#I fear the only way to remove you from my mind completely is to cut off our friendship

[insanechayne]

~ ~ ~

[flamingpudding]

He's my clockwork appointed babysitter, not dad.

They failed, even they managed to beat all the cultist in time. The ritual was still completed. The leader was laughing like a maniac until Hood hit him hard with the butt of his gun, knocking the guy out cold finally. With held breaths, they watched how smoke rose from the ritual circle higher and higher until it started to form a black shadow with stars as eyes and too many teeth and limps. Batman was on his way with Constantine. Maybe they could at least contain whatever that was until they arrived.

"Who in the name of all good and holy dared to summon me?!" A static scratchy voice echoed in their ears.

No one dared to answer at first but of course Red I-fear-nothing Hood had to open his mouth earning him death glares from his siblings. "Aren't you like a demon? Why would you mention anything good and holy?"

That think was blinking at them and Tim did a double take when that think moved its many limps like it was rubbing the back of its neck.

"In the name of all bad and cursed then?" It sounded unsure still a booming echo like voice but unsure. They shared a look. Dick opened his mouth, ready to say something when suddenly a familiar voice shouted from behind them.

"Cut the crap kid! They are the Batsie and his birds belong to the good!"

They turned to see Constantine marching in with Batman right behind him. The man was throwing the but of his cigarette way as he went right up to that demon. Which apparently was not one because right as the Brite was up to it a puff of greenish some blocked their view for a moment before a white haired child stood where the demon had been seconds ago.

"The hell you doing out here kid. I told you to stay at home."

"You try resisting a summon when your all new to the fact that you can get summoned!"

"Your going to make my hair gray faster, you little chaos gremlin."

"Aw love you too!"

"Uh Constantine?" They had question of of them was that Constantine was apparently familiar with that child, demon, whatever.

"Right." The man lit another cigarette but before he could even take one drag of it he side eyed the child staring up at him before he flicked it to the side. "Bats my demon son, Danny the Bats."

"Demon son?"

"Actually I am-" They watched how Constantine covered the child's, Danny's, mouth with his hand shushing the boy.

"What did I tell you about interdimensional secrets? That's right, do not talk about them to just anyone. We are not repeating the Green Lantern incident."

Should they feel offended? It felt like they should. They weren't just anyone.

"Constantine." Batman gruffly warned, but the man held up one hand towards them. Batman was definitely offended that Green Lantern got to learn something he wasn't getting to know on Constantine's watch.

"One moment Batsie. I need to- did you gremlin just lick my hand?!"

The moment Constantine removed his hand the child stuck his tongue out at the JL Dark member and made a break for it to hide behind Batman.

"Get back here you little..."

"No! I am always stuck at home, and you promised me I would get to see the watchtower at last month!"

Batman blocked Constantine from getting to who was apparently the man's demon son. Staring at the man as the boy grinned in triumph.

"Mate get out of the way, this kid needs to get grounded again."

"For what?"

"Being a chaos gremlin that won't listen."

The rest of the batfam had only one burning question on their mind. "Which demon was willing enough to have a child with Constantine?"

Well, except for Tim who had caught the little tidbit of interdimensional secret and was wondering who Danny really was.

[animeyanderelover]

Characters of your choice from JJK with a darling who has a tattoo of their ex please

Holidays, everyone! I finally have my holidays! I changed it slightly so that the darling has a tattoo of the name of their ex.

Tw: Yandere themes, toxic relationship, possessive behavior, obsession, delusional thoughts, clinginess, manipulation, controlling behavior, forceful behavior, death

S/o has a tattoo of the name of their ex

Fushiguro Megumi

💙You have never told him of your tattoo before, aware how paranoid Megumi tends to be. Perhaps that would have been the wiser choice yet instead he discovers the name engraved on your skin himself as you fail to cover the name on your shoulder in time as he accidentally walks in on you changing. Thick silence befalls the room as he just stands there, frozen as his eyes are glued to the black kanji signs on your skin. His mind repeats the name over and over again until he suddenly remembers where he has heard it before. His heart drops, a lumb of fear and insecurities forms at the back of his throat and his eyes widen frantically. You try to come up with something, anything to explain this to him yet he is faster. Suddenly he stands in front of you, arms seizing your shoulders as he asks you with a slightly raised voice why you never told him that you had a tattoo of your ex. Why?? Why would you do that?? Were...were they that important to you? What about him then?

💙He can't bear to look at you the same way as before after that for quite some while, not without imagining the name of your ex tattooed on your shoulder. It's like a marking that spells out that you once loved someone else and whenever he actually sees your tattoo, he feels something clenching deep inside his chest. His insecurities and paranoia increase as he starts wondering if you still harbor feelings for your ex. Going as far as carrying a tattoo of their name around is a pretty big sign of devotion after all. You find yourself having a harder time to calm him down, the tattoo on your shoulder triggering him whenever he catches a glimpse of it. It haunts him, torments him a bit and he has wondered a couple of times already if he has to threaten your ex as paranoia poisons his ability to think rationally and instead whispers into his mind that you might return to your ex. He knows that it isn't good for his sanity which is why at some point he begs you to remove it somehow. Please, it torments him.

Zenin Maki

💚​Maki has known about your tattoo for a longer while now, it's hard to hide something written on your wrist with black and permanent ink after all. She already questioned this decision of yours back then quite a bit because it's quite risky to get a tattoo of the name of your ex without any guarantee that they'll stay. All you could do back then was to give her a pitiful laugh as you couldn't help but agree with her. Back then this was still fine though but now it is a different story as she's grown rather possessive over you. The tattoo is an eyesore for her whenever she sees it and due to the visible spot you chose, she sees it multiple times a day. She lets out a scoff whenever her eyes find the kanji signs and her mood is almost always worsening a tad bit whenever she spots the name of your former lover. At least she is reasonable enough to understand that both of you have broken it up for good so she isn't as wavering and paranoid as Megumi. She knows that you don't have any feelings for them anymore.

💚​That doesn't mean that she hasn't completely forgiven you for your stupidity to get a tattoo in the first place. In fact she is scolding you more nowadays for your decision than before. Maki knows that you regret that mistake yourself but she can't help it sometimes, she is a bit mad and tends to express that with not so kind words. At the very least she notices that her words only cause you to feel worse so she tries to comfort you as good as she can everytime her tongue slips and she accidentally cuts you with her words. She makes it very clear to you though that she greatly dislikes that you have the name of someone else decorating your body whilst you're together with her and you can't even blame her for it. She would appreciate for you to somehow get rid of this tattoo and sometimes you have the feeling that her wish sounds more like a demand.

Gojo Satoru

🩵​It's perhaps not the best idea to let Gojo ever find out about your tattoo but how is that even supposed to work? The man is so terribly clingy and intrusive and despite his goofy facade, you have a feeling that he might react very badly to the sight of your tattoo. You try to figure out a way how to tell him as harmlessly as possible but you can't come up with anything. Maybe it wouldn't have made a difference in the first place. That's at least what you think as you try to wiggle free from his unusually tight grip, one of his hands lifting up your shirt as dull blue eyes stare at the name written slightly above your hip. Your breath hitches in your throat when those same blue eyes finally meet your own and you feel like you could drown within the abyss of the darkness swirling behind those beautiful orbs. A forced smile stretches his face as he asks you why you have someone's name tattooed on your body. Especially that of your ex.

🩵​You have a hard time convincing him not to go after your ex as your gut screams at you that something terribly will happen otherwise. You beg him to have mercy since both of you have ended the relationship years ago and you don't even have any contact with them anymore. You swallow heavily when his heavy and colder gaze rests on you yet still plead him to not do anything to them as you promise to do whatever he wants. Your wish is somewhat granted as Gojo doesn't harm them but he still wants to have seen the person whose name stains your skin at least once. Needless to say, he is disappointed when he sees your ex who is in his eyes a nobody but perhaps that reassures him a tiny bit. He can't help but torment and scare the poor soul though and they don't know even why. He organizes an appointment for you where the tattoo will be completely removed and only after that he seems to return to his usual self, happily kissing the now empty spot on your skin.

Kamo Choso

🩸​Choso is absolutely attached to your hips. He's needy, soft-spoken, careful and surprisingly considerate. If he wouldn't have been your kidnapper and creepy stalker, you might have appreciated him more though. There is something about him that sometimes just unsettles you and he himself doesn't even seem to notice when he's creeping you out until he witnesses your reaction. You don't even notice him until you feel his fingertips brushing against your skin and nearly jump out of your skin, turning bewildered around to see Choso staring at the same spot where your tattoo was only a few moments ago. He doesn't move as he now stares into empty air as if trying to process something until dark eyes finally meet your own. He swallows before apologizing that he just walked in on you without telling you anything. A few seconds of silence before you hear him asking you once again, this time in a slightly shaky tone, what that was he just saw on your back.

🩸​It's like Choso initially refuses to believe that a tattoo is something permanent as he rejects the thought that you will walk around with a name of your ex-lover forever engraved onto your being. You wake sometimes up in the middle of the night only to feel his hand rubbing against the tattoo as if trying to erase it himself, you notice the way his hands start trembling when he realizes that the ink doesn't fade away even a tiny bit and pray that he won't have a meltdown. Choso would never blame you for it but that means that his hostility is turned against your ex as he starts genuinely believing that they tricked you and manipulated your feelings, abused your kindness which is why you were fooled into getting such a tattoo. He never goes out to kill them though, only because you stop him though and successfully manage to coax him into not doing such a thing and instead he just clings onto you. He asks you anxiously more than once if there is a way to get rid of the tattoo and you know that it's probably the best way to preserve his sanity somehow.

Mahito

🔷​Good luck in general with Mahito because that is a recipe for disaster anyways. Mahito's perception of love differs greatly and is much more twisted and warped than anything and in his eyes he wouldn't even label his feelings as love. He likes to view you more as a sweet experiment, an interesting specism he just likes to spend time with whilst poking and tormenting you to gauge all of your reactions. The best you can do is try to endure it without giving him too much of a reaction because the bastard loves seeing you respond strongly to anything he does. Unfortunately you don't react quite as level-headed as you would like to have when he notices the dark ink on your legs and suddenly yanks you towards him, his hands roughly holding your leg, unimpressed by the way you're kicking and hissing at him. Cold fingers brush over the lettering on your skin, mismatched eyes curiously go back and forth between your eyes and the dark ink on your thigh before he asks you what this is.

🔷​He's genuinely interested to hear your reasons why you would decide to have the name of your ex tattooed on your skin and it is hard for you to tell if he is angry at all about it or not. He's definitely mocking and degrading you though as he labels you stupid for doing something like this despite never having known if they would actually stay with you. His fingers are still tracing over the tattoo and when he suddenly falls quiet for a while, you realize that he's thinking about something. Then he suddenly asks you if you just feel better if you have someone's name on your body which successfully makes you feel like you belong to someone. You're offended by his words but he doesn't give you time to answer as a grin suddenly flashes across his face, his grip tightening as he says with an excited tone that he wants to see his name on your skin too. You can't do anything but watch as your leg deforms in a grotesque way before returning to it's normal form. Your previous tattoo has disappeared and instead the kanji signs now read Mahito's name. Do you want more~?

[oliversrarebooks]

The Rare Bookseller Part 55: Lily's Illusion

Previous > Masterlist > Next

tw: blindness, conditioning, hypnosis, body control, abuse, aftermath of hand whump

October 1925

Oliver's sleep was troubled, filled with nightmares where he couldn't move, couldn't talk, couldn't do anything to make his body obey him. Alexander's sire was shoving him below the waves, drowning him while he was helpless. Alexander was being tied up and tortured, and there was nothing Oliver could do for his master but watch, and --

He woke up in a cold sweat, heart pounding too fast. It was pitch black, and despite being wide awake and terrified, he couldn't open his eyes. He couldn't see where he was, couldn't remember, and cold hands came out of nowhere to grip him tight. In a panic, he screamed, kicking his assailant and struggling out of his grasp, thick blankets impeding his escape.

"Oliver!" said a familiar voice. "Oliver, it's only me. You're safe."

His master. That's where he was -- in his master's bedchambers, in his master's arms. He took a deep breath, trying to expel the fear from his body. He was safe, even though he still couldn't open his eyes.

Alexander gently pulled him in closer, and Oliver accepted it, relaxing back onto the bed. "Sorry, sir."

"No need to apologize. I understand completely. My sleep has also been uneasy, although much improved by your presence," he said. "Are you still blinded?"

"Yes, sir."

"Then we should head to Lily's as soon as you're ready," he said. "Although I suppose I'll have to help you dress and wash."

Oliver's face flushed. "Ah, I'm sure I can manage, sir…"

"Manage with your eyes closed? I won't have you falling down the stairs and harming yourself," he said with a tone that brooked no argument. "I'm going to pick you up now, all right?"

And Oliver felt himself being lifted by unnaturally strong arms, floating through the air with only his master as his tether to the world. Alexander seemed to sense his distress, as he hummed a tune under his breath as they walked, one that made Oliver's tense muscles relax. Despite that, the sensation of going down the stairs was still disconcerting.

"If you drop me off at the door to the bathroom, sir, I can take care of my business," said Oliver, hoping to retain some dignity.

"Very well, but I'm going to tend to your wounds afterwards. I need to make sure they're clean."

Oliver thankfully knew the layout of the bathroom well enough to find the toilet and sink, embarrassed at needing so much aid from his master and already quite tired of groping around in the dark. When he was finished, Alexander entered, removing his shirt to look at his back.

"It's terribly bruised, but the few cuts are shallow," Alexander murmured, applying some cool salve. "…You must think I'm a terrible coward for accepting my sire's command to strike you, rather than standing up to him."

"I don't, sir," he said, and it was almost true. "If you had tried, I don't doubt it would have been worse for both of us." He did know that, but in his heart, he wished that his master had protected him.

"There's only one way I can truly protect you," said Alexander, as though he had read Oliver's mind. "I need to kill him. It's easier said than done, of course, but… I will do it this time, or perish trying. I swear it."

Oliver didn't have to wonder what would happen to him in the entirely possible event that his master did perish trying. He'd no doubt end up in the hands of Alexander's sire, perhaps permanently, and the thought almost made him want to plead with Alexander not to try.

Instead, he shoved that unpleasant thought from his mind as best he could. "Will Miss Lily really be able to undo my punishment, sir?"

"I'm sure she will. Her mastery when it comes to controlling the human mind is unparalleled," he said. "And for enduring these latest hardships, I'll also make sure the pantry and icebox are well-stocked with whatever foods you favor. Anything you need."

"I appreciate it, sir."

"And the night after next, my dear friend Fitz arrives from overseas."

With everything that had happened lately, Oliver had nearly forgotten about his master's friend, and he was gripped by a wave of dread at the thought of another visiting vampire. "Is there anything I should know, sir, to better serve your friend?" he said, trying to feel out the situation.

"Oh, you don't need to worry about that. Just be your usual self, and I'm sure he'll just adore you. He's been after me to get a decent thrall for ages, you know," said Alexander. "Just be patient with him, give us space when we ask for it, and -- oh, I'm sure he'll want to drink from you."

The place where the Maestro had dug his fangs into Oliver's neck throbbed with pain. "He will, sir?" said Oliver reluctantly.

"It won't be painful!" his master reassured him quickly. "Fitz is nothing like my sire. His feeding will be as gentle as mine. He won't harm you, I swear it."

"I'm glad of that, sir," said Oliver, who still couldn't quite calm his anxiety.

"It probably won't surprise you to learn that my sire is the reason Fitz fled this city and resides overseas," said Alexander. "When my sire is finally dusted, he'll return to me. He'll come live in the manor with his thrall, and we'll be together at last."

Oliver had never heard his master sound so wistful. "He must be very important to you, sir."

"I suppose you would figure out sooner or later that we're old lovers. Fitz certainly won't make a secret of it."

"Lovers?" He was sure he was unable to hide the surprise on his face. "I didn't realize you had any lovers, sir."

"I confess that it's often a painful subject for me. Less so when I know he's on a boat heading over the Atlantic at this very moment. We share a bond, you see, and I can tell by how miserable he is -- he's always been especially prone to seasickness," said Alexander fondly. "But as much as I'd like to spend the evening pining fruitlessly, we really should get to Lily's as early as we can, lest she head out for the night before we can consult her. I'll guide you to the bedroom and help you put on the clothes I've chosen for you."

Oliver let himself be guided without a fuss, still loathing the fact that he was so helpless that he wasn't even able to choose his own clothes. If Miss Lily couldn't help him, if he had to resign himself to weeks of blindness and lose even more of his remaining autonomy to his master, unable to even indulge in the simple joy of reading, he wasn't sure he could endure it.

Soon enough, they were stepping out into the chill fall evening, Alexander keeping a firm arm around Oliver to guide him through the streets. It was distressing to be able to hear other pedestrians on the sidewalk, to feel the uneven stones under his feet, without being able to open his eyes and see anything. He was entirely reliant on his master to navigate the familiar city, and if Alexander let go, Oliver would be immediately lost and helpless. Thankfully, he clung to Oliver tightly.

"We're here," said Alexander. "There are four steps in front of you - let me help you up them."

Oliver heard a loud knocking, then footsteps and a door creaking open.

"Oh, Lex!" said a familiar voice. "I thought you were my 9pm appointment arriving early. And what on earth happened to your hand?"

"Our sire's handiwork, of course. Are you taking customers today?" asked Alexander. "I hope you have some time to help us. It's a bit of an emergency."

"Come in, come in," said Lily, and Oliver felt himself being gently nudged forward into a very warm room. "You know very well I'll make the time, but I'd rather get started right away. I assume our sire has done something to Oliver?"

Alexander's hands rested on Oliver's shoulders. "He commanded Oliver to keep his eyes closed and now he can't open them. My poor thrall is quite blind."

"Oh, dear," she sighed. "That's a surprisingly mild punishment from him, though. He must have approved of Oliver."

"Oliver comported himself magnificently. The very picture of an ideal thrall," said Alexander, and Oliver's heart felt warm from the praise. "Another reason why he deserves to have his sight restored as soon as possible."

"Let me see." Oliver felt soft hands touch his face. "Oliver, dear, what did he tell you as he was forcing your eyes to close? The exact phrasing, if you can."

Oliver's memories felt muddled and hazy from fear and enthrallment, but he could remember that. "He told me he was placing lead weights on my eyes, sir, that they're too heavy for me to lift, and that he is the only one who can move them."

"All right. I believe I can work with that. Come with me. Lex, you stay out here, and if my 9pm arrives, try to keep her occupied with your sparkling wit and impeccable social skills."

"You can't be serious about that."

"Leaving your manor and socializing sometimes is good for you," she said, as she touched a hand to Oliver's back and pushed him along.

Oliver heard a door close behind him.

"Can you sit down, dear?"

She took his hand and placed it on the seat of a chair, and Oliver sat, sinking into the soft leather. He realized that the chair was awfully familiar -- the twin of the chair in Miss Lily's room at the auction house. The association caused his mind to fog and he couldn't keep from letting out a yawn, already three quarters of the way to trance.

"You remember, don't you?" said Lily, as she ran fingers through his hair and down his cheek. "So obedient, so docile. So sleepy. And so very, very quiet."

Oliver was utterly helpless against the tide of hypnosis gripping his mind. His head lolled backwards as he let out a soft groan. With his eyes already closed tight, it felt natural for sleep to wash over him.

"Quiet, Oliver, you're so quiet. You're sinking back down under my power now. You're completely safe with me. Safe for you to fall asleep, fall deep asleep. You're so drowsy, aren't you? A quiet, docile boy like you just wants to sleep and listen…"

She kept murmuring to him, but Oliver was already out like a light, quiet and sleepy and dreaming. After the terror of the previous night, it was so good to sleep so soundly, comfortable and content. Oliver felt like he could float in this pleasant dream forever.

That is, until he heard footsteps. Footsteps which did not belong to Lily or his master. Footsteps that were oddly light and perfectly in rhythm.

No, it couldn't be. That was impossible. There was no way that he was here --

But he could feel it already, the hold over his body, the feeling that his flesh and bones no longer belonged to him. He wasn't being manipulated, not yet, but he could sense it all around. He was here and in control, and Oliver could barely think through the numbing terror that gripped him.

"Wake up," said the musical voice of Alexander's sire, followed by a crisp snap. "I don't recall allowing you to sleep."

"I'm sorry, sir! I didn't mean to fall asleep." Oliver felt himself forced out of the chair and into a kneel, his back ramrod straight and his sweating hands clasped behind him. He couldn't budge an inch, and although he still couldn't open his eyes, he could feel that icy gaze boring into him.

"I don't understand why you think that disobedience out of poor self control is better than disobedience on purpose. Disobedience is disobedience."

"Yes, sir," said Oliver, trembling, waiting for a slap across his still tender cheek.

"I suppose, though, if you're to have any use as a servant, you'll need to have your eyes open, lest I have to puppet your wretched form everywhere," he said. "I will remove the weights on your eyes, and you will be appropriately grateful, and then you will serve me however I please."

Oliver swallowed nervously, dreading what the Maestro had in store for him. "Thank you very much for allowing me to serve you, sir."

"I will lift the heavy weight off each of your eyelids," he said, and Oliver felt something brush over his eyes, "and then you will graciously be allowed to open them on your own."

Despite being so eager to be cured earlier, Oliver was reluctant to open his eyes now, not wanting to face Alexander's sire once again, not understanding how he came to be here. But he had no choice. He opened his eyes…

…and there was Miss Lily standing before him.

He looked around in a panic. The Maestro was nowhere to be found, a phantom conjured by his own imagination and Miss Lily's mesmerism. "You…"

"He was the only one who could remove the command. I had to make your mind believe that I was him," she said. "I'm sorry for giving you such a fright, but it was the easiest way to undo what was done."

Oliver's heart was still pounding, unable to calm. "Yes, sir… thank you…"

"Poor dear, you're trembling like a leaf. Let me soothe you before sending you back to your master," she said. "Quiet now, Oliver. Quiet your frightened mind. You're safe here. It's only me."

"It's only you, sir…" said Oliver, sinking back into a merciful daze.

"That's right, and I take such good care of you, don't I?" she said with a smile. "You can relax now. Deep breaths, Oliver dear, deep breaths. Let all that tension out. Let that fear fade away. Let your mind be so, so quiet."

Oliver followed her instructions, taking deep breaths, and soon he did feel calmer, the terror of the hypnotic illusion fading. It was only a dream, one which could fade away into the obedient quiet of his enthralled mind.

"Lex is always singing your praises when he talks to me, you know," said Lily. "You're an absolute natural at serving a vampire, just as I knew you would be. Doesn't it make you feel good to serve Lex?"

It was both question and command, reinforcing his conditioning, and Oliver fell into it easily. "I very much enjoy serving Lex, sir."

"Of course you do, sweet boy. You've been so brave, and you deserve to feel good." She patted Oliver on the head one last time. "Now, if you're feeling better, why don't I return you to your master?"

"Yes, sir," said Oliver, feeling like a weight had been lifted from more than his eyes.

They left the stark conditioning room and stepped out into Miss Lily's home, which was done up very differently from Alexander's, filled with bright colors, fussy details, and homespun knick-knacks. A fat black cat ran up to Miss Lily and began winding around her ankles, and she scooped it up and gave it a kiss on the head. "This is Luna," she said. "Her brother Sunny is probably off on Miriam's lap."

"Hello, Luna," said Oliver, giving her a scritch.

As they walked down the hallway, Oliver could hear a steady stream of excited patter. "…and then I told him, is that really an appropriate place to take a lady on a date? And you know what he said? He said, well, they hardly ever hold horse racing at night, so I thought you'd like to see it. And I said, I can't see a blessed thing even with a vampire's eyesight. And then --"

They entered the parlor, where Alexander was sitting on a frilly gingham couch and nodding politely to everything a young woman was saying. She was done up in the latest fashions, and had a scrawny-looking man on a leash, kneeling at her feet. He looked at Oliver with fear in his eyes, pleading, as though there were anything Oliver could do.

"Ah, you had an appointment for 9pm, I believe?" said Miss Lily to the woman. "I appreciate your patience. I had an emergency job, but I'm free to take your thrall to the conditioning room now."

"Oh, it's no trouble at all!" she chirped. "I've been having a lovely time with Lord Alexander here." She stood up and handed the man's leash over to Miss Lily. "Just a thorough reconditioning for obedience and contentment, please. The place I bought him from did such an awful job -- you can see how distressed he is, and you should see the faces he pulls when it's time to feed. He's already escaped twice and I had to waste so much time tracking him."

"Of course, it's my pleasure," she said.

"No…" The thrall was backing away from Miss Lily, practically choking himself with his own leash. "No, please…"

Miss Lily knelt down and pet his head like one would a dog. "It's all right, dear, you'll see. Why don't you just relax? Just relax. Calm and peaceful, okay? I'm not gong to hurt you. Everything's going to be okay."

Oliver watched in fascination as the fear bled away from the thrall's expression, his eyes fixed on Miss Lily's and becoming glassy and dazed. He couldn't help but wonder if he wore a similar expression when he was under Miss Lily's spell.

"That's a good dear. So relaxed and at ease," she cooed. "You're going to feel so much better after you've had a session with me, I promise."

The thrall glanced up at Oliver, as if looking for some kind of confirmation. Oliver remembered how terrified he was the first time he had gone in for conditioning. "She's right," he said with a smile. "It's not scary at all, it's just like having a really good sleep, and you'll feel great afterwards."

"See?" said Miss Lily. "There's nothing to be scared of." She turned to Lex. "Sorry I can't stay around and chat, but I should get started on this session."

"Of course. We'll take our leave, and call on you another night," he said. "Oh, and Lily, before I go -- are you free on Friday night? Fitz will be in town, and I was hoping we could all go to the Tiger's Eye."

"Ooh, I wouldn't miss it," she said. She stood and ruffled Oliver's hair. "You'll be a good boy for our dear friend Fitz, won't you?"

"Yes, Miss Lily."

"Then I'll see you two soon enough, I'm sure. Have a good evening!"

"Are you feeling better?" Alexander asked as they stepped back out into the cool night air. "You're certainly looking much better."

"Yes, much better, sir. Thank you very much for taking me to Miss Lily," Oliver said. Now that he could see once again, he could see that the night was clear, the sky filled with a thousand brilliant stars. "Do you think we could go for a walk before returning home, sir? I could use the fresh air."

"I think that's a splendid idea," said Alexander, wrapping his arm around Oliver's once more.

Oliver saw the thick wad of bandages wrapped around his master's hand, and quite against his will he remembered the sickening smell of burnt flesh in the air. "Sir, your hand…"

"I've told you before that it will heal, but I appreciate your concern for me," said his master with a warm smile. "Your health and company is all the balm I need to soothe my pains tonight."

Thanks to Miss Lily, he was so obedient, so eager to please. "I'm glad that I can be helpful to you, sir."

"Always, Oliver. Don't doubt it for a minute."

Previous > Masterlist > Next

I always enjoy writing Lily! Next week, the beginning of a three-parter involving a masquerade ball and Fitz's very impulsive decisions.

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@steh-lar-uh-nuhs @pirefyrelight @theauthorintraining @whump-me-all-night-long @anonfromcanada

@typewrittenfangs @tessellated-sunl1ght @cleverinsidejoke @abirbable @ichorousambrosia

@a-formless-entity @gobbo-king @writinggremlin @the-agency-archives @just-a-whumping-racoon-with-wifi

@enigmawriteswhump @foresttheblep @bottlecapreader @whump-on-a-string @whumpinthepot

@cinnamoncandycanes @avvail-whumps @tauntedoctopuses @secret-vampkissers-soiree @whatamidoingherehelpme

@strawbearydreams @ghost-whump @tippytappytyping @natthebatt @fire-bugg14

@fuckcapitalismasshole

[remindingpersephone]

Curveballs

When life gives you . . . stitches? So I had to have a cyst removed from my back and it was a big boy, so it took 13 stitches to close that hole up (there are so many jokes here). The doc said no lifting, no stretching, because stitches on the back (it's actually closer to shoulder) can rip easily. Since I can't get into the pool - healing wound = no soaking - and it's 9,823 degrees outside so no walking, my living room workouts are the only option. But when I do those it's a lot of arm flailing and improvising because I cannot follow choreography to save my life.

Now, there was a time when I would have used these restrictions as an excuse to completely abandon my fitness goals. I would stop all cardio, sit on the couch, eat way too many brownies, and totally derail my fitness progress.

But this time was different. I've kept up with all lower body strength workouts, and for cardio I bought an under-the-desk, mini-bike-peddle machine. Now, no one is going to mistake this for a real bike. But let me tell you I have gotten my heart rate way the hell up on that little thing. And I can keep my upper body stabile so as not to rip those stitches.

I've also been trying out intermittent fasting, although it didn't really start out with that as the goal. I wanted to see if I was eating because I was hungry, or just out of habit/schedule/when I thought I should eat. Also, my 6:30am breakfasts were starting to feel like habit instead of hunger. So I stopped eating until I was actually hungry. Turns out I'm not really hungry until about 11:30 AM. I also stopped eating after 8PM at night. I had always been a late dinner and even later dessert/snacker. Not only has eating mostly between the hours of 11:30am and 7:30pm helped my digestion, it's lowered my overall calorie intake. It's also making me stop and really think if I'm actually hungry before I eat. Do I need that snack or am I just bored? Do I need that treat or am I just emotional? I know the word "intuitive" is over-used these days, but that's pretty much what I did.

Now, I know tomorrow or next week this could all change. I am a person who not only embraces change, but seeks it out. I am always changing things up in small and large ways. Sometimes routines work for me and sometimes they don't. I'm getting better at not trying to force myself to do things just because the generally accepted wisdom says I should. Or the current trends are encouraging this thing or that thing.

Since we're talking about health, I will tell you I've cut way back on my social media consumption. It just got to a point where I was internalizing a lot of what I was reading and watching, and as we all know, a lot of what's on social media is negative. That negativity was having a bigger effect on me than I realized. Until that over-exposure was gone, I couldn't make the connection on some unexpected effects it was having. Sorry, I'm not intentionally trying to be vague. I just can't really explain it other than to say reducing my exposure to the ugliness and fear that perpetuates even Tumblr and Instagram has had a positive effect on my state of mind. This is a long and rambly way of me saying I'm sorry if I haven't been hearting and commenting on my mutuals posts like I once had. I try to pop in when I can, and I really do read what I heart. I just can't consume it at the rate I once did. But please know that I am always here for DMs and you can email me at anindependentguinevere {at} g mail dot com anytime you want to chat or need support. I am here for that always.

Wow, that was way longer than I intended. Hugs and kisses to those you who made it all the way through. Now let's go get some ice cream!

[kneelingshadowsalome]

Girl thank you so so so so so much for writing yandere!Konig because LEMME TELL YOU I did not know I needed him until I stumbled upon your blog. Reading Just Friends was like a breath of fresh air, your characterization of Konig's character was AMAZING. Seriously, I think you've ruined all other Konig pics for me lol! I loved how unhinged and scary he was but also how caring and kind he was towards Engel <3

BTW have two questions regarding Konig in Just Friends!

1. How old is he in this fic? (apologies if you already mentioned this in the fic I have a terrible memory)

2. At what point in his and Engel's relationship would he finally allow her to look at him without his hood on? What kind of experience would that be for both of them? Also, what do you imagine him to look like? (sorry I'm now realizing this is more than 2 questions)

By the way, I just read Man-Sized and wow that was a phenomenal fic, I gotta say I love love love your interpretation of Ghost's character. I feel like Ghost is a tough character to write but you really nailed him!

Thanks in advance! (I'm gonna go binge the rest of your awesome fics hehe)

Thank you so much sweetie!! You shower me with compliments and I've read your message so many times, it always puts a smile on my face 💕 As for your questions:

1. Considering that this is an AU where König is not a colonel, and because some of his mannerisms are a bit boyish, I’d say König is somewhere around 27–32 in this fic...?

2. Removing the hood completely, even in Engel's presence, is super challenging for König because the mask is not only a comfort object, it's his shield against the world. He can't bear anyone to look at him and what's been done to him, he actually thinks himself a monster (a thought planted in his mind by his father).

I'm actually getting slasher vibes from Just Friends König's relationship with his mask; I don't know if you're familiar with the lore on Michael Myers (Halloween) or Jason Voorhees (Friday the 13th), but the mask means everything to all of them and so it does to König. It transforms him into a hero, a soldier, an operator, a functioning human being. Without it he's reduced to scarred, vulnerable, weak man.

So... it will take time before he would take it off and even more time for him to be comfortable with hanging around without it (if that's even possible). But Engel has learned to love his scars, so I'm sure König will eventually lower down that shield when they're alone ❤️

I’d imagine the first times happen when they’re cuddling and Engel lifts the mask to kiss him. Days and weeks pass, more cuddling ensues, and König lets the cloth stay up longer and longer when he sees she’s not repulsed. Engel kisses his scars, caresses his face, tells him that he’s handsome and that she loves him – it doesn’t transform König from an abused, bullied, broken man to someone cheerful and outgoing, but it allows him to at least ease into the fact that there’s someone in this world who doesn’t fear or hate him. He's been blessed with a woman who doesn't think he's a monster, so he is even more convinced that Engel is a heavenly being because how else would she be able to touch and love him like this...?

(3.) I actually shared some pics earlier on what I imagine König looking like, but I'm having second thoughts about it which is why I don't want to share a link to that ask. It may sound odd but it's always been really hard for me to imagine what's under that hood! People seem to have so many different headcanons on what he looks like, I think it's really cool. I have nothing, I wish I had something 🥲 His face has always been just blurred, sensored void to me, the only thing I imagine is that König has dark blonde/light brown hair (he might prefer a short military cut because he's a freak for all things army) and that he has thin lips?

And she even tells him she likes it when he’s without the hood, tells that she likes to see his face and wants to just watch him and kiss him. König will eventually lose the hood more often when he’s with her. It's not for his sake, but hers. If Engel wants to see him, who is he to deny her? It makes his heart and chest tight, but he’ll just have to live with it. Besides, Engel’s lips and touch feel better than being inside that baggy darkness all the time.

[sylvermage]

I'm not the biggest Mission: Impossible fan, but Dead Reckoning Pt 1 has given me feelings about something (Benji, okay, it's Benji) and I need to talk about them.

Spoilers and ramblings under the cut.

So, while the Entity definitely fears Ethan and the rest of IMF for being the only people with enough braincells to want to KILL the Entity instead of use it (honourable mention to Degas; please join IMF, dude), it strikes me that right from the beginning, it's gone after Benji.

We start with the bomb. The Entity knew Benji would be the one to come looking for it. Why? Because Benji is usually Ethan's eyes (noticing the suspicious bag), and it's a pattern that when Ethan is in danger or out of reach, Benji takes to the field.

Of the team, Benji is most likely to be susceptible to the psychological prodding from the bomb's questions. He doesn't compartmentalize the way the others do; he brings his whole self to every mission, and that makes him a good agent; it's why he babbles when he's nervous, cries openly, complains about the sheer insanity of what they're attempting to do, and then walks straight into the fire without hesitation.

So right away, the Entity wants Benji to know that it knows him. And by doing so, it's letting US know that it knows who Ethan's lynchpin is.

Then it takes it a step further: it steals Benji's voice. Listen to the commands it's giving Ethan through the comms, they're disjointed, haphazard, but Ethan never stops to question it. Why? Because it's Benji's voice. Ethan has always given himself completely over to Benji's directions (Benji told him to jump off a mountain onto a speeding train, and Ethan's thought process isn't nope, find something else, it's how in the goddamn hell am I going to do this. Because if Benji says it's the only way, then that's good enough for Ethan.)

And this hurts Benji. You can see the panic in his face, because he knows Ethan will trust his voice, and he's completely helpless. The Entity has attacked him psychologically, it's undermining his greatest skill (working with tech), and now it's taunting him with the trust Ethan places in him. It's slowly rendering him powerless.

Even though the line of self-harming was removed from the final product (and personally, I don't mind, but that's another discussion), we know Benji has his demons. He's had a bomb vest strapped to him, and he's nearly been hung (which is a TERRIBLE way to die) and both situations rendered him totally helpless.

But I think it's interesting that the Entity never asked him what it was he most feared, because we already know, we've already been shown what it is: Benji fears being a liability.

Specifically, a liability to Ethan.

And although I'm hoping against hope that they WON'T kill off Benji, because he's my favourite and because I think the MI world would be so much darker without him, I can think of no better way to push Ethan into despair than to put Benji in a situation where he has to sacrifice himself for Ethan. Because Benji is the only one that Ethan has repeatedly promised, with words, 'I will not let anything happen to you'. He couldn't even make that promise to Grace, because he's not sure anymore that he can keep it. But he HAS made that promise, repeatedly, to Benji. And Benji knows better than anyone how far Ethan will go to protect someone, how far Ethan has pushed to protect HIM specifically. He has sat there with a ticking timer among innocents completely aware that Ethan is not going to walk away, because abandoning his friends and partners (abandoning Benji) doesn't even appear on Ethan's radar. And that's a lot of weight to carry.

Of course Benji is afraid to die; he's stared death in the face many times. But he's more afraid of being a liability to Ethan. Of being the thing that leads Ethan to fail.

And the Entity is SHOWING him this, it's showing US this. And it scares the hell out of me. Because the one thing that could break Benji, is the one thing I can think of that would break Ethan. Forcing Benji to choose between death and Ethan's failure…and Ethan being forced to watch him make that choice.

Killing Benji before Ilsa might have struck a stronger blow against Ethan; the only reason to hold off is to make it even more painful. Show Ethan he can't keep his promises to protect those closest to him, put the doubt in his mind…then make it a reality. Destroy the one person he's always promised to protect, right in front of him.

And even if they don't kill him off (plzdon'tilovehim), even if they find a third option, the amount of damage being in that situation would do to both Ethan and Benji would be catastrophic.

Now if you'll excuse me, I have made myself sad, so I'll just be over here, writhing in agony until 2024.

[taraljc]

More on why my OT3 is my OT3.

First of all it's very important to remember that the Loki we are watching on TV is from 2012. I know we know that with our heads but it's important to also know that with our hearts.

This is the Loki who desperately wanted to prove that he was worthy, and was in fact right that Thor was not ready because he was too immature and he was too hasty and he was too much driven by childish love of combat and violence for the sake of combat and violence to be a good king.

He also finds out in the worst way possible that not only is he adopted, he is a completely different species, was being kept most likely as a hostage, and it recontextualized his entire relationship with his parents in a single moment.

He is the butt of jokes from Thor and his friends, his skill set is not valued because it's not based in martial prowess, and the only person in his life who has ever loved him unconditionally was Frigga.

This is in no way excusing Loki's actions, mind you. He didn't care how many Asgardians died when he let Frost Giants into Asgard to disrupt Thor's coronation. He didn't care who he killed in Jötunheimr because they were Frost Giants and he had been raised to believe that it was completely justified to slaughter his enemies. And when pushed to his limits, when it became clear that gaslighting Thor to keep him on Midgard and from returning to Asgard was futile, Loki knowingly sent the Destroyer to stop his brother and their friends, Knowing that 'stop' might mean 'kill'.

But once you remove Loki and isolate him from Thor, Asgard, an audience to play to, or perceived underlings to manipulate, he is adrift. After viewing the brief, brief remainder of what would have been his life (and bear in mind, he was born in 965 CE) including the tragedy of his mother's death and the unexpected warmth of his father's love and his brother's regard, he experiences complete ego death.

And this is like seriously 1 hour into the show.

Mobius treats Loki as a person. He respects his skills, he's wise to his bullshit and calls him on it, and for all intents and purposes is the first real friend who likes Loki just as he is rather than for who he could be or should be.

The gentlemen's wager over research is possibly the first time Loki has been valued for his research abilities and his intellect. Mobius is the first person since Frigga to tell him that he can be anything he wants to be, including a good person. and that it's never too late to change.

There are a thousand moments Mobius could have chosen to trap Loki in in his time cell. But he chose the confrontation with Sif after Loki had cut her hair. It's a brief moment in a thousand year lifespan, but it clearly made a deep, deep impression on Loki because Sif said the quiet part out loud.

"I hope you know you deserve to be alone and you always will be."

Loki hears this over and over and over again, cycling through pretty much every emotion until there's nothing left but honesty. and so we see a rare moment of Loki expressing regret for his previous actions to someone whom he hurt. Even though it's not really Sif, that does not make his admission any less genuine.

"I'm a horrible person. I get it. I really am. I cut off your hair because I thought it'd be funny. And it's not. I crave attention because I'm a narcissist. And I suppose it's [...] because I'm scared of being alone."

And then of course after completely baring his soul, confessing his weakness, admitting to shame and fear, Sif looks down at him and repeats his greatest fear.

"You are alone and you always will be."

Sylvie has lived with the reality of being completely and totally alone since she was 8 years old. While we have no idea how long she was actually on the run from the TVA, she is clearly older than Loki, and every other variant in the void. She was the first, and he was the last. and what connection they made on Lamentis was just the simple realisation that they're not alone. Even if it's only for a few moments before they are completely obliterated, they are happy and at peace because despite their fears and what others have said in anger and pity, so long as they have each other, they are not alone.

So long as they choose one another, they prove that neither deserve to be alone.

The reason Sylvie is different from all of the other Loki variants was because she was not shaped by the toxic sibling rivalry that poisoned Loki and prompted him to take extreme actions to try and prove to Odin that he was worthy.

She didn't grow up teased and bullied for being different from her peers. Instead, she grew up fighting every single day to survive. For over a thousand years, she experienced life in brief snatches in the hours or days before the destruction of everything and everyone around her.

She and Loki could not be more different, despite being variants of the same people. and yet Loki looks at her and sees someone he wants to selflessly protect, regardless of the cost to himself. It is completely foreign territory, and outside anything he has ever experienced and he is probably completely and totally terrified.

But I genuinely believe that it is because of his friendship with Mobius that he is willing and able to put aside his own agenda completely to care for someone else.

Mobius and Sylvie are likely the only people in the universe capable of provoking that kind of loyalty and steadfastness from a trickster who was never meant to change, only to act as a catalyst for change in others. Because they look at him and see him. And there is so much power in being seen and being known.

Sylvie doesn't know who she is yet. and I think she finds Loki's faith in her is a little intimidating, even as she smuggly accepts it because she is clearly the superior Loki. She has always been alone, but this might be the first time she's truly lonely. So I am curious to see what her reaction to Loki arriving in Broxton in 1982 will be.

[thyandrawrites]

Dabi's dance

I'm losing my mind. The episode was SO GOOD. Have some scattered thoughts and reactions (spoiler-heavy stuff under the cut):

I had full faith that Shimono would do a stellar job with his voice acting but his performance went above and beyond my expectations. He gave me literal chills. The range of emotions he managed to fit into Dabi's lines? *chef kiss* The way he kept jumping between maddened elation and sadness, between righteous despair and chilling fury?? Stunning. Spectacular.

I think my favourite part was when he said "Why didn't you notice I was your son?" and managed to inject that simple line with contempt, hurt and disappointment at the same time. Incredible

Second best part was when Dabi went from yelling "You don't know anything, so let me break it to you" with seething rage and frustration to the chilling way he uttered the line right after, "You can never get away from your past". HHHHHHHHHH I think I lost my mind there. It was SO GOOD. The shift from frenzied anger to that ice-cold voice, coupled with the punch of that line gives you whiplash in the best possible way, and perfectly encapsulates the range of Dabi's emotions there. He's spiralling, yes, but he's not spouting nonsense because he's "crazy". He's furious because Enji thought he could move on without him, move on from Touya.

The close-up to his despairing pose when he says "I wanted to make you happy," a hand clutching his head and gripping his hair like when he was a kid, and his voice going all soft and kinda self-deprecatory... CHILLS

On a completely different note, the special hair dye remover changing Dabi's hair color like a magical girl transformation made me laugh. On behalf of the moon, he will punish you and send you into a flaming hell

THE DANCING. Okay, this one was a surprise. I went into the ep with 0 expectations for the actual dancing bit, having no idea how they would animate it and fearing a shitty adaptation, but I really liked what they did. His moves are exactly as awkward and frenzied as I expected them to be when I read the manga, but I feel like the anime better conveys Dabi's mental state through the whole thing (as it's supposed to, being a fluid visual media that conveys movement better than any stills ever could). Overall, his "dance" gave me the feeling of a puppet that got its strings abruptly cut off and moved like a broken toy. It wasn't a victory dance and it wasn't supposed to. The anime made it clear it was just Dabi working through his adrenaline. The first moves, the clapping, the arms moving wildly around with no clear pattern, the broad sweeping gestures, the way he seemingly doesn't know what to do with his limbs... it was the perfect depiction of Dabi letting out the energy building up under his skin, the same energy that draws on his emotions. He was drunk on a cocktail of conflicting feelings and his "dance" was a great visual way of showing that

Baby Touya was so small and precious TT_TT I felt my heart breaking for him all over again, and all the little glimpses we got crushed my soul. The card in the ending was a special low blow

Infant Touya struggling to stand on his tiny toddler feet *bawls*

Fuyumi and the flower... cries... now if only all of Bones' additions were good content like this...

Natsuo watching the broadcast on his phone... idk why but that scene punched me in the chest harder than it did when I read the manga. I'm gonna go cry

Fuyumi having colleagues right there with her as she watched too... another addition but I liked the detail of the guy looking worriedly at her instead of the screen

I'm not super thrilled that they added the still of Dabi looking like this:

at this point of the story, because the original panel comes from much later, and it's supposed to depict Dabi from Enji's distorted POV, the way he pictures him in his memories. But I'm so happy about the whole ep that I'm gonna let this slide. Dabi should look a bit unhinged. It's his best flavor after all

Man, Endvr's fanboy is just as annoying as I remembered. "His lies won't shake our faith in our hero" WELL MAYBE THEY SHOULD. MAYBE PEOPLE LIKE YOU ARE EXACTLY THE KIND OF PEOPLE DABI'S CALLING OUT. Wouldn't that be crazy

Ha! they didn't show Hawks slicing Twice's back open, lol. Just a still. But hey, they had to keep it pg I guess. Let it not be said that Dabi doesn't think of the children /j

Kaji (Shouto's VA) also did an incredible job. The sheer panic in Shouto's voice when Dabi was plummeting towards them gave me chills. My boy was SCARED and CONFUSED and barely keeping his shit together himself and my heart broke for him. Now I'm really looking forward to his performance (and Shimono's) in the next ep, knowing what's coming

[gale-gaze]

4, 28, and 61 for the Tav ask game? I'm especially interested in her reaction to Auntie Ethel considering her background with hags

[ weeps into the void - thank you for these ones, I loved fleshing these thoughts out; overly verbose answers below the cut 💜 ]

4. Is there a reason why your Tav starts out at level 1?

Straight up fear, my dude; Mavis is so scared that [REDACTED] is potentially in danger after seeing them in her scrying mirror with a mindflayer, and then the additional stress of the Nautiloid experience with seeing that made her live with one of her worst fears - becoming useless and forgetting everything she worked to avoid.

She is nervous and skittish on the Nautiloid - she's trying not to have a panic attack until she runs into Lae'zel, whose straightforward attitude in the face of danger eases her fears some; but like an artist putting too much pressure on themselves experiencing skill regression, she has to ease back into everything and spends a lot of time rereading old journals to calm her mind and reassure herself that she is still competent and just needs to keep going.

28. What does your Tav think of Auntie Ethel? What do they tell Mayrina?

Immediate gut feeling that something is off, but tries to keep it to herself in hopes that she is overthinking things due to stress and plays nice initially to be cautious given what she has experienced - especially after speaking with Pandirna and removing the curse on her.

Attempting to save face with Ethel when meeting Mayrina's brothers, Mavis takes her side in the argument and knocks the brothers out - she knows the distraught drive to save a loved one too well. But when the illusion finally falls and she meets Ethel again, Mavis is... defensive, to say the least, and overly protective of Mayrina despite her pleas. But she also knows that she can't outsmart Ethel and is extremely hesitant to go after her when she takes Mayrina, only proceeding after she thinks about her brothers trying to do it themselves once they recover.

Mavis wants to kill Ethel, almost desperately; she wants to take out all of her frustration and grief on her, but knows that it's never that easy to get rid of someone like her, and she doesn't want the fear of a vengeful hag looming over her - not right now.

She begrudgingly spares the hag for the sake of Mayrina, and firmly tells Mayrina to be careful before giving her the wand for Connor; when encountered again in the city, Mavis knocks Ethel out and cuts Vanra from her stomach to save her - despite the Hag's Bane remaining in her bag, unused - before finally finishing Ethel for good.

She is tired, cranky, and wants a nap real bad, but also feels a weight lifted off her - she sleeps like the dead that night.

61. How does your Tav feel about Baldur's Gate? Is it their home? Is it their first time in the city?

Mavis did not grow up in Baldur's Gate, but had heard plenty from listening to her mother talk about it in stories and song while living in Silverymoon in her youth. Mavis had been making her way towards Baldur's Gate (albeit not very efficiently, since she continuously went off course to follow any wild leads and rumors of forgotten or weird magic incidents or to find a new book) because she believed that surely, eventually, [REDACTED] would end up Halfway to Everywhere, just like they said in their childhood.

Mavis does bump into [REDACTED] at the Circus of the Last Days shortly after they had just completed the Test of Love with Zethino, both them and their companion adorned with face paint; Mavis and [REDACTED] are both too invested in their conversations with their companions to see each other before they colide together, causing Mavis to lose her footing and tumble down - when [REDACTED] offers a hand down to help her up, they apologize saying "I hope I didn't break anything of yours" and Mavis is quick to shake it off and take their hand without thought.

[REDACTED] makes a comment about really liking her keyhole ring and jokes that "it better not be cursed - I hate curses" as they pull her up - when Mavis hears that and finally sees that it's [REDACTED] as she meets their eye, she nervously mumbles that "sometimes curses aren't so bad" and apologizes for not paying attention before letting them carry on their way. Gale makes a comment that they sure seem colorful and fun, but he would never be caught dead in face paint like that; Mavis laughs, looks back to them and says "yeah, they seem happy" before taking Gale's hand and continuing with "and that sounds like a challenge to me" as they walk on to do their own Test of Love.

Once she makes it into the city, she is... Homesick, perhaps is the best way to put it. She enjoys parts of the city, and parts of the people, but seeing it in the state it was in with what she had learned on her journey overall tarnished it a bit; Mavis does appreciate their resilience nevertheless, and later seeing [REDACTED] and their companion laughing over drinks at a tavern after the city is safe again makes her appreciate the city in a different way - it's not perfect and it's not what she imagined as a kid, but it certainly does bring people together in remarkable and unexpected ways and truly is Halfway to Everywhere.

Mavis does not talk to [REDACTED] in the tavern, but does finally tell Gale who they are as she shares some Silverymoon Blue that she had been keeping safe for a special occasion with him while they celebrate; Gale laughs and says that Mavis may have a type, and she feigns taking offense as she tells him that "all the best breakthroughs start with a rough blueprint" before kissing him and leaving the tavern together, leaving her scrying mirror necklace on the table at the tavern.

BONUS: enjoy a lil personal favorite track to enjoy with question 61's answer 💜

[malsfefanfics]

Hubert and Medee A-Support

Summary: Hubert finally opens up to Medee about why he tried to distance himself from her. Written in script format under the cut.

Medee: [REMOVING HER GLOVES AND FINGER SPLINTS TO CLEAN THEM, SIGHS AT THE STATE OF HER HANDS] Every year, the scars do grow. Dark magic truly embodies its name.

Hubert: [TAKES THE SPLINTS] You should go sit down and rest. I will clean these for you.

Medee: You needn't worry about that, Hubert. I can handle them myself.

Hubert: You've been brewing potions and tending injuries nonstop the past three days. Please, rest. I'll have some coffee brought in.

Medee: Well. If you're certain.

[A SHORT WHILE LATER]

Hubert: [HANDS HER BACK THE SPLINTS] Here you are, mother. Apologies, but the gloves were beyond salvaging.

Medee: No need to worry, I always carry a spare. Thank you, little rook. [PUTS THE SPLINTS BACK ON] You didn't need to do it, but it is appreciated.

Hubert: It is the least I could do. You've been a great boon to our efforts in this war.

Medee: Is that right? And this coffee blend? I can tell just by the scent of it. It's a northern Almyran blend. Not easy to come by.

Hubert: And…perhaps, I was…trying to find ways to make up for a slight.

Medee: Hubert-

Hubert: Please, let me finish.

Medee: …very well.

Hubert: When I challenged you that night, I did so with one goal in mind. To prove that I had the strength to defend her Majesty. I had failed to protect her once before. I could not let that happen again.

Medee: You were just a child, Hubert. No one could blame you for what happened.

Hubert: Perhaps. But I was growing up at a quick pace. And when Lady Edelgard returned, I knew I needed to make sure I was prepared for anything. And what better way to do it, than to face off against the one warrior who had once made even King Lambert retreat. Even at your weakest, you were stronger than most of Fódlan combined.

Medee: You had certainly grown as a warrior in your own right at that time. By the time you had me pinned to the ground, the entire night had begun to fade to dawn.

Hubert: Indeed. And you didn't hold back.

Medee: Lies. I kept the Arrow of Indra locked up.

Hubert: You never needed it. Your power and skills alone were more than enough. But…in my haze, I nearly slit your throat. I lost myself, and almost robbed my siblings of their mother before they got the chance to truly know her. And it is one of the few regrets I carry. I do not know what I can do to atone for it, but...

Medee: ….you know, when you first put the blade to my neck, I was almost certain you would have ended me there. But when you pulled back and tossed the knife aside, I couldn't help but feel relieved.

Hubert: Relieved that I spared your life?

Medee: No. Relieved that you still had your humanity. [GENTLY TAKES HIS HAND] From the moment you were born, I had feared you would turn out like your father. Only caring for your own desires. But with every day, every challenge, every smile and spell, you showed you were superior to him in every way that mattered. Your love for your sister and brother are proof enough of that. And when you had defeated and spared me, I knew you would be prepared to face anything, and to not completely lose your way. You've become a strong man, Hubert.

Hubert: You truly believe that?

Medee: I do. As do Rosamund and Tancred. Lady Edelgard. And all your allies from your class. You are every bit the man I hoped you could become, and more. And for that, I am thankful and proud. So please, don't punish yourself anymore for how the fight ended.

Hubert: [LETS OUT A HEAVY SIGH] You are far too forgiving, you know.

Medee: I only forgive where it is needed. And with this? There is nothing to forgive. Now, how about we have that coffee? There's a lot of catching up to do, and I think it's just about perfect to enjoy.

Hubert: [CHUCKLES] That sounds lovely. Thank you.

[sunday-good-enough]

Random Rainy Day AU headcanons (is it really headcanons if you created the AU?)

MARI:

Nosocomephobia (fear of hospitals)(she's had this fear for a while, but being in the hospital after Hero called 911 once finding Sunny was it's peak)

Quite literally erased every single detail that may, in her mind, be related to the incident (ex: softball = softball injury = playing piano= perfectionist = being hard on sunny = incident, therefore no recollection of playing softball)

(Pre-incident) not actually that great at consiling people other than Hero and Sunny, since she usually uses logic and reasoning while failing to realize that what they really need is just comfort

Smashed all the photos of Sunny around a month after her mother died, later telling her father the truth during a panic attack

Before the other bed was removed she often hallucinated Sunny sleeping in it, and it would turn to his corpse if she interacted with it

Took around a year to become a complete hikkikomori

Her 'Something' is Sunny's silhouette with eyes all over it. It gets more scribbly the more unstable Mari is. Sometimes its hand reaches out to choke her.

SUNNY:

Aside from his own house, Aubrey's house is the one he haunts the most

Has his own something (red hands, reaching out and shoving him)

Did not die on impact. One of his injuries was his skull dislocated from his head, therefore moving him to his bed was what truly killed him

Very proud of Basil! Visits him a lot and listens to him ramble to (seemingly) nobody about plants. It makes him feel alive again

Also likes visiting Hero while he's cooking, same reason as Basil

Has aged, but slower

AUBREY:

Nyctophobia (fear of the dark)(and what lies within)

Attempted suicide via stabbing directly after the incident, stopped by her father

Starved Bun-Bun by accident, causing a second suicide attempt via drowning stopped by Basil

Way, WAY more delusional than Basil in canon, somehow. Belives that if she can stop Something from taking Mari away, Sunny will come back and forgive her

Her 'Something' is shaped like a hand, with an eye watching her on each finger (I based it off Basil's canon Something, which resembles Mari at the bottom of the stairs. Aubrey's resembles Sunny's hand that Mari failed to catch, as she sees it as a failure on her part)

HERO (my best boy)

Still believes himself responsible for Kel, despite their disagreement

Should he have a child, he plans to name them after Sunny

SHed a LOT directly following the incident. The only reason he stopped was because he felt like he should be the 'happy' one out of the siblings. Still occasionally does it

Occasionally has nightmares about the day they found Sunny

His favorite thing to cook is steak but he refuses to make it well done. sorry sunny

KEL:

Covers up his hatred of himself with hatred of Aubrey and half-fake hatred of Sunny for leaving him

The first to find Sunny, having planned to pick him up for their date (besides the obvious)

Angel likes to jump rope. Kel does not like to jump rope.

Sunny liked his hair up. Do with that as you will

His jersey is from the same team as his canon one (the Nearby Omodogs, leading basketball team of Nearby City)

BASIL:

Pendulumphobia (fear of hanging or swinging objects)(stolen from otomerson's omorionette hehe)

Cut off all his hair a few months after they found Sunny, as he'd been neglecting it and it scared him (also stolen from Oto)

Aubrey's suicide attempt was during his 'emosil' phase, and was what largely snapped him out of it

Had a Something similar to Sunny's canon one and Aubrey's one

Has frequently referred to Polly as his mother. On accident? On purpose? Who knows!

Plants tulips and daisies most frequently, in all different colors but mostly white (innocence and purity, also Sunny's flower) and orange (longing for a ray of sunshine)

In therapy and grief counseling, both of which he attends once a week

On track to become a professional photographer, once he graduates! He's been working on posed photos with Mincy and Cris, and Hero's been helping him find some good colleges

[messiahzzz]

@envydemon i hope you don’t mind me making a separate post about this. the response is simply too long to coherently summarize all of it in the replies. if yes, let me know and i will remove your mention asap.

if we really want to get into definitions, then alright.

hostile originates from the latin word hostis (meaning enemy [of the state] before: stranger, foreigner.) synonyms listed are inimical (i.e. harmful, destructive), antagonistic, unfavorable, or unfriendly.

what i wrote in my original post was, quote:

“i see fandom heading in this really dangerous direction where people fully believe they have the right to attack others for pointing out the existence of false information. i understand that people are upset about wyll having less content than characters like astarion and i am in no way here to claim that you should refrain from calling out racism where it’s due. however, this hostile behavior directed at anyone who dares to disagree with you is creating a really toxic environment within online spaces, where people hesitate to engage with the wyll side of the fandom at all (out of fear of immediately receiving the racist card for merely correcting inconsistencies in logic).”

in no way did i claim that the wyll fandom in it’s entirety “is aggressive”. merely that there is a small, but vocal part of the fandom who exhibits hostile behavior when statistics (“correcting inconsistencies in logic”) are brought into the conversation.

wyll isn’t the only character who got sidelined without any fixes in sight either. i have already stated so in my og post. almost every single one of gale’s scenes, including some integral dialogue, have been bugged for months now, while feedback and reports get ignored entirely. [x]

now, let’s look into each of the companion quests:

the main npc in astarion’s quest is well… cazador. it’s pretty cut-and-dry, really. get into his lair, confront and then kill him. either through old-fashioned methods or by having astarion undergo the ritual himself. every interaction with him leads up to this moment where he will finally be free from his clutches.

main npcs in lae’zel’s quest include kith’rak voss, a knight in service of vlaakith, whose sole purpose is to ensure the return of his prince & make lae’zel see the extent of vlaakith’s manipulations and lies, make her realize how lae’zel’s blind faith in her will lead to her sure ruin. and orpheus, true ruler of the githyanky, intend to remove vlaakith from power at any cost. from the moment you meet lae’zel, vlaakith & her tyranny are the consistent themes that stretch throughout all interactions you have with her. everything leads up to her confronting vlaakith one way or another.

the main npc in gale’s quest is elminster, chosen of mystra. it centers around the acquisition of the annals of karsus and him confronting mystra at the stormshore tabernacle to ensure his closure. in the end, it’s really just a glorified fetch quest that takes less than a few minutes to complete, without even an option given to accompany him. he also doesn’t have to be in your party until you agree to meet at the stormshore tabernacle shrine, you can complete the entirety of the sorcerous sundries vault without him. mystra then tells him the true nature of the orb and he either has the option to agree to her demands or defy her and claim the power for himself. again, everything leads up to mystra. on that note: gale doesn’t constantly lament the abuse he suffered through mystra either. that is factually untrue. he continues to defend her until tav speaks some sense into him after elminster hands the charge into his care. even then the realization of the abuse he suffered is surface-level at best. while wyll already mentions that he has thought about exiting the pact he made with mizora many times, while still in act i. it’s one of the first conversations you have with him at camp.

main npcs in karlach’s quest are gortash and damon. she gets the option to kill the so-called paladins of tyr sent by zariel, the devil she’s enslaved to and the one responsible for her condition, while damon makes sure that she will at least survive long enough to kill the big bad at the end of the game. having her confront gortash, however? completely optional. i avoided that quest in my game entirely and didn’t suffer any consequences whatsoever. in fact, not even a word was mentioned about it, neither by him nor karlach. gortash being a “main enemy” doesn’t negate the fact that he is intrinsically linked to her backstory either. in fact, you have several options to kill your companions before their respective quests reach completion. gortash IS and remains karlach’s abuser. in the end, her story is solely about what she suffered through the arbitrary cruelty of both gortash and zariel, and the consequences she now has to live with. while we’re on the topic of consequences: you can simply ignore karlach during the entirety of the game and still receive the exact same ending. whether you only talk to her whenever necessary, ignore every one of her quests, not give her any infernal iron to keep her engine stable — she will consider your tav her best friend either way. she doesn’t leave your party, she doesn’t die, nor does she acknowledge it.

main npcs in shadowheart’s quest are viconia devir, loyal cleric of shar, and her parents. everything shadowheart does is to receive shar’s favor, the entire gauntlet is a tribute to her goddess and only centers shadowheart as a character in the last few minutes once they’ve reached the inner sanctum. and even then shar takes center stage yet again if she chooses to become a dark justiciar. yes, HER FAITH to shar, which is the sole product of the abuse and mind-manipulation she suffered through her. she later has the option to kill devir and rescue her parents in the process if she chooses to pursue selune’s path. her choice to either kill or free the nightsong is determined by her approval and tav’s influence on her. in that sense, saving her parents is solely dependent on tav’s choices as well, not hers.

main npcs in wyll’s quest are ulder ravengard and mizora. if wyll doesn’t pledge his soul to mizora to ensure his father’s survival, he has the option to launch a rescue mission and free his father from the iron throne prison. once at camp, ulder will tell them about the legend of ansur and how his aid will be able to turn the tides. when the lair has been found and true nature of the wyrrm has been uncovered, wyll can either decide to return to his father’s side or to take up the mantle once more, as the blade of avernus. again, the key themes of his story are: his heritage and ties to his father, as well as the pact and abuse he suffered through mizora.

the point of my original post wasn’t to claim that wyll “doesn’t deserve an improved story quest.” it is, as i have already stated at least 5 times by now, a mere overview of the total content he has. to show that he indeed isn’t the only character who gets systematically sidelined by larian.

quote:

“i’m not here to claim that wyll doesn’t deserve more extra content or that larian’s perspective of him isn’t rooted in racism in any way whatsoever. however, i sincerely believe that it’s always important to list the facts first before misinformation continues to spread which only results in more needless outrage. these are all of wyll’s scenes that exist in the game as of now:”

“to get further misunderstandings out of the way: this post really was intended to be a cut-and-dry scene tally of wyll's in-game content. meant to compare and inform people about the misinformation that i've seen the fandom spread, as well as to address the harassment i've seen within online spaces.” [x]

summed up: all companion’s quests can be fully completed without them being present in the party.

you can complete the entire crèche mission without lae’zel, even skip it entirely.

you can complete the sorcerous sundries vault without gale, and merely tell him about the annals of karsus later on.

you can defeat cazador without astarion ever setting foot into the place.

you can face viconia alone, as well as complete all of the trials of shar without shadowheart. the only downside being that she leaves the party afterward.

you can repeatedly talk to gortash without having karlach split even a hair of his.

you can uncover the secret of the wyrmway while wyll has a long heart-to-heart with his father at camp in the meantime.

no one in this game makes their own decisions. everything depends on the influence you, as the player, have on your companions. everything depends on your choices and the approval your character has with each respective companion. the only new addition being lae’zel with the recent patch 6.

[sunflwryu]

warning: fluff | not requested

born

"...where are you going, without even saying goodbye?"

you look up from fastening the storage bag attached to back of your motorcycle to see hyunjin standing a couple feet from you, a expression on his barely illuminated face, the hood over his head making it hard to see in the first place. you remove your helmet and place it on the seat, your lips stretching into a warm but bittersweet smile. "you always seem to know where to find me, hyune."

"only because i love you, baby..." he replies with a lighthearted chuckle, walking over with his hands in his pockets before pulling you close, pressing a honeyed kiss on your forehead as he wraps an arm around your waist. "...so, mind answering my question?"

"i'm leaving this city."

you know he knows that you're serious when his expression turns solemn. "...why?" he asks softly, grabbing hold of one of your hands as if you'll go without him if he doesn't, giving it a light squeeze that there's only acceptance for whatever you'll say.

you look back at the city, the city you've lived in since you were born. it was all you've known for so long, filled by the places you've healed and the places you've been hurt, by the lights and the darkness that swept over the people here with each passing day and night. this city was filled with memories, but a lot of them were fading from your mind, just like how your love for it vanished, for its people, for the way it worked and controlled you, and the only ones that remained were the few times you've smiled, which were the times with him, the times with his friends, the times with your sisters. sometimes, you were filled with shame when you thought about leaving, when you thought about saying goodbye to this place forever, even fear and apprehension because you used to adore it and everything in it, you were taught to never leave, to stay and live in it, to love and forgive it unconditionally no matter how much it tried to break you down completely.

but not anymore.

there used to be bitterness on your tongue when you cast your gaze on that wretched city, when you looked around the buildings and the people and the unspoken laws that existed there, but now that you're here on the very border of it, it looks so small, so far away that you can't taste anything at all, and there's no care anymore in your heart for it. you've worked hard for this moment, for this motorcycle, for this freedom that'll welcome you into its arms once you set off on your journey, for the wind that'll push you to wherever you want to go.

you turn back to hyunjin, your mouth about to open to answer his question, but he tugs you into a hug, a hug that you melt into, your arms thrown around him as he holds you close, tightly. "you don't have to answer, baby," he says quietly but confidently, his voice making a pleasant thrum with his chest, "because i've always known, you were never meant to stay here...you were born to run..."

"y-you did...?" you never breathed a word about it to him, ever, not even a hint. you look up at him and his eyes are shining with emotion, with pride and love, with understanding.

"of course. i love you, you know?"

your heart pangs in guilt. do you have to leave him behind? someone as loving as him, as understanding as him? someone that you love more than anything? you didn't want to, but... "i-i love you too, hyune...you know that i do and always have. i'm really sorry, but i have to—"

he cuts you off, bringing a shushing finger to your lips before making your way over to your motorcycle. you follow him, and for a split second, you think he's going to try to break it to prevent you from leaving, sabotage you or something, but instead, he scoops up the spare helmet to wear on his head, and you notice he has a filled backpack on too. despite the visor of the helmet covering his face, masked by the darkness. you know he's smiling, maybe even grinning. "i'm going with you, baby," he declares matter-of-factly, excitedly.

you're not sure if you can believe in it, casting your gaze to the ground, not wanting to get your hopes up or disappointed later, as much as you want him to come with you. "b-but you have a life here! you can't just go because of me...the reason i didn't tell you was because you might not want to go like i do..."

he lifts the visor to silence you by kissing your lips ever so softly, so comfortingly, his hand on your back to press you closer. as he pulls away, gazing lovingly at you, eyes sparkling with unmatched adoration and affection.

it's your turn to ask him. "w-why?"

"because i was born to run with you."

note: another self-indulgent fic with hyunjin. i love him so much, he's seriously one of the biggest reasons i made it through 2022. thank you so much for the love on my previous work, ik it isn't what i usually write. it really showed me that i didn't have to stress too much and just write what i want to since that makes me happier, so here i am. this piece is more of a personal metaphor. you can imagine the city as being dystopian or whatever if you want. but this was inspired off that one purple/pink 80s' anime gif (no idea of the original source) and "midnight sky" by miley cyrus (slowed and reverb version) specifically. i don't think there should be additional warnings but if this needs any, please let me know, and the same goes for my other works too. i hope you enjoy reading this one too! <3 ig this also technically counts as a new years' gift, so happy new years to everyone! (NOT ME FORGETTING TO PUT TAGS LMAO)

skz masterlist  |  main masterlist |  by @sunflwryu

[athenaholmesartistsguild]

Back to the Major Arcana featuring Haruka!

This was an interesting card to work on! I'd watched a video going a bit more in depth on color theory so I tried to work some of the things I learned into this piece!

I didn't want this post to be too long so I have some more design notes on this card's Patreon post. You can read those and download a High res version of this card for free! It was also available 2 days early for Patrons just a quick mention

Interpretations are below the cut:

In the pursuit of understanding the self, the Hermit has elected to remove themselves from their outside world. At this point in the Hermit's life, others' opinions and thoughts are too overpowering and make it difficult to decide what they truly want.

Whether this be metaphorical or literal, the occasional period of self-isolation can be very beneficial, especially if you've felt like you've been doing certain actions that aren't aligned with who you truly are. It's important to note that this isolation period should not last forever. The Hermit is aware that their solitude is not permanent and chooses to make the most of their time.

While alone, the Hermit can focus inward: their thoughts, their desires, and what they believe is right or wrong. Away from the public, the Hermit aims to define who they are. Their values, the direction they wish to take their life, things that only they can decide for themselves.

When the Hermit appears in a reading, they're urging you to consider your recent actions and whether they were what you truly wish you'd done. What pressures are causing you to act a certain way? Do you wish you'd done something differently?

Perhaps a period of withdrawal would be beneficial to finding the answers to these questions.

Reversed, we see a Hermit that's isolating for more harmful reasons. When faced with the outside world, it can sometimes be tempting to disappear into oneself. The unknown is scary and it's human nature to try and avoid it at all costs.

While there may be times when you simply aren't ready to step out of your comfort zone (as doing so can do more harm than good), a reversed Hermit in a reading suggests that maybe it's time to begin the transition back to the outside world. This can be done as gradually as you like, but try to make those decisions based on what feels most aligned to your inner self. Simply asking that part of you for guidance will oftentimes give you the answer you need.

The main theme of the reversed Hermit is someone who's acting in ways that just don't feel right. Whether due to fear or outside pressure or any other myriad of reasons, a reversed Hermit feels like they're not being authentically themselves. Even if they're not conscious of it, there's a nagging feeling in the back of their mind telling them something needs to change.

What actions can you take to feel more like yourself? How do you define yourself in the first place? Are there any voices around you (or within) that are leading you astray?

Haruka's arc in Yakuza 5 is such an interesting one and it's been stuck in my brain ever since I first played it.

For almost her entire section, Haruka's living her life for other people.

She feels pressured to become an idol in the first place because Kiryu informs her that the orphanage is struggling financially. She allows herself to be completely isolated from her family in the hope that she can create a better life for her siblings.

She becomes closer to Mirei and then feels obligated to help her surrogate mother figure relive the glory that was stolen from her. Even after Mirei dies, Haruka feels obligated to join an idol group with the girls that made her life hell during the Princess League.

Through the whole game, there's this theme of following your dreams and doing what you feel is necessary to achieve them, and then you have Haruka.

She insists being an idol is what she really wants, but the whole time it really doesn't seem that way at all. It seems like she's just being shuffled around any way the adults in her life see fit.

Until...

At the very end of the game, she sees Kiryu, the man that raised her for almost a decade of her life, her father, and she can't keep pretending.

She never wanted to be an idol. She never wanted to be so thoroughly separated from her family. She wants to go home.

And here we see the Hermit turn from a reversal to upright. Haruka's isolation from her home taught her that pushing away her desires to live for others is painful and depressing and the exact opposite of how she wants to live her life. She refuses to be a pawn in the Idol industry and in Mirei's own agenda (even if Haruka cared about her).

It's Haruka's turn to figure out what she dreams of and how she'll achieve those dreams.

[clown-fromthe-sewers]

In All My Dreams I Drown

Sailor Au!Eden x Reader (songfic kinda?? Idk)

Warnings: Canon typical sex, referenced violence(not from Eden), dubcon/noncon, hallucinations(?), and a slight breeding kink(fuck you lizzy, deal with it), gender neutral/no pronouns, but fembodied reader. More under the bar.

It was storming, a nasty, howling and terrifying, making visions of the past whirl in your mind, full of only horror of the remembrance. The ship, it swayed, 'heave-ho, heave-ho's dripping from the deck, the sole other occupant getting to work for the night on ensuring the safety of the vessel for the time he'd be asleep, with you, on the dark and stormy blue.

The barks of the repeated word came to a stop and you could hear something other than the storm for once: his booted feet stomping below deck, followed soon by the slamming of the wooden door against the wall, both water-damaged and swelled from the weather. He was drenched in it, the storm having saturated his usually curly brown hair into a matted mess of glistening black, water pooling on his scruff like morning dew on grass, his face shining in the dim light. The wrinkle between his furrowed brows disappears at the sight of you, his shoulders relaxing as he made way to his bed, you laying there, wrapped only in his fur blankets.

"You haven't slept," he said, "in many suns and moons," he observed, though it was more like a command.

"Oh, I will sleep when we reach shore, and pray we get there soon-" you begin to protest, sitting up in the bed as the blankets fell from your body, exposing your breasts with the furs covering your lower half only, the necklace you wore falling between your cleavage. He interrupts you, digging through a drawer nailed into the wall of his cabin.

"Now hush love, here's your gown," he began, bringing forth a scanty white dress, lacy, and it looked as if it would come only to your mid thigh. "There's the bed-" He nods to you, as if to make his demands all the more obvious, "-lanterns down." His eyes drift to the oil lamp beside the bed, glowing in orange and red, casting deep shadows on everything the light could reach.

"But I don't want to go to sleep," you started, a dismayed grimace falling in place on your lips. Once more, you are cut off by him, he repeated the protest you'd said over and over your stay on the vessel.

"In all your dreams you drown," said he, an almost condescending tone to the words spoken in his deep voice. He strode over, demandingly shoving the gown to your breast, his hot hand making contact with your freezing skin, warmth finding you and making you relax despite your anger and apprehension toward this sailor.

You snatch it away, drawing it over your head and shoulders. It fell the rest of the way, covering your naked flesh that had begun to prickle at the exposure to cold once you'd been removed of the furs. Leaning back on the mattress, the back of your head colliding softly with the partially rotten wood of his boat, completely missing the look of desire that gleamed in his eye, the shine disappearing into the darkness when he snuffed the oil lamp.

"I'm going to enjoy this," he drawled, the words sending a spike of fear down your spine.

Eyes darting to his, you started once more to put up a fight, but the exhaustion weighed you down, keeping your movements sluggish and weak. Before you even began, you gave up, allowing Eden to take his place above you. As he peeled the blanket from your lower half, he let loose a growl, licking his dry lips, sweet with rainwater and salt from working deck all day, his pupils expanding to consume all of the hazel, leaving only a ring of green and brown around the black.

"It's time you go to sleep," he growled. Eden ripped open his pants, his ramshackle coat following suit to display the muscle built up from his time on the sea, then used his massive hands, reinforced by the masses of muscle behind on his bulging arms, to heft your hips up to his own, your legs hanging from his thighs.

Your calves interlap behind his back, crossing to bring him in closer as you felt the tent that came from his pelvis, kept trapped only by the white, threadbare briefs he wore, barely doing their purpose with how worn they were. You jolt as a clap of thunder sounded, unexpected without the flash of lightning. The fear triggers a vision of that pale, ivory figure and the shoving, rocking of a makeshift boat, laughs of children turning into screams of terror-

"Now hush love," whispered Eden, cooing as he stroked your cheek. "Here's your gown," he repeated, reminding you of your place, "There's the bed, lantern's down." His voice was the softest you'd heard it, placing a tender kiss to your lips after he spoke to remind you not only of your place, but to silently tell you of what you'd grown to be over the time you spent on his ship. It was like a dream with how slow everything moved, like it was all submerged in the thickest molasses. But you don't want to go to sleep, in all your dreams you drown.

"Captain! Captain," you cried for his attentions as he pulled the clothing down which restricted him, exposing himself to you and wetting his length in your arousal, "I will do your chores! I will warm your cot at night, and mop your cabin floors." Your voice was soft and begging, teary eyes staring up as you quiver beneath him. Your hands find his forearms, fingers dainty by comparison digging into his flesh. "Scold me! Hold me; I'll be yours to keep! The only thing I beg of you: don't make me go to sleep."

The next thing that leaves his mouth is a chuckle, then he leans over, nipping along your collarbone to under your ear, blowing hot air on your neck and making goosebumps bloom to the surface and your eyes closeon reflex. The sky flashed with lightning once more, the blood red moon barely exposed through the black, ravenous clouds sparking the visage of Eden's vessel sinking, the sheets lacing between your legs as the boat was rent and felled; Eden's in the water headed to the mouth of hell.

You're snapped from the lull as a roiling wave crashed against the side of the boat, making you in the bed and into Eden, he letting loose a groan of appreciation when he felt your warm, wet arousal on his engorged length. He positions himself at your entrance, leaking and tight in your virginity.

A growl is wrenched from his chest, throaty and deep and barbaric as he slid into you, leaving you to gasp as you felt a nauseating pinch deep within you, your hymen ripping and signaling your loss of innocence. He pants as he bottoms out, letting you adjust to the size of him for a few moments only before he was pulling out, slowly pushing himself back into your tender depths. His cock was smattered in in blood, but the new feeling gnawing at your gut blocked the gruesome sight from bothering you much at all.

The pillow fall from beneath your head, toeing to the brink of the cot with each rock of his hips that sent you jolting upwards, his thrusts increasing in speed each time he bottomed out. Your arms wrap around his neck and brought him down, your heels pressing at his ass to meld him into yourself. Moans from you, the sailor and the sea were accompanied by the groans of the cot, each thrust making it protest under your combined weight.

"Eden," you choke out when his stubbled jaw met your sensitive neck, his lips laying kisses and nips on your skin, painting a picture of his desire and leaving you mewling below him, falling into whatever he wished. "I need-" you couldn't get much else out, a gasp pulled from your chest that surprised even you when the head of his cock hit something inside which you'd never felt before.

Eden's lips found yours, locking in a lethargic kiss, bruising with each slow movement he made against you, a moan swallowed up between you as your first kiss was taken so passionately, something so surprising in a town such as this one.

Eyes rolling back in your head, you could feel the upbeat of all his rocks into you, stealing away breaths and letting a symphony of lewd noises and creaks sound through his cabin. His thumb fell to your clit as he pulled away from your lips, pupils blown as he trailed his gaze from the line of saliva connecting the two of you to your eyes, staring deep into you soul as he flicked at your sex, watching you break apart under his ministrations.

Your hand falls away from his shoulder, carmine staining the pads of your fingers and beneath your nails, grasping at his free hand and interlacing your dainty fingers with his calloused and work worn ones. A whining moan falls from his lips at that, his brows furrowing and his muscles clenching, hoping to hold back the high that threatened to end him then and there. His thumb hastens, pressing harshly against your nub and making that heat burn within like a fire, the coiling rope pulling taut until finally- it snaps, your vision blanking as a wailing moan comes forth, not only from you but also the wind whipping at the ship with the intense desire to sink you and Eden beneath the gnashing and moaning waves.

You finish with a clap of thunder, making the sight of a pale ivory figure overtake you mind, a hot feeling blooming in your innards with each spurt of Eden's searing seed.

Eden's berth rocked into you for a few moments after, releasing the rest of him in you with a quiet, drawn out groan, the sound bordering on either pain or satisfaction. The pillow falls from the edge as a result, a thump amidst the screeching wind and the tandem voices gasping for breath after such exertion.

"Good," Eden pants as he pulled out, drawing himself away from you and sitting on his heels to look on your spent form leaking his spend. Lazily, he pushed it back in your tender hole, you cringing at the sensitive flesh being agitated again. When he was finished, he brought the finger to your mouth, making you lap up the essence of your debauchery until he was atisfied with the cleanliness of the digit, pulling it from your lips with a breathless hum.

Eden crawls beside you and collapses, arms needily wrapping around your waist and drawing you close to him, and placing a chaste kiss to your bare shoulder, tucking himself close your body to sleep.

"It's time you go to sleep," he grumbles in that deep voice of his, the usual grimace adorning his face.

"Eden," you start to mumble again, but you're cut off once more by Eden.

"Hush now, hush love, heres your gown-" He tugs gently at the thin cloth of your night dress, then smooths his hand over the fur blanket, pulling it onto the both of you, "There's the bed, lantern's down," he reminded, whispering without thought.

"I'm begging you, please wake me up," you mumble, fatigue finally catching up when you couldn't even finish the last few words of the sentence you'd been relaying to him your entire stay, "In all my dreams I-" the rest of he sentence falling into oblivion, caught by the waves and breaking apart in their fury as you fell asleep, eyes closing slowly without even a yawn to warn you.

"Drown," he finished unbeknownst to you, clutching you tightly; that night, the first time since you'd been on the sea, you dreamt not of ivory, but warm brown consumed by black as sweaty curls of the same color dripped down rainwater from above, dotting your face in salty wetness.

So uh, that happened. Don't blame me, I was in a feverish haze for two days straight so I don't even know what this is.