#but if any of my old followers are still around here's a surprise XD

[frikus-nom-haven]

"Protection" #3

SUPER OLD ART Seriously I drew this like 4 years ago lol

But I realized just today that I never posted it here, which surprised me! So, here's some old, safe vore content featuring two "ocs" I've drawn before in the past.

You can see other art of them here and here ! 💙

[addicted-to-dc]

Jekyll/Hyde Part 3 - Taskforce 141 x Reader

< Prev Chapter

(A/N) HELLO!! We're finally delving into Jekyll's backstory. Nothing like seeing a character before their life falls apart. I'm still planning out THE mission that changed everything, but we'll build up to that XD.

Content Warnings: Flashback, smut (fingering, piv), PTSD, vomiting, smoking. (Let me know if I missed any tags tyyyyy). About 2k words.

///////////////////////////////////

Sunlight leaks through the curtains, lightly dancing around the room with your laughter. It’s warm despite the winter season. Hot hands burn through your pajamas, toying with the seams until he just slides them under the fabric. You sigh, burrowing deeper into his grasp.

“G’ mornin’,” you mutter, sliding your arms over his. “Time?”

“Early enough, wanted more time with you,” Dane grunts beneath you, hands roaming and squeezing wherever they please. “I have a bad feeling about this one.”

It’s been more noticeable these days, each step you and your team take feels weighted. Slowed down. Made inefficient. Losing that quality has cost lives, leads, and your fucking sanity. Your well-oiled machine is stunted, as if someone is actively sabotaging it.

A harsh squeeze brings you back to him. “I fear there’s a weed in our garden… and it’s going to get all of us killed. You’ve noticed, haven’t you?”

Your stomach drops. Of course you’ve fucking noticed. Too many coincidences that result in failed missions. Injuries that cause delays. Bureaucratic red tape was the recent gimmick, but you recognize it as a red flag. You have a bad feeling about this one too. Your alarms have been ringing for months now, the warnings growing less and less effective against your phantom threat.

“I contacted some old friends, told them to keep an eye out for suspicious activity,” you grunt, pushing yourself up. Dane has other plans, pulling you back down. His hands begin to wander again.

“Did they find anything?” His scorching hands against your cold skin leave goosebumps in his wake. It forces you to shiver, stealing back the blanket he stole during the night. “I’m surprised you didn’t tell me about this.”

“I don’t need to remind you about keeping our professional and personal lives separate,” you huff, batting his hands away as soon as they delve lower, “and of course they haven’t found anything. Whoever is involved in this knows how to cover their tracks. They’ll slip up soon, they have to.”

Your joints pop as soon as you stand, taking a few moments to stretch out. Oddly, no aches or pains greet you this morning. It’s difficult to slip into the dark mindset that even the closest and most trusted individuals around you may be plants. Your eyes drift back to Dane, peering over your shoulder mid-stretch. Of course he’s staring at you. Rolling your eyes, you start getting ready.

His arms engulf you, pulling you back into the bed, “Get back here.”

It’s too easy to melt back into him.

“Need coffee,” you grumble, fighting his cuddles. You’ll fall back asleep at this rate. “Need t’ feed th’ dogs.”

He shakes his head, wet kisses following a path up your neck. “We’ll get Auggie to do it.”

“Not sure if passing responsibilities to my team is – AH!” Your words cease as his teeth sink into your flesh, body jumping as he maneuvers himself between your legs. “Fuck, do I need to muzzle you?”

His only response is a nip to your skin, teeth tracing along your collection of scars. The boxers he’s wearing barely provide a barrier as his hips meet yours. Bulky arms wrap around your figure, keeping you still as he grinds directly onto your core. Your nails digging into his flesh only spur him to add more weight behind his movements, your breath quickening with the increase in pleasure.

Dane’s lips meet yours as he slides a finger in, absorbing your noises after every single drag along your walls. His touch lights your skin on fire, only making you more desperate for him. Tightening your hold on him, a strong push sends him onto his back. “Sit.”

He quickly pushes himself against the headboard, boxers left behind at the drag of cloth on cloth. Crawling to him, you take your rightful seat on his lap. You guide his hand back to your wetness, “Get wet f’me, gonna make this quick.”

“Fuck yeah, baby, please,” he whimpers, quickly following your instructions. “Need this. Need you, fuck, please.”

Pleasure zings up your spine as you line him up, knees descending slowly to let him in, “Love it when you beg. Good boy.”

Then you sink down completely, relishing in the burn from him splitting you open. His hands fly up to your waist in a flash. You relish the view of his gasping breaths, veins bulging and tense muscles. Poor man’s trying to not blow his load the second he slips in. Chuckling, you grind yourself against him and entertain yourself with his reactions.

“Can’t take what you dish, love?” you snark, nails dragging across his scalp until you have a good grip on him. Adjusting your position, you push his face into your chest. “Be good.”

His lips wrap around your nipple, sucking and licking as you finally start moving. You close your eyes and focus on the feeling of him inside of you. Your grip on his hair remains tight as you force him to switch breasts, the new stimulation causing your pace to falter slightly. Adjusting yourself, you switch to a roll of your hips and gasp.

“Am I being good?”

You open your eyes and recoil, attempting to push yourself off, but his harsh grip on your waist prevents any movement. He ushers you to continue, but the image of him alone makes you freeze. The smell of blood fills your nostrils, smoke soon follows as you push him away from you.

He’s torn apart, nose long gone and chunks taken from any exposed flesh. Laughter rattles your brain as he rubs in the blood across your chest, hand traveling downwards to circle your clit. “C’mon, Huntress, don’t hold back on me know.”

Dane’s usual smile is gone, replaced by marred lips and opening wider and wider until it surpasses his jawline. His fingers puncture your waist, digging in deep until he grabs ahold of something inside. He bites your ear, gnawing on the wound he gave you.

“You’ve made your mark, Darlin’, s’ only right that I make mine.” His teeth sink into your flesh just as air is forced out of your lungs.

Your eyes snap open, mid-way through a scream as you slam onto the floor. Battling against the blanket, you wrench it off and push yourself back until you hit the cold wall behind you. Everything blurs around you until you reach for the trashcan next to your bed, emptying the remnants of last night’s dinner into it. Thankfully it has a trash bag in it.

A cold nose to your arm pulls you out of the veil. You take a deep breath and spit the lingering vomit from your mouth. Blinking rapidly, you finally take in your surroundings. Shitty beige walls, cheap office furniture, the light switch on the wall with duct tape over it-

“Fuck,” you groan, slamming your palm on the side table to shakily push yourself up.

You don’t look into the mirror once you enter the bathroom, quickly rinsing the leftover taste in your mouth. It doesn’t take long to toss on your boots and jacket to leave. The dogs follow.

You’re not sure how long you walked into the forest. The wind swaying the leaves replaces Dane’s raspy drawl. The scent of soil and flora soothes your mind, erasing any thought of his cologne. Sir and Ruse march ahead and clear a path for you. Bear remains by your side, her cold nose tapping your hand every now and then.

You decide you’ve reached your destination at the sight of a fallen tree. “Ruse dig.”

The pup barks and excitedly digs into the wet soil. Sir barks when the dirt smacks into him, moving to join your side with a grumble. You take a seat against the trunk, leaning against Sir to watch Ruse wreck the ground. He whines when he finds a rock, pawing at it for a few moments before leaning in and biting it out of the way.

He whips it out of sight, stealing a chuckle from you. His face is completely muddy, but that doesn’t stop him from panting giddily from exertion. “Good Ruse.”

Patting his head, you dig into your jacket pocket to retrieve the rings. You find the chain first, tugging it out when it gets caught on a loose thread. The rings jingle against each other even as they land in the freshly dug hole.

“Sir, bury. Ruse to me.”

Ruse lays down in Sir’s previous spot, groaning when your nails scratch his belly. You draw random patterns while playing with his fur, eyes fixed on the rings until they’re out of sight under the dirt. A deep breath escapes you. The tension in your shoulders lessens.

A new beginning, that’s the label Laswell slapped onto your current predicament. How can there be a beginning when the cycle repeats? Your trust in anyone has significantly decreased, but you can’t help but wonder if this will be permanent.

Huntress. A title you buried long ago. You glare at the disturbed dirt. Your memories can’t help but playback in your mind, Mohawk’s question rattling in your mind. Why the name change? A simple question with a painful answer. Bear’s rumbling growl tears you from your thoughts, eyes meeting Price’s. Your stomach drops. Fuck, how long have you been out here?

You run your fingers through Bear’s fur, calming her down enough for him to comfortably approach. He offers a cigarette, lighting it before depositing it between your fingers. The first inhale is long, sucking in the smoke before blowing it away from the dogs. Price takes a seat across from you, grunting once his ass meets the downed tree.

“You solid?”

A dry huff escapes you, “Gaseous at best, Sir.”

Your fingers dance along your pups’ fur as you trace the unique patterns. The smell of nicotine drowns out the scent of soil. It grounds you enough to look back at him. He’s already lit his own cigar, cold eyes analyzing you. It hasn’t even been a week and you’re already a visible nutcase. More so than normal. It’s been some time since you had a nightmare like that.

“You’re not the first broken soldier that’s been sent my way. By fate or otherwise,” Price rumbles, flicking off some ash. “M’ gonna take care of you. All of us will.”

“That’s nothing you can guarantee,” you whisper, wiping away your unwanted tears. “I appreciate the sentiment.”

“You want to die?”

Your eyes snap to his, unable to read his expression. What a loaded question. Can you simply walk amongst the living with the weight of death upon your shoulders? This isn’t a life, it’s borrowed time. You should have died that day.

“I have been defiled and betrayed by those closest to me, Captain,” you chuckle, your grip on the dogs tightening. “My team, my husband…”

The dogs skitter away as you push yourself up, graciously providing space to stand. You gather up saliva and spit on top of the packed dirt. Fuck him. Fuck the nightmares. They remind you of the weight on your shoulders, the promises you made to right the wrongs of the world. An impossible burden to bear (alone).

“It’s not about wanting to die; it’s about making it count,” you finally answer, blowing away the veil of smoke gathering around you. “I want to see it through. Watch them burn.”

“And after?” Thinking about the future is a dangerous thing. Do you dare allow hope to fester in your scarred heart?

“My dreams of a future are gone, John. It’s best to leave dead things alone.” You walk away, whistling loudly for your pack to follow. “Thanks for the cigarette.”

There’s rustling behind you and he’s by your side. So much for walking away from this conversation. The dogs run ahead and leave you alone with him. Fucking great. Furry little traitors.

“What did you want, then?”

A stupid, foolish dream. “A family.”

[terresdebrume]

Messrs Payne and Rowland's Adventuring Agency

Part 1: The Arrival of Young Crystal - 19

This has been lingering in my drafts for a few days because I forgot I hadn't posted it yet xD But hey, better late than never. There's a bit of non sexual nudity in this one.

It takes ten minutes for Mr. Payne to set up the agency, and each one of them is more miserable than the last. The night isn't especially cold, but it is windy and between the exertion of the fight and her dip into the sea, Crystal is freezing long before they reach the halfway point in the incantations. Rebecca, also quite damp, says she only feels cold in the parts of her that poke out of the bag, so Charles and Crystal agree that it's better to leave her there, but it does mean they can't get any kind of blanket or protection out.

Mr. Payne steps aside as soon as the Agency's main door shimmers into existence, leaving Charles to take Rebecca inside with Crystal hot on his heels. Immediately, she goes and pulls Rebecca up and out of the bag, keeping a hand on her shoulder to help her brace as Mr. Payne summons the library. It's more or less identical to the Agency's office, except a stone hearth stands where the desk should be, perpetual fire crackling behind the enchantments that keep it contained and away from the books.

"Strip her down," Charles says while Mr. Payne disappears through the storage door, "I need to feed—"

"You," Mr. Payne says, reemerging with three full bags of oats, "need to follow your own advice and dry up. I will take care of the horses for tonight."

"I can—"

"You can spare me the pain of having to travel with three sick companions tomorrow, Mr. Rowland. Do change."

Charles males a face like he's relenting, but instead of actually following Mr. Payne's instructions he disappears in the bedrooms and comes back with three thick blankets. He lays one of them on the floor while Crystal helps Rebecca out of her undergarments, rummaging in one of the coffer benches until he finds a silky looking length of cloth.

"Here. Dry yourself with that, then go under the blanket," he tells Rebecca.

The girl accepts the makeshift towel with a nod and turns her back on them, Crystal following her example as Charles comes up to her to help with the straps of her armor.

"I'm going to need to learn how to do this myself," she says, fingers fumbling on the buckles that hold her vambraces in place. "You're still drenched."

"I'm alright," Charles says, turning Crystal so they're both a little closer to the fire. "You're just as drenched as I am, and my equipment won't rust on me I the night."

Crystal rolls her eyes but doesn't protest the help any further. She steps away from Charles as soon as her armor is off, and sets to the task of stripping her clothes off, taking care only to leave them a good distance from the blanket as she goes. She joins Rebecca in her cocoon, the blanket wide enough to cover them both and leave a comfortable amount of space between them, and glances over at Charles. She finds him in his small clothes, in the process of stripping his undershirt. The skin of his back is a mess of thin, straight scars crisscrossing in multiple directions. Most look decades old, a few a bit younger. On the left side of his back, extending from his shoulder blade almost to his elbow, an angry looking burn scar stretches, cut up by the long scratches left by the serpent's teeth. There is a darker tinge to Charles' skin there that looks as bruised as Crystal feels.

"Good," Mr. Payne's voice says from the entrance. "I am glad to see you have followed instructions for once."

Crystal startles, surprised, and turns away from Charles as he starts pulling his small clothes down. She twists to look at Mr. Payne, who fixes her with a glare before he takes his boots off and strides to the door leading to the bedchambers.

"I took the liberty to set up an alarm around the gate and the horses. It won't keep that creature away, but it should be enough to warn us if it comes by."

Charles is under his own blankets by that point, blue lipped and shivering like the rest of them. He shares a look with Mr. Payne as he disappears in the bedchambers and comes back a few minutes later, changed into his night shirt and carrying three more. He passes two to Crystal and Rebecca, who chuckles a bit when she wriggles into hers and the sleeves hang far past her fingers.

"How are you feeling?" Crystal asks her whole Mr. Payne goes to fetch something else from the storage room. "Warmer?"

"I want my mom," Rebecca says, quiet enough that Crystal almost misses it, even though they're sitting close enough to touch. "And my dad."

Next to them, Charles coughs, but he still pulls an arm out from under his blanket to grab the teapot resting on the mantelpiece and set it on the fire. There's always clean water in this thing, but it doesn't heat itself up, unfortunately.

"We'll see them tomorrow," Crystal promises Rebecca. "It's just not safe to ride in the cold after we've all taken a dive."

"Young Crystal is correct," Mr. Payne says, stepping back into the room with bandages, clean cloth, and something that smells strongly enough to reach Crystal's nose instantly. "There is no need to risk all of our health when we have a comfortable place available to spend the night. I have notified your parents of your status. They send their love and will await your arrival eagerly tomorrow morning."

"But I want my mom now," Rebecca says.

Mr. Payne makes a face.

[anneimaginesundertale]

All the smooches! XD

How about 4. An accidental brush of lips followed by a pause and going back for another, on purpose. Dealer’s choice, but if you can't decide, maybe Lucky?

Lucky never gets enough love, so let's go with him.

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

When you'd offered to help Lucky move out of his old office and into a new one, you hadn't realized exactly what that meant. It wasn't just your favorite lawyer skeleton moving offices. It appeared his whole firm was switching places. Cardboard boxes lined the halls, stacked floor to ceiling in teetering piles. The hallways, which were never wide to begin with, were now so narrow that only one person could pass through at a time.

"I am sorry it's so cramped," he said as you awkwardly shifted around each other for the tenth time. "I thought coming in today would give us more space to work, instead of tomorrow with everyone else."

"You probably still did," you said. "Can you imagine this labyrinth with any more people than just us? This would take four times as long!" You picked up another box of files and headed back toward his new office. "At least this way it's just you stepping on my feet and not strangers."

"Did I step on your feet? I'm sorry! I didn't mean to!" He set down the box he was holding and moved toward you. "Why didn't you say anything?"

"No, I didn't mean--Oh!" You found yourself quite literally face to face with him, with only the box you were holding between you.

"I didn't hurt you, did I?" he asked.

"No. I was just saying. I like that it's just us here, instead of a bunch of people I don't know."

"I like that too. I truly appreciate your help." He smiled at you.

"I like spending time with you. Even if it's just something like this." You tried to turn so you could put the box you were holding down, intending to give him a hug. Unfortunately, he reached for the box just as you turned. When you swung back in surprise, his face was closer than before. Your lips brushed against his teeth.

You both stepped back in surprise. You managed to actually put the box down. "Do you want to take a break?" you asked breathlessly. "Please?"

"Let's," he agreed. He closed the small distance between you and kissed you properly. It was a good thing you were alone in the office.

[case-of-traxits]

sephiroth and/or reno for the character ask thingy if you're still accepting! you can do either or both it's up to you <3

OOOH THE TIDDY SQUAD

For the Opinion Meme || Still accepting!

Sephiroth

Sexuality Headcanon: Aaaah, Sephiroth. I see Sephiroth as more or less demisexual with surprisingly (to him) possessive romantic leanings when his emotions are engaged.

Gender Headcanon: Cis male. I'm so boring with gender headcanons. XD

A ship I have with said character: All right, surprising no one, I adore Sephiroth/Tseng. Like, I just think they're so good for each other before, you know, Nibelheim. I think Sephiroth needs someone patient with him, someone willing to let him go at his own pace when it comes to figuring things out, and Tseng is very happy to let him do so.

That said, I also really like Sephiroth/Genesis. I tried my best to get some written for Sephesis Week, but I just couldn't get the dynamic I wanted on the page. I'll have to try again.

A BROTP I have with said character: Angeal and Genesis and Glenn and Lucia and Matt. I just. I want Sephiroth to have all of the friends, tbh. T_T

A NOTP I have with said character: I used to ship Aerith/Sephiroth really hard when I was young (I feel like in part because it side-stepped me out of the Aerith/Cloud/Tifa thing), but honestly, I don't know that I could ship them together anymore. It would be... It would have to be a very weird relationship, and most of what I see just tries to push it into very simple boxes.

A random headcanon: Sephiroth is quietly brilliant with all things science-related, and when Gast was still around, he was occasionally allowed to follow Reeve around the Science department as he did work on reactor designs. This lasted until Gast vanished and Hojo took over, when Sephiroth was around eight.

A year later, Reeve took the reactors from Science and started putting together what would eventually be Urban Development, and the next time he and Sephiroth saw one another, Sephiroth was a SOLDIER and Reeve was a director.

General Opinion over said character: I love Sephiroth. I have a particular soft spot for sane!Sephiroth, mostly because that's the time period I prefer to write in.

BONUS! A song I associate with the character: Midnight, by Jorge Mendez.

Reno of the Turks

Sexuality Headcanon: Aromantic, and definitely on the asexual spectrum. He is perfectly happy to have sex with someone-- no repulsion or anything; he just doesn't feel sexual attraction to any individual.

That said, he'd climb Rude like a tree, if Rude will let him. In no small part because he is 100% aware that Rude experiences romantic and sexual attraction, and Reno wants their partnership to be unbreakable on Rude's end.

Gender Headcanon: Cis male, but he's far less attached to the 'male' part of his identity than most of my characters.

A ship I have with said character: I... don't know that I have any happy ships with Reno, but I have plenty of absolutely heartbreaking ones.

Reno/Rude - A classic for a reason, but I suspect Rude leans a little more straight than most of my others, so it's always temporary to some degree.

Tseng/Reno - Ah, Tseng/Reno. A favorite and the bane of my existence, all at once. Basically, my default Reno and Tseng are in a D/s relationship where Tseng has carte blanche to tell Reno... anything. Because of that, I write it where Tseng would never let himself press into a sexual relationship with Reno, just because he knows that Reno cannot tell him no emotionally. For more information on this, I recommend my "Reno and Loyalty" meta that I just cross-posted from my old RP blog!

Reno/Elena/Rude - So this starts out as Reno wanting to tie Elena into the group a little more during the OG. (Curious what that looks like? I've written it here.) And when it's become a regular thing and they have a rhythm and everything, Reno... slowly pulls back. It's after AC and everything, and it's really gradual. And he doesn't pull back from them because he dislikes them or anything, he just... He knows what long term relationships are supposed to look like, and they don't usually include "someone like him," you know?

Reno/Tifa/Rude - This starts out super great, but just like Reno/Elena/Rude, will almost inevitably end with Reno pushing Rude and Tifa together and drifting off from them.

A BROTP I have with said character: Reno and any Turk, frankly.

A NOTP I have with said character: Mm. Most Tseng/Reno stuff, frankly. But not because I don't love it! I just love... specific variants of it.

A random headcanon: Reno has five younger sisters that he's responsible for. They live in the slums when he's first hired on into the Turks, but eventually, Reno gets them moved Above the Plate.

General Opinion over said character: Reno was the first canon FF7 character that I ever RPed, well over 20 years ago now. He's got a special spot in my heart, as I'm sure you can tell, given my icon is basically this icon on everything.

BONUS! A song I associate with the character:

There ain't no scene in the VIP for me So you can take your class, shake your ass And drown in that martini 'Cause there ain't no scene in the VIP for me It's understood that you're all too good This shit is crazy [...] I wanna get down, down and get dirty Sick of this scene, it doesn't deserve me Uh-oh, there's gotta be somewhere else to go 'Cause I wanna get off, get a bit trashy Wanna get hot, get a bit nasty Uh-oh, baby, let's go

-- VIP, by Ke$ha

[ohallthecrushes]

You're a storm in a teacup and I'm starting to like the chaos.

I've been written this story since the last episode of Criminal minds Evolution that I've seen, which was...around one year ago. And this is so far the longest story I've ever written. Damn. I'm impressed by my own hyperfixation on this. xd I've never published it anyway, cause honestly, it was for my own amusement. Kind of self-inserted main character, you know. But since I've almost lost the whole story, I've decided to put it here to make it immortal. Who knows, maybe there are fans of CME that will find this story interesting (or sick, or both, hopefully both) and who love Elias Voit as a character (I don't recommend falling in love with someone like him!)

Without further ado!

Summary: Evelyn is a young-troubled woman who's just escaped a highly guarded psych ward (twice, but this time causing havoc on her way out)

Now she's running through the city, hiding from police. A not-so-accidental encounter with a man named Elias Voit will change her life forever. And she'll change his. His seemingly selfless help is laced with danger, hidden agenda, manipulation, endless tension, and...love? Slow burning inteligent-idiots-in-love trope. But mind you, just because it's a love story, doesn't mean it ends well.

General warnings throughout the story: Manipulation, illegal activities, murder(s), Stockholm syndrome, kidnapping, explicit content, language... The whole pack. It's Criminal minds after all.

In this episode: Breaking into a house, whether it's abandoned or not, comes with a risk of dealing with a proposition that it's hard to decline.

Before Evelyn could stop him, Elias reached for the door handle. The front door creaked open with a rusty protest against the intrusion. Looked like it was really abandoned or someone forgot to lock it. She followed him inside, her warm breath created a fog in the cool, stale air when she sighed. The interior mirrored the house's neglected exterior – peeling wallpaper, dust everywhere, furniture barely standing...

"All I want is to stay away from trouble and somehow I'm still getting into a bigger one" she muttered under her breath with disbelief, complaining to herself at the same time. Here she was, at the doorway, contemplating whether to commit another crime or not.

Glancing around the sparsely furnished living room that bled into a grimy kitchen, she couldn't help but hope the place was deserted. Her break-in yesterday had been a stroke of luck and a desperate attempting to find a shelter – a family on vacation, the flat empty, no one even noticed, no damage done. This one, however, held a different energy. She noticed an open cereal box on the counter, and a few bottles of unopened beer – signs of life, however meager.

She sighed again as she went inside. She should have stayed in the car before Elias locked it instead of getting out with him.

"Looks empty down here. I'll check upstairs."

She jumped, startled by the unexpected sound of his voice. Her gaze darted to the avocado-green old fridge staying in the corner. Hunger, merely appeased by one single hot dog, made its presence known again. With a sigh, she abandoned any pretense of innocence.

"Go on." she said "I'll stay here guarding... the fridge." She opened it ignoring his surprised look, and reached for a lonely sausage that looked still fresh-ish. As she peeled the plastic off of it, a little voice in her head relentlessly judged her life choices.

After a long moment of silence and two bites later she heard the creak of the stairs. It made her spin around, a sausage halfway to her mouth. Elias, not someone else, stood there and flashed a smile that didn't reach his eyes. "One snoring old drunk man upstairs. As long as we keep it quiet, he'll sleep like a baby."

The news should have been a relief, but it wasn't. She started thinking...What if the old man wasn't such a sound sleeper? What if he woke up and stumbled downstairs to find them rummaging through his belongings? Her voice, when she finally spoke, was a whisper. "And… and if he wakes up?"

He shrugged, a casual movement that concerned her. "Then I'll take care of it."

His words were...unsettling to say the least, his tone nonchalant, as if he were discussing the weather. A glint in his dark blue eyes, a sign of something cold and calculating caused her to step back from him.

The tiny voice in her head was judging her ability to judge people correctly.

He noticed her reaction and put up his hands, saying he was only joking. Surely.

"Right, joking" she echoed, her voice barely a whisper. As she was about to turn her eyes away, something caught her attention. With his hands up, his shirt went up revealing something metallic tucked into his waistband. She blinked away the initial shock.

Fuck.

Internally, she was screaming.

what taxi driver carried a fucking Glock?!

Her intuition told her to run, but logic told her to stay calm. She turned her head to the fridge to avoid eye contact. She wasn't easily fainthearted or timid. And the last couple of months taught her that she could find a way out of every situation. But she needed a moment to collect herself.

She slowly closed the fridge door. Her eyes landed on two bottles of beer. She'd already stolen a sausage, so why not? Telling her body to act casual, she brought the bottles to a nearby table where Elias was already sitting.

The silence was uncomfortable, broken only by the drip-drip of rain from the leaky roof. He opened one bottle, his face showed no emotion in the dim light. With a sigh, she reached for the second one, analyzing the situation.

She figured that the taxi must had been stolen.

She figured he might not be a taxi driver at all.

She figured that whatever game he was playing she wasn't going to play along.

"Alright," she began, her voice low and careful. "Who are you really? The stolen taxi was a bit of a head fake."

He took a long swig of his beer, his eyes flickering across her face.

"What do you mean?" He feigned confusion.

"You're not a taxi driver, are you? I mean, not the one that selflessly helps a random refugee charged with homicide to flee the town."

He didn't answer right away. His eyes piercing through her as if challenging her to figure this out on her own. "I guess, I'm not... But it doesn't necessary mean I'm your enemy."

"Then why you.." she hesitated "...carry a gun?"

He blinked with a surprise, a brief moment of genuine emotion, before his face became unreadable again. He cursed silently. She noticed. The gun could backfire easily, shattering the illusion of a kindly stranger. But he reminded himself that he could still control the situation even though he knew lying wouldn't work. Not with her.

But a half-truth could do the trick. At least for now.

"The gun is just for… protection," he said vaguely, his voice low and reassuring. "You know, the city can be a rough place at night."

"Right" She wasn't buying it. "You're a criminal on the run, aren't you? That's why you didn't alert the police."

He chuckled. "A criminal... like you?" he asked almost provocative, watching her reaction.

She fidgeted with her bottle of beer, turning it around. She didn't like that word being used to describe her by people who didn't know the whole story,. It was a label she learnt to despise. "No... Probably not like me... Who are you, really?"

He took a deep breath, forcing his voice to remain calm. "It's complicated," he began, choosing his words carefully. He couldn't tell her everything – the darkness, the violence, the blood that stained his hands – not yet. "Let's just say I help people. People like you, who find themselves in… difficult situations."

That wasn't enough. She raised her brow. "Continue..."

He put the bottle down. Pushing a little, are we, he thought.

"I operate in the shadows, I know how navigate it to my advantage, I know how to survive, how to avoid detection. I teach that to others." His voice was remained calm, almost detached. "I know you've been mistreated and I see the side of you that others can't. I know you're inteligent and resourceful and I see how much you want to survive. The gun… it's not about hurting you, Evelyn. It's about keeping you safe."

She looked at him with disbelief before she snorted with laughter. "A criminal mastermind that wants to help me. Of course," She hid her face in her hand dramatically. "Why would I meet a normal person when I could meet a criminal who have an interest in me? Jesus…" Sarcasm dripped from her voice, a defense against the helpless despair she felt. She looked away shaking her head in disbelief.

He felt a pang of irritation. He offered her his protection and that was how she reacted?

He leaned forward, his voice low and intense. "Look at me," he commanded. With a hesitation she did, her brows furrowed.

"You don't understand, do you?" He continued, frustration laced with a strange sort of self-control. "Right now, you're on the run with poor chances of getting away and with no connections that could help you disappear effectively."

He saw it in her eyes, a recognition of the truth behind his words. "You're on your own, your luck will eventually end sooner or later, and you need help, whether you like it or not." He added.

"I can take care of myself, thanks." She said firmly as she looked into his eyes. She'd made it this far without nobody's help. But there was a vulnerability in her voice, fear masked by bravado that she knew he noticed.

"Even if they catch you and lock you up again?"

She flinched, a sudden painful memory of her time in the psych ward flashed before her eyes.

"We can help each other." Elias pressed, but his voice softer now. "You can be more than what they think you are, more than what you think you are." He leaned forward as he saw the battle raging within her – fear warring with an unwelcomed acceptance.. "It's a lot to take in." he conceded, his voice calm, almost gentle. "But trust me, it doesn't have to be this way. This constant running, this fear… you don't have to live like that anymore."

His words stuck in her head, a challenge and a promise rolled into one. She stared at him, conflicted with emotions. Was he right? Was there a chance that he could help her? To what extend? And even if, then what would be the price? On one hand, the idea of aligning herself with someone like Elias was horrifying. It would be like going deeper into a rabbit hole, blindfolded. On the other hand, she wasn't sure how long she could go on like this. Alone. Against everyone.

She parted her lips. "I just want to live a normal life... And not be a monster." She said with sadness in her voice.

"We're not monsters," he continued, his voice low. "Not exactly. We're different. Our minds work differently. More efficiently, some might say. Pragmatic. Analytical."

He saw the skepticism flare in her eyes, the headshake a silent denial. She still held onto the fading dream of normalcy, a life where she could blend in, be 'good' and prove her innocence. He sighed, it was a dream he himself had once harbored, a dream that had been brutally shattered by reality.

"You think normal is granted?" he challenged, a hint of frustration creeping into his voice. "Look at the world around you. Chaos. Violence. Hypocrisy. Normal is a lie, an ugly mask that's already cracked for you."

She bit her lip as she dropped her gaze to the table. His words were harsh, but they weren't entirely untrue. The world she remembered, the world she craved, felt increasingly distant and surreal, like a mirage in the desert.

"I won't be your… your partner, in crime." she muttered with defiance. "I'm not like you."

He leaned back, a ghost of a smile playing on his lips. He knew better than to push too hard, too fast. She wasn't ready to embrace the darkness yet, but the fight was half the fun.

"No." he agreed, his voice softer now. "Not yet, anyway. But keep this in mind, Evelyn. The world doesn't offer choices to people like us. It throws us into the deep shit, and survival becomes the only choice. And sometimes, survival requires… adapting. You'll see."

He finished the beer and rose from the table, leaving her with unspoken possibilities.. and threats. She remained seated, lost in her own thoughts. the harsh words of Elias echoed in her head – "survival requires adapting".

Adapting. It was all she had left. This or the alternative – psych ward or worse, jail.

The situation was far from ideal. Elias, for all his twisted pronouncements and some kind of empathy that she didn't quite believe in, had another strong argument against her possible resistance - a gun.

A gun wasn't something she could argue with. Not even with a small, sharp knife hidden within the sleeve of her black hoodie.

Even if he said that he wasn't going to use it against her, there was no guarantee of that.

She rubbed the bridge of her nose. She regretted getting into that taxi.

Elias after throwing the empty bottle into a trash bin, turned to her, and shoved his hands into his back pockets. Unexpectedly he announced his need for a quick nap. "...just a short nap. In the meantime you can think about what I've said."

She looked at him and just slightly nodded. Nap? Perfect. A plan immediately started forming in her head. She could say that she'd stay awake, 'on watch' just in case. And while he slept, she could snatch the car keys and disappear into the night.

No shady partnership.

But just as quickly as the plan formed, it was shattered. With his eyes locked on her and a smirk he pulled something out of his pocket.

Handcuffs.

They were dangling from his index finger, the evidence of his distrust. Unlike the doctors and the police, he wouldn't be fooled by her facade of fragility and innocent looking face.

Her brows furrowed in a mixture of anger and defiance. Couldn't he give her a break? She met his gaze. "You're kidding?"

[thenovelartist]

IkePri headcanon - childhood friends

I'm getting cross-eyed from editing a novel, and this plot bunny started ravaging my brain. I had to take a break and write it so it would shut up. XD

IkePri Headcanon - what if the eight princes knew Emma in their childhood, only to reunite when she came to the palace as Belle?

(Long post under the cut because I don't write short things LOL)

Jin

They were neighbors growing up, so Jin had known her since they were babies.

Then his mom got sick and passed, and he was determined to make it to Rhodolite castle.

Her family was aiming to move in hopes of finding a better life, so Jin rode with them towards the capital of Rhodolite kingdom.

They felt pity for him, so they would help him out as much as they could if the king turned him away. Not that that happened.

However, Emma's family happened to find an opportunity to settle in the city, so Jin still crossed paths with them on occasion.

As they got older, they kept in touch less, but Jin always knew where to find Emma when he needed someone to talk to. She was always good for giving out everything from encouragement to scoldings to blunt advice.

That, and she made the best chocolate spice cake he'd ever known. He loved chatting over sweets with her.

Then came the bloodstained rose day. After that bloodbath, the torment in his mind grew too loud for him to handle alone. He ended up confiding in her what he did.

And then he cut off their friendship entirely.

He felt guilty. Dirty. Shameful. Why would a girl who had her act together want to be friends with a failed prince like him?

Besides, she was too bright, too full of love to give. They were both at the age that looking for marriage partners was reasonable, and he wanted her to find a good man without anyone getting the wrong idea about the two of them.

On top of that, he wasn't looking for true love the way she was. Although...

No, his position meant he couldn't make an exception for her, even if he wanted to, which he didn't.

Fast forward, and a Belle is chosen.

And that devil really brought Miss Pure-of-Heart into the castle.

Jin wouldn't leave her high and dry. Seeing as they were old friends, he would take responsibility for making sure she was taken care of.

But she only let him help her after she finished chewing him out for cutting her from his life.

(His brothers had a field day listening to that conversation.)

It wasn't long before they grew inseparable again, falling right back into their easy comradery they had built as youngsters.

It surprised him that she had remained unmarried. He would have thought she'd be settled with a family by now.

But he couldn't make any moves on her. She was a pure-hearted true love believer. And he... was not.

Yet his resolve snapped after seeing her at the graves on remembrance day.

Because she'd made it there before him, and that's when he realized she'd been here, laying flowers on those graves for years.

The way she looked at him when he arrived... it was like she'd never held those deaths against him. Like she'd forgiven him.

And when she leaned against his side, sliding her hand into his to hold as they stood there in mourning, he knew she still supported him, still believed in him, even after all these years.

Maybe there was such a thing as true love. And she made it mighty tempting to find out.

Chevalier

Her parents worked in the castle library, meaning she grew up in the castle.

Of course everyone had heard of the brutal beast child who isn't even human.

And it's not like Emma didn't see it, either.

Chevalier doesn't waste time with anyone, no matter what age. They were all terrified of him, anyway.

Except this infuriatingly incompetent simpleton who spent her days following her father around the library and dared to start conversations with Chevalier, of all people, over books.

He has made her run away in tears more than once.

But finally, she has the last word.

"You're just saying your a beast so you can pretend you're not human, but you're human as the rest of us!"

He makes it his mission to prove her wrong.

And she never accepts any answer. Even if it takes her a day or two, she will always find a retort.

It takes a while, but he finally accepts her as the amusing library simpleton.

And it's like that for years.

By the time they're teenagers, they've created a quasi-acquaintanceship. Which is the closest thing to a friendship Chevalier has ever had.

However, there comes a time she feels the need to grow up and leave the castle. To find her own job. Hence why she ends up working for a bookstore.

Chevalier now almost exclusively orders books through her.

However, that's all. Their relationship shifts strictly to a business one as Chevalier doesn't see the reason to waste time corresponding despite how saddened that makes him feel.

Then comes the time she is chosen for Belle. Despite Sariel knowing her already (he remembered everyone who had worked in the castle. He especially remembered the one girl that wasn't afraid of the brutal beast.) he feels she would be the perfect person to fill the position.

And when Chevalier discovers who was chosen, he's amused.

(His brothers almost have a heart attack upon seeing Chevalier, of all people, smiling. At a woman.)

Chevalier even dares to instigate conversation with her and teases her as much as he can. But he also invites her into his private library whenever she wishes.

In that month, he comes to realize that he is surprisingly upset by the prospect of her leaving again, only to never reappear.

Which only grows worse when he's chosen as king.

So he uses his authority to keep her there in the castle.

Now, they have all the time in the world to explore just why he feels this way.

Clavis

She was his first target ever.

She just had such fun reactions when he pulled a prank on her. He couldn't help but want to pull more and more.

You know the adage of "boys pull a girls' pigtails on a playground because he likes her"? Yeah. It's like that with pranks.

It's only because of a gentle warning from his loving mother that he stops pulling pranks on her and starts pulling them with her, instead.

He finds her yelling at him highly amusing. But not as amusing as her laughing along with him while trying to pretend it wasn't funny.

He soon finds himself clinging to her because she's the one person who is always there to give him the validation he needs.

Unfortunately, it's a double edged sword as she also just so happens to be there every time he's a failure. Every time he's a mess. Every time he's worthless and pathetic.

Yet, she never laughs at him. Never mocks him.

Instead, she's there to patch up any injuries (or just sooth his injured pride) and encourage him. And occasionally yell at him that he's an idiot for thinking he's a worthless fool.

She's one of the select few people who's seen him at his lowest. And he's learned to become okay with that.

As they grow up, they grow apart. But they never really lose touch. Clavis is very loyal to his people, you see. Particularly his favorite people.

So while he might not see her every day, he knows she works at the book shop and what exactly her hours are.

She always greets him with a scowl and some version of "what do you want, Clavis?"

Then Sariel ends up picking her as Belle.

Ohhh, this just got amusing.

They spend every day together, him taking it upon himself to show her around the castle and be her guide to all things about his brothers.

She'll never admit just how happy she is for that.

But then she chooses a king, meaning it's time for her to leave.

After having spent a month together attached at the hip, Clavis finds he's very opposed to letting her go.

So he finds a way to get her to stay.

She publicly laments over this.

Privately... she makes sure to tell him just how happy she is to be with her lovely lover.

Leon

She was a friend of the fourth prince. Officially, she was the daughter of the fourth prince's doctor, so she was around quite frequently.

Leon didn't hit it off with her right away. But they grew closer over time.

She was often there helping Leon with his studies, alongside the fourth prince.

What made them grow close was that Emma read off books for Leon to listen to. It was the greatest help in helping him learn and stay awake for long periods of time.

Then came the day the fourth prince passed, and everyone who knew that secret was slaughtered.

It broke Leon's heart, believing that Emma was among those gone. She was the closest thing he had to a friend. She treated him no differently than she had the prince. In her eyes and hers alone, Leon felt like an equal.

It made her loss a little harder to bear than others.

Fast forward several years, and he finds a woman in town that resembles her.

And that spice this woman has, slapping that man in the middle of the street square.

Absently, Leon runs a hand through his hair. Why does the back of his head hurt with that familiar sting of being smacked with a book, his mind lingering back to being yelled at by a fiery little girl for slacking off.

And then this woman was brought to the castle as Belle.

It's her. It has to be. But it takes Leon a few days to really accept that fact.

He absconds with her one evening, allowing him the privacy needed to confirm that fact.

Which she does. "You've gotten cocky."

He just laughs. Whole and hearty. It was her. And he couldn't be happier.

As they talk about the past, he learns that she had escaped death by accident. She had been running an errand and had gotten lost, effectively hiding her from the hired assassin.

She'd had to struggle finding her footing again, but she got taken in by the bookstore owner and had worked there ever since.

But now, the problem lies in the fact Leon is not going to let her go. She's the one person he can open his heart to, and the relief that gives him is not one he's going to give up any time soon.

Yves

She was the daughter of his wet nurse.

Literally raised together. For many years.

She was older, and bolder, so Yves used to follow her around.

And she was the one who paid the most attention to him when everyone wanted to stay away from the Half Obsidian prince.

He loved playing with her hair growing up. And she always let him.

They'd been seen more than once sitting in the garden, Emma showing Yves how to braid her hair and Yves decorating it with flowers.

They always snuck into the kitchen for treats and whatnot.

When they got old enough, he made his first dessert with her: a batch of cookies.

They pinky promised to make cookies together all the time.

But that promise could only last so long.

When Emma and her mother left the castle to pursue a job elsewhere, Yves was once again left alone.

He didn't like baking cookies for the longest time because of their pinky promise.

But an older brother has to take care of his younger brother when he looks sad and comments that he wants a cookie.

Fast forward, and Emma is brought in as Belle.

She notices Yves stalking her right away, but decides she'll pretend not to notice.

But after the third time of glancing his direction with a smile, he'll appear. Only to be teased by her that even as an adult, he's still following her around.

He gets all blushy, and fervently denies how happy he is about seeing her again.

She's the same as ever, judging him on his character instead of his birth and encouraging him like she used to.

But it's when they finally bake cookies together again that Yves realizes that he can't let her go. That he's scared to.

After all, who could love a half-obsidian monster?

(Well, the answer is not her, because she's sure to tell him he's not an unlovable monster. He's just a handsome, hard-working prince whom she loves very dearly.)

Licht

She was like him: the daughter of a songstress. The reason she was in the castle, though, was because she was also the daughter of the gardener.

He didn't always pay her much mind, but there was one thing that always stuck out about her.

She sang. Often.

And Licht liked to sing, when he could sneak away from his studies.

So he ended up singing along with her at times.

Nokto sometimes joined, but not always. He liked listening to Licht sing. Particularly with Emma. They always sounded so pretty.

And Licht lit up like the sunrise whenever he sang with her.

They sang together whenever they could. Up until the "incident" when Licht went silent.

Occasionally, she'd sneak through the castle and sing to him through his door. For the longest time, he buried his head under the covers and cried at the sound.

And just when Licht thought he might start singing again, she was gone, having moved out of the castle.

He regretted not singing with her one last time, but he supposed he deserved it for his actions.

Fast forward many years, and Belle is chosen.

Licht didn't recognize her right away. In fact, he didn't recognize her at all.

He just ignored her for the time being, finding a private moment to sing in the garden like he sometimes enjoyed doing. Only, this time a female voice joined him, harmonizing to his own.

But that voice sounded familiar, as did the way their voices blended together.

He couldn't help but start searching for the owner, actually growing excited as he did.

And then he spotted Belle. That's when he finally recognized her.

After that, he quickly warmed up to her. For once, he didn't just sing with her but actually spent time talking with her.

Beyond that, he spent time not talking with her. Instead, sitting silently as they shared sweets she made for him or walked around town.

And it scared him how much he wanted her to stay. He didn't deserve her.

But she'd been there when the incident happened. She knew everything, and she never judged him.

It didn't take long for him to surrender to her outpouring of love and decide he was going to steal this happiness for himself. But only this happiness, he'd never ask for anything more than her, his perfect harmony.

Nokto

She was the daughter of the palace doctor.

She was a few years older than the twins, actually. Which was why she felt responsible for watching out for them.

Particularly when she noticed they hid their injuries from their "punishments"

She forced her care on them quite frequently. And if they went into hiding to avoid her smothering hand, she would sneak bandages and salves into their rooms.

She always knew when they were hiding injuries. She was like Sariel that way, but nicer.

Which is why the twins soon surrendered to her treatments.

It wasn't anything special, per se, but Nokto and Licht both knew she was someone who was safe to be around.

And they loved when she let them hide in her room from Sariel. She could stand up against the devil, which earned both their respects.

But Nokto was the one who learned from her smooth tongue.

He found it impressive, the way she could slip her way out of conversations or get people to talk based on her words alone.

He didn't fully realize it might have just been her personality as well. He was too young to realize he'd been charmed by her, too.

After the incident, she was the one to check up on the twins, who each locked her out.

She knew right away that both the boys had trouble sleeping after that. Which was why she made tea for both the boys to help them sleep.

Nokto was the one who relied on it the most. He just wanted to disappear from the world. So even though the tea she made him was bitter, it would make the world go away, just for a little while.

But then Emma left, finding work in town and taking that tea with her.

At first, he was disappointed he didn't get her recipe. But it wasn't long until he realized he missed her safe presence, as well.

The world really was crumbling around him, and he accepted it.

Until she came back as Belle.

At first, he didn't want her close. He used that sly tongue he'd acquired to push her away.

Not that it worked.

He'd charmed so many women in his life, but as always, she never was blinded by the lies.

Which made him back away as he felt so vulnerable in front of her.

But just as she had growing up, she never let either twin hide his injuries from her. She hunted him down until Nokto was tired of running.

In the end, he rediscovered that feeling of safety she carried with her. And he basked in it.

The fox had found his den to hide in, and now he wasn't going to let anyone take it away from him. For once, he was going to prove he could be a protector, instead of just letting others do the protecting.

Luke

She was Luke's neighbor growing up. So she knew his sister, and she knew how Luke was treated.

Being a little older than him, she wanted to take care of him.

She was always sneaking him food. Which he was very grateful for, but it always made him feel indebted to her.

Soon enough, Luke basically accepted her as an older sister, protecting her as much as he did Leyla. And Emma was sure to smoother the two siblings in as much love as she could.

Since Luke is such a good brother, he swore to protect Emma too. He even made her a teddy bear.

Then came Bloodstained rose day.

Emma was with Leyla when the chaos descended, and she'd gotten injured as well, but when Luke came, she left Leyla with Luke and ran to find help.

She was the one who got Jin's attention before passing out at his feet.

He handed her off to a different soldier before going to rescue the two kids she'd pointed out.

That day, Luke lost both his sisters. His torment was hellish.

Time passed, and Luke was eventually invited to the castle.

He was going to find the prince that took his two precious sisters away from him.

And then Belle was brought in.

The moment he saw her, Luke's world turned upside down. Because he'd never forget her face.

At the first opportunity, he cornered her alone. "Emma?"

And when she gave him the sweetest smile, tears welling up in her eyes, he felt like his knees would give out from under him. "I knew that was you, Luke."

This broken man breaks into tears with relief. Yes, he'd lost one sister, and that torment still ravaged his heart, but his other one was still here, still alive and well.

Turned out that Jin had brought Emma back to the capitol where he'd allowed her to work as a maid until she was old enough to find a job on her own in town. Though he would have allowed her to stay, she didn't want to take advantage of his kindness anymore.

Learning everything tears Luke in two. Jin took one sister away from him, his little sister, but saved his other one? Why? Why, why why?

It's a long road, but the reappearance of his wonderful sister throws Luke through such a loop he can't even make out which way is up anymore.

Emma talks Luke out of revenge. It's a hard path to tread, but it allows Luke and Jin to start reconciling.

While Emma is at the palace, she encourages Luke to start up prince lessons right away. Because heaven forbid that Luke allows his sister to see him slacking.

Er... maybe... not his sister? The more time they spend together, the more un-sisterly thoughts Luke has about her.

And by the time Emma has chosen a king and is preparing to head back into town, Luke is adamant about not letting her go.

Which inspires Emma to confess her own growing feelings.

Congratulations: they are now inseparable.

Despite feeling unworthy of her, Luke is never letting her go again. Ever. His world revolves around her, and his only goal in life is to make her proud.

And if that means being a prince, then so be it.

[the-crimson]

I did it I made a part 2 XD Find part 1 of my bbh and fed worker fic here

Tw gaslighting, manipulation, psychological torture

Enjoy :D

Warm saccharine sweetness blooms in the workers mouth as it takes a bite of the brownie. It doesn’t think it’s ever had something so fresh. Only day old sandwiches and avocado toast of questionable quality the residents toss their way. But this chocolate infused bread is still steaming and the chocolate chips melted and it swears as it takes another bite, this must be nirvana.

Badboyhalo - the demon - has propped the worker on the bed with cushions while he sits nearby tinkering on the various shredded pieces of its body. Unlike yesterday, the demon chats softly almost with himself. He talks about his day, his friends, his ghosts and only occasionally pauses when prompting the worker’s thoughts on the various dramas of the island. He’s provided a clipboard that sits on the table beside the plate of brownies that the worker scribbles replies without much thought, lost in the euphoria of the pastry.

Badboyhalo doesn’t seem to mind the worker’s distracted state and it couldn’t be more thankful. It hasn’t felt this at ease in… it can’t remember. Perhaps since it was created.

It could laugh at the irony. It’s never been in more peril after all but… it can’t help it. It’s never met a being like this. He's nearly unrecognizable from the horrifying presence that allowed the soul vulture to tear it to shreds.

Cucurucho is cold and callus and predictable. It has its orders and follows them with laser precision but this… Badboyhalo is an enigma. Maybe that’s the difference a soul makes.

“Aah! Hss!” The demon exclaims suddenly and drops the mechanical parts with a loud clang! He grasps his wrist as blue and white soul energy surges beneath his skin and the dark blue tendrils of infection spread. His breath hisses through gritted teeth but the flair subsides and he sighs heavily and releases his hand. The demon observes the odd… corruption? Infection? The worker isn’t sure, with an neigh unreadable expression.

The worker tilts it head slightly, just now noticing the odd growths all across the demon’s body that are mostly hidden by his clothing. Isn’t he supposed to be red?

“Are you okay?” The worker writes after a moment of hesitation.

Badboyhalo glances at the clipboard and gives a loose smirk that is tinged with pain. “All according to plan. Don’t you worry about me.” He picks up the tools and continues mending the mangled arm.

The worker looks closer at the demon’s face and sees the growth creeping on the right side, noticing for the first time the blue tint of his eye. It starts to write something but the demon speaks first.

“How about you? You’ve scarfed down so many brownies I doubt there’ll be any left for me.” Badboyhalo sends a light hearted grin the worker’s way as it freezes for a moment in panic but it breathes a relieved sigh.

“Sorry.” It writes.

The demon gives a light chuckle with that loose smile. “I brought them for you.”

The worker shifts slightly. Why does this demon feel so warm? His presence itself seems to absorb all heat leaving a vacuumus cold but… It doesn’t like how at ease it is around him. If it has learned anything from the federation it’s that no one does anything without reason.

The worker takes a long moment to think before writing “Why are you doing this? Why are you being so kind?”

Badboyhalo reads, then tilts his head with a confused laugh. “What do you mean? It’s the least I can do.”

It’s the worker’s turn to recoil in confusion.

“What?” It writes.

“Well, Cucurucho abandoned you after you were ambushed by the Code so I figured someone should look after you workers. You’ve done so much for us islanders after all.”

WHAT? The worker stares at him on the verge of short circuiting. That’s - that’s not what happened. That’s not anywhere close to what happened.

“You don’t remember? I’m not surprised. I had to build your cranium nearly from scratch just to wake you up.” He chuckles to himself. “I didn’t think I’d manage it but my son is a good teacher… was.” The mirth fades at the memory of his son but the worker isn’t paying attention.

He is lying. He is blatantly lying. He has to be right? It remembers the vulture. It remembers that monster tearing and shredding. It remembers.

“The codes started attacking you workers when it realized it couldn’t defeat Etoiles. You were the first. You really don’t remember?”

The worker stares at the lying snake. It’s not true. It can’t be true.

The worker writes “Stop.” But the demon doesn’t read it.

“You were removing the lava cast at the presidential office. There was only a few blocks left so you stayed overnight while the others took a break.”

“Stop STOP STOP STOP ST” the demon gently takes the worker's hand and holds it still.

“You were alone when it struck. Near midnight. You didn’t notice it until you heard the whistling of its blade but by then it was too late. It hacked away at you again and again until you resembled little more than a pile of scrap metal.”

The demon’s eyes stare intently into the worker as he speaks almost hypnotically and the worker tries to pull its hand away, to look away, but he keeps spinning the story.

“I saw Cucurucho find you. It could have saved you but it didn’t. It left you to die.” His voice softens. “But I didn’t. I brought you somewhere safe. I saved you.”

No you didn’t! You can’t have! You did this to me? The demon’s grip loosens and the worker yanks it’s hand back. The demon looks to the side and gives a faint sneer.

“I have an uninvited visitor.” He growls, voice once again low and dripping with malice. The demon gives the worker a saccharine smile. “I’ll be back. I’ll get you fixed up in no time.”

The worker says nothing, too frightened and confused to move. The demon phases through the bars with a pearl and is gone. The worker looks around at the room - cell this is a cell - until its gaze lands on the platter of sweets. It feels pressure building in its chest as it breathes rapidly and lunges at the platter, throws it across the cell. The plate raps on the bars and clatters to the stone before silence once again settles within the chamber.

No. No he’s lying. He’s a liar. I remember. I REMEMBER. There isn’t- he’s lying. He’s trying to get in my head.

The worker holds itself tightly and rocks slightly, shaking its head. The silence is broken suddenly with the ear splitting shriek of the soul vulture. The worker freezes and slowly turns towards the entrance. The wall remains in place and it is still alone.

No, not again. Not now please.

Another bird squawks and another. They shriek hungrily and the worker covers its head as they audibly tear into flesh. Every scrape against bone and tearing of muscle echoes in the chamber amplified somehow and the worker internally whimpers, curling in on itself and trembling.

STOP! It screams in its mind. PLEASE STOP! But it knows no one can hear and even if he could… the demon knows nothing of mercy.

Cururucho

Anyone

Please

…

Please

…

Help me

[blackjackkent]

Proceeding out the main door of the Cloister of Somber Embrace entryway, we're back underground for suresies now:

Poor Shadowheart sounds so sad and just... exhausted. :( Hector is very ready to beat up Viconia on her behalf.

-----

"I imagine you find this funny," she says to Hector sardonically as they slowly descend the ornate stairs.

"Funny?" he asks, bemused.

"Well. Not funny, really," she amends after a short pause. "I know you better than that." Another pause. "Ironic." She shrugs. "You also grew up in halls dedicated to a goddess. And yet our lives couldn't have been more different."

He nods slowly. "Ironic, yes," he agrees. "I... think you would have liked Silverlight," he goes on hesitantly after a short pause. "I would be the first to admit - now, at least - that it was not the perfect place to grow up. But... it was warm, and kind, and aboveground."

She shrugs. "Right now, I think I would prefer to have grown up far away from either Selune or Shar," she mutters.

"Under the circumstances," he answers gently, "I can hardly blame you for that."

-----

Past a sentry and an enormous stone door is what must be the inner sanctum.

Viconia stands at the center, holding forth in some sort of sermon towards the array of guards and acolytes lining the walls.

Voices echo around the room, call-and-response answers to Viconia's exhortations.

Hector shivers uncomfortably. Not since the Shadowfell has he felt so deep in Shar's domain and so far from the light of his own goddess.

He looks at Shadowheart, gestures for her to step forward into the room ahead of him. He and Karlach and Jaheira spread out behind her like an honor guard, tense, ready to snap at the first sign of violence.

Viconia ceases her cries to the congregation at once as they approach, and fixes her eyes intently on Shadowheart. "They already heard how you disgraced yourself before Lady Shar," she says mockingly. "How she marked you as the enemy. But it is quite another thing for them to see it for themselves."

"I am very glad you decided to return. A cautionary tale such as yours will be studied by Lady Shar's initiates for years to come."

To Hector's mild surprise, Jaheira speaks up behind him, and her tone is just as cold.

"You've finally found yourself a following, Mother Superior. And you only had to hollow out their heads to do it."

Is there any villain in this city you are not already familiar with? Hector wonders dryly to himself.

There is, perhaps, the barest flash of alarm across Viconia's features, but it is quickly stilled and hidden behind a casual disdain. "Always a pleasure to see old acquaintances. But you would be wise to not interfere in this matter."

(A/N: As mentioned, Caden met Viconia and immediately dropped her from the party and never saw her again. So in this worldstate, this implies she and Jaheira had some other interactions in the wake of BG2. XD And they probably weren't pleasant. It is interesting though given that Jaheira was actually one of the less strident people in the giant shouting match that occurred when Caden encountered Viconia originally.)

Viconia's eyes turn back towards Shadowheart. "But perhaps," she goes on, with a saccharine smile that does not reach her eyes, "I can make a case for some small measure of mercy. Give me the artifact, and I can at least make this quick."

"Enough!" Shadowheart snaps back. "I don't answer to you. Not anymore. I'm here for my family." Her lip curls in an angry smile as she sees Viconia flinch almost imperceptibly at the statement. "That's right. I know what you did. And it's not going to be quick - not for you."

Hector ducks his head, his lips twitching in a sudden, inescapable expression of satisfaction. After all the struggle it took to get here, he hoped deeply that Shadowheart would not backslide into the misguided, ill-informed loyalty that characterized her when they first met. And she hasn't. She is standing firm, speaking clearly. And he is deeply proud of her.

"This is your family," Viconia snarls furiously, gesturing around at the acolytes surrounding her on all sides. "And now you have turned your back on it. The artifact was your last chance to prove yourself - and you squandered it."

Something clicks suddenly in Hector's head - something that in truth he's wondered almost from the beginning. This isn't really about Shadowheart for Viconia; Shadowheart is a side question, a failed follower, nothing more. The artifact is the thing - the reason she sent Shadowheart out in the first place.

"Why is the artifact so important to you?" he asks, so abruptly that Shadowheart jumps.

Viconia looks at him thoughtfully in silence for a moment, then shrugs, as if deeming it no threat for him to know her mind in this. "Whispers reached my ears from all corners," she says. "Potential rivals of Lady Shar, all vying for the same prize. A new god, amassing the disaffected, the outcasts - those who should turn to *us*."

She clenches a fist. "This 'Absolute' is but an upstart, disturbing the natural order and threatening to impede the glorious return of Lady Shar's pure, endless darkness." Her voice lifts in strident fanaticism. "I had to act! I had to strangle that foul conspiracy while it was still in the cradle. We learned all we could-- the artifact was the one thing the Absolutists feared. The one thing they desperately wanted to keep out of their enemies' grasp. I had to have it."

Hector snorts in disbelief before he can stop himself. "You thought you could best the Absolute? The githyanki?"

Viconia laughs humorlessly. "To fight so many foes openly could prove unwise," she points out. "Shar's children are better deployed as daggers in the shadows, not massed upon a battlefield." She waves a hand in a scattering motion. "So let the others fight, while we wait. Once they are spent and bloodied from each other, we would slip in and take the prize. Alas, most of those I sent perished." Her eyes focus on Shadowheart again. "All but one."

"I should thank you," Shadowheart says. Her voice is cold but there is still that tinge of bleak exhaustion in it. "If you hadn't sent me on that suicide mission, I'd never have learned the truth."

Viconia sighs, clicks her tongue impatiently and looks past Shadowheart at Hector. "You there," she says sharply. "Surrender this one to me, now, and you can consider Lady Shar's forces your allies in the battle to come."

Shadowheart turns her head, looking up at Hector with an air of sudden alarm. But Hector just smiles. Indeed, he feels the urge almost to laugh.

That is your bargain? That I might sacrifice my companion, my *friend*... in exchange for Sharrans at my back, ready to stick a knife into it when the opportunity presents?

"Never," he says flatly.

He could have guessed her response before she offers it. Immediately, any hint of ingratiating charm - such as it was - vanishes, and she spreads her arms wide with a feral scowl. "As you like," she sneers, then lifts her voice in a new cry out to her congregation. "L'il Alurl! FOR SHAR!"

[nicascurls]

Strangeness and Charm - Part Five

Word Count: 2.3K

Summary: Season 1 AU where Andy and Kyle arrive at Charles Lee Ray’s old house before Tiffany leaves with Junior and Nica and ultimately save them. Set in 2017, two weeks after Cult since that's when the show was originally mentioned to be set and in my opinion, makes the most sense.

Notes: I did it! I've been caught up with Uni work recently and have exams over the next week but after that I should be free to write more! Yes, I did decide to keep Nathan Cross alive, mainly cause I absolutely despise Lexy's mother in the show and don't want to write her. Also, I had to bring up Andy being a bad driver again, I feel like that would be something brought up frequently amongst the siblings. XD

Tags: @streets-in-paradise @losersclubisms @cult-of-dollbabies @silvershewolf247 @cornerofhell

Before they knew it, Kyle was entering the house with Junior and Caroline in tow. The three made their way past the living room and into the kitchen where Andy and Nica were still sat.  

As they entered, Andy got up and made his way over to the kids, Nica following. 

Junior crouched down to Caroline's level before introducing them, "Caroline, this is Andy and Nica that we were telling you about. They're our friends, OK? They know about Chucky too and they can keep us safe."

"Chucky's bad." Caroline responds matter of factly. That statement alone caused a brief sense of calm to wash over the adults, with Andy hearing Nica breathe an audible sigh of relief behind him. At least they didn’t have to worry as much about Chucky trying to get Caroline to play any of his ‘games’. 

“Exactly, but they already know that and they can keep us safe from Chucky. That’s why we’re going to stay here with Nica,” Both Junior and Caroline looked at Nica as she gave Caroline a small wave which the young girl returned with a shy smile. "Whilst Andy and Kyle will go and help Lexy, Jake and Devon and then they’ll come back here too.” Caroline moved her gaze from Nica up to Andy before turning back to Junior in confusion, “But what about the movie? Me and Lexy were supposed to watch the movie with Mommy and Daddy.”

“I know Care, but we need to be here whilst they stop Chucky to make sure he doesn’t do anything bad there.”

“Maybe once Lexy and the others are back, you could watch the movie here?” Nica suggested, sitting forwards in her chair so she could talk to the girl, “It could be a special surprise for them since they are busy now.” Caroline, nodded eagerly at Nica, with a smile spreading across her face.

“Yeah, we could set up the living room whilst we wait for them.” Junior began to lead Caroline further into the house, “Come on, I'll show you where the blankets are, we could make a fort.”

Nica watched them disappear from sight with a small smile before turning back to the siblings. Kyle had now passed Andy a pair of leather gloves matching the ones that she now wore.

“We better get going,” Andy began “the longer the kids are alone, the more time Chucky has to fuck with them.” Nica gave a small nod of agreement.

“You sure you're gonna be okay with them?” Kyle was now facing Nica, gesturing to the living room where they could hear Junior entertaining Caroline.

“Yeah, I’ll be fine. You guys definitely have the more difficult job.”

“I dunno about that, I’ve heard blanket fort construction can be pretty taxing stuff.” Andy’s joke caused Nica to smile wider before following them to the door, her nerves for the others beginning to grow.

"Junior gave me the number of the home phone so we will update you when we can." Kyle informed her, checking her gun once again.

“Good luck!” She called just before they closed the door but the siblings got the real message, ‘Please, none of you die.’ Nica took a final deep breath before turning around and wheeling herself over to join the two kids.

"The kids are hiding in the space behind the movie screen." Kyle still insisted on driving to the theatre so Andy was reading the messages from the kids to her and they made their way over. "There's no sign of Chucky or Tiffany from there but Tiffany had a doll with her when she first arrived."

"Right." The two siblings slipped back into a comfortable silence. Andy's mind began to drift back to his past encounters with Chucky, trying to save himself was one thing. That added with multiple kids, rather than just the one one like back at military school, needless to say it felt like much greater weight on his shoulders.

"-anything else?" Andy's head snapped up once he realised Kyle was speaking to him again.

"Sorry what?" 

"Nica. Did you find out anything more about Chucky from her?" 

"Not really, it's difficult for her to work out what's happened the past few weeks. The most intel she really has is the stuff Tiffany told her and that was all delusional bullshit about her liking Nica better than Chucky and calling them a non-traditional couple."

Andy looked over to see Kyle wearing a strong look of shock and disgust.

"Yeah," Andy responded to her expression "somehow Chucky managed to find someone even more deranged than him."

"So I'm gonna take a wild guess and say that's why Nica was so worried about Junior?"

"Uh huh." With that, Kyle pulled into the parking lot of the theatre, spotting the truck and then Tiffany's car. Good. At least they knew they were still here rather than causing chaos somewhere else.

"You head to the kids, I'll catch up." Kyle instructed, heading in the opposite direction.

"Why? What are you doing?"

"Just trust me on this. I have a plan to make sure he and Tiffany stay put. I'll be there before you know it."

Andy gave a sigh and began to move toward the theatre entrance, "Fine, just don't get killed. Please." He saw Kyle give a thumbs up before moving to meet the kids.

Upon entering, he turned and headed down a corridor to the side. The walls looked bleak and neglected, definitely an area of the building that the guests weren’t meant to see. Andy took in his surroundings as he slowly made his way down the corridor, reaching for his gun so he could have it ready. There were too many shadows, too many places for Chucky to hide.

As he made it towards the end and was met with a door on his right, he deemed it safe to call out, “Kids?” The sound echoed around the empty space for a moment before he heard a voice travel from the left turn at the very end of the corridor.

“Andy? Is that you?”  He quickly made his way toward the sound and was met with the three teens as he rounded the corner. Andy let out a breath he wasn’t aware he had been holding and put the gun away.

“Are you three alright?” 

“Yeah, we’re okay. Where’s Kyle?” Jake responded quickly.

“She had a plan to make sure Chucky and Tiffany don’t go anywhere else. She’ll be here soon. Have you seen either of them?”

Devon turned to Lexy who was keeping a watchful eye on the crowd from the side of the screen, especially her parents, before turning to Devon and informing him with a shake of her head. “Not at the moment, just the guests for the movie.”

“I told dad Caroline didn’t want to watch the movie and I would keep an eye on her, so at least that’s handled for now.” Lexy added.

“Chucky’s got to have something else planned, Tiffany wouldn't have had a doll unless there was some part of the plan we don’t know about.”

“Yeah, and the truck would have already left.” Kyle added entering the room. “At least we know Tiffany won’t be now.”

Andy turned to his sister with an intrigued expression, “What did you do?” 

“Just fixed the engine of her car… So, it won’t start.” Both siblings gave a smirk as Lexy looked at Kyle with fascination. “How did you do that?”

“She has a vintage car, sure it looks cool but it's easy as hell to get into without a key.” 

They were interrupted as a scream pierced the air, soon followed by more and the sound of panicked footsteps. 

"Shit!" Andy cried as the five of them began to head to the front of the building to access the cinema itself. 

All of them were soon fighting against the hysterical crowd forcing their way out of the building. As they continued to force themselves in the opposite direction, Lexy turned her head and was able to spot her mother safely outside. But not her father. That was when Devon turned and saw Lexy frozen, he gently grabbed her arm and pulled her with him. "Lexy, come on. The best way to make sure they are safe is to stop Chucky." That got her moving again and they both followed the other three into the now, mostly empty room. That's when Lexy heard Jake's voice, "Mr Cross?!" Lexy looked up to see her dad trying to hobble out of the room, blood pouring from one of his legs.

"Dad!" Lexy cried as she ran over to him and put one of his arms over her shoulders.

"Lexy?" 

"Dad, it's gonna be okay. We can get you help, we'll get you to hospital-"

"Lexy," Her dad said again.

"Caroline's safe, Junior's watching her and-"

"Lexy, what about you?" Lexy stopped her rambling and looked at her dad.

"Are you safe?"

Lexy looked at him with tears forming in her eyes, suddenly the reality of what Chucky did to her friends became all too real for her. "Yeah, I'll be fine dad. I just need you to be too."

Kyle made her way to the other side of the man and helped him move and turned to Lexy, "Come on, there are ambulances outside."

That was when it dawned on Andy, where Chucky must be. He quickly signalled to the boys, letting them know where the doll was and the two teens crouched down and looked under the seats, with Andy holding his gun ready. Jake suddenly caught a glimpse of the ginger doll running toward the aisle and Lexy and Kyle helping Nathan out.

"Lexy! He's coming, go!" He called out to them and they quickly picked up the pace and disappeared out of the door.

Andy caught sight of the red hair and ran towards him as he began to retreat and scurry between the seats once again.

All in all, the face off was over far sooner than Chucky anticipated. He never wanted the kids to find out who Andy was or what he knew. Needless to say the team up of two of the kids he targeted and and the first kid he terrorised as a doll was far to much for only one of him to handle, bringing Jake's asshole of a father into the conversation and insulting his boyfriend went too far and Jake ended up killing the doll with is own bare hands. Needless to say Andy was thoroughly impressed by how both boys handled the situation. It had been taken care of by the time Kyle and Lexy returned. 

Lexy herself was looking a bit better, calmed down by the fact that her father was on the way to hospital with her mother.  They all took a minute to catch their breaths before moving on to the next part of the plan. 

“Okay, what are we gonna do about the truck?” Kyle asked as they made their way to the front of the building.

“I’ve got it covered.” Andy responded in an instant.

“What? You’re gonna commandeer the truck?” Kyle chuckled, clearly meaning it as a joke and then quickly went silent when Andy didn’t join in. “You can’t be serious.”

“Have you got a better plan when it comes to getting rid of 72 Chucky’s without causing suspicion?”

“With your driving?!”

“For fuck sake, this again?!”

“Yes, this again!”

“Okay, by your logic would you rather my driving be used to transport 72 Killer dolls or three living teens?” Kyle stayed quiet for a few seconds before giving in, “Fine, but Andy I swear you better be back at the house before tomorrow.”

“Yes, mom.” he responded sarcastically before sneaking over to the truck as Kyle ushered the kids back into the car.

The three teens watched with fascination from the back windscreen as Andy knocked out the driver and threw him out of the vehicle before driving past Tiffany and giving her the middle finger.

“Awesome!” Devon exclaimed as they heard Tiffany scream in frustration and fail to start her car, as the car they were in began to speed off. 

It was around 15 minutes later that they arrived back at the Wheeler's house, inside Caroline was gleefully adding the finishing touches to the fort, Junior had even ventured into the attic to find some fairy lights from the Christmas decorations for her. The distraction was more than welcome for him, the living room had made him feel far too miserable since his mother died. For the time being he was in the kitchen with Nica, helping to prepare snacks after getting a call from Kyle letting them know that they were on their way back.

“Care?” Lexy called out as the four of them walked through the door. “Lexy!” the girl called out as she ran past Nica in order to meet her sister, followed quickly in tow by Junior.

Nica then made her way to join the rest of them as Caroline excitedly explained to her sister and the rest of the teens about what they had been up to and the plan for the rest of the night. She looked around, amused by the girl’s enthusiasm before realising the absence of one person.

“Where’s Andy?” She asked, doing her best to mask the panic in her voice.

“He’s taking care of the truck of dolls, he promised to be back here before tomorrow.” Kyle informed her, “Don’t worry, if he isn’t i'm gonna go and drag him back here myself.”

“Oh, I wanna see that!” Junior called from the living room, causing everyone to chuckle.

“Anyway, he’ll be fine.” Kyle confirmed. 

That’s when Nica heard it, ‘Unless one of me gets to him first.’ ‘Shut up, Chucky.’ 

“Nica, come on. The movie is gonna start.” Junior called to her from the living room.

[countlessrealities]

-gently drops my URL for that one meme right beside you and gives your head a little kiss- uwu

Send a URL and I'll answer the following || Accepting !

{ @advnterccs | @thcpresidcnt | @mcltiples }

Do I Follow Them? I follow all Rin's blogs. ALL of them, even the non-RP ones. So I dare to say that, yeah, I do follow her🤭 We've been writing together for almost a year and a half now and I still love every single word of it like the first time 🖤

Why Did I Follow Them? Tbh, She followed me first. I had seen her Rick & Morty blog around already, but she seems too cool and I didn't dare to approach her because back then my own blog was just 2-3 months old. So you can imagine my surprise when I saw that she had followed me. It was a really good surprise and I'm thankful every day for that!

Do We Role Play? Definitely and a lot. Our muses chat with each other as much as we chat and that's a lot of chatting x'D we write both here (mainly), but also on Discord, so some pieces of our storylines have developed there (especially the whole building of the Ricks's relationship and man, wasn't that a roller coaster!)

Do I Want To Role Play With Them:  Yeah. Si. No doubts. Absolutely. The threads and the dynamics we have are among my faves ever! I'm always happy to get a reply from her or an ask, whether or not it becomes a thread or stays a one-shot / two-shots. Every thing, even the smallest, add to our verses and relationship development, so I treasure them all. Plus, Rin's ideas and writing are amazing and I'm always excite to read / hear about them 🤩 Also because, aside from giving us something interesting to write, they usually also spark some good discussions 😎

An AU Idea For Our Muses: We have this idea of a what-ifs scenario where the Ricks meet as kids and live their whole life together, and I guess that counts as an AU. Another thing that I'd love to write with our muses (any of them, really) is a Soulmate AU. There are so many great concepts around those, and they can work for both platonic and romantic ships.

A Song For Our Muses: We have playlists for almost all our romantic ships and they all have a very decent number of songs x'D I guess I'll pick my fave among those?

- "The One" by Skillet - Rick & Rick

- "Perfect Two" by Auburn - Morty & Morty

- "Weird" by Elliot Lee - E-Morty & E-Morty

- "Devour" by Disturbed - Evil Rick & Weird Rick

- "Written in Blood" by Beyond the Black - AR & E-Rick

Do I Ship Our Muses? In case it wasn't clear from the previous ask, YEAH, I ship a lot of our muses together x'D Aside from the ones listed above we also have a some other more or less platonic ships. E-Rick & Evil Rick, Mercenary Rick & Vampire Rick (and Morty), Adrien & Marinette, the Summers. Not to mention that we have more in the working and our muses always find the oddest way to come together and somehow work out, which is always fun to see...even when it's unexpected and confusing af xD We also have a couple of polyships with other shared mutuals and they are fantastic too!

What I Think About The Mun: She's one of my favourite people (and yeah, I'm biased but hush). They are a great RP partner, an amazing friend, a strong person and I admire and respect her so, so much. We've gotten to know each other really well in the last year and a half and we've been talking every single day and I'm not bored in the least with it. I'm always glad to talk with her, even when my social battery is low. She always manage to cheer me up 🖤

Overall Opinion: Best RnM writer out there, no doubts. Her other muses are just as good too, I love their portrayal, she puts a lot of thoughts in them. Rin is an engaging partner, fun to talk too, always full of ideas. One of my main and favourite writing partner.

Blog Rate: 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10+

[primofate]

If you guys missed it. Here’s the masterlist for my 2k follower event:

https://primofate.tumblr.com/post/660401392610131968/2k-follower-event-masterlist

Cinnamon Sugar Waffle (“I change my mind, I like you, okay?”) [MODERN AU]

Characters: Scaramouche, Diluc, Xiao x fem!reader

Warnings: not proofread, swearing and profanities, I got carried away with Scaramouche’s >_> Xiao’s is also a little different, it doesn’t really end with dating, but close enough, I think?

Notes: I ran into a wall while writing this one. Specially for these boys. But thank you for the challenge! I must say, I think I wrote this one nicely... Not tryna brag but it DID take me a while XD Let me know what you think. Also, a note for everyone, if you want to be TAKEN OUT of the taglist, fill in the same google questionnaire and just type you want to be taken out of the taglist :D 

Scaramouche 

The two of you were like two opposites that were drawn together. People always wondered why someone like you would associate with someone like him. Charming and agreeable Y/N with gruff and harsh Scaramouche. 

The door to your classroom slides open with a loud CLACK, revealing none other than him. His uniform is untucked, he could get a demerit for that, his school bag thrown over his shoulder haphazardly. All eyes are on him. He might be smaller in stature compared to the other boys, but his presence was immense. 

His eyes land on you.

“Oi, idiot, hurry up, get going,” He throws his thumb over his shoulder to signal he was going ahead. Your classmates look at you. Some of them surprised, some with pity in their eyes, some just amused. “H-Hey! Wait!” You scramble to pack your bag, just shoving everything you needed in there and ran out after him. “Scara!!” He wasn’t very far off, but you still pant when you reach him. 

“Tsk, you’re always so slow,” you frown and glare a little, “It’s because I have to think carefully which books I need to take home!” You glance at his bag, he’s holding it as if nothing’s in there. “Unlike you who doesn’t even take his homework seriously!” You chide and he smirks.

“Oho, when did you start getting feisty?”

“...Maybe because I spend too much time with you,” you mutter but he clearly hears it and he cackles. “Now you’re complaining? We’ve seen each other in diapers,” 

He’s relentless with his teasing remarks and harsh comments. But you were the only one who could really take them. You knew he never meant any harm. 

Today after school was quite special. He was going to get a new guitar, and you had to come with to help him choose. He’s had his old one for years and he finally saved up enough to get a new one. “...and then Tartaglia, that asshole, broke his drumsticks,” he was talking about his bandmates. You’ve met them before, a group of weird individuals who had their own little quirks. It was a little intimidating. Scaramouche didn’t seem too happy about you meeting them, actually.

“Maybe this one...?” He picks out another guitar, by this point it’d been nearly an hour of looking. You tilt your head at it and shake your head. “No, mmm... how about...” You look around the music store, rows and rows of acoustic and electric guitars that passing your vision. “Oh! That one!” You point at a dark purple acoustic guitar, with a matte finish. “Looks like it’d suit you,” 

So he takes that one, and tries it out before deciding on it. You watch him play a calming melody on it. It was strange. How he was always so rough and sometimes loud but when he played the guitar he was a totally different person. Well... except when he was using an electric one.

It was that guitar he ended up taking to band practice the next day. Little did he know that you’d also prepared an extra gift for him weeks before. A customized guitar pick, purple too, with his name painted and glossed on it. They were supposed perform in the school festival soon, and it was his first performance, so you thought it would be a good gift. 

“I don’t like Y/N like that,” you stopped at the door leading to the band room, it was slightly ajar, enough for you to hear everything. You didn’t tell him you were coming. “It’s disgusting, we’re practically siblings,” you step away from the door instinctively when you hear some of his band mates laughing. “So you’re okay if I go ask her out right now?” you don’t quite know who asks, but Scaramouche scoffs “Go ahead, the hell I care,”

Your hold on the small velvet pouch where the guitar pick was in tightens. Turning away to walk back to your classroom, it doesn’t quite hit you that you were extremely hurt until it was nearly time to go home. He’d walk home with you, like always, but today, you wanted to disappear before he even arrived at your classroom.

The door to your classroom once again opens with a loud CLACK. “Oi, idiot, I told you to hurry--” his eyes scan the classroom. Once, twice and another time. Then his shoulders slump. 

You’re not there.

Strange. 

You never walked back by yourself. It was always with him. His face contorts into an annoyed glare, a irk mark would form on his forehead. He slams the classroom door close, and sprints towards the shoe lockers. He pants as he looks around and gets even more annoyed when he doesn’t find you there either. He whips his phone out and dials your number. 

You didn’t answer. Not even when he called three times.

“What the... I swear--” He grumbles and ends up walking home by himself. The walk home was quiet. It was a little...empty. Even when he arrives home and rests his guitar on the wall, it’s a little strange. It’s incomplete. He can’t think of anything except you and it pisses him off. He clicks his tongue again and takes his phone out, attempting to call you once again.

Nothing. 

He face plants on his desk. “The hell... is she avoiding me...?” What did he do wrong? Just yesterday you’d picked out the guitar for him, this morning you seemed totally fine too and he didn’t see you in the afternoon--

His head perks up. 

‘So you’re okay if I go ask ‘em out right now?’

Without thinking much about it he dials Tartaglia’s phone. His band mate picks up with a cheerful, “What’sup?” 

“Did you ask Y/N out?” Scaramouche immediately asks. Tartaglia laughs on the other line, “Yeah, I did! I walked home with ‘em today!” Scaramouche stiffens up. You walked home with someone else other than him today. Why did that bother him so much? “A-And? That’s it?” Scaramouche further asks. 

“We’re going on a date tomorrow after school, I broke my drumsticks, remember? They’re gunna help me pick new ones!” Scaramouche nearly drops his phone in shock. You... were going to help someone else with their shopping. He grips his phone tight and presses it into his ear harshly. 

Someone else was going to enjoy your presence. 

Someone else was going to get to see your stupid thinking face while you try to pick out something.

 Pretty soon you’d be hitting and punching Tartaglia’s shoulder instead of his. 

“...Yo? Scaramouche?” Tartaglia notes the long silence on the other line. Scaramouche snaps back to reality. “...No,” 

“Huh?” Tartaglia asks.

“No, you’re not taking Y/N out!” He ends the call and sprints out of his room, racing down the stairs to the front door, jumping on one foot while trying to pull his shoes on. Your house was nearby. He’d be damned before he lets you date Tartaglia. 

The sharp DING DONG startles you. You’re not even out of your uniform yet and your parents weren’t home. “Coming!” you shout and open the door without thinking much of it. 

Scaramouche has his hands on his knees, panting. Your mouth opens in wonder, watching him catch his breath. “You--” gasp “Did you--” gasp “agree to go on a date with that asshole?!” he whips his head up to glare at you and you reel back a little. “Uhm, what? No...?” you respond, wondering what in the world was happening.

“Bullshit! Don’t lie to me!”

You furrow your eyebrows at that and yell back “I’m not lying to you! Did you come here just to yell at me?!” Scaramouche is taken aback. You never take that tone towards him. “I’m going back in,” you turn away from him and pull the door to close it, but he wedges his foot in to stop you. “Oi! I’m here to talk to you damnit!” 

“About what?” You glare at him through the small gap at the door. “About why you didn’t wait for me after-school!” 

“I wasn’t feeling well so I went home quickly!” 

“Seriously, stop lying to me!”

“...Scara...”

Once again he’s surprised at the change of voice level. Suddenly he could  barely hear you, and you wouldn’t look him in the eye. “Could you just leave me alone for today? Please?”

There’s a moment of silence between the two of you, and it aches. The fact that he has never been without you hits him so hard that there’s a little bit of panic in his veins. “...J-Just.. Just today,” he says, as if trying to convince you and himself that everything would be back to normal tomorrow. There must be a reason why this was happening, so he came to terms with letting you handle it yourself for now. He moves his foot away and your door closes almost immediately.

He stays there for a while, feeling shut out and slightly lost. He sighs to himself, taking his phone out as he decides to go home. There’s a message from Tartaglia.

“Dude, I was just joking. Don’t get your underwear in a twist,” 

He growls under his breath and swears he’ll knock some sense into Tartaglia tomorrow. 

But when tomorrow came, and as he sat at the band room absentmindedly strumming on his guitar, he found that he didn’t have the mood to do so. He couldn’t find you in the morning. He couldn’t find you in lunch time. There was a certain fear deep in him that he wouldn’t be able to find you anymore, at all. 

After-school, he tries again, he even runs to your classroom, but you weren’t there. He walks home with defeat again today. By the end of the week on Friday, he’s anxious. He felt like he was losing you and it was driving him crazy. So, he took it upon himself to ring your doorbell again, this time your mother answered. “Oh, Scaramouche! Haven’t seen you in a while!” 

Scaramouche rubs the back of his neck... “Hi Mrs. (last name)... Is Y/N in?” He wasn’t a stranger in your house. After all, his mother and yours were good friends. That’s how the two of you became friends too. “Yeap, upstairs, just go on in, I’ll be in the kitchen.”

He’s nervous as he stands outside your door. It’s been four days that he hasn’t seen you, and yet it felt like forever. He knocks on your door and you easily say “Come in!” thinking it was your mother. He opens it to find you on your study desk, doing homework. You hadn’t noticed it was him, so he softly closes the door and just watches you concentrate. 

Pen in your mouth, bad habit of yours, but he found it cute sometimes. The way your hair frames your face. The way your brows furrow when you’re focusing. “What is it--” You finally pick your head up and turn, then freeze. 

“...Hey,” he sees you nervously swallow, and he wonders why. “Just... wanted to check in on you,” your put your pen down and nod, “Oh, yeah,” it’s awkward and he doesn’t know what to do with the silence. Neither did you. You didn’t quite expect this. 

“What...What’s happening?” Scaramouche finally asks. You turn to your homework, explaining “Oh, I was just doing some algebra--”

“No, Y/N, to us. What’s happening to us?”

You bite the inside of your cheek. 

“...Nothing. We just... Don’t you think we spend too much time together?” 

“So you don’t wanna hang out with me anymore?”

“That’s not what I said--”

“That’s exactly what you said,”

“I--” Finally you bury your face into your hands. It was hard for you too. To realize that you must like him more than just a friend. No matter how much you tried to deny it all you could hear was him saying ‘it’s disgusting,’ 

“If I tell you will you leave me alone?”

“Depends,” he shrugs, even with his arms crossed. He’s starting to get pissed. 

“It’s not digusting,” you start in a whisper. He tilts his head in confusion, eyes narrowing at you. “What?” 

“I don’t think it’s disgusting, that I like you,” It takes him a while to piece things together. Where is this disgusting thing coming from? And did you just say that you like him? His forehead is seriously scrunched up now. “Why would it be disgusti--” it’s as if his brain realizes it in slow motion. 

“It’s disgusting, we’re practically siblings,”

“...That... That’s not really what I wanted to say that time...” Scaramouche slowly explains. Realizing that your reason for avoiding him was that you overheard that conversation. His hands clasp into fists. He doesn’t know why he’s so angry at himself.

“It doesn’t matter anyway Scaramouche, we’re just friends...” You mutter and continue doing your homework. “...I’ve told you, so can you leave me alone now?”

He opens his mouth to say something, but is unable to think of a valid reason. He’s angry, but mostly frightened. This is what it comes to? Is what he was thinking. This is where you and him part ways? Like this? 

“Fuck this, I’m not leaving,” He plops on your floor stubbornly and glares at the back of your head. Your turn your head and incredulously stare at him. “What? You’re just gunna sit there? Fine, do that then,” and continue with your homework.

“Why are you so--ugh. Fine!!” He stands up again, but this time he stomps toward your table and looks you eye to eye. “Fine! That’s exactly what I said, alright? B-But--” he grits his teeth and there’s an expression of desperation in his eyes. “But I take it back! I hate it! I hate it when Tartaglia keeps messing with my head telling me he’s gunna ask you out! It’s not just him! I hate it when I think of you with someone else!” For a moment you think that there’s a little bit of gloss in his eyes. “I haven’t seen you in four days! It felt like forever! I-I can’t be JUST friends with you anymore, it sucks!” 

Your eyes widen, your hand losing grip on your pen. “Go out with me,” Your jaw slowly opens in awe. Was he just doing this out of pity, or did he really feel that way? You take one look at his face and how he suffers and you know that it’s real. “I-Are you sure?” You ask and he pinches the bridge of his nose. “Were you even listening to anything I was saying? Yes, I’m sure. Didn’t you just say you like me too? Just say yes, damnit,”

There’s a slight peach on his cheeks, and he’s looked away, pretending that the wall was interesting. Your head leans forward and touches his shoulder, you close your eyes cause you feel like it might just be a dream that was happening too fast, but he hesitantly wraps one arm round your shoulders, and you’re still awake. “...Fine, I’ll go out with you.” You finally answer as if you were forced, but there was a smile on your face. He sighs in relief pushes you back and flicks your forehead, “Don’t pull that disappearing shit on me again, I swear,”  

You laugh a little and scratch your cheek in embarrassment, explaining that you didn’t know how to face him. The two of you fall into conversation rather naturally again. It was easy, since the two of you had basically been in each other’s presence since you were young. 

In the next moment, you’re grabbing the velvet pouch with the custom guitar pick in it and hand it to him. “It’s a good luck gift, for your first performance,” You eagerly watch as he opens it, takes it out, and becomes silent. His eyes are tracing the shape of the pick, and he looks at his name, nicely written in the centre. 

He can’t describe how happy he is, even if he didn’t show it. He thinks about using it on the school stage and gets a little giddy inside. You watch as his face starts to go red, then he covers his eyes and tilts his head back, possibly trying to hide his flushed face from you. 

“Fuck, I should’ve asked you out a long time ago,”

Diluc

“Why not just ask Y/N?” Kaeya takes a sip of water while he converses with his brother, his eyes glinting as he follows every expression on the red-head’s face. 

“Y/N? I don’t think it’d work out,” he said in a rather nonchalant manner. They’re in his office. In the middle of dropping papers off to Diluc, Kaeya suddenly had a great idea for Diluc.

“It’s just to appease our mother. It doesn’t have to “work out”, brother,” He stands and leaves the glass of water behind. Diluc’s office was huge. The man had everything. A business inherited from his father. Wealth. And a thriving career. Everything... except one important thing, according to their mother. 

A girlfriend.

Diluc sighs as he looks through the papers. “I understand mother’s concerns... but I’m not really interested in that kind of thing at the moment... I’d really like it if I just went at my own pace.”

“Yeah, except you told her you found a girlfriend already!” Kaeya laughs at Diluc’s pissed off face. It was rare that his brother slipped up. He supposed that his brother was just too annoyed at their mother’s badgering, and finally, last time, during the family dinner. Diluc had blurted out, “I already have someone, mother,” Mostly because their mother was starting to make plans to arrange dates for Diluc. 

“And now she’s dying to see her!” Kaeya laughs again, slapping his knee in the process. “Kaeya if you’re all done here, get out,” Diluc sighs again and sends his brother a glare. Kaeya shrugs and waves a hand behind him. “I’m tellin ya ‘Luc, just ask Y/N. I’m sure she wouldn’t mind pretending,”

What exactly did Kaeya mean that you ‘wouldn’t mind pretending’? Diluc wonders. The two of you were good friends since high school, but it wasn’t like it was anything more than friendship.

He’d forgotten about the whole ordeal while working. He didn’t really have time to think about how to fool his mother that he had a date. Him being him, he probably should really just tell his mother the truth: he didn’t have anyone. But how? How, when he takes a break from work and looks at his phone, he reads a message from his mother.

“I’m so excited to meet her! You’ll take her to tomorrow’s dinner right?”

And just like that Diluc deflates. This was such a bad idea. He should’ve just kept his mouth shut.

And so, that’s how he lands a phone call with you. You listen carefully as he explains the situation. Even laughed at it like Kaeya does and readily agree to be his “date” for the night. “Thanks, Y/N, I owe you one,” he says, phone wedged in between his shoulder and head, trying to open his car door. “Yep, you do! But uh...” you hesitate a bit. “I mean, you can’t keep fooling your mom like that...” You suggest. It really wasn’t his style, but you understood where he was coming from. Still, you had to point him to the right path. 

“Yeah... I’ll... figure that one out. I can’t quite imagine dating you for real anyway,” He said it offhandedly, but you were somehow secretly offended. You knew Diluc could be relaxed with his words when he was comfortable with someone, but still, it was a little surprising. Was it because he found you unattractive? Or your attitude was off? “Ahaha...” you managed to force a laugh out. 

When the dinner came around you wore a simple, pastel blue, a-line dress. Diluc picks you up at your house, he’s in a casual white, button up shirt, the top two buttons are undone though and his sleeves are rolled up, just for ease of driving. His pants are a dark brown, and his hair pulled up into the signature ponytail. 

He looks so good that you wish the two of you weren’t pretending. 

As you slip into the front seat of his black sedan, he does a double take, noting that you’ve done yourself up. Not that he didn’t think you were pretty, but with a bit of makeup and your hair down, it was quite charming. 

“So...what’s the rules?” You ask, smoothing your hair down, a little nervous. The thing is, you’ve already met Diluc’s family. Back in high school, when the three of you, with Kaeya, would do study sessions. It was mostly for Kaeya really. Diluc was pretty good with his studies. “Rules?” Diluc says as he finally pries his eyes away from you, focusing on the road. “You know, no kissing, no hand holding? Are all those allowed?” Diluc didn’t really think about that, he didn’t think there was a need for it. “I should be asking you that, I wouldn’t want to... impose,” he ends and you think about it for a while.

“It’s not like we’d have to do those things, right? Well... As for me, just don’t kiss me on the lips...” You shrug. He blinks at that, but agrees. 

When the two of you are outside of his house--a rather modern and big one, by the way--he holds his hand out for you and you take it, twining your fingers with his. The warmth was really inviting, and his hands were firm yet comfortable at the same time.

It was at that moment that you thought: This could be a mistake.

“Hello there dear--” The maid answers the door, but his mother is waiting too. His mother’s eyes slowly widen and a big smile appears on her face. “Well if it isn’t Y/N! Oh, darling, I haven’t seen you in a while! Goodness, if it wasn’t for you Kaeya would’ve failed his math exams, I remember that like yesterday,” His mother goes off on a tangent, and Diluc watches as you eagerly converse with her. The smile on your face is genuine, and he appreciates that, even though this was just an act, you still treated his family with respect and authenticity. 

“Well, well, look who it is,” Kaeya is the next one who greets you, hands crossed over his chest. You grin back at him, “Your Math tutor, at your service,” you curtsy at him playfully and he chuckles, putting his hand out to you. “May I escort you to our dining room?” You’ve been there before, but Kaeya is just being playful. As you lift your hand, about to accept Kaeya’s offer, you’re tugged backwards. You’d forgotten that your other hand was entwined with Diluc’s, and it was him who had tugged you away. 

Kaeya’s eyebrow raises at his brother, though there’s a small glint in his eyes. “...I’ll take her there,” Diluc says quietly. “Oh? Well, suit yourself, brother,” Kaeya chuckles before disappearing into the large hallway, seemingly amused. Diluc doesn’t know what’s come over him. Seeing that you were about to hold Kaeya’s hand... It was a little unsettling. You blink up at him, wondering why he looked so lost in thought, still, you complimented him on his acting. “Wow, really playing the jealous part, huh?” You didn’t know that Kaeya was in on the act too.

Diluc is stunned into silence.

Jealous? He thinks to himself.

Since when? Is his second thought. 

The incident repeats itself again, when Kaeya--Diluc is sure that he’s doing it on purpose now--tells you that “You have a little something over there,” the blue-haired man points at your cheek, maneuvers his hand so that it looks like he’s about to brush it off for you “Kaeya,” When Diluc looks at Kaeya, he already has a mischievous look on his face and is looking at Diluc eye to eye. “I’ll do it,” Diluc says, rather resentfully towards his brother, who smirks.

“Look over here, Y/N,” You turn your head towards Diluc, curiosity still evident in your eyes. There’s a small crumb on the side of your lips. He cups your cheek gently and brushes it away with his thumb. The act is intimate. So much that it brings a hue of pink on your cheeks. 

We’re just acting, you remind yourself, before continuing to eat. The dinner table is lively. Their father isn’t there, had to stay late at the office, it seems. “So that’s where you get your hardworking streak from,” When you turn to him with such a bright smile and admiration in your eyes he wonders if you’d always been this way. “...Yeah,” is the only thing he could breathily reply. 

“Well I think we’re ready for a little bit of dessert aren’t we?” Their mother says, “Oh, I actually brought a little something today,” You say, politely asking one of the maids to bring out the cookies you got. They’ve done so, and even arranged it on a plate properly. You’re reminded again of how posh Diluc’s household was. His mother gasps, “Are these the cookies from that bakery at the town fair? Oh these are marvellous!” 

And it dawns on Diluc all too suddenly.

You fit in so well.

It’s like you were part of the family.

Like it wasn’t all pretend.

He’s silent as he drives you back home while you were just excitedly chatting about how it was nice to see Kaeya and his mother again. He stops the car outside your house, but as you’re about to leave, pulling the lever to the car door, he speaks up. “...Can I take you out again?”

Your head whips back towards him, surprised. “Like, pretend, right?” 

There’s a moment of silence, Diluc opens his mouth to speak but closes it again. Then your eyes widen. You know what he’s trying to say. “Not... pretend... I mean... for real,”

You sit back comfortably on the car seat, you feel like this is going to take a while to talk about. “But you... uh... you said you can’t quite imagine dating me for real...” You go back to the telephone conversation you had with him. 

He sighs at that and pushes his head back towards the car seat. “I--I don’t know why I said that, it’s just... We’ve been friends for a while, I just thought if something were to happen it should’ve happened a long time ago...” He rubs the side of his neck, not knowing where this conversation was going.

“Well, you never really asked me out, so I thought you weren’t interested...” You trail off, watching him be awkward with himself. 

“...You mean to say if I asked you out in high school you would’ve said yes?” 

You’re silent for a moment, shifting in your seat slightly. Embarrassed of the high school crush confession you were about to make. “Well, yeah, I mean, you’re not bad...” You’re gorgeous, is what you wanted to say.

Diluc lets out a breathy laugh. But he doesn’t regret it. He hardly thought high school was the right time for that kind of thing. “Well, I’m asking you now, for real. Still interested?” He suddenly gets a confident streak in him, it’s like a little bit of Kaeya showing through, reminding you that they were indeed, brothers. 

“Hmmm... I don’t know, am I?” You playfully ask, smirking at him and pulling on the lever of the car door again, but before you push it open, you lean forward and land a quick kiss on his cheek. “Thanks for taking me out tonight, ‘Luc. Text me when you’re home safe,” you whisper and finally climb out of the car. 

Rather than using words, Diluc realizes there were several other ways to express interest. 

He absentmindedly thumbs the cheek you kissed, shy smile on his face as he watches you wave at him and enter your house. 

Xiao

Classmates. Other than that, there was nothing much between the two of you. Though, one could say that you were one of the nicest girls in class. Very quiet. Focused. Took your work seriously. Friendly.

Xiao was exactly the same, except for the friendly part. He kept to himself, most of the time. 

You started to notice that Xiao was always the last pick. Group projects. Pair Work. Even in PE. No one wanted him in their team. Either that, or they begrudgingly took him.

You didn’t quite understand why.

Sure, he kept to himself. He had a really sharp gaze in his eyes. Almost like it could cut through someone. But he hadn’t done anything to make anyone wary of him. He was just... quiet. 

So when you’d finally mustered up the courage one day, and presented with the opportunity when the teacher said “You need to work in pairs” you tapped his shoulder and asked with a small smile. “Wanna work together?” 

He was shocked. It was the first time that he got picked. Then, in the next second, the shocked expression was gone, replaced by a frown. Still, he said “Sure,” 

You scheduled study sessions with him and he didn’t mind anything that you said at all. That project passed by smoothly and you came to know that he wasn’t a bad person. Just really quiet. 

The next few projects went the same way. 

“Do you wanna be in our group?”

“Do you wanna be in our team?”

“We still have space for one more!”

It was always you who was asking. But still, because of that, people got to talking to him. In group settings, the other guys started to talk to him and he finally got to converse with other people. He didn’t think it would matter much to him, high school friendship, but he found that it was easier to survive and go through every day when he had companions. When he had someone who at least wasn’t repulsed by his presence. 

“Bye Xiao, see you tomorrow!” You wave at him as you walk home with your girl friends. He absentmindedly waves back at you, and gets up to get ready to go too, when one of the other guys slings their arm around Xiao’s shoulder, “We’re going to the arcade today, you should come!” He’s dumbfounded. Since when did he become accepted?

Every day, it’s as if life was a little easy on the shoulders for him. Suddenly he wasn’t alone. There were people around him who actually liked and understood his brooding ways. And in the centre of that?

His head turns to look at you huddled with your friends while you were eating lunch. 

You opened up his world. He was quite sure of that.

But with his world opened up, not everything that came with it was good. High school came with a lot of different things. Both friends and enemies. 

His back slams on the wall as another classmate pushes him against it. “Now that you have friends you think you’re so cool, huh?”

Xiao only levels his gaze at the bully. “...I never said that,”

“You sure act like it!” And his jaw gets hit painfully, leaving him on the floor, lip bleeding. 

The next morning he shows up to school with gauze plastered on his cheek. Lip bruised. You take a look at him but didn’t have the chance to ask. You only did so after-school, when you had the chance to walk up to him and ask. “Xiao, are you ok? Did something happen?” You ask.

He grits his teeth. He can’t help but be angry at you. If he had stayed as he was, like before, keeping to himself. This wouldn’t have happened. He shakes his head, not wanting to talk about it. Not wanting to talk to you. “...If someone’s bothering you maybe you should--”

“Shut up.”

His guy friends turn to listen to the conversation the two of you were having. Xiao is glaring at you with anger in his eyes. “Shut up. Leave me alone. Stop being so annoying all the time, I don’t need you watching over me!” You step back, face blank. “O-Oh, okay,” then, silently, you head back to your table and grab your bag, disappearing out of the door in moments.

“...A little harsh, I’d say,” Xingqiu says while patting Xiao’s shoulder. Xiao swerves his head to look at his group of guy friends. They’re still there and they’re all just looking at him and waiting. 

Were they not deterred? Disgusted by what he just said? Shouldn’t they be leaving him alone now?

Gorou punches a fist on his own hand. “Alright, Xiao, we’ll beat you up later for yelling at Y/N like that, but right now let’s go find the guys that beat you up, eh?”

And then he understands. The world that you’ve opened up for him may have some bad things in them... but the good far outweighed it. 

He instantly regrets snapping at you. “...S’not worth it...” Xiao says, rubbing his shoulder. Chongyun shrugs, “Well, the least you could do is point them out, so we can watch out for them next time,” 

How his friends knew that it was someone from school, he would never know, perhaps it was just their instinct.

The next few days is spent with Xiao stealing glances from you. You seem to be fine, still talking to your friends happily. Still, he can’t get the guilt off of his chest. 

When the next pair work presents itself Xiao turns around to try and ask you, but you’d already asked one of your girl friends. “Xiao, pair up with me,” Gorou says, and Xiao could only agree, eyes still watching you converse with your friend. 

His friends start to notice that he’s a little more miserable than normal, they figured it had something to do with you. “Have you apologized to her yet, Xiao?” Xingqiu asks as the group walks towards the town centre. “...No,” he averts his eyes. “Ah, so that’s why you’re so upset. She hasn’t talked to you in a week!” Gorou laughs and Xiao only glares at him. “...She seems to be fine, so I’ll leave it like that.”

“She might be fine, but are you?” Xingqiu yet again chides his friend. Xiao is hesitant to answer and that was an answer enough for the group of friends. 

So come Monday, when you were the student on duty, responsible for cleaning up the classroom and wiping the board clean before you go home. Xiao’s group of friends urges him to stay behind and help you. Xiao watches, slightly sweatdropping as Chongyun gives him a thumbs up from the door. Xingqiu waving a hand to “shoo” him away. Gorou grinning widely and mouthing “good luck!” as the three of them shut the door, leaving only you and him behind.

You hadn’t even noticed. You were just checking your books and bag, until you see another pair of shoes come into sight. Your eyes trail up and see Xiao there, looking away, yet seemingly wanting to say something. 

“...Xiao?” You ask. Truth be told, you took what he said to heart but had the same thought process as him. He looked fine, so you left it at that. He mumbles something, but you couldn’t hear and politely ask him to repeat it.

“Sorry,” he repeats a little louder. “You’re not annoying,” he explains, and that was more than enough for you. You don’t question his reason for saying it, but he offers it up himself. “I was just... pissed off, that time,” you nod, accepting his explanation easily. “I’d never hate you,” 

You straighten up a little at his words, wondering why your heart was starting to quicken. “You chose me when no one else did, so I... I’ll always...” There’s a hint of red on his cheeks, and he doesn’t meet your gaze, but his words are clear and sincere. “I’ll always cherish you for that,”

Something in your heart blooms. Something that you never knew was there. As you look at him, his face illuminated by the sunlight from the window, you can’t help but be in awe at how far he’s come.

And yet, for him, who’s looking at the sky slowly turning orange, he can’t help but be in awe at how much his life has changed ever since you accepted him.

Support me at etsy or ko-fi

https://ko-fi.com/primofate

Masterlist

https://primofate.tumblr.com/post/653296890583154688/masterlist-for-mobile-version-main-links

Taglist (Want to be notified when something new comes out? Sign up! If you want to be taken out from the taglist, use this form as well!)

https://forms.gle/VZmJXQssHcv7YzQc6

Taglist: @larkspyrr @outlet-0 @rim0na @sweeti-pie @yamsthegod @reaped-winnower @hai-q-haikyuu @tkshoki @fanfictionenthusiast @skatercashew @leefletter @kimbapsana @hentaje @marginmaster87 @tempehlust @rinnesy @hallohun @softlybeloved @ssalamanderr @ben6ett @rytszk @guilixi @mondstadts-favourite-traveler @mkazuyuh @ayra2452008 @simpingover @soft-like-sunshine @lnrchii @scheophi @multifandomgeeks @sacredmouche @foxxtrot-116 @maple-leaaf @myday6-studies @thraiaiscrying @fadinganchornight @missbuwan @the-one-that-lurks @adeptitao @ilovemyleftboob @marblesphere @allinduetimethefirst @how-simpy @loltartaglia @minyoustar @sesetiger @lqvl3y @d8turai @candyqueen10 @ichigo-no-tsumi @omoriq @saving-for-xiao @trashykawasmilkbread @jjkclub @seiiblue @midnightangelfox @korinkuu @heesocks @bobaducky @normalisthenewnorm @atasi-luna @berryqueue @milkypompon @fadinganchornight @coldstonecrematorium @hanachan_2481 @gultonluvv @plumpkie @idk-imjusthere @amigenshin @spirlimpo @hadesaedes @tsim-tsim @dilucragnvindrsgf @gahisb @yunaholics @That-one-air-collecter @allinduetime @give-xiao-almond-tofu @leafcaller @dilucsz @ninqat @mintyayu @kiyokoshii @jendytub @thegayrubberducky @lilyhanz @chuewi @bitandbytes @alatusorrow @midnightistyping @kagsn @hazyspells @duskdawn052 @fishclaymore @allinduetimethefirst @jahnvi-d @justpeaxchy @sucker-for-angst-and-fluff @axerrri @rin-ruee @tohmanatic @multifandomtrashpanda @hatsunehatsu @mysticalchocolate @nikkacutiepie @vventis @backinblack1967 @helloxiaoty @fancystark @llivue @flower0930 @inohsae @melleunlikely @sunamew @aestharmus @rosa-qing @xiao-ciao @itdluvr @naviercallisto @rmjace @kairu-kawaguchi @yelishaa @c-a-v-e-town

[szallejhscorner]

Strawberry Crepes (Bonus Chapter)

How Long is Forever - Bonus Chapter

Here it is!! I promised to write this ages ago, and I finally found the time to do it. Not that easy with a five-month-old baby boy xD But here it finally is: the strawberry crepe date. I hope this can bring you some joy while we count down the days until season 2 will be there ♥

“I didn’t think you’d be here.”

“Why not?”

“You didn’t answer me for hours.”

Instead of searching eye contact, you closely examine the crunching snow under your feet and how more and more tiny flakes become one with the already white carpet covering the floor. Chishiya walks next to you, hands tugged into the pockets of his winter coat, and you can hear a huff coming from his direction.

“I was at work. Don’t expect me to keep my hands on my phone all day long.”

You feel how your face reddens, but at least you can put the blame on the cold wind. “Yeah… I know. It was just… I saw you’d read the message and…”

Chishiya pauses, which you only notice after a couple more steps. As you turn around and finally face him, he watches you with a raised brow and a more than mocking grin. “Do you really think I’d give you my number just to ignore you afterwards?”

With a shrug, you start to walk again and hear Chishiya’s footsteps in the snow as he follows. “You’d be surprised.”

In fact, you’re more than glad that Chishiya agreed to visit the teahouse once more. It’s the third time now since you bumped into him in the hospital, only that today, you had suggested meeting already at his work place to walk down the street together.

You had been surprised when he had finally answered to your message, and shortly after, you were headed towards the hospital. This man is still a mystery to you. He is reserved and calm, rarely gives away anything about him and doesn’t seem too interested in other, and yet the feeling of connection hasn’t vanished the slightest.

Even now as you walk next to him, it feels like you have done this a thousand times already. As if he is an old childhood friend that you have almost forgotten about, but now that you’re next to him, the familiarity returns. Which is weird, because you’re sure that you have never met him anywhere before. That is something Chishiya agrees to, although you’re sure he feels it too.

Carefully walking through the snow, you watch him out of the corner of your eye. He has dyed his hair since the last time you’ve met; the dark hairline is almost invisible now. The cold has turned his otherwise light cheeks into a soft red and the breath comes out in white clouds, but there is no motion in his face otherwise.

For a brief moment, his eyes flicker towards you and then back to the street, unfazed by the attention you give him. It is weird – you both have rarely anything in common. Chishiya, who is about to earn his PhD and showing barely any interests in the things you like and do, continues to agree meeting you. Maybe it’s not only the love for cheesecakes that you have in common.

The colorful storefront is already in sight, and you grin at the thought of the many cake variants, too many for just a handful of visits. You’d have to come here at least a dozen times to try yourself through all the options, and maybe Chishiya will agree to accompany you a couple of times more?

“I hope they still have their homemade mango cheesecake today. It looked pretty nice the last- oh.”

You stop right in front of the door, Chishiya doing the same next to you. The teahouse is dark, and a plain white piece of paper is attached to the door. “Temporarily closed… but they were still open yesterday!”

The grin drops immediately, and you already mourn the missed chance of trying out the mango cheesecake. You hope that it will reopen soon enough, and not stay closed forever despite saying “temporarily”. It wouldn’t be the first store to do so.

Chishiya, who seems completely unfazed by the scene in front of him, never gets rid of his ever-mocking smirk. “Someone died, probably.”

“Why so?” You blink in confusion, unsure if he has made a very morbid joke or if he’s being serious. The raised brow and the following chuckle tell you it has to be the latter, though.

“Well, isn’t that obvious?” he answers with that cold voice that causes the butterflies inside your stomach to go crazy, “restaurants and such only close in the short run because there has been a fatality inside the family.”

“It doesn’t have to be something bad! Maybe… someone gave birth to a child or married?”

Another snort. “You think they wouldn’t have known that earlier?”

“Hrmpf.” Not even caring to say more, you look down towards the snowy ground to hide your pout while you try to warm your hands inside the pockets. Walking down here has kept you warm, but now that you’re not moving, winter’s cold is hitting you with its full force. Chishiya doesn’t seem bothered by the cold, and you wonder if hugging him would keep you warm. You don’t dare to do it actually, of course. But just standing in front of a closed store is not an option either, and you fear that the mysterious blonde will leave soon since there won’t be any cheesecakes today…

“No cheesecakes this time, I suppose”, he repeats your thoughts and starts to walk further down the road, making you wonder if he lives in that direction or if he just keeps walking to avoid the cold.

After a short moment of confusion, you quickly follow to catch up with him. He walks a fast pace now, a bit too fast for your liking. “What are we going to do now, then?”

Chishiya shrugs already before you have finished that sentence.

“I can’t speak for you.”

“You know any other teahouse or bakery or something nearby?” you try to keep the conversation running, most of all because you’re really in the mood for something sweet now, but the blonde shakes his head. “No.”

What follows is an awkward silence while you try to walk next to him, Chishiya not paying much attention to you. It makes you feel like a little child begging for attention while the adults don’t want it, and you already open your mouth to say goodbye, turn around and go home to drown in shame unnoticed when Chishiya stops all of a sudden, causing you to bump into his side.

“I’m so sorry! Wh…” you start, but then you notice that Chishiya isn’t looking at you and you follow his eyes instead. He has come to a halt in front of another store, this one definitely open with lots of warm lights and beautiful decorations promising a warm and comfy atmosphere. A crêperie.

“Oh.”

It’s impossible to keep back the grin, and so many thoughts are running through your head. So Chishiya is still interested in spending some time with you, and you will get something sweet at last. Besides, this room will definitely warm you up and shelter you from the freezing wind, and – well – you can spend more time with the fascinating blonde!

Said man opens the door without any further comment, activating a bell at the ceiling. The smell greeting you is fabulous, although it’s too much at once to name certain scents. All you know is that it’s sweet and wonderful and delicious, maybe even better than the teahouse.

“We can sit there”, you nod towards one of the remaining empty tables, but Chishiya is already heading there, proving that he has seen it too. It feels wonderful to take off your coat and let the warm air seep into your cold skin, and you watch the other tables to get a feeling of what is served here.

Crepes. Lots of them. With ice cream, with fruits, with syrup. It feels like heaven.

“How come I’ve never been to this place before?” you wonder while nodding towards the waiter to thank them for the menu. Chishiya opens his carte and takes a quick look, and it seems he has made a decision long before you could even take in the whole assortment.

The blonde shoves his menu back to the corner of the table and leans back in his chair. “I guess you never bothered to walk further down the teahouse.”

“Fair!” You grin and let your eyes wander along the fabulous options. “Time to change that, though.”

Chishiya doesn’t respond and instead waits for you to make a decision on your dessert. His brown eyes burn into you, and it always makes you feel so exposed, as if it’s impossible to hide anything from him. Surprisingly, you barely care.

“Hmm…” you mumble, “the one with strawberries sounds promising. But blue berry vanilla doesn’t seem to be bad either… What about you?”

“I’ll take the strawberries.”

Whenever you’re out with Kuina and you both can’t decide on a dish, you usually take both and share with each other. Since the blonde wants to take strawberries, which is what you’d like to taste too, you say: “Oh! Maybe I can take the blueberries and we can sh-“

“No.” The answer comes quick like a shot, and you can tell he’s absolutely serious about it.

“Why not?” you ask with a pout that you can’t suppress, since you had hoped to find an easy solution to your difficulties to decide.

Chishiya raises a brow and huffs. “Don’t expect me to give away my strawberries. Take both if you can’t decide on one of them.”

“But that’s too much!” It’s not just one crepe with a handful of fruits. The plates that are delivered around you are so full that you can’t see the porcelain anymore, and one portion could suffice to satisfy three people.

“Not my problem, isn’t it?”

“You’re rude, you know that?” You stick out your tongue and seconds later the waiter returns to take your orders. And since you’re still unsure which one to take, you actually do what Chishiya has suggested: you order both. “I’ll so regret that later”, you mutter as soon as the waiter has gone.

The blonde laughs and subtly shakes his head. “You probably will. But don’t complain to me about a sore stomach.”

To pass the waiting time, you ask Chishiya a bit about his work. His answers are short, but he seems to enjoy talking about the things he can do best. How he’s had many more solo surgeries than any other surgeon his age, and that he plans to break the internal record for the longest operation. It has something to do with hearts, but you don’t really understand most of the terms he uses.

Here and there, you even tell a bit about yourself: what you do for a living, where you want to go with your life and all that. And again it feels like talking to an old friend that you haven’t seen for a long time.

The crepes are brought to your table, and you swallow upon seeing two huge plates filled to the brim with crepes, fruit and ice cream. Not enough to feed three people, but an entire country. And yet you’re excited to dive into this heaven of a dessert.

“Bon appétit”, you smile to Chishiya as you both try your crepes. Both the strawberry and the blueberry vanilla one are so delicious that you immediately feel like being in heaven, and it takes all your strength not to mourn out loud. The man sitting in front of you obviously enjoys his meal too, although his reactions are much more subtle. It’s rather a decent satisfaction in his face instead of the childish excitement that you feature.

And then, you have an idea. A stupid one, maybe, but it is your third date, so why not risk something?

You reach for his hand, careful, silently asking for permission. His skin is warm and soft, and you imagine that he takes good care since hands are a surgeon’s most precious instruments. And there it is again: the familiarity; the warmth that grows every time you look into his eyes. As if you’d been doing nothing else for your entire life.

He doesn’t stir. His eyes meet yours, frowning slightly, but he’s not retreating. Those eyes… they make you drown in them, like the endless cold of the ocean. You remember something that has never actually happened: you both lying next to each other, you stroking a strand of blonde hair behind his ear while staring into these exact eyes. It makes your stomach go crazy.

“Hm?” Chishiya hums questioningly, and you realize that you must have been staring at him intensely without saying a word for at least a minute.

It’s hilarious. You have only met this man a bit more than a week ago, and yet… yet if feels like you’ve known him for an eternity. “Oh, it’s nothing. Just…” you take a deep breath and decide to speak it out loud. “Ever since I met you, you’ve been like a very old friend. Someone who has been there for the majority of my life, and… holding your hand, I could swear that we did it a thousand times already. I know it’s ridiculous.”

“It is.”

But is it, really? What about these tales of soulmates, of lovers from previous lives who have met again? Chishiya doesn’t say so, but he squeezes your hand very quickly before releasing himself from your touch so he can return to his strawberries. It is gone so fast that you almost think it has been nothing but an imagination.

For a few minutes, you eat your crepes in silence. You rotate between both crepes but take care to eat all of the ice cream before it melts. It’s way too much for you to eat, of course, but you know they’ll give you the rest as takeaway.

The silence is not uncomfortable, though. Sure, you want to talk to him; want to hear his voice and learn more about him, maybe hold his hand again. Or even more. But there is no pressure to talk. Chishiya is here, and he won’t leave for another half an hour or so. And even then, you’re sure that you’ll meet again. For more crepes, and eventually for more closeness overall.

Remembering that there’ll be a family meeting later this day, you watch Chishiya’s features how he enjoys his strawberry crepe and wonder how it’d be to have him with you. It’s way too early for this of course, but you ask anyway: “What about we introduce you to my family soon?”

He chuckles and doesn’t even look up from his dessert. “We’re not there yet.”

“Yet?” You grin, and the tone in your voice causes his eyes to meet yours. “Does that mean we’ll be getting there someday?”

“Silly.” He shakes his head, but this time you can tell exactly that this is not what he’s actually saying. The shimmer of warmth in his eyes and the smirk on the edge of his lips is telling you all you need.

Not yet.

But you’re on a very good way to get there.

[herrscherrofyatta]

hi i was the one who asked you for the amber x herrscher!gn!reader and i had a long way to found you again because my dumbass didnt follow you back than which im very sorry about. And you did amazing with the request and i saw that your still open so if its not a problem could i ask for a continuation of said amber x herrscher!reader like they defeated the honkai or something or they made a family somehow XD

I'm glad you liked it! I was kinda hoping to write more about them so I'm glad you want a continuation! I'm definitely going to write like a different version of this since the new chapter came out and it gives me ideas lol! Hope you enjoy!!!

A month or two had passed since Otto Apocalypse succeeded in his plan of changing the past so Kallen Kaslana could live even if it didn't change anything in this timeline.

You wondered if in other timelines would you and Amber be together like you two are right now, hand in hand as you two stroll around the Hyperion on your break time.

Things were calm, something you weren't quite used to since you always had to move from place to place to prevent yourself from being captured for simply being a herrscher.

"How are you feeling from the training with Kiana and Bronya?" Amber asks as you two pass by a couple of your co-workers.

"A bit sore but nothing I can't handle," you reply as you two turn a corner only to be met with a scene of Theresa holding something in her arms, clearly stressed as you two approach her.

"Theresa? Is something wrong?" You ask, making her jump as she looks back.

Her eyes glance down at her arms before showing what was the cause, to you and Amber's surprise it was a baby that looked around to be a couple weeks old at best.

She begins to explain that someone had left this poor baby just outside the ship and that a couple of valkyries found the poor child out during their shift.

"We can conduct an investigation to find the mother and return the baby...." You suggest to Theresa as Amber takes a closer look at the sleeping baby wrapped around in the blanket before moving around a bit, seemingly wanting to start crying.

"I'm good at finding parents of lost kids back when I was in the city." Theresa thinks to herself, taking your words into mind. "I can gather some information in town to find the parent, it shouldn't take long."

The loud crying of the baby startles you and Theresa, "he's been crying non-stop," she sighs as Amber gestures her to hand over the baby which she did.

Blinking at the sight of Amber rocking the baby in her arms trying to calm him down, you smile a bit before she looks up at both of you, the baby cries a bit quieter but still there. "He's hungry, I don't think we have any formula on board."

"I'll head to town and buy some there while finding anything about his parents." You say, Theresa agrees and you prepare to leave, giving Amber a quick kiss on her cheek before leaving the ship.

Theresa looks at Amber a bit amused, "you know a lot about taking care of babies," the taller white haired woman looks at the baby before responding.

"I've seen (Y/n) take care of crying lost children before in the city, so I thought I should know what to do if a lost child stumbled in my path."

Theresa smiles, "then I'll leave him to you. Any problems you know where to find me."

Amber nods, "of course."

The day goes by rather slowly, it was only until the sun was setting had you finally returned. Carrying a bag in one hand, a stoic look on your face, walking at such a slow pace towards the Hyperion.

The events of today were no different from ones you have seen and experienced in the past but still, they left your heart heavy in the end.

'Please....take of him....take of my son.'

Closing your eyes at those words, your brows furrow as you let out a sigh.

'....give him a future I cannot give him....please.'

Walking through the corridors, you pause when you finally arrive at the door of Amber's room. You knew she would be here, taking care of that poor child. Preparing yourself, you put on a smile as the doors open.

Amber looks up as you walk in, "I got food for him." You hold up the bag, "luckily a vendor was selling formulas. I brought enough for the kid."

Setting the bag in the small table in the corner, you turn around to be met with Amber standing there, her eyes glancing down at your coat, "you have blood on your coat, are you hurt?" She asks, tilting her head to the head when she looks up at you.

"I'm fine," you lie, "some guy was starting a fight, this is his blood. Don't worry, I'll wash it off later."

You say, smiling at her, she eyes you, before the baby that was sleeping finally woke up, demanding for food.

Amber quickly returned her attention to the crying baby as you left the room with a can of formula, heading to the cafeteria area the ship had.

While waiting for the machine to do it's job, you stand there in deep thought, not noticing Theresa seeing you and walking over.

"You're back, did you find anything?"

You shake your head, back facing her as you speak, "found the mother, beaten to death, she said her last wishes to me."

"and the father?"

Your hand turned into a fist, feeling angry just thinking about that sorry excuse of a dad.

"I beat the shit out of him, you could say I placed judgment upon him." You sigh, crossing your arms, "he was an abusive man, if the mother had not brought the kid, who knows he would've done."

Theresa gives you a pity look, you seem kinda shaken up about the whole thing, "did...." she doesn't finish her sentence, the look on your face is enough when you turn around, bottle in hand.

Instead, you give her a tight smile, "I'll be going now. We can talk about it more in detail tomorrow."

Arriving back to Amber, you hand her the bottle as you lean against the wall, watching as the baby sucked on the warm bottle of milk.

"I didn't find anything," you began, Amber looks at you, "but that doesn't mean the mother just tossed him away for no reason."

"why do you think that?"

Your gaze shifts downwards, "...just a hunch, just look how good he was taken care of till now." The white haired woman looks at the baby who gives her a smile. "He was loved until the end."

She smiles, caressing his head gently, "I see."

For the next few days, the two of you took care of the nameless baby until Theresa voiced out that you two should adopt him, seeing how you two warmed up to him.

Amber was hesitant at first while you remained stoic but went along with what she wanted to do. In the end, she decided to take him in so now you guys have a little family.

"What should we name him?" Amber asks, changing his diaper as you laid in the bed with your eyes closed. Remembering his mother's last words to you, "I think...we should name him, 'Yasu'. It means quiet and it suits him well, he's an awfully quiet baby, hardly gives us any trouble." You point out.

Feeling the bed dip to your right, you open one eye, Amber holding Yasu, "alright, 'Yasu' it is."

Sighing, you smile, "looks like I have to put in double the effort to protect my family." You comment, missing the way Amber's face flush at your words.

This idea with the new chapter in game works so well, the angst potential this has....

Masterlist

[maddenleftchat]

Could you do headcanons about platonic yandere ghostbur and revivebur with a child reader? And can the reader be the same one from the Wilbur with a child reader headcanons

Triggers: mention of stalking, mention of near death, mention of slight possessive behaviors, and mild yandere like behaviors. Safe for all to read. Mainly wholesome.

Enjoy.

Ghostbur

Honestly, Ghostbur with a child darling is like the most wholesome and confusing thing you will ever see.

You, as a child (7-10), don't know anything about the world.

And Ghostbur, being a ghost who lost his memories, also doesn't know anything about the world.

Some would even go as far to say that he himself is even a child.

Sure Ghostbur knows what's dangerous, how to craft, use weapons, and ect.

But social wise, he is about as useful as an inside out umbrella on a rainy day.

So this is going to be an adventure for the both of you.

~

So how did you two meet?

Well, Ghostbur was taking a nice walk around the SMP, when he saw a kid.

A kid that was about to fall into a deep hole.

WAIT-

A KID ABOUT TO FALL INTO A DEEP HOLE?!

Yep.

That was his thought process, right before he flew over to you, and quickly pulled you back.

"Oh my XD! Are you okay?! You're not hurt are you?!"

He would say it multiple times until you answer.

But you were just yanked away from your likely demise, and your child brain can only handle so much.

So least to say it scared him when you had a lack of response.

But when you did finally reply, Ghostbur was relieved.

Though the quiet only lasted so long before he started to interrogate you out of worry.

"Where are your parents?!"

"Do they know you're out here?!"

"Why were you standing so close to the edge of that hole?!"

"How did you get here?"

"Where are you from?"

"Where do you live?"

"How old are you?"

"What's your name?"

"Where can we find your parents?"

These questions and so much more were tossed in your direction.

You were barely able to answer one, before another one was thrown your way.

So in the end, all you replied with was:

"I...I don't know."

And with this, Ghostbur was completely stunned.

~

After finding out that you don't remember your parents, Ghostbur will let you live with him.

This relationship will consist more of an inexperienced with children uncle and his niece/nephew/gender neutral term for that.

Ghostbur will have this overwhelming need to be very protective of you, but in a gentle manner.

Unlike a romantic darling, Ghostbur doesn't want your attention on him 24/7.

But he still does watch from afar.

Whenever you're out playing with the animals of a forest, or children villagers, he watches you with hawk eyes.

And the instant any danger threatens to appear, Ghostbur is bringing you back home.

He'll likely keep you inside for the next day or so, just to make sure you're safe.

~

The people he allows you to hang out with are a lot more versatile compared to the other DSMP members.

He allows you to hang out with the following:

Niki

Tubbo

Tommy (while supervised)

Ranboo

Ph1lza

Technoblade

~

Ghostbur is a fairly disorganized being, so your growing up will be a bit messy.

But he tried his best to keep a schedule with you.

Don't be surprised if you have Ph1lza around a lot to help get you and his life in order.

What about an education?

Well, Techno is obviously your history teacher.

And...Ph1lza is everything else.

Hey!

They try though.

~

Ghostbur's main house rules are:

1- Be home by dark

2- Don't hang out with anyone your not allowed to

3- Tell him when your leaving/coming home

4- Always have a knife on you

5- Sundays are family days

6- use common sense.

~

In short: Living/having Ghostbur as a guardian is fairly laid back, except for the constant feeling of being watched. He isn't as possessive or bad as the others. 8/10.

Word count: 633

_________________________________________

Thanks for reading!

[mikimeiko]

Day 4 - Rijeka

And... It's raining. Much more than yesterday, though luckily it's still coming and going.

After a walk in the old town I decide to take the advice from lovely Tumblr user @notasgoodasseven to go see Trsat castle. Rijeka has a day ticket for the buses! Very good, since taking buses is one of my favourite activities XD especially when it's raining XD

The bus climbs up a hill going through a very interesting part of town, where small houses and big high rises are meshed together in a surprising but not unpleasant mix.

On the last stretch of the road to Trsat you get a beautiful view of the entire old town and the harbour; if the rain stops for a bit I might go downhill by foot to get a better view.

The castle is small and quite pretty, they turned most of the court into a giant openair bar? It must be lovely when it's open in good weather.

I don't even have to go find a good viewpoint later because you can see everything from here!

I might come back when it's dark to see it with all the Christmas lights on.

I get a spinach burek from a bakery and head to the bus stop to go to the computer museum... But I discover the computer museum it's only open on Saturdays during winter :( apparently I could have ask them via the website to open it anyway, but a) it's too late and b) it would have put too much pressure on my visit!

While I'm on the bus going back down I see the sun peeking out of the clouds, illuminating a strip of sea in the most beautiful manner. It stopped raining so I decide to get down the bus once I get to the city centre and walk, but of course the moment I get down... It starts raining again 😅

(every time it stopped raining I took a picture XD)

The good news is that the bus day ticket I bought this morning actually covers a much bigger area that I thought, so I decide to just get on a suburban bus that follows the coast down south and just hope for some brief moments of sunlight (in any case, it's better than getting soaked while walking in the streets, not able to see anything because of my umbrella XD)

It's almost ridiculous the amount of joy just being on a bus with the outside the window gives me.

Due to some miscalculation and forgetfulness, I end up waiting almost an hour for a bus in the middle of nowhere (well, there was a cafè/bar, but it was one of those places basically just full of men where everyone looks at you - not a man, not from around here - like an exotic curiosity and with a hint of hostility, so I just had coffee, used the toilet and left). But while I was waiting for my bus the light changed: though it was still pretty cloudy there was a lot more visibility and it was in general much more pleasant, and I actually got to see the island of Krk from a distance!

(I walked on the road to get this picture, I thought I was going to die XD)

Going back to Rijeka the weather kept getting greyer and foggier and wetter, and I wished I could have kept going south but... not this time!

After a brief stop at the hotel to get the things I forgot I decided to take another suburban bus, this time going north. Sadly by the time I actually got on the bus it was starting to get dark, so I didn't see as much from the bus (but it was still lovely). I went to Opatija and from what I could see from the bus it looked really lovely, though when I got off the bus it started raining again, so I just waited for the bus back (how many minutes, how many HOURS I spent waiting for buses today? Probably too many XD but it was worth it).

I went back to Trsat castle after dark and it was indeed very pretty with all the Christmas lights on and the stalls and bar open (though it was still mostly empty, I guess I went too early).

At least four people today have tried speaking to me in Croatian at bus stops etc good job Maddalena for never looking like a tourist I guess XD (this tends to happen to me everywhere I go, people just assume I'm a local XD)

Tonight is my last night and I couldn't leave the Balkans without eating The Grilled Meat, so I found a nice place and... ate the grilled meat XD

Anyway that sauce on the spoon? It's called ajvar, it's made from peppers, eggplant and garlic and it's SO GOOD. I actually bought a jar to bring home XD