#Using your power to protect the people you care about indeed

[imminent-danger-came]

Protecting MK with a costlmk

[deadghosy]

can i have a headcanon for lucifer morningstar with elder sister! reader? I am just in desperate need for family stuff. Like elder sister! reader is nto weak and as powerful as lucifer (maybe a tiny bit stronger since th eboth of them are archangel).

Like elder sister!reader decided to follow her younger brother lucifer to hell by becoming a fallen angel too because she is very worried for him. (even knowing the punishment are brutal and harsh but she does not care) I would love if you make the dynamic between the two where reader is the more sterner, fiercer and scary one (like maybe she used to be a commander of an angel army before) and then lucifer is just a little guy who loves ducks (he can beat ass too lol) thanks for reading and i will appreciate a lot if you start writing my ideas! take care!

ELDER SISTER! READER X PLATONIC HAZBIN HOTEL

Prompt: You are the elder sister of Lucifer Morningstar who couldn’t help but fall down for your young brother.

Warning:: Episode 8 mentions

Your brother, Lucifer Morningstar fell because of his “differences” being called a “trouble maker.” And simply having different ideas. You were different from your former younger brother as you were stern and serious at all times. But when Lucifer went to court and got sent to his own creation. Your eyes widen with fear and shocked.

You didn’t want to question things at the moment. But as hours, days, weeks, months, and then a few years pass. You couldn’t help but had enough as you started to question Sera and her rules. You didn’t believe in this type of punishment your younger brother had. But you guessed it was enough to the point you fell too.

YEARS LATER

You live with Lucifer as he was happy to see you were alive and well. Immediately when you came by his palace with your wings spout out that looked like his. He was ecstatic. He jumped into your arms with silly smile. He always loved being in your arms as he was scared how you would think of him when he fell. But you?! He was confused.

He asked you as you told him what happened and Lucifer felt his heart melt seeing his older sister care for him that much. And he started to cry while you sigh with a smile not surprised at this. You gave him a napkin which he gladly took letting you in his home which is now your home.

After he calmed down he told you how he has a daughter but an ex wife. You raised a brow as he explains his relationship with Lilith. You guess it must brought him to depression as his eye were having bags. So you cheered him up with a few fireworks which made his eyes light up as if he was a child again.

You became the 2nd ruler of hell as you were the commander back in heaven. But not any more.

Lucifer tried to tell you how he tried to give “his” people freedom and they ruined it, but you didn’t care as you put a hand out signaling him to stop. Lucifer listened looking down.

“I do not care. They shall not use freedom this way. But don’t worry young brother.” You patted his shoulder. “I won’t be harsh.”

And indeed you weren’t harsh but you were strict around some of pentagram city. Sinners understand the assignment immediately and there were less crimes around.

HEADCANNONS:

You know that meme where a person and standing there calmly and the other person is going crazy and bouncing around?

Yeah that’s you and Lucifer…cause he was being hyper fixated about his ducks to you as you just stood there and smile softly.

That soft mother like smile of yours made Lucifer feel like home as he explains more to you.

Hell, when he would miss you he would make a small opera where you had joined him in hell and how you would fix him dinner or breakfast when he came home. Just like a normal human family.

If you were getting messed with, Lucifer is full on demon mode as you held him back by his white coat with a sigh. He knows you can protect yourself but damn. He sure can throw a mean punch at assholes.

You guys do hobbies together, like he would make ducks and you would do [hobby]. It was always a calm day

I headcannon Lucifer to follow behind you like a lost duckling while you walk around the palace doing your job. You’re taller than him obviously cause you are powerful. It’s an adorable sight though.

When Charlie heard that she had an aunt, and you were in hell too! She was amazed with stars in her eyes as she wanted to meet you immediately.

And so you did. You showed up at the hotel with an angelic smile as Alastor narrowed his eyes at you but still kept a smile. You hug Charlie as she hugged you back while jumping. Charlie starts to rant about her dreams and it made you realized how much she is Lucifer’s daughter as you smile down at her.

But then she tells you how the angels are going to attack the hotel and that made you sigh as you held a dark gaze.

You have just met your niece and no one shall harm her and her dreams.

It was basically giving, “I have just met Charlie and I would kill someone for her!”😭

So when the battle started unnoticed by you. Lucifer notified you about what’s happening as your eyes widen quickly with a flash. A red mist makes Lucifer coughs covering his nose. He had forgotten how quick you were at times.

As you fly down with heavy wings, Adam and lute over a force field. You let out a breath happy to see that the hotel was fine. Until Adam broke it as your eyes widen. You swoop in killing the Exorcists left and right.

As you kill Lucifer pops up seeing Adam tormenting his daughter, bringing out his protectiveness. He saved Charlie only for Adam to get up and berate them. You fly down gracefully holding a cold look.

“Woah, didn’t know sweet tits had fallen like her loser bro-”

Before he could say anything, a heavenly glowing light beams through him as Adam gasps on the floor holding his chest. Everything went silent as people were shocked at the one shot.

“That’s my sister, AND your aunt!” Lucifer says elbowing Charlie gently with a smug smile as Charlie is jaw dropped at how you can one shot someone.

Hopefully you liked it <33

[florencemtrash]

The Shadowsinger & The Inkbird: Chapter Two

Azriel x Day Court Librarian Reader

Summary: Y/n's clairvoyance is a gift from the Mother, but it feels more like a curse. With the power to gain knowledge through touch alone, Y/n holes herself up in The Alcove and hopes her powers and parentage will remain a secret. But things will change after the Summer Solstice ball and a chance encounter with a certain Shadowsinger.

Warning: None :)

The Shadowsinger & The Inkbird: Masterlist

Masterlist of Masterlists

“The sun’s barely gone down!” Cassian grumbled, following behind Helion, Rhysand, and Feyre as they walked the cobblestone streets of the Day Court. Every block of the small city contained at least two local bookstores, one cafe that also sold books, one flower shop that also sold books, and/or a small glass box filled with - as anyone could have guessed - more books to be given away for free. 

Helion chuckled, “You’re not in the Night Court any more. My people are early to bed, early to rise. Unless of course you spend a night with me.” He winked at Cassian, who had the sense to blush. Indeed the Night Court members had been shocked when the party cleared out not even two hours after the sun had slipped beneath the ground. 

Aside from the small scale bookstores which housed the most popular and recently published novels, every sector of the Day Court also had between one to three athenaeum’s - elaborate buildings of ivory stone laced with filigree and windows that lit up like the glowing eyes of an ancient beast. They were the pride and joy of all Day Court members. The windows flickered and shone with the magic used to protect the volumes from the sun. Even as the neighborhood lights slowly winked out, Azriel could track the diligent minds scouring the brightly lit shelves. There was a loving madness in their hunched backs, craned necks, and squinting eyes. 

As their troupe reached The Alcove, one of the smaller and cozier athenaeum’s, Azriel couldn’t help but imagine you in a similar display of passionate madness, when you forgot about the world around you and could actually relax.

The Alcove specialized in housing diaries and novels of everyday comforts - quiet, unassuming stories that could steal your heart as swiftly as the grandest tales of war and romance, but with much more discretion. Here, the knowledge pressed between pages with ink was full of warmth and subtlety. The others in your cohort had scorned you for your choice in The Alcove. Why would anyone choose such a dull place to live and work? Why not be surrounded by books on war tactics or history or religion or biology? Someplace useful and worthy of a Librarian’s gifts. But The Alcove had offered you something you’d missed since your mother’s death - a sense of home. 

You sat by the bay windows overlooking the darkened street below, breathing in the crisp and cool air that snuck in through the glass. On the other side of your apartment, a similar window overlooked The Alcove’s interior. Hundreds of mahogany shelves lined the high walls of the octagonal building with its signature domed roof. Grand staircases of gold twisted their way up from the ground, connecting to walkways that gave easier access to the volumes housed higher up the walls. 

It was a blessing in disguise that you’d chosen to sit on this side of your apartment. Otherwise you would have never seen the Shadowsinger watching you with careful consideration, his eyes faintly glowing like the eyes of a cat. He raised one gloved hand up at you in a wave, a solitary gesture as the rest of his companions and Helion walked towards the stairs that led up to your apartment entrance. 

He saw your mouth open in a shocked oh and couldn’t help the faintest smile gracing his lips as you disappeared from view.

“Oh shit.” You sprang up from your seat, eyes madly racing over the contents of your apartment. You were in the middle of a research project on magical signatures and your living space reflected the madness in your mind. Books lay open on the floor, on the desk, on the coffee table surrounded by carefully documented notes and half-scribbled ideas in equal measure. You wouldn’t be able to clean it up in time and, quite frankly, you had no interest in disrupting the chaotic organization. Did you really care about impressing the Night Court and Helion? 

The terrifying answer was, yes.

The dining room. 

It rarely saw use since you were disinclined to receive guests, and had more recently been repurposed to house stacks of romance novels… best not to let anyone see those… 

In the five minutes it took for Helion and the members of the Inner Circle to climb up the dozen flights of stairs, and knock on your door, you’d successfully managed to hide all the smutty romance books in your bedroom, throw a table cloth and candle on top of the dining table, put away the dried dishes that had been displaced on the kitchen countertops, and set a kettle on the stove. Was there anything more that could be done? 

Helion smiled brightly when you made your appearance, keeping the door slightly ajar to keep the worst of the living room out of sight. Perhaps this would be a short visit and they wouldn’t even ask to come inside.

“Y/n!” Helion said with a grin, “I present to you the Inner Circle of the Night Court.” He gestured with a grand flourish to some of the most beautiful fae you’d ever had the honor of witnessing.

“Some of us at least.” The High Lord’s voice was liquid honey and filled with enough charisma to seduce a nun.

“The most important ones.” The Lord of Bloodshed said with a boyish grin. The faint scar on his cheek pulled back with his smile.

“I’ll let Nesta know you said that.” The High Lady had swapped out her dress for a more simple pair of black slacks and a billowing shirt that cinched in at the waist, flowing over her body like smoke on water. 

“Wait, no. Feyre, I was only joking. Feyre-” 

She laughed, tipping her head back while her husband and mate looked on with a tenderness in his eyes you hadn’t expected to see. It wasn’t the love that shocked you so much as the casualness of it. High Lords and Lady’s - from the limited experience you had reading about them in books - were either unreadable or such outrageous flirts they looked ready to jump into the bones of anything that could stand upright or lay down for long enough. Both methods were appropriate to hide their true feelings, but Rhysand and Feyre seemed to take another approach entirely. 

Helion coughed when you made no move to introduce yourself, still shell-shocked at the caliber of guests currently at your door, “And to the Inner Circle of the Night Court, I present Y/n Y/l/n. My dear friend and one of the most talented researchers I’ve ever had the pleasure of working with.” 

“We’ve heard so much about you.” Feyre said, moving forward on instinct to embrace you. She stopped immediately when she saw you flinch back, but recovered quickly, smiling brightly, “My name is Feyre, and this is my mate Rhysand,” The High Lord tipped an imaginary hat, “And his brothers, Cassian and Azriel.” 

“It’s an honor to meet you.” You said politely.

“The honor is all ours.” Rhysand said. He held Feyre closer to his side, one hand ghosting close to her stomach in memory of the child that had grown there not even two years ago. “Helion told us everything you did. Our daughter is alive and well thanks to you, as is my mate.” 

You blinked in surprise. You didn’t know Helion had told them about that. 

“Oh um, it was a joint effort. My High Lord is too kind.” You said with a respectful dip of your head and all at once your manners flooded into your brain again, “Please, come in.” 

You sheepishly opened the door further, allowing the two High Lords and High Lady to grace your apartment. The Illyrians crossed the threshold last. Muscular, leathery wings rippled with power and prestige and it was incredible they managed to stay upright, let alone keep them from dragging on the floor. 

You made a mental note to revisit some old anatomy texts on winged fae. 

“I um,” You hurried to the kitchen, hearing the kettle start to screech, “I apologize. I wasn’t prepared for guests.” The screaming stopped and you remembered that you didn’t have any matching tea sets. 

You reached into the cupboards, face blushing at the assortment of novelty mugs you’d acquired over the years. Hardly fit for a children’s tea party let alone some of the most powerful fae to have ever existed. 

“There will be no apologies from you, tonight, my dear.” Helion said with a charming smile, “Not after we’ve barged into your home uninvited and taken over your dining table.”

From over the island you saw that Helion had already settled down at the table, the others following suit. Everyone except for the Shadowsinger. 

He lingered by the kitchen archway, keeping a respectful distance as you poured boiling water into the teapot over a mixture of chrysanthemum and rosehip. 

“Would you like any help?” He gestured to the tray now loaded with the teapot, cups, and a platter of biscuits that shook in your hands. 

“Oh,” You stared at his outstretched hand, soft black leather molded over graceful fingers. “No, that’s alright. I can do it. But thank you for offering.” You stood face to face with him, silently begging him with your eyes to move to the table with the others so you wouldn’t have to suffer the consequences of touching him.

His hand quickly dropped to his side, then slid behind his back. You caught the flash of hurt in his eyes before he masked it. 

“There are some cookies in the living room!” You said a little too loudly, “On top of the coffee table. If-if you wouldn’t mind bringing those-” The Shadowsinger was already gone on his mission and you breathed a sigh of relief. 

There were more books on the floor than swords on a battlefield. Azriel stepped over them gently, careful not to disturb the precarious arrangement. Books on anatomy, microbiology, human medicine, and magical theory flared outward, tracing the path of Y/n’s mind. Azriel walked it with wonder at the brilliance hidden within the midnight thoughts that had been spilled on paper, before being organized later on with a loving hand. Because that’s what this all spelled out to him - some chaotic, maddening love. He was almost jealous not to be on the receiving end of it… almost.

He saw the platter on the table, but ignored it for the pile of books by the windowsill. These ones were different from the rest. Older and more worn. The bindings were cracked and flexible after being read hundreds of times. He could even trace the faint outlines of your fingers on the leather bindings where natural oils had eaten away at the dye. 

He read over the titles and committed them to memory for no other reason than the fact that he liked things that had been well loved. 

“I made a mistake don’t-” 

Azriel straightened up, color washing over his cheeks as he turned to face you in a sea of paper and leather. 

Without thinking, he’d fallen into old habits of poking through people’s belongings. There was a reason Rhysand had made him Spymaster of the Night Court after all. 

“I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to-” 

“Did you eat a cookie?” You blurted out in a panic. 

“No, no I didn’t.” 

Your shoulders dropped in relief, one hand brushing back your hair. Azriel caught sight of your ink stained fingertips, and the faint mark they left on your temple. 

“Oh thank the Mother.” You muttered under your breath, stealing a glance over your shoulder to the dining room where Helion was playing host in your stead and doing a far better job than you would have been capable of.

“Are they poisoned?” Azriel asked, but the joke fell flat upon seeing the horror in your face.

“No! No, that's not why-I should explain myself better. I would never dare try and poison you. Or anyone for that matter!” You scrunched your eyes shut, face burning brighter than the sun at noon.

I’m a fool. I’m making a fool of myself. He’s going to think I’m an absolute idiot. And right after Helion called me a gifted researcher. What a fucking lie.

Azriel, the blessing in disguise that he was, gave you a moment to collect yourself, pretending to find more interest in a volume on snake venom that was laid open on the ottoman. 

“A friend baked those for me.” You finally said. 

Azriel nodded, a faint smile gracing his face and it caught you off guard. He was beautiful, there was no doubting it so long as you had eyes. What had surprised you was the faint slivers of warmth behind the facade of the cold, brooding Shadowsinger. It was… surprisingly comforting to be standing in a room with him, just the two of you. It was certainly better than the party you’d unceremoniously winnowed out of earlier that day.

“I would never hold it against you if you wanted to save those for yourself.”

Your lips twisted in disgust, “Oh gods no, Cherp is a terrible cook.”

“Cherp?”

“He’s another Librarian I know.” Probably the closest thing to a friend I have. But you weren’t about to tell the Shadowsinger that. “He specializes in chemistry and food history.”

“He’s a food historian?”

“Yes.”

“And yet he’s a terrible cook?” The Shadowsinger tilted his head to the side. 

The corner of your mouth tipped up, “The worst.”

“How is that possible?”

You gave it a thought, eyes darting around the walls like the answer was hidden behind paint, “Do you know how many different types of eggs there are, um,” You weren’t sure what to call him.

“Azriel. Call me, Azriel.”

“Azriel.” You said, testing out the shape of his name. You liked it.

“Do you know how many different types of eggs there are, Azriel?”

He cocked his head to the side, “I do not.”

“Thousands, Azriel. Thousands. If I told you to bake a cake with an egg, would you know I meant a chicken egg?” This time you didn’t wait for an answer, “Because you’d be surprised how quickly facts we consider ‘common knowledge’ disappear. Will people know we meant chicken eggs 1 million years from now? Perhaps not! All this to say that when Cherp follows recipes, he usually doesn’t have the knowledge to make it correctly and they turn out bland at best, inedible and poisonous at worst.” 

Azriel tipped his head back and laughed, prompting you to explain further, “He once spent ten years researching the evolution of average spoon sizes because so many of his recipes were measured in spoonfuls.”

Azriel smirked, “Is this what you academics get yourselves so worried about?”

You couldn’t tell if he was ridiculing you or not, but the sincerity in his hazel eyes said he wasn’t. “Well we...among other things, yes, I suppose that is something we concern ourselves with…” 

“Y/n!” Helion called from the other room, “Stop romancing the Shadowsinger and join us at the table. It’s a futile effort. I’ve been trying for centuries.” 

Your face turned a brighter shade of red as you watched Azriel pick his way through the empty spots on the floor. You pressed yourself against the wall to let him pass, a fact that didn’t escape his notice. And when he took a seat at the table, you ignored the unoccupied seat next to him, preferring to stand behind the island like a woodland creature ready to dive into their den at a moment’s notice. 

His lips flattened. He’d hoped to make you more comfortable around him after the disastrous events at the party, going so far as to hide the shadows that were clamoring for release. He should’ve known better than to assume one conversation about the historical accuracy of egg recipes would make that discomfort go away.  

From your island you tossed pleasantries back and forth like it was a game. But you couldn’t help the stiffness in your posture, the hesitation in your voice when they asked you about your life.

“I’m a Librarian.” You’d first answered, as if it were all that needed to be said. But they pressed onwards, tried to make you laugh. Cassian, especially, liked to poke fun, and despite your best efforts, you laughed. 

“All these libraries would make Nesta go feral. She wouldn’t know what to do with herself.”

“What kind of books does she like to read?” You asked, refilling the kettle as the cloudy sky outside darkened into a rich purple-black.

Cassian coughed, face turning red, “Romance.” He answered simply.

“Smutty romance.” The High Lord said, punching Cassian in the arm. His face turned redder.

“Lucky you,” Helion said with a wink that had Feyre bursting out into laughter. It was no secret that Helion had added Nesta onto his list of fae he’d one day like to have in his bed.

“There is an athenaeum that specializes in romance, and there’s no shortage of those sorts of novels… if you’re interested.” You said, hiding your face behind a sip of tea. 

“And how would you know about that?” Feyre asked teasingly. 

“I… am a Librarian. I know-I know things.” You sputtered unconvincingly. “I went once. Purely for research purposes.” 

Azriel gave her a look, a look that said he somehow knew of the eight raunchy books that graced your bedside table and had been well-read indeed.

As the conversation evolved to less embarrassing topics, you were struck by the fact that you were actually enjoying yourself. It was a far cry from the parties that you’d previously been invited to. There was an ease to the Inner Circle. A familial love that flowed off them as easy as water off a whetstone. It was something you hadn’t experienced in quite some time.

Azriel noticed when you fell silent, your mind carried away to more sobering thoughts than Cassian’s most recent travels to the Human Lands. Feyre noticed as well and made her surprise at the time look natural and unscripted.

“Day Court members are early to bed and early to rise aren’t you? I’m sorry we’ve taken up so much of your time.” She said, gently pulling Rhysand up with her as she stood. 

“No, not at all. Thank you for coming. I-I hope your daughter is doing well.” Was that an appropriate thing to say? Perhaps it was too threatening to comment on the wellbeing of a High Lord and High Lady’s child. But Feyre didn’t find any fault with that, a glassy look sliding over her eyes as Mor let Feyre into her mind so she could look at little Velaria dozing away in her aunt’s arms back home.

“She’s getting to be more and more of a handful everyday.”

“I wonder where she gets that from?” Cassian chimed in, throwing Rhysand a look as they collected their coats and slowly made their way over to the front door.

Rhysand threw his hand to his chest in indignation, “I was practically an angel.” 

Cassian snorted, “More like the devil.” 

Feyre rolled her eyes, shuffling the pair out the door into the still night. 

Azriel once again lingered behind, the last to leave behind Helion. He stepped out into the night-chilled air, the edges of him disappearing like the darkness had come to reclaim him. 

“It was lovely to meet you, Y/n, the Librarian.” He said, dipping into a shallow bow.

“It was lovely to meet you, Azriel…the Shadowsinger.” 

He smiled shyly, then froze, the smile slipping off his face into a look of shock. You glanced over your shoulder, missing the explosion of shadows that spilled out from him. 

You leapt back upon feeling their cool touch wrapping around you. There was a curiosity to the way they wound themselves through your hair and got tangled up in the folds of your dress. But thankfully, they carried no memories with them. No feelings but a faint relief and comfort that washed over you and gave you back your breath. For the first time in years you were experiencing a touch that you could handle. A touch that was stillness and peace.

“Is everything alright?” You finally looked back at Azriel, his eyes blown open and panicked.

He was not a man of many words. Never had been, never would be. But he wished he could speak everything on his mind. 

You’re my mate. You’re my mate. You’re my mate. You’re the one I’ve been waiting over 500 hundred years for. 

But when he saw the concern in your eyes, the gentle tilt of your head that exposed the curve of your neck, he knew it wasn’t the time.

“I-I have to go.” 

This time it was his turn to disappear. He swallowed his words, forced down the bond that now burned in his chest with the light of a thousand suns, and fled past the shocked faces of his family members before shooting off into the night sky.

<- Previous Chapter Next Chapter ->

______________

Author's Note:

Does this batboy deserve a nerdy mate to tease and have fun with? Yes. I will take no criticism (just kidding if you have thoughts about how my writing is, let me know, just be kind and respectful about it).

Love,

Florence B.

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[thisgirlnamedblusy]

Hi, Blusy! I hope you're well!

I have a request about reader who works for Donna whether a maid or gardener (maybe both! Why not? Capable indeed *nods*). Reader is very loyal to Donna because ofc Donna treats her well as her employer (or maybe also bc reader secretly has a crush on Donna :]c)

And this reader is also a fierce one >:] Well, the villagers always speak ill of the Lords but especially Donna. So whenever reader is in the village to do some chores, she will defend Donna verbally when someone said bad things about her. Donna knew this and fell in love secretly with reader because hey! Someone's caring for her:(

One day, someone said really really bad thing about Donna and reader got so angry she jumped and got into fist fight with that person. She got injured a little but yeah! Victory! (Maybe Heisenberg passed and stopped the fight so reader wont offed the person and he drag reader back to the manor)

Donna got so worried seeing reader injured and took care of reader injury. She asked reader not to defend her anymore bc she doesnt want reader got hurt anymore. Since then, most villagers are wary to reader even some tried to bully/hurt her now. But now it's Donna's turn to save her girl! Donna apparently followed reader bc she is worried, then when reader got abused she appeared and scares/threatened the awful villagers to protect reader!

When they get home, reader confessed her feelings to Donna because she can't hold back her feelings anymore (Donna got so happy and reciprocated ofc :3) fluff please!

Anyway, thank you for always feeding us with your writings!

Yesss!!!! Thank you for your request!!! I hope you like it and sorry about the language mistakes!!!! :))))))

Loyalty

Pairing: Donna Beneviento x Fem, Maid! Reader

Warnings: Fluff, maybe mentions of violence...

Word count: 7,711

Summary: Maybe your loyalty is not just that...

N/A: Sorry about the language mistakes!!! Requests are open!!! I'm waiting yours!!! I love you all!!! :))

It had been a while since going down to the basement stopped giving you the shivers.

The first few times you did it, you felt the stares of the paintings following you, a feeling of heaviness in your chest. Not even a girl like you could ignore the danger that was breathed among those old and cracked walls.

But that was only at the beginning.

Little by little you began to stop shrinking to walk faster as you headed towards your destination, to stop fearing the paintings, the shadows of that place. Maybe it was the habit, the daily routine of walking through that dark place and always surviving it. You would only fool yourself by thinking that way.

A recurring habit was not powerful enough to face the darkness of that mansion, not even if it was an act repeated several times throughout the day.

No, your face wore a smile as you walked with a tray in your hand, maybe not because of the path, but because of the destination.

Luck or misfortune: you could have thought of either the day you decided to start being independent, something really complicated in that place. A girl like you, skilled, yes, but with few options, had no choice but to bow to the power of the village, to the pressure that forced you to bow your head and serve.

Castle maid, farmer, gardener… The options that age began to mark for you were all equally tedious, equally bitter. There was no future for anyone in that place, and you were no exception. The only difference between the other young women of your age and you was simple: you accepted your future.

There were people much more loyal than you to Mother Miranda and the Lords but… At least you didn’t see them as a danger or as the shadows that kept that small village in complete darkness.

Envoys of the Black Gods, nobles… No matter how you thought about them. Somehow, those speeches, Mother Miranda's words penetrated your mind to make you understand that this was your world, and that it would never change.

With that in mind, you decided to try your luck and demonstrate your skills by doing something that few dared to do voluntarily: serve the Lords.

In the absence of another option, you went to the castle to find a place among so many maids. Everything went well. Lady Dimitrescu seemed satisfied with your skills, and, above all, with your helpful attitude.

Just when you thought that you had somehow achieved what you wanted, life surprised you with an unexpected turn. Apparently, your skills as a gardener wouldn’t be very useful in the castle; an army of maids were already taking care of the vineyards. According to Alcina Dimitrescu herself, it was a talent that couldn’t be wasted.

After a phone call, the pages of your future began to be written in a different book, in a book elegantly decorated with a sun and a moon.

Nobody knew much about the youngest of the Lords, that mysterious woman covered with a black veil, Donna Beneviento.

You knew she was dangerous, that she wasn’t right in the head, that she always carried a talking doll with her… Few information, and, in a place like that, having few information was synonymous with fear.

The lady in black needed someone to take care of the garden, and a maid wouldn’t hurt either. According to the lady of the castle, Donna needed some company. You were reluctant at first. The rumor mill of the village was a dangerous weapon that attacked whenever there was no information, and without remedy, your legs began to tremble as you walked through those grounds from which “no one had ever returned.”

You weren’t the only one who showed distrust. As you got to know the lady in black closely, you realized that you weren’t welcome, that your presence was nothing but a nuisance.

You wondered how many maids were sent to serve that woman, how many returned, none of them, possibly.

Determined to show that you were capable of serving Lady Beneviento as well as her sister, you took that first rejection as a personal challenge, showing your abilities and skills to get a chance, at least the chance to get out of that place alive.

You didn't need to insist much, since that woman didn't seem fond of conversations. Her desire for silence, or perhaps the fact that she saw in you a possibility of meeting her needs, was what finally made her hire you as her maid.

Leaving the village wasn't difficult, adapting to your new life was.

Donna was a strange, disturbed and sick woman, just as the rumors said. But there was always another dark side to every person, or, in this case, a bright side.

As time went by, you began to settle into a comfortable routine, to see that old mansion as something resembling a home. Days gave way to night and vice versa, you always opened your eyes, always woke up. You weren’t going to die.

Gardener, maid… You did a bit of everything. Cooking, cleaning, tending to the flowers, serving your mistress… Yes, it may not have been exactly what you had planned, but you couldn’t say you weren’t satisfied.

Getting to know Donna better was the hardest task. She didn’t speak. She barely looked at you at first. That forced trust of living with her was releasing little whispers of gratitude, looks that were much more intense, even through that horrible black veil.

After a year of servitude, that cloth finally disappeared, along with the desire of the lady in black to remain silent. She was… Well, maybe you weren’t exaggerating if you said she was the most beautiful woman you had ever seen, even more so than that portrait on the stairs.

Her voice stopped avoiding you, her beauty began to be present in your life and finally “my lady” became a simple (she wanted it that way) “Donna.”

Was she a sick and disturbed woman? Yes, she was.

Was she dangerous? You weren’t able to see to what extent.

But… Was she kind? Yes, that too.

Little by little you discovered the side of the lady in black that was never talked about, a warm smile that always accompanied your presence. You felt good in that house, she treated you well, she thanked you for everything you did, even sometimes, just sometimes, you had something resembling a conversation.

The rumors were wrong. Donna was a wonderful woman trapped in a terrifying mask, in a facade that would hold firm with everyone.

The bright side that surrounded her dark figure began to become an addiction, a constant desire to know more, to talk more, to get closer. Loyalty was something that Lady Beneviento always had from you, but… She will never know that it was linked to something else.

It didn't matter how you looked at it, the multiple interpretations of your tremors when you approached her, the frantic beating of your heart when you saw her tender smile, you were lost; you had fallen completely in love with her.

“S-Sorry to bother you,” you said in a whisper as you slowly opened the doors of the workshop where Donna worked almost tirelessly. “I brought your tea.”

“Leave it there.” Her hoarse voice reached your ears and your legs moved on their own, walking slowly to the indicated place. “Thank you.”

“Mm,” you said, nodding elegantly, unable to suppress a small bow. “I-I hope it's to your liking.”

“I'm sure it is,” the lady murmured without looking at you, focused on painting a porcelain head. “It always is, (Y/N)”

“You're very kind,” you whispered, noticing the familiar warmth of the blush on your cheeks as it coincided with her bright eye and a gentle lift of her corners.

A brief smile crossed her face, a quick, fleeting one, as if something prevented her from staring at you for longer. That was fuel for your fantasies. You wondered what she was thinking, how she felt about you, if, if… If maybe she had feelings for…

Oh, no fantasies during work hours.

“Mm,” she murmured, focused again on her dolls, thus predicting another awkward moment in which you received no orders and your body forced you to stay there, next to her.

“Well, If you don't need anything else...” you whispered with a distressed voice, turning on your heels to return to boring tasks, away from her.

“Un attimo.” Her voice again interrupted and froze your steps. “Come.”

“Oh, of course,” you said walking back to the work table.

The lady sighed, tilting her head to look better at her newly created work and then at you, as if she herself was looking for an excuse for you to stay a little longer.

You should stop twisting the truth with your fantasies...

“I need to ask you a favor, (Y/N),” she said with a low voice, looking away again.

“S-sure, I'll do whatever you ask me to,” you answered kindly, placing yourself as close to her as possible.

“Mm, you always do what I ask you, huh?” she joked subtly, cleaning the imperfections of the porcelain with a discreet smile.

“Of course, Donna,” you said confidently. “I'm your maid.”

The lady smiled more intensely, shaking her head.

“So, if I asked you to jump off the cliff... Would you do it?” she asked in a darker tone, cooling her expression.

“Um, um, I...” you stammered surprised by that question that seemed totally out of context.

Donna laughed softly, looking at you out of the corner of her eye.

“It's a joke, (Y/N),” she said among shy laughs, surely seeing your disoriented expression. “Forgive me, I'm not very good at joking.”

“Wow, I was just going to tell you that maybe the water is too cold and I don't like heights very much but... Well, it's always too soon to lose my fear, right?” you said awkwardly, scratching the back of your neck.

“Mm?” the lady muttered confused, frowning.

“Um, it was a joke… I'm not very good at that either,” you said apologetically.

“I see,” she said softly, leaning back in her chair and sighing awkwardly. “Actually, what I'd like to ask you for is a bit of your time.”

“My time? Oh, sure, my time is yours,” you said with an excited smile at such an unusual request. “Do you want to talk about something?”

“Do you want to talk about something?” Donna asked back, leaving you completely confused again.

The lady in black was an expert in solitude and quite clumsy when it came to human relationships. Still, she always proved to be one step ahead of you, always showing that brilliant intelligence the rumors denied.

“No, well, yes, I don't know, it depends on what you want,” you whispered nervously.

“The Duke called this morning, he says he won't be able to come,” your lady explained, painting that porcelain face again, looking away in a disinterested manner. “What a surprise, isn't it?”

“Well, you already know him,” you commented amused. “Any excuse is good enough not to move his fat ass over here,” you joked, instantly regretting those disrespectfully informal expressions. “Oh, I mean that...”

The brunette's laughter interrupted, a soft but genuine laugh, surely encouraged by your face dead with shame and the increasingly visible trembling of your hands.

“Sei divertente…” Donna commented, shaking her head and finally leaving the head of that new doll on the table.

“I try,” you said with a voice covered with a certain pride for understanding her words in that melodic and fascinating language.

She looked at you with a frown for a moment before relaxing her expression.

“You take your work very seriously,” she murmured, looking away in a slow and slightly strange way. “I appreciate it.”

“It's the least I can do, Donna,” you said satisfied by the compliment. “Thank you for appreciating my effort.”

“Thank you for… Well, for being here with me and…” she stammered, blinking erratically and shaking her head. “I mean… I-I need you to go to the village and claim from our fat friend what he owes me.”

Your smile cooled after that order. It was always the same. When it seemed like a conversation was slowly deepening, Lady Beneviento's stoic and authoritative attitude prevented it from do it.

“Of course,” you said, bowing your head elegantly. “I'll go right now,” you said with a formal smile, turning around to end that strange encounter.

“W-Wait,” Donna interrupted, turning around abruptly to get your attention.

“Yes?” you asked as if you were waiting for something that really wasn't going to happen.

“Um... Wrap yourself up, it's a very cold day and my flowers can't live without your care,” the lady said, turning around again.

You smiled, nodding even though she couldn't see you.

“I will, Donna.”

Without wasting any more time, you set out to walk towards the village. The lady was right, that day the cold was terribly cutting.

You didn't usually leave the grounds. Nor did you have the need to remember your old life.

Although you were always reluctant to walk through the village again, especially because all your old neighbors looked at you strangely, the truth is that leaving that spiral of love and fantasy in which you lived was relaxing.

The villagers lived their lives quietly, they worked, walked, the children played... Sometimes that place seemed anything but sinister.

“Now it's my turn,” a little boy said, playing with his friends, a scene for which you slowed down your steps, looking curiously at those children. “One, two, three, four, four Lords...”

“Mm,” you murmured curiously when you heard him sing, crossing your arms and listening attentively.

“Four Lords, four fools…” he continued singing as he ran around his friends, making you frown. “One is fat, the other is ugly…”

“What?” you muttered.

Normally no one dared to insult the Lords like that, much less a child.

“The fish is disgusting and if the crazy monster catches you… Run away!” he finally shrieked, chasing his companions.

You, looking around in case someone else was listening, approached that rude child with your best intentions.

“Hey, you!” you shouted, getting his attention. “Hey!”

“Hello, miss,” the child said, standing up politely.

“Hey, what were you singing?” you asked with a slightly soft voice.

“I made that up,” he said, proudly, pointing at himself.

“Oh, really?” you asked ironically, crossing your arms. “You shouldn't say such things about the Lords, it's dangerous,” you warned in a calm voice.

“My sister says they're fools,” the boy said. “That we don't have to fear them.”

“Does your sister say that?” you asked curiously, shaking your head. “Well, I think she's wrong.”

“No, my sister is always right,” the boy said, with a childish protest, making you raise an eyebrow. “She says they're just four bad monsters, that they're not good.”

“Oh, of course…” you sighed, shaking your head.

“Are you afraid of them, miss?” he asked with the innocence of his age.

You couldn't get angry with such a young child. it wasn't fair, although it's true that you were upset by those comments. Your loyalty to… Well, to Donna, and therefore, to her siblings, was beyond any kind of doubt.

“No, and I'll tell you why,” you said, bending down a little. “Do you know that I work for one of them?”

“Really?” he asked, with his eyes wide open.

“Mm, I work for Lady Beneviento.”

“Oh, the crazy monster!” the boy shrieked, covering his mouth with his hands.

“Hey! Don't say that!” you said perhaps too abruptly, terribly offended by the way that child had of speaking of your Donna. “Don't talk about her like that, understand? Show some respect.”

“My sister says she's a monster and that she's as crazy as her family,” the boy protested just as you grabbed his arm.

“Shut up, brat, that's not true,” you growled. “I'm telling you that I work for her.”

“Is she a very ugly monster?” he asked.

“No, she's not. Lady Beneviento is a kind and beautiful woman, she's not a monster. Do you hear me? So tell your sister to shut that big mouth of hers and stop telling lies, understood?”

The boy, surely scared by your fierce attitude when defending Donna, nodded.

“Yes, miss,” he said abruptly, opening his eyes in surprise.

“Get out,” you said, letting his arm go and letting him run away in terror. “A monster… Damn it…”

You couldn't tolerate it, you just couldn't.

Your loyalty and love for Donna had long since crossed the limits of rationality. As long as you were around, no one would dare mess with her, not even a brat like that.

Thinking about the anger those comments caused you clouded your brief visit to the village. You couldn't stop thinking about what you were like before working at the mansion. You never dared to judge any of the Lords, but it's true that the only thing you knew about the lady in black were rumors very similar to the mocking chants of that child.

If only they knew her, if they knew what she was really like. Another absurd fantasy, no one in the village would ever have the privilege of knowing Donna, of knowing her intelligence, her elegance and kindness.

Sick, yes, but a wonderful woman, nothing else mattered but how she made you feel by her side. Maybe admiration and love were starting to take a toll on your judgment. Maybe you were so in love with her that you were unable to see the danger that was in front of you. No, you never felt in danger with her, even the day you arrived and she rejected you as a maid.

The rumors were just that, rumors, but ones that you couldn't change.

“You're back,” the lady said when you got home.

Your smile was always faithful to Donna, but your face emanated a certain annoyance that the woman in black noticed immediately. “Is anything wrong, (Y/N)?”

“Um, no, Donna. It's all there,” you said, downplaying your angry complaints and extending the bags to her so she could check inside.

“Mm, what about this?” she asked, taking a pot with a strange flower that you found curious out of a box.

“Oh, I bought that myself, I'd like to plant it in the garden,” you said, forgetting for a moment about the incident with the child.

“Did you ask my permission?” she asked, looking at you out of the corner of her eye as she examined the plant.

“Um, no, but...” you said, afraid of your boldness.

Her smile made your legs stop shaking.

“I’m joking, (Y/N), I see I’m unable to do it properly,” Donna murmured, setting the pot down on a table with an elegant step, turning briefly to look at you.

“Oh, yes, well…” you said nervously, setting the bags down on the floor. “I thought it was nice, that’s all.”

“Mm, you have good taste,” she commented, turning around with a smile. “Wait, let me help you.”

“No need,” you said, stopping the lady from taking the bags. “I wouldn’t let you do something like that.”

“Why not? Just because I have a maid doesn’t mean I can’t do anything, right?” she asked, roughly snatching the bags from you, a dangerous glint in her eye.

“Well, I think Alcina…” you commented briefly, remembering your friends’ experiences at the castle.

“I'm not Alcina,” Donna said, her voice close to a cry of protest, her face dark and dangerous.

If the crazy monster catches you, run away...

That child's stupid song was playing in your head irremediably.

“No, of course, that's... Obvious,” you murmured, trying to control the thoughts in your head.

“What do you mean? Speak clearly, (Y/N),” she said, walking next to you towards the living room with a suspicious look.

“Nothing, I... I'm sorry,” you said defeated, unable to think rationally.

The lady in black left the bags on a table and turned towards you, frowning and reaching out her hand until it rested on your chin, slowly raising it. The touch of her soft skin against yours was hot, but you couldn't enjoy it properly, because that closeness wasn't a good thing, normally.

“Mm, you're such a liar,” she commented, letting you go coldly, making you blink in confusion.

“What? Oh, Donna, no, I don't know why you say that,” you said, scared by that accusation.

“I asked you if something was wrong and you lied to me, it's obvious that something is bothering you,” Donna said in a somewhat smug tone, but she was completely right.

“It's nothing,” you said, smiling falsely.

“Are you going to keep lying?” she asked, arching her eyebrow and crossing her arms. “I thought you were a sincere girl.”

“Okay, okay, I…” you began. Your loyalty was much greater than your shame, or your fears. You couldn't hide anything from her. “There-There was a brat in the village, a little boy who was singing… A song…”

Donna nodded for you to continue.

“The song was about you, about the Lords and… They weren't exactly nice words,” you said, lowering your head. The doll maker's expression didn't change at all. “So I told him to stop disrespecting you and… He said… Horrible things about… About you…”

“Mm,” she murmured, tilting her head in curiosity.

“I just feel helpless seeing that some people think you're a… A…” you said, in a small voice.

“A monster,” she finished, with a cold but apparently calm tone.

“Yes…” you whispered embarrassed.

“Do you think I care what they say about me in the village?” she asked in a dark tone as if deep down her own words were a lie.

“No, but…”

“You do care, why?” she asked again, coming a little closer, with an expression that moved away from darkness to curiosity. “You don't need to defend me, it's not your job.”

“I know but... It's just that I...” you stammered, wanting to bury yourself underground and not come out for years. “I really care what they say about you.”

“Why?” she insisted mercilessly.

“Because I know they're wrong,” you whispered, briefly looking into her bright eye.

Silence was the lady's response. Donna moved away slowly from that intense gaze, as if she didn't want to do it.

“Um, I should, I should short this,” you said after a moment of silence, of furtive and strange glances, one in which the lady didn't move, as if she were a portrait, a statue, a ghost...

“Angie, help her,” the lady whispered, pointing to the doll, which was swinging its legs on a sofa.

“What!? Hey, silly Donna! She's the maid!” the puppet protested, approaching you and the bags.

The lady in black didn't answer. She simply walked towards the elevator hallway, stopping briefly before disappearing.

“(Y/N),” she said, distracting you from your attempt to keep the doll from messing everything up.

You looked up with pleading eyes, eager for some word, for something that seemed to want to come out of her lips.

“Donna?” you asked with a sigh, feeling a pang in your heart as you stared into her eye, knowing that she was looking at you.

“I…” she murmured distractedly, without looking away. “Be careful with Angie, she likes glass jars too much,” she said with a different tone, disappearing quickly through the door and leaving you sighing again, your shoulders slumping in disappointment.

“Y-Yeah, sure,” you muttered, looking away from the hallway. “Hey!” you shrieked, snatching a jar of tea leaves from the doll.

“You think I'm going to help you, you silly, silly? Let's see if you can catch me!” the doll shrieked, laughing sinisterly and running away with the jar.

At least you were able to distract yourself from that awkward encounter.

It might seem like something had changed in the mansion after that kind of veiled and indirect confession, but it wasn't. There was some tension between you, more than usual. Donna didn't usually talk, but when she did, her voice was stoic, regal and elegant.

Stuttering from the lady, and phrases and questions with less sense than usual served to make your loving heart believe that this act of loyalty had had some effect. Surely you were totally wrong.

The days passed without remedy, becoming more and more a torture, a feeling of helplessness in loving Donna, knowing that this feeling would never be reciprocated even though sometimes you liked to think the opposite.

You should start thinking about forgetting your fantasies, and focus on reality. Being with her was much better than confessing and being rejected, or something worse.

The desire to forget that impossible love accompanied you during another of your trips to the village. It was something horrible to feel, but seeing her smile, hearing her melodic voice, became your joy for living.

“Well…” you sighed as you walked through the quiet streets, seeing that, just like yours, the village's routine was still a tedious succession of days and nights of work.

“Hey, you!” An unpleasant shout interrupted your thoughts.

A young girl, more or less your age, approached you quickly, with an annoyed expression.

“My name is not you,” you said mockingly, crossing your arms.

“I don't care about your name, stupid,” the girl growled, with her hands on her hips.

You were never good at putting up with rudeness or discourtesy, and besides, you weren't in the mood to do so, not that day.

“Leave me alone, will you?” you said, pushing that unpleasant girl away. “Unlike you, apparently, I have things to do.”

“Don't you know who I am?” the young lady asked, grabbing your arm to stop you from continuing.

“Mm, no, I don't have the pleasure,” you said ironically, starting to lose patience.

You had too many things on your mind to put up with the stupid insults of a random villager.

“I’m Marcus's sister, the boy you yelled at the other day,” she explained, catching your attention. “How dare you yell at my little brother?”

“Your little brother was insulting the Lords, I did him a favor,” you said arrogantly, looking at your nails with contempt. “You should know that it is dangerous to put those ideas in the head of such a young child.”

“Are you going to tell me how I have to act with my brother?” the girl growled, clenching her fists. “Of course, how could I not expect that from a servant of those monsters...”

You rolled your eyes, trying to make a graceful escape again, something you failed to do.

“Are you jealous?” you challenged with a sly smile.

“Jealous? Please, if I had to work for any of them I would probably rather die,” she played along.

“Very well,” you said, nodding passively and pushing her away with your shoulder.

Her grip returned to your wrist, further exhausting your patience.

“You are Beneviento's little whore, aren't you?” she asked, making you turn around sharply. “Now I understand those stupid ideas you put in my brother's head.”

“Mm, maid sounds much better, don't you think?” you said, crossing your arms.

Talking about Donna was the worst thing that stupid girl could do… The bad thing for her is that she didn't know.

“Maid, whore, it's the same,” she said, with a mocking smile, coming a little closer. “Don't your knees hurt?”

“Doesn't your brain hurt from not using it?” you asked back, blinking cockily. “Leave me alone.”

“Not so fast…” she hissed again, standing in front of you to stop you from walking. “I think you owe me an apology. My brother came home saying that crazy Beneviento woman was a good person.”

“Yes, that's right,” you said, clenching one of your fists when you heard the word crazy next to her last name. “I didn't tell him any lies.”

“You know it well, huh?” the girl mocked, walking around you like a vulture. “Doesn't it disgust you to serve someone like her?”

“Doesn't it disgust you to look at yourself in the mirror?” you answered, your breathing becoming more agitated.

Anyone could mess with you all they wanted, but with Donna… Not with her, ever.

“You should ask your crazy darling that…” she hissed, laughing sinisterly. “Oh, yes, I’m sure she’s even uglier than the rumors say… Surely that’s why she wants you, isn’t it? Oh, maid, tell me how beautiful I am, tell me, tell me.”

“Shut up,” you hissed, gritting your teeth.

“Are you threatening me? How bold…” the young lady mocked, with a nasty expression. “You’re nothing but a monster’s whore…”

“I said…” you whispered, taking a breath. “Shut the fuck up!” you shrieked, grabbing the collar of her dress. “Apologize!”

“Hey, let me go, you fucking moron! You're just like her!” the girl protested as your grip tightened, catching the attention of several villagers, who were murmuring around you.

“Apologize!” you repeated furiously. “Donna is not a monster!”

“Oh, you defend her…. Of course, now I understand,” she said laughing amused, without making any effort to get away from your grip. “I'm not going to apologize, she's a monster! An ugly and crazy monster!”

“Arrgh!” you growled angrily, headbutting the girl hard, making her fall to the ground with a cry of pain.

“Damn it…” she protested, holding her battered nose. “You'll pay for this!”

The young woman lunged at you, knocking you down with a strong punch to the eye that you weren't expecting, unleashing a furious fight in the snow that the villagers watched in astonishment.

“She's not a monster!” you screamed, struggling with the girl, hissing in pain from that unexpected blow, pulling her hair while she kicked you with her knee. “Shit!”

The girl knocked you down again, bringing her hands to your neck, but you managed to turn the tables with another painful headbutt, climbing on top of her body and hitting her furiously.

“Apologize! Come on! Apologize!” you screamed, noticing how your opponent's strength diminished with each blow. “APOLOGIZE!”

“Shhh, hey, hey, hey...” A soft voice followed by a tug on your dress pulled you away from the almost unconscious girl. “Enough, you little brawler…”

Behind you, holding you tightly, was one of Donna's brothers, Karl Heisenberg, who prevented you from crawling back towards the girl.

“You bitch!” you shrieked, resisting against the Lord’s grip.

“Hey, hey, come on, sweetheart… You've already won,” the metal man said, squeezing you tighter. “Wait a minute, oh, oh, oh, wait… You're Donna's doll, aren't you?”

“Maid!” you shrieked still furious but giving up on your attempts to return to finish what you started. “Let me go!”

“Yes, yes… That's it,�� Heisenberg mocked, comically picking you up in his arms and leaning you on his shoulder, holding your legs while you hit his back.

“What are you doing? Put me down!” you protested as he walked holding you. The pain from the blow reached your head, making you dizzy, causing a few red drops to fall into the snow as the man carried you back to the mansion.

“What a mood, now I understand why Donna doesn't stop talking about you,” he murmured as you entered the forest. “You like getting into trouble, huh?”

“That bitch asked for it,” you hissed, giving up and grabbing your nose while rubbing your injured eye. “She hates you all.”

“Well, well… We can't please everyone, right?” he commented, laughing amused.

“She messed with Donna,” you said in a low voice, unleashing a sinister laugh from the Lord as you went up the elevator.

“You’re not just pretty, you're loyal… I like you,” he joked, with the waterfall already in front of you. “But I think poor Donna would be upset if her doll… broke, don't you think?”

“She doesn't care about me as much as I do about her,” you said with an involuntary sob, making the man stop, lowering you to the ground in front of the mansion.

“You think so? Let's check it out,” he said amused, looking at you over his glasses as he climbed the stairs of the mansion with you. “Hi! Donna!”

After a few moments, the lady opened the door, covered in her black veil, with her Angie doll in her arms, a sight you hadn't seen for a while.

“Ciao, bella, I think this is yours,” he said, playfully pushing you towards the mansion.

“Gods, (Y/N)…” the lady gasped, surely seeing your wounds. “(Y/N)… What happened?”

“Your little doll had gotten into a fight, or so it seems,” Karl commented, looking suspiciously at the doll, who was silently mocking him. “Fortunately, I arrived in time.”

“(Y/N), who did this to you? Speak!” the woman in black demanded, forgetting her reluctance to speak with her own voice in front of others.

You, embarrassed and hurt, didn't answer. You simply shook your head.

“Oh, no, no, no,” Karl interrupted, while the brunette's hand gently passed over your wounded face, a sensation that unfortunately, you couldn’t enjoy. “I mean that I arrived in time to prevent (Y/N) from leaving us with one less villager…”

“What?” the lady asked. “(Y/N)?”

“Take good care of her, Donna… You don't see maids as faithful as her nowadays,” Karl said, gesturing with his hand and walking away from the mansion.

“Gods, your face… C-come, let's heal you,” the lady said, taking off her veil and dragging you to the basement.

Silence became your only companion. Donna healed you thoroughly and painfully while you were unable to keep her gaze. It was a heavy, uncomfortable and tense silence, much more than usual.

“Are you going to tell me what happened?” the lady asked softly, as she passed a cotton ball over one of your wounds, making you hiss in pain.

“It's not important,” you murmured, holding back a tear.

The lady lowered her hand, staring at you, lifting your chin, something that slowly became a habit.

“You know I hate when you lie to me,” she whispered, squeezing your chin but letting it go instantly. “Oh, Gods... Your eye...”

“Ah,” you protested when a cream made contact with the bruise that had already sprouted. “I, just... I wanted... I wanted...”

“Mm?”

“That stupid girl said... She said horrible things and... I wanted her to shut up, I just wanted her to stop talking and...” you stammered, with your voice broken by sobs.

“Horrible things about what, (Y/N)?” Donna asked, with a soft voice, much sweeter than usual.

“About you,” you said looking away, preventing her from continuing to heal you.

“About me… So Karl wasn't lying, you're loyal, aren't you?” Donna said with a smile, guiding your head to look at her again. “(Y/N), I told you that no matter what they say about me, it's not your duty to defend me.”

“Yes, it is,” you protested, clenching your sore fist. “Those stupid people don't know you.”

“I don't want them to,” she commented, with a serious expression, cleaning another of your wounds. “I don't want you to keep doing stupid things like this, is that clear? It's not your duty as a maid.”

“It's my duty as a person,” you corrected with a brusque tone. “I… I can't stand people seeing you as a monster… You're not a monster…”

“So, what am I?” she said, blinking in confusion.

“You're… You're…” you whispered, swallowing the correct continuation of that sentence: you're the love of my life. “You're important to me.”

“Mm,” she murmured, with apparent disinterest. “You are important to me too.”

At those words, you looked up and opened your eyes when you felt a soft caress on your cheek, an erratic caress of her hand on your skin, aimless, meaningless, but comforting. Automatically your bodies approached each other slowly, guided by an invisible force that disappeared when the lady shook her head and cleared her throat.

“T-That's precisely why I want you to forget about this matter and not to do something stupid like that again…” she murmured, putting away the first aid kit and quickly moving her hand away, cooling your skin.

“I…”

“Promise me,” the doll maker said abruptly, getting up from the chair without looking at you.

“I… Okay, okay… I promise,” you finally said, playing with your hands, running your fingers over your injured knuckles.

That, that would be the only thing you couldn't promise her, that you would stop being faithful to her, whatever the consequences.

Donna sighed, running a hand through her hair and closing the medicine cabinet, looking at you over her shoulder.

“(Y/N), I don't want to lose you…”

Closer and closer, and further and further away… The time that passed after that fight could be summed up like this. Donna's trust in you didn't diminish, the smiles increased, subtle caresses appeared in your life to confuse you, but it never went any further.

 Your brave but cowardly nature didn't allow you to tell the truth, for her to understand the reason for the irrationality of your actions. Maybe she would never do it, maybe you were doomed to live that love in dreams, in fantasies... You should get used to the idea.

“(Y/N),” Donna interrupted you when you were going out the door to go to the village.

“Tell me,” you said with a kind smile, with the trace of that fight almost invisible on your face.

“Remember your promise,” the lady whispered, putting a hand on your shoulder and giving you a smile.

“Of course,” you said nodding, slowly separating yourself from her. “Relax, I won't get into trouble.”

“Fine, ciao, (Y/N),” she said, with a distrustful expression, accompanying you out of the gate of the mansion, not losing sight of you.

Something had changed in the tedious routine of the villagers. Her eyes deviated from their tasks to discreetly rest on yours. The murmurs had eclipsed the usual bustle, mysteriously coinciding with your slow and calm step.

“It's her... The crazy woman who serves Beneviento...”

“She must be worse than her. She almost killed that girl just because she insulted her...”

You heard loose phrases without importance, and the promise you made to Donna was fixed in your mind. You tried to distract yourself from those unpleasant rumors, but it was impossible, especially when you were already returning to the mansion and heard footsteps behind you.

“Well, well, well...” a mocking voice reached your ears, forcing you to stop.

That stupid girl was there, with a sinister smile, her face still marked by your blows. But she wasn’t alone. She was surrounded by a couple of boys visibly stronger than her.

Showing off your anger control, you ignored them, continuing on your way.

“Hey, hey, hey… Where are you going?” one of the boys said, walking in front of you. “Are you going back to your crazy darling?”

“Leave me alone,” you said unpleasantly, walking away from them again.

“Not so fast, stupid,” the girl muttered, gesturing to the boy in front of you to grab you tightly by the arms.

“Hey, let me go!” you shrieked, struggling against him and dropping the basket where you were carrying your purchases. “Hey!”

“You're not so brave now, are you?” the girl muttered, slowly approaching you. “I'm afraid there won't be anyone to protect you today, stupid…”

“Mmm,” you growled, trying unsuccessfully to release yourself from the grip.

“I think I owe you one…” the girl continued, brandishing her fist and throwing it against your stomach, making you writhe in pain. “That's for the humiliation… And this…” she commented while you hissed. “This is for me!”

The second punch was going straight to your face, but in a reflex action, you managed to duck, causing the girl's fist to hit her friend comically, giving you a few moments to escape.

You ran, with those three people chasing you among laughs. The blow to your stomach affected your resistance and your vision of the road, making you corner yourself against a dead end.

“Come, you filthy rat… We have something to tell you…” the girl mocked, guarded by her two friends, who rubbed their fists. “You're nothing but the whore of a… Of a…” she said, inches away from your body, which was held again by one of the boys.

The girl stammered, unable to say a word.

“Hey, Olga, are you okay?” one of the boys asked, putting a hand on the girl’s shoulder. She shook her head.

“Yeah, yeah,” she said, pushing him away and coming closer again. “What was I saying? Ah, yeah… A mons… Ah!” she suddenly shrieked, falling to the ground and curling up on herself. “Help!”

“What’s going on?” the boy holding you asked.

“Can’t you see it, you idiot? Spiders, there are spiders everywhere!” the girl shrieked, making you blink in astonishment.

“I don’t see anything,” the other boy said, scratching his head in confusion. “Oh, shit, Uncle Fred!” he shrieked, pointing at an ordinary tree. “Don’t kill me!”

“Oh, no… I hate snakes…” the boy holding you said, letting you go of and hitting himself to get rid of an invisible enemy.

You watched the scene stunned, confused until you saw a black shadow approaching slowly: Donna.

“Donna…” you sighed as you saw the veiled figure getting closer and closer, with an elegant walk, holding Angie in her arms.

“Shit…” the girl protested, also looking at the lady. “Lady Be-Beneviento…”

“Oh, you are respectful now, aren't you?” Angie mocked while the lady bent down towards the frightened girl, roughly grabbing her by the collar of her clothes.

“Oh, shit, shit, I'm sorry… Don’t, don't kill me,” she sobbed desperately while enduring the cold gaze of the lady. “Please, don't…”

“Touch her again and you'll wish I did,” Donna hissed, in her own voice, with a darkness that even gave you chills.

“Of course my lady, yes, my lady,” the unpleasant girl said desperate and terrified.

You were really enjoying that.

“Vai… Get lost!” the lady in black shrieked, releasing the girl, who, along with her friends, ran away in terror.

When their screams of terror were silenced, the lady approached you, offering you her hand to help you up.

“Tutto bene?” she asked, helping you shake the snow off your clothes.

“Yes, I think so…” you sighed in relief, with a grateful smile. “But, but, what are you doing here?”

“I followed you,” she said, turning and indicating for you to walk with her back to the mansion.

“Oh, um…” you murmured.

“Don't be mistaken. It's not that I distrusted you but… I thought you might be in danger,” Donna explained, walking slowly beside you.

“You're welcome, huh?” the doll protested, moving mockingly in her owner's arms.

“Thank you,” you whispered with a strange blush on your cheeks. “Thank you very much, Donna.”

“Mm,” she murmured, nodding coldly.

The walk was silent, but not at all ordinary.

The two of you walked together, too close, making your hands brush with each of your steps until, in an unpredictable way, they came together, intertwining, playing with your fingers until they were joined. Neither of you said a word, you simply let yourselves be carried away by that involuntary act that perhaps wasn't so involuntary.

Enjoying the touch of her hand in yours was finally a pleasure that wasn’t repressed. A smile adorned your face, but you didn't know if hers too. You had been imagining a walk hand in hand with her for so long, imagining how it would end the smile in her face when she felt your hand in yours.

You couldn't stand it anymore.

“Donna, I...” you said, stopping your walk, with the waterfall already sounding in the background. “I want, I want to tell you something.”

The lady also stopped, separating her hand from yours and facing you slowly, nodding in an elegant way.

“I’m listening,” she whispered through her veil.

“Um, could you, could you take it off?” you asked shyly, pointing to the black fabric that covered her beauty. “I wish I could look at you.”

“Va bene,” she whispered, obeying your request, revealing a seemingly indifferent face.

“I don't know how to tell you but... I, I didn't defend you just because I was your maid or because I was loyal... Well, I’m loyal, I will always be loyal to you, that's indisputable, but...”

“You're babbling again,” she said, with a tender smile, gently lifting your chin as she took a step towards you.

“Yes, I... What I mean is that... I go mad when people mess with you, when they say you're... Horrible things because... Because... I'm madly in love with you, Donna,” you confessed, closing your eyes to avoid her impatient gaze.

“What?” she asked, frowning, an unexpected reaction to your confession. “No, that's impossible.”

“Is it impossible for me to love you? Well, then... I must be able to do impossible things,” you said confused and nervous, looking everywhere and nowhere at the same time. “You can, you can do whatever you want with me but... I really love you, I love you and...”

You couldn't continue talking. The lady in black grabbed your neck, gently pulling you until her lips crashed against yours in a wet, slow, almost clumsy kiss. Maybe clumsy, but it said much more than any babbling.

The sound of Angie's giggle next to your lips’ as they parted caused a smile in both of you, caused your cowardly hands to dare to cup her face between them, her eye to stare at yours.

“Do you really love me?” Donna asked, with a soft whisper, caressing your face, lowering her hands to your waist to bring you closer to her body.

“I really do,” you said dryly, running your hands over her dress, over her shoulders, enjoying those caresses that you imagined so many times.

“Me too, and, and I thought that you would never... Oh, (Y/N)... Ti amo...” she said with another whisper, placing her lips on yours again. “Listen, I don't want you to be my maid anymore, (Y/N), I want you to be… My lady… Would you like that?”

“That's… That's the only thing I want, Donna…”

[edenmemes]

tloz: twilight princess (manga) starters

❝ i was shattered. i lost everything. ❞ ❝ i warned you not to take me lightly. ❞ ❝ we’re partners, aren’t we? ❞ ❝ ever since we’ve met, you’ve been disobedient and rude. ❞ ❝ take suffering as your companion, and unease and fear as friends. if you do, darkness will become light. ❞ ❝ it’s a cold world out there. you’ve gotta learn to trust folks. ❞ ❝ as you stand before me now, you’re all desperation and bravado. that is not true bravery. ❞ ❝ you can’t change your past and you can’t change who you were. you can only decide who you’re going to be. ❞ ❝ resentment is a trap of the heart into which everyone falls. ❞ ❝ you don’t look well. are you ill? ❞ ❝ you were born into life with a destiny. you cannot run away from that. ❞ ❝ you carry a smouldering darkness inside you. ❞ ❝ it’s considered impolite not to give your all in a fight. ❞ ❝ at dusk and dawn...it’s easy for all sorts of things to sneak by. ❞ ❝ since that day, so much has changed for me. ❞ ❝ i’m sorry. it’s been hard, huh? ❞ ❝ a true hero must shoulder a heavy responsibility. ❞ ❝ stay calm. move cautiously and remain vigilant. ❞ ❝ one more time. try telling the truth. ❞ ❝ why keep fighting until you’re just a broken wreck? ❞ ❝ if we start a fight, we must be ready to hit back. ❞ ❝ in the end, it’s easier just to be selfish. ❞ ❝ i was lost without you. i was lonely. ❞ ❝ why do i so often taste this sense of loss? ❞ ❝ i think both our journeys are pointing to the same place. ❞ ❝ power does not inhabit a blade without bravery. ❞ ❝ did you hear something? like the cry of a beast... ❞ ❝ what’s wrong? if you’re too weak, then just leave. ❞ ❝ what is strength? is it displays of power mocking the weak? destroying beauty simply to satisfy your greed? ❞ ❝ you get too worked up over things. ❞ ❝ easy for you to say. i’m the one getting beat up. ❞ ❝ i don’t need thanks. i didn’t do it for you. ❞ ❝ depending on your attitude...i might be able to help. ❞ ❝ if you don’t do as i say, i’ll take your arm off. ❞ ❝ as leader, i will not choose the path of pain and death for my people. i must protect them. ❞ ❝ strength isn’t about power...it’s about being brave. ❞ ❝ you have good eyes. the eyes of a proud beast. ❞ ❝ if the need arises, i will not hesitate to pick up a sword and fight. ❞ ❝ i guessed you had a secret past.   people can try to hide it, but nature shows through. ❞ ❝ i was lying when i said i’d never held a sword.❞ ❝ there’s no time for sentimentality. ❞ ❝ if someone comes in who knows about your past, i’ll protect you if they try to hurt you. ❞ ❝ is there something strange about me? ❞ ❝ be careful...there have been monsters around here lately. ❞ ❝ choose...surrender or die. ❞ ❝ when i feel uneasy or afraid i just think: ‘this is my mission’. ❞ ❝ don’t take me for nothing more than a fine doll good only for decoration. ❞ ❝ i’m nothing more than dirt. i’m not worth all that effort. ❞ ❝ why do you think we’re any safer here? ❞ ❝ don’t die on me now. ❞ ❝ ha! even you have a good idea sometimes. ❞ ❝ i fought through all kinds of monsters to get here...and i survived. ❞ ❝ i’ve spent so long looking for you! i’m so glad you’re safe. ❞ ❝ people are always hovering over me...and it’s so suffocating! ❞ ❝ some detours lead to unexpected good luck. ❞ ❝ you say whatever you think...i’ve never done that. ❞ ❝ there is no greater joy than helping a friend. ❞ ❝ what do you mean ‘never mind’? ❞ ❝ these days such peaceful travels are rare indeed. ❞ ❝ wildly rushing into danger isn’t courage. ❞ ❝ didn’t you say there’s something you need to do, no matter what it takes? ❞ ❝ i sense unprecedented danger approaching. ❞ ❝ how do you feel now, looking back upon yourself at that time? ❞ ❝ as usual, you’re a wimp. ❞ ❝ resentment is dangerous. it comes in through the slightest crack in your heart. ❞ ❝ i’d go to the ends of the earth for you. ❞ ❝ it really hasn’t been that long, but you’ve grown into a fine man. ❞ ❝ now is the time for us to take back all that was stolen. ❞ ❝ one thing’s certain --- those aren’t human. ❞ ❝ what do you fight to protect? answer. ❞ ❝ i wish you wouldn’t do such dangerous things. ❞ ❝ if you got hurt due to my mistakes...i don’t think i could live with that. ❞ ❝ why would you do all that...when we’ve only just met? ❞ ❝ it’s a pretty name. perfect for you. ❞ ❝ once your wounds heal, you’ll need to leave right away. ❞ ❝ the hero on his knees! quite a sight. ❞ ❝ how does it feel to be so strong? quite a rush, isn’t it? ❞ ❝ you’re all puffed up on your own arrogance...drunk on your own pride. ❞ ❝ i once wondered how good you are...now i see you’re really skilled. ❞ ❝ i’m not physically strong like you...but my wits, brains and analysis can be helpful. ❞ ❝ don’t say you can’t accept that this is the end. ❞ ❝ you just want to satisfy your own ambition and lust for power. ❞ ❝ it’ll be all right because we’re together. ❞ ❝ why would you leave me at a time like this? ❞ ❝ for the first time i feel like i’m overflowing with incredible power. ❞ ❝ there’s no time for doubt. you are the chosen one. ❞ ❝ your problem is that you demand absolute perfection. ❞ ❝ there is no easy path. but you can definitely overcome it. ❞ ❝ i’m so very sorry. i broke my promise. i hurt you. ❞ ❝ that’s the spirit. hate me more. only then will this fight be worthwhile. ❞ ❝ i thought you were dead. ❞ ❝ well...? say something. or has my beauty left you speechless? ❞ ❝ i never forgot you. not for one moment. ❞ ❝ sorry for killing the mood. ❞ ❝ light and shadow are two sides of the same coin. one cannot exist without the other. ❞ ❝ if you desire something...then that is my desire too. ❞ ❝ who says i’m afraid of you? ❞ ❝ your weapon is little better than a toy. ❞ ❝ all that awaits you is despair. ❞ ❝ i’ve done the unforgivable. i betrayed you. ❞ ❝ i’m here to repay you for what you’ve done. ❞ ❝ since i’ve met you, we’ve travelled a long way...and a lot has happened. ❞ ❝ are you on a journey of self-discovery? ❞ ❝ that was a great strike. if i was a hair slower, you’d have gutted me. ❞ ❝ when i was young, i wanted to be a hero. ❞ ❝ your struggle is futile. ❞ ❝ as you can see, i know how to fight. ❞ ❝ my hatred toward you will not be satisfied by merely killing you once or twice. ❞ ❝ you’ve been through a lot. ❞ ❝ whose side are you on? light or shadow? ❞ ❝ if you run then we’re done for! fight to survive! ❞ ❝ i’m not strong enough. not good enough. ❞ ❝ i must crush your bones, rip out your organs and relish your lingering cries of pain. ❞ ❝ that was close, huh? ❞ ❝ rest now. you don’t have to fight any more. ❞ ❝ i bear this sword so i can protect my home in times like this. ❞

[radio-fmm]

The sparrow and the hunter

Zoro x fem!reader

Warnings: pure fluff, mentions of daggers, zoro making fun of gods as he does, fem reader can transform into an animal idk thought you should know

Word count: 2.1k

Summary: In which Zoro falls hard for you and he struggles with it

𖤓˖⁺‧₊☽𓅨☾₊‧⁺˖𖤓

When you first joined the crew, Zoro was very skeptical about what you actually would bring to the table, since your abilities were… unique to say the least, but you had helped them giving useful information and advise when in a very tight situation, and who was he to doubt his captains decisions.

“A BIRD?” Luffy exclaimed almost jumping out of his seat. Yes, you could turn into a bird

“Yep, that’s why I am a good informant! People don’t suspect of a tiny sparrow flying around” you explained followed by a wink

“But… how?!” The navigator asked still confused

You turned around tugging your shirt slightly down and removing your hair form your back to reveal a tattoo “This is an ancient mark that was bestowed upon me by my people, the mark of a god called Quetzalcoatl, also known as the feathered snake. It carries the power that allows me to transform”

This only made Zoro grow even more doubtful about you, a god? It sounded like a fairytale to him. But as it turned out, you were also a fearless fighter, extremely skillful with daggers and combined with your special ability it made you fierce, which earned you his respect quickly after having fought beside him and the strawhats.

As you slowly went from the quiet reserved new crewmate to show your real colors of a confident caring bright and easygoing individual, the swordsman didn’t mind sharing with you the ‘training zone’ which was just a section of the going merry Nami had assigned to such activities to prevent accidents. Most if not all of the time you would train separately since you only did cardio and battle training and Zoro was more of a heavy lifting kind of guy. Both seemed to enjoy the silence of each other’s company and only exchanging few hellos and goodbyes.

But of course that slowly began to change when Zoro became curious on your fighting tactics

“Where did you get that dagger?” He asked from the other side of the ‘gym’ after staring at you training from a while, you turned to him a little taken aback, he wasn’t the one to talk let alone start a conversation

“I made it myself when I was 12” you answered as you slowly walked to where the stoic swordsman was standing.

Zoro had noticed how this dagger was different from the others you kept on your belt, not only was the shape and overall hold and design different, you kept it in a cover around your thigh at all times, so it peeked his interest

You presented the dagger, making slow steady movements that made it shine in the afternoon sun, it indeed looked more homemade, and the sharp edge was of a black shiny material he had never seen before.

“My father was a hunter, he showed me how to build this type of daggers to protect myself since we lived in the mountains… and for artistic purposes” Zoro’s eyes examined every detail of the weapon, and in further examination he noticed how indeed everything about it was really you, your essence was plastered all over it

“Interesting” he said still fixated on the dagger “You can hold it”

Zoro looked at you now closer and speaking almost in a whisper, you handed him your beloved weapon and he took it slowly. It was lighter than he expected it to be, he made an aggressive strong move as if he was cutting something and you giggled which made him embarrassed and a little insecure

“What?” He blurted out in defense

“You don’t use it like that, it’s meant for self defense or close targets. You have to move fast and steady” you took his hand in yours and demonstrated how to attack with it cornering your own throat between the dagger

“Always strike with purpose”

The swordsman felt his heart rate accelerate and a pink blush creeping from his neck, his gaze fixated in yours and his mind racing. You offered a sweet smile before removing yourself from the hold, Zoro returned the dagger to you shyly “Nice uhm… technique… and beautiful dagger” he immediately turned around to resume his workout, still flushed and with nervous hands.

The green haired pirate felt his head spinning not believing how you, a freshly arrived new strawhat, had not only allowed him to hold something you treasured and valued so much, but also had pointed it to your neck with his hands while being a man that doubled you in size and strength. His head couldn’t stop thinking about the intimacy of it all, it had left him breathless. You trusted him

But really it was just the beginning of the end for this poor man. Zoro had found himself trying to have more of you, like you had casted a spell, craving for your attention and essence.

He now looked for you when he entered any room, always wanting to be in your presence even while you just were enjoying your hobbies or any mundane task, he was eager to learn things about you and oh what a wonderful person you were to chat to, always keeping the conversation fun and interesting, listening attentively when it was his turn to talk, always sharing a piece of your soul.

You had seen through his stoic scary facade and saw what he really was. Everything that Zoro did was driven by love and the deep meaningful connections with the people around him, always remaining loyal and acting as the protector of the crew not because it’s his job but because he cares. He may not be as expressive as Sanji, but you were able to read him.

This scared Zoro immensely, not only cause he started to catch himself feeling annoyed whenever the stupid cook swooned your way or called you sweet names, or cause he couldn’t stop thinking about you even when training or trying to nap, or cause somehow you seemed to enjoy being around him too. No, it scared him because it made him feel like you had a hold on his heart and was afraid of being vulnerable. He felt weak

So when he finally came to the conclusion he was falling for you, and falling hard, instead of talking about his feelings, he opted for actively avoid you but of course you noticed right away. At first you gave him some time pretending you didn’t notice, he probably needed space from you feeling like you were smothering him, but eventually it had started not only to become ridiculous but to hurt you, because at the contrary of Zoros better judgment, you cared.

You excused yourself from dinner way early one evening, making a lame excuse so that you could finally catch Zoro alone on the crows nest on night watch and confront him, tired of his obnoxious behavior. Your stomach stirred in nervousness as you laid down on your hammock trying to distract yourself while crocheting, the door creaked open and you saw Nami menacingly standing in front of the door

“When are you gonna pull Zoro out of his misery?” your brows furrowed and a scoff escaped your lips

“What are you talking about? He’s the one avoiding me” The navigator rolled her eyes and sighed very loudly clearly annoyed

“He’s head over heels for you y/n! But he doesn’t know what to do just spare him”

“That’s not true” you sounded almost sad, Nami slowly came closer to you changing her approach

“You’re kidding right?, I swear he almost got up and ran after you when you stormed out, he’s smitten I had never seen him like this” you didn’t answer, thinking about his change in behavior and Namis thoughts, it seemed like it made sense

“I was planning on talking to him later anyways”

An exited squirm escaped Nami as she aggressively pushed your hammock back and forth shaking you “FINALLY! I swear you both were driving me insane”

As the sun disappeared behind the ocean and the moon greeted you shining through the cloudless sky, you awaited for everyone to retire to their bedrooms to peek your head through the door of the girls quarters, the ship was lulled by the waves and not a sound could be heard, quite rare for the Merry to be this quiet only confirming everyone was fast asleep.

You looked up to see the swordsman’s green hair peeking through the crows nest, only making you more nervous

“I can see you staring you know?” Zoro spoke loud enough so you could hear but not to wake anyone up, a shiver ran down your spine before you cleared your throat approaching the tall nest

“Can we talk? Please?” You didn’t wait for an answer before transforming and flying your way up, feeling shaky as you landed in the edge and morphing back

“I guess” Zoro whispered, arms crossed in front of his chest looking up at the stars twinkling in the night sky

The gentle breeze made your hair dance revealing your glistening eyes and your pinkish cheeks, the moonlight softened you making you look like a fallen angel that had answered to Zoros prayers. Of course he knew what were you doing here, it made his heart quiver in anticipation both of not having a clue of how you may approach the topic and to finally see you up close again after a long time of staring from afar

“Why are you avoiding me?” Oh so we are going straight to it “I gave you space so you would figure things out, but it has gotten stupid what did I do wrong?”

Silence pierced your ears only hearing your heavy breaths both of how nervous you were and how quickly you had morphed to get up there with him, you had never been so blunt in your life but it was Zoro who we are talking about here there was no way around it

“I don’t know” after a while of you staring at him while his gaze shifted from you to literally anything else this was his response? You sighed defeated before getting up

“I won’t get in your way then” it hurt you deeply but what else could you do if you couldn’t reason with the hardheaded swordsman?. Before you could get on the ladder you felt a strong hand reach yours in a hurry

“Wait… stay” there was a shift in his tone, you had never heard Zoro speak like this, it was like soft plead for understanding. You hesitated but sat back down face to face while he kept his grip on your hand

“If you don’t tell me what you’re feeling I can’t understand Zoro” you also changed your tone to a softer one, making him feel secure, encouraging him to speak up.

There was no other way around it, even if he didn’t felt ready to say it out loud the more he did leaps around his feelings the worse it’ll get. Zoro squished your hand as he struggled to find the words

“I’m avoiding you because I can’t handle the way you make me feel” He couldn’t look at you even if he tried but if he did he would be met with a puzzled expression planted all over your face

“I am falling for you and I don’t know what to do”

Zoro looked intensely into your big orbs that shone as bright as the moonlight above both of you, the confusion of your face was washed away immediately, a loving smile now in its place. You giggled which made him back up in embarrassment you did that often

“You love me you big idiot! That’s what you do” you said before leaning in to lock your lips in his.

The pirates eyes widen in surprise but slowly welcomed your action, melting in your touch and positioning a hand in your back to keep you closer while both of your hands hanged from his neck. You tasted sweet like he imagined but way more addictive, he never wanted to part his lips from yours ever again, but breathing was necessary for both of you.

Your smile came back to your mouth as you separated, cupping both of his cheeks so he would keep looking at you

“I love you Zoro”

An unfamiliar warmth settled on his face, but a wonderful feeling captured his heart and then he knew, if he was to ever give his heart to anyone in the world it’ll be you, you’ll take care of it and love it unconditionally

“If I say it back you’ll kiss me again?” your laugh was heard again brightening the dark sea and the pirates soul

“Yes”

“I love you too y/n”

𖤓˖⁺‧₊☽𓅨☾₊‧⁺˖𖤓

Omg I loved doing this oneeee, and ofc had to represent my culture adding an aztec god as reference ☝🏻 if you want a series or a follow up lmk, as always feel free to request and correct me, English is not mu first language

[theobsessedcookiefan]

I had an idea but you can tell me if you like it! In poll below.

:ﾟ･*✧･ﾟ: *✧･ﾟ:*✧･ﾟ: *✧･ﾟ:*✧･ﾟ: *✧･ﾟ:

❀•°•═════ஓ๑♡๑ஓ═════•°•❀

Part Two. Hints of creation.

"And then what?" One of the little cookies asked as he moved forward as if to hear better. "The witch crumbled him?" one asked before another gave it a little nudge. "Of course she didn't! Witches are good duh!" The old cookie let out a sigh and smiled softly. "If you want to know what happened then please don't interrupt me please."

❀•°•═════ஓ๑♡๑ஓ═════•°•❀

"Oh, well actually this is the first time a cookie has spoken to me so um..." The witch paused for a few seconds before adding. "If I answer your questions you'll answer mine?" That was the opportunity he was waiting for! Blueberry Milk nodded quickly and with a smile replied. "Sure! Anyone who seeks knowledge is my friend." She sat back down in the chair in front of the table and rested her face in both hands. "Ok, let's start with our names, I'm Y/N and you?" she asked as she offered him a hand as if to shake before realizing the difference in sizes between both hands, at this he laughed a little and took her hand as best he could. "Don't worry, my name is Blueberry Milk Cookie and I carry the virtue of knowledge.. And that's just what I wanted to ask you about, do you know anything about SoulJams?" At this question she nodded slightly, she seemed impressed. "Indeed I do! It's one of the most powerful things ever created, unfortunately I didn't get a chance to be part of its creation, what's more, you are also one of those awesome creations, almost all of us know you for that!" Now she sounded quite excited, so much so that in a small moment of curiosity she carefully picked him up and lifted him into the air, trying to get a closer look; obviously this made him nervous and he held on tightly to her hand, just in case. "Um- be careful please, I'm kinda fragile, not like you-" She nodded and still being quite gentle inspected his appearance.

"Fascinating.. I can tell you were made with effort" She said with a smile as she set it back on the table carefully. "Heh- thank you?" He sat back, looking away with some embarrassment at having heard that uhh- compliment? It seemed the witch was really interested in him now, possibly for a good reason or so he hoped. "Well, have you managed to bake any cookies like me?" he asked rather curiously, he didn't know at what point someone was capable of creating life like that and it made him curious. "I wish I had, I'm barely in potions class! My mentor Marlene on the other hand yes, I believe she was part of your creation in fact! She knows about the composition of Souljams and everything! We might as well ask her." She suggested with another excited smile to which he responded with one of his own while nodding several times. "Yes please! I'd love to ask her several questions about me and my friends. Could you take me with her?" Y/N nodded and offered her hand for him to climb up, he hesitated but still took a big breath and climbed up, once in the witch's hand she began to walk carefully so as not to make him fall on accident or damage him in any way.

"And so... What's your life like?" She asked, feeling more than just curious, at this Blueberry Milk was thoughtful before answering. "Well I really don't know how to explain it, I have several responsibilities of course, I am necessary for our society! Or so I think, I investigate the most useful and interesting things, if I didn't do it who would? Besides several people come to me to ask about doubts they have, it's a bit tiring but at least I don't have to protect the villages like my friends." And it was true, he really did not have much free time, in fact he had escaped from his place to come to investigate, he had not even told Sweet Sugar (Eternal Sugar) that he was coming.... That probably wasn't a good decision but who could blame him? Nobody else was concerned or interested in this question, he needed to find answers to his questions and he could not ask any of his friends because they did not care, but he knew why they had been chosen consumed him inside, he wanted to possess this knowledge more than anything, he was the one who had the virtue of knowledge for something, wasn't he? He had to know everything or so he thought, obviously the contrarian knew nothing of this so she just looked at him with a curious expression. "Uh I mean.. Yeah, I'm someone pretty busy, what about you?" She let out a chuckle as she reached the tower room. "Well I'm a student, I want to get to learn about how to create life, I'm interested in how from some dough and life powder you can create something as impressive as you. It's fascinating isn't it? I mean, how do you function? How can you move? Do you have a heart? Blood? Brain I think so, you're pretty smart!" He laughed a little at the tide of questions and then answered her. "I know! I'm curious too, but I guess we do have heart and blood? I don't really know what that is-" She thought for a moment and picked up one of the pencils she had in her apron, using the tip to make a tiny wound on one of her fingers, a droplet of blood coming out of it. "That's blood!" On the other hand the blue haired cookie almost had a heart attack, for a moment there he thought she would attack him as it had been such a quick action that it left him confused. "Oh! Yes, I have that but it's not called blood, it's jam, mine is blackberry jam, which shouldn't be a surprise because of my name actually-"

Before the witch could answer a door opened, revealing another of the witches living in that tower, Y/N in a quick move hid her little companion, moving her hands behind her back so the third one wouldn't see him, as she had had such a sudden reaction she didn't have time to process who the new person was, it was her mentor! "Y/N? Aren't you supposed to be studying? I left you a big exam so you can make the love potion we will be performing tomorrow, I hope you don't fail this. You have great potential I hope you don't waste it." The younger witch shook her head and then smiled at him, she thought it would be a good idea to show Blueberry Milk as a surprise. "No miss! But you'll never guess! Remember you mentioned to me about the cookie heroes and the SoulJams you helped create?" When he heard that he stayed in his place, waiting for the signal to appear, he was quite nervous about meeting his creator. "Yes, I remember, what with that? Y/N, don't tell me you're trying to create life before you learn the basics? You know what would happen if you did that don't you? It would result in disaster." Y/N tried to speak again. "Yes teacher but-" "And besides we are trying to locate the "heroes"." This got both of their attention. "Really? The council?" Marlene nodded. "We found out it's not safe for them to have that much power, we need to find them so we can remove the SoulJams and keep the power from fusing with their bodies." Y/N took a step back, still keeping the cookie behind her and increasing the grip on him a bit as he had become alert. "And what if he power fused with their body already?" The younger girl asked, worried for her new friend's safety. "They will be crumbled and we'll create new ones, we have no choice."

❀•°•═════ஓ๑♡๑ஓ═════•°•❀

:ﾟ･*✧･ﾟ: *✧･ﾟ:*✧･ﾟ: *✧･ﾟ:*✧･ﾟ: *✧･ﾟ:

I was thinking of calling reader a name like Yannette!!

[rey-jake-therapist]

wanted to add to ur point about sauron's intentions for stabbing galadriel.

sauron wants galadriel to give in willingly and it was made clear pretty explicitly, imo.

he didn't stab her to kill her, and i don't think that he stabbed her to fully mind-control her. he stabbed her to bind her to him after she told him that their bond was broken, to open the door between their minds. and him being able to talk to her right after has to illustrate their strengthened bond and the door being wide open and nailed to stay open.

*maybe* when he told her to give him nenya while looking into her eyes after stabbing, he wanted to show her his sincere motivations to heal the middle-earth, and he succeeded to do so! gal wasn't as much "deceiving" him, as she was stating what she saw. she believed that he wanted to heal the middle-earth. but! she didn't believe that he would heal it. his methods were still unacceptable for her.

tbh, i never saw that scene as gal deceiving and sau being deceived bfr i came across this reading into it. i always felt like it was gal just saying that she sees what he wishes to do and him being happy that she finally sees it. he just thought that it meant she would join him and that didn't turn out to be the case.

and i don't think galadriel can use nenya to an extent where she is a match to sauron yet. it would be waaay to premature and rushed. and such emphasis on the morgoth crown stabbing, communicating via minds, and the shadow realm pulling her under (finrod's "the darkness tries to pull the ship under" comes to mind), would not make narrative sense if galadriel is suddenly immune to sauron's powers or darkness in s3, idk.

I agree with you, for most of it ! In this post I wrote recently, I expressed similar ideas to yours.

Not only I don't believe that Sauron wanted to kill Galadriel here (what do the writers have to do to convince these people that when Sauron wants to kill someone, he kills them ? Sometimes with a hand wave even ?? JFC), but I also don't think he wanted to mind control her, I don't think he's not interested in her light anymore, and I don't think his plan was to let her soul be absorbed into the Shadow realm.

I don't believe any of that because none of what he did afterwards makes sense, if it was his intention; all he had to do was to snatch Nenya while she was on the ground, even after she fell off the cliff, and patiently wait. Gil-Galad and Elrond would have been unable to help Galadriel without Nenya, soooo... What stopped him, if not that Sauron still craves Galadriel's light, and is not interested in enslaving her ?

I think Charlotte Brandström, or the showrunners confirmed that he wanted Galadriel to give him Nenya to him, because he wanted her to believe that he wanted to heal Middle-Earth. That's exactly why he smiled so happily when she said "you want to heal Middle-Earth"... He genuinely thought "at last, thanks to the bond I've just created between us, she understands now."

I think she deceived him when she seemed about to give him Nenya, but abruptly backed off and jumped herself off the cliff, though. Her behavior was very off, she acted as a robot, as if he was mind-controlling her. But she was able to refuse him and to escape, which can mean two things :

he was indeed mind-controlling her and she was able to snap out of it (maybe thanks to Nenya)

he wasn't mind-controlling her at all, but she was acting as if she had some kind of revelation that would make her join him, to distract him.

It's also worth noticing that he was probably able to read her mind as much as she could read his at this point, and she sensed it, so she had to be extra careful regarding her thoughts.

I agree that if all it takes is Nenya to protect her from the bond created by Sauron, then there's no point in this entire scene at all. If it turns out that the writers only wanted her and Frodo to have matching wounds so they could compare them later in Valinor, it will be really a waste of a good story.

[audreyscribes]

I had a thought after reading your Child of Hera demigod hcs, I feel like Hebe would take her demigod half-sibling to the Garden of Hesperides to protect them from Lamia, what do you think?

Aforementioned Child of Hera Headcanons: [LINK]

I think it could work but there are a few things to consider if you want this to work within the PJO universe and ‘canon’ plotline: 

PRE-(SECOND) TITAN WAR: I don’t think it would work as well as you might think in this timeline as the canon plot of the entire Percy Jackson and the Olympian series starts. This is because in the 3rd book “The Titan’s Curse”, we see the Garden of Hesperides; where Zoe Nightshade and Percy have to get past the garden and the Hesperides and Ladon to get to Annabeth, Artemis, and fight Atlas. I could see it being a plot point where if Hebe did indeed take Hera-Demigod to the Garden, where its all good for a bit, but until the wars begins to form and either the Hera-demigod is threatened by the Titans and Luke; either manipulated to join them against the gods, kidnapped and held hostage, and etc. It could be another plot point adding in that Luke would notice the Hera-demigod when he went to pick the golden apples from the quest by Hermes. He would be surprised like anyone that Hera would have a demigod but also furious/jealous that why does the Hera-demigod get to be taken by their godly sibling and sheltered in the Garden of Hesperides from the monsters while everyone other demigod is forgotten and left to fight/die by the monsters. I can also see this being used as fuel for Luke to convince the unclaimed demigods about how unfair the gods are and potentially, make the other children angry at the gods and the Hera-demigod for the clear favouritism. The children of Hebe, those who were unclaimed then and those later would still feel bitter at Hebe and Hera-demigod even more-so. If the Hera-demigod hasn’t run-away due to the dangers and Lamia hot on her heels after learning after her location from the war, I can see the child of Hera either being a quest to be rescued and escorted to camp or where they have to fight their way to safety to either camps. The Hesperides would’ve been forced to let go the child of Hera from their protection and care either by Atlas, Luke, the Titan army, etc, either way. 

POST TITAN WAR: The part where the children of Hebe being bitter at Hebe and the Hera-demigod would still be relevant; regardless Hebe brought her mortal sibling on her own accord or on the command of Hera. Cause, regardless of the time it takes place, the animosity would still apply. There’s also the addition that while the child of Hera may not be officially part of the “Big Three”, they’re still around that level and just as dangerous and powerful. So there’s a big plot point of why the Hera-demigod is allowed to be sheltered at the Garden and being the exception and everyone’s emotions to it. However long they may be there for, they can’t stay there forever. Whether it’s because of the age and the Garden unable to protect them much longer, the Titans, or what have you, they still have to get to Camp to properly learn, be safe, and most importantly, be able to live. Even Lupa couldn’t/wouldn’t keep any of the child Demigods in their care for that long before they have to set foot outside. So again with the Quest thing where certain heroes have to rescue/escort the Hera-demigod to Camp, facing Lamia, and etc. There’s also the whole thing to consider where they were for the whole Second Giant War; especially with the whole involvement of Hera/Juno with Percy and Jason, Frank Zhang and his life tied to the stick of wood, etc etc.

Overall, it’s a good premise and opens up to a lot of fanfic if people ever so desired to write it. If I was in a position to write a long fanfic about it, I would go about it either way. The Hera-demigod would still function as a hero that Hera would have to use in her quests and stuff, so I don’t think keeping them in the Garden could be a long term thing anyways. There’s also the addition that the child of Hera won’t be alone in either pre- or post-titan war; because if Zoe Nightshade is added in as one of the Hesperides, then I don’t see why not have another Hesperides around that goes on to accompany/protect the Hera-demigod because they got attached. There are a whole lists of variations of the named Hesperides and how many they are, so you have your pick of names.

Thanks for the lovely idea and the ask!

[emrowene]

The Characters of Fractured Magic

Roman Hallisey

Roman is one of the main characters of Fractured Magic, the linchpin that connects all the others. He's cheerful and flirtatious, but it hides a darker side and a dangerous history. Despite that, and despite everything he's been through, he's relentlessly optimistic and cares deeply.

Leandros Nochdvor

Leandros is the other main character, Roman's love interest, and the first character we meet in Fractured Magic. His people encourage repressing emotions, but he's never been any good at that and is led by them instead: by his love for the hero Egil, by his anger at his uncle's kidnapping. But mostly by spite.

Dinara Condeh

Dinara is the rising star of the Webhon Players, a traveling acting troupe. she has compassion for everyone around her, but unfortunately, she also has horrendous taste in men. After a few failed flings, she discovers what's important, conquers her fears, and goes on to help lead a revolution.

Maebhe Cairn

Born to be a tiktok e-girl, forced to journey through a dangerous forest to warn her people of an oncoming war instead 😔 Maebhe is the queen of being in the wrong place at the wrong time, but damned if she won't rise to the responsibility and make the most of it.

Kieran Cairn

Kieran is the more level-headed of these identical twins while also being the more high-strung. His anxious streak is the only thing keeping him from matching his sister's chaos. He'd do anything for Maebhe or his fiance, Íde.

These two like to play a variant on the "Which of us is Hikaru?" game that I like to call "Which of us is the trans twin?"

Evelyne Corscia

Evelyne is very much an oppositional force in Fractured Magic, an old enemy of Roman's and a (mysterious) employee of the state. She keeps her motives secret, is NOT here to make friends, and will complete her mission, no matter who she has to hurt.

Indeed, no one can sway Evelyne from her mission - except for maybe Leandros, who aggressively befriends her. Or Roman, who she does actually still care a bit about. Or a very stubborn girl with long eyelashes named Thea who won't leave her alone. Or any passing stranger asking very nicely, really. Truth is, she might be kind of soft under that prickly exterior.

Mercy

Mercy IS the inciting incident of Fractured Magic. She makes a dramatic appearance in chapter one, reeking of death and using magic in a world where magic is only myth, and kidnaps a king. Only Leandros and his cousin survive the strange encounter. But who is she? Where did she come from? Where did she get her strange power?

Tellaos

The (alleged) villain of Fractured Magic, Tellaos is one of three angel-like beings created by the god of Calaidia to watch over its people. After being used as a scapegoat by the other two and getting locked in a human body on top of that, though, Tellaos is not feeling so generous.

But of course, he has more to him than that. For example, he's also #1 wife guy and would do anything for Mercy, his beloved.

Devikra Stormsong

More commonly known as the Oracle of Damael, Devikra is always flitting at the periphery of big events, and her visions predict the future - with a catch. She'll do anything to protect her people, including keeping secrets from them - and boy, does she have a lot of those.

And that's our main cast! As a reminder, you can read Fractured Magic FOR FREE on my website. Even better, if you subscribe, you'll get new chapters sent straight to your email.

[yanderes-galore]

general Yan!O'saa hcs? i love this guy

Sure! Another Anon gave me some ideas to explore here, so I'll see what I can do.

Yandere! O'saa Concept

Pairing: Romantic/Platonic

Possible Trigger Warnings: Gender-Neutral Darling, Obsession, Manipulation, Overprotective/Possessive behavior, Cruel behavior, Violence, Murder, Blood, Occult themes, Forced companionship/relationship.

O'saa, according to my research, tends to do whatever he wants.

He doesn't particularly follow a religion.

As a Yellow Mage, he follows chaos.

He prefers to act alone, is distrustful of others, and is very dismissive.

He questions everyone, even when he's in a vulnerable position, before reluctantly joining.

He's a free spirit, one uncontrolled by many of the beliefs in this world.

Since he is a follower of chaos, I imagine he'd be... dangerous as a yandere.

He isn't bound by morals and uses the gods' powers, both New and Old, to his own advantage.

Now, for this concept, I want to base it around what a previous Anon said.

O'saa, while at times playful, sees a lot of his fellow contestants below himself.

He doesn't respect their culture and often just seems to think they blindly follow things.

So in a way, I can see him viewing his obsession as a sheep.

He thinks they're easy to herd and control in a world such as this.

He sees them as much different than himself, who is able to choose his own path.

However, at the same time, he feels oddly intrigued.

Don't be surprised if O'saa thinks of you as stupid.

In fact, in an odd twist of fate, I can see O'saa taking you into his protection since you clearly can't survive here on your own.

Much to his Master's disapproval, but it's not like he cares what he thinks.

O'saa doesn't care much for feelings.

He will call you an idiot or stupid at times.

However, it's nice to have him on your side since he hates all the other contestants.

He knows he's deviating from the main mission, but hey, keeping you around is what he wants.

It's hard to read O'saa, honestly.

You know he cares for you in some way...

At least, enough to teach you some basic spells for your own use.

He might just teach you so you can be useful, but you have a hard time telling.

O'saa has never been trusting of people, except for you (He most likely doesn't see you as a threat).

Which means he's going to prevent you from befriending anyone else.

You don't need anyone else.

They'll be incompetent compared to him.

Your attempts are idiotic and this is why he's sticking around.

If he didn't, you'd get yourself killed by now.

He finds you to be too kind, too trusting...

While he enjoys it directed to him to some degree, anyone else could use you.

If you tried to befriend anyone else, O'saa would scold you before telling you to follow him.

He knows what he's doing.

It's best if you listen to him.

O'saa is never going to tell you how he feels about you or cares for you.

You can't figure it out whenever he speaks, either.

He doesn't let much slip and is one of the most mysterious and unpredictable yanderes to have.

Along with being one of the most dangerous.

O'saa has no issues with murder.

His main goal is getting out of this place alive, naturally removing some contestants will be included.

You aren't surprised at this development but it makes you cautious.

It's hard to tell if O'saa's killing to protect you, killing because he's jealous, or just... killing.

He isn't easy to read and isn't the most affectionate contestant.

He's curious about you but it's not like he's kissing or hugging you.

His obsession is more skin to... twisted curiosity.

Even if the entire time his master is whispering twisted opinions and thoughts, upset O'saa is so distracted.

I'd say O'saa would kill his obsession by the end of the third day.

It's better than being Moonscorched and he most likely needs to for his goal of leaving this place.

Fret not... O'saa would indeed make it as painless as possible.

He cares enough to not let his obsession be in pain.

He is an enjoyer of chaos, but he isn't sadistic with you.

He'd make a brief apology, promising to come back to you...

Before doing something such as slitting your throat.

He'll stay beside your body for as long as he can before continuing your mission.

You'd think that's the end of that.

You're killed by your obsessive companion, there's some mercy to that.

It's better than most of the horrors in this place.

Now there's no longer an air of uncertainty....

....

Until you're brought back, that is.

If we're assuming O'saa did a revival technique similar to what happened with Le'Garde, then you're mostly the same as you once were.

... mentally.

But even that fails you once you realize what has become of you.

O'saa had promised he'd come back for you, yes...

This isn't quite what you were expecting.

He looks oddly... giddy when he brings you back, too.

The Festival would be over by this point and hopefully he's free of his master.

He came back to you after freeing himself, claiming he thought of you for a long while now.

You try to ask questions, to ask why he didn't just leave you to die.

He may simply claim he likes you.

You've caught his eye and now that he's no longer on a leash...

He's free to do whatever.

He still doesn't allow you to be social, not like you can be now.

You're often covered to hide your revival.

O'saa, if he successfully lives through the Festival, will keep you by his side while he rewrites the religion of his home.

Even now you don't know his intentions...

You just know it somehow involves you and not even death will take you away from him.

[baldurs-gape]

Something nice I did for myself? Went to a cat cafe after work and cuddled with them for an hour. There was one named Vinny that just crawled into my lap and wouldn’t leave, asked the staff and he will be available for adoption this fall….so I’m thinking about it.

That is so wonderful! Nonnie, if I could I would give you a gold star for doing something nice for yourself. And Vinny! Firstly, an excellent name for a cat and secondly, I really hope things work out for you both when it's time for him to be adopted. Cats have a knack for choosing their people and knowing who they'll be happiest with. It seems Vinny may have chosen you!

Scars

Truth be told, Astarion wasn't all that clued up on the intricacies of magic and healing potions. Over time he'd picked up dribs and drabs from his victims as they talked about scars they had. The richer the target, the less likely they were to have even the odd pockmark or childhood shenanigans.

Lying naked next to Gale, Astarion couldn't help but trace patterns through the smattering of chest hair. The sensation against his fingertips was soothing but so were the little divots he could feel in the warm skin. Propping his head up, he leaned in to get a better look.

"Did you explode a crystal ball and get caught in the rain of shards?"

Huffing in amusement, Gale reached up to feel the old scars. "Not quite. My mother told me not to play with fire mephits and I didn't listen. Was too scared to show her the damage the sparks did until it was too late." His hand clasped over Astarion's. "Not that it was severe enough for a healing potion or to go see someone. Wouldn't have wasted money on something so frivolous."

"It adds a rugged charm to your looks," Astarion purred and cuddled in.

It wasn't the only scarring Gale's body bore. Aside from the obvious of the orb there were others dotted around. Astarion found himself eager to hear the stories behind them. Taking Gale's hand, be brought it to his lips to kiss his palm. And maybe to trace the circular scar on the skin between thumb and index finger.

"You're curious tonight." Only an indulgent smile accompanied those words and Astarion hummed in quiet agreement. He always wanted to know more, knowledge about people was power but this was one of the few instances where he wanted to know for reasons other than his own safety and protection.

Gale craned his head a little better see Astarion as he spoke, "You're not going to believe this one. Tara bit me."

"She bit you?!"

"Indeed she did. Rightfully so, I was being an insufferable fool." Pulling his hand back, Gale smiled as he looked at his hand. "I chose to let it heal naturally as it were, a reminder that I don't actually always know everything best."

"Wait, you're actually aware of that?"

Hand playfully mussing up Astarion's hair, Gale bit out a giggle "arse" in response. Outrage had Astarion rolling on top of him, doing his best to flatten him into a pancake. It wasn't something he would ever succeed at but that had never stopped him from trying before.

"I've never met anyone who willingly let a wound heal with time. Well, there was the odd buffoon who thought it made them look more hard or something equally asinine. But usually scars meant hardship or lack of resources."

Arms wrapping around Astarion to hold him close, Gale took a moment to breathe and find his words. And relish in having Astarion's weight on him.

"Money was tight for us," he began. "After my father left it got very difficult. I was home from Blackstaff once when my mother needed some help with getting something down from the attic without magic. I think she just wanted me to give her a few minutes of peace and quiet." The aside was met with a snort. "Anyway, long story short, I was young, foolish and overly confident. What should have been a careful trip down the ladder turned into a very very quick one. But it's not a method I'd recommend. My foot got caught between rungs. It wasn't a pretty sight."

Wriggling around, Gale pulled a leg upand pointed to a gnarly scar on his calf. It wasn't one Astarion had really noticed before, usually too preoccupied with the rest of a naked Gale. He reached to touch it, familiarising himself with the feel of it.

"That's where the bone stuck out. Mother had half a bottle of healing potion left which was enough to get the bone set. Unfortunately the rest was left to nature, we couldn't afford a healer or more potions. By the time I was back at Blackstaff it was pretty much healed up. So I have that."

It wasn't exactly elegant as Astarion wormed around to actually kiss the scar. He ended up sitting atop Gale and looking down at him with a fierce expression that refused to soften. "I like it. It makes you different. I only have two scars, as you know." A hand drifted to his neck. "And my nature means I won't realistically be accruing anymore. Not unless someone takes an enchanted blade to me again like Cazador did and carves into me repeatedly."

"Over my dead body."

"I'd rather that didn't happen. But hush. What I'm trying to say is that I quite like it. Quite like you. As you are."

"Yeah?" Gale grinned lopsidedly up at him.

"Yes."

"Good. Beacuse I quite like you too."

[bludermaus]

What about him admitting he straight up enthralled and murdered Duke Stelmane? There is a cutscene that shows him causing her seizure. He literally says “you are my puppet” idk after that I could never side with him

Before you make questions, you should check your facts. So let's do it step-by-step:

"What about him admiting enthralling her?" - The game offers no explanations whatsoever about the circunstances of the enthrallment and the reveal is done when you're telling him he's an untrustworthy fella. If he's not "trustworthy" when he's being nice and cooperative, what makes this a "mask off" moment instead of an "hey since you want me to be a monster, lemme roll an intimidation check, maybe you'll cooperate this time and stop patronizing me about trustworthiness". And even if he's being honest about enthralling her, I really don't care about her, like, at all? She was enthralled way before any of the shit in-game happened, our companions have done worse shit in the past, I will just keep working for the guy and save the world I don't care, I'm not gonna pretend our characters are on some higher moral ground because they are not.

"He murdered Duke Stelmane" - He did not??? She was murdered by the Bhaal Cultists, the game is very explicit about this. The Emperor already did his mischievous actions, you don't have to invent new ones to give to him

"There is a cutscene that shows him causing her seizure" - Yeah, and I'm glad he's learned that enthralling others is just not worth it and is actually trying to forge a real alliance with us, even if it's an alliance by necessity. It's a pretty shitty thing he did but again, I don't care about her as much as people do. He's not doing it to me and he clearly shows he knows it didn't work back then and it's better to forge a real alliance with a free-willing person, and I have no reason to be antagonistic or vindictive towards the one that has been The Shield to The Sword.

"He literally says '''you are my puppet'" - And is he wrong? You literally wouldn't be there without him actively protecting you (not Orpheus, he is the one protecting you, Orpheus is doing jackshit for us besides being the source of the hivemind disruption power) and he's using you to save himself and save the world in the process... just like you're doing the same with your companions. And I don't mean Tav, I mean you as a player. They are your pawns as well. You can do whatever you want with them. You can be invested in their emotional well-being and want the "good" endings for their quests, or maybe you'd rather have more firepower on your quest to save the world in which case you'd maybe go for the "bad" endings. They are - indeed - paws to achieve the goal you desire the most

People just don't like The Emperor because he acts exactly how the player themselves do. He has a clear goal in mind and wants things to happen the way he wants and is using the NPCs (us) to further this final goal. I will just do what he wants since our goals align, he'll be happy and then he fucks off to continue playing City Skylines: Baldur's Gate Edition with the Knights of the Shield.

[eisenartworks]

On Genos asking Saitama if he got stronger...

Initially, I was a bit confused on why Genos is asking Saitama this again. It's already been addressed in the previous arc, and you'd think it's all well and done, but ONE makes a point on bringing it up again, and that Saitama's answer is different.

But that's because he's referring to two different things!

To recap:

A lot of people assume Saitama is talking about his core...

But that I wholeheartedly disagree. Genos asked on whether or not he got stronger. Saitama answered he has. Except Saitama wasn't talking about in terms of power, he's talking about in terms of spirit.

And Genos has! There's a distinct difference between sacrificing your life to taking any chance to blow yourself up just because you're passively suicidal. The story doesn't spell it out for us, but for all of Genos's great penchant to somehow survive despite barely cutting it, he doesn't exactly value his own life and happiness. This is the first time he's been put into a corner with little chance of escaping and deliberately chose not to blow himself up, because he started to not only to value the lives of his comrades, but his own too. And Saitama acknowledges that it's a good thing! That he's not wrong or immoral to feel that way! Because Saitama knows what it's like to be suicidal. Choosing to live another day is a brave feat of strength indeed.

If you're gonna argue Saitama is just being dumb and Genos was being dumb because he was misinterpreting things again because what Saitama actually meant his core got stronger - here's the thing: Saitama has never cared about power. It's always been about character with him.

The only time he'd care about someone's power level is when it's getting absurdly destructive that it may destroy his or other people's property (Psykorochi, Tatsumaki) or when it's obvious it's about to kill or has killed people (Boros's CSRC, Cosmic Garou). He didn't care that Mumen Rider is weaker than DSK, but he cared about his strength of character to protect people against all odds didn't he?

Even then, how the heck would Saitama even judge if Genos's core actually did get stronger? He doesn't have any basis for it. He hasn't seen the enemies Genos fought. He hasn't seen what the core could do. Hell, he hasn't even seen Genos since he has a broken up body during hotpot night to even know what his feats are. All he knew is that Genos is now limbless and that he lost. But that he had enough strength in spirit to hold on and protect Tatsumaki without fully giving into despair that he'd blow he and Tatsumaki up all thanks to King telling him what happened.

This... was a TERRIBLE answer.

So why was it so ass? Because this time, Genos is clearly asking not if he got stronger in spirit but stronger in terms of power.

Saitama is the last person you should be asking these things, since you might as well ask someone who is lightyears away from earth that you changed the engine in your car so now it could go greater distance and last longer on the road, he'd say "sweet!" but he won't ever be able to tell the difference even if you pop your car hood open nor show the number miles you traveled. To him it's all the same: he's too far away to make an accurate judgement.

Heartbreaking thing is, there's a fairly good reason why it's to important to Genos to be acknowledged he'd grown stronger in power and why he pursues power to begin with: it's not just vengeance nor justice for everything he lost, it's also to make sure he never experiences those loss again. Nor for anyone to experience the same things he did. Saitama's casual "dismissal" just affirms Genos's worst insecurities and fear - that he's still the same weak and helpless 15 year old that couldn't save his town nor protect his family, but survived anyway. Genos has achieved the height of power he previously thought impossible, but heartbreakingly he's so in his head he can't or doesn't even acknowledge it. For all he knows, he still doesn't have the power to not just beat enemies, but to protect people.

They really need to have a proper discussion, but ONE is never one for simple and straightforward journeys.

[bridgeportbritt]

The Goths got away with many proclamations, laws, and raises in taxation in the years they had ruled over the land. While they bled their citizens dry, they used the funds to live a lavish life that starkly contrasted that of the everyday Pendite. Beautiful clothes, handmade furniture, the best ingredients for the most luxurious meals. But most of all to fund their army and prepare to conquer more land. The Goths had ambitious dreams of creating one of the most powerful nations in the world. By force. So, they thought little of how their own citizens viewed them. Just as they did the rest of the world. They especially never even considered that the poor, downtrodden Pendites would revolt against them. How could they when they barely had enough to survive?

But, the Goths underestimated the people of Pendula View. Each day, the revolution grew as more and more villages joined. Farmers, carpenters and bards alike became soldiers training to fight. Old laws like how to dress and curfews were broken. Soon, the refusal of goods and services like crops and housekeeping, and even taxes. It was getting harder to suppress what was happening and The Goths were running out of ideas.

Lord Crumplebottom: All I want to know is how I can protect my family. I'm sure it won't be long until the rebels target the wealthy.

Mortimer: Bah! I wouldn't be concerned about that. I have yet to see them even think about such a thing!

Lord Crumplebottom: But they are preparing, so we must be prepared! Your soldiers can only make them fear you so much. It's becoming less effective. Plus, you can't contain them all!

Lord Landgraab: And why not?

Lord Crumplebottom: Because not every poor is a rebel. Some are our farmers and maids and still want to work! We can't keep them from their service. Do you expect us to tend to the crops, chores and the children?

Lord Landgraab: Needn't you worry about my soldiers. They have strict orders and can identify who is and is not apart of this abomination. What we need to focus on is funding more weapons.

Mortimer: More? But we've just acquired a large shipment from Vernick and Viridis! Not to mention Druzar. We cannot ask for more aid. I'm afraid our enemy countries might catch on and begin aiding to the rebels. I'm sure Whitmore, Armorica, Trenton and Pierreland would all love to see us fall.

Lord Landgraab: Afraid? Since when are you afraid, Morty? We must show strength at a time like this! We can't finally start our plan to conquer other nations if all our weapons are tied up in some civil war! Certainly, you can use your connections with Druzar to ask for more.

Mortimer: Absolutely not. My sister may be the Queen, but the more I use her, the weaker I and Pendula View looks in her eyes. And therefore, in the King's. We need to be strategic about using them to our advantage.

Lord Crumplebottom: Did you say civil war? I knew we never should've gotten into this mess in the first place. You've pushed the peasants too far! My poor wife has just been beside herself worrying that the maid will leave her for the rebellion.

Footsteps approaching

Bella angry: That's enough!

The men all gasp

Bella angry: To think men the likes of you help lead this country! You sound no better than a woman with your whining and your inability to come to a resolution.

Lord Crumplebottom nervous: Y- Your Almighty Excellency, I-

Bella: I don't want to hear it! If your wife or others of the ton are so concerned about their help, do something regarding it! I don't care if you have to trap them on your property!

Lord Landgraab nervous: Your Almighty Excellency, there's no need-

Bella: Oh, there is indeed no need! No need for a general to ever question his King! If Mortimer says no more aid, then that is final. Make it work with what you have.

Lord Landgraab: Yes, Your Almighty Excellency.

Bella: You men have one duty and that is to support my husband wholeheartedly! Especially with the ton. All this bickering is nonsensical and is of no use. We must act.

Mortimer: Thank you, my love. What would you suggest?

Bella: Well... as always, I try not to waste a frown on political matters and save that for you men. But it's obvious that what we're doing now isn't working. We can't just sit back and watch them form an army against us. If they want war, we have to give it to them.

Lord Landgraab: But, Your Almighty Excellency, our army is almost ready to move on Sulani. We shouldn't halt our plans for-

Bella: Good, if they're near ready than this will be perfect training. Take out the rebels, then get the army ready to march on Sulani.

Mortimer: A brilliant idea from a brilliant woman.

Bella: You lot make it so much harder than it is. Now, I must get to my stroll. All this thinking is simply not good for a woman! Good day, Gentlemen.

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[spell-cleaver]

Just realized that a lot of the mechanics of the Dark Side (pain, fear, anger -> abnormal + unsustainable strength) are similar to hysterical strength and adrenaline reactions. What do you think the implications on Star Wars wordbuilding would be if the Dark Side, at least in its most basic form, was just a magical version of the stress response?

Honestly, I keep swinging between "it would totally change the worldbuilding" and "it wouldn't change it much" (which is why I'm responding to this two years later...) My, admittedly limited, understanding of the stress response is that it give you hysterical strength and adrenaline as you said, but only for a very short time, and after that it begins to damage your body because your body is just not built to be in that sort of fight-or-flight situation for any extended period of time. You can hurt yourself and push through it so you don't feel it until later, possibly aggravating the injury, and it's the prime example of how we're wired to survive as best we can and have built in mechanisms to keep us going even in moments of crisis.

Which is fascinating if you apply it to the dark side! The idea that you can use your heightened emotions to achieve power you didn't have before, but it comes at a great cost and you'd constantly be chasing it, is largely what the dark side is about. Who needs Jedi training and discipline when you can access the dark side by drawing on an artificial fight-or-flight response? It fits into the "quicker, easier, more seductive" definition of the dark side and especially fits the fact that people are more likely to fall to the dark side when they're desperate, or when they're in a natural fight-or-flight response (see Luke beating Vader in ROTJ because he threatened Leia, so Luke's anger and protective instincts kicked off). It makes a lot of sense!

But another important aspect of the dark side imo is the moral aspect. You don't just get power from your own suffering and your own desperation; you can draw power from others' suffering. You get power by causing others' suffering. That's why the Sith are evil: because the dark side twists and corrupts the user's mind in the pursuit of power, so they cause more and more suffering along the way. The dark side is what would happen if, after experiencing the stress response for the first time, the person enjoyed feeling strong so much that they sought to induce the effects in them again, and again, caring less and less about pain and more and more about the power, and hurting people in order to achieve it.

If the dark side was just a matter of the stress response in Star Wars, it would change the worldbuilding a lot because I think those that use it wouldn't be ostracised in the same way. In real life, people get pushed too hard all the time, and have to have care and support to recover from the health impacts of that. If a Jedi was near death and used the dark side in a specific situation, if it was just a magical version of the stress response, the power would fade, and I imagine the other Jedi would come in to help them recover, not hold it against them, and simply be happy they're still alive. I imagine the dark side wouldn't be a moral issue, but rather a danger issue - it's not that you can't use it, it's that using it burns you through, so only tap into it if you absolutely have to. (Especially since Force powers are dangerous, so if you're near death and you're suddenly wielding ridiculous magic powers, someone near you could get very hurt indeed.) It would be more in line with other magic systems where there's this deus ex machina-style power that competent magicians can use, but shouldn't use extensively, to protect their bodies and minds.

Meanwhile, I imagine that the Sith in this scenario would be more along the lines of a religious organisation that do induce artificial stress responses in themselves to achieve short bursts of enormous power at great cost to themselves. The Jedi would be against the Sith because they teach children from a young age to harm themselves in order to gain power, functionally teaching them to be walking Force bombs into the future. Think teachers irl who think students work best under enormous pressure vs teachers who actually provide learning support. Worldbuilding like this would be a really interesting way to look at pedagogy and health and creativity! The idea of the tortured artist who can only produce masterpieces when they're struggling with demons or something is really powerful in pop culture, so writing a story with this sort of worldbuilding could be a really fun way to explore that.

Also, in this universe, it would make so much sense that the Jedi won against the Sith to the extent that the Sith are in hiding. Not only would the Sith's methodology likely count as child abuse under non-magical law, but Jedi would be better at fighting, at tactics, at building organisations and systems that last. They're healthier and happier, so they ultimately outlast, despite the Sith's enormous, erratic power.