#Strong Earthy Tea | Explore Tumblr posts and blogs

humanpurposes · 9 months ago

Text

We're Born At Night

Chapter 3

Lady Rhaelle Targaryen of Runestone travels to King's Landing to plead for her sister's life, though the King she must bow to is a kinslayer three times over, and the very man who slaughtered her father

Series Masterlist // Main Masterlist

Aemond Targaryen x Rhaelle Targaryen (OFC)

Warnings: 18+, mentions of death and war, Targaryens trying to flirt

Words: 6.8k

Days pass and every day Rhaelle brings herself to her knees before the throne, pleading for her sister’s restoration as Lady of Runestone, as their mother’s heir, for her freedom and for her life.

Aemond denies her. Again and again he denies her, and each day she appears before him, she thinks she sees his expression darkening. It is obvious that he is a proud man, a second son who was never meant to be King, repeatedly defied by the second daughter of a traitor. Lord Corlys tells her to give him time to persuade the King and the council. He also warns how quickly Aemond’s patience can turn into anger with deadly consequences. What else can she do but try, even if it means tempting his rage?

They have been here a fortnight and not much has improved. She and Daena often take tea with the other ladies and attend dinners in the throne room but Aemond’s court is an echo of what she remembers from the reign of his father. The dinners are polite, the music is sombre, the dances are slow. There is no joy in the castle, just talk of the fast approaching winter.

Back home, the running of the castle— her castle thanks to Aemond’s generosity— would keep her busy. Between her duties she would be able to steal a few hours for herself, read her favourite texts in the library or mount her horse and roam the surrounding lands as she pleased, bringing back pheasants because Alyssa was the sister to inherit their mother’s talent for hunting larger quarry.

One night she dreams she is riding her horse, a beautiful grey stallion she has back at Runestone named Semyon for the legendary knight with sapphires for eyes. It feels so real with the wind whispering in her ears, the scent of the fields and the forest, the slightly earthy taste on her tongue. She rides along the paths she has followed since she was a girl, the same her mother would have followed, and passes the valley where her body was found, tightening her grip on the reins and the saddle, as she always does. The sky seems to darken. A figure blocks out the sun and lets out a whistling, rippling screech, the cry of a beast she has only heard a handful of times, and never will again.

She is woken by a sound that still rings in her ears as her eyes open, sweat clinging uncomfortably to her skin. It sounds again, a faint clash of metal. It is a wonder it was even enough to rouse her.

The stone floor stings against the bare skin of her soles, the cold creeping into her flesh and sinking itself into her very bones. Yet she walks, first to the chaise by the wardrobe to wrap a thick robe around herself, and then to the window. The days are darker now. The sun takes longer to rise and beyond her window the sky is a glum shade of grey.

Down in the courtyard, before the steps of the holdfast, a flash of silver catches her eye.

Aemond is a fearsome fighter, tall, lean and lithe, moving quickly and fluidly. He bests his opponent, Ser Willis, with a few brutal blows, holding the edge of his blade to the man’s throat. Before long he is eager to go again.

She can imagine him on a battlefield, his face silently furious, carving through the men and boys who dared to place themselves in his way. She can imagine him in the courtyard of a ruined castle, blood on his face and hands. They say he slaughtered each member of House Strong himself, and then he bedded one of their bastards and made her a Lady. Daena thinks he would not have given a servant such an honour unless she had borne him a bastard, but Princes have sired bastards before and had mistresses from far more noble backgrounds. What was so remarkable about Alys Rivers?

With a particularly harsh swing of his sword, Aemond brings his blade down upon Ser Willis’, but the Lord Commander recovers quickly and begins an attack. Aemond is clearly taken by surprise and quickly forced to his knees with a frustrated grunt, one which she hears easily through the quiet of the early morning. He is facing the window though she doubts he will notice her. He glares up at Ser Willis, lips parted as he pants for breath. He looks enraged, vengeful even, and she almost expects him to leap up and attack with renewed force. Instead he bows his head and accepts Ser Wills’ hand to help him to his feet.

As a slight draft brushes over the exposed parts of her skin, she imagines the sound of his breathing and finds herself struck by a strange feeling of emptiness.

Later that morning she dons a blood red gown and makes a journey through the castle which is all too familiar to her now, to the waiting chamber by the throne room. Lord Corlys is there, speaking to a man who she has only seen across a room, more often than not, glaring at her along with the Hightower brothers. He has wrinkles around his eyes and mouth, but his face appears surprisingly younger than the flecks of grey in his hair and his beard would suggest. He has sharp eyes that stay fixed on her as she approaches.

Concern briefly flashes over Lord Corlys’ face as he steps forward to greet her, but the other man already has his hand extended to her. “Unwin Peake,” he says. “We have not been formally introduced, Lady Rhaelle.”

She doesn’t like the sound of his voice or how he says her name, but smiles and takes his hand.

Unwin Peake fancies himself a war hero. Rhaelle is not so easily misled. She knows he led a thousand men under the banner of King Aegon, only for half of them to desert him when he proved a less than capable leader. She knows he tried and failed to seize control of the Hightower host after Tumbleton, that he quarrelled with his rivals to the point of bloodshed, and yet somehow earned himself a place on the Small Council before Aegon’s death.

Lord Corlys catches her eye and seems to be uneasy. She gives him a small nod as Lord Unwin takes her by the arm and leads them into the throne room. It is a show of courtesy, one she must accept with grace.

Aemond is already upon the throne, legs crossed, leaning into one side, without fear of cutting himself on the blades. Noblemen and smallfolk alike come before him and he responds to every concern with such eloquence and certainty, as though the entire ordeal has been rehearsed.

And he always looks ahead. Rhaelle stands on his seeing side, below the throne, but he shows no indication that he has seen her or that he intends to acknowledge her.

She knows what she will say and she knows what his reply will be, and in that certainty there is fear. She can hardly keep her hands still, pressing her fingernails into her skin to stop herself from trembling. The pain isn’t much of a distraction. All she feels is cold, even through the thick material of her gown. She pictures her sister in a cell, in the darkness, perhaps even in chains.

Another chill slips down her spine as she hears a footstep sound softly behind her.

“Do you know what Lord Tyland has taken to calling you?” Unwin Peake’s voice hisses close to her ear.

Rhaelle clenches her jaw. She expects he will tell her whether she wants him to or not.

“He calls you the reluctant Lady of Runestone.”

She presses her nails deeper into her skin.

She finally spurns herself forwards. Aemond’s eye finds her as she enters his line of vision, fixed on her as she moves across the room and kneels before the throne.

She bows her head and stares down at the flagstones, at the crevices between the stones, the flecks of dirt and dust settled within. Any nervous or curious chatter has ceased. The hall is quiet enough that she is sure the onlookers will be able to hear her heart pounding in her chest. If she holds her breath she can see it pulsing through the neckline of her dress.

Meeting his eye is a strange sort of thrill. He watches her sternly, his lips pressed together in a thin line, his fingers tapping against the arm of the throne.

She opens her mouth to speak but his voice pierces the air, clear and demanding. “Dearest cousin,” he says, then exhales sharply through his nose. “You come before me yet again.”

“Your Grace–”

“No, I already know what you’re going to ask of me, and my answer will be the same. Alyssa Targaryen may be my blood but she defied her true King.”

“I know my sister. She is wise and just, but dragged into a war she should never have been a part of.”

“She is a traitor.”

“And yet she has not been put on trial. You seem content to hold her. Why? Allow her a chance to prove her innocence before she is condemned, or else let her return to her home.”

“You have come before me every day since your arrival, to plead on behalf of a traitor. I do wonder what that might make you, Lady Rhaelle?”

“It makes me loyal to my family. I love my sister, and her suffering is my suffering.”

“As admirable as that declaration may be, I have made my decision. I will not hear any more from you on this matter.”

“If you had a chance to save your own sibling from a terrible fate would you not take it? Could you ever forgive yourself if you stopped trying?”

Something about his face changes. There is an absence of amusement, something quiet but cold in the way his eyes and his lips soften.

When his eye falls away from her she thinks she might have made a grave mistake.

He holds the arms of the throne as he stands, grips the iron with his fingertips when it is barely in his reach. Without another word he leaves the hall through the side chamber, keeping his head and his crown held high, while his fists are clenched at his sides.

She shares a look with Lord Corlys, himself stunned at the irregularity. Aemond never leaves the throne room until he has heard each grievance, and never shies from his duties.

The King is an elusive figure at the best of times. He does not seem to enjoy the more frivolous aspects of rulership. If he is seen at dinners in the throne room, he confines himself to the high table along with Lord Corlys. Other than his early morning spars with Ser Willis in the courtyard or his occasional rides out into the Kingswood, he appears to spend most of his time in his chambers. She imagines him pouring over ledgers and papers by candlelight, his face hardened in concentration.

That night, when his seat at the high table remains empty, Rhaelle cannot help but fear she has been the cause of this absence. Did her words truly anger him so deeply? Is her persistence so vexing to him?

She finds herself unable to settle when she retires to her chambers that night. She is starving and yet she has no appetite. Her body feels heavy and her head aches behind her eyes, yet her mind is spinning and will not allow her to find sleep.

He said he would not hear from her on the matter. She pushed too far, allowed her desperation to cloud her judgement and attempted to argue on sympathy rather than reason. Now she feels it all slipping away, any sense of control she had when she arrived in King’s Landing, any hope she had of reuniting their family after so many years. Why would she ever think that Aemond should show mercy to a prisoner on a plea of sisterly love?

He must have loved his sister, gentle Helaena, who wore a gown of pale blue and gold to the wedding of Alyssa and Jacaerys. She smiled rarely, never in the presence of her husband, she could barely even stand to take his arm as they entered the Sept and the throne room. Her eyes often found Aemond though, glassy with tears when he winced at the pain of his wound, as if she shared in it. Did he ever imagine, when he left for Harrenhal, that he would never see her again?

The next morning she wakes with the sunrise, somehow the shortened sleep has left her more awake than she usually is. She is already halfway dressed in her riding leathers, fashioned from a set of her mother’s, when Morra enters her bedchamber, and Rhaelle immediately sends her to the stables to ensure a horse is readied for her.

Finally, once she has pulled on her boots and tied her hair into a single braid, she heads down herself, but not before stopping by the window. The sun has yet to appear over the walls of the castle and the courtyard is empty.

She huffs to herself, at the restless feeling that’s been gnawing at her insides for weeks.

The entrance yard at the front of the Red Keep is bustling with servants carrying baskets and barrels, men unloading carts and carrying their contents towards the kitchens. Morra is waiting for her by the steps, fiddling with the edges of her sleeves.

Rhaelle pulls out her gloves and slips them onto her hands. “Did you find me a horse?” she says.

“Yes, my Lady, but there is another matter–”

She can already see what the other matter is. Aemond is standing by the gates, dressed in black riding attire, arguing with one of the stable hands. He has a beautiful grey horse on a lead, with a coat that shimmers like silk in the early sunlight. The stable hand stands with a slightly smaller horse, brown with a white spot on its nose. These are both muscular creatures meant for speed.

Rhaelle approaches them with Morra close behind. “Your Grace,” she says firmly but calmly. The two men immediately cease and face her, the stable hand with his head bowed, Aemond with a slight frown on his face and the beginnings of a sneer on his lips. “What a pleasant surprise.”

“Likewise, my Lady,” Aemond says, entirely unconvincingly.

There is noise all around them, voices, footsteps, men and women at work, and yet the silence between Aemond and Rhaelle is palpable.

“I was intending to ride through the Kingswood this morning,” Rhaelle says, holding her hands firmly in front of her, unmoving, unafraid. “Perhaps you were intending to do the same?”

“I was.”

“What a happy coincidence,” she says, willfully ignoring the shortness of his tone. “We could ride together, then? I do not know the woods you see, I think I would benefit from having a companion.”

Aemond purses his lips, and glances between her and the horse being held by the stable hand. “It would be my pleasure, dear cousin.”

She smiles graciously.

Aemond hums to himself, then takes hold of the grey horse’s saddle and hoists himself into it with ease. As it happens, the brown horse is a similar size to Symeon. She finds her footing in the stirrup and hauls herself up, settling comfortably in the saddle.

“You ride well, I assume?” Aemond asks her.

She tries not to display any contempt at this subtle insult. “I believe myself to be a more than competent rider, Your Grace.”

He offers her a tight smile, though it fades quickly. His seeing eye remains alert.

Two men of the Kingsguard ride with them through the city. Aemond does not wear his crown but the people know their King, atop his horse, Blackfyre hanging from his hip, his silver hair tied away from his face but flowing proudly down his back, his eyepatch an unmissable feature. They stand aside as they move through the streets, met with awe, either glad or fearful, and distant calls of “long live the King!”

Aemond does not wave, smile or bow his head to anyone, though he occasionally looks over his shoulder to meet her gaze. Does he expect her to disappear? Does he expect her to ram a knife into his back?

How quickly he seems to phase through different states of being. One moment he is amused, the next proud, the next infuriated, concerned, remorseful. And how terrible he is at hiding this in his face, no matter how subtle he is, but a mystery remains because she still cannot read his thoughts, no matter how she pleads to the old gods and the new that she could.

Before long, they reach the southern gates of the city. She can see the forest ahead of them as soon as they are out of the walls of King’s Landing. The trees are dark, lush evergreens, reaching far from the west and east towards the seafront, to the cliffs that overlook the bay, raised on hills and going further south than she can see.

The guards stay with them a little longer, until they pass over a bridge across the Blackwater Rush and the road becomes quieter. Most of the people here are travelling along the Rose Road towards Highgarden, but Aemond leads her towards the treeline, along a path often used for hunting, so he says. It seems to head towards the coast.

Mostly staying at the edge of the forest, the trees are sparse. It’s not like the wide open fields and hills that she is used to. To one side she sees tree trunks, spots of darkness where the forest is thicker and closer. To the other she sees glimpses of the sky and the sea below it.

Aemond slows his horse slightly so they can ride side by side at a comfortable trot. Now she cannot look out over the bay without looking at him, or appearing to at least.

She realises they have not spoken a single word to each other since they left the castle.

“Do you ride often?” she asks.

“When I wish to, and when I can find time to,” he says without looking at her.

She nods to herself, letting her eyes linger on the way he rocks with the motions of the saddle, the way he grips the reins with gloved hands.

“I like to hunt back at Runestone,” she says, facing forward once more, “do you hunt?”

This captures his attention. He turns his head to her, glances up and down. “You did not bring a bow.”

“Or a blade, no. I was not intending to kill anything this morning.”

Aemond hesitates, then smirks. “I never made a habit out of hunting. It is a tedious sport, more suited to times of peace.”

It is a harrowing reminder of the kind of man who rides beside her, a man who kills and holds his own family prisoner.

“You like to spar too. I see you in the courtyard most mornings,” she says.

“I do not like to make a spectacle of myself.”

“I wasn’t suggesting you did, but it is rather difficult to avoid when it happens below my window.”

He turns his head towards Rhaelle, and she finds herself entirely distracted. Away from the gloom of the Keep, without his crown and the way he commands the fear of his courtiers, his beauty is unobstructed. His lips and his seeing eye settle in a way that seems gentle. “If it disturbs you then I shall remedy it.”

“No need,” she says, “for what it is worth, you perform extremely well.”

He smiles again, dipping his head slightly as he adjusts his hold of the reins. “Come then, you say you are a competent rider, I’d like to see a performance from you,” he says, catching her eye.

Her breath stops in her throat.

He kicks his horse’s side and in an instant he’s bolting down the path.

It takes her a moment to realise what he wants, kicking her horse into a canter, then quickly into a full gallop. It follows her commands easily enough but she remains cautious, keeping a tight grip on the reins and with her thighs, chasing the gleam of silver ahead of her. She does not know if Aemond is leading her or racing her, and for now she doesn’t care. Excitement surges through her. She feels the impact of the horses hooves as they meet the dirt. Her stomach drops as they head deeper into the forest, darting between branches, leaping over streams and fallen trees.

She seems to be gaining on Aemond and spots a ridge she thinks might allow her to overtake him. It’s a risk she takes without thinking it through, urging her mount up and along the narrow trail. They seem to stumble at one point but she doesn’t stop. She passes Aemond, just as she thought she would. He looks up at her with a wide eye, the traces of a laugh echoing behind her as she leaps down, back onto the main path.

There’s a clearing not far ahead where the path splits into two, she would wager Aemond had this in mind as an end point. She slows her horse gradually, checking behind her to see him doing the same. She turns the horse to face him, trying not to beam or appear too pleased with herself, but she cannot help it. Her cheeks burn at the exertion and the effort it’s taking to withhold her smile.

The sun is rising higher above them. The light catches on his hair, the thin sheen of sweat on his brow, the curve of his lip as he tries to catch his breath. “I’d say you are more than competent,” he calls, tugging on the reins to bring his own horse to a stop.

“I spent most of my childhood on horseback,” she says. “Ser Gerold always said I took after my mother.”

His amusement fades into something passive, observant.

“She used to take Alyssa and I out with her one at a time in the saddle with her. As soon as I was old enough to ride by myself I could hardly be kept from the stables. Alyssa and I used to race each other around the hills for hours, or until we were called back to the castle for our lessons.”

Aemond watches her as she speaks, breathing deeply, his brow hardened like he’s trying to concentrate.

“Still,” she says, patting her horse’s neck as it starts to get restless, “I cannot imagine it could ever compare to riding a dragon.”

“It is a poor substitute, to be sure,” Aemond says quietly, like he did on the balcony, but she can see the change in him again. With a quick huff, the gentle look in his face disappears and he dismounts his horse. “There’s a stream close by, we should water the horses.”

He approaches her, reaching his hands up to help her dismount. Her more prideful side wishes to tell him she does not need the help, but she accepts it, swinging her leg round so he can hold his waist as he lowers her down. She keeps her hands on his shoulders, even once her boots have met the ground. The pressure of his fingertips through the thick layers of fabric are almost intangible, but it makes her breathless all the same.

They take the horses to the stream at the edge of the clearing, tying the leads to a tree and patting them down reassuringly as they drink. Rhaelle sits herself in the grass, out in the sunlight. Aemond joins her, but he reminds her of a cautious animal, following her a little unsurely, sitting beside her, always watching the space around them.

The air is cold but she feels the sun’s warmth beaming down on her face.

She hears Aemond take a breath before he speaks. “You never claimed a dragon?”

“No,” she says.

“You never had an egg in your cradle?”

“No. My mother insisted her children would be born and raised in her home.”

“And in the traditions of House Royce?”

“For the most part.”

“But your father never…” he stops himself with a deep breath. With his chin tilted down he lifts his gaze to look at her. The sunlight shines in his right eye, cold and clear like a stream, like a cloudless violet sky at dusk. Like this, sat amongst overgrown grass and the last of the autumn wildflowers, he doesn’t look like a tyrant. He doesn’t look like a man who burned half of the Riverlands to ash and fought in a battle that left the waters of the God’s Eye red with blood.

Ser Gerold would have been glad to see Daemon’s end. He called it “justice” when news came to Runestone of his death, justice for the wife he murdered and the daughters he neglected.

Looking at Aemond now she wonders if he regrets it. Does he look at her and see the eyes of the man he killed staring back at him? Does it haunt him to be near her, is that why he watches her so intently?

“I asked him once if I could fly with him,” she says. “I was so desperate to know what it was like. He didn’t say anything, he didn’t laugh or scoff, he just looked down at me. My suggestion was so unremarkable that he didn’t waste so much as a breath on me. Of course I went crying to my mother about it. She took me into her arms and told me that the only difference between riding a dragon and riding a horse was the distance between you and the ground. So much further to fall, she said.”

He tilts his head. “I cannot disagree with her.”

And oh how her father must have fallen, through fire and empty space, into blood and water.

“What was it like to have a dragon?” she asks.

Something in him comes alive. He looks at her with a quiet excitement, shuffling ever so slightly closer to her. “I used to believe a dragon was a birthright. My siblings all claimed their mounts when they were young, and my nephews shared their cradles with eggs and watched them hatch. For many years I was an outlier, a dragonless Targaryen, I was nothing. But it is an earned right, one that must be claimed.” As he speaks he draws his knee up to rest his arm upon it, his hand restless as he speaks. “Dragons are creatures with their own wills. We cannot control them fully, but we guide them.”

“And you claimed the fiercest of them,” she says.

She remembers Driftmark like it was a dream. She remembers standing by the sea as the coffin of Laena Velaryon was delivered to the waves, looking at the faces of a family she scarcely knew in the aftermath, clinging to the only people she had left in the world, Daena and Alyssa.

She remembers someone storming into her chambers as she slept, the shadowy face of her father appearing in the moonlight that beamed through the window. “We are needed in the Hall of Nine,” he said.

“We?”

He found Alyssa in the next room and left Daena to sleep, marching down the dark corridors of Hightide. They walked in on a scene that terrified her. While their father leaned against the doorway, almost amused, Alyssa and Rhaelle walked further inside, hand in hand. They could not see clearly past the crowd that had gathered to watch this battle between the Princess and the Queen, but there was shouting, pleading, blood on the faces of Rhaenyra’s sons and blood on the face of the King’s son, Aemond.

She peered through the bodies, the fabric of nightgowns and the haze of the braziers to see him sitting there, stitches in his face, smaller cuts on his brow and his lip. He didn’t look at the eye discarded in a tray by his side, he didn’t look to his siblings for reassurance or comfort. First he glared at his father with a hatred that somehow seemed contained, stunned but unsurprised. Then he looked at his mother, with far more understanding than a child should ever have to need.

“Do not mourn me, mother,” the boy said, “I may have lost an eye, but I gained a dragon.”

“A dragon is terror and freedom,” Aemond says as her eyes drift over the edges of his scar and the details of the leather patch that conceals the rest. “When I claimed Vhagar, centuries of power and strength became mine. I felt her in solitude, I learned from her.”

It shows, she thinks, that he grew bonded to a beast of conquest, a witness to her fire and majesty, and took that into himself.

Her eyes trail lower, over his jaw, the pale skin of his neck just visible beneath his collar, which ends with a silver buckle. She can pinpoint the rise and fall of his breath, the detailings of golden dragons against the black leather, his hair draped over his shoulders and down his body.

She feels her legs getting numb and shifts her weight onto her palm, placed on the grass beside her so that she leans in closer to him.

“But to take flight on Vhagar,” Aemond says softly, a hint of a smile on his lips, his eye gleaming and trained on her, “to feel the force of her wings, the wind and the weightlessness…”

She feels herself clinging to every word he says, each subtle breath he takes, the minuscule movements in his face as he inches closer to her. Only for her heart to sink when he pauses.

He reaches up, taking the end of her braid between his gloved fingers. “I wish you could have known what it was like.”

“It is like you said,” she says, “it is not a birthright, it is something earned.”

“By those of our blood,” Aemond says, his eye darting back up to meet hers. “You should have had the chance to earn it.”

Our blood, the blood of dragons and conquerors, of Queens and Princes, of weak Kings and cruel fathers.

He releases his hold of her hair, positioning it over her shoulder and tracing his fingertips over the coat of her leathers. His eye follows, then slowly returns to her face. “Might I show you something?”

“Yes, of course,” she says, carefully withholding eagerness in her voice. “Shall we fetch the horses?”

“No,” Aemond says, rising and offering his hand for her to take. “We’ll go on foot.”

He keeps her hand in his, leather against leather, as he leads her down the path, freshly disturbed by hoof prints, away from the clearing and back into the forest. He stops where the path diverged into two and with a small inclination of his head, they walk along the trail that leads uphill. This way is not as the other, overgrown with grass and even the thick, twisted roots of trees. Aemond is keen to guide her, walking just ahead, tightening his grip on her at the slightest of obstacles.

The hill becomes steep, and in fact she is grateful for his caution when she loses her footing on a loose rock and he is there to steady her, determined that she shall stay upright. The higher they climb the sparser the trees, the louder the wind howls, the closer the sound of the water becomes. The path leads on, but Aemond stops and steps out into the open.

She stands behind his shoulder to shield herself from the wind, clutching his hand and squinting through the blinding sunlight on the eastern horizon, over the waves of the Blackwater, roaring and crashing against one another, against the base off the cliff they stand on. The city is nothing but distant shapes, further along the curve of the shore. The Red Keep, where standing at its gates seems to reach high into the heavens, seems so unremarkable from here. The cold seeps through her leathers. Sea salt stings in her eyes and on her tongue.

“My mother’s sworn shield taught me to ride on horseback, Ser Criston Cole. He’d lead me through these woods, until I knew all the trails by heart,” Aemond says, leaning into her so she can hear him. His breath is warm against her ear, his grip on her hand still unrelenting. “I came across this place when I was a boy. I used to sit here for hours, especially when the others would ride their dragons.”

Gulls sail effortlessly through the sea air. She imagines dragons in their place.

“A childish indulgence,” Aemond mutters.

“Show me,” she says, tilting her head up to meet his eye.

He smiles to himself. “Stand there,” he says, pointing to the very edge of the cliff face, at a slab of grey stone reaching out below the rocks and spray of the sea.

“On the ledge?” she says, her legs unsure beneath her.

He releases her hand to gently guide her by her waist. “Right here,”

Her stomach lurches when her boots leave the earth. If it is the truth or a trick of the mind the stone seems to move beneath her. “Aemond, I’m going to fall!”

But he holds her waist tight, pulling her into him until she feels the heat of his body through their riding leathers, the hilt of Blackfyre pressing against her back. “I’ve got you,” he murmurs in her ear, “I’ve got you.”

She cannot seem to breathe, gasping for air as she wills her heart to calm. She grasps at his hands, clinging to him as if he would not merely fall with her. His proximity to her is not quite comforting, it only seems to make her more afraid, but it is a pleasant sort of fear.

“Can you imagine it,” he says, leaning his cheek against her temple, “out of reach of the rest of the world, the heat of a dragon beneath you, the wind against your skin, the weightlessness?”

The force of the wind seems to push her closer into his grasp. She can feel the terror. One misstep and she will fall, her body dashed out over the rocks below, her blood feeding into the water.

“I could feel her fire brewing beneath her hide. I could feel it burning in my blood and my throat before she unleashed it,” Aemond whispers, his lips grazing the shell of her ear.

She shudders, letting herself turn into him, letting her hands close around his wrists.

He leans into her, resting his forehead against hers. She feels his heat. She feels something like fire burning in her blood and wonders if it burns in his too. A gloved hand delicately takes her chin.

It would be easy to give into him, she thinks. She would have been glad to do it the first time she laid eyes upon him.

But she knows she must not allow herself to be ruled by impulse and desire. She cannot escape him completely but she turns her head back towards the open water. Aemond is still holding her, still breathing against her neck.

She waits for him to guide her back, to the safety of solid ground, away from the ledge. Now he cannot meet her eye.

They walk back to the clearing and Aemond holds her hand again, though this time she does not stumble. Aemond unties her horse, helps her into her saddle and she waits for him before they set off back down the path.

The ride back to King’s Landing is a silent one. Each step their horses take through the woods feels heavy in her ears, the closing of a door, the beat of a funeral drum. She looks ahead to Aemond, hoping he will turn back and catch her eye but he does not.

She wants to tear her hair out from the roots and strike herself across the face. She couldn’t afford to make another mistake and yet she has done exactly that. What if the King feels slighted? What if he holds this against her?

The guards are waiting for them by the bridge and escort them back through the city. The streets are busier and grey now that the sun has risen and hidden itself behind a sky of clouds.

But the entrance yard at the Red Keep is no longer filled with servants. Instead the clashes of steel ring out against the walls of the castle, as men of the Kingsguard, nobles and knights spar, to the awe of a few spectators.

Aemond pays little mind to the people in the yard. Even when they greet him he simply nods his head. As his horse is taken by a stable hand, swings a leg over the head and slips effortlessly from the saddle.

Then he approaches her horse, wordlessly holding out his hands, offering his assistance. She allows this, and purposefully turns to face him once her boots have met the ground, keeping her hands on his shoulders, not too firmly, for she cannot appear to be too forceful.

“Your Grace,” she says, determined that their eyes should meet again. “I am sorry if I have offended you, truly,” she says quietly, though she will hardly avoid attention when she stands with the King, his hands lingering on her waist, more timidly than he had been in the woods.

Aemond looks at her, and once again his expression is a gentle one. “I am anything but,” he says, one of his thumbs tracing circles over her leathers. He lowers his voice. “The truth is I am deeply moved by your loyalty to your sister. You were right, I have regrets of my own.”

There have been all kinds of rumours regarding Queen Helaena’s death. Some say she was pushed from the window, perhaps even by Rhaenyra herself, and others say she threw herself from it. She was driven mad by grief, supposedly, since the murder of her eldest son, and perhaps she could bear the pain no longer. Perhaps the cause was the false news of Aemond’s death at the God’s Eye. At first the only news had come from smallfolk in the nearby lands, that both Princes had fallen. A fortnight later Aemond arrived at King’s Landing, dragonless, but decidedly alive.

“I often ask myself why I did not do more for them. Why did I put them in danger? Why did I leave them? Why did I not return to them…”

Something else catches his attention. His gaze has moved from her face, to the leather breastplate she wears under her coat, embroidered with ancient runes, naturally.

“What does that say?” he asks in a voice like ice, tracing his fingertips over the golden thread, over the same markings written into the sleeves of the first gown she wore in King’s Landing.

“Have you seen it before? It is an old saying in the Vale,” she says, startled by another shift in him, “the words read: learn to die.”

His throat hums, lowly and softly. His eye returns to hers, his lips curling into a self assured smile, the kind that infuriates her because it means he knows something she does not.

He releases her waist, then reaches for her hand. He pinches the end of her right glove and pulls it from her slowly, the lack of warmth stinging her bare skin.

He whispers, “I cannot give you what you ask of me, not now at least. But I will try.” He raises her hand and presses his lips against it. “I promise you, I will try.”

Blood blooms beneath her cheeks. For once Aemond’s words fill her with hope. He seems sincere, she wants that to be the truth.

She smiles politely. “Thank you, Your Grace—”

“Your Grace!” Calls a voice from the steps to the Keep. Aemond’s hand falls away from hers and he faces away from her as Martyn Hightower approaches them. “All the preparations have been made for you to receive Lady Floris and Lady Cassandra. They are expected to arrive before the day’s end.”

She watches Aemond bring one hand to the hilt of his sword. The other he brings behind his back, clenched in a fist. “Good,” he says, and turns towards Rhaelle again, his body following his head. “Thank you for accompanying me this morning, my Lady.”

She takes a breath, meaning to thank him but then he’s stalking across the yard and disappearing into the castle.

Rhaelle decides she can hardly bear the sight of him walking away.

Tags (comment to be added)

General taglist: @randomdragonfires @jamespotterismydaddy @theoneeyedprince @tsujifreya @dreamsofoldvalyria @lacebvnny

Series taglist: @adragonprinceswhore @persephonerinyes @gemini-mama @aemondzyrys @snh96 @magnificentdelusionr @aegonx @xxxkat3xxx @dahlias-and-marigolds @mandiiblanche @thaisthedreamer @heavenly1927 @herfantasyworldd @heimtathurs @minttea07

#my fics #aemond targaryen #aemond targaryen fanfic #aemond targaryen fanfiction #aemond targaryen smut #aemond targaryen oneshot #aemond x reader #aemond x you #aemond x ofc #hotd #house of the dragon fanfic #house of the dragon fanfiction #hotd fanfiction #smut #aemond fanfiction #aemond fanfic #aemond oneshot #aemond one eye #hotd fandom

254 notes · View notes

fairytsuk1 · 2 years ago

Text

cupid's arrow | (s)

apart of the meet cute: gone wrong series, click here for more!

pairing: izuku midoriya x reader

words: 8.3k

prompt: "getting set up by their lovely grandmas, who always go to the same café and gush about their grandkids"

warnings: teasing game, public sex, quickie, protected sex, tit play, praise kink, missionary position, soft dom!midoriya

The retirement home was an amalgamation of both good and evil. It had the finest foods for delicate denture havers and was home to some of life’s more depressing thought processes. You preferred being able to drive over the speed limit as the city air lashed at your face; being young and carefree was much more appealing. However, this couldn’t be your reality anymore as you knew your grandmother needed you more than ever. Things were about to change. You’d be moving onto bigger steps in your life! Finding a partner, making a home together, advancing in your career…

Before leaving for the retirement home, you hoped you’d be walking out of there glimmering with adjusting to adulthood. No games or silly adventures, a part of you lit up at the idea of this summer excursion changing your life. You really, really hoped it would.

You smooth your tennis skirt over your thighs, ankles crossing and a warm smile gracing your features when your grandmother waltz in with house slippers and an old tea set. The smell of earthy leaves wafts into your nose, and you already know she’s made two steaming cups of green tea before she pours it.

“Nana, you know you don’t have to make anything when I visit,” you’d figured she’d stop making cookies past your twelfth birthday, but she clearly planned to wave you off every single time.

Snarkily, your grandmother rolls her eyes and takes a slurping sip of her tea.

“It’s not about that. It’s about keeping ancient traditions! We’re family, and that means grandmothers make their grandchildren tea!”

She nods, pleased with herself, and her eyes are closed as she savors the grass notes, the feeling of toastiness, and the mild sweetness. Your eyebrows twitch, and you miss how she does the same once she’s placed her cup back down.

“Mhm, it’s very good, did you taste the grass?” you swallow and nod, “yes, me too. So… Have you found a boyfriend yet?”

You’re in the process of drinking more tea but her comment startles you; the cup is hastily set back on the coffee table and leaving a liquid trail in its wake. Practically spitting out your tea, you’re quick to wipe your mouth with a napkin and set the record straight.

“Huh?! Where is that coming from? …I don’t, but why are you asking, nana?”

She’s got this unreadable look on her face. Then, she’s giving you this cheeky grin and sighing wistfully as if thinking of a past lover. You’re curling your fingers into your palms, nearly shaking in anticipation as her hands rub together sneakily.

“It’s my friend’s grandson! You know me. Always talking, but if I were you, I’d snatch him right up! He’s strong, and he’s got bright green eyes! They’d compliment yours so well,” and she’s scooting forward in her seat, “you will like him! He’s a very nice boy.”

Nana’s been gossiping again. You’re relieved she wasn’t trying to reconnect you and former lovers (an activity that had proven to be unsuccessful, twice.) Still, the idea of her pitching you to random strangers like an ATM card makes your face twist in an attempt to tell her how you really feel.

“I-I don’t know, nana. I’m not even sure if I’m looking for anything right now,” and you were right.

A relationship seemed like a huge step, and this was supposed to be your summer “boss up” phase. To be honest, you weren’t sure if you had trust in your grandma’s romantic instincts for matchmaking either. A wrinkled hand covers yours, and your nana is beaming with her body leaned towards you.

“Tell you what, he will be here for breakfast tomorrow morning. You don’t have to do much, but you should see him in person! Get to know him a little.”

You let the offer hang in the air for a moment before shrugging.

“...I guess I can do that. I don’t want this to become an everyday thing, though! I came here to spend time with you, nana. Not with some guy!”

Nana had already returned to sipping her tea and nodded before licking her lips.

“Of course, dear. However, if you like this Midoriya as much as I think you will, you’ll end up regretting saying that!”

You take a sip, and two pairs of eyebrows raise. You doubted it. This “Midoriya” person was probably some nerdy guy that didn’t know how to talk to girls. It didn’t matter anyways, so on that fateful day you brushed mascara on thick lashes and made sure your lips looked as plump as ever in your pink lip gloss. You weren’t trying to impress anyone, not at all!

Something in your gut had just told you to make an effort, but it was hard to tell whether this gut feeling was good or bad.

The situation had proven that you needed to take a long hard look at yourself in the mirror. He wasn’t ugly, no. He was anything but. He was so handsome that as you and your grandmother circled the table to sit, your foot caught on the leg of the table. Practically every brain cell had been focused on the promise of muscles under his white button-up plus the extra show of solid, veiny forearms. He was hot.

“This is my friend, Kotoe! And this is her grandson, Izuku Midoriya! He’s the one I brought up to you last night,” and for the first time, you’re aware of how red Midoriya looks; maybe he was thinking the same things about you.

Kotoe grins widely, and the wave crashes on you and Midoriya because the embarrassment of the situation keeps getting worse. First, the table. Then, he’s watching you as you settle yourself across from him. This feels more like you’re being judged than trying to link up with someone.

“You remember her, right? I showed you that picture of her at that one band performance.”

Your pride is fatally wounded, but you’re even more aghast that one of the cutest boys you’ve ever seen is actually seeing you for the second time. The idea that Midoriya’s first impression was of you with braces and frizzy hair left you feeling like you could melt into your seat effortlessly.

Nana guiltily peruses the menu, but you know there’s no one else that has that picture. You’d tried to erase every copy of it but… she had her ways.

“Nana.”

She grins sheepishly while fluffing her curls, “it’s not my fault your mother only sends me photos when she feels like it. You look cute in the photo!”

If you didn’t stop her now, maybe nothing could. Along with this setting not seeming like the right time to discuss the ins and outs of your family relationships, you turn to Midoriya and smile warmly.

“Right. Well, Midoriya, it’s nice to meet you. You’re lucky you were spared from the dreaded band photo. I’m jealous,” with a hair flip for good measure.

She’s so cute, he thinks.

“If only you could have the same fate.”

It’s so boyish, so ridiculous, and it makes your heart-beat rabbit fast because it’s not fair that his voice is gentle yet had an edge to it. His smile and even the licking of lips were uncalled for. He was charming you way too easily. How long had you two been sitting here again?

He’s tuning you like a fiddle to his chosen song, and you play beautifully. You need fresh air, so your cup of water is gulped down to curb the romantic-tension fever rising inside you.

Your grandmother and Kotoe fall into conversation like it’s natural. Midoriya keeps taking tentative glances at you but looking away before something productive happens, so you begin to copy him; now you just feel like you’re in the hall of mirrors.

“So, Midoriya… Do you go to university?”

“I-I do! I’m an archaeology major with a minor in history! It’s a lot of nerdy stuff, but it’s more interesting than calculus!”

His eyes sparkle at the topic, and the passion leaking through his words is evident. It’s cute, and your cheeks lift without thinking about it. He’s infectious, and in a bad way.

The type of infection where every glance feels like slow motion, and your brain skips ahead to when his mouth is on yours, and his hands are tugging, pulling, squeezing…

“That’s really cool! I’ve never heard of someone majoring in something like that! I’m doing public administration; it’s like political science but not really.”

Midoriya can’t wait to dig his hands into you and bury his cock deep inside you, but he can’t think about that right now. He mentally files away the memories of your shy looks so he can wrap a fist around himself in the shower later as he thinks of ruining your tight little pussy.

“No, yeah, that’s brave stuff to do! That can be in any sector, right? Public, private, and all of that.”

Both brains come to rest on the same wavelength as the same thought swirls in and out of two opposite gender heads.

I wanna fuck you.

“Yeah! Yeah, it can be,” your legs cross to lessen the pulsing between your legs.

“I kind of get it! History is so broad that it throws people off a bit,” Midoriya presses a palm to his aching cock as discreetly as possible.

The two of you try to avoid letting your need spill over past inappropriate boundaries. You both don’t realize that notion was abandoned the second first eye contact was made. Lunch passes by quickly, and you’re thankful. That was a bit too tense, and your male counterpart seems to be exhausted from the mental energy of ignoring something so potent. So heady.

“That nasty little Annie is going to supervise my cycling class, so I’m going to the pool today! You should come with me; you’ll never believe what she did the other day when I was struggling with my nightgown….”

Kotoe leads your four person group to the elevators, but your nana tells her she likes to walk after breakfast, so you mourn the loss of Midoriya as nonchalantly as possible. A big ego was annoying, and he didn’t need to know that you were dying to see under his pants. Honestly, even just getting to talk alone would be nice.

“Well, Kotoe, I’ll meet you back at the pool after my nap.”

Your grandmother silently gives you a look that tells you everything you need to know about the pool situation.

Get your swimsuit!

It’s not too hot out that when you take a step the ground pierces your foot with its heat. The sun is shining just enough to cast a warm, soft glow on honeyed skin; it’s making you look too good, you feared. What if Midoriya was a nervous guy? Your ego shoots to the sky as you secure your jewelry and make your way to the pool with your nana.

Midoriya thought he might’ve had you beat, that maybe he’d get the edge in the game you two were playing where you’d feel more flushed than him. He certainly played a good hand, muscles rippling in black swim shorts highlighting his lean body. Freckles dotted his skin, and he felt embarrassed at ogling himself in the mirror.

“Kotoeee! I love your bathing suit; where’d you get the damn thing?!”

Nana runs off quickly, having debriefed you in the elevator that she intended to leave you and Midoriya “to it.” You’d vehemently denied the allegations of something like this happening, but there was a decent chance with how you and him were looking at each other that her suspicions were correct.

Your stuff is set by the chatty old ladies, and Midoriya takes the time to sidle up close to you. Squinting at him, he really does look good up close.

“Hi.”

“Hey. Do you want to swim with me?”

“What are we, five?”

He laughs lightly, shrugging and rubbing at the nape of his neck.

“Well, it’s not like there’s anything else to do! Not here, anyways,” and you feel your cheek twitch with the urge to smile.

He’s… saucy. And maybe you like it, a lot.

“If you say it like that, you can admit that no other girls wanna swim with you,” and he scoffs playfully at you before standing up, “but sure, I’ll hop in for a bit.”

The two of you make your way to the water. Midoriya gets in first, and he extends an arm to help you in like a proper gentleman.

“Are you always this kind?”

“I’m just on my best behavior,” and he grins like a shark.

Water swishes around you two, droplets hiding each other’s best features like a love potion. The grannies are still talking, and there are splashes from other patrons using the facility. Nothing can happen now, even if you want to jump his bones badly.

“I think the class starts soon, the water weights one?”

“What even is that class? What’s the point?”

Midoriya circles like you’re dancing, so you bat your eyes lashes and take a thumb to your lip. It makes him laugh, and you suddenly feel yourself dropping the act.

“No, no, I like it! And it’s, uhm, they lift weights to strengthen their bones! But it’s easier on their joints. My Obaasan also likes getting some fresh air,” he flicks his hair back, and the water rolls down his skin seamlessly, “maybe we could do something on our own.”

Raunchy daydreams smack you in the face; he could fuck you here. He could bend you over the water edge, eat your pussy and make you cream right in the pool chair just feet away! Maybe he’s sucking on your clit, pulling on your nipple, or maybe he’d rock his cock deep into you just because you begged for it!

“Yeah,” his eyes trace the soft edges of your curves, and you feel so high on feeling desired, “where could we go?”

Your question is interrupted with a loud, unfortunate, shrieky exclaim of, “Midoriya!” that shakes both you and the man in question enough to cause ripples in the water. Two heads turn towards the pair of grannies, now suited up in swimsuits that go to their knobby knees, plus bulky goggles.

“Go check for some floaties in the back room, please! I might really need them this time!”

Midoriya doesn’t even make a face but nods in understanding before turning guiltily to you, “...I guess I’ll be right back?”

This seems like a set-up. Back room? For floaties? Midoriya doesn’t seem to have picked up that this is the moment, but you have.

“Well, why don’t I just come with you?”

The grandmothers have gone back to their own personal conversation (gossiping), so you assume it’s okay. Midoriya gives a tentative look to Kotoe, before looking you back in your eyes and nodding. Ah, now he gets it.

You both are giddy as soaking wet bodies slip out of the pool easily and pad like excited puppies down to the deserted storage closet. Midoriya lets you duck in first, flip-flops clacking against the pavement as you flick on the dim lights and wait for the show to begin. Then, the green-haired boy eagerly locks the door and turns to look at you with lustful eyes.

“So!”

“You know, this is extremely typical, right?”

He grows closer as if wanting to slowly overpower you with every step. You remain firm in your pink flip-flops.

“Even if it is typical, I can’t help but feel lucky,” and he oozes attractiveness.

“Oh, yeah?”

“Yeah. How often do you get to kiss a pretty girl?”

Maybe it’s the sparkle in his eyes or how he bounces on the balls of his feet.

“Mmph!—”

The two of you crash into each other, your hands flying to tangle in his unique tresses, and you can almost hear the “SMOOCH!” sound as the two of you have your first heated kiss; breaking the ice-cold layer of tension. The kiss was groundbreaking, earth-shattering, and your foreheads dipped and pressed together as you heaved for breaths.

Your first kiss with him.

It’s practically perfect, and it's ending could be considered admirable because it was so cliche. Someone had called out towards the storage closet, and the two of you ran out of there like the guilty criminals you were. The thrill kept you moving like a wild animal. You loved it; the two of you loved it.

That memory didn’t leave you, not when you parted ways or thought about keeping your lips as they were so you wouldn’t forget that you’d kissed him. Maybe you were too into a fling, a fleeting romance, but having someone you could call yours felt fulfilling. Whatever happened to moving on with life?

No, you’d changed your mind. Who cared about doing career things in an old folks home? You could do that any time, good dick doesn’t always come around.

Adrenaline was still thrumming in your veins as you kept going about your day as if the feeling of his soft lips on yours wasn’t being replayed every ten seconds; it was so perfectly taboo and hot. You wondered if he was thinking the same things, maybe taking a hand and palming his half-chub in his swim shorts because he just couldn’t hold back and wait anymore.

The two of you shared looks for the rest of the swim class as you leisurely tanned your golden skin while Midoriya lounged around (fetching equipment as needed.) His new “job” grew quickly on you, the ability to get an eyeful of strained muscles and bulging thighs that jogged ’round and ’round the pool like a carousel felt like a reward.

Your grandmother draws you close with a hand motion, bony fingers clasped to the ledge as you draw closer, “oh good, you heard me! Could you bring me my bag? I left it in the locker room!”

“Sure thing, I’ll only be a sec!”

Quickly, you head towards the women’s locker room and spot the flowered print pool bag. You snatch it up and make your way back, feet slowing their speed, when you see an unfamiliar face sticking out like a sore thumb.

She was pretty, blonde, with a thin neck that made you envy her allure from where you stood. Not only that, but definitely flirting with a resting Midoriya.

“Here, nana…”

“Thank you! What are you looking at—” your grandmother makes the same frowning expression as you, “oh, right. She’s getting in between you and your future husband, you know! She just waltzed on over like she owned the place, and he fell for it, hook, line, and sinker! Don’t tell Kotoe, but you ought to…”

Her rambling goes muffled and indiscernible, and you feel your hand clench at your side. You stormed over to the spot without even considering the consequences and grinned widely. She gives you a skeptical eye before batting curled lashes towards Midoriya.

“So, what were you saying about working out together?”

Nervous green eyes flick to yours, gauging your level of emotion from the deep recesses of your eyes. Midoriya can’t see anything. In fact, it’s more like you’re looking through him as he sputters his way through an excuse of being “really busy, so maybe we should wait till we make actual plans!”

He was good, and maybe it was the fact he was the first attractive boy you’d seen in the several weeks of being with your grandmother. Maybe it was the fact you hadn’t been properly fucked in a minute, so you were a loose screw about to make everything fall apart.

‘I see,” and you shrug at him, “we should wait till we make actual plans too! You know, just so we can be sure.”

Then, you prissily walk off, determined to not seem shaken by the seeming turn of events being that IZUKU MIDORIYA was a man-whore, one hundred percent. He just wanted to rile you up, and two could most certainly play at that game. You’d just have to show him what he was missing out on, all because he wasn’t too sure he wanted you. You’d make him sure.

He’d kissed you for god’s sake! You fumed alone in the elevator, grumbling things no one would ever hear.

The plan had worked spectacularly. There was no way Midoriya was actually going to go for the blonde that seemed eager to be alone with him now that the swimming class was over. Sure, he’d smooth-talked her, but it was all for you. He could tell that there was something you were hiding from him in all your shy looks and glossy lips.

“Was that your girlfriend? She looked rude,” Ayaka grinned wildly, “she’s not right?”

“It doesn’t really matter what she is,” and he stands gingerly, all shy and nervous, “I-I have to go now!”

Ayaka tucks a strand of hair behind her ear, and her arms push her breasts up obscenely.

“You really gotta go?”

The awkwardness is back, and it seemed that the boy could only be flirty when it came to you. Now, he was a fish out of water flopping around on the deck.

“Yup! I’ll see you later, or whatever!”

He’d finally figured it out, aside from the awkwardness of forcing jealousy within you. You were a brat! He couldn’t wait to see how this developed, the greedy part of him hoping you’d make another move because he wanted to see you again. Badly.

“...Bye!”

You didn’t leave his mind, and he wondered what the two of you could do together. Did you like ice cream? Games? Yeah, sometimes he thought with his dick but other times… Well, you were the exact type of girl he’d love to take out.

He had no idea that as part of your newly created plan… you planned to kiss Hitoshi Shinsou right in front of him.

Shinsou was calm, collected, and rarely ever smiled. You hadn’t been lying when you’d said that boys like Midoriya were few and far between, so you’d already recognized potential suitors (meaning you’d told your best friends, in ranked form, the cutest boys at the UA Retirement Home.)

You’d decided Shinsou was one of the cuter ones considering you didn’t see him all the time. His face was pleasant to look at whenever you saw him working his shift, and he was plopped at the desk today with no one around… it seemed like today would be the day.

You and Midoriya hadn’t spoken in two days since you last saw him potentially entertaining the advances of some blonde girl. You weren’t stupid, after the heat of the moment and going over the situation one more time, it was clear. He wanted to tease you, make you feel the fire burning inside you grow hotter and hotter.

“Hey, Shinsou!”

It was time to get him back in a major way. You push your torso an inch or two across the desk to smile at the purple-haired boy and let your head fall to the side. It was unclear whether or not it was actually having an effect, but you trekked along.

“Morning, what are you doing here?”

He already looks closed off, and you’re hoping he doesn’t hate you by the end of this.

“I just wanted to say hi! A girl can’t just hang out by the front desk?”

“No, actually,” his finger taps a sticker on the glass barrier between you, an obnoxious sticker reading “NO LOITERING” sitting there to mock you, “there is. See?”

…

“Oh! Well, I mean, well,” you look around frantically, the heat of embarrassment crippling you to where you stood.

“Look, if you just tell me, then maybe I can–” and the two of you are yelping as you push past the swinging door that separates Shinsou from other residents, “what the hell?! What are you doing?”

It suddenly feels like a huge mistake, and if you could swallow your anxieties, maybe this would’ve gone over easier. The position you two are in now, it feels warm. Steamy. His eye bags are less prominent when he’s slouched beneath you in his desk chair. Slender legs manspreading, and you could easily settle yourself on top of him if you felt like getting it on from behind the front desk.

“I just wanted… to see what it all looks like from behind here! Very, very nice. Did your boss get you that mug?”

“You need to leave,” and he sighs, but every action is gentle as he takes your arm, “what’s making you act so weird?”

Had anyone else been watching, they would have assumed the two of you were up to pure shenanigans. Midoriya yawns, eyes sleepy from his daytime nap as he trods towards the eating hall to peruse the options.

Midoriya hoped you weren’t genuinely upset about anything. Considering your demeanor and attitude, it seemed like something you would’ve liked, would’ve wanted. Maybe he went too far; it agonized him to think about it.

“Please, Shinsou! Don’t kick me out,” you’re grappling with his limbs, and you try to stand firmly, “you can’t treat a guest like this! I’ll make a scene!”

“You caused the scene!”

The commotion is growing louder, making the green-haired boy’s head tilt because the voices sound too familiar. His feet turn right, heading towards the hall's entrance, and it’s unmistakable that you had been the feminine voice whining.

“I know, but I had to do something!”

“Do what?”

Midoriya barely rounds the corner when you bend over, ass sticking up in the air, and plant a firm kiss on Shinsou’s lips. He doesn’t move but lets a soft groan slip as your hands trace the tops of his shoulders.

You’re crazy, he realizes. Just from watching you kiss Shinsou, he assumes he’s probably crazy, too, because it does nothing but make his cock throb. The two of you pull away, and you’re wiping your lips with the back of your hand. He wishes he could spy on what you were saying to him, using all your best tantalizing moves to keep Shinsou in a partial state of shock; you’re taking small steps back past the swinging door and nodding reassuringly.

“I’ll see you later, yeah?”

“Y-Yeah. I’ll see you…?”

“Uh-huh! Bye!”

Midoriya had ducked behind a wall, but your footsteps were growing closer and closer. Then, you’re a blur past him, but he can make out your face. It’s the face of sadism, of one that grins while you walk past him because you know that he knows you have the taste of Shinsou on your tongue and that you’re the one who gave him the bulge in his sweatpants.

He quickly grabs onto your arm, stopping you in your tracks.

“Yes?”

“You know what you’re doing, right? Do you really wanna play this game?”

“What game?”

This will end with him fucking the shit out of you, and you know it. Midoriya feels his heart swell with dominance, pulling you closer so your hand can cup his cock in his shorts. He manually curls your fingers around his length, small puffs of air coming out of him as you submissively run your palm over the salacious hardness under his sweatpants.

“I like when you touch me like that! Reminds me that even though you might go and kiss other guys….”

His hand brushes against your hip, thumb dipping just under your shorts and panties to feel the forbidden skin you hid from him.

“I just know that under these panties, you’re soaking.”

You feel relief that he doesn’t try to check because you know your hole is dripping and staining your cute pair of panties.

“I…”

Midoriya shushes you, an adorable smile on display as he firmly squeezes your ass cheek. He grunts as you put more pressure on his dick before taking your hand and squeezing it.

“Don’t talk. I just want you to think, cutie,” and he gets impossibly closer.

“Do you really think you’ll win?”

You don’t think you’ll win at all, and that’s the fun in it.

Midoriya sighs, feeling your hand stroke him over the fabric before breathing out and pulling away. He kisses your cheek, pointedly avoiding your lips.

“I’ll see you later.”

You’re left as shocked as Shinsou was.

“Have you noticed how often the kids have been hanging out together? I knew it, Kotoe. I knew they’d hit it off,” your grandmother smirks cockily, “where are they now, anyways?”

It had been true that you and Midoriya had been spending as much time as possible together since the Shinsou incident. It’s been a day since anything had happened, but you’d already shown your hand with tight workout shorts that cupped your ass perfectly that afternoon. You’d given your soon-to-be fling an eyeful, bending over with a sway in the hips so he could see the soft, tender flesh jiggle as you sweat all over yourself.

Even just your body seemed obscene, Midoriya couldn’t stop his eyes from tracking your hand towel as it dried in between the valley of your tits (that he wished so badly he could suck on) or when you took a heaving breath while wiping the sweat off from your forehead. Midoriya felt like a pervert; images of painting you in thick ropes of cum kept him hot-blooded.

“Oops, be careful!”

Midoriya wanted to push you, though. To really test your limits as far as teasing went. He’d tried all his best tips and tricks that he knew, but he wanted more. You saw it all, the thumb brushing his lip being the first strike of many. A hand on your thigh that every so often grew so close to your cunt before pulling away and giving you a wry shrug, “I just like having something to hold!”

Things like that.

“You look really good with cream on your face,” he hummed nonchalantly over a cup of hot chocolate.

“Huh?!”

He doesn’t even have the shame to pretend that he didn’t say what he said.

“I said, if you wanted cream on your face so bad, you should’ve just asked me instead.”

He’s even cocky enough to embellish a little. By dinnertime, you can’t stop wondering what his lips would feel like as he ate you like a man starved, slurping at your folds and tonguing you deep because he wanted to give you everything plus more.

Maybe he’d be willing to go a little further! If you could find somewhere private, maybe he’d cave to your soft eyes and alluring words. While your grandmothers choose what to eat at the bar, you’re busying yourself with tugging on Midoriya’s shirt sleeve.

“So…”

“So?”

“Um, do you wanna,” you didn’t start out too strong, but then he’s leaning in a microinch more and licking his lips, “wanna… find somewhere more private?”

The two of you aren’t being very inconspicuous, and your lips are parting for ones that don’t reach yours. A light laugh is heard beside you as your eyes flutter open. You frown.

“Private? Why would we do that?”

“Midoriya. C’mon,” you give a quick look at your surroundings and hope the elderly really are deaf, “we’ve been doing this, but what about a break? You know, I could help with what’s going on with you….”

He’ll give you one thing, you’re trying really hard. You look great, and he’s noticed the infrequent squeezing of your thighs. You’re probably dripping right now, all because he touched you a little and murmured about how much he wants you.

“Baby,” and he pecks the knuckles of your hands, “it’s just not gonna happen, yet. You can be patient, right?”

Maybe you’ll explode, turn into flames and die of spontaneous combustion. This is torturous. Blasphemous.

“...But I don’t want to wait anymore!”

Then, a firm hand holds your face in his cheeks. Anyone could see you two, but Midoriya has the gall to grab your face and squeeze just a little. You’re mush, and you’re looking at him with starry eyes as he squishes your cheeks.

“Don’t make me have to really punish you,” and while he doesn’t sound threatening, you have half a mind to take him seriously.

Your face is released, and you almost want to grind down in your seat. Adjusting yourself, you pop a tater-tot in your mouth to try and distract yourself from your need. To your utter annoyance, the boy next to you elbows you.

“Besides, you already know that when we do fuck, you'll get everything you want, right? I haven’t forgotten about that kiss, I’m going to prove to you I’m better than him!”

He eats a piece of broccoli like it’s nothing, and you have to fight to hide your grin over your predicament. Midoriya gives you one last look. He fears the feelings inside him. Maybe he likes you like that. He settles to focus on his broccoli.

This game the two of you had been playing was getting rough. Time seemed to fly by, and suddenly you were looking at only a couple weeks left to stay with your grandmother. In turn, this meant that after these few weeks… what you and Midoriya had would cease to exist. You tried not to think about it.

Neither of you brought it up, but aside from every sexual advance, it seemed like the elephant in the room followed you wherever you went. Midoriya had started pulling your chair out for you, started to buy you gifts, and you suspected his soft touches were his biggest tell. Midoriya didn’t seem like the type to fight feelings, and you didn’t know how to feel about it.

Not because you didn’t like him, of course. You just didn’t know how to feel because you couldn’t fight these feelings if you tried.

“Do you wanna call me Izuku?”

“Huh?! Well, well, are you sure?”

“Yeah! We’re, um, we’re close, you know? So I don’t mind! I’d prefer it, coming from you,” it’s funny because the two of you are physically close too, essentially cuddling.

After familiarizing yourself with the entire facility, the two of you managed to find the ideal spots to hang out for some alone time! It was like walking a tightrope, was it going to be you who fell first when you sidled up real close to him? Or was it going to be him when he reached an arm around to comfortably hug your shoulder?

“Well, that does make sense! Okay, Izuku,” you wiggle your shoulders and say it so sweetly that he almost kisses you, “I like it! It suits you, at least when I’m saying it.”

You ham it up, stroking his cheek and murmuring his name like you’re a cheesy romance movie lead. He’s giggling as your hand brushes his sides to tickle him.

“Hey, come on! I told you something personal and now you’re going to tickle me?!”

“Of course I am! Don’t you know who I am?!”

It’s a blur, Izuku’s laughing and you’re telling him about the “tickle monster” that’d just appeared. Once coming down from the gusto of play fighting, something’s changed.

The two of you are stunned when you realize what has happened. Maybe it was Izuku’s fault for flying backwards or yours for following him diligently with wandering hands. The two of you seem to just fit, hips slotted against his own as you look down at him. You’d landed nearly perfectly in his lap, bated breath as both of you took in what it all meant.

“Oh, I know who you are.”

It’s tense.

“The tickle monster is going away, but you better be careful,” you say in a near whisper.

…It’s so tense.

“What do I have to be scared of? You’re just a brat.”

Your heart is beating, and this is too considering you’re chest to chest. Every touch, laugh, and first kiss replays in your memory like a flashback. The smell of anticipation hangs in the air, and you smile because this is finally it.

And he beats you to the chase, lips puckered as he finally kisses you with the passion of the first one after leaving you wanting for too long. He tastes like peppermint, and it’s so hot. Gasping breaths are taken; hormones at an all-time high because you can’t get enough of him now that you know he’s yours.

“Fuck,” he pants, “we can’t do it here.”

You’re still trying to mouth at his jaw, desperate to continue planting heated bursts of love across every inch of his skin. His hands come to your waist, and you’re frowning cutely as if your favorite toy was taken.

“If we’re quiet, no one’s even gonna come….”

Izuku’s nervous. He’s been waiting for so long. Hell, he has the most beautiful girl sitting pretty in his lap, eager to get naked, and yet he’s still hesitating. Your manicured nail tilts his head away from the double doors and back to your panting face.

“We don’t have to,” you say calmly, but you suddenly feel so vulnerable.

Suddenly Izuku realizes you’re about to slip from his grasp like melted butter. It all makes sense.

“No. I’ll fuck you here! We just…need to be quiet, okay?”

“Okay!”

Both mouths go back to sliding against each other, and your teeth tug his lip just so see the redness bloom under the thin skin. All you can hear are the slick sounds of the two of you making out, and your hips start tilting into Izuku’s bulge before you can try to contain yourself.

“We should…” he seems to contemplate your position, “hm. Get on your back, baby.”

Honestly, the couch isn’t the greatest. The narrowness makes you nervous, but the strong arm that nearly lifts you onto your back gives you starry eyes; you can’t complain. One of Izuku’s legs supports him from the floor and for some reason, it all feels so intimate. The way you offer a shy smile and how he pecks your nose so sweetly you almost don’t hear it.

He holds himself up above you, and you can actually see his freckles up close now. He has so many, and each one is wonderful.

Then, his head dives down into the curve of your neck with the swiftness of a cheetah. His teeth graze your pulse point, your back arching and breath hitching as he suckles until a tender purple bruise appears.

“Izuku!”

His cock throbs at how you moan his name.

“Shh! I don’t want to have to keep you quiet, right? Ah…”

His hips grind into yours easily with a fervor that only comes from days of teasing and sexual repression.

“Want you to take off my shirt, ‘zuku,” you mumble weakly, arms already winding around his neck for support as he dry humps you like a fuckdoll.

“Mhm, I will, I will! Just wanna feel you for a second; you’re so fucking warm.”

You’re soaking through your panties. He’s found a good angle, the two of you whimpering together as he mimics fucking you deep and slow. If he was inside you, you’re sure he’d be balls deep with your legs over his shoulders.

But there was no time, and you’re bringing him back to your lips with a twist. If you didn’t reign him in, you were sure the two of you would cum in your pants, and that wasn’t enough. His hand is brought to your chest, squeezing over the fabric so you can squeal in between his tongue that licks into your mouth.

“Play with my tits, only wanna feel you on me,” you can’t even stop talking when his hand travels under your soft cardigan to tug the cups of your bra down, “want you to be the only one that touches me like this.”

He’s transfixed, rough palm skirting over your nipple in a way that makes you shudder.

“You’re so sensitive…”

Your leg is pushed to the floor as Midoriya flips your skirt up.

“I knew it. You’re soaking from me. You’re telling me all these things, but,” and your chest is spilling out from your bra cups as he fully exposes you, “I knew I was yours the minute I saw you.”

If you weren’t in the process of tugging the boy’s mouth closer to your tit, you might’ve picked up on the near-love confession he’d murmured into the fat of your breasts. It’s so heady, so exhilarating knowing someone could walk in on your sticky thighs spread while Izuku gropes your chest.

“Mmph, Izuku! I need more.”

“I know, and we need to hurry this along too…”

It’s a regret he’s forced to pull away from your upper half. Markings dot areas all over your chest and he shudders with empathetic pleasure, knowing you’ll be walking around with skin he defiled is so deeply arousing. You’ll walk around after he stretches you with his pulsing cock, dragging you back onto him like you were made for it. No one would know a thing, and it makes Midoriya tug his belt off with a sense of urgency.

You watch carefully as his thick fingers make quick work on his belt. You can’t help yourself from letting a wandering hand stroke your soaked pussy, adding the slightest amount of pressure on your clit with slow, deliberate circles. His eyes catch yours and then your trembling hand. You feel caught, hand pausing while you turn cherry red.

“No, no. Why’d you stop? Keep going.”

He unbuttons his jeans, but his hands go to palm himself instead of sliding the zipper down like you want.

“Izuku?”

“Get yourself all wet for me, pretty. I wanna see how you touch yourself.”

It’s maybe one of the hottest things you’ve ever heard, and it’s even more attractive when a strong hand drags your hand down to your swollen cunt.

“Are you that bad at being good? You heard me.”

His voice has the same bite it always does. Friendly but in no doubt in charge. Your body temperature rises, and it’s almost embarrassing to get yourself off knowing he’s watching you like a hawk.

He even laughs when your hips jolt, “you can rub harder than that.”

“Why don’t you try?!”

The words don’t come out half as strong as you’d like. Rather, you sound pathetic because his groans are spurring your fingers to pull your panties to the side and actually touch yourself for real. The tips of your fingers are slick, and lewd sounds are echoing as you pump a finger into your gummy walls.

“I’m sure you’re just as good. I mean, you had every day to practice! Shit,” he sighs and dips a hand under his jeans, “wish I had time to use my mouth on you. I bet you taste so good, too.”

You spread your lips to expose your dripping hole, clenching around nothing and leaving a syrupy trail of wetness on your fingers. Izuku trembles, hand gripping the base of his cock as you nearly weep for him.

“I want you to fill me, Izuku. My fingers aren’t enough; I need you here,” and you lay a hand on your lower stomach, “wanna feel you here.”

After begging so cutely and winding yourself up so much that you’re nearly grinding onto the couch cushion, you hope it works. You even move to cup your breast for good measure.

“Don’t you wanna see how good I’d squeeze you?”

It hangs in the air for a moment before Midoriya nods hastily.

“Okay. Yes, okay!”

He digs through his wallet, pulling out a foil square and pushing his boxers down to alleviate the pressure bearing down at him. Sharp teeth rip the foil apart while you take mental notes on the boy before you.

It’s certainly not a disappointment! The mushroom head leaks precum like a fountain. Beading at the slit and eventually bubbling over, it’s so enticing that you’re willing to take him into your mouth just for one second.

Instead, you grab the condom with your hand, and both of you work together to roll it on. He hisses at the contact of your hand gripping his so you can’t help but give a tug just to hear him gasp.

“You’ll make me cum if you do that! Don’t,” he chuckles, swatting your hand away.

“Are you even gonna last more than a minute?”

“Will you?”

The two of you giggle as you maneuver yourself, spreading slick thighs and Izuku splaying your lower half against his. He hisses when his cock slides through your dripping folds, “I’m gonna love this pussy.”

“C’mon,” you whine impatiently, “you’re being unfair–”

He’d had enough of your needy voice, and Izuku could feel all his self-control melt away like snow. First, he pushes the tip in just to keep you quiet (and it works, just as he imagined.)

“Ngh! Ah, wait! Wait, wait…” you’re suddenly about to topple off the edge of pure pleasure if not for Izuku holding your hand in his.

“I-I can’t! Baby, I need to be inside you. You can take it, right?”

He’s pushing his thick dick further in you, and your breath skips in your throat because he’s stretching you so good and making such sinful noises.

“There ‘ya go! There… fuck, fuck, fuck!”

Izuku has to force himself to think of other things, to not think of your drooling pussy taking him in like he belonged there. To not think of how you kept wiggling for more; you couldn’t get enough of feeling him hit that spongy spot that felt so good inside you. He hasn’t even started thrusting yet, just huffing expletives in your ear as he forces himself to not shoot his load too early.

You already look fucked out, looking at him like he hung the moon and stars in the sky for you. You’re looking at him like you love him, and he snaps his hips forward so hard you jerk upwards against the cushions. Soft hands fly to cover your mouth, and you look so pathetic trying to keep quiet as he carves a space inside you for him and only him.

Quiet little “ah, ah, ah!” come out of you in bursts, utterly helpless to the fact that you must stay silent while Izuku pounds you into the worn couch of your grandmother’s retirement home. It’s debauched. It’s so fucking hot.

“I’ve wanted you since the beginning, hah. I was waiting for the right time,” he rambles, but his gaze is stuck on the way he slides way deep into you just to feel his heaviness drag against your folds till it’s just the tip. Again and again, and he’s nearly salivating with the froth you cream on his base, “and you look so pretty and I wanna do more, I–”

You realize he needs to shut up while trying to regain your own bearings. You’re still being vigorously fucked, and you can hardly get a word in with how he punches his cock just deep enough the graze your womb.

It makes you cry out because it hurts so fucking good, and Midoriya is quick shush you like a baby.

“Izu–oh, fuck! Izuku! Izu,” your hand cups his cheek to bring his lips against yours, effectively keeping him quiet.

The natural body weight of Izuku’s body excites your nerves so much that you feel on fire.

“‘M not gonna last long,” he gives a stuttering whisper and sneaks a hand between your bodies, balls slapping lewdly against your ass as he drills into you, “wanna get you off though, hm? Gotta make my pretty girl cum, right?”

He has no idea if he’s just muttering bullshit at this point, but it seems to work considering your increase in volume (something he can’t be bothered to fix.) Izuku wipes his hand on his shirt and rubs slow, small circles on your clit. It’s so methodical. It’s so targeted that you clench harder and harder.

“‘M gonna cum–gonna cream all over you,” your folds flutter so enticingly around him.

“You’re such a good girl, ngh! Cum around my cock; you deserve it..!”

You cum with a wail, no doubt soaking Izuku as he hunkers down onto you and grinds messily into you.

“W-Wish I could fill you up!! You’re so–so perfect.”

“Cum with me, ‘zuku,” you whisper as you comb your fingers through the sweaty hair stuck to his forehead.

Izuku muffles his groan into the crook of your neck, spilling his load in the rubber and sighing as the euphoria washes over him. The two of you take a moment to catch your breath, and you cringe at how the back of your shirt is stuck with sweat from your unexpected tryst. The boy on top of you can barely hold himself up, shaky hands tugging the condom off and tucking himself back into his jeans.

“Oh no!”

There’s a clear wet spot on his jeans, no doubt from barely undressing and thus spilling remnants of your cum together. Part of you wishes you could lick it off, and you have to shut your legs to keep your oversensitive clit from throbbing.

“Oh! That’s… okay. Um, is there a trash can near?...”

It makes you want to laugh at how he looks so boyish now in the post-coital glow. Adjusting your panties, after much deliberation of taking them off since they were soaked, you sit back and rest a hand on Izuku’s knee.

“I think there’s one right outside the main exit,” and then you’re leaning forward to kiss his nose, “...do you wanna go on a date?”

“You can’t say that while I’m still holding the condom that I just fucked you with!”

The two of you laugh before he softly kisses your shiny lips, “but okay.”

By next summer, your grandmothers are wondering how many kids the two of you will have.

#izuku midoriya smut #izuku midoriya x reader #boku no hero academia smut #boku no hero academia x reader #bnha smut #bnha x reader #my hero academia x reader #my hero academia imagines #boku no hero imagines #bnha imagines

1K notes · View notes

sarahscribbles · 1 year ago

Note

OK but for 97. "I was good when you were gone! I didn't even touch myself." is SOOOOOO denial! Reader. Loki tells her she's going to come on a certain day (finally) then he gets unexpectedly called away on a mission for a few days and when he gets back-- JFJDIWHBEJEJ

Ask and ye shall receive!

𝐓𝐨 𝐓𝐡𝐨𝐬𝐞 𝐖𝐡𝐨 𝐖𝐚𝐢𝐭

𝐒𝐮𝐦𝐦𝐚𝐫𝐲: 𝐋𝐨𝐤𝐢 𝐡𝐚𝐬 𝐝𝐞𝐧𝐢𝐞𝐝 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐨𝐧𝐞 𝐰𝐡𝐨𝐥𝐞 𝐰𝐞𝐞𝐤, 𝐛𝐮𝐭 𝐣𝐮𝐬𝐭 𝐰𝐡𝐞𝐧 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐰𝐞𝐞𝐤 𝐢𝐬 𝐮𝐩, 𝐡𝐞'𝐬 𝐚𝐬𝐤𝐞𝐝 𝐭𝐨 𝐚𝐜𝐜𝐨𝐦𝐩𝐚𝐧𝐲 𝐓𝐡𝐨𝐫 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐍𝐚𝐭 𝐨𝐧 𝐚 𝐦𝐢𝐬𝐬𝐢𝐨𝐧. 𝐅𝐫𝐮𝐬𝐭𝐫𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐟𝐨𝐥𝐥𝐨𝐰𝐬.

𝐆𝐞𝐧𝐫𝐞: 𝐒𝐦𝐮𝐭

𝐏𝐚𝐢𝐫𝐢𝐧𝐠: 𝐋𝐨𝐤𝐢 𝐱 𝐟!𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐝𝐞𝐫

𝐖𝐨𝐫𝐝 𝐜𝐨𝐮𝐧𝐭: 𝟒.𝟏𝐤

𝐂𝐨𝐧𝐭𝐚𝐢𝐧𝐬: 𝐎𝐫𝐠𝐚𝐬𝐦 𝐝𝐞𝐧𝐢𝐚𝐥, 𝐞𝐝𝐠𝐢𝐧𝐠, 𝐧𝐢𝐩𝐩𝐥𝐞 𝐩𝐥𝐚𝐲, 𝐩 𝐢𝐧 𝐯

𝐋𝐨𝐤𝐢 𝐌𝐚𝐬𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐥𝐢𝐬𝐭

You sense his presence only seconds before two strong arms are looping easily around your waist, pulling you tightly against his solid chest so he can nuzzle his face into your hair. The familiar scent of him settles around you like a favourite blanket - a heady mixture of soft earthy scents mingled with something subtly sweet that you’ve never been able to properly put your finger on.

All you know is that it’s Loki. The best thing that’s ever happened to you.

A quiet smile tugs at your lips and you wriggle back a little further into his embrace. “I knew you were there,” you say casually, continuing to stir your tea.

He gives your waist a squeeze. “Course you did,” he murmurs, gently moving your hair away from your neck.

You barely have time to enjoy the brief brush of his fingertips before they’re replaced with his lips. They move languidly against your skin, as though nothing matters more to him at this moment than savouring the taste of you. His lips are soft and warm, giving the illusion of a blissful afternoon spent in his arms, but when you feel the wet press of his tongue against your throat, you know he has nothing but filth on his mind.

A whimper falls freely from you just as your hips begin to rock slowly in search of…something…anything to take the edge off.

“Feeling needy, dove?” Loki taunts quietly, nibbling your earlobe while his hand slips beneath your shirt.

His cool hand running over your skin makes you shiver in delight and anticipation. Easily, he finds your breast, pulling it free from the confines of your bra to toy with an already erect nipple. He pinches and rolls it between finger and thumb to send a satisfying jolt of pleasure racing through you, making you crave more of him.

His touch has every nerve in your body flickering joyously to life, and when he squeezes that little bit harder, the groan that escapes you can only be described as debauched.

“What do you think?” you shoot back, allowing your head to fall back against his shoulder. Your eyes flutter shut while he continues to play with your nipple, and arousal pools like liquid sin between your thighs when his other hand quickly finds its twin.

Needy doesn’t describe what you’re feeling - it doesn’t even come close.

For the past week Loki has denied you release - for no reason other than he wanted to - and he’s been diligent in teasing and edging you each of those seven days, ensuring that you’re kept perpetually stimulated

Truthfully, you aren’t sure how you’re still capable of forming coherent thoughts. Night and day, all you can think about is getting fucked senseless on Loki’s cock.

He laughs softly right by your ear and the feel of his warm breath hitting your skin is enough to voraciously fan the flames of your own lust. “I think you’d let me mount you on this countertop if I wished to,” he says with a particularly rough twist of your nipples.

The bite of pain is intoxicating and makes your cunt throb. All you need - all you ever need - is Loki. His sinful tongue, his skilled fingers, his beautiful cock - you’ll gladly take whatever he’ll give you until you can no longer remember his name.

“Please, Loki,” you plead softly, already feeling a wave of pleasure begin to build in your core from how he’s torturing your breasts.

His touch is electric and you know without a doubt that you would let him mount you right here in the kitchen if it meant you got to feel that release.

“Mmm, you sound so beautiful when you beg,” he purrs softly in your ear. The tip of his regal nose slowly traces your jaw and he stops to place a surprisingly chaste kiss to your cheek. “I’m going to let you come tonight, my little dove,” he whispers against your flushed skin.

The worlds roll over you one by one, each one stoking the embers of desire in your core to life until a raging flame is burning like hellfire in your core. The man is sin incarnate, he’s been sent by the Devil to ensure your eternal damnation, and with how soaked you are for him - because of him - your eternal punishment is firmly guaranteed.

“Is that a promise?” you ask, already feeling close to dizzy at the mere thought of an orgasm.

Loki’s teasing fingers pull and twist at your nipples just hard enough that a broken cry escapes your lungs - a cry that tells him just how much you’re enjoying the torment. Though, he no doubt knows that there’s little he can do to you that you won’t enjoy.

His teeth sink into your earlobe and pull until you shiver in his arms. “It is my solemn promise,” he says softly. You feel one hand drift along your stomach to slide beneath the waist of your skirt, and then he’s slowly, torturously, using a single finger to trace over your cunt through your underwear. “I’m going to make you unravel again and again and again.”

The ache between your thighs becomes almost unbearable, the searing heat of your desire threatening to fully engulf you if not sated. Loki’s finger traces agonisingly over your cunt, touching every part of you except where you burn for him most. It’s erotic torture and it doesn’t take long until you’re wriggling and twisting in his arms in a fruitless attempt to coax him closer.

His answering laughter is like spun silk in your ear - delicate, but teasing as he pulls his hand away before you can find even a modicum of relief in his touch. “You need to be patient, dove. It’s not even midday,” he taunts, fixing your bra and righting your shirt. The teasing, for now, is over.

Your fingers curl against the smooth surface of the countertop at the exact moment a strangled groan rises in your throat. You sound close to possessed, but you can feel the throbbing of your desire right down to your toes, and the thought of having to wait even another few hours for release is almost unbearable.

“You’re such an ass, Loki!” you whine, feeling hot tears begin to prick at your eyes with how badly you want him to fuck you.

You feel him gently smack your ass - nothing more than a love tap, really, - and his hands come to rest possessively on your hips. “I can make you wait another week if you’d like.” His voice is suddenly heavy with warning, and you know he has no qualms about adding another seven days to your torment.

Begrudgingly, you swallow back the retort that’s dancing on the tip of your tongue. “No,” you answer instead, irritation evident in the single syllable.

Loki presses his lips to your temple while his hands glide up to cup your breasts again, giving a final twist to your nipples through your shirt. “Then be a good girl and wait.”

Wait.

He says it like it’s the easiest thing in the world, as though you couldn’t power a small city with how intensely the arousal is burning within you.

But he still expects you to wait.

Asshole.

A violet haze of unbridled lust settles quickly over you, and you spend the rest of the day attempting to ignore the burning ache swelling like a storm between your thighs. No matter what you do, though, all you can think about is Loki’s cock. Your every thought is about how he’ll feel finally sliding inside you after a week of teasing and how each vein will feel as he drags his cock along your walls.

You imagine how his hips will feel pressed flush against yours while he fills you to the brim, until you’re no longer sure where he ends and you begin.

You try not to think about it, you really do, but it’s impossible with Loki being intent on driving you completely insane in the final hours of your denial.

Five hours after sneaking up on you in the kitchen, he had you pinned against the conference room wall, kissing you breathless while ensuring to rub his thigh tormentingly along your throbbing cunt. The edge crept up on you with a vengeance, each rock of your hips against Loki’s thigh bringing you closer and closer. It was so close, so beautifully, wondrously close…

“No,” he’d purred, smirking and pulling his thigh away. “That is not allowed.”

“Loki, please! I can’t do it!” you had pleaded, desperately rolling your hips in search of his.

His strong hands were quick to pin them firmly against the wall, preventing you from chasing the pleasure you craved. “You will do it, dove,” he replied with quiet firmness, raising a hand to curl it beneath your chin. “Only a few more hours and I promise you won’t remember your own name.”

The rich timbre of his promise had arousal twisting like a knot in your stomach. Gods above how you wanted him. “I don’t think I can wai-,” you began, only to be cut off by Loki’s lips crashing down on yours in a kiss so passionate it almost made you dizzy.

You knew it was a promise of what was to come, a promise that he intended to ruin you as soon as night rolled around, but you wanted nothing more than to rip his clothes from his perfect body.

“Ten o’clock,” he’d murmured against your lips. “Be waiting in our room at ten o’clock.” He’d given you another lingering kiss and left with a wink to disappear behind the conference room doors.

The bedroom is where you’re waiting for him - where you’ve been waiting for him for the past fifteen minutes. You know he’s doing it on purpose - intentionally dragging out the final few minutes just because he can.

It’s infuriating, but you wouldn’t expect anything else from him.

When fifteen minutes melt into twenty you’ve had enough of his games, but you’re barely two steps towards the door when your phone starts to chime with an incoming call.

Loki.

“Where are you?” you whine down the phone, not even bothering to hide your impatience.

You’re expecting to hear his laughter on the other end and his smooth voice teasing you that you couldn’t wait even an extra twenty minutes, but when he speaks, he sounds genuinely contrite. “Darling, I’m sorry, I -”

He doesn’t get the chance to finish his sentence, because, in the background of the call, you swear you recognise the familiar hum of…

“Are you on the Quinjet?” you interrupt him, disbelief mingling quickly with your impatience. God, you want to murder him.

“Yes,” he answers quickly. “Darling, I am truly so sorry. This wasn’t part of the plan, but Stark insisted that I accompany Thor and The Widow on this mission. It won’t last any longer than three days.”

The burning flame of need coils inside you like a serpent prepared to strike. “Three days? Three days, Loki? I’ve already waited an entire week!’ you whine pitifully down the phone.

There’s a beat of silence and you know he’s moving to a quieter section of the jet where he won’t be overheard. “I know, darling, and I’m so proud of you,” he says, his voice an octave lower than before. “But you only need to be good for three more days. Can you do that for me?”

You huff a quiet sigh, knowing it will get you nowhere. “Yes, Loki,” you answer quietly, because, really, there isn’t any other option. He hasn’t given you permission to come, so you won’t.

You can hear the smile in his voice when he answers. “Good girl. Three more days and I am yours.”

They’re the longest three days of your life.

Each second of Loki’s absence feels like an eternity, and by the third day, you’re ready to climb the Tower walls with how desperately you need him. Every inch of you thrums for him, every pore burns for him and, night and day, he’s all you can think about.

You fall asleep to dream about his warm lips painting you purple and red.

You eat breakfast while daydreaming about his strong hands encasing your wrists above your head.

You shower to the thought of him easing inside you inch by beautiful inch, until he’s filling you to the brim.

If he doesn’t return soon from whatever godforsaken part of the planet he’s on, you’re going to put yourself in an early grave.

It’s when you’re preparing for bed that you finally hear the familiar heavy tread of his boots along the hallway, and you’re immediately wide awake, any and all need to sleep is quickly replaced by a primal hunger for the god approaching your room. When his footsteps stop at the other side of the door, you feel as though your heart is attempting to break free from your chest with how wildly its thundering, as though it's screaming out for its mate in the chest of your god.

The bedroom door opens slowly, tantalisingly revealing your leather-clad love inch by inch. You don’t miss how his eyes - soft as dew at first - instantly darken with untamed arousal when he sees that you’re awake.

And that you’re wearing that flimsy little gold nightgown he’s threatened to rip off you on more than one occasion.

You don’t break eye contact as he closes the door softly in his wake, but you feel the coil in your stomach twist at the quiet sound of the lock clicking in place and the faint green shimmer that passes over the door. You know without even asking that he’s cast a silencing charm.

Loki’s eyes travel slowly over you, drinking in the sight of your bare legs and pausing only briefly on your cleavage. You catch the quick quirk of his lips when those green eyes finally return to yours, a storm of desire swirling openly in blown wide pupils.

“My, my, dove, what could possibly have you awake so late?” he purrs smoothly, closing the distance between you in slow, measured footsteps that make your heart jolt with each thump on the floor.

You attempt to fix him with a hard stare. “If you even think about playing games with me tonight…” You try to sound firm, unmovable, but you both know that you’ll be his toy if he wants you to.

This man owns you body, mind and soul. There’s close to nothing you won’t do for him if he asks.

His hands find their home on your waist, and open adoration now mixes with the desire swirling in his eyes. “No games, dove, that I promise you. You’ve waited long enough,” he murmurs, letting his hands move to rest on your shoulders, gentle fingers pushing the thin straps of your nightgown down your arms until it pools in a golden puddle at your feet. “My good girl.”

You feel his hands ghost along your sides until they’re encasing your ribcage, fingers splaying across your back in tandem with the silken pads of his thumbs tracing your nipples as he leans in to kiss you. It’s slow and deep and his mouth moves almost lazily against yours, as though all that matters is tasting you. His touch is the diesel to your desire and sends flaming tendrils of longing flicking through you unforgivably. You want this man, you need him, and the feel of his skin on yours isn’t nearly enough.

Loki bites your bottom lip, pulling a strangled whimper from you while you lock your arms around his neck to pull him closer, deeper. Eager hands twist into his hair, savouring the feel of each silky strand that wraps around your fingers and tugging in just the way you know he likes.

You’re rewarded with a gutteral groan against your lips and a rough squeeze of your ass.

Strong arms stay locked around you as he walks you backwards to the bed, only stopping once your knees hit the mattress and you topple backward into the pillows with a quiet “mmph.” Even then, your own arms stay locked around him to bring him with you as you fall, because you don’t want to lose the feel of him for even a second.

And a second is all it takes for him to settle between your spread legs like a missing jigsaw piece, never once letting his lips leave yours.

You’re drowning in the feel of him beneath your fingertips, the taste of him on your tongue, the smell of him as he battles to be closer, and you don’t care if you never surface again. He’s as familiar to you as the beat of your own heart and the sound of your own breathing, he’s the anchor that stops you from drifting out to sea on your worst days and, gods above, you love him so much that sometimes it hurts.

“Love you,” you say when he finally breaks your kiss. “I love you.”

Even in the half light of the room, you swear you see the faintest trace of pink stain his cheeks. He hums appreciatively, a soft smile pulling on his lips. “I love you, my good girl,” he replies, and that smile twists into a smirk. “You have been good for me, haven’t you?”

“Yes!” Your voice is shrill, almost a yell, but you’re so wildly desperate that you no longer care. “Loki, I’ve been so good! I didn’t even touch while you were away!”

He quirks a perfect eyebrow at you, mischief sparkling in his emerald eyes. “Is that so?”

His fingers trace along your inner thigh until they reach your cunt and it clenches in anticipation, but Loki grants you only the lightest touch, intentionally avoiding your clit until you’re bucking your hips beneath him in search of more.

“You’re soaking, dove,” Loki says, feigning surprise.

The smart reply that’s dancing on your tongue dies instantly when he pulls his hand away to slip two fingers between his lips, licking your arousal off them with a satisfied hum like it’s the finest ambrosia.

The sight is so lewd, so wonderfully, deliciously wicked that you’re certain you could climax by sheer will alone, such is the effect that this man has on you.

You roll your hips firmly against his - it’s an invitation and a plea in one small movement, and it’s enough for you to feel his hard cock straining through the thick leather he still hasn’t removed.

Again, you roll your hips, feeling suddenly emboldened by the firm evidence of his own arousal. Loki groans softly at the fleeting contact, and it sends a rush of power to your head when his own hips try to follow yours, almost as if acting of their own accord.

His green eyes are almost blown completely black, and your own desire - your own insatiable hunger for the man above you - is reflected back at you clear as crystal.

He needs this just as much as you.

“Imagine how I feel,” you murmur, tugging gently on his curls again for good measure. As expected, you hear the quiet catch of his breath.

Loki leans in until his lips are brushing teasingly against yours, and for a second you forget how to breathe. “My little temptress, as if I could possibly resist you,” he whispers softly, before claiming your lips in a kiss so fierce that your heart skips a beat.

It’s a kiss that sets your blood on fire and one that you feel all the way down to your toes. You need him closer even though you’re skin on skin, and when your hands begin to roam downwards, you discover that he’s finally magicked his leather away in an unseen shimmer of green. It doesn’t matter that you’ve held him like this countless times in the past, your fingers still explore every inch of him like it’s the first time. He’s firm and solid and safe. He’s the most beautiful thing that your hands have ever touched.

He’s yours.

Reluctantly, you pull away, because as wonderful as kissing him is, it’s not enough. You need to feel him inside you, need him to ruin you again and again. You need the reminder that you belong to him.

Maybe more than once just to really drive the message home.

“Loki…Lo..fuck…Loki, please,” you begin to beg just as his lips latch onto your jaw. They’re neither rough nor gentle, but you know you’ll be painted in his marks tomorrow - a patchwork of red and purple that you’ll display with pride.

“Please,” you continue in little more than a whisper, feeling your eyes flutter shut to bask in the warm glow of the attention he’s lavishing on you.

By now, your eager hands have reached his ass and you squeeze it hungrily in a vain attempt to force him forward. His cock is brushing almost maddeningly against your inner thigh and you don’t know how much longer you’ll last without it buried inside you.

Loki nips at your neck with his teeth in reply - something he knows will have you moan, and you do - and you respond in kind by curling your nails into the smooth skin of his ass.

“Shhh, dove. I am yours,” he murmurs quietly into your cheek, placing a final chaste kiss to your flushed skin before grasping your chin gently in one hand, ensuring your eyes stayed locked with his. “I want you to keep those lovely eyes on me.”

You obey easily, leaning into the touch of his large palm cradling your cheek and barely even blinking as he eases himself inside you. It’s slow - so slow that you feel every last beautiful inch of him until he’s filled you to the brim, and he releases a deep, guttural groan from deep in his chest once his hips are flush against yours.

For a moment, he doesn’t move, doesn’t do anything but bask in your welcoming warmth while resting his forehead against yours. Your name is a strangled whisper into the night alongside the single, shallow thrust of his hips into you. It’s barely anything, but you still arch into him and dig your nails into the soft skin of his back - a silent plea for more.

“You are Valhalla,” he murmurs, voice raspy as he claims your waiting lips in another lingering kiss.

You hum contentedly against his lips and clench around him just enough that he hisses at the sudden jolt of pleasure. “Told you I’d feel good.” You can’t help but tease him, dragging your nails along his spine until he shivers beneath your touch.

His answering smirk is endearingly lopsided. “Little minx,” he responds, lifting one hand to flick your nipple.

It sends a thrill pulsing between your thighs and a moan tumbling unrestrained from your lips. Your hands grip him that little bit tighter, but he’s solid as a rock beneath your fingers, refusing to budge even an inch in spite of his earlier promise.

“Loki, if you don’t hurry up and fuck me…” You let the threat tail off because you can feel every twitch of his cock as it’s buried inside you.

His own resolve is hanging on by a frayed thread.

“I thought you’d never ask, dove,” he teases, and before you can give any witty reply, his hips are finally thrusting into you.

All you’re capable of is groaning and covering his broad back in little half moons as his cock drags exquisitely against you. It’s been so long that every ever forceful thrust engulfs you in flames and when his skilled thumb finds your swollen clit, his name is pulled from you in an unbroken stream.

He builds you up expertly, easily, and he’s all too quickly panting and moaning like a whore right in your ear.

“Look….look at what you do to me, dove!” His voice is ragged, and he’s fucking you so hard now that the headboard is beginning to bounce off the wall. “I am yours,” he repeats, sucking another bruise into your neck until you’re writhing beneath him.

“Fuck…Loki…’m…I’m gonna come!” you manage to force the sentence out, though it sounds like a garbled mess to your ears. You’re right at the edge, teetering deliciously on the precipice of bliss.

He finds your lips for an eager, sloppy kiss. “Good girl. Come for me,” he says hoarsely, and you instantly soar off the edge.

Thirteen days of denied release comes crashing down around you in a devastating wave and sends tiny white stars exploding behind your eyes. Loki’s name is all you're able to say and he’s made you come so hard that you feel boneless beneath him.

You grip him like a vice while you ride out your climax, listening to him groaning and panting endlessly in your ear. It’s what you do to him and it’s a thought so intoxicating that it makes you dizzy. It’s you - only you - that can reduce this god to a desperate mess.

You’ve barely come down from your high when Loki pulls out, flips you easily onto your hands and knees, and plunges back inside you.

“I hope you got enough rest while I was gone, dove,” he rasps out, gripping your hips so hard that you know you’ll be bruised in the morning. “Because I do believe I owe you three more orgasms.”

Tags: @infinitystoner @muddyorbsblr @coldnique @mochie85 @fictive-sl0th @the-lady-amphitrite @joyful-enchantress @lokisgoodgirl @simplyholl @give-me-a-moose @springdandelixn @maple-seed @loopsisloops @kinky-faerie @mischief2sarawr @wintermischief @icytrickster17 @mischief-dream @littlespaceyelf @ashtheslut @lunarnights95 @ladyofthestayingpower @currish-rosewolfe @fandxmslxt69 @liminalpebble

#loki #loki smut #loki x reader #loki imagine

651 notes · View notes

biscuit-babbles · 10 months ago

Text

HSR Men Omegaverse (A/B/O) Scents

To pair with the dynamics headcanons list, I'm going to do a short and sweet one about their scents! Also, this headcanon will be taking some inspiration from @daylightdabbles's Teyvat Omegaverse AU, but is not required to read beforehand!

Rating: SFW Warnings: None Characters: Caelus, Dan Heng, Welt, Gepard, Sampo, Luka, Jing Yuan, Luocha, Blade, Argenti, Dr Ratio, Aventurine + Gallagher Summary: What scents help to identify each of the HSR men?

Scent has always been a bit of an odd topic for CAELUS, considering the stellaron pulsing in his chest. While it doesn't seem to be hurting him, it does affect his scent, though fortunately to not such a degree that it's concerning. All it does, fortunately, is add a burnt note to it, making Caelus smell distinctly of a smore that had been left over the fire a bit too long. His scent isn't really sweet nor earthy, but a compromise between the two, with hints of metal heated by licking flames.

As opposed to being just odd, DAN HENG's relationship with his scent is a bit of a sore subject. Even though the scent is entirely his and not swayed by his environment, there's still notes to it that are reminiscent of the Xianzhou by association. Because of this, he tries to nullify it as much as possible, without completely canceling it out. His scent consists of weathered paper, sea spray, and peach trees.

One of the most comforting scents you can come across belongs to Joachim Nokianvirtanen, also known as WELT. By now, it's a staple of the Astral Express, soothing those that board the express and allowing them a comfortable passage. He smells of sandalwood, warm bread, and hot cocoa. It's not overpowering, but it lingers longer than most.

As a beta, GEPARD's scent carries traces of his beloved home, Belebog, as well as his own identifying scent. The cold sting of wintery air and the lingering of rusted metal is paired with rosemary and chamomile tea. Contrasting Welt, Gepard's scent is very strong, filling one's entire chest, but the bitter cold and winds tend to sweep it away almost the moment he leaves a room.

It's hard to say that SAMPO even has a real scent anymore. He has caked on so many perfumes, colognes, and even scent blockers that it's a weird hodgepodge of different scents, just as chaotic as the Aeon he follows. Depending on the day or placement, you can smell an assortment of spiced and floral scents, with the only constant being the lingering of raspberries and blackberries.

Everyone in The Moles knows that if you're in danger, to follow the scent of grilled steak, as it will inevitably lead to LUKA. Though, grilled steak isn't the only thing he smells like, with it being accompanied by the scents of black pepper and citrus. It's a thick, comforting scent, but has the tendency to make others hungry if they spend too much time around him.

It's fortunate for those working under JING YUAN that he smells not only remarkably pleasant, but that the scent itself isn't overbearing. One can only truly describe his scent as 'clean', often being likened to a windy meadow. Jing Yuan usually smells of a mild breeze, wildflowers, and oranges. Though, whenever he's angry or in the heat of battle, it tends to be darkened by the scent of oncoming rain and storm clouds, as if disturbing the previously still meadow.

Traveling place to place as an omega has meant that LUOCHA's scent has.. wavered, for lack of a better term. Omegas typically smell like home, the things they surround themselves with. That's hard to do when your surroundings change daily. It's caused plenty of alphas and betas alike to be confused and unnerved by him, but other omegas find him quite charming. If you take a deep breath, however, you can make out the airy scent of lilies, polish for his rapier, and the fruity scent of his shampoo.

A long, long time ago, there was a craftsman who was said to have smelled of passion and the forge itself. But that man is long gone, leaving BLADE behind in his wake. While Yingxing's original scent disappeared along with him, Blade finds that he is now identified by the scents of smoldering embers, dew-laden spider lilies, and cinnamon. Whenever he finds himself mara stricken or enraged, the embers flare up, leaving the distinct smell of smoke and hot metal. Though, when he's content, it's said to be a comforting scent.

One of the things ARGENTI prides himself on as a Knight of Beauty is his scent. It stood out from the scents of smoldering rubble and fear that clung to his hometown, but has since been embraced as proof he was meant to follow the Beauty. Not very many alphas have such tender, floral scents as him. He smells of freshly cut roses, an early morning fog, and the heart of a lush forest.

Frankly, DR RATIO doesn't concern himself much with his own scent. It's simply a biological fact to him, it doesn't need any further attention nor dressing up. Though he can't help the flattered feeling that swells in his chest whenever he catches someone swooning over his scent, which tends to linger heavily wherever he goes. Dr Veritas Ratio smells of pomegranate, sandalwood, and buttered toast.

Another person that hides their scent often is AVENTURINE, who never allows his true scent to show. Scents are like facial expressions, they can betray your true intentions, and Aventurine refuses to have anything but a perfect poker face. Hidden under layers of strong colognes and scent blockers, locked away from the public eye and only kept the secrecy of Aventurine's own room, is the scent of vanilla, shea butter, and blueberries.

On the opposite end of the spectrum, GALLAGHER is constantly surrounded by scents, and finds a sense of comfort in their expression. It's said that he even smells like a perfectly blended drink himself, with a sweet but savory blend that seems to take the edge off of most he comes into contact with. Gallagher smells of fresh grapes, strawberry schnapps, and rose.

191 notes · View notes

quartz-crow · 6 months ago

Text

BG3 Scents (Headcanons)

Okay so bear with me, I’m slowly getting back into writing on here.. in the meantime, I’ve really gotten into perfumery, and so, here are a few thoughts/headcanons of mine...

Gale: Candle wax, olive oil, sea salt, black tea, parchment paper and a very faint citrusy scent - perhaps lemon or grapefruit.

The wizard’s scent is reminiscent of an old stone house, the very kind which provides you with cool shelter on a hot day… and somewhere in that house, someone has found an old recipe and is now searching through the cupboards for ingredients…

Astarion - Red wine, leather, french lavender, oud, bergamot, smoke.

This scent seems so awfully overpowering at first. It’s the kind of smell that makes you curl your nose up - however, the longer it lingers in the air allows you to notice the subtleties of the scent.. the sharpness of the wine, the sweetness and smokiness of the oud. It’s the kind of scent that is intoxicating - and certainly not for everyone…

Shadowheart - Sugared rose, cherry, lilac, french lavender, frankincense, vanilla, myrrh.

Floral, sugary and almost religious in nature… The half-elf’s scent is reminiscent of an ancient stone church, dark, cool and ancient in nature… There is, however, a floral element too - as if a bouquet has been left to lay wilting by an altar.

Halsin - Pine, oak, woodsmoke, birch sap, fig leaf, wet fur, nag champa.

The druid’s scent is subtle; it’s almost exactly how the forest smells after a heavy storm.. strong, wild and raw and yet, there is still a heady warmth to the scent. Waves of nag champa and fig leaf lay layered on his skin - and of course, due to the nature of such smells, last for days on his clothes too.

Lae’zel -Juniper berries, fresh mint, cypress, sweet grass, dew, white cedar.

This scent is clean, fresh and delicate… It awakens your senses just as a bright crisp sunrise would after a refreshing night camping in a meadow. At first, it may seem like a fairly gender-neutral fragrance, however, the softer notes of the sweet grass and juniper berries can be noticed whenever the wind changes direction.

Wyll - Cardamom, honey, tobacco, bourbon vanilla, grey amber, almond, musk.

This scent is rich, perhaps even a tad on the spicier side of the scent spectrum. To some, it may seem like a spiced dessert paired with a strong drink - to others, it’s reminiscent of being nestled up by a fire, reading a book whilst a thunderstorm cracks overhead. It is sweet as it is masculine, royal as it is earthy.

Karlach - Blackberry, ginger, pepper, dragon’s blood, sandalwood, orange.

Just like the tielfing herself, this scent is unapologetic - firey and playful. The scent toys your senses, the pepper and ginger bubbles like sparkling wine - whilst the sweeter notes of fresh tart fruits provide a girlish, youthful touch… the scent reminds you of pricking your fingers on thorns whilst you collected berries as a child. However, the deeper notes of dragon’s blood and sandalwood round the scent out - those warmer scents are welcoming… homely even.

119 notes · View notes

alpaca-clouds · 1 year ago

Text

Try to learn about the old foods

I have most recently started to meal prep, with making a lot of foods and putting them in the freezer. This ended up allowing me to buy the foods in bulk from the local market. And, well... This allowed me to eat some of the foods that the supermarket does not have.

We do have a bit of a problem. And that problem mostly is that we got our food kinda messed up. Because people have lost the connection to the food they eat. But also because of colonialism.

The big thing that happened is, that we lost contact with most local foods. No matter where I go in the "first world nations"... The foods offered to me in the supermarkets are the same - and they also look the same.

This means that a lot of people have no real idea, what foods came from where in the world - but also do not know half of the foods that originated with where they are from, because they are not easily available.

Tomatoes are an example. Not only did historical tomatoes look and taste very differently from the tomatoes we eat today, but obviously... they came from the Americas. So they are not a food that originated with Europe and was not widely available in Europe until the 1600s. While, yes, the first tomates came here more than a hundred years earlier... it took a while for them to catch on.

This is parsnip. Another root vegetable that was commonly eaten in Europe for most of history. It has a more intensive taste than the usual carrot - but is also not that different from it, when it comes to consistency and how it is going to cook.

This is fennel. You might know fennel seeds as a spice or something you might drink as a tea. But the rest of the plant is edible, too, and a surprisingly strong flavored vegetable. It also is very crunchy and makes a really great addition to salads. But it is often not really sold in many places.

This is the Jerusalem Artichoke, another vegetable that originates within the Americas. To be exact, this is the root of a kind of sunflower. It got its name for being very similar in taste and tecture to the Artichoke. I honestly do not know, though, why it is called "Jerusalem Artichoke", because it does not have anything to do with Jerusalem.

The Potimarron is a kind of squash that - like basically all other forms of squash - originates in the Americas as well. It has a very nutty flavor. In Europe it was very popular in France for a long while, hence the french name. It has tons of meat and really makes for great stews!

This is a rutabaga, which originates from somewhere in northern Europe. We do not really know from where. All we know is, that it was a Swedish botanist who cultivates the form we still eat to this day in the 1620s. Which is why it is also called the "Swedish turnip". It does taste like a more bitter carrot, but makes really good addition to stews or can be served stamped.

This is the Chinese Artichoke and another root vegetable, that as the name suggest originates from China. It was cultivates in China in the late medieval period and has later made its way to Europe, especially France. It has a really sweet and nutty taste and can be eaten raw or in salads. Though there are dishes mashing the vegetable, too.

These are tigernuts, a vegetable that has been around forever. It originates in southern Europe, southern Asia and northern Africa. It is a dried fruit, with a sweet and earthy taste and it is known a lot in Spanish cuisine, but also in the cuisine of southern Asia.

Yacon is a root vegetable that originates with Peru, where it is still eaten, while the rest of the world mostly forgot about it. Well, except Japan, where it is currently getting more and more popular. It is a vegetable, but it has a very fruity taste.

I could now go on and name more vegetables from all around the world that were once grown and fed people, but got forgotten more and more in favor of the very limited diet made up of potatoes, corn, potatoes, peppers, cucumber, onion and tomatoes, that is basically what you will get to eat in most places.

And... Well, the thing about it is that... It is not really a good thing that we grow the same stuff everywhere. It is not good for us and it is not good for the environment. It is not good for those foods, either.

I really wish people would try and eat more of the stuff that originates with their region. And that they would eat the not-so-perfect looking foods as well. Because it is gonna be more sustainable in the end.

#solarpunk #food #vegetables #fruits #farming #agriculture #history #food history #sustainable living #sustainability #colonialism

338 notes · View notes

ninetailedfoxmanchi · 2 years ago

Text

Simon 'Ghost' Riley: How You Started Dating (and some little things about Ghost)

Warnings: mentions of cigarettes and smoking, references to PTSD, scars

A/N: Once again, a disclaimer: I base this on Ghost’s backstory according to the comic books as well as the video games but this is just my take so if you imagined him differently, that is totally valid!

NEW MASTERLIST

* * *

I think Simon would be attracted to someone outside his work; someone in a different profession, because he would see his team members more as family than partners

Besides, he keeps his private life separated from his work, so I don't think it's likely he would fall in love with a co-worker simply because of this 'mental barrier' of how he sees them

His girlfriend could be anything from nurse, veterinarian, café owner, teacher, academic to chef or artist. I don't think Ghost would find a romantic connection with someone working a similar job as him or something in law enforcement

You met in a café where he forgot his wallet on the counter and you were the customer waiting next-in-line who ran after him. Simon most definitely insisted to buy you coffee as a thanks (but in reality he was just taken aback by your looks because he found you very pretty) (full fic: Simon ‘Ghost’ Riley: How You Met)

You found it unusual why the bottom half of his face was hidden behind a mask but Simon was a stranger to you at that time so you didn't presume to ask

Because he is so shy and reserved at first, after asking you out for a few coffees, you presumed he was just very grateful and did not know when to stop showing it, or he just wanted to be friends. Your 'dates' were very pleasant but you found yourself doing most of the talking and learning very little of Simon

But when he walked you home that night, an angry car rushed by and Simon pushed you behind him, even though you were both standing on the pavement, as if a tank was coming at you not a car whooshing down the street

"Are you okay?" he asked and took your face into his calloused hands. The caring you saw in his eyes was not one of gratitude nor mere friendship-in-the-making. His heart was racing and his lips were parted and you could hardly imagine a man of his stature and career to be afraid of anything. But apparently, Simon was afraid of you getting hurt

Afterwards, Ghost walked you home and insisted you stay on the inner side of the pavement whilst he held your hand (this is something he did not insist on although his secure grip suggested otherwise)

You suddenly realized as you saw him so deep in thought that Simon was a man of few words but many actions

You smiled to yourself and squeezed his hand as you caressed your thumb across his. Simon woke from his thought, his eyes widened and just a glimpse of blush crept to his unshaven cheeks from behind the mask

Also some little things you would find out about Ghost; he does not like animals much (because of his father) but he does find cats and dogs very therapeutic and if he had the chance, he would adopt both (but he can't because he is away a lot because of work)

You also learned that Simon likes his coffee black with one sugar but he prefers tea

He is also an occasional smoker; it used to help with his anxiety but when he learns you're not a big fan of kissing smokers, Simon keeps his habit to a minimum

He likes Marlboro Reds because they're pretty strong but he also smoked Davidoff Classics for a while

Simon's favourite colours are earthy red (like terra cotta), sage green and pale dark blue

He is a very light sleeper; the smallest unnatural noise wakes him

Simon is also an early birth rather than a night owl; he likes to go to bed pretty early and also wakes up almost with the dawn - he likes quiet mornings with a cigarette and a cup of British tea; the only thing better, in Simon's opinion, is when you're there with him

Bonus: How I personally imagine what Ghost looks like

Simon has a mixture of brown and ginger hair although his beard is entirely the latter. I think his standard hairstyle is a military cut but when he is off duty, he lets it grow a bit longer

His cheeks are unshaven the majority of the time so that the scars are not as visible

Ghost's eyes are pale blue, grey sometimes, although they were nearly aquamarine when he was a baby

Also, I think Ghost has a bit of natural undereye circles which make him look perpetually tired

His left forearm is entirely covered in tattoos reaching even past his elbow. The images are mainly motives of warfare and military but deep down they're a representation of Simon's life

Obviously, Ghost is very tall (about 6'2 or 6'3) and muscular; also a bit of a big boy <3

#simon ghost riley #simon riley x reader #call of duty #cod #cod mw2 #cod mw2 fanfic #ghost x reader #simon riley #simon ghost riley imagine #simon riley imagine #modern warefare 2 x reader #modern warfare 2

618 notes · View notes

purple-plum-petals · 7 months ago

Text

⊱ Star Rail Men and What They Smell Like ⊰ || Multiple Character Headcanons

╭─━━━━━━━━━━━━─╮

Character(s): Argenti, Aventurine, Blade, Boothill, Caelus, Dan Heng, Veritas Ratio, Gallagher, Gepard Landau, Jing Yuan, Luocha, Sampo Koski, Sunday, Welt Yang (Honkai Star Rail) Warning(s): Nothing! Genre: Headcanons Word Count: ~560 words Author’s Note: I’ve been really into Honkai Star Rail lately and, since I will be writing for the fandom from here on out, I thought my first post for it would just be some simple headcanons on what some of the characters smell like! I tried to keep what I think the characters would smell like as canon-compliant as possible; I also wanted to do this since it may be helpful for me to reference in the future when I write for them haha. It’s nothing too complex as I haven’t had the time for that as of late, but I hope you enjoy it nevertheless! Also, this was written pre-release of Aventurine, Boothill, and Sunday, but I don’t think their releases will change these headcanons.

→ If you enjoyed my work, please reblog it if you can! Exposure on Tumblr is based on reblogging content rather than liking it, so your support would be much appreciated! ♡

╰─━━━━━━━━━━━━─╯

⋆﹥━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━﹤⋆

Argenti: He smells like a freshly plucked bouquet of roses and honey with an underlying scent of iron because of his armor. Everywhere he goes, he leaves behind a floral scent with a tinge of sweetness.

Aventurine: Aventurine smells like a very expensive and very strong cologne – a cologne that is almost a bit too overpowering with how much of it he puts on.

Blade: Sorry Blade lovers, but this man probably smells like a mixture of sweat and blood. However, I’ll be nice and say he has the soft and somewhat sweet scent of spider lilies on his clothing and in his hair.

Boothill: Metal, oil, and gunpowder – I imagine him smelling very much like a mechanic’s workshop. He smells like how a lot of men’s bodywashes are advertised to be.

Caelus: Trash… Honestly, though, I can’t really see (or rather smell) Caelus having any kind of specific scent to him. He probably just smells like a natural musk or perhaps even a mixture of the rest of the Astral Express Crew’s scents, all of them intermingling in a very faint and very all-over-the-place cocktail of smells.

Dan Heng: Dan Heng smells kind of like the pages of an old book and a crisp, refreshing ocean breeze. He smells very relaxing and somewhat nostalgic, and his scent is very calming to be surrounded by.

Veritas Ratio: Ratio smells like unscented soap, so he has a very clean and fresh scent to him at all times considering how much he bathes. I also like to think he smells a bit like chalk with how much of it he carries around.

Gallagher: Smells like a mixture of alcohol and natural musk with a tinge of smokiness. He works at a bar and, considering he carries around a lighter, I imagine him to be a smoker as well.

Gepard: Gepard wears a very light and very basic cologne, so nothing too overpowering or statement-making; it does smell a bit generic, though. I also think he would have a slight scent of iron to him as well due to his armor.

Jing Yuan: Smells like a fresh cup of fruity green tea with a weak node of mint. Jing Yuan is a fairly lazy man who doesn’t put in much effort where it isn’t needed, but I think he would enjoy aromatherapy so he likes wearing perfumes and colognes that he thoroughly enjoys.

Luocha: I think Luocha would smell somewhat earthy with nodes of floral and wood-like scents. I also think he would carry around the smell of death, but not necessarily a bad one; he smells more akin to a funeral home.

Sampo: Much like Caelus, I don’t think Sampo would smell like much of anything. He sneaks around quite a bit and probably wouldn’t want his scent alerting anyone, so he has a natural smell to him with a light underlying node of pine.

Sunday: Has a very faint scent of lavender to him that could be easily missed if not around him for long. I imagine he isn’t fond of strong scents, so he usually picks something that makes him smell pleasing without being too overwhelming for himself or others.

Welt: I imagine Welt smelling like a strong, freshly brewed cup of coffee with nodes of citrus or vanilla. The underlying scent is never enough to overpower the smell of coffee he has on him, though.

#🌸 . Plum Writes #honkai star rail #hsr #star rail headcanons #hsr headcanons #argenti #aventurine #blade #boothill #caelus #dan heng #veritas ratio #gallagher #gepard landau #jing yuan #luocha #sampo koski #sunday #welt yang

91 notes · View notes

secretidentie · 6 months ago

Note

If Clark & Bruce have their own signature fragrances, what would they be?

I think Clark would definitely go for a very earthy scent. Something that reminds you of rich soil after it rains yk but also something light and airy. I feel like it's very subtle and you can only really smell it when you get really close to him. It doesn't smell cheap by any means but it's very homey and makes his hugs that much better. You can also smell it on everything he owns and everything he touches even if it's very lightly. [tldr. it smells like rain, rich soil, tea with honey and has a musky undertone and very light]

Bruce on the other hand definitely has an expensive smelling fragrance. It probably reminds people of whiskey and luxury but it also has a very sweet undertone. Obviously he doesn't wear it when he's batman but on most days he can't leave the house without a hint of it. But when he's fully in Brucie mode he's practically drowning in it. When he walks by he leaves a trail that people can't help but follow because it's so intoxicating. [it kind of a sweeter cologne and is very strong without being too overpowering. Probably custom herbs and oils I'm too broke to know the names of lol]

#I'm not sure if I answered the question right but I did my best #Please don't eat me alive #bruce wayne #clark kent #superbat fanfiction #superbat fic #bruce x clark #superman #batman #superbat #worlds finest

68 notes · View notes

reve-writes · 2 years ago

Text

—tea leaves; dan heng.

ʚ dan heng x reader | honkai: star rail | 0,9k words. ʚ dan heng brews you tea and then you taste it on his lips. ʚ first kisses; friends-to-lovers. ʚ a/n i headcanon dan heng to own those traditional chinese tea sets. also i am finally writing for someone other than leon kennedy and kaz brekker.

Dan Heng prefers to be alone.

It's a known fact aboard the Astral Express. He treasures his peace and quiet, breathes in the stillness of an uninhabited room, feels the most at home as he's by himself.

That is, until you come along, and suddenly he doesn't seem to be able to fall into that tranquility anymore.

He's bouncy, often shifting his weight from one leg to the other. His eyes often shift to the door as he's inside the Archive Room—he never locks it anymore, not when you're keen on popping in as you please. It feels like every second he's anticipating for the next time you burst his quiet bubble.

“Dan Heng?”

The door slides open. He has his back turned away from it, typing away new entries into the data bank.

“Did I come at a bad time?” You ask, hovering around the doorway.

“No.” He finds himself answering too eagerly. Dan Heng clears his throat, tearing himself away from the screen. He leans against the desk, facing you. “Do you need anything?”

He speaks in a soft and amicable voice as usual.

“Not really, no.” You look down at your shoes. The door slides shut behind you. “I'm just looking for company since March 7th is off with Welt and Himeko. Although, if you're busy, I can leave you be.”

“I am not. However, I'm not sure I would be a good company.”

Your head tilts to the side. “Really? I enjoy your company very much.”

You're blunt in a way that it occasionally takes Dan Heng by surprise. His composure wavers and he's left with nothing to do but clear his throat.

“Likewise. Shall we go have some tea, then? Or did you have anything else in mind?”

“Tea sounds good.”

The Omni-Synthesiser sits in the Parlour Car untouched. Dan Heng prefers a more... traditional approach to tea-making, instead of the convenient cosmic way, which you find endearing. He has a whole tea-making set that he lays out on the small, round table before you.

A perforated tray sits neatly, housing a clay teapot, two ceramic teacups and a small tea pitcher. Dan Heng has let the tea brew in the pitcher for a couple of minutes. Strong, earthy aroma envelopes the interastral train car.

“It smells amazing,” you comment, watching as he carefully uses two hands to pour out the tea into the cups. You're shamelessly staring at his hands, fixated on his long fingers, with the guise of paying attention.

He humms. “It's Jin Shan tea. One of my favourites.”

You hold your hands out for your cup. Dan Heng hands it over, but before it reaches your grasp, he pulls it back slightly. “Be careful, it's hot.”

You nod, eagerly taking the cup in two hands and finally take a sip. You let out a satisfied noise, the yellow tea washes smoothly down your throat and leaves a pleasant aftertaste. Dan Heng's turquoise eyes trace over your figure as he, too, takes a sip.

“It tastes amazing as well!”

Dan Heng's face lights up at your approval. “Is that so?”

You hum. “I may start getting addicted to your tea brews.”

Heat creeps up his cheeks. “I don't mind.”

You set your cup down gently on the table, leaning back on the upholstered couch. Dan Heng is hyperaware of your presence, feels the brush of your shoulder against his, the warmth of your thigh next to him.

“What? Is there something on me?” You tilt your head slightly in question and Dan Heng realises that he has been staring. He blinks, for the first time noticing your proximity. Too close. If he leans forward slightly, your nose would bump against his. If he leans forward a little more, then he'll be kissing you.

His entire body freezes, tensing as the thought passes over him. His blue-green eyes flick down to your lips for a split second and you notice it. It fuels your bravery.

“No,” Dan Heng whispers, as if in a daze.

“Do you mind if I...” you lean forward ever-so-slightly and your nose brushes his.

“No,” he answers again.

With that, you press your lips against his, a tentative peck and your eyes immediately flutter close. His gloved hand snakes up your arm, finds itself on your neck, thumb brushing the square od your jaw. He tastes sweet and slightly earthy from the tea.

He pulls back slightly. You chase after him, your lips brushing against his when he speaks. “Was that okay? That's my—I'm not experienced in this matter—”

You tug on his bottom lip with your teeth. “More than okay.”

With that, he surges forward to capture your lips in his again. His other hand presses on the small of your back, guiding you closer to him—as close as he can on the sofa.

You hear a scratchy cough and jump apart. You pull your legs back, in the midst of your passion, they've slung over Dan Heng's lap.

“Pom Pom!” Your voice is higher-pitched from both the surprise and the embarrassment.

The bunny shoots the two of you a look. “Really? In the parlour? Don't you have your own private rooms?”

“Apologies. It won't happen again,” Dan Heng replies as calmly as ever. His face is lightly flushed but he looks composed as usual, aside from the slightly messy hair and reddened lips.

“It better not or Pom Pom is dropping you off in space!”

[ ]

#dan heng x reader #dan heng x you #—ki writes 🍯

422 notes · View notes

nekohime19 · 4 days ago

Text

Bimawen # 10 : Old feud

Wukong finally realizing what he's feeling !! He also casually drops a bomb on Mengai, 🤭.

Wukong eyed the mixture swirling in his green-glazed cup, it curled around the cup's wide mouth, dancing in its shallow ends. The tea was hot. Curls of smoke danced above it, washed away in the early breeze. The smell was strong, filled with earthy tones, it was like smelling a handful of sun-drenched dirt. Wukong liked it. He took the delicate cup, his fingers sliding over the luxurious ceramic, and brought it to his lips. The tea was bitter, it nipped at his lips, unyielding. His favorite flavor.

“I knew you'd like my new flavor, bimawen.” Wukong looked up, he gulped down the rest of his tea and put down the cup, utterly satisfied. The one who spoke was bathed in auspicious light, his eyes gleaming with warmth, the kind found in the dead of winter. Yuanshin always inspired a special kind of peacefulness. Serene yet inexplicably powerful. Like the surface of a glassy sea. Serene, yet who knew what laid in its deep ends?

“You always know best when it comes to tea, your reverence.” Hummed Wukong. Despite the respectful address, Wukong acted with no false pretense, his tone lacked the expected submission one should show in front of such revered figures. Yet the Three Pure Ones didn't mind. Perhaps because they were aware of his character, they satisfied themselves with the meager term of address. “You may call me Sun Tao, if you wish to.”

“Sun Tao?” Repeated Lingbao, his face was cut off of ice itself, unmoving no matter the vicissitudes of life. Wukong never saw this man as anything other than proper. No dirt on his golden robe, no curls on his dark-ink hair, he was always the epitome of perfection.

“My courtesy name.” Clarified Wukong.

“Since when do you have one?” Asked Laozi, his eyes curved not unlike those of a cat. His white hair cascaded on his shoulders like ferocious rivers, untamed yet oddly ordered. This man held secrets in his eyes and mysteries on his lips. He was as incomprehensible as the far-away stars yet as familiar as the morning dew. Wukong knew the old-man hid his mischievous smile behind the tip of his fan, he didn't pay it any mind.

“My assistant gave it to me.” Wukong couldn't help the hint of pride bleeding in his tone. He never truly wished for a courtesy name before, but the mere fact that Mengai was the one to give it to him was enough for it to become special. He wanted to use it. It was a gift from his assistant. Wouldn't he be the worst boss if dared to not use it?

“Well then, Sun Tao it is.” Yuanshin smiled, he lifted his cup in acknowledgement of Wukong's new term of address and took one gulp of the earthy drink. The other two deities followed his lead. Wukong chirped in satisfaction, it felt good to be acknowledged.

“You're awfully close to your new assistant, aren't you Sun Tao.” His courtesy name sounded somewhat teasing on Laozi's lips. The old sage reclined on his chair, his white fan tapping against his chin. His eyes, like always, were calculative, as if trying to see beyond what was shown. Wukong didn't know what Laozi seeked within him and he didn't care. He wasn't one to be played with. Perhaps, any other would be like mouses in this man's clutches, but Wukong wasn't like any other, he was no prey.

“Of course, he's my assistant.” Huffed Wukong, as if it was enough to explain his care for Mengai. Yes. Wukong had some confusing thoughts about his assistant, he was still pondering what the lips smack truly meant. But he wasn't one to overthink everything he felt. He knew he cared about Mengai, now what was the nature of that care didn't truly interest him… It would be great to know but he wouldn't die of misery if he didn't know.

Laozi snorted, he waved his fan around like the tail of a serpent. As if he heard something hilarious. The two other deities paid no mind to Laozi's odd mood. Lingbao nodded, happy that his fellow heavenly official was getting along with his assistant, while Yuanshin smiled softly at the news.

“It is good to get along with your colleagues.” Chuckled Yuanshin, he had a twinkle similar to Laozi's in his eyes, as if they shared some sort of hilarious secret, yet Yuanshin's gaze was infinitely gentler. He took another gulp of his cup, the sight made Wukong thirsty all over again, he waved around, immediately a servant served him another cup. “I heard Chiyou brought back some oddities from his expedition, again.”

“When does he not?” Snorted Wukong, he brought the cup to his lips and downed it in one go. He lacked manners compared to the other three but none minded. They were used to it. Besides, they wouldn't spend time with him if his behavior irked them.

“It is reckless of him. He shouldn't bring mortal objects to Heaven.” Huffed Lingbao, there was the shadow of a frown on his frosty face, a rare occurrence. Like always, Lingbao was always the one to respect rules.

“Didn't he come to your stables to give you his horse? Did you see what he brought back?” Laozi leaned forward, eyes fixed on the bimawen. Wukong chuckled. He also leaned forward, as if sharing an important secret. The Three Pure Ones all lended an ear. They all loved gossip but they didn't show it with the same enthusiast. Lingbao's curiosity was quiet, a ripple on his frosty face. Laozi was the very opposite, he pounced on secrets like a starved beast.

“I saw him with a bag. Something sharp was moving inside.” Whispered Wukong, he put a hand above his mouth as if he had to hide his words from outside ears. The Three Pure Ones ooed with various levels of amusement.

“He brought back a weapon.” Hummed Lingbao.

“Evidently, Chiyou is obsessed with weapons.” Huffed Laozi.

“It is most likely cursed.” They all nodded at Yuanshin's input. It wasn't the first time Chiyou brought back cursed weapons from his expeditions. As long as Chiyou managed to control those cursed objects, all was well, but it happened that one or three escaped, causing mayhem in their wake.

“Let's just hope whatever he brought back doesn't disrupt our peace.” Chuckled Yuanshin.

“I don't know…a bit of chaos could do us some good.” Huffed Laozi, he waved his fan excitedly, as if the mere thought of it thrilled him. Wukong was on his side. A bit of chaos could be fun. Heaven felt too static at times.

“As long as he doesn't cross paths with Huangdi.” Sighed Lingbao. They all nodded at this. It was well known that the God of War and the Yellow Emperor couldn't stand each other. Blood flowed each time they crossed eyes. It was an old feud. As old as the birth of kingdoms.

Wukong reclined on his chair, the sun was pouring on their table. The weather was clear. Not a cloud in sight. Yet Wukong knew the cold season was soon to be. The Three Pure Ones’ garden was an odd place. Everything was precisely ordered, each rock, each pond was perfectly placed, yet everything seemed so natural that one wouldn't even think a hand arranged it all. The bimawen's gaze strayed on the carps swimming in the crystal-water pond. He licked his lips… He felt a bit hungry suddenly.

“Sun Tao?” Wukong flinched, he turned towards Lingbao and acted like he never thought wrong in his life. He'll bother his assistant for a fish when he'll get back home.

They kept gossiping until the sun was approaching its zenith. They talked about every little thing that happened recently. Ranging from one wind spirit accidentally letting squalls escape to the Region Below to Constellations losing at a play of lianghu. Wukong never played this game of dice before. He made the Three Pure Ones promise him to try on their next tea gathering.

“You should go see Yuelao, Sun Tao.” Hummed Laozi before the bimawen could leave the garden. Wukong turned towards the old sage and raised one eyebrow. Laozi's eyes were twinkling with mischief. Wukong didn't know if he was trying to pull him into one of his schemes or if this was genuine advice. He never truly talked to Yuelao, from what he knew this deity was overseeing matters of the heart. Some even said he tied red strings on people ankles, bonding them in fate itself.

“Why should I?” Huffed Wukong, he put his hand on his hips and looked up at the old sage with defiance. Laozi snorted, he lightly hit him with the tip of his fan.

“Because I said so.” Laozi left with those words, leaving Wukong alone. The old sage robes flowed in his wake, fluttering like the wings of a butterfly.

Wukong rubbed his forehead, he grimaced. Laozi didn't hit him too hard but still he didn't like to be teased in this manner.

Hmph.

Why should he go see the God of Love and Marriage?

Still monkeys were curious by nature and Wukong couldn't help himself, without truly thinking about it, he walked towards old Yuelao's palace.

***

The Moon Palace was cladded in fog, its pale pristine walls surrounded by swirls of ethereal smoke. It stood in the center of the Region yet it felt like it was cut off from everything surrounding it. The warm shine of swaying lanterns illuminated the serene place. Wukong leisurely walked on the bridge leading to the palace. The sunlight was dampened by the swirling fog, whitened it until it resembled the cold luster of the moon.

Once he was at the foot of the palace, Wukong looked around. The place was strangely empty. Ghostly in a way. He felt something brush against his ankle and looked down. A rabbit was at his feet, two snow-white paws on his left foot.

“What are you doing here lil guy?” Hummed Wukong, he crouched down and poked the fuzzy creature with the tip of his finger. The rabbit's nose twitched. It squeaked, indigned, before pawing harder at Wukong's foot. The bimawen pinched the creature's ear. How dare it pawe at him like this? The rabbit squeaked and pawed harder. Wukong chuckled. “Alright, don't be mad.” He took the fussy creature in his arms and patted its head. The rabbit settled comfortably. “Now, let's find this God of Love.”

Wukong had no qualms about barging in other people's places, especially when no servants were around to guide him. Yuelao's palace was quite serene. The interior was minimalistic yet warm. The bimawen wandered in carpet-cladded corridors for a few minutes before finally seeing someone. A servant clothed in red was wandering in the corridors. The servant flinched at his sight.

“I'm here for the God of Love.” Huffed Wukong, the rabbit was still in his arms, unbothered. The servant looked at him for a few seconds, before letting their gaze fall on the rabbit. For some reason, the cloud obscuring their face faded away when they caught sight of the rabbit, as if its mere presence was explanatory.

“Yes, yes of course.” They squeaked. Wukong followed after them. The servant left him at the foot of an imposing golden-clad door, the bimawen kicked it open with one swift gesture. He stumbled in a light-dimmed office, an old-man was sitting at his desk, leaning over an old scroll.

The old-man had an imposing bear cascading on his chest not unlike untamed vines. His face was as pale as an opal, wrinkled like an agitated sea. His eyes were soft, curved downward like tears. He had a bright red spot on his forehead, burning his skin, a sign of wisdom. Yuelao looked up from his scroll, he didn't seem surprised to see Wukong, in fact, he seemed somewhat relieved.

“I knew you would come, bimawen.” Hummed the deity, his voice as soft as cotton. He gestured to a nearby chair with a flick of hand. Wukong settled comfortably, the rabbit still in his arms. Yuelao looked at the fuzzy creature for a split second, a smirk dancing on his pale lips.

“I just came here to satisfy my curiosity. And you can call me Sun Tao.” Huffed Wukong, he played with the rabbit’s ears, they weren't as soft as Mengai's (nor as cute) but they were fun to play with nonetheless. The rabbit squeaked, outraged, but it couldn't do anything against the bimawen's mighty pets.

Yuelao looked at him with something akin to amusement, he put away his scroll and fully turned towards the bimawen. “Well perhaps I can help you figure some things out, Sun Tao.”

Wukong wasn't one to seek advice on what to do. Usually, if he wanted something, he simply had to take it. However, he did have to admit that what he was feeling towards his assistant was confusing, it wasn't something he was used to. The warmth blooming inside of him was new, unfamiliar. “I like my assistant.” Stated Wukong, sure of himself, because that at least he was sure of. He messed with the rabbit's ears to calm himself. Somehow, talking about Mengai always made him feel quite excited.

“That's good. There are many types of like though.” Pointed out Yuelao. “How do you like your assistant?”

Wukong frowned, he never truly thought about this. He just… enjoyed Mengai's company, he never stopped to think of the intricacies of his fondness. “I just… really like him. I just want to be with him.” Wukong played with the rabbit's ears, the fuzzy creature reluctantly let him do as he pleased. “And I want to nip at his ears. Sometimes, he makes me so giddy… It’s like I can't reign it in and I just have to wrestle him.”

Yuelao raised one eyebrow in intrigue. “That is very specific... Would you say that you're in love with your assistant?”

Wukong's face wrinkled, as if he swallowed something particularly sour. “Love? No. I'm no husband.” Huffed Wukong. He didn't have many experiences with the concept of love. In fact, his knowledge was limited to the brief escapades he saw between mortals. For him, love was akin to a tryst in an alley’s shadows or a kiss on a wedding night. It wasn't something he understood very well. He didn't have those kinds of desires. “I don't want to kiss Mengai. My fangs are too large, they'd hurt him.”

“As I said, love comes in different ways.�� Snorted Yuelao. “Your way of loving is perhaps very different from others.”

Wukong thought about it. Mengai was… he wasn't like the others. What Wukong felt wasn't the usual fondness he reserved for his numerous friends. With Mengai…he felt warm. But it wasn't the kind of heat that poured in one's belly nor the one igniting one's chest. It was somewhat softer, tender. Wukong didn't want to kiss, he didn't want to ravish… No. He wanted to hug, to cherish, to smack his lips until his overwhelming fondness was known to all. His fondness for Mengai scared him at times, it was so encompassing, so unfamiliar, it left him at a loss. He expected it to burn, to hurt, yet it didn't… It remained soft, like the sun's kiss in the morning. He couldn't stay away. He was drawn. Like the tides pulled by the moon.

Perhaps, he was in love…in his own odd way.

“So… Can I love him differently? Not like a husband, not like a friend, not like family?”

“You can love him as freely as you wish to.” Nodded Yuelao. Wukong felt reassured. Who needed labels anyway? He was the great bimawen, perhaps it was expected for his love to be different from any others.

Wukong felt better. He didn't like owing something to Laozi but he had to admit that speaking with Yuelao truly helped him. The bimawen nodded at the old-man, grateful for his wisdom. As expected, each profession has its own dedicated expertise. When it came to the heart, Yuelao was one of the absolute authorities, Wukong decided to come see him again if he had other inquiries.

“Thank you, I'll come back with a bottle of wine for you next time.” Nodded Wukong, he put down the rabbit and dusted himself off. He needed to find Mengai and share his discovery! He loved him. How cool was that? He wasn't really worrying about Mengai's own feelings in the matter. As long as Wukong could stay with his assistant, he didn't ask for much more. And even though Mengai didn't like to show it, Wukong knew he cared, in his own grumpy way.

Wukong hurried out of the palace, he felt excited about his new discovery. However, his frenzy was interrupted by a deafening sound. It came from afar. As loud as rumbling thunder.

“What's going on?” Muttered Wukong. Heaven wasn’t usually this loud. In fact, Heaven was often than not silent. The bimawen grabbed a nearby servant and demanded answers.

“The Yellow Emperor and Chiyou saw each other!” Yelped the servant. “Chiyou brought back a cursed sword… It escaped and Huangdi found it…”

Wukong huffed. Really those two couldn't keep it together. But Wukong wasn't one to miss a fight. Especially between two mighty deities. It wasn't often that the Region Above was shaken up by something. “Where are they?” Hummed the bimawen.

“They ran to the outskirts to avoid destruction.” Answered the servant.

Wukong froze. The outskirts ? His domain was in the outskirts. The blonde-furred monkey felt a cold chill run up his spine.

Mengai was in the outskirts!

Wukong was above his domain in seconds. His cloud pierced the air itself, as fast as thunder. The two gods were fighting near the stables, colliding with each other like two starved beasts. The aftershock of their weapons reverbeted in the earth itself. Mengai was with the clones, pushing the horses inside. He was too close to the battle. Wukong didn't like that. He hopped off his cloud and rushed to his assistant.

“Wukong, there is-” The bimawen didn't let him finish, he grabbed his face, eyes zeroing on the blood ticking down his assistant’s ears. Mengai noticed his gaze, his ears flattened on his head. “It's nothing, the sound just surprised me…”

“You go inside the stables with the clones.” Muttered Wukong, his thumb brushed against the macaque's hairy face, cupping the swell of his cheek. Then he turned towards the two fighting gods and growled. “I just need to remind them on whose territory they dare to fight.”

Wukong walked towards the makeshift battlefield. He took the staff hidden in the nook of his ear. It's been years since he took that weapon out. It grew in his hand, until it was as large as his palm and as long as himself. The staff's weight was familiar, his hardened skin fit perfectly against the cold metal. He could feel the power of 13,500 jin vibrating in his hands, one swung was enough to crush the air itself, enough to take hundreds of lives in a demi-second. The blonde-furred monkey leaped forward, he landed in-between the two growling gods, his staff cracking the meadows themselves.

“This doesn't concern you, bimawen.” Huffed Huangdi. He was as straight as an arrow. His yellowed robes floated gracefully around his lean form, not unlike wings. His beard was thin yet long, perfectly groomed, cascading on his chest like a tamed river.

“In fact, it does. This is my domain.” Wukong's lips stretched unnaturally, his eyes twinkled with fury, his fangs, razor-sharp, pressed against his mouth. He was hissing. “Either you leave now and we handle this in court or you persist and we handle this in blood.”

Both gods flinched, no matter their standings, it was impossible to not be aware of the bimawen's might. There was a time where none would have taken Wukong seriously. After all, a monkey couldn't even hope to equal a god, could he ? But the entirety of Heaven learned soon enough to not anger their good-natured bimawen. There was a story. Passed along in hushed whispers. Slithering from ears to ears. Once, the Jade Emperor took all of the bimawen’s previous assistants, believing Wukong could manage the stables on his own. When the bimawen reclaimed his manpower back, the Emperor refused… This day, the bimawen beat Heaven's most competent warrior to the ground, scarring the Region itself with the shape of his fist. Since then, none would be foolish enough to dare anger him.

Huangdi lowered his sword, Chiyou turned his head away. Both gods left the outskirts under the bimawen’s careful watch. Wukong shrinked his staff only when he was sure they left. He promised himself to make them regret trespassing on his domain and wreaking havoc on his lands. He wasn't one to be vengeful. In fact, his anger was as quick to fade as it was to rise. But they made his assistant bleed. And that he couldn't forgive. He'll bring this to court. Make them pay with some good bottles of wine and, perhaps, something more shameful for gods of their stature.

After all, his assistant will need some good vacations after being hurt and someone needed to do his job.

***

Wukong was sitting near his stone tub, the swirls of smoke danced close to him, brushing against his face. They enticed him to come. Like an invisible hand scratching under his chin. Truly. Wukong loved hot baths. His ear flickered when he heard his assistant approach. Mengai put down a heavy bamboo basket filled with peaches and oranges, he huffed, tired by the effort, and leaned over the fruits.

“I thought you didn't like hot baths.” Hummed Wukong as he creeped closer to the basket. He hovered over it, eyes curved in glee, before choosing the ripest peach for himself.

“I don't, but you do.” The bimawen froze at this. He looked up at his assistant and gulped. Again. The warmth poured in his chest, embracing his heart in the softest of ways. Wukong felt giddy. The mere thought of his assistant making an effort to please him was thrilling. He bit in the peach to calm his excitement. The fresh juices flooded his mouth and sweetness poured in his throat.

Macaque removed his clothes and crouched down, slowly he put one toe in the tub. He gradually lowered himself in the water tight embrace. “You're coming?” Hummed Macaque as he dived deeper in the large tub. Wukong finished his peach and shimmied out of his clothes, he jumped after Mengai, uncaring of the splashes. The black-furred monkey scowled, not liking being splashed. Wukong found his expression funny.

“Do you feel better?” Asked Mengai. He leaned on one of the tub's walls, water clung to his shoulders, lovely embracing him. Wukong let his eyes remain on his assistant for a bit longer than necessary, he liked watching him, he couldn't help it. His eyes always followed him. Wukong turned away after a few minutes, he lowered himself until the water tapped his chin.

“I wasn't feeling bad…” Huffed the bimawen.

“Liar.” Snorted Mengai. Wukong scowled, was he that easy to read? “You were all tense after the fight. You couldn't even concentrate on the horses.”

“I wasn't that tense.” Weakly argued Wukong. He didn't like admitting his own shortcomings.

“Will you take this to court? It's not like they did any damage, you intervened before things could get messy.” Asked Mengai, his face was reddened by the steam, his tone a bit slurred. Wukong snorted. He truly couldn't handle hot baths yet he stayed to please him. What a Mengmeng. Wukong was unaware his own tail was twitching happily.

“They hurt you.” Huffed Wukong, as if it was enough to justify the upcoming trial. In truth, it would be enough to even start a war. As much as Wukong liked Chiyou, there were lines that shouldn't be crossed. He could pardon their disrespect with a harsh slap on the back, but he couldn't let them go unpunished after making his assistant bleed. He wouldn't take it to extremes. But they owed at least a good month of free labor. Wukong looked over Mengai and frowned, he did not like the worry clouding his assistant's face. Wukong approached the black-furred monkey and flicked his forehead. “Don't worry about it, you silly Mengmeng. I'm the one who'll handle the court.”

Mengai scowled and rubbed his forehead, eyebrow twitching in annoyance. That was more like it. Wukong's gaze fell on his assistant's ears, his hand twitched, he wanted to cradle them. But he stopped himself. “Are your ears okay?” Whispered the bimawen.

“They're ringing a bit.” Sighed the black-furred monkey. “But it's okay.”

Wukong hummed. Eyes still fixed on Mengai's ears. His assistant noticed his insistent look and sighed, he turned and presented his neck, an invitation at grooming. Wukong huddled closer, he raised one hand and tentatively put it on Mengai's shoulder. Slowly, he began to smooth out his assistant's fur. There was something electric about touching Mengai. Wukong wasn't one to be nervous. In truth, he never truly felt nervous until now. Everytime he touched the other, his skin tingled, his stomach churned and an eruption of giddiness burst out inside of him. It was unnerving yet comforting. In truth, even if he glued the word love on each of these feelings, it didn't truly describe them all. It was more of a blend of so many different emotions, of so many sensations. Fondness. Tenderness. Comfortability. Nervosity. Trust. Softness. Slowness. Haven. Electrical. Tingling. Eruptive. Giddiness. Excitement. Care. Warmth. So many feelings all colliding under the name of love.

“I'll teach you self-defense.” Hummed Wukong as he untied a particularly tight knot on Mengai's shoulder. His assistant perked up, curious.

“Why suddenly?”

“Because I want to and it'll serve you.” Replied the bimawen. This was a fierce world. He was lucky to be born with might flowing in his veins. Mengai needed to be able to protect himself. He was crafty. Intelligent. Good at imitating. But this was the world of gods. Strength was all that was left under the glare of a divine enemy. “If you want to…” Added Wukong after he realized how… forceful his earlier statement could sound like.

“Well, I'm not going to say no when you offer like that.” Snorted Mengai. “Besides, who could refuse a lesson from the great bimawen?”

Wukong frowned at the tease, he had the sudden urge to pinch Mengai's ears, but he stopped himself, those pretty ears suffered enough today. He truly was a magnanimous boss.

“You should get out of the bath.” Muttered Wukong, his assistant's voice was getting more and more slurred, even the tips of his ears were beginning to redden.

“Nonsense.” Huffed Mengai, unwilling to admit he was getting drowsy.

Wukong rolled his eyes, he waited a few more hours until Mengai truly couldn't stand anymore. Then he picked up his assistant and sat him outside of the tub. He tenderly cladded him in towels. Mengai's face was all red, his eyes glazed over by the steam. He looked silly.

“You Mengmeng.” Chuckled Wukong as he carefully dried his assistant.

***

The Treasure Hall of Divine Mists was filled to the brim with numerous Constellations and Star Spirits. It wasn't everyday that the bimawen, known for his volatile character, demanded an audience. The news traveled far and wide in every corner of the Region. Soon, the Hall was flooded with all sorts of faces. From measle spirits to mighty gods. The Jade Emperor sat on his throne of gold, face as unbothered as an oiled sea, yet who knew what storms laid in his heart? His prized advisor, the Gold Star of Venus, stood at his side, his sharp eyebrows pinched in worry.

If there was one thing Heaven couldn't control, it was their good-natured bimawen.

Under the throne’s thick shadow sit two deities. The ones to be judged. On one side stood the revered Yellow Emperor. His long legs were crossed gracefully, his golden robes glistening under the Hall's lanterns. His face was sharp yet inexplicably tender. His hands were as pale as marble, put elegantly on his peeking knee. He looked almost perfect, if one ignored the way his eyes reddened when they crossed with his enemy. On the other side stood the feared God of War. He was reclining on his chair, his numerous heads displaying various levels of boredom. His hands were sharpened like a lion's claws, they had the luster of the blade.

Silence prevailed in the Hall. None dared to speak. But all wondered where their bimawen was? Where was the one who caused this? The doors creaked. They slammed open, letting light flood in. Wukong strolled in, unbothered. He frowned when he noticed the lack of presence at his side, he looked behind him and patiently waited for Mengai to catch up. His assistant hesitated. Not knowing if he had the right to stand beside his superior. Wukong waited, not wanting to move one inch further without Mengai at his side.

The black-furred monkey sighed, reluctantly, he walked by Wukong instead of following his shadow. The bimawen huffed, satisfied. They both stood in the throne’s shadows, each and every pair of eyes was on them. Piercing their very beings. The silence was veiling all in its tight, suffocating embrace. The Jade Emperor straightened. His eyes were serene, like the unbothered surface of a lake, yet his lips were ever so slightly pursued, betraying his inner feelings. He raised one hand, holding every breath on the tips of his fingers, and let if fall on his throne’s armrest.

“For what reasons did you seeked an audience, bimawen.” His voice echoed all around the Hall, thundering between all bodies. Wukong was unaffected. He callously greeted the Emperor with a nod, not bothering with the necessary pageantries, before cutting right at the heart of the matter.

“I seek retributions.” Huffed the blonde-furred monkey. He allowed his assistant to cower behind his back. He knew how… intimidating the situation could be and as much as he wanted his assistant to be at his side, it wasn't at the price of his comfort. If he had to be Mengai's shield then so be it. As long as the black-furred monkey was at ease he didn't mind.

The Gold Star of Venus's mouth twitched in annoyance, it's not as if Wukong was wrong to seek justice, but they all knew (considering their bimawen's character) that his demands would most likely be incredibly hard to meet. Truly. The Star Spirit couldn't help but glare at the two responsible for this mess. If they simply kept their sword's sheathed, none of this would have happened. He could only hope for the bimawen's mercy. If this affair was aggravated, it'll be one more headache to solve.

“For what, precisely ?” Asked the Jade Emperor. It was expected in any trials to go back on the events. This case was no different.

“They barged in my domain, disrupted the stables and wounded my assistant.” Wukong crossed his arms, chin lifted as high as possible.

“With all due respect, bimawen, we never pointed our swords towards your assistant.” Replied Huangdi, his voice as cold as ice itself. Chiyou nodded in agreement. For once they were both on the same wavelength.

“You made his precious ears bleed.” Huffed Wukong. Mengai buried himself in his hands, embarrassed by the sudden praise.

“Were any substantial damages caused?” Inquired the Jade Emperor.

“I already told you what happened.” Replied Wukong. He wasn't about to let it slide. And they should know better than to expect him to stay silent.“This is my assistant we're talking about. His tears are like my own. His orders are like my own. His wounds are like my own. When he bleeds, I bleed.” His voice echoed all around the Hall. Various spirits blushed at his confession while others giggled at his audacity. Out of the corner of his eyes, he saw Laozi leisurely fanning himself, looking as if he heard something particularly amusing. Wukong paid the crowd no mind.

“So what do you propose, bimawen?” Sighed the Jade Emperor. Wukong smiled. Ah. Now they were talking!

“They owe me one month of free labor. They'll be under my assistant's orders.” Proudly huffed Wukong. Both Chiyou and Huangdi sprang on their feet, indigned. Mengai blinked in surprise, not expecting that.

“I'm sorry for barging in your territory like that, bimawen, but what we've done don't really warrant this.” Pleaded Chiyou. Being under another order, especially an assistant's, was a great wound on a God's pride. Both the Yellow Emperor and the God of War were unwilling to lower themselves so much. Especially since they'll have to work together. Under the same roof.

“I am being lenient, here. If you don't accept my mercy I am more than willing to punish you both in other, less merciful, ways.” Wukong smiled. His fangs glistening dangerously under the Hall's luster. No matter how comfortable he was in his position of bimawen, he was still ruthless by nature. Blood didn't frighten him.

“Will you let this matter go if we agree to let both the Yellow Emperor and the God of War serve your assistant for one month?” Asked the Jade Emperor. Wukong nodded. The Emperor put a finger on his chin, gaze lost in thoughts. He leaned over his advisor and exchanged a few words. “Then it is settled. In one week. Both the Yellow Emperor and the God of War are to be placed under the bimawen's assistant order, and as such for one month.”

“Your majesty!” Refuted the Yellow Emperor.

“Surely you are joking.” Roared the God of War.

“The matter is close. It is not the first time your incessant fights disrupt our peace, let this serve as a lesson for the both of you.” Dismissed the Jade Emperor. None dared to speak against him. His words were always final.

Wukong left the Hall with a joyous sway of hips. This went well. His assistant hurried to catch up to him.

“Are you sure this was a good idea?” Whispered Mengai as they left the palace.

“They got what they deserved.” Huffed Wukong.

“But they're gods and I'm just an-” Wukong cut him before he could end his sentence. Ah. This self-depreciating idiot. Luckily, he had this mighty bimawen to remind him of his worth.

“And you're my assistant. As long as I'm here, they're not allowed to look down on you.” Stated Wukong. Mengai flinched, surprised by the confession, but soon enough his lips stretched in a soft smile. Wukong was satisfied with the sight. He then remembered he never got the chance to tell Mengai about his recent discovery at Yuelao's. “Also, I love you. Now come, hurry, we have to celebrate this successful trial with fresh wine and fruits!” Wukong hurried down the palace’s stairs, already salivating at the thought of their newly made wine.

“Wine sounds good, I wonder how it'll taste–wait what? You love me!?” Squeaked the black-furred monkey.

“Hurry you Mengmeng!” Complained the bimawen. His assistant had no choice but to hurry after him, leaving aside his shocking confession, for now.

+ some vocabulary

Huangdi also known as the Yellow Emperor is a legendary figure from ancient Chinese history, revered as one of the Five Emperors and considered one of the founders of Chinese civilization. He is both a cultural hero and a semi-historical ruler. In fact, he is considered to be the ancestor of the Han.

The battle of Chiyou (God of War) and Huangdi (Yellow Emperor) is a founder myth of Chinese mythology, in short it symbolizes the triumph of civilization over chaos and war, in fact Huangdi victory can be seen as the birth of civilization.

Lianghu : popular dice game in the Tang era

In Chinese mythology, Yuelao is the god of marriage and love, but Tu’er Shen (also known as the rabbit god) is the one overseeing same-sex relationships, in particular between men. I'll let you all think why Wukong picked up a rabbit, 👀

Jin : traditional Chinese measurement, 1 jin in the past was roughly equivalent to 0.5 kilograms (or about 1.1 pounds). 13,500 jin×0.5 kg per jin=6,750 kg. So, 6,750 kilograms or about 14,880 pounds.

Ch1 / Previous / Next

#shadowpeach #sun wukong #Jttw #six eared macaque #shadowpeach fanfic #Bimawen au #Journey to the west

25 notes · View notes