#although that probably wouldn't help with book 3

[riveroverthesky]

HE DID IT AGAIN!

Frank, you had the perfect plot twist practically gift-wrapped for you and you just couldn't stop yourself from overexplaining what was going on. Frank, why do you keep doing this to me?

Spoilers for people who haven't read the series:

Just to reiterate, I don't hate Dune or its characters or any of its worldbuilding, I just hate how it sets up cool plot twists, only to ruin them by telling the reader in advance what is going to happen.

Book one I can forgive because the plot twist happens in the first act and there are other story threads that add dramatic tension once the inciting incident happens and all the major characters are separated and alliances are formed.

Book two I like less because while I don't hate how it sets up every major player in the mutiny to overthrow Paul, I hate how Paul already knows how each villain is trying to bring about his downfall and has already put plans into motion to counter them. What is the point in having a shapeshifter if the character can see right through it??? I wouldn't mind it as much if the reader didn't know Paul knew all along, and that was the plot twist in the final act.

I'm only 15% through book three, so I don't know if this was meant to be a plot twist, but that's the impression I got so far. For context, book two ends with Paul, now blind, walking into the desert to die after the death of Chani who died giving birth to their twins. Nine years have passed, the planet is now green, a new religious movement is rebelling against the government regime, and Paul's children, Prince Leto II and Princes Ghanima, have inherited his power of foresight.

This new cult is led by a masked preacher who dismisses the entire religious movement built in Paul's name, and before you even have time to speculate who this masked figure might be, Leto ruins it by telling his sister he thinks the masked dude discrediting their dad's legacy, is, in fact, their dead dad.

I hate this.

Again, I've only just started this book so I don't know if the plot requires Paul to be found out this early in the game, because he hasn't been unmasked yet. So maybe the book will surprise me, but it's so obviously Paul. We don't even get an establishing shot with the preacher before any tension is ruined. We are introduced to him as the kids are discussing this new religion and theorizing who its leader might be. We don't officially meet the guy until several chapters later!

I am not good at noticing plot twists early on. I'll admit that. I'm dumb as bricks and like shutting off my brain. So I don't know how quickly everyone else would have caught on that Paul is the Preacher, maybe it would have been obvious from the beginning, but I know for a fact I would have missed a key sentence just now if I didn't already read the previous few chapters where the kids planted that seed of suspicion in the back of my head. Because THAT was something Paul would say, so I know for a fact it's him! (that and how the book doesn't even try to be subtle about bringing up blindness again and how the Fremen treat their blind tribe members, even though we've only ever had one blind character in the series so far. Gee, I wonder why???)

It's especially annoying because of how Paul's story ended in the last book, and how final it felt watching him wander into the desert after losing his powers. This was the end of Paul's reign and the throne had been passed down to his orphan heirs who have a hard journey ahead of them. At no point did I even entertain the idea Paul was still alive and would come back. The world has changed so much, the characters we grew to love have moved on with their lives, and we're now following two brand-new characters who have taken over the role of protagonists. Only for said protagonists to hit the breaks and remind you of Paul's existence just as you were getting comfortable with the new setting.

Let me be surprised, Frank!

I am back on my bullshit!

[heirofnight]

meddling, pt. 3

pairing: azriel x reader

word count: 1.9k - i will never not be a yapper

summary: ah, my favorite little adorable pair. part three of the meddling series. reader wants to thank azriel for being so kind to her since her arrival at the house of wind several months ago. she gifts him with a silver chain. azriel loses his mind. fluff, so much fluff.

warnings: none, except for potential cavities from the sweetness.

a/n: this was the brain child of a post that i made thirsting over azriel wearing a chain & rings. someone commented on that post and suggested i incorporate that into this series. and here we are. probably my favorite piece of writing that i've done so far, ok. i'm simple. pining azriel makes me weak. enjoy! <3

read part one & two

you clutched the tiny, wrapped gift box in your hands, your fingers moving to glide along the cobalt blue silk bow adorning the lid.

you felt jittery, nervous. butterflies had taken flight throughout your chest and belly, relentless wings swirling.

you supposed this gesture wouldn't strike azriel as odd, or out of left field. after all, the male had been going out of his way for you for months.

his warm, kind gestures toward you as he sat next to you during your first dinner at the house of wind - you'd been so petrified, but he took you under his wing (literally). the kind, soft eyes he'd given you. he'd served your plate, giving you hushed anecdotes about each dish so you could choose what you'd wanted to indulge in. you hadn't admitted it, but you only chose to try azriel's favorite foods.

then, the sweater. he'd given you one of his oversized sweaters to snuggle into. you'd mentioned to him one time that you often froze, no matter the weather conditions, and he'd somehow remembered that detail - presenting you with the best solution he could muster. now that you knew him a bit better, you weren't sure if he'd actually remembered you admitting how cold you always were, or if that fact was just something he was able to observe himself. he was the spymaster, after all. maybe you were just easy to read.

if you were to actually ask azriel, he'd say that he remembered every word you'd ever spoken. every detail, every slight reaction. and it wasn't because it was his job to do so - wasn't because rhys had ordered him to watch over you seven months ago upon your arrival to the house of wind. no, you no longer needed his watchful eye. you were settled in, comfortable, part of the family.

he remembered the words you spoke because he hung onto every word that left your lips.

today, you sat in that favorite armchair of yours in the private library on the third floor - as always. you glanced over to the large shelf closest to you, a smile slowly spreading across your lips as you took in the romance books neatly lined before you. the romance books that azriel had removed from an obscenely tall shelf that was completely unreachable. to you, at least - unless you felt like scaling the entire thing.

he was so observant. he'd noted your favorite genre, remembered that you struggled to reach that row of books. took time out of his day to rearrange the entire left side of the library in favor of making you more comfortable. and now, here you sat. your favorite novels within arm's reach at any given moment, all because of this achingly kind male.

yes, he deserved this gift. he'd done so much, you wished you were able to bestow him with more. you were wearing his sweater again today, but this one was different. he's since presented you with four more sweaters from his closet, although he hadn't grown less bashful about offering them over to you - even though your reaction is always the same. blushing, bright eyes staring up at him in wonder as you grip the fabric and hold it to your melting heart.

and azriel, he revels in those moments. he can't help the sense of pure pride that warms his entire body from the inside out. he couldn't stop doing things for you if he tried, your smile and twinkling eyes circulating throughout his bloodstream like the first hit of a drug so strong, it threatened to bring him to his knees.

you took a deep breath, eyes flitting towards the elegant grandfather clock to your left. he'd normally stroll into the library around this time each day, joining you to read in silent, comfortable companionship.

and, like clockwork, that feisty, stray tendril of shadow that you'd come to love twirled through the crack in the wooden double doors with a flourish. it darted straight towards you, as it always did - worrying over you for a moment each time it found you. you'd imagined it was giving you a general once-over to make sure you were safe and content. it was much like its master in that regard.

the shadow looped through your fingers and hands, taking notice of the gift box that was sitting on your lap. it focused its attention there momentarily, swirling through the silky bow that matched the color of azriel's siphons - a detail you'd hoped he didn't find weird.

azriel made his appearance a second later, pushing through the doors with a book held under his arm. he moved with so much grace, despite his tall, muscular frame. he was astonishing to watch, even if the action was something completely mundane. tearing your eyes from him sometimes felt impossible, the allure he possessed was almost suffocating - but in the sweetest way.

he didn't even try to hide the fact that his sights were set on you immediately. he used to give a sweeping glance of the entire space before he allowed himself to find you, but now, he looked for you first - and you were always there. he felt any lingering tension within his body melt into the floor beneath him.

"hey, you," you spoke tenderly towards him, and the smile that he gave you made your chest warm.

he approached you, as he always did, unable to stay too far away. his eyes raked down your torso, never tiring of the feeling of seeing you in his clothing.

"i think this one is my favorite on you," he noted, eyes turning to molten honey as he took you in.

you preened at this, making a mental note to don this particular sweater a little more than the others.

"i, uh, i have something for you," you started, extending the small gift box towards him. now you knew how he felt, waiting to see if you'd accept the items of his clothing each time he presented you with them. you held your arm out without wavering, even though you felt a bit silly now.

his cheeks tinted a light shade of pink, and he studied the box in your hand for a moment. it wasn't lost on him that you'd chosen a bow that was the exact color of his blazing siphons. he felt his heart lurch against his ribcage at the realization.

"it's just a little something," you started again, voice woven with a nervous undertone at his continued silence. "i wanted to thank you for being so kind to me since i've arrived," you cleared your throat. "you've really made this place feel like ... like a home," you finished, giving him a shy, tentative smile. he could tell by the look in your eyes that you were pleading with him to accept it. you didn't have to beg him - well. maybe he'd like that, in other circumstances. however, not now, not for this.

a small smile spread across his lips at your last words. a home. he'd made someone feel like they were home, and that was enough of a gift for azriel. several times since meeting you, he'd felt as though his heart was swelling uncontrollably, growing beyond the confines of his chest. like you were somehow nurturing and tending to it. this was one of those times.

he reached a scarred hand towards the box, taking it from you gently. "y/n," he traced the bow with his fingers, slowly tugging the ribbon apart. "you really, really didn't have to do this. i just wanted you to be comfortable here, with us," he flicked his soft eyes towards yours, and you were doing that thing you did when you were nervous - fiddling with your fingers. he wanted to grab your hands then, run his lips along your knuckles, kiss each fingertip slowly. i will love it no matter what it is, he thought to himself, please don't be so nervous.

you dipped your chin at his words, huffing a small, breathy little laugh. "well, i am, az. comfortable here. with you," you tucked a piece of hair behind your ear, and azriel trembled with the urge to gently place the delicate gift box aside in favor of gently tugging your delicate body towards his instead.

he took a deep breath then, composing himself, as he lifted the lid from the box. inside was a custom-made, silver curb link chain. one that was long enough to rest right in the middle of his clavicle. small, glimmering cobalt blue stones were hand-set throughout - only able to be seen when the light hit them a certain way. but when the light did hit them, they were stunning. the surface of the gems danced with the fragments of light as though they were on fire, alive.

this made him think of you: the light that found his shadows, setting him aflame.

his breath caught in his throat, and he lifted the chain from the silk pillow that it rested on. he loved it. absolutely, wholeheartedly, loved it. it was powerful-looking, strong. the best gift he ever remembered receiving.

now, you'd be lying if you said this present wasn't also - maybe, sorta kinda - for your benefit. his strong, tanned neck hugged by a silver chain? gods. okay, yeah, this was slightly indulgent on your part.

but, in your defense, azriel had begun sporting silver signet rings on several of his elegant fingers. you thought a similarly-fashioned chain would tie the look together nicely. this was just a product of your own observant nature. really, that's all it was.

...

azriel let out an exhale of astonishment, meeting your eyes with widened ones of his own.

"this, is - i mean. beautiful. this is - thank you," he breathed out, setting the now-empty box, and the book he'd been cradling under his arm, down beside you. he gently began working at the clasp of the chain, his movements so careful, you could tell he was trying his hardest not to break it - ruin it.

you stood up before him, taking a step so that you were right in front of his towering frame. "here," you whispered, tenderly taking the chain from his hands. you unclasped it with ease, standing on your tip-toes to reach behind his neck - wanting to place it on him. he ducked his head for you politely, allowing you to see what you were doing a bit better.

you were so close to him, and with his head ducked down towards you, his chin was nearly resting on your shoulder. you fought every instinct within your body that was screaming at you to move closer, breathe deeper, inhale his scent, touch him.

but you didn't. you held your composure, clasping the necklace around his neck - making sure to be careful of his wings.

azriel had his eyes closed, also fighting similar urges of his own. he wanted so badly to rest his face within the crook of your neck, wrap his arms around the middle of your back, tug you into him.

two lovesick idiots, silently pining for the other.

necklace now adorning his neck, you stepped back. azriel stood to his full height once more, and he peered down at you with a gaze that he fought to keep friendly - instead of one that screamed complete adoration.

"well," he croaked out, swallowing thickly. your eyes darted to the movement, watching his adam's apple bob beneath the silver jewelry.

you were fucked.

"how's it look?", he continued, his hand reaching towards his neck to trace the smooth, curbed chain.

it was your turn to swallow hard, which of course, he noticed. he fought a smirk, especially when he witnessed your cheeks growing hot.

you pursed your lips together, trying your best to think of a response that wasn't akin to a dog barking.

"it's -," you sighed thoughtfully, smiling warmly up at him, "you look very handsome," you stated playfully, hooking a finger underneath the chain, tugging him towards you lightly.

he faltered for a moment, almost stumbling into you. not because of your light tug, but because of your words. handsome. he loved that compliment - was one of his favorites. however, the one bit of praise that always sent him to his knees was being called pretty.

"so pretty, az," you whispered again, seemingly more to yourself than to him, eyes caught on his neck.

okay, so now azriel was fucked.

a/n: okay, i think this was my favorite installation of this series so far. i'm giggling and kicking my feet, and i'm the one writing it lmfao. azriel is making me WEAK, i need to lay down now. let me know what you think! thank you for reading <3

tag list: @stressed-reader @vhjlucky13 @scarsandallaz @victory-salads @weirdo-fun @topaz125 @mrsjna @lovegoodlunaa @lilah-asteria @andreperez11 @luna9876 @kennedy-brooke

let me know if you'd like to be added!

[yesihaveaobsession]

What is Love?

Alastor x female reader

Summary: Alastor consumes a love potion and becomes in love with the reader (you)

Warnings: Al is very touchy.

A/N- RAHH 🇺🇲🔥 Happy Fourth of July y'all!! To the ones who do celebrate! Consider this a gift <3

Where to start? Alastor wasn't paying attention to what was in his 'oh dear' mug. The last time he checked, there was deer blood, but the next thing he knew, a shiver went down his spine, and everything was all lovey-dovey, especially when he looked at you. His "soul mate." He thought you were a goddess; he saw you in a new bright light. He felt like all his darkness that was held within him, the weight that was on his shoulders were suddenly lifted he had a love potion.

You were totally oblivious and were reading a book in the foyer on the couch. It was a literature classic "The Great Gatsby" You honestly forgot you had it and decided to read it again. That's when he walked into the room over to you with the biggest smile. You didn't pay attention because he was stealthy, your eyes continue to move from left to right.

“Ah, there you are, my dear!” he exclaimed, his voice tinged with an uncharacteristic giddiness. “I’ve been searching everywhere for you.”

You looked up from your book, surprised to see Alastor acting so…enthusiastic. “Oh, hi Alastor. Is everything alright?”

“Everything is perfect now that I’ve found you,” he declared, taking a seat beside you, perhaps a bit too close for comfort. His eyes, usually sharp and calculating, were now soft and filled with an intense adoration that made your heart skip a beat.

“Are you feeling okay?” you asked, concern evident in your voice.

“Never better!” he replied, his grin widening. “In fact, I’ve never felt more alive. Tell me, darling, what are you reading?” He leans in closer, looking at the book. Showing him the cover and it to be "The Great Gatsby." Although he's heard of it, he wanted to hear you talk. So you were explaining its plot briefly. Alastor listened intently, hanging on to every word as if it were the most fascinating story he’d ever heard. His behavior was both endearing and slightly alarming.

“Alastor, are you sure you’re not sick or something?” you pressed, noticing the unusual flush on his cheeks. You placed your hand on his forehead, feeling to see if he was warm or not.“I assure you, my dear, I am in perfect health. In fact, I think I might be…in love.”

What did he just say? Love? Alastor is in love with you? Your eyes widened in shock. “What?”

“Yes,” he said, leaning closer, his voice dropping to a whisper. “I’m hopelessly, madly in love with you.” That would explain why he was acting weird, but this wasn't just madly in love with you. You put two and two together. His eyes lighter, a lighter and brighter red. You could've sworn you saw practically hearts in his eyes when you were explaining the book. He was under a love spell. But how.

You knew he probably wouldn't tell you so you would have to love it over. So you turned your body to face him, and he was watching your every move. You placed your book aside and scooted closer to him, your eyes softening as you gazed into his. Slowly, you raised your hand and gently cupped his cheek. “Alastor,” you said sweetly, “you’re so wonderful. But I can’t help but wonder, what brought this on?”

Alastor's expression, along with his smile, turned dreamy. As he leans into your touch, his eyes hald- lidded. “Oh, my dear, it’s as if the universe itself conspired to bring us together.”

You smiled, your fingers lightly tracing his jawline. “That sounds so magical. But surely, there must be something that sparked this, don’t you think?” That's when Charlie and Vaggie walked in, and they turned into shock.

You sigh and look over at them embarrassed, you say."Alastor is under some type of love potion. I don't know how, but he's in... love with me." You say the last few parts slowly.

"Oh. um." Charlie said as she looked at Alastor practically in your lap and his face inches away from yours.

"I'm trying to love it out of him." Turning your attention back over to him and turned on your charm. He sighed blissfully, his resistance melting under your affectionate gaze. “Well, if you must know, I did come across a rather interesting potion earlier…”

Your heart skipped a beat. "Where did you find it."

"At Rosies."

You leaned in closer, your lips brushing against his ear. “Can you show me where it is? I’d love to see it.”Alastor shivered at your proximity; his resolve completely undone. “Of course, my love. Anything for you.” He poofted it, and it appeared in his hand held empty.

That's when it started to ware of and he realized how close he was to you and he pulled away, trying not to show how embarrassed he was.

"Are you alright?" You ask. He stood from the couch straightened out his jacket and his bowtie and tuned back over to you keeping his hands on the flaps of his jacket.

"My apologies, my dear, now if you excuse me, I have some tasks that have to be done." He turned into his black shadow and disappeared. You, Charlie, and Vaggie look at each other loss of words. Alastor was seen in his Radio Tower. A part of that wasn't just the potion he actually had feelings, but he wasn't going to let you know.

He wasn't going to let you know that he knew it was a love potion and he was the one who put it in his deer mug. It wasn't just a dream. It was realer than ever.

[bahngarang]

chapter 0.0 ☆ end of beginning

ss: 11

wc: 469 (nice)

cw: mentions of + jokes about car accidents, mentions of comas, medical inaccuracies probably, angst, graphic description of pain? idk i'm just writing what a flare-up feels like to me

the main thing yn felt was pain. pain in her knee, pain in her jaw, and pain everywhere else. the meds barely took the edge off.

thankfully, her parents had managed to get her a private room, so yn didn't have to listen to other people, but in a way it made this whole thing worse. maybe it would have been a little better if she didn't feel so alone in her grievances.

she just wanted to sleep, to get away from reality for a little bit – but being away from home, in hospital of all places wasn't helping. the weird, bleach-y smell lingered in her nose, and the irregular beeping of her vitals was drilling a hole into her skull. not even holding the pathetic excuse for a pillow over her ears drowned it out. it was too uncomfortable a position anyway, especially since yn could only lay on her back so she didn't put pressure on her knee, or her jaw, or the many other injuries she'd sustained from the crash. the restlessness gradually seeping into her bones didn't help anything either, and yn knew it would only get worse over the months she'd need to heal.

at first, yn hadn't realised why she'd woken up in hospital, to a jaw wired shut, and a leg brace, and pain burning up her insides.

and then, she remembered.

crossing the road, alone, in the dark. the screeching of the tires as the car rounded the corner. standing, frozen, like a deer in headlights, and the blinding pain that spread like lightning through her body as she hit the ground, before blacking out.

due to some cruel twist of fate, she'd woken from her coma on what would have been her day off from training. all in all, not the most innocuous of days, but it meant that chan was there. him and his little, worried face, wasting his time on her. although, yn supposed it was better that she'd woken up then, so that he didn't have to spend the whole time just watching her, unconscious. and, well, it was nice having a friend around during the panic of the first moments of wakefulness.

but now, she was alone again. nothing to do but try desperately not to think about the accident, or the pain, or chan's little, worried face… it didn't really leave much. and those things were pretty hard not to think about when it felt like the images kept resurfacing in her head in a constant loop, a grim picture book, over and over – and the pain, a cloying caramel clogging up her insides and sinking its claws into her body, flames blazing.

yn just wanted sleep. but tonight, sleep was not her friend. and, to her reckoning, it wouldn't be for a long while.

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taglist (3/50): @sunfk88 @estella-novella @boo-ven9eance

[hyunsvngs]

𝐝𝐫𝐮𝐧𝐤 𝐨𝐧 𝐫𝐨𝐬𝐞 𝐰𝐚𝐭𝐞𝐫 - hwang hyunjin x gn!afab reader

wc: 5.3k

rating: 18+. MDNI

cw: casual sex w no strings attached, reader is afab but no gender-specific language/pronouns are used, background reader x minho, smut warnings under the cut.

synopsis: it was well established now that you were fucking your way around the frat. you hadn't intended to make hyunjin your next victim, but when you end up alone together, it seems like the perfect opportunity.

a/n: part four of our fratboy series, hot bitch summer!!! i really hope you all enjoy this bc i'm completely in love with our sweet, sensitive, artsy, pervy fratboy hyunjin <3

˚ʚ♡ɞ˚

sw: swearing, nude painting and photography, mutual masturbation, cumswapping, casual sex, a little bit of bickering, mentions of male x male sexual activity, very poetic descriptions of many types of genitals, hyunjin is a pervy little boy but still very lovely.

˚ʚ♡ɞ˚

You didn't know if you'd ever seen the frat house this quiet. Even with the red solo cups littering the coffee table, hoodies and shirts strewn over furniture, clear remnants of a recent rager, the place was almost peaceful. That was probably because it was mostly empty, though. Minho and Felix were helping out at the dance studio they frequented, Chan and Changbin were at the gym. Jisung was napping, which contributed to most of the peace and quiet. Jeongin was away visiting family, and you had no idea where Seungmin was - that man remained a mystery.

Hyunjin, however, was lounging on the couch in the lounge, sketchbook in his arms. It appeared that he would be your target for tonight. You leaned on the back of the sofa, looking over the boy's shoulder. "What are you drawing?"

Hyunjin yelped, clutching his sketchpad to his chest. "Jesus, Y/N! You scared the life out of me. I didn’t even know you were here tonight."

You couldn't help but laugh at the absolute terror that had flashed in his eyes when he looked back at you. You really hadn't meant to ambush him - honestly - but it had been entertaining nonetheless. "Sorry, Hyunjin," you apologised, not sounding very sorry at all. You reached over his shoulder and tapped his book. "Can I see?" 

"Um. No." He clutched the notebook closer to his chest. “Not this one.”

You rested your forearms on the back of the couch, leaning next to him. "How come? Are you shy?" 

"I'm not shy." He was looking ahead, but you didn't need to see him. You could hear the eye-roll in his voice. 

"Show me then!" you insisted, prodding his shoulder gently.

"This one is private, okay?"

"Private?" You fake-gasped. "Hyunjin, are you drawing dirty things? Are you a porn artist?"

"What? No!" He squirmed at the accusation.

"You're drawing nasty things, aren't you Hyunjin! It's not hentai, is it? Tentacle porn?" In all honesty, you wouldn't have cared, or judged him at all. But it was funny to play with him.

“Obviously not! I’m not Jisung.”

You snorted at his quip. “Okay, well… are there any drawings I can see?”

He pondered for a moment. “I guess so. You really wanna see?”

“Of course.” You knew Hyunjin was studying fine art, and you were aware that he spent the majority of his time in the makeshift art studio he called a bedroom, but you hadn’t really seen much of his work.

When he led you up there, you immediately understood why he’d want to spend his hours here. It was a cosy respite from the chaos that so regularly consumed the rest of the house. Strings of fairy lights came alive at the touch of a button, casting a warm glow on the space. An easel sat in the corner of the room, and most surfaces were lightly cluttered with various art supplies; notebooks, paintbrushes, pencils, as well as a few completed works. There was a vase of what looked like lavender; you breathed in and the scent confirmed it, sweet and gentle. 

“Take a seat,” Hyunjin murmured, before rifling through a pile of books. He tossed one into your lap as you sat on his bed, although you were a bit more preoccupied with watching him move around the room. He did everything so elegantly, despite his extra-long limbs; it wasn’t hard to tell he was a dancer. He sifted through a box of records, his fingers flipping through them deftly, before setting up a pale blue record player. You turned your attention to the book in your lap.

It seemed to be full of off-handed sketches. They were absolutely gorgeous, but you could tell he’d done them absent-mindedly as he observed the world around him. There was one of Felix and Jisung, cuddling on the couch. A sight you’d seen many times before, you had no doubt it had turned to play-fighting before Hyunjin had even finished his drawing. You flipped the page. A sketch of Changbin curling a weight, his bicep bulging - if Hyunjin had followed the man to the gym just to observe and draw him, you truly understood. You couldn’t help but gasp, as you turned the page once more. You and Minho, standing in the kitchen together, his arms wrapped around you as you beamed. You remembered the moment. He’d been attempting to make lunch, but you’d been rather successful at distracting him.

“Hyunjin, these are so beautiful,” you told him honestly, your heart swelling at the charm with which he captured such everyday moments.

He thanked you, looking a little bashful.

You took a break from flipping through his drawings to survey him for a moment.. He was different when he was sober. Most of the time you'd spent with him, he was near-blackout drunk - utterly white-girl wasted. He was the life of the party, really. Loud, giggly, commanding the attention of everyone in the room. Maybe he was just one of those people who took some time to warm up to someone, you considered. You didn't doubt this, but beyond that… 

He just seemed so gentle. So sensitive, so sweet.

"You're… not the typical fratboy, are you?" 

Hyunjin looked over at you from the other side of the room. His eyes were so round, so innocent-looking. "What do you mean?"

You paused, choosing your words carefully. "You're just so lovely, Hyunjin." He blushed, looking away from you and resuming what he was doing - lighting a candle? - but he didn't speak. "Some of the other boys… great guys, don't get me wrong. But they have such fuckboy energy. Not you, though, Hyunjin. You're so sweet."

"Hmm," he hummed, appearing to think on your words. "I guess so. But…" he trailed off.

"But?" you asked. "I don't believe there's a but. Not with you, Hwang Hyunjin." 

His voice was barely above a whisper, hardly louder than the scratching of his pencil. "I'm still a man, Y/N."

You blinked. "Well, I've noticed that." 

Hyunjin shifted uncomfortably. "I'm just saying… men are all the same. Even if some seem nicer."

You placed the book on his bed, your brow furrowed as you tried to figure out what the fuck he was trying to say. "What are you getting at, Hyunjin?" 

"Don't judge a book by its cover, okay? Let's leave it at that." 

You hummed. "I don't want to leave it at that. I feel like you're hiding something now, and I wanna know what it is." Hyunjin stayed quiet, although you saw his jaw tense, noticed his cheeks redden. "So, if I shouldn't judge a book by its cover… does that mean you're not the sweet, kind, artsy boy I thought you were?"

"Well, no. I am those things. I'm just… other things, too."

“Other things?” you asked. You watched him light another candle. The cogs in your brain turned a mile a minute, trying to read the situation. The fairy lights, the candles, the record turning quietly. It all felt so sensual. He wasn’t trying to set the mood, was he? In all fairness, the boys had been constantly joking about how you were fucking your way around the whole frat. And it wasn’t even really a joke. You decided to test the waters. “Hyunjin, do you mean… you’re a little dirty?”

He paused for a moment. “I suppose so.”

“You’re a horrible pervy man? Who brought me up to his room to have his way with me?”

Hyunjin jumped. “What? No! I brought you up here to hang out. And look at my drawings. I’m not trying to take advantage of you!” 

You partly believed him. You chuckled. “What if I like dirty pervy boys, though?”

“Fine,” Hyunjin mumbled. He picked up the book he had been drawing in downstairs, a plain black, very nondescript sketchpad. He brought it to you, dropping it in your lap before going to the chair by his easel, sitting down and looking away from you. You looked at him expectantly, but soon realised you weren’t going to get anything more from him. 

You shrugged and opened up the book.

Oh. He really was a dirty boy.

You'd never in your life seen such a varied array of vulvas. Drawings, paintings, doodles. Shaved, trimmed, hairy. Innies, outies. Small, button-like clits, more enlarged ones. He didn't seem to discriminate at all - the man was pussy-obsessed. You flipped through a few pages, admiring the pussies like a field of flowers. Hyunjin's non-vagina art was beautiful, but he'd clearly found his calling here. 

“So you are a porn artist?”

Hyunjin glared at you. “It’s not porn,” he said scornfully. “It’s art.”

"But, you must watch a ton of porn? For research?" The air quotes you put around research earned you a scathing gaze.

"I don't watch porn at all," Hyunjin stated with a roll of his eyes. "And ninety-nine percent of the time, when guys say that it's a lie. But I'm the one percent, promise. I mainly use erotic photography, for references. Or paint from memory."

"From memory? You must be some kinda pussy expert." 

"Well, you're a dick expert, from what I've heard," Hyunjin murmured, just a little too loud to be under his breath. 

You couldn't help but cackle. "God, you're a bitch." 

Hyunjin smirked, before reassuring you, "I'm not judging, by the way. By all means, keep going."

"Thank you for giving me your permission, Hyunjin."

"Not what I meant and you know it." 

You shrugged, and returned to flipping through the book. "I like this one," you mumbled. The model's legs were parted, dainty fingers spreading their labia. Stretch marks streaked across their inner thighs, pubic hair wild and untamed. These drawings, they were all so real. It made you wonder what you'd look like, through his eyes. How would he draw your lips, what would your clitoris look like sketched out by his hand? How would he look, as he painted your most intimate area? Would he study you closely? Would he lick his lips in concentration, would he peer at you as he tried to envision how you felt, tasted, smelled? Would he touch himself, later, thinking about what's between your legs?

You decided to cut to the chase. 

"Have you ever had a live model before?"

Hyunjin looked like he was about to combust. He looked at you, mouth agape, and you could tell he was trying to determine whether he'd heard you correctly. "I've… I've never had the opportunity." 

You smiled at him sweetly. You loved the way he made you feel as though you were bestowing a blessed opportunity upon him. You had blown his mind with the mere implication that you might let him see you naked. 

"Do you want a live model?"

He nodded, still looking absolutely bewildered that you'd even offer. You didn't know why he was so surprised - you didn't exactly have a representation as a prude. You had openly fucked three of his friends in the last week, and here he was, utterly mystified by the idea of simply looking at your pussy.

You laughed at him, gently. "C'mon then, artist. Get your easel."

"Right - yeah. Let me just - get everything set up." 

Hyunjin turned, and you saw how hurried his actions were as he rooted through drawers, gathering his supplies. You supposed you'd better get yourself ready, too.

"You don't have to do this, you know," he told you, raking through a box of pencils.

"I want to." God, you really did. The rumours were true; you were, in fact, looking to conquer the entire fraternity. 

Hyunjin picked up his easel from the corner of the room, and finally turned back to you. "Oh. You're… naked."

You looked up at him from the bed, where you perched on the edge with your legs crossed. "Well. You're painting my pussy." 

He looked absolutely lost. "I didn't expect to see your… I didn't know you'd take your shirt off." 

You chuckled. "What am I, Winnie the fucking Pooh? Anyways, I didn't think you'd be so surprised by nudity, given the fact you draw genitals as a hobby." 

Hyunjin merely nodded, before setting the canvas on the easel and spreading numerous pencils and what looked like oil pastels on a small table beside it.

"Hey, Hyunjin. Look at me for a second." He did, hesitantly. "Relax a little, okay? It's all fine." 

He nodded again. "I know." He didn't sound sure. He was clearly nervous, which was understandable. But you wondered what it was, exactly, about the situation that was stressing him. Was he overthinking whether this would lead to sex? He wanted it, you could tell. Surely he knew that you wanted it too? Maybe you'd need to make your intentions clearer.

You sat quietly as Hyunjin worked. He brought a small lamp over, positioning it beside the bed. You watched as he tied his hair into a messy bun at the nape of his neck, gathering a few strands that had escaped and tucking them behind his ears. He was so pretty, even when he wasn't all dolled up.

"Okay," Hyunjin breathed. "Ready when you are." 

"Where do you want me?" you asked, and yet again, he looked ready to explode.

"Anywhere's fine. As long as I can see it - you." He cleared his throat. "As long as you're comfortable. That's the most important thing."

You leaned back on your elbows, and slowly spread your legs. Hyunjin looked upon you, mesmerised. His eyes were sparkling. This was how a man would look at a work of art, Michelangelo's David perhaps. This was how a man would gaze out across Nepal, having reached Everest's peak. This was how a man would look upon a real, honest-to-god miracle, a biblically accurate angel come to deliver the news that he is the messiah. That was how Hwang Hyunjin looked at a pussy. God, he really was a perv.

After minutes of scrutiny, during which you'd never felt so fucking visible, he turned to the easel and began his sketch.

He spoke up again, after a few minutes of working. “I don’t mean to overstep, but…”

“You just spent at least three straight minutes staring directly into my vagina,” you stated. “Say whatever you wanna say.”

“What’s actually going on between you and Minho?”

You wished you knew how to answer that. “I guess it’s hard to explain. We haven’t really discussed anything properly.” You thought for a few moments. “I’m sleeping around, obviously, but at the end of each day, I go back to him. That’s all there is to it, really.” 

He peered over at you, curious. “So, it’s true then?”

You looked back at him. “What?”

“You’re sleeping your way around the frat?”

You shrugged. “Yeah, I guess so.”

“And you’re having fun?”

“Well, obviously. You’re all hot as fuck,” you admitted outright. 

Hyunjin nodded. “I get it. We’re a pretty fun group of guys to fuck. You haven’t fucked Seungmin yet, right?”

You blinked at him. “No. Not yet… to be honest, I don’t know if Seungmin’s even interested.”

Hyunjin waved a hand at you, dismissing your concerns. “Seungmin’s just like that, don’t worry. Anyways, look forward to it - that’ll be a fun one.”

You raised an eyebrow at him. That seemed like a strange thing for a man to say about his friend. Unless… “You sound like you’re speaking from experience, Hyunjin.”

“Duh,” Hyunjin said, as if it was obvious. “You said it yourself, we’re all hot as fuck. Most of us fuck around with each other, from time to time. It’d be a wasted opportunity if we didn’t, really.”

You took a moment to absorb this. You couldn’t believe neither Felix nor Jisung had ever mentioned this to you. Traitorous bastards. They’d been fucking around with their stupid hot friends this whole time, and hadn’t even invited you to watch, or join? They were sick in the head, both of them.

You went quiet, letting Hyunjin sketch. 

There were many beautiful things in this world. Sensual, erotic, carnally beautiful things. The curve of an erection, the tightly-wound curls at its base, heavy hanging balls which almost looked like a heart, when caught in the right position. But this? Hyunjin, leaning over his easel, chewing on his lip as he deliberated over the perfect way to capture you on page. This was something else. This was beauty redefined.

It occured to you that it was impossible to hide anything from him. This took wearing your heart on your sleeve to a new level. He was privy to every one of your desires; he'd see liquid arousal drip from your hole, he'd watch as your clit slowly swelled. And if he took a moment to look away from your pussy (although he was so completely entranced that you didn't know if he'd be capable of it) he may even notice your nipples hardening, your pupils blown out with desire. He'd see just how much you wanted, needed him.

Although, by the looks of it, he was starting to get rather needy himself. His sweatpants were tented, though he was clearly trying to hide it, forearm draped over his crotch. You watched intently, trying to gain as much intel as you could from your obscured view. It looked big - that was about all you could gather.

"Maybe you should just take those off," you chanced. 

Hyunjin looked at you, surprised.

"Your trousers. They look like they're getting a little uncomfortable. And maybe it'd be less weird if we were both naked anyways?" 

Hyunjin put his pencil down, giving you an accusatory look. "You just want to see me naked." 

You grinned brazenly. "Obviously."

Hyunjin laughed. "You are so shameless. Fine, have it your way." 

Satisfied, you watched as he pulled off his shirt. Vast planes of tanned skin revealed themselves to you, and you fought not to drool. He was far from the muscular beast Changbin was, but he was surprisingly toned. Curved biceps, lightly defined abs, sweet little pecs with the loveliest pink nipples. So many places to kiss, lick, suck. And that was before he'd even taken his trousers off. 

He stood, and as he tugged down his trousers, you could've sworn that his dick sprung back up with enough force to knock you out. You kind of wanted it to knock you out. It had a beautiful curve to it, not quite as thick as some that you'd seen recently - your mind flitted back to Changbin and his coke-can cock - but it was still undoubtedly long enough to ruin your pussy. And so fucking pretty. Your eyes scanned him slowly; the tip was the prettiest shade of pink, the long smooth shaft, the perfectly round, clean-shaven balls. He was perfect.

"Enjoying the view?" he asked, snapping you out of your staring. He didn't meet your gaze, but you could tell he wasn't too shy. He knew how beautiful he was, and he was used to people staring. 

You simply smirked at him. "Keep drawing, boy." 

You felt your clit begin to throb - you couldn’t help it. You burned under his gaze each time he looked back at you studiously. You knew what Hyunjin was like, with his art. Although you were both clearly desperate, he would continue drawing for hours, putting off the inevitable pleasure that you both craved, in pursuit of his next masterpiece before he let you both indulge. If you wanted his touch, you would have to intervene.

It took him a surprising amount of time to notice that you were stroking your clit. He was peering at the canvas, eyes narrowed. You could tell he took his craft seriously. It was admirable, but incredibly frustrating when you needed him to just turn his head ever so slightly.

"Oh."

There it was.

"What are you doing?" he asked, looking at you with a blank stare. He looked you in the eyes, rather than in the crotch. 

"Enjoying the view," you repeated, inserting a finger and spreading the wetness across your clit.

Hyunjin turned back to the canvas, apparently unperturbed, but you saw his dick twitch. You had him. You continued to circle your clit gently, letting out a soft moan as you did so.

Hyunjin snickered under his breath. "Screw you," he whispered, his hand wrapping around his length gently. Still, though, he didn't stop drawing. You watched as he stroked himself, torturously slow, head slowly disappearing into his fist before reappearing once more, all the while leaning over the easel.

And you'd thought Minho had been a master of restraint. Hyunjin was different, though. He wasn't hiding how much he needed this. He was perfectly happy to show you his rock hard, leaking cock. More than happy to jerk off languidly before you. But he was also making it clear that he wasn't going to rush into anything. He'd sit there and paint all night, if you let him.

Of course you wouldn't let him. 

"Oh, put the fucking pencil down." 

He met this with less resistance than you expected, and didn't hesitate, even for a moment. "Fine, but I really do want to finish this painting soon." He turned in his seat to face you, fucking into his fist as he watched you.

You shuddered under your own touch, fingers swiping over your bundle of nerves and sending jolts throughout your body. Your pleasure felt so heightened, as you watched the man before you. His hands were gorgeous, veins popping out as he stroked himself, long fingers wrapped around his member. His balls swung gracefully as he did so - how did he do everything with such elegance?

You thought about how he might feel inside you. His dick was so long, you knew he’d hit all the spots you needed him to. You knew he’d be princely and refined, even while fucking you. Even when he reaches his peak, when cum spurts out of that gorgeous pink tip, even if he lost his composure… he’d do it with poise.

You could hardly take it any more. “I need you, Hyunjin.”

“But I’m having so much fun watching,” he said, his voice hoarse - he sounded so fucked out already. 

You groaned. “You’ll have more fun fucking me, and you know it.”

Hyunjin grinned as he shook his head, but showed no resistance. “C’mere, baby,” he murmured, his long, slender fingers gripping you by the hips and dragging you towards the edge of the bed. “You ready for it?”

“More than ready, fuck, please.”

Hyunjin pushed the tip of his dick inside you, ever so slowly. You sighed happily; there was that feeling you craved. Centimetre by centimetre, he entered you deeper, gradually filling you up more and more. Eventually, when his hips ground into yours, when he was fully buried inside you, he let out the sweetest whine you’d ever heard. 

You couldn’t help but grin at the sound. “That feel good, pretty boy?” 

He nodded, eyebrows furrowed as he fixated on the feeling. The slow pace was agonising, the drag of his cock against your g-spot positively electric. He was fucking you as if it was an art form, as if his dick was a paintbrush and you were his canvas. And, fuck, he was a master of his craft.

“Legs up, baby. I need to get deeper.” His voice was low, strained. You did as he instructed, hooking your ankles over his shoulders. “God, that’s good.”

Had anyone ever fucked you this deeply before? You weren’t sure. Although, to be fair, you weren’t certain you knew your own name, at that point. All you could see were stars, and the angel of the man above you. He pulled himself all the way out, until the head of his dick was barely inside you, before plunging back inside, slowly, slowly. Each time, he pressed up against your cervix, and it hurt, but fuck, it felt so good. 

The room was hot, the air heavy. Sweat was dripping from Hyunjin’s forehead and landing on your skin. You were consumed with his scent, lavender and fresh cotton, You were covered in him, you felt his touch on every inch of your body, surrounded by soft moans from both yourself and him.

His hands explored your body as he fucked you. They tasted your thighs, squeezing gently. They caressed your hips, your waist, your hips, your chest. He handled you so gently, treating you with the utmost care. You could picture him so clearly, manoeuvring a delicate statue, arranging flowers in a vase, manipulating clay on a pottery wheel. He treated you with the exact same respect and admiration.

“You’re a fucking masterpiece, babe.” He thrusted hard, but still so slow. “So fucking beautiful.”

Hyunjin looked down to the site where your bodies joined. He was enthralled, eyes fixated on the sight of himself disappearing inside you. 

“Can I - shit -” His hands were shaking slightly, as he caressed your stomach. “Can I get out my camera? Just - fuck - just to take some reference photos. I need to paint you over and over, please-” His words trailed off into a whine.

You nodded. “Of course.” 

He pulled out, and you gasped, feeling a sudden emptiness. 

“Hurry,” you whimpered, as he gathered his equipment. He returned to you, kneeling before you and capturing the sight before him. You felt yourself clenching around nothing, desperate to have him inside you once more. He didn’t leave you waiting too long fortunately, sliding his dick back inside you, snapping more photos as he did so, still moving at that lazy, unhurried tempo. It drove you crazy. It felt amazing, of course. He was hitting all the right places, sending shivers down your spine and spreading butterflies throughout your tummy. But with a dick that perfect, you wanted him to thoroughly destroy you.

“Put your fucking camera away and fuck me properly,” you urged him.

Hyunjin smirked down at you. “Minho wasn’t lying. You really do get bratty and impatient.”

You rolled your eyes. “Fucking rail me before I throw you on this bed and take things into my own hands.”

Hyunjin laughed, shaking his head as he put his camera safely on his desk. “Relax, hon, I’ll fuck you.” He returned to the bed, looming over you with a teasing smile. “Are you sure you’re ready? You sure you can take it?”

“So help me god, Hwang Hyunjin, if you don’t-”

Hyunjin swiftly cut you off, thrusting deep inside you. Your words trailed off into a high-pitched squeak. Sassy as he was, he did as he was told; he fucked you hard, pounding into you powerfully. One of his hands gripped your thigh, holding it close to him, the other tweaking your nipple, sending yet more bliss running through your system. 

“You’re so fucking tight, hon,” Hyunjin rasped. So you’d heard.

“Keep fucking me, Hyunjin - fuck me harder!” You gazed upon his slender frame, tanned skin glistening with sweat. Maybe it was just because he was fucking you so well, but you could’ve sworn he was a real live angel, an almighty being. No person was this beautiful - no human being fucked this well.

“Fuck, I don’t know how long I can last like this,” Hyunjin grunted. He had a dark look in his eye.

“Cum then,” you encouraged him, “Give me your cum, baby.”

He shook his head. “Not until you cum first.” What a gentleman.

His thumb went to your clit, rubbing gentle circles into it, the perfect amount of pressure. It was pushing you over the edge, embarrassingly quickly. You felt your heart rate rise, your skin begin to tingle. Your climax was approaching - you felt it throughout your whole body.

“Hyunjin - Hyunjin!”

“That’s it, baby, let go,” he coaxed you. 

“I’m cumming!” With your announcement, it crashed over you like a wave. It exploded out from your core, white heat shooting through your entire body, coursing through your veins. You distantly heard yourself babbling Hyunjin’s name, although you couldn’t say you were quite lucid enough to be aware of it. All you knew were the fireworks spreading from your pussy, sparks erupting, setting you alight. 

“You’re clenching around me so tight,” Hyunjin whined. “Shit - Y/N!”

He pulled out, gripping his dick at its base, crying out as he painted your pussy, shooting his cum across your folds. You watched intently as the hot white spurts landed on your clit, your lips, dripping down towards your asshole. 

“There we go, baby,” you sighed, catching your breath. 

Hyunjin kneeled before you, also panting with exertion. He leaned in, locking his eyes with yours before licking a gentle stripe across your clit. He hummed. “Tastes good. Wanna taste?” You nodded, wide-eyed. He delved in, licking and sucking, and you moaned at the sensation on your oversensitive parts. He sucked on your clit, swiped his tongue through your folds, spread your cheeks and licked at your asshole. You couldn’t help but squeal.

He stood, leaning over you and gripping your cheeks gently, forcing your mouth open. You stuck out your tongue compliantly, waiting for the salty substance to reach you. He allowed it to dribble from his tongue slowly, landing in your mouth. 

Hyunjin pulled away. “Don’t swallow. Stick out your tongue, let me see.” You complied, and he picked up his camera once more, snapping more shots of you. Your face, this time, rather than your genitals. “Fucking gorgeous,” he whispered.

He put the camera down. “You can swallow now - I know you want to.” He sat on the bed beside you, lounging back, and you cuddled into his side. You watched as he clicked through the photos he’d taken; your dripping wet pussy, his dick teasing your entrance, burying itself inside you. Cum dripping down your clit, decorating you. Your face, eyes hazy, looking beyond fucked-out, tongue coated in the tangy mix of Hyunjin’s cum and spit. 

“We should blow this one up and hang it in the hall,” Hyunjin remarked. 

You snickered weakly, tired as you slumped against the man. “You boys would like that, huh? You’re all obsessed with me.”

“And for good reason. I see what the hype is about.” Hyunjin kissed your forehead softly. It was so tender - this was a no-strings-attached hook-up, nobody was under any illusions here. But it seemed that everything he did, every action he carried out towards anyone, was so filled with love.

“Hype? What do you guys say about me, when I’m not here?”

“That would be telling,” Hyunjin responded slyly. “Let’s just say, you’ve gotten some pretty good reviews.”

You yawned. “That doesn’t surprise me.” 

“Who’s next then, hm?” he asked.

“That would be telling,” you responded with a mocking tone. “I’m tired. You want me to stay here tonight, Hyune?”

“It’s okay, hon. Go crawl into Minho’s bed, he should be home soon.” 

You sat up, kissing Hyunjin’s pretty, plump lips. “Thank you for giving me a good time tonight, Hyunjin.”

He smiled. “Thank you for being my muse.”

˚ʚ♡ɞ˚

When Minho returned home to find you curled up in his bed, you were barely awake, but still hanging on to your consciousness.

“Hey there, sleepy.”

“Hey, Minho.”

He paused, looking at you, eyes narrowed. “I know that smile. Who have you been with tonight, then?”

You gave him a smug grin. “Guess.”

“Not Jisung again?” He got into bed beside you, looking amused as he wrapped his arms around your frame. “You haven’t even showered, babe. I can smell Hyunjin on you.”

“You’re so good at this game,” you said, your voice slurred with tiredness.

Minho pulled you closer, kissing your neck from behind and making you sigh contentedly. He pulled you closer, and you felt his length press into you from behind - was he getting hard, thinking about you and his friend together? Was he imagining fucking you, with the scent of Hyunjin’s sweat still marking your skin?

He whispered in your ear, confirming your suspicions. “Are you too tired for another round?” 

You turned around in his arms, eyes twinkling. “Never.”

˚ʚ♡ɞ˚

taglist: @moasworld @hopefulrascalstatesmantoad @queenofthegardengnomes @boomfrogg @hoeinthehouse @msaddictions @sunnyhonie @hizliyuruyen @jyu037 @jouoy @drhsthl @seungincore @jellylver @veedoesntknaur @meloncremesoda @k-poplv @livieloo914 @fekixfmp @fawnpeaks @minnielvr @imastraykidsfan @hanjisung2023 @hoelynecujoh @kyrviu @sxgeofprohets @everydreams-penumbra @chaneomma @kkissreol @phtogravi @secretjj @princelingperfect @personawthai @dirah-h @straykids5star @luvhyux @chuuswifereal @stg110 @cookiesandmilfx @number1seungminstan @skzswife @starsandrqindrops @poody1608 @cutiespaghetti @hwa-0403 @i8rsie @kpopsstuffs @everyonehatesshani @han8ul @velentine143 @vixensss @cuddlehye @sheeshhhhfelixsworld @angeldhd @comicnerd557 @leeknowfz @imwithurmother @hrtsformin @maknae00 @teaholic @ficrecnctskz @tasteskz-sworld @ilychee08 @thehomotron8000 @romynochill @freckleboilix @yunhorights

[kaciebello]

 Bring a scythe to a sword fight

Masterlist Luke Castellan x Hades! reader (implied, fem) Percy Jackson x Hades! reader (platonic) Summary: The reader is gradually suspicious, not believing Clarisse is the lightning thief  Warning: Angst?, no use of y/n authors note: Idk, I kinda blacked out writing this, sorry if it does not make sense. English is not my first language so I am sorry for any mistakes beforehand. Proofread by me and me only :( Word count: 1.6k

Ever since Poseidon claimed Percy and he was moved to cabin 3, the camp became lonely. He eats at his own table, gets to choose his camp activities, and calls ‘ lights out ‘ whenever he feels like it. The other campers think he's a monster magnet now. Most people avoid him, and even Clarisse stays clear of him. Only 4 people in this camp don't seem to be afraid of him. Grover, they often pick strawberries together. Annabeth, who took it upon herself to teach him ancient Greek. Luke, who still gives him sword lessons, although they are now more of one-on-one sessions. And the girl Luke seems to have heart eyes for. She mostly hangs out around them when they are training. Such as now.

Luke, was not going easy on him, as always. But Percy was still on his feet, meaning he was improving. Or that is what he believed in before Luke managed to tap the back of his knee and make him fall. A frustrated groan leaves him when Luke's sword touches underneath his chin.

“Giving up?” Luke asks and moves the sword away, extending his hand to Percy. He takes it and gets up. Percy can't help but curse a little.

“Don't worry bubble boy, Castellan is just a show-off, you're doing great.” Says the girl, who was sitting on a rock this whole time, nose in some sort of book he did not recognize. Scoff leaves Luke as he puffs out his chest. Percy picks up his sword and turns his whole body to the girl.

“I'm not really sure of that.” He says, hesitant.

“Trust me, once you take on one of the other campers you'll be alright, Lukes is just hardcore when it comes to it.” She says, putting her book down and getting up, stretching her body.

“ How about we give Percy a break. Why don't you fight me? A little spar?” Luke says and walks to the girl, offering a sword to her. Her face twists in disgust and pushes it away. Laugh just leaves his friend before he turns to Percy in the fastest way possible.

“ She claims I'm hardcore, but the truth is, I've never seen her with a sword in her hand,” Luke says, smirking when he hears the girl scoff. Percy's eyes widen.

“You don't fight?” He peeps out, higher than he wanted to. She just shook her head.

“I'm a healer, I don't fight. And I certainly don't play with swords” She says and flicks her hand. Luke rolls his eyes when she sticks her tongue at him.

“How do you survive capture the flag?” Percy asks, he's still not sure he understands the game. He also notices his friend now sitting down and decides to sit down on the floor as well. She, again, shakes her head.

“ I don't play, I stay in the med tent.” She says sitting down next to Luke. Although to Percy it looked like Luke dragged her to him more. He wondered if he could also do that. Just not play. Although Luke probably wouldn't let him. Percy spaces out, not noticing the older campers sitting now a little bit close to anyone's liking, giggling. He also does not notice Annabeth heading their way. But in his defense, she could have been wearing her Yankee cap, he would not know. Her voice snaps him out.

Turns out she was not there to laugh at Percy's poor fighting skills, nor was she there to spy on his progress. Luke was needed, ‘counselor duties’ she said. Completely ignored the fact the other two campers there were technically counselors of their cabins too. Luke told them both he would see them at the bonfire and followed Annabeth back to the camp. Leaving the two forbidden kids alone.

“Ya know,” she says. “I could beat him.”

“What?” Percy turns to her.

“I could beat him up in a sword fight, I just chose not to.” She says getting up, and picking up her book. Percy just gives her a confused look and she sighs.

“ You could too, with time I mean.” She extends her hand to him and helps him up. “We are children of the big three, Percy. There is a reason why they promised to stop having us. You and I, by default, can be the strongest people here. Even someone like me can beat the best swordsman in the last 300 years in his own game. You just need time.” 

Till now Percy thought he was the only one. I did not accrue to him that she may understand. Now that he thinks about it, Percy can count on one hand that he has seen her interact with other campers, not counting Luke of course.  Percy now realized he wasn't alone in this lonely life of Poseidon's son. She is, kinda, his family now too.

—

“ We know who’s the lighting thief.” Says Percy on the other side of the Iris message. She and Luke were just in Chiron's office discussing what to the with the other campers, as they started to take sides.

“How do you know?” “Who?” They say simutainlusly. She looks at him weirdly for a second, thinking that that's not an appropriate question. Percy and Annabeth ramble about meeting Ares, he says something about Ares knowing who the lighting thief is and protecting him.

“ His favorite daughter. Clarisse is the lighting thief.” Luke finishes Percy's thought.

“Nonsense, Clarisse would not do that.” The girl defends her. She may not like the girl very much, but her being the lightning thief is ridiculous. Luke just gives her a pointed look and promises to tell Chiron. Percy turns to say more, but the iris message ends. Luke looks at her softer than he expected.

“ I don't think we should tell Chiron anything.” He says and takes her into a hug. She wrapped her arms around him and they swayed from side to side. Nodding in agreement.

“ If we go by their deductions, it could be anyone. I mean think about it. You would not be in the clear either. Who else than Hermes's son, the god of thieves, to steal the lighting bold.” She was just saying her thoughts out loud. However, Luke's hug tightens. He narrows his eyes and she can see the anger that shows up whenever someone mentions his father. 

“ I did not mean it li th-”

 “ Or you, who better than a daughter of Hades, someone who hates both Poseidon and Zeus.” Luke cuts her off. His eyebrow rose, wanting to see her reaction. She sighs and wraps her hands around his neck. Her comment was not meant to hurt him, but she knows she went overboard and decided to stay silent. Her fingers tangled in his hair, tugging a bit. His eyes close for a minute. She went to play with the camp necklace hanging on his neck. When he opened his eyes again, the hatred was gone.

“Come on, I'm sure someone needs medical assistance.” He says and makes his way out of the office.

“The Apollo kids can do that.” She says but follows him nonetheless. A laugh escapes him. They stop at the outside porch. He turns to her with soft eyes, some would say lovesick one.

“Ya know, there is one thing I did steal,” he says. She just gives him a confused look. “ Your heart.” 

A smile spreads on his lips as she groans. He turns around and walks down the little porch. She stops him when he gets to the bottom.

“Luke.” He turns to her with a hum.

“Whose side are you on?” She asks him, looking down at him from the top of the stairs. He was hesitant to answer, so she continued.

“ Percy or Zeus?” He just smiles, takes her hand, and helps her down.

“ I don't side with gods.” He says.

—

Before Luke could strike Percy something blocked his sword. When he looks up he sees her. Before he can react, however, a dagger is thrown his way and he dodges it. Looking that way he sees Annabeth take off her cap. This is not how it was supposed to go. 

“Annabeth…” He breathes out. They were not supposed to be here. He was supposed to recruit Percy. He was gonna recruit them later.

The girl helped Percy up but kept him behind her scythe. Standing in the way of any danger that could come his way. When Luke turns to her, she points her scythe at him.

“Come on, sweetheart…” he tries, but by the look on her face, he can tell it is not gonna do anything.

“ You need to leave,” She says, her face hard as stone. Luke could not read a single emotion from her.  He tries to take a step to her but she swings her scythe at him. He blocks it with ease. He knows she does not want to fight. He knows that the swing was a warning, to keep him away. He knew she would never fight him.

So when he swings it does not come to his surprise she only defends herself. Never playing offense. To others, it may look like they were just dancing, old partners getting together for a spar. It was when Luke felt the wind from the portal he realized she moved him away from his original position. He knew that Annabeth and Percy would tell Chiron right away. She was allowing him to escape.

She stood in front of him. Scythe in a tight grip. Her eyes reminded him of a momma bear defending her cubs. With tears in his eyes, he turns around and leaps into the portal. In his mind, he promises to go back for all of them.

[cntloup]

house-husband!Nanami x fem!reader

fluff, mention of an injured animal, suggestive, mention of sex

part 1 | part 2 | part 3

sometimes when you return home from work, you catch him working out and you just stand there all giddy and giggly enjoying the view, his muscles flexing and sweat dripping down his skin. and soon you find yourself clenching your thighs together as your slick pools up, drenching your cute panties which will be ripped off soon.

he still maintains his work out routine to stay in shape just in case. he always considers every possible outcome in every situation, especially the worst case scenario. so he stays in shape in case shit hits the fan and he has to protect you.

although, he does let go to some extent after some persuasion on your part. you try to convince him that there's no danger and that he can finally relax now that he's quit.

and he finally gives in to your sweet words, letting himself grow a bit of pudge on his belly which you absolutely adore and find it sexy even though he doesn't believe you at first.

but after pouncing on him numerous times and giving his belly so much attention and love while riding him, he definitely believes you.

he picks up reading again after years of neglecting the mountain of books he had in the living room which you helped organize on the newly installed shelves.

he also finds an interest in writing, letting his deeper thoughts and feelings dribble down on the paper, sensing a lightness and serenity in letting go as the ink forms the words that have been sitting deep in his heart for years.

and soon after he finds his voice, he starts writing love letters to you which make you sob, laugh and giggle like a school girl even after years of living together. and you cherish all of them and keep them all safe in a cute vintage box.

he plays some classic music on the gramophone and you both dance around the living room without a care in the world, feeling safe and secure in each other's arms, away from all the hustle and bustle of the world.

on restless nights, you both curl up in each other's arms with a mug of tea in hand while he reads to you, his voice soft and soothing, the warmth of the tea and his embrace making you feel hazy as sleep takes over and he lays you down in bed with a soft kiss on your forehead and a whisper of "goodnight, my love."

one day on his morning walk around the neighborhood, he finds a wounded puppy, probably hit by a car and left alone to die. in an instant, his caretaker instincts kick in and he very gently and slowly picks up the puppy, barely the size of his palms.

"puppy!" you squeal out upon seeing the puppy when you walk in the living room and run towards the couch where the puppy is resting, catching Kento off guard. "you nearly gave me a heartattack, love." he says with a light chuckle. "sorry. it's just so cuteee!" you say in a squeaky voice as you pick it up and nuzzle your face against it. the scene before him makes his heart melt, thinking how lucky he is to have you as his wife.

he picks up playing the piano as well, taking lessons with the lovely old woman who lives two blocks away. but you have no idea. he wants it to be a surprise. so he makes the most of his time while you're away and practices the most beautiful sonatas to play for you, his beautiful wife.

date nights are frequent and you both have a strict schedule so that you wouldn't miss them at all. you receive a text from your dear husband which says 'pick you up from work. love you, sweetheart <3' which makes you giggle. even the smallest gestures from him make your heart melt.

and on that night, he serenades you with beautiful pieces like 'Clair de Lune' and 'Salut d'Amour', making you fall for him all over again. you cry and cling to him as you sit beside him while his fingers dance on the keys.

and he makes love to you, worshiping you as the goddess that you are. and you both shed tears as you feel overwhelmed by all the emotions coursing through you, the sheer amount of love you feel for each other taking over you, profound and overpowering.

and when you miss your period, you know for sure why that is. and after you mention it to him, he's over the moon, absolutely excited about starting a family with you, albeit still nervous about becoming a father, but soon his mind is at ease after you so sweetly tell him that he'd be an amazing father.

[degenerateworm]

Video games with Wesker!

I am a video game haver and player baby, so you bet my wormy ass I'm going to make some headcanons about playing games with my favourite man!

---

Wesker knows you like to play video games. Of course he does, when often you talk with him about your favourites; the lore, your favourite characters, your favourite mechanics, your gripes and least favourite things...

It's not that Albert has never been interested in them. He's just never had the time. Ever since you started dating him you've realised how much he neglects his own recreational time, so you aren't surprised that he wouldn't know much about something solely made for that purpose.

So you decided to introduce him to it. And, because he loves you, he lets you.

---

At first, he fails to see the point in it, because he's Albert fucking Wesker™, and he has things to do. But like always, you remind him that recreational time is important for one's health, making him huff and nod begrudgingly.

After a while, he starts to stare intensely at the screen as you play, pointing out things that you might have missed, and helping you with things you may not be the best at.

Albert Backseat Gamer Wesker.

And when you give him the controller, he has a small smile on his face, quickly getting used to the controls as you snuggle in beside him on the couch.

Although he does grumble a bit about having to take off his gloves to better play. And you know that this man, a master spy and infiltrator, would know how to work a keyboard and mouse.

---

The first game I see Albert really enjoy playing, is ironically, Project Zomboid. He likes the difficulty and realism of it, plus you bet my wormy ass he loves grinding out tedious tasks and zoning out, like body disposal and loot organising.

I feel like he would like crafting/survival games the most, but mainly realistic ones; so I don't think you'd find him playing Terraria or Minecraft anytime soon. Things like The Long Dark as well, awful situations are his favourites.

Wesker likes to take the lead in these games, assigning roles to each of you and making strategies for better survival.

When Albert likes a game though, he studies it like a syllabus. You know he would have memorised all of the exploits and timings for things.

---

Sometimes he ventures out into other games, but only if they are very in depth and thought out. You will almost never see him playing a fantasy, especially an RPG, because who else would he be other than himself? He doesn't have a very big imagination in these things.

So it's crazy when he tells you he's downloaded Baldur's Gate 3, and he wants you to play it with him.

Probably goes with the default appearance of races, although he finds out how to min max his character FAST. He'll find it hard to get into the roleplay aspect of it, so he will often ask you to talk to the npcs.

Doesn't bother with the Romance options, but he surprisingly doesn't mind when you go for them. Just be ready for his teasing, no matter who you choose.

---

If you want to play multiplayer online with him though, he will be a bit cautious. You'll have to explain to him that he can talk through text chat, and not have his voice on file.

He can even use a VPN if he wants! After that, Wesker will once again relent. After all, you've introduced him to a lot of nice things so far.

I don't actually know what kind of online games Wesker would like. I'm thinking simple team FPS ones would be the ones he gravitates to first; things like Overwatch and Apex Legends so that he can play with you.

He likes to turn off the voice volume for most of it, as the characters annoy him.

Usually stays in a discord call with you, but sometimes he orders his team around in text chat.

Or chats shit to someone if they're bad. You just KNOW he would make up the best roasts.

---

He doesn't see the appeal of single player games, other than to tell a story. If he wanted that, Wesker would just read a book.

But... Horror games. He won't tell you this, but some games of this genre give him ideas.

Maybe Wesker could bring this up in his lab later on...

---

THIS WAS ENTIRELY SELF INDULGENT PLEASE AND THANK YOU :D

[thinkingotherwise]

Be My MC

prev, part 3, next

Written in 3rd POV; With fem! reader; There'll be probably one more part before continuing with the series plot. I decided to divide the part in two, so I can focus and write more about a certain upcoming event.

For the rest of the day, instead of focusing on her lessons, her head was filled with different ideas. Leaving the school, she went to the bus station and while driving to the mall, she was on her phone looking for perfect leverage. Her resolve wavered. Of course, she started doubting others who said Gamin was scary, but was she really that easy to convince that the two students came to her and explained how they perceived him, and that was it? Truthfully, (Y/n) was mainly blinded by the chance to get some feedback on her game, even before it was finished, or more like before the plot she was creating was fully made up.

'Some good conditions to help me escape. Something that would benefit me.' (Y/n) thought to herself, swiping down the lists and websites while reading about bargaining chips and needs that some other teenagers might have. Head low and eyes on the small screen, she walked to the bookstore and toward the English books section.

She looked slightly up to see the second part of the book she had, her hand reached out and grabbed the book at the same time as someone else. Their fingers overlayed and she put her phone down to fully concentrate on what was happening. "Hello". The voice came from beside her and she gasped, her body jolting after immediately recognizing it. "Dammit..." She muttered to herself before her gaze moved to him. Her hand quickly dropped from the book, and she took a step back. "Are you also getting the book? I heard that this one is good to study from." He said, picking up the book and observing it from each side. He held it out for the girl and she took it, carefully watching as he reached for the next copy. She raised her eyebrow realizing he wanted to use it as study material. From what she remembered, he wasn't the smartest, to say it kindly, yet he wanted a book that had CSAT-level exercises.

Her eyebrows drew together in confusion, lips tightening as she asked. "Are you sure you want this book?" After the words left her, she realized the mistake and quickly continued, hoping he wouldn't get too angry at her. "I mean it's kinda complicated, and there are for sure some other books that would match the speed at which you learn and the knowledge you already have." Her hand moved around pointing at other bookshelves below, and his gaze moved with her hand. "Won't it be good enough? I already got the first part, although it was a little confusing." His voice was light as he pondered out loud, looking at her in question. She didn't know how to answer that in a nice way. "I mean, it is a CSAT-level book." She commented with hesitation. "If it confuses you, maybe try something with a lower level. I used this one-" She pointed at a book right next to him "-before moving to this one." A little tap was left on his book. "I got this one." Gamin replied eagerly with a small smile. The girl looked at him, raising an eyebrow in slight disbelief. "Did you understand it? Solved all the exercises."

That was a great question, seeing as the boy's smile fell. (Y/n) took a deep breath and squatted down searching for a specific book. Seeing his reaction, she already knew he didn't solve anything. Well, didn't solve it correctly. It was hard to believe that with all the eagerness to study and all the commitment to have a study group, he was so lacking in knowledge. She wasn't yet aware how truly lacking he was.

When she finally noticed the book she was searching for, the girl took it and straightened up. "Okay, this book is quite easy to understand and has a lot of exercises, so you can try the theory in multiple ways. I used it, like two years ago. What level is your English? B1?" (Y/n) explained, words falling quickly out of her mind as she observed him. He hummed to himself in thought, his hand reaching for the book she held but she didn't let it go. "Uhh.. probably." He muttered and seeing her intent gaze, he nodded repeating more confidently. "Yes." She didn't believe him at all. His puppy eyes stared into her, blinking slowly. She sighed after a while and let go of the book, so he pulled it closer to himself. The girl turned around and walked to the cashier. He followed her step by step.

"I thought you said you don't study." His voice echoed from behind her. "Did you change your mind? Will you be joining us?" The sudden joy in his tone was a little irritating, especially when asking that question. "I'm working on my English because I need it to read coding documentation and because the materials I'm searching for are mostly in the language." She didn't really know why she replied to him but he took it as an invitation to quickly step by her. "And about the study group?" He asked once more, and she side-eyed him while she paid for her book. "I thought about it-" "And? Please, it will be great if you join us."

(Y/n) realized that he didn't know when to stop. It really irritated her, so much so that she forgot about what she thought of him just a few days ago, and how scared she felt. "Fine, fine. I'll join." She said exasperated, throwing her hands out as she turned and made him stop. "Really?" The smile that bloomed on his face made her warm, a little bit too warm. "I'll join your study group, so please stop asking." (Y/n) confirmed before adding. "But-" She stopped to emphasize, "only under the condition that..." That was problematic, she still was searching for the perfect leverage, and her mind ran through all the possibilities until.. yes, that would be perfect. "You help me find a boyfriend." "Boyfriend? Sure, no problem." She widened her eyes at his quick reply. Did he not understand her? "But you really will join us." He stepped closer to her, his bag bumping into hers. She didn't take notice of this as it was now her turn to confirm. "Yes, I will, but you got my condition, right?" He eagerly nodded, thinking it wouldn't be so difficult. Although he spent most of his time in middle school studying, he knew that some of his classmates dated and still got good grades. That was enough of proof that he would help her because it wouldn't disturb her, and she could both date and study with them.

On their way home, they found out they would be taking the same bus, although (Y/n) had to leave a few stops earlier. During the drive, she asked him about what were subjects he needed help with. "All of them." His reply was followed by a thoughtful hum on his side and an open mouth from hers. "O-okay." She replied, having some difficulty grasping the answer. "Wait, so what was your score on entrance exams?" The girl wondered curiously. "25 altogether." His voice was more quiet as he muttered that, a little ashamed of his score. She had to do a double-take looking into his eyes to seek confirmation. Noticing how sad he looked with the score, she breathed out and nodded to herself. Yeah, getting him to do better would be quite the task. At that moment, she understood why he was so eager to study and form his little group.

That night, she actually had trouble falling asleep, and not because of horrible nightmares. She was conflicted by her dreams, maybe it was because she didn't expect Gamin to be so excited about studying, or really just more attractive than half the guys in school. She would be a liar not to admit it, and she was aware of it the moment she saw him in the library. After talking even more with him than she had expected, she realized, and maybe finally just let it fully sink in, that he wasn't all that scary and offensive as the rumours made him be. He was actually a little dumb, kind of clumsy and dense but in a cute kinda way.

Oh God, the night thoughts were slowly getting to her. They really weren't good for her.

[whenlilyfallsinlove]

jolene part 3

you guys the love for this series (which wasn't even meant to be a series!) is insane!!! tysm to everyone who has read it! tags for people who wanted a part 3: @girllety @simping4-2manyppl @penny-exe @hisparentsgallerryy @superxovas

"it's done. it's over." your voice interrupted remus from his book, after hearing your voice he looked up to see you. you looked.. dishevelled? and quite out of breath. that was probably because you had sprinted to the library as fast as you could, as you knew remus would be there.

ever since the night of the party, you had felt closer to remus. like he understood how you felt, more than james could for sure.

"you what?" remus responded. he was hoping you meant that you and james were done, but he scanned your face, and there were no signs of sadness, so surely you couldn't have meant that?

"me and james?" you said, looking at him like he was an idiot.

"WHAT?!" remus shouted, a bit too loudly, resulting in madame pince sending a dirty look your way. you were.. done? is it bad that his day had suddenly got better?

"yeah." you sigh, and take the seat beside him. you itched your chair close to him, probably so you didn't get kicked out of the library for speaking too loud. the closeness of the two of you, however, made remus' breath hitch.

"merlin.. are you.. are you okay?" he asked you, more quietly.

"i mean.. i suppose. i'm sad because i loved him but i was the one to break up with him.."

"you broke up with him?" remus interrupted, eyes widened.

"why is that such a surprise to you?" you teased.

"it's not it's not, sorry, carry on." he said frantically, a bit flustered.

"i told him.. that it was obvious that his heart wasn't with me.. and i didn't want to be in a relationship with someone like that." you recount.

"what did he say?" remus asked, he knew that he would probably get whatever james' perspective was later that night.

"he denied it, the tosser. we all know it's true. i even told him i wouldn't be mad about it!" you shake your head.

"i would be mad about it." remus said.

"yeah i would've been, but i wasn't going to tell him that." you chuckle.

"fair enough." he smiles at your laughter.

"then i.. i think i did something stupid.. i told him it'd be okay if he liked lily." you mutter.

"y/n, why on earth did you do that?" remus looked at you, exasperated.

"because!" you put your hands up, defensively. "i just.. i don't know, i'd feel better about it if we both moved on."

both moved on. both moved on. both. what did you mean by that? were you ready to move on? no surely, you couldn't be. if james moved on, would you? no no. wait. lily was one of your close friends, by giving james permission to like her, then maybe.. james would let him date you? a million thoughts ran through his head at once.

"well.." remus finally speaks, clearing his throat. "you're too nice for your own good."

for some reason, you felt your cheeks heat up. what was wrong with you? you broke up with your boyfriend a mere fifteen minutes ago, and now you were blushing at his best friend's compliments.

"thanks remus." you smile cheekily at him.

"it's alright, are you staying?" he asks you, almost hopeful.

"sorry remus, i can't, got a detention for "harassing malfoy"." you pull a face.

"i'll see you around though, thanks for always listening." you place a hand on his arm.

"it's uh n-no problem." he smiles, nervously.

"see you later!" remus watches you turn and leave, a small smile on his face.

~

it had been a couple of months since you had broken up with james, and you were at peace with it. although awkward at first, the two of you hesitantly became friends again.

at this moment in time however, your awkward friendship with james was the least of your worries. your favourite author had released a new book, and you were dying to buy it at hogsmeade.

the issue was.. literally no one could go with you.

"sorry y/n, i can't, quidditch training."

"sorry y/n, i'm studying."

"sorry y/n, i promised dorcas i would help her revise for the potions exam!"

the excuses were all too convenient. that left you with only on option left. not that you were complaining though, you had grown quite fond of the increase in time you were spending with remus. so much so, lily had accused you of fancying him again! something you had denied, with flustered cheeks. it did make you think though.

"remus?" you approached him in the common room, he was with sirius. james and peter were in a detention.. or something.

"y/n" he smiled at your presence.

"would you uhh.. want to go to hogsmeade with me?" you asked.

"oooooo" sirius teased, nudging remus.

"no- no not like that, i need to buy a new book.. and i don't want to go alone i just thought-"

"yeah, i'll go." he smiles at you.

"great, meet me here at 1pm tomorrow." you scurry off, feeling your cheeks burning.

oh my godric. you had a sneaky suspicion you were beginning to have a crush on remus.

"ugh lily!!" you faceplanted your bed, your head in your pillow, that night.

"i think you were right."

"of course, what about?" she smiles, teasingly.

"remus." you said, your voice muffled.

"what was that?" she asked.

"don't make me repeat it." you groan.

"no you can say it again!" she smiles.

"remus. i think i like him." you sigh.

"you're acting like that's a bad thing! remus is great." lily sits on your bed, where you were having your crisis.

"it's not.. he's james' best friend!" you groan.

"oh y/n.. that doesn't matter. james won't mind, your friends, aren't you? and you've been nice to him and gave him permission to date me. no idea why because it's never gonna happen! but still, he''ll understand." she reassures you.

"i don't know.." you trail off.

"y/n.. i think it's obvious remus likes you." lily pats your back.

"WHAT?!" your head shoots up.

"it's quite obvious isn't it.. whenever you're around he always has a massive smile on his face." she smiles at you.

you smile at her.

"I swear to godric if you're wrong-"

"I'm not. now tomorrow you need to get ready for your little hogsmeade date and-"

"it's not a date.. and.. how did you know about that??" you look at her, bewildered.

"i know everything." she winks at you, and you have a sneaky suspicion that tomorrow she was definitely not studying like she had said.

"fineeee you're the best though lily" you smile.

"you flatter me" she smiles back at you and you chuckle.

~

you admitted to yourself the next day you were nervous. you didn't even know why.. you were only buying a book. but still you had gone out the way to put extra effort into you hair, something that didn't go unnoticed by your dorm-mates.

"you look nice y/n, dressing to impress?" marlene teases you, as you made your way down to the common room.

"impress? who would i be impressing?" you playfully roll your eyes, and speed off, before anything else about the matter was said, to meet remus. he was sat, reading.

"remus?" you approached him; "you ready to go?"

"yes." he smiles at you, and gets up, following you out the castle.

"would you rather we walk or take the carriage?" he asks.

"walking would be nice." you respond.

he nods and you begin walking to hogsmeade, engaging in conversation.

eventually, you had arrived at hogsmeade. the bookshop was called "tomes and scrolls."

"would you like me to.. uh come in with you?" remus asks, blushing slightly.

"yes, thank you." you feel your face heat up.

he follows you into the shop, watching you pick up the book you so desperately wanted.

"i'll pay for it, if you want." he smiles at you.

"you don't have to." you splutter.

"but i want to y/n." his own confidence caught himself off guard.

"i insist you don't.. but maybe you could buy me a butterbeer instead?" you smile.

"like as in a date?" remus's breath hitched. you probably didn't mean it like that. why did he say that out loud? he wanted the ground to swallow him up.

"like a date." you nodded, your cheeks burning.

"that'd be.. that'd be good. not good. brilliant." remus stumbled over his words.

"y/n.. i.. like you. alot." he mutters.

"you do? really?" you look at him.

"of course." he says, avoiding eye contact.

"oh remus, i like you too." you respond, smiling.

remus was caught off guard. he had finally got what he had wanted, after all this time.

you.

and he was happy. very. and so were you, by the looks of your smiling face.

[nikipuff]

Hi hi hi! I hope you're still open for request for Adwd! Idk wheter or not to put this before or after their meeting. Imagine MC got blinded temporary and Casper help them quietly and make sure they don't know he was there. Their pet probably would know

I really like your writing so far! So I'm excited to request you this!

A Helping Hand

tags: blind reader, casper is in deep denial at first, the pet's like a bratty child but we love them anyway <3, mentions of death

paring: Casper x Reader

a/n: uarg casper content... casper requests.. save me..... i have so many ronin requests rn and this one made my motivation go up so quickly :3

Casper didn’t expect this when you told him you were injured. It was over call, and he hadn’t heard from you that entire morning. Even though he would never admit it, he was worried about you. Your screen off, your voice was slightly wobbly as you informed him that you would only be able to call for a while.

He didn’t think anything of it. Less time talking to you meant less time being annoyed by your pretty face, your teasing voice, the way that your hair occasionally fell in front of your eyes and how you would blow it out of the way with a lazy smirk.

Yet, when he went to make his attempt on your life that day (today’s plan was a falling book from your shelf), he found you struggling to locate something. Hands flying around as they tried to reach a hair tie that was on your desk across the room.

Being as quiet as possible, Casper crept closer, a sharp inhale escaping him as he saw your face.

Your eyes were covered by…. Something. Patch looking things of some kind. Couldn’t you just take them off and be able to see?

Although, he knew that if you could, you would.

As Casper watched you struggle to complete even the most basic of tasks, he made a decision to help you in any way possible.

Occasionally nudging objects closer to you, making sure that you wouldn't step or touch anything harmful. Heck, he even stopped with his attempts. And you still didn't notice.

But your little pet? They did.

They looked at Casper with narrowed eyes, sticking close to you and refusing to leave your side. It was annoying, to say the least. It took days for them to get used to him, and even more for them to realize that he was trying to help you.

One time as he was preparing you a meal, the little creature came up to paw at him, silently asking for some. And in a gesture of peace, he fed the gremlin some of your food.

Casper knew that he would have to stop doing this soon. It wasn't a good idea to get attached to you in any way, seeing as your fate was decided from the start.

But he couldn't help it, could he?

He wanted to see the way your hair would be tossed into a messy bun, your eyes tired as you woke early. How your eyes sparkled when you looked at something you loved. The sights left him wanting more and more.

Even seeing you do tiny things around the house made Casper want to stay.

Was this his life now? Doomed to love a mortal, just like one of his first friends. By doing so, he was condemning himself to the same fate.

However, you were something worth dying for.

[gracecarstairss]

Antonetta Alleyne character/relationship analysis in The Ragpicker King

Analyzing Antonetta's character, relationship, and actions/motives in Ragpicker King. Spoilers for Ragpicker King below.

Character Analysis

Antonetta is such an interesting character. We start off the book with her being engaged to Artal Gremont, and her first scene is almost a repeat of her first scene in Sword Catcher - at the Caravel. Antonetta does the exact same thing in RPK that she did in SC: she pulls back the curtain to interrupt Kel and Silla; the first time it was because Conor needed help, but this second time, it was just because she was being petty. Kel runs after her and she tells him that she must marry Gremont because if not him, her mother will force her to marry an equally terrible man anyway. And she needs to marry for a year to get the Silk Charter.

She seems really determined to marry Gremont, especially in her small POVs that we get. We see that she didn't even plan on escaping after finding out that Gremont requested the horrific "First Night" to humiliate her, and she was unable to back out of the marriage at that point because her mom was going to get a bunch of land from Gremont. And she was going to GO THROUGH WITH IT?????? I couldn't believe that she was so determined to get the Charter that she was willing to go through that nightmare. It was horrifying, actually, how she was mentally preparing for such a disgusting violation.

The only reason she decides not to marry Gremont is because she finds out that he is searching for Prosper Beck and realizes how far under the thumb of Elsabet Belmany he is. Then, she starts planning his murder by enlisting Alys's help to switch the amulets while he was drugged and having Jerrod assassinate him.

This shows that Antonetta prizes Prosper Beck, her real self, over anything. She was going to endure horrific things with Gremont because she has her goal and will achieve it no matter what - Antonetta Alleyne getting hurt in the process is just collateral damage and she believes that she could survive it. But when Prosper Beck is threatened, she immediately starts planning Gremont's murder, showing that Prosper Beck is who Antonetta really is; although it is a false identity, everything that Beck represents is what Ana is but cannot reveal as Antonetta Alleyne, the wealthy noble. She sees such little worth in her true self that she is willing to sacrifice herself because she knows it's not real, but she is so quick to protect Prosper Beck at all costs. That's the interesting thing about her character, and how she directly opposes Kel - her identity doesn't align with her true name, station, and class; it aligns with her false name and false life, Prosper Beck. For Kel, he has to pretend to be Conor and/or Kel Anjuman, which is his false identity that he has to live by; his identity aligns with his true self, Kel Saren. At the end of RPK when Kel thinks "it is intoxicating to be seen" I think it applies to both of them. Kel finally knows Antonetta's false name (her true self), while Antonetta now knows Kel's real name (his true self).

Something that the book doesn't really answer is why Antonetta decided to dissolve Beck's enterprises at the end of SC, and then 3 months later, bring him back? Due to the fact that she left Kel a warning of a slaughter on the Hill that ends up happening, I am guessing that she caught wind of the doings of the nobles, which include her mother, and that there are sinister things happening. At the end of SC, Andreyen says that he suspected something like the Shining Gallery slaughter would happen, but hoped it wouldn't. Therefore, Beck would also probably catch wind of something like that, and also because of the whole mess with Sarthe that was caused after Beck's blackmailing, Beck could be considered the fall guy and could have a lot more scrutiny placed on him, ultimately leading to the discovery that Antonetta is Beck. After 3 months, she came back as Beck because some time has passed and things have cooled off (or so she thought) and also, I think she did it as soon as Artal Gremont came back to Castellane because she wanted to feel like she had an escape. In her POV during the interstital between Ch 8 and Ch 9, Antonetta sits in the cellar of her house, looking at the entrance of the tunnels just to remind herself that she has an escape if she needs it. Beck seems like her escape in many ways - mentally, emotionally, physically, financially. Being Beck reminds her that she has more power than her station as Antonetta Alleyne allows, and I think she feels more and more powerless as Gremont arrives and demands all these things for their upcoming wedding because he "has the right" since he will own her. Also, I think Antonetta was not going to go through with the marriage in the first place, no matter how much she told herself she could endure it, I think that she was looking for any excuse to kill Gremont and shift her plan because the whole situation was just such a nightmare. She goes missing after Gremont dies, probably to lie low and deal with making sure Elsabet doesn't immediately find her and Jerrod, but also probably to make a new plan on what the hell she is going to do next. She's going to have to switch gears to get her Charter now.

Also, at the end of SC, Jerrod says to Kel "Tell Merren he's not the only one awaiting Artal Gremont's arrival in Castellane." It was my belief this whole time that Jerrod's backstory involved Gremont and that he, too, had a history with him. However, we don't find out anything in RPK about his backstory, except that Antonetta apparently saved his life and that is why he is loyal to her. It doesn't seem like Jerrod necessarily has a personal vendetta against Gremont, so Jerrod is not saying that HE is waiting for Gremont to arrive; he is likely hinting that Beck is waiting for Gremont to arrive. Then, the next time Kel sees Antonetta, she says she is engaged to Artal Gremont. It would make sense that Jerrod would already know at this point, so he's almost hinting to Kel that Prosper Beck is coming back when Gremont arrives. So, Beck's return is foreshadowed. Hopefully we learn more about all of this in book 3 so that we can understand the whole planned course of action with Gremont.

Back to the whole identity of Prosper Beck. Ana creates this identity as a man because she knows that women are not taken as seriously. We see in her POV how she resents Conor for getting to have everything he wants and for also being attractive because he is already rich, powerful, and a man, and being beautiful matters little for a man in high station compared to how much importance beauty has on Antonetta's station. We can see her bitterness about how misogynistic the society and the rules are for women. Beck is her escape, her freedom to break out of all these rules.

In the last chapter of RPK, we see not only a difference in her attitude (more angry, bitter) but also a difference in her looks. On the Hill, she is bound by a certain strict societal standard in order to be seen as beautiful. The entire book, whenever Kel looks into her eyes, her pupils are changed shapes by poppy-drops, which is in the fashion of the Hill. I'm always looking at what shapes her pupils are during a scene because it is another piece of her armor, along with the clothes. It shows intentionality of what she wants to show outwardly. For example, in SC, chapter 18, during the Princess's arrival, Antonetta arrives at the square with pupils in the shape of tears because she's trying to show that she is sad that Conor is engaged to a different woman. In RPK chapter 12, when she and Kel are in the Ochre Room, her pupils are the shapes of hearts, which shows her intentionality. Notably, in RPK chapter 26, this is the first time Kel looks into her eyes and sees her pupils unchanged. We see her outfitted in more masculine attire but still keeping her signature feminine touches, instead of her hyper-feminine appearance on the Hill. This is who she REALLY is, and Kel finally sees her without her armor in this chapter.

In this chapter, we also see how Antonetta is nervous about what Kel thinks about her being Prosper Beck, not just because of it being a betrayal, but also because Beck is her true self, and as Kel says "there is nothing more intoxicating than being known," which I think is a big part of their relationship dynamic.

Relationship Analysis

Antonetta took many risks as Antonetta Alleyne and as Prosper Beck to try to help Kel / save Kel's ass at the end of the book. She tries to free him from his Sword Catcher title by planning on giving Gremont's Charter (after they get married and she kills him off) to Kel so that he could be free of being a Sword Catcher, which I think House Aurelian would immediately say FUCK NO to that, they like to keep Kel on a tight leash, and besides, Kel doesn't even want power. It's something interesting, since Ana is so obsessed with gaining power that she thinks Kel would want it too since she knows he has none; therefore, she is trying to secure this Charter for him, not even knowing him truly, because he wouldn't even want that Charter. (Side note: I wonder if her other main motive of giving Kel a Charter is to put them on a level class so that they can actually be together without the class divide issues). She also tries to warn him at the Solstice Ball during their dance by sacrificing his trust in her, and then doing the best thing of all, which is giving Conor the amulet to save Kel's life.

Her actions as Prosper Beck are what show that she really cares about Kel and wants to protect him. She also said that she never meant to hurt him, and was surprised with how angry/upset he was and how he took her actions as trying to hurt him, because she doesn't fully believe that he has feelings for her yet so she doesn't think he'd be hurt. But he kind of ended up collateral damage with a lot of the Prosper Beck stuff, especially with how she used the locket & grass ring. We still don't get a reason why she had him steal her locket to see the grass ring; hopefully we will find out in book 3 what the hell the point of that was, but it was clear that she didn't think he would be affected by finding the grass ring. Maybe it was more just messing with his head, making him run around and look for clues but never coming up with anything concrete.

The whole scene in the Ochre Room was interesting because at this point we have to assume that she already is planning Gremont's murder (in the chapter interstitial between 12 and 13, Silla says that Alys is in the office with the "blonde girl" and we are introduced to the "little trick" of switching Gremont's amulet with a false one so she was literally planning Gremont's death with Alys RIGHT AFTER this scene with Kel. Alys would not have known about the importance of the amulet; Antonetta would've gotten the information from Jerrod after Lin explained what the amulet was. Therefore, Antonetta already needed to have a false amulet created BEFORE she went to the Caravel and enlist Alys's help to do the amulet switch. This is evidence to show that she knew she wasn't going to have to endure First Night already, so she just wanted an excuse to be connected to Kel. I find the timing random, though. I am trying to think of why she would decide to proposition him at this specific time in the story - maybe it was just the only time that they wouldn't be caught and she wouldn't be risked to reveal herself as Beck? It seems like a big gamble though since this was during Joss's party, where her fiancé is downstairs, like isn't that a terrible time to be propositioning Kel because they could've been caught so easily. In Ch 26, Jerrod does say that he wondered if Kel figured out her identity because "she has always been somewhat careless with you" and I think this can apply to this situation. I think she was probably just lonely, and wanting to feel any connection possible with the person she loves, even if she is unsure about his feelings toward her.

The Solstice Ball dance scene shows Antonetta sacrificing Kel's trust in her to get him to understand that he is in danger and needs to stop walking this razor's edge because he is going to get killed if he doesn't (and she was completely right about that). I think this just shows that she loves him & wants him to live, even if they cannot be together. At the same time that she is willing to give him up for his own good, she is also keeping him close (with the Ochre Room scene, with the Solstice Ball dance); she is warring with the selflessness of letting him go and the selfishness of keeping him, but ultimately decides on what will save his life.

Kel is in a predicament because he loves her but feels like he doesn't really know her since he has been lied to. I think that he has valid concerns but, as Antonetta points out, he gives her a hard time for lying about who she is but he does the exact same thing. I think he needs to learn more about himself as Kel Saren alone in order to feel comfortable with understanding this newfound version of Antonetta and how he feels about her; as he says in Ch 26, "I have to know myself before I know her." I think that they took a step forward when they re-introduced themselves at the end of the book, but they both need to develop separately as people and develop trust before they can be in a real relationship where they are their true selves. I think they are both so afraid to be hurt that right now, they aren't taking the full step forward to say how they really feel. I am excited for their character development.

At the end of RPK, Antonetta is in an interesting place. We can assume that she is no longer "social poison" since they found Gremont's body and it is now known that he didn't just run away rather than marry her. Therefore, is she going to have to be engaged to another Charter holder so her husband would not inherit her Charter upon marriage? Is she totally done with dealing with her mother at all and running away, as she did for a bit in the middle of the book? Is she going to try another strategy to get the Silk Charter? I'm really excited to see where her character goes in the next book!

[caitvi1room]

echoes of soulmates

This is a story based off of arcane , it is based on the two characters vi and Caitlyn , shares the two sides of their storys and the beginning of their romance , it is a high school au , it's about the two lovers who start off as friends and may have some rough patches and might end up together, yet still in the arcane universe. a slow burn story about caitlyn and vi.

TW 𖤗 - sh and suicidal thoughts will be included in a chapter but the chapter will have the warning on it. It also will have some internal homohobia / figuring out sexuality involded in it.

CHAPTER'S | chapter 1

chapter 2 - struggles of the new life

chapter 3

chapter 4

SOULMATES GLANCE

Violet was a Zuan girl, there wasn't much to do in Zaun. but vi would try her best to find stuff to do with her little sister powder and her best friends Mylo and claggor. so she would always find little hidden places in Zuan that were actually beautiful , compared to the rest of Zuan that was just dark and shady. She would do anything for them, even sacrifice herself for them, they were the only people she had except for Vander who was her adoptive father.

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who was also powders, Mylo's and claggor's. Because her and powder's parents died, killed by enforcers. leaving Vander to take care of them but honestly, he was doing a amazing job he was helping them with school, although Vander had pulled strings in topside to get violet into a nice high school, since she was into learning. She loved reading books and learning, its what she did other than hit a punching bag and protect her sister and "siblings". she was a tough Zuanite, even being 15 she looked way older than she was, because she had to mature faster than people in Piltover did who had love and didn't need to fight and steal to live vi knew she wasn't going to fit in I mean she was a Zuanite for christ sake.

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Caitlyn Kiramman, Cassandra and Tobias daughter, was the rich girl of Piltover, growing up privileged and healthy, who lives in a manor, she was an only child so she had more time with her parents even though her and her mother never really got along well. Caitlyn was more of a daddy's girl, matching outfits and he even got her a charm for her gun that she used for sharpshooting, but it was a matching charm because he had a pin on his bag that matched it. but caitlyn and her mother, they argued more. they didn't see eye to eye, Caitlyn always though it was because she didn't meet up to her mothers standers.

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She thought part of it was because she mightve been gay since she never really had feelings for the boyfriends she had , she wouldn't marry a wealthy man she would actually having feelings for , live in the manor , have a kid and grow old with him. She always had doubts like that because she had a reputation to hold up , why would a councilors daughter marry a woman? , if she married a man she wouldn't have feelings for him. She probably would just disappoint her mother even more. But Caitlyn went to one of the nicest high schools in Piltover, she was a sophomore in high school.

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she fit in pretty well because she was one of the rich girls who had many friend's and even some love interest , she was the typical girl to have a boyfriend I mean she was gorgeous, well people to think she had a boyfriend.

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today was violets first day in piltover that didn't involve stealing she was starting the high school there. Even though vi was pretty smart she had a lot of doubts like, will I fit in? , will I get bullied "well if I get bullied I'll just fight them!", she was just mostly annoyed thought because she had to be stuck in a few room's with rich bitch Pilties. As she arrived to the building the guidance counselor had greeted her and welcomed her brining violet back to her office to have a chat with her about School. "I'm your guidance counselor Mrs.Evans welcome to west haven high you are actually are first.. Zuanite coming to this school its a pleasure" she says as she hands vi her

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schedule for school which read, '-period one , algebra - period 2, science - period 3 , health - period 4 - physics, - period 5 - lunch, -period 6 - Spanish , - period 7 - band' The schedule was actual dog shit, who the hell even signed her up for those classes? definitely wasn't Vander. "what the fuck? Spanish ? band? I didn't chose those?" vi was pissed of she hated learning different languages she would rather stick to writing or math.

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"we did sweetheart, you have to take music and a language here." Mrs.Evans was trying to tell vi but would she care? no. "you're first teacher is Ms.greenbell she is in room 103 upstairs to the left" mrs.Evans said pointing violet to the hallway that would lead her upstairs. As vi was making her way upstairs she was getting just mean mugs from people in the hallway , Probably because she was a zuanite who wasn't like, then the classroom came into her sigh with the big numbers by the door "room 103, mrs greenbell maths". "great, just fucking great" vi thought to herself, god this day was gonna be hell.

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As she walked into the class the stupid teacher just HAD to introduce her. "This is vi, she's from the undercity please treat her with respect even though she's not from here" everyone just stared at vi, she was never the type to get anxiety but she was feeling it now, her hands were breaking into a cold sweat and she felt nauseas like she could throw up any second. "vi, go sit down next to Caitlyn she's the one with dark blue hair." dark blue- dark blue oh there she is, she was sitting in the 2nd row there was a empty seat next her, as she sat next to her vi still felt like she was gonna have a panic attack, she just wanted to die in that moment she hated every second of it.

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She was suddenly broken out of her thoughts when the girl next to her spoke up. "hey, I'm Caitlyn you're vi right? new Undercity student" Caitlyn said while looking at vi, something was off , she thought she was pretty yes but there was something else in her gut, no no just ignore it probably feeling nervousness because she's from the Undercity.. yeah that. "uh yeah I am , got a problem with it?" vi's tone was almost threating but playfully. "no no problems just wondering because you look like it.. kinda no offense." Caitlyn rubs the back of her neck, why was she being awkward ?

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she was never awkward with people. "what's that suppose to mean bluey?" vi was always the type of girl to give people nicknames , she loved doing it with people even in a teasing matter. "whats up with the nickname vi? i just met you isn't it weird to give some-" suddenly caitlyn was cut off by Mrs.Greenbell, "no talking Mrs.Kiramman no not even to the knew student." godamnit, caitlyn never got yelled at or called out shit. "continue after class? study hall is after this i have Mr.Evans" caitlyn said , maintaining eye contact with vi. "Same, and sure thing bluey."

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AN : `chapter 2 , 3 , 4 will be posted on here and also ao3 and wattpad , enjoy this cute lil fic i made while i was bored :)`

[yatagarasuhonyaku]

The Raven of the Empty Coffin: Chapter 3 "Chihaya" Part 2

Disclaimer: This is a fan-translation japanese-english of the original novel. The events of this novel follow after what's already covered by the anime. For an easier understanding, I recommend first reading the few scenes of previous books I've already translated.

Blog version

For the Index, you can find it HERE

Previously: Chihaya (Part 1)

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Chapter 3: Chihaya (Part 2)

“Kou, is that you out there?”

The woman playfully called out to him. Taken by surprise, Kou couldn’t help but jump on the spot. “...... Is the egg fine? Don’t you need to warm it up?”

“It’ll be fine, it’s just for a little while. That said, I’m sure you’ve been told not to come here,” she responded to him in between laughs.

In answer, Kou ducked his head down. “I’m sorry.”

“Now that’s a good boy. Come in, I’ll give you special permission for today.”

Men were not to approach the maternity shed from the very moment an egg was laid and until the nestling hatched—or so their customs said. It wasn’t like Kou ignored that, but curiosity had gotten the better of him.

Nui(1) was the only daughter of some family friends. She had welcomed a husband not that long ago, and laid her first egg soon after. Her husband was a tenant farmer and another acquaintance so, for Kou himself, it didn't feel like much had changed at all, and, despite everyone talking about how Nui was going to be a mother, it didn’t quite feel real to him.

As soon as Kou stuck his head inside the shed, he was struck by the smell of sunkissed straw. The floor was generously covered in it. After all, the mother usually spent all her time in bird form during her stay in the maternity shed. In the middle of the room was Nui. She had temporarily returned to human form and sat there with her egg on her lap, her hand resting lovingly on top of it.

“Here, come touch it, Kou. You'll be this child’s honorary older brother after all.”

Kou timidly approached the egg.

“It's so warm……” He traced the white shell with his entire palm—it was slightly rough to the touch and, when hit by the rays from the skylight, it sparkled milky white. The color was oddly skin-like.

“A baby will be born from it, right?”

“Yes! But chicks are born with no down feathers, so they aren’t exactly cute at first.”

“Oh, I knew that already!” Kou had once chanced upon newborn sparrow chicks. They were like pink lizards and kind of gross the very first time he saw them, but by the next time he checked on them, they had, much to his shock, already gone fluffy. “Besides! Nui, you took care of me when I was a chick too, didn't you? Mom told me! She said it's my turn to watch over your baby as well.”

“I see, I see. Well, Kou, you’ve sure grown up into a proper older brother.”

“You too, Nui! You're a proper mom now.” As Kou watched Nui gently caressing the egg, her eyes so full of love, he finally found it in himself to accept it. 

Ah, Nui had truly become a mother.

Ever since that incident, sneaking into the maternity shed from time to time became Kou’s new little habit. Although he was already working by helping out with gathering the cotton at his age, it was, ultimately, a cooperative effort by all farmers. Once they spread out all over the wide fields, it was easy for a small child such as Kou to vanish from their sight.

Despite the poverty they lived in, those were blissful, plentiful days. There were probably problems and struggles aplenty under the surface, but his parents did a good job hiding it all from him. At the very least, he was undoubtedly happy then.

Kou was born in Hae Township in the South—a land famous for its cotton production. It had the best climate for the task in all of Yamauchi, to the point where it wouldn't be an exaggeration to say that almost all the cotton used to clothe the Center’s citizens originally came from the area.

The landowner in possession of the largest fields in the Township came from a noble family that had been exiled from the capital many generations ago. They were known for their splendid job, expanding the arable land and improving the existing crop varieties much to their tenant farmers’ respect—to most outsiders, that is.

The reality was very different. The workers’ conditions in the cotton fields were, in actuality, beyond deplorable. The moment someone became a tenant farmer, the landowner became their ‘master’. He would trap his workforce so they couldn't ever get away, making them no different than serfs. The landowner’s family didn’t see any of them as fellow Yatagarasu and didn’t treat them any differently no matter what their jobs were—even those who worked as servants at the residence were no exception.

But the worst of them all was, by far, the landowner's only son.

He would mercilessly take away anything and anyone that caught his fancy. It could be the farmers’ belongings, or even their wives and daughters. These crimes could be worth the death penalty, and yet nobody would even dare to question him while he kept it within the confines of the cotton fields—even if his victims were outsiders.

——One day, just when their egg was about to hatch, Nui's husband was taken away.

That day, Kou had been obediently helping with the harvest. The farmers were spread out all over the fields, working in different sections just as usual, when a strange group approached from the direction of the landowner’s residence.

They immediately captured Nui's husband, who clearly had no idea whatsoever of what was happening, before starting to scream, “Where can we find this man's relatives!?”

Something was clearly wrong. Turning his back to their angry yelling, Kou secretly left the fields behind. He ran towards the Maternity Shed—to Nui.

Nui had been busy incubating the egg in her bird form when Kou rushed in, but she seemed to quickly realize something was wrong.

“What happened?” She instantly took human form for him, but Kou didn't have the slightest idea of what he was supposed to tell her.

“Nui! Erhm, some strange men came and they took your man with them.”

“...... They took my husband?” Nui asked back in a whisper, her face losing all color in a matter of moments.

“They were also looking for you, Nui.”

After hearing him out, Nui quickly stood up and took a cloth hanging from the wall. She soon started to envelop the egg with it. “Kou, we have to leave. Right now.”

“But your egg!”

Isn't it bad if it gets cold right before hatching? he tried to ask but Nui shook her head before he could. She looked to be at her wit’s end.

“Not now! They could even kill this child if we stay like this.”

Nui covered the egg with straw and wrapped it all with the cloth before she got a strap to carefully tie it on her shoulders, making sure it wouldn't fall by any means. Her work was, however, soon interrupted by noise just outside the shed. In reaction, Kou pressed his eye against a small hole in the wall. There was some over-the-top group walking on the narrow path leading to the Shed.

“Nui, look!”

Nui reeled back after taking a peek through the hole herself. She was listless, her egg still resting on her back.

“It's useless……. They'll find us as soon as we get out of here…… We have no time,” she murmured. Her entire body was shaking. “I have to do something!”

She looked about to collapse right there. Concerned by that, Kou extended his hand in a meek attempt to support her, egg and all. Then, all of a sudden, Nui's eyes opened and she fixed her gaze on him.

Wordlessly, she took off the shoulder straps and started to tie the egg on Kou’s back instead.

“Nui, what are you doing?” Much to Kou's surprise, Nui’s hands kept on moving.

“Listen. There’s a spot in the shed with a loose board. It may be impossible for me, but you and the egg are small enough to fit through there. You must hurry back to your mom’s place. Don't let any other adults find you.” 

“To my mom’s? Not to your house, Nui?”

Nui enthusiastically nodded back.

“Exactly. You must not go to my house, no matter what. Understood?” Nui asked him with a ghastly expression.

Kou gave her a firm nod. “Yes.”

“Good boy.”

Nui went to the wall opposite from the entrance, where she stuck her fingers into the gaps in between boards and pulled one of them out. They passed the egg through the gap first, followed by Kou crawling right after it. 

Just before Nui placed the board back in its place, Kou got to see her eyes one last time—tears welling up in her eyes. “Kou, please, take care of my child.”

The hole closed with a clunk.

At the same time, a man's deep voice came from the front of the shed. “Is Shouji’s wife here? Come out right now if you are!”

“Who’s out there!? Aren't you ashamed to approach this place as a man? Do you think I'm in any condition to come out?” Nui yelled with surprisingly natural-sounding annoyance.

“The wives of criminals don't deserve to be treated as Yatagarasu,” the man violently spat back, his words followed right after by a lower, calmer voice.

“Nui, come out. If you don't, we'll have to burn the place down with you in it.”

Kou had been desperately setting the egg on the shoulders straps, trying to make as little noise as possible, when he froze in place. He wasn't the only one caught off-guard by the voice—Nui’s previous dignified attitude disappeared in a matter of seconds.

“...... Master?”

“I'll ask you once more. Come out.”

After a moment of silence, Kou heard the sliding door slowly opening. In the meantime, he confirmed the egg was properly tied down and he started to move hidden within the surrounding shrubbery, sneaking around until he finally found a spot where he could see what was happening with Nui and those men.

The moment Nui left the shed, some men dressed like soldiers took a look within.

“Where's the egg?”

“I was in the shed because of my menses. I've laid no egg.”

“Uuhm,” the man responded with clear indifference.

Nui glanced at him, visibly perplexed. “More importantly, why the ruckus? What's this talk about Shouji being a criminal……?”

“Your husband assaulted and robbed a guest from the residence last evening.”

“What? There's no way! My husband wouldn't ever do anything like that!” Nui screamed, but it was to no avail.

“For a Hill Raven, the penalty for the murder of a Village Raven is death. His relatives, by association, are to be Disarticulated.”

‘Become a horse,’ they were ordering her. Nui shouted, “Wait! There has to be some misunderstanding.”

“Now, take your bird form. We don't have all day, there are more people left to punish.”

“...... You have to be kidding me! Are you planning to cut my leg right here? The Township Lord hasn't even investigated the case, has he?”

“The Township Lord has entrusted me with this case and I've already completed my investigation and assessment of the case. All that's left is catching the criminals and executing the punishment.”

The man who spoke wasn’t anything like those men who had first approached the shed, yelling at Nui. He had an air of supreme arrogance to him, clothed in an exquisite and luxurious light indigo kimono.

Nui’s eyes were fixed on the stone-faced landowner as she whispered in a hoarse voice, “You're truly monsters……”

“It’s truly a pity, but that's the law. Give up,” the landowner added with utter indifference. “If you still refuse to take bird form, I don't mind putting you down right here and now instead.”

As the tips of the soldiers’ blades turned towards her, Nui transformed into a raven with a scream full of hate. Four of the men moved to hold her down by the wings and two of her legs, exposing the third as it writhed in pain. Another soldier raised his sword.

With a merciless slash, her leg was gone.

Nui’s pained screams kept resonating in Kou's ears as he left. Never to be forgotten, no matter how much time would pass.

How he got home afterwards, Kou didn’t quite remember. He had some recollection of sneaking around, but his mind had been solely focused on not breaking the egg or being found by the landowner’s soldiers.

Then there was the sight of the wound dripping scarlet blood, and the bright light coming from the torch searing it closed. The scene of Nui thrashing around as they tied a rope on her neck and dragged her in the residence’s direction.

It all played out in his mind over and over again.

——And so, the chick born from Nui’s egg became Kou’s little sister.

Maybe it was because the egg cooled down right before it was time for hatching, but the girl—Yui—turned out to be very frail. Her eyesight too was incredibly limited, barely able to make out light from dark. While the other farmers probably intuited her real identity, that she was Nui’s daughter, nobody ever pointed it out.

Shortly after that very day, Shouji was beheaded without even a chance to explain himself. His parents were similarly disarticulated.

As obvious as it was that he had been wrongly accused, had it been known that his daughter lived on, it was clear that she would end up a horse with no questions asked. There were most certainly snitches among the farmers, people selfish enough to be the landowner’s eyes, but even they seemed to hesitate at the idea of selling out a poor little girl.

Having gained a taste of incriminating the farmers for his own sins, the landowner’s son’s tyranny only worsened and, just like that, the horrors of life at the cotton fields reached new heights. Violence became a given and the number of people turned into horses for insignificant mistakes noticeably increased.

The overworked farmers went on to destroy their own healths one after another. If they were caught running away, incapable of taking it all any longer, they ended up murdered—their families therefore made into horses—as a warning to the other workers. Then, as their numbers dwindled, more Yatagarasu would come from somewhere else to replace them immediately. Most likely, it was the Township Lord himself sending them over.

The farmers had nowhere to go, their days spent slowly waiting for death to take them. Yui wasn’t even five years old when Kou’s parents died as well. His mother had fallen ill from overwork, and his father took a break to take care of her. He was hence disarticulated and, shaken by the despair of his loss, his mother left them behind as well. Shortly afterwards, Kou’s father was taken away somewhere else. He had no idea where exactly.

Given the circumstances, Kou and Yui were, in practice, raised and protected by the whole farmer community.

Despite their horrifying circumstances, Yui grew into a cheerful and gentle girl. She would always try her best to do any job within her capacity. She would often sing while ginning cotton, her voice like that of a lark’s. Everyone, both the adults and Kou himself, adored her above all—no matter the hardships they had to go through, Kou could endure as long as she was happy.

——That is, until that bastard of a landowner’s son tried to assault Yui of all people.

She was barely eight years old at the time.

Those were actions of a beast, not a person. While Kou had wished for that man’s death plenty of times before, it was the first time he had ever wanted to kill him with his own hands. He took a rock as big as a fist and smashed the man’s head, then took Yui and ran away to the mountains.

The following days were spent drinking swamp water and appeasing their hunger with wild fruit from the surrounding trees. And yet, that was when Kou first learned of the happiness found in living without fear of violence. He was terrified of their pursuers, of course. He saw horses with soldiers on their backs fly over them many times, his anxiety skyrocketing whenever he noticed them combing the hills in search of them. 

What an irony it was, for him to find the life of a fugitive preferable to the one before.

During their escape, he had so many questions gnawing at him. What had happened to the people who had told them to escape? That man wasn’t moving at all when they left, had he truly died? What would become of Yui after this? He was so worried for her, but he didn’t even attempt to reach anyone to assuage his fears.

The Township Lord and the landowner were close friends—everyone in the area knew that much. He could tell them that the man was to blame and Yui was just his victim, but no official would ever overlook his crime. If the master’s son had died after that, what awaited Kou was undoubtedly the death penalty—and if he had lived, the best Kou could hope for was disarticulation.

Yui, as his only remaining family, would also be the target of punishment one way or another, and while Kou didn’t care about his own fate that much, he wanted to somehow save her. Time passed and he couldn’t figure out a solution to his dilemma.

Ten days after they first ran away from the cotton fields, their pursuers finally caught up to them. Kou resisted as much as he could, but it was to no avail—he was knocked unconscious and, by the time he woke up again, he was already trapped inside a prison cell. Much to his maddened desperation, Yui was nowhere to be seen.

He yelled, calling for Yui as loudly as possible. However, nobody came to him. No matter how big of a ruckus he made or for how long he kept on. From the looks of it, he was somewhere underground. With no source of natural light whatsoever, he couldn’t even tell the passage of time. Only when Kou had finally shouted himself completely hoarse, light finally broke through the darkness. Just like that, someone appeared at the other side.

“Where’s Yui?” Kou asked immediately, clutching the bars.

The man looked at him with exasperation. “You must have a lot of energy. You were making a scene for so long.”

There was a candlestick in his hands, but it hardly illuminated anything. Even with it, Kou couldn’t really make out much of the man’s appearance. “Try to put a finger on my sister, I’ll kill you!”

“That’s fine and all, but are you sure you should be talking to me like that? … Neither you nor your sister will end up well if things keep going like this, you know?” Kou swallowed down the angry yell that almost left his lips and the man gave him a subdued laugh. “Now, now, relax. We’re keeping the girl at a much nicer place than you. She isn’t eating, though. She’s apparently too worried for you to do so.”

So Yui was safe—Kou felt his body relax the moment he heard that. Still, he had no reason to be optimistic about their situation yet.

“Oh, I almost forgot. About that idiot you attacked—” Kou inadvertently held his breath, “he survived.”

——How to even describe how he felt at the news.

Kou didn’t care about his own death and he had wished for that man’s well-deserved demise so many times before. And yet, there was no mistaking it—it was nothing but relief that first came to him, followed right after by a permeating cold. It went down to the bone, rooted on the knowledge that the man still lived and what that meant for him.

If the man had died, Kou would have received the death penalty, but he lived. What undoubtedly awaited him was a punishment much more horrifying than losing his life would ever be. Although, truth be told, Kou’s main concern was still Yui’s safety once he was gone. Ultimately, he didn’t care that much about his own passing.

“...... You seem to treasure your sister a lot,” the man commented. He was clearly amused by the situation.

Kou glared at him. “What will happen to Yui?”

“That depends on you.”

“On me?”

“Exactly so,” the man answered with clear pleasure. “If you so wish, I’ll help you out.”

The man’s lips curved into a smile, his teeth peeking out and shining under the candlestick’s light.

Kou didn’t learn about it until much later, but the soldiers who had caught him and Yui in the mountains weren’t the Township Lord’s forces, but part of the Regional Guard. In fact, the place they were in wasn’t the Hae Township Lord’s Main Residence, but the place of governance for the entirety of the Southern Region—the Regional Governmental Office.

The rumors of the two siblings who managed to escape through the mountains for ten whole days were already the talk of all Southern government officials. Kou had given quite the hard time to the soldiers during his capture and those members of the Southern House who had been there for the scene had been quite taken by his talent.

“A Yamauchi Guard……?”

“The Imperial Family’s bodyguards, yes. You made quite the impression fighting off those soldiers. It would be a waste to disarticulate someone with that huge talent of yours. So, as long as you’re willing, I’ll prepare a new census registration for both you and your sister.”

“Why?”

“You were only trying to save your sister from what I’ve heard, weren’t you? The fields’ landowner, his son and the Township Lord are the ones to blame for neglecting their duties like that. Your actions are worth commendation, not punishment. You’re worth saving.”

Kou couldn’t believe the man’s words at first—it was all too good to be true. “..... You’re a Court Raven. Why would you side with someone like me, someone who has harmed a fellow Court Raven?”

“Oh, don’t misunderstand me. That landowner is a self-proclaimed Court Raven. He lost his status as part of the nobility a long time ago,” the man responded in turn. “You see, a true Court Raven highly treasures those under his wings. It’s our fundamental duty and what makes us who we are. There’s no need to worry,” he spoke gently. “There’s no higher honor for us than backing up a man to become part of the Imperial Family’s personal guard. So, do you want to give it a try?”

There was no reason whatsoever to refuse the deal. Once Kou took up the man’s offer, they let him out of prison at last, allowing him to reunite with Yui. They were dressed in beautiful kimonos, given a room in the mansion, permission to bathe, and luxurious food unlike anything they had eaten before. 

“Now that’s a lot better.” The man nodded with satisfaction as he watched over the cleaned up siblings. “Here, in this very moment, you have been reborn. We must prepare your new register, so I’ll think up a new name for you.”

“That goes for Yui as well?” Kou asked as if by reflex.

The man softly laughed. “We can keep it as ‘Yui’ if you like. It’s just a girl’s name, after all, it won’t be too much of an issue. The actual problem is your name.”

“But I don’t care about it.”

“That won’t do. Uhm, so, according to the census register, your name is ‘Kou’, right?” the man muttered, his chin resting on his hand.

“The Master gave me that name when my parents had just arrived at the cotton fields, or so I’ve been told.”

“And that’s precisely why it’ll be better to drastically change it.” The man glared at the air for a while before nodding ever so slightly. “Let’s make your name ‘Chihaya’(2), then. To wish for fortune in war.”

Just like that, Kou became Chihaya.

Their savior turned out to be none other than Yasuchika—the current Head of Minami-Tachibana, a noble family who had long served under the Southern House. Out of all their vassals, their mansion was built the closest to the South’s Main Residence and, for a while, that place was also where they ordered Chihaya to live.

“You see, my youngest is preparing to join the Unbending Reed Monastery as well. Go and learn with him. After all, if you both manage to become part of the Yamauchi Guard, you’ll be spending a lot of time together anyway.”

“Understood.”

“Good, I’ll be entrusting my son to you.”

That so-called son turned out to be none other than Kimichika. At first, Chihaya felt indebted to the Minami-Tachibana house and was determined to pay it all back, so he was obedient and submissive with him. Kimichika was a selfish and odious kid, but it was barely worth mentioning compared to that landowner’s damned son.

The Minami-Tachibana were high nobility so, outside of that, Chihaya lived without struggle. He had no complaints to give about the food or clothes given to him. At the time, he was even moved, believing that some Court Ravens too were capable of mercy.

——But the naivete of those days didn’t last long.

“What do you mean, my Lord?” That day, he and Yui had been summoned together by Yasuchika. Chihaya, however, couldn’t believe what he had to say. “Yui… to the Red Light District?”

“Now, calm down, Chihaya. I have no plans to make her into a prostitute.” Yasuchika nonchalantly puffed his pipe. “And you’re misunderstanding me. Her destination isn’t a brothel at the Red Light District, but a cathouse at the Ravine. It’s where artists

who have retired from the Red Light District live and prostitutes-to-be train their skills.”

To Chihaya, those were the same thing. No difference whatsoever.

“Think about it, Yui can’t do much here at the mansion due to her eyesight. In a cathouse, however, there are people who can teach her how to sing and play the biwa. If she learns those, she could at least find somewhere to work.”

“And where would that be outside the Red Light District? Even if she only plans to work there as a musician, if a client were to ask for her, she wouldn’t be in a position to refuse! What’s the point then!?”

“No reason for such concerns. This cathouse is backed by the Minami-Tachibana and only exists to provide for our brothels, we aren’t on the market in the Ravine.” In other words, they only took clients in the Central Red Light District. “Besides, a blind Hill Raven? No Court Raven would consider that an actual woman.”

Chihaya was at a loss for words, but Yui, sitting beside him, deeply bowed her head. “...... Please, let me go.”

“Yui!” Chihaya yelled in consternation.

That, however, didn’t stop Yui from speaking. “There’s no work for me here. It has been bothering me for quite a while, in fact. I don’t care where it is, if there’s somewhere I can be useful, I want to go there.”

“Now that’s good to hear. I’ll have you go once the preparations are finished then. That’s all I had to say, you can go,” Yasuhika said. Leaving his pipe behind, he moved to his writing desk.

The moment the siblings left the man’s chambers, Chihaya turned angrily to yell at Yui, “Why did you tell him you wanted to go yourself!? You’ve no idea what you just agreed to!” 

“But, brother! There’s no ginning for me to do here and I don’t have any other skills but singing. I also want to do something for you.”

“Just don’t do anything then!”

Yui recoiled at Chihaya’s scream, tears threatening to fall from her eyes at any moment. “Brother…”

“Just shut up and listen to me. You don’t have any idea of what’s going on yet!”

“Now, who here doesn’t have any idea of what’s going on exactly? Your little sister seems to have a much better grasp on the situation,” someone’s laughing voice unexpectedly interrupted their argument.

Chihaya was left dumbfounded. “Lord Kimichika……”

“Those unwilling to work shall not eat, you know. And the one with the authority to decide whether your sister stays here is my father, not you. By the way, aren’t you misunderstanding something?” Kimichika walked down the hallway in their direction with his arms folded. “Yes, it’s a Court Raven’s duty to provide for the unfortunate, but those they helped also have the duty to give the favor back. Yui is useless here, which means she can��t remain. She may have been told to go to the Red Light District, but does she have any other options?”

“Don’t fuck with me!” It was the first time Chihaya ever defied Kimichika. “Life has done nothing but take away from Yui since she was born. I'm not going to accept it! There isn’t anything logical about making her sell her body on top of it all!”

Kimichika's reaction was one of complete indifference. “And? Since when do your circumstances concern me even a bit? The fact is that the Minami-Tachibana house took care of you. You were, in fact, unable to survive in a place like Yamauchi without begging for mercy. You have no right to yell at us. In fact, you should be thanking us.” 

Oh, so they were the same. From the start, there was no difference between that accursed family at the cotton fields and them. They were prosperous enough, in a higher echelon than a rural clan, that they had plenty of leftovers to give away. That was the only distinction between them.

“...... I wonder. Had you been born a Hill Raven, would you have said the same?” 

Chihaya’s heartbroken question was met with Kimichika's absolute, legitimate disconcertment. “What are you saying? I'm not a Hill Raven.”

Ah, to Court Ravens, they were a different race altogether.

⊛　　　　　⊛　　　　　 ⊛

“And so, I decided to never again expect anything out of them.”

They were at the Great Hall. Morning had taken the place of night as Chihaya finished his story. After that fight, they had hurried back to the Monastery. Fortunately enough, by the time they had arrived, nobody had noticed Chihaya's absence but the Great Hall remained unsurprisingly uncleaned.

They all decided to work together on wiping the floor, and, while they did so, Chihaya finally opened up about his situation. Speaking in passing as they toiled away at the Hall.

“It's just as Akeru said—we aren't related by blood. But that doesn’t make her any less my sister and Kimichika brings her up at every chance he gets. I have no idea what he'll do if I actually rebel against him.” Yui was, unmistakably, a hostage. “But, well, at the very least, I can tell that you aren't the kind that would try anything against a woman.”

Everyone in the hall froze, cleaning rags still in hand. Chihaya, that Chihaya, had just praised them and said he trusted them.

“——So, please, don't get involved any further on anything concerning Yui.” His piece said and the work done, Chihaya gathered everyone's rags in a bucket and left the Great Hall. He didn’t even wait for an answer.

As he did so, Akeru sat on the floor. He remembered the details of the offer he had made Chihaya some time ago and he could feel the blood drain from his body the more he considered it. Nothing was more terrifying than the realization that he saw the Minami-Tachibana's point all too well.

“...... Yukiya,” Akeru called out as he traced the wooden flooring with his eyes, “you told me once before to not mistake when and how I use my power.”

“I did, yes.”

“It seems I got the when right but failed the how,” Akeru said, and Yukiya gave him a meaningful look, silently pressing him to continue. Akeru shook his head. “Saving him shouldn't be a favor.”

To try to give to someone in need, to try to save them out of goodwill. For those on the receiving end, the gesture also meant absolute alienation—Akeru could finally see that. In his attempt to help out of halfhearted benevolence, he had also acted on the conviction that Chihaya should obviously be grateful to him. In other words, he had been looking down on him. It had been subconscious—but that didn’t make it any better. In fact, that was the very problem.

Yasuchika, who asked Chihaya to become a Yamauchi Guard in exchange for his help, and Kimichika, who hadn't ever questioned that choice. And then himself, who had offered aid out of pure ‘goodwill’. They were all truly doing the exact same thing.

“And, in moments like this, only two completely opposite options remain.” As Akeru spoke on, the sun shone through the door Chihaya had left from, still open. Its radiance was blinding. “To toss away everything so I can help him as an actual equal or to knowingly commit to my own arrogance…”

Neither Ichiryuu nor Shigemaru made any attempt to answer Akeru's implicit question. Only Yukiya smiled ever so slightly before asking, “Do you think you can pull it off this time around?”

“...... I'm a Court Raven. I can't change who I am. So,” Akeru said, “what option do I have but arrogance?”

Akeru gave a sideways glance to Yukiya, who was now sporting a peculiar grin from ear to ear. “I see, then leave the paperwork to me. You'll have to cover the money, though. What budget do we have, Akeru?”

“As much as needed.”

Shigemaru let out a rather pathetic-sounding yet amused exclamation. “Court Ravens sure are as dependable as they are scary!”

“Hey, hear me out, you all better not do anything too crazy……”

“Ah, Sapling Ichiryuu, then, you aren't planning to help out?”

“Urgh, fine!” Ichiryuu screamed in answer, despair plain on his face. “I wouldn't be a real man if I stepped down here!”

“Woah, Ichiryuu, so cool!”

“Good to hear, it would be bad for mere Seeds like us to openly oppose a Sapling after all. With this, we got the requisite figurehead.”

Yukiya just said the most terrifying things with a smile.

⊛　　　　　⊛　　　　　 ⊛

“Hey, Chihaya! Hurry, we need you in one of the parlor rooms.” Chihaya’s hands stopped as he drew water from the well. It was the first time he ever got such an order. “There's a customer that's apparently interested in you.”

“Huh?” Chihaya was caught off-guard.

“Don't worry,” the man laughed loudly, “it's some naive-looking young lord from the East. He wanted to chat with someone his age working at the inn. I told him it was a bad idea, that you weren't the talkative sort, but he said that was fine with him.”

Chihaya had no way to refuse the man’s request; he was, after all, the owner of the inn they were in, where he had been working during the summer. And so, left with no alternative, Chihaya left for the parlor room.

The moment he saw the people waiting for him there, however, he nearly turned on his heels and escaped.

“Wait! Wait!”

“Don't run away, houseboy!”

But Shigemaru and Yukiya stopped him before he could do so. They were dressed as manservants from a good family, standing in front of Akeru. The boy was sitting as if he owned the place, covered in a luxuriously embroidered long-sleeved kimono. Brightly colored phoenixes were depicted flying on the sleeves, while the hakama was covered in five-colored stripes. It was such an eclectic mix, it was a struggle to find a word to describe its color.

To put it plainly, it was tacky beyond belief.

“...... Is that what you wear out of the Monastery?”

“No freaking way, you idiot! This is a disguise,” Akeru retorted back with a blush.

“He's some rich guy who suddenly got a good commercial deal in the East, or that’s the premise,” Shigemaru helpfully explained.

Prompted by that, Chihaya examined Akeru better—the characteristic reddish hue of his hair had been replaced with black and the hair itself was tied in the way of tradesmen.

“Had I chosen the clothes myself, no matter how hard I tried, the result would have been too refined. That’s why we asked for Sapling Ichiryuu's help.” As far as Chihaya was concerned, Akeru's usual clothes were just as unnecessarily sparkly as these, but he didn't bother to point that out. Too much of a pain.

“What do you want?”

It had to be something quite substantial to go through the trouble of disguising themselves to come over to his workplace. Akeru, who had been busy glaring at the phoenix sleeves with contempt, got a hold of himself again at his question.

“First of all, look at this.” Akeru pulled out a piece of paper from the breast of his kimono and offered it to him. Chihaya first gave them a questioning look, but the second he confirmed the contents, his entire body froze.

“It's the deed for your sister's custody.” Akeru spoke impassively.

“Akeru paid for it. Yui should be able to leave the cathouse now,” Shigemaru pointed out.

“We weaponized the fact that Yui was technically at a brothel,” Yukiya further explained, “We got the deed the same way one would buy a prostitute out of bondage. We snuck around to get it done for the most part, so Kimichika shouldn't have realized Yui's deed has changed hands yet.”

As the boys spoke one after another, Chihaya was left looking at them in disbelief.

“I came here today to trade with you,” Akeru said as he reclined arrogantly. “If you accept my terms, I'll give this to you. Yui will be a free woman. However, if you refuse to comply, she'll remain in my property.”

“...... Isn't that blackmail?”

“Very much so. I’m not asking for your opinion! I can't care less, either. How much do you think this deed cost me? Like hell I'll be parting with it for free, you poor ass. If you want to save your sister, you better accept the Western House's help instead of Minami-Tachibana's.”

Chihaya clenched his fist. He could feel them shake as he glared at Akeru. “Is this your so-called ‘goodwill’?”

What would be forced on them this time around? Loyalty dressed as gratitude? Free work to repay the debt? Nothing would change if that was the case.

Yet, Akeru snorted.

“‘Goodwill’? Don't make me laugh.” Akeru opened his fan in an overly dramatic manner. “Who would pay even a dime for someone as intolerable as you? You can plead, but it isn't happening. You see, I'm just another arrogant Court Raven incapable of thinking of anyone but myself!”

There was a hint of desperation on Akeru as he bursted into laughter—kind of creepy, actually. What was his goal, then? Chihaya didn’t get to ask, as Yukiya intervened in the conversation immediately after. 

“Court Ravens have their own circumstances to deal with. Let's put it this way—this is a battle between factions.” Yukiya opened his arms as wide as possible. “The West and the South are opposed, so this way Akeru has weakened Kimichika's forces.”

“They don't want you as their enemy, you see,” Shigemaru further added, pointing at Akeru and Yukiya.

“Worst case scenario, you would end up as Kimichika's underling and we would have to cross blades in the future. You're too strong, so that’s the last thing we want.”

“Which is why we would have originally loved to have you serving Akeru, but—” Yukiya explained with a bitter smile.

“—I absolutely don't want you,” Akeru followed with annoyance, his expression covered by his fan. “There's no way a guy like you would ever serve me obediently. I'm not brave enough to place someone who’ll entertain himself by thinking about murdering all Court Ravens at my side.”

“—Or so the man himself says. So, as long as you aren't affiliated with Kimichika—with Minami-Tachibana—that’s enough for us, Chihaya,” Yukiya pointed out.

“It's a bit of a pain in the ass, but apparently that's the requisite excuse,” Shigemaru added in rapid succession.

They, Yukiya and Shigemaru, both sounded like Village Ravens selling out a product. 

“Oh, and in case you fear Minami-Tachibana's retribution, don’t concern yourself with that! As long as we make it clear it was the West who forced the matter, they won't be able to retaliate.”

“In other words, these guys here just want to take care of all your worries and become friends,” Shigemaru finally said.

Akeru, who was by his side, opened his eyes wide. “Wait a minute! You're making it sound like I went through all this hassle just because I wanted to befriend Chihaya.”

“Eh, wasn't that the whole idea?”

“Don't mess with me! I'm not morally bankrupt enough to buy friendship with money!”

——Chihaya let out a deep, deep sigh.

The other three, who had been loudly cawing at each other until a moment ago, fell completely silent after that. Then, as time passed without Chihaya saying anything, Akeru opened his mouth again, slightly averting his gaze from him.

“There’s no real need for you to feel indebted to those guys from Minami-Tachibana…… Court Ravens, me included, are just using your circumstances for their own ends, making themselves look better. It’s completely normal if you hate and resent us.”

“I don’t really feel indebted towards Minami-Tachibana,” Chihaya bluntly declared, leaving Akeru with a wince. “Much like you haven’t asked for my opinion, I’m not asking for yours. I don’t care if you’re only thinking about your own benefits or if you consider me just a mere pawn.”

The entire group held their breath as they watched him. Chihaya snorted. “This is something only I can say, so I’ll take my chance to do so. What you have done may be the exact same thing as what Kimichika did, but, at the very least, you and the Minami-Tachibana people are completely different to me.”

“Chihaya!” Akeru raised his head, eyes wide open.

“The Minami-Tachibana are my enemies, but—you’re not.”

As if in answer, Yukiya and Shigemaru both let out unhinged happy cheers.

“One thing, though. I’ll pay you all back.”

“...... Do you have any idea of how many years that will take with your salary?” Akeru asked, smiling through tears.

Chihaya nodded. “I do. It may be an insignificant expense for a young lord, but a fortune for someone like me. So, I guess we’ll be seeing each other for a long time from now on.”

The moment those words left his lips, the other three gasped in unison.

“Chihaya smiled!”

“Will the sun rise from the West tomorrow!?”

“So you can smile, huh…?”

Unimpressed by their collective stupidity, Chihaya’s rare smile vanished as soon as it appeared.

“So, Kimichika has no idea of it yet, right?” Shigemaru asked quite a while later. It took time before their excitement finally died down.

Akeru harshly bit his lip. “I think I said it already but, no matter how much Kimichika protests, Chihaya and Yui are now under the Western House’s protection. He can’t put even a finger on them.”

“But we’re talking about that Kimichika. Regardless of Chihaya’s relationship with him and his house, he seems the kind to personally resent Chihaya because of some perceived ungratefulness, right? What should we do about that?”

“Isn’t it obvious?” Yukiya announced cheerfully. “It’s not like we have any other option but to face him head on to settle things, do we?”

“By facing head on you mean—” Akeru asked, bewildered.

“A fight.”

“A fight, right?” Chihaya and Shigemaru answered in unison, and Akeru’s face visibly twitched.

“It’s exactly why we went through the trouble of dragging Ichiryuu, a senior, into this mess, or did you suddenly forget about that?” Yukiya said. “He’ll be useful, so let’s gladly and wholeheartedly use—humbly rely on him.”

“Yukiya, uhm, your actual, maybe better-left-unsaid feelings are leaking out?” Akeru meekly warned him.

“About time, really,” Yukiya retorted back. “My patience was growing real thin here. We’ll get our chance soon. Now we just have to make the most of it and bring them all down in one go.”

Next: Chihaya (Part 2)

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1: Much like in the previous part, Kou, Yui, Nui and Shouji’s names are all in katakana at this point. Same reasons apply in this instance.

2: Chihaya is written 千早, with the kanji of “thousand” and “fast.” The man also uses kanji for Kou and Yui’s names, as he has access to their original census registers and can check that.

[generational-atrophy]

I'd love to see the main 8 in Hetalia coming home to their so passed out while reading a book. Extra points if the so is plus sized please! And btw your cat is ABSOLUTELY ADORABLE!!!(I have 2 tuxedo kitties myself named Italy and Romano). Please and thank you!!!

(Main 7? x Reader) Coming home to their sleeping S/O!

(Gender Neutral) Scenarios ~ A/N omg!!! kitties!!! send pics sometime!!! Btw thank u for ur continued support i know youve been here for a while and i appreciate it :3 (ALSO I DIDNT DO CHINA IM SORRY ITS 1AM AUUUGH)

Trigger Warning: None, just Fluff!

As soon as you got home, Alfred could tell something was off. Although it wasn't every day that you would run to greet him, he could count on at least a loud “Hey!” from across his home. But when he set his bags down from work, he heard no such thing.

Immediately, he tried to recall the morning you had spent together. Unluckily for him, it was nothing but a blur. You had... been there. He remembered that for sure, but if you had said something about being busy, he couldn't recall.

But that must be what had happened. Maybe he should set his alarms earlier, he concluded. But as for now, surely you would return home soon. There was nothing he could do about it, so he might as well enjoy his time alone.

So, like a child, his immediate instinct was to tear off his stiff work clothes, now wearing nothing but his boxers and a t-shirt (If anyone saw him through the window, well, that's nothing but a gift to them,) And like that, he pranced around the home doing his daily routine. Putting away his newly acquired paperwork, washing the dishes before dinner, and putting his suit away in the closet. Or well, that is what he was going to do, before he opened the bedroom door to you, fast asleep.

You were splayed out across the bed, your book still clasped tightly even as your chubby chest rose and fell. He sighed to himself, smiling softly and looking at you like one would look at a long-lost lover.

Well, clearly you had had a tiring day. It would be rude of him to wake you up now, he thought. He would rather do so later, after he's made a dinner both of you would adore.

Arthur didn't like quiet houses. It always made him nervous. Probably paranoia left over from back in the days when you would have to constantly fear for your life. But that justification didn't help. His fear remained, which is why he was so excited to have you move in with him. With you, there would always be a faint, friendly presence. But today, when he returned home from work, he couldn't help feeling unnerved.

Although you weren't spontaneous by any means, it wasn't out of the ordinary for you to suddenly disappear, off to do god knows what. It wasn't a habit Arthur particularly enjoyed, but he loved you despite it. And because you loved him too, you would at least usually leave a text message. But he had received none.

Just to be sure, he pulled out his phone and checked again. Nothing.

Well, he was dismayed, to say the least. But you wouldn't be gone long, he knew that for sure. Now all he had to do... was wait.

So he wandered into the living room, setting his briefcase down by the door before he jumped back. His breath hitched in his throat as he suddenly saw you, laying on the couch.

Clutching a hand to his chest to catch his breath, he approached quickly. But then he noticed the soft, almost unnoticeable smile on your face... the one you always wore while resting in his home. Slowly, he crouched down beside you, caressing your cheek while you slept. How adorable.

He was a lucky man, he thought to himself. He was very fortunate to be able to come home to this sight.

It was an exhausting day, to say the least. First, he was late to work, then he had to actually do his work, and then on the way home, traffic was the worst he's seen in months. So when he stumbled into his apartment, all he wanted was to see your wonderful face... and also maybe a cup of tea.

Which, when he looked around the flat, he was almost greeted by. Through the windowed doors to his balcony, he merely saw the end of your legs, propped up on an old metal chair.

“Mon ange?” He calls out to you, walking towards the balcony with a smirk.

When you didn't respond, he asked again louder, “Y/N?”

For a moment, he felt dread creeping up his spine, before he rounded the corner to see you. Fast asleep, with your book laid against your chest as you snored.

He couldn't help but chuckle to himself. It seems you had the same idea he had. As slowly as possible, as to not wake you from your peaceful slumber, he pulled up a chair from inside right next to you. As he sat down, he kept looking over to you, a loving smile upon his face even as his eyes began to weigh more and more.

“Y/N, my love!” Ivan calls out as soon as he enters your shared home.

“Крошка? Where are you?“ He continues, as he begins wandering through the house in search of you. But as he entered more rooms, only to hear no response, his blood began to grow colder.

You had said you would be home when he got home, yet you were nowhere to be found yet. You rarely didn't respond to his calls either, so needless to say, your out-of-character behaviour was beginning to frighten him.

Had you lied? He searched the living room. Had there been an emergency? He searched the kitchen. Had you been taken? He searched the office. Had something horrible happened? He searched the bedroom- Oh.

As he burst into the bedroom, the door being moments from slamming into the wall, all his worries were eased. He grabbed the door to silence it before stepping forward and sitting on the edge of the bed. Before him, you were curled up tightly around your book, your breathing soft and rhythmic.

“Как драгоценный…” he whispered to himself before crawling next to you. As he looked upon your sleeping face, he felt his heart doing somersaults. Well, if you weren't conscious to protest, there was no reason he couldn't watch your lovely face until you awoke.

Feliciano was not a working man. He had realized that within his first 30 years of life, and the last 3,000 had only cemented it. All he wanted to do when he dragged himself home to you was curl up in your lap and cry his stresses away. So when you told him you would meet him at home after work, he was quick to rush home (breaking countless traffic laws in his wake,) to meet you.

But when he reached home, only to not immediately see or hear you, he couldn't help flopping flat onto the floor. Dust and dirt be damned. He was goddamn tired, and there he would lay until you came home to see him. Or well, that's what he thought, until before he heard your soft snores coming from the living room. Lucky, considering he was about to start snoring himself and drown you out.

Reluctantly, he peeled himself off the floor and stumbled over to the living room. There, you were out cold on his old couch, still holding the book you had been telling him all about just the day before.

Adorable, was his first thought. Seeing you all peaceful, your chubby body relaxed on his couch. You really trusted him and his home that much? Amazing.

But then he started feeling jealous. He wanted to take a nap too! How long had you been here, relaxing while he had been working? Well, working was a pretty big stretch, but still! You were so lucky. But it's his couch, and you're his partner, so he was going to cuddle up against you and nap too, regardless of whether he woke you up in the process or not.

When he had given you a key to his residence, Ludwig had really not expected you to use it as much as you had. But it seemed that every other day, he would return from whatever he had been doing to find you in his home, doing whatever. You had said something about even mundane things being more fun when you were with him. A sentiment he could understand at least a little, considering he wasn't one to complain about your presence. It comforted him just as much as it did you, even if he was afraid to admit it.

So when he returned home from the grocery store to find your shoes laid next to his, he wasn't surprised in the slightest. He just simply sighed and continued his day, quickly putting away his groceries.

“Y/N, how long have you been here?” He asks casually from the kitchen after he sees your figure laying on his couch. No response, but maybe you had your earbuds in. It's no matter.

But when he finishes his task and walks over, he instantly realizes you were asleep. It was the first time this had happened... and he really didn't know what to do.

He sat on the coffee table across from you, staring at you intensely as he was deep in thought. Would it be rude to wake you? Would it be weird to let you keep sleeping in his apartment? God, he really wishes he could call Feliciano right now... but no! He knows you better, and he'll figure this out by himself. Even... even if it takes him a few minutes of pacing to decide.

But after he's finished sweating, he lets you keep sleeping. You must've needed it, and he'd be remiss to take that away from you. Plus, you look cute when you sleep, but he'd never even admit that to himself.

Although Kiku was one of the most anxious people on planet Earth, he never worried when it came to you. That's part of why he liked you so much. It was never stressful, around you, everything came easily to him. So when you hadn't responded to his text telling you he was on his way home, he assumed the best. You were busy, and it meant nothing more than that.

When he arrived at your shared home, he didn't panic when he didn't hear you. He simply decided to go about his normal routine, not searching for you. You would let him know where you were soon, he knew it. But even if it didn't, it was alright.

But when he was bringing his laundry into his bedroom, he was a little shocked to find you laying on your shared bed, still holding your book tightly. Although his heart stopped for a moment, he quickly calmed down. He silently set the basket he was holding down, walking over to you and leaning over the bed. With a gentle touch on the shoulder, he woke you up.

“Silly, you fell asleep...” He teases softly as you start to open your eyes, “Wake up, let's go make dinner together.”

[cherryxblossxms]

Masturbation May - Day 3b: In the Shower (Satan)

A/N: Satan was suggested for day 3 by an anonymous sender! I couldn't quite decide the direction I wanted for this initially but finally just settled on some good ol stress relief via orgasm lol.

Featuring: GN reader || Satan x reader

Warnings: masturbation; some jealous Satan; mentions of marking and breeding (not specific to reader); just some much-needed self-assurance and stress relief in the shower~

Word count: 1411

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Satan just needed some kind of stress relief. He knew it was just his temper, easier and quicker to rile up thanks to his sin. But it seemed like everything was going wrong lately, getting on his nerves and pushing him to the edge of exploding. Lucifer was yelling at him about something or other, his favorite cat café had to close early because of an emergency with the owner, and his brothers were all getting into silly, nonsense arguments with each other.

Normally, these things alone wouldn't be enough to make him snap completely. But to top it all off, you had gone on a trip to the Human Realm with Solomon two weeks ago, supposedly for some training and gathering some items specific to your home. In your absence, the House of Lamentation always fell into chaos, no one to buffer the ridiculousness and provide a voice of reason.

Satan knew he shouldn't blame you, or use you as a means of resolving everyone's problems. But your presence was like a magic balm, easing his spirit and always managing to wrestle the others into compliance. And now all this pent up stress was leaving aches in his muscles and gave him a near constant migraine.

He couldn't even focus on his books, attempting to read through various tomes on his ever-lasting quest for the perfect curse for Lucifer, but realizing halfway through that he wasn't absorbing any of the information. He snapped the heavy book shut in anger, sending out a plume of dust that covered his upper half. Satan coughed and set the book aside.

Great, now he was both dirty and angry.

Trying to keep his boiling rage contained, he quickly gathered clean clothes and made his way to the bathroom, hoping against all odds that no one else was in there, or he'd really snap for good. Thankfully, the room was clear, and he quickly undressed as the water grew hot.

Once he was in the water, he sighed, the heat helping to relieve his aching muscles. Although he wouldn't admit it, he often wondered about taking up an offer from Asmo for a spa treatment. He was sure he needed it, and that it'd probably do wonders for his temperament, at least for a little while. Relaxation of the body is supposed to help relaxation of the mind, he figured.

Sadly, the relief didn't last long as his now unbusied thoughts kept going back to all the annoying things happening lately. He just wanted one day of peace, of not being nagged by Lucifer for sneaking in a stray cat, or not hearing the constant whine of Levi hounding Mammon for his money. And thinking of you, he hated being away from you for so long. It was unfair that you had left him, not to mention traveling with Solomon.

Although he was usually secure in his relationship with you, something still bothered him about you being alone with the Witty Sorcerer for so long. Not that Satan didn't trust you, he knew you would never cheat on him. But he wasn't always sure he trusted Solomon and his flirty, flowery words.

Just thinking of it made his skin itch, picturing Solomon trying to court you, to take you from him. Even though he knew he was completely blowing it out of proportion, the thoughts came unbidden to him. The next time he saw you, Satan resolved he'd have to leave his mark on you, to ensure no one, especially Solomon, could ever mistake who you belong to.

The more he thought of marking you, the faster his blood pumped, something ancient and instinctual waking up in his veins. He wanted to cover you in his scent, make sure all anyone else could smell for miles was him. He wanted to leave his fang marks in your skin, leave dark hickeys across your neck and chest, somewhere highly visible so no one could mistake his intentions.

Even better, he wanted to mark you with his seed, cover you outside but especially inside, as deep as he could manage, make sure it could never leave you. It didn't matter if you could get pregnant or not, the deep animalistic need still roared inside him to do it anyway. That final thought sent a throbbing pulse down to his dick, and Satan didn't even realize he was completely hard until his hand was already subconsciously wrapping around his cock and stroking.

He wanted you there, he needed to show you that he was all you ever needed. He was your mate, your lover, and everything you ever wanted, he would provide to you as long as you'd let him. He would show you, he could pleasure you a thousand times over with the way he knows your body, so that no one, especially Solomon, could ever compare.

Satan cursed. Now he was so hard it hurt, needing you in his arms, and on his cock, immediately. The rest of his body was relaxed but now all the ache sat in his groin, begging to be inside of you. You weren't due to be home for another week, and he knew there was no ignoring his erection at this point, so he settled for relieving himself for now, already formulating a plan of attack (of the pleasurable variety) for once you returned.

He shut the water off and quickly stepped out, thankful that you two kept a spare bottle of lube under the bathroom sink. He poured some on his hand as he re-entered the shower and continued stroking. He felt ridiculous, all pent up over his dumb worries and demonic needs, and wanted nothing more than to drown his worries in the pleasures of your body. Only you seemed to know how to truly relax him, but a fantasy would have to do.

He could just picture it, the moment you came back from your trip, how he'd pull you into his room and make sure you didn't go anywhere until you were thoroughly pleasured and marked by him. He wanted to taste your lips, feel your warm, bare skin against his, hear your affirmations that he was the only one for you. The next time you saw Solomon, Satan wanted it to be obvious that he knew your body inside and out and that Solomon wasn't nearly worthy enough to be your mate.

Now fueled by anger and his lust for you, his thoughts were really letting loose. He wanted you sprawled across his bed, legs tossed over his shoulders as he pounded into you, or maybe he'd have you ride him until you couldn't hold yourself up anymore. Maybe to reassure his worries, you'd take his cock down your throat, knowing how gorgeous you look when you struggle to fit him in your mouth.

He pumped his cock faster, using one hand to hold his base steady and add more pressure, chasing that sweet high. As water droplets dripped from his hair onto his body, Satan imagined pulling you into the shower with him, picking you up to fuck you against the wall, letting your moans and screams of his name echo in the bathroom to ensure everyone in the house knew exactly who was pleasuring you. He'd fuck you as long and as hard as you could stand it, making sure to reach the furthest depths within you, as long as you wanted him.

Satan was now panting as his climax approached, eyebrows furrowed in concentration. He used the last of his sense to picture bringing you to climax, eager to cum deep inside you, release all his stress into you, and feel you clench around his cock and milk him dry. Just dreaming of achieving that pushed him into that pleasurable zone, and he groaned deep in his throat as he released the first ropes of cum, moving his hand up to work the head of his cock, drawing out every bit of pleasure and cum he could.

He came a surprising amount, likely from lack of release while you'd been gone, and he felt a little sad about the waste as it washed down the drain. But now that his mind was cleared, and his body was well and truly relaxed, he couldn't wait for your return. He was going to make sure everyone knew that you were his, and relieve all his stress with you the way only you could do.