her like a sandstorm. She spins, kicks, and a man goes flying. He crashes into a stall across the street, shattering the wooden counter. By the time anyone regains their wits, Mua is already bashing two heads into the cobblestone streets after having thrown a third into a wall. She screams and screams.

Mojote doesn’t think at all. He wraps his arms around his sister’s waist and picks her up. He darts into the alley and sprints, down one street, then another, twisting, turning. Mua clings to him, crying hot, angry tears. He claws at the walls, pulling both of them up, up, until he reaches the parapet and bounds over.

They flee into the desert, leaving everything behind.

Mua remembers her mother comforting her, and the other villagers agreeing that she is just a child, and children get curious, so there will be no severe punishment.

“The heart of the matter is, daughter, that beyond the wood the world is strange, and cruel, and not for us.” Mua listens as her mother explains. “We are daughters of the wood. Nobody else in the world can understand this. They will come calling, with steel and magicks, but the wood will shield us. You need not try to turn them away. This land will reject them, just as their land has rejected you. Do you understand?”

She tries to. She tries hard. But the wonder of the city comes to her in dreams, and on the desert wind. Sometimes she climbs the tallest tree in Dei-ijla and peers out into the horizon, and pretends she can see the pinprick of light that is Rabanastre.

Mojote doesn’t come up with any more ideas. He carries a claymore now, big and black. From atop the baobab trees, Mua waves to him, but he only nods and then disappears.

She turns to look back toward the horizon, where the sand begins, and doesn’t move.

[mollymauk-teafleak]

but they’re one and the same

Nureyev is a man of contradictions, Juno realises when he sees how he interacts with children in a situation all too familiar

Please consider reblogging or leaving a comment on Ao3, it makes my day 

---

When Nureyev had told Juno how amazing it was to see new planets practically every week, to never stay in the same place, to experience the uniqueness of every corner of the galaxy, he hadn’t believed it, not really. It had felt like something a character in a stream or a novel would say, and you could trust that they believed it but it would never be true for you, not in the world you lived in.

Juno thought he knew all planets were the same, at their core. If people never changed, how could the surfaces they walked on? He’d assumed the solar system was just eight and change repetitions of the same rotten system he’d seen on Mars, people either hurting others or getting hurt themselves. Heartbroken cities with paint over the cracks, a nice neat circle around the people who had money and the people that didn’t you could read in the amount of parks and unbroken windows.

And he’d been right, to a certain extent. But he’d realised, as a bona fide member of the Carte Blanche, that both could be true. A crowd of impossible things that didn’t seem to go together could all actually be true, he’d found.

Nureyev would always say that his favourite planet was whichever one they were currently on. So right now it would be Saturn, second largest in the system, with it’s beautiful pale blue sky with its layers and layers of billowing, translucent clouds, streaked with those ever present rings, like giant parenthesis around the whole thing. Only a fraction of the planet was habitable, most of it being clouds that solidified and thickened as you moved further in, making glancing up feel like being at the bottom of an immense, white well.

The markets of Saturn’s surface were famous, Nureyev told him, because where other planets had modernised from the early settlers and shifted to brick and stone and metal storefronts, Saturn had kept it’s stalls of wood and flowing silk in a hundred different colours. It was for the aesthetics, apparently, to mirror the bazaars and souks you could have found on Earth centuries ago, to remind them that they hadn’t come all that far from home.

But this wouldn’t look much like the history books, Juno thought. The bones of it were there in the fluttering, colourful hangings and the wares laid out on woven blankets. But he doubted that twentieth century Earth had shifting holograms projected in the air to entice customers, stalls selling spaceship parts and AI downloads and cybernetics or food stalls with fruit from half a galaxy away. And he doubted the stray cats looked at you with quite so many eyes.

But it was beautiful and it was alive. About ten songs from ten different buskers swirled together in the air, meeting in a strangely non-cacophonous melody. Juno could smell spice and honey and herbs he couldn’t even name, he heard voices in dialects he didn’t know and fashions he could barely wrap his head around. It was all just noise and colour and bodies, bright and beautiful in ways he hadn’t encountered yet, things he’d spent so much of his life being unable to see.

It helped when his hand was in Peter Nureyev’s. They had a day off while their latest haul was sold, what Buddy jokingly called their shore leave, and all week Nureyev had eagerly been talking about this one particular stall that made the best honey cakes in the galaxy. Juno had been surprised his refined, wine connoisseur husband even entertained the idea of street food but he apparently had a must visit on every planet and wanted to watch Juno’s face while he tried each one for the first time.

Juno was more than happy to go along with whatever he wanted. His smile hadn’t slipped once from his face since he’d woken up that morning, he was comfortable and content and being eagerly pulled through this colourful new world by the man he loved. He would have ran to any one of Saturn’s eighty two moons if Nureyev had asked him of it.

They finally found the stall he was after, a tiny one that was little more than a blanket and a small awning covered in red silk, hemmed in by much bigger and flashier ones. It was manned by an elderly person who Nureyev tipped double for two paper cartons of small, circular cakes dipped in translucent gold.

“Okay, okay,” Nureyev grinned, spearing one on a tiny wooden fork once they’d collapsed onto a bench, “Close your eye.”

Juno chuckled, “Babe, come on, I’m starving! I didn’t have any breakfast cos you said we were going to eat our weight in these things.”

“Please?” he put on a playful pout and batted his eyelashes, stretching out the word, “Just for the first one. It’s worth it, I promise.”

Never having had any intention of saying no, Juno closed his eye and dropped his jaw for Nureyev to feed him the cake, imagining how it would taste better on his lips when he kissed him.

It was five seconds before he realised he’d been waiting a little too long.

“Uh...babe?” he prompted to no response but the background noise of the market.

Finally he opened his eye, seeing he was suddenly alone on the bench. For a split second that felt like an eternity, Juno scanned the crowds around them in a panic. Their last job seemed to have gone smoothly but what if it hadn’t, what it they’d left something or someone had caught wind of it and Dark Matters or a rival group had taken Nureyev in that moment his eye had been off him.

Fortunately, he saw him before too long. He wasn’t struggling in the grip of some sunglasses wearing suit and he didn’t have a hack job modded laser knife being held to his throat. He was just crouching at the mouth of an opening between the stalls, what they would call an alley if the buildings here were made of brick, facing something in the shade, something hiding from even the weak sun of this outer planet.

Juno frowned, approaching slowly just in case there was some kind of threat. Not that he didn’t think Nureyev could get himself out of any trouble that found him but there was value in some back up. And it wouldn’t have been the first time one of their dates had turned into a firefight.

But all he saw when he came up behind Nureyev, walking so his boots didn’t disturb the gravel under them, was a young girl. She clung to the shadows of the waving silk above them but that didn’t hide how her hair was long and uncombed, her cheeks were smudged with dirt and eyes wide with want and hunger. There were no shoes on her feet, just knotted strips of fraying cloth, and all she wore was a dress that didn’t fit, getting ragged at the edge.

Juno inhaled softly, feeling his chest tighten.

Nureyev was already talking as he approached, mid sentence, his voice low and comforting, “...would you mind telling me your name? Mine is Peter.”

The girl didn’t know what to make of him, it was clear. She wouldn’t be used to people actually acknowledging her, not just letting their eyes slide off her form like she didn’t really exist.

“May,” she eventually murmured, her eyes not settling on Nureyev’s face.

“That is a lovely name,” he said gently, “It makes me think of springtime. That’s my favorite season. What’s your favourite season?”

May shifted from one foot to the other. She was so small though whether it was from her age or her malnutrition or just the way she was holding herself so she could hide better.

“I like...when the fireflies come out,” she whispered, directing it at the ground between them, “Summer.”

“That must be beautiful,” Nureyev spoke like this was any normal conversation, rather than one happening in a hidden corner at a volume barely above a murmur, “You seem like a very nice girl, May. I’m very glad I met you today.”

Wariness fringed her gaze as she risked a glance up at his face, her hands knotting in anxious fists at her side. But she didn’t look like she would bolt at any moment.

“Do you know that stall over there, May?” Nureyev pointed back the way they’d come, “The cake stall? A person called Olla runs it?”

May nodded immediately and Juno realised what his husband had just done. He’d made sure the girl would know the cakes had come from a trusted source, that they were safe.

“Here, I ordered some but I don’t think I’m hungry right now,” Nureyev held out his still full parcel, still warm and steaming in the air, “Would you like them?”

The girl had clearly been living on the streets for a long time, she hesitated before she reached out and took the cakes. Almost immediately she began to eat, unable to focus on anything else. Nureyev just waited patiently, not even having to look as he took Juno’s carton too when he held it out to him.

The second portion allowed May to slow before she gave herself a stomach ache, honey on her fingers as she glanced back up at them and murmured, “Thank you…”

“It’s our pleasure, May,” Nureyev insisted, “This is my husband, Juno, by the way.”

Juno raised his hand and waved, smiling gently. How many smiles had he gotten when he was that age?

Nureyev pulled out his purse, “May, you don’t have to take this if you don’t feel comfortable, but I’d like to give you something to help you get by. Is that okay?”

May’s eyes widened when she saw the creds he held out to her, the full purse without hesitation.

“It’s okay,” Nureyev smiled crookedly, “I know this must seem strange. But I was a lot like you when I was your age and I’d like to help however I can.”

May considered that, clearly still unsure if she was dreaming or not, but she took the purse all the same. Better to take it and consider afterwards.

“Thank you. Inside there is a card with my number on it. If you ever need anything, May, or you feel like you’re in trouble, please consider calling me. I know people on this planet, good people, who’d be pleased to help you. I’m just sorry I can’t stay and talk for much longer.”

May held the purse to her chest and nodded slowly, managing to meet his eyes.

“It will get better, May,” Nureyev promised, his voice strong and sure, “I promise it will.”

With that, he stood, still moving slowly so he didn’t startle her. He bowed slightly, thanked her sincerely for her time and walked away casually like he’d just met an old acquaintance in passing. Juno flashed May another smile and followed, finding he had to jog to catch up. Nureyev was walking faster than he’d realised.

He couldn’t help a glance back over his shoulder into the shadows but May was gone, just two cartons with honey still clinging to the inside left on the gravel.

When he was side by side with Nureyev again, he wasn’t surprised to see tears behind his husband’s cat eye glasses. Wordlessly, Juno reached out and squeezed his hand, giving him as much time as he needed. As it happened, he needed as long as it took them to cross half the markets.

“I just…” he said suddenly, the words bursting out of him, “I just remember when I needed to hear that. When all I needed was for someone to see me. So every child I meet who's clearly struggling, I just take the time to talk to them. And when I have the ability to help, I do.”

Juno nodded, lacing their fingers together even tighter, “I wish there were more people like you. People who cared.”

Nureyev gave a sigh with a slight tremble to it, stroking the tears from his eyes with his thumb, “But there’s still millions more…”

“And you’re just you,” Juno murmured, “You can only do what you can do. Don’t take the weight of it all on yourself, not when you’ve just done everything you could do.”

Nureyev glanced at him, the corner of his mouth quirking up, “So the next time I say that to you, will you believe me?”

“Probably not,” Juno admitted with a rough chuckle.

Nureyev came close, leaning into him as they walked into the night, already gathering with Saturn’s shorter day.

Reality could hold several contradictions at once, Juno had learned. Things that made each other impossible, things that were impossible inherently, it welcomed them all. People never changed but each one was unique. Planets were the same. People could be thieves and family. Someone could be gone while also being in every move you made, every word you spoke as yourself.

The universe could be cold and cruel and brutal, chewing most people up into bits and spitting them out. It could be beautiful, full of music and laughter.

And it could have someone in it like Peter Nureyev.

[deliciousscaloppine]

16. A cruel king asks to marry you. Which three impossible dresses do you ask for in exchange for your hand? (Wen Chao, Wen Xu & Nie Huaisang)

Meng Yao entered the room with small coquettish steps, looking down bashfully.

“You are wanted in the main hall.” he said and shuffling all the way to the closet, he opened it wide and started throwing out in the room his finest evening wear.

“Ah! These are delicate, Meng Yao! Don't toss them like that.” Huaisang said wrestling an outfit out of his hands.

“You have to dress nice, there are two gentlemen to see you tonight.” Meng Yao effortlessly said while grabbing a comb and taking it to Huaisang's hair with all the rancor of a former street urchin who had to use twenty four different products to make his own hair less frizzy.

“Two? What do they want from me?” he said trying to get out of Meng Yao's vindictive ministrations.

“To marry you, silly. What else?”

“Does Da-ge know?”

“He is the one who sent me to fetch you. You see the two gentlemen happen to be lord Wen Ruohan's sons.”

“The Twin Dipshits of Qishan are here to ask my hand in marriage!? And there are still alive!?”

“Well.” Meng Yao said as he brought over the box with his exquisite selection of jade pendants. “As guests, your brother has to honor their request to state their intentions before you, but after that I am pretty sure he is going to behead them both. So don't wear white.”

“Eugh!” Huaisang said as he rummaged for something equally appropriate for both a marriage proposal and a public execution.

“Oh, tell me about it! I tried advising your brother to just slip a little something in their tea, but he grrrrrrr'ed at me. And it was not even a sexy grrrrrrr. It was more like a stop talking now grrrrrr” Meng Yao said with an air of terse exasperation.

“How am I not going to wear white? White is my color.” Huaisang said as he exchanged his little flat coronet, for a bigger one – to look taller of course, life was meaningless without its little vanities after all.

Finally decked in his finest crescent moon, hazy river in the mist pattern robes, and his fringe tastefully brushed with a touch of unkemptness, he and Meng Yao made their way to the main hall, after agreeing that Meng Yao would enter with his head bowed and at least three steps behind him so that Huaisang could appear taller.

The twin dipshits, er, the twin esteemed young lords of Qishan were sitting at a small distance from each other emanating some really cursed vibes, sporting what seemed to be last seasons' red under the falling maple leaves fashions, while Huaisang's own big brother in all of his I grew a moustache when I was fifteen lordly dignity was silently qi deviating on his throne, his knuckles turned completely white as he clutched the armrests of his seat.

When the two lords, Wen Xu and Wen Chao saw him, they elbowed each other for who would sit closer to him. Meng Yao intercepted them both in full bodyguard mode.

“Gentlemen, please. Allow my lord to display his many talents first, then tea. At any given moment, you are not allowed to come within ten paces of him. People's respiration hazes up my lord's complexion.”

Huaisang settled before an elegant study set before the princes, and right below his own brother's dais. He straightened his fringe, did a full profile, three quarters, full face, face posing twice, so the two princes could admire his looks. Having his sleeves arranged elegantly around him on the floor by his beloved manservant Meng Yao, the latter vanished to prepare tea.

Huaisang took out his brush and gave it a lick. Today he was going to do a scroll with a depiction of pines in soft snowfall under the glow of the midwinter moon. And while at it, he would get a good look at those two princes of the Wen, whose eyebrows were doing some weird interpretive dance right now at being told off.  

That Wen Chao was serving evil prince who plans to kill his own father looks, while Wen Xu had that aura of I slay children, but if I had a little sister I would dote on her lovingly.

“So, I heard the two of you, gentlemen, came to ask my hand in marriage.”

“Marry me, lord Huaisang!” Wen Chao said passionately. “My brother Wen Xu barely leaves the house! He is totally under my father's thumb. You'll be locked in every weekend for family dinner.”

“Eugh!” Wen Xu said disgustedly. “Don't marry him, lord Huaisang! He has lost count of his girlfriends. Also he is already married, you wouldn't even be his first!”

“Are you bragging about being a virgin!” Wen Chao yelled.

“At least I don't have twelve different stds. Nor do I trash innocent people's homes and then fall unconscious from doing drugs!”*

Huaisang heard wood splinter. It was his brother's hand slowly digging into the armrest.

“You don't even have a bodyguard. I have Wen Zhuliu. All chicks love Wen Zhuliu. You listen here closely, lord Huaisang, Wen Zhuliu can do benchpresses with you sitting on the bar.” Wen Chao bragged.

“You don't even love him! The only reason you came was because you found out I was interested first. I am going to tell dad!” Wen Xu said shoving his brother. Soon they were locked in what seemed to be a sequence of wrestling headlocks, while Baxia behind him was rattling madly in its stand.

Thankfully right at this moment Meng Yao came in with the tea.

“Stop clenching your jaw.” Huaisang heard Meng Yao whisper to his brother. Mingjue's jaw immediately popped. Since when did the two of them were on such fond terms that his brother did everything Meng Yao said? This was too suspicious.

Meng Yao served him next. “For the love of my mother's bones, please stop licking the brush. It is both gross and unhygienic. Use this cup right over here. I can't believe how anyone would want to marry you!”

“Jealous because you are pressing thirty and no one has ever asked you to marry them?”

Meng Yao silently scoffed and moved on.

“Gentlemen” Huaisang addressed the two evil princes. “Please, settle down. I would love to marry either of you, but Qishan is notorious for its yesterday fashions. So to my great disapointment I can't choose any of you, unless you pledge to do something about the pitiable condition of your clan's fashion state.”

“What are you talking about? Have you seen my designer belt? This is bespoke!” Wen Xu said lifting himself.

“Yes, and it would have greatly impressed me, hadn't it been a KNOCKOFF! Check the decorative hoops at the sides for holding jade pendants. This designer is known for their uniquely constructed ridged hoops. These are plain, not ridged. So do not insult my intelligence. Do you think we are some backwater village up in the mountains we the Qinghe Nie?”

The two princes remained with mouths agape.

“I could be persuaded to choose one of you, if only you abandon your wannabe fashionista who only shops in a bazaar sale ways, and both of you go on a quest to bring me three of the most exclusive, the most discontinued, the most bespoke items in existence!”

“We accept!” Wen Chao said forcefully. “There is no thing Wen money can't buy.”

Huaisang squinted evily. “Oh! Well then, I want each to bring me a semi-cloak cut on a circular pattern, with pleats,  made of the finest fur of Gusu Cold Pond bunnies! And I don't want it in white. I want it in black!”

Wen Chao made a choked sound in his throat. “This is a suicide mission!” he said. “The Lan will skin anyone who tries to skin their bunnies.”

“Only for someone as cowardly as yourself!” Wen Xu said elbowing him.

“Secondly, you must bring me the elegant two fiber fishbone weave stripe pattern sari that Madam Yu Ziyuan head of the Yunmeng Jiang produces and distributes exclusively to her most trusted handmaidens once every season. And I want it to be in the colors of the last fall season! A most tasteful contrast of purple, yellow, red ochra and beige, hemmed with the finest muslin silk money can buy, and a tasteful silver bead trim.”

“Than can be done! I am really close buddies with old Yu.” Wen Chao said.

“You mean after you trashed her place last summer at the pink lotus gala!” Wen Xu said.

“And third! I want a penannular pendant made exclusively from the shell of the Turle of Slaughter, Xuanwu, with its accompanying beads, five of them on each tassel and a sixth in the shape of a buddha sitting on lotus flower design. And I want them to be so finely carved that light passes through them!”

“These things are impossible to make and you know it!” Wen Xu said, chugging some of his tea. “You are just stalling because you can't make a decision. You know what? My father will hear of this. See what he has to say. Come on, brother, we will not be ridiculed in here anymore” Wen Xu continued and lifted his brother, who was also finishing his tea.

The two princes glared at everyone in the hall swearing retribution with their eyes, before sauntering towards the door. But before exiting the hall, they both collapsed on the ground out cold.

“Ooops. I couldn't help myself.” Meng Yao smiled naughtily.

“Meng Yao! These were foreign dignitaries! Brother, tell him something, he killed our esteemed guests. I was going to marry one of them!” Huaisang pouted.

“Meng Yao!” Nie Mingjue finally said after he recovered from his tenth consecutive mini stroke.

“Oh, relax, they are not dead. I just gave them Chifeng-zun’s special relaxing bedtime herbal tea blend.”  Meng Yao said, shuffling towards the snoring suitors to sweep them out of the room.