#choosing to starve to death is not allowed. you have to pick one

[starlene]

Imagine this: you are stuck on a desert island. You know help is coming, but you also know you will starve to death before it arrives unless you eat something asap. There are four Pokémon with you on the island.

[punkshort]

The Farmer's Daughter

Pairing: Marcus Acacius x f!reader one-shot

Summary: Forced to sell your body after your father's farm went under, you find yourself hand picked to service the Roman army on their latest battle away from Rome. What you didn't expect was to be selected to share General Acacius's room for the duration of the journey.

Warnings: language, smut (18+ MDNI), heavy talks of prostitution, mentions of SA but none occur, reader is a (new) prostitute, virginity loss (no blood mentioned just some discomfort), descriptions of battle wounds/blood, food and alcohol consumption, one bed trope, enemies to lovers-ish, unprotected piv sex, thigh riding, angst, possessiveness

WC: 10.2K

Dividers by @saradika-graphics

A/N: I know by this point his character is mostly referred to as Acacius in the film but I'm sorry, I can't wrap my head around someone moaning that name in bed. So let's just ignore that, okay?

How did this happen? Why did fate play you such a cruel and twisted hand?

When you were younger, you expected to be married off to be a housewife to a solider. From what you heard growing up, it wasn't a terrible life. The men were gone most of the time which allowed the women to run the household and raise children in peace. Unfortunately, your mother died during childbirth and your father, a humble farmer, passed away too early in life, leaving you and his few workers to keep the farm operating for as long as possible. To make money, you spent much of your time at the market, selling the food you made on the farm and the goods you weaved and molded from the scraps.

It wasn't enough. You lost the farm after a handful of years and you were on the brink of becoming destitute. Already you were malnourished and dehydrated, but as hard as you tried, you couldn't find work.

That was how you found yourself in a long line of women, standing silently with your heads bowed and your hands clasped as you were all throughly inspected by a senior officer of the Roman army. They were choosing their group of whores to hire to accompany the men on their next battle across the sea. You were left with no other option but to sell your only remaining asset. The thought turned your stomach, but the idea of starving to death was worse.

One by one, women were hand picked to step forward and exit the room. All in all it had to have been close to forty whores hired to service an entire army.

The odds were not in your favor if you were picked.

It came as a relief when you ended up not getting chosen. You breathed a deep sigh and lifted your chin, scanning the room of remaining women and senior ranking soldiers. You would make do somehow. At least you wouldn't be spreading your legs multiple times a night for different men after they've spent the day fighting and working up their appetite.

You turned to follow the women back out onto the streets of Rome, no doubt searching for another way to sell their bodies, when you heard a deep, familiar voice call your name. You froze in disbelief, wondering who could possibly know you, and then you slowly turned.

It was General Acacius. The fearless leader of the Roman army, but you knew him from your stand in the market. Whenever he was home from battle, he always found you and purchased more than he could possibly need, feeding you and your farmhands for weeks. He never said much and neither did you, but you had grown fond of seeing his greying curls and dark, smoldering eyes approach your stall, albeit with a new wound or scar to show for his travels.

You did not even realize he knew your name.

His eyes drifted up and down your worn tunic, noticing the stains and rips and your poor fitting sandals. Your gaze flickered nervously around the room at the other men impatiently looking to wrap up their work and begin their long journey, but remained silent, deferring to the general.

"You will come with us," was all he said, his voice booming in the small room. Your blood ran cold and panic seized your throat.

"But the choices have already been made-"

"I am paying. I believe I am allowed to decide how many whores we bring along."

You clamped your mouth shut, brows furrowing in anger. How foolish you were to assume he was a man of honor, a man who wanted to help you when he bought your meager wares in the market. As it turned out, he was no better than any other, only out to seek pleasure between your legs.

At that point, you knew better than to argue. Your fate was sealed. Begrudgingly, you forced yourself to follow after the other chosen women, walking past the high ranking officials who sized you up as you went.

The army was to travel by ship. Or multiple ships, to be exact. The women were counted off and told to stand in smaller groups, one handful of whores for each ship of hungry soldiers. When your group was assigned, you heard that familiar powerful voice come out of nowhere once again, stopping everybody in their paths.

"She is to travel on mine," General Acacius announced. A few men exchanged confused glances and Acacius grew irritated. "That one," he clarified, pointing directly at you. The other men quickly nodded and shuffled you into another group, and you thought that would be the end of it, but then he spoke again as the others began to board.

"She will stay in my chambers."

If the soldiers were surprised, they hid it well, but you didn't. You whipped around and glared at him defiantly, a litany of disrespectful curses on the tip of your tongue. Thankfully, you remembered your place and who you were speaking to and caught yourself before you got killed, but as you turned to board the ship, you noticed an amused smirk play across the general's lips.

A young solider shoved you into the general's quarters, ordering you to not go through his things or they would cut off your hands, then slammed the door shut, leaving you all alone. The rest of the women had gone below deck, most likely to a shared room that was filthy and freezing cold. You, on the other hand, had a beautiful soft bed and a roaring fire to warm yourself by a small wooden dining table. There was a bookshelf tucked into the corner and your fingers itched to pull the books out and examine them, but you didn't dare. Instead, you sat on the small cushioned bench next to the only porthole in the room, tucking your knees against your chest protectively while you waited for the inevitable.

Sleep took hold of you at some point while you waited for the general to retire. The last thing you remembered was the open sea and the glorious golden sun beginning to dip just below the horizon. When you awoke, it was dark, the only light in the room coming from the fire. You rubbed the sleep from your eyes and unfurled yourself from your bench to look around, then nearly yelped when you found the general quietly sitting at the table pouring himself wine.

Your heart raced violently in your chest, knowing full well what he expected of you. And despite offering yourself up earlier that day as a whore, you had decided you would not do it for this man. Because this man came to your booth in the market under the guise of kindness that turned out to be a lie, and it simply did not sit right with you.

"I will not lie with you willingly," you announced boldly with your arms crossed. The general quirked an eyebrow and took a long sip of his wine.

"When was the last time you have eaten?"

You scowled, body vibrating with energy and ready for a fight only to be met with indifference.

"I am not hungry."

"You will eat or you will die," he said, avoiding your eye and standing to collect a plate of food by the door. He dropped it onto the table and pointed angrily at it. "Eat."

"Why?"

"You need your strength, you are frail."

"You do not like your whores thin, then?" you shot back. Acacius clenched his jaw, eyes still cast down. "You wish to fatten me up so you have something to hold onto when you force my legs apart?"

"That is enough!" he roared, fiery eyes finally finding yours and pinning you with an intense stare that had you trembling. "I will not be forcing you to do anything except eat. Now sit down, do not test my patience."

It was a combination of fear and hunger that made you obey, sinking down into the chair opposite his where the plate of lukewarm food awaited you. Acacius sat down and picked up his goblet, watching you from over the rim as you slowly began to pick at the food. You both remained silent while you ate and he drank, the only sound to be heard was the crackling from the fire and the distant laughter and yells from his men in the galley below.

He was right. You hadn't eaten in days. It was no wonder you fell asleep so quickly earlier. You wanted to express your thanks, but you were too stubborn. Instead, you finished your food and put the plate in the basin of water by the door before looking around the room once again. It was easily the nicest room on the ship. You had to imagine most of the soldiers would be sleeping in hammocks stacked on top of one another down below, but the general had the biggest, softest looking bed you had ever seen in your life.

But there was only one.

He watched you from his place at the table, studying your face as you worked out the mechanics.

"I will not force myself upon you if we share the bed," he said, dragging your attention back to him. He was still in his armor, all shiny and clean from the public celebration that took place prior to the army's departure.

"Why am I here, if not to pleasure you?" you asked. You sounded calmer than before but you were still very much on edge.

"You believe I would find pleasure in forcing myself upon a woman?" he questioned before draining his cup. You thought about it for a moment and shrugged.

"Perhaps. Yes."

He stared down at his empty chalice, your heinous opinion of him rolling around in his head and making his chest ache.

"Well, I do not," he proclaimed, standing up quickly and causing his chair to almost topple backwards. He began to unhook his heavy armor, dropping it into a pile on the floor until he was down to his tunic.

"If we were to lie together, it would be because you wish it so," he said softly with his back to you. You swallowed thickly.

"What am I to do here, then?" you asked as he began to turn down his sheets. He slid his tired body into bed and sighed.

"Whatever you like. So long as you stay in this room, you will remain unharmed."

You blinked rapidly, desperately trying to put the pieces together.

"That is all?"

"Yes. That is all. My only wish is you are safe and fed."

You couldn't help it. You had to ask.

"But... why?"

But the general rolled onto his side, effectively ending your conversation and leaving you wondering what you had gotten yourself into.

That first night, you did not share his bed. You slept on the bench by your porthole, curled up small, arms wrapped around yourself protectively until the sun rose. When you awoke, the general was gone, but a plate of food was left on the table for you.

The first week on the ship went exactly the same. You stayed in his chambers, staring out at the sea or sleeping until he returned way past dark with some food for you and a tired look in his eye. And every night, you slept on the bench, still far too distrusting of him.

The second week, the general brought a game with him at dinner time. Two cups and two wooden dice. The idea was you had to guess what you would roll. If you won, you got whatever you bet on the round. It wasn't that entertaining at first since you had only the clothes on your back and nothing else, but what you did have were stories or songs or a slight of hand trick your father taught you when you were young.

You wouldn't realize until much later that it was his way of getting to know you better.

"You released all the cows from the pasture?" Acacius repeated in disbelief. You giggled and nodded.

"I was only six years old! I thought they were being held against their will!"

Acacius laughed, the sound making you grin like a fool and your cheeks warm.

"Alright," he said once he got ahold of himself. "Go on."

You picked up the die and tossed them into a cup, giving it a firm shake and smiling when he shot you a playful wink.

You clapped the cup firmly over the table and before you raised it up, you announced, "One three and one five."

"What is your wager?"

You nodded towards his bookshelf. "One of your books."

He looked up at you in shock. "You can read?"

You gave him a fake look of disgust and nodded. "Of course I can read."

"And you have been here this whole time without picking up a book?"

"Your men told me they would cut off my hands if I touched what is yours."

His face softened and he sat back in his chair.

"No one will touch you," he told you firmly. You stared at one another, the heavy moment weighing between you, the implication of his words impossible to deny. No one will touch you because you are his.

To break the tension, you smirked and said, "So I suppose that means I do not need to wager the books?"

Acacius grinned and shook his head. "Too late, little one."

You rolled your eyes and lifted the cup, pouting when you saw two six's.

"Your turn," you said, pushing the cup to the side.

Acacius collected the dice and dumped them into the cup, shaking it while looking at you curiously from across the table and admiring the way the light from the fire flickered over your beautiful face.

"You can still take a book."

You perked up but shook your head. "That is against the rules of the game, General."

"I make the rules. Take a book tomorrow," he insisted before slamming the cup down. His large hand gripped the top of the cup, keeping it pressed tightly against the table.

"Your wager?" you asked, cocking your head to the side.

He swallowed, wondering if he should say what he wanted to say. The fear that you would pull away from him again fought against the insatiable attraction he had harbored for you for years. But the wine must have won the fight because he said, "One kiss."

Your eyebrows shot up in surprise and for a moment, he thought he made a horrible mistake. But then you squared your jaw and narrowed your eyes and said, "Go ahead."

He grinned, pulse thrumming excitedly in his throat when he said, "One one and one four."

But when he lifted the cup, his face fell. A three and a six.

"Ah, well," he said, shoulders drooping. He yawned and stood to collect the dice. "Better luck tomorrow."

Before you could stop yourself, you stood as well and leaned up to peck a chaste kiss against his scruffy cheek. He looked at you in surprise and you gave him a crooked grin.

"For the book."

He smiled and nodded, doing his best to hide his disappointment as you got yourself ready for bed. You had a small pillow and thin blanket to curl up with by the porthole, and it irked him that you wouldn't take more. He feared you would catch a sickness and your malnourished body wouldn't be able to fight off an infection, but you were so stubborn that he couldn't convince you otherwise.

However, the third and final week at sea had you shivering on your bench. Acacius could hardly sleep knowing how cold you were. He could hear your teeth chattering from across the room.

"I beg of you, please sleep in my bed," he said one night as you began to make your little nest by the porthole. You shook your head.

"I am fine, I swear it."

"You are not fine. Please, I will not touch you, you have my word."

You chewed on your lower lip and looked over his shoulder at his warm, plush bed. He could see your resolve begin to falter, so he offered to sleep on the bench in your place.

"No, do not be ridiculous. You have an army to lead tomorrow, you cannot be tense as a knot because you slept on a too small bench."

"I will if it means you are safe and warm," he said softly, his vulnerability taking you off guard.

"General-" you sighed, but he cut you off.

"Please. I promise I will remain on my side of the bed. Just stop being so stubborn for once in your life."

You scoffed and propped your hands on your hips. "For once in my life? And what would you know of it?"

He squinted at you and crossed his arms. "I know more than you think. I know you would not quit until you broke in that filly when you were twelve years old. I know you nearly pushed a boy down a well when he tried to kiss you in front of the whole school. I know you argued with your teacher over the correct spelling of amaranth and I know you poured every last bit of yourself into a dying farm just to keep the memory of your father alive."

Your jaw hung open in surprise, taken aback by the way he stored all of the little snippets of your life you had given him over the past two weeks only to end it with his own observation of you at the market.

You could feel yourself growing weak for him, the temptation to give in too much to bear. He had been slowly wearing you down since you arrived and perhaps he was right, perhaps you were far too stubborn because the last thing you wanted to do was go back on the proclamation you made that very first night.

So, you chose to be defiant.

"Fine," you snapped, swiveling on your heel and stomping towards his bed. "If you wish to share your bed with a whore so badly, then so be it."

Acacius rounded the bed and slipped in beside you, making sure to leave plenty of space.

"You and I both know you are no whore."

"Oh, you know so very much about me, I forget."

You tugged the heavy blankets up to your chin and tried not to audibly sigh at how comfortable it was in his bed.

"If you are a whore, tell me then: how many men have you laid with?"

You clenched your jaw, angry that he was able to figure you out so easily. Instead of answering, you rolled onto your side, your back to him, and muttered, "good night."

Acacius grinned and closed his eyes, proud of himself for besting you.

"Good night."

The following morning, you awoke earlier than usual. When your eyelids fluttered open, the first thing you noticed was the ache in your bones was gone. The large, soft bed had been enough to cure you in just one night.

Not something you planned on admitting to the general, of course.

The second thing you noticed when you sat up in bed was that the ship was not moving. It was completely still, and you could hear loud, quick footsteps outside your door and above your head. Men were shouting to one another and the clink of swords and armor were echoing throughout the halls. Then, through the walls somewhere above you, you heard the general's deep, booming voice yelling orders to his men. You threw off the blankets and hurried to the porthole, your eyes widening when you saw land and small boats being lowered into the water.

You had arrived at whatever distant land the emperors demanded Acacius claim for Rome, and the soldiers were getting ready to depart for their first fight.

You chewed nervously on your nail, curled up against the wall and peering out the window for hours until the very last boat sailed away. In the distance, you could see the general's broad back covered in armor, his dark curls fluttering in the sea breeze and his massive sword tucked dutifully at his waist.

He had left for war and didn't even say goodbye.

Why would you care if he said goodbye? Maybe if they all die, you could escape to shore and be free, find a new city and make a home for yourself.

Even you had to admit that fantasy was foolish. No matter where you went, your fate would always be the same. You had no money, no prospects, no skills and no family. Your destiny was already written and it was a miracle your first attempt at prostitution landed you in the cushy quarters of Rome's surprisingly respectful general.

Your nerves kept your feet moving all day. You tidied up the general's desk, sorting his papers and maps. You scrubbed at the dishware until they sparkled and you made the bed, fluffing up the pillows and tucking in the loose edges until you had nothing left to do. The room was as neat as possible, not a single item out of place, and yet you still floundered around looking for something to occupy your busy mind.

When the sun began to dip and his room grew darker, you went around lighting candles to allow for more light. You were in the middle of lighting the last candle when you heard a timid knock at the door.

Nobody had ever come to his chambers the entire three weeks besides the general himself. You swallowed anxiously, wondering who it could be and if you should answer when you heard a woman's small voice from the other side of the door.

You decided it was safe and opened the door a crack to find one of the whores you had boarded the ship with waiting on the other side with buckets of water and a basin.

"For the general," she said softly. You nodded and dragged the buckets into the room, trying not to stare at the bruises and dirt littering her dry skin. Your stomach twisted with guilt after she left and you locked the door. The other women were living like cattle and you were living the life of luxury. Not only was the general not forcing you to fuck him, but you were giving him sass at every turn.

It was a harsh reminder of your fortune, of what your life could be like. The thought of living the life of the women below deck frightened you, so you had decided that evening when the general returned, you would give yourself to him to show your appreciation, as well as out of fear he would soon get rid of you if you didn't give him what he wanted.

You remained at your post, staring out at the dark sea until you could see the bobbing of lanterns making their way across the black expanse, letting you know the men were returning for the night. You rushed to warm up his water over the fire, dumping it into the large basin. You poured some scented oils into the bath just as the door unlocked and opened, revealing a very filthy and exhausted looking general holding two plates of food.

"Good evening," you said, standing obediently. Acacius paused at the door, confused by your formality before closing it with his heel and setting down the food at the table. "I have a warm bath ready for you, General," you added, pointing towards the basin. He nodded tiredly and began to work on the hooks of his armor. You rushed forward to help him, once again taking him by surprise until he was stripped down to his red tunic.

"Would you like to eat or bathe first?" you asked. The general sighed and looked longingly at the bath.

"I will clean myself while you eat," he said. He pointed towards the table and motioned for you to turn around.

"May I assist you instead, General?" you asked with your back turned. You could hear the shuffle of fabric falling to the wooden floor and then a sharp hiss when he sunk down into the warm water.

"Assist me with what? Cleansing myself? I believe I can manage," he chuckled. You turned around to stare at the back of his head, his body now submerged in the water and hidden from view, but you could still see his shoulders and arms. They looked bruised and bloodied.

He didn't notice your eyes on him, of course. He was busy scrubbing the dirt and blood from his skin while he looked around the tidy room.

"It is very nice in here, you did not have to straighten up."

It was the least you could do and you knew it but said nothing.

Instead, you shakily lifted your worn tunic over your head and let it crumple to the floor. Nerves fluttered in your stomach as you slowly approached him, the general completely unaware as he continued to scrub his skin.

"I can think of another way to assist you," you said nervously as you stepped into his eyeline. His chin tilted up and he did a double take when he saw your naked form standing before him. His cloth dropped into the water and his jaw fell open in surprise, eyes wide and greedily raking over your body.

"Wh- what is this?" he stammered, gaze glued to your chest. Your fingers fidgeted at your sides under his scrutiny.

"I thought I would show you my appreciation for your hospitality," you explained. "I would like to repay you in some way for choosing me to share your quarters."

A small smile tugged at his lips as he eagerly reached forward, then stopped when he registered your words. He looked up at you questioningly, excitement falling from his face when he asked, "What do you mean, repay me?"

You shrugged and took a hesitant step forward, close enough now so he could reach out and touch your cunt if he chose.

"I realized today my fate could have been much harsher," you explained. "I have not been showing you my appreciation and respect, and in return, I wish to give you my body to use as you see fit."

Acacius frowned and turned his head away, searching for the cloth so he could continue cleaning himself.

"I do not want your body as payment, I believe I told you that weeks ago."

"You said we would not lie together unless I wished it so," you protested. "I now wish it."

"You wish to lay with me out of obligation, not desire. That is not something I want."

Embarrassment and confusion flooded your mind as you slowly stretched your arms across your exposed body, trying to hide yourself out of shame.

"I apologize-"

"Get yourself decent and eat," he commanded without looking up. His voice sounded hard and cold and for some reason, it made you want to cry. You did as you were told, dragging your dirty tunic over your head and sat quietly at his table to pick at your food. You were confused and ashamed, sitting in the tense room with him while you tried to work out what he wanted from you. The idea of wanting a man out of desire never occurred to you. You had grown up under the impression women of your station did not get to experience the luxury of desire, and instead came to terms early on in life that you always had one asset to use at your disposal.

Not one time did you ever imagine being with a man out of affection or love.

"I apologize," you tried again after he had dried off and joined you. He had changed into a clean, white tunic and was clenching a similar one in his fist.

"You may use this," he said, ignoring your apology yet again. He thrusted the tunic towards you and you fumbled when you took it from his grasp. "The one you are wearing looks as if it might fall apart the moment you step outside and feel the sea breeze."

"Thank you," you murmured, fingertips brushing over the soft and expensive material in your lap.

"I will also call for more water tomorrow so you may wash yourself," he said before biting into a chunk of bread.

Your cheeks went hot with shame, still feeling guilt over the mercy and generosity he had shown you.

"I do not know what it is to desire someone," you said after a few quiet moments. Acacius continued to chew and kept his focus fixed on his plate. "I never imagined it would be a part of my life. May I remind you we come from different worlds."

He grunted in response but you noticed his shoulders begin to relax.

"I understand. But you must stop treating yourself as a whore. You are so much more than that, I have seen it with my own eyes. And to watch you debase yourself, to think so lowly of yourself, breaks my heart."

Your breath caught in your throat and you felt tears begin to well up, quickly threatening to spill down your cheeks. How could you have been so wrong? How could you not see the man for who he really was? He was a man who was gentle, kindhearted, protective and most importantly, cared very deeply for you. To what extent, you were unsure, but if he wanted you to desire him and he saved you from being used by countless other men, he certainly must have harbored stronger feelings than you ever thought possible.

"Alright."

His dark eyes flicked up to yours when you spoke.

"I will not debase myself," you said flatly. The corner of his mouth twitched before he looked back down at his food.

"Very well. I am pleased that has been sorted," he replied before shoving his plate off to the side and standing to collect the cups and dice. "Shall we play a few rounds before bed?"

You grinned and nodded, gathering up your plates and dumping them in the water by the door to clean later before joining him back at the table. And somehow, the awkwardness from the evening faded away after a few rolls of the dice.

It had been two weeks docked off shore on some foreign land. You hadn't left his room in over a month and you were beginning to feel insane. You told him as much early one morning when he was dressing for battle. It was still dark outside. Acacius had mentioned he wanted to arrive on shore before dawn so that he might get into position under the cover of night.

"When I return tonight, I will take you up on the deck for some fresh air," he promised as he cinched up his armor. "Do not leave this room when I am not here."

"Why not? Are your men not with you during the daytime?" you asked from his bed.

"It is not my men I worry about," he explained, sheathing his sword after lacing up his sandals.

"Then what do you worry for?"

"I worry about everything," he confessed. His hand was on the doorknob poised to leave, but he stopped to turn to you one last time. "I do not trust the soldiers from this city not to try to climb aboard the ships whilst we are gone. It is important the ships appear empty."

You nodded in understanding before burrowing back in his sheets and he couldn't help but smile at the sight of you looking comfortable and radiant in his bed.

"Behave, my dove, and we may dine on the deck tonight," he said, making you smile wide. He slipped quietly out of his room and locked the door behind him, fearful if he lingered any longer, he may not leave the ship the whole day.

You spent the afternoon reading and bathing and cleaning the general's dirty clothes in the extra water he had brought up after he left. You weren't sure how it happened, but the two of you had fallen into a life of domesticity amidst war without even sharing so much as a kiss.

What surprised you the most was you enjoyed it. You enjoyed tending to his things and cleaning what you could during the day, and then caring for him at night when he returned all bloodied and tired.

It had not once crossed your mind that he may not return until it happened.

That night, you saw the lanterns bobbing over the water, your signal to begin heating up his water for a bath. Your hair smelled like the expensive oils you poured into his water from your own bath earlier. You smiled to yourself when you thought of smelling like him, and him of you.

Heavy footsteps landed on the wooden floorboards above your head and outside your door. At first, nothing seemed amiss. Acacius usually didn't come to his room right away. He typically visited the wounded soldiers in the infirmary, making sure they were well tended to and fed before doing his rounds, assigning a night crew, and then finally gathering food for you both before retiring for the evening.

But more time passed than usual. You could tell because your stomach began to rumble and his water grew lukewarm. You paced around the room, ears straining to hear the voices from the other soldiers, trying to discern anything from their muffled conversations.

It wasn't until two hours went by that you heard a sharp rap at the door and a man's voice echoing on the other side, announcing he brought you food.

Your blood went cold and you wondered if you should open the door, but then you remembered Acacius told you he wasn't worried about his own men, the underlying message being that his soldiers would never touch what was his. So after a moment's hesitation, you swung open the door.

"Here," a young man said, shoving one plate of food towards you. His face was stained with dried blood and dirt and you frowned before taking the food and thanking him softly.

"Where is the general?" you asked timidly.

"He fell in battle," he grumbled before turning away. Your heart plummeted as you reached out and grabbed his shoulder, taking him by surprise.

"What do you mean?" you exclaimed. Fear and adrenaline mixed with something foreign coursed through your veins as you felt your lower lip tremble. The solider shook you off with disgust before stepping back.

"He was struck down. Last I saw of him he was lying still on the battlefield."

When he saw the look of despair on your face, he took pity on you.

"Others were assisting him, his body will return to Rome," he assured you before giving you a firm nod and disappearing down the long hall, leaving you to collapse into a fit of sobs behind the locked door.

The feeling you had in your chest was similar to the way you felt when your father passed, but something was different. It felt like a piece of you went dark, like you may never smile or laugh ever again. Grief consumed every fiber of your being and you found yourself crawling into his bed, face streaked with tears so thick you could hardly see your hands reach for his pillow. You pulled it tightly against your chest and you curled up around it, muffling your wails until your head began to pound and your body felt weak.

You drifted in and out of sleep, tossing and turning until the room grew cold and the fire dissolved into embers. You stood and wrapped a blanket around yourself, sniffling and shuffling over to the fire to stoke the flames wearing the general's spare tunic he had gifted you. After a few minutes, the fire roared back to life and you sat back with a heavy sigh.

Just as you were wondering what you would do come morning and how you would ever be able to move on without him, you heard footsteps approaching. You whipped around in fear and tightened your grip on the blanket. With the general no longer around to protect you, you had assumed the other men would eventually come looking for you, but you had to admit you didn't expect it so fast.

You curled yourself into a ball on your old bench, staring at the doorknob, expecting to see it jiggle and eventually forced open from the other side, but to your surprise the lock clicked quietly and the door slowly creaked open.

When you saw the general appear, limping and bloodied but still alive, you practically screamed. You jumped to your feet and rushed over, moments away from throwing yourself into his arms before you caught yourself.

"Acacius," you whispered in disbelief, the informality slipping easily past your lips for the very first time. He gave you a tired smile and locked the door behind him.

"I apologize for missing dinner," he said. You laughed as two fresh tears trickled down your cheeks. Your hands hovered nervously over his armor as if you weren't sure where you could touch him.

"Apology accepted," you replied before gingerly unhooking the armor around his shoulders. He groaned with relief when you lifted the heavy metal off him and set it against the wall by the door to polish another time. When you turned back around, you gasped at the blood that had seeped through his tunic, staining the yellow fabric a dark red.

"You are hurt," you whimpered, then hurried around his room for clean cloths, healing oils, and salves he kept in his desk. "Take that off and sit down. Allow me to tend to your wound."

He wordlessly lifted the ruined tunic over his head, wincing slightly when the wound at his side pulled, and he sat down at the table just as you instructed. You collected some of the unused water from his bath and set it over the flames to warm up before scooping up some more and setting it on the table next to him.

"They stemmed the bleeding on the boat," he explained. "It just needs to be cleaned and perhaps -"

"I will handle this. You just rest and eat," you told him, pushing your plate of uneaten food in his direction. His eyes fell onto the food and he frowned.

"It is untouched," he said, "why did you not eat?"

"How could I when I thought you were dead?" you snapped as you brought a soaked rag to his side and began to gently pat at the nasty looking gash.

Acacius took a bite of food, the flavors melting onto his tongue and making him groan. He didn't realize how hungry he was and before he knew it, he had eaten all of the food except for the grapes. You were leaning across his lap, bandaging up his wound with intense focus. He sighed contentedly, basking in the warmth from the fire and the soft touch of your hand on his skin. He could already feel his strength beginning to return.

"That should hold," you said, sitting upright to inspect your work. He glanced down and raised his eyebrows at the neat little bandage you had adhered to his wound.

"You did a very good job. Where did you learn such things?"

You shrugged and began to clean up the salves and oils. "On a farm, many accidents happen. You learn quickly how to tend to a wound."

He smiled and sipped from the wine you had poured for him while watching you move around the room, disposing of his soiled clothes and rags and then bringing the bucket of warm water over to the table with a fresh cloth.

When you pulled the other chair closer and sat, fitting your legs between his knees so you could reach him, he began to protest.

"You do not need to -"

"I want to," you said, cutting him off with a warm, wet cloth on his aching shoulders. His eyelids fluttered with a groan, leaning back into his chair and giving in. It felt so wonderful to be washed by your hand, to have you so close and safe while tenderly caring for him. It was all he had been dreaming about for years, ever since the first day he saw you at the market.

"So many scars," you whispered, swiping the cloth down his broad, strong chest. His breathing stuttered when you reached his stomach and he tensed.

"I have been in many battles," he murmured with his eyes still closed. You hummed to yourself and continued to work, diligently and carefully scrubbing away the layers of blood and grime until you cleaned everything you could see.

"Can you lean forward, General?" you asked, "I would like to cleanse your back."

He nodded and with a grunt, sat upright so he could lean forward. You stood from your chair and positioned yourself behind him, taking great care with every swipe of your cloth, afraid of unearthing a new wound under all the filth.

"Back to general now, are we?" he asked.

Your hand paused on his shoulder blade. He sensed your confusion and he chuckled.

"When I first arrived, you called me Acacius," he explained.

"Oh," you breathed before continuing your work. "That was disrespectful, I -"

"No, I quite liked it," he said before you could finish apologizing. "You may call me Marcus when we are alone, if you prefer."

Your eyes widened and although he couldn't see you, he could tell you were surprised.

"That would be highly irregular," you finally said softly, putting down the wet cloth and picking up a bottle of perfumed oil. You sprinkled a few drops into your palm and you rubbed your hands together. "That name should only be used by those closest to you."

He opened his mouth to respond but when your slick hands found his shoulders and your fingers began to dig into the knots in his muscles, he moaned and felt himself go lax.

"Oh gods, that feels incredible," he rasped. The deep timber of his voice sent a wave of arousal right to your core. You continued to work on his back and shoulders, privately marveling at his broad frame and firm muscles under his scarred, bronzed skin. He was truly something to behold. So strong, handsome, and fearless. Yet also kind and gentle. The proximity of his body and the ricocheting emotions you had experienced that evening had you reacting to him in a way you never had before. It was confusing and strange yet also exciting, and the noises you were drawing from his mouth with every roll of your thumbs was causing a dull ache to form between your thighs.

You blinked and cleared your throat, trying to shake the heavy curtain of lust that clung to you.

"What happened out there? One of your men informed me you were dead."

Marcus sighed and sat up straight, the angle causing you to drop your hands from his tight shoulders. One of his massive hands reached back to take yours so he could lead you to stand in front of him, between his knees.

"They had called a truce. They requested to discuss terms of surrender, so I called off my men and went to speak with their king," he began, his hand still engulfing your own as he gazed up at you with his soft, dark eyes. "It was a trap. They ambushed me when I got out of range. It must have been twenty of them," he continued solemnly, his thumb brushing against your wrist as he spoke. "I slayed them all, one by one, but once I took down their final solider, an archer took aim from the wall. I was able to dodge the arrow but I was not quick enough," he chuckled and looked down at his wound. "I am not the young man I once was."

"I cried for hours," you admitted quietly. His eyes darted up to yours again, holding his breath as you spoke. "I had never considered you would not return to me at the end of the day. However, when I got word you had died-"

You paused when a sob got lodged in your throat. You knit your brows together, hoping to stave off your tears while Marcus patiently waited. Eventually, you gave him a watery smile and lifted your free hand to cup his cheek.

"I felt a grief I never thought I would feel again," you said, voice shaking. His eyes searched your face, watching the way your anguish rolled through you at the memory. He swallowed tightly and, with his other hand, gently gripped your waist.

"Tell me," he whispered, "did you feel these things only because you feared for your safety if I was not here?"

You shook your head as one singular tear trickled down your cheek.

"No," you breathed, "it was because I felt like a part of me died, too. Because I could not imagine my life without you."

When you saw the joyful look in his eye, you quickly closed the remaining distance between you, leaning down the rest of the way and slanting your mouth desperately over his. He moaned and dropped your hand so he could cup the back of your neck, pulling you even closer so you were forced to straddle his lap.

"Do you know what you do to me?" he groaned amid kisses that were growing increasingly messy as the heat between you grew. "How badly I want you? How long I have waited?"

Your mind was blank. You couldn't think of a single thing to say, but Marcus didn't give you a chance to respond, anyway. His tongue slipped past your lips, greedily swirling in tandem with yours and forcing your jaw to open wider. The hand on your waist dropped to flatten against your lower back and he pressed you forward so not even a sliver of moonlight could sneak between your bodies.

Underneath your gifted tunic, you were bare. When you joined the other whores all those weeks ago, they told you there was no use for undergarments, that the men would just destroy them if you bothered to wear any, so just like all the others, you never did. It had never been a problem until that very moment, when Marcus had you writhing in his lap, hips stretched wide and cunt free to rub against his thigh. When you first made contact with his leg, the firm muscle brushing against your sensitive clit, you jumped in his lap and moaned into his mouth.

"Tell me, sweet thing," he murmured when he finally broke the kiss. You were panting heavily, eyelids drooping with need as you gazed down at him. "I know you have not sold yourself to a man, but have you ever laid with one before?"

You shook your head and wrapped your arms around the back of his neck, holding him close. His lips brushed up against your throat and he began to suck on the sensitive skin there as both of his hands fell to your hips. Gently, he rocked you back and forth, sliding your slick, bare cunt over his thigh. He heard you sigh and smiled against your skin when your head dipped backwards in pleasure.

"Does that feel good?"

"Yes," you whispered, voice raspy and thick. "Oh, yes, it feels... heavenly," you told him with a sigh.

"Good," he grunted, "keep going. Do not stop until you come. I will need you soft and wet before you take my cock."

"Yes, General," you replied obediently, making his cock jump behind his thin loincloth.

Marcus tugged at the back of your loose tunic, stretching the material across your breasts so your hardened nipples poked through. With a low growl, he lunged forward and wrapped his mouth around one, cloth and all. His teeth added a surprisingly tantalizing amount of pressure that had you gasping for air as your hips quickened their pace over his thigh. You must have been leaving streaks of arousal all over him but something told you he didn't mind.

"You desire me, yes?" he questioned when he switched his attention to your other breast. You nodded feverishly, face tilted towards the ceiling as you chased your pleasure.

"Yes," you gasped, "yes, Ge- Marcus."

He groaned so loudly you thought he might wake up the whole ship.

"Fuck, say that again."

You smiled and circled your hips faster, grinding down onto his thick leg. You were so close, you could taste it.

"Marcus," you whined, "oh, Marcus. I cannot wait to feel you inside of me. I just know you will make me feel so good, will you not?"

Suddenly, his hand was back on your neck and his mouth was pressed tightly against the underside of your jaw, not unlike a wild animal pinning his prey against his sharp fangs. You could feel his hot puffs of air fanning across your skin and his teeth scraping your throat. His intensity might have frightened you if you weren't on the brink of an earth shattering orgasm.

"I will make you feel so good, you will never want to take another lover again," he said darkly. The hairs on your arms stood up but you continued to rut yourself as fast as you could against his thigh, your own chest heaving as you fought for air. "And if I have it my way, you never will," he added.

His words were what tipped you over the edge. You cried out his name and clutched at his shoulders for support as your orgasm rolled through you, covering him with your slick.

Your body was still trembling in his arms when he lifted you up and carried you to the bed. You blinked rapidly in response, poised to argue with him about potentially reopening his wound, but before you could get a single word out he had tossed you onto the sheets and climbed on top of you, caging you in.

"Before I ravish you, my sweet, what do you know of coupling?"

You scoffed. "I am no fool, I know how it works."

Marcus chuckled at your snark and sat back on his heels to peel your tunic over your head, exposing yourself entirely to him. A groan rumbled through his wide, bare chest as he stared down at you hungrily, all spread out and ready for him.

"I cannot lie. Ever since you first stood before me naked, your beautiful body has consumed my every waking thought."

"It shows incredible restraint, then, for you to share a bed with me each night," you teased, eyes dancing playfully as he stripped himself of his loincloth.

"You have no idea," he growled, falling back onto his forearms. The tip of his nose nudged against yours affectionately. "I have waited years for this, my sweet."

The idea of any man pining after you, let alone the mighty General of Rome, was a strange and foreign concept.

"I am just the daughter of a poor farmer," you muttered, fingers brushing his peppered curls behind his ear.

"Your station means very little to me," he replied, looking down between your bodies so he could notch the thick head of his cock at your opening. "The heart wants what the heart wants."

Your pulse quickened when you felt the slight bit of pressure he applied. Knowing how it worked was one thing, experiencing it for the first time was another.

"I-I was told it may hurt," you said meekly. Marcus's eyes found yours and he tenderly cupped your jaw.

"Yes, that is true, but I promise it will not last long," he assured you. You swallowed and nodded before spreading your legs wider and hooking your ankles around the backs of his thighs.

"Tell me if it is too much," he murmured. He pressed your foreheads together, lips hovering above yours, ready to soothe you from the pain.

"Go on, then," you said bravely.

Slowly, he breeched your opening and sunk one inch inside of you. You gasped and dug your heels harder into his thighs, but Marcus held steady.

"Speak," he demanded after a few seconds of listening to your heavy breathing.

"It stings," you admitted, "but it is not... unpleasant."

He nodded and pecked a chaste kiss against your lips before giving you another inch. You whined and squirmed a bit but once you settled, he took it as his cue to continue. It went just like that until he finally found himself fully seated inside of your tight heat.

"The worst is over, my sweet," he told you.

You wiggled underneath him, moving this way and that until you got used to the feeling of him inside you. Your hands wrapped around the backs of his biceps and you stretched your neck so you could bite and nip playfully at his prickly jaw.

"I enjoy being full of you," you admitted shyly, eliciting a grunt from the back of his throat.

"Good," he grumbled before drawing back his hips and slowly easing himself back inside your warmth. "Because I intend on having you full of me as much as possible. I fear I will never have enough now that you have given me a taste."

Your jaw dropped open when he began to move faster, gently and steadily working you open, carving a space for himself inside of you forever. The only thing you wanted was to have him as close as you could, so you wrapped your arms around him and buried your face against his neck, molding your bodies together as one.

"My sweet girl," he panted, mouth hunting for yours. "You feel better than I ever dreamed. So fucking tight and wet. I cannot believe my fortune, that you would give yourself to me. I wonder if I did indeed die in battle and have ascended to the heavens."

The stretch was divine, his heavy length dragging in and out of you and nudging against a spot that made your stomach clench and your head grow fuzzy.

"Do not say such things," you scolded him breathlessly. His hips stilled for a moment, waiting for you to continue. "Do not jest about your death. My heart cannot handle it."

His eyes softened and his mouth crashed against yours with a groan, overcome that you would feel so strongly for him. He began to roll his hips again but kept his mouth latched onto yours, swallowing down your whimpers and moans.

"I will never leave you," he whispered against your lips. His thrusts grew quicker but he tried his best to be careful and not drive himself too deep for fear of causing you pain. "I will always return now that I have you waiting for me. I shall be invincible in battle."

You laughed lightly, dragging your mouth down his throat and tasting his freshly perfumed skin.

"Was that all it took for you to become immortal?" you teased.

"Yes," he hissed, "a cunt as snug and perfect as yours is all a man needs to give him purpose."

His hand slithered between your back and sheets, pressing his palm firmly against your spine so you arched underneath him. His knees spread wider so he could get better leverage, and he began to roughly snap his hips. You gasped and grabbed onto his hair, giving it a sharp tug and making him groan. It was lewd yet somehow romantic, hearing the sound of your skin slapping together in the otherwise quiet room.

"Does it hurt?" he managed to ask through clenched teeth.

"No," you whimpered inbetween the soft moans he drew every time his cock slammed back into you. "Oh gods, Marcus, please-"

"What do you need, my love?"

He sounded breathless, his voice slightly strained, and your chest burst with pride. You loved the idea of being the one who made such a strong man so very weak.

"I- I am not sure," you admitted truthfully. "It feels so wonderful, but it is different than before."

As it turned out, you didn't need to figure out what you needed because Marcus knew. Somehow, he managed to know your body better than you. He knew how to make it sing and thrum just for him.

His hand snuck between your bodies and the pad of his thumb found your clit. He rubbed firm, slow circles over the sensitive bud, and his name instantly flew from your mouth, loud and wild. You likely could be heard from shore, but Marcus never shushed you. In fact, he smiled and worked his thumb faster, drawing out more delicious moans with every stroke.

"You are so beautiful," he murmured while sucking a mark into your neck. He could feel your lower belly begin to tense and heard your breath waver, so he circled his hips faster, cock greedily plunging in and out of your soaked cunt, chasing his release with reckless abandon now that he could feel you were close.

"I have obsessed over you for years. Dreamed of having you all to myself, just like this," he continued. He could sense his words had a great effect on you. Your walls fluttered and pulsed around him when he admitted his deepest secrets, so he kept talking.

"Long nights spent on the cold ground in the middle of war, I would dream of you. I would wonder what you would be doing back in Rome. I would pray you did not find a husband while I was away."

Marcus gasped when your cunt gripped around him so tightly that it took his breath away. "The thought of you belonging to another was enough to drive me insane," he groaned before capturing your lips with his.

"I am yours," you rasped when he pulled away, and when your eyes locked, he could see the adoration he felt for you reflected right back. "For as long as you will have me, I am yours."

Marcus's eyes slid closed in bliss after hearing the words he so longed to hear. "Come for me, my love. Come for me and when we return home, I shall make you my wife. I will take care of you. I promise you will never go hungry again."

Your hands grappled with the back of his head, fingers threading through his unruly locks as you pulled him down for a searing kiss. He muffled the sounds of your orgasm, cries of his name dying in your throat while your body bucked wildly beneath him.

It only took a few moments before he joined you. With his hand roughly squeezing your hip, he yanked you towards him. His body stilled, pumping you full of his seed while your tongues danced together in tandem until his shoulders sagged and you began to shake.

Marcus flicked the sheets so he could toss them over your trembling bodies. He planted kisses along the side of your head and jaw, then brushed the hair away from your face until your breathing leveled and your eyes reopened.

"Are you alright?"

You nodded and gave him a weak smile. "I am tired."

Marcus withdrew his hips, sliding his softening cock out from your clutch. You cried out in pain and he instantly jolted out of bed to soak a clean rag in some leftover warm water, then hurried back to press it between your legs.

"Better?"

"Yes," you sighed. "Thank you."

He gave you a quick kiss and slid back under the covers. He wrapped his arms around you, pulling you into his chest so he could nuzzle your hair and murmur sweet nothings in your ear.

"Must you leave me in the morning? Can you not spend just one day recovering from your wound?"

Marcus kissed your bare shoulder and shook his head.

"The war is almost done. Tomorrow, I will make them surrender so we may sail home and start our life together."

You grinned and burrowed deeper under the covers. "Did you mean that?"

"What is that, my love?"

"When you said you would make me your wife," you said sheepishly. "Or was that just your mind getting lost to desire?"

"No, I meant every word," he said before rolling over and snuffing out the candle next to the bed. "When we return to Rome, I will make you my bride. You will bear my children and I will watch them play in the garden with you by my side."

You hummed and closed your eyes. "That sounds lovely."

You had very little idea of the politics in Rome and how the highest ranking general of the Roman army could possibly announce he was going to wed a poor farmer's daughter, but you knew deep down if Marcus wanted it, he would somehow make it happen. You knew this because his determination always won, on and off the battlefield.

After all, you were living proof of it.

[thedomesticanthropologist]

Astarions Agonies

Why WOULD you want to love someone after everything has been taken from you? Everything but your name. Everything but your name

Your sense of taste, the warmth of your skin, your own heartbeat. Your reflection in the mirror. Your home, your clothes, your friends, your family. Your history, memories, your life.

Stripped of all of this, left with only the ability to feel. Mentally. Physically. And then that, too, is broken. Because it cannot be taken, so it must be controlled.

Anyone you care for, murdered. And not just murdered, but you have to do it. You have to bring them to their death. Maybe you have to watch. So you protect yourself, you protect them- whoever they nay be, whoever they could have been. You cannot care. You cannot. The consequences are too high.

Your body, every touch you delight in is perverted by the same solemn end. How can you enjoy this, even as a distraction from the more violent touches you are forced to endure, when you are still being forced? You cannot choose the sweet, the kind, the gentle, for they meet the same fate as the cruel, the evil, the fools. Picking soft touches over harsh ones fades to picking at random, to grabbing whoever you can get. Because it doesn't matter. It doesn't matter. It all ends the same way.

And then there is the pain. The Punishments. At first, tastes of who you are- who you can be, are traded out; exchanged for physical torment and 'correction' of your behavior. But the punishments so hea ily outweigh the benefits of a snide remark, a night out too late, a prank, a room visited after being informed it is off limits. A victim you refused to hand over.

This life- no, this Un-death allows for a greater torment than any living person could survive. Hunger, thirst, pain, psychological abuse, sexual abuse. Never, ever ending. There is not a second in the day for two hundred years that you are not watched, used, handled, beaten, starved. Even in your rest there is no relief, for you cannot sleep but only enter reverie- a skill wherein your mind re-lives what you have been through, over and over.

So why would you choose to try to love someone? Why try to trust? Why, when you know what happens when you do?

Perhaps you've been allowed to believe you made it out before, only to have been captured and dragged back. Perhaps you've been allowed to believe a friend or a lover has escaped before, only to be called into a room and advised to clean up their corpse.

The only difference now is the sun on your skin.

The distance between you and that place.

The days, and days, and days that begin to pass with no retribution for your insolence, for your escape.

And these people, these idiots keep... not trying to kill you. Even when they find out what you are. One of them keeps looking at you like they might really care. You can use that, can't you?

Why would you love, when you could use their love to get your revenge?

But... in the wee hours of the morning, in the arms of a living, breathing person who has bedded you more than once and still is not gone forever, you think... maybe, maybe He didn't take it All from you.

Maybe even if he did, you could get it back.

Maybe you could love.

Maybe you could... try living, again.

[thebookdragonshoard]

alright, y’all. i just finished The Bell Jar by Sylvia Plath and it’s time to discuss this fig tree analogy.

buckle up cause we’re gonna be properly capitalizing. it’s that serious.

If you’re unfamiliar with The Fig Tree analogy, let me quote it for you, so you can feel the pain I felt the first time and for contextual purposes.

“I saw my life branching out before me like the green fig tree in the story. From the tip of every branch, like a fat purple fig, a wonderful future beckoned and winked. One fig was a husband and a happy home and children, and another fig was a famous poet and another fig was a brilliant professor, and another fig was Ee Gee, the amazing editor, and another fig was Europe and Africa and South America, and another fig was Constantin and Socrates and Attila and a pack of other lovers with queer names and offbeat professions, and another fig was and Olympic lady crew champion, and beyond and above these figs were many more figs I couldn’t quite make out. I saw myself sitting in the crotch of this fig tree, starving to death, just because I couldn’t make up my mind which of the figs I would choose. I wanted each and every one of them, but choosing one meant losing all the rest, and, as I sat there, unable to decide, the figs began to wrinkle and go black and plopped to the ground before me.” - The Bell Jar, chapter 7

First of all, uhm OW SYLVIA?! I did not need to be called out like that right before bed, but here we are anyway.

Basically, if you don’t get it (and it’s perfectly okay if you don’t!!), Esther (the main character) likens the different paths in life available to her as figs on the branches of a fig tree she sits in. However, she doesn’t know which life to pick (i.e. which fig to eat) because, to her, picking one life means losing access to all the others. And because she finds herself unable to choose one life, they all start withering away before her as time goes on until there are no lives left to pick from, symbolized by all the figs blackening and falling to the ground.

And while this is already a beautiful and profound analogy, humor me by allowing me to take it a little further by looking at it from a different perspective.

What about gluttony???

Hear me out, folks. Imagine that Esther, instead of being paralyzed by indecision, instead tries to take a bite from every fig on the tree, therefore trying to live every life available to her? If she can’t choose just one, why not choose all of them?

But, as she’s trying to live all of these different lives and taste all of these figs, she only has the time to take a bite or two from each fig, leaving them half-eaten around her. She can only enjoy small portions of each life available to her, unable to sit back and fully enjoy the sweetness that life can offer her.

And so, as she tries to live all of these different lives and taste each of the figs, by the time she manages to taste each fig, they’ve all begun to rot anyways. But now, instead of just falling to the ground beneath her and rotting away, they’re rotting away in her hands and all around her. And now she’s suffocating under the sickly sweet stench of their decay. The sickly sweetness of all the lives she tried to live, how she only manage to enjoy a portion of each of them. And at the time, it was fun and she was enjoying living this way. But now, she’s suffocating under the weight of these nice, sweet lives she lived that are now taking their toll on her because we as humans are not meant to do so much at once.

And because she was gluttonous and greedy, she is now too full from all the bites of fig she consumed, consequently giving her a stomach ache from overconsumption. And so, the body’s natural reaction is to get rid of the extra in some way.

By choosing all of the figs, she consequently still ends up choosing none of the figs because they now all rot around her and her body cannot keep them down, leaving her with no figs whatsoever instead of the one she could have had if she had found a way to make a single choice.

Does this make sense?? I hope it does. All I know is I came up with this last night, texted it to my book bestie, and then she was Unwell the rest of the night.

[adamwatchesmovies]

Dune (2021)

Even upon a rewatch, 2021’s Dune: Part One is spectacular. The memorable, foreboding score by Hans Zimmer, the costumes that bring this world to life, the scale of the action and the unique sets, ship & weapon designs all come together to complement a story of mythical scale. After seeing this film, two thoughts start competing for your brain’s attention. 1) If Frank Herbert’s Dune was adapted this successfully, then no work is unfilmable and 2) the sequel can’t come soon enough.

In 10191, the universe is ruled by an Emperor who assigns the exploitation of planets to powerful ruling houses. Interstellar travel is possible through “spice” a substance found exclusively on the harsh desert planet of Arrakis. For 80 years, Baron Vladimir Harkonnen (Stellan Skarsgård) and his house have overseen the harvest of spice. Now, Duke Leto I (Oscar Isaac) of House Atreides is the new steward of Arrakis but only for as long as the flow of spice continues. This shift puts House Atreides, particularly the Duke’s son, Paul (Timothy Chalamet), in danger.

At 155 minutes, you’d think this movie would feel long, but it doesn’t. One of the reasons is that there’s a lot within to keep your mind busy. What’s a Freman? What’s a Kwisatz Haderach? What’s “the voice”? If director Denis Villeneuve tried to cram this story into 90, or even 120 minutes, it would move so quickly that all these questions would leave you in the dusty sands of Arrakis (that’s the planet, right?). By taking its time while moving at a good pace the film allows you - in time - to answer all of your questions. Since you understand what’s happening, you’re engaged. It helps that if you can’t remember what each name means, the visuals pick up the ball. The grotesque, scheming Baron Vladimir Harkonnen is clearly a villain. It's particularly obvious once you see his nephew, the psychotic and childish Glossu Rabban (Dave Bautista). You know you can’t trust the Bene Gesserit because their leader, Reverend Mother Mohiam (Charlotte Rampling) makes Paul take a painful, life-threatening test to prove he isn’t a threat himself. These are only a few of the many examples I could choose and they show how the story is both complex and easily digestible.

Even without the gripping story filled with backstabbings, political intrigue, violence, quests for revenge and harrowing struggles for survival, Dune would still have you tightly in its grip. Throughout, Paul’s psychic abilities give him visions. They foretell the future… sort of. They give hints of what’s coming but hints are not the same as clear answers. These all tie to this planet he’s on; a world that doesn’t end where the screen does. The details in the dialogue, sets and costumes make you wish the Harkonnens would just chill, and save their grudge for later. This way, you’d have time to see House Atreides befriend the Fremen and familiarize themselves with their customs.

There’s so much happening in this film that some of it you won’t “get” until later. For example, the early assassination attempt on Paul’s life. The would-be killer? A Harkonnen cutthroat, hidden in a bedroom wall. What kind of wealth, power and/or terrifying influence could persuade someone to take on that sort of assignment, knowing they would have to wait in darkness for weeks, slowly starving to death, just to kill a boy?

The passion within Dune is as clear as its ambition. You’re only getting half of a movie with it, but this choice feels like a necessity, rather than a Breaking Dawn-type of cash-grab or an attempt to start another franchise for a money-hungry studio. It certainly doesn’t feel presumptuous. Everything we see feels important; like it’s building up to not just one, but many bigger character arcs in a world that contains hundreds of stories. You know the threads that are left hanging will be tied up - that’s the kind of confidence all of the artists at work instill in you. Dune/Dune: Part One is a film that’s going to be remembered. (March 1, 2024)

[myddle]

How Would Vampires Work In The Undertale Universe?

This is something I've wondered about ever since I saw Dalv in Undertale Yellow, although it's a question the fangame doesn't answer itself (which is fine, it wasn't trying to), so watch me just freeball on this question for a few paragraphs if you're interested.

Content Warning: Long Post, Opinions, Fictional Bigotry

Part 1: Biology

Now, as a mythical creature, the rules for vampires are pretty malleable, so we can pick and choose whatever best fits Undertale's setting and vibe, but generally vampires are monsters that hide among humans and parasitically feed on them, whether out of neccessity or for power, and can turn humans into vampires with a bite. Very different from your standard UT monster. In what scenario would a vampire deal with hiding when they can just steal a human SOUL for power?

Well, that depends on a few details regarding how this all works. Firstly: how manageable a monster with a Human SOUL actually is. Asriel's transformation implies it's fairly easy to spot, and while they are described as having unfathomable power, a village of humans brought Asriel to the brink of death (he wasn't fighting back, but whatever), so a vampire could get immedately ganked if they tried it. It's a thin tightrope though, as 7 SOULs apparently allows you to be invincible and control reality (unless Asriel was exaggerating, and Mr. Deletes-your-save-file-but-not-really definitely does that sometimes).

Second issue: would vampires even count as monsters with all these human-unique interactions? Answer: unclear, but probably. We can just drop the human-turning aspect in an UT implementation if we have to, and turning into dust on death is already something that vampires do, so they'd fit in just fine in that regard. The typical power level of vampires is a bit above most UT monsters other than Boss Monsters, but there is one variation that fits our purposes; vampires that only become powerful after feeding on humans, and are fairly weak otherwise. This helps them fit in with the rest of monsterkind while letting them keep their potential power, and also dodges the issue of vampires sealed under Mt. Ebott just starving to death immediately.

Part 2: Culture

Alrighty! With all that bullshit out of the way, we can get onto the baseless headcanons I actually care about; the question of how vampires would interact with Undertale's world, and it's themes of descrimination.

The big point I'm circling is this: Vampires are monsters that look like humans. A lot of UT monsters are at least somewhat humanoid, but a vampire is just a pale guy with fangs. The only other monster types that even come close are werewolves - only sometimes looking the part (and also notably absent from UT) - and skeletons - Sans & Papyrus are clearly human skeletons, but also clearly skeletons without any human on them, so that doesn't work. In contrast to most other monsters, vampires could feasibly hide in plain sight in human society, and therefore, could be outside the Underground when the Barrier was formed.

Just think about that for a moment. Monsters outside their prison, able to blend into the world of their jailors. What would they do with themselves? Would they simply play along, hiding among humans and living quiet lives? Would they take advantage, utilising the psychological powers vampires often have to gain wealth and status? Would they stay loyal to the Kingdom of Monsters, and form a resistance to try and break the Barrier from the outside? Would they walk away entirely, living out in the wilderness away from any civilisation? A mix of all of these and more, differing between each individual? The possibilities are colossal in scope.

Of course, not all Vampires would have this position. Some would undoubtably be caught in the initial war and imprisoned with the rest of monsterkind, or caught later on and simply pushed in (remember, anything can enter the Barrier, it only stops leaving). These vampires might just live the same as the rest of monsterkind - peacefully but struggling - but I have a darker yet darker thought. Hold on to something, this gets a bit heavy.

Part 3: Batthew the Vampire

Let me set the scene. The royal children have died. The humans have once again taken everything from monsterkind. King Asgore has declared war on Humanity to unify his people. Anti-Human sentiment is through the roof right now.

You have a vampire neighbor. Let's call him Batthew. You haven't seen him outside as much since the news dropped, and when you do, you see other monsters giving him dirty looks.

Monsters know what humans look like at this point in the timeline. Some of them probably met Chara. Their new source of hope, the war, has filled them with hatred for humanity, but they have no outlet for it. Batthew isn't a human. But he looks like one. And bigotry makes people do stupid things, because bigotry is inherently pretty stupid, lets be honest.

One day, Batthew's house has a broken window. A few days later, it has a "FOR SALE" sign out front. You don't know where Batthew went. Maybe he moved to some other corner of the caverns. You've heard rumors of the RUINS of the former Capital, maybe he found a way in there. Maybe he "fell down".

You no longer have a vampire neighbor.

[lovelyney]

⎯⎯ CHAPTER TWO, A BREATH OF FRESH AIR❞

DESC. one the first day of your rehabilitation, Kazuha decides he wants to walk you around the harbor!

WARNINGS. none that i can think of ♡ enjoy some cute moments between you and Kazu! (:

FLORIST’S NOTE. i did not know that the main event of lantern rite would only be two days long this year ‹/3 sobs

SONG. Oh Death ― SUGR?

PREV. 《 MASTERLIST 》 NEXT.

©2023 loveloxcked ― please don’t translate, upload or copy.❞

STIRRING awake, your (COLOR) irises fluttered open, finding Kazuha opening the curtains to allow the warm sunlight to soak into the room. you let out a quiet whine at the unwanted glare and shoved your face more profound into your pillows. 

Kazuha chuckled lightly and took a seat next to you. “the sun has risen for the day, hummingbird — which means it’s time for you too, as well. surely you’ve gotten enough rest, hm?” he crooned. 

yesterday after your arms were properly treated, Kazuha and Xiao let you rest for the remaining of the day, recognizing how much you desired to get some peaceful sleep — proven by the dark circles shadowed under your eyes.

“hnnnm, do i have to?” you murmured and hugged the duvets closer against your figure, having no desire to get out of your comfy position.

the boy chuckled softly, “i’m afraid so, kaze. we’re taking a walk around Liyue Harbor today, and i’d rather not have you walking around like a zombie.” gently grabbing your bandaged hand with his own, he pulled you up to face him — his smile growing wider at your sleepy expression. “cute…” he thought as he carefully brushed the hair out of your eyes.

you rubbed your eyes and looked around the room, “where’s Xiao?” you wondered. 

“he said he had some adeptal duties to deal with as of today. so it’s just going to you and me today. he said he’d make up for it tomorrow,” he replied as he softly combed through your bedhead; he fought back a smile when you nuzzled your cheek into the palm that kept your head elevated. “say dove. do you think you’d be comfortable with meeting new people? i’d like to introduce you to a close friend of mine today. she’s a little. . . outgoing. granted, i think she’d like you a lot.”

you tensed slightly at the ask, your head almost immediately flooding with the ‘ifs’ and ‘buts.’ you knew you couldn’t stay trapped in your cage forever. you questioned, “what—what is she to you? like. . . how do you know her?”

Kazuha tilted his head curiously and set a fresh set of clothes in your lap to change into. “well, i’d say she’s like my older sister, although we aren’t at all related by blood. she happened to take me in when i needed somewhere to stay and hid me when danger sought me out,” he informed, observing as your gaze saddened at the mention of a family member. he pressed on, “your situation stays between me and Xiao, (NAME) i promise you that with all my heart. in no way am i going to put you in harm’s way by saying something you don’t wish me to.”

you sighed worriedly, “alright, i suppose i’ll trust your better judgment.”

he nodded, a fulfilled smile curving on his lips. “it delights me to hear that, dove. get dressed, and we’ll start our day, mhm? i’ll wait for you on the other side of the door,” he cooed and pressed his lips to your forehead before leaving so you couXld get changed. 

dragging out a gradual breath, you reached to touch where his lips feathered over. Kazuha certainly was affectionate, wasn’t he? not like you necessarily objected to it; you found it pacifying after being starved from physical touch for so long.

after you finished getting dressed, you took a brief look in the mirror and smoothed the small wrinkles. the outfit was much more formal than what you’d usually wear; it had you wondering how he picked it out.

Kazuha, who was talking to Verr Goldet at the time, turned to you as you left the bedroom; his vermillion eyes crinkled as he drank in the sight of you. “ah, there you are, hummingbird. i must say i did a satisfactory job choosing you an outfit. . . you look breathtaking.” he flattered and grabbed your hand when you reached his side. “that aside, are you ready?”

your breath gets captured in your throat as his words shoot an arrow directly through your heart. was he always this flirty, or was it just towards you? you hoped it was the latter. . . 

shifting your weight, you nodded, feeling yourself shrink a little at the tenderness that glistened in his eyes. not to mention, he was holding your hand! your heartbeat thumped in your ears as he gave it a reassuring squeeze.

he smiled at your bashfulness and turned to Verr Goldet. “alright, we’ll be off, Verr. we should be back by sunset. take care,” he said.

your anxiety climbed higher as the two of you neared the harbor, the fear of not knowing what to expect plaguing your mind. you murmured, “hey, Kazuha. . . how busy is it there? like in the harbor.” 

the boy let out a thoughtful hum, “well, on normal occasions, it isn’t too busy. however, since Lantern Rite is around the corner, i’d expect it to be quite lively,” he informed.

you lamented, “ah, i completely forgot about lantern rite…” 

Kazuha frowned with a curious tilt of his head. “hm? why do you sound so discouraged, dove? do you normally not celebrate it?”  

your teeth sunk into the inside of your cheek, and your mind whirled with the proper way to phrase your answer without giving away too much. “not in a way that i would’ve liked. . . Qingce Village is quite far from the festival itself, so i never got to see the lanterns; let alone make one,” you explained. 

he nodded sympathetically. “i see. . . well, that’s one of the reasons why we’re going, is it not? for you to experience the things you wished you could — the things you deserved to see.” he expressed. “there’s a stall i know of that lets you make lanterns. how about we stop there when we’re finished with everything?”  

you opened your mouth to speak but quickly fell silent, his words registering in your mind. “i’d like that a lot…” 

“then it’s decided.”

upon reaching Liyue Harbor, you shambled attentively behind your friend, watching with trembling eyes as people happily chatted and roamed the city. you held your breath as people closely passed by, their eyes briefly settling on you before continuing to amble on. “please don’t tell me they recognize me. please don’t tell me—”

“haha, not used to big crowds?” 

you swung around, a bit startled by the unusual voice, to be confronted by a woman with long off-white hair, her warm golden eyes searing directly through yours. your throat tightened as you searched your mind for something to say.

Kazuha recognized your apprehension and nudged you slightly behind him, allowing you time to calm yourself. he smiled kindly, “pleasure to see you, Ningguang. this is (NAME), a friend of mine. this is her first time in the harbor, so she’s a little nerve stricken.”

She nodded and offered you a gentle yet reassuring smile. “aw, is that so? welcome to Liyue Harbor, (NAME). as Kazuha said, my name is Ningguang; i’m the tianquan at the Liyue Qixing.” she greeted. 

quickly composing yourself, you sheepishly peeked your head over the anemo user’s shoulder and returned the act. “a—as to you, Ningguang! and thank you.” 

Kazuha lovingly reached his hand up and ruffled your hair, presenting you a little consolation. “i’m surprised to see you out in the city, Ningguang. i thought you’d be in the Jade Chamber preparing the Lantern Rite preparations,” he pointed out. 

“i strived to finish them a bit more earlier this year so that everyone could take the time to enjoy themselves; i’m just taking a walk around to make sure everything’s in order. . . it seems Liyue is just as excited as always.” the woman’s regard traveled to his hand in yours, her eyes discreetly lighting up. “how about you, lovebirds? what brings you here on such a busy day?” 

ripples of hot air washed over your face at the question. “u—um! we aren’t—” stutters spilled from your lips as you scrambled to deny that you two were, in fact, not dating. you turned to Kazuha, who stared at you amused, and shook his arm frantically as to say, say something!

the blonde chuckled, drinking in your flustered expression. “archons, that shade of red certainly suits her.” he thought before looking back at Ningguang. “this is (NAME)’s first time celebrating Lantern Rite, so i’m showing her around to ensure we don’t miss anything,” he explained. “have you seen Beidou at all today? i’d like them to meet.”  

Ningguang arched an eyebrow, “oh? is that so? i’m sure she’ll adore you, (NAME). she should still be at the docks. when you do see her, tell her to keep out of trouble, will you?” 

“i’m certain of it as well, and of course, i will. take care, Ningguang; happy Lantern Rite.” he chuckled and gestured for you to follow behind him.

you bowed your head to the girl, a shy smile outlined on your lips when you bid her goodbye before catching up to Kazuha.

your mind aimlessly wandered to how Kazuha didn’t dismiss Ningguang’s claim that you two were dating; i mean, she didn’t bluntly say it, but surely she assumed it by calling you two lovebirds, right? or maybe you were just overthinking it all. . .

“little dove? are you feeling unwell? how come you’ve grown silent?” the boy worried and stroked your inner wrist with his thumb, his gentle touch bringing you back to reality.

you shook your head dismissively. you quickly reassured, “n—no! i’m feeling fine. sorry, i’m just. . . thinking.” you prayed the faint crimson on your cheeks wasn’t prominent. spoiler alert: it was.

he nodded, smiling innocently; he knew exactly what you were thinking about. “how about we stop and eat somewhere? i know you haven’t eaten yet, and Wanmin Restaurant is known for its delicious meals,” he proposed.

as soon as he said that, your senses were enveloped in the aroma of spices. you sighed, “now that you mention it, i am pretty hungry. i didn’t bring any mora with me, though...”

Kazuha hooked his fingers under your chin and lifted your head, scarlet irises dimly lit with attachment. “good thing this is my treat, yes?” cooed the blonde as he pressed his lips to your forehead. “come, let’s sit. i’ll buy you anything you’d like.”  

you swallowed hard and sat down next to him, freezing up as he offered you a menu. “at least let me pay you back when i get the chance.” you huffed and skimmed through the variety of different foods.

“(NAME), i said this is my treat, did i not? if you’re really so troubled over repaying me, you can do it by enjoying yourself.”

you grimaced, your shoulders slumping in defeat. “but i feel like you’re doing so much for me, and i’m offering nothing in return...” you murmured, gaze drawn away from him in discomfiture.

the boy delivered a light sigh and lifted your hand to kiss your inner wrist, the butterflies in your stomach fluttering hurriedly to their next blossom. “kaze. please lay your worries to rest. you mustn’t give anything to me; you’ve given enough of yourself to the world. . . let me help repay its debt, yes?” he expressed. “now. . . what would you like to eat?”  

AFTER EATING⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⟢

sighing in satisfaction, you sipped the remaining broth in your black-perch stew. Kazuha certainly wasn’t lying when he said Wanmin Restaurant had delicious food.

“aaahh~ that was delicious!” you squealed and set the bowl down. “thanks so much, Xiangling! you’re such an excellent cook!” 

the girl giggled, “it makes me so happy to hear that! it’s my own recipe!” her hands excitedly tapped against the marble counter; “oh! oh! how are you spending Lantern Rite?” 

you laughed sheepishly and signaled to Kazuha, who talked to Xinyan about something. “err—well, i’m not too sure what the plan is, but Kazuha said he had something in mind,” you said.

her eyes lit up to rival the lanterns that hung in the city. “oho~ spending it with your boyfriend now, are you? hehe, how romantic!” she bubbled.

your eyes flew open as you frantically shook your head in protest. you spluttered, “nonono! Xiangling, we—we aren’t dating! i only officially met Kazuha yesterday!”

just as you finished speaking, you felt Kazuha’s hand wrap comfortably around yours. “you ready to head out, kaze?” he asked and fit his fingers between yours with a guiltless smile.

“you are NOT helping.” you couldn’t help but think as you hopped from your seat. “yeah! i’m ready!” you exclaimed and turned to your new pyro friend(s), your countenance falling when you regarded how xiangling smirked. “w—what’s with that look?” 

“are you sure you aren’t—” 

“yesXianglingi’msure!”

Xinyan chuckled, “aww, you two are the cutest! it was nice meeting ya, (NAME)! you gotta come to one of my performances sometime! i’d love to have ya!”

tiredly sighing, you reached your non-occupied hand up and ruffled your hair. “you as well, Xinyan! i’ll try and see if i can stop in sometime and see you perform,” you replied. “thank you guys so much for your hospitality; it means a lot.”

Xiangling smiled, her hands firmly set on her hips. “aww! of course, (NAME)! please feel free to stop by any time.” she chirped and waved you goodbye.

as the two of you ambled forward, your eyes lingered on yours and Kazuha’s hands — still lovingly cradling one another. no wonder people thought you two were together; he’s practically had a hand on you the entire day. it had you considering how he didn’t feel partially humiliated at the speculations. you didn’t have a vision, and those who did (aka, Kazuha) were highly regarded in the eyes of everyone. did he not find it embarrassing to be seen holding hands with someone who wasn’t on the same status as him?

being too engrossed in your self-deprecation, you hadn’t recognized you two had already reached the ship docks. you nervously surveyed the surroundings, watching as kids excitedly darted past you. feeling your anxiety start to swallow you, your grip on Kazuha’s hand slightly tightened.

in return, Kazuha slid his thumb over your wrist in small circles. “deep breaths, hummingbird. i promise you’re safe with me,” he soothed. 

you nodded silently, not noticing how his eyes paused on each passerby to ensure they weren’t gawking at you.

Kazuha halted at one of the ships. “good evening, Beidou,” he greeted a woman with deep brown hair, her hands going through some boxes.

a pair of ruby eyes peeked up and fixed on the two of you. “Kazuha! i’ve been wondering where you ran off to. who is this you have here?” crowed the woman as she dusted herself off. 

he smiled gently and held up your intertwined fingers. “Beidou, this is (NAME), a dear friend of mine. (NAME), this is Beidou, the leader of the Crux Fleet.” he introduced.

Beidou grinned, kindly offering her hand to you. “it’s nice to meet you, (NAME)! any friend of Kazuha’s is a friend of mine!” she beamed, eyes aimlessly wandering to your guys’ close proximity. “a friend, eh? it’s about time you got yourself a little girlfriend, Kazu! you two are adorable! make sure i get an invite to the wedding.”

you blinked rapidly, your heart jumping a beat at the word wedding. archons, these claims only keep getting bolder, don’t they? you let out a quiet gasp, feeling Kazuha’s arm curl around your waist and pull you tight against his side. 

the boy chuckled, fingers softly drumming against your hip. “haha, sure thing, Beidou; you’ll be the first to know. this is actually her first time in the city, and her nerves have quite the hold on her. would you mind offering some words of advice? you’re one of the bravest people i know, and i thought it’d be rather fitting,” he acknowledged.

she nodded, her grin growing broader at the color in your cheeks. “aw, you flatter me, Kazu! and, of course, i will! please, come on board! i’ll get you guys something to drink!” she chorused.

Kazuha nudged you slightly forward,“no need to be shy, hummingbird. Beidou may be very extroverted, but you’ll find her to be a sweetheart.” he assured and stepped on the boat.

you gulped, eyes merely focused on how the ship steadily rocked back and forth. you couldn’t help but think that if you were to misstep, you’d fall directly into the ocean. . . in front of Kazuha. why did such a thought cross your mind? you weren’t sure. 

the ronin hummed and held his hand out, “take my hand. i promise i won’t let you fall,” he said as if he read your mind. 

as you hesitantly slipped your hand in his, you carefully set foot on Beidou’s ship. you yelped as it swayed, causing you to stumble into Kazuha’s chest from the sudden motion.

his hands swiftly rested on your hips to help stabilize you, only retreating when the movement fully came to a stop. “are you alright?” he muttered against your hair.

your breath hitched as you remembered your position. quickly pulling away, tidal waves of magma flooded your system. “ah! i—i’m so sorry about that, Kazu!” you frantically apologized, your eyes anywhere but his.

Kazuha innocently tilted his head, his lips pursing into a sweet smile as blush tinted his cheeks. “did—did you just call me Kazu. . .?”

“shit.”

SUNDOWN⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⟢

you tiredly hung onto Kazuha’s arm as the end of the day wrote itself into existence faster than expected; at that moment, you realized how grateful you were that Kazuha had refused Beidou’s offer of alcohol.

Kazuha let out a quiet chuckle, one of his hands brushing away the strands of hair that curtained your eyes. “as much as you’re adorable when you’re sleepy, dove, we still have to make our lanterns. afterward, i’ll carry you the rest of the way back. does that sound good?” he crooned softly.

you answered groggily, “i’ll be fine...” letting go of your hold on his arm, you attempted to stand upright and wake yourself up. “sorry for acting so yawn clingy. . . ’m just really tired.” 

Kazuha simpered, staring at you with the gentleness of the breeze in the early mornings. “i, in no way, object to you holding on to me, (NAME). i think it’s rather cute…” he cooed, voice as quiet and delicate as a feather. 

“there you two are. . . shouldn’t you be back at the inn?” a gruff voice said from behind you two.

Kazuha stiffened and tucked you safely behind him, only to sigh in relief to see the voice belonged to Xiao. “ah, there you are, Xiao. i was wondering where you might be off to. (NAME) and i were just about to go make a lantern before returning; would you want to join us?” he informed, feeling himself relax as one of your hands coiled around his bicep.

the conqueror of demons scoffed, “i don’t care for mortal rituals, so i’ll have to decline—” he jolted at the feeling of you clutching his wrist. 

shaking your head, you stubbornly glared at him. “like hell you are! if we’re doing this, then we’re doing it together!” you interjected proudly and dragged him over to the stand — your other hand still wrapped around Kazuha.

“excuse me—”

“why, hello, you three! would you guys like to make a lantern?” the lady greeted cheerfully.

“yes, we would, please.” laughed Kazuha, playfully glowering at Xiao, who opened his mouth to protest. he turned to you, smiling warmly as the golden light of the lanterns adorned your (COLOR) irises. “do you have anything in mind for your wish, (NAME)?”

Xiao felt himself freeze as your head tiredly fell to his shoulder. “archons, could this girl get any more careless? what if my karmic debit infects her?” he thought worriedly, though he made no effort to move. “well? you better have something in mind if you’re dragging me into this.” he grumbled, choosing to ignore the ripples of warmth clouding his chest.

Kazuha smiled and leaned against you, causing xiao to shift a little uncomfortably. “your expression gives away your true feelings, dear adeptus.” he hummed.

“d—don’t speak such nonsense! y—you have no idea what i’m thinking!”

smiling somnolently to yourself, you picked up the pen and scribbled down your wish, the warmth of kazuha and xiao nearly lulling you to sleep.

“in these next few days, i wish to rekindle a new love for life and (hopefully) keep these two close in the process ♥”

LITTLE EXTRA⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⟢

“you sure don’t want me to carry them, Xiao? you seem a little flustered,” Kazuha teased slightly, already knowing the answer to the question.

 “i’m—i’m certain, Kazuha. you’ve done your share for today...” Xiao uttered and looked down at you, peacefully asleep in his arms. 

the latter chuckled, “yes, certainly, that is the only reason why you decided to carry them...”

FLORIST’S NOTE 02. i don’t want to talk about how LONG this to took to write omg ‹/3 i’m SO sorry y’all. i really wasn’t expecting the event to be only two days and there was no many roadblocks that i couldn’t even finish within the timespan of the 14ish days it kept going. is this something you guys are still interested in? should i keep it going? does it matter that lantern rite is over? 😭😭 let me know.

CUSTOMERS. @eimuros ― @miaoxi ― @oceanbluesixeyes ― @apple-ai ― @izzyandviolins ― @tsuyumbrella ― @dark-knight-hero

[alaea-winters]

I hate. I HATE. I HATE SO MUCH. I CANNOT EXPRESS HOW MUCH I HATE. HATE. I HATE. I HATE. I HATE. I HATE. HATE. HATE. HATE. MY LIFE IS NOTHING. THIS IS NOTHING. EVERYTHING IS NOTHING. EVERYTHING IS MEANINGLESS. EVERYTHING THAT I COULD HAVE POSSIBLY LOVED IS BEING SYSTEMATICALLY REMOVED BY A SYSTEM THAT I HATE.

(CW, everything past this point is basically a giant political vent)

I hate. I was born to help people. We as a species were made to help each other. We were made to be communal. None of the suffering we endure in this current moment is necessary. It is all constructed. IT IS STUPID. ALL OF IT IS SO UNBELIEVABLY STUPID. NONE OF IT IS NECESSARY. WE HAVE ENOUGH FOOD. WE HAVE ENOUGH WATER. WE CAN TREAT ALMOST ANY ILLNESS. But no. People must starve in spite of there being enough food, massive piles of food left to rot and waste because the people that can afford it don’t want it and the people that need it have no money. This is regarded as normal. THIS IS REGARDED AS NORMAL. I HATE THIS. THERE IS NO MONUMENTAL TASK THAT NEEDS TO BE DONE TO END WORLD HUNGER. WE HAVE THE FOOD. WE JUST NEED TO ALLOW THEM TO TAKE IT. TO ALLOW US TO TAKE IT. WHAT POSSIBLE REASON IS THERE TO ALLOW SOMEONE TO STARVE TO DEATH? WHAT MAKES THIS WORTH IT? WHY ARE WE SO WILLING TO EXCHANGE HUMAN LIVES FOR SACRIFICES THAT THEY DONT WANT TO MAKE. We are asked to sacrifice everything, our time, our energy, even the yield of our work. I WANT TO WORK YOU FUCKING NIXON COCK SUCKING FUCKS. I WANT TO HELP THE PEOPLE AROUND ME. I WANT TO BE A PRODUCTIVE MEMBER OF SOCIETY. But my job is to stand there at a register and scan items. I am to make sure that every item someone gives me is scanned so that the store knows how much money to charge the person before they leave. In theory, this is a harmless system. In practice? WHY THE FUCK DO I NEED TO GO THROUGH SO MANY GODDAM HOOPS TO GET A STOOL? WHY IS IT NOT FAIR IF I GET A STOOL? WHY NOT GIVE EVERYONE A STOOL? PLEASE LET PEOPLE TAKE A FUCKING STOOL WITH THEM. IT HURTS NO ONE. That job was years ago by this point. I got fired from it just before the beginning of covid. THANK YOU? THANK EMPLOYEES FOR THEIR NOBLE SACRIFICE OF WORKING DURING THE OUTBREAK OF A MAJOR DISEASE? NO ONE HAD TO WORK THERE. THE STORE COULD HAVE EASILY DOWNSCALED ITS OPERATIONS. AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAaaaaaaa.

If you had to choose between a country and your son, which would you pick? Would you be willing to let your son be instantly eviscerated for the sake of the country? Would you willingly break your vow to protect him at all costs, even for your own life? For a country? I wouldn’t. I would let that country fucking burn. I want all countries to burn. Too large. Individual humans own too much and wish to lorde over everything. To go against being a communal species and just be alone at the top, at which point they no longer are human.

But getting back to the point, most people I know would pick their son. You would do everything for them. And that is something I admire in humans. In spite of the sheer cruelty of the world, they can still show love and compassion for their fellow man. And yet, in spite of the fact that any one of us would likely let a country burn than give up their son, we are so willing to let thousands of people get bombed. I hate Israel. I will not apologize for hating Israel. It is a colonial power thats NOT choosing between living and killing. No. It is ethnically cleaning a region within itself and calling it a struggle for survival. They are hitler once again, targeting and exterminating the Jew and calling it a war because they fight back. Israel blatantly lies about what is happening inside Gaza, why? Why would it need to obscure the truth? Mistranslating freed captives, the false reports, the cherry picking. Even if most of what Israel said about Hamas was true, which it is not, the course of action taken should be one that stops the bloodshed. If one man dies, its a tragedy, if a million die, it's a statistic. Israel specifically targets population centers, ambulances, and hospitals. Hundreds of men do not get to choose between their son and the country, the country decided for them and it chose itself. Israel makes up the threat of these specific brown people against itself, and uses that as justification for genocide. This does not even consider if its an okay exchange, one life for Israel. Do not tell me you would exchange your son for all of Israel, because you would be too much of a coward to do it. You would never let it happen because you know it's wrong. YOU WOULD NEVER LET IT HAPPEN TO YOU BECAUSE YOU KNOW ITS WRONG. And thats the point. These people, thousands, approaching millions of them, they have everything they fight for and care about taken away from them. 

If a country had to pick between you and itself to die, it would always pick you. The country will eat you and every person inside it and will eat them all whole before letting itself collapse. 

I am so tired. I am too poor to help. I have no possessions of my own. I have no tongue of my own. I only have my anger. My rage. My hatred. My righteous fury over all who have died. The childish desire inside me to save everyone. Because its right. I want to help people. 

What does it mean when people tell you to suppress your ability to care. When they so callously throw away the fact that hundreds of people died for no good reason. What does it mean when you know the reason those people died is because the people orchestrating this not only do not care, they view the victims as vermin to be exterminated. 

What does it mean when it becomes political to not actively support genocide.

[kyndaris]

Supreme Leader of the Exaltants

Right before my trip to South Korea and Japan, I managed to polish off one more short indie game. Keeping with the theme of cults and the supernatural, I went with Australian darling: Cult of the Lamb. It's not every day that an Australia based studio makes it big when it comes to gaming. But when they do, it's a huge splash! Look no further than Hollow Knight. Similarly, Cult of the Lamb scratches an itch I didn't realise I wanted when it came to a roguelite video game with cult-builder hidden inside.

The game starts off with a sacrifice of the player-character, the lamb. They are saved by death by The One Who Waits and are then expected to create a loyal following in its name. So begins a game where one is forced to gather resources to build up the cult, ensure their followers are happy, and go on crusades to take down the four Bishops plaguing the land.

While I have mostly shied away from rogue-likes with base-building elements, for example, Don't Starve, there was something oddly charming about Cult of the Lamb. It also helped that the game wasn't very long or very difficult. The controls, in particular, never much deviated from how it was originally introduced. I was dodging past attacks and hacking away at them with ease.

As the game went on, however, heavy attacks were introduced along with curses and relics. These added new strategy to the battles by giving players something more to play around with such as long-ranged barrage of spells at the enemy. While good against bosses, in normal encounters, I still favoured getting up and personal to my enemies. Mostly because the use of curses were limited.

The weapons and abilities were always randomised at the start of each dungeon run, allowing players to experiment with what they liked and what they didn't. However, it also ran the risk of locking players into picking between two weapons they didn't much like.

It soon became clear to me my favourite weapon were the daggers, despite their short range, or the blunderbuss. The hammer and the sword weren't as much fun - the sword because it lacked quite a bit in damage, and the hammer because it was unwieldy and slow.

The format for the crusades, though, keeps it simple. There are multiple dungeons, which one has to run through four times before they reach one of the Bishops. Each of the dungeons have their own theme. This, in turn, impacts the resources one can find inside, as well as provide a different customisable skin for any followers the Lamb recruits inside.

These roguelite elements were balanced by the base-building elements. And I found myself quickly getting sucked into managing the life of my followers by giving sermons, ensuring they were praying to me or gathering resources for further expansion. By the end of the game, I had a self-sufficient farm and my followers were decently satisfied with how I was running things.

Story-wise, Cult of the Lamb relies primarily on exposition from the Bishops as you travel through their region and take them down. This reveals the backstory for The One Who Waits and its connection to the other Bishops of the Old Faith. Once all four are taken down, the chains to The One Who Waits are broken and the Lamb can return the demonic crown they were gifted and be sacrificed in their name. However, it is clear from the reactions of the followers they do not want you to go.

As such, the Lamb can choose to rise up against The One Who Waits. Doing so means doing battle with Baal and Aym. Once these two are waited, The One Who Waits attempts to kill the Lamb themself. However, I was able to pull through and defeat the one who saved me. Doing so, I was able to spare The One Who Waits and indoctrinate them into my cult as a follower.

Cult of the Lamb is not a complex game. It has many fun elements to it that make it a worthwhile purchase. What made it stand out to me, though, was its unique cutesy art style which juxtaposed the themes within the game. I mean, yes, I'm building up a cult for a demonic overlord but at the very least, I can look adorable doing it. And honestly, when I'm playing a game, that's the thing I'm looking out for.

[wandringaesthetic]

To tell you this, I basically have to tell you Isaré's life story.

She was born in the Brume and grew up in poverty, had enough to eat but basically nothing else. Her father was a knight who died when she was very young, and her mother died when she was about 10. Her primary parental figure was her older brother, Vallerin, who was about 10 years older than her. Vallerin went into service as a knight and took some pains to get Isaré on the path to becoming a priestess/chaplain, so that she is under the care and teaching of the church from about the age of 13

About a year before The Calamity, Vallerin dies in the field. The chaplain from his unit brings Isaré the news and is grievously upset about it. He tried to raise him, he should have been able to, he had done it before, Vallerin was young, his injuries could have been healed, I couldn't bring him back. I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry. Isaré actually ends up comforting him about it.

But what Isaré knows, because she's in training as a conjurer and healer, is that you have to want to come back. You have to accept the rez, right? One can never know why The Fury chooses who she does, but perhaps.... He was too weary, too hopeless to go on. Perhaps. She was not enough to come back for.

So within a year or so of that, The Calamity happens. The months and years afterwards in Ishgard had to have been Bad. The people who didn't freeze to death starved to death. Military and Clergy were mostly taken care of, because the Holy See and the High Houses made sure they were, but there was massive death. No one knew at first, how long the freeze was going to last. So they thought they needed enough stockpile til spring, just an unusually long and cold winter..... And then spring never came. Farmers and villagers tried to seek refuge in Ishgard when they ran out of fuel, and eventually the Holy See started turning them away. Because they had nothing to give them. Corpses are removed from the gates of the Steps of Faith more mornings than not. Whenever Isaré is called on to heal, it's people whose bodies and aether are weak with malnutrition , and she knows it's a bandaid, she knows it won't take. Yet she's expected to pray for a miracle, and expected to get one. She is not allowed to say "I can't" or "this one is hopeless." She pours out her strength (because at this point her connection to the elements and the aether of the land is weak) into leaky vessels, because that is what a Halonic cleric does. That is what the faithful do, and Halone is supposed to pick up the slack. And when She doesn't..... Well. That's Her prerogative.

And Isaré does not know how to contextualize all of this. Because the Halonic Orthodoxy is a death cult, she expected to see violence and death in battle. She expected lives cut short. She expected to comfort loved ones with the knowledge that those they lost died courageously in battle and are now in Halone's halls with the highest of honors.

This.... Is not that.

It becomes a popular belief that The Fury is punishing Ishgard for not heeding the call to Carteneau, for not fighting the empire.

But if that were the case, wouldn't the brunt of Her wrath have fallen on the military and the clergy? Those who made the decision? Those who could have fought, but didn't? Instead it has fallen on farmers, on those that didn't know how to fight, on those too young, or too old. Is this the Fury's judgement? Is this the Fury's mercy?

Through it all, there is a slow trickle of refugees south, into Gridania, (where they are welcomed, being mainly hyuran and wildwood elezen). These, the Holy See condemns in the harshest terms. Better that your children freeze to death on the Steps of Faith than bring them among foreigners and heathens and spare their bodies at the expense of their souls.

To make everything worse, Isaré hits that elezen growth spurt at about this time. There is barely enough food to go around, the clergy are being encouraged to fast and pray and beg for The Fury's mercy, she is shooting up like a (very skinny) weed and she is hungry All Of The Time. She tries to convince herself that she should be thankful for what she has, that she is not starving as so many are, but she is dreaming of lavish feasts and waking up to a meager breakfast that only makes her hungrier.

Isaré becomes certain that she is going to die. If she doesn't expend all her aether trying to heal the unhealable, if she actually makes it to become the battlefield healer she was training to be, then she is going to fall in battle and it's going to be like Vallerin, no one is going to be able to Raise her. Because it is a monumental effort to get out of bed, to put one foot in front of the other. Better to lay down, to sleep, to rest, to die. And she will not walk in Halone's halls, because her will is going to fail before she has finished the work The Fury has demanded of her. She can feel her magic and her aether and her will failing.

She is always cold, hungry, exhausted, in mild pain, and suffering an intractable case of Seasonal Depression. One morning, she awakes before the sun rises and she leaves. She walks out. Out of Ishgard, out of the Highlands, with no gil and no plan other than to sleep somewhere warm and feel the sun on her face. She is Done. And it takes her a long time to process exactly why.

She walks into the North Shroud and the Wood Wailers at Florentel's Spire invite her to share their fire and she eats about a million chestnuts and makes her way to Gridania and there Miounne gives her a room on credit and she weaves (it's how her mother made her living) and learns botany and eventually is persuaded to darken the door of the conjurers' guild and most people start to assume she is Gridanian and she doesn't correct them. And this is how the opening of A Realm Reborn finds her.

Pre-Calamity Ishgard and Coerthas

So a lot of people have characters who are Ishgardian born. Before the calamity (5 years prior to ARR) Ishgard and the surrounding areas of Coerthas were lush, green, and flowering.

I can’t even imagine the pain I’d feel seeing my birth home go from fertile and green, to iced over and dead.

What are your character’s thoughts?

[healeroflightanddark]

Yuri's Humiliation

Yuri was quite a proud individual, and rightfully so. He was the best duelist in the Fusion Dimension, defeating any and all duelists who dared to challenge him. He had the highest body count of anyone in Academia, having carded more people than anyone else. Not to mention he was incredibly handsome. The rest of his peers wished they were him.

Being such a proud individual, Yuri took great care not to allow any of his weaknesses to be discovered. But after word got out that his XYZ doppelganger had been begging for mercy when he was being tickle tortured, the rest of Academia wondered if Yuri might also be ticklish.

Of course, nobody was stupid enough to try. Everyone knew that if Yuri found out that they were even thinking about tickling him he would card them on the spot. Or worse, sic his Starve Venom Fusion Dragon on them. It was very rare that Yuri let his dragon eat people, but if he was angry enough he would do it. It had happened twice before. The people who had witnessed it had effectively been traumatized for life. Even the Professor had shut off the cameras when he realized what was happening.

All in all, nobody was dumb enough to even consider trying to tickle Yuri. The guarantee of being carded or even eaten by his favorite dragon was just not worth the brief entertainment of humiliating the proud duelist. Not even the people who hated him most would try.

Or so Yuri thought.

A few days after the very important XYZ prisoner was rescued by his less important XYZ friend, Yuri was eating breakfast in the dining hall. The dining hall was full of people, though Yuri’s table was empty as usual. Yuri had just finished his food when he heard a few voices talking some distance behind him. Curious, the cabbage-head began eavesdropping as he sipped his tea.

“Do I have to?”

“Of course you do! You lost the duel!”

“I don’t wanna do it!”

“Hey, you were the one that said whoever lost the duel would have to do it!”

“He’s gonna kill me!”

“So what? If you didn’t want to risk death, you shouldn’t have suggested it! Now go on!”

Yuri was about to get up from his seat when he heard quick footsteps rush towards him. Before he could look behind him, a pair of hands grabbed ahold of his sides and began tickling him. The cabbage shrieked and frantically tried to elbow his assailant behind him, but they kept tickling him.

“HAHAHAHAHAHA! STOHOHOHOHOHOP! YOHOHOHOHOU’RE SOHOHOHOHO DEHEHEHEHEHEHEAD!” Yuri squealed, dropping his plate on the table. He began aggressively smacking the hands tickling him.

“Ow! Ow! Stop!” cried his assailant. “I don’t wanna do this any more than you want me to! But I lost a duel, and the deal was that the loser of the duel had to tickle you until the winner said to stop!”

“GEHEHEHET AHAHAHAWAYHAYHAYHAY FROM MEHEHEHEHEHE!” Yuri shrieked. He began clawing furiously at his assailant’s hands.

The whole dining hall began clearing out the moment Yuri’s predicament was noticed. Nobody wanted to risk Yuri’s wrath from watching his humiliation. Everyone could already tell that he was furious at what was happening.

Yuri spit enraged curses while laughing helplessly. He had the exact same skincare routine that Yuto had, and his soft skin was equally sensitive. But unlike Yuto, whose death spot was his armpits, Yuri’s death spot was his ribs and sides. Which his assailant was apparently choosing to keep targeting instead of picking a different spot.

“NAHAHAHAHA! I’M GOHOHOHOHOHONNAHAHAHAHA SIC STAHAHAHAHARVE VEHEHEHEHENOHOHOHOM OHOHOHOHON YOUHOUHOUHOUHOU!” Yuri screeched, thrashing around. He was now attempting to bite the hands tickling him, but he couldn’t quite reach them with his mouth.

“It’s not like I wanted to do this to you!” protested his assailant. “It was the terms of the duel!”

“Yeah, but like, you were the one that set the terms!” said the other voice a little ways behind them. “You said that the loser would have to tickle him until the winner said to stop! And you wouldn’t let me have a say in the terms! So really this is all your own damn fault!”

“I was SO sure I was gonna win though!” Yuri’s assailant cried. “It’s not fair!”

“It’s totally fair!” the other voice snapped. “If I had lost you would have made me go through with it! Don’t set terms for duels unless you’re prepared to have to go through with them if you lose!”

“Whatever! Can I stop now?” groaned the assailant.

“No. You can’t. Not for at least another ten minutes! Maybe even longer!” replied the other person.

Now, Yuri might have been willing to forgive the other person for this situation. After all, according to them, they hadn’t been allowed to change the terms of the duel that led to this. And Yuri’s assailant hadn’t argued that point, so clearly it was true. But any willingness to forgive was squashed the moment the other person refused to let Yuri’s assailant stop tickling him. Now they were equally guilty. And Yuri was absolutely going to punish them.

“YOHOHOHOU’RE BOHOHOHOTH DEHEHEHEHEHEAD! YOHOHOHOHOU’RE BOHOHOHOHOTH DEHEHEHEHEAD!” Yuri squealed, digging his nails deep enough into his assailant’s hands to draw blood. The assailant hissed in pain, digging their fingers into Yuri’s sides more aggressively. “Stop fighting and just accept this situation with dignity!”

A group of younger students walked into the dining hall to eat, and then immediately turned around and walked back out. Even the younger students weren’t stupid enough to stay and watch Yuri’s humiliation.

Yuri threw his head back, managing to smack his assailant in the chest. “OW! Stop!” his assailant groaned. “Dude, c’mon! Let me stop tickling him! Seriously, he’s really fighting me! And it really hurts too!”

“Nope,” the other person said. “If you really didn’t want to tickle him, then you shouldn’t have said that the loser of the duel would have to do that! Or at least let me change the terms. I would have said that the loser just had to wear a girly pink dress for a week or something!”

“Oh, like that’s any better!” sneered the assailant. “Either way, I would have been screwed! You totally cheated!”

“Did not!”

“Did too!”

“How did I cheat?!”

“I don’t know, you just probably did! I had the perfect strategy!”

“Screw you!”

“C’mon, let me stop! It’s almost time for class! We’re gonna be late!”

“I really don’t care if we’re late! I was planning on ditching anyway!”

Yuri was starting to have trouble breathing from how hard he was laughing. The plate on the table had a puddle of tears on it by this point. The poor cabbage wasn’t sure he would be able to last much longer.

So, in a desperate attempt to end the tickling, Yuri raised his hand and jabbed backwards. His fingers made contact with his assailant’s eyes, causing said assailant to yelp and grab at their face. This, in turn, finally ended the tickle torture that Yuri was facing.

“Hey, I didn’t say you could stop!” said the other person.

“Dude, he poked me in the eye!” the assailant protested. “It hurts!”

Before the argument could continue, Yuri jumped out of his seat and turned to face the other two students. Both of them gulped when they saw the look of pure rage on the cabbage-head’s face.

“U-uh… h-hey, before you do anything we might regret, just remember, he was the one that set the terms of the duel!” the person further away stammered. “He was the one that said that the loser would have to tickle you! He wouldn’t let me change the terms!”

“Yes, but you were the one that told him he couldn’t stop when he asked to!” Yuri hissed. “So you’re both equally guilty in my eyes!” The cabbage-headed duelist summoned his favorite monster, grinning sadistically at the looks of wide-eyed terror on the other two duelists’ faces as Starve Venom appeared. “Starve Venom… breakfast!”

The Professor, who had been watching the scene unfold from the cameras, immediately turned the screen off as the dragon leapt at the two duelists. Was it mean of him to put those two boys up to the duel that resulted in Yuri’s humiliation? Perhaps. But he wanted to know if the cabbage-haired boy would crack under such torture as quickly as the XYZ duelist had. After all, if Yuri were captured by the rebellion and interrogated, it was important to know whether or not tickle torture would be an effective way for the rebellion to get information out of him.

Fortunately it seemed that Yuri, despite clearly being as ticklish as Yuto, had much more discipline and self-control than the XYZ rebel. He hadn’t cracked and started begging for mercy. This was a very good sign! The Professor felt confident that Yuri would be able to withstand a tickle interrogation should he be captured.

Back in the dining hall, Yuri smiled in satisfaction as Starve Venom finished eating the two duelists responsible for his humiliating scene, completely unaware that he had been set up. All he knew was that those two would never bother him again. “Let that be a lesson to anyone who thinks it’s a good idea to try a stunt like that again,” he said, gently scratching his dragon under the chin. “Nobody will get away with it. Absolutely nobody.”

Starve Venom growled in agreement, happy to have been able to help his young duelist, and extra happy that he’d gotten a good meal out of it. Yuri then noticed the time on the clock in the dining hall. “Looks like it’s time for me to go to class. Come, Starve Venom. We mustn’t be late!”

*   *   *

Meanwhile, in the Synchro Dimension, a certain blunana was trying to find his way out of a Tops-exclusive neighborhood. He wasn’t sure how he had ended up there, but somehow he had gotten lost and was now surrounded by very fancy homes that he knew weren’t in the Commons’ part of town. He was very hungry too, having gotten lost hours ago.

He noticed a garden with a beautiful apple tree, and his stomach growled loudly. Yugo looked around him furtively. There didn’t appear to be anyone around. Perhaps he could sneak an apple or two?

But fate had other ideas.

[casspurrjoybell-29]

Forging Ties - Chapter 18 - Part 1

*Warning Adult Content*

Skye had made himself a little nest out of empty sacks and some old clothes he'd found, taken a nap and now he was diligently gnawing his way through an apple.

He shoved the rest of it back in his bag when he heard the storeroom door open and clomping footsteps enter the room.

Skye curled up as small as he could get, trying to avoid detection but with one shifted crate his hiding place was revealed.

The robot stared down at him, the light on the side of its head spinning.

"You are not meant to be on board the ship."

"Shh," Skye told it. "No snitching."

"It is my duty to ensure the safety and wellbeing of everyone on this ship. I will report this situation to Captain Sera."

"I'm on the ship," Skye said. "You have to ensure my safety and wellbeing."

The light on the side of the robot's head spun.

"Yes. You are on the ship. It is my duty to ensure your safety and wellbeing."

"Well, I'm starving," Skye said. "You have to get me food or I'll starve to death, okay?"

The light spun again.

"Yes. I will get you food."

As the robot left the room, Skye dragged the crate back into place to hide his nest.

With the exception of Perry, who had volunteered to keep watch up top and Cookie, who was lurking somewhere, they were all gathered in the ship's galley to chat and prepare an early lunch.

Duran found himself mostly staying quiet.

He would never describe himself as timid and he could hold a conversation all day and night if he put on an act but he was struggling with just... being himself.

He just couldn't seem to do it with anyone he wasn't fully comfortable around, so he ended up choosing between being aggressively fake or being silent.

Most slaves were compulsive people pleasers.

Duran wasn't quite that.

He was a people deceiver.

But maybe being quieter wasn't such a terrible thing.

Hamish always seemed to have something to say but Slone would often sit back for minutes at a time, smiling as he listened along to the conversation and not say a word.

It never felt like he was lacking in confidence.

He just didn't always feel the need to contribute.

This was the world that he now needed to find his place in.

A world where everyone was allowed to be different.

Duran absolutely loved it but he would need to learn entirely new ways of existing before he could truly feel comfortable in it.

The robot clomped into the room, picked up a banana and clomped back towards the door.

"What are you doing, robot?" Sera asked it before it had made it out of the room.

"I am feeding Skye so that he doesn't starve to death," the robot said.

"Skye isn't here," Sera said.

"Skye is on board the ship," the robot said. "He stowed away in the storeroom."

When the robot left the room, they all followed it.

In the storeroom, the robot lifted aside a crate and there was Skye.

"Snitch," Skye said, glaring at the robot.

"I have brought you a banana," the robot said. "If you are starving, you should only eat half. Refeeding syndrome is a life threatening condition that occurs when someone who is malnourished begins eating again."

"I know he's kind of skinny, robot but does he look malnourished to you?" Sera asked. "For goodness sakes, you fed him yourself, twice, just days ago."

"While this is true, Miriam stated that he eats a lot, which suggests an unusually large amount," the robot said. "It is possible that his metabolism works differently from most peoples' and he is actually starving even if he doesn't appear to be. Additionally..."

Everett let out a deep sigh.

"Why did I give you the ability to speak?

"You gave me the ability to speak so that we could easily communicate information back and forth."

"Do you see now why I didn't want it to be capable of violence?" Sera asked.

"It's too easily manipulated."

"Well, if I toned down the stupid a bit..."

"A lot."

"Hmm."

Miriam wheeled around to the front of the group and looked down at Skye in confusion.

"Skye... why are you here?"

Skye folded his arms over his chest.

"Because I want to be."

"But why are you hidden away in a storeroom? Why didn't you just tell us you were coming?"

"Nobody invited me," Skye grumbled.

"Skye, I haven't seen you since before this trip was planned," Miriam said.

"Did you tell anyone you wanted to come?"

Skye just frowned.

"People can't read your mind, Skye. If you want people to know things, you have to say them."

"Well, I mean, sometimes people can read your mind," Hamish said.

"But none of us. One thing, though. Slone... could you not smell that he was here? You were helping to carry things down earlier."

"Oh, yeah, I knew," Slone said. "Kit said to leave it, so I left it."

"Kit...?" Sera asked.

"Oh, yeah, Cookie is host to two spirits," Hamish said.

"I wouldn't worry about it."

"This has all become very confusing," Sera said.

"Sorry, Skye," Slone said. "You were there too when we were talking about the trip. Guess we didn't include you in that conversation at all."

Skye didn't seem to feel the need to offer any response to that.

He was more focussed on trying to get the robot to give him the banana.

"Anyway," Miriam said. "We've got food cooking. We should get back to that. You want some lunch, Skye?"

Skye nodded.

As they left the room, Skye attached himself to Duran's side and stayed close.

He still seemed unhappy.

Maybe he felt like he hadn't been able to fully express what had upset him and led him to take the actions he had.

He often seemed to avoid explaining himself and it had clearly frustrated him when the robot hadn't understood him when he'd been ordering his food.

Whatever was going on inside his head, he seemed quite content to simply sit with Duran and look sad while Duran combed his fingers through his hair.

He had struck Duran as someone who was generally carefree but this situation seemed to have bothered him.

Even once the food was ready and he was given a bowl of noodle soup to eat, he seemed preoccupied and moody.

Some of the others tried to cheer him up and draw him into the conversation but he wasn't having it.

[diaphragmjellyfish]

You Just Wait

gif is from @twilightofficial​

A/N: The hardest part of writing a fic is honestly choosing the love interest XD I have so many fictional boyfriends it’s hard to choose just one. I have noticed a significant lack of Jared Cameron content and he’s super adorable so here it is! Also, I left the concept a little bit more vague so more people can relate to it. It doesn’t specifically say vaginismus, it’s more of a general “sex doesn’t normally go well for me” type thing. 

Bottomless, covered in chocolate sauce, walking through the woods, phone dead, in the middle of August on a weekday. How did you end up here? Jared Cameron. Your boyfriend. He had roped you in to an elaborate prank on Paul that hadn’t exactly gone as planned. Needless to say, you were desperate for a shower and a nap. A hot meal wouldn’t hurt. And you were beyond irritated, not even looking Jared’s way as he walked next to you in a similar state. 

“Babe, if you let me carry you, we’ll get home way faster,” he whined.

You didn’t respond, only walking with more frustration around the roots and fallen trees. It was growing dark, just about twilight, and you knew you wouldn’t be reaching either of your houses at this rate. You were miles into the forest. But your pride kept you from accepting Jared’s wolfy-back ride, because he tended to make lots of jokes about being between your legs and you riding him and blah blah blah, and you honestly might punch him right now if he did that. 

So you just kept ignoring him, arms folded tightly against your chest because, yes, it was August, but this was also the Washington coast. It got pretty chilly no matter what time of year it was. 

“I can see you shivering from here,” he pleaded, almost sounding in pain at the thought of you being uncomfortable. “It’s only gonna get colder. Let me help you.”

You ignored him. 

“C’mooonnnnnn,” he cried. His preferred way of cracking your silence was usually by annoying you out of it, and it was working. “C’mon, c’mon, c’mon c’mon c’mon c’mon c’m-”

“Jared, I swear to God!” 

“Aha! She speaks!” he laughed. 

“”Only to tell you to be quiet, or I’ll-”

“Or you’ll what?” he cut you off. “I’m way stronger than you!” He was teasing you into talking to him. Even if it was in the form of arguing. Damn, he always got you to crack. You stopped walking, turning to face him, arms still held tightly around yourself. You couldn’t resist a good bicker, and Jared knew that. He would get the sass to come out, and then once you got tired, he’d apologize and you’d be made up within half an hour. That’s what always happened. And you couldn’t exactly stay mad at those big brown puppy eyes for long. 

“Physically, maybe,” you chided, “but I’m definitely way smarter than you.”

He stepped closer to you, a playful smirk on his face. “What, are you gonna read me to death or something?”

“I’m gonna strategize a huge plan, manipulate you, and leave you here in the forest by yourself. That’s what I’m gonna do,” you sassed. He never took arguments to heart, which is one thing you loved about him. He knew how grumpy you could get and would let you vent, and then make you forget all about the problem. 

“Oh, okay, yeah sure,” he giggled, hands going up in defense. “I’m just saying that in this situation, there is no way you come out on top. You run, I catch you. You hide, I sniff you out,” he teased. This made you crack an almost imperceptible smile, but one he noticed nonetheless. “And if you did somehow manage to get away from me, you’d freeze to death in an hour flat.” The cold breeze that caused you to shiver more violently could not have had worse timing. Obviously, Jared noticed, and his face dropped. He approached you slowly, silently asking if you were still mad enough to not let him touch you. When you didn’t step back or stop him, he wrapped both his arms around you and brought you into a huge bear hug. You sighed at his warmth, wrapping your arms tightly around his torso. He’d given you his hoodie hours ago, and was left in only a pair of shorts, though he didn’t seem to notice. Damn him and his werewolf heat. 

You still shivered in his arms, but his feverish temperature was a relief to your aching bones. 

“See? Could’ve been warm hours ago,” he teased once again, noting your clinginess. 

“Shut up. I’m still mad,” you mumbled into his neck. He laughed softly to himself, rubbing his hands up and down your body to create more heat. After a few minutes, you were starting to struggle to keep your eyes open. It had to be close to 2 in the morning, and you’d been walking for what felt like hours. Jared could have easily run home and let you brood alone, but he stuck with you no matter how long you went without speaking to him. 

“Sleepy?” he murmured into your hair. You just nodded softly, and didn’t protest as he bent down, one hand going behind your knees and the other staying around your back. He picked you up with ease and started walking through the woods once more with an “Okay Princess, I got you.” His stride never faltered, easily avoiding tripping over roots or slipping on rain-soaked moss. He must have been walking for about 30 minutes, never so much as breathing hard or shifting you in his grip. You didn’t sleep, but welcomed the rest he allowed you. Your eyes were closed, head resting on his shoulder when you felt him stop. You looked up, and in the distance, maybe 50 yards away, you saw a small building. 

“Hunter’s cabin, I’m guessing. No one’s home,” Jared stated, anticipating your questions. 

“Think there’ll be blankets?” you wondered, tired, yet still playful. 

“What, am I not enough for you?” he feigned mock hurt as you giggled at his unshakeable good attitude. Without another word, he began walking towards the small cabin, which was about the size of an average bedroom. When you reached the door, he set you down gently, holding his hands close to your waist while you found your footing, and then wrapping an arm over your shoulders to keep you warm. 

“I’m assuming it’s locked,” you sighed, disappointed. 

“Babe, no door is locked when you have super strength. Honestly, I thought you’d have more faith in me by now,” he smiled brightly. 

“You can’t just go around kicking random people’s doors in!” you scolded. 

“Okay, first of all, I can tell by the smell that no one’s been here in years. Second of all, how would anyone know it was us that broke in and not, like, a deer? And third of all, I’d say this counts as an emergency,” he sassed right back at you. You looked at him in annoyance, too tired and cold to actually care. 

After a long sigh, you muttered “fine.” 

He immediately turned to the door, not letting you so much as inhale before he slammed his foot into the space next to the knob, the door all but flying off its hinges. The whole scene caused deafening noise that interrupted the silence of the trees. 

“Jesus!” you called out in surprise, a hand shooting up to your pounding heart. You look around, though knowing no one was around for miles. Jared only turned to look at you, a cheeky smile adorning his face, and said,

“See? Told ya.” 

You rolled your eyes, but couldn’t help the loving and admiring energy that overcame you. Jared really was one in a million, and you were lucky to be by his side. He could be in the worst situation in the world and still find something to laugh about. 

He motioned for you to go in first, ever the gentleman. Walking through the door, the first thing you noticed was the dust. The entire inside of the cabin was covered in a thick layer of it. There was a small, rickety couch with cushions so worn they had holes in them throughout. And the fabric… my God. It looked like something from the 60’s, an obnoxious floral that had faded over time, and now just looked flat out stained. There was a flimsy throw blanket over the back of the couch, a cooler in the corner of the room that was covered in dirt, and on the opposite wall, a fireplace! No wood, no matches, but it was there. The floor was scattered with bullet shells, receipts, and decayed leaves. It was obvious no one had been in here for at least 3 or 4 years. 

“Okay, I can work with this,” Jared said. You really were jealous of his optimism. But, as disgusting as this place was, it beat the frigid breeze of outside, and had a place where you could rest your heads. You walked over to the couch, grabbing the blanket and beating the dust off of it. It was really only meant for one person, but you guys were okay with getting close. It would do. 

Jared walked over to the opposite corner where the cooler sat by the fireplace and opened the lid, peeking inside. 

“Just water,” he said, sounding almost disappointed. 

“Were you really gonna eat whatever was in there?” you spoke incredulously. 

“Babe, I’m starving. You have no idea how close I am to licking that chocolate sauce off of you,” he voiced. You had almost forgotten about the sticky sauce that covered both of your clothes. That prank really was a disaster. You looked down, face heating at the thought of Jared’s mouth on you like that, and turned to the fireplace where he stood. He was looking on the mantle, oblivious to the effect his comment had on you, and exclaimed “Aha!” before reaching up to grab something. “A lighter. We’re saved! Well, you are,” he laughed looking over at your shivering form once more. “Stay here and get comfy. I’m gonna go get some wood.” 

You tried your best, sitting on the edge of the couch and immediately feeling a spring poking you in the butt. The couch really was tiny. You guys were gonna have to bundle up close to fit. The thought excited you. Sure, you and Jared had always been comfortable touching and holding each other, but there were certain areas of your relationship you had yet to explore. More… intimate areas. It was your fault mostly. To make a long story short, you’ve just never enjoyed sex. You found yourself not able to get aroused, which made things painful. Sure, you wanted to. You’d thought about it a ton. But in the moment, your head was so full of thoughts of ‘What if he thinks I’m ugly? What if I smell? Am I doing this right? Is he having a good time? Am I taking too long?’ that you just stopped trying. And obviously you wanted to have sex with Jared, but you were worried he’d be disappointed. By the time he got back, just a few minutes later, you had brought your knees up to your chest, holding your legs close in an effort to preserve warmth. 

“Doing okay Sweetheart?” he asked gently. You gave a small smile and nodded in response. He plopped the logs in his arms down into the fireplace, scavenging the floor for receipts, dried leaves, anything that would catch fire. He dumped these into the fireplace and lit them, the fire catching within seconds. He walked over to the other side of the room where the couch was before bending down, grabbing the bottom lip of it, and pulling it (and you) across the floor, one-handed, and closer to the fire. “Better?” You had always been in awe of his strength. Let’s be honest, it was just plain sexy. Again, you just nodded your head, staring at him in adoration. 

He sat beside you on the couch, throwing an arm over your shoulders again, and leaning back, taking you with him. You cuddled into his side, watching the fire. 

“Ya know, if you take away the shitty couch and sticky clothes and add a few more blankets, this would actually be pretty nice,” he finally spoke. 

You laughed softly, replying, “It would. The couch isn’t even awful, but these clothes are really ruining the mood for me.” 

“Well why don’t you get out of ‘em, hot stuff?” he joked. You knew he wasn’t serious because you guys haven’t gotten that far yet, but something, maybe the exhaustion or the way he kept challenging you today, made you want to actually do it. Before you could lose your nerve, you reached down, pulling off the hoodie and shirt in one go and tossing them onto the floor. You relaxed back into his arms in just a bra, acting like nothing had happened. He was frozen beside you. Maybe it was mean, but you wanted to tease him a little. He’d put you through a lot today, so you wanted to mess with him a tiny bit. So, coolly, you brought a hand onto his thigh and began running it up and down, going higher and higher with each pass. He was still frozen, so you gave a light squeeze, and heard him inhale sharply, though he tried to hide it. 

“I thought you were tired,” he commented.

“Guess I’m not anymore,” you responded, turning to face him boldly. He immediately leaned in to kiss you, softly as always. You reciprocated, bringing your other hand up to cup his face. His arm that was around your shoulders slipped down around your waist, pulling you in further. Jared had always been gentle when kissing you, so you knew you’d have to make the first move to deepen it. Which is exactly what you did. Running your hand up his head and grabbing his hair, you pulled him towards you even more and traced your tongue across his bottom lip. He responded by matching your energy, tongue slipping out to caress yours before bringing your bottom lip between his teeth and nibbling softly. You guys had never kissed like this before. You felt a bead of warmth pool in your abdomen, something you’d never felt with a guy before. Sure, you’d been turned on while watching certain videos or reading certain fanfiction by yourself, but you’d never actually experienced it with someone before. It was exciting. Maybe it was the knowledge that you could stop things at any time and he wouldn’t be upset, or maybe it was how in love with you he really was, but you didn’t feel nervous or worried. You felt comfortable. 

Taking things a step further, you swung your leg over both of his, moving to straddle his lap. 

He pulled away slightly at this, making you ask, “What’s wrong?” 

“Nothing’s wrong,” he responded, “I just don’t wanna make you do anything you don’t wanna do.”

You smiled, “I’m not doing anything I don’t wanna do. Are you?” 

“Are you seriously asking me that question right now?” He laughed, making you giggle along. 

You leaned back in for another kiss, when he stopped you again. “What exactly… are we doing, though?” You knew what he was silently asking. Are we about to go all the way? And you didn’t know yet. This had started out as playful teasing, but now you were beginning to think that maybe you did want to try something. With Jared. He was it for you, the one you wanted to spend forever with. If you couldn’t trust him, you couldn’t trust anyone. And he’d taken such good care of you these last few hours, keeping you warm, making sure you were storming off in the right direction, that you knew he’d appreciate you in a more intimate sense. 

“I- I kind of would like to try… some stuff,” you answered. 

He looked at you, eyes wide, before answering, “What kind of stuff? I mean, I will do literally anything you ask me to do and you know that, but I didn’t really prepare for this. Like, I don’t… have what we need.” Oh, a condom. What a responsible boy. 

“I’m on the pill,” you replied a little too quickly before looking down and fiddling with your hands. “If you want to.” 

“Y/N, I would be absolutely fucking honored,” he breathed, before cupping your face and pulling you into the most heated kiss yet. Your tongues danced, hands wandering. Yours, across his muscled chest and abdomen, and his, down your waist and around to cup your pantsless ass, squeezing firmly. It felt nice. He handled you in a way that was gentle and painless, but still dominant and firm. And it made the heat in your belly grow. You continued kissing for several minutes, your hands moving up his neck and eventually landing in his hair once more, and his remaining on your ass and waist. You softly sucked at his lower lip, nibbling slightly, and it made him let out a low growl and pull your hips forward onto his, where you felt something hard push against you. You knew what it was, and it didn’t scare you like it normally would. You did, however, feel your damp underwear. Shit, that’s never happened before. You were normally bone dry at this point. You let out a soft sigh, grinding your hips onto him once more. 

He softened his kisses slightly, bringing a hand around to your stomach and running his knuckles lightly across your lower abdomen. 

“Can I?” He questioned delicately. 

“Yes,” you replied almost immediately. He brought his hand under the waistband of your underwear, when you said, “Wait,” and he stopped. “Just one thing. I kind of… have never been able to do this without it hurting a lot, so maybe you could just try to be gentle?” 

“Oh, baby, you’ve been in pain before? I’m so sorry,” he whispered genuinely. 

“It’s okay, I just…” It was now or never. He should know. “Normally I’m super nervous about everything, so I can’t really… get into it, and when girls aren’t into it it’s kind of… dry? And that makes it kind of hurt really bad.” You faded out at the end, feeling embarrassed. He brought his hand out of your underwear and up to your chin, tilting your face up to look him in the eye, looking concerned. “But I’m into this, I mean, right now. I’m excited. I just thought I should warn you,” you awkwardly laughed at the end. 

“You promise? Because you know that if you want to stop we will, and I would never be upset or pressure or anything like that,” he spoke sweetly, making your heart flutter. And you did know that, which is why you felt comfortable. Every other time, you felt that if you went past a certain point, you couldn’t say stop. Couldn’t call it off without making whatever guy you were with super mad and then… who knows what would happen. But when Jared spoke those words, you believed him. 

“I promise. And I know you’ll stop. But I don’t want you to.” 

With this, he scanned your face one more time for any signs of hesitation, and when he found none, brought you down into another heated kiss. You felt his hand trail from your chin down to your breasts, skimming over your bra, down your stomach and once again to the waistband of your underwear. Only this time he didn’t go under. He stayed on top of the fabric and brought his hand down between your legs, index finger brushing lightly against your core. You barely felt it, and began to worry that you’d once again feel numb. Oftentimes, when guys would touch you or go down on you, you felt nothing. It was like you were broken or something. And you started to become concerned that tonight would be no different. 

But he brought his finger down again, repeating the same movement, only with significantly more pressure this time, and it had you release an involuntary sigh. And instead of removing his finger like he had the first time, he kept it over your clit, drawing firm circles. 

Your mouth dropped open in a silent moan, Jared staring intently at your face. 

“Oh, wow,” you finally breathed. 

“Good?” he asked cockily, wearing a large smirk. He repeated the movement again, drawing a line from your core to your clit, stopping to rub circles. 

“Mmm hmm,” you sighed. He leaned in once more to meet you with the sloppiest, dirtiest kiss you two had shared yet, and it only made you grind your center into his hand. He repeated the action several times over, and you were a writhing mess in minutes. 

He brought a finger under your waistband once more, stretching the elastic out before letting it snap lightly against your skin. “Let’s take these off, hmm?” You’d never stood up so fast in your life, practically ripping the panties off of you, taking your bra off with it. Jared stood up to remove his shorts, but stopped to stare. 

“What?” you questioned shyly, moving to cover up.

“You’re literally the most beautiful woman I’ve ever seen in my entire life.” 

The boy quite literally had heart eyes for you. 

“Oh,” you responded meekly, cheeks heating up. When you kept looking back at him, he seemed to snap back into the moment and hurriedly ripped off his shorts and underwear, sitting back on the couch and opening his arms for you. You moved to straddle his hips the same way as before, and he brought his arms around to embrace you as you shared another heated kiss. One of his hands moved up to cup your breast, thumb rolling over your nipple as if you were made of glass. Jared pulled his mouth off of yours and trailed his lips down the side of your face, to your jaw, and down onto your neck, suckling lightly and leaving wet kisses. You tilted your head to the side to give him better access, and brought one of your hands down between you two to grasp him. He shuddered, only grabbing your hips and bringing you impossibly closer. His other hand trailed down to your center once more, going straight to your core and gathering the slight wetness there before bringing his finger up to your clit and circling. With your underwear out of the way, you felt almost lightheaded at his touch. You never knew how girls could cum during sex before, because you never seemed to feel much at all unless it was pain, but with how aroused you were right now and Jared’s movements, you thought for the first time that you may actually be able to finish. People do say that 90% of sex is mental, and you guessed this is what they meant. The more into it you are, the more physical sensation you actually feel. Groundbreaking. 

“Can I finger you?” he murmured huskily into your neck. 

You tensed slightly at this, but trusted him. If you said stop, he would. “Ok, just go slow.”

“Of course,” he responded before placing a sweet kiss on your shoulder and bringing his index finger back to your core, swirling around the entrance a few times. You took a few deep breaths to relax your muscles, and he looked at you, wordlessly asking, Ready? You nodded, and he slipped his finger in, just to the first knuckle, and held it still while he brought his thumb to your clit and continued rubbing. When he noticed you visibly relax, he slipped his finger in further to the second knuckle, stopping for a few seconds, and then all the way. He kept it here again, giving you time to adjust or tell him to stop, all the while keeping you stimulated with his thumb. It felt really good. Well, you didn’t exactly feel his finger at all, which was better than pain, and his thumb was making you crazy. Your breathing was labored at this point, eyebrows furrowed as you held onto his shoulders, nails digging in and sure to leave scratches. He pressed the finger inside of you onto your front wall suddenly, massaging the ridges firmly, and you let out a moan. Your first real moan ever. And damn did it get Jared excited. He continued this motion again and again, building in intensity and pressure slowly. When he felt how wet you had become, he pulled his finger back out to the first knuckle, and added his middle finger next to it, sliding them both back in slowly so as not to hurt you. Your eyes widened at the stretch, but it didn’t hurt. It felt amazing. 

“Oh, fuck,” you whispered to yourself, before moaning once more as his fingers began the ‘come-hither’ motion once more. 

“Am I hurting you?” he asked, concerned at your cursing. 

“No, feels so good,” you moaned, and he smiled at this, increasing the pressure even more. Your eyes screwed shut, hips stuttering over his hand, letting him finger fuck you for several more minutes as you began to feel a tightening in your stomach. He brought his thumb off of your clit finally, adjusting his hand for a better angle and bringing his other hand off of your waist and up to his mouth, licking his thumb and bringing that down to your clit, resuming the tight circles. You could hear how wet you were, feeling too good to be embarrassed. The heat in your stomach was building, spreading. You felt your legs begin to shake, muscles begin to tighten around his fingers, and your eyes screwed shut as you opened your mouth in a silent scream and came. The waves of pleasure washed over you for a long time, Jared slowing his movements down so as not to overstimulate you. When you finally opened your eyes again, you were panting, legs feeling like Jello. Jared was staring at you with a look of absolute awe on his face, mouth agape and dick rock hard, red, and leaking precum. He was more turned on than he had ever been from actual sex before, and it was only from watching you. 

“Fuck, baby that was so hot,” he all but moaned. 

You reached down to grasp him, panting a “your turn.” 

He grabbed both your wrists, stopping you. “Nuh uh, this is about you. Lie the fuck down.”

You gasped, his dominant tone turning you on despite your recent climax. You both knew that if you were even slightly uncomfortable, things would stop immediately. But it was fun for both of you to let him be a little aggressive. You did as told, lying long ways across the couch cushions, Jared moving to kneel between your legs, moving your knees softly apart so he could look at all of you. You didn’t feel insecure being exposed like this. You felt excited. 

“Are you absolutely sure you wanna do this?” he questioned. 

“I have never been more sure, Jared baby, I want to,” you pleaded. This was enough for him, so he brought his dick down to line up with your entrance, rubbing the tip up and down a few times to collect your wetness. He was worried that there wouldn’t be enough lubricant, so he brought a hand up to his mouth and spit, rubbing the saliva on his cock. 

“You just wait ‘til we get some real lube and a real fucking bed, Princess. You won’t be able to walk for days.” You shuddered at the thought of this, and of the sensation of his dick rubbing around your clit and back down to your entrance. He pushed in slightly, letting the tip in before pausing and checking your face for any signs of pain. When he found none, he pushed in slightly more, and more. He was being extremely slow, and you appreciated it. Guys normally would just shove themselves inside, not giving you any time to adjust before pounding away. But Jared was careful, despite how turned on you knew he was. He still had your best interest in mind. Within a couple of minutes, he was fully seated inside of you, staying still until you told him to move. He brought his face down to give you a sweet kiss, waiting for you to give him the signal. 

After a few seconds, you didn’t feel any sort of stinging or pain, so you nodded, saying “Just start slow.” 

“Of course,” he replied genuinely. He pulled his hips back just a few inches, before slowly grinding them back into yours. You closed your eyes, focusing on keeping your muscles loose and relaxed as he continues this movement a few more times. The next time he pushed in, he ground his hips further into yours, hitting the deepest parts of you. This had you release a gasp, eyes opening to meet his. “Okay?” he questioned. 

“Yes.” 

He did this several more times, letting you get used to the feeling of him being so deep inside of you, before your hips began to grind back into his. It felt really good. When he noticed this, he began pulling his hips back more, pushing back in slightly faster, and this had you moaning. You threw your head back, back arched, just enjoying the sensations. Your hands were grasping at his shoulders, definitely leaving scratch marks. 

“Oh my God,” you whispered. 

“You’re so fucking gorgeous,” he responded, planting sloppy kisses to your neck and collar bone. “Baby, I’m not gonna last much longer.” 

You smiled at this, glad he was enjoying it as much as you were. “Go ahead, cum for me,” you spoke, and your words had him right on the edge. He pulled out of you quickly, hand fisting his cock as he stared at your sweaty, writhing body below him. He came hard, spilling onto your stomach as he growled out, the sound making your toes curl, almost animalistic. You both remained in this position as you came down, breaths labored and eyes barely open. He stood up fully off of the couch and reached for the flimsy blanket on the floor, using it to wipe off your stomach. He threw it into the corner of the room and lay down next to you on the couch, gathering you up into his arms to cuddle. 

“Did you have a good time?” he asked almost nervously after a few minutes. 

“Nah, kinda sucked,” you teased, and he let out a playful laugh, lightly shoving you away before pulling you back and planting a kiss on your temple. 

A pause. “For real though,” he prodded, beginning to panic slightly. 

You burst out laughing. “Of course I had a good time, Jared. Best i’ve ever had, if I’m being honest.” 

“Ok good,” he sighed, relieved but trying not to show that you actually had him nervous for a second. 

Another pause. “Did… did you have a good time?” you questioned back at him. 

He seemed almost offended at the question, bringing a hand up to cup your face so that your eyes met his. “Y/N, this was the best night of my entire life. That was perfect. You are perfect. And I’m glad you trusted me enough to do that with you.” 

You felt your eyes sting slightly, emotions running wild. You considered yourself the luckiest girl in the world to be with Jared Cameron. Not only was he totally gorgeous, but kind, hilarious, and great in bed. 

In an effort to switch the tone back to a more playful one, you replied, “Yeah, well I was promised some more fun involving real lube and a real bed so…” 

He tugged you further into him, wrapping his arms around you in a way that made you think he might never let go. He laughed, and said “Oh, you just wait.” 

[kim-poce]

Virginia's Pig

This is a commision requested by @cupcakes-and-pain, using his character, Virginia, from this amazing series.

Words: 1206

CW: hand whump (no nail whump), multiple whumpers, dehumanization, captive, implied starvation, noncon body modifications mention, skining.

=-=

There was only one thing worse than being picked by Virginia to be the ‘toy of the day’, and that’s being picked when Virginia’s friends are over too, a bunch of people that are a few screw ups away from being just another victims and yet act as if they own all the power of the world.

But well, they were lucky enough to be on Virginia's side instead of under her. Pig, on the other hand, wasn’t known for his luck, if he was lucky he wouldn’t be there to begin with. Still, why does it feel like he is the only one being chosen to suffer between everyone else?

“Hey, Pig, missed me?” one of Virginia’s friends asked, their voice was disgusting and terrifying to hear. “What, cat got your tongue?”

“N-no, I’m sorry, I mi-missed y-you,” Pig forced out. It was an obvious lie, but his fear was just as obvious and he hoped with all his might that this would be enough. He held in a groan when another person kicked his side, the pain of the blow mixed itself with the pain of hunger like a hellish cocktail.

“Who allowed you to talk, your idiot? You come here so often and don't even know the rules?”

Pig shivered, he fucked up even before the party started, he is screwed and the laughing and mockering arounf he just proved it, he hoped that the laughing would stop, and regreted imediately when it did.

“That’s enough,” Virginia said, her voice silencing everyone in the room. And if Pig got any more scared maybe it would silence his heart too. “Have I told you why I picked this thing today?”

“You didn’t. I wanted to play Horse!” one of her friends said, and Pig must be a selfish bastard for wishing they would truly just pick up Horse instead.

“So I’ll tell you,” Virginia said, a smirk could be heard in her voice. She placed her big —dangerous, scary, please take it away— hand on Pig’s shoulers, tying her grip as if he would dare to run away. “This stupid thing was caught stealing, what is to be espected from a fucking Pig.”

He could feel his blood running cold, cold sweat dripping from his chin. No one allowed him to talk yet so he didn’t doesn’t matter how much he wanted, and what would he even say? ‘I was hungry’? This would be the same as begging to be starved to death, and he didn’t want to starve, else he wouldn’t have stolen that bit of food from the floor when he thought no one was looking. He should’ve known better than that; there is always someone looking.

———

“Tyler, what should we do with a thief?” Virginia asked, visibiling tightening her grip on the captive, who was a lot more well behaved now than at the start, at least he isn’t fukcing passing out all the time now.

Tyler smiled, he was waiting to be allowed to choose the main punishment for a while, so he for sure wouldn’t let this opportunity pass on, “What else?” he smirk. “Let’s go for the hands.”

The laughing around him showed that he chose well, and more than anything Pig’s dread was so delicious to look at, fuck Horse, this sight is where the fun lives.

Pig whimpered pathetically, he was shivering so much that someone could accuse him of fighting back, surprisingly no one did, everyone’s mood was good, that thing was so lucky.

———

Being Virginia’s toy —being Pig— is permanent, it will only end with his unavoidable death. Pig knows that, but his heart still tries to jump out of his ribcage whenever some permanent change is made on his body. It makes the forever feel real, it makes it impossible for him to hope to get out of that hell.

Does Tyler know that? Do these people even know how fucked up they are? Do they feel guilty or ashamed in any way ever? Or is Pig too much of a thing and nothing of a person for it to matter? 

Pig tried to stay quiet, he really did, but who would even be quiet while being strapped down on a chair by a bunch of fucked up sadistics? He had the right to shake and back away, excetp that he isn’t a person so he had not a single fucking right.

The fear that usually keeps all the words in made him speak against the reason. “P-p-lease, don’t, please don’t cut please-” Pig shut himself up before someone else did, tears were alredy corving his whole face, dripping along with the sweat and the torture didn’t even start.

“Oh, you don’t want it, Pig?” Virginia asked, grabbing his chin up, he didn’t look at her eyes, he knew better than that, he also didn’t breathe, not because he wasn’t allowed to, but his lungs just wouldn’t move despites his efforts. “Okay, we won’t cut them off.”

If this was in the beginning, Pig would be so relieved they decided to be merciful, but not now, not anymore, now every sweet word was worse than any threat. Virginia is many many things, and none of them is close to merciful.

“What are you thinking?” a friend of hers asked, running their finger on Pig’s hand, his wrist were strapped down already, and even if they weren’t, he had no permission to move his hand away.

“We leave the little fingers behind and just take the skin away,” Viriginia said, enjoying Pig whimpers and foolish attempts not to cry. “That’s what you wanted, right Pig?”

She let go of his chin and he nodded, what else could he do? Pig closed his eyes when a knife came to view, but he wasn’t even allowed that, as Tyler forced both his eyes open.

“You don’t want me to gouge them out, do you?” he said, sending a chill down Pig’s spine, he was enjoying it way too much.

Pig stared helplessly as the knife on Virginia's friend’s hand went closer and closer, he kept staring as it broke the skin and shed blood, he didn’t scream just yet, he had it worse, he learned to be quiet.

But he just managed to be silent up to the moment Virginia pulled the skin, first so painfully slow but soon —as she had not the paintience or delicacy— pulling it all in one go, tearing the skin away from the flesh, in a new sharp and burning pain. Pig screamed his throat out, barely hearing the laughing and the “Pig is grunting a lot today”

There was no time to breathe, there were so many people, and they were going from both bleeding hands at the same time, making a small cut and ripping the skin over and over, Pig wondered just how much skin can a hand have.

When he was about to shut down, someone pulled his hair from behind.

“Hey pig,” Tyler whispered, “Don’t you dare to pass out now, we are only getting started. Keep looking.”

Pig did, but he couldn’t make out what was blood and what was exposed flesh, he didn’t even remember what he had done to deserve this anymore.

=-=

[whosscruffylooking]

Promotion (Aaron Hotchner x Reader)

oh geez...this is my first time ever publishing my writing, especially a reader insert. a little cheat sheet: any time the writing is in bold and is italicized, it’s the readers inner monologue (aka my thought process while writing 🤪)

Warnings: None. Angst? Maybe? And then some fluff at the end.

Words: 1.4k

“Although Freud said happiness is composed of love and work, reality often forces us to choose love or work.” -Letty Cottin Pogrebin

Perhaps it was the speed at which his heel was tapping against the floor of his office, the pale color of his knuckles as his grip tightened around his pen, or the way he anxiously kept running his hands through his hair.

God, I'd love to run my hands through his hair. Now is not the time.

For the past twenty minutes, you've found yourself captivated by your boss's troubled appearance. Aaron Hotchner is notorious for being stoic and virtually unreadable. He once stared down the barrel of George Foyet's gun and boasted that he wasn't afraid of him. But here he was, visibly distraught, and all you want to is run to his aid. That's all you've wanted to do for the past three years that you've been a profiler with the BAU.

In all fairness, Aaron was a very closed-off man. He rarely brought his work home with him and never brought his home life to work. Somehow though, you've managed to break that barrier. Even if only slightly. You'd been there for him in his darkest hours, refusing to let him push you away because you knew that if you'd allowed that, he'd suppress himself to death.

Much to your surprise, he didn't put up much of a fight. Instead, he opened himself and his home up to you. He let himself be vulnerable, and he let you help him explore the dark inner workings of his mind. You did so without trepidation, and slowly, you found yourself falling in love with him. You knew the feelings weren't reciprocated, though. At least, you told yourself that. In some twisted way, you'd reasoned that if you refused to acknowledge that he may feel the same, it would make it easier to deny yourself the ability to love your superior. It's wrong. Unprofessional. It could only end in disaster.

Yet, here you are, timidly knocking on the door to his office. Your heart is beating out of your chest, your hands clammy, your teeth drawing blood from your bottom lip.

"Come in," his husky voice mumbles.

Opening the door, you make your way to the chair across from him at his desk. You cross your legs and anxiously pick at the skin around your nails. He looks up from his paperwork, his bloodshot eyes meeting yours, "Can I help you?"

You swallow the lump in your throat, "I can tell somethings wrong, Hotch. You finished your reports an hour ago, and for the past twenty minutes, you've been staring at the same piece of paper, agonizing over it. I haven't seen you like this since-"

Since the divorce papers.

You shake your head, choosing to gloss over that thought, "Is everything okay?"

Silence pierces the air. A pit forms in your stomach. A glossy haze clouds Aaron's eyes, and a small gasp escapes your lips as you notice it.

"Aaron? Aaron, what's the matter? What's on the paper?"

"It's my letter of recommendation for you. You've been chosen as a candidate for the Counterintelligence Division."

You freeze and stare at him with wide eyes. Unable to gather your thoughts or formulate the right words, or any comments for that matter, you sit in silence with him.

Wait. His eyes were watering. Why would he be tearing up?

He's the Unit Chief; his job is to lead his team and hopefully mentor them into a position where they can advance when fit. In fact, he told you after your first year with the unit that he could see you achieving the goal of progressing to Counterintelligence and eventually to FITF.

Is he not happy for me? Proud of me? Of course, he is. He's always wanted me to succeed. This couldn't possibly be because...oh. Me too, Aaron. Me too.

You take a deep breath. Someone has to break the silence...again.

"When would I find out whether or not I got the promotion?"

"First, you would go through a series of interviews and tests before solidifying your position. My recommendation is merely to give my stamp of approval for your transfer."

You let out a stumbled scoff, "Right. You are just giving me your permission to leave. And that's what you want? For me to leave?"

He furrows his brow, "That's not what I meant. You know that."

"Do I, Aaron?"

The honorable and upright team leader reluctantly turns the piece of paper around, pointing out the empty signature line.

"This is what I've been agonizing over. I'm torn y/n because, on the one hand, all I want is for you to live your life with no regrets. To achieve all that you've worked so hard for. And on the other hand, all I want is for you to stay here with me..." he stutters, "With us. The team."

Did SSA Aaron Hotchner just say he wants me to stay with him?

A pink hue paints his cheeks, and you feel yours heat up to match his. You're in disbelief. In one night, it's as if all of the things you've ever wanted have come to fruition, and yet you realize that you can't successfully have them all. Being in Counterintelligence would take you away from your home, your family, the man you're in love with. But if you stay with the BAU, you can only imagine the repression of dating your supervisor; Strauss would not make your life and job easy. You need to make a choice.

Tears sting your eyes, and you can feel your heart yearn for the man sitting across from you.

"Aaron, can I do something wholly unprofessional and beyond all sound reason?"

Aaron narrows his eyes, trying to read exactly what your motives are; his posture straightens as he recognizes your shared longing. He quickly nods and stands up. You mirror his actions and meet him halfway.

Whoa. He's tall. Very tall. And his face is very close to mine.

With bated breath, you gaze into each other's eyes as if asking for permission one last time. It's now or never. As if in complete synchronization, you both lean into one another, claiming each other's lips. He gasps softly, earning a slight chuckle from you. Your entire body tingles, and his hands find their way around your waist, squeezing your hips softy.

He's good at this. Too good. I'm not complaining though.

It's as if his lips are a paintbrush and yours are his canvas. You should pull away, but you're being held captive by his touch. It's as if you both have been starved for year's and your hunger is finally being satisfied. Nothing could taint this moment.

Except...lungs. Stupid, lungs gasping for air.

Forced to separate yourself from him, you touch your forehead to his, determined not to break all contact.

His smile glistens as a small laugh escapes his lips, "You have terrible timing. I had finally convinced myself to sign the document."

You adamantly shake your head, "No. No, I don't want you to sign it. I want to stay. Stay here with the team. I want to stay here with you."

He clears his throat, his voice hoarse, "This job opportunity is too good to pass up y/n."

"No, Aaron Hotchner, you are too good to pass up," you say, pressing your palms to his chest and peering into his beautiful chestnut eyes.

"Well then," he pushes a stray strand of your hair behind your ear, "Looks like I get to boss you around for a little while longer." A devilish smirk spreads across his face.

"Not too fast. I do have an idea of something else you could sign for me."

"And what's that?"

"A check for a raise?"

A hearty laugh echoes from his chest through his office, "I'm gonna kiss you again instead."

"Oh yeah?" You smile, lacing your fingers around his neck.

"Oh yeah." He encloses his lips on yours once more.

It's in that moment when his scent is filling your lungs, his touch imprinting on your skin, and his lips leaving you addicted and craving more that you realize you made the right choice.

No job or promotion could ever give you the feeling you have right now in Aaron's arms. You have never felt more alive than you do exploring your love for Aaron. The best promotion is going from being on the outside of his life to being the one that fills his heart.

[pandaluc]

Warm Weekends

In which after a busy week, you get to spend your weekend together with your Genshin lover

Characters included: Lisa, Diluc x g!n s/o reader

Warnings: mentions of drinking, did not proof-read

Lisa

8:30 am... You are woken by your girlfriend, Lisa, the very well-known librarian in Mondstadt. "Good morning cutie~" she tells you with a smile on her face. Just by that moment, you felt so lucky to have Lisa as your lover. You decided to spend a few minutes tugging yourself on her chest, your arms hugging her close to you. You cherish these moments a lot, and so does she. Her head on top of yours, sometimes kissing the crown of your head. One of her arms are rubbing your back, and the other playing with your hair which feels so soothing.

9:00 am... The both of you stand up, together fixing your bed. She would comb your hair, and you comb hers. Doing so, you shower each other with compliments as well as some flirting here and there.

9:15 am... You and your lover make your way to the kitchen and start to cook breakfast. Lisa is a vegetarian so the both of you decided to make Satisfying Salad to eat this morning. After cooking, you then will offer Lisa a seat on the table. "How romantic of you, dear". While eating, the both of you discuss about how your week was. After eating, you would wash the dishes while Lisa cleans the table up and store left-overs if there are any.

9:53 am... You then take a bath with Lisa. Nothing suggestive happens. The baths you do with her are simply sweet and relaxing - it makes the both of you feel at peace. She would wash your hair, you would help her soap her back. Both of you would compliment each other about your looks. You love taking baths with her because she makes you feel accepted, secure and safe. Baths with her are indeed fun. After taking a bath, the both of you will then brush your teeth, comb your hair, and put on clothes together. Sometimes, you get to choose what she wears for the day. Today, you decided to wear a couple shirt with her. It is rare after all to see Lisa in a simple, comfortable clothing

10:34 am... You and Lisa make your way to the library, not to do work in the weekend but rather to have a library date. The both of you love to read, and well, if you did not love to read before, she definitely influenced you to do so. While reading, you both would discuss about history and theories about Teyvat and Celestia. Both of you found it fun.

1:43 pm... After reading and contemplating about the world, both of you go to Sara's Good Hunter and order some food. For today's late lunch, you ate Vegetarian Abalone with her. Some people would stare at the both of you, not to creep the couple out or anything but rather because you two look so good and cute together. At first, you were uncomfortable with the stares. But later on, you got used to it and came to the realization that you are just indeed so lucky to have Lisa as your future wife.

2:39 pm... After eating, Lisa decided that the both of you could take a walk outside Mondstadt to perhaps reconnect with nature. You and Lisa then go outside Mondstadt to travel. The both of you would go pick up flowers to give each other, admire lakes or waterfalls and go on top of a mountain to do some sightseeing. While gathering Cecilias, and some big leaves and strings, you then make a boquet to give to your lover on a mountain peak as the sun sets. It is simple, yet romantic. Very romantic. Lisa then somewhat felt bad because she did not have such gift to give to you even if you assured her that it is alright. As a result, she simply took a Windwheel Aster, cut some part of the stem, and put it on your ear.

7:22 pm... You both went back to the comfort of your home, and made Radish Veggie Soup to eat as your dinner. You and Lisa were exhausted from your date. Even so, you wish that Lisa enjoyed the date as much as you did. While her wish was to spend more time with you like this, instead of being busy doing librarian things and helping the Acting Grand Master of the Knights of Favonius even if she is not part of the Knights.

8:13 pm... You both wash up, wore your pajamas and prepared yourselves to sleep. Hugging each other, and talking about your day as you and Lisa drift to sleep.

"Thank you for today, darling. I really appreciate it. If only we get to spend more times like this together... I hope we do so in the future before our time comes. I enjoy your company so much, dear. Thank you. Good night."

Diluc

7:30 am... You woke up before Diluc did, giving you a chance to admire his beautiful face. Him being at peace, not worrying about anything, made you happy. After all, you rarely get a chance to see him like this. You planned to cook him breakfast, and so tried to get out of bed to make your way to the kitchen...well, tried. Diluc is a light sleeper so no matter how careful you were, your lover woke up because of your motions. You apologized and told him to continue sleeping. You continued to get out of your bed but Diluc wrapped his arms tightly onto you, pulling you back to bed with him. "It's alright... but please stay on bed a bit longer with me."

8:30 am... You ended up sleeping with him for an hour longer. It was hard for you to resist his morning voice, and his peaceful look asking you to stay. After falling back to sleep, you then woke up just to see your boyfriend's loving eyes admiring you while his fingers stroking your hair. "Good morning, dear", he says. You can't help but gently smile, realizing how lucky you are today to be able to spend a morning with the love of your life.

8:40 am... After a few minutes of cuddling (just like the touch starved the both of you are), you then decide to start cooking as Diluc fixes your bed. You decided to cook a dish named "Pile 'em up". The maids in Dawn Winery told you that they could cook breakfast for you and Diluc instead. But you insisted that you can do the cooking for today. This dish you are cooking is a dish that Diluc recently taught you, and so apparently is Diluc's specialty. It was special for you. It had a very nice smell, therefore, your partner recognized the dish your cooking. He then went to the kitchen, and hugged you from behind. His eyes staring at the dish, satisfied at your work.

9:11 am... You and Diluc ate breakfast together while talking about work and basically asking each other's life so far. Diluc would tell you stories about his batman Darknight Hero duties while you compliment him about his determination and hard-work. Mornings like this are very appreciated by you and your lover. It's a shame that in most days, Diluc would be working while you are eating alone at this hour.

9:43 am... After eating, you both took a bath. Unlike Lisa, you and Diluc doesn't really take baths together. As we know, Diluc is quite a reserved person. Don't get him wrong, he would like to take a bath with you...but is afraid to ask you about it since he does not want you to be uncomfortable. Poor boy, taking a bath with him is also one of your desires.

10:22 am... You often finish taking a bath before Diluc does. What do you expect? A man like him won't allow himself to go out with a single slightest dirt in his being. While waiting for him to finish, you comb your hair and wear your clothes. And once Diluc finishes taking a bath, you make him sit on a chair in front of a mirror to comb his hair in which you can't help but think what shampoo and hair care does this man use.

10:53 am... It may be a weekend, but the world sadly does not stop time and duties for the both of you. Though Charles often handles Angel's Share, he was given a day-off by Diluc because of Charles' personal matters. Since it is quite rare to have a day where you and Diluc can be together, you decide to go help Diluc in his tavern. Diluc was opposed with this idea at first because drunkards can really be a hassle, but you pleaded way too much that your lover can't just refuse anymore... look at the power you hold. You and Diluc then walk to Angel's Share, people staring and some one (to be specific, Donna.) death glaring at you with tears. You didn't mind anyways. Having Diluc as your boyfriend is a huge flex after all.

11:20 am... The two of you arrive in the tavern, cleaning it before opening. You can't help but stare at Diluc as the both of you wipe the tables. Diluc notices, and exchanged glances with you. He slightly smiles and walk up to you, putting his arm on your back. Pulling you to a kiss on the forehead.

11:30 am... Angel's Share opens. Since it was still morning, only two people came. Whenever these two drunk people gets too close and touchy with you, Diluc would realize and see your face full of discomfort. Diluc would then glare at them, enough to scare them and stop.

12:40 pm... You and Diluc close the doors of Angel's Share for a lunch break. You go to Sara to order food, as Diluc stays in the tavern cleaning the mess the drunk people made. You come back to the tavern with food as you lock the door. The two of you, then, eat on the counter. Everything about Diluc is truly admirable, so you can't help stare at him as he eats. Lucky you, he thinks the same of you. He adores it so much when you eat, especially when you try to cut the meat and struggle.

1:21 pm... You unlock the doors in the tavern, and start to receive customers. It may be an afternoon, but it is a weekend and Diluc is planning to close the tavern earlier today. Diluc starts to mix up drinks, while you take customers' orders and clean tables. Customers that are rude won't be avoided, they are drunk after all. If they get too rude, especially to you, Diluc would make up an excuse to kick them out. While cleaning tables, you'd catch Diluc staring at you. Whenever Diluc realizes that you notice his stairs, he quickly looks down at the glass he is cleaning with a faint pink blush on his face. how cute. This is basically your date. It's not the often romantic dinner dates, but you still appreciate and have fun. Knowing more about Diluc's life is good after all. Besides, you get breaks from time to time so you still get to sit on one of the chairs near the counter and talk to Diluc, maybe even giving him a peck on the lips when you are being called by one of the customers.

6:31 pm... There was only one customer left. Before the night approaches and more people attempt to come in and drink, Diluc quickly kicks the customer out and lock the tavern doors. You help Diluc clean up the tavern. He is the type to give back hugs, so you often receive them as you wipe tables, him kissing the top of your head. After the whole clean-up, the both of you walk back to your lover's mansion.

7:13 pm... You and your boyfriend were greeted by the maids with a fancy dinner set on the dining table. You and Diluc freshen up first, and then together headed to the table. While eating, he'd ask about how was your day. He would also ask you if there were customers who were mean to you or attempted to flirt with you. He trusts you, but in the end, he doesn't want to see the love of his life in a not-so-good condition. He wants you to feel safe and secure around him, and he succeeds on doing so. He wants the best for you. He is always there for you. And he always makes you feel that.

7:49 pm... After eating, Diluc and you wash up before going to bed. You were glad because today, you are able to sleep early with Diluc. Not having to wait for him to come at 3am due to his darknight duties. After being washed up, the both of you lay in bed. It won't be considered as sleeping with Diluc if there are no cuddling sessions for lots of minutes. Asking about if you need or want anything, and if there is something you want to get rid off your chest...what a perfect man. Sometimes, he would be the big spoon. Sometimes, he would be the small spoon. The both of you take turns. After conversations and cuddles, you eventually fall asleep as Diluc watches you sleeping, kissing your forehead and saying...

"Good night darling. I promise to protect and cherish you all my life. Thank you for bringing light to my world. I love you."