#and he just wants home to tell him. which would explain why peach is the only one So Sure it'll be fine and why he's THAT set | Explore Tumblr posts and blogs

greendest1ny · 3 months ago

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hello ninjago fandom, it's me, greendest1ny, here with some more traditional oni lore. this time, i have ten stories about oni from the traditional japanese mythology where they originate. i am aware that the cannibalism side of oni won the poll, but my mutual @thedeitywhoplayedwithbricks wanted to hear about oni stories instead, so i decided why not just post both? i hope you all enjoy! :D

Red Oni Who Cried

There was once a Red Oni, who wanted nothing more than to befriend humans. Unfortunately for the Red Oni, the humans were terrified of him since he was an oni, which made the Red Oni cry. The Red Oni's friend, the Blue Oni, came up with a plan. The Blue Oni would terrorise and attack the village, and the Red Oni would stop him. They enacted this plan, and it worked. The humans saw the Red Oni as a hero, and a good oni who they would like to befriend. Seeing this, the Blue Oni decided to leave, to avoid any misunderstandings with the humans. The Red Oni returned home to tell the Blue Oni of their plans success, but noticed that the Blue Oni was nowhere to be found. Realising what his friend had done, the Red Oni cried, touched by the Blue Oni's selflessness and friendship.

How Someone Had A Lump Removed By Oni

TW: Cancer, tumours

There was an old man who had a lump on his right cheek, around the size of an orange. The tumor stopped him from engaging in more lucrative professions because they included mingling with people, so he made his living gathering firewood and selling it.

One day, the man went up a mountain to cut wood, but got caught in a storm. He hid in the hollow of a dead tree. He witnessed oni gathering, and creating a great bonfire, as bright as day. The oni drank saké (japanese rice wine), danced, and sang. The old man overcame his fear, and joined the dance. The oni were greatly entertained by his skill, and told him to come back always for an encore. To ensure that the old man would return, they took what they assumed to be something valuable to the old man, the lump on his cheek. The old man was overjoyed to have the tumour removed, without any trace of the tumour having ever been there, or any pain from it.

The old man's neighbour, another old man with a lump on his left cheek, heard about his neighbour's story and asked the old man if he could take his place dancing for the oni that night. The old man agreed, and his neighbour ventured up to the mountain, and hid in that same hollow tree until the oni appeared once again and lit their bonfire, and began to dance and sing and drink again. The chief oni was eagerly waiting for the performance. Unfortunately, the neighbours dancing wasn't as skilled as the old man's, which disappointed the oni greatly. They threw a lump of flesh at the right cheek of the neighbour, leaving him with another tumour on his face. The neighbour returned home distraught.

Momotarō: The Peach Boy

Momotarō was born from a giant peach, which was found floating down a river by an elderly, infertile woman who was washing clothes. She quickly snatched the peach up and returned home. The woman and her husband opened the peach to eat it, and were astonished to find a baby inside of the peach. The child explained that he had been bestowed upon the couple by the gods themselves to be their son. The couple named him Momotarō, from momo (peach) and tarō (eldest son in the family). When Momotarō was a mere five years old, he was capable of felling a large tree with an old knife.

When Momotarō became an adolescent, around fifteen years old, Momotarō left his parents to fight a troupe of Oni who had been terrorising the land, by seeking them out on the island where they dwelled, Onigashima (lit. Oni Island). On his journey he met a talking dog, monkey, and pheasant, all of whom he befriended and shared his rations of kibi dango with. At the island, Momotarō and his friends invaded the oni's fort, and battled them into surrendering. Momotarō and his new friends returned home to his parents with the oni's plundered treasure and the oni chief as a captive.

Oni Mask

There was a girl who worked at a ladies' house to earn money for her ill mother. At the end of every day, the girl spoke to a mask of her mother's face to comfort herself. Unfortunately, the girl's coworker's soon found out about this, and thought it would be funny to replace the mask with an oni mask. The girl took this as a sign that her mother was getting worse, so she informed her boss, and began the journey back to her mother's house. On the way there, a group of gamblers by the roadside captured her and forced her to look after their campfire, to make sure it wouldn't go out, despite the girl's pleas. The girl put the oni mask on to protect her face from the flames. When the men saw her, however, they saw a real oni through the flames, and ran away in terror. The girl gathered up the money and waited for the men to return, but then remembered her mother, and made her way home to her. Her mother was actually in better condition than when the girl had left, and thanks to the money the gamblers had left behind, the girl didn't have to work at the ladies' house anymore, and could focus on caring for her mother.

Issun-Bōshi: One Sun Boy

A childless elderly couple prayed to the Sumiyoshi Sanjin for a child, and so they were able to have one. However, the child born was only around sun tall, or one inch tall, and never grew any taller, so they named him Issun-Bōshi, meaning one sun boy.

One day, Issun-Bōshi said he wanted to go to the capital to become a warrior. He took a bowl, a chopstick as a paddle, a needle as a sword, and a piece of straw as a scabbard, and sailed down the river. Once he'd arrived at the capital, he found a luxurious, large house and found employment there. When a girl of the family who lived there embarked on a trip to the Imperial Palace, she was kidnapped by an oni. As Issun-Bōshi tried to save the girl, the oni picked him up and swallowed him whole. Issun-Bōshi stabbed the oni in the stomach with his needle, making the oni spit him out, surrender and retreat into the mountains from whence he came.

Issun-Bōshi picked up the magic hammer (uchide no kozuchi) that the oni had dropped, and swung it, causing him to grow six feet tall. He then married the girl, and it is said that he was able to use Uchide No Kozuchi to conjure food, treasures, and other such goods, allowing the family to prosper for generations.

The Oni and the Refugees

TW: Cannibalism

There was once a warrior who fell in love with one of the servants of the Empress's Cousin. The warrior eventually won her love, but the girl's master did not want to give her up and allow her to become a married woman, so the couple decided to run away together. They soon became caught in a terrible storm, and were forced to take shelter in an old barn. The warrior drew his bow and remained outside to guard, while the girl went inside the barn to rest. Unfortunately, the barn was so old and so decrepit that an oni managed to sneak inside without using the door, and ate the girl whole. The warrior was unable to hear her screams due to an enchantment placed upon him. When morning came, and the storm had passed, the warrior entered the barn to retrieve his lover, only to find that she was no where to be found. It was only when he found the bloodstains on the floor that he realized what had happened, and that she had been eaten by an oni.

Shuten-Dōji

TW: cannibalism, slavery, kidnapping

There are multiple variations of Shuten-Dōji's origin, but I just went with my personal favourite.

Shuten-Dōji was born after a tumultuous 16 month long pregnancy to a blacksmith and his wife. He had a full set of teeth at birth, was able to walk immediately after birth, was able to talk on the level of a five year old, had the wisdom and physical strength of a sixteen year old, along with an awful temperament, and due to all of this, he was shunned as an 'oni child'. When he was six years old, his mother abandoned him, and he was left wandering from place to place, and then walked the path towards being an oni.

Years later, many people were suddenly reported missing from Kyoto, mainly young women. An onmyōji (essentially a spiritual expert) determined that the Oni King of Mount Oē (Shuten-Dōji) was responsible for the abductions. The Emperor then commanded Minamoto No Yorimitsu and Fujiwara No Yasumasa to eradicate the oni. Yorimitsu and Yasumasa gathered their men, and set off for Mount Oē.

The party encountered a group of four gods, and at their recommendation, disguised themselves as priests. They traveled through a tunnel, and eventually came to a river, where an old woman was doing laundry. She too had been kidnapped by the oni. She explained to the warriors that the kidnapped women were being forced to serve as handmaidens for the oni, but despite that, the oni wantonly murdered the maidens, ate their flesh, and drank their blood.

The warriors, still disguised as priests, convinced the Oni King to give them lodging. The Oni King treated his guests to saké and began to tell them how he was called 'Shuten-Dōji', "the saké drinking lad", by his subjects, and how the oni had been displaced from their ancestral home of the Hira Mountains after Enryaku-ji Temple had been built close by.

Yorimitsu then offered Shuten-Dōji the saké given to him by one of the deities, which quickly made the oni lose consciousness. The warriors dressed up in armor and weapons which they concealed in their back-pack chests. Then they stormed Shuten-dōji's sleeping quarters, and while the four deities held down the oni's limbs, Yorimitsu cut off Shuten-dōji's head with his sword. The severed head was still alive and snapped its jaws, aiming at Yorimitsu's head, but the warrior defended himself by wearing two of his men's helmets in addition to his own. The group returned triumphant to Kyoto with the head.

Ibaraki-Dōji

TW: cannibalism

Ibaraki-Dōji, much like Shuten-Dōji, was born after an arduous 18 month pregnancy, already with a full set of teeth and the ability to walk. They apparently laughed at their mother cruelly when they were born, causing her to die of shock. The oni-like child was too much for their father, so Ibaraki-Dōji was abandoned in front of a barbershop. Fortunately, the lady of the barbershop took Ibaraki-Dōji in and raised them, as she did not have any children of her own.

Ibaraki-Dōji, surpassing adults in strength, proved to be too much for the barbershop, too, but was taught how to be a barber, and settled down. Until one day, when they were shaving a customer's beard, and accidentally cut the man's cheek. In a panic, Ibaraki-Dōji licked the blood off their fingers, and soon developed a taste for it, cutting their customers on purpose so they could drink their blood.

The barbershop eventually caught on, and the lady of the barbershop was furious with Ibaraki-Dōji. Ibaraki-Dōji made their way to a bridge and looked down at their reflection in the river, noticing that they now looked fully oni.

Ibaraki-Dōji ran away to the mountains, where they eventually met Shuten-Dōji and became his servant. Ibaraki-Dōji was the only oni in Shuten-Dōji's gang to survive Yorimitsu's massacre.

Ibaraki-Dōji wasn't done with Yorimitsu's gang, however, as they shapeshifted into a young, beautiful girl on a roadside, where one of Yorimitsu's friends who had participated in the massacre, Watanabe no Tsuna, became worried about her, and made her ride on his horse. Ibaraki-Dōji then revealed themselves, and grasped Tsuna's hair and began to fly over to the mountains. Tsuna wasn't panicked in the slightest, and simply cut Ibaraki-Dōji's arm off to free himself.

Tsuna showed the arm to Yorimitsu, who consulted an onmyōji, who said "the oni will surely come for its arm, so confine yourself in your house for seven days, and don't let anyone in the house for that time." just as the onmyōji said, Ibaraki-Dōji came back for their arm many days later, but was inable to get into Tsuna's home thanks to the power of a Humane King Sutra and a talisman.

Finally, on the evening of the last night, Tsuna's aunt, Mashiba, came to Tsuna's home. Tsuna told her the circumstances, and said that she couldn't enter, but his aunt complained, "from a young age, I raised you with great care, and my reward is this kind of treatment?" and with that, Tsuna disobeyed his instructions, and let his aunt into his home. However, his aunt was actually Ibaraki-dōji in disguise. While still in his aunt's appearance, Ibaraki-dōji expressed desire to see the arm, and after carefully looking at the arm taken out of its seal within a box, suddenly turned back into an oni's appearance. Ibaraki-dōji, holding the arm, flew up in the air, broke the gable, and disappeared in the distance in the sky.

Tamura's Tale

An oni named Ōtakemaru attacked people on their way to the capital, stealing their gifts to the capital and any other valuable goods. The Emperor soon grew fed up with this, and demanded that Sakanoue no Tamuramaru stop Ōtakemaru. Tamuramaru led an army of 30,000 men to the mountain where Ōtakemaru lived, but Ōtakemaru was a skilled flyer, and blended into the dark clouds on the mountain and hid himself, causing storms, thunderbolts, and a rain of fire, stalling Tamuramaru's army for several years.

Meanwhile, that very mountain was also home to a goddess named Suzuka Gozen. Ōtakemaru was obsessed with her beauty and longed to spend a night with her. Every night, he would shapeshift into a beautiful man or a nobleman and visit her mansion. However, Suzuka Gozen could see through his plans, so she never replied.

Unable to find Ōtakemaru, Tamuramaru prayed to the gods and Buddhas, and that night an old man appeared in his dream and told him to get Suzuka Gozen's help in defeating Ōtakemaru. Tamuramaru sent his 30,000 men back to the capital and advanced alone through the mountain, where a beautiful woman appeared and invited him into her mansion.

She then said, "I have come down from heaven to assist you in defeating the oni of this mountain. I will plot to defeat Ōtakemaru." This woman was Suzuka Gozen.

With the guidance of Suzuka Gozen, Tamuramaru reaches the castle where the oni lives, but the goddess tells him "Ōtakemaru cannot be defeated as long as he is protected by the Sanmyō no ken (three holy swords of great power)." When Suzuka Gozen returned to her mansion, Ōtakemaru appeared again, transformed into a boy, and Suzuka Gozen responds by saying, "The shogun Tamuramaru is trying to kill me. I would like to have the Sanmyō no ken defend myself." Ōtakemaru gave her two of the three swords, but kept the last sword to himself.

The next night, Otakemaru returned to the mansion and engaged in a fierce battle with Tamuramaru, who was waiting for him. Revealing his true form, Otakemaru became a ten-foot-tall kijin, glared at Tamuramaru with eyes that shone like the sun and moon, and hurled about three hundred ice-like swords and spears at him, but two gods, standing on either side of Tamuramaru, swept them all away. As Ōtakemaru split into thousands of oni, Tamuramaru unleashed his divine arrow, one arrow splitting into a thousand, and the thousand arrows splitting into ten thousand, hitting the faces of all the thousands of demons. Ōtakemaru resisted, but in the end, his head was cut off by the Sohayano Tsurugi (Tamuramaru's Sword). Ōtakemaru's head was brought to the capital for the Emperor to view, and Tamuramaru lived with Suzuka Gozen in peace.

Some time passed, but Ōtakemaru, who had returned as a spirit, was revived and barricaded himself in Kiriyama, Mutsu Province, and began to cause chaos.

Tamuramaru set off for Mutsu. Ōtakemaru made an impregnable castle built by oni in Kiriyama, but Tamuramaru was able to enter the castle from a back door that Suzuka Gozen showed him. Unable to contain himself, Ōtakemaru leapt at Tamuramaru, but was decapitated a second time by Sohayano Tsurugi. Ōtakemaru's head flew into the sky and bit into Tamuramaru's helmet, but Tamuramaru was wearing two, saving his life, and Ōtakemaru's head died. The remaining oni were executed, and Ōtakemaru's head was placed in a Treasure House.

The Tale of Princess Sarashina

A samurai named Taira no Koremochi was tasked by a shrine to hunt oni, and his mission had taken him up a mountain, where a kijo (a woman so wicked that she had turned into an oni) was said to reside.

Koremochi and his attendants found a small group of nobles having a leaf viewing party (watching the leaves go from green to orange and fall), and sent one of his companions to investigate. The man was told that a noble princess was hosting the party, but the princess's ladies-in-waiting wouldn't tell him the princess's name. Just as Koremochi and his retainers decided to continue their journey, one of the ladies-in-waiting approached and told them that the princess had heard of Koremochi, and she wanted to invite them to the party. Koremochi and his attendants agreed.

The warriors were introduced to Princess Sarashina, an incredibly beautiful woman. They all sat and watched the leaves, drinking saké, and dancing. Koremochi asked the princess to dance for him, and she did. The men soon became intoxicated and tired, and fell asleep.

While he slept, Koremochi dreamed of Hachiman, the god of war. Hachiman told him that Princess Sarashina was actually the kijo, Momiji, and that he must kill her with the holy sword, Kogarasumaru (“Little Crow”). When Koremochi woke, the sword he dreamed of was in his hand and he knew that his dream had been an order from Hachiman himself. He ran after the women, and a huge fire broke out, engulfing the mountain. Suddenly a ten foot tall kijo with horns made of burning trees appeared, and Momiji and Koremochi fought eachother viciously. In the end, Koremochi was successful, and slew the oni.

Other Oni Stories

here i've compiled other tales of oni that weren't quite long enough to fill an entire entry.

Long ago, a young boy named Yajuro befriended an oni. The two would play and wrestle, and Yajuro would bring the oni garlic, which was the oni's favorite food. They sat by a large tree, where the oni would listen to Yajuro's problems and offer the child wisdom. Yajuro told him of how his village was struggling from a drought, and that very night, the oni built a canal in the village, and saved them. The people of the village enshrined the oni, and the tools that he used are on display in that very shrine

On another occasion, a blacksmith with a very beautiful daughter said "If a man can make ten swords in one night, I’ll give him my daughter as his bride" As soon as he uttered those words, an oni appeared and forged ten swords faster than any human possibly could. The blacksmith was troubled, so while the oni was sleeping, he hid one of the swords. When the oni awoke he counted the swords and he cried, “There aren’t ten swords!” gave up, and returned to the mountain.

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i can seriously imagine mystaké telling a young garmadon and wu these stories, and then garmadon telling lloyd, and lloyd absentmindedly mentioning them while talking with arin and sora,,

but anyway, that's just some of the stories about oni i found, and i know there are many more out there. thank you for reading, and i hope this taught you a little more about the traditional folklore that surrounds oni!

—

other oni lore

traditional oni stories, traditional oni weapons, oni and cannibalism, kijin/source oni, how oni were created, what repels oni, oni gods of thunder and wind

feel free to leave questions in my ask box!!

#i had to rewrite this SO MANY TIMES because tumblr didn't want to save my drafts >:(#but anyway #as much as i love traditional oni they would get smacked around by garmadon #ninjago #lego ninjago #ninjago dragons rising #oni lore #oni #oni ninjago #lego ninjago oni #lord garmadon #garmadon ninjago #lloyd garmadon #lloyd ninjago

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tgmsunmontue · 10 months ago

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Life is too short to waste time matching socks... (1/5) WIP I

Hangster and Bob/Javy/Nat - set post mission with the Dagger Squad having been made a permanent squad.

Bradley opens his locker and startles a little as something falls onto his head from where it was obviously balanced just on the door of his locker. Two pairs of socks, still in the cardboard sleeve, one with peach emojis and the other with eggplants. His first reaction is to roll his eyes, because it’s a little juvenile, butt and dick emoji socks. He knows none of the Dagger Squadron have a problem with him being gay. It would be a little hypocritical for some of them, considering at least half of them identify somewhere in the rainbow community, and they’ve had drunken rambling talks about it, about always having to strive to prove themselves and maybe that’s why they’ve all succeeded to become as good as they are.

“Uh… are these a joke?”

No-one says anything and he shrugs, puts the socks into his bag for home.

… … …

“You’re not subtle. Well, actually, maybe you are, because he’s not figured it out yet.”

“Maybe he’s figured it out and is just not interested in me like that so is just… pretending to not know so he doesn’t hurt my feelings.”

Javy and Nat both snort.

“What?”

“Okay, for a start, when has he ever tried to spare your feelings?”

“We’re friends now. Sort of.”

“Yeah. Sort of. Because he wants to dick you down.”

“Classy Trace, real classy.”

“I’m sorry, since when have you ever cared about class? You’ve got a hardon for a guy that wears Hawaiian shirts by choice.”

… … …

“Someone gave you socks and you think they’re… playing a prank? Normally the socks are covered in itching powder, or shoes with shaving foam, buckets of water above the door, laces tied together…”

“It’s what’s on the socks. Here. Look.”

Mav stares at them. Looks up to Bradley.

“Farm produce?”

Bradley winces, he really doesn’t want to have to explain the double meaning of the emojis to a man nearing sixty.

“God your face. I’m old, I’m not dead. I know what those mean.”

“So, do you think someone’s making fun of me?”

“For what?”

“Uh. Being gay? Having a, um, actually, never mind…”

“You a bit of a shower huh?”

“Jesus Mav…” Bradley mutters as Mav just laughs.

“Clearly nothing to be ashamed of. Maybe someone’s paying you a compliment. Or they have a weird way of flirting? I don’t know what you kids do these days.”

“I think we’re too old to be classified as the kids of today, considering some of my friends have kids who they’re already struggling to understand.”

“Everyone’s a kid to me.”

“Yeah well, you are ancient.”

“Hey! You’re meant to respect your elders!”

It’s Bradley’s turn to laugh and it’s good, their relationship slowly healing. Of course, Penny sitting them both down and acting as mediator; forcing Mav to tell him that it had been his mom’s wish… He no longer has moments of fleeting anger and resentment, realizing that life is too short to hold this grudge when he’d worked around it anyway, that it hadn’t actually seriously impacted his career progression, that it had simply been the lying and lack of support which had felt like the deepest of betrayals.

When he gets back to his accommodation he picks up the socks holds them in his hands, they’re good quality, brand new and unused and while it was clearly three pairs he’s only been given the two and he wonders if the other person has kept a pair for themselves. He’s desperate to know, a building mystery. He knows it has to be a fellow aviator, because they were delivered to his locker. So definitely an aviator. Or someone close enough to ask one of them to do it for them.

He can figure this out.

… … …

“Is this getting even more painful or is it just me?”

“If I didn’t know better I’d think they were secretly together and winding us up, but Jake can’t act to save himself, so… he’s actually gone on him.”

“They have a very weird way of showing each other that they like each other…”

“Well… Rooster grew up with Mav as his role model. Were we expecting him to be normal?”

“You raise a valid point.”

“And Jake… well. His parents are so much older than him, his older brother pretty much raised him and he isn’t exactly the most, uh, demonstrative of guys?”

“Is that a diplomatic way of saying he’s a bag of dicks?”

“Don’t you like dicks?”

“I like dicks when they’re attached to guys I like, I would make a hard pass on a bag of lose dicks just jiggling around like that…”

Javy and Bob exchange slightly horrified looks.

“Hey, what are you guys talking about?”

“Bags of detached dicks…” Bob says, pushing his glasses up his nose and somehow maintaining a completely straight face.

“I’m... I’m sorry I asked. I’ll leave you to it,” Rueben says, doing a sharp one-eighty and heading back out the way he came in.

The three of them burst into laughter and it’s a nice break from their moan and groan session discussing the problem of Hangman and Rooster and their combined obliviousness. How they’re both so intelligent but so equally clueless makes the three of them despair.

“Okay. I’m going to invite them both to dinner and then stand them up, so they have to have dinner together.”

“Yeah, they could just get up and leave…”

“No, they won’t, I’ll make sure of it,” Natasha states and the other two decide not to argue any further.

“I’m going to suggest we do an escape room, and then need to take an emergency call… one of you are going to need to be my emergency call,” Bob says, looking between them, flushing a little as Javy simply looks at him and smiles.

“I’m going for tried and true. I’m going to lock them in a room and then text them both and then let them sort it out.”

“Looking them in a cupboard, real mature.”

“As mature as them. The solution needs to match the problem. He gave him socks with butt and dick emojis.”

“Yeah okay, you raise a fair point…”

“Anyway, if the dinner and escape room ideas don’t work then I think we'll all be ready to lock them up. Or bang their heads together.”

… … …

PART TWO

#Hangster #Sereshaw #Life is too short to waste time matching socks...#Top Gun fanfiction #BobNixJavy

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skulls-soul · 11 months ago

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My dumb stupid “ homework” is done and my job/employment is safe (for now) so why not I give y’all another dimigi idea (dimentio x luigi)

OK this is kind of the same set up as last time in where Luigi, Mario peach and Bowser just finished saving the universe but instead of it being that night he saw dimentio in his dream’s, it took a week for Luigi to hear him in his head

When this first happened, Luigi was scared shitless! at home all alone with Mario not coming back until late in the afternoon the next day!! Which was in hindsight a good thing since it gave him at least a little bit of time to get used to the voice while Mario was not around (that and to make sure he’s not crazy)

That means that once again he doesn’t tell Mario about what’s going on. He doesn’t want to worry him because he saved the universe last week.. (smh) Mario still saw him jump every once in a while, but it’s small enough, in where Luigi can just pass it off as something silly

With that being said if I heard the voice of a villain, that mind controlled me to help him succeed in destroying the universe in my head saying “ how long does it take to style a tiny fuzzy mustache?” I would jump Yelp and spin around, using my comb as a weapon too!

He wouldn’t really be able to pass it off as something silly at such a loud yelp

Ever since that first time dimentio spoke he’s been putting his input on things luigi does in his day to day. At first it was just insults and jabs with an occasional question that isn’t so politely placed. Although, at some point that change to occasional genuine question

And it’s because Luigi always answered his questions, no matter how rudely placed, and when he got his answers, he was fascinated by Luigi’s description of the world and it also got him curious on the green fellow himself

Up the point where he started asking personal questions. When he first did so, it genuinely startled Luigi but for different reasons instead of it just being due to the sudden voice. But just like with any other question, the jester asked Luigi gave him a genuine answer.

“ what is your favorite place in the entirety of the mushroom kingdom?” dimentio asked as Luigi walked down the woodsy path to his and Mario’s house

….. “the casino” Luigi answered hesitantly, his gaze focused on the ground.

It was dimentio’s turn to be surprised causing a laugh out of the jester,leaving luigi feeling warm

at some point, it became less and less questions about the world and more about Luigi

And At some point along Luigis adventure of getting the disembodied voice out of his head, he became well acquainted with said voice although one day they burst out into an argument (Demento said something about his mustache) so when Mario came into the bathroom with a Weegee screaming at his reflection… you can say that he was concerned

And when Luigi explained to him that the split smiled Villain is talking to him in his head…that it didn’t help with his concerns

In fact it did the exact opposite…

Aaand now he’s in peach’s castle with the two worrying over him…then Bowser joined cuz OF COURSE it’s game night so not only Bowser is here but his best friend Daisy, waluigi and wario were there…it was hectic to say the least

So much so that he had to leave the room to get some air

Dimentio was worried in which surprised him because he never thought that he would ever feel worried for the plumber and yet here he is

He didn’t say anything though, not until Luigi’s heart slowed down it was a simple question. “are you ok?”

“Oh Um..ya just not used to being the center of attention hehe”

“Hmm well they were being loud and annoying so I did book it out of there too”

if Luigis Giggle did something to dimentio’s brain that is for him to know and him to know only. “their just concerned… well half of them are” luigi says

“Well I think they should have a bit more faith in you after all you were quite a foe”

Luigi pouts to that yet thanks him nonetheless.

“So what do u plan on doing?” dimentio asked

“Mama Mia I have no clue”

“I think you should march back in there and give them a peace of your mind”

“Hehe….you know what your right!”

“I’m right? I mean obviously but you usually don’t go with my ideas”

“ I am going to kindly give them a piece of my mind”

“Of course” Demento really shouldn’t be surprised but he’s happy nonetheless that Luigi is taking his advice and so with that all being said and done, Luigi stands up and tells the group that they should continue with game night as per usual so he can show them all that he is fine (at least physically)

And so they do

Aaaaaand this post is too long so I’m gonna leave it here and make other posts about these two in this scenario. Sense frankly I have too many ideas

#luigi #luigi nintendo #dimentio spm #spm #luigi spm #paper mario #paper luigi #dimentio super paper mario #super paper Mario #dimentio/luigi #luigi x dimentio #dimentio x luigi #dimentio #dimentio Nintendo #luigi/dimentio #dimigi #mario nintendo

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cozycryptidcutie · 2 years ago

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Bowuigi Werewolf AU

Bowser is the alpha king to the biggest werewolf pack in the world and he needs a queen to rule by his side. So he kidnaps the the princess of the mushroom kingdom, peach, refusing to let her leave his dungeon until she agrees to marry him, combing their kingdoms so he could rule them both with her by his side. A hero, Mario, takes his brother, Luigi, to sneak into the castle and rescue the princess. Mario strides ahead rushing past foes in order to get to their target faster, accidentally causing Luigi to get the brunt of the attack and gets left behind. Instead of the princess, Mario finds himself face to face with Bowser himself. Mario shouts at him. Bowser laughs and does an evil monologue, but then he pauses with his eyes widening and mouth agape, confusing Mario. Just then Luigi bursts through the door shouting at Mario for help as some werewolf underlings are about to attack him. Luigi’s scream for help snaps Bowser out of his trance and growls at his men to stop. The werewolves then whine as they run away with their between their legs. As Mario shouts obscenities at them, Luigi gets approached by Bowser who breathes on his scent and says “Mate.” The next few things happens in a flash. Bowser releases peach to Mario to take home, but tells them that Luigi has to stay. Mario is about to protest when Luigi says it’s okay. He needs to bring home the princess before the kingdom gets too upset. Reluctantly, Mario agrees and takes Peach home. Luigi expects the same dungeon treatment as peach, but with no way home. Except he is instead lead to a room and is told dinner is at 6. A few minutes later, a young werewolf comes in to give Luigi a change of clothes. Cue a little Beauty and the beast story where Bowser tries to woo him, Luigi falling in love without realizing it. Except Luigi could leave any time he wanted to. One day, Luigi is in his room reading a book when he hears a commotion outside. Hes scared but he thinks about the young werewolves who are going to be fighting while he just hides and feels like he has to fight with them. Only to find his brother in a battle with Bowser. Mario shouts that he’s here to save Luigi! Luigi is conflicted, he’s gotten closer to Bowser but he isn’t sure how he feels and says there’s no need to fight and he leaves the castle with Mario. Some time passes and Luigi can’t help but feel empty without Bowser. He isn’t sure why until one of the guards brings a werewolf to the princess who says that he’s there to tell Luigi that there’s something wrong with Bowser. Mario is in the middle of asking why the werewolf why he thinks they would care, when Luigi runs out of the room. Mario is confused but quickly snaps out of it and runs after him asking where he’s going. Luigi says that he needs to make sure Bowser is okay. He goes to Bowsers castle and finds him in his room unconscious. He runs over to Bowser and hugs him. He cries and shouts how he’s sorry he left and he loves Bowser. Then he hears Bowser chuckle. Looks down and see his eyes are open saying he loves him too. Luigi punches him before they kiss. Time skip to them cuddling in bed and Bowser explains to Luigi that they’re mates and all about the mate bond. That they’re soul mates and the longer they were apart the weaker Bowser got. Luigi thought it over for a second and said something like “oh is that why I felt a strange connection with you as soon as we met and wanted to see you when I was gone?” Which like made Bowsers heart swell with happiness that Luigi could also feel the mate bond, something most humans can’t feel.

#bowuigi #werewolf au #werewolf love story #cute

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artsartblog · 1 year ago

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Not really art, but just an au idea that's been swirling around in my head. The idea comes from the movie/musical The King and I. The au is of JTTW. The King would be Wukong and Anne would be Reader (since I'm thinking of this a reader insert story but I can have Bao shoved in instead lol).

It wouldn't completely follow the story, but key points would still be there like Reader becoming the teacher for Wukong's children (aka all the monkeys on FFM), Reader and Wukong would butt-heads over things because of their stubbornness, Marshal Ma, Marshal Liu, General Beng and General Ba would warn Reader of the ways of their king though it never swayed her from leaving, etc. Though unlike the ending in the movie/play, Wukong and Reader would end up together or at least slowly showing how much they actually like each other. Also Reader wouldn't threaten to leave the mountain, mostly because it's a rather difficult task, but she would threaten to go get lost (though ultimately wouldn't because of the cute little children).

To be completely honest, the song Shall I Tell You What I Think of You? is why I thought of this au idea. I felt like it would in a way fit (not exactly every line, but the whole "I'm free person to do what I please and I will not tolerate how you treat me" kind of vibe).

I'll probably keep swirling around this idea in my head. I do have some things thought out, but I should probably write them out (though I personally want to draw it, but idk... might draw some Bao and Wukong au art of this).

Actually, on a completely separate note. I was thinking about another au idea based on an au I've already seen done with Wukong. It's a Fake Marriage AU, but instead it's like "fake marriage" in quotes lol.

The whole idea is that Bao, still being on the younger side of the celestials in heaven, is kind of alone most of the time because others are usually busy with other things or she just finds them boring (or too much of a stick in the mud). Then, when Wukong is given a position in heaven by her father, Bao decides to become friends with the monkey. She'd be the one who ends up breaking the news to Wukong that his job and title are one of the lowest ones. Of course this doesn't initially go well for the Jade Emperor, but as in JTTW Wukong is given a fake title and eventually given a job over the peach orchards. This would lead to Bao visiting the orchards often because she enjoyed the time spent with Wukong before and considered him a friend. The two get along rather well and spend a lot of time together.

Until one day, Bao finds out her father is looking for a suitor for her to marry. This annoys and frightens her because she doesn't want to marry someone she doesn't know, so she goes to Wukong to ask him to marry her. Which, as anyone would assume, confuses the monkey, but she's quick to explain why. Since Wukong isn't a fan of the Jade Emperor but really enjoys Bao's company, he accepts the offer of being her "fake" husband only for things to go downhill from there.

The Jade Emperor is completely against it, as well as Bao's mother, but Bao won't back down. So after some fighting between parent and child, the Jade Emperor relents and allows the marriage. However, not long after, Wukong finds out (again from Bao, who learned upon it after marrying him) that his title is fake and goes on a rampage. Bao tries to calm Wukong but only gets ignored by him. Buddha arrives and Wukong gets trapped under a mountain (basically everything that happened happens). Bao, distraught at losing her friend and husband, leaves heaven and goes to Wukong's home, Flower Fruit Mountain, and informs his people of what happened and swears to protect them until the return of their king.

Bao doesn't see Wukong for centuries, having dedicated her time to his/their people and kingdom because she felt like she had to protect them until he returned. Until he does return after no longer being a disciple of Tang Sanzang. She's absolutely ecstatic to see him after all these years and is quick to give him a hug (doing her best not to cry). She has a banquet thrown in honor of his return and tells him all about what she's done to protect his home and asks about his journey (mostly if he's finished, since she's heard about it from Guanyin herself).

When she learns that he hasn't finished it, but instead has been banished by his master, Bao is ready to go have a chat with the monk, but Wukong stops her. Instead, he has her stay by his side as he praises her for being a wonderful queen while he was gone. This becomes sort of the first moment Bao realizes that she is truly in love with her "fake" husband (I say fake in quotes since they are actually married, but they never really treat it as a fake marriage). She's also the one that ends up convincing him to go back to the monk Tang Sanzang and complete his journey after Bajie appears to ask him to come back. Wukong doesn't want to leave again, not now that he knows that she's safe and has been acting as queen while he's been gone, but she promises him that she'll still be there when he comes back.

....and that's where I'm going to leave this because I just kept rambling on lol. If you want to hear more about either of these au ideas just drop your questions in my ask box ^w^ as always have a wonderful day and stay creative!

#mod rambles #mod ramblings #au ideas #jttw au ideas #the king and i au #fake marriage au #rambling about my au #silly ideas that popped into my head #ask about my aus #aus based on other things #random au idea #reader insert idea #wukong x reader idea

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burningmusicfunnygiant · 1 year ago

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@brave-little-pauper

After the fight with DK and winning the Kong Army, Luigi excused himself to find Red who felt a swell of pride seeing Luigi beat the giant ape.

Red: You did amazing, Luigi!

Luigi: Heh. Thanks. I just want to help stop Bowser and go home. And if you want, you can come visit Brooklyn. I have so much to show you!

Red: I appreciate the offer, but… I can’t. I have to go back to the Koopa Kingdom. It’s where I belong.

Luigi: I don’t think it is. After our first encounter, I feel like… we knew each other once but the memory’s a bit hazy. Plus, you don’t look like you’re from this world.

Red: …okay, you make a good point. But still, Kamek’s going to kill me for treachery.

Peach: Don’t worry, we’ll keep you safe.

The two were shocked to find out Peach followed Luigi and found out about Red. The minion tried to run but Luigi grabbed his arm, begging him to stay as the heartache comes back. Red was hesitant to stay because a part of him was still loyal to Bowser but seeing Luigi’s face and something in him screaming that he knows him, Red finally accepts to help them fight Bowser and explains the positions of the guard as and what they’re capable of.

As Bowser was practicing his proposal to Peach, Spiny, the Blue Shell General, tells them of Red’s absence and in an instance, Kamek knew Red was with his long, lost twin and orders a team to go find him and bring him back along with the other human if he tries to stop them or just kill them if Red refuses to see reason.

Then we go to the Rainbow Road ambush though both Luigi and Red teams up to take down the Koopas together before Spiny tries to reason with Red, saying that he can’t just switch sides and that Kamek was really upset but Red told Spiny that even if he did grow up in the Darklands, he always felt out of place because of his human appearance and felt like he had a real family out there, waiting for him to come home. So really, he doesn’t care if he’s betraying the Koopa Kingdom, he was going to find answers to his real origins which lies in his strange connection to Luigi because Kamek wouldn’t tell him anything and would punish him for even pressing on the topic before taking off his mask and throwing it away, leading to Luigi to see his real face and realised that Red was his long lost twin but doesn’t say anything because they were still in an ambush.

Then the blue shell scene happens once Spiny’s kart gets destroyed though Donkey Kong points out how similar the two humans look once he noticed the resemblance on their faces and Luigi finally told Red that they were twin brothers and Red just looks shocked, finally realising why he always teared up seeing Luigi: they were born together and he remembers making a sacrifice so Luigi could get to their parents safely, albeit without him because Kamek took him away. He told Luigi this and he couldn’t believe that Kamek would try to kidnap them one more time to make sure they don’t get to their parents for some reason.

Then they land in the ocean then get eaten by the giant eel which made Luigi scream like a girl because he hasn’t seen eels that were so big and Red jokingly tells him that eels in the this world are huge based on what Kamek taught him other than just being trained to serve Bowser which got Luigi to smack him as they sat together while stuck in the eel’s belly with a giant talking gorilla. And that’s all I got. If anyone wants to pick up from where I left off, knock yourselves out.

https://www.tumblr.com/brave-little-pauper/714711313069244416/what-if-kamek-was-successful-in-kidnapping-baby I love this AU idea but how about an AU where the bros grew up separately? How would that affect the game and movie events if they grew up separately but met again as adults with this strange feeling they know each other?

Apologies for the delay. Now that the comic is done, we can begin!

(Strap in, folks. This is gonna be a long one)

In my take of the Mario Bros origin story, game and movie elements are combined, so I'd imagine the separation would occur at the end of Yoshi's Island. The divergence starts when Kamek does not take defeat lightly and decides to try kidnapping the babies just one more time.

The stork is on its way to deliver the twins, and Baby Mario peeks out from the cloth. Suddenly, he sees Kamek flying towards them. Without Yoshi to help him this time, Baby Mario makes a choice.

He leaps off.

Having gone through a dangerous journey to save Baby Luigi, he is willing to become a prisoner if it means his brother's safety. And it works. By the time Kamek sees and catches the baby, the stork has already escaped with the other. Kamek begrudgingly accepts that he can only get one child and hopes keeping them separated will be enough to stop the divination.

I don't know if the bros' parents were expecting twins, but if it were the case, they would be devasted that one is gone. They shelter Luigi as a result. Growing up, Luigi tries avoiding trouble whenever he can. If he gets bullied, he stays quiet. Perhaps he was told about a twin, but he wouldn't bring the subject up for worry of upsetting his parents.

On Mario's side, this becomes Minion AU adjacent as he grows up training to serve Bowser. The difference here is that without someone close to hold him back, Mario, or rather "Red", is more impulsive and bullheaded, constantly trying to prove himself worthy much to his fellow soldiers' chagrin. Being the sole human in the Koopa Troop, he feels lonely (not that he'd ever admit it).

Years go by and we cut to Luigi ending up in the Mushroom Kingdom (how he got there is a spoiler for my Origin Story plotline). He is absolutely lost. When he makes it to the village, he asks where he is and accidentally bumps into the toads and their property, making a scene that gets him taken to the castle by guards for questioning. Luckily, Peach doesn't see Luigi as a threat and says he stay the night and she'll send a guide to take him back to the city in the morning.

However, news of a mysterious human spreads to Bowser's castle. This upsets Kamek in particular for reasons he refuses to explain. Hoping this could get on his King's good graces, Red sneaks out and searches for this human to capture them.

As Peach shows Luigi around the Kingdom, Red dashes for him, ready to strike with his hammer. Just like with Wario in the latest comic, Luigi's hat is what throws Red off. He becomes so focused on it that he doesn't register Luigi cowering and completely misses his shot, fumbling onto the ground. He shakes it off and the two look face to face. Red feels a tear going down his cheek and his heart aches, baffling him. He runs off without a word.

"Do you know him?" Asks Peach, pulling Luigi up. "No, but he looked at me like I was familiar.." Luigi feels a tug at his heart too, though he interprets it as being homesick. Since this would-be assailant was masked, Luigi doesn't notice the resemblance.

Seeing that he's targeted by Bowser's army, Peach decides to train Luigi on the obstacle course, taking him on her journey for aid.

For failing his mission and making his presence known to the enemies, Red dares not to return to the Troop and face punishment. He goes into hiding, believing he can redeem himself by learning the heroes' plan and reporting back. He follows them and observes Luigi from afar, looking for whatever makes him so special and, more importantly, why he teared up at the sight of him.

In reminiscent of the campfire scene, I picture Luigi looking out into the sky, the others having fallen asleep. This is where Red comes in, threatening to attack his sleeping companions unless he answers this one question:

"Where did you get that hat?"

"I-I was born with it…?" Luigi sheepishly answers.

"Mock me all you want, but I don't think Lord Bowser would be pleased."

"What do you want from me? I'm not a warrior. I never even met this Bowser guy. How am I a threat?"

"Exactly! While it'd be fun to see, what point is there in him curbstomping you just like that? At least learn how to put up a fight!"

Red offers to teach Luigi a quick lesson in hand-to-hand combat. Maybe he even lets him hold his hammer, which Luigi proves to be a natural at since he's part of the wrecking crew.

For a moment, it seemed less like enemies quarreling and more like a boy teaching his little bro how to stand up to a bully and that heartache comes back…

Aaaand that's where I left off. At the moment, neither know the truth about each other. Maybe in terms of the movie, Luigi accepts the deal in fighting DK with his new skills, which would make the hidden Red facepalm…which would then prompt him to question why he cares all of a sudden.

Anyone is free to add their own take or build off of what I wrote. I don't know if I'll make this its own AU, but I had a lot of fun brainstorming this concept.

Thanks for reading!

#super mario #super mario bros #mario bros #mario #smb #luigi #mario and luigi #mario au #mario movie #separated au

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cest-la-vieve · 2 years ago

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Mind Games (Azriel x Reader)

Summary: Cute little Azriel one-shot, based on a very passionate conversation about who the Inner Court is maining in MarioKart. Az is just a bit too competitive when it comes to game night and reader decides she's had enough.

Word Count: 2k

Warnings: Mature themes! No smut but def 18+

Notes: for a very good pal, @hazelmaysworld, who didn't have the greatest day, az cheers up everyone 😉

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Game nights with the Inner Circle were no joke, especially since that had extended to include the two elder Archeron sisters and Varian… Well, and myself, I suppose.

Azriel had found me in a cabin in the Night Court territory on a mission gone sideways, knocking on my door bruised and bleeding. I, not recognizing him as the Shadowsinger of the Night Court, took him in and nursed him back to health. He couldn’t say a word at first, the ash arrows in his wings had ensured that, but once he woke up a few days later… He still didn’t have much to say.

I had been perfectly content with that… Until he showed up a second time. His wounds weren’t nearly as bad but I surmised that he was trying to hide them from someone. This time though, I made him explain.

The gist was that he was far from the Court - a Court he was part of, I found out - on a mission that his High Lord and Lady had told him to abandon, which is why he couldn’t call them for help. He also explained that his injuries this time weren’t the only reason he came back.

He had wanted to thank me and ask if he could look through my library for something to help the High Lady since I seemed so adept at healing. My family and I had collected many books throughout the years, so our second floor of the cabin had essentially become a library.

I, of course, as is my duty as a citizen of Night, said he was welcome to come back anytime and browse the shelves. I did not realize that he would come back with both the General of the Night Court and the High Lord himself.

I very quickly realized that these overgrown Illyrian babies were nothing more than that - a trio of brothers that just so happened to rule the most powerful Court our lands had ever seen. I made them lunch and after they effectively ate me out of house and home, they invited me to Velaris.

Weeks later, I was offered a position on the Court, and months later, we were here. Playing a particularly intense game of MarioKart.

Rhys and Feyre, Rhys as Toadette (at the insistence of a very giggly Cassian) and Feyre as Peach, had left hours ago, citing “Night Court business” which we all knew was bullshit. Rhys had been in Feyre’s head all night, flirty or dirty thoughts being shared between them until it got to the point both of them were consistently coming in 11th and 12th. Thankfully, they spared us the details and quietly left to the River House.

Amren had been forced to play as Baby Mario, which lasted for exactly one race before she demanded Varian take her elsewhere for wine.

Mor had been begging to go to Rita’s all night, which was our usual tradition once the games were complete, but the begging had started early when she kept getting 6th place as Rosalina. She eventually claimed she was cursed and that only a night of dancing would make her better. She left, Cassian promising he’d be on her heels the minute this cup was over.

Cassian, who always played as Donkey Kong, was getting more frustrated with Azriel by the second. A well-placed banana peel thrown by our current 1st place had 2nd place Cassian cussing up a storm, which Nesta took as their sign to leave. We had gotten her to play a few races with us, though she kept switching up her character and karts, blaming her losing streak on them. So she grabbed Cass’s hand and practically dragged him to the front door as soon as she could, telling us she was going to dance with Mor.

That left Azriel, Elain, and I battling it out with two races to go. Elain was content to drive Daisy around at a leisurely pace, never throwing her items because she “didn’t want anyone to blame her for their lack of skill”, which I had only laughed at.

Azriel… Azriel was a different beast entirely. From what I could tell, he had spent hours mapping out the exact right character, kart, wheel, and paraglider combination for each CC and board. Though he usually defaulted to Shy Guy, he would have us waiting for minutes as he found which kart had the exact acceleration level he needed. He was the most competitive person I had ever met, though he usually backed it up by kicking our asses at every game.

I could usually get close to beating him but hadn’t ever succeeded. It got frustrating, watching the way he’d planned for my every move and outsmarted me at every turn. This is how most nights ended, everyone leaving and he and I remaining at the House of Wind battling it out until he eventually won too many times that I’d relent and we’d join the others at Rita’s or the River House.

I crossed the finish line and saw Az leaning back in his seat, arms behind his head, smirking. The bastard had been finished for what 15, 30 seconds before I had? Elain was still racing, making cute grunts of displeasure when she was hit with an item or ran into an obstacle. She eventually finished and fell back on the couch, huffing out a sigh.

I laughed and wrapped an arm around her shoulder, “Giving up so soon, soldier?”

She glared at me, though her eyes sparkled with joy. “I already know there’s no beating you two. Better to give up now than watch you two yell at each other the rest of the night.”

Az moved a muscled arm from behind his head to place a hand on his heart, feigning hurt, “No need to yell at her when I know I’ll beat her anyways.”

I stuck my tongue out at him and a small snort of amusement left his nose. Elain just shook her head at us and stood up, smoothing out the wrinkles in her dress.

“Well, best of luck,” she said, patting my head, “But I’m getting up early tomorrow to plant the seeds that just arrived from the Day Court, so I need to get some rest tonight.”

I stood, hugging her, and she whispered in my ear, “Whatever it takes, knock him down a peg.”

I let out a hearty laugh and, loud enough that Azriel could hear, I said, “whatever it takes.”

She smiled and nodded to Azriel before leaving.

I sat back down and picked up my controller. I looked at Az, at that smug grin on his face, and knew Elain was right. Tonight was the night I had to finally beat him at something.

“Well, Azzy-boy? Ready to lose?”

“You know you say that every time we have a game night, right?”

“And one day, I’ll be right.”

“Just hit start,” he grinned, leaning forward to rest his elbows on his knees, controller between his nimble fingers.

I set my brow, focusing fully on the screen in front of us as I hit the button to start the race. My mind raced with ways to throw him off or distract him enough that I could get the win. I quickly ran through all the training Rhys, Cass, and Az had given me as if this were a battle to be won, which to me, it was. What would Cassian do? Assess his opponent for weaknesses.

Az didn’t exactly have weaknesses. At least, not any I could exploit to win a kart racing game.

The race started and it quickly turned into what most would have guessed: Az in first place and me in second, trailing behind him and trying desperately to catch up.

I kept wracking my brain. Talking. I could talk. Say something to throw him off.

So I just started, “You know, Shadowsinger, today I went to the markets down in Velaris?”

He just hummed in acknowledgment, getting a boost from a curve signifying that this was doing nothing to sway his game.

“Well and I went to that cute little shop right next to the Sidra, you know the one that Rhys got Feyre’s Solstice present from last year?”

I spared a glance at him, seeing his back stiffen as his eyes didn’t leave the screen. I knew he remembered last Solstice as well as I did, when Rhys had gifted Feyre a particularly scant set of lingerie in front of everyone, turning her cheeks a deep shade of red. We all had to hide our blushes and laughter as Rhys just grinned wider and wider.

I watched as his kart veered slightly and the distance between us closed just the slightest bit. There it was. Weakness.

I hesitated, only because I wasn’t sure what lines were too far to cross for our friendship. But Elain’s words echoed in my head, “Whatever it takes.” How many game nights had we suffered as Azriel sat smugly in the booth at Rita’s, the rest of us mulling over our loss? Not tonight.

“Az?” I asked, as some time had passed between my last question and now.

“Hmm?” He hummed.

“Do you know the one?”

“Mother above, yes, I know the one. What are you getting at, Peach?”

I laughed slightly at the use of the nickname. It was one I had earned the week after arriving in Velaris, getting drunk on peach wine with Cassian before challenging him to a fight. He took one swing, missing completely, and we both collapsed in a fit of giggles. The Inner Circle had rarely called me by my name since, except Azriel. He only pulled it out during moments like this, just me and him, to either be friendly or distract me from the game, I wasn’t sure.

I squared my shoulders, shaking the memory from my head as I crossed the finish line. One lap to go. It was now or never.

“I couldn’t find anything I liked.”

“Oh?”

I took a deep breath before saying, “Yeah, look.”

I watched his eyebrows furrow in confusion, but with my Fae speed, I lifted my shirt with one hand and held the acceleration button with the other. His eyes widened as he turned his head enough to gawk fully at my now-exposed breasts.

“Cauldron boil and fry me, what the HELL are you doing?”

“Trying to show you that I couldn’t find any of those lacey pieces that suited me well.”

He stuttered, mouth opening and closing like a fish on land, as I kept my shirt up with one hand and steered with the other. His character had fully stopped in place, almost as if the Shy Guy were also waiting to be filled in on what was happening.

I kept pushing on until I had passed Az and crossed the finish line, all while he blushed a deep shade of pink and fought to find the right words.

I dropped my shirt and whooped with joy, jumping up, “TAKE THAT, SPYMASTER!”

His mouth closed and he looked at the screen. He looked back up at me as if it took him a minute to process what just happened.

I jumped around the room, dancing to a song only I could hear, as I reveled in my win over the unbeatable Azriel. I couldn’t wait to get to Rita’s and tell the others that after months of trying, I had finally -

I gasped as I suddenly found myself pressed against a wall, the hard surface mirroring the hard surface of Azriel’s body pressing against my front. His forearms rested on either side of my head, wings spread wide between him, and every breath either of us took was suddenly shared with the other.

His eyes blazed with something I couldn’t decipher as I stared up into them, his tall frame dwarfing mine. The entire feeling of the room had shifted into something foreign between the two of us and I worried I had crossed a line.

I parted my lips, about to ask if I had offended or to apologize for crossing a boundary, but he moved his head to place his lips next to my ear.

“You have no idea what you’ve started, angel.”

#azriel #azriel smut #azriel shadowsinger #azriel shadowsinger x reader #azriel x reader #acotar #inner circle #night court

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thisentertaining · 2 years ago

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Martin and Gerry Foster Brothers AU part 2

In which Gerry ages out, and Martin realizes some spiders AREN’T good for the local ecosystem.

Part 1 Part 3 Ao3

Also, ignore that the boys home didn’t exist since the 60s... I didn’t see that when I was prepping. This is taking place during canon Martin’s childhood years,

“Is there any way I could tell you to stop playing with that thing without getting a 20 minute lecture about the ecosystem?”

“Maybe. If you call her by her name.”

“Ughhhh. Fine. Martin, please put the soul devouring eight-legged monstrosity that you call Petunia away. You do know Spiders aren’t supposed to live 3 years, right?”

“I know that.” Martin said as he gently placed the arachnid onto the windowsill. “This is probably Petunia the 50th or something like that. Unless you think it’s one of the Smirke monsters from the books.”

“The monsters aren’t from the books, there are just monsters and books. And the books can be monsters.”

“Right, sorry.” In the years that they had been friends, Gerry had told Martin a lot about the ‘fear entities’ that his mom had served. Martin had come to the conclusion that Mary Keay was a very, very disturbed individual and it was a very good thing that Gerry had gotten away from her when he did. That would be true even if you did believe in these dread powers and eldritch horrors. Martin… wasn’t sure if he believed.

Gerry definitely did, told stories about how ‘no these aren’t from a cigarette, there was a Leitner that turned your freckles and imperfections to burns’ and ‘Yeah my mom broke my thumb but that was the only way to stop me from reading the book that would make me go blind’ and ‘I can hold my breath for over two minutes, I had to learn because the Atlas of the Sea Leitner made you feel like you’re drowning but we needed information from it’. It had scared Martin a lot, had sent him to a school counselor actually. The nice man had gently and kindly explained that sometimes kids who were abused from a young age had odd ways to process it, to protect themselves.

That seemed… reasonable, but the one time he had broached the subject with Gerry, the teen had spit something about not being a part of the Spiral’s domain, and he knew what he saw. Martin had never mentioned it again, and he wavered. Sometimes he thought that there was no way these things could be real. Other times he thought that there was no way Gerry could have such detailed explanations for something that he made up. “Regardless, I don’t think Petunia is one. She’s not even venomous.”

“This whole place is web Martin, woven so strong that even I can’t escape.”

“Do you want to go into the city then? Just get out of the place and the webs for a bit, stretch our legs one last time? I know that they’re still there,” That was Gerry’s common argument when he mentioned going into town, “But it’s gotta feel at least a bit less oppressive, right? And besides, it’s second Saturday.”

“Right, what is that one again?”

“Miss Bunson. We can get you a pastry for your birthday.” He said the words in a tempting sing-song, smiling through the tension that was running through him at the thought of his friend’s coming of age. Gerry scowled.

“Can’t. I have to pack.” He spat the words shortly, clearly just as unhappy as Martin. There was a moment of tense silence before the older teen-now young adult- sighed. “But you don’t need to help out. It’s not like I have much. Why don’t you go down and get something for us to split.”

“I’m not leaving you. Not today. Not when-“

“You’ll be back in plenty of time to send me off, it’s not even lunchtime yet and they always come in the afternoon. Besides, I’ll be back. Or, not back, but- I’m not leaving you Martin. As soon as I get a cell phone I’ll call you, and until then I’ll write. You’re not getting rid of me that easily.”

Martin swallowed, and it was like he was 11 again, in that hospital and walking away with the social worker with a sucker in his mouth. He still couldn’t stomach peach flavoring. “Are you sure?”

“Yes.” Gerry said firmly. “I promise, Martin. I’ll be there for you. You’re like my brother, my anchor.”

Martin nodded solemnly. He wasn’t sure what anchor meant but… “Brothers. We are the family we have left.”

“And family sticks together, real family.”

The younger teen let out a deep breath. “Fine. Okay, I’ll get you your pastry.”

“Something chocolate.”

“Yeah, yeah.” Not willing to risk it, Martin grabbed Gerry into a tight hug before rushing down the road. It probably was better for him to get out of the house, and the older teen knew it. He only really messed around with Petunia when he was stressed, when things were going outside of his control. Not that he ever had any control really, he tried to grasp it when he could, but it always seemed to slip from his fingers like his handholds were no more than spiderweb.

Oh, that was a good one, he should use it for his next poem. Maybe he could get beyond an honorable mention for once.

Arriving to town, Martin alternated between shy smiles and obtrusive head ducks as he wove through the buildings. After so many years, the village knew him well, and he knew who to avoid. He also knew who he could convince to do some bending of the rules if a sufficiently polite and shy abandoned child hinted to it. Miss Bunson was one of them.

She owned a small bakery in town, and had an agreement with her family to go on a blind date at least once a month. She was hopeful, but either she was extremely picky or her family were really bad at figuring out her type, because come the next day she was disappointed, bitter, and lonely. She felt bad about really ranting to her family though, but was more than willing to complain to a strange child who one day discovered that she would ply him with free desserts for as long as he looked earnest and made the right commiserating noises.

While it would look weird to any observer, it was a good deal for both. She got to vent out all of her anger to a neutral party, and he got the kind of treats that they rarely got at the boy’s home. Also, there was something nice about seeing that not all adults have their lives together. That even people with their own businesses and families and friends could sill feel… lonely sometimes. He also hoped for the day that she would actually come with good news, she really was a sweet person, it would be nice to see that loneliness end.

The bell on the door cheered just as happily as ever when Martin bounded through the door, though he had to duck when he accidentally hit a bit of a wreath that had been put up. He was going through a growth spurt and sometimes still struggled with realizing how tall he was. Mum had been fairly slight, but in his memories of his father, the man was towering. He had no clue how tall he would get, but he was already catching up to the 17- er- 18 year old Gerry. “Hi Miss Bunson! Hope you’re doing well! I just wanted to duck in to see if your date las night was better than the last one.”

“Ugh! Martin take a seat. You would not believe what they did. So, we went to that fancy place over on fifth, awesome great, but then-“

___

Martin stepped out of the bakery with a deep breath, finding the bracing cold and clean scent almost a relief after the oven-warmed bakery and the myriad of scents. It was kinda funny, the way stepping into the bakery had been such a welcome thing when he stepped in. Contrasts he supposed. He waved at the window as he left the homey spot behind, chuckling to himself. For as unfortunate as these dates ended up being, Ms.Bunson sure made them entertaining to hear about.

Martin brought his backpack around to put the pastries away- a chocolate peppermint tart that was overwhelmingly peppermint-y. The bakery was still very much experimenting with their holiday flavors and this was a bit strong. Gerry would probably like it though, he went through mint gum like mad.

A rough shoulder bumped into Martin and the teen had to scramble not to drop the treat. He looked up to see one of the bigger jerks at the home sneering at him as he swaggered away. Martin looked away timidly. Without Gerry he didn’t tend to pick fights with the meaner kids, and besides nothing at this boy’s home got worse than a few shoves and mean words anyway. He could ignore it, he was used to it.

The stranger thing was that the boy was in the village at all. He and the cronies around him tended to stay in the common room, hogging the telly and making the younger boys too nervous to enter. He almost never came into the village proper like this unless…

Fear shot through Martin and he sprinted off, stuffing the pastry into his pocket and ignoring his half-open backpack. The only time that they came into the village were those odd moments where everyone collectively left the building when someone was being aged out. It was a wordless understanding to give the now-homeless teen their privacy to leave, respected by even the biggest lowlifes of the home, but that meant-

Martin felt like he was fighting something as he ran to the house, like he was sludging through muck or being pulled back, but he kept his mind on his brother and carried forward, even as he panted through a familiar path that really shouldn’t be this much effort.

He arrived just as Gerry was led through the door, his eyes blown wide in fear even as he walked emotionlessly behind Mr.Fielding. The caretaker glared at Martin. “What are you doing here?” He sneered. “You’re supposed to be in the village.”

Martin struggled to breath through his reply. “I-I wasn’t going to let Gerry go without being here to see him off.”

Something was wrong. Something was very very wrong. Why wasn’t Gerry saying anything? Why wasn’t he moving? Why was he looking at him like that?

Raymond scowled, and Martin was preparing to beg, when something… odder happened. The man’s hair… parted strangly, moving in a way contrary to the wind, and Martin was almost certain he saw something-several somethings- shifting in it. Tension left the man’s body and he nodded almost absently. “You’ll come with us, then. He always wants more, after all.”

But I’m only 15. Martin wanted to say. Who is ‘he’ and what does he want? But he found himself unable to open his mouth. His body seemed to move without his permission, following dully behind Mr.Fielding. All at once, Martin understood Gerry’s odd behavior, and believed his stories without a doubt for the first time.

This… whatever this was, it was the work of monsters beyond the ‘coping mechanisms’ the counselor had gone on about. This was real and it was terrifying. He followed the two older men into a basement he’d never known existed, where he was surrounded by human-sized bundles of white and walked through spiderweb after spiderweb, despite following behind two people who should have broken them.

His legs shook with effort as he mentally tried with everything had to escape, despite his legs no longer seeming to be of his control. Gerry’s breathing was heavy and terrified, and Martin’s matched it’s cadence. It felt like he was struggling against bonds that moved him on, hooks and ropes moving him that he couldn’t control no matter how he fought.

From the ceiling, a- a beast descended. It looked like a spider, black and bulbous with a body bigger than Martin’s girth and Gerry’s height combined. The fangs themselves seemed to be the length of an ear of corn, dripping with noxious-looking venom. Martin shuddered from his place, fighting against invisible bonds without moving as Gerry took step to painful-looking step closer to the beast.

At his hand, he felt the familiar tickle of Petunia crawling on his hand, and for the first time ever wanted to brush her off. She, or whatever spider was crawling on him, avoided his fingertips as it scuttled back and forth along his hand and wrist. The back side of his brain, the hindbrain that was in extreme denial that any of this was happening at all, noted that she was avoiding his hands because of the peppermint. He’d read once that it was a insect deterrent.

Oh. Well. He was about to do something absolutely monumentally stupid, wasn’t he?

Martin stopped fighting against the bonds, stopped trying to run away. He instead moved towards the beast, quickly overtaking the still-struggling Gerry. It was like he’d been struggling against a rubber band the whole time, like it was so used to people pushing back, it wasn’t ready for someone to step forward, to come towards the spider. The beast itself seemed surprised, looking up at Martin in surprise as it opened it’s mouth to brandish fang and mandible at him.

Quickly, Martin pulled his wax paper bag out of his pocket, shoving the hopefully-poisonous tart down the creatures throat. Whether the peppermint was truly effective or if the creatures was just choking, it didn’t matter. It worked well enough to break both of them from their hold. Raymond roared in anger, a wholly foreign sound from a usually mild-mannered man. Gerry didn’t hesitate, flying at the man and decking him across the face. The man’s head crumbled like it was a puppet head, or a bundle of something-flimsy making up the shape of a man, and Spiders started swarming out. With a cry of fear, both teen’s ran to escape the basement, shoving the door closed behind them.

Gerry started running down the hill, but Martin turned towards the building. “What are you doing?” The older teen asked, terror still ringing through his eyes. “The’re going to get into the house!”

“They- They’ll just come after everyone else if we can’t- if we don’t- if-“

The goth jumped back and forth before his face set with resolve, as though he wasn’t sure he agreed, but he was determined to follow Martin regardless. They ran into the house. “What’s the plan?” Martin asked.

“What?” Gerry asked, incredulous. “This was your idea!”

“Well I don’t know how these things work! You’re the expert!”

“If I was the expert at killing these things, they’d already be dead! I’ve lived here for years.” The boy shook his head, trying to think. “Fire? I think fire usually works. Unless its one of the fire ones.”

“And this isn’t a fire one, right?”

“No! It’s a Spider one!”

“Well I just wanted to be sure, I don’t know!”

Martin ran to the kitchen, and the two boys ransacked through the draws, searching desperately for a book of matches. For a long moment, there were no sounds but the clattering of drawers and cutlery, and the ever-loudening sound of thousands of scuttling feet coming closer and closer.

Martin looked up and yelped, seeing the familiar sight of Agnes standing silently next to the stove and kettle with the same placid expression she always had when asking him for tea. Despite being around 20, she was still here. He had no clue how she had avoided the evil spiders. “Wait- w-what are you- I thought everyone- never mind it doesn’t matter. I don’t have time for tea, we need to find matches!”

The girl did not reply verbally, as was normal, and instead simply cocked her head in a curious expression. “W-w-we I- There are spider monsters in the basement! People have- there are bodies down there, they’re killing all the boys who aged out. We-we-“

“We’re stopping it.” Gerry interrupted Martin’s terrified blundering. “Everyone’s gone so we’re burning this place to the ground, keep it from happening to everyone else.”

Martin could count the number of times that he’s heard Agnes speak on one hand, and they’d ‘hung out’ for years. Still, he’d never heard her speak so much as she did then.

The girl smiled and spoke with a voice like an aged smoker, with a bit of puberty’s voice breaks cutting in, though on her they sounded like a crackle of flame. “That sounds like fun.”

Then she turned and, no match or lighter in sight, touched the cloth curtain over the nearest window. It burst into flames.

For a moment, neither Martin nor Gerry said anything. Then, Gerry swallowed. “That works.” And he sprinted out the door. Martin followed as the fire started spreading to the wall. He turned when he realized Agnes hadn’t moved. “Hurry!” He called. “Come on.”

She looked surprised, then smiled the soft-fond smile she gave back when he’d handed her the first cup of tea. “I’m fine.” She stepped into the growing flames. “I’ll be picked up soon, but I want to watch it burn. It’s beautiful.”

Martin swallowed, mouth dry from exertion, heat, and fear. Then, without another word, the fifteen year old ran for the exit, ignoring the pained whining of thousands of dying spiders behind him. Looking down the hill, Marin could see the village starting to stir as the burning building was first noticed by those below, but Gerry had gone the opposite direction, waiting for Martin by the woods. The younger teen joined his brother and they watched the orange flames lick higher and higher up the house.

No spiders tried to escape.

#TMA #the magnus archives #the magnus archives fanfiction #tma fanfic #tma fanfiction #gerry keay #gerard keay #martin blackwood #agnes montague #raymond fielding

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marwritesgood · 4 years ago

Text

Peach | S. Basett

Pairing: Simon x WOC!Reader

Timeframe: Season One AU

Summary: Y/n tries to ignore her aunt’s words, while Simon prays he is not yet out of time.

PART ONE // PART TWO

masterlist

A/N: This fic is just over 8K words

I cannot thank you enough for receiving this mini-series with so much love and support! I am so grateful that so many of you have enjoyed reading this as much as I have enjoyed creating it.

I hope you like this ending <3

Philippa was still standing on the steps outside her home when Simon arrived.

He raced through gates atop his horse but, when he quickly realised Y/n was nowhere in sight, he came to a halt. A worker appeared beside him as he came down from the saddle, guiding the horse away so that Simon could approach Lady Bennet.

“Lady Bennet-”

“I take it you hesitated to come here?” Philippa questioned bitterly. She had made it quite clear to the Duke that time was of the essence. Yet, he stood, dishevelled and panting because he was late, despite his delayed best efforts.

“Lady Bennet, please help me,” Simon exhaled, taking his hat off swiftly and holding it to his chest. Philippa had begun walking towards her home before she turned around again.

“Grant me one reason as to why I should help you, your grace,” she sneered. “Did you not possess every available opportunity to make amends with my niece ever since her arrival in London?”

“I did,” he cried, desperate to obtain Philippa’s assistance. “I had every opportunity but, like the fool I am, I took each one for granted. I have been far too preoccupied with affairs I do not care for; I have stupidly disregarded that which matters most to me; my relationship with Y/n.”

He grew quiet for a moment, during which the only sound heard in the cortile was that of Simon’s panting, a consequence of his frantic outburst. Philippa’s cold and glaring expression remained unfazed. She could not yet decide whether she trusted him.

Simon waited until he caught his breath to speak again.

For any other person in the world, he would uphold his reputation of being reserved and brooding. However, Y/n was not any other person in the world to him. She meant a great deal to Simon, and he was willing to disregard his typical persona, stoicism and all if it meant fixing things between them.

Even if it meant a vocal revelation of how he truly felt.

“I... I love her,” Simon admitted, the crinkle between his brows a confirmation of his sincerity. Philippa’s scowl faded. “I know I am undeserving of your ladyship’s help... just as I am unworthy your niece, but I can no longer deny the true nature of my feelings for her. Nor can I begin to describe the regret I have for not being here sooner so that I could confess this to her.”

As silence filled the courtyard once more, Simon glanced at the floor beneath him, overcome with regret and sorrow. Had he reached the Bennet home quicker, it would have been easy.

“Well then... you ought to begin thinking,” Philippa stated flatly, inciting confusion upon Simon. She smirked, amused by Simon’s response. He always was slow to catch on. “Your grace, if I am going to help you reach my niece, the very least you can do is think of what you will say to her.”

A wide grin slowly made itself apparent on Simon’s face. Suddenly the sorrow he felt previously was beginning to be replaced with a newfound hope- one he would, this time, indulge in and act hastily upon. He was not going to allow himself to repeat his same mistakes.

“Alright now,” she smiled. “I presume you have a plan in mind?”

Simon thought for a moment. While he feared he would miss Y/n’s departure, Simon, unfortunately, did not consider what he would do. He began panicking, straining his train of thought as he sought for even a scrap of an idea.

Then Simon remembered how he found himself in this position. He recounted all the times in his past, where he hesitated. Where became so enveloped in all the matters that burdened his mind, he lost sight of what mattered most to him.

He refused to fall subject to that mentality again.

Therefore, for the first time in his life, Simon turned to his instincts. Not his desire for perfection. Not his pride or his arrogance or his vengeance. What mattered most at that moment was how he could best apologise to Y/n and prove that he loved her dearly.

“Do you know the man whose proposal she is to accept?”

Philippa nodded. She narrowed her eyes at Simon, curious as to what he intended to do. Lady Bennet knew she would inevitably agree, no matter how strange the plan turned out to be, but she was still greatly curious and the slightest bit concerned.

“Can you delay him?” Simon asked. “By the time Y/n’s carriage reaches her home, it will be dusk; thus, I presume she will plan to meet with her suitor in the morning. I need you to delay that from happening.”

“And what will you do?” Philippa questioned. “Would it not be wiser for us both to leave immediately?”

Simon shook his head. He thought of the right way to phrase his answer. If Simon revealed his plan to Lady Bennet, he knew she would support him wholeheartedly. However, he thought it best to keep the better part of it concealed. It would have more effect that way, he believed.

“There are a few places I must visit beforehand,” he explained.

“You are asking me to delay Mr Graham so that you can visit a few places?!”

“I am asking your Ladyship to have trust in me,” Simon pleaded. “Hurting your niece is my biggest regret. I intend to atone for my mistakes, not repeat them.”

Philippa stared intently at the Duke. It was a massive ask of her; to leave her family momentarily and interfere with Mr Graham’s pursuits. However, every instinct she possessed led her to believe that Simon was sincere. The confidence he held gave her hope that his plan would work. She sighed.

“Then you must leave immediately,” Philippa ordered him. “Visit the places that say you must visit and then race hastily to my sister’s home. I will do my best to delay Mr Graham until then.”

“Thank you, my lady,” Simon cheered before doing just as he was told.

He raced towards his horse and climbed atop the saddle. Philippa dashed inside to organise yet another carriage headed to her hometown. Both equally determined to keep their beloved Y/n from accepting Mr Graham’s proposal.

***

The Y/l/n household was, needless to say, very much hectic. Y/n had arrived home the night before, hoping she would, at the very least, be able to have some sleep before the next morning. That proved to be impossible.

The words of her Aunt Philippa haunted Y/n during her journey home. Then, just as she feared, it continued to do so as Y/n tossed and turned in her bed. Once she finally began to settle, her mother barged in with sever different dresses for her to try on.

“Sit up straight, dear.”

Y/n flinched at the sudden sound of her mother’s orders. She reluctantly obeyed and straightened her back. When Mrs Y/l/n turned back around, Y/n sighed exasperatedly, slumping her shoulders ever so slightly. Her hands curled into tight fists as she tried to keep herself from dozing off yet again.

“I do not understand,” Mrs Y/l/n agonised as she paced the sitting room. This was an all too familiar situation for Y/n. “Mr Graham is known for being punctual, yet he is running terribly late.”

Y/n could care less that Mr Graham was late. Not while she was living off of less than an hour of slumber.

“You don’t suppose I could have a scone while we wait, mama,” Y/n mumbled. She was not particularly hungry so much as she was desperate for some energy.

“Do not be silly, Y/n. You mustn’t risk staining your dress,” Mrs Y/l/n replied. Eager to make sure everything went perfectly, she sat beside her daughter and asked the same question she had asked every hour previously. “Now, have you prepared what you will say?”

“Yes, mama, for the fifth time, yes,” Y/n droned. Her exhaustion only intensified her irritability which her mother seemingly lived to test continually. “I don’t understand your concern with how I respond. It matters not how I respond but that I simply remember to say ‘yes’?”

On any other given day, Mrs Y/l/n would have scolded her daughter. However, for reasons unknown to Y/n, she simply sighed and took hold of her hand.

“Words hold great power, dear,” Y/n’s mother explained simply. She glanced down at her daughter’s hand momentarily before meeting her gaze once more. “They are a valuable indicator of one’s character. How Mr Graham proposes to you will tell you of his attitude towards you and your future marriage. How you respond will do the same to him.”

Y/n nodded, knowing first-hand the amount of truth in her mother’s statement.

She did not care for her response to him as she did not care for him or their future marriage. Y/n simply wished to move past what had happened with her and Simon. This was beginning to become clear to her.

“I will respond to him properly, mama,” Y/n assured.

Mrs Y/l/n smiled, lifting her hand to cup the side of her daughter’s face. It was slowly dawning on her that in only a matter of time, Y/n would be married. When Mrs Y/l/n sent Y/n her letter, she knew the issue of her daughter being unwed would resolve itself in one way or another. However, Mrs Y/l/n was taken by complete surprise when Y/n came home on her own accord.

It was far too out of character for her.

She tried her best to look past it. Mrs Y/l/n rushed to get everything in order for Mr Graham’s arrival. However, it was becoming clear to her that she had been too preoccupied with doing so.

As Mrs Y/l/n struggled to find a way to question Y/n about her behaviour, Mr Graham’s carriage arrived outside her home. Y/n looked out her window and jumped to her feet. Before she could race to the door, her mother held her back.

“Before he comes in, dear,” Mrs Y/l/n began. “Are you... Are you sure you are ready for this? Is this truly what you want?”

Y/n scoffed. Her previous concerns about accepting Mr Graham’s proposal suddenly became easy to look past. Y/n’s resentment for her mother began to surface, adding much to her motivations to go through with marrying.

“Mama, please do not pretend to care about what it is I want.”

Mrs Y/l/n had not expected her to react in such a manner. She was not prepared to have her mothering methods confronted. Y/n’s mother’s primary concern had always been ensuring her daughter marries. It gave Mrs Y/l/n significant discomfort to realise how this resulted in her overlooking what should have mattered more.

Not to mention how she only came to realise this just as her daughter was about to agree to marry a man she expressed great disinterest in just weeks before.

Y/n rushed out of the room before her mother could say anything further. As she reached the hallway, Y/n watched the doors burst open. Much to her surprise, it was not Mr Graham alone who walked through. Instead, Mr Graham was with her Aunt Philippa, who relentlessly attempted to guide him in the opposite direction.

“Mr Graham, please, I must show you-”

“Lady Bennet, you have shown me enough gardens,” Mr Graham insisted, trying his best to contain his annoyance. “In fact, I am quite certain you have shown me almost every garden in town.”

“All except the best one, sir, which is located just outside the-”

“- Aunt Philippa, enough!” Y/n shouted.

Mrs Y/l/n reached the hallway just as Y/n called her sister’s name. Mr Graham exhaled tiredly before holding his hands behind his back and regaining his composure.

Philippa sighed. Her attempts at delaying Mr Graham by badgering him to stop at all 9 gardens on their way to her sister’s home all appeared to be in vain. Simon had yet to arrive, and it was clear they were out of time.

“Philippa?” Mrs Y/l/n said in shock. Her sister had always made an effort to give notice before visiting.

“Hello, sister,” Lady Bennet replied awkwardly, trying her best to force a smile.

Y/n had been glaring at her aunt.

She was furious that after she made clear her intention countless times to Philippa, her aunt still chose to meddle. Y/n felt more adamant than ever to go through, even if to simply spite her aunt. It was due time that they learned to refrain from making her decisions for her.

Even if it meant marrying a man she did not particularly care for.

She forced herself to appear alright, mainly in the hopes that it would influence her feelings. That it would obliviate her concerns. It was her last resort at being ok with what she was about to do.

“Mr Graham,” Y/n called out. The man stood tall, prompting Philippa to grimace. “You may join me in the sitting room.”

She walked ahead of him, guiding Mr Graham to the room. Once he walked in, Y/n turned around and closed the door before returning her attention to him. She fiddled with her hands while he cleared his throat.

Y/n was fixated by the words of both her mother and her aunt. She kept asking herself the same question Philippa had. Could she be happy? Could she possibly find any enjoyment in marrying a man like Mr Graham? In living an inevitable future with him?

Mr Graham was exhausted from the long journey he was forced to take with Lady Bennet. For the most part, his mind was blank, aside from his impending desire to return home.

“Is there anything you wish to say, Mr Graham?” Y/n asked. Mr Graham was taken aback. “Before I give you my response, that is.”

Y/n was resorting to humouring her mother’s advice. She wanted to see how Mr Graham was going to ask for her hand so that, this time, she could identify his intentions. Y/n wished to put aside the conclusions she reached about Mr Graham; he was arrogant and ignorant.

She hoped he could prove that he had one if any, good qualities aside from possessing wealth.

“Uhm-” Mr Graham coughed. “You will remember my father is the primary supplier of livestock commodities in our town.”

“Yes, I do remember-”

“By livestock, I am of course referring to domesticated animals raised in agricultural settings,” he continued, despite Y/n’s best efforts to get a word in. It seemed Mr Graham believed he had reason to take her for someone simple-minded; reasons Y/n did not care for but absolutely resented. “And by commodities, I mean the products-”

“-Yes, I am aware of what words mean, Mr Graham,” Y/n retorted.

“That you are,” he smiled, patronising her even more.

Outside the sitting room, Philippa and Mrs Y/l/n stood with their ears pressed against the door in the corridor. The more they heard Mr Graham speak, the more concerned they became for Y/n. Philippa’s stomach churned as she thought of her poor niece being wed to such a man. She could hardly believe she managed to last the journey there with him and not be at her wit’s end.

“I was recently made aware of the amount your father is offering for your hand,” Mr Graham stated, wincing as he did so. Y/n knew how small her dowry was, and she was annoyed that Mr Graham unnecessarily reminding her. “And you will be pleased to know that I am willing to look past it.”

“How charitable of you, sir,” Y/n muttered. Mr Graham did not catch on to her sarcasm. He was an easily distracted man, Y/n concluded. One need only groom his ego, even sarcastically, for him to be oblivious.

Y/n was reminded again of what her Aunt

“Yes, it is quite charitable of me,” Mr Graham remarked, smiling as he felt pleased with himself. “In fact, that is the very reason I first asked for your hand. Father believed it a grand idea that I marry a woman of your kind. Should attract a different demographic to choosing Graham as their supplier.”

“A woman... of my kind?”

The Grahams were the primary supplier of livestock. However, the few other families in Y/n town, who were not white, found livestock commodities elsewhere. It was clear Y/n that they viewed her as a pawn in their pursuit of broadening their clientele.

Y/n could already foresee where the conversation was headed, and suddenly her aunt’s questions held all the more weight.

‘Do you truly believe you will be happy?’

It took her only a moment to think it over. There was no denying that Mr Graham possessed all the ignorance and arrogance Y/n suspected he did, so she considered if it was worth bearing. Would a mediocre future with him be worth having to endure his jabs at her identity, her class and her family?

Mr Graham and his father dealt with domesticated animals for a living. It was clear that they viewed Y/n just the same.

Thus, her mind was decided.

“I expected you to be grateful,” Mr Graham commented, confused as to why Y/n was not flattered that of all the two women who made eye contact with him at the town ball. It was she who received a proposal from him. “You do not exactly have an abundance of suitors lined up at your door. Not to mention, I was generous enough not to withdraw my proposal after you asked for... time to consider your answer.”

Out in the corridor, the two sisters exchanged glances. Philippa and Mrs Y/l/n both argued quietly over who was to barge in and reprimand Mr Graham.

“That is quite enough, Mr Graham,” Y/n hissed, beating both her mother and her aunt to it. Her mind was, after all, decided.

Y/n had struggled for most of her life with control in that she had little of it. If it was not society dictating how she was to live and breathe, it was her mother. This time would be different, Y/n decided.

This time, she would be taking control and making decisions based solely on her own input.

“Thank you for expressing your feelings, your family history and your intentions with such candour,” Y/n began sweetly. Just as she expected, Mr Graham took nothing but pride in what he believed was sincere gratitude. “And thank you for being so charitable as to offer a lowly woman such as myself a proposal of marriage.”

Philippa and Mrs Y/l/n listened in with concern. They both knew Y/n too well to believe that she send Mr Graham off with civility and decorum. Y/n was the least bit concerned for either.

“You have been so generous with your time,” Y/n continued. “Therefore, I will not keep you waiting any longer... Mr Graham, I will not be accepting your proposal.”

Y/n took great pleasure in rejecting his proposal. Mr Graham grew pale as he quickly realised what her answer was. He stood on the opposite side of the sitting room, yet Y/n was desperate to further away.

“You... You mustn’t be serious,” he exhaled dumbfounded. The man possessed a great ego when he first enters Y/n’s home. Thus she was determined to shrink, if not demolish it.

“On the contrary, sir,” Y/n smiled, this time genuinely. “I am perfectly serious.”

“S-surely you have not considered the ramifications of denying my proposal,” Mr Graham reasoned.

Y/n was far too accustomed to being lectured by white men on not considering her actions’ consequences. They, of all people, she believed, were the least bit qualified to talk another on such matters. Not when they are granted every luxury and advantage at birth.

“Miss Y/l/n, you must know, after two seasons of rejected proposals, it is doubtful you will receive another after me,” Mr Graham explained. He was merely adding insult to injury. “And with a dowry as small as yours, I predict your future will be bleak.”

“Perhaps you are right,” Y/n replied, her head held high as she knew Mr Graham was expecting her to be grovelling. “Perhaps I will not receive another proposal after you. Perhaps I will be doomed to live a life of struggle and severe austerity, but make no mistake Mr Graham. I would sooner commit to the life of an impoverished spinster than I would, ever again, entertain the prospect of being your wife.”

Y/n marched towards the door and swung it open, revealing Philippa and Mrs Y/l/n eavesdropping on their conversation. Y/n hoped that would be the case, as an audience’s presence prompted Mr Graham’s mortification to increase tenfold.

“I must ask you to leave immediately.”

Mr Graham did not wait another moment. He just about sprinted out the door, determined to never step foot in the Y/l/n home again. Y/n stood in the hallway with a smirk and a proud glimmer in her eye. If she felt as a result of taking control, her only regret was not doing so sooner.

Perhaps Y/n would regret her decision later in her life. Maybe she only created more issues for herself than anything else. However, all that would be affairs she would attend to last, in the far off future. For now, she was happy.

Y/n headed towards her bedroom without saying a word to her mother nor her aunt. She had not done so on purpose. She was simply desperate to change out of her corset and resume resting her fatigued body. Once Y/n was altered, she sat on the edge of her bed. As she let out an audible sigh, Y/n slumped her shoulders and fell back.

She had never been so grateful for her mattress.

Y/n closed her eyes momentarily. She was very sleep-deprived, yet she was on an incredible high from the adrenaline of rejecting Mr Graham so explicitly. Before she opened her eyes, Y/n felt the mattress sink at her sides. As she opened her eyes, she realised both her mother and aunt were lying beside her.

“I must apologise to you both,” Y/n explained, reach her arms out to hold each of their hands. “I have caused you both a great deal of grief. And it all appears to be in vain now that I have rejected Mr Graham.”

Philippa and Mrs Y/l/n turned to face Y/n, both with the same expression.

“You may be sorry for many things in life, dear,” Mrs Y/l/n began. “But you mustn’t dare apologise for denying Mr Graham’s hand... you mustn’t ever.”

Y/n smiled. She was unsure what motivated her motivated to have such a change in character. However, she was far too pleased with it to question it.

“Any thought as to what you will do now, dearest?” Philippa asked. She looked over to her niece with her brows raised, and her sister followed suit.

It was clear that neither of them could keep Y/n from doing what she wanted. Therefore, it was decided that both Philippa and Mrs Y/l/n would simply stand aside and hold her hand throughout it all. Y/n thought for a moment.

“Perhaps another season?” Y/n answered.

In an ideal world, Y/n would have opted for something different. Perhaps she would have embraced the idea of being a spinster. In perfect world, such a fate would not be so grim. However, that was not the world Y/n lived in.

And so she opted to embrace the best and only option she had.

“Truly, dear?” Mrs Y/l/n exclaimed. While she was overcome with excitement, she wanted to ensure it was her daughter’s genuine desire.

“Yes, mama,” Y/n insisted, smiling weakly. She hoped in time the prospect would become more appealing to her. “-and it will be much different this time, hopefully for the better, as I am now willing to comply with you and your rules and your overprotective nature. I want it all.”

Mrs Y/l/n did not take offence. Instead, she simply laughed and leaned her head in to kiss Y/n’s temple. She had raised a mighty blunt and greatly opinionated daughter.

Mrs Y/l/n was most proud of it.

“I must excuse myself,” Y/n’s mother said. She placed her arms behind her and lifted herself off Y/n’s mattress. “Your father will be delighted to hear the news, I am quite sure.”

Y/n laughed at her mother’s excitement. Once Mrs Y/l/n left to recount the morning to her husband, it was just Y/n and her aunt.

“I hope you won’t mind me asking, dear,” Philippa whispered, inching closer to her niece. She feared the next subject of conversation would strike a chord with Y/n. “Has any of this changed your feelings... towards Simon?”

“No,” Y/n answered shortly, her voice neither louder nor quieter than previously. “He will soon be a married man, so it is most appropriate I refrain from paying him any mind so as to not remind myself of my feelings for him.”

Philippa huffed, torn as to whether or not she should tell her niece. Would doing so disrupt the duke’s plans? Would it not be better for Y/n to hear the truth from Simon himself when he eventually came? Would he ever arrive?

“I, however, must admit- whatever rage and anger I once held against him has since passed,” Y/n sighed. “You were right in what you said before... Although it will not be me who marries Simon, I do hope to marry someone like him.”

Someone like who he was before he became Duke Hastings, Y/n thought.

“You do?” Philippa smiled. She decided not to reveal anything to her niece quite yet. Lady Bennet was confident such a task should be carried out by Simon and him only.

“Hmm,” Y/n nodded. “Someone of good character and of a kind heart. A man who does not resent me when I raise arguments but rather engages in them.”

“It is the least of what you deserve in a husband, my dear,” Philippa replied.

The two of them shuffled to the top of Y/n’s bed, where her pillows laid. Both were exhausted from travelling in from London and enduring what had been a most eventful morning.

They both remained silent to get some sleep in before Mrs Y/l/n would eventually call them down for breakfast. However, just as Philippa began to drift off, his niece disrupted the quiet.

“Aunt Philippa,” she murmured. “I never did ask you what exactly compelled you to come... let alone badger Mr Graham as a means of delaying his arrival.”

Y/n was unsure what she was expected her aunt to reply. Philippa grew nervous as she tried to respond in a manner that would not reveal the real reason she came to her sister’s home.

“I-I,” Philippa stammered quietly. “-I simply could not sit idle... and let you accept Mr Graham’s proposal.”

Y/n hummed before turning to her side. It was a predictable answer, yet it left her with a bitter feeling of disappointment. She slept without

Philippa sighed in relief before hoping that wherever Simon was, whatever it was he was doing that moment, that it would not hinder him any longer from finally reaching the Y/l/n home.

***

Y/n awoke from her nap to an empty bed and an open room. She was curious about where her aunt had gone, not to mention why her mother did not wake her for breakfast. The sky had darkened significantly since she first fell asleep, though Y/n was sure it was not yet evening.

She climbed out of bed and donned a simple dress. Y/n could hear the faint sound of her parents talking, so she suspected they were with Philippa. Afterwards, Y/n wandered down the steps of her home and headed to the dining room. The conversation grew quiet, prompting her to call out.

“Have you truly begun eating without me?” Y/n laughed as she pushed the doors open.

As she stepped inside, a man stood from his seat- across the table from Philippa and Mr and Mrs Y/l/n. He turned to face Y/n with his hands held behind his back.

“Simon.”

Y/n was awestruck. All she could say was his name, and after muttering it quietly when he stood, she found herself left speechless. What could motivation could he possibly have to travel there from London.

“His grace will be joining us for dinner,” Mrs Y/l/n explained, refuting Y/n’s last hopes that it was not yet evening. “It will not be ready for a small while, so perhaps you could walk him to the garden in the meantime.”

“‘Tis the best one in town,” Philippa commented, a reference to the wild goose chase she led Mr Graham on just earlier that day.

Y/n remained quiet, unsure as to what was happening. She expected her mother to be repulsed by the sight of Simon. Y/n had, after all, rejected countless marriage proposals for reasons involving him. However, she was not repulsed.

She was smiling. Glowing, rather. Even Philippa and Y/n’s father seemed to be beaming despite sitting in silence. Y/n could not decide whether that should comfort her or worry her.

“He requests a private audience with you before dinner is served,” Mrs Y/l/n continued.

“H-He... does?” Y/n stuttered, looking at Simon in confusion. He appeared to be avoiding her gaze, which further provoked her curiosity.

“I do,” Simon replied shortly.

Y/n turned to her mother in confusion. Indeed, she would not send her unmarried daughter off, with an available man, on an unchaperoned walk without explanation nor context.

“I cannot possibly leave you to make dinner alone, mama,” Y/n stated. The thought of walking with Simon, especially after the nature of their last conversation, left her much unsettled.

“Nonsense, I will offer my assistance,” Philippa responded. Y/n narrowed her eyes at her aunt. She had always avoided being in the kitchen with her sister by all means necessary.

“It is decided then,” Mrs Y/l/n cheered, guiding Simon and Y/n towards the door that led to their garden.

“Mama, it looks as though it will begin to rain,” Y/n whispered, hoping to stop her mother but to no avail.

“You will not be far from the house, dear,” Mrs Y/l/n replied, opening the back door and guiding the two outside. “Should that be the case, you need only take a short walk back.”

Before Y/n could think of another way to avoid the walk, her mother rushed inside, slamming the door close behind her. There was no more avoiding, it seemed. Y/n sighed before reluctantly walking towards her mother’s botanical garden.

He was initially quiet. Simon had rehearsed what he was to say several times before he arrived. However, it was not until he saw Y/n again that all his prepared words vanished from his memory.

Y/n was conflicted. She was overcome with a myriad of emotions, which always seemed to be the case for Simon. While she was still very hurt by his actions and was determined to voice her feelings, Y/n felt it necessary to first break the ice with civility.

“How long will you remain in town?” Y/n asked.

“I have not yet decided,” Simon answered, after a moment of deliberation. He believed it wise to tread lightly in their conversation, though he too was determined to let his feeling become known.

His answer left Y/n’s curiosity to grow.

“Why not?” She queried. “I suspect Miss Bridgerton will be eagerly awaiting your return to London.”

Simon smirked. He missed her witty remarks terribly, just as he missed her company. Y/n had not intended for her response to land with such snideness. However, it was clear to her that Simon did not resent it.

“You suspect wrong,” he answered gleefully, catching Y/n off guard. Simon took amusement in her confusion but did not hesitate to clarify the situation. “She has already promised her hand to another... His royal highness Prince Friedrich. I was informed of the news this morning.”

“You do not seem upset,” Y/n commented as she studied Simon carefully.

“That is precisely why I wished to speak with you,” he explained.

Simon stopped walking, prompting Y/n to do the same. They stood by her mother’s hyacinths, specifically the purple ones. Simon took inhaled deeply as he prepared to explain himself and as he hoped, with all his might, that she might forgive him.

“I lied to you,” he began.

“Yes,” Y/n muttered quickly before Simon could continue. Had he genuinely come all this way just to recount their argument, she wondered. “I remember our conversation vividly.”

“No,” Simon cried. “What I meant to say was that I lied to you... when I told you that I was courting Miss Bridgerton and that I intended to marry her.”

Y/n remained silent, allowing Simon to continue.

“She approached me earlier this season,” he explained. “- with a proposition that I pretend to court her. She needed more suitors, and I sought to improve my public image.”

Y/n recalled the countless articles written about Simon, painting him as a stoic and brooding snob. It made sense that he wanted to change this portrayal, Y/n, though.

“I tried my best to put an end to our pretence earlier... on the day you approached me at Hyde Park, in fact,” Simon said. “However, Miss Bridgerton was adamant that it continues until she could attract the attention of Prince Friedrich. And I had already given her my word not to reveal our ruse to another soul.”

Y/n remained quiet as she took in his revelation. The more Simon spoke, the more Y/n understood why he acted so cold to her. He was always most irritable when he was hiding something.

“Peach,” Simon sighed. He reached out for Y/n’s hand, and, to his surprise, she did not pull away. “For all the pain and sorrow I caused you that night at the gala, I am so sorry.”

She squeezed his hand tightly as a way of comforting him. Y/n knew the way Simon could be so cruel to himself. Considering the impossible position he was placed in, she could only imagine the extent to which this had been burdening him.

“While I wish I had been spared from getting hurt,” Y/n began. Simon winced but nodded. He, too, wished she had not been caught in the middle. “I do understand why you had to lie to me... and I think it unfitting if I were to continue to hold that against you.”

Simon exhaled in relief.

Y/n smiled, comforted by his reaction. She, too, was relieved. After the gala at the Danbury estate, Y/n deemed Simon a stranger, someone she could no longer recognise. Yet, as they stood opposite each other in her mother’s garden, Y/n felt she knew exactly who the man that stood before her was.

The two continued walking across her mother’s garden. After Simon thanked Y/n several times for being so understanding, she recounted her morning to him. Simon struggled to contain his laughter when Y/n explained the 9 gardens Philippa forced Mr Graham to stop.

“So what will you do now?” Simon asked curiously.

“I will have to endure another season,” Y/n replied. “I have already promised mama I would comply with her this time around. Hopefully, my luck has not yet run out."

Simon nodded, though he resisted the urge to frown. She appeared to be excited. Hopeful, even. He worried this indicated a change in her affections for him. Nonetheless, he cast his worries aside for a moment. Y/n’s happiness was his primary concern.

Simon thought back to the story Y/n told of her rejecting Mr Graham’s proposal. In particular, he remembered the comment Y/n said he made regarding how dowry.

“If that is the case,” he began. “Then I insist on making a donation... to contribute to your dowry.”

Y/n’s feet came to a halt as she furrowed her brows in both shock and confusion. Instinctively, she began devising a way to reject his offer without offending him. Y/n was never oblivious to the significant difference in her financial standing to Simon’s, but she certainly never wanted to take advantage of it.

“It can remain anonymous,” Simon insisted. He knew his offer was far from appropriate as a woman’s dowry was her family’s responsibility. However, that was precisely what Y/n was to him: family. “If you are concerned about what others might say, I assure you I will personally see to it that the donation remains private.”

“Simon, no-”

“- Please, I insist,” he held firmly. Y/n continued to shake her head profusely, but Simon refused to give in. “It is the least I can do after playing such a significant role in hindering you from marrying these past two seasons.”

Y/n paused, taken aback by the fact he knew that.

“Simon,” she began. Her tone was neither shocked nor angry. “You mustn’t hold yourself accountable for a decision I made. Yes, you may have been the reason for it, but it was I who ultimately made a choice... And I take full responsibility for the position I am now in as a result.”

Simon nodded sheepishly.

“Regardless,” he said softly. “I still insist... You mean a great deal to me, Peach. Ensuring you have a befitting dowry is the least of what I owe to you, particularly after all our years of friendship.”

The grey clouds grew darker as the weather turned sour, and the day slowly came to an end. However, that quickly became the least of Y/n concerns. Her lips parted briefly, but she struggled to say anything.

Simon let out a heavy exhale before reaching his hand into the pocket of his coat. He looked at Y/n and smiled. She still appeared adamant to deny his offer of making a donation to her father.

“Do you remember the story,” he began, “- of the first time we played in the maze at Lady Danbury’s home?”

Y/n chuckled, unsure whether he was serious or if the question were rhetorical.

“Of course you do,” Simon continued, laughing all the while. “You recount it at every available opportunity.”

His laughter was disrupted by Y/n’s fist, gently colliding with his shoulder.

“Please allow me to finish, Peach,” he cried as he rubbed his shoulder. Y/n rolled her eyes playfully but allowed him to continue nonetheless. “You recount it at every available opportunity, but you always failed to include the part of the story I favoured most.”

Y/n raised her eyebrows in surprise.

“After I found you in the maze- crying hysterically, I must add,” Simon quipped. As Y/n raised her hand to repeat her previous action, Simon caught her fist in his hand. Their eyes locked as he did so, and the tension between them grew this. Y/n lowered her hand coughed awkwardly, prompting Simon to continue. “I took you to see Lady Danbury’s fruit orchids.”

Simon’s smile grew remarkably wide. He had purposely refrained from retelling his favourite part of the maze story to Y/n. He was most excited to finally do so.

“You ran straight for one tree in particular,” Simon said. Y/n’s brows snapped together as she tried to remember. “I picked some fruit, and we ate it beneath that tree. However, you were still quite upset, and that was when I assured you I never would have left you behind... Do you remember which tree we sat beneath?”

After giving it a moment of thought, Y/n gasped quietly when she finally remembered. She looked back to Simon and smiled. In a quiet whisper, she answered his question.

“Peach.”

Simon nodded. It was after that day that he refrained from calling Y/n by her name. After they left Danbury’s orchids when he chose to instead call her ‘Peach’ to remind himself of that day on of his promise not to leave her behind. Despite falling short on that promise, Simon was determined to fulfil it.

He took a step towards Y/n and slowly replaced his grin to express both sincerity and fear. Y/n studied him in anticipation of what he was to say next. Simon seemed greatly troubled by something, she thought.

“If you wish to find another suitor next season,” Simon started, unable to hide the sorrow he felt at imagining it. He inhaled sharply and, in doing so, forced himself to remain composed. “I will do everything in my power to help you in your pursuits. Whether that be in the form of financial support or advice. Whatever it is you may need from me, Peach... my answer will always be yes.”

Y/n’s eyes widened, and her mouth curled into a frown. She could see right through Simon’s attempts to his sadness.

“But if there is any chance,” he question, his tone frantic and desperate. He inched forward slightly and deepened his gaze at Y/n before he continued. “If there is even a fleeting chance that your feelings towards me are... are as they were before, then please tell me now.”

Just as he finished speaking, droplets of rain began to fall. They grew bigger and more rapid as time went on, but neither Simon nor Y/n noticed. Both were far too concerned with the affairs of their affections for one another.

Y/n held her breath as she looked at Simon. Earlier that day, she decided to enter her third season. She had finally come to terms with knowing that casting aside her feeling for Simon would be her best method of moving forward. Yet as they stood in her mother’s garden, she found herself with no choice but to confront them.

“They are,” she confessed, her voice almost overpowered by the sound of the rainfall, though just loud enough for Simon to hear. “My feelings for you, they... they have not changed.

Her words were music to his ears. Simon reached his arm out and took hold of her hand. He felt his heartbeat rapidly against his chest. Despite the cold and wet weather, Simon felt a warm sensation in his chest.

“I must assure you,” he spoke, glancing down at the sight of her hand in his. “This is not a result of impulse or of the heat of the moment. Rather, this is something I have anticipated doing, I... I have desperately hoped to be able to do for quite some time.”

“Simon,” Y/n quavered. “W-What are you referring to?”

Simon looked up at the sky. He laughed as the heavy rain showered over his face, and then he turned back to Y/n. She did not move from where she stood but, instead, studied Simon closely. Her mouth fell agape when, without a moment’s notice, Simon knelt down.

Y/n gasped. There was a loud slushing sound made as Simon’s knee sunk into the mud. He was unfazed by it, which made Y/n shock only grow. He couldn’t be, she thought. It was not possible. And indeed, if he intended to do as she suspected, he would live to regret it.

In a swift motion, she too fell her knee. Standing up while Simon knelt before she felt all too overwhelming. Y/n was confident he was not serious, despite him expressing profusely that he was. Simon’s eyes grew wide as he looked down and noticed the mud-splattered across the hem of Y/n’s gown.

“Peach, your dress-”

“Never mind my dress,” Y/n croaked. “Simon, what are you doing?”

“What I should have done two years ago,” he replied instantly.

Y/n clasped her hand over her mouth. Her hair and her clothes were drenched from the rainfall, as was Simon’s, yet neither seemed to notice. He reached out and took hold of her free hand.

“I know I am the least bit deserving of your hand, as well as of course your forgiveness and your friendship,” Simon began. “However, these past years away from you, and these past two days in particular... They have been pure torment. And I have since realised that I would be a fool not to make an offer of marriage to you and hope that you would be so kind as to accept it, because... Well, because I love you, Peach. Fervently so.”

“What... What about your vow to never marry?” Y/n asked.

Indeed he had not thought this entirely through, she wondered. This was the moment, she believed. The moment he would take back his proposal.

“You said before that I have the luxury to choose while you do not,” Simon answered. Slowly, he let go of Y/n hand and lifted it to her face, holding the side of her cheek tenderly. “Well... I believe it’s due time that my choices begin constituting to my happiness... and that of the only woman I love.”

Tears welled up in Y/n’s eyes and began to trickle down her face as she wept. She felt it surreal, the fact that Simon was offering his hand to her. And as it appeared, she had run out of reasons to argue against it.

“I know I have caused you much suffering,” Simon sighed, rubbing his thumb gently across Y/n’s cheek, wiping her tears away while doing so. “But I am determined to spend the rest of my life atoning for it by doing everything in my power to ensure your happiness... That is if you will have me?”

Y/n thought of her mother’s advice earlier regarding how one’s words indicate one character and their intentions. She thought of how all her past suitors made proposals from a place of arrogance, how they all made the argument that their financial standing was reason enough for her accept.

That was not what mattered most to Y/n.

Love and happiness; that was what she sought most from marriage. After years of being told that to do so was naïve and pointless, Simon was offering precisely that.

“Yes,” Y/n answered, laughing beneath her breath as she exhaled. She stood up and planted her feet firmly in the mud before reaching her hand down to help Simon do the same.

“Yes?” Simon repeated in disbelief.

Y/n chuckled and helped him to stand, after which she reached her hands out and placed them on the sides of his face. Even in the pouring raid and even covered in mud from the waist down, he was still so beautiful, she thought. Simon precisely the same of her

“Yes! I... I will marry you,” Y/n declared, her smile growing wider as she spoke. She could not make that statement repeatedly when she would eventually share the news.

Simon wrapped his arms around her waist, pulling her closer to him. He leaned closer to her slowly and kissed her sweetly. Y/n held the sides of his face firmly, pulling him even closer to her, causing him to smile against her lips. Shortly after, Simon slowly pulled away, leaving Y/n gasping for air.

“I am sorry it took me so long to do this, Peach,” he said softly, gazing apologetically at the woman he could finally address as his fiancee.

“It does not matter anymore, Simon,” Y/n replied, pressing her temple against his.

He grinned before leaning in to kiss her once more. Y/n lowered her hands and left them placed against his coat’s lapels. She wished for the moment to last a lifetime. However, as the rain grew heavier and the sky grew darker, Simon pulled away again.

“Perhaps we should return,” Simon suggested, despite much enjoying being alone with Y/n. She immediately groaned at the thought of going back. “I imagine your mother will be quite cross if we miss dinner.”

“Simon... I have waited a very long time for this moment,” Y/n began. “I will not be rushed by you or my mama.”

Simon laughed before kissing her once again.

When they finally walked back to the house, Simon continued to glance over at Y/n and at the sight of their hands intertwined. He thought of all the different ways things could have ended between them.

What would have happened if she had accepted Mr Graham’s proposal or even that of her previous suitors? What would have happened if he did, in fact, marry Miss Bridgerton? What would have happened if he had just proposed to her when she first confessed her feelings to him?

Simon wondered how many times things could have drastically been made different between them. He thought of how many choices, events and actions dictated whether they would ever be engaged.

And all he could do was smile at his beautiful fiancee and be completely and utterly grateful that this was how their story concluded.

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