#artisanal bathroom lighting

[louexuv]

Open Closet Chicago Inspiration for a mid-sized timeless gender-neutral medium tone wood floor walk-in closet remodel with open cabinets and medium tone wood cabinets

[starwarsarthistory]

Closet Chicago Mid-sized traditional walk-in closet idea with open cabinets and medium tone wood cabinets that is gender-neutral and has a medium tone wood floor

[bluesest]

A guy telling his boyfriend who is sitting on the toilet to hold in his diarrhea and beg for release

A Holding Boyfriend

My boyfriend and I had a great amazing date where we went to a critically acclaimed restaurant called: "The evening", it was an amazing night and the dishes were a total delight:

As an entrance they gave us a glass with 10 shrimp, they looked incredible and my boyfriend devoured most of them, I wanted to stop him because he was aware of what happens to his stomach when he consumes any type of seafood, but when I told him he replied:

Boyfriend: "It's not for so much love, I prefer the taste and suffer the consequences, because I tell you that this is totally delicious"

Me: "It won't be nice when... forget it"

I stopped at that precise moment, my neurons agreed that this could lead to a situation that was quite ... interesting.

10 minutes of anecdotes and laughter passed, the waiter gave us the main course: "Filet Mignon" with potatoes and asparagus, we had several sauces to choose from but my boyfriend's favorites were: "Brown Sauce" made from celery, onion, meat broth, garlic, among other ingredients, and also the classic barbecue sauce, all these made in an artisanal way, It was an amazing dinner at an amazing restaurant, we paid the bill and with a great feeling in our stomachs we left the establishment.

When I got into the car my boyfriend said some words that would leave me cold:

Boyfriend: "I think it's better to leave the windows open"

Me: "But it's very cold out there"

Boyfriend: "My stomach is baking something heavy, I think it wasn't a good idea after all"

Me: "I warned you"

Boyfriend: "But I don't regret it"

He started leaning quickly, held the steering wheel tightly and let out a giant gas, I never thought he would be able to match something like that.

*PPFPFPFPFPFPTTTTTTTTTTTT*

Boyfriend: "Ufffff that was a good one"

I blushed at the time, me and he have been together for at least 3 years where we have acquired a small apartment and I had never heard or smelled a fart like that in the time I live with him.

Neither he nor I bothered at that moment, as a couple we have witnessed many things from each other including our embarrassments, he is usually quite open to these issues and has no shame at all about farting at least in front of me, it is something I admire about him, his trust towards me to show something that you would never show someone, even if it is something as "disgusting" but natural as farts.

He began to laugh sheepishly while I enjoyed the natural smell of his intestines invading my nostrils touching them softly like a light, pleasant scent of a small flower between his large, tight buttocks.

He began to feel his stomach with his left hand as he paid attention to the road and said:

Boyfriend: "I feel gassy"

My eyes shone with those words, I didn't want to be an obstacle to him so I said:

Me: "Fart freely, don't worry about me"

Boyfriend: "Are you sure? I mean... doesn't it bother you?"

I put my hand on his stomach and said, "I like every part of you" and then I started to lower my hand to his crotch releasing some of the sexual pressure I felt and couldn't hold, just the smell that was locked in the car served as an aphrodisiac for me.

Boyfriend: "You should take that hand out of there"

Me: "Why?"

*PPFPTPPTPTPTPTPTPTPTPTPTF* *PRRRRRR*

I was immediately surprised and automatically began to grab his crotch more tightly:

Boyfriend: "Calm down there babe, I don't want your hand to stink of shrimp and meat"

Me: "You know me, I like your meat"

Boyfriend: "hahahaha... I can't believe we're doing this while I'm driving and farting."

Me: "I can't believe this is heating me up"

Boyfriend: "Don't worry, very soon we will arrive at the apartment *PFFTFTTFTFTFTFTFTFT* and the bathroom"

It was 10 minutes on the road where I tried to ignore my farting boyfriend, in total he farted about 3 before arriving, but it was impossible for me to think of anything other than his tight buttocks vibrating from the air that comes out.

Entering the apartment I try to kiss him and continue releasing the tension, but he stops me and says:

Boyfriend: "Not now, I must visit the bathroom for a moment"

Me: "From 1 to 10, how much do you need to go to the bathroom?"

Boyfriend: "like a 6, but the more time passes the more I will want to"

Me: "That means you'll be able to hold on for a while longer."

Boyfriend: "I don't know..."

Me: "It will be quick, let's go"

Boyfriend: "Okay, I guess I'll hold on a little longer before... *PPPFFTFTTFTF* uuppss now went up to a 7"

We both started to hug each other, I took the first step and started to lower my hand and grabbed his left buttock with passion while he began to kiss me and guided me to our bed where we let ourselves fall without separating our bodies and lips, he began to moan very low shyly while my hand went up his entire back.

*PPPFFFFTFTFTTF*

He stopped kissing me and his face moved away from mine, with a look full of passion and shame he told me: "Babe, I really need to go to the bathroom", I pretending not to have heard him I started to lower my hand again and this time I put it under his underwear touching his bare buttock feeling a little sweat and chills from his big butt.

However, while I was caressing his buttocks he touched my arm and said: 

Boyfriend: "Hey, you just realized you put your hand under my underpants seconds after I fart, didn't you?" 

Me: "I know, but I don't care, you're irresistible."

Boyfriend: "Even if it smells like rotten eggs?"

Me: "Even if you're shit on yourself, I'll love you"

Boyfriend: "Then I'll check if that's true."

He started staring me in the eye as he applied some pressure to my arm and...*PFPPTPTPTPPFPFFTFTFTF* *PRRRR*

I was too surprised, not only by the fact that my biggest wet dreams came true, but also by the fact that I felt a few small drops on my hand, it could be sweat, but I would rather imagine that it was that thick mixture that is cooking in his stomach wanting to come out, and his comment gave me a clue.

Boyfriend: "That was a wet one... I must go to the bathroom"

Me: "But I just showed you that I don't care what your body does while we love each other."

Boyfriend: "I know, but now my desire has gone up to an 8, this is already serious"

Me: "And what would be the problem?"

Boyfriend: "That at any moment I could... make a mess"

For a moment I thought I was taking this too far, maybe he doesn't like this as much as I do, I started to feel guilty about forcing me to do something that my boyfriend doesn't like and dislikes, my lust left my body for a moment and I was about to give my boyfriend "Permission" to go to the bathroom once and for all and maybe continue with this without the factor Farting and diarrhea wouldn't be as interesting, but those thoughts left my head when I heard him say, "But I could take it longer, babe."

He said it with a mischievous smile and eyes full of passion and desire, he put both his hands behind my head and pushed it gently and slowly towards his head, where our lips collided again with even more passion than the first time, now he was the one who began to hug me and caress my back and I innocently wanted to do the same as him and I started to take my hand out of his ass to carry it behind him but he stopped me: "You said you didn't care if I suck right? Then you will NOT take that hand off my ass" and without warning he farted violently and wetly: *PPFPPFPPTPPPTTTTFFFFTFTFT* *PRRRRRRRRRRRRRRR*

I groaned suddenly, even I was surprised and my boyfriend started laughing:

Boyfriend: "hahaha, I can't believe you did that when I farted"

Me: "Don't say stupid things, that was just a mixture of surprise and passion, that fart only surprised me and that's it"

Boyfriend: "Sure?" *PPPFTFTFTFTFTFF* *PPRPRPRPRPRPR* *PFTFTFTFTFTFTFTFTTTTT*

I moaned again and was embarrassed to one more, but I felt my boyfriend's hand gently touching my cheek which managed to calm me down.

Boyfriend: "But at least I know you're serious when you say you love me."

Me: "Hahahaha enough of being ashamed"

Boyfriend: "I... *PFTFTFTFT* uffff... I'm serious, I was ashamed"

Me: "Shame?"

Boyfriend: "Embarrassment when I had to play the two while you were in the apartment, I was sorry that you heard or smelled, I always read on the internet that the main reasons for couple separations were because of this type of taboo subject?"

Me: "But why? If everyone does it"

Boyfriend: "It's just that... *PPPFTFTFTFTFTFTTF* aghhh, I think it's up to a 9 now, it's already dangerous at this point"

Me: "You don't have to be ashamed, at least not with me because you already know that I love you no matter if..."

Boyfriend: "I shit on myself... *GRRRRRRRRR* ohhhh stop for a moment... here comes a big one..."

Me: "Don't worry, you know I don't care"

Boyfriend: "I know... aghhh *PPPFTPTPTPTPTFFT* *PPRPRPRRRRRRRRRRR* *PFTFTFTFTFTFTFTFTFFTF* *PRRRRRRRRRRR* *GRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRR*"

We both stopped at that moment, he had a face of fear and shame which I didn't understand the reason until I felt a strange thick hot liquid that was where I understood everything.

I immediately pulled my hand out of his butt making it even more muddy, but I didn't do it because I was disgusted but because I wanted to see the mess my hand became when he expelled that rancid diarrhea mixture.

My boyfriend finally reacted to what had happened, he stood up and got out of bed, turned to look at me again, directed his gaze towards my hand with diarrhea and then to my face something shocked, and with shame in his eyes and in his voice he said: "Sorry, I think I measured wrong... It wasn't a 9, it was an 11"

After saying that, he walked making small jumps to take off his underwear with a big brown stain with lumps and once naked he went to the bathroom of our room without closing the door and before sitting on the toilet I took his arm which surprised him and turned quickly.

Let me tell you that it's not the first time I've seen him naked or vice versa, we were a couple after all, but it's the first time that his completely naked body almost gave me a heart attack, his ass stained with brown diarrhea, his big penis and his face of shame but that denotes a little passion made lust take control of my body and caused me to stop him before he released his stomach.

Boyfriend: "Babe, I know we were on to something, but I really have to go *GRRRRRRR* went up to 12"

Me: "I think you could hold on a little longer..."

Boyfriend: "Definitely not!"

Me: "You're a strong man, of course you can"

Boyfriend: "Babe didn't you see my underpants? I literally ruined them!"

Me: "Come on, they're not so bad, I can buy a whole box if you want"

Boyfriend: "I'm shitting, I need the toilet NOW!!"

Me: "And I need you NOW!!!"

The atmosphere became tense, we both screamed in desperation, but I definitely shouldn't have done that for a sexual game, I still wasn't sure if he liked that idea or was even enjoying everything that happened.

We both remained silent, he, even naked, stared at me with a bit of confusion while I couldn't look him in the eye because of how embarrassed he was.

Boyfriend: "Wow that's definitely not you, what's wrong with you, is there anything I can help you with?"

Me: "It's nothing, just that I really wanted to continue..."

He started to approach me slowly and gave me a hug, I felt his crotch harden, although to tell the truth I don't know if it was HIS crotch or mine, and with a soft voice he told me:

Boyfriend: "That has nothing to do with what we were doing, tell me the truth, I don't want to do something that bothers you..."

With shame and a trembling voice he had no choice but to confess.

Me: "This will sound weird or even disgusting to you, and I don't want you to think that about me..."

Boyfriend: "You are a beautiful man, sexy from head to toe and someone intelligent who always makes me laugh in my best moments or accompanies me in my worst moments, nothing you say is going to change my opinion of you or the love I feel for you"

His face slowly approached me and began to kiss me softly.

Me: "You see... I... I like what it's all about... well..."

Boyfriend: "Be confident"

Me: "I... I like it..."

Boyfriend: "Go ahead"

Me: "I LIKE TO SEE PEOPLE HAVE DIARRHEA, IT MAKES ME REALLY HOT TO SEE THEM IN A SITUATION LIKE THAT!!"

Boyfriend: "..."

Me: "It's... a fetish..."

I finally confessed, but... silence says more than a thousand words, doesn't it? He didn't say anything, at that moment I thought his face was one of contempt, disgust and horror, if he were honest and was in his reactionary position the same. I froze, I didn't know what to do, but...

Boyfriend: "hahahahaha..."

Me: "Why are you laughing?"

Boyfriend: "Let's say I have the perfect partner"

He kissed me again, then he moved away and with a funny but gallant look he says to me: 

Boyfriend: "I'm proud that you put your trust in me and that's why I love you, besides, that fetish is called Scat, just so that you are more informed"

Me: "Wait... Are you?"

Boyfriend: "I've never tried it before, but let's just say I'd really like to try it with you love"

This time I started kissing him, I couldn't believe it, he was definitely the perfect man for me... *GRRRRRRRRRRRRRR* He turned his face away from mine and said: 

Boyfriend: "All these emotions made me forget that I had to shit"

Me: "Hey... sorry for going too far, if you want I will leave you alone"

Boyfriend: "Don't you remember what I told you? I would like to try this... and I want you to be my guide"

Me: "Are you sure?"

Boyfriend: "Of course, but you better hurry, if I don't sit on that toilet right now... I think we will have to clean the floor"

I laughed shyly and we both moved towards the bathroom where I wonder: "what should I do now?"

I stopped for a moment, I didn't know what to do either because I had never been in a situation like this and I decided to start with something classic and simple:

Me: "How about something to hold on?"

Boyfriend: "Wasn't that what I've been doing all this time?"

Me: "Yes, but this time you'll push it to the limit, now sit on the toilet."

Boyfriend: "Like orders"

He went straight to the toilet, when he turned his back to me I could notice his big sweaty butt and a slight tightening of buttocks, you could tell from afar that he could barely move and prevent his entire interior from coming out in a violently explosive way.

A cold and short sound indicated that his butt kissed the porcelain, he raised his sexy gaze and looked me straight in the eyes waiting for my next order:

Me: "Just hold on until you can't take it anymore..."

Boyfriend: "Really? No kind of game or something?"

Me: "I'm new to this just like you!"

*GRRRRRRRRR*

Boyfriend: "I think my stomach is new to this too"

Me: "Let me hear your opinion"

Boyfriend: "Okay"

He subtly leaned into the seat, raising his butt as high as he could where he expelled a vibrating and loud fart: 

*PPPPPPPPPPPPPFFFFFFTTTTTT* *PRRRRRRRRRRRRR*

I could see small brown drops shoot out of his butt which at this point was so tight that it could easily break a nut.

Me: "Hey! You're cheating when you're farting"

Boyfriend: "I'm sorry babe, but at this point my body controls itself" 

He made the same motion to let loose an even bigger fart

*PPFPPTPTTPTPTPFFFTFTFTFTF* *PRRRRRR*

I couldn't tell if his little moan was one of pain or enjoyment, but I had no doubt that both parties enjoyed this little experience. I began to approach me:

*GRRRRRRRR* *PFFFFTTTT*

Boyfriend: "Oh! My intestines are burning"

Me: "Maybe I can help you with that..."

I slowly brought my hands closer to his stomach and began to caress him delicately making small circles one at a time.

*PFTFTFTFTFTFTFTFTFTFTFT*

Boyfriend: "Ufffff, I thought that the objective was to make it impossible for me to explode, not to make it easier for me"

Me: "I want it to be a bigger challenge, plus being so close to you I can smell you better"

Boyfriend: "hmmmm~ you really know what you do right?" *PFFFTTT*

Me: "Of course... The smell is amazing, how did you get your stomach to smell like a landfill?"

Boyfriend: "hmm~ I will confess something to you hmm~ in the morning I had a big cup of coffee..."

Me: "Knowing you and your stomach must have been a headache to endure that smell at work"

Boyfriend: *PFFTFTFTFTFTFTFT* "ugh, not at all, I thought I was going to shit about half an hour later, but hmmm~ it just didn't happen"

Me: "Really?"

Boyfriend: "No, it's hard to believe, but since the morning not a single fart came out, and I ate hot wings at lunch"

Me: "That would explain the dark brown color of those drops I saw..."

Boyfriend: "I thought that would make hmmmmm~ *PFTFTFTFT* go straight to the bathroom, but it didn't give a solution *PRRRRRRRRRR* I even heard several colleagues and even the boss destroy the office bathroom"

Me: "I can imagine the desperation of those poor men, but I am aware that out of all of them you would make the greatest disaster."

Boyfriend: "I'm happy I didn't at least touch those bathrooms with hot, sweaty toilet lids"

Me: "And it looks like someone else is happy too, doesn't it?"

His penis was completely erect, apparently the massages relaxed him enough so that the stress goes away and he can enjoy this in a more free and sexual way.

Boyfriend: "Like I told you, I can't control my body" *GRRRRRRRRRR*

Me: "Would you mind if...?"

Boyfriend: "Don't ask and do it!"

I lowered my head directly to his crotch, down there it smelled worse and I could see how the clear water of the toilet had small brown dots indicating that all the farts were wet.

I asked his to get up a little from the toilet, then I put my left hand behind me and started to touch his sweaty butt feeling how my hand gets hotter and hotter thanks to the oven generated inside the toilet.

*PFTFTFTFTFTFTFTFTFTF* *PRRRRR* *PFFTFTFFF* *PPPPFTFTFTFFFFFTTTTTT*

Boyfriend: "oops, I hope it doesn't bother you..."

Me: "~Not at all~"

*GRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRR*

Boyfriend: "Fuck, I don't think I will resist for long"

Me: "Please, we've had sex longer than this."

Boyfriend: "I don't mean that! I mean my stomach, it's starting to burn."

Me: "Be a man and endure like one"

Boyfriend: "I'll expel everything and we'll continue with this later"

Me: "That wasn't the love deal, and you know it~"

I could smell it, the smell of despair, he began to sweat more and I could feel drops of sweat falling on my hair and arms as he slowly lost control.

*PFTFTFTFTFTFTF* *PFTFTFFFFTFTPPPPPPFTFTFTFTFTFTFTFTFTFTFTFTFTTTTT* *PRRRRTRRRRRR*

Boyfriend: "hmmmmm~ my stomach hurts a lot, please release me my love"

Me: "No, I want you to break a world record"

Boyfriend: "And I'll break it, but it'll be the size of the largest human excrement."

Me: "In your case they will have to weigh it in liters, by your farts you can tell that it will be liquid"

Boyfriend: "ohhh.... Please *PFTFTFTFTFTFT* I can't anymore... *PRRRRRRRR* More! *TRRRRRRRRRRR*"

Notice how his farts became more and more violent, in a few seconds his stomach will not resist and the great wall of his sphincter will break giving way to the brown army.

Me: "You're sweating a lot..."

Boyfriend: "I know hahaha... but please, I can't resist much longer..." *PFFFTTTT* *GRRRRRRRRRR*

I raised my head and went to his lips and began to kiss him passionately, the atmosphere was heavy, it was very hot and even the smell had flooded the small room. When our lips parted, he said to me: 

Boyfriend: "I'm sorry Babe"

I passed so fast that I could hardly react, the first explosion echoed off the walls and I instinctively lowered my head to see the fireworks on the front page:

*PRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRR* *PFTFTFTFTFTFTFTFTFTFTFFTTTT* *TRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRR* *PSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSS* *GRRRRRR* *PFFFFFTTTTTT* *PFFFFFFFFFFFTTFTTF*

He doesn't stop moaning, while from my perspective I can see a large fountain staining the white porcelain of the toilet that I always worry about seeing it clean, but still I don't care at all, I can always clean it at any time, but this doesn't happen again, or at least I've never experienced it before.

*SQHSQHQSHSQHSSSHSHSHSHHHHHHHHH* *PFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFTTTTTTTTTTTTTT* *PRRRRR* *PLOP* *PLOP* *PRRRRRRRRRRRR* *TRRRRRRRR* *BLRRRRRSSSHHHHHHH* *PFFFFFFFFTTTTTTTT* *PFFFFTT* *PPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPRRRRRRRRRRRR*

Jet after jet fell impacting the water like a strong hurricane into the ocean, the few solid pieces looked like meteorites causing large explosions of brown water as they crashed into the large polluted ocean.

Boyfriend: "oh... wow, I've never shit like this in my life *GRRRRRRRRR* ughhhh"

*PFFFFFTTFTFTFTFTFF* *PRPRPRPRPRPRPRPR* *SHQHQSHQSHQSHSSSHHSHSHQSHQSHSQQSQQSQS* *FFFFFFFTTTTTTTPPPPPPPP* *PSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSS* *SQSTSQRQSRSSSRSRSRQQQRQRQRRRRRRRRRRR*

Me: "I know, it was amazing, don't you think?"

Boyfriend: "Sure"

Me: "Now, do you want me to clean you down there?"

Boyfriend: "Of course"

[thepastisalreadywritten]

Hadrian's Wall

Hadrian's Wall is an impressive masterpiece of military engineering built along steep ups and downs that cross space and history between England and Scotland.

The old wall, sculpted for almost 2000 years by wind and rain, climbs over hills, immerses itself in a moor to suddenly resurface among the blades of light of a wood, a karst presence that seems to absorb the energy of landscape to challenge its gravity and logic in a rollercoaster of harsh ups and downs that cross space and history.

Hadrian's Wall is no longer England but it is not yet Scotland, even if the land to the north seems wilder.

But perhaps it is just a state of mind of those who look at it, subtly altered by the emotion of treading the same stones on which the Roman legionaries walked.

In reality, unlike what many believe, the Wall is within English territory, even if it has helped define the borders of the two countries since the emperor from whom it takes its name ordered its construction in 122 AD to "separate the Romans from the barbarians," the hostile tribes of the Picts who populated today's Scotland, a tough nut to crack even for the Roman legions.

To build it in just six years, about fifteen thousand men were employed, three legions that faced the challenges of a terrain carefully chosen to exploit its advantages.

The result is an impressive masterpiece of military engineering, a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1987, stretching from one coast of England to the other for eighty Roman miles, about one hundred and seventeen kilometers from Solway Firth to the west and Wallsend to the east.

It is one of the many place names linked to its existence and then extending southwards with ports and coastal fortifications.

For nearly three centuries, Hadrian's Wall was northernmost and most fortified boundary of the Roman limes, a gigantic defensive system that stretched for over five thousand kilometres — from the Atlantic coast of Great Britain to the Black Sea across Europe — then continuing through present-day Middle East to Red Sea and from there cutting across North Africa to the Atlantic.

The 117km long (80 Roman miles) Hadrian's Wall was punctuated by 14 main forts, 80 minor ones and 2 watchtowers every third of a mile.

In addition to the actual wall, mainly made of stone, about 5m high and up to 3m thick, becoming six metres thick in the earthen sections, the Wall was reinforced by a ditch bristling with pointed stakes, a military road that connected the forts and allowed any point to be reached quickly and by a deep embankment, the Vallum.

The forts, rectangular in plan, varied in size according to the importance of the garrison, a pattern repeated with slight differences along the entire limes that protected the borders of the empire.

A moat and a wall punctuated by towers protected the perimeter and each side had a gate protected by two massive towers.

Inside were the headquarters — the praetorium where the praefectus castrorum reside; barracks; a hospital; warehouses and latrines, generally under the walls, while the bathrooms were outside the fortifications.

In granary, food supplies were stored to face the harsh winters or possible sieges.

In the Vicus, the civilian settlement, lived the families of the soldiers, often auxiliaries who officially could not marry.

In these villages that grew spontaneously around the forts, merchants, artisans and prostitutes also lived, attracted by the soldiers' wages.

There were also temples dedicated to Roman, local and even oriental deities that reflected the different religions of soldiers from all over the empire because Romans were very tolerant as long as the social order and the emperor were not questioned.

🎥: © pindropandhop via IG

[citrlet]

i have a slight mods addiction so here's part 2! part 1 linked here

~under the cut as usual because there's just too dang much

visual aesthetics

medieval sheds (to go with medieval buildings / medieval sdve / way back pelican town)

secret garden terrarium

starkissed skintones

rosedryads fairy wings & accessories

dynamic reflections

chest deco

hummingbirds

moths

bees

ladybugs

too many swatches furniture recolor

fancy trash and resources retexture

fancy vanilla and sve elixirs retexture

fancy qi items and misc stuff retexture

fancy fishing and tackles retexture

fancy crops and forage retexture

fancy artisan goods icons retexture

fancy rings and shoes retexture

fancy artifacts retexture

fishing rod bobbler retexture

warp totems to magic books

more elegant farmer body

gameplay

aimons more lively quarry

aimons lively sewer

distant lands witch swamp expansion

the farmers children

mr. ginger cat npc

jorts and jeans cat npcs

amanita lover

lnh fantasy farm cave

downtown zuzu

strange machines revisited

fieval goes east scarp

rodney o'brien

juliet and jesse

professor jasper thomas

alecto the witch

mechanics

better shipping bin

smart building

furniture placement tweaks

furniture adjustment

misc

buildable large tree pack

mystical buildings

shyzies string lights

divine decor

guxelbits furniture

lunes offerings

aimons fancy farmhouse

aimons tidy cozy cellar

aimons fancy greenhouse

redesigned shed layout

tidy cozy ginger island farmhouse

additional bus interior map

greenhouse furniture set

sailor moon hairstyles and clothing (fashion sense version in the comments section)

shyzies seasonal rugs

seasonal open windows

futan bears

romantic fountains and arches

romantic furniture

bathroom furniture

[eywaseclipse]

The Songs of Freedom Chapter 3: Sarentu

Characters: Sarentu OC named Kirani, Nor, Teylan, Ri’nela, So’lek, Priya, Tani, mentions of Jake Sully, the RDA and eventually Eetu

Synopsis: Several weeks go by since your rescue from TAP as you learn more about your clan, and adapt to your new life, but as time goes on you can’t help deny the tension between you and So’lek

Warnings: None, mainly angst and self doubt, mentions of past child abuse, swearing

Word Count: 4k

The days once consumed with immeasurable guilt and fear seem to fade away onto the horizon of Kinglor Forest, as you reach new milestones in this new phase of your survival. Adapting to a new routine at Resistance HQ has taken some time but find you yourself distracted; off battling your demons as if too afraid of slowing down so that it might be enough for them to finally catch up to you once and for all. 

Today, Tani has offered to teach you and the others how to properly weave traditional Na’vi garments and to truly embrace being Na’vi. You stand in front of the bathroom mirror scanning your body with careful eyes. You noticed that you’ve filled out since your arrival 2 weeks ago but still look weaker than the average Na’vi rebel around here.

You sigh and adjust your poorly braided hair tossing them behind your shoulders and head out of your room, seeing Ri’nela exit out of her own smiling to her warmly. “Good morning.” She takes her arm and wraps it around yours out of comfort, when you hear the creak of doors and watch Teylan and Nor walking down the hallway with So’lek closely behind them. Your stomach does flips staring at his tall willowy figure strutting down the corridor so effortlessly. You look at the way his strong thighs flex with every step, his arms swinging with confidence, and that he has gone without his kevlar vest today. You admire his long torso, looking at his stomach riddled with scars and ripcord muscles, up to his pecs and strong jawline.

Quickly adverting your gaze, you awkwardly wiggle your toes as if to convince yourself you weren’t just ogling at the warrior up and down. “Good, you’re up. We will head to the mess hall and meet Tani after.” So’lek’s voice echos through the hallway. You feel your cheeks heat up with blush spreading to the tips of your ears before you can muster the courage to respond. “So’lek said there’s some sort of celebration tonight” Teylan chirps in excitedly.

You all chat amongst yourselves as So’lek explains that the cause of celebration tonight is due to another human base being blown sky high. Sandwiched in-between Nor and So’lek, you all comfortably sit and eat your breakfast with Tani now present at the table. 

“Alright shall we?” Tani smiles excitedly watching as the group of you follow suit. You look as So’lek stands unmoving, “are you not joining?” You ask curiously. “Duty calls” He simply replies with a slight smirk on his face, suddenly feeling the warmth from the palm of his hand gently press against the small of your back. You turn to him with a confused expression, no doubt obvious on your face, before he nudges you into the direction of the group.

Before you can even process the small gesture, Ri’nela begins firing off a slew of questions on bead making and garment crafting to Tani feeling like static run rampant in your brain. You enter what looks like a small cozy room tucked away in the corner of the space illuminated by the warm glow of string lights. Several large artisan rugs are laid out across the floor with a comfortable looking couch with more pillows in the corner. You smell the dust that’s collected in the room mixed with the fresh scent of new plants scattered in pots all around the space. 

“Take a seat and I’ll show you how to make a loincloth.” She instructs. You see Teylan and Ri’nela excitedly sit eager to learn, as Nor appears unusually stoic. You say nothing and sit down on the plush rug, each being handed a leathery textured material. 

“You are Sarentu. Your clan was renowned for their incredible diplomacy, storytelling, and bringing peace amongst the other clans. They were incredible at everything they did, valuing knowledge and spreading tales amongst Pandora traveling through the forest.” The way Tani spoke so highly of your clan, makes your heart clench with sadness. If it weren’t for TAP and John Mercer, you wouldn’t need a stranger to explain your own culture to you right now.

“We will help you remember who you are, and it starts by dressing Na’vi.” Tani smiles holding out several beaded arm bands. “Here, for each of you.” She smiles warmly, as you all reach for the beads. You hold yours more closely, examining the small river rocks woven intricately into twine. “It’s beautiful thank you.” Ri’nela graciously replies. 

You spend the rest of the afternoon learning how to properly weave together a basic necklace and loincloth made out of the materials found in the forest; like crushed Ar’lek seeds with their red hue that create a colorful paste to mix with water for colored material. Or the many variations from flora and fauna that provide stylish accessories like the yomioang chalice plant.

You look down to your crafted necklaces and loincloths made from some of the vines of the jungle and feathers Tani helped string into your hair and sigh. Suddenly, a loud cough erupts, causing your head to whip right up to the source. A stern looking So’lek peers in the doorway as you to blink several times. “How are things?” He booms. You all watch as he approaches and squats down close by, inspecting your work. “Hm.” He grunts out. “They learn fast.” Tani says fondly. “Come, I will take you to learn something more useful; weapons training.” He says with a playful tone in his voice. You hear Tani scoff and roll her eyes. “They are not ready for that yet.” But So’lek shakes his head. “They can walk? They can fight. We do not have the luxury of time.” He just replies curtly.

There’s an awkward tension hanging in the air as they go back and forth, but with a final sigh from Tani she concedes, “Fine. If you must.” Waving her hand at him. “Kìyevame” She smiles at you all. “What does that mean? Nor asks  “See you soon.” She winks playfully. You all understand basic Na’vi thanks to Alma teaching you in secret, but only at a conversational level. “Don’t worry you have plenty of time to learn the catch phrases and sayings” So’lek rolls his eyes. 

You exchange a look with Ri’nela, and stand up to follow So’lek together with Teylan and Nor grabbing your things. “W-what kind of weapons training are we learning?” Teylan asks nervously walking beside So’lek trying to keep the same pace. He laughs, and turns to you. “You’re not. The celebration is starting soon and I thought you all could use some real form of entertainment.” Offering you a small smile.

You look at him in confusion, “So you lied?” Nor accuses. “You deserve a night of fun. Go get changed and meet me in the main wing.” So’lek begins walking away before any of you can respond just standing in the hallway hands full of your new crafted garments staring wide eyed. “What the fuck.” You whisper to yourself. 

You enter your room staring at your new clothes laid out on the bed. You know how to string a loincloth onto your body thanks to Tani explaining and demonstrating what it would look like, but you’ve never done this before. You remember a time when Mercer yelled at you just for putting several beads in your hair as a child. Slowly getting out of your basic shirt and sweatpants and fold them gently, you reach for the newly crafted green leather loincloth out of dried Clouded Lily leaves. 

You try your best to string the newly woven beads around your chest as Tani demonstrated, still not used to the idea of showing so much skin. You wrap your bracelets and armbands around your wrists and arms, gently adjusting everything as you stare at this stranger looking back at you in the mirror by your bedside table. Your eyes scan your body, littered with your ugly puckered scars showing far too much of your azure color than you’re comfortable with. But this, this is the way. The Na’vi reject vanity and are open and carefree. It’s your culture to embrace your body as a gift instead of a burden. The time to start embracing this side of yourself now.

With a deep conflicted sigh you step out into the hallway and knock on Ri’nela’s door. With a soft creak it opens slowly, revealing her own newly crafted outfit. “Wow.” You both admire each other’s work. “I feel a breeze” You chuckle awkwardly waving your hand to your barely covered nipples and butt cheeks hanging out. “It is the way yeah? Might as well dress as Sarentu.” She smiles playfully. You see Teylan and Nor emerge out of their own rooms, looking at Nor’s handcrafted chest plate and intricately made headpiece. 

Teylan on the other hand opted for a ratty tank top and tool belt he most definitely found in the lost and found bin you saw in the living room earlier. “We certainly look more Na’vi.” You smile at Nor. You notice a newfound confidence in your steps, as if your body subconscious notices the change as well. Your eyes now scan a lively living room where some of the humans have gathered around with other Na’vi. This part of the wing is warm, inviting; decorated with string lights, colorful handmade beads hanging off the ceiling, plants, artisan rugs and more. Your eyes circle in on a large table with various foods and drinks sitting there like a feast of royal caliber.

So’lek waves you all over to a small group, as he scans your body up and down with emotions you can’t quite decipher yet. A rush of heat spreads to your cheeks once more, biting the inside of your lip feeling more exposed than ever. “You look much better” So’lek softly declares leaning close to your ear.

Your eyes widen in disbelief, blinking several times for good measure. “Um.. thanks.” You cough out. You hear Nor snicker and cover his mouth to prevent another snort from coming out. “Come. Tonight we celebrate another victorious ambush. We have plenty of food and refreshments.” A handsome Na’vi approaches and claps So’lek on the back. “I’m Eetu, aren’t you a sight for sore eyes?” He sends a harmless wink your way, just as So’lek scoffs loudly and rolls his eyes.

“Must you be here?” He grumbles with irritation. You just stare at the handsome man, a little bit younger than So’lek, but a few years older than you. You’re enamored by his beautiful vibrant eyes, taking in his features like the slew of scars he has scattered across his lips, forehead and cheeks. You hear Ri’nela giggle watching her cheeks flush with a magenta hue. “Are you from So’lek’s clan too?” She curiously inquires. 

Nor and Teylan watch with puzzling stares, as Eetu smiles wide “No. I am from the Aranahe clan. I have an allegiance to this wondrous resistance here. You… why you bear the sigil of the Sarentu?” He points to the mark under your eyes. “Yes. We are Sarentu..” Nor puffs out his chest. You almost choke out a laugh, but stifle it as best you can watching this pissing match between the male Na’vi. “They are here to learn the ways of Navi. This is their new home.” So’lek steps in and stands in between you and Eetu.

“Oh of course of course..” Eetu raises his hands in the air and winks again but this time at Ri’nela. The balls of this man. “If you’re done, we can celebrate.” So’lek jabs at Eetu, with irritation clearly visible on his face. “Oh yes you must try fermented Yovo fruit juice! It’s the best.” Eetu happily grabs Ri’nela by the hand and waves you all over to the table. 

Just as you’re stepping to follow suit, So’lek takes your hand gently. Looking up in surprise, you turn and face him, “Stay away from that one. He is nothing but trouble, he’s only interested in fooling around.” He speaks in a low tone, his voice sounds different and gravelly. 

“Fooling around?” You ask in confusion. Did he mean..? “Surely you know what that is?” He raises a skeptical brow at you. You swallow hard and try to act as coy as possible. “You refer to the pleasures of the flesh..?” You reply awkwardly.

He only shakes his head and laughs, “Yes… You could say that. Come.” He brings his hand to the small of your back, gingerly pushing you forward to where the others now hold wooden bowls filled with this mysterious liquid. “Kirani! You’ve got to try this it’s so good!” Teylan laughs. It’s clear everyone is loosening up and enjoying themselves, so you take a wooden bowl and scoop it into a larger one as the beautiful purple liquid sloshes into the bowl. So’lek joins you grabbing his own and softly clinks his to yours. “Drink it slowly. It’s meant to be savored. It is strong.” He explains, as he brings his own drink up to his lips.

You raise the bowl to your mouth and take a tentative sip, the tangy sweet flavor immediately bursting onto your tongue causing it to warm your throat on its way down. “Whoah..” You gasp and smile at Ri’nela who enjoys her own. “Come and sit guys!” Priya suddenly pipes in. You smile and sit down on a layer of plush mats and pillows as the group forms into a circle. 

You carefully watch as So’lek sits across from you, attentive eyes locking in on your movements causes your tail to lash madly behind you. “I am soooo happy right now.” Teylan squishes himself next to you. “Teylan how much of that have you been drinking?” You giggle. “Ummm I’m not sure I think this is my third bowl.” You nudge his shoulder playfully and shake your head, “You know that has alcohol in it right? It’s fermented.” Your noses scrunches in amusement. 

“OH? Oops. No wonder it’s so good.” He slurps on more juice and you all laugh together enjoying the night’s provisions which include some smoked hexapede meat and roasted vegetables. The seasoning practically erupts with spices onto your tongue, with nothing like you’ve ever tasted before at TAP. You relish in several helpings, as the Yovo juice takes its effects. Feeling a languid warmth cascade over your body, you lean into Teylan a bit more listening to Eetu tell stories of his clan. 

“You know what we should play though?” He wiggles his brows suggestively, “Spin the bottle!” He smiles mischievously with his canines gleaming in the dim warm light, watching So’lek almost sneer in his direction. “Spin the bottle?” Ri’nela squeaks curiously. Eetu chuckles, “It’s a game! You take a bottle and spin it around in the circle and whoever it lands on, the person who spun it, has to kiss them.” He smirks.

Nor looks at Eetu with both intrigue and slight disgust, “that’s what you call a game?” But it doesn’t seem to even remotely phase this strange Na’vi, he just rises to the table and grabs whatever glassware he can find and sits back down. “Yup!” The group began to dissipate over the last few hours only leaving you, Ri’nela, Teylan, Nor, So’lek and Eetu. You squirm amongst yourself feeling the effects of the alcohol envelope you in a cozy blanket of drunken serenity.

Much to your surprise So’lek makes no effort to get up and leave, in fact, his eyes meet yours briefly and then quickly advert back to the commotion. “Okay who spins first?” Eetu wiggles the bottle in the air. “Well it’s your game, just do it.” Nor rebukes sarcastically. You all laugh and watch as Eetu smugly spins this glass bottle in the middle of the small group as it twirls around, slowing down and stopping on Teylan. Your eyes widen in amusement watching Eetu’s reaction as well. “Well well well. Shall we pucker up?’ Eetu laughs out. Teylan is much drunker than the rest of you, and clumsily leans forward closing his eyes and puckering his lips out dramatically, just as Eetu leans in for a comedic peck on the lips.

You burst out into fits of laughter, watching as Teylan and Eetu stumble awkwardly kissing in a quick smooch, to the point where your belly hurts. Teylan finds it almost as entertaining as Eetu with a shade of blush forming on his cheeks. “Wow Teylan who knew you had that much game!” You hunch over laughing with Ri’nela next to you. “Fine, then you spin next.” Teylan grabs the bottle and shoves it into your hand in a feeble attempt to conceal his embarrassment. You just shake your head and smile “Fine fine.” 

You bring the bottle to a fast spin, watching it move intently, as it slows down once more. When it finally stops, you look up to the direction it points in; right at So’lek. Oh no.You feel a slight panic looking up to watch his reaction, but he remains as stoic as ever. “This is ridiculous.” He scoffs out promptly. You watch as he avoids eye contact staring at his own feet, feeling your stomach flutter with dread. “Well if you don’t kiss her, I will.” Eetu happily interjects.

So’lek’s head immediately snaps up, his jealous eyes burning into the young Aranahe warrior. You nervously watch as So’lek practically twitches with anger, holding onto his composure with a thread, as his tail lashes behind him hysterically. But he says nothing. With flared nostrils he takes another sip of his drink and scoffs lowly, “As if I would care, go ahead kiss her.” 

All it takes are the words of cruel rejection to light a fire under your ass, and grab the back of Eetu’s neck and pull him in for a passionate kiss. With a muffled yelp he immediately kisses you back slipping his tongue into your mouth for good measure. The kiss feels sloppy and heated, as you feel your body tingle from the tips of your ears to the very end of your toes. Either from the copious amounts of alcohol you’ve consumed tonight or the rush of adrenaline, you feel a strange sensation shoot straight between your legs.

The drowned out cheering and yipping from the others, falls deaf on your ears when you suddenly feel a strong yank from your body. Your eyes snap open to see a furious So’lek rip Eetu off of you as he falls onto the floor with a loud thud. “Do.Not.Touch.Her.” A low growl escapes his mouth, watching in complete disbelief as your brain slowly catches up to what your eyes witness. “So’lek!” You shove him harshly. Completely unfazed, he ignores you watching Eetu staggering to rise up. “It’s all in good fun So’lek. You did not wish to kiss her? So I did. What is the matter?” He chuckles but he’s nervous. 

The size difference between the two Na’vi is now abundantly clear, Eetu would be foolish to challenge So’lek, despite this game starting out as just light fun. “Guys calm down! No fighting!” Teylan feebly attempts to diffuse the situation but gets shunned as a result. “You do not touch her.” So’lek repeats once more with his finger poking at Eetu’s chest. The way the two men talk about you as if you’re not there causes backflips in your stomach, “Do not speak about me as if I am not here asshole!” You grunt loudly pushing So’lek out of the way. You’ve had enough humiliation for one night as you race to the dark hallway corridors.

You hear So’lek call out your name behind you, causing you to run faster in hopes of drowning out his voice all together. You rush to your door, and slam it shut with your heart pounding loudly through your throat. What the fuck just happened? You throw yourself onto your bed, with a fuzzy brain trying to make sense of the last hour of the evening when the loud creak of your door opens. “What the?” You sit up awkwardly watching as the brooding man storms into your room, meeting him halfway as you scramble to your feet.

You stare at him quizzically trying to figure out why he’d be here out of all places after his rejection just minutes ago. “What the fuck are you doing here!?” You spit out angrily. A few moments pass, and he sighs awkwardly taking a small step forward. “Why do you hate me?” You whisper softly. This causes his eyes meet yours, almost like studying your features close up inspecting your reaction. “I do not hate you. Why would you think that?” You scoff at his question.

“Are you kidding me? Ever since I arrived you’ve done nothing but give me cold stares and grunts for answers. Getting you to speak is like yanking out teeth. Not to mention all you seem to care about is the impending war with the humans. I mean you look at me as if I carry some disease!” You try your best to remain calm but your voice cracks under its harsh whisper, causing So’lek to wince. 

“I am sorry. But you do not make it easy for me.” He huffs in frustration. Both your tails lash out from behind, hearing your heart thump fast in your chest. A small glint in his eyes and you may think that just maybe, he’s actually listening to you. He reaches out to touch your shoulder, as you quickly reject him, causing him to wince, knowing it’s well deserved.

“Shut up.” You stand your ground, despite the swirling thoughts of self doubt and confusion; no doubt thanks to the alcohol consumption. You watch as So’lek’s ears pin with shame, up close you can see the way he recoils at your harsh command. His lashes flutter with his own self doubt, pursing his lips together tightly. But he bites his tongue, “What was that?” He steps closer, causing your noses to almost bump into each other.

“You heard me..” A soft whisper leaves your mouth, but not as confident as before. So’lek smirks deviously and clicks his tongue, “Mmmm you are quite the brat, aren’t you?” You could swear you hear soft purring erupt from his chest. He snakes his hand around your throat with a feather light touch caressing your skin softly. Your eyes almost roll into the back of your head from his sudden touch, as he brings his palm to the back of your neck rubbing small circles.

“Tell me what you want…” He brings his mouth to whisper agains the shell of your ear, causing a delicious shiver to run down the length of your spine. “W-what?” You stutter with no grace whatsoever. He tightens his grip behind your head ever so lightly, “I said tell me what you want…” His nostrils flare out fighting his blooming anger as he fights to remain stoic.

After a few seconds you muster up the courage to speak, “you. I want you..” You almost don’t trust your own words until you see his very reaction, the smile on his face evident with some sort of hilarity. But he says nothing. “Hm… meet me at 0600 in the artillery room. I expect to see that attitude of yours left here..” He begins to walk towards your door leaving you behind in complete bewilderment, shaking with adrenaline as it closes with a harsh thud. What the fuck just happened?

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Taglist: @justtweetie

[4littlefishies]

The Eighth of September - The Last Chocolate Cream Puff

satoru gojo x suguru geto

warnings: none :)

wc: 10k

previous chapter here!

Both Satoru and Suguru sleep like rocks throughout the night, waking up the next morning virtually unmoved from the position they fell asleep in. Suguru is the first to stir, the late September morning sunlight from outside dully making its way in through the cracks between curtains; not enough light to force them awake, but enough to light the room just enough to see. He yawns as he blinks his eyes open, not sure what time it is. Lifting his arm off of where it rests over Satoru’s waist, he rubs sleep from his eyes and looks up at the ceiling before turning his head to look at a still sleeping Satoru.

White tufts of hair stick up all over his head, slightly messy from sleep. He looks so peaceful like this; not causing any trouble, not making any noise, just lying there breathing almost inaudibly. His breath slowly comes and goes through his nose, his chest expanding contracting ever so slightly along with it. His right arm is underneath the pillow while his left arm wraps over the top of it, his fingers just barely touching his own arms as they come together around it, hugging it in his sleep. His face is pressed into the light grey silk pillowcase, his light pink lips pressed forward in a slight pout, putting a soft smile on Suguru’s face. Suguru yawns silently again as he props his head up on his elbow, looking down at his husband and just enjoying how tranquil he looks while he’s sleeping. His eyes wander towards the few faint purple teeth marks left on his neck from the night prior. He can’t help but lean himself forward and press a soft kiss to the one most accessible to him, doing his best not to wake Satoru as he does so. 

Rolling over, he decides to let Satoru sleep a bit longer while he gets up for the day. He picks up his phone to see a text from Shoko about an hour earlier.

‘We’re heading home, thanks again for ur guest room :)’

He thumbs up the message as he stands up from his side of the bed, brushing his hair back and out of his face with his hand as he heads towards the bathroom. 

It was nearly 11, but he decided that he would make breakfast for when Satoru eventually woke up, which shouldn’t be too long from now. After quickly brushing his teeth and hair, he clips it up and out of the way before pulling on a shirt and heading out to the kitchen to get started on making some okonomiyaki. He had been thinking about it since Wednesday and finally had the will to do it come Saturday morning. 

He starts by first making himself some coffee. When they had gotten back from Fukuoka, Satoru wanted to celebrate Suguru officially starting his new job, so he treated him to a brand new espresso machine. Since meeting Satoru, Suguru’s coffee routine had gone from slightly more elaborate than the average person’s to now almost seeming just outright pretentious and overly opulent. Satoru had done plenty of research, only wanting the best for Suguru, so of course he had everything that he needed to make an artisanal coffee, no matter what kind he wanted. He weighs out the perfect 18 grams of beans and funnels them into the grinder, looking over his shoulder to make sure that he closed the bedroom door before he turns it on, not wanting to wake his still sleeping husband. Next, he dumps the grinds into the portafilter before tamping them down. After putting a small espresso cup under the spout, he pulls the shot and heads over to the fridge to get his milk. It was a somewhat long process, but he enjoyed it as part of his morning routine. Some mornings, when he was feeling lazy, he would just use his trusty old chemex, but most days, he looked forward to making himself a fancy drink.

This morning, he decided on just a simple latte, working on steaming the milk while his shot finishes dripping into the glass beneath the spout. He picks out one of the many mugs from the cabinet and pours the shot in before pouring the milk on top, doing his best to make a swirly design with it as it fills up. He hums happily to himself, seeing what looks like a heart sitting in the design.

“Nice.” He says softly to himself, admiring his work before cleaning up after himself. He carefully picks up the mug and takes the first sip, being mindful as to not burn himself as he does so. He closes his eyes at the flavor, happy with his work. 

After savoring the first few sips, he sets his mug on the counter and starts prepping to make breakfast. He gets all the ingredients out of the fridge and spreads them out on the counter to make the okonomiyaki. It doesn’t take him long to mix everything together and get it cooking in a pan, skillfully flipping the first one once it’s golden brown on the bottom. After he finishes a few more and gets them set aside on a plate, he heads back into the bedroom to see if Satoru is awake yet.

As he predicted, Satoru was still fast asleep in the same position that he was in when Suguru woke up about a half an hour ago. He smiles, looking at the slow rise and fall of Satoru’s back as he sits down on the edge of the bed right next to him, resting his hand on his back and rubbing large slow circles. Leaning over, he whispers as to hopefully not startle him awake.

“Satoru.” He coos sweetly in his ear. “I made breakfast.” 

“Mmmm.” Satoru groans, his eyes still closed as he lays there unmoved. Suguru chuckles lightly and leans over to press a kiss to the back of his shoulder before standing back up off of the bed.

“It’s ready for you whenever you decide to get up.” He says softly before turning to head back out to the kitchen, wanting to try the ones he had already made. 

He grabs a plate from the cabinet and puts one of the circular shaped okonomiyaki on it. Grabbing kewpie mayo and Okonomi sauce, he finishes it off with the two and finally tops it with some shredded nori and a sprinkle of sesame seeds. He sits down at the island and takes the first bite before quickly regretting it, realizing how hot it still is as he tries not to burn his mouth by holding it open and inhaling with a, “Hah- ha- ha,” fanning his mouth and waiting for it to cool down slightly before he continues chewing.

“You’re supposed to let it cool off before you stick it in your mouth.” He hears Satoru say as he joins him in the kitchen after he emerges from the bedroom. 

“Shut up.” Suguru retorts after swallowing. 

“It smells super good, sweetcheeks. Thank you for making breakfast.” Satoru says, ignoring his response and coming over to meet him for a quick kiss before grabbing a plate of his own. “Did they already leave?” He asks, his head motioning in the direction of the guest bedroom.

Suguru chuckles at the nickname as he nods his head, cutting off another piece, but letting it cool down a little bit this time. “Yeah, they left before I even woke up.” He blows on it for a moment before popping it into his mouth, not scalding the inside of his mouth this time. 

“You didn’t make me any coffee?” Satoru teases lightly, grabbing an okonomiyaki for himself and topping it off with the same sauce and sesame seeds just as Suguru did to his.

“Do you want me to?” Suguru asks, looking up from his plate at Satoru who stands across the island from him.

“Nah, I’m just messing with ya.” Satoru rounds the counter and sets his plate down, sitting on the barstool next to Suguru. They both have their breakfast, unsurprisingly not leaving any leftovers behind. “So…” Satoru starts, sounding like he’s about to ask for something.

“So?” Suguru asks, waiting for him to finish what he’s inevitably going to say. 

“Do you wanna go see the house today?” Satoru asks, picking up his plate, as well as Suguru’s and taking them over to the sink to lightly rinse them before sticking them neatly into the dishwasher. Suguru smiles down at the countertop before looking up at Satoru where he stands, leaning on his elbows on the other side of the island.

“Baby, we can’t just show up and expect to be let in.” Suguru says, still sipping on his coffee, although the mug is just about empty.

“I know,” Satoru responds, walking back around to stand next to Suguru, leaning on his elbows once again with his chin in his palm. “That’s why I got us an appointment.” He says with a sly smile on his face.

Suguru’s jaw drops open slightly, surprised to hear what he just said. “You did?” He furrows his eyebrows, baffled by his response.

“I did.” Satoru responds, his smile just as cunning as his attitude. “We need to get ready because it’s at 2 and I don’t want us to be late.” Suguru is left slightly dumbfounded at this information, his mind racing, trying to decide when Satoru could have done this.

“For today? When did you even-”

Satoru nods his head, cutting off Suguru’s question before he can finish. “Yesterday, while you were busy working and I was lying on your couch; It’s surprisingly very easy to just go tour a house.” He says, standing next to where Suguru sits against the island and pressing a kiss to the top of his head. 

“And you-”

“No more questions! We’re going to see it and we’re going to love it and we’re going to buy it, okay?” Satoru cuts him off once again, trying to direct him towards the bedroom so that they could get ready and get on their way. 

After they both take showers, washing off the groggy feeling lingering from the night before, they each decide what to wear, wanting to dress somewhat nice for the occasion. Suguru picks out a pair of light grey pants and a soft blue button up with a white tshirt underneath, opting to leave the button up open and roll up the sleeves. Satoru goes with black pants and a white tshirt as well, but adds a dark green quarter zip on top, wanting to stay warm out in the cool fall weather. 

“You look cute.” Satoru says as Suguru comes out of the closet, pulling the button up on and pushing up the sleeves.

“So do you.” He says, smiling at Satoru’s compliment. “Ready?” He asks, seeing that Satoru’s ready and is just sitting at the foot of the bed petting Shiro. He stands up with a nod of his head and the two of them head towards the front door, pulling on their shoes before heading out and down towards the elevator. 

“It looks like it’ll take us about an hour to get there.” Satoru says, looking at the map he already has pulled up on his phone. “But that means we’ll be early, so that’s good.”

“I still can’t believe it was that easy for you to get us a tour.” Suguru says, shaking his head as the doors open to an empty elevator. He presses the button to get down to the garage as the doors slowly slide shut. 

“I just filled out the form, it really wasn’t difficult at all, actually.” Satoru says, resting his elbow on Suguru’s shoulder. The elevator descends a few floors before stopping and letting a few more people on. They stand silently in the elevator until it opens once again down in the parking garage letting everyone out. After they get to Suguru’s car, Satoru immediately plugs his phone in, putting the directions up on the screen before picking out a song to start their hour-long trip.

“You didn’t have to talk to anyone?” Suguru asks, picking up the conversation where they left off in the elevator.

“Nope. Just got the confirmation email and then someone named Tanaka reached out saying we could come today at 2.” Satoru explains, looking back through his email. 

“Did they say anything else?” Suguru asks as they pull out of the parking garage and onto the street, heading in the direction the gps is telling him to go.

“Nope, except for that we should park in the garage when we get there, it’ll be open for us… They’re probably pretty busy, you know?” 

“Hmm.” Suguru hums, nodding his head in agreement. Once they get onto the highway, Satoru grabs one of Suguru’s hands from the wheel, fidgeting with his fingers for a moment before resting it down on his leg. Suguru chuckles lightly. “If you want me to rest my hand there you can just tell me, baby.” Suguru says with a smile, looking over to his husband for a second before focusing back on the road in front of him. 

“I know, but I can also just play with your fingers and do it myself.” He responds, continuing to gaze down at the way Suguru’s fingers look spread out over his thigh. Seeing the obsidian black ring around his ring finger puts a smile on Satoru’s face. “I really hope we like the house as much as I think we’re going to.” He says, looking over to watch Suguru’s face as he focuses on driving. Suguru gives his thigh a squeeze with a smile spreading on his lips.

“I bet it’ll be even better in person, don’t you think?” Suguru asks, thinking back to the pictures that he’d looked at with Satoru. It looked absolutely perfect; he could already see them living there just through the pictures on the small screen. 

“Yeah, you’re probably right.” Satoru says, resting his own hand down on top of Suguru’s and letting out a sigh as they continue down the highway. 

As they expected, they’re about 15 minutes early, so instead of just waiting, they decide to drive around the surrounding area to see what the neighborhood looks like. The houses all look beautiful, many of them having gates at the front, hiding most of the house just from the road. The higher up into the hills they go and closer they get to the house, the more excited and restless Satoru starts to feel. 

“Are you excited?” Satoru asks, unable to sit still in his seat after the hour-long drive. 

“Of course I am.” Suguru responds, giving Satoru’s leg a pat.

“Aren’t you gonna ask if I’m excited?

“I don’t think I need to ask. You’re practically ready to jump out of the car.” Suguru responds with a slight chuckle. Satoru smiles at him as they finally pull up to the house and into the open garage just past the short driveway. It doesn’t look like much from the street, a large stone façade and a couple trees amongst vertical light colored wood louvers hiding most of the front of the house. He’s practically giddy with excitement as the car shuts off and they step out. Suguru walks around the front of the car to join Satoru, grabbing onto his hand as they walk through the open door to an outdoor set of stairs. After heading up the stairs they’re met with what can only be the black set of front doors. 

“Do we knock, you think?” Satoru asks, looking over at Suguru who’s already reaching forward to ring the doorbell. He presses it and looks back at Satoru with a smile, excited for what’s to come. “Good call.” Satoru says as he nods his head with a smile still on his face as they hear footsteps approaching from the other side of the door and the doorknob turning. He gives Suguru’s hand a squeeze as the door is pulled inward and a woman in a cream colored sweater and olive colored pants is standing there with a smile. 

“Hello! Welcome, welcome!” She says with a smile, sticking out her hand to shake each of theirs. “You must be Geto-sama. I’m Yumi Tanaka, it’s a pleasure to meet you both.” 

“Very nice to meet you, Tanaka-san.” Suguru says as he shakes her hand with a smile. “I’m Suguru, this is Satoru.”

“Nice to meet you.” Satoru says with a similar smile as he shakes her hand. 

“I’m glad you made it here alright.” She says, stepping aside and allowing the two of them to step past her inside. As they take off their shoes, both Satoru and Suguru are already looking around the entryway in awe, finally seeing the house that they’ve just been looking at through pictures. Seen through the entry hallway is a large floor to ceiling window that lets the light from the back garden inside. “I can give you two a quick tour, and then you’re welcome to look around on your own if you’d like. I don’t have any other tours today, so you can take your time looking around.” She explains, looking between the two of them with a polite smile. The two men give her a nod in response, smiling at each other when she turns around to lead the way. Satoru grabs Suguru’s hand as they follow her into the house.

She starts by heading to the left, showing them the office, as well as one of the bedrooms, one of the bathrooms, and then a room with tatami mat flooring and the walls completely opened up to the outside. Going back towards the other end of the house, she shows off the main bedroom, laundry room, and the living room that’s on the ground floor. Once they head up the stairs, they see the kitchen which is attached to the dining room and the main living room. The walls are all sliding glass doors that tuck away into the walls, perfect for letting a breeze flow through the house during the warmer months. Along with the kitchen and living room on the second floor is another bedroom and an outdoor terrace. Finally, they head up to the roof where there’s a shallow pool as well as a deck. The view all around is stunning, Mt. Fuji in the distance and downtown Tokyo far off in the opposite direction. 

“This view is beautiful.” Satoru says with a smile.

“Isn’t it gorgeous?” Yumi says, looking back with a smile. “I love when I get to bring clients up here.” 

“I would definitely be up here all the time.” Satoru agrees with her, looking back at her with a smile. He can already picture the nights he would spend with Suguru up on the roof, lying on their backs looking up at the stars.

After a couple more moments of taking in the view, they head back down to the bottom of the stairs. “If you two want, you can take some time on your own to look around. I’ll be down in the office right by the front door if you need anything.” She says with a polite nod of her head before she takes off down the stairs, leaving Satoru and Suguru to look around on their own. 

“Suguru, this house is perfect.” Satoru says in a hushed voice as soon as Yumi disappears from his view down the stairs. 

Suguru can’t help but smile as he turns around to look Satoru in the eyes. “It’s really nice, isn’t it?” He asks, rubbing his hand over Satoru’s lower back as they stand in the walkway between the kitchen and the living room. The feeling sends tingles over his skin, putting a soft smile on his face. The wall of windows lets lots of natural light into the living room and the connected dining room. Satoru goes to stand up against the island, looking around the kitchen. 

“I think your espresso machine would look perfect right there.” Satoru says, pointing to one corner of the counter. Suguru walks up next to him, leaning his elbows on the counter next to him with a smile.

“You moving in already?” He teases lightly.

“And we could put Shiro’s cat tree in the corner over there by the window, she’d love it.” Satoru continues, going on about where they would put all of their furniture. “Don’t you think so?”

“I do, baby.” Suguru says, leaning forward to press a gentle kiss to the side of his head. “You really love it, huh?” He asks as Satoru continues rambling on about what they could put on the shelves in the living room.

“Of course I do! Don’t you?” Satoru asks with raised eyebrows and wide eyes. 

“I do too. It’s just exciting to watch you be so excited about it.” He says with a smile. “Do you wanna go look at the rest again?” Suguru suggests, standing up from where he rests against the kitchen island. Satoru nods his head as they head back downstairs and into the main bedroom. 

“Satoru, don’t mess with things.” Suguru says as Satoru leaves his side and goes over to mess with the wall of windows. He accidentally figures out that there are actually shoji tucked away into the walls as well, defeating the need for any curtains.

“Woah!” He says, pulling them out of the wall and in front of the windows. “Do you think these are upstairs too?”

“I bet they are.” Suguru says, walking over and looking at them as well before carefully pushing them back into the pocket that they came from. 

“This bath is gorgeous.” Suguru says as he steps out of the bathroom, seeing that Satoru had opened the sliding doors and was checking out the back garden. The large walls of glass were similar to the ones at the apartment, although instead of a busy city 36 floors below, they had a beautiful garden just on the other side. The landscaping looked like something akin to a home and garden magazine. The karesansui consisted of perfectly laid white gravel with a few Japanese Black Pine trees on the border and one in the middle. The larger stones throughout the garden made for magnificent centerpieces, the greenery around them really helping to tie it all together. 

“You could sit out here and have your coffee in the morning.” Satoru says, turning around as he feels Suguru join him outside.

“I think it would be too hard for me to leave and go to work if I were to do that.” He says, resting his hand on Satoru’s back as he stands next to him, the both of them admiring the serene feeling of the garden with the cool autumn breeze passing through. Suguru presses a kiss to the side of Satoru’s head before they head back in, making sure to close the sliding door behind them.

After they finish checking out the main bedroom once again, they head back out into the hallway and walk down towards the other bedroom on the ground floor. “It’s nice that the bedrooms aren’t too close together.” Suguru points out as they step inside. 

“Yeah, nice for when we have kids, huh?” Satoru asks with a smirk, turning around to look at Suguru with a smile. 

The smile on Suguru’s face grows when he hears Satoru’s words. “You think so?” He asks, earning an enthusiastic nod in response from Satoru. “Me too.” He says, stepping closer to Satoru and pressing a soft kiss to his lips. 

Finally, they head back into the more formal living room on the ground floor once more. “Oh, sick!” Satoru says, walking over to a piano that sits in the far corner of the room. “I saw this earlier and wanted to check it out.” He sits down on the bench and opens up the cover. “I’ve always wanted a piano like this in my house.” Suguru steps further in and stands on the other side of the piano, watching as Satoru opens up the book that sits on the music stand and sets it back down before letting his fingers feel over the keys. “It’s been a while, so don’t boo me if it’s not great, I doubt my sight reading is what it used to be.”

Suguru tilts his head and furrows his eyebrows, slightly confused at first, not entirely knowing what the sentence that just came out of his mouth means, but when Satoru starts to play the piece that’s on the page he picked out, he understands. He walks around the side of the piano, watching the way his long fingers dance over the keys, hitting every note on the page - as far as Suguru can tell - perfectly. As he continues playing, Satoru scoots a bit to the side on the bench, making room for Suguru to sit down next to him. 

“I know you said you played piano as a kid, but I didn’t know you meant like this.” Suguru says with a soft chuckle, surprised at what a prodigy it seemed his husband was. 

Satoru turns his head to speak to Suguru, but doesn’t take his eyes off the sheet music, continuing to play as he speaks. “I practiced just about every day for probably 13 years.” He says, not missing a single note from the page. “I’m surprised I can still do this, honestly. I haven’t touched a piano in about five years.” He admits before finishing up the short piece that he’s playing. 

“If we get this house, we’re keeping the piano.” Suguru says as Satoru closes the cover back over the keys once again.

“You want me to play for you every day, huh Sugu?” Satoru asks in a sweet voice, only slightly teasing him as they both stand up from the bench.

“If you want to, I’ll listen to you play all day long, baby.” He says with a smile as they head back out into the entry hallway where Yumi is already standing.

“I see you found the piano.” She says with a smile.

“Oh, yeah sorry.” Satoru apologizes with a cheeky smile on his face. “I probably should’ve asked first.” 

“It’s no problem!” She reassures him. “Most visitors just tap a couple keys, if anything, so it was nice to hear it actually played for once.” She says with a smile still sitting on her face as she nods. 

“Is keeping the piano an option if we buy the house?” Satoru asks, mentally crossing his fingers as he awaits her answer.

“It’s just there for staging right now, so that’s absolutely an option.” She says as she nods her head with a smile. 

“That’s great to hear, Yumi.” Satoru says with an excited smile. Suguru elbows him lightly in the side before he speaks up.

“Thank you very much Tananka-san, I’m sure we’ll be in touch if not later today, then definitely some time this week.” Suguru says, turning to look at his husband with raised eyebrows, silently scolding him with his look.

“I look forward to hearing from you Geto-sama.” she says with a polite smile as they all head back towards the front door. 

After putting their shoes on and taking one final glance around, the two of them head back out the front door and down the stairs to the garage where Suguru’s car sits. “Satoru, I really shouldn’t have to tell you when to use polite speech, you’re almost 30.”

“It’s fine Suguru.” Satoru brushes off his warning as they open the car doors and sit back inside. He hears as Suguru lets out a defeated sigh at his response. “So what did you think?” He asks, not wasting any time as he plugs his phone in and gets the directions up to head back home. Suguru is silent for a moment as he backs out of the garage. “Sugu?” Satoru asks, looking over at him as he’s waiting not-so-patiently for an answer. 

“I really like it, Toru.” He says, his voice sounding like warm honey in Satoru’s ears as it’s coming out of his mouth.

Satoru’s heart flutters in his chest, a smile growing on his face. He wants nothing more than for this to be the house that they live in and grow their family in. “Do you think I should tell her we wanna make an offer?” 

“Don’t you think we should talk to an agent first?” Suguru asks, as he carefully drives back through the neighborhood, taking in everything as they head back down the hill. 

“Why? Do you think we need to? I mean, I could pay for a lot of it right now if we wanted to.” Satoru says, looking over at Suguru as he focuses on the road. 

“Satoru…” Suguru sighs out Satoru’s name, shaking his head slightly. He takes a breath before he continues. “I don’t want you to feel like you need to pay for everything. I want to pay for it too. It’s our home, not just yours.”

“But I want to.”

“Satoru.” Suguru says again, taking his hand off the wheel and resting it on Satoru’s thigh, giving it a squeeze. “I’m paying for at least half.”

“But-”

“No buts.” Suguru says firmly, looking over to Satoru for a second before looking back at the road. “I’m not letting you pay for more than half.” He says, shaking his head as he speaks. 

“What if you just pay the deposit?” Satoru suggests.

“On top of my half?” He teases, knowing that Satoru is going to try to do anything to get him to cave. Satoru lets out a huff when he won’t budge. “Baby, we’ve talked about this already. I’m not letting you pay for the whole thing just because you can.” He says, using Satoru’s own words against him. Satoru pouts in the passenger seat as Suguru continues down the street, trying not to smile when he feels Suguru’s hand squeeze his thigh once again. “You can get us some new furniture, yeah?” He suggests, trying to get Satoru to stop his childish pouting. 

“You want a new couch?” Satoru suggests, immediately perking up like a puppy at the thought of it. “I think we’d need a bigger one to fit that living room anyway.”

“You can get us whatever your heart desires, my love.” Suguru says, his voice sweet as he picks up Satoru’s hand and presses a kiss to the back of it. 

Satoru smiles at the feeling of his warm lips against the back of his hand. “I love you.” He says, bringing Suguru’s hand up to his lips to return the favor.

“I love you too.” Suguru says, a soft smile on his face as he focuses on the road. “Do you maybe wanna go pay the kids a visit?” He suggests, already knowing the answer. 

“Sugu, is that even a question?” He asks, changing the directions in his gps to take them to the cafe so that they can hopefully see Yuji and the others. They hadn’t been back there together in about a month and a half. He had gone a couple times by himself, but every time he was there, one of them asked him where Suguru was, so he knew they’d all be excited. 

“Do you think they’re gonna be excited to see us?” Suguru asks, smiling at the thought. One of the things he missed most while being in Fukuoka was going every day to see the bubbly pink-haired boy and his more reserved dark-haired counterpart. Of course Satoru missed the tasty sweets that Tsumiki would bake, but most of all, they both missed walking from the office to the cafe every day to see the group of kids that were always happy to see them. 

“Of course they are! Yuji’s probably gonna explode from the excitement.” Satoru says with a smile on his face. He can picture it in his mind; confetti falling from the ceiling, sweets everywhere, he might even cry from the surprise of seeing them.

“We’re gonna have to go visit them when we move.” Suguru says, focusing back on the road ahead of him. They went from going to the cafe just about every day for lunch to going only a few times a month on the weekends. Satoru would go occasionally during the week, but much less frequently than he would when he was working at the office just a couple blocks away. Tsumiki was always coming up with new things to bake, so Satoru always had the excuse that he had to go to try out whatever she came up with. 

“Definitely.” Satoru agrees, relaxing back into his seat and watching out the window with his chin in his palm as Suguru drives. Most of the drive is uneventful, other than a few comments here and there from Satoru about Suguru’s driving.

“Sweetheart, I could really do without your backseat driving.” Suguru says, his voice sweet as he does his best not to snap at the white-haired menace in his passenger seat. 

Satoru has a shit-eating grin on his face, knowing that he’s about to make a stupid joke that will either make his husband laugh or will break him. “Actually, I’m in the front seat.” He says in a very matter-of-factly sounding voice. 

Suguru presses his lips together into a straight line and lets out a long breath that he didn’t realize he was holding in. “Look at my face. Does it look like I’m laughing?” He says with a blank stare ahead as he grips the wheel tighter. “One of us has their license and it’s not the one in the passenger seat, is it?” He shoots back, knowing that’ll most likely shut him up.

“Hey.” Satoru says, furrowing his eyebrows and crossing his arms across his chest as he mopes in his seat. “That’s by choice.”

“So you should choose to keep your comments about my driving to yourself, yeah?” Suguru says, making his facial expressions at the road ahead of him, knowing that Satoru sees them anyway.

“You love me.” Satoru finally says, leaning over and resting his head on Suguru’s shoulder.

“I never said that I didn’t.” Suguru says, a slight smile creeping onto his face as they quickly approach their destination. After finding a place to park, they start walking the short distance to the cafe, the autumn sun starting to duck behind the surrounding towering buildings. Satoru grabs onto Suguru’s hand, swinging it as they walk, trying to move more to warm himself up a little in the absence of the late afternoon sun.

Once the front door of the cafe comes into view, Satoru falls easily back into his old habits and lets go of Suguru’s hand, rushing up ahead of him to open the door for him. “Hey, I thought we were done with this!” Suguru shouts after him, hurrying to keep up with him.

“I will never stop running to open up doors for you, Suguboo.” Satoru says sweetly, pulling the door open to allow him in first. 

“Thank you.” Suguru says with a smile, his voice soft and his cheeks slightly pink as he walks through the doorway, the bell making a noise as they both step into the cafe. It’s mostly empty sprinkled with a couple people working on their laptops and enjoying a late afternoon pastry here and there. 

They head up to the counter and Satoru starts as he always does by looking at what’s in the display case. It’s much closer to closing time than when they’re normally there, so his options are more limited than usual. There isn’t anyone behind the counter, but upon hearing the door ring, Tsumiki comes out from the back with a gentle smile on her face. Once she sees that it’s Suguru and Satoru standing at the counter, she lets out a small gasp, not having seen them in months. 

“Hi Gojo-sama, Geto-sama!” She says with a bright smile on her face. She was normally back in the kitchen baking or busy prepping for the next day, so it was a real surprise for her to be the first one to see the two of them. “How are you?”

“Really good!” Satoru says as he’s bent over looking at the lit up display case. “I see you still have some cream puffs!” His mouth is practically watering as he looks down at them. He sees that the chocolate ones are gone and feels a slight disappointment.

“Satoru…” Suguru says, sounding slightly disappointed in his husband and his ability to completely derail the conversation to whatever it is that he desires.

Tsumiki is a sweetheart and of course goes along with it happily. “Yep! Lots of strawberry and matcha ones left today.” She says, looking through the case from the back side.

“No chocolate though?” Satoru asks, although he can clearly see that the tray is empty.

“Actually…” She starts, which makes Satoru perk up, his eyebrows raising in anticipation. “I think I might have one in the back, let me go check.” She says before turning around to go check.

As she disappears into the back, it’s no more than five seconds later that Yuji comes barreling out at a speed that is surely unsafe for where he works. “Gojo!” He yells at a volume that should only be reserved for outdoors. 

“Itadori!” Nobara shouts from the other side of the doorway. “Stop shouting, we still have customers!” Her volume rivals that of Yuji’s as she glares at him through the window. The few customers in the cafe take the yelling as their sign to start getting ready to leave, knowing that the cafe is closing soon anyway.

“But Gojo and Geto are here!” He shouts back at her, his eyes wide with excitement as Suguru and Satoru chuckle lightly at his reaction. “Hey guys!” He says with a wide smile on his face. 

“Hey Yuji!” Satoru responds with a similar smile on his face. Suguru stands next to him with a grin, watching as the two of them interact. 

“I feel like I haven't seen you both here in foreverrr.” He says, drawing out the word as he says it. As he speaks, Tsumiki emerges once again from the kitchen, holding a small box.

“We had one more!” She says, holding up the box which presumably has a chocolate cream puff inside.

“Weren’t you taking this home?” Yuji asks, looking down at the box with the clear panel on top as she sets it on the counter in front of him.

“I can take home a different one, it’s okay, Gojo can have it.” She says with a sweet smile.

Satoru clutches his chest as he hears her words. “Really? You can take it Tsumiki, I’m okay with a strawberry one.” He says, not wanting to take the last chocolate cream puff if she was saving it for herself. 

“No, no, no. You take it, really.” She insists, shaking her head as Satoru tries to tell her that she can have it. “Consider it a wedding gift.” She says with a sweet smile on her face as she backs into the kitchen once more.

“You’re the best, Tsumiki!” Satoru calls out after her. “I’ll cherish it even more than I normally would!” He says, despite her already being in the kitchen and probably unable to hear what he’s saying.

“Oh yeah!” Yuji lets out. “You guys got married, huh?” 

Suguru nods his head with a smile. “Yep, we’re actually both Geto now.” Suguru says, looking between Satoru and Yuji.

“Wait, really?” Yuji questions. “That’s gonna be hard to get used to.” He says with a nervous smile as he fidgets with the string on his apron. 

“Mhm!’ Satoru says enthusiastically.

“And you’ve even got rings and everything!” He says, finally noticing the rings on both Satoru and Suguru’s fingers. They both smile as they hold out their hands to let him see. “Wowww.” He draws out, admiring their simple rings. “That’s so cool you guys!”

“I think so too.” Satoru says with a smile. 

“Well… Can I get anything else for you?” Yuji asks, realizing that they’re probably there to get food and not just to talk to him. Satoru picks out a couple more sweets from the case and Suguru orders just a tea for himself. “Alright, you’re all set!” He says with a smile as he hands the box of pastries over to Satoru and Suguru his tea.

“But we haven’t paid yet?” Suguru says, his voice slightly confused as he looks down at Yuji with his wallet already in his hand, ready to pay.

“Don’t worry about it!” Yuji responds with a bubbly smile. “It’s on the house.”

“What? No, no, let me at least pay for Satoru’s sweets, it’s so much.” Suguru says, trying to convince him to let him pay for the box full of them.

“No need! Really. Like Tsumiki said, consider it a wedding gift.” Yuji says with a smile. 

Suguru lets out a sigh, realizing that he probably isn't going to win this battle against this very stubborn teenager. “At least let me get a couple more things and let me pay for them.” He tries taking a new approach at it.

“You guys can take everything in this case if you want, but I’m not letting you pay for any of it.” Yuji stands his ground. Upon hearing his words, Satoru’s eyes widen at the possibility.

Before Satoru can even say anything, Suguru turns to him with a finger raised. “Hey. No.”

“I wasn’t even gonna say anything!” He says although they both know that that’s far from the truth. He furrows his eyebrows, looking back down at the case. “Can we just get a few more of the swiss roll slices?” Satoru sticks out his lower lip as he asks, giving Suguru the best puppy dog eyes that he possibly can.

“Of course you-”

“Satoru, we don’t-” Suguru and Yuji start to answer him at the same time, both with a different answer. Yuji backs off slightly when Suguru looks at him with a raised eyebrow, silently telling him to zip it. “Satoru, we don’t need any more sweets, don’t you think we got enough already?” 

“If it makes you guys feel any better, we already took everything we want, so the rest of it is probably going to get tossed…” Yuji says softly, motioning back towards everyone in the back kitchen before he steps back away from the counter, not wanting to feel Suguru’s scarily calm yet intimidating death stare anymore.

“See Sugu! They’re going to go to a good home if we take them!” Satoru tries to argue back, gesturing at the display case.

Suguru looks at him, his eyebrow cocked and his lips in a slight frown. “Satoru, it’s food. You’re acting like it’s a lost puppy we’re talking about.” 

“Exactly! Just food! So what’s the issue if we get a few more things?” Satoru does his best to persuade Suguru to let him take some more treats.

“I can’t believe you’re a real adult.” Suguru says, shaking his head with a smirk he’s unable to keep from his lips. Although he tried his best to keep Satoru’s sugar consumption to a minimum, that just always seemed to make him push back even harder. With that, Satoru points out a few more things, which Yuji happily boxes up and puts into a bag before handing it over to Suguru. 

“Why are you guys here so late anyway?” Yuji asks as Suguru takes the bag from him and lets it hang off his wrist. “You’re usually about five hours earlier.”

“We were actually just coming back from looking at a house we’re hopefully gonna buy.” Satoru says with a smile, excited to talk about it even more.

“A house? Wow, that’s crazy! Did you guys like it? Where are you moving to? When are you moving?” He rapidly fires his questions as he leans up against the back counter with his arms crossed, the teenager now suddenly curious to know everything about their home-buying process.

“We really liked it.” Suguru affirms with a smile and nod of his head. “We’re really hoping that we’re able to get it.” Satoru grabs and squeezes his hand as he says it, thinking the exact same thing.

“Well, I also hope you guys get it if you really like it that much.” 

“Itadori!” A stern voice is heard shouting back from the kitchen just before Megumi is seen standing in the doorway, his brows furrowed with an annoyed look on his face. “We’ve been closed for five minutes and you haven’t helped out with anything. If you want to go out with us, you better start helping us clean up.”

“Hi Megumi!” Satoru shouts out, sounding overly happy because he knows how he’ll react no matter his tone. Suguru opts for giving him a silent wave and a polite smile. 

“Hi Geto-sama.” Megumi says, thinking he’s only acknowledging Suguru, but instead he’s opened a whole new can of worms for himself.

“Actually, we’re both Geto now, so hi Megumi!” Satoru says extra enthusiastically, waving as he ducks back into the kitchen after quickly realizing the grave error he’s made. 

“Hurry up, Itadori.” Megumi shouts from the door before heading back to focus on his closing duties.

Yuji smiles up at the two of them sheepishly, knowing that if he doesn’t get working he’s gonna get another earful. “Well, I guess I gotta go. It was really nice seeing you guys!” Yuji says with a small wave as Satoru and Suguru slowly start heading back towards the front door.

“We’ll be back soon!” Satoru says with a final wave as they make it to the door. “That was so nice of him, wasn’t it Suguru?” He asks, taking hold of Suguru’s hand that isn’t holding the bag of sweets.

“What the hell do you think we’re gonna do with three boxes of this stuff?” Suguru asks, his question lighthearted while looking down at the bag that hangs from his wrist. 

“What do you mean? We’re gonna eat it.” Satoru says as if it was the most obvious thing he’s ever said. 

“Baby, how do you plan on eating all of this before it gets stale?” Suguru asks, already knowing that Satoru is well capable of doing it. “Actually, forget I asked.” He says, squeezing Satoru’s hand as they walk down the sidewalk back towards where the car is parked. “Do you want to grab something to eat before we head home?” He asks, thinking about all of the various options for food around the area. 

“I’m so glad you asked, actually.” Satoru says, already having an idea in his head. He starts walking a little quicker, pulling on Suguru’s hand to get him to keep up. Without even letting Suguru ask where he’s taking them, he starts explaining. “I saw a food cart around here selling buttered potatoes when I was on my run over here the other day, keep up!” Satoru says, his excitement apparent in his voice as he drags his husband along.

“Slow down!” Suguru speaks up after him, trying to tug back on his hand, but that just makes Satoru pull harder, his heart already set on getting himself a potato.

“No can do, Sugu.” Satoru says, turning back to look over his shoulder with a smile on his face. “It’s just right around the corner here.” They round the corner only to see that there’s a short line that they’ll have to wait in.

“You didn’t have to drag me. We’re gonna have to wait in line anyway.” Suguru huffs out as they stand behind the last person. 

“You know how much I love these things, Suguboo.” He crosses his arms as he says it, leaning his head on Suguru’s shoulder for a short moment before he picks it up again. “I’m the number two fan of buttered potatoes in the entire country behind-”

“Matsuyama Chiharu,” Suguru nods his head and finishes the sentence for him. “I’m well aware.” He says with a slight chuckle as he jokingly rolls his eyes. It was Satoru’s go-to whenever he needed to convey just how much he loved a good buttered potato. “If I didn’t know any better, I’d say that you’d get rid of all of these sweets for one potato if you had to choose.” Suguru highly contemplates actually making him decide between the two, but ultimately determines that’s a battle that he doesn’t want to even try to fight. 

“Good thing I’ll never have to make that decision.” Satoru turns to look at Suguru with a grin as he says it. Thankfully, the line moves relatively quickly and they’re able to quickly get their food and head back to where the car is parked once again. 

“You really should wait to eat that until we get home, baby.” Suguru says, watching as Satoru eats his food as they walk, nearly reaching the car already. “It’ll be less than ten minutes.” He assures him, unlocking the car as it finally comes into view.

“Can’t wait that long.” Satoru says, his mouth already full as he speaks. Suguru looks at him, a displeased look on his face. 

“You better not make a mess in my car.” Suguru warns, realizing that there’s no reasoning with him any further. He opens the door for Satoru and turns around to see him waiting with a smile on his face.

“Don’t worry, I’m already done.” Satoru says, crumpling up the small bit of foil that they came in and shoving it into his pocket. “Thank you, Gugu.” He says with a beaming smile. Suguru just looks at him in amazement as he sits down into his seat and holds out his hands, ready to take the bag from Suguru. He takes it and sets it on the floor between his feet while Suguru closes the door and walks around to his side.

“You really are just a human vacuum.” He says, shaking his head in slight disbelief as he falls into the driver’s seat. 

“You knew that.”

“Yeah, I did.” He starts the car with a smile on his face before leaning over to give Satoru a quick kiss before they start on their way home. The drive is quick, Satoru happily singing obnoxiously along to the music he plays through the speakers and Suguru laughing quietly to himself. “I love you… So much” Suguru says, looking over at the white-haired menace in his passenger seat as they’re stopped at a red light. 

Satoru grabs Suguru’s hand from where it rests and picks it up, bringing the back of it to his lips so that he can press a soft kiss to the skin. “I love you too, Gugu.” Satoru says, the corners of his mouth curled up into a smile as he looks over at his husband in the driver’s seat. 

Before they know it, they make it back to their building and back up to the apartment with all of their treats from the cafe and Suguru’s potato that he hadn’t eaten yet.  Suguru sets the bag on the kitchen island before heading to sit down at the table to eat his potato. Satoru pulls the boxes out of the bag and puts what needs to go into the fridge away, making sure to grab out a cream puff for himself before he heads over to join Suguru at the table while they both eat. 

“You think we’re gonna get the house?” Satoru asks, watching as Suguru takes a bite, a smile on his face at the pleasant taste. Shiro walks back and forth through their legs under the table, rubbing her face along them as she walks. Satoru looks underneath at her, reaching down to give her a quick pet as she walks by, meowing once she feels his hand along her back.

Suguru nods his head with a smile as he chews, waiting until his mouth isn’t full before he actually answers. “I think so.” He says, sounding sure of it. “I’m surprised no one else has snatched it up yet.” 

“Me neither… Which means we gotta, right?” Satoru says before he takes another bite of his cream puff, looking across the table at Suguru. It had everything they’d wanted in a house. There was plenty of room, a beautiful view of the mountain, it was far enough away, but close enough to everything they’d need. It was perfect in every way. 

Taking the last bite of his potato, Suguru crumples up the foil and looks across the table at Satoru with a gentle smile. “You really want it?” He asks, but it’s not much of a question at all. He already knows the answer, and he knows that they both feel the same way. Satoru nods his head enthusiastically, a big smile on his face as he stuffs the rest of the cream puff into his mouth. “I think we should go for it.”

“I'll email Yumi back right now.” Satoru says, pulling out his phone with excitement. Both of their hearts beat hard in their chests, the thought of this being their home racing through their minds. Satoru strats drafting out an email as Suguru stands up from the table, leaning over to press a kiss to the top of Satoru’s head before heading into the bedroom to get changed out of his clothes from being out for the day. 

He heads into the closet and drops his dirty clothes into the hamper before picking out some shorts and a hoodie, pulling it on before heading into the bathroom. He lets his hair down and is brushing it out when Satoru joins him, already changed out of his clothes as he’s coming up from behind and wrapping his arms around his waist. He rests his chin on his shoulder and lets his eyes slowly close as he takes a slow inhale, his nose pressing against the skin on Suguru’s neck and the corners of his lips upturned into a smile. “Can I do it?” Satoru asks, grabbing the brush from Suguru’s hand and pressing a quick kiss to the side of his neck.

Suguru nods his head with a gentle smile, turning around to come face to face with Satoru. Their lips come together, both of their hands still on the brush until Suguru finally lets go, letting Satoru have it. They smile against each other’s lips as Satoru lets his hand with the brush fall down to his side. Heading back out to the bedroom, Suguru sits down in the armchair next to the window and Satoru readjusts the other chair to be right behind him. 

With his long glossy onyx hair falling over the back of the chair, Satoru runs his fingers through it, making sure that it’s all behind the chair before he starts brushing gently from the bottom. Suguru lets his eyes fall closed as he leans his head back and lets Satoru brush slowly through his hair. The feeling of Satoru brushing his hair was something he’d come to appreciate. The way he was slow and gentle felt like he was at a spa getting a head massage. Satoru smiles as he slowly works his way up towards the roots from the ends, making sure that Suguru’s hair is detangled before working up higher onto his head. 

The sun had gone down and the lights of the city were glittering just outside the window. Satoru takes a breath slowly, thinking about his question before he speaks. “Do you think we’ll be good parents, Sugu?” Satoru asks, his words cutting through the silence of their bedroom. 

Suguru’s eyes open, looking up at the ceiling as his head is still resting back over the chair as Satoru brushes through his hair. “What makes you ask?”

Satoru shrugs his shoulders, twisting his lips to the side as he thinks. “I don’t really know… Just thinking about it, I guess.” He says, furrowing his brows as he continues brushing, even though he’s been done getting all the tangles out for a while now. Questions like this one weren't anything out of the ordinary for Satoru. He’d ask random little things like “What do you think we’ll look like when we’re old,” or “How many pets at once is too many for us to have?” It always made Suguru smile, knowing that Satoru was thinking about their future together just as much as he was. 

Suguru leans his head back over the chair even further, looking at Satoru upside down with a smile on his face. “I think we’ll be great parents, don’t you think?”

Satoru leans forwards and presses a kiss to his lips, his nose bumping against Suguru’s chin, causing them both to chuckle lightly. “How many do you want?” Satoru asks, setting the brush to the side of him in the chair, looking down at Suguru as he still looks up at him upside down.  

They’d talked about it before, but this felt more serious. Now that they were about to buy a house, it felt more real to them; like it’s finally a feasible possibility. “I feel like two is a nice number, don’t you?” Suguru replies. He realizes that Satoru is done brushing his hair and lifts his head up once again. He turns his chair around so that he’s now facing Satoru, the two of them sitting at the window, looking out at the lights as they talk. 

“I was actually thinking ten, but two is a good start.” Satoru says jokingly, pulling a breathy laugh from Suguru.

“I think ten is a bit much.” Suguru says with a chuckle, clasping his fingers together in front of his stomach as he sits back in his chair. “Don’t you think?”

“Yeah, you’re probably right.” Satoru agrees with him, knowing that he wasn’t actually serious. “We’d have to buy a much bigger house if that was the case.”

“Exactly.” Suguru agrees, glancing over to where Satoru sits in his chair, his arm resting over the side with his hand dangling freely. He reaches out and grabs Satoru’s hand, playing with the silver ring that circles his ring finger with a smile. “You emailed Yumi back?” He asks, breaking the comfortable silence in the room.

Satoru nods his head with a gentle smile, standing up from his chair and plopping himself down in Suguru’s lap. He wraps his arms around the back of his neck and pulls himself closer, resting his head against Suguru’s. “Yep. She probably won’t respond until tomorrow, but I’m excited to hear back.” Suguru’s hand snakes underneath his shirt to rub slowly over his warm skin as they sit there for a moment, just taking in each other’s presence in the soft warm light of their bedroom. 

Looking down at Suguru’s face for a moment, a smile sits on Satoru’s lips before he leans in for a tender kiss. Their movements are slow as they come together, their soft lips pressing against each other’s in a way that sends warm tingles all throughout both of their bodies. Suguru brings his free hand up to cup underneath Satoru’s jaw, holding this face with a warm hand. 

“Can I ask a favor of you?” Suguru whispers, their lips just inches apart from each other. 

Satoru smiles down at him, bringing his own hand to cup under Suguru’s jaw, mirroring the position that he’s in. “Anything for you, my sweet.” He says with a soft smirk, wondering whatever it could be that his husband is asking him to do in such a sultry tone of voice.

Suguru presses one more kiss to Satoru’s lips, smiling against them before pulling back once again to ask his burning question in an alluring whisper, his eyes half lidded as he stares into Satoru’s bright blues. “Would you go out to the kitchen and bring me back one of those cream puffs?” 

chapter 4

[boobo13cambridge]

O Re Piya | Kylian Mbappé

Pairing: Kylian Mbappé x f.Reader

Warnings: kissing, fingering.

Summary: It’s the day of your brother’s wedding, and you're running late. The main culprit: your handsy husband who can’t seem to control himself seeing you in a lehenga. 

A/N: Hello, everyone! I’ve been MIA for a few weeks because I was dealing with a lot of personal issues. I wrote this sporadically and I really wanted to finish this for you guys. Please leave me feedback, I would greatly appreciate it. Enjoy, lovelies ❣️

Nazrein bolen duniya bole

(The glances are telling, the world knows)

dil ki zaban haaye dil ki zubaan

(The story of my heart, oh, the story of my heart)

Ishq maange ishq chahe koi toofan

(Love prays, love wishes for a hurricane (to stir the life within))

The sun rose high in the sky, painting the world in a warm and golden glow. The flowers, arranged with care and love, burst into full bloom, their petals as vibrant and colourful as the bride's lehenga. The sun's rays kissed each delicate petal, illuminating their beauty with an ethereal glow.

The gentle breeze danced through the trees, carrying with it the sweet scent of blooming flowers and the delicate rustling of leaves. The birds chirped merrily, their songs adding to the symphony of the day. The sound was a soft and soothing melody, one that filled the air with tranquillity and joy. 

The guests, dressed in their finest attire, basked in the warmth of the sun and the beauty of the day, and the groom’s sister was still hidden from the common eye as she struggled to get ready, the emotional toll of the day a huge weigh on her delicate shoulders. Thankfully, her husband was out helping her family to lessen the burden and give her some breathing room to get ready. 

As the young beauty came out of the bathroom leaving behind a cloud of jasmine and oud, her makeup delicately done to match the pink hues of her lehenga and her long black hair flowing down her back in delicate waves, her eyes were immediately drawn to the soft, delicate hues of her lehenga. A vision in light pink, the fabric flowed like a gentle stream, its folds and creases catching the light of the sun in a breathtaking display.

The intricate embroidery, painstakingly crafted by skilled artisans, was a masterpiece of intricate design, with every stitch and bead radiating its own unique brilliance. The shimmering stones, like sparkling stars in the sky, adorned the hem and neckline of the lehenga, casting a soft and iridescent glow.

She carefully slipped into the choli, the bodice fit her like a glove, accentuating her curves. Next, the young woman delicately dragged on the lehenga, the flowing skirt that trailed behind her seemed to float like a soft cloud, dancing around her legs with each step. She felt like one of those Disney princesses that she used to love as a little girl. 

Her eyes caught the reflection in the mirror, and she gasped at the sight before her. The lehenga had transformed her, turning her into a radiant beauty. She reached for the matching dupatta, draping it over her right shoulder and allowing it to cascade down her back and flow in the front in a soft wave.

As she finished getting ready, spraying the perfume her beloved got her, spreading the rich aroma of amber and jasmine around the room,  her very own prince charming entered the room. His dark eyes widened, and his breath caught in his throat as he beheld her beauty.

"Mon amour," he whispered, his voice filled with wonder and desire, "you are absolutely stunning. How did I ever get so lucky to have you?"

His hands reached out to caress the delicate fabric of her lehenga, his fingers tracing the intricate embroidery with awe. His gaze lingered on the gentle curve of her waistline, the soft curve of her hips, and the delicate tilt of her plump lips.

A warm blush crept up her cheeks as she closed her eyes and basked in the sweet affection of his touch, savouring the feel of his hands on her skin. “Kylian…arrête. We need to be downstairs, they’re waiting for us.”

"Mmm, bébé. Je suis fou de toi," he murmured, his voice low and husky with lust. "You take my breath away, mon amour. You are like a goddess, come to earth to bless me with your beauty."

She felt her cheeks darken as he whispered words of adoration and love into her ear. Her heart swelled with affection and gratitude for this man who made her feel like the most beautiful woman in the world.

Kylian drew her close, his arms wrapping around her waist, pulling her into his embrace. He pressed his lips to the nape of her neck, trailing kisses down her smooth skin each one filled with deep and abiding love that she felt deep in her bones. Her body responded to his touch, her skin igniting with a fire that burned hot and bright. She revelled in the sensation of his hands on her body, leaning into him, his touch igniting her senses and sending her heart racing.

But even as her desire for him grew, she knew they couldn't stay here forever. They needed to join the rest of the family, to celebrate her brother's wedding. People would get suspicious if they didn’t come down, especially as the groom’s older sister, her presence was imperative.

"Kylian, we need to go," she murmured, her voice tinged with reluctance. "Everyone is waiting for us."

The young football star groaned in frustration, his hands tightening around her waist. "Just a few more minutes, ma chérie," he pleaded. "I can't resist you in this lehenga. You look so beautiful."

Despite the minutes ticking away, she smiled at his words, slowly losing the will to push him away. “Kylian, s’il-vous-plaît, we need t-”

Kylian’s lips found hers in a fierce, passionate kiss, cutting her off. The flames of desire and passion that had been building between the two lovers erupted and surrounded them in an inferno. Kylian's hands roamed freely over her body, tracing the curves of her hips and the gentle slope of her breasts. She moaned softly, her body responding to his touch with a fire that burned deep within her. Her fingers tangled in his hair, pulling him closer as he kissed her hungrily, his hands trying to reach every part of her body with increasing urgency.

She felt his muscles tense under her fingertips as he lifted her effortlessly, carrying her towards the bed. He lay her down gently, his eyes never leaving her as he hovered over her, his breath hot on her skin. Looking into his eyes, she felt an indescribable emotion pass through her, it was as if every particle in her body was intertwining with her beloved’s. The surge of emotions made her breathless as she gently cradled Kylian’s face in her hands. “Je t’aime si fort, Ky.”

Kylian’s intense gaze softened slightly as he turned slightly to kiss her hand, “Je t’aime, mon coeur. You’re my everything, my complete half. I don’t know what I would do if I didn’t have you in my life.”

His confession brought tears to her eyes. A single drop threatened to fall but he gently wiped it, summarizing in that moment all that he was to her. 

Chalna aahiste ishq naya hai

(Tread carefully as this love is new)

Pehla Yeh Vada Humne Kiya Hai

(This is the first time I've taken a vow)

Uniting their lips in a soft embrace, Kylian gently swiped her bottom lip with his tongue. She obtained her mouth to let him in, as their tongues came together in a passionate dance that sent sparks to her every extremity. As they grew needy, Kylian's hands roamed over her body with an intense hunger, his lips trailing down her neck, pausing to nuzzle against her collarbone. She gasped in pleasure as he continued to explore her body, his touch igniting sparks of pleasure that spread through her like wildfire.

His fingers found their way to the soft curves of her breasts, and he squeezed them gently, eliciting a soft moan from her lips. “Kylian, more.”

His touch was electric, sending waves of desire through her body. She arched her back, pressing herself into him, eager for more of his touch. Kylian's fingers kneaded her breasts with increasing urgency, his touch growing more intense as he sought to pleasure her. He toyed with her nipples, flicking them with his thumb and forefinger, causing her body to tremble with delight. She moaned his name, her breath coming in short gasps as she surrendered to his touch. 

One of his hands trailed down her lehenga lifting it up with urgency so he could explore wet heat between her soft thighs. His breathing grew ragged as his fingers brushed the soaking lacy fabric. 

“Kylian, we can’t. We have to go,” she protested while pushing herself into his fingers for more friction. “Bébé, let me just make you feel good, oui?” 

He pushed her panties to the side and shoved two fingers in her tight eat as she let out a loud moan. Kylian didn't want to silence her wanting to hear her moan her name in that breathless, needy tone. 

He curved his fingers reaching that spot that had her eyes crossing as she clung to his muscled back, desperate whimpers leaving her painted lips. Kylian buried his face in the valley of her breasts, his tongue leaving a wet sheen that gleamed in the sunlight. 

As the knot in her stomach tightened, Kylian increased his pace, his fingers and mouth working in perfect harmony to drive her to the brink of ecstasy. She clung to him desperately, her nails digging into his skin as she surrendered herself to his touch.

“Ky-Kylian, I’m gonna cum. Please, let me cum,” she begged as the pleasure was too much.

“Cum, bébé. Cum for me.”

Searing hot pleasure raced through her body, as she exploded, tightening around Kylian’s fingers which were still thrusting at a steady, helping her through her orgasm.

As she came down, her breathing hard and cheeks high with colour, she opened her eyes to Kylian looking down at her with soft eyes as he placed delicate kisses on her face.

“Hi, mon coeur. Enjoy yourself?” he asked cheekily. Giggling she grabbed his cheeks and bit his nose playfully. “You know I did it, you cheeky brat.”

A loud knock on the door made them both freeze, the moment shattered by the intrusion. "Kylian, Y/N, it's time to go! The baraat* is ready!" called out a voice from outside the door.

“Coming!”, she answered slightly panicked. Pushing her husband off and rushing to the mirror. Her lehenga choli was a little crinkled, and her mascara was smudged under her eyes. “Kylian! You ruined my dress and makeup, merde.” 

Rolling his eyes, Kylian came behind her and gently wrapped his arms around her, leaving a quick kiss on her neck. “T’inquiète, mon amour. I’ll help you, you’ll be fine.”

Shaking her head, she realized at that moment that while her beloved was definitely going to get them in trouble, she wouldn't trade him for anything in the world.

End Note:

*Baraat: a celebratory wedding procession that escorts the groom, who is traditionally on horseback, to the site of the wedding.

[blondeboyfriend]

𝐋𝐈𝐓𝐓𝐋𝐄 𝐎𝐍𝐄 (𝟏𝟖+)

𝐌𝐈𝐍𝐎𝐑𝐒 𝐃𝐍𝐈

[ PAIRING ] Eren Yeager x f!reader [ AUTHOR'S NOTE ] Another oldie. Shout out to Mica for beta reading this for me. [ SYNOPSIS ] You return home from college to housesit while your mother is away. Everything seems rather mundane until you have a chance meeting with a strange yet alluring man. [ WORD COUNT ] 4.1k [ CONTENT ] Dark content, modern AU, Eren's fucking awful in this, manipulation, stalking, masturbation, dubcon bordering on noncon, degradation, vaginal fingering.

“Thank you so much for watching the house, little one,” your mother said, pinching your cheek.

An action that would usually leave you aggravated was welcome intimacy. College made you miss everyone. Mundane things became beacons of light in a darkened sea of melancholy. It was hard not to internalize the pain, the loneliness that plagued you and turned your stomach into a bottomless pit.

Even as you stood in front of your mother and her kind eyes, you couldn’t help but think of how eventually you would leave this isolated exurb and return to hell itself. You’d wrestle with complicated coursework, cry in the communal bathroom when your roommate refused to stop blasting Post Malone, and sit through lectures with lecherous professors that asked you “to go on walks and discuss poetry.”

“Of course, you think I’m gonna turn down a chance to throw a massive party? I’m trying to relive my teenage fantasy.”

She rolled her eyes and gave you a hug.

“I transferred some money into your bank account for food. Please don’t spend it all on junk.”

Bags of Cheetos danced through your mind.

“You got it,” you lied.

She grabbed her suitcase and floated out the door, leaving you to your own devices. You watched her drive off through the front window, a puff of exhaust lingering as she sped off to the airport. You strode into the kitchen and rummaged through the fridge. The only contents being two jars of artisan mustard, a Greek yogurt, an absurd amount of spaghetti, and a bag of Rainier cherries.

“Pantry’s gotta be better.”

You flung the door to it and were confronted with a hard sourdough baguette and a box of generic Frosted Flakes. You sighed and closed the door dejectedly. Biking to the convenience store sounded woefully unappealing in 90 degree weather especially when the entire ride was sun-soaked.

“Eh, fuck it.”

You scrambled through your overnight bag and pulled out your sunscreen, slathering it all over you. You pocketed your wallet, grabbed your bike, and began your journey.

The second you opened the door, sunlight irradiated you. Quickly you put on your sunglasses and cautiously biked along the hyper heated concrete. Sweat oozed from your pores, sunscreen melting off your face and weaseling its way into your eyes. Wiping them crossed your mind but your hands were busy. You blinked repeatedly hoping to mitigate the problem but it was a thankless task.

When you finally got to the convenience store you dropped your bike in front of the entrance, growing more exhausted and thirsty by the second. A large “cash only” sign flashed in your face.

“Since when?” You asked no one in particular.

You stumbled inside the store over to the ATM and took out $40 from your bank account. The machine decided to take its sweet time, whirring for a good five minutes before spitting out your cash. After waiting for what felt like hours you trudged to the back and struggled to find anything that remotely looked like what you wanted.

“No, no, no,” you said as you peered into every fridge. “Fuck my ass. Come on.”

A stifled laugh brought you out of your trance.

“Watch out, some creep might try to take you up on that offer.”

“Oh shit, my bad!” You deferred.

The man turned his attention towards you. He was inhumanly gorgeous. His skin sun kissed, long espresso colored hair piled on top of his head in a messy bun, eyes greener than any field you’d seen. He wore a red tropical print button-up with short sleeves and fitted denim shorts. His smile was wide and jovial, one you could trust.

“’S all good,” he said, his eyes lingering on your lips.

“I, uh… Hey, have you seen anything that isn’t a Red Bull or a bottle of St Ides? I’d ask the guy at the counter but he seems rather engrossed in his reading.”

You slyly pointed at the cashier whose nose was buried in a vintage Playboy.

“I have, follow me,” he said, his voice like velvet. A siren’s song.

He wrapped an arm around you and led you to a fridge full of your favorite shit.

“Oh wow, thank you!”

His hands trailed down to your waist. “No problem. Hate to see a pretty thing like you look so lost.”

He looked you over one last time and headed over to the cashier. He pointed at a small bottle of silver Bacardi and slunk out the door after making his purchase. He slowly drove off in a burgundy 1970 Ford Galaxie.

The man was kind yet odd. A face you wouldn’t mind seeing again but one you’d likely run from if you encountered it in a dark alley.

You grabbed a couple bags of chips and one of the bananas that sat on the front counter. The ride home felt significantly easier this time around, your feet less heavy. Just a brief moment of social interaction was enough to make your day.

The pleasantness of your ride quickly dissipated as you noticed a car trailing behind you. You glanced over your shoulder, but as you turned your head to get a better look the car made a sharp u-turn, speeding off in the other direction. Unease crept up on you, making your hands tremble ever so slightly.

All you saw was a flash of burgundy.

The housing development your mother bought into was initially supposed to be a dream-like landscape of exurban bliss. Pastel tract homes with detached garages and green lawns thriving despite nature’s uninhabitable wrath. The money hungry builders saw the arid valley and thought “upscale homes with a golf course and an outdoor mall.”

Of course it never took off. Living in the rain shadow of a massive mountain range was a tough sell and anyone with a brain knew the cotton candy colored homes wouldn’t last in the heat. However those desperate to own land bought them up at auction, your mother being one of them. She ended up with the best one, in her opinion.

“Some of them were worth more than others,” she said, as if she got away with a crime.

The house sat at the edge of the development, a clear view of the towering, jagged mountains to the east. The only thing that separated you from the wilds of the valley was the shoddy fencing your mother haphazardly fixed from time to time. Your closest neighbor, Hannes, lived comically far away on the other side of the development.

You stared down a pile of empty chip bags, regretting your decision to buy straight up junk and a banana. Delivery options were limited to pizza and Thai food; not many restaurants liked driving to the edge of the earth for a single order.

You grabbed your laptop ultimately deciding to order pizza.

“Ugh, of course my credit card info isn’t saved,” you whined.

You patted your pocket where you had previously stored your wallet but nothing was there.

“The fuck?”

You tore off your shorts and shook them. Nothing. No wallet.

“Shit. Guess I’ll call the store.”

You called the convenience store guy and he was utterly useless. Your stomach grumbled, reverberating throughout your body. Hunger took hold of you. You decided to toast the stale bread and eat it with olive oil. You figured you should save the rest of your cash for actual groceries.

“’Hey little one, what’d you eat when I was gone?’ Oh nothing, mama, just fucking croutons.”

The kitchen was bathed in a pinkish glow. The sun settled behind the mountains leaving the sky shades of pink, orange, and blue. It was a loveliness you missed, something you couldn’t find in overly pruned parks and crowded campus cafes. You preheated the oven and struggled to break the bread into bite-sized pieces.

“Fuck,” you muttered as a particularly hard bit of crust works its way under your fingernail.

You held your hand up to examine it and breathed a sigh of relief, no blood. Your relief was short lived as you noticed something rustling in the checkerblooms. You leaned over the counter to get a better look but you saw nothing. Just purple flowers ebbing in the evening breeze.

“Coulda been an elk,” you said to calm your nerves.

That morning you found used condoms outside the kitchen window filled to the brim with milky cum. You didn’t mention it to Hannes when you biked down to his house for money and socializing.

The days were easy to get through. You biked around the development when the heat was at its kindest. You bitched to Hannes about how isolated you were but also how you were far too lazy to remedy the situation. You watched game shows and soap operas. Immersing yourself in daytime television was a welcomed, mind numbing distraction.

The nights were what got the best of you.

You called your mother when the fear became too much, when you’d hear footsteps outside your window. But her advice was always the same.

“Drink a Pabst and turn on Golden Girls! Or ask the delivery guy to hang out with you.”

“Don’t you have a security system?”

“Is this what college has done to you? I remember just last year you couldn’t even remember to lock the front door.”

A million thoughts ran rampant through your brain. She was right after all; you were rather careless growing up in the mundanity of the valley. You sought excitement by skipping through the alkali flats, kicking up rancid dust. You ran around with stray dogs and even got bit by one. A lonely, little girl like you was a professional at putting yourself in questionable circumstances.

“Whatever. I still can’t find my wallet though,” you whined.

“Did you try calling the store again?”

“Why would I call them again?”

“I don’t know,” she said, voice filled with exasperation. “The money I sent should get to you soon.”

“Still don’t think it was smart to literally mail me money.”

She laughed. “Alright, little one. Call me tomorrow.”

And with that your mother hung up. You gazed outside the window as a tule elk meandered by, sniffing the ground occasionally stopping to nibble on a shrub. It lifted its head and jerked it around quickly, an urgent look in its eye. Before you blinked it bounded off into the distance, almost like it was never there in the first place. Curiosity got the better of you and you decided to investigate. You grabbed a kitchen knife and held it like you’d seen all those final girls do in slasher movies.

“I can’t die like this,” you whispered to yourself. “I haven’t even had a threesome yet.”

You crept towards the front door and looked through the peephole. Not a thing, just dead grass and concrete. You sighed and dropped the knife, feeling silly for even grabbing it in the first place. With this new found peace you stepped into the kitchen to brew some tea only to be startled by a faceless figure.

“Holy shit!” You shrieked, ducking under the kitchen table knowing full well you were still visible. “Fuck. Fuck. Fuck. Fuck,” you muttered.

“Hi, didn’t mean to scare you,” he said.

His voice was oddly friendly, but not so much that you were willing to respond.

“I, uh, found your wallet. Sorry it took me a bit, you just live so far out here.”

You poked your head out from under the table and looked up.

It was the handsome man from the convenience store. He looked decidedly less gorgeous, but a babe all the same. His hair now hung past his shoulders, partially obscuring his face. He wore the same tropical print shirt and shorts you saw him in previously but they were now paired with a faded denim jacket lined with cream Sherpa.

“You want it back or can I keep it?” He asked, his voice as velvety as ever.

“I—I definitely need it.”

You crawled out from under the table and gestured for him to meet you at the front door. As you opened it you saw him leaning on his car, arms crossed.

“Hey, so my wallet?” You shouted at him.

“I, uh, left it at home.”

“Oh.”

He grinned. “Didn’t realize it until I checked my pocket. It’s back at my place if you wanna take a ride.”

Your stomach dropped.

“I—I have Thai food coming and like, so, I gotta be here when it shows up.”

He cocked an eyebrow. “I’ll drop by tomorrow then, that alright?”

No was the first word to enter your mind but you wanted your damn wallet.

“That sounds fine. Thanks, uh…”

“Eren,” he purred.

You forced a smile. “Thank you, Eren. I’ll see you tomorrow. Just gimme a call when you’re close, okay?”

He nodded and waved as you turned to go back inside. Once safe and locked in the house you watched him linger, his eyes still fixed on the spot you previously stood in. He waited around for a good five minutes before he got in his car and sped off.

That night, as you struggled to drift asleep, you reluctantly thought of Eren. You slipped your hand in your underwear and rubbed your clit, pretending that it was him doing so. You bit down on your bottom lip as you traced your fingers down your folds, coating them with your fluids. You slid your hand under your t-shirt and pinched your nipple.

“E—eren,” you whimpered, thrusting up against your hand.

You pictured his strong arms around you, plunging his throbbing cock deeper and deeper inside you. The look of unbridled lust in his emerald eyes as he held you close, pumping you full of his cum.

Your breathing quickened and your toes curled as your orgasm rushed through your body. You continued to mewl his name, your body going limp as your lust subsided. Shame immediately hit you and you rolled over onto your side in a fetal position.

“Why am I like this?” You asked as you tried to will yourself unconscious.

That morning you were greeted with a lack of cell service.

“Seriously?”

You made a few attempts to call your mother, groaning every time it was dropped. Eventually you resigned yourself to being even more cut off from the world. It’s not like you’d be alone for long. Eren did say he’d be dropping by with your wallet, though he never specified when that would be.

The day dragged on and your patience waned. You sat in the kitchen, eating cherries and scowling out the window. Eren finally arrived just as the sun started to lower itself.

He tapped on the door, with his car keys.

“Hi, pretty girl,” he crooned.

You cautiously opened the door and let him in. He smelled like rum and cheap deodorant. His shirt was dingier every time you saw it, it’s once bright hue losing saturation. His denim shorts were dappled with white stains and dirt. Everything about him screamed freak but you welcomed him inside anyway.

“Hey, so…”

“Ah, yeah,” he said, pulling your wallet out of his pocket.

He held it out of reach the second you went to grab it from him.

“Work for it.”

There was something inherently ominous about his grin. It wasn’t a particularly creepy one, in fact it was rather lovely. But his eyes hid something, there was a blankness to them. You couldn’t tell what he was thinking, utterly unreadable.

“Come on.”

You attempted to grab it again but he again jerked it out of reach.

“You come on,” he teased.

His eyes looked through you. It was as if he didn’t register you as a person, a human, an equal. You struggled to hide your fear which softened his demeanor.

“I’m sorry. I see a pretty girl and all I wanna do is fuck with her.”

He finally handed you your wallet, his fingers brushing yours.

“Those are some nice hands.”

You gulped and tried your best to look unbothered.

“Uh, thanks.”

“Any chance you could gimme one?”

“Excuse me?”

He flashed you another grin.

“My car’s having some trouble, thing’s old as fuck. Could you lend me a hand?”

“I don’t know much about cars honestly.”

“Having another pair of eyes on it will help. Maybe you’ll catch something I missed.”

You followed him out the door even though your conscious screamed for you to turn around, to go back inside and lock your door. He led you over to his car, the hood was already lifted. You stared into it not sure what to look at.

“See anything strange?” He said, wrapping his arms around your waist.

You laughed nervously.

“N—no, not really.”

He leaned closer to your ear and whispered, his breath reeked of rum.

“Oh come on, baby. Take a better look.”

He pushed you against the car, his semi-hard cock rubbing against your ass. You froze as he rocked his hips against you. Eren groaned as he continued to thrust.

Run, you thought to yourself. Get the fuck away from him. But instead you stood there, clenching your fists, fighting the urge to grind up against him.

“Oh you like that, huh?” He whispered, his tongue flicking your ear.

You arched your back and bit your lip as he rutted against you, his cock now fully erect. A small moan exited your lips as Eren shoved his hands down your shorts. He rubbed your clit through your underwear.

“Ye—yes,” you mumbled.

He leaned in and sniffed your hair, his breath hitching as he savored the smell of your shampoo. His fingers pulled your underwear to the side and he coated them with your fluids.

“You’re this wet already?”

You kept quiet, you were afraid of what depraved things would leave your lips if you opened them. It had been so long and you were so lonely. You couldn’t trust yourself to speak.

“It’s okay, baby. Open your mouth for me.”

He took his fingers out of your cunt and forced them into your mouth.

“Suck them clean.”

You ran your tongue on the underside of his rough fingers.

“Good girl,” he rasped. “Tell me how good this feels.”

He shoved them back down into your shorts and started to finger you. Stifling your moans was out of the question.

“Ohhh, Eren,” you whined. “Feels s—so good.”

“How would you like it if I fucked you in the back seat, baby?”

You nodded feebly. He let you go and led you to the back. You glanced inside and saw zip ties, duct tape, and a mallet on the floor partially hidden under the driver’s seat.

“I have to go!” You shouted abruptly as you ran back to the house, tripping on the porch.

Eren glared at you, his eyes losing any semblance of sanity.

“I’m gonna get you. You think runnin’ from me is gonna do you any favors?”

You sat there like a wounded doe, clutching your bleeding knee. You wanted to get up and run but fear had you in a chokehold.

“J—just leave, please,” you said, trying to sound brave. “My neighbor’s supposed to check on me any minute now. You don’t wanna deal with him.”

Lies. Hannes wasn’t coming and Eren didn’t move a muscle.

“You think I’m scared of some drunk that lives up the road? Hannes ain’t gonna do shit,” he hissed.

How the fuck did he know Hannes? Eren’s words were like poison. Whatever pleasantness you imagined was gone. He was a monster, a menace.

“Just go!” You screamed, voice cracking. “Get the fuck out of here!”

He stood completely still, not even his facial expression changed. You got to your feet and scrambled inside, locking the door behind you.

You watched Eren through the window as you attempted to call Hannes but the call refused to go through. Calling the cops crossed your mind but they were always useless so you refrained.

Eren lingered around for about a half an hour before he finally drove off, his car running perfectly.

You didn’t sleep that night. Didn’t even shut an eye. You sat on the floor, your phone dead in your hand. There was still no service. You felt more shut off than ever, haunted by your loneliness and what it made you do. It made you sick. Nausea plagued you all night, the lingering feeling of his hands on your body made the room spin. It was all too much to bear.

When you saw Eren drive up at dawn you barely had a reaction. You were too tired to be afraid. He got out of his car, still in the same outfit, his stringy hair hanging in his face. The sun shined behind him and his features seemed distorted in the early morning light. Maybe it was the lack of sleep or maybe there was something truly wrong with this man.

He sat on the hood of his car, staring at the front door. You were sure he could see through it, see your pathetic form on the floor. You hoped he’d leave, but he didn’t.

He sat there for an hour before you finally decided to peek your head out the door.

“Hey, baby, did you miss me?”

“No,” you said, opening the door completely.

“You invitin’ me in?”

“Absolutely not. Stay back.”

There wasn’t much space between you and Eren. The front lawn was of average size and it’s not like the sidewalk was very wide. He could snatch you up easy.

“Alright, alright,” he acquiesced.

“What do you want?”

He batted his eyelashes at you, clearly trying to disarm you.

“Come take a ride with me.”

“You’re insane. No. Now go.”

You pointed at the road. You tried to mirror how your mother told off overzealous evangelists that pounded on her door every so often.

“I’m not leaving without you.”

“Well I’m not leaving this house,” you said firmly.

“What do you think I’m gonna do to you, huh?”

“I saw what was in your car.”

“I keep a lotta things in there.”

“I called the cops the second you drove up,” you lied.

He smirked.

“They would’ve been here by now. Guess they’re not coming,” he mused, calling your bluff.

“I called Hannes too and my mom. The—they’re gonna be here soon.”

“Your mom’s out of the country last time I checked.”

“How—”

“And if I remember correctly the little jammer I set up shoulda been blocking your cell signal. So unless you got a landline you haven’t called shit.”

You wanted to puke.

“I—I—why?”

“Look at you,” he cheered. “Such a cutie, and so alone!”

He got up off the hood of his car and opened the door to the backseat.

“Hop in.” He said with a sick smile on his face.

“No, I’m not going.”

“You want me to grab you by the hair and force you in? I will if I have to.”

“Leave me alone.”

“I’ll rip that shit from your scalp. Wouldn’t bother me any,” he sneered. “I’d still fuck you.”

“I have a gun.”

Another lie. You didn’t have any weapons, not even a kitchen knife. You were defenseless.

“You think I’m afraid of some little slut with a gun? Get in the car.”

Tears fell from your eyes, but you didn’t make a sound. You just stared at the ground.

“Come on, it’s only a ride.”

“Okay,” you said in a small voice.

“Hmm?” Eren’s eyes widened.

“I’ll go. I just wanna grab some things. That okay?”

He nodded and you scurried inside. You grabbed your bag and tossed your wallet in it. Eren stood outside, checking his phone. You frantically yanked your phone charger from the wall and tossed it in along with your phone.

The sun still hung low in the sky. Eren honked his horn an obnoxious amount of times, each iteration filling you with more and more anxiety. You flung the back door open and hopped over the fence, your sock catching on it. Your ankle twisted ever so slightly.

“Sh—shit,” you groaned.

Eren continued to honk his horn. You stood up and sprinted away from the yard, your ankle throbbing the whole time. You knew civilization was in the other direction, but so was Eren. Avoiding him was more important. Escape was what you wanted, safety be damned. Every inch of the development was tainted with his presence, even your mother’s home. You knew running into the shadows of the mountains was a bad idea, but you didn’t care. You’d run forever if you had to.

Don't ask me for a part 2, y/n died of exposure. xoxo gossip finn

[bullet-prooflove]

The Scola Wedding: Stuart Scola x Reader

Tagging: @trublu2u @greenies-green @burningpeachpuppy @upsteadlogic @malindacath @yezzyyae @noxytopy @kmc1989

Companion piece to Tonight

Stuart pulls out all the stops.

That’s the benefit of having money, it has a tendency to expedite things.

That’s something he has to talk to you about because you actually have no idea how wealthy the two of you are. He’d been planning to discuss it when it came to setting the budget but that had gone straight out of the window when you’d decided to move the wedding up.

When you leave for work that morning, he kisses you until your breathless, his fingers tangling in your hair.

“Leave it to me, I’ll take care of everything.” He whispers against your lips. You’d be happy to get married at the courthouse, but Stuart wants to make it special for you. He wants the romance, the magic, everything he feels when he’s with you. “I’ll text you where and when.”

It’s early afternoon when you get the message, you’re in the middle of completing your after-action report when your phone chimes with a message.

“Botanical Gardens, 7pm.”

You’re late.

During a raid, someone in one of the cover teams finds a batch of TATP that some idiot’s been cooking up in his bathroom, and due to the unstable nature of the explosive, you’re called on site to advise. It ends in a small explosion, nothing too dangerous but by the time you’re on route, there’s dirt smeared across your face and plaster in your hair.

You get changed in the back of your boss’s car, shrugging into the emerald, green dress that you wore the first night Stuart took you out dancing. There’s no time for hair and makeup, you tug the hair tie out and let it fall where it falls. It isn’t until you’re getting out of the car that you realise that you’ve forgotten your shoes. You end up walking down the aisle in green silk and black combat boots.

When you step onto the garden terrace where the ceremony is being held, the breath rushes out of you because the place is absolutely stunning. The sun is just setting as your feet hit the paving stones. The plush greenery offsets the strings of Edison bulbs that emit warm light across the courtyard. The flowers that decorate the aisle are all in fall colours, beautiful pops of red, orange and gold guiding the way.

Tiffany greets you as the music starts up presses an artisanal bouquet of flowers into your hand.

“Be good to him, ok?” She says quietly as she meets your gaze, and you smile because Stuart has no idea how lucky he is with his choice of partner.

“Always.” You promise.

When Stuart looks up and sees you, he can’t help but smile because you walking up the aisle in that dress and those combat boots, it’s exactly who you are and he wouldn’t change that for a minute. He doesn’t remember much about the ceremony, just the look in your eyes and that feeling in his chest as he recites his vows. In that moment it feels like everything is right in his world, like he’s in the exact place he’s meant to be. He hasn’t felt like that in a long time.

The party goes on long into the night, friends and family who couldn’t make it to the ceremony turn up to congratulate you. It’s a merging of your law enforcement families, the FBI and ATF.

You’re still on the dancefloor as the party begins to wind down, Stuart’s cheek pressed against your own as you sway together slowly.

There’s never been a moment more perfect than this.

It’s the best night of Stuart’s life.

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Like My Work? - Why Not Buy Me A Coffee

[beansidhebumbling]

II

Warning: Creep Behaviour

Part I

Their first encounter is picture perfect, rom-com goodness, after all Cassian plans it that way.

 *

Cassian loves planning, scheming, morphing himself to be exactly what people want to see. Learned quickly that when you look the part people don’t see the bastard orphan beneath.

So everything is curated, from his defined musculature, stemming from 4.30am gym sessions and a frankly insane amount of chicken breasts and creatine, to his calculatedly carefree personality. Everything from his polished wardrobe to his haplessly unpolished brand of charm is by design. Sometimes even his brothers forget this, despite working alongside him in his role as chief strategist, that behind the cheeriness and too-loud laugh is a man who never fails to get what he wants, not because the dominoes fall his way but because he is the one placing and knocking them over to begin with. Rhysand all nepo-baby power and dark charisma, Azriel with brooding good looks and an army of connections forget that whereas they gather power at night, Cassian accumulates it under the sun while everyone watches and no one sees, a master of his craft.

So gifted the mask is invisible to them. Once, cold like porcelain resting atop his features, its removal in the safety of solitude an incomparable relief, the pain of no one ever noticing him, the hidden face beneath, a constant insecurity. Now it is soft as silk and moulds to his features, leaves him searching for the seams, his skin consuming it like a tree encasing a corpse. He waits for the day it can’t be ripped off, the day they are one, a shared vessel, his heart quickens at the thought, but in excitement or fear, he does not know.

His mask is flawless, or so he thinks, until a beautiful woman in a ghastly jumper at an inane party, looks at him with a smile that’s all teeth and says,

‘Do you always pretend to be this happy and stupid for them?’, gesturing to his family, his circle, ensconced in a leather booth nearby, ‘or do you do it for yourself? I won’t waste my time with a liar and merry sycophant to boot’

They are drunk words designed to cut, to hurt him and he has no doubt she’d be facing fire if Mor or Rhys overheard. But all he can see are the remnants of his mask falling like snow to the ground, shred with sour words from a sweet mouth. Before she spoke to him he knew he’d chase her, watched with pleasure and anticipation as she rent Rhys limb from limb. Now that she has seen him, seen him the way his family in all but blood have failed to for nearly three decades, in thirty seconds of meeting him taken his measure and found him wanting, he knows he is hers and she is his, golden string tied between them. Nesta, Nesta, Nesta. He’ll stop at nothing to have her. 

I’d be happy and stupid with you, no need to pretend.

That’s what he wants to say in hindsight. But at the time he is a man who has never felt the triumph of winning her or the agony of losing her and so, for the first time in years, he is struck dumb. He retreats to the bathroom, to compose himself, to regain control, to come up with some combination of words that will coax her number from her. A fool who thinks women like Nesta stay put. When he returns she is gone, disappeared into the night.

If the lights seem dimmer, if he has to leave early from disappointment, if he pockets the glass she was drinking from, falls asleep looking at the red lipstick print embedded on it and wishes to be marked just the same, well, no one is any the wiser. 

*

    They meet at a coffee shop. Artisanal lattes with lavender, fresh oat milk, and frothy designs for eight dollars, inhaled in seconds. The air is fragranced with coffee and rose and romance. The ideal meet-cute.

*

    After the Christmas party he searches for an in. Nesta still hasn’t accepted his follow on Instagram some 14 hours later, and won’t he later learns until their third date, so he resorts to Feyre’s and Elain’s feeds. The pictures of her are rare, usually bearing a stiff half-smile and looking like Aphrodite. Those are saved to a private album he visits daily. Some cute coffee shop with flowers drawn in foamed milk seems to be a common meeting place. Knowing Feyre’s strained relationship with Nesta he targets Elain.

Of course, they don’t know each other, outside of a few greetings here and there, so he finds an excuse visit her flower shop. He saunters through the periwinkle door dropping a salmon pink lipstick, a copy of one seen in a September Instashot of her vanity, on the distressed wooden counter Elain stands behind. Claims he found it in Azriel’s car, all teasing grins and bright eyes as the receipt crinkles in his pocket. She blushes until she matches the red zinnias she is wrapping in a bouquet for him, fiddling with the pearl bracelets adorning her wrists. Her refusal of his waggling eyebrows and taunting is vehement and enthusiastic, murmuring about dropping it after a lift home, ignorant to the fact Cassian has known about their secret rendezvous for months. All flustered, delicate fingers fumbling over tape to hold the wax paper enclosing the lily of the valley, baby’s breath and zinnias, he takes his chance,

‘So illicit affairs aside, Mor has been talking my ear off about going to some coffee spot you’re always going to with your sisters. I owe her one and am going to surprise her. You can buy my silence by telling me what drinks yourself and your sisters recommend?’

He keeps his tone easy, fiddling with some daisies in a metal pot near the register, like he is not a man who feels his pulse quicken at the thought of learning someone’s coffee order. Mother save him.

Elain reply is hurried, her light voice slightly squeaky,

‘Deal. Even though I don’t have to buy your silence… or anything’, she tugs at one of the tiny plaits in her hair frustratedly, ‘Ugh, deal, deal. It’s just off High Street, opposite that crummy bookstore Nes likes. I’ll drop you a pin. As far as coffee you’re safe no matter what you choose. My personal recommendation is the rose and hibiscus tea, but Feyre likes their mochas and inhales their shortbread, and Nes likes…. well everything. She probably keeps their lights on buying chai lattes and blueberry scones.’

He is only mildly annoyed when the bell at the door rings as a customer enters and Elain practically throws the bouquet at him while shooing him out, calling him a nosy menace. He has already gained so much more information than he expected. The café, a bookstore she likes, chai lattes and blueberry scones, he will sew the threads he uncovers, one by one, until her character lies before him as a rich tapestry. 

*

    They will meet in line to order. He will charm her to sit with him, give him her number, sparks will fly and souls will mesh. As Cassian learns with Nesta, no matter the scheme, things rarely go according to plan with her.

Their perfectly planned and terribly executed beginning is no different.

*

    He works remotely for three days from the café. Hidden in a nook in the corner, laptop open, a handy prop, headphones discouraging any flirtatious overtures, he watches as Nesta pops in promptly at 11 each morning to order a chai latte and a blueberry scone, sits for fifteen minutes to read before departing, crumbs, an empty cup, and a starstruck man left in her wake.

He decides they will bump into each other on Thursday. It’s set to rain so hopefully that will motivate Nesta to stay a little longer, not be in such a hurry to rush off. He takes the day off, just to be safe and dresses in his best suit, tailored like a glove to his broad shoulders and thick thighs, brushes his hair into a low bun but leaves a few curls to hang, framing his defined jaw. He has his driver idle at the kerb until five to eleven, his large umbrella an effective shield against the steady rain that pounds in the few steps he takes to enter the café. Pretending to fiddle with his umbrella while placing it the oak coat stand by the door, he avoids entering the queue until he spies Nesta running by the large glass window with ‘Velaris Café’ painted onto it. She enters the warmth of the café with a bang, the door slamming from the strong wind outside. She is drenched from head to toe and cursing up a storm under her breath, mascara slightly running and hair dripping. She is resplendent and meant for him.

This is his moment, steeling himself, letting a cheeky grin fall into place he calls out, voice a deep timbre amidst spoons clinking and steam hissing,

‘Nesta Archeron as I live and breathe’

She looks up, amber meets ice. Eyes narrowing, she bites,

‘Cassian. Somehow still living and breathing after all the whiskey you drank last I saw you.’

She joins the queue as they near the register, back stiff. He wants to wrap her in his arms, wants to ask why her coat is so thin, why she went out without a hood or hat in this weather, wants to know what else she noticed about him at the party. As it stands he lets out a heavy breath of air as his smile widens,

‘Concerned for my health sweetheart?’

Her voice is dry and flat when she replies without a seconds hesitation,

‘Trying to figure out how one takes a beast like yourself out.’

‘If you wanted to take me out on a date you just say the word Nes.’

The muscles in his jaw are starting to ache from smiling so hard but he’s saved the joy of Nesta’s response, who now looks like she’s about to burst a blood vessel, by Maria calling him forward. 

‘I’d like a Mexican hot chocolate and every blueberry scone you have please.’

He keeps his voice sugar sweet, flashing the blue-haired server he’s gotten to know over the last few days a quick smile.

‘Are you fucking kidding me?’

Her voice is shrill and the poke in his back, a brand he’ll feel like phantom pleasure for the next week.

‘What’s wrong sweetheart? I’m sorry, I was rude. What do you want to drink?’

He sounds so syrupy and simpering even Maria raises her thin eyebrows at him.

‘I want a blueberry scone Cassian but some brute has just ordered all fourteen of them.’

She is apoplectic, voice low and hissed, flushing as nearby patrons turn their heads for the chance at some drama. 

‘That brute would be more than happy to share Nes’, he sees her posture relax marginally, ‘for a price.’

She straightens back up to stone, looking down her nose at him despite how he looms so much taller than her. He feels like a live wire when she glares at him.  She looks about ready to slap him. Why does that excite something in him? Turning to throw an embarrassed grin cum grimace towards the register she says,

‘I’m sorry about this Maria. I’ll have my usual, just let me deal with this bozo first.’ 

As Nesta drags him by the arm towards the pickup area he manages to throw some cash towards a snickering Maria, indicating she keep the change, as she tots up his purchases. 

Once they reach the plastic cup lids and paper straws stored in dinky baskets at the far end of the sleek, silver coffee machine, she turns on him with the ferocity of a bulldog.

‘For the love of God Cassian give me the scone. My morning has already been a shitshow without having to deal with one of my sister’s innumerable, insufferable friends.’

A shitshow? He’ll try and do some digging on that later. Maybe if he can get her number he can ask her, to so he needs to regain some hold of this rapidly unraveling situation and focus on his plan, one quickly being torn asunder by hurricane Nesta. 

‘Well as you said the other day Nes, I am a sycophant to a heartless tyrant sitting on a throne of inherited, ill-gotten wealth, or as his insufferable friends call him, Rhys. If there’s one thing I’ve learned from my brother it's that nothing comes free. So you can have your scone but at a price.’

His reply is meant to provoke. He eyes are attached to how she’s biting her full lips in vexation. He wants to be the one doing the biting.

‘Name your price, you overgrown prick.’

‘Your number.’

‘Try again.’

Her voice is flinty and uncompromising. He can’t give up now, refuses to abandon his goal, so he re-joins coolly,

‘I don’t haggle.’ 

‘And I don’t negotiate with pastry terrorists.’

The quip is thrown out as she picks up her backpack from the floor. Fuck, she’s leaving. He’s still gawking like a dodo when Maria calls them over to collect their coffees. 

‘Keep it for yourself, Maria. Cassian here has said he’ll pay for it. I’ll see you soon once you sort out the pest problem.’

Her voice is bright and cheery. Her beam, directed towards the barista, positively blinding. It stuns him. When will she smile at him like that? Who does he need to be? What does he need to do? Who does he have to kill? She’s already making her way towards the door when he manages to shout,

‘Wait, Nes’, his burly frame struggling to get by wicker chairs as she dances around them like a ballerina, ‘Fuck, sorry, excuse me. Nes, please I’m sorry. Take the scones. I just wanted to talk to you.’ 

She takes one long look at him from the door, and says, 

‘It’s Nesta.’, 

before shaking her head and disappearing into the bustling crowds of the city.

His walk back to where Maria stands, to collect his consolation prizes, is a slow, defeated one. He lays an extra tenner on the counter for the scene he caused, even if Maria and Oscar, her co-worker, only seem to find some sick comedy in his romantic misery. 

Like his mask before, his best-laid plans lie in strips like confetti at his feet. 

Beneath the heavy disappointment lies a thrill stirring the blood in his veins. He’s learnt more than one lesson from Rhys. Anything worth obtaining is worth the chase.

 * He is left sitting with fourteen scones and a tepid drink to mull over how spectacularly his plan imploded but how it still felt like winning to spar with her in an overpriced coffee shop over baked goods. He starts to plan his next strike fuelled by sweet pastry and the memory of burning, steel eyes fixated wholly on him, the way he intends to keep them for the rest of his life. This is the first chapter of their forever.

[clean-bubbles-aka-bubbles]

Cabin Inn

As the car rumbled along the road, the only sound was the crunch of gravel under the tires and the occasional soft groan from Bubbles in the backseat. Mark drove with a palpable tension, his eyes scanning the dark woods for any sign of trouble. Cesar sat beside him, his worried expression deepening with each passing moment.

The isolation of the drive gave Bubbles time to reflect. The physical pain was one thing—a constant, throbbing reminder of the night’s events—but it was the emotional and mental strain that weighed heaviest on her. The secret she guarded so fiercely, the identity of the Celestial Artisan, felt like a growing burden, one that threatened to expose itself with every encounter with the Alternates.

When they finally arrived at the cabin, the first hints of dawn were creeping over the horizon, painting the sky in shades of soft pink and blue. Mark’s Hispanic friend quickly unlocked the door, and the three stepped in.

The decor embodies the quintessence of rustic charm blended with touches of '90s flair. The trio were greeted by a warm and inviting atmosphere, illuminated by the soft glow of a wood-burning stove in the corner, crackling gently.

The living area features a comfortable, slightly worn sofa adorned with plaid throws and mismatched cushions that add a homely touch. Nearby, a large, hand-knotted wool rug in earth tones anchors the space, inviting anyone to relax by the hearth. The walls, paneled in knotty pine, are adorned with framed landscape paintings and vintage skiing posters reminiscent of the era.

A heavy, wooden coffee table sits in the middle of the room, its surface bearing the patina of years of use, perhaps scattered with a few magazines from the '90s, like issues of "National Geographic" or "Outdoor Life." Nearby, a bookshelf overflows with a mix of classic literature and popular novels from the decade, along with board games and a cassette tape collection featuring grunge and pop hits.

The kitchen is simple yet functional, with aged copper pots hanging from a handcrafted pot rack. The countertops, perhaps a bit dated, are covered in laminate that mimics the look of natural stone. They show signs of wear but are clean and well-maintained. The pine cabinets match the wall paneling, and an old, chunky microwave sits next to a spice rack filled with dried herbs and spices.

A small dining area features a round wooden table and chairs, each chair cushion covered in a floral fabric that was trendy at the time. Overhead, a wrought iron chandelier provides soft lighting, enhancing the cabin's rustic ambiance.

The bedrooms continue the theme down a narrow hallway with cozy plaid-patterned flannel bedding, handmade quilts, and thick woolen blankets. The furniture is sturdy and wood-made, with vintage brass lamps on the nightstands casting a warm glow.

The cabin's windows are covered in handmade curtains, perhaps a bit faded but clean. These curtains offer views of the surrounding woods and let in natural light that plays across the cabin's nostalgic interior.

"Wow... DAMN! I didn't know your guys' cabin you two own was nice!" Bubbles’s eyes sparkled in awe. “So much for living in 2024. It looks really nice to live in here.” She thought. “Ack–!” She winced again, feeling sharp pain shooting on her side.

Mark immediately went to the bathroom to gather medical supplies while Cesar filled a basin with warm water and grabbed some towels. They returned to Bubbles’ side and cleaned her wounds with gentle, efficient movements.

"You're good at this," Bubbles commented, trying to mask her pain with a weak smile as she observed her Hispanic friend handle the cloth.

"I've had some practice," the Hispanic male replied in a low voice. “I used to help my mom with her garden injuries while tending to our roses. I never thought I'd be doing this under such different circumstances."

The brown-haired teen rummaged through a first aid kit they found in a cabinet, pulling out some antiseptic and bandages. "This might sting a bit," Mark warned before carefully applying the antiseptic.

Bubbles tensed, her breath hitching as the solution touched her wound, but she bit her lip and bore it. "Thanks," she breathed out once Cesar began to bandage her up more professionally than she would have expected.

As they tended to her, the silence was heavy with unspoken questions and concerns. Finally, Mark broke it, his voice filled with unwavering support.

"Bubbles, you know you can trust us, right?" he asked, his voice gentle but firm. "Whatever is going on, whatever you're hiding... we're here for you, no matter what."

Bubbles looked up at them, her eyes reflecting a mix of gratitude and fear. She took a deep breath, considering her following words carefully.

"I know," she replied softly. "And I appreciate it more than you can know. It's just... complicated."

Cesar nodded, dabbing at a particularly nasty cut. "We get it. But seeing you out there tonight and the way you handled everything... You’ve almost got yourself killed!"

Bubbles chuckled weakly. "Understatement of the year." 

“Don’t wave it off!” The Hispanic friend scolded her. “You’re always putting yourself in a situation that scares us when you almost die every time! It’s not funny! ¿¡Lo entiendes!?”

"Sí, lo sé." She rolled her eyes slightly.

Mark placed a reassuring hand on Bubbles' shoulder, his expression serious. "We care about you, Bubbles. We don't want to lose you. So please, promise us you'll be more careful next time."

Bubbles nodded, her gaze meeting Mark's with sincerity. "I promise. I'll do everything in my power to keep us safe. But you have to promise me something, too."

Cesar and Mark exchanged a glance, their expressions curious. "What's that?" Mark asked.

Bubbles took a deep breath, steeling herself in case she had to do a reveal. "Promise me that you'll trust me no matter what happens. Even if things seem impossible or I make decisions you don't understand. Promise me you'll trust that I'm doing what's best for all of us."

There was a moment of silence as her words hung in the air, the weight of their implications sinking in. Mark and Cesar shared a look before turning back to Bubbles, determination shining in their eyes.

.

.

"We promise,"

.

.

they said in unison, their voices filled with conviction.

With that assurance, Bubbles felt a weight lift from her shoulders. She knew she couldn't do this alone, and having her friends' trust and support meant everything to her.

“Let’s rest for the night,” Cesar said, rising from his sofa seat. “We can worry about the sigil cards later. Bubbles can explain it to us in the morning since she knows how it works.” He nodded. 

Mark nodded in agreement, his gaze softening as he looked at Bubbles. "Yeah, rest is what you need right now. We'll figure out the rest tomorrow." He helped her to her feet, supporting her as they walked towards one of the bedrooms.

The cabin, with its warm wooden walls and the comforting crackle of the fire, felt like a sanctuary from the chaos of the outside world. Bubbles felt the tension start to ease from her shoulders as they entered the cozy bedroom, its rustic charm underscored by the soft glow of a bedside lamp.

Cesar pulled back the covers on the bed, fluffing the pillows before turning to Bubbles. "Get some sleep. We'll be right here if you need anything," he assured her, his tone protective.

Bubbles managed a small smile, grateful for their care and concern. "Thank you, both of you," she said, her voice thick with emotion. "For everything."

As she settled into the bed, the soft mattress comforting against her bruised body, she felt a sense of peace envelop her. The weight of her secrets and the burden of her responsibilities were still there, but for now, she allowed herself the luxury of rest, surrounded by the quiet strength of her friends.

Mark lingered for a moment, watching her with a thoughtful expression. "Goodnight, Bubbles," he said softly before leaving the room with Cesar.

Once they were back in the living area, Cesar looked at Mark, a concerned frown creasing his brow. "Do you think she's telling us everything?" he asked quietly.

Mark sighed, sinking into an armchair by the fire. "I don't know, man. But I do know she's under a lot of pressure. Whatever she's holding back, I'm sure she has her reasons. We just need to be there for her, no matter what."

Cesar nodded slowly, his gaze fixed on the flickering flames. "Yeah. We stick together. That's how we'll get through this."

They sat silently for a moment, the crackle of the fire filling the space between them. Both were lost in their thoughts, pondering the complexities of their situation and the mysterious entity known as the Celestial Artisan. The night deepened around them, and the dark woods outside the cabin whispered their own secrets.

Back in the bedroom, Bubbles drifted into a restless sleep, her dreams a whirlwind of shadowy figures and echoing voices. She was haunted by the Perpetrator's words, the implications of her own power, and the unknown challenges that lay ahead. Yet, amidst the tumult of her subconscious, a steadfast resolve formed. She would protect her friends, come what may. She was the Celestial Artisan, whether acknowledged or hidden, and she bore the weight of that mantle with a fierce determination.

Morning would come, bringing with it the need for decisions and actions. But for now, in the heart of the night, Bubbles and her friends found a semblance of peace in the solidarity of their bond, the quiet strength of their unity offering a shield against the darkness outside.

[kanohirren]

How to Make Etho in DnD

I’ll go level by level and explain the reasoning behind my decisions and how I think it fits them in character. This build assumes starting at level 8 but includes notes on differences if you start at level 1 and progress to 8. This isn't intended as a guide on how to play dnd, just how to build this character.

Class: Artificer (Battle Smith) 5, Rogue (Inquisitive) 3

Race: Human (Variant) or regular Human if you don’t use feats.

Base Ability Scores:

Str 8 (-1)

Dex 14, (+2)

Con 10 (+0)

Int 15 (+2) +1 from race = 16 (+3)

Wis 13 (+1) +1 from race = 14 (+2)

Cha 12 (+1)

Background: Mercenary Veteran

Etho was an especially interesting character to build. I wanted to make sure to incorporate his redstone prowess (hence the artificer) but also acknowledge that he is very good at the social aspect of games and very good at sneaking around (hence the rogue). I opted to give him high intelligence as that is the main stat of the Artificer, but also gave him decent Dexterity. I also gave him decent Wisdom and Charisma due to him being so good in social situations, but unfortunately he’s a bit washed up at melee combat, so he has low strength and constitution.

Before getting into the classes, let’s start with the variant human race features:

Feat: Fighting Initiate, choose the Archery fighting style for a +2 bonus to your ranged attack rolls (leading to more consistent damage) (Etho bow skills baybee)

Skill proficiency: choose History (because Etho’s been around a long time, his knowledge of Minecraft or whatever world this takes place in is unmatched)

And the Mercenary Veteran background features:

Skill proficiencies: Athletics and Persuasion

Mercenary Life: You can identify other mercenary factions and find mercenary work. (I considered the Hermit background but ended up going with this one instead.)

At 1st level, we take a level in Rogue. This grants us:

Proficiency in light armour

Proficiency in simple weapons, hand crossbows, longswords, rapiers, shortswords

Proficiency in thieves’ tools

Proficiency in Dexterity and Intelligence saving throws.

Skill proficiencies: Insight, Perception, Stealth and Investigation (chosen with Etho’s skills at reading people and assessing situations in mind)

Expertise in two proficient skills: Insight and Stealth

Sneak attack: an extra 1d6 damage on enemies if you have advantage on the attack or if an enemy of your target is within 5 ft. of them (doesn’t activate if you have disadvantage).

Thieves’ Cant: Some sort of secret code. Maybe only understood by other Canadians (What’s the deal with bathroom p-)

Starting as a rogue instead of artificer gives you access to better saving throws and more skill proficiencies. The tradeoff is delaying your power spike at level 5. If you’re starting below level 6, you could start artificer instead and only multiclass into rogue after at least five levels in artificer, but this leads to a slightly different build.

At 2nd level, we take our first level in Artificer. This grants us:

Proficiency in medium armour and shields

Proficiency in tinkers tools and one other artisan tool of your choice (suggested alchemist’s supplies, you’ll get smith’s tools later)

Magical Tinkering: A fun little device you can make that lets you either make a little bit of light, record a message, play a sound or make a small image. You could use this to play intimidating boogeyman music or secretly pass information.

Two Cantrips: Mending (useful for repairing tools and also really helpful for later class features, Create Bonfire (flint and steel)

1st level spells (reflavoured to be technology): Artificers are prepared casters, meaning they can swap out their spells after a long rest. At level 1 with 16 Intelligence, you can have 3 prepared spells. My suggested spells are: Alarm (redstone trap with a tripwire), Feather Fall (he’s gotten pretty good at mlg water buckets) and Absorb Elements (just a solid defensive spell)

Artificers are pretty loaded at lvl 1 in terms of utility but aren’t super strong in the damage department yet. Without any damaging spells, your main source of damage would be using a shortbow and getting sneak attack damage off. Tinkering and technological side of the class feel perfect for Etho and most of the other Redstoners on the list.

At 3rd level, we take a second level in Artificer. This grants us:

Four Infusions known: useful feature that lets you enchant items. Though you can choose four options, only two of them can be active at a time. Choose Repeating Shot, Replicate Magic Item, Enhanced Weapon and Enhanced Defense

Two Infused Items: Take Repeating Shot and infuse a shortbow to give it +1 to your attack and damage rolls. Also take Replicate Magic Item, one of the most versatile infusions that lets you create a magic item from a list that can be useful in almost every situation. Go-to is Rope of Climbing because it’s the closest to ladders (ayy, he goes up he goes down).

One more prepared spell: Suggested Identify (always a useful spell)

The infused items are how I imagine Etho upgrading his weapons using redstone. Adding some sort of aim assist to his bow or making night vision goggles using redstone, that sort of thing just feels Etho to me. With a +1 bonus to attack rolls and damage from Repeating Shot infusion, your lower stat in dexterity is somewhat made up for and should suffice until level 3.

At 4th level, we take a third level in Artificer. This grants us:

The Right Tool for the Right Job: handy feature that lets you create any type of tools you might need.

Artificer Subclass: Battle Smith

Battle Smith grants you some very useful things.

Proficiency in smith’s tools

Extra prepared spells: Heroism and Shield

Battle Ready: Proficiency in Martial Weapons and when you attack with a magic weapon, you can use Intelligence instead of strength or dexterity. Super important because now we can upgrade to a longbow instead of a shortbow and use our higher intelligence stat instead of dexterity to deal more damage with our longbow.

Steel Defender: A little robot friend that can aid you in combat. As sneak attack doesn’t require a creature, just an enemy, your Steel Defender can in fact provide sneak attack. The downside is that it takes its turn after yours, not before, so some planning might be required. If you don’t need your bonus action for anything else, it can also attack people so that can alleviate the lack of an extra attack at level 5 if you’re starting below level 6. Unfortunately, Rogues make use of their bonus actions very often so it might just be a sneak attack provider. On the bright side, you can restore its health using the Mending cantrip.

Now here’s where things get interesting. Now Etho gets to use his Intelligence for his bow attacks, which optimizes the build a little in terms of stats. With a 16 in intelligence, you have a +3 modifier. Your ranged attacks will start being very consistent. +3 from intelligence, +2 from archery fighting style, +2 from proficiency bonus, that’s a +7 to hit, which is really good at this early of a level.

I also think it’s just very Etho to use intelligence-based attacks.

At 5th level, we take a fourth level in Artificer. This grants us:

Ability Score Improvement OR Feat: Etho doesn’t really need another feat at this point, so we take a +2 to our Intelligence, bumping it up to 18 (+4), which not only affects our number of artificer spells we can have prepared but also makes the longbow even better!

More prepared spells: Now that we have 4 levels in artificer and a +4 intelligence modifier, we can have 6 total prepared spells. If we count the previous suggested ones, we can have two more. Suggested: Disguise Self (he’s a cheeky boy) and Sanctuary (when he doesn’t want trouble).

The increase to intelligence is very helpful here, and if you’ve started below level 6 the extra consistency should slightly make up for the lack of extra attack until you get it next level. With your proficiency bonus now being +3, your attack rolls will be 4 (int) + 3 (prof. b) + 2 (archery) +1 (infusion) for a total of +10 to hit. You won’t miss very often.

At 6th level, we take a fifth level in Artificer. This grants us:

Subclass feature: Extra Attack

2nd level spells: Suggested: replace a 1st level spell with Invisibility (Etho likes to snoop around) flavour this as like camouflage technology or something.

This is where the build starts to really pick up. Intelligence based attacks means that you’re not suffering from lack of building dexterity because sneak attack only requires ranged or finesse weapons. The stat used doesn’t matter. With two attacks, you both double your damage output on your longbow itself (with EXTREMELY consistent attack rolls at a +10 to hit) and give yourself two chances to land that sneak attack damage (which is still only a d6 for now but that will soon change).

At 7th level, we take a second level in Rogue. This grants us:

Cunning Action: you can dash, disengage or hide as a bonus action.

Not much to say here other than that cunning action is extremely useful. With the ability to hide as a bonus action, you can grant yourself advantage consistently, meaning you no longer need to rely on your Steel Defender or party members to provide sneak attack. This also means you will pretty much never miss your first shot, because with advantage, you will on average be rolling at about +15 to hit (advantage statistically provides roughly a +5 bonus on average on top of your already high +10).

At 8th level, we take a third level in Rogue. This grants us:

Subclass: Inquisitive

Inquisitive grants:

Ear for Deceit: This is why we chose Expertise in Insight. With this feature, you can never roll below an 8 for Insight. With Expertise and a +2 wisdom modifier, that gives you a +8 bonus to your insight rolls, meaning your minimum insight roll is 16 every time. Sure, a high deception character could probably roll higher than that, but the important part is the consistency as well as the synergy with one of the other Inquisitive features.

Eye for Detail: You can use a bonus action to try to spot a hidden creature or search for clues. Not terribly useful outside of combat, but also very situational in combat.

Insightful Fighting: You can use a bonus action to use Insight vs the target’s Deception. If you roll higher, you can use sneak attack on them for 1 minute without needing advantage. Again, the high consistent Insight rolls will be extremely useful here.

I was facing a dilemma between Swashbuckler and Inquisitive for Etho. Swashbuckler is a bit better in combat with the ability to avoid opportunity attacks and the ability to get sneak attacks without spending a bonus action (all you need is for your target to be isolated) but the Inquisitive abilities just said “Etho” way more to me. The ability to just never roll low on Insight and the whole “figuring out a weakness” and investigative nature of the subclass just felt far more fitting to me, even if it is less optimal.

Summary:

Final Stats:

Str 8 (-1)

Dex 14, (+2)

Con 10 (+0)

Int 18 (+4)

Wis 14 (+2)

Cha 12 (+1)

Feat: Fighting Initiate (Archery)

Sneak Attack (2d6)

Minimum Insight roll of 16.

Two Attacks

Longbow attack: +4 (int) +3 (prof. bonus) +2 (archery) +1 (infusion) = +10 to hit, 1d8 + 5 piercing dmg.

Artificer Infusions: Enhanced Defense, Repeating Shot, Enhanced Weapon, Replicate Magic Item (Rope of Climbing)

Cantrips: Mending, Create Bonfire

1st and 2nd lvl spells: prepare up to 6.

And that’s it for Etho! This one was super interesting to make, because there are so many aspects of Etho that make him who he is, and it was really making him a multiclass combo that’s less common but also works well. If anyone has any suggestions or feedback, I’d love to read them! ^^

[fangsanddaggers]

Admissions of the Lost ||magnusmodig||

Hiding away could work for only so long. After the moss, Astarioon had become a shell of himself, no matter how put together he could act when he forced himself back to work. A shadow skittering in the night, a gleam of red hungered eyes in the dark that ran whenever the blonde was seen.

He hadn't meant to make Thor feel like he was frightening or a monster or anything negative at all, it was Astarion who was. He still felt the blood on his skin, even after seeing Steven was alive.

Their meeting had been maddening. The fight in the forest, the sort of comradery they'd built in a moment and he'd slipped away from. He had an under scent of something akin to Loki, a taste in the air of static like a storm. It was fun, he wanted to stay, but he was hungry and what they fought wasn't exactly the easiest to eat.

Sunshine. If he had to explain Thor in a single word, it'd be sunshine. Like Karlach, a ray of light in the darkest time, even during the aftermath of the moss he felt safe when Thor would catch him in the dark of night trying to get to the fridge. He wanted to open up, to trust.

The last person he did that to was eaten alive.

But Steven was fine now, he had more memories than he could cope with so he'd distracted himself. The dresses for Lilith he'd promised months ago, stuffies of people he'd seen and thought connected. Unlike the gifts he'd order to the home from his place hidden in Roberto's bathroom, these he brought with him.

He knocked on the door, arms carefully holding the bundled package. Fine red robes embroidered with daffodils, poppies and little suns were neatly packed in a box. Above, a basket filled with artisanal mead, a stuffie of Loki and Roberto - as he'd picked up Roberto was at least kind of important to the man as well. He'd thrown in with it all a perfectly made box of cookies thanks to Nico's training under Legato and topped it all off with a hand written letter incase the man didn't want to hear him out.

It was hard, entrusting another would want to listen, to hear him out when he's been nothing but evasive and cagey. But times were different now, there had to be clear communication if they were to co-exist in this world.

Plus, he had to make up for the months the man had to live with a starved vampire - what did Loki call him? A Draugr? Whatever it was, Thor had to ignore his probable discomfort of having a relative stranger that showed up as little more than red glowing eyes in the night for a few months now, even if Astarion really did try to stay at his own home more than Roberto's. It was just impossible when his mind begun to replay the horrors of the moss again.

Don't get him started on the newest memories of the Shadow Curse.

"Thor? Are you home?" He called out, forcing his voice to be light and smooth despite the jittery itch that had him wanting to sprint all over again. This was a god. And whilst that doesn't hold much to Astarion who couldn't care less about the magical bastards who never helped him, Thor was different.

For one, he smiled. Two he interacted with humans and mortals as if they were equals - at least he presumed due to the briefest hints of words he'd caught when sneaking into Roberto's room whilst he was doing whatever Roberto did hanging out with Thor.

For three, the man didn't kick him out. He knew Astarion was there, yet he never chased him, never yelled at him, simply watched with soft gentle eyes as the spawn sprinted away like a rabbit terrified of a wolf.

For Roberto, he had to try.

[moodliving]

Transform Your Sydney Home with MoodLiving: Expert Tips for Stunning Interior Design

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[rosalinewintrell]

Sun Shower (Preview)

Hello All!

Here is that preview I promised you earlier. This is a 5-page snippet of a massive 54-page section of Rosaline and Garreth's summer. All you need to know if that Rosaline is visiting Garreth and his family about 2 weeks before the start of their 6th year and they have not gotten together yet.

I hope you enjoy seeing where their relationship will end up (eventually) please let me know what you think and either like, comment, or reblog!

Thanks!!

Dinner was a friendly affair. Gregory asked how her second term at Hogwarts had gone, and Rosaline explained her exams and the results of her OWLs. Gregory didn’t make much eye contact, but his head was titled her way, his gaze lingering somewhere in the distance.

“Oh, well done, dear!” Charlotte reached over and grabbed Rosaline’s hand and shaking it, “I am sure your parents are so proud!” Garreth and his father exchanged glances. Charlotte hadn’t been present and winter break, and while they had discussed Rosaline’s family dynamic, she hadn’t experienced the difficult relationship she shared with her parents.

“I any case,” Gregory said, with a smile and a wink, “We are certainly proud.”

“And grateful!” Charlotte added, “Without your help, who knows what kind of marks Garreth might’ve had.”

“Mum!” Garreth cried, a look of disbelief crossing his face.

“I didn’t do much,” Rosaline interrupted, voice warm, but even. “Just offered some motivation is all.” She continued to eat her meal, ignoring the way Garreth relaxed, a noticeable dropping of his shoulders and silence spread for a moment. She glanced briefly towards him, only to find him looking at her already, and she quickly averted her gaze.

Emmeline quickly dispelled the silent spell, suddenly excited to discuss the upcoming faire and reunion, explaining to Rosaline the many cousins she would get to see and the many artisans and shops she wants to visit and the games Garreth just had to plat with her. The rest of dinner passed, this way, filled with light chatter about the week’s activities.

“Rosaline, dear,” Charlotte said as dinner ended and the plates began to lift themselves from the table, “Why don’t you bathe first? You can relax and unpack.”

“Thank you,” Rosaline said as she stood, hands clasped in front of her and eyes on the ground.

Charlotte hugged the girl, pulling her in by the shoulders, gentle smile on her lips. “Make yourself at home, dear.”

Rosaline hurried upstairs, quickly shuffling through her trunk for her nightclothes and dressing gown and a small toiletries bag that contained her comb, brush, and some hair pins, among other things like her toothbrush and a bit of baby powder for a light deodorant. She bathed quickly, but thoroughly, swiping away any trace of sweat with a light ivory soap she found sitting next to the bath.

She emptied the bath with a wave of her wand and dried herself with a large, somehow warm, towel. She pulled on her nightgown, a long slip of light cotton, a bit of ruffling over the short sleeves, and then her dressing gown. It was one of her favorite pieces of clothing. It was pale pink with thin, cream lace detailing. It closed with a few hook-and-eye closures; a joy compared to gowns with ties. They always loosened more than she liked throughout the night. The neckline was higher, scooping just under her throat. The three-quarter sleeves belled at the elbows, a pretty draping of pink and cream over her forearms. She emerged from the bathroom, just as Emmeline and Charlotte were descending the stairs.

“Oh good!” Charlotte said, “Go take your bath, Emma,” she said, shooing her daughter down the hall, the two girls squeezing past each other. “Garreth and his father are just closing up for the night. Head upstairs and relax for a moment.” Charlotte addressed Rosaline with a smile and a squeeze of her arm.

Rosaline nodded and darted up the stairs. The bedroom was lit with a floating lantern bobbing over the center of the room and a few candles suspended in the air around it. Gauzy white curtains had been pulled over the window, but Rosaline could see that way the sky was cast in indigo, the first few stars just starting to shine brightly. She hung her towel from the iron bed post to dry in the night and sat on the mattress, toiletry bag in her lap. She had brushed through her hair and was beginning to pull it into two loose braids when a series of soft knocks sounded on the door and Charlotte popped her head around the door before walking in.

“May I?” the older woman asked, motioning towards the rest of Rosaline’s hair.

“Oh, of course,” Rosaline said, offering her comb and a soft cotton tie. Charlotte combed gently through Rosaline’s hair, a happy sigh slipping through her nose as she began to plait it over her shoulder.

“Your hair is beautiful,” Charlotte said as she fashioned the cotton ties around the end of the braid. “Have you ever though of growing it longer?”

“I’d like to,” Rosaline admitted, the thought passing through her head was a regular occurrence. “But I don’t know how to…handle it properly.” Rosaline tried to answer carefully, still ashamed about her outburst earlier. She hadn’t meant to be rude. She had realized Charlotte had been teasing only after it had happened.

Charlotte patted her head, “I’ll teach you, if you like.”

“Yes,” Rosaline said after a moment, “Yes, I would like that very much.”

“Alright,” Charlotte agreed, cupping the girl’s cheek, warm smile ever present. Rosaline felt herself lean into it just a bit.

“Thank you,” Rosaline said. Charlotte did not respond, the sound of steps running up the stairs allowing her to only widen her smile before Emmeline came bursting into the room.

“Och!” Charlotte cried, “And where have your manners gone?”

Emmeline just giggled and hopped onto her bed, “Will you braid my hair too, mum?”

Charlotte rolled her eyes at her daughter but agreed, a wide tooth comb appearing in her hands as she began to comb through her daughter’s hair. The front door opened, closed, and locked, a pair of feet shuffled around the downstairs, and one jogged up the stairs and back down, Garreth slipping quickly into his room before hurrying back down the stairs. Rosaline could only see the shadow of his through the crack in the door, but she averted her gaze anyway. Emmeline was chatting with her mother, asking questions about the next day; what was for breakfast? When would aunty and uncle be here? Can we have pudding for dessert?

“Yes, yes,” Charlotte said with a chuckle, “I’ll make you something for dessert! Now, to bed with you!”

Emmeline scrambled under her covers, Charlotte grabbing her discarded towel and hanging it from the bedpost. She then rounded the bed, helping pull the pile of quilts over her daughter and depositing a very soft kiss to her head. “Goodnight, sweetheart,” she said. The lantern dimmed and went out, now just a few candles illuminating the space.

Rosaline had pulled a book out of her satchel but was leaning back on the propped pillows. Charlotte petted her hair and kissed her head as well, warm breath puffing over the crown of her head, “Goodnight, dear.” Charlotte shuffled out, closing the door softly behind her.

The two girls sat together silent for a moment, only the rustling of Rosaline’s book disturbing the air. “He really likes you,” Emmeline said, and Rosaline turned her head to look at the younger girl. Her eyes were droopy, but still sharp sleepy smile tugging on her lips, “Garreth, I mean. I write about you too, you know. The way he talks about you is different.”

“Good different, or bad different?” Rosaline asked, feeling like her breath was caught in her throat.

Now Emmeline grinned, “Good different.” She said and then yawned wide, a sleepy groan gurgling in her throat. “Goodnight,” she said as she turned towards the wall.

“Goodnight,” Rosaline responded, staring down at her book, words blurry as she looked through them. Her heart felt as though it were dancing in her chest, and she felt a hot flush bloom over her cheeks and into the tips of her ears. A wide smile spread on her face, and she lifted the back of her hand to her face, feeling the heat of her blush. A soundless giggle shook her chest, and it was many minutes before she could continue reading, the giddy euphoria dying slowly.

Emeline was snoring lightly when someone wrapped lightly on the door. Rosaline slipped silently from the best, setting her book on the top of her trunk. She cracked the door open, seeing Garreth, who waved her out. Rosaline stepped onto the landing Garreth’s hand almost immediately seeking hers out and tangling their fingers together.

“Hi,” he said, soft smile lighting his face.

“Hello,” Roseline squeezed his fingers and felt a shy smile tug at her lips. The two chuckled together, and they soon found themselves leaning their foreheads together. Garreth’s hands cupped her cheeks as he tilted her head towards him, her hands gripped his forearms in return. They lingered for a moment, allowing themselves to breathe the same air.

Then, Garreth pulled away, and watched as her obsidian eyes fluttered open, lashes casting shadows over her cheeks. He sighed and tilted his chin up, pressing a soft, but firm kiss to the top of her forehead.

“Goodnight, Rosie,” He said, voice low and breathless, as he pulled away.

“Goodnight, Garreth,” Rosaline replied, pink flushing her cheeks as she slipped back into her room.