#I know what he said and it saddens me greatly

[findyourtruth]

After a few months of writer's block, I'm working on another Snarry fanfic, Auror!Harry x Sex worker!

I'm 25 000+ words in, I hope Alice Cooper's newfound inspiration will be enough to finish this story.

I also plan to finish a Christmas story, also Snarry, which I started writing in the spring, but the lack of motivation didn't allow me to finish it.

It's probably because I can't find any fanfics to read myself; I think the last one I read was in April. 😭 The lack of fanfics to read is very discouraging.

[bunji-enthusiast]

Run, Run Far Angel

Note || I am obligated as a fanfic author to write this, sue me. I got attached to DogDay, and he deserved better in Chapter 3.

WC || 2,070

<(You are here)><(sequel part)>

Sypnosis || An unlikely shortcoming of a friendly entity, or, You get a new friend in spite of this hellish factory.

The noise that had buzzed in the far reaches in the depths of your ears had annoyed you to no end, insistent to remain with you. So many times over had your guilt marred your sense of peace, your sense of futility. Whatever control you felt you had in your life was completely gone the moment you had come back to the accursed place known as Playtime Co. Toy Factory. So many unruly things had gone here, things done and said that left you chuckling–few that had left you with regrets.

Regrets that had stayed with you for well over ten years, since your co-workers had disappeared. You always had a sinking feeling you knew well what had happened to the last of them, your friends and those that you had come to consider family. 

Then you fell into Playcare, a place once filled with laughter and joy, something of which was indescribable. To know the children here and being able to hear such joyful playing and sometimes the odd cry, it was fulfilling, now the whole Factory–every floor there was to know–was devoid of the very same life you’ve come to know and love all those years ago.

Now the only thing that had tormented your mind, as it always had been since you first arrived, was your fight or flight. Instinctive you were, but you hated every minute of having to run and hide away from the monster that had presided reign over their domain, on of which the very one you had to be stuck with was-

“Catnap?” You muttered, thumbing the scarred fur that was blotched with ashy spots, as if it were burned by fire. 

The small recreational stuffed animal looked so adorable for the most part, yet it disturbed you greatly, guilt was predominant in mind and body. In all of your years you had remembered working at the Factory you don't ever recall the name of Catnap, the creepy elongated mouth had stood out to you the most.

He was hunting you, toying with you for sport. You couldn’t really understand why he hadn’t just gunned you for killing you at a moment's notice, though you felt a breath of relief that you could buy yourself time.

Supposedly some of this relief is partial to the fact that this Ollie kid was guiding you on where to go, with how dark this place was is absurd to you–so the guidance was appreciated. A voice had finally snapped you out of your ever consuming thoughts, it was terribly the truth.

“Hey are you alright? Just press that button and you’ll be through in no time! The small critters cant seem to get you from up there so you should be alright.” Ollie, yes Ollie that is the kids name. Who is this strange person anyway?

Unfortunately you weren’t in a position to worry about that right now, you simply pressed the button with the help of your grabpack. Trying to remember all the hands you had now with you was troublesome, but you manage.

‘I suppose.’ You wonder if there is anyone in this place that won’t actively be out for your head, truth be told.

Maybe that was a miracle in mind, as you walked through the desolate rubble the air seemed to desaturate, a mist once permeated with dread and the iron taste of blood seemed to float away as you came across a surprising display. Gruesome but something nobody should have to see or experience. 

It seemed to be DogDay, you could've sworn coming across a cardboard cutout of the very same character earlier. 

He seemed to be so.. Sad.

“You…you’re Poppy’s angel. Come to save us. Nothing left to save, not here…You’re in CatNap’s home, angel. Their home.” His voice was broken, forlorn, vocal cords riddled with experience he never wanted to relive again. You felt saddened on his behalf, no doubt the pain he is feeling right now is tremendous. For a moment, silence had filled the comfortable atmosphere rendering you with a small pit of anxiety balling within your gut.

Still you feel as if you had to speak, but you allow Dogday to have his part, that much you could try to do for him.

DogDay’s head lolled about as if he were a ragdoll, the effort to make movement was extraneous. “A million pairs of eyes are on you now. Watching, waiting, hungry. They want nothing more than to crawl beneath your skin and eat away at you bit by little bit - fill what feels empty inside themselves.” Those words sparked an ire of curiosity inside your trodden heart, you wanted to help him now.

You needed help, especially answers too. He was in pain, and you wanted to help him, so to ease your guilty conscience a little; hopefully in the process of gaining a friend at the same time. “Catnap.. Just, I don’t understand him.” DogDay raised his head, looking at you wistfully as if he had expected the aforementioned cat to be brought up. 

DogDay winced as he moved, each little rattle sending painful vibrations throughout his body–the phantom legs hadn’t brought any peace to him whatsoever.

“That thing…CatNap. The Prototype is his God, and this is what he does to heretics.” His words carried an aura of ominous spiels, as if you were to heed this warning. “These little toys follow CatNap to avoid that very fate- and in return, they are fed.” 

In their place, you would take measures to avoid such a fate too if you would. To a point, you could sympathize with the small toys, not being able to do anything and the teetering possibility of being killed always hanging over your head. Knowing that alone is unfathomably terrifying.

“Would explain why they were hunting me previously..” You murmur, now tucking that thought to the depths of your mind. Still you wanted to hear out DogDay, for he knew better of what had gone on here then you did. His head had shagged, fur ruffled and dangling about as he had squirmed slightly.

“We tried to fight it, the Prototype’s control. I’m…the last of the Smiling Critters.” His tune was mournful, his friends really had been killed right before his very eyes. Catnap’s gas, you remember it well enough. 

You had to take a moment – articulate your words. You were completely filled to the brim with anxiety and alert, you remind yourself to not let down your guard in spite of being with someone who has no intention of wanting to kill you. “You had tried to escape, and he… knocked you out with his gas?”

DogDay’s brows creased, confirming your answer. You felt so terrible for him, causing you to be firmly set on a decision. 

You were helping him get out of here, in no way shape or form did you feel he should be left behind in shambles like this. “This is probably going to sound, insane. But I’m gonna help you get outta here.” Dogday perked up at this, nodding his head no.

He certainly didn’t want you to die, especially not on his account.

“Angel that is not wise! I will slow you down.” He persists, “Listen to me, you need to get out of this place. You need to live. You and Poppy can fix this, end this madness, the torment–” You didn’t want him to change your mind, so as immediate as you were, You desperately grabbed at his arms.

Quickly and surely enough the small critter toys had began crawling toward DogDay, you certainly would not put up with that. You fired a flare gun at the small critters, as much as you could so you could buy time to get DogDay out of his chains.

It seemed Dogday had sensed your determination to want to help him in spite of his warings, even with how much he had tried to convince you to leave. “You are doing well Angel, keep them away from me.. I will do my best to free myself of these.” His voice felt strained, cut off with a cough as he wriggled free–even if every brittle bone in his body had begged him to just lay there and rest.

You thanked him silently, continuing to work away at the critters who were highly determined in their goal to possess DogDay and resume their chase to kill you. “I am free! Quickly now Angel, quickly.” He ushered you forward to run right away, you picked him up as soon as he had done so and heaved him over your shoulders with a heavy breath as a display of your efforts. To say he was surprised at your willful strength was an understatement, he silently applauded you for your strength to keep moving.

Though, it hadn’t removed any of his worry for you as you continued to run forward, your muscles straining to keep up with your mind. From what he can understand of humans anyway, you were exhausted, though he felt it wasn’t right to speak out on it anyway–safety first before talking. 

“Almost there, Angel.. You just need to get to that elevator over there!” He jabbed his finger in the direction you needed to go, and you went on instinct with his direction. Your muscles ached and burned, but you could rest as soon as you reached the elevator, you couldn’t risk DogDay being left behind helpless with the small critters.

Speaking of which, they were still chasing you and your new companion. You wished they stopped, but you had considered an aforementioned thought, they only do this to ensure their fate wasn’t like his. Since then this has wildly changed.

You were close to the edge.

Then, you leaped, everything seemed to slow down. DogDay held on tightly, hands wrapped around your neck secured tight, to you it seemed comforting in the depths of your sudden despair.

You dropped right onto the metal plate, which luckily had railing. The door shut right behind you as DogDay had quickly made action to press the button to start up the elevator nor long after you had succeeded in jumping to the elevator. He slumped with a sigh, something you could very much agree with, sitting down with a thump following in your wake. 

Truth be told, you weren’t sure of how much more you could take much more of this nightmare. You may just as well be in a very long dream, and you were just actually sleeping at home, but no way however as the exhaustion had finally settled into your bones. 

Weary bones creaked about as DogDay made an effort to check over your slumped body, wanting to ensure you were not injured anywhere before he spoke, “Whatever questions you have..” He paused for a moment as if he were considering his words, something of which seemed to happen to a lot of people and toys alike in this Factory. “I will answer, rest for now first.”

DogDay was being his typical self, always so worried over someone else before considering his own health. His own legs being severed must be a great deal of pain, you wanted to ask him to rest too. Yet, you were too tired to respond, only nodding curtly as sleep had stolen you away from your awakened consciousness. 

A genuine smile seems to relax DogDay’s expression, you sorely needed rest. He would help you get that rest, things to talk about and things to face would come later. “You have done impossible things, you have run far. Thank you.” He quietly spoke, curling up to cuddle you. 

His head laid to rest on the crown of your head, hands and arms elongating ever so slightly to surround you in his warmth. DogDay was a leader, a friend, but he was also a good napping buddy. That much was certainly no lie to be told. 

Silence seemed to fill his ears now, sleep was creeping up to DogDay as well. Ah, he cannot sleep right now. You were in his care and vulnerable, especially considering you had gone through the trouble of freeing him. 

To those tormented, the madness had enraged man and toy, you were their saving graces. Someone they could get behind, without the utmost support where would you be now?

“Night has fallen, but for you I will do my absolute best to help you, Angel.”

[gay-dorito-dust]

Hi! I'm just curious how aventurine would react when he caught his partner or crush looking at him and when he asked why, their reply would be that they like his eyes?

Aventurine has noticed that you have been staring at him for a while and had it been anyone one else he wouldn’t question it much, assuming that they knew him and his face due to his ties with the IPC; however since it was you who was looking at him, Aventurine found himself wordlessly adjusting his clothes and the watch on his wrist as though his life depended on it.

He wondered what about him could be so fascinating for you to be staring at him as though he hung the moon, the stars and the constellations and their well known tales of triumph and tragedy.

To Aventurine there wasn’t much about him to admire in the same way you did now and he secretly wished you didn’t look at him the way you did because it made him think that -by some miracle- he had a chance with you.

He was a loser, a hopeless loser, a pathetic liar, a shallow man born without a heart to spare the smallest of sympathies to another person going through turmoil. He didn’t deserve the soft admiration of your eyes on him, nor the way your lips would form a smile directed his way, at least that’s what he thought.

So one day when he caught you looking at him again, he decided to act on his curiosity and ask in hopes that some questions he had lingering within his head would finally be answered.

Why did you look at him as though he gave life meaning? Like he was the only thing in the known universe and why did you always smile at him when he couldn’t even bring himself smile at his own reflection in the mornings?

‘Don’t think I haven’t noticed you staring at me recently,’ he begins, a cheshire grin spread across his lips as he closes in on you. ‘So I’ve come to ask what about me seems to have you captivated these days?’ Aventurine awaits for you to tell him that you weren’t actually looking at him but more or less what he was standing in front of or-

‘Your eyes.’ You responded almost immediately and without shame, cutting the blonde from his overthinking as he looked at you with wide eyes, the smile slipping from his face.

‘Come again.’ He says.

‘Your eyes,’ you repeated, ‘I really like your eyes, they’re so pretty and so unique to you.’ You finished, not once ever looking away from his eyes as they stared back at you with an array of conflicting emotions that clashed before your very eyes.

‘My…eyes…’ aventurine trailed off as though this was all new to him. ‘You like my eyes?’ He questions as he looked at you for answers.

You look at him with concern, not having seen this side of him before. ‘Yeah I thought I already said that…why is that a bad thing to admit?’ You asked him this time as you both sat in somewhat awkward silence.

‘No, it’s not.’ Aventurine chuckles after a while, genuinely smiling to himself. ‘It’s just that I’ve heard that being said so many times before but when you say it, I truly believe that you find my eyes beautiful.’

‘Of course your eyes are beautiful.’ You said as you placed a reassuring hand on his and squeezed reassuringly. ‘I wouldn’t have said anything if I didn’t find them to be remarkable, one of a kind and breathtaking simultaneously.’ You tell him all the while looking into his eyes, yes they were dull but that didn’t stop you from loosing your breath every time they looked directly at you. No words could express the feeling you get when looking into his eyes, and it saddens you greatly because you wanted nothing more then the tell Aventurine just how you felt about his eyes and about him in general.

Aventurine didn’t know what to say to all that, he really didn’t, his brain had gone blank, he was suddenly without a voice and his face was flustered to the high heavens from your words alone. How was it that you could be this sweet and be so casual about it too, maybe this was something he wouldn’t understand until far later in life, where he was older and far wiser then he is now.

So all he does is squeeze your hand back in kind and smiles softly as he says. ‘Thank you, I find your eyes pretty remarkable too.’

[anantaru]

— dodging his kiss

including kaveh, thoma, xiao, scaramouche x gn! reader

꒰ genre ꒱ — fluff, i love making them suffer

— kaveh

"hey no fair! give me a kiss."

nonsense. utter nonsense. kaveh wondered what had started all of this.

the urge, or let's rephrase that, the sudden interest you took to squabble at every minuscule situation, alternating between being his sweet significant other or turning into a taunting little devil.

again, before he was about to leave for the akademiya, kaveh helplessly required from you to send him off with a kiss, just one, but as he went on to fill the distance between you both, you quickly tipped your head to the side in order for him to barely hit your cheek.

he's frowning, the warm air he exhaled tiptoeing on your skin.

"why are you like this?" for an individual as romantic as kaveh seemed to be, you sure had him on the edge the entire time, tickling out every sweet reaction you desired to witness and archons, was he easy to get to this state.

one might think that being roommates with the scribe surely had his sensitive nerves tightened, had them turned to clear, unbreakable diamonds that weren't able to be messed with.

"you're cute when you're angry." you shamelessly admitted back to him, benevolently conveying the sweetest smile you had stored while watching him pout, settling for a closer spot next to you when he ultimately caged you in with his arms.

and when he was hardly an inch away from your face, kaveh decided to give you a taste of your own, bitter medicine.

"really? so you're only cute when you're nice."

dramatically, and in his usual fashion, kaveh tipped his head back to deflect his attention from you to the ceiling, nervously waiting for a response back while also mentally praying to the dendro archon that he didn't cause you any pain with his words.

you see, it was quite seldom for him to tease you back, to push you over the edge because in reality he clearly enjoyed the differences in personalities you both shared.

it's also safe to say that he preferred your minimal plays to that of his roommates, who'd always go too far like last time when he casually decided to grab both keys, making it impossible for kaveh to sleep in their shared home so that he had to come over, in the midst of the night, to stay overnight at your place.

(not that you mind, if anything, you'd love it when alhaitham could repeat the corresponding situation as much as he desired to.)

your smile, in a sudden, slowly disappears when it after a couple of seconds, rose back up in a contagious laughter, your palm subconsciously hiding your mouth, "you're really bad at this."

with your final words, you quickly grabbed his chin to pull him closer for a kiss, missing his bewildered guise when you drew yourself back again.

"i have other qualities, you know?"

kaveh spoke in a low tone, a little hazy, still seeking for more when he had long since forgotten that he actually wanted to leave for the akademiya.

— thoma

"hey." kindly, thoma carried your hand in his palm when he gently brought you to his warm chest, "my break is almost over."

he looks sullen, thoma was saddened that he couldn't spend more time with you, just a little longer, but it had been quite a busy evening today in which he was greatly required, his helping hands were obviously not to be compared with any other.

thoma gingerly hooked his arms around your waist before flaring his soft lips over your forehead, attempting to lower his face to place a chaste, goodbye kiss on top of your lips.

little does he realize you didn't actually plan to receive said affection from him as you swiftly flopped your head to the right direction so he'd clumsily hit your ear instead.

"uh-" at first he thought it was him who took an incorrect approach on this, supposedly seizing the right opportunity at the wrong time.

"i'm sorry." he nervously laughs at you while anxiously rubbing his neck, his eyes a bit scrunched together.

you shouldn't be so joyful when he tapped right into your scheme, fell into it head first, more so when he attempted to kiss you right again, this time being slightly embarrassed and irritated that he had messed it up the first time.

because how on earth did he even manage to accomplish that?

and when thoma carried on with his endeavor, you, at full tilt, angled your head to the left side, ensuring that he missed again.

as disoriented as he was at present, he recalled the past few seconds and skimmed through the situation at hand, his undisturbed utterance evolving into a coquettish guise, "really now?"

your chest muscles pitched together when you puffed out a breathless laugh, excessively amused by his bafflement, well, maybe you were a little pain sometimes, but that's what made thoma fall in love with you in the first place.

"my love." he instantaneously speaks up upon catching a glimpse of your triumphant smile bolstering around the corners of your lips, "i need a kiss from you, right now." he made sure to speak the last words exceptionally clear, as to get his point across.

you're welcoming him, eventually twisting your hands around his neck to place a warm kiss on his lips, mumbling out an innocent 'sorry', yet you cannot find the proper tone in your voice to say it, because in reality you weren't sorry in the slightest.

"why do i feel like you aren't actually sorry?"

though bristling with joy, thoma wasn't actually oblivious as well as new to your usual approaches.

the hilarity of it all was heartwarming, or the new perspective of affection shared by you.

before you let him go at last, you gently pulled him to you so your lips would hover on his ear, aiming to set your intentions clear.

whispering, "because i‘m not."

— xiao

on a tranquilizing evening, your lashes slowly fluttered wide to divulge your eyes to xiao while still remaining enclosed by his arms.

idly, you paid attention to the low thumps of his heart under his ribcage. Your grin was wide from ear to ear, happy at how peaceful it had gotten when you perceived how xiao begun to sluggishly roll himself up.

he tried his utter best to rouse himself from the relaxing atmosphere, to split himself from the slothful— he so referred to it, climate to return to his established routine.

"i have to go now." his golden eyes were all the more compelling under the dim lighting, illuminating their instinctive glowing when he centralized his focus on you. "i will return afterwards."

his breathing nervously hitched, a little, before he decided to add something to his intuitive words, "if you want me to."

delicately, you placed your hand on top of his to calmly ghost your thumb over his knuckles, "of course, i always want you to visit me."

at the realization of your words, xiao's face elated with a rosy shade, a diligent smile creating small wrinkles on his handsome face while his ears tipped a red color.

with another innocent flutter of his eyelashes, he carefully sank back to your frame, aiming to complete his visit with a serene, pacifying kiss.

but, given you were on quite the adventure today, or maybe you had gotten a bit intrigued and interested as to how someone like xiao would react to your almost menacing schemes, you directly dodged his kiss which had him hit your pillow instead.

oblivious to the entire situation you had carefully planted onto him, his face shrunk, "i.. i apologize." yet before you could retort to his words, he insisted in trying it a second time.

his gaze was visibly confused, again when he sought out your left cheek as a substitute, suffering once more when you skillfully dodged it without moving a single muscle.

his reverent, peaceful behavior was threatened by you, as well as your, over the top, innocent stare even after pulling through with your evilness.

"what's the meaning of this?" xiao was commenting on your behavior, his lips were vaguely pursed in a confused way, accentuating the small wrinkles on his forehead. "what do you mean?"

you acknowledged your boyfriend's question but replied in an opposite direction, concealing a bright laugh.

xiao's eyes were a tone lower when he fully sank to you, just about to nearly tower over you.

"you're doing this on purpose." he carefully placed your cheek in his palm before gently ghosting his thumb over your lips, as to try to regain some sort of control over the situation because now, he had you actually figured out.

yet do not get him wrong because contrary to popular believe, xiao found it quite amusing whenever you set forth a somewhat childish, playful behavior like this one in particular.

you weren't a boring human and the small ministrations were usually the highlight of his entire day, like a ray of sunlight peaking from behind the dense, darkened clouds.

"maybe i did." you bluntly chimed back to him, audaciously smiling and cradling his wrist with your hand while leaning into his palm, absorbing his welcoming affability.

"and why is that?" his voice grew calmer and soft, xiao didn't smile often but whenever he did, it's as if the whole world would stand still of a sudden, allowing time to freeze on its entirety.

his senses began to feel the tranquility in your lowered breathing as he suffocated the distance from you, tamely positioning his lips on top of yours, rendering you speechless.

— scaramouche

fundamentally speaking, when scaramouche appeared to be piqued by an irritating occurrence, it was often for him to find comfort in your company, purifying in your gentle clasp.

"the audacity some people display on a daily basis." he heaves at you, slurring while anger thrummed in his body. "whatever." he clicked his tongue.

quickened, scaramouche rubbed his eyes, tampering through his thoughts when his lids fluttered wide to scamper over your face. "at least this boring day is close to its end." your brightened laugh served as a response to his mumbling, vibrating through his being.

archons, how dearly he had missed you, scaramouche longed to see you each passing hour of the day, to at last, be tightly entangled in your arms again, candidly arriving home.

yet as he was appearing to nervously fidget with your shirt, amplifying that he was in his thoughts, you tilted your head to the side to conveniently survey over his features.

and when he noticed, a rush of excitement tipped its way to his cheeks, tugging at the hem of your shirt.

"i think you haven't kissed me today, kuni." you suddenly speak, complying with his thoughts and sometimes scaramouche asked himself if you actually were proficient in reading his thoughts.

"i haven't?" he's a little coy, scattering his hand over your collarbones before settling on your cheek, blood rushing through your face, "i should change that."

you made sure to give yourself a mental applaud later by how easy you had him laced around your finger with kuni being perfectly set for your so called prank.

he didn't waste much time to get to his promise, eagerly striving to kiss your lips when you swiftly clasped your hand on top of your mouth, leaving him behind— utterly bewildered.

his hands tightly clung into the soft bedsheets next to you, his brows furrowing together in confusion, "seriously?"

with all the galling, tiresome people scaramouche had to deal with today, this surely was the icing on top, not to mention how it came from his own significant other.

he slowly pulled away to see you laugh frantically, trying to figure out how to explain this to him, "so this is funny to you?" he takes a moment to summarize before at once, targeting your belly to tickle and pinch the flesh.

you squealed out in surprise, "ah— no please!" unexpectedly you began to beg, evoking whiny screams from your throat, which were now thoroughly in vein, your once innocent scheme twisting into his grasp when scaramouche continued to tickle and pinch you, "now, now."

he's lowering his face to you, smiling when he perceived your warm cheeks and amusing expression, his voice tinted with something akin to hilarity and glee, "how disgraceful of you to fool me like this."

"you're one to talk." you immediately bite back, your hands lifting up to his face to playfully squeeze his squishy cheeks in your palms, "i was trying to see how you'd react."

you disclosed your real intention behind your show, innocently pouting as to convince him to stop the abuse on your belly.

"i think i deserve more than that." scaramouche proceeded to ghost his hand over your stomach, sinking closer to your frame to try again, with you this time knowing well to suffocate any tricks in the near future.

you're greeting him with an affectionate kiss, melting into him while soliciting the warm hearted love you held towards each other.

"maybe i should punish you like this more often." - "please don't."

©2023 anantaru do not share, copy, translate any of my work

[ilovetheriddler]

Escape room affections.

(BTAS) The Riddler/Edward Nygma X F!Reader.

(The escape room is really badly designed, and the puzzles don't actually do anything. This obviously frustrates Edward greatly.)

Word Count: 691.

Contents: Edward being frustrated, kisses, and affection.

You couldn't help but chuckle slightly at the sight of your boyfriend Edward, slowly losing his mind as a result of the escape room that you thought would be a fun date idea to do.

You truly love and adore Edward and how intelligent he is... but at times, that is his biggest flaw. Like now, as he was overthinking this escape room. He was so frantically trying to piece together puzzles that, in his mind and opinion, should work.

A part of you honestly didn't even have the heart to tell him that those puzzles weren't actually important and that the escape room was just really poorly designed and didn't actually use puzzles, that those were just there for decoration.

"Damn it! Why isn't this working? It's clearly the only correct solution to this!"

"Edward, sweetheart, I think that -"

"Not now, my love! I'm trying to figure out why this isn't working, These puzzles are borderline, something a toddler could solve. So the fact that they aren't working, despite me having clearly solved them, is a huge insult to me!"

He continued trying to solve the, quite literally, useless puzzles. The frustration and growing anger apparent on his face. You feel a bit guilty. When you saw that a new escape room had been opened, you thought it would be fun for Edward, that it would be a cute date idea. But perhaps you should have looked more into it beforehand. You walk over to him and place your hand on his shoulder.

"Edward.... the puzzles aren't important...."

A genuine look of surprise and confusion immediately crosses his face. He's silent for a few moments, clearly processing exactly what you just said to him. Before it fully registers with him and that look of frustration returns.

"Well, that's just idiotic! What kind of archaic fools create an escape room that doesn't rely on puzzles?!"

"I don't know.... listen, um, I'm sorry about this... I wasn't aware of it beforehand... so I'm sorry if I've unintentionally ruined our date...."

He looked slightly taken aback by your sudden saddened tone.

"My love, I assure you that while I am frustrated over the foolish design of this escape room, I'm not upset at you. In fact, the fact that I got to spend time with you is the only saving grace from this evening!"

"Really...? I'm glad then... oh! Um... here, I found it in one of the plants a few minutes ago..."

You hand him a simple key, more specifically, the key to get out of here. You feel your face heat up slightly once he leans in and places a simple yet sweet kiss on your cheek.

"Thank you, my love. I appreciate you trying to set up a date that I'd enjoy. It's not your fault that it went.... somewhat awry."

He unlocks the door, and the two of you leave the wildly underwhelming escape room. Edward has a certain look in his eyes that catches your attention, like he's planning something in his head.

"You know, I could make an escape room leagues more impressive than... that disgrace back there! Oh... perhaps i could even use it as a new challenge for Batman! Yes, that'd be perfect!"

"Well, if anyone can design an insane escape room, then it'd probably be you..."

He gets a somewhat smug yet genuine grin on his face at your compliment. He drapes his arm over your shoulders as you walk, leaning into you some. He then presses a gentle and quick kiss to your lips suddenly. Ruffling your hair slightly once he pulls away.

"Oh course, it'll be great, my dear. I'll finally be able to put an end to that caped crusader after all this time! I'm sure it'll work this time... oh, and I'd love for you to test it out for me.... before I add anything lethal, I mean."

"I'd be overjoyed to test out your escape room trap whenever you finish it....."

Edward walks you back to your apartment, bidding you goodnight before he starts making his way back to his place. He has plans that he must attend to...

[captain039]

Part 6 The lords servant

Astarion x reader

Warnings: plus size reader, light swearing, vampire things, sexual, first times, eventual smut, harassment, sexual harassment, angst, past abuse, past trauma

Previous part <-

You had decided to stay, though things were different now, he didn’t make you clean, cook or check over things in the house. You were more of a guest now than servant, he gave you your own room despite your words of not needing it. He insisted greatly, saying you could decorate as you pleased. He wished to go with you to the shops so he could show you the best places for silks and blankets, clothes and perfumes. It saddened you, he had this glint in his eye of wanting to explore this new bond you shared to its fullest, only to be stopped by the sun. You didn’t go shopping, you kept your clothes simple with the ones you had packed, though it made him huff saying he wished to lavish you in wonderful things. You would just shake your head and say you were happy with what you had, he would pout like a child and it would make you laugh though. Honestly you were scared to buy new clothes, you’d have to be sized and measured, you didn’t want the scrutiny of some seamstress judging your body, you also felt wrong for such beautiful things to be waisted on your body, but the lord didn’t need to know that.

You were rather lost in thought, thinking back to your family when you felt arms around your waist and a head bury in your neck. Had you not recognised the soft curls and smell of your lord, you would’ve slapped them. You simply smiled as he pressed light kisses to your neck humming gently.

“What’s my little pup thinking about so deeply?” He asked and you shrugged lightly.

“Just home, well, where I grew up” you muttered frowning lightly. You were still off with the whole touching thing, you stepped out of his hold turning to look at him instead making him frown lightly.

“Tell me about it?” He asked head tilted slightly in question.

“It’s really boring and depressing” you chuckled but the laughter didn’t reach your eyes.

“Nothing about you is boring my dear, please, I’m all pointy ears” he grinned lightly and sat making you huff with a smile.

“My mother was named witch of the town, my father was in trades, he wasn’t home often. My mother was good with potions and alchemy, not really any magic in her unless she tried hard enough. She was, well she was odd to caught up in her old books to really see what was happening around her” you sighed.

“Too busy to see what was happening to me” you added quietly as the lord kept his attention on you fully.

“Like I said I’d get bullied a lot and beaten, she’d never notice, I’d try to tell her and she’d mumble something about a potion or herb before going back into her room, when i tried to tell my father he’d either pretend to be too busy or just ignored me, it was really just me growing up, and the donkey we had” you chuckled at the last part remembering.

“His name was Al, short for Albert, I loved him so much, id talk to him, sounded like a mad child now” you shook your head with a smile.

“He was too dumb though, didn’t know what was what and died out in the woods from a bear” you grimaced at the memory of finding him.

“I knew i had locked the gate that night, somebody opened it” you huffed.

“Bastards” the lord said frowning.

“I found him torn to shreds, horrible sight for a youngen” you shuddered.

“My parents didn’t care obviously, just told me to go work the barn, there was nothing in the barn to work with though so I just read books” you shrugged looking to him.

“Hopefully your parents were better than mine, I mean they did raise you” you smiled before it faded. His eyes went blank, his lips drawn into a thin line.

“I’m sorry-“ you stuttered as he stood, you began to panic as he simply left making you sigh. Even a hint about asking about his past he’d shut down and leave, maybe it wasn’t the right time, but he was a mystery to you, you knew nothing about him and he knew your life story.

You wandered around the mansion, exploring the rooms you could go in, wandering the library before finding a book and settling down. When dinner came you headed to the kitchen, smelling some delicious stew. You got looks from the servants now though, you grabbed some food and left back to your room passing the lords on the way. You froze though seeing one of the servants against the wall, his head in their neck. He was feeding, just with less activity now, but their moaning and fingers in his curls made your stomach churn with jealousy before you stormed back to your room. Of course he had to fed how stupid could you be. You packed your room if possible there would be an angry dark cloud above your head. Gods you felt so stupid, caught up in this new love. You groaned in frustration wanting to throw something breakable before you heard knocking. You took a quiet breath before opening the door seeing the lord there, not a drop of blood on his face.

“Evening my dear” he said and you wanted to scoff.

“I wish to be left alone” you said as nice as you could with a smile and he frowned.

“Are you not feeling well?” He asked and you felt like slapping him.

“Yes, just a bit feverish, I’m going to bed early, goodnight my lord” you said curtly and gave a small bow before closing the door. You clenched your jaw and fisted your hands before sitting by your desk.

Astarion stood confused outside your door, you didn’t look feverish to him. His mouth was bitter with the servants blood, he simply needed to feed, nothing more, however the servant had other plans moaning against him. It made him growl in annoyance, but they only took it as a spur and continued. He couldn’t handle it so he forced them away seeing the confusion. You had pressed about his past again, you told him about your past and he kept his hidden in the shadows where it belonged, the invisible collar around his neck tugging in reminder. He wouldn’t bring you into that, wouldn’t let his past consume you like it has everything else, not when you were this light in his life. When he first spotted you he’d never seen something so divine and swore on getting a taste, however that proved difficult. His usual charms and flattery didn’t work on you, you had high walls and something held you back. Gods know he saw red when those bastards touched you, saw the fear in your eyes, he almost slit their throats and drank them dry there and then had you not been there. He meant what he said when he would kill them, but your too kind heart didn’t see it fit. When you entered his room after days of him not feeding and being in his bed he hurt you. He felt nothing but hunger as the sweetness of your blood flowed into his body for the first time. It made him shudder till he realised what he had done. He’d been so close to having you, after his brood he swore he was going to have you, but you came in, checking on him like a wounded animal. Where the hell was Daenan? He’d tear into him later, right then, he was chasing you through Baldurs gate and into an alleyway, your blood tingling on his tongue. He’d taken too much and your burst of escape caused you to pass out against him. He hated being out in the city, it was too exposed, too many eyes in the shadows. He hastily got home with you in his arms, his guards giving him odd looks before he sneered at them. Your unconscious form made his heart stir for the first time in 200 years, you looked at peace, not like the gut wrenching fear from before. He stayed by your bed, held your hand made sure you were comfortable before you finally awoke. He had gone back to check on you only to find you weren’t there and his panic settling in. He saw the balcony doors open though and sighed seeing your form lit in the moonlight. Gods what a sight, you almost glistened in light, the wind gently blowing through your hair and white robe, you looked like a goddess. When you kissed him he felt like his heart leapt out his chest, your desperateness and needy noises made him crave you, though this was probably the first time you’d ever initiated a kiss from someone. Seeing you smile and giggle softly made him swoon like a young vampire again, hearing you say you’d stay made his heart leap. He’d been too excited he knows that now, giving you your own room, wanting to buy you dresses, silk sheets and blankets, perfumes, anything good gold could buy. It made you uncomfortable, he saw the way you’d look to the ground and gently shake your head with a small thank you. You weren’t from this life, a simple village girl with no one, but herself, he craved you though, craved your touch, craved your lips, your blood. He fed more regularly, trying to rid of the cravings he felt, but it never worked. He felt how you’d shy away from his touch and keep a safe distance should you need to run. He’d broken trust and he was trying to hard to get it back, for the first time in 200 years he didn’t know what he was doing, he didn’t know how to win your affections, it seemed so simple when doing it for ‘him’.

Next part ->

Taglist:

@worryknotdear

@curlycarley

@sleepy-time-dreamy

@violet-19999

@hexqueensupreme

@brainz00

@perseny

@queenofangrymoths

@aeryntheofficial

@scarlettwitcher

@pixiedust727

@mheerdraws

@innergardentoadpony

@vivian318

@turmoil-ash

@queenies1x1

[dfortrafalgar]

I'm Losing You... (But We're Filling the Cracks)

Having a family isn't always as easy as fairy tales make it seem.

Warnings: read chapter 1 for warnings.

Taglist: @phsycochan | @mirillua | @augustanna | @chaixsherlock | @whore-of-many-hot-men | @nerdisthenewcool

Chapter 23

[Prev] [Next]

Law hadn’t left you alone since he returned from Wano.  His first order of business when exiting the airport into the mid-summer sun and entering the pick-up car roundabout was to scoop you into his arms and plant a smattering of kisses onto your giggling cheeks.  He couldn’t care less if passersby were staring at his display.  So what if you looked straight out of a rom-com.  He had had enough of, not only being away for a week, but also dealing with snide remarks from multiple colleagues about his incessant calling and texting exchanges with you.

“They’re just mad they’re not as in love as you are,” you had said over the phone, talking him out of a mildly panicked state as he thought about a reality where you left him for being too annoying.

Clearly, with the way you clung to his arm right back since Penguin picked him up from the airport with you in tow, he had absolutely nothing to worry about.

And now, as he drove you back to the fertility clinic for your implantation day, he couldn’t fight the smile on his face.  You were practically buzzing beside him.

“Can you believe it?  Six of the eggs grew into… what were they called again?” you asked.

“Blastocysts,” he claimed.  “The cells that multiply enough times to officially become an embryo.”

You snapped your fingers.  “That’s it.  Six little blastocysts…”  Your voice had a dreamy lilt to it.  “I already talked with Dr. Robin a few days ago, I’m going to have two implanted and the rest will be frozen.  That way if neither of them grow, the rest can be used for another try… if we even decide to do that.”  Your voice grew saddened at the prospect.

Your sudden shift in demeanor made Law reach his hand over and pat your thigh.  “Hey, chin up.  This is going to work.  It has to.”

You took a deep breath, passing him a smile that he caught out of the corner of his eye.  “You’re right.”

“Is there a reason you picked two instead of one?” he asked, his eyes flickering between the road and his rearview mirror.  He clicked his tongue disapprovingly as the car riding his tailgate finally entered the left lane and sped around him.

“I picked two so the chances are higher that one of them implants.  Robin said it’s likely that only one of them will take, and the other will be expelled with some simple spotting like nothing.”  You anxiously tapped your fingers on your thigh.  “I just really… really hope this works, Law…”

Law flicked his right blinker on to turn into the parking lot.  “It will.  I’m sure of it.  And you know me, I’m not sure about a lot.”

You chuckled.  “Yes you are.  You’re sure about everything in your life.”

He put his car into park, twisting the key in the ignition to turn off his car.  He finally took the opportunity to lean over his center console and press a tender kiss to your lips.  “I am.  This is going to work.  Four little eggs in a freezer, and hopefully one little baby for us.”

Your heart swelled at the thought.  A rush of adrenaline flooded through your veins at the thought of your husband carefully cradling a newborn.  Something about the internal image of the sexiest man in your life placing gentle kisses on a baby’s forehead, holding them in his strong arms and swaddling them in blankets…

“Hey,” he snapped his fingers in your face, ripping you from your daydream.  “What’s got you thinking so hard?”

“Nothing,” you replied with a smile.

—

You were starting to greatly dislike ultrasound tables.  So far, none of them had led to anything promising, and the feeling of the cold gel against your lower stomach was becoming a sensation of grief and anxiety rather than the promise of viewing a fetus on the black and white monitor.  Nevertheless, you powered through your discomfort and stared at the ceiling.  Law sat in a small chair directly beside your bed as the technician set up the machine.  Everything was running like cogs in a well-oiled machine.  They had to be fairly quick about it, placing the eggs into your body before they expired.  For the past week and a half, they had been kept in a special incubator to grow into the blastocyst stage, which was where you were at now.  After a few days of hormone shots to prep your uterine lining for the implantation, it was finally time.

You took a deep breath as your doctor entered the room, a small plate in her gloved hands.

“You’re going to get to watch the implantation process on the ultrasound,” she explained with a small grin.  “We’re going to insert a thin tube into your vagina and through your cervix, and the eggs will pass through there.  We let your body take care of the rest.  If everything goes as planned, one of them should implant to your uterine wall and form a placenta.”

You nodded, your hands holding your shirt up below your breasts and keeping your belly exposed.  “Sounds good.”

Law placed a reassuring pat against the outside of your calf, your legs and feet held up by the cold, uncomfortable stirrups mounted at the end of the bed.  Easy access for your genitals, and everything.

The process was far quicker than you expected, and no pain relief was necessary.  You felt an admittedly uncomfortable cramping sensation as the thin tube passed through your cervix, but it was nothing you weren’t already used to.  Your eyes were on your husband’s as he stared at the ultrasound monitor, clearly fascinated with the technology and process of the entire process you had been enduring.  He viewed the screen with baited breath as the needle passed through the tube and injected the two blastocysts into your uterus before pulling out.  The tube followed, you sucking in a sharp breath at the awful, twisting burn that was felt when the tube left your body before leaving you with nothing but a residual, dull throb.

“Alright, all done!” Robin called, bringing the materials to the nearby counter and disposing them in their respective receptacles.  “Now all we have to do is wait about 12 to 14 days, and then you’ll be back in the outpatient lab for a pregnancy test.”

Law helped you sit up on the bed, handing you your underwear and shorts.  “That’s it?”

She nodded.  “Yup.  If the first blood test comes back as positive, we will continue testing every week for about a month or so to ensure that your hCG levels are rising normally.  If they are, we’ll begin the usual routine of prenatal scans and care, just as a normal pregnancy would be.”

Finally fully dressed and on your feet, you stepped into your shoes.  “And if not?”

“Then we wait about six months and try again.  But…” she tossed you a look.  Her bright blue eyes held an emotion from her that you hadn’t seen before.  Something that was almost hopeful.  “Don’t ask me why, but I have a good feeling about this.”

You bit the inside of your lip.  First your husband, now your doctor.  You were starting to wonder if everyone was part of some secret pregnancy conspiracy that you had no part in.  Whatever it was, you were desperate to not get your hopes up.  If you lost one more pregnancy, you were considering yourself done.  You’d most likely either remain a childfree couple for the rest of your life, or go through the years-long process of adoption.  Neither sounded very pleasing to you.  You just wanted a baby.  Your own baby.  Was that too much to ask?

You kept your mouth shut as you exited the clinic with your husband in front of you, holding your fingers in his hand.  You barely exhaled until you got outside.

“You did great in there, baby,” he reassured, rubbing your back as he helped you to the car.

“I just don’t want to get my hopes up, that’s all,” you muttered, climbing into the passenger seat.  Law rounded the car and sat behind the steering wheel, putting his key in the ignition and blasting the air conditioning to cool down the stifling car.

“Well… you might hate me for this, then, but I got you something.”  Law reached into the pocket that was built into the back of your seat, pulling out a flat, brown paper bag.  “I saw it at the airport oddly enough and got it on a whim, I know I probably shouldn’t have but… it drew me in.”

You took the bag from him, the rough paper crinkling under your fingertips as you eyed it suspiciously.  “Are you gonna make me cry again?”

He simply shrugged.  “Guess we’ll find out.”

Slowly, you parted the opening of the bag and reached inside.  Your fingers felt some kind of hard slab, metal rings wrapping around one side of it.  Some sort of notebook.  You pulled it from the paper, your eyes widening as you took in what you held in your hands.

A hardcover journal, each page printed on high-quality glossy paper.  The outside cover was titled, ‘My Pregnancy Journal.’

“Hold on…” you uttered, gazing at the cover, an illustration depicting a mother and an infant was below the title font.  “You found this at the airport?”

“Yeah, it was weird.  And I kind of felt weird buying it.  The old lady behind the counter definitely gave me a strange look,” he explained, the corners of his lips curling into a small smile.  “You don’t have to use it.  You don’t even have to keep it.  But I had this odd feeling and just… got it.”

You silently flipped through the pages.  The book was thin, only about 95 pages in total, and was separated into three segments for each trimester of a pregnancy.  Each page was labeled with different prompts and phrases to encourage documenting the course of a pregnancy.  Your heart was hammering in your chest.

“Th… Thank you…” you whispered, gazing at the front cover.

Your head was still held down, staring at the illustration on the front cover.  Law leaned over the center console once more and pressed a kiss to your hair.  “Again, you don’t have to use it.  But I thought, if everything goes as planned… it would be nice to have.”

You clutched the book to your chest, fighting the tears welling in your eyes.  There were so many words you wanted to say.  To thank your husband for thinking of you in such an odd location, to thank him for being so tender and caring with his words and embraces, but to also berate him for the irrational fear of jinxing the pregnancy that you both so desperately wanted.  Instead of speaking, you simply kept your mouth shut, smiling at the glove box as Law put his car in reverse and exited the parking lot.

“Do you want ice cream?” he asked, breaking the silence, his hand resting idly on the gear shift.  He had a small smirk on his lips as he glanced at you from his peripheral.

You finally picked your head up, casting a warm smile at him.  “Uhm, fuck yeah I want ice cream.”

—

Law had another 24 hour shift starting that evening at 8:00 PM, leaving you home alone with Bepo.  While you deliberated on inviting your friends over, you ultimately decided on spending the evening by yourself, enjoying the peace and quiet of your little home.  You made a small trip to the drugstore that thankfully didn’t close until 10:00 PM and grabbed a small bottle of lavender-scented bubble bath soap, a new bottle of moisturizer, and a small box of individually wrapped milk chocolate candies.  Your bath was one of the most peaceful ones of your life, soaking in the hot, bubbly water, warming your senses with the relaxing smell of lavender and vanilla while a small candle burned on the floor beside the tub, filling the air with a blissful warmth.

When you finally pulled the plug on your drain and dried yourself off, you found yourself laying on the couch in your living space, blankly scrolling through your phone.  Bepo was on his doggy bed in the corner of the room, snoring up a storm.  You sighed, placing your phone on the coffee table and resting your hands on your lower belly.

Two little eggs were supposed to be in there.  One of them should be implanted.

With a small huff, you stood from the couch and proceeded to your bedroom.  You fumbled through the dim lighting of your bedside lamp toward Law’s desk, plucking the journal he had gotten you from the top of a stack of papers.  Your fingers traced the text on the cover.  You carried it close to your heart, grabbing a pen from the junk drawer in your kitchen before sitting back on the couch.

You paused after writing a few lines.  You were unintentionally addressing the baby that hadn’t even started growing.  You swallowed the lump in your throat.

[marymary-diva17]

who is she

zuko and mom reader + avatar team

The 100 years war had been very devastating and sad, all four nations had been greatly affected. Nobel families to commoners families had all faced the effects of the war, that had been started many years ago. No one seemed to be spared for the war effects as it kept on ragging on and on.

Zuko “ we can all make camp here” zuko had joined team avatar a while ago, he had gotten feed up with the evil ways of her father and knew he need to be stopped. He had been able to win over them all and from good relationship with them as well.

aang “ wow this place is amazing zuko”

zuko “ thank you”

Hakoda “ good choice young man”

zuko “ thank you sir”

katara “ hey zuko how did you know this home and look at beautiful view you can see everything”

toph “ I don’t think he feel comfortable talking about it” toph could sense zuko had deep feelings about this place.

zuko “ it was my family summer home we will be safe here as we don’t use it that much”

Sokka “ cools maybe we can find some stuff about your father here”

zuko “ ……”

katara “ hey maybe we should sort out the rooms among everyone, and look around as well and hey there town not to far we can go shopping later”

Bato “ that a good idea”

Sokka “ yes and it will allow iroh and his group to meet us here after we sent out a message”

zuko “ my uncle will be able to find us once he read we are here”

katara “ good” zuko had soon left the group to go wonder the place, that once made him happy. He wanted to know if there were any stuff to remember the past.

Later that day

katara “ hey zuko there you are we got started on dinner”

zuko “ oh cool hey where did everyone else go”

toph “ it look around I decided to stay here with katars and suki”

suki “ zuko your home is very beautiful and these flowers are lovely”

toph “ yes and there enough space to move around as well”

zuko “ yes this why me and my sister had many reasons to come here .... when we were younger"

katara " so why did you and your family stop coming here"

zuko " we will stop by sometime but didn't stay here for that long"

suki " oh"

zuko " hey where di your father and other man go"

katara " oh yes they went to hide away the ships so they wouldn't be stopped, we were going to ask you but it seems like you wanted alone time"

zuko " oh that good"

Aang " hey everyone we were wondering around and look what we found"

katara " aang I thought we learned to stop going through other people stuff without permission"

aang " I know I know but this something we couldn't pass up come on guys show them" Soon sokka and Haru had been stopped carrying something in followed by the duke and Teo following them.

sokka " I know what you are going to say katara but you need to see what we found" soon the two guys had put what they were down and leaned it against something.

sokka " zuko why didn't you tell us you had some family portraits"

suki " huh"

sokka " oh yeah get a look at this" sock had soon removed the cover on the portrait soon showing an old family portrait of zuko.

sokka " here is zuko everyone and his sister and father along with some women"

Haru " nice painting zuko we fount this and thought it will be good to share with everyone"

aang " This most be an important family portrait to be covered up in the hall away, we had bene raced and knocked the cover over and saw it"

zuko " you should of left it where is belonged"

sokka " oh come on man we thought it will be good to show everyone we don't know alot about you, and it seems like we know enough about you all"

zuko " I said you should of left it alone ... ahh I'm going for a walk" zuko soon stormed off leaving the whole group confused.

toph " I know I cant see guys but I can sense zuko had become saddened when we came here, and even upset when he saw the painting as well"

katara " it most be about her the women in the painting she so beautiful, I wonder who she is"

sokka " i don't know but now I feel mad"

hair " same here"

duke and teo " yeah"

aang " maybe we should go after zuko and speak with him and say we are sorry"

suki " i don't think that a good idea right now given him some time to clam down" soon night fall had ended as everyone had later for dinner and waited for the return of zuko and everyone else.

sokka " hey I think zuko coming back" the group had looked hoping to see zuko but only saw the older man with the others as well.

Hakoda " hey kids dinner smells good"

katara " thank you"

Hakoda " Iroh and thee other white lotus have come"

Iroh " hello everyone"

Tyro " what what with all the long face"

haru " well there was a situation that happened with zuko"

iroh " what has happened with my nephew"

aang " well we were running around myself and the boys when we came across the painting over there" The group soon looked at the family portrait.

hakoda " the fire nation royal family portrait wow that what the boy looked like all those years ago, it a nice painting"

sokka " well he got mad and stormed off and we think it about the women in the painting"

bato " oh yes her wow who she never in our reports have we heard about her"

katara " she very beautiful but who is she"

Iroh " she is the mother of zuko and azula"

Everyone " ....."

Aang " so that zuko mom"

????? " yes that my mom" everyone soon saw zuko as walked close to them.

sokka " zuko why didn't you tell us she is your mom maybe we can go see her ...."

zuko " we can't she gone" everyone seem to understand what zuko meant by those words.

zuko " one night she was there and then she was gone"

iroh " zuko my boy your brother you will want you to remember her in happy way, not sadness"

zuko " I try uncle but I kiss her still to this day"

iroh " she will be proud of you my boy along with your sister and mai and ty lee alll three of you have gone down different paths in life"

zuko " yes uncle"

katara " zuko we are sorry but if you feel like it maybe you can talk about her with us"

zuko “ thank you” the gang had hugged zuko they knew of his pain of losing someone you love and care about. Zuko did talk to them about you at night, and he seemed happy about talking you and his life growing up. He did make a promise to take his father out of power and restore the fire nation, and make sure a war like this never happened again.

[whumpshaped]

i have no excuse. im sorry. but this popped into my head and now it must exist. its not even whump i just. u'll see

masterlist

tw vampire whumper, invasion of privacy

"Don't go in there!" Beck said pleadingly, quickly rushing to stand between Helle and the closed bedroom door. "Please. That's my room. It's– it's private, it's... it's where I sleep–"

"Yes, that is often the purpose of a bedroom." His desperate attempt to stop them clearly backfired, because the vampire looked even more intrigued now. "Are you hiding something horrible? Something embarrassing, perhaps?"

"I'm n-not hiding anything, just... I don't want strangers in my bedroom."

"Strangers?" Helle looked wounded. "How many bites for an acquaintance? Or do you often let strangers bite you?"

"I don't want my acquaintances in my bedroom."

"Very well." They stepped away, sighing. "There is nothing I can do but respect the home owner's wishes."

Technically, I'm renting. He didn't say it, not wanting to give Helle any loopholes to exploit. But he soon realised the vampire didn't need a loophole as he was shoved aside and they marched right in.

"Was that what you were hoping I would say?" came their voice from inside, and Beck ran after them. "Do not be so naive. I said I wanted to explore the house ful– oh. That is adorable."

"Don't touch him!" He wasn't fast enough, of course he wasn't. Before he could do anything, Helle snatched the little thing from his bed, cradling it in their arms.

"What a sweet fellow," they cooed, giving the plush bat the biggest, fondest smile. Beck stayed still, suddenly very nervous about making a move Helle didn't approve of. Would they be so evil as to hurt Boba? "You absolutely cannot tell me you were hiding him. I would be heartbroken."

"I..." He watched as Helle squished the bat a couple times, seemingly enjoying themself greatly. "N-no, I wasn't..."

"Good. What a delight to know that one of my kin has already taken up residence here. Obviously, you are not opposed to housing creatures of the night."

Housing? "Y-you don't want to stay, do you?" he stammered, still anxious about his vulnerable friend being held by such a monster. Helle glanced up and shot him a mischievous grin.

"What if I do?" They nodded towards the stuffed animal. "Does he have a name, by any chance?"

Beck bit his lip. This was so stupid. Why were they asking about a plushie he had? Why couldn't they just be disinterested? "Boba," he muttered eventually.

"Would you really deprive sweet Boba of appropriate company?"

"You are not appropriate company. Boba has no ties to you or any vampire." Oh god, this was such a stupid argument to have. But he just wanted to have this one thing, the little piece of joy that still remained in his life even with the constant pain and paranoia. Couldn't they even let him have that?

"You sadden me." They gently placed the toy on the bed where they'd found it, and Beck snatched it up immediately, holding it close to his chest. "But no, I do not intend to stay for long. Possibly a few hours." Their smile softened as they looked at him; Beck would've almost described it as sympathetic. "Dear Boba is safe from my evil ways. I promise."

The vampire rarely ever made promises, that was one thing Beck realised about them very early on... nor were they particularly trustworthy. But this time, they seemed sincere. He hesitantly nodded, still holding the bat tight. "Thank you."

Maybe... maybe Helle still had some semblance of humanity left in them.

~

taglist: @whumpsday @the-scrapegoat @hidden-dreamland @dismemberment-on-a-tuesday-night @delicateprincepaper @whumppmuhw @florissimps @nicolepascaline @oliversrarebooks @the-cyrulik @pirefyrelight @there-will-always-be-blood @pigeonwhumps @echo-goes-mmm

[amoransia]

Chapter 71 spoilers!

I think Aruma-sensei heard my insane ramblings (lol), because this is a perfect setup for Imuri to finally learn more about Priest's background (even if it's not him consciously talking to her...?)

Just as there is a road that contains happy memories with Imuri, there might be a road which contains all the bad ones. After all, dreams are only crafted with what one already knows, and new stuff can't be created from scratch: he can relive those happy memories as much as he wants, but if he carries on dreaming, he'll never make any happy memories again. He has to wake up to experience new stuff!

On the other hand, if Imuri learns about his past this way, I think it would be tragic, but I don't think he'd ever talk about stuff like that willingly -- or to anyone, for that matter...? So maybe this is the only way?

Hm.

Dante's beard stubble and scar are back, which saddens me greatly. I thought I was onto something with that theory... Tsk tsk. Whatever. It doesn't matter (crying).

This chapter settles the bitter Dante/Vir ex-boyfriends image for me. It was very hilarious. It was like they were fighting for child custody of Priest-kun... (it was Daniel, rather, but it's funnier with Dante...)

True to Imuri's inner artist, she carries a marker (plus post-its) everywhere she goes...? Cute characterization. No clue what's going on with the orca, though. Hm hm hm!

Here comes Dante & Miha vs. The Witches!! Miha also seemingly has a history with witches (back on his introduction) so not really surprised. Plus, Barbara and Leah know Imuri best, so it'd be better for them to follow her.

I hope we get to see Daniel's miracle, if any. He seems to have almost photographic memory, so maybe related to that?

That said, this chapter continues to reaffirm that they all still view Priest as a means to an end.

Both Vir and Dante, stupid as they come, fail to realize that the root of the issue is their thinking. "We need his power"... bro u are the church. He is still a believer. Won't you grant him a bit of peace before you use him, at least?

Ironically, Imuri is the only one thinking of him as a person, even if her thinking is extremely selfish.

Her messing up her speech balloons with her thought balloons was not a gag I was expecting in ekuoto, so I laughed very loudly lol. Egoistical indeed!!

ALSO NO WAY ITS OOGIE BOOGIE????!!!!!

PS. Oh god wait if she's retracing Priest's memories does this mean she'll find out how he's been looking sexually at her??

[roseapov]

Room arrest

WLW, Ruby x F!Reader

Tw: Obsession themes, mentions of murder, room arrest, manipulation, guilt tripping, cheating

Povtober 2023, Day 4 [Masterlist]

Ruby's only solace, a person whose soul possessed the body of Freya Van Furiana, the novel female lead, just as she possessed the body of Rudbeckia De Borgia, the novel villainess.

You both found out about it rather accidentally. By accident I mean you heard Ruby singing a Taylor Swift song 'Wildest Dreams'. After that, you had to take your shot and risk it all, but in the end it was all worth it, as you made your gorgeous bestest friend.

From that day forth one could wonder, how did you both got so close? After all, to those who didn't know the whole story, it all seemed as if you two just magically decided to be the closest of the close, like you know each other all your life, which kinda displeased Ellen. Which was partially true, after all you won't find a better person to talk to than the one who's in the same situation as you.

Ruby had a really hard time adapting to the ways of the north, so different from her 'home' ways. Yet there you were, guiding her through every step of the way.

Also don't forget making seducing Izek easier, by setting them the right scenery and without the original Freyas stunts.

Yet even when this feared Duke of the North, Izek Van Omerta finally fell in love with Ruby, which brought you both a peace of mind, the Duchess always felt bad when he showed her love and affection, as she had fallen for you.

When she found out, that your new family was abusive, she boiled with anger- No, shefumed with fury. That was the first time, when you felt completely terrified by your innocent friend.

Not to mention that the first words she said after your revelation was an order to get rid of your family's heads, with the exception of your dear brother Lorenzo.

After a few heads rolling and your distance to her, she tried to guilt trip you. She did so much for you, why are you so.. ungreateful! She murdered people for you, the ones who wronged you, and yet you're still avoiding her!

All she ever did was to make your life easier, like you did to hers! She just returned the favor and yet you're making it seem like she did something bad.

Ruby's lovesick lover instantly saw that change in his wife, her desperation. He waited, waited for her to open up to him, yet when she never did he decided to finally confront her in their shared bedroom, much to her's dissatisfaction, as she'd rather share a bed with you.

And that's when she bursts out in tears, screaming her frustrations out into Izek's arm, crying about how you're avoiding her, giving her cold stares, which you don't, and keeping a huge distance, while pretending you don't know her.

Next thing you know, you're forbidden from leaving your room and contacting anyone other than Ruby. She was the only one to communicate with, eat your meal with and the one to spend time with.

And you couldn't do anything about it, after all you lived in the Van Omerta's Household, where Ruby was the Duchess, and her husband, Izek Van Omerta the Duke.

You really should've expected that, after all there is not a single thing this man won't do for his wife. The consequences of your actions are gonna follow you for a long time, in your room with the reason for your 'arrest' always smiling happily by your side.

AAAAA RUBY'S SO GORGEOUS AND FOR WHAT?? There is so little works for this fandom, which saddens me greatly. Please behold the beautiful Rudbeckia De Borgia from the manhwa 'How to win my husband over' (100% recommend).

I hope you enjoyed my work and see you soon!💛

~roseapov

[lets-try-some-writing]

Any ideas on how Beast Hunters Optimus would act in the sparkling AU?

Would he fly around with Miko or tiptoe around them instead, worried about his now larger frame?

How hard would his disappearance and the destruction of the base hit?

Ah yes, the angst and fluff potential in this is spectacular. Don't mind me, but I am starting with the angst for the sake of the timeline.

Born Anew

The location of the base being given away took the whole team by surprise. Their first instincts were to blame Starscream and Soundwave, but then again, the duo would never harm the sparklings. But as the timer till Megatron launched his attack on the base ticked down, choices had to be made and there was no time to point fingers.

The sparklings didn't understand what was happening when Optimus burst into their play room and grabbed them, making a b-line for the groundbridge. Rafael cried as he was passed off to Ratchet and Bumblebee, the only other mecha Optimus trusted to take care of his youngest son. Miko shrieked in concern as Optimus pressed a kiss to her helm and handed her to Bulkhead to care for. And Jack looked up at Optimus in dawning horror as the Prime caressed his face and handed him over to Arcee. All the while Smokescreen looked distraught beyond words as Optimus took a shaky vent and activated the groundbridge.

No words needed to be said as Optimus took up the star saber and stood still as stone. The team knew what he intended to do and they wept internally. More than one considered trying to stop him, but with their precious charges... they couldn't object to Optimus's choice. The sparklings needed to be protected at all costs. They couldn't lose what could possibly be the last sparklings ever to be brought into creation.

However before the team were sent away, Optimus gave Ratchet the relic that had turned the children into sparklings originally. His only command once he handed it off being one that haunted the whole team.

Optimus: If the worst comes to worst... do not let him have my sparklings... turn them back, destroy the relic, and give them to June.

Ratchet: Optimus, what in the Allspark are you saying?

Optimus: Please Ratchet... he will do unspeakable things to them if he is allowed to have them. I will not stand for it. I would rather they are forced to endure the lives they had previously if it means they will be free of him.

Arcee: Sir, it will kill them!

Bulkhead: Miko almost died the last time she was returned to human form!

Bumblebee: Please reconsider! We already lost them once!

Optimus: I know. But I would rather death embrace them then have Megatron claim them as his own.

The team were shaken as Optimus sent them off. Arcee held Jack in her arms and saluted with saddened optics and gritted denta as the Prime knelt and pressed a final kiss to Jack's helm. The eldest of his sparklings cried and sniffled as Optimus pulled away muttering reassurances that they would meet again even though the whole team could feel that Optimus himself believed it to be a lie. Bulkhead struggled to maintain his composure and did his best to stand strong as Optimus wrapped his field around Miko, drowning her in his love and affection which only served to make her cry harder. Ratchet didn't even bother to pretend to be strong, shaking and crying out in grief at a pitch too high for the human ear. Optimus wrapped his oldest friend and consequently Rafael up in the most loving hug he could manage before allow Rafael to grab his digit with his small servos. It nearly broke the Prime's spark to pull away and wrap Bumblebee in what was likely to be the last hug he would ever give him.

Smokecreen was the last to leave, rushing into Optimus's arms one last time. Optimus had not raised him, but the Prime was more of a Sire to him than any other had been. His frame shook in sorrow before Optimus pushed him away at the sound of close gunfire. It pained Smokescreen greatly as he gave his commander and father figure one last salute and sped through the ground bridge.

Bumblebee and the sparklings all wailed when the base went up in flames. Rafael screamed, crying out in his small voice and completely inconsolable as Ratchet dragged him and Bumblebee to a scrapyard to hide. Miko shrieked and clawed at Bulkhead, flailing and activating her small thrusters with wild abandon in an attempt to get to Optimus in response to her bond with him feeling like it had snapped. And the moment the bond shut off, Jack went nuts, even being so bad as to have Arcee scruff him and then knock him out even though she hated doing so. At the same time Bumblebee curled up in a ball in the corner of the scrap yard refusing to move for around a day as he wept in the absence of his bond to Optimus.

Unbeknownst to the team, Smokescreen went back for Optimus and hid him away, doing as he asked and sneaking onto the Nemesis to retrieve the forge. All the while the team gathered together, joining Ultra Magnus to discuss what was to be done.

Ratchet wanted to give up and die, only refusing to do so because of Rafael and the solemn duty Optimus had given him should the worst come to worst. Arcee and Bulkhead wanted to fight or go down trying, they couldn't stand idly by while the one who killed their Prime lived on. And Bumblebee... he was practically feral with rage, his grief having been shoved aside in favor of wrath. The sparklings as a general rule wept and made a fuss, refusing fuel and comfort in a vain attempt to get Optimus back. It broke the sparks of all those present to watch Rafael cry, Miko claw at her own plating, and Jack cling protect his siblings so fiercely that he would not accept energon. At that point, Ratchet brought up the possibility of using the relic again, much to the team's overall distaste.

Ultra Magnus: We cannot be hasty with this decision Ratchet. While hope for victory remains, using the relic is pure foolishness.

Ratchet: That might be so, but what if we fall in battle? Optimus made it clear he would rather the sparklings die than be given over.

Bumblebee: We are NOT going to doom them to a living death. Not so long as I still function! I won't lose them too!

Ratchet: Do you think I find joy in this either?! I don't want them to be condemned to such a fate! But I will respect Optimus's dying wish even if it means extinguishing my own spark to see it happen!

Ultra Magnus: That's enough! Ratchet will remain behind to coordinate us during our attack on darkmount... and should we fail... you have leave to do what you must.

With the plans made, the team moved to use the abandoned space bridge left behind by the Decepticons. During that time, Starscream and Soundwave coordinated and made their own plans. They held little love for the Autobots, but the sparklings were a different matter. They knew the sparklings survived, but the issue lay with finding them and waiting for the perfect opportunity to snatch the sparklings away after the Autobots inevitably failed. It was not ideal, not with Megatron's hatred for the sparklings. But together Soundwave and Starscream were confident they could convince the warlord to let them keep the little ones once victory was at hand...

And so they waited while the team moved out and Smokecreen knelt before his dying Prime.

Optimus: There... will be a new Prime

Smokescreen: Optimus, what are you saying? I have the forge, we can get you to Ratchet and have him patch you up.

Optimus: no... my time has ended... the Matrix will choose its new bearer... and I believe that bearer stands before me right now...

Smokescreen: Optimus, I can't! This- I'm not worthy.

Optimus: Nor was I... but with time, you shall grow to endure the burden... all I ask is that you bear it well and protect the little ones in my stead.

Before Smokescreen could fully process all that had been said, Optimus's spark blazed its last and his optics went dark. And in a desperate bid to save his leader, Smokescreen put the forge in Optimus's lax servo. Next every bot knew, Optimus's bond with his sparklings blazed to life, electing whoops and cries of joy from all of them as he flew with newfound wings and used his upgraded frame to aid in the destruction of darkmount.

It was a time of celebration and tearful reunions once Optimus returned to his team. Bumblebee was the first to embrace him, his door wings shaking in emotion as he clung to his Sire as if there would be no tomorrow. Jack threw himself forward next, crashing into Optimus's legs, knowing that despite the changes, this was his Sire. Miko was next as she flew out of Bulkhead's arms and straight into Optimus's chirping in joy as she nuzzled against his face and held onto him for dear life. And lastly came Rafael who was carried by Ratchet. The minicon squirmed and cooed until he too was in his Sire's arms and able to wrap his cables around them as tightly as he could manage.

The team managed to get a few hugs of their own in, rather emotional ones on Ratchet's part, but for the most part, Optimus's attention was for his young that day and for several after.

Rafael refused to leave his Sire's hold, leading Optimus to let Rafael rest on the back of his jetpack where the sparkling happily curled up, content to remain with his Sire forever. Miko grew clingy, desperate to reaffirm her bonds with Optimus after his near death. Every moment she had with him she preened his new wings, showing him how to do so as best she was able or begging him to fly with her. At the same time Jack grew hyper protective, attacking anything that could be a threat to his Sire. He even went ballistic when Bulkhead dropped a tool a little too close to Optimus for comfort, earning the warbuild sparkling several hours of cuddling to calm down. And Bumblebee, while mostly grown, joined Optimus during recharge, cuddling up against him like a newspark just to remind himself that Optimus lived.

Optimus for his part struggled to adapt to his new frame. He even grew fearful of handling his own sparklings, especially Rafael in light of his sudden boost in strength. He tip-toed around every bot, especially his little ones. He always kept the sparklings in his arms or far away so that he wouldn't harm them unknowingly and it took him several weeks to even begin to grow comfortable with his frame. It took just as long for the sparklings to calm and realize that Optimus was not going anywhere again, although the mental scars still lingered. Optimus had to spend many long nights soothing his sparklings, even Bumblebee in response to nightmares that plagued them. It hurt him to see them so distressed, but the chance to be together again was not one he threw away or took lightly.

Every moment was cherished, and even with his new frame, Optimus took care to spend as much time with his little ones as possible. They deserved his love after all the hurt they went through. And he would never deny them that affection.

[sage-nebula]

When someone tries to downplay how important Sonic and Tails* are to each other I just . . . on the one hand, I can understand it depending on what Sonic media they grew up on. Shows like Sonic Underground or SatAM (and likely the comics that spawned from SatAM), or even more game-accurate ones like Sonic X, were shows where Tails' importance was greatly watered down, or Tails wasn't present at all. Even in the "dark era" 3D games, the cast was often too robust to focus on Sonic and Tails' relationship. If these shows, games, and comics were someone's first exposure to the series, I can kind of understand thinking that Sonic and Tails don't really have THAT close of a relationship.

But just because it can be understandable . . . doesn't really make it right lol, especially if you look at other things surrounding the "dark era" and the current iteration of the characters.

SatAM shoved Tails to the side, but AoStH had him as a main character Sonic would let the world burn for, and the OVA had him as an important character, too. 8bit Sonic 2 is all about Sonic collecting the Chaos Emeralds as ransom for Tails's safety, and the second scene in Sonic's story in SA1 has him bolting to Tails's side after a plane crash. In both Colors and Lost World, Tails was used against Sonic by their enemies; in the second movie, Sonic panics when Tails is injured and switches rapidly between begging Tails to wake up and yelling at the G.U.N. soldiers to get medical attention. In the IDW comics, Sonic yells at Silver to release him so he can make sure Tails is okay after a crash, and Tails protects Sonic from Kit and Surge more than the other way around. Oh, and lest we forget, the Chaos Emeralds gave Sonic a vision of West Side Island to make him go there in Origins (and the Sonic CD ending implies Amy also predicted this meeting with her fortune cards), and Ian Flynn has said, "Sonic needs Tails, and that's just a cosmic truth."

So I don't know, man. I can understand if you grew up on media that downplayed their bond that you don't care about it as much, or maybe you don't like Tails very much so you have trouble seeing how important he is to Sonic's story. But it always kind of just boggles my mind a little bit, when people downplay it. And saddens me, too, because it's one of the few actual examples of a platonic love story in media, and I love that. We don't have nearly enough platonic love stories in media.

But those are just my midnight musings. It's sleep time now 😴

(*I seriously mean how important they BOTH are to EACH OTHER. Sonic needs Tails every bit as much as Tails needs Sonic. They each have their own hobbies and their own individual relationships with others in the cast, but they're each other's family and best friend and they mutually benefit from their relationship the same amount. "Tails idolizes Sonic while Sonic just sees Tails as another friend" just isn't true on either side. Tails hasn't idolized Sonic for years and years; the only characters who still mistakenly think he does are the villains, and Tails HIMSELF says in Frontiers that he KNOWS Sonic isn't perfect. In that same game, Sonic expresses how weird it feels not having Tails with him and shows hesitation over letting Tails go solo that he quickly tries to cover so he can support Tails instead, because he knows this is important. Additionally, in the IDW comics, when Sonic's feeling antsy before the showdown at Angel Island, he flat out says that the one person he wants to be with when feeling that way is his wingman: Tails. Theirs is a mutually beneficial partnership. Tails deserves to have that recognized. He's earned it.)

[bajistadiamond]

Yuu and the Magical Power of Songs

Yuu Singer, Pomefiore (Rainbow Connection)

Yuu didn't know how to feel about the VDC/SDC result.

His friends had worked hard during practice, Epel greatly overcame his problems with Vil and managed to bring back the Pomefiore prefect after his OverBlot. Yuu believed that they would win.

But no, he had to win the Royal Sword Academy and ruin the happiness of the boys.

He had nothing against the RSA; he only knew a handful of that school, and he could only tell that his opinion of them was neutral.

The white-haired young man wished he could have participated, but the rules of the event prohibited any being with "the voice of the gods" from participating.

Schoenheit even told him that it was a shame he wasn't a member of the group as a singer, but he understood that the rule made the contest fairer.

Fortunately for Yuu, Crowley told him to do a solo show to close out the VDC/SDC.

Yuu agreed at that moment, he already had better control of his power and was excited to show it on TV…. Although he was regretting it a bit now, he was very nervous.

"Roi des chanteurs, what is the nervousness?". Rook asked Yuu. "Your gift for singing is exceptionnel." Said the hunter in a breath. "Rook is right! You have an incredible voice." Kalim exclaimed, Jamil next to him assented to that statement. "It's true Yuu. I really don't understand this silly fear, you've already sung in front of several people. Relax silly~". Said Ace with a somewhat mocking expression. Deuce hit him on the back of the neck. "Ace, don't tease." "Nya… the guys are right witty, trust your magic." Grimm told him.

Yuu smiled a little. "It's not that I don't trust my gift, the problem is that…" Yuu didn't even know what the problem was. Vil on the other hand did know. "Yuu, look at me." Yuu looked at the undisputed king of the beauty dorm. "You have a unique gift in singing and dancing, and I can tell you with complete sincerity that you are someone I aspire to be." He finished saying Schoenheit with a smile.

Everyone was shocked by that statement. Vil knew that reaction would occur, but he wasn't lying; Yuu would be the only one he would look up to and admit he was envious of him.

"Don't cry, you'll ruin the makeup." I scolded Vile at Yuu seeing the tears in his eyes. Yuu nodded determinedly. "Thank you, thank you everyone."

Everyone hugged Yuu; the young prefect couldn't feel happier. "Break yourself a leg buddy." Epel said.

That's when he decided that he would show the RSA what he was made of.

The NRC students were upset and saddened by the result. It seemed like either the universe hated them or the institution was cursed because they never won against the RSA.

Meanwhile the RSA students present were happy, they won. Some thought their rivals deserved to win and others felt smug to be able to rub their rivals in the face with another victory.

Everyone in the arena had their opinions, but they had to admit that it was a very close VDC/SDC. As they were about to leave to enjoy the tents set up on campus, Dire Crowley took the stage.

"Good afternoon everyone". He greeted the director of NRC. This confused many because they thought the event was over. The cameramen began filming again assuming that something juicy was coming due to the rivalry between the RSA and NRC. "This year's VDC has been unique in my opinion, but I feel like it's missing something to make it great and worth remembering." Dire was enjoying everyone's confusion. Yuu's performance had been a matter that had been discussed with the educational board and the event organizers to be kept strictly secret until the public chose the winner of the VDC. "I have the pleasure and honor to present to you a young man with a gift few possess… the voice of the gods." The public was shocked. Those of the RSA even more so, those who possessed the "voice of the gods" were usually invited to join their institution. There has never been one to sign up with the NRC until now. "Give a big round of applause to Yuu Ross!" Dire exclaimed before disappearing from the stage with a snap of her fingers. He appeared behind Yuu before he went to the stage. "Show them the greatness of Night Raven College." Yuu winked and left…

The audience erupted in applause when they saw a young man with dark skin, white hair and green eyes; He wore a black shirt under a turquoise floral-patterned vest, tight black pants, turquoise thick-heeled boots, and a gold crown with gem-studded flowers. In his hand was a wooden banjo.

Yuu put his nervousness aside, everything would be fine. He glanced at Malleus, who was watching him closely. He had to talk after this because of the revelations from a few hours ago, but nothing that changed their friendship. Malleus looked visibly more relaxed when Yuu sent him a smile; there were no recons.

Yuu took a deep breath and began to play the banjo…

~Why are there so many songs about rainbows~ ~And what's on the other side?~ ~Rainbows are visions, but only illusions~ ~And rainbows have nothing to hide~

The magic worked almost instantly; the stage floor was transformed into a beautiful green grass filled with wildflowers, the pillars were filled with vines and white roses, and the screens flickered with static until they showed videos of crystal clear lakes. At the Royal Sword Academy they were speechless when they saw a fairy tale prince who was somehow from NRC and not theirs… a feeling they didn't know began to fill the hearts of the most pampered and pretentious.

Yuu looked at Vil, who was watching with the other team members to the side of the stage. With a wave of his hand, he told him to come closer; Vil looked at him and could only see a phrase engraved in those green eyes. "It's time for you to go all the way, like one of the heroes." Pomefiore's guardian walked slowly as he followed Yuu's chant.

~So we've been told, and some choose to believe it~ Vile sang.

~I know they're wrong, wait and see~ Yuu sang to him.

The Ramshackle and Pomefiore prefects looked at each other, ready to show that even if they lost the VDC they would not surrender to anything and anyone.

~Someday we'll find it, the rainbow connection~ ~The lovers, the dreamers, and me~

Ace, Deuce, Kalim, Epel and Rook smiled knowingly before going to the stage. Jamil wasn't so sure until he felt a push on his foot. It was Grim. "Go silly!" He growled at the little monster. Jamil snorted before following the others with a smile. For the first time in its history, the NRC felt peace, the grudge against their rival school forgotten as they listened to a song so unique that it reminded them that they had not reached the end of the road yet.

~Who said that every wish would be heard and answered~ ~When wished on the morning star? ~ ~Somebody thought of that, and someone believed it~ ~Look what it's done so far~

Cater couldn't resist the urge and without anyone noticing he ran to the stage, he was going to give a touch with his guitar. Lilia also had the same idea, but he would go a little later and felt that it was not yet the time to include the sound of the drums.

~What's so amazing that keeps us stargazing~ ~And what do we think we might see? ~ ~Someday we'll find it, the rainbow connection~ ~The lovers, the dreamers, and me~

Ambrose 63 was speechless. He never thought he would live to see the NRC students unite, putting aside the differences between his dormitories.

~All of us under its spell~ ~We know that it's probably magic~

"Your friend is certainly unique." He told Che'nya to Trey and Riddle. They nodded before beginning to clap to the rhythm of the song. Leona, who was somehow holding back tears, couldn't help but hug Ruggie around him shoulders. The hyena beastman returned the hug, also holding back tears. Jack for the first time didn't care that they saw his feelings and he shed tears at the moving meaning of the song.

Yuu's magic caused all of the NRC students to start chanting. They were aware of this and didn't care.

~Have you been half asleep, and have you heard voices? ~ ~I've heard them calling my name~

Neige was touched. He had the idea that his group and the NRC group would sing together to show unity, but this surprise performance was a thousand times better. "After so many years, you're finally you again." He thought seeing Vil so relaxed and carefree; He met that Vil, at an autograph signing and it was that meeting that motivated him to enter the world of acting. Although when the black haired one achieved his goal, the Vil he knew was gone. And now he was back. "Thank you Yuu-kun." He whispered before hugging his friends.

The most empathetic of the RSA smiled in amazement to see the NRC sing in perfect harmony thanks to Yuu's magical gift. "Maybe this was what they needed to make them better." Neige's fellow dwarves thought.

~Is this the sweet sound that calls the young sailors? ~ ~The voice might be one and the same~

Cater arrived backstage a bit shaken, but ready for the song's climax. When Lilia felt Cater's presence behind the scenes, he looked at Malleus and seeing him happy with the show, he disappeared from her seat. Silver looked at the empty place of the old one of him-that is, Lilia, she raised an eyebrow in confusion.

~I've heard it too many times to ignore it~

When Lilia suddenly appeared sitting on the drum kit, Cater's heart nearly stopped in shock. "Wh-what." "fufufu~ No time, ready?" the fae asked his friend. Cater smiled with his acoustic guitar ready. "Always". And they started playing to Yuu's delight.

~It's something that I'm supposed to be~

Dire Crowley couldn't be more proud of his students. Yuu had achieved something that in his years as an educator he had not been able to do … unite all of Night Raven College and give them the strength not to give up.

~Someday we'll find it, the rainbow connection~~The lovers, the dreamers, and me~

A beautiful rainbow formed over the arch of the stage and the sky turned various shades of orange and red, making for a perfect sunset.

~ La-da-da-de-da-da-do ~ ~ La-da-da-da-da-de-da-do ~

The audience gave a standing ovation and applauded for such a fantastic end to the event. The NRC in its entirety, from students and teachers were made a sea of tears, even the most sullen. From his room, Idia Shroud hugged his little brother. "It was a nice song right nii-san." "Yes Ortho, yes it was." He said her feeling happiness and sadness for the song.

Vil looked at Yuu and when Yuu felt his gaze, he looked straight into his eyes. "Thank you, fellow prefect." Yuu smiled. "You're welcome Schoenheit-senpai." Yuu looked back at the audience. "Thank you all! It only remains for me to say, congratulations to the Royal Sword Academy." He said nodding to Neige. "As for the NRC…" he paused dramatically. "Remember there is still a long way to go, a round of applause to our representatives in this edition of the VDC for such a great effort." NRC students delivered; those in the group held hands and bowed to the audience.

The overbearing and pampered of the RSA finally realized what they felt… envy and fear. Envy because they had such an incredible person and fear because it seemed that said person held them together to the point that they could achieve anything, maybe beat them in their next competition...

In a small bar near the borders of Shaftlands, a old man was shocked by what he saw on television. The old man was fair-skinned, with violet-almost black iris eyes, black hair with gray almost hidden by a wool cap and wearing thick clothing due to the cold of the region. "Friend?". Asked a bartender behind the bar. "Y-yes? Sorry I was surprised by the show." The old man said, feigning emotion. "I imagine, Night Raven College really outdid itself." The waitress said before handing the man a bag. "That's 15 thaumarks/madols." The old man looked into the waitress's eyes and using his unique magic made her believe that she had already paid her. "Thanks for the food dear." The old man said before leaving. The waitress nodded a bit dazedly. The man walked along a path in the woods while he was thinking.

"Damn Nabila, and I thought you had died without giving birth." Thought the old man. Yuu Ross was the spitting image of the woman he married and lost his kingdom to. "So… Yuu, interesting name for my descendant." He whispered with a mischievous smile. "He will be mine and with his gift, my kingdom will rise again". In his hand, green magic sizzled in his hands. "Speciosus, formosus, praeclarus!". The instant he recited the incantation, his appearance changed. He was now a young man of 16, thin, with effeminate facial features and vibrant ebony hair. "It's time to go back to school." He said with a mischievous chuckle.

[civilotterneer]

The Search for Civ

"What...uh...who and what are you?" I asked the strange otter.

"I..." he seemed to think with a mischevous look continuing, "I am a creation of Asmodeus. You could call me a minor devil. Not so low as an imp, but not so great as a Phistopholus, yet."

"I am an amalgam creation from that there 'ball of horrible memories' my master asked of you. Therefore, I am a the perfect mix of mortal memories, devilish heritage, and dashing handsomeness," it gloated.

He looked around, drinking in the surrounding house before sizing me up, looking up and down. His glances were greatly uncomfortable, as his eyes seemed to linger on parts of me I did not appreciate from a naked, exposed otter.

"Well, my master gave me a task, shall we discuss how we move forward?" he asked.

I tried not to stare at him, but it must've been clear on my face how distasteful I thought his nudity was.

"What?" he asked, "Something the matter?"

"Yes," I stated plainly, "I would prefer to discuss important matters with all attendees clothed," I tried to put disdain into the latter part of the sentence.

He looked slightly saddened, rolling his eyes.

"Mortals have no sense of fun," he said.

A moment later, red magic glowed around his body, quickly forming a set of clothes onto the figure, as if the red glow became the clothes itself.

"Better?"

"Better," I responded before stating strongly, "Now, you're going to help me find Civil, whoever you are?"

"Ah, right to business then," he said with a business-like faux tone, "Yes, I can find your friend Civil."

He paused a moment, seemingly in deep thought with furrowed brow, the sly grin finally off his face for a moment.

"What is it?" I asked.

He looked back, almost slightly startled, before returning to his sly grinning.

"Oh, if we're going to be doing business, we should know our interlocutors, should we not?" he said, holding out a hand.

I hesitated, but he was the only remaining way to get Civ.

"I'm Lyessa, or...just Lye," I said hesitantly putting my hand out him.

He grabbed it strongly, the claws not digging into me, but definitely poking at my skin.

"Hello Lye, I am Livic, or just Vic if you'd like," he said, "Shall we find your friend?"

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[heavenly--knight]

Hcs I can think of rn:

🫐 he LOVES anything with blueberries in it

🦢 he created swans like Luci created ducks

⚔️ he fought in many wars,has some scars, actually a lot of scars, and some trauma, but he's resilient as a archangel

🛡 he's the older twin of Luci yet 2 inches shorter than Luci lol

🌌 he created the constellations, to impress his dad

🪶 his wings are very sensitive like many angel wings are most sensitive part of his body

⚖️ he is OBSESSED with rules to the point he gets angry if you break them

🌹 he hates talking about his inner feelings or anything he's going through, tries to hold it all in

🍷 he loves to drink wine

🩸 often forgets to preen his wings unfortunately, sera or others around him help him

🚬 addicted to cigarettes

😇 his brother has depression and he has anxiety

⚜️ he speaks French when super angry and visited France often, he even knew joan of arc

👁 eyes appearing on his wings if he gets super angry, a crown can appear on his head in full battle mode

♞ he has holy armor he wears to protect him in hell

💙the temp and air of hell can make angels easily sick and so he wears it to protect him

⭐️ he is bi, and demi sexual ace, rarely enjoys anything too much for him

✨️ he is non binary, genderfluid, seraphim and arch angels usually go by any form they wish

🎖 he considers sera like a mother to him , she was assigned to raise him when he was young,luci got assigned her as well, so they both are close to her

🌙 he hates what he had to do to luci and has flashbacks about it often , and misses luci a lot , blames himself

🔥 emotions confuse him, very often, sarcasm too

💫 he can produce blue fire and summon a holy sword and a arsenal of weapons. He can shape-shift too tho, mostly likes being a lion. It's his symbol of coarse

👼 he works on laws, and sometimes in the court room of heaven, and he seen what Charlie did , never will mention it tho

💀 he works in wars, and in exterminations with Adam, he actually enjoys these tho

🦁 he finds humans revolting and demons too. Demons are just prey to him. Well most humans and demons.

☕️ he loves coffee, black coffee

🏛 as a celestial being , temperature is sensitive for him, and he can overheat easily, and get sick from hell easily as I said, deathly sick

🌟 he loves wars but hates how humans conduct them, misses the medeval times, he invented chivalry yknow..

🌠 he recently grew out his hair, used to have long hair back in the knight times too

✨️ he loves reading and books, and is OBSESSED w law

♟️ he likes chess finds it interesting

🥊 he's unsure how he feels about Charlie right now, she's his niece but what she's doing , saddens him greatly , makes him question tho

🏅 Sera knows mikey is lucis twin and fears him becoming like luci and falling, protects him at all costs from learning some things, tries to make sure he never makes the same mistakes , mikey knows she only wants him to be safe and refuses to cross lines

🎻 he plays violin on his freetime

🐴 he enjoys riding horses too. Finds them pretty.

🗡 he has nightmares often, or insomnia occasionally, this scares sera a lot, his coffee addiction don't help

🕊 he had a emo phase like Charlie did lol

🤍 he saw what Charlie did, he was at the court that day, mostly for adam and because as lawman he's sometimes invited to court things

I'll post more as it comes to me