#RO: short story

[deadend-if]

Okay look,, this was a lot longer than I planned it to be,, it was supposed to be half the length it is now, but oh well 💪😔

Anyway, I said I would post it today so here it is, the first of (possibly) many short stories. 💥💥

Santi's apprenticeship short story (under the cut)

There's nothing wrong with being a little early. Making a good impression on their mentor is more important than any discomfort from the blazing sun and honking cars. June Ko was someone Santi had been following for years, this is a dream come true. Her art style was something they always admired. The tattoos she creates move flawlessly with every curve and ridge of the body. They're bold, sharp, and elegant in a way Santi can only hope to recreate one day. The only reason they're not as nervous as they probably should be is, well, they've met her before. Evidence of their meeting is permanently etched on their body. They instinctively trace the dancing swirl of black and grey smoke that wraps around their body from shoulder blade to forearm. It weaves around a wilting bouquet of butterfly jasmine on their bicep. It cost them a pretty penny, but they don't regret a single cent.

This meeting was their first step into finally doing what they've been wanting to do for years. Even during their college years, art was the only thing on their mind. Now, after too long, they can finally prove that their fine arts minor wasn't pointless.

Santi checks their watch, sleek with brown leather and black accents. It was a graduation gift from their grandfather and about the same price as one month's rent. Santi pulled at the earrings on their left earlobe. Guilt prickles down their shoulders as they picture his disappointment, ceaseless in its haunting. He expected more, but what else was there to give?

A shout breaks their train of thought, whipping their head around at the sound of a slamming car door.

“Is that you, Vega? You're way early, dude.”

Oh, shit. Was that not right? Santi blanked for a second, thinking up a response as June leisurely made her way over. Strike one. They didn't think 10:45 was that early.

“Nothin’ better to do. Just thought I'd get a head start,” they finally respond after what feels like an eternity of June twirling her keys on her finger. They check their watch again as their new mentor unlocks the door. It's only been a minute. This day is far from over.

A bell jingles on their way in, and the first thing June does is flip on the lights. They flicker before settling into a bright, sterile white, illuminating the concrete floor and exposed brick walls. The shop is sectioned off with half-walls just past the front desk. Checkered tiles cause Santi’s boots to echo in the open space and they stand for a moment, taking it all in. They’ve been to a handful of different tattoo shops. It never gets old to see frames upon frames of art and knick-knacks stacked over the walls. The old-fashioned feel of Velvet Ink has got to be one of their favorites.

“Did you bring your portfolio? Tell me what you've been up to since we last talked.” June doesn't waste any time weaving through the lounge, grabbing a single folding chair leaning on the side of the wall beside the red leather couch. She doesn't need to look back to see if Santi is following, they trail after her like a lost puppy.

“I got it right here-” they lift their shoulder bag in emphasis, “I've been practicing on fake skin since we spoke, I have a few I wanted to show you, but they're nothing huge.”

“Wow, you're on that shit, huh? Sounds about right, knowing you.” June chuckles as she sifts through her desk. She swipes a few things into a drawer, making space for Santi's portfolio.

“Okay, hand it over. Let's see what you've added.”

“It's not that much-”

“I didn't ask how much it was, kid, I asked you to hand it over,” she retorts, tapping the table. Santi sits down in the folding chair June dragged over and begins to sift through their bag. They feel a twinge of annoyance, smothered by embarrassment. They haven't been called kid in a long time, but seeing the peppering of grey in her long black hair makes them feel a little less patronized.

Instead of responding, Santi dropped the binder on June's desk. They dug around for a few of the fake skin sheets. When they pulled it out, June took it, her thumb tracing a circle to feel the texture. She huffed in amusement but didn’t comment. It's not like they bought the expensive stuff, just a cheap machine kit, black ink, and a few sheets of fake skin. They learned only to buy the nice stuff once they could actually draw a line without ripping through the material. Having a heavy hand while sketching never bothered them, but it's a nightmare when tattooing.

“Looks good for a first attempt,” she said, breaking the silence of the empty shop. June traced a finger down some of the darker portions. She admires the piece depicting an animal skull, a bear, being carefully cracked down the middle by human fingers on either side.

“You need to be lighter in some places, but your art is beautiful. You have a real understanding of technique, but it won't transfer to the body the way you're thinking it will.”

That's high praise coming from someone as skilled as June, Santi gives her a weak smile as they tug their tongue piercing with their teeth. They spend another half an hour discussing their art with June and getting a very short lesson on how to use the transfer paper printers in the shop.

The bell rings in the front as two people walk in, nudging each other and laughing up a storm. Santi sits up straighter to get a better look. It then clicks that they both work here, their profiles are on Velvet Ink's website. The both of them have unique styles from what they can remember.

The taller one with short, choppy blonde bangs, known as Sawyer, has a neo-traditional style. They use a lot of bright colors and bold lines, their style is something Santi has never considered having a tattoo of, but they couldn't help but attempt a few neo-traditional artworks after they spent almost an hour scrolling through their social media.

The other artist dabbles in many styles, but they're popular for their watercolor tattoos. Santi thinks idly that her multicolored pastel hair makes her look exactly as her art does. What was her name again? It was a flower, that's for sure. Lily, maybe? They can't remember.

June greets the both of them as they walk in, and they cheer her name in sync.

“June! Is that your new apprentice?” Sawyer asks, B-lining it over to them.

“Yeah, Sawyer, Iris, meet Santi-” June gets quickly interrupted by who they now know as Iris.

“Woah! That’s sick, can I see that?” She leans over the half-wall, pointing to the many sheets of artwork on June’s desk.

“You alright with that, kid?”

“Yeah, go for it, some of them are kind of old though,” Santi gathers a few of their favorite pieces in their clammy hands and passes them over to Iris, they can only hope she didn’t notice them shaking. Sawyer peaks their head over her shoulder to make their own assessment at the same time, reaching over and pointing out a few details. Santi can’t see them from where they sit, so they wait (im)patiently for them to finish their appraisals.

“Huh, you took classes, didn’t you?” Sawyer has their eyebrows raised, seemingly impressed by what they see.

“I got a minor in fine art, yeah.”

“I can tell, this is some good stuff, let me know if you need a canvas-” their striking green gaze pans to the torn-up fake skin, “actually, on second thought, I’ll wait a bit longer on that.”

“Ah, I’ve got a heavy hand,” Santi responds, sheepishly tugging on their septum piercing with a wide grin.

“That's fine! You’ll just need tougher clients,” Iris jokes with a wink.

“Don’t give them any ideas, Iris. It’s their first day,” June cuts in, fondly exasperated with her coworkers.

“Just because they’re new, doesn’t mean they get any special treatment. Isn’t that right, Sawyer?” For a moment, Sawyer stares off into the distance as Iris pats their forearm with a cheeky grin. They grow quiet when June doesn’t respond right away. She looks at the practice design from earlier, something soft smooths the crow’s feet around her eyes. There’s a flutter in Santi’s stomach, making a home right below their ribcage as June traces the lines for a second time.

“You’ll get used to it, Santi. I have no doubt you’ll fit right in,” June says, and Santi can’t help but agree.

[tosahobi-if]

a certain future - jinwol

Is that it? He wants to ask. Is that all there is? But an answer is an invocation of truth. And Jinwol knows all too well that to place a name upon the stirring in his chest invites the thing he cannot have to cross the threshold.

itch.io

the wonderful @no-perceivey generously chose to share the prize for the if charity raffle held by @northern-passage a few months back to the public. thank you so much again for participating, and i wanted to say it was really a honor to write for you!

[night-market-if]

The Night Market - After Dark

The Night Market, After Dark. Join us over on Patreon for the NSFW content where I take a prompt each month and write a little spicy blurb for each of the RO's. This month is on the them of "Dirty little secret" :)

Join at the Courtesan tier for this and so much more bonus content.

🪷✨🪷✨ If you want to support me 🪷 ✨🪷✨ 

🌿Book 2 WIP🌿 Book 1 Free Demo 🌿Book 1 Steam🌿Book 1 Itch.io🌿🌿Patreon 🌿Discord🌿FAQS🌿

[milo-igidk]

parts i liked from the short storieeees aaaaa

-Keefe's

get him therapyyyyyy

hes so down bad jfc

THEYRE SO SIBLINGGGGSS AAAAAA THEYRE SO SILLY i love them

-Fitz's

AWAWAWFSGSHDUDJD CUTEEEEEEEEEE

i love him and biana smmmm

-Tam's

:(((((

also i love rayni sm

[bacchanal-if]

August's Short Story: The Scales of Avarice

Wordcount: 1,798

A continuation of The Price of Integrity, offering a glimpse into Edward’s rise from the shadows of London’s marketplace to a more formidable player in the world of commerce with a moment of unexpected charity.

To sign up for the Courtly Charmer tier and access the story, please do so here!

[childrenofcain-if]

If D and C are best friends, won't it break the bro/girl code if they pursue MC while knowing that C hates them?

in a way, yes. but C has never particularly cared about who D hooks up with so a part of them will also be slightly satisfied that MC (on D’s route) will be allegedly heartbroken. D has also always been a tad too curious about who this mysterious person is that their best friend despises with such burning passion.

C will be a little irritated at D’s audacity, but they’re the one with a problem with MC and they’re rational enough to know that not everybody has to feel the same way they do.

[attollogame]

RO POV

Inc: DW, Imogen, Vergessbar, mention of MC Warnings: None! Summary: A peculiar revelation occurs about who is getting in and out of Attollo.

READ HERE

(Excerpt below)

“Weren’t you the one who sent Vergessbar out recently? I’d think you know more about this than me.”

He immediately stills at Imogen’s comment, his hand hovering somewhere between one paper and the next. Slowly, he looks towards where she sits and leans back in his seat.

Imogen takes note of this change in his demeanour and straightens herself up further. “You did, right? That’s what I heard. Or, heard of, from the grapevine. It isn’t like Vergessbar and I chat daily anyway.”

“The last I spoke with Vergessbar was well over a year ago, so unless I’ve been doing tasks without any awareness, I believe there may be misinformation going around.” Another pen click. “Or, we have a curious situation on hand.”

[ode-to-fury]

Red Country was defintely my least favourite of the standalones so far but seeing Cosca have a meltdown might just have made up for the first 60% of the book

[florencetypemaniacs]

HAPPY BIRTHDAY MARCEL!~Short Story

MARCELLUS'S BACKSTORY SPOILERS BELOW!!!

The sun glistened on the Sarno River, where ships floated aimlessly while others were anchored at port. People were all about enjoying the sunny morning, not even minding sailors ordering their men to get the nets drawn so they could get to work selling their fresh scores of fish down at the market.

 Further north, crisp hills rolled from a large mountain to the crowded city to the west. The streets were bustling as people shopped, visited relatives, and even children drew on the walls of a big arch with speckles of paint that their guardians let them buy when the merchants came into town only a few days ago.

Although people were walking down one street in the center of the city, heads turned as shouts bounced off the stone walls covered in floral motifs.

"Thief!" 

"Stop him, you fools!"

A man, or more accurately, a teen dressed in a cloak, ran down the busy street, bumping into people as he ran from city guards.

"Sorry!" The teen said this as he jumped through a fountain, splashing water on an older woman who was resting.

“Es stercus!” A man yelled, helping the woman up.

"I said sorry!" The teen yelled over his shoulder; his feet burned from the hot cobblestone marked by the sun.

Need to lose the old dogs.

Looking to his right, he smiled like a lemer and ran towards the narrow alleyway, knowing full well that the guards would not be able to follow him with the bulk of armor they torture themselves with.

  Marcel held his breath as the guards ran past the alleyway, not noticing the hunched figure of the sixteen-year-old boy.

  Letting out a chuckle, he held the bag full of his precious cargo closer to his body, making sure none of it was smashed.

  Looking up at the sun, he knew he should be getting back and quickly climbed the wall of the building next to him with the help of a few boxes and overgrown vines.

  Balancing on the roof, he leapt from house to house, gracefully and practically dancing in the warm sun.

  It only took a few minutes, and knowing the city like the back of his hand made it easier to navigate even while he was on rooftops.

  Finally arriving at his destination, he easily jumped on a balcony and swung to a tree branch hanging by until his feet hit the ground.

  "At last....home." Marcel said, looking at the old torn-down villa built with tan bricks and red pine wooden decorations that hung in the front to ward off evil spirits.

  The closer he got, the more he could hear the sounds of laughter and crying from children. Through short, wide windows, if he narrowed his eyes and focused, he could see heads of hair run past.

 Marcel let out a smirk and opened the front door.

 "Mars!" A small girl squealed and threw herself into his arms, which spined her around.

"Oh, Cassia! It's been forever since I saw you!"

  "You saw me this morning, Mars!" Cassia giggled and hung onto the taller boy.

Marcel grinned. "Did I? Well, you've grown since then!"

  Cassia blushed and stood on her tiptoes. "You really think so?"

  "Well, of course."

  "Is that Marcellus?! Oh, I have a word to pick with you."

  From down the hallway a young woman appeared with black hair all the way down to the floor in a braid and the most stunning blue eyes that seemed to distract people from her dark bags that were under them.

  "Decima! It's good to see you."

"I don't want to hear it, Marcellus." Decima spoke with narrowed eyes, then turned to Cassia.

  "Little Shurb, how about you go play outside with the twins?"

  Cassia wrinkled her small button nose. "But they always want to play Terni lapilli."

  Decima frowned. "What's wrong with Terni lapilli?"

  Cassia crossed her arms. "Nothing; they just always lose the marbles, and it takes us till sundown to find them." She pouted. 

  Marcel got down on his knees and booped her nose. "How about this? You play with your brothers, and I'll get you new marbles tomorrow."

  Cassia's eyes widened. "Shiny ones?" 

Marcel nodded, the small girl's smile being infectious. "They will be as shiny as Sol's chariot."

  Cassia nodded her little head. "Deal!" The small girl ran out of the arched, cracked doorway.

Decima sighed as she rubbed at a stain on her lavender stola.

"Marcellus, what have you done this time?"

Marcel lips pressed together, knowing full well a lecture was coming.

"Please, on Astraeus's stars, do not start pestering me, Decima. 

   "Oh, shall I not, Marcellus? If the sweat on your forehead and the dirt on your feet are any indication, you have been participating in Mercury's sinful tricks." 

   "Don't pretend that his sinful tricks do not keep us from drowning." 

Decima glared. "They may keep our heads above the tide, but for how much longer? Once the guards catch you, that's it!" She slammed her hand down on the table, and Marcel was surprised her copper wedding band on her finger didn't crack. 

  Marcel's brows furrowed. "Don't you see I am doing what I must? With Octavian gone—" Decima's eyes closed as if in pain at the mention of the name. "—we are all at risk even with our union. If we don't manage to keep up with our debt, then our ruse would have been for nothing, not to mention what Rufus would do." 

  Decima looked away, and Marcel took the older girl by the shoulders, making her look him in the eye. "You are my truest friend... I am doing what is right for all of us. For the children. For you as well." 

  Marcel and Decima stared into each other's eyes for what felt like minutes. They knew everything about the other—what stalked their dreams, what pushed them to keep going—but they never judged, for they completely trusted the other.

  Decima nodded at her friend. "May Juno be with you." 

  Marcel smiled, a little bitterly. "No gods are with me."

  Before Decima could utter a sound, Marcel walked down the hall. "Cerdis is in the children's room, I'm guessing."

  Decima called back, wiping her hands on the front of her stola. "Yes, you know he has been waiting for you." 

Happiness surged through him, suppressing the fear that was slowly creeping into his mind.

Marcel smiled and opened the door to the largest room in the very small, cracked domus where they lay their heads each night.

Candles lit the room where no windows let their light in. Two dark wooden cribs were in the corner, while there was a small bed on the other side of the room, which kept two growing children resting their heads, although there was barely any room for one child, much less two.

  Although right then there was only one child, whose hair was raven and nappy, even under the covers, anyone could see the boy was small—too small. Most considered the boy to be cursed by Asclepius and wanted him put out of his misery, although Marcel knew better.

Marcel sat on the bed, making sure not to startle the sleeping figure.

  Gently, Marcel uncovered the face of the small boy to reveal sunken eyes and paste-like skin that seemed to be coated with sweat; however, there was a small smile that played on the sleeping boy's lips.

  The older boy spoke softly. "Cerdis, it is time to wake; Sol's chariot has already passed."

  Eyes slowly opened, blinking before the little boy grinned from ear to ear; his brightness could put a smile on anyone's face.

  "Mars!" A raspy voice came from Cerdis as he sat up, wrapping his small arms around the older boy.

  Marcel softly kissed the boy on the top of the head. "Ah! Finally, you wake from your slumber." He held the raven-haired boy close. "Are you feeling blessed this morning by the gods?"

Cerdis nodded his head, looking confident. "Yes, because it is my day of birth!"

 Marcel smiled. "Yes, it's not everyday that someone survives five winters."

  Cerdis frowned. "I am still not as tall as Cassia."

  The older boy laughed. "No, but maybe with the help of Juno, you will catch up." He said it, hoping that the bitterness would be kept out of his tone.

Cerdis gave him a toothy grin. "You really think so? I won't only be older than her, but taller as well!"

Ah yes, Cassia does hold her height over Cerdis very often, although it is probably due to the fact that Cerdis was the only one who questioned her when picking games. Hmm. I wonder what Cassia will do when Cerdis comes into manhood. I'm sure Cassia will find something else to hang over the poor boy's head.

Marcel patted Cerdis's head. "Well...I have you a present."

  Cerdis shook with excitement and, with almost lightning speed, reached for Marcel's satchel but with speed was snatched back. "Now, now, Cerdis, I have a few other things in here."

  Cerdis crinkled his nose, although the comment didn't make his smile waver. "I cannot wait any longer! Please Mars! What have you brought me?"

  Without a second thought, Marcel opened the bag, minding the trinkets that were valuable, however small enough that their owners would not even notice they were gone until it was too late.

  Cerdis's eyes widened as Marcel pulled something oval-shaped and quite small into his palm and wrapped it in cloth.

The raven-haired boy smelled the sweet aroma, and his mouth watered. "Is that-?" 

  Marcel uncovered the item to reveal the room-temperature sweet bun, smashed a little on one side, which made the honey sweetness drip over until the cloth was covered with the sticky substance.

"It was no trouble." Marcel once again kissed Cerdis head.

  "A maritozzi!" Cerbis, not minding the stick, grabbed the sweet treat with full hands and took a bite. Marcel tried not to cringe at the mess on the boy's face.

  But it was quite easy, with the happiness shining through. "Mmm." 

 "I see you are quite enjoying my present."

Cerdis showed his dimples through his smile, licking his fingers. "Thank you, Mars!"

Marcel smiled in a moment of weakness, asking the gods to bless his little brother with many more winters.

[h0c-if]

Love at first sight????? who???? also I fucking love the plot, I wanna sleep with your tumblr in my phone.

I already answered it here. But short answer is E and R(optional).

Also thank you so much!! You wouldn't believe how much an uplifting message like this means to writers. It truly boosts our spirits and ignites our motivation to keep writing. It's incredibly gratifying and inspiring.

[dasakuryo]

What are your thoughts on Andor? Does this Cassian feel consistent with Rogue one to you?

For the sake of brevity, I am going to sum up my feelings about Cassian characterization in And0r with the following: whenever I am watching And0r, I keep wondering who that Cassian-shaped Glup Shitto is, because it surely isn't Cassian Jeron And*r.

(and I am redacting the show's name/character name so this doesn't show up on searches and tags, btw. Don't want anyone who doesn't have any problems with it to come across my rant).

Now that I've made the above clarification, I am honestly mad as hell at what And0r has done to Cassian's characterization. And I don't know what's worse, if people ignoring that Cassian's characterization was butchered in the show, or people twisting whatever backstory crumbs we got in RO and trying to shoehorn them into whatever they did in And0r... it doesn't fit. It doesn't wrap up or complement Cassian's story coherently, it just doesn't.

Another thing that pisses me off to no end about the show is the fact Cassian is basically an afterthought in a show that is supposed to be about HIM. The event that transpire in And0r should be at the service of telling Cassian's story, not the Rebellion's, but instead we got a show in which the titular character is barely the focus.

There are many things that And0r does well and I love the inclusion of those elements (social criticism, political themes, and their connection to RL issues), I won't go into detail about this because many have done so before and they've highlighted how important is that the show puts forward these messages and conversations.

I wish the show had done Cassian justice, instead of using him as an excuse to tell the story of the Rebellion. There are other elements that bug me about the show, chiefly the notion and recurrent theme that Cassian has to be taught to care and how to rebel by a bunch of characters played by gringues/yanquis (which, when analysed in terms of allegories and rl issues doesn't leave a good taste in my mouth, to say the least), particularly when RO established him as a rebel leader and as someone who didn't sit idly by. Like... what happened to SUDDENLY THE REBELLION IS REAL FOR YOU? SOME OF US LIVE IT. I'VE BEEN IN THIS FIGHT SINCE I WAS SIX YEARS OLD. YOU'RE NOT THE ONLY ONE WHO LOST EVERYTHING, SOME OF US JUST DECIDED TO DO SOMETHING ABOUT IT (capitals for emphasis).

Apologies for the rambling thoughts, anon. There's a myriad of other things that I don't personally like about And0r when it comes to Cassian's characterization, but all of this kind of sums it all up, I guess. If I feel up to it I may go into more detail tho.

[twilled-auryn]

I really hope the short story for stellarlune (if we get one) is about Ro and whatever situation she's gotten into. Imagine it's her getting captured or something.. Boom double cliffhanger

[brokenhardies]

b4 i go to bed i need to say this

honestly i love where brennan ended up going with snow white but on the other hand? vampire snow white ala snow glass apples bc that story fucked me UP

[night-market-if]

End of the Month story wrap

Here is the end of the month story wrap up for my Patreon. I actually had extra stories this month, plus Paper Moons (4 shorts there) which is now available for the Courtesan tier and up with the alternative choices available for the Baron tier on itch.io

Setting aside my picnic basket, I tipped my head towards him. It was clear he had not slept. The front desk had said that he hadn’t taken more than a fifteen-minute break at his desk for days.  “When’s the last time you ate?” I asked him.

For a moment, I wondered if Gabriel was the type of man who would dare lie in the face of something he had clearly done.  There was a flicker in his eyes that said that perhaps he was. But, he had been caught and he knew it. Slumping back in his seat, he looked up at me, a slight blush of chastisement coloring his cheeks. “That would require me to be aware of what day it even is.”

“Gabriel,” I sighed.  Turning, I grabbed the wrapped sandwiches Hazel had packed and handed one to him. I then hopped up on the desk. If I had to sit here and guard him until he had a decent meal, I would.

“I would like to discuss her, if we may.”

“After all this time? Why the curiosity?” Arguably, Gabriel had more access to the Baron of the Mists than Belladonna. He oversaw the monthly meetings between the Barons. Belladonna hadn’t seen Kavatti since being released from her services.  Which, had been long before Gabriel was even Warden.

“Because you will be taking our market friend to see her and I do not think that is wise for the two of you to go alone.” Straightening, ever the good soldier, he stood at attention. “I would like to attend this meeting with you.”

“I’m not here to hurt you,” Milo said quickly. “I probably should have waited for you to open and came in through the front door like everyone else but I’m not great at thinking my actions through.”

She stared at him, slowly letting her hand fall to her side. He could see she clutched a pair of sheering scissors in her other hand.

“Also, the seahorse was hungry,” Milo said. “I fed it.”

Hazel stepped back, nearly stumbling over her own feet. “You are not welcome here, omen,” she said.

The visage of the man smiled sadly at her as his feet touched down upon the floor, his body gaining form, but his skin still a sickly grey.  “I am not here for you, bog witch,” he said evenly. There was something more to him. A life that had once been lived. But now he was nothing more than an echo.  All omens were, in fact.

“Too many gates,” he said through gritted teeth. “There were too many to close at once. Not with magic at least. Had to do some of them by hand.”

Kamille looked at him, crushing bits of oyster within a small bowl and adding the glittering waters from the pool held within the corner of the room.  “You can’t keep doing this, Malcolm. I don’t want to keep patching you up.”

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        Demo 🌿 Patreon 🌿 Ko-fi

[royal1asset-if]

Snippet Update 1

Hello, so as promised I made a snippet for you guys and the trope is MC proposing to their RO's.

For the first pick we have Dustin Wither, a.k.a "The Roaring Lion".

But in truth I don't really know what to write yet in the prologue and I'm still looking for inspiration. So instead I wrote this, so enjoy and tell me what you guys think. Oh yah! stay tuned for the other Asset's Snippets.

Dustin Wither, a.k.a "The Roaring Lion"

Dustin Wither Snippet

MC's POV

Breathing in and out, your heart is hammering in your chest, your right hand on the door knob and shaking nervously. It's metal smooth in your hand, while your left hands is in your pocket, gripping tightly a small rectangular shaped box, worried that it might be empty.

You fished it out of your pocket and let go of the door knob and delicately pushed the lid upwards. "Phew!" you murmur, sighing in relief. Inside the box is a ring, with a small shining diamond atop it and shaped into a square. Closing the box and putting it back inside of your pocket, you looked at your clothes and straighten them, next you comb your hair with your hand. Satisfied, your raised your left hand and started knocking the door with your knuckle, you heard a voice speak from the other side. "Who is it?" the voice shouts in a deep tone.

"It's me, Dustin" you say, voice shaking. "One moment." Dustin replies, shouting through the wooden door. Your heart begin to pump even faster, your legs are shaking, the air around you becoming harder to breath.

"I can do this, I CAN DO THIS!" you shout in your head, trying to calm and steady your nerves. the pressure and tension building in the air around you. "I CAN'T DO THIS, I CAN'T TO THIS!" you shout in your mind, panicking and hands becoming sweaty.

Legs beginning to move, but before you can turn around and run, the door opened with Dustin holding it open and leaning on the door, arms crossed. "Bussiness or pleasure?" he ask coolly, his eybrows wiggling playfully.

Watching him wiggling their eyebrows, you couldn't stop yourself and begin to laugh at them. All the worry and fears leaving your body, you looked at them. They are wearing their civilian clothes, like what you see royal guards wearing, their clothe the color of yellow and wearing pants in white.

Dustin, watching your eyes, checking out their body. "See what you like? he asked playfully, his hands gesturing his body. In response you looked them and said to him.

"Very much, but I feel something is amiss." you say casually and putting your hand in your chin. Dustin playing along, inspect their clothes and said; "And that will be?" he asked nonchantly, looking you in the eyes and eyebrow raised.

Walking closer to him, feeling the heat of your bodies colliding with each other and smelling his perfume, you put your hands in his chest and smirk at him.

Dustin is now raising both of him eyebrows, you can feel his heartbeat going fast and one side of their mouth raised upwards. "Well?" he ask calmly, resisting the urge to pinned you to the wall.

"The problem my dear Dustin, is that your clothes is blocking the best aspect of your physique." you say while gliding your hand in his chest. Dustin grabbing your hand and putting them atop his lips and kissed them, feeling his smooth lips touched your skin.

"Well that problem can be fixed shortly." he says suggestingly, his fingers rubbing the knuckles of your hand. "That can wait Dustin, but I'm here to tell you something improtant" you say serious, worried that you might get sidetracked.

Dustin holding your hand in assurance and saying to you;

"Well come in, let's talk inside." he says, pulling you and guiding you towards to him.

Dustin's POV

Feeling the shaking of nerves in MC's hand, you squeeze their hand, assuring them that your here for them. MC looked at you and smiled, you smiled back at them and feel their hand relaxed.

The things that you will do, just to see them smile like that. Letting go of their hand and feeling the emptiness of their hand used to be, you gesture for them to seat.

"Is something wrong MC?" you ask them worriedly, hoping that is not a life or death situation. MC looked at you with fear in their eyes and started to clenched their hands tightly.

Seeing this you quickly crouched down and took hold of their hand worried that they might hurt themselves. "It's alright, I'm here for you." you say in a gentle tone.

MC squeezed your hand, they looked at you and said; "Thank you." they say genuinely and smiling. Smiling back at them, you let go of their hand and give them some space. MC looked at you and said; "Please sit down, this news might be heavy to bear." they say to you and standing up from their seat.

Complying with their request you sit down, MC closed their eyes and breathe in the air around them and exhaling them out.

Feeling the tension is thick, you seated in your chair anxiously, worried about the news MC about to deliver to you.

"Dustin, I know you for a long time and I wanted to say that I didn't regret spending my time with you, I love you not only for what you are, but for what I am when I am with you." they say through rasped breath and getting on one knee.

Seeing this, your greatest fear comes to life. Both of you spoke at the same time and said;

"Your dying!" you shout with tears rolling down your cheeks, standing up from your chair and knocking it over. "Will you marry me Dustin?" MC says on one knee and fishing out a small box from their pocket.

"What!" both of you shout in surprise and looking at each other flabbergasted. MC is the first one to spoke up; "Dustin, I'm not dying, although you can say that every time I thought about this, the anticipation is killing me, so in way you can say that I'm dying, I think? MC rambles, their head tiled side wards and looking at the ceiling.

The voice of MC is fading in the background and the air around you is becoming thick. "Will you marry me?" the question of MC repeats in your head over and over again. Feeling your knees about to give up on you, you sitted down on the ground.

MC's POV

Seeing Dustin sit down and their hand on their head had you worried, so you rise up and went to them, sitting down beside them. "Hey, you alright?" you ask them gently. Dustin looked at you and started to cry even more; "I thought you were dying MC, I thought you're gonna leave me!" Dustin say through the tears, sobbing with each word he said.

Seeing them like this made your heart shatter, you raised your hand and wipe their tears of your eyes.

Looking at them, what you see is not the Roaring Lion you know in the battlefield, but crying before you is a vulnerable person, who has lost someone important to them.

"Looks like someone needs a hug." you say comfortingly and opening your arms wide, inviting him to hug you. Without hesitation, Dustin closed the distance between you and hugging you tight afraid that you might leave him behind, tears still flowing down their cheeks and sobbing uncontrollably in your neck.

"Shhhhh, there there." you say comfortingly and rubbing his back in a circular motion with your hand. Feeling his sobs subsiding and his tears stop flowing from his eyes, you stop and let go of him.

Dustin's POV

MC's soothing voice calming you and assuring you that their life is not in danger, you let go of them and looking them in the eyes.

"Yes, my answer is YES!" you shout resolutely. MC looked at you with joy in their eyes, happy you accepted their proposal. But you quickly rebutted; "On one condition!" you say sternly, finger raised. MC looked at you surprised and said; "What is it? I will do it for you!" they say desperately, wanting to seal your marriage forever.

Smiling, you looked at them and feeling the power going through you head, you said to them; "I will be the one doing the carrying in the day of our marriage!" you say with finality.

MC's POV

Looking at Dustin shocked, for their request is so ridicolous even for you. Laughing like a maniac, Dustin looked at you worriedly and then you hear them joining you, both of your laughter echoing on the walls of the room. Sobering up and wiping the tear of your eyes, you looked at him and said; "Ain't that supposed to be my job, because I'm the who did the proposal?" you say to him, chuckling.

Dustin put his hand in his chest and said; "Well as head of the Knight Division, I hereby relinquish that task from you!" he says, victoriously.

Hearing him say this, made you hold your stomach with your hands, due to the the laughter that is about to burst out from you. "I think your abusing your power Dustin, haha!" you say laughing again and body rocking like a banana.

Dustin standing up and giving you his hand, you put yours atop his and feeling his callous hands. Dustin pulled you up with no effort, thanks to their knight training.

Pulling you closed to him and pulling his hands on your waist, this closed you can feel his warm breath and see his eyes sparking with mischief. Dustin leaned closed to your ear, feeling his beard scraping your skin. "Closed your eyes." he says softly in your ears.

Closing your eyes you can feel Dustin's hands explroing your body and licking your neck, you bite your lip in anticicpation until the passionate moment is broken.

Dustin scoop your legs and putting your back in his arms, carrying you in bridal style. "Oh come on!" you shout in frustration, Dustin denying your hunger for him. Dustin looked down and laugh at you; "Now, now my fi..an…ce!" he says with every syllable of the word he shakes his head. "We must prepare for our wedding" he say at you.

Dustin's POV

You see MC pout their lips together and their arms crossed in your shoulders, like a child denying it's treat. "No fair" MC says pouting and dragging themselves down.

But this is no hassle for you, as your knight training is much harsher than MC's tantrums. "Nothing is fair in war, love" you coo at them, like a mother playing with it's baby.

MC still angry at you for toying with their desire, looking away from you and they asked you a question in a harsh tone; "Well, what now O, Leader of the Knight Division" they inquire in a hard tone.

Looking at them and saying to them; "Well love, were going to the market, to buy the things we need for our wedding." you say nonchantly, thinking what will you and MC buy in the market.

MC tilting their head to look at you and says to you; "Well, bring me down Dustin and let's go!" they say fuming and flailing in your arms.

Not letting go of them and holding them in a firm but gentle hold and you say to them; "No can do MC, I want everyone to know were engaged, so I will be carrying you to the market like this, besides it will be good excercise for me." you say in a firm tone, fighting for your hold in MC's body.

"Bring me DOWN, Dustin!" MC shouts angrily, ashamed what will the people think. You shaked your head and say to MC; "Nope, so hold on real tight" you say mischiefly.

Running towards your door, you can feel MC's nails digging to your flesh and gripping you tightly. "DUSTINNNNN" they shout terrified, their voice echoing in the wind. But you didn't mind them and put your hand on the knob and turning it around and using your feet to flung it open. Running in the castle hallways and MC screaming like a mad person in your arms.

[bacchanal-if]

May's Short Story: 🌶️ Feast (The Uninvited Guest)

Word Count: 864

Step into The Uninvited Guest's dining room, where they extend a most indulgent welcome.

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