#I also gave up on shading and said “gradients are good enough”

[kittenmoth]

Did I mention Jet lives in this AU?

[mouse-fantoms]

Based off this lovely art by the lovely @pintobeanart

Sparkles

Julie adjusted the way the jacket laid on her when she looked in the mirror.

“See! Told you it would look good.” Alex felt victorious that his outfit suggestion looked just as good as he thought.

Julie was in her room, getting ready for their newest gig while the boys were on her bed. Luke sat criss-cross on her bed, Alex sat on the edge and Reggie opted to sit on the floor with his back leaned against her bed. In the short amount time, the ‘Stay out of my room!’ rule seemed to dissipate.

She had, at most, 20 minutes before having to leave to go the newest gig they booked. A collaboration gig with Dirty Candi. In the past, Julie would have never guessed the collaboration would be the case. However, Carrie was becoming the old her that Julie knew and had grown up slowing but surely. She made her remember why they were ever friends in the first place.

“Is it too much?” She pulled her curls over her shoulders, testing hair that could go with the look.

“For Dirty Candi? Never enough sparkles.” She nodded in agreement with Alex’s statement.

“I like the jacket.” Reggie smiled, having his input on the cropped sparkly leather jacket Julie had on, her Stand Tall jacket. She had to match the sparkles that were Dirty Candi.

“Hmm I wonder why?” Luke asked, sarcasm seeping out.

“They are quite comfortable.” She adjusted the fit of the sleeves while defending Reggie’s outfit choice.

She started to run her fingers through her hair, a skeptical look crossing her face as she thought of what do it with it.

“Maybe a ponytail.” Luke put in.

“Ooo, yeah and a high one too.” Reggie shared his idea.

It was always helpful having the input of the boys for her looks for their gigs. They didn’t have much of a wardrobe choice, with their 90’s clothes and clothing out of bags to cycle through. However, Julie’s closet had much more options. It was fun trying to match the boy’s 90’s appearance with what she currently had.

When she put up her hair in the high ponytail, she saw the nods of approval from the boys in the mirror. However, when she looked at herself, she didn’t know what but something was missing. She noticed the clear cylinder containers on her vanity, along with the tube of lash glue on its side. A sign.

“Aren’t you done?” Luke seemed impatient.

“Adding the finishing touch.” They saw her dab something clear under her eyes, across the bridge of her nose. She started to fan both sides of her face.

“What-? Are you going to cry?” Alex seemed concerned.

“No, no, no!” She immediately calmed the boys. “I’m waiting for it to become tacky.”

They apparently needed more of an explanation than that.

“Waiting to apply.” She held up the round container of glitter.

All their pupils seemed to grow in size in combination with their mouths becoming circles when seeing the sparkles. Alex turned behind him to see his friends had the same exact expression he had. They started to exchange a look with each other.

Julie immediately knew what they all were thinking when she saw their faces. “You know... if only one us has the sparkles... that’d look very out of place.”

“Do you have red?” Reggie raised his hand before being called on.

“I have a lot of colors.” She gestured to the containers that were lined up. “Why don’t you three decide who’s going first while I put mine on?”

She heard mummers and she applied the purple glitter to the glue under her eyes. She turned around when she heard the mummers stop when she finished putting on her glitter. She saw that Alex was sat at the ottoman at the end of her bed, he must be going first.

She grabbed the tube of glue. “Do you want it under your eyes or-”

“Same as yours.”

She nodded as she carefully applied the glue in the same spot she did hers.

“We need to wait till that becomes tacky.” She informed. “While we’re waiting what color do you want? Rainbow? Pink? ...Some other color?” She felt like she already knew what he wanted.

He looked at the bracelet on his right wrist that matched one of the options. “I can do rainbow?” It has come out a whisper question than anything else.

“Or I have light pink, dark pink,-”

“...I’ll-” he cut himself off to adjust his volume to his normal one, “I’ll do the rainbow.” He said clearly with a smile. He didn’t even need to look behind him to know that his friend’s had the same smile as he did.

“Great!” She seemed excited at his answer. She grabbed the capsule of red glitter. But then looked at Alex, the glitter then at Reggie. “Actually Reggie, come over here.” He scooted next to the ottoman Alex was on. She bent down and started to apply glue under his eyes. “It’ll just be easier to do all the red I need now. Then I’m not risking making a mess.” She explained once done with Reggie’s glue application.

After, she went back to Alex and carefully applied the red glitter to the right side of his face. She was more careful with his since there were more colors and it would look neater with no over lap of colors. Once she was done with the red on him, she moved over to Reggie.

He couldn’t help but jump up to admire the new addition to his face in the mirror. “Luke! Look how sparkly!” He dived on the bed and moved his head around to show the sparkles to his friend. Luke couldn’t help but smile at the excitement from Reggie.

Julie continued to put the small glitters across Alex’s under eyes, hoping she estimated right with how much to put on of each color so it wouldn’t look wonky in the end.

“Are you doing it diagonal across?” He could have opened his eyes and have seen some in the mirror. Though, it was relaxing closing his eyes as she worked her magic.

“Not straight.” She said without really thinking until she got a chuckled reaction from all of them. “Yes diagonal.” She agreed while also having a smile from what she had said.

She had put the red, orange, yellow, and green on his face, reapplying the glue that had become dry on him. It was when she reached for the next color that she was reminded of who else had to go.

“I can go after you’re done with him.” Luke already knew what she remembered when she paused before applying the blue glitter.

She nodded as she added the blue then indigo then purple to finish the look off. “You’re all set. ” She stepped aside so he could see himself in the mirror.

As soon as he moved his head around, all the sparkles shined. “Definitely eye catching. Can see why Dirty Candi sparkles so much.”

Julie looked at Luke, the odd one out who didn’t have glitter on his face yet. “Do you want blue or-”

“He might want purple.” Reggie input.

“Or maybe purple and blue.” Alex added.

They knew exactly what they were doing with the colors they suggested and the implications of them.

“I can do blue.” He tried to tune out his friends who were being embarrassing. “I mean not that I don’t want purple, it’s a great color, it’s just that you know you’re already wearing the color and I wouldn’t wanna take that away from you. Plus, do purple and blue even look good together? I mean I hope they would, it would be a shame if they didn’t. Because purple is such a-”

“Got it. Blue for you.” As much as she wanted to hear Luke explain why he liked the color purple, Alex and Reggie were enjoying it too much as he fumbled over his words.

She grabbed the blue glitter container and the glue and sat on the bed across from Luke, matching his way on sitting cross cross on the bed. She unscrewed the glue.

“Why don’t you two make sure everything is ready before we have to go?”

“Really?” Alex sighed. “I mean we’ll just poof in and it’ll all be there and it’ll-” the look from Julie said otherwise, “Alright, let’s go Reg.”

“Oh, that wasn’t hard.” Luke said when the two had poofed away. Sometimes it easier than others to make the two leave.

“Now that they’re gone you can explain to me why you like the color purple.”

...Well he wasn’t completely in the clear even without the addition of Reggie and Alex.

“Oh well,” he looked up when she started to apply the glue, knowing perfectly well he didn’t need to, “it’s a great color... it looks great with anything-”

“Even blue?”

“I mean, if you think it looks good with blue then... yeah sure. I mean I’d hope it looks good with that color because- oh that stinks so bad.” He got a whiff of the glue.

“Oh don’t complaint,” she smiled, “Alex and Reggie said nothing of the smell.”

“How close are you getting to my eyes with that? It feels like you might go right into my eye.”

“I’m putting as much on you as I did their’s.” She capped the glue when she applied an even layer on.

“This is gonna suck to take off later, isn’t it?” He now looked at her since the glue part was done.

“...We can figure that out later.” She fanned the sides of his face to make the glue become tacky quicker.

“That was really great that you gave the option of rainbow for Alex.”

“Yeah.” She smiled trying to imagine how much it meant to him. “I figured he’d probably go with pink but considering I had all the colors for a rainbow... he could go with that.”

“We definitely couldn’t have done something like that back in the day.”

“Well,” she unscrewed the blue glitter, “happy to tell you that times have changed.”

She started dabbing the blue on him. This time, he didn’t look up. He continued to look at her.

“Do you want this blue all throughout? I have other shades. I could do a gradient from dark to light or-”

“Do you like blue?” He asked in more of a whisper than intended.

She hesitated, still applying the glitter. “...It’s a complicated... color. Not that it itself is complicated just- considering the other factors of that... color.”

Subtly was absolutely not their game.

“...Even with purple it looks... good?”

“...I mean what do you think?”

“Hey! You can’t turn this back around on me. I’m asking the questions this time.”

“Fine,” she rolled her eyes, “blue is-”

“Oww, oww, oww! That’s like right in my eyeball.” He cut her off feeling a rouge glitter irritate his eye.

“I was distracted by your questions.” She tried to fix it while he leaned away to try to fix it himself. “Come back here you’re gonna make it worse. Luke come-”

“Oww!” He let out trying to fix it himself, even though he couldn’t see anything at all with what he was doing.

“Well now blue’s being complicated.”

“Well purple is- OWW! OWW! Okay, okay, help please.” He leaned back to her while scooting closer so she could get out the loose glitter as soon as possible.

Like a game of Operation, she meticulously removed the single glitter. 

“That was almost a catastrophe.” She showed that she was successful by flicking away the straggler. “Sorry I called blue complicated.” She added the last blue glitters to his face.

“Sorry I almost said purple was taking too long with her answers.”

“Blue did the same with his.” She pointed out.

“I know blue did, makes more sense purple would take more time with hers.”

They might have been beating around the bush, but the two smiled at each other knowing what the other was meaning when they said the color names.

“There.” She signaled she was done by putting the lid back on the container.

He looked passed her shoulder in the mirror. “Wow!” He seemed happy with the job she did. “You should do this more often.”

“Just not the getting glitter in the eye part?”

He laughed. “Yeah not that.”

His eyes couldn’t help but look at the glitter on her as her eyes did the same with his. Conscious of the distance between them.

“Maybe purple would look good with the blue.”

“Now you tell me that.” She laughed.

“Unless, making a dark purple would be another option.”

Theoretically, given that the colors were stuck to their face and couldn’t mix to make a new color, making dark purple would be a challenge.

“I think,” Julie gave her input, “purple and blue would look rad together.”

It wasn’t until later at the performance, when the light hit the glitters on the Julie and the Phantoms band, why there seemed to be extra mic shares than normal, even with the inclusion of Dirty Candi on the stage. When the light hit, was when the drummer and bassist noticed the little mixture of purple and blue glitters across their friends’ faces. A sprinkle of blue on Julie’s and a bit of purple on Luke’s. At least it was true that purple and blue looked good together.

[gojology]

Teddybears and Shitty Cards.

back to homepage pairing : yuuji x gender neutral reader warnings : minor cursing, fluff wordcount : 1529 a/n : i hope i did u yuuji stans justice .. probably not but this is rlly good for my characterization :) also i thought that gojo wasn’t as well loved as megumi/yuuji/nanami etc but holy shit i thought wrong. my megumi and nanami fics got little to no attraction, or maybe i write them horribly, idk. is gojo satoru the best husbando in jjk? (the answer is yes.) also uh.. i didnt proof read this ████████████████  100% Complete. Enjoy your game.

     “Itadori!” you yell, panting, cupping your hands together around your mouth to amplify your voice. He had asked you prior to meet with you for Valentines in this particular park, most likely because it was Valentines day.        You had to admit, his selection in nice places was clearly defined. The views from the hill you and him sat upon was spectacular, you could see the city in it’s whole. This was amplified with the setting of the sun, a hazy beautiful orangey-yellow gradient was all the eye could see from up here.       It was definitely worth the walk up the steep hill, and you took a much needed seat and breather on the painted wooden bench, pulling out your water bottle you take a long swig, wiping the sweat off your brow as you did so.       You took a quick sneak peek at Yuuji, who was humming a tune, earbuds in. Shielding your eyes with your hand, you leaned closer into his shoulder. His thumbs were fumbling with something, which you now realized was a Nintendo Switch.       “Watcha playing?” you ask, breathing in his scent. Remnants of candy and baked goods filled your nose.        Yuuji didn’t say anything back, instead continuing to hum and mumble a few lyrics, lost in his own world.       It was only until you impatiently tapped at his broad shoulders to pay attention to you. He jolted up, looking left and right before finally realizing you were sitting next to him. Taking a deep breath in, he cheerfully smiled before taking one of his earbuds out.       “Hey! You came early~ are you excited to see me?” he questioned, setting his Nintendo Switch into his backpack before picking up what seemed to be a bag right next to him.      “Of course! Why wouldn’t I be, baby?” you reply back, grinning, deciding to pay no mind towards this bag. Yuuji was quite popular, especially revolving sports or something along the lines of that. Many famous coaches had said that he possessed super-human strength, and he had been showered in contracts with sport teams not long after those few words.       In return, this caused Yuuji to be insanely busy with many interviews and pelted with multiple adult-y stuff to do, which had hurt you exceptionally. It greatly hindered the relationship between you two. Weekly visits turned into monthly, and you couldn’t bare to see him drown in all his work. He was a busy guy, but yet always so carefree, and you didn’t want that carefree childish aspect of him to disappear. After all, that was something you loved about Yuuji.       He looked up at you with a reassuring beam, and you felt yourself melt under those warm eyes. “Aww, that makes me happy, (Y/N). Scratch that, you make me happy!” facing you, he gave you a quick peck on your cheek. Your heart bursts, it had been too long since you felt that specific thing, and you give him a gentle kiss back, running a hand through his fluffy hair.       “I missed you. It’s been too long since I’ve talked to you, lovebug. Schedule is jampacked. But I met some nice friends along the way, and my coach is super nice!” he rambled on, fumbling with the handles of this mysterious bag.       “Oh? How so?” trying to make conversation, you want to appear as interested as he talked about his coach, but you were focused on his outfit and how he looked in general.        He had gotten way more stronger, you noted. He was much more scrawnier when you two first started dating, and you wondered how his cuddles might feel like. Something that didn’t change though, was his horrible fashion sense. Wearing a turquoise t-shirt with a lemon yellow jacket over it, you almost winced. Yuuji dressed like a 6th grader who had their mom pick out clothes for them.        “...And he annoys the absolute shit out of his co-worker, Utahime. It’s funny! I also met this guy named Nanami and I have no idea how my coach and Nanami are friends. Nanami always looks like he’s on the verge of murdering him whenever he opens his mouth to speak! Oh and also me and my coach made Valentine cards together and I worked really hard on it and I just know you’ll like it! Also-”       “Alright, alright. That’s a mouthful.” you sang sarcastically, Yuuji awkwardly laughed and rubbed his hand against the back of his neck, looking at you like you had caught him stealing a cookie out of a jar at 12 AM.       “Sorry. I get carried away a lot.” he says, peering into the bottomless pit inside the bag. You couldn’t quite see what was inside of it.       “No, no. I think it’s cute, Yuuji-san! I didn’t forget how you acted in the span of 1 month, why would I be dating you if I thought you were annoying?” hoping this’ll knock some sense into him, you closely examine his body language for any changes, hoping that went through his mind.       You had to make sure, the guy was dumb when it came to social cues.       “Ohh, really?” he looked up, pointer finger on his chin, a confused expression covering his features. “I didn’t know, I’ll act more annoying for you then!”       Smacking your forehead, you studied your shoes, too giggly to look at him eye-to-eye. “That’s not what I meant, idiot.”       “...What did you mean then?” Yuuji quizzed, tilting his head to the side. You really couldn’t tell if he was joking or not, you’d think that all sport players would be brutes and be masculine and perhaps... Not stupid? But here you were.       “No bother.” waving your hand as a dismissal of the conversation, you instead lean towards the bag he was holding, fluttering your eyelashes. “What’s this?”       “It’s a surprise~” he responded, obviously giddy. You felt yourself soften once more, how could someone be so cute just answering a question?        “Hey, come on!” tugging on his arm, you try to yank the bag away, curiosity killing you. His grasp was firm, and he laughed as you did so, it felt good to hear him laugh like that again.         “Okay, okay! Fine. Here, go at it.” handing you the bag, you practically ripped the handles off, ecstatic to see what could possibly be waiting to be discovered.          Inside was an incredibly large teddy bear, soft. The color was almost exactly the same shade of Yuuji’s, and you squeal, hugging the plush.          “Awww! This is so cute! I woulda never believed you’re smart enough to get a good gift for me!” you joked, he caught the sarcasm this time, giving you a confident grin. He liked the compliments.          “It’s supposed to be me.” placing a hand onto his chest dramatically. “I don’t know if you realized though.”          Scoffing, you put the teddybear to the side. “Of course I’d realize! I’m not dumb, Yuuji-san!”          “Why not? We could be dumb together! Also, there’s something extra at the very bottom that I think you’d like.”          Blinking, you realized that you had completely forgotten about the bag between your legs. Looking back down and rummaging for what possibly could be there, you pull out a card.          On the front, there’s a tacky lopsided heart, made with glitter glue. It seems there are also many failed attempts of starting this large heart at the sides of it. At the top, there’s a large, “Happy Valentines Day!” in red marker that was also uneven. Underneath the heart? A stick figure drawing of you and Yuuji, which was also... Pretty horrible.         Stifling a giggle, you open the card, eyes scanning the left for anything, you turn to face the right as soon as you deem it clear. That’s where the writing is.         Dear Y/N,          I love you very much and I know I do not spend that much time with you anymore but you still make me very happy. My coach was very nice and gave me Valentines day off because he felt bad.      I had to run to the nearest drugstore to get you this teddybear, but me and Mr. Coach decorated this together! He says he’s a very good drawer and I agree. I think the drawing is very detailed. He also helped me with the heart (we picked out the color together) and we had a lot of fun decorating. He says my handwriting looks really bad (is that true?) can you please help me fix it later? :(                                                                           With a lot of love,                                                                              Your Boyfriend and Gojo Satoru (his cool coach that helped him write this, thank me later. I have no idea how you handle this guy, but God is he such an amazing kid.)      Looking back up from the card, you look at Yuuji, who is looking at you back, squeamish. Without another thought, you kiss him, soft and light ones on his forehead, his cheeks, his lips, everywhere on his face. When you finally pull away, both of you are staring at each other fondly.        “Yes, I’ll help you fix your handwriting, dummy.”         Yuuji gave you a toothy smile that he only saved for the special ones in his life.

[owlheartt]

HAHA Hey suckers I lied Star Sanses Extended chapter 1 done NOW (link to it on AO3)

It was quite the normal day.

Unfortunately. The Great Papyrus was bored. He had already recalibrated his puzzles twice, made pasta 3 times, scolded his brother 4 times, and was trying to figure out what to do 5 and 6 times (because threes are overused) when something happened. Well, not really. Sans took one of his shortcuts to appear right behind Papyrus, something he did often to try and surprise him. Have no fear, Papyrus can’t be surprised, so his brother never succeeded.

Papyrus turned around, ready to scold his brother for not simply walking. Really, his sentry station wasn’t that far from Papyrus’s. Except… that wasn’t Sans. It was! But, well, he looked different.

“SANS? BROTHER, YOU DON’T HAVE TO DRESS UP AS ME TO FEEL AS GREAT. I KNOW YOU’RE TRYING YOUR BEST.” Sans was wearing a chest plate with a light gray t-shirt peeking out. There was a bright blue scarf wrapped around his neck, tied back rather effectively into a bow. It fit him, but Papyrus felt that scarves look better when they can flow dramatically in the wind. He had on gloves that looked identical to Papyrus’s but in the same blue as his scarf. And, interestingly enough, his eyes were not his regular white but light blue. “THAT IS BETTER THAN YOUR USUAL ATTIRE THOUGH, SO I THANK YOU FOR TRYING.”

“AH,” the smaller skeleton said. He looked a bit uncomfortable. Sans was never uncomfortable around Papyrus unless he was hiding something.

“SANS? IS THERE SOMETHING YOU NEED TO TELL ME? IF YOU WANT INTO THE ROYAL GUARD, I WOULD BE HAPPY TO TELL UNDYNE!!” Papyrus gave his brother a toothy grin (what else can he give him? Skeletons can’t hide their teeth, silly) in the hopes of comforting him. But still, Sans shook his head. Ah well, if his brother wanted to keep another secret-

“I’M ACTUALLY NOT YOUR BROTHER,” Sans (not Sans? Stary Sans? Blue Sans?) looked down before straightening himself. Now that this skeleton mentioned that he wasn’t Papyrus’s brother, the bigger skeleton noticed how much different he sounded. For one, those definitely sounded like all caps. Sans hated speaking in all caps, though he’d told Papyrus that it made him sound much more commanding. Next, his posture was much better. Sans had a terrible habit of slouching. His eyelights were also a cyan color, like a lighter shade of Sans’s magic.

“IF YOU’RE NOT MY BROTHER…” Papyrus scrunched up his face. This, was a puzzle. A puzzle he intended to solve all on his own. He stared down at the skeleton, who appeared to be bracing himself.

“WOWZERS, IT’S A LOT HARDER THAN I THOUGHT TO TALK TO AN ALTERNATE VERSION OF MY BROTHER,” Not Sans smiled awkwardly and looked away before quickly forcing himself to look back at Papyrus. Papyrus paused, trying to fit in what Blue Sans just called him.

“AN… ALTERNATE VERSION OF YOUR BROTHER?” Papyrus felt ridiculous repeating back what not Sans said, but he couldn’t help it. What did he mean by alternate version? Papyrus vaguely recalled a training session with Undyne. They liked to chat while they were sparring, and this particular time Undyne mentioned something Alphys was studying in her free time. “AUs.” She said. After a bit of questioning, Undyne revealed that AU was an abbreviation of Alternate Universe, but she hadn’t really been listening beyond that. Papyrus despised abbreviations, and found it so frustrating that Undyne and Sans were so intent on using them, that the words had stuck with him despite their vagueness. “ARE YOU TALKING ABOUT ALTERNATE UNIVERSES?”

Not Sans perked up, his eye lights popping into stars. His smile went from awkward to excited as he began to talk.

“YES, I AM! HOW MUCH DO YOU KNOW ABOUT THEM? USUALLY PAPYRUSES AREN’T AWARE OF THEM, BUT IF YOU ALREADY KNOW OF THEM THAT WILL MAKE THIS MUCH EASIER!”

“I’M AFRAID MY KNOWLEDGE IS LACKING. IT WAS MENTIONED BRIEFLY BY MY FANTASTIC FRIEND UNDYNE, BUT SHE DIDN’T KNOW MUCH EITHER.” Papyrus announced, slightly embarrassed. The blue Sans faltered, but quickly regained his energy.

“ALTERNATE UNIVERSES ARE EXACTLY WHAT THEY SOUND LIKE! THEY ARE ALTERNATE VERSIONS OF THIS WORLD. MINE IS CALLED ‘UNDERSWAP,’ YOU AND I HAVE SWITCHED PERSONALITIES THERE, SO REALLY, WE’RE THE SAME.” Not Sans concluded, looking adequately proud of himself for such a well worded explanation.

“…I SEE. WHAT ARE YOU DOING HERE THEN, NOT SANS?” Papyrus inquired. There was also the question of how Not Sans got here, but Papyrus was certain he would learn in due time.

“BLUEBERRY IS FINE! I’M A PART OF A GROUP OF SANSES CALLED THE ‘STAR SANSES’ SO MY FRIENDS AND I ALL HAVE NICKNAMES.” Nicknames, Papyrus’s worst enemy. Blueberry didn’t seem to mind though, despite him supposedly being an alternate version of Papyrus. “BUT TO GET TO THE POINT- I AM HERE BECAUSE I NEED TO ASK A FAVOR OF YOU, CLASSIC PAPYRUS.”

“IF YOU WOULD LIKE TO ADD A TITLE TO MY NAME, THE GREAT WOULD BE BETTER, THANK YOU.” Papyrus announced, not sure what Blueberry meant by “classic.”

“NO, NO. CLASSIC IS A REFERENCE TO YOUR TIMELINE. YOUR TIMELINE IS THE ORIGINAL, SO IT’S LABELED ‘CLASSIC.’ I’M AFRAID MULTIPLE PAPYRUS USE ‘THE GREAT’ SO IT’S NOT AS DEFINING. IF YOU HAVE A DIFFERENT SUGGESTION, I’D BE OPEN FOR HEARING IT?” Blueberry sounded apologetic. Papyrus, meanwhile, was thinking hard. What other title would he like? Classic just didn’t suit him. He had to admit, Blueberry’s reasoning was sound. It might be better than coming up with his own. Still, if he could figure out a better one…

“THEN YOU CAN CALL ME COOL GUY INSTEAD!” Papyrus announced proudly. Blueberry hesitated then smiled.

“A NAME TO MATCH YOUR PERSONALITY? FANTASTIC! IGNORING THE FACT THAT I’M COOLER THAN YOU, IT’S PERFECT!” Blueberry concluded. Papyrus was tempted to correct him, but he could guess that it wouldn’t go so well. They were alternate versions of each other after all, so it would be difficult to discover who was cooler (it was obviously Papyrus though).

“ANYWAYS,” Papyrus said. “YOU MENTIONED A FAVOR? I’M FANTASTIC AT DOING FAVORS, AND I’D LOVE TO HELP YOU. WHAT DO YOU NEED?”

“MY FRIENDS AND I HAVE A VERY IMPORTANT JOB. WE PROTECT THE MULTIVERSE FROM AN EVIL GROUP CALLED THE ‘BAD SANSES.’ THEY’VE BEEN SUPER ACTIVE LATELY, AND DREAM THINKS THEY’LL ATTACK TODAY. UNFORTUNATELY, I’M BUSY ALL OF TODAY. I’M WORRIED ALPHYS WON’T THINK I’M FIT FOR THE GAUD OF I MISS A TRAINING SESSION, AND TODAY’S IS PLANNED TO LAST UNTIL LATE TONIGHT.” Papyrus had to hold back laughs picturing the short scientist holding one of Undyne’s spears with an eyepatch stuck on. He couldn’t seem to make it look anything short of ridiculous.

“BUT! BACK TO THE FAVOR, I WAS WONDERING IF YOU COULD TAKE MY PLACE TODAY. IF YOU’RE BUSY TOO, I UNDERSTAND.” Blueberry concluded.

“IT SOUNDS LIKE YOU HAVE A VERY IMPORTANT JOB. WHY DO YOU STILL WANT TO BE A MEMBER OF THE ROYAL GUARD? DOESN’T BEING A STAR SANS GIVE YOU ALL THE LOVE AND AFFECTION YOU COULD DESIRE?” Papyrus said haltingly. Star Sanses protected the whole multiverse, the Royal Guard just protects the underground. If that didn’t give Blueberry enough love… What hope did Papyrus have?

“WELL, IT DOES, BUT…” Blueberry took a deep breath. “I HAVEN’T SHARED WHAT I DO WITH MY TIMELINE YET. IT’S KIND OF A HUGE SECRET. I’M THE ONLY MULTIVERSAL BEING WHO ISN’T AN OUTCODE. IT’S NOT SOMETHING INCODES ARE SUPPOSED TO KNOW ABOUT. THERE AREN’T REALLY RULES BUT…” Blueberry trailed off, looking a bit upset.

“I’M SORRY I PUSHED. DOES THAT MEAN I’M NOT ALLOWED TO TELL ANYONE? MY BROTHER IS REALLY GOOD AT KEEPING SECRETS, MAY I TELL HIM?” Both brothers kept secrets from each other. Papyrus had his share, and he knew Sans had a pile. They had recently talked about trying to be more open with each other, and Papyrus wasn’t sure how he could keep his brother’s trust if he made a new secret. It was important to prevent new secrets from forming.

“LIKE I SAID, THERE ARE NO SPECIFIC RULES. IT’S JUST WHAT YOU FEEL COMFORTABLE WITH. BUT I WILL ASK THAT YOU COMMIT TO BEING ONE OF US BEFORE YOU TELL HIM,” Blueberry said firmly.

“OF COURSE! I WON’T LET YOU DOWN! HOW DO I HELP THOUGH? I’M NOT EVEN SURE HOW TO LEAVE MY TIMELINE.” Papyrus admitted. Blueberry looked relieved, and he stuck out his hand.

“I’M AFRAID I CAN’T OPEN MULTIVERSAL SHORT CUTS MYSELF, BUT IF YOU’D TAKE MY HAND MY FRIEND CAN BRING US OUT!” Blueberry widened his grin, and Papyrus reached out to grab his hand. There was a moment of stillness, where it was just the two of them in a snow covered forest. Some snow flurries falling from branches above. Papyrus shifted, the pause was uncomfortable. Just as Blueberry began to frown, a warm, distinctly yellow feeling began to spread through Papyrus’s bones. Blueberry even seemed to be glowing with the magic. Then pop, and he was somewhere new. It felt like a small jerk on his SOUL, more abrupt than his brother’s short cuts around the underground.

Speaking of, this wasn’t like anything Papyrus had seen in the underground. It was a large space with an orange gradient. It looked… undefinable, in the sense that it didn’t end. There were papers with small dancing images, and a number of them looked like Papyrus and his friends. Some were held up by strings while others hovered around the islands that floated about. It was a very dream-like place, like something Papyrus had imagined. It has been a long time since he dreamt something so serene, which was the only reason he could believe what he was seeing.

“Sorry about that Blue-” a new voice spoke, sounding a bit out of breath. Papyrus turned to find a golden Sans, laced with the same magic that brought him and Blueberry here. He had his hand wrapped tightly around another Sans. This one was incredibly short, he looked like a child compared to Papyrus (Not to fear! The Great Papyrus was fantastic with children!). He had a brush taller than him strapped to his back, and his outfit was all kinds of decorated- like a superhero! Both Sanses were.

“IT’S FINE. IS… IS EVERYTHING ALRIGHT HERE?” Blueberry regarded the Golden Sans’s grip on the Sans with a brush. Oh dear, so many Sanses. Someone who wasn’t as brilliant as Papyrus might not be able to follow!

“Uh, yep!” The golden Sans smiled, but he looked a bit too stressed. The brush Sans, however, snapped his full attention to Papyrus. His eyelights bounced between color and shapes before finally landing on a bright sky-blue shaped as a triangle and a Royal purple as a star.

“HELLO!!!!! I’m Ink!!!!” Ink struggled out of the gold Sans’s gasp and bounced overs to Papyrus. It was disturbing how little he resembled Papyrus’s brother. “I’m the protector of the Multiverse!! You’re Classic Paps, right?!” Ink grinned wildly as Papyrus avoided cringing.

“HELLO, INK. PLEASE DON’T CALL ME PAPS, OR CLASSIC FOR THAT MATTER. BUT WOWIE, PROTECTOR OF THE MULTIVERSE SOUNDS LIKE SUCH A BIG JOB!” Papyrus couldn’t help but be in awe of Ink’s title. It sounded more important than Head of the Royal Guard. Ink’s grin grew and his purple eyelight turned yellow. He looked like he was about to respond, but the gold Sans cut him off.

“Yep, super big job, which is why he has us to keep him on track. Anyways, hello, my name is Dream. I’m the guardian of positivity. If you don’t want us calling you Classic, what should we call you?” Dream kept his smile up, but he looked exhausted.

“HE WANTS TO BE CALLED COOL GUY.” Blueberry announced. Dream managed to look more worn out before responding.

“That’s… a fun nickname. But this needs to be like a substitute for your real name? Just, please pick something different.” Dream sounded incredibly firm, and Papyrus didn’t want to wear him out anymore. So he listened.

“WHAT ABOUT COOL BONES?” Papyrus’s smile faltered as Dream’s eyelights flickered out.

“Papyrus, please, be serious.” Papyrus had been serious, but he decided not to mention it. “Just- here, think about our names for a moment? Ink, Blue, Dream,” Dream pause, looking up at Papyrus hopefully. Papyrus did his best to reconsider. He could find an alternate version of his name? Translate it into another language perhaps. There was also the history of the word itself, which he and Sans had searched up late one brotherly bonding night. While the word papyrus is a plant, it’s also a form of paper in Ancient Egypt. Paper has simply so many uses, and it’s so incredibly important (and obnoxiously underrated). The Great Papyrus wouldn’t mind being called Paper.

“I CAN BE PAPER!” He offered, and Dream relaxed into a more genuine smile.

“Oooh!!! Like the paper to my ink!!!” Ink grinned, absolutely delighted.

“No, actually-“ Papyrus (Paper?) tried to correct him. With all the meaning behind his choice, he wanted to give it the proper glory.

“WELCOME TO THE STAR SANSES, PAPER!!!” Blueberry said, cutting Papyrus off. He tried to place his hand on Papyrus’s shoulder, but after discovering he couldn’t reach Blueberry settled for patting Papyrus’s back.

“THANK YOU NEW FRIEND!!” Papyrus widened his smile, reveling in the fact that he had made not one, not two, but THREE new friends in less than an hour. He couldn’t wait to tell his brother.

“NOW THAT WE’VE GOT THAT OUT OF THE WAY,” Blueberry said, “I HAVE TO HEAD HOME, ALPHYS IS EXPECTING ME. GOOD LUCK PAPER!” Blueberry threw a glance at Dream, then he lit up with the same golden hue as last time and disappeared. Ink’s eyelights flashed to a different color as he focused again on Papyrus, who had noticed by now that Ink’s attention was short and his focus quickly shifted.

“So, buddy, what do you wanna do now?” Ink leaned forward, almost as if bowing, and he bounced a little on his heels before performing some kind of trick jump and landing on an island floating a few feet up. He was now roughly at Papyrus’s socket-level.

“We tell Papyrus how this is going to go.” Dream said, cutting Ink off. Ink frowned, one eyelight flipping to a purple question mark while the other changed to a dim reddish-orange square.

“WHAT DO YOU MEAN?” Papyrus wiggled his fingers, the fabric of his gloves rubbing. Dream sounded awfully serious, a stark contrast to Ink’s carefree nature.

“Blue’s already learned how to deal with… the Bad Sanses. Since we already know what does and doesn’t work, I’d rather skip the hard-learned lessons.” Dream gave a weak smile at the end, while Ink stuck out a rainbow colored tongue, nearly pouting.

“...WHAT MIGHT THOSE BE?” Papyrus began to worry for the first time since he accepted Blueberry’s offer.

“First of all, Blue’s already tried speeches.”

“MAYBE THEY JUST NEED MORE, OR HE HASN’T FOUND THE RIGHT ONE!” Papyrus said. Dream winced.

“Maybe, but we don’t have the time to give the speeches, and more often than not the Bad Sanses don’t even listen, they murder while you talk.” Dream said, the spot where his eyebrows would be tilting up.

“MURDER?” Papyrus faltered.

“Did Blue forget to tell you?” Ink asked. He had plopped down and was lying on his back with his skull dangling off his island, looking far too relaxed.

“TELL ME WHAT.” Papyrus didn’t want to guess this time. Dust isn’t a puzzle he ever wanted to solve.

“Our role as Guardians of the Multiverse is to protect timelines from being destroyed. The way that happens is the Bad Sanses wipe through the entire Underground, killing anyone and everyone they meet. Once they’ve killed enough, the timeline is unstable enough for them to destroy it directly.” Dream sighed, his shoulders slumping.

“Or so we think. Timelines are weird, and there could be a whole slew of reasons for how things work!! It’s really interesting. I’ve been wanting to study it all but- OOH A BUTTERFLY!!!” Ink said, jumping up to chase the shiny indigo insect. Even though Ink didn’t finish his sentence, Papyrus could get a sense of why he wasn’t learning anything. Ignoring the eccentric skeleton, Dream just looked sad. He was staring down at the ground, one hand wrapped tightly around the fabric above his SOUL.

“WHAT HAPPENS IF WE DON’T GET THERE IN TIME?” Papyrus tried to say it softly, but he could never figure out how to speak in lowercase. At least it still sounded caring.

“The entire timeline dies.” Dream sighed. He looked up, finally seeing Papyrus’s expression. “Ah! Don’t worry though!! We win a lot!! I’m just trying to explain why I need you to listen to me!!” Dream waved his hands about, trying to dispel the dark mood that had settled.

“THAT’S ALRIGHT. YOU WERE BEING HONEST. IT’S IMPORTANT TO UNDERSTAND ALL OF THE PIECES OF OUR JOB. I’M GLAD YOU TOLD ME.” Papyrus crouched so as to come eye to eye with Dream. He used this tactic with his brother whenever Sans was upset. Papyrus had found that it’s easier to talk to someone who’s right there with you. Papyrus reached out his gloved hands, and wrapped the bright, cheery red around Dream’s hands. Papyrus realized for the first time that Dream wore gloves too. Maybe he was a swapped version of Papyrus like Blueberry. Papyrus made a note to ask him later, when he was feeling better.

“Thank you, Paper.” Dream took a deep breath before continuing. “We pride ourselves in not killing anyone, ever. Not even the Bad Sanses. A tactic we like to use is trapping them. Blueberry does that the most, because he has the most magic to spare, so you’ll be using a lot of blue magic. Is that ok?”

“ABSOLUTELY!! I HAVE FANTASTIC CONTROL OF MY MAGIC, YOU DON’T NEED TO WORRY.”

“The butterfly flew away.” Ink said, butting in. He had a pout again. Papyrus leaned toward Dream a little and whispered to him.

“DOES… DOES HE PAY ATTENTION ENOUGH TO NOT GET HURT?” Papyrus was genuinely worried, but Dream burst out laughing. His grin widened as he turned toward Ink, who had begun to… eat… grass..?

“Most of the time.” Dream said, not particularly reassuring.

[mytwistedhome]

𝓕𝓵𝓸𝔂𝓭 𝓛𝓮𝓮𝓬𝓱 ~ 𝓓𝓮𝓮𝓹, 𝓭𝓮𝓮𝓹, 𝓭𝓮𝓮𝓹

Floyd Leech x Reader

This is something I wrote just for fun, and also to try writing a story in the present-tense. This was very much inspired by the plot of The Little Mermaid, as you might be able to tell xD I hope some people enjoy!

You are kneeling down at the edge of a ferry boat, trying to get from one island to the next. These boats are built very small with open floors and railings that are hardly high at all, as they are meant to quickly take passengers from one place to the next around the peaceful and beautiful islands, running smoothly along ocean water paths that are usually short and quick to cross.

The water on this day looks particularly beautiful as the sun sparkles off the teal shades of the wave-less sea, and you, who normally feels so safe on these familiar ferries, decide to ignore the safety precautions yet again. You lean yourself forward... farther and farther, even more forward as more pressure shifts onto your knees.

It isn't dangerous. Nothing bad has ever happened before.

Oh, the breeze is so nice! Do you feel it as the wind runs past your face? The warm, gentle breeze of the calm and tranquil sea? Do you feel it? Does it make you happy?

The smile on your face says, "Yes, yes! Yes, it does!" And you lean forward still, your feet lifting off the ground behind you as you stare up, up at that clear blue sky.

A sprinkle of water jumps from the sea below and lands lightly on your cheek. You shift your gaze down to the water, the smile still spread over your lips. You can't see it, but the little drop of water glistens so beautifully against your skin. If only someone could see it...

But what you do see is still so beautiful--it's breathtaking! That serene scenery. It does take your breath away; you hold the air in your throat as you stare at every shimmery shade of blue becoming green in the glittery gradient of the sea.

You now release the air inside you because the sea isn't ready to take it all just yet.

You use your breath you've regained to inhale, exhale, over and over. Deeply, deeply, again and again. That aroma of the sea is too irresistible to ever stop indulging. The most refreshing fragrance, isn't it? And the fracturing rainbows that gleam up brightly every now and then as the sun glints off a perfect ripple of the ocean.

Everything is so wonderful! You push yourself further toward the edge. Further, further. It seems you cannot possibly be close enough to fully take in every aspect of the brilliant scene. You gasp at the beauty, smiling widely, leaning further.

Leaning too far.

Whoever could have seen this coming?

Your smile vanishes. A panic surges. Fear. Fight or flight, but there is nothing to fight, no way to take flight.

And you fall down, down, down.

The drop is like death itself. Knowing what is happening, wanting to stop what is happening, knowing you cannot stop what is happening--and, at the same time, too quick to even process what is happening.

And your body hits the water, hits the sea, lost of all tranquility. From all around your body, up goes the water. Up goes the sea as you fall deeper under.

And down come the waves, taking you further, deeper, deeper.

You thrash about in the water, unable to see any light, any hope. Your mouth is open wide, and it quickly fills with salty shades of blue and green. That glittery gradient of the sea. Now, it is inside you. In your panic, you are unable to think, and you still try to breathe. You inhale sharply through your nose, but instead of air, there is water. It stings your nerves, your brain, your eyes. Everything, all around. Water, water. Your lungs are unable to breathe.

The ocean really is breathtaking now.

You flail your arm in front of you, to your sides, and to behind. It is no use. You sink. Deeper, deeper. Your body does not float to the surface. The light begins to fade. The ship is no longer visible. You sink into the deep, deep, deep.

You cannot breathe. You cannot see. Your mind slows down... thoughts are but a whisper of a sound.

And you sink.

. . .

There is pressure at your back, something pushing against you. Something wraps around your waist and secures you in place, and then it drags you forward... No, upward. Toward the surface of the sea.

Something presses onto the top of your arm, wrapping around your skin so tightly that it tingles all the way down to your fingertips. It's numbing. And, it would be painful, but... you are hardly able to feel a thing. The sensation is but a light sting.

And, suddenly, you are yanked from the enclosing blanket of water up to the cold, windy air. Your back lands onto a hard surface of dry rock that's been warmed by the blazing sun above. That sun burns your nose and cheeks, while the wind simultaneously blows past your wet skin and makes you cold.

It takes several moments--many, many long moments--but at last, you realize the sensations you are feeling. You remember the the sun, the stone, the drowning. But, what happened in between?

"Oh, good~ You opened your eyes! I was getting worried for you, you know?"

You sit up slowly to see a blue mer-creature leaning toward you from where the stone meets the sea. He is beneath you, as the stone you lay upon slopes downward into the water, and his long eel-ish tail sways back and forth, creating gentle ripples all around. His teal color almost makes him blend perfectly into the clear water, and his smooth, wet flesh glistens and gleams where the sunlight hits.

And... He is quite handsome...

"Hm? What's that? Why do you look at me with such~ a frightful face?" He begins to laugh after saying that with a warm, concealed giggle that sounds from the top of his throat. "You should be grateful for me."

Unsure of what he means, you ask him to clarify.

"Oh, you poor~ unfortunate soul..." he drags the words out dramatically, giving you a sorrowful pout. "You fell from the ship way back there~ nearly drowned," he smiles, "I am the one who pulled you up!"

You look at him in disbelief. Did... did he really save you?

Of course. You have no reason to doubt.

"Thank you..." you say. And then, as politely as you can, you ask, "Your name?"

"Ah~~ I'm Floyd~ And it's no problem~!" he answers you, but suddenly, he pushes himself fully into the water, completely emerging his head beneath the surface.

And then, just as quickly as he went, he comes back up again and rests his elbows on the stone.

"I can't help but save those I see in misfortune. But..." his voice wavers at the last word, "these things are never free, are they~? There's a price~ Don't you agree?"

"Um... what do you mean?"

"I saved your life just now, didn't I? I think a perfect deal would be if you gave something else up in exchange, hm?" He has a way of speaking that sounds as though he's trying to hold back laughter at every moment, which seem to reveal something dark and insidious contained within the shallow layers of his demeanor. "And besides~ there must be something that you desperately want..."

You look past him out onto the open horizon, and then you stare down into your lap. He, indeed, saved your life, so... If he wants something in return, you can at the very least give him that, right?

But, what is your deepest desire?

Impatient by your silence, Floyd continues, "I know a very~ benevolent and generous sea witch who could give you anything you ever desire--for a price~! And a price seems to be exactly what you owe right now, hm? Because I saved your life~"

He sighs then, "Oh~ But what is it that you would give? You are just a simple human. Yeah~?" it seems as though he's cooing at you with the way he says each word, "Well~... Maybe you do have one thing~..."

He dips his head under the surface once more and quickly comes up again.

"Your pretty face~~!"

You stare at him, surprised by his words. Are you to feel flattered or... threatened? You can't tell.

"Fufu~" Floyd giggles from where he leans, laying his hand against his palm and looking up at you with a dreamy expression. "You really are so pretty... You don't plan to hoard all those good looks to yourself, do you~?"

Your heart begins to beat very, very quickly. Your breath comes out as huffs, and a chill runs down your back. Such a weird feeling. Is this fear? Flattery? You do not know.

You look down and begin to ponder all that Floyd has said. It seems that he... wants you to give part of your beauty in exchange for your greatest desire and as 'payment' for his saving your life... That isn't so bad, is it? After all, it sounds as if the deal is more rewarding for you, right? You get two things, and Floyd gets one.

But... how do you give someone your beauty? What can that even mean?

What can he really want from you...?

You sigh, allowing the warm air to settle inside--a refreshment that you very much needed after all that's happened to poor, unfortunate you. You look up into his eyes, but a second goes by, and now he is the one looking down.

Swiftly, he takes your hand into his own. His supple flesh feels like silk against your palm. With a low voice, he speaks his final plea, "What do you say~? Will you come with me?"

[just-strolling-by]

Was debating on whether or not I wanted to post this but I decided "eh, why not." Here's my designs for the Origin SMP. Will I make one for Charlie and Schlatt? Probably not.

Some Design Notes/Character "Headcanons":

Wilbur Soot:

- Didn't know how to make him look obviously transparent so go along with it

- (Was actually considering to make a background for all of them because of this but I got lazy)

- Should have made him float higher but didn't have enough room on my page

Nihachu:

- I forgot to put it but their's supposed to be fins on her arms

- I gave her legs cause technically she CAN go on water but she'll suffocate

- Gills are either covered by hair on neck or behind those fin-things on her head

- Blue pupils to symbolize "Wet Eyes"!

TommyInnit:

- The first clothing design I did. I really liked the idea of Avians having their wings gradually form to their arms because over time they didn't need to fly anymore

- (but you also can't really see it since his arms are covered with his clothes )

- ((no, those are NOT his "wings" I just drew it like that and I am now experiencing regret))

- Out of everyone, I feel like his is the one that's the most heavily based on his skin

- FUCK I FORGOT TO PUT THE SCRITCHY-SCRATCHY THINGS ON HIS PANTS

- Oh well

- Instead of flying they would use their strong feet to travel at mountains.

- (Also I was trying to find a "mountain chicken" type bird that lives in high places but I discovered a "mountain chicken" is a type of endangered frog. Also I think quails suits Avians??)

- I think when one first hears about Avians they'll think about like these peaceful, graceful species, like akin to elves, and the person who chose this role is Tommy of all people and I find that funny and really interesting. Like, imagine a young (and loud and brash) Avian who left the mountain because he didn't agree with the traditional ways and wanted to explore the world. Also he really wants to fly. Could be a really interesting story.

Tubbo:

- Oh God, wHERE DO I START????

- Smallest one there for obvious reasons

- Tubbo's and Jack's designs were the trickiest ones for me. Because Tubbo's main color is green it clashes with purple quite a lot.

- Added purple splotches cause the description said "protected shell-like skin" but that (along with the green cell-shading) made him look sort of sickly. Also without the gloves his hands are completely purple.

- When I colored the pants I did what any good mom would do and try to add as much green as possible. The inside of the shulker is yellow so I made it to a greenish-yellow.

- (also, because the weird robe thing I did had the pattern of a shulker box I thought it was clever to "hide" the color inside it, like the actual mob)

- Hands are shaped like that because he can't hold a shield and I think its easier to mine stone like that.

- His outfit sort of resembles a guard's uniform because there is always one shulker guarding the treasure room.

- Backpack has no straps cause it really isn't a "backpack" but an actual box stuck on his back

- Thought about basing the shulker parts on the green shulker box for a smoother transition but I thought against it since I felt like it would go against the purple-scheme of the End. Oh well.

Philza:

- The first time I ever saw an elytra in Minecraft the first thing I thought of was "insect"

- Because Elytras are from the End (a mysterious place) I make it like a magic "cape" he was born with that can turn into "cape wings" (there was this one design I saw of his wings and I think that perfectly represents what I had in mind)

- Originally thought "Would it be fine just to give him his original skin?" but I thought it was too easy so I come up with him being some sort of "treasurer" since Elytras are found in the treasure room (don't quote me on that I have not played Minecraft in years)

- I think it'll be cool if every Elytrian has a Shulk to protect them since the Elytrians are with the treasure they're probably some kind of trusted nobility so they need a guard to help them. May this guard be Tubbo is up to debate.

Jack Manifold:

- The second hardest one to design.

- Because his color scheme has a lot of blue I didn't know what to add and remove to match with the blaze (no pun intended) of the Nether.

- First thought is to replace his camo pants to a nether-camo pants. I dropped the stripes cause I didn't know what to do with them and instead gave him a gradient.

- Arms are disjointed and (don't know if you can see) his head is floating akin to a blaze.

- I gave him golden kneecaps cause... Nether

- His shoes/head is bright cause of fire(?) I headcanon that blazes have an innate fire/heat system so I carried that over to the Blazeborns

Ranboo:

- Noble that snuck away from the End to visit the Overworld!!

- When I first read the description for the Enderian the first thing I thought was of princes, princesses and nobility, with the Ender Dragon of course being the tyrannical ruler of the End.

- (plus, his skin has a liTERAL CROWN)

- I gave him a traveller's cloak and some noble-ish clothes underneath to emphasize on that "noble snuck out to explore the world" sort of vibe.

- It's sort of hidden by the hair but there is a crown underneath it. There was originally jewels there but I decided against it

- His arms are longer and I was supposed to make him taller (despite him already being the tallest person in the server) but I did not have enough room. Also he was originally not gonna have a mouth but I gave it to him anyways.

[hitsuackerman]

A Different Hashira (Giyu x Reader) pt 4

Here is the part 4 of A Different Hashira

You can click here for part 1 :)

You can click here for part 2 :)

You can click here for part 3 :)

- - - - -

Food

-A BIT OF MANGA SPOILERS AHEAD-

The day had finally arrived where your crows carried messages for your missions. Both of you were assigned on solo missions. Your birds arrived while the two of you were enjoying a quiet breakfast. Somehow, you had managed to talk him into having breakfast with you. Not believing what you saw, Giyu turns out to be a groggy person in the morning. Seeing him with hazy eyes gave you a new sensation in your tummy.

You did learn one thing about Giyu. When his crow arrived, you saw his eye twitch visibly. He did give him a thanks before the crow flew back out the window.

"Does your crow make you... nervous, Tomioka-san?"

As he ate his rice, he nodded and stifled a yawn.

Other than that, it was a very tranquil breakfast. The washing of the dishes fell on Giyu as you cleaned the table.

Both of you then proceeded to mind your own businesses.

You were feeling frisky so you decided to wear your slayer uniform with a skort instead of the usual pants. Instead of your usual ponytail, you sported a half up half down. Because, why not?

You did linger around your choice of blade. Bringing two would be too troublesome, so you opted for your other blade instead. It had also dawned to you how the other pillars haven't really seen your real sword since you kept on bringing the fake one.

The thought also entered your mind. Ubuyashiki-sama never really mentions what pillar you were when the others were present. Not even Kyo or Mitsuri knew. To them you were a generic pillar of some-sorts.

In your mind, you were reviewing what your raven had relayed to you.

Your mission was to go to the village 4 hours from the estate. There was an abnormal raise of demons to the point where some swordsmen have disappeared. You were to stay there for only 3 days before falling back to the estate should nothing happen.

By the time you finished preparing, you finally wore your haori. It was always the best feeling in the world.

When you went downstairs, Giyu had already left. There was a tinge of sadness to you, he could've just said good bye. With a sigh, you left the estate and head off to your mission.

- -

The trip was pretty bland during the first few hours. Things took a turn when Karasutori came flying to you once more.

"(Y/N). You are to follow Ubuyashiki Amane tomorrow."

You wanted to ask why but you knew too well that your bird was a stubborn one despite training it to be level-headed. Nodding your answer, you gave him a soft pat on the head till he was flying in the air once more. At the same time, the village was now in view. All you wanted to do now was to take a rest and nap. And probably eat some manju.

After wandering and assessing the village, your eyes came across the familiar House with the Wisteria Family Crest. Practically running towards it, you were greeted by Hisa.

Showing you to your room, you were served food and tea. And surprisingly, manju. Because you've been branded as a frequent visitor, Hisa showed up with your yukata. It was an all black yukata that had red gradients on its sleeves.

The night finally arrived and you were munching on your dinner till you heard the familiar voice of a pillar. Once the tatami doors slid open, you were greeted by Sanemi.

"Hello~" Stretching out your hand, you offered him some of your food. "Ohagi?"

There was a slight falter in his anger. With hesitation, he took the ohagi and ate it in peace.

"You like ohagi, Sanemi-san?"

"What's it to you?" The usual anger in his voice was there despite you not sensing it anymore.

"You look better when your calm." Slowly, you placed another ohagi onto his plate. He didn't reject. A thought entered your mind. Sanemi was one of the pillars that you never really made a bond with, so this was a once in a lifetime chance. "How many ohagi's can you fit in your mouth, Sanemi-san?"

His line of sight jerked to you. He caught on with the teasing tone of your voice.

"Are you fucking challenging me, (L/N)?"

"Maybe...?"

"OI! GRANDMA! BRING US A SHIT TON OF OHAGI!"

A surprised smile entered your face at the sudden change of mood between the two of you. Not long after, Hisa came in with the biggest amount of ohagi you had ever seen. She must've been eavesdropping seeing that they were no bigger than dango's.

 Within a few seconds, you and the Wind Pillar were stuffing your mouths with as much ohagi as you could. For an added challenge, after each piece you had to say the word 'Nichirin'.

It was all fun and games till you had 5 in your mouth. Sanemi on the other hand, had 7.

"Nghihiring" You tried your best. You felt the drool dripping onto your yukata. It felt cold and gross.

"Nihkherin" He muttered as he took in another piece of ohagi.

Just as you were about to regret the decision of starting the game, Your messenger birds arrived with news.

"(L/N). Shinazugawa. Proceed to north west part of the forest. Demons have been attacking."

With puffy cheeks, the both of you chewed on your ohagi's while going towards your respective rooms.

Minutes later, with your blades hanging on your sides, the two of you were now running at full speeds to where the demons were reported to be. When the two of you felt the familiar aura of demons, Sanemi signaled and the two of you ran even faster.

Coming to a halt, you bumped into his back.

"Draw out your blades, (L/N)."

Following his order, you stationed yourself by his right hand and carefully forwarded with caution.

Hearing a rustle coming from the bushes, both of you pointed your blades only to be met by Amane.

"Amane-sama!" You both knelt and greeted at the same time.

"Rise. It is only I. The other demons have made their exit as we speak. However, we must look for a house with two boys. I fear they may be badly injured."

Sanemi accompanied her as you made your own way.

After moving forward and searching, you stumbled upon nothing and made your way back to the others. When you arrived at the rendezvous, Sanemi's crow was waiting for you. And just like his master, the crow bit your cheek. Slapping the bird away, the crow tugged on your haori and motioned you to follow him.

You halted when you saw the body of a demon severely killed. Almost as if it was killed with the primal instinct to survive. You could also see just how ragged the lines were indicating that it was not a sword that was used in killing the demon. It was splayed right outside a house.

Moments later, Sanemi came out of the house with a badly injured boy with long black hair. Running towards the two of them, you could smell the odor of a decayed body. Further inspection of the boy, you saw how some maggots had found their way to the scars on his body. Making your way inside, you saw Amane covering the body of , what seems to be the brother.

"We were too late. Luckily, the boy Sanemi-san is tending to now is alive."

The House with the Wisteria Family Crest gladly took him in. They treated his injuries just enough for him to stabilize. The mission was now over and you were to head back to the Ubuyashiki Manor the next day.

Sitting on the engawa by the garden, your meditation was cut when you heard footsteps. Sanemi was walking towards you with a tray of manju and tea. Placing it beside you, he sat down, tossed a manju into his mouth, and sipped on his tea.

"Does this mean I won, Sanemi-san?" You teased while chewing on a manju.

"Who the fuck said you won? Just wanted to say that was a good way to waste some shitty time here."

"Anytime~"

- - - - -

When the three of you arrived, Amane had instructed Sanemi to take the kid to their manor. Following orders, you were left alone to wander off to wherever you wanted.

You chose to head home.

Hearing the familiar stream of water gave you the energy you longed for. Your mind then fell unto the status of cleanliness the estate had. 2 days had passed and because you left a lot of windows open, dust was sure to greet you.

Greeted with the familiar silence, you hopped to your room and checked if your Nichirin sword was still in its place. Seeing it in place made you feel relaxed and safer. Though the Water Estate was safe with a bunch of wisteria trees planted around it, you were still as cautious as ever. After hearing about what Tecchikawahara had to warn you about your Nichirin sword, you were paranoid to some extent.

Locking the doors once more, you changed into your yukata and sat down by the engawa. You felt sleep slowly take over your body. The breeze was a temperature lower today. Having to walk all the way back was a little tiring, you weren't going to lie.

The main doors slid open and you turned your back.

"Hello." Giving Giyu a smile as he entered the manor. He bowed his head as he walked past you.

"Do you want something to eat?"

"No. It's fine."

There it was again. The ticklish sensation in your tummy. It always made you feel giddy when he answered back.

"Well, I want something to eat. Accompany me?"

Giyu stopped walking and glanced at you over his shoulders. Though there was a considerable amount of distance, you saw how his eyes had darker circles. If anything, it seemed as if the color in his eyes became a shade darker.

His mind seemed to be working overtime at the sudden invite. Looking at you, he could tell that you were tired from the mission. You could have chosen to just eat alone yet there you were, in a yukata with messy hair. He failed to notice that you were already an arms length from him. He could smell a hint of lavender on you.

"I'll take your silence as a yes! Let's just cook a simple meal and go on our separate ways, is that okay?"

"Okay."

With a toothy smile, you let him go to his room to freshen up. Inside the kitchen, you were left to ponder on your thoughts.

'Shit. What food does he like?'

[yourdeepestfathoms]

uroboros, the eternal return (part two)

foster AU.

TW: Mentioned/implied child abuse, violence

——————

-Freezing the Viper’s Venom-

Joan used to draw a lot. She was good at drawing, she liked to think, as it was sometimes the only thing she was allowed to do when locked in her rooms.

But now her sketchbook was filled with drawings of Them. The family that almost gave her everything.

Even after she fucked it all up, the Greene’s, the seventh family, still remained her favorite fosters. Her time with them and the end she met taught her something very valuable:

Don’t get comfortable.

Joan brushes her fingertips over Mrs. Greene’s pencil-shaded face and thought back to how she actually looked in person. Chocolate brown hair with natural curls at the tips, warm honey eyes, pearly white teeth, broad shoulders. She kinda looked like a porcupine that worked in criminal justice.

Joan found herself giggling a little. She didn’t know why, but she had a habit of comparing others to animals. Not even her newest family could escape it- Jane looked like a white tiger and Katherine kinda looked like an otter.

But Mrs. Greene! She was so kind and so sweet. She treated Joan as if she were her biological daughter and not just a foster. Joan thought they were gonna adopt her.

In the end, though, she ruined it all.

But it wasn’t her fault! Not really, anyway... The baby was just crying so loud and Joan couldn’t handle the wailing anymore because the party had already been noisy enough. She hadn’t meant to lash out like she did, really!

Most of what happened was a blur, but she remembered all the screaming, the horrid, annoying shrieks of the baby, someone shoving her, the blood underneath her fingernails.

   “Mum should lock you up for what you did,” One of her brothers at the time had told her, staring at her as if she were a demon loosed from hell, “She is a lawyer. She can probably do that. You should be in an asylum.”

Those words never left Joan. They taunted her constantly.

Ever since then, she’s tried harder to reign things in. She stamps down her emotions, bottling them up and not worrying about a possible breaking point.

If she snapped again, it would be disastrous.

Joan blinked away the remnants of the past and shook her head. She tucked away the sketchbook and walked downstairs to get ready to leave for school. Jane smiled warmly from the kitchen when she saw her.

   “Good morning, love,” The woman chirped, “Breakfast’s almost ready. Oh, also, there’s a baby shower happening at my parent’s house this evening. You don’t have to go if you don’t want to.”

Joan tensed for a moment, but she relaxed a little when she got an option. However, the thought of being alone in such an unfamiliar place (it’s only been seven days, she’s still getting used to the house) scared her and she felt like she would disappoint Jane even more if she didn’t go, so she nodded.

   “No, it’s okay,” She said quickly, “I-I can go.”

Jane looked a little surprised, but smiled nonetheless.

   “Wonderful!”

Joan was slightly startled when one of Jane’s hands rubbed against the top of head. She flinched, recoiling backwards a little.

   “Oh, I apologize!” Jane drew her hand back, “I should have known you wouldn’t like being touched.”

Joan blinked multiple times. It didn’t hurt. She didn’t get hurt when she was touched. Why? What made it not hurt? Usually adults only wanted to harm her. And why wasn’t she that scared? She’s always frightened when touched without warning, but...

She reached up to her head, tentatively touching the area of contact and expecting a welt, a bruise, a gash, at least blood but...nothing. She looked up at Jane, and tapped lightly, unable to get words out (which is honestly humiliating but nothing she can do about it). Jane furrowed her eyebrows.

   “But I thought-”

Joan tapped more, so Jane put her hand back on her head, rubbing gently, so gently.

Joan held perfectly still, pressing into the touch. She was trying to understand the sensation rolling over her. Happiness? Love? Comfort? Those were not things she was very familiar with.

Wasn’t touch bad? Touch usually left her hurt, bleeding, in pain. But Jane’s touch...Jane’s touch didn’t cause any of that at all. In fact, it made her feel less hurt.

   “Are you okay, sweetie?” Jane looked down at the girl, worry shining in her eyes. “You look a little out of it. Do you need to sit down?”

She was concerned, too. Like, actually concerned about her.

Joan shook her head and finally pulled back. The feeling whisked away like that and she couldn’t help but feel cold (not the usual cold she always felt because she’s always cold). This was a sense of longing.

   “Sorry,” She whispered, the embarrassment of the situation finally filtering in.

   “There’s nothing to be sorry about.” Jane assured her, “Now, how about breakfast?”

—————

     “You’re really good at piano, kiddo,” The student teacher in Joan’s piano class said after the bell rang, “Much better than most people here.” She titters lightly and it makes her pale green shimmer.

   “Thanks,” Joan said shyly, battling her useless gay feelings.

   “You know, you should sign up for Fall Fest coming up,” The student teacher suddenly suggested and her eyes glimmer again, “To, like, play! Wouldn’t that be fun? Playing creepy music and scaring the uptight rich little kids who come to get free candy from the school?”

It honestly really did sound fun. Joan never liked kids.

   “Yeah,” Joan nodded. “It does.”

   “I’ll give you a flyer!”

She padded over to a cabinet and pulled out a paper. That’s when Joan noticed a container filled with beautiful quills that she couldn’t take her eyes off of for some reason. The student teacher noticed Joan eyeing them and grinned at her.

   “Would you like one, kiddo?”

Joan nodded shyly without even thinking about saying now.

   “Here, let me get my-”

   “No no, put that away,” The student teacher said when she went to grab her wallet.

Joan stopped, tilting her head. She didn’t want payment?

   “Think of it as a gift! Trust me, kid, you don’t need to pay me back for a pen.”

Joan gave a little nod.

   “Alright, give me a second,” The student teacher pokes through the container before holding a few pens out.

A brilliant, fuzzy emerald feather with swirls and sparks of aquamarine and sapphire, an iridescent thin wing, a large leaf-shade design with silvery indents, a fire-gradient quill, and one with an intricate interlacing metal design.

   “The art class made these and had a lot of spares. At first I thought they went a little overboard, but they’re actually really nice. You can pick the one that catches your fancy.” The student teacher said.

Joan stared down at the various options, glancing back up at the older girl a few times. Which one did she want her to take? What if it was a test? Would something happen to her if she chose the wrong one?”

   “You don’t like any of them?”

No, she liked the one with the greens and blues. It reminded her of dragon scales.

   “Choose whatever you like!”

She really got to choose?

   “Go ahead, don’t be shy!” The student teacher encouraged patiently. “Pick any one that you want.”

What she wants? She really gets to choose?

Joan tentatively reached out and took the green-blue pen, glancing up at the student teacher to make sure it was absolutely okay.

   “Good choice!” The older girl beamed, “I hope the pen works to your liking. Tell me if it doesn’t work.”

Joan stared at the item, slowly taking out her wallet back out. Surely, she wanted some kind of payment. She couldn’t give out something this beautiful for free.

   “No no, I said put that away!” The student teacher huffed, “This is a gift. You don’t have to give me anything, I promise.”

Oh.

Joan nodded and the student teacher was grinning again.

   “Maybe you can use it to write your own sheet music.”

   “Maybe,” Joan hummed, “Thank you so much.”

   “No problem!”

—

     At lunch Joan actually finds herself beaming as she presents the quill to Maria. They take turns poking each other and brushing over each other’s skin with the soft feather. Joan feels happy.

—————

     On the ride to Jane’s parent’s house Joan plays with the quill to distract herself and calm her nerves. She ruffled and glided her fingers through the colorful fringes, watching them bend into new positions at her touch. It was pleasing.

However, she wasn’t quite sure if a feather would be enough to stabilize her once they got to the house.

Upon entering, Joan was instantly spoken to by an older woman with greying blonde hair. She hugs her, which Joan dislikes a lot, but Jane separates them quickly.

   “Be gentle, mum,” Jane said, “She’s shy.”

   “Right, of course!” The older woman nodded, “Hello, love. I’m Margery, your new grandma.”

Joan wrinkled her nose. She didn’t like when people gave themselves those titles- not this soon, at least.

   “Hi,” She said softly. “I’m Joan.”

   “Jane’s told me a lot about you,” Margery continued, “Everyone’s been dying to meet you! I’ll introduce you to them!”

Joan wanted to resist so badly, but she really didn’t have a choice, so she let the old woman drag her all around the house.

During dinner, the conversations pressed onto Joan became more abundant, as people wanted to talk to her right as she put something in her mouth. She looked up at the relatives sitting at her table with a confused expression, swallowing quickly so she could answer whatever they asked.

She was being smothered and she hated it. She kept glancing around for Jane or Katherine, but there were a lot of people at this stupid baby shower, and it seemed like everyone was paying more attention to her than the expecting mother.

The moment Joan thought she got a second to breathe, someone approached her. It was a boy, slightly younger but had a bad aura around him. He looked like a mangy coyote.

   “Oh, so you’re Jane’s new plus one.” He said, eyeing Joan up and down.

   “I guess,” Joan said, “Who are you?”

   “Francis,” Francis told her as if she should have known that, “Don’t bother telling me your name. You won’t be staying long anyway.”

Joan furrowed her eyebrows and snapped to full attention.

   “What?”

   “Hm? You actually think Jane wants to keep you?” Francis laughed loudly, “Have you seen yourself? I’ve just met you and I already hate being around you.”

His words are venom in Joan’s ears. Her already impossibly low self-esteem is getting drilled further into the ground the longer he speaks.

   “Besides, fosters usually aren’t kept around. Katherine just got lucky. That only happens sometimes.”

Joan’s breathing started to quicken. If Francis noticed, he didn’t seem to care.

   “I’m just stating what we’re all thinking. You don’t belong here. This is not your home.”

Joan shoves him. The anxiety and fear has turned to anger. It burns and bubbles in her veins and she needed to release it.

   “You stupid fuck.” Francis hissed, only to have his threat be hollow when Joan punches him square in the nose. The sickening crunch and cracking sounds are almost as loud as his howls of pain.

   “You bitch! You little bitch!” He shrieked.

Joan felt like she could finally ease up, as that made her feel way better, but Francis didn’t seem to be ready to drop this all. Apparently a broken nose only fuels his unknown hatred towards her.

His bloodied hands go for her throat and she panics, slashing her nails across his face. His grip hooks in her hair and her forehead smashes with his knee. Stars burst around Joan and she topples backwards as people in the house start to yell. In front of her, Francis is pawing at his eyes and cheeks, yowling like a dying animal, and Joan takes this as a chance to practically leap onto him like an angry leopard.

After around three hits, someone grabs Joan and yanks her off of Francis. She tensed up at the sudden touch and then jerked away, bolting out the door.

Tears blurred Joan’s already hazy vision as she ran out the backyard and into the woods behind the property. Her breath comes out in heavy gasps and her lungs start to burn, but she pushes on, wanting nothing more than to get away from the humiliation she just put herself in.

She should have known. Francis was right- Jane’s sweet demeanor and kind words were nothing but lies. She was just like the rest of them.

Joan didn’t know where she was going, she just wanted to get away. She stumbled blindly through a stew of mud and slush beneath her feet, her vision so hazy that she didn’t even notice the hillside she was hobbling towards until she stepped off the edge.

Joan violently tumbled down the slippery slope, feeling like every bone in her body was breaking upon impact with the ground. She landed roughly in a heap, twitching and groaning. She’s covered in mud and her clothing has ripped, freeing any bare skin to the elements. Her knees are skinned raw, practically glowing neon pink and bright red.

She staggers up, wincing as sharp pains crawl up her right leg. She lifts her foot off the ground like a dog with a thorn in its paw as it feels like every tendon in her ankle has just been slashed. She had to hobble and limp forward, nearly crying out in pain every time her toes merely brush something.

She only gets a few steps forward before she falls again.

This time, she does not get up.

Shivering quickly consumed Joan from head to toe, setting her teeth clattering so hard she was sure her brain would rattle out of her ears. She drew heavy breaths in through her nose, every intake of air feeling like daggers carving out her lungs.

She’s sobbing, but the tears don’t feel like acid like they usually do. They run scalding hot for only a few seconds before the unforgiving cold chills them on her cheeks.

She smothered her face against the dirt and mud and scrunched her eyes shut tight, focusing on her breathing. If she could steady her shuddering breaths, maybe she could get her extremities to follow… In through the nose, because if she opened her mouth again she worried her tongue might freeze (probably not but the fear still nags her brain). She just had to block out everything else– the wind, the cold, the unrelenting voices in her head. She tucked her chin further down, burying her exposed face in her skinned knees. Just breathe. Focus…and breathe…

The shock of cold snow fluttering down onto the left side of her face had her gasping for breath, the pain of it leaving every exposed inch of skin in agony of a thousand pins and needles. The ache in her ankle and knees and palms and head made it all worse and she moaned weakly into the mud.

Is this how she died? Alone, freezing cold, and in the dark? Well, it was probably better than being surrounded by people who only acted like they wanted her around...

Joan’s sobbing is reduced to feeble whimpers and hiccups. Her breathing shallows out and she closed her heavy eyelids.

The world cracked. Cold clenched her lungs so tightly that each breath was a silver razor in her chest. Her mind tripped in sluggish circles, white-blind and hum-deaf, until color and sound turn into overlapping floods as her body bursts into fiery pins.

Finally, nothing.

For some reason, the last image her muddled mind created was Jane holding her...

————

      Jane never liked the woods behind her parent’s house, but she hated them even more when the beam of her flashlight landed on a clothed heap just barely in view at the bottom of a hill. Jane’s heart leapt into her throat and cried out the girl’s name, hurrying down the slope without care for her own safety. She fell to her knees beside her foster daughter.

   “Joan?”

Joan’s skin is icy to the touch and her eyes, just barely opened, are rolled to the back of her head. The unnatural blue that tinted her lips sent spikes of fear jamming into Jane’s gut.

Jane wraps her jacket around Joan’s shoulders and then holds her close to her chest. She squeezes her tightly, keeping her cold face pressed to the warmer flesh on Jane’s neck, hoping the slight skin-to-skin contact would generate some warmth in the girl.

   “Joan? Joan, honey, can you hear me?”

Nothing. Joan’s breath is faint against Jane’s collarbone.

   “Come on, Joan. Please.”

Nothing.

But only for a moment.

Jane feels Joan’s chest contract a little and then sees her eyelids flutter open slightly. Her mouth was opening and shutting, but there was no sound at first. Then, a tiny, squeaking noise. Her eyes were wide open, now, and it took a moment for Jane to understand that she was trying to scream.

   “It’s okay, my love, I’m not going to hurt you.” Jane tried to assure her.

Joan’s expression did not change. The squeaking sound gradually made a crescendo into a full shriek, and she started moving her head from side to side wildly. She blows her voice out within seconds and can only pant and breathe heavily.

   “Breathe, Joan,” Jane encouraged, “That’s it. Good girl.”

   “W-who are y-you?” Joan whispered with great effort. Jane actually found herself gasping upon hearing this. She hadn’t realized how bad her foster daughter’s condition was.

   “It’s Jane, love. Your foster mother.” Jane told her.

   “M-mother?”

No. No, that wasn’t right. She didn’t have a mother, she only had-

   “No,” Joan shook her head sluggishly again, “No. Let me go- let me go!!”

Jane winced at the pitches and cracks in Joan’s voice, but she doesn’t listen. Usually, she would always respect the girl not wanting to be touched, but she knew Joan would hightail it the moment she let go.

   “Joan, I’m not going to let you run away again. It’s too cold for you to be out here. We need to go back. We can go home.”

Joan didn’t have a home. Nowhere was home.

   “No, no,” Joan whimpered, “Don’t wanna go back. Please don’t make me. Please. I wanna stay out here. Please just leave me out here...”

   “No.” Jane said firmly and just held Joan even closer. Cold, scraped hands slam against her shoulders.

   “You’re just going to give me away, so why are you trying so hard?! I’m doing you a favor!”

   “...What?”

Jane’s grip slackens and Joan almost gets away.

   “Why would I do that?”

   “B-because of what I did,” Joan stuttered.

   “Oh, sweetheart,” Jane muttered in realization, “No, no, I’m not going to give you away. You dealt with Francis until you couldn’t anymore. I understand that, but we can discuss this later once you’re safe and warm.”

God, the amount of understanding in this woman was incredible. Her words really did sound genuine, but...

   “I don’t believe you.”

   “I-...”

Jane opened her mouth, but didn’t know what to say. Of course Joan didn’t believe her- why would she? She’s been betrayed by too many people who were meant to be her parental figures, who were supposed to protect and love her.

   “Please, please let me go,” Joan begged weakly and Jane’s heart breaks when she sees the tears running down her cheeks. “I just- I want- I don’t want to be here anymore.”

Did she mean...?

Anger simmered in Jane’s veins and she wished she knew all the families Joan had before coming into her care so she could beat them into a bloody pulp. They all broke this poor girl, this child, into shards so badly that she couldn’t trust anyone anymore and didn’t think she was even worth living.

Whatever Joan was feeling right now was far beyond pain.

   “I know you’re scared,” Jane spoke carefully, “And I know you’ve been hurt several times, but it’s going to be okay. Darkness has chosen to find you, but there will be light again. I can help you. I can protect you, I just need you to trust me. I need you to try.”

Joan says nothing, just cries softly.

   “I’m going to protect you.”

   “That’s what they all said.” Joan finally said and her voice is so low it sends chills down Jane’s spine, “They all said that and they lied. They always lie!”

   “Joan-”

   “No! You’re just like them! You’re a liar!”

Joan is struggling again, punching and kicking and scratching and using up every bit of energy she had left, but Jane does not let go. No matter how loud she shouts, no matter how hard she hits, she is not released.

   “Let go! Let go, you’re hurting me! Let go!!”

Joan digs her fingernails into Jane’s forearms and tears down, hoping that’ll be enough, but Jane just closes her eyes and endures the pain. This frustrates Joan even more.

Then, an idea came to her.

With her numb fingers and whatever is left of her dwindling strength, she fumbles in her pocket and pulls out the quill the student teacher in her piano class had given her. She raised it and-

For a long moment Jane wondered who she was even cradling anymore. Was that her Joan? Or was it some other person, some other thing that slipped into her foster daughter’s skin? Had she lost herself to the trauma within? It seemed that way, as she looked about ready to gouge her eyes out with a pen.

And yet? Jane held tight. She held back a flinch as blood from one of Joan’s cuts dripped onto her skin, held to the cloth of the girl’s shirt. She held her close, held her own breath, and held tight to all the courage she could muster.

The quill drops to the dirt.

Joan, and Jane is now sure it’s Joan, hunches down so she can press her face into her chest.

   “Why do you care so much?”

Jane doesn’t know how to answer, because she genuinely doesn’t know. She’s only known Joan for seven days, and yet she loves the girl to death. It was the same with Katherine. She didn’t want to let her go, just like how she didn’t want to let Joan go, too.

   “You deserve better than me.”

Jane is shocked into silence.

   “You shouldn’t be out here. You shouldn’t be holding me or loving me. I don’t deserve it. I don’t deserve you. And you’d deserve better.”

Words of Jane’s own bubble forth.

   “No. No. You listen to me,” Jane whispered, practically hissed as she leaned forward and she couldn’t even realize she was crying as well but that was the least of her concerns right now. “I. Don’t. Care. Being out here, holding you- I don’t care. I’m here for a reason. I’ve told you before and I’ll tell you again: I’m not going anywhere, and neither are you, because I’ll calm you down a hundred times if it meant-”

   “Ja-”

   “No,” Jane shook her head and she dared to continue, “No, just listen for another moment first, please, because I need to say that I don’t care about any of it, because I love you.”

Joan’s shoulders shook and she failed to bite back a hiccup and sob. Certainly she hadn’t heard that right. There was no way...

   “I love you,” Jane repeated softly, “and I don’t care about anything else- not a damn other thing in the world, because I love you, and you say I deserve better? Better than you?” She laughed, wiping a palm heavily underneath an eye that threatened to spill over. “Good luck, darling, because there is nothing better than you. Not for me. You’re the best there is.”

Joan could feel the yet another wave of tears thick in the back of her throat, a different dull tightness from the choking fear she had felt. A weak little noise forced its way up from inside her chest, from deep down in the pit of guilt and fear that lived at her core and broke all of the tension in her body.

Teetering forward against her, Joan started to cry quietly into Jane’s collarbone, trying to stifle most of the sounds she was making. Her hands tightened in cotton fabric as the woman’s arms wrapped solidly around her back, pulling her closer. She could feel Jane press her face into her messy mane of hair and hear her quiet, sniffling breaths.

   “Shh, I know, Joan. I know, sweetheart, but it’s over now,” Jane whispered, rubbing slow, deliberate circles into her back. “It’s over and I’m never going to let you go back to any of those nasty people or anyone else ever again. You’re mine and mine alone. And I’m going to protect you and love you and hold you until my very last breath.”

Joan cries harder because she’s never had anyone speak to her this way before, not even Mrs. Greene. Nobody has ever been this fierce and passionate about wanting to care about her, about wanting her, and she just- she couldn’t- she wanted to-

Another sob shook Joan’s whole body and pain vibrates all throughout her. She holds tighter to Jane’s shirt, hyperventilating into her chest.

For a long time, the two of them just sit in the cold of the night. Jane never loosens her grip on Joan, but Joan eventually cries herself out and passes out right in Jane’s arms. Finally, with Joan carefully bundled in her arms, Jane stands up and makes the trek back to the house.

Katherine is a teary, worried mess for her mother and younger sister. When she spots Jane, she hurtles herself at her, not even noticing Joan until she’s clinging to the woman.

   “Mama,” The teenager wept against her mother’s shoulder, “You were gone for so long, mama, I-I thought-”

   “Shh, shh,” Jane soothed her, leaning down to kiss her forehead, “I’m okay,  my darling. I’m right here. I just had some trouble with Joan.”

Katherine’s eyes immediately moved to her sister, who was shivering again.

   “Is she okay?” She asked.

   “She will be,” Jane answered, “Can you open the car door for me? We’re going home.”

Katherine nodded and did as she was told. Jane didn’t bother saying goodbye to her parents or the rest of the family, she just pulled out of the driveway and started for her house.

   “Katherine?”

   “Yes, mum?”

   “You know I love you and your sister with all my heart, yes?”

   “Of course, mum!”

Jane grips tighter to the steering wheel. She glances in the rear view window to see Katherine stroking Joan’s hair in the backseat. Despite the stray tears that slip free from her eyes, she smiled.

   “Good.”

[mysticsparklewings]

Something of a Story String

romping through rose rows the rouge holds roamers ransom re-writing their wrongs out yonder, they yawn yearning for youth yanked from them you yearn for them, too grave group, so it goes much greatness gone to the grass, a goodbye garden but the "byes" come back they blow in on brisk breezes blooming in balance ____ What's this? It's not Inktober yet, what are the mini-magnets doing out and about?   Over on deviantArt, I was encouraged by AlinaLeeArts to enter the String Me a Haiku Contest! hosted by HaikuWriMo, and while I have only basic knowledge and understanding of Haikus, I've been really wanting to play with the mini-magnets lately after reorganizing them into some new tins, and it sounded like fun. (And like a good way to fill out my upload schedule since the bigger projects I'm working on still aren't quite finished yet. ) So I decided I'd take a stab at, or at least see if I could come up with a concept I was happy with and take it from there. The contest rules state that an entry has to be made up of a string of at least four haikus, a Haiku for the uninformed being, according to Google, "a Japanese poem of seventeen syllables, in three lines of five, seven, and five, traditionally evoking images of the natural world." And that the haikus should use heavy alliteration, which also for the uninformed is, "the occurrence of the same letter or sound at the beginning of adjacent or closely connected words." This would pose a unique challenge for me because, as I said, I'm not very familiar with writing Haikus. I've read plenty of them, sure, and I think I had to write one at least once or twice back in K-12 school for English class or something, but other than that, if I've ever constructed one, it's been completely by accident. That said, I used two different syllable counters to check each of these before I ever arranged the magnets, so hopefully, they do indeed follow the 5-7-5 pattern properly, if nothing else! Alliteration is also not something I intentionally use super often, and that combined with the limited syllables and structure I think makes for a unique challenge even for someone more familiar with the haiku form. Something I learned very quickly while trying to do this: Every syllable counts, you don't want to waste a single one! Before I could get to actually writing the haikus, though, me being me, I needed a concept/theme to work off of. How would I pick letters to alliterate? What would the haikus be about? Since I want to use the mini-magnets (as is more or less my standard for short-form poetry) what should the background(s) look like? Will all four tell a continuous story or four short stories that go together? I have to have at least four haikus, but am I just going to do four, or will I maybe do a few more than that? I decided the easy way to break it down would be to have each haiku dedicated to a specific letter for alliteration, then make a poem based off of whatever I could come up with within that letter alliteration, as I worked I could go back and forth between the separate haikus to develop more of a story, and then once they were done or mostly done, I could decide on what I would do for the background(s) based on the poems themselves. This process did change a little bit, as I started off using a haiku generator to help me get more in a haiku-writing mindset. I did through that pick up one line, "seeing a balance," that obviously got translated a bit differently into the final version ("blooming in balance"), but other than that I really was still largely on my own. I'd toyed with a few other concepts, but none of them felt right or were really sticking with me. Then I got the idea to pick each letter for the haikus based on an acronym; a well-known combination of letters. That would also potentially give me a theme to work off of.   Initially, I thought of ROYGBIV, the acronym for the basic seven colors of the rainbow. And I actually started working on trying to make my haikus based on that, but the letter "O" stopped me pretty short because once I had the letters, my idea was to do word-association like I normally do for the Inktober prompts; I'd list out some potential words to use that I felt somehow connected with the color and started with the same letter as the color. Frankly, there just aren't a lot of letter-O words that I could also connect back to the color, and the few I did come up with just didn't seem like they had a super compelling story hidden within them. But I did really like the idea of the colors because that gave me a good launching point for the backgrounds; I could just use the same color the haiku was based on within the background for it. It sounded like fun, even. So I didn't want to just totally ditch it. After giving it some thought, I figured the best thing to do would be to try using the four main colors everybody knows: Red, Yellow, Green, and Blue. If I still couldn't come up with my haikus based on those four letters, then it was time to pick a new acronym. Fortunately, even though I had my concerns about the Y in particular, I had a much easier time after that. (I mean, I already had most of the one for "Red," from the ROYGBIV stage, but still.) It's funny though, I thought "Blue" was going to be the easiest, based on my knowledge of "B" words, but that one was actually the one I ended up tweaking and re-writing the most. Probably because it was also the last one I did, and I had started to develop a vague story about yearning for life and visiting a grave in a cemetery, so I had to work within that theme. Though, that said, I think "Green" is actually the weakest of the four, as far as impact goes, despite it being the one that kinda hammers home the life/death theme the most. It was the most difficult one to balance my syllables appropriately because of the words I really wanted to use.   Obviously, this "story" developed as I worked, so it's a bit more on the abstract side, but this is how I see what these four haikus say together; They're talking about someone, probably a young someone (I picked a girl for the background, but the poems could go either way), walking through a field of flowers and stumbling upon a nursing home, maybe with a couple of residents on the porch, and a cemetery nearby. Maybe connected to the home, maybe not. And the young someone stops and reflects on life, and how even once someone passes away, oftentimes we can be reminded of them, or almost feel as if they're still here, in the small things and little fleeting moments here there, like the petals of a flower or the whispers of a seasonal breeze in the air. They come back in those small ways, completing the circle of life, that essential balance of the universe. Of course, that's just one way to interpret it, and even then there are still small details that could be changed while still keeping the sentiment the same. Personally, that's one of the things I enjoy the most about poetry and the mini magnets--you don't always know what you're going to end up saying until someone else reads it and tells you what it says to them. As for those backgrounds, they're all fairly simple watercolor paintings. Once I had the poems and this vague idea of a story, it was fairly easy to come up with a background concept for each one to make them a little more interesting. Normally, I'd use sponged-ink backgrounds during Inktober, but I've been toying with the watercolor idea in the back of mind and this seemed like a good time to experiment since I was already pushing the envelope in various other ways. You can see pretty much exactly what I had in mind for each one, though I will clarify the green one is supposed to be a tombstone in the grass since it's the only one that I think might not be super clear right away. It could just as easily be a rock.   For each of them, my process was very simple; I just picked 1-3 shades to make a gradient from the appropriate color, alternating each one slightly depending on what I wanted for the sky, and then I added the grass and silhouettes on top using a combination of watercolor and black pen. And then the very last one, "blue," got the added moon, stars, and some fireflies using gel pens (and a little bit of pastel for glow). It was the most complex, but "yellow," was actually the trickiest because I have not yet mastered the ability to free-hand a human silhouette. I had to sketch it out separately and then use my lightbox to transfer the outline and fill it in. And, funnily enough, the backgrounds you see here were actually meant to be smaller test-runs before making bigger ones and actually physically setting the mini-magnets on them to photograph. But I was so happy with how these small test ones turned out, I honestly didn't feel like I needed to make the bigger ones. So I pivoted a bit; I formed each mini-magnet poem on a plain blue piece of paper (a "blue screen" if you will to make it easier to separate the words) and photographed them, then used Photoshop to get each haiku onto its respective background. This ended up working to my advantage, as I could just focus on arranging the words to make the words properly and not working around the paintings underneath, and then once I had everything in photoshop I could move things around as necessary much more easily. I'm not super sure about the haiku part, but I'm really pleased with how the overall result looks, and especially happy with 3 out of the four backgrounds.  So much so, I will be posted a wordless version of just the backgrounds to go along with this one for your viewing pleasure! fav.me/ddrqj28 I don't think I'll be placing in the contest (I could be wrong, but I'm aware I'm a little out-of-my-element here ), but I enjoyed the process and the end result, so it was still worth it in my eyes. It was really nice to have the mini-magnets out and put them to use again, especially since I've been having a craving to do so lately. And having them all freshly re-organized made using them all the more enjoyable. Though I'm still not quite sure in what form it'll be, I am very much thinking of doing more non-Inktober stuff like this with the mini-magnets going forward. I have so many of them and I enjoy using them, even when it's a daily challenge and running me a bit ragged.  You might say I'm a bit of an addict. ____ Artwork © me, MysticSparkleWings ____ Where to find me & my artwork: My Website | Commission Info + Prices | Ko-Fi | dA Print Shop | RedBubble |   Twitter | Tumblr | Instagram

[zenonaa]

Shared Activity

Fashion galas weren’t really Aoi’s thing. Swimming galas, yes, but while she appreciated the fashion gala that she had been invited to was to raise money for charity, as she examined her reflection in her bedroom’s full mirror, she thought she would feel more at ease in a swimsuit than a sparkling beaded mermaid gown with a high halter neckline and tulle skirt that hid her high heels from view. Her outfit was certainly pretty, but as Aoi lifted her head, she steadied herself even though in actuality she hadn’t been wobbling. It just felt that way.

Aoi breathed in and turned away from the mirror. All that was left to do now was her makeup, though Aoi wouldn’t be the one applying it to herself. That duty belonged to her girlfriend, Sakura. She walked over to the vanity, where Sakura was getting everything ready, and craned her neck curiously.

A makeup bag rested on the vanity desk, and peeking into it, Aoi didn’t recognise half the contents and that was being generous. Sakura reached in and rummaged through it.

“What’s that?” asked Aoi as Sakura took out a small, circular tub. “Face scrub?”

“Makeup primer,” corrected Sakura, holding it in one hand with her fingers spread. “It’s a jelly that you apply to your skin which causes the makeup to sink in so it’s less cakey.”

The mentions of ‘jelly’ and ‘cake’ grabbed Aoi’s attention, but then her shoulders wilted.

“Aw, I like cake,” said Aoi with a pout. Sakura grinned.

“I know. We can buy on one the way back from the gala,” said Sakura.

Aoi twitched her head up and balled her hands into fists below her chin. “Or bake one...?”

A hopeful note hung off the end of her tongue.

“Or bake one,” said Sakura warmly. She unscrewed the lid off the tub and smeared some of its jelly onto her fingers. “Please sit down, and we will get to work.”

As requested, Aoi seated herself on the chair by the vanity, facing away from its mirror and toward Sakura. Aoi wrinkled her nose and Sakura pressed the cool jelly against her face. Sakura massaged it in, and once that was done, Sakura cleaned her fingers with a wipe and delved her hand into the makeup bag. Its contents clacked together while Sakura sorted through it for what she needed next.

“What are you searching for?” asked Aoi, sitting with her hands cupping her knees.

“Foundation and concealer,” said Sakura. She pulled out a tube that Aoi squinted at.

“Isn’t that lipstick?” said Aoi.

“This is the concealer,” explained Sakura. “The container is similar though, so at a glance, they do appear the same.”

“Oh...” Aoi eyed it, then flashed Sakura a smile. “You’re so smart, Sakura-chan. I’d probably have smooshed it all over my lips without reading it first.”

Laughter shook Aoi’s shoulders as she rubbed the back of her neck, showing a lot of teeth. Sakura smiled and retrieved a small bottle of foundation from her bag. She squirted it onto an egg-shaped sponge, then pressed it against Aoi’s nose, eyes, and forehead, blending it in with little repetitive taps. It smelled faintly like paint. The sponge hopped over to Aoi’s jawline too, but Sakura only dabbed a light layer of foundation there.

Next, Sakura used the concealer under Aoi’s eyes, a shade lighter than the foundation, and she applied a little to Aoi’s eyelids.

“What’s next?” asked Aoi, once Sakura clicked the lid back onto the concealer tube.

“Eyeshadow,” said Sakura. She carefully extracted a tray of different colours. “Which do you want?”

Aoi’s lips contorted as she surveyed them. Circles of different shades covered the tray. Some were dull, but others were vibrant. They sat cosily in the black tray, uniformly arranged.

“What do you recommend?” asked Aoi, still studying them.

“Whatever you want,” replied Sakura. Aoi frowned and folded her arms over her chest. Her head tilted to one side in thought.

“... Plain is pretty boring.” remarked Aoi, gently pursing her lips. “Like, I don’t want to look like a photoshopped version of myself. So if I’m going to wear makeup, I want it to be arty. I want something bold. Blue and bold. The theme is mythical, so why not, right?”

Her eyes sought Sakura’s pair. Sakura bobbed her head and put the tray down.

“I have eye glitter,” said Sakura.

“For my eyes?”

“Eyelids.”

Aoi gasped, clasping her hands tightly. The corners of her lips shot up. “Yes, please! That sounds perfect.”

Sakura got to work, applying a special primer to Aoi’s eyelids as well as a gradient of blue and green eyeshadow, and then, with a soft, dampened brush, she gently stroked blue glitter across Aoi’s eyelids. After that, Sakura used a pencil eyeliner, and Aoi struggled to keep still as Sakura drew a smoky outline onto her.

“I’m nearly done,” Sakura promised. Aoi tried to stop her eyelids quivering so much with little success. All this sitting around had her squirming, but Sakura didn’t complain.

The rest of the makeup application was easier to sit through. Blush. Highlighter. Contour. Sakura gave Aoi bright blue lips, then she set it all with powder and spray. Finally, Sakura used mascara on her, and with that done, she stepped back and graced Aoi with one of her small but radiant smiles.

“You’re finished,” said Sakura. Aoi turned to the mirror on the vanity and widened her eyes.

“Oh, wow! I look magical,” gushed Aoi, barely resisting the temptation to touch her face to make sure it was really hers. She dug her nails into her palms and leaned closer to the mirror, holding her breath and inspecting her reflection in silence for a while. Sakura waited patiently, perfectly content with admiring Aoi from where she stood nearby.

Time continued to pass, as slowly as it seemed to. The light on the television flickered. The fan blowing out air still shook its head from side to side. Aoi had to tear her gaze away from her reflection and looked at Sakura with bright eyes.

“Thank you so much,” said Aoi. She winced a little. “Sorry if I took up too much time. You still have time to do your makeup, right?”

“Plenty,” Sakura assured her. “I generally don’t use much.”

“Some time, could you teach me? I’d love to do it for you.”

“You can do it now,” offered Sakura, prompting Aoi to jerk her head back.

“Really? Aren’t you worried I’ll mess up?” asked Aoi. She averted her gaze, grimacing slightly. “I’ve never really done it before... it’s like everyone’s in on a secret except me.”

Sakura stretched out a smile and gave a nod. “It’s fine. It would make me happy.”

That was incentive enough. Aoi and Sakura swapped places, so Sakura sat on the chair and Aoi stood beside her. Sakura stooped her head a little, hands folded on her lap.

“Let’s see...” The contents of the bag clattered as Aoi sifted through the makeup bag. She held up something pencil-shaped and cocked her head. “Eyeliner?”

“Brow pencil.”

“You didn’t use that on me,” said Aoi, turning it over in her hands.

“I don’t think you need it, dear,” explained Sakura. “I must admit that I sometimes impulse buy makeup products mentioned in my magazines.”

“Like me and donuts!” Aoi gave a good-natured giggle and put it back. She rifled through the bag again. “Right, so foundation first...?”

“Primer.”

“Oh! Yes!”

Aoi found the foundation. She stopped and started a lot as Sakura talked her through each step. Eventually, they were done, and both women regarded their reflections together.

Sakura’s palette had the warm hues of a fire, which went with her black dress. While Aoi’s sequins helped make her dress resemble that of the tail of a mermaid, Sakura’s dress was embroidered so that the texture looked like the scales of a dragon, and the bottom edge of her dress was frayed, like wisps of smoke. Aoi grabbed Sakura’s hand and squeezed firmly, tugging her off her seat.

“Let’s go!” Aoi said. “Hey, do you think the gala will have cakes? Or donuts?”

“We’ll get some after if they don’t,” said Sakura, and Aoi beamed.

“I love you, Sakura-chan!” Aoi pecked her cheek, and holding hands, they left their apartment together. The press would be bloated with photographs from the event, but spending it with Sakura, Aoi wouldn’t need them to remember their time there together.

Also the donuts they got afterwards were delicious.

[milledchronicles]

After several bad, terrible, not-so-good dates...Jade Dawson was in need of a real connection. She pulled out a chair and texted her date she had just arrived. She then heard an Android notification followed by a voice asking her name. When she looked up, she saw a pair of kind, dark eyes looking down at her. He’s so cute, she said to herself as she stood to graciously hug him.

Bryan Spence took the seat next to her and tucked his chair ever so slightly in her direction. The table arrangement was set up in a diamond shape as opposed to a square, which created both a comfortable and intimate experience. It was from this distance she could size him up. He was on the taller, slender side with a full beard that covered his youthful features. It made him look five to seven years older than his twenty-two years. His facial hair had a hint of auburn that had a slight gradient to chestnut brown to the top of his head. His muscle tone indicated he was a regular at the gym, but he also spoke with a slight inflection in tone that didn’t match his persona. He was sort of a juxtaposition in terms of masculinity and it set Jade ablaze. She always fancied the odd ones.

The lone man behind the bar tended to them immediately after Bryan sat. He introduced himself and dropped off the menus while listing the specials for the day. They looked over the items and talked about the days events at work. The conversation between them flowed organically. It was as if they had always known each other; not just messaging back and forth for a few weeks. The exchange was so delightful, like the vibrancy between a second round of drinks. She was able to make him laugh even though she wasn’t normally funny. He made her day by quoting her favorite animated show. The tension between them began to swell to palpable levels.

So when he asked her back to his place to smoke a bowl, her answer was an emphatic yes. She excused herself to the restroom after he slipped his card into the bill’s tray. While glancing at the mirror, she finger combed her blue black curly tresses and adjusted her gold septum piercing. She reached into her purse and touched up her burgundy lipstick that flattered her skin color. It was a lovely shade of mocha that reflected her mixed heritage and made it difficult to pinpoint her nationality. Jade knew all too well she got her untameable hair from her Afro-Latina mom and her high cheekbones from her European-Native American dad. She checked for any food in her teeth and smirked at her reflection. Just a bit of steady fun, she thought.

As it turned out, his place wasn’t far from the restaurant. He mentioned that he wanted to see more of the city since moving from Washington D.C. six months prior. He moved in with his best friend after she told him he had a room for rent.

“What? Just like that? You up and move?” she asked taken back by his bold decision to move.

“I knew that there wasn’t anything for me back home...career wise...and I wanted to move somewhere warmer. I was over the harsh winters.” His laugh had a beautiful innocence to it, like the first time a butterfly flaps its wings. It made Jade’s body tingle, all the way from the roots of her newly dyed hair to the tips of her painted toes. She felt entranced by his casual demeanor. He didn’t walk and boast in the overconfidence a lot of men his own age. His confidence was quiet and subtle that matched his intelligence. He had a natural sweet disposition that was the result of growing up with a single mother and older sister. Jade, the reformed maneater, was very intrigued by this breed of male. She imagined her lawful evil self filing her nails into a point so she could rip the flesh from his back when he penetrated her.

When they got to his apartment, they sat on his couch and she watched him pinch off the fluffy ground up grassy-diesel smelling herb and drop it into a long glass pipe. He passed the blue and black piece to her first. The combination of THC and alcohol coursed through her system with an oceanic rhythm. It collided with her hormones that have been slightly deprived. Her past two dates resulted it some of the worst sex she ever had. So to her delight, she studied him leaning in to touch his lips to hers. His kiss was sensual yet commanding. He knew how to please a woman and it was obvious he wanted to show her. He touched her with finesse. First starting underneath her jawline caressing her neck and cheek then slowly moving his way down to her shoulder. She pressed her chest in his direction encouraging him to touch her more. His fingers traced her bra strap, then cupped her breast. Bryan’s squeeze resulted her nipple to harden in the center of his palm. He squeezed again causing her to moan into his mouth.

Jade’s head was swimming with desire. Her skin was flushed and heated. So when he stopped for a second, she felt her whole body urge him to keep going. Without saying a word, he took her hand and walked to his bedroom. He closed the door behind her and continued kissing her with an innate, sexual passion. He was both romantic and carnal. He lifted her dress and lied her down on his bed. The touch of his bare hand against her belly, moving downwards, made her blood boil. Her clit was already swollen. The sheer contact sent shockwaves throughout her core that almost a blinding light came over her. He pressed firmly down on her button and then used the juices that flowed out of her to rub her clit more, resulting her to convulse sportatically. The tension in her whole body tightened and contracted, pushing her closer to the edge. His kisses had become more aggressive and his eyes changed from a docile male to an eager animal tamer.

After her second orgasm, she briefly felt weightless in his arms. She kissed him deeply enjoying the feel of his tongue moving to the same rhythm as hers. She rolled him over on his back and enjoyed watching his eyes scan her entire body. She met his gaze as she pinched the straps to her bra feeling the cool air against her flushed skin. She knelt before him only wearing a teal thong that illuminated against her skin color. She straddled him confidently and rubbed against his groin. He has far too many clothes on, she thought. Time to get rid of these. She took off his shirt and laughed to herself when she saw Robin from Teen Titans tattooed on his chest. It looked slightly faded and done by an amateur. But the pecs below it were tight and newly swolled from the gym. She kissed down his body and unbuttoned his pants. Button down fly ugh, she thought smugly. The worst type of jean fasteners.

She pulled down the atrocious pants and out swung a beautifully sculpted erect cock tucked away below his boxers. The peak had a small wet spot where his erection pushed firmly against. She slowly stripped down the last of his clothing to reveal his long, meaty dick. She devoured him, sliding all of him down her throat. The saliva began to pool inside her hungry mouth, letting some of the excess drip out the corners. She would pucker her lips and lick his shaft while still having him all in her mouth, testing the different pressures. He mostly laid still except for the few times he’d clench the sheets below him or when he pulsed inside her mouth the deeper she went. He groaned happily. He tapered wider down which made her insides quake. She was tempted to get on him and ride him to a filthy orgasm but she found herself enjoying sucking his long velvety flesh. He firmed up harder the longer she went. It was time.

She straddled him but she wasn’t really sure why. She was horny, yes. She was definitely going to get dick by the end of this night. But she wasn’t the type to get on top, especially for the first time. It was almost instinctual and strangely enough, she found herself wanting, needing to subdue the sweet, caring boy that paid for dinner and looked so charming before the kiss. She wanted to make him bend and yield to her will. Ride him and let him know how good her pussy is so he finds himself needing it again.

She gripped onto his erection and slid down. He filled Jade just to the point of her brink. Just enough to make her gasp when he twitched an inch harder. Damn, he felt so good to ride. Like a different kind of good. Almost as if their bodies fit seamlessly together. She felt like she was close again. She smashed her sex rapidity against his. Once she felt like she had peaked, she arched her back and let out a satisfied moan. Even though she had stopped, he was the one thrusting up inside her. She could feel him quiver and pulse one big time inside her rapture, and her hungry pussy lips engulfing his essence. His orgasm was intense and lingered between them. He was the type of man who only had a good time when his partner was enjoying herself to the fullest. Watching her, hearing her, feeling her...only then did he feel he was allowed to savor the moment. The succubus within her felt like she could finally break free. She only gave her new subject a short break until she kissed him deeply urging him to rise up.

The second time he was on top and plunged deep inside. He’d kiss her in the most gentle yet raveging of ways. He would mimic her tongue movements. He was a gentle man with a fierce sense of sexual prowess. While most people closed their eyes during sex, his eyes remained fixated on his lover’s face. His eyes were intense, frightening at times...as if he were looking deep inside his lover’s soul and joining her there.

She couldn’t look away though. As much as she felt as if she should, like a deep shutter ripping through her body, she held his gaze. It was like looking straight into the sun and at any moment she would go blind. The heat from his stare coursed through her. His mouth agape, enjoying the sensation. Suddenly she felt her pleasure start to rise. She closed her eyes and rode the intense wave. It was as if she was being lifted off the ground. Higher and higher she rose feeling her skin tingle. Waves of intense pleasure began to lift her. She didn’t feel like she was connected to this earth any longer; she had reached the exosphere and was soaring through the cosmos. Suddenly he hit it just right causing her to dig her shoulder blades into the bed and screamed her orgasm. Then she drifted off feeling like she was just launched into space and landed in the stars.

It had been years since Jade had been so sexually synced with someone. She liked looking at him because it stripped her of her vulnerability and she enjoyed that feeling with him. She didn’t even realize how exhausting it was having to keep her guard constantly up until she met him. He disarmed her.

She took him an impressive three times that first night. For the last time, she gladly got on top again. I could get used to this, she thought. He was an easy stallion to ride. He filled her swollen cunt just to the point where it pinched the back of her vaginal walls. She clung on tightly in response. She felt her whole body shudder the harder and faster she rode him. Driving her sex down with intent, feeling the rush and eventual release of yet another orgasm. The last one took practically everything out of her, and she collapsed on his chest.

There was no way of knowing that after this first night together, she would leave a piece of her heart behind. It was so unlike her. But as he stood waited outside with her until her rideshare showed up, basking in their afterglow, he looked freightingly attractive. Then he gave her a long kiss goodnight. Not just a simple “I’ll never see you again” kind of kiss. No. This was a “I can’t bloody wait to do this again with you” kind of kiss.

She caught her breath and inhaled his just a little longer. The exchange lit a fire inside her. Ignited something that hadn’t been stirred in a while. She smiled and waved goodnight to the man who she later dreamed about before drifting off to sleep.

[dyde21]

Aquarium

So @mrk50​ and I decided to collaborate on a little project! I know it’s been a hot minute since I’ve written anything for Arkos but I was feeling up to it and it felt like a good opportunity. So here’s a one shot I wrote! Also: HERE is the song I listened to while writing it. xD 

XxXxXxXxX

Jaune paced back and forth in front of the aquarium, trying to calm the butterflies in his stomach. He had shown up fifteen minutes early, knowing he still had a bad habit of being a little late to appointments. This was much more important than any appointment so far though, he was on a date with Pyrrha. Just thinking those words made him stop pacing and he felt another wave of nerves wash over him. His scroll buzzed and he saw a message from Pyrrha.

P: I'm sorry! I'm on my way! Yang and Weiss kept fighting about my hair.

Jaune just smiled and sent her a thumbs up emoji in return. At least her delay would give him a chance to compose himself.

It was still hard for Jaune to believe that he was actually about to go on a date with his amazing teammate. It had taken a while, and a lot, a lot, of not so subtle hints from his teammates and friends before he finally started to get a clue. The dance had kinda helped him get over his crush on Weiss, and it was subtle, but he had started to look at his partner differently. Once his crush had passed, and after an honest talk with Yang and Pyrrha, he had even gone and apologized to Weiss for taking so long to get the hint and they were on good terms properly. Of course, this now meant that all those nerves were starting to blossom around his partner. But after an extremely awkward confession from both parties involved and one wonderful but confusing night, they were about to go on their first date.

Their friends had been extremely supportive, and apparently relieved that they were finally going out, and had kidnapped Pyrrha in order to help “prepare” her. This left Jaune alone, but Blake apparently had already thought about that since Ren wasn't exactly the best person to ask for advice on what to wear, and Sun and Neptune had shown up at a request from her. Soon enough Neptune had helped him pick out something that was “totally cool.”

Fidgeting the with the zipper on his zip up, he hoped he had been telling the truth. It wasn't too different from what he normally wore, jeans, high top shoes, and a zip up hoodie. Jaune had wanted to dress up in his dress shirt but Sun had just brushed off the idea, mentioning how “Pyrrha liked you for you, so don't try and be someone you're not.”

A part of Jaune reminded himself to make sure to make it up to them, they had really helped calm him a bit before his date.

“Jaune!” Pyrrha's voice called out from across the courtyard. Looking up, Jaune felt his face flush and his mouth suddenly felt very dry. Pyrrha was making her way towards him, an apologetic and worried smile on her face as she waved. Stopping a few feet in front of him, he saw her eyes trail up and down him once and her own face went a shade closer to her hair. “Sorry for being late! They wouldn't let me go, Ruby had to sneak me out to get them to stop bickering over what to do with my hair.”

“They did.. wow. You look won- beautiful. Just... wow.” He fumbled, wincing as he realized the very first chance he had to make a good impression on this date was blown. Most people couldn't blame him though.

Pyrrha was wearing a beautiful sundress that was a gradient from gold to white. Over it she wore a simple brown jacket and a red sash clipped by a pin of her emblem. Over a pair of stockings she was wearing a pair of high boots and Jaune could only really think of one way to describe her outfit. Cute.

Jaune felt his throat go a little dry as he met her eyes again, and she was just staring at him with a cute, curious smile, if not with a little blush on her cheeks. “Are you ready to go in?”

Jaune blinked and nodded, glad for an excuse to stop talking for a moment. I already got the tickets, so we can go straight in.” Pyrrha nodded and turned, starting to walk towards the doors. Taking a deep breath, Jaune put a hand on his chest. “You can do this.” He muttered to himself. He wasn't going to screw this up.

“Jaune?” Pyrrha called, confused as she noticed he wasn't at her side.

“Coming!” He called out as he quickly jogged to her side. Pyrrha just smiled and, thanking him as he held open the door for her. Immediately walking through the door, they both gasped as they looked around. Right in the center there was a massive towering aquarium filled with thousands of small, brightly colored fish. The scale of this aquarium was already impressive. “It's so pretty.” Jaune said after moment.

“Gorgeous.” Pyrrha agreed. Looking over, she saw Jaune stepping forward and she had to admit the childish look of awe on his face was unbearably cute.

Jaune rested a hand on the glass as he saw the myriad of colors swirling around in the water. His eyes were drawn to a slightly larger scarlet fish, which instantly reminded him of his partner. With a start he turned around, seeing Pyrrha watching him with a strange smile he couldn't quite place. “Uh... sorry. I got a little distracted...”

Pyrrha just smiled, walking next to him and brushing some bangs behind her ear. “Don't be. We're here to enjoy ourselves after all. I don't blame you, it's like it's own little world in there.” She said, her own eyes getting lost in the aquatic world. Jaune bit his lip as he looked at her, finding her look heartwarming.

After a moment they looked around. “This place sure is big.” He mumbled after a moment.

“Let's see... there should be...” Pyrrha said, scanning around. “There!” She said, quickly hurrying her way to a stand. Jaune saw her walk back a moment later, unfolding something. A map, apparently.

She leaned into him, showing him the map too so they could both get a good look. Jaune would be lying if he said half of his mind wasn't solely focused on the fact that Pyrrha was leaning into him so much, that her shampoo smelled like strawberries, and it was a little hard to focus until he saw one of her fingers point at an exhibit. “Otters!” She squealed excited, causing a smile to grace his lips again. He recognized that tone of voice, where the usually stoic but friendly Pyrrha was pushed aside from the easily excited girl that she usually kept repressed. “We have to see them.” She pleaded, her eyes shifting to his. He nodded quickly, trying not to get lost in them again. “Of course.”He said, scanning the page properly. “Penguins!” He exclaimed as he pointed, feeling Pyrrha shift slightly as she chuckled. “We'll make sure to see those too.” They spent a minute or so huddled together as they both pointed out exhibits they wanted to make sure to see and debated the best path to take.

Eventually they decided on a good path, making sure to time it so they can check out the Otter show, and started off. As they walked off, Pyrrha lead the way, commenting on the tropical section they were going to first. Jaune saw her hand dragging a bit behind her as she pointed with the other one. He was suddenly overcome by a desperate urge to hold her hand. Something that had been on his mind since their confession. Sure it had happened occasionally on a mission, or if leading someone somewhere from day to day but never in a romantic sense. It suddenly felt like a massive leap of faith. Hesitating, his hand inches from hers, he slowly pulled his hand back and caught up to her as they walked, checking out each of the tanks. They had gotten their rather early in the day, so they weren't really in any rush. They took their time enjoying the exhibits, and Jaune soon learned Pyrrha was actually very interested in the plaques that gave information. Her curiosity was adorable to him, and he found himself eagerly listening as she would read out facts she saw interesting.

A little further in, they had a mini aquarium with a little tunnel that you could climb through and pop your head up to look like you're in the center of the tank. Smiling, Pyrrha immediately started pushing him towards it. Jaune was a bit confused as to why she was trying so hard to get him in there.

Still, Jaune wasn't about to ruin her fun so he waited for the little kid to leave before he crawled through the small hole. When he poked his head up, he immediately two things. One, seeing fish swimming all around him was actually really cool. The second was he saw a distorted picture of Pyrrha on the other side, holding scroll up. It took him a moment to realize she was taking pictures, then what looked like a video. His eyes widened, before he offered her a small smile. After a moment, he climbed back out, joining her as he saw her scrolling through the photos, uploading a few.

Then he pulled out his scroll and Pyrrha stared him confused for a moment. “Your turn.” He offered plainly, and he saw her eyes widened before a blush creeped on her face and she nodded. Waiting patiently, and even letting another kid go first, she climbed through the tunnel and poked her head up. Jaune took a generous amount of photos, saving one especially where she through up a peace sign.

Pyrrha climbed back out and looked at them, blushing slightly.

That set them off though, soon they were taking photos everywhere.

It pretty much became a game between them. Every little plastic animal was posed next to, they both take turns posing in front of various tanks, and Pyrrha had even asked someone to take a photo of them two together. Once they had finished the second wing of the aquarium, they both decided they had been feeling a bit hungry.

As they pushed their away against the growing crowd to try and make it back to the food court, Jaune trailed a bit behind Pyrrha letting her part the crowd. He saw her hand trailing behind her a bit, and his eyes were locked on it as he bit his lip. He really wanted to reach out and hold it again, but it was still their first date. Was it too forward? Was he rushing things? He knew Pyrrha was as inexperienced as he was with relationships, and really didn't want to ruin the day for both of them. His hand hovered a few inches from hers, before he sighed and pulled it back. As he was moving his hand back, he felt Pyrrha's grab his wrist tightly as she looked at him with a smile, apparently unaware of the fact they were almost holding hands.

“Stay close, it's busy and we don't want to get separated.” She offered.

Jaune nodded, his gaze lingering on where she was holding his wrist. Eventually they breached through the crowd and managed to get in the food line, taking a deep breath.

“I'm glad we got here early, we had plenty time to see some of the exhibits before it got crowded.” She offered, before her gaze followed Jaune's down to where she was still holding his wrist. She quickly let go, holding her hands behind her back and she smiled at him, that dust of pink on her cheeks again.

Jaune just took a deep breath, forcing the nerves from his face. “We just have to make sure to get to the otter exhibit before the show with enough time to find seats. We-” He was cut off as his stomach let out a massive growl. He flushed, but Pyrrha just giggled. “We can worry about that after lunch, I'm starting to get hungry too.” They continued to chat idly about the exhibits they saw, checking out the photos they took. As they neared the end of the line, they both looked up at the board, debating what to get. Eventually their turn came up and they both looked at each other to go first, finally Jaune stepped forward. “I'll have a hot dog, a lemonade and... a chocolate muffin.” Pyrrha stepped up next, pausing. “I'll have... a BLT, a side of fries and...” Jaune noticed her gaze lingering on the desert section. He leaned over and whispered. “Do it.”

“A chocolate milkshake!” She blurted out suddenly, before covering her mouth like she had something scandalous.

Jaune just laughed and stepped forward, pulling out his wallet at the same time Pyrrha did. They met eyes for a moment while the guy working the counter just sighed at the lovey dovey antics the couple in front of him was going through, glancing up at the clock to figure out when his shift was over.

“Let me.” Jaune said, a challenging look in his eyes.

Pausing for a moment, Pyrrha stared at him and he honestly expected more a fight but she just smiled and put her purse away. “Thank you.”

Jaune smiled and handed him the Lien as they paid.

They got their number and waited off to the side for it to be called. Jaune's scroll buzzed and Jaune pulled it out for a moment, before he glanced at Pyrrha and put it away. Pyrrha just tilted her head curiously. Jaune's scroll then buzzed four more times in the next minute and he let out a frustrated sigh and punched his pocket as if to stop his scroll.

“Why don't you check it?” Pyrrha asked, her brows furrowed.

Jaune shrugged. “It's cause I'm on a d... date with you.” He said, only pausing for a moment when he actually said it out loud. “I don't want to be rude.”

Pyrrha looked at him with a smile that made his heart feel way too warm. “You're very considerate Jaune.” She said, resting a hand on his shoulder. “But it could be important, it's okay.”

Hesitating a moment, her words of course planted the seed of doubt in his mind and he had to check it. Opening his messages, he sighed and hurried typed up a reply.

“Everything all right?” Pyrrha asked.

Jaune just forced a smile to his face. “Yeah. My sisters are a little... eager to hear about how the dates going.”

This caused Pyrrha to laugh at his expression. “And what did you say?”

Jaune shrugged, ignoring another round of buzzes from his scroll. “That it's going amazing so far, and they're ruining it.”

His redheaded partner just giggled. “I'm sure we'll get just as many questions when we get back to the dorm as well.” Jaune nodded, before shrugging. “I'm in no rush to go back.”

This caught Pyrrha by surprise for some reason, confusing Jaune and slightly worrying him until he saw a smile creep onto her face. “Neither am I.” Their number was caused and Pyrrha glanced at him, a playful look on her face. “I think the date's going amazingly as well.” She offered with a wink, before she quickly walked off to get their food leaving a blushing Jaune behind.

Jaune followed her after a moment so she didn't have to juggle all the food herself, catching up and taking a tray and his drink. They made their way to a table after stopping for utensils and sat down. It was a small two person table, and while their proximity was very close, he had to admit he didn't mind. If they started to play footsie under the table after he kept accidentally bumping her knee while they ate, then their friends didn't need to know about that.

Their conversation fell into a comfortable lull as they both quickly devoured their food as they finally realized how hungry they actual were now that the pre-date nerves were settling. Jaune stole a fry as he listened to Pyrrha talk about one of her trips to an aquarium as a kid in Mistral. He loved hearing stories about Pyrrha growing up. While not all the stories were exactly pleasant, they all helped illuminate a little of the life that lead to the creation of the wonderful woman he was falling deeply in love with. Pyrrha just finished her story, before she glanced at her scroll. “We need to go! We'll be late!” She said, standing up quickly and piling their garbage onto the tray. Jaune joined her, tossing the trash as the ever-proper Pyrrha tidied up their table before they quickly hurried across the space. Jaune was a little lost, but Pyrrha must have planned it out earlier because she knew the way perfectly and hardly a minute later they were heading to a decent pair of seats for the show as they saw the trainer starting to get ready and prepare the otters.

Jaune could practically see the energy radiating from his partner. Her eyes were as wide as saucers as she looked at all the cute creatures swimming happily in the water. She had pulled out her scroll and was taking what could only be described as an alarming number of photos of them. Jaune just smiled, and even when the informative show started, Jaune had to admit he was too distracted to pay proper attention. In his opinion, his partner was far cuter than those critters.

The show wasn't too long, but Jaune did learn a lot about the creatures, and had even seen them preform some tricks. The crowd was leaving the seating area, but Pyrrha seemed interested in staying until the show was completely over and Jaune didn't mind. His main goal was to ensure she had the most fun she could after all. Eventually the creatures were herded back to their normal habitat and Pyrrha stood up, stretching out her back. “I take you enjoyed the show?” Jaune asked, unable to keep the smirk from his face. Pyrrha nodded, brushing some bangs back. “Yes, very much so. I'm sorry for being so distracted.”

Jaune just laughed. “It's fine, you were very cute.”

The compliment lingered in the air for a moment as they both realize what was said again. Jaune realized it would probably take them both a little getting used to open affection like that. Feeling the need to move the conversation along he coughed once. “I need to use the restroom so before we head to the penguins, we should stop somewhere.”

Pyrrha nodded. “I agree.”

They made their way off to the side of one of the main paths. They found a single person bathroom, and of course Jaune had insisted she go first, so Jaune waited outside, taking the chance to reply to the myriad of messages his sisters had sent him, ranging from encouragement, jokes, to advice, and even a request for a souvenir.

Before long Pyrrha emerged again and Jaune smile, before walking in.

XxXxXxXxX

Pyrrha took a deep breath as she sat on the bench, taking the brief moment she was away from her crush... boyfriend to calm her nerves. The date had just been... wonderful. She couldn't really think of any other words to describe it.

While Pyrrha had always tried to stop herself from being lost in childish dreams of “perfect dates” with a knight in Shining Armor, now that she was with Jaune, she had to admit it felt a lot like that. Only... more natural. While they both definitely still had some nerves, today felt like all the wonderful days she had spent around him, only more intense and... personal. Jaune was hers, the same way she was his. Their attention was on each other, for these few hours Grimm weren't their problem, they didn't have to deal with teasing friends, she didn't have to suffer through an unrequited love. They were just enjoying themselves, together.

Just thinking about it brought a smile to her face. After how long she had yearned for it, it was finally hers and it felt more satisfying than her shelf of trophies. Especially since her partner was someone she had come to admire so much, seeing him grow from a clumsy boy in way over his head as he slipped into beacon, into the man she saw work harder than everyone else to be the man she saw deep within him. Plus, she had to remember to have Blake thank Sun and Neptune for her. She always found Jaune cute, even hot sometimes, but today he looked even cuter than normal.

He had been behaving so sweetly too. Even with his dorkiness she had grown quite fond of, he still treated her with respect and acted like a gentleman. Not babying her, but she had to admit some part of her liked being treated like someone special by someone who cared for her, not because of her accolades but because of their bond.

She sent a quick response to Ruby assuring that the date was going well, knowing Yang and Nora were too risky to try and talk with at the moment.

Jaune emerged not long later, smiling that same goofy smile that caused her heart to skip a beat.

“Ready?” He asked.

Pyrrha nodded and followed him as he lead their way to the start of another path. Things were a bit more crowded so they had to be a little more patient in order to check out all the exhibits, but Pyrrha was just happy being there. They were both much less hesitant about taking photos by now so they were both giving into their more childish whims and taking photos of all the exhibits. As they made their way towards where the Penguin show would start in a bit, Pyrrha noticed a few life size statues of large penguins. Immediately she gasped and pointed, and Jaune followed her gesture, until he saw and understood the message she was trying to get across. Immediately he moved over towards them, getting place to pose with them. He was smiling, but Pyrrha pouted, shaking her head and staring at him challengingly. After a moment he seemed to get the hint, and pause for a moment before he leaned and straightened his body to look like he was waddling too. Pyrrha laughed and took a few pictures for good measure. She paused, quickly sending one to her mom, and another to Ruby, figuring she'd get a laugh out of it.

Jaune seemed to get the idea of what she was doing and rushed over, nearly tripping over a baby penguin statue on the way. “You didn't send those!” Pyrrha just laughed, covering her mouth. “I'm sorry! You just looked so cute.”

Jaune groaned, though the smile never left his face. “I look like a dork.”

Pyrrha saw him pout slightly and couldn't resist. She reached out, tussling his hair slightly. “Maybe, but you're my dork.”

This caused them both to blush, but she saw Jaune's smile grow and she decided it was worth it. Then Jaune pulled out his scroll and she decided fair was fair. Moving over, she posed next to the penguins as Jaune took a few photos. They heard an announcement over the intercom about the show starting soon, they quickly hurried over to the bleachers to get some good seats. They sat down, and this time Jaune was the one who was incredibly excited. He was taking some pictures of the penguins, and Pyrrha had to take one of him. It was a little unfair how cute she found him.

The show was brief, but interesting for sure. A lot of explanation of how Zoo's were important for animal research, and preserving wildlife that human and fannus expansion had threatened their habitat in conjunction with the Grimm. Plus seeing them waddle around was just adorable. Almost too soon, the lady leading the show bid them all good bye and soon the crowd was leaving. Jaune just looked at her, a smile resting on his face and Pyrrha was happy to see his unbridled joy.

While they had both obviously been enjoying their date, it was clear Jaune was carrying with him a sort of expectation of making this date great for her. She was just happy to be with him. She was afraid to confront him about it, worried she'd just make him more nervous.

Things were going well though, and she was sure she'd remember this day the rest of her life.

“That was the last of the events, right?” Jaune asked, pulling out the map and checking it. Pyrrha nodded, leaning over to check it with him. She may have leaned a little closer than she normally would, but she was pretty sure neither of them really minded. “One path left.” Jaune offered.

“Then let's go!” Pyrrha offered, smiling as she started to walk towards the start of it. While she was sad their day was starting to wind down, it had been a long day and she almost felt greedy with how many wonderful memories and photos had come from it. What almost felt overwhelming was the fact that there would be plenty of more days like this now that they were together.

They went through this last path a little slower than usual, but neither of them seemed too eager to change that. They took plenty of pictures, reading each of the plaques on the various creatures.

Near the end of the path there was a massive tank. They both slowly walked up to it, jaws dropping. It was massive, and there were a lot of species swimming around. The room was dim, so the light from the tank was bathing everything in a soft blue. A massive sting ray was swimming along the side of the tank and Pyrrha felt an overwhelming peace. She nearly jumped when she felt Jaune's hand snake into hers, gently squeezing it. Her face flushed red, but looking over she saw him looking at her with a worried expression. He was clearly nervous and asking for permission. Pyrrha just smiled and squeezed his hand in return, running a thumb reassuringly over his knuckles. They both realized things were fine. Even better than fine. Pyrrha leaned a bit closer to him as they both looked up at the massive sting ray swimming by. They were quiet for the first time in a while, neither of them really having anything to say. Just being around each other was enough for now.

They weren't exactly sure how long they had been watching the fish swim at that tank, but eventually they both realized they should be moving along. They both turned and started walking, and for a fearful moment Pyrrha was worried he was going to let go of her hand, but she seemed content on holding it, and she found she was getting greedy for his touch.

They paused by the center tank again, looking up at it. They just enjoyed each other's touch again, feeling like they were in their own little world but they knew they had to get back soon. They had been gone for quite a while, and life wouldn't stop for them to just enjoy their date forever. They made their way to the gift shop and Jaune released her hand, making her pout for a moment, but he looked at her with an understand smile. “I want to grab a souvenir for my sister.” Pyrrha nodded, and an idea of her own formed in her head. A few minutes later and they both met outside the gift shop, holding their own bags. When she walked up, Jaune was turned away, holding something.

“Jaune?”

Jaune turned around, and his face was red as he held out a little creature for her. It was a stuffed Otter. Her eyes went wide and she nearly dropped her own bags. “Is this for me?” She asked, slowly reaching for it. Jaune nodded.

“I know you love them, and I thought... maybe to remember today...” He offered, stumbling a bit over his words.

Pyrrha couldn't quite find the words to express the joy and warmth she felt in her chest. All she did was reach into her bag and hand him a stuffed penguin. “I was going to wrap it, but... I also wanted you to remember today.” Jaune stared at the penguin like it was gold, before he took it and smiled, hugging it. Pyrrha instantly wished her hands weren't full because she desperately wanted a picture of that, finding he was once again unfairly cute hugging the penguin.

Pyrrha just buried her face into the otter, already debating on names for it. “I will never forget today, I now it.”

Jaune just grinned at her. “I won't either.” He shifted his penguin to one hand so he could hold hands with Pyrrha as they walked away from the aquarium. Right before they reached the shuttle that would take them back, Pyrrha suddenly turned and lead them a bit off the path. Jaune looked at her confused, but she stepped forward and leaned up to kiss him quickly. Fueled by passion, the kick was quick, chaste, a little clumsy, but full of love before she pulled back.

“Sorry, I...”

Jaune just smiled, and leaned forward to quick for a quick kiss.”It's okay. I... really wanted to do that too.”

Pyrrha couldn't help the blush on her face so she buried her face into his neck until she could calm her heart. Jaune just laughed and wrapped an arm around her.

Eventually they had to get back on the shuttle to head home, but they were definitely closer together now, and if they had shared a kiss or two on the trip no one would blame them. They knew they both would have to field plenty of questions when they got back, but today was one of the best in Pyrrha's life, and she was glad she was finally with her partner, and judging by Jaune's look, he was feeling the same. Resting her head on his shoulder, Pyrrha smile and squeezed his hand. Things were good.

XxXxXxXxX

Thank you for reading! Make sure you check out their work! This was fun to write. I know I don’t post here as much any more but I hope you enjoy this old writer’s dip back into arkos for a moment!

[wannawrite]

I - SCENE TWO 💘

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group: day6

member: young k

genre: unspecified

A/N: italics = english / emphasised words in korean / thoughts. you should be able to tell from the context of the story so idt ill go into that much :3 

Coincidentally 2 years ago from the depressing journey to the party, Younghyun had never felt more lonely in his entire life.

As the school bell rang peskily from a distance, with its shrill, silvery soprano, his dull, tear speckled eyes could only follow the footsteps of those who were already starting to talk in raised voices, those who actually had friends to eat with them during recess.

The cacophony of noises that had emerged from the earlier silence in the classroom was needlessly to say, irritating. It was scarily ironic how Younghyun's loneliness seemed to be amplified amidst the chatter, in spite of the amount of people that made up this area.

Time passed by Younghyun's watching eyes cruelly, and bullets of jealousy seemed to thrust through his heart with every footstep that got further away from him. In a matter of seconds, everyone had already torn through the exit of the class and dispersed out into the canteen, the field; all the places that was no short of foreign to him.

He was the only one new here. He was the only one that didn't have friends in the class.

He didn't want it that way.

He longed to hook himself to the ends of conversations with witty jokes, just as the other kids did, and fill the hollow of his bottomless heart with human presence. He longed to have a friend.

A friend, not friends. He wasn't asking for much.

Amidst the stillness that hung awkwardly in the classroom, Younghyun paced aimlessly around the area; the only thing remotely moving at all being himself, and the golden particles that floated through the window from the sun, descending gingerly on the sides of people's desks like fireflies in the day. He moved around a little, dragging the soles of his shoes against the floor which made a funny rustling sound, but also made him feel a little less lonely.

He sighed.

Years ago, he was feeling homesick in Toronto, and now that he was back 'home', he'd do anything just to wish himself back to the other side of the world.

This place no longer felt like 'home' anymore; in fact, nowhere did.

Younghyun watched the golden particles litter the plastic cover of his textbook, with a slight hint of sorrow in their seemingly gentle movements-and just then, he saw himself in those particles.

Floating around aimlessly, just trying to find somewhere that felt like home.

Just then, as his imagination flew free from his body, a voice resembling the likes of the school bell cut short his trip down memory lane.

"Student Kang Younghyun! You are not allowed to be in the classroom block during recess hours! Come out now!" the teacher-on-patrol yelled irritatingly, her old, faltering voice cracking between every syllable. Slightly shocked, Younghyun whirled around on his heel to face his dear, dear history teacher; only to find that her shadow had vanished in the blink of an eye.

With the newfound knowledge that there was no one else to watch over him, he rolled his eyes as he made his way to his desk, feeling an unusually petulant annoyance spark in him when the scenario replayed itself in his head. Of course it's so easy for you to call me out, stupid teacher, he thought bitterly, you've never had the classroom as your only companion before.

As he continued to think up a flurry of very undesirable curses that he'd die to hurl at the teacher, Younghyun felt a hard, slightly rough texture graze against the tip of his shoes.

It was his guitar, leaning against the leg of his table and looking at him expectantly.

He hesitated for a bit before going along with his heart to pick it back up again, and for the first time in this school, he smiled softly.

"Guess it's only you and me then."

___________________________________

It was a windy day. Younghyun had made himself comfortable, sitting on a bench adjacent to the school garden, away from the hubbub and cacophony of the canteen. He was admiring the autumn trees swaying in the distance, with their welcoming coats of orange and golden yellow; occasional reds in their gradient if he was lucky enough to see them.

As bits of leaves emerged from the clutch of the branches, cascading obediently under the guidance of the wind and joining the stack piled up below the bark of the tree, a certain scale he had learnt in music class secretly blended in with the warm hues-E major.

Younghyun felt a funny mix of warmth and excitement spread throughout his veins as he unzipped the cover of the guitar excitedly, and brought it into the crevice of his embrace; he had always loved how the curves of the instrument moulded perfectly into his body, bringing him the feeling of being touched, the feeling of being loved.

He dared himself to slot his fingers in between the strings of the guitar, and gave it a loose, thoughtless strum in E major-letting the resonance of the melody echo warmly, which was the utmost beauty of acoustic guitars.

The strings were so rough with their occasional malice, but felt so much like home.

The only sense of home he had felt...

Since...

Coming back to Seoul...

Younghyun's thoughts unfurled in sync with the slow movements of his fingers, as he languidly dragged his hands across the strings again once more, having a newfound desire to re-explore the instrument.

"Oh, sh-Ah, I'm not supposed to swear! Heck!"

At the familiar ringing of the whimsical American accent he hadn't heard much-not since coming back home, at least-Younghyun could barely stifle a snort as he turned his head, trying his best to not show any traces of amusement on his face.

He caught sight of a walking figure and scanned their side profile briefly, realising how all his features endearingly weaved themselves into existence. They consisted of a grey cardigan blotted with folds, golden rimmed glasses, and hair resembling curled pieces of flavoured tteokbokki that barely fitted into the crevice of his ear.

They were the lightest shade of soft strawberry pink, unequivocally resembling his scent as a strong, but sweet whiff of strawberries hit a disoriented Younghyun.

The guy had approached him, and as Younghyun felt the ends of his hair bristle like a winter tree, he redirected his eyes to the numerous folds in the guy's hood, wanting nothing more but to plunge into one of them and disappear from any form of human contact.

Younghyun looked down to avoid his gaze.

The oversized grey cardigan was touching his arms.

"I'm in your class, right?" the guy talked in unusually decent Korean, getting Younghyun to look back up again as his small, excited eyes raised like ridges out of the sea. There was a flicker of dullness in his shine as his speech faltered slightly, like he wanted to say something but decided against it. "Sorry for suddenly approaching you, b-but I don't think I have anyone with the same interests as I do, and well, I'm not the best at socialising, and that guitar looks pretty cool. That's all."

Younghyun allowed himself a small giggle, in hindsight better than the stifled snort from earlier, and after a few perplexed glances the guy caught onto Younghyun's smile, realising how awkwardly he had halted the conversation.

"Sorry, I haven't introduced myself yet." he chuckled, somehow discernible with the quieter voice he had taken to, "I'm Park Jaehyung, and I'm a transfer student here." He had unintentionally lowered his voice at transfer student, and Younghyun related.

"Kang Younghyun." he started to break into a half-smile, meeting Jaehyung's gaze with a softened, understanding look. He too, understood the struggles of fitting in here like a broken puzzle piece, possibly more than anyone else. "I'm a transfer student  too," he said with gusto, "-maybe we'll get along well."

With the newfound meaning of transfer student, the other boy returned Younghyun's grin happily, as if he had made not just words but everything better with the tap of his wand.

"So, transfer student," Jaehyung remarked, an evident smirk on his face as he thoroughly relished in the use of the word, and in the process drawing out a few laughs from Younghyun, "What sort of music do you like?"

"Honestly, anything. I normally listen to rock because I'm an emotional lit kid these days, but I guess British pop and what not is cool too. I got so many good songs in my playlist, you don't even know..." Younghyun rambled on quickly about the thing he had loved the most as a kid, and the thing that had brought him to where he was today. "How about you?" he asked subsequently, eager to know what the other listened to too, and Jaehyung laughed at the excitement that flickered in his eyes; just the simple mention of music could really work wonders.

"Same, but these days I listen to...quite a bit of R&B and acoustic folk." he replied, the gentle raise of his eyebrows establishing a faint hint of happiness. Then, out of nowhere and plain curiosity, he flicked a finger at the guitar in Younghyun's hands. "Can you play that?"

Younghyun nodded before shrugging again; he wasn't very confident in his skills, but he considered himself passable. "Yeah, kinda, I guess. I'm not that great, but I love doing this." He didn't even try to restrain a smile as his eyes dipped back down to the guitar, looking at it with a simple adoration.

It seemed to be infectious, as it had caught onto Jaehyung; who was, in turn, admiring the other's passion, and feeling exactly the same way about music as he did. With a more evident excitement, he exclaimed, "Oh, that's so cool! I play the guitar too! What's, um, a song you've liked to play recently?"

Younghyun's eyebrows knitted in confusion. He twirled his index over the surface of his chin, not knowing exactly how to answer; recently, he had been singing lots of songs to fill the bottomless in his heart, but he couldn't really pinpoint a favourite. Eventually, for the sole purpose of giving Jaehyung an answer, he just decided to pick one of his all time favourites that he had ceased to hum a single note from-not ever since he left Toronto.

He didn't really like talking about that song much. It was his very feelings of loss, or some would say, outright petulance before leaving his friends there.

"I like The Man Who Can't Be Moved." Younghyun answered blatantly, wary for the slight voice crack in the last word-he wanted to remain his composure in front of Jaehyung, at least just for their first meeting. He tilted his head down, not daring to make eye contact with the other person as he tentatively clipped his hands to the fretboard; but just then, he had second thoughts about it.

Did I come off rude? Do I look nervous? Oh crap, he's going to think I'm weird-

"Can I hear it?"

Younghyun froze, pupils positioning in the exact core of his eyes.

"W-What?"

"Um, can I hear it? T-That is, if-um, if it's okay..." Jaehyung repeated the question again, eyes drifting to Younghyun's; seeing the horror in his gaze had triggered a subtle tentativeness in his voice. Nevertheless, Younghyun nodded vigorously in reply, whilst racking his brains for some good excuse to justify his actions.

"Of course you can." he responded shyly, diffident smile baring the bunny teeth hiding in his mouth, "It's just-it's just-" Younghyun paused for a while, trying to gather his thoughts as he skimmed a finger through the strands in his hair, "This song means a lot to me."

He looked up at Jaehyung meekly, who got the message, and smiled back understandingly with all his heart and spirit. Holding the hems of his grey cardigan to the abrupt crinkle in his eyes, he said with confidence, "I bet you'll be able to sing this song well."

Younghyun shrugged, lips bridging into a small bump. "Hopefully it's good."

Ignoring the facade that he had looked after faithfully for most of the conversation, his eyes turned to his beloved guitar once again as he fumbled through the strings for a key, a key that he had once remembered from the top of his head.

But soon enough, as he found that something, the voice that escaped from his lips was one filled with the cracks and potholes of youth; a youth of falling from fences and music well spent in Toronto, and instantly, his fingers found their home again.

Going back to the corner, where I first saw you

Gonna camp in my sleeping bag, I'm not gonna move

Got some words on cardboard, got your picture in my hand

Saying, "If you see this girl, can you tell her where I am?"

Some try to hand me money, they don't understand

I'm not broke, I'm just a broken-hearted man

I know it makes no sense, but what else can I do

How can I move on when I'm still in love with you

Cause if one day you wake up and find that you're missing me

And your heart starts to wonder where on this earth I could be

Thinkin' maybe you'll come back here to the place that we'd meet

And you'll see me waiting for you on our corner of the street

So I'm not moving, I'm not moving

Younghyun, carried gingerly by the tether of his euphoria, let it disappear gradually as he held the last note, just for a little longer. The lyrics had brought back some beautiful memories, that he really didn't wish to dampen with the selfishness that human emotions would always bring; they had hit a little too close to home for comfort.

On the contrary, Jaehyung had an eager, but somehow composed smile lingering on his face; like he had something beneath that enthusiasm but refused to show it. "You're really good at singing," he awed quietly, small giggles dovetailed to his speech and establishing a subtle amazement, "-and really, really good at English."

Upon hearing the last line, Younghyun couldn't help but laugh in good humour, slightly amused by the surprise that contorted his soft, demure features. "I lived in Toronto for 4 years. I'm not that great at English, but I'd consider myself fluent."

Jaehyung's mouth fell open in shock. "Wait, you can speak English? The way you say Toronto is very...accentuated."

"Yeah man! You have a pretty evident American accent, I can tell you do too."  Complying to Jaehyung's question, Younghyun gave him a rightfully English answer, and his smile only got even wider when Jaehyung's eyes lit up like the Christmas trees back in his apartment overseas.

"Ooh, ooh, wait, hold up, my dude! I literally don't know ANYONE who can speak fluent English. We're literally, like friends now, oh my gosh." Jaehyung started to rave, lips puckered in excitement as he spoke his first language with less stiffness than he did in Korean, "My Korean compared to the locals here is absolutely terrible. Like okay, I'm fluent and all, but I just can't find the words to say to properly express myself, namsayin? Ugh, it's soooo difficult to just get one sentence across to the teachers, and it's so agonising as well whenever they lecture me about it, jeez."  Realising how his speech had been no more than an indiscernible string of gibberish, Jaehyung paused before tittering gently to break the silence, unequivocally shy about his habit of rambling off like a bullet train. "S-Sorry, I got too excited." he said again, back to the quiet boy that the formalities of the Korean language forced onto him.

Younghyun waved a hand dismissively. "It's fine. We can speak in English if you're more comfortable with it."  he quipped. "Plus, I think I prefer seeing you like this,"  he said with the small hint of a knowing smirk, and instantly Jaehyung's features relaxed, figure further unfurling into the bench.

"Thanks man. Never heard anything more relieving ever since coming here." he remarked, letting loose a few awkward laughs before adding hesitantly, "By the way, I think you could just call me Jae. It's something that I'm more used to, and it sounds less weird in English."

"Sounds cool. Jae Park, Jae Park. Damn, my homie, whatcha doin with all your swag?"  Younghyun called in the most terribly exaggerated accent that resembled Jae's way of talking, and both of them doubled over even harder than before. However, Younghyun had done so in slight embarrassment-why did he think it was okay to do something so cringeworthy?

However, as he moulded his face into his palms, he peered through the crevices between his fingers and decided Jae's happiness was worth it.

The freedom in his eyes, the way that his voice flowed in English like the rapids of a river; it evidently showed that he felt at home speaking with such informality, with such slack in his voice. It was as if the sleeves in his cardigan that hung loose had unfolded its 'wings' and flew from a cage that had once threatened to, and did imprison him.

And, for the second time in foreign ground, Younghyun felt a fleeting upturning of his lips, something that he could barely press down."Best friends?" he had asked, but had said it more like a declaration as he jabbed his pinky into Jae's face maliciously; startling the older boy whilst painting creases in his eyes. Still, being too happy over his new friend, Jae took it in good nature as he unhesitantly twined his pinky around Younghyun's.

"For sure, my brother from another mother."  he declared with conviction, just as the recess bell struck to signify the start of something new. "Let's get it."

_____________________________________

a/n: whenever jae and younghyun talk, i will not italicise it anymore unless its in korean. basically italics will be implemented in the language used less often in the chapter?? so eg. the chapter mainly features yk talking in korean to sungjin, then if jae suddenly talks i will have to italicise it for their english convo lol. but if theres a scene in the chapter thats only showing jae and yk i will not italicise it, assuming that u alrdy kno that theyre speaking in eng aight:)

sorry for being so inactive TTTTTT

[fcsterchildrcn]

Rebirth

Part 1 here

ARC: REBIRTH

WARNINGS: afterlife shenanigans, implied past abuse, funeral

She was floating. At least, it felt like she was floating. Red eyes opened, seeing an unfamiliar surrounding. She didn’t feel scared, or worried. A little confused, maybe. She pushed herself into an upright position, noticing where she was. A great, green field, filled with multitudes of different colored flowers. The sounds of wind was only vaguely overtaken by the sounds of voices.

Her movements felt fluid as Charlotte moved to her feet, her entire body telling her to go towards the voices. She had no reason to go against this train of thought; nothing bad could happen here. Though it felt like the land could stretch forever, it took no more than a minute for her to reach the source of the speaking.

What appeared to be the working of a tea party were laid out. A small table, white cups and teapots. Everything was shrouded in light. As her eyes scanned over the new sense of scenery, they stopped at the sight of a woman. She was much larger than any human in height, even as she sat on a plush throne-type seat. Her skin was a magenta color, her hair a gradient of brown and blonde. She was dressed in fine robes of purple and gold; the colors that made Charlotte think of royalty. Though there was one thing that was the most mesmerizing-- This woman had purely white eyes.

Before the pinkette could even speak, the woman’s gaze was on her, a huge grin painted itself on her features.

“We’ve been waiting for you, dear. I’m glad you could make it. Please, take a seat.”

It was like her body was moving without her, legs carrying her to a chair that was softer than anything she’d ever touched.

A cup of tea was set before her. Charlotte had never been one to drink tea, yet she still moved to put the cup to her lips. It tasted like absolutely nothing. How odd, she thought, though her mind seemed to be elsewhere.

The clear blue sky, the flowers surrounding them, even the layout of their little party and the extra chair that seemed too meticulously placed. It was all so beautiful, it made the young woman feel at peace.

“It is a wonder, isn’t it?” The woman’s words caused Charlotte’s head to snap forward, as though she were meant to be paying attention to this inhumane being who radiated a gentle warmth from her entire being. “Most people have questions once they reach this point. Though, it is pointless. They’ll never remember it once they pass along.”

“Pass along?” Charlotte felt like an echo as she repeated it.

“Oh, dear. You don’t know where you are, do you?”

She shook her head as a negative.

The woman stood, absolutely towering over the other. A hand was held out, and Charlotte couldn’t help but notice the hourglass tattoo on her wrist, covered by a plethora of golden bracelets. With little hesitation, she took the being’s hand; the next thing she knew, they were walking side by side along a marble trail. A vast garden surrounded them, creating a mix of aromas that made her feel at home. “You may not remember what happened before you awoke. That may be for the best come the given time. But, humans were never meant to last forever; their time is so short compared to those like myself. I should not trouble you with that. What I will tell you is that you are no longer a part of that world. Your body may be there, but your spirit is here with me.”

Charlotte looked up at the other, a muted look of shock written on her face.

“I’m dead?”

“In that world, yes.”

That was when the reality sank in. Though in a place so beautiful and welcoming, it was hard to feel truly saddened. This didn’t stop a tear from rolling down her face. A large hand moved to wipe that tear away, a motherly look of thoughtfulness given from the Being.

“Now, now. There is no need to mourn. We have much to talk about. Ah, I do wish you could stay here. You’re so precious, and life has not treated you well in your young years. Humans can be such… Awful creatures at times. But they can also be the most endearing. Your sentimentality, your heart. Even through all the sadness, the most kind hearts emerge.” She had begun to walk again leaving Charlotte behind to catch up.

The silence after that was not an awkward one, yet now the human had so many questions. If she was dead, where would she pass onto now? This woman had said she couldn’t stay here; where would she go? What had happened to her? Did she even want to remember? What had happened in her life to get her here?

… Why were her memories so foggy?

There were faces floating around her mind, but they were so indiscernible. She could feel the emotions from these faces, but couldn’t put names to them. Couldn’t put anything but the feelings of love and hate and sadness. Then, they quickly washed away before she could truly grab them.

Once she caught up with the being, her mind felt blank. The questions didn’t need answering. If they were truly important, the answers would come to her. Why was she so unconcerned about it all?

“Forcing those thoughts will have nothing good to come… The Acacia tree. It is said by those in your world that it symbolizes Immortality, usually dealing with natures of the human soul. You are a human that has dealt with many things concerning your soul. Your spirit has been broken and rebuilt so many times. Charlotte is the name you have chosen for yourself, though. Which means it has more power than any mere word. I know there will be more in your path, and I must apologize for that now, even if you won’t remember it when you awake once more.” Her voice had grown sad towards the end; it was quickly washed away with a bright smile as Charlotte’s hand was gently grabbed, pulling her along.

“I have a gift for you.”

As the two walked, the scenery began to change once more around them. Soon they were in a great dining hall, punctuated by a table with cloths of purple and gold. Down at the end sat a figure; a man who seemed to have been waiting for quite some time. Charlotte couldn’t make him out right away, and he barely seemed to move until the two had made their way to the end of the table. Despite the large size, there were only three seats. Once of which was occupied by the man.

The two took their seats, and the pink haired girl finally was able to get a look at the man. He was older than her, but by only slightly more than a decade. His hair was a dull shade of brown, and his eyes seemed tired and sad, most unlike the other things that had been seen in this heavenly garden.

His eyes, ones that seemed a duller, more browned red than her own, seemed to be locked on her. This man seemed to remember her, yet she could only vaguely make out why he seemed familiar. Only one thing came to mind every time she glanced at him; Worry. Whether it was for herself or for this man, she still had not pinpointed.

The Being waved a hand, catching both the humans’ attention. “Give her a moment, Ronan. She doesn’t remember, much as you didn’t when you first arrived.”

The man had said nothing, and still continued to sit silently, only glancing back and forth between the girl and the woman.

“I know him?”

“You did once, yes.” The being started, her eyes nearly glowing with a stilled excitement. “But he is a different man than you know him to be. It is funny to me how time goes by for you all. It was only the blink of an eye for me, but for the both of you, it could feel like eternity. Much like a dream, I suppose. Dreams tend to feel shorter than they are. He is only a part of your gift! You cannot go back without a guide. Usually, We wouldn’t send back someone so unqualified, yet it was decided he should. You see, most of you creatures don’t get second chances. Many feel remorse once they arrive if only for the reason they don’t like how they are remembered. Others… Well, humans are as they are.”  She clapped her hands together, and the outside roared with a mighty thunder. The man opened his mouth to speak, then seemingly thought against it.

“I don’t know what you’re talking about.” It was the first full sentence Charlotte ad said since she’d arrived. The first hint of true emotion she had showed. It shocked the being only for a moment before she gave a big, hearty laugh.

“Ah, there you are. I was wondering when that attitude of yours would join us.” Attitude? She’d only said one thing.

“You said you had a gift for me. This man… How is he a part of it? Why does he look so familiar? Who are you?”

“I suppose I should introduce myself..” The being laughed. “I am Beileag. I am a divine being over your world. One of them, anyways. You humans tend to call us ‘gods,’ though I guess correcting you all would be fruitless, anyway.”

Charlotte was confused now. More so than earlier. Pictures were beginning to come back to her. Faces, names, family--

There was no way this man was her family.

“You want him to be my guide? What kind of guide would he even be?” Charlotte now remembered. Charlotte was now angry. Who was this woman who claimed to be a god, saying that one of her tormentors would guide her? A man she hadn’t seen in years. A man who she felt deserved no redemption. “Where do you think you’re sending me?”

The sight of a storm started to roll in as Beileag frowned. It was the first time she’d looked upset this entire time. Had the human not liked her gift?

“Why… You are going back to your earthly body.” “But I’m dead!” She slammed her hands on the table, and another rumble of thunder occured. Unlike the previous time, this one was very much an unhappy noise.

“Acacia--” “That’s not my name! You don’t get to be here! You don’t get to be my guide! I’d rather stay dead!” Now there were tears as the girl stood up, fury showing in her scarlet eyes. She stared daggers into the man-- into Ronan Kincaid. Beileag moved to stand up, her voice loud enough to scare both of the humans to their senses.

“THAT IS ENOUGH. I will not have this kind of temper in my garden!” She boomed, and Charlotte paused. The human slowly found her seat, not taking her glare off of her father. “You humans. Like I said, you are as you are. Do you not believe people can change, Charlotte? When Ronan joined us here, he was bitter and angry, just as you are now. But he has learned a few things. He has seen what his actions have done. He has watched your brother grow up without knowing of your whereabouts. He’s watched you lie to avoid those who have searched for you. He has watched you abandon every inch of a family that has ever taken you in.” Charlotte had opened her mouth to argue, but the Being held up her hand to silence her. “He has seen that it is his fault. And I understand that you do not want to relive your past. But there are other humans who need you, and who are going to need the gifts only you can possess. So, I ask you this one request; Please accept my gift and at the very least, give this man a chance.”

The sky returned to it’s clear shade of blue once Beileag had taken her seat once again. Charlotte had her options laid out for her; accept her second chance at life, or pass on to whatever lay beyond this garden.

“What happens if he blows it?” “I--” He tried to speak, but his voice fell lost to the greater being.

“He will return. And he will not get a third chance.”

“And to me?”

“You get to live as long as you don’t die.”

“That’s fair.”

Beileag’s smile returned, though Ronan seemed more worried than he did when they’d entered. She motioned for Charlotte to come forward, and she did, albeit hesitantly. A hand was placed right above her heart, as her own started to glow. A new tattoo, a heart in the same style of the hourglass on her wrist, seemed to burn itself onto her chest. A golden light began to surround them all, and the world itself seemed to be taken over by nothing but endless light. One last thing seemed to be said, but it could not be heard. That was the moment her vision faded.

Her head hurt when she woke up, her hands immediately going to her head as she sat up. And god, when did her bed get so stiff? Charlotte really needed to invest in a new mattress. Something felt off as she ran her hands through her hair. She tried to remember her dream, or even going to bed the previous night. A chorus of gasps caused her to freeze in place, her eyes snapping open. She wasn’t in her bed, and this wasn’t her room. This wasn’t even a house. She heard a noise as though someone had fallen over, and slowly turned her head to look out amongst the funeral-goers.

She was sitting in a casket. She was wearing fancy clothes. Everyone looked like they had been crying. That’s when it hit her. She had died. This was her funeral.

All Charlotte knew to do was scream.

[overlord-off-record]

Just remember that you all encouraged me to do this.

(Also let me know if that history lesson sounds interesting at all.)

---

Gil couldn't remember what he had come to his room to fetch. The fact that he couldn't particularly recall the last time he had ventured into his own bedroom in Castle Heterodyne at all probably should have crossed his baffled brain, at least for a moment, but it really didn't. He stood motionless, his eyes wide, his throat working as though to speak. His hand failed to catch the door as it closed, and the noise startled him out of his stupor.

"Castle!"

Castle Heterodyne chuckled and made a noncommittal reply. Gil drew a deep breath, let it out slowly, then failed at not taking a shallow gulp of air afterward. The Castle found his antics most amusing.

"Castle, what is that?"

"I'm afraid you're going to have to be more specific," Castle Heterodyne replied, though Gil could only mean the clank that stood at the center of his bedroom.

He took a cautious step forward.

The clank was exquisite. It stood draped in silks dyed in colorful gradients, dressed to the height of fashion. Its eyes were closed, its hands at its sides. Filigree and fine enamel work ran along the surface of the machine, no doubt as intricate as the mechanisms within. A long-ago conversation stirring in the depths of his memory, Gil glanced about as though he could give the Castle a look of breathless wonder.

"It's… a Muse?"

Again, Castle Heterodyne laughed at him. "Oh, surely you're not that surprised."

Gil ran his fingertips along a section of filigree. His thoughts jumbled and collided with one another. Betrothal gift. From Tarvek. He struggled to make sense of it. Hadn't they been joking?

I've always loved you.

Right, so probably not joking, then. Gil felt heat rising in his cheeks. "Castle! How long has this thing been in here?" Muse. Dammit, Gilgamesh, just say it.

Castle Heterodyne made a noise to indicate that it did not know. Gil called it a liar, and the Castle laughed again. Gil slammed through the door, heading for the nearest staircase.

"Castle! Where is he?"

Castle Heterodyne promptly dropped the ruse. "In the Green Laboratory. Would you care for a shortcut?"

Gil was yelling "NO!" even as the floor fell away beneath his feet.

He tumbled down a sloped chute, which turned twice before it dumped him, dusty and bruised, into the exact corridor he needed. Springing to his feet, he checked the contents of his pockets before he charged onward. The Green Laboratory was impossible to miss, as someone had painted its door an obnoxious shade of orange. In fact, there was nothing the least bit green about the Green Laboratory, but no one had ever bothered to rethink the name.

The irritating orange door slammed open before he touched it. Two pairs of eyes stared at him, and Gil skidded to a stop, suddenly winded, as though taking a punch to the diaphragm. He remembered what he had wanted from his room, and he wished he could hide the large rip in his sleeve. Instead, he stood motionless, feeling a flush creep across his cheeks.

Agatha stood beside a complicated distillation array, her hands paused midway through fixing a round bottom flask to a clamp. Tarvek leaned against the same workbench, his pen poised above his notes. The looked perfect, like nothing in the world could ever be wrong. And Tarvek…

Oh, no.

Gil swallowed his panic, tried to speak, failed, and tried again, with similar results. Agathas expression of surprise turned to a frown.

"Gil? What's wrong?"

The Castle chuckled, and annoyance shook Gil into action. He strode to the workbench and jabbed a finger at Tarvek. "You've been in my room." Tarvek looked at him oddly for a moment, then started to laugh. A sharp stab of awkwardness catching him, Gil glanced between Agatha and Tarvek. "What?"

"Gil, mój скарб, it's been weeks."

Oh. Gil felt heat rising in his cheeks again. "You should have said something," he grumbled, looking away.

"And spoil the surprise?" Tarvek shook his head. "I wanted you to discover her on your own. I just didn't realize it would take you this long." His eyes still danced with mirth, but at least he had stopped laughing.

"Perhaps if you used your own room for more than a closet," Castle Heterodyne said, and Gil felt rather sour about taking criticism from the architecture. Agatha shushed it, but she probably agreed.

"Well?" Tarvek said, and Gil stared at him in blank stupidity. Tarvek waited, expectant, smiling just a little. Gil shuffled his feet.

"Well what?"

"Gil, my Gil," Tarvek sighed, reaching toward him with a hand that Gil automatically caught. "You must tell us whether or not you choose to accept the betrothal gift."

Us? Gil glanced at Agatha. She had both hands pressed to her mouth, but she nodded her encouragement. But… "Why 'us'?" And why could he never shut up and leave well enough alone?

Tarvek groaned and rolled his eyes. "You still don't do the reading."

"What… what reading?" Somehow, Gil felt more helplessly befuddled than ever. Had Agatha wanted him to read something?

"Local legal code. Honestly, Gil, how can you stand not knowing this stuff?"

Gil bristled. "I know what I need to," he said, snatching his hand back from Tarvek.

"Boys," Agatha chided. Gil looked to her, hoping for an explanation. Instead, she stared them both down until tempers cooled, and then she nodded for Tarvek to continue.

"You and I have been engaged for ages, but that agreement is null and void within the city limits of Mechanicsburg." Tarvek held up a hand to stop Gil's protests. "Because we are the Heterodyne's consorts. Belonging to Agatha negates any other claim on either of us."

"Obviously," Gil said, not quite sure where this lecture would head. He knew that in Mechanicsburg, the Heterodyne's will was law absolute. Until this moment, he had not realized he needed to know anything else.

"So," Tarvek continued, "before I could present you with your long-overdue betrothal gift, I had to formally petition the Heterodyne for permission to renew our engagement."

Agatha beamed at them. "I gave my blessing, of course. Now you just have to accept."

Gil found himself struggling for words yet again. "Of course," he echoed. "What, exactly, am I consenting to?"

Tarvek gave him that "try to keep up" look of his that infuriated almost everyone. "Harem marriage. Legally binding only in Mechanicsburg, and only so long as the Heterodyne wills it."

"You would belong to each other in addition to being mine," Agatha said.

"So… basically the same as what we have now?"

"The same as now," Tarvek agreed with a soft smile. "Except I call you my husband."

Husband. It surprised Gil just how much he liked the sound of it. And he only had to agree to it.

"I love you," he blurted instead.

Gil had little time to berate himself for saying the wrong thing yet again, for Tarvek yanked him close and kissed him hard. Tarvek kissed his breath away, kissed him until the tension seeped from his muscles, and they clung to one another in earnest passion. Then Tarvek leaned back just enough to murmur, "Answer the question, Gil."

"Oh." Gil fumbled to collect his thoughts. "This harem marriage thing is really real?" How was that relevant? If Agatha wanted it to be real, then it was.

"If you want a history lesson, you can ask Oksana about it." Tarvek's voice had taken on that slight edge that meant his patience faded.

Gil made a mental note to do so later. He glanced between Agatha and Tarvek. "I…" He drew a deep breath, and he forced it out in a hasty: "I accept."

Tarvek kissed him again, then surrendered him to Agatha, who also kissed him breathless. Eventually, they let him slump against the workbench, winded and overwhelmed, but oddly happy. Agatha turned to her distillation array again.

"So," Gil ventured after a moment of contented reflection, "you've given me the Muse of what?"

"Resolve."

Gil felt his nose crinkle. "You might as well have said pigheadedness."

"Didn't I?" Tarvek grinned one of his sharp, wicked grins.

"Remind me why I want to be married to you." But he did. He truly did.

Tarvek's grin warmed to a genuine smile. His fingertips ran over the back of Gil's hand. "Because you love me," he said, his voice soft, almost wondering. As though he hadn't known that already.

"Idiot." Gil tugged him into a tight embrace. "Of course."

Agatha smiled across her distillation array at them in that serene, proprietary way that meant that her consorts pleased her. Gil beamed back at her, and he didn't mind so much that he had ripped his sleeve, fallen down a dusty chute, and repeatedly blundered all over his words, all in the space of about half an hour. Today was a good day.

Later, he decided, he would take a closer look at the Muse of Resolve.

[elasianstar]

R #7 Bump (Slightly NSFW)

The boys were heading off for patrol without Raph tonight. he pissed off Leo again, shirking orders and almost getting the four spotted, so he's benched. Master splinter would be in the meditation room all night with explicit orders not to disturb him.

So since Raph was in trouble I spent the night in Donnie’s lab, working on four specialized batches of masking serum. I had my music up a little loud, allowing myself to get lost in the sound of the guitar, hips swaying to the beat as I made the calculations and measured out the exact weights of each reactant needed. Stewing some to extract oils, grinding others between mortar and pestle before adding each batch to the still Don had leant me. The resulting bottles of grayish fluid would need much more refining but they were a positive step in the right direction.

“You know I can feel you watching me.”

His voice was low and careful from where he had been watching from the lab door.

“Can't a guy watch his girl work?”

Corking the second vial of potion I turned to lean back against the lab bench, goggles perched low on my nose so i could look over them.

“Not when said guy is in time out and is supposed to be practicing his kata as punishment.”

“Awww come on Myōjō, ya know good and well Leo’s just power trippin.”

“Don't you Myojo me Raphael, I agree with Leo, your stealth could use some major improvement. Especially when you get riled up.”

“I can't believe you're taking his side on this!.......Fuckin fearless leader boy…..doesn't know teamwork if it slapped him upside the damn head….”

I reached up and grabbed his jaw turning  his face toward mine as I held my ground, his hand, raised by instinct, stilled mid air.

“I never said I was taking his side, merely that I agreed that you needed work. I don't think making you mindlessly go through your Kata is the way to do it, but Leo is the leader. In order to make a functional team you sometimes need to just grin and bear it, no matter how much you may disagree.”

He sighed, shaking his head out of my grip and running his hand over his bandana before looking down at me through the corner of his eye.

“Why do ya always gotta be the sane logical one?”

I hooked my arm around his leading him to sit in Donnie’s skateboard chair.

“Because somebody's gotta drag your scaly ass back down to earth. Get you thinking rationally again. Now you can take a short break and watch me work if you really want, but when Leo and the others get back you'd better be back in the Dojo or it'll be another useless fight.”

“Yes ma'am.”

I smirked over my shoulder at him as I started up the still for the next batch.

“Damn straight mister.”

…

“Alright, I've got the stock solutions made and they should keep in this form. Now I just have to separate the solution into a carrier oil over the course of a few weeks and then further refine it with the pollen of ghost orchids until it turns periwinkle blue.”

I felt his hand on my waist as he looked over my shoulder at the tangle of laboratory equipment.

“And that should turn us human?”

“No, there's nothing that will actually accomplish that feat. This will however cause you to appear as human for a number of hours per dose. If I got the calculations right, I'm not used to working with a quasi cold-blooded metabolism.”

“Ya know what? Ya can really put a friggin damper on things when ya go all Don on me. Scientists…”

He wrapped me up so I couldn't move for a few minutes, his chin resting on top of my head.

“Sorry Red. You know I don't care what you are right? I like you all big and scaly.”

“Really?”

“Yeah, you're always so nice to cuddle, you stay cool and I really enjoy the textures of your skin and your shell. They're nice to run my hands over, if you'd let me I'd probably be happy just doing that for hours. I also like that you're so much bigger than me, I'm so used to being the one people look to that it's nice to feel like I can be held and cuddled and cooed over from time to time.”

I turned to face him, reaching up to wrap my arms around his neck while he held my waist. My fingers found the knot of his bandanna and swiftly undid it so I could get a good look at his face.

“Your eyes, I've never seen such a wonderful shade of green, like sunlit peridot sprinkled with flakes of gold. You’re so expressive even when you're trying to hide behind that faux tough exterior. Your face is well balanced and pleasing to the artist in me. The smooth even planes of your nose and the soft gradient between the darker tones around your eyes and the lighter ones around your beak, I could draw you for years and never get tired of it. Your chubby cheeks and your strong jaw that give you a look of innocence, of goodness, despite your years and all you've seen. And your lips, they’re soft and plush and every time you kiss me it feels like i'm diving, terminal velocity, it takes my breath away and I never want to pull up.”

Before I could continue I felt those very lips press passionately against my own as wonderfully rough hands moved to smooth over my lower back and hold me tight to that perfectly large body of his. Lips parted without question as tongues danced around each other like flint and steel, lighting the fire between us to burn ever so brightly. When my hands smoothed over the scattered scales on his neck and shoulders I felt a shiver spark across both of our skin as his hands moved higher to caress the space right below my wings. Fingertips barely brushing the sensitive skin just a few inches higher…

I was expecting the fall, sweeping one of my legs behind his knees as I pressed against the smooth edges of his chest scutes. What I wasn't expecting was for him to stop kissing me, wrapping himself around me almost in entirety, protecting me, as he fell backwards into the chair.

What HE definitely wasn't expecting was for me to start kissing, hot and open mouthed across the exposed skin of his collar bones and up to the sensitive spot on his neck where the end of his slider marks met his pulse point. That deep rumbling Purr buzzing through his plastron too low to hear but definitely able to be felt as I pressed myself closer to him, straddling his waist as his hands took up their expedition across the valleys and plains of my own form. A happy little skene left my lips as his own nuzzled in to give my neck a similar treatment, hands running over the curve of my outer thighs as I pressed my chest close enough to feel the pounding of his heart behind his armored flesh.

My skin was so hot and his cool hide was like an oasis, quenching the fires his hands had started.

“Ah, Raphael, hmmmm, my angel, my perfect… ahhh!”

The feel of his teeth gently grazing over my pulse point mixed with the roughness with which he grasped my ass sent my head rolling back in pleasure, a shaky chirping sound overtaking the words on my lips as i pressed my hips down against his lower plastron. There was a bulging there, something pressing at the softer, more cartilaginous scutes just under the slope of his hips. When I gave it a testing grind he stilled almost immediately, eyes screwed shut as he fought to control his breath.

“Elasia, please d..don't do that. Not yet babe. Haaaah…”

Pulling my hips back I rolled to the side, tucking myself in the nook between his arm and his body as I sat sideways across his lap. I placed my hand carefully over his heart and we focused on calming breaths until he felt like he could open his eyes again. His lips pressed carefully against my forehead and his fingers matched the rhythm of my own gently running along the tendons of the inside of his forearm in calming, grounding motions.

“You ok Raph?”

I felt his breath huff against my hair.

“Yeah, I'm good........... sorry.”

I looked up at him through my hair where it had fallen across my forehead.

“Don't be sweetheart, it's totally fine if you aren't ready or if you feel uncomfortable to let me know. If you need me to back off I will, every time, without question.”

He just held me, focusing on breathing for a few minutes until I felt familiar souls approaching from the south tunnels.

“The guys are back, let's see if you can be stealthy enough to get back to the Dojo before Leo notices you weren't doing your kata.”

I turned back to my work, the only hint that he had even moved being the gentle touch of his fingers as they brushed across the edges of my hair.