#but hey! the one dream where i didn't actually faint meeting him

[just-slightly-chayotic]

i dreamt that i met jeff and he was a dick. and then i called him a dick to his face

[clare-875]

Hey Clare😙 love your writing so much! Could I request a shanks x jealous!reader, where the reader feels as though their love for is unrequited due to shanks’ many flings (but it’s actually not)? Thank u so much, muah!❤️

Envy (Shanks x Reader)

_____ Pairing: Shanks x Female Reader Summary: You think your love for him is unrequited. Warnings: Jealous reader, harassment, alcohol, angst/fluff A/N: I'm so glad you like my stories <3 I hope you enjoy this one! [One Piece Masterlist] _____

There he goes again.

You watch your Captain from where you sit in a dimly lit bar, lips pulled into a tight frown. The feeling bubbles up within you before filling you so much, you could suffocate. Jealousy. Shanks has a wide grin on his face as once again, beautiful women gravitate towards the red-haired man. Who wouldn't? Your Captain, who was so powerful and skilled he upheld the status of an emperor. Your Captain, the famous leader of the Red-Haired Pirates. Your Captain, so charismatic and charming and frustratingly attractive. You let out a deep, decrepit sigh.

Why did you have to fall for him?

He has an arm wrapped loosely around a blond-haired woman with a model-like body, cradling a drink in his other hand. Two more women sit by him and linger, fighting for his attention. You can faintly hear them laugh at something he said in the distance. Gritting your teeth, you force your gaze to the drink in your hand, swirling it periodically like it could help the turmoil you feel now. It had been the same cycle over and over the past few months, with Shanks flirting and bringing a woman to bed each night you were ashore. Then, that same woman would leave the next morning, his form nowhere to be seen.

With his flings came his distance.

He could barely meet your gaze the following day, and it had felt like there was a greater space between you since his cycle of women had started. It hurt you. Not only because the man you were in love with paid more attention to someone who wasn't yourself, but because he didn't even seem to care about the women he brought to his bed. You felt as though he cherished time with faceless women more than you. You thought the two of you had been friends, maybe even inkling to the beginnings of something more. Countless times have you stayed up late, talking about your dreams. Countless times have you drunk and danced together, laughing uncontrollably. Countless times had you bantered, and smiled and gazed at the other.

All for it to be suddenly lost. Like you hadn't meant anything to him.

This one-sided love, his carelessness. You had been holding out hope that maybe he would look to you like he used to all those months ago. But now you start to see that it is getting helpless, and you feel like you are going crazy. He had entrapped you in your feelings. You knew you had to move on - you can't bear this a second longer - you just didn't know if you could. Faint tears sting your eyes but you force them away. You can't cry for him anymore.

"Hey, you alright?"

Your eyes travel upwards are you are met with the knowing gaze of Benn Beckham. "You know he's an idiot right?" Maybe it was the way he too, was good with women and frequently brought them to bed, but he had somehow seen so clearly that Shanks's flings were getting to you. Maybe you hadn't been hiding your feelings well enough, but you could barely care anymore. "I'm fine Benn, I'm just gonna go get another drink." You smile to the best of your ability and leave him be, walking up to the bartender, hoping you could just drink your troubles away.

It is your turn to order when a man approaches you.

"Hey, I'll get that for you." The voice of a stranger reaches your ears and you look up surprised to see a man offering to pay for the drink you ordered. You weren't necessarily scarse of men approaching you, but you hadn't found the courage to pursue anything amid your feelings for Shanks. Maybe it was time to move on. Maybe it was time for a change. "Thank you." You try to push your inner turmoil aside and force your lingering gaze away from your Captain. "No problem." The man is surprisingly attractive, and a polite smile reaches the corners of your face.

His gaze holds keen interest. "You know, you caught my eye the minute you walked in." You smile at the man's sudden boldness, raising a brow as you hold your drink in one hand. "Really?" He grins wide at your amusement. "You don't happen to have a boyfriend, do you?" You feel your heart tug sharply in your chest at his words and suddenly you're fighting a frown. You spare one last glance at your Captain. He was distracted by the woman under his arm and grinning wide. Your eyes dart back to the man in front of you waiting expectantly.

"No, there's no one in my life."

Moments pass well enough, and the man who sits in front of you is nice at least. He just wasn't the man you wanted. Maybe moving on wasn't that easy. You smile and nod and listen intently, you shake your head and pitch into conversation. But soon, you fight a yawn as he speaks mainly of himself and his glory, barely showing the interest he claimed to have had in you. What's more, you realise his boldness quickly, as he closes the space between you with each minute that passes. Maybe it wasn't interest you saw earlier in his eyes, but lust. The smile you keep on your face starts to strain against your skin.

"Hey," your gaze snaps forward as you realise you have been lost in your thoughts, most likely looking into the void. The man in front of you doesn't seem to notice, however, as there is no change in his attitude. "Do you wanna get out of here?" His hand reaches out to touch your thigh, and you suddenly feel ill. You see it then so clearly, that he simply wanted you in his bed from the beginning, most likely to be discarded the morning after. What was it with men these days? You try to maintain your composure and you reach for the hand that touches your skin, removing it promptly from your thigh.

"Actually, I'm good thanks."

You go to stand, placing an empty glass on the counter. "This was nice," you say, "but I should go now." As you move, however, his hand that lingers reaches for your arm. You freeze at the contact, but he is all up in your space again, and his sudden actions take you back. "What-" But he interrupts moving closer to your face. "I don't think so, sweetheart. I like what I see. I want to see where this goes..." A frown instantly marks your face, as your blood pumps hot within you. Does he know who he's talking to? Yes, you may seem like any other woman at the bar, but you were a pirate. A pirate on an Emporer's crew. "Why, you-"

"What's going on here?"

The man freezes. There is darkness that fills the air along with the suddenly dangerous atmosphere. A figure looms behind you.

"I- I-," the man drops your arm instantly, stuttering as fear creeps up on his features. Who wouldn't in the face of an emperor? You don't turn, but you know it is Shanks who stands behind you, and his sharp eyes are trained on where the man had touched your skin. Though you do not see, Shank's face morphs into one of unusual, pure fury. It has the man in front of you basically falling to your feet. "Get out of here." Your Captain's words are spoken low and he places a hand on your shoulder, pulling you back into him.

The man all but runs from your side.

There is a tension that lingers in the aftermath, but it is broken by your movements, shrugging off Shanks's hand. There is a brief silence that follows. "I was fine." Your words are muttered softly, and there is a pain that lingers in your chest. Why did it have to be he who came? Didn't he know how painful this was for you already? Shanks watches your darkened expression carefully and lets out a deep sigh. "Look [y/n], I won't stop you from pursuing guys but at least pick better ones-" You turn as your facade cracks, bringing forth anger.

"You're the last person I need to hear that from Shanks. Why don't you go back to your little group, I'm sure they're missing you."

Shanks freezes under the weight of your glare and sharp words. He had never seen you look at him in such a way. You fight your emotions as you look at the surprise in your Captain's face, and you move. You need air, there was no oxygen in this bar and it felt like you were suffocating. "Wait, [y/n]-" But you don't stop, you were tired and hurt and envy filled your senses. Why couldn't he see how much you loved him? Why can't he see how much he hurts you?

"[y/n]!"

Finally feeling like you can breathe in the crisp evening air, Shanks has caught up to you before barely a moment passes. "[y/n], is there something wrong?" His words are what make you break completely. With alcohol still burning in your system and your raging feelings, you finally let it spill. A laugh of disbelief escapes you. "Wrong? You're really asking me if something's wrong Shanks, now?!" Shanks watches wide-eyed as you eye him with a mixture of sadness and anger.

"You've barely spoken to me, let alone looked at me these past few weeks! You have a new woman in your bed every other day! There's nothing here anymore. What happened to friendship? What happened to-" You pause, realising you've spoken too much of your mind, but Shanks's eyes only widen further in surprise. "I liked you, Shanks. I actually thought you-" A tear slips from your eye that you wipe harshly from your cheek, turning away. But Shanks reacts before you can take a single step, and a hand holds you to him before you are engulfed in his embrace.

You struggle in his arms, tears now pouring as you tell him to let you go. "I don't want your pity Shanks! Go! You have people waiting for you inside-" But Shanks doesn't budge an inch, instead all that fills him is utter regret, and shame, and pain. All this time, you liked him too? All this time he had spent trying to push his feelings aside with nameless women, only to feel deep remorse when he saw your face the next morning. All this time he had pushed away your friendship, and the inkling of something more. He had pushed you away because, for the first time, the Red-Haired Shanks were scared. Scared of losing you.

He was a coward.

"Shanks-" The red-haired Emporer can feel his heart clench against his chest at your words to leave you be, but he can't let you go. He won't let you go, he doesn't think he can bear your absence any longer. What torture had he put the both of you through, for no reason at all but his stupidity? Would you even forgive him? "[y/n]... I'm sorry." You freeze suddenly at his words, feeling your heart drop even further within you. Of course, here it comes, the rejection. But Shanks's words are beyond what you thought they would be.

"I like you too... no, I'm in love with you." You feel your breath caught in your throat as you start to shake your head against his chest, fighting to move from his arms once more. "Liar! Then what about all those women you slept with! You wouldn't even look at me-" Shanks quickly interrupts before you spill your words once more. "I thought that pushing you away would make the feeling fade. All those women, they were part of that too. But, [y/n], they're nothing compared to you. Believe me." Shanks finally releases you from his embrace and you scramble back a few steps watching his pleading expression with wide eyes.

"Forgive me."

You meet his burning red eyes with trepidation, but all you see is his sincerity, his regret. You are utterly speechless. Shanks was in love with you? Shanks returned your feelings? You move forward, anger suddenly filling you as you move closer and you swing, one punch right into his chest. Shanks doesn't move or flinch, he merely takes the brunt of your attack though it barely does anything to the emperor. "You, you're telling the truth?" Your words are spoken as though still unsure, and you let your arm fall to your side. Shanks observes your darkened expression, but his remorse does nothing to fade.

"Yes."

One step forward, followed by another, you move once more. Holding the collar of his shirt you pull him down to you with what strength you can muster, and suddenly your lips are on his. Shanks stops in surprise but is quick to pull you close to him and return your fervour. The kiss is angry and passionate and all you had dreamt it would be. Your hands move deep into his hair, and his arms wind themselves around your waist. You feel his warmth and want against you. When you part, it is only because you need a breath.

"You're stupid."

You speak low, but with the lingering joy that fills your senses. You had kissed him.

"You were jealous."

Shanks retorts, murmuring his words into your skin, but you don't miss the teasing undertone. You frown, hitting him lightly in mock irritation. "Shanks, do you really want to be-" But he quickly cuts you off with another kiss to your lips.

"I still haven't forgiven you, you know."

Shanks leans his head against yours, finally content.

"I know."

Let's just say the following weeks are spent with Shanks bending to your every will and want. It takes a while for you to get over the flings that put a gap between the two of you, but soon you forgive him. He couldn't be happier with you by his side. You were all he wanted, and all he could ever want.

[callsigns-haze]

2 3 make 3 4

Summary: After months of messing around with one of Penny's bartenders a knock and a ditch may have changed the couples life forever.

Pairing: Bradley x Jake x Reader

Warning: This story contains mature themes, including explicit sexual content and pregnancy.

The familiar sound of cue balls clicking together echoed through The Hard Deck, blending seamlessly with the hum of conversation and the occasional burst of laughter. Behind the bar, you worked efficiently, sliding beers across the counter and topping off margaritas, your hands moving almost instinctively. It was a busy night, but you thrived on it. The tips were good, the energy was infectious, and Penny trusted you to hold the fort.

You were wiping down the counter when you noticed him. Bradley Bradshaw. Rooster, as his friends called him. His sun-streaked hair caught the dim light as he weaved through the crowd, his Hawaiian shirt loud enough to draw attention but not enough to distract from the confident ease of his walk. He smiled as he approached the bar, and even before he reached you, you knew he had that look in his eye.

"Hey, YN," Bradley greeted, leaning on the bar. His deep voice was warm, familiar, laced with just enough flirtation to send a shiver down your spine.

"Bradley," you replied smoothly, meeting his gaze. "What can I get you?"

He glanced over his shoulder briefly, scanning the room before turning back to you. His lips curved into that knowing smile, the one you'd seen far too many times by now.

"Two lagers and a whiskey neat," he said, then paused, letting the words hang in the air just long enough to make you curious. "And… are you free tonight?"

Your heart skipped a beat, but you didn't let it show. Instead, you arched an eyebrow, busying yourself with pouring the beers. "Is Jake in on this, or are you going rogue?"

Bradley chuckled, the sound low and teasing. "You know I wouldn't dream of stepping out of line. He's been asking about you, actually."

The beers were ready, and you placed them on the counter, taking your time as you poured the whiskey. "I thought you two were supposed to be planning a wedding," you teased, your voice light but your pulse quickening.

"We are," Bradley admitted, leaning a little closer. "But you know how we like to keep things… interesting."

Your breath hitched, memories of past nights flashing through your mind. The three of you had a rhythm, an understanding that went unspoken but never unappreciated. Jake’s sharp confidence and Bradley’s easy charm were a combination you could never quite resist.

"I close up at midnight," you said, sliding the whiskey toward him. "You know where to find me."

Bradley’s grin widened, and he tapped the counter lightly before picking up the drinks. "See you then."

You watched as he walked away, his shoulders relaxed, his stride easy. Your heart was pounding in a way that had nothing to do with the busy night.

Midnight couldn’t come fast enough.

---

The faint glow of the living room’s dim lighting cast long shadows on the walls, giving the space an intimate, almost dreamlike feel. You barely had a chance to take in the surroundings before Jake’s hands were on you, firm yet teasing, guiding you back until your shoulders met the cool surface of the wall.

"Missed you," he murmured, his voice a low drawl that sent heat pooling in your stomach. His green eyes gleamed with mischief as his lips brushed the corner of your mouth, deliberately just shy of a kiss.

"Jake," you whispered, your breath hitching.

Before you could say more, Bradley’s larger frame moved in from the side, his presence grounding yet electric. His fingers tilted your chin toward him, and his lips captured yours in a kiss that was slow and deliberate, as if savouring the moment. Jake chuckled softly at your reaction, his hands skimming down your sides, the friction sending a shiver through you.

"You always get her first," Jake teased Bradley, his tone light but laced with playful competitiveness.

"Someone has to make sure she’s warmed up," Bradley replied, his voice rumbling against your lips as he pulled back just enough to speak.

Your head tilted back against the wall as Jake’s lips found the curve of your neck, his stubble scraping in a way that sent sparks down your spine. You could feel his smirk against your skin, the kind of confidence that made it impossible to resist him. Bradley’s hands slid down to your hips, anchoring you as his mouth trailed along your jawline, each touch of their lips igniting a fire that left you breathless.

"Think she missed us?" Jake murmured against your ear, his voice a tantalizing mix of amusement and desire.

"Why don’t we ask her?" Bradley said, his hands tightening slightly on your hips, his lips hovering just above yours.

Your breath came in shallow bursts as you tried to form words, but the intensity of their attention left you speechless. Jake pulled back just enough to meet your gaze, his grin wicked.

"Don’t worry, darlin’. We’ve got all night to remind you."

Your breath hitched as Bradley’s lips ghosted over yours, his blue eyes locking onto yours with a mix of warmth and mischief. He leaned in closer, so close that his words brushed against your lips like a caress.

“Speechless already?” he teased, his voice low and rich, sending a thrill through you.

Before you could respond, Jake’s hands slid from your hips to your waist, his touch confident and deliberate. He was just as smug, his voice dripping with that signature southern drawl. “Guess she doesn’t need to answer, Roo. We’ve got all the proof we need right here.”

The heat of their attention was almost overwhelming. Bradley kissed the corner of your mouth, the lightest of touches that left you aching for more. Jake, meanwhile, trailed his lips along your neck, the sensation a maddening mix of softness and the rough graze of his stubble.

“Look at you,” Jake murmured, his tone playful yet reverent. “All pinned up like this. You could’ve said no, you know.”

His words earned a sharp breath from you, and you felt the warmth of Bradley’s laugh vibrate against your skin. “But she didn’t,” Bradley added, his lips finding the hollow of your throat, placing a lingering kiss there.

You felt your knees weaken, the wall behind you your only anchor as their combined teasing unravelled you. Jake pulled back just enough to meet your eyes, his grin cocky. “Careful, darlin’. Don’t go melting on us too soon.”

You managed a breathy laugh, though your voice came out softer than you intended. “You’re both impossible.”

“And yet,” Bradley said, his hands cupping your face as his lips brushed yours again, slow and tantalizing, “here you are.”

Jake’s hand slid to your chin, tilting your face toward him as he claimed your lips, his kiss a stark contrast to Bradley’s. It was firmer, demanding in the best way, leaving you dizzy. When he pulled away, his green eyes were alight with mischief.

“Think we’ve got her flustered enough?” Jake asked, glancing at Bradley, though his hands stayed firmly on you, ensuring you had no escape.

Bradley leaned back slightly, his gaze sweeping over you with deliberate slowness. “Not even close.”

You didn’t even notice when Bradley’s hands slipped beneath your thighs until you felt yourself being lifted, your back still pressed against the wall. A surprised gasp escaped you, but his grip was secure, strong, and undeniably confident.

“Easy there,” he said, his tone dripping with amusement as he adjusted you in his arms. “We’ve got you.”

Jake stepped back just enough to make room, his eyes scanning you with a playful hunger that made your cheeks flush. “Carrying her off already, Roo?” he teased, though his hand found its way to your knee, sliding up your leg in a way that made your breath hitch.

“Someone has to do the heavy lifting,” Bradley shot back, grinning as he began to move, effortlessly carrying you away from the wall.

Jake followed close behind, his fingers trailing lazily along your calf as he walked. “Yeah, yeah. Don’t act like you’re not showing off,” he drawled, his smirk widening when you gave him a glare that lacked any real heat.

You were dimly aware of the living room fading behind you, the hallway to their bedroom stretching ahead. The steady rhythm of Bradley’s steps and Jake’s low chuckle in your ear only added to the heady anticipation curling in your stomach.

As you reached the doorway, Jake stepped ahead to push it open, pausing to glance over his shoulder. “Think you can handle this, Bradshaw? Don’t want you dropping her before we’ve even started.”

Bradley snorted, the sound vibrating through you. “You’re hilarious, Seresin.” He carried you into the room with ease, his lips brushing your temple in a way that sent a shiver down your spine.

Jake shut the door behind him with a quiet click, the sound punctuating the shift in the air. The energy was different here—more focused, more intimate. Bradley laid you gently on the bed, his hands lingering for just a moment before Jake joined him, standing beside him with a look that promised the teasing was far from over.

“You comfortable, sweetheart?” Jake asked, his drawl softer now as he leaned over you, his hand brushing a stray hair from your face.

You gave a faint nod, your heart pounding as you looked between the two of them. “I think so,” you managed, your voice breathy but steady enough to make Jake grin.

Bradley leaned down, his lips brushing yours once more before he pulled back just enough to speak. “Good. Because we’re not done with you yet.”

You gasp as Jake and Bradley's hands roam over your body. “You like that, don't you angel?” Jake murmurs in your ear. His fingers ghost along your inner thigh as Bradley kisses down your neck.

“Please,” you whimper.

“Please what?” Bradley teases, nipping at your collarbone.

“I need you both,” you moan.

Jake reaches for the lube. “We've got you, baby,” he says, slicking himself up. Bradley follows suit. You cry out in pleasure as they slowly enter you together, stretching you deliciously. “Oh god,” you pant as they begin to move in tandem.

“So tight,” Jake groans.

“So good,” Bradley echoes.

Jake and Bradley establish a steady rhythm, their hips rolling in perfect synchronization. Jake's thick length slides against your slick walls as Bradley fills you from behind. The fullness is exquisite.

“Harder,” you beg. They oblige eagerly, increasing their pace. The sound of skin slapping against skin echoes through the room.

Jake's fingers dig into your hips as he drives into you forcefully. Bradley's chest is pressed against your back, his lips and teeth marking your shoulder.

“You feel amazing,” Jake pants. His thumb finds your sensitive nub and begins rubbing tight circles.

The pressure builds rapidly as Jake and Bradley drive into you relentlessly. Your entire body tingles with pleasure, every nerve ending alight. Jake's skilled fingers on your most sensitive spot send jolts of electricity through you with each pass.

“I'm so close,” you gasp.

“Let go,” Bradley growls in your ear. “We want to feel you come undone.”

Their words and movements push you over the edge. The dam breaks and waves of intense pleasure crash over you. Your inner walls clamp down on them as your release gushes forth, coating their lengths.

Jake groans as your wetness drenches him. “That's it, drench us,” he whimpers.

Your body quakes uncontrollably as the orgasm rolls through you. More fluid rushes out with each pulse, soaking the sheets beneath you.

Your pulsing walls trigger their release. Jake erupts first, his hot seed painting your insides. Bradley follows seconds later, his cock throbbing as he empties himself deep within you. Their simultaneous climaxes prolong your own ecstasy.

“Oh god, yes,” you moan, feeling their warm essence filling you.

Aftershocks ripple through your body. Each tremor squeezes more of their cum from their shafts. The mixture of your combined fluids leaks out around their lengths, trickling down your thighs.

Panting heavily, Jake slowly withdraws. The sudden emptiness makes you whimper. You feel a gush of fluid follow his exit, spilling onto the already soaked sheets.

Bradley lingers a moment longer, savouring the last quivers of your pussy around him. When he finally pulls out with just his words he could make you cum again. “God, I've missed our little pet.”

---

Nine months had passed since you’d last stepped into their home. Since that night when everything had changed, when the three of you had been tangled in desire, a bond that seemed as much about exploration as it was about connection. Since then, Jake and Bradley’s life had moved forward in a way that felt solid and full, but also quieter—like a piece of their puzzle was missing.

It hadn’t been intentional, the distance that grew between them and you. They knew that. But you had vanished without a trace, no message, no explanation. It was a soft pain that lingered, a void neither of them could quite fill. They had their life together—married for six months now—but they still thought of you, often.

Tonight was one of those evenings when they simply needed to be with each other. The living room was dim, the soft glow of the TV screen casting light across the room. The scent of fresh popcorn lingered in the air, but the warmth between them was what kept them anchored. Bradley lay on his back, one arm draped lazily over the back of the couch, while Jake nestled into his side, his legs draped over Bradley’s. They were quiet, the world outside of their small bubble fading away.

A romantic comedy was playing on the screen—a sappy, predictable one with just enough cheesy lines to make them groan. The plot didn’t matter; it was the feeling that hung in the air. The closeness between them. The subtle touches, the way Jake’s fingers traced the outline of Bradley’s chest, the way Bradley’s lips brushed the top of Jake’s head every few minutes.

“Think we’ll ever get a romcom ending?” Jake asked, his voice low and teasing, but there was a soft undertone to it. The kind that made Bradley pause and think for a moment.

Bradley chuckled, shifting just enough to kiss the top of Jake’s head. “If we did, it’d probably involve some kind of epic disaster before the happy ending.”

“True,” Jake agreed, nuzzling into his shoulder, the slight rise and fall of Bradley’s chest calming him. “But hey, that’s the fun part. Watching it all unfold.”

“Mm,” Bradley hummed, his hand gently resting on Jake’s thigh, fingers stroking lightly. The TV played on in the background, but it was more of a soundtrack to the warmth between them than anything else.

There was no mention of you, no mention of the emptiness that had lingered since you left. They both felt it, but tonight wasn’t about that. It was about the now. About the comfort they found in each other, the steady rhythm of their hearts. Jake shifted slightly, turning his head up toward Bradley.

“You know,” Jake said softly, his lips curling into a teasing smile, “this is nice. Just us, no distractions.”

Bradley smiled back, his thumb running gently over Jake’s hand. “It is. But don’t get used to it. You know Nat’s been begging us to come by. She thinks we’re avoiding her.”

Jake snorted. “As if we could ever avoid Phoenix. We’ll go by next weekend, promise.” He leaned in, his lips brushing Bradley’s jaw in a quick, affectionate kiss.

Bradley’s arm tightened around him, pulling him a little closer. “Mm, I think I can make that wait.” He kissed Jake’s forehead, a soft, tender gesture that spoke volumes more than words could.

The quiet of the evening was broken by a knock on the door. It was unexpected—there were no plans, no guests. Just the soft flicker of the TV and the familiar warmth of being wrapped up in each other’s company.

Bradley and Jake exchanged a glance, a moment of confusion passing between them as the knock echoed again, more insistent this time. The fact that they weren’t expecting anyone made them hesitate for a beat longer than usual, and Bradley shifted slightly, looking down at Jake, who was already settling deeper into the couch.

“You want to get it?” Jake asked, his voice lazy with a teasing edge. He knew Bradley wasn’t keen on answering the door when there was no reason for it.

Bradley smirked, shifting his weight and standing. “You’re closer.” He leaned down to press a quick kiss to Jake’s forehead before turning toward the door. “Probably just some delivery.”

Jake huffed but didn’t protest, instead reaching for the remote as Bradley made his way to the door. A few more moments passed before the sound of the door creaking open reached Jake’s ears. He didn’t even bother to look up from the couch.

But then, he heard Bradley’s voice—sharp and filled with disbelief.

“J-jake… get over here.”

Jake’s heart rate spiked, and he immediately pushed off the couch, a flicker of concern flitting through him. It wasn’t like Bradley to sound so... unsettled.

He crossed the room quickly, his footsteps heavy and rushed. When he reached the door, Bradley was standing at the threshold, staring down at something in disbelief.

Jake followed his gaze, and his breath caught.

There, on the porch, was a baby carrier. A little bundle wrapped in a soft pink blanket, with a small baby bag resting beside it. The carrier was securely fastened, the baby resting peacefully, her face tucked into the plush fabric.

Bradley bent down, his hands shaking slightly as he unbuckled the carrier and gently lifted the baby into his arms. She was small, her tiny face still squished with the softness of a newborn. Jake’s mind was racing, his heart in his throat as he glanced around, expecting—no, hoping—to see someone, anyone. But there was no one.

The front porch was empty.

Jake swallowed hard, staring at the tiny little girl in Bradley’s arms. His gaze flickered to the baby bag that was still on the ground. Without thinking, he bent down to pick it up. As he did, a small piece of paper slipped out from the bag and fluttered to the ground.

He scooped it up quickly, unfolding it. His eyes scanned the note, his breath hitching with each word.

"Congratulations, one of you is a father."

He blinked at the words, confusion and a sinking feeling in his chest. He glanced at Bradley, who was cradling the baby in his arms, his gaze softening as he looked down at her.

Jake didn’t even notice the birth certificate that had fallen out with the note until it caught his attention. His eyes widened as he read the name printed there in clear, official text.

Ella Bradshaw-Seresin.

[gabessquishytum]

Time and Night Endless have a problem. Their darling son Dream has been dating a man completely not of their class, a shameless and uncouth ruffian, by the name of Hob Gadling. While they did make their disapproval known, they were inclined to leave it at that, as surely this was merely a rebellious phase on Dream’s part; at some point he would come to his senses, end the relationship, and settle down with someone more suitable.

Except they have heard through the family grapevine that not only has Dream not come to his senses, but he is in fact planning on proposing to the dreadful man. That he has in fact purchased a ring already! Clearly something must be done.

They arrange a private meeting with Hob and offer him fifty-thousand pounds to break up with their son before the proposal, preferably publicly enough that they can be sure he did it, and so it decreases the likelihood of reconciliation.

Hob only hesitates for a moment before agreeing.

Time and Night walk away from the meeting feeling incredibly smug that they’ve saved their dear son from an inappropriate relationship with a blatant gold digger.

Hob walks away from the meeting pulling out his phone to call Dream. “Hey love, how would you like to con your parents out of a shit ton of money?”

Three days later, Dream and Hob have a giant blow-up fight in the middle of a friendly gathering—Desire was there filming the whole thing and had gleefully uploaded it to every social media platform they have, so the Endless parents can see for themselves. It’s pretty ugly: there’s accusations of cheating, loud negative allusions to their sex life, Dream even throws in a “my mother was right about you” for good measure. It’s a goddamn disaster of a shouting match that ends in the world's messiest breakup.

Time and Night would be horrified by the scandal if they weren’t so pleased with the results. Hob Gadling may not be an acceptable partner for one of their children, but at least he certainly does deliver. They wire the money to him with absolutely no remorse, considering it money well-spent.

A week later, a new video is uploaded to Hob and Dream’s social media accounts: the two of them side-by-side, leaning into each other's touch like love-drunk teenagers, fingers entwined and sporting beautiful engagement rings, as they announce their reconciliation and engagement.

“Communication has always been the key to a successful relationship, and all we really needed to do was sit down and talk to each other like adults. Any issues we may have had have been resolved, and if it weren't for the people close to us who didn't want to see us fall apart, we might not be here today,” Hob says, grinning ear to ear. 

“I would particularly like to offer my greatest, most heartfelt thanks for our upcoming marriage to my parents,” Dream says with an evil glint in his eye. “They not only engineered our reconciliation, they selflessly gave fifty-thousand pounds of their own money to help pay for the wedding and honeymoon. We can't thank them for their kindness and support enough.”

Hob then grabs his fiance and dips him before kissing the life out of him, and that’s where the video ends.

Night faints and Time breaks a priceless vase.

(Desire also gleefully shares this video on the same platforms as the first one, and helpfully tags their parents with it to boot. It was actually fun scheming with their brother for the first time in a long time, and they may or may not be planning to stitch the two videos together into a small tasteful movie as a wedding present (and perhaps providing a copy to their parents as well))

-🪽anon

I love the "evil parent offers main character a lot of money to break up with love interest" vibe. Whatever happens you just KNOW its going to end badly for the parents!

And really, they should have known better. Hob is a shameless ruffian and an experienced conman, OF COURSE he was going to pull some kind of trick. He's actually really pleased because he was worried that Dream wouldn't get his perfect wedding, because Hob’s meagre salary won't stretch to a big budget. With the "generous contribution" from mum and dad, Dream can make his gorgeous goth wedding fantasies a reality.

Dream has an amazing time at the fittings for all the wedding outfits, and Desire even has a hand in designing the most gorgeous jumpsuit for Dream to wear at the reception. They're totally invested in this wedding and keep feeding Dream and Hob information about their parents latest plans to sabotage the big day. This leads to Dream getting in touch with their estranged younger brother, who is thrilled to a) be invited to the wedding and b) provide security on the big day! He's built like a brick wall so no attempted shenanigans will get past him.

There won't be any trouble at the wedding, anyway. Hob has a few of his old pals on the job, and they will make sure that the Endless parents are tragically prevented from reaching the venue on time. So sad. Its okay though, because Desire will be putting together a beautiful wedding movie for everyone to watch after the honeymoon!

When asked by their society friends about their new son in law, Night and Time will grit their teeth and smile. He's a very... resourceful man. Not what they'd imagined for Dream, but he seems happy enough. And there was a prenup, so it can't be that bad if (hopefully when) they get a divorce.

Yeah.......they're never getting a divorce!

[cnnmairoll]

PSPSPSPSPSPS MAI- could I request something very cute and fluffy about holding Dan Heng and Sampo for the first time (separately)? My boys deserve some cuddles and I would love to know how they'd react to being held 🥺🥺🥺🥺🥺🥺🥺🥺🥺🥺🥺🥺❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️

Hugging Them for the First Time

Character(s) : Dan Heng, Sampo Koski Genre : Fluff a/n : tysm vi for requesting, I'm gonna count this as my first request :')) I could not bring sampo to justice, I had an idea in mind but when I wrote it out is a bit eh,, you'll see for yourself. But I hope you liked it!!

In the soft glow of moonlight streaming through the windows of the Astral Express, you found yourself tossing and turning in bed. Sleep seemed to elude you, and as the minutes ticked by, you realized that tonight was going to be another one of those nights when rest was hard to come by. An idea struck you - maybe a book would help lull you into slumber. And where better to find an intriguing tome than Dan Heng's personal collection?

With careful steps, you padded down the corridor to Dan Heng's room. The train's gentle swaying seemed to rock you in sync with your heartbeat. You pushed open the door, revealing the sanctuary of knowledge he had meticulously gathered over time. The sight of your tall, enigmatic boyfriend sleeping soundly added a layer of warmth to your heart, even as you tried to suppress the fond smile tugging at your lips.

As your fingers brushed over the spines of his books, a subtle shift in the atmosphere alerted you to the fact that something was amiss. Your attention snapped back to Dan Heng, only to see his peaceful expression contorting into one of distress.His brows knitted together, and faint lines of distress etched across his features. It didn't take long to realize that he was trapped in the clutches of a nightmare.

With a pang of worry, you abandoned the book and approached his bedside, your heart aching at the sight of his inner turmoil. "Dan Heng," you whispered, placing a gentle hand on his shoulder and giving it a slight shake. "Dan Heng, wake up."

His eyes fluttered open, and for a moment, he seemed disoriented, lost between the dream world and reality. As his gaze focused on you, his tense expression softened, but remnants of unease still lingered in his eyes.

"Hey," you murmured, your voice soothing as you continued to stroke his arm. 

He blinked a few times, his breathing gradually steadying. "Y/N?" he rasped, his voice rough with sleep.

"Yeah, I'm here," you assured him, offering a gentle smile. "Do you want to talk about it?"

Dan Heng's lips pressed into a thin line, his gaze dropping to his hands. "It's… it's nothing."

You knew better than to push him when he wasn't ready, so you simply nodded, letting him know that you were there whenever he was ready to share. Instead, you extended your hand, an unspoken invitation for him to take it. With a hesitant yet yearning look, he accepted, his fingers intertwining with yours as if seeking an anchor in the tempest of his thoughts.

Wordlessly, you guided him to sit up, allowing his gaze to meet yours fully. "Well, I was actually in here to borrow a book," you confessed, trying to lighten the atmosphere.

His lips quirked up ever so slightly, a small spark of amusement flickering in his eyes. "Couldn't sleep?"

You chuckled softly. "Yeah, you know me too well."

"Which book caught your interest?" He asks

You showed him the book you had chosen, and his eyebrows lifted in surprise. "Ah, that one. It's quite the adventure."

As you settled onto the edge of the bed, the two of you began to discuss the book. The initial tension from the nightmare seemed to dissipate in the comfort of your conversation. Dan Heng's reserved demeanor gave way to a more relaxed and animated side that only seemed to reveal itself when he was alone with you.

Hours slipped by as you delved into the story, trading insights and theories, your voices carrying through the quiet room. His thumb brushed over the back of your hand, his touch gentle and reassuring. "Thank you for being here."

In that moment, you saw beyond the distant stars of his exterior, past the enigmatic aura he projected. You saw the wounded soul yearning for solace, for connection. Without further hesitation, you opened your arms, inviting him into an embrace that promised safety and comfort.

He hesitated for a heartbeat, his eyes searching yours for any signs of rejection. But what he found was acceptance, a fierce determination to stand by his side, no matter the darkness that sought to envelop him. With a shuddering breath, he folded himself into your embrace, his arms encircling you as if he feared you might vanish if he let go.

In that moment of rescuing embrace, you held him as he clung to you, as if he were an anchor in the stormy sea of his past. The minutes ticked by, the world outside fading into insignificance as you shared a space that was solely yours, a haven within the Astral Express where time held no sway.

In your established relationship, you had discovered the layers that made up Sampo – the mischievous twinkle in his eyes when he was concocting a new scheme, the genuine laughter that bubbled up when you shared an inside joke, and the way his gaze softened when he thought you weren't looking. It was a connection that defied the norms of the marketplace, a love that had bloomed amidst the trade negotiations and bustling crowds.

But there was one thing that intrigued you about Sampo, one challenge you couldn't resist: his penchant for surprises. Sampo thrived on keeping people on their toes, and he was a master at catching others off guard with his quick wit and unexpected revelations.

And so, the idea was born. You decided that you would surprise him with an embrace, a warm and loving hug that would leave him speechless. It was a challenge you eagerly accepted, knowing that it would take careful planning and impeccable timing.

The scene was set. You found yourselves in a quiet alley tucked away from the vibrant chaos of the marketplace. The occasional echo of distant haggling reached your ears, but here, you and Sampo were cocooned in your own world.

Sampo was in the midst of spinning a tale about a particularly cunning deal he'd closed last week, his eyes gleaming with that trademark mischief. As he laughed, you felt a warmth swell within you. 

You circled him, your steps soundless, until you were right behind him. With a sudden burst of courage, you wrapped your arms around his waist, pulling him into an embrace he hadn't seen coming. The world seemed to hold its breath as you held him, your heart racing as his voice caught in his throat. Time stood still for a moment, and then he chuckled, his laughter rich and melodious.

For a moment, the world stood still. Sampo froze, his animated storytelling coming to an abrupt halt. Then, slowly, his laughter transformed into a low chuckle, and he leaned into your embrace. "Well, well, what do we have here?" he exclaimed, his voice a delightful mixture of astonishment and amusement. "Is this how you plan to do business, my dear?"

You felt the rumble of his laughter against your chest, and you couldn't help but chuckle too. "Just thought I'd catch you off guard for once," you teased, holding him a little tighter.

Sampo turned within your embrace, his arms encircling you in return. His gaze held a mixture of affection and playfulness. "Ah, my heart," he said with mock seriousness.

Sampo turned in your arms, his gaze softer than you'd ever seen it. With a tender look, he brushed your cheek with his thumb. "You've managed what very few could. Congratulations on surprising the great Sampo Koski." he said, his tone a mixture of affection and admiration. "But do you know what this means?"

You raised an eyebrow, intrigued. "What?"

He grinned, that wolfish smile that always sent shivers down your spine. "It means I'll have to up my game, of course."

And so began a delightful back-and-forth between you two, a dance of surprises and embraces that spanned days, weeks, and months. Sometimes it was you surprising Sampo with a hidden gift or a witty retort. Other times, it was him whisking you away to secret corners of the marketplace, unveiling hidden gems and forgotten stories.

But amidst the laughter and playful banter, there was one constant – the warmth of each other's arms. Often, in the quiet moments when the world faded away and it was just the two of you, Sampo would pull you close, his embrace a sanctuary of love and belonging.

"We should do this more often," he murmured, his voice a soft melody that resonated deep within you.

And in those arms, surrounded by the tapestry of a love that was as vibrant and unpredictable as the marketplace itself, you knew you had found your place of belonging. With Sampo, every surprise was a gift, and every embrace held the promise of forever.

nurtured with the silver-tongued merchant who had become your partner, your confidant, and your greatest surprise of all.

[satureja13]

After the Boys Lenny freed B.D from Belsavis Jail, he met his kids Seon Mi and Joon Gi at the outpost. Albaleyh brought them here but had already left again before B.D arrived. Seems she's busy, as always. She hadn't been able to avert B.D's imprisonment to not endanger her diplomatic missions. Guilt is eating her up and she knows B.D isn't ready to face her either. There was something between them - but nothing to call it serious enough to try to forgive what happened and 'get together' again - because they hadn't really been together. (More about this -> here) Someday they'd have to meet again because the kids would miss Albaleyh, but these are worries for future B.D... Now he's just happy to be free again and around his kids and good friends. After they'd finished their snow pals, the old Twi'lek (it's actually Dtui, Kiyoshi's mentor/ the other is Kesuke/Kojin, the deity who saved Dtui and Kiyoshi from getting executed on the pyre ^^') suggested they'd call the Boys to tell them they're fine and to thank them again.

Seon Mi: "Where is Lenny? We miss him!" B.D: "Hey, we talked about this. First we say 'Hello' and then 'Thank you for saving our Dad!' Joon Gi: "Hello and thank you for saving our dad! Where is Lenny?" Jack: "Eh - I'll call him." Sai is also wondering why Lenny is still onboard. He just wanted to assist them to get B.D free... Saiwa: "Why didn't Lenny join your dad to be with you?" Seon Mi: "I don't know! Let's ask him."

There he is. In his new super hero outfit ^^'

Jack: "Why are you still here after we rescued B.D? The kids miss you." Lenny: "Mrrau! Meaouwl mreff!"

Sai: "What did he say?" Jack: "Aouwww. He said he wanted to stay with his friends - us!" Lenny let out a streak of meowls. Jack: "Ah, by 'friends' he means Skully, Malfoy, Axl and the Little Ones... But he appreciates our efforts... And he wants to make sure we don't mess up finding Tiny Can and the meteorites - because we're ... clueless?"

Joon Gi: "Is it true your were in jail while Lenny rescued our dad?" Saiwa: "Uhm..." B.D: "There's nothing wrong with getting arrested. Eh... if it is for a good cause. *And directed towards Sai and Jack* Ouf. I think we'll better end this call and start cooking before they get even more annoying ^^' Thank you, I'll never forget what you did for me - us." Seon Mi and Joon Gi: "Bye Lenny!"

Jack laughed: "Man they are terrific!" Saiwa: "You mean terrifying?" Jack: "And so cute! Can't wait to have kids of my own." Saiwa almost fainted. Jack raising kids ö.ö' (But we already know adult Jack has four terrific kids and he raised them well :3 )

Outtakes

When Jack called Lenny over, he still was in his winterfest pyjamas :3 It's the cutest thing when cats hop up the stairs <3

Outtake because Malfoy ran away ^^'

'City of stars Are you shining just for me?

City of stars There's so much that I can't see

Who knows? Is this the start of something wonderful and new? Or one more dream that I cannot make true?'

City of Stars - Lee Dong Wook & Lee Su Hyun my favourite version of this song (This version isn't even on spotify? Tch.) Why are they so cute? I could watch it over and over again.

From the Beginning 🔱 Underwater Love 🔱 Latest

Current Chapter 'Goats in Space': starts ▶️ here Last Chapter: 'Piglets in Space' from the beginning ▶️ here

📚 Previous Chapters: Chapters: 1-6 ~ 7-12 ~ 13-16 ~ 23-29

[huffle-dork]

Long Live the King

Chapter 11: Returning Home

Read Fantasy Masks | Read Swapboys | Read the first FM adventure | Other Multiverse Adventures | Read on AO3

When the sun comes up the next day- it seems after doing their duties that everyone had fallen asleep at one point. For long enough for everyone to be awaken by the sound of something ruffling through their bags. That area is shrouded in shadows- so its hard to make out what the thing is. It looks like it could be humanoid... it turns as it hears people rising up and its pupils are reflective, slightly glowing in the dim light of the forest like some kind of animal.

Jackie wakes up first. He sees the creature and gasps, grabbing his swords which are nearby even when he sleeps. "Hey!" 

The shout wakes everyone else up. 

Marvin bolts upright and pulls some light from his amulet, shining it on the humanoid figure.

The creature jumps and scrambles back at the shout - then seems to hiss as the light hits it. 

Bro scrambles to sit up and grabs his sword, looking around frantically. 

Jackieboy grabs his knife- then sees who the light is hitting and snorts, going to roll over sleepily. "Ah itsjus' Alt-" 

It is Alt. He's been caught red-handed. He's holding a bit of food in his good hand, his mouth filled with half chewed food. He looks like a raccoon that got caught raiding a trash can. He swallows quickly, his face red, "...S-sorry i was really hungry- didn't wanna wake you-" 

"ALT!!" Henny yells in excitement and hurries over to hug him, "Oh you are awake and alright!! I am so relieved!" 

"Ahhh! Henny! ow- careful!" Alt squirms then weakly glitches out of the hug. He looks a bit faint after doing that but he does smile sheepishly at the others. 

Jackie relaxes. "Elders and Sisters, Alt, you scared us. Since when do your eyes glow like that?" 

"They're not really glowing, they're reflecting light," Marvin says. "Like a cat. Or some other nocturnal animal. I'm sure they did it before, we just didn't notice."

Alt grumbles as he finishes the last thing he stole, "They've done this since Mag turned me into a tiger for a month-" 

"It scares me at home too sometimes," Bro laughs. 

Alt pouts then he slowly laughs too, "Sometimes i look in the mirror and scare myself.”

Chase laughs. "We're glad that you're okay, Alt. So glad. But... really, you could have woken us up." 

Alt fidgets with his clothes- really missing his masks. He hadn't, being with the King but now- the eyes on him are a bit much. "...you all were sleeping so peacefully and after yesterday... i didn't expect you to wake up so soon..." 

"I'm a light sleeper," Jackie says. "It's the warrior training. You have to be ready for whenever." 

"And Jackie is loud enough to wake anyone up," Henrik adds jokingly. 

You need food for your recovery, don't you? Jameson asks. That would explain... this. He indicates the whole situation with the food bag. 

Alt looks to Jameson and smiles, "Uh yeah that- and also .... I was just really really hungry..." 

"How are you feeling?" Henrik asks. 

Alt looks back at Henrik and laughs, "still not the best but... at least I'm awake. It'll probably take a bit for my magic to get back up... and you know- my arm and chest still hurt." He then panics slightly and looks around, "Wait where are-?!" Alt spots a furry face pop up from where the King is still tied up and Mag glares at Alt and hisses- even if he can't hear it. Alt's eyes widen in surprise. "...holy shit.... i... i actually managed to do that???" 

The others follow Alt's gaze to Magnificent and Aneirin. "Y-yea... you don't remember?" Marvin asks. "I suppose you were really low on energy, after all... You said it was temporary." 

Alt shudders as he meets the King's eye and quickly looks away. He laughs, shaking his head, "Honestly? A-After seeing Jack I... kinda thought everything afterwards was a dream..." He grips at his bad arm gently and swallows. 

Henny sees the slight distress on Alt's face and goes to sit by him, lightly touching his knee. "Hey stürmisch... you did that for a good reason. You are not like him." 

Alt closes his eyes shut tightly for a second, but quickly opens them back up and nods. "Y-Yeah..." 

"The other me is right, Alt," Henrik whispers. "You are different."

Alt blinks at Henrik's whispers and then his face softens. He smiles, "... thanks. ...I need to hear that sometimes."

Aneirin opens one eye--he was sleeping just as soundly as the others--and glares at Alt. 

"Don't worry about him... too much," Chase says. "Marvin silenced him so he can't use commands. And I think it's hard to cast spells when you're tied up." 

Alt glances back at the King and can't help but shudder more. "... what can we do about the King...? The second we let him go h-he'll..." 

"We, um..." Jackie coughs. "I know this isn't really the honorable thing to do, but... we sort of decided to just leave him here." 

"... no no that's... that's good. Fuck him." Alt mutters, glaring at the King. "... He can stand to rot here for a bit." 

He'll get out eventually, Jameson says. So don't worry about J-A-C-K. He spells out the name. Clearly, he's not familiar enough with the true King to give him a name sign. 

"I think the Wyldwood is too afraid of him to do anything, honestly," Marvin mutters. 

"We'll be back for him," Chase says quietly. He looks uncertain about this course of action, but doesn't protest it. 

"Alt, how is your memory?" Dr. J asks quietly.

"Oh- it's back." Alt says simply. 

Jackieboy stops pretending to sleep and sits up, his hair all fluffed up wildly, "WHAT?! Just like that??" 

The fantasy guys laugh at how blunt Alt is.

Alt laughs then shrugs, "I dunno how- All I know that when I was with Jack... I wasn't confused about our world anymore." He hums in thought and looks up, "Maybe it's cuz I went through the King's mind- who already knew mine. And being there just... fixed the gaps. Or- maybe the Elders helped more than I thought, it just came slower." He shrugs again, "All I know is- I'm back. No more confusion- no more weird-ass knight talk."

"No, that would make sense, actually," Chase says. "In one of my dream conversations with Jack, he said that he learned how to use his enchanter powers to help people who are going through tough times. Like... help ease their heightened emotions, a-and treat the mind like how doctors treat the body. Sort of like what JJ does, actually, now that I think about it." He nods at JJ. 

JJ looks beyond flattered. He holds onto his watch- seeming to be comtemplating something. Henny brings him into a side hug.

"So while you were in there, Jack was able to finish what the Elders started, I suppose," Jackie sums up.

Alt smiles, "Yeah... that sounds about right. A joint effort." He looks at Aneirin with a neutral expression before turning to the others, "...He's gonna be a great King someday."

"I think so too," Chase agrees. 

Aneirin's expression twists into something ugly and he looks away from the others. Magnificent bares his fangs at the others.

"I suppose we have to bring Magnificent with us, if we're going to move," Marvin says.

Alt makes a face. "I mean... I'm sure I got some kind of spell to... I dunno- make a cage for him?" 

"Like we're bringing him to the vet?" Bro laughs. Alt laughs too. 

"Are we going to move?" Marvin asks the others.

"Well not right away," Chase says. "It's still fairly dark." 

"And yet, we're awake," Jackie points out. 

If we're all awake we might as well eat, Jameson says.

Henny brightens up and claps his hands together, "Yes! Let us eat! We can finally all enjoy a meal together like we wanted!!"

Jackie grins. "Alright, everyone gets their own food, then. Try not to touch the fruit unless you have to. And I don't think Alt should have any, given he had two in such a short time frame." 

Alt pouts at being told he can't have the fruit but then sighs, "Yeah- that's fair. Though... I'm okay, I think." 

"You know, it's strange, these fruits that the others cut into haven't wilted around the cuts at all," Chase mutters. "That's not normal." 

"We're in the Wyldwood, nothing is normal," Marvin says. "And Alt? If you don't have a spell like that, I do." 

"Why do you have a spell to carry cats in bags?" Henrik asks. 

Marvin picks up Draco. "Because when I first got a familiar I thought it would be helpful to carry him everywhere. Didn't realize that he would follow me wherever unless I ordered him not to. But that could be his fault, since he wanders around so much."

Alt grins and laughs, nodding to Marvin, "Brilliant. Maybe I should learn something like that for Glitches-" 

"She already gets in your backpack just fine, though-" Bro comments, getting to his feet. 

"...touché-" Alt giggles then slowly blushes, looking down at the food, "...I hope I left enough... I didn't try to eat too much."

"IIIII don't think you need to worry about that," Jackie says, pulling out two fruits--five fruits--ten fruits. 

When did you grab that much?! Jameson asks, surprised. 

Jackie shrugs. "I thought they would come in handy." 

Jackieboy bursts into laughter. "That was a smart move! Toss me one?" Henny and Dr. J giggle too. Bro shakes his head with a smile. 

Jackie grins and tosses Jackieboy one of the fruits. "I advise not eating it down to the pit, apparently that will make you feverish. And it looks like the fruit won't rot quickly so we don't have to worry about that."

Jackieboy grins and goes to spit his fruit in half, giving the other half to Bro. Henny soon does the same and shares some with Dr. J. 

"Is your Ghlishes alright, Alt?" Marvin asks. "You didn't leave her suddenly like last time, did you?"

Alt blinks at Marvin and then smiles. "She's okay. We prepared this time. She's being watched by some of our friends- same with Henny's dog." 

"Don't lie Alt! You can say that your booooyfriend is watching them!" Jackieboy shouts. 

Alt turns bright red, and then yells back at him. "I'm not lying! Jack was also helping! And Stacy too! Why don't you tease Chase about that huh?!" 

"Cuz he doesn't get as embarrassed as you!" Jackieboy grins.

Henrik rolls his eyes at Jackieboy's teasing. "That teasing attitude goes beyond worlds, it seems," he mutters. "Alt, they were all acting the same way about me and my partner Vsevna on our way here." 

"Oh yeaaaaa, Alt never met Vsevna!" Jackie gasps. "He never saw how red your face gets around him!" 

"See?" Henrik says. 

"Vsevna should have come with us," Chase says. "His expertise might've come in handy... and he would've cheered Henrik up right away." 

"See?" Henrik rolls his eyes.

Alt blinks and then brightens up, "Oh! I remember- they were teasing us both so much last time! you got together with your crush too?" He seems genuinely happy to hear Henrik say he has a partner. "If we can, I would love to meet him. And I won't tease ya- promise." He grins.

Henrik chuckles. "I think he would like you. He would at least be very interested in your ghlishing. But for now, we have to continue into the Wyldwood." 

"Alt doesn't know about that, I think," Jackie says. 

"Oh. Right." Chase nods. "We came into the Wyldwood to find you, but we also came here on a... quest, I guess. The Horned Elder One has guided us here. Apparently there's something that could help with..." He glances at Aneirin, still tied up. "I don't want to be too detailed right now, but it will help with the possession if we see it."

Alt tilts his head and then looks back at the King too. He frowns, then lowers his voice to a whisper, "... don't you think he'll try to stop you? You're right- he won't stay trapped there forever if we leave him. But... I think he'd also hunt you all down through the woods to find this place. If he knows this could lead to his downfall- he'll be hot on your trial the second he can be." He then thinks, "I mean... if the Horned Elder is helping... then maybe but... I don't know. Don't you guys think its too risky to go looking for this while the King is still in the Wyldwood? The only other way I can see that working is if we can somehow get him back to Suilthair but... I-I know how far away that is now..."

"It's very far," Marvin confirms. "Most magic doorways couldn't reach there. In fact, no doorways are supposed to, but we have seen the King summon large doorways across vast distances." 

Chase hesitates. "I... you have a point... But what? Are we supposed to drag him to our camp?" 

"I don't think the camp would be prepared for him," Jackie mutters. "We weren't expecting to keep prisoners there, much less prisoners who can influence people's minds." 

His range extends to all of Suilthair, if he gets even near the camp he would be able to change people's attitudes and such, Jameson says, making sure the King can't see his hands. 

"Ugh. It's difficult," Jackie says. "There are..." Henrik hesitates. "You can adjust the recipes for pain relief tonics to make tonics that will keep people asleep, or unable to move. But I do not have supplies for that with me. We would have to take him back to camp for that." 

Aneirin tilts his head, keeping his face still. He can't quite hear what they're saying with how they're all mumbling, but they're clearly discussing him. Hmm…

"No you're right we can't take him back to camp," Bro says gravelly, "We'd risk him getting the other phantoms..." 

Alt shudders at this thought. "Ugh- I should have tried to turn that fucker into a cat too-" Alt growls. "There's gotta be some kind of spell I can use... but I'm still kinda drained." 

"I know this sounds messed up but- what if we just like- break his legs?" Jackieboy suggests. 

"Jackie!" Dr. J gasps, horrified. 

"What?? Then he couldn't chase after you! He's still human... ish. Spirit piloting a human but- still human. Like Mag- if we broke his legs then-" 

"Dude, even if he's evil that's not cool-" Bro says, shaking his head. "Feel like that goes against- a hero oath or something. Plus- that's still someone's body. Jack would have to deal with that."

Marvin raises his eyebrows, looking like he's considering Jackieboy's suggestion. Chase leans over and punches him in the arm. "Ow! What the fuck?!" 

"Bro is right, we can't do that to Jack," Chase says. "It feels like... like we're getting close to that vision coming true. Which means that the spirit might be pushed out soon. And then Jack would be left with that." 

Not to mention that the King was physically fine in my vision, Jameson says. Changing that might prevent it from coming true. And I haven't seen any other way of defeating him. 

"We should not try to alter the future that way," Henny says with a nod to Jameson. "And... kindness gets repaid back. Even if that awful spirit does not deserve it... it is kind to Jack. Who needs that kindness." 

"yeah yeah-" Jackieboy grumbles. 

"So we're really just going to leave him," Jackie mutters. "Well. If there's anything we can do to delay him, we should do it." 

"What? Is leaving him tied to a tree and without any weapons not enough to delay him?" Henrik drawls. 

"I dunno... he's scarily powerful," Alt mutters, gripping his arm. "I have no doubt he can just- lightning himself free or something. I dunno why he hasn't yet in all honesty." 

"Oh!" Marvin suddenly perks up. "I forgot to mention this last night. But I searched the King's belongings while he was knocked out and I was tying him up. And look at this." He reaches into his bag and pulls out... a white mask in the shape of a cat's face. But not just any cat. One with stripes.

The other swaps gasp in delight at seeing the mask but it takes Alt a second to look. But, when he does his eyes widen and he goes to gently take the mask from Marvin. He feels tears in his eyes and he laughs, "...I... I thought he left it back in Suilthair...! I... I never thought I'd see it again..."

Marvin smiles a bit. "I'm surprised he took it with him as well. I can only guess that he wanted to be sure it wouldn't somehow find its way back to you." 

He loves to be in control, Jameson says. I agree, the only way he could have felt sure that you wouldn't see it was to keep it on him, out of sight. He chuckles silently. Of course, that was deflected to him. 

"As all his plans will be eventually," Henrik agrees. 

Alt runs his thumbs over the mask, smiling wetly. "Yeah I guess... It would have given me my memories back..." 

"As for why he hasn't, uh, 'lightning himself' free yet," Marvin continues. "Even his power, strange as it is, needs to recharge. He must be running low." 

Aneirin glares at Marvin as he says this--not willing to admit how right his guess is.

Alt pauses, feeling the weight of all the days stuck under their control fall on him again. He shuts his eyes and curls up, hugging the mask to his chest. 

"...Alt? Are you okay?" Dr. J asks. 

Alt nods, "Y-Yeah m'fine... just... n-need a minute..." 

Bro watches this and can already guess what his brother is feeling. He walks over then plops down next to Alt, opening his arm behind him. Alt is still for a moment before falling slightly against Bro- and the older brother wraps him up in a one armed hug.

The fantasy guys stay quiet, for their part. This feels like a private moment. Jameson is the first to speak. 

It's... difficult, he says. I know. But you have your friends, Alt. 

Jackie nods. "And us, if you need us."

Alt looks up with red-rimmed eyes and nods, "I know... it just... sucks. I lost days just... being the little thing they pushed around." He laughs bitterly, "...I was so excited to come back here and just... got dealt this shit..." 

Bro feels for Alt and leans his head against his, "... we had hoped things would be better when we got here... but it wasn't. And we didn't think Mag would know..." He looks angry as he glares at the King and Mag, "... but it wasn't fair what they did to you." 

"They will both get what they deserve, Alt," Henny says quietly. 

"We won't let our bastard get away with anything for much longer," Jackie promises. "And your bastard--well, he's a cat for now. Even if it's temporary, that's something he deserves." 

Alt laughs, "Yeah. It is." He glares at Mag, "I'd keep him trapped for a whole month if I could. Maybe longer." 

People like them never win in the end, Jameson says. I know it's hard to remember that. But it's true. And it's not your fault that you got pushed around like that. It's hard enough to resist the King on his own, much less combined with someone else. Trust me, I know. 

Marvin puts a hand on Jameson's shoulder supportively. With his other, he nudges Draco towards Alt. The cat looks at him, comically annoyed, but walks over as he suggested. Clearly, Marvin's picked up that fluffy cats are good for comfort. 

Alt listens to Jameson and looks at him sympathetically. He smiles sadly. "... it's the same way with Mag. A-At least... for me." He pulls up his sleeve to hide his purple marks on his wrist. Bro hugs Alt tighter. 

Speaking of Mag though- while everyone is distracted with Alt, Mag has pushed himself up and is studying the rope tying up Aneirin. He reaches up and tries to see if he can cut through. But, it's way too thick- and it seems like Mag gets scared of pulling out his claws. His tail flicks in annoyance as he curses Alt over and over in his head, angrily stomping around and then tearing at the ground to get out his anger.

Aneirin watches Mag try, curious. He nods, acknowledging his effort. Not thanking him. Totally not thanking him. He doesn't thank people. Not genuinely like this would be.

Mag snorts and watches the King for a second before nodding himself then plopping back to the ground, tail flicking in anger. Not much else he can do.

Alt blinks as Draco approaches him then smiles and offers him his hand to sniff. 

Draco sniffs Alt's hand, then curls up against him. 

"If you ask me... I think that Magnificent is a little afraid of you, Alt," Marvin says, keeping his voice too quiet for the temporarily-feline magician to hear. "I mean, look at what you can do when you set your mind to it. That thunderbird form of yours is powerful, and your normal form isn't too far behind, from my perspective. He wants to control you so that you won't turn against him. And he seems the type to turn fear into anger." 

Alt blinks in surprise and then chuckles, “…I always wondered if that might be the case…” 

Dr. J nods, “He is the type to act out in anger, especially when afraid. I think it might be one of the only emotions he can still feel.” 

Henrik raises an eyebrow. "Are you sure about all this, Marvin?" 

"No. But I am him, in some way, aren't I?" Marvin pauses, not wanting to share too much. "I don't think Magnificent would admit it to himself. But if I was him, that's how I would be feeling." 

“Even if he was Marvin once, you are not Magnificent.” Jackieboy says firmly to Marvin. “You’re nothing like him. Just like Alt is nothing like that fucking bastard King. And I would know.” He does smile a bit, though it is somewhat sad. “…you remind me of what he once was. When he was good.” 

Marvin blinks. “Hah. Thank you.” He smiles a little. “Glad to hear someone thinks I’m good.” 

Jackie glances at him. “Just because you were a bastard for a while doesn’t mean I never thought you weren’t good.” 

“You sure?” Henrik mutters. 

“This isn’t the time, Schneep.” 

“Alt was a bit of a bastard too- but he’s a good guy- even if he doesn’t believe it sometimes.” Jackie says with a smile. 

Alt flushes and looks away, hiding his face behind his mask without putting it on.

"Even if that's not true about Magnificent, I think you could be stronger than him, Alt," Chase says. "With practice, you know?"

Alt’s eyes burn with determination, gripping his hands into fists. “One day, I will be stronger than him. I’m gonna make sure I am.”

I believe in you, Alt, Jameson says, smiling. You’re very strong and determined.

Alt smiles, “…thanks.” 

Bro sighs and looks around at everyone, “So what’s the plan? We gotta find a way to make sure that bastard doesn’t follow you.” 

Alt thinks on this and then perks up and looks around for his bag. He pulls out a couple orange berries. “…the King told me these sap your energy… do you think we might be able to use them somehow…?” 

“…maybe?” Marvin says slowly. 

“That sounds good in idea, but I don’t think it’ll be easy,” Jackie adds. “He’s likely to bite our fingers off if we try feeding him.” 

Aneirin is glaring at them in a way that suggests he absolutely would.

“I don’t wanna get bitten by a mad king- pretty sure that’s how like- werewolves are made,” Jackieboy half jokes. “Nobody wants to become a were-bastard.” 

“Right-“ Alt chuckles, “Guess it wouldn’t be easy to make like- a sleep potion from unknown magic fruit-“ 

“We’ll try,” Chase says. “That sounds better than just waiting for him to follow.” 

“If we are going to do something like that, we should take care of Magnificent first,” Henrik says. “He seems protective of the King. Have you ever seen a cat honestly try to fight a person? Scratches everywhere.”

The swaps all glance at Magnificent, who’s staring at them with furious eyes and a lashing tail. 

“Oh! I think I can help!” Henny says, grabbing his recovered pocket watch, “Now that he is smaller- I think it will be easier for me to pause him! That way you can do the spell to get him trapped!”

Marvin grins. "If you think you can, you can try whenever you want." He grabs his amulet, its glow increasing. "I'll react as soon as you do." 

Henny grins and then gets to his feet. He heads over to Mag and then smirks, his eyes glowing teal. "Do not worry, Magnificent! This will not hurt a bit~" He then waves a hand over Mag. Mag tries to react but the spell catches him in mid rage, his mouth open in an almost comical yowl.

Marvin reacts quickly, flinging his magic at the frozen Magnificent. Light wraps around him, forming an outline of a box. It then solidifies into something that looks a lot like a modern cat carrier, just made of different materials. White canvas covers a wireframe box, with mesh windows on the sides and top to see inside. The bottom is solid wood with soft fabric on the inside, and there are two cloth handles. Marvin lets out a breath. “Glad I could remember the spell,” he says. 

Henny flips up his hand to un-pause Mag. Mag looks around the makeshift box and then starts yowling in anger, battering against the box. Once Henny sees that he starts to spell up again. "Mein gott- calm yourself, katzchen!" 

"Meanwhile... Maybe I could try something," Henrik says slowly. "Here, give me those fruit and berries. It will not change the problem of giving it to Aneirin, but at the very least, if we distill it, it might help. Water would be easier to give him than solid food."

Alt blinks and then grins, handing the berries to Henrik. "Here- lemme see if I got any spells saved that can help." He pats down his pockets and curses, "Right- fucking prick stole my things. Marvin, where's the King's shit? I think he has my phone-" 

“What was it, Alt? Oh yes.” Marvin moves back over to his bag and starts pulling stuff out. The King’s circlet, the seax, and a small bag on a string. “Here, check in there.” Marvin tosses the bag to Alt. If he checks inside, he’ll see a handful of coins and colorful stones, a square of white cloth, a signet ring—and his phone and the TRVLR. 

Alt catches the bag and grins, "Thanks dude." He looks inside and tilts his head at the white cloth. Wonder what that is? 

Jackie also leans close and looks into the King’s bag. “Oh, a royal signet ring. A lot of money. And a handkerchief—oh. I think that’s used for wiping blades.”

"Ah that makes sense," Alt mumbles to Jackie as he explains. He's gotta focus on the task at hand though. He brightens as he sees his phone. And then exclaims as he sees the TRVLR, holding it out. "Oh yes!! I was wondering where they fucking kept this!" 

Dr. J blinks, "Oh! The TRVLR!" 

"Yes! I was worried fucking Mag did something else to it!" Alt grins. He holds both devices out and powers them up. The phone takes a second but is able to turn on, even if its like at 30%. He can't do much with it here anyways- but, he saved a bunch of his spell pages on his camera roll which he quickly looks through, searching for a spell.

Marvin picks up the cat box and brings it over to the rest of the group. Draco looks at Mag inside and paws at the mesh. It’s almost like he’s teasing him. 

“Ooo, your devices!” Henrik says, leaning forward in interest. “That is your alphabet, yes? How strange. It is all so… regular. I hear that they are making devices for regular writing like that back in Alterde. Called, ah… pr-presses? Because they press in the letters?” 

"Oh! Like a printing press!" Henny says excitedly, "I know of those!"

"Oh right- guess a lot of materials are still handwritten here." Dr. J muses.

Alt grins, "Yeah- we actually have machines now that write for us. In a sense- They make everything all even looking." 

Indeed, everything is written still, Jameson says. It would be helpful to have something that could write for you. I would certainly love that. 

Marvin chuckles. "Yes, that would make everything easy, wouldn't it, Jair?" 

"Not to mention how expensive books are because of how long they take to make," Chase mutters. "I'd like to actually have one, one day." 

"Oh- If only we could find a book written in your language. I would gladly bring you one," Dr. J says with a smile, "Books are quite affordable in our world." 

"If only that memory spell made me and Alt fluent in Glasish," Bro snickers.

"I don't think your brain has room for all of that-" Jackieboy teases. Bro pushes him over and they both laugh. 

After a bit Alt finds what he's looking for and grins, getting to his feet. "Okay- I dunno how well this will work on the King. But, considering Mag is a cat- we can at least stop him from freaking out." He kneels down by the box and then meets Mag's eyes. He waves a hand over the box and whispers "Codail". 

Particles of blue-green magic fall into the box and after a quick sign for Henny to release the pause spell again, Mag falls over into a little ball, fast asleep. 

"ah- thank you Alt, I was getting sore." Henny says. 

"Sore?" Jackieboy raises an eyebrow. 

"Yes! Using magic for a long period is... sore on the mind?" Henny makes a thinking face. "I do not know how else to phrase it."

The guys look impressed as Alt makes Mag fall asleep. 

"That would be very helpful," Marvin says. "I wonder if I could learn a spell like that. And yes, Henny, I agree. Sore on the mind. Like holding up a weight for too long." 

Alt grins, "I don't see why not! It's just a simple word spell for me- but I dunno, s'probably different here."

Jackie is looking at the King thoughtfully. "You know... we know that he can sleep, since Chase sees Jack in dreams," he says slowly. "So I don't know if the spirit will be affected, but maybe the body will be..." Aneirin's eyes widen slightly but he tries to keep his worry hidden.

At Jackie's thought, Alt looks back the King with an unreadable expression. "... He did need to sleep." His expression darkens as he starts to stride over to the King. He knew Mag would be too strong to be affected by a spell like this normally- but... Jack's body was human. "...Marvin- you might need to drop the silence spell."

Marvin looks at Alt, expression serious. "Alright. You should work fast, then, because he's going to try to command you as soon as he can." Aneirin sits up straight, eyes sharp.

Alt nods and in a blink, he's glitched right in front of the King. He acts fast, putting a hand over the King's mouth as magic blooms bright on the other. He looks to Marvin and nods.

Jackie notices what Alt and Marvin are doing. He stiffens, grabbing his sword just in case. 

Marvin nods back. Glowing bits of white light flicker into vision in the area affected by the silence spell--and then as they disappear, sound rushes back. 

Aneirin is immediately trying to speak, his voice muffled by Alt. There's a faint hint of enchantment but without understanding the words it can't do much.

Alt's eyes glow bright blue as he pushes the King's head back and then does the sleep spell again, growling out, "Codail." Probably with more malice then he should use but- just being near the King made his blood boil.

Aneirin's eyes flash with hatred--and then they close and he slumps against the tree. For a split second, Alt swears he hears a whispered {good luck} before the King falls asleep entirely. 

The group pauses for a moment, tense, as Alt does this. And then when the King fall asleep they all breathe a collective sigh of relief and return to the conversation. Alt steps back from the King, breathing heavily for a second before he snorts and glitches back over to the others.

"Next time we see each other the visitors should plan to bring books," Henrik says. "I know there are lesson books for reading. I used them when learning Glasish back in home." 

"Oh that would be brilliant!" Dr. J says, clapping his hands together. 

”We could teach you English too!" Henny beams. 

"I would love to learn your language," Henrik gushes. "I think I am very good at learning them." 

Me too! Jameson says, grinning. Clearly I cannot speak it but I'd love to read it.

"English is complicated but! I think all of us would be good teachers!" Henny grins. 

Dr. J smiles kindly, "We could also teach you our version of handspeak- me and Henrik use it often." 

Henny nods, "The others learned for us too!" 

"I remember when Bro appeared he tried to speak in hands to us, but we didn't understand it," Jackie says, chuckling. "It looked very strange." 

"I thought it could be universal-" Bro says with slightly flushed cheeks. "Then again- hard to find anyone who knows it in our own world. Schools should really teach it more." 

“I agree, more people should learn handspeak," Chase continues. "I learned it because Amabel wasn't learning to talk quickly so I thought that maybe physical speaking would help. She still uses it sometimes even though she can be very talkative now." 

Dr. J smiles knowingly, "Ah... I was like that as a child. Maybe not in the same way- but I was non-verbal often. That's how I learned." 

"All of that sounds fun," Chase says, smiling. "Learning doesn't usually seem fun to me, maybe being from different worlds makes it more interesting."

Jackieboy grins at Chase, "Dude- same. Never thought I'd have as much fun learning here as I did. S'probably cuz its just so different!" 

Chase laughs. "Exactly. I didn't have nearly as much fun learning to read--no offense, Henrik." 

"None taken." Henrik shrugs.  

Alt seems almost- sad. Listening to the others talk about returning. ...he's not sure they can. Not if Mag would be doing everything he can to follow them. He can't risk something like this happening again... He gathers up the TRVLR and tries to check on its damages. 

The TRVLR's screen flickers oddly for a second, a couple purple pixels at first, then a handful of red ones. But then it clears up. 

WARNING 

Latency Detected 

This unit is having difficulty connecting to the universal database. This is for one or more of the following reasons: 

-A Ripple is happening 

-Current location is too far from unit's home universe -Current location does not have the technical capabilities of helping connection 

Please take this into account when jumping. 

It's the same latency warning from last time. Better be careful when tapping the universe you want to jump to. 

Alt's eyebrows knit together in worry at seeing the screen flickering a bit then sighs as it seems to clear up. He nods. At least now they know their own universe code now. He carefully scrolls to find their favorites. "...we should probably leave soon."

"...so- guess we're about to split up again then..." Bro says, trying to school his expression but his voice gives himself away. 

"Alt missed out on so many things though!" Henny says. 

Dr. J sighs, "Yes but... we have delayed our friends long enough. We can't be selfish... they need to get on this quest. They have a kingdom to save after all." 

"...I dunno how long the spell will last but... hopefully it'll give you guys some time." Alt mumbles.

"Thank you, Alt," Marvin says, smiling. "We really appreciate it." 

"It 'sucks' that you missed out on so much," Chase says. "I'm so sorry that you got stuck with those bastards." He gives a glance to the sleeping King. 

We'll find a way to come visit you! Jameson says. Or you can come back whenever you want. 

"I think that time goes faster in our world than yours," Henrik says. "So maybe by the time you want to return, we will have everything already sorted." 

Alt smiles sadly at them and nods, "Y-Yeah..." He looks down and lets his expression fall for a second. 

But, Bro notices. Bro comes over and pats Alt on the shoulder, "Hey... if the time thing is true- even if Mag tries to follow us again- this spirit will be gone! He'll be out of his depths again. I'm sure we can take him- or figure out a way to stop him entirely. We got time, baby bro... We can ask Blaise for some safe guards or- I dunno something. Magic can do lots of things, right?" 

Alt blinks at Bro and then slowly smiles. "...Yeah. You're right." He turns back to the others and smiles, "I gotta come back to meet this Vsenva guy anyways, right?" 

"Maybe next time we could bring Oliver!" Jackieboy grins. 

Alt blushes. 

"Vsevna would love to meet you, Alt," Henrik says. "And I would love to meet your partner as well. He sounds like a nice guy." 

"Make sure you all have your old clothes packed in your bags," Jackie says. "Is there anything else you want to bring?" 

"Oh! I'm wondering something, actually." Marvin hands them one of the fruits. "There's a seed in that. Maybe you can plant it and grow magic fruit in your world? Or maybe not. It's possible that it won't work outside of the Wyldwood." 

"If you try, you should probably keep it in a pot or something so that it doesn't grow out of control," Chase says. "Amabel has told me that people planting strange plants and letting them run wild can really affect the, uh... circle of life, I think it's called. The environment." 

Dr. J takes the fruit and then beams, "Oh! That will be a very fun experiment. Maybe we can take it to Alt's mentor- she might know how to help it grow!" 

"I'm sure it'll be helpful to have magical healing fruit if you can make it grow," Marvin says, grinning. "But do be careful. No overindulgence."

"Oh Oh! May we keep our masks??" Henny asks, holding his hedgehog one to his chest. "I do not want to take if you need them but! It is soooo cute!"

Jackie laughs. "Of course you guys can take the masks! Alt took his last time. Think of them as keepsakes." 

"Yay!" Henny says, hugging his mask. "When I look at it, I will think of all the great friends we made here!" 

"So... you're all going to leave now, then?" Chase asks. 

Don't forget the cat, Jameson adds.

"...we should..." Alt says, standing up. "You guys have a lot on your plate. And honestly... I'm tired." Alt laughs, "I'm not sure how much more adventuring I could take..." 

"We should really get you seen by a doctor, Alt," Dr. J says, "You're still very injured." 

"Yeah yeah..." Alt mutters, clearly not excited about that. 

Jackieboy stretches and gets to his feet. "Yeahhh we do have lives to get back to... and despite the peril- not a bad time." He smiles. "We'll all see each other again." 

Bro grins, "Definitely." He grabs the box with Mag and lugs it onto one of his shoulders. "We'll be back to see the kingdom how its supposed to be!" He gestures to the others- "Grab your bags, lads." 

The others do so and then stand in a semi circle, adjusting and double checking they have everything. 

"Motherfucker- bastards have my jacket-" Alt mutters, closing up his bag. 

"Eh- you have like 3 of those now, Alt," Bro laughs.

Alt makes a face. "That one was the softest though..." 

"I'm sure the others will get soft again with enough wearing in, Alt." Dr. J chuckles. 

"If we find your jacket, Alt, we'll keep it safe for you," Chase promises.

Alt chuckles, "Thanks, man." 

Henny looks back at the fantasy boys, "... can we all get a hug before we leave??" He asks, his expression pleading.

The guys all smile. "Of course!" Jackie laughs, and immediately goes in for the hug. Chase follows, then Jameson, then Henrik. Marvin lingers back for a moment before joining in. "I'm not much for hugs, but this is a special occasion," he says, grinning. 

Henny excitedly pulls as many of them in as he can. Jackieboy follows, then Dr. J. Alt also hesitates but then, Bro puts the box down long enough to scoop Alt and give everyone a big super hug. 

Everyone laughs. 

The swaps all step back and form their circle again. Bro picking up the box and the others all linking hands. Alt double checks the TRVLR, making sure its not lagging and on the right universe. He smiles and then looks back at the others. "Until next time, then. Good luck." 

The others all shout out goodbyes and cyas as Alt hits the jump button.

"Until next time!" Jackie shouts, waving. 

"We'll see you then!" Chase adds. 

Good luck to you too! Jameson says. 

"We will miss you!" Henrik adds. 

"Farewell." Marvin smiles. 

And then the visitors all disappear at once. 

The guys stare at the spot where they were for a moment, taking in their sudden absence. Until Draco starts pawing at Marvin's leg. 

"I think he wants us to move on," Chase says, noticing that. 

"Yea, I hear you, boy, don't be so impatient," Marvin says, looking down at him. 

We do need to move fast, though, Jameson says. Alt's magic cannot last for long if he's left this world. He looks pointedly at the King. 

"Yea." Jackie nods. "I guess we go on now." 

"To return to our own quest, then," Henrik says, nodding as well. 

Chase looks at the King. "We'll find a way," he says quietly. 

And with that, they continue on their trek through the Wyldwood, determined to find some way to save their kingdom.

◈━◈━◈━◈━◈━◈━◈━◈━◈

The fall between worlds lingers for a little longer than usual. Alt feels the TRVLR in his hand get a little bit warmer, as the green stars in the Space In-Between flicker for a bit. And they all... jolt slightly. Like they're floating in a still water pond that suddenly ripples. And then, suddenly, they are back in their own world. Right where they left.

Alt's eyes widen as the change happens- Bro tightens his grip on him. But, then they're home. Right in the middle of the Brodys' living room. 

Alt gasps like he just broke the surface after being underwater. He looks down anxiously at the TRVLR, knitting his eyebrows together. 

Bro sighs and flops down onto their couch. "Ah! Home!!" 

"Don't get too comfy, Chase," Dr. J shakes his head, "After we all clean up and get dressed- we're taking Alt to the hospital." 

"Whattt! C'mon Jay!" Bro protests. 

"You said he broke his arm and his ribs! That needs proper treatment!" 

"It was partially healed by magic fruit!" 

"It should still be checked!!" 

Jackieboy rolls his eyes and looks around for a charger. "I'mma charge my phone and check in with everyone. You all start without me." 

Henny notices Alt stock still, still clutching the TRVLR. He walks over and places a hand on his shoulder. "Alt? Are you alright?" 

Alt startles slightly and then turns to smile at Henny, "Y-Yeah... Yeah. Fine." He pockets the device then grabs the box with Mag. "Immmm gonna get this dumped into the warehouse district before the spell breaks and Mag kills us!" 

Dr. J turns to him, "Alt! You better come back straight away because we'r-" 

"OKAYGOTTAGOBYE-" Alt says as he disappears into glitches. 

Dr. J watches him go and then sighs, rubbing his forehead. "You all are a handful..." 

"But ya love usss~" Jackieboy grins. 

JJ smiles and chuckles, "Unfortunately, Yes. I do." 

Alt deposits the box outside where he last knew Mag's warehouse to be. He almost wants to stop by to see the panthers but... not a good idea. He takes the time to take the TRVLR back out and study it.

 ... the transition was really really weird. He's never seen that before... he hopes its okay. As dangerous as these trips can be... he doesn't want to give up on them yet. But for now... Jay was right. He had a lot to recover from. He looks down at the sleeping form of his foe- kicks the box for good measure and flips it off as he heads back to his friends. 

[cainluvr69]

Let Me Tell You The Story Of A Rainbow - Chapter 21

Previous Chapter

Lennox: I think that you getting more used to doing first aid in the field would be a better idea. That way we'll be able to rely on you in an emergency, or if we're all busy doing other things that are equally important.

Mitile: Leno, Dr. Figaro… …Okay. You can leave it to me!

Figaro: Yep, you got this. Save this poor dear from its weary exhaustion. First, focus on your breathing and even it out. Then recite your spell.

Mitile: Alright…!

Mitile closed his eyes and took a single deep breath.

Mitile: <Ortonik Sealsispilce>

He recited his spell, still a bit nervous about it all, and a faint light wrapped itself around the spirit. It slowly started to perk up again, and once it looked like it was feeling all better, it promptly burst into tears.

Mitile: Huh?! Oh no, do you hurt anywhere?

The spirit looked up at Mitile, almost acting shy about it, and picked up a thin twig that had fallen nearby. And then it began to scratch lines and curves into the tree--it was writing something.

Lennox: Are these letters…?

Mitile: "…I decided the piece of her memories was something precious, so I brought it back here and hid it."

Lennox: "But this is something that's important to more than just me. It's one of Luca's precious treasures, too…"

Figaro: "I know I need to give it back to her, but what if she finds out that I lost track of it and decides she hates me for it…"

Mitile: "So I thought about what to do, and worried about what to do, and worried and worried and worried until…I wasn't able to move anymore."

The little leaf spirit bowed its head apologetically.

Figaro: Oh, I thought so… You're not actually an herbula, are you?

Mitile: What, it isn't?!

Figaro: An herbula wouldn't be able to write so many words, or so coherently. I know we're inside of a work of fiction right now, but if it were actually imitating real life, things should work roughly the same way as outside.

Lennox: But the creatures in this world are ones that Luca has seen herself and then drawn into her books, aren't they? So why would "her" spirits know how to write…?

Figaro: I doubt she's limiting herself to just what she sees. Surely she's injecting some of her own artistic flair, just like any true auteur. This little guy might be based on herbulae, but we can't discount how Luca's wellspring of creativity colors everything around us--this spirit included. She could, for instance, be unconsciously utilizing her dreams and personal desires when she creates her books, or writing about multiple different species as if they were one in the same.

Mitile: Multiple different species…

But their discussion was interrupted by a green pearl rolling out from under the little spirit's feet. It rushed to pick it up, as it bent forward, more things fell from its hands and scattered over the floor--I don't know where it was hiding them, because what it had dropped were… Hard candies with absolutely adorable wrappers.

Figaro: Hey, you okay?

Lennox: I see. They really are very talented at dropping things. Here, let me help you gather those back up.

The little spirit looked up at my wizards, tears in the corners of its amber eyes. The beautiful color of a clear sunset sky.

Mitile: This lil' guy…reminds me a bit of Mister Aslan.

Figaro: Aslan? Really? Was he actually a total klutz like this?

Mitile: Oh, n-no! That wasn't what I meant…

Lennox: Oh, that's right. You did meet him several times over the course of the event, didn't you?

Mitile: Yes, I did. We saw each other pretty frequently in the exhibition hall. And this spirit's eyes are the same color as his, and it sorta…has the same air to it that he does…

Figaro: …Well, if you say so.

Figaro knelt down and picked up the green pearl, smiling softly.

Figaro: I understand exactly how precious this is to you.

Lennox: You lost it because of how important it is.

Figaro: Here you are, your precious lost treasure.

Figaro placed the green pearl back in the spirit's hand. As he straightened up, he turned his gaze outside the knothole, and continued speaking.

Figaro: It must've been a real trial to throw so many of your treasures outside into the grass. Tough on the body, certainly, but tough on the heart as well. And yet you still emptied this place of your hard-collected treasures. Why is that?

The spirit was still looking down. Lennox knelt down next to it, his gaze still focused on the little guy, and answered in its place.

Lennox: Wouldn't that be because it had found something even more precious than all of them combined? Something so precious that it couldn't possibly let itself inadvertently drop it and lose it in the forest. That's why it cleared out this whole knothole, for just one thing. …You were trying to protect this piece of Luca's memories, weren't you? Please let me thank you on her behalf. Thank you so much.

The spirit just stood there, taking all of Lennox's words in, ever more tears overflowing from its eyes and rolling down to the floor. But worry not. There was a small hand waiting to wipe those tears away.

Mitile: Oh, please don't cry anymore. You see, we…we want to return your dear friend's memories to her.

The spirit looked up into Mitile's eyes--as clear and pure as the summer sky--and after a moment, it held the green pearl out to him.

Mitile: …Are you sure?

The little spirit nodded enthusiastically, so Mitile accepted the pearl, treating it with the same care that the spirit had.

Figaro: Well done.

Lennox: Rutile'd give you a gold star.

Mitile: Ehehe, thanks!

Figaro smiled gently at Mitile, and then took the green pearl from his hands. And as he did, the pearl began to glow…and then radiate blindingly with light.

✦✧☾✧✦

After escaping the monastery and then being chased through the forest by humans, Luca's life was about to change completely--and it did. For there was a young man who took her into his care, hiding the wandering girl from the cruelties of the world. I saw her crouching down in a forest filled with sunlight, holding one hand out. She'd gotten bigger. Her hair was washed; her clothes were clean. She'd undergone a complete transformation from the girl she'd once been. And beyond her extended hand was a little leaf spirit.

Luca: Lu…ca… That's my name. "Roxy" is spelled like…this. I…I think this is how to write Teddy…

Luca was writing with a new, proper pen, her sheaf of papers still in hand. Her letters were clumsy and awkward, but she persevered. The little spirit was watching her every movement with obvious interest, dancing around her letters so it could take in every angle.

Luca: He taught me how to write. And he said that if I write a story to go with my art, I could turn it into a picture book. If you could write too, we could write stories together…

???: …Oh, Luca. Here's where you were.

Luca: …!

Someone pushed through the bushes, approaching them. That someone had glossy golden hair that seemed to be full of light, catching the radiance of the afternoon sun that shone through the forest canopy. It was Aslan, though he looked a bit younger than he did now.

Aslan: Are you talking to one of your friends?

Luca: …Yeah…

Aslan: Oh! Sorry, I didn't mean to interrupt. I bought some nice candy for you, so I was looking for you so I could give it to you. Do you want to try one? It's milk and honey flavor…wahh?!

Aslan's foot suddenly caught on the root of a tree, and he stumbled forward. The candy bag in his hand flew through the air, spilling its contents over the forest floor.

Aslan: Ahh…

Luca: …Hehe.

Aslan was staring at the fallen candy in a daze. Luca giggled at the sight. And then she gasped, covering her mouth. But when Aslan crouched down and picked one of fallen candies up, their eyes meeting as he held it out to her, looking embarrassed, Luca got a bit bashful again. After Aslan took his leave, Luca gave one of the two candies she'd gotten to the spirit. She murmured something under her breath.

Luca: …Aslan's weird. He doesn't bully me at all. Instead he shows me lots of…pretty artworks…? And he took me into the city to buy sweets the other day, too. He knows lots and lots of things I don't… And…you and he are kind of similar, Teddy. You're both so careful, but you can get careless, too. Your eyes are the same color, too. They're the same color as the sunset I saw that day… It's so pretty… It's my favorite color.

✦✧☾✧✦

I held the five pearls my wizards had searched for in the palm of my hand.

Akira: These are all the pieces of Luca's memory…!

Shino: We finally got 'em all!

Akira: Yeah. And if we add the pink one, that's all six!

Shino was working together with Arthur on broomstick, acting as bait for the ever-growing vines to follow so as to keep them in check, and I saw both of them heave a sigh of relief. When each team had retrieved a pearl, the memories within had flowed into my mind. I imagine each and every wizard here had the same thing occur. We'd all seen Luca's memories of her friends. I held the pearls and the fond but painful memories locked within them with care.

Murr: Master Saaaage!

Murr had the unconscious Aslan on his broom, but he jumped up and down like a bunny as he approached. He hooked his foot around his broomstick and flipped upside down, and Aslan dropped down next to me with a thud.

Akira: Ahh, don't be so rough…!

Murr: And Murr makes a beautiful pass, sending Aslan to the Sage! Hey, the weird leaves that were going crazy over there have all chilled out. Looks like things calmed down a little over here too? Maybe they're tired of chasing us around.

Mithra: Siiigh. There's no end to them.

Mithra was at my side, repelling the vines that Arthur and the others couldn't stop, peering into the crystal ball.

Mithra: What shall we do? Shall I open a door and gather everyone up?

Murr: Sounds nice 'n quick! But if you do that, won't this whole world fall to pieces? Spatial teleportation is pret-ty advanced, and you're just really strong as it is, Mithra. Who knows how much you'll mess with this world's framework!

Mithra: Does it really matter that much? If it falls apart, then it falls apart, but my doors will still connect where they need to go. Isn't that what matters?

Murr: Ahaha. Well, as long as you get everyone in time!

Akira: W-wait a second, please. What we should be focusing on right now is giving Luca the pieces of her memories…

Rutile: Master Sage…thank goodness. I'm glad we got them all safe and sound!

Rutile was desperately using his magic to stop the flowers that threatened to consume Luca whole. Rivulets of sweat glistened on his brow.

Rutile: Please! Please, give them to her as soon as you can…

Akira: Of course!

With Rutile and the others watching over me, I began to approach Luca with the pearls in hand, but… At the same moment, the flowers cocooned around her began to squirm and writhe over her--it was as if they were trying to devour her.

Akira: …?!

Arthur: Master Sage!

Arthur immediately swooped down atop his broom and grabbed my hand, tugging me into the air.

Next Chapter

[saintyveningstar]

Overture to "A Midsummer Night's Dream", Op. 21: Allegro di molto

Cliff gets his little sister out of drug trouble with their parents

Cliff turns down the volume on his bass when he hears shouting coming from the living room. Like a child, he peeks his head out of his bedroom door to snoop. 

"Simone, a fourth of the alcohol is missing, and then this?! Explain this!" Their mother shouts, and Cliff is surprised. His little sister Simone has always been a goody two-shoes, as far as he could remember. 

A fourth of the Alcohol missing? He thought, What else did they find?

"Simone, answer your mother." Ray says, and Cliff has a feeling that whatever they found was bad. Of course, his mother didn't particularly like it, but they let him grow weed in the house and sell it out of his backpack — so whatever Simone had must've been horrible.

He heard his little sister's voice, "I-It's not mine."

"It was in your bathroom, Simone!"

"Mama ... I—" She's at a loss for words now, she doesn't know what to say.

Cliff decided he should intervene. And hey, It probably wasn't hers. Oh, and that alcohol missing? Yeah, that was him. What, he didn't think they'd actually notice.

He pulled the guitar strap over his head, and left his bass on the nearest flat surface he could find — which happened to be his cluttered desk. Whatever, he'd fuckin ... buff out the scratches later, he guesses.

He stalks into the living room, where Simone is standing sheepishly in front of their parents, crying. There was a little baggie of yellow, red, pink, and white pills. Then, there was another little baggie with white powder in it.

Holy shit.

"Oh shit, Ma, you found it! I've been looking everywhere for those!" He said.

"Mind your language, Cliff, c'mon." Ray said, rolling his eyes.

"Yeah, sorry about that. Is that what all this is about, these pills?" He asked.

"So these are yours, then?" Jan asked.

"Yeah, you didn't know? You thought they were Simone's? C'mon, Ma."

"You said you wouldn't use marijuana as a gateway drug, Clifford. That's what we agreed."

"Mom, I have them with the intent to sell. My bass is coming out of the shop soon, which means I have to pay soon. Relax. Hey, maybe you should take one of these." Cliff said, matter of factly.

"Alright, boy." Ray said, "That's enough. Get your ... pills off the table. Take your sister with you."

Jan crossed her arms, practically turning her nose up. Cliff took the drugs off of the end table, looking his sister in her eyes and nodding towards the hallway. Simone followed him back to his room, and he closed the door behind them.

"Have a seat." He said, going over to his radio and turning the volume up. His parents didn't need to hear this conversation. Cliff sat down on the bed across from her, wiping his nose and sniffing. "Ya owe me, Simba."

Simone was still crying, wiping her eyes. "They really aren't mine, Cliff. I swear—"

"Hey, I believe you. You're going to make yourself faint if you don't calm down. Breathe, you're not in trouble anymore." He said. "Now, why do you have PCP ... and whatever this stuff is?" he held them up.

"My friend, Libby, her boyfriend is like a dealer, I guess, and he was going to get in trouble at school. We were on the bus, and she stuffed it in my backpack right before her stop. And I didn't know what to do, so I hid it in the bathroom." She looked up at Cliff, barely meeting his eyes. She expected him to be disappointed in her, but she only saw his heart breaking.

Cliff clicked his tongue,"Libby's not your friend, Simone." He said, softly. "She sees you as a scapegoat. You don't have to snitch or anything, but cut her out of your life. It's as simple as that. Did you take any?"

"No, never." She shook her head.

"Good, that's good. Cause then, I'd have to kick your ass."

Simone smiled and laughed, "But what are we gonna do with them? I can't just keep them."

"What, did you think I was kidding? Those repairs ain't gonna pay for themselves, Simba. These are my drugs now." Cliff chuckled.

"Seriously?"

"Hey, what do you say I give you 'bout .. mm, 20%. Can we call it a deal?"

Simone held out for hand for him to shake, smiling widely, and Cliff took it. Then, he pulled her into a hug. 

"Yeah, we can call it a deal."

[mermaidsirennikita]

Hi, love your blog! What would you say are your favorite meet cutes or hate at first sight in historical romance?

Thanks so much!!

I think one of the best meet cutes I've read in a historical ever is in Dreaming of You. Derek is very literally get his face slashed by a group of attackers paid by his ex lover (to ruin his looks of course) and Sara just walks up and shoots the guy attacking him in the throat and kills him. And as soon as she realizes who Derek is, as she's supporting him on the walk to the club, she's like "OH HELLO MR. CRAVEN MAY I SHADOW YOU FOR MY BOOK???" And he's like "... Jesus Christ".

Secrets of a Summer Night has a good one too, with Simon Hunt immediately getting under Annabelle's skin with that stolen kiss. Which Lisa has cut from recent editions, ugh. Lillian and Westcliff sorta have their meet cute in this one too. I believe they know each other beforehand, but him walking in on her playing rounders in her underwear and deciding to hate her Because Lust is so pivotal.

Something Spectacular by Alexis Hall has an amazing one for Peggy and Orfeo. Peggy is planning on trying to help her friend/ex get Orfeo's attention, and when she goes with said friend to an opera performance, Orfeo notices Peggy instead and zeroes in on her. And Peggy's friend had just said she'd heard Orfeo's singing voice made people come, and Peggy literally fainted when Orfeo sang because their voice was so beautiful. So when they're like "Hey I noticed you fainted" Peggy goes "I DIDN'T COME THO". It's definitely not a hate moment, but it's just such a good meet cute and I love this book so much.

Laura Kinsale writes really good meet cutes. in For My Lady's Heart, the hero and heroine meet when he's dropping his wife off at a convent (it's a lot) and the heroine, a married princess, sees him, accuses him of looking at her lustfully (he was) and then saves his ass and earns his blind devotion. Shadowheart features a heroine who gets ensnared by a seductive pirate guy and then he goes "LMAO FORCED MARRIAGE TIME". Flowers from the Storm has a Quaker heroine who meets a rake hero who does this whole seductive thing where he's like "let me describe your sexy face to your blind father". It's great.

Gotta love Lisa Valdez's Passion, where the hero and heroine meet and immediately have sex behind a screen at like, a world's fair.

Hotel of Secrets by Anna Biller has a great meet cute where the hero saves the heroine from getting hit by a carriage, and then they immediately annoy each other.

The Duke Gets Even is so so so good on this meet cute/hate thing. Nellie and Lockwood meet when he's swimming (for his health) in the ocean and she's swimming (naked) also in the ocean. He thinks she's a sexy mermaid, she flirts, they make out, she grabs his hair and realizes he's into giving and receiving pain, he tries to get her to have sex with him, she's like "meet me tomorrow night" and then the day after it's revealed that he's about to propose to hER BEST FRIEND. And then they loathe each other. The Bride Goes Rogue has this hate at first meeting thing too--the hero and heroine have been betrothed for years but never interact until she asks him when they're actually going to get married and he says NEVER ACTUALLY.

A Caribbean Heiress in Paris by Adriana Herrera has this. The heroine is a rum heiress who goes to sell her wares in Paris, and the hero is a Scottish whiskey guy. It's immediately like "competitive sparks" vibes, which turns into sexual tension, which turns into an orgasm on the Eiffel Tower.

The Perfect Crimes of Marian Hayes by Cat Sebastian--the hero and heroine actually meet over letter when he's trying to blackmail her. And then he falls in love with her over the verbal sparring, while she thinks he ain't shit. SO GOOD.

After Dark with the Duke by Julie Anne Long has a great setup where the stiff, war hero guy meets the scandalous much younger opera singer girl and looks down on her, leading to mutual enmity (and tension).

The Viscount and the Vixen by Lorraine Heath, where the hero marries the scammer heroine right after meeting her to save his dad from being scammed (it's a thing) so now they're legally bound and he hates her.

Thief of Shadows by Elizabeth Hoyt, where Isabel saves Winter while he's in a full vigilante outfit and is bleeding from a stab wound and he still manages to get visibly turned on by her wound care lmao.

[amberdablade]

Hi Hi Love! I have a Small Request!<3

What if DreamXD / Ranboo ( or both, not ploy tho— ) had a Reader who was a Wendigo! Hybird?

Please take care of yourself and have a wonderful day!

Love,

Sharkie / 🦈

Hello, and I just want to say I'm so sorry I forgot about this request but hey at least I finally finished it :D Here you go!!!!

🧡💙❤~Dream XD/c!Ranboo x F!Wendigo Hybrid Reader Headcannons~❤💙🧡

TW: Someone being creepy and abducting you. :P

Dream XD~

You were very unique, he’ll say that.

He had never seen a creature quite like you in his few thousand years of living, and that was what made him interested in you. Especially since he thought he had seen everything, especially since he was a god.

When he first laid eyes on you, he was genuinely curious, and made himself present in your dreams/nightmares so he could learn more about you and where you came from. You seemed to not know exactly what you were or where you came from, so peaking into your brain didn’t work the way he planned.

After that he thought that he should just let it go, but he was just so curious he couldn’t stop thinking of you.

What were you???? A deer? A skeleton? A woodland beast? Surely not human, but you still had the blood of a human in you, and the body of one for that matter.

Whatever you were though, he had grown extremely fond of you, and he needed to know more. That’s all he wanted was more of you and more of your knowledge, he needed to meet you in person he needed to know everything he could about you. Even if you didn't’ accept him, he was a god, and he would find some way to force you to.

The first time he visited you, you had nearly fainted in surprise when you recognized him as the god the SMP was worshiping and who you thought was fake.

You became instantly embarrassed and scared since you had thought that he was coming to punish you for mocking him and not believing that he existed.

He had realized your embarrassment and concern for your well being and it actually made him pleased that you feared him in a way.

He told you that he didn’t come to punish you or anything like that, he just said that he wanted to take you into ‘heaven’ with him so you two could live together for the rest of eternity.

You were so surprised that you became nauseous and nearly fainted again. He was asking you to basically be his girlfriend and eventually marry him in heaven? It was almost too much for you.

But you weren’t stupid and you had known from legend and talk around town that when XD wanted something, he got that something, and in this case that was you right now. He wanted you and you knew that if you tried to escape him or deny him it would do you no good and he would have you eventually. So you just gave in and came with him.

He then brought you up to his heaven, where you did indeed spend the rest of eternity with him.

Ranboo~

He was absolutely fascinated by you. You sparked his curiosity in a way he never thought was possible.

He had seen you around Snowchester, walking around the forest like you owned the place and had no fear of the monsters that came out at night (maybe considering the fact that you were one yourself, but he didn’t look at you that way).

When he first saw you, he thought you were beautiful, and like nothing he had ever seen before. But like stated before he didn’t see you as a monster or a freak since when he saw you, he saw a reflection of himself: something that didn’t belong in the world it was currently in.

After this realization, he decided that he needed to know you better, he just didn’t know how to approach you.

Thankfully though, he didn’t have to approach you at all, you first approached him. You had been curious of his flowers on his porch and decided to go and check them out. He had found you adorable, and invited you to come and stay in his house so you didn’t have to stay outside since there was an oncoming blizzard that was scheduled for later in the night.

You had thanked him and admired his kindness and concern for your safety, and agreed to stay with him. Just because you were this weird, extremely rare mix up of a hybrid didn’t mean you were invincible to extreme weather temperatures, and you were glad he realized that.

He cooked you dinner, let you sleep in his bed while he went to sleep on the couch, and allowed you to do basically anything you desired as long as you were comfortable and happy.

After a night and a day and a half you asked if you could stay another night, and he responded with “You can stay here whenever you want and for however long you desire.”

After that you stayed with him every now and then, and became attached to him in a way you didn’t find possible, and like mentioned before, he felt the same about you.~

Word Count: 925

[hiraethenthusiast]

The Hollandairé | t.h.

pairing: ceo!tom x ceo! reader

word count: 16k+

synopsis: exes cross paths on a big event. will they be able to forget each other's mistakes?

warnings: language, sexual innuendos, mentions of an anxiety attack (if you squint), talks about miscarriage, my favourite angst.

a/n: well, well, well im back from a very shitty writers block! look at me, writing angst with exes? oof. can you tell that i absolutely love angst and makeouts in the end? i was somehow inspired by 'idfc' by blackbear to write this fic lol. it took some time and ofcourse i went overboard with it, so hope you enjoy! don't forget to like and reblog! (i even made a moodboard kinda thing uwuwu)

--------------------------------------------------------------

"Conan I won't hesitate to knee you in the crotch if you don't stop pulling me off this sofa right this second" You tell your roommate, who is desperately trying to get you to go to a gala with him. Being a CEO brings its pros and cons. Pros being, you have a private jet, you're your own boss and you can shout at people with a reason. Cons being, annoyingly nice roommates. You had just shifted to a penthouse in downtown London with your friend Conan, because you refused to stay alone in this bigass house. (You tried living alone once, you were bored to death)

"Conan leave me alone yoo!" You said whining and hunching back into the sofa.

"Get the fuck up and get ready for the launch dude you promised me you wouldn't leave me hanging" Conan shouts over the voice of the t.v. blaring in the background. You pull you hand away from his grip and reach for the remote to shut off the t.v., focusing back on this tall red-headed figure in front of you.

"You know I don't like fancy shit." You grumble.

"It's YOUR fancy shit, get up Y/N." He says and reaches for your arms now, finally making you stand.

"Call Laura, I really don't want to go." You say pulling your phone out from your back pocket and handing it to him.

"If you haven't realised, your manager is the one who forced me to force you to attend the introduction of your fashion line" He fights back.

"- and Y/N. Hey, look at me. You've dreamt of this for how long? Almost all your life. And if you miss the chance to see your empire expand, it's gonna be devastating. You'll obviously miss the fashion show who's got the actual Rudy Pankow walking on a ramp, you'll also miss the opportunity to see people happy with YOUR work. Now get your ass up and get ready." He says and leaves the room, to get ready himself.

It's not that you don't want to go, you really do. Afterall, all of it is your hardwork. But the reason you're not going is because of that asshole. That asshole with whom you used to go out with once, the one who's current goal is to bring you down. The one and only, Tom Holland. You two used to date at some point, the ones who were in love actually, but the rivalry you two have got going on now has lead to you two knowing too much about each other. More than you know about yourself, the other knows it all. Small arguments turned into big ones, that eventually lead to the two of you leaving each other alone. You don't want to go because whenever you meet him, it all turns up into a big mess and your night is typically ruined, and you weren't in the mood for that, atleast not today. He's just a narcissistic bitch who thinks of nothing but degrading you. And that's the reason you don't want to go. Because you know if you talk to him one more time, these banters will persuade you.

But you do realise that you have to go. You have to go because you haven't gone to the last two launches for your perfume and swim line as well, and if you don't go today, Laura will actually end you.

So you just chug all your tea, leaving the kitchen with a grunt to go get ready.

"Hey Marco, can you send in that pantsuit I got done the other day? Look over for modifications if possible, although it looks great in just the solid colour, and please get it drycleaned." You tell your designer over the phone, to which he agreed and you go into your room to get your hair and makeup done.

"Wear a dress to the launch of your fashion line when it gets famous, yeah?"

"Pantsuits all the way Holland, you know I hate dresses."

"I know you do."

You remember the faint memory from over two years ago, that dream actually coming true, just without the person you dreamt it with.

You put your hair in a low bun with a middle part, giving you a classy formal look, and you do a almost non existent makeup look, only your eyes bold to accent with your outfit. Marco drops off the forest green pantsuit at your house, you giving it a twist with wearing a lace corset beneath the blazer.

"I look hot." You told yourself.

You and Conan leave for the event, you fidgeting in between 15 minute durations, Conan reassuring you that he'll be with you until the night ends.

That didn't last long. You lost Conan as soon as you entered the venue, so you occupied yourself with having conversations with other company owners, hearing how they're doing in the industry, blah blah blah.

"Do I look like I care?" You say to yourself.

You move ahead, only to cross paths with the one and only. He was wearing a cherry coloured perfectly tailored suit, adding a hint of Tom with the glasses. He looked good.

"And what do I owe this pleasure, Ms. Y/N?" He says, twirling his champagne glass in his hands.

"Look Holland I really don't have time for this shit, please take a goodie bag on your way home" You say with a bit of sass and start to move away, only to get your arm held back, making you bump in his chest.

"I see you wore the pantsuit you always wanted to wear at your event, angel " He says, making you pull away from him.

"Don't ever call me that again, and this is a warning." You were about to continue further with your answer, but you were utterly shocked to see the person in front of you.

"Is that the Y/N Y/L/N, in person, the one who's way too busy to answer my phone calls?" He says, making you laugh a bit.

"Jaeden?" You say, laughing heartily.

"In the flesh, tigeress." He says, doing grabby hands at you as an indication to pull you in a hug. You oblige and walk towards him and give him the biggest bear hug you've given anyone in two years. You pull back just to hit him on the chest once, playfully ofcourse.

"Tigeress. Oof haven't heard that in a while" You keep your conversation going on with Jaeden, while Tom is absolutely dumbfounded about whatever just happened in these past few seconds.

There's this hot guy named Jason or whatever, who calls you 'tigeress' and you aren't pestering him for calling you with a nickname but you definitely were ready to give Tom a piece of your mind when he called you 'angel'? Who is this guy?

Tom goes off to find Conan, who was situated at the bar downing a shot of tequila.

"Hey who's that guy Jason?" He asks him, pointing towards you and Jaeden in the middle of the hall.

"You mean Jaeden?" He says, biting onto a slice of lemon.

"Yeah whatever who is he?" Tom asks again, turning towards to bartender asking for a glass of whiskey.

"Why do you want to know?" Conan shoots back.

"Just curious. Can you just fucking tell me now?" Tom tries again, getting frustrated now.

"Chill dude. Jaeden used to work with Y/N a long time ago. He had this crush on her for like forever, but then Y/N went in for entrepreneurship and they were just not in contact with each other." He says.

"Crush huh?" Tom says, gripping onto his glass so tight that his knuckles almost turned white.

"Why do you look like you're about to murder someone?" Conan asks, getting concerned.

"Because I might." Tom says, grinding his teeth while forcing a smile.

The night goes by pretty smoothly, for you. You and Jaeden were clinged to each other almost the whole night, and then Tom watching you both from a distance, trying not to snap hard at people. He just took enough of it, he had to do something. He wasn't really sure why was he jealous, 'maybe because you love her' his heart said, but his mind crossing paths with a 'no you don't' in the middle. He was in a dilemma, but was mostly leaning towards his heart's side. He finally got up from his seat and walked towards you.

"Y/L/N." He says, keeping his composure.

"Yes?" You turn around to come face to face with him, laughing on something Jaeden had said.

"Board of Directors want to meet you on third floor. I was going that way only, wanted to inform you." He says.

"Oh okay. Jaeden I'll be back in a few. And tell me about that Mario Kart incident." You say, your laughter dying as you walk towards the elevator, motioning Tom to move as well. You both enter the elevator and you click the button for third floor.

"So Jaeden's a long lost friend, I assume?" He tries to small talk, failing miserably.

"Yeah, I used to work with him a long time back. Why do you ask?" You say, being the nicest you've been to Tom in two years.

"Just making small talk. So, exactly how long ago, you used to work with him?" He tries again.

"A really long time ago." You tell him.

"When we were dating?" He says, hesitating.

The elevator dings and you reach third floor, both of you moving into a very empty hallway.

"Why do you care Tom?" You say, making him frustrated even more.

"Because you're my fucking ex-girlfriend whom I'm worried about because that asshole has a mega crush on you" He says, making you jerk your head towards him.

"How many whiskeys have you had?" You ask him, because he was sounding oblivious that's for sure.

You turn around to open the meeting room to find it empty, making you glare at Tom once again.

"Why the fuck did you bring me up here Holland, where's the meeting?" You say, narrowing your eyes towards him.

"There is no meeting Y/N, the Board didn't show up this year, remember?" He says moving and fidgeting around the room.

"Then why did you bring me up here, dumbass?" That put him over the edge. He starts walking towards you making you take a few steps back, finally cornering you in the room.

"Because that guy is fucking flirting with you Y/N. That guy has been roaming around the whole night with my girl, touching and hugging my girl in front of me and you expect me to keep my calm? Huh? I don't fucking care okay? You're supposed to be mine and I was a jerk who let you go. I can't stand seeing you with other people. What the fuck is wrong with you Y/N, why did you leave me?!" He shouts at you, making your blood boil even more.

You push him back and stand in front of him, glaring as if you were going to rip his head off.

"No Tom, YOU left me, alright? I cried almost every night after that day when you left, and you didn't even have the empathy to give me a call. You, are too self-absorbed, and not me Tom. It was all you. I haven't been to even one of my launches just because I know you'll be there, you'll be there to put me down again. And why the fuck do you care about whom I talk to huh?" You shout at him.

"Why would I come to every single one of your launches Y/N?! To see you! To see the person who understood me more than I did, just to fucking see your face and calm my nerves!" He shouts back. He moves towards you and holds you chin to put your eyes at his eye level.

"Look at me Y/N. Look at me. Did we mean anything to you? Did I mean anything to you? Look at me in the eyes and tell me you never loved me. Tell me I meant nothing to you and I'll leave this second. Tell me that this was all a lie." He says, making your eyes water.

"You know I can't tell you that."

"Then why do you keep hurting me Y/N?! You hurt me so much! You left me when I needed you the most! I wanted you and you weren't there-" He shouts again.

"SHUT UP TOM, SHUT UP! Stop it! Stop! Please. Stop." You're crying hysterically now, hunching up in a corner trying to calm yourself down. Tom immediately sees it and runs towards you holding your hands and cradling them.

"Hey, hey Y/N. Look at me, look at me baby. It's Tom. Hey baby. I'm here, yeah? I'm here. Stop crying come on babe, please. Love, look at me. I'm here." He says, now running his hand over your cheeks wiping your tears.

"Go away. Go away from me." Is all you say, which makes his ears perk and brings water to his eyes.

He stands up and moves out of the room, closing the door just to hear you crying again. He sits down on the floor with his back on the door now, crying, waiting for you to say something.

"Please, open the door." He says, bursting into tears and hugging himself with his arms, wishing it was you.

Fifteen minutes pass by and you still haven't said anything. Tom misses you so much, and it was so fucked up of you to leave him like this. He was hurt, but he could never stop loving you. Ever.

"Losing you would be a nightmare that I'd beg to be awaken from everyday." You say opening the door, your eyes blood red, hair disheveled making Tom look at you, whose eyes were blood red too.

"What?"

"I was pregnant, Tom." You tell him, making his eyes widen and holding your hand for comfort.

"The day-" You clear your throat "The day we fought is when we lost the baby. I was going to tell you I was pregnant that day, but then that happened." You were crying a bit more now, but still held you composure so you can handle Tom from now.

"The argument gave me too much stress and, and it was affecting the baby so as soon as you left, um, my stomach started aching really badly and, and yeah we lost our baby then. That's why I left." You say, you were crying on his shoulder now, intentionally ignoring his reaction because you knew it would hurt him.

"We, we- lost our baby?" He says, a bit shocked but choking on his tears. You remain silent.

"Hey, hey. Listen. It's okay. It wasn't your fault. It was mine. I shouldn't have fought with you. You were already really worried and I just added onto your pressure. I'm so sorry baby I'm so so sorry." He was full-on crying now, he sniffled in your neck because he was too afraid to show his emotions.

"It wasn't your fault Tommy, it was ours." You say, running your hand in his curls. The way you missed his chestnut curls. It was all good again, well atleast you hoped.

Tommy. That always brought butterflies in his stomach.

You talked everything out in the bathroom, while washing your faces and cleaning up. You both understood that everything was going back to normal, just like the old times. One conversation lead to another, and you spent two hours on the bathroom floor just laughing and having gossip.

"It's been a while." You say laughing, looking at your watch.

"Yeah."

"Why did you say 'my girl' Tom?" You ask him directly.

"Hm?"

"You called me 'my girl' in the conference room. Why?" You tell him, and he instantly remembers that he did do that.

"You're in my head almost everyday Y/N. Even when you're not supposed to be. It shouldn't have been this hard letting go, but it was. I still love you, even if you don't." He says, taking some tissue paper off the counter.

"Who said I don't love you?" You say, making his eyes widen.

"Wha- wh- what are you implying here?" He stumbles upon his words, making you laugh.

"I still love you, you goof."

"Y/N you have to be serious you're making me want things I can't have." He says wholeheartedly.

You say nothing but grab him by his collar and kiss him with full force. After two years, you felt those soft lips on yours again, reminiscing every moment you had missed in these past years. They felt the same, soft and plump, just as if they were made for you. They fit in with yours like a puzzle, that was meant to be solved by these two hearts which were tangled, but now, in a right way. Tom kissed back almost immediately, feeling your lips was like a dream come true. A recurrent dream in his mind. You both pull back to see red and puffy lips and give out a light laugh. He doesn't stop, he keeps leaving peppery kisses all over your face mumbling sweet words again and again.

"I missed you so, so much angel." he says leaving a kiss on your nose.

"I missed you too bubba." you say leaving a small peck on his lips.

"Let's go now, we've been here for almost two hours." You start to move towards the door, but get pulled back by your waist.

"Tell Jaeden to maintain distance, yeah?" He says.

"Or what?" You say in a playful tone.

"Babygirl, I think you've forgotten what I'm capable of." He says, kissing your neck.

"I think I have. And stop kissing me I look shit." You say, laughing.

"I really don't care. You still look hot and I'm trying not to kiss you senseless right now." He says leaving another harsh suck on your skin, which can hopefully be covered by your blazer.

"Are you going to eyefuck me all night or are you going to do something about it?" You say, now kissing Tom's sweet spot.

"Finish this event in the next half an hour. I'll see you at my house babe." He says leaving one last peck on your lips.

You both reach downstairs after fixing your makeup and hair, you reach upto the stage and and hold onto the mic.

"Thankyou all for attending the event. We look forward to having more business with you! Don't forget to post something about our line 'The Hollandairé' on your social media platforms and don't forget to tag us! We are, The Y/L/N's thankyou have a good night!"

He listen to you and smirks to himself, because you do do what you say.

"I'm going to name my first fashion line 'The Hollandairé' " You say making a banner with your hands.

"And I'll be right with you then baby" He says, kissing your cheek.

Looks like he kept his promise too.

tagging some friends whom i think would like to read!:

@hollandslittlekoala @hollandsmushroom @leafy-holland @tomsoxytocin @scarletspideyy @t-lostinworlds

(pls do tell me if you don't want to be tagged further on!)

don't forget to reblog!

ilysmmmm. tpwk y'all!

[nomsugayoongi]

Recurring

Pairing: Jungkook X OC female

Warnings: None yet.

Synopsis: Jungkook meets the girl of his dreams...but the problem is exactly that. She's in his dreams.

Note: So I had this really bizarre idea for a fluff fest (and eventual smut fest because it's JK and I can't help myself) It's written and edited on a phone so forgive any mistakes and don't be afraid to let me know what you think.

"Huh?"

Jungkook looked around. He didn't know this street. Nothing looked familiar. Not the tall, grey buildings, not the neon lights casting colourful shadows on the dark pavement, nothing. He frowned, eyes scanning the signs on the building right beside him. It was one of those 24 hour convenience stores. The lights were on but he couldn't see anybody inside. No cashier behind the counter. No customers. He had no idea what time it was. Come to think of it, he didn't actually have any idea about anything. He felt a splash of water hit his face and glanced up at the dark sky. No stars. No moon. Just....black. The glow from the street lights cast faint beams and highlighted the beginning drops of rain. He looked down at the pavement. He didn't have shoes on. His bare feet looked strange against the concrete but he couldn't feel the cold ground. His frown deepened as he scraped his foot lightly against the path, expecting to feel the rough texture but feeling nothing. The rain started coming faster, droplets hitting the back of his neck as he stared down at his feet. He wasn't afraid. Even in this strange situation, with not a soul in sight, there was no fear. Just curiosity. He looked either side of him then down the dark street ahead. There was something glowing at the end of the street that piqued his interest. A soft, warm ball of light that flickered slightly even though there was no wind.

He started walking, the rain coming down harder, huge splotches soaking through his t shirt yet he didn't feel particularly cold. He looked in the windows of the closed shops as he walked past, the silhoutte of the items in the window seeming even darker against the faint light bouncing off the glass. It was so quiet. No traffic sounds, no voices. Just the sound of the rain hammering against the pavement. As he approached the end of the street, he squinted at where the light now seemed bigger and brighter. Pure darkness spanned out in front of him, but it was moving, shimmering and rippling as the rain hit the surface. Water. A lake or something. He couldn't tell how big it was. The darkness of the water sort of blending into the darkness of the night and made one big horizon of black. As he approached the edge of the water, he noticed that the ball of light that had caught his attention was a gently swinging lamp hung inside a gazebo. A rickety looking wooden Jetty connected the floating gazebo to the embankment and he quickened his pace to get to it, mainly because the rain was now hammering down so hard that he was drenched from head to toe but also because the soft glow of light against the stark backdrop of darkness was very inviting. He made his way up the jetty, hearing the wooden slats creak and groan under his feet then smiling as he reached the gazebo. It was cute. It seemed....out of place. An octagonal, wooden structure with a slate roof and half open sides. Benches ran around each edge, padded with thick, comfy looking cushions. A lantern hung from the center of the roof, swaying slightly above a small table. It really was out of place. It looked brand new, like something you'd see in the garden section of an IKEA catalogue. He wondered whether he was ok to sit since he was wet through but it was literally the middle of the night and there wasnt a soul around, so he sat, picking the edge closest to the open water and facing out so he could watch the rain bounce off the water's surface. He liked the overlapping circular ripples it created, like an intricate pattern on the glassy surface. It was nice. Absolute silence apart from the rain and the sound of his own steady breathing. He felt calm. Peaceful. Content even. Happy to just sit in the darkness and listen to the rain. He closed his eyes, inhaling deeply, the smell of the water and fresh rain causing a small smile to play around his lips.

"Hey. Soggy boy. What you doing in my dream?"

His eyes snapped open and he looked around wildly. "What the hell?" He muttered, confused. Stood at the entrance to the gazebo was a girl, her arms folded across her chest as she surveyed him. There was no way she could have snuck up. He would have heard her footsteps on the crappy old jetty. "Where did you come from?" He frowned, looking around with bemusement. "What do you mean where did I come from? It's my dream. Where did you come from?" She retorted. He looked back towards the street where everything was still exactly the same. No people. No sound. "I was over there." He muttered, pointing. "Wait...dream?" He questioned, completely confused. She nodded. "Yeah. This is my dream spot. I've been here loads of times. Want to tell me why you're crashing my dream? And why you're dripping on my cushions?" She said, arms still folded expectantly. "It's raining." He said stupidly. "I got caught in it. Wait...why aren't you wet?" He asked, suddenly noticing that she was stood among the falling rain but was bone dry. "It's my dream." She repeated slower, as though he was kind of dumb. "I decide what happens. I didn't decide on you though. Why are you here?" She asked, a frown creeping between her brow. He shrugged, still looking around curiously. "Dunno. Are you sure it's your dream? I think it might be mine." He reasoned. That would make sense. Not knowing where he was, the bare feet, the body temperature rain, the entire lack of life signs. "It's definitely mine." He muttered, more to himself than to her. "Yeah, cause I went to bed after practise and woke up here...except I didn't wake up. I must still be asleep. Huh! That's pretty cool." He said, a slow grin spreading across his face at the idea of being aware of his own dream. "Excuse me. Soggy boy. If it's your dream then why am I in it and why are you having it in my dream space?" She asked. He shrugged again, finally looking at her. She had long dark hair that was poker straight and impossibly shiny, it fell around a cute face, huge, sparkly eyes, button nose, pouty lips. Good cheekbones. She was short but curvy. Her expression displaying her curiosity. Definitely his dream. She looked like a strange Mish mash of all the things he liked in a girl. She was cute. Very cute. "Does it matter if it's your dream or my dream? Either way, it isn't real. Whoever is dreaming will wake up at some point and it'll end anyway. Why waste it trying to figure out whose head were in?" He reasoned. She nodded slowly, thoughtfully. "Yeah I guess. I'm just...not used to anyone being here." She shrugged. "Well I'm not here technically." He mused. "Neither are you." She hummed, studying him curiously. She'd dropped her folded arms and had taken a seat on the bench opposite his. She was staring at him intently. "You got a name or should I just keep calling you soggy boy?" She asked. "Jungkook" he smiled. "Huh?" She said, eyebrow raised. "Jungkook" he repeated. "Why the face?" She shook her head, still looking a little bemused. "That's not an English name." She muttered. He chuckled, now also looking bemused. "Why would it be? I'm not English." He replied. "But you've lived here a while? Your accent." She muttered. "Lived where? What accent?" He frowned. "In England." She stated. He chuckled again. "What are you talking about? I don't live in England. I've never lived in England. I barely know how to speak English although I've been learning for years. English is hard." He mused. "But you're speaking English now." She exclaimed. He frowned, laughing. "No. I'm speaking Korean." He said slowly. She looked like her head was about to explode. "No. You're definitely speaking English. I understand you. How would I understand you if you were speaking Korean?" She said, puzzled. "YOU'RE speaking Korean." He frowned. "EH? I'm speaking English. I wouldn't be able to speak Korean if my life depended on it, let alone carry out a whole ass conversation with some soaked stranger in my dream gazebo." She said defensively. He couldn't help but laugh. As far as dreams went, this was by far one of his most

interesting. "Ok. So you're speaking English. I'm speaking Korean...yet we understand each other. Cool." He smiled. She continued to look confused. "Ok so....Jungkook right?" She asked. He nodded. "Are you from Korea?" Again he nodded. "And to you it sounds like I'm speaking Korean?" Another nod. "Hmmphhh. I've had some pretty weird dreams before but this one takes the cake."

It felt like hours passed as they talked. He found out her name, that she was 2 years older than him and English. She worked in a hospital during the night and slept during the day. He told her about himself, the band, his band mates, he touched on what his life was like but didn't go into it much. It was nice to just talk to someone, even if he had to dream them up to do it. Without him even realising, the darkness surrounding them had begun to melt away, the sky lightening into colourful purples and eventually soft pinks as the sun came up. He didn't notice when the rain stopped or the silence gradually giving way to the sound of chirping birds. He was too engrossed in conversation to pay attention to his surroundings. He'd liked the sense of solitude when he first got here but quickly preferred having someone to talk to. She was attentive and interested, listening and asking questions, laughing when he made a joke. He felt...normal, which was nice. He was almost disappointed when she pointed out that time was almost up. He looked around, surprised. "When did daytime happen?" He frowned. She chuckled, rolling her eyes. "Somewhere between your pressures as an idol and my frustrations at work." She shrugged. He gazed at the water, now noticing the lush green trees that surrounded the embankment, the colour of the sky, the sparkly surface of the water. "Wow. This place is beautiful." He muttered, eyes skimming his surroundings in awe. She smiled, nodding slowly. "It's my favourite place." She said softly. "Where is it? Is it real?" He questioned. Nothing about it was familiar to him. "I don't know. I've never actually been. I just...dreamed it once and liked it so I kept coming back. A lot of my dreams happen here." She sighed. He nodded thoughtfully. "I hope I come back." He whispered. "Yeah, you didn't get to try any of the cool dream stuff." She chuckled. He raised an eyebrow, pulling his eyes from the beautiful scenery to look at her. "What cool dream stuff?" She rolled her eyes again, making him feel like a rookie. "Y'know. The stuff you can't do when you're awake. Flying, floating, changing stuff, making yourself different. It's your head. Your dream. You control it. Once you realise you're dreaming, the laws of the universe become more flexible. Dreams don't care about gravity or continuity. Your head. Your rules." She explained. He looked at her wide eyed. "Really?" He muttered. She laughed, her laugh was musical and made him feel warm. "Mmm hmm. The trick is to realise you're dreaming quickly, gives you more time to play." Her smile was childlike, eyes twinkling with excitement. It was infectious, provoking his own giddy smile. "Is there time now? Quickly?" He asked. She hummed, looking at the sky. "Don't think so. Look." She pointed upward, his eyes followed. The sky seemed to be fading. He blinked a couple of times, trying to focus but everything was blurring. "No. I'm not ready yet." He frowned. He gripped the cushion in his fists, trying to hold on. "I want to stay." He heard her light, musical laughter but it sounded further away. "I hope you're here next time. See you, soggy boy."

Jungkook awoke, blinking rapidly as he looked around. He was in his bedroom. He sat up, frowning, his stomach still churning. He rubbed his eyes with a sigh. Of course he was in his bedroom. Where else would he be. Still, that was some dream. He looked at the familiar surroundings feeling almost a pang of sadness. "That was a good dream." He whispered to himself, feeling almost silly that a small part of him was already hoping to go back.

[willowbleedsonpaper]

Good Company

Lupin!Reader x James Potter

W.C. : 2849

This is a Request from my friend @fleurdeslunes! I hope you like it and that I didn't change your request that much. I can´t find the request but it was something along the lines of: The reader is the twin sister of Remus and James' girlfriend where she doesn't like to be touched, the only one that can are Remus and James.

Warnings: Mentions of blood and a wound.

The mornings at Hogwarts were usually quiet. The morning breeze flowing around in the air as the cold settled on the cheeks of the many students in the form of a faint pink blush. It was almost like being in a dream. The echo of your footsteps on the grand hallways, the firm feeling of stone as you ran your hand over a wall, some owls flying here and there in the morning sky, where there was light but still the sun wasn’t fully out. The kind of sky you could enjoy from the hills that rolled straight into the black lake, feelling the sun touching your skin as it slowly made its way up for the day.

If you weren’t watching precisely that, you would think it was about a dream and sadly, all dreams must come to an end.

Time for breakfast was almost upon you, and if you wanted to get your seat with your friends you had to leave immediately. Staring at the sky for a couple more seconds, you said a silent goodbye to the picture before you, smiling as you started walking. Your eyes remained on the horizon, taking a couple steps backwards before you fully turned in your heel.

You didn’t even see the people running in your direction until it was too late.

You could swear they didn’t see you either, pushing you out of their way with the same force they carried with them as they ran. Your feet stumbled back, your back hit the stone wall, making you fall with a hollow sound, one that didn’t go unnoticed by the others in the hall.

Soon the air was filled with murmurs, questions directed to you as many gathered around you. Two girls were to your right, one talking to you as the other tried to reach for your hand.

Your free hand rubbed your head, your eyes squinted closed due to the pain in your back and the throb in your ankle. It was too loud. Once your head started registering the voices from the girls next to you, you tried to muster your best smile, a tight smile appearing on your face as you shook your hand out of her grasp.

They gave you a worried look as you placed both hands on the floor, pushing yourself to a standing position when a hissing sound flew from your mouth, your body falling once again to the floor. Your grunt making the girls move again.

“Let us help you.” she said kindly, her hand coming to your forearm as her friend tried to do the same. “We’ll take you to the hospital wing.”

You were shaking your head furiously, fighting their hold from your arms. “It’s fine, please…”

“Y/N?” you heard your name being called, the crowd around you opening as a relieved sigh left your mouth. “Don’t” James said, pointing to the hold the girl had on your hand as she tried to pull you to your feet. She let go as soon as James got to your side, kneeling beside you and placing a hand in your cheek, nodding in your way and never moving his eyes from you until you nodded back at him, a smile spreading on his face “Thank you, but I got her.” he told the girls, both pulling away with a smile as he turned his attention to you.

The crowd dissipated as soon as James arrived, the incident turning to a distant memory in the student’s brains.

“Hi.” he said to you, your defeated face lighting up as he spoke “Don’t get me wrong, you look gorgeous sitting on the floor but I have to ask, Why are you sitting on the floor?”

You chuckled, pointing to your ankle that was quickly swelling, the little skin that showed between your shoe and the jeans you were wearing for the weekend now a bright red where a dark bruise would form in the following days “You could say that I fell and now I can’t stand up.” you told him, getting a questioning look from him as he moved to check on your ankle, his eyes asking for permission to take off your shoe as you explained what had happened.

“You saw who it was?” he asked once you finished, his eyes deep in thought as he moved your feet, quickly apologizing at the hissing sound that left your lips.

“No,” you mumbled, knowing exactly why he wanted to know “I was too busy falling.”

He looked up at you with a smile. Of course you wouldn't tell him who pushed you, it was alright, he would find one way or another. Just matter of time. “Good thing is that it doesn’t look so bad but I’m not a healer.” he said, taking your hand and pulling you to your feet, your good foot supporting all of your weight as you rested your back against the wall “I’m taking you to the hospital wing, m’lady.” he said with a smirk, turning his back to your as he lowered his body.

“What are you doing?” you asked with confusion, looking as he turned again to you.

“You’ve never had a Piggyback before?” he asked “Moony is the worst brother.”

“Hey!” you laughed, “He is the best. And I know what a piggyback is, I’m just not letting you carry me all the way to the hospital wing.”

James made a sound with his mouth, turning to his side as he murmured “Like you have a choice.”

Next thing you knew, James had picked you up with both his arms, your arms instantly around his neck as you let out a surprised squeal. His smile reached his eyes, walking the halls as he glanced down at you “What kind of boyfriend would I be if I didn’t take the chance to carry you, huh?”

“A normal one.” you chuckled, pulling yourself up to reach his cheek. He moved his face down automatically, your lips connecting with his skin in a quick kiss “Thank you for saving me back there.” you murmured, your voice soft as you thanked them.

“Anytime.” he said truthfully “You didn’t look very comfortable, I thought you needed some help.”

“Yeah.” you mumbled, snuggling closer to him in thought. When did you start to trust him enough so that now he was holding your entire body without a trace of anxiety in your body ?

**************************************

Remus is your brother, your twin. There was no other person on the planet you were closest to. He knew you better than anyone and you knew him like the back of your hand. You could put on a smile and he could tell by the sound of your voice you were hurting. He could put on a calm face and say something didn’t matter to him but you knew he was a second away from punching someone across the face. Maybe you had a twin connection, or maybe growing up together and being the only ones there for one another brought you closer than anyone else could ever dream of. No one really knows, and you don’t care at all. You just knew you loved your brother above all else.

The nights of the full moon were the worst for both. Remus suffered what a person should endure in a lifetime during one night. You felt his pain as your own and even then you knew, it didn’t come any closer to what he actually went through.

You made an arrangement. Every full moon, you would go to the Shrieking Shack and sleep there, waiting for the morning to arrive so he could return and meet you there or you would have to go and look for him. Needless to say, you didn’t sleep much those nights.

One specific full moon, you were sitting at the Shrieking Shack, resting your head over your hands on the old piano that sat in the middle of the room. It was something that brought you comfort during the hours you spent there, playing soft tunes that Remus had taught you. It was the only thing that could bring a smile to your lips. You started playing the keys slowly, the sound lingering in the air as your movements became faster, the melody taking a shape that engulfed you in your own little bubble that you didn’t even hear the clapings behind you until they were right next to you.

You jumped in your seat, stumbling to your feet as you pulled your wand from your sleeve.

“No need for that.” James said, hands in the air as he watched you slowly relax.

“What are you doing here?” you asked him harshly, closing the piano’s lid and falling to your seat once more.

“You can drop the act, Y/N.” he told you softly, walking around and taking a place on the floor across from you “We know about Moony.” he said, your face going pale at his words.

“What?” you stuttered, “What about him?”

Your heartbeat quickened as a soft smile appeared on James’ face, he had his head low, fingers drawing lines on the dusty floor as he shook his head. “We’re not that stupid, you know?” he told you “And you two aren’t that discret. We put two and two together and followed you.”

You stared at him with an eyebrow raised “We?” you asked.

“Sirius and Peter are arranging some things for Remus.” he answered, the questioning look on your face making him sit straight, his full attention on you making you shift, a soft grunt leaving your lips as your eyes danced between your side and the boy in front of you. “For when he gets back, I’m sure he’ll need more than just bandages…” he trailed off, seeing the glistening in your eyes as tears started to form “Hey, are you alright?” he asked, standing to his feet and taking a hesitant step forward, coming to halt as Remus’ words echoed in his ears.

No one touches my sister.

By the look on your face, James gathered Remus wasn’t just an overprotective brother.

You were pressing your hand over your arm, the white fabric sticking to your arm as a red spot formed. Your eyes held no emotion as you shrugged your shoulders, pressing your hand once more over the wound.

“You’re bleeding.” he mumbled.

The serious look on his face made you nervous as you nodded. “It’s nothing.” you whispered “I tripped and fell over my arm, that’s all.”

James said nothing as you avoided his eyes, knowing for sure you didn’t trip. “I’ll go look for something to clean that up.” he said, almost at the door when your voice stopped him .

“I have everything I need here.” you picked up your bag, wiggling it in the air with a shy smile “Apart from sister I’m half nurse too.”

James breathed out a laugh, returning to his spot on the floor, this time sitting closer to you. “You need help?” he offered, watching as you stretched your arm over your chest to reach the place you needed.

“I got it.” you whispered surely, moving thoughtlessly for a couple of minutes before your arm was bandaged.

He had stared in awe as you cured yourself, him being a frequent visitor at the hospital wing couldn't even think of tending to his own wounds, he knew how but never did it himself.

“You’re really good at that.”

“Taking care of Remus has its advantages.” you said, remaining in silence for a good couple of minutes, the previous conversation you held with him running circles inside your head. “You never told me what you were doing here.”

“What are you doing here?” he said back with a smile, making you shake your head as you crossed your arms over your chest, turning your body to the side. “Fine,” he laughed, “I’m here to keep you company.” he said after a few seconds, the light of the moon doing nothing but show even more the pink that appeared over his cheeks.

“Really?” you asked in disbelief.

“Is it that hard to believe?” he asked you back with the tilt of his head.

You nodded, not fully sure of what to do with that information. “Why you, though?” he looked taken aback, not sure what you meant until you added “Why not Sirius or Peter?”

“Do you want me to go get them?” he said pointing back at the door, an amused smile on his face “Didn’t know my company wasn’t worthy for the lady here.” he placed a hand over his heart, faking a hurt look as you erupted in laughter.

“You know that’s not what I meant!” you laughed, missing the glint that appeared on his eyes as he watched you laugh wholeheartedly. He had completed his task for the night.

“Don’t worry,” he said, ignoring your comments as he kept on “Next time you’ll get to choose who keeps you company. I’ll let Sirius know you asked for him first, let’s see how Remus feels about that one.” The smirk that formed on his lips did nothing to help you, the amusement in his words making it hard for you to stop laughing for a while.

But, when you did finally calm down, a comfortable silence had filled the space. You looked up through your lashes, James’ gaze completely focused outside the window where the sky started to get lighter, the night coming to an end. “So…” you said to capture his attention “Next time I’ll get to choose?”

He chuckled nodding his head “Peter has the better food and Sirius...” he told you, but you cut him off before he could say anything else.

“Can I ask for you again?” you asked in a whisper, but you knew he heard you. Wide eyes snapping up at you before he returned his face to his confident self once more. “Maybe?” you added.

His smile softened, no longer the smirk he carried wherever he went as he whispered back “Maybe.”

*****************************************************************

“And…” he said, making some twirls as he paced you down on one of the beds “We’re here.” he informed you triumphantly, the smile on his face only growing as he sat next to you and you placed a quick kiss to his cheek.

“My hero.” you said with a smile as you waited for Madame Pomfrey to get to you, the Hospital wing unusually flowing with students. “What do you think happened?” you asked curiously looking around to the line of beds, each one with a student.

James scratched the back of his head, his smile now nervous.

“James?” you asked again, looking for his eyes as your attention drifted from him to the fast footsteps approaching the Hospital wing.

Three figures slide through the floor, running and hiding behind a curtain as a very angry Professor McGonogall storms past the room. You stared with wide eyes, your gaze only moving when the figure of your brother emerged from behind the curtain.

“What did you do?” you asked him.

His smile fell and appeared over his face, his attention finally settling on James as he said “We found them.”

James let out a sigh, looking at his friends “You didn’t wait for me?!” he asked in frustration, a rant about to explode from his lips as the sound of Professor McGonagall’s echoed the halls once more.

“Black! Potter!” she yelled.

“I wasn’t even there, why is she looking for me?” he whispered shouted, the only thing making him react being the closer sound of her voice. James cursed under his breath, reacting immediately as he ran to your side “Sorry Love,” he said, placing a quick kiss on your cheek, not giving you time to respond “Someone’s gotta distract Minnie.” he said, the mischievous look in his eyes coming back as he elbowed Sirius.

Sirius nodded in return, both boys running out of the Hospital wing before you could react.

You squinted your eyes before turning to your brother “You found who, exactly?” you asked.

“The ones that pushed you.” he answered, letting his shoulders fall.

“James told you, didn’t he?”

“Yep.” he said, wrapping an arm around your shoulders “Peter found them, Sirius and I took over and… well, McGonagal wasn’t happy.”

You smiled at Peter, the boy sitting next to you, the three of you watched Professor McGonagall walk past the door with James and Sirius close by. You all stifled your laughter as they walked by.

“Someone’s got to get them out of detention.” you said, patting both Peter and Remus on the back “Go, I’ll wait for Madame Pomfrey here.”

“You sure?” asked Remus.

“Go get me my boyfriend.” you said.

Remus stopped, looking back at you with the tilt of his head “If you put it like that…”

“Go!” you laughed, throwing the pillow in the bed right at his head. They both ran out of there before you could do anything else but wait for Madame Pomfrey. You’ll see if they’ve made it out of detention later.

TAGS

@fanficflaneuse @nebulablakemurphy @lupins-sweater @accio-rogers @gloriousrebelrunaway @slytherinprincess03 @not-today-anxiety @iwritesiriusly @trinimalfoyyy @haphazardhufflepuff​ @deafgirltingz @remmyswritings @peeves-a-legend @it-was-three-am @pamelalur15

MARAUDERS TAGS

@destourtereaux

[aliasimagines]

Miraculous: Tales of Kick-Ass

requested by a lovely anon 💕

Dave Lizewski x fem!reader (miraculous au)

warnings: cursing.

word count: 1814

a/n: Dave has a kwami!! Cause if we are going with Miraculous au, we are doing it properly.

“I am here again, live ,with New York’s favourite superhero battling against his archnemesis in the background. But do not worry! I just saw Hit Girl arrive at the scene and they seem to have everything under control.” the reporter, Lizzie Blonde, says through the tv in Atomic Comics. You are not sure when all of this has started, when New York turned into a battlefield for superheros and supervillains. New York used to be normal. Alright, scratch that, New York was always one crazy place. 

Not that you mind particularly, you were always a fan of superheroes and comics and to see them, in your city? That was beyond exciting. Not to mention your major crush on kick-Ass.

You took a sip from your milkshake and looked around the comic store. Dave should be here by now. Not that you are surprised he is not here. He is always late nowadays. Marty and Todd fanboyed next to you about hit Girl as you kept looking at your phone and the door, waiting for your best friend to give any sign of him.

In the tv the superhero pair just took out the Motherfucker’s minions.  You sigh a bit worried. What if Dave got in trouble? What if he is in that part of the city where the fight is going on? It’s only a few blocks away and if he got hurt it would explain why he is not responding to your messages..

You hesitantly stood up and walked outside the shop. You heard a loud crash in the distance. You bit your lip, debating whether you should go and look for Dave or not. You heard a loud cheer coming from outside, the heros probably won. Again.

You finally decided to go and look for Dave, so you started speed walking toward the street you saw in the news. Maybe you will not only find Dave but see Kick-Ass too! 

Of course Dave is more important but.. You saw a green figure flash from one of the rooftops. You gasped, Kick-Ass jumped on a building, only a few meters away from you. 

The hero seemed to notice you and waved his hand at you. 

You almost fainted, but went to grab your phone to take a picture of him but by the time you looked up he was long gone. You looked around confused but quickly remembered why you came. You started running again, when from an alleyway someone ran into you.

“AAA”

“AAAA” 

“Oh my god y/n!”

“Dave! What are you doing here?” you grasp your chest, hoping your heart won’t fall out of its place.

“I could ask the same!”

“I was worried about you! So I came looking and..Are you alright?” you carefully touch his cheek where a small cut is, slightly bleeding.  The boy slightly brushes your hand away and tries to hide the light pink flash on his cheek.

“I’m fine, I was on my way to Atomic’s when the fight started and I figured I would be safer here.” he lied effortlessly. You nodded.

“I’m glad you are okay.” you say, before remembering what happened a few seconds ago. “Oh my gosh, Dave! I was walking on the street looking for you and you will never believe what happened! Kick-Ass, The Kick-Ass saw me and waved! Ahh! It was so awesome!”

Dave laughed softly, “I bet it was. Let’s go back to Atomic’s, okay?”

 You guys spend most of your afternoon there, talking about the fight and the superhero duo.

“..so in conclusion, I love Hit Girl and she is so awesome. But Kick-Ass? Gosh, he is so hot!” you gesture with your hands. Dave clears his throat and lifts his drink to his lips. Marty rolls his eyes at you.

“You can’t even see his face!” he throws his hand in the air. Dave and Todd start laughing.

“Hey, man, leave the girl alone.” Dave says, slightly nudging your side. “But really y/n, Kick-Ass could be a nerd like me, for all you know.”

“That would be some Peter Parker shit.” you say grabbing a french fry. “But, I don’t really care for his looks, like.. The idea of him? You know? Like  he is a motherducking hero for Stan Lee's sake!"

" That's kinda.. I don't know. Shallow? Having a crush on someone you don't even know? " Dave says and barely noticeably tucks a small piece of pizza in his pocket. Before you can say anything Todd beats you to it. 

"Well that's rich coming from the guy who was practically drooling over Scarlet Witch in The Ultimates." 

"That's a completely different thing." 

Todd opens his mouth to respond when the harsh sound of the news channel floods the comic shop. You all turn to the tv and see that New York is once again under attack. Dave furrows his eyebrows. 

"Twice?" he asks himself. Before he jumps up from the booth you all are sitting at. 

"I just uhm… I just remembered I have to rush home to help my dad!" 

"Yo dude, what the heck?" yells Todd after your best friend. 

"Sorry, guys I have to run!" and with that Dave is out the door, leaving all his friends including you, confused and kinda upset. He finds the first alleyway and soon his kwami flies out of his pocket. 

"Dave? What's going on? We never have to fight twice a day." the little kwami, Kai says. His name is not actually Kai but as he is a lost kwami he never learned what his name is so Dave was the one to give him the name Kai. 

"I don't know, little dude but we better check it out." 

There wasn't anything big, Chris Damico just couldn't take the fact that he lost again and angrily tried to strike at the innocent citizens of New York in hopes of destroying Kick-Ass too. Instead he ended up getting his.. Well getting his ass kicked. 

Dave didn't change back just yet, instead he jumped from rooftop to rooftop to get home. It got pretty late so it would be stupid to go back to Atomic Comics as you guys probably left. He felt bad for bailing on you again. He hated leaving you. Even if he could play superhero and save people. The look on your face every time he rushed away to a fight? Ugh, he hates it. 

Dave jumps down to an alleyway to transform back when a girl turns into the alley. Wait. It's not just a girl, it's you! 

Dave tries to jump behind trash bags to hide but you already saw him. 

"Kick-Ass?" he hears your voice. He sighs and comes out of his impromptu hiding spot. 

"Haha, guilty as charged."

"Oh my gosh, we met earlier! You waved at me, do you remember? Ah, of course you don't, you meet so many people every day." you would have kept on rambling if it wasn't for Dave. He tried his hardest not to giggle at your fangirling, that he knows oh so well and said. 

" I actually do remember you y/-, random citizen! " 

Fuck! Dave curses himself. He almost said your name! Stupid, stupid, stupid! 

You did seem to hear anything but the fact that your superhero crush remembered you from earlier. You felt your cheeks heating up a bit. 

"You.. You do? Gosh, really? That's so awesome, you are like… ahgh you are so awesome."

"You think so?" Kick-Ass asks, smiling. "Well, you seem like a pretty awesome girl, too. What is a pretty, awesome girl like you doing out this late?" 

Dave feels weird talking to you like this, cause you don't know he is actually your best friend but… Dave also finds that a bit helpful? He could never compliment you as Dave, not like this. He would end up blushing and dying from embarrassment. But Kick-Ass? He is a cool dude, who has no problem flirting with the ladies. 

"Oh, well I was hanging with my friends at Atomic Comics." 

"So you like superheros?" he asks, leaning against a wall in a 'cool way'. 

"Oh, yeah."you nod, gulping."I love them." 

You slowly mingled in conversation. Dave softly flirted with you every once in a while and you always responded with a sweet smile and some nice comeback. Both of you were so in the conversation, you didn't even bother to pay attention to your surroundings. Dave for example, didn't even hear the beeping, the warning that he would transfer back from Kick-Ass to Dave Lizewski. When he realized what was going on it was already too late. His kwami fell tiredly into his hands. 

"Oh shit, oh no, oh shit, shit.. Aah." Dave looked around for help, any help but it was worthless. You already saw him transform. You know. 

Dave slowly, terrified of your reaction, gazed over to you. 

But you just stared at him.

"Look, n/n-"

"This is some Peter Parker shit." you whispered,still starring. But then you snapped out of it. "What the actual fuck, Dave?" 

"I know, I know, I am so sorry y/n! I couldn't tell you and fuck! I am so sorry for flirting with you, it's just I could never have the confidence to do that as Dave and- Ah, I just ruined our friendship and I think I should just leave.." he turned around and tried to walk away but you grabbed his hand and pulled him back. You quickly pressed your lips against his. Dave barely had time to react, he froze. Was this really happening? Is this a dream? 

" You are a real asshole, Dave. "you say after pulling away." You are lucky I love you. "

"You what?" Dave asks with his eyes wide open. "I thought you had a 'major crush' on Kick-Ass." 

"Well, yeah, but I like you better." you say with a small smile. Before Dave can say anything you spot the tired kwami in his hand. "Dave, what the fuck is that?" 

"Oh shit." he pulls out a small snack from his pocket and gives it to Kai who starts munching on it immediately. "He is Kai. He is my kwami, he is basically the source of my powers." 

"Uhm, hi." you wave at the small creature. 

The kwami looks up at you and then at Dave. 

"This is wrooong." 

"Shut up, little dude." he turns to you, scratching his back with his free hand. "So, uhm can I walk you home… as not your best friend?" 

You shake your head with a laugh. 

"I want nothing more." you take his hand and you two walk with huge smiles on both of your faces. 

Maybe this was an accident, but at the end of the day Kick-Ass defeated his enemy, saved New York twice, but it was Dave Lizewski who ended up getting the girl.

Here's how I imagined Kai, his kwami (i am no digital artist, i know it look horrible 😂😂) :

taglist: @sethcohenluvr @your-hispanichufflepuff

[babylooneytoonz]

The Vessel [ Pt. 10 ]

Pairing: Geralt of Rivia x Fem! Reader

Summary: You go back to Cintra, back in your kingdom and back amongst the people that love you, and your two companions go back with you.

Warnings: Idek?

A/N- Although I decided to have Ciri in my story, Ciri actually does not have any powers in this one, and the reader does. For some reason, Pavetta's bloodline could not have the elder blood in it.

[My Masterlist] [My Witcher Masterlist - Read the other parts here!]

Calanthe had a tight lipped smile etched to her face; this celebration was making her feel claustrophobic and the crackling cords of the lute gave her a headache. On one side sat her husband, the King of Cintra, Eist Tuirseach of Skellige and on her other side sat her granddaughter, the blonde haired blue eyed beauty, Cirilla.

"Spare me the festivities, I can't wait to retire and sleep off all night," she muttered under her breath, her fake smile still plastered on her face, as she acknowledged the lords that bowed their heads in her direction in greeting.

"Calanthe, love, it's her anniversary, you can atleast pretend to have a good time," Eist smiled, his fingers curling around the goblet in front of him as he lifted it and brought it up to his lips, taking a sip.

"Would someone even bother asking me if I like it?" Cirilla scowled, rolling her eyes. If there was one thing she couldn't do, was pretend, unlike her grandmother and her husband, who could give a 1000 watt smile on even the gravest of days.

Eist scoffed, but was met by a glare from his wife, as she turned towards Ciri with a stern look on her face, but not one with hatred, "Ciri, when will you learn?"

"Oh stop it grandmother, not again."

Calanthe let out a deep shaky breath pummeling from deep within her lungs as she sat back, trying to get more comfortable when she spotted one of her soldiers speaking to Mousesack by the gate. She squinted her eyes, bringing her index to her chin as she leaned forward, letting her chin be supported by it. Mousesack's expressions screamed at her that the discussion was not a common one; something was up.

Mousesack craned his neck to his side, discreetly and looked at her, her eyebrow instinctively shooting upwards in inquisitiveness and he blinked, slowly striding towards him until he was leaning next to her and whispering something into the Queen's ears; Eist and Ciri watching them with their eyebrows raised.

"We need to see Calanthe," Geralt said to one of the guards at the massive gates for the fifth time, and the guard asked him for the fifth time back what their purpose for visit was.

Geralt pursed his lips shut, and turned towards you. He looked at you in the eye, and you sighed. This wasn't working. There was no way on earth they were going to let you go in unless you told them what the truth was, but you couldn't risk it. What if they didn't believe you?

"Guards, back away. Let them in. The Queen wants to see the three of them." Mousesack's voice rang from behind them and they turned around immediately, moving out of the way until you came face to face with the a man with greying long hair, although way shorter than Geralt's. He had a pleasant, kind look to him but still, he had caution in his eyes.

"Follow me," He said, his voice not wavering a bit.

You turned towards Geralt who was stiff, and alert too, his eyes scanning the man in suspicion. When you didn't follow him, the man turned and his expressions softened, "I am Mousesack, Queen Calanthe's confidant. I mean you no harm."

"Geralt, I think we should?" You asked, and he blinked in approval, his lips clenched together.

The three of you entered the palace, slowly following the man in front of you. The hallways were elegant and beautifully lit, and a faint sound of a lute filled the hallway. You slowly turned towards Jaskier, and saw him in a daze just like you had expected him to be.

"Jaskier, I'm sorry about your lute," you sighed, and he looked away for a bit, in sadness, his hands held together in front of him.

"You know? Lovers may come and go, but she was forever loyal to me."

"I'm sure you'll find a new one," Geralt grumbled next to you and you gasped, elbowing him in his side.

"Geralt, can you please not?"

He grumbled something again, but you chose not to entertain the Witcher. Instead you linked your hand with Jaskier's, sliding it against his arm until you were holding it and walking, leaning against him.

"I don't think Yennefer will take my revenge on your lute."

Geralt snorted next to you, and Jaskier threw his arms in the air, dramatically and you giggled teasingly.

"I thought you were on my side, [Y/N]. But I see that your priorities have changed."

Jaskier wiggled his brows dramatically and flush crept on your cheeks, your insides flaring up once again. Your heart almost felt like it stopped, and you couldn't bring yourself to take a look at the brooding man walking next to you. Finally, you mustered enough courage to look at him, but when you did, you realized that he was actually grinning like a Cheshire cat.

"You too?" You growled at him and he stopped smiling.

"Jaskier isn't always wrong."

"Hey! I am NEVER wrong—"

"Geralt, I supported you. You're siding with him now?"

The three of you were talking at the exact same time and Mousesack abruptly stopped, turning towards you and all three of you stopped bickering, looking at him with embarassment on your faces.

"We all thought you were dead, Princess."

You looked at him in disbelief; he knew?

"My apologies, I didn't meant to startle you. I'm, uh, a druid. I know things, and I can feel powers. The minute you stepped into Cintra, I felt your presence," you blinked, "and Tissaia de Vries might have told me you would come?" He smiled at you.

"Does she know?" You asked, your voice coming out weaker— as though something was lodged to your throat.

He smiled, and nodded, "She does. She has been waiting to see you ever since the sorceress paid her a visit and told her you were alive."

As Mousesack stopped talking, you looked up to see that you were in a richly furnished chamber but it wasn't the chamber that surprised you, it was the woman that sat nervously by the edge of the king sized bed, her fingers nervously toying with each other. Another young girl stood in a corner, excitement glimmering in her eyes.

"Your Majesty, she is here," Mousesack announced.

Calanthe looked up, her eyes brimming with tears. She glanced at you from top to bottom as though she was trying to fit your memory into her mind. She blinked, ignoring how thick chunks of tears now flew from her eyes and she stood up, almost trembling like a leaf.

"Come here, sweet child?"

You didn't know what came over you. Maybe, it was the fact that you didn't ever experience the love of a mother. Or maybe, you were going to be a mother yourself, so you knew what a mother's role was. You ran towards her, and she almost choked on a smile as you ran into her arms, burying your face into her chest as her fingers began stroking your hair.

"I can't believe it's you, sweet child. I never thought..I'd get to hold you in my arms. Look at you. You're.. grown up," you pulled back, and her palm came to rest against your cheek, her thumb stroking it gently.

"What's your name? I never.. got to name you."

"It's [Y/N], mother."

Ciri awkwardly walked up to her grandmother's side, her fingers clenching the Queen's garment, her blue eyes looked at you.

You looked down at her and raised an eyebrow.

"Meet Ciri, [Y/N]. Your niece."

You sat back, trying to get more comfortable in the utterly soft chair on the Queen's table; your back hurt like a bitch.

Calanthe nodded at one of the lords who took her hand and plastered a kiss against her knuckles and she gave a fake smile before turning to you and muttered, "The child giving you trouble?" Her words ended with a glare towards the Witcher and you bit your lip.

"I'm fine, mother."

"I can't believe you brought that wretched bastard with you, [Y/N]. Men like those, treating our bodies like we are nothing but a fucking commodity."

She took a sip of ale, her eyes not leaving Geralt who stood in the farther end of the hall, drinking ale from a pitcher himself. Jaskier had taken the lute from the bard, borrowed it actually, and was now entertaining the guests.

"Mother, he isn't.. I mean.. I know this all doesn't paint the right picture, but Geralt has been kind to me."

"Kind? You would call a man who used your body just for the sake of having a child? And look where it got you—" She hissed.

"Mother—"

"Calanthe, my love," Eist intervened, and you swallowed the lump forming inside your throat, your eyes fixed on the Witcher.

"Fine but he needs to leave. Before I ask him to leave myself," Calanthe growled.

Your heart sank at this, and to make this worse, Geralt was right there in front of your eyes and your heart aches to go talk to him but you didn't want to anger your mother, especially when you had met her for the first time in your life.

You sat up in bed, drenched in your own sweat, your chest heaving up and down. You had seen the sorceress in your nightmare and she was smirking, holding your baby in her hands. What made it worse was the fact that Geralt was next to her, holding her by her waist, as he bent down to kiss the forehead of his child.

You swiped your palm over your face as reality sank back in and you realized that it was just a nightmare— you were in Cintra. You were safe.

You laid back down in bed, closing your eyes so you could fall back into a deep slumber yet again, only hoping that the sorceress wouldn't torture you in your dreams again.

For a few minutes, you kept tossing and turning in bed, your body churning in discomfort. You couldn't sleep.

You sat up once again, rubbing your belly, trying to comfort your unborn baby, until something struck your mind.

You decided to explore the palace, for this was your first time you had actually been to one, and ironically, this was your home. You slid into your robe, tying it securely around your blossoming waist as you stepped out of the chambers, holding just a candlestick to help you look around.

You wandered aimlessly through the palace confines for a few minutes, exploring.

It was only after fifteen minutes or so, you decided to check out the other tower. Only, you had no idea that the other tower was the guest tower where Geralt and Jaskier were staying the night.

Geralt frowned, squinting his eyes as he threw back his head, downing the contents of the pitcher in one go. He looked at Jaskier, who had a blonde woman curled against his lap, his fingers fondling her thigh. Shaking his head, the Witcher slammed the pitcher onto the table and pushed himself up.

He pushed his way through the overly drunk guests at the celebration, his only goal now to reach his own chambers for the night so he could get a peaceful sleep before the dawn came the next morning.

The hallways were quiet this side of the palace, and Geralt could practically hear the sound of his feet as he climbed the staircase towards his room.

Strangely, his eyes fell on you— you were sitting on the topmost staircase, staring at your hands, a look of exhaustion draped over your face.

"[Y/N].." Your name shot out of his lips like a prayer and he saw you look up, a look of relief reflecting in your eyes.

"Are you okay?"

The concern in his voice was like a sharp knife cutting through your heart, hurting just the right amount. You blinked, giving him the weakest of your smiles as you nodded and stood up. You were now on the top most step, and Geralt was on a step below you, so the man was just the same height as yours.

His eyes were golden, a fire lurking within his irises, his eyes although hollow and devoid of any emotion, for others, you could see a flicker in them, that made a warmth tingle inside of you somewhere.

"Couldn't sleep.. "

"Is it the baby?" He frowned, still looking at you, an inexplicable look on his face. It was only then that you felt something. When you lowered your eyes, you saw his palm pressed to your stomach.

It felt oddly intimate. It was just the two of you, in that hallway, and Geralt had his warm palm protectively draped over your belly— and as though the baby already knew who his father was, you felt a flip in your stomach.

"No, the baby is okay."

Relief filled him, and he gave you a flicker of a Ile before he placed his other hand on your arm and pushed you slightly towards the wall to step up the topmost stair, so he could tower over you.

"She haunts my dreams," you blurted out, although you didn't know why you said it and Geralt looked thoughtful for a bit.

"Mine too."

"In what way?"

Despite the crispness of the weather in Cintra, you could feel your blood running cold and your toes begin to tingle, not in a good way. You could feel the jealousy rise inside of you, and your nostrils flared.

"I see her as a monster."

"Not your lover?" You mumbled.

Geralt took a step closer, and you instinctively took a step backward, until your back was against the wall. The proximity between you two was almost that of a finger length, but you didn't mind.

He shook his head as he took a deep breath.

He smelled of ale and the forest— of nature.

"You're safe now. And so is our baby."

"Until when?"

It was all rainbows and sunshine, until thick black clouds fled up the sky, hiding the sun and it was all dark.

"I—" Geralt began speaking, but almost immediately, he fell quiet, and you blinked, waiting for him to speak but no words came out of his throat.

"What?" You asked.

"Do you regret this?"

The question pulled you off guard as you were least expecting it. Your eyes went from widened to confused, as you tilted you head slightly and placed your palm against your side, parallel to the wall and using it to support yourself.

Did you regret it?

"Which one? Having you use my body to find yourself a motive in life?" You asked, bitterly.

"Meeting me I mean."

"We didn't exactly meet in the best circumstances, Geralt," you chuckled nervously, bringing your palm to your front, your fingers hooking to his locket, as your fingers began toying with it, your eyes fixed on his, "the thing I remember, you fucked me on the Great Mount."

Geralt grunted under his breath, but he still leaned closer, letting his face dip, ever so slightly so that his lips were inclined to yours, aching to be pressed to them. He parted his lips, letting his tongue swipe over his bottom lip, as your fingers began trailing upwards, his locket now forgotten.

Geralt closed his eyes, the instant he felt your fingers run against his chest up to his neck, as you suddenly grabbed a fistful of his collar and pulled him closer, your noses now touching, and your chests heaving out of control.

"Tell me, Witcher, do Witchers dream?" You suddenly asked, your hand flying up to your head as you absentmindedly tucked a strand of your hair behind your ear.

Geralt's lips twitched, and his eyebrows creased slightly, as though he was thinking hard. Finally, his face moved slightly, just a light bob, signalling a nod.

"What do you dream of? What did you dream of most recently?"

He blinked, tilting his head, "I saw you. You were in the woods."

You were captivated by him; frozen on spot, and he didn't even touch you, or hold you. It was like there was an imaginary force binding him to you, drawing the two of you together.

"There was a woman long time back, I met her in Blaviken."

You bit your lip hard, a taste of metal flooding your tastebuds. Why was this making you jealous?

"I think I should go." You stepped away abruptly, and immediately took a step around, your hand flying to your heart, as you began fisting your fabric into a ball, your cheeks still heated up. Your steps were fast, and you didn't stop until you were at the end of the hallway when Geralt's voice rang out behind you, and you paused, just for a second but didn't turn around, only to let his words sink in. "Her name was Renfri. And she said something to me— The girl in the woods will be with you always. She is your destiny."

You gasped at the realization, his words slowly sinking into you, settling into everywhere in your body— your mind, your senses, your heart. You didn't look back, and instead you began running, towards the confines of your chambers, for you knew if you didn't, you wouldn't be able to stop yourself from falling into his arms.

The Vessel Taglist:

@kawennote09 @viking-raider @raspberrydreamclouds @pterodactylterrace @singeramg @historianwithaheart @miss-emilia-cavill @ayamenimthiriel @crazynocturnalkiki @xxxkatxo @coffeebreathy @fanaticnae @kmuir1 @little-jana @pineapplemama @auds24 @sassy-pelican @bitchynicole @cavillsim @ragamuffin285 @hista-girl @oliviali0930 @introvertedmouse @madbaddic7ed @libbymouse @nerra75 @maxineswritingcenter @superawesomegeek @waifu4lifeu @funalpaca @petitefirecracker10 @marantha @vikingsbifrost @babypink224221 @jessyballet @strrynigxts @rn7rocks @theroyalbrownbarbie @amirra88