#aoife thoughts

[peonypyxels]

✨

[holocene-sims]

next // previous

october 1, 2021 4:15 p.m. grant's house

[juhani] hello? grant, can i call you tomorrow? it’s late.

[grant] no, you can’t. i know it’s 11 o’clock where you are right now, and i don’t really care. you answered, so you’ve trapped yourself.

[varpu, faintly] juha, if you don’t talk now, he will never call you back.

[juhani] i want to speak with you, of course i do, it’s just–

[grant] fantastic, because that’s what we’re doing. we’re talking! i have 30 years of stuff to get off my chest, and i'm sure you have your own piece to share. not sure where to start, but.

[juhani] may i ask you a question? what did you overhear at dinner the other night? are you upset i'm moving? is that it?

[grant] i mean, that stung a little after the whole “i’ll be around to build a relationship with you,” thing, but i gave you my express permission to go home, so it’s whatever. we are both adults, so i am not going to fault you for making adult decisions that improve your life. i'm more upset by you claiming you didn’t tell me about your plans or include me in the moving and wedding stuff and whatever because i'm difficult.

[juhani] that’s not what–

[grant] oh, come on. don’t kid yourself. you said it yourself, anything involving me is like pulling teeth. i heard it loud and clear.

[juhani] well, when i tell you things, you never react well. it always goes precisely like this conversation is going.

[grant] really? never? because i remember being pretty positive about your proposal and about you contacting me in the first place and about coming to dinner to acquaint myself with varpu’s kids and about meeting varpu a while back…

[grant] what i react poorly to is you leaving me out, you calling me difficult, you complaining about me in front of impressionable people, etcetera.

[juhani] i don’t want to leave you out.

[grant] that’s what varpu said, too, but i didn’t believe her, so why would i believe you?

[juhani] i have no idea how to interact with you. i've apologized to you, told you i regret the events of your childhood. nothing works.

[grant] do you regret it? because it kind of just feels like you’re doing the same shit again. abandoning me for your own self-interests. oh, and this time you’re replacing me with a brand new family you treat better.

[juhani] i'm not repl–okay, what would you prefer me do when you push me away? you told me i was difficult.

[grant] when did i say that? i mean, that's true, sure, but i would not say that to you. what i probably said that you’re misconstruing is that talking to you is hard because i'm not comfortable around you.

[juhani] and how long will it take you to be comfortable around me? i don’t know what else you want me to do. truly, i don’t, and it is not pleasant to be rejected endlessly.

[grant] well, i'd have to forgive you, but i don’t. if forgiveness was meant to happen, it would not be instant. you’d have to keep trying with me, even if i piss you off, even if i push you away. you’re my fucking father, it’s your job. you show up for your kid even if they’re horrible or annoying. you never turn your back on them. but, you know, you didn’t show up for the first 22 years you were around, so you’d have to try extra hard now to change my mind.

[grant] but honestly, i will never be comfortable around you. i've realized that over the last few days. i did actually think if you just kept trying, i'd relax and be less on edge, but nope. you could become an honest-to-god saint tomorrow, and i'll still be furious because nothing will make me understand why you couldn’t have been a decent person when i was a kid. like, when i needed you.

[grant] and i don’t get why you weren't. i don't. i'm serious. i can’t comprehend it. clearly, you have it in you to be a decent person. you love varpu's kids. you're fatherly towards them. you take them on vacation, you invite them to house and wedding venue tours, you tell them about and include them in your hobbies, you remember details about them, you smile at them without being forced, you go to their weddings and don’t flip out about them being queer even though you were viscerally disgusted with me when you found out–

[juhani] you shouldn’t bring them into this. it isn’t fair. and i've taken you on vacation before, for one.

[grant] i am being petty, but i think it's fair because i'm not shitting on them specifically. and yeah, okay, you took me on vacation once. you took me to finland exactly once, but i never met your family, and i remember nothing other than the plane rides.

[grant] and you shouldn’t do this. we don’t need to split hairs. you don’t need to crawl through that list of grievances and “well, actually” me as many times as you can manage. one vacation changes nothing. that does not erase all the times you sat there like a lame duck and ignored me or mocked me or let my mother abuse me. there is nothing for you to pat yourself on the back about.

[grant] nothing.

[juhani] so, what are you upset about now?

[grant] why?

[juhani] why what?

[grant] why are you like this? why were you a terrible father? why have no heart for me or my sisters? why did you save all your love for someone else’s kids?

[grant] oh, and how about cerise? you sure didn’t care about your bastard kids either, did you?

[grant] shit. i'm sorry. that just kind of came out. that’s not how i wanted to, you know, pepper that into this conversation. i was going to save that for the end.

[juhani] how do you know about her?

[grant] doesn't matter. it's a long story.

[grant] on that note, what is up with the secret daughter? how’d that happen? is she the only one, too, or should i be on the lookout for any other siblings? and hey, you only divorced my mother in the last few years, so you were cheating. how many times did you fuck around on her, and why would you? you wouldn’t divorce her because you were afraid of her, but apparently it's no big deal to cheat.

[juhani] grant, how can i answer you if you don't allow me to talk? cerise’s mother michelle is a doctor. your mother and i were both at a conference in detroit about healthcare outreach, and…

[juhani] i know it seems contradictory, given how long i stayed with your mother, but i was unhappy in the marriage. i met michelle there at the conference, and she was kind and intelligent, and i suppose the rest of the story should be obvious to you.

[grant] goddamn, man. i hate my mother, but that’s bold: sleeping with another woman right in front of her face.

[grant] did she ever find out?

[juhani] eventually. you remember how she was with the finances. she tracked all the money going in and out of the household. you couldn’t have one cent go missing without being accused of something, and she’d always blame it on some incident with her brother and start ranting about him.

[juhani] look, the agreement with michelle was that i'd stay out of her life and send child support, and she wouldn’t interfere with my family either. i used to lie and tell your mother the child support funds were going somewhere important, but she didn't believe me very long. she did finally question me and find out the truth.

[grant] and?

[juhani] in hindsight, her reaction reminds me a lot of the one she had when you lashed out at her during your graduation dinner. very little left her speechless, but that did. initially, i should clarify. she would go on to never let me live cerise’s existence down.

[juhani] and to answer your question, as far as i know, cerise is the only other child.

[grant] as far as you know?

[juhani] i cannot rule out further surprises.

[grant] jesus christ. my grandmother is right, all men are dogs, but you most of all.

[juhani] does it upset you that much?

[grant] again, i don’t like my mother, but if i needed any more proof that you’re more spineless than a sea sponge, this is it. you were so unhappy with my mother that you’d cheat on her, but you’d not divorce her when your kids were vulnerable.

[grant] you disgust me. you slept around and thought with your dick before you spared a single thought for the kids you let my mother abuse. or for yourself! fuck you. if you’re going to be that selfish, at least be selfish enough to prioritize yourself and leave the woman making you that miserable!

[grant] and now i don’t believe you when you say you wouldn’t leave her back then because you were scared of her. do you seriously mean to tell me it’s less terrifying to cheat on her than to just walk out of the house and never come back?

[grant] i did that, you know? when i'd had enough of my mother, i told her as much and then never spoke to her again. and guess what? wouldn’t you be so stunned to find out she’s never tracked me down, never tried to call or email to reel me back in? she left me alone after i told her to go fuck herself!

[grant] and technically, you know it's possible to leave her, too. what did you say about the divorce? that she just rolled over and let you do it and was fine with you just coughing up all the assets and dipping?

[grant] exhibits A, B, and C that she’s a coward, too. she thinks she’s the boss, but if you fight back hard enough, she gives up. you could have left her at any point in time.

[grant] god. oh my god. you stupid, spineless motherfucker. i thought i'd maxed out on anger. apparently not!

[grant] you really could have been a better father. you could have had your whole little life overhaul decades ago, and you could have saved the entire family so much pain. you, me, elizabeth, kelly…

[grant] i should have suspected as much, and i guess i did, but it's shocking to realize over and over just how useless you are as a father. i think it can't get any worse and then it does. you are a complete and utter failure as a parent.

[grant] this is why i can’t forgive you. you didn’t have to mess up so badly. but no. whatever you got out of the relationship was enough to convince you to sit there and watch my mother ruin all of us, and even thought you weren't happy with her, you got by with fucking other women and only regretted staying a billion years later when you noticed you had nothing of substance left in life but my mother. and that’s a pretty depressing way to live, isn’t it?

[juhani] i stayed because i thought we deserved each other.

[grant] with that attitude, maybe you did.

[grant] listen, i'll admit this, no problem. it’s no one’s fault that she is the way that she is. it’s not even yours. she’s abusive, and what she does to other people is her fault and her responsibility. she’s excellent, too, at convincing you to just go along with it and never question her. it's not that hard to get caught in her trap at first, and she will try her very best to break you. but at some point, you have to question anyway. at some point, you have to recognize you deserve better and do something about it.

[grant] but you didn’t. not until it was too late for it to mean anything.

[grant] i would never think i've done everything right, but in the end, i've respected myself enough to make better choices and do something about the situation i was in, and i've had to do that because the adults in my life weren’t responsible or organized enough to fix things before responsibility fell into my hands.

[juhani] you are a braver and a better man than i.

[grant] i'm glad i am, but do you know how exhausting it is to be brave all the time?

[grant] i am because you weren’t. it is entirely because you failed. you weren’t brave enough to give a fuck about yourself or your kids, so i've had to be brave my entire life. brave enough to survive my childhood, then brave enough to leave. and guess what? i don’t want to be brave. i just want to exist. and back then, i just wanted to be a kid.

[grant] just a kid.

[grant] i wanted to come home from school and play with my pokemon cards and hear my mom and my dad say, “hi honey! how was your day? we love you!" i didn’t want to live in fear of what horror would befall me each and every day.

[grant] fuck you. fuck you. fuck you. you stole my childhood. you stole elizabeth’s childhood. you stole kelly’s childhood.

[grant] you and my mother, but you could have done something. you could have given us our childhoods back. you could have done something! you should have done something!

[grant] you didn’t have to do everything right even. parents mess up, i know that, but you could have at least tried. the bar was on the floor. i would have over the moon living in a single parent household with a father who at least showed up to my hockey games if he wasn’t busy at work and gave me a hug every once in a while.

[grant] and you know what, you did more than steal our childhoods. because you couldn’t stand to sacrifice your comfort long enough to take care of your kids, we all have to live in permanent hell. i have to spend the rest of my life freaking out when someone walks up behind me or speaks too loudly or–god forbid–touches me! it took me years to finally learn not to flinch when someone high fives me! and kelly–i don’t know what she deals with, but i know her life can’t be peaceful.

[grant] again, i am not blaming you for what my mother did–i know she was not kind to you either– but i do blame you for not even trying to stop her or get away from her. you were an adult with power, and you didn't use an ounce of it. actually, you did use it, just not for good. you threw me specifically under the bus because it was easier to let my mother use me as a punching bag than you.

[juhani] you’re right.

[juhani] you’re right, grant.

[grant] i have nothing else to say, short of "fuck you" again. i think i'm done yelling at you.

[grant] no, wait, one last thing. what did you even see in my mother in the first place? what was so enticing about her that you’d stay with her so long and ditch your college sweetheart for her?

[juhani] i don’t know. i don’t know anymore.

[grant] i guess it was two people drawn to each other's misery.

[grant] great. well, that’s all, folks.

[grant] good luck with the new family. maybe you can make it right with someone else and enjoy a totally fresh start because you will never make it right with me, and i will never let you forget what you did to me and my sisters. and don’t lose varpu again, by the way. she is, like, far out of your league–so far it's not even funny–and you are lucky to have this second chance with her and to have a good relationship with her kids.

[grant] also, just so it's clear, i don't want to speak to you anymore after this. don't call me, i won't call you either, except in one circumstance. i'll consider it on the day my mother kicks the bucket. we can toast to the end of that chapter of our lives and hope that the haunting ends. because surely you have to feel a little haunted, too, right? i have a sinking suspicion that’s why you reconnected with me. you don’t care about me. you care about that fresh start, about making yourself feel better about wasting your life and fucking up everyone around you.

[hallabun]

refs for my inquisitor, ruairi, and his younger sister, aoife! ruairi is a hunter and the clan's spy, while aoife is the keeper's first.

this is pre-inquisition since i wanted to draw them in their dalish clothing at least once. i have a secondary canon where aoife is the inquisitor, but in canon she goes missing after clan lavellan's destruction :,)

[forgottenroisin]

house malconaire + pre-raphaelite paintings

[hornystiel]

keep thinking how my papa armand look I made before perpetua was revealed looks very similar to him. not in colors but in the mask shape, curls and the vibe. maybe now that we have the whole ass look I should draw armand like this with my whole chest. also the implication of eternity in the name is soooo

[forgottensebastian]

Winter Mornings | Sebastian & Aoife

Sebastian had guessed that he had not been the only one to insist that the Malconaire ladies enjoy one of the finer suites that the castle had to offer, for when he had mentioned it to the servants they were not only unsurprised by this request, but seemed to have already begun undertaking it.

But he, more than the others, hoped that they had all rested well and had spent the evening laughing and whispering into the night, with the knowledge that they would not have to wake before dawn to make themselves available to be at Valentina and Cassimir's beck and call.

He'd ordered that food be brought directly to their quarters in the morning, so they need not rise before they were ready.

He also meant not to appear quite so eager to see them, but when it became late midmorning, he found that he was rather anxious to see how they had all gotten on -- and to confirm that Valentina and her son had continued to leave them alone. He may not have much say as to what happens at Malconaire, but he would not allow for them to be mistreated in his father's house.

He was admitted into their quarters by a servant who was attending to them during their stay and found that only Aoife was there. She stood, almost statue-like, by the window and it was only when she turned to look at him that he felt something was wrong.

There was something in her look that Sebastian could not quite place. "Lady Aoife? Are you alright?" He asked, softly. She looked as though she had not slept at all and there was something else, too, besides exhaustion that seemed to wear on her. Whatever it was, he did not like seeing her like this. He was determined, in that moment, to do whatever he could to help her.

He just didn't imagine that he and his family happened to be the very cause of it.

[morefictionlesslife]

Till death brings us together

It is a continuation of my last story, but I guess you can read it as a stand-alone. Enjoy :)

Aoife/Niten

Niten was standing in front of a mirror wearing a black outer robe with white inner layers. His family crest was embroidered on both sides of his kimono – it was a discreet white crest with two arrows flying beside each other.

It reminded him of her.

Of his fiancée. They, too, had been flying beside one another for so long that he forgot to even hope to have his feelings returned. Until he died and was brought back to life by Tsagaglalal and Prometheus’ aura.

He remembered her strong small body embracing him, calling out to him, getting angry at him. The last one wasn’t surprising. It happened from time to time. But then he had taken the leap he had feared for so long. He had told her how he felt, because then at least, she would know the truth, if nothing else. She teased him, breaking his heart in the process, then she had accepted and kissed him.

Aoife had kissed him.

Niten smiled to himself when he thought about that moment. It was engraved in his mind forever.

He was so in thoughts that he completely missed the dressing room door being opened. Although, he would never admit to such a heinous accusation. He had a reputation to uphold.

“How fares the groom? Having cold feet?” teased Prometheus from the corridor leaning heavily onto the doorpost. When Niten turned around to look at the man, he couldn’t help but smile along. The Elder looked good for his age and the events that had occurred. His reddish hair was somewhat recovered, only a small portion of grey hair peeked through the red. His suit was…acceptable, not Niten’s personal choice, but clothes did not matter to the man. It was already than enough to have the elder man there, even though his orange suit made the groom’s eyes water.

“Never,” promised the swordsman, smiling even wider. How could he ever, when this was everything, he had ever wanted?

Prometheus huffed and straightened himself up. “Alright, alright. The first one out of the two of you, who would break this up, would probably be my niece.” Niten’s eyes betrayed his shock, and his hands trembled. Did Aoife say something? Do something? Was that why the older man was there? Had she changed her mind? Did she not want him anymore?

“Ah, you misunderstood me, my friend, I was merely being hypothetical.” The younger man gave the Elder a warning look. His shoulders slumped as his breathing became regular again. The swordsman had really lost a considerable number of years just from the teasing of this family. The number of times, he had had a heart attack, because one of the redheads or their uncle decided to be playful and lead him astray with their words, was astronomical. He could have grey hair just from those three. Not counting their grandmother, who said would show up for the wedding, making the Japanese swordsman sweat even more.

She had made her threat come true, because Niten had already gotten a glimpse of her when he had checked the garden if everything had gone according to plan. He had contemplated whether to approach the Witch of Endor and risk losing his head for asking Aoife’s hand or just pretend he didn’t see her and bolt. His immaculate upbringing hadn’t allowed him not to greet his fiancée’s family member. But the Witch had decided for him when she turned her back to him and went to greet her brother. Somehow the Japanese had known that she had known he was there. When he turned back to get dressed, he felt a big mirror to his left watching him.

The Elder moved closer to his soon to be son-in-law. He considered the twins to be his daughters so… “She is getting ready for the ceremony just as you are.” Prometheus bowed down to whisper into smaller man’s ear. “And, honestly, being even more nervous than you.” He pulled back. “She is fidgeting around the room like some ancient god is about to attack her. But then again, she would probably be even calmer if that were the case. Aoife can fight with everything…hold a decent conversation and talk about her feelings…not so much. The fact that she is doing both with you, means you are the perfect one for her.” Aoife talked with him about her feelings to a degree, would have the Japanese added, but kept it to himself.

Niten smiled for the hundredth time this day as he thought about his future wife. It was too good to be true, but over time the Japanese had learned to take everything given to him. It would only take a second to be lost, so he intended to make every moment count.

“And your purpose here is to make me even more nervous?” asked the Japanese with a grin as he straightened his kimono and pushed away dust particles, that had found a way to his robe.

Prometheus grabbed an apple form the wood cabinet standing near the door and took a huge chunk from it. “Exactly,” crunched the older, making both laugh. “No, actually I am here for the free food and alcohol, messing with you is just a bonus.” Niten heard him laugh in the corridor as he left the Japanese alone again.

The ceremony was about to start in 30 minutes. Niten couldn’t be happier and more rigid at the same time. In an hour he would be Aoife’s husband to take care of her, to be there for her and fight beside her. And she in return, would be there for him.

So why couldn’t he stay calm? His heart was beating like crazy; his hands were all over the place and his controlled breathing, he had worked for so long and maintained throughout his immortal life, was nowhere to be found. What a swordsman he was when he couldn’t handle his own wedding?

Perhaps, it was his biggest challenge yet. And the most rewarding one. Being Aoife’s husband was both terrifying and everything he could ever want. What if he disappointed her?

“Knock, knock,” said an angel or a demon, depended on who to ask, from the doorway. Though, the man was almost a hundred per cent sure, that he was the only one, who would call Aoife of the Shadows an angel. Even her uncle considered the twins to be little rascals.

Niten stood with his back to the door, but he could see the smiling redhead, when he looked at his fiancée from the mirror he was standing in front of. When their eyes met, the man gave her his biggest smile, which reached almost to his ears, and his dimples framed his already happy face.

“You know, in some cultures the groom should not see the bride before the ceremony,” said Niten to his wife-to-be, who had begun to sneak towards him with inaudible steps. His beloved wore a long black cape that covered most of her dress. Some of the green material still peeked through the opening in the front, leaving Niten no doubt that she will look gorgeous in it. The colour matched the green of her eyes perfectly.

Aoife smirked at him: “And there are cultures, where the bride will feast on her husband’s heart after the wedding.”

He chuckled and turned around just in time to catch Aoife securely in his arms, when she jumped at the man without much thought. The redhead put her hands in Niten’s combed hair, making a mess of it within seconds, and wrapped her legs around his body, taking him into her strong embrace. The cape and the dress underneath it, did restrict some of her movements, but both paid it no heed, while smiling to each other.

The Japanese proposed, while supporting his future wife with his hands around her back: “How about we disregard both of these traditions?” He caressed his beloved’s spine with his right hand, making the woman lean in even closer.

“Mm, and I so looked forward to the second one,” said Aoife slily, while sliding her fingers across his husband-to-be’s face making the swordsman’s face flustered, before finding Niten’s lips with her own.

Showing intimacy in public or even in their own home hadn’t come easily for the warriors. Niten could tell that most of the time, she was worried that she had crossed some lines, even if he had stated many times that she had a permission to kiss and hug him whenever she felt like it. Even the man was not sure, how much he could allow himself to do, what she was comfortable with. That required talking and while Niten had no problem talking to others, it seemed that every time he looked at Aoife, his breath caught, and his face started burning. She made him nervous. So, both held back in fear of hurting or insulting the other.

Some days felt like the old days, like nothing had changed, like they hadn’t gotten engaged or expressed their affections. Niten would wake up alone for Aoife needed very little sleep, Niten would make breakfast, they would go hunt demons or other creatures or the couple would practice or watch TV. The night would roll, and the man would go to bed.

Niten didn’t know how to break the cycle until one rainy day, he took a leap, because the last time he allowed himself to chicken out, he became to regret it a little too late.

The Japanese had sat on a couch and read a fairly good book, when he couldn’t take it anymore. He wanted Aoife to know the depth of his adoration for her. After that morning at the bay, when he had poured out his heart, and occasional words, he hadn’t really had a chance or rather given himself a chance to convey his devotion to her.

“Aoife,” started Niten carefully and stared at the woman training with her nunchaku inside their apartment near the pier, where his boat was. He sat in his reading corner as Aoife had once called it, while she destroyed yet another training doll in the living room. She wore black training clothing, not even a strand of hair out of place, when he drew her attention to himself.

She looked back at him with curiosity in her beautiful eyes. “What is it?”

“Would it be agreeable if I expressed my love for you?” asked the swordsman. He wasn’t satisfied with how the question came out, it left out so much, but it would have to do.

As expected, it brought more confusion than clarity. The redhead blushed, brought her weapon to a standstill, and stammered abashed: “Like right now or…?”

Niten stood up and placed the book on the counter. The Japanese offered the warrior a little smile while explaining: “I meant…always.” The woman put the nunchaku silently on the table and came closer her eyes searching for his. Have they always been that green? That beguiling? “Maybe not always, but more often. You accepted my hand in marriage and yet, sometimes I don’t see any difference, while I loved what we had before my death,” Aoife flinched, her lips grimaced at the horrible memory, “now that you know my feelings and aren’t repulsed by them, I don’t want to keep them silent, I would like to say, you mean the world to me, many worlds, I would like to hug you once in a while and…”

Niten stopped abruptly to shake his head. In his enthusiasm, he had completely forgotten that the redhead could decline any time and decide she didn’t want his affections to be expressed every day. To mend his mistake, he switched the theme and offered quickly: “If you don’t want, I, of course, will…”

Aoife wrapped her hands around his neck to put her head against his shoulder. Niten, while freezing for one second, recovered fast and pressed the woman as close as possible with his hands around her slim frame. He lowered his face into her soft spiky hair to breath his love in. While not having spores, Niten could swear she did have unique smell to her that he could recognize anywhere. To him, she smelled like home.

“Niten,” whispered Aoife, her warm breath against his neck making Niten shiver.

“Yes,” he wasn’t sure, he should add that little endearment, but couldn’t hold himself back, when his heart was overflown with love for his fierce warrior, who clutched him so firmly to her, “my love?” The swordsman had called her that also on that fateful day, when he felt, he could do anything.

The redhead blushed furiously against him, but the man didn’t miss the small smile that had crept up her face and refused to go away.

“What is it?” repeated Niten overjoyed with happiness of being that close to the one he loved.

Suddenly, Aoife looked up at him and removed her hands from around him, letting the cold air hit against his neck once more. She stepped a few steps back and began waving with her hands in no direction: “It’s just, I don’t know how to…to do all of this. I’ve never been engaged before; I’ve never had someone I…someone I…someone I love. Romantically at least, that much. You will have to tell me, what I must do and when I do something wrong.” Niten’s face lit up seeing her saying the words once more. He never doubted the sincerity of her feelings, but it was nice to hearing them out loud.

She remembered an error in her earlier words and added: “Well, there was Cuchulain.”

Niten didn’t think there existed anyone he hated more than Cuchulain. The human had lived hundreds, if not thousands, of years before he was even born, but that did nothing to quell his rage for him. Partly because he was the core reason for so much of Aoife’s sadness; this man had separated her from her beloved sister. While not entirely his fault; the twins should have communicated better or, from Niten’s understanding and few pieces of information from Aoife, at all; the Japanese found himself hating the human.

The second reason was a little bit silly and a lot more personal. Cuchulain had been in love with Aoife, the woman he loved. While Niten was busy pining over Aoife, the unattainable warrior, she had confessed that there were some romantical feelings involved from her part with this Irish warrior. Although Scathach seemed to have been the one that had been falling harder for the man, it had come as a shock to Niten when the object of his affections had said that she had feelings for this ancient fighter.

The night after this discovery was one of the very few nights immortal Niten, the fierce Miyamoto Musashi got absolutely wasted. He didn’t remember half the things he did the next morning, only the ugly emotion of jealousy that had clouded his mind and heart. Aoife made a few comments about his unusual behaviour but didn’t pry further. The man wished she had, maybe then he would have had the courage to state his feelings, but no, he sulked in the shadows and trained harder than ever, so his dreams would not revolve around the happy couple, making him sick and broken-hearted.

Niten really hated the man, this Cuchulain.

It was a few years back, when they heard about the Las Vegas incident with Scathach and Billy the Kid of all people. Cuchulain or Setanta, like he had called himself, had, in fact, survived and tried to kill Scathach, blaming her for his fate. Niten had to physically restrain Aoife from going to Las Vegas and destroying the entire city. The swordsman hadn’t the faintest clue, what that would accomplish, but he felt the urge to do the same. The man he had hated had somehow survived and going after the twins.

Not on his watch.

Their fury was unnecessary, because Scathach had already killed him. Niten didn’t want to know, what Aoife would have done, if the immortal had harmed or, even worse, killed the twin, Aoife’s baby sister.

So now, he took a deep breath and reminded himself, that Aoife loved him and not the dead warrior.

At the same time, he had contemplating bringing back Cuchulain so he would kill him himself, Aoife muttered quietly to herself: “Aoife, you coward, you can fight anyone, but can’t say Niten you love him?” She kicked a cardboard box lying on the ground towards a small ocean view window.

The man watched her adoringly. Niten told Aoife as she finally made an eye contact with him: “I love you, too, very much. I, too, have no previous experience in marriage or that kind of companionship. But…Every romance I have read or heard about is different, unique. I don’t think there is one right way to do things.” The Japanese began to cross the room with steady steps. “It is just us. Do what feels right because our relationship isn’t defined by someone else’s. It’s ours. So, kiss me when you feel like it, hug me when you like it or don’t, and I promise to do the same. If we don’t cross each other’s boundaries and talk about those things, it will be whatever we make of it.” He came to stand in front of red-faced Aoife and held his hand out for her. “So, would you like to learn and explore together?”

Aoife hesitated only for a second before taking his hand and pulling him down to kiss her.

After that, things got easier. Niten allowed himself to hug her from behind when he found her irresistible. Only when she knew it was him because he didn’t wish to end up dead. She kissed him sweetly when he made her a warm drink on a cold winter night.

It was good. Very good.

This was how things got to this point that these two ended up choosing January the 3rd as their wedding date.

“We are not having sex before our marriage ceremony,” told Niten breathlessly as he slowly and regretfully pulled back from Aoife’s relentless kissing, his lips swollen and his black hair like a bird’s nest.

Niten had stumbled, after the first few kisses, Aoife clinging to his shoulders and feet like vices around his midsection, backwards into an armchair, while losing his common sense and deciding that 30 minutes before the wedding would be the perfect time to have a make-out session.

But how could he deny her anything, when she looked at him like he was her world?

Aoife smirked happily and not flustered at all for she didn’t need to breath: “You want to wait until marriage?”

The man smiled slyly: “A little late for that, I think.” Aoife lowered her lips to his neck to bite there, being careful with her vampire teeth, and Niten would have let her; even when a horrible image of him standing in front of the altar with a visible hickey on his neck, came to his mind; when a shriek filled the room, making the woman hop to her feet in less than a second to fight whatever was coming their way. Niten was not far behind.

“MY EYES! I never want to see this ever again!” came an upset voice from the doorway. It was a pitch higher than Aoife’s. “You have 20 minutes to get ready and you two decide to…Never mind, you will have to come. And soon.” Scathach had covered her face and was grimacing while backing away from the dreadful scene that had unfolded before her very eyes.

“Well, you will have to because I am going to kiss my husband in front of everybody,” declared Aoife victoriously. The groom shook his head at the twins. She laughed at the sulking twin: “Nice dress, by the way.”

Scatty looked at the verge of killing the bride before the wedding in her pink bridesmaid’s dress. Niten didn’t think the dress was that bad, but clearly the Shadow thought something else, if her expression was anything to go by.

“I can’t believe I agreed to this,” muttered Scatty to herself and crossed her arms. Then, still upset from walking in on them, she directed her next saying at the man. “Niten, and I thought you had some sense of property. Clearly, I was wrong! I hate both of you.”

With that she walked away but was back half a second later: “You have 20 minutes, well, 19 now. Hurry up! Or you are not getting married!”

Then she was gone.

“Don’t worry,” murmured Aoife catching her fiancé’s arm, rising to her tiptoes, and whispering into his left ear, “I quite like this adventurous part of you.” She let her lips linger on the swordsman ear.

“Was I not adventurous before?” asked Niten with a sly smile. After all those wonderful trips to various Shadowrealms; fights, encounters with strange species and narrow escapes; he still wasn’t adventurous enough for his darling wife?

Aoife smirked close to his face. He felt her breath on his lips; that reminded him of the sweetness of her kisses. Unknowingly, the swordsman licked his bottom lip and Aoife’s gaze was taken over by lust.

She leaned closer so she could touch his lips with her own: her hand found a way to his hair. Niten drew the warrior closer by putting both his arms around her to flush her against himself. Had she always been this soft?

Aoife whispered: “Scandalous.”

Niten snapped. Their lips finally moved against each other, and their tongues danced together. The Japanese lifted the woman up and curling her into himself, while she threw her both arms around his neck and held onto Niten like she never intended to let go of him. The swordsman reciprocated the action. After all, she was his future, how could he ever let go?

A faraway gong brought the couple back to reality, only to realize that they had exactly ten minutes before the ceremony. And they, in fact, were still very interested in getting married; they had to control themselves. To some, it was easier (not easier per se, but they had more control over their desires), to some, it took a bit of persuasion and promises of making it up to them, to get them finally to let go.

The swordsman suggested quietly, while still holding her between his arms: “We should tidy up lest we make it very clear to everyone out there, what we did in here.”

“And how is that their problem? You are to be my husband, I can do what I want with you behind closed doors,” answered in her usual challenging way.

“The door was not closed, my love, as your sister demonstrated,” brushed Niten her unkept hair out of her eyes, “also, I believe I saw your grandmother. Do you want…”

“Tidying up is an excellent suggestion, husband mine,” said the woman quickly and letting the man slip from her grasp to take up a comb. Niten laughed.

Aoife hesitated for a moment in the doorway with a strange expression. The Japanese looked at her in worry.

“I’ll be the one in green,” stated Aoife a little bit wobbly. It was finally here! Their wedding. It was not happening in his dreams. This was reality.

He smiled blindingly at his one and only, at his love, at the reason he still felt alive after 400 years, at his Aoife. He knew that she was nervous. It was his honour to reassure her.

The swordsman placed the comb on the table to cross the room and take Aoife’s hands in his own. “It’s just me out there. Like I said, it’s for us. This wedding is a way of telling everyone what we already have. Do you plan on running away?”

“No,” came an instant reply.

“Do you think I will abandon you at the altar?”

“No,” came a strong answer, but Niten detected a look of fear behind those gorgeous eyes.

He smiled at his wife and didn’t bother on correcting himself because that’s ultimately what she was – his other half. “Alright then, we have nothing to worry about. The only essential people in the wedding are the bride and the groom. And the last time I checked; they are here.”

“Well, there is the one who conducts the ceremony…”

The swordsman sighed. “You have a way of turning my every romantic declaration into…something else.” He was loss for correct words.

“It’s just my charm,” smiled Aoife, but turned serious quickly. “Also, thank you.” She kissed his cheek sweetly.

The Japanese caught a glimpse of her forest green dress underneath of the black cloak. That reminded him. “Beloved, I don’t need anything to recognize you from the others. Never fear that.”

“You can’t just say things like that!” declared Aoife with reddening face. She pulled her hands free at his scandalous behaviour. Ah, so the make-out sessions are fine, but his darling drew a line at romantic nothings. Too bad.

“It’s my wedding day, I can say whatever I want to my bride,” said grinning Niten turning her earlier words to work in his favour.

Blushing woman grinded her teeth. Aoife said an ultimatum: “I still have a chance to not show up!” Both knew that to be a playful bluff.

Niten couldn’t help but take advantage of this. He sighed with a mournful expression: “Well, then I have to preserve them for someone el…” Before he could finish, he had an armful of furious warrior, who would make sure that every single one of his romantic sayings would be directed at her. She would just have to put up with those, because the thought of not having his love was too much, a reality she didn’t want to live in. As if he would ever have anyone else.

She was his forever.

“Don’t you dare! You are mine, Miyamoto Musashi!”

“I have been yours since the moment I met you, Aoife of the Shadows,” assured Niten to Aoife with all his heart.

[tallbluelady]

38. Is there anything they wish they could change about their worldview or thought processes? What, and why?

This is such a weird question for me. Because you don't really wish your worldview changes, you just see or experience new things and it does. Or at least my definition of it.

I mean, I guess Aoife wishes she could change after meeting Louhi, Balor, Leanashe, and Anatu. But meeting them brought about the change in her worldview. Before then, she was content to live life in a self-serving manner. But after meeting them, she wishes to change her actions and be kinder.

Thanks for the ask!

[manysmallhands]

My Favourite Songs of 2023 pt. 3: 20 - 11

Carrying on from yesterday’s post: may the penultimate countdown commence!

20. pinkpantheress - Capable Of Love

While Boy’s A Liar was by far the bigger hit, Capable Of Love was the single that captured pinkpantheress at her best this year, combining her sad girl tales of romantic doubt with a beat that goes hard enough to give you a paradoxically huge lift. While i can't help but worry about how terrified she sounds, her super sweet garage pop is a solid favourite of mine and I'll guess I'll just have to reconcile that with my conscience.

19. Jeff Rosenstock - FUTURE IS DUMB

This year’s HELLMODE album saw Jeff in a slightly more reflective mode than usual but FUTURE IS DUMB was a nod to past glories, setting his frustrations about the modern world to dayglo punk pop played fast enough to comfortably sever your head from your body. While the takeaway - “the world doesn’t owe you” - seemed somewhat nihilistic, the general feeling of one man trying to make sense of a collapsing society was as relatable and moving as ever.

18. Black Thought /El Michels Affair - The Weather

On something of a roll after last year’s album with Danger Mouse, Black Thought uses the El Michels band to full effect here as the pair speed up and slow down in perfect coordination on this summeriest of street scenes. Leon Michels works up a blissed out soulscape as the Roots star rhymes with intricacy and precision, by turns laid back and fiercely intense.

17. Aoife Nessa Frances - Fantasy

Grandiose in design and epic in scope, Fantasy (not the Mariah song) takes Aoife’s moody psychpop template and gives it an extraordinary makeover. Decorated with orchestral fantasia, it sounds like the kind of music you might find in a high class opium den and that’s before you even get to Aoife’s velvety swoon of a voice. I honestly didn’t think she had this in her.

16. Billie Eilish - What Was I Made For?

Billie’s second number one was a grower, a pristine piano ballad that managed the tricky business of projecting deep sadness without veering into mawkishness. Bille is ostensibly talking about Barbie (duh), but the lines seem to blur into her own commodification and the notion of becoming “just something you paid for” cuts uncomfortably close to the bone.

15. Caroline Polachek - Dang

While the best songs from the "Desire, I Want To Turn Into You" album were actually from previous years, Polachek finished 2023 with a flourish, issuing a single that was an improvement on every last one of them. Built around a sample that sounds like a cat being strangled and a flash of old Hollywood melody, Dang sounded strange and glitchy but alway compelling. One of the best examples yet of her idiosyncratic vision of pop.

14. Palehound - Route 22 

Palehound’s Eye On The Bat album was their first to really make a dent in me, and Route 22 is both typical of its strengths and a standout on its own merits. Ellen Kempner’s bleary country rock ballad explores the lines between loving someone and the need to be appreciated, with its honesty all the more touching for the beauty of its setting.

13. Wednesday - Chosen To Deserve 

“I was here first!” I cry as I brandish my old Wednesday albums but it’s still a nice feeling to watch the world catch up, as well as interesting to see bands find themselves exalted who wouldn’t have gotten the time of day a few years ago. “Chosen To Deserve��� itself is a sweet natured country rocker powered by a bone crunchingly fierce riff, as Karly Hartman’s tales of misspent youth skirt the line between humour and something more uncomfortable.

12. The Mountain Goats - Fresh Tattoo

Jenny From Thebes is an album that requires a little patience but its second single found The Mountain Goats at their most immediate and effective. While it starts life as a breezy narrative ballad, Fresh Tattoo feeds off of its momentum to make a convincing shift to anthemic territory by the last verse. By turns warm, witty and extremely memorable, this is as good as they've ever sounded.

11. Olivia Rodrigo - Get Him Back

Inescapable for months on Radio 1 (where it even had its own jingle), Olivia's love/hate anthem manages to indulge all her best instincts, especially her theatricality and love of 90s guitar rock. Powered by a surprisingly good rap/rock delivery, it’s filled with immensely quotable lines from top to bottom but be sure to seek out the clean version to hear the best one, cos everyone knew that guy was missing a screw!

[zindoesart]

drew my idol oc group dancing! only 4 members this time, as they're yet to recruit the 5th in this one.

[intherueemorguee]

𓏲 ๋࣭  ࣪ ˖ short intro post

just making a short one to have pinned until a make a carrd ragh

⋆.˚ I'm Aoife or Eef, i'm 18 , irish and pronouns are she/they <3

⋆.˚ I like to write but because of school and burnout for the past year or two i havent sadly </3 I'm currently in 6th year so burnout is at its peak. I'm hoping to study something related to politics, history, international relations orrrrr journalism in college!! My favourite subject is history however i hate the exams

⋆.˚ i have a lot lot lot of interests too many to list but currently i love DC (batfamily and stuff trying to read the comics) red dead redemption, Dandadan, Bungo Stray dogs. Chainsaw man, pokemon, HOTD, Scream, reading, writing, making crafts, journalling,and a lot more that just pop up whenever i see them or they cross my mind

⋆.˚ I love love love love love music so much, i listen to all types of music and i'm always open to song suggestions!! I love hozier, Kneecap, Fontains D.C, Tyler the creator, Kendrick Lamar, video game soundtracks, musicals, Tv girl and more

⋆.˚ i make Pinterest boards for my oc's and other stuff this is it here <3

⋆.˚ basic dni etc etc but thats all, i'm quite akward with replying to stuff and sometimes dont know how to reply but i'll try my best plus i mainly reblog stuff a lot but trying to get back into writing to post more <3

[aoifereal]

lame. i thought this deck was awesome but i 2-3'd with it.

[ventureawaybitches]

I had thoughts i can try to articulate about ep. 45, i might not be successful but I have two (2) major points.

One, the Tsarina's representitive:

He. Who Sariel trusts to handle this. Hmmm. Well, Rivaan? It can't be Rivaan. But...Very tall cloaked figure (i am physically shaking) i know this is Rivaan, I'm Freaking out. Sariel is sending her paramour to be her ambassador to the fey, great choice, trustworthy, and it's not her in a disguise. He's hot. He's polite. He's literally one of the highest ranking nobles and leader of the Tsarina's army. He's now in Cooper chopping vegetables. Rook approves of him. We get how the bedrooms in Cooper work. It's not what you think your perfect room is. Rivaan's room is Sariel's bedroom. It's Sariel's bedroom. It's Sariel's— Anyway I adore Rivaan and if anything happens to him I'll destroy this place.

Two, Aoife:

I'm thinking about fey nature slowly obliterating the mortal one, I'm thinking about Felix asking do you feel consumed. Did Aoife have any idea what she was doing? what it would do to her? what she would be giving up? There still is a mortal in there, maybe you can hold onto that mortal perspective a little longer. Felix's disgust at her mortal form. The reveal that the transition from mortal to fey isn't immediate and complete, that the mortal part of you will die slowly. When your family no longer recognise you and you realise that you aren't their daughter, sister, granddaughter anymore. When everyone you ever cared for has grown old and died and you don't know if you're capable of loving like that anymore.

[ranfordgallus]

I can't believe i made a whole ass species lore just for a wild kratts oc my god i never thought it could come this way but..thats the fun of it i guess LMAOO

Anyways..

Meet the Sickle-horned Equdore, a species of antelope found in the northern part of Kazakhstan where forests lie. Where their ancestors, the bluebuck, migrated from the south coast of africa to central asia.

The word Equdore (pronounced "eqoodor") means equine-like antelope, due to their appearance being similar to those of modern day horses though due to their two hooved they are not considered in the equus family.

The sexual dymorphism of the Sickle-horned Equdores are somewhat similar to those of deers or mooses, the male being bigger and more patterned with bigger horns. However not all male Sickle-horns have big horns, some have smaller horns usually from too much stress of poor diet during development of the horns growing, female Sickle-horns prefer those with bigger horns to show their health and potential. Male Sickle-horns are the only sex with the distinctive sickle shaped horns, hence their name.

Female Sickle-horned Equdores are slightly smaller than the male by a foot, however just because they are smaller than the males, does not mean they are small compared by a human, standing 8 feet tall. Female Sickle-horns have more curved horns that doesn't resemble an actual sickle, while the male horns of the Sickle-horned Equdore are shaped for both protection and attraction, female horns are only used for protection.

The social behavior of them are also similar to wild horses or chickens. One alpha male (fuck..i can't take that phrase seriously due to THOSE alpha male dudes you see in instagram reels or in podcasts..) and a herd, usually 8 to 15 females, the male provides safety and food by communicating that theres an abundance of food, if the male..example, finds a fruit tree, he will call the herd and let them eat first by helping to kick the tree so the fruits could fall down, easier to pick on, and the male will eat after a few have eaten already.

The unique part of the Sickle-horned Equdore is each pattern from each individual species are different, so they have their own set of pattern only own by those who bear it, making them easy to distinguish from others. And their fur is blue in colour, while not very blue, if you colorpicked their fur the color is more the blue area even though it looks more purple. Blue pigment is very- almost impossible in mammals, some "blue" furred mammals are usually more grey.

I also even made what the creature power suits of the species, both sex, though the powersuits are still a big smaller compared to the actual animal, they still stand around 7-8 feet. Poor chris, he's more teal and blue than his usual green colour, like the blue heron episode...

So what are the Sickle-horned Equdores known for other than their sickle-shaped horns and their blue fur?

They are famous for the creation of the mythical greek animal, the unicorn. When greek adventurers went to central asia, they discovered the rarest mutation of the Sickle-horns, the mutation that made them have a singular horn, while in real life unicorns were from the misinterpertation of rhinos, in my Wild Kratts universe, the unicorn mythology came from this species but historians theoried that it came from rhinoceros because they haven't found or rediscovered the species that created the famous fantasy animal in the first place.

This mutation is REALLY REALLY rare, less than 2 percent have this mutation that caused them to have a singular horn.

(Picture of Aoife and Einhorn. Oc on the left (Aoife) belongs to @martincrushcameback while Einhorn belongs to me.)

The burden of having such a unique birth defect is that you have a low chance of surviving or creating a herd of their own, female Sickle-horns with this condition are less likely to find a mate or a group to be accepted in, while males have a hard time to create their own herd, and their singular horn couldn't fight a male who already has a herd and they can't stand a chance, because whos more likely to win? A highly skilled person with two swords or the one that only has one and is average skilled?

One horns are so rare that records say only one was found, though many scientist disaproved the one horned as "not real" thinking the photo was painted to look like it had one horn, since they didn't believe that unicorns existed..lol

And Sickle-horned Equdores were once highly poached and hunted during the mongol empire, the people tried domesticating them so they could use them as a source of transportation for the extremely wealthy and war for the mightiest soldiers, unfortunately the domestication was a fail, so instead, they hunted them for their beautiful coat and horns for decor for the rich and those in power. So much that they reduced their population from a million to only 200 thousand left today. Their population is growing at a steady pace due to orginizations to protect these endangered animals. Fun fact, the Sickle-horned was rediscovered very early in the 1970's, historians found remnants of Sickle-horn hide and horns thinking these creatures are long extinct back in the 1900's.

Sooo..yeah, thats all i got for the species of Einhorn and Aoife..guuuhhh so much research..

Also, Equdore is a genus of antelope, meaning, like the big cat family including jaguars, tigers, lions and such, is their own family branch of the antelope family..MEANING...that there are other Equdore species not only existing to the Sickle-horned!

Also just to make sure Equdore is a fictional animal, there is no such genus of antelope called an Equdore..bah..

[whousestypewriters]

its you and me, baby - j.l x reader

pairing: joey lynch x fem!reader [established relationship]

requested: yes / no

warnings: swearing and sadish/insecure thoughts?

a/n: dw guys im still feeding you even tho im not online (this has been ling over due as well sorry to the two anons who requested this for taking so long!!) also i rlly dont like that i kinda not really sorta made aoife a problem in this bc joeyaoife forever!!!

taglist: @lxvebelle, @ecliphttlunar,

you like to think you're not insecure.

really.

but sometimes those small moments of doubt creep in and you find yourself questioning yourself more.

like right now as you watch your boyfriend talk to a very pretty girl at the bar. the same girl he'd been talking to for the last fifteen minutes. aoife molloy. she went to school with you and joey. you never really talked much to her but always got the vibe that she was a perfect shining star, that everyone loved.

example number one; your boyfriends smile right now.

he's smiling brightly at aoife, chatting away while he gets drinks for the both of you, laughing at whatever things she says. the feeling starts to build in your gut, one you desperately try to shove down because its the worst feeling ever.

and you see them too. the slight touches from aoife on joey's arm. fucking hell you're going to need several drinks if this is how tonight is going to go.

aoife's loud laugh breaks through your thoughts and draws your attention - not that you weren't already looking at them - back to her. joey's eyes are alight and you feel a ping of sadness and two ugly emotions you definitely don't like; insecurity and jealousy.

why didn't joe's eyes light up that bright when you two were together? why did he laugh as loud? was it you? were you just not funny enough? or was it something else? that one thing deep, deep down you were always afraid of. that you weren't good enough for him. and that he had found someone better.

"stupid shit thoughts," you grumble to yourself. "shut up, shut up, shut up."

pushing away all thoughts, you decide on getting your mopey ass a drink instead cause clearly someone else can't do that. standing up you make your way over to the bar and just to be petty you slip in next to joey and aoife and call out to the bartender ordering your drink.

joey hears your voice and his head instantly snaps around to you. "y/n, hey baby i was just getting us some drinks," he says with a small grin.

"yeah it seems so," you roll your eyes picking up your drink and heading back to your table. joey seemingly knowing that you're pissed says a quick goodbye to aoife and follows you over with two more drinks.

he sits down across from you and tries to make eye contact. "are you okay?"

you answer with a short nod and a sharp, "yes."

jealousy isn't a good emotion. its such an awful feeling, and you do not like it. so when joe asks, "you sure, baby?"

you kinda snap. "i said yes. i'm fine okay?"

he lets it go for now but you feel his eyes on you through out the rest of the - admittedly short - time you spent out together. you know he knows something is bothering you.

yeah, somthing was bothering you, someone called aoife molloy who's the prettiest person ever and who had joey lynch laughing his ass off for at least twenty minutes before you interrupted.

now you liked aoife, she was a sweet girl, but seeing the way she was with joey tonight really made you wanna bitch slap her. that was your boyfriend not hers.

the ride home you were quiet and you tried to bury the jealousy and insecurity bubbling beneath the surface you really did. but those dumb little thoughts kept weaselling their way into your head creating more doubt.

after you had both gone inside - still not talking - joey had had a shower and started to relax getting ready for bed while you had your own.

the hot - ok more like burning - water did nothing to ease the awful feeling in your gut. it was aoife molloy most guys your age would kill to go out with her. and she had chosen to talk to your boyfriend - who you aren't kidding yourself he's absolutely gorgeous. you've heard girls whispering about him more that a few times - you're not-single-very-taken-boyfriend.

ugh.

so when you come out of the shower and still didn't talk to joey thats when he snapped.

"alright thats it." he shoots his arms out wrapping them around your waist and throwing you on your back on the bed. he leans over you one arm on each side of your head caging you in. "what is wrong, and don't you dare say nothing because i swear to god i will kill you-in-a-non-threatening-way-because-i-love-you," he rushes the last part out.

"nothi-"

"y/n."

"fine," you sigh. "it... bothered me tonight, when you were talking with aoife."

"and..." joey eggs you on.

we're you really about to say this? "and i got jealous and insecure and i wasn't happy about it."

"why were you jealous?"

"because of her!" you cry. "its aoife fucking molloy, she's gorgeous, she's every guys dream girl and she was flirting with my boyfriend! and my boyfriend was smiling right back at her and yes it made me jealous because my boyfriend never smiles at me like that. he never laughs as loud when he's with me so yes. i. was. jealous."

joey's face stays still for a moment before he breaks into the biggest laugh. "oh, my god, y/n!" he chuckles loudly. "you have absolutely nothing to be worried about there. you wanna know what we were talking about the entire time? you." he leans down and presses a kiss on your forehead. "we were talking about you." he presses another kiss to your cheek, "aoife had brought up how grumpy you looked and we got caught up talking about you." he presses a kiss to the other cheek.

"me?"

"yes you, my grumpy little bug." he presses a soft kiss on your lips.

"there is no-one else, you got that? i adore you. i cannot stand the thought i being with anyone else. it physically pains me. i love you more than i'm actually sure is possible." he presses another kiss to your lips.

"its you and me baby. you and me."

a smile overcomes your lips and you pull joeys face down to kiss him yourself. "i love you," you whisper. "so much."

you both pull yourselves up under the bedcovers and fall asleep to the soft kisses and squeezes you exchange.

ok so maybe you are a little insecure but none of it matters as long as the boy who has his arms wrapped around you was with you.

a/n pt2: ok so i dont really know what happened with the ending so i lowkey js gave up on it. i hope you enjoy!!

[harunayuuka2060]

Leona: *doesn't feel like napping ever since he takes over the "pregnancy" for MC*

Leona: *taking a stroll with Ruggie following him behind*

Ruggie: Have I told you that you're acting like MC?

Leona: Huh? Why?

Ruggie: They used to take a stroll like this. I guess they were already pregnant with Prince Liora at that time.

Leona: ...

Leona: I thought they were just away because they didn't like staying in the palace.

Ruggie: Yeah. That one too.

Leona: ...

Leona: Somehow, carrying my daughter in my heart makes me feel at ease.

Ruggie: Oh?

Leona: Yeah. But she doesn't like me sleeping in the afternoon.

Ruggie: Shishishi!

MC's sister: Prince Leona?

Leona and Ruggie: ...

Leona: Tch. *doesn't hide his disdain*

MC's sister: ...

MC's sister: Sorry. I didn't mean to block your path.

Ruggie: You're still in Sunset Savannah, huh?

MC's sister: *feels embarrassed that Ruggie stated it* I tried going to different countries but was not welcomed, so I have returned here.

Ruggie: *goes to whisper to Leona* It's because of the influence of Al Asim. I think they have banned her or something.

Leona: Ah. I see.

MC's sister: B-By the way, how's MC doing?

Leona: None of your business.

MC's sister: !!!

Leona: *the way he glares is somehow similar to MC's*

MC's sister: *is frightened* I-I'll get going now! I-I apologize for ruining your time, Your Royal Highness! *then immediately runs away*

Ruggie: Wow, you scared her off.

Leona: Hmph. It doesn't matter. My day's now ruined. Let's go back.

Ruggie: Okay.

Cheka: Unca! Unca! What will you name my baby niece when she comes out?

Leona: I'm not telling.

Falena: *chuckles* Why? Ah. Are you hoping that you and MC will be thinking the same name for your child?

Leona: I know it was probably a coincidence, but you may never know.

Cheka: *giggles* Unca is so sweet!

Leona: Shut up, kid.

MC: ...

Leona: *has joined them in the bath*

MC: ...

Leona: *avoiding their gaze because he realized late that he's being rude for joining in*

MC: ...

MC: What is it, Leona?

Leona: Nothing. I'm getting out now-

MC: It's fine. You can stay.

Leona: *has a surprised look on his face* *slowly sits back down*

MC: I'm guessing he doesn't realize that he's smiling stupidly.

Leona: ...

Leona: The others are asking if we have decided on a name for our daughter.

MC: You can decide on one. It won't be a problem for me.

Leona: ...

Leona: I would like to name our daughter "Aoife"- *clutches on his chest when he felt a sudden pain*

MC: ...

MC: It seems she likes the name you've given her.

Leona: That's great and all... But why is she doing this to me?

MC: She must be fond of you. *this reminds them of how Liora used to do the same*