#fic: Treasures Untold

[autumnrory]

fic rec

title: Treasures Untold author: Rumaan pairing: yousef/sana words: 5749 summary: Whilst staying at Chris' cabin, Sana stumbles across a merman. ao3

[fluffywings13]

So to the lovely anon who asked about poseidon and percy t fic....perhaps.....

But imagine a world where Poseidon and the Seafam play an active role in little baby Percy growing up. Despite Zues's asinine rules and laws and bullshit.

Posiedon is there. Amphitrite is there. Triton is there. Sally is there.

Takes a village to raise a child right?

Heres a small sneak peek!

Poseidon would not think to be accused of the same mistreatment of his only land born child in this century. “Come, my Prince, you can down it. Strong as your táta. Come to me my most precious of pearls.” The royal family lived by their own Laws, heeding none other, Zeus would never be so brazen enough to strike down the Sea God and his Immortal Family so near to his domain. Though calmed with age and time, Poseidon was still considered one of those among them not to temp, his unpredictable nature made him ever more dangerous then the Council combined. “A few more steps, just a few more, I await to hold you with an eagerness untold of.”

Their place of meeting was the beaches of Montauk, the Land Born child of the Sea living peacefully in the safe walls of the cabin only a few steps from the waves that reside in his blood lapping at the sandy ground underfoot. Furnished to the liking of one ever Spirited Sally Jackson with mixed artfully with the tones of the boy’s Divine Sea Ruling Family.

Percy Jackson knew not of a moment in his short but exuberant life of pain or as though part was missing, no stories of a missing father who supposedly held adoration for him despite his otherwise radio silence, no striking hand of an abusive step father. 

Giggling adorably is the nine month of Sea Prince, the breeze from the open expanse of waters behind the royals gathered just in the rolling surf ruffles through the boy’s squid ink black hairs, eyes that change hues based on emotion maintain a glow of the same shine of his dearest táta awaiting his arrival with hardly concealed excitement. Witnessing one’s babe take their first steps was a celebratory occasion transcending mortality. Poseidon hadn’t been there to witness his youngest Prince's true first cruising but he nor his wife and elder son had wasted even a thought of a moment when the prayer of their mortal counterpart reached their ears in the depths of the child reaching this momentous milestone. 

Amphitrite maintains the ability not to laugh at her dearest husband’s excitement, especially so when the same hands though smaller in size are seen reaching from her other side, father and son share only a moment of a glance, a challenge to see whom the babe will come to first initiated in their shared glance of silence. 

And Triton had claimed no fondness for the babe.

Giggling with her baby, Sally holds both tiny hands tight and secure as she simply assists her treasure in his stumbly pundy legged amble to those who await him at the waters edge, Percy pauses for only a moment to glance between his papa and big brother both of whom beckoning him forward.

Let it be known on the record that Poseidon, Lord of the Seas, is a dirt rotten cheater. His wife laughing openly at his side as their son reaches around her to smack his Father’s arm with the accusation being spoken into existence as the demi-god ambles into the Sea Lord’s waiting embrace. She takes a moment to observe her husband, simply take him in for a moment of observation, as he crows in elation to the sight of his youngest son’s first steps. The way his eyes glow in a manner she hasn’t seen in…Since his first of his many halfing children…his deep rumbling laughter in tune with the infants youthful pitched squeals as he lifts him from the gentle waves among the the shore up above his head.

[lumireis]

Fairy Queen Titania, wife of King Gloxinia, originator of Tír na nÓg

Loooong character bio/story summary because I struggle with writing long fics!! I wish I could write a whole story about these two and their relationship but know I wouldn't finish it ;;

Her special ability is Wither, any living thing she touches will decay almost instantly — excluding fairies as their bodies don't rot even in death and she isn't able to turn it off. To compound her destructive nature, Titania isn't capable of any of the nature-nourishing magic that is innate to the Fairy Clan. Because her special ability is similar to an aspect of the Fairy Kings' ability, Disaster, but only the aspect of decay, Titania was surrounded by skeptics.

In her young life she was subtly outcast from the community by her fellow fairies. Titania spent decades of her life lonely and despising the fact that she was failing her duty as a fairy until she met the King of Fairies, Gloxinia. Gloxinia was curious about Titania's abilities as he noticed that even though Wither was destructive in the moment in following decades all flora that grew where Wither was used came up healthier and heartier, though Titania and the other fairies had their doubts.

The two spent years together trying to understand how to get control of Wither, though Titania was holding out hope that he would a way to remove her "curse" permanently. Slowly, the attempts to help her shifted into spending time together simply because they enjoyed each other's company. Gloxinia had it as his personal mission to try and make the sad woman smile with tricks or jokes or games, anything he could to try and lift her spirits.

It was through that closeness that they were able to learn that Gloxinia himself was able to neutralize her decay ability, just by being capable of using Disaster. With Gloxinia, Titania was able to feel safe enough to spend more time with the other fairies and finally experience what living as part of the community was like. Though Titania still felt like an outsider or a guest, rather than a complete part of the Fairy Clan.

Using her magic, Titania created an island for herself called Tír na nÓg, the effort she spent nearly ended up killing her. She only survived thanks to Gloxinia finding her and getting the help of the other fairies to heal her. The creation of Tír na nÓg granted Titania an immortal lifespan as her magic is tied to every living thing on the island. As long as a single blade of grass grows, Titania and any mortal being will live.

Tír na nÓg was the first place that Titania truly safe and comfortable, as she could walk around without worrying about upsetting anyone as she withered the flora around her. Only those who are given permission can set foot on or even find the island. One could search for a thousand years for the Land of the Young and never see its shores. It's Titania's own safe haven. She granted permission to her dear friend Gloxinia and it became a place for the two of them to spend an untold amount of time together, relishing in each other's company.

Eventually, their relationship evolved past companionship into love and eventually marriage. As it was the wedding of the first King of the Fairies, it was a gathering full of friends and love. Even the ever-anxious Titania was more rambunctious and lively, keeping the party alive until well into the next day with singing, dancing, and drink. On her wedding day, Titania truly got to experience being herself, wholly and unapologetically.

On the first night they spent together as a married couple, a nearby flower was made to bloom from the joy Titania felt and once she noticed it she was so overwhelmed at being able to create life for the first time, she cried while holding it. Gloxinia blessed it to never die and tucked it into her hair, his first gift as her husband and her most treasured possession.

However, following the ancient Holy War and the disappearance of Gloxinia as he joined the Demon Clan, Titania's joy came to an end. Without Gloxinia there to tether her to the forest, she retreated to Tír na nÓg permanently. No one within the Fairy Clan knew what happened to her and for thousands of years, until the unsealing of the Coffin of Eternal Darkness and Gloxinia's return.

Wanting to know the fate of his wife, Gloxinia asks Gerheade and the other fairies if anyone has heard anything about Titania as no one seems to mention her. Through them, Gloxinia learns about her vanishing but no one can say for sure what became of her. Taking this as a chance, he asks those at the Boar Hat to keep an ear open for rumors. He confesses that no matter how hard he tries he can't find Tír na nÓg and suspects that becoming a demon severed his connection.

Tír na nÓg might have been her personal paradise but he's sure she would have allowed other misfits like her to find refuge in its eternal paradise. Eventually, a lead turns up and brings them to an old woman with a much darker story to tell than Gloxinia is expecting. The old woman spent time on Tír na nÓg herself as one of the immortal Fair Folk. As a young woman, she was mistreated by the people of her village when one night a beautiful young woman appeared and offered her a place in paradise.

She spent years in Tír na nÓg, living in a place of beauty and bounty when she met a man she would soon fall in love with and wanted to return to the mainland to raise a family. The ruler of Tír na nÓg refused to allow them to leave, viewing the rest of the world as an inescapable hell, and warned them of the severe consequences if they should ask again. So the lovers devised a plan to escape the island that was as much a prison as it was a paradise. Under the cover of night for weeks they built a boat to flee on. When the night to escape came, the forest began to shake and shudder and rot as the full power of the ruler of Tír na nÓg approached them.

The man sacrificed his chance to escape and shoved the boat out, promising to distract the tyrant holding them prisoner and promising to find her. And so the old woman has been waiting for decades now, alone in her home. She laments leaving the love of her life behind, knowing that if he's alive she's aged well beyond her beautiful prime and fears for all the other poor souls that the tyrant has preyed upon. Her sweet voice promising the outcasts of society a home and safety only to chain them like dogs in a beautiful, immortal prison.

The woman's story lives Gloxinia reeling. He can't imagine his dear, sad Titania being capable of that level of cruelty but he also knows just what grief can drive someone to do. What it drove him to do. Gloxinia asks the woman if she knows any way to get back to Tír na nÓg which she confirms, giving him some stones from the shore as anything taken from Tír na nÓg can lead someone back. After expressing his gratitude, he takes the stones and returns to Meliodas to decide what to do next.

The group follows Gloxinia as he heads to Tír na nÓg and is unsettled by the eerie atmosphere and fog that hangs over the island. Screamers attack as they make landfall and quickly hide to avoid the sight of a fairy woman patrolling over the forest canopy. Slowly making their way through the forest, they encounter a village filled with terrified humans who beg them to bring them back to the mainland. The commotion is cut off by a man matching the description the old woman gave of her love, a man named Nico, who explains the reason the island is in the state that it's in.

Titania, the tyrant of Tír na nÓg has been using tricks to bring humans to the island against their will, even going so far as taking children and babies from their parents and replacing them with changelings if they weren't loving them enough in her eyes. Following the escape of one human woman, his beloved, an enchanted fog appeared around the shores, choking anyone who attempted to leave. It seems day by day, Titania falls further into madness. The island has been subject to earthquakes for the past few days as the ruler of Tír na nÓg is punishing them but no one knows for what reason. Gloxinia promises that he can fix this and when questioned, he simply smiles and says it's his duty as a husband to soothe his wife.

Their conversation is interrupted when a woman spots them talking to outsiders, flicking between everyone before calling them traitors and sprinting away into the forest to inform Titania. The man urges them to do whatever they're going to do quickly as they might not survive the day when Titania finds out.

Gloxinia hopes that Titania might come to her senses as soon as they reunite but the constant unending attacks from Screamers, the mysterious fairy, and the forest itself make him question his optimism. And sure enough when face to face with Titania, her eyes tinged with mania, those hopes are dashed. She calls them thieves and begins attacking. Gloxinia tries to calm her but for years Titania was tortured by visions of Gloxinia and believes him to be another one.

During the battle, Elizabeth asks why she's tormenting the villagers. Titania says she doesn't want to do any of it, they just need to give back the thing that they stole from her. It's then that Gloxinia notices the flower that he gifted her isn't in her hair but he can sense his magic nearby. He orders the others to hold her off while he finds it but makes it clear that if they hurt her too badly there would be hell to pay. Ban shoos him off saying they'll do whatever they need to do to make sure she doesn't kill anyone. Gloxinia isn't amused.

It takes some time and he's forced to fight the mystery fairy girl — Oberon, loyal attendant of Titania — but eventually Gloxinia finds the flower in the village. And it's utterly torn to shreds. Gloxinia picks up the damaged petals, looking utterly heartbroken when Nico appears behind him. Gloxinia asks if he was the one that destroyed the flower, which Nico confirms. He resents Titania for keeping him trapped here as one of her Fair Folk while the woman he loves will wait for him until she dies. Destroying the only thing she seems to treasure felt like a fitting punishment after she destroyed his happiness.

Gloxinia thanks him for his honesty and promises that Titania won't find out who stole the flower. He doesn't blame Nico for doing what he did but tells him that as her husband he can't stand knowing how sad she would feel if he didn't return it to her, then flies back towards the battle.

As he appears back on the battlefield, Oberon has joined Titania, even though she's injured. The pair of them look exhausted, having to take on the Sins but not too worse for wear. He flies up to Titania, offering the shreds of his first gift to her, and in an instant Titania begins crying - utterly horrified by what's happened to it. She swears she's going to kill everyone on the island but gets cut off by Gloxinia kissing the tip of her nose and chiding her for crying over something so trite.

In an instant, he injects his magic into the flower, healing it and restoring the bloom to full vitality. Titania is stunned, not believing her eyes before slowly reaching out and touching Gloxinia's face to confirm he's really there and not a hallucination. Once she confirms it, she utterly collapses into him, apologizing and begging for forgiveness but once again he chides her for her dramatics. He tucks the flower back into its rightful place in her hair before embracing her properly and finally kissing his wife again after three thousand years apart.

Following Titania's return to her senses, she returns the children to their families and allows everyone to leave Tír na nÓg. To her surprise, some choose to stay. As long as Titania is the same kind, just queen she was when they first arrived they're more than happy to stay. Oberon hands Titania a magic stone they can communicate through and says she'll take care of the Fair Folk while their queen spends time with her husband. If they need anything or she needs them, a message into the stone is all it will take. Nico doesn't hesitate to climb on the boat back to the mainland, ready to finally be with the love of his life again and fulfill his promise.

Gloxinia is just happy to be with Titania again and show her the world, the new fairy forest, whatever she wants as long as they can stay together.

[blurredcolour]

I Wish You Love | Part Four

I Wish You Love Masterlist

Lewis Nixon x Housemaid!Female Reader

The end of the war feels so near and yet still so far off. Questions of the future and feelings of impatience plague you and Lewis equally.

Warnings: Canon typical violence, Angst, Class Divide, Infidelity, Dishonesty, Lots of Kissing, Sexual Tension and Innuendos, Language, Smoking, Alcohol Consumption, Inevitable Historical and Military Inaccuracies, Mature/Explicit Themes - 18+ ONLY.

Author's Note: Surprise (as in no surprise whatsoever), this is not the final part of this series. There is one more part, because Bee does not know how to be brief. Reader's nationality is British and liberties have been taken in describing her background and family life for the sake of plot. No physical descriptions or y/n used. A good portion of this fic will be letter-based. This is a work of fiction based off the portrayal by the actors in the HBO series. I hold nothing but respect for the real life individuals referenced within.

Word Count: 4378

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Perhaps it was the English in you, but no matter how deliriously giddy you felt at the hopeful tone of Captain Nixon’s reply, you still found it necessary to make things absolutely clear. To add a strong dose of realism and seek confirmation of things in concrete terms. Settling in at the kitchen table once dinner had been cleaned up after and your father was properly ensconced in his favourite chair, listening to the wireless, you pulled out your writing supplies and took a direct approach.

Lewis, in all his Americanness, was having none of it. His response arrived promptly, two weeks later.

Four long months passed. Eight more letters crossed the Channel, four apiece. Spring blossomed before wilting into heat of summer. Germany surrendered. The Japanese held on until mid-August. You managed to assemble an untold number of shells without injury, though the skin of your face and hands as well as the halo of hair around your face became tinged as yellow as your fellow canary girls.

Word came from Austria that Johnny was on his way home, after six long years away. The universe works in mysterious ways, leading both of the men you cared for most in all the world to Austria to manage the occupation after Germany’s surrender. Lewis had kept you up to date on the dissolution of his marriage – the loss of his treasured dog Edgar, as well as his house, and custody of his son. You did your best to remain reassuring and supportive in your letters, reminding him of the untold potential of your future together.

Your immediate future, however, was somewhat more precarious. With so many men returning home from the war, employment was in high demand and the expectation was for women to return to the roles they had occupied before 1939 – where they ‘belonged.’ You were grateful you had lived well within your means, accumulating sufficient savings to see you through the end of your job at the factory in July and the seemingly endless search for new work since. With the effects of TNT still tainting your appearance, work in a shop was out of the question – such establishments immediately turning their noses up at you.

You had picked up a few clients as a charwoman, but unless you found many more, and quick, things were going to become very difficult indeed. Making your way home one midday at the end of August, you smoothed a hand over your hair, feeling positively overheated and unkempt after a particularly demanding morning scrubbing Mr. and Mrs. Danes house. As you rounded the corner of the lane you’d lived on most of your life, your feet stuttered to a stop at sight of the figure leaning against the front of the building of flats, sharing a cigarette with your father.

Neither of them had spotted you yet, and you swallowed roughly as your eyes drank in the dashing appearance of Captain Lewis Nixon in his dress uniform, sporting the short cut Eisenhower jacket that showed off his trim waist and long legs. You could not have felt more drab in your worn work dress, wishing desperately you could dash inside and freshen up but there was nothing for it now as he had lifted his eyes. You could see his smile from half a block away as he began striding towards you confidently, flicking his cigarette into the street as he rapidly closed the distance.

With small, hopefully furtive, movements you did your best to tidy your hair and the fall of your dress against your body.

“Darling.” Lewis smiled warmly, capturing your hands, ceasing your fretting as his long fingers enveloped yours. His eyes raked over your face with an expression that carried nothing but wonder.

If you had felt warm before, hearing the term of endearment he’d begun to use in his letters fall from his lips was akin to walking on the surface of the sun. “Lewis.” You breathed shakily, swallowing tightly at the brilliant grin he bestowed upon you in response as his hands squeezed yours tightly.

“Christ, you are a wonder to behold.” He murmured stepping closer and you raised an eyebrow skeptically as you very much felt otherwise. “No, I insist.” One broad hand slid to your waist, your heart racing as you found your own feet shuffling closer, your tongue darted out to wet your lips nervously. His eyes dropped to focus on your mouth a moment before his adam’s apple bobbed rapidly. “I’m going to kiss you now.” He warned you softly, gripping your waist with both hands now as he pulled you closer still.

The most you could manage in response was a rapid nod before his mouth was upon yours, lips gentle at first, moving slowly before they became insistent and eager. Fingers gripping at his biceps, curling into the fabric of his jacket, you tilted your head back in surrender, mouth pliant beneath his. He tasted of tobacco, smelled of his intoxicating aftershave and something that was uniquely Lewis. You could only hope there was something to recommend you in that moment and were heartened as he pulled you somehow even tighter to him, eliminating the last millimetres of space between your bodies.

Lewis’s lips pulled back from yours slowly, allowing you to suck in a shuddering breath as he pressed his face to your hair, an action he’d often described in his letters, realized at last. “Darling…” He whispered once more, tenderly, and you slid your arms around his shoulders to hold him fully.

“Welcome back, Lewis.” You sighed, finally allowing relief to wash over you.

“Thank you.” His lips brushed against your temple before he straightened slowly, fingers tracing along your jaw tenderly. “Your father tells me you should have some time to spend with me this afternoon?”

You tried not to frown at the reminder of all the free time you had on your hands, the economic implications thereof, and nodded gently. “I would like that very much, but whether you admit it or not I look a fright. Please let me change and freshen up?”

“You’re right, I’ll never admit it, because it’ll never be true.” He smirked and stole one last kiss before tucking your arm into his, leading you back towards your flat.

You noted your father had retreated inside to give you some privacy – as much privacy as one could be afforded in the middle of the street, of course, but you appreciated the thought, nonetheless. You stopped on the threshold and turned to Lewis quickly. “It’s no Lydiard House, I warn you.”

“Thank god.” He smiled reassuringly, hand settling on your lower back, a flock of butterflies fluttering erratically in your abdomen as you led him inside your humble home where you father was happily reading the newspaper.

“Will you two be all right if I take a moment to change?” You asked your father and he smirked.

“We’ve been alright for the past two hours, sweet pea, off you pop.” He shooed you towards the bedroom where your meagre wardrobe was stored and you glanced at Lewis, startled to learn he’d been waiting for you that long.

“Take your time.” He nodded, settling onto the worn sofa easily.

The world seemed quite off-kilter for a moment, Lewis occupying a space so separate from that in which you had known him, and yet how many hours had you spent thinking of him while sitting on that very sofa? Smiling slowly as everything seemed to slide into its new place of belonging, you stepped into the bedroom to pull one of your nicer dresses from the closet you shared with your father. Taking it to the bathroom, you freshened up and tamed your hair, feeling much better armed to face to world as you emerged, stowing your work clothes into the hamper before you rejoined them in the sitting room.

Lewis immediately rose to his feet on your return, a shy smile tugging at your lips fondly as your father looked up from his paper.

“I do hope the pair of you are going to spend your afternoon out in the sunshine and not in here with this old bore.” His eyes twinkled in amusement. “And don’t even bother telling me you’ll be home for dinner, I’m perfectly capable of eating at the pub.”

You closed your mouth quickly, your father killing that thought before you could voice it. Grabbing your handbag, you looked up as Lewis spoke.

“I was hoping to take both of you out to dinner tomorrow night, sir?” He offered hopefully.

“That would be very generous of you, thank you. Now, on your bike.” Your father snapped his paper back into place to hide his growing grin and Lewis laced your fingers together before leading you outside, sliding his garrison cap back onto his luscious hair.

“How did you manage to get over here? I thought they were shipping you back to New York?” You asked as you closed the door behind you.

“I have a few days and then the boat leaves from Marseille. I couldn’t leave before seeing you.”

You watched as he lifted your hands to press his lips to your knuckles gently. “Thank you.” You breathed softly and he looked to you tenderly.

“I’m the one with the debt of gratitude. Will you allow me some leeway to begin repaying you for all your kindness?” The way his warm brown eyes were boring into yours, framed by his long lashes, was threatening to make your knees knock together.

Taking a steadying breath, you shook your head firmly. “You say that like you have not somehow become the centre of my entire world, Lewis.” You countered weakly. “I don’t know where I’d be if you hadn’t forgiven me…”

He gently pressed a finger to your lips, shifting to whisper into your ear. “Then let me spoil you simply because I love you.”

His breath against your skin made you shiver before the meaning of his words registered and you pulled back to look at him, eyes wide. “Lewis…” Your gaze skittered across his face, drinking in the hopeful glint in his eyes, the way he held his breath awaiting your response, before you hesitantly leaned forward to brush your lips against his. “I love you too.” You barely had time to exhale before he cupped your cheek to kiss you deeply.

Pulled back to bestow a warm grin on you, he squeezed your hand softly. “Allow me to lead you to the car before I give you a reputation on your street.”

With a breathless laugh you nodded, following him over to the civilian vehicle that you had no idea from where he’d procured, sliding into the passenger’s seat on the lefthand side. “You’re a very mysterious man, Lewis Nixon.” You shook your head as he climbed in beside you, driving off easily.

“I hope not, or I intend not to be. I don’t like keeping secrets from you, darling. I much prefer being completely open and honest with you.”

You smiled fondly as your heart throbbed in your chest. “Where are we going, then?”

“Your father allowed me to check the pictures playing at your local cinema and it seems there is an afternoon showing of the Wizard of Oz – I thought you might enjoy that?” He glanced over at you, smiling when you nodded quickly. “Then some window-shopping and dinner?”

You narrowed your eyes suspiciously at the second activity, but dinner certainly sounded lovely. “That sounds like a wonderful day.”

“Good.” He nodded, navigating his way through the narrow streets until he found the cinema and a parking spot.

The pair of you arrived just in time to purchase a few snacks and settle into the half-empty theatre. Mid-afternoon was not a very popular time on a weekday, after all.

“I haven’t been to see a film in years.” You whispered as he lifted the armrest to snake his arm around your waist and pull you close, making you bite your lip.

“Me neither.” He admitted, resting his fingers against your hip softly as the picture started.

You knew you shouldn’t let him hold you so close, particularly not in such a public place, and yet it was dark in the theatre and in all honestly you probably could not have born any distance between you, needing him as near as possible after so long apart. After falling so deeply in love with him. It did, however, make it awfully difficult to focus on the film. Your eyes continued to flick between the screen and his profile, inhaling deeply, enjoying the press of him along your side despite the added warmth of his body heat.

Somehow you did manage to remember to pay attention to the scene where Dorothy’s home landed after the twister, gnawing your lip in anticipation as she made her way to the front door and inhaling in wonder as the colourful land of Oz lay on the other side. The transition held just as much magic as it had the only other time you’d seen the film, a grin unfurling on your face as she wandered through the quaint village, passed the pond filled with lotus leaves. As your eyes inevitably shifted to sneak a look at Lewis you jumped slightly as they met his own directly, already watching you intently with a fond smile on his face.

Wordlessly he leaned in to press a soft kiss to your lips before turning back to the screen with a very pleased expression on his face. Sharing your treats, you enjoyed the film together in companionable silence, not a hairsbreadth of space between you, until the lights came up.

“That was even better than the first time I saw it thank you, Lewis.”

“I’m very glad, you’re welcome.” He grinned, pressing a kiss to your temple before you shuffled out with the rest of the crowd.

The brilliant sunshine of midday had since been replaced by heavy clouds, rain threatening as Lewis took your hand and led you across the street to a rather upscale department store – one that you certainly had never shopped at before.

“Lewis, I didn’t bring my ration book…” You murmured nervously as he held the door open for you.

“Not to worry, we’re only window-shopping, not a shilling will be spent.” He winked, taking your arm once you were both inside and leading you around, getting your opinions on all sorts of things. Men’s clothing, women’s, toys, trinkets, before leading you over to the jewelry counters.

“Good lord…” You breathed at some of the more ostentatious engagement rings they had on display with massive diamonds.

Lewis smirked at you as he leaned against the case. “A bit much for your taste, darling?”

“Entirely too much.” You nodded firmly. “I don’t know how a woman could accomplish anything with a ring that size on her finger.”

“I suppose she wouldn’t be expected to, but that sort of life doesn’t really seem your speed does it.”

Looking to him slowly as this conversation took on a rather layered meaning, you shook your head. “No, I don’t think it would. Even if I did not need an income, I would most definitely need a purpose.”

“Noted.” He replied with a nod before moving towards a more modest selection. “Are these a little more to your liking then?”

Swallowing dryly you gave him a slow nod. “They are quite nice, yes.” You nodded, feeling suddenly rather nervous. Not in a bad way, but your heart most certainly could not remember how to beat properly despite you trying to remind yourself that it was only ‘window-shopping.’

Sensing your distress, Lewis led you over to inspect the necklaces, your tension easing without rows of engagement rings on display in front of you. After sampling a few perfumes, he smiled to you. “Ready for dinner?”

“Are you certain you didn’t need to make any sort of purchases?”

“That would be against the premise of window-shopping darling, was there anything you needed though?” He raised an eyebrow, and you shook your head, glancing back toward the store before turning to him.

“I’m fine, thank you.” You replied stubbornly and he squeezed your hand, the pair of your heading back outside as thunder rumbled long and low along the darkening street.

“I hope we can make it back to car.” He glanced at you quickly and you both immediately started hurrying your steps.

The skies opened up then and you quickly darted beneath the awning of a small shop that seemed to be closed for the day, yanking Lewis beneath its shelter as sheets of rain began to come down.

“Damn…” He laughed, shaking his head as you giggled softly in reply.

“Shouldn’t last long, doesn’t usually when summer storms pop up like this.” A brilliant flash of lightning cut through the gloom making you flinch and step closer to him, the resulting thunder startling you in turn.

“I’ve got you darling, nothing to worry about.” He slid his arm around your waist, pulling you into his chest comfortingly as the rain fell so hard it rebounded off the pavement, practically obscuring the world outside your tiny dry square of shelter.

Reaching out to caress his cheek gratefully, his lips met yours halfway, seemingly unable to resist one another after so many months of denial. Lewis’s hand splayed across your lower back, moulding you to him as his tongue swept into your mouth, drawing a reflexive whimper from your throat. Giving in to impulse, you allowed your fingers to slide into the dark locks of his hair beneath his cap as his tongue dragged along yours, making it awfully difficult to keep on your feet.

The sound of the rain and intermittent crashes of thunder faded away into the background, all your focus drawn onto the man in your arms and your stolen moment amidst the chaos around you. Time became irrelevant as all sensation narrowed to his excruciatingly thorough kiss and the way it raised your body temperature, your body itself raising onto your tip toes to crush against his torso wantonly. A hum of approval rumbled through his chest, which you felt more than heard courtesy of the early evening thunderstorm, a tremor running through you in silent reply.

Lewis’s lips wrenched back from yours, his chest heaving, his normally rich brown eyes darkened by something you’d never seen before, something wild, primal. It made your thighs clench slightly to see it, his nostrils flaring as he surely felt the motion given that you were very much still pressed against him. You stared at one another, unmoving, silent, yet in your hazy state you still managed to note that the tumult around you was easing up, the other side of the street becoming visible through the curtain of rain.

“Dinner.” He eventually exhaled, taking a reluctant step back to reintroduce a respectable distance.

“Mmm.” You replied nonsensically with a nod of affirmation as the rain petered out to no more than a mist, frantic drips falling from the awning in the aftermath of the squall.

Lewis eyed you intensely a moment, swallowing visibly before wrenching his gaze from your face and continuing back towards the car with your hand tucked into his elbow. By the time the pair of you arrived at a rather nice, but not too nice, restaurant you’d both managed to regain a sense of composure. Lewis navigated the menu and wine list expertly and you were happy to let him do so, rather afraid to look at the prices.

His choices were impeccable, some of the best you’d ever eaten, certainly since before the start of the war, and though you were growing tired at the end of the evening as he pulled up to the flat you shared with your father, you were also loath for it to end.

“Where are you staying?” Your eyes widened as you realized you’d forgotten to ask such a pivotal question.

“The Goddard Arms, it’s quite suitable – far superior to a fox hole at any rate. May I pick you up around the same time tomorrow?”

Running through your mental list of clients, you nodded, noting happily you would have some time to change before his arrival. “That would be lovely, thank you.”

“Perfect. I’d like to take you on a drive and a picnic, just so you can plan your wardrobe accordingly.” He winked teasingly. “I’ll walk you to your door.” He slid from the car as you laughed warmly, coming around to open your door and help you from the vehicle.

As he led you up the walk and into the building, you smiled to him softly. “Today was incredible, Lewis, thank you very much.”

“Glad you enjoyed it, I intend to outdo myself tomorrow.” He smirked and you smothered your laugh behind your hand, not wanting to disrupt the neighbours.

“Sleep well then, best to keep up your strength.” You teased before your eyes widened slightly at the unintended innuendo.

“Please, I beg you, don’t tempt me anymore than you already are, darling.” He muttered, voice taking on a dangerous tone as he leaned in to kiss you fiercely.

You clung to his shoulders, feeling quite at risk of being swept away by his intensity, breath shaking as he pulled back.

“Good night.” He rasped.

You nodded, speechless and fumbling with the door to the flat before eventually making it inside.

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

Read Part Five

I Wish You Love Masterlist

Tag list: @ronsparky, @fuckoffthanos, @bcon24, @gretagerwigsmuse

[universallydestinytaco]

The Little Smiling Mermaid PREVIEW

As I promised, a preview excerpt of my Charpim fanfic which will drop May 20th! (^o^) Also after reading the fic, PLEASE give me your feedback in the replies/reblogs, Thank you! 💗💛

Charlie couldn’t sleep on nights like this when the moon was big and bright, something about it made him want to stand outside by the ocean, drink from his flask and play his ocarina. As he played his beloved instrument he fondly recalled a childhood memory of his own when he was about 6 or 7, wearing a cape and an old hat Mr. Boss wore while armed with a little wooden sword, gallivanting around the beach while loudly-and-proudly proclaiming he was King of the Pirates. Little Charlie didn’t have much friends at that time but what he would do was based on one of Mr. Boss’ bedtime stories: writing mercritter runes in the sand and coming back later to see the response. Charlie did exactly that and eagerly waited for the response while distracting himself best he could fighting imaginary monsters and bad guys. Lo and behold Charlie always got a response, while in hindsight Charlie figured it could have been possible that someone, perhaps even Mr. Boss was playing along writing the responses in runes, he couldn’t shake off the magical sensation he got from the afternoon ritual. If it really was a mercritter responding to him this whole time he’d be over the moon.

......

Alan followed Glep and Pim back to the grotto and was astonished at all the "land things" Pim secretly acquired and hidden away for so long, how did he manage to hide it all for so long without Amy tattling on him for kicks? He hid behind a pair of slightly-cracked goggles and inspected upon the mischievous twosome. Pim was combing his hair with a "dinglehopper" as Glep played with a golden bangle, the latter noticed the bittersweet-sad expression on Pim's face and asked: "Yaskawaboyo? (You okay man)?" Alan wondered if Pim was starting to get homesick, (un)surprisingly that wasn't the exact reason why the usually excited mercritter was so somber despite freeing himself. "...Maybe he's right, what if there is something wrong with me?" said Pim, who then seconds after shook his head in disgust at his father's hatred of the surface getting to him. "I just don't see why a world that makes such wonderful things could be so bad?" Pim felt strong and long-bottled up emotions gushing out, he stimmed a little bit by twirling the dinglehopper but that wouldn't do. Whenever Pim had to share his feelings he would sing and dance it all way much to the annoyance of his siblings, but after a period of masking, Pim had to share exactly how he felt.

"Look at this stuff, isn't it neat? Wouldn't you think my collection's complete? Wouldn't you think I'm the boy...the boy who has everything?" Pim gasped in excitement and opened his arms wide while slowly spinning, "Look at this trove, treasures untold, how many wonders can one cavern hold?" quickly turning to Glep with his hands on his hips and sashay-ing with his hair swaying in the water, "Sure! He's got everythiiing~!" Pim swam around observing his collection with Glep following as he continued:

I've got gadgets and gizmos a-plenty...I've got whozits and whatzits galore~"

Opening up a mustache-care box, jokingly offering to Glep: "You want thingamabobs? I've got twenty!" The two shared a little laugh before Pim solemnly closed it. "But who cares? No big deal....." Looking upwards, those longing words sweetly slipped out of his lips: "I want moooooore~"

"I wanna be where the people are-" Pim gently held Glep's fins and twirled around, "I wanna see, wanna see them dancin'~ Walking around on those.... what do you call 'em? Oh!" He playfully teased Glep's fins as the guppy squeaked. "Feet!"

Alan thought to himself: "This is the most elaborate venting I ever witnessed."

"Flippin' your fins, you don't get too far Legs are required for jumping, dancing..." Pim swayed his hips emulating how one with legs can walk on ground: "Strolling along down a... what's that word again?"

Glep playfully answered: "Skeewaboyo (Street)!" Pim smiled and swam up dramatically above where the light was shining through the grotto: "Up where they waaaalk, up where they ruuuun...up where they stay all day in the suuuuun!! Wanderin' free, wish I could be.... Part of that wooooorld~" Continuing with his acrobatics, "What would I give? If I could liiiive out of these waaaaters? What would I pay to spend a daaaay-" He sunk down and rolled around with a big smile on his face imagining what would it be like, in his own words: "-warm oooon the saaaand?" He then turned on his stomach with a humorously pouty look, "Bet'cha on land they understand, bet they don't...reprimand their soooons~" Pim almost relucantly called himself one of King Pimling's daughters up until realizing he wasn't in Meeplantica anymore, he then smiled while gazing upwards, "Bright young men, sick of swimmin'..." He lifted himself up again with a more hopeful and triumphant demeanor: "Ready to staaaaaaand AAAAAAND-" Observing a gilded storybook with a childlike energy he flipped around the pretty illustrations, "Ready to know what the people know! Ask 'em my questions and get some answers!" He came across one such illustration depicting Prince Charming and Fair Maiden cozening up by the fireplace, holding it up and longingly placing his stubby pink fingers on the painted flame, "What's a fire and why does it...What's the word?" He closed the book and held it to his chest, holding his head back and belting out: "Buuuuurn!!" Pim let go of the book, spinning upwards once again and reaching out to the light: "When's it my tuuuurn? Wouldn't I looooove, love to explore that shore up aaaaaabooooooove?" His octave raised at that last word he sang out...then his whimsy melted into wistful melancholy, for there wasn't any way he could achieve his lifelong dream, so he sank back down with a heavy heart..."Out of the sea....wish I could be...." As Glep sadly witnessed Pim floating back down on the sandy ground, he couldn't help but look back up at the light one more time: "Part of that....woooooorld..."

[blehblarghblah]

Magic Between the Moon & Sky: Rayllum Oneshot Series - A 5 Year Anniversary

Today marks the five year anniversary of MBTMS’ release. (Technically it’s tomorrow for Ao3, but FFN I posted there first). A oneshot collection that is yet to be finished, I know, but one that I treasure deeply. I may have fallen out of my love for TDP in certain elements, but the writing and what I started with in regards to Rayllum was something else.

I don’t mean to be all, “I was there when it was written” but I joined this fandom in its season one days, when it was REAL small here on Tumblr. Which meant smaller ship circles too. I’m glad to have witnessed the fandom blossom and grow, and by that extension, Rayllum itself too.

I know many of my readers probably assume I won’t be returning to MBTMS, but you’re kinda wrong. I swear I’m not one of those 100 oneshot fics that stop halfway (no fault to them of course, sometimes passion runs out)! I legitimately have more than a dozen oneshots planned out. But, I’m also biding my time. I’ve learned with fic writing, that writing what I love is just as crucial as being passionate about it. I'm not currently into TDP but I still enjoy the oneshot concepts i thought up for my fics, so I'll probably only work from those.

I mean, I can probably just grind out the last oneshots and meet the 100 quota, but they wouldn’t be good. Or maybe, they would be to some of you, but they wouldn’t be something I could be proud of. Least of all, I wouldn’t have fun writing it. So yeah, I do believe I know my limits and the extent of my creativity.

But the main reason at the end of the day, as to why I won’t drop this fic, is because it has quite literally spawned some of my best writing. “Loyalty & Light”, “The Most Undoing Thing”, my Taang oneshots, “Legends of Avatar: The Untold Story”, they’ve all had great prose that I’m proud of. Some not so much, but that’s growth.

“Magic Between the Moon & Sky” houses many different styles and concepts I could never explore with most of my fandoms. I’ve written a modern college AU grounded in the slowest of burns, I’ve written childhood AUs diving into the naivety and hilariousness of a kid's mind, and I’ve written an emotionally powerful (as readers have said) Soulmate AU even though I don’t like Soulmate AUs. And I have many more mind, but I’ve also managed to explore the canon and interpret my own ideas from before we learned anything of the lore.

Some were at the requests of fans, others were because I wanted to try and get my feet wet. Much like Callum and Rayla themselves, this fic was a great avenue for me to explore my abilities as a writer and try new things. And in the end, I’m proud of that. And I cannot wait to see what I do next.

Thank you all, for an amazing five years of patience and love. Again, no idea when I'll return to this fic but I'll get around to it.

Until next post,

- Bleh

[sabo-has-my-heart]

Safe In His Arms

An Ace Fic and the second to last event request. I tried to make this with a GN!Reader, but if I made mistakes, I apologize. The original request was:

“Gaahhhhh im so happy (and also proud?) for you!!! and i wanna join in on the celebration!!! so maybe either Prompt 12, Law, Fluff Prompt 4 or Prompt 16, Ace, Multipurpose Prompt 8 please“

Enjoy

Warnings: reader being attacked, 

Word Count: 1390

     Tugging at the ropes that wrapped around your tail, you whimpered. The net had tangled around you, making you panic as you tugged and thrashed, only tangling yourself more as you felt yourself being pulled up. Already, you could see their cruel faces as they caught sight of you, pulling faster. You slammed against the boat with whatever force you could manage, hoping to knock them off balance. Being pulled onto the ship, the men chuckled darkly as you struggled.

     “Quickly, secure the tail! We can’t have the beast jumping back into the water!” one man shouted, the others quickly moving to grab you.

     “I’m not a beast! Let me go!” you shouted, a scream leaving your lips a moment later as sharp, jagged hooks and spikes drove into your tail.

     “Careful with that! It’s useless if we ruin the tail too much!” another man said as a third began to bind your arms.

     “It’s a pretty one too, try not to cause any scarring, we’ll get more if it looks pretty.”

     “I’m not an ‘it’! I’m a person! Please, let me go!” you continued to shout, tears starting to run down your cheeks. You let out another scream as something hit your back, the sharp items digging deeper into your tail as the ship rocked. Opening your eyes, you noticed the sailors running across the ship, distracted by something else. Looking at the binds, you began tearing at them, ignoring how the spikes dug into your hands, ignoring the blood that poured from the wounds as you jumped back into the water, swimming as fast as you could, as deep as you could. Blood continued to gush from your injuries, your vision blurring from blood loss. Fighting against the pulling darkness, you tried to swim forward, your body soon going limp. 

     Ace loved the beach, loved the ocean. He wished he could set sail one day, to just wander the oceans without a care and without a destination. Vaguely he wondered if some of the fantastic tales he’d heard about the waters were true. Stories of huge undersea monsters, rumors of fantastical creatures and untold treasures. Wouldn’t it be wondrous to see some of the things out there? Pulling a small stone from his pocket, he sighed. It was a silly little ‘wishing stone’ that Luffy had bought him, but he was feeling hopeful today. Thinking of his wish, he gently traced the white line before tossing it as far as he could out into the shimmering waters. Taking a deep breath, he turned to continue down the beach. It was a short while later that he spotted something in the surf, the waves crashing against it. Hurrying forward, hoping it was interesting, his eyes widened, his brisk strides turned into a run as he realized that the ‘something’ was a person. Pulling the person out of the surf, he didn’t even process the tail until they were well up onto the beach, his eyes nearly leaving his head as he stared at the figure.

     You could hear the crashing of waves as you stirred, could feel the soft, warm sands beneath you. The cuts across your body stung, the pain rousing you from your sleep. Opening your eyes, your gaze landed on a young man with dark hair kneeling in the sand next to you. Trying your best to scramble away from him, you hissed in pain as your injuries dragged along the sand.

     “Hey, hey, it’s okay. I’m not gonna hurt you. I found you passed out in the water. Are you okay?” the young man asked, looking at you worriedly. Looking towards the crashing waves, you wondered if you could get into the water before he had the chance to catch you. You were on land, he could move faster than you could here, “You don’t need to be afraid, I promise. I just want to help.” he said worriedly, holding up his hands, trying to reassure you that you were okay. Still, you watched him warily.

     “H-how do I know I can trust you? You could have friends on the way!” you said, trying to scoot closer to the water.

     “I… I just want to help, I promise. You’re injured, I can help. If you let me go grab some bandages, I’ll patch you up. You can even move closer to the water if you’d like, or there’s a pier further down the beach, it would easily allow you to dive into the water.” he offered. You nodded, moving closer to the water as he fetched some first aid items.

     Talking with the young man as he bandaged you, you learned his name was Ace, he lived with his two brothers, and he dreamed of sailing. Once he’d finished bandaging you, he’d offered to help you back into the water, surprising you. Surely he knew how much you were worth? Your kind weren’t common, you were highly sought after for a variety of reasons. He had to have known this! He’d just chuckled and dragged you closer to the water. Looking at him, you’d asked if he knew of a nearby cover where you could hide out, making him smile as he picked you up and carried you to a secluded cove for you to lie low. Ace visited you everyday, eventually bringing his brothers to meet you. It was weeks later that your wounds had healed, sighing as you packed up the few things you’d obtained since coming here. It wasn’t much, but Ace had brought you a number of items, letting you keep whatever you desired, eventually getting you a satchel to keep it all in.

     “Y/n! Hey! I… uh… going somewhere?” Ace asked, looking at your packed bag and solemn look.

     “I figured… it’s time I returned, I… I’m vulnerable here and… and I’m sure I’m causing you nothing but trouble. You’ve been feeding me, taking care of me, I… I’m probably a burden on you.” you said, looking at your lap sadly. Honestly, you didn’t want to leave, but you wanted to cause him trouble even less.

     “No, it’s cool. You haven’t caused me any trouble at all. It’s been nice having you here.” Ace sighed, looking away as he kicked at the sand for a moment, “So…. you’re really leaving then?” you bit your lip, staring at him. You wanted to stay, wanted to spend more time with him, but how could you? You were temporarily living in a cove, you couldn’t just walk up on land and live with him. Still…

     “Ask me to stay.” you said, looking up at him, taking his hand in yours.

     “I… What?” he asked, a little baffled, looking down at your hand before sitting down next to you, squeezing your hand.

    “Ask me to stay… and I will.” you said, slowly reaching out to caress his cheek.

     “Stay, please stay. Stay with me. I’ll protect you, I promise. I’ll find a way. I’ll build a house out in this cove if I have to if you’ll just stay with me.” he pleaded, reaching up to caress your cheek, his hand shaking, “You’re… you mean a lot to me. I’ll figure something out, I promise, just stay.” he pleaded, making you laugh slightly. 

     “I’ll stay. I’ll stay for you. I’m… I’m sure we can figure something out.” you said with a small smile. Ace grinned as he pulled you close, holding you tight as he kissed you. Once he’d realized what he’d done, he pulled back.

     “Uh, s-sorry. I… I was probably a bit too forward, wasn’t I. I just…” Ace looked away, fidgeting nervously.

     “I love you.” you said softly, gently putting a hand on his cheek, making him face you again as you kissed him. You could practically feel him melting under your touch, his arms wrapping around your waist. 

     “I… I love you too and… and I promise I’ll figure out a way for us to be more permanently together, and to keep you safe.” he said, pulling you into his lap and holding you close. You smiled and nodded, leaning your head against your chest. It felt like nothing, not even the sailors that had tried to capture you, could get to you while you were in his arms, you were safe in his arms, you’d stay safe in his arms.

[shinystarks]

Hey pretties it’s Paper! Bit of a fourth wall break here today 🩷

I’m setting up a little bingo game for myself for this blog to give myself some more ideas for content! I’d love for everyone to submit prompts to the ask box for things you’d like to see!

These should be short 1-5 word prompts that could be turned into moodboards or mini-fics (like 500 word blurbs). They can be SFW or NSFW- just things you’d like to see from the Treasures Untold universe!

[nerdasaurus1200]

Tread lightly to the Lost Lagoon, holding treasures vast untold

My Lost Lagoon fic, Save What Has Been Lost, is in the editing process and coming soon! Stay tuned!

Here’s the individual heroforges in case anyone wants to see Cassandra and Rapunzel on their own ^_^

[kissingghouls]

hello hello! I've finished chapter two of my secret society/life in the abbey fic and settled on a title. thank you to everyone who encouraged me to keep writing.

Let the Poison Spill summary: A strange nun makes you an offer.

tags: x fem reader, Papa Emeritus III x fem reader, Cardinal Copia x fem reader, occult secret society, scheming Sister Imperator, 18+, NSFW, eventual mature content, blood Chapter Two (Chapter One)

Chapter Two - Temptation

The nun’s card hung heavy in your pocket while you tried desperately to distract yourself. Make the bed. Fold the laundry. Tidy the bathroom. Go through that junk drawer that has never once held anything useful to search for untold treasures. It was the same old shit. Things you didn’t need. Things you would never need. Dead batteries. Old packets of salt. The occasional soda can tab for no good reason. Under the flotsam was a lighter left behind by a former lover, long since forgotten, but still good for something it seemed.

After two hours of mindless tasking, you collapsed on the sagging sofa and pulled your knees to your chest. Your hands itched to touch the card again, mind racing through the possibilities it held. Somehow the nun had managed to say next to nothing and hypnotize you all the same. No matter how you shifted, you couldn’t get comfortable. The corners of Sister Imperator’s business card stabbed at you from every angle, demanding your full attention. 

The mysteries of the world had always had a special hold on you. Myths, legends, gods, demons, magic, all of it had a special place in your heart. It had become a slight obsession in your formative years, anything from ancient relics to modern puzzles. There was a thrill in the unknown, in things unseen for centuries or unprovable by scientific methods. And now turning that smart black card over and over in your hand, you were presented with the fact that something largely believed to be bullshit could actually exist. And there was no telling what a secret Satanic church operating for hundreds of years could have amassed.

Tempted wasn’t the right word for how Sister Imperator left you feeling. Terminally fucking curious fit slightly better, as there was no guarantee you would come out of this alive. It angered you how well she read you and dangled knowledge in front of your face like a carrot but fuck if she wasn’t right about you. Within a few hours an old nun had completely turned your life upside down, because you, silly as it may sound, could not resist the allure of the unknown. She was far more cunning than you’d initially thought, knowing exactly how to leave you questioning the encounter. You began to wonder if His followers had such silver tongues, how anyone could be expected to turn down the Devil.

You were finally starting to understand that whole thing with the apple.

The building gave a heavy groan, pipes creaking and clanging as steam began to rise through them. The radiators let out a high pitched squeal that pulled you back to the present. You held up the card, finally giving it a closer inspection. The matte black paper was thick and embossed in a tasteful glossy black font was Sister Imperator’s name and number. Tilting the card this way and that revealed a barely there Levithan cross that flashed in the light. How ridiculously on brand.

Unfolding your body from the sofa, you dug out your laptop and propped it on the coffee table. A quick search yields few results for The Order of Asmodeus, but you’re hardly surprised. They weren’t supposed to exist at all, why would they have an internet presence? The few articles that did come up dealt mostly with the conspiracy of it all, stories you’ve heard a thousand times before. Old. Secret. Satanic. Blah, blah, blah. Other cursory searches only told you Asmodeus represented lust. Imperator meant commander, which seemed to suit the nun’s energy and apparent love for authority perfectly. Commander of what exactly, the internet couldn’t tell you.

It was clear you weren’t going to find any answers on your own. Maybe that needed to be enough.

Sister Imperator had left you with two options, neither of which were all that great. Could you really go back to living a normal life knowing the Order was real? How were you supposed to buy groceries and pay bills knowing that an ancient secret society was out there with answers to questions you didn’t even know to ask yet? And if you chose to say yes, what would that do to your life? Was it worth it to join? To find out exactly what they had hidden in their vaults? What would it cost you?

You had to hand it to the nun. The seed she planted only took about mere hours to fully bloom before you found yourself dialing that number. The line rang out, a dull repetitive sound that didn’t fit the severity of the situation. Your heart began to pound, lungs aching with every breath. Dizziness swam in your head as your palms began to itch again. A thin sheen of cold sweat was forming on every inch of your skin, and you were fighting the urge to dry heave all over your living room. But you didn’t hang up, not even when the other end clicked.

You stopped breathing, eyes growing wide with a mixture of terror and anticipation.

“You’ve made your decision then?” was all Sister Imperator said. There was no greeting or chitchat, only the expectant tone of her voice and her quiet breathing as she waited.

“Yes,” you replied, your mouth going dry as the word left you.

“And?” You could practically hear her eyebrow raise with her inflection.

“I—I’m in,” you croaked. Your heart hammered against your ribs so wildly you could hear it in your ears. That wasn’t what you’d meant to say, was it? Did you really just agree to this?

“We’ll send for you tomorrow. Nine AM.”

“Wait what?”

There was no answer, only the tell-tale sign of a receiver being hung up before the line disconnected. The nun still had a landline.

Nausea swirled around the dizziness, bringing you to your knees on the floor as your phone fell from your hands. What have you done?  What the fuck have you done? It wasn’t the first time you’d done something violently impulsive, but this time you really had no idea what you had just agreed to. Or why you couldn’t resist the pull of it.

You scrambled to your feet, racing to the bathroom to empty the contents of your stomach. Tears streamed down your face with the effort, leaving hot trails down your cold skin. The anxiety and paranoia got the better of you there in that tiny room. Everything began to spin and tilt and blur as your chest tightened with that familiar panic, but before it could get bad it shifted. The weight seemed to shift, and a strange euphoric feeling spread through your limbs, carried by the excited butterflies that formed in your stomach. Maybe knowledge was the right choice even if you didn’t know the cost.

Whatever the Order was doing, they were good enough to be doing it for hundreds of years.

The positivity you felt the night before quickly evaporated as three sharp knocks echoed loudly through your apartment, waking you from a deep sleep. It felt far too early for someone to be at your door, but the display on your phone read exactly nine AM. You grabbed the first available pair of jeans in your room, stumbling as you crossed the apartment while trying to pull them over your legs and shouting to the visitor that you’d be right there. With one hand wiping the sleep from your eyes, you tried to wrench open the front door, but the old, swollen wood sealed you off from the rest of the world like it always did when the building got too humid. When it finally swung free, a cold wind rushed up the stairs and caught the heavy door sending it into the wall with a solid thud.

But that wasn’t what made you jump.

The hallway was occupied by a man, barely visible in the shadows. The little light filtering up the stairwell caught the metallic mask that obscured his face. Its blank, expressionless face was vaguely humanoid, but there was no mouth, only a blank space that smoothed into a pointed chin. A small set of horns peeked out from the molded hairline, coming to sharp points at their tips. The man tilted his head, studying you quietly like an animal observing potential prey.

“Can I help you?” you asked slowly, infusing your voice with a well-practiced faux bravery. Looking the man up and down, you noticed he was dressed remarkably well. Each piece of his all black outfit was tailored with such precision that it must have been made just for him. Probably the mask too.

Well-dressed or not, he did not answer your question. He stared at you for a moment longer, his head tilting again, eerily slowly this time. It was unnerving the way he silently watched you and you had no interest in whatever he was offering.

“Ok then. No thanks,” you said quietly, shifting your stance to reach for the door.

Before you could complete the movement, the man closed the space between you. He moved with an unnatural speed, locking an arm firmly around your waist. You shouted and struggled against his hold, but the man was so much stronger than his thin frame suggested. Staring deep into your eyes, he raised two fingers and pressed them hard against your forehead. The touch somehow made you overwhelmingly drowsy, eyes threatening to close immediately. His grip tightened as your body began to go limp. It felt like the floor was disappearing from under your feet and your body no longer responded to your brain’s commands. Your vision clouded before going black and in the arms of that strange masked man, the world fell away from you.

It was impossible to tell how long you had been out. The edge of a seatbelt was digging into your back and from the ache, it had been that way for a while. Your head throbbed, pain pulsing behind your eyes as they adjusted to the light again. You sat up and blinked hard. The dark leather interior of a large SUV came into focus, the cab rocking gently as the tires crunched over gravel. The man, still masked, sat silently in the driver’s seat as he brought the car to a stop. You weren’t even sure he realized you were awake. It was probably better if he didn’t.

A tint covered the windows, so dark it was probably next to impossible to see inside the vehicle. If anyone else was even around. You slid across the seat, quiet as a mouse as you slowly inched your fingers toward the door. How fast could you run? Which direction should you go? All those tips you’d found on the internet on sleepless nights escaped you. With your fingers wrapped around the handle, you took a deep breath. Either way you had to do something.

You pulled.

Nothing happened.

The doors were locked and no amount of force you could generate was going to change that. You tried the controls for the windows, but nothing moved. Fuck.

The Masked Man let out a low growl of warning, his black eyes following your movements in the rearview mirror. Slowly, he lifted his right hand, pointing long clawed fingers at something out the window. Creating another small noise in his throat, he tapped at the glass, indicating he wanted you to look.

You swallowed hard and slid back across the seat to press your face against the opposite window. An enormous stone structure stretched out before you, its gothic architecture jutting and curving up and meeting the many spires that scratched at the pale sky. It was full of impossible detail, difficult to see in the dull light, but you were able to tell the crosses that topped the spires were all upside-down.

The front door opened with a creak loud enough to shake the car. Three silhouettes emerged, dwarfed by the sheer size of the door. Backlit by the warm light inside, their faces remained obscured until they began to descend the many steps outside. Sister Imperator came into view, the long skirt of her habit bunched one hand as she moved, the other wrapped around the arm of the masked man guiding her. She came to rest at the bottom of the stairs, flanked by the masked men.

With a nod from her, the masked man in the car leapt from the driver’s seat and yanked you from the car. An iron grip held your arm as he forced you across the gravel and dumped you unceremoniously at the nun’s feet. Dots formed in your vision as whatever the man had done to get you in that car began to fully wear off. Dizziness pressed against your brain as you tried to look up at the nun.

“What the fuck, lady?” you grinded out as tiny rocks dug into your hands and knees. “You can’t just kidnap people.”

“I believe this is what you wanted?” she replied, shooting a wry smile down at you.

“Not this—”

Instead entertaining your argument, Sister Imperator turned on her heel and started up the steps. Halfway up, she paused and called over her shoulder, “bring her inside.”

Imperator’s men advanced toward you with hungry grins, flashing sharp white teeth. Their masks were differed from the driver’s—still humanoid with horns—but notched at the bottom to partially reveal their faces. The exposed skin of their jaws and hands varied in tones of ash gray, highlighted by the all-black uniforms hugging their frames just like the driver’s.

With a hand under each arm, they hauled you to your feet and began to carry you up the steps.

“I’ll walk,” you grumbled as you broke free, holding your hands up in surrender.

You traced Sister Imperator’s path up the old stone steps, acutely aware of how closely the two masked men were following. You weren’t entirely sure, but you swore one of them had leaned forward and sniffed at you. It was odd, yes, but not more or less strange than anything else that had happened to you today. You focused instead on taking in your surroundings, but there was so much.

The main hall’s vaulted ceilings reached high, its beautiful lines meeting in geometric patterns above and dotted by chandeliers washing the room in a warm light. The floor was tiled in expensive stone, arranged in intricate patterns of blue, white, and gold. Along the walls, massive oil portraits of men in ceremonial robes were prominently displayed. Oddly, their faces were painted like skulls, though each was slightly different. The eerie eyes of the portraits seemed to follow you along, daring you to notice that all the men bore one white eye. Gilded frames and golden nameplates reflected the candlelight, each engraved with a different title. Nihil. Primo. Secondo. Terzo.

The nun turned, darting under an arch, and disappearing through a doorway. The masked men quickly ushered you after her.

The difference in the spaces was jarring enough to make this room feel small, though the ceilings must have towered to twelve feet. Warm, dark wood surrounded the room as thought the space itself had been hollowed out. At one end, a fire crackled away within the carved housing of a large marble fireplace. Sister Imperator moved through the room with ease, taking her seat behind an unnecessarily large desk. She gestured for you to sit as the men arranged themselves by the door, standing at the ready like soldiers guarding the room.

Two wingback chairs faced Imperator’s desk, each upholstered in a plush velvet the color of absinthe. The chair swallowed you up as you settled in, but it did little to dull the thrumming pain still brewing behind your eyes. Whatever the masked man had done to knock you out left you feeling hungover and slightly dazed.

“Ok, where the fuck am I and what did you do?” you grumbled, pressing your fingers against your temples.

The nun simply smiled and pushed a green depression glass bowl full of hard candies toward you. “Peppermint will help will the headache. It’s a nasty little side effect of that kind of contact with the Ghouls, but it really is the best way. Much safer than what we used to do,” she noted a little too fondly.

“That doesn’t answer my question.”

“You’re with the Order,” she said flatly. “I’m afraid you’re not going to get much more information than that.”

“But you said—"

“Did you really think I would just let you walk in and have unrestricted access to everything we are after meeting you once? Please tell me you’re smarter than that.”

A clock ticked loudly somewhere in the room as you bit your tongue. It was clear that you were not nearly as smart as you thought you were 24 hours ago, but you weren’t about to give the nun the satisfaction of your doubt. Sister Imperator reveled in your silence, another smile growing on her face as she leaned forward to speak.

“The most important thing we do here is keep the secret. No one can know where you are, what you’re doing. In return for keeping the secret, if you behave, we’ll begin the initiation. And all those pretty little promises I made you will come true. But I will only ask you once, so I need you to be sure of your answer,” she said with a strange seriousness. The tone she took even seemed to make the masked men uncomfortable, shoes clicking against the wood floor as they shifted behind you.

You let out a breath you didn’t realize you’d been holding. You were facing that same problem you had the night before. You know what you chose then, but you still didn’t know the cost. Did you want to know the cost of backing out now? The things you’d seen, these two rooms and the strange paintings probably didn’t even scratch the surface of this place. Could you really take two steps back now?

Sister Imperator’s expression turned slightly smug as she watched you relax in the giant chair. She placed her hand palm up on the desk and motioned for you to place your hand in hers. Your heart jumped to 150 bpm as her soft, warm fingers held yours. She raised her other hand expectantly. One of the men moved forward and placed a dagger in her hand.

Fuck.

You braced yourself for the worst as she raised an eyebrow at you.

“Are you ready to swear? Right here, right now?” she asked.

“I—” you started and looked around the room. The masked men were crowding around your chair, hovering ominously as they awaited your answer.

“Say the words,” Sister Imperator coaxed gently, a flash of fire reflecting in her eyes.

“I swear.”

In one swift motion she brought the dagger down. You flinched hard, trying not to rip your hand from hers as she leaned in closer…

…and pricked your finger.

The sigh of relief that left you would have been embarrassing if it could have been heard over the sound of the two masked men growling. Sister Imperator tossed the dagger toward them and like children licking a mixing spoon, the two men ran their tongues over those few drops of blood. You could only blink in total confusion.

“Words are well and good, but the Olde One requires something a little more binding,” she offered as if it explained anything. “This particular ritual only requires a drop.”

“Uh huh. And that?” you asked, pointing your bleeding finger at the two men still licking wildly at the dagger and each other.

“Oh, that’s just Ghouls,” she answered dismissively, waving her hand. “They love a little blood. Greedy little things, but sweet. Extraordinarily helpful.”

“Ghouls,” you repeated flatly.

Sister Imperator dragged her candy dish back across her desk and noisily unwrapped a golden butterscotch before popping it in her mouth. “Our abbey is home to many Nameless Ghouls. Nameless is a bit of a misnomer, as most have adopted some sort of moniker to tell them apart, though it’s nearly impossible to remember them all. They come to us from a very specific plane of existence below. I should note there are many, many things in our abbey that are not of the natural world. I suggest you adjust quickly, otherwise you might never stop being surprised.”

“Ghouls,” you said again slowly.

“Yes, dear, Ghouls,” she sighed and waved one of the Ghouls over. “It’s ok. Please, show her.”

The Ghoul shrugged and gingerly slipped the silver mask from his head, flashing you a shy smile. Underneath he didn’t look all that different. He still had very human features—eyes, nose, and mouth all arranged the way you’d expected, but the horns that extended from his hairline weren’t just a part of the mask’s aesthetic. His eyes seemed to glow as they caught the light, like a cat hiding in the dark. If you were honest, he was quite beautiful, but he seemed more comfortable as he slid the mask back in place.

“Thank you, Ghoul. Would you please escort our new novitiate to the library? I’ve assigned Mary as her mentor, but it seems they’ve forgotten our meeting,” Sister Imperator requested.

“Yes Sister,” the Ghoul replied softly, much to your surprise. He moved around Sister Imperator’s desk and motioned for you to follow.

Don't worry. Everyone will start to show up in the next chapter. Thank you for your time, love!

[shyanshippingsociety]

Shyan Shipping Society - Reverse Bang 2023

hey y'all!

our first ever reverse bang is finally over! i'm personally blown away by all of the amazing works of art and accompanying fics created for this event! i can't wait to bring the art to you, so i won't! without any further ado, here's the masterlist!

CHECK OUT THE AO3 COLLECTION HERE

(please note: some of the incredible art is hosted on our server only. to check it out, join us here! (note 2: our server is 18+))

The Masquerade by FireflyAndTheStoryJar | SFW

In which Shane and Ryan become the newest victims to a ghost matchmaker's antics! fic by idkspookystuff

the masquerade by idkspookystuff | E, 1K, complete

A Ghost Files shoot, a haunted ballroom, a supernatural matchmaker, and Shane and Ryan. What could go wrong?

Ghoul Bois, Interrupted by verilyvexed | SFW

Fanart comic.

fic by icantturnthisthingoff | fic by tasty_littl_snack

we just got cockblocked by the ghosts by icantturnthisthingoff | T, 2K, complete

Turns out ghosts don't appreciate it when your sexual tension comes to a head in their death place.

Interrupt by tasty_littl_snack | G, 1K, complete

Ryan sets the spirit box and the REM-Pod next to the knife. And they wait for something to happen. “It’s also said that you can call the ghost by making out with your lover.” Ryan says, deliberately not looking at Shane while saying this.

Untitled by écrivanfantôme | SFW (Discord exclusive)

Bloody Shane, clothed but covered in blood that is not his fic by abirdonalilactree | fic by mccxxvi

The Goose of Doom by abirdonalilactree | T, 4K, complete

About Shane being covered in all sorts of substances throughout the story. Steven disappears and Ryan tries to uncover a secret. CW: Food, murder, death mention, blood.

from the 847 to the 213 by mccxxvi | E, 6K, complete

... and he is willing to do whatever it takes to give first love a second chance.

Untitled by darklonelyknight | SFW

A Watcher adventure comic! fic by quackers

The Adventures of Ryan and Shane: The Treasure of Forrest Fenn by quackers | M, 8K, complete

After one too many misadventures with Ryan Bergara, Shane wants nothing to do with the tomb raider. Sorry, the artifact hunter. But Bergara has something in his possession that could lead to untold fame, fortune, and his name in the history books. Or their deaths.

Untitled by mccxxvi | NSFW (Discord exclusive)

One certain insta post from 2019 with Shane's head between Ryan's legs fic by ÉcrivainFantôme | fic by FireflyAndTheStoryJar

The Boys of Summer by ÉcrivainFantôme | E, 17K, on-going

You never forget your first love. In 1997, a ten-year-old Shane meets a seven-year-old Ryan. In 2006, Shane falls in love with Ryan. in 2008, Ryan does something about it.

devils on the west coast by FireflyAndTheStoryJar | E, 2K, complete

“Vacation, huh?” Ryan started, considering it (considering him). Shane raised his brows, waggling them to get a snicker out of his partner. “...Ah, fine, whatever. I’m telling you now though, I’m going to enjoy myself, and I’m not promising anything.” “Hm… guess I’ll have to find you ways that’re more fun than knockin’ some poor bastard out.” Aka: The Lim did owe them a vacation.

Untitled by jupitersapiens | SFW

Religious piece with angel Ryan and human Shane fic by Impala_Chick

When Your Feet Don't Touch the Ground by Impala_Chick | T, 3K, complete

Shane tends a lighthouse by himself, and it's lonely until Ryan shows up. After Ryan helps Shane rescue a lost sailor during a storm, Ryan reveals a secret that will change Shane's life.

Untitled by noviosfantasmas | SFW

Shyan dancing like IWTV fic by PlatinumPussycat208 | fic by ouijaboy | fic by denimwrapped

Ten Years With You (& Here's to Many More) by PlatinumPussycat208 | G, 1K, complete

The two men stepped out into the sunshine. The crowd cheered and the music crescendoed. Confetti flowers fluttered on the breeze around them, spirals of colour dancing in the air. “Welcome all!” Ryan’s voice boomed through the crowd. “To the grand banquet celebrating our tenth year of marriage!” He leaned his head on Shane’s shoulder, grinning up at his husband. Shane looked down at his King, his face flushed with warmth and love. “And to the unification of the kingdoms and anniversary of peace!” Shane announced. The courtyard was flooded with cheers and applause. - Kings Ryan and Shane celebrate their wedding anniversary

Proven by ouijaboy | T, 2K, complete

There’s a strange man wandering the corridors of Shane’s castle, which sounds like a really convoluted euphemism at first, but is in fact Just The Truth. (Or, Shyan from different kingdoms meet in court.)

Throne Woes by denimwrapped | T, 1K, complete

Ryan slips in through one of the backdoors, holding his key close. He's been coming to the throne room more often as of late, but it's still strange to see it so empty. The hall, usually filled with guards and tourists and citizens with complaints, now a great hollow monument to days long by. Only the portraits of past monarchs, all but one of them now dead, are still there to see him enter. 

Untitled by god-has-left-chat | SFW

Ryan and Shane as WWII soldiers

fic by idkspookystuff

just one yesterday by idkspookystuff | T, 5K, complete

“So what you’re telling me,” Steven says that morning over breakfast, his sweatpants slung low on his hips and his hair a mess. “Is that you had a dream where you promised a gay World War II veteran you’d find his lost love, and now you need me to go to the library to track him down. A figment of your imagination from a grainy polaroid.” - ryan finds a grainy polaroid of two world war ii soldiers that look suspiciously like him and his history ta, shane. he makes it his mission to tell their story.

and that's it! thank you so much to all of our artists and their authors for your hard work, and for bringing us these amazing creations! and a specific and personal thank you to my fellow mods for their help with this event. follow us if you wanna be the first to know when our next event is taking place, and consider joining us on discord! until next time! <3

~ the mods

[inaconstantstateofchange]

21 .What are 2-3 songs that your Dark Urge would relate to?

24. Does your Dark Urge have a treasured item with them? If yes, what is it and why is it special? If no, how do they feel about item sentimentality in general?

26. How does your Dark Urge feel about Bhaal?

30 Questions for Your Dark Urge

21. Songs

Who We Are - Hozier

Fun fact this is where the title for one of my fics came from.

Cornflower Blue - Flower Face

Kind of fucked-up, too-much, aggressive love.

Drowned - Emily Jane White

A trapped, drowning inner self.

24. Treasured Item

My initial thought for this was no, and I almost left it at that, but as I was casting back through their inventory, I realized they absolutely do: the quarterstaff Pale Oak. 

The staff is active proof that their actions can have more than just negative effects on the people around them. That they could use their skills in the defense of nature, and for the better of those who might need just a little encouragement to think about their actions. Even though they have found other staves that suit them better over the course of their journey, they still keep that one close at hand.

26. Bhaal

They think about him as little as possible, and find him fairly contemptible when they do think of him. He is everything they despise, a bloodlust completely devoid of self-control. The only thing he’s ever done that they will credit him for in any way is gift them the Death Stalker Mantle, which has saved Astarion’s life an untold number of times. But then, given the horror that preceded it, it’s truly the least he could possibly have done.

[sailingshellsgames]

What would F!Keoanai's reaction to accidentally reading a poem MC has written for her:

She walks into the room and my heart skips a beat Her smile brightens up my day, makes my world complete But I dare not let her know, my feelings stay concealed For fear of losing her, my heart is forced to yield

She is my friend, my confidante, my partner in crime But deep down I want her to be mine, all the time Her laughter is like music, her touch so divine I can't help but imagine her as my valentine

Every moment spent with her is a treasure to behold But my heart yearns for more, a story yet untold I dream of holding her close, feeling her heart beat But for now, my feelings remain hidden, my love discreet

So I sit here quietly, watching her from afar Knowing that my love for her will never fade or scar I hope that one day, the courage to confess will arrive And she'll see the truth in my heart, the love that I strive.

Hi fanart-fic!

Alright, F!Keoanai's reaction first:

The door to MC's room is cracked open, so Keo steps in.

"I'm almost ready," MC says, rummaging through the trunk at the end of their bed without looking up. Keo smiles a little at the way MC recognizes her footsteps and leans against the desk, waiting patiently.

Her eyes wander as the seconds pass, until after a moment she notices the messy state of MC's desk. There's an half-empty mug stained from sitting overnight and a pile of papers, some crumpled on the floor. MC must be behind on paperwork. They've had a lot of jobs lately, and Keo can see several mission reports amidst the clutter.

Then something catches her eye. Lying out with the rest is a set of verses, a... poem? Keo's brows raise, a small smile finding her face as she glances at it; she hadn't known MC was a poet. Before she knows what she's doing she's read it end to end.

My heart skips a beat... Brightens up my day...

My friend, my confidante...

Love.

Keo stares at the desk for a long moment, heart racing. A sudden thunk as MC sets a canteen on the ground brings her back to herself, shifting nervously as she looks anywhere but the poem. MC goes back to digging, oblivious as they mutter something impatiently under their breath.

It's beautiful, some distant part of Keo thinks. The poem. MC is talented. The fact that it’s a romantic subject doesn’t necessarily mean anything. MC could just be practicing writing that type of poem. Honing their craft. But even so... Would it be so bad to imagine more?

Keo pinches the bridge of her nose. Yes, yes it would be. Getting involved with MC like that is something that would inherently put them in danger. And gods, it's not as if she even knows the poem is about her.

But what if it is?

Her throat tightens as the thought hits her too quickly to stop. Too many emotions flood her body, uncomfortable and wonderful and terrible, little desert roses the size of coins sprouting from her fingernails as her Fey blood reacts to it, more honest than the human part of her could ever be.

"There it is!" MC holds up a pair of training gloves, grinning triumphantly. Keo stands straighter, clasping her hands behind her back. "Lets-" MC stops, eyes darting to the poem, their body tensing almost imperceptibly. "Let's go," they gesture. "Come on, we don't want to be late."

Keo nods and follows them out, not trusting her voice as she carefully dusts off her hands, pocketing the roses that fall from her fingers.

She must miss one, though. The next time she's in MC's room, there it is on the windowsill. Right atop a little piece of folded paper.

___________

Okay, so if you'll allow me my own reaction now - WOW. Oh my goodness. You are such a talented poet, fanart-fic, this is beautiful! Thank you so much for writing this and for sharing it - I've been grinning all morning about it! 💞😯😍😍😍💛❣️ Wishing you a lovely day ~

Thanks so much for your ask!

[annabtg]

Hello!

Rereading Do It Right, did NOT prepare me for Do Better, i first have to tell you that✌️

Oh my GOD anna, do you have any idea how weird lunch was today?😂 I shouldn't have read this right before lunch but i put on a pewdiepie video to distract me from Jily-smut-brainworms🪱 so it's fine (BEWARE SMUTTY DISCUSSION BELOW👇)

The fic was AMAZING, i loved it so muchhh. Some of my favourite parts - "..now all he wanted was for her to keep making those sounds" (I'm dying), "...that put all his wet dreams to shame" (dead), "...the last fort guarding untold treasures" (DECEASED) (Read a Jily fanfic at my funeral please and thanks)

I love loved, how you showed James' uncertainty. It was brilliant - uncharted territory and all that. And Lily's encouragement through touches! That was another good bit. And then you killed me again with having them holding hands ARGH

It was all so sensual, cautiously sweet (Pfft sweet), and so soft that you've almost forgotten about their argument from earlier and then BAM. "Did i do that right?" skgjjfjaj When i tell you i slapped my thigh so hard... I really need to stop doing that to myself 😂

Thank you so much for sharing! It was wonderful to read your work again after a long time❤️

Oh and- "he turned away from her to let her get dressed with a modicum of privacy" REALLY, JAMES?😂 After all that, REALLY?

Yours deerly,

Me \o/

Hi there, @abihastastybeans ! (Yeah, I thought it was you! Never mind the anon ❤️) Hahahah sorry for making your lunchtime weird! 😁

The wet dreams line is one of my favourites! Same as their banter afterwards 😁 an essential part of the fic, I think! I enjoyed finding this balance between daring and sweet and bantery :D They've got a wonderful chemistry even for their first time!

So glad you enjoyed reading! Thank you for your comment and this ask, they really brightened my day! ❤️❤️❤️

[elishipsminibang]

Dear artists! 🦉

The mystical hour of claim awaits! 🌙 Eli gazes into a treasure trove of untold stories beckoning your talents. Seek your destiny in the scrolls of Discord and email; the chosen fic shall be yours to embrace. 📜✨

[ristoranteivorykeys]

twst mermay 4 — family business

in which reader guesses what kind of business jade's family runs during his birthday interview ft. jade leech and reader

╰┈➤ 𝐧𝐨𝐭𝐞𝐬: fourth prompt! i wanted this to be out yesterday, but i got incredibly busy =_= but anyway, i decided to focus on the leech family business, but in a bit of a different way. there was a conversation i had with a friend that made me go 'huh' at what the leech family business could possibly be, and that served as the inspiration for this fic. i do admit, however, that i think jade’s character was written a bit more shoddily than usual, so feel free to comment on it. regardless, i hope you enjoy! ╰┈➤ 𝐥𝐢𝐧𝐤 𝐭𝐨: mermay masterlist

“So, to start off this interview, what’s a memorable moment that you have about your birthday,” you asked, your notebook ready to take notes. 

Jade hummed, placing a fist over his chin as he gazed upwards in thought. “A memorable moment…” He briefly glanced at his twin brother, who was grabbing some cake and takoyaki at the buffet table and chatting with the nearby students. “Ah, there was something that I remember from my childhood.

“We would have relatives that would celebrate us every year, but it isn’t just them,” he continued. “Associates from our father’s work would also come and give us a mountain of presents.” He could vividly remember the party he had at 5 years old—the numerous teal merfolk like himself, playing joyous birthday songs on stringed and woodwinds that Floyd and other older relatives danced to. Then at a more secluded corner would be his father, talking with several merfolk with flesh skin and either fish tails or legs and presenting them a paper. Beside them stood a mountain of presents that would be wrapped in pretty seaweed or wrapping paper decorated with shells and corals. It would be a norm in most of their childhood birthdays. 

“I see.” You nodded as you jotted down his answer. “What sort of presents would you receive?” 

“Well, we would receive what I personally would call a trove of treasures untold,” he answered. “There were a lot of sweets, quite a few seaweed eye masks, and strange toys that were only found on land.” He suppressed the laugh that nearly came out over a memory of Floyd touching the mountain of presents that collapsed on him. The icing that covered his face looked adorable and hilarious on him. And the diamond-studded necklace that hooked around his neck by pure accident added to the charm, and he laughed before wincing from the intense scent of expensive perfume…

“However,” he continued, his mind still reliving the memory. “There were also several luxury items mixed in those that were clearly no present for a child.”

You looked up from your notebook and raised an eyebrow. “What do you mean?”

“Those presents appeared to be from desperate people who tried to gain my father’s favo— er, trust,” Jade said, squinting as he tried to remember more of the strangers who appeared on his and Floyd’s birthdays and the presents that they gave. “He would always make sure that those people signed a document that said, ‘This gift was given out of good faith to the Leech family, and we will not request anything in return for it.’ Our father worries quite a lot, just like our mother.”

You looked at him in surprise. “Huh…? What kind of jobs do your parents run?”

Ah, it looks like he spilled a bit too much. Jade didn’t show his surprise at his talkativeness, but he simply let out a chuckle. “Simply a normal family business. We do all sorts of meaningless work with people. It’s nothing out of the ordinary.” 

Frowning from his answer, you returned to your notebook. 

It isn’t like you would figure it out, he reasoned. Clueless and clumsy, you apparently didn’t know what basic land terminology like Magical Shift was or how you even stumbled upon the academy without any magic. You didn’t know your own society well, so how would you know his own? 

Suddenly, you gasped, and your eyes became wide like saucers. Jade watched you curiously. What came into mind? 

“... I think I know what it is.”

He raised his eyebrows. “Know what?”

“Your family business,” you answered. Your voice sounded much more serious than earlier. 

“Oh?” His mouth formed a small ‘o’. There wasn’t any way that you figured it out. Yet, from your tone and expression, it appeared that you had some sort of idea. Could it be that you were smarter than you let on…?

“... Is it a hotel business?”

Now it’s Jade’s turn to widen his eyes. 

“No, because, see,” you put your hands up in a gesture to wait and listen to you, “your dad gets all these luxury presents from ‘desperate people’. I bet those are people who want the best rooms in your hotel and are using those presents to please him enough to make him want to give them the room. And well, I don’t know much about Coral Sea and stuff, but I’m under the impression that there are people who do visit there? And maybe they don’t have places to stay, so they’re really really desperate to get a good room too. Not to mention, maybe those luxury presents are all those shampoos and soaps and other things for the hotel rooms? If that makes sense?”

Stunned silence. It lasted for a second, extending to two, to three, to four seconds…

And Jade broke it with the laugh that escaped his lips. He swore it could almost be belly laughter with the way that his body started aching from a short amount of time releasing his mirth. And you watched in bewilderment, appearing to decide on whether to say something or remain silent. 

“Okay… okay…” His laughter died down, and he started catching his breath. “Ahem. I apologize for my manners.” Another pant. “But you provided me with quite the answer.”

“So… does that mean I’m right or…” You trailed off.

Jade’s polite smile returned. His composure returned to its calmness. “I never hinted at any sort of confirmation. Now, I believe that we have other questions to go through, yes?”

“Ah… you’re right,” you said as you flipped through your notebook. “Really sorry about that.”

“Do not fret,” he replied. 

You weren’t exactly correct. However, you surprisingly gave a good educated guess backed with arguments that nearly hit the mark. Nearly, but not quite there. Still, Jade kept a mental note of this small interaction, reminding himself to not underestimate your intellect.