#but the shade of poison trees is still like

[swashbucklery]

Girl help they’re playing (semi-)vintage Dashboard in the cafeteria at work and I am being forcibly transported back to being 21

[bunnyb34r]

Finally started hacking away at the overgrown rose bushes and I'm so fucking exhausted and in pain 😭 bitch....

[rosesradio]

how it feels to write...

valdangelo: i'm in my friend's gaming room, and they just pulled out a huge box of snacks i'm not allowed to have at home. super smash bros is cued up on the wii. it's 2013, and nothing bad has happened yet.

jercy: i'm sitting in a field at my old high school, the air cool and refreshing as i crack open a new queer romance i requested the library to order. some people are playing football in the distance, though i couldn't tell you who's winning or what's going on. it's a spirit week day, and i'm allowed to wear a hat.

lukercy: i'm in the club when i shouldn't be. i have plans the next day, though maybe i should forget about them. there's someone speaking to me, their voice warm and low. i don't know their name and don't care to know. i can only look at their lips.

valgrace: i'm with an old boyfriend in his shoebox apartment, talking for hours until we realize it's way past the time i should be home. it doesn't matter. his bed is warm and time stands still as i am, for a fleeting moment, understood.

lukethan: i am crawling through a haunted maze that the church put together, my heart pounding. i'm not sure why i'm so scared; my parents said everything would be okay. the money is for a good cause. it's dark, and i can only hear my own shallow breathing. a warm hand latches out like a python, grasping my ankle.

jasico: i'm weaving through the trees at girl scout camp. after the third time walking through the poison ivy fields, i have no rash; perhaps i am immune, perhaps i am a superhero. there is a large cement box in the center of a field, some sort of industrial project i do not yet understand. inside there is a deep, empty blackness. it calls out to me. i should jump in.

lukabeth: i am at a party at my friend's house, playing a game one of them found online. hands wrap around my throat, pressing me to the bedroom door. i black out, dreaming in shades of yellow. in the dream, i'm yelling at my sister, crying to her. i am ignored. i wake up, gripping the carpet with sweaty hands. a strange man comforts me, telling me i shouldn't have played such a stupid game. his breath smells of alcohol. there are no sober adults in the house.

x readers: i am in an auditorium, putting on a play like i used to as a kid. much like the stress dreams, i have over forty lines and didn't crack open the script. i manage, and i look out, and i wait. the lights don't blind me this time. i can see everyone in the audience. they wear masks and clap politely. the sound is muffled, fading into silence like tv static. their eyes are expectant once more.

[clangenrising]

Month 17 - Greenleaf

Sardine was having a tough week. 

On top of all of the minor things the Speaker had to keep track of - settling disputes among the Exalted, keeping the peace, ensuring that the Chaff were placated enough - he had been juggling Rudy and Bella’s nonsense back and forth with almost no free time for himself. It almost seemed like they were conspiring to run him ragged. Now, he and Oreo were trudging back to his yard after breaking up a Skyraider meeting where there had been talk about ‘even standing’ for the Chaff and the Exalted, a ridiculous idea he had swiftly and forcefully quashed.

It was exhausting, though - the third meeting this month of its kind. What on earth had gotten into cats’ heads lately? 

Bitterly, he grumbled to himself, “Absolutely ridiculous. Razor never had to deal with this shit.”

“Razor was a leader,” Oreo shot back. 

Sardine’s tail bristled and he slowly twisted his head towards the larger tom, a poisonous smile on his face. “What are you implying, friend?” They stopped in the shade of a young maple tree that was wilting away in the heat, the shadows playing over their faces in jagged contrast.

“You aren’t commanding enough,” Oreo didn’t flinch away from his challenge, blood still staining the white fur on his chest. “You scheme and you persuade but you don’t lead.” 

Sardine bared his teeth. “How dare you? I am twice the leader Razor was. That buffoon hadn’t the slightest ounce of self restraint and it got him killed. He was a brute! I’m a statesman!” He lashed his tail for good measure. Oreo’s dour expression never changed, his misshapen left eye boring into Sardine. 

“I didn’t run from the battle where he died,” Oreo said and Sardine flinched a bit. 

“I was making sure that there would be a Speaker when the fight was over,” he snapped. “I am thinking ahead, unlike every other cat in this fucking city!” 

“Then why isn’t Rudy dead yet?” Oreo loomed over him, “You’re scared. You know you can’t beat him.”

“I’m not scared of that notch-eared oaf!” Sardine hissed, insulted by the very idea. “He’s a nuisance, nothing more. Him and all of his filthy street friends, they’re gnats buzzing in my ear. If I wanted to kill him, he would be dead. I’d much rather break him and make him show me his belly. I kill him now, he’s a martyr, I make him bow, he’s a failure.” He scoffed and looked Oreo up and down. “I’m looking to the future. You should do the same.” 

There was a moment of silence, the shadows from the leaves swaying over their faces. 

Then Oreo spoke. “If I had said that to Razor, he would have given me a new scar, not a tirade. That’s your problem: all you know how to do is talk and cats can tell you’re weak.” 

In that moment, Sardine considered striking him across the face to see how he would like it. Why don’t I take your other eye? he thought, Will you still complain once you’re a pathetic invalid? But he resisted the temptation. He reasoned that he wasn’t going to let Oreo bait him into acting impulsively and tried to pretend he wasn’t afraid of what Oreo would do in retaliation, what that would do to his reputation.

“For the tom who abdicated, you seem to have a lot of opinions on how I do things,” Sardine growled, swallowing down his rage. 

“Do what you want,” Oreo said darkly. “I’m just calling it like I see it.” And with that, Oreo turned and walked away, leaving Sardine alone under the shadow of the maple tree. 

Sardine took a deep, slow breath to calm himself. That interaction had not gone particularly well. There was no denying that Oreo held the majority of the power in their relationship despite Sardine’s title as the Speaker. It didn’t seem likely that he would be able to earn Oreo’s respect at this point. He was going to need more loyal subordinates if he wanted to maintain his hold on power in the city. 

It was for that reason that he turned away from the path home and briskly made his way to Mystique’s house. He’d tried to contact her ever since he’d received word that she’d returned to the city but her Folk had been keeping her inside and his attempts to get her attention had only resulted in them coming out with a spray bottle to chasten him. Still, Sardine was nothing if not persistent and he knew that if he kept coming around he would eventually be able to speak with her. 

It seemed that luck was on his side today. A blue ball of fur sat curled in a sunbeam against the sliding glass doors. Smiling, Sardine slank across the lawn towards the glass, announcing himself with a small meow. Mystique lifted her head to look at him and frowned.  

“Afternoon, Mystique,” he said, keeping his composure. “I’m glad to see you back safely.” 

“What do you want, Sardine?” she asked, sounding fed up already. Not ideal. 

“I wanted to make sure you were alright,” he said, then, more somberly, “and to give you my condolences. I can’t imagine what it must be like to lose your brother in the way that you did.” 

Mystique’s lip curled in a snarl. “Don’t talk to me about my brother. He deserved what he got.” That was not the kind of response Sardine had been expecting. 

He tried to pivot as smoothly as possible. “I wasn’t going to say so myself but I admittedly agree. I’ve been trying to do better in his stead. If there’s anything I can do for you, just say the word. I am at your service.” He dipped his head politely. 

“Leave me alone, Sardine,” she hissed. “You’re worse than the Clan cats. At least they were all honest with me.” 

Sardine’s ears twitched forward with interest. “I see. Well then, to be completely honest, I am very curious about the nature of your time with them. Were you there of your own free will?” That would be an interesting development, he thought. Had she followed Gingersnap’s lead and gone native? 

“At first,” she huffed, dropping her head dourly onto her paws, “but when I wanted to leave they held me prisoner.” Her tail lashed side to side as she spoke.

“The barbarians,” he growled. “I can assure you, Mystique, I will make them suffer for anything they did to you.” 

“Did I ask you to do that?” she hissed, glaring at him. “They’re just cats. If you really want to make me feel better, then piss off and never come back, alright?” Sardine’s tail twitched in irritation. Razor had always been too lenient with his sister and it had clearly gone to her head. No cat should speak to him that way. Still, he kept his cool. 

“I just want to help you, Mystique,” he said gently. “I know what happened was probably frightening and I know I’ll never really understand, but I want you to feel safe again. I’m sorry if my attempt missed the mark.” 

Mystique looked askance, then glanced back at him, then away. “I’m tired, alright? Leave me alone.” 

“As you wish,” he said. “But please, if you need anything, tell me. I owe you that much for failing to help you while you needed me.” 

“I didn’t need you,” she huffed and he thought he saw something deeply sad underneath her facade. 

“You needed someone,” he said, stepping close to the glass so he could keep his voice low. “You needed someone and no one was there. As Speaker, I should have been there for you and I’m sorry.” And there it was, the sadness underneath. It flooded over every emotion on her face like a street with a clogged drain, looking like it threatened to swallow her whole. He bit his lip to keep himself from smiling at his success. 

“Thank you…” she sniffled after a moment - typical, emotional woman. “I… I’m just tired. I want this to be over already.” 

“I’ll do what I can,” he said. “Perhaps you could tell me more about your time with the savages - when you’re feeling better, of course. It could help.” 

She side eyed him, seeming reserved, and said, “Alright. Maybe. But I won’t help you kill them. There’s been too much killing already…” She looked down at her paws and sniffed hard, tears starting to bead in her eyes. 

“I understand,” he said. “I’ll come by in a few days and see how you’re feeling then, alright?” She nodded. Taking that as a success, he stepped away and headed for the fence. That was something. Something Bella and Rudy didn’t have. Something to show Oreo exactly how powerful “talking” could be.

[dnpanimationstudioclone]

Meet Valentino🦋☠️

Meet my take on Valentino! This one took the longest for me to get around to.

Made him a Monarch Butterfly!🦋 I love the whole reverse Predator and Prey thing going on with him and Angel so what if he was a creature that would normally be considered Prey, if it didn’t have its own trick up its sleeve. Poison! ☠️ plus butterflies are often depicted as sweet and pretty, which would really lean into how he puts on a sweet face to hide his true colors.😈Though who’s to say he even is that(wink😉). Made his wings a warm gradient, added some sparkle ✨ and allude subtly to a split heart with the lines and dots💔 @the-burd-lord also pointed out they give off tears💧😢

Gave him a more bug like head, mouth, eyes and only has three fingers.

Gave him heart bent stripes like Angel Dust(@a-sterling-rose shared a cool idea that an overlord can change their contracted souls) wanted it to allude to bee stripes(bees love flowers and make sweet things) and other…striped insects.

Leaned with 70’s, DISCO !!!!!!!🕺🪩💃 Bell bottoms, matching top, PLATFORMS! The whole works! I figure it fits with his timeline a lot and with what he’s usually wearing. Plus he’s def into the club scene.

Replaced his top hat with a heart shaped fedora hat! Adorned it with all kinds of different flowers!!!!! Stuff like roses, Bleeding hearts, milkweed and the big flower he’s wearing is meant to allude to the Cattleya Orchid(Colombias national flower and symbolizes fertility and virility) roses are also very popular there! They even have a holiday around flowers called the “festival of the flowers”!🌼🌹.

For his sleeves wanted to allude to another Colombia flower “devils breath” highly toxic flower and in the same toxic family as the “Angels Trumpet”. Also a street term for the dangerous drug, scopolamine which is derived from the seeds of Borrachero trees, primarily found in South America like Colombia! 🇨🇴

Kept the heart buckle belt his og had but made it hollow. Hollow heart.

Gave him a cane that’s also a disco heart 🪩❤️which may not be able to squeeze out toxic gas and other tricks.

For his color scheme, @the-burd-lord suggested I'd go with RGB theme, colors on display screen(Vox is the leader and a screen) Ngl I was conflicted what colors to go with for the vees(Primary, Red blue purple etc). But then I realized when u mix those colors u get those other colors and then I decided to give the Vees two main color themes for each. One for show, the other their true colors! Val likes to use tropical warm welcoming colors(gold luxury), def still uses red for its sensual vibes….but those kinda colors are also color of many dangerous insects…warning colors⚠️‼️☣️☢️☠️☠️☠️

Made his Heart shades butterfly wing shaped like @lovesart23 did with her Val! Seriously LOVE IT!!!!!!!.

Added a heart on his chain with his initial. Was a gift from Angel Dust💔

Also wears black and white since he’s already very colorful and to appear clean with the white…the darkness often hiding under. Has some green for the leaves and thorns(every rose has its thorns) like how Velvette still wears gold colors for accesory!🍃🌿

My Valentino’s Colombian 🇨🇴 back in the 70’s a lot was happening with Drug trade(Cocaine trade) plus it’s in the warmer area of South America, where many butterflies can be found🦋🦋🦋Monarchs migrate to the south! Also great place for flowers🌹🪻🌸🌺🌷🌻🌼💐🪷

with the flowers also lowkey trying to allude with 60’s-70’s Flower power(he def likes to seem all peace and love) was also the time of the psychedelic era😵‍💫U know he def got that stuff.

Rewrite🦋☠️

Compared to OG he’s def more sly and smooth talking, often Make him ironically the more level headed of the V’s. Have him be able to keep a cool head more, try to covert his true nature, keep things under control. Play into how he likes to try a more pragmatic approach, relying on manipulation and pacifying first before getting violent if he feels like he’s not in control. They say u attract more flies with honey than vinegar afterall. he’s able to put on the charm and sweetness well enough. You do NOT want to get on his scary side…He relies a lot on manipulation but when push comes to shove, he can mess you UP☠️!!!!!!!

Leaning with the poison theme way more!☠️💊🧪.

He doesn’t just do Adult Entertainment, but also a huge drug supplier for Hell, especially for Angel💊. It’s been implied and supposed scrapped ideas and concepts have shown him feeding Angels drug addiction.

Have him be Angels main supplier and often uses his addiction to keep him under his wings, depend on him, likes to feed into it despite how much harm it does for him. He’s basically the embodiment of toxicity/addiction, things that can poison people, can become dangerous addictions and mess people up. He’s basically one of Angel’s most dangerous addictions, the toxic abusive boss/partner☠️

I honestly want him to want NOTHING with Vox’s whole revenge plan with Alastor and his new project…until he also realizes the Princess not only actually wants to help Angel but that Angel ACTUALLY might want to try to QUIT! Than he gets more involved with Vox’s schemes.

Gets his main poison from a special flower from Hell. Similar to how Monarchs get their poison from a certain plant(milkweed) as well as play into how Butterflies feed on nectar🌺🌸 perhaps has the flowers growing all throughout his studio…especially around and maybe even in Angel’s dressing room…

What do u think? How would u redesign Val if u wanted to? I’d love to know💖 I’ve also made the 🌈Hazbin Gang🌈 and his fellow VV’s, Vox & Velvette📺🧶

Oh one more thing…He’s not actually a monarch butterfly. Here’s some totally unrelated pics of wasps(one like the executioner wasp that can be found in warm places, like monarchs, spider wasps(not friendly to spiders) and….some more parasitic types)Warnign scary wasp pics) @the-burd-lord suggested the mandibles for his face(broken heart 💔)

[vikisbay]

✧. ┊︶︶︶︶︶︶︶︶︶︶︶︶︶︶︶︶︶┊.✧

【MEGUMI F.】 sun and popsicles!

A/N —> Megumi is my everything without him I’m nothing ★彡

✧. ┊︶︶︶︶︶︶︶︶︶︶︶︶︶︶︶︶︶┊.✧

➤ spring was designed in the summers sun, you sat under the comforting shade of a tree in front of Jujutsu high. school ended maybe an hour ago but with nothing to do on a Friday afternoon you decided to sit and enjoy the hot weather. your bag was under your head functioning as a pillow and your right hand laid over your eyes hiding them from the sun.

you never went home so you were still in your school uniform, the skirt exposing your thighs to the grass and dirt below. your mind slowly drifted off, sleep trying to take over but… the headache you got from the sun beating down on you was making it impossible to get fully comfortable and the fact that you hadn’t eaten in a few hours.

Maybe just maybe if you had something cold and refreshing to eat or drink you’d be able to fully enjoy this peaceful moment. your mind started trying to come about with a solution but before it could you heard soft footsteps coming towards you, you moved ur hand from your eyes to see who this mysterious person could be and to your shock it was a familiar raven-haired boy.

“Hey” he said coolly his voice a refreshingly sound against the silence you had been with for over an hour “megumi…what are you doing?” You moved your right hand to support you as you sat up. He looks away as he started to sit next to you “I saw you sitting here after me and Yuji left… so I thought I’d come join you” you felt ur face heat up this time it wasn’t because of the sun, you smirk “well seems like someone likes my companyyy” you tried to hide your nerves with fake confidence.

The raven-haired boy rolled his eyes before continuing to find a comfortable spot in the grass next to you, “it’s so hot…how’d you stay out here for so long?” Your eyes subconsciously found the way to his but he wasn’t looking back at you “don’t know” you shrugged. He nodded slightly but your answer didn’t really answer his question.

You look away from him deciding the grass between your fingers would help the awkward situation, you pulled blades of grass out of the ground before letting out a soft sigh. You wished he would say something, anyth-

“Here”

Your head shoot up to find a popsicle being pointed in your direction, his eyes studded your reaction and when you continued to stare and not take the popsicle he tilted his head at you. “It’s not poison…” he said confusion lacing his voice.

Your eyes moved from the wrapped item to his eyes, he’s beautiful dark blue eyes had you in some kind of trance… “are you going to make me feed it to you?” He raised an eyebrow, and before you couldn’t deny the offer he was already taking the cold item out of its wrapping. You watch in shock and embarrassment as he pointed the popsicle back at you.

“Open…”

It was embarrassing how fast you obliged, and as soon as your mouth opened he placed the cold item right onto your tongue. The cold sensation making you flinch ever so slightly, before your face could heat up even more your fingers grabbed a hold of the popsicle stick urging Megumi to let go of it.

You both sat in comfortable silence, just enjoying the other’s presence. Maybe, Maybe you’ll tell him how you feel for him, and maybe he’ll tell you how he feels about you, but that was for another day.

— yours truly, Viki

✧. ┊︶︶︶︶︶︶︶︶︶︶︶︶︶︶︶︶︶┊.✧

[storiesbyrhi]

Witch!Reader x Bat/Vampire!Eddie Munson Series Masterlist The Grimoire The Timeline

Warnings: canon typical violence, horror genre typical violence/some infrequent gore, swearing, animal death, no beta, death in childbirth (mentioned, not described), abusive parents, suicide, spiders/bugs, grief/mourning; light smut; warnings updated each chapter.

Synopsis: No witch has stepped foot in Hawkins since 1845, but when Vecna opens the ground and poisons the town, a voice begins to call to you. Have you been brought back to this cursed place to heal the townspeople’s wounds, to save a hexed bat that always finds its way to you, or to redefine your history with a reunion 150 years in the making?

Chapter Summary: You are wide awake. 2340 words.

1986

Every day Eddie watched the jar. He watched how the moon water moved, alive and with a viscosity different from regular water. He watched the apple slices dry and the sprigs of lavender go stiff. He thought if he watched closely enough, he’d see the magic working, but he never caught a glimmer of craft.

When it was time, you let him plant the enchanted seed in the new coven neighbourhood. Your home would grow furthest out, close to the shade of the woods. A spell later, you were traveling back to Forest Hills to begin packing the trailer up.

It had been months since you’d moved in, therefore you had accumulated a lot of items.

“Do you need all of these?” Eddie asked, holding up one of five shoeboxes, all packed with feathers you had found. “And is this a normal amount of feathers to find? What is wrong with the birds in Hawkins?”

“Yes and no and a lot. I told you that if you are gonna help, you can’t question every single thing you pick up,”

“I’m doing no such thing,” he rebutted.

“Eddie, you told me to cull my jar collection,”

“I stand by it. There are too many. You can collect more,”

“I use them! Frequently! And I don’t just keep any jar. All the ones I have are, like, uniquely shaped or extra sturdy!” you whined. “Asking a witch to not collect jars is just…” You shook your head, not able to find the words to express the atrocity.

Eddie smiled at you softly. “Perhaps I am not the best helper,” he conceded. “Perhaps my time would be better spent doing something else,”

“Something else like use your vampire speed to clean the bathroom, or something else like turn into a bat and sleep?”

An hour later, Eddie was asleep in one of the boxes containing clothes, and you were wrapping more empty jars in bubble wrap.

…

A monument to witchcraft and love. That’s what Eddie thought when he saw the house. It had the glorious drama of Ev’s Victorian home and the softness of the other witches’ cottages. Expansive stained glass windows. Detailed architraves, the wood so dark it appeared black. Red brick. A single-story structure, but the dome of a conservatory was visible over the roof. It extended back into the woods, settling into the landscape as if it had always been there.

Eddie thought back to all the places he had lived in. The house his father’s rage felt the brunt of as much as he did. The farm he came into adulthood on. The colony caves. The cold and lonely hotel rooms. The trees above Forest Hills. He’d never had a home, apart from your arms, but there it was. Real and in front of him.

The sun was setting over the valley as Eddie stood before the house. You’d seen it early that day, doing your final checks before okaying the move. It was your magic the house grew from, so naturally you were less awestruck by it. The floorplan and aesthetic had been born in your mind. Still, it was a beautiful thing.

“Think it will do?” you asked Eddie, coming to stand beside him.

He couldn’t tear his eyes away from it. “It’s…” How many different words were there for ‘home,’ he wondered. What language could fully communicate the depth of emotion?

“Enchanted seeds create homes, not houses,” you told him as you walked towards the front door. “Come and see.”

Eddie followed, almost expecting something to happen as he crossed the front door threshold. Once inside, Eddie clenched his jaw. It was more perfect than he could have anticipated.

The furniture was plush and comfortable, an eclectic mix of antique pieces and modern amenities. Bookshelves stood tall and waiting, ready for the library to arrive. Potted ivy trailed up and around curtain railings and along the walls.

“You never got to see my place in the Catskills. A lot of the furniture comes from there. The rest comes from the seed… It’s the kind of magic that makes me wish we could study it, you know? I want to know the science of it. How does it work?”

“It seems to me that part of the power of magic is in the unknowing,” Eddie replied, as wise as any of the Witches Who Came Before.

“It does appear to be the case,” you agreed.

For a while, you let Eddie wander aimlessly through the house.

He marvelled at the bath, huge and round, like a pond and definitely big enough for two. A huge wardrobe door that opened into a secret library. The conservatory full of thriving plants, flowers, herbs, and other living things Eddie did not have a word for. Every window a different shape but never square. Strange detailing like cat shaped doorknobs and pink quartz basins.

Eventually, Eddie sat on the end of the huge bed, its four posts grand and its linen crisp. He looked over at you and held out his hands.

“Come.”

You walked to him, taking his hands, and standing between his legs. Eddie looked up at you with those sparkling brown eyes, the adoration radiating from him.

“It’s an irrational idea, this fear I have that I’m dreaming. That I am still cursed, haunting this town until the end of time. But a vampire cannot dream. The cursed cannot dream. But still…”

Gently, you let go of Eddie’s hands and leaned into him, snaking your fingers into his hair as he pressed himself into your body, wrapping his arms around your waist.

“You are wide awake. Alive… kind of… But definitely here. With me. In our home. Soon-to-be, with our friends. Our family. And just in time for Halloween.”

He purred a happy sound, nodding into you. “A witch’s favourite holiday?” he hazarded a guess.

“Hmm, not all of us. Most of the witches I’ve known tended to find more obscure holidays to worship at the altar of. New Years is a big one, too. Alas, I am but a cliché All Hallows witch,”

“With much respect, I see that,” Eddie said. You laughed, shrugged. He looked up at you again. “You did fall in love with a vampire, after all.”

…

Far away from the rest of the world, you and Eddie spent almost a week settling into the new house. Grimoires were catalogued into one of the three library rooms. Dandelion puffs were jarred and shelved. Every trinket found its home.

Eddie tested the rainbow light that flooded the rooms, discovering that in the magic there was safety. Sunlight that filtered through the windows did not burn him. He could be free and at ease.

You explained to Eddie the importance of representing the elements within the home. Earth in the plants, wooden carpentry, and the grounding crystals. Fire in the candles, ever-burning incense, and roaring fireplaces that only ever emitted the exact level of heat you wanted.  (“In summer, the flames burn cold,” you told Eddie and watched his smile grow.) Water in the mirrors, seashells, and small fountains found in the glasshouse room. Lastly, air in the wind chimes, feathers, and windows that could remain open without upsetting the temperature inside.

During the day, you began work on your garden, creating flower beds in the shape of pentagrams and sewing seeds. Borage for the butterflies and bees, primrose – I can’t live without you; angelica in case you need to break any future hexes; and yarrow, amaryllis, and polypodies.

One evening, just before sunset, you found Eddie rummaging through the apothecary pantry. As you entered the room, his manic smile told you he’d had an idea.

“What’s the story, morning glory?” you asked him, perching on a stool.

Eddie sunk to his knees and shrugged. “The fires are out… The Shire is no longer burning,”

“The Shire being… Hawkins?”

“Yes. And us. We’ve sailed to the Undying Lands,”

“You’re really making Tolkien your whole personality, huh?” you joked.

Eddie smiled up at you. “Until the next book… But what I’m saying is, now that we do not have a battle to prepare for. No conflict upon the horizon. What do we do with all of eternity?”

“Oh… My plan was to eat a lot of Meg’s cinnamon rolls… Try to get Steve Harrington to stop haunting Mel… Maybe work on a spell to make myself teeny tiny so I can ride around on you when you’re a bat…”

“Wait, seriously?”

You gave him a sly smile. “Maybe,”

“Well, I would love that… But, I was thinking a little more introspectively. Back to things we have thought about before. Like, why I am the way that I am… What that means…” He ran a finger along the leaves of the mimosa pudica plant beside him. The leaves felt his touch, curled inwards on themselves. It was one of Eddie’s favourites, the way it reacted to the world around it.

“Any new insights?” you asked softy.

“No… But… If I believe in you and in your magic and the way you make sense of the world… then I… I have to do something,”

“Do something?”

“We get back what we give, right?”

“Yeah,” you agreed. “It’s not always obvious or direct. Or timely. Or even equally fair… But, yeah… There is definitely something like the concept of karma at play. And even if there isn’t, living as if there is can only be a good thing,”

“Then I must show more grace… and gratitude… Even if I am a monster, maybe especially because I am… I can give goodness too.”

Without thinking, you slid off the stool and joined Eddie on the floor. “You already do. You don’t owe the world anything.”

Eddie smiled, first a small soft thing, almost sad, but then it twisted into something else. Ear-to-ear and full of teeth. “I owe it more than one life,”

“But if we count all the lives you have saved. Both by killing what plagued this town, and by preventing deaths at the hands of bad people-”

“Morality cannot be simple addition and subtraction. There is no math that can quantify goodness or righteousness. You know that,” Eddie cut in. He watched your face, saw the pensiveness blossom across it. “Don’t worry, my little witch, my plan is not as life-or-death as this all makes it seem… I just want to do something good for your friends,”

“Your friends,” you corrected quickly. “They’ll be your friends too. Your family. You’re part of this coven.”

Eddie reached out to cup your face in his hands. “Your coven is yours. But I will take the friendship. I have years of loneliness to make up for,”

“Then what-”

He cut you off again, this time with a kiss. You brought your hands up to his shoulders, draping your arms around his neck. Eddie pulled you into his lap and you curled into him like the leaves of the mimosa.

His mouth kissed and sucked at your neck between sentence fragments. “I’m-” kiss “going-” kiss “to plant-” lick “them-” kiss “flowers.” His punctuation a kiss that wanted to be a bite.

You were hardly listening to his words. His words and ideas and introspective musings could all wait.

Eddie laid you down on the floor, the smell of the oak still new. You arched your back and pulled him down by his collar.

“Bed,” you mumbled into his mouth.

“Why build a house if we’re not gonna use it,” he answered.

One hand splayed next to your head to keep him up, the other tickling its way under the hem of your skirt and up your thigh.

“Besides,” Eddie said. “Doesn’t feel like you can wait.” He was sliding your underwear off, throwing them across the room. He rested a hand on you, sliding an index finger through your slickness.

“I can’t,” you agreed, breathy and impatient. “Now. I want you now.”

Eddie didn’t have to be asked twice. With his pants still hanging from an ankle, he was fast to set up and slow on approach. You felt the tip of him follow the path made by his hand, gathering wetness, and shooting electricity through your body.

You melted into jelly beneath him, bliss written all over your face. Eddie loved you like this, pliable and prone to tears of ecstasy.

He held himself back, keeping his pace slow and steady. His vampire muscles screamed to go faster, to rail you into next week, but he liked pulling you apart. Liked how you unconsciously uttered strings of words like ‘full’ and ‘please’ and ‘can’t.’ Liked when you clawed at him to come closer, bit down on his shoulder.

“I love you,” he told you, mouth on your ear, tongue licking. “So. Fucking. Much.”

There was a seemingly endless amount of ways Eddie had learned could make you cum. Talking to you was a favourite for you both.

“You’re so perfect, so perfect… You feel so perfect… You’re so warm and soft and I… I want to eat you whole…”

Your response was in the pooling tears and the nodding and the slack jaw. The begging, “Please. Please.”

“I love you. I love you. I love you.” It was all it took. Your orgasm exploded moments before his. Eddie’s thrusting getting harder and faster for the few seconds he took to follow you. He had to grind his teeth together to stop himself from ripping into your neck.

You kept your eyes closed, not aware of your surroundings. When you felt Eddie’s arms slide beneath you, you smiled and hummed. He carried you to your new bed, cleaning your skin with a warm washcloth before curling himself in behind you.

With the last of your day’s energy, you tangled your fingers through his, falling asleep happily.

As Eddie listened to your breathing find its mellow night rhythm, he saw a vision of you in his mind. Hands full of flowers and foliage. A coven of audience. Glorious and beaming. 

End Note: I made a small Pinterest board with inspo for their house - click here to view.

I hope you are all as well as any of us can be at a time like this. I hope this story continues to provide comfort, escapism, and fuel for daydreams. xo Rhi

Fic Taglist:  @paranoidmunson  @idkidknemore @paprikaquinn @stardustworlds @loz-brooke @wyverntatty @vintagehellfire @dark-academia-slut @scarletwitchwhore @becks1002 @mrsdollardog @heyndrix @luceneraium @rosaline-black @devilinthepalemoonlite @goldencherriess @iamwhisperingstars @wiltedwonderland @blueywrites @breezybeesposts @jadehowlettthewolf @spikesvamp79 @foreveranexpatsposts @tortoiseshellspells @wingedpeachjudgegiant @stardustmunson @live-love-be-unique @fangirling-4-ever @reanimated-alice @b-irock @gh0stlybunnie @myown-worstenemy-2003 @woozzz @cyberxlust @hiscrimsonangel @buckysbarne @m00nlight101 @word-wytch @spicysix @briasnow-blog @goth-cowgirl-03 @moviefreak1205 @pastel-pillows

All Eddie Taglist: @solomons-finest-rum @ruinedbythehobbit @sweetpeapod @thorfemmes  @corrodedhawkins @grungegrrrl @lilzabob  @averagemisfit03 @ches-86 @ilovecupcakesandtea @onehotgreasymechanic @hazydespair @mel-the-fangirl @eddies-hid3out @siren-lungs @aheadfullofsteverogers @hiscrimsonangel @dashingdeb16 @cultish-corner

[echantedtoon]

Ocean Deep Ch8 An Unexpected Chain Of Events

(Warnings: Rengoku is in REALLY BAD shape with wounds, blood/possible blood loss, and a few giant fish hooks embedded in him. Mentioning of blood. Mentioning of attempted kidnapping. Mentions of Rengokus poisonous barbs. yn has to do CPR on Rengoku.

If you need a refresher on the mer cast-

Suma: (all blue) Halfmoon Betta Fish mer

Hinatsuru: Strawberry Peacock Cichlid mer

Makio: Golden Dragon Koi mer

Kyojuro Rengoku: Lionfish mer(you can follow the link below and see what he looks like there.)

https://www.tumblr.com/yuki2sksksk/729990049783021568/lionfish-based-merman-kyojuro-and-betta-fish-based?source=share

If I don't describe CPR accurately I apologize. I looked instructions up on YouTube to get as accurate of a scene as I could.)

Tags: @shadyd3ar @six-eyed-samurai @lavenderdrxp @jjamsbangtan

The day was beautiful this morning.

With the sunlight sinking into the room through the window. The birds singing outside. Beautiful fresh smelling air. Beautiful visions of nature right outside of you looked. A bright blue sky. Fluffy white clouds. Yellow sun. Flowers of every color. Green plants everywhere. Trees providing shade as the wind rolled by. An absolute picture perfect scene for what could very much be a good day. Nothing in the world to worry about. Nothing to do. Just peaceful quiet and nature.

That was what your normal morning would've been on your day off. When you woke up at a reasonable time and woke up at a normal time. However this wasn't your normal morning. Now was it?

The wind felt nice against your skin as you walked along the dirt road and towards the pathway where the river lied. It was pretty early in the morning too. Two maybe three o'clock. A yawn bubbled up the woman's throat and made it out as a hand instinctively went to cover her mouth. Usually you would fear going outside anytime during the night but desperate times called for desperate measures. You were running out of food. All these scraps would only go so far before someone got the idea to start charging you money for that too or by the ways things were going, soon there wouldn't even be any scraps left for you to be handed. Your only hope right now was to rely on old scraps and providing the food yourself. Under the covers of darkness to avoid any suspicion.

Your door had opened quietly and you stepped out of your house and into the quiet, barren streets. The moonlight shining down and kissing your form. A shiver running down your spine from a warm breeze ghosting over your form. It would be a good night to fish. The door closed softly as you started walking towards the woods outside the town, fishing line curled up within your right hand. The moon shown down upon the forests illuminating the night bright enough for you to see and watch as the trees swayed im the warm breezes and hear the peaceful rustling of their leaves and lullabies of the crickets. It was just so beautiful and lively. You always loved doing this. Not when it was dark and scary however. It was more beautiful in the daytime. 

The sweet smells of flowers and grass were encouraging your lungs. Combined with the warmth of the summer air warming your muscles and urging them on. Both made you feel as light as a feather on your mere feet and the ground felt soft under you. It would've been nice if you weren't constantly looking side to side at every shadow that danced in the limited moonlight thanks to the grey clouds looming overhead. Step after step. Faster and faster. You fearfully started to speed walk through the pathways and around a corner of a house as soft dirt pathways turned into grassy floors of forests as you excitedly entered the beckoning woods. The moonlight being blocked out a bit because of the swaying trees and branches and clouds but you could still see perfectly fine. The river sso many people liked to fish at during summer wasn't too far from where you entered. It was just nearly a quarter of a mile into the woods. You loved coming out during these warm months and enjoying the view but ever since the disappearances -...You kept your distance. The way you found the river was walking through a bush and having to blink when a flurry of sparkling lights glared your eyes for a second.

Blinking your eyes adjusted to the beautiful and wonderful sight of a dark beautiful river reflecting the moon on its surface and sparkling as if the reflection had its own stars and consolations within its ripples. Completely untouched and waiting for you to touch its soft silence. Soft footsteps approached the gleaming water and a carbon copy of a woman appeared in the gleaming reflections. She stared up at the original mirroring the actions of the woman above. The woman's fiddled with her line and the small contacts she brought along with her. A hook with a big, juicy worm stabbed on the end of it dangled over the woman in the dark reflection before dropping into the water and rippling the reflection woman away back into the darkness of the waters.

Shaking hands fed the line lower and lower into the blackened waters. F/c eyes darting around the area. Every creaking branch. Every swaying bush. Every tall blade of grass. They all could hide a monster ready to carry you off to be their next meal. Next Bride. Next victim. The fast paced breathing was only matched by the beating of your heart in your chest. 

This was where those three girls disappeared last year, and near where the fourth girl disappeared. 

It was a stupid, STUPID idea!! ...But were you really just going to let your friends go hungry? No. No you weren't going to let that happen. The responsibility of their survival was solely on you for the moment. With a shaky inhale the woman returned to her work. Feeding the line into the wide river's darkened waters before kneeling down to sit upon the side of the water. Trembling. Nothing but the wind and cold for company. 

Rippling, rippling water. Sparkling mirrorer of the stars and moon. Swaying lazily with the flowing currents and keeping in time with the bobbing line of life keeping it tethered to the above world. With a lazed fortune in mind for the woman, a pull tugged onto the line and it was enough for her to pull up a feast big enough for a small person for a day.

You frowned as you gazed at the small catfish wriggling on the end of the line. This wasn't as big as you hoped. It was enough for a small human like you to have for lunch but that's about it. It wouldn't fill up a mermaid for an entire day! But..you couldn't afford to throw it back. A fish was a fish. And you'd have to get more. The line was thrown back in once again sinking back into the only black abyss of the waters. You sat there gazing at the blackness around you with nothing but the flopping fish for company. Every sound was amplified as in the silence made them louder. You shouldn't be here in the woods. You should be at home in your comfy bed asleep and waking up to a good morning where you'd make yourself breakfast before cleaning a little bit and then relaxing on your day off. But no. Here you were in the same forest where four girls disappeared just last summer fishing in the middle of the night just to feed three mermaids that you never really asked for with your poor town suffering the consequences. 

You should've headed the old tales-

The sweet sunlight kisses the world good bye as the sun set on the world. Wishing it good bye to make way for the cruel night that way ahead. Bathing the world in darkness tinted in white by his sister the moon as she dawned her best war paint and climbed higher into the darkened sky to claim her rightful place as Queen of the dark realm. That readd a sign to all her dark children that tonight would be the night for mischief and mayhem. Danger and chaos.

Death and undead.

Beware the full moon that comes to rise in the sky.

Beware the monsters who lurk and live amongst the world.

Beware of those who seek out their own entertainment.

So lock your doors up tight when the full moon appears. Barricade all your windows. Block up any chimneys. Hide away in your deepest closest. Arm yourself with your finest weapons. Speak not a word and be silent. Sleep not a wink and keep alert for they will all spirit you away.

Mischievous fae. Blood thirsty vampires. Carnivorous werewolves. Fire breathing dragons. Scheming demons. And so many more.

Those who refuse to heed the warnings are fated to die to be spirited away never to be seen again. So hide away and don't make a sound. Never answer the door no matter what. And above all else be weary.

You jumped as a thunderclap in the distance overhead echoed throughout the sky. Your head looked up instinctively and stared at the still lit up sky and the dark grey storm clouds that scattered across it like some shattered jigsaw puzzle. The sight of it worried you making a frown appear on your perfectly spooked face. The chilly wind blowing over your body once again as you shivered. 

You were tired. Exhausted even as the night went on. Darkened shadows filled the skies with darkness blocking out the light as your catch slowly grew. One by one. Until you jumped as a giant crash of thunder rolled along the sky making you jump and look towards the sky of darkness. You deemed it time to go then. Quickly pulling in your line up and gathering your fish, another clash of thunder made you jump. The wind picked up hammering branches against each other. Yep. Time to go! You just threw the string of fish over your shoulder when- 

DDDDRRRAAAAAAAGGG- 

You froze when you heard it. A distant cry of the Water's surface breaking just a few feet away from you to the right as you turned your head. The sounds of something coming from the other sides of the bushes. You couldn't move. Couldn't speak. As fear gripped your neck tightly and your eyes stared at the cold wind blowing the bushes around. The mud squelches and splashing sounded..BIG. POWERFUL...But also-

COUGH! COUGH! DDDRRRRAAAAAGGGG!! COUGH!

T H U D- ! ! !

You jumped as SOMETHING BIG. Collapsed.

Collapsed. JUST. BEHIND. THE. BUSHES.

You still didn't move. Panicking internally. What were you supposed to do?! Get your neighbors?! You wanted to go back...but what if it was someone who did need help? Or what if it was a wild animal? WHAT IF IT WAS A CREATURE GETTING READY TO CARRY YOU AWAY NEVER TO BE SEEN AGAIN?!...Ok. maybe not. Calm down. It was just.. probably just a wild animal! Yeah! It was probably injured or something! In which case you better leave anyways. ...Buuuut if it WAS an injured animal like a deer then maybe you could just use it for food! You guessed it didn't hurt to just take a quick look. Right? Slowly you stopped and looked back towards the bush. Your bare feet touching the ground gently and quietly enough to not make yourself known.

Your breath hitched in your throat.

Quietly you stepped closer as and closer and CLOSER to the bush silently. Slowly stopping right in front of the bush. The wind blew swaying it's branches creepily and looked like thrashing arms. You grabbed a handful and silently and slowly pulled them back.

And you froze at what you saw-

The winds howled as the darkness crept across the skies. The darkness behind the bush shielded your form from the moonlight which cascaded down between the trees and clouds in the sky. The shadows danced and branches creaked as the wind blew them about. Like arms beckoning you closer to grab you away in their rough grip. Drag you into the shadows never to be seen again. You cracked an opening in the branches and looked out. The darkened sky looked out over the entire area. Tree branches swayed and night fell upon the ground. However you froze as your eyes met a sickening sight.

R E D.

The coldness of the air bit down hard on your skin, like painful bee stings pricking your skin. The terror far greater than seeing a thousand wolves sunk in. A hand flew to cover your mouth as a foul urge to vomit rose and a sickening copper smell filtered through the air.

RED!!

That was the color painted everywhere on the ground displayed before you. And there...lying face down slumped over was a man's body. A canvas for the color. Your eyes shrank in terror and your ears gained a ringing sound all on their own drowning out any noise.

A DEAD BODY.

Right there lying right in front of your face. How-...How did this happen?! Where did it come from?! You wretched yourself away from the bush in shock and leaned over slightly. The urge to vomit riding as you did everything you could to keep it down. The bush branches snapping back into place hiding the sight from you. Automatically you gave a few coughs and gulped down air in an attempt to calm yourself head spinning. There was a dead man on the riverbank! Oh gods! What if someone thought you were responsible for this!? You could be tried for murder-

Wait...

How did you know he was actually dead?

That one thought made you freeze in your tracks instantly. That's right...How did you know for certain that he was dead? You just merely saw him covered in blood with a gash on his back. Your head turned back to the bush. He...he could've been hurt and tried reaching your house for help. What if he was laying there suffering?! That thought perked you back up into going back to the bush and cautiously reaching out to slightly pull the branches again. The body was still there unmoving. It...sure LOOKED dead but you couldn't tell in the dark. If he was still alive..you had to help him. You couldn't just leave someone to bleed out. The unmoving form still remained unmoving even as you noisily pushed through the bush and stood right next to the head. It was then that you again stopped dead in your tracks both shocked and horrified as the clouds overhead parted enough to allow more moonlight to light up the area truly revealing who or more accurately WHAT was laid in front of you 

A pale torso of blood covered skin sank down into the mud. Skin slowly melted away into fiery orange and red scales smooth and polished like that of a snake..Or fish. A giant tail full of fins sank deeply into the muddy bank before disappearing under the waves of the water that lazily hugged his body. F/c eyes widened to the size of plates.

A MERMAID?!

..No. wait-

Your eyes narrowed more in the darkness. A mer-..Man???

It was definitely a man. You could tell by how Large the body was and how muscular the exposed skin was. In the limited moonlight you were able to make out long blonde hair that mostly covered his face and he laid in a position that suggested that he'd collapsed by himself instead of being washed ashore by the river currents. But the question still remained...Was he still alive?

You hesitated again ...but slowly you reached over to the face laying on its side and touched the long strands covering his eyes. It was .. surprisingly soft and silky to the touch and you slowly pulled it away from the face to examine it. The right side of a man's face greeted you. You nearly jumped back at what you saw.

"Oh my gods."

A fish hook was just mere inches from his face. One of those thick metal ones that they used to catch tuna, small sharks, and other large fish. You immediately grabbed it pulling it safely away from him. What was this doing here?! A few more centimeters and it could've handed his face if he chose to move, splayed out on the cold unforgivable ground unmoving. His right eye exposed from pulling his hair back was closed obviously either unconscious or dead, and read streaks ran down his face in water dripping patterns from a cut on his forehead. However...that wasn't the strangest bit. Your hand instead went to almost touch his lips and flinched back feeling a weak warmth across your fingertips. You reeled back in shock, hand to your chest, and jumping. His body was still warm!!

HE WAS ALIVE!!

The hook was thrown aside along with the line of fish you caught thudding into the wet ground. Hands grabbed his right shoulder and HEAVED. Barely moving an inch, but slowly the body turned, and with a thud he was collapsed onto his back. A shocked gasp escaped from your throat upon eyes seeing his front body. Oh gods...So much blood. His body was practically DRENCHED in the red color! And you found out why. A large gash across his front from his left shoulder and ending just above his right hip was exposed to you. Definitely bigger than the gash along his back. And there was a third smaller gash along his right collar bone ending near his bicep. There was so much blood..How was he even still alive!? Wha-..What happened to him?! What caused him to get like this?! Thick broken strands of what looked like broken strands of rope was laid out all over his body, curiously you grabbed a piece and pulled it off him. What used to be a net maybe? You continued pulling it all off of him the hardest part having to walk into the river a bit and slide it down his tail in order to slip it off his tail. So much for a dry dress. The ropes were thrown aside and wet squelch sounded as you pulled up the hem of your now soaked dress to go kneel by his head.

It provided you a better look despite the limited moon light. You could get a better look at his injuries noting there was more than you expected. More BLOOD than you expected. It seemed most on his head came from either his mouth or from the cut on his forehead. There was also more cuts on his tail, but thankfully none of them looked very deep or if they were they weren't bleeding which was also good. But you also noticed something else. Something else very important about him. 

He was also wearing jewelry.

A thick gold chain was around his waist like a belt almost. His ears were pierced with a few small gold earrings that you only noticed thanks to the moonlight making them shine. Some kind of golden bands were wrapped around his left forearm, and finally a few rings were on his fingers. OOOH boy. Your eyes widened when you saw them. They were studded with big diamonds and other precious jewels. Whoever this man-..merman was, it was obvious he had access to some kind of wealth. Taking a closer look..He also was very handsome under all of the dread. Briefly your panicked mind wondered if all mermaids were like this or if it was just the ones you came across.

You reached out to touch it his neck for a pulse. F/c eyes smoothed over the body still wet and warm from the turbulent journey down the river. However the water droplets dripping down the body was expected, as was the smears of crimson blood from the injuries. What was not expected was the lack of movement coming from his chest. The woman froze again upon blankly staring down at the unmoving chest as a horrible reality was finalized right then and there. 

HE WASN'T BREATHING 

The horrible realization struck her as hard and quick as lightning made out of bricks. Her breathing hit he'd as her knees dropped next to his chest. Hands raised shaking and panicked as she stared panicked at the bloody body..Quickly the woman's hands reached out to shakingly pat at his cheeks.

"Please wake up. Pl-Please wake up!"

Unresponsive. Eyes remained closed silently drifting away from the world as peacefully and slowly as a leaf flowing down the pond. The woman above only being a distant audience- Until she refused the reaper his claim that day. 

Hands pushed themselves onto the unmoving chest. Hands interlocking. Arms stiff. And then the first of many pushes down. 

"Wake up!"

Sweat beaded from your forehead as you rapidly delivered a series of pushes down until you reached to the count of thirty in your mind. Stopping abruptly and grabbing his head. Nose pinched, head tilted back slightly, and not hesitating to place your mouth on his to deliver breaths. Sweat coated your face as you continued the cycle. 

Rapid pushes.

"Come on. Come on."

More breaths.

"Fight it!"

Rapid pushes.

"LIVE DAM YOU!"

Tears helped up in your eyes. A sob nearly escaping. The darkness and distant thunder overhead mocking your attempts at what seemed to be a lost cause. Gleeful in your failing. A shaking added to the woman as she went to quickly place her mouth back onto his- and then he choked.

The movement of him against you caught you so off guard that you actually tumbled backwards out of fright, the mud making a loud splat sound as you fell into it. If the dress wasn't ruined before it certainly was now. However that was the farthest thing from your mind as the body convulsed with coughs escaping the mouth- Two hands grabbed him by the shoulder as you heaved with a loud grunt to pull him onto his side. 

"That's it. Good. Good." A hand gently rubbed his back as you held him there. A gasping choking sound like a drowning man finally getting to land. "You're doing great. Keep breathing."

HE WAS ALIVE. HE WAS BREATHING!! He was still not in good shape but he wasn't dead! Thank the gods! The gasping choking sounds continued for a little bit making you wince as you watched him. His mouth hung wide open exposing a few fangs you wearily eyed. The girls had fangs too but his were much more sharp and pointy. His eyes squeezed shut and his brows tightly furrowed as he gasped and every so while spat. Until eventually his head laid upon the ground exhausted. Chest rising and falling deeply. 

For a moment there was nothing.

The sounds of creaking branches, wind, and heavy breathing were the only things heard besides the distant sounds of thunder in the ever darkening skies. Nothing but you staring at him in this point frozen in time as a hand encouraging rubbed at his back.

Then ever so slowly his eyes opened.

You froze when you first saw the whites of those eyes. At first they were confused blinking the blurry vision away only to be greeted by the darkness. A moment of longingly staring ensued, until the eye turned to stare up at you. You froze at the unusual eyeball staring at you. It was unlike anything you've ever seen. His pupil instead of the usual black was a pure white surrounded by a ring of red that was in turn surrounded by a secondary ring of orange. It made contact with your f/c irises and stopped there before widening in surprise. Your face stained in crimson red and mud brown. There was nothing but the tense breathing for ten seconds before the entire face slowly turned to you. The wet hair cling to his face, semi stained by the blood, and mud smeared on other parts of his body that wasn't already caked in water and/or blood. He just ..Laid there. Staring up at you. Right in the eyes. As if he couldn't believe what he was seeing. His fire like eyes stared at your eyes then looked down at the lower half of your face and the crimson smear. It looked like he's seen a ghost. 

"GAH!?"

You jumped back as his arm moved, pulling your hands away from his body and leaning back. Eyes wide as the limb shook enough to be mistaken for a frightened worm. You flinched. Was he going to attack you?! Drag you down into the water?! Drown you?! You were going to die and for what?! Helping him?! Your eyes clenched shut awaiting your fate!

A shaking hand reached up and-!!! Gently touched his mouth in bewilderment. 

"....Did you ju-just k-k-kiss me?"

A GLASS SHATTERED IN YOUR MIND

Wait...What?!

You lowered your arms slowly. Even more slowly as the most hoarse man's voice you ever heard came from the merman. You stared at him wide eyed as he stared up at you. "....W-What?"

"Ma'am, I am hu-humb-b-bly flattered-" He was BARELY able to hold up a badly shaking hand. "-bu-but I am a h-..*cough cough* ha-happly mmmarried man."

You stared at him blankly for the longest time just staring. His voice sounded like he desperately needed a glass of water for a dry throat. ".......SAY WHAT?!"

"I u-understand that I happen to b-be a- about b-but I as-sure you that I am l-like..Super married. *Cough cough cough*" He coughed a few times covering his mouth as you still stared shocked.

"I-I didn't kiss you!!," you squealed out horrified. "I was admitted CPR!!"

"I-Is that W-What humans do to court?"

"Wha- NO!! YOU WEREN'T BREATHING!!", You shouted at him red creeping up onto your face. "IT'S A MEDICAL TECHNIQUE!!"

He slowly blinked at you.. before speaking. "Oh. Well t-that is more sense. *Cough cough*"

You ignored the red in your face. "Just..Who are you?"

"I-I could be ask-asking you the same thing. W-What is a hu-human girl *cough* d-doing here?"

"Night fishing. Are you feeling ok?" You hesitantly raised your hands towards his body but stopped shortly of touching him.

"Not at all! I'm in incredible pain!," he shouted in a raspy voice making you wince at the volume.

"SSSHHH!! Keep your voice down!," you whisper shouted at him looking around the darkness. Who knows who..or WHAT could hear him?! "Is there anyone nearby who can help you? O-Or maybe family?"

"Nope! But i-if you help pu-push me back into t-t-the river then I might be *cough* a-able to get back!"

"... Can't you not move with your injuries?"

"BARELY!"

You again just stared at his face..then at his body..then back to his face. Oh no. NO! Nonononono!! This could NOT be happening to you! Not now! Not again! You couldn't get further involved into this! 

"Is there anywhere you can go for help?"

"N-Not around here."

You should walk away now. You had already did your good deed. He was alive and he could take care of himself! You shouldn't be getting anymore involved. In fact you even stood up and turned making him blink from where he laid in the mud-..Mud. You turned back around. He was weakly and pathetically staring at you from the mud like a piece of junk to be discarded. Helpless. Unable to find for himself. If a wild animal like a bear or wolf didn't get to him first then someone else could find him and..Who knew what could happen to him? And that's only considering if he didn't die from his injuries first. ..He breathed heavy and turned his head upwards as two feet stopped in front of his head. You looked back down at him. A crash of thunder illuminated each other's faces.

"Just out of curiosity, do you know what a piggy back ride is?"

The house was silent. Nothing but the thunder overhead and the wind scratching against the window and the raindrops beating against the rooftop as the sun still stayed hidden for another hour or so. 

T H U D-!!

The door flew open, hitting the fair wall behind it causing a loud thud to ring out throughout the otherwise silent house. 

STEP, STEP, STEP, STEP.

You pulled yourself into the house slowly step after slow step. Into your home until you collapsed onto the floor. A series of thumps and thuds rang out as bodies and objects fell. You fell exhausted onto your side breathing in and out gasping for air like a drowning man. Her body felt somewhere between numb and in pain, especially her back. Her entire body soaked to the bone because of the pouring rain and she was still covered in mud and blood. Only now she was soaked too. Only good thing about this was that no one would be outside to see her. Seriously. Why did mermaids have to be so darn HEAVIER than they look?! A large hand reached out to gently grab your shoulder. Still gasping for air, you opened your eyes to stare at the merman collapsed onto the floor next to you. Despite his condition being much worse than yours, he still looked concerned for you.

"Ma'am, are you alright?"

A crack of lightning rang out allowing you to briefly see his face better in the dark. You waved him off way plopping with a wet smack sound onto your stomach and weakly rising up to your hands and knees. You had to close the door. The rain still poured outside in the dark hours of the morning as you weakly crawled to the doorway, giving a weak but worried look around, and then closed the door before collapsing onto the wooden frame. The mermaid watched you carefully with a worried but curious.look on his face. 

"My apologies!"

You weakly waved him off again just catching your breath. Man. Your back was killing you. Even the other three weren't this heavy. Speaking of which ..How the hell were they going to react when they saw you bring a complete stranger back with you? You really were insane for doing all of this.

The merman gave a look around from where he awkwardly lay down. "..Your abode looks highly warm. But how are you supposed to raise guppies here?"

...Guppies?

"Y/N'S BACK!! Y/N'S BACK!!"

Suma's voice echoed throughout the home only drowned out by the storm and you tiredly lifted your head up. However you weren't the only one that froze when hearing the voice. The merman had frozen stone cold at the voice.

"Y/N?! Y/N, Y/N, Y/N!! YYYYYYY/NNNNN!!!", Suma continued calling when you didn't answer her right away. 

He. FLIPPED. Literally. He flipped around landing on his stomach startling you by his sudden action. Hissing, pushing himself up onto weakened shaky arms as he stared down the way towards your bathhouse. 

"S-...Suma?"

Silence rang out other than the rain and a crash of thunder shaking the windows once more.

"... Kyojuro?!," one of the girls called back however you were so shocked by what was happening you didn't register who it was.

Recognition flashes across the man's face. Shaking breath rattling his chest mouth agape in those breaths. 

"MAKIO!!"

Fwap- "Gah!?" 

You toppled over as the end of his burly tail slapped into your. Desperation. Hesitation. Adrenaline. All pumped through the veins. Come here. Go. His mind told him. Claw after desperate claw again perfectly clean wooden floors as he raced . Mind reeling with the knowing NEED to be closer to the warmth his heart was attracted to. 

"Hey! Come back! Your wounds will get worse!," you called out to him as he desperately clawed away at a pace faster than you thought possible.

Despite your screaming muscles, you forced yourself to stand up and quickly walk after him as his form disappeared down the hallway. You turned the corner and looked down said hallway just as the man was clawing the bottom of your door with hissing desperation like a wolf frustratedly digging after a rabbit hole. Eventually he got it open pushing the door aside with a grunt and just-..Stopping. staring wide eyed into the bathroom. After about five minutes you slowly began walking down the hallway while keeping close to the wall just in case. The silence continued until the man's head raised higher. Tears starting to whelp up in them- Before without even a warning he just as quickly clawed his way into the room making you again pause.. Before quickly approaching. What was going on?! What if he hurt them?!

However when you hit to the doorway, you paused. In shock of what you saw on the other side. 

"Kyo!! Kyo!!" Suma called out for him crying historically as she held out her arms to him.

It's ok! He was here! He was coming!

Desperately and desired needs to be close. The desperation was met with open arms as you watched the three desperately crying mermaids clawing desperately at him. At first you were scared that they were attacking him by the way Hinatsuru just wrapped herself around his neck and the other two grabbed his sides and PULLED. Making them all tumble back and into the water, a giant splash noise resonating throughout the room as water sloshed over the sides and droplets rained everywhere.

"Hinatsuru!"

Footsteps approached the tub as you leaned over the side. She might've been crushed under his weight..You stopped. You blinked. You stared down at the scene before your eyes. Two emotions hit you. Absolute confusion and fluster as your face went red seeing Hinatsuru and the merman in the middle of.. Passionately kissing.

The kiss was deep but passionate, like lovers who've been apart for years. He held her so close to him as she gripped his cheeks. Both had tears streaming down their faces before a long held back sob escaped the pink mermaids throat and made them break a kiss only for Makio to take her place latching onto him to kiss him over and over and over for what seemed like eternity. Suma cried loudly as she desperately cling to his back, curled up and tears smearing the mud stain on his shoulder.

"I THOUGHT YOU W-WERE *HIC* DDDDDREEEEAAADDD!! AAAHAHAAAAA!!"

"NEVER!!" He shouted. Hugging two crying warmth givers to himself. "Never, never, never again." He repeated that mantra. Their warmth satisfying a deep hole made in his chest finally being filled again. "It's been so long..I'm never  letting you go again."

A shadow fell over them all as you stared bewildered. "..Just who are you?"

"... Apologies." He didn't look up. Didn't care. "I am called Kyojuro. You may back away now."

There wasn't really an answer until Suma looked at you, blinked, and then shrieked. "Y/N'S BLEEDING!!"

Uh oh.

[lovelaughsimp]

Love.

It was all because of love.

Love is not something which ruins one, it liberates oneself and the other. Whilst, the obsession and selfishness teaches you to have desires, these desires leads to anxiousness and the anxiousness leads to wrath. Why him? Why them? Why not me? Why did she not choose me? Why did he not choose me? Love never rages, it is like a calm, serene lake,it does hurts you in some way, but love is that which teaches you that willingness and selflessness. Love is wonderful. Zayne was like that one calm lake to me. The one who taught me selflessness. I was selfish at times, alot if I may add. Where everyone wants to be with their loved one, of course they do, the presence of your lover by your side is like the sun in between the winter, but how can one want to be by the side of their beloved if it's hurting the one whom you admire the most. The sacrifices he made, the way he ruined himself, everything. It was hurtful to the eyes and the heart.

Love is pure, it will teach you everything. You could not sacrifice yourself before but be in love they said, sacrifice for the lover comes easily. He had enough, he suffered enough. Love is like a tree, giving shade, fruits, protection, if needed you can cut it down to build your own house, yet the tree asks for nothing. Such was the love Zayne had. It was full of sacrifice and purity. How can someone love that way? I have no answer nor did I question, it was him afterall, Zayne our very perfectionist. Why did he choose this pain? Why did he willingly choose the pain and longing of despair over the beautiful life he could have chosen? Who among everyone can willingly choose the path of pain if one have the liberty to choose the pain with no pain.

When you love someone for carnal desires that implies you want to take pleasure from other one that leads to greed, after greed attachment takes place. After attachment anger will take place, after anger pride will take place, the pride will soon turn into jealousy and all of these things are sinful enemy of a man. His love was not for worldly desires, everyone has them and everyone follows them as such. Who does not have carnal desire to be one with others? Of course everyone does. But Zayne, he was different. He always has been. This love, compasses the worldly desires and pleasures, it was divine, pure, purposeful, sacrificial, selfless, that was what made him wonderful. Many can say they love you but they still hide their carnal desires, behind the facade of this worldly realm but who can choose you beyond this was what matters and Zayne was really that.

Zayne— a name which once was foreign to the tongue started sounding like a divine spell, taking away one's willingness to end everything. His love was a lesson to me. Did I even love him enough to go through the pain and sufferings as he did? If love can break mountains, then perhaps deep within somewhere love can also break his curse, the same way the love cursed him. If poison can kill someone then so it can be the antidote. After all love wins all.

[steampunkforever]

You must long for the summer of unripe apricots. It comes only once. You will scrape your elbows and knees on the bark as you climb up the twin trunks in the side yard of a woman who will break her neck in a car crash ten years later but still come out all right. You will shake the boughs till the fat golden fruit tumbles from the branches and to the waiting tarps below. You will bring basket after basket home that summer and you will long for it. There is abundance in these baskets. The fuzzy orange skin ripening to sunset gold. You will never reach the bottom of the baskets and crates and boxes full of apricots you can only taste in your dreams. The fruits at the bottom will spoil before they see daylight and this will not matter because two more baskets are coming tomorrow and a third will be sent home with your dad. You eat the unripe ones, their taste almost chalky, slightly bitter, texture just firm enough to be crisp, yet still sweet past the traces of bitterness of tang. Yearn for this, you'll only get this once. This is the summer of unripe apricots. Take part. You eat as many as you can but there are always more. Your mother bakes cobblers, your dad packs half a dozen into his lunches, the fruit ends up in jams, jellies, preserves, canned and jarred and candied and syrupped til the smell of warm apricot permeates the kitchen, the car, the yard filled with the small teardrop stones leftover from your orange gold feast. Their texture in the dry sun is like the dark cracked nose of the old dog that has just been napping on the patio. She snuffles you with it, and it is as warm as her lazy flanks, not yet licked to wet coldness by the warm tongue currently tasting the sweet apricot juices that ran down your forearms and dried to summer's stickiness. You eat as many unripe apricots as your stomach can hold. Yearn for this. A misremembered number of weeks into the summer of unripe apricots you will eat too many. The gastrointestinal distress resulting from this will turn you off the taste of apricot for approximately a decade. Your body will harness foraging instincts not used in your bloodline since your great uncle crashed his fighter plane in North Africa. Every apricot is poison. The golden orange hue the glow of a deathly mushroom or the shade of the killer dart frog's skin. You know better than this, but the primordial revulsion within you is as strong as the ancestral crags it was formed in. Your summer of unripe apricots will never bear fruit again. The next year the frost kills buds sprouted too soon. The year after high winds strip the branches bare. The next year it's been ten years since you tasted the abundance of those two apricot trees. Yearn for it.

[jayteacups]

Levi Week Day 3: Shy & Blushing | Affections & Fondness

@leviweek2023

To celebrate your second anniversary together, Levi takes you to see the beach for the first time. 

Pairing: Levi Ackerman x fem!Reader

Tags and warnings: Back on my soft Levi agenda :3 Fluff, established relationship, canonverse, civilian!Reader, takes place a short while after the beach scene in S3. Mild NSFW (very brief descriptions of oral sex, F receiving). Mild as it may be, I still don't want minors interacting.

Word count: 3.5k

A/N: So I haven’t written anything in a while but this event is helping me get over my writer’s block little by little! I missed the first two days sadly, and this is also a day late, but I wanted to at least get something done for Day 3 lol. This is based off a really cute dream I had a few months ago about a beach date with Levi, but I never got around to writing it, so this was the perfect chance to finally put it into words. I am absolutely incapable of writing anything other than soft sappiness lol. Hope you guys enjoy reading!

Before today, the biggest body of water you’ve ever seen was the lazy, winding river that runs right down the middle of your home village, where all the merchant boats come in, where all the kids go to play in the sweltering heat of the summer. You practically grew up in the river. It is a second home to you. 

And yet it doesn’t hold a candle to the ocean in the slightest. 

Miles and miles of pure blue stretch out far beyond the naked eye, the rolling waves on the horizon glinting as they catch the sun’s rays. Untouched by mankind, there is a serene quiet to the air, punctured only by the splash of water making land and the occasional bird cry. 

Such a place could only ever exist in myth, or so you thought.

“It’s like something out of a fairytale,” you whisper in awe. 

You feel Levi’s eyes on you from behind. “Yeah,” he says quietly. “Yeah, it is.” 

The two of you are coming up on your two-year anniversary as lovers, and the Survey Corps’ last expedition to the coastline a couple months ago had inspired him to take you out to the beach to celebrate. He had wanted to show you it’s raw, untouched beauty, before the infrastructure development plans are put into motion. 

The way the dry sand shifts under your bare feet catches you off guard. Soft, warm and pliant, which isn’t what you expected at all. The sensation makes you giggle. You can’t help but lean over and touch the sand with your hands, picking a handful of it up and letting the tiny grains slip through your fingers. 

“Beware of the sand.” Levi says next to you ominously, taking off his forest-green cloak. “Before you know it, it gets everywhere.” He’s decked out in full uniform and gear. Even though Paradis Island has been declared clear of titans, Levi refuses to take any chances. 

You look over your shoulder back at your lover, grinning giddily. “Guess we’ll just have to wash it off in the ocean, then,” you declare, heading right towards the sea. Gone is the soreness from days of camping and riding through endless grasslands, your arms clenched like a vice around Levi’s waist as you tremble atop his horse, feeling all too exposed without the safety of the Walls. Only curiosity and joy remain, propelling your feet towards the water. 

“Shit—wait, don’t go too far,” Levi calls. You turn back. The reins on his horse are gathered in one hand, both of your cloaks and your shoes in the other. “I’m going to set us up under that tree over there. It’s hot and Mercy needs some shade.” 

You tilt your head. “Okay. Need a hand?” You reach for your shoes and cloak to carry them yourself, but he shakes his head. 

“It’s fine, I got it. Besides, I can tell you’re practically shitting yourself with excitement to go frolic around.” 

“Mm.” 

“So you can go ahead. Just not too deep, I know you can swim but the waves might be stronger than you think. And watch out for poisonous shit and don’t pick any sea creatures up. Hange got stung by this weird-ass blob called a jellyfish because they got too cocky after picking up several non-poisonous things despite me telling them every five seconds to not do that, and their hands were covered in welts for a fortnight.” Revulsion passes across his face for a moment as he recalls the memory. 

Confused, you frown. He hasn’t told you this story yet. “What’s a jellyfish?”

“Fuck if I know. That’s what Arlert said they were called. Just watch out.” He leans forward and kisses your cheek tenderly. As he pulls away, you notice his ears are flushed. How cute. 

“Alright, alright.” You laugh, and follow it up with a kiss to his cheek. “I’ll be careful. Come join me soon, yeah?” 

The slightest of soft smiles graces his face as he nods, before you turn around and jog back towards the sea, lifting your skirt above your knees. 

The sand grows colder, wetter, firmer under your feet, a change that rips another joyous laugh out of you. As you approach, the sea moves forward, as if to greet you, and a small wave splashes gently over your feet. You giggle. 

“Hello, ocean,” you murmur, kicking the water to gently splash it back. “It’s nice to meet you too.” 

A quick scan of the shallows revealed no sea critters. Bummer, you were hoping to at least see what a jellyfish looked like—what kind of an explanation is ‘weird-ass blob’?—but you suppose not seeing one is better than an accidental sting. Lifting your skirts up higher, you wade deeper into the ocean until the water reaches your thighs before looking back at the shore. 

On the beach, Levi spreads out his spare cloak as a mat underneath a tree. Next to him, his horse, Mercy, sits and takes a well-deserved rest in the shade after a long journey. He then strips himself of his jacket and boots, before folding them neatly into a pile next to your camping packs. He does the same for your cloak and footwear that you’d discarded carelessly earlier, too caught up in excitement. As he loosens his cravat, Levi’s head turns back towards the sea, evidently looking for you, and offers you a little wave. 

You wave back enthusiastically. “Come join me!” You call. As fun as frolicking in the water sounds, you don’t want to do it all by yourself. 

Another handful of minutes is spent taking off his gear and straps, before he walks out towards the sea. You wait excitedly, as he slows to a stop, just a hair’s breadth away from where the water stops. 

Levi rolls up his trouser legs and tentatively tests out the waters with the tip of his toe. 

You grin. 

“Don’t laugh.”

You purse your lips. “Not laughing.” He’s just so endearing.

He was like this too with the river near the Queen’s Orphanage, where you work as a teacher. One day, Historia took the orphans to the riverbank to play and invited Levi Squad to spend the day off there with her. You’d waded into the water and beckoned him to follow, only to find him standing hesitantly on the riverbank, shifting his weight from one foot to the other. There aren’t many rivers and lakes down in that shithole where I grew up, are there? I can’t swim to save my shitty life, you remember him saying. Eventually, you’d coaxed him into standing ankle-deep in the river, and he’d ended up watching over the children that didn’t want to venture any deeper either. After all, they had all come from the same place he did. On expeditions and even now on this camping trip, Levi uses a bucket and rag to wash instead of submerging himself in rivers or lakes like everybody else does. 

“It’s okay.” You say reassuringly. “It’s hardly any different from standing in the river.” 

He gives you a very familiar look of exasperation. “Give me a break. I didn’t get into the ocean when I was here with the others, and I still can’t fucking swim.”

“That’s fine. We don’t have to go any further than knee-deep.” 

He nods. Despite that, Levi still lingers with his toes barely in the water. Slowly, you get the feeling that his hesitation has nothing to do with his inability to swim. 

You purse your lips, holding in a laugh. “I see. You’re scared of jellyfishes, aren’t you?”

He blinks, deadpan. “You’re hilarious. I’m not scared of jellyfishes.” 

Your face splits into a grin. “Yes you are.” 

“I am not. This is ridiculous.” 

“If a jellyfish was to show up right now, what would you do? Hide behind me?” 

“If a jellyfish was to show up right now, you’d be the one hiding behind me, just like you do whenever there’s a spider in the house.” Levi crosses his arms and gives nothing away with his expression, but his ears are turning redder by the second. 

You give him a teasing look. “Sure, sure.” And even if you did end up being scared of a jellyfish, you know Levi would help you without a second thought. Just like he does with the spiders. “You know, I still have no idea what a jellyfish is. How would I hide behind you if I don’t know what I’m supposed to be hiding from? What even are they?” 

“Freaky little fuckers, that’s what they are,” he grouses. 

“Okay, well, we’re not going to let a stupid freaky sea creature ruin our fun, yeah? We know that they exist now, and since you’ve seen one, you know what to look out for.” You hold out a hand. “We’ll be okay.” 

Levi’s eyes drops towards your hand, clearly debating on whether or not he should take it. He’d been too shy to show any sort of physical affection towards you when Historia and his subordinates were also present, even though everybody was off-duty that day. 

Now, though, there is nobody watching. 

Just how the both of you like it. 

Levi searches your face for a moment, before he quickly snatches up your hands, and takes another step into the water. A new wave rolls in, harder than the rest, and crashes against both of your calves, soaking the hems of his trousers and your skirt. 

“See? All fine.” 

Still holding onto your hand so tightly his knuckles begin to whiten, Levi scans the waters with narrowed eyes. “Mm hm.” 

This won’t do. He’s still far too tense, far too on edge. What you wouldn’t give for him to be able to relax without feeling guilty about it. Concerned, you squeeze his hand. 

“Hey. How about we get out of the ocean for a bit? You said we were going to stay here tomorrow for the actual anniversary too, so there’s absolutely no rush. For now, we can walk along the beach as far down as possible and then back up here again. The sun looks like it’s going to set soon too, so it won’t be too hot for us. You won’t have to worry about leaving Mercy alone for a short while, she won’t overheat.” 

Bit by bit, the tension seeps out of him as he considers your offer. He squeezes your hand back.

You smile. “Let’s go.” 

———

As you walk along the beach, two bright red, shelled creatures make you yelp as they abruptly cutting the two of you off in your tracks, scuttling sideways. You also come across the occasional pretty seashell that Levi offers to hold in his pocket, before eventually stumbling across a strange mass washed up on the sand. 

Levi flings an arm in front of you. “Stop.” 

“What the—” Realisation strikes you quickly. “Is that a jellyfish?” 

He nods stiffly.

“So that’s what it looks like… well, you’re right. It is a weird-ass blob.” 

“This one’s triple the size of the one Hange picked up.” Levi informs you in a whisper.

“Um, is it dead? It’s not meant to be out of the water, is it?”

“Don’t know. Don’t think so.” Levi looks back out at the sea, tugging on your hand slightly as he slowly inches backwards. The sun is beginning to set. “Should probably turn back anyway.”

“We could just walk around the poor thing, if you want to keep going.” You offer him a reassuring smile. “But I don’t mind either way.” 

He shakes his head, the tugging on your hand growing stronger. “It’s been too long since I’ve fed Mercy. And the sun is setting; we need to set up our tent before dark. Come on, let’s go.”

He’d fed his horse not long ago, but you just suppress a smile of endearment and let Levi eagerly steer you away from the beached jellyfish. You squeeze his hand in comfort, and he squeezes back in thanks.

As the sun sets, the sky burns. Above you lies every shade of red, orange and yellow imaginable. The sight is gorgeous. 

But not more so than Levi himself. 

You’ve always attested to his beauty, though he’s always quick to say otherwise. But if he could see himself today, alight from the sunset glow, you aren’t sure even he could deny that whatever higher forces are out there took their time shaping every feature of his to perfection. 

And he says he’s the lucky one. 

As the two of you walk, hand in hand, you both gradually drift sideways towards the ocean, until the two of you walk ankle-deep in water, feeling the sand get drawn in and out under your feet as the ocean ebbs and flows. 

Despite his nerves from earlier, Levi had chosen to walk on your left side, the side exposed to the big expanse of ocean. Content to stroll in silence, to simply take in this beautiful feat of nature around you, you notice Levi looking out to the sea every now and then, admiring how the light glints off the waves. Even the curve of his cheek—which is all you can see when his head is turned away from you like this—just fills you with an inexplicable joy. As Levi looks back in front of him to see how much farther the two of you have to walk, you notice his expression is softer, content. Dare you say it: he’s happy. 

“It’s really nice seeing you like this.” You murmur, voice barely audible above the breeze. 

He looks back at you. “Hm? Like what?” 

“Like you’re at peace.” 

His breath hitches. At a loss for words, Levi’s pinky curls around yours as he looks back out at the ocean for a moment. 

“I have you to thank for that.” 

The words are accompanied with an awkward clearing of his throat and a blush so undeniable he could not possibly pin it on the reddish glow of the sunset. 

“The last time I was here, it wasn’t like this. It was… All I could think about was…”

He pauses, exhaling harshly, as his feet come to a stop. You come around to face him, taking his other hand. In times like these, you’ve found it’s best to not say anything, to give him the room to gather his words. It’s hard for him to express his feelings and thoughts, and from the small glimpses of his past he’s revealed to you, it’s not difficult to see why. There is no room for vulnerability in the life he leads. And yet, he tries for you. You’re so incredibly proud of him, beyond what your own words could ever express. 

“Hange and my squad were having the time of their lives. Armin’s dream to reach the ocean came true. But all I could think about was how everybody who didn’t live to see the ocean should have been there to see it. How much they would’ve loved this place, just like you do.” He swallows thickly. “Then Eren, that brat, he… he goes and ruins the mood for everybody else. He goes and reminds us all of what awaits on the other side of the ocean. As if we could ever forget.” 

You remember reading the article about it in the papers. How your blood had gone cold. How faint you felt at the realisation that everything Levi and his comrades fought for, shed blood for, offered up their hearts and lives for, had been for a truth uglier than anyone could possibly imagine. 

No. It’s not like you could forget either. 

“And if that wasn’t enough, he goes and contemplates what it will take to finally reach the freedom he thought was beyond the ocean. Doesn��t take a genius to figure out what his first thought was.” 

You feel sick to your stomach. The hurt and shock on your face must be clear as day to him, for Levi shakes his head and pulls you in closer to him, a hand rubbing your back. 

“Fuck, I shouldn’t have told you that,” he says quietly. “Sorry. I just… before today, that was my first and last time seeing the ocean. This time… this time is better.” Voicing it makes him blush once more. He looks away again. “Much better.” 

Reeling from his words, all you can do is bridge the gap and pull him in close for a hug. Inside, there is a sinking, sickening feeling that things are only going to get worse for the Survey Corps from now on. 

You close your eyes. “I wish this could all be over,” you mumble into his shoulder. He’s warm under your touch. “You must be so tired.” 

In response, he holds you tighter, his body melting into yours, and sighs. 

———

On your way back, you feel Levi taking quick, stolen glances at you when you’re looking elsewhere. Every time you turn back to look at him, he’s whipped his head in the opposite direction and is looking out at the ocean, presumably to hide his blush.

You grin to yourself, and look in the opposite direction. Beyond the sand lies a more firm, grassy area with those unfamiliar-looking trees just like the ones you left Mercy under. You and Levi quickly agree that once you get back, you’ll go a little further inland to set up camp, since he’s wanting to avoid getting sand in the tent. 

In your mind, you replace a patch of the grassland with a cosy cottage facing out towards the sea. You can almost hear the sounds of joyous laughter being carried by the wind: yours, Levi’s, and perhaps a third voice, much younger, much less burdened by the weight of the world. 

The two of you make it back to where you started with still some daylight to spare. You give Mercy some water, and prepare dinner from the packed rations, whilst Levi, having proven himself capable since he does this every time he goes on an expedition, walks a little further inland and puts up the tent. 

The moment you two crawl inside and lay down your sleeping bags, Levi presses a searing kiss to your lips. It isn’t long before his head is between your thighs, bringing you to the edge. Always willing to give. Your fingers weave through his silken hair, and tears of pleasure—tears only Levi has ever managed to draw from you—sting at the corner of your eyes. 

When you come, he comes—untouched. And after the two of you gather yourselves and clean up, he’s looking at you ever so fondly, like he will never get the chance to look at you again. 

“If I could give you the world,” you say, pulling him closer (it will never be close enough), “I would.” 

“I don’t want the world,” he mumbles, leaning down to kiss you, “I never have. I want you.” 

———

Long after you’ve fallen into slumber, Levi lies awake, mind racing. 

I want you.

He means it in every sense. 

Out on the beach, walking beside you and admiring your breathtaking radiance, he’d come to a realisation he should’ve come to a long time ago: he wants to marry you. The question had lingered at the tip of his tongue the entire way back, but he had managed to hold back on asking you right there and then by looking away, catching his breath, letting his burning face cool with the breeze. He couldn’t let himself ask you in that moment. If he was going to ask you to spend the rest of your life with him, he was going to do it properly, with a ring that shines as brightly as you do. 

It’s kind of ironic, how this entire trip to celebrate your two-year anniversary as lovers, would’ve been the perfect time to propose, yet he’d been too slow to realise it until now. He decides that the moment he gets back to the Walls, he’s visiting the nearest jewellers. 

He’s always been that way, Levi supposes. It had taken him years after your first meeting at that teashop to tell you how he’d felt, and he almost never told you at all. For so long, he had been convinced this could never be in the cards for him. Everybody he has ever loved meets the same tragic fate, and he’s scared that one day, you will too. 

But if you ever do meet that fate, he knows in his heart of hearts he will never regret loving you. 

He reaches over to pick up his pocket watch. It’s dark inside the tent, but his eyes have always been keen, and he can make out the positions of the hands. 

Fifteen seconds to midnight. 

He takes a moment to look down at you in fondness. Your cheek is squished against his chest, soft lips parted to let out slow and deep breaths, your arm loosely draped over his side, legs entangled with his. 

Ten seconds to midnight. 

He dares to mouth the words. Will you marry me? 

As if in response, you snuggle up closer to him with a sleepy sigh. 

Three, two, one. 

“Happy anniversary,” Levi whispers, heart full, and closes his eyes. 

© 2023 jayteacups | do not repost, modify or claim as your own work.

Masterlist

[danikamariewrites]

Consequences

Dark!Elain x reader

Notes: I was missing her and reread my headcanon and thought that I should write about my sweet flower girl killing readers ex. Also happy Elain week! I’m not participating but I wanted to show her some love.

Warnings: murder, stalking (kind of)

Adjusting you to life in House of Wind was a little rough. You weren’t used to not being able to come and go as you please. Though Elain never questioned why or where you were going like your ex. She knew where you were thanks to her new witchy ways.

You were enamored with Elain. She quickly became your safe space and she was always gentle with you. Elain never hid things from you either. She was honest about the darkness of the world and had you convinced only she could protect you. After all, Elain did save you from that wicked male after all.

During afternoon tea with her sisters, Feyre tells Elain something that has the Seer simmering with rage. “I’ve heard from others in town that he’s looking for y/n.”

Elain clears her throat. “Is he asking calmly or is he acting deranged,” she asks airily, not letting her sisters see the murderous ideas running through her mind.

“The latter.” Elain hums, sipping on her tea.

That night Elain held you extra tight in bed. Praying to the Mother for you to stay safe in her arms. For you to stay with her forever.

Over the next few days Elain spends her time tailing your ex. Watching him grovel to his friends, begging for help to find you during the day then sneaking into his home at night. Digging through his things and leaving gifts in places yet to be discovered.

She had heard him being told no multiple times. That he never deserved you and to give up. That only enraged your ex. “I will find her! No one else can have her!” He screamed in the middle of the street at a group of males. Elain watched him storm off in the direction of his home.

She took his outburst as a threat to your life, making her see red. Elain followed him home and watched as he paced and paced and drank late into the night.

When he was drunk enough—and knowing the poison was working its way through him—Elain crept into the house on silent feet. His back was facing her as he filled his glass again. Turning around the male nearly jumped out of his skin at the sight of a stranger in his home.

“Who are you,” he stuttered out.

“No one of consequence.” Elain gives him a slow, disturbed smile.

The male started to cough violently, blood and spittle flying from his lips. Elain watched as her poison worked its way through his body. As he collapsed to the ground going still she got to work.

——————————

The next morning at breakfast Azriel broke the news of your ex’s death. You didn’t show any emotion, you just sipped your tea and ate your muffin. Elain stared at you waiting for a reaction.

All day she watched you. Waiting for you to cry for him or miss him but nothing. You hadn’t even asked Elain if she had anything to do with his death.

By late afternoon she decided to confront you about it. It wasn’t good to keep your feelings in and she wanted to be there for you if you broke down.

Leaving her work room she found you lounging in the garden, soaking in the sun. “You should move soon, my sweet lily.” You smile up at her, squinting to see her through the blinding rays. “I thought you said the most important thing for flowers was sunlight,” you tease.

Elain crouched down cupping your cheek. Your skin was warm and soft. She let out a hum and smiled back at you. “Yes, but this flower has beautiful skin. And I want to keep it soft and perfect,” she traces your cheek gently with the tip of her finger. You rolled your eyes but humored your girlfriend, moving to the shade of the old willow tree in the middle of the garden.

You and Elain sat in silence for a bit. She wrapped you in her arms letting your head rest on her shoulder. Elain became impatient. Desperately wanting to know what you know.

“Y/n,” she starts, “If you want to…talk about him, I’m here to listen.” You let out a small chuckle. “Elain, I feel more relieved than anything. And I know.” You turn to look at her. Her brown doe eyes staring at you unblinking. “I’m safe. You keep me safe, love.” You kiss her cheek going back to resting on her shoulder.

Elain kisses the top of your head, pulling you closer. “I always will, my sweet lily.”

[shadowgast-recs-weekly]

Soulmates: A Shadowgast Rec List

This week, we have Soulmates! Check under the cut for 10 fics that feature Essek and Caleb being fated for one another, and don't forget to comment and kudos if you like them!

the shade of poison trees by MithrilWren (3791, Teen) Reccer's Content Notes: No Content Notes

Essek didn't realize, when he was young, that the name on someone's arm could be shameful. Like all other topics, he learned quickly.

Reccer says: I liked it!

Marked by venndaai (1979, General) Reccer's Content Notes: No Content Notes

There is a particular kind of magical tattooing process perfected by the Kryn. It is used on only two occasions: for the ritual of Consecution, and when two Consecuted vow to be with one another through all of their future lives.

Reccer says: A fantastic trope subversion (Caleb and Essek don't share any marks), that also explores what it means to choose each other.

you're familiar like my mirror years ago by bubblesandburdensfics (3057, General) Reccer's Content Notes: No Content Notes

Your greatest hurt's name is on one wrist and your greatest love is on the other. Caleb has a hard time telling which is which.

Reccer says: I liked it!

I can see a glimmer by HostileGlitch (1303, General) Reccer's Content Notes: No Content Notes

In a world where soulmates share magic, generated when they touch, Essek realizes how much brushing hands with Caleb Widowgast could mean.

Reccer says: Combining Essek's hunger for touch and his hunger for magical power is next level shit, this concept is so tasty.

with flying colours by idontreallylikebutterflies (2254, Teen) Reccer's Content Notes: No Content Notes

People who are important to you - platonic and romantic - leave marks on your body. For the longest time, Essek only had one mark.

Reccer says: I love expanding soulmarks to platonic loves and friendships, and Essek's feelings on soulmarks still ring true throughout.

little thumbprints by softlyblue (6239, Teen) Reccer's Content Notes: No Content Notes, Choose Not to Warn

In a world where soulmate marks are rare and often mistaken for birthmarks. Essek and Caleb have learned to hide theirs.

Reccer says: The story of Caleb and Essek's soulmarks was great, but I also enjoyed the little asides about other Exandrians' marks and locations.

Fortune's Fool by timbrene (5047, Teen) Reccer's Content Notes: No Content Notes

The Luxon marks Kryn with the name of their soulmate. Essek doesn't get one until he is 90.after a few more decades, isn't sure he will ever meet Bren.

Reccer says: I like the pining. Essek thinks Caleb is not his soulmate and then later, when he realizes he is there is still so much pining.

Falling Toward The Singularity by Riot_Fae (117491, Mature) Reccer's Content Notes: Graphic Depictions of Violence

Essek joins the Mighty Nein after Travelercon.

Reccer says: A very interesting and welcome take on the soulmate concept! Elegantly written and fun to read!

And In Dreams (we will meet again) by Beauteousmajesty (6138, Teen) Reccer's Content Notes: No Content Notes

Soulmates begin to share memories after the first skin to skin touch. After Caleb kisses Essek's forehead, they begin to share memories

Reccer says: Beautiful writing and an interesting concept!

The following fic received two recs!

Some truths are stubborn as gravity by SkyScribbles (4742, Teen) Reccer's Content Notes: Emotionally Abusive Parenting

In which you cannot lie to your soulmate. Which makes things difficult, if you are Essek Thelyss, and you were raised a liar.

Reccer 1 says: It's a different take on soulmates than I'm used to seeing

Reccer 2 says: It's a classic - I love the premise and the worldbuilding involved, and the problems that not being able lie causes Essek - and how he manages to get around them anyway. It's a must read, in my opinion.

Aeor is for Lovers is an 18+ Shadowgast Discord server. The above fanfic recommendations were pulled from our community for this weekly event. All fics, unless otherwise specified, will primarily feature Shadowgast. Have any questions about what this is? Check out the FAQ! Next week, we’ll be back with WIPS!

[randomwriteronline]

A deafening yowl shakes the crowns of the trees.

"He's not allowed here!" a thin voice wails, "He's not welcome here!"

A dozen maddened smiles fall from the branches, limbs clattering and spasming but not attacking yet: they circle the boys menacingly, misshapen feet not touching the ground, ragged coats of leaves rustling with an ugly rhythm to accompany the dance-like tilting of round heads with beady bloodied eyes.

The ground shakes as little feet stomp hard from up above, so hard that the poor tree their secret assailant stands upon creaks in pain.

"It's me!" the farmhand reassures the tantrum thrower, "It's just me!"

"I know it's you!" is the furious response, childish wrath made into waves of sound: "But you've brought him along! The liar! The scent-changer! He's not allowed! He's not allowed in here!"

The grotesque sylvan corpses thrash about and claw at the air - they reach forward, towards the living young men, as if to rip them into ribbons; their large necklaces rattle with their sudden movements, their crazed dance around them picks up the pace.

"What are you talking about?" the farmhand insists, louder than the rattling puppets.

"He's not allowed here!" the shrill voice repeats. Pupils of black fire shake in the dark, the sound of bones trembling turning louder and louder. "He's not welcome here!"

The marionettes howls and shudder in a hellish symphony meant to accompany the enraged words.

Branches break, bend with a crack: a hole in the foliage, in the resplendent green of the Sacred Grove, opens upon wide glowering eyes, lightless in their shimmering yet horribly bright like blood moons behind thin clouds.

"How dare you!" the little figure hidden within the shade wails, tearing bark apart and shaking the roots out of the ground: "How dare you! How dare you come back wearing his scent again! How dare you!"

A funerary horn screams.

Dozens of wooden claws lurch forward.

They ignore all else around them to wrap around armor of silver and hair of gold, seeking to dig into already crimson marks, into an eye that seldom opens, scarlet painted irises as dark and still as their gaping grins while their limbs jerk about mechanically, incoherently, stilted and cruel in their rush to vengeful violence.

Blades of all shapes hurry to break them, tear them apart before their thoughtless bodies can rend flesh into a thousand ribbons: the puppets burst into dry leaves, crumpling to dust before they hit the ground as though burnt.

The horn sounds again, and again, and again, calling too many marionettes all at once - they pile up on one another, crush each other, get smothered under their brethren, and the brass sound echoes still through the storming crowns as mighty branches shiver and colossal roots break apart the dirt, even ground disappearing fast, too fast, sending them all tumbling on one another as the earth opens like a multitude of maws, rows of thorns and poisonous mushrooms blooming in the chasms like a hundred teeth and tongues awaiting only the slip of a foot, snapping and creaking as they reach out to grab the oldest man between the gaps that the younger leave as they stand between him and the forest so suddenly, voraciously hostile.

"Quit that!" the farmhand shouts: "What's gotten into you?"

"HE'S NOT ALLOWED HERE!" the little one shrieks. "HE'S NOT WELCOME HERE!"

"We just need to pass through! He's not going to give you trouble!"

"HE'S NOT ALLOWED HERE!"

The grove closes in on them in a second, and it's pitch black.

Their eyes open to a cloudy sky and ringing ears.

The farmhand sits up between the groaning of his companions, briefly pondering what the fastest way could be now that they have no access to the most direct path is barred from them.

He turns to the oldest of them, looking cross: "Just what the hell have you done?" he asks, "To make a Skull Kid that angry?"

The old man doesn't answer, because he doesn't know.

He does turn deathly pale.

[cal-daisies-and-briars]

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165 for 🧟:

---

“Oh,” Buck says. “You’re not trying to, like, get her back? Big heroic rescue?”

“Uh, no,” Eddie replies, chuckling a little. “I’m not… God, this is awkward.”

“Sorry,” Buck winces.

“No! Not you.” Eddie assures him. “You’re fine… Just, I guess I need to figure out how to talk about this. It’s just been in my head, so far.”

“Oh,” Buck replies. “Well, take your time.”

Should he even be telling Buck all this? Buck might not care. He might not want details. Okay. No. That’s definitely not true. Eddie knows the names of everyone Buck went hiking with in Shenandoah, and the fact that one of them had a more advanced allergy to poison ivy than the average human. Buck definitely appreciates details. Fuck. 

“Oh boy,” Eddie sighs. “Okay, listen.. Shannon and I only got married because she got pregnant, right? We were kids. Still in high school.”

“Wow,” Buck replies. “That’s a lot at that age. I could hardly remember to do my laundry.”

Yeah. Yeah, it was a lot. And Eddie knows he didn’t make all the right decisions. He let fear rule him. And not only that, he felt the pieces of what made him Eddie snap and twist to fit a mold of what he thought a good man and a good father should be. A good partner. Part of that, in his brain, was a good husband and provider. No exceptions.

“I didn’t really know what I was allowed to want for myself,” Eddie says. 

“Ah,” Buck says. “And that’s not her?”

“No,” Eddie admits. “I thought it was… I love her. But, I’m not… I mean, it took the world ending, having no society to expect anything of me at all, and nothing but time to drive and think to really even realize what the problem is.”

Why is he still talking? He doesn’t need to explain this further. Buck doesn’t need to know. It’s nobody’s business. But… But what if he never gets to tell anyone? What if they die in Los Angeles and nobody ever got to know who Eddie is? The thought makes him sort of sick. Like beyond Christopher, he’ll have never really existed. 

“Well, what’s the problem?” Buck asks. 

Okay. Yeah. He has to just say it.

“Uh… I think…” No, that’s not right. “I am, I mean. I’m gay.” 

There’s a beat of silence as Buck processes. 

“Oh!” He says finally. “Crappy time to figure that out, huh?”

Eddie can’t help but laugh. It’s so absurd. 

“Yeah, it really is.”

“None of the apps are working. Half the users are zombies anyway,” Buck continues. 

“Half?” Eddie challenges. 

“Ninety-nine percent of the users are zombies,” Buck amends. 

“It’s a conundrum,” Eddie agrees. 

If only there were a very handsome kind man in the car with him…

Ugh. God. He should not be thinking those thoughts. They have more important things to do. Bad Eddie. 

“Man, she can’t even divorce you when she finds out.” Buck whistles. “All the judges are zombies.”

Eddie snorts. “Shut up.” 

“Sorry!” Buck laughs. 

But Eddie isn’t mad. Not at all. He hasn’t laughed about this once. It always felt too shameful. He always felt like a liar. A fraud. But here Buck is, teasing him lightly, like it’s just another thing. Put in contrast to the end of the world, Eddie’s sexuality crisis doesn’t seem like much of anything. Except it’s still fucking scary. But Buck has made it a tiny bit less scary, maybe. 

“Thank you,” Eddie says quietly.

“For what?” Buck asks. 

Eddie shrugs. “I don’t know, really. Just talking I guess.”

▪️▪️▪️

When they finally reach Los Angeles, later in the day than he’d expected, Eddie is surprised to find that the city is littered with dying zombies. It’s like what they saw through Santa Barbara, the first time. Except, more. They’re everywhere. On every roadway and streetside. Dragging themselves under the shade of any tree. They’re all in various stages of injury and decay. Suffering and bloody. Starving. Dehydrating. It makes Eddie sick to look at. 

This time, Eddie doesn’t stop to put any of them out of their misery. For one thing, he runs the risk of being overwhelmed, even if they are slow moving and withering. For another, he simply doesn’t have the ammunition. 

“I’ve never seen anything like this,” Buck says, looking out the window. His expression is horrified. “They’re all dying.”

“Yeah,” Eddie confirms. “I’ve seen a bit of it. It seems to be getting worse.”

“Is it… Do you think it’s ending?” Buck asks. 

“Ending?” Eddie asks.

Buck nods. “If they’re all dying, and there’s not a lot of people left for them to turn, does it end?”

Eddie takes a sharp inhale. “I mean, I guess, right? If it’s like this everywhere?”

“Right. We don’t know.” Buck sighs. “But, I mean, it can’t be worse elsewhere.”

“I have no idea,” Eddie admits.

“What do you think the world would look like? With no zombies?” 

Eddie thinks. It would be easy to imagine a world where, without zombies, survivors all banded together to rebuild society. Restore order. Repopulate. Farm. A socialist’s wet dream! And as great as that honestly sounds, Eddie doubts it’ll happen. All it takes is a few power hungry people in a lawless land wanting to fill the void. 

“I think it’ll be dangerous,” Eddie answers. 

“More dangerous than it already is?” Buck asks. 

“Maybe,” Eddie admits. “Different?”

“It’d be really nice not to walk around with guns,” Buck sighs. 

Eddie laughs. “You’re telling me. I thought I was leaving war. Not trading one warzone for another.”

“Eesh,” Buck sympathizes. “Yeah, fair enough.”

[samieree]

Peace, Wound, Scar. Again. || SW: The Acolyte

Qimir (The Stranger) x OC

-> Previous chapter -> Next chapter

Chapter VI ''Shades of grey''

After her outburst at him, she felt better - although her emotions were still boiling inside her, at least now she was able to control them. She's already made up her mind about what she'll do, she won't try to defeat him in a fight anymore, she'll wait, Jedi are definitely looking for her already.

"Hungry?" Lys had no better choice than to follow him once he picked up his bag from the ground and passed her.

She didn't answer, just lowered her head a little in thought and followed him. She didn't know how long she had been unconscious, but as soon as he asked, she felt an emptiness in her stomach. There's probably some food in that pot she saw on the stove shortly after she woke up. It must have been some kind of soup, she didn't expect anything else.

Although if it was about Qimir - is that even his real name? - then she couldn't be sure of anything. He always had something to surprise. Now he was acting casually, even nice and caring, which was most likely just manipulation. She couldn't let herself be blinded by this, they weren't friends, he was her enemy, he killed her friends, and he kidnapped her and keep her here, even though he said she could go wherever she wanted.

Where? To the top of this island? Jump into the ocean and hope to swim to some land nearby? And that she won't have a panic attack while swimming...

"Why did you bring me here? You still haven't answered me." she finally asked, keeping a safe distance while walking after him, even if she assumed that she wouldn't be in any danger from him in the near future.

Unless he wants to poison me... No, that would be stupid, he would have killed me a long time ago if he wanted to, he wouldn't play with poisons. Besides, he has to eat something himself, right?

"Why do you think?" he answered with a question, throwing her a look over his shoulder. It was as if he was watching whether she was following or falling behind.

"As a bargaining chip?"

She was following him, so she didn't see that smirk when he looked back ahead. There's no way she really thought that. He wanted to kill everyone who saw his face, that must have been just the first thought that came to her mind. She couldn't take it seriously, she probably wanted to get the truth out of him somehow.

"You seem important." he said according to what he believed. She was silent, but there was something in the silence that said that in her head she was questioning his words, trying to find confirmation of them, why he thought so. He decided to explain it. "'Go back to the ship', holding behind... This is how you treat people you want to protect." he shrugged.

Elyssa didn't even know he noticed these little things. She agreed with being sent back to the ship with Jecki, but on Khofar she decided to stand behind the other Jedi, which does not change the fact that later, when the fight had already started, Yord told her to stay behind him, that he pushed her on this tree, entering the fight himself...

Yord...

No. Don't think about it. It won't help anything, he's dead, they're dead, nothing will change that. You'll only distract yourself by dwelling on them, and you'll grieve over them when you're safe.

She didn't want to pay much attention to his words, but she began to think about it involuntarily. True, she had felt protected all her life, but she put it down to the fact that her former Master was simply responsible for her, she had to protect her until she trained her well enough she was able to defend herself. She was often irritated by spending so much time in the Temple, but she didn't associate it with someone wanting to protect her...

But it's hard for her not to think that it was her desire to become independent that began to divide her and Vernestra. She kept trying to explain it to herself, but the irritation she felt when she was younger never left her.

They were quite close to their destination when Qimir stopped, and so did she. She followed his gaze to the ship, which she now unfortunately had no way to get to due to the rising tide.

"If I were you, I'd start swimming now if you want to reach the ship before sunset." he raised his hand slightly and pointed loosely at the ship. When he lowered it, he looked at Lys, tilted his head a little and added: "Or you can wait for the tide to go out."

She involuntarily shuddered at the thought of swimming there, even though the distance didn't seem that long. The only problem could be the waves - apart from her fear, of course. She swallowed hard, trying not to show how terrified she was by the thought of entering the ocean, even if on the horizon there was a way to escape from here,  from him.

She told herself that even if she wasn't a prisoner, she had to keep an eye on Qimir so that when Jedi find her, they will find him too. But truth be told, it was the fear of water that overcame the fear of him. If not, she would probably have already tried to get on that damned ship, even though she had no idea what part of the galaxy she was in, was it still the Outer Rim?

No matter how hard she tried to hide it, Qimir didn't miss how she reacted when he suggested that she could swim to his ship and fly away. It was a short moment, but it was enough to see her fear.

He frowned. She wasn't afraid to attack him in the forest on Khofar, even after seeing him murdering other Jedi, she wasn't afraid to do it today - although he could put it down to the emotions that were clearly tugging at her - but the thought of going into the water terrified her?

It just added more to the picture he had already formed in his head about her and how they were dealing with her. He already had some thoughts after the fight with her, but now there were even more of them.

"Are you afraid of water?" he asked, even though he already guessed the answer. She didn't say anything, just looked at him with the anger he was already used to. "Why are you afraid?" silence again, although now her look was different. She thought about this, the source of her fear.

Water floods my lungs. Darkness, coldness. The water blurs my vision. I can't get out. As if it had some invisible tentacles that wrapped around my legs. Like the shore keeps moving away to be perfectly out of my reach. My clothes are soaked through, they weigh me down. My hair stuck to my face. I'm about to die. I'm choking. I will drown.

"Nobody did anything about it?" when asking this question, he tried to make the tone of his voice even more delicate, sensing that this was a very difficult topic for her.

In her mind, apart from the nightmare scenes, there were now all the moments she spent with Yord overcoming her fear. Who knows, maybe she wouldn't be so scared now if he was still alive? If everything she witnessed hadn't happened, hadn't it exhausted her emotionally?

She needed time, and she didn't have much of it right now.

She remained silent. She wasn't going to tell Qimir anything about her fear. He'll definitely take advantage of it, he's constantly trying to manipulate her, she can't let him do that...

But he didn't seem to be lying when he said that he had lost everything... Since she woke up, he didn't do anything against her, in fact, he took care of her while she was unconscious...

But it was because of him that all this happened, if he wasn't a monster, he wouldn't have to-

But now he doesn't look or act like a monster. He looks... Really worried.

No.

Yes.

But-

One, huge confusion in her head. She didn't know what to think anymore. It will be best to neither shorten nor increase the distance between them, so that everything remains as it is now. Although that doesn't mean things are looking good right now.

And she can't help but wonder what his real motivations are in all this. She doubted he would answer her if she asked.

"Maybe I shouldn't be surprised... They didn't put much effort into your training either." he finally said to break the silence, which was slowly becoming awkward. No matter how he asks, she won't say a word about anxiety, at least not yet. He started walking again, the steps leading to the cave were now quite close.

"Excuse me?" she blurted out before she could even think and followed him.

To say she was outraged is to say nothing. Long hours of trainings, day after day, for as long as she can remember, first as a youngling, then as a Padawan, and finally as a Jedi Knight, persuading the Temple Guard to train with her... And he tells her she's poorly trained? It was as if all those hours were wasted, which she couldn't agree with.

"It's obvious." he shrugged, slowly walking up the stairs, turning around at the top and looking at Lys before he began to explain. "You allow yourself to be dominated in combat, yet your style places the greatest emphasis on physical strength. This is nonsense, especially since you simply lack this strength."

"Who are you to lecture me?" she furrowed her eyebrows in frustration. He questioned her entire training, her former Master's competence... Everything.

But as the initial burst of anger began to dissipate, she saw the truth in his words. She really wished it wasn't there. If he lied to her at every turn, then it would be easier to prevent him from painting himself as a friend in her head.

"Why didn't anyone tell you that you would be so much better if you focused on your agility?"

She thought back to the days when she was still a Padawan, when she was just learning, not just perfecting. She never questioned what she was taught. Why wouldn't she believe? After all, why should they - especially her Master - not care about her being the best version of herself? This all didn't make sense unless...

Unless she didn't know something.

After all... It wouldn't make sense. Just like him deceiving her at this moment, after all, she was fighting him. She learned his style with each encounter and he learned hers. Although she still had the same feeling that there, on Khofar, he didn't want to hurt her.

It's true, not one of the attacks Qimir launched at her was intended to kill. It was more about... Testing her. To his surprise, although he struck lightly during their first fight, Lys did not decide to counterattack, she did not take advantage of the opportunity to take over the rhythm of the fight and change it to a more favorable one for her. She was adapting and it was hard to tell if it was out of fear or habit.

The second encounter was different - apart from the fact that he could deduce that her double sword contained two crystals, Lys was no longer surprised by the change in the strength of his blows between attacks. However, she wasn't careful enough, because he tripped her legs quite easily and this was the second moment in which he could have killed her if he wanted to.

He didn't think much about the third time because she was completely carried away by emotions. Just like when she threw herself at him today.

Actually, it might have helped her. She was no longer just angry, she was willing to talk, she even seemed to consider his words, think if he was right.

He was glad that in her eyes he was no longer just a monster. Even though she hated that she couldn't see him that way, it was still a step forward.

"You talk as if you were a Jedi yourself." she muttered, no longer referring to his advice because she didn't want to admit he was right.

And even more so to say that he caused her further doubts.

"I was, but a long time ago." he admitted without looking away from her, which was another thing that irritated her. Every moment she held his gaze until he looked away was a small victory, the only one she could count on, but at the same time it left behind a feeling she couldn't describe or identify. And this in turn made her feel uncomfortable.

"Yeah?" she tilted her head, looking him over from head to toe. There was one moment, brief as a flash of light, when the image of him being naked flashed through her mind, but she quickly pushed it away. "I've never even heard of you."

"Because it was a really long time ago." he moved aside, wanting to let her in first, but she didn't take advantage. He waited a moment longer before nodding slightly and biting his lower lip, as if accepting defeat.

How old is he actually? He can't be that much older than me, but then I should at least have heard about him. Especially since he has that scar on his back that looks like it could have been made by Vernestra. I would know if she faced someone like that...

Besides, she would definitely win, she wouldn't let such a... Man stay alive.

She followed him in, but stayed close to the entrance. She watched as he took the bag off his shoulder and placed it on the bed where she had been lying unconscious.

"If that were the case, you would know that every Master wants his Padawan to eventually surpass him." she crossed her arms.

Qimir crouched next to the pot of soup, which she noticed shortly after she woke up. He grabbed a spoon and started stirring with it.

"That's what they say. First, during your first years of training, they teach you how to connect with the Force. Then they teach you how to fight, help you choose a technique, with the illusion that you are the one making the decision." he said.

Due to the doubts that were growing in her and going back to her childhood memories, she could agree with the second statement. But in terms of the Force? There is a reason why the best connection with it is during meditation, when you remain calm. Likewise, there must be some reason to practice it over the years, regularly, so that the connection to it does not fade away. Osha was proof of this - she hadn't had contact with the Force for six years and admitted that she couldn't use it anymore.

"But there is only one way to connect with the Force." she finally replied, taking a step closer.

"Their way so they can stay in control. And if you don't do it the way they want, the connection fades." he turned his head and their eyes met again. Just as he tasted the soup, licking the tip of his finger. "But there is another way." he said it as if he wanted Lys to ask him about it.

Even without it, she was going to ask, curiosity easily won over caution.

"What way?" her voice was quieter, calmer. Her lips remained slightly parted as she wondered what he meant.

"Below the surface of consciousness are powerful emotions." he looked away from her for a moment, seasoning the soup a little more. "Anger. Fear. Loss. Desire." maybe it was just her imagination, but she could swear that he said the last word in a slightly different tone, more suggestive, more... intimate.

And the worst thing was that she couldn't figure out how she felt about it. Whether she liked it or not.

In the same way, she first analyzed in her head the way he was looking at her, before she devoted even one thought to his words.

Am I still a pray, but now in a different sense? Or has it always been the same?

"T-that's the path to the dark side." right after she stuttered, she wanted to bite her tongue, but that would be even worse. She already felt terrible after the way she reacted to his statement, the tone of his voice, his eyes, the small gestures of his hands.

She shouldn't talk to him at all, but stay somewhere to the side, just to keep an eye on him and wait for rescue.

If they're looking for her at all... Although Qimir himself said they consider her important. He also said many other things that made her think and she didn't know if she knew anyone she could fully trust.

But Vernestra... never meant anything bad for her, that's for sure. She taught her well, she knows how to take care of herself thanks to her, after all...

But... Too many 'buts' have been popping up in my head lately.

"Semantics." he shrugged, keeping his eyes on her the whole time, even as he tasted something - probably some vegetables - from the bowl he picked up from the table next to the stove.

This time she couldn't stand it and had to look away, shift it to something else, but no longer look into his eyes or at his small gestures.

With the corner of her eye, she saw him getting up and she didn't like it at all. Involuntarily, she wrapped her arms around herself tighter - even though that the wound somewhere on her right arm, above the elbow, started to hurt when she did it - as if she wanted to distance herself from him this way.

She had to do something to stop him from getting deeper into her than he already did.

"You murdered my friends." she finally said, this time scolding herself for the tremble in her voice.

"I killed Jedi." he admitted. He wasn't going to argue with her, lie, try to make excuses. Especially for something he didn't regret. "I killed those who threaten my existence."

"You killed Yord."

The boy who loved me.

"A man you were going to reject anyway."

It hurt. Especially since he was right.

Their entire relationship was going nowhere because she couldn't return his feelings. They probably wouldn't be able to be friends anymore, but did that mean he should die? What was he guilty of? He always supported her.

Because he wouldn't be able to hide anything from me, right...?

"You killed Jecki, a child!" she made another accusation to stop thinking about Yord. She wanted to raise the image of the monster around him again, to move away from all the other feelings he evoked in her, but it was difficult when he remained completely calm and slowly approached her.

"Did you think you would be able to build a relationship with her like the one you had with a friend who left the Order and you alone? Were you under the illusion that this one would last forever?"

She fell silent, feeling a lump form in her throat, and she had troubles to swallow it. Once again that day, she began to feel tears welling up in her eyes and she just focused on keeping them from falling. Otherwise she will be completely exposed.

"Why do you love people who can only go so far?" she saw him lightly run his thumbs over the edge of the soup bowl - as if nervously? - before he held it out towards her. "Who can't go as deep as you can?"

And who can? He?

"I didn't lo-" she stopped suddenly, realizing what she had almost said. They were her friends, she felt great sympathy for them, but was it love or just a deep friendship? Does she even know what love is?

Yord was willing to give his life for me. Would I be able to do the same? For him or Jecki? Would we jump into the fire for each other, or was there still some thin thread of distrust between us?

I would follow Osha anywhere. Even though I didn't leave the Order when she did, I never felt such a void after anyone else.

"I'm not like Mae." she finally said when she managed to pull back her tears. "You can't manipulate me."

She really wanted to knock the bowl out of his hand, preferably so as to scald him with its contents, but she restrained herself. She had already started a fight with him once and it did her no good.

She turned on her heel and walked outside, stopping at the railing.

Or maybe I've already been manipulated?

She desperately needed a moment of rest, peace, and not thinking about anything. Unfortunately, she was unable to escape. Coming out here, she once again faced the ocean, which pressed against her as if it could swallow her at any moment, even though she was far from the shore. It hadn't been that long, but she obviously woke up quite late, because it was starting to get dark - plus the clouds looked like it was going to start raining soon.

She was tired. After being unconscious for who knows how long and being up for a relatively short time, she already felt like she needed sleep. Even though the fear that the nightmare would return to her was re-emerging in her mind. Right now, at the worst possible moment.

"Can I see the wounds on your arms?" she turned around suddenly when she heard Qimir's voice. He was leaning against the wall and... asking something like that? I don't want anything from you. "Bandages may need to be changed."

At first she wasn't going to answer him at all, but when she heard the muffled thunder of the storm, she immediately changed her mind and wanted to get back inside as quickly as possible.

"You don't have to act as if you care about anything but yourself." she said, passing him as she entered the cave.

She sat against one of the walls, refraining from pulling her legs up to her chest like an offended child would do. She no longer had the strength to move anywhere else when he sat next to her. At least he kept some distance between them - for now.

"But I do care."

She kept her hands on the ground to stop them from shaking. If she could calm down, she would say that she would check her wounds herself, even though she wouldn't be able to find a private place to do it, and she wouldn't ask him to go sit somewhere with his back to her, that would be ridiculous.

"They're just scratches." she muttered. After all, what could she possibly do to herself while running through that forest? Maybe some plants had thorns, after all, her old clothes were cut on the shoulders in some places, but let's not exaggerate... Those three wounds with bandages on them certainly weren't that terrible.

"Let me see. I was already tending them anyway." she felt his hand - no, just fingers, gently taking her wrist and his thumb stroking just above it. After a short while, she removed her hand in a sudden movement and embraced herself. She looked at him sideways, and at that moment he tilted his head slightly, waiting for what he would do next.

Finally, she sighed in frustration and - for the peace she so longed for - she grabbed the edges of her blouse and pulled it off, leaving her in an undershirt with thick straps. Maybe he will be quickly done and she will be able to rest, even if she doubted she'd be able to fall asleep.

She didn't look at it, but kept her hands loose so as not to obstruct anything. His touch was as surprisingly gentle as before when she felt him untie the bandage on her right arm. She winced a little because it was a spot she had squeezed earlier and perhaps made it a little worse. She took just one look at the wound. In fact, she must have hit a thorn and didn't even feel it because of the adrenaline, but the cut in the skin was very short, but deep. Or maybe it happened when Yord pushed her into a tree? It's possible that something got stuck in her shoulder and she didn't notice, because much worse things were happening.

She leaned her head against the wall and looked to the left so as not to even accidentally glance at Qimir. She closed her eyes and concentrated on finding a way to disgust herself with the way he touched her.

She failed. Nothing could make her hate the warm and careful hands that were tenderly tending the first of three bandaged wounds.

~

Quick info: I'm going on vacations at the end of the week, so I don't know will I be able to write new chapters. I'll try to post something before I leave, but I make no promises.

Kisses 💕

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Tags: @linkpk88