#PUT LEONA IN THERE SOMEWHERE FOR THAT ANGST????!????!?

[oopbackinmymcdphase]

Hear me OUT Emmalyn revenge arc. Give that girl a FANTASY GUN‼️‼️‼️‼️‼️‼️

[kiyo-cant-write]

leona kingscholar arguing w/ a male s/o ✧･ﾟ

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I felt like we needed something on this blog with Leona <3

If you see typos, pretend they're not there. I'm writing this instead of letting the mental illness get me (because the admin's having depression atm!). How do I feel better? Ruin Leona's life xD

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Summary: [Name] is the s/o of Leona Kingscholar, and what an interesting time that is. Leona is by no means perfect, but he loves [Name], truly. Sometimes, though... The two argue. And it can get heated.

TW/CW: Hurt/No Comfort, Angst

Notes: established relationship, he/him pronouns for the reader, the reader could be cis or trans, the reader is described to be tall/muscular and human with no specified class year, the reader is not explicitly Yuu/Prefect but could be

Guest Stars: Ruggie Bucchi (mentioned, discussed)

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✧･ﾟ: ✧･ﾟ: ✧･ﾟ: ✧･ﾟ: ✧･ﾟ: ✧･ﾟ: ✧･ﾟ: ✧･ﾟ:

Leona Kingscholar

Leona is not the ideal lover by any means. He needs time.

He is abrasive, rough, and opinionated. He is so stubborn that he will hold a grudge against his partner in a fight.

With a female/femme enby partner, this might be a bit less harsh, but Leona starts out seeing his male s/o as a rival in addition to a partner, sparking arguments early on.

[Name] has to keep up with Leona's moods and his anger.

Leona can be a very tiring partner to have at times.

However, there are advantages to being another man in Leona's life. Leona will not pull punches around his s/o.

He is direct with him and says what is on his mind, even mean things.

However, this can help as it puts things out in the open.

Leona tends to use his s/o like a body pillow (and feel less bad about it as due to their similar size, he isn't crushing them).

Buuut he also thinks that he can push around his male s/o more.

He tends to be rougher with them in every sense of the word.

He isn't even trying to be violent, Leona just doesn't think to control his strength around another guy, thinking he can handle it.

Leona grumbles constantly that his s/o is annoying but he doesn't mean it. He says a lot of things to his s/o that he doesn't mean.

He is still coping with his traditional upbringing as a royal.

Leona is learning how to treat his boyfriend.

[Name] has not yet met Leona's family because Leona refuses to introduce them to anyone. It was by chance that they met Cheka,

Leona doesn't know how his sister-in-law and Falena would react.

Cheka likes [Name] and considers him "Ojitan #2"!!

Leona says he is annoyed about it, maybe he is, but he's also somewhat warmed by the thought of them being close.

It's a little too mushy for him to accept at this point, though.

He never apologizes for his bitchyness with words.

For Leona, it's an act of service or a gift (albeit given a bit carelessly) that serves to be his apology to [Name].

"Ugh. Leona? Leona," [Name] tried before using more energy to increase his volume, "Le-o-na!"

He was out of breath from checking several of Leona's usual spots and not very happy about the current circumstances. And where was Leona meant to be? Class. Where was he now? Not class.

Leona's eyes opened when [Name] called out to him, looking up to see the human's tall frame towering over him from the angle. His eyes said it all, [Name] was annoyed. Great. Leona was about to get an earful from his boyfriend to top it all off.

"Huh? What do you want now, [Nickname]?"

Leona glared at the younger boy from his place amongst the foliage of the botanical garden. Honestly, he just wanted to sleep. He didn't want to be bothered with classes, [Name] be damned.

"Don't [Nickname] me right now. I was checking on you, "[Name] said, a certain level of irritation seeping through, "You have class this period, right?"

He groaned at the mention of class. It was a chore to go. He would much rather be in the garden or somewhere else, sleeping away from all the noise. But few let him enjoy it between Ruggie, [Name], and one time Jack.

"No, not going. Why don't you get back to your own class, huh?"

Honestly, Leona had a point. Or he would have if it hadn't been a teacher who sent [Name] on a Leona Hunt. Professor Trein was annoyed, and that wasn't good for any student. He had asked [Name] to step out of his class with Professor Crewel to find Leona.

[Name] thought to himself, at that moment, that it was a bit odd the teachers singled him out. Still, it made sense given the lack of a Vice Housewarden for Savanaclaw.

"Leona, you need to focus or you'll repeat another year."

[Name] was sure that Leona didn't want that either. Or did he? It was hard to say. Leona didn't like campus, he said it all the time, but he was also dreading his return to the palace... If he was being truthful, [Name] didn't know what Leona wanted anymore.

It was a bit stressful sometimes, sad at others.

"What are you? Ruggie?" Leona snapped, ears twitching in annoyance as he spoke, "Worry about yourself, [Name]."

Ruggie is a what? How dehumanizing...

But he ignored it. [Name] didn't have the time. Onto the next.

"No, but Ruggie did tell me about the risk of being held back," [Name] admitted awkwardly but with no less frustration than earlier, "Can you just go sleep in class? Your professors are asking me to get you now."

He wasn't even sure what he was arguing anymore. He didn't want to be his boyfriend's parent, but here he was, feeling that way. He knew Leona would just sleep wherever he was, so it wasn't like it was a big ask to send him to a classroom... Was it?

[Name] just wanted Leona to succeed. It was painful to see someone he had grown to love ruining his reputation amongst the faculty and students alike. It wore on [Name]'s mind as it continued.

"You don't get to tell me what to do," Leona said, voice rising slightly, tail flicking in annoyance he now failed to conceal.

"Then who will?" [Name] asked, "Our professors don't even want to deal with you so they sent me to do it!"

When Leona didn't say anything, [Name] took a step closer, testing his limits and ignoring the voice in his head telling him to just back off like he always did and leave it for another day. He didn't want to. he couldn't let Leona do this to himself anymore, not again. Maybe he would listen...

"Leona, I don't know what else to do other than chase after you," [Name] told him, "I want to help, I do... But I can't say anything else. Or do anything either. I'm doing all I can and it's not working."

Leona remained silent.

"What do I do now?" [Name] asked him, voice coming out with just a slight tremble to it as if he was at his breaking point and he was.

"Leave?" Leona said as if it was the obvious answer, "Just go."

"What?" [Name] managed to ask, "What did you... Leona?"

He couldn't believe what he was hearing.

"Leave, [Name]. I told you not to get involved with me," Leona told him in a drawl that dripped with indifference, exasperation even.

"Leona, you can't be serious—"

[Name] didn't get to finish his sentence.

"I am, don't test my patience."

[Name] wasn't sure if he was offended or not.

Leona wasn't listening at all. Did he hear any of this?

"Leona, I'm your partner, can't you listen to what I have to say?"

As Leona ignored him,[Name] felt a bit desperate.

How could he fix this? What would it take?

"I said," Leona's voice cut like a blade, "Leave. Now, [Last Name]."

"I..."

But a moment later, [Name] fell silent, fists clenched at his sides for a moment before the tension released. He exhaled. Like that, it was over.

"Fine. Be that way. I was just... trying to help."

Leona's brows furrowed as he looked away, not wanting to see the other man walk away from him. He shouldn't have said that. He should've kept quiet. Why couldn't he just keep his mouth shut? Now they were going to be all upset at him tomorrow. They'd scold him again, act like his mother, just about.

What happened next was somewhat Leona's own fault in the end. And there he was wallowing in self-pity, refusing to acknowledge the truth of the matter even as he felt the ramifications of his actions.

It was [Name]'s own fault, Leona would remind himself the next day when [Name] didn't meet him for lunch and Ruggie gave him the most bewildered look he had seen on the hyena's face in a while. He should have known not to get involved in Leona's business. Stupid.

It's his fault, Leona would repeat for the next couple of days, refusing to comment when Ruggie asked him again, "Where's [Name]?" Leona didn't care, or he wished he didn't. Those thoughts pounding in his skull didn't mean anything. Not a bit.

He was lying to himself. He missed [Name]. Leona wanted to be able to listen to him talk about things, ask him for little favors, and keep him close. Leona wanted to feel the closeness that they had had...

But he wasn't ready to be wrong.

Would he ever be ready to see past his own ego?

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Imagine the rest for yourself~

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✧･ﾟ: ✧･ﾟ: ✧･ﾟ: ✧･ﾟ: ✧･ﾟ: ✧･ﾟ: ✧･ﾟ: ✧･ﾟ:

Thank you for reading! Likes and reblogs are appreciated! Do NOT repost my writing/headcanons as your own >:c Check the top of my blog for the inbox status and read the rules before requesting. This is not a twst-only blog! ^^

[kinokoshoujoart]

CORRECT TAGS‼️‼️‼️‼️ @rn0na-lizard you are so so so correct….. my favorite ‘Normal Girl’ in hmds…….i almost never see anyone talk about these aspects of her let alone also love her for them as they should.

i feel like Leona/ DS lumina gets mischaracterized super often which is understandable bc out of all the DS candidates leona is the least like her ancestor (who i also love, for different reasons).

in AWL lumina was the only kid in the valley for a very long time, but many of the DS residents have lived in the valley their whole lives. while lumina had accepted her role as a proper young heiress by chapter 3 of AWL— and when DS begins Leona already at this point of her life— lumina still had a lingering sense of uncertainty and angst and loneliness and doubt, and unresolved worries about her parents. absolutely none of this is present with leona

in this world leona starts with Lumina’s 22 year old appearance, she’s just rich as hell and living her best life (as she deserves), she’s unabashedly shallow, puts herself first always, speaks so politely and affably yet she can be so casually cruel in the most genuine cute way and out of touch with reality and and i fucking love her and i’d die for her. my beloved girlboss girlkeep girlypop

more iconic Leona Moments

when muu/muffy asks for beauty advice leona’s recommendation is “this brand of mail order beauty cream is simply divine! and it was quite inexpensive too, just 100,000 G 🥰” everyone else looks uncomfortable and muu is like “you’re as frivolous as always….”

aside from the 3 who take literally half your money (Witch💖, moi, and thomas) leona and panama (romana) take the most money from you if they carry you home when you faint. just a couple of girl bosses holding on to their girlpire (btw shout out to sebastian, the only resident in the entire valley who carries you home for free)

neither panama nor leona attend the harvest festival, they send sebastian there by himself to test the food first lmao (if you poison it like the witch they’re harboring on their property requires you to do, sebastian is just like “i can’t serve this to Mistress Panama…”)

once again sebastian attacks mukumuku for her sake, this time not to make her a paintbrush but she told him to get her the best slippers and this was apparently the easiest way. sebastian gets fucking mauled btw

leona has hands down the best romance route in hmds. all her scenes are incredible but god the slow burn friends to lovers with your DVD player….

in her purple heart event she shows up at your house because she heard you have a DVD player, asks you to show her how it works, and then just leaves after she’s done playing with it

in her yellow heart event she has sebastian fetch van so she can buy a DVD player for herself but van’s like “i’m so sorry …. Pete… bought the last one….”

leona is so unable to stomach the idea of other people having things she doesn’t that she starts to cry and the only way to placate her is to tell her she can go to your house anytime she wants just so she can use your DVD player. that’s not a setup to a budding romance that’s her final heart event

it’s the most incredible romance arc in the world like girl you have infinite money you can just. buy a DVD player somewhere else?? “i want to watch DVDs at my house just like you!” leona you have three entire bedrooms

“rich girl love interest who has everything except love, win her heart by having genuine conversation with her”: done to death, tired, i don’t have time for that

“rich girl love interest who has everything except a fucking DVD player, win her heart by giving her expensive stuff and ‘relax tea’ and access to your DVD player”: audacious, intriguing, never been done before, innovative

if you deny her god-given right to access your DVD player she is like “Is that so……………Just let me be alone for a little bit.” incredible tragedy i understand. take as much time as you need to grieve darling

oh but her first heart event asks you to pick a side in an argument she’s having with panama and the correct answer is to say “sebastian is the one who’s wrong” (sebastian has said nothing wrong this whole time and yet both of them have just been yelling at him to shut up)

and her blue heart event is “help me find this heirloom necklace… boohoo…” and when you find it she’s like “perfect! now grandma won’t get mad at me. hmm, you seem pretty dependable…♡” augh she’s way too good at this…….!!! i’ll do anything for you!

when you propose she says “of course, i always dreamed of having a romance and a wedding♡” and says nothing abt how she feels about you <3

also if you marry her, once a week she goes to hang out at her ex love interest’s place for 6 hours straight and comes home saying “whew… i had so much fun that i must have lost track of time… i’ll hurry on home”

if you marry another girl she starts flirting with you like “I’m so envious of your wife, having such a fine husband… Pete.” (or whatever your name is)

i’ve become obsessed with her and romeo’s horrible trainwreck soap opera marriage since replaying cute in jp… it’s SO… i have so much to say about them that it should be its own post but i’ll just give the cliffnotes

shotgun wedding vibes. romeo is surprised by his own wedding. they’re childhood friends but he himself has never considered marrying her. her words to him at their wedding are “Make me happy♡” (command)

she understandably can’t stand his terrible table manners or his clothes or anything about him (except that she wants to watch him surf and have his child. but he instead walks in circles all day. coward) and he’s both really good at accidentally stepping on landmines and just ever so slightly majorly terrified of her after marriage (“but surely her angry outbursts are just her way of showing love hahahahaha” you’re going to die. she’s going to kill you). the only positive things they say about their marriage are extremely shallow. they can’t communicate with each other because romeo always says the Dumbest Shit obliviously and leona always responds by cutting him out of her life forever!!!!!! (for 5 seconds) while he has no idea what happened

they are both so melodramatic and they both just do nothing except make each other worse and run away from each other and push each other away but they can’t escape each other. neither of them ever has to grow or change if they marry each other because an elderly overworked man is sustaining both of their existences and neither of them can take care of themselves and i love them your honor

also romeo’s first crush as a kid was apparently her mom, and if leona falls for YOU she flirts by mentioning that sebastian says you look like the spitting image of her dead father. dear fucking god

they’re the epitome of “You're both just enabling each other's mental illnesses. You're both perfect for each other. Never change. Just never involve anybody else in what you've got going on.”

romeo really does feel like her stupid lackey. like the karen to her regina. they even had this dynamic in the games they played as kids… she was the Harvest Goddess and he was Servant A/Minion A (they might still be playing this game as adults…he calls her lady/mistress sometimes after marriage…)

btw leona’s best friend (wife) marivia is also just as… there’s an event where they just gossip about all the mineral town ppl and marivia says ann would win a gluttony contest and they both giggle

there’s also an event where marivia casually walks into Witch’s hut and just interviews her so she can write her into a novel. witch is left completely drained by this exchange. leona and marivia both are so chill about the horrible cruel villainess living in leona’s shed who wants the town poisoned and rewards you for killing animals and hurting yourself and is putting curses on everyone (and they’re right. she’s never done anything wrong in her life)

[pomefioredove]

Hi! not sure if u write for content that isn't a character x reader, if not, feel free to ignore this req!

but I'd like to req some timeskip hcs for the twst charas.. like what would they be after graduation? I could totally see Riddle being a lawyer but I'm not entirely sure for the rest of the twst cast 🤔

Thank you in advance! Take all the time u need !

ohhh actually speculation/analysis is something I write a lot of! I hail from a very literary fandom and these sorts of prompts are some of my favorites to do!

I could def give my thoughts, just based on what we already know + my own headcanons

➼Deuce: Deuce, to me, is a hands-on learner type. I could see him getting really into mechanics, but... my heart says house husband. tells his kids bedtime stories about Cauldron Deuce (with... um, better morals, we'll say)

➼Ace: professional moocher hmmm Ace is kind of a wild card (pun) to me. I can see his life going in a lot of different directions depending on how the story goes

➼Riddle: definitely something prestigious. we know his parents are doctors, it's likely he'd feel pressured to follow in their footsteps, with other high-paying professions close behind (such as lawyer)

➼Cater: trophy husband(/influencer)

➼Trey: takes on the family bakery. I can see him getting settled down relatively fast compared to everyone else. he just needs a spouse whose as weird as he is

➼Leona: professional moocher (for real this time). In an ideal world he would get fed up with his family and move out, either to another palace they own (you know how it is with royalty and their real estate) or to his own place. but that freedom might get him to really apply himself to something he cares about, independent of his family. would get married if the opportunity presented itself, would NOT have kids

➼Ruggie: Leona's little buddy. Leona assured him a job after school, sooo probably not much different from what he's doing already, but paid. sends fat checks home to his grandma every month

➼Jack: whatever it is, he's committed to it. I can't see him working a dead-end job with no hopes of improving himself, so nothing too academic. the obvious answer is athletics... but he could just as likely become a sculptor. just something that he can apply himself to and continue improving in

➼Azul: businessman. he just has a thing for it. he's running multiple restaurant chains and dabbling in retail before age thirty, and always looking for more opportunities

➼Jade: Azul definitely guarantees him a job, but I think he'd be more interested in staying on land and doing field work. mycologist... or anything that really captures his interest

➼Floyd: cliché answer, he can't decide. likely bounces between working with his brother and working with Azul. may just stay within the "family business" which is implied to be. mafia?

➼Kalim: do we even know what the al-Asims do. besides be rich. well whatever it is, he's doing that. definitely gets married fast, probably has a bunch of kids already. they're just as loud and excitable as he is

➼Jamil: oh Jamil :( please please have a happy ending. I can see him really enjoying academics, especially in positions where he can publish papers and get feedback. good for his ego. may start some insane academic drama, though (nothing he can't handle)

➼Vil: actor/model. confirmed! probably waits a while to get married, he's put off his career long enough

➼Rook: the fact that he wants to go into archaeology is so cute... being an ex archeology (now religious studies) major myself I think it's just so... Rook of him to be interested in history. I would love to talk to him about the Minoans. Or the Xia dynasty. can I marry him while we're at it? he eventually settles down somewhere in the woods

➼Epel: eughhrrggg can I say farming. sorry. I'm from a family of farmers and kinda sentimental about it. the connection to the land is very real and very emotional. but he does other stuff, too

➼Idia: [cue book 6 angst]

diasomnia fam is up in the air for now considering... *gestures to all of book 7*

➼bonus rollo: judge. because it would be funny.

[azurevi]

anchor

pairing: leona x gn!reader

summary: promise rings, some backstory i sprinkled on a whim, a few stuff from the tamashina-mina event. 3k

note: diversity loses! tormented writer posts more leona fluff despite being consumed by angst ideas. @twistedchatterbox gave me the idea of promise rings a while back then so here’s something i made! it’s a bit messy cz i wrote most of this on bus rides lol

This day couldn’t get any better, Leona thought, putting aside the fact that he was at a festival he really didn’t want to attend, and that he had been surrounded by his curious schoolmates the whole day, forcing him into the role of a tour guide. At least he got to show you around the place he’d grown up in, shower you with cuisine after cuisine that you couldn’t find anywhere else, and bring you to a hot spring that made him feel that his bones had been broken down and resembled again, all of which you responded with the utmost enthusiasm and amazement. Despite the love-hate sentiments he held for this place, knowing that you enjoyed the tour put him in quite the good mood.

Also, he was definitely putting ‘roadtrip’ on his non-existent bucket list now.

A content sigh slipped out as he sat sprawled out in his seat, head resting on his fist, a single strand of hair falling over his attentive gaze. Everyone had had their fill at dinner and was enjoying the dance show. Melodies swirled and clashed in the air, accompanied by the soft fluttering of the dancers’ outfits. His focus was, however, not on their flawless performance, but rather on the giggling group in front of the stage.

You were linking arms with Kalim, following his ecstatic steps with a touch of clumsiness. Lilia was linked to your left, even though he was just doing his weird moves that somehow resembled a bird. Grim was somewhere else, struggling to mirror the dancers and trying his absolute hardest not to get kicked at by accident. Once in a while the music would speed up, and you would all scramble to match the tempo, laughing when your legs bumped into each other.

The unbridled bliss on your face was as bright as the afternoon sun. Amidst the collision of songs, he made out your laughs as though they were a melody written especially for him. If the hotel was vacant but for the both of you, he would’ve jumped out of his seat and danced with you just so he could see how much you were enjoying yourself up close. Ideally he would have the song changed to something much gentler for him to soak in the moment under the glorious starry night. 

“…Leona, are you listening?” Vil’s voice dragged him out of the little fantasy he was conjuring in his head.

“I stopped listening the moment you brought up your something-something products.” He said, which was only half a lie. Even when he was distracted, he picked up a few lines, like how the climate here could've very well ruined Vil’s skin without the lotions he’d brought and how all the sweating could’ve melted his makeup had they not been waterproof. Basically just different words to show that he’d come prepared.

“Of course you did,” Vil rolled his eyes. Following Leona’s gaze, he glanced back and forth between the trio and the man beside him. “Lilia is quite good at dancing, isn’t he?”

“Yea.” The answer came mindlessly. By the time Leona realized himself, Vil already had that annoying smirk on his face. 

Darn you for distracting him. 

Vil took a sip out of his glass, letting the fresh juice swirl in his grip. “Even to this day, I still can’t believe that they are into you of all people.”

“Is that jealousy I hear?” 

“Not in a thousand years.” He put down the drink. “It’s just that they’re bright and easy-going and all, and you’re… well, you’re you. You act like you don’t want anyone breathing near you most of the time.”

That’s true, to some extent. Leona had found your presence a handful at first, but you managed to sneak into his life anyways.

“But there are times when your feelings become painfully obvious,” as if remembering something, Vil’s assumed an accusatory tone. “Like today, when you made all of us feel like third wheelers while you went on this lovey-dovey date with them. But really, that just proves my point. Whatever doubts that I initially had about you two… they’re wrong.”

“Do you have a point?” Leona frowned. As much as he would like to call him out for sticking his nose into his business, he knew that he was just looking out for you. Ever since VDC, you two had got on friendly terms, and that meant he was going to care for you anytime he saw fit. It was his way of showing his love.

“If you’re really serious about them, you should put a ring on it.”

He’d never turned his head this sharply. “What?”

��Well, not to straight up propose, just get promise rings or something. A lot of my co-stars wear them to show loyalty and devotion. It’s a good way of telling someone that you’re committed.”

“I am committed.” He shifted in his seat. “And they know that.”

“It’s just a suggestion. Take it or leave it.” That was the last thing Vil had to say before Lilia proposed having a karaoke session, forcing him to intervene. 

…Of course you knew that he was committed. He’d made it abundantly clear, from remembering every little thing you’d mentioned in passing to showering you with gifts. He showed up to most school events for you, and he stood up for you whenever someone was dumb enough to pick fights. The list went on— surely he’d made it apparent enough how much you meant to him.

So why were you knocking on his door at 2 in the morning, with a hesitation that reminded him of when Cheka would stick his head into his room in the morning to see if he was awake? 

“Hey. I know you’d rather sleep by yourself, but I can’t really fall asleep, so I was wondering if you’d have space for one more?”

He rubbed his eyes, brain still a bit fuzzy, and moved to one side of the bed. You scampered inside with the blanket wrapped around you like a cocoon and dipped your weight into the mattress.

“Was the bed uncomfortable?” He asked, spreading his arm so you could roll right next to him. 

“No, I just can’t get used to new ones.” 

And with that, you were off to dreamland in a few minutes. 

The patterned ceiling stared right back at Leona. Where he’d just fallen asleep effortlessly, there was now a recurring thought romping in his mind. 

It wasn’t the first time he’d shared a bed with you. As a matter of fact, Ruggie often found him hogging you while he’s napping in the botanical garden, clinging to you like you were a life-sized plush. But most of the time, he was the one initiating it. He’d thought that it was enough of a demonstration of how he wanted you around, but in reality—

“I know you’d rather sleep by yourself.” 

Just how did you come to that conclusion? It wasn’t even the first time you’d said something similar. You’d always been on the cautious side, tip-toeing around the topic of intimacy like you were afraid that you’d be ‘too much’. 

Perhaps worse still was the fact that he’d never been straightforward about his feelings. They had always been wrapped in other gestures, hidden under layers of seemingly ordinary words. Who was to say that they couldn’t have been lost on you? 

“Put a ring on it.” 

At the end of the day, it was Vil’s fault for planting the idea in his head.

—

Sneaking around the palace was child’s play to Leona. He’d mastered the art of hiding in dark shadows and unseen corners since a tender age, when the guards and chamberlains would talk behind his back. Plus, nothing much had changed inside the palace. They were really driving home the idea of preserving the past.

Minor changes had been done to his room from the weekly cleaning, but otherwise everything was as he remembered. He made light steps to his empty desk and pulled open the drawer, searching for a jewelry box. Within were dozens of trinkets that would make Ruggie’s eyes twinkle like stars, from pendants to bracelets, all of which Leona had no interest in wearing. 

All except this. He fished out a brown pouch and flipped it upside down. Two identical rings fell right into his palm. Each was a bit chunky, with an untainted emerald embedded in the golden shank. He pulled out his hair tie next, checked the mark he’d made in the middle, and compared the circle it formed with the size of the rings. It was a perfect match, as he’d suspected.

Leona recalled the day he’d gotten them. He was sitting at his mother’s bedside, hands balled into fists on his lap. He recalled her fragile, glass-like smile, recalled the shake in her hand as she removed the rings from her fingers. He was still too young and naive to know what was going on, but he had a hunch.

She had placed them in his parched, dry hand then. His knuckles had been cracked and bruised from earlier that day, when he’d lost control of his unique magic during training. With a wistful sigh, she ran feathery touches on the cuts, as if she was trying to heal them. But no dice; she would’ve healed herself had she possessed that sort of power.

“What are these for?” He clenched the golden rings in his chubby fingers. They looked ordinary, just like any other accessories the chamberlains like to throw on him before grand ceremonies. The only thing that stood out were the stones, which seemingly matched his eyes.

“When you find someone who feels like home, and they feel the same about you, give them the rings to show your feelings.”

“Do you mean I have to marry them?” 

She laughed at his uneasy grimace— a sound that had yet to be lost in the currents of time. “Of course, or else they’ll go away forever.”

Young Leona immediately stuffed one of the rings back into her hand, “Then you must keep one! This way you’ll never go away from me, right?”

It would take a few more years down the road for him to understand why her eyes welled up at his words, or why one day Kifaji lifted him up in his arms and rushed him to her bedside, why that was the only time he would ever see her again. It was then that he realized that those rings were not charged with magic or blessings. They were just gold imbued with grief. 

“What are you doing here, Prince Leona?”

Kifaji was standing at the doorway, hands hidden behind his back. God knew how long he’d been watching. Leona must’ve been so absorbed in his little treasure hunt to have not picked up his footsteps.

“You sound awfully accusatory. This is my room, isn’t it?” He slid the rings back into the pouch and pulled at the string to seal it.

Kifaji watched him pocket it. “Those are your mother’s rings, aren’t they?”

It seemed like his keen observation hadn’t been lost in time. “So what if they are?”

“Well. I can’t and won’t say anything since they’re your possessions. But curiosity beats me, so I must ask: what do you intend to do with them?”

“I intend to wear them, cause that’s how rings are supposed to be used,” Leona nudged the drawer shut with his knee, feeling a bit irritated by the questions.

“Yes, but it’s certainly been a while. Why your mothers’ rings in particular, and why now?”

He sighed. Nothing ever went past Kifaji’s eyes. “Fine. It’s because I’m gonna give one of ‘em to someone else, okay? End of story.” 

He strode past the chamberlain out of the door, but the latter persisted, catching up rapidly. There was a moment when he was side by side with Kifaji, and was a bit astounded by the height difference between them. He never really noticed it before. To think that there was once a time when Kifaji could pick him up like he was nothing but a sack of rice.

“It’s that friend of yours that’s been tagging along, isn’t it?” 

Leona decided to focus his efforts on walking.

“I was skeptical at first when you showed up with a bunch of guys that claimed to be your friends. Except for that kid. They seemed different.”

He scoffed. “Why, because they were hugging a cat the whole time?”

“No. Because of the way you treated them.”

“Oh yea? Enlighten me.”

“Remember the mangoes at the Raintree Market?”

And then Leona was strolling through the lively bazaar again, watching his schoolmates try out local fruits. The vendor had planned to give you one half of a mango as he’d done so for the others, but Leona asked for the whole fruit and a knife instead.

“The right way to eat a mango,” he sliced the mango in half, and began cutting squares on the one without the seed. Then he held the fruit on its two ends and pushed the pieces out. “Is to cut it into bite-sized chunks.”

“Don’t you remember? I used to do that for you when you were young. You’d cry and thrash because you despised fruits, so I decided to cut them into tiny pieces and have you eat them while we played chess. You cleared the plate in no time.”

There was a certain tone to Kifaji’s voice that Leona couldn’t quite recognize. All he knew was that he was suddenly aware of the aged hunch of his back. Where he used to race him through the palace with ease, he was now panting with the efforts to keep up with his long strides.

Leona slowed down a little to let him catch his breath. 

“As the chief chamberlain, I do have the duty to ensure the integrity of anyone affiliated with the royal family. But I’m guessing you’ll do anything to get me off your back, so there’s no point anyways. Plus, if you’re taking out your mother’s rings for them, I suppose there’s no point in doubting your decisions.”

“Good.” Leona’s voice came out quieter than he expected. “I didn’t need you meddling in my business anyways.”

Some guards shot him confused glances when he passed by, but he ignored them. The two of them walked in silence until they arrived at the entrance. The sun had just emerged from the horizon, and was marking the land with a warm tint. 

“I’m glad you found someone, Prince Leona.”

“Yea, yea. I got it,” he waved him back into the palace, but stopped just before he could turn around. “Thank you for escorting me.”

Kifaji froze, then let out a light laugh. 

“That’s what I do.”

—

Securing the rings turned out to be the easy part. The challenge was in how to present them. Whatever plans Leona had been brewing in his head vanished thanks to the mishaps during the festival. By the time he remembered the rings in his pocket, you were already on your way back to the school campus.

Fine. He just had to adapt. He could book an expensive restaurant and do it with a band playing in the background. He could do it unexpectedly, in a totally unsuspecting occasion. He could recruit help from his dorm members to build a fitting venue.

But somehow, he just couldn’t do it. He’d had everything planned out in said restaurant, but he just couldn’t pull out the rings. He’d brought you to the beachside to watch the sun set, but he couldn’t make out the words. He’d prepared time after time what to say, but they never managed to untangle the feelings inside him.

The longer he held it off, the more he felt that it was a bad idea. What if you didn’t like rings, or what if you didn’t like him enough to dedicate yourself to that kind of promise? Even though they weren’t engagement rings, they still had a certain weight to them. Not to mention they were not any rings, but the ones his very mother used and left in his care.

He should really stop ruminating about this whole thing before he brought the rings back to the palace.

A crunch prompted him to look in your direction. You were lazing on his bed, back turned to him as you binge-watched one of those boring reality shows. There was another crunch.

“Are you eating chips?”

You froze in place. The video on your laptop went on, the audience’s laugh piercing the silence. “No?”

“Show me your hands.”

You shifted, and slowly raised them where he could see. There was salt on your thumb and index finger. He moved forward instantly, nevermind the chessboard next to him. After a bit of wrestling, he snatched the packet of chips from your hold.

“I said no eating on the bed!”

“Oh, so now you can eat on your bed but I can’t?” You argued.

“Yea, that’s the point.” He read the favor on the packet before reaching in to grab one for himself. 

“Hypocrite.” You rolled your eyes and held your hand out. As he gave it back, you caught a glimpse of something red on his finger. “Hey, what’s that?”

It was a cut, shallow but precise. It must've happened when he was pulling at the packet. He hadn't even realized it at the moment, but now it was starting to sting a little, with a bit of pink smeared on the flesh around it.

“A papercut,” he shrugged. “It’s nothing.”

“Don’t papercuts sting?” You paused the show and leaned in to check its depth. 

“A bit. I’ll just avoid wetting it.”

“Nah, you should put a bandaid on it.”

“It’s a teeny cut.”

“My point stands.” Seeing as he wasn’t planning to do it himself, you sighed and threw your torso off the bed. "This is why you should never steal my chips, you know."

His steely eyes followed as you reached for the desk, or specifically, the drawer on the bottom, where he’d been keeping the rings. You didn’t seem to notice the addition of the porch to the miscellaneous mess inside, as you soon pulled out an unopened box of bandaids.

“May I have your hand, your majesty?” You gave him the best smolder you could muster, which just looked absurdly humorous. He complied regardless, letting you have your fun. 

“Mm. I’ve never seen a cut this deep in my years of being a healer, your majesty,” you nodded meaningfully and ripped the box open. “I must subject you to the most effective medicine I have here: a magical band-aid.”

“You’re ridiculous.” He said despite stifling a smirk at the name you'd been using on him. 

“And you’re in a life and death situation here, so I prefer that you don’t take this lightly.” You peeled off the seal and lined up the cotton with the wound, acting with a meticulousness that mismatched the insignificance of such a small injury. Strands of hair cascaded down your face, and he pushed them out of your face.

Well, wasn’t it just wonderful to have your attention solely on him. He wouldn’t even have batted an eye at something as trivial as this, but you took it upon yourself to care for him anyways, like you always did.

His gaze fell from your face to the band-aid around his finger. Had he been more distracted, he wouldn’t even have noticed that you’d been working around his ring finger, on his left hand no less. And he knew it wasn’t supposed to mean anything, but as you smiled proudly at your flawless work, he couldn’t help but feel warmth crawl towards his heart. 

It dawned on him then: the only thing more wonderful than having you pamper him over a tiny papercut, was to have you do it for the rest of his life. Even on days when he couldn't care less about himself, to have you look after him all the same. The knowledgedidn't come as a spike of adrenaline or in the form of an epiphany. It felt like a moment of clarity, like the wind's kisses against a wind chime.

“Y’know what this looks like?” He asked as you threw the band-aids back into the drawer. 

“What?”

“A ring.”

You shot him an incredulous look. “It looks like anything but a ring.”

“Touché. It did feel like you were putting one on me though,” he stopped you just before you could shut the drawer, and rummaged through the mess blindly. Finally, his hand grasped something velvety. “To prove my point…”

The light-hearted smile fell from your face as you watched him take the content out. It was a bit ludicrous now, to think that after all the time spent creating the perfect atmosphere, he was just going to basically-propose-to-you on a whim, but there was no moment better than this. The gold weighed like rocks in his hands, but heavier were the words brewing in his chest.

“My mother left me these rings and told me to give one to someone I want to spend my life with,” he gauged your surprised reaction, “And I know it’s still early for us to even think about stuff like this, but I haven’t been this sure of anything for a while, so I gotta say it now. You’re the person I want to grow old with, and this will not change no matter if it's a good day or a bad day. I want to go to sleep and wake up to you every day, and I want you to know that there’s nothing that I want more than to be with you if you'd let me.”

He took your left hand in his, his thumb instinctively running over your skin. “So, would you let me take care of you for the rest of time?”

Your bewildered expression slowly shifted, and your mouth curled into a bright beam. “I say, that sounds like a wonderful future.”

The band fitted around your finger so flawlessly, it could’ve been made with you in mind. You planted a kiss on the ring on his hand, and the gold seemed to glimmer, now coated with not just his mother’s, but also your love. 

As you pulled him close, a gush of warmth seeped into his heart, claiming its spot in the depths of his feelings. Perhaps this was exactly where home was— with your arms wrapped tightly around him. Maybe one day, he could even build a home of his own, rooted in nothing but the certainty you'd given him.

[thedroneranger]

I Can Make It

Jake "Hangman" Seresin

Précis: Jake gets a lengthy deployment—will he make it home for the holiday?

Note: For @notroosterbradshaw’s #hello december playlist challenge. My song is One More Sleep by Leona Lewis—fic incorporates many of the song lyrics.

Warnings: Angst n' fluff

Word count: 1.7k

The last year had been hard.

While Jake was floating on a carrier in the icy waters somewhere between Greenland and Russia, you were in California starting your life as a married woman alone. 

You remembered last year vividly—you and Jake had just gotten out all your holiday decorations. As you sifted through boxes and checked lights, you were doing your best to sell Jake on going to Minnesota for the holidays. 

Born and bred in Texas, Jake never had the pleasure of a white winter. Snow was a foreign concept he never really encountered until he attended the U.S. Naval Academy in Maryland. Since college, Jake hadn’t been deployed many places where it was cold unless he was on an aircraft carrier, so the best he got was ice flows and permafrost.

Although you had been together for years, Jake had yet to make it to Minnesota during the winter. You wanted to fly into Duluth and then rent a car to drive to your parents’ place just outside of Two Harbors. After Christmas, you would continue up the Lake Superior coast to Grand Marias to your family’s lake house to ring in the New Year just the two of you.

Discussion of your pitch was cut short when Jake’s phone vibrated. He signaled it was a work call, so you continued assessing decor while he wandered into the kitchen to get away from the soft music you had playing.

“What’s wrong?” You stood as Jake returned to the room, looking disappointed. He wrapped his arms around your shoulders as you stepped into his embrace, encircling his waist with your arms. Your cheek laid against his hard chest, and his cheek rested on top of your head. 

“I’ve been tapped for a special mission. However, the deployment is eight to 10 months, and I leave on January first.”

This what you signed up for—you knew deployments would happen at inconvenient times. But it did not make hearing that your summer wedding and starting your family would have to be put on hold any easier.

Instead of stringing lights, you and Jake spent the afternoon rearranging the next year of your life. Jake could tell you were deflated from the news, so he ordered takeout and popped open a bottle of wine. 

“Let’s get married next week,” Jake said as he topped off your glass.

“Are…you serious?” You could not tell if he was messing with you as you settled into the couch.

Jake nodded. “Serious as a heart attack, honey.” He sat the bottle on the coffee table and joined you, laying an arm along the couch behind you. “Let’s go to Minnesota and get hitched. I want to come home to my wife in a year.” Your heart swelled three sizes at his statement. A smile pulled your lips as you leaned forward and pressed yours to his. 

A week later, on Christmas Eve, you and Jake stood at the end of a dock jetting into Lake Superior at your family cabin. The sun was shining, making the snow glitter and the ice glisten. Your family holiday had been extended to include Jake’s family, so both your parents, all your sisters and their families—partners and children—were huddled at the top of the dock to witness your wedding.

With the help of your sisters, Jake had surprised you by purchasing your dream dress, which thankfully wasn’t traditional, so it was tailored and ready in a matter of days. Jake wore a dark heather charcoal suit—you loved that it made his eyes pop. Jake’s oldest sister owned a salon back in Austin, so she lent her skills to you and Jake for the big day.

Your lifelong best friend, who happened to be a photographer, was recruited by your sisters to document your nuptials. And your father, a retired district judge in Duluth, officiated your ceremony. Your mothers could not help themselves and teamed up to cook one of the best meals you’ve ever had—a combination of traditional southern and midwestern dishes that featured many of yours and Jake’s favorites. 

The next morning, your families left you and Jake alone at the cabin. It was the closest thing to a honeymoon you were going to get, and you were thankful to have a couple days at the lake. 

You were dreaming of the few days you woke up shrouded in the warmth from the fireplace and tangled with Jake between the sheets as the pair of you drove to the base. Jake kept his eyes on the road and his fingers laced with yours on the center console. Meanwhile, you could not take your eyes off him. “Why are you staring, weirdo?” he teased. 

A smile crept across your face as you squeezed his hand and looked away for a minute. “Soaking you in—this is going to be the longest we’ve been apart.” It was his turn to steal a glance at you. He then raised your entwined fists and kissed them.

You were proud of yourself—you managed to keep it together until you climbed back into the vehicle. It took you 15 minutes to compose yourself and the tears to subside enough that you could drive home.

Nearly a year later, you weren’t sure Jake would be home for the holiday. Once his deployment hit eight months, it became nine, then 10. Ten turned into 11 and now he was in Month 12 headed into Month 13. 

You didn’t even bother to get the holiday decorations out. Not wanting to chance spending the holiday alone, you packed your bags and caught a flight to Minnesota. Since he had finally admitted that he enjoyed your home state in the winter, you agreed he would come there if he were to make it home.

The last time you spoke, Jake chattered about how excited he was to celebrate your anniversary. He was hoping you two could sneak away to the cabin. You agreed but didn’t want to get your hopes up. Although the last time you spoke you knew it was five more nights until he was next to you, you kept telling yourself one more sleep until you saw him. Daily doses of disappointment seemed more manageable than a week’s worth of time.

Lost in your memories of you and Jake, holding a warm mug of coffee and irish cream, you were staring out the living room window into the darkness of night. Fluffy flakes fluttered through the crisp air and disappeared into the undisturbed gentle slopes of a fresh snow blanket. The decorative lights on the house cast a golden glow, making the snow sparkle.

Your mind spiraled further into your memory bank to your youth, recalling the sound of your boots stamping prints into the fresh accumulation and the sound of snow falling all around you. Being alone in the silence of snowfall was your childhood escape. “Ma, I’m going for a walk!” You abandoned your drink on the nearest surface, slipped on your boots, coat, hat and mittens before bounding out the door.

Your nose was already chilling, surely turning red, and your lungs burned from inhaling the icy air. Muscle memory had your legs carrying you to the trailhead that disappeared into the treeline on the backside of your childhood home. As your eyes adjusted to the darkness, a smile pulled your lips as you listened to the silence and the hard crunch beneath your feet. It was tough to say how much time passed while you stood on the trail, listening to the snow, letting the flakes hit your face, feeling your resolve harden.

In the distance, you heard crunching. Keeping your eyes closed, you listened as it neared. Years of listening to the snow, you knew those were human feet, and they were headed your way. Curious who would approach you, you kept your eyes closed and just listened. The crunching was within yards of you when it stopped.

“We’ve got a lot of catching up to do,” you heard from behind you. Your entire body tensed. Eyes cautiously opening, you turned to look over your shoulder. Jake was casually standing there, hands in his pockets, smiling at you. 

Still in disbelief, you turned your entire body to face him. “Hey, stranger,” you greeted.

His smile grew three sizes bigger, his dimples really digging into his cheeks. “Has it been that long?” he teased as he stepped toward you.

Pursing your lips, you glanced at the ground and then at him. “Just 357 days.”

“But who’s counting?” He continued to walk closer. His hands were still in his pockets, while yours were balled in your mittens at your sides.

You shrugged as he closed the distance between you. “I had my doubts you’d get back home,” you added. Your eyes were locked on his, your head tilting back to keep eye contact as he stepped into your personal space. Your lip disappeared between your teeth as you watched him lean closer and closer—his eyes landing on your mouth.

Jake’s warm hand slipped out of his pocket and gently cradled your jaw, his index finger resting behind your ear and his thumb resting on your cheek. Your lips were almost touching. “I told you I’d be with you real soon, honey,” he said before pressing his lips to yours. His warmth melted the winter night chill. Jake pulled away and let his thumb graze your bottom lip while his hand remained on the side of your face.

“I’m still in shock that you’re really here,” you confessed. His signature smile reappeared—nearly as radiant as the snow. He pulled you as close as your thick down coats would allow and pressed a lingering kiss to your lips. 

“I can think of a few ways to prove I’m really here.” He held you so your bodies were completely pressed to one another. “But first, let’s go celebrate the holiday with your folks.” He gave you one more kiss—this one hungrier than the last. 

“You can prove yourself when we get to the cabin tomorrow night.” Lust was evident in your voice. You slipped your mitted hand around his and led the way back to the house.

[onegianthotmess]

“I Still Have Some Tears To Shed…”

Leona x Morel - Corpse Bride AU

TW!!!: angst

Key: ♫Sam singing♫, ♫Yvette singing♫, ♫Sam and Yvette singing♫, ♫Morel singing♫

Morel couldn’t help but angrily toss her veil off to the side as she entered her bedroom, plopping onto her bed with a huff. Much like everything in the Land of the Dead, everything was old and worn with neglect and time. Her four poster bed’s draperies had small holes scattered about and were tattered at the bottom, the pillowcases had obvious mending stitches from when they were torn, the blankets were old and slightly dusty, and the rest of the furniture had chips in the paint, missing handles, small holes, and any kind of fabric was torn, tattered, or haphazardly mended.

Looking down at the dead bouquet in her one skeletal hand, she couldn’t help but feel disgust as she remembered what the florist told her the night she bought it, hours before she was murdered.

“Roses, for eternal love,” Morel angrily murmured, ripping off a dried rose head from the bundle. She then sighed as she took some dead lily petals into her hand, “Lilies, for sweetness. Baby’s breath…”

Unable to find it in herself to continue the florist’s words that remained imprinted in her memory, Morel cast the bouquet aside with an angry yet sorrowful huff. She couldn’t believe that she was “the other woman” to Leona.

He’d put the ring on Morel’s finger, not the living lioness he was “betrothed” to. Morel was Leona’s wife, not her. That woman had no right to not be the other woman when she wasn’t even Leona’s wife!

So why was Morel the other woman? Why did Leona say he’d never marry her when his ring was on her finger?

“Why so blue, Ellie?” Yvette asked as she sat on the foot of the bed next to Morel on her right, snapping the small woman out of her trance.

Morel glanced at her taller friend, noticing that her eye was hanging out again. It couldn’t really be helped, though, as the poor woman had gotten shot from behind and the bullet had come out through her eye socket and made it almost impossible for the damned thing to stay in her skull. Eventually, Yvette just became unbothered by it and let it hang out of the socket naturally.

“Maybe Leona’s right,” Morel replied. “Maybe we are too different to be married.”

“Perhaps he needs his head examined?” Sam asked as he trotted into the room with a big smile, stitching on his forearm again. He’d been cut up by some mad doctor after he died and spent almost a year sewing himself back together, the poor man. Sam came up behind the two women and crawled onto the bed so he could sit on his knees just behind Morel on her left side. “With my experience with doctors, I’m sure I could do it!”

“Or perhaps he does belong with her,” Morel sighed, her mouth gaining a bitter taste at the thought of the lioness. “With ‘Little Miss Living’. With her rosy cheeks, warm skin, and beating heart. With no decay or exposed bones.”

“Oh, Ellie, those girls come twenty a mark!” Yvette scoffed.

Sam nodded in agreement, “Why have one of them when he could have you! You’re drop dead gorgeous and have so much more to offer him!”

“Exactly!” Yvette smiled. “Why, you’ve got-, you’ve got-, you’ve got a wonderful personality!”

Morel rolled her eyes and sighed, resting her chin in her hand that was so much bonier than the living woman Leona tried to escape back to. And that wasn’t even the hand that was nothing but bone.

Sam glanced at Yvette with a sly yet unsure glint in his eye and Yvette nodded in agreement.

♫What does that wispy little brat have that you don’t have double?♫

Morel blinked. Were her friends trying to use her love of singing to make her feel better?

♫She can’t hold a candle to the beauty of your smile♫

Morel rolled her eyes. They were indeed. She couldn’t help but huff as she scooted closer to the edge of her bed, begrudgingly deciding to humor her friends just a tiny bit.

♫How about a pulse?♫

Sam and Yvette smiled at Morel playing along. They could possibly get somewhere with this!

♫Overrated by a mile!♫

♫Overfed!♫

♫Overblown!♫

♫If he only knew the you that we know!♫

Morel sighed. She couldn’t see why her friends were pointing out these things, especially when Leona had already made his choice.

♫And that silly little creature isn’t wearing his ring!♫

Morel looked at the ring on her skeletal ring finger with a mix of happiness and sorrow as Yvette got up off of the bed, moved in front of Morel, and put up her own hand in her line of sight. It had meant so much to her to finally be the bride she’d dreamt of being her whole childhood.

But how could she be that bride when the man she was supposed to be married to said that she was the other woman and that he would never marry her?

♫And I bet she doesn’t play piano!♫

Sam chimed in as he crawled off the bed to join Yvette in front of their friend.

♫Or dance!♫

♫Or sing!♫

♫No, she doesn’t compare!♫

♫But she still breathes air!♫

Morel looked between her two friends with a bittersweet look in her eyes and a sad smile. They were making her feel a bit better, but she couldn’t help but feel heartbroken.

♫Who cares!?♫

♫Unimportant!♫

♫Overrated!♫

♫Overblown!♫

♫If only he could see how special you can be♫

♫If he only knew the you that we know!♫

Morel stood in front of her friends and stared at them for a moment before she moved over to the standing candelabra to the side of the room.

With the hand that still had flesh on it, she touched the flame of the candle. Though her flesh burned, she felt nothing. Before she could catch fire, she removed her finger from the flame and inspected her burnt fingertip.

♫If I touch a burning candle, I can feel no pain…♫

Motel moved away from the candelabra and was about to continue when she felt something go through the opening in her dress that showed her ribs. Looking down, Morel realized that she’d accidentally walked into the sword that the old suit of armor in her room held. She never knew where the damn thing came from, it was there when she’d moved into the room.

With a sigh, Morel removed the sword from her side and moved toward her old and tattered lounge on the far wall of her room.

♫If you cut me with a knife, it’s still the same…♫

Morel stopped in front of her little lounge seat and turned to look at her two friends, both of her hands on her chest.

♫And I know her heart is beating♫

Morel then looked at her hands, one bony with pale and bloodless skin, the other just merely bone with no flesh. She once had such soft skin that was warm and very easy to make blush. Morel could remember her father taking her small hands in his and commenting on how soft they were and how it made her even more precious. Her siblings also commented on her soft hands whenever they took them to drag her off to read them a story.

Did they miss her? Did they even remember her? It was so hard to know since she’d been underground for so, so long.

♫And I know that I am dead♫

♫Yet the pain here that I feel♫

♫Try and tell me it’s not real♫

♫It seems that I still have a tear to shed…♫

Morel sighed as she plopped down on her tattered lounge. She couldn’t help the pain she felt. She left so much behind that night she died, had waited for so long, and only got a moment of happiness before she was heartbroken all over again.

As the woman sulked, Sam sat beside her on her right and Yvette rested against the arm of the lounge to her left. They’d have to try harder to cheer their friend up.

♫The soul redeeming feature on that little creature is that she’s alive!♫

♫Overrated!♫

♫Overblown!♫

Yvette nodded at Sam before continuing and pointing to her eye as it hung out of its socket.

♫And everyone knows that is just a temporary state, which is cured very quickly when we meet our fate!♫

Morel glanced up at the two of them before rolling her eyes and standing up, making her way to her bed with her two friends following.

♫Who cares!?♫

♫Unimportant!♫

♫Overrated!♫

♫Overblown!♫

♫If only he could see how special you can be♫

♫If he only knew the you that we know!♫

Morel stopped at her bedside and turned to look at her friends, who had followed a few steps behind her and had worried expressions on their faces.

It wasn’t that Morel didn’t appreciate them, she just wasn’t in the mood to be cheered up. With a sigh, the corpse bride drew the curtains surrounding her bed, obscuring her to the point that Sam and Yvette could only make out her silhouette.

♫If I touch a burning candle, I can feel no pain…♫

♫In the ice or in the sun, it’s all the same…♫

Morel moved around her bed with the small bit of floor space there was around it, drawing in all of the drapery so she could have complete privacy.

While misery usually loved company, she wanted to be left alone in her sorrow for now. A two time broken heart was a hard thing to process, and she needed to be alone right now.

♫Yet I feel my heart is aching♫

Morel moved back to her side of the bed, lying down on it, her heels still on since she hadn’t taken them off at all since she’d been murdered.

And though it was old, the mattress wasn’t too worn out and it was still quite comfortable. It was a small comfort as the sad woman lay down, but it was welcome even if it was insignificant.

♫Though it doesn’t beat, it’s breaking…♫

♫Yet the pain here that I feel♫

♫Try and tell me it’s not real♫

How could Morel let herself be bewitched by a man only to be betrayed? And twice?

Sometimes it felt as if she had no self respect when it came to love. And it felt especially true now.

♫I know that I am dead…♫

Morel turned on her side, facing the middle of the bed and away from where she saw Sam and Yvette’s silhouettes standing. She needed to be alone with her sorrow and her tears. She couldn’t handle being around others at the moment.

♫Yet it seems that I still have some tears to shed…♫

And Morel’s voice slowly faded into soft sobs that gently shook her lifeless body as her tears began to flow freely.

Meanwhile, outside of Morel’s little bubble of solitude behind the drapery of her four poster bed, Yvette instinctively reached out to the poor, crying woman. But, before she could touch the slightly tattered draperies, Sam put a hand on her shoulder.

“Let’s leave her be,” he sighed softly.

Though she wanted to protest, Yvette couldn’t help but agree with her friend. Morel clearly wanted to be alone with her thoughts and tears for now.

As Sam and Yvette were exiting Morel’s room, they found Ettie picking up the corpse bride’s bouquet she’d cast aside. Ettie was a really sweet girl, though she was poisoned in a way that greatly damaged her ability to speak and was very self conscious about her childish way of speaking now and usually wrote in a notebook in order to communicate. It did help that she immediately took a liking to Morel and treated her like a big sister, who in turn babied her like Ettie was her own little sister.

“E-El-lie’s f-fl-flow-wers,” Ettie stuttered out, holding out the bouquet to Sam, who gently pushed it away.

“Ellie needs to be alone for now, honey,” Yvette said softly. “But I’m sure she’d appreciate you holding onto her flowers for her.”

Ettie’s brow furrowed, “W-Wha’ ‘a-ap-pen?”

“Well,” Yvette murmured, her voice trailing off as she wondered if she should tell Ettie.

“You remember Leona, right, Ettie?” Sam asked, just deciding to rip the bandaid off. When the hyena girl nodded, the man continued, “Well, he said something that wasn’t very nice and he made Morel very upset. Morel needs to be left alone until she’s ready, okay?”

“M-Made Ell-ie s-sa-ad?” Ettie asked, her brows furrowing as she processed what Sam had told her.

“Yes, yes he did. He made Ellie very sad,” Yvette replied.

This only made Ettie even more angry and she turned around with a huff before stalking off, likely in search of Leona. He didn’t have any right to make Morel sad, especially when she was so sweet and just wanted to be loved!

“Should we stop her?” Sam asked Yvette as they watched the short girl leave, bouquet in hand and definitely a few choice words in her mind for Leona.

“I don’t see how we could stop her, really,” Yvette replied. “Why don’t we just go to the bar? Morel isn’t in the mood and we’ll likely be killed a second time if we try to stop Ettie.”

“Fair enough,” Sam sighed as he and Yvette began to make their way to the bar. “I hope Ellie feels a bit better soon, being sad doesn’t suit her.”

Yvette nodded in agreement as Sam dragged her along as usual. Though she wanted to be next to Morel right now, she knew that it would only make the shorter woman even more upset.

She just hoped Leona would apologize before she and Sam decided to pay him a visit.

Shiptober 2024 Masterlist

Shiptober Taglist: @heartsparkart01, @astxrims

Let me know if you want to be a part of the Shiptober Taglist!!!

[phanfictioncatalogue]

Angst, Fluff, Smut (Combined) (5) Masterlist

part one, part two, part three, part four

A Royal Pain - jilliancares

Summary: Dan Howell is a prince. Unlike most, known for their benevolent behaviors and elegant manners, he’s known for his sullen mood and vituperative remarks. After all, being a prince is not much fun; not with the lack of friends and the abundance of dumb tasks, such as trying to find the perfect bride and hosting dinners with nobles. Dan only has one friend, a prince from the neighboring kingdom Leona, and his days improve greatly when Phil finally comes to visit. However, with Phil comes a variety of strange accidents, all of which putting Dan’s life in danger. Is someone trying to assassinate Dan?

All We Seem to Do Is Talk About Sex (ao3) - truerequitedlove

Summary: In which Dan’s got a boyfriend and a tongue piercing, and Phil’s got a weed hookup and an anxiety disorder. In high school, they were labeled “bad influences on each other,” maybe that would never go away.

An Angel To Chase The Devil At Night - camisadan

Summary: Based on the song Preacher by OneRepublic 

Butterfly (ao3) - A_Million_Regrets

Summary: Phil Lester, a lonely writer, finds a dying boy with beautiful black wings on a cold, rainy night in a dingy alleyway. He recognizes the boy as one of the winged men hated by human society. They are considered to be wild, ferocious beasts, but Phil's sympathy forces him to help the boy.

What happens when the boy, considered to be a wild beast, gets too attached and follows him home with an innocent, dimpled smile?

Desires (ao3) - A_Million_Regrets

Summary: What would you do if you were suddenly hauled from your inauspicious life and dumped into an unforeseen catastrophe with your worst enemy?

Dan Howell and Phil Lester completely and utterly hate each other. They fight every time they meet, and all of their friends are tired of it. But one day, these two hot-headed, reckless men stumble through a secret passage in a mysterious old house and wake up on a strange island uninhabited by other intelligent life forms. They only have each other and no way to escape. Will they fight to death, or will they learn to trust each other in a world where no one else exists? Can they put aside their mutual hatred for each other to survive this misfortune?

Do You Know How in Love With You I Am (Please Notice) (ao3) - phantasticworks

Summary: Dan works at a small paper company, but the brightside to this boring career is that his best friend Phil is just a few feet away at reception. The downside to this is that he's hopelessly, irrevocably in love with said best friend. Oh, and Phil is engaged, too

.A short little story about best friends, being in love, and pining hopelessly after the boy you think you can't have. But, don't worry, there's a happy ending in here somewhere.

Don't Ask Me How I've Been (Fake Happy) (ao3) - phantasticworks Summary: Dan Howell is an up and coming actor in a closeted relationship with a man who isn't ready to admit his sexuality. Phil is their Uber driver for a very important awards show. Things don't go exactly to plan, but maybe that's a good thing?

Based on the short film "Papercut" by Omad Productions (Somewhat, I got carried away)

Fallin' All In You (ao3) - phantasticworks

Summary: Dan is a Fallen Angel. He's been alone in life and death, but maybe this friendly blue eyed Angel is about to shake his world up a little.

Faux Piercings and Black Eyeliner (ao3) - orphan_account

Summary: Phil contemplated his options for a second before sighing and coming to terms with himself. He wasn’t really into the selection. It was mainly because the only lip rings they had were colored and not black and were also weird and not the same as the piece he had on his lip. Subconsciously, he grazed his piercing with his tongue and turned the display case to the other side as he took another sip of the drink in hand.

His brows furrowed as his eyes searched the new products in front of him. They looked rather weird, not even like piercings, well, not normal piercings. Phil reached out and yanked one from where it was hanging before bringing it close to read what they actually were.

‘Faux Piercing! Just Clip It And Go!’

Flight to Flight (ao3) - ShippingFangirl26 (IceQueenJules26)

Summary: Dan Howell, aspiring Ski Jumper, meets the handsome stranger Phil at an airport, and they hit it off immediately. But what he didn't know was that Phil was more than he seemed to be...

For me, For you, For us (ao3) - Jay_Maria

Summary: (TW) It's Phil's first day at Uni and all he's expecting is a quiet uneventful year filled with a lot of school work, new friends, and opportunities for his future.

However everything that he thought he knew changes when he meets Daniel James Howell, hands down the most beautiful person he has ever seen, Dan intrigues him from the very start

.Dan however, wants nothing to do with Phil, he's hiding a few secrets of his own and he seems to want Phil as far away from him as possible.

But when destiny pulls two people together, sometimes it's best not to stay away.

Hate Me Closer (ao3) - MySecretsX

Summary: Two boys, Dan and Phil, are both from reasonably different backgrounds. Dan's an English scholar from a lower-class family, whereas Phil's parents paid his way into the school with no trouble. But, they'd probably find they weren't so different if they gave each other a chance.

Auburn Independent School for Boys has eight houses, totalling 128 students per year. It's not an easy life for Dan or Phil, but sometimes there's fortune even in the worst of events. It just takes some wits to see it, and maybe a love interest or two.

Hold the Weight of Worlds (ao3) - letspartyrightnow

Summary: The curse could only be unleashed by a life being taken. Dan still remembered the blood, the screams, the terror in his mother’s eyes. The rush of power and strength that consumed him after, right when the curse was coursing through his body, and how it was unimaginable, painful, yet liberating.

That’s what scared him the most.

Ignorance is (definitely not) bliss (ao3) - RachelIsWriting

Summary: After Dan surprises Phil by agreeing to his stupid fake relationship plan to impress the bosses at his company we spend the week with them in New York. Where Phil tries desperately to think of everything but Dan, and Dan tries everything he can to make sure that doesn’t happen.

seasons change (ao3) - sadlybunny

Summary: The boy is irresistible. He’s got that “couldn’t be bothered” attitude that has always intrigued Phil, always made him want to know Danny a little bit better. Phil knows falling in love with his best friend’s younger brother is wrong. But he just can’t seem to do the right thing.

Stardust - echohowell

Summary: When Phil Lester sees a star fall from high up on a hilltop, he vows to do the impossible. Cross the wall and bring back the fallen star in exchange for Victoria Forester’s hand in marriage. When Phil finds the star, he is surprised to find it very much alive.Dan is a tiny bit pissed at having fallen from the sky. He’s even more pissed at the blue-eyed idiot who finds him lying on the scorched ground. Injured and with nowhere else to go, Dan agrees to accompany Phil to the wall.However, events are closing in around them. Rumours of immortality and power beyond imagining sweep the land, stirring terrible forces that are best left alone. Forces that will stop at nothing to get what they want.The shining heart of a fallen star.(Also known as the one where Dan is a star, there’s a bunch of witches who just want to devour his heart, Phil is a lovestruck fool and the moral of this tale is to always avoid Faerie Wine.)

The Literal Other Half (ao3) - Nefertiti1052 (Succubusphan)

Summary: Dan arrives at Manchester University and feels a bit lost, luckily he gets an upperclassman as a tour guide and mentor of sorts. Coffee dates, friends and a lot of laughter finally enter his life - along with love.

The Summer - auroraphilealis

Summary: Dan Howell has spent the last three summers at Camp Bergamot, but it’s never been quite like this before. This year, he faces a summer full of new friends, a new relationship, and an entirely new view on his own sexuality. Perhaps Camp Bergamot should be renamed camp self discovery  for all the changes Dan has gone through, but one thing’s for sure - despite all the hiccups and the drama, he just might have found the love of his life.

when it rains, it's lemon cakes (ao3) - gogystyle

Summary: "The thought of the boy quickly becomes one of his go-to fantasies, the thing that helps him get through the day, tethering him to reality and making it a bearable experience. And really, Phil thinks that it's a bit much to feel this way about what is, essentially, a complete stranger, but he's always been bad with fantasies, getting lost in them easily, head always filled with impossible scenarios and tender moments he'll never get to experience.

"Sneaking around. Crushed pastries at the bottom of the tray. Kisses at dawn and the impending threat of an arranged marriage.

Phil meets a tall stranger on a late-night rendezvous through the castle. What happens when that stranger's smile and laugh fill an entire room, burrowing besides Phil's heart and refusing to leave?

Your Soul know it belonged to me (2.0) (ao3) - Septic84

Summary: Everyone around them seems to see it easier than they do, and yet it takes a woman to spark the entire thing off.

Or the original:

It's obvious to strangers so why are they fighting it? They're grown up now and should both know the ending of this story.

This summary is awful.

[ayatoscupid]

just one thing i need

ocean (oc) x cain | 3.2k words | nonau, confession fic, cheesy fluff | warnings: slight mentions of christmas themes

note: based off of holiday cain's fate episode. ocean is my gbf oc, info coming… eventually! rhoswen is a friend’s danchou oc shipped with eustace.

a/n: *shits myself adn dies* will cain finally leave my brain after this (probably not)

“Hm… Did she hide the present somewhere? I really hope she didn’t bury it… I’d probably freeze before I could find it.” Cain sighs, the only sound he can hear from the top of this hill being his feet trudging in the snow and the chilling wind blowing past his ears.

Until he hears a sneeze somewhere.

He swivels around, scanning the area until he sees a silhouette nearby, basking in the moonlight.

‘Ah, that must be Pholia!’ Cain thinks, jogging up to the silhouette. He’s about to call for her when he sees the familiar tips of pinned back fox ears and hears a familiar voice, grumbling to themselves.

“Mmngh, what did Bai Ze tell me to wait here for… I’m gonna get frostbite out here…” Ocean sniffles, hugging themselves tight even with their abundance of layers on. “So much snow…”

“O-Ocean?” Cain halts, eyes widening. Already, his heart is beating a hundred miles an hour. “Is that you?”

Like springs, Ocean’s ears perk up straight on their head, and they turn to Cain with a bewildered look. Already their cheeks are burning with warmth, and if it weren’t for Cain being equally as shocked, he’d be chuckling at how cute it is. “C-Cain?! What are you doing here?”

“I could ask you the same thing.” Cain points out, walking closer to them. “I thought you were still busy with the mission with Rhoswen…”

Ocean pouts and tilts their head like a confused puppy. “Huh? That’s already done though.”

Cain blinks. How many surprises is he gonna get tonight? “Huh?”

“Mhmm. Pholia, Leona and Reinhardtzar helped us out, which made it a lot easier.” Ocean explains. “Since we were already done, I figured to stop by—b-because I wanted to check out the festivities, th-that’s all! But then Bai Ze took me here instead. Something about a special gift from Santa, or something…”

“I-I see…” Cain laughs bashfully, a little embarrassed that he was angsting over not being able to give Ocean their gift five minutes ago. They were already done this whole time… He blinks, putting two and two together. So everyone’s been helping out on the mission to get it finished a few days earlier? …Everyone? “Hold on. Did you say Leo and Reinhardtzar helped you too?”

Ocean pouts again. “Yeah?”

‘…Did they force a vacation on me so I could talk to Ocean?!’ Cain realises, absolutely mortified. ‘Does this mean they know about the present?! Uuugh, I was trying to keep it a secret, this is so embarrassing…’

“…Uuuh. Cainnn, are you okay?” Ocean calls out, waving their hand in front of his face. “You look like you’re about to pass out. Don’t get frostbite on me, you dummy.”

Cain snaps out of it and laughs, in a pathetic attempt to mask his embarrassment. “Y-yeah, fit as a fiddle! Don’t worry!”

Ocean pouts and goes back to hugging themselves. “Who even says ‘fit as a fiddle’ anymore… W-whatever, just don’t freeze to death. Are your clothes warm? They look good on you—” They choke on their words, burying their face so deep in their scarf Cain doesn’t see any part of it anymore, just a perfect half of hair and cloth. “B-but if you’re cold, c-cover up! Okay?!”

Cain’s laugh is genuine this time, an unspeakable fondness in his eyes from Ocean’s flustering and slip of tongue. “Don’t worry, my clothes are warm. Pholia had this outfit specially tailored for me.”

“I know.” Ocean replies, muffled into their scarf. “…I helped her and Leona make it.”

It’s Cain’s turn to fluster, cheeks and nose a glowing red even in the chilly evening air. “Y-you did?”

“Mhmm…” Ocean nods, turning their head away to feign sudden interest at a tree nearby. “I-I mean, I didn’t do much. I mostly just mailed sketches over to them. I didn’t even think I’d see you in it from how busy I am.”

Cain recalls a time he saw a few small packages sent to Leona from Ocean while sorting through the mail, and upon asking her about it, she stammered that it was nothing. “Oh. Well…” He chuckles sheepishly. “Thank you. I think it’s really nice. It feels refreshing to step out of my standard military clothes.”

Ocean nods. “You look good in more casual clothes.” Then, adorably, they fluster again, looking away with their cheeks searing. “Th-thanks to me, of course! And Pholia and Leona. Y-you should have more variety in your closet… a-and stuff…”

Cain laughs, nodding in agreement. “Maybe you can help tailor some more clothes for me?”

Ocean frowns at him, and even though he can’t see their eyes through their long bangs, he can feel their feline stare boring into him. “You’ll have to pay. My services aren’t always for free.”

“Of course. Just name your price and I’ll pay.” Cain replies smoothly, a charming smile on his face. Ocean hisses and looks away again, but there’s no mistaking the wavering frown on their lips and the heat all over their face.

“Ah! Since you’re here…” Cain suddenly remembers the small box in his pocket and takes it out, holding it out to Ocean. At least they won’t be able to tell how clammy his hands are from beneath his gloves. “I thought I’d have to pass this on to you through someone else, but here. I have a present for you.”

“…For me…?” Ocean mumbles, so small and uncharacteristically soft that Cain’s chest squeezes. As if they couldn’t get any more endearing, they take the box with both hands, cradling it with so much care. It’s almost as if Cain can physically see their eyes sparkling beneath their bangs. “Is it okay if I open it now…?”

“Go for it.” Cain smiles, sliding his hands in his pockets. “I really hope you like it.”

Admittedly, he’s extremely nervous. He wouldn’t be this nervous giving presents to anyone else—but Ocean isn’t just anyone else. He’s known that for a long time now, that his feelings for them aren’t like the feelings he’s felt for anyone before.

(“Wait, wait—Can you describe it again? How you feel around Ocean?” Leona had asked once, a long time ago, after Rhoswen and their crew had left Nalhegrande after a brief visit. Ocean included, which Cain felt a deep ache from.

“Huh? Well, um…” Cain scratched the back of his neck and sighed. “My chest squeezes, and I start getting really warm… I feel really happy, but also really weird. Like there’s something missing whenever I’m with them, and I want it really badly.”

A long silence had followed, blanketing the room in an awkward tension that Cain desperately wanted to cut through.

Reinhardtzar beat him to it. “You have got to be kidding me.”

Leona had burst into laughter, having to clutch her stomach from how boisterous it was, and Cain spluttered. “W-what?!”

“I really didn’t think you wouldn’t know! Ahhh, This is comedy gold!” Leona wheezed, wiping imaginary tears away. “You really haven’t figured it out?”

“I think he has.” Reinhardtzar squinted, smirking knowingly. “He just hasn’t admitted it to himself yet.”

He was right. Cain sank further into his seat, hiding his reddening face behind the collar of his shirt. He wasn’t a fool, but this experience was just… new, in an equally exciting and terrifying way. “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

“You’re head over heels in love, Cain.” Leona said straightforwardly, a warm little smile on her lips.

What she had said next would ring in Cain’s head constantly until he came to terms with his feelings, and started to gather the courage to make them known. “I’d know. I felt the same way around your brother.”)

Ocean opens the box to reveal his present: a bangle of beautiful stones, strung together with exquisite silk. They’re remarkably quiet as they stare at it, pocketing the box and examining the bracelet in their hands.

Nervous, Cain starts explaining himself. “I-it’s, um. It’s imbued with prayers said to protect the wearer from evil. The shopkeeper said it’s a popular gift for travelers.” He clears his throat, shifting from foot to foot. “The thing is, I…”

He licks his lips. Is he really ready to say it now?

“I miss you, sometimes.” He backs out of it at the last second. He knows he’s going to curse at himself for it later, but even just the thought of confessing now almost made him combust. “And I worry about you. I never want you to have to go through any dangerous life-or-death situations. I know you can handle your own perfectly well, but… I want to protect you anyway.”

He licks his lips, shoulders tensing up not from the cold, but from the effort to not just spill his entire heart right here. “But I can’t. I have to stay in Nalhegrande. …Truth be told, I want to join you back on the ship. I want to be with you—be, um, be there with you on your adventure. But until then… take this with you. As a good-luck charm from me, until I can be there and protect you.”

He takes a deep breath, immediately trying to offset his vulnerable confession with an awkward little laugh. Knowing Ocean like the back of his hand, he raises his hands in surrender, prepared for one of the feisty Erune’s light whacks. “Okay, now I know what you’re going to do. I know it’s really cheesy—”

“Thank you.”

“Eh?” Cain blinks, frozen in place.

“…Thank you.” Ocean says, softer. The bracelet is already wrapped around their wrist, and they’re holding it close to their chest, rubbing the silk between their fingers. They’re blushing and so, so visibly flustered, but they remain still. Flustered and blushing but not whacking Cain and running away, but standing still, like they don’t want to leave.

Cain realises that the trembling frown on their lips isn’t from their usual denial—it’s from their deepest emotions, prying between their walls to be seen.

“I really like it.” Ocean continues, squeezing the bracelet so close it could melt into their chest and nestle its way into their heart. “B-because it’s pretty, and um—…n-not just because it’s pretty. Because it’s so thoughtful, and because it’s from you.”

Before Cain can open his mouth to say something, Ocean clears their throat and shoves their hands in their pockets, fishing out a long black box and an envelope. They hold the present out to Cain, looking away. “H-here. I had something for you too.”

Cain takes the gifts, pleasantly surprised. As if he wasn’t shocked enough by Ocean’s rare moment of vulnerability, they had a gift prepared for him too? “I thought this outfit was your present for me!”

“Who says I can’t give you two presents?” Ocean huffs, crossing their arms.

Cain just chuckles and starts opening the envelope, to which Ocean wheezes and takes a step back. “Y-you’re gonna read it now?!”

Cain stammers, alarmed. “H-huh—Sorry, uh, I can read it when I’m back in Groz…”

Ocean worries their lower lip as Cain moves to open the box instead—until Ocean reaches forward to grab his wrists. “W-wait, read the letter now! I—I don’t wanna have to wait for your answer until we see each other again…”

Cain blinks for a few moments, before chuckling and nodding in understanding, bringing his attention back to the letter. “Okay, okay.”

“D-don’t read it out loud though, I don’t wanna hear how cheesy I am!”

“Yes, yes~”

Cain,

Captain Rhoswen told me that you usually write cards to greet people with their presents, so this is me writing one. Happy Holidays.

…Well, truth be told, I have a lot more to say than just that.

I know we exchange letters a lot, but I can never bring myself to say the one thing I want to say in those letters. I’ve been wanting to say that one thing for a long time now, but it takes a lot of my pride to say. It makes me shy, makes me want to whack something in frustration, makes me want to run away to try to burn off the sudden energy boost I get from it.

Ugh, I do those exact same things around you, you know.

I miss you a lot. That’s not that one thing I wanted to say, but it’s something I wanted to get off my chest too. Sometimes I wish you were here with us, on the Grandcypher. Sometimes I feel like there’s something missing without you here.

But whenever you are here, with me, that feeling is still there.

I know what that feeling means, and I know what’s missing. I see it every time I see Rhoswen and Eustace. I see it every time Leona talks about your brother.

I feel it every time I think about you.

Cain… I’m in love with you.

That’s the one thing I wanted to say.

Ocean

“…I-I—” Ocean blabbers, hiding behind their gloved hands. They’re still peeking from between their fingers, watching Cain’s unreadable expression. “T-to be fair! I-I didn’t think I’d be seeing you for a while—I thought next time I’d see you, I-I’d be more prepared for this! I planned to—t-to give this to Leona to pass on to you, and I’d s-spend the next few months mentally preparing myself for your answer. Ugh, m-maybe I should’ve just let you read it back in Idelva, I’m about to faint from nerves, this is so embarrassing—…C-Cain?”

Cain walks up to Ocean wordlessly, gently taking their wrists away from their face and leaning in to press his lips to theirs.

He feels Ocean freeze in place and lets go of their wrists, fully prepared for them to run away.

But it seems that they have another surprise up their sleeve, because they don’t. They reach out to tug Cain even closer by the collar of his coat, almost making him stumble. Cain makes a noise of surprise but quickly recovers, arms sliding around their waist to pull them into him. He can’t count how many times he’s thought of this, and can’t describe how much better it is in real life than in his dreams.

Ocean pulls away after several moments, having kissed Cain long enough for both them to pant softly, small puffs of air dissipating between their lips.

“…I can’t believe you beat me to it.” Cain laughs softly, gently squeezing Ocean’s waist. “I almost confessed while explaining my present.”

Ocean is silent for a few moments. Cain can see from this close, between the strands of their hair, the way they’re blinking profusely. They gently smack his chest, pouting. “Coward.”

Cain laughs louder. “I thought I wasn’t ready yet!”

He sees the way they look at him, a little guilty. “A-are you still not ready?”

Cain hums for a moment, feigning deep thought. Then, he reaches up to gently push Ocean’s bangs back and away from their face, so he can see their eyes and press a kiss to their forehead. “I’m more than ready to be with you.”

He doesn’t think he will ever get tired of the way Ocean’s striking red, feline eyes widen. Nor the way they open and close their mouth, trying to figure out what to say. They snap out of it after a moment, grabbing Cain’s wrist to keep it where it is. “W-wait. Keep that there.” They say, free hand reaching down to pull out a long hair clip from their pocket. They pin their bangs up to their hair and let go of Cain’s wrist, and Cain thinks they look beautiful.

“H-here.” Ocean mumbles, ears flicking in embarrassment. “Now you can kiss my forehead whenever you want. O-or, at least, until I take this thing off.”

Cain stands there for a few moments, stunned, before his heart bursts into glee in a delayed reaction. He grins wide, cupping Ocean’s cheeks and pressing kisses all over their face—their forehead, cheeks and nose, making them splutter and squirm around.

“C-Cain,” they stammer, but lean into it all the same, their embarrassment turning into delight as they start giggling, “W-wait, hehe, Cain—”

Cain interrupts them by pressing one, two, three quick pecks to their lips, before finally stopping and leaning his forehead against theirs. “Sorry.” He laughs. “I’ve just wanted to do that for a long time.”

Ocean smiles and it’s stunning—to see them so unashamedly happy, to see their eyes filled with enough warmth to melt the snow around them, to see them so in love. With him. “Well, now you can do it whenever I’m here with you.”

Their smile dims a little, and so does his. The cold breeze that brushes past them gives the reminder that they still have to spend a majority of their time apart. Cain’s happier than anything to just be with Ocean in the way he’s always dreamt of, of course, but he can’t help but be a little selfish and wish he could spend everyday with them in his arms like this.

“…Say…” Ocean hums, taking Cain’s hands and gently squeezing them. “Captain Rhoswen’s put me on a forced vacation of sorts for a couple of days. I didn’t want to go on one at first, but maybe… I can spend those couple of days with you?”

Cain blinks slowly, putting two and two together. The others can be so clever, can’t they?

He lets out a delighted laugh, picking Ocean up by the waist and hurrying down the snowy hill carrying them in his arms. They yelp and scramble to cling to him, arms and legs wrapped around him tight, but they laugh nonetheless. “H-hey! This is the second time you haven’t answered me properly, but I’m guessing that’s a yes?!”

“I’d spend every day with you if I could!” Cain confesses, practically yelling out his love out into the wind. “But for now, I’m just gonna make the most out of our vacation together!”

Ocean giggles loudly, burying their face in his neck to hide their goofy smile. They profess their love much quieter than Cain does, but he feels it in every crevice of his heart nonetheless. “You better not let go of me for this entire vacation, you dork.”

(“I can’t believe you forgot to open my other present, you dummy.” Ocean tsks, clasping the necklace around Cain’s neck before gently flicking the back of his head. “Rude.”

“Sorry, sorry, got too excited with your confession.” Cain laughs, fiddling with the necklace between his fingers. A precious stone dangles from it, red as striking as the eyes staring at him with nervousness.

“Do you like it?” Ocean mumbles, fiddling with their fingers.

“Of course I do. It’s pretty, and it’s from you.” Cain gives them a reassuring smile. “Does this stone mean anything in particular?”

Ocean lifts their wrist to point to the same stone woven into their newly gifted bracelet. “I’m pretty sure it’s the same one…”

Cain blinks rapidly. “Wait. Where did you buy it from?”

“Here, last time we visited Nalhegrande.” Ocean tilts their head, still seemingly oblivious to the puzzle pieces Cain is putting together. “I was actually already thinking of what to give you, so we went to the market and Captain recommended this stall selling precious jewelry imbued with pray…ers…”

They squint. “Did you get it from the same store?”

“Leo took me there.”

The gears turn slowly in Ocean’s head, and when they click, they gape and stand up in shock. “Those scheming pieces of—!”

Cain has to lean back on his chair from how boisterous his laugh is, slapping his knee. Maybe being obvious with his crush on Ocean did some good for him after all.)

[writingfool001]

*looks really hard at my upcoming therapy appointment* What would Newt!MC's funeral look like if they died in the twisted wonderland? WHAT WOULD HAPPEN TO THE MAGIC BEASTS?!

Welp, time to go put on my sad music and to get sad. Don't worry, I'm going to do a fluffy writing event with no angst.

Until we meet again (Reversed)

Warning: Heavy Angst (Grab the tissues), death of reader, long post, part of the What if A, horrible grammar, and idk what else, message me if you find something.

Newt!MC is inspired by Newt Scamander

Newt!MC Masterlist

Lilia sat back as his shoulders tensed and his hand dropped as well as his head. He turned back to Malleus and shook his head sorrily. He stood to tell Ortho that they found you as Malleus approached and carefully picked you up before taking your still body back to the others.

They were the last group to return with their heads hanging low as the others hurried to see you before noticing their dear friend not moving and the two Faes' expressions. Murderous cries and screams to pierce the silent atmosphere as hot tears dropped rolled down their faces as other mourned silently.

What if the end came faster? Too soon within a blink of an eye? Everything was once loud, came to a still silent time and all the vibrant colors gradually turned dull.

Malleus held you close before setting you down in the green grass before backing up for your creatures to approach. Pickett tried to lift your hand as well as a couple other creatures attempted the same or licking your face to get a reaction. Failing to do so, monstrous screams and shrill filled the tense atmosphere as they mourned for the person that cared for them passing.

The staff were broken up, seeing you lay there with a peaceful look on your face, and waited a while before starting to separate them and Trein casted a preserving spell so they could give you a proper burial.

Later that night, few slept and those who did, they slept in the company of their dormmates or friends. Others stayed up, staring up at the sky and letting their tears fall. The next couple of weeks would be rough for everyone, especially Grimm who refused to leave Ramshackle for a while.

A month later, there was a service arranged and a grave on the Ramshackle ground, somewhere sacred and closed off to the public. Many students from RSA and NRC attended as well as some of the students' families who met you. Cheka was holding Leona's hand tightly as he cried with the small vial of dried flowers in his hang, as well as staff of the academies. All wore black with various flowers and bouquets to place on your grave. Your creatures attended, grouping together on the other side of the crowd, and Dougal was at the front, acting as babysitter.

The staff decided that you would have a statue with your headstone on the base of it, giving everyone one last goodbye. Everyone who could pitch in for a gorgeous headstone for you as well as a beautiful statue that captured your warm and curious personality. The mirror began the service with a speech about who you were and how with each person you met, you were a light of hope before continuing. Once the mirror was done with their speech, they invited people to come up and tell stories about you. One by one, each person came up to tell the crowd about various memories and how you came crashing into their lives as well as helping even after everything. You never treated anyone or creature different, you always had room in your heart for them. Someone who could never find a monster that they couldn't love.

When it was time to say farewell, each individual came up either by themselves or with friends and family to say their last words. Others waited for the crowd to leave before saying their goodbyes and left their flowers with the many others on the steps of your statue.

As well for your creatures, each royal family or people in power made sure a sanctuary was built for your creatures within the correct habitat and were placed under protection of that kingdom or government. The sanctuary was named after and dedicated to you with a section that told visitors about your life.

Throughout the days and night, each one of or a small group of your friends would visit your grave. Each dorm leader took time out of their day and night to visit you and tell you about their day. The first-year group would come by at the end of each week to have dinner at your grave, even placing your favorite dish at your feet.

Riddle would come by and have tea with you as well as painting every other white rose while telling you about his week and ranting about the trouble Ace and Deuce would get into. Ace and Deuce would come together with Grim, spending each time as you all used to when you were still around. Later on Ace came by to say he finally took the position of Dorm leader with Deuce at his side as Vice Dorm Leader. Cater would come and give you all the spicy gossip around the school while Trey came to keep you updated about the suit group and clean you up. Chenya would visit whenever he slipped away from class.

Leona would nap in the shade of you while complaining/ filling you in on his family. Cheka would always ask Leona to go visit you whenever he visited his uncle. Ruggie would follow Leona and Cheka, and occasionally slip away from his errands to eat some donuts and talk to you. Jack would pass on his morning runs and always left a flower as well as asking for you to wish him luck on any of his competitions. He also asked for you to watch over when he became the dorm leader for Savanaclaw.

Azul would work on the bench and talk as if you were still there. Jade would drop by and leave some safe mushrooms planted. Floyd would always go and talk whenever he was in a mood. Sometimes, all three would come back from the beach with shells that they thought you would like. They have also taken a liking to Kelpie once both parties got used to the others' company.

Kalim would come with Cater and Lilia during club hours to share their recent development in their music and tell you how your creatures were doing. Jamil would often come find Kalim at your grave and would apologize for Kalim talking your ear off but would visit when he had time to have a one-on-one conversation with you.

Vil would work harder with his career in film and would come to also make sure the plants around you were well kept as well as beautiful because you only deserve the best, he would also come and rant about any of his problems before calming down and thanking you for listening. Rook would pass by and tell you about each of his finds and hunts as well as trips he took to the different places during breaks. Epel came by with the first-year group, but he would stop by to tell you about how things are with the farm and that his grandmother sends her hellos. He too would rant; he was there when he ended up becoming the dorm leader.

Ortho came by as well with the first years and would come by himself to tell you about what he and Idia were up to. he also told you about the progress they've made. He also used his cyborg suit to use and made sure your statue and bench were clean. At nights or during the middle of the day, Idia would show up to hide from others and say that he owes you one. He would tell you about his current game or show as well as the status of your creatures.

Sebek would come around and yell at students who dared to disrespect your grave. He would tell stories about you to others, good job, you've reached the ranks of Waka-sama. Silver would stop by and rest underneath the tree nearby and thank you for watching over him of any dangers during his naps. Lilia would stop by to also give you the hot gossip of the school and how malleus was doing. He also would scare students away from your grave if they got too close. At night, Malleus changed his route to stop by and have the usual nightly chats with you. He would also tell you about gargoyles and stories of his homeland. He wished you didn't leave this world so soon.

Crewel would stop by on his lunch breaks and socialize as well as rant to you. Trein would occasionally find Lucius at the foot of your statue and would apologize about you tripping over Lucius in the spirit world. He also brought his daughters along once and told them about you and would occasionally come read novels to you. Vargas would come by with eggs and ask jokingly if you're watching your health on the other side before laughing loudly. He would brag about you and your achievements to his future students. Crowley got better at being a headmaster and would come by, always apologizing for how he acted when you were around. He would tell you about the ramshackle and who took over your positions as well as bringing the new dorm leader to tell them about your legacy, hoping to spark a fire within their soul to strive to be a good person. Sam has friends on the other side who would keep tabs on you and Sam actually talked to you about things, telling you about watching all your friends during their time here.

Last, but not least, Grimm. He wouldn't come see you for a while until coming one day with the first-year group. He would come with Deuce and Ace every day. Even spent his lunch time here and went to class. He would show you how he's doing in the classes as well as brag about how great he has become. There were nights in which he slept in your jacket, curled up, whenever he had a bad dream, saying that he felt safe here in your presence like old times. You would always make sure he was covered and stayed till he fell asleep.

You smiled gently and were always there, listening to each one come by to visit. You watched each of them graduate and keep on with their lives, keeping an eye on each one. You watched Cheka grow up and get married as well as have kids while Leona would babysit the small cubs. You were remembered which caused you to be a spirit and stayed around till each one met their end, guiding them to the other side. After centuries, you mainly spent your time with Malleus and conversed with him as he laid in his bed, thinking out loud about how he would do anything to his child of man, one last time before closing his eyes. You held your hand out to him and chuckled at his astonished expression.

"What? I did say, ``Until we meet again, Tsunotarou."

I'm not going to stop writing for Newt!MC, not for a while. So, you all are stuck with me and my writing about them.

[lowkeyclueless5137]

Some ansty angst today

Yesterday, @spirtworld wanted for me to unleash some raw Floyd angst into the wild and see how everything will go down... So here we go :3

This is one of my favorite headcannon-theories that will play as a base in here, even if I believe it was debunked to not be real... But... Lemme have it... Because yes... It was inspired by some pretty fanart on pinterest, but I lost the links ;-;

I wrote this on discord... Explaining it in depth and how dark it could get...

But we aren't getting into the dark part for now :3

We will have a tiny weny oneshot of how everything played out after I explain everything.

Also... This might be hints about my pttw comic... So if you wanna figure it out... Go ahead and read it...

But if you don't want some slight spoiler hints... I recommend you shouldn't read it...

That was a warning!

Under the cut I'll explain it. (copy pasted from my notes and edited accordingly)

Anyway!

I headcannon heavily that Floyd is actually really aware of his public image. Like he is aware people fear him, he is aware other students would rather dig their own graves than hang out with him... He has that scary aura around him.

And that is a thing Floyd hates, because this is exactly a trait of the Diasomnia students... He tries his best to be playful and snuggle himself into social circles, but he does not really succeed so easy, which makes his moods to alter more, yet Floyd sees how Jade and Azul manage so well to blend in, making him a bit envious.

Because they were since start in Octavinelle (here's where the theory comes :3)

My theory is this: Floyd was sorted at first in Diasomnia (I say it because he really fits the vibe of scary, but actually a quirky guy)

But imagine how the world would crash onto him once he hears that. That Azul, his dear friend that even changed and grew before Floyd's own eyes and Jade, his own twin, his half, his family, the 2 most precious of persons Floyd ever had in his life... To be separated from him in a different dorm. That's how he made that commotion at the sorting ceremony, getting on Riddle's nerves and having his first taste of the 'off with your head'.

He started to feel conscious of his appearance, of his public image since that day. He didn't want to talk with silver(his roimmate) at all. He didn't want to get out of bed, he didn't want to eat, he didn't even want to touch his magic pen. He would even resort to running away and breaking into Octavinelle just to be with Jade and Azul.

Just to try and feel like he belongs somewhere, where he is actually loved for who he is.

Azul wasn't ignoring any of this. He was really concerned. And while Jade was aiding to his brother's pitiful state, Azul was trying his best, skimming through everything and putting all of his efforts into finding something that would priquire Malleus's interest enough, so he could trade it for his approval of moving Floyd into Octavinelle.

Azul tricked his way and made his reputation of being 'shady' just to become Dormhead and have the authority necessary to get Crowley and convince Malleus to let Floyd transfer to Octavinelle.

All, of course in the best of discrecy.

Of course this incident was hidden and most of the students remember only that Floyd caused a stirr at the ceremony just because he angered Riddle. No one actually paid mind to which dorm Floyd was sorted.

But Floyd couldn't shake that feeling that he doesn't belomg in there... He hates that he feels like he doesn't fit.

He hates himself for not making enough efforts to fit.

And sometimes, when emotions drive him off, his magic pen will turn a bright green instead of the usual white gem, typical Octavinelle, which would scare him, thinking that he'll have to go back in Diasomnia.

Jade forgot about the incident and decided that it was better if it wasn't brought anymore. Azul was keeping the contract(which wasn't out of his um) with Malleus and Crowley about the transfer, buried deep in the safe of his office.

Now imagine chapter 3... But Leona and Ruggie get their hands into that transfer contract too. And by destroying it, they force Floyd to go back to Diasomnia unknowingly.

Now let's see the little oneshot:

~~~~~~

Blot

Chaos

A mess everywhere you would look. That's how one would describe the scene left behind Azul's overBlot. One would expect that the Dormhead of Octavinelle wouldn't spiral in such a ravenous crying fit for just a contracts. And even after he was brought back to normal, Azul scrambled, under everyone's judging glares, to the pile of golden sand, grabbing it and digging through it.

He was desperate. There must be in there! There must be at least a little intact piece he could use magic to restore it. No? It has to be!

"Azul! Azul! Snap out of it! Look at me..." Jade was the first one who grabbed his friend by the shoulders, shaking him to gain his attention. Floyd was right next to Azul, getting a more firmer grip onto him than his twin, to have Azul in a somewhat reassurance, which didn't work.

"I-it's gone... It's destroyed... We lost it... We can't retrieve it... It's gone!" Azul started to mumble as his inky tears were rolling over his cheeks, the boy leaning onto Floyd as he was crying silently, mumbling in between heavy breaths about 'the lost object'.

Jade looked at the pile of sand, then at Floyd. At the poor clueless Floyd. Eyes landed onto his twin's breast pocket before teeth grittered with anger.

Getting up in a flash, Jade grabbed Leona by the neck. "Do you even realise what you've done?! ANSWER ME!" the boy screamed, which was a shock for everyone. Jade usually was the more collected one, yet right now, the eel was seconds away from just leaving Leona headless for real.

"Jade! Stop it! What has even gotten into ya?!" Floyd had to leave Azul's side to stop his brother as the others joined in separating the 2. Jade was struggling under the other's grip, trying to get his hand onto Leona, with a deep rage bubbling under his skin.

"oh... Did I come at the wrong time?" a voice piped in.

Azul froze in place as well as Jade, both of them eyeing Lilia with sheer fear. This was really happening. "What's the silence for? I thought you would be more happy to see me..." Lilia mumbled. "What's with you in here? The lounge's closed..." Floyd mused, still clueless.

"Oh... Dear... You don't know? I came to pick you up..."

Words that sunk into Floyd's mind like an arrow. His stomach was burying itself and his heart was squeezed in fear at those words coming from Lilia's mouth. "This is a joke... No? Jade? Azul? It's a joke... Right? It's a bad joke, guys..." Floyd said with a strained smile.

Yet Azul only looked down as well s Jade. "I am... So sorry, Floyd... I did everything I could..." Azul mumbled through tears. Jade only was silent as he made a small motion to his breast pocket, where his magic pen was. Floyd followed with his hand the said gazes that were targeted to his own pocket, fearfully touching his pen and getting it out. Tears were building in his eyes as Floyd lowered his own gaze onto the said pen.

The gem was green... A bright green Floyd oh so feared.

"No... Nonono... This can't be... You promised me... You told me we will be forever together... Right?" The boy said as tears stained his cheeks, falling on the ground. The silence though, was enough to shatter Floyd's heart.

"Floyd... I-" "No... You promised me, Jade! WHY WOULD YOU LIE TO ME?!" Floyd screamed as he pushed away his twin's attempt at a hug, then throwing his own pen on the ground. "I'm sick of this pity! Just leave me alone! All of you!" The boy declared as he turned onto his heel and ran away from Octavinelle.

"Vangrouge... Please... There must be a way to keep him..." Azul begged, on his knees, to the said Fae. "I am afraid the terms of the contract were all broken... I cannot do anything about it..." Lilia mused with a sigh. Jade only hugged Azul, caressing gently the head of the other to attempt at calming down the crying male. "Everyone... I advise you to get out immediately... Octavinelle will no longer welcome guests from other dorms for the rest of the day." The vice mused as he shooed away everyone. Lilia though, stood at the same spot.

Exhaling, the Fae crossed his arms. "It's pitiful from you... Such a sight..." "You have no words in this..." Jade snarled back. "You will have to embrace it... For his own good..." Lilia mused. Azul only wiped his tears with a trembling arm as he looked at Jade.

"He will have to accept it... Weather Floyd likes it or not..."

~~~~~~~~~

That's it for today :D

*hands tissues*

And here for y'all :3

[rere-the-writer]

Part one

Title: Be mine; Planning a marriage

Summary: Rebekah took it upon herself to plan Elijah's wedding while Leona is seemingly not caring for the whole thing and Elijah gets a taste of just what it is like to have a Mob boss for a wife.

Pairing: Elijah Mikaelson x OC

Warnings: Fluff, Mob stuff, Some angst, Elijah trying to be a loving husband, Leona is no good with feelings

Rebekah huffed seeing Leona working and not going to the wedding dress fitting that the vampire had scheduled for the Mob boss instead the blonde was in her office speaking in Italian as she was on the phone.

Leona looked at Rebekah hanging up the phone looking at her soon to be sister-in-law who stared the human down.

"Here to get me to agree to that dress fitting?"

"Yes! Why aren't you planning anything!?"

"Because I don't care. Look Rebekah, it is adorable that you and Elijah are hellbent to get me excited for this. But this is just a deal, just two people doing business."

"But you are going to be family and Elijah is going to be adoring you." Rebekah tells the mobster pulling a sigh from her, Leona got up knowing Rebekah won't let it go.

The human had only been engaged to Elijah for a month and both Rebekah and Elijah have been planning the wedding.

While Elijah had been nothing but good to the woman seemly trying to win her over with gifts and soft affections, Elijah had moved into her home so new Leona came home to a nice cooked meal and a warm body.

"See, this isn't so bad." Rebekah tells Leona as the woman wasn't really listening to the vampire as she was staring at the dress that she wore.

It was a gorgeous white mermaid with long flowing lace sleeves tastefully low cut and backless, the bodice was beaded with soft pink gems with a long train vail and beautiful tiara. Leona thought she looked like a bride as a unfamiliar emotion bubbled in her chest.

"This dress will do." Leona said pushing away whatever she was feeling as Rebekah watched her with a knowing look in her eyes, Leona had spent the day with Rebekah just doing bride things when she got a call that Elijah had been taken.

"Alonzo, what is all this?" Leona asked eyes narrowed seeing Elijah on his knees hands tied behind his back, suit bloody as Elijah looked over his fiancee seeing her deadly calm demeanor as there was a flickered of anger in her normally beautiful calm blue eyes.

"You choose to marry this man?! I have made many many offers to marry you!" Alonzo said voice shaking with anger as he pointed a gun to Elijah's head while Leona lit a cigarette and her right hand man, Angelo, stood next to her.

"Oh dear Alonzo, has your father taught you nothing? Always bring men to a meeting." Just as Leona that, Giovanni had grabbed the man into a choke hold as Angelo walked up untieing Elijah placing him in the back of the car.

"Boss?"

"Put him in the trunk, Alonzo needs a lesson on not touching what is mine. Also burn his car, send a massage." Leona said getting in the car after Elijah as the men did as told. The car rode home was quiet and Leona shooed people away and took care of Elijah. The boss had sat Elijah down on a stool as she began to clean him up.

"You are being soft."

"You are Klaus's brother, just protecting my deal." Leona said cleaning Elijah's face seeing most of his wounds had healed as Elijah leaned in cupping her cheek as Leona felt her cheeks warmed as Elijah's breath hit her lips.

Chocolate brown met light blue as Leona gripped his shirt trembling feeling Elijah grab hold of her hips getting closer to kiss her but the blonde was snapped out of the trace by a phone ringing.

"Hello?" Leona answered pulling away from Elijah who frowned hearing her begin to speak Italian with whoever called as Elijah thought he was finally getting somewhere with Leona.

"My little brother is coming to the wedding....how did your sister get hold of his number?" Leona asked hanging up as Elijah found it hard to read her as her tone was even. Elijah looked at his hands then to her back smiling gently when she turned around staring at him.

"Rebekah has her ways. Are you angry?" Elijah asked watching her closely as Leona thought over his words as she wasn't angry just annoyed with how much Elijah was taking this seriously and hated the feelings Elijah made her feel.

"No....it'll be nice to see Elio again." Leona said walking pass Elijah heading up to her bedroom leaving behind a every pleased Elijah.

"You and Elijah seem to be getting cozy."

"Yes, Klaus. Please come in." Leona said annoyed rolling her eyes as she was working when the vampire walking her office, Klaus smirked sitting in a empty chair watching the mobster. Angelo walked in pausing seeing Klaus but continued leaning down whispering something in the boss's ear then walked out.

"I must thank you for saving my big brother."

"Just protecting my deal with you."

"You're a survivor, aren't you Miss Valentine? Pushing Elijah away so he doesn't get too close." Klaus says smirking making the woman look at him with narrowed eyes and hid how well Klaus's words were correct.

Leona leaned back against her chair looking at the vampire wondering why the Mikaelsons were pushing her to be affectionate to Elijah, to play the role of a loving wife.

"Why does it matter? This marriage is nothing but a business deal between you and I. Love is not part of the deal so Elijah will have to get use to a wife not caring."

"And if my brother takes a lover?" Klaus asked searching for any sign that Leona could have some form of affection for Elijah. Leona paused feeling a bit of jealousy and hurt bubble in her chest but killed that feeling real quick.

"So? I won't stop him." Leona says getting back to work as Klaus studied her a bit more before standing up to leave.

"Keep telling yourself that....sister." Klaus said walking out as Leona paused at Klaus seeing that he left and her chest began to ache. The blonde pushed away the wanted feelings and just hoped she could get though her own wedding.

[hanafubukki]

Convert Anon💜 here!!

Honestly Lilia and Malleus with kids is such a cute thought and imagine if they’re a mix of you two together and now im remembering your thing with Lilia’s daughter and it’s such a cute sight and 10/10 give Lilia more kids

If you write it into existence i will read it, cry, and of course like and reblog and i would love it and also that means after the pain you gotta get some fluff and its a win win for us

We get your amazing content, you get to hurt us

Cheka has decided he no longer wants to be the youngest royal, he also wants his favourite uncle to have a big family

And Leona,,,, stop that smirking,,, its making me blush,,,, stop— well at least put a ring on it first Leona

Ruggie shall always get to be happy and warm inside and any one who dares to hurt my loveable Hyena boi gets to see why a hyena bite is worse than a lions

Cue to me and Jack just cuddling under a tree and having a picnic and the other first years spying on us cause Ace and Deuce feel like they’re family so that have to make sure it’s all good and Epel’s here for the chaos and Sebek was dragged along to hold onto the braincell(he lost it btw)

Oh no- imm running away from Rook-

dont tempt me Convert 💜 anonie, dont tempt me. that story still lives on in my head and ioiddsnkjnd! I definitely would. I love to think of domestic moments in that fic and klsdjdjksjdfds it lives there rent free. Thank you for liking it 💕💜

👀👀👀 I am very very tempted... I just might honestly. especially if book 7 is going to deal with lifespans and living in the moment and making memories, I can honestly say I would write it to get my angst feelings out.

noooo convert anonie, I dont want to hurt you jksjskjjdfkfjk no hurting my readers jdkkldlfd fluff, I like fluff or somewhat fluff in my stories (says I who always have angst thoughts/ideas in her head 😂😂)

but also jksdjkjkjjskjf thank you! your compliments always goes straight to my heart 🥺😭🥰

lmfaooo tell that to cheka and now leona has to deal with that and also cheka telling his parents and next thing you know Leonas phone is blowing up lolol

ace and deuce are the bro, so they must make sure jack is treating you well. grim is somewhere knocked out 😂

Rook likes the chase 😂😘

[thatringboy]

Sea of Thieves - TWST AU

Based off of @ihavebecomeapenguin‘s Role Swap AU where the First year gang and their respective dorm heads all swap years! This is my second attempt at writing this fic, so I hope you enjoy!

Word count: 2,130 (another record???)

Warnings: Cursing, fight scenes, Azul Angst because this is chapter three

Getting the leader of Savanaclaw to agree with their plan was easy enough for Yuu Prefect. Jack seemed to have the idea in his head that he was obligated to help the Ramshackle student because of how the recent overblot incident went down. Yuu didn’t dislike the help they were receiving, but Jack’s insistence that they slept in his dorm while Yuu fought to get Ramshackle back from the Octavinelle leaders was a little much.

However, convincing their new friend Leona would be a much more difficult ordeal.

“That has got to be the stupidest plan I’ve ever heard.”

“Well I don’t see you coming up with any ideas! I’ve only got a few hours left!” Yuu leaned against the door as Leona flipped the page on his magazine.

“It’s not really my problem, Herbivore.” He sighed and adjusted how he laid on his bed. “What could I do?”

Yuu stood up straight. “What’s wrong with you? You were all up for raiding the vault before, what’s changed now?”

Leona shut the magazine and tossed it aside, crossing his arms and sitting deeper into his pillows. “I don’t know, maybe I’m just tired of getting my ass handed to me by walking sushi!”

Grim snorted on Yuu’s shoulder, but the Prefect was not amused. “It’s a shame, really,” they began, “Think about how people will react when they hear that the second prince of the Afterglow Savanna turned his back on his friend. What would your nephew think of that?”

Yuu knew they struck a chord deep within Leona. He was on his feet in an instant and if looks could kill, Yuu would be dead where they stood. The beastman scowled at the human before him. “Fine, but we do this my way. Your plans suck.”

Yuu’s face formed a mischievous smile. Azul Ashengrotto had crossed a line and by the Seven there would be hell to pay. Oh yes, everything was coming together nicely.

~~~

Riddle paced back and forth and twiddled his thumbs while Trey cleaned his glasses again.

“I have a bad feeling about this--”

“You always have a bad feeling.” Trey put his glasses back on.

“No, seriously! What if Trappola-Senpai finds out that we’re gone? What if we’re too late? What if Leona doesn’t agree to help the Prefect? What if we’re caught out of bed? What if--”

Trey held up a hand. “Riddle, please. Everything is gonna be ok. Just breathe and let the chips fall where they may. Speaking of which...”

The mirror to Savanaclaw lit up and four people stepped out. Leona and Yuu approached the Heartslabyul first years while Ruggie and Jack hung back, already filled in.

As Yuu explained the plan, Riddle’s nervousness slipped away. That is, until his part in the operation was explained.

“You want us to do what?” Riddle’s eyebrows shot up.

Leona smirked. “What, you scared or something?”

“N-No!” He turned bright red. “I just don’t know if I have the skills to pull this off.”

Trey put a hand on his shoulder. “You’ll do fine.”

“Thank you, Trey.”

Grim gagged, the anemone on his head wobbling. “Ew! Get a room, you two!”

Leona reached over and flicked the blue appendage. “Shut up, be glad they’re here.”

Yuu rolled their eyes. “So, then everyone knows their parts? Good, then we can get going. The sooner we finish this, the better.”

The first years nodded and passed around the potion that would allow them to breathe underwater. Jack and Ruggie disappeared back into their dorm’s mirror while Yuu and company approached the dark mirror.

In a second, they found themselves in the Coral Sea near the Alantica Memorial Museum. As per usual, a merman guard was posted outside the door. The group looked around for the infamous Leech twins and swam towards the building when they saw that the coast was clear.

Yuu might have had their iconic resting bitch face plastered for their friends to see, but the fact that no one had tried to stop them yet worried the Prefect. Trey swam ahead of the group and approached the guard while the others took cover behind a rock. Yuu could hear Trey spit out a convincing lie about wanting to explore the Museum, only to be denied by the guard. Of course, this was expected and Trey struck up a conversation between the guard, giving a small signal that it was okay for his friends to make a break for the door.

They swam behind the guard while he was distracted and pulled at the entrance, only to discover that it was locked. Leona rolled his eyes and pushed up his sleeve, activating his Unique Magic.

“I am hunger, I am thirst, I am that which steals your tomorrow. Now kneel before me, Kings Roar.”

The door handle turned to sand and he pulled the door open, earning a glare from Riddle. They swam inside the door while Trey continued to keep the attention of the guard. Yuu had to admit Trey’s ability to lie on cue was unsettling, but not unwelcomed.

Finding the picture Yuu risked their dorm for wasn’t a hard task. However, they’d forgotten that the only other reasonable person was still outside sweet talking the guard, so you can imagine how Yuu felt when Riddle took his magic pen and smashed the glass casing around the photo without a second thought.

An alarm went off somewhere in the building and it occurred to Yuu that the last time they were here, there were two guards. A Merman in armor swam around the corner and almost called for backup, but Leona gave him a swift kick to the head and knocked him out.

Maybe hanging around with himbos isn’t such a bad thing. Yuu thought to themself. They almost laughed at the mental image of calling Leona a himbo, but remained focused on the situation at hand. The four swam back out of the Museum and signaled for Trey to wrap up the conversation that he was way too invested in.

They made their escape and began to swim back to the mirror spot, but two dark shadows in the water blocked their path. The Leech brothers eyed the photo in Riddle’s hand with amusement and smiled, calculated toothy grins. Floyd’s voice ripped through the cold water and sent chills down the spines of the first years.

“That doesn’t belong to you, Shrimpy-Chan~”

~~~

Azul watched the first years sneak through the mirror and instructed the twins to give them an hour to retrieve the photo. What he hadn’t seen was the Savanaclaw leadership watching him from their respective mirror.

The Octomer returned to the Mostro Lounge and felt that the establishment lack a certain atmosphere, but then remembered that the Leech twins were off preparing to collect on his most recent contract. He kept himself busy and waved the twins off when they departed, but found his tasks boring when they left.

The Lounge didn’t open for a few minutes, but Azul could see a line forming outside. He grabbed a first year from Scarabia that he had enslaved was helping out that day and positioned him to be the host. The doors opened and Azul noticed that a large amount of customers were from Savanaclaw, but thought nothing of it.

He returned to the VIP room and checked his phone for messages before sitting down behind his large desk. Azul looked over the papers on his desk and noticed that jade had dropped off collateral on a recent contract. Azul spun around in his chair like a supervillain - which he privately enjoyed doing - and stood to open his vault. He had barley cracked the door open when a first year from his own dorm stepped into the VIP room looking distressed.

“What could possibly be so important that you come in here unannounced?”

“It’s a mad house out there, Senpai!” The first year was out of breath,

“Excuse m--”

“There’s too many of them, we can’t keep serving them!”

“Show me.”

Azul followed the first year out to the Lounge’s restaurant area and stopped. Those students from Savanaclaw who were crowding the door? They had taken up every seat! They were yelling and cursing out his waiters and throwing glasses and sending back food they deemed inedible! And of course, the smug faces of Ruggie Bucchi and Jack Howl leaned against the door frame without a care in the world.

“Mister Howl, what is the meaning of this?” Azul tried his hardest not to scream in frustration.

“That’s Howl-Senpai to you, tentacles!” Ruggie snickered.

“I haven’t the slightest idea what you mean.” Jack had a smug expression.

Someone called Azul’s name from the kitchen and yelled that they needed assistance. Jack’s smile turned sinister. “That sounds urgent, you wouldn’t want to upset your customers, would you?”

Azul’s face burned red as he struggled not to explode on them. After all, he had a reputation; one bad day couldn’t ruin that. But he did find it suspicious that this happened as soon as the twins had left. Azul returned to the kitchen and kept his eye on the Savanaclaw leaders until he stepped behind the swinging door, narrowly running into a Heartslabyul student carrying a tray of tea.

Once he was gone, Jack nodded to Ruggie and the second year made a break for the VIP room. Phase one was complete.

~~~

If this was any other circumstance, Yuu would say that the eels swimming around them was majestic. However, in this moment, Yuu struggled not to show fear.

“What should we do with the little Shrimpy and Koebe-Chan and Lionfish and their little friends, Jade?” Floyd’s nicknames for them made Riddle flush.

“I don’t know, what if you gave them a squeeze?” Jade swam a little too close to Leona and almost got slashed across the face by long nails. Yuu looked to the Heartslabyul duo and nodded. The two had their pens out in a flash and went back to back. This part of the plan required concentration and almost perfect timing. If one of them messed up, they may just become fish food.

Floyd caught on to what they were doing. “Hah! What, is little Koebe-Chan going hit me with his little necklaces?”

Riddle turned even more red, but surprisingly didn’t lash out. Yuu looked over for a second and noticed that Trey was holding his hand to keep him calm. Yuu turned their attention back to Jade as Leona swiped at him again. Leona attempted to fire a bolt of magic at him, but Jade was too quick, easily avoiding and laughing at the attempt.

Yuu grabbed Leona’s sleeve. “Floyd’s magic! We can’t touch them!”

Leona swung his head around, smacking Grim in the face with his ponytail, and snarled at Trey and Riddle. “Hurry up, goddamnit!”

Riddle broke his concentration and glared at Leona. “I’m doing my best you useless pussy!”

Trey and Yuu made eye contact and knew that the plan was falling apart. Trey rolled his eyes and pointed his wand at Floyd. “Oh for the Seven!”

He activated his Unique Magic and suddenly Floyd’s smile fell. His multi colored eyes widened with rage and Trey gulped. “Riddle, now!”

Riddle spun around and pointed his pen at Floyd as well. “Don’t tell me what to do! Off with your head!”

The all too familiar clicking sound could be heard and Floyd grabbed at his neck. Riddle’s iconic neck lock was holding onto the merman and based on the violent thrashing from Floyd, it wasn’t budging. Floyd glared daggers into Riddle and lunged at him with a loud shriek, but Leona had crossed the distance between them and booted him in the side of the head.

“Floyd!” Jade rushed to his brother’s side and was relieved that Floyd was only knocked unconscious. He looked at the first years and down at the neck brace on his twin. “Just... go.”

They didn’t hesitate to swim back to the mirror spot and teleport back to Night Raven College. When they had finally caught their breath from swimming so fast, Riddle look down at his hands.

“I.... I just used my magic to harm an upperclassman. Leona, you kicked an upperclassman in the head!”

“Yeah and I’ll do it again.” Leona picked between his teeth with his pinky finger. Yuu looked at Trey. “So, how did you do that? The plan was for you two to cast that combo spell that Crowley showed you.”

Trey rubbed the back of his neck. “Well, I panicked and realized that my Doodle Suite might have been able to make Floyd-Senpai’s shield just not work.”

“Genius, even for a human like you!” Grim jumped onto the green haired boy’s shoulder with a smile.

“Thank you?”

“Don’t take that as a compliment!” Riddle squinted his eyes at Grim. Leona pulled out his phone and was amazed that it wasn’t dead. “So, Jack and Ruggie-Senpai should be done by now, should we head over to the Lounge?”

Yuu sighed and realized how tired they were. “Let’s.”

~~~

When he managed to get the last beastman out of his restaurant, Azul almost collapsed against the door. He got to his feet and almost stumbled back to the VIP room, but stopped dead in his tracks. His blood turned to ice and his glasses fell off his face. Azul made an undignified sound and spun around, discarding his glasses in his haste. He tore down the hall back to the Lounge, leaving the VIP room and the open, empty vault within.

Azul threw open the doors to the Lounge and saw Ruggie leaning against a wall, cleaning out his teeth with a toothpick.

“What have you done?!” Azul’s voice was nothing more than a hushed whisper.

Ruggie ignored him. “You know, I tried takoyaki for the first time today, it wasn’t as bad as I thought it would be.”

Azul turned a furious red. “You mangy beast! Where are they?!”

“Is that any way to talk to a classmate, Azul-kun?” Jack stepped out from behind a corner, a large stack of yellow papers in his hands. “I thought that you would have more tact.”

The Octavinelle student glared daggers into Jack’s soul. It was a little unsettling. The beastmen could just feel the anger seething out of him. Footsteps could be heard approaching the three.

“I can’t wait to see the look on that Octo-punk’s face when we give him the stupid photo!”

“I’ve never said anything bad against an upperclassman before, but I hope he looses it!”

“Like how you lost it with Floyd?”

“Shut up, or I’ll forcefully remove that anemone myself, you little beast!”

The first years turned the corner Jack was standing behind and stopped. Yuu held up a preemptive hand to stop any wise comments about Azul’s clearly enraged behaviour. With their other hand, they held out the photograph. “Here, so you can’t say we didn’t pull through our end of the deal.”

Azul just stared at the photo and began to laugh softly. “You... You think you’ve won? You steal my contracts, you destroy my Lounge and you bring me my photo to rub it in, huh? I see the twins have failed yet again.”

“Yet again?” Called a voice from down the hall. The students present turned their heads to see the human forms of the Leech brothers coming their way. Floyd still had Riddle’s neck lock on and held an ice pack to his temple.

Jade’s eyes looked Azul up and down. “It seems you’re the one who failed here.”

Azul scoffed. “Oh please, I gave you one task: keep them from returning the photo to me! You couldn’t even do that!”

Floyd stood up taller and took the ice pack away from his head. “You know, I don’t like that tone you’ve got. Makes me want to squeeze it out of you.”

Azul seemed to mentally backpedal. “Well, what I meant to say was--”

Jack waved the contracts in the air to get the mermen’s attention. “Do you want these or not?”

Azul’s anger turned to desperation. “Yes! Hand them over this instant!”

“No I don’t think I will.” Jack sneered. Yuu realized that he was just toying with Azul. They almost felt bad for the second year dorm head, but at the same time, he had enslaved over two hundred students simply because they wanted a cheat sheet for finals. Jack looked over the documents in his hand and passed them to Leona. “Do what you want, I just wanted to see him squirm.”

Leona gladly took the contracts and Yuu realized what he was about to do. They made no move to stop him, but Jade’s eyes opened uncharacteristically large.

“I am hunger, I am thirst, I am that which steals your tomorrow. Now kneel before me, Kings Roar!” 

The golden contracts crumbled into sand between his fingers. Azul shrieked again and fell to his knees, watching as Leona kicked the pile of sand at his feet to solidify that the papers were gone. Yuu looked to Grim and saw that the anemone on his head was gone, however the next sound Azul made got them to return their focus on the situation.

“You... you monsters!” Azul slowly got to his feet.

“Yeah what?” Grim grinned. “You gotta be a bit more specific.”

Leona rolled his eyes and turned to go. “C’mon, I’ve got practice to get to. I don’t wanna throw a pity party for that mess.”

Riddle raised his pen and the neck brace around Floyd vanished. He rubbed his neck and smiled at Riddle. “Thank you, Koebe-chan! No hard feelings for trying to eat you?”

Riddle made a disgusted face that Trey snorted at. Azul watched them start to leave with horror in his eyes. “No, wait! Fix this mess! Grim, I helped you pass your exam!”

“You also used me as a sponge!”

Floyd pursed his lips and crossed his arms. “You’re acting pretty lame right now, you know that right?”

Jade nodded and shrugged his shoulders. “Desperation isn’t a good look for you.”

Azul looked around for something, anything to make the situation better. Yuu sighed. “Azul, you did this to yourself. Now, if you excuse us--”

Azul got to his feet with a strange expression on his face. “Wait wait wait wait wait wait wait! I can turn this around! Just watch, I’m not boring at all!”

The door to the Mostro Lounge creaked open and a timid looking Scarabia student stepped out, patting his head where Yuu assumed an anemone had been resting. Azul reached out his hand and a small ball of light flew out of the chest of the poor student and into Azul’s. He stood up with a crazed smile and looked around the group as the Scarabia boy collapsed.

“See?! I may not be what I once was, but I am still leagues above you all!”

Leona groaned and spun around on his heels. “Okay, now you’re taking this too far--”

He was interrupted by Azul’s laugh and a snap of the second year’s fingers. Ruggie pushed Leona down and the ball of light Yuu assumed was Ruggie’s magic flew to Azul. Jack pulled out his staff and growled as he watched Ruggie faint.

“You’ll pay for that, Ashengrotto.” He snarled.

Azul’s laugh grew dark and menacing. “Oh really, Jack-Senpai?”  the title oozing off of his tongue like poison. “Why don’t you just lighten up and Dance with me!”

Jack dropped the staff and became rigid, but soon regained control of his body. Azul turned to Floyd, who’s eyebrows were furrowed in concentration. All of the commotion had drawn the attention of the other Octavinelle dorm residents, all of which fell prey to Azul’s greedy glare.

Yuu watched in horror as Azul absorbed the magic of every student who had unknowingly stepped into their worst nightmare, but it wasn’t over. Yuu looked Azul up and down and saw his purple gem becoming more clouded by the second.

Riddle noticed this too and raised his pen to stop the nonsense, but Trey tackled him out of Azul’s line of sight. It occurred to Yuu that if Azul got is hands on the magic of their friends, the fight would turn from bad to ugly.

Of course, as per usual, the coming tide was already among them. Jade dashed to put himself between the first years and the crazed Azul, but got smacked to the side by a large black tentacle that had formed from Azul’s cane.

The overblotting version of Azul stood over the first years, but while their friends saw the anger in those cold blue eyes, Yuu recognized loneliness and fear. This was by far the worst case of overblotting Yuu had seen when comparing the Heartslabyul and Savanaclaw incident together, and they had no idea what to do now.

[azurevi]

how they lose you

characters: malleus, leona, ace

cw: major character death, wounds and blood (leona), brief mention of blood (ace)

note: not my best work but i just wanted some good ol’ angst 🤌

Malleus: inevitably

"You know this isn't right." Lilia said with a sternness that he so seldomly displayed, arms crossed and gaze piercing. "You've kept them for what, hundreds of years?"

Two hundred and thirty-two, to be exact. Malleus kept his silence.

"Look, this is your decision, not mine. But you can't cheat death forever. The longer you go on-"

"I get it, Lilia." 

With a brief shake of his head, Lilia walked down the hallway and vanished into the shadows.

Malleus remained as still as a statue for another minute outside your room. It wasn't as if he wasn't aware that there was a limit to how much he could do to keep you alive, but what was he to do except to go on? 

It seemed that time didn't give him the choice this time.

Mustering a gentle smile, he knocked on the door and entered. The sight of you lying on your bed made his heart squeeze. Your lunch remained untouched on the nightstand.

"Malleus," you raised your hand weakly, and he strode to capture it.

"Hey, my dearest. How are you feeling today?"

A forced chuckle came out of you. "Could always be better."

In the strained silence, he took a seat by your bed and clasped your hand, bringing it to his lips. You looked as young and endearing as the first time he'd met you, but the shine in your eyes, the one that would always brighten as you took him in, had long vanished. In its place was hollowness. A husk devoid of life.

Magic was not invincible. It could prolong your lifespan for longer than you could ever imagine, but it couldn't shield your soul from the passage of time. It could preserve and care for the flesh, but not the mind.

And here you were, jaded, waned.

"Lilia was just telling me," he started, though every word felt like the worst betrayal to himself. "He thinks we've gone too far."

"Have we?" There was a moment of hesitation in your eyes. "What do you think, Malleus?"

"I think you have spent far too long living for me, my love. I'd like to know how you really feel."

The silence was deafening as he waited for your answer. He understood that you loved him with all your heart, and he was no different, but somewhere in there, he'd known all along that you were only doing this for him and his happy ending. You couldn't bear to burden him forever with grief, so you proposed using magic, spells, potions, anything that could grant you more seconds. 

It was great at first, but a long life was lonely. People came and went like wind, and no one ever stayed long enough. Malleus would know. Everytime he sat beside you as you mourned for another lost friend, he felt as though he'd been the one driving the blades into your heart, forcing you to shoulder the brutality of eternity with him.

At one point, life became wearisome. You could not escape the Sisyphean cycles of life, the constant loving and losing, the mountainous weight all these feelings and memories put on your mind. You were never meant to live this long and feel this much, but you kept going anyways, staying for one last hug, one last kiss, one last day where you could pretend everything was fine.

But it was not fine, and Malleus had hogged you from death long enough. The expiration date had long passed.

"You know I love you right?" Your voice pulled him back to reality. He nodded surely. 

"And frankly, I would do anything just to be with you till the end of time, but the truth is," you flexed your fingers, wetness forming around your eyes. "I can't… I can't feel your touch anymore. I know that you're here with me, but I always feel so far away. It's like someone is beckoning me home, even though you're my home. I'm trying very hard to fight it, and I–"

He put his arms around you as your body shook from the tears overflowing from you. If it was decades ago, it would be enough to calm you down, but he couldn't pretend anymore. Time was banging on the door, demanding what belonged to it. 

As powerful as Malleus was, there were still things he couldn't win against.

"I know we've spent a long time together, but it will never be enough. I will always have new things to tell you about, new places I want to go with you, new discoveries to marvel at together, but I'm at the end of my line. I can't go any further," you buried your face in his hair, taking in a shuddering breath. "Do you think we can try something else? Doctors, medicines,..."

Yes, there's always something else, Malleus wanted to say. Yet the moment he felt your tears scorching his skin, he knew that his love for you could never be blindsided by his selfishness. If it was something that made you happy, he would go to the end of the universe and back to get it. 

And if you wanted to let go, even if it took everything in his soul to accept it, he would make sure to be there as you took your last breath.

"I don't think we will ever have enough time together, love," he fought against the louder voice in his head. "But the years we've spent together were nothing short of amazing, weren't they?"

You made a sound of agreement. 

"I believe we have tried our best and loved each other to the fullest. That is enough for me."

"That is enough for me too." You chuckled wetly. "Do you think you could… ever find love again? For my sake?"

The thought of his hand in someone else's felt like someone had misplaced his limbs or cut off one of his nerves. It felt wrong. 

"I don't think I can ever love anyone else as much as I love you."

"Alright," you drew his face up and met his lips with a note of apology, but within there were also longing, gratitude, hopes and wishes for a happier future. All the things you couldn't fit into words had been encompassed into this tender act, spilling into him, pushing the sorrow in his heart away.

Somewhere in the middle, he reckoned that this felt just like the first ever kiss you'd had together: tentative, gentle, scared to hurt, yet as magical as constellations colliding. You'd always had the ability to make him feel like the brightest star in the whole, wide sky.

With a few more farewells and arrangements later, he found himself seated on the balcony, overlooking all the sharp-edged pointy hills. The night sky was chasing the sun away, the last rays of light fighting through the cracks of mountains. You rested your head on his shoulder, fingers intertwined with his flawlessly.

"This is a bit scary," you confessed quietly.

"It's okay, I'm here." He squeezed your hand. "It's only you and me."

Once you'd given him your final nod, he wrapped his other hand atop of yours, and closed his eyes. All the magic that'd been fueling your body streamed out into his touch. Each memory, each laugh, each cry, each confession, each rejection, the whole of your life flowed under his touch. It was the most beautiful thing he'd ever felt. 

He knew he could still pause this, but he wouldn't. Even as tears streamed down his face, even as he had no idea what the years ahead would be like, he kept on drawing the spell out of you. Even as your hands turned calloused and wrinkled, even as your hair turned into the color of snow, with all the years catching up on you, he still insisted to grant you the peace that you deserved.

As the sun sank under the dark silhouettes, the air carried your voice to him one last time.

"It's only… you and me."

Leona : a hollow victory

The fight had ended. There were no more cries and shouts for blood, instead replaced by relieved sighs and triumphant cheers. 

Leona’s heart was still drumming in his ears. Fatigue paralyzed his body. All around him were debris and a gooey dark ink, a byproduct of overblots. He reckoned that he was a skilled fighter, but this monster far stronger than everything he’d encountered before. Even with the concerted effort of what was basically the whole school, the lengthy and demanding battle still sapped all magic out of him.

He would probably need a whole week to recover, at the bare minimum. In fact, he could pass out on the ashy ground now, but there was something else on his mind.

He trudged past student after student, saw a few of them crowded together with tears of joy shimmering in their eyes. The longer he went searching, the more restless he felt. Possibilities flitted across his mind like a supercut of all his greatest fears: a body that wouldn’t answer, a wound that could not be salvaged, a pool of blood on the ground.

The thoughts were just about to drive him insane when he spotted you walking out of a thin cloud of smoke, where a wall seemed to have collapsed. There was a limp in your steps as you pulled your jacket closer around you, but you were okay. Thank the sevens, you were okay.

“Leona!” You noticed him a moment later, your mouth curling into a smile that trembled at the corners. He was too relieved to notice that, as well as the thick scent of blood that clung to you. It was probably someone else’s.

The distance between you shortened quickly thanks to his large strides, and you gripped onto his arms immediately, checking him for any injuries. It was ridiculous that you would even think that he would be wounded, but he let you look, bathing in the knowledge that you were both still here. 

“How do you feel?” 

“Tired as hell. I need a nap right this instant.” He said. 

“Of course you do,” you cupped his face with your shaky hand, an intimacy that he usually preferred to be exclusively private, but right now he couldn’t bring himself to care. It was just both of you and a war that was finally over.

Leona hadn’t realized how on edge he had been before this confirmation. His blood was still pumping with adrenaline, the fear that something else was coming looming over his head.

“You’re smearing ink on my face,” your touch left a sticky wetness, and he scrunched his face up. “Come on, let’s go find others.”

“Yea,” you followed him by your interlocked hands. “Okay. We’re going to find others and get a nice rest. Then we’re gonna… we’re gonna…”

You couldn’t make more than five steps. First Leona felt your hand on his bicep and heard you weakly asking him to slow down, then the slip of your hand, the slump of your body.

“Hey, what’s wrong?” He questioned, cradling you tightly. There were spikes in his throat as he pushed the words out. 

“Nothing,” you tried to mask the shake in your voice with a chuckle, but it only came out as a pathetic wheeze. “I'm… sorry. I just had to see you again.”

As you grabbed at his hand again, the jacket fell away. Blood rushed away from his head as he took in the large, red gash on your abdomen, tainting the air with the thick smell of iron. 

Frantic eyes shot up to the hesitant bystanders before he barked out, “Call for help! Now!”

“Hey, calm down,” you tugged at his hand feebly.

“I should’ve never let you out of my sight. Screw those friends of yours,” he gritted his teeth, holding onto you for dear life. “You’re alright. You’re alright, just hang on-”

“Leona, breathe,”

He didn’t realize how hysterical he sounded until he stopped, breaths hitching as he tried to clear his head, but his mind split into thousands of voices, all demanding him to do something about your life passing in his arms, pulse by pulse.

“How do you expect me to stay calm in this situation?” He hissed. 

“Mm. I suppose you’re right,” you laughed dryly. “But I need you to listen to me first, alright?"

After mustering enough energy, you continued, "Promise me you'll be fine. Promise me that you will-"

"Sevens, no. Don't you dare pull this shit on me."

"Leona, you and I both know I can't make it."

Of course he knew– there was no way this amount of blood loss was normal, and he could feel how your body weighed heavily in his arms with nary a strength left in it. But you were the one thing he couldn't bear losing. He would rather admit defeat in the battle than lose you.

Before he knew it, there were hot tears running down his face. He wanted to scream at the world at its unfairness, at its cruelty, at its sheer audacity at snatching what he cherished the most away once again, but not even he was clever enough to have predicted death.

"Just promise me you'll be fine, please? I don't think I can go seeing you like this." 

It would be a lie, you and he both knew that. He would never get used to your absence, not when you'd been the one who broke down all his high, prideful walls and saw him as who he truly was, not when you'd been the person who made him feel hope after all this time, not when he still had so much of his future planned out for the both of us. 

Though he couldn't break your heart, could he? Especially not now.

"I promise." He bowed his head, touching your forehead with his. Even his tears were warmer than your skin. Your breaths slowly turned labored, each one fanning his cheek until there was nothing left. 

"Hey," you sighed. "At least we won, right?"

His body shuddered when your hand finally slipped away. He pulled back and held your face between his hands, whispering your name in hope that you would wake up, if only just for a second. The only response was silence. It gnawed at his insides until there was nothing left but the cold wave of grief that seized him, scraping his throat as it came out in the form of a guttural cry. 

The dust had settled, everyone celebrating their long-awaited victory. But Leona didn't feel like he'd won at all.

Ace : at the wrong time

Deuce had often berated Ace for the occasional harshness of his words, and rightfully so. He just never thought that they would bite back at him one day.

It was just an insignificant argument, one that took a turn for the worse only because neither of you were willing to back down. He’d offhandedly said something mean, and you hadn't taken well to it. A few clashes of wounding and stinging statements later, he had his back to you as you stormed out of his room.

He realized that evening that perhaps he’d made a mistake, that he couldn’t really sleep well without making up. There were times when he wondered whether there were venoms under his tongue that dipped everything coming out of his mouth in hate. But he supposed that it was just easier to be bitter than honest. 

The sleepless night filled his guts with remorse. He was determined to make it up to you. It would be easy, he’d done it a few times before— a nice tart from the local bakery, optional flowers, and a sincere apology to revoke all the things he’d spat out, that would go something like,  no, you’re not annoying, I just wanted to one-up you because I couldn’t admit that I’m at fault , or that line about how you weren’t worth my time? Sorry, I crossed a line there.

His sharp words ate away at him. Their weight only sank in after he’d blurted them out. The truth was, you meant to him a lot more than he was willing to admit. It’s just that he got clouded by his ego sometimes and forgot how you were basically the best thing that’d happened to him.

But that’s alright, he was going to make it up to you, and hopefully you would forgive him.

Perhaps the true mistake here was how he took everything for granted— your forgiveness, your love, the time that you had together. He never imagined that you would be taken away from him, not this soon, not this unexpectedly. 

Yet the truth still stood as he held the phone to his ear, the few spoken words dancing in his head: night, attack, critical. He was going to tell Deuce to knock it out until he heard the choked sobs strangling his voice.

He was no stranger to danger. The two of you were always getting into all kinds of mortal perils, ranging from forgetting Crewel’s homework to being chased by the overblot form of his short-tempered dorm leader. But the difference was that he had always been there with you.

All of his facades, all his dumb hope that he was just dreaming vanished as soon as he saw you on the bed, so serene that he tried to wake you up with a ‘hey’. But you were not going to wake up, and your hands had long gone cold.

Crouching next to your body, e imagined you, alone in the dark, shouting for help. He imagined your life trickling out of you along with the blood. He imagined you thinking that he never loved you in your last seconds, even though he did, so much.

The pain came in spasms, shooting out of his heart and spreading to his limbs. His voice was laced with desperation as he clung to you, begs and bargains spilling out of him like a broken dam. He would give anything to turn back time, to take back all those things he’d said. It had never crossed his mind that he would have to change himself, but he would now. If only you would wake up, come back to him, he would try harder to be someone you deserved. 

But there was no rewinding time, and nothing he said could ever bring you back. His love and apology hung in the air, and eventually returned to him as a knife lodged in his throat, a reminder that he hadn’t been there for you when it mattered most.

[that-one-i-think]

Might I suuggest

PIRATE THEMED REVENGE ARC

Leaving the region won't help you now as Emmalyn is out for blood on a pirate ship with the express purpose of HUNTING THE BASTARD DOWN!

Hear me OUT Emmalyn revenge arc. Give that girl a FANTASY GUN‼️‼️‼️‼️‼️‼️