#cook for herself. not like actively but anytime she has to get her own food she only grabs stuff never makes it. like we bought so much box
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grymmdark · 4 months ago
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i miss when my sister moved out for a semester cus it was so fr3eing like a weight was lifted off my shoulders but im also not surprised that she onky lasted one semester living outside home cus she basically refuses to learn any adult life skills and is overreliant on our parents for the most basic of shit
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this is a continuation of the other one
Y/N stares at him for a long moment, arms crossed and poking her tongue into her cheek. “Why do I feel like I'm Ariel and you’re the sea witch trying to get me to sing into a shell?”
Harry blinks once. “Sorry, what?”
“Oh, right, that was—that was ‘89, wasn’t it?” Y/N bites back a laugh at the scowl that rolls over Harry’s expression. “After your time, I suppose.”
But Y/N isn’t laughing when she has to spend the next two weeks braless. And although she spends the first day being petty under Harry’s keen eye, by the third day, she’s turned the predicament around in her favor.
“Hey, Harry.” She says one night, stirring her pot of pasta on the stove as she sips her eleven dollar wine. “I have a question about our arrangement.”
Harry, who has been leaning over the counter to soak in the aromas of the food that he longs to taste (and also to get a look at Y/N’s cleavage in the v-neck t-shirt she’s wearing), cocks his head to the side and clicks his tongue. “If you're trying to reduce your sentence, don’t even try it.”
“No, no, it’s not that.” Y/N murmurs, trailing her lip around the rim of her wine glass as she leans against the counter. “I was just wondering if it has to be only braless with a shirt on top, or if I could wear just a bra or bralette.”
Harry blinks once, his mouth falling open in surprise. “I—what?”
“Like, I have this little cotton Calvin Klein bralette, and it’s super comfy, and still gives me some support, but my cleavage and such is still decently on display.” Y/N clarifies with a smug grin, setting down her glass against the fake marble counter as she stretches to reach the spice cabinet. “I think that could fulfill our agreement, no? You know what bralette I’m talking about, right? You’ve probably seen it when you’ve been snooping around.”
Harry looks at her carefully, trying to catch the trick behind her all-too generous offer. He replies in a measured tone, leaning against the fridge as his eyes glue to the way her chest heaves as she teeters forwards on her tiptoes to grab a condiment. “I know the one, yes. Peachy pink, right? With a thick band and slightly ruffled fabric at the center?”
“That’s the one, yup.” Y/N pops the last letter of the word, wiggling her fingers to try and grab the oregano from the highest shelf. “It’s a nice number, I think, and going around braless for so long does my back in sometimes.”
Harry pushes off the barrier he’s using as support, drifting towards Y/N as she stands before her cupboards, one hand propped against the counter to boost herself up as the other fishes for the small container a few inches from the tips of her fingers. He stops right beside her, looking down at her with that same calculating gaze he had across the room. He’s still trying to sus out her angle, but little does he know that what she’s trying to implement is going to work out for both of them.
She’s grown quite fond of the extra attention he’s been giving her, and for some odd reason, she feels a deep sense of pleasure every time she catches him staring at her chest. Maybe it’s the way his eyes glint longingly as he ogles, or the way he’ll chew into his cheek or along his bottom lip or into the side of his finger as he follows the outline of her cleavage, or maybe it’s that when she catches him gawking, he’ll hold intense eye contact with her for a second before casting his gaze away to some other unimportant object.
Maybe it was that one time yesterday where she’d managed to pull an actual reaction out of him. They had been watching a rerun of a Scooby Doo movie, and she could feel his ghastly eyes pinned to her bust, probably because she had lied down on her stomach across her sectional sofa as he had sat on the floor in front of it, so when he turned his head, her chest had been less than a foot away. And as if that wasn’t enough, she had purposefully flushed it against the couch cushion below to make it seem extra plump and appealing, which would have knocked the air from Harry’s lungs if he still had them.
He’d released a soft whimper so broken and needy, Y/N had to fight off a conceited grin to avoid letting him know she was doing this to him with actual intention. She’d pretended not to hear it, but she had allowed herself to indulge the flare of satisfaction that rose from watching him shift his sitting position a bit, as if something were growing heavy between his thighs. His actions had vaguely made her wonder if ghosts could even feel arousal, and if they could, she hoped he was. It was the perfect revenge, because she at least knows that he wouldn’t be able to do anything about it. Not with anyone else, at least.
Y/N watches as Harry reaches an arm up, easily reaching the bottle she’s attempting to retrieve. He swipes his hand across the container, the motion managing to knock it off the shelf and into her awaiting palm. She’s learned that in order to touch objects, he has to put in quite a bit of energy and concentration to succeed in breaking through the dimensional barrier that separates the living from the dead. Garnering the slightest contact can sometimes drain him a great deal, so when he does make it his mission to touch something, he does it with as little impact as possible to save his energy for later, in case he wants to grab something for an extended period of time, or grasp a heavier weight that would require more exertion.  
“Thanks.” She smiles up at him innocently, blinking her lashes with a slightly sultry air as she closes the cupboard slowly.
Harry swallows heavily, glimpsing down at where her chest is still heaving from when she’d made a grand effort to collect the ingredient she needed. He hates how his little cheeky plan had recently become the bane of his undead existence, given that Y/N had recently begun using it to her advantage. But he can’t complain, because he’s getting exactly what he asked for. He just wishes he could get more.
His voice comes out low and strained as his eyes coast back up to meet her own, which are dancing with smug amusement. “You’re welcome.”
“So what do you say?” Y/N asks, uncapping the spice and sprinkling a liberal amount into her sauce. “Think we could tweak our deal?”
Harry pulls himself back onto the counter, tapping his fingers against the surface without making a sound. “I suppose.” He replies after a moment, eyes flickering to Y/N’s chest once more as she leans down to taste the sauce. “The bralette should be fine, as long as it’s not too padded.” He shoots her a cheeky grin. “I like a bit of nipple, you know that.”
“You’re gross.” Y/N scoffs, shaking her head as she sets down the wooden spoon on the stove. “I'm gonna go change, then. Watch this for me, will you?”
And Harry does rather diligently, inhaling the flavorful aromas rising from the stove. He wishes, for the billionth time in his thirty odd years of death, that he could taste food. He knows he doesn’t need it, but even just having its essence pass over his tongue would be enough for him. He misses pasta, he thinks, staring longingly at the noodles boiling away on the stove. And pizza, and fish, and steak, cooked perfectly with a delicious side of mashed potatoes and gravy, just pink enough in the middle that it’s still tender—
“You didn’t burn down the kitchen. Good job!” Y/N’s voice calls from behind, and the ghost turns around with a retort on his lips that quickly falls away once he sees her.
She’s put on the bralette just as she said she would, and it’s everything he’s ever dreamed of. The cotton is thin enough that he can see the clear outline of what he wants through the article, and the halter neckline lands low enough that he can see every dip and curve of her breasts. A band of her stomach is exposed beneath the labeled elastic lining the bottom of the fabric, and the soft skin seems to call to Harry, making him desperate to touch it. Y/N’s decided to swap her sweatpants as well, it seems, as she’s now dressed in a loose pair of heather grey shorts that sit above her belly button and barely cover the curve of her ass. The loose legs flutter up with her every movement, and if she were about to bend over just a smidge, he could—
“How’s this?” The girl asks, flicking her loose hair over her shoulder with a simper. “Does it meet the requirements?”
Harry clears his throat, his words coming out as a pained groan. “God, you’re a fucking bitch, you know that?”
Y/N sputters into a round of airy laughter, coming to stand before him with her hands perched on her hips. Her tone is innocent, but her true intentions are written clear across her face, obvious in the way her lips twitch with evil delight. “How so? I’m abiding to our terms!”
“You’re giving me the world’s worst case of blue-balls, is what you’re doing.” Harry bites back, his sharp jaw clenching and full lips pressing into a bothered grimace. “And you’re doing it on fucking purpose.”  
“You made your casket, now lie in it.” Y/N states brightly, shrugging her brows with finality.
“Harsh.” Harry mumbles, but he can’t fight off the amused grin that tweaks his dimples into place.  
Harry slips off the counter again onto his feet, not being able to stay still. There’s a peculiar buzzing sensation coursing through each of his ghostly limbs, and anytime he stays put, it intensifies to the point where he feels like he’s going to explode into a shower of static.
He saunters up behind Y/N, looking over her shoulder as she regains her previous activity of mixing the contents in the pot while they simmer their way to completion. Despite not being able to touch her, he can still smell her just fine, and her homey scent of chamomile and jasmine are ever welcomed. She just smells so much like a girl, for a lack of a better explanation, and Harry hasn’t been this close to one his own age since before he passed. It’s driving him to the brink.
“I’d give you a taste if I could.” Y/N's soft, teasing voice echoes against his ears as she cranes her neck to look at him. “It’s a family recipe.”
“Yeah...” Harry locks eyes with her for a moment, and his hand instinctively reaches down to grasp at her waist. Instead of being met with the warm sturdiness of what he knows would be her silky skin, he’s met with the typical icy fizzing sensation that constantly haunts him whenever he tries to make contact with a living being. His digits pass right through her hip, though she barely seems to notice, the only palpable indication of his attempt being a cold breeze wafting across her flesh.
He knows it’s something that is extremely easy to brush off, usually as a simple draft from the air conditioning, given the similarities between the two experiences. And that’s exactly what she appears to do as she gives a light, dismissive shiver, not paying it any mind.
The ghost tries his best to keep his disappointment from registering in his mood, and his tone instead fills with an unreadable emptiness that only he can truly interpret. Below it lies a double meaning, and it has to do with way more than just the general desire to be able to experience the taste of good again; it holds a certain longing that pertains to a deeper type of hunger, but again, only he can truly decipher it. “Yeah, I can only dream of it.”
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autisticbones · 2 years ago
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2, 5, and 6 for elara, aethrii, and sav'eera!
omg hello thank you!!
2. Is your oc picky about food? What kinds of foods do they like and dislike? What do they consider a comfort or “safe” food?
Elara isn't really that picky at all. She has a soft spot for sampling the local cuisine anytime she visits someplace new, and her quarters in the base on Odessen have a kitchen because she enjoys cooking and finds it relaxing. In particular, she loves to cook for and with her partners - be it soup and dumplings for a cozy meal, or making cookies together and everyone trying to get each other covered in flour. Food is a major show of care and affection to her, so she likes to share her own comfort food meals with her loves, and similarly integrates anything they've cooked for or with her into what she considers comfort food.
Aethrii tries to be a vegetarian, but she hates the texture of most meat substitutes, so she makes exceptions for the sake of nutrition. One exception she's found herself rather fond of is ribenes, much to Qyzen's delight, and he's been teaching her how to cook them the old-fashioned way. She can cook simple things and prepare most field rations/camp food, but put her in the kitchen for anything more than that and you'll find C2 trying to contain a minor disaster.
Sav'eera is the pickiest by a long shot. She has a pretty sensitive stomach, and if she doesn't know what it is, she won't eat it. At the same time, she has a ridiculous sweet tooth and less-than-stellar judgement when it comes to consequences. Her all-time favourite dish, though, has to be noodles from this one shop in Kaas City, and she's tasked R8 with mastering a copycat recipe. She also likes tea, and has the ship well stocked at all times.
5. What kind of clothes is your oc most comfortable wearing?
Elara likes to borrow her lovers' clothes. When she's on straightforward missions or working around the base, she can be found in Doc's old jacket and her favourite purple leggings, pulled together with a belt that Lana made for her and Theron's extra set of specialized bracers. When she's actively in the public eye, she has a few outfits to rotate through, which vary in how overtly armored they are and how intimidating to approachable the colour schemes are. Overall, though, she likes to stick to unrestrictive clothes, and reserved colour schemes for formal appearances.
Aethrii likes to be colour-coordinated. For diplomatic work, she appears in a yellow-orange dress and cloak reminiscent of Corellian sunflowers and intended to inspire respect and peace among those she must work with. On missions where she anticipates stealth and agility will be essential or combat may arise, she wears shades of green reminiscent of mossy stone ruins, centering herself in the colour.
Sav'eera likes to look bold, in almost every way possible. She likes glitter and bright colours, favouring purples, blues, and reds. She also likes outfits that draw attention to what they cover rather than what they don't, like long dresses with ornately detailed sleeves. Bedazzled armor is another favourite of hers. The visuals of her closet look like the club scene on Nar Shaddaa.
6. What kind of clothes is your oc least comfortable wearing?
Elara loathes cloaks, capes, and hoods. She feels restricted wearing them, and worries about them getting tangled in combat and causing her to be hurt.
Aethrii doesn't like excessive detail and decoration on her clothing. She prefers to dress relatively humbly, encouraging assumptions that she is of little power in order to draw suspicion away from her.
Sav'eera hates to show skin aside from her head and face. As a twi'lek and a former slave, she considers it dangerous, and she just doesn't want to risk getting blood on her arms or legs in combat. For similar reasons, she also prefers long skirts over pants.
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yodawgiherd · 4 years ago
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Cabin at Nighttime
>>>Read on AO3<<<
Aaand there is the second part of modern cottagecore, more M-rated, so beware if that is not your cup of tea.
For Mikasa, it was like watching movie scenes unfolding in front of her eyes. It could happen anytime around the cabin, during any activity, if there was a pattern to it then she failed to see it. Yet while the images bled to reality, Mikasa always knew that is real and what isn’t - the underlying feeling of sadness and abandoned duty that followed these visions made them easy to identify. When she walked to the edge of the small forest, she saw dream Eren chopping wood, his hair in that unfamiliar undercut. She saw him carrying a huge fish, a proud smile pulling at his lips. She also witnessed a lot of intimate moments, hugs, and gentle kisses scattered all around the cabin, and if it wasn’t her as one of the actors Mikasa would feel like intruding. It was so precious, what the two of them had, but there was that sadness every time, the feel that it was just a utopia, a daydream. The dread wasn’t caused only by the mission they ran from to be together, but a new faint feeling tingled its way into Mikasa’s bones.
It was a few scenes. In one, Eren was coughing into a handkerchief, and when he pulled it away from his mouth it was tainted red. In the next, Mikasa was watching him struggle with a log, tears in her eyes before she quickly crossed the distance to help him. All these visions were drenched in that sad feeling, in the helplessness, it made her own eyes water. Not from the pain this time, but from the tragedy of it all.
“He was dying.”, she said out of nowhere, making Eren look up from the small fire he was cultivating.
He knew right away of who Mikasa spoke.
“Why? Was he sick?”
“Yes…” a tingle, “Or no, it was more like… a curse?”
“Curse?”
“Yes, a curse that was killing him, and he didn’t have much time left.”
“Was there no cure?”
Mikasa shook her head, suddenly overwhelmed by a wave of hopelessness. Eren must have felt it because he abandoned the fire in favor of sitting next to her, wrapping her shivering form in a hug. Closing her eyes she pressed her body close to his.
“Poor guy,”, Eren stated, “Ran away to be with the love of his life and still got cursed to die young. Dude can’t catch a break.”
“Eren..”, she frowned at him but he kissed it away with an easy smile.
Mikasa had to remind herself that Eren didn’t feel the presence like she did. Sure, he was the understanding and supportive boyfriend who did everything in his power to make her feel better, but he didn’t have these nightmares, these visions. His mind wasn’t weighted down by the impending doom, creeping around the corners of the cabin.
So why stay, one could ask. Why stay in the place where Mikasa saw ghosts around the corners? The answer was simple – it was a gut feeling. Mikasa felt right here, almost as if she came home after years and years of being abroad. Yes, there was sadness and guilt but there was also joy and happiness and it all mixed in an addictive way. Most importantly, she knew that it was correct to be here, the universe demanded it.
To be completely honest, Eren had a tiny fear that he might be bored at the cabin, his brain hardwired to all the action living in a city brought. It turned out to be completely wrong because he was anything but. Instead of twiddling his thumbs, he was now fuzzing over Mikasa ever since her small collapse, making sure that she has everything she could ask for. As a doctor, he knew that these visions might be a symptom of a mental illness, but she wasn’t showing anything else apart from them. Mikasa wasn’t delusional, she didn’t confuse reality and her dreams, she could answer his questions clearly and correctly. For now, he kept it as an open topic, making a mental note to ask Hitch about it once they get back to the city. He could call her, but the situation wasn’t urgent and he would very much prefer to hear her opinion over a few drinks.
The place was something else, and if Mikasa didn’t like it so much he would probably call it a shack instead. At least it had running water, a fact that Eren was very grateful for. With technology and the hustle of the city far beyond them, they spent their time doing downright childish and primitive things. They swam, splashing around in the cold ocean water like careless kids. They hiked, taking in the natural beauty of the countryside. With Mikasa not having another one of her episodes, Eren even left her alone for a bit and tried fishing, only to discover that he is terrible at it. Staring at the bait, unmoving in the water, he couldn’t suppress a groan. Damn water creatures, they must be plotting against him. His evening got marginally better once he returned, seeing Mikasa preparing the outside table for dinner.
“What did you catch?”, she asked with a smile, obviously seeing that Eren wasn’t carrying any fish.
“My love for you.”, he replied before producing a small flower he picked, offering it as a gift.
Mikasa accepted it, putting it into her hair, and the hour spent being taunted by fishes just didn’t matter anymore. It was the 21st century, so they weren’t dependent on Eren’s ability, or rather inability, to fish - the food they brought would do. Cooking it over the small fire, they ate in relative silence, taking in the embrace of nature they found themselves in. After that, Eren produced a few more sweet treats from his bag and to Mikasa’s delight prepared hot chocolate and marshmallows. The shadows grew long and the evening steadily progressed into the night while they huddled on the bench, bundled in a blanket and with Mikasa once again shamelessly abusing the heat Eren’s body produced.
“Did you have any more visions?”, he asked cautiously, rubbing her shoulder.
“A few, but they were very faint.”, she snuggled closer into his embrace, “But I have this strange feeling while I’m here.”
“What’s that?”
“I think… I feel like Mikasa was pregnant.”
“Well damn, the brats were faster than us?”, Eren snickered, “Guess they didn’t have careers to focus on.”
“They did.”, Mikasa disagreed, “They had a whole mission of saving the world. They abandoned it to be together.”
“Romantic.”, with a gentle hand, Eren dragged his fingers through Mikasa’s hair, loving the silkiness of the natural black and the few artificially red strands, “Yet sad at the same time.”
“Very sad.”
“It does bring an interesting question.”, Eren continued,  “Would you abandon your career to be with me?”
Mikasa thought about it, deeply and carefully. She loved fighting, loved the freedom she had in the ring, loved working on herself and her body. Overcoming obstacles and winning against impossible odds made her feel strong, invincible. But despite all these facts, despite her loving MMA so much, she knew the answer.
“I would. Both fighting and modeling, for you I’d do it.”
“I think I would too, even if it would be tearing me up inside. If I couldn’t help people anymore, couldn’t set them free from their injuries…”, he took a deep breath, his chest expanding where Mikasa leaned on it, “Still, you are way too important for me. I would drop it all to be with you because living without Mikasa in my life is not worth it.”
Mikasa fell asleep out here, bundled up with Eren, but she woke when he carried her inside and put her to bed. Why? Because that old thing creaked terribly.
“Sorry…”, he murmured, making her snicker.
“Hardly your fault.”
“I’d prefer if you slept peacefully.”
“Is it because of the visions? I told you not to worry, only the first one was painful.”
She got up, stretched a bit, and went to change into her sleeping clothes. Eren mirrored her actions, and for a moment the only sounds in the cabin were the rustles of fabric.
“Would you look at that.”, he remarked once they were both changed, “There is only one bed.”
“Guess we will have to share.”, she plopped down on it, making the bed creak again, “I hope that you will not try to take advantage of the situation, good sir.”
“I wouldn’t dare ma’am.”
To her surprise, Eren did just that, lying down and pulling the covers over himself at a respectful distance from her.
“I wish you a good night, lady Mikasa.”
Eren’s back to her, Mikasa looked with a raised eyebrow as he did exactly nothing. When the silence stretched, she poked him in the shoulder.
“Hey Eren, you know that it was a joke right. I would very much prefer if you did something very inappropriate to me.”
He turned, the moon reflecting in his eyes.
“Are you sure?”
“What, are you scared that sex might bring back more of the memories?”
“I don’t rightly know.”, he confessed, “You had a headache from touching a bench, I have no idea what your triggers are.”
“Babe, stop worrying for a second,”, Mikasa grabbed a handful of his hair, tugging his face to hers, “And kiss me, you fool.”
He did so, and then it was the familiar dance. Clothing was torn and thrown away from their bodies, careless where it would land, littering the interior. Only once they were bare to each other did Mikasa roll on her back with Eren falling on top, their mouths not leaving one another for a second. She opened herself up to him, letting him have all the control when he pinned her hands above her head, their fingers entwining together on the aged sheets. There was no resistance from her when their groins touched, when Eren pressed his hardness against her heat, forcing her body to arch so beautifully. Their lips mashed together, hard and bruising, and soon the lack of air made them pant. Mikasa breathed with tiny soft moans that somehow tugged at his heart at the same time as his groin. His love and adoration for her were absolute, both physical and spiritual. That was until he felt something very cold rub against his legs. Despite his primal hunger for her, Eren tore himself away from Mikasa’s lips.
“Geez, your feet are freezing.”
Her response was a giggle and even more insistent cold rub.
“Then warm me up.”
Seeing her smile and hearing her laugh was intoxicating, making Mikasa happy was very high on Eren’s priority list. Angling his head he licked a long stripe, all the way from her collarbone to her pierced earlobe.
“All right.”
And then he was kissing her again because he loved her more than anything, even with her freezing feet. There was no one else he could even imagine doing this with because no one was like Mikasa. He knew her body, he knew it so well, yet Eren traced his touch all over it, letting his hands go down from the restricting hold on her wrists. She was pinned beneath his weight but Mikasa did not mind it at all. And exploring he went, down her face that put the sun to shame to the small yet perky breasts that were now heaving with her breathing. Groping the area shamelessly Eren indulged himself, playing with Mikasa’s chest until her breaths grew even more desperate. Her nipples were coming to life underneath his touch reacting wonderfully when he thumbed the nubs. Soon he had them fully erect, just as his cock was. The pinch he planted on the left one made Mikasa groan into the kiss, a sound that was so sexy that Eren forced her to do it again by pinching the other one. Down the plane of perfectly defined abs that belonged on a statue and not a living person, and down still. Smugly ghosting over the apex of her legs, Eren’s hands anchored on her thighs instead, caressing those beautiful muscular limbs. Mikasa could feel him smirk into the kiss, he knew that he was ignoring the place where she wanted him the most. Patient, compliant for now, she would let him keep the lead. He never let her down before.
Reversing his descent, Eren slid his hands upwards over the toned legs, taking in a handful of her ass. It fascinated him and it would never stop doing so, because Eren was a weak man and the thing that he was groping was the most perfect ass that there was, fueling his primal desires to no end. A thing to worship, caress and care for every single day.
And still they kissed, breathless and growing more and more aggressive. Her tongue traced his upper lip, prodding inside and sliding alongside his wet muscle. Then it was Eren attacking, pulling her bottom lip between his teeth. Raw and dangerous yet sweet at the same time, it was like kissing and being kissed by a wild animal sometimes. Mikasa was practically panting when Eren left her mouth to bite her neck, pressing his face into that silky skin he loved so much. The pale was now marked by him, imprints of teeth and reddening marks he sucked into it, definitive proof of his conquest.
Above him, Mikasa let out a breathy laugh at all that. Sure, the bites hurt but they were immediately soothed by Eren’s tongue and lips, leaving only a pleasurable tingle behind. He could be rough but he was always there to kiss the hurt away, to let her know how loved Mikasa was. Eren could hurt her but it was a beautiful pain.
A new sting originating from her chest let Mikasa know that he was now at her breasts, ravaging them. He nipped at the underside, knowing she’s ticklish there, mixing her breathing with airy giggles. The dark nipples were already hard from his previous actions, and they felt great in his mouth when Eren pulled them in, sucking Mikasa’s breasts. And then the bite came a clamp of his teeth against the super-sensitive bud that had her crying out and arching from the bed. A pinch and roll on the other and Mikasa was shaking beneath him, her mouth open in cries and pleas.
Down he went, kissing everywhere he could, making every inch of her flawless skin as his. Her stomach, her beautifully muscled stomach, her sharp hips, the lines that guided him to the place where the fire originated in. His lips were here and there, scrape of teeth against the hipbone and gone before Mikasa took full notice, everywhere and nowhere at the same time. To say that it was driving her crazy would be an understatement. Eren had the gall to call her a tease?
She was almost begging, she almost reached down to push him there when Eren’s mouth arrived at the apex of her muscular thighs, taking a handful of her cheeks and spreading them open for him. Mikasa assisted him more than willingly, biting her bottom lip to keep the excited noises in. Eren went down on her so many times but it was something she always looked forward to, the amazing pleasure he could provide with his mouth was an experience to be enjoyed a hundred, thousand times over. It would do her no good to squeal like a schoolgirl because Eren would surely tease her for it later, but it was hard to keep it inside. Brushing the midnight bangs from her eyes Mikasa looked down, wanting to see him because Eren pleasuring her was an incredible sight. Many times she was tempted to snap a picture, a quick photo of his mouth between her legs, but didn’t do it yet. Maybe one day.
It was oddly satisfying, watching Eren between her spread thighs. The tiny part of her recalled those hurtful memories, the “I’ve always hated you Mikasa”, that pain that belonged to someone else. It was her Eren’s perfect copy who said that but look at him now. Fully devoted to her, to Mikasa’s pleasure, ignoring himself just so he can make her feel better. Hate was miles apart from what Eren felt for her, judging from his actions.
“Something funny?”, he asked, hot breath blowing over her womanhood.
Mikasa must have been smiling, she realized, smiling because she got to have this, not hate and suffering.
“No, I’m simply appreciating how nice you are to me, how attentive.”
He grinned up at her, keeping eye contact while he stuck out his tongue, licking her sex in a single wide stroke, all the way from the bottom to the top.
“This? I’m doing this solely for myself.”, his next words were a sultry whisper spoken so close to her sex that it looked like he was talking to her pussy, not to Mikasa, “I adore how you taste.”
Maybe to prove his point, maybe because he did enjoy it Eren dipped his head down to lick at her again. It wasn’t a service, it was an exchange, because Eren was in turn blessed by the sight of Mikasa’s bare stomach, tense abdominal muscles contracting with every whine and breath falling from the raven’s lips. His actions were slow and languid, licking her outsides but not dipping in yet, getting her properly worked up first. There was no rush, was there.
The two fingers that appeared by Mikasa’s lips were not a surprise and she took them eagerly into her mouth, sucking them. Once properly wet, he pulled them out and repositioned his hand between her slightly trembling thighs. Pulling his head back, Eren pushed them in and they both disappeared into her with a wet sound, making Mikasa moan out loud. A beautiful sound, that.
Eren's fingers dutifully re-explored every inch of Mikasa's sopping wet sex, made so by both her juices and his mouth, gliding from one area to the next with ease that comes from years of practice. And as always it drove Mikasa insane, her hips shifting because that smug bastard wasn’t doing what she wanted. Knowing her ticks so well, Eren ignored Mikasa’s clit that was begging for his attention beneath its hood, not touching her there in the slightest. Why? Because he loved seeing her desperate.
“Please…”, it finally came from her trembling lips, music to his ears, “Please, Eren…”
“Please what?”
“Please… do it”, her chest contracted, “… do it properly.”
It would be shameful to admit that Mikasa’s pussy was throbbing at this point, her clit so poor and unattended, but it was the truth. Eren had a thing for driving her arousal high, much higher than necessary, before doing it right. She was begging now, in that small voice that he could never say no to, and he didn’t want to in the first place. But when he moved down to obey and his cheek touched her inner thigh, Mikasa groaned.
“You have a stubble.”, she accused him, “Scratchy stubble at that.”
“It would appear so…”, to tease, Eren rubbed his face against her sensitive skin making Mikasa yelp and frown at him.
“Shave. Tomorrow.”
“I…”
“No buts.”, Mikasa reached down, grabbing his hair and angling Eren’s face back down, reminding him of his mission between Mikasa’s thighs.
“Now go on, please.”
Right. Spreading her open with his fingers, Eren dipped his tongue in, the tip of the wet muscle sliding inside her. She was scorching hot, faintly pulsing around his tongue and Eren knew that he can make these contractions much, much stronger. Delvin deeper he licked everywhere where he could reach, wiggling his tongue inside of her. At the same time his fingers attacked her clit, rubbing the tiny circles she liked, and Mikasa was finally being given the proper oral treatment. The insistent swirling of his tongue combined with the expert touches on her slowly stiffening nub as Eren was teasing it from under its hood. Letting her head fall on the bedding, she let her lover know just how much she appreciates him by moaning because that’s what he always wanted to hear. The sounds that Mikasa could make in her turned-on voice were better than any music.
He switched it up, sucked on her clit while fingering her, two digits moving in and out at a murderous tempo. The tip of his tongue stroked the bud languidly, teasing it from beneath the hood, and then his lips were wrapped around it again and he sucked. Hard. Mikasa lost control of both her voice and her hips and they were moving on their own, riding, fucking Eren’s face. Her thighs moved too, wrapping around his head and caging him in with no chance of escape.
Trapped, imprisoned by her muscular thighs, Eren had no other way out than to keep pleasuring her, but he would be lying if he said that he didn’t love when Mikasa got demanding. Surrendering to her, he crammed a third finger inside her tight pussy to join the two already there, feeling the stretch as she accommodated him. Mikasa was so incredibly hot like this, sweaty and moaning while her body shook and her beautiful face contorted in the intense pleasure he was giving her. This was heaven, this sight was paradise, and Eren was so incredibly blessed to be allowed to do this to her, to this goddess that was in his bed. He needed her to cum on his face, he needed to taste her and he needed it now.
Putting all of his experience and skill to action, Eren fingered her hard while abusing her clit with his mouth. And when he curled the fingers and pressed into that one special spot, when he let his teeth graze over her clit, Mikasa lost it. She came hard, mind-shattering orgasm ripping through her body as she drenched Eren’s face and he lapped at the sweetness, tip toying with her throbbing clit. Those strong legs squeezed him too and her hips lifted from the bed, beautiful muscles forced to contract by the waves of pleasure flying through her entire being. She was delicious and Eren made sure to lick everywhere where he could, even sucking her cum from his fingers. Yes, he adored the taste, but while he was so diligently pleasuring her through the orgasm, drawing it out and making it even better, Mikasa had another vision.
Normally, her sight went white while cumming, but now there was something else imprinted over the otherworldly nothingness. Eren’s face was hovering over her, but it was the one with short hair and not her version. His face was sweaty and a bit embarrassed when he spoke.
“I’m sorry, I couldn’t hold myself back.”, not-Eren said in an ethereal voice. “I finished so fast…”
“Don’t worry.”, a phantom hand reached out to caress his cheek, “I don’t mind, it felt nice.”
“Not good enough,”, the other Eren disagreed, “I promise that I’ll make it up to you. I’ll get better with practice.”
Mikasa felt herself blushing, not only in one reality but in the other too, while the other Eren dipped his head down to kiss her. And that’s when the vision broke. Eren must have noticed it, must have heard her speak to his other self because his head shot up from between her legs.
“Hey? What’s wrong?”, he asked, eyes widening in alarm, “Did I do something wrong?”
“No, I..”, she held unto him, tightening her legs around his form and preventing Eren from fully pulling back, keeping him in, “Another memory, that’s it.”
“I thought that this was a bad idea. Am I going to get blueballed by myself? That would be somewhat next-level play.”
Mikasa chuckled.
“It wasn’t a bad memory, just unexpected.”, she reached out to smooth her fingers over the bedding, “Let’s say that we aren’t the only ones who went to town in a very similar cabin.”
“You did say that Dreamkasa was pregnant, so it’s only logical.”
She frowned at him for using that stupid nickname, but Eren’s cheeky grin didn’t budge as he climbed up her body until they were face to face again. His was wet, she noticed, as Eren never did mind having her essence all over himself. Mikasa would never admit it out loud but it was pretty hot.
“It was super sweet, they were inexperienced and oh so careful with each other.”
“I’d call myself a lot of things, but inexperienced is not one of them. Not with you around.”
“It felt good, I’m sure of that.”
“Better than me?”
“Oh Eren,”, she giggled, hands coming up to circle his wide shoulders, “Are you getting jealous of yourself?”
“Just..”, he moved low, his hot breath ghosting over her neck as he punctured the word with a bite, beginning a slow journey upwards.
“Answer”
Lick
”The”
Nip
”Damn”
Bite
”Question. ”
Kiss
”Mi”
Suck
”Ka”
Lick
”Sa”
Bite
And now he was at the top of her ears, teeth clicking against the piercings lodged into the goth’s vulnerable cartilage. He knew that the neck and ears were Mikasa’s weak points, and he abused the knowledge, fanning the fires of her just-orgasmed body.
“You! Of course that I prefer you.”, getting some self-control back, Mikasa pulled at his long hair to get Eren to face her, “I spent so long training you, what kind of teacher would I be if you sucked at sex.”
“Teacher? For a woman who almost died of shame after showing me her boobs for the first time, you have certainly grown. Miss possessive.”
“Of you? Always.”, she pecked him on the nose, “You’re mine.”
His hand went low, groping her naked ass.
“And you mine.”, he replied in a heated whisper, “All of you, even this ass. Did you know that it’s a perfect fit for the golden ratio?”
“What are you talking about?”
“Your ass is a Fibonacci perfection.”
For the sake of her mental health, Mikasa decided to ghost over that comment as Eren could be somewhat strange with his compliments. She knew he meant well, and that was good enough.
“Okay, it’s yours. Why don’t you stop stalling and make me feel good, hm?”, her voice was sultry now, eyes half-lidded, “Show me how much you have learned…”
A challenge.
“Didn’t you just come?”
“So?”, single fine raven eyebrow raised, “Can’t you do it again?”
“You’re insatiable.”
“Aah, but I believe that you will sate me,”, her divine hand went low, squeezing his cock between those strong and dexterous fingers, “Right?”
He breathed hard against her naked skin, thoughts clouding. How could Mikasa make him so desperate with a single touch, that was a question Eren could never answer. Maybe trying to take advantage of his weakened state, Mikasa hooked a leg over his waist and pulled, attempting to roll them over. When Eren resisted she stopped, not wanting to force herself on top. There was a time and place for measuring strength, and this old and creaky bed wasn’t it.
To get an explanation for his actions, Mikasa tugged at his hair, getting Eren to look at the question written on her face.
“There is no way I’m letting you be on top.”, he answered the unspoken query.
“What? Why?”
“Miki, if you don’t remember, let me refresh your memory.”, his touch was back, one hand tracing the outlines of her abs while the other squeezed her thigh, “You literally broke a bedframe by riding me, and it was a much firmer than this squeaky one that’s here.”
“But I…”
“I’m not sure about you, but I don’t want to spend the night on the floor.”
Mikasa sighed, ceasing her efforts to roll him over.
“Fine.”
“Don’t you worry…”, Eren drawled out the words, kissing her neck again, “I’ll take good care of you.”
And he was inside her, pushing in with one sharp thrust that made her eyes roll back and mouth drop open. He abused that fact straight away, dropping his tongue between her lips and letting her taste herself. She was everywhere, in every crook of his mouth, every part of his face, every inch of his tongue, reminding Mikasa of how strongly he made her cum. Back and forth he fucked into her with determination, sliding in easily as her sex was drenched. Her black nails were at his back, carving into the skin, marking him with bloody wings over the tattooed ones. The sounds were wet, her moans thick, but Mikasa was Mikasa and she was a beast, impossible to tame and difficult to please.
“More…”, she half-moaned into the messy kiss. “Harder…”
With a groan and a primal need ignited in his lower belly, Eren pushed up into a kneeling position. If Mikasa wanted more, if she wanted to be fucked harder, then who was he to question his queen? Picking her legs up he put them on his shoulder, both on the left, creating a rather tight passage to squeeze through. Holding her ankles together with one of his hands, Eren anchored himself with the other and resumed the moves from earlier, picking up the pace.
Mikasa’s vision was beginning to swim. Her sounds were rising, her chest was heaving more and more, the way she panted for air was making Eren harder than diamonds. She wasn’t idle either, her hands moved, playing with her own breasts while he watched. It was arousing as hell to see, the way her slender fingers rolled the erect nipples between them, when she pinched and moaned out loud. Now it was Eren who wanted, no, needed more, overtaken by a desire to give Mikasa everything she deserves.
He needed to be closer to her heat, closer to that divine being that Mikasa was, so he pushed forward to do so. One of her legs back on the bedding, Eren kept a firm hold on the other as he spread her as wide as she could go. Mikasa groaned at the burn his move produced in her muscles, her legs being forced into a very wide angle, but it was a slight ache and easily forgotten in the heat of passion. Mikasa’s ankle was now practically resting above her own shoulder as she was half-doubled over, this position possible only because of how flexible she was. She was completely open to him, wanting nothing more than to be fucked senseless, and Eren did his best to deliver - truly rutting into her, his hips slapping into her ass again and again and again and…
She was going to have welts on her butt tomorrow.
Mikasa was moaning in sync with his thrusts, her Ah-Ah-Ah so much sweeter and better than whatever Eren’s foul mouth could produce. She was loud, no shame in how she let her pleasure vibrate out from her throat and that was music to Eren’s ears. After all, there was no need to keep silent as the animals were the only ones who could hear them. If they did mind the sounds of their lovemaking, they didn’t say so.
Intertwining their fingers, Eren marveled at how small Mikasa’s hand looked in his, how delicate. But when she squeezed and the strength reminded him that she is no helpless flower, very far from it.
It was wet and loud and powerful when he moved in and out of her, his cock soaked by them, by whatever they were doing together. The bed creaked beneath every time he thrusted, but they didn’t care. It felt like heaven to move inside Mikasa because she was so hot and so incredibly tight that Eren could never wish for more. Years, eternity, he could spend it all right at this moment when he is fucking her raw and throbbing pussy, repeating the moves over and over, disappearing and appearing out of her pulsing sex. He could spend eternity, but his physical form disagreed. It was getting too much to handle because it was so perfect, and Eren was not the only one on edge. He could feel it inside, how she pulsed more rapidly, how impossibly tighter she grew, so much that even pulling himself out to push in again was an exertion, a workout for his abdominals.
Eren didn’t understand her dreams, her visions, he didn’t understand why they happened. He didn’t have the faintest idea why he would ever, in any reality or timeline, want to hurt Mikasa. She gave him two things in her existence - undying love and devotion, and Eren could never reject these gifts. But then her muscled sheath squeezed all around his member, deep inside her, and he was reminded of one more gift that loving Mikasa brought.
The best and most intense sex one could ever ask for.
He needed help, anything to push her over first because the wave was approaching and Eren knew he can’t win. Dropping his hand low he located her clit and pressed against it, the effects almost immediate as that nub was more than sensitive at this point. Mikasa’s eyes shot open, a loud groan falling from her mouth when Eren rubbed her weak place at an almost feverish pace. The bed’s creaking was very loud too, the wooden headboard banging against the wall, almost as if the old furniture was protesting against being so shamelessly soiled. He could feel Mikasa’s wetness leaking, trickling down his shaft and down over his balls that kept slapping against her ass, and he knew that she’s right there on the edge.
If he wanted to edge her, if this was one of the nights where he tied her up and tortured her, now would be the time to stop. But tonight was not such a night, so Eren kept moving, stimulating all her weak points, and that was good enough. Her body arched beneath him into that perfect bridge, while she made that adorable face only orgasming Mikasa Ackerman can do when the second climax overtook her. One day, one day he will snap a picture of it in the perfect moment and that will be his gift to mankind.
Her moaning got louder as she came, most likely stirring a few animals from their sleep outside, but Eren loved it. He adored how loud Mikasa could get when she let herself go, when she stopped caring who heard and let her pleasure truly show. Normally she was the silent type, and it was quite a shame because her voice was beautiful and Mikasa could carry a tune perfectly. It took a long time before she was comfortable enough to sing for Eren, but when she did it was an amazing experience. The few times when they visited a karaoke bar were still lodged in his brain.
Now, Eren was making her sing quite a different tune, and it was an achievement for him knowing how good she was feeling, so good that her insecurities melted away and she was loud. But that was not all, as making Mikasa cum first was better for a multitude of reasons – it made him feel great mentally, it made her happy, but also for the selfish reason of being inside her while it happened. There is no way to describe how amazing it felt when she climaxed around him, as her body contracted and released, rapidly repeating that pattern, how her walls collapsed around his shaft and massaged, milking him. In short, it was like the most expensive sex toy in the world made specifically for his cock. Unable and not willing to resist Eren came inside her, filling her with several spurts. Way too much to fit, some of it dribbled out and down on the poor bed, making Eren smirk. They would have to change the sheets and maybe burn the ones that were here now. Filthy didn’t even begin to describe it.
For now though, he pulled out and collapsed on his back next to his sweaty lover, listening to her agitated breathing. The haze covered them both like a blanket, the pure euphoria that occurs after climaxing, nothing but unbridled happiness. Mikasa closed her eyes for a second and Eren wondered if there aren’t more visions going on in her brain, but he wouldn’t pry. If she wanted to share them with him, she would, but they were hers. With a rustle of sheets she turned towards the window, staring out into the darkness and stillness of a forest night, pondering something. At first, Eren wanted to speak up but then the moonlight shimmered over her porcelain skin and his eyes were drawn to the wings on her back. There was no better symbol for her - she was an angel, incredibly free, and when Eren was with her he felt like he could fly.
Mikasa felt his lips at her back, pressing gentle kisses against the skin before he picked up her wrist and did the same there, nuzzling it.
“What are you doing?”, she asked, not even bothering with looking away from the dark forest.
“Admiring your tattoos.”
“Again?”
“I’ll never stop doing it.”, another kiss to her wrist, “They are beautiful, just as you are.”
She giggled and rolled over to rest on his chest, shifting their position. Now they were cooling down from it all, Eren’s hand wrapped around her and gently caressed her hip.
“Hey Miki?”
“Hmmm?”, she hummed from his chest, not stopping the movement of her little finger that traced patterns into the skin.
“What if we bought this.”
“What, the bed?”
“No…”, he snickered, “The cabin. It would be nice to have a getaway from the city and the location is amazing.”
“I thought you didn’t like it.”
“Eh, I’m warming up to it.”, he squeezed her slightly, “Plus with you here, the cabin can be ugly as sin, you are the only beauty I need in the whole world.”
Mikasa snickered and kissed the underside of his jaw for that.
“Way too cheesy.”
Ha, like that would make him stop.
“Well, I am a firm believer in Mikasa supremacy. You could say that it’s my religion.”
Groaning, Mikasa hid her face in Eren’s neck to mask the crazy smile on her lips. Must have been her jittered hormones after the intense sex, the endorphin high always such a wild ride. Because yes, it was cheesy as hell but it felt great to see how much he adores her, about as much as she loved him back.
“Can you stop simping for me and tell me more about the sudden cabin-buyout plan?”
“I’ll never stop simping for you Miki, but I will tone it down if it will make my queen happy.”, squeezing her again, Eren continued with the original train of thought,  “We can rebuild it you know, upgrade it so it’s up to the living standard of the twenty-first century. It’s the location that’s amazing, this close to both mountains and the ocean and not that far away from the city.”
Mikasa pondered Eren’s proposal for a moment, but she knew the answer already.
“Sounds good. We could have gatherings here too, invite friends to take a breather with us.”
“While I’d prefer being here only with you, I guess that we can tone it down a bit if guests were over.”
When she didn’t understand what he was implying, Eren grinned down at her.
“You are quite loud during sex, and the walls are thin…”
The slap she planted on his chest was a loud one, but it did nothing to stop his laughter. Bickering back and forth over nothings, Mikasa didn’t even remember how they ended up kissing but here it was. Soon there was the familiar hardness poking her stomach and with her own embers smoldering, Mikasa was more than up for it.
She rolled on top, proving that if she wanted to Eren had no chance of stopping her. Staring up into her twinkling grey eyes, his smile turned into a small frown on the prospect of spending the rest of the night on the cabin floor. Eren loved Mikasa to death, but she was very bad at controlling her strength in the heat of their passionate lovemaking, and when that combined with how unnaturally strong she was furniture was bound to get destroyed. Or him, for that matter, if the pain in his neck and the scratches Eren could feel on his back were any proof.
“Miki please don’t, I beg…”
“Shh, I promise that I’ll be gentle. Somewhat.”
She leaned back, pulling Eren with her.
“Sit up,” she demanded.
Her desired position was with Eren sitting and her in his lap, bodies all entangled together. Mikasa loved the closeness it brought, like this she could feel every breath, every twitch from her lover. Bracing herself up on her knees, she reached blindly behind herself and found Eren’s length, easily identifiable by how he hissed when her fingertips brushed over it. Yet that hiss was nothing compared to the sound he made once she began angling him, because she let the tip pass over her pounded pussy and then he was close to the other opening, the realization making his eyes wide.
“You want to…?”
“Shut up.”
Mikasa could never do this if he wasn’t so wet, but Eren was drenched and she wasn’t much better, some of the wetness found its way down when she squirted before. Still, it made her grit her teeth when she began sinking, feeling her ass stretched to its limits by his invading girth. Anal was always more difficult, and now when there was no lube or plugs in beforehand it was hard to accommodate what Eren gave her. This was something else yet she kept impaling herself, unyielding. Huffs of breath through her nose, whole body clenching, she worked herself down on his shaft, penetrating her tight muscle ring inch by inch.
The muscles in his neck bulged and Mikasa knew that he’s fighting himself not to thrust up into her, into that tight heat that was sliding down in such a slow, torturous tempo. It didn’t help that he could feel some of his cum leak out of her other opening, now unattended, pushed out by how her inner muscles were forced to work again. Why did this filthiness turn him on so much, that was a question Eren didn’t want to answer.
Instead, he focused on her, on how she felt around him, sinking lower and lower, taking it like a champ. It was Mikasa’s show, Eren was more or less an observer right now, letting her do what she wanted. Yet he had to praise her because there was nothing else like this in the entire world, no one else could be this amazing.
“F-Fuck Miki… You feel too good.”
“S-Shut up…”, she repeated, having trouble speaking too, being stretched so much in that other place.
To stop herself from speaking and to shut Eren up too she mashed their faces together into a messy and wild kiss. And then finally, after several more up-and-down slides, she was fully sitting on his lap, his cock lodged deep inside her ass. It made her pant, the physical exertion, her abdominals fluttering. Watching those muscles move erratically, bathed in sweat as they were, that was a fucking beauty on its own. Eren didn’t even dare to move now, lest he disturbs the short rest Mikasa was taking, her head on his shoulder and the hot breath washing over his back. That was until she nudged his face with her nose, getting his attention.
“Help me…”, she moaned weakly.
“O-Okay... Okay…”, thinking was hard with her all around him, but Eren managed, “Let’s do this together.”
Mikasa nodded and braced herself on her knees while Eren grabbed her hips, lifting her. Together they moved, with Eren helping her along the ride. It was slow, way slower than how she rode him normally, but anal was always different. Mikasa circled her hips, rocked them back and forth, stretching herself more around his girth. Breathe in, breathe out, the unpleasant sting was fading and being replaced by pleasure as her butt got used to having Eren’s cock inside of it. Slow yet picking up speed, it was under Mikasa’s dictatorship with Eren playing the role of a helpful lackey. Willingly.
Her knees scrambled on the bedding and she was pushing herself up by the hands on Eren’s shoulders. Mikasa deemed herself ready for the next stage of her plan, which was finding a better purchase on the bed. Her feet finally found their place and she was squatting now, right on Eren’s lap. And then it was time to truly ride him.
Up and down she bounced, propelled by her powerful thighs, her ass sliding all over his cock, squelching it in its tight embrace. The repeated penetration finally convinced her muscles to give way, albeit just a tiny bit. It was igniting a primal need in her, the way he rubbed her insides, the tiredness burning away. Maybe it was because of her athletic body but Mikasa caught a second wind, spiraling down into a nearly animalistic state. The need for more was back, stronger than ever, so slapping her ass down onto Eren’s poor hips, she grinded into him hard.
“Come on, come on…”, it was coming through her gritted teeth, her gray eyes scorching Eren with the intensity.
“You keep saying how much you love my ass, right?.”, Mikasa practically growled the order, made wild by the overflowing feeling, “Show me.”
Normally, such words would never leave her lips but they were both far beyond normal. She was wild but Eren was no better, teeth clenched to match her. Bracing his feet against the bed he did as she asked, thrusting up to meet her descent half-way. He moved up, Mikasa moved down, their hips slapping into each other in the middle with a smack. Her ass sat down on him hard, crotch loudly protesting against being crushed like this. To help, to assist his feral goddess, Eren slipped his hand down to that squelching wet place. Spreading her open he toyed with her clit, and the multiple stimulations made Mikasa practically howl like a beast. She was an animal right now, an animal in heat reduced to its primal instincts, and Eren was fortunate, or unfortunate, enough to be her chosen mate.
Close, so close, the electricity was everywhere inside her, tickling her brain. Eren attacked with his mouth too, his teeth sinking into her neck before coming up to claim her lips. The kiss was bruising, the way she bounced on his lap too, and several things were nearing their breaking point. Mikasa, because Eren’s fingers at her clit were a godsend. Eren, because Mikasa kept grinding her ass down on him with fervor, her butt clenching so hard around his length that it hurt, reminding him how incredibly strong his lover was. And also the bed, because the old thing was not constructed to withstand this amount of wild pounding. It was a race, race on who would break first, and fortunately for all that was Mikasa.
With a last slam of her hips that pinned him and shook the bed so much that it nearly fell apart, Mikasa’s head tipped back, a wild scream tearing out of her throat as she squeezed him so hard that Eren swore out loud. It was the wild contraction of her muscles that pushed him over the edge to follow her, his cock spurting inside her with his second release, filling her ass with a smaller load. Done, finished and over, Mikasa slipped out of his hands and fell to her side, pulling herself away from his body. They laid there, side by side, catching their breath. The whole world seemed to take a breather, the animals outside wondering what kind of terrible duel took place in the usually peaceful cabin.
“God damn, Miki,”, Eren finally managed, “If I knew that a cabin would drive you this wild I would take you here ages ago.”
She chuckled, but a gust of wind from the opened window made her shiver. The sweat was cooling down and it was rather cold outside. Instinct at this point, she rolled back towards Eren’s heat, laying her hand on his chest, tangling their legs together and leeching shamelessly.
Mikasa was tired, tired from her performance and the long day, tired in the best possible way. She stilled completely and didn’t move, their bodies mashed together in one sweaty and dirty mess. Breathing hard, she could feel Eren’s chest contract beneath her, betraying that he too needed a small break from their intensive lovemaking. Yet resting while there is the mixture of your climaxes running down your thighs is hardly hygienic, so Eren stroked Mikasa’s back to get her attention, fingers tapping the bumps of her spine.
“C’mon, let’s abuse the running water and get cleaned up. This bed needs all its sheets changed or burned and I’m pretty sure that you shouldn’t be sleeping with a double creampie between your legs.”
She took a shuddering breath.
“Eren, I hate you and your dirty mouth so much.”
“Nonsense. Remember how hard you came when I ate you out?”
Done, Mikasa hid her face in Eren’s shoulder, ignoring how his body shook with the laughter.
The shower was surprisingly big, for a rundown shack like this, and it wouldn’t be Eren if he didn’t take advantage of the fact. Mikasa gasped a bit when his finger slid into her still-sensitive sex, looking at him over her shoulder.
“I told you to wash my back, not finger me.”
“I have to my sure that every part of you is clean.”, he leaned closer, “Before I make you filthy again.”
Closing her eyes, Mikasa decided not to fight her fate and let herself enjoy it. The feeling of Eren’s finger was soon joined by another one, and now there were two explorers inside her, poking and probing at the walls. Curling his hand Eren’s palm pressed against Mikasa’s clit, rubbing it slightly and getting her worked up properly. Her lover was right when he called her insatiable because Mikasa’s libido could be nigh bottomless. She blamed Eren – he knew her too well, knew her body better than his own at this point and all of her weak points were etched into his memory. He knew how to touch, how to stroke, where to press and rub and in what intervals. Mikasa’s body was a terrifying weapon, powerful and deadly in the ring, but Eren could turn it into a putty mush in his hands, all her lean muscles melting underneath his touch.
Okay, she could go again. She wanted it too because his fingers managed to re-ignite the fire between her thighs, stroking it higher and higher with every press against her clit. Reaching between her legs Mikasa tugged his hand out, turning to face Eren.
“Pick me up.”, she ordered him, wrapping her arms around his neck.
“Do I have to?”, he faked a pained expression, “You are so heavy.”
But Mikasa didn’t want jokes now.
“Eren, don’t.”
It was the tone in which she spoke those two words, her icy commander voice that would make him fall to his knees in the middle of a crowded street if ordered him to. It was the one that allowed no argument nor question, only blind obedience.
“Yes, my lady.”
With a grunt Eren picked her up, letting Mikasa wrap her strong legs around his waist. He was grateful for the assistance, as Mikasa’s body was heavy, but if there was one thing Eren could do after all that gym-going, it was holding up his girlfriend. The water beating down on their bodies, her eyes locked to his as she manipulated her hips blindly until his tip was resting against her folds.
“Ready?”
A single nod being the answer, Eren eased his hold on her and let gravity assist them. Of course that Mikasa had to do something, wouldn’t be her if she didn’t. Bracing on Eren’s shoulders, she let herself go slow, super slow, torturing him with the tempo. In hopes of appeasing her, he dropped his head to her exposed breasts, tonguing the red marks he left behind earlier. Mikasa’s tits would be littered with bitemarks come morning, and she was silently very grateful that there were no swimwear photoshoots on her agenda anytime soon. Sure, the makeup artists could cover the marks Eren left on her and Mikasa’s neck often had to be worked on but having them tap their brushes against her chest was something else entirely.
This time around it was no wild pounding, they were both way too exhausted for that. It was slow lovemaking with Eren pulling her up and letting the gravity push her down on his cock, over and over, until the familiar heat awoke and slid into her whole body. Mikasa came with a gasp that she hid in Eren’s shoulder and he was quick to follow, the last bits of his essence squeezed and milked out of him by her inner muscles. And then it was time to truly get cleaned and rest, although Mikasa had a faint feeling that she might not be able to walk tomorrow.
And yes, the morning proved that she was right in that assessment, but Eren was no better. With how hard Mikasa rode him, he had bruises and welts all over his hips, and his neck looked like someone was trying to choke the life out of him. Well, Mikasa did, because her thighs moved on their own while she was cumming and squeezed the poor man between them hard, but Eren was used to it at this point. With both of them out of commission, the next day was spent doing nothing and lying around, giving their bodies time to heal. Still, it was totally worth it.
Two days later, everything was falling into place. Mikasa’s visions were less and less frequent until they stopped completely, letting her know that there was nothing more the cabin could show her right now. All she could do was wait, her visions would come when the time was right.
With the closeness of the mountains they went skiing too, Mikasa acing it as she did anything that is a physical sport. Eren had his issues, not nearly as perfect as she was, but after a few hours of training and guidance from her, he could hold his own on the treacherous devices strapped to his feet. Exhausted from the skiing, they practically collapsed as soon as they were back in the cabin in dire need of rest.
Eren was fast asleep when Mikasa woke, slipping from his embrace and out of the creaky bed. Making a cup of coffee for herself, she opened the door and watched as the sun slowly climbed from the horizon and up. It was so beautiful here, so peaceful, and she knew exactly what to do. Mikasa was meant to be here, this was the place where she would get her last dream, the last piece of the puzzle, the final chapter of the story. Here, she would know what happened to her other self, how she ended up. And taking a sip of the hot beverage, a tight smile spread over the raven’s lips.
Mikasa was looking forward to that.
A rustle of sheets behind her indicated that Eren was stirring about. It was like an instinct at this point – when he couldn’t feel Mikasa next to him his sleep was usually mediocre at best as if his mind is constantly checking if she’s there with him, safe and sound. Mikasa didn’t turn, keeping her eyes on the rising sun even when she heard his bare feet tapping against the wooden floor behind her. Soon she was enveloped in a warm hug from behind.
“Hi.”, he whispered into her ear, kissing her cheek after.
“Morning. There’s coffee if you want some.”
“Hmmm, later…”, he yawned behind her, “I’ll keep hugging you for a bit longer.”
With a smile Mikasa put her hand on his, intertwining their fingers. And feeling it, feeling the fingers splayed on her stomach reminded her of something, a faint feel of memory hitting her again. They stood like this, exactly like this, with Mikasa gazing out and Eren behind her, but there was one significant difference. There was a baby bump on her midriff, beneath their intertwined hands.
Mikasa took a sharp breath through the nose once she realized that, looking down. There was no baby, of course, her and Eren’s hands were nestled against her firm abdominals. But in her mind’s eye, she could see it, and to her surprise Mikasa liked that image. The implant in Mikasa’s arm burned for a second, reminding her of its presence and function.
Her mood was completely shattered when Eren rubbed his cheek against hers, his stubble scratching her and reminding Mikasa of the night before.
“Eren, the shaving?”, she reminded him gently yet didn’t pull away, enduring the feeling.
“Hmmm.”
“I could shave you, you know.”
“That would be nice.”, he pressed a quick kiss to the side of her neck, “Thank you.”
“Could cut your hair too…”
“As long as you don’t give me an undercut.”
“Why’s that?”
“Miki I love you but I don’t want to be reminded of Levi every time I look in the mirror.”, he shuddered behind her, “When he sees us kissing my life flashes in front of my eyes.”
“You have to overcome the fear of my brother.”
“It’s not fear, it’s respect.”
“Oh? And why do you respect him that much then?”
“Because he is so similar to you! It’s like a shorter and much grumpier male version of you who doesn’t love me at all. And that is scary, because I know how much stronger than me you are, and I’d go as far as saying that your brother dislikes me.”
“Just stronger?”
“Well, way more beautiful too, but that doesn’t count with Levi.”
“You have it all figured out, huh.”
“For sure. You are stronger than me and Armin is smarter, so if we ever get into a real conflict I’ll argue with you and fight Armin.”
She laughed at that, marking Eren’s mission of making his angel happy as complete. With that he buried his face in Mikasa’s neck completely, filling his nose with the pleasant smell of her natural scent. She was giggling, the heavenly sound in his ears, and that was simply the best way to start a morning.
“All right then.”, she reached out to pat his cheek, scratching it gently, retaliation for the agony his beard caused her, “Just don’t shit your pants when Levi walks me down the aisle.”
His voice was muffled against her skin.
“You want him at our wedding? Ugh…”
“Eren, he is my brother. Behave.”
“Yes ma’am.”
Giving up on morning Yeager, Mikasa took hold of her coffee with both hands and took another long sip. Maybe roused by the sound Eren raised his head.
“Let me have a taste?”
“Sure, here…”, she almost handed him the cup before realizing what he meant, “Oh..”
With a grin Eren took a hold of her chin, angling her head so he could kiss her. It felt nice, especially when his tongue swept against the seam of her lips and she let him in, touching it with her own. And when he pulled back and smacked his lips, Mikasa smiled because of the raw happiness she felt.
“How is it?”
“Good, I feel like I need a cup myself.”
“Do you?”
“Maybe, let me have another taste to be sure.”
So Mikasa kissed him again and they stood there tangled together while the sun steadily climbed over the horizon. And everything felt right.
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razorblade180 · 3 years ago
Text
Twin Snowflakes part 25: Date Night pt2
Atlas, city of dreams. It was a name post people overlooked and even more scoffed at. Still, it was a little hard not to believe the title from the way it looked; especially with the hundreds of lights illuminating the snow covered city. Veronica was no stranger to Atlas at night but she still couldn’t help but marvel at the sights passing by her window. They were almost as charming as the boy sitting next to her in the backseat, almost. Her mind still couldn’t believe this was happening. Veronica was going on a dinner date with Nick. How did that happen!? Well...she knew how it happened but it was still crazy! The situation wasn’t ideal but Veronica wasn’t exactly upset about it. Not in the way she had shown earlier. Veronica simply wished this event happened as a result of her efforts more than Valerie’s mistakes. Then again, all’s fair in love and war. If Valerie was going to be childish enough to hurt Nick, then that was all the more reason for Veronica not to pull her punches in winning him over. Not that she ever did, for the most part.
She looked over at Nick to see him sinking into his seat, eyes closed and body relaxed. “He must be more exhausted than he let on. She thought, listening to his breathing. He must’ve sensed Veronica’s gaze on him because his eyes opened seconds later. He caught the girl off guard by turning to her and smiling gently.
“Something on my face?” He asked.
His voice was a little deeper than before because of his short rest. The change made Veronica a little timid. “Uhh no. Hehe, your face is fine!” She uttered terribly. A snicker from Winter upfront made Veronica turn a little red. Her ears fell down as she realized how dumb that sounded. “I mean there’s nothing on it. That’s what I…yeah.” She really wanted to stop talking.
Nick sat up straight and rubbed his eyes. “Sorry I drifted a bit. I took a nap when I got home but I guess I was a little more spent than I realized.”
“No worries. A smooth ride puts me to sleep all the time. If you don’t mind me asking, where did you go? Back at the manor your mom said you went to go talk to someone?”
“Oh, that…” he looked in the rear view mirror to look at Winter, who looked back at with a smile.
“The lady asked you a question. Don’t mind me. It honestly isn’t as big of a deal as you think Nicholas. No need to tiptoe around it with your mother, uncle, and I. We’re adults after all.”
“I know. I just...I don’t know, feel a little guilty if I wasn’t careful about it.”
“You are just fine.” Winter reassured him. “To answer your question Veronica, Nicholas likes to visit his grandparents' graves to pay respects and ponder.”
Her ears perked up. This was news to her. Well, not entirely. She had known Nick liked to pray. He’s done it for as long as she could remember. Anytime things were rough or really important, Nicholas could be found giving a small payer. It was only later did she put together that the habit must’ve been formed during his sister’s time in the hospital. Though not religious in the slightest, Veronica could understand praying in a situation like that, but for his grandparents…?
“That’s a little strange, considering you never met either and one of them wasn’t exactly…” She wanted to pick her words carefully but it was hard not to call Jacques a piece of shit. “Let’s just call your grandfather a not so good influence.”
“Heh, that’s certainly putting it lightly.” Nick chuckled, “I guess I do it because...I’m a hit afraid. For me, I can’t imagine anything worse than passing away and the people left behind, the world, it just forgets about you; as if you had no impact on life. I wouldn’t wish that fate on even my enemies. Also, my grandfather’s wrongdoings in a weird way made my mom the person she’d be to have me and Summer.” He smiled at his own weird logic. “Gotta at least be thankful for that, right?”
His reasonings were flawed in some manner but completely understandable to Veronica. “Same rules apply to your grandmother?”
“More or less. I know it’s a little odd.”
“Yeah but it’s also very much a thing you’d do. Always trying to bring someone peace, it’s like your day job at this point.”
Nick shrugged. “Can’t argue with that.”
Winter began pulling over to the curbside, finally reaching their destination. A well known set down restaurant called Blended, known for its many different cuisines that specialized in ingredients that involved purée styled cooking; hence the name. Winter watched Nick get out of the car to escort Veronica, only for the girl to playfully roll her eyes as she got out of the car by herself.
“Well at least she’s consistent with her spunky attitude.” Winter thought, actually approving of the act. “You two be safe. Nick, don’t give your mother a heart attack.”
“How would I? This is just dinner, not a battlefield.”
“Knowing you, anything could happen.” She gave a little smirk before leaving them to ponder that diss.
Nick was both flattered and insulted. “Anyways…” he held his arm out which Veronica happily grabbed. The two went off to make their reservation. Tonight was going to be nice. Like Nick said, it’s just dinner. What could happen? The inside of the restaurant blew Veronica away. Elegant marble tile, pearl white cloths over the table, mood lighting,crystal chandeliers scattered about like if they were as cheap as lightbulbs, and the most divine scents imaginable. They had only entered the front door and yet her nose could pick out an array of ingredients in the kitchen. Veronica hadn’t seen the menu but she already knew there was gonna be a steak in front of her before this night was over.
“You know my opinion of Atlas might actually go up depending on this food?”
Nick chuckled at her comment and went towards the counter where a blonde woman in a waitress outfit stood at the ready. “Hello. Schnee, reservation for two. The usual spot please.”
“Why of course Mr. Sch-” the waitresses eyes quickly caught attention to Nicholas’s plus one. “Umm, Mr.Schnee? You know we actually may have a table on the private upper level if you like?” She said with a smile, maintaining eye contact with him.
“No thank you. Too close to the smoking area. I’ll take my normal table, the one by the window.” He said calmly. Nick took a moment to look at her name tag. He hadn’t seen this one before. “Sophia, that’s a nice name.”
Worry crept up on the corners of the waitress’s smile. “If smoke is the issue then may I recommend-”
“Sophia.” He said again. “Is there a reason in particular that I can’t have my window seat?”
“Well...it’s...just….” she fidgeted her hands, doing her best to not look at Veronica and cause a scene. “.....Right this way sir.” Sophia grabbed two menus and quickly went to lead them before Veronica put a hand on the menus. “M-Ma’am?” She stuttered.
Veronica wanted a good look at her but the waitress would barely meet her eyes. All Veronica could get was a side glance and a worked up heartbeat. “Nick, what do you usually drink?”
“Uhhh apple cider?”
Veronica took the menus out of Sophia’s hands. “Cool. Sophia, he’ll have that and I’d like water. Seeing how it’s a usual spot we’re going, Nick could just lead me himself. Thank you. Nick, if you would?” Veronica said, grabbing his arm.
“Okaaaay?” Nick didn’t question her orders. He grabbed the menus from her and walked through the restaurant. It was past the time most ate, but several clanging plates nearby told him there were a few late customers; about three people every five tables or so. Seeing them was easy even with dim lighting, but that also meant they saw him. A few looked up before continuing their meals while others stared for a couple seconds, forcing him to awkwardly wave as he went by.
“Sorry, usually it’s emptier by now. I come at this time to avoid drawing attention of people who always got a thing or too to say about the Schnees”
“Or the company they keep…” Veronica added. Their table was on the right side a little more than half way towards the back, right next to a window that showed the snowy streets and dazzling lights. A real winter wonderland sight. No wonder Nick liked this spot. She finally sat down. “By any chance do you know the owner of the restaurant?”
“Dyle, what about him?” He opened his menu and began reading.
“That waitress felt like she was on the verge of a panic attack. She really didn’t want us sitting here too. Care to guess why?” Veronica reached over and pressed the menu down with a finger, making sure that Nick saw her ears wiggle. “This is why I wanted a bow.”
“Point taken, but I remember saying screw anyway that has a problem with you. I’ve never known Dyle to have a problem with faunus by the way.”
“Was that because he showed that he didn’t or because you just weren’t paying attention?” Vee noticed the waitress walk over. Sophia once again avoided her gaze, in favor of Nick’s. She also made sure to place Veronica’s water on the table but handed the cider to Nick directly.
“Ready to order?” She asked.
Nick had noticed the treatment of the drinks and had been aware of the eye contact. He only wanted a little time to think about everything as a whole. He didn’t have Veronica’s hearing but he did notice the paleness of her skin. “Are you well?”
“H-Huh?”
“You’re pale. Sick, or spooked by anything?”
“Oh, I’m fine…” The woman fidgeted. “Excuse me, I’ll be right back.” Sophia quickly left the table.
At the same time, Veronica took a sip of Nick’s cider. “Well at least this place has good drinks. Be sure to ask for a second. I’d ask myself but you know, playing things safe around our jumpy friend.”
“Yeah….” Nick flipped through another page. “So there’s either one of two things happening right now. One, our waitress is scared of you, or-”
“A certain somebody wouldn’t want her serving us. Me, is what I should actually say. Gee, I wonder who?”
Nick couldn’t deny this was odd. “Again, point taken. However, it would be weird how many times Dyle has served my family, who actively promotes faunus rights. We’ve held meetings with your mother here before and other faunus.”
Vee always loved Nick’s simple logic, but boy was it not doing him any favors tonight. “Lesson time, my dear knight. I’ll give you the benefit of the doubt of you not thinking critically with how tired you are at the moment.” Vee propped her arm on the table and rested her head in her palm. “We aren’t our parents. We’re just their brats. Adults know better than to pick on the pups when they’re around their source of income. Also, how many of those meetings were in perfect view from the street?”
Nick paused for a moment, then looked at the view. “.....None.” He closed his eyes, mentally kicking himself. “They’re up top and away from prying eyes.
“Out of sight, out of mind. Out of the way of any potential customers who may think twice of entering. Translation, private seating is a sweet way of saying it’s embarrassing to have you front and center.”
“Veronica, I didn’t-”
“Mr. Schnee!” A jolly voice called.
The teens looked to the side to see a husky redheaded man in a chef’s uniform and a hat as big as his handlebar mustache.
“Dyle.” Nick said, noticing Sophia turning ghost white a few feet behind him.
“How is the young heir on this fine night!? Craving our pastries again I bet! Oh ho ho ho!” The man patted his stomach at his one witty remark. His olive colored eyes shifted to Veronica. “My, my, where are my manners!? I’m Head Chef Dyle! Clearly Nicholas forgot his manners too for not introducing his partner in crime this lovely night. Though I guess there’s little need whenever you have credibility among the higher class? That and those lilac eyes, I’ve served a few times in the form of one fiery huntress who loves my steak! I assume your-”
“Yes, I’m her kid. To what do we owe the pleasure of the head chef himself coming to greet us?” Veronica said, hiding her attitude with fake jolliness.
“One of my little worker bees had told me one of my favorite customers was here yet again. Imagine my surprise to see him without his typical plus one. I tell you, that Valerie sure can eat until I feel a hole in my wallet! Ho! Ho! Ha! I crack myself up. Have you met her.”
“Occasionally. Sports art my thing. More of a cooking contest watcher myself. When I realized I get to try your steak I nearly jumped for joy!”
“Why thank you! Nicholas my boy, you sure bring a surprise each and every time, but you should know better. A table in the back near this drafty window at this time of year, and at night! Up your game. I’d be more than happy to let you two enjoy the comfiest seat in the building. Nothing sets the tone like the second floor. I can get you a private table right this second!”
If that wasn’t a slap in the face, then Nick didn’t know what was. Has this really gone over his head? Nick wanted to believe this was a classic case of misunderstanding, yet that felt inn accurate the longer Veronica looked at him. There was no anger, only a reserved look that poorly hid the fact she was uncomfortable. Nick stopped feeling sorry for himself, choosing to do what his family did best; put on the face that commanded respect. The face of Atlas’s most powerful family.
“Dyle?” Nick spoke, dragging out the chef’s name like a sigh of boredom. Nick focused one the menu in his hands while giving the man an occasional glance with only his eyes. “Do you know why I come here? I’ll give you a hint.” He tapped on the window.
“The...view-”
“Nope.” Nick said firmly, closing his menu. “It’s the view and the respect I believed this place had for its customers. All of its customers, but tonight is making me think I believed wrong. You’ve never been this insistent whenever Valerie and I ate here. I gotta say I’m a bit concerned. Between your behavior and our waitress, I can’t help but feel like this has everything to do with my lovely date and her perfect features.”
“Perfect.” Veronica thought, bashfully folding her ears.
“Dyle, am I correct to reevaluate my beliefs in this restaurant. No lying now. I want your honest answer.”
The jolly man wasn’t feeling so jolly anymore. Dyle’s smile turned into grimace teeth and panicked eyes. “N-No! it’s just...just!” He looked around and through the window for any watchful eyes. “It’s business. Your family should understand th-”
“My family is no longer in the business of just caring about good business. Fail to understand that and you won’t have to worry about yours.” Nick stood up and finally looked at the giant of a man as best he could. He could see it, the resentment and frustration building within the chef. By all means who wouldn’t be upset when against a member of the most dangerous family name, blatantly throwing power around like if it actually earned. Nick understood the look. If Whitley taught him anything, it was that look does nothing but keep the hate alive. Flex power, but wield it generously.
“Dyle, I will choose to believe you are in fact a good man.”
“W-What?” He said, caught off guard by the tone shift.
“If this is strictly business then we’ll treat it like so. Now there isn’t any scenario where I don’t get what I want, but I’m more than happy to get what we all want. The first thing is you apologizing to Veronica. After that you will tell all your staff to refrain from enforcing whatever faunus rules you have given them; followed by creating the best steaks you can ever create for this table. Your work won’t be done though. I do expect a dessert that will blow our mind. It is only after creating such a grand meal with your hands that you can rest easy knowing that it will have a fairly generous contribution to its stability. Indefinitely.”
“You’re...going to invest here?”
Nick sat back down. “That depends on you. A pretty decent offer I’d say. Equality and a good meal in an exchange for financial stability. Is that good with you Veronica?”
“Hmmmm, I say we should sweeten our pot. An easy fix with an official change in this place's mission statement as a public service. One that states on paper that this restaurant is for all. This isn’t a compromise.”
Nick smiled. “You heard the lady. Is it a deal?”
Dyle stood, confused by the offer. By all means it was not expected or heard of. “So this is how a Schnee conducts business now?”
“This is how I do business.”
“Hmph! Then I guess it’s fortunate you have deep enough pockets to back it up.” The man removed his chef’s hat and bowed. “Please excuse my blatant disrespect, Mrs. Belladonna.”
“Apology not accepted, but a deal is a deal and who am I to not capitalize on it for my people? Just keep your end of the bargain and I’m satisfied.”
“Ma’am.” Dyle rose from his bow, swiftly exiting to the kitchen. Veronica took a sigh of relief. Finally the man was gone. Any longer and she would’ve said something worth being glared at.
“Sorry about all of this.” Nick said with a guilty look. “Didn’t expect this level of confrontation tonight. Here I was thinking I was taking you to a stress free spot in Atlas.”
“I don’t see why you’re apologizing. After all, you are the one who told me not to hide my ears. Screw what others think, remember?” Veronica gave him a comforting smile before getting another sip of his cider. “The occasional loudmouth or prejudiced jerk is nothing new. Still… thanks for sticking up for me. It’s usually me being the mouthpiece for others or myself. It’s nice not taking the lead.”
Nick propped his head up on his right hand “Glad to be of service.”
“I can see that. How’d you know the waitress was being forced and not racist herself?”
“I’ve never met my grandfather, but his handy work I’m too familiar with.” Nick said, staring out the window.
Veronica could tell she had walked onto a sensitive subject. Between him trying to avoid talking about the grave in front of his family, it was easy to understand what he meant. She wouldn’t press the issue any further. Now wasn’t the time to get heavy. “You know if you keep looking out the window like that, I might just faint from your handsomeness.”
Nick’s face turned red. He whipped his head around to see his date smirking at him. “Oh why you gotta tease me like that!? It’s embarrassing.”
Veronica could only giggle as the flustered boy did his best to hide his face. “That’s more like it. Just keep smiling for me. That’s all I need.”
xxxxx
While a dinner date had begun in the city, a house breakout had started half an hour later. Schnee Manor had gone quiet. Dinner had ended long ago and all adults had retired to their room. Summer couldn’t ask for more. The young huntress in training double checked her supplies before making the great escape. Black wig? check. Favorite pair of ripped jeans with a nice leather jacket; check and check. She put her guitar case on her back and looked in the mirror.
“And mom said no good would come from mentioning Bleiss? Well...I am sneaking out, so I guess she had a point.” Summer left her room and began carefully walking through the halls with her boots in hand. Can’t be too careful. Even the finest houses can creak. Thanks to Nick being out, the alarm wasn’t on. Escaping would be cake walk. All she had to do was pick an exit that wouldn’t be seen or heard. Pesky cameras and windows made that a bit more of a challenge.
“Mom and dad and probably still catching up with Blake and Yang, so I should probably leave through the-”
“Beautiful night for an escape.”
Summer whipped her head around to see Blake looking at her, arms folded and smiling. Summer’s face went pale. “Es-Escape!? Me!? No...I was just….”
Blake raised her eyebrow. “Just…?”
“Esssscaping- yeah I was escaping.” Summer held her head down in defeat. She really needed to get better under pressure. “How did you know?”
“I heard the sound of glyphs earlier when you said you were eating. Multiple glyphs, launching something outside and around the house. You know it might’ve been less suspicious if you decided to grab whatever you needed, and haul it back to your room normally? No way Yang or I would know if it’s out of the ordinary.”
“Hindsight isn’t always 20/20. Plus I like plans. This one appears to be a bust though.”
“Not exactly. I won’t tell if you won’t.” Blake winked.
Summer’s eyes went wide. “Wait, what? You’re okay with me sneaking out.”
“It won’t earn me any warm feelings with Weiss but it’s clear to everyone in and out of this house that you need an outlet. I do have some conditions however.”
Summer squinted. Now she knew where Veronica got her deal making skills from. “I’m listening.”
“First, cut your parents some slack and go to school every day until after the tournament. I heard you’ll fail otherwise.”
“Ugh, why does everyone want me to- okay, fine. I was planning on it anyway. Next one?”
“Please try and be Veronica’s friend.”
“I’m sorry, did you ask me the impossible?” Summer said, making Blake frown. “What!? It’s the truth. Friendship is a two way street and both lanes are closed.
“Listen, I know my daughter hasn’t been the nicest to you, and I know what I’m asking is completely selfish. However, I’m asking anyway. Maybe if she had actual friends to open up to, then things wouldn’t be so bad for her.” Blake sighed.
“Are you trying to tell me Mrs. Fashion designer with perfect skin doesn’t have a line of people trying to rub elbows with her?”
“Hehe, you’d be surprised… Besides, I figured you would know first hand people like that aren’t exactly friend material, Mrs. Teen Idol.”
Summer bit her lip. “Fair point, got me there.” She folded her arms and began tapping her foot. Blake meant well, but it really felt like she was asking Summer to move a mountain. Especially after the forest incident. “Really twisting my arm here.”
“Could you at least make a strong attempt? You both will be spending more time together after all.”
“Hmmm, fine.”
Blake squinted, “Strong attempt, Summer.”
“I heard you.” Summer turned her head away like the snooty rich girl regular folk saw her as. “Is that all?”
“One more thing.” Blake walked up to the young girl and placed her hands on Summer’s shoulders. “Never forget you’re not alone.”
“.....Yes ma’am. Thanks, I mean it.”
Blake rubbed Summer’s head. She’s grown since the last time they met, yet still oh so small. Not to mention a bit frail. Summer may have looked like her mother but Blake could see how much more gentle she was in comparison. Not that Weiss wasn’t a softie in her own right, but she also had an uncompromising defiance. Blake didn’t see that in Summer. Her defiance by all means could be compromised. With any luck and help, it wouldn’t be. “Okay, I’ve held you hostage long enough. Have fun and be safe. I’ll feel guilty otherwise.”
“Don’t worry. I’ll be at my home away from home. If I don’t get lost in the music then I’ll definitely be back before midnight.”
“And if you do get lost in the music?”
“Make sure the bathroom window in the third hall downstairs is unlocked. Sneaking is easier at ground level. Bye now.”
Summer gave Blake a hug then rushed off out of sight. Blake couldn’t help but sigh. “Oh boy, maybe I’m the softie?”
xxxx
“Nick?”
“H-huh!?” The boy shook himself out of his daze. Veronica chewed another slice of steak while giving Nick a look of concern. Nick quickly tried to snap back to reality. “Something wrong with steak?”
“Oh something is definitely wrong, but not with the steak.” Veronica took a sip of her third cup of cider. “Maybe you can tell me what’s wrong? Nick you’ve been spacing out more and more ever since we got our entrees. Is a twin thing happening that I’m not aware of?”
“What? Oh, no, no it’s nothing like that. Sorry I’m just more out of it than I thought tonight.
Veronica nodded. “I see. Well… I guess that’s what happens when your crush hurts your feelings.” She watched Nick’s face turn from shock to guilt in no time at all. “You know it’s fine to talk about it right?”
“No it’s not. This is supposed to be a date and what kind of jerk complains about relationship stuff in front of somebody who has feelings for them? It’s not exactly dating etiquette.”
“Oh absolutely. Just thinking about another woman while there’s one in front of you is a real low blow. Frankly I am a bit bruised by it.”
“That’s why-” his words were silenced by the sweet taste of steak Veronica placed in his mouth.
“Let me finish while you chew on that, kay? Yeah my poor little pride is a bit bruised, but it’s not like I don’t already know where I stand when it comes to Valerie; much like how I know you’ve been doing well to try and set that aside. However, I’m here to tell you that’s flawed thinking. At least when you’re dealing with me. I’d much rather you talk about it with me than mentally check out whenever we’re together. So seeing how this dinner date is already far from conventional, let’s not beat around the bush a talk about the girl on your mind.”
Even though she was clearly being nice, Nick couldn’t help but feel like even more of a jerk! “It’s- it’s okay, really. We don’t have to make a big deal out of-”
“Ten minutes.”
“Huh?”
Veronica pulled out her scroll and set a timer. “It was your bright idea to have a ten minute unfiltered grace period between us. I’m calling in your ten minutes sucker. Deny it and I’ll never agree to doing it like you want.” She hit the timer. “Now spill your guts.”
His own system, used against him. Nick wasn’t sure if he should be happy Veronica remembered it, or upset. “Well played. Fine I’ll talk. Yes, Valerie has me lost in thought.”
“About what?”
“About a lot of things.”
“Nah uh, it’s something specific that has you upset. Might as well come clean now.”
“You’re really not gonna make this easy huh?”
“Nope! Tough love is tough, now speak.” Veronica smiled.
“Sigh, Val...made it seem like I was embarrassing to be around. That I stick my nose into everything. It’s not just her too. Summer said something similar to me butting in as well. The entire thing has been bugging me. Am I really that annoying to them?” Nick slouched in his chair. “Have been pushing them away?”
Veronica clicked her tongue. He opened up faster than she expected. “While I can’t speak much about you being embarrassing since I don’t think you are by any means; I can totally say you do make it your mission to be a helping hand in every situation. So yeah, you do butt in.”
The waitress came back and Veronica quickly gathered their dirty dishes to give to the actually nice woman. “All that being said, that’s nothing new Nick. You’ve always been like that. I’d say it’s actually one of your better qualities.”
“It is?” He said confused.
“Mmmhmm. I’ve never minded it at the very least. There’s a comfort in knowing there’s a helping hand in your corner. Plus it’s not like you blatantly ignore any request telling you to stop. You did give Valerie space when she asked for it after all. As for your sister, she’s all talk. I can tell just from reviewing footage and our short trip to the forest that Summer is quick to depend on you. If you ask me, she’s more annoyed at herself for that than she is at you.”
“I doubt it. They both gave me that same look of frustration. Especially Valerie. One minute she wants to be included whenever I’m in trouble but the next she’s telling me to take a hike. It’s pissing me off.” Nick rubbed his hand through his hair and let out a sigh. This entire thing felt like a complex math equation he didn’t know how to solve.
Veronica could tell by the look on his face how conflicted this made him. How conflicted Valerie made him. Needless to say, she was a bit envious. “Why do you love her so much?” She asked bluntly.
Nick’s face turned red. “Uhhh what?”
“I’m just trying to understand what makes her special. After all, Nicholas Schnee could have a girlfriend everyday of the week, yet he fawns over one. The same one since kindergarten. It can’t only because you’ve known each other for so long. What makes her special in your eyes?” Veronica knew she was practically asking to get hurt but she had to know. What was it that made Valerie different from her?
“D...Do I really have to answer that? It’s kinda sudden.”
“The clock has five more minutes on it and you have a girl willing to listen to gush over another girl. Money can’t buy you a scenario this sweet. Fess up.”
Nick took a long sip of his cider before taking an even longer breath. It would’ve been nice if he could do this for five minutes straight but that would be asking for too much. The only way out was through.
“It’s not the most complicated reason if you’re wondering. Growing up the way I have has had numerous blessings I won’t begin to look down on. Family, money, influence; all of that has been a joy. That being said, I didn’t really revel in being who I am as a Schnee until maybe four or five years ago. Everything I did or everywhere I went, a person would always watch what I would do. Nick is gonna go far. Oh he’s great at that, perhaps he’ll go pro? That sort of thing. Ice skating was just a hobby at first. I did it because it was relaxing and mom liked skating with me. I never paid attention if I was actually good at the moves I tried.”
“But...the people did?” Veronica asked, receiving a nod.
“I didn’t think much of it. I was only around seven perhaps? It actually made me happy. So what if a few people liked my routine? I was on the ice for fun and happened to win a medal. But then, as I kept on skating, a pressure started to form. More eyes started watching me. Waiting for the next medal, talking my skill up, muttering rumors about the contests I didn’t participate in, shaking their heads at my failures…they weren’t looking at me. Only my achievements and shortcomings. Ice skating stopped being fun, again. Mom was always quick to tell me to never pay them mind and eventually convinced me to take a break from it altogether. I could never skate again and she’d be perfectly fine with that.”
“Of course. She shared that with you as an outlet, not a sport. I think she knows better than anyone how cruel it is to make a child participate in performances just because they’re good at it.”
“Yeah, hehe, she really has the perfect playbook of what not to do with a child. It would be cool if it wasn't also sad. Anyways, the break was well needed. People eventually stopped talking and I skated in private. By then I’ve taken up some early combat stuff. Nothing serious. Fencing, a few things a bit more in the huntsman category but for more of sparring and building blocks of it all. Valerie had taken notice one day and got the biggest smile. Finally we can do some real horse playing! She shouted and cheered. Next thing I knew I was being driven to the gym with a hyperactive twelve year old who may have been a little too eager to hit her best friend.” He chuckled.
“And they say I’m feisty. So what? Did she hit you so hard you thought it was cool?” Veronica teased.
“N-Well it was cool, but that wasn’t the linchpin! We were having fun sparring. I was having fun. Learning how she did and showing me the ropes everyday was a blast, until one day I did something really cool I guess. Cool enough that people noticed; and kept noticing. People started talking again about what this might possibly mean for me and began watching my practices. I remember starting to feel the overwhelming stress build up again. It was frustrating thinking that this thing I do for me was about to be taken for the people again. I wanted to cry on the spot. Next thing I knew, Valerie had gotten on this platform to make herself taller and kindly told everyone that they were interrupting our training. To my surprise, they left. It only hit then that I’ve been so caught up in trying to avoid them or please, that I never once tried telling everyone to leave me alone. I asked Valerie how she could easily tell people that also expect so much from her to leave because they were in way. Why would I ever care about their input? I do what I want for me. They’re just along for the ride. S-”
BZZZ! BZZZ! BZZZ! Ten minutes had finally gone by. Veronica clicked her tongue. She reached to shut her alarm off when Nick reached for her scroll.
“It’s only right to finish a story this far in. Not much left anyways.” Nick shut the alarm off to continue. “As I was saying, Soon after that is when I began getting back into ice skating and really started participating for myself; figuring out my agenda in all things I did. Especially tournaments. That’s the gist of it. Like I said, silly.”
“No, I get. Valerie gave you back your enjoyment of your hobbies. Helped make a new lease on life. How could that not be a big deal? If anything it makes me irritated that you have such nice reasoning.” Veronica poked her lips out in a dramatically pouty way before turning head to the window. “Guess I should’ve figured as much. She did to you what you did for me. No wonder you like her. Still, I’m not phoning things in yet. Especially if those are the words she told you.” Veronica stopped herself from clenching the table cloth. “That hypocrite. Not caring about their input my ass…” Veronica let out a little chuckle. That was certainly informative. “Thank you for your honesty.”
“Yeah don’t thank me yet.” Nick put thirteen minutes on the timer and smiled. “I believe it’s your turn?”
Veronica’s pleased expression quickly turned to panic. “Wait, what!?”
“Why do you like me?” He asked without mercy. The flush on Vee’s cheeks was redder than wine. “Y-You can’t just ask a girl why they like you!”
“Oh but you can ask me about my romantic feelings without question.” Vee nodded shameless.
“Yep that pretty much sums it up. Besides it’s not like I asked about your feelings towards me. That’s embarrassing as hell.” Veronica watched Nick purse his lips and gave her a look that screamed “seriously?” It was enough to make her start combing her fingers through her hair and look at the coconut cream pie slice that the waitress somehow managed to put under her nose without detection. “I...specifics are bothersome to explain. Just understand that...Nick, you’ve…” she could feel her heart pound in her own ears. “You’ve given me a lot of strength, hope actually. In ways I can’t begin to explain. I’m grateful; dare I say blessed.”
Those words truly shocked him. It wasn’t everyday a term like that came from Vee’s lips. “Blessed huh? That’s a big deal coming from a nonbeliever like yourself.”
“And despite knowing that you still tell me how you pray for me. Not that I particularly mind that I’m in your thoughts regularly. Also it’s rude to just straight up say nonbeliever. I have beliefs. Now the feelings associated and to what the beliefs are is a different story. Thank you for the prayers nonetheless though.”
“Maybe one day you’ll pray for me, hehe.”
Veronica smirked. “I doubt any deity would heed the words. I’ll keep the praying business to the faithful.”
“Fair enough.” Nick took a scoop of ice cream off his fudge brownie and looked at the timer. “Seeing how you’re a bit resistant to tell me why you feel the way you do towards me, can you at least be frank with me by telling me why you’re so adamant about not getting along with Valerie or Summer?”
Very slumped over. “Of all the questions, you’re set on detective work?”
“This timer thing isn’t even meant for interrogation. I offered this as a way to vent without consequences but you’re the one who wanted to play twenty questions.” He finally took a bite of dessert. “Tough it out” He said, a warm smile on his face from the flavor.
“Sigh, guess I have no right to complain. I wouldn’t say I have any real personal grievances towards them, even though I have a few unpleasant memories of your sister harassing me when we were little.”
“We were five.”
“Well I was six and a hurt tail is still a hurt tail, but I digress. Those two, they’re not the kind of people I find myself liking very much. Summer always wraps individuals into her pity party by acting like she’s making a genuine effort, and then Valerie, sigh, there’s not a thing about her that doesn’t make me want to hit her. I know you like her and wouldn’t say she’s a bad natured person, but…” Veronica held her tongue before she overstepped. These were still Nick’s loved ones.
Nick on the other hand wasn’t satisfied. “Say it, what’s on your mind. Zero consequences remember?”
“You say that but it’s not like we’ll magically forget what we’ve said in this last twenty six minutes.”
“No, but I trust you won’t hold my words and secrets against me. Do you trust me? Good or bad, this is meant to clear the air. I’d be a hypocrite to not let you speak your mind after asking you to.” It was a bit brash but Nick reached for Vee’s hand and held it.
Veronica felt her own breathing slow down at the sight of Nick’s reassuring smile. Her eyes went to her pie to avoid his gaze. He was too disarming for his own good. It made her feel guilty for doubting, as well as relying on him the way she did.
“Valerie isn’t a good friend, not you and I, not your sister for that matter. Yeah she might help out because she’s a good person but she’s far too self centered in my opinion. I mean just take tonight for example. You’ve made plans with her that fell apart because everything you two do are on her own terms. What friend gets upset that another saved them in a training exercise, or uses a pet name that the other person doesn’t like!?”
Nick raised his eyebrow. “Pet name?”
“Summer hates to be called Princess, right? That could be a thing with me personally but with the way she gets so pissed about it I would think Valerie using it would be annoying. Yet she does it anyway. Like how she’s quick to try to act like she’s above something when she clearly isn’t. I-”
“Vee? My hand…” Nick winced, his hand being squeezed like a stress ball.”
“Crap…” Veronica immediately loosened up to look at it. Thankfully her nails didn’t dig into him but she did make his hand red. Veronica gently begins rubbing it in some pointless attempt to relieve the pain. “Sorry I… I shouldn’t lose my temper like that. Ugh I know better too. Maybe steak was a bad idea after all?”
Nick watched as Veronica became fixated on the light injury. Her ears had fallen down and the anger she had while speaking had vanished entirely. All she could do was rub his hand. “It’s fine, honest. I don’t even feel pain anymore.”
“You shouldn’t have felt pain at all. This is the second time I’ve hurt you.”
“Well...I did actively walk into a fight the first time. Faunus reasons or not, a person should expect to get whaled on a bit when breaking a fight up.”
Veronica knew Nick was trying to be nice and there was truth to his words. That still didn’t make her feel much better. “I guess there’s one thing Valerie and I have in common. We get you hurt for needless reasons that could be avoided.”
“Vee…”
“Hey, I know she makes you happy and I shouldn’t really try to persuade you to feel otherwise, but… I can’t help but feel like… if you were to ever allow it one day if you’ll look my way, because…Nick, I think I can make you even happier.” She gently held his hand with her trembling ones.
Nick couldn’t see her eyes but could see how the blush took over her. She wasn’t the only one. How could he not feel embarrassed when Veronica Belladonna, the most brazen girl he knew, was now currently holding his hand sheepishly while her tail swayed side to side. Thank goodness he had set a timer beforehand. The buzzer finally went off and Veronica snapped out of her trance, letting go. Rather than speak further, her pie became the scapegoat, getting devoured without interruption. Nick wanted to say something but even the work up to speaking made her face redder by the second. Besides, the timer hit zero. He had to respect the rules he made. A lot was learned within a short time.
“It’s been some time since we had a talk like that. Thanks, Veronica. I feel like I know you even better than before.”
“Just...eat your dessert, please?” She said, embarrassed beyond belief. How could she say something so compromising like that!? Claiming to make him happier than Valerie was bolder than she meant to be.
xxxx
The rest of dinner was pretty quiet. Both of them couldn’t think of any light topics to discuss after prying into feelings. It wasn’t awkward to speak but felt more, inappropriate, so to speak. Both desserts were finished and the chef had passed his taste test. Nick would keep his end of the bargain. However, the generous tip he usually left for all workers involved was purposely missing. The chef had lost the privilege entirely. The waitress would be in for a shock the next time she checked her savings. No need to punish those in the crossfire after all. Veronica and Nick left without saying a word to anybody.
The two of them walked down the sidewalk in the season's chill embrace. Veronica felt the chill winds creep down her thin dress. It felt colder than in the forest. Not even a single person or car was on the street! Nothing but an ever forming winter wonderland!
“Eugh! I know walking home was my idea but maybe I should’ve thought ahead?”
Nick chuckled. “Maybe so?” He took his dress coat off and draped it over her shoulders. “Better?”
“Yeah but you just got over being sick. You can’t afford to catch another cold.”
“Relax, I got sick because of stress. Temperatures like this are nothing to anybody who lives here. The cold is nothing in the face of a real Atlesian. It’s in our blood!”
“And central heating is in your budget. Speaking of which, shouldn’t that be on full blast in the winter!? I mean my goosebumps have goosebumps.” Veronica shivered.
Nick smiled. “I’m glad you asked!” He took Veronica’s hand and quickly rushed over to a building with an awning for them to be under. “There’s a reason I picked a reservation for today. It’s the night manual resets happen.”
“Manual resets?”
Nick nodded. “Yep! You’re right about it being super cold. The lack of people is a dead giveaway.”
“What’s up with that? I thought Atlas was a city that never slept? It’s like a ghost town now. Nothing but….actually…” Veronica looked around the streets, lamps, and every building. There were noticeable less lights. A far cry from the dazzling show she saw earlier through the window. “The heating system, it’s off.”
“Not entirely. A majority of buildings still have them on but yes, external heating vents get temporarily shut off and rebooted. It’s common in the winter since they have to run constantly. You didn’t think it was weird that it was snowing so steadily?”
“Now that you mention it, I guess it is. Everything was already covered in snow so I didn’t notice.”
“Most snow melts on contact but there’s no getting past it during the cold season. Heater or not heater, you’re gonna see snow fall.”
Veronica breathed on her hands to warm them up. “So why come out when the heaters are off if you can see snow whenever?”
“Because I’m not here for the snow. There’s only one thing Atlas gets to really witness whenever the heaters come back on, because the reboot forces the heaters to come back on at full blast.”
“What would-” Before she could finish, Veronica witnessed it first hand; the sudden burst of heat that washed over her body as the orange glow of heaters returned to pale white city. The previous atmospheric silence had been broken. Pit pat pit pat pit pat pit. The familiar brought Veronica’s attention to the streets. Right before eyes like magic, suddenly and seamless, the winter wonderland turned into rain. Lots of rain.
Any and all snowflakes melted before pitter pattering on the pavement. Rain was nothing new to her and neither was Atlas at night for that matter, but a rainy night lights in the city of Atlas? That was a different story entirely. It was if she was in a new kingdom altogether, the way the lights shimmered on the water in the air and on the ground. Atlas somehow went from looking like a snow globe, to a chandelier.
“Woah~” Veronica was floored. She extended her hand out. The feeling of frigid rain contrasted against the warm so much it made her jolt. “Ah! Man that has a bite to it!” She laughed.Veronica stepped out from the awning.
Nick, shocked by her actions, quickly grabbed her hand. “Hey, your dress!” He shouted with agency. Veronica did not bother with his words. Instead she pulled Nick into the rain with her as she laughed.
“Hahaha! What’s a little water!? I love the rain!! Between the heaters and a pour like this, I’d say this is more refreshing than the showers back home.” Veronica’s grin widened. She took hold of Nick’s hands and began swaying. “Come on, dance with me!”
Nick let himself get strung along into Vee’s antics. He caught her guard by pulling the two of them into a ballroom stance and began to waltz.
Veronica’s ears wiggled. “Oooo look at you Mr. Casanova, taking the lead like that.”
“You’re pretty upbeat for a cat in the rain.” He teased.
“Jokes on you, panthers love water, and people from Menagerie love the ocean. I do have a surfboard after all.” She leaned back to que Nick to support her back. Veronica dramatically stuck her leg out to do an over the top dip before Nick brought her back up, pulling her close.
“Nice moves.”
“You’re not the only one who has to learn etiquette. Gotta stay on my toes for the public too. Pretty easy with a tail for balance.”
Nick chuckled. He waltzed his cheeky date back over to the awning near a heater as she continued to laugh. “I could’ve sworn minutes ago you didn’t want me getting sick?”
“Well someone bragged about being one with the cold.”
“I didn’t say all that now. I’m surprised someone complaining about the cold gets excited to dance in the rain.”
“Yeah well…” Veronica moves even closer to Nick, until there’s virtually no space between them. “I feel pretty warm right now.” She said, looking up into his eyes. Maybe it was the heater, the cold rain, or the warmth from his arms now wrapping around her, but it made Veronica warm to the point of feeling dazed. It couldn’t just be her. Not when Nick’s face was its own shade of red. The two let the sound of rain surround them yet again. The smile Veronica had slowly shifted into an expression of longing. She was so close to him right now. Closer than she’s ever felt. His warmth, his cologne, his lips…; Veronica’s body couldn’t help but lean forward. Right...until…
Beep! beep! The sound of a car horn made both jump out of their skin. They looked to the street to see their waitress waving joyfully.
“Thanks for the tip!” She said emotionally as she drove off.
The surprise brought Veronica back to her senses to see Nick’s face flushed and embarrassed. As well as conflicted. Like how he was back at Penny’s lab. Veronica felt the weight of her actions hit her like a tank and quickly took a step back.
“Sorry! Silly me, hehe. Here I was telling you that I wouldn’t be too forward or force anything, then I pull this! Talk about embarrassing huh?!” There wasn’t a bone in her body that didn’t want to find a hole to hide in. How could she get lost in emotion again!?
Nick frowned. “Ver-”
“It’s fine! Totally my bad.” She could feel her own heart start to race from her recklessness. “Tonight has been nice. We should probably start heading back before-”
Nick took Veronica’s arm and shut her up by kissing her cheek before wrapping his arms around her tightly. Her body went a little stiff before eventually hugging him back.
“No date is complete without a little intimacy, right.” Nick said, doing his best to kill the tension. “Sorry things got weird. I should’ve spoken up. It’s not like I would’ve been upset.” He admitted. “I just...you know. But I hope this is okay at least?”
Rejection is nothing new. Veronica was ready for the sting. However, Nick’s words didn’t sting at all. In fact, Veronica could only find herself hiding her face in his shirt, enjoying this comfort. Her heart stopped racing and she felt calmer than she had all night. This wasn’t rejection. Not by a long shot. A to be continued perhaps?
“This is perfect.” She said, holding her crush closer. “Stay just like this for your date. At least for a few more moments.”
Nick smiled. “As you wish.”
Veronica may not have Nick’s attention like how Valerie does, but at this moment, Veronica had Nick focused on her and her alone. He was hers right now. Veronica couldn’t ask for more. This definitely was an unconventional date, clumsy and hardly what anyone would call romantic. Veronica would cherish it all the same.
xxxx
While the sweet sound of rain soothed one duo, another couldn’t hear it all, it being completely drowned out by applause with bubbling excitement. Tonight may be one of the coldest nights for Atlas, but for a warehouse in Mantle filled with young adults, passion burned in the form of a young woman in black about to conquer the stage with her guitar and vocals. Summer was ready to vent. While Eliza carefully observed from afar.
If she wasn’t here then she might not have believed it. With those clothes and confidence, Eliza was sure she was watching a stranger.“Summer Schnee, you and your brother are one surprise after another.”
The singer grabbed a microphone and looked out to the many eyes ready to cut loose. “ALRIGHT EVERYBODY LET’S MAKE SOME NOISE!”
Summer screamed, receiving nothing less than twice the excitement back. No time was wasted in playing how she played less. Tonight was her night. Problems could wait until tomorrow.
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squishybuttercup · 4 years ago
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𝓛𝓲𝓰𝓪𝔂𝓪 𝓕𝓮𝓻𝓷𝓪𝓷𝓭𝓮𝔃
submission for Destined for Dane @desira-sims
Name: Ligaya Fernandez Nickname: Aya Age: 24 Traits: Good, Gloomy, and Loves the Outdoors Occupation: Painter/Writer Location: StrangerVille
Ligaya was adopted from an orphanage as a baby, and she knows nothing about her true parents aside from a keychain her parents left with her. On the key chain it is written “Ligaya. I hope that by giving my baby this name, her life holds true to its meaning... Happiness”. Nevertheless, she wasn’t the rebellious type to her mother who adopted her. She grew up as a timid girl, often bullied by other kids. Despite her negative experiences in life, she never lets it get to her heart. Aya remains to be the kind of person with a golden heart. 
There are times she thinks to herself, how ironic her given name is for the kind of life she lives. She was always described as a gloomy person. This doesn’t necessarily mean she never feels happiness, because she does especially when she she does what she loves or she’s with people she cares about. Aya thinks to herself, maybe it’s just how she feels alive. Whenever melancholy starts to kick in, her passion in writing and painting ignites brighter. Along with embracing being around nature, she lets herself go and masterpieces are born.
Random stuff about Aya:
her favorite foods are anything made with potatoes and also eggs!
she likes mangoes, tomatoes, and pineapples (yes on pizza)
very fond of cooking breakfast
favorite subject of paintings: nature
favorite books genre: fantasy
emo hours can hit at anytime, pls be patient with her
favorite bands are Fall Out Boy and Panic! at the Disco
can be absent-minded at times, she gets distracted by writing or painting ideas
neutral good
favorite colors are red, white, and gold
she used to be very insecure of her body freckles so she used to cover them up a lot
she doesn’t believe in love at first sight, “like” at first sight sure
has been in two relationships before (first boyfriend; 7months; left her for another girl) (second boyfriend; 2 years; mutual decision to break up)
when trying to flirt, she gets nervous that the other person would think of her as a dork
loooves taking walks along nature
favorite physical activities are outdoor volleyball and swimming (which is why she wants to move out of StrangerVille, give her the oceaaaaan)
she meditates in forests and near bodies of water
she can be shy at first when meeting new people, but once she gets close, she can be very affectionate
loves leaving little notes of reassurance and cute quotes for love ones (like leaving a “take care” note inside someone’s bag or “eat well!” on a snack she prepared for someone else) she does this most with “thank you” notes :>
she doesn’t like pranks at all
when she’s mad, she’s not one to say bad things. instead she spends time on her own (painting/writing her feelings out, or meditating) before talking to who she’s mad at again
she believes that words spoken cannot be taken back, therefore we must always speak with kindness and love
she recently learned digital painting, still getting the hang of things. she likes it for its portability
won’t openly talk about it, but she really wants kids of her own in the future, and she’ll love them with all her heart!
That’s about it for now, hope you like her!
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ryqoshay · 3 years ago
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OTP Ask Meme (Impatient Edition) YohaRiko
Again, I know the point of these things is to wait for followers to Ask questions from the list, but reading though this one got me thinking too much. About all of my flagships. And I wanted to answer all of the questions. And not wait for a handful to maybe be asked.
Anyway, credit again goes to @lonelypond​ for this version coming across my dash. Reblog that version if you want to do this thing correctly.
Also, just because I’ve already answered these here, I’ve expanded on some for various reasons and left others short if I believe the reasons are obvious. So if you still want to do the whole interactive thing, you can still ask for clarification or whatever.
And finally, there will be spoilers ahead for Happy Life, and to a lesser degree the AU, both for scenes I’ve written and posted, as well as some that remain in my Notes and WIP Warehouse. I’ll try to remember to link to the chapters mentioned.
1. Who wakes up first?
Riko. Yohane is very much not a morning person, especially after a late night of streaming.
2. Who wants to stay in bed just a little longer?
Yohane. See above. However, if she doesn’t have time commitments for the day, Riko may occasionally want to stay in bed for some activities other than sleeping.
3. Who takes longer getting ready?
Either, though they are fond of getting ready together and helping one another, so in these cases, they’re done at the same time.
4. When they can’t sleep, what do they do?
Yohane has many rituals for inducing sleep involving all manner of meditation, incense, herbal tea, topical rubs, nightmare wards and more. Whether or not they work is up to debate, but Riko is comforted by the sentiment, as portrayed in Dream Warden. Yohane herself takes comfort from being near those she loves, particularly Riko, while she sleeps.
5. Who falls asleep while watching a movie?
Yohane, though it depends on the type of movie.
6. Who falls asleep last, watching the other with a small affectionate smile?
More often Riko, though Yohane does enjoy watching a sleeping Riko from time to time.
7. Who comes up with the cheesy pick-up lines?
Yohane. 100% Yohane. And she is well aware of how cheesy they are. And she knows how much Riko loves them.
8. Who gets extremely competitive playing Mario Kart?
Yohane gets competitive over games in general.
9. Who accidentally pushes a door instead of pulling?
Yohane is more likely to do so, though Riko can be absentminded on occasion.
10. Who sets the other’s ringtone to something loud and obnoxious behind their back?
Yohane.
11. Who rearranges the bookshelf/DVD shelf in alphabetical order?
Both have their reasons for their particularness in displaying their shelving; Riko likes to be able to quickly locate her favorite doujin while Yohane is considerate of the background for her ritual streams.
12. Who does the hands-over-the-eyes “Guess Who” thing?
Yohane. With as many different attempts at different voices and accents as she can.
13. Who points out a dog when they see one?
Early on, both, though for different reasons; Yohane out of excitement and Riko out of fear. Later, Yohane retains her excitement while Riko becomes more lax in her reactions.
14. Who’s prone to road rage?
Yohane.
15. Who’s prone to wearing socks indoor (or to sleep)?
Either
16. Who reminds the other to put on sunscreen before going to the beach (or pool)?
Yohane knows she burns easily and is pretty good at remembering, though Riko is mindful that her girlfriend can be careless at times.
17. Who carries all the important documents while traveling?
Riko.
18. Who gets the window seat?
Probably Yohane. Likely accompanied by some statement about missing being able to fly under her own power.
19. Who puts their cold hands/feet on the other?
Yohane.
20. What do they argue about the most?
Early after moving in together, Yohane had a bad habit of bringing home stray pets, despite it being against the policy of the apartment complex, as depicted in Hibagon. These arguments subsided once the policy was changed, as depicted in Phobetor.
21. Who’s clumsier?
Yohane, though Riko certainly has her moments.
22. Who texts more often?
Yohane.
23. Who is better with kids?
Yohane is better at keeping kids entertained with her antics while Riko is better at tending to their care, be it feeding them, calming them down when they’re upset or applying first aid; Yohane is pretty good with first aid as well, having had far too much practice on herself.
24. Who’s the better cook?
Debatable. As I mentioned in the Notes for A Roost for Weary Wings, Yohane is capable of producing higher quality results, but also fails more spectacularly. Riko may lack the skills and confidence to produce highly extravagant meals, but she is far more consistent in producing edible food.
25. Who mistakes salt for sugar?
Riko. Despite what one may assume from my prior answer. Yohane will still eat it, not only because she has a strange sense of taste, but also because her beloved Riri made it for her and she will be damned before letting it go to waste.
26. Who puts the fork in the microwave?
Possibly Yohane.
27. Who cooks at 2 in the morning?
Yohane.
28. Who lets the microwave play the loud beeping sound at 1 a.m.?
Definitely Yohane.
29. Who licks the spoon when they’re baking brownies?
Yohane. She’ll even bring her own spoon, as depicted in Valentine’s Taste Test.
30. Who likes doing the dishes?
Riko doesn’t mind it. Yohane dislikes it but is willing to balance the workload after Riko cooked.
31. Who has bigger cravings? What are they?
For food, especially exotic or exceptionally spicy food? Yohane. Although she does have a bit of a sweet tooth, as her favorites would imply. For enacting scenes from her favorite doujinshi with her girlfriend? Riko.
32. Who remembers what the other one always orders at a restaurant?
Both, though for slightly different reasons. Riko believes it is romantic to know certain things about one’s partner. Yohane believes it is the duty of a fallen angel to know such things about their little demons… or fellow angels?
33. How do they eat ice cream? What’s their favorite flavors?
Yohane will often eat too fast and give herself a headache. Her favorite flavors are those of her favorite foods, chocolate and strawberry. Riko eats slower, more often out of a sundae dish than a cone, in part because a dish is better for eating at her pace, but also because it’s easier for Yohane to “steal” a bite or two. She enjoys Yohane’s favorites, but is also fond of mint and vanilla.
34. Do they go on dates? What are they like?
Absolutely. Riko prefers going to museums or orchestra performances, though she has dragged Yohane to several doujin stores over the years. Yohane prefers higher energy environments like amusement parks, though she has dragged Riko to several gothic Lolita clothing stores and occult shops over the years. Both girls look forward to events like Comiket.
35. What do they smell when they smell Amortentia?
Riko smells the slightly sulfuric scent of boiling eggs her parents made often while she was growing up, the clean, salty air of Uchiura, and a spicy, sweet and earthy scent to which she cannot match a specific memory. Yohane smells sweet black lilies, the lingering smoke from a myriad of incense that always permeates occult shops, and a spicy, sweet and earthy scent to which she cannot match a specific memory.
The last scent for both is an idea I had while Googling random stuff for this question. It’s basically how one website describe the smell of Dragon’s Blood resin when burned as incense. I want to bring it up in a scene or two in both HL and HL(AU), though there will be a difference between the kinds found here on Earth and up in Heaven, which may end up as a minor connecting plot point.
I realize this leaves Riko without something that she knows is directly related to Yohane, but I was trying to avoid using incense too much, as it already had three entries between them. Also, it technically is related to Yohane, she just doesn’t realize it right away. I’m hoping whatever I write someday will make that connection for her. Not that she’ll ever smell Amortentia in HL, but…
36. Which one is the secret snuggler?
It’s no secret that Yohane loves her snuggles. Riko is quieter about her desires, but can be quite insistent, nonetheless.
37. Which one offers their jacket to the other when they complain they feel cold?
Riko. Yohane is far more vocal about her discomfort, especially when it comes to temperature.
38. Who reaches for the other one’s hand while driving?
Riko is more likely to do so, though Yohane might as well. That said, I don’t believe I have them owning a vehicle in HL, so this probably won’t come into play anytime soon in my works.
39. Who leaves little notes in the other one’s lunch?
Riko, as the more consistent cook of the pair, she is more likely to make their lunch bentos for the day. (Bonus: What does it say?) Casual reminders of her love for her Yocchan.
40. Who is the most affectionate?
Both are quite affectionate, though Yohane is far more likely to initiate, especially in public though even in private.
41. Who is the big spoon/little spoon?
Riko is most often the big spoon. Though Yohane might try to have one believe elsewise.
42. What is their favorite feature of their partner?
Riko loves Yohane’s smile when she is passionate about something, be it her streams or games or whatever. Yohane loves the way Riko’s fingers dance across the keyboard.
43. What is the first thing that changes when they realize they have feelings for the other?
Yohane becomes increasingly aware of Riko’s behavior and attitude toward Chika and has to make a conscious effort to avoid holding anything against the idol group’s leader; she likes Chika as a friend, after all, and is thankful that she brought her into the group in the first place. Riko starts to include Yohane in her fantasies.
44. What are their nicknames for each other?
Yocchan and Riri
45. Who worries the most? Over what?
Riko is constantly concerned that Yohane’s abysmal luck will eventually cause her actual harm, as in more than just catching a cold or getting a scrape or small cut. Yohane also fears that her abysmal luck will adversely affect Riko.
46. Who initiates kisses?
Yohane all the time, in public and in private. Riko, in private.
47. Who says I love you first? How did it happen?
Yohane said it first in Revelations.
48. Who tells their friends/family about their relationship first?
That’s actually a good question. I haven’t decided yet for this ship. I mean I have plans for revealing that the blonde Mari knows, but as for the couple actually telling people… hrm… Off the top of my head, I’d be more likely to say Yohane.
49. What do they do when they’re away from each other?
Both are quite capable of entertaining themselves without the other. Riko can play the piano and Yohane can play her games until their fingers cramp if they are not actively doing something together. And they have Phobetor and Prelude to pet and take on walks and play with. It’s not until bedtime that they become more aware of the other’s absence.
50. Who gets overwhelmed by small acts of kindness?
Depends. Yohane is more the emotional rollercoaster and could easily be overwhelmed by kindness from the girl for whom she held a one-sided crush for far too long. Riko is also likely to moved, though more through something that fits into some trope she loves in her doujin; good thing Yohane can be quite genre-savvy when she wants.
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drones-of-innocence · 5 years ago
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Has anyone requested Mario x Peach for the ask yet? Because I am! Yahoo!!!
I will gladly do Mario x Peach!! This one got pretty long, sorry about that!
Who was the one to propose: 
Mario did!! Technically he did in canon already haha, but I think he’s got the heart and the showmanship to put together a proper proposal for his Princess. It was adorable; he caught her completely by surprise, because she figured if he was going to ask, it was going to be before all their friends as the center piece for a wonderful celebration. Instead, he was quite simple about it. She recognized his nerves. His hands trembled just the slightest, his voice caught in his throat, and his breath seemed to shudder whenever he addressed her. Still, when he invited her to the lake on a lovely summer evening, she had no idea what his plans were. They often spent their evenings alone together anyway, whether it be on the lakeside or on her balcony. They were dating, after all. The fireflies came out just when the stars did. She should have known he would have asked her in his own simple, charming way. Mario cleared his throat, and spoke briefly of the future. He couldn’t manage to give a long, elaborate speech like he thought he should. So instead, he got down on one knee, and offered the ring. “I want to spend the rest of my life with you, my Princess. Will you marry me?”
Who stressed more over wedding planning:
Again, this one has to go to Mario. Peach has no qualms about being under the spotlight, speaking in public, or organizing large events. Mario, on the other hand, didn’t even know where to begin, especially with Toadsworth stressing him out over proper behavior and manners at a royal wedding. He was going to marry a whole entire Princess!! The only person possibly more stressed than Mario had to be Luigi, who’s extreme sense of empathy went out to his poor brother. Both of them were just two little balls of nervous energy during the planning. 
Who decorated the house:
So they don’t technically live together? I see Mario splitting his time between the castle and his house, but Peach can’t exactly leave her castle whenever she pleases. But she does visit. If they could have a house together, I see Mario as the one who could put a room together. Neither of them are master interior designers, but Mario has at least had experience, having moved between several apartments in he and Luigi’s past. If Peach were in charge, she would hire someone else to do it more likely than not. But Mario, being somewhat of a penny pincher by habit, would rather take care of things like that himself.
Who does the cooking:
Luigi does the cooking! Just kidding haha, but Peach has food provided for her whenever she pleases. In the Mario household, Mario cooks breakfast, and Luigi, self proclaimed as “il maestro della cena,” will not allow anyone else to cook dinner. So when Peach visits, or even when the brothers visit the castle, he insists on taking over the kitchen. He’s more than happy to cook for his family; he was very thrilled to be the first to point out that now he is Peach’s brother-in-law.
Who is more organized:
So Peach is more organized in the classical sense; her room is always very tidy, her notes very easy to read, handwriting neat. She has lists and agendas and calendars and journals galore. But Mario is organized in a different way; his thoughts can be very scattered, but he is excellent at mobilizing/organizing emergency responses, prioritizing and getting things done. In the event of a disaster, Mario is your man. He can literally survive in the wilderness with nothing but his wits. He naturally regulates his own sleeping and eating habits, which he can adjust and adapt to his situation as need be. 
Who initiates bedroom fun:
Okay, so...I made a vow that I would never publicly do or make anything NSFW for characters that belong to a franchise aimed at children, even discuss headcanons. So I will construe the meaning. Peach and Mario have lots of fun in her bedroom because it’s sort of closed off from the rest of the world. They can read, relax, nap, whatever you can think of. It’s a sort of safe haven for them. Peach is often the one who suggests going back to her room, as Mario is too polite to be the one to bring it up. The proposal alarmed him at first, as the bedroom in his world was a very different place than it is to him now.
Who suggested kids first:
Peach suggested children! This was to Mario’s shock, as he never thought he would ever really have the privilege of being a father. Mario, over a good deal of time, taught her about conventional family values on his world. He mused to her, seeing similar values echoed in the Mushroom Kingdom, that survival of the species definitely has something to do with it. But something about the way he spoke inspired her to wonder what she would be like as a mother. She knew all along he would be a good father; he’s excellent with children and he clearly loves having them around. But she wanted to experience what he spoke about, how a mother’s love is stronger than anything he’s ever seen.
Who’s more dominant:
It’s about 60/40 with Peach often being the more dominant one. She’s the sole monarch of an entire Kingdom, so she’s used to taking charge. Mario, who drinks more than his share of respect women juice, doesn’t mind in the least. He defers to her often, and actually prefers for her to make the difficult choices. The only time he’s the one making decisions is when it comes to adventures and survival, where his leadership shines.
Who’s the cuddler:
Mario! Mario loves cuddles; as he’s often fighting off enemies and running into not-so-friendly people, he doesn’t get much tender contact. Hugging Luigi used to be the only way he could meet those emotional needs. But with the Princess, he can get all that he could ever want. He’ll never admit it to anyone else, but he adores being the little spoon. He feels completely surrounded by her, and safe. He doesn’t often get to feel completely secure in that way. Of course, he’s also more than happy to provide her with that security too. Even before their relationship, Peach liked to sit close to Mario; his Firebrand makes his body unnaturally warm, so he’s nice to be close to.
What’s their favorite non-sexual activity:
If not cuddles, then baking! Both of them adore sweets of all kinds. It was one of the things that allowed them to bond so quickly and so closely. Peach is fantastic at baking, and Mario always provides the best feedback to her creations. He can bake, too; he enjoys making his favorite Italian sweets for her. 
Who comes home drunk at 3am:
Well, honestly I can’t fathom a world where either of them would do this. Peach has too much responsibility toward her Kingdom, and Mario likes to be in control of all his faculties. Now, this doesn’t mean the brothers don’t get a little buzzed sometimes; you know how much Italians like their wine. It’s just another way the brothers can relax and have fun in the privacy and safety of their home. So they might invite the Princesses over for a night of board or card games and wine. Just adults being silly, nothing crazy. Mario notably becomes a wonderfully sensitive romantic singer once he’s had some to drink, but he also forgets to speak English when that happens. His entire goal becomes making everyone laugh as much as possible. This is also the sort of scene where Mario and Luigi act out games like ‘The floor is lava,’ ‘Don’t let the balloon touch the floor,’ or they literally pretend they’re in a war zone and one of them ‘dies’ dramatically while the other is like “sometimes I can still hear his voice.”
Who kills the spiders:
Mario will fight anything to protect his Princess. But Peach doesn’t like to kill anything. This means Mario does this weird thing where he tries to intimidate the spider into leaving, reason with it, something, until Peach reminds him that he can just take it outside.
Who falls asleep first:
Mario can literally fall asleep anytime, anywhere. If you leave him idle long enough, just like in the games, he might nod off. Normally, he’s very goal driven, like when he’s trying to rescue Peach. But focusing that long and hard is very tiring. He gets rest when he can, because he doesn’t know when he’ll have to go without it next.
Their relationship summed up in a gif:
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So this is Sheeta and Pazu, from my favorite movie of all time; Castle in the Sky. These two capture Mario and Princess Peach, I think, because of their persistent optimism and hope throughout the film. And their sheer joy! Look at that, they embrace each other with such fervor and relief that they’re safe and that they made it to their goal! Pazu is such a wholesome sweetheart who prioritizes Sheeta’s safety, and does whatever he feels like he can to protect her. Sheeta does the same, albeit in more thoughtful and clever ways. As Pazu put it, “if my head were any harder, you could use it as a cannonball.” That pretty much sums up Mario and his headstrong nature. Sheeta wants the best for everyone, and does not hesitate to put herself in direct harm’s way if it means sparing those who she loves. She gives herself up repeatedly, hoping it would save Pazu. And Pazu, from the moment he saw her, wouldn’t let her go on alone. Their dynamic is very similar to Mario and Peach; they both want to do the right thing, and they can’t do it without each other.
Thanks so much for the ask!!
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yellowroseanddreamstorm · 4 years ago
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Chapter 2: The Rebels
It wasn't long before the liberation of Necromas' territory was underway. The Dawn members acted with great haste, removing workers from the camps and getting them into proper homes, medical treatment, food, whatever they needed and apprehending any of Necromas' remaining forces that were refusing to surrender. It was a slow process but it was something wonderful to see nonetheless.
Especially for The Dawn's leader, Admiral Nari Wong.
Nari smiled as she observed all the activities going on around her, doing her part of making sure everything stayed orderly and provided aid when she could.
I'm just happy we finally got another place liberated. Finally making more dents in the Ecliptic Claw's territory.
"And then, SHINK! The mane came clean off!"
"Whoa…"
Nari turned her attention over to a group of liberated camp workers who were talking over an open fire and meal. More specifically, a young one of the bunch seemed to be telling some kind of story.
"What happened after that?" one of the worker's asked.
"After that, Leonideas declared the territory was no longer Necromas' or the Ecliptic Claw's then just walked off after letting out a huge roar. I don't know how he did that but it was amazing and chilling at the same time."
Nari gave a flat look at the mention of Leonideas' name.
Ah… That explains why the raid worked out so well. Our old lion friend.
Nari sighed, shaking her head.
She didn't hate Leonideas. Far from it. However… he was a little annoying in her eyes... and a pain at times. Mainly in the fact no matter how many times they had tried, he had never sworn allegiance to The Dawn. He was fine with helping them but he didn't want to be affiliated with them. For some reason. He never disclosed why.
Regardless, Leonideas had been a huge help to The Dawn in recent times but Nari couldn't help but be weary about the man. A man who only follows his own motives was something to be cautious about. After all, said motives could possibly one day conflict with theirs.
For now… she was grateful for the time being he was useful to them.
Let's just hope it stays that way.
"Admiral Wong."
Nari looked to the side to see two soldiers approaching her. They gave a salute before speaking again.
"We've received word from King Solleo of Aurorias that Princess Elara is on her way to the planet to provide resources and aid to our cause."
"Ah, perfect. Please keep an eye for her ship then and ensure she arrives here safely. Last thing we need is the Ecliptic Claw getting their hands on her. When she has arrived, please bring her to me right away."
The soliders saluted again.
"Ma'am, yes, Ma'am!"
Nari smiled, nodding.
"You two are dismissed."
Both left without another word, leaving Nari to her work.
A liberated dome and a new source of relief on the way.
Nari chuckled
Today is a good day.
oooooo
The outside world of the domes was a mystery to many. Some wondered if it was just as bad as the insides of the domes or if it was better. No one was really sure… except for those who did roam the outside areas. Be it members of The Dawn… or those hiding in the shadows, going about their services in their own ways. Having goals of their own to tend to.
Unlike popular rumors of those in the domes, the Earth outside was beautiful. Lush vegetation, clean air and skies that at the moment of time were a beautiful gradient of orange and red. As much damage as the Ecliptic Claw had done to the spirits of those who inhabited the Earth, they had in an odd way helped the planet heal from some man made causes.
The young alien hummed to herself as she led a group of Pantherians, young and old in a straight line. Where they were going, they weren't sure but as far they knew, the bug like alien had promised they would be safe. As did her human companion.
Her six legs had a rhythm to them as she continued on, twirling her staff a bit.
"Gotta say, Leonideas really put on a show today, don't ya think Jim?" the alien asked her human companion.
Jim nodded, folding his arms behind his head.
"Oh yeah, never fails to show who's boss. Though…" There was a glint in his eye. "He's gonna be hearing about those claw marks on his back from his medic."
The alien girl brought a hand over her mouth, trying not to laugh too loud before leaning in close to Jim, whispering to him so the Pantherians behind them couldn't hear.
"Are you gonna need a big needle?"
Jim chuckled.
"Maybe, Laika, maybe."
Jim stumbled a bit as a young Pantherian tugged at his arm.
"Mr. Human?" They asked, their tail swishing. "Where are we going?"
Jim gave a gentle look, patting their head, giving a small scratch behind the ears.
"Somewhere where you will all be safe from the Ecliptic Claw and from… not so accepting members of The Dawn."
Laika frowned at this.
"Hate the fact we have to do this with that second factor in mind but… given what's going on right now…"
Jim sighed.
"Yeah, just better to be safe than sorry."
They soon came upon an opening in the ground that had a set of stairs in it. At the bottom of those stairs, was a warp panel.
Jim and Laika turned to the Pantherians.
"This will take you to a hidden base on the moon." Jim explained. "After you pass through this portal, there is no returning to Earth for a while. It is your choice if you wish to stay here or to go."
Jim and Laika stepped aside, waiting to see how the group would respond. It was a moment before Pantherians started to walk up to the warp panel. One by one they disappeared from site. Laika and Jim made note that only a few had decided to not go. They didn't chase them though. Their choice was theirs and they wanted to respect that.
Soon, it was just the two of them… well, so to speak.
Laika looked around before making a chirping noise.
"Here, Kiwi!"
A kiwi bird emerged from a hiding spot, scurrying over to her, making its way onto her shoulder. Laika smiled, nuzzling the bird.
"There you are. Keep the portal nice and safe for us?"
"Chirp!"
"That's my girl."
Jim chuckled, before looking around, making clicking noises with his tongue.
"Abyss! Here kitty!"
It was a minute or so before a black cat with long fluffy fur emerged from its hiding spot, its yellow green eyes glimmering a bit in the dark setting. The cat ran straight up to Jim, nuzzling his legs.
"There's my boy." Jim stroked the cat's fur. "Kept Kiwi out of trouble?"
"Mew!"
"Oh haha." Laika smirked. "More like my Kiwi kept Abyss out of trouble."
"... Point taken." Jim lifted Abyss into his arms. "Regardless, they got each other's backs."
"Just like we have each other's backs."
"Yup… Now, just need to find Xross."
"You rang?"
Laika and Jim looked to the staircase, seeing a young man dressed in clothes with purple glowing designs and a cloak on over it. His purple eyes glinted with mischief as he approached them.
"There's our man of the hour." Jim chuckled, placing a hand on his shoulder once he was close enough. "Holding up alright, Xross?"
"Yeah. Necromas wasn't too bad. Only thing that currently hates me is my back." Xross gave a sheepish look. "Speaking of, think you could…?"
"Let's set up a camp then I'll work on treating ya."
"I'll get the campfire ready!" Laika grinned, hurrying out. "We're gonna feast tonight!"
Jim chuckled.
"She's been going on and on about us having Martian fish soup. Should've seen how excited she got when she was able to buy some Martian fish at the market."
"Ah, I see." Xross grinned. "Well, I look forward to trying it."
"Me too, but first, let's treat that back of yours."
Xross gave a nod, following Jim out of the opening in the ground.
Laika was already busy at work setting up a small fire and a cook pot. She hummed to herself as she got her ingredients together, Kiwi setting up her tools for her.
"Med bed is ready for use." Laika pointed to a bed roll that wasn't too far from her set up. "Do as you please."
"Thank you." Jim nodded, shedding off his back pack. "Alright, Xross, let's see the damage."
Xross nodded, removing his cloak, shirt and chest plate before lying down on the bed roll on his stomach.
"Do your worst, Bro."
Jim smirked, examining Xross' back.
Xross had done a quick patch job with some gauze and tape over the claw marks, both soaked in quite a bit of blood. Jim carefully removed them, getting a better look at the injuries. They weren't deep, thankfully, but there were some minor burns and slight skin irritation.
"Okay, not too bad. A quick disinfectant should do the trick on the burns and irritation. No stitches this time… save maybe for your battle clothes."
"Already fixed them up." Xross closed his eyes, grinning. "Nano sewing bots make clothing repair so easy."
"That they do." Jim smirked, digging into his backpack and pulling out his tools, getting to work. "Though I hope you're not saying that just to make me feel good about my little inventions."
"I'm serious." Xross had a glint in his eyes. "I wouldn't swipe them for no good reason."
"I'd like them back once I'm done with treating you here. My little bots should not be anywhere near battlefields."
"Hey! I kept them safe-"
Jim gave Xross a small poke on one of the claw marks.
"Ow!"
"Says the guy who was near fire and could've gotten mauled by a Pantherian if he wasn't careful."
"I won, didn't I?"
Jim rolled his eyes, finishing up his treatment on Xross' back.
"Next time, just leave the bots with me and I'll patch everything when you get back, okay?"
Xross sighed, shaking his head.
"Alright, alright, fair enough. I know how much you value your babies."
"Yup and done." Jim put his tools away, dusting off his hands.
Xross sat up, quickly slipping his shirt, chest armor and cloak back on.
"Thank you."
"Anytime. Now, you better rest for the day and give those claw marks time to heal."
"Mew!"
Abyss climbed up into Xross' lap, purring loudly.
"And Abyss here is gonna make sure of that."
Xross chuckled, scratching the cat behind his ears.
"Oh, yeah. No on dares defy the cat on lap rule. Besides, a rest sounds great right now. I love helping people as Leonideas but right now, I just wanna be Xross and relax for a bit."
"Sounds good to me." Jim sat down next to him. "We can kick more Ecliptic Claw butts another day."
"Exactly."
They looked over to Laika, seeing she was busy at work, her and Kiwi dancing a bit as they worked around the cookpot.
"Hey, Lai Lai, how long till we feast?" Xross asked.
"Gonna need another hour." She kept her eyes on the pot. "Gotta cook the fish just right to get all the juices and such. It's gonna be good." Her mouth watered. "I haven't had this in years and I hope I can make it just as good as Mama does."
"I'm sure you will." Jim smiled. "If you need any help don't be afraid to ask."
"Thanks but I got this." Laika giggled. "You two relax."
"Very well."
"If you insist."
The three sat in silence. Well, mostly silence, save Laika's humming of Martian songs and Kiwi chirping along with her and Abyss' purring. Xross and Jim got lost in looking up at the sky, counting stars as they started to appear.
"I'm at 299, you?" Xross asked.
"500." Jim smirked. "501… 502…"
"Oh shut it."
Xross focused on trying to count faster, tuning everything else out. His concentration broke however as he saw a light streak across the sky. His eyes widened as he saw it increase in size, the streak making its way down the sky.
"You seeing this?" Xross asked.
"I am." Jim got up.
Abyss hopped out of Xross' lap as he stood up as well. Laika looked to the sky, her eyes wide with wonder.
"A shooting star?" she asked.
"Maybe?" Jim narrowed his eyes. "It's still going too."
The streak soon came to the horizon line, its size indicating it was close to their location. There was a loud boom and shaking as it hit the ground, a flash of light in the distance.
"I… don't think that was a comet." Xross looked upward, noting two other streaks of light in the sky. Spaceship streaks. "... I gotta check it out."
Xross dug into his backpack, pulling out what looked like a headset with lion ears on it. He slipped it on, tapping a button as his lion helmet appeared over his head and face. Without another word, he bolted towards the crash sight.
"H-Hey! Xross!" Jim yelled, chasing after him. "Wait for me!"
Laika stayed where she was, Kiwi and Abyss standing by her sides. She shook her head, focusing on the cookpot again.
"And thus another night for this rag tag team..."
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ask-de-writer · 4 years ago
Text
SEA DRAGON’S GIFT : Part 36 of 83 : World of Sea
Return to the Master Story Index
Return to World of Sea
SEA DRAGON’S GIFT
Part 36 of 83
by
De Writer (Glen Ten-Eyck)
140406 words
copyright 2020
written 2007
All rights reserved.
Reproduction in any form, physical, electronic or digital is prohibited without the express consent of the author.
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Copyright fair use rules for Tumblr users
Users   of Tumblr.com are specifically granted the following rights.  They may   reblog the story provided that all author and copyright information   remains intact.  They may use the characters or original characters in   my settings for fan fiction, fan art works, cosplay, or fan musical   compositions.
All sorts of fan art, cosplay, music or fiction is actively encouraged.
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New to the story?  Read from the beginning.  PART 1 is here
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Chapter 12: Poison
Tanlin saw Kurin’s collapse from across the square.  She got grimly to her feet and went to the Grandalor’s booth.  There she told Barad what she had seen.  In a small group, including two bound prisoners, they went to their boats and returned to the Grandalor.
As soon as she saw Kurin collapse Sula beat the “general quarters” drum call with her hands and was surrounded in moments by her sailors.  Gathering Kurin into her arms, she began issuing orders. “Miklot!  You run to the Longin’s Captain.  Mord is his name. Tell him that Kurin has collapsed, and we are taking her to the Dark Dragon’s sick bay.  Any from the Longin who wish may visit.  Go!”
“Pollet, get a fast boat for us and bring it, now!”
“Narsan! Find Doctor Worran and have her meet us in sick bay.  Move!”  
The sailors moved.  Those with no other orders, formed a human shield, and escorted their Captain and her charge to the waiting boat.  It was a slender six oared shell, and under the power of Sula’s crew, it skimmed across the water like a flying fish, hardly seeming to touch the sea.
At the side of the Dark Dragon, an emergency sling was already waiting. Sula put Kurin into the sling’s stretcher and secured her.  The Captain herself went up the big piece of cargo net slung over the side as a crew ladder, steadying the stretcher until they were on deck.  Doctor Worran directed two crewmen to take the stretcher with Kurin in it to sickbay.
“What happened to the child, Captain?” she asked silently, her flickering fingers taking the place of words.
Replying the same way, Sula signed, “I hope, only fatigue.  She has had a very busy Gathering, with little sleep, due to the foolishness of Captains, myself included.  She looked tired.  We traded jests and she collapsed.  That is what I know.  I fear worse.  I saw that boneless collapse too many times during the wars.  She feels hotter than she should.”
They entered the sick bay and Doctor Worran began to examine Kurin.  Her hands busy with the examination, Doctor Worran spoke softly, “Light fever, lax muscle tone, weak, shallow breathing, poorly coordinated pupillary response.  Exhaustion or not, she is in trouble.  Thank the Dragons that she’s not coughing blood.”
Turning to her aide, she directed, “Tell the duty cook that I want the sweetest fish broth he can make.  Fast.  Also tell off two of the watch to bring buckets of the coldest water we can get, they have to let the buckets sink as deep as the lines allow.  Thank you, Calis.”
Calis was back shortly, with the soup.  She signed, “The galley was making a sweet and sour sea grass soup.  They strained out the sea grass and sweetened it more.  They set a pot aside for us.  The men are sinking buckets, now.”
The Doctor raised Kurin’s head and spooned a little broth into her mouth.  Some dribbled out, but she did swallow.  She was still spooning broth into Kurin when the sailors of the watch showed up. “Ma’am, we brought your water, as ordered,” one said, both hands carrying buckets. Turning to Sula he added, “Captain, there’s a bunch of folk in small boats as wants to come on board.  What shall I tell them?”
Sula signed silently, “Invite them to the deck.  They may come visit only a few at a time.  She is one of their own and important to them. Us, too.  This is Kurin, the Dragon’s Daughter.”
The sailors stared in disbelief.  One signed, “She’s so small.  All that I’ve heard, I thought she’d be — — bigger — — somehow.”
Sula’s fingers flickered, “I felt the same, before I met her.  She has wisdom, intelligence, and skills far beyond her Gatherings.  Now, go and invite our guests aboard.”
Kurin’s fever was not dropping, so the Doctor wrapped her in a blanket soaked in the cold water from the buckets.  Kurin began shivering and tried to pull into a fetal position.
“Good,” said Doctor Worran.  “She is no longer fully lax, but her breathing is still weak.”  Feeling Kurin’s forehead, she added, “Her fever is broken.  She needs more broth, as soon as she is able to swallow.”  She held Kurin close, regardless of the wet blankets, and began spooning in more soup.  At first Kurin was swallowing by reflex only.
“Ugh!” the child whispered, trying to lift a hand to push away the spoon, “It’s too sweet.”
“Kurin, can you open your eyes?” the  Doctor  asked, her voice carefully neutral.
“Sure, I’m just tired and cold.  Mainly tired.  I want to sleep.”
“Just open your eyes and look at me, Kurin.  Have a few bites more of soup, and we will let you sleep as long as you want.”  Her black eyes looked carefully at Kurin’s unevenly wide pupils and unequally tracking eyes.  She nodded to herself grimly.  “Bring me the ray spine extract, now!” she said quietly as an aside to her startled aide, “Then get Captain Mord in here.  I have news that will not wait.”
She added a carefully measured part of the liquid that the aide brought to the soup and spooned it into Kurin’s mouth.  Kurin almost spat it out, but Doctor Worran stopped her with a light yellow hand.  “I know that it’s bitter, but you must have it.  It is a medicine that will help you to rest.”  Kurin pulled a bit of a face, but obediently ate what she was given.  She did fall asleep quickly.
“Get dry blankets and set up a fresh bunk for her.  Then get a crewman to clean up this mess, and caution him to be quiet.”  Doctor Worran turned at the entry of a worried Captain Mord.
“What is the matter with Kurin, Doctor?  I was told by people who saw her collapse that she was exhausted.”  He looked at the wet mess in the sick bay and went on severely, “This does not look like the way that we treat exhaustion.”
With some asperity, Doctor Worran said, “Neither do we.  It is how we treat Ord poisoning.”
“Ord! Those things kill in minutes!  There’s no antidote that I know of,” now he was looking horrified.
“True, Captain, if you are unfortunate enough to be stuck by one.”  She put her head in her hands, and rubbed her forehead, breathing deeply before she went on.  “The poison is much slower if it is eaten in food.  A quick stab of a spine into any of her food or drink would do.  There is no betraying taste and all that the spine leaves to mark its deadly intent, is a small hole, invisible in many common foods.  She could have been poisoned anytime in the last half day. Fortunately, there is an antidote to the poison, if there is time to give it.”
“Did Kurin get it?  I have never heard of it before,” said Mord, plainly upset.
“I have given it to her.  If she is lucky, we were in time.  I had to be sure, before I gave it to her, because the ray spine extract that counters Ord is also a deadly poison but it will release the grip of the Ord toxin on her system.  She is already breathing more easily.” Doctor Worran looked both angry and sad.  “She will have a bad few days, however it goes.  I think that she will live.”
“We are lucky that you had the antidote in your supplies.  We owe you much.  The thanks of the Longin will not be intangible.”
“Luck had little to do with the antidote being in our supplies, Captain,” Sula said.  She had been wisely staying back, out of the way, and letting her crew do their work.  “The Corlis fleet requires every ship to carry it.  Ord was used as a weapon in the Boren Current wars, about ten Gatherings ago.”  Grimly, she added, “I helped to track down the ones responsible and we cast them adrift in small boats, with Ord contaminated supplies from one of the ships that they killed.”
“I see.  Captain Sula, it was generous of you to allow us to come aboard and be near.  Kurin has many friends, both on the Longin and off.”
“Only those from the Longin will be allowed aboard my ship.  Somebody tried to kill her, and may have succeeded,” Sula said, jaw set.  “I will have provisions distributed to your folk who maintain vigil and sleeping quarters will be arranged.  Come to my cabin with me.  We can wait there for news.”  She led the way to her cabin beneath the raised and partially enclosed bridge, near to the bows.
Entering Sula’s cabin, Mord saw that it was decorated with many woven and embroidered hangings.  On the bow-side wall was an embroidered hanging of Dark Iren with his Orca whales about him.  In places framed by the design were three plaques.  Each simply said, in inlaid letters of iridescent shell, “For Meritorious Service To The Corlis fleet” The first had the number nine in it, the second, twelve, and the last had fifteen.  Over the whole design was embroidered, “Dragons grant that we need never suffer another such victory.”
Mord let himself down onto one of Sula’s many cushions.  Already certain, with no evidence, of who was behind Kurin’s poisoning he lapsed into pleasant thoughts and dreams as he waited for news.  He pictured the Grandalor capsizing in a storm.  He thought of them hard on a reef, sinking slowly, with none to help but hungry Strong Skins.
Suddenly, things that Mord had heard clicked together with the tapestry on the wall.  “Wars?  You have fought more than one?” he asked incredulous, shaken at the thought.  He noticed the lace-making cushion and equipment.  The layout had Kurin’s unique stamp.  
Sula seated herself on a nearby cushion and said grimly, “Three of them and, I hope, never another.  We still keep the old combat catapults and a magazine of ship destroying ammunition.
“Since the second war, all Corlis fleet ships are armed for battle.  Dragons please!  Let me live my days without ever needing those weapons again!  I never want to see another ship destroyed.”  She was weeping silently.  “I have killed too many already.”  
TO BE CONTINUED
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elysianrey · 5 years ago
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tell me things you’ve never said out loud
[part 3 of it’s a slow cinnamon summer. read part 1. read part 2]
(a/n: okay...here it is. the final installment of this little series. thanks for joining me on this crazy ride these past few days! i’m not sure when i’ll get another chance to write for fun, but hopefully i will be nipped by the plot bunnies again soon. Anne and Gil finally get a resolution to this tension. And Gilbert is shirtless again... Enjoy!! xoxo Content T+)
Almost a week passed before Anne saw him again. 
It was not so much by choice, at least not to Anne, but rather they were needed for other responsibilities around their respective households. Matthew had caught a late summer cold, which led to Anne tending to his needs, while Marilla cared for little Delphine at the Blythe-Lacroix farm. When Anne wasn’t checking in on Matthew, she was out in the fields with Jerry and his brothers, who offered their aid upon catching word of Matthew’s sickness. The hard labor of weeding out the bad crops or nasty pests allowed Anne to direct her mind onto something other than the single topic it would revolve back to as she laid in her bed each night. Even the exhaustion from the day’s activities was not enough to weary her brain into a dreamless state of sleep which she desperately craved. 
For her dreams were where she slipped back into that sweet moment in the garden, or worse, entered new fantasies so vivid and lifelike, Anne would suddenly awake with a gasp, sweat beading on her forehead and along fair skin. She dared not tell a single soul about any of those dreams.
His lingering presence had intertwined itself so deeply into her being that she knew it was fruitless to try an escape it’s captive grip. Otherwise, she would be denying an integral piece of herself, as terrifying as the thought was to her. 
Marilla woke her before dawn on Saturday morning with the news that she would be baking and cooking most of the day for the church picnic tomorrow. She was quite beside herself because with watching over Delphine the whole week, she had completely forgotten the important event. 
“No worries, Marilla. I will take care of precious Delly today,” Anne reassured her comfortingly, her heart twinging anxiously at the prospect of the boy she was going to inevitably see. She needed to clear the air between them and make things right. 
Marilla let out a grateful sigh, “Oh bless you, Anne. For all that you have done the past days,” she replied, her arms drawing the girl into a hug. “Now off you go to get dressed. Bash mentioned that he and Gilbert were going to be up early to start pruning some of the apple trees in the orchard.”
Anne nodded, a suppressed smile on her lips as she turned on her heel to dress herself, which did not go unnoticed by Marilla. 
“Make sure Gilbert does not to overwork himself,” she called from the kitchen below as Anne hurriedly traipsed up the stairs.
“Will do!”
+++++
Anne gave the door of the Blythe-Lacroix home a gentle knock and waited patiently for an answer, rather hoping it would be a sleepy-eyed, dark-haired boy. Instead she was received by a groggy-looking Bash, who held a cup of steaming hot coffee in one hand and a fussy baby in the other. 
“Good morning, Anne,” he greeted, motioning for her to enter, and pushing the door shut behind them with his shoulder. “It’s nice of you to come.” His attention turned toward the squirming bundle in the crook of his arm. “Shhhhh--there, there Delly. Papa will be back for you soon. Your auntie Anne is here to spend some time with you now,” he cooed, rocking her softly and taking a sip of his coffee.
The redhead couldn’t contain the fond smile that broke over face at the endearing title Bash had dubbed after the countless days she had spent with them upon Mary’s passing and the consuming grief that latched on to Sebastian’s being. Although he was not quite the person she remembered before his beloved returned to her heavenly home in the sky, he was beginning to finally settle into a different type of normal. 
Anne stretched out her arms to take the baby, and Bash handed her off. “It is always a treat to spend time with this princess of yours,” she remarked lovingly, looking at Delphine with a sense of delight. 
She followed Bash into the kitchen, holding the infant on her hip, and observing him as he set his cup down carefully. “Blythe is out in the orchard already, crazy fool,” he chuckled with a shake of his head. Anne tried her best to keep her face of coolness upon the comment. 
“I’ll tell you Anne, the boy has been working himself to the bone lately. Can’t help but think something’s troubling him, but he dodges giving me a proper answer anytime I ask him about it. You wouldn’t happen to know what’s gotten him quieter than a church mouse, would you?”
A fresh wave of guilt overcame her as she bit down on her lip. “Uhhh...no...no clue,” she stuttered quickly, cursing herself for the unconvincing reply. She turned to begin making a warm bottle for Delphine as she searched for something more believable to add. “Maybe he’s worried about Queen’s?” she offered, picking up a glass bottle with one hand and setting it on the table. “I know I am.” This was true. It was a matter of weeks before Marilla and Matthew would be dropping her off at the school in Charlottetown and the remembrance of this fact made her heart ache in melancholy. 
Several beats of silence passed between them before she glanced over at him. “Hmm…’suppose you could have a point,” was all he said, his eyes wearing an expression of curiosity and his tone full of doubt. Anne had a feeling he could see straight through her deceit. “Well I best be going out to the orchard. We’ll be coming in later for some lunch. See you my Delly Welly!”
“Say ‘Bye Papa’,” she replied with a grin, holding up Delphine’s hand in a waving motion. Bash returned the wave with one of his own and then turned around to exit through the back door, Anne’s nerves rattling almost as loudly as the darn thing when he shut it closed. 
She sighed a breath of relief, turning back to finish her job with the baby’s bottle. His words had not been of a comfort to her in the slightest. The fault for Gilbert’s reserved behavior was entirely her doing, and to think, it could have been avoided altogether if she was not such a dunce when romantic feelings were involved. For an individual who spent a majority of her lifetime envisioning love and devising hundreds of stories filled with romantic dialogue and gestures, Anne Shirley-Cuthbert’s naivety toward navigating it in real-life was mystifying. 
The redhead spent the rest of the morning, reading stories, singing songs, and watching Delphine crawl around the house, constantly having to keep an eye on her since the little girl had a tendency to put everything she found in her mouth. By the time the afternoon rolled around, the baby seemed to have worn herself out, and Anne sighed in contentment when she fell fast asleep in her basket. 
Anne leaned her head on the wooden bench next to the baby’s basket and closed her eyes, intending only to keep them shut for a brief moment. Working in the field the day before and waking up early that morning had taken a toll on her. Not to mention the restless fits of sleep she experienced every night since Josie’s party. She would only rest for a few minutes longer…
+++++
When she awoke, the first thing she noticed was Delphine was gone. Anne jolted upright, her eyes scanning the floor around her, assuming she must have crawled right out of her basket. How long had she slept for? Muttering curses at herself under her breath, she pulled herself off the ground, smoothing down her dress as she went, and startled in a surprise at the person who sat before her. 
“Gilbert,” Anne breathed in greeting, her heart quickening its pace, then dropping down to her stomach when she fully took in his appearance. His muscular, tanned, and very sweaty, exposed chest was on display for her to gawk at from where she stood. He glanced up from where he was eating, and she averted her gaze down to her hands, which she was wringing together desperately in an attempt to regain her composure. 
“Anne,” she heard him say in acknowledgement, the sound of his voice like a cold glass of water on a dry day to her parched ears. 
She risked a glance back at him, his eyes still very much glued to her. “Delphine--I was looking for--” Anne started, suddenly recalling the missing infant.
Gilbert cut in before she could finish. “Bash took her out for a walk in the orchard. He told me he thought that you could use the break.” 
“Oh well that was kind of him, but hardly necessary,” she stammered, her face surely an unattractive shade of dark red. Gilbert took another bite of his food, leaving her to continue standing awkwardly across from him. 
Did he have no sense of decency? Of course it was boiling hot outside, but surely that did not mean he could not put his shirt back on when inside of the house. Especially with her being in the same room as him.
“Anne, you’ve been asleep for at least an hour. Bash and I needed the break. It’s hot enough to cause a heat stroke if you’re out there for too long today,” he informed her indifferently, going back to his food again and finally looking away from her. 
The girl chewed restlessly on her lower lip, the words that had been building up since the night of Josie’s party threatening to burst out of her at any second. “Gilbert I wanted---” she tried helplessly, her thought catching in her throat. His dark brown eyes lifted from his plate, a guarded expression to them. She had enough.
“I’m sorry. It was wrong of me to leave you without saying a thing about what happened that night. You have every right to be mad and hurt at me. In fact, I almost wish you would yell at me right now because I truly deserve it. You are a good person who is worthy of someone far more sophisticated and beautiful and coherent than me. I am no more than an intoxicated fool who assumed she had some right to kiss you and touch you,” Anne’s voice trembling with unabashed honesty for once, laying herself bare for him to see. “I miss you. Your companionship and wisdom. Your kindness and patience. For I know I can be as stubborn as a mule and hot-headed with my temper and brash with my words--”
“Anne,” Gilbert broke in before she could finish her lament of her worst features, which slightly annoyed her since she wasn’t done listing all of the reasons why he should be cross with her. He rose from his seat and walked toward her, leaning back against the edge of the table so they were only feet apart. Waiting nervously for him to speak, she chanced a glance down at the freckle on his chest, directly beneath his collarbone.
“I was hurt,” he admitted quietly. “You drive me mad sometimes, Anne Shirley-Cuthbert.” His tone raised slightly and the copper-headed girl braced herself for his assault. This is what she deserved and she would take every insult he threw with acceptance. 
“But you Anne--you are the most sophisticated, beautiful, and coherent person that I know.” She could have sworn her heart stopped beating in her chest when she heard him utter those words instead. “You have been all of those things, and so much more, since the first day I met you,” he confessed reverently.  
His fingers reached out to rest cautiously on her chin and she lifted her head to look at him once more. This time, daring herself to hope again. She could see the softness returning to his face as she lost herself in the affectionate glow of his eyes. Her flesh erupted in goosebumps as his knuckles trailed up and down her cheek in a gentle rhythm, just like they had after she kissed him. 
 “I--I think I’m desperately in love with you Gil,” Anne gushed so openly that she almost smacked her hand over her mouth in shock. Perhaps he would run for the hills now after hearing such a bold declaration.
To her dismay, a low chuckle bellowed from Gilbert’s chest, then he was laughing to the point of hysterics, tears streaming from the corners of his eyes and running down his cheeks. Anne didn’t know whether to feel offended or content that this is how he chose to respond to her admission of love. “Are you sure you’re not the one who is drunk this time?” she mirthfully questioned, swatting him lightly on the arm. 
He regained his composure, pulling her into a close embrace as he grinned down at her, his cheeks dimpling and eyes crinkling in happiness. “Anne-girl, there has been no one for me, but you. The moment you broke that slate across my head, I was a gone man. Never would I have dreamed that you would ever--” 
Anne pressed her lips against his, silencing him, for she had heard everything that she already knew to be true deep down. Kissing him in his kitchen, the sun beating down heavily through the window, his hands steadying her, his heartbeat echoing her own, was everything she had ever wanted. She brought her fingers up into his unruly hair, this time feeling damp from sweat, but she could hardly care. His lips broke from hers and started trailing along her cheek then jaw then neck, leaving a searing mark on each inch of skin as he went. 
“Gilbert,” she sighed, her brain a blur of euphoria. She could feel his smile in the crook of her neck as he pressed another kiss to a freckle he was quite intent on appreciating. 
“Oi Blythe! Shirley!” The teenagers broke apart so rapidly Gilbert nearly toppled over the table. “What are you thinking, setting an example like this, in front of your poor niece,” Bash exclaimed loudly, bouncing the baby in his arms. “Don’t worry Delly, your papa will protect you from these two heathens,” he teased mercilessly, covering Delphine’s eyes.
Anne and Gilbert both released laughs of pent up awkwardness from the unexpected guest and gave each other timid looks.
“Next time, put a shirt on Blythe,” Bash declared, tossing him the one long forgotten from on the table. Gilbert accepted the item and pulled it over his head as Bash left the room, shaking his own head and smirking to himself.
+++++
Gilbert took the opportunity to walk her back to Green Gables after dinner, her hand fitting securely into the crook of his arm. Her head rested lightly against his shoulder. The pair chatted amiably about the events that had unfolded during the week. She recited a new poem she had learned for Matthew, and Gilbert gave her a sidelong look of wonder like he couldn’t quite believe that she was real. 
When they got to the gate in front of Green Gables, Anne was mournful to depart from him, despite knowing that they would be reunited tomorrow at the church picnic. 
“So---that tragical romance you mentioned back at Mary and Bash’s wedding...,” Gilbert started unexpectedly, his gaze intent on her from across the fence. 
“No longer remains to be seen,” Anne finished, reaching to stroke his cheek comfortingly. 
Gilbert let out a sigh of relief and ducked to steal another kiss from her before Marilla called out from the front door. “Anne! Is that you?”
They both laughed quietly at the older woman’s outburst. “I guess that’s my cue,” the girl lamented, taking his hand in hers, not quite accepting the events that conspired today were real.
“Goodnight my Anne-girl.” Gilbert gave her hand a squeeze, and let her go, backing up slowly, his eyes remaining on her as he went. Anne watched him blissfully until she heard Marilla call her name again. 
She spun around merrily and skipped to the house, her heart soaring with the knowledge that she was loved very dearly by Gilbert Blythe.
tagging: @hecksinki, @blarkeshirbert, @autummn-leaves, @ewolfwitchwisegirl, @leadingmehome, @melanneniel, @youcalledusremember, @neliel-deathberry, @blackxones BECAUSE YOU GUYS ARE THE BEST <3 <3
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football15-7fics · 4 years ago
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Little Princess - Chapter 11
June 24, 2017
After having a medical stay at the clinic for three days, Adrianna was finally allowed to return home.  The doctor had signed her medical release form in the morning, but she still had to be cautious about her health and the baby.  She was prescribed some pain relievers for her painful hand and arm, and tons of pregnancy supplements that should be taken on a strictly daily basis. Now that she decided to get the baby, her lifestyle would change drastically, as well her food habits, physical activities should get monitored as well.  Adrianna agreed to follow her doctor's advice carefully.
Despite of the fact she had her medical stay at Dortmund's best private clinic with all of the VIP treatment, Adrianna couldn't wait to get back home. Her dad being off the city due to another business commitment, her mother Ericka and Claire would come to pick her at the clinic. The nurse had Adrianna's stuff already packed in her bags.  These have been so nice to her during her stay, Adrianna couldn't complain at all.  The medical staff of the clinic was known for its efficiency and the wellbeing of their patients were their top priority. The patients had a meal menu card of their choice, as the clinic had a four star cooking chef.  With all of that luxury, the clinic had more the aspect of a hotel which seemed to be well appreciated by the richest Dortmund's people.
During her hospital day, her phone had been her dearest companion.  It allowed her to keep in touch with her friends, family, the boys and her fans. As the daughter of Philip Braün, Adrianna was a nice aim for the local press.   As they spread the news that she was implicated in a car accident, Adrianna received comfort and support from her fans on Instagram.   Pictures of her wrecked Porsche SUV looked terrible, questioning herself many times how did she survived this. Mats has called her since the moment he found out about the accident, he promised he would come to pay her a visit. BVB'S boys had her phone buzzing with tons of messages and comments via her Instagram.  Their sweet words made her melt with happiness, she just couldn't wait to see each of them.
Sitting on the bed, her phone in hands, she had called her mom for the tenth time as she was supposed to come at one in the afternoon and the clock was showing half past one. "Come on, well the hell are you mom!" She grumbled.  Impatience was starting to get on her.
"Hello baby…" Claire erupted in the bedroom, exuberant with joy, as her mom followed behind.
"Hey… oh gosh where have you been, I Was getting worried!" Adrianna sighed with relief, her lips curved with a gorgeous smile.
"Aww boo, I'm sorry, my phone battery died… you feeling good?" Ericka bent over to kiss her daughter's forehead.
"My wrist is still in pain and I feel tired, but I'm okay, can we leave already?" Adrianna made her puppy eyes that none of her parents could refuse anything.
"Yes love, I just need to get the medical bills paid and we can go!" Her mom said as she looked up for her wallet in her black Chanel bag but didn't find it to her bad surprise.
"Damn, I can't find my wallet, I think it's in the car, I'll get it then head to the billing office!"
"Wait, I'll get it for you, just hand me the car key, then you head the billing office because this procedure takes ages!"
"Alright, here is the key, and I won't be long Adri, just hold on for a few minutes and you'll be home!" Ericka smiled as she and Claire left Adrianna on her own again!
"Really, thank you for leaving me alone!" Adrianna pouted with a childish face expression.
"Thank you very much!" Adrianna shouted in annoyance.
"Thank you for what?" A familiar voice to Adrianna echoed in the room, she could recognize his voice anytime and anywhere.
"Roman…" She screamed with excitement as she threw herself in his arms for their friendly hug.  He had her so tight against his chest.
"Hey baby, you okay?" He asked caressing her hair.
"Now yes!"
"I brought a friend, he really wants to see you!"
"Who?" Adrianna asked curiously until her voice cut off.
"Hey Adrianna!" She recognized Jadon's sweet voice which made her smile.
"Jadon, what a surprise!" She shook her head.
"I have wanted to see you at the moment I knew you had your car accident!"
"Aww yes, did you!"
"Yeah, but I thought you might need some rest first, and I'm really sorry about what happened to you!" Jadon spoke with the sweetest voice ever.  Adrianna could feel all of his honesty through his brown eyes and his voice.
"Thank you Jadon, really thank you, you are being too nice!"
"You deserve it!" He smiled, his eyes never went off Adrianna.
"So, are you free to go home?" Roman asked.
"Yeah, mom and Claire are paying the bills, and I should be okay and free to go!"
"Great, well Jadon and I are heading off to Brackel, the Champions League game is on Tuesday and we're fucking stressed to play against Madrid, gonna be a tough one!"
"Oh gosh, is it on next Tuesday? Shit I totally forgot about it!" Adrianna exclaimed foolishly.
"It's okay, after what happened it's alright to forget some memories!" Roman tried to reassure his friend, his hands on Adrianna's shoulder.  Unknowingly, Jadon witnessed that friendly moment of theirs, but was fuming inside.  He just hated the idea that other men had the right to touch her. He tried to maintain his coolness by checking his phone notifications.
"Really, no way, but anyway, I'll come to the stadium, not a few scratches and a painful wrist won't make me stay home, I'll come!"
"I wouldn't advise it, you need rest, but that's my point of view, you decide!" Jadon introduced in between Roman and Adrianna conversation.
"I do feel good Jadon, but thanks!"
"Bae, I think I'll agree with Jadon on this one, you still need plenty of rest, and a stadium to the fullest won't be of any help!"
"No, I'll go to the stadium, even with a fever I'd come!!!" Adrianna bragged herself, shrugging her shoulders.
"Damn, you way too much stubborn Adri!" Roman gave in, earning a laugh from Jadon.
"Blah blah blah!" Was her response to Roman.
"Miss Adrianna Braün?" A nurse invited herself to the conversation.  She had several pills boxes in a white tissue bag with the Clinic symbol printed on it.
"Yes…" Adrianna answered politely.
"So here are your medicines, the painkillers, iron tabs and the pregnancy supplements, make sure to take them, and read the prescription please!"
Adrianna remained mouth opened, she felt a cold running down her spine.  The word pregnant had her to feel the creeps. She stared at Roman with big eyes, sending him a message to get help from him on this one, then stared back at Jadon then back again to the nurse.  Jadon looked extremely confused, his eyes never ceased blinking. The tension grew to its peak, Adrianna felt she was losing her own shits.
"Oh, eum, there must be a mistake with the prescription, I'm not pregnant!" Adrianna smiled idiotically.
"Euhm, but it's written down here Miss, read and signed by your doctor!" The nurses looked carefully again at the prescription.
"Are you insinuating that I'm lying Madam?" Adrianna fumed aggressively at the nurse.
"No, no, I'm just reading what's written down…"
"I don't give a shit what's written on that damn paper, do you need me to have a pregnancy test just to prove I'm not pregnant!" Adrianna was totally yelling.
"Miss, please calm down, please, I'll ask your doctor again, maybe there is a mistake, someone will come to you shortly!" The nurse's hands were shaking with fear, her face turned pale, a completely astounded left the bedroom with tears down.
"Wooow, you went hard on the nurse, she is just doing her job!" Jadon exclaimed eagerly, with awkward eyes staring at Adrianna.
"Well, she is not doing her job that well I guess!"
"It's a… it's a mistake, and mistakes do happen, remember that!" Jadon said as he left the bedroom with unhappy feelings.
Adrianna could breathe again, the heaviness on her chest eased off, but left with mixed feelings.  She did feel so bad for the manner she had spoken to the nurse being conscious she was so wrong.
"My godness Adrianna, what was that?" A puzzled Roman asked.  "That was fucking close, fucking close!" He insisted on the two last words, blinking his eyes constantly.
"Gosh… fuck!" Adrianna said, shaking her head.
"Oh yes fuck Adri, do you realise what just happened here?!" Roman asked straight.
"Yes, I'm not that dumb, I realize it's uneasy for you!"
"Do you, really, do you!!!! When the fuck are you going to tell Jadon he is the father of that baby!" He said straightly pointing his finger to her belly.
"I don't know!" She yelled, raising her voice.
"Adrianna, listen to me, I don't want you to get sick with all this stress going around you,   but, Jadon is young but far from stupid, hiding your pregnancy forever is never going to work, your bump will get bigger, and he will know, today was a reminded, have you seen his face expression when the nurse told about your pregnancy supplements?"
"I know!"
"He should know, he's still so young but he's a great guy, try to get to know him better, spend some time together, it's not like you're gonna get married, you must tell him before it's too late!"
"What do you mean by too late?"
"He likes you, a lot, you better tell him he's going to be dad while he's still liking you, instead of telling him when he'll found out by himself and hate you for good, think on it and quick because time is running out, excuse me but I have to go now, take care of you!" Roman kissed Adrianna's forehead and immediately walked away from his friend.
"But I'm too scared to do this on my own, I'm so afraid to go through this again!!" Adrianna mumbled under her breath, swiping off the tears with her finger, flowing from her eyes.
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morpekoed · 5 years ago
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daily hc of the day: imma honestly @spkemuth here cause reading that answer got me in a mood. sorry but not sorry, thnx.
marns is more motivated than her brother in some aspects, but it’s most likely cause she needs to constantly be moving & active. otherwise she begins to worry & otherthink. you will absolutely catch her cooking food for the two of them when she’s home. she constantly cleans up the house. & you bet that she will make sure that her brother is doing something productive -- at the very least she’ll ask him to take his mind off things. if he isn’t then sometimes she asks him to play some games with her. she’s a very responsible child & teenager whos matured a lot faster than others & she knows several techniques to get the ball rolling on self-help. but she won’t put up with her brother sometimes. she doesn’t like to take no for an answer.
yes, marnie will give piers the silent treatment as a way to get him to listen at times. its not always the case as sometimes things happen -- he’s allowed to have his moments. but when his moments are harming his health, you know she’s annoyed cause she doesn’t say anything else after the first attempt. just a single stare before she pretends to not listen to him & pretends to not do what he’s told her. it is tell-all that something is up. 
she doesn’t like that her brother does that to himself, she doesn’t like giving him the silent treatment, but it’s an old habit that isn’t dying anytime soon. sometimes it works. he straightens up for her just a bit. he is getting better, she can see it. its just that there are times when she genuinely feels like when he’s seems to be getting better, he manages to put himself back again & she hates that she can’t do anything else to help ( she just doesn’t know what else to do ). 
when she’s not giving him that treatment though, she really does try to get him to do stuff. she does genuinely worry despite not being able to express herself well. he knows she’s worried & that she has her own way of expressing that worry. & thats the only thing that should matter. is that she’s trying.
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homenum-revelio-hq · 5 years ago
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Welcome (again) to the Order of the Phoenix, Gabe!
You have been accepted for the role of non-biography character CORA CHITTOCK with the faceclaim of Hunter Schafer! We were thrilled to see a veela character in a non-fanon way and can’t wait to see what you bring to the veela lore! We are so excited to see what you do with Cora! 
Please take a look at the new member checklist and send in your account within 24 hours! Thank you for joining the fight against Voldemort!
OUT OF CHARACTER:
NAME: Gabe
AGE: Still 22!
TIMEZONE: GMT-3
ACTIVITY LEVEL: Pretty solid, eh? I always go missing in the weekends because it’s Official Socializing Time, but then I make up for it during the week, mostly
ANYTHING ELSE: Nope!
CHARACTER DETAILS:
NAME: Cora Chittock
BLOOD STATUS: Half-Blood/Half-Breed (Veela)
AGE: 18
GENDER, PRONOUNS, and SEXUALITY: Trans girl, she/her/hers, lesbian. She can’t imagine her transition is anyone’s business, so I wouldn’t think that is something she’ll talk about at all these days, but her sexuality is definitely public knowledge, as she makes it her mission to make it obvious whenever the opportunity for it presents itself. She’s heard it too many times before that her interest in women is simply another cheap tactic to rebel against veela expectations, and she likes to assure everyone that nope, the 12-year-old knew what she was talking about, and she’s still very much gay.
HOUSE ALUMNI: Slytherin
ANY CHANGES: I wrote this myself, so nope!
CHARACTER BACKGROUND:
PERSONALITY:
Cora is an avocado – soft on the outside, hard on the inside. Some may argue – and she would argue with those some – that she doesn’t even have a soft exterior at all. Nothing is what it seems with her. There was no hesitance from the Sorting Hat when it sent her straight into Slytherin, its booming voice making the announcement as soon as it touched the first strand of hair on her head, much to her sister’s dismay.
        Being a veela wasn’t something she was conscious of until somewhere around third year. Or, at least, it wasn’t something that bothered her before that. It wasn’t hard to fit in right from the first day at Hogwarts, life was easy to navigate as an eleven-year-old that almost everyone feels inclined to like; Cora used to love the attention. She had many friends, teachers liked her, there was nothing to complain about! That’s what most people think about veela, anyway, and it might be true for a while, but only until you’re no longer a child. People’s intentions change. Her classmates’ friendly smiles and high-fives became inappropriate remarks and catcalls down the hallway. She went from Good Friend to Object of Desire in what felt like the blink of an eye and she despised it.
And no one cared, she quickly learned, about the veela complaining about getting too much attention, being too liked. It’s like complaining you have too much food to eat, or a bed too comfortable to sleep in! At least it’s how everyone saw it. Even her family refused to acknowledge the issue. Get used to it, they’d say. Welcome to the real world!
Cora isn’t one to sit idly by while someone has to deal with any sort of abuse – not herself, not anyone else. She learned quickly that no one else seemed to care about her fight, but she wasn’t gonna fight any less because of it. She just had to become her own fortress.
Her charisma and charm are still there, but now, every time she smiles, she’s baring her teeth. Every flip of hair is weaponized, every bat of eyelashes is a threat. She learned how to defend herself before anyone had a chance to do something more than hide behind catcalls and love letters. There are several expectations when it comes to veela, and she’s willing to break every single one of them, if she can. She’s still friendly and flirty when she wants to be, but she’s loud. Self-assertive to the point of brashiness, energetic and sarcastic, with the mouth of a sailor and a tongue sharp enough to kill. Every bit of her is a quiet armor, the pieces carefully collected and glued together over the years, though she still sees everything with unbeatable humor. Her skin is as soft as her edges are sharp and she’ll always throw the first punch. She refuses to be the fragile little fairy-thing made to cater to the fetishizing ideal of acceptable half-breed, and she won’t apologize for it.
She still keeps her fair deal of friends around, even though nowadays she prefers those who don’t seem to react to her much. Her defenses are up so high that it’s become a problem – maybe she has thrown a couple fireballs at one or two innocent people who she thought were following her, yes, can you blame the girl? –, but she’s pleasant company when she’s not climbing up on any tables and delivering speeches about half-breed rights that no one wants to hear.
BRIEF OVERVIEW OF FAMILY:
The Chittock sisters never really met their mother. It’s a complicated story, really – at least that’s what Cora heard all her life. Their father, an eccentric wizard devastated by the loss of his beloved veela companion, never told his daughters what really happened. When they were little, he would tell them these crazy fantastic stories of how their mother was and why she had to leave, but that only lasted a couple of years, until the girls grew up and realized these were products of his mind. And terribly inconsistent stories, at that.
He’s not crazy, Cora would say, but he’s, perhaps, not the most sane man she’s ever laid her eyes upon, sure. He’s a conspiracist and a bit of a nutcase, but he has a heart bigger than his body, and that’s how he raised his daughters to be. He loves them more than anything, and they know it.
Cora has a good relationship with her family, through and through. She loves her sister, even if they pick fights with each other sometimes, and she loves her dad even if he insists on cooking and burning the dinner every single night. They’re not too supportive of her feisty ways, and they would surely lose all the hairs on their head if they knew about her finding her way into the Order, but she’s not planning on telling.
Despite the absent mother and the lack of explanation that comes with it, the girl has never felt like anything was missing from her family. In fact, before she was even a teenager she’d already stopped asking questions about her mom’s fate, knowing it would only sadden her father and get her some nonsense response in return. Her family’s not a big one, but it’s perfect, as far as she knows. They’re as good of a support system as any, she thinks.
OCCUPATION:
Cora works at Eeylops Owl Emporium, at Diagon Alley. It wouldn’t be hard to get any sort of part-time job with the Veela charm turned all the way up, and while Glenda chose a much more artistic path with her own show, Cora decided she didn’t want all of that attention. No, instead, as soon as she was out of school, she marched right up to her favorite shop in Diagon Alley, and sweet talked until they gave her a position in there. It’s her dream job, for the moment, even if it pays terribly. Her family is quite wealthy and she doesn’t plan on moving out immediately, so it’s not like she needs piles of money. Here, she gets to hang out with the pretty little birds for most of her day, and it’s incredibly soothing. She thinks it might be the Veela bird-like tendencies that make her feel so comforted to be surrounded by the little winged animals, but she won’t question it. The owls keep her calm, and they seem happy to have her around, and she gets to help little eleven-year-olds to pick new friends. It’s a pretty fun job.
ROLE WITHIN THE ORDER/THOUGHTS ABOUT THE ORDER:
Cora still feels a little out of place in the order, but only because she’s new and hasn’t quite figured out who she can trust yet. She remembers some of these faces from school, but back then she’d been so busy perfecting her skills and learning defenses and dodging creeps that she would rather forget that time entirely, start fresh. The tiny self-conscious part of her worries she might be too brash for the crowd her age and too young for the older people, and that she’ll float somewhere in between, but she’s willing to make her presence known either way. She believes in their fight. She also, perhaps selfishly, believes she can have more of a voice if she has a group like this to back her up, and maybe she can convince them to join some rallies for half-breed and veela rights, while she’s at it. She certainly has been trying to make that happen for a while now. Cora sees the war for how heavy it is, and she knows how easily the tides could change against her, as a half-breed. As much as she vowed to fight her own battles, now she seeks protection, too. She knows no one is gonna survive on their own and if she can do something to help this end quicker, then it’s her duty to do so.
SURVIVAL:
Cora still lives with her family, and doesn’t plan on changing that anytime soon. Her father may be a nutcase, but their little hut in the middle of nowhere might also be the safest place she knows. She doesn’t know what it is about it that makes it feel so secure, but it does, at least for them (he told her once that her mother had enchanted it before she left, but he also said a number of ridiculous things, so she doesn’t believe it). She’s easily overlooked when it comes to this war. She’s a half-breed, but an acceptable one, one that society may praise from time to time, when it fits them. It’s just her and Glenda’s luck. Most people don’t seem to care about what the half-Veela are up to, and the rest who do, only care because they feel enchanted by them, so it’s mostly a win-win when it comes to hiding.
RELATIONSHIPS:
Cora doesn’t do relationships all that much. She’s never had a romantic relationship with anyone, nothing that ever went beyond some meaningless fooling around – even though there was and still is a lot of that. She likes the affection, she craves a human connection like that, but she doesn’t feel like she can have it until she learns to reel in all of her Veela charm. She’s still too young, too insecure. Even if she’s learned to keep most of her unwanted charm in, nowadays, she knows some people can still be affected. And how can she trust their affection, then? How can she know if the pretty girl who wants to date her won’t lose all of her interest suddenly, the day Cora learns to control her abilities better? She can’t. The line is blurry between someone loving you for the energy you put out, loving how you make them feel, or really loving you for who you are. She’s not willing to take any risks.
For that reason, she’s been known to still deliberately use her charisma here and there to get what she wants, but she tries to keep close to people who aren’t affected by her blood status at all. At least, those, she knows she can trust. Some specifics:
REGULUS BLACK: It’s not like they’re childhood friends or anything, but Cora might risk saying they were the closest friend she had in Hogwarts. It was a confusing, chaotic time back then, and when people started reacting differently to her, she found comfort in Regulus’ blatant indifference. She’s not fully convinced they even like her at all, as a friend or general company, but she still likes to hang out with them when she can.
DORCAS MEADOWES: They met because of Cora’s brief panic in fifth year, when a poor, sweet boy asked to be her date on a trip to Hogsmeade and she was too tired to be mean or blunt, as she usually was. Dorcas happened to be walking by, and Cora took the opportunity to grab her hand and yank her over before declaring she couldn’t accept the invitation, as she’d be going with this Hufflepuff, instead. She paid Dorcas back for any inconvenience by buying her some Pepper Imp on the trip, and she still occasionally helps distract her from her job nowadays, by visiting Flourish and Blotts and bringing candy.
OOC EXPLORATION:
SHIPS/ANTI-SHIPS: Cora/women is what I ship and Cora/dudes is the anti-ship, that’s pretty much it. Let my lesbian daughter thrive.
WHAT PRIVILEGES AND BIASES DOES YOUR CHARACTER HAVE?
Cora’s fatal flaw when it comes to biases is probably the fact that she wants to be an advocate for half-breed rights, but the truth is that she has no idea what that even means. She might wave that flag around and call people out, and she may get mad if anyone trashtalks any type of half-breed around her, but has she ever stopped to listen to another half-breed? Absolutely not.
Her concerns are very personal and Veela-focused, she doesn’t know what the other species are going through in the current society, and certainly not in this war, either. She wants to help everyone, genuinely, but she’s too caught up in the stuff Veela have to go through. They’re a particular type of half-breed, the model minority type, they are the ones who get invited to parties and get to escape from the general population’s scrutiny. On the other hand, they’re also victims to a lot of abuse and prejudice, and that’s the battle she’s (wrongly) focusing on. She says her fight is for all of the half-breeds because she knows her voice will have more of a reach that way, and she genuinely thinks it’s the right thing to do, to try and help others.
That being said, she is still a pretty sheltered half-Veela girl who lives a good, wealthy life, she’s never even seen many of the half-breeds she claims to be trying to help. She’d still be wary of a half-giant, and twist her nose at a half-goblin’s appearance.
Almost the same goes for her view of muggleborns, too. Circumstantially, the majority of her friends – and fellow housemates, back in her Hogwarts years – are purebloods or half-bloods, which means she hasn’t really ever heard from the muggleborns what they go through, and what they want. She’s angry, and loud, and she wants to be an activist for everyone, but she isn’t great at studying her causes.
WHAT ARE YOU MOST LOOKING FORWARD TO?
Absolutely NOTHING, I’ve heard this place is horrible!!! Yuck!!!! Delete my number!!!!! No but on a serious note, I’m dying to explore all of the Veela world and create a sensible, more inclusive lore for it (suck it, JKR). And this character is one that I’ve had in mind for months now, in sort of an abstract form, living somewhere in my brain in the room of Characters That Already Have a Voice But No Background Or Story. So I’m looking forward to finally flesh it out and write her!
PLOT DROP IDEAS:
I’m terrible at these BUT I’d be down for the Order wanting to use her Veela charm for something, like use her as bait or a distraction, because she would probably hate the idea of doing that and i’d love to watch her get pissy.
Also any opportunity to get her to use the fire hands, obviously, that’d be amazing.
ANYTHING ELSE?
A Headcanon:
Not really into sports at all but tried to get into the Slytherin Quidditch team out of sheer spite because everyone kept saying Veela were only good for mascots, not for playing. She almost made it in as a Beater, which she’ll deem good enough to prove people wrong as long as she doesn’t have to ever do that again. Yes, she’s still bitter about it.
EXTRA FOR NON-BIO CHARACTERS:
PAST:
Cora Chittock grew up to be pretty alright, all things considered. Despite her absent mother, her father and sister were all the family she needed, and she lived a sheltered life until she entered Hogwarts. There was where she discovered what being half-Veela really meant – and how she would have to try her best to repress that part of herself, if she wanted to stay safe. As a good Slytherin, of course, it was bite or get bitten. The charm and charisma that she flaunted as a child quickly turned into unwanted attention from her peers the second that hormones came into play. Everyone thought she was spoiled to complain, a rebel without a cause, but they didn’t know what it was like, to receive all these looks from people she had no interest in, people she didn’t like. She had all the attention she could possibly want, but loneliness still stung. Learning to be part Veela was learning to handle the harassment that came with it, and that was a hard lesson to learn.
PRESENT:
School had been hell for Cora, but now she’s finally found her footing. She worked hard to perfect her abilities to the point where her Veela charm is mostly controlled nowadays, and it makes her feel more confident than ever; she knows when she can, and should, display it around freely. That doesn’t mean all the past years haven’t left a bitter taste in her mouth. Now that she graduated Hogwarts, she wants to make sure people understand and listen to her side of things, too. Her people are still harassed every day, she’s not letting anyone forget that. These days, she can easily be found trying to organize marches and protests for half-breed rights, even if most of them fall through. She snuck her way into the Order as soon as she heard rumours of a resistance group existing at all, and she’s ready to give everything to fight this war. She believes in the group, she trusts her peers and she’s got her combat boots laced up and ready. Finally, she’s making the difference she wants to make in the world, right?
FC CHOICES: Hunter Schafer (truly my one and only, love of my life, but also to add other good names to the list because other rps need more representation anyway: ), Loiza Lamers, Hari Nef
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remainloved · 6 years ago
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bestfriend!Ethan #1
[requested by anon]
ethan’s bestfriend and grayson’s girlfriend, both title that she owns, however she’s been feeling like she doesn’t deserve the second title.
—————————————————————
Ethan and Y/n have been best friends since the days they were in diapers. Even if Ethan has a twin brother, the connection that he shared with Y/n is still equally strong. Everyone around them rooted them to be together.
Ethan’s parents wish to have a daughter in law like Y/n and likewise. The both families got along really well just like Ethan and Y/n. If people do not know them, they would think that Y/n and Ethan have been married to one another for years.
Grayson is always jealous with how close Ethan is to Y/n compare to him. Grayson would always shy away because he’s afraid that he’s being a bother to both of them. Yet, Ethan and Y/n never made Grayson as an outcast. They would always include Grayson in activities they would do. This made Y/n and Grayson closer. Y/n cares about the both of them more than herself and the twins would always make Y/n as their priority.
However, little did they know, Y/n has her eyes set on the younger twin. Even if Ethan was the first one she met and had a closer relationship with, Grayson has a soft spot on her heart. This made sense because she could never picture herself being involved with Ethan romantically.
When Ethan noticed her best friend would always blush when Grayson is around and Grayson would always notice the small details of Y/n’s that sometimes Ethan forgot. Ethan realized that both of them like each other. Ethan supported this idea and decided to make a plan.
Long story short, Ethan was the cupid and Y/n and Grayson were his target, he succeeded and now both of them are dating. Their dynamics never change, however Grayson and Y/n established a stronger and closer bonds. Both are always open to Ethan with the problems which made Ethan the mediator and solve the problems.
Everything was fine, until these back few days when Grayson was being different. Even if Grayson and Ethan moved to Los Angeles and Y/n stayed back. They were still in contact and their bonds are still strong. However with the hectic schedule of the twins and Y/n’s busy life back home, their bonds are falling apart.
The twins used to come back and visit New Jersey. They always make time for Y/n. However, since they have been hanging out with the “Sister Squad”, Y/n felt neglected..
Y/n has no problem sharing the twins, however she missed the twins dearly. She misses her best friend that would be willing to prank the neighbors. She missed her boyfriend that would try so hard to impress her with his cooking skill.
Today was a horrible day for Y/n. She had a sore throat, she woke up late and missed her class, she fell down the stairs and no one was there to help her, she walked home and a bike splashed her with the water on the streets, she’s home with no food and overall, just a bad day for Y/n.
She was lying on the bed with her cheeks stained with tears and eyes feeling dried. When the phone beside her started vibrating, she sighed and rolled over to pick it up. When she saw the id, she felt her lips twitch. She cleared her throat and answered the phone.
“Hey,” her croaky voice greeted Grayson. Whenever, Grayson heard this kind of tone, he would always sense that something was wrong, however this time he continued and said giddily.
“Hey gorgeous, I’m going on a road trip with E, James and Emma.” She could feel the smile on his face through the phone pressed on her cheeks
“Oh, really?” She sounded surprise while trying so hard not breakdown.
“Yeah,” He said excitedly.
“Well, have fun and stay safe.” She whispered with her heart breaking with every breath that she took.
“You okay, Gorgeous?” He asked worriedly and Y/n just hummed and said her goodbyes.
She was feeling very low and she felt really insecure. For once in her lifetime, she doubted the relationship she had with the twins. Y/n cried the whole night with her hands clutched tightly on her phone and her body curling up inside her blanket. She felt like losing a piece of hers that night.
--
When the twins visited New Jersey for the first time in three months, they felt very happy. Both of them felt like the burdens on their shoulders were lifted up. They were so excited to visit their family and of course, Y/n.
“Y/n!” Ethan knocked on the flower shop where she was working. Y/n looked up and shocked that it was her best friend here. She ran outside and gave him the tightest hug she could ever give.
“ETHAN!” She shouted and jumped on to his back. Ethan laughed and hold her back tightly. “How have you been? Oh my gosh, you’re growing back your wings.” Y/n exclaimed while grabbing a hold of his hair.
“This is weird, did you miss me so much that you did not ask me about my little brother?” He said while nudging her ribs with his elbow. She nudged him back harder and muttered, “Shut up.”
“Oh god, what happened between you and Gray?” He asked with his hand on his chest while Y/n sat beside him on the porch in front of the flower shop.
“You’re so dramatic.” She rolled her eyes and slapped his chest lightly with her head hung low.
“You’re not answering the question, Y/n.” He said while poking on her cheeks.” He said softly after sensing that the matter was serious.
“Hmm, what happened with you and Emma?” She smirked trying to cover up her eyes that are welling up with tears.
“Quit changing the subject and answer the damn question.” He said seriously after seeing a tear rolled down her face.
“I feel like Gray is different.” She mumbled softly.
“Different?” Ethan asked confused.
“It’s hard to explain, E.” She took a deep breath and Ethan pulled her into a hug. Y/n cried on to his arms and Ethan held her tight. She was shaking and Ethan rubbed her back in a comforting manner.
“Grayson adores and loves you. There’s not a single day when he shut up about you.” He said sincerely and Y/n cried even more.
“Everything will be okay, I’ll talk to him soon.” He said while squeezing her shoulders lightly. “You cannot get rid of us that soon.” He said jokingly and Y/n chuckled.
“Damn it.” She said while continuing the act. The both of them stared at each other and burst out laughing out loud.
--
When Y/n walked back to her house with her heart feeling lighter, she was happy for once that her best friend was back. She opened her door and saw flower petals trailing across the floor. There was a note beside them.
FOLLOW THE TRAIL
She smiled as she saw the familiar handwriting of her boyfriend’s. She walked inside and saw Grayson holding up a big stuff teddy bear with a bouquet of flower.
“Grayson?” She called out his name. Grayson smiled and said, “Hello, Gorgeous.” How she missed that nickname rolling out of his tongue. Y/n put down all her things and ran into him. Her arms enclosing his broad shoulders. Grayson was stunned for a moment before he threw the teddy bear and flower on her bed and snaked his arms around her waist.
The tears that was held up rolled down her cheeks and Grayson could her shaking under his hold. She was grasping his shoulders tightly, afraid that he would leave her anytime possible. Grayson returned the gesture and hid his face on the crook of her neck.
“I missed you so much.” He whispered while peppering soft kisses on her shoulders.
They pulled away and Grayson wiped her tears using his thumb, caressing her cheeks lightly. He smiled and nudge her nose with his. He pressed his lips against her cheeks softly and muttered, “I’m so sorry, Y/n.”
He pulled away shook his head, “I’m an asshole.”
Y/n pulled his head up and looked at him straight in the eye, “Grayson Bailey Dolan, you’re not an asshole.” Grayson’s lips twitch and he whispered softly, “I was being insensitive and took you for granted and I’m so sorry.” His eyes were red because he was silently crying but Y/n pulled the end of her jacket and wiped them away.
“D-Don’t leave me.” He stammered as his heart was beating faster and he was afraid that the love of his life would ask him to leave her house right now. Little did he know, Y/n couldn’t live without him and likewise.
“I’m not leaving, Gray.” She said while hugging him once more, a sigh of relief escaped through his lips and he hugged Y/n once more.
“It’s not that easy for you and your twin brother to get rid of me.” She said cheekily. Grayson squeezed her hips once more and said, “You’re impossible and I don’t deserve you.”
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heyo! thank you so much for reading this! i hope you like this one!
i changed it slightly but hopefully you still like this one anon!
anyways,, requests are open!!
feedbacks are always very much appreciated!!
thank you and have a good day beautiful! xx
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nonbinaryparent · 5 years ago
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https://amp.mindbodygreen.com/articles/one-habit-for-raising-children-who-actively-question-gender-stereotypes
The One Habit To Teach To Raise Kids Who Actively Question Gender
By Bobbi Wegner, Psy.D.
June 10, 2019
Last night I walked in late from my clinical practice and grabbed a quick dinner before bed. My kids were amped up and excited, and my son (Tyler, age 8) and daughter (Eve, age 5) played on the couch. They are like little puppies, often jumping all over each other and constantly touching, talking, and engaging, for better or worse. I mostly try to quiet the constant buzz of noise that too easily seeps into my brain, but last night I caught wind of a statement and then a question directed at me.
"Eve, you are tomboy. Mom, Eve is a tomboy, right?"
Eve continued pouncing on her brother unaware of the implication, but it gave me pause. I listened, thought, and noticed my own internal reaction.
By all outside accounts, I guess Eve is a "tomboy." She is tough as nails, rides dirt bikes, wrestles (and sometimes dominates) her big brothers, and often takes her T-shirt off when she’s hot.
I am proud of her. I was a "tomboy" too. What I wanted to say in that moment was, "Yes, Eve is a tomboy, and she does whatever the f*ck she wants." My friends joke that she is my feral child, fiercely independent. If I were to disappear for a week or two, it would be Eve who figured out dinner for everyone. She would probably ride her dirt bike to the local coffee shop and negotiate an IOU contract with a confused yet impressed barista.
The thing is, she is not a tomboy. Or a boy at all. She is herself. She is a girl. She likes dirt bikes, wrestling, winning, and can weather physical injury better than a cage fighter. She also loves puppies and playing house, and her most favorite thing is cooking with me. We share a deep love for beautiful napkins, dinner parties, fancy flowery perfume, and cool heels. She is Eve. She is cool. And she is all girl.
I push them to ask themselves: Why do we say what we say? How do we know that to be true? Where did that come from? Where did we learn that? What are we actually trying to say?
I know this personality makeup well as we share passions that are often paradoxical and opposing to the outside world. I am a woman with varied interests, and I feel all woman. Eve is a girl with varied interests, and as far as I can see now, she is all girl. It is that simple.
Although in my own inner dialogue, I want to say, "Yeah Ty, Eve is a tomboy, so watch out," that would undermine everything about those qualities being feminine, too. I would be gendering behaviors that aren't inherently gendered. My automatic response is not appropriate for the current culture anymore. And the responsibility falls on me to notice my automatic thought, process it, and say something different.
Although it might seem that I am advocating for gender equality for my daughter, this is a direct message to my son, too. The message I want all my children to hear loud and clear is that you are you. There is no expectation from me around how you should behave based on your gender. Of course, there is an expectation to be kind, polite, welcoming, hardworking, and courageous, to name a few, but those are expectations I have across the board for all of my children.
Teaching the art of questioning.
Gender stereotyping is reductive and limits the horizons of possibility, and denying expression is only harmful to our kids' health and well-being in the long run. One of my parenting priorities is to offer as much opportunity as possible so my kids have the freedom to choose their path themselves. I want to build self-efficacy. Ultimately, my hope is that they lead an empowered and self-led life. Training starts now, not in adulthood. We need to be helping our kids build a sense of self from the inside out.
So, in the moment, I teach Ty that tomboy is a dated word that doesn't apply anymore. But what I am really saying is it is OK to be you—in whatever form that is. I constantly challenge them to think critically about the language they use. So much is absorbed from school and the outside community, and the best defense I have is to teach intellectual and emotional curiosity.
I push them to ask themselves: Why do we say what we say? How do we know that to be true? Where did that come from? Where did we learn that? What are we actually trying to say?
For example, any time they say, "that is a girl toy or a boy toy," I ask them to think about what makes it so. Inevitably, they can see the flaw in their assumption; they learn to self-reflect, wrestle with meaning, and what I love the most—it removes me from the often annoying power position of teacher saying yay or nay. I can join them in an intellectual exercise rather than impose a way to behave.  
Much of the meaning we create as a culture is so nuanced and implicit that we all participate in perpetuating ideas that we do not even buy into it. The first step in teaching kids to be open is to notice our own bias and challenge ourselves. We need to ask ourselves the same questions we ask our children.
Why do we think this? Where did it come from? What are we actually trying to say? It not only combats gender inequality and toxic masculinity, but it pushes kids to be more self-aware and tighten the language they use, not relying on automatic (what I call) "lazy language." Say what you actually intend to say.
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Taking small steps.
Listen, some parents will be far more comfortable and at ease dispelling gender than others, and that mostly has to do with our own progress toward questioning and deconstructing gender, a process that many adults are still going through themselves. That's OK. Some parents are bravely raising "theybies" and "gender-creative kids," for example, and that's amazing; meanwhile, for many other parents, that's just outside the scope of what they're capable of right now, no matter how much they want to support gender diversity.
But all parents can teach their kids the art of questioning gender. If you want to raise kids who feel free to explore their identity with complete freedom, it starts with raising kids with access to the tools of curiosity and open-mindedness. Raise kids who are open to following their interests, willing to explore, and committed to noticing the meaning embedded in our culture. Although those may seem like a tall order for such young kids, these are traits that are easiest to internalize the younger they are.
Here are a few simple habits to consider introducing in your household and parenting style to encourage a culture of questioning gender:
Notice any gendered language (i.e., anytime someone says someone did something because "they are a boy or a girl"). Notice it, name it, and encourage your kids to get curious about what that means.
Offer all options to all children. Boys are welcome to play house, and girls are welcome to play in the dirt. If the children naturally segregate, split time in both activities.
Create mixed-gender groups at home, with friends, and at school. Avoid the desire to tease your kids about "having crushes" on their friends of other genders.
Especially with boys, empathize and validate emotion. Positively reinforce sharing of all emotion with words. Help boys build a strong sense of identity that includes caring for and loving others.
Manage your own discomfort when your child wants to explore something outside of their culturally prescribed behavior (i.e., Eve wanting to take her shirt off, or Ty wanting to sit on the toilet to pee). Children are honest and will give feedback if it makes others uncomfortable. Your job is not to promote or rescue but rather to follow your child's lead.
Notice how work is divided in your home. What nonverbal messages are you sending? Be self-aware and reflective and see if your behavior matches your intentions.
Lastly, be self-compassionate. Know you will make missteps. So will your kids. Be honest. Be curious. And create an open dialogue.
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