#all six of them are too young and rich to have ever learned how to cook properly

[lesbiandanhowell]

I need them to give Yuki a grid cooking show á la grill the grid. He gives every team one recipe to cook and asks them cooking related questions (do you wash your rice?) and it would be absolutely hilarious chaos

[shalomniscient]

you’re seven years old and barefoot on the beach of yaoguang shoal with sand between your toes and salt-brushed wind in your hair when ningguang makes her first and only promise to you.

“when we grow up, i’ll marry you.”

the words are big, heavy on her child’s tongue but she speaks them with conviction nonetheless. her hands are laced with yours, your small fingers slotting perfectly with one another. the sunset makes her eyes glow like how you imagine the amber does at jueyun karst. you’re too young, too childish to really understand the weight of her vow—but you nod with a smile, squeezing her hands tighter.

“i’ll wait for you,” you say, hoping she can hear the sincerity in your voice. it’s a foolish hope, because you know that ningguang knows you better than you even know yourself. she returns your smile with one of her own, her hand never leaving yours as you walk back to your village, the sunset at your backs. the light paints ningguang in gold, and you can’t help but think at seven years old that this is how things should be—hand in hand with the girl you know you love before you even knew the meaning of the word, barefoot together in the sand.

you’re seven years old when you learn how things should be, but you’re fifteen years old when you learn how things are.

ningguang leaves for the city. she tells you before she goes, of course, holds you close as you weep selfishly into her shoulder. her hands are gentle as she sifts them through your hair, along your scalp and down the nape of your neck before wrapping around your slim, hunger-carved shoulders. i have to go, she’d said, or else how will i afford our wedding? and you’d wanted to tell her that it didn’t matter at all what kind of wedding you had, as long as she stayed with you—that all the riches in the world are worthless without her. but for as much as she knows you, you know her, and you know that ningguang is not to be deterred once she sets her mind on something, so you send her off with a delicately packed mora meat and a prayer in your heart that she’ll come back soon.

you’re fifteen years old when you learn how things are, and you’re twenty-one years old when you learn how things will be.

it’s been six years since ningguang left. even in the backwater village you call home, tales of ningguang’s exploits reach your ears. how she runs circles around liyue’s businessmen and businesswomen, how she effortlessly finds her place amidst liyue’s social elite, how she’s rising, rising, rising like an unstoppable eclipsing star. she keeps writing to you, always keeping you updated on her progress, and you always write back, filling your letters with the mundanity of your day-to-day life—about the way the glaze lillies have been blooming, or about the way everyone around you says you’d make a fine wife.

my parents are getting restless, you confess in one letter. i’m getting older, and they think i should get married soon.

the reply that returns the next week is simple, but succint. i haven’t forgotten. wait for me, please. and you know she hasn’t, which is why it kills you when your new husband forbids you from ever writing to her again. you weep yourself to sleep on your side of the bed for the next week following your wedding night. the distress of wondering—if ningguang is worried, if she’s upset, or worse, if she’s hurt by you—drives you near insane to the point you worry yourself sick. your husband only tells you to stop holding on to naive childhood promises and perform your duties as a wife. it is the only thing you are good for, now.

you’re twenty-one years old when you learn how things will be, but you’re twenty-nine when you learn that things can change.

in the years you have been married, your husband has grown—not in character, but in wealth. he is rich enough, now, to take you and himself from your village and to the big city to further his business. a small spark flickers to life in your chest that you might see her again, but it fizzles out when your husband makes it clear that you are just to stay at home. you don’t have to worry your pretty little head about anything other than the house, he’d said. i’ll give you everything you need. and you know better than to argue with him, so you resign yourself to staying at home, spending your days gazing up at that palace in the sky and wondering if its lady even remembers you—or if she, like you, has decided to let go of naive childhood promises. after all, she has the world now, can see it from the edges of her floating sanctuary. what need has she of the memory of being barefoot in the sand at seven years old?

(selfishly, you pray she hasn’t forgotten, even if she has no need for remembrance. you pray she chooses to remember.)

change comes when a woman in a white fur jacket and the prettiest emerald eyes you’ve ever seen breaks into your house. it’s certainly a very unorthodox meeting, and you come dangerously close to throwing the knife you were using to finely dice some cabbage at her. the woman only laughs, nimbly prying it from your hands and setting it on the counter. before you can even ask her what in rex lapis’s name she’s doing in your house, she says the words that make your blood run cold.

the tianquan wants to see you.

ningguang wants to see you.

the woman promptly leaves after delivering her message and additionally telling you not to breath a word of it to your husband, leaving you standing in your kitchen reeling from the shock. the mora meat you were working on putting together is forgotten as you swallow your nerves and take the chance you’ve waited nine years for. you’re nearly sick with it by the time you’ve ascended to the jade chamber in all of its opulence, feeling like you stick out like a sore thumb.

but the moment you see ningguang again, everything else fades to white noise. archons, she’s as beautiful as the day you last saw her. she was lovely dressed in commoner’s clothes, and she is just as lovely dressed in finery no doubt worth more than a year’s worth of your rent. she will never be anything other than lovely in your eyes.

“it’s been a while,” she says softly, the first to break the silence. you nearly cry at finally hearing her voice again. instead, you stifle it with a wet chuckle.

“only took fourteen years.”

ningguang manages a small laugh, lips curving upward in a smile you know—you remember—is reserved only for you. she offers you a seat by her desk, and two secretaries file in to place a tea set down by both of you, before disappearing as quickly as they came. and then ningguang is telling you about the real reason she asked to see you; your husband, as you are quite unsurprised, is involved with some sort of fraud, and the prosecution—the tianquan’s office—needs a witness. namely, you. after all, who better than the wife of the man himself? you try not to let your disappointment show, though, and you bite your tongue to stop yourself from asking her if she remembers—or worse, if she missed you. your conversation with her is pure business, and when you descend from the chamber later, it’s only with the taste of sweet tea on your tongue and half your heart; the other half you seem to have left with her, up in the clouds.

your husband, to his displeasure and rage, finds himself in millelith custody the very next day. and the very next week, you, to your pleasure and joy, find yourself lacking a husband. the millelith who take him away politely point you to an office down the street ran by a pink-haired half-adeptus, who takes care of your divorce affairs with a cheery smile in less than four days. you’re both scared and impressed—is this just how people move in the big city…? you don’t have time to dwell on the question, because unfortunately, without your husband you are also without your income, and without your income you are also without your house. which would be a very big problem; were it not for the fact that ningguang once again invites you to the jade chamber, but this time, to stay with her. you nearly decline because of the sheer insanity of the request, but the part of your heart there with her wins out. you relent, and now, you find yourself playing house with the tianquan of the liyue qixing.

it’s almost frightening, how quickly you fall back into old habits. ningguang, you find, hasn’t changed much. she is still whip-smart, still as cunning as she is devious, but she is still just as kind as she was before. something in you aches viscerally when you see the way she speaks with the children, offering them candies and goodies as she goes. (things neither of you had the luxury in indulging as children.) you smile and tell her, you haven’t changed at all. she only looks at you and returns it with, have you? the answer eluded you at the time, but thinking about it more, you would say that yes, i have. but the parts that loved you never did.

(you don’t say this out loud, of course. it’s too early, and the chasm of years between you both yawns achingly large. but by the glint of her eyes, you think she knows. and if she didn’t, the time and care she spent relearning you would have told her as well.)

since you’re not sure how long ningguang will let you stay, you decide to make the most of it. you’re almost thankful for the nine dull years you spent with your former husband—since at the very least, it taught you how to be a half decent wife. it’s all you’re good for now, after all. ningguang’s meals are cooked by you, and you’re the one who brings her tea in the afternoons and evenings. you talk with her over your cups like nothing ever happened, and you walk with her round the perimeter of the jade chamber as the sun sets, her hand close enough to hold. rumors dance in the wind like dandelions about the tianquan’s new companion; some call you an old friend, others, a lover. the answer is somehow both, yet neither. she is everything to you, and more.

(and you are everything to her and more. the infinte she has been searching for her whole life is right there in your eyes. it always has been.)

you’re twenty nine years old when you realise things can change, and you’re thirty years old when you remember how things should be.

ningguang takes a rare day off, and invites you on a little excursion to yaoguang shoal. it’s been a year since you started living with her. a year since you’ve been freed from a man you never loved, and a year since you’ve come to realise that it’s because you’re still in love with ningguang—and that perhaps, you never stopped. it’s not as difficult as an epiphany to come to terms with, but it does make your chest ache every time you look at her. especially now, in this place, where the waves carry salt-brushed wind and memories of a distant time. the sun hangs low in the sky, and ningguang is kicking off her heels, barefoot in the sand. all of a sudden you’re seven years old again, watching her watch the waves and wondering if her eyes glow the same like the amber at jueyun karst. you slip your own footwear off too, standing by her side in the sand, the water lapping at your ankles. she speaks first.

“i still remember,” she murmurs, and your heart catches in your throat. when she looks at you, it’s with all the bare innocence she looked at you with twenty-three years ago. “do you?”

“of course,” you answer, without a beat of hesitation. “how could i forget?” how could i forget you?

ningguang smiles. “then you remember what i promised you here?”

“yes,” you breathe. “i remember.”

the woman before you exhales, the sound nearly drowned out by the sigh of the waves as they crash onto the shore. her geo vision glimmers, and a crystalline box manifests in her hands—her hands that tremble as they open it, revealing a simple golden band inside. “will you forgive me for taking so long?” she whispers, and you clasp your hands over her own, steadying them. you rest your forehead against hers, caught halfway between a sob and a laugh.

“i would have waited for you forever, ningguang.”

she exhales again. catches her breath. “then, will you let me fulfill my promise and marry me?”

you answer her with the only possible answer, catching her lips in a kiss twenty-three years in the making.

yes.

[15-lizards]

thinking really hard ab my clegane daughter ocs again... me nd @sshireens have created such a rich and fucked up life for them...

time to be cringe on main and force y'all to listen to me talk ab them <3 <3

Dagmar (elder daughter from the first wife) vibes tho I don't have a set in stone face claim for her yet these r her general vibes. Obviously she's not as pretty as these models she's kinda unfortunate she takes after her dad. Really deep set eyes and heavy brow bone, square jaw, wide nose, tall and stocky for her age. Kinda like Brienne if she didn't have good vibes.

Anywayssss she's so much like her uncle that Sandor sometimes wonders if he did some sort of asexual reproduction and had her. Really keeps up the tradition of Cleganes being rabid (but loyal) dogs. Super hostile and antisocial, absolutely CANNOT regulate her emotions, borderline personality disorder queen omg. Low tolerance for basically anyone and anything (except her sister) and has really huge emotional outbursts over seemingly small things. Except for when she's around Gregor cause she goes into safety mode and just shuts out all stimuli. Just super tense, constantly on-edge, and really disregulated emotions she has literally never known peace. Her cortisol levels are So High.

Why is she like this u may ask??? excellent question. Answer: nuclear threat to all women Gregor Clegane happens to be her dad. When she was like barely 2 her mother died "mysteriously" so she got to be alone in Clegane Keep with her rapist murder dad, his rapist murder buddies, and some horrified servants and a septa. Yippeeee. Obviously Gregor felt the need to establish dominance over every woman and girl, and this was only increased by her intense personality, so Dagmar is subject to all kinds of abuse as a child. She learns pretty quickly that u can't really fight back against him so she just shuts down anytime he's in her vicinity as to not pose a "threat" to him. It sorta works. Then lets out her emotions on everything else: serving boys, kennel hounds, herself, etc etc. Half of the time she's in a blind rage and the other half she's in a hopeless dissociative state :) Actively suicidal and she's not even fifteen. HOWEVER when she's like six the light of her life and reason to keep living is born...

And cue Iva (younger daughter from the second wife) and if she ever survives to adulthood (unlikely) it is Scripture to me that she looks like a young Carol Kane. Sunken cheeks, pallid skin, wide protruding bug eyes, long nose, dry and frizzy pale hair. Very very sickly because her mom gave birth a month early and then died bc of it. So all she has is her big sister :]

While Dagmar's response to most things is aggression and really reactionary over-emotional outbursts, Iva is the complete opposite. She likes to run and hide in corners every time she senses confrontation or even gets slightly uncomfortable. Very very avoidant and anxious. Gets to live in her own little mind palace most of the time bc Dagmar is there to protect her. However Dagmar protects her a little too hard and now she is overly dependent on her big sis. Pathetically helpless. Selectively mute a good bit of the time bc it all just gets to be overwhelming and she feels safer just not interacting with the outside world. Super passive like an actual human doormat (if she ever let anyone actually talk to her)

And she is the way she is for [see Gregor reasons above]. However since Dagmar was there when she was born, her big sis sees this weak little baby and feels protectiveness for the first time in her life. Iva is HER baby and Dagmar never lets her out of her sight. Not in a cute overprotective sibling way but in a really aggressive "don't do that you stupid idiot I know what's best for you don't ever leave me way" cause that's how she shows her love so Ivas like Ah this is what love must be like. Obviously Dagmar can't protect her from everything so Iva is abused in the same ways, but slightly less often because Gregor sees her as less interesting and less of a challenge because of her passiveness. So Iva's response is to make herself even smaller and ignore all her problems to live inside her own head lalalalalala

And when they're together oh these girls give a new meaning to Codependent. Dagmar sneaking into Iva's room after Gregor leaves it one night and getting so upset to the point of breaking things and grabbing Iva until she bruises her sister even more. But Iva is comforted by it because that rage means Dagmar cares ab her. Dagmar literally beating a stable boy into a vegetable state (or killing him, ur choice) for trying to grab Iva's skirts. Iva is in literal medical shock seeing a (near) dead body on the ground that got put there for HER while Dagmar is smiling with her bloody knuckles bc it felt good to hurt someone protect her sister (She actually feels horrifically guilty about it later but manages to ease the cognitive dissonance by telling herself that she was protecting Iva so it absolves her of everything bc Iva is perfect and fragile and can't be hurt). One time at a feast when the girls are in their pre/mid teens, Gregor makes an offhanded comment about marrying "the prettier one" off soon and Dagmar forgets her dad trauma for a hot second, bc her urge to keep Iva safe is that strong, and literally throws a serving plate at his head. Later when Dagmar is in her room, with three less teeth and five new giant bruises, Iva is cleaning her up and weeping and just wanting to curl up with Dagmar in bed and forget the rest of the world forever. Meanwhile Dagmar is planning out the murder-suicide she will enact if Iva does get married off. She doesn't tell her sister that just yet but Iva would be more than okay with it. Cause how can Dagmar live without her guiding light morality pet only good thing she has and how can Iva live without her only dog her only knight. YAYYYYYY

[anonnie-in-wonderland]

nightsong

chapter 2

Word Count: 4k

rating: T for now

genre: romance| fluff | hurt/comfort

tags: idolverse | btsxreader | ot7xreader | hybrid!reader

A/N: slight warnings for chapter: there is reference to past forced unhealthy eating habits/and mentions of selling someone into prostitution

previous

With her sensitive ears pricked for any sound, Xiǎo Biānfú waited patiently for all the occupants of the house to retire for the night. Once they had, she set to work climbing out of the box they had left her in. It was a good thing they hadn’t thought to trap her in any way. It was probably the assumption that she was too weak to move.

It wasn’t much of an act when she had been soaked to the bone, battered and exhausted from her long journey. Fleeing the country with only meager funds she had secretly saved for years, a few changes of clothes, a map and some snacks was probably less thought out than it sounded.

 Gao was sure to be looking for her, scouring every inch of the country to find his prized songbird. When he knew for sure she wasn’t there, he would be furious, trying to reach trusted connections across the globe and have her returned like the property she was…had been, she reminded herself. This was not that chapter anymore.

She may have known very little of the outside world, due to her deliberately sheltered upbringing as the gem that made Kǒngquè very rich and exclusive, but she was determined to learn. Kǒngquè translated into Peacock in English, Gao told her once. Because he was a proud man, and thanks to her talent, he had plenty to be proud of.

 Even before he had her, he had ego. He was confident his business would be the greatest lounge in China. And he had been right, because she was sold to him at hardly six years old, and trained extensively to use her voice in a way that would make him very wealthy. 

People came from all over the globe, traveling far and wide, just to catch one of her performances. Often they were sold out months in advance, sometimes into the next calendar year. 

She sang three times a week, the mysterious lounge singer with the alluring vocals. Gao had decided before her very first performance as a young girl that she needed a gimmick. She was, after all, a hybrid. Something had to make up for that…deficit. People might lose interest quickly if they paid too much attention to that, he explained, even with her beautiful voice.

The solution? Xiǎo Biānfú wore a mask on stage. It covered three-fourths of her face, so no one ever saw much besides the pouty, painted lips and her chin. Gao taught her how to hold her wings squeezed into her sides, and only stand at certain angles. Not that they saw much besides her silhouette in the slinky dresses with the dimmed lights.

 In all her years under the ownership of her former master, no one had ever seen what was beneath her mask, and no one, to her knowledge…had ever figured out she was truly a hybrid. 

That last one only applied to patrons, though. Other employees knew, though she never unfolded her wings around them, so all they knew was that she had them. There was only one exception to this. One person besides Gao who knew everything about her.

The other singers at the lounge who were her opening acts would gossip, and they told her the exorbitant sums some patrons offered for a peek at her face. Not even any of the other employees at Kǒngquè were allowed to see it.

She had questioned why in the beginning, but learned to stop asking quickly when Gao lost his temper and raised his voice at her. The man was so calm and calculating that it crackled through her like thunder, and she let it go. It became another aspect of her life she had to accept.

Except…over time it grew lonely, realizing there would always be that wall between her and others.

 It didn’t stop imaginations from running wild. Her persona was adored, just like Gao planned. The visitors were already more than half in love with her the first time she sang for them. It wasn’t hard to make them want more. A look at her face…or beneath her clothes.

 Gao turned them down, and when she was younger, she had deluded herself into believing that perhaps he cared. Not as a boss or an owner, but as family…

She brought him money, yes, but he had given her the name Xiǎo Biānfú, his Little Bat. It was unoriginal, but her young mind had believed it was from affection for a time. Especially because he insisted she be called that instead of the name her parents had given her. The name she had eventually forgotten.

However, as she grew older, she came to understand there was no protectiveness motivating that decision to keep her dignity intact. Gao didn’t want her getting distracted. 

One of the nicer singers who had always been friendly towards her joked that he was also afraid she would meet some attractive patron that could give her the world and she’d be whisked away. 

Xiǎo Biānfú took it as a joke, but becoming more aware of Gao’s possessiveness of her over the years made her realize maybe it wasn’t. He would do anything to keep his golden goose close.

Yet, after months of careful planning, help and encouragement from the one person who knew her plan all along, and some bravery, she had slipped away in spite of his close eye.

 He probably never imagined that the way he had made her live would be beneficial to her leaving him. She was possibly the most famous lounge singer in Asia, or maybe even the world, and she was so unknown off the stage, she disappeared like a ghost anyway.

All to end up here, deep in the woods of another country, in a very nice house, with some very interesting young men. They underestimated her, thinking the pathetic condition they found her in was going to stop her.

 She’d come too far and risked too much for that. When morning came, she would already be gone. There was no way she was allowing them to send her to a…a rescue. No matter how well intentioned they might have been. Fluttering her wings and making it up the side of the box, she perched briefly there after the house had grown still.

Since she had been separated from her few belongings, she would need to stealthily collect some of theirs before she set out again. It wasn’t ideal when they had shown her kindness—even if some seemed reluctant to do so—but she needed supplies, and they looked well off enough not to miss a few things here and there. She wouldn’t go overboard. She wasn’t greedy. Gao had made her despite such individuals. 

Although Xiǎo Biānfú did feel some guilt as she flew out, transforming right there in the empty kitchen and immediately stretching out her sore arms, checking her wings. 

They were bruised, and the tear was still present, but the one with the phone had been right. Bat wings were resilient. They were thin but healed on their own over time when ripped. And the rips didn’t prevent them from flying, usually. She would be fine. As long as no more high winds knocked her into anymore sharp tree branches.

‘First things first…’ she thought. 

A sound came up, a low roar in the dark. It almost startled her, until she placed a hand on the bare skin of her stomach. The constant, dull ache of hunger had been so common. 

And somehow, in the midst of her busy life, always preparing for the next performance, Xiǎo Biānfú had learned to tune it out. She had to. Now, it was as if it was making up for all the times it had been ignored.

“Ssh…” she told it instinctively, creeping over to the fridge. She knew it was full, stocked with nothing but shelves of food awaiting consumption. In fact, she had never had access to so much variety. Gao was controlling in all things, and that included dictating her meals strictly. 

He wanted her to grow slender, keep a sexy figure. It wouldn’t do to allow her to develop a large appetite. Though, bats were big eaters. Even small ones who didn’t look like much such as herself. 

They ate their body weight in food at every meal as animals, and she didn’t remember much about family meals when she was with her parents, but she was sure portions had not been small. 

She hardly remembered a time when hunger was not persistent, but if she thought hard, it had started when she was sold to Gao. She needed protein, which he provided to her in thick, chalky shakes. The rest of the time she was permitted some cheap fruits or a salad. 

She had heard and read about all the exquisite foods in the world. The pictures taunted her. And Xiǎo Biānfú had made up her mind that when she was afforded the opportunity, she would try a variety of things. As much variety as possible. This…was that opportunity. She had to be careful, but at last there was nothing and no one to stop her. 

She stood in the dark with wide eyes taking in everything in the fridge, chilled air wafting from their open doors and brushing over her naked body. There were so many things there she had only really read about, and several she couldn’t say she recognized.

 Her hand hovered indecisively over a pudding cup, then switched to touching a container of something she had seen the men eating for dinner. They didn’t hold themselves back, enjoying their meal with relish.

 She wanted to be like that, eat uninhibited by the fear of disappointing Gao. But even thousands of miles apart from him, a little obedience lingered. 

Fighting it down took effort, but when at last she seized the container of leftovers and pulled off the lid, even the muted smell of the cold food had her mouth watering. Holding back some drool, Xiǎo Biānfú leaned her face in closer and took a deep sniff.

 Her senses were far keener than a human being’s naturally, and that savory, spicy aroma she caught made her want to devour a large quantity of whatever it was she was holding. She knew it was meant to be eaten hot, as it had been when it was served, but that felt too risky.

Human ears weren’t as sharp as hers were, but what if by some chance they heard the microwave or smelled the cooking food? But…she frowned slightly. She couldn’t just not taste some.

 Glancing around, as if she expected Gao to pop up from the shadows and snatch it away, she set the container down on a countertop and went in search of clean chopsticks. 

Careful to avoid making noise as she searched for them, she returned triumphant, chopsticks in hand and ready to taste her first meal of…whatever kind of meat this was. Chicken? Pork? It didn’t matter. 

Bending her head in close, she seized some up and brought it to her mouth. One more little sniff and it was passing her lips, the flavors settling on her tongue. 

Xiǎo Biānfú had never tasted such a complex medley of flavors. Something that both hurt a little but felt so good to eat. It was nothing like the goop in a cup that normally provided her protein, and despite her mentally promising herself she’d have one more bite and put the rest back, every bite seemed to warrant “just one more”, until she was staring at the bottom of an empty container, realizing in horror she had eaten it all.

Unsure what to do with the evidence of her crime, she opened the fridge and stashed it far in the back, behind other items that hopefully would keep them from noticing the missing leftovers. 

Her guilt grew a fraction, but she realized so had her hunger. Having finally tasted something worthy, her stomach cried out for more, and she splayed a hand over her bare belly, thinking what else could be consumed without anyone noticing. She still had to take things for her trip, too. Who knew how long it would be or where it would take her. 

“Here…I think everything you need should be in there.”

She stared at the backpack in awe, finally accepting it when the strong hand holding the strap shook the bag slightly. 

“Lu this is…”

“Just…take it.” he insisted. “You deserve to have a life too. So go out there and find one. Don’t stop until you get somewhere that feels like home.”

Xiǎo Biānfú absently found and began eating some grapes as she thought about the person who had risked everything just to help her gain freedom. She dearly hoped her friend was fine, that he meant what he said when he told her he was confident he could cover his tracks. If he was just lying for her sake and Gao found a way to tie her disappearance back to him, then…

The sound was so faint, she wouldn’t have caught it if she wasn’t a bat. The soft click of a door opening and closing from somewhere else in the house. Panicking, she stuffed the last grape she was eating into her mouth, changing back into her animal form and flying frantically around, searching for somewhere to hide.

It wasn’t ideal, but she settled for hanging from the underside of the cabinet above the stove. It came naturally, and she had no doubts she could remain like that, perfectly still, for hours on end. But hopefully she wouldn’t have to.

Someone entered the kitchen, their footsteps alone sounding weary. She could hear low grumbles, and then the fridge opening as someone shuffled to it. Taking a chance, she peeked, finding a broad back hunched down in the massive fridge, the light coming from inside illuminating his blue pajamas. 

He had messy hair, indicating he’d just rolled out of bed, and when he pulled back, all he had was a bottle of water.

Xiǎo Biānfú hung there, willing him not to turn around and search too hard in the dark, even though he hadn’t turned the light on and probably wouldn’t notice her. Bless her tiny size. It didn’t occur to her until her eyes fell on her abandoned makeshift ‘home’, the box they left her in, that she could have flown back into it and pretended she’d never left.

Too late now, she guessed.

Clutching a grape about the same size as her head between her front claws, the hybrid noticed it was the fussy man who had come for a drink. The one who complained about her probably carrying diseases. If she were an ordinary bat, maybe he wouldn’t be wrong.

 But Gao would never allow her to stay in his establishment or the small space above the lounge he provided to her as living accomodations, if he wasn’t sure she was disease free. She got a very thorough checkup every year, so Xiǎo Biānfú felt justified in still being a little offended about this man’s comments. 

She watched him drink his water and listened to him mutter under his breath, able to pick up most of what he was saying. Something about not being able to sleep restfully with Jungkook hogging most of the space. 

Grumbling about why he was even having to share a bed when everyone had their own, and cold feet touching him. He took a deep swig of water, scratched his back, made one more half-awake declaration about how his beauty sleep was being disturbed, before leaving the kitchen, none the wiser.

Xiǎo Biānfú gave a soft exhale of relief, deciding to finish her grape then and there, munching upside down until it was all gone and then flying out of the kitchen. It paid to be a bat at times. Not often, but it had its moments. 

She couldn’t remember the last time she was allowed a true chance to stretch out her wings, and it felt amazing. Slipping through the dark was literally what she was designed for, so while humans, and maybe even less adept hybrids would have stubbed their toes, she was in her element, able to maneuver around any obstacles with ease. She just had to find some clothes, and…

There was a door left open down a long hallway. It wasn’t much, but more than enough space for her to squeeze through. A strong scent immediately enveloped her, making her nose tingle. But it wasn’t bad at all. The opposite of bad! 

Very masculine and pleasant. It seemed that the room belonged to one of the many men who lived in this house. The one the room belonged to was fast asleep, deep even breathing coming from him and the sheets draped over his form falling and rising with his slumber. 

Maybe he had some clothes she could…borrow?

There was a big chance they would drown her, seeing as most things that weren’t tailored for her body did. As the name of her species implied, little brown bats didn’t exactly compare to the jumbo size of the world’s biggest bat types.

 Sometimes she stared at them in books and envied them. What if she was that big? Would the world look different? But sneaking around like she was doing now would be much harder if she was a larger bat.

Landing on the floor, Xiǎo Biānfú changed back. She would have to be very very careful, but rummaging for clothes as a bat was going to be impossible, so she didn’t have much choice. 

She crawled on her hands and knees, happy to spot a variety of bags piled into a corner. They looked perfect for traveling. Would it be so bad if she took one too? How else would she get what she couldn’t carry out with her, right?

Xiǎo Biānfú scanned the contents of the first duffle she unzipped, noticing it really was a travel bag, packed full of clothes and other useful things. Had they arrived to this house recently? 

It was a good thing he didn’t put his things away yet. Since she didn’t have time to be choosy, Biānfú selected a shirt, ignoring the urge to smell it. It wasn’t often she found human scents that nice, or really even paid attention to them unless they hurt her nose. But this man had a good one.

Rooting around to see what else she might be able to take with her was interrupted by the sound of movement out in the hall. Clutching the shirt, she crawled awkwardly across the floor, trying to hide in the dark. 

In her haste, she hit her shoulder against the chair leg at the desk, yelping before she could help herself when it startled her. Instantly, she threw a hand over her mouth, cursing herself silently. The man in the bed stirred, groaning as he sat up.

She crouched down low, keeping a hand placed over her mouth, heart thudding in her throat. 

“Whozzat?” he asked, clearly mostly asleep. As the sheets tumbled down, she could tell he was shirtless. His hair was even more of a mess than the man in the kitchen’s had been.

Biānfú didn’t dare answer, but it didn’t matter. Squinting in the darkness, his eyes happened to lock on her exact location, and she couldn’t believe her terrible luck. Some humans could just…sense presences accurately. Not nearly as accurate as a hybrid, but it was impressive.

 Was he one of those people? If so, she was screwed, as Lu would say. …It was a good thing he couldn’t see her fully. There was no way to avoid being found out if he happened to notice her wings…or her nudity.

“What’re you doin’?” He yawned, blinking. “Is that…Jimin? Yoongi-hyung?”

Oh! So he assumed she was someone else. Biānfú intended to take full advantage of that. There was no point in denying being there, since he had spotted her, but she decided to play it off. Her freedom hinged on this man not waking up enough to discover who she really was.  “Go back to sleep, it’s okay.” she said sweetly.

“What about you?” he mumbled, though he was already lying back down. “Why are you down there?”

Biānfú fumbled for an excuse, and, unable to find one, she did the only thing she could think of. She hummed gently, the same tune from long ago. It was just her luck that she’d mess up so badly she would have to so soon after trying to start a new life. After all, she’d promised herself that she wouldn’t sing anymore around anyone ever again. It had only caused her problems, not to mention, people may not know her face, but they certainly knew her voice. But this was a desperate situation, and it was just some humming, so it’d be okay, right?

He was still staring over at her, even though he was laying down, but her strong ears heard his heartbeat relaxing and his breaths evening. He was falling back asleep. By the time he woke up again, she’d be long gone and he’d assume it was a dream. Or, she hoped so. “…Nice…” he whispered to himself. “It sounds nice…cozy.”

Biānfú kept it up until she was entirely sure he was completely asleep again, careful not to let her skittishness cause her to hit anything else. For a while, she just lay on her stomach there on the floor, head buried in her arms, thinking about how that had been too close for her liking. 

Rattled, she stuffed the shirt she took under the bed, changed into a bat and hid there with it. Creeping around the rest of the house felt like it was just asking to get caught. There were too many light sleepers. She would wait and hope they left the house in the morning. 

                ♥━━━━━━━━━━•.♡.•━━━━━━━━━━━━♥

“Good morning~!” A familiar voice sang, “It’s time to get up, it’s time to get up.” Namjoon slowly cracked one eye open, meeting the bright face of Hoseok. He was already dressed and ready for the day. People drank two cups of coffee to do what Hobi could on one cup of his normal energy.

Rolling over, he sighed, running a hand down his face. He’d had the strangest, most vivid dream. There was someone on the floor telling him to go back to sleep, and they hummed the sweetest melody to him…

“You okay?” Hoseok smiled down at him in confusion, head titled as he stood over the bed and waited for him to get himself together. “Filming for the day’s about to start. They’ll probably be all set up by the time you finish showering.”

Oh yeah. They were filming this new show in PyeongChang, and that meant every part of their day would be documented.

“Uh, okay…” Namjoon clumsily fought his way out of the sheets. “I’m up…”

“You don’t look ‘up’.” Hoseok giggled, “But you will be after a shower. Go, go!”

With his hyung’s cheering, Namjoon found the conveniently located en suite bathroom, about to begin getting ready, until he realized he hadn’t brought his clothes in. 

Wiping at his eyes, he wandered back into his room, finding Hoseok had already moved on to the next stop. If it was Yoongi or the maknaes, best of luck to him. The leader crouched, opening one of his travel bags to collect what he was going to need. He should probably consider putting the clothes he brought along in the closet. If Jin came in and saw them still out he’d never hear the end of it.

Though he wasn’t fully awake even now, there was still something…strange. Namjoon couldn’t find one of the shirts he’d packed anywhere, but it wouldn’t be that unusual if he’d actually left it at home and only imagined he brought it. “I swear I did though…” A little bemused, he grabbed the next best shirt, deciding to make do.

What a weird morning…

[gendervapor14]

two fights for freedom ~ teaser for chapter twenty-seven: a give and a take

plugging away at writing and organizing!! i've got drafts for chapter 27 and 28, so this week, i'll bring you a chonky teaser of chapter twenty-seven, with some cora & bell domesticity and backstory exploration :D

enjoy!! ♥

“Hey, hey, wait.” Bell-mère eyed over from the pot of rice she was preparing. “Don’t cut like that.” Before he could question her, she eased in and took the knife away from him. “That’s how you cut yourself. You have to tuck your fingers in.” She demonstrated after setting the blade down. “Like this, see? Hold the stems like that.”

“Doesn’t seem very comfortable…”

“Yeah, well, I’ve seen you. I have all reason to monitor your knife skills, or lack thereof.” She joked, keeping a watchful eye on him while he attempted her method. “Yeah, good. Just like that.”

“Where’d you learn this?” He asked, “Your parents?”

For half a second, Bell-mère froze photo-still. Then resumed tending to her rice. “My parents weren’t around when I was young. I learned on my own. Trial and error, baby.”

“Guess that makes two of us.” He mused, “I—I think I already mentioned that, though.”

“You did. Weirdly enough, it’s one of the reasons I figured you were somewhat dependable. At least you know what it’s like.” He watched her eyelashes flutter from where she stood over the steamy pot, stirring a rich, chicken broth. “I think it’s funny too, how…we almost seemed to compensate for that, don’t you think?” She grinned at him, but there was something inquisitive there. “You with Law? Me with the girls?”

“Compensating…?” He paused his slicing, “What, like…we’re standing in for the parents we didn’t have or something?”

“Yeah. Something like that. Ever feel that way?”

Rosinante scraped up a handful of chopped greens and carefully dumped them in the soup pot. “Not really, to tell you the truth. I’d really love to say I’m the image of my parents but…” He took his time returning to his post. “They were the sweetest, gentlest people I’ve ever met.” A little self-deprecating laugh. “Hell, they’d probably be disappointed by my temper. Tell me something like…you must appreciate the challenges in life or…something like that.”

Bell-mère watched him wave the knife around as he lost himself to his imagination. “You remember a lot about them?”

“My parents? Yeah, yeah. Er—well, I like to think I remember a lot about them, but…” A little sigh. Back to dicing. “They died when I was eight, so I don’t remember much. Enough to honor them, to think of them fondly, but not enough to really know who they were.”

“Can I ask what happened to them?”

His knife felt as if it gained a ton. He felt the kick to shut down or lie, something easy, something quick, but there was a gentleness to her request. There was consent. There was that conversation earlier in the day. They’d take things slow.

It was okay to take things slow. He didn’t have to overthink this.

“Another time, maybe.” He scratched the back of his head. “I don’t like to…to think about it, or discuss it. Sorry.”

“No, no, that’s alright. I get it, trust me.” She wiped her hand off on a dishtowel before passing him the actual carrots. “I understand the difference between something you don’t want to discuss due to unpleasant memories, and something you don’t want to discuss because you think you shouldn’t share it with me. Big difference.”

Rosinante decided this was somehow both.

title: two fights for freedom rating: M category: F/M, gen content warnings: graphic depictions of violence status: incomplete, twenty-six chapters, 77,420 words relationships: rosinante/bell-mere, cora & law, rosinante & hatchan, bell-mere & rosinante & law & nami & nojiko, rosinante & genzo, bell-mere & genzo characters: rosinante, bell-mere, law, nami, nojiko, genzo, nako, hatchan, arlong, arlong pirates additional tags: canon divergent, fix-it, everybody lives, pre-arlong park, angst with a happy ending, angst and feels, fluff and humor, hurt/comfort, suggestive themes, sexual tension, limes (yes i'm bringing limes back), eventual smut, romance, slow burn, financial issues, broken bones, references to depression, alcoholism, mental health issues, canon backstory, mentioned doflamingo, non-canon backstory (giving bell-mere a backstory), found family, medical inaccuracies, blood and injury, trafalgar d. water law is a little shit, developing friendships, past child abuse, nightmares, self-harm, fake marriage, selective mutism, PTSD, more tags to be added later summary: freedom for one means adventure. exploring all the world has to offer, while avoiding the occasional haunting. freedom for another almost costs an arm and two daughters. a home, a village. perhaps freedom is best sought back-to-back. {a cora and bell-mère lives au}

♥

[freebooter4ever]

Hey thanks I thought I was the only one who didn’t like the joke. Everyone laughed yuck

Ahhhhh yeah :/ i thought the joke was definitely funny, but with that harsh twinge of sadness at just how normalized and accepted this sort of sexism STILL is.

' i was never good at telling jokes but the punchline goes, i get older but your lovers stay my age '

And its not necessarily a damnation of the man himself - obviously rami is a favorite of mine but i dont think hes ever dated anyone over 30 and is veering towards jake and leo disease too, and i still think rami is one of the most brilliant character narrative builders in the business currently - but its a damnation of a culture that treats romantic partners not as equals but as disposable play things with an expiration date. Look, i got flirted with by much older guys in pittsburgh all the time - usually it was cute, they were friendly, very complimentary and flattering about it, and they never treated it seriously or asked me out. Then i came to LA and the difference was night and day. Older (rich) men here feel entitled to younger women in a way that is frankly scary - at one point in a bar when a guy in his 60s was hitting on me my muscular male friend had to physically step between us and scare the guy off to get him to go away.

And it doesn't help that im sort of in the 'one of the guys' category, so i've heard the way these super rich dudes talk about the models they date behind their back while hanging with 'the guys', and, ugh, its not nice. I will say one thing for sports dudes - i imagine guys like ja*gr have way more respect for young women who are passionate about health and fitness than computer science executives.

But there's negatives in the sports world too - yall know how much i adore taylor. But even i recognize that she's not 'sports bro hot' - she doesn't have silicone, her make up is understated, she doesn't have that social media defined 'hotness' that sports fan dudes expect their sports heroes to date. So while i was naively scrolling insta looking for cute snapshots of taylor and travis being all lovey dovey at the end of the game, a good half the comments were men complaining about her. Saying they cant understand why travis is dating someone so old, that she will never be able to give him kids, that she's already showing her age (both of them are 34 btw). So far travis seems to ignore these types of comments but it would be hard to judge him for giving into peer pressure because this stuff is just so prevelant and exhausting.

And it does effect us older women - while i was dating Pilot Boy i was absolutely hyper aware of the fact that here is this rich, handsome, successful, and extremely smart guy dating beneath him. Like we bonded over being literally the same age - we had mutual friends in college without even knowing it. But i was always questioning like what does this guy see in me - why isn't he dating a gorgeous 25 year old whose only goal in life is to live on the beach with him??? Like he was honestly more the type of dude i would be friends with while he dates hotter women, lol. So i really was not surprised when he ended things (i was mostly sad that we couldnt stay friends and continue geeking out on airplanes and history together LOL), it just felt like it made sense, of course he wouldn't be serious about me, a guy like him should be dating a fresh, youthful, less bitter and cynical 25 yr old blonde. Six years in LA and this is just the pattern i see repeating itself over and over.

And im the romantic - when i fall in love its ALL in. Usually it's personality, usually its intellectual - that comfort in finding someone who just understands how you think. I love being so close to someone that you know them better than yourself, that you can communicate wordlessly. Shared humor, shared experience. As i age im learning that i actually dont pay much attention to the signs of aging when it comes to attraction - who notices wrinkles when what you're in love with is that look in their eye when they smile at you? The mental connection between romantic partners is the most important for me in my book. For me this typically means someone within the ten year range plus or minus - though i prefer it even within a five year age gap.

[journeytothewest-daily]

New volume! Thanks for keeping on! I took some notes for chapter 26!

Wukong (no more Wade Giles uwu) demands that Tripitaka receive his three meals and six teas every day. That's not bad for a mendicant ascetic! I'd quite like to be guaranteed that, hahaha! There's a typo calling him the Tank Monk later in the chapter, very funny.

It's funny how reading Pinyin, which is all anyone uses now, feels unusual, while individual trees having names like Long-life grass of reverted cinnabar seems normal. You can really get used to anything.

I was quite surprised that the immortals are described as youngish-looking! We usually imagine a Greek philosopher-looking sage here, but even Plato was a virile, hairy wrestler once, I suppose! They always carry around gourds with stuff in them; I've seen the like in movies, but were they ever made of gourds, do you think? Pumpkins weren't around in Tang times, at least I think not.

Is Eight Rules and Idiot the same character? The switching between in the same paragraph seems to go against best writing advice, but I daresay I'll not write anything that will survive 500 years! Incidentally, he quotes a saying "put on the cap to increase riches." Is that a real saying or did he misunderstand something comedically?

There are several beautiful poems about specific natural sites here, and I wondered where Chinese people would learn these. Would they have to read them? Are they carved into stones near these rivers and mountains? Is poetry a part of the curriculum? Accented Cinema on youtube said poetry is a large part of Chinese culture, and I'm jealous. We all disliked it in Norwegian class :(

These supposedly rural and simple immortals have jade tea cups and wine goblets! That sounds nice! They should redistribute them to me! Hahaha! They have eternal life, after all, and isn't time worth at least as much as money?

Also, shout-out to the peach thief! Can't believe we got another peach thief here!

1. Same! I too struggle with having that many meals and teas (no money). To be a Tang Monk...

2. About the looking young thing, East Asians have a gene whose name I've forgotten that makes them mature more slowly than other ethnicities. My biologist s/o will kill me if he knew I've forgotten the name. So yeah, in my fantasy or historical despictions even of older people, they won't have many wrinkles (in others do). Remember that Taoism is about prolonging your life, so it's only normal that saints are young looking, while in the West ™ our idea of wise and saintly is Plato, Saint Patrick, etc.

3. I think that the only original to Asia gourd is the Wax Gourd, so they might have been using that.

4. Yes, Idiot and Zhu Bajie are the same and I too dislike a bit the constant change of name. I looked up the saying in English but couldn't find anything, and my chinese isn't good enough to try to translate it back into Chinese and look it up. I know that some of you are reading the OG Chinese book, could you tell us if it's a real saying?

5. Poems are very important in all cultures I'd say, and of course also in China. People who got an education in the past not only had to learn how to write poems but also to learn them from memory. For the imperial exams you were examined on your poetry. I think normal people like you and me in China would have learnt them from memory when a passing singer said them and retained. People used to work their brains more in the past, methinks. If you cared for poetry and you were a peasant, you'd try to memorize it and say it to others so you weren't a base man, but an intelligent peasant, closer to heavens because poetry comes from heaven etc.

5. It's only normal that immortals have jade things :) Maybe they lack in other commodities, but would you rather have a precious jade cup or ten IKEA mugs? I am sure they didn't even buy it, but they just sprung out of thin air in their house when they became immortals.

Thank you for your analysis :)

[maytheoddshq]

Malakai Lydonsbee (he/him). Sponsor. Twenty-nine. Justin H. Min.

tw drugs tw alcohol

Malakai Lydsonbee's childhood was one that anyone in Panem would've wished for. His family, or father, owed Lydonsbee Architect and was one of the most popular building company in the Capitol. They designed anything from small houses to tall skyscrapers. Since they did it all, they were highly successful and had many jobs going at a time. That being said, they had plenty of money coming in and they spent their money well. They had a huge manor, nice cars, a huge swimming pool, and endless money to spoil their only child with.

Malakai grew up with everything he could've ever wanted. He always had the best new thing starting from learning toys as a child to highest tech cell phone they offered as a teenager. Of course, growing up in this life style got to Malakai's head. He always believe that he and his family were better than everyone else. He was cold and heartless though that probably came from never being around his parents. Mr. Lydonsbee was always busy with his business. Most of his days were spent in his office on endless phone calls and meetings. Mrs. Lydonsbee spent her time doing whatever rich wives that didn't have to work did. In the morning she would get Malakai ready but then when soon go out, not returning until night time. With both parents busy, Malakai was raised by the nannies and maids of the manor. That never bothered him as a child, though as he got older he soon realized how it probably messed him up mentally.

When Malakai turned eighteen he went to college to get a degree in business management. His father had always told him the family business would eventually be his but he refused to hand it over until Malakai knew how to run it. The last thing Mr. Lydonsbee wanted was for his business to tank just because Malakai was clueless. So badly wanting the family business, Malakai was sure to pay attention in school. He got excellent grades and was even at the top of his class. After four years, he had a degree and made his way back home. At this point, Malakai was only twenty-two and his father decided degree or not, he was still not ready to run a business. This made the boy angry but he tried his best to play it cool. Told his father he understood with a smile on his face and waited as patiently as he could.

Years passed and Malakai spent them doing whatever he wanted. His parents still funding him and giving him endless money. Most nights were spent getting drunk at bars and doing a little too much drugs. But with nothing else to do, he felt he needed to fill the void somehow.

At the age of twenty-six, Malakai was asked to come home due to Mr. and Mrs. Lydonsbee having 'great news'. The boy was excited and figured this was finally it. He was going to be given the company. Though as he walked in the front door of the manor, he quickly realized that that wasn't the news. A strange girl was standing in their foyer and he was informed that she was now his sister. Adopted sister. Malakai was confused as to why they wanted another child even though they weren't even around to raise him when he was a kid. Not to mention this wasn't even a kid in front of him. Maybe a teenager or young adult, he couldn't tell. Either way he was hurt. Furious. He didn't want a sibling and definitely didn't consider her one.

And that's how it stayed. Malakai never gave Enna much thought. They never really spoke and the only times they ever saw each other was during holidays or Hearth Day. The two just co-existed and that's how he wanted it to stay.

Finally, in recent days, Mr. Lydonsbee decided it was finally time to handover Lydonsbee Architect to Malakai. Little did his father know that his son was bitter and had no intentions of running the business. The whole time he was waiting to own be handed it, Malakai had a buyer interested in buying the company from him. In just a matter of days, Malakai sold the company for tons of money. Money that would still leave Malakai living however he wanted, still throwing money away as if it was nothing.

Now, Malakai is excited to start as a Sponsor in the Tribute Tower.

Malakai enjoyed the Hunger Games. He liked to pick his favorites and was always devastated when they lost. Now that he is a sponsor, he is more than excited to be able to help his favorites out a little more. And of course, looking forward to people kissing his ass and begging for his money.

Malakai's personality is one that is ever changing. It all just depends on the day and what kind of mood he is in. He is friendly, though he's not always the best person to be around. He can be childish and just thinks he is better than everyone else and that can sometimes come off as rude, even if he's not trying to be.

Strengths: Confident, Smart, Rich Weaknesses: Cocky, Rude, Out of touch

PENNED BY: PEACH

[aurelieorleans]

Like this and I'll send you an IM about plotting.

Name: Aurelie Josèphine Orleans.

Age: Nineteen.

Gender: Cis female.

Pronouns: She/her.

Occupation: Nobility; Princess of France.

Face claim: Emily Carey.

Statistics: Here.

Playlist: Here.

Pinterest: Here.

Character tropes: Women are wiser, Hundred percent adoration rating, Friends to all children, Guile hero, Modest royalty, Politeness judo, Rich kid turned social activist.

Character inspirations: Margaery Tyrell (A Song of Ice and Fire), Lady Sybil Crawley (Downton Abbey), Emma Woodhouse (Emma), Rachel Elizabeth Dare (Percy Jackson), Susan Pevensie (The Chronicles of Narnia), Queen Alysanne Targaryen (Fire and Blood), Elizabeth Bennet (Pride & Prejudice).

HOW DOES YOUR CHARACTER FEEL ABOUT THE REVOLUTION? DO THEY SUPPORT IT, OR DO THEY FEAR IT? HOW DO THEY THINK IT SHOULD CONTINUE?

Aurelie has incredibly conflicted feelings regarding the revolution. On one hand the idea of a revolution puts her livelihood and her life completely at risk. No matter how much sympathy she has for the people she has grown up with a level of institutional wealth and privilege that is difficult to just turn your back on. So it scares her, the revolution scares her deeply.

The massacre of the House of Courcillon was in a way a wake up call for Aurelie. It was what caused her to view the revolutionists with more caution. Her sympathy for their cause does not mean she is sympathetic to the murders of nobility. But more so it scared her because it is not impossible to see how at least some people would like to see her family, and her, share the destiny of House Courcillon.

At the same time she is acutely aware of how needed it is. She sees her mother who has used intimidation and power to get her way, who uses fear rather than love, who has alienated the people. And she sees her father too weak to stand up to his queen or his people, nor does he seem to have the strength to stand up for either of them.

The revolution did not come from nowhere. They have lived in lavish luxury while people starved and that is why Aurelie does support it in her heart. Her sweet, kind heart of gold that only wishes she could truly do more. She tries to whisper words in her parents ear, tries to tell them the people need more to live. What is a kingdom without a people? It is not worth much.

Aurelie cannot see life going back to how it used to be, at least not peacefully. She hopes for peace now. She hopes for her family’s safety, and her own, and she hopes for the people’s. There has been too much violence and Aurelie is learning it is possible to have empathy for the cause while also fearing the consequences.

WHAT DOES YOUR CHARACTER SEE AS THE GREATEST PROBLEM OF THEIR LIFE?

There are a few problems that could really be listed: the impact of the revolution on her family and standard of living, of how her support has impacted her relationships, the discovery of her mother’s affair with the general.

But I would like to focus on a problem that I believe is normal for any nineteen year old young woman. That is to have power in what your life is destined to be.

To put it in as few words as possible - she has no true agency.

Aurelie is the Princess of France. She has had all the luxuries a little girl could ever dream of, when she was six she was given a small kitten, white and blue eyed and Aurelie adored her pet. She adored her dresses and she loathed her first pianoforte tutor with great passion (she later realized it was the pianoforte she loathes). It is easy to see only her title and believe she has freedom and agency but Aurelie has lived in a gilded cage her whole life.

Her privilege does not equal agency, it equals duty. Her education, lavish life, it is all to shape her into the young woman she is predestined to become. She is a woman born in the 1700s, a woman of royal blood, she has duties to be a wife and a mother. Aurelie has never imagined herself wanting anything else, there has never been reason to.

Before the revolution she never dared to.

She sees the people raise their voices, claiming their worth. In voicing her support for the recent political developments where she can, Aurelie is finding her own voice. She is finding agency and it’s thrilling and frightening, and it makes her want to hide from her mother in particular.

Aurelie wishes to marry, she wishes to have children. But perhaps she would also wish to marry for love. Not because it has been decided for her. She wants a say in her life.

WHERE DOES YOUR CHARACTER SEE THEMSELVES IN FIVE YEARS?

Aurelie understands her position in life and at court. She may have become somewhat of a People’s Princess but that is not what she is intended to be. If the royal family is to maintain the little power and standing it now has the best course of action is through marriage alliances.

Aurelie imagines there will be thoughts and plans on who she should marry and she highly doubts her own opinions will matter much. She hopes she will marry someone kind, someone who will care not only about her but about the common folk.

She is not against marriage. She wants to get married; her entire life has practically been spent teaching her how to be a noble woman and a wife to carry on noble lines. This is the duty she serves to society, to her family but with all the changes in France she is having to confront if it is the duty she serves to herself.

Caring about the people is something she is proud to do. It is something she hopes in five years she still has the privilege and possibility to do.

[soliloquivm]

⸻ LYRICA OKANO SHE + HER / have you ever heard of RUN BY DAUGHTER., well, it describes WILLOW SATO to a tee! the TWENTY SIX year old, and ESCORT / LOUNGE SINGER was spotted browsing through the stalls at portobello road market last sunday, do you know them? would you say SHE is more reckless or more SENSUAL instead? anyway, they remind me of the feeling of lace against skin , rose petal baths , jimmy choo high heels. maybe you’ll bump into them soon!

sex work tw

time in notting hill : 26 years birthplace : notting hill , uk sexuality : bisexual relationship status : single

growing up in western london, willow sato and her mother barely scraped by. having lost her father at a young age, the daughter of a stripper grew up with the brightest of minds but the dullest of hearts. having taught herself to live on the far side of the spectrum of society, willow had many friends, but most - if not all - were kept within arms reach. after all, nobody wanted to be friends with the poor girl from the bad side of town whose mother would bring home all kinds of men after work. with this impression of a ‘stable’ society set in her mind, willow wanted initially to make the world a better place, thinking that if she went on to become a doctor… or even a politician as a way to help the poor. this was her intention, but with her grades not at the top of her class, and the chances of her getting a scholarship slim to none college was only slipping further and further away from her.

hopes drained, all else failed, it wasn’t until she was passing through the weekly paper to see ads in the back section of beautiful women posing in risque positions, a phone number in big letters underneath, this could be you! it said, and the vision came. with looks like hers , willow knew how to make her money, and while they opted to avoid the clubs and poles, she picked her poison —— walking the streets at night, working for a mob boss that had no issues with the way the johns treated his girls . however , an opportunity struck and she was lucky to escape the tight grip of her pimp and move onto more high end clientele , beginning work at an underground brothel where most of her work consisted of accompanying rich men ( and women ) to events , etc .

it was one of those clients that overheard her singing one day , and introduced her to the lounge where she would be able to sing in front of a crowd for a little extra cash . with raw vocals like hers , she was a hit and continues to pick up gigs there between her job as a high class escort for the madam of the brothel .

willow is a bright one with heart plated in gold. while defiant by nature, stubborn and sometimes all too abrasive for her own good, they have always had a talent for talking their way in and out of just about anything. having been raised with the idea that men were put on the earth for one purpose, and one purpose only – willow learned quickly how to have a distrusting nature although that had never stopped them from having a lion’s heart in the sense when it came to protecting those she was close to. willow has a bit of a martyr complex, and one that she doesn’t make known all too often, but having spent most of her life believing her entire existence had been a sham, she tends to dive face first into situations she often can’t get herself out of just simply for the need to protect people she finds deserves it while tossing others easily under the bus.

[tylatootles]

get to know tyla pan :

Unlike the rest of the lost boys, Tyla isn’t an orphan and never was one. Instead, she grew up in the house right next to the orphanage. Or well, the house was more of a mansion, really. It was always a bit of a shock, seeing such a huge and lavish house next to the home for parentless children - but the land had been cheap back in the day, due to that very reason. 

For the first few years of her life, she wasn’t allowed anywhere near that establishment and was kept under the watchful eye of her nannies. The rowdy children were always trying to jump the fence and run amok in the Clarke mansion - and Tyla’s parents wanted their child to be kept far away from that kind of recklessness and disobedience. 

But once she hit six years old, learning how to get away from the latest nanny was easy and Tyla found herself sneaking off to hang out with the very boys her parents had wanted to keep her away from. At the time, she was still presenting herself as boy as well and though they didn’t like the rich boy next door joining them - she fought back and insisted she wasn’t actually a boy nor was she really rich. That her parents didn’t love her and she had no one to talk to at home. The boys were confused but once Tyla said she could sneak them food from her house, they agreed to let her into the group.

Joining the lost boys was a life changing event for Tyla, even at such a young age. She found a group of people who accepted her for who she really was - they referred to her as a girl, even though most of them didn’t understand what that really meant, and gave her a new name rather than using her deadname. Becoming Tootles was the first step she ever took in starting her transition into the person she truly wanted to be. 

When she was ten she had a giant blowup with her parents - all about her gender and who she really was. They didn’t believe her, they didn’t want to listen to her, they fought and said she was insane, threatened to send away if she continued to speak like that. So that was the last time she ever actually spoke to her parents at all - she simply stopped talking to anyone other than the rest of the lost boys. She abandoned all of the friends she had in the upper circles of the island or at school. She was selectively mute essentially. Not even the therapists her parents sent her to could get her to speak, she was always too afraid if she told them the truth they’d tell her parents and she’d get sent away. And that wasn’t going to happen - she wasn’t going to leave the lost boys.

When she was thirteen her parents finally gave up and sent her to live with her aunt on the other side of the island. At first Tyla hated this, being so far away from the lost boys. But then her aunt bought her a dress and sat down to tell her all about how she loves girls the way she’s supposed to love boys and how their family never accepted her for that, and she wasn’t going to let Tula go through that as well. That was the day Tootles started talking again. It was also the first time she ever started presenting herself as a girl to the world. 

By the time she was sixteen, she was legally emancipated from her parents and officially and legally changed her name to Tyla Pan - taking Peter’s last name since he and the rest of the lost boys were the only ones who ever made her feel like she was seen and a part of a real family. 

After graduating high school, Tyla moved out of her aunt’s place and in with the lost boys. She enrolled in the community college, taking the basic credits that any degree would need while she tried to figure out what it was she wanted to do with her life. IT took about three semesters of that before she decided on what to major in. Though she’s hardly an influencer or anything like that, she does have a fairly large following on social media and is a well known activist on the internet. During her second semester of community college she even created a podcast for speaking out on social issues around the island and the rest of the world. She is now double majoring and double minoring: studying Journalism and Communications for her main studies then Political Science and Women and Gender Studies for her minors. 

She hopes to one day be a news reporter of some kind, officially on like a big news station. But she also knows how biased they all are, so for now she’ll happily just run her own podcast where she can say whatever she wants and not have to worry about pleasing a specific audience by omitting certain things to make the truth easier to swallow.

Is technically a year behind in school, but that’s only because she’s taken on such a heavy course load with two majors and minors. She hopes to graduate in 2025 but then plans to go right into getting a masters anyway, so she’s not in any real rush. Especially considering her aunt is footing the bill for it all anyway. 

Is really bad with money, considering she’s never had to worry about it in her life. While she’s emancipated from her parents and hasn’t spoken to them in years - she’s still their only child and still has a heavy trust fund that she’ll have access to once she turns twenty-five. She also has a trust that she already gained access to from her aunt, as well as a weekly allowance from her. Plus the money she makes from ads and sponsors on her podcast. It’s a lot, honestly, and because of that Tyla hardly blinks when it comes to spending. Despite the fact that they want things to be fair around the apartment, she does indeed tend to be the one that spends most of the money on things they need. Especially things that the boys don’t consider to be important, like decorations or new furniture when it's needed.

[briamichellewrites]

1

1998. Bria Michelle Lavigne was the only daughter of Jean and Marie Lavigne. Her mother died when she was six months old from AIDS. The year was 1981 when she was accidentally given infected blood during labor. The mistake wasn’t discovered six months later when she was diagnosed with AIDS. Unfortunately, it was too late for her. The disease took over her body. Jean could only make his wife comfortable because there was nothing the doctors could do.

He kept the details of his wife’s death secret because of the stigma associated with AIDS. She died from complications from cancer. That was what he told people. Bria was tested but she was found not to have the disease. It wasn’t until she was older did she learned the truth about her mother’s death. The medical community didn’t understand the disease at the time.

It was in the nineties when Jean started becoming active in AIDS awareness. He wanted to help erase the stigma of those who died or were infected. Marie’s infection had been an accident and he held no resentment towards the hospital. They were trying to save her life when she lost too much blood during delivery. He encouraged his daughter to keep her mother in her memory, even though she was so young when she died.

He gave her some pictures and her personal possessions to keep with her. She kept them safe in her bedroom and she put up the pictures where she could always see them. When she was seventeen, she lost her father in a plane accident. He and a few of his work colleagues went on a week-long ski vacation in Colorado. She was meant to go with him, but she couldn’t miss school.

She stayed behind with her nanny. While at school, her teacher came to her desk and quietly told her to go to the office because of a family emergency. She gathered her stuff and did as she was told. It was in the office where she learned about the accident. The runway had been too slippery when they were trying to take off. The plane crashed into the mountains at over a hundred miles an hour. Her father died on impact. She was now an orphan.

She took some time off of school to attend the funeral and grieve. Her nanny took her in because she was still a minor. She learned that she was set to inherit her father’s fortune and estate when she turned eighteen. All she wanted was her father back. No amount of money could do that.

She graduated with her class. At eighteen years old, she moved into a house owned by her mother. It had been purchased in 1980 and put in her will for her to inherit. 2219 Richland Lane. It was built in 1981 and had five bedrooms and four bathrooms. Her father set everything up so that she didn’t have to pay for anything. All of her expenses were covered. She had a credit card without a limit.

She liked to get her hair done, along with shopping trips and going out to eat at local restaurants at least once a day. Though, she always remembered what her father taught her about being humble. Not everyone was as fortunate as her. Every Christmas Eve, they served meals together to the homeless before going home and opening gifts. It made her appreciate what she had. Jean punished her if she ever had a tantrum by taking away her expensive toys for a few days.

He did not tolerate that kind of behavior. His family was not rich. He had been born to French middle-class parents. After immigrating to the United States, he became a self-made billionaire by working hard and taking classes to improve his English skills. He enrolled his daughter at Le Lycée Français de Los Angeles, a French immersion school.

She not only became fluent in French but also Spanish and Japanese. Though she learned Mandarin Chinese, she didn’t consider herself fluent enough to have conversations. She could only speak simple phrases like asking for the bathroom.

“Xièxiè.”

(Thank you.)

Her Japanese skills were how she met Mike Shinoda. He was a second-generation Japanese immigrant on his father’s side. She attended his art show at the Art Center College of Design. He was set to graduate in the spring and was showing off his skills as a graphic designer. Mike noticed her right away because she was beautiful! He approached her and they started a conversation about one of his works. Did she know about the Japanese culture?

“I know a little bit. I would love to go to Tokyo someday and see the cherry blossoms. I heard they’re beautiful.”

“They are. I’m sorry. I’m Mike Shinoda.”

“Nice to meet you. I’m Bria Lavigne.”

“French?”

“Yes, my father was born in Alsace. It was the inspiration for Beauty and the Beast. What about you?”

“My father is from Japan and my mother is European.”

Since he had other people to talk to, they exchanged phone numbers. They formed a friendship and she helped him with his schoolwork. It wasn’t long before he introduced her to his roommate, Joe Hahn. They were talking about forming a band together with a couple of his friends from high school after college. They were inspired by different new wave bands like Depeche Mode and nineties hip hop.

She thought it sounded interesting. Since she didn’t have a family, he invited her to his parents’ home for Thanksgiving. They welcomed her in and made her part of their family. They welcomed her back for Christmas dinner. His father was excited to learn she could speak Japanese. Mike had no idea what they were talking about since his Japanese wasn’t that good.

“Hai. Watashi wa kare ga gakkō no benkyō o suru yō ni shimasu. Watashi wa kōkō kyōiku shika ukete inainode, kotae wa kare no kyōkasho ni tayoranakereba narimasen.”

(Yes. I make sure he does his schoolwork. I only have a high school education, so I have to rely on his textbooks for the answers.)

Muto laughed. Would he make her his girlfriend? He was considering it. Joe told him to do it! He would when it was the perfect opportunity. There was an attraction between them. He could feel it. His family loved her and they wanted him to make it official.

When she met Brad Delson and Rob Bourdon on a trip back home, they also pushed him to ask her. He reminded them he was planning on it. It just had to be the perfect time. What was he waiting for? She was beautiful, funny, compassionate, and could keep up with their sense of humor.

If he didn’t ask her, someone else would. Finally, he asked her to be his girlfriend while hanging out at his apartment. Yes! He laughed and kissed her happily. Finally. He couldn’t be happier! They heard the sound of the door opening, so they looked up. Guys, warn me first before I walk into something I don’t want to see. Mike laughed before getting up. They were going to get something to eat from one of the restaurants nearby. Joe set his stuff down and started on his homework.

@zoeykaytesmom @feelingsofaithless @alina-dixon @fiickle-nia

[chill-pills-yandere-haven]

Can you do the Yandere idol au with 4nemo. Cause they’re all beauties nothing can change my mind😤

Wooh! First ask! Here is a little drabble I made for you, enjoy! (Might also make headcanons for the group)

Tw: Yandere, mention of violence

Disclaimer: Yanderes are abusive, this is not a healthy crush.

Made, finished, and posted same day.

A Dream of Coffee and K-pop

(Not my art)

Sunlight shone through the window, the smell of freshly ground coffee beans wafted through the air, it was truly beautiful. You and your best friend had decided to stop for a drink break and found yourselves here. Honestly, you were thinking about becoming a regular here, the atmosphere has heavenly and the food and drink were delicious. Then you heard camera clicks and squealing. You let out a slight sound of confusion and irritation. Forced out of your state of serenity, you looked back at your friend to see what happened. Their face was red and they seemed to be holding back an almost terrifying grin. It didn't make sense to you, all that happened was that four men and a bunch of other people entered the cafe. "Holy archon of idol groups! It's 4NEMO!" Your friend was now shaking you, making you look even closer at the four men who had just entered. Even on further inspection they only looked like rich people with hair dye, you didn't see anything special. "Who?" You blinked, just annoyed that your peaceful coffee break had been interrupted. "I swear to God, you uncultured swine. That's 4NEMO, the hottest new K-pop group. I sent you a link to their newest album, you know, the one I've been going crazy over because they had a collab with DCKZ and Lumine from ABYSS?" They facepalm at your obliviousness to the literal celebrities that are in the same place as you. "Sorry, I forgot to check it out yesterday, I was studying." You apologize for not at least trying to see what was so good about these K-pop bands that were your best friend's newest obsession. But you did have a life of your own, you were studying to become a surgeon so you never really had much free time. "Hello, there! I was wondering if you two could share some space? seems that there's nowhere else for us to sit in this place." Out of nowhere, a young man with braided hair that faded from dark brown to teal and emerald eyes that almost made you want to trust him, was at your table, asking if he and his three friends could sit with you all. "Oh my lord, 4NEMO is asking to sit with us! Squee! Please say yes, my dear best friend who has brought us both insane luck, please?" Resistance was futile when your best friend was almost begging you to let them sit with you two, trying to do the best puppy dog eyes they could. "Yeah sure, you all can sit with us, just squeeze in." You relented and moved further into the booth to create space. The one with the braids and a guy with mostly white hair that had part of it dyed red sat on your side of the booth while a blonde with golden eyes and a man with an edgy vibe to him sat with your friend. The before almost empty cafe was now bustling with people and you swore you could feel a couple of people glaring at you. You gave a close-eyed smile and a small sigh, this could've been worse. The six of you ended up getting along quickly, talking the day away. Your friend was malfunctioning most of the time from being in the same room as their idols so you tried to calm them down from the shock but it didn't work. You found that the 4NEMO boys were actually quite sweet and easy to talk to, maybe excluding Xiao who wasn't one for small talk, or any talk. All of you exchanged numbers before you had to leave and even gave your super fan best friend some signatures. Kazuha then handed you both VIP tickets and backstage passes for their next concert saying that you could be his plus twos. But only because all the boys were allowed to give out two free tickets to whomever they chose. You all said goodbye and you made a mental note to check out their music once you got to the comfort of your apartment. But as you left, you just couldn't shake the feeling that something was off with your new friends no matter how many times you tried to brush it off. (On the other side.) Kazuha was the one to first notice you. A serene being in the middle of the cafe, face illuminated by the evening light. On your face was a beautiful smile more genuine than anything he had ever seen. You were the only one whose head didn't turn as they

entered, even ignoring the obvious adoring look on the person beside you's face. He confidentially alerted the other members of his group to your presence. All with some variation of curiosity and something that he could only describe as a breath of fresh air on their faces when they completely took you in. "I don't think they even know about our band." Aether supplied, you had a true expression of complete cluelessness even when he heard your friend explaining who they were just loud enough for him to hear. You were much too enticing and adorable, especially for someone who he just saw. "Why does it matter, we're here for public appearances, coffee and desserts, not some random person," Xiao mumbled, loud enough for the rest of them to hear. He didn't understand what was so special about them, just another attractive stranger. Though, part of him did understand why his group mates felt this way. "Who cares, I'm making a move," The lead singer of the group, Venti announced, making his way over to their table after looking around for anything they could use as an excuse. Ah, of course, because of their appearance, the little cafe was now packed. He brought himself and the others up to your table, acting charismatic in hopes you would let them stay. Though the idol group didn't even need an excuse as your best friend would have convinced you either way. Surprisingly, everyone in the group almost immediately warmed up to you, even Xiao. Kazuha was the one to give you his plus two tickets mainly because everyone else had already invited other people but luckily, Kazuha hadn't used his yet. The 4NEMO boys were a good distance away from the cafe and we're finally able to freely talk. "So, we're sharing them?" Aether asked, getting a nod or a yup from everyone in return. "We should do more research on them. What if they're already dating someone?" The composer of the group, Kazuha supplied. Noticing how the other boys' expressions got just a bit more malicious at that. Xiao looked around, being sure that they were completely isolated. "Then I'll give them a threat or a concussion." Xiao threatened, the other members were mostly in agreement with the statement. Any of them would already do appalling things for their new friend and future lover. "I'm sure as long as we don't scare them away they'll fall head over heels in love with at least one of us. We just need more time with them." Venti assured, not the fondest of using violence to settle his disputes. "Well one thing's for sure, they will learn to love us and will be ours." Aether voiced the idea on everyone's mind as they stepped into their shared studio apartment that could comfortably house about eight people. Leaving them all to individually plan how they would make you theirs.

[evita-shelby]

The Duke of Saxon Shore

A short series that takes place after Between the Shadow and the Soul

Chapter 1

Gif by @brody75

Taglist: @joossieisdabomb @johnathancanines @kissmyquill @peakyblindas @whitejuliana1204 @zablife @2000snostaalgiia

Tommy started that morning with four children.

This afternoon he comes back home to her as a father of five.

Erasmus Shelby is tall, as his mother’s family was tall, but he was all Tommy.

Tommy was of average height, and yet everything in that boy let her know her husband has always had a thing for tall women.

Other women would be angry, but how could Eva be angry when this boy happened far before she and Tommy were lucky to meet?

“Duke, this is me wife, Eva.” Tommy introduced them and Eva tries her best not to look like she’s still processing this new addition to the family. The boy was nineteen going on twenty, but he was illiterate. Barely knew how to tell time.

It wasn’t his fault, but Eva hoped he had Tommy’s quick mind, it would make it easier for her to teach him how to be a Shelby.

He’d need a proper wardrobe, tutors, a room in the family wing and other things that Eva has already begun planning for the second her husband told her about the young man.

“May I call you Erasmus?” she asked as they shook hands. Eva felt odd calling him Duke.

He was nervous, no doubt he’d heard about her unnatural abilities, or you know be nervous because stepmothers were hardly painted in a good light. Spirits know she never intended to become anyone’s stepmother.

“No one calls me that, Mrs. Shelby.” He said eyeing her like she’s a problem to be solved.

Oh, yes this was Tommy’s child.

Looked at her like that the first time they ever saw each other.

“Alrighty then, Duke, welcome to our family.” She smiled warmly and added. “Call me, Eva, Mrs. Shelby makes me feel old.”

God, how was she supposed to tell the children back at home.

“Eva is the mother of your four younger siblings.” Before Tommy could say more the young man interrupts.

“And a witch. They say you see the future and its why you’re all so rich now.” He is wary and it explains why.

Witches weren’t exactly well received anywhere.

Eva can't imagine how he feels at knowing his wicked stepmother is a witch.

“Yes, I am. I was born with the curse of seeing the future and I put it to good use. I don’t do curses, never learned how.” Eva admits. “Diane, your sister, has that power too. Would you like to meet them?”

----

They have dinner in the smaller dining room, one with just six chairs, eight if you add the extension and two chairs. They’ll be needing those now.

Tommy sits at the head of the table, Eva at the other end. Gabe sits at her right, Diane sits at her father’s right, Charlie sits at her left and Flora on Tommy’s left. It was intentional, at least on Charles’ part.

“We have a big brother.” Diane’s eyes stare almost unnervingly at her father who had been drawing this out until Eva caved and did the talking.

You are much better at this, love.

I’m terrible with explanations, Evie, please help me this time.

Eva, I’ll do anything you want for the rest of the year if you tell the kids Mandy ran away. Won’t have them calling me a murderer because I accidentally hit her with the car.

“Is that why you’re never home, daddy?” Florence asked him. “Are you seeing other children?”

He looked at her for help, but Eva just kept drinking her wine.

She almost felt bad for enjoying the show.

“No, Flora, I just found out yesterday that I had a son before I even knew your mother existed. His mother was a girl I knew from before the war.” It’s a rather blunt explanation and not very delicate, but their children understood more than what they let on.

Especially since Flora has assumed he was cheating on his children.

“How old is he, this other son you have?” Charlie asks morosely. His teenage years were coming and they would be awful. Jealous little boy with a temper from hell.

“Nineteen. Erasmus was born in 1915 and goes by Duke.” Tommy answered the question in that don’t try my patience boy tone he’d developed after Charlie began acting out the moment he turned eleven. He’d be twelve soon. Oh joy.

“Like Uncle Arthur’s dog?” Gabe said with a mouth full of food. Flora stifled her giggles and Eva silenced her with a look.

“Yes, like the dog.” This time he let himself give a tired sigh and he pinched the bridge of his nose

[angelamajiki]

[ peace treaty - kiribaku ]

AN: this is a fantasy au piece, enjoy! :)

CW: yandere, dubcon, arranged marriage, stalking, coercion, dragon/animal anatomy, fantasy au, afab terms, predator/prey dynamics, size difference, facesitting

“A mate, huh?” Katsuki chuckled as he stroked his companion’s horns, looking into the horizon thoughtfully.

“Think about it! We need hatchlings to lead the future generations of the Bakugo clan.” Eijirou pleaded with his mate. “Don't you ever miss the company of a woman? I know I do.”

Adding a woman to their pack would certainly bring its advantages. It would undoubtedly strengthen their positions as clan rulers if they were to have a wife and children to carry on both men’s legacy.

“Fine,” Katsuki conceded. “Let’s go find a mate then.”

The pair returned to their respective forms, wolf and dragon, as they began their hunt through the wild countryside for their new mate. Days of running down the mountainous forests away from their clan, they settled on resting at the edge of the woods, looking at a clearing just over a shimmering river that separated the two territories. Beyond the meadow was a small fortress surrounded by the community that they presumably controlled—a perfect place to start their search after some well-needed sleep.

Katsuki was the first to awaken from his slumber at the sound of a woman’s voice. And a heavenly voice it was, signing an alluring melody. Peaking his head over the bushes, the young prince saw the enchanting woman bathing alone in the stream. The other man had awoken as well, just as equally entranced by the naked dancing woman.

“A vixen...” Katsuki murmured, twisting to look at his mate. It was clear to both men that she was the mate they were looking for. Independent, vexing, sweet. She was perfect.

“Let’s snatch her up now while she’s distracted, ” Eijirou grumbled impatiently, eager to take her back to their den at once.

“Patience, Ei. I want her too, but now is not the moment to strike. Let's watch her a bit more; she needs to be more than a pretty face, you know that.”

Katsuki did not doubt that she wasn’t their perfect match, but he is a predator to her before he’s a man to her at this moment.

The blissfully unaware maiden that you were, you went on with bathing peacefully in the warm, summer day. Your attendants had followed you from the castle, watching from afar as they knew you valued your time alone in the stream. After some time, one of them called for you back to the castle for supper. Dried and dressed, the group of you departed from the meadow by horse as the sunset.

“So, she’s a princess, Katsuki.” Eijirou’s tail trashed with excitement. “If we marry her, we’ll get this territory too! Oh, I wonder if she likes to travel..” The red-haired man went off on a tangent about his many fantasies for you while the blonde thought deeply. This was almost too perfect; he had just the plan to corner and ensnare their lovely little prey.

The men stayed at the edge of their territory, for the time being, glad to notice that you had returned to the riverbank almost daily. Sometimes you took your handmaidens; sometimes, you came alone while they trailed back.

They learned that you liked to flip through many a book while basking in the sunlight. A library would be a perfect wedding present for you-they intended to spoil you thoroughly with the dragon’s hoard.

Five days had proven to be enough time for the men to watch you and returned to their clan to make the necessary preparations for your place as their lovely spoiled mate.

---

A fortnight later, a letter from the young prince arrived at your doorstep, addressed to your father, the king.

“An alliance? With the barbarian tribe, that’s unheard of, father. Are you sure it’s not some trick?” You doubted, finding it difficult to understand his request. The barbarian clan was...mysterious, to say the least. Living up in the mountains beyond the river, they were a solitary bunch who were ruthless and never exhibited mercy towards their foes. Not much was know about them because they simply never made alliances or held diplomacy with other clans or kingdoms.

“Perhaps they wish to make allies with the next closest kingdom, my dear.” Your father spoke quietly, his voice wavering as he avoided your eyes. “You’ll go up the mountains to discuss the terms with young Bakugo. An older gentleman like me is not suited for those kinds of traveling conditions.”

Nodding solemnly, preparations were made for your immediate departure. All of your belongings were brought to your carriage, something that struck you as rather odd. Although father did say something about the uncertainty of the amount of time you would spend with the barbarians for the sake of discussion.

With that in mind, you set off into the forest just as the sunset.

---

The journey had taken nearly five days through the rain and snow, your small carriage trudging up the mountainside to the den of the barbarians. As your carriage came to a stop, two men helped you out and down, both possessing a tenderness that didn’t seem possible for them. The blond was bare-chested, even in the snow! He stood at about six feet and had a body that seemed the gods themselves sculpted it.

“Welcome to my clan, your majesty.”

His smirk was wolf-like, eyes bearing down on you like a predator who has caught his unwitting prey. “Come, let’s get you inside to warmth and comfort. I'm sure you’ve had a long journey. Eijirou here will help with your belongings and join us after you rest.”

The prince held out his arm for you to take as the red-head beside you gave a toothy grin before setting off to work. He...he was something more than a man, he had to be! Standing at well over six and a half feet, he was much more muscular than the blonde; Eijirou airs about him more than human. It was inexplicable.

Katsuki gave a gentle tug to your arm before ushering you to the massive tent that stood in the middle of the community of barbarians who looked onto you with glowing pride. What an odd bunch of people, but you couldn't very well judge them now, could you? They simply had a different culture, another way of life.

The tent seemed larger than life on the inside and was impossibly warm. It had had a large bed adorned with piles of pelts and furs near a roaring fireplace. Many bookshelves lined the walls, as well as prized kills and weaponry were displayed. Katsuki led you to a table near the warmth of the fire. How-

“Magic, princess. I am fortunate enough to possess it, as well as many of my clansmen.” Katsuki boasted, clearly prideful of his abilities. He could only hope it impressed you, which it certainly did. “It keeps us warm up here in the dead of winter, which is soon approaching. It protects us, provides for us, all of which it will do for you too.”

Your smile could hardly be contained as you gazed upon the handsome man with wonder. For you, too? Would this he be so kind as to lend you its strength while you struck a deal with them? The barbarians were indeed nothing like the fairytales you had heard about them.

“I thank you for your hospitality, Sir Bakugo. I am truly humbled to be here with you.”

“Call me Katsuki, little one. We should grow familiar with each other before our wedding.”

His wolfish smirk grew wider as he saw the look on your face. Ah, he so loved that look of feeble innocence and confusion on your expression.

“Oh, did your father not tell you?” he chuckled, taking a sip from his cup. “This is an alliance through our union. Suppose you’ll have us, of course. Otherwise, we might have to resort to other means down the mountain.”

Us? Oh, he means-

“Ei, don’t be shy and stand in the doorway. Come greet your bride properly.”

Thundering footsteps came from behind your seated form as Eijirou towered over your much smaller frame.

“Please, tell me you agree to us, my love. We've waited so long for your arrival, won't you let us have you?” A scarred but gentle hand enveloped yours as the dragon shifter kissed it tenderly. “There’s no need to be frightened; we intend to treat you like our queen and spoil you rotten with all the world’s riches. Grant us your blessing.”

How could you deny them? Your kingdom was in danger, yet these men, they lulled you into such a state of comfort and safety. Perhaps it was the magic at work?

“Please, may I think on it?” Your heart battered against your ribcage with fear and excitement. Two men, both for husbands. What a strange culture indeed.

“Only if you let us have you tonight. Give us a chance to prove our worth as not only husbands but as men to you.”

Blood rushed to your face, heating your cheeks as you felt aflame with shame, and to your horror, arousal. They are seasoned men. Indeed they’ll treat you as gently as they have been the whole time?

“O-Only if you are gentle with me. I am...inexperienced.”

That was all the approval they needed. Eijirou, still behind you, swept you up in his arms and onto the bed. Wanting to show some display of his true strength, he ripped your gown clean off your body. Whimpering, your hand flew to grip his forearm fearfully. “Gentle, please, gentle.”

Eijirou shushed you softly, placing a sweet kiss on your trembling lips, hands beginning to wander to down your sides and to your sex. Stroking your clit in small circles, the men relished in your little whines and moans.

“I think I should give you a taste, huh? I haven't eaten all day.” He purred as he dipped down to press kisses to your lips before diving in with his hot tongue, lapping your clit.

Katsuki’s searing kiss swallowed wanton moans and cries. Eijriou’s hands kept your squirming hips firmly in place, positioning you to sit on his face while the blond continued to lay passionate kisses on your lips, neck, and chest.

Teeth sunk into your neck as the prince wasted no time in marking up his newfound territory. Your cries heightened in pitch as you gripped red hair, calling out Eijirou’s name as you came from his overwhelming sucking and slurping of your juices.

“N-no more! Please, that's enough!” Whining, you began to shake when his tongue barely came to half after your cries. Panting and writhing, you peeled off his tongue and laid on the furs next to Katsuki.

“I think that’s enough for this evening; poor thing is already exhausted.” Katsuki chuckled as he dabbed the sweat off your brow and cleaned in between your legs.

“We’ll build up your stamina and be sure to stretch you gently daily.” Eijirou quipped as he took his place next to your side. Up close, you could see how different he really was. Red iridescent scales trailed on his sideburns and h

shoulders. Absentmindedly, you stroke them and wondered if there were more.

“After all, it’s customary to lose your virginity on the wedding night, so need to rush you in right now. Have you made your decision, given Ei’s stellar performance?”

Letting sleep overtake you, your head nodded gently as he rested on Eijirou’s shoulder. The hunt was over and the men could not be more happy with their choice.

[ddarker-dreams]

Yan Childe, Diluc, Kaeya, Zhongli, Beidou & Ningguang / Courting Darling.

Warnings: Stalking, implied blackmail, kidnapping, and gaslighting. Note: this is a bit of an amalgamation from different asks i’ve gotten, put into one thing bc i thirst for these six characters so hard .

Childe:

“What’s life without a little adventure? You can stand to miss work for a day or two, it’ll still be there waiting for you when we get back. People have even gone so far as to say I’m an absolute joy to be around. You want to know who said that? Sorry, that source is staying a secret.” 

Childe is an erratic whirlwind of highs and lows. You never know what to expect from him, and he likes it that way, always keeping you on your toes. He doesn’t bother with having his friendliness appear genuine. If you want to doubt his goodwill, then so be it, he won’t stop you. It just makes it all the more interesting to keep you around should you be wary of his presence. 

He doesn’t care for the traditional conventions surrounding romance. It isn’t his thing, and he’s used to being considered the odd one out of every crowd, so why stop now? Childe doesn’t tone down any aspects of his bloodthirsty personality in your presence. It’s difficult to tell how serious he’s being since most of it takes the form of jokes or other lighthearted jests. In his mind, the fact he’s even spending so much time with you should make it obvious he’s interested. Whether that’s good or not. 

You’re going to be dragged all over the place. Childe’s stamina is seemingly an infinite well, as he takes you from activity to activity. By the end of the day, you’ll be exhausted. Unfortunately, he doesn’t take no for an answer, weaseling his way into your schedule despite your protests. Childe is particularly fond of getting into situations where a fight is inevitable, purposefully taking you to areas with monsters to show off his combat prowess. 

“Did you get a look at that, [First]? Aha, I haven’t had this much fun in ages! You already want to head back? Hm, I don’t know, the night is still young. Stop dragging your feet or I might just have to carry you. Not that I’m complaining, should that be the outcome. It’s up to you. Oh! Now that’s the spirit! I’ll try not to be hurt by how fast you’re moving now.” 

Diluc: 

“Ah, [First], I take it you’re doing well. I couldn’t help but notice you eyeing this book at the market earlier. I’ve had a copy of it for ages, but with how busy things are, rarely do I have time to read. I’d be appreciative should you accept this and give it a better home.” 

Diluc is self-assured in many areas of his life, romance is not one of them. He knows how to carry himself in the company of businessmen, staying polite and vigilant, but this rigid method doesn’t work in his favor when it comes to wooing you. To soften the blow on his side, Diluc tells himself that it was never about a relationship anyway. That his main priority was and will always be to ensure your safety. He tells himself this, but... isn’t sure if he really believes it. 

He’s a perfect example of pining from afar. Subconsciously, he’ll drift towards areas you tend to linger around, hoping to spot you amidst the bustling crowds. Each time he tells himself that this’ll finally be the time he approaches you. The opportunity is set before him, waiting to be taken advantage of, but he rarely follows through with his desire. 

It frustrates Diluc to no end how easily others flock to you. He’ll stand there, still as a statue, eyes boring into whatever pest currently holds your attention. This would be the push to finally send him your way. It’s a surprise to you both when Mondstadt’s wine tycoon materializes by your side, politely asking to speak in private. Truth be told, he just can’t stand the thought of another person holding your attention that isn’t him. 

“I apologize for my abruptness back there. There’s something I’ve been meaning to ask you about for some time, and well... would you consider having dinner with me tonight? I’d appreciate your company.” 

Kaeya:

“It’s a funny thing, really. How we keep bumping into one another like this. Ah... that suspicious expression, it wounds me deep, sweetheart. When did you start looking at me like that, I wonder?” 

There’s no doubting Kaeya’s interest in you, from the first time he sauntered over to you and started a conversation. The problem you have is deciding how genuine his advances are. While Kaeya might not be the textbook definition of a heart-wrenching playboy, you’re familiar enough with the many rumors surrounding him to be wary. It doesn’t help that he’ll point this out to you when guessing the source of your apprehension. 

His methods are, oddly enough, effective. Kaeya balances the various aspects of seduction with ease. He reveals just enough about himself to draw out your attention, before focusing the conversation back onto you. You’ll never get to stop and realize how little you know about the man sitting in front of you, he makes certain of that.

Kaeya might hide certain aspects of himself, but his dubious morality is never concealed. He has you entirely wrapped around his finger, words validating his actions falling from his lips with the utmost ease; he’s a force to be reckoned with. You’ll start a conversation heated about something you’ve learned, only for it to end wondering why you were ever upset in the first place.

“Now, now, there’s no need to get all riled up over something like this. Don’t you trust me by now? When have I ever given you reason to doubt me? You need to take a look at the bigger picture. Hey, take a seat. I’ll sit here all night explaining to you if it’s necessary.” 

→[More underneath the cut].

Zhongli: 

“There must be something that I can assist you with. It may not look it, but I’m familiar with many fields of work, even obscure ones. Please allow me to lend a hand.” 

Zhongli, despite having been around for many centuries, is somewhat clueless in romantic pursuits. He’s aware of his fondness for you, but doesn’t know what to do with it. This leads him to becoming your shadow for some time. He focuses on what he knows best: observation and processing new information. Your every little movement will be analyzed and tuck into the back of his mind for later usage. 

Zhongli’s soft over the idea of you coming to rely on him for everything. He prides himself on his wealth of knowledge and work ethic, believing it a strong appeal, one that he puts on full display when you’re around. It’s not rare for you to overhear neighbors and friends speak highly about Zhongli. They’ll mention in passing how they were having difficulty with something, only for Zhongli to come around and help without asking for anything in return. 

This is exactly what he’s been hoping and waiting for. Zhongli has patience and sets himself up to be a desirable partner in your eyes, the efforts from his labor coming into fruition. Before you even speak to him for the first time, you’re likely to think highly of him, having heard all the ways he’s helped people close to you. Now that the stage is properly set, he’s ready to make his interest in you more evident. 

“I’ve heard a lot about you, [First]. Oh? You can say the same for me? Well, I hope I can live up to your expectations. I had just been on my way to Yanshang Teahouse, would you care to join me? My treat, of course.” 

Beidou: 

“You haven’t lived until you’ve experienced a voyage with my crew and I. I’ll set up a nice cabin just for you, how does that sound? Hm? Special treatment? Don’t worry your pretty little head about that, lass.”  

Beidou’s attention is overwhelming and oftentimes dangerous. Traditional social conventions are nothing but a waste of time for her, meaning that common courtesy is disregarded in favor of always speaking her mind. Which might not be so bad if she wasn’t so amorous. Even the most oblivious person couldn’t miss Beidou’s overt favor towards you.

This reverent display of affection is only exacerbated when she’s drunk, face flushed and an arm swung tightly around your shoulder. She doesn’t care who sees, who’s judging, or what gossip will be born from her actions. Beidou makes a point of showing everyone in the vicinity that even if you aren’t officially partners yet, a claim has been staked on you. 

Whether it be coercion or some other unsightly method, Beidou is intent on bringing you on her ship at least once. Or that’s how she initially phrased it to you. Imagine your surprise, that when you finally caved so she’d drop the subject, her crew was untying the ropes keeping the boat at port. 

“The fun’s just getting started, you haven’t seen anything yet. Don’t get all teary-eyed yet, sweetheart, I know you’ll come around. This’ll be a story sung by sailors for generations to come.”

Ningguang:

“If I’m being honest, not many are given the opportunity to speak to me outside of business-related ventures. I never thought I’d find it this... pleasant. I hope you’ll continue to entertain me as you do now.” 

Ningguang starts off her wooing in a subtle, almost coquettish manner. She is confident in her charm and brilliance. Not many have been gifted in the art of conversation to the same extent Ningguang has, her silver tongue paired with quick intellect making it difficult for you to escape. She’ll corner you verbally without you even noticing it. 

Ningguang finds amusement in how you stumble over your words, pure of heart and not chained down by special interests. Your forthright but considerate demeanor intoxicates her. She’s used to people cowering in her presence or trying too hard to pursue their goals. You might even earn a rare compliment or two, disguised as politeness, that doesn’t register for hours. 

She is a lady of fine taste. The sky’s the limit when it comes to her wealth, which is unrivaled throughout Tevyat, and you’ll be quick to notice this. Ningguang is most partial to sending you traditional Liyue adornments, believing the rich culture behind each piece suits your beauty. She’s also fond of the fact that when you wear her gifts, everyone in the vicinity will know it’s from her, due to its extraordinarily high cost. 

“Do you like my latest gift, little dove? It was made custom with you in mind, an unrivaled display of craftmanship, if I may add. Wear this and carry me with you... always.”