#Mystic eyes of // Crack // Perception

[land-of-troves-and-rabbit-holes]

Powerset for a Sylph of Light

one who enchants and creates clarity, relevance, and risk

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Basic Light powers: Wealth of knowledge - this may include book smarts, technical skills, memory of important events, and anything you could reasonably hyper-analyze. This knowledge has a way of coming in handy during the session - Light players are lucky like that.

Sylph special: When you are facing imminent death, you immediately recall any information that'd help you stay alive, and can incorporate it into a plan on the spot. Once per game, any parts of this plan that hinge on luck will inexplicably succeed. (You may also use this for a gambit to self-resurrect.)

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Enchantment Skills

You can weave Light into equipment and objects, as easily as a fey casts a spell. If someone wears the equipment, or spends time near the object, they enjoy enchanted effects. Pick 1 enchantment skill you know at the start of the game. You can unlock and master more as your session progresses.

Steeped in Certainty: Draw or engrave an intricate solar symbol on an object, and charge it in Skaia's light for 12 hours, to turn it into a Good Luck Charm - with the faint glitter of gold. Equipment enchanted this way gives the wearer +7% crit chance, +3% dodge chance, and +25% crit damage. If you turn a non-equipment object into a Good Luck Charm, plot-important people and events will tend to cluster around it, but the effect drastically decreases the more objects you enchant this way.

Steeped in Knowledge: Draw or engrave an intricate flame symbol on an object, charge it in Skaia's light for 7 minutes, and speak or type as much information as you can convey on a single topic in that time, to turn it into a Mystic Codex - redolent of vanilla and warm to the touch. Anyone who touches the Mystic Codex gains the knowledge you'd conveyed while preparing the enchantment; they "remember" you explaining it, even if they weren't actually there to hear. If someone wears the Mystic Codex as equipment, they gain the same effect, plus a hit of confidence any time they try to put this knowledge into action.

Steeped in Splendor: Draw or engrave an intricate sparkle symbol on an object, attach a colored gem or ribbon, and charge it in Skaia's light for 12 minutes, to turn it into a Dazzling Beacon - glowing and sparkling. The Dazzling Beacon shines like a lantern, in the same color as the gem or ribbon you attached, for 12 hours. If someone picks it up, the light makes them look especially gorgeous, mesmerizing, or menacing. Equipment enchanted in this way gives the wearer immunity to Blindness; this effect persists after the shining effect ends.

Steeped in Relevance: Draw or engrave an intricate star symbol on a piece of equipment, and charge it in Skaia's light for a minimum of 7 days, to turn it into a Plot Device - beautiful, blazing, and golden as sunlight. Whoever wears the Plot Device will use it to take an action that inexplicably shifts the session's relevance to them, before the time used to charge it has elapsed. When you prepare this enchantment, there is no maximum charge time, and longer charge times afford greater relevance. For example, if you charge a tumbled stone for 7 days before you turn it into a Plot Device, the user might throw it and smash a window that distracts someone at a critical moment, within the week they put it on. If you charge it for two months, they might crack someone's skull with it, incite a riot in Derse's streets, and force the Black King to split his time preparing his army and silencing dissenters.

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Healing Skills

You can mend bodies and more with the power of Light. Pick 1 Healing Skill.

Sensory Salvage: Lay your hand on someone's injured eye, ear, or other damaged sensory organ. Fiery orange light will bathe the person being healed, and when it clears, their injury will be healed and their lost sensory perception will be restored.

Return to Brilliance: Draw the seal of the sun on what you want to restore - perhaps on the door of a library afflicted by censors, or around someone who lost their memory, or around the ashes of a burnt book. After 7 hours and 7 minutes, the lost knowledge will be restored - the books appearing where they belong, the memories returned, and more. Brighter, attention-grabbing seals will offer more clarity, and perhaps richer information than there originally was; experiment with colorful paint, glowing enchantments, and alchemy.

Flourishing Fortune: Shine a bright light, magical or otherwise, on yourself or an allied player in crisis. Their eyes and fingertips flash a sunlit orange, as they undergo the effects of your Sylph special (see above). This skill only works on each player once per game.

[yuesya]

I think Shiki should save Yuzuki.

However, my reasoning for doing so is heartless enough to make a Gojo elder proud, namely that'll advance Shiki's technique to new heights. It'll open a new avenue for her curse technique by allowing her to shake off the constraints of a limited perception, specifically the belief that her ability can only interact with physical objects and cursed energy rather than broader concepts.

On the other hand, I can also see why you'd choose not to go down that route since it'll open a whole new can of worms. More specifically, it'll open a pathway for Shiki to start severing Heavenly Restrictions with Maki and Mechamaru in particular sticking out like sore thumbs.

But given that Nasu-verse Shiki has actually used her Mystic Eyes to excise a debilitating disease it would seem like such a missed opportunity not to use this ability, especially since Yuzuki seems to have been narratively set up for this very purpose. To have him wilt away with Shiki unable to do anything about it would simply lack pay off in my opinion.

Not to mention this new can of worms, should it be opened, could also be a new opportunity to explore more characters in depth. For instance, although we know Mechamaru would agree to it in a heart beat, what about Maki? Would she hold on to her Heavenly Restriction because of her pride and spite for the Zenin clan or would she cast it off to obtain a sense of belonging in Jujutsu tech, potentially even inherenting her father's cursed technique since she seems to have the disposition for it.

Overall, I think saving Yuzuki would be the more interesting of the two paths and would pay greater dividends down the line, but I can also understand why it's not in the cards at the moment.

Thank you for sharing your thoughts! You make some excellent points here, and I'll be taking that under advisement.

But something else to consider... hear me out, my friend. What if 'curing illness' is something that Shiki figures out after Yuzuki dies? More specifically, what if it's something that she only learns to see precisely because of having observed Yuzuki's slow march towards death? While I could certainly see the clan elders happily celebrating this achievement nonetheless, what are the repercussions that this might have on Shiki, personally? What kind of cracks would it put into her confidence as a sorcerer?

:D

... Of course, I'm still playing around with multiple ideas right now, so Yuzuki's fate is still very much up in the air at this moment in time.

Regarding Heavenly Restrictions, I have an idea of how I might approach it once it becomes relevant in the fic, but that's currently still a ways off yet. More on this in the future, hopefully!

[nasuversekinkmeme]

Weekly roundup: prompts

Kara no Kyoukai

Shiki Ryougi using the Mystic Eyes of Death Perception for mundane purposes.

Tsukihime

incest tw, ntr, Shiki/Kohaku explicitly framed as them cucking Hisui and Akiha

Kohaku and Hisui taking drugs together to deal with the Difficulties.

Hisui makes a horrifying discovery about the true nature of the "robots" that are named after her and look suspiciously like her. But on the bright side, it looks like Hisui #47 has more sisters than she thought.

Worried about Shiki's health after he's been bedridden for a couple of days, Akiha is told by Kohaku that Shiki'd contracted a terminal case of sugondeese. Akiha doesn't get the joke and goes around trying to find anyone who can help in complete earnestness.

Fate/Stay Night

smut, EMIYA gets fingerblasted by Artoria while getting his fat slutty tits milked for weeks on end.

Emiya "Ah yes I choose to go by no name instead of my actual name because I hate my name I MEAN FOR TACTICAL REASONS TACTICAL ONES" Shirou has her egg forcibly cracked.

ntr, Saber/Issei framed as both of them cucking Shirou.

EMIYA getting brainwashed and forcefemmed, becomes clingy and dependent to the perpetrator (maybe a master with bigger physique, any gender is fine) AAAHHH i really want to fill this myself but just typing this makes me really embarassed

smut, Fourth Holy Grail War Servant Orgy expressly framed as cucking the Masters and the Holy Grail War itself.

smut, All the Cus show up and consensually gangbang Shirou to death.

smut, guro, Sakura cuts off Shirou's legs, slices his belly open, smashes his testicles before rebuilding them with magic and then proceeds to clone herself so that she could have an ero-guro gangbang with the one she loves more than anything else.

smut, Cock worship feat. Saber's micropenis. Doesn't matter who the worshipper(s) is.

smut, Mordred fucking Guinevere with her giant cock while Artoria watches it while she is tied to the wall, crying with her pathetic micro penis exposed while her wife screams in pleasure

Merlin gives Artoria a micro penis.

We need more of that EMIYA Archer/Saber Artoria goodness, no preference on if its fgo/fsn/fha or fluff or smut as long as Saber loves him for the man he is rather than the boy he was.

smut, Might I ask for Saber and Rin having what starts out as slow tender wedding night lovemaking, and what ends up being Saber breeding Rin hard and fast, because however much they love each other, Rin is impatient, and Saber is needy.

Fate/Zero

a prompt about Iri, Saber and Kiritsugu expressly framed as cucking but nobody can figure out WHOS GETTING CUCKED. (its none of them, theyre all just morons)

I would like some fluff with Iri and Saber as married with Illya and Shirou as their children. Kiritusugu still visits and he stays with the kids during weekends and half of summer vacations, any further details is up to the author

Prisma Illya Kaleid Liner

vamp illya biting miyu, sfw.

Fate/Apocrypha

Sieg is literally cardboard. No questions asked.

smut, Problem: Thanks to the legends about his prowess, Astolfo's dick is big enough that he can't actually get it fully hard without passing out under normal circumstances; he fucks like a champion when possible, but the energy needed is too much for most to provide. Solution: Well, Sieg was made to be a magical energy battery, after all...

Fate/Extra

Hakuno and Rin in any context where they're not doomed by the narrative.

smut, Via some magecraft fuckery Nero's body temporarily changes into that of her evil alternate universe counterpart (mobile 3rd ascension draco) and her wives Hakunon and Tamamo try very hard not to spontaneously combust from lust on the spot

smut, Tamamo no Mae takes advantage of her shapeshift skill, grows a dick, and knots her Master.

Fate/Grand Order

the last scene of Lord Melloi II Case Files where Waver talks with Iskandar in his dream, except its Gudako and Romani

Guda + his partner where they are doomed by the narrative, angst

Olga in her last moments after defeating ORT looks at Ritsuka, she remembered, she remembered everything, she finally realized who she was, before becoming a beast, but its too late, again she is about to disappear and lose everything she worked so hard for

Since all hope is lost for Sita this time around I would like someone to find Rama collapsed (either drunk or just out of depression) and lead him back to his room. Some reminiscing on his wife if possible

Smut, Draco seeing Hakunon after so long shows affection the only way the beast of depravity could, by making Hakunon unleash her load inside her until her maestro's ball are empty

Medb and Emiya are sent to scout a new small singularity together, Emiya keeps getting annoyed at Medb complaining and Medb thinks Emiya is just a boring old man. Through their scouting mission they end up talking about their times alive, getting in trouble and getting to know each other. The girl who desired to be saved by a hero turned into a tyrant, and the boy that wanted to save others and become a hero, now nothing more than a machine. I think they compliment each other so well

medea is on her way back from picking up more craft material for her figure making hobby when she runs into mandricardo, she looks at this teenaged 30 year old man quivering with anxiety and decides hes cute in a mildly pathetic way and decides to take the sopping wet kitten of a man home, maybe its just her having a slight thing for stupid pathetic men but maybe she can help him with that

[baobhan sith voice] mash kyrielight did you fuck my mother

Gudako/Gorgon with some awesome size difference going on (or even edging into macro/micro) Gudako having her large and (terrifyingly) beautiful snirlfriend worshipping her tiny little Master :3

a more vore based version of SERAPH? Meltryllis having to watch as Kiara swallows Guda right in front of her, before being stuffed down the Beast's throat shortly after...

Smut, Ishtar getting her dick sucked by Gudako (or any other girl) and not paying attention to the time. Right when she hits her climax, the sun dips below the horizon, leaving Ereshkigal the one in charge of the body mid-orgasm.

Gorgon voring Robin Hood... Maybe Robin trying to shoot his shot romantically, and Gorgon deciding he's better off as a snack than a date.

Cleopatra/Caesar, preferably some smut with how Caesar historically loved to bottom

After finally ending the lostbelt saga all of chaldea and the servants make a celebration party that goes out of control.

Ritsuka and Cupid Caren being shippers hiding in trashcans to watch dates and matching up servant couples during valentine

Mash and Romani father daughter time! Maybe have him showing her his favorite movies

Tepeu gets DRUGGED

FGO again but tumblr has a character limit for bullet points and I can't trim the prompts any further so I'm splitting it in half

Gudako finally gets sick of Mandricardo’s constant whining and admits she thinks he’s worthless compared to most servants, and that she’s sick of hearing a middle aged man wallow in self pity

smut, boudica turning Nero into her cockslut

Modern AU, Gudako convices Draco to go on a date with her, draco being a cool rock musician

smut, Milf battle. Raikou and Tiamat fighting over Ritsuka. Wrestling, fight fucking, mommy kink.

Vinci Rider is kept awake at night by Vinci Caster loudly fucking Gudao (thinking they’re just wrestling or jumping on the bed)

Slight change of the rules of Chaldea is made so that rather than Arturia Lancer being her own person summoned separately, she's just Saber's mind in a different class container due to experimental magics. She also runs from the labs to Ishtar's room and tells her to put Rin in the driver's seat because Damn Rin, look how much my alter-ego was compressing into her breastplate. Breastplay/envy from both Rin and Ishtar follow, Arturia enjoys being taller and so on.

Tepeu and Kijyo become dinosaur friends

smut, guro, I want Medea to fuck Yan Qing, kill him, cut off his dick and walk around with his dick in her coochie for a week before she brings him back to life and tries to escalate from there.

I want Ritsuka to see Goetia using Romani body and going ballistic, punching the fucker until someone stops her because they know she is kill gonna him given the chance

AU where Flauros somehow got amnesia right after taking over Lev Lainur, causing the demon pillar to believe he's the human he's possessing

smut, how tf could Xiang Yu get pegged by his wife ?

It is Mother's day in Chaldea, and Ritsuka has now to make a party for all of their mom, wich are Da Vinci, Sheba, Raikou, Emiya, Tiamat, Dodrinya, Katou Danzo, Iri, Europa, Helena and Goredolf

smut, ntr, Ntr plot with Yu Mei Ren but the entire time she just complains about how Xiang Yu has a better cock and is nicer in bed, with an annoyed tone of voice.

Ok so in Pokemon, Ninetails (kitsune pokemon with, well, nine tails) has a pokedex entry that states that touching their tails leads to a curse. Anyway we take that, apply to Tamamo, ritsuka doesnt know the legend, and starts brushing her tail one day and unfortunately its curse of being horny. Tl;dr: touch tail get smashed by fox wife. Ritsuka wakes up dehydrated and exhausted the next day.

The GUDAGUDA Gang at Walmart, causing so much chaos. From arguments, fights, to even trying to get snacks on the highest shelf and causing the damn thing to fall-

Despite her best efforts, Barghest feels her instincts to devour her Master beginning to overpower her. The last thing she sees before she loses control is her Master pinned to a wall, looking up at her with a worried expression. When she wakes up the next day, she immediately despairs over what she did, only for her Master to pop up next to her. He comforts her and reassures her that she didn't hurt him, and he won't allow her to hurt him.

Blackbeard, Musashi, and Hokusai face punishment for being creeps towards children

U-olga getting summoned in Olympus rewritten to not just be a joke scene about how short and incompetent Olga is

smut, One of the lancer Artorias going for a horseback ride with Gudako. Except also Gudako is riding her huge dragon dick the whole way.

Guda being lovey dovey with Beast Nero and tiamat cockblocking them at every opportunity

smut, mozart being dommed by salieri and marie antoinette uwu

Castoria's dreams about Saber framed as cucking Knocknarea.

Guda gets to go Postal. Let them have an insane day. Attack people. Probably not any Chaldean staff but I think the servants can take it. Have an incredibly violent psychotic break in a singularity/lostbelt even. Use a badger as a weapon.

Dark Young Ritsuka is big and fluffy and a horrible abomination against nature whose mind is on the edge of sanity. How does everyone else react?

Guda secretly uses a command spell Nemo forcing him to take them to the imaginary numbers space where he suspects a certain someone is. Now knowing it is possible for him to make a contract with a Beast he plans on finding Olga, becoming her master and bringing her back to Chaldea, even if it means becoming an enemy of the human Order. Sadly for them, Alaya does not take this betrayal well and despite all their effort, it ends with Guda and Olga both dying fighting an army countless of servants in each other's arms

Wakchan/U-Olgamarie. Fluff or smut, I just want my dinoman to make the director happy.

Would It be possible to get Yu Mei Ren teaching Gudako to pole dance? (Yu's summer variant very much seems to confirm she knows how, based on her animations). Not intended to be Gudako/Yu, not a fan of NTR in the first place, but if the writer wants to make it some kind of Erotic that's up to them.

Crossover

Led by a transmission in the immediate aftermath of the Earth's bleaching, the remnants of Chaldea reach Baldanders, and are greeted by Sion Eltnam Sokaris, the last remaining member of the Atlas Institute and adoptive daughter of its director... alongside her wife, Riesbyfe Stridberg, a former captain of Knights of the Holy Church.

Crossover fic! Raikou FGO and Raikou Nioh 2 fuck!

Satsuki Yumizuka/Yu Mei-ren as a ship! preferably SFW

I just think heaven's hole demonic bodhisattva kiara sessyoin(fate go/extra) should meet with 'Throughout Heaven and earth, I alone am the honored one' satoru gojo(jujutsu kaisen). they should talk. they should fight. they should have hate sex. i want to see kiara tear through this man with her words and hands. maybe her demonic pillars as well

Mikya, Shirou, Shiki and Hakuno have a nice chat about their apocalyptically strong wives. Meanwhile Ryougi, Sakura, Arcueid and Beast Nero are having a small scale war to see who among them has the best husband

Guda and Beast Nero go on a double date with Hakuno and Normal Nero

smut, With new developments of FGO, Nero Beast has revealed her adult form and that who guided her to us was Hakuno. So after all that suffering she endured or girl deserve to be smashed by both Hakuno and Guda to relieve her stress!

Tepeu just hanging out in Tohno mansion in general, being a good guest to the household, still a dinosaur.

lumine & gudako should get together and have a few beers while they bitch about their brother/ male counterpart keeps hogging the spotlight.

Someone please make a Umineko/Fate crossover

Any fandom

Need more tentacles! Preferably with Gudako! Or Eresh! Or Mash! Or Shuten! Or any of the female cast!

Regardless of the paths they take, of the sacrifices they make, they always find comfort in each other. [Hurt/Comfort] (Shirou variants/Saber variants) No harem, but could reuse characters if doing them at a separate instances of time. Technically asking for a series of different Shirou/Saber pairings, but can also just be one pairing because that's a tall order. Would prefer to see at least Salter/Demiya (Or Edgemiya, whichever naming you prefer) because there's a lack of content for them.

Heartwarming Body Horror. I want a character's inhuman condition to be described, how much they're a monster in the shell of human form, really playing up the unnatural traits. Then I want another character to see all that and go "I love you." and give 'em a hug and kisses and maybe lewds. Shoot me in the feels.

Characters of your choice getting stuck in a cabin together with a storm outside

Pancakes lmao

[teneguine]

"Happy birthday, Owain!" Grima said, slipping out from behind a pillar to stop Owain in his tracks. Her bright and warm smile was difficult to keep on her face but she did her very best. She had her arms kept behind her back as well. "Here. I've got a gift for you. Close your eyes and hold out your hands."

Regardless of his response Grima leaves a gift in his hands. Inside the box is a book of poetry. Though the book seems almost impossibly old, the pages fragile and frayed but there were clear attempts to preserve it.

"I found this during my travels before arriving at the academy. They're poems that seem to be from a fabled lost city. What do you think?" Grima watched him closely, an interested look in her eye. The truth was that book was from Grima's own personal collection. She had little problem giving it away if it helped earn trust. Perhaps Owain could decipher the ancient language inside. If nothing, it gave him something to do.

//via birthday asks; still accepting!

"Hark! The arrival of the famed tactician rouses my mystic blood! It surges forth like a frigid geyser, spraying evil with my heroic powers!"

In other words, he's excited.

Or at least, that's the story he'll be going with. He strikes a pose for the Fell Dragon--both arms laid across his chest in opposite directions, hands splayed open, and back arched for dramatic effect--but deep down, he's wary. He wonders if she ever got to use her gift. That faulty pen and magic ink were sure to inconvenience her, and depending on just how much she used them, he could have put a significant dent in her schemes.

So he assumes, in secret, that she is seeking revenge.

"For me?" he continues, nodding along and closing his eyes as instructed, "You know how to honor your heroes well! With this great boon, nigh an army may stop me in my quest!"

But when she motions to hand him the book, he peeks. Just a crack, his eyes peer open. The slits are hardly distinguishable from actually having shut his eyelids, but they make a world of difference in terms of what he can see. Dark takes note of the tome--how it isn't laced with spikes or poison, how it's just... Ordinary. It's strange.

When Grima explains it, he tries to act surprised.

"Oh? A... Lost city, eh? That's, uh, riveting..." He turns the cover first, inspecting for any signs of a sigil or magic snare designed to lop off his arm. But either his magical perception is lacking, or there is no real danger, for Dark cannot sense anything. Stranger. A fist covers a cough as he turns it back around, before that spare hand moves to rifle through the pages.

"Huh. I can't quite read it. Though I believe I've seen the text before..." Ancient Valmese? Or maybe the first rulers of Regna Ferox. His face contorts in confusion, unable to pinpoint which historical period it all belongs to. Owain turns page after page, looking for something of interest (Maybe a diagram? Maybe a secret note containing the Fell Dragon's plans?) but he finds only words. Such is the content of a poetry novel, after all.

"Ah... AHEM! Making heads or tails of this cryptic writing is the bread and butter of an eldritch scholar such as myself. Rest assured, Robin," he speaks that name with a bit of venom, "I shall have the code cracked in a fraction of a second. There is nothing my enigmatic mind cannot solve!"

It slams shut and enters the protection of his underarm. As Dark turns to be on with his day, he shoots Grima one last look, waving her off as though they were friends again, "You have my thanks for this holy gift! I shan't forget it."

[mecub]

A rottmnt au I wanna write

Before I start! If anyone has made something like this already, I’d be really interested in seeing it!

Now. As far as I know, we don’t know for sure that bad timeline April died in the attack that killed future Leo and Mikey. She probably did, but maybe, just maybe she didn’t. So consider: bad future April leading the very last of the survivors through an even more broken world than the one they’ve lived in for years, knowing that the Kraang have completely taken control and knowing that they can’t win, but hoping to find some place to live out the rest of their lives peacefully, even though they’ve lost everything and everyone but each other.

I texted this all to a friend, and they said it sounds really dark, and there is that path, but I feel like it could be sorta hopeful if well written, like they find a safe and beautiful place deep in the woods, a long abandoned cabin or something, and the few of them who survived learn to make the best out of what they have now, knowing that soon enough they’ll be with their loved ones again but now they can take even just a few months to make peace with their lives on earth (longest sentence ever written).

It’s April leading maybe five others and giving them hope, knowing that after all this she’ll see her family again.

My current thought is that she almost dies, but when Mikey makes the portal and dies he sends out a burst of magic to all the people he loves, and it reaches April and saves her from the brink of death. Her family reaches out in the brief moment when Mikey and Leo‘s deaths let them interact with the world mystically, and they put their energy into healing April. And she carries that with her. She carries the knowledge that her family is waiting, and the knowledge that they want her so strongly to live, and she uses the time she has left to take care of those who also survived. There are kids amongst them, and she gives them as much of a childhood as she can. Together, this group grieves for those they lost and grows close.

Here’s a scene I’ve written already! It takes place after the big Kraang attack, when April is nearly dead:

At the back of April’s mind, there are two flames. 

One is orange and feels like childhood joy and sage wisdom at the same time. It flares up, bright and warm and brilliant, and then it goes out forever. It feels like, You’re not dying that easily. It feels like, I’ll see ya soon enough.

The other is blue and strong and steady and feels like a safe hand reaching out in the middle of a storm. It bursts with warmth as it flickers out. It feels like, Buh-bye, sis. It feels like, Don’t worry, the kid is safe.  

At the edges of her perception, there’s a trace of purple energy that feels like electricity and dry sarcasm. A trace of solid, smiling red warmth in a protective wall. 

If she looks further, she can feel more.

The smallest suggestion of soft whiskers and ridiculous movie star glasses from days past.

The tiniest possibility of an ancient smile that was briefly a part of her.

The faintest chance of cafeteria food and disgust that covered love.

And maybe it’s her mind playing tricks on her, but she might just sense off-brand girl scout brownies and determination. Might just sense green explosions of joy and stupid jokes about laser tag.

All of the people she’s lost smile at her, and then they’re gone.

And April’s alone again.

April’s eyes open slowly to the red sky and cracked remains of a roof.

That’s wrong. She’s supposed to be dead now. Unless she is, and the world decided to leave her as part of the worst joke ever. Maybe the afterlife is just the real world, but she can’t feel anything around her.

Wait. That’s also wrong. A bit of debris presses into her back, and her arm and leg hurt. Not as much as they should, though.

She should have bled out from those wounds. It doesn’t make any sense.

Slowly, she pushes herself up and looks around. The tunnel is completely destroyed around her. Old concrete lies in chunks and pieces, and underneath are the bodies of those who died in the battle.

She was supposed to be with them. This really, really doesn’t make sense.

She looks at the giant cut on her arm, and finds it… covered? A slightly blue tinted bandage is wrapped around it tightly. Her leg is similarly wrapped in orange stained bandage, with a tiny smile drawn on.

Ta-da! It’s bad, but still, ta-da!

[prwizard]

Petals of Perception: Reflections on Dr Mini John Alani's Cactus Blooms

Pradeep Nambiaar, New Delhi

Cactus Blooms written by Dr Mini John Alani is an engrossing collection of lyrically intense and insightful poems.

Each of the resonant poems invites the readers to immerse and lose themselves in a world where resilience meets beauty, much like the desert flowers that inspired its title.

As you turn its pages you can see the poet masterfully weaving themes of survival, love, and the enigma of existence into a tapestry that is both profound and poignant. The title poem as well as poems like "Fallen Tree" and "Houseplant" set the tone for the collection, emphasizing the strength and tenacity required to thrive in adverse circumstances. Through eloquent ecofeminist metaphors like the houseplant pining in the "indoor gloom", the bonsai with its confined existence--"the captive soul in the ceramic pot.. scantily watered… ruthlessly trimmed"--and the lone cactus in the rock garden, "the resilient beauty in the arid wilderness" cherishing her "lavender dream" the poet deftly equates nature with women and invites the readers to explore the terrain of sexual politics.

While "Coupling Shadows" unravels the subtle complexities of human relationships, "Blackholes", a powerful poem about the scars left by psychic wounds juxtaposes the cosmic and terrestrial images, adding a universal resonance to the intensely personal narrative. "Sunset Years" is another moving piece that draws our attention to the succourless days in the evening of life, "old wounds still hurting/ An oyster without shell".

The poem "Ocean" is a voyage into the "azure expanse" of the human mind, with hidden icebergs, "Scylla and Charybdis lurking in the liquid deeps." The poem ends with a warning that an "onward rush may leave you but an eternal wreck/ A jetsam of loathing or a hapless flotsam." The observations "chromosomes whisper your destiny's song/ In the dance of genes, the script unfolds" and the resonant phrase "Harmony is but chemical symphony" in the poem "Chemical Symphony" encapsulate the insightful idea that our very existence is the result of a delicate balance of biochemical elements.

The poet makes effective use of concrete images which enhance the beauty and poignancy of the verses. The exceptionally unsettling and perturbing portrayal of the human journey through the "chequered vale of life and death" depicted in the poem "Carcinoma", where we find the last glimpse of a falling star twinkling faintly in the lashless eyes, is highly evocative.

Images like "the old fingermark on the creaky door" and "the mirror with a crack running across its heart" ("Memory House") are steeped in nostalgia, making the house a repository of undying memories. The gruesome imagery in "Abu Ghraib", "Still A Savage" and "Doomsday" portray a dark, sombre and macabre world of disturbing realities.

The poetic odyssey culminates in "Thou Art That," with a profound Eliotian revelation which makes the seeker serenely retreat into "the stillness of the heart where the mystical lotus breaks into a bloom", marking the end of a prolonged quest.

Cactus Blooms is an open invitation to pause and step into a lyrical world where emotions and thoughts intertwine in exquisite harmony. The extended metaphors and metaphysical explorations in this illuminating anthology reveal the poet's depth of perception that transcends the mundane and ordinary.

Dr Mini John Alani--author, poet, lyricist and translator--is the former Head of the Department of English, Alphonsa College, Pala. She is the translator of History Liberated: The Sree Chithra Saga written by Princess Aswathi Thirunal Gouri Lakshmi Bayi.

Cactus Blooms is published by Writers International Edition, Athens, Greece (2024).

[prosegalaxy]

"Magical Encounters: Alex and Elaris' Quest"

The sun dipped below the horizon, casting a golden hue over the magical realm of Elaris. In the distance, a figure appeared, their silhouette standing out against the fading light. As they stepped into the clearing, a gasp echoed through the crowd gathered around the bonfire. "Who...who are you?" asked the tall, red-haired elf named Loras, his eyes wide with wonder and curiosity. The stranger, a human named Alex, stared back at him. "I'm...a traveler," he replied, his voice tinged with an air of mystery. "But more importantly, I am here to fulfill a mission." As the words left his lips, a sudden gust of wind whipped through Elaris, and the sky above crackled with electricity. The creatures of the realm watched in amazement as the very air seemed to bend to the will of this enigmatic figure. "What's happening?" shouted the elf princess, her voice joining the cacophony of fearful whispers. "A change," Alex whispered, his eyes locked on the swirling storm above. "This realm is a projection of human imagination, and I've come to guide it back to reality." The skies above Elaris roared with a deafening crack, as if in protest at the revelation. The creatures of the realm exchanged glances, their hearts pounding with anticipation and dread. In that moment, they all understood that nothing would ever be the same again. But for Alex, it was not just Elaris that had changed; his heart, too, had been transformed by his time in this magical world. As he gazed at the love he had found within these enchanted realms, he knew that he would carry their story back to Earth with him, a testament to the power of imagination and the enduring strength of love. Alex stood at the edge of the magical realm, his heart racing with anticipation. The vibrant world around him was unlike anything he had ever seen before. It was filled with enchanting creatures and breathtaking landscapes that seemed to defy all laws of physics. As he wandered through the mystical forests, he came across a beautiful and ethereal figure – the princess Elaris herself. "Hello," she said, her voice as captivating as her appearance. "What brings you here?" "I've been sent to guide you back to reality," Alex replied, trying to maintain his composure amidst her radiance. Elaris' eyes widened in surprise. "But why would someone want to leave this magical place?" "Because this world is a projection of human imagination," Alex revealed, hoping to convince her of the urgency. "It's not real – and staying here will only lead you to be trapped forever." The princess looked at him skeptically but decided to trust him. Together, they embarked on an adventure through the realm, facing challenges and magical creatures along the way. As they journeyed together, Alex and Elaris began to develop a deep bond, and their feelings for each other grew stronger. Finally, they reached the source of the realm's projection – a group of humans harnessing their collective imagination. With the help of these individuals, Alex managed to bring Elaris back to reality. In the end, she returned to her home realm as a changed person, having found love and purpose in the most unexpected place. Though the world they had experienced was now just a memory, Alex knew that their love would forever transcend the boundaries between worlds. And so, the story of Alex and Elaris became a tale of magic, adventure, and the power of human imagination. In the realm of Enchantaria, Alex found themselves surrounded by magical creatures and breathtaking landscapes. They had been sent on a mission to guide Elaris back to reality, but as they spent more time together, their connection deepened into a blossoming romance. However, unbeknownst to them, their arrival was part of a greater plan, one that would change the reader's perception and understanding of events. One day, while exploring the lush forests of Enchantaria, Alex stumbled upon Elaris who appeared to be lost and distressed. "Are you alright?" asked Alex with concern. "I... I don't know," replied Elaris, her voice trembling. "I keep feeling like I don't belong here." As they continued their journey, the two found themselves in the heart of a mystical city, where they encountered a wise old owl. "You seek answers, do you not?" the owl spoke, its eyes gleaming with wisdom. "Yes," Alex replied, eager for guidance. "We need to find our way back to reality." The owl nodded solemnly. "There is a secret path hidden in the Library of Ages. It leads to the Nexus, where all realms intersect." With newfound purpose, Alex and Elaris set off for the Library of Ages, their love growing stronger with each step. But as they ventured deeper into the labyrinthine halls, they began to suspect that something was amiss. "Alex," whispered Elaris, "do you think this place... could it be a projection of our imagination?" Alex paused, considering her words. "It's possible, but we must find the Nexus first." They finally discovered the secret path and found themselves face-to-face with their own reflections in the Nexus. In that moment, they realized that the realm they had come to know was a projection of human imagination, born from their collective dreams and desires. With this revelation, Alex and Elaris returned to Earth, forever changed by their experiences and love for one another. Alex stood at the edge of the mysterious portal, his heart pounding with anticipation. Little did he know that this moment would change his life forever. As soon as he crossed over, he found himself in a breathtaking realm filled with magical creatures and vibrant landscapes. He couldn't believe his eyes; it was like stepping into another world. He stumbled upon Elaris, an enchanting creature who was both wise and kind-hearted. Their encounter sparked a connection that would forever bind their destinies together. "Welcome to my realm," Elaris whispered softly, her voice like music to his ears. "I've been waiting for you." Alex felt a mix of emotions wash over him - wonder, fear, and excitement. He couldn't help but be captivated by the beauty around him and the intriguing creature standing before him. "Who are you?" Alex asked, his voice barely above a whisper. Elaris smiled gently, revealing an expression of pure magic. "I am Elaris, guardian of this realm. And I've been waiting for you, too." As they continued to explore the fantastical world together, Alex and Elaris found themselves drawn to each other. Their conversations flowed effortlessly, their laughter echoing through the forest as they shared stories and dreams. As their bond grew stronger, so did their love. It was a love that transcended the boundaries of time and space. One day, as they ventured into the heart of the realm, Alex couldn't shake the feeling that something wasn't right. He knew deep down that his presence there was no mere coincidence. "Elaris," he began hesitantly, "I think I need to tell you something." She turned to him, her eyes filled with curiosity and concern. "What is it, Alex?" she asked, her voice full of warmth and understanding. "I didn't come here by chance," Alex admitted. "I was sent here on a mission, to guide you back to reality." Elaris's eyes widened in shock. "But why would they send you here? And who is 'they'?" she asked, her voice trembling with emotion. "The scientists from the research facility I work at," Alex replied, his heart aching at the thought of lying to Elaris. "They created this realm as part of an experiment, and I was sent here to bring you back." Elaris stared at him, her eyes filled with disbelief. "But how... why would they create such a beautiful world just to destroy it?" she asked, her voice wavering. "I don't know," Alex confessed, his heart heavy with guilt. "But I can't let this realm disappear." As they stood there, locked in each other's embrace, Alex realized the truth: their love had changed everything. The very existence of this realm was a testament to the power of human imagination and emotion. And as they gazed into each other's eyes, they knew that no force could ever tear them apart. In the end, Alex and Elaris returned to Earth together, forever changed by their experiences and love. They carried with them the knowledge that even in a world of science and logic, the power of imagination and emotion could create wonders beyond imagination. Alex stood at the edge of the enchanted forest, his eyes scanning the dense foliage for any sign of Elaris. The air was thick with magic, and he could feel its power coursing through the air like a tangible force. His mission was clear: guide Elaris back to reality before it was too late. He knew that every moment mattered, that each passing second could change the course of their fate. As Alex ventured deeper into the forest, he heard whispers among the trees. "Elaris," he called out, hoping his voice would carry through the magic-infused air. Suddenly, a figure emerged from the shadows, her eyes glowing with an otherworldly light. "Alex?" Elaris whispered, her voice filled with wonder and disbelief. "I'm here to help you," Alex said softly, reaching out to take her hand. Her touch was cold and ethereal, but it sent a warmth through him like never before. "We must find our way back to reality." Elaris looked into his eyes, her expression filled with emotion. "I'm afraid," she admitted. "The realm we came from is so vast and wondrous, and I fear returning to the mundane world." Alex smiled gently, his heart swelling with love for this magical creature. "You don't have to be afraid, Elaris. Together, we can face anything. And when we return, we'll show everyone just how incredible our world can be." As they journeyed through the enchanted forest, Alex and Elaris laughed, shared stories, and grew closer. Their love blossomed like the flowers that surrounded them, each moment more magical than the last. But as they neared their destination, a terrible truth revealed itself: the realm was nothing more than a projection of human imagination. In that instant, everything changed. Alex realized he had been sent to this world not just to guide Elaris back but to discover the true power of love and imagination. He knew that returning to Earth would forever change him, but he was ready for the adventure that lay ahead. With a final embrace, Alex and Elaris stepped through the portal, their hearts intertwined and their spirits forever bound together. And as they left the realm behind, they vowed to spread magic and wonder across the world, proving that love could conquer even the most powerful of illusions. The story continued as Alex and Elaris ventured further into the magical realm, exploring its wonders and mysteries together. They encountered enchanting creatures and breathtaking landscapes that captivated their senses and strengthened their bond. As they journeyed through this fantastical world, they shared stories of their lives on Earth and dreams for the future. One evening, as they sat by a serene lake, Elaris revealed her deepest fear: returning to reality and losing the love they had found in each other. Alex reassured her that their connection was strong enough to withstand anything. Little did they know, an unexpected twist awaited them. As they approached a hidden grove, a sudden surge of energy erupted from within the heart of the forest. To their astonishment, a figure appeared before them – none other than Alex's mentor, guiding them back to Earth. In that moment, Alex realized that her arrival in the magical realm was part of a greater plan, orchestrated by the mysterious guide. Their adventure came to an abrupt end as they were pulled out of the fantastical world and back into reality. Both Alex and Elaris struggled to make sense of their experiences, but the love they shared remained unshaken. The realm had been a projection of human imagination, a testament to the power of dreams and the magic that lies within our hearts. Together, they embraced their newfound understanding of reality and each other. Though their journey was over, their love would endure – a testament to the incredible power of connection and the endless possibilities that exist within the realm of imagination. As Alex stepped through the shimmering portal, they found themselves in a breathtaking realm of magic and wonder. The vibrant landscape stretched out before them, filled with mystical creatures and dazzling landscapes. Suddenly, Elaris appeared, a figure as ethereal as the world around them. "Welcome," she said softly, her voice like the tinkling of bells. "I have been waiting for you." Alex couldn't help but be captivated by Elaris' beauty and grace. They shared stories and laughter as they explored the enchanting realm together, their connection growing stronger with each passing moment. "But why are we here?" Alex asked one evening, as they gazed at the stars above. "What brings us to this magical place?" Elaris smiled, her eyes twinkling like the very stars they admired. "You were sent to guide me back to reality," she replied. "But sometimes, the most unexpected adventures lead to the most profound connections." As they continued their journey, another twist revealed itself: Alex's mentor appeared, a figure both familiar and distant. "This was all part of a greater plan," she announced, her voice echoing through the realm. "You were brought here to guide Elaris, but you found something else – love." With a final surge of energy, they were pulled back into reality, the magic of their experiences and love for each other enduring despite the challenges they faced. Their journey together would forever highlight the power of connection and the magic within human imagination. As Alex and Elaris continued exploring the magical realm, their bond only grew stronger. One day, they stumbled upon a mysterious cave hidden deep within the heart of the enchanted forest. The air inside the cave was thick with an ancient magic that made them feel both excited and apprehensive. Elaris hesitated for a moment before stepping inside. "I've never been here before," she whispered, her voice echoing through the chamber. Alex, eager to uncover the secrets of this newfound realm, followed closely behind. As they ventured further into the cave, they discovered an old, dusty tome lying on a pedestal. Elaris gently picked it up and opened it, revealing pages filled with intricate illustrations and strange symbols. Alex leaned in closer to read aloud: "The stories of our world are woven through time, and when we listen, we can hear the whispers of history." Suddenly, a gust of wind blew through the cave, sending the pages fluttering around them. A figure materialized before them - Alex's mentor, Maris. She stood tall and regal, her eyes filled with wisdom and purpose. "Alex," she began, her voice resonating throughout the chamber, "you are here for a reason. Your arrival was part of a greater plan." With that, the cave started to crumble around them. Alex, Elaris, and Maris raced back into reality, their hearts pounding. As they regained their footing on Earth, Alex realized that he could never forget the love he shared with Elaris or the magic of the realm they once called home. And though their journey had come to an end, the memories of their time together would live on forever. The sun dipped below the horizon, casting a warm glow over the magical realm of Elaris. Alex and Elaris, two characters who had just met, found themselves in this enchanting world, filled with fantastical creatures and vibrant landscapes. They wandered through the lush forests, their eyes wide with wonder. "This place is like nothing I've ever seen," whispered Alex, his voice filled with awe. "It's like a dream come to life." Elaris smiled, her eyes sparkling with excitement. "Welcome to our realm, dear traveler. It is a projection of human imagination, and it exists only as long as we believe in it." As they journeyed together through the magical landscape, Alex and Elaris felt their connection grow stronger. They encountered majestic creatures, some friendly and others mysterious, each one adding to the richness of their experience. The two found themselves drawn to one another, their hearts beating in unison as they shared secrets and dreams under the starlit sky. Their time in Elaris came to an abrupt end when Alex's mentor appeared, revealing that her arrival had been part of a greater plan. With newfound determination, they embraced each other before being pulled back into reality. Their love and experiences in Elaris had transformed them, igniting the magic within their own imaginations. From that day forward, Alex and Elaris would never forget the enchanting realm they had discovered together, a testament to the power of connection and the boundless magic hidden within human imagination. In a world where magic and wonder abound, Alex found themselves transported to a realm unlike any they had ever seen before. The air was thick with enchantment, and the landscapes were breathtakingly beautiful. As they wandered through this magical land, they stumbled upon Elaris, a creature of pure light and warmth. "Welcome," Elaris said, her voice like a gentle breeze. "You have been brought here to guide me back to my realm." Alex's heart skipped a beat at the sight of Elaris, her ethereal beauty captivating him. As they spent more time together, exploring the wonders of this enchanted world, Alex couldn't help but be drawn to Elaris. Their connection grew stronger with each moment they shared. "I don't want to leave," Alex whispered, their feelings for Elaris growing deeper by the day. "This place is magical, and you... you're like nothing I've ever seen." Elaris smiled, her eyes sparkling with emotion. "And you have shown me that even in a realm of magic, love can transcend all boundaries." As they stood on the edge of a cliff, overlooking a dazzling sunset, Alex and Elaris felt the pull of another realm. Suddenly, a figure appeared before them, revealing herself as Alex's mentor. "You've come at last," she said, her voice filled with pride. "This was all part of a greater plan. You were brought here to protect Elaris and to remind us all of the power that lies within human imagination." With a final glance at the magical realm, Alex and Elaris were pulled back into reality, forever changed by their experiences and love for one another. The world around them seemed less vivid, but they knew in their hearts that the magic they had discovered was still there, waiting to be rediscovered in the depths of human imagination. In the mystical realm of Aethyria, Alex and Elaris stood amidst a garden filled with luminescent flowers. "These flowers are so beautiful," Elaris marveled, her voice tinged with wonder. "They're enchanted," Alex replied, taking in the breathtaking scene. The air around them was thick with magic, and he could feel the connection between Aethyria and the human world. "Do you ever wish we could stay here forever?" Elaris asked, her eyes twinkling like the stars above. "I've grown to love this place." Alex hesitated, knowing their mission was to return to reality. "We have a responsibility to guide others back," he said softly, his voice filled with longing. As they explored further, they stumbled upon an old woman who seemed lost in thought. "Can you help us find our way home?" Alex asked, hoping she knew the answer. The woman smiled gently and pointed towards a distant portal. "You'll need to use the power of your connection," she instructed. With Elaris by his side, Alex stepped through the portal. As they reappeared in the human world, they felt a rush of emotions and the magic of Aethyria began to fade. However, their love for each other remained strong, a testament to the power of connection and imagination. In the end, Alex and Elaris realized that their love transcended the boundaries of reality and magic. They had become more than just two people; they were living proof of the power of connection and the endless possibilities of human imagination. Overwhelmed by the revelation, Alex and Elaris returned to reality, forever changed by their experiences and love for one another. They continued to meet in their dreams, nurturing their connection until they could be together once more. Their love transcended the boundaries of reality and imagination, proving that even in a world full of uncertainty and magic, the power of human connection can endure. As Alex and Elaris returned to reality, they found themselves forever changed by their experiences and love for one another. They continued to meet in their dreams, nurturing their connection until they could be together once more. In one dream, they encountered a mysterious figure who spoke of a hidden realm where magic was real and dreams were alive. ```scss "Do you remember the dreams we shared?" Elaris asked, her voice filled with hope. "Every moment," Alex replied, "I long to return to that world." Hand in hand, they ventured deeper into the realm of their dreams, discovering a hidden city where magical creatures roamed freely and time had no meaning. There, they met a wise old woman who revealed that their love was the key to unlocking the secrets of this enchanted place. "You must trust in your hearts," she told them, "for the magic within you is stronger than any force in this realm." With newfound courage, Alex and Elaris embraced their powers and set out on a quest to find the heart of the magical city. Along the way, they encountered fantastic beings and faced challenges that tested their love and resolve. But together, they overcame every obstacle, proving that even in a world full of uncertainty and magic, the power of human connection can endure. ``` Alex and Elaris continue to meet in their dreams, nurturing their connection until they can be together once more. Their love transcends the boundaries of reality and imagination, proving that even in a world full of uncertainty and magic, the power of human connection can endure. ``` In the magical realm, Alex and Elaris continued their exploration, discovering enchanted forests and floating islands. They marveled at the sight of talking animals and plants with human-like faces, each more incredible than the last. Their bond grew stronger as they shared stories and laughter, their hearts racing in unison. Elaris, eager to show Alex her favorite place, led him to a hidden waterfall that cascaded from a crystal-blue sky. As they stood beneath the falling waters, Elaris whispered something in her ancient tongue, and the water shimmered with a thousand colors. Alex felt a sudden chill and heard a faint whisper in his ear: "Remember, Alex, you were brought here for a reason." Suddenly, a figure appeared before them, cloaked in shadows. The figure introduced itself as Alex's mentor, who had been guiding him from the shadows all along. She revealed that Elaris was only one of countless magical creatures living in human imagination, and Alex's journey was to help guide her back to reality while rediscovering the magic within his own heart. With a final embrace, Alex and Elaris were pulled back into reality. They emerged with a newfound understanding of the power of human connection and the limitless boundaries of imagination. Though separated by worlds, their love transcended all barriers, proving that even in the face of uncertainty, the magic of human connection could endure. In the realm of dreams, Alex and Elaris found solace in each other's presence. They explored every nook and cranny of the magical world, their hearts growing fonder with each passing moment. As they wandered through enchanted forests and climbed majestic mountains, their love blossomed like the flowers that surrounded them. One day, as they rested by a shimmering lake, Alex noticed something peculiar. The reflection of Elaris in the water seemed to ripple and change, revealing glimpses of another world beyond the realm's border. As they approached the boundary, Alex's mentor materialized before them, her eyes filled with wisdom and purpose. She revealed that their meeting was not a coincidence; it was part of a greater plan, orchestrated by the very imagination of humans who believed in the magic of love. With newfound understanding, they were pulled back into reality, but not without leaving pieces of their hearts behind in the magical realm. In their waking lives, Alex and Elaris continued to meet in their dreams, nurturing their connection until they could be together once more. Their love transcended the boundaries of reality and imagination, proving that even in a world full of uncertainty and magic, the power of human connection can endure. Alex and Elaris found themselves in an extraordinary world, filled with magical creatures and enchanting realms. As they explored this newfound reality, their bond deepened, and the feeling of love blossomed between them. They faced numerous challenges together, each one strengthening their connection. The romantic tension between them was palpable, yet they both hesitated to express their true feelings. One evening, while sitting on a hill overlooking a breathtaking sunset, Alex finally found the courage to speak his heart. "Elaris," he began hesitantly, "I know we're in a world of magic and wonder, but I can't help but feel that our love is real, beyond this realm." To his surprise, Elaris smiled and confessed her own feelings. "Alex, I've been thinking the same thing. Our connection transcends the boundaries of this enchanting place, and it has shown me the true essence of who you are." As they gazed into each other's eyes, their love became more profound than either could have imagined. They knew that returning to reality would bring new challenges, but they were determined to keep their love alive, no matter what. In their dreams, they continued to meet and nurture their connection until they could be together once more. Their love, a testament to the power of human connection, endured in a world full of uncertainty and magic. Alex and Elaris found themselves in a magical realm, filled with enchanting sights and wondrous beings. As they explored this new world, their connection deepened, and so did their feelings for one another. They were inseparable, sharing laughter and secrets under the starlit sky. One evening, as they sat by a roaring fire, Elaris told Alex about the ancient prophecy that spoke of two souls destined to be together, no matter the distance between them. "But what if we are not those souls?" Alex questioned, trying to dismiss the idea. "You're right," Elaris replied, her eyes sparkling with conviction. "We may not be the ones spoken about in that prophecy, but we can still make it come true. Our love is stronger than anything else, even magic." With a gentle touch, Alex traced her fingers over Elaris's cheek, feeling the warmth of her skin under the cool night air. "I don't know if I can handle being apart from you again," she whispered. "Then we won't be," Elaris promised, pulling Alex into a tender embrace. And as they shared their first kiss, time seemed to stand still, and their love felt like a force that could break the bounds of reality itself. Their hearts raced with newfound passion, and they knew in that moment that their connection was more powerful than any magic. The prophecy had been fulfilled, and together, they would face whatever challenges lay ahead. Alex and Elaris stood in awe of the magical realm that surrounded them, their hearts pounding with excitement. The enchanting sights and wondrous beings captivated them as they wandered through the mystical forest, hand in hand. "Do you feel it?" Elaris whispered, her eyes sparkling with wonder. "Feel what?" Alex asked, not quite understanding the intensity of her emotions. "The magic... the power that connects us," she replied, her voice barely audible. Alex's brow furrowed in confusion, but he couldn't deny the strange sensation that seemed to be growing between them. "We are destined to be together, no matter the distance," Elaris continued, her voice filled with conviction. "Ancient prophecy?" Alex asked skeptically, still trying to grasp the concept of two souls meant for each other. Elaris nodded, a warm smile playing on her lips. "We must make it come true with our love." They shared a passionate kiss under the moonlit sky, their hearts racing as if they were about to take flight. The force of their connection seemed almost unreal, like they could bend reality to their will. With newfound determination, they faced the challenges that lay ahead, knowing that nothing could keep them apart. Together, they fulfilled the prophecy and embraced a love that transcended time and space. In the magical realm, Alex and Elaris marveled at the enchanting sights that surrounded them, their eyes widening with wonder as they took in the beauty of their new world. The air was thick with magic, and it seemed to pulse through every living thing, connecting all beings in a web of unseen force. "I can't believe we're here," Alex whispered, his voice barely audible above the hushed whispers of the wind through the trees. "It's like something out of a dream." Elaris smiled, her eyes sparkling with delight. "This is our home, and it is truly magical. I am so glad we can experience this together." As they continued to explore, their connection deepened. The air crackled with electricity as they touched hands, feeling the magic that flowed between them. It was an intoxicating sensation, one that left them both breathless and desperate for more. "Do you feel it?" Elaris asked, her voice trembling with anticipation. "The magic that connects us? It's like nothing I've ever felt before." Alex nodded, his heart pounding in his chest. "I feel it too. And it's not just the magic... it's you. I feel a connection to you that I can't explain." Under the moonlit sky, Alex and Elaris shared a passionate kiss, their lips meeting with a force that seemed to defy gravity. It was as if their souls were melding together, two halves of a single whole at last complete. The magic of their connection surged through them, making their hearts race and their bodies tremble with desire. Together, they faced the challenges that lay before them, their love for one another proving to be stronger than any force in the realm. As they journeyed, they began to understand the ancient prophecy that had brought them together - two souls destined to be together, no matter the distance between them. And so, hand in hand, they continued on, their love a beacon of hope and magic in a world filled with wonder and danger. And it was through their love that the prophecy would ultimately be fulfilled, proving that even in the face of the impossible, true love could conquer all. The sun dipped below the horizon, painting the sky with hues of pink and orange as Alex and Elaris stood hand in hand. The magic of this enchanting realm seemed to dance around them, and their hearts raced in anticipation of what lay ahead. "This is incredible," Alex whispered, awestruck by the sight of the magical creatures that inhabited the realm. "I can't believe we're really here." Elaris smiled, her eyes sparkling with wonder. "This world is like nothing I've ever seen before. It feels as if every step brings us closer to our destiny." As they continued their exploration, they stumbled upon a glowing bridge suspended in mid-air. The two stepped onto the bridge, feeling the magic beneath their feet, and knew that they were meant to be together, no matter what stood in their way. "I've never felt anything like this," Alex said, his voice filled with emotion as he looked into Elaris's eyes. "It's as if our souls are intertwined, connected by a force I can't even begin to understand." Elaris nodded, her heart swelling with love for him. "And we will face whatever challenges come our way, because together, we are unstoppable." Under the moonlit sky, they shared their first kiss, a passionate embrace that seemed to transcend time and space. The world around them faded away as the force of their connection seemed to shatter reality itself, leaving them breathless and filled with an indescribable sense of belonging. Hand in hand, they continued to face the challenges ahead, working together to fulfill the ancient prophecy that had brought them together in the first place. And through it all, they knew that their love was a force more powerful than any magic could ever hope to be. Alex and Elaris stood hand in hand, marveling at the magical realm that surrounded them. The air was filled with an ethereal glow, and every step they took seemed to resonate with the magic that coursed through their veins. Their connection had grown stronger with each moment spent in this enchanting place. As they continued exploring, they came across a group of mystical beings, their voices harmonious as they sang ancient songs. Alex and Elaris felt the melody reverberate within them, igniting a newfound understanding of the power that bound them together. "Elaris," whispered Alex, "I've been thinking. What if this prophecy we've been discussing... what if it's more than just a tale?" Elaris looked into his eyes, her own filled with wonder and curiosity. "Then what are we waiting for? Let's make it come true." Under the moonlit sky, their lips met in a passionate embrace. The world seemed to fade away as they shared this magical moment, the force of their love surpassing any magic that existed within the realm. They felt an unbreakable bond, stronger than any curse or prophecy could ever be. Together, they faced challenges and overcame obstacles, their love a beacon of hope in the face of adversity. And with each trial they conquered, the ancient prophecy seemed to take on a new meaning, as if it had been written for them all along. In time, Alex and Elaris became a symbol of hope for the magical creatures that inhabited the realm, their love story echoing throughout the ages. And so, in the end, they fulfilled the ancient prophecy, proving that true love can indeed transcend even the most powerful magic. In a world where magic and technology coexist, Alex found himself in a magical realm filled with enchanting sights and wondrous beings. He was accompanied by Elaris, a breathtaking creature who seemed to understand the very depths of his soul. As they explored this new world together, their connection grew stronger, and so did their feelings for one another. They came across an ancient prophecy that spoke of two souls destined to be together, no matter the distance between them. Determined to make it come true with their love, Alex and Elaris embraced the power of their connection. "Do you feel that?" Elaris asked, her voice filled with wonder as she reached out a hand to the swirling magic around them. "This is how we're connected." Alex hesitated before replying, "I can feel it, but I don't understand it. How can two people from such different worlds be destined for each other?" Elaris smiled gently, her eyes sparkling with the same enchantment that filled the air around them. "Love transcends all boundaries, Alex. Our hearts are not bound by our origins, but by the strength of our connection." Under the moonlit sky, they shared a passionate kiss, their lips meeting in a tender dance of emotion. As if by magic, their love seemed to radiate outward, filling the air around them with a force that could have broken the bounds of reality itself. Together, they faced challenges and overcame obstacles, their love growing stronger with each trial they conquered. In the end, they fulfilled the ancient prophecy, proving that even in a world filled with magic and technology, the power of true love could not be denied. The connection between Alex and Elaris transcended the boundaries of their worlds, and they lived out their days entwined in the warm embrace of destiny. As they stepped out of the portal, Alex and Elaris stood in awe of the magical realm before them. The vibrant colors and mesmerizing sights seemed to dance around them, as if the very air was infused with magic. They exchanged glances, their hearts pounding in unison. "This place is enchanting," Alex whispered, feeling a sense of wonder wash over him. "It's like nothing I've ever seen before." Elaris smiled, her eyes twinkling with delight. "Welcome to our world, Alex. It's a realm where magic and mystery intertwine." Their fingers brushed as they reached out to touch the shimmering foliage around them, leaving trails of sparkling dust in their wake. The air was alive with whispers of ancient tales and legends, and they could feel the echoes of forgotten histories. As they wandered deeper into the heart of the magical realm, their connection grew stronger, their feelings for each other becoming more apparent with every passing moment. In a quiet corner of the realm, they came across an old, wise tree with a face carved into its trunk. It spoke to them in hushed tones, telling of a prophecy that had been spoken long ago. "Two souls, separated by distance, shall be brought together through the power of love. Their connection will transcend the boundaries of time and space, fulfilling an ancient destiny." Alex and Elaris gazed into each other's eyes, knowing in their hearts that they were the two souls spoken of in the prophecy. Their first kiss was like a bolt of lightning, connecting them with a force that seemed to defy all laws of reality. In that moment, they knew their love was something truly magical. Together, they faced challenges and adversaries, their bond growing stronger with each trial they overcame. Through it all, they remained true to the prophecy, fulfilling their destiny and proving that even the most powerful magic pales in comparison to the strength of true love. As they wandered through the enchanting forest, Alex and Elaris marveled at the magical creatures that surrounded them. With every step, the bond between them grew stronger. "Do you feel it?" Elaris asked, her voice soft and full of wonder. "The magic connecting us?" Alex nodded, feeling a warm sensation coursing through their veins. "It's like nothing I've ever experienced before," they whispered. Together, they encountered mystical beings that challenged their understanding of reality. With each new encounter, their love for one another deepened, and the prophecy seemed more real than ever. "We must fulfill this destiny," Alex declared, determination in their eyes. "No matter what it takes." Elaris smiled, her heart swelling with pride. "Together, we can overcome anything," she agreed. As night fell, they found themselves under the moonlit sky, their love shining brightly like the stars above them. Their first kiss was electric, a force that seemed to defy the very laws of nature. They knew then that their love transcended any magic this realm could offer. Throughout their journey, they faced many challenges, each one testing their resolve and strengthening their bond. In the end, Alex and Elaris stood hand-in-hand, triumphant in fulfilling the ancient prophecy. Their love had not only brought them together but had also saved a world filled with magic and wonder. In the magical realm, Alex and Elaris stood in awe of the enchanting sights that surrounded them. The air was filled with a palpable magic that seemed to connect them on a deeper level. As they explored the wondrous being and landscapes, their feelings for one another grew stronger. They discovered an ancient prophecy that spoke of two souls destined to be together, no matter the distance between them. With the knowledge that their love could fulfill the prophecy, Alex and Elaris shared a passionate kiss under the moonlit sky. "This is unbelievable," Alex whispered, his voice filled with wonder. "It's like we're living in a dream." Elaris smiled softly, her eyes sparkling with happiness. "We are, my love. A dream come true," she replied. Together, they faced the challenges that lay ahead, their connection proving to be more powerful than any magic. United in heart and spirit, Alex and Elaris fulfilled the ancient prophecy, proving that their love could indeed overcome any obstacle. As Alex and Elaris stood in the heart of the magical realm, their eyes widened in awe at the enchanting sights before them. The air was thick with magic, and they could feel it pulsating through their veins. "This is incredible," Elaris whispered, her voice barely audible above the gentle hum of the wind. Alex nodded, unable to find words for the emotions that swelled within him. They wandered further into the realm, marveling at the wondrous beings that inhabited it - creatures of every shape and size, their colors vibrant and mesmerizing. "Do you think they can sense our magic too?" Elaris asked, her eyes locked on a group of shimmering, translucent beings that seemed to be laughing as they danced in the air. "It's possible," Alex replied, his voice tinged with wonder. "Our connection to this realm is so strong, it might be influencing everything around us." The two continued exploring, their hearts racing as they discovered new wonders at every turn. As the sun began to set, casting a golden glow over the magical landscape, Alex and Elaris found themselves standing side by side, gazing into each other's eyes. Their feelings for one another had grown stronger than ever, and the magic that bound them seemed to be reaching its peak. "Do you remember what the prophecy said?" Elaris asked, her voice low and hushed. Alex nodded, remembering every word: two souls destined to be together, no matter the distance between them. "We're going to make it come true," he vowed, pulling Elaris into a passionate kiss that seemed to light up the entire realm. Their connection was more powerful than any magic they had ever experienced, and as they stood under the moonlit sky, they knew they would face every challenge together, fulfilling the ancient prophecy with their unbreakable love. As they stood hand in hand, gazing upon the magical realm that stretched out before them, Alex and Elaris felt an unbreakable connection growing between them. Their eyes met, filled with wonder and awe, as they marveled at the enchanting sights and wondrous beings around them. Elaris's voice, soft but filled with emotion, whispered, "I never imagined a world like this could exist." Alex, equally spellbound, replied, "Neither did I. But here we are, bound by more than just fate." Their fingers intertwined tighter, as if to reinforce the bond they felt. As they ventured deeper into the realm, they encountered creatures of all shapes and sizes, each one more mesmerizing than the last. They shared stories and laughter, their hearts growing closer with every moment spent together. Through it all, a sense of destiny hung in the air, as if guiding them towards a purpose greater than themselves. In a quiet corner of the realm, beneath the soft glow of the moonlight, Alex and Elaris found themselves drawn to each other. Their lips met in a passionate kiss, as if their souls had finally found their home in one another. The world seemed to pause around them, the magic that connected them radiating through every fiber of their beings. Together, they faced the challenges that lay ahead, their love and determination guiding them through even the darkest moments. As they overcame each obstacle, their connection grew stronger, and the ancient prophecy began to unfold before their eyes. United by love and destiny, Alex and Elaris were on a path to fulfill the prophecy that had bound them from the very beginning. Alex and Elaris stood in awe, surrounded by the magical realm's enchanting sights and wondrous beings. "This place is incredible," Alex whispered, their eyes wide with wonder. Elaris smiled, taking Alex's hand as they continued exploring the mystical landscape together. "The prophecy speaks of two souls destined to be together, no matter the distance between them," Elaris shared, her voice filled with emotion. "And it seems that we have found each other at last." Alex's heart raced, feeling a powerful connection growing between them. They couldn't deny the pull they had towards one another, as if drawn by an invisible force. Under the moonlit sky, their first kiss felt like a force that could break the bounds of reality itself. "I can feel it," Alex gasped, pulling away slightly, their eyes meeting Elaris'. "What? The magic?" Elaris asked, her own breath coming in short, quick puffs. "No, the love…" Alex explained, searching for words. "It's stronger than any magic I've ever felt." Together, they faced challenges ahead, their bond only growing stronger with each trial they overcame. They knew their connection was more powerful than any magic, and that it would see them through to the end of their journey. United by love, they would fulfill the ancient prophecy and change the course of history forever. As Alex and Elaris stood in the magical realm, they couldn't help but feel the magic that connected them. Their hearts raced as they marveled at the enchanting sights around them, from the shimmering waterfalls to the glowing flora that seemed to dance in the wind. They couldn't help but share a glance, their eyes sparkling with wonder and excitement. "This place is truly mesmerizing," Elaris whispered, her voice tinged with awe. "I never imagined it could be so beautiful." Alex nodded, his own eyes drinking in the breathtaking landscape. "It's like nothing I've ever seen before. It feels as if we're in another world entirely." The two found themselves drawn together, their connection growing stronger with each passing moment. They shared a passionate kiss under the moonlit sky, the magic of the realm seeming to infuse their love with even more intensity. As they pulled apart, Alex looked into Elaris's eyes and said, "I can feel it... our souls are connected, like the magic that surrounds us." "And no matter what challenges we face," Elaris added, her voice filled with conviction, "nothing will ever tear us apart. We were meant to be together." Together, they faced the challenges of the magical realm, their love growing stronger with each obstacle overcome. And as they journeyed through the enchanting sights and wondrous beings, it became clear that their connection was more powerful than any magic. They were destined to fulfill the ancient prophecy, proving that their love was truly unbreakable. In the heart of the magical realm, Alex and Elaris stood side by side, taking in the enchanting sights that surrounded them. The air shimmered with a mystical energy that seemed to hum at their very souls. They exchanged glances, feeling an unbreakable bond between them, one that transcended time and space itself. Elaris looked up into the night sky, her eyes sparkling with wonder as she whispered, "This place is so beautiful, Alex." She turned to him, her voice a soft murmur in the wind, "Do you feel it? The magic that connects us?" Alex's heart raced at the thought of this newfound connection. He could feel the energy of the realm coursing through him, and he knew beyond a doubt that Elaris was the reason for it. With a tender smile, he replied, "I do, Elaris. It feels like we're part of something bigger than ourselves." As they continued to explore the realm, their connection grew stronger, fueled by the magic around them. They encountered fantastic creatures and breathtaking landscapes that seemed to have been plucked straight from a dream. The ancient prophecy that bound their destinies together began to unfold before their very eyes, as if it was always meant to be this way. Under the moonlit sky, Alex and Elaris shared their first passionate kiss. It was a moment of pure bliss, their souls intertwining in a way they had never experienced before. The magic that flowed between them seemed to ripple outward, casting a spell over the entire realm. They knew then that their love transcended the boundaries of this world and any others. Together, they faced challenges that tested their bond, but with each obstacle overcome, their connection grew stronger. As the prophecy neared its fulfillment, Alex and Elaris realized that their love was more powerful than any magic in existence. It was a force that would forever bind them together, no matter where their journey took them. As Alex and Elaris ventured deeper into the magical realm, they marveled at the enchanting sights that surrounded them. The trees whispered secrets, their leaves shimmering in hues of amethyst and jade. Exotic creatures darted through the underbrush, their iridescent scales glinting like precious gems in the soft moonlight. ``` "Do you feel it, Elaris?" Alex asked, his voice a whisper. "The connection between us, as if we're meant to be together." Elaris nodded, her eyes wide with wonder. "Yes, I can sense it too. It's like an ancient prophecy that's coming to life before our very eyes." Together, they continued on their journey, their hearts beating in unison as they navigated the labyrinthine forest. They encountered a wise old owl with a voice like velvet, who warned them of the challenges ahead and offered guidance. "Remember, Alex," the owl intoned, "love is not about distance or time; it's about the connection between two souls that transcends all boundaries." As they faced each challenge, their bond only grew stronger. They braved a raging river, their hands entwined as they helped one another across. They scaled treacherous cliffs, their breaths becoming one in the effort. Finally, beneath the moonlit sky, they shared a tender kiss that spoke of their unbreakable love. It was then that they knew they had fulfilled the ancient prophecy, and their hearts would forever be entwined. ``` Once upon a time, in a magical realm filled with enchanting sights and beings, Alex and Elaris found themselves exploring a wondrous land. They marveled at the vibrant colors of the flora, the mesmerizing songs of the fauna, and the breathtaking architecture that adorned every corner of the realm. As they journeyed deeper into the heart of the world, their love for each other grew stronger and more profound. Throughout their adventure, they came across various creatures and beings that seemed to guide them in their quest. Each meeting brought a new revelation about their connection, and the prophecy that bound them together. The ancient prophecy spoke of two souls destined to be together, regardless of distance, and it was up to Alex and Elaris to fulfill this prophecy. As they faced challenge after challenge, Alex and Elaris leaned on each other for support and guidance. Their love flourished as they overcame obstacles and discovered new aspects of the realm. One evening, under the moonlit sky, they shared a tender kiss that solidified their bond. From that moment on, they knew that nothing could separate them, not even the vastness of the magical realm they were exploring. Together, they fulfilled the ancient prophecy, proving that their love was truly meant to be. And so, Alex and Elaris continued their journey through the magical realm, hand in hand, ready for whatever adventures awaited them in the world beyond. As Alex and Elaris ventured deeper into the heart of the magical realm, they came across a breathtaking sight - a field of flowers that seemed to stretch on for miles, their petals shimmering with a soft glow. They stood in silence, awestruck by the beauty before them. "Elaris," Alex whispered, reaching out to take her hand, "I can't believe we're really here." Elaris smiled softly and squeezed his hand reassuringly. "We are, and it's truly magical." As they walked through the field, they encountered a wise old owl perched on a branch, its eyes twinkling with knowledge. Alex and Elaris listened intently as the owl spoke of an ancient prophecy, one that foretold of two souls destined to be together, no matter the distance between them. "But how can we fulfill this prophecy?" Alex asked, his voice filled with hope. Elaris glanced at him, her eyes shining with determination. "By facing every challenge together, and proving that our love is stronger than any force." As the sun began to set, painting the sky in hues of pink and orange, Alex and Elaris found themselves standing beneath a canopy of stars. They gazed up at the heavens, their hearts swelling with love for one another. In that moment, they shared a tender kiss under the moonlit sky, sealing their bond and strengthening their connection. "We will face whatever comes our way," Elaris whispered as they pulled apart, her breath catching in her throat. "Together." And so, hand in hand, Alex and Elaris continued their journey through the magical realm, ready to overcome any obstacle that stood between them and their destiny. Alex and Elaris stood in awe of the enchanting realm before them, filled with vibrant colors and ethereal beings. The air was thick with magic, and the scent of blooming flowers filled their noses. "I've never seen anything like this," Elaris whispered, her eyes wide as she took in the beauty around them. "It's truly mesmerizing." "It's like a dream come true," Alex replied, his heart racing with excitement. "This place is even more magical than I imagined." As they wandered through the realm, they came across a majestic tree with glowing leaves that seemed to sing as they fluttered in the wind. They approached and sat down beneath its shade. "Do you remember the prophecy?" Alex asked, referring to the ancient words that had brought them here. "Two souls destined to be together, regardless of distance." Elaris nodded, her eyes shining with determination. "We'll face any challenge together, and we'll fulfill that prophecy." Suddenly, a gentle breeze rustled the leaves above them, and a soft voice echoed through the air. "The time has come for you to join hands and complete the cycle." Alex and Elaris looked at each other, their hearts pounding. They reached out and clasped hands, feeling an electric current pass between them. As they did so, the realm around them began to change, the colors intensifying and the magical beings growing bolder. "We're doing it," Elaris whispered, tears of joy in her eyes. "We're fulfilling the prophecy." Under the moonlit sky, Alex and Elaris shared a passionate kiss, their love for each other stronger than any distance or challenge they could face. Together, they had found their destiny, and nothing would ever separate them again. As the sun dipped below the horizon, painting the sky with hues of orange and pink, Alex and Elaris found themselves in a magical realm unlike any they had ever seen before. They stood in awe of the enchanting sights that surrounded them - towering trees with leaves of silver and gold, flowers that shimmered like stars, and creatures that danced gracefully through the air. "Do you feel it?" Elaris whispered, her voice barely audible above the gentle rustling of leaves. Alex nodded, his heart racing in his chest. There was something special about this place, a sense of magic that seemed to permeate every inch of the realm. They couldn't help but feel as if they were meant to be here. As they wandered deeper into the mystical forest, they stumbled upon an ancient prophecy etched onto the bark of a massive tree. It spoke of two souls destined to be together, regardless of distance or time. Alex and Elaris exchanged a knowing glance, their hearts swelling with hope. They knew that the words were meant for them, and they vowed to fulfill the prophecy, no matter what challenges lay ahead. "We'll face any obstacle together," Alex promised, his voice filled with determination. "And we'll overcome them, just as this prophecy foretold." Elaris smiled and leaned into him, their hearts beating in unison. They shared a tender kiss beneath the moonlit sky, their love for each other growing stronger with each passing moment. As they continued their journey through the magical realm, they knew that they had found something truly special - a connection that would last a lifetime, no matter where their adventures took them.

[koorinohebi]

"Hmn... Mitsuhide's sword... is kind of intense..." To put it nicely. There were other words that she wanted to use, but out of a bit of respect for Jubei-- although now that I think about it.

"..." And recollections of Mitsuhide's actions and temperament flashes in her mind whenever Nobunaga is concerned.

She folds her arms, smiling to herself. "It actually does check out after all. It's like they're cut from the same steel."

[koorinohebi]

"..." Kiomi can't get a break from these Guda Guda events. She just wants to collect some tea leaves in piece, and Izo has the audacity to go collect tea leaves looking like THAT.

"I...I'm going home." YOU CAN'T GO HOME.

[jennifersminds]

Elejah MasterFic-List

Yall this got so long you’re welcome 🍒 – smut ☁️ - fluff

wanna say a HUGE thank you to every one of these authors for the fantastic fics you’ve written. If any of you see this and either don’t wanna be on it or would like me to tag you in this just let me know x 

plus if anyone has/knows a fic they'd like me to add to this feel free to comment :)

ALSO Update from like a few weeks later! I have been and will be adding to this as more fics get posted/ I find more :)

One shots

Elskede by blanketspace

Elskede; it means Beloved. Prompt: Someone isn't up on recent last century happenings so when they come across a Petrova doppelganger a few decades after all the Mystic Falls stuff has ended they grab Elena (who's still a vampire, because reasons) and bring her to the Mikaelsons hoping for a reward. Elijah is amused but angry. His siblings are way more than amused. And Elena's just pissed off. (LOVE LOVE LOVE this fic, come back to it atleast once a month. Peak characterisation imo) sorta 🍒

Step One by Tayleeb “I can help you, Elena. But you need to be certain you want my help.” // Post 4x21. Stefan called Elijah to compel Elena's humanity on. When it's no longer necessary, he offers to help her deal with the emotional fallout of turning her humanity back on. (SO hot omg, reread this an unhealthy amount)

distressing damsels by ribbons-blue Because of course rescuing Elena Gilbert from the clutches of a power-hungry vampire wouldn't be as simple a task as it first appeared. Elijah doesn't know why he ever thought otherwise. [Elijah x Elena] Season 2 (elena is so cute in this fic and elijahs reactions to her are hilarious)☁️

perception by ribbons-blue The night Elijah rescues Elena from his sister…and the many pairs of eyes that observe. [Elijah x Elena] Episode 3x14

The Sound of Rain by destinoscelgo 

In the midst of a storm, Elena's fear of bad weather gives Elena a sensory overload and she needs to distract herself from the hurricane. One Shot/Elejah 🍒

Silence Is A Virtue by Turtle_Goose

A small smile was playing about Elijah's face and there was mischief in his eyes. "I am perfectly capable of being silent," he said in a low voice. He moved fast, picking her up and depositing her on his large bed with the barest rustle of fabric. "Are you?" One Shot. Complete (I’ve read this a sinful amount of times)🍒

Mahogany by giraffelove92

"The wood of her kitchen table was a dark, finished wood, smooth under his hands; he guessed mahogany, a common enough wood nowadays. In the years of his youth and for centuries thereafter, he remembered, it had been a rarity: a fine wood from worlds away that only the noblest lords and ladies could afford to import." Elejah. Smut. 🍒

Code » by Readergirl37 

About the times Elijah and Elena used code.

of people and places » by the queen of slurking 

in which elena and enzo are stuck in the cell. or, how you come to rely on the one other person around you. AU after 5x10. (adore this fic, elena and enzo could have been a really fun friendship plus I’ll never not like seeing elena interact with the entire mikaelson family in a non-murder way, I also think this fic does a really good job at establishing elena’s place in the tragedy that was her teen life)

Nothing Better Than Blindness by TheCivilState 

Elijah has always been able to tell the dopplegangers apart

I’m banking on the fables, far better things we do by agirlwithacoin "I'm not human anymore", she couldn't stop herself from grieving the loss of her humanity when she's in front of him

It's Not Easy Having Yourself a Good Time by Rashaka 

What if this whole time Elena was never actually paying attention to events in Mystic Falls, just nodding and saying "uh-huh" while secretly thinking about marshmallows. Crack!Fic with the Originals (this is the funniest tvd fic I’ve ever read, oblivious-quasi valley girl elena is so fun and as an established dumb bitch I can relate)

Seriously? by Readergirl37 

A fic where Elena is done everybody's crap and is brutally honest. Crack fic Elijah/Elen

The Pomegranate by BumbleMumbbleJimJams 

They go to a fancy restaurant to catch up. Elena orders a pomegranate, Elijah orders wine. 🍒

Blood Atones for Betrayal by TallyKayda 

When Elijah finds out about the possibilty of Elena having been turned, he decides to return to Mystic Falls regardless of the consequences only to find the rumors true and Elena stronger than ever, if slightly angry. 🍒

The Fables of the better things we do by agirlwithacoin

 It seems like it might take years to clean everything out; the expulsion of her insides is a painful process, and she's not sure how long she languishes in shock and pain and bitterness, but the calendar feels like a liar-there ought to be a healing process, even if she itches to rip off the scab and be done with it.

Let me in by agirlwithacoin Later, much later, after his blood comes back under his control, Elijah will admit to himself, however uncharacteristic such an admittance is, that this was not at all how he had expected his night to go. 🍒

Come in by agirlwithacoin  

The entirety of their relationship can probably be summarized at least partially into the number of times that she's wondered if he was going to kiss her 🍒 (hawttttt omg I love this one so much)

Temper Management by Symbioticdeath

 He rarely asked for this. And later, in the darkest hours before morning, Elena would allow herself to wonder what made him want it this time. (sub-elijah is something I didn’t know I needed, plus established relationship elejah which I love) 🍒

what elena wants, elena gets  by Merkanzee Elena has always been better at being honest with what she wants and she wants Elijah. Elijah's not complaining. The girl has no idea how much he desires her. 🍒

Keen by giraffelove92 

"She glanced at the sword one last time, remembering its keen edge hewing through flesh and bone. Bile rose once again in her throat, and she shoved it down. The blade glimmered in the light, mocking her." Next to him, the sharp blade seems mild in comparison. Elejah. Smut. 🍒

Leave Out All the Rest by Cherazz After being daggered yet again, Elijah is trapped within his dreams, where he faces an incredible amount of not only torment, but pleasure as well. But what is real and what isn’t? And does he ever truly wake up at all? 🍒

Old Friends and Helpful Elevators by Terapsina “Thanks.” She flashes a polite but absent smile in the general direction of the person that waited for her as she joins them in the elevator, eyes still on her phone typing a message to Mandy to tell her she’ll be there in a minute. “My pleasure, Elena.” Answers the voice from her past. /or/ Years after their last meeting Elena and Elijah run into each other in an elevator which immediately breaks down.

kiss, taste, smile by Terapsina As her lips meet the line of Elijah's throat, she can't help remembering that it's not a new fancy she's indulging. She'd thought of this when she'd been human too. The collar of his shirt framing his throat, pulling Elena's eye, making the tips of her fingers itch to run over the expensive material and graze against skin.

throw your life away by Anonymous She's had him dead in her cellar for fifty-six years 🍒

Aurora by lit_chick08 Elijah only wants to be helpful kinda 🍒

It's Personal by @missnmikealson Blood Sharing is a personal thing. She never understood how personal until she journeyed to New Orleans. (I’d say a reread this too much but that'd be a lie because its amazing) 🍒

Call me Angel by @missnmikealson She forgot his new assistant, who happened to be a shameless flirt, had never met her. Instead of correcting the woman she goes along with it. 🍒

Garden Party by @missnmikealson Elena and Elijah arrive late to a garden party together and everyone assumes that they have finally gotten together. ☁️🍒

When She Drinks by MayContainBees He closed his eyes and couldn’t believe this was his life. (this fic does bash Hayley which I disagree with because I love her and contrary to this fic rec post I do like haylijah but the elejah moments are so cute and the writings great)

you swallowed everything by magisterequitum He'd dreamed of her once when he was shut away in a coffin that smelled of oak and linen. Disappointment in her eyes and he wants to leave a ring of bruises along her collarbone. Purple kisses to mar her skin and give her something else to look at him for.

we're painted red by magisterequitum "You just can't stay away," she says and wipes the blood from her dinner from wet slick lips.

and miles yet to go by magisterequitum mystic falls burns. they drive.

One Letter at a Time by Terapsina Elijah intervenes and rescues Elena from the hands of Stefan and Damon after 4x21. He finds a new way of dealing with her that has unexpected results. ☁️

as they lay dying by youngerdrgrey s3!AU. There are consequences to killing Klaus that they don't predict, like Damon dying, or Stefan going off the deep end, or Elena taking off on the first train out of Mystic Falls. But she's not alone. Our favorite Original is right next to her. E/E

and you were singing me by magisterequitum she finds another way; she finds again her best weapon. (S4 AU where Elena finds someone else to help her with the sire bond; warnings for consent issues that go with the sire bond, and character death) (any fic that delves into the consent issues of the sire bond and just tvd in general >>>)

Ash by readergirl37 Elena thinks Jeremy is dead, Damon turned off her emotions and no one's home. Someone stops her from burning it all down. Rated M for mentioned past sexual assault. (similar too above – amazing fic, Damon bashing excellence)

Orkney by Albion19 Elijah offers to help Elena change her nightmares into dreams. A nostalgic look back at the past and more ensues. Post 3x12. Elejah

we shall always be by magisterquitum

the lockwood's host their annual masquerade dance, and both of them deserve the night off. 🍒

Valkyrja by sybioticdeath

“Looks like it’s a Gilbert thing.”

Elena tried her hardest to resist the urge to murder her brother. She’d read somewhere it was called The Cain Instinct, though according to Urban Dictionary it was more the urge to hit your sibling. She loved Jeremy, but there were times when she wanted to choke him till he turned blue.

I’m not your daydream by me lmao

“Can’t you hear its heartbeat?” she can feel it, sometimes louder than her own.

“I can hear yours.”

or

Elena aborts a miracle baby and Elijah pays for breakfast.

Multi-chapter

Complete

The Golden Arrow by Toriblue Never let it be said that Elijah is predictable. The last thing she ever expected was a formal goodbye...especially one that included words like 'always and forever'. 🍒 (I am absolutely obsessed with everything Toriblue wrote for elejah, they’re characterisation of both characters is so good and the way she writes their negation-esque banter is so perfect)

Paid in Full by Toriblue Elena Gilbert is much more interesting as a vampire. Before being turned, she was on the path to sweater sets & PTA meetings. Rebekah did her a favor when she forced her to a watery grave. Not that Elijah would ever appreciate that observation. - Kol/Elena, Elijah/Elena 🍒

Light Years Apart » by AuroraSpace 

Elijah's thoughts were not completely on his conversation with Davina in Sinners and Saints. And how a certain witch decides that Elijah deserves everything he yearns for. 🍒

Lost by @missnmikealson She has no words to describe the freedom of abandoned humanity. All she knows is she’s never going back to the way things used to be. No sir… never. Never, ever ever. Never! (you’re going to see missnmikaelson on here a lot and that’s because they’ve literally wrote so much and its all amazing – also this fic is everything no humanity elena is a national treasure and the elejah dynamic in this is 👌🏻)

Unobtainable by @missnmikealson Everyone has the first words their soulmate will say to them somewhere on their body. Elena had always thought hers were strange. After all what else was there besides human?

Liaison by Albion19 Prophetic dreams of destruction and hope overshadow Mystic Falls. It all starts with Elijah turning up on Elena's doorstep with an unpleasant request. Elejah. AU.

Dream to Feel by Albion19 After the kiss Elena has a slow dawning revelation about Elijah. Set after 4x18. Elejah.

Desert Rain » by Slayer2003

"It would be rude of me to refuse that which is offered freely." A darker take on Elijah and Elena post 4x18. Now complete. 🍒

impulse » by ribbons-blue 

The foundation of their relationship was built on a precipice, wavering between intimacy and the fear of pursuing it /Or, Five times Elijah wished to kiss Elena, and the one time he finally does. [Elijah x Elena]

(okay these are technically one shots but they’re a series so I’m putting them here)

actions speak louder than words by Merkanzee Elijah and Elena's reunion after he left four years ago. They are above words and their bond is almost instinctual, but sometimes, it's nice to hear the truth out loud

what's best for you, what's best for me?  by Merkanzee A prequel of sorts to "actions speak louder than words". Elijah's POV. His journey from guilt to peace, from denying him of his love to not being able to let go. Can be a standalone, but makes more sense read with the first one as there are references.

don't leave me behind by Merkanzee

The third part of my Elejah series. Follows "actions speak louder than words" and "what's best for you, what's best for me?" Elejah and Stefan/Elena/Damon friendship. Can be a standalone, but makes more sense read with the others.

and so we go circles by Merkanzee

The next part of my Elejah series. Can be a standalone, but it makes more sense if read after the others. Elijah and Elena come full circle after Elijah learns what he wants to do is sometimes what he should do. Elijah finally grants himself some peace.

(end first series)

this is not the path I wanted us to take by Merkanzee 

Elijah, post 3x22. Elijah facing the knowledge that both his brother and the woman he loves are dead. Even the most stoic of men have something valueable to lose.

time has brought your heart to me by Merkanzee

A follow up to "this is not the path I wanted us to take", but can be read separately. Elijah is there to help Elena transition into her new life, knowing that his purpose will eventually come to an end. Elena isn't so sure.

you are my family by Merkanzee

you can't abandon family. klaus just wants her to understand what that means. it's not convenient and easy and you can't be indecisive when it comes those you love. he is not damon or stefan. he is elijah and she doesn't need time to decide on what to do. follow up to "time has brought your heart to me".

(okay that’s that – great series, interesting dynamics)

Monster and the Martyr by Bitumz 

Their meeting had been spelled in stone a thousand years ago, destined to happen through a series of trials and tribulations that did nothing but create an unseverable bond between them though they had been created solely to tear them both apart. Elena/Elijah centric. Slight AU. (NOW COMPLETE!)

Who Are You? by @missnmikealson She had always wanted to go through the proper motions of an introduction, but she had never thought he would be the one asking her that question.

A Friend Like Me by @missnmikealson "Women can have casual relationships." "Women Yes, you... no... you're not the casual type... you're the girlfriend type." It's probably going to blow up in their faces. It will definitely end badly, but the middle would be awesome. A/H SMUT 🍒

Three Deep Breaths by @missnmikealson "I think I'd remember having a baby." Elena doesn't know what to think when the Original's find themselves in possession of her baby. A baby that has yet to be conceived. All she knows is that she loves this little one, but if she goes on to have her does that mean she is going to give up on the one vampire she actually considered a future with? 🍒

Making Amends series by WinterElle

Making Amends by Alternate Universe, Post Season 3, Episode 15. Life has settled again into a hopeful peace. Elena has worked hard for normalcy and the right to move on with her life. But before she does, she has to make peace with a betrayal that weighs on her conscience. Elejah.

Leaving One shot. After years of living together as a couple, tensions build for Elijah and Elena as he finds her wordlessly packing her things. Follow up to Making Amends.

Dying to Live The love between Elena and Elijah carried them through seven blissful years together. Now, everything has changed, unforeseen challenges around every corner of what has become a fresh life. Elejah

Only and Always Continuing story of Elena and Elijah following Dying to Live. AU Elejah

A Force of Nature 5th installment of AU Elejah that began with Making Amends. Unresolved issues and new challenges arise for the family Elena and Elijah have forged, even as it grows.

Point Blank Range In the AU created with Making Amends, Klaus and Milla work through the complications created by combining their lives. For Elena and Elijah, a dark specter looms.

In Good Conscience In the universe created with the first story in this series, Making Amends, the family find themselves facing a villain unlike anything they've ever faced. Damon finds himself the target of an unexpected enemy while the entire group plans for a wedding.

(End series)

realised i forgot this when i first made this list which is a tragedy!!! dating to married elejah in canonverse is a dream. and they’re literally so cute.

Family Business series by Turtle_Goose The only way the Originals can survive Esther's ritual is to drink from Elena. Luckily for them, Elena has a plan. The only hitch is that it gets a bit more sexual than any of them intended. (elena with all the originals, exclusive elejah after the first chapter but still super cute) 🍒

Better Than One by @missnmikealson Elena is not happy about her new home, she us unhappy with her forced engagement, but she vows to go through with it because it is the choice that has been made for her in this world where women have no voice of their own. That is until the princes return and she gets to know one of them; her heart which had grown as cold as the winter snow begins to melt.

Dream a New Dream by ElijahsElena When figure skater, Elena Gilbert, had her human life stripped away, she found herself forced to survive her father's lab, then something worse, until she found herself wanting to give up. Until something happened, and maybe, a certain Original can help her find a new dream to dream. Eventual 🍒 r*pe TW

In-progress

i have fault lines in my bones by buries @finnicks Elena's told herself she's content with her decision to die, but Elijah has other plans. This time, he's going to succeed in saving the doppelgänger. 2x19 au. (absolutely OBSESSED with this, amazing smut AND in depth charcter analysis, probably one of my favourite fics so far and has been recently updated:) 🍒

This fic is also a follow up to 2 oneshots i don’t have time to die by buries Elena's willing to do anything to earn Elijah's trust. AU on 2x19 when Elena pulls the dagger out.🍒

time is eternity by buries Elijah's lips remain curved upward. "I’ve considered your proposal from the other day," he says. He keeps his hands on the bed, the only casual part of his posture. "And I don’t accept." Heart pounding fearfully in her chest, her brows furrow as she stares at him blankly. "You don’t accept what?" "Your apology," he says. His gaze drops to her bare legs before he peers up at her again, his lips in a serious line. "I don’t accept your apology for daggering me. It was cruel and it ruined one of my favourite suits." Arching her brow, Elena looks at him in amusement. "You’re kidding." "I’m not." — Elijah visits Elena late at night to punish her for daggering him. 🍒

A Year to Eternity? by @missnmikealson Original vampires, malicious witches, lost supernaturals, missing memories and ancient curses… it’s just another year in the life for Elena Gilbert. Never mind the fact that she was supposed to be done with Originals and malicious witches and all the rest. She could have been done, but being done required saying no and saying no was not an option. There was too much to lose. Picking up in 5x12 of the Originals.

The Elixer That Renews by Toriblue

"She's so tempting with her soft cheeks and liquid eyes. His brother will defile every inch - nothing left but soft cheeks and liquid eyes."

(THIS FIC!! this fucking fic. unfortunatly unfinished but AMAZING! I said before this author really captures elejah’s banter and thats especially done in this fic, its so hot and i absolutely love elenas relationship with the mikaelson family.)🍒

Strong, Ageless, Fearless by  @missnmikealson Sequel to Three Deep Breaths Klaus is thrilled when Caroline agrees to give him a chance. Elijah is less than thrilled when a witch lures his brother to NOLA a few days before his daughters birthday. Title might change. This story will follow the first season of the Originals as it would follow after the birth of Miranda. More characters will probably be added later as I go along. 🍒

Begin Again by ElijahsElena Her life with the vampires was nothing more than a misfiring of brain cells while in a coma... Or was it? What if she had truly lived that life, then died, and was brought back? What if she had been given a chance to change things? Just how different would her life be? 🍒

boom, boom, boom of your heart by  @alllwritenow Elena Gilbert, successful author, has a menacing individual stalking her every move and delivering cryptic threats via bloodstained notes. Tired of living her life in fear, she hires Elijah Mikaelson, professional security expert, to find and eliminate the threat.

blame it on the stardust by  @alllwritenow A doppelganger is more than a sacrifice, more than the echo of a spell, more than a copy of a copy of a copy of a person. Elena is more than a pretty face and a kind heart. They all were. They always will be. (Elijah actually hasn’t shown up in this fic yet but its so amazing I just had to put it here, Salvatore antis and Elena apologists gather for the best tvd rewrite character study fic ever, plus it really delves into the lore of the doppelgangers in a way the show wasn’t smart enough too)

We Remain by AnonymousObsesser “I missed you,” he murmured. She opened her mouth to return his sentiment, expression already shifting into that perfect Katherine attitude, but her throat closed around the words. She couldn’t close the door fast enough. 

Deal  by Readergirl37 Elena Gilbert makes a deal with an ancient god of death. She hadn't expected him to be so nice. Mythology AU Elejah. Fix it fic.

plastic crown by noimkillingboys (me<3)

She leaves Rebekah with a note and an instruction, Rebekah hands her the keys to a car. A large sleek black thing that isn’t hers to give. She’s unconcerned. He won’t mind.

Later - on the floor of her new apartment, she’ll wonder what the point was.

~~

Elena runs away to vegas after getting her humanity back. Existential crisis insue.

what did you bury? by noimkillingboys (still me)

She wants to, in a way. Wants to bury herself in the ground, deep in the woods he’d once walked her through and wait for him to dig her out. He would.

She can picture it, jacket discarded, dirt under his nails- the desperation he quietly saves for her.

tagging people that commented on my post about making this - @make-things-make-sense @paperlessbook

[sheyearns]

I was thinking of making a Fate verse for Lacie and in this verse she’d born with Mystic Eyes. I was thinking along the lines of Eyes of Death Perception but considering these are very rare and are high rank, I don’t want to make her too OP. Hence, I’ll create my own - eyes based on twisted reality and since they are hard to control, they are called eyes of Ill Omen - so her status as a Child of Ill Omen doesn’t change. I’m just giving a different meaning to it - once they are activated, it’ll turn the nightmares into cracked visions of reality and in the past this has led to many catastrophic events. 

[koorinohebi]

a joint effort (by which I mean I just provided the images) by me and @hasmataharidoneanythingwrong

[welllpthisishappening]

Three Strikes [you're out]

It was his fault, really.

Wearing that jersey at Citi Field practically required Nina to hate the mass of muscle sitting in front of her on sight. Plus, he didn't know how to score a baseball game. So, honestly, it made sense. To hate him. Ardently, even. To push buttons, metaphorical or otherwise. A game within the game.

And, if, she found herself having fun, well, that was neither here nor there.

———

Rating: T, with sports and kissing because of who I am as a person Word Count: 9.1 K, also because of who I am as a person AN: I don’t know, guys. I got thoughts. I got feelings. The only way I know how deal with either of those things is to write about them with sports and kissing. Did I suggest that being a Mets fan was a bit like being Grisha? Perhaps! Perhaps, I did! If this is out of character just...don’t tell me.

Also on Ao3 if that’s how you roll

———

The suggestion that an idea was capable of boiling a person’s blood, even in the most abstract and metaphorical sense, had always appealed to Nina. Not in a particularly violent way, of course. More in regards to the visual. 

Conjured up all sorts of possibilities. 

Little bubbles beneath her skin, searing emotion through her veins that inevitably led to tufts of smoke pouring out of her ears. Like one of those old cartoon characters, she could now only dimly remember. In moments like this, especially. When she wasn’t quite boiling, but certainly racing toward the vast and admittedly surprising precipice of abject hatred. Directed almost solely toward the mass of muscle who dared to wear a Chase Utley jersey to Citi Field on a Thursday in May. 

He needed a haircut, she thought. 

The muscle. Not Chase Utley. She couldn’t possibly care less about the state of Chase Utley’s hair. Unless he was choking on it, somewhere. Obviously. Then Nina cared very much. About Chase Utley. And this guy. With too-long strands that she was starting to believe fell almost artfully across the back of a vaguely golden-skinned neck, as if they existed solely to torment her. 

On a Thursday in May. 

Sitting there, with a seat digging into the middle of her spine and her frustration threatening the enamel on the back of her teeth, Nina was loath to admit, even to herself, that she couldn’t stop staring at him. Partially because of the hair. Which looked very—pushable, really. As far as her finger’s potential went. But mostly because of everything else. Watching the muscle was a bit like watching a statue at the Met, waiting with bated breath for it to actually surge to life because when she was that same kid who watched cartoons on weekend mornings, she rather strongly believed that the statues at the Met were wholly capable of smiling and turning and living. Artwork prone to the mystical and potentially magical.

She blamed Ben Stiller for that, honestly. 

Amy Adams to a slightly lesser degree. 

Robin Williams would suffer no criticism in this argument, naturally. 

The muscle shifted. 

Twitched just a hint in his seat. Altered the angle of his, frankly, impressively wide shoulders. Rolled his neck between them. The seat was too small. He was too big. That jersey must have been ancient. 

And, really, when it came down to it, Nina hated him most for the pencil. Tucked behind his right ear, it looked comically small whenever he pulled it between his fingers, scratching across a legitimate scorebook because in the thirty-seven minutes or so she’d spent observing this fascinating specimen of humanity, she’d noticed it was, in fact, a scorebook. 

Not a piece of paper.

Not a printout. 

Not even the one she was only vaguely confident they handed out in the rotunda downstairs. 

An actual scorebook. 

That he brought with him to Citi Field. 

She glanced down to make sure she had not actually burst into literal flames in section 205. Row F. Seat 27. No such luck. Weird. 

The pencil was back in his hand. One leg crossed the other, leaving his knee propped in the air, and there was just so much of the muscle that it was a rather small miracle of an exceptionally narrow field of science that it didn’t collide with anyone around him. Instead, it provided a built-in desk, that stupid scorebook propped up against jean-covered skin and even more muscles, pushing against fabric like they were personally offended by the concept of the blue-colored prison. 

Nina bit her lip. 

Tried to keep breathing. Because fires required oxygen, and there could be no boiling without fire and—

“‘Scuse me, ‘scuse me, ‘scuse me, just trying to—” Blood flooded Nina’s mouth, making it impossible for her to open that same mouth and let out the laugh already pushing against her lips. There were at least four little wrinkles pinched across the small expanse of Jesper’s nose, two boxes of popcorn clutched in either one of his hands and a soda between the slight bend of his elbow. He tiptoed his way around disgruntled fans, glaring at a few red jerseys for good measure. As if he actually wanted to be there. Nina kept biting her lip. “Just trying to get back to my seat,” Jesper finished, “won’t bother you again, rest of the game, absolutely, one-hundred percent guaranteed.”

Nina’s lips tilted up. 

Scrambling to her feet, she couldn’t quite balance on the edge of the seat that immediately swung back up. Something sticky stuck to the bottom of her shoe and eventually, she would find herself wondering why she didn’t simply move into Jesper’s seat. For a myriad of reasons, she assumed. 

Some of which might have mystical and potentially. 

Goddamn, Ben Stiller. 

“Accommodating sort of group, isn’t it?” Jesper mumbled, pushing past her and Nina had to applaud his dexterity. Not a kernel lost in the battle. 

“Should have waited ‘til the middle of the inning. This is just bad form on your part.” “And miss all—” He waved an imperious hand toward the field. “What am I missing, exactly?”

Opening her mouth, Nina was certain she’d come up with a reasonable explanation for the romantic nature of baseball, only she was a little busy. Keeping her head connected to the rest of her body. 

Snapping to the left, her breath caught. In that dramatic sort of way that always seemed like the perfect soundtrack to any great sporting moment. Eyes wide and fingers digging into her palm, hope mixed with the bubbles and the boils, and she barely noticed the awkward angle of her bent knees. Or just how close she was to—

Him. 

The muscle. 

She heard his pencil drop, she swore. 

Oh, Gods, but he had blue eyes. Sharp and staring right at her, Nina resisted the very real urge to let herself melt right there. In section 205. Row F. Seat 27. Well, in front of seat 27, technically. 

Pulling her knee back did not do that same knee any favors, muscles almost audibly objecting to the force of Nina’s split-second reaction, but then she forgot about the pain and the concept of depth perception. The yell tore itself out of her lungs, found its way to the rest of the noise circling the stadium, wrapping its way around people until the hope of that one, singular moment settled on the tips of her eyelashes and the backs of her heels and she wasn’t sure if she heard him at first. 

No one should be capable of possessing a voice quite so gruff, that’s why.

“Not going to make it.”

Glaring at the monstrous mass of muscle and questionably good hair wasn’t so much as a decision as something far closer to instinct, pulling her brows together and letting her tongue push at the bottom of her teeth, and he—

Looked. Right at her. And her tongue. 

Shoulders tensing, a hint of nervous energy appeared in those same ridiculously blue eyes, gone almost before Nina had a chance to realize it was there at all and she didn’t see the play. Heard it, though. The groans and the grunts, complete despair, and the first shreds of desolation drowning out the hope and pulling it from a grip that was always a little tenuous. 

No home run. No hit. Just a run-of-the-mill fly ball in center field. 

One side of the muscle’s mouth tugged up. 

“Told you.” “Oh, fuck off.”

Surprise, she thought, was a very good look on him. Most of them would be, she imagined. But right then, on a Thursday in May, with two outs in the bottom of the fourth, Nina relished the surprise. 

And sat back down. 

To be a Mets fan, was to believe in the impossible. 

The amazing, even. 

It was right there in the slogans. The advertising campaigns. On a variety of shirts, both legitimate and those sold at the bottom of the 7-train stairs. To accept the amazing, to wish for it, even, was part and parcel of the history of an organization that relished its underdog status. Thrived in its role, the second team in a city that toed the line between excess and restraint. 

Winning with this team was unexpected and unpredictable. Came without much pomp. Certainly no circumstance. Only a few trades that drew national eyes and back page headlines. More often than not, this was a team that discovered amazing when it simply should not exist. 

Misfits who created something wonderful. Who sparked something among people who, at least for nine innings, believed orange was a worthwhile color to wear. Who smiled at a mascot with a massive baseball for a head. And his wife, who sported some rather impressive eyelashes, actually. 

To be a Mets fan, was to understand heartache. 

To accept being the butt of jokes across decades. 

Every year, the knowing smiles came. Paying goddamn Bobby Bonilla. Cracks about pyramid schemes and owners who couldn’t find their way out of a money-based paper bag, team antics that occasionally drew those headlines, and players who fell in wayward ditches on their farms, ending their season before it ever really began. 

Winning didn’t come often, but it was loud when it did. The crack of a bat and a ball finding the back of a glove, shoulders slamming into the left-field wall with its massive M&Ms ad. Feedback from a microphone as David Wright thanked the Seven Line Army, in all their orange-clad glory, memories of that near-perfect October and what could have been imprinting themselves across a generation. 

To be a Mets fan, was to live and die with each pitch. Each hit. To hold your breath and wait for magic that lingered beneath skin and forced its way into bloodstreams. 

To be a Mets fan, was to hate anyone wearing a Chase Utley jersey. 

“Stew, stew, stewing, a rather hearty beef stew.” Nina narrowed her eyes. “What are you talking about?” “You are stewing,” Jesper said pointedly, as if it was an obvious affliction and they both hadn’t casually descended into madness caused by extra innings. Putting a runner on second was supposed to help avoid all of this. Runs were meant to be scored in extra innings. Nothing had happened yet. “Any more and that little divot between your eyebrows is never going to disappear. Then what will we do?” Answering would only acknowledge that the divot was more like a rather obvious ravine now, and the little half-moon circles left by her nails were going to be permanently etched into Nina’s palm. 

He was still keeping score. 

How he hadn’t run out of columns in his scorebook was beyond her, but Nina figured if the muscle was someone willing to purchase a scorebook, he probably made sure it was one that also included, like, fifteen innings on each page. 

If they made it to the fifteenth inning, she would cry. 

It would be embarrassing. 

Jesper probably wouldn’t come back for the rest of the series. If she cried, that was. And she needed him to come back for the rest of the series. Sitting anywhere else wasn’t all that appealing, even if it might have been warmer up there now. 

She wrapped her arms around herself. Better to stew with, that way. 

“Do games normally last this long?”

Nina shook her head. 

Jesper groaned. Loudly, complete with his head thrown back for extra emphasis and even clearer frustration and she didn’t think she imagined the way the muscle tensed. Staring at him was becoming something of a pastime in the middle of a more acceptable one. Light didn’t quite reflect from the hair she was starting to become just a hint obsessed with, but it certainly appeared determined to try, and his ability to hold so much tension in the region directly surrounding his jaw would have been impressive in any other circumstance. 

As it was, Nina was a little concerned about the state of the muscle’s back molars. 

It was why she didn’t react as quickly as she should have. Or so she would argue for the rest of time. 

Once she got the popcorn off her feet. 

A waterfall of butter-coasted kernels landed on her shoes, a few bouncing as she did, thrust out of her seat like a canon. Whatever bit of her heart that existed solely to document the ebbs and flows of the New York Mets success flew into her throat, where it immediately took up residence directly in the middle. Wide eyes immediately started to water, which brought her straight back to the entirely metaphorical cliff of her potential embarrassment and the muscle was leaning forward. 

With his own brand of emotion. 

No obvious tension, just that steady sort of hope born among the din of baseball-type sounds and, even more importantly, baseball-type feelings and Nina was mumbling. 

“Turn ‘em, turn ‘em, turn ‘em, two, two, two, two, get the—” Suggesting she screamed made it seem as if she weren’t in complete control of her faculties. And despite the potential of extra innings insanity, Nina was just as lucid as ever and just as capable of throwing her hands in the air, while also screaming. 

Undeniably so. 

As soon as the ball jumped over the outstretched glove at short, Francisco Lindor’s lanky and overpaid body stretched out across the infield grass. Curses flowed from Nina’s mouth, some of them sharp enough to make even Jesper choke on whatever bits of oxygen he was able to gulp down, and she didn’t stop. Kept screaming and shouting, increasingly mobile hands and dexterous shoulders, miming her own throw home because whoever was playing left field was not moving quickly enough for her. 

He didn’t make the throw. 

Not in time, at least. 

Dirt flew into the air as a leg stretched over home plate and the umpire’s arms were nearly as impressive as Nina’s. Marking the runner safe and giving the Phillies their first and only lead of the night. 

Frustration mingled with out-of-place despair, far too early in the series and the season to be feeling quite as desolate as Nina suddenly was and, really, she wasn’t sure why she looked. Something about magnets, or simple curiosity, but her eyes drifted and her head tilted and she felt her jaw drop as his stupid, little pencil scratched out E6 in his scorebook. 

“What the hell, man?”

He didn’t turn. Figured. Screaming was becoming her base setting, so Nina wasn’t entirely surprised that the muscle didn’t acknowledge it, but then she was moving and leaning and tapping on a shoulder that somehow seemed sturdier when she had kneed it several innings earlier. 

“That’s not an error.” Moving in slow motion only made sense if the man was, in fact, a piece of marble. Strands of hair stuck to his forehead, acting as little paths toward his eyes and they were still blue. Good, that was good. Bad, that was bad. 

Jesper wasn’t even trying to contain his laughter. 

“Excuse me?” “Not an error,” Nina repeated, careful to pause between each word for emphasis. The muscle didn’t flinch. Stared at her incredulously, though. “Did you not see that hop?” “I saw your multi-million dollar man throw his arm out without much regard to actually making a routine play. Is that what you’re talking about?” “How is that possibly an error?” He lifted a shoulder. She was boiling over. “Should have made the play.” “It was impossible!" “C’mon now,” he chuckled, and the good fought with the bad. A symphony of contradictions blaring between Nina’s ears. Neither of which were steaming, it seemed. “Nothing is impossible in baseball.” “That was!” “Might need to come up with a better argument.” “Home scorer is not going to give Francisco an error on that. He had to dive!” “Maybe he should have been in better position, to begin with.” “The shift was on.” “Well, the shift is ruining baseball, so—” Nina gagged. Let her tongue push between rows of teeth that she couldn’t believe were going to survive the rest of the night if the acid churning in her esophagus was any indication. He looked. Again. Whatever heat lapping at the base of her spine was only marginally distracting. “A baseball purist cannot possibly wear the jersey you are wearing.” “I wasn’t aware of the rules, but, please, go on.” “Fuck. Off.” “Getting less and less creative.” His eyes hadn’t moved. As if he was documenting each twitch of her lips for his own personal posterity. Nina found she didn’t mind the idea as much as she should. 

Jesper was going to crack a rib. 

“Chase Utley is an asshole who doesn’t know how to slide.” “Ok.” “An asshole!” “I heard you the first time,” he said, losing the war with his lips. Curled up, they cut across the serious mask his face had become in the world’s least serious conversation. It was nice that Jesper ended up crying before Nina, honestly. “And he wasn’t a Phil when he hurt your guy, so I don’t think that should count at all.” Nina did not know what noise she made. Wasn’t human. Hurt a little. “Did you just call him a Phil?” “Guys,” Jesper mumbled, but she couldn’t be bothered with something as menial as the bottom of the inning when the muscle in front of her kept doing that thing with his eyes and his hair and—

Reaching out, she managed to bypass his rather impressive reaction time, grabbing the pencil before he could stop her and the crack of it between her fingers was as loud as any grand slam this slightly ugly ballpark had ever witnessed. 

Not that Nina would ever admit she thought Citi Field was slightly to moderately ugly. 

It was the color scheme. Way too much green involved. 

She gave herself exactly seven seconds to relish the look of pure amazement on the muscle’s face. 

“Use a pen,” Nina sneered, “at least stand by your scoring convictions.” “Chase Utley is going to be in the Hall of Fame.” “As a Phil?” “World Series champion.”

His ability to emphasize words with meaningful pauses was far better than Nina’s. “It wasn’t an error.” “You’re paying that guy more than anyone in the world deserves to get paid, if he’s going to lay out for a liner, then he should be able to make the play, don’t you think?” Nina bit her lip. Boiled. Stewed. 

Ah, damn. 

Her silence was an answer in the middle of a sea made up of equally disheartened fans. Who all suddenly remembered how terrible they looked in orange. Always worse after a loss. 

The muscle nodded. Once. Exhaled. Through his nose. As if he’d won, and not just his team, and Nina didn’t offer to replace his pencil. 

On a Friday night in May, Nina genuinely believed that he wouldn’t come back. Hoped for it, even. And something else almost akin to the exact opposite. 

Both were very strange feelings to feel contained in one human, body. Draped, even as it was, in blue and orange and New York City’s less famous pinstripes. With PIAZZA splashed across her back, Nina felt as if she were obligated to sit a little straighter. As if slumping in her seat — by herself tonight because Genya was not at all interested in sitting in the stands and Zoya would have laughed at the suggestion, and Jesper had to get back to the Crow Club — would somehow tarnish the reputation of a name that didn’t belong to her. 

Didn’t it, though? Just a little. Wasn’t that how sports worked? Throwing yourself into the camaraderie with both feet and occasionally flailing arms, willing to sit in an uncomfortable seat that she’d have to mention to Nikolai at some point because these were starting to feel a bit like torture devices masquerading as plastic, and a piece of paper floated onto her lap. 

He’d folded the piece of paper. 

The muscle. Not Nikolai. Who was sitting in the owner’s box, in fact. Nina assumed those seats weren’t rising up in revolt against him. 

The muscle wasn’t wearing a jersey this time. A cup of what smelled like over-brewed coffee, though, was held tightly in his left hand, while the right clutched his scorebook as if it were made of gold. Nina’s tongue swiped her teeth. 

He watched. 

Documented. 

Kept track. 

“What the hell is this?” “Is that your favorite curse, you think?” “Why are you throwing paper airplanes at me?” Lifting shoulders appeared to be his default form of response. “Felt just quirky enough not to be overtly threatening.” “Because of the guns generally associated with fighter planes?” “What do you know about fighter planes?” Rolling her whole head did not get her a smile. Or even a hint of such a thing. It did get him a few grumblings of frustration from those whose view he was blocking. Because there was so goddamn much of him. Imposing, that was the word for it. Taking up space and settling into the seat with a near amazing amount of grace, practically folding in on himself, like he was made of smooth lines and crisp edges, capable of soaring through air in a way that belied that flimsy nature of paper airplanes, and there was that word again. 

“Always liked the ones that had painted teeth on them,” Nina said, somehow fully prepared for the huff of laughter that fell out of him. He pulled a pen out of his jacket pocket. 

To hand to her. 

“You would.” “What is that supposed to mean, exactly?” “It means,” he said, nodding at the pen when she kept gaping at it, “that in my limited experience with you, Ms. Met—”

“Thought we covered lack of creativity last night.” He ignored her. Eventually, it might be a good idea to learn his name. Where that might also be the worst idea in the history of the world. Maybe Nikolai could track him down. Like through ticket sales, or something. That seemed like a breach of power, though. 

“You do have a rather impressive set of teeth on you, yourself.” “Oh, that’s an insult.” “Should unfold the paper airplane.” Most of her wanted to crumple up the piece of the paper, toss it back in his face and then possibly stab him with his own pen. But Nina also didn’t know the muscle’s name, and cold-blooded murder on a Friday night in May required a certain sense of personalization that they hadn’t quite reached yet. So, there was no crumpling. Her fingers didn’t shake. Her heartbeat held steady in her chest. 

Unfolding the paper with his eyes on her, Nina did hold her breath. For eight straight seconds, approximately. Until it all rushed out of her, entirely amazed and perpetually annoyed because the paper airplane left creases between the boxes of what was very clearly her own personal scoresheet. 

With provided pen.

“This is a trick.” “That not being a question gives me pause,” he said, but it sounded like an admission. One tinged with regret. Presumably for Chase Utley’s tendency to be a complete and utter asshole. Prone to injuring Mets’ middle infielders. 

“Is it not?” He shook his head. And the pen in his hand. “Get to stand by the convictions of your scoring actions.” “Errors occur only on routine plays.” “Yuh-huh.” “You’re here by yourself.” “Also not a question.”

“Or an answer,” Nina pointed out.

“Where’d your friend go?” “What do you put in your coffee?” “Nothing,” he answered, “seriously, where’s the friend?” Something lingered on the edge of the question. Something Nina didn’t want to notice, but couldn’t possibly ignore. Not when it came with concave shoulders, curling toward her like they were preparing themselves to block wind and glares in equal measure. The second of which was really a more pressing problem at the moment.

“Had to work.” “As a stand-up comedian?” “Hardy har har,” Nina grumbled. Leaning back against the force of his ensuing smile was as natural as wearing a Mike Piazza jersey and searching for the prize at the bottom of a Cracker Jack box. What she was less prepared for was the ability of that same smile to twist its way between her ribs, lighting another new and imaginary fire and if her mouth dried just a bit, then that was neither here nor there.

Between her and the baseball gods, fickle as they were. 

“You don’t put anything in your coffee?” He shook his head. “Sugar makes me nauseous.” “God, what a depressing way to live life.” “Eh, there are things that make up for it.” “Chase Utley?” “I think you might be obsessed,” he said, dropping into his seat so as to avoid being pelted with cheese fries from Shake Shack. The guy three seats away looked real serious. “Going to write him a letter asking for a game of catch?” “You’re making pop culture references.” “Not a question, either.” “No, a stunned statement of fact.” She wanted that laugh on loop. Wanted it to play as the soundtrack for the rest of the night and the rest of the series and quite possibly the rest of her life, lingering softly in the background of everything she did for the rest of forever. 

Matching in perfect rhythm to the predisposed nature of her blood to boil. 

“Where are all your friends, then?” Nina asked, almost desperate to change the direction of the conversation and her internal dialogue. The blue evolved. Right there in his eyes. Darkened until it looked like the sky before a storm and that was ten-thousand times worse than any other drivel she’d come up with so far. 

Licking her lips was idiotic. Naturally, that’s what she did. 

“Not here,” he replied, “but I know the hitting coach.” Strictly speaking, that should not have been quite as awe-inducing as it was. Nina hadn’t paid for her tickets, after all. Had no intention of paying for tickets ever again, if she was being honest. So, really, seeing how caution swept the muscle’s face was kind of a dick move. 

On her part, specifically. 

“Should I be impressed?” Shoulder lift, right on cue. “I knew him in college. Was, uh—” “—Wait, did you play baseball?” Color didn’t rise on his cheeks. Not in any romantic way. Nothing about it was swepping, which was good because the Phillies had won the night before, meaning any sweeping would also guarantee Mets losses. It arrived in splotches. Bits of pink and nearly-red, tiny pinpricks of unregulated emotion that immediately affected the ability of Nina’s pulse to stay even. 

She grinned. 

Wide and honest, ignoring the strands of hair that fell in her eyes when she let her head fall. 

He didn’t look away. 

She’d think that was important, later. 

“You contain multitudes, Muscle.” “Insulting,” he grumbled. “Quite possibly the tallest man I’ve ever encountered in the flesh.” “That can’t possibly be true.” “You don’t look like a baseball player.” Back to the correct shade of blue. Just for a moment. Disappearing in the haze of a 90 mile per hour fastball. Right up the middle. But Nina had always been fairly good at tracking pitches, and she might not have been a former baseball player, but picking out the slider amongst a never-ending stream of heaters was like her personal superpower. 

“So I’ve heard.” “From scouts?” “Sometimes, yeah.”

“Of the professional variety?” “Every now and then.”

Letting out a low whistle, Nina’s spine relaxed. Tension that had taken root between her shoulder blades loosened, watching the face in front of her and the mask it was so obviously clinging to. Kept slipping, though. While staring directly at her. 

It was, she would argue, why she did what she did. Without mumbling. 

“You wanna sit?” “With you?” “Rude. You threw paper at me.” “It was a well-constructed airplane,” the muscle argued, “so you could also score the game. This was a nice thing I was doing.” “Past tense.” “Am doing,” he corrected. “Currently.”

“That mean you're going to sit?”

She counted. Seconds. Moments. Breaths. Dug her teeth into her lower lip. Against the side of her tongue. He nodded. 

And climbed over the seat. 

So, that was only going to marginally mess with her brain. 

“Alright then,” Nina said, doing her best to flatten her paper against the bend of her knee, “tell me everything about your baseball tale of woe.”

He didn’t. 

At least not at first. 

It took until the fourth inning for them to begrudgingly agree that mowing patterns in the outfield was an abstract art form that did not often get the credit it deserved, before deciding, in no uncertain terms, that the NL East boasted some of the better uniform options in all baseball, even if that was mostly because of the Marlins and—

His hand moved to his shoulder. 

The right one. More than once. Gently massaged the muscle there, a slight grimace that Nina only noticed because she was sitting squarely in the middle of objectification and she didn’t even know his name. Yet, she reminded herself. 

They’d get there. 

They didn’t. Not in that game, anyway. 

A Saturday afternoon in May didn’t present the same sort of chill that required scalding hot coffee with absolutely nothing else in it, but Nina was playing with hope and resting on her not-so-cautious expectations. Seeing how wide his eyes could get was extra. 

Sugar on top, if you will. 

They got very wide. Frozen, even. Stuck halfway down the row, still no jersey, just his dropped jaw and slumped, possibly injured shoulders, ignoring the jabs from nearby season ticket holders who were starting to believe this mountain of muscle existed solely to block their sight lines. 

Nina figured that’s what it was, at least. 

He smiled. 

That smile. Her smile. When she’d begun to claim it, she couldn’t begin to pinpoint, but it might have been six and two-thirds innings into last night’s game when his left arm had bumped her right, just enough warmth wafting off him to be noticeable. To leave goosebumps in his awake, too. 

“There’s no sugar in it,” she promised, “so you don’t have to worry for the state of your stomach.” “I didn’t once think you were trying to poison me.” “High praise.” “Deservedly so.” She flushed. Ducked her eyes. Tried not to chew her tongue in half, or allow the burning-hot blood racing through every single one of her extremities to burst its way out of her skin. That would be off-putting. And traumatic. 

“Here,” he added, tugging another folded piece of paper out of his back pocket, “for you.” “Are you printing these off in the hotel?” “Should be a private investigator, Ms. Met.” “Did your coach make you stay in Queens, Muscle?” The hand that landed on her waist — to move her, just to move her — was warm and blistering and those were two very different words with a pair of very different meanings and even more jarring consequences, and he sat down next to her. 

Huh. 

Huh. 

“Been taking the train in from Grand Central.” “Ugh, he’s making you stay over there? There’s no good food in that part of the city.” “Quiet, though.” Sticking her tongue out when she gagged continued to be one of Nina’s less impressive traits. “I blew my shoulder out my junior year of college.”

One of Nina’s knees buckled. Only one. The right one, actually. She refused to believe that was a sign. From baseball gods, or otherwise. “Hitting?” “Throwing. Probably because of the hitting, but the blowing out actually happened on what was considered by most in the know to be a pretty routine throw from left field. Hurt like hell.” “Yeah, I bet.” “I don’t remember a ton of what happened right after. Might have yelled? Quite possibly blacked out. Definitely heard something snap, which admittedly terrified me, but then there were a bunch of people talking and walking me down the tunnel and more lights and tests. The phrase never the same again was thrown around with alarming regularity.”

Cold. Nina was cold. Freezing beneath a mid-afternoon sun, one of those May days that tease of summer yet to come. They smell like cotton candy and potential, of a distinct lack of responsibility and SPF 70. 

She had sensitive skin. 

“Were you by yourself?” Asking questions she somehow already knew the answer to was equal parts cruel and unusual, particularly when asking it of a man whose name never got to back pages. Or her ears, it seemed. She swallowed whatever was sitting in the back of her mouth. 

“Brum was there,” he said, but it sounded like an excuse. A practiced line that had started to reek of insincerity. “My—well, my parents had been gone for a while. Same old sob story you always hear, y’know? Kid loses everything, finds salvation in the dogma of sports, gets pretty good at it, and then—” “—Loses it all again?” Nina finished. She thought she did. Whoever was talking didn’t sound like Nina. Sounded like someone who had painstakingly refolded her paper airplane the night before. To keep on the nightstand next to her bed. 

“Some of it, yeah. They wanted me to stick around. Stay on staff. Coach. But that was—” He clicked his tongue. Distant eyes stared past that goddamn M&Ms ad, and Nina didn’t think. Wasn’t that how the best athletes were, though? All instinct and lightning-fast reaction times. Responding to a situation before the rest of us mere mortals could even begin to fathom the circumstance. 

He didn’t push her hand off his. 

The coffee was going to go cold. 

“Very maudlin way of approaching things.” She chuckled. Tried not to cry, for entirely new reasons. “Impressive vocabulary for a jock.” “Keep workshop'ing your insults, Ms. Met.”

“Brum, he just got hired by the Phillies, right?” She knew that answer too. “Is this the first game you’ve been to?” His eyes slid to hers. In that same slow motion as before, and that couldn’t possibly have been less than seventy-two hours ago, but life had a tendency to be weird like that and good like that and, well, you can’t predict baseball, Suzyn.  

“Why the Mets?” It wasn’t the question she expected. Felt far too big and more than a little terrifying, jumping into the deep end of the pool from the highest diving board. But that same pool was always crystal clear, the sort of blue they wrote songs about. Summertime and the living was easy. That sort of thing. 

“Because there’s something wonderful in a team that defies every bit of sports conjecture. That breathes in the chaos and spits out something that, every now and then, is absolutely beautiful. That lets me be bigger than myself for nine innings and a minimum of one-hundred and sixty-two games. That takes all my shortcomings and accepts them because one time this team claimed there was a raccoon fighting with a rat in the dugout tunnel. Because they don’t play The Imperial March during lineup announcements.” Something, something—she needed better sunscreen. 

So as to not get burned by the force of his sun-like smile. 

“I think a raccoon could probably take a rat, don’t you think?” “I don’t know,” Nina wavered, “I own a fair amount of Staten Island Pizza Rat merch.” His hand flipped. Fingers curled around hers and held on with an ease that settled her acid and cooled her blood, finally finding that middle ground between frigid and fission. 

“Explain the single seating.” “I had a friend here on Thursday.” “And he had to go back to work. Where does he work?” “Bar in Jersey.” Curiosity flashed in the blue, but then it was gone and Nina must have imagined it, looking for more common ground and mutual understanding. Her fingers looked minuscule between his. 

“If I told you that I know the new owner of the Mets,” Nina started, “because I went to college with his girlfriend, and he’s been listening to me talk about this team for the better part of a decade now, so he decided to spend some of his inherited millions to buy it, and now that same girlfriend is sitting up there perpetually confused why I like to be out here, do you think you’d hate me on principle?” One blink. Two. Head tilt. Jaw clench. His lips popped when they opened. 

“No.” “No?” “No,” he echoed, “Nikolai Lantsov shouldn’t have spent so much money on your shortstop’s contract.” “Wasn’t an error.” Both shoulders lifted.

“Nina Zenik,” she said, a tardy greeting that should have happened well before the hand holding. The hand holding continued. 

“Matthias Helvar.” “Did you bring a pen?” He pulled another one out of his jacket pocket. 

They disagreed on no less than half a dozen calls. Impressive, since they didn’t actually start paying attention to their separate score sheets and books until early in the third inning after Nina had barely cleared the cheese sauce off the corner of her page. 

Introducing themselves made it feel as if they’d crested another level in whatever the proper term for this not-quite relationship was. 

Jabs weren’t nearly as sharp, but elbows brushed and noses scrunched. Makeshift disdain blurred against subtle infatuation, sunshine in his hair and pressing against the barrier of Nina’s consistently reapplied sunscreen. They talked. Laughed. Shouted and screamed, standing at different times. Much to the chagrin of everyone around them. 

She didn’t bother asking about the Chase Utley jersey. Knew that it was as much a part of Matthias’s fandom as the Piazza jersey was to hers. Connecting him to something that was only partially his, because no matter how much this sport might be capable of sweeping over them, of bringing them along with the current, there was a riptide always threatening just below the surface. Capable of drowning and filling lungs, leaving them both taking on water and hastily constructed metaphors. 

Plus, they both hated the Yankees. So, they talked about that. 

Talked about places in the city they liked to go, Nina’s knowledge of hole-in-the-wall restaurants leaving his eyes as wide as she’d hoped they could be, tiny pools she was more than willing to dive into. With perfect form. 

Laughter became the new normal for the pair of them, chancing glances when they thought the other wasn’t looking. They always were. As if those magnets were real and forceful, leaving them both grinning like idiots whenever they were caught in the act. 

Once an inning, then. 

Matthias didn’t sing during the seventh-inning stretch, but Nina was loud enough for the pair of them. Especially when she was standing on her seat, a hand flat on the small of her back. 

“So you don’t fall,” Matthias explained, and the words immediately branded themselves on that corner of her brain where Nina kept good things. 

They shared a plastic helmet of swirl ice cream. With rainbow sprinkles. 

He called them jimmies. 

She made fun of him. 

And then—

It was over. 

No drama. No walk-off hits. No extra innings. Just a Mets win that didn’t require the bottom of the ninth. And she was happy with that, she was. Less so with the way her stomach dropped as soon as her knees bent and her chin lifted, barely tempered hope and the sort of want that did not require magnets to direct her gaze. 

Matthias loomed above her, casting shadows and the desire to finally push her fingers into his hair was nearly too much to ignore. Nina did. In favor of what came next because she knew what came next, and this was not that serious. Sitting on opposing lines of a flimsy at best baseball rivalry did not mean she couldn’t push up on her toes and catch the mouth of someone who no longer felt like a stranger. Until that same mouth inevitably opened and she got to do whatever she wanted with her tongue. 

Only—

One of the season tickets started grumbling, and the sea of fans pushed forward and the only way Nina stayed upright was because of the arm around her waist. Matthias’s nose ticked her skin along the back of her neck. 

“Told ya,” he mumbled, and if he saw the goosebumps, he didn’t mention them. 

That was nice. 

He was nice. 

She was—

A mess, at best. 

Mostly because there was no kissing. Almost like they were nervous of what would happen if they did. Of shattering this tremulous understanding and shaky alliance, but Matthias’s fingers squeezed Nina’s hip before he said, “See you tomorrow.”

She did not see him tomorrow. 

When tomorrow was tonight and now and Zoya and Genya kept doing circles around the room. 

Sunday Night Baseball on ESPN required a certain amount of protocol and it was the first broadcast with Nikolai in the owner’s box, which meant plenty of shots at the owner’s box, and Nina sat in her very plush, decidedly warm seat, with only minimal argument. 

There was champagne, so. That helped. 

Plus, she figured she’d— “Is it a guy?” Genya asked without preamble, propping her chin on her hand. “Is that why you don’t want to hang out?” Nina sighed. “You know me better than that.” “Sure, sure, sure, looked real cozy down there, though.” “Are you spying on me?” “Nah, Zoya was.” Frustration clawed at Nina’s consciousness. Surprise did not. This was par for the course and several other out-of-place sports cliches. 

Zoya finished her drink before adding, “I didn’t leave this suite all afternoon, yesterday, the security guards that Nikolai knows in that section though…” “That’s splitting hairs,” Nina argued. “And they were just doing their job,” Nikolai added, shouting in a way a multi-millionaire absolutely should not. Zoya rolled her eyes. 

“Whatever they were doing,” Nina said, “they didn’t need to be doing it. What if someone got robbed while they were watching me?” “You think people are getting robbed in broad daylight inside this stadium?” “Maybe!” “Were lots of Phillies fans here,” Genya pointed out. Laughter clung to her words, quiet snickers from the rest of the assorted peanut gallery. Before they noticed that Nina wasn’t lacking. Might have paled, if the matching expressions she was met with were any indication. “Oh,” Genya exhaled, “good looking Phillies fan, huh?” Nina grit her teeth. “He knows Brum.” “The bastard,” Nikolai sneered. 

“Most people don’t like him.” “Because he’s a bastard, yeah.” “How’d the Phillies fan know Brum?” Zoya asked, and it wasn’t like Nina wanted to tell them. Words poured out of her all the same, excitement carving its way into the conversation because even if she could rationalize the lack of kissing after a three-day conversation and occasional argument, none of her friends could understand how she didn’t get his number. 

Neither could she, quite frankly. 

“This is either disgustingly romantic,” Nikolai said, “or it’s exceedingly dumb. Of both of you.” Genya clicked her tongue. In agreement, Nina figured. “Second one, for sure. Do we have to go arrest him for something? Bring him up here, nervous and scared—” “Same sentiment,” Nina mumbled. “—Only for him to see you, awash in a sea of moonlight and outfield lights, and then you live happily ever after despite your baseball allegiances?” “He hates the Yankees too.” “Something, at least,” Zoya said, but it was missing the edge. The acid. The anger Nina had almost prepared herself for. “You going to go down there, or….”

Finishing the sentence was pointless when Nina was already standing, Nikolai’s laugh ringing in her ears as she did her best to push her finger straight through the elevator button. She bobbed on the balls of her feet, impatience skittering up her spine and there were too many buttons and too much laughter, but that was likely a good thing, and the security guards didn’t stop her. 

From running into the section. 

Only to find two sets of empty seats. His and hers. A weird, depressing, matching set. 

Nina waited. Stood at the top of the section stairs, waiting for a flash of familiar hair or those eyes that she probably hadn’t dreamed about the night before. Never came. The goosebumps did, for an entirely new and even more depressing reason. 

The security guard asked her to leave. Twenty-eight minutes after the last out. 

Matthias hadn’t been at the game. 

To be a Mets fan, was to wait. 

For wins. For David Wright’s body to heal. For that same rush that came in 2015, only this time, it also came up with a World Series championship attached to it. 

Nina wasn’t very good at waiting. 

Summer crept forward. As it was apt to do. Going back to the ballpark was second nature to Nina, but the Mets were on their West Coast swing, and spending a week and a half with Zoya and Genya touring the greater California coast wasn’t entirely appealing. So, she was in New Jersey. 

Leaning against the bar of the Crow Club, Nina watched the crowd. Most of them saturated with fruity alcohol, drinks that never came with those little umbrellas because the thought of such a thing would have set Kaz’s teeth on edge, but this was Atlantic City and that required a certain level of nonsense to be met consistently. 

Plus, Nina knew Inej liked those drinks. 

And that was that, for Kaz. As they say. 

Heads turned at tables while she watched, conversations that only occasionally acknowledged the baseball games on TVs hanging above them, others recounting beach exploits from that afternoon and plans for the rest of the evening, a steady din of noise and humanity that somehow made it easier for Nina to breathe. 

It smelled like salt when she did. 

“Looking awfully thoughtful,” Inej said, appearing out of nowhere to grin knowingly at Nina. “Give you a nickel for them.” “They’re not worth that much.” “What about one of those tokens from the casino down the boardwalk?” “Does Kaz know Jesper went to play there again?” “Absolutely.” “And?” “And what?” Inej parroted. “Who are you looking for, exactly?” “No one.” It was the wrong answer. A telling answer. An answer Nina didn’t realize she was capable of providing until the very moment those five letters in that specific order passed between lips in desperate need of ChapStick. And kissing. Gods, she couldn’t believe she hadn’t kissed him. 

“Our dear, darling Nina is pining,” Jesper explained. Drink in hand, the soft clink of casino tokens was as absurd as it was not, a mix of youth and age and responsibility and not. The perfect blend of summertime status. 

Nina took a sip of his drink before he could offer. She assumed he would offer. 

“For that,” Jesper hissed, “I’ll tell Inej the rest of the story.” He did. Spared no expense, really. Recounted scorebooks and shouting matches, although some dramatic license was taken at that point, drawing a small crowd that included a guy Nina had never met before, staring openly at Jesper like he’d hung the moon. She’d make fun of him for that. Maybe. After the story. Probably. 

Inej was a rapt audience, taking in details and occasionally letting her eyes flit toward Nina. Who never once disputed anything. There was nothing to dispute. The goddamn paper airplane was still sitting on her goddamn nightstand. 

“And you just never saw him again?” Inej asked. Nina shook her head. “That’s tragic. Not—maybe not grand scheme, world level, but tragic all the same.” “No kissing either,” Jesper added. 

Nina’s heart dropped. Shattered at her feet. Like one of those plates, you could shoot at in the arcade. “How do you know that?” “I didn’t, until right now. Simple assumption, though. Who could pine at your level if there’d been previous making out?” “Two different things,” Inej murmured. 

Jesper hummed in agreement. “And Nina wanted both. Fraternizing with the enemy.” “He hated the Yankees, too.” “So, what? The enemy of my enemy is my friend? My good-looking friend?” “He was good-looking, right?” That earned her another hum — and got Jesper a look of passing consternation from the guy at his side. Nina desperately needed to learn names in a more timely fashion. Determined to remedy at least one situation, she took a deep breath and immediately, very nearly died. 

It was very dramatic. 

Sweeping, even. 

Because the door opened and she knew the music didn’t stop and the Earth didn’t pause mid-rotation, but it felt like her center of balance had been inextricably altered and that wasn’t the bad thing it should have been when Matthias Helvar took his first step into the Crow Club. 

Not falling over really was a rather monumental miracle. 

If she decided to move, Nina did not remember it. Could not bother with something as menial as cognitive reasoning or the ability of the neurons in her brain to properly fire, not when she was twisting around tables and reminding herself of all the very important properties oxygen possessed. In regard to continued consciousness. 

He didn’t move. He waited. Watched. Documented her, it felt like. 

She wasn’t entirely opposed. 

Their shoes nearly brushed. 

“Huh,” Matthias breathed, slumping slightly to get into her eye line. Or just closer to her. The specifics didn’t matter. “I was right, then.” “I have no idea what you’re talking about.” “You said your friend worked at a bar in Jersey.” “This is a bar in Jersey.” “Yeah, we might be going in circles, actually.” “What are you doing here?” Nina was dimly aware of Jesper shouting something, but the buzz between her ears was far too loud and even the concept of pulling her gaze away from Matthias’s made her want to grit her teeth together until she ground them down completely. 

She licked her lips. 

He smiled. “After I got hurt,” Matthias explained, “I didn’t know what way was up. So, I went...up. Best as I could, really, up the Shore.” “Is that a joke?” “No, I thought your friend looked familiar. Was driving me nuts, honestly.” “How?” “Twenty questions, Ms. Met.” “Matthias!”

Her voice cracked. Her foot stomped. Air crackled and the world very likely did shift because the hands on Nina’s cheeks were warm and perfectly sized to pull her that much closer and she was legitimately proud of herself. For not stepping on his feet. He didn’t really give her the chance. 

Rocking against each other, there was a joke about tides and current to be made and Nina pushed them back, down or up, and direction didn’t matter and time didn’t matter. Sports allegiance was the least of her worries. Not when Matthias’s arm found her waist and there was something to be said for the stretch of his upper body. Capable, as it was, of lifting her up and he was ten-thousand times better at any tongue thing than she could have possibly imagined. 

Tracing her lips and twisting around her own, like he was taking a very personal and detailed inventory. One of his thumbs brushed against Nina’s cheeks, but she honestly couldn’t figure out which one. Everything was sensation and feeling, a bases-clearing double that kept the rally alive and the roar in the background wasn’t the crowd at Citi Field, but Inej perched on the edge of the bar and Jesper balanced on the rungs of a rickety stool, and they only broke apart to fall back together. 

Nina closed her eyes. 

Better to remember, that way. 

To let her breath catch whenever Matthias’s neck dipped again, the sort of angle that sonnets were written for, and epic romances documented. Right side up and cross dimensions and Nina’s eyelashes fluttered. Open, closed. Once, twice. 

He was still there. 

“You go down the Shore, everybody knows that,” Nina whispered, still somehow sounding like herself. Good, that was good. And only good, that time. 

“I think you’re getting paid by the disagreement.” “I liked shouting your name.” His eyes—

Sparkled, maybe. 

She didn’t even hate herself for thinking that. 

“Probably about as much as I enjoyed hearing it,” Matthias said, “and I’ve been here before. Spent that summer drinking at,” his head jerked toward the corner where Inej waved, “that corner. This was as far away from school and baseball and everything I thought was gone as I could find.” “Ah, the scorebook makes sense now.” “Does it just?” “You know baseball isn’t often predictable nor nearly that organized. That’s the appeal, so people claim.” “They do,” Matthias admitted, “but I—is that demon-looking guy still working here?” “Kaz owns this bar.” “Of course he does. You know everyone, don’t you Ms. Met?” “Impressive like that.” Humming wasn’t really her favorite of the audible, non-word responses, but Nina heard something different in that sound than she ever had before. Almost like hope and something worth waiting for, if only because the waiting found her first. 

She kissed the bottom of his chin. 

It was all she could reach. 

“I really wanted you to be here, Nina,” Matthias said, “and I’m sorry I wasn’t there Sunday. For that game, I—that wasn’t part of the plan, but...well, Brum had set up this whole interview with a college team in the middle of nowhere, thinking I’d be good with that and—” “You weren’t good with that?” His hair shook when his head did. “Not really, no.” “Did he kick you out of your hotel?”

“Smart too.” “Total package.” “Yeah,” Matthias said, a note of awe that made Nina’s skin prickle, “anyway, I’m pretty much in New York full-time now, but trying to find you there seemed impossible.” “So you figured you’d try a bar in the middle of Atlantic City?” “I leave a very strong impression,” Jesper yelled, practically jumping off the stool when Kaz glared. Inej’s smile was hypnotic. 

“Something like that,” Matthias agreed, “so this is the part where we actually give each other our phone numbers and then—” His arm tightened again, finding a bit of space that certainly hadn’t been there twelve seconds before. Just enough to make sure Nina heard him mumble I like you before he kissed her. Or she kissed him. 

Either or, really. 

They went to Yankee Stadium on Labor Day weekend. 

Nikolai pulled some strings to get them suite seats with complimentary well drinks and never-ending popcorn and both Matthias and Nina wore wholly out of place jerseys. Supporting neither of the teams on the field. Just each other, maybe. At least without much argument. They had better things to do, anyway. Fingers laced together, Nina shouted at the field and Matthias stared at anyone who dared glance in their direction and it was weird and wonderful and exactly what sports was supposed to be. 

Caring about something beyond reason, something bigger and better than any one person was alone. 

[sweetestlamb]

Touch My Heart Part 2

Summary: Baby come back, you can blame it all on me. Or how to get your man back using bath soaps. 

She has to cry silently, let her heart crack and splinter in silence because she doesn't want to explain her tears to Hong Yeon or Court Lady Choi. She should have expected nothing, should have known the King would want the one he truly fell in love with. But she'd still hoped, wished, dreamed selfishly that he would accept her and her feelings.

That he would beg and plead with her to stay, would declare that he loved her too. She knew that wasn't the case but still her useless heart had been holding out, only to be shredded apart when his eyes revealed how much he missed Jang Bong Hwan. It wasn't fair for either of them, she couldn't be a replacement and he would be forever longing. They would live eternally in limbo, that was no life worth living.

It was a fool's dream, she'd thrown away her chance when she jumped into the lake drowning both her desires and ambitions. She thought filling his shoes would be doable, some of his quirks and behaviors had left a lasting impact on her soul and they had many hobbies in common. But they weren't the same, maybe cut from a similar quilt but the patchwork was too intricate to be replicated.

So she cries, gasping sobs that rattle her bones and wreck her lungs; for the life she couldn't have and for the pain she knows the chef must be going through. If she was this heartbroken at the thought of being without the King, he must be crushed; soul and spirit pulverized to dusty remains.

Sleep comes to her painstakingly, her eyes so raw and red that even the act of closing them hurts and she twists and turns all night until the sandman pulls her under.

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"Hong Yeon-ah, you have been loyal to me since the day I was brought here." The young court maid looks at her with a puzzled smile at her sudden reminiscing, but nods as if she's used to her oddities by now, barely pausing her actions.

"Yes, you're highness. You are always most important to me. I will be loyal to you until the end. And when your child is born, I shall be loyal to them as well." Hong Yeon smiles sweetly at her whilst gently brushing her hair, putting fragrant powder on the roots as she twists her hair into braids.

"I will always cherish you."

"Your highness?" The court maid stops braiding her thick hair, peering into her eyes inquisitively through the mirror. "Why are you speaking as if you will not be here with me?"

She forces a content smile, having now accepted what she just do for herself, the King and most importantly Jang Bong Hwan, the one who saved them all.

"I might be going on a faraway trip, don't look for me. Just care for my baby and take care of the King." She can tell that the younger woman has many questions on her mind but mostly she seems...saudade; she understands more than she wants to and she's sad but she knows the Queen well enough to know why she must do this.

"I too, will always cherish you. I hope we meet again and I can be by your side once more, it was my greatest achievement."

She hugs the court maid, no her close friend probably one of her best friends. Remembering how eagerly she would follow her around, becoming her confidant and supporter as she found her footing in the palace.

"I hope I meet you in another life." She whispers into Hong Yeon's trembling head, embracing tighter because this is her last time.

The others are not as perceptive as Hong Yeon, but she does notice tears lingering in Court Lady Choi's eyes before she blinks them away.

"Thank you for always nagging me, it made me feel like I finally had a mother. I hope you can find your own happiness now." She knowingly looks over at the royal kitchen, making the older woman blush and turn away.

"Are you going to be okay?" She thinks about the question, and she smiles as she answers, "Yes. I'm going to be happy, I will make sure of it this time." She now knows that she has the power to do so, nothing can control her life besides her.

She sends for her father, hugging him tightly despite his apparent confusion. He's been all she's had for so long, it's her hardest goodbye of all. He will never know she's gone but she will mourn his loss until she takes her last breath.

"Father, I love you. I know everything you did was for my future, I know you made mistakes along the way but I couldn't have asked for a better father. In another life I want to be your daughter again." She cries into his shoulder, childishly gripping the bottom of his robe like she did when she was young and had a nightmare.

He looks at her with wet eyes and a huge grin, chuckling before rubbing her belly and showing her all the new gifts he's brought for his grandchild. She smiles and listens, soaking up all his love and warmth to keep her warm on those lonely days.

Later that night, she presses her palm to her stretched skin she's barely showing now only a minor bump under her clothes. But she can feel the life inside of her, her sweet baby.

"My baby, know that I loved you. That I would do anything to protect you. Please be good to them and have a happy life. I hope we too will meet in another life, you are blessed to have two mothers who adore you. Never want for anything." When she feels light taps at her belly, she grips her belly tighter.

She has no regrets, it's time.

The next day, she goes through her day as expected. Letting her servants serve her and enjoying the breeze from the lake, she takes in the majesty of her life and smiles at the sky.

When night falls, she stealthily rises from her bed donning only socks on her feet to make her steps undetectable, she's already said her goodbyes so there is nothing keeping her back now. Only her fears but she's stronger than she was before, there's no turning back now.

The lake glistens remarkably under the mystical glow of the moon, calling to her like a siren. The water sloshes as she steps into it, hissing at the cold that prickles at her skin before her body adjusts. She keeps walking until the water buoys her off her feet and licks at her collarbone, taking a deep gulp of the night air she plunges her head under the watery sheet. Water burns her lungs as she loses the ability to breathe, resisting her bodies urge to escape.

This time is different, this time she's here to live.

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He goes through the motions of life, but everything feels like a chore. He quits his job, deciding to open a a small restaurant with his savings. His restaurant instantly becomes a fan favorite because of his delicious flavors and affordable prices, he also takes to cooking at a soup kitchen on the weekends. There's a young girl whose innocent smile reminds him of Dam Hyang, he always gives her extra meat with a wink.

That's the only thing brings him joy these days, he had so desperately wanted to be back and now, now he was miserable.

What had he been missing so much? His body? His job? Technology? All of it meant nothing now, it couldn't fill the void in his heart. Nights are the hardest, sleep is elusive and his thoughts race thinking about them- how were they living without him? Was his Cheoljongie able to fall asleep? Did Court Lady Choi and the head chef make it official? Was Hong Yeon doing well? Did they even notice that he was no longer in the body of the Queen or was he already forgotten?

Did he mean anything to them or was he easily replaced by Soyong? Those thoughts haunt him daily and he starts drinking, blacking out every night in a stupor just trying to turn off his brain. But that does nothing to soothe the ache.

He tries to find comfort in others.

Finding willing partners is easy, women throw themselves at him but he's more thoughtful now, no longer seeing them as conquests. He remembers their names and cooks them breakfast in the morning, but he still feels hollow like all of his innards have been scrapped out with a jagged spoon.

So he sleeps with men, gets fucked hard into his bed stifling his moans into pillows trying to feel something, anything. But being taken does nothing, he's still empty even while stuffed full. Nothing compares to him, everyone else falls short and it makes him crazy; he has to move on. One night stand after one stand does nothing to abate the emptiness he feels.

Spending time with his mother brings him solace, she's older so he has to care for her but it's not a chore, he's happy to.

"You seem different these days." He hums as he bathes her, swiping a soapy loofah across her shoulders and wetting her short thin hair.

"How so?" He hasn't mentioned anything to her or anyone, there's no way anyone would believe his story. Sometimes he wonders if it was all a vivid dream that he created to deal with his coma but the proof is in the history book, the one he keeps on his bed side table. A reminder that it was real, that he's not crazy. It's both grounding and soul crushing.

"You're waiting for something." She answers mysteriously, eyes sliding shut as he tips her head back to wash out the shampoo.

He doesn't reply. He's not waiting for anything, there's nothing coming. This is his life now. He's just waiting for the end.

After putting his mother to sleep, he travels back home his body aching, tight from lifting another human. Mentally fatigued from suppressing his feelings all day.

He watches idly as the water fills up the tub, his fingers dancing across the surface before he stops the flow squirting a honey scented bubble bath until the water is foamy. He undresses dropping his clothes carelessly on the ground before dipping one toe into the bath, he groans at the welcoming heat letting the water envelop him fully.

The bubbles tickle his nose as he sits in the tub, his muscles slowly relaxing under the luscious heat. It feels nice. He should be content, he's able to take a warm bath in his lavish apartment that should be enough to raise his spirits.

Tears start pouring from his eyes, he hadn't let himself cry that day that feels like a lifetime ago. Had sucked up all his sadness and loneliness and pushed them in a corner of his mind, but now the corner is exploding and he can't control his emotions. All his walls are crumbling in his mind.

He sobs, choking on air and wiping at the moisture on his face but they are falling too quick for him to catch and he starts to hiccup.

"I'll never see them again. Hong Yeon, Court Lady Choi, head chef, Cheoljong, my baby! It's like I never existed, why did this happen to me? I never asked for any of this!" He screams at his ceiling, he's never been a religious person not wanting to put that much trust in an intangible being in the sky, but if there is some omnipresent being, he curses them for punishing him.

"Why me?" He pounds at the water, shouting when soap splashes back hitting him in the eye. Flailing and attempting to rub it out, he's unaware of how close he is to his shower caddy until his hand hits the metal contraption, causing the suction cup adhering it to the wall to lift and the caddy precariously dangles before loosening and crashing down. Pain explodes in his temple before he slides into the water, excess leaking over the edge and onto the floor. Soapy water fills his lungs until he loses consciousness, everything fading to darkness.

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"Jang Bong Hwan! Wake up! Open your eyes."

A familiar voice penetrates the foggy cloud in his brain, as he struggles to clear mind.

"Please! Wake up. This may be our only chance!"

The voice pleads with him, he feels wispy threads weaving around his mind and finally he starts to force his eyes open, willing his body to follow his commands.

Wake up. Wake up. WAKE UP!!

Bursting free of his prison, he jolts awake looking around wildly shocked to see himself submerged in water far deeper than his tub is capable of holding, everything feels familiar. Eerily so.

Then he glances in front of him and a face he's grown so used to seeing is peering back at him.

"Kim Soyong?" He barely whispers, certain he's having a ridiculously vivid dream.

"This isn't a dream. I've been waiting for you."

He stares at her in shock, in complete disbelief about the situation. What the fuck was going on??

"What the fuck is going on?" He voices his thought, watching as she smiles and swims closer to him.

"I'm bringing you back. I'm giving you back this body." She states confidently, taking his world and knocking it upside down.

"What are you talking about? Everything is back to the way it should be, the King loves you. History changed. Everything is as it should be." He squashes the desperate hope that blooms at her words, nothing was that simple. It simply wasn't their fate to be together.

"Is that how you truly feel? Is everything as it should be? Are you happy?"

Happy. That feeling is foreign to him now. But he has accepted his fate, he was able to help his King that was enough.

"I helped him. That's enough. I can't ask for anything more." He answers honestly, resolve melting as he thinks of his King and his smile.

"He loves you. I thought what I felt for him was love but I know the difference now, love is earned. You earned his love."

The tears start again, he looks at her lost. He doesn't know what to do.

"But you deserve to be happy too. I know everything you went through, I felt it too. I can't let you die because of me, I want you to live Soyong." He cries heart aching for the woman in front of him, she only ever did what she thought she had to. If someone had truly been there for her without any motives, this could have been different.

"I do deserve happiness too." She agrees and his heart jumps because this is it, he'll truly never see Cheoljong again.

"But I won't get it in this universe." Blinking through his tears he stares at her, a sad accepting smile on her face.

"I will always live in your shadows. That is not a true life, I want a fresh start. I deserve a live of my own without any regrets." She swims closer until they are face to face, nose barely grazing as she carresses his cheeks. It's clear what she intends to do, her lips moving closer until only millimeters separate them.

"Take care of him and our baby." She whispers before closing the gap, warm lips pressing against his and then he feels a sharp tug from the center of his stomach lurching him forward and then suddenly backwards.

He's only able to get out two words, "Thank you." Before he's plunged into darkness again.

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He swirls in a sea of nothing for what feels like eternity, locked somewhere he can't escape. He wanders and wanders trying to remember who he is and where he is? The darkness is unchanging and he feels smothered by it, running only to end up back at the same spot. But then he hears a sound, something soft and sweet. A voice, a voice he recognizes but he doesn't know how.

Who is that?

Where am I?

Those questions spin around and around in his head, vicious cycle that leaves him feeling no closer to the truth or the end.

Then he hears another voice, louder and deeper. It's pleading and pained, his heart aches for the agony he can feel and then he feels a sensation, a distant touch and suddenly a door opens in the darkness, light pours into the once desolate room and he rushes to the door, chasing the light. Needing to be closer to that voice and that touch.

His head is throbbing, opening his eyes feels like a splitting headache but he pushes through the pain desperate to see where is he. His eyes are burning but he forces his heavy lids up and sunlight floods his vision, making him wince and shut them once more.

"My Queen?"

It can't be. No. He's dreaming.

He feels a hand wrap around his own, completely cocooning it.

"My Queen! You're finally awake!" The King cries, relief emitting off his body as he clutches him to his chest. His hot tears landing on the thin material covering his shoulder.

Throat scratchy and aching he licks his lips before speaking, "Cheoljongie?"

Immediately the King freezes in his arms, it's so quiet he can hear the crickets outside chirping loudly. The King slowly leans back, his eyes darting all over his face with something that looks like nervous wonder.

"What did you call me?" He whispers, his eyes wide.

"Cheoljongie!" He screams suddenly throwing himself into his King's arms, which are loose at first but then they become rib straining tight but he doesn't care, he needs this hug more than he needs air.

The King breaks them apart grabbing his face ardently, "Is it really you? Jang Bong Hwan?" His name sounds foreign on his tongue and now it's his turn to be speechless.

"You kn-kn-know my name? You know who I am?" He stutters incredulously, feeling the tears streaming from his eyes but this time doing nothing to stop them.

"I know everything. I know you're a man from the future, you were telling the truth. You always told me the truth."

He feels steamrolled, pressed out and flattened by this discovery. He knew that and he was still here hugging him? It didn't make sense.

"How do you feel? About the truth?" It's not an easy question to ask but he needs to know the answer, there are in a different time now. Cheoljong hadn't said such when he had explained to him that sexuality was more fluid in the future, people were allowed to express themselves in many ways. There was no right or wrong way to love.

It was a nice sentiment, but this was a Joseon period. Everything was different here.

"I love you."

He's not expecting that answer and he stares with his mouth open, feeling himself being drawn into a tighter hug his small body slotting perfectly into Cheoljong's. It's unnerving and familiar being this much smaller than him again.

"I love you so much. I don't care what form you take, I'll love you every single time." He growls the last words, rumbling between their bodies.

He's never said these words out loud to anyone but his mother, but he knows that he means it. He's never wanted to say them to anyone before but now he can't wait, he's bursting with it.

"I love you too. Life was empty without you, I was walking in an endless desert. You are my oasis." They stare at each other passionately, the King's fingers warm on his cheeks as he clutches at his royal robes. They gravitate towards each other as their lips meet and the universe rights itself. He moans at the sensation of having his King's lips back on his, the kiss tethers into frantic in mere seconds. All of their longing and heartache colluding as they slam into each other.

Their tongue slide and twist around each other, he nibbles at the King's lip letting him lick at his open mouth gasping as a hand grips the nape of his neck.

He grabs the King's hair pulling him closer so he can plunge his tongue deeper, swallowing his hardy groans and letting some breathy moans escape from his bruised lips. It's going to take some getting used to, being so slight once more, whimpering as the King easily manhandles him pushing him back onto the bedding and bracketing him in his powerful arms.

The move knocks his head into the floor, momentarily dazing him as a soft "Oof," falls from his lips.

The King reacts immediately, drawing away with concern pouring from his face.

"I apologize my Que...en I was too eager, you've just woken from a vegetative state. Now is not the appropriate time for such.... activities. I will control myself." He notices the King's hesitation as he pauses while saying the title which has become something more for them.

"It's okay. You can still call me that it means too much to me now and I don't want you to be careful. I've spent all this time feeling alone and empty, trying to find other," now he hesitates and the King's eyes widen and then scowl in comprehension, "Means to feel alive. It was all futile, nothing compared to you."

The declaration does little to douse the jealousy he can feel surging off his King, he almost purrs in response. Excited. Electrified.

"I will make you forget about all others. My name is the only that will fall from these lips," Cheoljong rubs a large thumb across the his full bottom lip, seductively. "I missed you so much and I'll show you just how much."

"I spent so much time hoping to get back to my dragon, only to miss yours too much to enjoy my own. It's sad isn't it?" He pouts reaching out boldly to grab the King's thick cock peeking through his layers.

The King smirks, crawling over him before lifting up his dress easily and lowering his undergarments with a swift tug.

"My dragon missed you immensely, it's time to get reacquainted. " Cheoljong warns before slipping into his body without preamble, he shouts and tightens at the intrusion.

Every cell in his body feels alive and buzzing.

They get acquainted all night, into the wee hours of the morning hoarse shouts filling Daejajoen hall as all the court ladies blush and cover their faces bashfully. Hong Yeon smiles knowingly at Court Lady Choi, both with matching 'earmuffs' the Queen had gifted them long ago.

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"Mr. Jang, can you hear me? Mr. Jang?" She struggles to regain conscious as a light is shined into both of her eyes, blinking wildly she turns her head away trying to escape the bright glare.

"I apologize. I had to check your pupils. How are you feeling? You've been in a coma for three days. We were very worried since you had been comatose just a month prior. It's not good for the human brain to be in that state several times." She listens absently to the doctor(?) too fascinated by all the unfamiliar things surrounding her.

There's a strange machine beeping away next to her and something attached to her arm, her eyes bulge at her arm, it is larger thick with muscles she's never had before. She flexes and watches entranced as her arm gets even bigger.

"Mr.Jang, are you okay?" Finally she glances over at the feminine voice, clipped and professional but a tinge of genuine concern.

She's gorgeous, a round face and wide almond eyes that are scanning something in her hands, she has thick hair that is held up in a topknot with tendrils framing her face and her lips are succulent and rosy red, she feels blood rushing to her nether regions. When the doctor notices her staring she puts down the thing in her hands, to meet her gaze head on.

"Mr. Jang?" She finally realizes that's her name, Jang Bong Hwan.

"What's your name?" She feels compelled to ask as if this is the most important question she'll ever utter, something tugs in her stomach as they stare at each other.

"Dr. Won Beom."

She smiles.

Author's note: This will be my canon moving forward in my future untouchable updates, I'll also be incorporating a love story behind Director Hong and Kim Hwan because they are the sweetest beans and I feel like they can get great advice on their relationship from our King and Queen. 🥴😉 I was very selfish with this fix-it I don't want to let go of my Joseon family, so we're staying here instead. 

[koorinohebi]

"No, I don't think so. Maybe it's just the wind. Did we forget to close the windows today?" Normally, it does. Yes.

koorinohebi​:

“Some masters here lack common delicacy and manners.” Frankly, he’s offended about being doubted on his legitimacy as a decent father.

“Did you here something Kiomi? Cuz I didn’t.” If you ignore a problem it’ll go away, right?

[tabletoptrinketsbyjj]

Trinkets, 38: Interesting baubles, semi magical objects and items touched by mystery.

A worn mercenary banner consisting of one rusty old spearhead atop a long wooden shaft. Five feet down from the head there rests a cross-piece four feet long tied to the shaft. From that hangs flag itself; A field of scarlet with nine hanged men in black and six yellow daggers in the upper left and lower right quadrants, respectively, while the upper right quadrant features a shattered skull and the lower left boasts a bird of prey astride a severed head. Knowledgeable PC’s will recognize it as the Standard of the Black Company a free mercenary company who can trace their history back hundreds of years through their well-documented archives.

A corrupted magic charm made of the skull a human who died in terror and with regrets. The bone is wrapped with dried kelp and algae, and the skull’s forehead and dome is inscribed with strange sigils made from flower pigments. The entire bonecharm hums with power, creating a faint but distinctive ‘song’ that the spiritually perceptive can hear.

A scroll covered with depictions of constellations.

A shattered mask, once belonging to an ecclesiastic of the occult. Though broken this mask still retains a trace of its original purpose. It hums with faint whispers when worn. They demand an offering.

A one gallon cask of Brewer's Pudding, an alcoholic “drink” so thick that the bartender needs to cut it like a loaf of bread to serve it. Bartenders typically put it in a bowl with lager poured over top, which slowly changes the "drink's" consistency similar to that of pudding. More squalid taverns sometimes serve it between slices of bread as a sandwich.

A gnarled pipe smells strongly of cinnamon and fish, disturbing your digestion. Its bowl has constellations etched around it.

A small, ragged figure crafted from human bone and hair, posed as though shading its eyes to see a long distance.

A charm bracelet of silver chain with five shield-shaped charms. The shields have various religious icons for luck. It's covered in dried blood on it, suggesting the previous owner wasn't that lucky.

A shifting monochromatic geometric, glass prism.

An ironwood skeleton key inlaid with spiraling lines of silvery mithril, and etched with flowing Sylvan script that reads “May this world know some measure of my skill as I depart to the next.”

—Keep reading for 90 more trinkets.

—Note: The previous 10 items are repeated for easier rolling on a d100.

A worn mercenary banner consisting of one rusty old spearhead atop a long wooden shaft. Five feet down from the head there rests a cross-piece four feet long tied to the shaft. From that hangs flag itself; A field of scarlet with nine hanged men in black and six yellow daggers in the upper left and lower right quadrants, respectively, while the upper right quadrant features a shattered skull and the lower left boasts a bird of prey astride a severed head. Knowledgeable PC’s will recognize it as the Standard of the Black Company a free mercenary company who can trace their history back hundreds of years through their well-documented archives.

A corrupted magic charm made of the skull a human who died in terror and with regrets. The bone is wrapped with dried kelp and algae, and the skull’s forehead and dome is inscribed with strange sigils made from flower pigments. The entire bonecharm hums with power, creating a faint but distinctive ‘song’ that the spiritually perceptive can hear.

A scroll covered with depictions of constellations.

A shattered mask, once belonging to an ecclesiastic of the occult. Though broken this mask still retains a trace of its original purpose. It hums with faint whispers when worn. They demand an offering.

A one gallon cask of Brewer's Pudding, an alcoholic “drink” so thick that the bartender needs to cut it like a loaf of bread to serve it. Bartenders typically put it in a bowl with lager poured over top, which slowly changes the "drink's" consistency similar to that of pudding. More squalid taverns sometimes serve it between slices of bread as a sandwich.

A gnarled pipe smells strongly of cinnamon and fish, disturbing your digestion. Its bowl has constellations etched around it.

A small, ragged figure crafted from human bone and hair, posed as though shading its eyes to see a long distance.

A charm bracelet of silver chain with five shield-shaped charms. The shields have various religious icons for luck. It's covered in dried blood on it, suggesting the previous owner wasn't that lucky.

A shifting monochromatic geometric, glass prism.

An ironwood skeleton key inlaid with spiraling lines of silvery mithril, and etched with flowing Sylvan script that reads “May this world know some measure of my skill as I depart to the next.”

A smoking pipe made with a stem of gnarled wood and a deep bowl made of yellowed bone. The bowl has mystical lettering and runes carved into it.

A porcelain teapot inscribed with ancient symbols. A blue snake-like dragon coils around the pot, its body forming the handle and its mouth forming the spout.

A psaltery made from the darkest ebony wood. Its back is slightly curved with an indentation in the base so that it sits nicely on the player's lap. Inlayed in its face is a twisted branch covered in beautiful cherry blossoms. As the instrument is played the blossoms seem to fall away to reveal that the branch is not a branch at all but the bony hand of a skeleton.

An ornate lacquered box containing a set of spoons, thirteen in number. Each is topped with a tiny figure that represents one of the Immortal Heroes of an eastern cult that is thought to be extinct. In that cult, the spoons are considered a valuable prize that proves the courage and skill of its members. The set would be decently valuable to a collector or otherwise interested buyer.

An alabaster vase that has bas-relief figures of goddesses in skimpy clothing in provocative poses. Knowledgeable PC’s can identify the goddesses are in fact the handmaidens of the Martyr Prophet and even to depict them clothed is a right arrogated to the Prophet’s priesthood. The vase itself would be counted a blasphemy by the Prophet’s followers.

An oil lamp no larger than two cupped hands that’s both delicate and fearful. Unlike more common lamps of brass or even common earthenware, the lamp is forged of hair-thin and glittering black iron, cool to the touch. It bears a single looped handle, and is covered in finely rendered etchings of arabesques and stylized wings.  

A number of sealed oval tins containing fillets of true monkfish in brine. The fish’s bland pale flesh travels very well and is an imperishable as a saint’s, hence its name. The fillets are filling an nourishing and there are enough tins to equate to 2d4+1 days’ worth of trail rations.

A large, cracked, spiral horn of some great beast, bound in silver and caked in blood. When blown, hot winds and swirling sands erupt from the mouth. All who hear the horn’s call are urged to fight with the unrelenting fury of desert storm.

A cerulean-blue semi-solid stone that is nearly translucent, and shines with an internal blue light.

An onyx hair pin topped with a golden sphere accented by ivory flowers. It's covered in dust and the sphere is a bit oxidized, but with some proper cleaning it might be a suitable gift for the daughter of a noble.

A black-green beeswax candle decorated with carvings of birds. The wick seems to be made out of gold threads. It faintly smells of ash and seawater.

A constantly-shifting jigsaw puzzle made of of muscle and viscera.

A dull green glass bottle, filled with transparent oil that rolls about like the sea's tides. Its label, written in Undercommon, reads "Immortality." It is sealed with a deep black cork, and if opened reeks of skunk spray.

A small stone that ticks evenly like a finely wound clock. Everyone who hears the stone becomes convinced that the stone must remain locked away or something very bad will happen.

A commemorative porcelain plate of the last royal wedding.

A jigsaw puzzle consisting of occult symbols that when fully completed opens a portal to that which the user desires most in the world. There are three pieces missing.

A black robe covered in tattered and worn crow feathers, almost giving the illusion of wings when the arms are raised.

A flexible skin tight, black-silk mask that covers the bearer’s face with just a slit exposing the eyes and perforations at the nose and mouth.

A wide iron-studded dog collar.

A sealed one gallon cask filled with a smoky, spicy spirit akin to weaker tequila. This aperitif is made from a flowering cactus found deep in the deserts heart. When drunk, it causes memories to flow more freely to the drinker's minds forefront, often sparking intense feelings of nostalgia or regret. If overindulged, it could even dislodged repressed memories, forgotten dreams, and other things forgotten (deliberately or otherwise).

A gilded wineglass fashioned from a human skull and set with lapis lazuli.

A set of seven humanoid shaped obsidian pendants.

A dark green egg-shaped stone has been worn away on one side to reveal a rough, vivid purple interior. Knowledgeable PC's can identify the mineral as a geode.

A metal mask resembling a deformed man with a protruding tongue, often worn by wrong-doers before they are paraded through the streets as punishment.

The "alchemical" recipe and blueprint for a "Big Mama", a strange series of nested barrels filled with gunpowder and nails and designed to detonate from a fuse.

A bloodstained scrap of parchment with a list of several names, including a couple of the PC’s. All but one of the non-PC names are crossed out.

A small silver bracelet fashioned in the style of a serpent with two small cyan-colored stones for eyes.

A beautiful, multicolored glass sculpture that seems to take different shapes depending on the angle it is viewed from. From one angle, a mother and child, from another a proud warrior, all in vibrant color and exquisite detail. There are eight distinct scenes visible, one from each cardinal direction.

A delicate tea set made of beautifully shaped glass. Each cup has been blown to look like a pair of child-sized hands clasped together, and the tea pot itself has the appearance of a cloaked human female kneeling in offering. Her hands reaching outwards act as the spout for the pot, and her pulled back hood acts as the lid. No liquid ever flows out of the teapot unless one of the cups in the set is directly beneath the spout.

A medium sized hourglass fashioned from dark walnut and brass. Inside, the sands shine in a variety of iridescent colors. There is a slight tinkling sound as they fall, almost like the sound of a music box, carried on the wind.

An exquisite scrimshaw design of dueling dragons made from a harpy claw.

A scepter made with scorched wood, that has an orb of solid, coagulated blood on it's edge.

A floating spherical chess board that when opened, reveals intricately crafted pieces inside it. The pieces magically adhere to the sphere as it floats, and allows you to play without the chessmen falling off.

A small, golden chime, tied with a red ribbon around the handle, that rings softly of its own accord with a bittersweet melody. It makes those who hear it think of sunlight on a coastline that they've never seen, holding the hand of someone they’ve never known.

A battered tin kettle, slightly warm to the touch. Any liquid placed into the kettle will become something almost, but not quite, exactly nothing like tea.

A pair of goggles that allow the bearer to see from the point of view of a random reef fish in some far off sea.

A black and purple scale of some enormous horror of the far realm.

A thick piece of leather on which was branded a prayer of contrition. It says that it is not enough to ask for absolution, penitence must be forced upon the impure. Some sins can only be forgiven with consecrated flame.

A stoppered, green glass bottle wrapped in grimy stained leather and cord. It is filled with an inferior moonshine containing alcohol distilled in the worst possible conditions. The liquor tastes worse than it looks, but provides a small degree of resistance to the horrors of daily life

A rather intricately filigreed belt buckle featuring a stylistic rendering of a heroic figure standing in defiance of a formless darkness looming above it.

A wine bottle sealed with wax containing a rolled vellum scroll.

A burlap pouch containing a handful of wooden tokens marked with a skull and crossbones on one side and "One Grog" on the other.

A jade carving of a flying fish, inexpertly done and with poor detailing.

An invitation to a charity ball rewarded for substantial devotion and contribution to community and individual well being.

A royal decree ordering all land-holding families to send one armed soldier to an official army muster. Any family that fails to respond is in danger of having their ancestral land titles revoked.

A leather plague doctor's mask with silver frames and buckles.

A copper-plated tin badge of a winged heart.

A wooden flute made of red wood with etchings of leaves around part of its base

An oddly shaped curved wand with elven writing carved within. When held at nighttime it helps its owner sleep peacefully to the sounds of nature.

A large wooden chest with many unique pelts, wrapped one inside the other. In the center a small jade figurine of a humanoid with a fish-like face. It is extremely cold to the touch.

A fancy gold coin with two crowns on both faces. It is literally embedded in a small cube of clearest crystal.

A bright red square tablet of unknown material about three inches to a side with a metal plate that slides to open a tiny window through the tablet that reveals a sheet of black material within. It is lighter than stone, metal, or wood and bears no markings other than a rectangle of gummy residue on one side and a small circular metal coin on the reverse.

A rose quartz paperweight shaped like a crushing fist.

A toy horse carved from bone.

A letter with the following written inside "We only need 300 more gold until we can bring her back and live peacefully once again as a family."

An ivory spoon with teardrop handle.

A miniature portrait of a young chestnut-haired beauty set in a silver frame. She appears to be set against the skyline of a metropolitan city on a sea, as though the portrait was painted from a tall building or hillside.

A tin box decorated with an embossing of a ship in a bottle, containing precision woodworking and knot tying tools with telescoping handles.

A fist sized ball of melted copper coins.

A bronze statuette of a chariot, with horses and charioteer.

A child’s painting framed beautifully. The art itself is fairly lacking but the frame is worth a decent amount, even more to someone who appreciates the juxtaposition of incredibly classy and messy.

A silken caul hair net decorated with small semiprecious stones.

An ebon walking stick with a monogrammed silver handle.

A bone pipe carved with intricate crimson sigils; its smoke appears as writhing shades of the damned.

A scrap of dirty parchment bearing a list of names, some of them crossed off. Investigation reveals all of the names on the list are dead people, mostly buried in the Gilded Graveyard. Those who have been crossed off have recently have their graves’ plundered, their bodies stolen. Further investigation still reveals that these were all jurors in the trial of Isabella Rasping, a necromancer convicted of using a zombies as murder weapons during the infamous “Meatpuppet Murders” two centuries ago. She was executed for the crime by her own creations. Isabella has returned as a revenant with unfinished business; she maintains her innocence and believes she can now prove it, and so is gathering the previous jurors for a kind of “retrial."

A ceramic dining plate edged with copper.

A bandolier from which hang a half dozen small securely stoppered flasks. Each is filled with a noxious substance, preserved at the height of its foulness: Human diarrhea, spoiled milk, vomit, cat urine, skunk stink glands and rotting fish. The flasks are flimsy and designed to break apart when they hit something solid and each stopper has a small eye-hook screwed into the cork. They can be thrown, shot from a sling or flask launcher (A modified light crossbow) or a length of twine has be tied to the eye-hook, creating a tripwire trap.

A brass bust of a famed scholar and medic.

An anklet of braided gold and silver worked with small carnelians.

A set of bagpipes made from the skin of a displacer beast, with the drones and chanter carved from its bones.

An antiquated torture device designed for mutilating hands and fingers.

A leather eyepatch with a turquoise stone surrounded by white agate resembling a crude eye.

A stuffed cockatrice clutching a sculpted marble hand in one talon.

An egg, roughly the size of a goose egg but navy blue with mottled flecks of gold leaf, mounted on a round wooden base with a tiny placard that reads "Imaskari Sun Hawk". When touched, the golden flecks on the egg gently glow that grows brighter and softer in time with the heartbeat of the one touching it and there is the sensation of rustling movement from within.

A fragment of a painting torn from a larger canvas depicting an unfamiliar princess.

A family portrait of an infamous noble house whose eyes seem to follow onlookers.

A pale gourd with ornate glyphs painted in black around the cork at its apex and twine braided about it. Try as one might, nobody has ever been able to open the stopper. A thin metallic clinking can be heard when the gourd is shaken.

A delicate pink flower, carefully preserved with magic and will not wilt or break yet preserves its natural beauty.

An old withered hand, no more than skin drawn taut across bones, and tarnished rings hanging loosely from the fingers. The bearer can rattle the rings on the hand which causes the smell of lilies to fills the air around him.

A small metal top seems like an everyday child’s toy except for the skull engraved into a button in the middle.

A sturdy wooden travel case containing a popular board game known as Roundels. It has similar elements to chess but is played on a circular board with a stylized keep. The game is abstract and is supposed to loosely simulate a siege. There is an attacking player and a defending player and each side has some unique pieces in addition to their common pieces. The etiquette of playing Roundels requires players to participate in two games, one as the attacker and the other as defender.

A horse femur that is as light as a feather.

An old yellowed skull that in spite of its lack of eyeballs, seems to be constantly eyeing the bearer.

A length of ivory shaped like a bone, covered in small onyx spiders that look all too real. The arcane rod can be used as an magical focus and is a grisly sight to behold.

A burlap bag large enough to hold a coconut. It is smooth to the touch and found in the color purple with a golden strap.

An arcane wand that is rough to hold and twists like a wild vine.

A translucent green stone the size of a fat grape. The item is sea glass, a fragment of a bottle that washed around the world and back, until it had no sharp edges.

A satyr statuette which increases the libido of everyone within line of sight of it.

A bewitched letter which appears to be addressed to whoever is currently holding it, describing their features and personality in adoring terms.

A small crystal which, when peered through, appears to show alternate universes. Actually a fragment of a much larger crystal, part of a complex device deep in the Old City.