#even though there’s only ONE city in the entire ocean???

[galaxysodapopdraws]

I’m working on putting queen Angelica and king puff from the reboot archie comics in my au! Gonna make them more like their irl fishy counterparts and less like a bratty couple.

And I know it was probably the dark Gaia messing with their and other fish mobians heads making them negative and hostile but I kinda want to keep them a little bit spoiled. Also just saying if they did the thing where female anglerfishes are 60x bigger than their male counterparts and they made puff super small compared to her, I think that’s super cute and want to expand on more fish love stuff.

[mintyys-blog]

LOVE YOU FOREVER — viltrumite! mark grayson x reader

INVINCIBLE MASTERLIST

A/N: for some reason I couldn’t directly reply to the post but here it is!

WARNINGS:

Mark never expected to set foot on Earth again.

A century had passed since he last walked these streets, since he last felt the warmth of this sun on his skin. It wasn’t home—not anymore. Not without her.

Y/N.

Her name still ached. A wound that time refused to heal. He had lost wars, lost comrades, lost entire planets—but nothing compared to losing her. Yet here he was, frozen in place, staring at a woman who should not exist.

She was across the street, laughing with a friend, tucking a strand of hair behind her ear in a way so painfully familiar it nearly brought him to his knees. It was her. And yet… it wasn’t.

Mark’s breath came slow and measured, his mind warring with itself. He had seen people who resembled her before, echoes of her face in strangers long gone. But this was different. This woman didn’t just look like her—she felt like her.

His heart, long thought incapable of feeling anything but grief, beat with something dangerously close to hope.

He knew reincarnation was possible. He had seen it on other worlds, civilizations that believed souls never truly died. But believing and witnessing were two very different things.

He wanted to go to her. Wanted to grab her, hold her, beg her to remember. But he had already taken her once before. This time… he would wait.

Mark found himself drawn to her, lingering in the places she frequented. A coffee shop on the corner. A bookstore where she browsed without buying. A quiet park where she sat alone, lost in thought.

She was different from the woman he lost, but there were traces of her in everything she did. The way she scrunched her nose when concentrating. The soft hums she made when deep in thought. Even the way she glanced over her shoulder, as if searching for something just out of reach.

It was her soul. He knew it. But her heart did not remember him. So he did something he never thought he would. He courted her. Properly. Like a human man, not a conqueror.

Their first meeting was accidental—or so she thought. Mark made sure of it. He “bumped” into her at the coffee shop, catching her drink before it spilled.

“Sorry about that,” he said, flashing a disarming smile.

She looked up at him, and for a moment, he thought he saw something flicker in her eyes. Recognition. A shadow of something lost. But then it was gone. “It’s fine,” she said, brushing it off.

He introduced himself as Mark—nothing more. No mention of Viltrum, of war, of their past life together.

Just Mark.

And so, he stayed by her side. Gently, patiently. He learned what she liked, what made her laugh, what made her angry. He asked about her dreams, her fears, her world.

He wanted her to love him again. Not because fate demanded it. But because she chose to. It started small.

“I feel like we’ve done this before,” she murmured one evening, staring out at the ocean. Mark tensed. “Done what?” She hesitated. “…Sitting here. With you.”

He said nothing, letting her thoughts unravel at their own pace. It happened again when he called her by a nickname only he had used. She blinked at him, startled. “…Why did you call me that?”

“I don’t know,” he lied. “It just felt… right.” Little things. Déjà vu. Dreams she couldn’t explain. A lingering sense of familiarity whenever he was near.

She started looking at him differently. With curiosity. With recognition, though she didn’t understand why. Mark waited. And then, one night, it happened.

They were walking through the city when she suddenly stopped. A sharp breath. A flicker of panic in her eyes. Then she collapsed.

Mark caught her instantly, his heart hammering against his ribs. “Y/N?” She trembled in his arms, clutching at his shirt as if she were drowning.

And then, in the smallest, weakest voice— “…I remember.” The world stood still. Her breath came in gasps, tears slipping down her cheeks. “I saw you. I saw… us. Our children. Everything.”

Mark swallowed hard, barely able to speak. “Do you remember me?” She hesitated, her fingers tracing his face like a ghost relearning a lover. “Not everything,” she whispered. “But I know you.”

His chest ached, something between hope and agony threatening to crush him. “Then let me show you,” he murmured, pressing his forehead against hers. “Let me remind you.”

A pause. A shaky breath. Then— A soft, hesitant smile. “…Okay.” And for the first time in a hundred years, Mark felt whole again.

Mark didn’t realize he had been holding his breath until she smiled. It wasn’t the same smile from before, not yet, but it was enough. A flicker of something familiar in her eyes, something lost but not entirely gone.

He exhaled slowly, afraid to move too fast, afraid to break whatever delicate thread connected them now. She was staring at him like she was seeing him for the first time and yet had known him forever.

“What… happens now?” she asked softly, her fingers still ghosting over his face as if trying to memorize it.

Mark covered her hand with his own, his grip gentle. “Whatever you want,” he said.

Her brows furrowed, as if the answer confused her. “What if I never remember everything?”

His heart clenched at the thought, but he had already made peace with it. He shook his head. “Then we start over.”

She searched his eyes, looking for something—maybe reassurance, maybe truth. “You’d be okay with that?”

“If it means I get to have you again? Even just a part of you?” His voice was quiet, raw. “Then yes.”

She looked down at their intertwined hands, her expression unreadable. “I don’t understand how, but… I feel it.” She pressed her free hand against her chest. “Like I’ve lived another life, like I’ve loved you before. It’s not clear, but it’s there.”

Mark swallowed past the lump in his throat. He wanted to pull her into his arms, to hold her the way he used to, but he didn’t want to rush her. She wasn’t the woman he lost. Not yet. Maybe not ever. But she was still his.

She took a deep breath, composing herself. “Okay,” she said finally. “Let’s start over.”

Relief washed over him so strongly he almost sank to his knees. He smiled—soft, real. “I’d like that.” She smiled back. “Then tell me, Mark… where do we begin?” And just like that, the universe gave him a second chance.

[yeagersss]

Sukuna after his defeat at Shinjuku — He ends up as your... pet... blob?

Like the last thing he remembers is proudly declaring to Yuuji's foolish requests of starting over that he's a curse and then he remembers just drifting away to what he believed would be an eternal slumber for him.

But then he's confused because suddenly it's dark, he's confined into a tight space and he could hear... muffled voices of someone singing...?

You had just moved into your new place, your grandfather's old home in the outskirts of a small town. A quiet and peaceful place especially far away from loud and terribly dangerous city that Tokyo had become.

You were an aspiring artist and you believed that you will draw so much inspiration from your new home.

You opened one of your boxes while humming a soft tune and jumped when you saw... something??? in it. A weird... blob looking—maybe it's some weird deformed one eyed frog? How did it end up in your box??

Sukuna squinted his eye at the sudden brightness and glared up at you. This is not... the afterlife, right? What the hell is this??

You curiously lifted your hand to touch the weird blob frog and then suddenly... it spoke.

"Touch me and I will slice your finger off, stupid woman."

Needless to say you screamed and flipped the entire box over. Before scrambling to the far side of the room.

Poor Sukuna is now buried helplessly under some books and other shit and that's when he realized he was still in that... weak and disgusting form Yuuji had reduced him to.

As he was wiggling out of the pile while thinking about the fact that this is probably hell, you are in the far corner, holding a pair of kitchen tongs and tense up when you see him before shouting "What the HELL are you???"

And before he could open his mouth to even threaten you further or maybe even cut you up, he gets pounced by a fluffy white... Cat.

"What the—get off of me! Unhand me this instant!! WOMAN, control your creature or I will end it's life!!" Sukuna demands as he wiggles away from the cat.

And Sukuna did try to end the cat's life. He really did but to his horror his cursed energy, that used to be as vast as the fucking ocean, was so, so low that he only managed a tiny shallow cut of the cat's paw that it dismissed with a swift lick.

Still you got your cat, Luna, away before that thing could hurt her.

And that is how the King of Curses comes into your life. You don't know that though because to you he's some weird mutated and helpless frog. You had considered tossing him outside but you kinda felt bad for the little guy. (he's so small. Like he can fit in your palm! Even if he does threaten you to die, he would be helpless outside.)

And Sukuna, on the other hand, had went from trying and failing to kill you (and your damn cat) to throwing every creative death threat he can think of to downright ignoring you as he stayed slumped on the floor with his eye closed, trying to tap into his depleted cursed energy. Anything to maybe help him gain his form back or atleast legs so he could walk but luck wasn't in his side at all.

He had stayed like that for a good two days. By that time you were done moving in and organising your stuff. For a second, you thought he was dead but a quick poke with a spatula confirmed he was very much alive when he suddenly threatened to eat your liver.

So anyway Sukuna is stubborn af. He refuses to acknowledged your presence and just stays on the floor meditating or spaced out, trying to figure out a way to get out of this predicament or wait until he has enough CE to actually do something.

But then you bring him food. You realized he hasn't eaten a thing ever since you found him.

"Here. I'm not sure what you eat but with the way you talk about eating my heart or whatever so I'm guessing it's meat." You say as you place a plate of cooked steak in front of him.

For a moment, his pride does not let him touch the food. But then you come back and see the plate completely empty, you smile.

"Can I atleast pick you up and place you by the window? I know you get bored sitting on the floor all day." You ask one day.

Sukuna doesn't say anything and simply glares at you before giving a simple "hmph".

You take that as a yes and carefully scoop him up before placing him on the window sill. The view of the beautiful countryside is incredible and you're sure the little guy will appreciate it.

And Sukuna does, somewhat. After being exposed to the bustling and overwhelming atmosphere of the modern world, he's glad this world still has... some places that remind him of his own era.

You gently place a plate of food next to him and this time, instead of eating when you go away, he eats it while you're still here. He slithers closer to the plate and using his tiny paws, he holds the meat down before taking a large bite.

He glares when you stifle a laugh.

"... What should I call you?" You ask.

Sukuna frowns at that question. It's the first time someone has asked for his own name. He doesn't have one, obviously since all his life, others were the ones who labelled him: demon, monster, god, the Fallen One, the Honored One, the King of Curses, Ryomen Sukuna.

"How does Poupou sound?" You suggested with a grin to which his blood red eye looked at you with nothing but pure hatred.

"Sukuna. Call me that one more time and I will feast on your eyes, you useless woman."

... Sukuna it is then.

[brazilsho]

𓈒ㅤׂㅤ𐙚 ࣪ ⭒ kenji sato x gn ! reader

summary ; little scenario on how's like to wake up besides your infamous boyfriend !

context ; just fluff , kenji being a little whiny and clingy , during the time kenji takes care of emi , reverse comfort mentions . no proofread . bad writing (tired asf) .

the morning Sun breezed through the streets, awaking the city of Japan with a warm embrace of warmth as the people around started to waken up to do their daily duty and day.

near the island way back from the city of Japan, the nice large house was shining bright through the reflection of the sun, a loud chirp could be heard from the basement of the house,

the giant kaiju baby, emi, awaking from her slumber, snuggled up against the car, her father given her, she tiredly looked through the room only to be met by the owners AI, Mina, who was responsible for watching over the kaiju.

“good morning little emi, have you slept well?” Mina asked gently the baby, in return getting a happy chirp from emi after recognizing the robot, Mina decided to turn on some music that emi likes and gave her her breakfast, wanting to make sure that the owners of the house can be able to wake up peacefully after a long while.

As a matter of fact, Mina started to sense the sunlight become stronger through the ocean water that was around the basement and knew that a certain male upstairs would be awaken because of it.

the certain male, kenji, was laying in bed, the sunlight shining through the curtains of the rooms making the light shine right into his mesmerizing face, but his eyes meeting the sunlight frustrated his well needed slumber.

Kenji squirmed around with a little whine, squinting his eyes closed to avoid the light in his eyes, turning around to face you so that his back where facing the curtains and him burring his face in the crook of your neck.

You, of course, didn't had a problem with the sunlight, kenji's boarded back covered the entire view in front of you and it also didn't surprised you when you felt him clinging onto you in your light sleepy state.

the warmth of kenji's pleasant made you snuggle against him a little, placing your head against his chest while your eyes started to open carefully, still being a little sensitive with the bright sunlight that appears in the room.

the same goes to kenji, he could feel you leaning against him closely, making him wrap his arms around you and carefully open his eyes to look down at you, only to be meet with you already looking through your lashes at him,

his eyes sparkling with the sunlight reflecting them, showing off every detail in his eyes, making him look even more beautiful in your eyes, a smile formed at the corner of his lips as he leaned down to kiss your forehead gently.

“Good morning my darling” Kenji said, his sleeping voice appearing and a honest soft looking smile became more visible on him, making you almost melt at the sight as a smothered look was shown in your face.

“Morning, able to got some hours of sleep?” You jokingly asked him, remembering how much of sleep he’s slacking because of emi. Kenji frowned a little which a whine as he tighten his hold on you as he threw his head back against the soft fabric of his pillow.

You let out a snicker and hugged kenji a little, only as much as possible, “Don't worry, I think emi is starting to get the scheduled of sleep, you've done enough for these couple of weeks for her.” You said, running your fingers across the soft skin of kenji’s chest in daydream.

Just as Kenji was about to be smuggled though, wanting to say that he wasn’t the only one but appreciated the words you given him, a loud cry was heard from the basement where emi still is, it seemed like that emi was getting bored of the music and wanted to see her parents.

All kenji could do was groan and turn around his head to burry it into his pillow as he lets out a scream in frustration, he loves emi yes, but he definitely is tired, especially from even the fact that he's not even close on being used to hearing a baby cry every minute it can get.

You though, didn't seem to have much problem with the giant baby, it felt like second nature to you but you yourself where a little frustrated to say the least, it's been a good while since you had some quality time with kenji,

not being able to get any time to just be in his company, it pained your delusional heart — and his too.

“I'll go to her, wake up whenever you want” You said, removing yourself from kenji's grasp which tighten the moment you said these words, him giving off a whine in desperate need of your company,

but you tapped his chest, asking to be removed from his warmth hold and with a little hesitation he allowed you to go, which you took as an opportunity to get out of his warmth, giving him a kiss on the lips which he definitely returned, before standing up and going to the elevator to the basement to calm down your girl.

Kenji just watched you, looking at you like you are the most precious piece of art in the world for him, he sat up and stretched before making his way to start off his day, thankful to have you with him.

© brazilsho ─ 2024. works i post are not allowed to be translated, stolen, copied, or reposted on other platforms.

[starsjulia]

gummies and giggles // alexia putellas

a/n : i can’t imagine alexia putting up with a high person, but oh well.

warnings : cannabis consumption, fluff.

The Airbnb was charming, just as Alexia had promised. Nestled beside one of Amsterdam’s quiet canals, the house had tall windows that flooded the space with soft light, a cozy living room with fluffy blankets, and a kitchen that Mapi claimed was “too nice not to mess around in.” For Alexia, it was perfect—clean, organized, and peaceful.

For you and Mapi, it was the perfect place to cause trouble.

It all started innocently enough. Mapi had brought up the idea after lunch while Alexia was preoccupied with a book and Ingrid was scrolling on her phone. You were sprawled on the floor near the couch, making exaggerated sighs about being “bored out of your mind.”

“Amsterdam is the city of adventure, no?” Mapi grinned, her voice low as she nudged you with her foot.

“What kind of adventure?” you asked, perking up immediately.

Mapi reached into her jacket pocket and pulled out a small plastic baggie, shaking it slightly to reveal the colorful gummies inside. “Just one each,” she whispered conspiratorially. “We’ll have a little fun.”

You blinked, leaning in closer. “What is that?”

“Edibles,” she replied as if it were the most obvious thing in the world.

You squinted at the bag, skeptical but intrigued. “Is this a good idea? Ale will kill me.”

Mapi grinned mischievously. “When have I ever steered you wrong?”

You paused. “Well, there was that time you convinced me to jump into a freezing lake because ‘it looked fun.’”

Mapi rolled her eyes. “This will be better. Trust me.”

She held one gummy out, and after a brief moment of hesitation, you took it. “Just one?”

“Just one,” Mapi assured you, popping her own into her mouth and chewing thoughtfully.

———————

Two hours later, it became abundantly clear that you were not fine.

You were curled up on the Airbnb’s soft rug, giggling at absolutely nothing while Mapi sat on the couch, completely mesmerized by the way the light reflected off a glass of water on the coffee table.

Alexia had been in the shower, blissfully unaware, but when she stepped back into the living room and saw the scene before her, she froze.

“What the fucks is going on here?”

Ingrid, who had only just come out of the bedroom after a nap, groaned loudly as she took one look at you and Mapi. “Are you two serious?”

“Hi, Ale,” you said brightly, turning your head toward her. Your face was flushed, eyes glassy, and you were grinning like you’d just heard the funniest joke of your life.

“Don’t ‘Hi, Ale’ me,” Alexia replied, crouching down beside you. “What did you do?”

You squinted up at her like she’d asked the hardest question in the world. “I had a gummy. It was so tiny, Ale. Like…” You held your fingers close together, demonstrating its smallness.

Alexia stared at you, her expression flat. “You took an edible? Are you serious?”

“Mapi said it would be fun,” you replied innocently, smiling as you leaned toward her. “And I am having fun.”

Alexia turned sharply toward Mapi, who was still staring at the glass of water like it held the answers to the universe. “And you?”

Mapi looked up slowly, blinking at Alexia like she’d forgotten she was even there. “Did you know… water is just really tiny pieces of ocean?”

Ingrid smacked her hand against her forehead. “Oh my God.”

Alexia ran a hand through her hair, clearly trying to keep her patience intact. “You two are ridiculous.”

You tugged at Alexia’s sleeve, looking up at her with your big pleading eyes. “Don’t be mad at me.”

Alexia sighed deeply as she sat down on the floor beside you. You immediately crawled into her lap, nuzzling your face against her shoulder.

“I’m not mad,” she muttered, though she clearly wasn’t thrilled. “I just don’t understand how you thought this was a good idea.”

“You’re warm,” you mumbled, ignoring her frustration entirely as you melted against her. “And you smell really good. Did I ever tell you how pretty you are?”

Alexia raised an eyebrow, though her hand had already instinctively begun rubbing circles on your back. “Are you always this clingy when you’re high?”

“I don’t know,” you replied honestly, tilting your head up to smile at her. “But you’re warm and soft and perfect and… can I kiss you?”

“What?” Alexia spluttered, her cheeks tinged pink.

Ingrid’s head snapped up, glaring at Mapi. “Do you see what you’ve done?”

Mapi just giggled. “She’s in love. Let her love.”

—————

It wasn’t long before the munchies hit.

“Alexia,” you whispered, still nestled in her lap like you had no intention of leaving.

“Yes?”

“I’m starving.”

“You ate lunch two hours ago.”

“But now I’m hungry,” you whined, pouting up at her. “I need something sweet.”

Alexia sighed heavily as she helped you sit up. “What do you want?”

Your face lit up. “A waffle.”

“A waffle?”

“Yes. A big one. With syrup.”

Alexia gave you a look that clearly said she was done with you, but she still got up and made her way into the kitchen. “You’re so lucky I love you,” she muttered under her breath.

When Alexia returned with the waffle—golden, steaming, and drizzled with syrup—you looked at it like it was the most beautiful thing you’d ever seen.

“Oh my God,” you whispered, carefully taking the plate from her hands. “You’re an absolute angel, Ale.”

She sat down beside you, watching as you took your first bite. The moment the syrup hit your tongue, you let out a moan. soft, drawn-out, pornorgraphic, and very not appropriate for a waffle.

Alexia blinked. “Did you just sex moan over a waffle?”

You paused mid-chew, eyes wide, before you dissolved into giggles. “Noooo,” you managed, grinning as you stuffed another bite into your mouth.

“Yes, you did,” Alexia replied, shaking her head in disbelief. “You’re unbelievable woman.”

“It’s just a really good waffle,” you said, swallowing the bite and leaning into her side. “You need to try it.”

Before she could reply, you kissed her cheek, leaving a faint trace of syrup behind.

Alexia groaned, wiping at her cheek as she muttered, “You’re a mess.”

“I’m your mess,” you replied sweetly, wrapping your arms around her waist and pulling her closer.

She sighed, though there was no real annoyance behind it as she pressed a kiss to your temple. “You’re lucky you’re cute.”

From across the room, Ingrid sighed loudly as Mapi whispered something about the light being “a little rainbow on the glass.”

“We are never doing this again,” Ingrid muttered.

Mapi, still blissfully mesmerized, giggled softly. “Never say never.”

Alexia looked down at you, now curled up in her lap, half-asleep with a satisfied smile on your face.

She shook her head with a small, fond smile. “What am I going to do with you?”

You hummed softly, snuggling closer. “Keep me forever.”

And even as chaos reigned around her, Alexia couldn’t imagine ever letting you go.

[solxamber]

Hi i hope you're having a great day ! I'd like to request for the valentines event :3 Azul, Romantic, "My Sweetest Love" by The Cat's Whiskers (feat. Kazuma Mitchell) Thankyou so much for your hard work :D

PARADOX LIVE??? IN MY INBOX??? I'VE PRAYED FOR DAYS LIKE THESE

"My Sweetest Love" || Azul Ashengrotto

𝐅𝐨𝐫 𝐦𝐲 𝐕𝐚𝐥𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐞'𝐬 𝐄��𝐞𝐧𝐭

𝐒𝐨𝐧𝐠: My Sweetest Love by Cat's Whiskers (ft. Kazuma Mitchell)

𝐖𝐨𝐫𝐝 𝐂𝐨𝐮𝐧𝐭: 940

𝐓𝐚𝐠𝐬: First Date, Friends to Lovers

Azul had imagined this night countless times. He had planned every detail, every possible outcome, rehearsed the words he would say and the way he would say them—because when it came to you, nothing could be left to chance.

You deserved only the best. And now, finally, you were his—at least for tonight.

He arrives at your door in a sleek, polished car, stepping out with a confidence that masks the rapid beat of his heart. The moment you step outside, dressed to the nines, with that unmistakable glint of amusement in your eyes, his breath catches.

He’s always thought you were resplendent. He’s known it for as long as he’s known you. But tonight, something feels different. More real. More his.

He opens the door for you, ever the gentleman, though the brush of your fingers as you settle inside nearly undoes his carefully constructed composure.

Azul has never liked feeling out of his depth. It is a sensation that reminds him of deep, crushing waters, of helplessness and uncertainty. But he has prepared for this. He has made sure everything is perfect.

A reservation at the finest restaurant, an exquisite menu, wine hand-selected for the occasion. A night designed for you.

Nothing less than perfection. Nothing less than the absolute best.

Because Azul knows you. He knows your tastes, your preferences, the subtle shifts in your expression when something truly pleases you. He wants to see that expression tonight, not because of some business deal, not because of some carefully crafted persuasion—no, this time, he wants it simply because he loves you.

And he does. He loves you more than he should, more than he ever intended to.

The realization settles in his chest like an anchor, but tonight, he allows himself to sink into it.

Just this once, he tells himself. Just tonight, he will not hold back.

He watches you across the candlelit table, the golden glow of the restaurant soft against your features. When you laugh, he can’t help but smile—real, unguarded, the kind that only comes when he’s with you.

His heart beats faster.

Everything about tonight feels unreal, like he’s trapped in a dream, one where you are his and there is no fear of waking up to a world where you are not.

He wonders if you can hear it. If you can see through him as easily as you always do.

By the time dinner is over, Azul has spent the entire evening ensuring your happiness, watching as you indulge in every luxury he can offer. But it is not enough. It will never be enough.

Because no matter how many resources he has, no matter how much power he wields, there is one thing he cannot control.

Your heart.

The night air is cool as you step outside, and without thinking, he shrugs off his coat, draping it over your shoulders. The gesture is instinctive, natural—until your fingers brush against his as you adjust it, and suddenly, the breath leaves his lungs.

It takes everything in him not to pull you closer.

He suggests a quiet drive, something away from the crowds, the noise, the distractions. A night cruise, perhaps. The ocean, the stars, just the two of you.

You agree without hesitation.

Azul grips the steering wheel a little too tightly.

The drive is peaceful, the city lights flickering behind you as the road stretches ahead. When he glances at you, he sees the way your eyes soften, the way the reflection of the stars dance in your gaze.

And suddenly, he thinks—maybe this is enough.

Maybe, for tonight, he can allow himself this fantasy.

His fingers twitch against the wheel. Even after parking, he's clutching it like it's the only thing that's keeping him grounded. He wants to say it. Wants to tell you how much you mean to him, how every carefully laid plan, every luxurious choice tonight, was all for you.

But before he can gather the courage, you speak first.

“You really thought of everything, huh?” you muse, turning to him with that teasing lilt in your voice. “Should I be worried?”

Azul chuckles, but the sound is softer than usual. “Is it so unbelievable that I’d want to make you happy?”

You hum, considering. Then, with a smirk, you add, “Well, I do like seeing you like this. You should take me out more often.”

His heart stumbles over itself.

Azul hesitates for only a moment before he turns to you fully, his voice quieter now, more serious.

“Then let me.”

The words linger between you, unspoken questions hanging in the air. And then, slowly, he leans in—closer, closer—until he can see the way your lashes flutter, the way your breath catches just slightly.

And you don’t pull away.

You don’t move back, don’t laugh, don’t tease.

Instead, you close the distance.

And in that moment, just as your lips meet his, Azul swears—

Nothing will ever compare to you.

Masterlist ; Valentine's Event

[2i1han]

leehan—scenarios

𝗍𝗁𝖾 𝖺𝗊𝗎𝖺𝗋𝗂𝗎𝗆 𝗍𝗁𝖺𝗍 𝗀𝗋𝖺𝗇𝗍𝗌 𝗐𝗁𝖺𝗍'𝗌 𝗇𝗈𝗍 𝖺𝗌𝗄𝖾𝖽

| f ! reader ⭑ wc 660 𓂃 fantasy headcanons ๋ mirage

there's a rumor about an aquarium in the heart of the city's marine museum. they say if you look into its waters and make a wish, it just might come true. some dismiss it as a hoax—skeptics who claim they wished once and nothing happened. but others—the elders narrates a different story.

"it doesn't grant the wishes you speak," they say. "it grants the ones buried so deep inside you that even you don’t know they exist."

you've heard it all before. from classmates, from coworkers at your part-time job. and honestly? you never cared. if anything, you believed it was just another attraction propaganda—something designed to keep the place popular.

still, when your friends suggested a visit, you agreed. not to make a wish—at least, not for yourself, but just to see what the hype was about. and to your surprise, you weren't disappointed.

the museum was breathtaking, like stepping into an entirely different world. the light shimmered in gradients of deep teal and soft gold, reflecting off curved glass walls. it felt as though the ocean had opened itself to you.

your friends rushed ahead, eagerly pressing their palms to the glass of the infamous wishing aquarium, murmuring their hopes for wealth, love, beauty. you only shook your head, amused, and wandered deeper into the exhibit.

"make a wish," one of your friends urged, nudging your shoulder.

you rolled your eyes. "i'm good." they then shrugged and left you to explore on your own.

eventually, curiosity led you to the massive rectangular tank at the center of the hall. it was unlike any other in the museum. the fish inside were almost something out of a fantasy film. their scales shimmers in an iridescent glow. their movements were hypnotic, weaving slow, intricate patterns through the water. you stared in quiet admiration, no thoughts in your mind—only a sense of calm.

then, like a ripple across the surface, a memory surfaced.

a dream. the one you had two years ago, on the night your long-term ex-boyfriend betrayed you. you remembered how shattered you felt, how you swore off love entirely. but that same night, as you slept, you dreamed of someone—of a man.

he had danced with you beneath soft, billowing white. he was taller than you, with brunette hair and a face too beautiful to be real. too perfect it's reasonable that it only existed in your dreams. you remembered waking up with an impossible peace in your chest, as if the ache of heartbreak had been momentarily erased by something, someone, you had never even met.

you smiled to yourself at the memory, shaking your head. it was just a dream.

yet, as you turned back to the aquarium, something changed.

the water trembled. the light distorted, bending into unfamiliar shapes. the fish swam in spirals, their glow pulsing like a heartbeat. and then—

you saw him.

standing on the other side of the glass.

your were starstruck. he was not a stranger. you didn't know his name, but you knew him. from a dream that had long since faded, from fleeting moments of déjà vu that had left your heart yearning for something unknown.

he watched you, his gaze was steady, and filled with recognition as if he had known you for ages. the glass between you seemed to him, as if it, too, remembered.

then, he turned and walked away.

you should have dismissed it. called it a trick of the light, a coincidence too eerie, and strange. but before you could make sense of it, a presence appeared at your side.

you turned, and there he was.

up close, he was even more unreal—majestic in a way that made your heart stutter. his shiny brown hair caught the glow of the aquarium beside, his eyes locking onto yours as if he had been waiting for this moment.

"you found me," he spoke. his voice is just as gentle, and dreamy, like his essence.

"i'm kim leehan."

you never made a wish.

but the aquarium grants not what is asked—only what has always been waiting to be found.

[whereserpentswalk]

Somewhere out there within the dark woods of somewhere or another, in days some time past, there was a town. And that town worshipped one god, and that god was a hole.

Yes, a massive hole, at the center of their town. Deep and dark, perhaps leading all the way down to oblivion. Some people said the god lived at the bottom of the hole, others said that the god was the hole itself, or even the shadows that lay within. They had no temples, no alters, only the hole. And the hole of the hole demanded things of them. It was hungry, strangely hungry. It did not have sacfices, it demanded tribute. Taxes in a way. People would scrounge up what little money they had for the hole, and the hole promised back that it would give them good things in return.

There were those who warned them of the hole. The cryptids of the dark forest, and the occultists and demon hunters, and even the deep ones that lay in the dark ocean and the scaled men of the forgotten ruins. But the townsfolk didn't listen, the hole made them feel good. It felt good to give it money. And even though they never exactly saw how the hole must have been helping them. How could it not be helping them if they had given it so much. And soon the hole banished all supernatural things but itself, and the people said the hole was making them safe.

And soon the hole was bigger. What was once the size of a well had grown to being big enough to consume a house. And soon the town changed, the hole began to be its center, the entire town shifted so that all public life was around the hole. And soon those who didn't like the hole, or who questioned it, where seen as evil or strange people, greedy for not wanting to give the hole their money, they were seen as selfish and entitled, entitled to all the hole's benefits without paying their share. It was a tragedy when someone grew up to move out of the town and not follow the hole.

And soon the hole had more and more demands. And everyone listened as it grew larger and larger. Soon it didn't want money, it wanted things too, televisions, automobiles, books, family relics, grandma's ashes, works of art, perhaps even beloved pets. And it became taboo not just to question it, but to feel sad when you lost something to the hole. You couldn't say you missed it, or replace it too soon, the hole wanted you to not have it, you were so obviously wrong to miss it. You didn't just have to give to the hole, you had to understand that it was improving your life.

There was a movement of young people, who wanted to get rid of the hole. But it was too late by then, they had no other gods, no other spirits or creatures, and the hole was as large as a city block. And either way, the town police belonged to the hole now, and they would kill for it, and they would die for it. Some young rebels moved away. But most found themselves not being able to give up their family, their freinds, and their safety to fight the hole. So for a time they pretended to like it, and when you do something, and say something for long enough it can become your truth, and soon enough those who pretended to live the hole truly did love it.

And soon there was no music or movies that the hole didn't approve of. Everyone followed the hole's rules. And everyone loved the hole so dearly and so brightly. They couldn't imagine a town without a hole. When they thought of other towns they imagined that they must have had holes too, and every idea of a place without it was sad and depressing. And as the hole was then a quarter of the size of the town, it was hungry, and demanded not just things but flesh. And people happily gave, it would be weird to not want to give. They gave eyes, ears, teeth, testicles, tounges, fingers and toes and hands and feet and arms and legs. And they didn't miss their body parts at all. And when one day the hole demanded people jump in, and give their lives to it, they didn't mind or question at all, it didn't feel like death, and nobody missed that they weren't there.

And now, in the dark woods, there is a hole where a town used to be. It has eaten the entire the thing, every last inch and citizen of it. It is not satisfied. But it has grown all that it could. And one must wonder if the hole is lonely now, or if it knows that it has done all it ever hoped to.

[mcyt-hc-writing]

The Artificial Structures of Minecraft: An Attempted Chronology

Artificial structures in Minecraft range from the modern to the ancient. What structures are newer and which are older? It's hard to say. But here are my thoughts:

Modern - These structures are in use and new ones are likely being actively created

Villages: Actively inhabited by villagers

Woodland mansions: Actively inhabited by illagers

Pillager outposts: Actively inhabited by pillagers

Witch huts: Actively inhabited by witches

Igloos: No indication of owners, but the captive villager is still alive

Player-made structures: Self-explanatory

*Abandoned villages: Not actively in use, but new ones are likely being created

Recent - Not known to be in use, but have few signs of decay or geological changes

Abandoned villages: Explained above

Mineshafts: No signs of decay, despite wooden structures decaying easily

Desert wells: Cannot be proved to be in use, but have no signs of decay

Ocean monuments: No signs of decay, built after change in water levels (ref. ocean ruins)

End cities: No signs of decay, though in the end this may be hard to determine

*Shipwrecks: Some shipwrecks have few signs of decay or burial, indicating they are likely recent, especially given how fast wood can decay in water

*Ancient city illager structures: Structures in ancient cities made of dark oak wood and blue wool, appearing to be made by illagers. Illagers are active in the world, so it is likely that the structures are recent

Old - Structure shows signs of overgrowth or being partially buried, but no significant structural decay or changes in local geography

Jungle temples: Overgrown but structure and redstone intact

Desert pyramids: May be buried, and the secret room is entirely buried, but they are still near the surface and show little signs of decay

Dungeons/monster rooms: Cobblestone is overgrown bu structure is otherwise intact

*Shipwrecks: More decayed or buried shipwrecks likely belong in this category

Decayed - Structure has decayed or been damaged, but intact segments maintain integrity. Unclear if these are actually older than the previous category or if they were simply more prone to damage due to being larger

Strongholds: Have some cracked and overgrown bricks, and structures may have gaps. However, other than the gaps, rooms retain their shape and may even contain intact furnishings

Nether fortresses: Some bridges may be broken, but the rest of the structures have no obvious rubble or even cracks

Ancient - Structure is entirely decayed. Massive structural damage. Indications of geographic shifts since construction

Bastion remnants: Despite active habitation, they are in ruins. Some parts of the structures resemble natural caves more than artificial construction

Ruined portals: Wrecked and broken structures, often buried or flooded. Crying obsidian appears to be in an advanced stage of decay

Ancient cities: A majority of structures are in ruins. It is unclear if cities are supposed to be buried deep underground with little to no connection to the surface

Ocean ruins: In ruins. Some contain eggs of extinct animals. Evidently built before a sea level rise

Trail ruins: Likely the oldest artificial structures in the game. Almost entirely buried, with no structural integrity remaining

Conclusions:

Piglin civilization was ancient. Considering how ruined bastion remnants are, in comparison with nether fortresses, it seems unlikely that they competed with the fortress builders at the height of their civilization. It is likely that the fortress builders arrived in the nether only after the piglins had regressed to tribalism. If we assume Minecraft Legends to be canon, this likely means that fortresses (and strongholds, by extension) did not exist in the time period of Minecraft Legends

The advanced decay of ruined portals seems to indicate their extreme antiquity. Combined with their peculiar generation (generating nether terrain in the overworld, but not vice-versa) it seems likely that they are also from the Minecraft Legends time period - this makes a great deal of sense in my opinion, considering how they work in that game

Trail ruins indicate that villager civilization is likely just as old, if not older, than piglin civilization. This is consistent with Minecraft Legends, but the difference in architecture indicates that villagers may have been responsible for a lot of different kinds of structures

Nether fortresses and strongholds have similar levels of decay, indicating they may be from the same time period. This makes sense considering the ender eye crafting recipe

It is likely that the treasure maps in shipwrecks were obtained from ocean ruins

Igloos are likely owned by illagers

Abandoned mineshafts were likely made by villagers - badlands mineshafts may have been made by illagers, as they share their wood type with other illager structures

It is likely that the magic of totems of undying is related to the magic of golden apples. They have similar colours, illagers are the most likely to be responsible for igloos (where they experiment with golden apples and reversing death), they likely have mineshafts in badlands (where they find lots of gold), and they seem to have an interest in ancient cities (the best place in the game to find enchanted golden apples)

[thirstywoso]

Love me like a sailor - Jessie Fleming x reader

A/N: a little bittersweet childhood sweetheart fic, now I've re-read it I kind of hate it and let's just say there will be a lot of angst coming - you've been warned

THIS IS A RE-POST AS TUMBLR IS HAVING A MELTDOWN

WC: 2k

Warnings: none atm

Synopsis: long distance is taking its toll on you relationship with Jessie

London, Ontario. You knew it well, why?

It was the city you'd grown up in, learned to love and where you now as a 26 year old adult resided. It was also the city you met your childhood sweetheart. Jessie or as most people knew her Jessie Fleming the captain of the Canadian women's soccer team.

You'd met Jessie when you were in kindergarten and since then the two of you had been inseparable. It wasn't until 9th grade though where you'd both realised your friendship was maybe something more, Jessie had been bold and made the first move.

It had been shortly after her debut for the senior team, at 15 years old it was a huge step for her. You'd gone to see her play and unbeknownst to you the feelings you had for the dark haired girl were also creeping their way into her, only the feelings were for you.

So there you were at the sidelines, back then the games weren't so busy but you held up a sign for her "Fleming is my hero" she came over and said hi, the freckled Canadian grinning from ear to ear.

Shortly after the game you found yourself sat cross legged on her bed watching some old movie you'd probably seen a hundred times, yet this time you felt different. Your gaze shifted to Jessie whose eyes were already trained on you, she gave you a soft smile and before you knew it her lips were on yours.

You reciprocated the kiss and in your teenage brain it felt like hours when in reality was more than likely ten seconds, that's where it all started though. The innocent touches, the shared looks until one day you decided to bite the bullet and ask Jessie to be your girlfriend and now here you are just over ten years later. Still loving that goofy lopsided smile and those big brown doe eyes.

The issue with London, Ontario though was that it wasn't Portland, Oregon which is where Jessie currently resided. That being said it was two and a half thousand miles closer than London, England which was where she had been for the past three and a half years.

Jessie playing across the border provided to be easier than when she was across an entire ocean. It mean't she could fly to you during off season, you could fly out to games especially the ones she played on the east coast. It was easier. There was no doubt about that.

Yet after graduating high school together and both going to college on the west coast of America yourself at Berkeley and Jessie at UCLA, then dealing with the time differences being on different continents, nothing felt as distant as it did now.

You always knew Jessie would go far and even though you both decided it was best for you to stay in your hometown to pursue your career it seemed to be eating at you more and more.

This is something you should probably bring up to Jessie, yet it never seemed like the right time. When you saw her you'd go to talk but something inside of you didn't want to ruin the precious time you did have together and then she would be gone again. However, over the phone also didn't seem like the best way to have this conversation. So you kept it to yourself.

That was until you visited Portland, Jessie had been there several months by now, however, you'd only managed to get out there a few times but it was better than nothing.

This time was different though, she was showing you some of her favourite places she had found since being in the city, one of which was a coffee shop on the river. As you walked in you took note of the way the barista who you'd soon come to learn was named Alex beamed at your girlfriend, her face slightly dropping as she clocked you and your fingers threaded through Jessie's. This didn't go unnoticed by you.

She greeted Jessie as you both came up to the counter and Jessie introduced you to her, telling you how Alex had helped her one day when she got caught in the rain and the paper bag with her groceries had split. They'd soon became friends and Jessie would frequent Alex's coffee shop, it seemed odd to you that Jessie hadn't mentioned her to you before.

As you turned to find a seat you noticed that the shelves in the shop contained some old cameras and some books, the layout of the shop and the items scattered is only what you could describe as a representation of Jessie's brain. You mentioned this to Jessie and she told you that's why she liked this place so much, her eyes then wondered over towards the counter where Alex was looking over at you both smiling. A pang of jealousy struck you in the chest.

Once you'd both finished your coffee Jessie suggested one of her new favourite walks that Alex had apparently showed her, you politely declined, feigning a migraine and asking to go back to her apartment.

Arriving back at the apartment you laid down on the couch on your front a pillow under your head as your arms stretched out underneath it, that's when you felt some soft material poking out from under the couch cushions. After a slight tug you find a flannel shirt, one you didn't recognise.

"Hey babe" you call out

"What's up?" Your girlfriend says walking over to where you lay.

"What's this?" You ask holding up the garment in question

"Oh" she scratches the back of her neck "That's Alex's, she must've left it here"

"What was Alex doing in your apartment? Much less leaving clothes?"

"She just came over one day after I'd finished training to bring coffee... she must've got hot and just left it here by accident" Jessie says almost questioning it herself.

"Right.." you say pushing yourself up so you're sat on the edge of the couch.

"What? You don't believe me?"

"It's just. Jessie, you seem real close with her. The way she was eye fucking you across the coffee shop, how her clothes are literally in your apartment. How you've never told me about her ever yet she seems to be a big part of your Portland life, it just doesn't make sense!" You say beginning to raise your voice.

"I didn't bring her up because I want to focus on you when we talk, she was certainly not eye fucking me and she's just been helpful since I met her"

"Yeah, yeah Jessie, you can't deny the way she looked at you" you yell at her

"You're out of your fucking mind!" She yells back

"I'm out of my fucking mind, clearly you are lying or just so stupidly naive if you don't think she likes you"

Your words are almost instantly confirmed when Jessie's phone lights up on the coffee table,

Alex💕: You still coming over after you drop your girlfriend at the airport tomorrow?

"And there we go" you say gesturing to her phone

"Wow, we are really doing that huh?" She says handing you her phone

"Go on look through our messages" she huffs at you rolling her eyes

"I'm not saying I don't trust you Jess, I'm saying I don't trust her" you place her phone back on the coffee table.

Running your hands through your hair you don't know where to look, settling on the ground you can't bring yourself to look at her.

"She's just a friend, even if she does have feelings I promise you I don't" she says tilting your chin to look up at her.

Begrudgingly you make eye contact with her, deep down you know she's right. Jessie could never cheat on you... could she? You shake your head dismissing that thought.

"You're right, I trust you Jess. It's just been hard you know? You've been so far away for so long and I'm not one hundred percent sure how I can keep doing it" you let out a sigh feeling relived you addressed your feelings.

"Right... so what does that mean for you? For us?" She narrows her eyes slightly somewhat taken aback by your statement. It wasn't that Jessie hadn't also felt the strain and had begun to have those questions herself, it was more that she hadn't even thought about you feeling the same.

"I'm not sure, I love you Jess, I always will but it's just not felt right for awhile" you say your chest tightening

"I see, I love you too but you're right it's been hard, what should we do?"

"Maybe, maybe we should take a break. See how we are in a few months from now?"

"And if we are meant to be, we will be?" She says sadness seeping into her voice

"So, this is it?" You ask tears brimming in your eyes

"This is it" she repeats back to you.

"For now" she follows up.

-

Before you knew it you were on the plane back to your hometown, Jessie still in Portland. Your conversation last night ended with the mutual decision to keep contact to a minimum whilst you both figure things out.

You'd gotten on the plane with a book and some music downloaded on your phone, the way you'd kill the next few hours instead of enduring crying babies and staring at the seat ahead. That all went out the window though when a girl in the seat next to you was struggling to put her luggage in the overhead bin.

You being the kindhearted person that you were you'd decided to give her a hand, helping her cram her baggage in as she slammed down the bin door. Only she ended up knocking your phone out of your hand which came crashing down in the aisle.

She was so apologetic but that didn't help the fact you now had a broken phone and a six hour flight with nothing but yourself and your thoughts.

This gave you time to think about your relationship and your own life. You'd been with Jessie for all of your adult life and half of your teenage years, the time you had made you realise how you didn't know who you were without her, this break would be harder than you first thought.

You loved Jessie, you really did. Just for now you knew you needed to see who you were and what your life was without her.

After several hours of your mind ticking away back and forth between if you made the right decision or not, how you felt and if you should've just stuck with it you finally exit the aircraft making your way to the luggage carousel. As you turn to take your luggage you see a pair of feet in front of you and hear what sounds like someone gasping for breath.

"Oh hi" you say slightly surprised at the disheveled girl in front of you, the same girl from the plane.

"Sorry, it's just, I... hold on" she pants out

You stay still your gaze steady on her whilst she regains composure.

"I, I'm sorry about your phone. I couldn't let you go without apologising again and.." she rummages in her pocket pulling out a crumpled napkin with the airline logo stamped on it.

"This is for you" she says handing it to you

"Your dirty napkin?" You question confused.

"No, open it" she laughs

You do, looking up meeting her eyes a confused look still plastered on your face, eyebrow slightly raised and head cocked.

"What, what's this?" You ask

"My number silly" she giggles to herself lightly before carrying on "when you get your phone fixed, call me or text me and we can grab coffee or something and I'll reimburse you for the damage"

"I don't expect you to do that"

"It's nothing really!" She insists

"Well I'll agree to the coffee but don't worry about anything else" you bargain with her

"Deal" she shakes your hand "It's a date"

Those three words replayed in your head the rest of the day.

[loumandivorce]

@vampirejournalist started iwtv fanfic friday and i'm here to participate totally on time and not an hour before saturday begins with some LOUMAND FIC RECS as demanded by my url. here are some bangers.

Bloodletting, explicit, series

Even though we've had our ups and downs.

[“I love you,” Armand whispers. Louis swallows against a painful throat. “Sure, honey,” he says. “I love you.” Like saying it again will make it stick. “I know,” Louis says. Armand whispers it a third time, and Louis closes his eyes so he won’t have to look at him when he says, “I’m not gonna say it back, honey.”]

this is a series and it's number one on the rec list because it's truly The loumand series of all time there is nothing that gets them better. chances are you've read one or two of these but the entire series is absolutely insane. hot and disgusting and vulnerable and heartbreaking and makes me feel crazy.

A Chill That Follows, explicit

He leans down to kiss Armand, cradling the back of his neck in his hand. He smiles when he feels rather than hears Armand sigh against his lips, pleased—as if he’s receiving a gift. It’s almost absurd, to think that he was threatening to kill him less than half an hour ago. “What’s absurd is that threatening to kill you was what finally got you to put out for him,” a dismissive, familiar voice says behind him. Shit.

armand is fighting for his LIFE. delicious read

Triptych (Three Studies for Figures at the Base of a Crucifixion), teen

The five of them— Louis, Armand, the figures at the crucifixion— sit together, far too much alike, deformed creatures with teeth that shine in the dark. They all come apart in pieces.

[Why they bought the Bacon triptych, and why Armand sold it.]

really interesting character study on the trifecta in relation to armand

The Cord That Goes Winding Out The Door, teen

There had never been a time proper in his life where Louis wasn’t surrounded by others, but this was the first time that he had felt permanently connected; eternally un-alone. Another being tied to him, a constant brushing of shoulders against his being.

birthing imagery as horror 😊

1,001 nights, mature

The last time Louis saw the ocean up close was—1998. An island off of Miami. Flat, breezeless night.

Or: shards of the past seventy-seven years.

loumand failmarriage through the decades.

dirges, explicit

They fell into a holding pattern for a while in the seventies, in the years before Daniel. Perhaps it was not so long as years, but time dilated, as it was, in Armand’s experience, sometimes wont to do, and it stretched into a small eternity, syrupy and neon-lit, of Louis throwing himself onto swords, chasing and chasing, Armand trailing after with the end of the leash.

practically a loumand heritage fic. written pre s2 but managed to predict so many key parts of their dynamic.

Alexandria, explicit

Louis, glitteringly modern as Armand has always found him, is an excellent tourist, throwing himself into the wholehearted pursuit of the city with an almost manic zeal. Thunderingly alive in Paris, thunderingly alive in Alexandria, thunderingly alive for the rest of their lives, wherever they might be.

loumand in egypt! almost feels like a slice of life in a way, reading this makes you feel like this is really how they spent those 77 years together. the perfect undercurrent of tragedy and bitterness and, of course, love.

acts of collision, explicit

Armand misses Louis like a man about town misses his favourite whore. He misses what only one person is horrid enough to do to him. And Daniel wouldn't even suggest it, if he couldn't feel how Louis misses Armand in the exact same way.

this one is sort of cheating because its a loumandiel fic from daniel's pov, but it's so so good. set in a nebulous post s2 future where daniel invites louis to do a bdsm scene with armand because they both miss each other but armand quite literally Doesn't Talk to louis the whole time. rlly fascinating

the crowning evil, explicit

Armand stood, back to the window, unblinking, tension carrying itself in his frame. Liar, Louis thought. All he could think. Centuries old monster playing at being a boy. A boy pretending to be a man. Unworthy in both roles. Something akin to revulsion clawed up his throat, but it couldn't be, not really, he was too burnt to a husk to muster it in its completeness.

“Come here,” Louis said, his voice dropping.

Armand stepped forward, eyes going wide and hopeful and hungry in half a second. “Yes, Maître.”

“You’re still on that?” Louis asked.

this is just self promo im ngl 💗 but i'm confident enough that my own fic is good so. loumand having despair sex before going to meet lestat in paris in 2.08

this ended up being pretty long but loumand writers when they get it right write such beautiful fics 💗 thank you wonderful iwtc writers. happy fanfic friday/saturday!

[contentloadingandstuff]

Breaking up with Them - Ayaka x Male!Reader

A/N: A bit Dark Days-y. Enjoy! CW: Nothing.

“Then, we got a report that another fetch was sighted in the city.”

Ayaka whispers confidentially, staring up at the night sky as she leans against the cold, stone wall of the Kamisato Estate. The air around her is cool, but the voice behind the wall brings a warmth to her heart, so comfortingly familiar. 

You whisper, putting your mouth close to a small hole in the wall. “I've heard about it. It spooked a woman, right?”

Your lover nods, though out of your view. “Yes, that's right. But she wasn't hurt, thank the Shogun. The little Bake-Danuki didn't mean any harm, after all.”

A chuckle. “Mischievous cuties, aren't they?”

She smiles, lowering her head to keep it from showing. Just being here this late at night was risky enough. But she had a plan, clutched right in her hand. Some sort of astrological scribbles and diagrams she bought from a foreign astrologer - she didn't understand what they were for or how to decipher them, but fortunately, nobody else did either. It was a good excuse in case one of the staff noticed her, talking to herself against the outer wall. ‘I was just analysing the night sky’, she would claim while you scurried away into the darkness. 

Her brother already found out about her heart's longings for the common folk when he noticed you being a bit too friendly with her. You were ousted, but Ayato did not publicly declare the reason for your termination - for your own safety. If the news that the princess mingled romantically with a peasant, the reputation of the Kamisato clan would be tarnished. In Inazuma, there was hardly any flexibility or room for tolerance amongst the obstinate higher class, one the siblings had to put up with. Ayaka knew that her brother would bless her marriage if he could - you were a kind and loyal person, after all. But he couldn't ignore the consequences and put her up for ostracism and scrutiny, to be pelted with dishonouring accusations. 

But her heart longed for you, and yours longed for her. You weren't allowed to enter the estate again, so the only way was to meet here, way back on the estate grounds with a thick wall separating you. It was too tall to climb so the guard did not patrol much here, and if he did, you could easily hear him approach before he turned the corner and climb down the rocky shelf to safety, out of view. Ayaka would then sneak back into her quarters, away from any suspicions. 

“I wish you were there.” She sighs, groping the scroll in her hands. “There were many Yokai, all of those that still interact with humanity. And even some more.”

She turns her head slightly, peeking through the hole to see your smiling face. “Some sort of sentient staff came up to us, you know? Miko relegated it to one of her shrine maidens, of course, as it could not speak yet.”

Your eyes meet with her silver gaze, warm against the harsh ocean winds whipping your back. “Typical, I say. Since it could not speak, I bet she found it boring.”

You hear a hum from the other end. “Yes, I'm sure she would love to tease it. But alas, she could not. So she gave it away, and I saw the Traveler walking around with it.”

“I suppose it found a good home, though knowing him, he'll likely just hit things with it.”

Ayaka covers her mouth with her hand to stifle a laugh. Footsteps. “I bet, dear!” 

You smile at her adorable attempt. If only you could see her face, see her mouth turn up at your words, her eyes closing and her delicate, royal hand, courtly holding the chuckle in. If only…

A sigh escapes your lips. You lift your hand up and stick your pinky finger through the small hole. 

“Can we… hold fingers for a while?” You ask, your voice almost pleading. 

“Of course, love.”

You soon feel her middle finger touch yours. It's small. So lovably small. Like the girl herself, you think. You will never forget that one time when you hugged her. Your arms enveloped her entire frame, her cheek rested on your chest, feminine hands holding onto your back for comfort. Footsteps. You treasure that memory just as much as you treasured that moment. She felt safe, by her own admission. She didn't feel alone. She felt in love. 

Pulling out your fingers, you both look through the opening. Your eyes meet. 

For the briefest of moments. 

“Got you!”

Ayaka jumps as she sees an armour-clad fist slam against your head. Her eyes open wide, hands immediately finding her mouth to stop the gasp from getting out. She watches in horror as your body hits the ground, quickly curling up as you receive a powerful kick to the stomach. You cough as the familiar, uniformed figure of Hirano towers over you, holding you at spearpoint. 

“What were you thinking, huh!? Spying on the Kamisato Clan! How long were you here, fleabag? Why are you here?”

You refuse to answer, instead looking at Ayaka through the opening. You notice the silver glint of tears and panic mixing in her eyes. A sharp sting of pain shoots through your chest as Hirano strikes you with the butt of his weapon. 

“Answer me! I'll have you hanged, whoever you are, I swear by the Shogun!” The guard shouts at you, his tone striking fear into your heart. He was right, after all. That was most likely what awaited you. 

You stay silent, covering your head with your hands. The guard groans and stomps on you with all his might, making you whine in pain. “Help me! I need backup behind the estate! I've caught a spy!”

On the other side of the wall, Ayaka’s heart beats fast, so fast that she feels like it will tear apart any moment. You've been had, you've been had and you will be killed. They will torture you and they will execute you. They will boil you alive, crucify you or throw you into the sea with stones tied to your ankles because of her. No. No. No! She bites her fingers, chewing on them in stress as her mind flips through the options. She can't attack Hirano, she can't admit she loves you… Then what can she do!?

She gasps. Yes! 

“Hirano, sta-” Ayaka can't finish her command as a big hand clasps over her mouth. She squeals in panic, desperately wiggling to break free and save you. But a familiar voice reaches her ears.

“What are you doing, sister?!” Ayato hisses, still silencing Ayaka with his hand. He can't let her utter a word more - things are bad already as-is. The man's ears stake out for any reactions from beyond the wall. 

“Huh?” The guard says, making Ayato furrow his brow. Ayaka’s desperate resistance slows to a halt, the tension in her body palpable. “Hello? Is anybody there? Lord Ayato? Lady Ayaka?”

“Shh. Stay quiet.” He whispers to his younger sister, the girl nodding and squeezing her teary eyes shut, afraid of what will happen next. 

“Hirano! Stand down! I'm a m-” Your voice is kicked shut, but the older sibling lets out a sigh of relief. You think quickly, that's good. 

Without a word more, Ayato walks backwards, pulling his sibling away from the wall with him. The situation has been saved, as much as it could have been, but he can't risk it. His heart clenches at the image of Ayaka, desperately dashing over the wall to save you. He knows how much she values you, but he needs to handle the situation properly.

A moment later, Ayaka is sat down on the estate stairs. Ayato kneels down to her eye level, but Ayaka refuses to look him in the eyes. She sobs softly, hands clutching her dress in resigned despair. 

There are a million things he wants to say. His anger wants him to ask her why. Why would she be stupid enough to risk herself and you this way? Why would she love you in the first place? He wants to tell her: ‘congratulations, you've got him killed’, but the sight of his darling sister, breaking down in horror at likely just this thought, stops the words from sounding out and reason quickly makes its way back to his mind. 

It's love. Love is stupid and reckless by design. 

“I'll… Do what I can, Ayaka.”

He embraces her, letting her bury herself in his shoulder, muting her heartbreaking sobs. Ayato’s hand goes up to her hair, stroking it in an attempt to comfort her. 

“I promise.”

Thanks for reading.

[soupslice]

Blue light

(Internetcafe!joost x f!reader)

Summary: Joost makes a move on the pretty girl at the internet café.

Tags: fluff, a bit angsty maybe, teasing, mutual longing, a little suggestive in the end but nothing crazy, joost tries to act tough but is actually a softie lol

Wc: about 1,800

If you are a minor or uncomfy with rpf please dni!!

───── ⋆⋅☆📺☆⋅⋆ ─────

You swing open the door to the city’s only internet café.

Open 24/7, and a great place to hide away from the cold on a day like this. An even better place to joke around and relax after a long day of studying. The café is pretty busy today. You’re met with the chatter of the people already there, laughing and bickering as they’re playing games together, emailing each other memes. The room is dim, bathing in a warm yellowish light. Despite the old state the place is in, you find it weirdly cozy. Not like you haven’t been there before. The fans usual humming next to the water dispenser. Service posters and ‘no smoking’ signs are plastered on the walls.

The culprit is the only person who seemingly isn’t having a good time, the receptionist, Joost, smoking a cigarette behind his desk at the far back. He also happens to be the main reason you come by every week. The never-faltering scowl plastered on his face, clacking away on his keyboard. You wonder what keeps him so busy all day, except cleaning up after customers of course. Maybe he is just playing tetris all day. But you did once catch him snacking on an onion. Strange guy, really.

Despite his rather annoyed attitude, you find Joost embarrassingly attractive. Looking up at you with smudged eyeliner around his blueberry like eyes whenever you speak to him. Most other conversations he has during the day are cut short, not really feeling like talking to anyone.

You make your way through the rows of desks until you reach Joosts. Feeling a jolt in your stomach when you lay eyes on him. He doesn’t want to admit it , but he was hoping you would come by today. It’s Wednesday already, so the fact that you was not here yesterday is out of the ordinary.

It takes Joost longer than usual to respond when you start talking to him. Cigarette smoke lingering in the air around his desk. But when you mention the note on the window outside his head immediately perks up. The ‘We’re hiring!’ flyer exactly what the blond hoped you would bring up. Relieved that you’re the one asking and not any of the others who spend their time at the cafe. He removes one of his wired earphones and looks at you with faux nonchalance. “You just seem so busy all day, might be easier if we were two. I also come here like multiple times a week, so why not?” you blabber on, almost nervously. He nods at you while he puts out his cigarette on the porcelain ashtray he keeps on the counter. Spending a bunch of extra time with him at the café could be fun, you really like the place anyway.

You get a bit intimidated as his blue eyes pierce right through you, even though you saw him peeking at you when you walked through the door. He could fit an entire ocean in there if he really tried. The beauty mark beneath his lips that you love so much catches your eye, but only for a what must be half a second. You swear that you can see a grin tugging on the corners of his mouth before he finally speaks. His accent seeping through most words. “My shift ends at 8, stay for a while and we’ll discuss it then ja?”

“Why so late?” You almost chuckle. “I mean I can wait, but haven’t you been here since this morning?” you add. To which Joost just shrugs and hums an “i don’t know, I don’t really mind it,”and looks back at his screen again.

“Oookay, allergic to sunligt much,” you retort jokingly right as you turn to take a seat at a computer. He scoffs at that, a small smile on his lips. Little did you know he actually might be.

You sit down at a computer pretty far into the café. Joost to your right. Even though you come here often; his company, although quiet, could never tire you. Seeing him annoyed and busy in his usual element is also pretty funny to you. However done he may feel he is never hesitant to help anyone who needs it though. You may or may not have asked him for help when you did in fact know how to fix whatever problem the computer was having. Feeling his hand on the armrest of your chair as he leans over the desk does something to you. His arm just slightly touching your shoulder. So close that you can feel the slight hint of aftershave hidden beneath the smell of the cigarettes he smokes. His touch sends shockwaves through you. Wondering how his hands would feel wrapped around your waist. His lips nipping at your neck.

You think you’re being smooth. But Joost knows. Way more than you could possibly think he does actually. He can see your eyes widen at the small expanse of his tummy that reveals itself when he stretches. Notice the blush that creeps up your cheeks whenever he stands in front of you like a tower. It amuses him how much he’s got you wrapped around his finger. When you leave it somehow gets even harder for him to focus. His mind lingering on the smell of your perfume, your laugh echoing in his head. The way you smile at him with a glint in your eye, secretly admiring each other before looking away yet again.

After a while Joost gets curious about what you’re up to. He can no longer hear the soundtrack of your favourite video game, ‘no one lives forever’, blend in with the hum of computers and the chatter still present in the café. It’s so cute the way your brows knit while moving the mouse around the screen. Something having clearly caught your attention. His curiosity gets the better of him and he gets up without you noticing, almost like he wasn’t there at all. You are way too focused on the ms-paint window currently open on your desktop. Joost grabs a black plastic bag and routinely starts walking around to pick up trash and other stuff left behind on the desks. Some old gum (ew), soda cans and all that.

He eventually closes in on you and takes a peek at your screen, squinting since he is not wearing his glasses. His cheeks grow warm as he scans the brush strokes that covers the digital canvas. A portrait of him on the page, a camel, and… onions?? He contemplates saying something, but quickly realises that it would look a bit weird to the other customers still around. Settling for walking back to his desk instead.

When 19.30 rolls around the blond calls out to you, putting the magazine he was reading down on his desk. “I’m basically done for today, come to the back.” Joost says and waves you over to him. You reach over to the power button before you follow him inside. There’s a staff only sign on the door. A few desks and shelves upon shelves with CDs and extra hardware parts decorate the space. You notice a bag of funyuns lying around on a table. As well as Joosts ipod and some pocket money. The setting almost matches the café, you think.

“So,” he starts, leaning on one of the desks. A new cigarette hanging from between his lips.

“You want me to hire you?” He asks. You actually want him to do a lot more to you than that. But this is a good approach nonetheless.

“Yeah, It’s no secret that i like the place. And i could probably use the extra money as well,” you argue. One of your hands instinctively starts playing with your necklace.

Still leaning back, Joost takes a drag and exhales before standing up completely. Right in front of you. He is dangerously close now. Just the simple motion of him standing up makes your head spin. He is so much taller, not looking entirely at you.

After months of dancing around each other, months of yearning and pretending not to mind it, months of Joost not daring to make a move on you, he finally, FINALLY, lets himself give in. Lowering his voice a few notches before he asks; “Is that really the only reason, schatje?” with a smirk that decorates his pretty lips. He’s not hiding his gaze anymore, drinking in the sight of your red cheeks and half open jaw as the question lingers between you.

Of course it was not your only reason. His intimidating figure is making you hot all over, and he wears a face like he knows it, too. The expression completely different from the irked scowl he usually defaults to while at his desk. You have never seen him smile like this before. Confidence high on his bloodstream and it’s the most gorgeous he has ever looked.

Unbelievable. Unfathomable. It feels insane what is happening to you right now. A reoccurring fantasy that has somehow trickled into reality. The thought of his delicious weight pressed on top of you making you toss and turn in the middle of the night. Again and again. You feel stupid for being so struck, for letting him have this effect on you. His mere proximity rendering you so obviously wordless that you almost want to scurry away and hide.

When you don’t respond, you actually see his smile falter a bit, afraid he might have overstepped. Theres a sharp jab in his stomach at the thought. Maybe he just ruined exactly everything. He wonders if you can hear the heavy thud of his heart. “I don’t know Joost, should I come back next week and find out?” You respond after what feels like a lifetime. You’re finally able to grasp onto some sort of composure at your words.

“Sounds good, we are officially coworkers then!” He exclaims with a chuckle. A bit taken aback himself, but so relieved. It clears the tension a bit, but for now you don’t quite care. Having gotten the confirmation that he wants exactly the same thing as you do. Joost takes your hand in his and shakes it dramatically as you start laughing as well.

After chatting for a while longer, you both realise that it’s getting late. The manager is now the one behind the desk to take the night shift. You wave Joost goodbye outside the café door as both of you head your separate ways. So close yet so far away. If only you could have said what you wanted to, anything! Anything to pull him in by the collar and press your lips to his. Anything to wake up to his blond tousle of hair next to you every morning, see the sun coat his bare chest. It’s a thought that should feel too intimate for a guy you only see a few times a week. But it just feels so right.

You already know that you will not be able to sleep tonight.

───── ⋆⋅☆📺☆⋅⋆ ─────

a/n: I have a few more things in mind for these two (obviously) so this is pt 1/2! Also this is my first published fic!! Who cheered!? Anyway thank u for reading, constructive feedback very much appreciated lol :,)

AND DONT WORRY VAMPIRE JOOST WILL MAKE AN APPEARANCE IN PART 2 TRUSTT

[revasserium]

i carry your heart with me - Zoro with an s/o he meets during his travels

i carry your heart (with me)

opla!zoro; 1,776 words; fluff, a bit of angst, and then fluff again, fem!reader, implied smut but none actually written out (i know, maybe next time lol)

summary: whipped!zoro is whipped.

a/n: this is painfully self-indulgent. but if u wanna read about zoro being grossly in love... here you go.

he meets you in a city of gold — golden leaves and golden apples, golden wheat and golden cattle. he meets you with your golden voice, a sound like liquid sun; he meets you with your gold-spun dreams, and somehow, he knows you’re the one.

he’d never known a song could sounds so beautiful till he heard you sing for the very first time. he doesn’t blame the jostling crowds of men at the bar as they try to push just an inch closer to the stage, their eyes hazy with candlelight and greed.

but later that night, after too many drinks and a few good hours of usopp regaling their best adventures, zoro kisses you and thinks himself the greediest of them all.

“come with us,” he says, with the sun setting fire to the evening sky.

“come with us,” he says, murmuring the words against your skin, cloaked beneath the darkness of night.

“what would i even do on a pirate ship?” you’d asked, laughing as he ghosts his lips along the column of your neck, content with the thought of drowning himself in the texture of your bitten off sighs.

“dunno, you can sing… we’ve been looking that.”

you pull away to stare at him, and somewhere behind the glassy glaze of your eyes, he finds oceans that he’d never sailed, oceans the depths of which he thinks he could spend the rest of his life trying to explore. but he saw something there that night he’d seen the very first time he’d caught your eyes — the glimmer of want like lamps behind a submarine’s windows — and in them, he sees a thirst for adventure that mirrors his own.

a thirst that he’s tasted on the open salt breeze, in the wild, uncertain whomph of unfurling sails against the backdrop of a dawning sky.

you hum against the skin of his shoulder and he lets his fingers track an indulgent trail along the length of your spine.

“can i at least sleep on it?” you ask, laughing as he sighs huffily and makes to roll away from you. you pull him back with another kiss and he lets himself be properly lost for the first time in what feels like centuries.

in the morning, you find the bed empty and the sun beyond your small bedroom window is cracking over an eggshell dawn. the wind is warm, but the ground is still chilly — the sky is the shade of a fading bruise and by the time you reach port, the grand pirate ship with the sheep’s head mast is no longer there. you sigh, wrap your shawl more tightly around your shoulders and wonder if he’ll ever think of you again.

he does, though he wouldn’t get the chance to tell you for years and years and years.

“i thought you said you’d convince her?” sanji asks over a freshly rolled cigarette and two tankards of barrel-aged beer.

zoro shrugs, “i tried.”

“shoulda tried harder, then.”

zoro grunts, taking a long swig of his beer and wincing as he glances between sanji and the glass.

“what’dyou put in here?”

sanji’s grin goes lopsided as he waves a hand vaguely through the air, “oh, just somethin’ with a bit more bite. looked like you needed it.”

and for once, zoro doesn’t snipe back. instead, he stares at the tankard for a long second before drowning the entire thing in a few forceful gulps.

just then, luffy rounds the door into the kitchen and grins at the two men at the counter.

“whatcha talkin’ about?”

sanji jerks his head towards zoro, “just about zoro’s lost love.”

“she ain’t lost. we know exactly where she is.”

sanji opens his mouth but pauses as he realizes there are two things zoro could’ve denied and he’d only denied one.

luffy grins, “oh i know. i convinced him to let her go.”

sanji frowns, “wait what? weren’t you the first one that said we should ask her to join?”

luffy nods, still grinning, “sure! yeah, her singing’s the best i’ve heard, but if she’s not ready, we shouldn’t force her. she’ll find us though, someday. and she’ll just join the crew then!”

there’s a kind of childish, miraculous certainty with which luffy says things that always leaves strangers baffled. but his crew knows him better — they know that his blind trust only seems blind because he puts his trust in things that other people might not yet be able to see.

and he doesn’t strike out this time either, even though it’s years before any of them would meet you again.

though meet you, they do, but this time, it’s amidst canon-fire and wood dust and the incoherent shouts of retreating marines.

zoro sees you first, flying through the air on a thick length of rope, a small instrument strapped to your back, landing light on the deck like a ghost or a daydream. you’re different now, your limbs a bit longer, your hair a bit lighter, twisted back with a strand of golden ribbon so bright it might’ve stolen light from the sun itself.

“its — it’s you!” luffy is a bit breathless and there’s a dark soot smudge across his cheeks, but he’s smiling all the same.

“yeah, i heard you guys were looking for a musician?”

zoro wipes down the length of his swords, his eyes never leaving your form as he makes his way to you.

“so, guess you slept on it, huh?”

you turn towards him, and he’s once more held still by the look in your eyes. there’s a fierce, feral fire there that threatens to ignite everything it touches, and when you smile, zoro feels the burning inside him just as strong as before, as if he’s held a piece of you in his chest all these years and the proximity to you has finally set it ablaze.

“yep. i did. and here i am.”

luffy laughs and claps you on the shoulder as sanji lights up a post-fight cigarette, grinning toothily at you as he asks if you’d like anything to eat or drink. and soon, the rest of their growing crew joins you as you’re pulled away from zoro for what nami had termed a proper straw hat initiation.

he thinks he’d never appreciated music until you’re the one playing it — later that evening, he lets himself be carried on the moonlit tendrils of your voice as it dances over a soft melody of strings and the ever present lullaby of the drowsy sea.

and then, even later, when he finally gets you alone enough to press his mouth to yours, he thinks that your skin smells of a thousand untold stories, collected in the curve for your neck and the bend of your hips, arresting his senses like so many exotic perfumes from distant lands. he maps a constellation of wants and unsaid words into the long, sinuous expanses of your thighs and re-teaches himself the meaning of greed as he kisses a line up your stomach, back up to your lips to find you smiling.

“hey,” he says, reaching down to run a finger along the high of your cheeks. freckles. you didn't used to have them before.

“hey yourself, stranger,” you say, adjusting your body slightly so he can lay down next to you.

neither of you remark upon the lingering ghost of a night long past, the shapes of your bodies curled into almost identical shapes, the darkness wrapped around you like a promise that’s made to be broken.

“how’d you even find us?” zoro asks, letting his thumb trace absent circles into the soft of your kiss-bruised shoulder.

“weren’t you listening at dinner? i was ‘rescued’ from another pirate ship by the marines and —”

zoro scoffs, “i’ve hung around usopp long enough to know bullshit when i hear it.”

you quiet, though it’s not an unpleasant silence by any means.

“you wanna know the truth?” you ask, shifting to pillow your cheek against his chest.

he nods, “yeah, that’d be nice.”

you bite your lips, “i went looking for you. the morning after you left. but by the time i got to the docks, you guys were already gone.”

“hm.”

you let out a long sigh, “why’d you leave?”

you shift to look up at him; he glances down to meet your eyes. there’s no accusation in your voice, just a simple curiosity. and somehow, that stings more than zoro would ever admit.

“you… you didn’t seem like you were ready.”

he clears his throat and looks away, luffy’s words echoing back through the years.

“and… we knew that you’d find us eventually.”

when he looks down this time, your eyebrows are cocked and there’s an indulgent smile on your lips.

“well, guess you were right.”

you shift again to curl into his side and he adjusts slightly to slot his body more comfortably against yours. he remembers wondering how two bodies could be made separately and still fit so perfectly together like this. and here and now, he wonders how that might still be true after so many years.

he grounds himself in the rhythmic cycle of your breaths.

“zoro?”

your drowsy voice stirs him from the edges of his dreams and for a moment, he doesn’t remember when or where he is — if he’s back in the golden village lying in your tiny, warm bedroom, or if he’s on the going merry, with you tucked perfectly against his side.

“yeah?”

“will you be here in the morning?”

“mm. yeah. i will.”

the blankets rustle, the world around you shifts, like a camera with a mismatched lens, and for a second, just a single second, time bends back on itself, and zoro feels one moment superimposed over another. a fracture, a singularity, a temporary double-exposure.

and then, the film flickers and time unwinds itself, and he can hear the soft shushing of waves against the merry’s hull.

“do you promise?” you ask, curling your fingers against zoro’s chest as he turns towards you to pull you closer into him.

“yeah,” he says, his voice already thick with the syrup of sleep and dreams, even as he leans down to drop a kiss into your hair —

“i promise. ‘m not going anywhere.”

feed me opla!zoro reqs pls i beg

[orsan1070]

Pokémon World Geography and Real World Geography: Not The Same

It’s a common idea that the geography of the Pokémon world reflects that of the real world, and I would not begrudge anyone for thinking so (especially given the series’s origins). However, I’ve found that fewer people than I expected are aware that it actually doesn’t line up and that it hasn’t for at least ten years– the evidence is not compiled in one easily accessible place, making it often hard to explain why it does not match up.

This is, unfortunately, not a full map of the Pokémon world. Such a thing would be a big undertaking, and I do not believe we have enough evidence to completely coherently construct one as of now. If people are interested in my take, let me know!

As with my prior posts, direct main-game quotes will be in orange, and quotes from supplementary media like demos and spin-off games will be in green.

This is going to go in order of most damning to least damning. Starting with:

Kalos & Hoenn

This is probably the most famous example. Within Pokémon X & Y, you can find Swimmer Kieran at Azure Bay, who says that he “swam all the way here from the oceans of Hoenn” upon being encountered.

In addition, the map description for Hoenn’s Route 108 states that “People come swimming from as far away as the Kalos region to see the site of Sea Mauville.”

One more piece of media reiterates this: the Omega Ruby and Alpha Sapphire Special Demo Version. While the two demos are not canon, as seen by their having nonstandard takes on the settings of both ORAS and SM, including an entirely otherwise nonexistent area in SM, different protagonist names, and the like, they still likely reflect the actual nature of the setting. Within the ORAS demo, which is set in Mossdeep City, you can meet a Swimmer who leaves for Kalos, telling two other swimmers that he’ll “swim back to Kalos on my own.”

Overall, all three of these paint the picture that swimming between Hoenn and Kalos is possible and, in the case of the Route 108 description, not uncommon. In real life, though, the distance between France (the basis for Kalos) and Kyushu (the basis for Hoenn) is approximately 9600 kilometers / 6000 miles in a straight line, not even accounting for water. The longest recorded human swim, even accounting for multi-segment swims, is only 168.3 kilometers, only about 1.7% of the necessary distance. These two areas being at their real-life inspirations’ distances is, frankly, infeasible. This is the most damning piece of evidence, but it’s worth bringing up some more minor discrepancies.

“The East”

Throughout the various games, there have been occasional mentions of an eastern region, such as in the story of the Treasures of Ruin. However, the relevant case here is in the Pokédex entries for Arcanine. In older dex entries, Arcanine was said to be revered in China. In line with modern Pokémon cementing itself as not being in the real world, however, that specific dex entry did not return at all after HeartGold until Let’s Go Pikachu and Eevee, which rewrote it to be in line with modern lore (much as it did for other bits in Kanto such as Surge’s tagline): 

“A legendary Pokémon in the East. Many people are charmed by the grace and beauty of its running.” 

However, Kanto is based on Japan, which China is notably west of. Even the original Japanese text refers to this eastern region as “the Orient”, a term that literally means “east”, also historically used in China to describe Japan. Therefore, this unseen Chinese-based region from Arcanine and the Treasures of Ruin’s lore has to be east of the Japan-based Kanto and Johto, despite that not matching real life at all. (Thanks to @kiskeym on Twitter / @boh.nonso on Medium for the Japanese translation and for explaining some of the nuances for me!)

Hoenn, Galar

Hoenn is based on Kyushu and Galar is based on the United Kingdom. However, as many people know, both of these regions are rotated compared to their real-life counterparts. Hoenn is rotated 90 degrees counterclockwise, so real-life north equates to Hoenn’s west, while Galar is rotated 180 degrees, so real-life north equates to Galar’s south. If their real-world geography applied, they would be at their proper orientations. (We know that north is up in both Hoenn and Galar from various pieces of dialogue and world design, such as the four sisters in Mauville City and the names of the Wild Area’s lakes).

Paldea & Unova & Kitakami

Next up is the trio of regions featured in Pokémon Scarlet & Violet. In-game, the player takes plane flights between the three of them, with the time shifting according to each region’s timezone. (It’s not just the time of the plane flight, which is abstracted away, as the in-game map shows the time correctly regardless of which region the player is in.)

In-game, Kitakami is 18 real-life minutes ahead of Paldea, and Unova is 18 minutes behind Paldea (Source). The day/night cycle in-game is 72 minutes long, thus making 18 minutes equivalent to six hours in-universe. 

In real life, Spain is in the UTC+1 timezone, while Portugal is in the UTC+0, making up Paldea. New York City, the basis for Unova, is in UTC-5, which does match up with Spain, which represents the majority of Paldea. However, the issues come with Kitakami, which is based on the real-life region of Kitakami in Japan. All of Japan falls into the UTC+9 timezone, putting it eight hours ahead of Paldea instead of six. This is, ultimately, a relatively minor discrepancy, but it is still a discrepancy.

Fiore & Almia & Oblivia

Lastly, I’d like to delve into the spinoffs a little bit. The three regions of the Pokémon Ranger series, Fiore, Almia, and Oblivia, are all based on real regions of Japan– the Okoyama/Hyogo Prefectures, Oshima Peninsula, and Oki Islands respectively.

However, a girl in Cocona Village in Pokémon Ranger: Guardian Signs says that “This Oblivia region is very far south relative to both the Fiore and Almia regions.”. Looking at the real-life inspiration map, this does not make sense– the Oke Islands are north of Okoyama/Hyogo and southwest of Oshima, neither of which I’d describe as “very far south”. In addition, Oblivia is quite tropical, unlike Fiore and Almia.

Conclusion

Overall, there are quite a few pieces of evidence that Pokémon geography does not line up with real-world geography. Kalos to Hoenn being a swimmable distance is by far the most damning, but that doesn’t mean that there’s a dearth of other evidence. Regardless, I hope this was informative! If you have any questions, comments, or feedback, my askbox is always open, or you can just comment/reblog– I promise, I love disagreements (they’re opportunities to see other perspectives or learn something new!), so I’d love to hear any thoughts or criticisms!

Thanks to, once again, @kiskeym / @boh.nonso on Twitter / Medium, as well as the others on Discord who helped me look over this!

[kyoshithewriter]

Made for You.

Summary: In which there’s a thin line between love and hate.

Wc: 8.3k

Warnings: angst, smut (18+).

A/n: Please enjoy this 8k words of cliched gibberish 🙂. Ignore any typos.

The sight of tall palm trees swaying in the breeze and aquamarine blending into deep blue waters makes the almost two day flight worth it. Yelena rolls her neck and tilts her face towards the sun, enjoying its warmth on her brown skin. Growing up in Jamaica, she took the blue skies, ocean breeze and sunny weather for granted. After living in England for almost seven years, she vows to never make the same mistake again. Seychelles may be thousands of miles away from her home country, but the weather and scenery are almost identical. Yelena was almost bouncing off the walls of her London flat when Camille told her where she wanted her annual birthday trip to be this year. She hated the cluttered city of Prague, the nasty glares and poor customer service they received in Rome and the food in Amsterdam. Yelena’s favourite of the four trips she has joined her friend on was the one they took to Lisbon. The weather was nice, similar to the weather now, and the people were nice as well.

“Yelena! Mon amour!” An excited squeal rings out.

A smile breaks out across her face as Camille dashes from the backseat of a black suv. Yelena’s suitcases bump over asphalt as she drags them in haste to meet her friend halfway. They’re quickly abandoned just as Camille’s within reach to leap into her arms.

“I’ve missed you! I’m so happy you could make it!” Her friend’s voice is muffled in her neck.

“Now who am I to miss a free trip to Seychelles?” Yelena jokes in return as Camille lowers herself to the ground.

“I don’t know, you’re a big and important doctor now who hardly has time for me.” Camille says with a fake pout on her tiny mouth. ‘They have the same mouth’ her brain unhelpfully supplies. The thought sends a surge of adrenaline through her body.

“You’re so dramatic. I declined one FaceTime call because I was swamped with work and you won’t let me live it down.” Yelena mutters in exasperation while reaching down for the handles of her suitcases.

“You’re damn right. I finally get to have you for an entire week and just know you’re making it up to me. First rule, no work calls or texts!” Camille reaches for one of her suitcases. Yelena adjusts the bag slung across her shoulder as she follows her friend to the vehicle.

“I’ll try my best.” Yelena says just to giggle at the sour look her friend shoots at her.

The driver nods his head in greeting with a kind smile on his face before reaching for her luggage to pack in the trunk of the car.

“So… uh….” Yelena clears her throat awkwardly before continuing; “Who’s at the villa?”

The duo climb into the back seat of the van before the driver pulls out of the airport.

“You know the usual, my boyfriend- Steven, Amelia and her boyfriend-Gerard, Noemie and her girlfriend Lili..” Camille trails off absentmindedly while typing away on her phone.

“Oh! And of course Jules. He’s on his way and he said he’s bringing a plus one.”

“Oh okay.” Yelena manages to sound calm even as a storm brews silently within her.

“Yea, maybe he finally got a girlfriend so he’ll spend less time pissing you off this trip.” Camille jokes. Yelena forces a giggle even though the smile on her face feels a little lopsided.

Camille and Yelena met in University in London almost seven years ago. They met freshman year in their third anatomy class when Camille, looking like a deer in headlights, asked her to explain what the professor had just said. Camille quickly realized that English was not the girl’s native language and the lecture was going by quicker than she could keep up with. Yelena not only explained, but she shared all her notes from that class and the other two. Camille would invite her to her flat to work on assignments together; soon, assignments turned into binge watching shows, then that turned into movie dates, until they eventually became friends. During the course of their friendship, Yelena discovered that Camille was not only rich, but she was related to an upcoming football star. Camille lamented about how much she hated medicine and was only studying because her parents insisted on it. She’s in love with fashion and everything that comes with it. A few years later, when her cousin signed for a bigger club, he encouraged her to drop out of school and allow him to sponsor her dream. Camille did not hesitate, and now she has her own fashion brand that quickly rose to fame thanks to Jules wearing it everywhere. Though she immediately returned to France after leaving university, Camille kept in touch and treats Yelena like a sister to this day. Camille gives her the most extravagant birthday gifts and invites her on every trip. She gets along with Camille’s other friends well too. But, for some strange reason, Camille’s cousin decided the first day they met that he hated her. Yelena is not sure why, but the moment Camille introduced them, there was this weird tension. It was in the way his mouth twisted in a frown; it was in the way he pinned her with his icy stare. They were both twenty- one at the time, and Yelena remembers how she stuck her hand in his direction with an enthusiastic smile that fell flat between them. He barely muttered a clipped ‘hello’ and shook her hand as if she was a leper.

“Your cousin is an asshole.” Yelena had muttered to her friend bitterly who just laughed it off.

“He’s not. He’s a total goofball. He might just have been tired tonight.”

But nothing improved between them. He would always make snide little comments that she was all too happy to return. The others found it amusing, thinking it’s just playful banter. But Jules and Yelena know there’s nothing playful about it. They dislike each other, even if the reason is unknown to them. What’s really strange though, is that despite this, she looks forward to seeing him on these trips. Yelena refuses to acknowledge why, but she loves the way her stomach flutters in his presence. She doesn’t just get butterflies, it feels like a herd of elephants stomping around in her belly. She likes the way her breath stutters when he stares, she likes the way her skin tightens and her palms get sweaty when they’re in forced proximity. Yelena wonders if that’s why her heart absolutely plummets into her stomach when Camille says he’s arriving with a plus one.

“Oh look! We’re here!”

Camille’s yell returns Yelena to the present. She gapes like a fish out of water at the sight even through the tinted windows of the car. The luxury villa is nestled in between vibrant, lush green trees and spans acres. The place is huge and while obviously connected, seems to be separated into mini houses. The windows and doors are all modernized with ceiling to floor glass, a strange but beautiful contrast to the roof that looks to be made of some kind of straw material. The walls are painted a creme white, with black and wooden accents around the doors and windows.

“Wait till you see the private pool and the beach around back.” Camille wiggles her brows with a wide grin on her face. Her light skin is already beginning to tan from being in the sunny country a day earlier. She makes a mental note to remind her friend to double up on the sunscreen seeing a bright pink spot forming on her collarbone. Yelena walks up to the house in a daze, taking in the picturesque landscape the mountainous terrain creates behind the villa.

“You should totally buy me this house.”

Camille snorts at her words.

“Said the exact same thing to Steven when we arrived yesterday.”

Yelena whispers a quiet ‘thank you’ to the driver as he hands over her luggage and she hauls it through the front door that Camille leaves open behind her.

“Yelena is here!”

The woman takes her time to admire the inside while her friend announces her arrival. The ceilings are high and wooden on the inside. The furniture all have a polished wooden or bamboo finish and there are a few abstract art pieces around the space.

Steven is the first one to arrive in the main room; he greets Camille with a peck on her lips before pulling Yelena in a side hug.

“Hey big head.” The 6’0 brute of a brunette teases.

“Don’t think because you’re a muscle head who’s six inches taller means I won’t kick your ass, Steven.” She playfully warns.

His green eyes twinkle in amusement and he holds up his hands in mock surrender. “Sorry, your head is very normal sized.”

“That’s what I like to hear.” She mirrors his megawatt grin.

Yelena greets the others with the same kindness though with a lot less familiarity. Camille and Yelena often privately joke that Amelia and Gerard could secretly be related. The blonde couple share the same blue-eyed stare and roman noses. Noemie is a dark skinned beauty who reminds Yelena of a brown-eyed Naomi Campbell and she wonders if her parents just knew that she would look like her so they gave her a similar name. Lili, her girlfriend, is the textbook definition of an artsy girl. The 5’3, asian brunette has her hair cut in a bob and highlighted with three different colours: pink, red and blue. She wears a septum piercing and has a leg full of jet black tattoos.

“You must be jet lagged. Your room is five doors down. Go take a shower and get some sleep. We’ll have dinner in about five hours. By that time Jules should get here.”

Yelena schools her expression and gives a little nod of appreciation.

“Yea, I could use a nap. See you in a few.”

Steven easily hauls her luggage to her room and leaves her to admire the space in awe. The king sized bed overlooks the ocean view so beautifully that she physically shivers.

“My own bathroom too? Thank heavens.” Yelena mutters to herself while she strips from her shorts and tank top. She carefully wraps her waist length boho braids in a bun and steps under the cool sprays of the shower. Exhaustion bleeds from her very bones as she returns to her room. She only has enough strength to wrap herself in a towel and fall face- first into the plush bed.

*********

The sound of lively chatter and rowdy laughter floats down the hallway. Yelena stumbles slightly, rubbing the sleep from her eyes with the palm of her hand with all the finesse of a three year old. She could barely keep her eyes open to pull the pink, mini bandeau bodycon dress up her legs, but Camille came banging on her door insisting she come out for dinner.

“Finally. I wonder how you thrive in that career when you love sleeping so much.” Camille teases with a smile.

Yelena pretends not to feel the pair of familiar brown eyes scorching her skin as she flips off her friend.

“Hey guys.” She sleepily mumbles.

A chorus of greetings is echoed in her direction and even through all the voices, Yelena notices she doesn’t hear a specific one. Just him. However, she refuses to acknowledge him, she slumps in the chair Steven pulls out for her as Camille brings a plate of caesar salad to join the spread on the table.

“Oh! By the way, Jules’ plus one canceled at the last minute so prepare to be sick of him.” Camille giggles as she sits on the opposite side of her boyfriend.

Yelena rolls her eyes in lieu of responding. She conceals the relieved breath she exhales as a yawn.

“Sick of me? She’s the one that goes out of her way to talk to me.” He says pointedly, keeping his eyes on the ribeye on his plate.

“That’s not even true, asshole. You always bother me first, just like you did just now.” She immediately fires back.

“Only because Camille lied.”

“Did she?”

“Alright! It’s just day one of the trip, you two will have plenty of time to banter. While we’re all here, let me give you a rundown of the plans I made.”

Camille goes into details about a tour of the island in the morning. But it’s all lost on Yelena as she glares daggers at the man seated directly in front of her while massacring her steak with the butter knife. The man only smirks in her direction before dismissing her completely. Oh how she wishes it was his neck on her plate instead.

“Then, we’re going bar hopping!”

Yelena cringes internally. The last time she bar hopped with Camille, she ended up getting so drunk that she threw up in public and had a hangover that lasted almost three days. Suddenly, her phone pings with a notification. She tries to subtly hide her phone underneath the table while reading the message.

[Dr. Johnson] 7:25 pm: Hey, Mrs. Spence was rushed back to the ER and her bp is sky high. Did you not give her a prescription for medication?

[Me] 7:26 pm: Good night Dr. Johnson, I did prescribe her NORVASC. She was complaining about frequent coughing with her previous medication so I switched her off it.

“Hey! I can see you on your phone, Yelena!” Camille chastises.

“Sorry, it’s important. It’s about a patient.” Yelena replies sheepishly.

[Dr. Johnson] 7:27 pm: Ah. I guess she’s just being the stubborn Mrs. Spence we know. Sorry for disturbing your vacation, have a good evening!

She makes a show of placing her phone face down on the table, holding her hands up in mock surrender towards Camille.

“Look at you. You actually survived med school. I’m so proud of you but this week is all about me.”

A few chuckles ring around the room as Yelena nods her head in agreement.

“You’re so right. It’s Camille’s week.”

“Hmmm, now let’s kickstart Camille’s week by getting drunk on the beach!”

********

Camille is already a giggling, stumbling mess and they’ve only been outside for just over two hours. The music from the bluetooth speakers is drowned out by loud laughter from the others as they watch her friend dance as if she has no control of her own limbs. Yelena tries not to yawn as she nurses her cup of lukewarm liquor. The small two piece black swimsuit feels a bit skimpy on her curvy body, so she self consciously chose to remain seated on one of the beach chairs with an unfinished book. She’s content to watch her friend having fun. From time to time her skin prickles and she knows it’s because he’s staring. Just like now, she can see him from her peripheral vision. It’s making her head swim because it’s not his usual hate filled glare, or his icy blank stare. This one makes her skin heated for a whole different reason. If she didn’t know any better, she’d think he was… admiring her.

Her braids flow down her back like an inky, black waterfall, the moonlight glistening against her moisturized skin and Jules huffs in frustration. Every single muscle in his body feels tense, even the very breath from his lungs stutter and she’s just… being. She sits like she usually does when she’s comfortable: with one leg folded in the seat and the other on the ground. Is it really that endearing or is it just because it’s her? The swimsuit leaves very little to the imagination and he wanted to cuss her out the minute she exited the house in it. Why are you torturing me? Are you doing this on purpose?! Do you even know what you’re doing to me? Jules wants to chuckle bitterly because he knows she’s so unaware. She doesn’t even know that if she turns those russet brown, almond shaped eyes up at him and demands he brings the moon from the sky that he would. He’s sure Yelena actually hates him and that’s good; it’s what he wanted.

“You know what we should do, Yelena? We should play drinking games.” Camille’s grin is ear to ear.

“Calm down joker. You’re already almost drunk.”

“And? That’s the point! Who wants to play drinking games?!” Her friend's yell is met with enthusiastic yeses and Yelena can only sigh deeply. She knows it’s gonna be a long night.

**

Four rounds into ‘truth or drink’ and no one has taken a single shot. They’re all content to answer the mundane questions being thrown around as the game warms up.

“Jules…” Camille’s grin is full of mischief; “What’s your body count?”

Yelena’s eyes zero in on him. The man offers his cousin a smirk before reaching for a shot glass to toss it back. Yelena swallows thickly watching the way his Adam's apple bobs. The slams the glass back on the table and swings his eyes in her direction before she manages to look away from him.

“My turn. Yelena…”

She curses under her breath as her name falls from his lips.

“When’s the last time you had sex?” He smirks but Yelena notices the intensity of his gaze. There isn’t a trace of amusement in them.

“I… um…” She eyes the shot glass filled to the brim with tequila with a frown. Tequila gives her the worst hangovers.

“Five years ago.” She feigns nonchalance with a shrug.

A chorus of gasps from the group immediately makes her regret her decision of not just drinking.

“You haven’t had sex since that night with Elliot at uni?” Camille’s eyes are as wide as saucers.

“No. It’s not a big deal. School was hectic and the hospital even more so. I sometimes work twelve hour shifts and get two days off a week. I’m too exhausted to even go outside to meet people.” She scratches at her nape, shifting awkwardly on her seat.

“Gosh, you must be miserable. Lili and I are willing to have you join our bed, you know? We’d make you feel good without the hassle of getting to know each other first.” Noemie chimes in with a smirk while her girlfriend giggles.

“Are you serious?” Yelena asks more out of curiosity than actual interest. Sleeping with a couple seems like too much work.

“If you’re interested.” Lili says airily.

“Alright! No… whatever that is. I need my girl to be getting it consistently or else she’ll start getting wrinkles before she’s thirty.” Camille says, frowning in distress.

Yelena swings her eyes nervously in his direction to find him already staring with a tick to his jaw. I should’ve just taken the fucking shot.

“Don’t be dramatic, Camille. My turn, Noemie, how many women have you and Lili slept with while being together?”

The pair eye each other with Cheshire like grins on their faces.

“Five?”

“Nuh-uh. Remember that night in Amsterdam?” Noemie smirks and Lili gasps.

“Seven.”

The duo effectively steal the attention and Yelena wants to sigh in relief as the group begins to bombard them with questions. All except one. Jules won’t stop staring.

“Problem?” She whispers quietly to her right. The group had formed a circle for the game and he chose to drag his beach chair next to hers.

“Why would there be a problem?” He scratches lightly at the neatly trimmed hairs on his chin.

“Then stop staring at me like that.” Her whisper is only shared between them as Noemie and Lili’s stories send the group in a frenzy.

“Make me.” He challenges with a smirk on his small mouth, plump lips perfectly pink and wet with liquor.

“Seriously? Are you five years old?” She asks with a scowl even as her heart dances in her chest.

“You know, it all makes sense why you’re so… miserable all the time. Can’t take a joke, always so defensive…”

It’s meant to sound teasing but Yelena doesn’t know how to handle the intensity of his stare. She shifts, subtly squeezing her legs together briefly.

“You think it’s a coincidence that I’m only this way with you, Jules?”

“No. Not at all.” He says it in a way that suggests he knows something she doesn’t. She’s expecting him to smirk in that infuriating way he always does, instead, he reclines on his seat and finally shifts his gaze away from her. Yelena sucks in a deep breath that finally feels like it completely fills her lungs.

********

The curtains above the windows beside her bed billow sofly in the morning breeze. A shiver races up her spine making way for the goosebumps that raise along her skin. She knows it’s probably not safe to sleep with her balcony door wide open, but she's a sucker for the sound of ocean waves and breeze. Reaching for her phone on the bedside table, she taps the screen. 7:12 am. The villa is still quiet but she might as well start getting ready for the tour. Yelena takes her time to brush her teeth and shower. She’s wrapped in her towel, applying lotion to her skin, when there’s a light knock on her door. Yelena swings the door open expecting to find Camille standing outside her room; instead, she comes face to face with Jules. He’s dressed in a black wife beater and dark grey beach shorts. He’s layered a few gold pieces around his neck and Yelena wants to curse at how unfair it is that he can look this good dressed in something so simple. His spicy cologne tickles her nose. She grips the towel around her chest tighter.

“Um, yes?” Her voice is a lot breathier than she would like so she clears her throat awkwardly.

“I forgot lotion. Care to share?” He reaches up to finger one of his locs that hangs in his face.

“You’re asking me?” She cocks a brow at him.

He sighs, rolling his eyes in exasperation.

“Your room is right next to mine. Are you sharing or not?”

“How do you know I have any?”

“I can see it on you. I can smell it on you. You always pack things in twos too so you have more than enough.” He states in a matter of fact tone.

“In twos huh? Are you sure you aren’t obsessed with me?” She smirks at him.

“You have no idea.”

The smirk immediately leaves her face at the solemnity of his words. He stares unwaveringly. Yelena shuffles her feet. She’s terrified of the way her entire body warms.

“Um… they’re both vanilla scented. I usually bring a neutral one but I didn’t get the chance to buy an-”

“I don’t mind. At all.” He interrupts.

“Okay, um…” She doesn’t know what else to say so she spins on her heels to make her way over to her opened suitcase on the floor. She grabs the smaller bottle of lotion before heading back in his direction.

“I have a bigger one so you can keep it.” She says meekly.

“Thanks.”

Their fingertips meet and she fights the urge to bodily shiver. Yelena watches as he walks away and enters the room three doors down. Liar. She ignores the heat in her cheeks and the small smile that stretches her full lips.

********

Yelena dabs the brush into the creamy concealer on her skin lazily. They had a long day outside exploring the cute island. Their first stop was the country’s national museum. They learned so much about the history of the country and were in awe of the variety of art styles it had to offer. Next, they went on a farm tour, where all of the group except her, were introduced to various tropical fruits. The jackfruit was a miss for most because of the pungent smell and flavour but she enjoyed it so much. It reminded her of home. She remembers how everyone frowned as she ate it with a giant grin and content little hums. All except Jules, who had a look on his face that she couldn’t quite place. He has been causing her confusion since last night on the beach. She doesn’t know what to make of his heated stares that lack the hatred they once showed. She doesn’t know what to make of him buying her souvenirs at the shop earlier when she didn’t ask; she especially doesn’t know what to make of him going out of his way to ensure she stayed hydrated, or the little touches along wherever his hands could reach. Her brain feels scrambled. Yelena gets dressed in a daze. She opts for a dark red mini dress with gold heeled sandals. Her clutch and jewelry match her shoes.

Yelena sighs at the sound of Camille’s shout telling them all it’s time to leave. She didn’t get a chance to nap after being out all day and she’s a little cranky.

Making her way down the hall, Yelena realizes that she’s the last to arrive. She smiles sheepishly at the impatient tick to Camille’s jaw.

“Sorry.”

“Let’s go! We have four stops to make.”

********

“We’re getting you laid tonight.” Camille yells over the pounding music. ‘Choppers’ is a cozy bar and grill with good music and even better wings.

Yelena groans into her martini glass at Camille’s announcement.

“I’m fine. It’s your birthday week. Don’t worry about me.”

“We have two days until my birthday. We can spend a few hours finding someone for you.” She says dismissively, her eyes already scanning the bar. The place is brightly lit and spacious. A few bodies occupy stools scattered around the room. It’s still a bit empty but the hour is early.

“I agree. Five years is diabolical.” Lili chimes in.

Yelena wants the ground to open up and swallow her.

“Guys, I promise it’s not that serious. Besides, I’m not really looking to hook up with a stranger.” She says truthfully.

“How often do you masturbate?”

Yelena chokes on her drink, shooting a wide eyed look at Noemie. Camille squeezes her lips together in an attempt to contain her laughter.

“Seriously?! No!”

“What? I’m curious! Surely yo-”

“Alright that’s enough.” Jules’ voice cuts through brewing chaos.

Yelena snorts; “That’s rich coming from you, seeing as you asked that stupid question that led to all of this in the first place.”

“Wow, so I try to help and this is what I get. You could’ve chosen to take the shot by the way.” He responds with a scowl.

“You know how they are, even if I did they would’ve continued to press the issue. No offense you guys but you are nosy.”

“To be fair, that’s true Jules. We love a good tmi and Yelena’s very secretive.” Camille responds.

“Secretive? Or boring? What else was there to ask about? The colour of her bedroom walls? And even the answer to that would’ve been just as boring I bet.”

Yelena gapes at him. Embarrassment would flush her skin red if it wasn’t brown.

“Fuck you! Not everyone has the luxury of making millions by chasing a ball around a pitch! Some of us had to study for years and work hard! And not because I’m not content to sleep around meaninglessly like you do means I’m boring!” She says defensively. She swallows against the tightness in her throat, willing herself not to cry. She isn’t sure why she’s so embarrassed, but under the scrutiny of everyone around the table, she does.

“Woah, woah. Don’t cry, Yelena. He was just teasing.” Camille tries to soothe her by rubbing her back gently. The action just pushes the dam closer to breaking. Jules looks on, eyes wide with regret.

She swallows around the lump in her throat before throwing back the rest of her drink.

“Yelena, I’m sorry.” Jules says sincerely.

“I don’t care. Camille, let’s get drunk.” She drags her friend out of her seat and in the direction of the bar.

“You know the waiter was coming back, right?”

“Don’t care. Need to be away from him before I reach across the table and slap him silly.”

Camille falls in stride with her hurried steps.

“I’m sorry he just… I was really hoping he’d bring that plus one because he said he would when I told him you probably weren’t coming. I was surprised his date suddenly cancelled after I let him know that you got some vacation days.”

Yelena sees her friend subtly eyeing her in her periphery. She chooses not to acknowledge her words or what they could possibly mean.

“I need something stronger. I wonder if they have Long Island iced teas?”

“Are you sure you want to get shit faced? Don’t start something you can’t finish.” Camille warns with a smirk.

“Let’s do it.”

**********

Yelena taps out on her third glass of Long Island.

“I already feel like shit and I’m not drunk yet. Fuck this.”

Camille giggles maniacally.

“You really thought you could out drink me? Not a chance.” Her friend downs a shot of vodka just rub salt in the wound.

“I don’t even wanna go to the other bars. I need a cup of tea.” Yelena winces at the slight throbbing she feels in her head.

“Dance with me!”

Yelena is yanked from her seat and pulled into Camille’s warm body. Her friend wears a yellow romper that complements her skin well and smells of caramel.

“Why are we the only ones dancing, Camille?”

“Because, eye candy walked in about 30 minutes ago and he has been staring at you.” Camille makes a point of running her hands down Yelena’s body.

“Ugh, I told you, I’m not interested in one night stands.”

“Doesn’t mean you can’t have a little fun. When’s the last time you’ve spoken to a guy who’s not a patient or Steve or Jules?”

She huffs; “Fine. What does he look like?”

“Turn around and grind on me, see for yourself.” Camille says with a smirk.

Yelena reluctantly complies.

“Two tables down from ours on the right.”

Yelena subtly looks over and makes eye contact with a caramel skinned man. Even though he’s seated, it’s clear to tell he’s tall. She doesn’t like his outfit though. His fashion sense is plain, nothing like Jules’. The thought makes her pause briefly; now that she thinks about it, since the very first day she met him, she has been comparing every single guy with him. From their features, to their style and even the way they smile. The realization makes her stomach drop like she suddenly ascended thousands of feet in the air. Fuck.

The man notices her stare and completely unaware of her dilemma, starts stalking in their direction.

“And my work here is done. Have fun.” Camille sing-songs in her ear before disappearing somewhere behind her.

The man smiles and introduces himself as Lorenzo. His hair is low and wavy. His eyes are hazel and kind. She tries to pay attention to words that are constantly pouring out of his mouth but Yelena is trapped in her own anxious mind. She can only give little hums and forced giggles here and there as she tries to unpack her emotions.

“Lorenzo, it was lovely to meet you but I ca- I can’t- I don’t feel too well. I need to go.” She backs away from him as her breathing picks up. The telltale sign of a panic attack creeping up.

She quickly returns to the table.

“Camille, I need to go. I’m sorry.” She rushes out desperately.

“What’s wrong?! Are you okay? Did that asshole do something?”

“No. I just… I wanna go back to the villa, please.”

Camille’s eyes soften. “Okay, it’s alright. I’ll call the driver. Do you want me to come back with you?”

Yelena shakes her head. “No, it’s okay. I promise.”

The driver gets there in under ten minutes and Yelena wants to cry in relief. She feigns a stomach ache to the rest of the group and Camille follows her outside.

“You call me if you need me okay?”

Yelena nods before sliding into the backseat. Camille is just about to close the door when Jules appears behind her friend.

“I’m going with her.”

Yelena dissolves into full blown panic.

“No! No it’s okay! I promise. I just need some tea and some sleep. I’ll be ok-”

“I’m not letting you stay at the house by yourself. Move over.”

She stares at Camille for support but her friend just shrugs. Sighing in defeat, Yelena shuffles over and allows him inside the vehicle. The door is slammed shut, sealing them together in tense silence. Fuck.

******

“If this is about what I said earlier-”

“It’s not.” She immediately cuts him off. She swings the door open, not bothering to turn around to look at him walking in the house behind her.

“I want to apologize anyway.”

“You already did.” She reaches down to undo the straps of her heels. Yelena sighs in relief, wiggling her toes when her feet are finally flat on the floor again.

“I’d like to again.”

Jules reaches for her shoes before she has the chance to. She eyes him warily but doesn’t respond as she heads down the hallway. He wordlessly follows. Her heart races like hummingbird wings in her chest as they approach her room.

She stops in front of her door, turning to face him. “Make it quick.”

He chuckles bitterly; “I see you’ve already made up your mind to not forgive me.”

“You embarrassed me, in front of everyone, Jules. And I’m someone who’s already a bit insecure about how… little experience I have in many aspects of life. Camille’s annual birthday trips are the only things I look forward to. The only kind of excitement that… whatever. My shoes please.”

“How should I have known that you’d take offense to something so-”

“So what? See! That’s your problem. You claim you’re trying to apologize, but you’re downplaying my feelings!”

“You’re too sensitive.” He insists, his voice remains calm despite the way she’s yelling.

“Stop telling me how to feel! If I piss you off so much why do you keep going out your way to bother me? Why the fuck are you even here?! You hate me, so go away. You should’ve stayed wi-”

“Hate you?” He throws his head back to chuckle. It lacks amusement. The man scrubs a hand harshly down his face.

“That very first trip Camille invited you on, in Prague. The second you stepped through that door, I knew you were going to be fucking trouble. I have one simple rule, I don’t get involved with any of my cousin's best friends. I wouldn’t want their relationship to be affected if things go sour. It was going so well, so fucking well, then you stepped through that door behind Camille with that shy little smile on your gorgeous fucking face…” the man trails off to pace in front of her frozen figure. Yelena is absolutely speechless.

“Jules…”

“I knew I had to make you dislike me so that I wouldn’t even think of trying anything we’d regret. It’s childish behaviour, I know. But fucking hell, Lena; you don’t leave my thoughts, ever. You don’t even know that you have me wrapped around your pinky finger. My head almost exploded in that bar seeing you talk to that guy.” He admits with an angry furrow between his brows.

Yelena wants to laugh like a maniac. Here she was, on the brink of a mental breakdown for possibly being in love with this man who she swore hated her. There are very few things she finds scarier than unrequited love.

“Fucking hell… so all this time…”

“Yes.” He eyes her nervously, answering the question she didn’t even ask.

“Funny because, while I was talking to Lorenzo, I started comparing everything to you. The way he dressed, the way he spoke. It made me realize that it’s something I’ve always done since I met you and made me spiral. I had to get out of there. I hate that you did this to me.” She whispers with a pout.

Jules steps further into her space. He breathes in her every exhale.

“Je suis désolé, baby. Let me make it up to you.”

His breath tickles her lips. Yelena shivers in response. She can only nod. His fingertips tease at her waist as he touches his nose against hers. She breathes in the scent of his spicy cologne and the whiskey still lingering on his tongue. Yelena chases his lips, but he ducks to press a soft kiss on the side of her mouth instead.

“Jules…” she whines desperately.

“Hm?” The man dodges her mouth again to press another kiss on the opposite side of her face.

“Kiss me.”

He hums before finally, finally pressing his lips against hers. Yelena moans in delight, hands reaching to grip his shirt desperately. He uses the opportunity to slip his tongue inside her mouth and lick at the roof of her mouth. Yelena’s toes curl into the cold, tiled floor as arousal licks up her spine. The sounds of their slick mouths echo through the empty hallway. The sound is so erotic that her nipples immediately harden against her dress. She wants it off; she wants him in. Inside her room. Inside her. The door creaks open after she subtly reaches behind to twist at the knob. The room is dimly lit, the moon shining through the open balcony doors the only source of light. Her feet shuffle backwards as Jules guides her inside the room. Their lips stay locked, the kiss heated, full of need. The backs of her legs bump into the plush bed.

“When I saw you in this dress tonight my first thought was how desperately I wanted to eat you out of it. I can’t believe I actually get the chance to.”

Yelena shivers in anticipation as he gently lays her down on the king sized, unmade bed. He keeps his eyes on her as he pulls his shirt over his head. Yelena watches him reach into the pocket of his jeans to retrieve his wallet. The pace of her heart picks up as the golden, square packet glints in the moonlight. She gulps. Jules carefully places the condom between his teeth before slowly unbuckling the belt around his waist. Yelena squeezes her thighs until they tremble; his stare, the deft movement of his hands, the anticipation of what’s to come, it’s all too much. She feels like she might actually combust. The sound of his zipper is loud in the quiet room. Jules finally steps out of his jeans and her breath hitches out how perfect his body is. From the width of his shoulders, to his defined abs, his narrow waist and his muscular thighs. She swallows the whimper that bubbles up in her throat at the visible bulge in his boxers. Yelena holds her breath as she climbs above her, the mattress dipping under his weight. He removes the condom from his mouth, then parts her legs to settle his hips between them like he belongs there. It feels like he does.

“Okay?”

Yelena nods, biting at her bottom lip shyly as she looks up at him from beneath her lashes. He uses his thumb to pry her lip from between her teeth. Yelena sighs blissfully as their lips meet again. He pulls away from her desperate mouth to trail kisses down her throat. He sucks a bruise on her pulse point before soothing it with a languid lick that steals her breath.

“Jules please… I’m wet.” She whines desperately. The throbbing between her legs bordering on unbearable, his body preventing her from squeezing her legs together to alleviate it. He groans in response and brings his hips down against her. Yelena almost sobs as he begins grinding his hips between her open legs. He’s hard and angles his hips so he presses right against her sensitive nub with each downward grind. She can feel how wet she is as he glides along her slick panties.

“I can already feel how wet you are, Lena.” The words are muffled against her sternum.

“Jules, please.” She undulates her hips against his, trying to match his movements as the pressure in her belly builds.

Jules frees her breasts from the plunging neckline of her dress.

“Belle. How are you so beautiful, hm?”

He doesn’t torture her with more teasing, feeling how she’s already so wound up beneath him. He immediately closes his mouth around one of her pretty, brown peaks to suckle on gently. She responds with a tight grip to a handful of his locs that makes him groan. He releases with a wet pop and moves to the other. Jules hums in delight as he sees the tears leaking from her eyes that are squeezed shut. He likes knowing he’s the one overwhelming her like this. Him and no one else; he’ll make sure of it. By the time he’s kneeling between her opened legs, she’s shaking so much that he has to grip her thighs tightly to ground her.

“Breathe, baby. I’ll make you feel so good I promise.” He kisses her inner thigh.

Yelena moans as he finally peels her panties from her body and down her legs. She’s sure her thong is absolutely soaked. Her dress is hiked further up to bundle around her waist, leaving her lower half bare to him. She’s waxed, moisturized and absolutely glistening with arousal.

“Fuck me, Lena. Look at you.” He groans while he uses his thumb and index fingers to spread her apart. He teases his goatee along her inner thighs just to watch her quake, just to hear the desperate moans pour from her mouth.

“I hate you. I hate you so much.” She sobs weakly. He gives a little chuckle. “I know, baby. I’ll kiss it better.”

The first touch of his tongue between her legs makes her cry out. She’s so warm and wet against his tongue. Her slight musk mixed with her vanilla scent is such a heady combination. Just her scent alone would send him into a frenzy. He feels feral. Like he wants to chant ‘mine mine mine.’ Because she is.

“Jules, don’t stop. Please don’t stop, feels so good.”

He uses the opportunity to use two fingers to gently toy at her entrance, teasing. He pulls away slightly to watch his fingers slowly disappear inside her. He groans as she sucks him in greedily, her muscles squeeze his fingers. He twists them inside and her hips kick up.

“I’m gonna… Jules…”

He quickly sucks her nub back into his mouth, keeping the rhythm of his fingers steady.

Yelena’s eyes widen, a scream catches in her throat as she feels him hook his fingers upward inside her. He gives her no time to marvel at the fact that he found her spot, he begins rubbing. His mouth doesn’t leave her clit. Yelena feels all the muscles in her body locking up, her toes curling into the sheets. The pressure in her belly reaches its limit. It’s right there, the orgasm is within her reach. She can almost reach out her fingertips to touch it. She just needs-

“Come for me, Lena. Come all over my tongue and fingers.”

And Yelena does. Her scream is cut off as the orgasm steals the very breath from her lungs. Her teeth chatter and her skin tightens. It doesn’t stop and consumes her wholly. It robs her of all her senses except touch, so she still feels every flick of his tongue, every press of his fingers as he drags it out. It feels never ending. Is this what it feels like when another person makes you come? But even though she could make herself feel good, it has never been this good. Nothing has ever felt like this.

Her hearing returns first and the whimpers that fall from her mouth as she twitches sounds so foreign to her own ear.

“There you go, my good girl. You did so well.” He praises as he slowly pulls his fingers from her body. He makes his way in her line of sight. His face glistens with her essence. He holds her captive with his soft, brown eyes.

“Okay?”

She pulls him down for a kiss in lieu of responding, moaning at the taste of her on his tongue. Sneaking her hands between their bodies, Yelena grips the waistband of his boxers to drag them down his legs. He chuckles but pulls away from her lips to kick them down and off. She gulps at the sight of him bobbing between his legs. Above average in length and really thick. Jules pecks her lips once more, then pulls her dress down her hips and off her body.

“Are you sure you want to continue? We can stop here for the night.” He assures her.

“No, I need you inside.” She whispers.

“Fuck, Lena.” The words like a punch of arousal to his gut. He makes quick work of removing the condom from the package and rolls it on, groaning at finally getting some contact where he’s so hard it hurts. He touches his blunt tip to her folds and she jerks.

“Relax…” he uses his free hand to pet her lower belly.

“Deep inhale for me.”

Yelena sucks in a deep breath that trails into a gasp as he slowly eases inside.

“Another deep breath, don’t stop.” He encourages in a gruff voice.

She obeys, whimpering as he keeps carving a place for himself inside her body. It feels like he goes on forever. When he finally goes as far as her body is willing to take, she clenches around him.

“Jules, so full.” She whines, feeling the dull ache of him being so deep inside.

“So tight, Lena. Putain.” He hisses, eyes locked to where they’re joined.

He slowly pulls his hips back to kick it forward. A dainty hand comes up to rest against his lower abdomen.

“Fuuuuck. It’s too much.”

“You can take it though right?”

He gives a pleased hum at her eager nod.

“That’s right. You were made for me, baby. Isn’t that right?” He moans as she clenches around him with a weak cry.

“Answer me, Lena.”

“Uh huh. Ma- made just for you. I’m yours, always have been.” She hiccups, sucking her middle and index fingers in her mouth as the pace of his hips increases.

“Shit. Yours too, baby. Always.”

*********

Yelena is slowly pulled from her sleep by the sound of high pitched giggles. A masculine voice behind her whispers a quiet ‘fuck’ before groaning. His chest rumbles against her back. She peeks one eye open to see sunlight illuminating her room and a very amused Camille standing by her door.

“I fucking knew it. Finally!”

Yelena feels like she’s lucid dreaming and she hopes she is. Jules pulls the covers further up her body to protect her modesty from a friend that’s seen her naked plenty of times. She’d laugh if she wasn’t so horrified.

“Breakfast is ready.” Camille announces with a smirk before exiting the room.

“Oh no.” She whines in embarrassment.

Jules places a gentle kiss on her shoulder.

“Are you ready to face my insufferable cousin?”

Turning to face him, she scratches lightly along the length of his arm.

“No, but let’s just get it over with.” she responds with a small smile.

Yelena hums as he pecks her lips softly.

“Let’s go.”

**********

Being back in London is almost depressing. The last few days of their stay in Seychelles were some of the best days of her life. Camille and the others teased them nonstop, but they were also giddy about them finally acknowledging what everyone else apparently saw. Yelena was horrified seeing Gerard collecting €50 bills from all the group for winning a bet they placed on how soon Jules would crack. Jules only laughed and snuggled further into her side. The sex was mind blowing every single time and they couldn’t wait to sneak off every chance they got. Now he’s back in Spain and she’s back in London and she misses him so much it hurts. But it’s almost as if they’re connected telepathically, because every time she misses him too much, his name pops up on her phone. Yelena smiles, reaching to accept the call.

“Hey.” She mutters shyly.

“Hey baby. How are you?” His face pops up on her screen. His hair is tied back and sweat glistens on his body.

“I’m okay, I got home from work two hours ago. Then I showered, had some leftovers.” She shrugs.

“How are you?”

“Just got done with training. We have a game tomorrow.” He moves around on screen, seemingly gathering his bags.

“Oh. I’ll probably be working so I won’t have time to watch but good luck, baby.” She still feels shy using the pet name but she knows how much he likes it.

“Thank you, mon amour.”

They sit in comfortable silence as Jules remains busy on screen. Her heart swells with warmth knowing he called even when he’s preoccupied simply because he knows she’ll be heading to bed soon.

“I miss you, Jules.” She admits with a pout.

The man pauses to stare at her pretty face on his screen.

“Me too baby. We have a few days in between games soon. I promise I’ll come see you.” He says sincerely.

“How soon?”

“Soon. Be patient, my love.” He says with a small smile.

“Okay.”

“You’re so cute. I wish I could kiss that pout off your mouth.”

Yelena’s cheeks warm. “Me too.”

They continue their conversation with mundane details of their day and with discussions about the new episode of Reacher, a show they’re both watching, that dropped the previous night. Soon, her eyes are half mast and she’s yawning between every couple of words.

“You should get some sleep, Lena.” He softly coaxes.

“Okay. Good night, Jules. I love you.”

“I love you, Lena. Always.”