#but he's v superstitious and always thought I was too much for him. I scared him a lot just by being myself.

[originalitysquared]

The weirdest part of my trip to Canada to meet my internet bf was this one part where he asked me just after I woke up, who noodle was??? And I was like?? Noodle?? Idk a Noodle?? Like from the Gorillaz?? And he said I sleeptalked the word noodle and giggled after saying it. So???????? He thought it must've been the NICKNAME?? FOR SOMEONE??

Whatever, he dropped it.

Later on that night, after meeting the racist dude but before untactfully calling him a faggot, I was surrounded by all his (WHITE AF) friends alone while he went to the bathroom. I was talking to (completely unbeknownst to me at the time, btw) the closeted gay man of the group and he has his hands in his puffer vest and then reaches out and hands me a golf ball. He tells me he went golfing that day with his dad and he must've pocketed it, tells me it's a gift from Canada.

The golf ball says Noodle on it.

[staywritten]

A Love That Lasts│Epilogue

A Love That Lasts │ Epilogue

Synopsis: You’ve spent the last two years, helping your very handsome next door neighbor raise his adorable daughter. The two of you fell into a routine before you knew it. And now you had this little family. You couldn’t help but fall for him.

Genre: Parent!Au, Dad!Bang Chan, Fluff, Nonidol!Au, Smut

Word Count: 3044

Part I │Part II │Part III │Part IV │Part V

A Love That Lasts Masterlist

Masterlist. AO3

“Today’s the day! Today’s the day! Today’s the day!” Minseo jumped up and down on her father’s bed, waking him up with a belly flop. He chuckled, wrapping his arms around his daughter, kissing her hair softly and pulling her back into bed.

“Why are you so full of energy?” he smiled into her fluffy hair. “I’m the one getting married”

“Because after today I have a Mom!” she chimed. 

He rubbed the sleep out of his eyes to look at his daughter. “You’re really happy about this aren’t you?”

“The happiest!” she beamed. “This is gonna be so cool! I get a Mom, and two new grandparents and it’s the best” She hugged him as tight as she could “And grandmas helped me pick out a dress and it’s so pretty!”

“Baby a lot is gonna change, I want you to let me know if it gets overwhelming.” he looked down at her sincerely.

“I’m fine!”

“You’re getting a mom… I’m getting a wife...we’re moving into a new house...our family is getting bigger- wow in laws… in laws that probably hate me...” he mumbled to himself, a frown forming as it finally all sank in just how much his life was gonna change in the matter of a few hours.

 “You ok Daddy?” you pouted pressing the furrow between his brows.

“I think I’m getting cold feet…” he sighed, running his hand through his hair.

“I’ll get you socks!” she chimed, wiggling out of his arms.

You were prepared for a stressful wedding. The planning process proved to be more challenging than all your years of med school and your residence. Dealing with not only your overbearing mother, but also Chan’s. Every decision you made followed by another five. You were happy to get this wedding over with.

You wanted nothing more than to just legally call Chan your husband and Minseo your daughter. “Just a few more hours” you sighed. 

You frowned looking down at your phone while getting your hair done. The last time you saw him was yesterday afternoon since your mom was so superstitious. She made you stay in your childhood, not wanting Chan to see you until your wedding. You texted him the moment you woke up but he hadn’t said anything back. You know he read the message, it was so unlike him to not reply but it was your wedding day perhaps he was just overwhelmed getting ready. 

Minseo ran inside the hair salon with your mom trailing behind her. “Today’s the day!” she cheered running into your arms. 

A smile instantly appeared on your face as you kissed her cheek. “Today is the day!” you grinned, nuzzling her nose. “You ready to get your hair and nails done?”

She nodded “Can I have matching nails with you?” 

“Of course you can Baby” your eyes softened, squishing her face. “I missed you, did you sleep well?”

“Mhmm! But I wish you were home”

“Me too” you pouted “How did your Dad sleep? Was he ok this morning?”

“He slept well~ But he has cold feet! I gave him extra socks before I left”

You frowned “Cold feet huh?” she smiled, shaking her head. “Well you were super smart to give him extra socks” you touched her nose. “Thank you”

“Minseo, let’s get your nails started” your mom called out to her walking her over to the nail tech, to sit with Chan’s mom. 

You sighed when your mom walked over to you, crossing her arms over her chest. “Mom please don’t start” you knew exactly where this conversation was going. 

“The boy has cold feet, what are the chances you think he’s actually going to show up?” she whispered to you not wanting to make a scene. 

“Here we go again” you rolled your eyes “Mom it’s a wedding, everyone gets nervous. Stop making this into a direct attack on Chris”

“Maybe you’re rushing into things”

“And there it is”  you looked to your mom and shook your head. 

You introduced Chan and Minseo to your parents not too long after you started dating. They always knew about them since you talked so fondly of your neighbors but they weren’t too surprised you started dating. Your mother just wasn’t too fond of you dating a man that had a child. She instantly fell in love with Minseo the moment they met, who couldn’t? She was a bundle of joy. But she always looked at Chan like he wasn’t good enough. Both your parents were Doctors, you were their only daughter and sure, your relationship with Chan wasn’t conventional, but it never was. You knew she looked down on him, even if she didn’t explicitly say it. 

“Mom I’m not having this conversation again, especially not on my wedding day.” You glanced down the salon and looked at Minseo animatedly speaking to her grandma and smiled. “I love Chris and Minseo so much…And I know it’s not what you wanted. I know that you would rather me marry some doctor with no kids and that we started a family once we got married but I chose this. I fought this feeling I had for him for years and I’m tired...I just want to be with the man I love. Chris has been my family long before this wedding”

“Look, I understand that you have feelings for Chris, he’s a nice young man, but-”

“No buts. No more buts.”

“What about the girl's mother? Is she really out of the picture? Who abandons their daughter?”

“The girl has a name. And Minseo is my daughter now. As for her mother, Chris will tell me when he’s ready I’m not pushing him on this.”

“But”

“No. Who I marry is a nonnegotiable.” you stood up, moving over to the makeup artist table. 

Bickering with your mom was nothing new, especially when she got a little too pushy, But you did wish that Chan would at least respond to your text to ease your mind. 

After a few hours of hair and makeup, you stared at yourself in the mirror, a little speechless. You were really doing this, you were gonna be married. You smoothed down the dress, running your hand over the embroidered lace. You had that ah-ha moment when you were dress shopping but there was something about seeing it all put together. 

Hearing the little chime of your ringtone you frowned. There was no reason that Felix should be calling you a few minutes before the wedding. Taking a deep breath you answered. “Hey?”

“Hey~” his tone a little too casual given the timing. “Um… so you must be wondering why I’m calling”

You sighed heavily “Felix what is it?”

“Ok, don’t be mad but-”

“Don’t start with don’t be mad!”

“See now you already sound mad and I’m too scared to tell ya”

“Felix!”

“I may have misplaced something…”

“You’re the best man Felix! Did you lose the wedding rings?”

“I’m offended! Those rings cost more than the down payment on my car” he scoffed. “They are safely tucked away in my blazer”

“Then what did you lose? Oh no, was it Chris’s tux?”

“Nah, I lost Chris”

“You what?! What do you mean! Felix!”

“See I asked you not to get mad, and yelling sounds a lot like being mad”

“How the hell did you lose a person?”

“I don’t need the attitude, he’s a lot faster than Minseo and can cover a lot more ground, I didn’t know he was a flight risk” he sighed “Look Jisung is calling him, and I’m checking around the venue, I’ll keep you updated”

“Please do…” you shook your head, hanging up. 

Well this was a turn of events. Your wedding planner made sure you had at least three back up plans for any other decision you made but there was no plan for a run away groom. You looked at the time, there was still thirty minutes before you had to be in the wedding hall, so you figured you’d look for your fiance. You needed to make sure he was ok, especially since he never shut you out before. You switched out of your strappy heels and into a pair of sneakers, hiking up your dress so that you could see your feet. 

There was a small knock at the door before it cracked open. You looked up and your eyes met a very tired Chan. He chuckled seeing you slip on your sneakers. “Runaway bride?” he grinned leaning on the door frame. 

You released a relieved sigh. “I’m not the runaway! Your groomsmen said you left?”

He laughed before walking inside and closing the door behind him. “I literally told Changbin that I was going to the venue first because I needed to talk to you” He took your hands into his rubbing his thumbs over your skin. “You look so beautiful…” his dark brown eyes practically twinkling as he looked at you. “Wow…” his cheek dimpled as his smile widened, he spun you in his hands as he took you in. 

You shyly looked at him, the warm way he stared at you making you more embarrassed than ever. “Should I be concerned that you wanted to talk to me before the wedding?” you frowned a bit “You’ve been ghosting me all day”

He gave you a sheepish smile. “I’m sorry...I just needed some time” 

“To think about us…?”

“No, not us” he smiled “We’re solid. I love you...but” he brought your fingers to his lips. “I just...I felt a little guilty. I wanna give you all of me...but I just..I’m a little worried that all of me isn’t enough...”

“Chris…” you frowned, taking his hand and bringing him over to the couch to sit with you. “You’re more than enough...if you didn’t know that then I’m...I’m not showing you how much I love everything about you…”

“I have a ways to go...but I always try my hardest...I’m not there yet but I’m trying-”

“You are perfect.” your tone, absolute. There was not a single thought in your mind of how perfect he was for you. 

“Your parents must hate me...They raise a beautiful, independent kind doctor and she settles for a single parent who make music-”

“Hey, that’s my soon to be husband you’re talking about. I’m not gonna let anyone trash talk you Chris, including you.” you squeezed his hand “And that last time I checked, I was the one marrying you not my parents.”

“But-”

“No buts. Yes you’re a parent. A parent of the literal light of my life, I can’t imagine my life without Minseo...I love her so much and you being her father will never be a negative...and yes you make music, you pour your heart into your passion and I love watching how you light up when you talk about it…. Chris I’m not settling for you in any capacity. I chose you to be my partner, my best friend, my soulmate, and my husband”

He let out that shy sweet giggle he had that you loved so much, his shoulders shrugging along with it. “I still don’t think I’m good enough but I’ll try to be…”

“Then I’ll spend the rest of my life as your partner, showing you that you are more than enough” you leaned in pressing a sweet kiss against his lips.

“I love you...and I’ll spend the rest of my life making sure that you always think I’m enough.. I’m really happy you’re gonna be my wife” he grinned at you pressing his forehead against yours. 

“Any more concerns? I want to rid you of your worries” you smiled lovingly at him. 

“I want to give you the world…”

“Chris you already have… You and Minseo are my whole world”

He pulled back, lacing his fingers with yours. There was something else that’s been weighing in the back of his mind, he always pushed it away because there was never a proper time to bring it up. He wanted to get married once, and to be fair to you he figured he should finally come clean about his life. “I wasn’t planning on telling you this minutes before we got married but...About Minseo’s mom…”

“Chris you don’t have to” you were always curious, but there was just something about his eyes that made you not push further. 

“But I want you to, I want to be fair to you...To know me” he took your hand placing it over his heart. “Know all of me…”

“Then, I’m here for you”

And for the first time in five years he opened up to someone. Felix and his parents were the only people who really knew the details. But there was something about coming clean to you that made him feel like a huge weight was lifted. He told you about his first love. The first person he gave his heart to, and the first time he dealt with heartbreak. She was stubborn, strong, independent, and dedicated to her job. Everything that he loved her for became the reason they broke up. 

“We didn’t plan for Minseo, but we did everything to prepare for her. To make sure she was loved. I was surprised at first but the moment I heard her heartbeat I knew I was going to do everything I could to protect her….As I got more invested in all of the prenatal care, my girlfriend seemed to lose a part of herself… It was like she powered through it… She was never the type to want to be a mom but I thought she changed her mind...But as soon as Minseo was born she left. Gave me full custody and a goodbye letter.”

Your eyes watered hearing his story, seeing the pain in his eyes. You pulled him into a tight hug, rubbing his back softly. 

“Despite that… I don’t hate her... Because in the end, it was just so her...She couldn’t be tied down and I used to love her for that… And I thought I could change her... that maybe she’d pick me and our child and stay with us” he let out a broken and bitter laugh. “But if she stayed we would have been miserable...She would have resented me...Minseo wouldn’t have had a happy home, and for that I have no regrets” he looked up at you sheepishly, giving you such a sad smile. “If you’ll still have me… I’m all yours.”

There were no words of comfort you could offer him. Because this was a wound that he’s already healed. It was just one that he’s kept hidden. There was nothing more you could do to heal it, but you could show him that you love him, and everything he came with. “Christopher, I’ve told you before… I'm your partner, I’m not going anywhere”

“Promise?” and there was something about how he looked up to you with his big, warm, brown eyes. The vulnerable look of hope as he held his pinky out. You couldn’t help but smile at how similar he was to Minseo. 

“Promise” you wrapped your pinky around his, pressing your thumbs together, sealing the promise. “You ready to get married?”

“Absolutely” 

“I’m gonna go wait for you down the aisle” he pecked your lips again before heading out. 

You couldn’t help but smile, practically beaming and watching him leave. It was go-time. You changed back into your heels and took a deep breath. One final longing look at yourself before your father came in. “You ready?” Your dad watched you warmly, a smile never leaving his face. “You look so beautiful” he pulled you into the biggest warmest hug. “I can’t believe I have to give you away”

You laughed leaning into your dad as he walked you toward the hall. “You and mom both”

“Your mom means well...You know how she is?”

“I do but I just wished she wasn’t so hard on Chris...He works hard, he does what he loves and makes sure that his daughter wants for nothing. I appreciate him...I fell in love with his kindness first...Dad, he’s my home”

“I’m gonna be honest I thought he was an opportunist, and I didn’t see what he offered you at first but...the way you look at him… the way you stand up to your mother...how you are with Minseo. I see it.” he smiled, rubbing your back softly. “You chose your home and I’ll love and respect you for it.”

“Thanks Dad…”

He kissed your forehead as you reached the wedding hall, the music from the piano chiming as they anticipated you. “You will always be my Baby… but you’re gonna be that man’s wife, and that sweet little girl's mom.. You ready for that responsibility?”

“I am” the sureness in warmness in your voice was all the reassurance he needed. Your mom would come around eventually, but for now having your father's support and the love of your new family gave you the strength to support Chris.

As the doors swung open your eyes instantly went to your fiance standing by the altar, Minseo in his arms, eyes practically sparkling as she happily whispered to him, pointing at you. Even Though he’d spent the past twenty minutes by your side with you in your wedding dress, it really didn’t hit him until this moment that you were going to be his wife. 

The nerves finally hit you as you walked down the aisle. It wasn’t that you were anxious, you were just excited to finally start this part of your life. Your new family was waiting for you. 

And although you knew that you guys weren’t perfect, and there will be obstacles in your way. You were sure that with Chan you two could overcome anything. 

End.

Thank you for sticking with me all this time, we’re finally saying goodbye to this series. I’m sure I’ll make a oneshot for it here and there, just because I really like writing Minseo.

And *cough* I’m also *cough* maybe working on a short series/one shot for Minseo’s mom as the reader >.>

∘Tags List:

@skzsprinkles @tophuphu @hugs4chan @channieboyo  @cobbiebaexqueen @minnieskz  @em0cleo  @chwrryeols​ @binki-g @mythicalamphitrite

[kirishwima]

Not sure if you've done this before but the RFA comforting their S/O after they had a nightmare?

awe i love this! honestly having someone there for you when you wake up from a bad dream is....the most comforting thing everi only have my cat currently tho orz

ill also add Saeran bc he deserves some love too :3

YOOSUNG:

* He’s awaken by the sound of a gasp, the shuffling of the bedsheets beside him as MC sits upright, their eyes wide, breaths fast and shallow

* His arms wrap around them instinctively, holding them close to him as he asks what’s wrong, worry gnawing on his brow

* When MC reassures him it was just a bad dream, he’ll try and pry, aks what it’s about-talking about his own nightmares always helps him feel better, so he hopes MC will feel the same too

* If they don’t want to talk about it, then he’ll suggest they watch some silly youtube video together to relax and go back to bed, opting to find something he knows that MC will like, like a silly movie parody or kitten videos

* He’ll stay up until he makes sure MC is asleep, worried that they’ll stay up all night if he falls asleep first-despite firs appearances, Yoosung is really caring, and he genially wants MC to be comfortable and have a good night’s rest

* In the morning he’ll try and bring up the nightmare again, but only if MC’s comfortable with discussing it-if not he’ll drop it and carry on as normal, being a little more mindful of MC’s sleep and making sure to cuddle them extra tight at nights where they toss and turn in their sleep

ZEN:

* He’s quite a heavy sleeper, so he doesn’t immediatly realise MC woke up after a bad nightmare, how they shuffled out of his embrace to go splash their face with some water

* He only realises when he feels the sudden emptiness and a cold shiver at the spot MC was moments ago, rubbing his eyes as he tries to take in his surroundings

* He figures MC just went to the toilet and doesn’t think much of it, not until he hears a soft sob from the half-open bedroom door

* Instantly he’s up and dashing to the door, finding MC standing in front of the bathroom sink, tears mixed with water dripping down their face, the towel long forgotten in their hands

* “Awe baby, no, what happened?” Zen asks as he comes to a stand beside MC, tugging them close to his chest as he rubs soothing circles on their back.

* When MC says they had a nightmare, he’ll ask if they want to talk about it-if not then he’ll drop it instantly, taking a hold of MC’s hand and guiding them back to bed

* He’ll cuddle them close and tuck their head under his chin, gently singing a lullaby that MC can feel on their cheek as they rest their head on Zen’s chest, the fremitus soothing them back to sleep

* Zen will keep humming until he’s certain MC’s back asleep, and he’ll hold them to his chest all night, guarding his beloved from any bad dreams that’d want to invade their sleep still

* In the morning he won’t ask about the nightmare again, he’ll only give MC a soft kiss on the forehead and promise them no bad dream will ever find them again so long as he’s here.

JAEHEE:

* She’s a very, very light sleeper, so she’ll wake at the slightest of sounds

* When she awakes to MC tossing and turning, she doesn’t think much of it-some nights MC sleeps more restless than others, so she tries to go back to bed, until she hears MC’s sleepy mumbles of ‘no, don’t’, along with a broken off sob before they jolt upright, panting as they cluch at their chest

* Jaehee is instantly sitting up beside them, rubbing soothing circles on their back as they guide them to breathe slow and deep, waiting until they calm down. She doesn’t ask why they woke up, clearly knowing that it was a bad dream, and she won’t ask about any details either.

* Instead she smiles at MC when they calm down, asking them if they’d like to talk about something else instead to forget about their bad dream, or if they want a cup of tea to help ease their nerves.

* She’ll lay back down with MC in her arms, running her hands through their hair as they rest their head on her chest, even humming a tune from one of her favorite musicals until she feels MC’s breath even out

* She stays awake for a long time afterwards, just watching MC sleep, guarding them almost-she’d never admit it to their face, but seeing their scared expression terrified her, feeling helpless as she sat there watching her beloved cry. 

* From then on she doesn’t let MC have any coffee before bed, nor watch anything even remotely scary or capable of making them have a restless night’s sleep-she’ll hold them clos each and every night, and if she feels them toss and turn at night she’ll grab a hold of their hand, interlacing their fingers together and snuggling close until MC calms down

* She hacked the nightmare code and she’s dang proud of it, good job Baehee

JUMIN:

* He’s also a very very light sleeper, and the slightest movement can wake him up

* When he feels MC bolt upright in bed, he’s awake in an instant, his eyes wide as he scans them up and down for any visible injuries or threats.

* He waits until they calm down, running his hand up and down their back until they explain that it was just a nightmare, insisting he can go back to bed

* Well, Jumin wouldn’t have that. Instead he holds MC close, asking them what could help them relax again. He’ll suggest making them a warm tea or reading them a book, anything that could help them relax again

* In the end, they both settle for holding each other close, MC wrapped tight in Jumin’s arms as he talks about anything and everything, his voice soothing MC as their eyes flutter shut again. 

* Even Elizabeth seems concerned as she peeks her head into the bedroom, jumping up on the bed and coming to curl up and sleep on the slope of MC’s waist, purring as she does.

* The combination of Jumin’s warm embrace and Elizabeth’s gentle purring brings MC to the world of slumber that much faster, allowing them a restful remaining night.

* When they wake up, Jumin’s there to greet them with a smile and a kiss, promising that no more bad dreams will ever find them

* He does insist that MC tell him what their nightmare was about, since he wants ro read up on what it could mean on his dream dictionary-sure he’s not a superstitious man, but it never hurts to make sure, right??

SEVEN:

* This boy is so used to bad dreams, waking up countless nights alone and scared, and he also has a shitty sleep scedhule, so it’s more than likely he wasn’t even in the room when MC woke up from their nightmare

* He did however see them leave the room shaken up, dashing to the bathroom and splashing cold water on their face without even closing the door behind them

* Seven instantly knows something’s up, and goes to MC to ask what’s wrong-he notices the way they shake their head, insisting it’s nothing and he frowns, pushing back just as much until MC admits they had a nightmare

* Seven nods slowly, and with a determined huff he grabs a hold of MC’s hand, guiding them back to the bedroom. His work can wait a few hours whilst he tucks MC back into bed, plopping down beside them with a content sigh.

* He turns to face them, wrapping a hand around their waist as he knocks his forehead with theirs.

* “Saeran and I always used to jump into each other’s bed after one of us had a bad dream. We’d huddle close just like this, and we’d say a prayer to bid the bad dream away. But, hmm...what about I cast a magic spell on you instead, one that’ll banish bad dreams forever?” he asks with a playful smile, a tint of nostalgia in his eye.

* With a dramatic flourish, he leans close to MC, kissing every inch of their forehead, chanting a silly poem in arabic as he bids the nightmares away, threatening the gods of dreams with violence and computer hackings if they dare disturb MC again.

* He ends his little spell with a kiss on MC’s lips, an over-dramatic ‘MWAH’ as he leans back, satisfied with the giggle MC lets out.

* “There! Now you have my eternal protection, and no bad dream can ever touch you ever again! All you have to do to activate it is go back to sleep, and your charming knight will be right here to slay any more nightmares that dare attack you!”

* True to his word, Seven didn’t move an inch until MC was sound asleep, his thumb pressing into their hipbone, holding them tight as if afraid the god of slumber will take them from him.

* He remembers what waking up alone after a nightmare is like. He’s just glad he never has to face one alone again.

V/JIHYUN:

* He’s also one quite used to nightmares, especially after the whole fiasco with Rika-oftentimes flashbacks will seep into his sleep, making his nightmares even more grotesque and realistic.

* Yet nowdays, MC would always be there when he woke up after a nightmare, ready to soothe him back to sleep.

* Well, tonight it was the other way around.

* He’s quite a light sleeper, so when MC woke up gasping for air, he was up in a heartbeat, rubbing their back as he grounded them back to the present, practicing breathing techniques with them he learnt whilst combatting panick attacks.

* When MC calmed down, he suggested they sit up for a moment, come to the balcony to get some fresh air and look up at the bright starry sky to let their mind drift away from the horrible nightmare.

* They leaned on the balcony railings, V holding them tight beside him, talking about anything and everything until they felt the contents of their nightmare slipping away from their mind.

* When MC was ready to go back to bed, he held them tight to his chest, reciting one of his favorite poems to them as they drifted off to sleep, the fullness of his voice resonating in his chest and filling MC’s mind with nothing but pleasant thoughts, leading them to a restful sleep.

* Jihyun stayed awake a while longer, watching MC sleep, happy that he could be the one to help them in their time of need.

* In the morning he’s sweeter than ever, bringing them a cup of coffee in bed as he sits beside them and asks them how they slept.

* If they want to talk about their nightmare, he’s all ears, ready to discuss it and ponder what could’ve caused it. If they’d rather just forget it, then he won’t mention it again, he’ll simply make sure they avoid any possibly triggering content before bed so they can have a good night’s sleep.

* He just wants his beloved to rest easy, and he’ll do what he can to help them do so.

-send me a mystic messenger scenario/prompt for character reactions!-

[skvaderarts]

Hiraeth Chapter 8: Accursed

Masterlist can be found Here!

Chapter Eight: Accursed

Note: Oh boy, this chapter was fun to write. It also comes in at my quickest chapter so far, and it’s five-hundred words longer! Two hours! Wow! I’m getting a little bit better at this! But I hope that wasn’t at the cost of grammar… I’ll have to double-check that one.

-~-

There was no need to look to the sky for the answers that they sought. It didn’t take very much intuition to tell that darkness would be upon them within the next two hours or so. The snowy conditions that they found themselves in didn’t help that in any. Cloudy weather always helped make things darker quicker than they normally would be, and that wasn’t something that they had planned ahead for. Still, neither of them was willing to take this little adventure of theirs to the road, light or no light. It simply wasn’t a very good idea.

“At least it’s snowing, right?” morgan asked casually as she wrapped her arms tiger around herself, trying her best to keep the cold wind out. The colder she became, the harder it was to walk, and they needed to get out of there as fast as possible. “What I mean is, the sky is always a little bit lighter when it snows. That might help us see a little better, right? Even if we’re in the woods?”

V considered her statement as he hurried forward, trying his best to ignore the wind that had gradually started to pick up as they carried on. His coat wasn’t thin by any means, but it was getting gradually colder the further the sun sank below the horizon. They were going to have to get out of the open air sooner rather than later if they didn’t want to develop hypothermia or frostbite. But either way, he was at least somewhat sure he understood what she was saying. Or he thought he was.

“You may be onto something there. It does tend to be a little bit lighter, and there isn’t really any meaningful foliage to speak of, especially on the trees.” V glanced up towards the sky, noting that the sun had started to fade, even behind the clouds. A slight glimmer of panic suddenly shot through him. Suddenly the idea of being in a cold, dark forest unnerved him. Perhaps he was just late to react and he’d felt this way all along, but he wasn’t sure that was important right now. “Things might be in our favor in that regard, but the real danger comes from the elements. It’s quite out, isn’t it? Much colder than it was a few minutes ago. I’m not sure what to make of it.”

“I know, right? It is super cold out here all of a sudden, isn’t it? I mean, it was never that warm to start with, but this is another kind of cold altogether. Almost reminds me of the curse I was talking about before.” She shivered, forcing herself to hurry forward and closer to V in a hopeless bid to steal a little bit of his residual warmth by being in closer proximity to him. “Oh yea, I didn’t go into that yet, hu? You wanna hear about it now that we’re further from the road?”

He nodded, shivering along with her as he tucked his head down and drew his arms around himself closer. “I’d be willing to believe that there is something supernatural going on in regards to this weather. It feels at least a good ten or so degrees colder than it was before, and that is a lot for the temperature to drop all at once.”

Morgan shrugged and nodded, agreeing. “I’d check my phone and tell you, but I don’t have any reception out here. All I can really do is look at the time. This whole town is a dead zone for my carrier. Grandma used to blame the forest. She blamed everything she couldn’t explain on the forest. It was kinda annoying but funny all at once. I’m gonna miss her.” She looked mournful for a moment, her eye hazel eyes brimming with unshed tears. She wiped her face, the uncomfortable sting of cold air helping to pull her out of her momentary slump. She’d have to save her grief for when they escaped. “It’s probably rude of me to ask, and you don’t have to answer, but do you ever miss your family. I know you never met them, but do you?”

For a moment, V paused, taking several deep breaths. After a moment he wordlessly carried on, looking down towards the ground and then ahead again as though here were physically trying to put the past behind him. It was a touchy topic, and she’d been as tactful as she probably knew how to be when approaching something so sensitive, but it still hurt to contemplate. There were some things that he liked to keep private, and this was one of them. It was very much unlike him to indulge in such deep personal conversation with someone that he genuinely didn’t know very well, but there was something about her that almost compelled him to do so. Maybe it was just the part of him that didn’t like to see a sad child, and he hoped to distract her from the recent tragedy that she’d experienced first hand with his own somewhat painful experiences. He couldn’t imagine what kind of effect seeing your grandparents being murdered in front of you might have on someone. It was a wonder she’d escaped with her life.

Almost instantly, the superstitious corner of his mind considered that outcome a little harder than it needed to, putting him further on edge than he needed to be. Was it possible that she was…? No. There was no way. He’s seen enough horror movies to be able to say with certainty that he was simply falling into the depths of his own paranoia. She’s probably killed one of the men who she’d have to be working with the night before. That wasn’t at all conducive to the kind of tricks she’d have to be pulling on him in order to be in on this entire situation. If anything, they might have let her go in order to follow her, but it would be very illogical for him to believe that she was knowingly in on this plot to destroy the town. He needed to get out of that part of his mind. It didn’t help either of them.

In his momentary lapse of cognizance, he realized that he hadn’t given her any sort of answer. V mentally chastised himself for being impolite again, despite the fact that manners should have been at the bottom of his list of concerts at that given point. “... I tend to get lost in my thoughts, Morgan. Hopefully you’ll forgive my lack of conversation skills. It’s not often that I have long conversations with other people. Or conversations at all.” A sad smirk spread across his face for a moment as he considered the fact that this young teenager probably had a much more active social life than he did. But nothing about his upbringing had encouraged him to make small talk with other people. Quite the opposite. He was simply socially inept to some degree, and that was a fact that he was going to have to reconcile within himself. “I… I do think about them from time to time. And it never becomes less painful. If anything, it hurts more the older I get. It’s the not knowing, I think. Having no answers as to what happened to my parents weighs heavily upon me, but I don’t think I will ever be allowed such closure.”

Morgan gave him a hurt, sad look, taking a moment to brush her sandy brown hair out of her face. The wind refused to allow her to privilege of being able to see clearly, and her hair didn’t help that. She extended her hand with no hesitation, tapping him on his right side as if to gain his attention. V looked back at her, clearly unsure as to what her intentions were. When he noticed that she’d stopped for a moment, he halted and turned to face her, somewhat confused. “I’ve said too much, haven’t I. Forgive me.”

She shook her head, folding her arms. “You have to stop doing that to yourself. The blaming thing, I mean. It’s not your fault. People are just people sometimes. A lot of them are bad, but you deserve to be happy, too. Just don’t wait around for them to give it to you. Nothing good comes from that. Trust me, I know.” She started to walk again, hurrying past V as she tried to step through the deep snow that he normally helped flatten somewhat for her as a result of him walking ahead of her. There was a part of V that actually found it very funny how high she had to step in order to get her legs out of the snow, but he couldn’t imagine that she enjoyed having snow in her boots as a result.

After a moment to consider her words, he hurried after her, quickly supplanting her lead in order to make things easier for her. As much as he enjoyed watching her struggle pointlessly in the snow, he had to admit that it slowed them bot down significantly, and they had fought very hard to make sure that those hooded maniacs stayed as far behind them as possible. Any further delays only helped in their enemy’s favor. “Your right. Maybe a change is in order for both of us. We can start with a change of topic. I’ve love to hear that story now if you’re still willing to tell it to me.”

She shrugged, indifferent either way. “Sounds good to me. I’ve had enough sadness for one day. It’s not a super long story, but I think you’ll probably like it. It’s super spooky!”

V watched as she rested her chin on the backs of her nickels, raising one eyebrow. He wasn’t entirely sure if she was doing this just to mess with him, but he found it entertaining nonetheless. Morgan had a vibrant and interesting personality, and that was something that he appreciated in a situation like this. It helped distract him from the awful reality that he actually did have to walk through this forest and hope that the residents of the next town over were willing to help them. Or that there were any residents left at all. There was still a part of him deep down that had to wonder if there were simply working towards another worse deathtrap. He was pretty sure that neither of them could contend with that outcome in their current state. It was a terrifying reality that he was unable to face at the moment despite the obvious need to do so, and as such, he would redirect his attention to things that scared him considerably less. Once she was done with her story, he would revisit the bleak reality that they currently found themselves in, and try to come up with another contingency plan. “I’m ready whenever you are.”

Morgan nodded in agreement, clearing her throat as quietly as she could. The super-chilled air wasn’t helping her breathing in the slightest, especially with all of this physical exertion added onto it. “Ok, so if I remember correctly it goes something like this. Basically, the land that this town sits on used to belong to a coven of witches like four or five hundred years ago. I think it was more like five hundred years ago. They came here because of some sort of witch hunt or something and they were hiding out to avoid being hunted down and killed wherever they came from. They stayed here for like a decade or something with their families, and then one day a group of settlers tried to move into town and they didn’t want them to so they asked them to leave. Long story short, the locals told the church or something that they were up here, and they were forced to flee, but when they left, the sealed some kind of cursed vault or something in a cave up in the woods, and they cursed the locals. Now every winter when the black clouds roll in, things just kinda go wrong for the town.”

V had to admit that this story was more interesting than he originally assumed it would be. “What kinds of things happen? In what manager do things go “wrong” for the town? I noticed that no one lives closer to the forest than half a mile or so. That’s how I was able to move here so cheaply. The woods weren’t an issue to me, and my landlord was eager to offload the property to someone.”

She nodded, taking his words into account. “I noticed that you lived super close to the woods. Your house is really old. One of the oldest ones around her. People moved into the inner circle decades ago when people started hearing voices in the middle of the night and just started sleepwalking into the woods. They’ve never found anyone who went into the forest alive. And then the farm animals just break the fences at night and run into the forest like something is making them do it. Well, sometimes. Other times, they find like a whole barn door torn off in the night and all the animals are missing their blood and stuff. Supposedly, someone kid went into the woods looking for their missing dog, and when they came back, their family shipped them off to some insane asylum. From what I’ve heard, they didn’t talk anymore. They just sat there and stared at the wall and didn’t move and didn’t react to anything that their family did. It creeped them out really bad. Then one day the dog came back, but they couldn’t find it. They would just hear it barking constantly, but there was never any indication that it was actually there. No paw prints, fur, nothing. It’s super creepy. They moved out after a year or so, and no one has heard from them since. And as for going into the forest…”

He noticed that she’d stopped to look around, an uneasy look on her face. He wondered for a moment if he should ask, certain aspects of her story making him uneasy. “What does the legend say about that?”

Morgan shook her head. “You sure you want to know? It’s pretty creepy, and it affects you way more than it does me.”

V gave her a funny look but nodded in agreement, now more curious than he was before in a morbid sort of way. “You have my attention, so yes. I would like to know.”

The young girl shrugged, seemingly resigned to her fate. “Don’t say I didn’t warn you. Supposedly the leader of the witches left behind some sort of prophecy. Apparently one day her henchmen would, and I quote, “descent from hell and search for a vessel for their lord, and their lord would rain hellfire down upon the lands, corrupting and rotting everything they touched in recompense for the crimes that they’d committed.” I hear that the original “vessel” was supposed to be that witch’s son who she had with the devil or something, and that because he was killed in the raid that ran them out of town, she said what she said. Either way, it’s spooky because that kid was like your age or so, and guys from the town like to go missing into the woods around their 20th birthday. That’s why all the guys between sixteen and twenty one leave every winter. Your like the only one who’s in town right now, and they tend to just walk off into the woods at night. It’s never really happened with the girls. Just the guys. Some of them said they were called to the place where the vault is located, and then they just disappeared during the night. Some of them even fell to their deaths after being locked in their rooms during the night to avoid this situation. They broke their windows and that was that. Others mysteriously died after being left in their rooms, and none of the doctors were able to figure out why. Those people lived a lot closer to the woods from what I remember.”

Despite his general resolve to consider folklore as just that, he was suddenly very uncomfortable. “They just… disappear? And this has been going on for hundreds of years? Have you seen it happen?”

Morgan looked very creeped out, but nodded in agreement. “My grandparents lived next to the house that the dog people lived in. I used to watch them run around the house looking for it, and I talked to their son once after the accident. He just stared at me, grabbed my arm, and pointed to the woods. Took like ten minutes for his parents to get him to let me go. Left a really bad bruise on my arm. The next day I swear I saw that dog. I’m not kidding. It was just sitting in front of my living room window, looking in at me. It didn’t move or anything, and I swear it was bigger than it had been before. And his eyes were just… black, and ash or dust or something came out of his mouth every time he exhaled like his breath was hot or something. Scariest thing I’ve ever seen in my entire life. That was the only time I’ve ever been sent home early, and I didn’t get to come back the next year. Most people got rid of their dogs after that, and from what I’ve heard, cats hate it here. They never go near the windows, and they are always stressed out or scared. A law was passed like three years ago banning them from the city for “health and safety reasons”, but we all knew the real reason.”

V found himself staring at her, actually unnerved by her statement. While it could easily just be the osmosis effect of an active imagination and living next to a house full of people that were clearly going through something mysterious and having to hear about constantly from the adults in her life, there was a part of V that believed that what she said was true. “... I believe you.”

A look of utter shock came across her face as they both subconsciously hurried forward, jogging towards the tops of chimneys now clearly visible ahead of them. They were close now, closer than they’d even been. But to what, neither of them knew. But what they did know was that there was only one way that they could ever find out, and that was to go down the embankment into the area and see for themselves. Even if everything in them was too scared to know the truth, they still needed to know. “Why do you believe me, V. My own mother doesn’t believe me. You have to have a reason, right? Tell me. Please.”

He looked away from Morgan for a moment before turning back towards her as they reached the edge of the woods, stopping to catch their breath for a moment. A sudden feeling of dread gripped V like a chest, threatening to crush every bone in his chest. “Would you believe me if I told you I’ve heard whispering coming from the woods at night recently? That I woke up leaned against the fence that surrounds my backyard and couldn’t remember for the life of me how I got there? Because I have. I’m certain that the only reason I wasn’t on the other side of it now is because it’s nearly twice my height.” He shuttered slightly, unwilling but unable to believe anything else. He was far from superstitious, but there was no denying what he’d experienced. I must confess that I’ve been seeing strange things like what you just described seeing with that dog for as long as I can remember. It stopped for a few years when I went to school, but ever since I’ve moved to this town, it’s started again. It’s infrequent, but it still happens. And the strangest part is that for a long time, I forgot that it ever happened. It comes back to me little by little, and I’m not sure what to make of it.”

Morgan stared at him, a concerned look on her face. It was as if he’d just informed her that he had been diagnosed with terminal cancer. She looked down at the roofs below her and then back at him, something unreadable in her eyes. “I won’t pretend to know what’s going on in this town. I don’t know if I even believe in the curse. But I’ve seen enough spooky stuff in this place that I can’t explain to say that if you’re not lying, then we need to walk a little bit faster because that doesn’t sound good. And once we get out of here, I don’t think that either of us should ever come back.”

V nodded, assessing the quickest route forward that wasn’t straight down. They were on uneven ground, and neither of them needed to fall fifty feet to their deaths after coming this far. Mental and physical fatigue suddenly set in as he exhaled heavily, shivering both from their conversation and the elements. “I don’t think I’ve ever agreed with anyone more in my entire life. Let’s get out of here before it’s too late.”

-~-

Hey everyone! I hope you liked this chapter! I loved reading your comments on the last chapter! It’s always nice to hear from the people who read my fics. Well, unless they are those lovely people that contact me at least once a month to tell me how much they hate my au, but still. Just needed to get that off of my chest because dear god, it gets so old. If you have any questions, feel free to ask! I’d love to talk to you about them. Maybe I’ll even throw a few inspirations and such for where I got the ideas for this in the notes for the next chapter. I hope you’ve all had a good week so far, and I hope to see you again on Friday. Take care!

[bxthharmon]

White Butterflies, pt iv || Hvitserk Lothbrok x Reader

Words: 2174

Warnings: Mentions of violence and storms? 

Summary: The ships prepare to leave

A/N: Took a while, but i hope it’s not toooooo bad lmao

i | ii | iii | iv | v

This story doesn’t follow the plot, so you don’t have to know the story to understand it.

You lay under the furs, warmed by your husband, who had wrapped himself around your waist during the night, his hand slipped under your nightgown, and soft snores escaping him. You stroked his hair, content with the view of the viking’s face, and with your new life. A month had passed, and the frost had broken, the spring arrived, and the boats had been built. The ships would be leaving tomorrow, and it almost broke your heart to know that you would be alone for the next months. First light was yet to arrive, and the only sound in the camp was the shuffling and whispering of the thralls, beginning to make the day’s meals and ready the supplies for the next day's ships. You closed your eyes, hearing the first birds begin to call, and the sleeping man on your chest slowly opened his eyes, a soft smile adorning his lips.

“Mornin’ beautiful,” he murmured, propping himself up on his elbows, staring down at you, “I don’t wanna get up.” he complained.

You wrapped an arm around his neck, “Then don’t,” you kissed his nose, “they don’t need you yet.”

“Mmm,” he smiled, “consider me convinced,” he leaned down and kissed you softly, rolling you on top of him. You went for a kiss, but were distracted by the sound of a knock on your door. Sighing, you sat up, still straddling him, and he rolled his eyes, “Yes?” he called.

One of the thralls, Solveig, came in, timidly, and you rolled off of Hvitserk’s lap. “King Ivar asks that you come to the Great Hall immediately, my Prince.”

“Ah,” he sighed, sitting up and swinging his legs off of the bed, “I’ll be there soon,” you watched the thrall leave, and then you both began to dress. “Come with me to the hall?” he pleaded.

“So I can watch you talk of battle with your brothers?” you asked, not convinced, “They are… violent company.”

“But after tomorrow I won’t get to see you for so long,” he put his hands on your hips, pulling you closer, “I want to spend as much time with you as possible.”

You blushed, “Fine,” you agreed, “but I’m leaving if I get bored.”

“Y/N?” Geoffrey asked, “Are you paying attention?”

You drew your gaze away from the window, “Of course, Brother.”

He looked at you skeptically, and turned back to your father, who was showing him a map. In truth, this meeting had no connection to you, but Father insisted you come, given that you needed to know how to rule countries if you were to marry well. Arthur looked across the table at you, full of scorn.

“Father,” He spoke, still staring at you, “Given that our sister is a woman, she shall never be concerned with how to strategize an attack.” Arthur’s eyes showed a familiar, hateful glint, and you knew he’d do anything to stop you from being here.

“Your sister is almost as good at strategy as you are, and better than Geoffrey or Theodore.” he glanced at you, “I admit, it’s… unorthodox, but given her skill, we might as well make use of it, before we no longer can.”

Before you were married off like cattle, you thought. “Father,” you said, suddenly feeling uneasy, almost like you were going to throw up right then and there, “Arthur is right, it’s improper for me to be here. May I take my leave?”

“Of course,” your father looked at you stonily, his eyes suddenly full of contempt. “Go to your mother.”

You slipped out of the room, nausea filling you, making you double over. The idea of marrying a stranger made you feel disgusted. All of your ladies in waiting had stories of women forced to marry men as old as their fathers, with furious tempers and large bellies from too much wine and a taste for things they had long outgrown. You had just passed your thirteenth summer, and you knew you only had a year or two more before such men began to make offers. Perhaps less, people were already offering betrothals and alliances for when you came of age, and the thought of marrying a stranger made you want to vomit.

You leaned against the large, stone arch you stood by, and thought of your parents. Your father, almost at his sixtieth birthday, and your mother, coming up to her fortieth. You couldn’t marry a man two whole decades older, the thought bringing on another wave of nausea. Sighing, you walked down the hall, passing through the archways and past the tapestries. You reached the doors of the castle, and went down to the gardens. The summer flowers were wilting, and the first leaves were beginning to fall. 

If you were spring, surely your husband would be in the autumn of his life. Older, beginning to fall away.

*

You looked at Solveig, and offered her some bread, but she shook her head.

“Come on,” you tried to persuade her, “just have some bread. You’ll be stuck with me for months, you might as well be my friend.”

“My Princess,” She sighed, “I couldn't possibly.”

“I command you.” you said, and she sighed, taking the bread. “So,” you turned to her, “the men leave tomorrow,” you pointed out, “anyone you’ll miss?”

“Princess, I couldn’t discuss this with you.” she blushed.

“Two things, don’t call me ‘Princess’, it’s just Y/N.” you smiled, “And secondly, I had these Ladies back at my old court, and we always used to discuss these things, I won’t tell!”

“There is someone…” she started, and at your excited look, she blushed.

“Oh, do tell,” you said, “Please, I’ve had no one to talk of these things with, tell me.”

“I couldn’t…”

“Is it someone I know?” you frowned, thinking of who it could be, and by the look of her face, it was. “Solveig, I’ll find out.”

“Please,” she begged, “this is embarrassing.”

“I don’t want to embarrass you,” you said, “If you wish to stop talking of it, we can.”

You looked out to the sea, and to the many ships in the harbour, filling the fjord with majestic beauty. You looked at the ground beneath you, damp and muddy, sprouts of grass shooting up, a reminder of the coming summer. You watched as ants crawled over the patchy grass, towards their nest. You looked around and felt dread filling you.

“My Princess,” Solveig called, concerned, “Is everything okay?” you looked back at her.

“Are there usually ants by the docks?” you asked, and she shook her head.

“Ants.” whispered your mother.

“Mother?” you asked, “It’s just an ants nest, one of the travellers from the south said there are these ones in-”

“Shush,” she said, worry written all over her face, “Your father’s hunt must not take place.”

“Why?” you asked, “Because of the ants?”

“Bad weather is coming,” she said, pulling her cloak tighter around herself, “Ants only work like this when a storm approaches.”

You frowned. Your mother was a superstitious person, and had taught you to always pay attention to the signs God sent you, and while your brothers took no heed of her warnings, you had never seen her predictions to be incorrect. It scared you.

“We must go to find the King.” you said, and Solveig nodded.

“He’s with Prince Ubbe, I believe,” she said, “In the Hall.”

You walked with her there, and entered to see all of the Ragnarssons, Hvitserk standing to greet you with a kiss. You looked at his brothers, spread around a map, discussing plans of attack. “You cannot sail tomorrow.” You addressed them, and Ivar stood abruptly.

“Why?” Bjorn asked, and you saw the skeptical stares of the brothers.

“There were ants, by the docks.” You said, and by the look on their faces, you realised they must not have been taught the same superstitions as you, “Every time I ever saw ants’ nests, a storm has come. Bad ones.” you explained.

“We’re not basing our raid off of Christian superstitions.” Ivar said, glaring at you.

“There was this one time,” you said, “When I was fourteen. The night before my brother and father went on an outing to Francia, a friendly one, for a marriage, I found this huge ant’s nest. They left that morning, and the next thing we heard was that there was a huge storm as they sailed. They barely escaped alive. I’m not saying this to stop the raid, I’m saying it to try and help you.”

Ivar leaned forwards, trying to stare you down, but you were stubborn, and you held his stare. “We sail tomorrow, and that will not change because of a Christian superstition or because you will miss your husband.”

“Brother,” Hvitserk objected, “there have been many hints to a storm, and it would be unwise. Perhaps you should not dismiss-”

“Do not fight me on this.” Ivar said.

You must have met a hundred men like Ivar, who had taken a throne by force, and felt invincible because of it. You had heard the stories, he rarely lost a fight, and any anger he already had was acted upon, he felt superior, apparently he had even declared himself a god. You remembered men like this who had offered you a hand in marriage, and you wondered how he would fall, in the end. 

*

“I tried.” Hvitserk said, later that evening. He was worried, you could see it plainly on his face and in his body language. He sat, staring into the hearth, while you busied yourself arranging his things for the ships in the morning. “Ivar’s stubborn, and I fear he may be wrong.”

You sat down next to him, and he turned his head to you, “Tomorrow will not be the last time I see your face.” you assured him, “Nor will it be the last time I see Ivar’s or Ubbe’s. You’ll come back, I can feel it. But this raid will not be the end to this. Ivar’s breaking an agreement, it will be taken seriously by my family.”

“I hope that is true.” he whispered, your faces only inches apart, eyes searching each other.

“Can you promise me something?” you muttered.

“Of course,” you saw further concern paint his face.

“If you get into the castle, and you are given the opportunity to kill my family, do what you will with them, but please, leave Theo.” you pleaded, and he nodded.

“Theo,” he repeated, “the youngest one?”

“Mm,” you agreed, “he’s the only good one.”

He chuckled softly, kissing you gently, “My love,” he murmured, “I will leave for months now,” he kissed you again, “let us not think of anyone outside of this room.”

“Of course, my Dear.” you kissed him again.

*

The harbour was teaming with people from the moment the first hints of light crept over the horizon. People bringing dried foods, shields and weapons. Final checks on the boats and the plans took place all morning, and then people started to hung, some to cry, as the final hour before departure dawned. Bjorn was first to wish you a farewell.

“Y/N,” he said as he pulled you in, “I’ll bring him back to you, I promise.”

You thanked him, and told him to stay safe. Ubbe came next, hugging you and telling you that you would rule well while everyone was away. In turn, you told him to fight well. Torvi followed, offering to teach you to fight upon her return.

“I’d love to, but I’m not sure it’s my forte.” you’d replied, promising to keep her children safe.

Ivar surprised you with his arrival, and had told you that if any harm became of Kattegat your life would pay. You’d laughed, it was more of a home than anywhere else, but you struck a deal with him, ensuring your brother’s safety and Kattegat’s. 

He looked you over, and said “Stay safe.” before leaving quickly.

You thought that might be the kindest he ever got, and chuckled to yourself. You wondered where Hvitserk was, he’d left before the first light, and few had seen him since. You watched as people began to board the boats. You stood there, on the docks, waiting. 

Your furs were tickling your neck, pushed by the harsh winds, but still protecting you. A hand touched your waist, and you saw him for the first time that day. Hvitserk smiled when he saw you, gently pushing a fallen tendril of hair away from your eye, and tucking it behind your ear. He kissed your temple, and then your forehead, and then your lips as you lifted your head to face him properly. You closed your eyes, dread washing over you. “I don’t want you to go.”

“I’ll be back in a few moons,” he whispered, “And every battle, I fight for you.”

“Well then fight well, I need you back here.” you murmured, kissing him again. 

He leaned his forehead to yours, “I love you.”

“I love you too.”

tags: @soleil-dor​ @siliethkaijuy​

[lasercruz]

@quarterdollar​ fuck you and im sorry that i took so long to answer and i hope that im mostly coherent because i am. very tired as im typing this

1: Full name Nicky Jackie Marie Cruz !!

2: Age 21

3: 3 Fears Mold, tall heights if I’m not secured (like, I’m not scared of rollercoaster heights but I’m scared of like, cliffs), and balloons esp balloon animals

4: 3 things I love I love so many things uhh hh h. Jjba, adventure zone, and my friendssss 💞

I know turn ons/offs aren’t inherently sexual but i never know what to say for them so im skipping them :0

7: My best friend you 🥺🥺

8: Sexual orientation bi

9: My best first date ive never really been on a actual date :0

10: How tall am I 5′3

11: What do I miss being with my friends physically and just watching stuff or goofing around on the floor 😭

12: What time were I born 11:02pm

13: Favourite color Dark blues

14: Do I have a crush yes shh

15: Favourite quote there so much sappy quotes that are on uquizzes a lot that i like a lot the first that comes to mind is “ You’re in a car with a beautiful boy, and he won’t tell you that he loves you, but he loves you.” and so on and also “if i loved you less i might be able to talk about it more”

16: Favourite place As far as just physically and not like people or other stuff that comes with with a place, I miss VT campus a lot tbh more than I thought I would. To pick a more specific place, the gazebo at the duck pond cause its where I’d go if I wanted to be alone or like if my roommate was sleeping or working and i didnt want to worry about being quite and it was always super peaceful

17: Favourite food I dont really have One favorite food it just depends what I’m in the mood for but my go to answer for favorite food category wise is either chinese or seafood

18: Do I use sarcasm Depends who I’m with ?? Generally no not often but if im close with someone and just goofin yeah

19: What am I listening to right now My love song playlist. its my go to thing to listen to cause my playlist with all my music has so much on it that i end up skipping half the songs until i find something im in the mood for and this one has a lot less that i end up skipping. the current song its on is day without you by keep for cheap

20: First thing I notice in new person It depends on the person like if they have something that stands out about them, thats what I tend to notice but like. How they carry themself i guess ? cause i feel like thats a easy way to get a read on somebody before talking to them

21: Shoe size 5 mens / 7 womans

22: Eye color Brown

23: Hair color Naturally dark brown but currently dyed black with rainbow bangs

24: Favourite style of clothing this question is on so many ask games and quizzes and I never know how to answer it cause i feel like i dont really have one specific style,, I like colorful and fun stuff i guess ?

25: Ever done a prank call?  No and if you prank call a place of business youre annoying. i used to answer phones at work and we didn’t get them super often but GOD i hate prank callers

27: Meaning behind my URL emu is an old nickname and what i mainly went by until i settled on Nicky and this. is my blog.

28: Favourite movie Baby driver !!

29: Favourite song my go to answer for this is community gardens by the scary jokes

30: Favourite band THE SCARY JOKES

31: How I feel right now sleeby,,,,

32: Someone I love i love , my friendz ,, 🥺🥰

33: My current relationship status single ✌️

34: My relationship with my parents im close to my mom but i dont really get along with my dad ,

35: Favourite holiday Christmas !

36: Tattoos and piercing i have no tattoos, 3 piercings in each ear (2 on each earlobe and 1 on the top on each side)

37: Tattoos and piercing i want I want a interrobang on my wrist and an Aquarius symbol on my ankle and MAYBE the joestar birthmark, i wouldn’t mind more ear piercings and i want a septum piercing but ive seen videos of them getting done and they make me squirm i dont know if id go through with it

38: The reason I joined Tumblr sdklgkjgh i had a my little pony roleplay blog before i made my personal account

39: Do I and my last ex hate each other? no we’re good friends !!

40: Do I ever get “good morning” or “good night ” texts? no not regularly at least

41: Have I ever kissed the last person you texted? no

42: When did I last hold hands? my mom tried to hold my hand when i was half asleep on the couch the other day but like i was so out of it so like it was more our fingers together and the rest of my hand just loosely dangling so if that doesnt count, you

43: How long does it take me to get ready in the morning? i give myself about 2 hours if im doing full makeup but thats purposefully longer than i need so i dont have to worry about rushing and i can relax and take my time

44: Have You shaved your legs in the past three days? no i only shave them if they’re gonna be showing or if the Urge to be Smooth comes over me

45: Where am I right now? my room at home on my bed

46: If I were drunk & can’t stand, who’s taking care of me? probably Kaylie cause she doesn’t drink and i assume if im drunk with other friends there she’d be the only sober one

47: Do I like my music loud or at a reasonable level? Reasonable, if i have it too loud i cant think so the only time i  have my music loud is if im doing nothing and want to Not Think

48: Do I live with my Mom and Dad? Ye

49: Am I excited for anything? short term im excited for the ai crushes all banks stream tonight and long term im excited to move into our apartment 

50: Do I have someone of the opposite sex I can tell everything to? no im not a tell everything to someone type of person .

51: How often do I wear a fake smile? i smile most of the time like, at work (before we wore masks) id always be smiling to look nice and like. just in general if i want to Not Look Unhappy or whatever

52: When was the last time I hugged someone? my mom probably like, yesterday

53: What if the last person I kissed was kissing someone else right in front of me? ive never kissed any1     .

54: Is there anyone I trust even though I should not?  nope i don’t think i really trust easily so like this doesnt rlly happen,

55: What is something I disliked about today? i woke up late cause i was up late last night so ive been tired all day I dont like the feeling

56: If I could meet anyone on this earth, who would it be? language barriers aside itd be super cool to meet hirohiko araki

57: What do I think about most? Whatever media im currently most into so right now adventure zone and magnus archives

58: What’s my strangest talent? umm i dunno im kinda flexable i guess ? not like ~contortionist~ level but like enough that i can freak people out sometimes

59: Do I have any strange phobias? i mentioned balloons as a fear in an eariler question so yeah that but im a lot better about it than i used to be

60: Do I prefer to be behind the camera or in front of it? in front tbh

61: What was the last lie I told? i was on phones for the last hour and a half of my shift on friday and like. when people call and ask if an item is in stock and i can’t confirm it i, just tell them its not. like, someone asked if we had a specific kayak and i usually just search the walmart app or run over to where itd be to check but the kayaks are to far for me to run to and the app said limited stock which usually means little to none so , i just put it on hold for a bit then tell him we’re out.

62: Do I perfer talking on the phone or video chatting online? i like video chatting in theory cause its nice to see people visibly react to stuff but i tend to get too self conscious about how i look so i  just do audio only

63: Do I believe in ghosts? How about aliens? yes to both !! i am both

64: Do I believe in magic? yes in some ways i suppose

65: Do I believe in luck? yes im v superstitious

66: What’s the weather like right now? its a pretty good day its sunny but not too hot :oo

67: What was the last book I’ve read? its been ages since i last read a book in full 😔  i honestly dont knwo what the last one would of been 😔 😔

68: Do I like the smell of gasoline? yes !!! love it

69: Do I have any nicknames? not anything i get consistently called no

70: What was the worst injury I’ve ever had? ive never gotten super hurt that i can think of ??

71: Do I spend money or save it? save it

72: Can I touch my nose with a tounge? no

73: Is there anything pink in 10 feets from me? doppio bean plush ,,,,

74: Favourite animal? hedgehogs!!!!

75: What was I doing last night at 12 AM? on my phone probably on tiktok or something waiting for jojo to come on toonami

76: What do I think is Satan’s last name is? I? dont think he has one i guess ??

77: What’s a song that always makes me happy when I hear it? butterflies by samsa but it makes me happy in the “im crying now” kinda way itss cute

78: How can you win my heart? just by being nice and respectful tbh ,

79: What would I want to be written on my tombstone? idk i dont really want anything fancy just my name (chosen name please god im so scared of dying and geting my birth name on my tombstone if that happens i WILL come back as a vengeful ghost) and my birth and death dates

80: What is my favorite word? saccharine

81: My top 5 blogs on tumblr by my tumblr crushes (which its been YEARS since i looked at) ; frostios, 27names4tears, smollpurrito, happynaru, and warpedlamp

82: If the whole world were listening to me right now, what would I say? if we being real id just get so scared dsjkfsldjglg  theres so much i could say i dont know :((

83: Do I have any relatives in jail? not ? that i know of 

84: I accidentally eat some radioactive vegetables. They were good, and what’s even cooler is that they endow me with the super-power of my choice! What is that power? why are all the questions worded super basic except this one skdlskdjfj. Shape shifting

85: What would be a question I’d be afraid to tell the truth on? i can really think of anything really as long as a friend is asking i tend to answer truthfully ?

86: What is my current desktop picture? Sobble BUT this reminded me that i wanted to change it to a xenoblade pic so its this now :

90: Failed a class? no

91: Kissed a boy? no

92: Kissed a girl? no

93: Have I ever kissed somebody in the rain? no but oh god just thinking about that im 🥺🥺🥺🥺 id die id melt 🥺🥺

94: Had job? ye i was a cashier for a year in highschool and then i work in wamlart apparel in the summers

95: Left the house without my wallet? not when I know ill need it no, but ive left it home if im just going to a friend or family member’s house or i have my mom’s card or some cash in my pocket

96: Bullied someone on the internet? no !!

98: Played on a sports team? no lmao i dont do sports

99: Smoked weed? no

100: Did drugs? i had a weed brownie like once but it was such a small piece i didnt really feel anything

101: Smoked cigarettes? no

102: Drank alcohol? Ye

103: Am I a vegetarian/vegan? not currently i was vegan for a little bit to encourage a friend that was doing it though

104: Been overweight? no

105: Been underweight? no

106: Been to a wedding?  yes three, my grandma’s when she got remarried, and both my brothers

107: Been on the computer for 5 hours straight? probably yes lmao often

108: Watched TV for 5 hours straight? not TV TV but if netflix and the like count then yes

109: Been outside my home country? no :(

110: Gotten my heart broken? not ? really no

111: Been to a professional sports game? ive been to a handful of Yankee games

112: Broken a bone? no

114: Been to prom? yes i went to my highschool’s and a friend’s highschool’s my senior year

115: Been in airplane? no

116: Fly by helicopter? no

117: What concerts have I been to? none :((((

118: Had a crush on someone of the same sex? ye

119: Learned another language? i took 3 years of Spanish in high school but i wasn’t any good at it and dont really remember much of what i did learn

120: Wore make up? yes i do often :0

123: Dyed my hair? ye a lot

124: Voted in a presidential election? yes ever since iv been old enough to i vote

125: Rode in an ambulance? no

126: Had a surgery?  dental surgery yes

127: Met someone famous? Not anyone i’d count no

128: Stalked someone on a social network? depends on what you count as stalking i guess but like not ever in a creepy way like ive been on people’s social media to find out stuff about them like. if theyre in a relationship or especially after highschool ill wonder about someone i havent talked to in awhile and ill see what theyve been up to and what theyre doing with their life and stuff

129: Peed outside? no

130: Been fishing? yes like once

131: Helped with charity? donation wise yes

132: Been rejected by a crush? ive never confessed to anyone and been rejected but once a friend told my crush i liked them and they confronted me about it and rejected me but it made me more mad at the friend that told them than it made me sad about being rejected because i knew it’d probably go like that  and it justmade thing awkward between us for awhile  😔

133: Broken a mirror? ive broken the little mirrors inside eyeshadow pallets but i havent broken full ones

134: What do I want for birthday? usually just money lol or something thoughtful and cute

135: How many kids do I want and what will be their names? i aggresivly do NOT want kids BUT hypohetically Elliot or Xander for a boy and idk what i’d nam a girl

136: Was I named after anyone? no

137: Do I like my handwriting?  its messy so no not really but if im writing something for myself like a not or whatever i dont mind as long as i can read it

138: What was my favourite toy as a child? even as a little kid i always played computer games but other than that, this guy :

139: Favourite Tv Show? Jojo

140: Where do I want to live when older? New york or japan

141: Play any musical instrument? i can kind of play harmonica

142: One of my scars, how did I get it? i burnt my thumb kinda bad on the oven a while ago its still kinda healing but right now it looks like its gonna stay a scar

143: Favourite pizza toping? i like everything/suprieme pizza but if i have to pick one single topping pepperoni

144: Am I afraid of the dark? yes :((

145: Am I afraid of heights? mentioned it earlier but yes if im not strapped in or secured etc

146: Have I ever got caught sneaking out or doing anything bad? no im so scared of being caught doing something bad that i just. dont

147: Have I ever tried my hardest and then gotten disappointed in the end? i mean yes but thats life babey

149: What my greatest achievments are ive gotten awards for grades and stuff but that boring BUT i got the english department award or whatever that was called im very proud of that

151: What I’d do if I won in a lottery i donate some and save the rest tbh

152: What do I like about myself i can be pretty  sometimes 👉👈 im cute or whateva ,,,

153: My closest Tumblr friend i dont really havent “tumblr friends” aside from friends i know irl and also tey have tumblrs ,,

154: Something I fantasise about just. growing up and having my own place maybe with someone and. being comfortable and  okay and not having to worry ,,

155: Any question you’d like? dkfjhdskhf japan :000

[shimmerleaf]

lool...STELLLLAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA~! 1-26 BECAUSE I'M AWFUUUUUUL~! Also, 27, which I've decided will be "what do you think of the Kebiishi?" [[you can take your time answering this ofc.]]

¯\_(ツ)_/¯Man, you have no chill Nima .-. but fine, we’ll do it your way. This gonna get long obviously, so under the cut so other ppl won’t have to scroll through my shit xD #7 was a mistake

1. What is your name and which server is your citadel on?

Stella in the Higo Province~ Pretty sure I just randomly picked a server at the start lulz

2. When did you start serving as a Saniwa? Please display your battle records.

September 28, 2017 8D Here, look at my shame lol 

3. Which starter sword did you pick? What is he doing now?

Yamanbagiri Kunihiro! I liked him a lot from what little screen time he had in Katsugeki and then what I saw of him in Hanamaru (+ dat Maeno voice is A++) so I went with him C: He’s a proud member of Unit 1 (tho those members get rotated around so they’re around the same levels) and helps me beat up the enemy ^^

4. Who is the first among your swords to reach the maximum level? What do you think of him.

No one has reached the max level yet LOL Hotarumaru will probably be the first one? Since he always gets MVP x’D fajkfsjdf I love him so much?? He’s so smol and precious?? MY SON! I can always count on him to take out the enemy for me without taking much damage and he’s just the most adorable thing?? I love him

5. Who do you have in each of your squads, and how do you use them? If you haven’t unlocked all four teams yet, briefly describe how you plan to organize them.

Got all four unlocked and uh, I just put in swords around the same level so I can train them up. Unit 1 is usually my strongest swords/main team (Yamanbagiri, Ichigo, Hotarumaru, Izuminokami, Hasebe, and Namazuo), while the other units are whoever I’m training up and use them for expeditions sometimes.

6. Without considering the performance of the swords, which type of sword do you prefer?

Tantou Tachi! Idk when it started but I just really like swords?? I see a character in a game/anime with a sword -> “I like that guy, he’s cool!” And I guess the swords typically used are tachis?? I actually have wanted to buy a sword lol, every year at the night market there’s a stand selling prop swords (like for cosplay and stuff) and I always joke about buying one but $$$ feelsbadman 

7. List the swords that you like and your thoughts on them.

I have a list here LOL No thoughts there tho :you should know all this, Nima

Yagen: My man, the bae, my everything. I love him the most （*’∀’人）♥ I love how caring he is towards his brothers and takes care of them when Ichigo isn’t there. It was so touching seeing him trying his best to summon Ichi-nii for his smol bros and I just jakfsjkf I cri every time. As serious as he can get sometimes, it’s also super cute seeing him playing with his brothers and messing around(?) sometimes, like in that beach episode

Ichigo: The husband because how can you not （〃・ω・〃）Putting aside the fact that he is beautiful and handsome and -swoon-  His laugh is precious?? I also love how caring he is and worries about his smol bros and takes care of them. Best onii-chan. He seems so gentle and kind. I find it super precious how it seems like he gets jealous over all the swords you have it’s k bby you’ll always be special to me  and -dreamy sigh- I love him?

Namazuo: I love his personality! φ(ﾟ ωﾟ//）♡ His cheerfulness and outgoing attitude is so precious and always makes me super happy in return. I love hearing his voice and I would want to be bffs with him. His quirk of throwing horse poop at people is so wtf but at the same time, it’s cute?? Even after kiwame, I still love him (tho I prefer his low ponytail than his high one o v o ). His tickle wars with the saniwa are really cute~ His genki attitude is like a breath of fresh air tbh and I love him. Please let me love you

Kashuu: I kinda wished I picked him as my starter because omfg, he is so precious and I want to smother him with my love, especially after watching Hanamaru. He has his own baggage and problems to deal with but instead of drowning in them, he still tries his best to help out Yamatonokami in Hanamaru, and fulfill the saniwa’s orders. He doesn’t let his insecurities get the better of him and I just jfkalsjdfkf ‘cause tbh I feel him? I’m scared of dying but I’m more scared of being abandoned and having no one?? So even if Kashuu is quick to latch onto a new master, I wouldn’t blame him at all and just give him all my love (((( ;°Д°)))) I want him to know he’s special and that I’d never abandon him ever

8. Are there any pairings that you like? If there is, please list them.

Nope~ I read a few Ichigo/Tsurumaru oneshots that were kinda cute but eh, I’m not really into shipping for TKRB.

9. Is your Citadel an employee-friendly Citadel or a black-hearted Citadel that works your swords to the bones?

I like to think it’s pretty employee-friendly ^^;; If they’re fatigued, I take them off the team and let them rest, or if most of the team is fatigued, then I let them chill. If they’re missing HP then I stick them in repairs (if I have a vacant room OTL) unless it’s just like, 1-2HP then I wait until after one more battle. Always quick to use help tokens though ‘cause I don’t want to wait 10hours LOL

10. Have you ever done anything weird to your swords?

Nooooo?? I can’t think of anything? Though I guess, with the current event (VoT6) Namazuo keeps getting owned and having to retreat so I guess the smart thing would be to put someone else on the team instead of him but I’m just like ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ since the damage isn’t permanent and keep on trucking since the exp is still pretty good. That’s not really weird and more of me being a bad Saniwa towards him tho?? lol orz

11. Have you ever broken a sword? What happened, and who did you break?

NOPE NOBDOY and hopefully it’ll stay like that ; u ; Man, I’d probably cry if someone broke ‘cause their lines are all so sad, especially my precious tantous ;o;

12. Who looses troops the most in your Citadel? And who is the most skilled at making troops?

Yamatonokami and Nikkari, for whatever reason :

13. Have you ever done something with all your might in order to get a particular sword? Please describe what you did and the results.

I pray to RNGesus and hope for the best?? xD What else can you do besides use an ofuda? Maybe I’ll try what I do in SIF next time and repeatedly click on the attendant lol

14. Are you superstitious? (wwww)

Sure? What is this question referring to o u o

15. What made you join the TKRB fandom in the beginning? How about now?

Hot guys LMAO K well, that’s what made me want to get into the game/fandom but all that stuff about needing a proxy/VPN looked too complicated for my dumb ass so I didn’t bother. But uh, I guess I first became aware of it because of cosplayers somehow?? Like I’d see super pretty pics of cosplayers and somehow knew it was from TKRB but that was it. Then the Hanamaru anime came out and I decided to watch it a few seasons afterwards, but there were too many characters and I kinda got bored? So I dropped it after three episodes =3= Then Katsugeki happened and my sis watched it first and spazzed to me how hot Izuminokami is (esp dat Ryohei Kimura voice) and I picked it up 6epis in? That’s it, I’m sold. I’m a goner. Then when the anime ended, I was super thirsty for more swordbois and spent like two hours fighting Flash trying to get the game to work, and here we are now C: I’m still in it for the hot guys LMAO c’mon now. 

16. What do you think of the current maps? Which map is good for training/grinding, which maps do you get lost in the most, which map do you want to burn?

Can I just fight all of World 7? Tho it’s probably my fault for my swords not being level90+ or something but e-e I’m getting destroyed so yeah, that just feelsbadman :

17. Are there any game systems or improvements that you hope DMM will implement?

Eh, probably but nothing comes to mind right now. Haven’t been playing this game for that long and everything seems fine to me~ 

18. If DMM cooperates on an event with another game/anime/etc., what would you like to see?

LOVE LIVE or any other idol show (Tsukipro/UtaPri~) ‘cause the bois as idols is just (｡･ω･｡)ﾉ♡ I’m going to scream and then die happily. Like, AWT48 was super adorable and the guys singing the EDs in Hanamaru was super cute too?? So why not take it a step further and just have them be idols : PP

Also, any sports anime will be great too! Obviously, I’m partial to Haikyuu rn xD We had a beach episode, sooo, beach volleyball could totally work!! 

But like, if it’s asking about stuff like that GBFxKatsugeki thing then uh, no answer because the only games I play are rhythm games LOL But, it would be cool if there was a FEH collab? o:

19. Have you ever spent money playing TKRB? Is so, how much? If not, do you plan to?

Not yet, but I probably will xD I want the other repair room and I definitely will need more space for swords. There are still a lot that I don’t have and with more new swords, I def need the space x3 better spending money on this than on gacha and disappointment lol

20. Is there any merchandise that you would like to buy or see?

Namazuo and Honebami nendoroid please! I know Namazuo has a figure but I like nendos way more :I’m getting Ichigo for Christmas and I already have Yagen so, making progress 8D

21. Have you done any fanwork? If so, what?

Not yet? I want to write fanfics but I’m super lazy and dead rn so maybe at the end of the semester and I’m not drowning in matchups that I need to do LOL

22. What do you think you are like as a Saniwa?

Definitely not like how I appear in my own fantasies LOL I’m hate people bad with people and am super shy and socially awkward, so getting friendly with the swords will take 5ever and uh, yeah? I’ll just be super awkward around them lmao and not know how to react and probably appear like I don’t like them or something?? While I’m internally stressing about how to befriend them and driving myself up a wall lol... 

23. If the government asked you to choose a sword to kill yourself with in terms of emergency, who would you pick?

I don’t want to make any of them do something like this ((o(;△;)o))  I don’t know… ( ≧Д≦) My first thought was Sayo but like, he doesn’t need a burden like this?? Considering how he already is, >_

24. The government has asked you to write a report: how would you describe the situation in your Citadel?

Resources are running low, smithing just results in an annoyed saniwa so take caution. The saniwa also gets angry when troops keep dying and needing to be replaced = RIP resources some more, so more caution is required. JK It’s a pretty chill place? Idk how to describe it, so I’ll prob make Hasebe do it for me : P Papers are annoying af to write omg

25. What do you think of the Retrograding Army?

I don’t understand the point of what they’re doing and how they’d benefit from changing history but given how shallow the plot is, ¯\_(ツ)_/¯  It was cool seeing them in Katsugeki tho, especially the shit they did in uh, Edo? Like it seems they actually had a plan and stuff xD

26. Lastly, please say something about the TKRB from the bottom of your heart!

Idk what I’ll be doing with my life now if I hadn’t started this game and I’m completely obsessed. This might wane in the future probably, but in the meantime, I’m here to have a good time and enjoy everything TKRB has to offer and I’m loving it so far

ありがとうございます！

Bonus: What do you think of the KBC?

They don’t show up when I want them to! D

[rcsettastone]

INTRODUCTION I.

D R .  E L É N A  P A V I A (  r o s e t t a  s t o n e  )

a gold snake curled around orange fruit. cat-eye sunglasses and a large hat that obscures one eye. the shadows of trees. your hair pulled back in a neat bun. low tide. black dresses with expensive earrings. old books with scribbles in the margins. a collection of sea shells. empty wine bottles and only one glass. raising your argument, not your voice. handwritten letters. an unknown silhouette behind a curtain. white silk nightgowns. standing in the sea to look at the moon. red wine and messy hair. twirling a pendant in your fingers. dancing on a beach. calls from unlisted numbers. hushed conversations. knowing what it is to have something taken from you.

age: thirty-one

sexuality: heterosexual (?)*

gender: cisgender female

allegiance & role: cambra historian & translator

a brief history: eléna is born to late-stage parents in southern spain on an andalusian horse ranch. while she loves both her parents, her father in particular - a large man with loud charisma - is her hero. at a wedding held on their ranch, a then-child eléna meets the man that would eventually become her Benefactor after she takes a cryptex from his room to play with. he in turn takes an interest in her due to her intellect and curiousity, and over the years checks in on her and the pavia family with increasing frequency. he sends her various puzzles, mental games, and monetary or material gains to her parents. simultaneously, eléna becomes increasingly aware of her father’s problems with alcoholism & gambling.

as she grows older, she aids her father in hiding some of the severity of his debts from her mother -- but as a result, their relationship begins to decay. at age 15, eléna is told by her benefactor that if she can achieve the exemplary marks he sets out of her, he will fund her attending university - transportation & accommodation included. after matching and exceeding what he wanted from her, eléna chooses to attend university in barcelona away from the family/life she has grown disenchanted with (read: her father). during this time, she sends back money given to her as an allowance by her benefactor to pay for her father’s continuing (albeit lesser) debts. she throws herself into schooling to the point of reckless obsession. with no friends or allies around her aside from the benefactor, she foregoes her health or any semblance of a personal life in order to please him and prove her worth. for a time, this single-minded recklessness proves effective, but is similarly efficient in draining her of energy and ability. with time, she begins to buckle under the weight of what she has pursued, developing insomnia and risking failure in at least one class. while it is never confirmed to her if the subsequent opportunity was brought to her by the benefactor, she cheats on a final exam after a classmate approaches her with concerns - and eventually the key to the examination. after graduation, she is given opportunities unsuited for someone as young and inexperienced as her due singularly to her connection to the benefactor. she has her daughter at (age undecided) -- the father is not in the picture, and does not play a role in their lives. nonetheless, due to the increasing financial aid of her sponsor to facilitate a proper home and childcare for her daughter, her career flourishes. with the birth of clio and an increasingly strained relationship, her father swears off drinking and gambling, and eléna ceases sending money back home.

having been sent to a dig in cairo, eléna at one point leaves her daughter with her parents in andalusia. upon coming home, she finds her father fallen victim to his old vices. but this time the ensuing argument reveals far deeper sins. in his inebriation and remorse, her father expresses her late birth was due to the full life he had lived prior to becoming a father and moving to the countryside -- - he was once a criminal and renowned thief. the only reason he had left this life behind was at the behest of her mother, and so they had purchased land far away from cities and temptation. the things he taught her and the childish games she had once played - learning to pick a pocket, the extensive treasure hunts, how to cheat at cards and never get caught - all made sense. 

she walks while her father begs forgiveness on his knees. he pleads for her to forget what he’s said, feign ignorance, go back to secrets. instead, she leaves with her daughter tucked into her arm, swearing he will never see her or his granddaughter ever again. 

eléna currently still receives money every month from her benefactor, which has increased substantially since her university days -- an unspoken seal to keep her quiet. it is enough to allow her to outright buy a large apartment in barcelona and far more luxuries than her cambra salary should allow. while she protests when he asks when he asks for another thievery, she has yet to not bring back what he requires. while he has never touched her inappropriately, eléna fears that and much more from him, should she fully refuse to participate in his charade any longer. she has been mulling over stealing a piece from ialis to sell illegally herself - only to finally accrue enough money and opportunity to remove herself from the control of her benefactor forever.  

fun facts:

putting this in the fact section as i’m unsure if i’ll make it canon yet, but my current thought (and the next big blow eléna couldn’t see coming) is that her father knew her ‘benefactor’ before they even met. something along the lines of he and his crew once stole art from the benefactor’s black market team/gang, and he’s been somewhat complicit - albeit full of anguish - in her being used by her sponsor.

her daughter clio is named after the grecian muse of history. haven’t fully decided on her age, but i’m thinking most likely 4 or 5. loves her more than anything, but does not talk about her with colleagues.

she loves to dance, and is exceptionally good -- but her adoration and skills only improve when she’s drunk. consider her the real life woman dancing in red dress emoji.

she has ABSIT OMEN tattooed on her outer right thumb/palm. it’s a latin phrase meaning “let an omen be absent.”

if that last fact didn’t clue you in, she’s surprisingly superstitious. she got her tattoo in that specific location as if it might prevent harm from the archaic, arcane things she touches.

lapsed roman catholic; spiritual. 

she smokes, but only when on location for a dig. she refuses to pick up a cigarette back in spain, lest she carry some of the fumes around her daughter.

film photography is a big hobby of eléna’s. she has two cameras with her on ialis.

catch her doing yoga and/or meditation every morning, because she believes in the link between physical and spiritual/mental wellness.

like the history nerd she is, she has a cat named artemisia, affectionately known as mishy.

she has the uncannily quick hands - aka part of the reason she’s been able to successfully steal and smuggle out the various artifacts and objects over the years

your resident card queen - any game you’ve got, she’s the reigning champ

plots / connections under the cut !

JEWEL OF THE NILE. ( open to : cambra ) a coworker that has become what might be the only deep friendship eléna has with someone from cambra! to the level that they’ve actually met or at least know of her daughter uwu. basically gimme someone 

ROMANCING THE STONE. ( open to : taha & local guides ) a previous fling that was had while on location on another dig. they definitely did not imagine they would run into each other again -- bonus points if they don’t even know they’re both archaeologists/involved in the same field. how they are now is completely up for discussion!

THE MUMMY. ( open to : big bois ) i mean, look. i’m not gonna lie to you here. do i want the rick to eléna’s evelyn? absolutely. that’s pretty much all i gotta say about this.

RETURN OF THE MUMMY. ( open to : silly bois ) did you think i wasn’t gonna mention the jonathan to her evie? incomprehensible. give me the looser, more-fun potentially brother-like figure

SCORPION KING. ( open to : all ) eléna is complex, particularly when you start looking at her extracurricular thievery, but she is still a soft, quiet woman. you see a figure standing in the shallows at night looking at the moon? that’s her. this muse sees these sides of her and for one reason or another grows rather protective over miss moon-gazer

NATIONAL TREASURE. ( open to : preferably younger ) she is Cambra’s Official Mom, but this individual is someone she particularly looks after or checks up on -- could definitely be in taha too!

RAIDERS OF THE LOST ARK. ( open to : all ) okay so this is kind of dependent on plot drops/how the game develops, but please give me someone to... break rules with her. cambra or taha, when eléna starts noticing something Else is going on on ialis island, her interest is going to extend far beyond 

TEMPLE OF DOOM. ( open to : all ) angsty exes, in short. this might work better with cambra, but could also work with someone else with the right plotting. we could go any direction with this, but my guess would be eléna ended the relationship due to her inability to become emotionally vulnerable/getting Scared of her Feelings

THE LAST CRUSADE. ( open to : all ) the current flirtation. walking to town together, or coincidentally bumping into one another at the main square and smiling from across the way. sitting too close. unnecessary compliments. wondering how long the tension is going to last.

SKULL ISLAND. ( open to : cambra ) a longtime coworker that is curious/suspicious/concerned over how the good dr. pavia always seems to keep herself at arm’s length from everyone... and nobody seems to know all that much about her

JOURNEY TO THE CENTRE OF THE EARTH ( open to : all ) someone as superstitious as eléna that can bond with her when the Strange Happenings start to occur on the island

* you may note there is a question mark next to eléna’s sexuality..... WELL. while her muse gives me tragically hetero vibes, every time i try and play that out it.... never works out the few times i try and do it. so. honestly don’t consider the door fully shut for any plots just bc your muse is nb or female, i just may need to think it over more!!!

wanted threads: drunk dancing by the fire, eventual skinny-dipping, getting trapped somewhere like the caves or a spontaneously collapsed pit, ur muse is getting in a fight with a local over a misunderstanding borne by the language disconnect and eléna comes in and smooths things over, stealing a book or notes from the taha camp

[milkpuddjng]

the signs as people i know irl 👀

aries male: really chill and into streetwear, lowkey a huge romantic that asked me for help on where to get candles for his girlfriend +! cares about his friends a lot. MORE EMOTIONAL THAN HE LETS ON!!!!! however, i also know an aries male with the biggest ego ever, who's a dick and not very loyal. thinks he's the king of. everything and is in general a No aries fem: TOUGH!!!!!!! this girl is tough!!!!!!! and also v vvv cute like. has the most muscular body ever and is the best. she loves big tits and is the bluntest person i've met. very protective though, and not to be angered. EASILY RILED!! but is still cute when riled/ angry (as long as it's not at you) taurus male: very. maley. eats ALOOTTTTTTTT all the taurus guys i know are all very tall?? hm strange. has a bad sense of humour but is one of my good friends in school. uses "cock" and "penis" a lot. likes to admire female legs! very maley, sings terrible renditions of firework by katy perry. also best friends with a tall dude and a tall non-dude. they're a very cute trio taurus female: is scary. deadass scary. not well liked by a lot of people, but is actually quite soft on the inside. has a conscience!! but really doesn't seem like she does. picks fights easily, DO NOT THREATEN HER UNLESS YOU HAVE A DEATH WISH. however also once showed me her bra strap because it was lacy and nice to touch gemini male: looks like a quiet kid, is actually ambitious, SHADY, a ladies' man and quite sensitive. honestly not well liked by other dudes because he's kinda a dick sometimes. gets scared by rebels and gangsters lmaO easily intimidated and jumps to conclusions about people very easily! gemini fem: THE CUTEST, super Blur sometimes but is actually really really good at math. eats very very messily, wants to have 17 jobs in the future. easy to fall in love with, easy to fall out of love with. seems like a bimbo IS NOT she is smart, doe eyed and hilarious. loves crocodiles and is a die hard romantic cancer male: A DICK that has to Sort out his emotions and stop them from hurting people he gets close to!! very sociable, i'm friends with him too. a bit vain but not as bad as egoistic aries. his b.o after he exercises is potent enough to kill a horse. gives sound advice if he doesn't feel the need to be cool cancer female: very very very pretty, laughs and smiles very prettily! but not the fake type, the very glowy type. into lame puns and sarcastic replies. AVOIDS CONFRONTATION LIKE NOBODYS BUSINESS, but doesn't beat around the bush!! also a No to opening up. at all. but writes very sweet cards and is very sweet and lovely LIKES FOOD AND LOOKING AT PRETTY GIRLS leo male: is actually really fun to tease, funny once you get past his lameness. complies easily, but has his own limits too. his deepest darkest secret was that he shaved his eyebrow off when he was 6 and had to fill them in with an eyebrow pencil for a while. leo fem: VERY SWEET AND NASTY OMg,,, she's so soft but so terribly into smut i swear it's scary. she's super caring and hilarious and straightforward as Fuck. nerds out with you and buys you the nicest things!! pays the nicest compliments and is super generous with them. one of my favourite people virgo male: a bit............... emo at times, really eats a lot. is kinda lazy and sometimes banks on his existing skills to get him by? is sometimes hopelessly deluded, and is into top. really thoughtful about the people he's close to though! and a bit fickle minded. eats way too much virgo fem: HARDWORKINGGGGG, superstitious and everything she wears suits her and the way she does her outfits is a Yes! from me. deserves all the good grades, is one of the most worried people i know. SENSIBLE IF NOTHING ELSE and knows what's good for her and what's not. very cute personality, has her life planned quite well, BUT BUYS SMALL ASS KEYCHAINS FOR $19 EACH libra male: competitive!!!!!! easily worked into a frenzy HAHAHA. quite charming although i don't know why, used to be called a pretty boy! is very studies oriented, but is also a fuckboi. gives terrible advice if he wants to seem cool, but is actually good to study with. a friend of mine and actually less of a dick than what people give him credit for libra fem: nicer than what people give her credit for, easily a push over. sees the good in people and doesn't care much about reputations. very lovely until she realises her kindness has been taken advantage of, then she becomes a bit scary and cold towards everyone. takes past experiences as a learning point and also is quite blur at times! tends to digress a lot and deviate from her point. a good teacher though, and explains things well enough! scorpio male: very lazy, smart and athletic though! irritating to argue with, uses illogical points to piss you off on purpose even though he knows it doesn't make sense. uses 'so?' a lot. is cute though, and has very funny reactions to things. is very simple minded, and straightforward. has no airs about him, is very genuine scorpio fem: a big fat NO, hates everyone like really EVERYONE, into american white boy bands, thinks violence is the answer to a lot of things, has an edgy obsession with knives. doesn't know what's good for herself, is a bit deluded and overestimates herself sometimes. but caring, and takes a long time for her to come out of her shell. also uses 'so?' alot sag male: hilarious, genuinely hilarious. could not give a single shit about the greater good, is offensive all the time. animated, and doesn't know what to do with his life. SMART but doesn't seem like it. good judge of character, and someone that makes you feel more comfortable in uncomfortable situations. a good guy underneath many many many layers, and cares for his close friends through small small actions. sag fem: pure evil. just. fucking EVIL. the most two faced Bitch i have ever met, defamed scorpio f but still managed to manipulate her into becoming friends again???v¿???¿ terrible, would throw your expensive shoes into the pool or bury your shoes and blame it on someone else. no courage to own up to her shit either, so really just an annoying bastard that has gotta go cap male: TALL, is very emotional. looks aloof and like a fuckboi but is pretty aight. good insights on things and is a chill guy to hang out with. does stupid things sometimes, is good with words. very similar to aqua fem,, doesn't like to be wrong but considers two options and has an open mind. judgmental though hm cap female: is flustered easily and is hilarious!! tall, but a gentle giant who's honestly so nice to be around. emotional, i've seen her cry several times. but very obsessed with sloths and big tits, likes to look swag !! which she is. super open, talks about sex and porn in a hilarious manner, best friends with cancer f and aries f aqua male: EMOTIONALLLL, and constantly salty about the past 👀 nice to talk to, takes the initiative sometimes as well. goes through alot, is the living embodiment of needing constant emotional support. always constantly salty about the past, talks to many many girls. guys don't like him aqua female: fuckin weird, like just. fucking weird. honestly is Not likeable because she does some of the stupidest things but is actually a sweetheart deep down. shrouds her emotions well enough, means everything she says. likes to have an Open Mind, also tries to play things in her favour quite a lot. one of my closest friends though! and is very content with the small things pisces male: ho BOIIIII the most extra lamest motherfucker there is. hilarious, has the biggest reactions to things and is also a True Brother. very caring towards the people he cares about, and is the typical "i'll teach my son how to pick up girls but my daughter ain't allowed to date till she's 30" kinda guy. good looking and @ first looks like his ego is Sky high but it's not, really. dabs a lot, A HYPEBEAST pisces female: eek. beats around the bush a lot, doesn't like letting people down so she sometimes twists truths and tries to subtly hint at stuff. complete opposite of straightforward. docile! and compliant! rule abiding as well, does not like it when people call her out in the slightest. but a sweet girl overall, and is very appreciative of everyone around her !