#I think I won't bother with the glitter in the future. I think it just looks messy ;-;

[outlanderalien]

I cannot stop making these 🥺🥺🥺

[hugogetspowerbottomed]

VARIGO CANON COMPLIANT ROUNDUP

A collection of all the Canonverse Varigo that I've enjoyed over the past three years. It is likely that there are a few missing due to them being deleted or my memory being poor. Nonetheless, pls enjoy.

Mature: +++ Explicit: *** Not Rated: 0

Teen/Gen: Not Marked

hello to my old heart by izabellwit

“Why do you trust me so much?”

Or: the beginning of the end for the betrayer. In which Hugo asks a long-overdue question, and gets the answer he never wanted to hear.

Say You Won't Let Go (I Won't) by DragonTalyn

Hugo needs some reassurance that Varian isn't going to leave

The Simple Act of Scraps Unraveling by @hybrix-hidings

There is a moment, on the trail to the library, where Varian realizes that he will love this man.

-

Or: Hugo and Varian enjoy a show, barefaced.

(Prompt #2 - Fireworks)

Snippets in Time by @sonicgetsrawed

Snippets of Varian’s adventures through the seven kingdoms to save his mother.

Darling you look perfect tonight by @the-reverse-mermaid

Hugo, Varian and Yong are invited to a winter holiday event in Nuru's kingdom, but one of them is having significantly less fun than the others… Hugo is already feeling insecure when a snobby noble decides to turn her nose up at him and make everything worse. Good thing his friends are there for him.

Small Chocolate Confections by @glitter-lisp +++

Sending Varian in to distract their target isn’t ideal, but someone has to keep him occupied while Hugo searches his room, and the duke made his interest pretty clear at dinner last night.

Hugo’s fine with that. Hugo’s very good at what he does, and so focused on the task at hand, and completely unbothered by the thought of Varian hanging out with a handsome guy who's probably feeding him fancy little desserts and talking about how rich he is while Hugo crawls around upstairs looking for loose floorboards and secret drawers.

Save Your Convictions (They Never Will Do) by @littlemisslol-fic

Varian and Hugo return to Corona after the events of the Varian and the Seven Kingdoms AU, with mixed reception. Turns out Rapunzel won't hold a grudge against people who slight her, but if they hurt her friends? And then show up still dating said friend?

Let's just say Hugo's got a storm coming.

The Dating Game by @littlemisslol-fic

In which Rapunzel, bless her heart, didn't know Varian and Hugo are dating, and thus takes it upon herself to find her darling baby brother a man of proper pedigree if it kills her. However, bloodlines aren't everything, and her choices are... less than stellar.

Darling, so It Goes (Some Things Are Meant to Be) by @littlemisslol-fic

My submissions for Effin' Varigo week! Big thanks to battybatzgirl for setting it up!

Hugo and Varian have been dating for three years, and are finally ready to take their relationship to somewhere a lot more serious. However, the world has other plans. With Hugo's proposal in shambles, and Varian focused on saving their friends, they think things can't really get any worse.

They would be wrong.

Prompts are Family ‧ Firework ‧ Fever ‧ Flirt ‧ Fight/Forgive ‧ Future ‧ and Free Day!

as long as it leaves a mark by @aziraphalesbookkeeper

For a guy who never takes off his gloves, Varian sure does lose them a lot. It’s not really the gloves Hugo notices though—it’s the scars underneath them.

Or: 5 times Hugo tries to take off Varian's gloves + 1 time he doesn't have to.

Whumptober Day 27: Scars AILESS Whumptober Day 9: Scar Reveal

We Carry Through by @aziraphalesbookkeeper

Adjusting to living in the castle with Varian is hard. Going from having nothing to having everything makes Hugo feel...twitchy. Luckily, there's one person who knows exactly what he's going through. Unfortunately, it's Fitzherbert.

Prompt: Family

The Touch of Sunlight by TheArtistsMuse ***

Varian was used to being kidnapped- as sad as that sounds- but he can always trust his friends to save him. Only this time was different, and now something is deeply bothering Hugo. Will Varian be able to get his secretive boyfriend to open up? Will they be able to figure out why he was taken?

... Will Varian be able to hide his very inconveniently timed sexual awakening?

meteor shower by @oshunalchemy 0

varian has a nightmare.

Wither and Decay by @eggmuffinwaffles

The Moonstone and the Sundrop were gone, the trials were completed, the Eternal Library was opened. Everything in Corona had returned to as close to normal as it could possibly get- but Corona seems to have a habit of attracting trouble. When old enemies arise, bent on her downfall, it will take more than just quick wit and luck to ensure that they fail.

My Head's Above The Rain and Roses by @eggmuffinwaffles

Whumptober Day 5: Every Whumpee Needs

Varian, Hugo, Nuru and Yong decide to go camping for the first time in a while after the trials. What could go wrong?

The answer is everything. Everything can go wrong.

Aka Part 1/3 of Hugo learning to like the TTS gang

Maybe if You Fixed the Whole World by Yourself by @eggmuffinwaffles

Whumptober Day 7: The Way You Shake and Shiver

Hugo had a really unfortunate habit of ruining his own life. It wasn’t intentional- if you asked him, he’d swear up and down that he played absolutely no part in causing his entire life to go up in flames, and yet time after time he would keep doing it. Funny how consequences work.

Maybe he was being a little bit dramatic.

OR:

Hugo finds himself being blackmailed by a noble at a ball, and gets help from an unexpected source

Part 2/3 of Hugo learning to like the TTS gang

Keeping Me Up At Night by @eggmuffinwaffles

Whumptober Day 29: What Doesn't Kill Me

Even a year after moving to Corona, sometimes Hugo's guilt finds itself creeping into his dreams. In the middle of an episode, he realizes he has more in common with Rapunzel than he thought.

Part 3/3 of Hugo learning to like the TTS gang

Turning Saints Into A Sea by @eggmuffinwaffles

Whumptober Day 25/Day 30: Silence is Golden/Note to Self Don't Get Kidnapped

Varian has to confront his jealousy head on when Hugo's ex finds herself back in Corona. Unfortunately her return might not be as innocent as she wants them to believe.

I Won't Let You Pull Me Down by @eggmuffinwaffles

Whumptober 2022 Day 16: No Way Out

Hugo and Varian get into a fight. Instead of handling it like an emotionally healthy adult, Hugo manages to go and get himself possessed.

Possession 2 electric boogaloo baby

Lessons in Luxury by @varibean

All his life, Hugo wanted nothing more than to live a live of riches and luxury. He had always failed to imagine what a change like that would entail. Real life was becoming too much like a fantasy and it was always the same questioned that brought him hurdling back to reality.

"Have you eaten today?"

Amalgam by @varibean 0

After relying on Ulla’s notebook to help them through their journey, the gang find that the next kingdom has little to no notes on where the next trial takes place. Their only clue is a location that might have a lead on where to go next. However, after a royal mess up on Hugo’s part, they’re left up the creek without a paddle. Not only are tensions high, but emotions as well. One thing was certain though: Hugo and Varian did not mix well.

[phanfictioncatalogue]

Holding Hands Masterlist

A Hot Tolkien Fanfic (ao3) - adorkablephil (kimberly_a)

Summary: Phil compares his hand to Dan's

Baby, It's Cold Outside (ao3) - TodayWe_Are_Infinite

Summary: Dan is freezing cold on Christmas Eve, and Phil is always warm.

being with you (ao3) - orphan_account

Summary: Dan and Phil have just released their DVD; after chatting with their audience, they spend the night alone.

cold fingers, warm hearts (ao3) - pottedphilip

Summary: As Phil begins to slowly come to terms with being stood up by a cute boy once again, the one he had been wishing for comes bounding toward him

Edit that part out (ao3) - super_phan_natural

Summary: In 2013, Dan realized that he was in love with Phil Lester. In 2016, we find out. Reader goes on their laptop and finds Dan and Phil's new video, which is titled "Edit that part out". Cuteness ensues.

Getting To Know You (Again) (ao3) - rainbowchristy

Summary: Anonymous Tumblr Prompt: an amnesia fic in which both of them loose their memories and don't remember each other and other people try to make them understand how important they are to each other which results in a "getting to know you all over again" kind of thing.

Got it (ao3) - klaineQmuke

Summary: Phil asks Dan to go to a party with him and Dan can't turn down his offer. What will happen when Dan feels pushed out by other people?

Hand Holding Is Not Cool - jilliancares

Summary: Dan and Phil are supposed to hold hands when going to the shop alone, but Phil doesn’t want to.

Hold my hand, honey (ao3) - natigail

Summary: Dan likes the minimalism of being on tour and he doesn't really get homesick, as long as he has Phil by his side. Phil, however, misses home at times, he clutches onto his pillow and scatters his various little knickknacks all over the tour bus. But he might also need to hold onto Dan when it gets really bad.

I'm Proud of You (ao3) - FluffyCastiel

Summary: What takes place after Phil wins creator at Boncas.

in the violet hour. (ao3) - commonemergency

Summary: Dan and Phil are at the Creator's Summit, there's glitter, roller blading, neon lights, and even some pinky holding.

Like I Do (ao3) - phan_stole_my_heart

Summary: Dan gets upset when a girl kisses Phil and Phil doesn't understand why.

Midnight Fluff (ao3) - Misha_with_wings

Summary: Phil wants to sleep but Dan wants to cuddle. Therefore he must poke and pester Phil until he wakes up.

Old Habits, Young Love, and Other Things That Just Won't Die (ao3) - blueberryphancakes

Summary: Despite their branding, Dan and Phil haven’t actually been friends for all of the seven years that they’ve known each other. For almost two of those years, ‘best friend’ was just a label they used on the internet, a clever disguise used to keep people from knowing what they really were. Because from the day they met until the day they broke up, Dan and Phil were something else entirely. Not something more. Just something else.

Pining in Love (ao3) - RosePetalsAndRain

Summary: Dan and Phil have been together for two months, but have done nothing more than hugging or snuggling on the couch. Both want to take it a step further, but neither want to mess it up. They're both scared to make the first move- who will it be? Fluffy, short and sweet. Enjoy!

Summer Nights (ao3) - orphan_account

Summary: When they first started living together, Dan was always worried that his sleep schedule, or lack thereof, would bother his Flatmate. He would always spend hours a night wondering his room, running his fingers over the small nick-nacks that settled on his dresser, thinking of the future, of how pointless it was and the darkness that would curl in his heart and scream at him how meaningless it all was. When he first brought it up to Phil after a week of staying together it seemed as if the other viewed his night pacing not as a bothersome habit but comforting.

The color grey (ao3) - Misha_with_wings

Summary: The color grey wasn't a forever thing, it sucked while it was there but eventually sunshine yellow and pops of sky blue would come along and help push it away.

Or, Dan was sad and grey but Phil shared his color.

We aren't a commercial (ao3) - Misha_with_wings

Summary: Dan was getting too wrapped up in the platonic-best-friend branding of 'Dan and Phil' that he almost forgot about how much he loved Phil.

He had let their relationship suffer as he denied, denied, denied- but after a long talk with Phil they knew what they had to do.

Staying hidden behind a brand hurt a lot more than it helped, they were done with it.

...

Truth turns to freedom, freedom turns to happiness.

what they don’t see (ao3) - darkesthorizon

Summary: The moments that occur behind the scenes aren’t always perfect ones, and touring certainly doesn’t make things easier, but Phil still appreciates the ones that he gets.

Or, a series of moments that happen once the spotlight goes out.

You are everything I adore (ao3) - Misha_with_wings

Summary: Phil started by writing one little sentence, it was small but held more power than anything else he could ever begin to say:

'Dan, I love you.'

[bullet-prooflove]

Donna’s Wednesday Radio Show Prompt List #16

It's that time again! The Wednesday Radio prompt list!

There are some really good ones on there this week!

Please check the updated character list on my pinned post to see who I am writing for before submitting a prompt!

Also do not forget to put the entire prompt into your ask!

I know the sound, of your heart

Your lipstick stain is a work of art

On the doorstep like we've never been apart

I'm in the phone booth, it's the one across the hall

We don't communicate Can you not say what's on your mind

It's not about reciprocation

I got your name tattooed in an arrow heart

Is it all in my head Or was it something I said?

I know he's there, but I just had to call

I said, are you gonna be my girl?

I've got your ripped skinny jeans lying on the floor

It's good to hear your voice, you know it's been so long

You ignite all the colors inside my heart

But if you close your eyes Does it almost feel like nothing changed at all?

 a shiny diamond ring with your name on it

I been up against the wall so long, And the bonds that hold me here are strong, Yeah it hurts 

Talk to me Can't you see? I'm on your side

I'd like to talk when I can show you my affection Oh, I can't control myself

Would you wanna run away too? 'Cause all I really want is you

I still remember the day we met, I was hanging on your every word, I didn't think I would ever let, Somebody see into my world

Because I'm trying to forgive And now I'm trying to forget

I see it everyday You hide the truth behind your eyes

So you're with her, and not with me,

You look so perfect standing there In my American Apparel underwear

Say what it is you're trying to say But if you lie to me again I'll be the one that walks away

Oh if you lost your way And it drove you crazy, You would still have me, We work together you'll see, Blood sweat and tears

I can't believe I forgot your name

I was just a tumble went a little too far

I made a mix-tape straight out of '94

But it's enough to make a grown man cry

Everybody told me you were leaving Funny I should be the last to know

But baby in my head I'm nailing you instead

Oh with an aching feeling inside Cutting me up, deeper and deeper Fills me with a sadness that I can't hide

I could see the danger made it more intriguing

When she lays in your warm arms, Don't think of me

She's so sweet With her get back stare

My tell-tale heart's a hammer in my chest

And there's so much skin to see

Looking back over my shoulder I can see that look in your eye

I was bound for trouble when I let myself go

And if you close your eyes Does it almost feel like you've been here before?

I wish that we were starting over

I never dreamed it could be over I never wanted to say goodbye

Hope you know that I'm happy to see you

I know sometimes it will hurt And you wanna hate me

Oh baby won't you come again?

You're so conceited

With an aching deep in my heart

And I'm on the rooftop with curious strangers

You think that you're my shadow But you're glittering like gold

On my mind I can't wait anymore

Could it be that we belong together

I heard he spent last night with her

Every day it's a losing battle

Well I could see You home with me, But you were with another man

And I'm sipping bourbon The future's uncertain

It takes two imperfect people To dance a sweet ballet

We got no games to play So we got no rules

Hallucinations only mean that your brain is on fire

Does it bother you now when I'm not there

Torture - my hads are tied it's, Torture - I'll survive but, It hurts so bad

What does it matter if I lie to you?

Don't think you're perfect either But I love you anyway

The world doesn't matter no when I'm with you

I said that I love you

And when I take my mask off It's you I want to hold

I don't regret it but I'm glad that we're through

Them girls put on a show But they will never know What makes you beautiful I watch them come and go

We'll bicker and battle and drown in our own sorrow

And we left things to protect my mental health

Can't hear what I'm dancing to Just wanna be with you

What kind of fool would keep hangin' around While you treat me this way

But you call me when you're bored

I'll hold you up when you fall down Even if you say I'm rude

Them boys got all the talk But they don't know a lot, You know my every thought That's why I make them walk

you're playing with yourself

chest tight, and I'm ready to go

And the walls kept tumbling down In the city that we love

[singingshutin]

Well, I tried.

I tried my darndest.

The result is mediocre at best, but have my best attempt at 'fixing' Ignatz's and Lysithea's support chain. I suppose I'd call this a B+ support with some light contextual padding involving the other Deer?

(I am so sorry Ignatz and fellow Ignatz lovers out there: writing this from her point of view made the most sense and each time I dissed my boy I felt it in my heart, dude. I'm in pain right now.)

hilda is his big sister and i will live, breathe, fight, and die on this hill

Read here on a03 or down below the cut-

Lysithea hates hot days. She hates the feeling of sweat trickling down her forehead into her eyes; hates the cloying smell of the candles in the entrance hall. She hates the constant bustle of the harvest, filling the monastery with crowds of new people who all - without exception - treat her like a child.

She hates that most of all. How anyone could stand being patronized and assisted at every turn, she didn’t know. To be treated as lesser. As weaker. That she could never understand.

As if on cue, the painter she doesn’t understand rounds the corner, and he offers her an all-too-cheery wave.

“Oh, hey.” She doesn’t bother to wave back. “It's you. Going for a walk again today?”

He shakes his head. “No, I'm on cooking duty today, and I have to head into town for some groceries.”

“All on your own?” Lysithea puts her hands on her hips. “Hm, I'd better go with you. I'd be worried if you went by yourself.”

“No, please! I can manage on my own.”

“But won't you have a hard time carrying everything back?”

“Not at all. I'll be fine. I'm just replacing a few ingredients. Also, I may not look it, but I'm actually quite strong.” He holds up an arm, pride beaming from his smile. “I've been exercising every day!”

“You're right-” Lysithea crosses her arms, “you don't look it. Your biceps are a fraction of the size of Raphael's. If you start fumbling around under the weight of all the groceries, and then you trip and spill everything everywhere…”

Ignatz’s arm and smile have both dropped. Lysithea shrugs.

“Look, I'm just saying, that could be your future. It could happen. It doesn't look pretty.”

He looks down toward his shoes. “That's what you think of me, huh?”

“Yep. You're honestly a bit of a mess.”

“I see.” The painter lifts his head. “If that's how you feel…”

Lysithea feels her lip curling up, and she does nothing to fight the disdain. “Oh, knock it off with the wounded puppy-dog eyes! As though I'm some sort of villain in your story…”

“I'm sorry. That wasn't my intention. I'm just a bit sensitive, that's all.”

Of course he is.

“You're talking like you don't respect me.”

Lysithea snorts. “I see. So now it's my fault? No matter how grown you seem to think you are, there's so much you're incapable of. You can play at being a mature adult, but it only ever complicates things. And that's exactly what makes you look like a child.”

“Oh, enough already!”

Lysithea has never heard Ignatz yell before. The sound is startling and shrill, grating in a way she never expected his soft voice to be. She’s never seen him angry before, either - his eyes hot and face flushed as he clenches his hands to his chest.

“Would you just leave me alone?!”

The boy turns and darts away- and for a moment, his eyelashes glitter with a wetness that wasn’t there before.

A long moment of silence hangs over Lysithea as she stands alone. Finally, words return to her tongue.

“Maybe I… went a bit far that time…”

She shakes her head.

“But he's so stubborn despite his ineptitude. I can't just leave it be. He's so foolish—constantly making a mess of things. Wait... But then... No matter how much we stretch, some things are always beyond us. I think it's fine to be vulnerable and ask for help sometimes. What he said to me before…”

She stops.

“To everyone else, do I seem just like Ignatz?”

Lysithea von Ordelia wasn’t in trouble - at least, not yet.

It seemed that despite Ignatz’s many shortcomings - the artist was indecisive, absent-minded, and woefully inadequate at any attempt to care for himself - he wasn’t a tattletale. Though, Lysithea thought, that probably had more to do with his scaredy-cat nature than anything else. The kid acted like a baby at the sound of thunder. The first and last time he’d ever been on a pegasus ended in an emergency trip to the infirmary when he’d panicked and flailed himself off the animal mid-flight, leaving him concussed, confused, and blind as a bat without his glasses - and the rest of class time had been wasted in a house-wide search on hands and knees in the grass for the blasted things.

Ridiculous.

But he would crack. Eventually, he would crack.

Lysithea sighed, leaning her head on her hand. At the very least, a good tongue-lashing from the Professor and Manuela would mean Lysithea wouldn’t have to sit with this strange heaviness in her chest anymore.

She could move on.

One day passed. Ignatz was nowhere to be found. No one said anything about it, not even the Professor. Leonie was put on cooking duty in his stead that night; at least she used less vegetables than her predecessor did. Still not enough sweets… but Lysithea wasn’t sure she had the stomach for cake today, anyway.

One day turned into two. Ignatz’s seat at the front of the lecture hall was still empty. The Professor reminded everyone to be careful- winter was just around the corner, she didn’t want to worry about anyone getting sick due to changes in the weather. Like always, Marianne excused herself after class- though Lysithea was pretty sure that the stables were in the opposite direction of the lower student dormitories. Where Ignatz’s room was.

Two days turned to three. Claude was sitting in Ignatz’s seat today, lounging comfortably like he had been in that spot all year. His own usual place next to Hilda in the back- well, the door creaked open a few minutes into the lecture, and Lysithea ducked her head to peek. There was Ignatz, somehow even smaller and paler than she remembered, being shepherded toward Hilda by an unusually solemn Lorenz. Hilda pulled him down to sit beside her and bumped her cheek gently against his shoulder.

Three days turned to a full week - and Lysithea realized she hadn’t seen Ignatz in the dining hall for a while. Raphael shrugged it off when she asked him why he was leaving the dining hall with two plates- one specifically full of his best friend’s favorite foods. As her fellow student disappeared out into the late morning, Lysithea found herself wondering how much of it Ignatz would actually eat.

Soon, an entire moon had passed. And still, no one had come to reprimand her for her outburst.

She hadn’t moved on.

Ignatz wasn’t in the library. He wasn’t in the stables. He wasn’t in the cathedral. He wasn’t in the training grounds, or the sauna, or market. The infirmary only held a tipsy Manuela, and the knight’s hall had an arguing Catherine and Shamir- but no sign of the be-spectacled artist.

At this rate, all the courage Lysithea had summoned over lunch was going to dissipate before dinner. She shook her head as she pushed open the door to the greenhouse-

"There you are!"

The boy crouched on the floor with a sketchbook jumped like he’d been struck by a bolt of lightning.

"L-Lysithea-"

"I've been looking everywhere for you."

It was ever so slightly, but Lysithea could still see it: Ignatz had paled at that statement.

"Ah," was all he said.

An uncomfortable silence fell between the two. The artist stared down at the ground, hunched over his sketchbook like he was hiding something naughty.

Lysithea took a step forward. "What are you drawing?” She tried. “Flowers?"

"I'm not drawing." He clutched the papers a little closer to his chest.

"You've got charcoal on your hands," she pointed out, "you've been drawing."

He gulped, turning wide, frightened eyes to face her.

"I- it isn't anything important."

"Can I see?"

"U-uh-"

He hadn't said no.

Lysithea walked over next to him, peering over his shoulder. He scrunched down a little lower, but his narrow frame couldn't hide the massive bouquet of flowers sprawled across the page. One huge lily was the centerpiece, entangled in a rich bundle of baby's breath and forget-me-nots. A doodle of a bumblebee, as fuzzy and soft and round as the real thing, sat sleepily on the lily's petals, resting delicate legs against the flower's elegant throat.

Lysithea's breath caught in her throat. "That's- really good."

"It's… not done yet." The boy fidgeted. "I wanted it to be finished first… before you saw it, I mean."

"Before I saw it?"

Ignatz nodded once, somehow shrinking even further into his uniform. "Lilies are your favorite, I thought, a-and I wanted to get it perfect-"

“They look done to me.”

"My shading isn't right-" The boy shook himself. "But- I guess that doesn't matter anymore."

Lysithea glanced up. Now was the perfect time to say it. She opened her lips; and all of a sudden, her mouth felt drier than the Sreng desert. The two were just staring at each other. Funny- Ignatz’s ears were bright pink, she noticed, the same color as the carnations behind him.

Then, like a water through a broken dam, the words came tumbling out of his mouth. “I wanted to apologize- for yelling! I shouldn’t have yelled at you before-”

Lysithea's mouth dropped open and she stared at the red faced boy on the ground in front of her. He - Ignatz Victor - was apologizing to her - Lysithea von Ordelia?

Surely she had heard him wrong.

“That’s what the flowers were supposed to be for. And-" Ignatz dove into his bag, rummaging frantically, "and I asked Hilda what perfume she wears, and she helped me find some. It took a month for it to arrive in the caravan, but-"

"Stop it, Ignatz."

Ignatz froze, clutching the tiny crystal bottle to his chest. “S-sorry.”

"No, just-” Lysithea bit her lip. “Listen. Is that why you've been avoiding me?"

Ignatz stared down at the ground. "I just wanted to apologize properly."

“Oh, Goddess-" Lysithea pressed her palms into her eyes. "If you were literally anyone else, I’d think you were doing this on purpose.”

“Doing- what?”

She dragged her hands down her face and blinked at him through her fingers. "Just- piling on the guilt."

The painter blanched. "I'm sorry, I-"

"Stop saying that." 

Like magic, Ignatz fell silent.

Lysithea looked down at her hands. "Stop saying it, because… um…"

She swallowed hard.

"Because I'm the one who needs to apologize."

Her face flared hot at the look of shock on his.

"I- I yelled at you first. And- and I said some really… really awful things. To you. About you- just because I was mad. And- I felt like it, in the moment… I called you an incapable child."

He winced.

"And-" she pushed on, "and I was going to let it go. I was going to let it sit and not say anything because, surely, the Professor would find out and scold me, and then I'd be done. But that didn't happen."

There was the apology, forming on his lips; she cut him off before he could start up again.

"And it's good that it didn't happen. Because I would have forgotten it. Like a child, I would have let it go- when… a real adult would say sorry."

She took a deep breath.

"And I am. I'm really, really sorry."

He stared at her, his brown eyes like saucers in his thin face.

Lysithea's heart sunk into her shoes. The thought hadn't crossed her mind until now, but- he wasn't going to forgive her, was he? 

She deserved that, she supposed. After all she'd said-

"...can I still give you the perfume?" Ignatz held out the crystal bottle with a shy smile. "I won't use it… and I'd like you to have it. As a token of- my forgiveness? Though…" He flushed. "That sounds silly- a token of our friendship."

A wave of relief crashed into Lysithea's knotted stomach and she smiled back, reaching for the pink vial. "Thank you."

Ignatz paled as she pulled away. "Wait-"

She looked down. A dark line of charcoal was smeared across her little finger, right where her hand had brushed his.

"I'm so sorry-"

"Stop it." Lysithea rubbed her hand on her dress. "See? Gone. Can't even tell against the black uniform."

She dropped to sit next to him, and her hair fell over his shoulder. Normally, she would have avoided sitting that close to anyone- it made her look even smaller by comparison. But today- today it would be okay.

He tapped his paper. "I still want to finish this before I give it to you, though."

"Can I watch?"

"Oh- um…" He blushed. "If you want to. I'm not sure it'll be much fun-"

"I'm too tired for fun right now, I think."

They smiled at each other.

"Me too."

The two sat in silence as Ignatz's stick of charcoal slid across the page with a gentle scratch- but this was different than before. This was mutual. Comfortable. Calming and soothing in their togetherness.

A little thought bubbled up in Lysithea's brain.

"I've been thinking." Lysithea turned to look up at the boy sitting beside her.

His hand paused and he tilted his head at her. "Yes?"

"Maybe… maybe I should try something new. Something I'm- not… good at… right away. And- and learn how to accept help."

Ignatz shifted slightly. "...I could teach you how to paint."

Lysithea looked up. "Huh?"

"I could teach you how to paint," Ignatz repeated, pushing his glasses up his nose with an excited twitch Lysithea hadn't seen in a long, long time. "If you wanted to, of course, but for something new- something different… something I can help you with-"

He stopped, a blush shooting up his neck into his cheeks.

"Not that I think you'll be bad at it, I just meant-"

"I think I'd like that."

Lysithea smiled.

"Thanks, Ignatz."

It’s been a while.

Lysithea looks up at Ignatz’s bedroom door. She can hear him on the other side, humming pleasantly to himself as he muddles about the room. He’s got a nice voice, she thinks. It isn’t clear and full from years of training like Manuela’s, or bright and soaring like Hilda’s. It's soft, and a bit wavery on low notes, but it's warm and sure. Like an old, familiar hug after a long journey.

She puts her hand on the door, and it gives beneath her fingers.

“Um, hey…”

“Oh! Lysithea.” Ignatz turns with a smile. “Something I can do for you?”

“Can you help me out with my shopping?”

“Yes, of course. You need me to carry stuff?”

“Actually, can you pick up some tea for me? I'd do it, but I'm drowning in work.”

”You're so busy you can't go shopping? OK. Do you have a favorite kind of tea?”

“I'm not too picky. I just like having it around, really. Whatever's cheapest works for me." She holds out a palmful of gold. "Here's some money.”

Ignatz doesn’t accept the coins. “One question. Why me? You don't really need my help for this.”

“I just thought I could lean on you a bit. You know,” a smile creeps across her lips, “rather than trying to do everything on my own.”

“Right. I see. Well, good! I'm glad you decided to approach me.” That old familiar blush crosses his cheeks. “Ah, but, for this particular task, you might be better off doing it yourself.”

“Oh?”

“There are so many different kinds of tea, and I'm not very discerning." He rubs a hand against the back of his head. "What if I get you one you don't like? When I do my own shopping, I pick a tea at random. Otherwise I'd be paralyzed by all the choices. It's the same with food. Sometimes I stare and stare at the options and never decide.”

That, Lysithea thinks, is a burden I can take off his plate- and put some cake on it instead.

Aloud, she adds,“You looked like you were just fine when you went to get groceries the other day.”

“I really had to push myself to do that alone. I don't think I can do that again.” His head dips ever so slightly. “Sorry…”

Lysithea pockets the gold with a half-smile. “Aha. So you've stopped trying to do things on your own, then?”

“Yeah. Still, though…” he looks around the room. “For today, how about you have some of my tea? If that'll do…”

“Sounds nice, sure. Do you mind brewing mine while you're at it?”

“OK!” He grins. “Though I can't do it as skillfully as Lorenz, I'm afraid. I'll get it ready right away. Feel free to start focusing on your work.”

His smile still has a hint of the nervous boy from years earlier. He hasn’t changed completely.

Lysithea smiles down at the worn carpet on his floor. “Heh.”

Ignatz tilts his head at her. “What?”

“I mean," she glances up at him, "you seem plenty reliable to me.”

“I do? Really? How so?”

“You're fun, you're easy to be around, and you rarely complain when you help others.”

Ignatz chuckles. He has a pleasant laugh; gentle and sweet. “Well, I'm just pouring you some tea. I'm not sure that qualifies as ‘help.’”

Lysithea isn't going to let him deflect praise this time. She leans forward, an insistent gleam in her eyes. “It's not easy for me to rely on people, but with you, it's different.”

“Well, there aren't many things I can do, frankly."

Lysithea furrows her brows at him with an exaggerated frown. He laughs outright at that, raising his hands in a gesture of placation.

"What I can do, I will do! So if you need anything, ask me, and I'll try to help.”

Hmph. Verbal praise does very little for her artistic friend, it seems. If he won't take it, then-

She sighs.

Ah, well. What was the harm in one childish action?

Like a cat, she pounces. She throws herself at him, squeezing his ribcage as tightly as her weak arms could manage. 

This will have to do.

“You really are unreliable, as it turns out!" She laments,"Guess I'll just have to take your word for it.”

Ignatz laughs again- and this time the rumble in his chest tickles against her nose. A gentle pressure slides around her waist: it's his arms, she realizes. Strong despite their slenderness, he's returning her embrace. He's hugging her back.

Lysithea can't stop the hot flush of embarrassment. This is so undignified. So immature. So unlike the perfect image she has worked so hard to cultivate.

And yet, she thinks, she doesn't really mind.

[muses-archive]

On the cards #1: The first draw

Ganyu's invited him to her university club’s carnival project-fundraising-thing, but as he expects, she's not there to greet him. A workaholic through and through, she's most probably running around the place helping anyone who calls her over. He tries getting through to her phone to no avail. Well, he won't bother her for now. He's here as a favour, and "to get you out of the house", as she put it. He does go out for classes, isn't that good enough? Whatever, she's trying to help as always, and he can't begrudge her for that.

He walks around idly. They call it a carnival, really more of random tables set out with stuff on them. He's too early it seems, no wonder she's still off doing whatever she's doing. The one that seems more lavish is a small black tent. He feels compelled to peek inside. He's got nothing better to do anyways, and worst case, he just walks away.

It's dim inside, with electric candles lining the wall barely providing any illumination. 

"Oh, we're not open yet."

He starts at the voice from deeper inside. The person's messy pale hair gives off an almost supernatural glow in this lighting, emphasizing the stray red streak in it.

"If you're curious though, you can come in."

He considers refusing politely, then shrugs. He walks towards the figure, a man with mellow red eyes seated behind a velvet covered table. There's a crystal ball on it, one that he pushes aside. He gestures to the plush stool in front of the table, inviting him to sit. For whatever he’s doing here, he isn’t dressed as one might expect seeing his casually messy look: one suspender hanging off the shoulder, dress shirt sleeves rolled up and not buttoned up all the way.

"Don't mind the crystal ball, it's just for flavour. I do tarot."

"Should you be saying that?"

He winks. "Call it a hunch that I don't think you'll be very convinced with my usual sales pitch."

He rolls his eyes, lips quirking up slightly despite himself. The other man looks pleased. "Find anything you like?"

"A place to sit to spend the time," he replies, dryly, at which he gets a snort of amusement.

"For gracing me with your presence, I'll do a reading for you for free," he gestures exaggeratedly, pulling out a deck and cloth with flourish. "I'll tell you now, use these as a guideline, not an absolute, and you're the one who has to make the connections."

"Sounds like you're terrible at it."

"Ah, a refreshingly frank take! Hey, I'm no mystic, cut me some slack. Besides, I don't think we're meant to read the future. Isn't it more exciting to not know everything?"

A patterned cloth is laid out, the corners held down by some glittering stones. The gold threads seem to form constellations he doesn't recognize. He watches the process silently.

"Hey, Kazuha, I brought the - who's this?"

A louder voice cuts into the moment, from the tent's entrance. "A guest. Thanks, Tomo."

'Tomo' raises an eyebrow and enters. Assistant (?) is likewise dressed not befitting the setting, in regular varsity jacket and jeans. He pushes in a box cart, extracting a radio. "Where does this go? You sure you don't wanna supervise the outside decor?"

"Leave that here for now, and it can't be any worse than you normally do," he quips cheerily.

"Oh, damn. Don't blame me if nobody comes in."

"Good. C’mon, I'm trying to do a reading here."

"Yeah, yeah, sure. See ya later man."

Several beats pass, before 'Kazuha' resumes speaking. "Anything you'd like to ask the cards?"

He shakes his head. "Let's do a simple spread then. Please mix up the cards however long you like first."

He proceeds to cut and shuffle the cards as instructed, placing three face down. He turns them over, the art on the cards unfamiliar to him. There's abstract patterns of nature, or figures surrounded in them. 

"You like them? I got the deck because they looked cool," he hums. "Now then, what do we have here…"

From his left to right, Kazuha says, "This represents what you're thinking, feeling, and doing. Queen of Cups, The Hermit, Page of Swords. You’re thinking of someone who really cares for you. You’re not really one for socializing, though you’re nonetheless giving it a try. How was that?”

“... fair enough.”

“I’ll take that as an affirmation then!” his face lights up. “I’ll recommend you stay here for now, they’re still setting up, so… what’s your name, dear stranger?”

“... Xiao.”

“I’m Kazuha! Nice to meet you!”

[kaisa-ryo]

Megumi Fushiguro NSFW Alphabet

Warning: English isn't my native language!

☆.。.:*・°☆.。.:*・°☆.。.:*・°☆.。.:*

A = Aftercare (What he likes after sex)

Nothing can be better than looking at you, studying every part of your face up close. Watch how your eyelashes tremble, how your chest rises and falls, inhaling and exhaling air. So familiar, so lovable. What a beautiful and so necessary face at this moment. From time to time he wants to run his fingers over it, remember it, photograph it. I want to look at your face for a very, very long time. Then he drops those thoughts because he needs to focus on trying to sleep.

B = Body part (His favorite body part)

Lips.

God, he so enjoys watching you bite them, lick them, paint them with glitter. This is essentially a small insignificant part of the body, but so demanding for courting and kissing. Yes, kisses ... Megumi so wants to touch them and do it yourself: bite, lick, paint with glitter ... After all, they seem so soft and delicious.

C = Cum (Everything about sperm)

Into a condom. Even if it is not always convenient and completely satisfactory with an elastic band, Megumi still prefers to protect herself. In addition, it is useless to oppose this if you do not want problems in the future. But if you ever ask him to do it without a condom, he might even agree, though not right away. First, make sure that you really want it, since he was not ready to ever do this. So don't be surprised if he gets worried during the process.

D = Dirty secret

From time to time he thinks about how you will take full control over yourself. It makes him mentally convince himself what a lustful bitch you are for him. He understands how you revel in your own perfection, how this thin erotic veil allows you to devour him with your eyes, hypnotize. It almost makes you a god. But the deity should not so protrude his sexuality in front of his beloved. Therefore, if you do so, then in the morning Megumi will throw some reproach in your direction, but at the same time he himself will remain satisfied and completely satisfied.

E = Experience

There is. If in high school he was a cold-blooded bully with a good appearance, then it is possible that Megumi had favorites back then. Not to say that, under the influence of hormones, he wanted to fuck every girl, because on his mind he had only the goal of maintaining justice with vague and false concepts. Yet he tried it once. She was a girl with high status and good connections, which were beneficial for him to achieve his goal. Sex without commitment is not the best experience that can be obtained, because apart from the pleasure of the process, you do not feel attracted to your partner. But what you just do not go to achieve the goal, right? The guy did not particularly remember that incident, but a clear understanding of the foundations of the art of submission remained.

Now he doesn't want to remember school life, because both character and actions were not sugar at all. In addition, the intentions of what then and what from now are different, one should not exceed expectations. But speaking of being intimate with you, Fushiguro has acquired a real bond that makes intercourse more sensual.

F = Favorite position

A deck chair is a great option. It seems like an ordinary missionary, but both he and you have something to hold on to. And as a bonus, he sees your face, by which he can give an accurate analysis of how well you are now.

G = Goofy (Are you serious at this moment?)

Yes. Despite the main goal of getting pleasure, it is also important for him to control it. He is not afraid to death that everything will go downhill. It's just that perfect sex hasn't bothered anyone yet. In addition, it is not at all difficult for him to do as he wants. Therefore, he feels a great need for complete control over intercourse. If everything is done correctly, he feels proud of himself, which cannot but please him.

H = Hair (Is the hair ok?)

Hygiene is as important to him as every other aspect of his life, especially if it somehow, no matter how, concerns you. You never need to remind him of this, as he himself tries to take care of the intimate area as often as possible. Therefore, he is unlikely to have problems providing comfort for both of you.

I = Intimacy (Romance)

There is. These are mostly cute things that are usually not considered very important, but for you they are like a trophy. For example kisses on the forehead, crown of the head, knuckles of thin fingers, neck and shoulders. It is like a ritual dedicated to love for your beauty and uniqueness. Even if the process is not very sophisticated, you get pleasure every time. Towards the end, you realize that you have gained much more than the warmth from light, but sensitive touch.

J = Jack off (masturbation)

There is such a thing. And you don't have to be far away. If you have not done this for a long time, but for some reason he is afraid or does not want to offer you, then do not mind masturbating to one of your photos in the gallery.

K = Kink (Kinks and fetishes)

The guy is not indifferent to your body, no matter what shape it has. Feel his smell, touch, stroke, listen until all these tenderness reaches light bites, squeezes, licks ... He feels everything much more sophisticated than it seems. And nature is such that subconsciously very subtly feels desires. Even if they are not at all.

He likes it when you walk in sexy pajamas, stockings that accentuate the shape of your legs or open clothes, although he doesn't always approve of this, because he knows perfectly well that he is not the only one who likes your body.

I like to give you different jewelry because they look so perfect on you. It is not for nothing that people say: "It is not clothes that paint a person, but a person's clothes."

For Fushiguro, this is both the main aesthetics and a source of inexhaustible pleasure, which is noticeable with the naked eye.

L = Location (Favorite places to have sex)

Not a lover of variety, so the option with a bed is the most ideal for him. Moreover, the bed is large and soft, which allows you to do a lot without any discomfort. You often feel tired after sex (unless you're a sex addict), so in the case of a bed, you don't have to worry about passing out on the table or floor. Yes, with the bed, you are subject to almost all poses!

Fushiguro is also not cold to the sofa, which is not much different from the bed in terms of sex. On it he can relax while you ride it, clutching his shoulders or pants. The sofa is also a good control plane, which can be easily used if you understand that you need to get up. It's still convenient! Why do you even need a shower and a table?

M = Motivation

When you walk around the house in the open in only panties and a bra. He doesn't like it very much, but heck, he really doesn't want to admit that he is actually embarrassed and it still turns him on. And when he comes to pick you up from home to take you somewhere, and then finds you not ready, in only one underwear, he will be indignant at why you are still not dressed, then he will turn away, covering his face with his hand and making a slightly trembling exhale. At this time, you will notice how his cheeks and ears turn red and giggle softly, pulling on a T-shirt. Once you specifically asked him to fasten his bra, knowing that it will start. After all, in front of him, a close-up flaunts your completely naked back, which you can touch and stroke. It seems that another second and he will lose control of himself and go into a rage. Holding his breath, he will begin to gently stroke the delicate skin and excitedly run his fingers up and down the spine, feeling his legs trembling from the touch. You will have to bite your lips in order not to turn around, and all this time with concentration to look in the direction where your shadows are reflected in a black silhouette on the wall a few meters away.

Also no less exciting for him is your passion for something. If you diligently write an essay, essay, read interesting books, even just tap your nails on a hard surface - he will be immersed in your actions. After all, the main thing for him is not the process of action itself, but how you perform it. When Fushiguro sees you at work, he enjoys every second of what is happening.

N = No (Which won't do)

What he considers to be risk or abnormal.

Megumi is for healthy sex and will not settle for BDSM, role-playing or sadomasochistic procedures. Especially complete submission. It does not arouse and does not cause orgasm from the word at all. He believes that such an idiotic variety was invented by mentally ill people, after whom everything is repeated for the reason of "fashion", public manipulation and self-hypnosis. In addition, in order to decide on such an idea, you either need to be a crazy psychopath, or stop respecting yourself. At least Megumi thinks so and has no doubts about it.

O = Oral (Likes to receive or to give)

In this regard, Fushiguro tries to maintain balance.

Yes, he likes to hear your drawn-out muffled moans. I like how you all wriggle under it and beg you not to stop. I like the way you cum. But it is no less exciting to see how you walk with your thin fingers along the entire length of his penis, and then clasp your lips and swallow it as deeply as possible, periodically circling the head with your dexterous tongue. Therefore, he is not inclined to prioritize. He continues to give you pleasure simply because he thinks it is right, and when he himself wants to feel pleasure, you will guess it yourself by his eyes, facial expression and swaying his hips in time with your movements.

P = Pace

As a rule, Megumi tries to do it in full force. Physical strength is still a man's trump card in love, and should not be underestimated. But it needs to be properly stimulated. Energy should not be pushed to the limit. Fushiguro was used to stretching his orgasm, speeding up and then stopping for ten seconds. Then the surge of feelings becomes even stronger. Too much speed will immediately lead to overwork, and the orgasm becomes smooth and short. It's too predictable. Of course, the guy is not a fan of variety, but that does not mean that you absolutely cannot pamper yourself, right?

Q = Quickie

Average. The most common.

And what else do you need? High speed does not allow you to feel the process properly, and low speed dampens all excitement and quickly gets bored. Medium is perfect for both of you.

R = Risk (Ready to experiment)

Not ready.

You shouldn't force him to try new sensations. This will cause him discomfort or even anxiety, which will not lead to the best outcome. Once you talked to him about this, at the end he said that he didn’t like it and asked him not to bother with this topic anymore, since even the thought of it introduces him into slight stress. Not because of the experiments themselves, but the very fact of their fear. He is currently struggling with this because he wants to be completely perfect for you. However, it is unacceptable for him that it is easy for him to control the process, but it is so difficult to start experimenting in terms of sexual relations. He will definitely deal with it. Not right away, but it will cope.

S = Stamina (Stamina)

Pretty decent

Getting pleasure is enough for both of you, so you have the strength to wash in the shower, make tea, read a book and just lie around, warming your bodies with hugs. It even happens that there is enough strength to walk along the street, restoring not only physical balance, but also emotional one. Still, a walk in the fresh air with conversations on various topics does not let you forget that your love is real and is not a farce for sexual gratification.

T = Toys

It treats all their varieties badly.

Another trinket invented by the unbalanced and sexually addicted. You both have enough and an ordinary hookup without stupid "decorations".

* In fact, once the thought flew through his head about how you would react if he shoved a vibrator into your vagina as close to your clitoris as possible. And how he later, in all seriousness, assured himself that he would not offer you such a thing for anything. Recalls a magazine article about sexual fantasies among teenagers at thirteen. As a result, having mentally slapped myself in the face, I never thought about it again.

U = Unfair (Does he like to tease)

Yes!

He doesn't like to admit it, but oh my god, how your pleading and sobbing drives him crazy. At such moments, he seems to be in seventh heaven. He would like to listen to them, but then all the pleasure from the upcoming orgasm will disappear. He wants to satisfy his desire as soon as possible, but he really doesn’t want your sweet voice to stop at such seconds ... And when you finally finish, everything inside him contracts. Because now you shout his name instead of muffled moans. It feels like he is special to you. Yes, only he can make you make a mess in your body, which was just so obedient. Only with him can you finally plunge you into ecstasy.

V = Volume (How loud is it)

At first, he is silent, as if swallowed his tongue. But by the middle it already starts to grow. But if you only knew how uncontrollable he is in the end ... although, why am I crucifying here? Of course you know.

At this time, along with orgasm, he realizes how fucking he is. So inside him begins a feverish flow of internal current, and at the same time a fire flares up in his heart, turning into a high.

W = Wild card (Random headcanon)

When you first slept, the spontaneous thought came to you to look into his phone. Nothing criminal, you just wanted to make sure you were the first.

Waking up first and looking at the phone, which surprisingly had no password, you checked the list of contacts that were not embellished in some way, and in general there were not as many of them as you expected. But you, apparently, so much enjoyed digging into his personal life, feeling like a real Sherlock, that you decided to look at Google. There already began something from which you simply could not help but emit an unrestrained laugh: more than ten tabs related to sexual relations, the structure of the vagina, the consequences of the "first time", precautions for intercourse and a bunch of other things. You could hardly restrain your laughter so as not to wake up your loved one, who apparently became a real Alpha and a sex guru in just one evening.

It's been a long time since that moment, but you still haven't admitted to him that you then got into his phone.

X = X-ray (What's under the clothes)

14.5 cm during erection ± 1

Y = Yearning (How high is the sex drive)

Megumi cannot be called “lonely-touchy-with-a-broken-heart”, but “addict” is certainly not about him. This is an unexpected manifestation of desire when he himself begins to kiss your neck, in the hope of showing your initiative. Usually you make love at your request or at a noticeable hint. Fucking you in bed, he is not looking for any benefit for it and is not chasing cheap bonuses. He thinks that he is simply satisfying his sexual need, and does not go further so that you, too, do not get hung up on sex as an important part of your life.

4/10

Z = Zzz (How quickly falls asleep)

Quickly, if you are not trying to distract him with conversations (you are not always sure that you did everything right and completely satisfied him).

If you want to annoy him with requests, for example, if you are cold and you tell him about it, he will immediately cover you with a blanket. But you are more cunning and you do not need a blanket at all, but his strong arms.

— Mmm... and I wanted to warm myself in your arms...

Then Fushiguro will roll his eyes, sigh loudly and hug you from behind.

— I want you to kiss the top of my head! — you will rather smile when he reluctantly, but still will do it.

— Will you sing me a lullaby? - then the guy will understand that further you are just making fun of him.

— Maybe you still dance?

— What a good idea! Stand by that closet.

— Sleep, princess.

☆.。.:*・°☆.。.:*・°☆.。.:*・°☆.。.:*

[wonderwomanfantasy]

Arranged love

you can pry Royalty AUs out of my cold dead hands 

Prince! Iida x Princess!reader

Word count: 1,700 (about)

warnings: Slow burn but for people who have somewhere to be in an hour, enemies(ish) to lovers, violence/ mentions of death, cursing 

summary: ever since you were a child you were in love with the idea of love, red roses, and romantic poems, too bad you were sold off into marriage before you could find that kind of love. But is it really too late? after all what is more romantic than a Masquerade ball?

You did not hate the prince Tenya, not until you were engaged to him at least. You had met him only in passing, but he was always kind and civil with you. He was a perfect prince, but you would rather eat glass then be his bride. You could not believe your parents. You had told them countless times that you wanted to marry only for love, even if that means marrying down. You had forced them to read the romantic literature you had biased your morals on. They knew how important love was to you. And they had still given you away in an arranged marriage to Tenya. You had nothing against the prince himself.

You simply hated everything he stood for. He was a culmination of every time your parents refused to listen to you or understand you. He represented how little your opinion mattered just because you were a woman. But no matter how much you screamed and threatened, your parents refused to back down. It was too late now, depriving the prince a bride could mean all-out war. If that was the case you would just have to get the King and queen to reject you.

You agreed to visit your husband to be in a moment of uncharacteristic weakness. All the better you where to stay with him for an entire month. That would be more than enough time. You were a brat, a menace, and the most ungrateful guest you could be. Unfortunately for you, the elder prince Tensei was quite the wild thing when he was younger, and the kingdom was equipped to deal with a bratty royal. So you would just have to be more extreme. You were a princess, after all, it wasn't like they could arrest you.

Besides, you didn't do anything too illegal. You were more of a Robin Hood bad guy. Take from those who had too much anyway and give to those who needed it. Whether it was by pure luck or the local's incompetence but no one had caught you. It would have been rather fortunate if you weren't trying to get caught.

If you weren't causing chaos and braking the law you were out hunting, or in the kitchens sneaking food, or in the library lost in the countless bookshelves. Basically anywhere besides with your prince. You had spoken less then ten words to him in all and that didn't seem to bother him in the slightest, if you didn't know any better you would think he was avoiding you too.

Tenya disliked you almost as much as you disliked him. He had been optimistic when he had first heard about the arranged marriage. From what he remembered of you, you were kind and beautiful, not this brash errant woman who sat across him at every meal. But what could he do? He was already engaged to you, and even if he was able to reject you now how could he? You were still a woman, weren't you? Would it break your heart if he rebuffed you now? So he would deal with you, it was still early, he could win you over or at least learn to put up with you.

Then the knight killer Stain started attaching. You no longer felt safe walking the town or even hunting, not with the looming threat of a murder hanging in the air. It was the first time you had seen the royal family angry. Tensei called for harsher laws, a bounty placed on his head but Tenya seemed to think that the revenge should be taken personally. You dropped the brat persona, as much as you hated the arranged marriage the royal family had been nothing but kind and patient with you and you couldn't add more to their plate with your bad attitude. Things only worsened when the Knight killer tried to kill Tensei. the elder prince would live, but barely.

It filled you with undulated hate towards the bastard. You took to the streets again not with the intent to rob the rich but for blood. You weren't supposed to know how to use a sword, but you were taught how to in secret by a knight. as it happened you weren't the only person who had the idea to hunt him down, you and your fiance seemed to be more alike then you were willing to admit.

It was a gloomy night, the street lights clouded by fog, the cobblestone streets slick with rain, and blood. You walked slowly and carefully your thick wool cloak drawn tight around your face. You checked around every corner and down every ally checking for the villain. There were a grunt and a shout.  You followed the sound bringing your sword up in a defensive position. Luckily or unluckily you had found the Knight killer, and he had found Iida.

The fight was brutal and bloody but still, somehow exhilarating you were out of breath and sore in the best way possible perhaps you would not have been so elated if you had lost the fight but as it were, you stood victorious. Your Fiance and the knights he had with him looked at you scathingly it was quite unfit for a lady such as yourself to wield such a weapon but none of them dared say anything, you were a princess after all, and if not for you sure they would have lost.

Even if you were victorious, you were not unscathed, your clothes were torn, the skin beneath fared no better. Sewing cloth and stitching one's own wounds were not too different, the boys were tended to by servants, while your insistence on being left on your own. Your wounds were superficial and easily dealt with although it was harder when all the energy left your body. You slept soundly that night even if you were awoken early the next morning.

Tenya knocked heavily on your door until you opened it. It surprised you, the prince had never gone out of his way to see you before. You had yet to eve great him or apologize for your lack of dress when he started talking. “thank you, for last night. For putting yourself on the line for my brother's honor,” he spoke without meeting your eyes.

“it's was nothing,” you assured him, he ignored you and continued his little speech.  

“I will be forever in your debt for what you've done, anything you could possibly want will be yours,” he promised bowing deeply. You were shocked slightly. You had been nothing but rude and awful, but a small act of kindness had won you his eternal loyalty.

“Thank you, Prince Tenya, I shall keep that in mind,” you said graciously. You saw the prince more often, you would even mind your manners around him some of the time. He didn't seem to see the point in avoiding you anymore.

He was kinder and more intelligent then you gave him credit for. You learned more about him as the day passed you might even go as far as to say that you liked him. Wich was bad, you couldn't fall in love with him because then your parents would win. You kept Idda at arm's length, you were nice to him, you would listen to him and take note of his interests but you would not love him you would not allow your heart to race when he fixed you with his intense gaze. Or your face flush when he walked with you on warm summer days. You would not love him you would not. You only had a week left anyway, you could make it.

That was when the ball was announced, a large lavish masquerade to celebrate your future matrimony, and as a farewell, before you returned home. It was kind of the king and queen to do that for you, but you weren't looking forward to it, dancing with strangers wasn't exactly your favorite thing in the world. You were in the library, hiding, perhaps if they couldn't find you in time they wouldn't force you to the dance.

“lady (y/n),” Iida said drawing your attention to him

“Tenya,” you said curtsying.

“I expected you to be getting ready for the ball,” he said standing next to you

“I finished packing, I'm just taking a small break,” you said, not technically untrue you just left out the “and hiding from my Handmaids because I hate dancing” part

“Packing? whatever fore?” he asked startled.

“surely you know your highness, I leave tomorrow afternoon for my home, that's why the ball is being held in the first place,” you told him cautiously. This brought him up short.

“Right, of course. Forgive me it must have slipped my mind.” he muttered dropping his gaze. “well I should let you get back to uhm, resting” he said stumbling slightly

“I'll see you at the Ball, Tenya,” you said in lew of a proper goodbye,

“well its a Masquerade so you won't”

“ah, right then, Goodbye your highness,” you said rolling your eyes. He was quick to escape leaving you alone.

Idda didn't know how to feel about this news. A few weeks ago he would have been glad to see you gone, but now things were different. He had grown accustomed to your presence he would miss your witty remarks and your glittering eyes. He didn't want you to leave, but it wasn't like he could stop you. You had made it obvious how you loathed him and his home. You would still be his bride, his queen. So what was the problem? Why wasn't that enough for him? Why did he want you to love him?

the Ball was imminence and crowded. You scanned the masked faces. It was strangely thrilling no one knew you and you knew no one, you could do anything or be anything. You strolled down the main stares then made you way around the edges of the crowd not letting yourself get sucked into the middle of things.  

“Excuse me, my lady?” you turned and saw a masked man offering you his hand “care to dance?” you took his hand and let him pull you on to the dance floor where couples waltzed gratefully over the marble floor.

“so tell me, what is a beautiful lady such as yourself doing standing alone in the corner?” he asked settling his hand into place on your hip

“I had just arrived when you swept me away,” you informed him lightly. 

“that's good, a beautiful woman likes yourself shouldn't be alone,”

“If I didn't know any better I would think you were flirting with me,”

“Perhaps I am,”

“watch yourself I'll have you know I am engaged to be married.”

“then you are marrying a fool,”

“What makes you say that?”

“he's letting you dance with another man,”  he teased, you laughed and let the stranger spin you around the dance floor for most of the night. The banter was light and friendly it was a lovely night, but the room was hot and filled with people.

“care for a walk? Just to get a breath of fresh air,” he offered. You agreed and followed as he led you into the garden. You liked the garden, it was the part of the castle you would miss me out. You walked slowly not talking just enjoying the cool air. “tell me more about your betrothed” the man said suddenly. You shrugged.

“what is there to say? My parents wanted me to marry him so I am,”

“do you love him?” you froze, you couldn't love him. You thought about it

“it's hard to say,” you said cautiously.

“would you be upset if he loved someone else? Or would you understand,” the stranger asked again, you thought about carefully. What would you do if you saw Iida with another woman? It made your stomach turn uncomfortably. You nodded.

“I don't like the thought of that but enough, what about you? Do you have a lady love?” you asked changing the subject. You weren't sure you wanted to tell this strange man all of the complications that accompanied your relationship.  

“As it happens I am also engaged, I do love her but I fear she doesn't love me,” he said turning away from you.

“that's dreadful, I can only imagine,” you said sympathetically. 

“It gets worse, she is leaving tomorrow I don't know when I'll see her again. I think I could make her love me if only I had more time,” he said raking a hand through his black hair. Your heart stopped. Was he talking about you? Or perhaps one of the servants who had accompanied you.

“she must be extraordinary to have captured your heart so thoroughly,” you said sympathetically.

“she is just, intelligent, witty” his eyes locked on yours, the intensity of his burning gaze made you take a step back. “and her beauty is indescribable,” he closed the distance between you, gently raising his hand to cup your cheek. “I cannot tell you how much I love you, (y/n).” he moved his hand from your cheek too behind your head. He tugged at the ribbon holding your mask, it slipped from your face and fell into your hands.

“How did you know it was me?”

“your voice, your eyes, there are so many aspects of yourself that a mask cannot hide.”

“Idda?” you asked breathlessly. He nodded silently then removed his own mask.

“Princess,” he breathed then before you could have another thought, your lips were pressed against his. You hadn't expected him to kiss you like that out of nowhere. But you weren't upset, his mouth was pleasant and his hands warm as they snaked around your body pulling you closer your hands fluttered to his shoulders, unfortunately, the kiss ended almost as soon as it began

“I shouldn't have done that,” he muttered touching his mouth lightly, you wondered if his lips burned like yours did.

“It was nice Tenya,” you assured him

“Are you sure?”

“yes,”

“then can I do it again?”

“yes,”

[drrutherford]

Text || Gideon & Leyla

Leyla: ... Oh... Really???

Leyla: You think they fight with glitter then?

Leyla: It means a I love you, just for future reference.

Leyla: She's pretending it's not bothering her. Even though she still won't say his name and even though I know her mind is constantly there.

Leyla: Really hitting the hard points today, I see. We've talked about it, she's okay.

Gideon: Glitter? That /would/ be your type of army.

Gideon: She's good at pretending, Jess is... But I hope for her sake she moves on soon.

Gideon: What can I say? You mentioned her so I got curious. That was a trap :( You know I can't resist asking questions.

Gideon: But you're right, I'm being nosy and you have better things to be thinking about at this party, so I'll leave you to enjoy it, yea?

Gideon: Thanks for checking in, Ley.