#followed by my eighteenth the very next day

[lotus-pear]

falls into your inbox

nov 1st deadline i can't do this

how are you?

DONT REMIND ME I HAVENT FUCKING STARTED MY SUPPLEMENTALS

[nikovraskol]

this is gonna be very long winded so apologies in advance!

I’ve noticed that the readers ages of 16, 18 and 21 feel more important since they’re like a checkpoint for important parts of their lives. 18 is when they butted heads with their family more often, 21 is when they died and 16, well that’s the age that the returned to.

what would it have been say at 16 they were on autopilot so they went to breakfast and Alfred (and by extension the rest of the family ) didn’t realise something was off about them until later?

what if they returned at 18 instead of 16 when their relationships were more volatile with the bat fam?

or heck maybe at 21 a month, week, day or hour before getting shot- say if they were able to contact the police beforehand or at least call Alfred for help if they were shot but the last timeline warned them enough that they avoided lethal wounds?

(bonus: Bruce or the others - I’d expect Jason to pop up from a seedy alley- finds them after being shot and on the verge of dying, but they’re saved just in the nick of time)

(bonus bonus: they get greedy and kidnap surprise adopt multiple different versions of reader and their batfams go nuts because they “went missing”)

GRR come over here and kiss me on my hot mouth i'm feeling romantical also i will carress you for picking up on the age thing.. like damn u actually read my shi

masterlist

at sixteen, if you were to go to breakfast and act on autopilot! then congrats! you'd be able to leave (for a month). it'd be difficult because bruce wouldn't check on you so you couldn't ask him for funds. but if you were to ask alfred maybeee he'd give it to you, so long as you don't say what it's for, of course.

so then, you're living happily, peacefully even. for two months, you live your life like a normal person! until one fateful evening when you're casually lounging about -- someone knocks on your door. weird, but okay.

you open the door, and there stands fucking batman and robin just. standing there.

"we're here to--"

you slam the door on their face. now, because you've acted on auto-pilot, they didn't interact with you in the same way they did in the og story, so you're understandably confuddled. because? why the FLIP is your estranged family at your door?

over the course of the next few days, strange events occur. you go to the diner down the road to get some food and red hood slides into your booth wordlessy. you're walking home after going to the store and nightwing literally APPEARS and offers to carry your groceries. your phone's battery is mysteriously depleting fast, flipping orphan and spoiler show up at your school, hanging around.

worst of all, no matter where you go -- there's that bat-shaped shadow following you. if you look up, you'll see the outline of his cowl, and if you lock eyes he will swoop in, to save you -- of course! so keep your head down, savour your freedom for as long as possible but don't ever get too comfortable.

at eighteen? ooh i feel like a fly mischeviously rubbing it's hands together.

twenty-one year old you waking up eighteen, well, dare i say, it's better than waking up sixteen.

eighteen you had preemptively distanced yourself from the family for you. you're a legal adult, so you can work -- and best of all? (you can smoke ciggerattes) you have actual friends.

up until your eighteenth birthday, your every waking thought was on how to be better, to get better -- so with you becoming a legal adult -- well you understood that there isn't much for you to do anymore, you began to focus less on yourself and more on you. despite that, there was still the nagging feeling heavy in your chest that you'll never be accepted, never be apart of them -- there was a part that yearned for that acceptance, however late it maybe.

so your sudden disinterest wasn't alarming, not really. until you've finally found a good place, in a nice area. you're packing your stuff casually when bruce walks into your room for the first time in fuuck knows how long (because alfred asked him to).

"where are you going?" he is flabbergasted, but keeps a cool expression on his face as you give him the most diabolic side glare ever.

"i'm... leaving?"

lmao, no you're not! all of a sudden this calm procedure turns into a whole thing. give bruce the name of your landlord, he wants to see if they're good -- in fact, he can buy the house off of them so you don't have to pay a thing!

dick and jason are literally scanning every part of your new apartment, top to bottom, every single thing.

"this is not safe, these windows don't even have locks." jason sighs, analysing your windows with such scrutiny it makes you uncomfortable.

"this chain is broken! tut, tut, you can't live here!" dick adds on, ignoring the fact that the chain on your door is fine and that one chip on it won't get you killed.

tim begins to talk to you about finances, but he overexplains it using words you can't even begin to comprehend -- you're pretty sure he's doing it on purpose, what with the smug grin on his face.

"didn't bruce buy the building?" you ask, your eyes narrowed as you watch him scribble down numbers and whatnot.

"..no comment."

while those buffoons are doing that, you're being pressured by damian to stay.

"why must you leave? to live in a crappy old shack? just stay in the manor, it's safer for you." he's literally DOWN your neck with these types of comments. meanwhile, you're reeling 'cause what the fuck is going on?!

whether you give in or not is up to you -- just know, you will one way or another return to the manor.

as for the last one, let's say you get transported back five minutes before getting shock. which pisses you off 'cause what're you supposed to do in five minutes!?

nonetheless, you manage to get away with being shot once instead of five times, so you have enough energy to limp away -- and then you bump into red hood.

oh damn, oh damn, wow, so he's going to shoot you to -- or that's what you think, what you don't expect is for him to pick you up and literally shoot your offenders.

wow, okay.

you get taken back to the manor and you're literally reeling as they fuss over you, "how could you be out so late!?" this or "why do you need a job!?" that.

it's a shortcut to being locked in the manor, they take care of you like you're incapable, dick spoonfeeding you despite your protests, tim sitting silently besides you which makes you stress because he's so unnerving, cass hovering around you -- bringing you everything you need, sometimes you don't even realise you need it until she brings you a glass of water because you 'looked thirsty' (???).

this isn't just restricted to when you're recovering. you nearly died because of their negligence! so they pay extra attention to you, just so you don't get any silly ideas about walking gotham alone at night. honestly? what were you thinking, it's a good thing they're here to protect you.

(also side note ; the idea of jason being NEAR (name) when they died, but not knowing is so eghsudg to me, like he'll learn about where they died after finding the crime scene and he falls into a pit of despair because if he had taken the right route, if he had followed his instincts, he could have saved you.)

as for the last, last one. let's say you're a random variant of (name) from another universe and you've gotten transported without knowing it, you walk home morosely.

as you open the door, you are greeted with countless different versions of you -- all of them wearing the same expression of confusion. you don't know how to react when dick spots you and shouts, "we got another one"

guys if u sent an ask or request I WILL get them done.. i'm just being a lazy bum, thank u for the kind words tho everyone <3

[crljhnn]

Gareths totally real girlfriend

Pairing: Gareth Emerson x fem!Reader

Summary: Gareth and you are in a long-distance relationship, meeting for the first time since getting together. While he is excited, his friends doubt whether you are real or not.

No physical description; No use of y/n

Word count: 2k

Warnings: None really, just a bit of making out but no actual smut

[Also posted on AO3 - pseud: 04814]

“Ohh Gareth is blushing!” “Aww are you talking to your girlfriend again?” “He is in love” his younger sisters are giggling, dancing around Gareth who is currently sitting on the kitchen counter, telephone in hand.

“He just can’t help himself, she is just so pretty!” “And smart” “and talented” with high-pitched voices they are mocking the way their older brother is regularly fawning over you, while overly batting their eyelashes.

“They are growing up so fast!” His oldest sister is dramatically wiping away fake tears.

“You’re literally five years younger than me, what do you mean?”

“Actually I’m only four and a half years younger than you, so you’re wrong!”

Gareth is about to tell her that that is basically the same when he gets distracted by your laugh coming through the phone. “I can’t wait to finally meet your sisters!”

He grins “Ohh so that is the real reason why you finally decided to come and visit me. I can’t believe it, my dearest girlfriend is only dating me because of my siblings.”

“Don’t be silly!” He can hear the grin in your voice “We both know that it’s actually your hair that wooed me, but I guess your personality and you as a person in general are alright as well.”

“Haha very funny. I think you guys meeting will probably be the death of me.”

“What a great way to die.” those are the last words his youngest sister says before she grabs the older one and pulls her out of the room.

Gareth and you met at a concert a few months ago and instantly hit it off. After finding out that you both drove about two hours to the concert, coming from opposite directions, you exchanged numbers and promised each other to at least call every once in a while. Planning to attend the next good concert, that’s somewhat nearby, together.

Well, looking back on it now you might have overdone the whole staying in touch thing a little bit, not that you’re complaining! You and Gareth had great chemistry from the start and easily spent multiple hours talking on the phone every day. Considering that, and the way you both have been quite smiley ever since coming back from the concert, none of your family members were surprised when you announced your relationship.

You both have been itching to meet in person again, which is why you decided that the first longer trip you are gonna make with your first own car that you just got for your eighteenth birthday, is going to be to Hawkins. Gareth was over the moon, hearing this news, having himself begged his mom at least a thousand times to let him borrow her car over the weekend, to make his way over to your city.

“It’s getting late, I think I should head to bed, after all, I have a long drive planned tomorrow.”

It’s Thursday afternoon right now, tomorrow around this time you are gonna be lying in your boyfriend's arms. You already have everything packed and safely stored in your trunk, planning to drive over directly after school in hopes of arriving during the early evening.

“Okay, I’m really looking forward to tomorrow. Please drive safely, good night sweetheart.”

“Good night babes, see you tomorrow.”

He nearly has a heart attack when he hears his sister speaking up next to him “Aww he called her sweetheart, how adorable.” She giggles.

“Shouldn’t you be in bed?”

“Shouldn’t you be taller?”

—

The next day Gareth is up nearly an hour earlier than normal, being way too excited to even think straight. His giddiness follows him through the day confusing the Hellfire guys immensely. This is not how he normally responded to being at school.

“Okay, what’s up with you?” Eddie is the one to finally break the silence when they are all sitting at their lunch table “You’ve been acting weird all day!”

“Oh my girlfrie-” he is not able to finish his sentence before he gets interrupted by Jeff “Ohhh your totally real girlfriend that coincidentally lives super far away.” The boys laugh “You know we are all single, no need to make up lies to-” one of the other Hellfire boys speaks up just to end up getting interrupted as well. And that by no other than one of the freshmen “Not all of us are single, we’re not!”.

Damn.

“Well,” Gareth, being fed up with his friends not believing that he could possibly be in a relationship, abruptly stands up “Actually, she is visiting this weekend so if you come over you can finally meet my in fact very real girlfriend.” With that he storms out of the cafeteria, leaving his tray behind for the others to clean up.

—

His angry mood doesn’t stick, but his good mood doesn't return either. Is it really so unlikely for him to have a girlfriend? Is it so unrealistic that a girl could be attracted to him? He always thought that you were out of his league, but before now it never worried him or made him feel insecure. Quite the opposite actually, he was always proud that he was able to score a girl like you.

But what if you remembered him in an idealized kind of way? Would you be disappointed after seeing him in the flesh again? Would it be awkward? What if you decided that he wasn’t what you expected and just broke up with him?

His spiraling was interrupted when his house came into view, with a car parked in front of it, which exactly matched the description you had excitedly given him a few days ago talking about your newest possession. Is he starting to imagine things now? You shouldn’t be arriving until way later in the day.

When he opens the front door he is greeted with the view of you and his mom, giggling and drinking tea at the kitchen table, something suspiciously looking like a photo album lying in front of you. The noise of the closing door notifies both of you of his presence making you simultaneously look up.

“Hi”

He is still frozen at the door. You stand up, cross the room and meet him at the door, embracing him in a hug as soon as he is within reachable distance. Coming back to earth he quickly returns it.

“Hey”

“You’re early.” It comes out more like a statement than a question. His tone made you fear that you crossed a boundary or upset him, slightly pulling back from the hug to look at his face “Yes, is that okay?”

“YES! Sorry! I mean yeah that’s totally cool, I’m just surprised. How did you get here so early?”

You grin sheepishly “I might or might not have skipped school today. But I wouldn't have been able to focus either way because I was way too excited” you reason.

“You’re lucky that it was my day off today or you would be sitting on the porch right now” his mother's amused tone pulled you out of your little daze, finally completely pulling out of the hug “I probably should be concerned about you being a bad influence on my son by skipping school, but it looks like he himself isn’t really taking his attendance that serious either.”

Shit.

“However,” you and Gareth share a slightly anxious look “I'm gonna make an exception and let that slide today, but don't make skipping a habit. We don't want your academics to suffer, right?” Gareth groans, mumbling something about her embarrassing him under his breath.

You on the other side let out a breath you didn't knew you were holding in. You didn’t even think twice about what impression you would leave, when you show up for the first time meeting your boyfriend's mom, proudly proclaiming that you just skipped school.

She grabs her bag and turns to you. “I'm going grocery shopping, anything I should bring honey?” You both simultaneously shake your head. “I wasn't talking to you Gareth, you just skipped school, I may not punish you, but I’m sure as hell aren’t rewarding you either!”

“But she skipped too, why are you asking her then?”

Geez thanks.

“Well SHE is not my child to raise and SHE is also a guest, if you excuse me now, I want to be at the shop before all the good fruits and vegetables are gone.” With that the door closes behind her, resulting in you two being alone now.

“Hi” 'Wow smart thing to say, if she doesn’t already think that you are a total loser she sure does now.'

Instead of laughing at him as he expected, you smile.

“Hi! Wanna show me your room?”

—

Back at Hawkins High, the Hellfire Club is still sitting at their table.

“Wasn’t that a bit much? He seemed genuinely hurt.” Dustin, always the sweetheart, speaks up. “Yeah, I feel bad now too” agreement follows from the others.

“Do you really think that his girlfriend isn’t real?” Mike asks Eddie

“I mean I was suspicious before, but this kind of sold the deal, right? If he had a girlfriend, why would he react like that?” The others nod at their ‘leaders‘ reasoning.

Dustin decides to speak up again in hopes of making them see the said things from Gareth's perspective “I mean you sort of implied that it's extremely unlikely for a woman to want him”

Eddie looks offended “Come on now, that’s not what I said or meant and you know that.”

“Yeah, I know that, but does Gareth?”

“Okay, you know what, I'm gonna drive over and apologize. Then I'm telling him that it’s no biggy that he lied about having a girlfriend and we will all just forget about it. Yay happy ending, driving into the sunset together with our hair flowing in the wind.”

“Fine man, but Im coming with you,” Jeff says “Not the whole sunset thing, but I think I have to apologize too.” And with that, they both make their way to Eddies van to drive over to Gareths.

—

Gareth on the other hand has long forgotten about their ‘fight’ at lunch, being a lot more focused on the way his girlfriends' lips feel. He still can’t believe that he finally has you here, in his house, in his room, in his bed. That he can hug, touch and kiss you. He slowly pushes you down, laying part of his body weight on you to get closer, while your hands find their way under his shirt.

—

Eddie and Jeff have now arrived at their destination, ringing the doorbell a few times.

Nothing.

“He must still be mad, let's get in through the garage, they never lock it.” Eddie proposes.

—

“There is someone at the door” you break the kiss

“Yeah, I heard.” Gareth only takes a second to respond before instantly chasing your lips again.

“You don’t want to open?”

“Nah, whoever it is is gonna survive, I have more important matters to attend to.” You giggle, making your boyfriend aware of how smitten he is again.

—

The two boys have successfully entered the house and are now walking up the stairs, Eddie already talking the apology, that he and Jeff came up with on their way here, through in his head, being so deep in thought, he doesn’t even consider knocking before he opens the door, well more like slams the door open.

The first thing he hears is a shriek that sounds suspiciously like it came from a girl. The next sound is clearly Gareths voice.

“What the fuck dude, ever heard of knocking? Get the fuck out!” With that, he is pushed out of the room by a shirtless Gareth. Neither he nor Jeff has a chance to say anything before Gareth is slamming the door in their faces.

“Damn, maybe he wasn’t lying.”

“Good for him, good for him.”

[toasttt11]

about time

August 7, 2024

Cameron was dead asleep with Mr. Mack in her arms not stirring as Sidney quietly walked into his daughter’s bedroom holding a plate of his homemade banana bread with candles lite for her eighteenth birthday.

Sidney could not believe it that his daughter who was just born was already eighteen, officially an adult and would be playing in the NHL in barely a month.

It made Sidney sad but proud at how fast his daughter is growing up and he is thankful he gets to watch her grow up but it’s still so sad seeing her not being so little anymore and not need him as much anymore.

Sidney sat on the edge of his daughter’s bed making Mr. Mack open his eyes and glare at Sidney making Sidney just roll his eyes use to the fact his daughter’s cat would never like him and the feeling is mutual.

Sidney gently brushed back her hair from her face watching as she squirmed slowly waking up.

“Happy birthday Cambug.” Sidney softly cooed as Cameron opened her eyes looking at her dad and smiled softly, Sidney sat the plate down next to her as Cameron sat up blowing out her candles and eagerly grabbed the fork and happily starting to eat her banana bread.

Sidney made sure to steal a few bites like he does every year on her birthday.

Cameron finished her birthday breakfast and reluctantly got out of bed and headed to bathroom getting ready for her day, she threw on a pair of jean shorts and a simple white cropped t-shirt and came out of her bathroom seeing her dad sitting on her bed with a few hair things, she sat down on the floor in front of him.

Sidney gently brushed out his daughter’s hair, something he has missed with her not living with him anymore. He gently brushed her hair and added two little braids that connected in the back.

Sidney and Cameron started walking out of her room and down the stairs with Mr. Mack following behind them.

Sidney spared a glance at his daughter and smiled softly excited for her to find out the surpise he has for her.

Cameron smiled seeing her grandparents, aunt and Nate and Connor.

Connor having come out for a few days to celebrate his best friend’s birthday. The Fleury’s, Malkin’s and Letang’s were all coming over later in the day to celebrate Cameron.

“Happy birthday baby cros.” Nate cheered standing up and spinning around his niece who wasn’t so little anymore.

“Thanks Uncle Nate.” Cameron giggles softly as Nate gently set her feet back onto the floor.

Cameron walked over to her aunt, who immediately was pulling Cameron into a very tight hug, “My favorite niece.” Taylor whispered pressing a kiss to the side of her face, “Happy birthday.”

Cameron smiled, “Thank you Aunty Tay.”

Cameron headed over to her grandparents who immediately pulled her into a group hug and wishing her a happy birthday.

Cameron did not see her surprise walk into the room having been watching as she came down the stairs and greet her family.

“Happy birthday Camers.” Connor spoke softly as he pulled his best friend into a tight hug.

“Thanks Con.” Cameron smiled squeezing her best friend once more before letting go.

“No hug for me Cam?” Fraser softly called out from where he was standing and Cameron didn’t notice him yet.

Cameron’s eyes went wide hearing that voice and spun towards it seeing Fraser in her living room with a smile, “What?” Cameron let out a shocked chuckle and quickly crossed the room pulling Fraser into a tight hug.

“Happy birthday Cam.” Fraser softly whispered only to her.

Fraser and Sidney planned together for Fraser to come out for Cameron’s birthday as a surprise. Sidney may of also dropped a few hints that Cameron feels the same and since she was turning eighteen Fraser was hopeful, Sidney also gave Fraser his permission to ask Cameron out.

Cameron just softly giggled hugging Fraser tighter.

“Woah.” Taylor quieter whispered to her older brother, she did not believe that sweet Cameron actually was interested in someone romantically but seeing the two hug in front of her she knew she was wrong.

Taylor wasn’t there a few months ago when Fraser was visiting so she hadn’t seen Fraser and Cameron interact and hadn’t believed anyone that Cameron had feelings for someone but she could easily see the obvious signs in front of her.

Sidney simply smiled in response. At first he hated the thought of his daughter with anyone but he couldn’t hate it with how much Fraser really does care for Cameron and Cameron obviously adores him right back.

Sidney has slowly grown to care for Fraser since he had met the boy and while he was protective of Cameron he will admit there is no one better for his daughter than Fraser, and Fraser has proved that many times already.

Sidney was glad that Cameron will have Fraser in Toronto, while he would like her to be as close to possible to him, it makes him feel better than she has Fraser with her.

Cameron and Fraser pulled back after a few long moments and she grabbed his hands squeezing them softly giving him a smile, she is very happy he came.

Cameron pulled Fraser over to the couch Connor had sat down and her smile was wide as she sat between her two best friends.

Cameron smiled as she opened her presents from all of her family that were present right then.

Taylor smacked her brother’s arm as she looked at the scene in front of her, Mr. Mack was happily curled up on Fraser’s lap as Cameron opened her presents.

“Don’t know what the kid did but that cat likes him.” Sidney shook his head still does not make sense why his daughter cat adores Fraser yet hisses at him every time he sees him.

Cameron opened up the rest of her presents and spent a good while sitting with her family in the living room before she headed out of the living room to her backyard and sitting on her hammock.

Cameron peacefully closed her eyes as she leaned her head back against her hammock and lightly rocking back and forth.

Fraser watched Cameron get up and head out side and knew she was heading outside to her hammock, he looked around the living room seeing Connor and Sidney in a deep discussion and Nate and Taylor playfully arguing as Tina and Troy watched amused.

Fraser gently pet Mr.Mack before he stood up and headed out to back yard as well, he walked down the steps on the back deck and smiled seeing Cameron’s peaceful as she sat in her hammock and took a deep breath and walked over.

Fraser figured Cameron heard him walk out because she didn’t even flinch when he sat down next to her and just rested her head on his shoulder keeping her eyes closed.

“Thank you for being here.” Cameron softly whispered, she hadn’t wanted to ask him to come out for her birthday not wanting to make a big deal out of it but she is glad he came and she gets to see him.

“Of course.” Fraser smiled, he was nervous that maybe Cameron didn’t want him to come out and he shouldn’t surprise her but Connor and Sidney both told him she would love it.

Fraser must of have been staring at her peaceful face long enough that she opened her eye and titled her head up to look at him, it made her nervous the expression on his face, a good nervous, “What?”

Fraser shook his slowly and let out a breathy chuckle bringing his hand up slowly and gently tracing her cheekbone, making her lean towards his touch and her eyes flutter, “Do you know how beautiful you are?” Fraser softly questioned, he was nervous hoping he doesn’t mess everything up but he has been head over heels in love with her since he met her and he could not wait any longer.

Cameron’s breath hitched at his question, her eyes widened as she looked at him.

“Because you are beautiful Cameron, it’s distracting.” Fraser leaned closer as he spoke even softer to her, “You’re an angel.”

Cameron’s cheeks were turning darker and darker red the more he spoke and her eyes were still wide as she starred at him.

Fraser swallowed nervously but took a deep breath feeling hopeful as she hadn’t pulled away from him yet, “I have had feelings for you since the moment we met and you’ve utterly captivated me.” Fraser scanned her face nervously.

Cameron bit her lip feeling her whole face a flame as she heard the words she did not realize she longed to hear for so long, “I have feelings for you too.” Cameron softly whispered looking up at Fraser through her eyes lashes as he cupped her cheek with his whole palm.

Fraser let out a relieved chuckle and leaned even closer to her making their noses brush, “Can i kiss you angel?” Fraser whispered gently caressing her face.

Cameron’s eyes widen once more from his question and the name he called her, “Please.” Cameron whispered desperately making Fraser’s smile widen before he pressed his lips delicately to hers.

Cameron let out a soft sigh as she tentatively brought her hands chest as their lips stayed connected.

Fraser gently pulled back keeping his eyes on her as her eyes stayed closed but there was a pleased smile on her face.

“Is it too soon to ask you to be my girlfriend?” Fraser nervously asked.

“No, not too soon.” Cameron opened her eyes bitting her lip trying to hide her very wide smile.

Fraser smiled pleased.

Fraser cupped her face gently with both of his hands making her sigh as she relaxed into his touch, “Cameron Crosby, would you be my girlfriend?”

“I would like that.” Cameron whispered giggling softly as Fraser beamed happily and pressed his lips back to hers.

Sidney walked through his house towards the window that faces the backyard where he can see the hammock as he assumed that is where his daughter and Fraser are, he looked out the window and raised an eyebrow seeing them kissing, “It’s about time.” Sidney muttered and smiled at the happiness on his daughter’s gave before he turned around and walked away.

[sebsxphia]

One of my friends was telling me how her brother "got married" in kindergarten, and how everyone, even the teachers and nannies were in on it, one of them playing the part of the priest and "officiating it". They even got "divorced" at some point. Anyways, this got me thinking. (And I arrived at this very, very cheesy, very, very long though...)

What if you and Jake "married" in kindergarten, but never "divorced"? Then you continued on being best friends and having a crush on each other, making your relationship official at the beginning of high school and staying together. You lose your virginity to each other on your eighteenth birthday. After a while, you start thinking that Jake is going to propose. There are so many times when you think this may be it, but he never gets on one knee. Each year though, on the same day, that is not the anniversary of you two officially getting together, he takes you out to a fancy dinner and makes love to you so thoroughly, you can feel him throughout the next day. Unless he is on a deployment, he always manages to have that day off. Something he isn't always able to do with your actual anniversary...

Following another one of those special dates that you think is gonna end up in proposal but doesn't, you can't help but overthink. Maybe he doesn't propose because he doesn't want to commit to you that much, maybe things aren't as good between you as you thought and he reassures you to be, maybe you made a mistake, said something that made him either not want to marry you or sound like you don't want to marry him and oh no, what if he thinks you don't love him enough to say yes...

And so on, the thoughts spiral. Jake notices that you are stuck in your head on the way home. Once you get into your livingroom, he catches your arm and pulls you into his embrace before you could sit on the couch. He starts swaying you a little, getting you to giggle.

"What was going on in that pretty little head of yours?" he asks.

"You don't want to marry me, do you?" you can't help it, the question comes tumbling out.

"I already did Sweetheart" he says gently, a little teasing present in his voice, moving a strand of hair out of your face.

After a moment, you remember your wedding in kindergarten. Jake whispers the date of it to you, and you realise that's the same day as today.

You can feel tears gather in your eyes, the fact he remembered and made this day so special for so many years just make you realise how much you mean to him and how much he loves you. You kiss him, filled with so much passion. When he pulls away, you keep your eyes closed for a moment longer. When you open them, you see him down on one knee, holding up an open ring box with the ring of your dreams in it.

"Darlin' we've been together for ten years, married for twenty" you chuckle at that through your tears "and I've been in love with you my entire life. Will you re-marry me?"

You kiss him well, before chanting yes all the way to your bedroom.

-💚

"Darlin' we've been together for ten years, married for twenty" you chuckle at that through your tears "and I've been in love with you my entire life. Will you re-marry me?"

NO BECAUSE HE WOULDDDD, MY BELOVED ANON! HE WOULD!

i just absolutely adore how you write jake and how you capture this side of complete and utter love and admiration that he has for you 🥹 he would never forget anything in your relationship, regardless of how long you’ve been together. but after all this time, it definitely makes it more special to you both. thank you so much for this incredibly sweet thought my beloved anon! 💌

[atiny-piratequeen]

Against the Tide: Eighteenth Dal Segno (Ch. 18 Pt. 2)

Pairing: Poly OT8

•❥ Rating: Explicit (18+)

•❥ Genres: Heavy Angst, Action, Romance, Fluff, Smut, Fantasy

•❥ Series AU Tags: Demon Pirates, Supernatural, Poly Relationship (mxm), Past and Modern Day AU, Mythology Au, Slow Burn, Slice of Life, College Au, Rock Band Au, Happy Ending Endgame

•❥ Chapter Tws: Migraines, Nosebleeds, Blood, Guilt, Nightmares, Panic Attacks, Anxiety, Misunderstandings, Poison

•❥ Chapter Sws: Foursome, Consentacle Tentacles (lets go Whiro!), Temperature Play, Comfort Sex, Finger Sucking, Jacob's Ladder Piercing, Hair Pulling, Blowjob, Frottage, Bareback, Auralism, Scent Kink, Cum Swallowing, Biting, Dacryphilia

•❥ WC: 14.6k+ out of 25.5k

•❥ A/N: The blue hellsite's devs are full of shit and my chapter was too big to post all in one so now I have to break it up into two posts. It would be real lovely for my AtTiny enjoyers to make sure to reblog my work when they're finished :3 This was going to be the reveal chapter but it was already 25k so I decided to break it up. Which...was clearly the right option since tumblr's new posting limitations hates me and my big chapters lmao. Thank you for waiting and stay tuned :) Also, if you haven't yet, maybe check out my new universe Ataraxia while you wait for the next chapter?

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•❥ ©atiny-piratequeen 2024. do not repost, translate, or use my works.

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April 1st

7:34am

-220 Days Remain-

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“Hold your head up. Keep your back straight. Slouching is unbecoming of a Prince.” 

Seonghwa opened his eyes, looking to his left, and spotting the form of his child self, staring at his old instructor. 

Ah, a dream. 

He watched his child self stand straighter, his grey eyes hardening as stared at his instructor, his jaw, as cherub as it may be, locking. 

“Yes, Teacher. I apologize.” 

“Perfect, Prince Seonghwa. Now, raise your sword. To be a leader, you must never show that you are tired. Never show weakness. Those who follow you will sense something is amiss and if their leader is weak, they will lose hope. Even if you know your back is against the wall, you musn’t show your subordinates. Always remember this.” 

Seonghwa’s child self gripped the practice sword tight, nodding as he once again began to swing at the dummy before him, keeping his posture perfect. 

The current Seonghwa watched his younger self before turning, exhaling gently and heading in the opposite direction. 

He walked through rustling trees and the scenery began to melt into something different. 

Intricate designs on the carpet beneath his feet, expensive paintings lining the walls of rulers before him. Beautiful vases full of freshly picked and tended to flowers. 

The hall stopped on two frames. 

One, burned to cinders, of his father. Through the ash and damage, Seonghwa almost could not recognize him. 

He, however, knew the hilt of that falcata well. 

The very one situated on his hip currently. 

Seonghwa grit his teeth and looked to the final frame in the hall of rulers. 

Staring back at him was an image of himself. Or, rather, his other self. 

Inky black hair, piercing ice blue eyes, the deep crimson streaks on his eyes and along his lips. A crown of ice sat atop his head. 

Seonghwa approached ‘himself’, staring into his own eyes. The painting smiled back at him, tilting its head slightly before leaning out of it and towards him. 

The ex prince did not shy away, even when ‘he’ reached out, grabbing his wrist and smearing paint all over Seonghwa’s it, right over his compass stone. 

Seonghwa glanced down before looking back at ‘himself’. 

Crimson lips opened. 

“Come. It is not these halls you wish to walk through, now is it?” 

Seonghwa opened his mouth to question ‘him’, but was yanked through the painting. 

He fell through the painting, careening downwards, eyes widening as the color began to fade around him. His ‘other’ self gripped his hand tight, a wild smile on his face as they fell. 

“Where are we going?” Seonghwa hadn’t opened his mouth, instead he heard his own voice echoing through the space they were falling through. The ‘other’ him glanced over his shoulder at Seonghwa before looking down. 

“The place we’ve been yearning. Even if its for a little bit.” 

Before Seonghwa could reply, the gray blur around him as he fell began to rapidly fill with color once more until it cradled him like a blanket. He could no longer feel ‘him’ holding his hand. 

Seonghwa did not know when he’d closed his eyes again, but when he opened him, he was…home. 

No, not the castle, not the house in Seoul…he was home. 

The scent of salt from the ocean filled his nose first, then the rhythmic sound of water splashing along the hull of The Utopia. 

Seonghwa felt his throat tighten as he looked around. 

“I’ve never cooked swordfish before, but I’m excited to try!” 

He turned his head, watching as Yeosang stood with his hands on his hips, admiring the giant swordfish Jongho and Whiro had hefted aboard. San and Wooyoung stood not too far off, with Wooyoung singing a song they’d picked up in the last port town, slowly forming a new set of knives for their beloved chef to hack apart the fish for easier transport down into the galley. 

“I don’t care what ya do with it, just make it good for all the damn effort it took for us to bring this big ass fish up here, yeah?”

“Don’t be so fucking rude when asking for something, jackass.” 

Yeosang smiled patiently as Whiro rose from Jongho’s skin, growling and starting another one of their usual arguments. 

“Thanks so much, Doc. I drank that concoction you gave me yesterday and I feel leagues better than I did before!” Sana cheered, slapping Yunho on the back before she rushed over to get to work, tying her hair back as she did. 

Yunho watched her go with a smile, muttering thanks to Geb as he checked his watch and startled. 

“Ah! I’m late! I have to feed Atlas.” He rushed past Seonghwa, smiling and waving at him before hurrying below the deck. Seonghwa waved back and continued walking, finding Mingi seated on a barrel, glasses balanced on his nose as he scanned whatever was on the report in his hands. 

Seonghwa felt his heart clench for a moment. 

He stopped in front of Mingi. His presence drew the boatswain’s attention in an instant, with Mingi peering up at him over the rim of his glasses. Once he realized who it was, he set the report down. 

The dark-haired man sent him a big, genuine smile. 

“Hey! We’re lookin’ good. I think I finally got the hang of the numbers Cap’n wants to keep while also being mindful of resourc-Oh!”Mingi stopped short when Seonghwa threw his arms around his frame. 

He looked at the First Mate with concern before closing his eyes and rubbing his back. 

“It’s not like you to slouch, Seonghwa.” 

“I just want to hold you again, it’s been so long. Please…please let me just hold you a little longer.” Seonghwa almost didn’t recognize his own voice as he pushed it out. Mingi hummed before looking towards the sky, exhaling a small, good-natured laugh. 

“You’ll hurt your back if you don’t stand up straight.” 

“To hell with my back. To hell with it all. I just want to fix this. I miss…I miss this. I miss us. All of us.” 

Mingi gently pulled him away, smiling at him and cocking his head. 

“I know you do. After all, if it were just him you cared about, wouldn’t you have run into him first?”

Seonghwa watched as Mingi hopped off of the barrel, standing taller than him and cupping his face. His rough thumbs wiped Seonghwa’s cheeks of tears that had yet to fall. 

“I need to get stronger.” 

“I agree with you.” 

Seonghwa stared at Mingi, his heart pounding as the boatswain leaned in. Instinctively, he closed his eyes, expecting to feel the phantom brush of lips against his own. 

Instead, Mingi placed his lips near the shell of his ear. 

“We are in the past, Seonghwa. Nothing is going to change that. You can only change the future.” 

Seonghwa exhaled shakily, holding Mingi tighter. He pulled the ex prince closer and set his chin on his shoulder. 

“Regardless of what has happened, what will happen. I want you to know something. Take it to heart, okay?” Mingi ran his fingers over the fabric of Seonghwa’s clothes, admiring it as he spoke. 

“What lies behind you and what lies in front of you…that all pales in comparison to what lies inside of you, Seonghwa. And this goes for all of us.” Mingi pulled away for the last time, stopping to steal a long awaited kiss from Seonghwa’s lips. He kept their heads together, staring into Seonghwa’s teary eyes before grabbing his report and turning. 

“Go on, you should see him before you wake up.” 

With that, he walked away from Seonghwa, leaving the ex prince there to collect himself. 

It took the blonde longer than he would like to admit, but once he did, he exhaled and turned on his heel, rushing through the bodies on the ship. 

He did not care for the fact that he ran through some figures, with them blurring into vague aberrations before returning to the familiar faces of his old crew members, going about their business as if they hadn’t been disturbed. 

He found him on the quarter-deck, his back to him as he checked the compass in his hand. 

Seonghwa flew over, hugging him tight, burying his face into his back and letting the tears he’d barely reeled in freefall from his eyes. 

The man grunted before he glanced back, chuckling softly and placing a hand on Seonghwa’s.

That laugh, that beautiful sound. 

“It’s not often I see ya cryin’. Can’t say I’m a fan of seein' ya all messed up like this when yer not feelin’ good.” Captain Hongjoong turned in his arms, kissing the top of Seonghwa’s head and then laughing when the prince pulled him into a desperate kiss with no fanfare. 

“Please, stay with me. All of you please don’t go again. I…I don’t want to wake up please just let me stay.” 

Hongjoong looked at him before he glanced off towards the sea. There was a pained look in his eyes, but it was gone a moment later, as he turned his attention back to Seonghwa. 

“I know it’s unfair, but I’m askin’ ya to stand up straight and be strong.”

Seonghwa felt pain in his chest as he stood up, watching as Hongjoong leaned over the monkey rail. He wanted to scramble to grab him, to yank him back into his arms, but the rational side of him knew if he panicked, he’d awaken from this much earlier than he was willing to risk. 

Not now. Please, not now. 

He just wanted to talk for a bit longer. Just to hear his lover’s voice. Seonghwa focused when Hongjoong’s voice carried over the sound of the splashing waves. 

“What do you think it means to be a Captain?”

Seonghwa stared at Hongjoong’s back for a long time, watching as he gazed down to the deck below. Occasionally, someone would look up, notice the man's watchful eye, and give him a respectful nod, a wave, a fist pat across their own chest in acknowledgment.

Seonghwa watched them silently. 

“I haven't the slightest clue, putois. I don’t…I don’t think I’ve done you any justice in your… absence.” Seonghwa cringed, glancing at the deck below his feet. 

Hongjoong laughed and leaned on the wooden rail, the wind sweeping his hair. A smirk pulled at the corner of his lips. 

“Ah, after all of this time, you’re still thinkin' with that Princely mindset, eh?  C’mon, Seonghwa, think out of tha box!”

Seonghwa’s lip curled but he held back the tongue lashing he had for him, instead watching Hongjoong shift from foot to foot, humming. 

“To me,” he started. “Every breath I take is for my crew. I would do anything for them. No pain is too great. No injury too grave. As long as I can move, I will ensure my crew is protected.”

Seonghwa looked down at the men shuffling about, lips slightly pursed. He could see Daniel gently motioning in a direction, followed by half a dozen members trotting down below the deck in mismatched harmony, carefree smiles on their faces. 

His eyes drifted back to Hongjoong.

“And what about you?”

Hongjoong glanced over his shoulder.

“What about me? I have this gift now. And with it, I protect my crew. My ship. I can be cut to pieces, but the moment I mend myself back, I will come back. Better. Stronger. This is what a Captain does. At least to me. No matter how much it hurts, no matter how much sleep I lose, I pledged to do right by my crew.”

Seonghwa hummed, closed his eyes, and let out a shaky exhale.

What it means to be a Captain, huh?

“I don’t think I have what it takes.” 

“I think that’s bullshit.” 

Seonghwa opened his eyes, and all seven of his lovers stood before him.  He looked around, his brows pinching together as his lip wobbled again. Hongjoong walked over to him, cupping his cheek. 

“I have to go, Seonghwa. It’s about that time, eh?” 

“No! No wait, please!”

“It’s going to be okay. I believe in you. I wouldn’t have trusted my crew with you if I didn’t. Don’t give up. Not when you’ve found me. Keep going.” 

“Hongjoong, I can’t, okay?! I’ve..I’ve ruined everything. Mingi hates me…you don’t remember us, please. Just…just let me stay-”

“It’s time to wake up, Seonghwa.” 

Seonghwa watched as the man before him changed, the shaggy chestnut mullet now a well trimmed and fluffy black and white nest of loose curls. Soft, honey brown eyes stared up at him and Seonghwa looked down at the image of the current Hongjoong. 

“I…I don’t want to wake up-”

The musician placed his hand on the center of Seonghwa’s chest. 

“Get up, Seonghwa.”

“No! No, no, no, just a bit longer-”

“It’s time to get up.”

Hongjoong pushed him, and Seonghwa found himself powerless to stop it, falling back with the image of his lovers staring back at him being the last thing he saw before he fell through the deck. 

Once again…the color around him began to fade to gray as the ship got further and further away.

And then-

“CHEESE WILL PERFORM LIFE SAVING MEASURES! EVERYONE STAND BACK!”

Seonghwa jolted up, the sensation of falling the second time triggering his instincts. In an instant, Cheese came storming towards him, knocking him out of his bed and onto the floor before pressing onto his chest. 

“Live, Master Captain Seonghwa!!! LIIIIIIVE!”

“C-Cheese, he’s immortal, he doesn’t need you to do chest compressions-” San frowned, brows furrowed. Whiro cackled from where he’d pulled himself up from Jongho’s skin. 

“No, no, please let him continue, this is fuckin’ hilarious.”

Jongho rolled his eyes and made his way over, picking Cheese up and frowning down at the oldest immortal. 

“Hey, you alright?” 

Seonghwa sat staring at the ceiling in shock for a moment before he pushed himself up into a sitting position. 

Jongho and Yunho stood closest to his bed, worried expressions on their faces. Wooyoung was not too far off, holding a bowl of cool water as Yeosang wrang out a rag, paused mid-way as he stared at Seonghwa, bewildered. San sighed, setting aside the smelling salts he had fished out of Yunho’s room, pursing his lips in concern. 

Mingi stood in the doorway, quietly observing. 

“You were…screaming and crying in your sleep. We couldn’t wake you at all. Are…are you alright?” Yeosang inquired, rushing over to place the rag on his head. Seonghwa momentarily forgot the nature of the very powers inside of him, instead relaxing the instant the cool rag touched his head. 

He was covered in a fine sheen of sweat and his eyes and throat stung, proof of the aforementioned screaming and crying episodes. Yunho ducked down and picked him up, setting him in his bed and holding a hand over his body. A faint green glow emitted from it as he seemed to check Seonghwa’s body with his powers. 

“Your vitals are good. It seems it was only a nightmare. However, I am detecting traces of-” Geb’s tender voice sounded from Yunho’s lips and Seonghwa shook his head, cutting him off. 

“I’m fine, Geb, please don’t worry.”

Yeosang clenched his fists.

“You’re doing it again. Why?”

Seonghwa’s gaze lifted to Yeosang, blinking in surprise.

“Doing…? What am I-”

“Did you know? Your scent changes when you lie. When you tell half truths, even. Everyone’s does.” Yeosang walked up, eyes blazing. Seonghwa stared up at him, pressing his lips together. There was a flash of something in his eyes, Mingi knew it well. The oldest of their group of immortals didn’t like to be challenged, and would usually respond accordingly. 

However, this time, as quickly as the look crossed his face, it was gone, replaced with a stone-esque poker face, albiet a bit too late for those who knew him well.

So…everyone in the room. 

“Yeosang, there is no need to be concerned.”

“Show me your side. Lift your shirt up, actually.”

“....”

“If there’s no need for concern, there’s no reason to not show me, right? My nose can just as easily be playing tricks, right?” He pointed to Seonghwa, eyes bleeding to crimson.

“Explain to me why I smell your blood, since there is no cause for concern, Park Seonghwa.”

A silence fell over the room that instantly made the air stifling. Seonghwa rubbed his tired eyes and let out an exhausted sigh before sending his lovers a smile that didn’t convince a single one of them he had pulled it together. 

“I…truly do not wish for any more fighting between us. I’ve been the reason for so much, already. They will heal. I’m sorry to disturb everyone so early. Thank you for checking on me. I…need to organize my thoughts and I will be alright.” He ran a hand through Cheese’s fur as he spoke to them. 

San looked down as he did. Seonghwa’s hand was trembling. 

“Seonghwa…” Yeosang realized his out of character outburst had made the man put up his walls again. A pang of guilt struck him hard and reached for him. Seonghwa caught his hand, turning it in one fluid movement and placing a kiss to his knuckles. 

“I’m sorry for worrying you.” He spoke softly, a sense of finality in his tone. 

Drop it, please.

“We’re gonna get him back, Hwa.” San sat on the edge of the bed, putting his hand over Seonghwa’s free one. The ex prince let out a small exhale. He turned his hand up, taking San’s in his and raising it to his lips like he had done with Yeosang’s. San didn’t move, his expression softening as Seonghwa brushed his lips over his knuckles and pressed San’s palm to his cool cheek. 

“I…I know. I won’t stop until I do. I want…to be a man worthy of guiding and loving all of you.” His normally sure and bold voice came out as a mere whisper. 

Wooyoung came to his side quickly. 

“Of course you are!” 

Seonghwa could sense out of his peripheral that Mingi was still there, watching quietly. He had the hindsight not to glance in his direction and risk sending the wrong message. Instead, he closed his eyes, speaking clearly as he held San’s hand in place. 

“Do not misunderstand. I do not say these words because I wish for any of you to feel pity for me. I say them because I have made grave mistakes and I wish to atone for them. Until I do, how can I look any of you in the eyes and call myself a leader? How can I call myself an adequate lover when I have let you all down so tremendously?”

Jongho glanced at Yunho, who seemed to have a comment on the tip of his tongue but refrained. A guilty look settled on his face instead. 

‘I’ve pushed him too much, Geb.’

‘Perhaps.’

“My actions and…the harm they have caused are my own. It is on me to right these wrongs. My body will heal from these wounds in time. With that being said,” Seonghwa got out of his bed, looking around everyone in the room. 

“I wish to try that trial once more. But I don’t want anyone to feel rushed or pressured into doing it instantly like we had before.” he ran a hand through his hair and nodded. 

“I will be down for breakfast soon, I just…I would like to shower first, I'm covered in sweat. Thank you all for checking on me.” He stood, gently maneuvering around Cheese so the canine didn't fall. 

His remaining lovers exchanged concerned glances at one another before Jongho reached for him, catching his wrist and sending him a smile. 

“Mind if we join?”

Seonghwa’s lips parted, before he glanced down, finding a shadow subtly looped around his ring finger, tugging gently. 

The ex prince looked up, pressing his lips together to hide the small wobble. Gods, was he not done with the crying? Did it follow him into the waking world?

“C'mon.” Even Whiro regarded him with a tender tone, and Seonghwa found himself nodding, his feet slightly dragging along the cool floors. 

Mingi stepped out of the doorway as Jongho and Whiro ushered Seonghwa out.

“Seonghwa,”

The blonde perked, looking over his shoulder at Mingi. He rubbed his arm slightly, looking to the floor. Cheese had appeared at his side, rubbing against his leg before sitting at his feet.

“...Make sure to wash your face. It's…puffy. And, um. Drink water. So you don't get a headache. From the…crying and all.”

Seonghwa slow blinked at him before he let out a small exhale, the tears he'd been trying to force back down flowing from his face at the clear-albeit a bit awkwardly executed-words of concern.

“Thank you, Mingi. I'll be back soon.” Seonghwa’s voice somehow remained stable despite his tears (and the occasional laughs as he tried to wipe his face)

Jongho ducked down, looping his arm under the taller immortal's legs, picking him up.

“I got you. Just put your head on our shoulder and let us take it from here.” Jongho’s voice grew further from everyone as he carried Seonghwa down the hall.

Yeosang looked at the floor, guilt tearing at him. He quietly excused himself, cursing in several tongues as he maneuvered past his lovers. 

“I…I’ll make breakfast…”He trailed off, the usual excitement in his voice to do so gone as he jogged downstairs.

It wasn’t like him to lose his cool like that, but he could see the clear hurt on Seonghwa’s face and it was like watching a horrible accident in slow motion.

Still in the doorway, Mingi glanced into the room at the remaining occupants before ruffling Cheese's fur.

“Come on, let's go help Yeosang.” He nodded towards the stairs and Cheese happily trotted after him. 

In the bathroom, Seonghwa watched as Jongho and Whiro spoke back and forth to one another in Māori, moving about the room and grabbing different items. 

“Should we do a bath or shower?”

“Shower. I don't know if he's going to want to sit and be in his own head in a bath. Plus, foxy is making breakfast. It'd be rude to let it get cold by spending all day in the tub.”

Seonghwa couldn't understand a word they were saying, but he could tell they were working harmoniously, probably bouncing ideas off of one another.

“It's…nice seeing you two like this.” He softly spoke. Jongho perked for a moment before he extended his hand.

“We love you.” 

Seonghwa took his hand without hesitation, leaning into his space and holding his forearms gently. He pressed their foreheads together, staring into Jongho’s eyes. 

He noticed the right one had gone red, and his gentle smile grew as half of Jongho’s silken locks went blonde. 

“Couldn't wait your turn?” Seonghwa tried to jest but both of them cupped his face.

“I'm okay with sharing.”

“Just enjoy the pampering, pretty boy.”

Seonghwa ignored the latter response, closing his eyes and letting both tug him into a kiss. 

The two of them kissed him with a sense of gentleness foreign to Seonghwa. He was used to the demanding push and pull energies Whiro often put into his kisses, fighting without pause to control every aspect. 

Kissing Jongho was like approaching a newborn fawn in a way. He was far from the most delicate of the bunch. Still, Seonghwa always held in his subconscious the boundaries that the youngest had set in regards to his personal space and what did or didn't make him uncomfortable in moments in intimacy, even if he insisted on it being 'okay because it's you'.

Now, in this moment, Seonghwa felt he was being lead through the kiss. Their lips moved against his, and once he closed his eyes, he found he couldn't tell if it was Whiro or Jongho kissing him when the two had begun to switch off every now and again. 

A shadow wrapped around his hip, pulling him closer until Jongho wrapped a strong arm around his midsection, pulling him into the shower and pressing him against the wall under the overhead spray. 

Seonghwa cracked his eyes open, staring through a half lidded smolder. He was met one deep crimson eye and one dark brown one staring back at him, two toned silken locks clinging to Jongho/Whiro's body. 

"You two weren't kidding about sharing, huh? How long has it been since I've seen this?" Seonghwa spoke softly, a cool hand coming up to touch what was now Whiro's cheek as he kissed under Jongho's eye. 

"We'll take care of you. Don't worry ‘bout it." 

Seonghwa smiled softly and let the two pamper him, relaxing and giving himself up to them. 

For a little while, he’d just let his mind shut off. 

“Seonghwa, do you want to tell us what happened to cause these?” Jongho touched the purple splotches littering Seonghwa’s body, frowning at the wounds the ex-prince had been hiding underneath his clothes. 

“Training,” Seonghwa answered, cringing slightly as Jongho’s fingers brushed over some of them. He hissed slightly before avoiding the sharp gaze the Maori man (and Whiro) fixed him with. 

“Who did this to you?” Both of them growled out. Seonghwa shook his head and laced his fingers with theirs. 

“Aren’t you supposed to be taking care of me? If that’s your intention, how about you make me forget instead?”

The two of them leveled him with a stare before they moved in for a kiss. 

“Consider it done.”

Down in the kitchen, Yeosang stirred his pot with a conflicted look on his face. 

Everything around him seemed to be caving in on itself and he still felt they were leagues away from actually being ‘on the same page’. And he’d hurt one of the loves of his life.

How much longer was he going to be a useless backdrop while everything happened around him? If he stood aside and let the others do all the heavy lifting, he was nothing but a bystander.

He should know, more than anyone, the harm that causes.

The kitsune grit his teeth and set the handle to his spoon on fire.

“Y-Yeosang?!” Mingi’s voice made him focus and he put the fire out in an instant. 

“Sorry, I just…” He let out a frustrated sigh and took the apron off, tossing it aside.

“Mingi, most of it is ready, you only need to stirr it in ten minutes and then let it simmer for another five and then you can all eat. Don’t wait for me.” 

He spoke with an authority they weren’t used to as he made his way upstairs. 

He didn’t know what he was going to do, but he had to do something. Had to say something. Seonghwa was doing it again, taking so much on his plate in order to take the chaos off of the others.

But he wasn’t making it any better, putting him on the spot, lashing out at him…it broke Yeosang’s heart watching those icy walls go up. 

‘Communication, Yeosang. By the gods, talk to each other’ 

How much longer was he going to sit on the sidelines passively, hoping a ‘positive attitude’ and his cooking would continue to put bandaids on the problem?

Gods, he could hear his sister laughing at him in back of his mind. 

“Look at you, a big crybaby with no backbone. This kingdom can’t be led with anyone like you.”

The kitsune marched directly up to the bathroom, opening the door abruptly and coming face to face with Seonghwa covering his mouth, stifling noises as Jongho and Whiro washed him probably a lot more thoroughly for it to be considered ‘innocent’. 

“Gods above and fucking below-What is it?” Whiro grunted, barely hiding his annoyance. Jongho was a lot more understanding, turning his head towards Yeosang. 

“What’s wrong? Do you need us?”

Seonghwa seemed to have been sobered out of his daze, body tensing despite the swearing from Whiro at the immediate reversal of what he and Jongho had tried to do. 

“I…” Yeosang’s ears got hot as he stared, losing track of what it was he exactly wanted to articulate. Whiro noticed and rolled his eye, picking Seonghwa up unceremoniously. 

“Fuck’s sake, Foxy. If you’re gonna interrupt when someone’s in the middle of somethin’, at least have your shit together. Come on.” he stopped in front of Yeosang and tossed him over Jongho’s other shoulder. 

He carried the two ex princes unceremoniously down the hall to his room and opened the door with a shadow, dropping them both to the bed. 

Both Seonghwa and Yeosang bounced and Yeosang opened his mouth to let out a flustered serious of noises before he caught sight of purple splotches all over Seonghwa’s body and slowly-healing wounds. 

“My gods they’re worse than I thought-”

Seonghwa looked at them before looking away. 

“They’re from training, I’ll heal back up. Really, it’s not that bad.”

“What the hell training are you doing that you haven’t healed up the next day? You heal faster than I do; if it were a simple cut, they’d be gone. Who did this to you?” He panicked, looking at the splotches. Seonghwa glanced away. 

It’d cause a lot of trouble if he said he’d been poisoned by Hongjoong’s brother, wouldn’t it? He didn’t want anyone getting mad at Yuta. As much of a little shit as he may have been, he still only fought Seonghwa at his request. 

“I’ll be alright, please do not worry. These are just healing slower.”

Yeosang cupped his face and forced their foreheads together, staring into his eyes. 

“Why won’t you lean on us? Why do you keep putting yourself through hell alone?” 

Seonghwa’s eyes widened before he sighed. 

“Yeosang-”

“I hate to interrupt, I really do, but Whiro and I were trying to get his mind off of things and I don’t want things to spiral back into that right now.” Jongho cut in, moving to grab some bandages and salves from his dresser. Geb and Yunho had made sure every room in the house had it stocked. 

It was polite, but the message was clear; 

Get out if you’re going to upset him again.

Yeosang looked at Seonghwa and pressed his lips into a line. 

“Give me the salve, I’ll help.”

Seonghwa blinked in surprise as Yeosang began gently rubbing the salve onto various parts of his body, his concern shining on his face. 

“Let me know if I’m hurting you.” Yeosang muttered, hand shaking as he looked at the wounds. 

Now that he was focusing, they were slashes caused by some sort of blade…the edges of the torn skin were glowing faintly, and Yeosang worried his lip between his teeth. 

“I…I’m sorry…I lashed out at you and that was not…even remotely appropriate.” He spoke softly. Seonghwa’s shoulders lost a bit of their tension and he hummed, only hissing slightly at the sting of the salve.

“I understand. I’m sorry for worrying you.” He hummed. Yeosang pressed his lips into a line, eyes bouncing from wound to wound.

Who the fuck did this? Who the hell had….what he assumed was poison strong enough to slow down an immortal’s healing? Seonghwa’s healing was a league of its own, coming only after Yunho, Jongho, and their Captain. 

“Raise your head, Seonghwa.”

Seonghwa tilted his head back and let out a muffled noise of surprise when Jongho cupped his face, kissing him deep and slow. Yeosang’s ears twitched, glancing up a the men kissing above his head. Jongho held him firmly, tilting his head once and keeping Seonghwa locked in the intimate kiss without pause.

He could smell the way Seonghwa’s scent changed, sweetening subtly as he leaned into it a few moments after realizing Jongho was not giving him a mere peck.

Yearning. Need.

Yeosang liked this a lot more than the wilted scent that had clung to Seonghwa as of late. He’d…figure out what to do later in regards to easing the conflict in his partner’s heart. For now, he shifted his focus, wanting to match Jongho and Whiro’s energy when it came to distracting the blonde from his troubles, even if for a few moments.

His tails appeared and he curled one against Jongho’s waist, pulling him close before he leaned over to one of the gashes, pressing a warm kiss to Seonghwa’s chest. 

Each kiss left a lingering warm tingle to the ice prince’s body and he arched into both kisses, droplets of water rolling down his body. 

“S’pose we should dry him before moving on, hm?” Whiro reminded them, smiling devilishly at the dazed and needy look that had once again graced Seonghwa’s face. 

Yeosang waited until the Maori men moved away from Seonghwa’s lips before he leaned up, cupping his face and kissing him breathless, pushing him onto his back.

“Yeosa-mmff-” Seonghwa groaned, his hair clinging to his forehead and his neck as Yeosang poured all of his emotion into the kiss, tails stroking his arms, abdomen, and legs, leaving feather-like trails of warmth in their wake. 

“H-Hold on, wait-” Seonghwa blushed, cheeks ignting as he broke the kiss. Yeosang panted, holding his gaze, worry shining in his expression. 

“Did I hurt you?”

Seonghwa laughed gently, an alluring and sticky-sweet scent drifting off of him. 

“N-No.”

Yeosang tilted his head before a shadow worked its way between them, lifting him enough to get Seonghwa back in a sitting positon. 

“If that’s the mood you’re in, I’m happy to oblige. Let’s get you wrapped up, first.” Jongho’s voice cut in. Yeosang glanced down, his cheeks going beet red when he noticed Seonghwa had gotten aroused from the touches and kisses. 

“You don’t have to-”

“We want to, pretty boy. Trust me.”

Seonghwa’s lips parted in surprise before he looked down at Yeosang, a rare embarrassed expression crossing his face. Yeosang grabbed the bandages and began patching Seonghwa up, leaving kisses after each one. 

“I want to, as well. If you’ll have me.”

Jongho smiled and put his head on Yeosang’s shoulder.

“Now we’re on the same page.”

It took minutes before Seonghwa was splayed across Jongho’s lap, his chest rising and falling quickly as Jongho’s shadows stroked and caressed along his skin, tugging gently to leave him spread open for Yeosang to kiss and caress down his body. 

“Y-You don’t have to be so ge-gentle with me.”

“Really? Because you’re enjoying it just fine.” Whiro taunted, rising off of Jongho’s arms, taking his spot beside Yeosang between Seonghwa’s legs, kissing and biting at his thighs. 

Seonghwa let out a startled gasp before feeling Jongho’s fingers turn his head to kiss him, pressing flush against his back. 

“It’s okay. We got you.” Jongho muttered between his lips. Seonghwa whimpered before his hips jerked upwards, engulfed by the soft warmth of Yeosang’s mouth. 

Yeosang’s tails swayed and wagged gently, brushing along all three of the men. He kept his eyes up on Seonghwa, crimson eyes gleaming as he studied Seonghwa’s face. 

How long had it been since he’d seen this look?

The one the ex prince and First Mate wore well. The utterly ruined yet sultry expression that fit so well. His eyes rolling back, brows pinched together, tongue flicking out of his mouth-

Jongho reached around and tapped two of his fingers against Seonghwa’s lips, smiling in approval from behind him and kissing his shoulder as Seonghwa closed his lips around his fingers, licking and sucking as he spread his legs wider.

‘Gorgeous….’ Yeosang mused, swallowing around Seonghwa as he stared lovingly at the two. Whiro shifted from beside him, trailing rough fingers through his silken fur before he grabbed the base of them.

Yeosang jerked, nearly choking on Seonghwa’s cock as the deity turned his attention to him. 

“Stay focused, Foxy. Look at how good you’re doing.”

Yeosang shivered, feeling Whiro’s big hand tangle into his hair, guiding him up and down on Seonghwa’s length while holding him at an angle where he could see both Jongho and Seonghwa peering down at him. 

Yeosang felt himself throbbing before he moaned, sinking deeper and keening when he felt the head of Seonghwa’s cock brush against the back of his throat. 

“F-Fuhhh-”Seonghwa whimpered, drooling around Jongho’s fingers as he twitched. The shadows tightened around his thighs slightly before Whiro smirked, holding his head down for a few moments as he casually spoke to their blonde lover. 

“You’re making a mess, pretty boy. Been that long since you had something occupy your mouth?”

Seonghwa shuddered, body hyper sensitive. 

Gods, how long had it been?

“That’s not good. Knowing you, you haven’t even touched yourself, either?” Jongho sighed softly, biting and suckling his shoulder until a splotchy mark was left on the side of his neck. 

“H-Hadn’t crossed..nn..my mind. Been…occupied-”

“And that’s enough of that for now.” Jongho cut him off, using his free hand to come around and tease his nipple, making eye contact with Whiro across from then and tilting his head towards Yeosang.

Being connected like this had its perks and one of them was that they didn’t have to share their thoughts verbally. 

Yeosang hadn’t even realized Whiro’s hand was out of his hair until it returned to his tails, pushing them up and out of the way as he kissed and bit along the curve of his ass cheek.

Yeosang gasped and jerked, feeling those shadows tug his knees apart so he had better access. 

He glanced back at him, flushed and embarassed when the god spread him wide without hesitation. 

“Don’t worry about me, Darling. I’m just having breakfast. You focus on making our favorite blondie feel good.”

Yeosang’s tails flexed and trembled before curling around the three men in some way, shape, or form as Whiro’s tongue delved into him. 

Seonghwa cupped his jaw, sending him an adoring gaze as he moved his thumb lower, brushing his fingers over the slight bulge of Yeosang’s throat. 

“My darling fox. N-Ngh, thank you so much.” He praised him softly, thighs twitching and flexing in the shadows’ grip. Jongho smiled and moved his lips to his ear. 

“Your drooling all over yourself, Hwa.”

Seonghwa glanced over at him out of the corner of his eye, his teeth grazing along his fingers before sucking suggestively, curling his tongue around the calloused digits before sticking his tongue out between them, letting a bead of his saliva fall between them. 

Jongho narrowed his gaze at him, throbbing at the display. 

“I’m supposed to be gentle with you this morning, don’t make this harder on me.” 

Seonghwa’s lips quirked, challenging him with a subtle cock to his head. 

“I’m in your care.”

Yeosang’s voice drew their attention back between Seonghwa’s legs as he arched his back and let out a loud moan, trembling as Whiro’s tongue curled deep inside of him. 

‘Almost forgot how cute this one sounds’ Whiro’s voice echoed in Jongho’s head and he smiled, watching Yeosang’s eyes shine brighter, his tails twitching and wagging, going back and forth between clinging to them and jerking with each breathy and muffled gag and moan that came from his muffled lips.

“C-Close, hold on-” Seonghwa moved to reach for Yeosang’s head, trying to pull his hips back in a feeble attempt to still him so he didn’t cum down his throat. 

Two of Yeosang’s tails flew up the moment he did, grabbing his wrist and keeping him from stopping him as he looked up at him once more, holding his gaze as he sped his head up. 

“He’s doing his best to make you feel good, Seonghwa. You don’t have to hold back right now.” Jongho coaxed him, reaching down and cupping his balls, speaking into his ear once more. 

“Look at how desperate he looks, are you really going to keep it from him?” 

Seonghwa arched, body shuddering. Whiro rumbled from behind Yeosang, pulling away from the mess he’d made of his ass to lean over him, partially pinning him in place and grinning wildly up at Seonghwa as he took one of the kitsune’s ears between his teeth. 

“Don’t waste a drop, Foxy.”

Yeosang arched and swallowed hard the moment he felt Whiro’s canines clamp down on his fluffy ear. Everything was dizzying for the kitsune, the scent of arousal, need , and desperation along with everyone’s voices was driving him mad. 

Did none of them think about his poor heart? He could smell and hear everything tenfold because of what he was. 

If the deep, growling chuckle coming from the god currently pressing his cock against his ass as he suggestively caressed his throat where Seonghwa had made him bulge was anything to go by, he was sure they all knew exactly what the hell they were doing to him. 

The moment Yeosang and Seonghwa locked eyes again, the older of the two ex princes cried out in delight, arching his back as much as he could in Jongho’s strong grip, thick, sweet ropes of cum coating Yeosang’s throat. 

The smaller man let out a muffled moan, cumming messily onto the sheets below. Yeosang mewled, eyes fluttering momentarily as he swallowed each drop eagerly. It took a colossal effort for him to keep them open, but he wanted to drink in every expression on Seonghwa’s face. 

He slowly pulled off with a wet pop when he was sure Seonghwa had finished his first orgasm. 

The blonde sat there in a daze, panting with his legs spread wide by the shadows. Jongho kissed his shoulder, tracing patterns and symbols on his abs as he throbbed against the small of Seonghwa’s back. 

“Did that feel good? Your voice cracked for a moment.” He rumbled, leaving a biting kiss on the top of his shoulder. Seonghwa groaned and looked behind him. 

“You haven’t came yet. Don’t stop. Please,”

“We’re not done, Hwa. Far from it.”

While the two spoke and changed positions so Jongho could stretch him properly after getting lube, Yeosang felt a firm grip turn his head. 

He found himself staring deep into Whiro’s crimson eyes, and his breath caught for a moment. 

“Now, what’s a position fitting enough for the cute little cook that keeps all of us nice and fed mm?”

Yeosang shuddered and scanned his expression, lips parting before he closed them, shyness overtaking him. 

“Oh no no. You’re gonna tell me. Go on, tell me how you want it. I’ll do it, Yeosang.”

Yeosang would later reflect and curse himself at the way he’d gasped at Whiro calling his name. His eyes widened for a moment before he bit his lip and leaned close to his ear, shakily whispering to the god. 

In hindsight, he wasn’t sure why. The only one who couldn’t hear him would be Seonghwa. 

He was preoccupied with other matters, though, his cheeks going bright red when Whiro easily picked him up, setting him on top of Seonghwa with his knees at either side of Jongho’s hips.

The first thing both men realized with the new position was the temperature . 

Due to the nature of their powers, Seonghwa's skin and tongue always ran cold, while Yeosang was opposite of him. Both of them being chest to chest like this created an immediate back and forth between their body temperatures that made both of them writhe. 

Said writhing lead to both of their cocks rutting against one another. 

Both of them jolted again before Seonghwa reached out and grabbed Yeosang’s face, kissing him sloppily. Yeosang could tell he’d chilled his tongue on purpose and he responded in kind, raising the temperature of his own tongue slightly as he humped the older immortal. 

“Can’t have you forgettin’ about us, can we?” Whiro’s deep growling voice made Yeosang’s ear flick backwards, though he found himself unable to break the kiss. Instead, he subtly spread his knees wider, lifting his hips and raising his tails to present himself to the fractored deity. 

If the growl he was met with was anything to go by, his display was well appreciated. 

‘I’m going to fucking ruin him’ The god growled, still taking care to make sure he was properly lubricated. Jongho watched the two kiss on top of him and guided his own cock to Seonghwa’s prepped entrance, meeting Whiro’s gaze over both of their shoulders. 

There was a mutual understanding as they pushed into their respective princes at the same time. 

Yeosang groaned, nearly breaking the kiss if Seonghwa didn’t cup his cheeks, kissing him with renewed fervor as he clenched around Jongho’s cock. His eyes fluttered as each piercing rubbed against his rim before massaging along his walls once the ex gunner was fully settled inside. The kitsune rutting against him was equally delighted by the additional pleasure the piercings caused as Whiro’s cock mirrored Jongho’s, throbbing inside of Yeosang as he bit down on his ear again. 

“N-Ngh! S-Stop biting them, they’re sensitive-”

“That’s exactly why I’m gonna continue. Especially when you sound like that afterwards.” Whiro teased against the fur, grinding deep into him as he gripped the base of his tails. 

Yeosang’s eyes widened and he bucked, his cock drooling messily against Seonghwa’s as he swore in a different tongue. 

Jongho, on the other hand, reached around to hug Seonghwa’s midsection, keeping him from moving too much and possibly sliding his cock out. 

“You’re clenching me s-so tight. Mmm…fuck, I’m not going anywhere, Seonghwa, don’t worry. I’m right here.” He coaxed the ex prince into relaxing with his honeyed words, his hands roaming, calloused fingers mapping out Seonghwa’s body like it was the first time. 

Seonghwa finally broke the kiss, reaching behind Yeosang and fisting a handful of Whiro’s blonde locks, yanking him down roughly to kiss him as feverishly. 

Yeosang squirmed, effectively pinned between the god and the First Mate. His ears flicked, hearing every growl and groan directly beside his head as Seonghwa and Whiro bit and kissed at each other. 

“Y-Yeosangie~ Mmm-”

Jongho’s voice drew his attention and he looked down, finding the man had raised his chin, staring adoringly at him as he subtly puckered his lips. 

Yeosang didn’t hesitate, maneuvering around and eventually settling for pushing Seonghwa’s thighs up and folding him with his weight as he sought out Jongho’s lips.

Seonghwa’s moans rose an octave at the stretch, though his body was flexible enough to accommodate the new position, his heart pounding and his cock throbbing as he broke the kiss for air. 

Whiro growled, wrapping shadows around Seonghwa and Yeosang’s cocks, keeping them trapped together as he stroked them in time with his thrusts that began to steadily increase in speed until he was pounding the kitsune into the First Mate. 

“Yes! Yes yes please right there yES! ” Seonghwa had nearly began crying below them, his face screwed up in pleasure as different languages tumbled from his lips. Yeosang matched him, arching his back when he felt the shadows stroke them both faster. 

“L-Look at you two,” Jongho grit out, his grip on Seonghwa locking the taller man in place as he thrusted deeper and harder into him, searching for that sweet spot inside of him. 

“Pretty fuckin’ sight, yeah? Two pretty Princes moaning and makin’ a mess out of each other. And we get to see it from both sides~” Whiro’s voice was a deep, near feral purr as he tugged at the base of Yeosang’s tails, striking his prostate with one of his powerful thrusts. 

In an instant, Yeosang felt his vision go nearly white, arching his back sharply as a LOUD cry spilled from his lips, followed by him cumming all over himself, Seonghwa, and the shadows that kept their cocks together. 

Seonghwa’s eyes rolled, and he nearly arched and squirmed out of Jongho’s lap, had it not have been for the way the younger man tightened his grip, keeping him still as he rocked into him. 

“Don’t go anywhere, nn..right there, stay right there please please-”It wasn’t nearly as loud as the two (even three, Whiro was rather vocal with his growled out groans), but Jongho’s heated begging had shined through. Seonghwa’s hips bucked, thrusting against Yeosang’s as he clamped down on Jongho. 

“G-Give it to me, I’m here I won’t waste a drop c-cmon-” Seonghwa began babbling in his lust-drunk daze, grabbing Yeosang’s ass and keeping his cheeks spread for Whiro to see his own cock sliding in and out of the younger prince before he felt heat flood into him. 

Jongho bit down on his shoulder, eyes rolling as he came, the muscles in his thighs tensing as he felt it wash over him. 

Yeosang glanced down, watching the mess begin to coat Jongho’s cock. Whiro pressed against his back, the growl that left his lips vibrating through Yeosang’s very being as he chuckled. 

“Don’t worry, Foxy. I got somethin’ for you, too.”

Yeosang made the mistake of nearly questioning the got before he felt his prostate getting struck full force. He choked on his own breath for a moment, arching his back and crying out as Whiro looped his arms through Yeosang’s pulling them behind his back so he was arched and on display for Seonghwa and Jongho to see. 

Yeosang noticed this face and whimpered, his ass bouncing with every powerful thrust, unable to keep his eyes open as Whiro rocked up into him. 

“That’s it~ Mmm, such a pretty little fox for us, look at them, they’re practically drooling over themselves for ya~”

Yeosang still couldn’t open his eyes, drowning in the pleasure of each calculated thrust before he felt heat flood into him. His tails tensed, and he nearly passed out from the second sudden orgasm that slammed into him. 

It took a few moments…minutes…? For him to realize he had passed out momentarily from the pleasure. When he was able to focus again, he found Seonghwa was caressing his face lovingly, smiling at him. Yeosang stared up at him, panting as he cupped his hands over Seonghwa’s to keep him flush against him. 

“I love you.”

Seonghwa’s gaze softened and he leaned down to kiss him softly. 

“I love you too. Can you move or do you need a moment?”

Yeosang rose his head in confusion. 

“A moment?”

A slow, seductive smile crossed his face. 

“Darling, we’re not done.”

Downstairs, Yunho glanced up from his bowl, cheeks beet red. 

“Should I bring them some water…?” He muttered. Geb rumbled inside of him, considering making them some cucumber water or-

“We should let them have this time to themselves,” San spoke, washing his dishes. Wooyoung stood beside him drying them while Mingi ate quietly at Yunho’s side, eyes fixed on his plate, pushing around a piece of food. 

“You’re right.”/ ”We will need to see Seonghwa afterward, though. He may be convinced he will just power through, but I am concerned over the potency of the poison in his body.” 

The other three men in the room froze, eyes widening. 

“The what? ”

Upstairs, Seonghwa kissed the space between Yeosang’s shoulder blades as he held his hips, grinding deep into him at a near methodically slow pace. 

Jongho caressed the Kitsune’s face, his gaze soft and loving as he guided his head up and down his shaft, making sure he didn’t choke between his muffled moans. 

Whiro wasn’t too far off, claiming Seonghwa’s lips in a demanding kiss that made him lose his tempo several times before he’d reaffirmed his grip and continued. 

It had been…many moons since Seonghwa had been intimate with any of the loves of his life and Yeosang was quickly remembering that the taller prince was quite insatiable when he slipped into the waves of passion. 

Every mood was calculated, and every motion Seonghwa made when he was like this felt like a master chess move. 

He knew all of their limits and stamina, knew who could match his energy, who could surpass it, who may fall behind. Everything he did, it was to maximize their time together and leave them satisfied and honestly? Craving more. 

“Where is your mind, my love?” the chill of his breath fanned over Yeosang’s ear and he bucked, swallowing around Jongho in surprise. When had he and Whiro stopped kissing?

 Seonghwa chuckled, cold fingers roaming his body. 

“I can feel you tightening up, why don’t you let go for me? For us? We got you.” 

Yeosang had half a mind to remind the blonde that they were supposed to be doting on him , but all that came out was a pathetic whimper in need as he once again fell apart, sending a pleading look at Jongho that made him follow suit. 

Yeosang would be flustered to admit later that he’d lost track of how many different positions they’d shifted in and moved to before all three (or, rather, four) of them were satiated enough to collapse in a pile in the center of the bed. 

Yeosang panted, his hair unkempt, and bites covering his body. As he turned his ruby-eyed gaze to Seonghwa, he smiled, finding the man had actually been properly tired out and also was covered in the same bites (and scratches). 

Jongho ran a hand through his hair, looking at the two ex princes with a gentle look. He didn’t verbalize what was on his mind but Yeosang noticed the serious settle in his features as he idly ran his hand through both of their hair. 

Whiro returned to his skin, only after placing surprisingly tender kisses to each of them and holding a stare with them that was rife with words unsaid before he settled along their ex gunner’s skin. 

I love you

They knew the words well, even if the god hadn’t uttered it. It was in his eyes, it was in Jongho’s eyes as he continued to stare at them before he rolled his neck. 

“I should get Yunho and Geb in here. Have them get that poison out of your system.” He looked like he didn’t actually want to get up but he still did, stopping only when Seonghwa reached out to him. 

“Please….have him leave the marks be.” 

Jongho’s lips quirked for a moment. 

“I wouldn’t dream of telling him to get rid of them. If they’re healed in the process, We’ll just have to give you some more of them.” 

Seonghwa blushed before letting him go, closing his eyes and letting his eyes close. 

“Very well. Thank you.”

He left the two prince’s in the room to fetch the doctor. Yeosang gently rolled over, running his hand through Seonghwa’s damp hair and watching as he took a moment to open his eyes again, exhaustion clear on his features now that he wasn’t putting on the front of ‘everything being fine.’

“...I’m sorry it’s taken me so long to…be helpful. To try and walk beside you instead of behind you.”

Seonghwa’s tired expression began to sharpen, and he lifted his head. 

“Yeosang-”

“I won’t be walking behind any of you anymore. I swear.” Yeosang laced their fingers together and gave his hand a squeeze. 

“Standing on the sidelines being passive is everything I hated one of my sisters for. I…have done no better than her in that right. I will work harder to never, ever be that man again. So…let me take some of the burden, okay?” He gently caressed his knuckles. 

Seonghwa’s gaze softened, brows pulling up. 

“That goes the same for us.”

Seonghwa turned his gaze to the doorway, finding Yunho walking in quickly with Jongho in tow. Seonghwa moved to push himself out of bed, but Yunho placed his hand on his chest and pushed him back down, shaking his head. 

“Stay there. We’ll get the poison out of your system and heal the wounds your body has been trying to close.”

Seonghwa laid back down, watching as Yunho took a pair of bandage scissors to the wraps around his midsection, narrowing his gaze at the wounds. 

There was an unfamiliar noise that left the man’s lips has he stared at the wounds. He summoned a gerbera daisy and let it over over the wounds, his eyes trained on each one as the magic coming from the flower drew the poison out of each gash. 

They all watched as droplets of purple absorbed into the petals of the daisy. 

“It’s a poison that continues attacking. It’s no wonder your healing is slowed. It’s trying to attack even us through the flower.” Geb rumbled, looking over a the wilting petals of the daisy with a narrowed gaze. Seonghwa’s brows rose in surprise before he looked away from him the moment both the earth god and Yunho fixed im with a stern gaze. 

“When we find out who poisoned you-”

“That won’t be necessary, puppy. Truly.”

Yunho looked unsatisfied, lips pressed into a fine line as he stared at Seonghwa, drawing the last of the poison out and setting the daisy aside. 

He cupped Seonghwa’s cheeks and sighed, pressing their foreheads together. 

“You’re still doing things all on your own, you know.”

He lightly scolded him, though nothing but concern shone in his eyes for the blonde before him. Seonghwa stared back at him, his thumbs gently rubbing patterns in the blanket below him. He wouldn’t bother wasting his breath denying it, especially when they all knew it was true. 

Yunho heard Geb rumble in concern inside of his head and he sighed softly, pulling away from the blonde. 

“Seonghwa, I owe you an apology.”

Seonghwa’s brows furrowed. 

“Seriously, you all do not need to keep apologizing-”

“I told you you weren’t working hard enough and suddenly you’re out here doing reckless things, getting hurt all alone , keeping yourself awake for ungodly hours of time, all in the sake of ‘trying harder’, aren’t you? Is that not a direct result of me unfairly forcing my own inadequacies on you instead of acknowledging we all failed and we all need to try harder? Be better? I fucked up, and I’m sorry.” he pressed a kiss to Seonghwa’s head before pulling away, rubbing his thumbs over the man’s cheeks.

“We can…sit down and hash it all out a bit later. For now, you need rest. Between the poison and….your activities this morning, I imagine you’re exhausted, right?”

Seonghwa flexed his fingers, looking at his compass mark for a moment before he nodded, laying down and pressing his cheek to the pillow. 

“Then…if its all the same to you…I’ll rest a bit more. If you need me, please wake me.” He muttered, letting the threads of exhaustion and sleep finally lace into a net, pulling him into sleep not too longer after Yunho nodded at him with a tender smile. 

Once he was sure Seonghwa was asleep, his smile fell and he turned to the others. 

Yeosang looked equally exhausted, but he perked when he saw the frown cross his lover’s face. Jongho was alert and standing not too far off from the bed, a pair of sweatpants settled loose on his hips as he watched the three of them. 

“You all can rest. I…I’ll work on a plan-”

“Nah. How about we wait until we’re all up and about and make a proper plan of action this time?” Jongho and Whiro cut him off bluntly, finger tapping against one of Jongho’s biceps after he crossed his arms. 

Yunho paused for a moment before he looked down at the exhausted blonde sleeping soundly, his brow occasionally twitching every now and again. 

“....Yeah. Actually, that sounds like a better plan. I’ll leave you two to rest, as well. Do either of you want any food?” 

While the three of them chattered, San made his way down the hall in the opposite direction, slipping into Seonghwa’s room and glancing around. 

He probably should wait until the blonde was up and about to do all of this, but San knew the ex prince well enough to know they would continue to dance around everything if he did so. 

San tried not to make it a habit to revert back to his old behaviors from centuries ago when his street smarts and quick hands could get him into whatever locked box or door he needed them to.

Tried to , did not mean he was above doing so. 

San scanned the room carefully before he found a box with a few papers sticking out from it. He made his way over to it, scanning the contents inside before humming and grabbing the papers, laying them out and reading through them. 

His lips pressed into a fine line the more he read before his eyes widened. 

He glanced behind him at the door as if he could peer through it before having a seat at Seonghwa’s desk, reading everything with increasing amounts of worry settling in his being. 

Outside, Mingi passed by the First Mate’s door, casting a sidelong stare at it. Cheese perked, sniffing once, twice, before wagging his tail, seemingly unbothered. 

Mingi, however, stared at the handle for a long time before he let out the smallest scoff and continued his way down the hall. 

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2:30 pm

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“Can…I ask your advice on something?” 

Miyavi looked up, stopping mid guitar pluck to look at Hongjoong as he stood in the doorway to his and his wife’s room. 

He sat up in an instant, setting the guitar aside and nodding. 

“Of course, little one. C’mere. What’s up?”

Hongjoong plopped down across the foot of the bed, his legs dangling over the edge as he stared at the ceiling. Miyavi looked at him curiously, waiting for his son to gather his thoughts. 

“I…I’m confused.”

“Okay, about what?” 

Hongjoong paused again, worrying his lip between his teeth. He wanted to blurt out to his father that he’d been having dreams that feel like memories, about the fact that he’d seen at least two men with some form of supernatural powers, gods are real and one of them is inside of his boyfriend and-

-instead, something else tumbled from his lips. 

“I only just started dating Yunho but I also feel an attraction towards some of the others.”

Miyavi blinked. Hongjoong blinked. 

It took everything in him not to facepalm. 

“...It must be overwhelming, yeah? All of these new emotions so suddenly.”

Miyavi hummed quietly, reaching over to ruffle his son’s two toned hair. Hongjoong let him, nodding quietly. 

“I…don’t know what to do…”

“What does your heart want?”

“Yunho’s the only boyfriend…the only partner I’ve ever had. I can’t just go ‘hey, we’ve been dating for about a week but your boyfriends look fine too’, y’know? That’s just…”

Miyavi laughed, smiling down at his son and tilting his head. 

“So be honest with Yunho, but also take your time. You know where your heart is tugging you, but you’ve got a good enough head on your shoulders to know that Rome wasn’t built in a day. It takes time. But the first step is to make sure you’re clear and on equal footing and understanding. Misunderstandings and secrets are the downfall to any relationship.” He pressed his index finger lightly to Hongjoong’s forehead until the younger musician met his gaze, nodding with a small sigh.

“You’re right…”

“Yunho looks like an approachable man, just be honest with him and reassure him your gaze isn’t wandering…it’s simply…mm…expanding? Yes, that makes sense.” He chuckled having paused to find the words for his analogy.

Hongjoong laughed lightly before he looked at him. 

“You….don’t think it’s weird?”

“Polyamory? Not at all. I just care first and foremost that you are safe and happy . You’re my son, I’d give my world to make sure you and your siblings are smiling and happy. I’ll be with you every step of the way to make sure that happens.” He smiled and watched as Hongjoong sat up, fixing his hair before a bit of the tension he was holding in his body was lessened. 

“I….I have more I’d like to talk about but I….don’t know how to word it yet. It kind of makes my head hurt when I think about it.” Hongjoong rubbed his neck. 

It wasn’t a complete lie, but still. 

Miyavi watched him silently. He had a good hunch on what it was, but that would be a far more treacherous conversation to wade into than relationship advice on rekindled feelings. 

“Whenever you’re ready, your mother and I are here to listen. Just let us know.” Miyavi stood and rolled his shoulder before setting his guitar back in its case. 

“C’mon, let’s head out for a walk, it’s a beautiful day out.”

Hongjoong glanced outside, blinking in surprise at the sunshine that had begun to peek through the clouds. He could’ve sworn the forecast said it was supposed to be overcast all day. He stood and nodded, smiling at his father as they made their way to the door. 

“Let me get my shoes, then!” Hongjoong darted out and Miyavi laughed, sticking his hands in his pockets. 

“Slow down, we have time.”

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April 3rd

5:30am

-218 Days Remain-

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Seonghwa sat up, rubbing his neck and sighing. Today was the day. The scent of cinnamon off to his left nearly distracted him from his thoughts.

He had to go train with Jaemin and see if he could come up with a method to-

“Oh, good, you’re awake.” 

Seonghwa’s eyes snapped to the corner of the room, landing on San as he smiled from ear to ear, his eyes crescents. 

“San…?”

“Good morning, handsome. Slept well?” 

Seonghwa’s brows furrowed as he looked to the man sitting at his desk, a bright smile on his face. 

“What…?”

San held up the papers, head tilting. 

“Planning to go train all on your lonesome today, hm? Do you even know what today is?” He inquired. Seonghwa’s lips pressed together, racking his brain. 

It didn’t bother him that the younger man had gone through his papers nearly as much as it did that he had missed something important. 

April, it was April, he’d been in his own head so much, had he missed someone’s anniversary or-

“CHEESE CANNOT WAIT ANY LONGER. HAPPY BIRTHDAY CAPTIAN PRINCE SEONGHWA MASTER SIR!!!!! CHEESE HAS COME WITH GIFTS!”

Seonghwa had a sense of dejavu as Cheese threw himself onto his bed once more, landing on his chest. A muffled groan came from his left and Seonghwa finally clued in to the others in the room. 

Yeosang was beside him, ears twitching as he rubbed his eye. The groan came from his left, as Yunho lifted his head, squinting into the room at the excited dog. 

“Cheese, its so early….”

“Why is everyone in my room?” Seonghwa inquired, sitting up more and spotting Wooyoung curled up in Yeosang’s arms, still asleep. 

“To make sure you don’t try and do something silly like go off fighting whoever it is you’re fighting on your birthday .” San set the papers down and sighed, leaning on the table.

“I’m sorry for snooping, but I don’t…like seeing you with these dark circles and slumping from exhaustion. You’re…working really hard, aren’t you? At least for a day, let’s all take some time and decompress. We can talk about your findings and train together, I’m still pissed I got my ass kicked so easily…but above all else, we need to do better to take care of each other.” He tapped his finger against the table and smiled at Seonghwa. 

“So, will you join us for the totally not at all planned birthday celebration?” 

Seonghwa laughed softly, petting Cheese and nodded. 

“Where’s Jongho and…?”He trailed off, leaving the tail end of his inquiry open ended. San’s smile faltered slightly, brow ticking in subtle annoyance before the look cleared up. 

Seonghwa caught it.

Ah, Mingi probably didn’t want to share a room with them, so Jongho stayed with him so he wouldn’t be alone.

He sighed, shoulders dropping before he was immediately distracted by Cheese thrusting his snout in his face.

“CHEESE HAS TRAVELED OVERNIGHT TO GET THIS.”  

Seonghwa tilted his head and watched as Cheese nudged his palm open. Once Seonghwa obliged him, he dropped a spear-tip shaped piece of ice into it, tail wagging. 

The ex prince cocked his head, looking at it in wonder. 

“There’s some kind of…power surging through this. What is this, Cheese?”

“CHEESE TOOK A TRIP TO THE LAND OF FROST GIANTS AND ASKED LADY SKADI IF CHEESE MAY HAVE SOME ICE! Cheese is friends with Kaldr so she said yes. She is a very nice lady.”

“I’m sorry, did you say the land of the frost gi-”

“ HAPPY BIRTHDAY!”

Seonghwa stared at the dog, aghast. He really needed to keep track of him when he went running off. In the meantime, he looked down at the shard, rolling it around in his palm. 

“....thank you, Cheese. You’re a very good boy.”

Cheese’s tail stopped wagging in an instant and he stared at Seonghwa for a while before pressing his head to Seonghwa’s. 

“Cheese…is not the smartest Cheese, but Cheese loves his masters very much and will do anything to make them happy. Happy birthday!”

Seonghwa laughed softly and made room for the dog to lie down on his chest. 

“Fine…if you insist, I’ll take the day off. We should sleep in.” He nuzzled the canine and San smiled, moving to lie beside Yunho. 

“That’s a lot more like it.”

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    10:30am

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“You look handsome.”

Seonghwa smiled softly, looking at himself in the mirror. Yunho, San, and Wooyoung had bought him a new outfit. 

Wooyoung adjusted the black turtleneck on the taller man, brushing his fingertips over Seonghwa’s jawline. There was a matching black thigh-length pea coat that was left open. His pants were form fitting-also black-, with shimmering chains dangling from his belt hoops and pockets. 

“You look like a model.” San nodded in approval and Yunho held his hand out, creating an ice blue flower to tuck into his chest pocket. 

Seonghwa smoothed his hands over the clothing, smiling. San had styled his hair, brushing his bangs out of his face before smiling and pointing to the seat. 

“Yeosang said he’d do your makeup, then we can get going.”

The blonde would be lying if he said it didn’t feel good, to be doted on by everyone. It reminded him of when he was a prince, the days he’d spend seated on a cushion between his mother’s legs as she gently combed and brushed his hair. 

“Mon bebe, such beautiful hair. Not a knot in sight. One day, you won’t need your mother to brush your hair.”

“No, Mother, I will always want you to…it feels nice and you always have this pretty smile when you do.”

Seonghwa felt himself tearing up, startled as Yeosang paused with a brush hovering over his cheek. 

“S-Seonghwa…?” He frowned, leaning away from him. Seonghwa blinked before straightening up. 

“Apologies. I was…thinking of my mother.” He smiled and sat down, pulling Yeosang into his lap. 

“I will sit still, continue.”

Yeosang straddled him, wiping his tears and carefully doing his makeup. He’d learned a lot in the time they’d spent with Hongjoong and his friends. 

Honestly, he was surprised Seonghwa agreed to let him do this for him. The older immortal held his hips and sat in silence, his eyes trained on Yeosang. 

“It's truly amazing.” 

Yeosang blinked down at him. 

“What is?”

“It’s been centuries, and my heart still flutters when I’m this close to you all.” He reached up and caressed Yeosang’s cheek with the back of his knuckles. 

“No matter how many moons have came and went, I still love the seven of you with my whole heart.”

Yeosang bit his lip, feeling his eyes get misty before he stole a kiss from Seonghwa. 

“D-Don’t make me cry, dammit. I’m trying to dote on you.”

Seonghwa chuckled and nodded, not saying much else as he stared at the kitsune.

When they were finished, Seonghwa walked downstairs, looking around subconsciously, counting the heads. 

He paused, eyes landing on Mingi, and he perked.

“Are you coming?”

Mingi cast a glance at San, arms crossed. San stared back, cocking a single brow at him.

‘Someone wouldn’t leave me alone until I did’./ “Yes. It is your birthday.” He answered, rubbing his ear and toying with the strap to his satchel.

Seonghwa fought back the way his smile nearly faltered from his face. Everything in his body language screamed that he didn’t really want to go out. 

He took a breath and pushed down any of those emotions and walked up to Mingi. 

“I appreciate you getting dressed. I…know you’re not very fond of me anymore, if you don’t want to come out, it’s alright. We can…reschedule? Or maybe I can break the day up so you’re not left alone?”

San bristled behind him and Jongho frowned, pushing himself off of the wall he’d been leaning against. 

“Hold on-”

“I’m not going to force him to come. I know Mingi has been hurt the most by me in these years, he has every right to not come with me.” Seonghwa spoke firmly, glancing at the others one by one before looking back to Mingi. 

Mingi held his gaze for a long while before sighing softly and rubbing his neck. He felt the gaze of everyone land on him and it immediately made him feel ill.

“I’m going. I…don’t have a gift for you, though. I’m sorry.”

Seonghwa’s smile softened. 

“Are you sure? I will not take offense if you don’t want to?”

“Staying cooped up in the house isn’t going to help me get out of my own head, either.” 

Seonghwa smiled wider, gently touching the back of Mingi’s hand for a brief moment. Mingi didn’t pull his hand away and Seonghwa took it as a small victory, turning to the others. 

“Alright, gentlemen, where are we going?”

Yunho placed his hand at the small of Mingi’s back, making sure he was truly alright before smiling at Seonghwa. 

“Let’s get in the car. We got an idea from Hongjoong and the others.”

One by one, the men walked out of the home with Cheese faithfully trotting beside them. 

San followed Mingi with his eyes, pressing his lips together in a frown before taking his place at Wooyoung’s side as they piled into the car.

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12:30 pm

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“Woo~ Well hello handsome~” Yeonjun whistled, their hands on their hips as the group of immortals walked up to their human friends. 

Seonghwa bowed in greeting, smiling at the others. 

“Oh, are you all going to enjoy this day with me?” 

“Of course, you’re our friend now!” Moa beamed, handing him a wrapped gift. 

“What is this?” He inquired. She smiled and put her hands on her hips. 

“It's a set of earrings! We all pooled together and had them made for you in a jiffy!” 

He opened the box, surprised by the green stones. He took a close look at the pattern in the snowflake-shaped stones and blinked in surprise.

They looked like feathers.

“It's a seraphinite stone. They bring out the color in your eyes.” Chungha told him, rocking on the balls of her feet. Seonghwa’s eyes softened as he put the earrings in. 

“Snowflakes, eh?” He smiled. 

“I suggested it.”

Seonghwa turned his attention towards the back of the group, watching as Hongjoong came up to him. His heart squeezed and he looked down as Hongjoong stopped in front of him. 

“Snowflakes. And why did you choose that shape?”

Hongjoong scratched his cheek, his free hand barely hiding a different bag from you. 

“Something about you just…reminds me of the night of a fresh snow. It’s cold, and for some people, it appears to not be very welcoming but it's actually one of the most beautiful gifts nature gives us. Ah, sorry, that sounds really cheesy-” He went beet red and handed him the bag, his ears burning in embarrassment. 

Seonghwa blushed, as well, looking down at the bag. 

Inside, bold red letters stared at him. 

“What is a…’Lego’?”

Chan looked at Hongjoong in confusion. 

“You got him a Lego set?”

Hongjoong blushed as Seonghwa pulled out one of two boxes. 

“I got him two, actually.”

Seonghwa stared at the first set. There were over 300 pieces to the set and a bunch of small little…animal mascots?? on it.

“This is…cute? I never expected something like this as a gift. Do I just assemble-”He choked on his own words as he looked at the second box.

Seonghwa’s hand shook subtly as he picked it up, staring at the second large Lego set. 

It was a pirate ship. 

“It…felt right. Sorry if its childish.” Hongjoong muttered. Seonghwa bit the inside of his cheek, his lips trembling as memories hit him like a brick. 

-”This ship is my pride an’ joy, Hwa. Everyone aboard it is essential to her smooth sailin’. Tha’s why a good Captian needs to take care of his crew like he does his ship.” 

Seonghwa rolled his eyes, listening to the short Captain once again boast about his ship to him. 

Seonghwa’s kingdom had more impressive ships, that much was for sure. He also found it interesting, a ship being ran by women fleeing their lives in lieu of one on the great blue sea. 

One misstep and they’d all be hunted down and destroyed, but oddly enough, Seonghwa had never seen a happier bunch. 

“Putois, you don’t need to sell me on this ship. I’ve already agreed to sail with you on it. I wouldn’t still be on it if I thought it would fall apart.”

Hongjoong laughed and leaned over the rail, the wind blowing his bangs wildly.

“Maybe, but I’ll keep singin’ her praises until you love her, Seonghwa.”

The blonde stared at him for a long time before coming to his side, arms brushing as he leaned against the rail.

“....I suppose she is quite beautiful, Captain.”-

Hongjoong let out a noise of surprise as Seonghwa pulled him into a strong hug, tucking his face into the crook of his neck. 

“It makes me very happy to know you got me gifts despite knowing me for such a short period of time. I will cherish them for the rest of my life.”

Yeonjun pouted from behind them and Changkyun cleared his throat. 

“We should go inside. We have a lot to see.”

Seonghwa looked up at the art museum and smiled. 

“Let’s go. Its been quite a while since I’ve been to a museum.” 

“We found one that will allow Cheese, too. Are you excited, little dude?” Felix inquired, petting Cheese. Cheese wagged his tail, walking directly beside Seonghwa, ears perked and alert. 

“THIS PLEASES CHEESE GREATLY, HUMAN.”

The boys bit back their laughs at the energetic hound and walked inside. 

Seonghwa found himself enjoying the pieces between scanning the crowd, making sure he had laid eyes on all of his loves and their friends. 

“You’re supposed to be enjoying yourself.” Wooyoung’s soft voice drew his attention as he stopped beside him, looking at a set of blown glass animals. Seonghwa looked down at it, humming. 

“I can’t help it. No matter where I go, I find myself looking for the seven of you.” He answered honestly. Wooyoung glanced over at him, gently taking Seonghwa’s free hand, rubbing his thumb over his knuckles. 

“There’s always been something so…inspiring about the way you say things, Seonghwa.” He rocked on the balls of his feet, guiding Seonghwa and Cheese to the next painting. The three of them looked at the goofy art, with the card beside it explaining that it was made by the art director’s pet cat running across their paint and then the canvas. 

“There have been plenty of times, especially as of late, where I find myself at a loss for words or lacking the proper ones to say.” Seonghwa spoke honestly but Wooyoung shook his head once. 

“You still have this…unwavering determination I’m honestly jealous of. It takes me so long to get the words out for things I want to say and by time I’ve gathered the heart to do so, the words get caught in my throat.” 

Seonghwa put his arm around Wooyoung’s shoulders, pulling him closer. 

“If its about not speaking up when Mingi and I would argue, do know I do not hold it against you, or anyone. My behavior, the cause and effect they have created, are my own fault and its no one else’s fault but mine. If there’s anything our Captain has instilled in me, it’s an unwavering, bullheaded and sometimes idiotic determination to charge forward towards what you believe in.” Seonghwa ran his cool fingers over Wooyoung’s shoulder, putting his head above his. 

“Even if it hurts, even if I get tired, I won’t ever give up. You all are worth fighting for, and come Hell or high water, I’ll repair what was lost.”

Wooyoung looked up at him, lips parted, before he closed his mouth, standing on his tip toes to press a small kiss to the corner of Seonghwa’s lips. 

“I…have a lot to learn from you all. But I’ll get the courage and get on the same level as you one day.”

Seonghwa chuckled and guided him to the next one.

At some point, Hongjoong beckoned them over, pointing to a painting of a large wolf in a snow storm that was made entirely of different shades of blue.

Yeonjun stared at the painting in delight, chattering about different painting techniques to Chungha. Seonghwa stopped beside them, the art reminding him of the painting he had made for his beloved all those centuries ago.

“This one grabbed my interest,” Hongjoong explained, looking up at it with a gentle smile. Cheese carefully approached, nuzzling Hongjoong’s hand and wagging his tail when the pianist gently gave his head a pet. 

Seonghwa took in the brush strokes, staring into the eyes of the wolf for a long time before he nodded. 

“It is quite eye-catching, isn’t it? I wonder what kind of story it has to tell.”

“Cheese thinks Cheese is a more handsome doggo than the painting doggo. Though Cheese wonders if the blue doggo has blue toe beans.”

Seonghwa snorted quietly, looking down at the dog incredulously. Yeonjun perked, tilting their head. 

“Your dog is very chatty today. Isn’t that right?” They grinned, bending to pet Cheese. To them, it simply appeared to be gruff dog babbel. Cheese’s tail wagged and he licked Yeonjun’s face. 

“You have no idea! Cheese can talk faster than any doggo!”

Seonghwa smiled fondly at them before noticing Hongjoong’s hands, slightly wringing the bottom of his jacket as he stared at the painting. 

“Hm…would you like to go on a walk with me, Hongjoong? I’m a bit famished.” Seonghwa offered. 

Hongjoong perked and nodded, smiling. 

“Have you not eaten yet? C’mon, there’s a food court around here somewhere.” He looked towards Wooyoung and Yeonjun, but the former waved a hand kindly. 

“Go, go. I’ll bring Cheese over to the others so he can keep looking at exhibits.” He beamed. Yeonjun arched a brow at their friend, but Wooyoung hooked an arm under their arm, dragging them off before they could say a word. 

Seonghwa watched the trio go before turning his attention back to Hongjoong. 

“I’ll follow your lead.” 

Hongjoong walked through the art exhibit, only a few paces in front of Seonghwa. He slowed after a minute or two, rubbing his neck. 

“I…want to ask you something.”

“I figured you wanted to speak with me. What is it?” 

Hongjoong stopped, reaching and touching Seonghwa’s wrist over the compass mark he knew was there. 

“I…know you all, don’t I? Somehow…and you all know me.”

Seonghwa could see the frustration settle in his brow, and he knew the smaller man had probably been having the beginning pulses of a migraine. Seonghwa hummed, flipping his hand and taking Hongjoong’s. 

“I am learning a lot about you, yes. It’s very pleasant.” 

Hongjoong looked at him in confusion, staring at their hands. 

“But…That’s not what I mean. Not ‘me’ but-”

“It doesn’t matter much to me if I knew you before or if I’ve just met you now. My feelings are the same.” 

The two toned man’s eyes widened, staring at him in surprise as Seonghwa chuckled and brought his hand up to his cold cheek. 

“It’s my birthday, yes? May I be selfish and ask to enjoy this time with you without stress and worry? Even if its only for the day, whatever hard conversations may come, they can come on another.”

Hongjoong cleared his throat, feeling flustered as he moved his hand. 

“I’m going to get flustered if you talk like that.”

“Is it the worst thing if you do?” Seonghwa laughed gently and moved to the vendors selling food. Hongjoong watched him before he snapped back to reality and shuffled after him quickly. 

The two sat together, quietly people-watching as they ate some rather generously sized crepes. Hongjoong’s eyes were fixed on Seonghwa’s side profile more than the people around him, though. 

He really did look like a prince. His face was all sharp angles, yet they had a…soft quality to them that had the musician idly thinking he’d be a great idol.

“Did you do your makeup today?” He spoke without thinking and Seonghwa cut his steel gaze at him, humming as he licked creme from his lips. 

Hongjoong would admit to no one that he followed the motion like a hawk before looking back into his eyes. 

“Yeosang did. He’s learned a lot from Chungha, it seems. He was happy to try it on me so I let him. I’m not displeased.” 

“You look… really good.” 

Seonghwa chuckled and took another bite of his crepe, chewing thoughtfully. Hongjoong felt embarrassment creep into him once more. He’d asked Seonghwa to come with him, but now he was at a loss as to how to proceed now that Seonghwa had gently steered him away from prying on this whole…memory business.

Instead, he shoved a bite much too big to be considered polite into his mouth to keep himself from blurting out anything else in embarrassment. 

Seonghwa stared at him before he covered his mouth to keep himself from possibly spitting out any food as he laughed. 

“Dun lauf at meh!” Hongjoong struggled, cheeks round as his face went beet red. Seonghwa laughed harder still, joy shining in his eyes as he looked at the goofy two toned man in front of him. 

“Ah, apologies apologies. You just…you look very cute.” He smiled, one that reached his eyes as he put his head in his palm, staring at Hongjoong in a way that certainly didn’t help his flustered demeanor.  Seonghwa took in his appearance, cheeks rounded and his mismatched hair falling over his forehead as he tried to avoid his gaze.

"Küçük çizgili sincap~” 

Hongjoong blinked in confusion, swallowing his food before he squinted. He had recognized when Seonghwa had called him a small ferret before, but whatever he had said a moment ago went right over his head. 

“What did you say just now?” 

“Oh, nothing.” Seonghwa stood, a triumphant smile on his face as he turned away from him. 

“Shall we head back, küçük çizgili sincap ?”

“What are you calling me? Hey! Park Seonghwa-ya, wipe that smile off your face, what did you call me?!” Hongjoong complained, following close behind the blonde as he walked away. Seonghwa smiled, glancing at him out of the corner of his eye. 

“Oh, just something just for you.”

“What does that mean? Seonghwa? Hey, don’t speed up your paces! God, why are your legs so long- Seonghwa!!”

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Meanwhile…..

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“THAT ASSHOLE FORGOT ABOUT OUR ARRANGEMENT!”

Jeno watched as Jaemin cursed and swore up a storm, referring to the blonde ex prince. He glanced at Renjun and the man waved a hand, indicating he’d pay Jaemin’s ire no mind. 

“I’m sure there’s a good reason. Take the time to prepare.”

“I’m gonna wring their damn necks, wasting my damn time!”

Renjun rolled his eyes. 

“You’re the god of it. Just make more time.”

“Easy for you to say!”

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Taglist----

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IMYM Chapter 30: Captive to Queen: Ribbon

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For the fifth time that day, Ribbon adjusted his new ruby necklace.

Nightmare didn’t want him to take it off, he never told him why. All he said was it had to do with his mortality problem. Since talking about the guardianship issue made him so upset, Ribbon kept his mouth shut. He didn’t question anything he said, although he always did that. Nightmare was always stressed, especially after Error escaped. Ribbon offered help in any way he could. He made him tea, offered cuddles, did extra chores, and always let Nightmare hold him on his lap. Ribbon couldn’t be happy unless Nightmare was happy first! The head pats were nice too, Ribbon made sure to purr at those, Nightmare liked that, he always wanted him at his side. And all this pressure a week before they got married too!

That’s why Ribbon was here, singing for him in private in his office.

His dress spun around as he twirled. Nightmare leaned back in his leather chair and watched him. Ribbon didn’t know the words to this song very well, it was in French, but Nightmare said it was one of his favorites. It was from somewhere in the seventeenth- no, the eighteenth century? Ribbon forgot. Nightmare went a long ramble about it when he taught Ribbon the song.

Ribbon kept his eyes on Nightmare’s tense face. Yeah, Ribbon was upset about Error running away too. He tried to be good to him! He tried so hard to be his friend and Error always said no! But Nightmare took it way harder. But luckily, Ribbon watched as his face softened. It was working! His soft little soprano voice was helping!

“Thank you, my little bear. That was lovely.” Nightmare said with a slow clap when he finished. Ribbon curtsied, blushing at the pet name. At this point, Nightmare used pet names to describe him more than his real name, even to other people. Nightmare booped his nasal bone with his tendril.

“I just didn’t want you to be stressed out.”

“I’m not. Everything is under control. However, I do need your help to pack the last of the decorations." Nightmare stood up from his desk chair and gestured for his doll to follow. Ribbon studied his stance and vibe. Tendrils relaxed, aura calm. Good, he was genuinely happy. The doll skipped after him, smiling knowing his job was done.

==============================================================================

The big day has finally arrived.

Ribbon scrunched his face as he did his best to fill his back with paint. He used a mirror to help him see what he was doing. Strange, Nightmare always remembered to help him with this. It could be because there was so much other stuff to do today. Still. Ribbon struggled to fill each compartment on his spine, arms shaking. Yellow paint and pink paint had to be the strongest, . That’s why he could. He couldn’t even feel emotions without him!

But he figured it out after about five minutes of trying and failing. His spinal compartments dripped with all shades of the rainbow. Nightmare wouldn’t notice with his back screwed back up. Ribbon left his room and walked through the dark hallways. He met up with the other four members at the front entrance. Horror and Dust whispered to each other. Killer stared out the window, holding a wreath under his left arm.

The entire Villian Sans Squad teleported to the venue. Each member carried a different tote of supplies. Ribbon carried the lightest one.The building was the size of Nightmare’s ballroom and had two floors. The first floor was the actualplace they were going to marry. Twenty-six long benches lined a massive space with a triangular roof. Three stained glass windows with pictures of the monster-human war lined the back.But that wasn’t important right now. They had to decorate the second floor, which was where the celebration was going to be.

First, Ribbon went to help Horror with the food. The kitchen area was a room behind the bar. It was small and periwinkle. Horror dropped a cooler and a tote of supplies by the entrance. Ribbon looked up. Why was this place so cold?

Horror frosted the cake, going slow to get every peak right. It was four-tiered and covered in white frosting. Each tier had black fondant acting like streamers and roses to hold them up. Horror’s massive hands didn’t look like they were fit for holding the tiny frosting, but they worked. The top had a little fondant display of Nightmare and Ribbon dancing. Dream's circlet sat at Nightmare's feet, covered in dust.

“Tryin’ . . . follow boss’s plan.” Horror pushed a drawing toward Ribbon. Ribbon looked between the two. Nightmare had amazing drawing skills.

“It looks perfect! Good job!” Ribbon grinned and bounced. Horror’s mouth curved up in a half smile. He looked over and spotted leftover frosting left in the bowl. He wanted a taste, but he knew Nightmare would say no.

Horror looked over and gave Ribbon a nod. “You can . . . have it. Better than letting it . . waste.” His comment was technically permission, so Ribbon took a spoon. He took a scoop of the white buttercream frosting and licked it up. It wasn’t too sweet, but the vanilla was strong. And there was something else. Cinnamon? That had to be it. The cake was apple spice, so it made sense.

"Do you need any help? That's . . . that's why I came in." Ribbon asked, wiping the frosting off his face with a napkin.

Horror shook his head. "No. 'M fine."

Ribbon nodded. He checked that off his mental checklist and dashed out of the room. He went back to the main decorating room. Nightmare and Killer worked together and Ribbon joined in. He shuffled through a tote until he found some fake flowers that had to be hung up. Nightmare used his tendril to help Ribbon go up and tie purple flowers to the walls. Ribbon wrapped bows around each bouquet. The chandelier at the top of the room glittered.

“This is a little . . . brighter than I expected my wedding to be, but I still like it.” Nightmare said, looking around the light purple and black room. The streamers the flowers held up looked just like the cake.

"I did this intentionally. Your dress will be the brightest thing in this room since you're the brightest thing in my life." Nightmare chuckled and nuzzled Ribbon, making him blush.

Dust knocked on one of the wood benches to get Nightmare's attention. "Hey boss, I got a situation with the guest list. I need your help."

"Of course. Wait here, my doll," Nightmare said. He dropped Ribbon and followed him. Ribbon focused on ground decorations instead, at

Ribbon hung up a banner as Killer dropped one of the roses. He wore his best man suit with a knife lapel pin on the chest. Ribbon designed all the outfits, the weeks of sewing hurt his hands. Well, made them ache at least, it was hard to feel much pain without nerves. Ribbon picked it up and handed it over to him.

“Thanks, dollface,” Killer said. He set the rose back in the bouquet. Then he poked a petal. “Do you think I can get Cross to do this with me one day?

Ribbon paused and looked down at him. He pulled his heart charm. “Um . . . I don’t know. Maybe. Why Cross? Do you like him?”

Killer laughed, which was more of a mix between a scoff and a wheeze. “Have you seen that guy? I’ve liked him since boss brought him into the castle. Cross hid his face with his turtleneck when he introduced us and it was adorable. I saw him training for the first time a week later, shirtless.” Killer fake-fanned himself with one of the napkins. “He has a really nice body. One time he put his knife to my throat after a battle . . . you should’ve seen the look on his face. It was hot as hell.”

Killer giggled to himself. Ribbon couldn’t help but giggle with him. It was silly.

“What would this be about?” Nightmare stepped into the doorway with his arms crossed. His tendril lashed out and grabbed Ribbon. He was yanked back like a pull-string into Nightmare’s arms. He held Ribbon with one hand on the back of his head and the other wrapped around his back. Ribbon couldn’t see Killer with his face pushed into Nightmare’s chest.

Killer held his hands up. “Woah, boss. I was just joking with him.”

“Well don’t joke. Not . . . Ribbon doesn’t need to be agitated. He needs to be in a calm mindset before the ceremony.” Nightmare turned around and walked with Ribbon, holding him close. Ribbon couldn’t breathe and looked up, taking in a big breath. He squirmed. Nightmare loosened a little bit, only when he realized he was suffocating him. Nightmare kissed Ribbon on the cheek as he sat him down on a bench. No one was around but them. “Aw, I didn’t mean to choke you.”

Ribbon nodded. “Mm hm, I’m fine! I forgive you.” Ribbon looked at the clock on the wall. He couldn’t read it very well. He asked Nightmare for help before, but he just said he didn’t have to learn. He would do that for him. “How much longer before I have to get ready?”

Nightmare looked around like he was nervous someone was watching. But why? Nightmare was stronger than everyone here combined! Nightmare set a finger on Ribbon’s mouth. “Now. I hired some maids to help you get ready. So don’t be scared of them.”

“Okie!” Ribbon exclaimed. He forgot about Nightmare taking him from Killer, that wasn’t important right now.

“Good. Now remember where the bridal’s suite is and go put your dress on. Killer, Dust, and Horror will greet the guests while we get ready.” Nightmare turned Ribbon around by grabbing his shoulders. He leaned down and whispered in Ribbon’s nonexistent ear with a grin. “The next time I see you will be on the altar. Traditionally, it’s bad luck to see the bride before the wedding. The same goes for your seeing me, so go on.” Nightmare let go and melted through the shadows.

The doll did remember the suite from their tour. Ribbon walked down and listened to the sounds of arguing from Killer and Dust. Nightmare scolded them. Ribbon found the wood staircase and walked up it. It was one of the thin ones that forced him to tiptoe so he didn’t slip. It led him through another hallway.

Ribbon entered the bridal suite. It was a mix of periwinkle and pink. Big cushy sofas lined the room. Framed photos of previous brides lined the walls. He walked to the back and sat on a soft ledge, looking out at the busy Mafiatale. Ribbon looked into a small subsection of the room and spotted a group of seven maids, all in matching white dresses. Nightmare didn't tell him much about this, so he didn't know what he was getting into. Bridesmaids? Maybe.

"Queen Ribbon!" One of them exclaimed. She walked up to him and held his hand. Ribbon assumed she was the oldest being the tallest with long black hair and blue eyes. But she didn't have a name tag or anything like that, so he wasn't sure what to call her. The maid grabbed him by the shoulder, something everyone seemed to like to do today, and brought him over to a small bathroom. It was at least gentler than what Nightmare did, somehow. "Would you like any assistance?"

"I can do it myself. That- that's okay." Ribbon didn't like the idea of anyone seeing him naked except his soon-to-be husband.

"As you wish, your highness." She bowed before him and went back to the other girls, who all seemed to be invested in some kind of drama. Something about a secret cannibalism ring. He didn't want to know.

Ribbon took his dress off and set it aside, along with his shoes, stockings, and beret. He would get to pick it up later, once all of the party and noise and action was over. He climbed inside. He turned the right setting on and a wave of hot steam blew onto him. He poured porcelain cleaner on a scrub brush and

Ribbon washed himself in the shower, taking deep slow breaths. The steam felt nice and helped him clean. Since it was only vapor, it didn't damage his porcelain body like liquid water or ice. He couldn’t believe it. Less than three hours from now, he would be Nightmare’s queen and wife. His hands jittered with excitement and anxiety. He had to make his porcelain body shine and glitter.

Ribbon didn’t know anyone, they were all Nightmare’s connections and friends. But he remembered what he said. He wouldn’t need to talk so much. It would be like his singing; he wouldn’t need to talk directly to people. He took another deep breath. His mechanical heart pitter-pattered in his chest.

The doll finished cleaning himself and was grabbed by two maids. They dragged him over to a dressing room. The walls were periwinkle with brown trimming. Was there any heating in here? Ribbon shivered from the cold. Maybe it wasn’t the building’s fault and only his porcelain body.

“Your Highness?” One of the maids asked. Muscle memory forced Ribbon to curtsy. "Can you stay still so we can get you prepared for Lord Nightmare?"

“Um . . . go ahead.” Ribbon wondered how much he was allowed to talk to them.

Ribbon stood as still as possible in a t-pose. Soft material slipped over his head and something clicked on his neck. The only time he moved was whenever one of the maids adjusted his limbs. Either to slip his arms into sleeves or to tilt his head this way and that. Several times he had to resist peaking. Ribbon could’ve opened his eye sockets whenever he wanted, but he tried to keep it a surprise. He struggled not to giggle when the makeup brushes tickled his face. The room smelt like vanilla and roses. It felt like it went on forever, though it couldn't have been longer than fifteen minutes.

Once they slid his veil on, a maid gripped his shoulders and guided him to what he guessed was the mirror. One of her fingers pushed something out of Ribbon’s face saying, “Open your eyes, your highness.”

Ribbon stopped repressing his smile and followed the order. He looked in the mirror and smiled with a gasp.

The maids dressed him in a long-sleeved silk white dress with a long train. The heart-shaped bodice revealed most of his chest. His breezy skirt had a medieval-looking corset. The sleeves were made of lace and dropped down. Tight around his neck was a white choker with his heart charm peeking out from above it. His chapel-length veil was semi-translucent and lined with white lace. Rose-gold flowers covered both that and his dress in a long chain. Light blush and eye shadow tinted his face, along with highlighter on his cheekbones. His ‘nails’ were painted light pink. Ribbon reached up and touched the last piece of the outfit. A silver tiara with a lavender diamond-shaped gem in the middle. He put it on, smiling. He did feel like a queen.

Yes, Nightmare’s beautiful queen, as you were always meant to be. This is who you are.

Ribbon bounced and clapped his hands. He looked in the mirror and watched as the maids giggled with each other and left through the back. As disappointed as he was, he kinda understood, they didn't know him. Or at least, he didn't know them. It was a job, that's it. What if Error was here? He would stay! He would be his friend here and say something nice. Error seemed to care . . .

The doll looked at the one thing that was left, a bouquet of black dahlias. They were real flowers, not fake ones like the decorations. A little note hanging off one of the stems said 'Good luck!' with a smiley face. Ribbon smiled and picked it up. He opened the bridal suite and left.

Ribbon walked down the hallway. The walls were white and the floor was darker tan. It was empty besides a few windows and vases here and there. He could have sworn he heard footsteps, really angry ones. But then he looked around at all the guards. Nightmare said he would be safe, so he had to be safe. His silly doll brain was just overthinking. Ribbon puffed up his sleeves and adjusted the flower chain on his dress.

Finally, he stood in front of the door. Both sides were engraved with humans down on their knees and praying. Ribbon listened for any strange sounds, but he didn’t hear anything. This was it. Once he walked through the door, there was no going back. He had to face the scary strangers. His hand shook as he grabbed the door handle.

Ribbon took a deep breath and stepped through the entrance. Rose pink petals fell down from the ceiling and onto his head. One fell right on his nasal bone, but he shook it off. He did most of the decorating, and it still looked great. The banners were the same ones Nightmare put up after taking down an AU.

The orchestra played a soft tune while he walked down the aisle. His veil and dress trailed behind him. He looked at the monsters and humans whispering and staring at him. There had to be eighty at least. They were mostly Sans, Papyrus, Undyne, Chara, and Asriel variants. Ribbon waved with a nervous smile.

It’s okay, it’s okay, it’s my wedding. I’m safe.

He wasn’t sure, but then he saw Nightmare and all his panic faded away. His back was turned as he talked to the officiator, an old Gaster, but he must’ve sensed Ribbon’s aura as he looked at him. The only word he caught from the conversation was ‘legal’. He wore the suit Ribbon made as he promised. The embroidery shimmered in the light and made it look like it glowed. He only added one more thing to the outfit, a crown. Well, it was more like Dream’s circlet. It was the same silver as Ribbon’s, except with a fancier moon design. A crescent moon was in the middle and was surrounded by waves. Ribbon’s soul fluttered; his cheekbones exploded in blush. Stars, he was perfect.

Ribbon walked down the rest of the aisle. His body was fuzzy all over. If he squeezed the bouquet any tighter, he would’ve snapped those rose stems in half.

He made it to the altar. Nightmare offered a hand to help up the steps. Killer gave Ribbon a wink. He stood as Nightmare's best man. The maids that cleaned him stood as bridesmaids. Ribbon ignored them though and only focused on Nightmare. He stared into his eye as they held hands.

Nightmare brushed his thumb against his knuckles before kissing them. “Are you ready to become a queen, princess? You look perfect, precisely as I imagined you.”

“Very ready,” Ribbon said. His scared jitters turned into excited ones, but he kept his emotions in control for Nightmare’s sake.

A sigh came from Killer. “If you two are done being sappy with each other, let’s get this show on the road.” He glanced up at the door. “And Horror will get here at some point. I don't know where the hell he went. Last time I saw him, Horror went to investigate some sounds he heard. Don't ask me what, I have no clue. I didn't hear anything."

"Interesting . . ." Nightmare eye twitched. Ribbon rubbed his arm to remind him to calm down. What if there were angry noises and he wasn't imagining it?

The officiator cleared his throat. “We gather here today to join Nightmare Joku and Ribbon Adela in marriage. The bonding of two souls is a practice as old as monsters lived, as these two immortals should know.” Ribbon tilted his head a bit. He knew that wasn’t true. Only Nightmare was immortal.

“Within the circle of love, marriage encompasses all of life’s most important relationships. A wife and a husband are each other’s best friend, confidant, lover, teacher, listener, and counselor. Marriage deepens and enriches every facet of life. Happiness is fuller, memories are fresher, and commitment is stronger. Now, please join hands and look each other in the eye.”

Ribbon and Nightmare followed the order. Nightmare’s eye glowed a bit, both with teal and pink. The officiator looked at Nightmare. “Do you, Nightmare, take Ribbon to be your lawfully wedded wife, to live together in matrimony, to love him, comfort him, honor and keep him, in sickness and in health, in sorrow and in joy, to have and to hold, from this day forward, as long as you both shall live?”

“I do,” Nightmare said. Killer gave a thumbs up.

The officiator nodded. “And do you, Ribbon, take Nightmare to be your lawfully wedded husband, to live together in matrimony, to love him, comfort him, honor and keep him, in sickness and in health, in sorrow and in joy, to have and to hold, from this day forward, as long as you both shall live?”

“I do.” Ribbon couldn’t stop grinning.

At that moment, Dust walked down the aisle. He carried a small silver pillow surrounded with lace. Their rings glittered on it. He wore a suit like Killer’s, using an embroidered cloak Ribbon made for him to make up for his hood. He went down on one knee and held out the pillow. He didn’t look all that happy.

“The two of you have chosen rings to exchange with each other as a symbol of your unendin’ love. As you place this ring on Ribbon’s finger, repeat after me. ‘With this ring, I thee wed and pledge you my love now and forever.’”

Nightmare took the black ring and slipped it onto Ribbon’s finger. “With this ring, I thee wed and pledge you my love now and forever.” Dust didn’t even look up when it was Ribbon’s turn. He stood up and walked to stand by Killer.

Ribbon grabbed the black and silver band and did the same thing. “With this ring, I thee wed and pledge you my love now and forever.”

“If there are no objectifications to this marriage,” he shut the book, “I now pronounce you husband and wife. You may kiss the bride.”

Nightmare pushed his veil aside and pulled him in. Ribbon wrapped his arms around his shoulders. He’d kissed him a million times before, but none came close to this one. He wasn’t kissing his boyfriend anymore. He was kissing his husband.

The crowd clapped and cheered. Killer whistled. The rainbow glass from the window shimmered onto them. Nightmare’s face was lit with green, red, blue, and pink. His mind went blank; his eyes glazed over, flickering between lilac and blue. The doll’s tiara and ruby necklace also caught light. Nightmare chose the perfect time for the sun to hit. Queen Ribbon Adela Joku, he liked that title. Though the idea of being a queen worried him. Would he have a lot of new responsibilities? Was he good enough for it? Would there be more once they took over the Doodlesphere? Could he handle it without breaking down? But lucky for him, Nightmare would always be there to help when he was too dumb and weak to do so.

Nightmare broke the kiss and pulled back. His tendrils wagged. One of them traced the outline of Ribbon’s black cheek mark, absently thinking. “Well . . . shall we begin the festivities, my sweet wife?”

Being called ‘wife’ made Ribbon blush and go back to that dreamy feeling. He felt it the whole time, but now it was at its peak. He was walking on cotton candy clouds and he couldn’t be happier. He pulled his string, being sure not to get it tangled with his necklace. “Yes, Nighty! I’m ready for-”

Ribbon stopped as the back door flew open in a field of dust. Ribbon coughed and his husband held him. At first, Ribbon thought it was something Nightmare set up and planned. But he looked shocked too, something was wrong. Very wrong. From the cloud, a glitchy skeleton wearing a red scarf and battle armor strode out. Blue’s body was covered in blood and dust. Ribbon couldn’t tell which was his own. He screamed and burst into tears. The doll didn’t know what else to do with all the stress.

If it couldn’t get any worse, Dream followed Blue. He’d never seen him that angry before. His eye lights blazed with anger. They made eye contact with Ribbon, which softened their gaze, but only a little. He was covered in less blood, but that didn’t make him less scary. Were they here to kill him? Or Nighty? Neither of them said a word. Nightmare’s tendrils raised and Killer and Dust summoned their weapons.

Everything was perfect. Everything was going to be perfect. Now they ruined it. Blue summoned his hammer with a huff, pointing at Nightmare.

“I OBJECT!”

[hermannsthumb]

omg could we see #62 from the winter prompts list?

62. you’re my college roommate’s sibling/best friend and you’ve come to visit for a week since you’re done school but unlike some people, I have three more finals to study for so kindly fuck off

from winter writing prompts here

stuck on some of my other wips so i'm digging back through my old unfilled winter prompts!! from. well. 2018. can you believe i've been writing fic this long. insane.

enjoy some dumb (sort of?) college boys newmann! I decided to cheat with the prompt a little (a lot) so I could work it to be conceivably not an AU but instead set pre-canon, though I realize it techhhhnically screws around with the newt/herm penpal backstory just a tiny little bit....

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To be honest Newt’s probably paying more for year-round university housing then he would be in rent at an actual apartment at this point, but details like that get a little screwy when you start college significantly before your eighteenth birthday and grow up on campus. His dorm holds more sentimental value than his childhood home at this point. I mean, it technically is his childhood home. Newt did try the spring of his twenty-first birthday to finally move out, but he spent exactly two minutes poking through a Cambridge housing group on Facebook before it made him want to die and he gave up. At least this way he doesn't have to buy new furniture.

He has enough good will left with administration despite all the shit he's pulled to leverage certain things like that in his favor, and he struck a deal to keep his dorm in exchange for letting campus housing utilize it as an actual dorm from time to time. (Which is to say, Newt is kind of broke and needs to save money from his stipend every now and then for, you know, groceries, so he can grit his teeth and deal with a roommate when the time comes.)

His roommate at the moment is a German exchange student (maybe one or two years younger than Newt) who’s currently enrolled in a year-long study abroad program to mess around with electrical engineering—interesting enough guy with just enough neuroses and weird family issues to make Newt feel like the most well-adjusted twentysomething in the world. It's a great ego boost.

Anyway, it’s convenient. There are like three Dunks of varying quality to choose from at any given moment, and Newt only has to walk ten minutes max to any lecture hall to give class. This is especially nice on stupidly cold and snowy days like today where even a ten minute walk feels like too much.

The door to Newt’s dorm is slightly ajar when he finally gets home. In normal circumstances this would make Newt pause and think for a few seconds before stomping inside—rules of horror movies or whatever—because if his roommate is anything, it’s particular with things like that. Shoes off at the door, dishes left in the sink on a firm one-day-max limit, doors very much locked when they leave to protect all their super important possessions from being stolen, like the refurbished Playstation 2 Newt got off eBay or the Brita filter Newt also got off eBay. Very luxurious stuff.

But Newt’s cold and hungry, so he stomps inside anyway. He does kick his boots off, though—just because some people decided to stop following the dorm rules doesn’t mean Newt will—and makes sure to click the door shut behind him carefully. “Hey, dude, you home?” he calls down the hallway. Nothing. His roommate, Bastien, is usually in class at this time of the day, but finals have turned their schedules upside down, so who knows. He wiggles out of his winter coat and hangs it next to an unfamiliar green parka on the wall hooks (maybe Bastien went on a shopping spree?) and tries a second time. “Uh, you know you left the door open?”

Newt's glasses are splattered with melted snow, and he dries them on the hem of his sweater as he fumbles with the door to their room—and is more than a little surprised when he sees the blurry shape of Bastien sitting primly on the edge of his bed, smoothing out his clothing like he’s just woken up from a nap. His bed as in Newt’s bed. Newt startles backwards. “Oh,” he says. “Um. Hey?” Has he fucked up? Are they having a roommate talk about something? …Preceded by Bastien inexplicably taking a nap in his bed?

He pushes his glasses back on. The dark-haired blur on his bed comes into focus, and though the sharp angles, bad haircut, and vaguely sickly pale flush are reminiscent of Newt’s roommate, everything else about him is different, from the brown eyes to the wide frown. It’s a Gottlieb, no question, but which one Newt’s not sure. He knows there are at least three more of them, a concept which has always struck fear into Newt’s heart each time Bastien alludes to having siblings. “Hello,” the guy on Newt’s bed says. He nods. Very proper. “You’re Newton.”

“…Yeah?” Newt says.

The mysterious Gottlieb is kind of hot, which is the worst part. The whole stern professor look he’s rocking—big glasses, knit sweatervest, slightly too-big loafers—is doing him plenty of favors. Normal circumstances, Newt thinks again, coming home to a hot nerd lounging in your bed? It might almost make him believe in a higher power. It’s taking a significant amount of effort to not start flirting. Then again, he is in Newt's bed, and has been clearly been sleeping in Newt's bed, which feels like a flirtation in and of itself.

“Hermann Gottlieb,” the professor-dude says. He gets to his feet with the aid of a cane, which he’d hooked on one of Newt’s bedposts and offers a hand out to Newt like they’re both eighty years old. Mildly bewildered, Newt takes it. He's treated to a firm handshake. “I assume my brother told you to expect me? I let myself in. I hope that’s not too rude of me, but it was rather cold out.”

“Uh,” Newt says again. He’s a lot more…British than Newt expected. Very posh BBC-miniseries about posh English people with large country estates. Especially compared to Bastien, whose first language is clearly German and is very much not British—it’s just not exactly what Newt was expecting. “I mean—he didn’t totally tell me you were coming. Or, at all.” Hermann drops his hand. “I guess he could’ve mentioned it and I just forgot.” This is probably what happened. Newt’s been a little busy lately.

He decides to address the elephant in the room next, the bed thing, and determine if it was a deliberate choice or not. Maybe Bastien has made Newt out to be so irresistible in whatever he’s reported back to the Gottlieb family that Hermann decided to try his luck. This is definitely not the case, but Newt can pretend. “You’re on my bed,” he continues, and points across the room. “Bastien’s is that one.”

“Oh,” Hermann says. He looks mortified in a properly stiff-lipped way and almost trips over himself to cross the tiny dorm room, and for a split second Newt sees a different Hermann behind the dress shoes and exaggerated formalities: an awkward twentysomething probably barely older than Newt playing dress-up to be taken seriously. The belt he’s cinched to the last notch around the oversized waist of his tweed pants is stiff and cracked in places. Bastien mentioned once that one of his brothers is a math whiz who’s followed an accelerated academic path not entirely unlike Newt’s, and Newt suddenly has a strong hunch he’s looking right at him. “I’m—I’m very sorry. I didn’t realize. My flight only just got in, and the time zones—I was a bit tired.”

“No worries, man,” Newt says. He tosses his tote bag onto the Hermann-sized indentation in his bedspread and kicks his docs off one at a time, while across the room Hermann twists the handle of his cane between his hands. “You want some coffee or something? Bastien is usually out until late on Thursdays, so it might just be us for a while, sorry.” He pulls the sweatshirt he’d slung on his desk chair that morning down over his head and straightens out his glasses.

The offer for coffee is a somewhat-pitying lifeline Newt is decent enough to throw out, which he has a feeling both of them understand. Hermann seizes it desperately. “Coffee would be nice,” he says.

He trails after Newt into the kitchen. Apartment-style or not, it’s still a campus dorm, and the kitchen space is cozy at best and cramped at worst. Hermann plasters himself against a row of cabinets in a heroic effort to stay out of Newt’s way as Newt dumps some coffee grounds and water into his cheap pot and digs two mugs out of the cupboard. They avoid making eye contact at all costs while it percolates. “We have, like,” Newt gestures vaguely at the doorway, “a couch? If you wanted to sit? And not stand here?”

“I don’t mind,” Hermann says.

Newt kind of minds, but whatever, he can deal. He pours soy milk into one mug in preparation and offers some to Hermann, who shakes his head. The coffee drips slowly into the pot. Newt thinks about the stack of ungraded finals tucked into a binder in his tote bag, the other stack waiting on his desk, and the final final he still has to proofread and send off to Copytech for, like, seventy copies by tomorrow. “So, Hermann,” Newt says, and tries to think of a polite way to ask why exactly are you in my apartment during finals week? Does the guy not also have finals in England or wherever? “Are you just visiting your bro for fun, or…?”

Hermann’s face twists with a sour expression. “For a week,” he says. “Not all that willingly. I’m in town for a conference and I won’t have my hotel room until tomorrow morning. Bastien offered to let me use his couch for the night.” He adds hesitantly, “I’m due to give a presentation on Tuesday.”

A lecture: almost definitely the math whiz, then, unless overachieving is a family trait. Newt will circle back to that later. He’s not exactly a math expert, but you kinda can’t really pick up that many STEM doctorates without having at least a basic (or, you know, decently advanced) understanding of, uh, everything about math, and he’s keen to hear what Hermann plans to lecture on. “I’ll try to stay out of your hair,” Hermann adds quickly. “I know you’re busy with final exams and whatnot.”

“Ugh, no kidding,” Newt says. The coffee finally finishes with a few rattling huffs, and Newt carefully pours it into their mugs and shoves the less-chipped one over to Hermann. “I still have another left to go,” he continues. “I got stuck with three whole sections this semester, it sucks. I think they just wanted to get back at me for—well, um, I caused a minor fire in the lab last year and they had to evacuate a few buildings, and I put it out right away because I'm the king of lab safety, but whatever, everyone lost their shit anyway. It’s going to take me forever to grade everything.”

Hermann frowns at him, and Newt wonders exactly how much Bastien has shared about his American roommate—or in this case how little. “Not a student,” he explains. “Dr. Geiszler, technically, but do not call me that. I managed to convince the biology department head to convince student life to let me keep living on campus after I—well, I guess I technically graduated undergrad a while ago. After I wrapped up my first PhD?”

“Ah,” Hermann says, and the edges of his sharp cheekbones going the faintest shade of pink. “I’d assumed—Bastien didn’t mention that, is all.” His eyes flick over Newt twice, scrutinizing him and lingering on his oversized hoodie, a DIY screen-print job bearing the latest logo for Newt’s band that he tried valiantly to sell at their last show. “First PhD? Exactly how old are you?”

“Twenty-two,” Newt says. “I skipped a grade. Or ten. Would not recommend it. Anyway, Hermann, you’re some sort of super-genius, right? You were doing calculus in your crib or something?”

If Newt’s right about which brother Hermann is, that means—compared to the rest of his family—Bastien has alluded to Hermann’s existence in all but name three whole times. By familial standards Newt can only assume that means they’re practically BFFs and probably send each other birthday cards every year. If possible Hermann might be even more reserved than Bastien, though, and it’s making Newt want very badly to prod him a little more just to see what happens. Get him to poke his head out of his shell or something. “That’s pretty impressive, you know,” he adds.

Hermann flushes pink for real this time, obviously pleased with the compliment, and Newt’s equally pleased to see him hold his head a little higher. They’re getting somewhere. “It’s not precisely that dramatic,” Hermann says. “But, yes, er—I started university at a rather young age. Comparatively. Before that, my father sent me abroad when I was eight for my schooling. I’d shown a knack, I suppose, for mathematics, and…”

Abroad—Newt guesses that explains the different accent. Not unlike Newt himself. He wonders if Hermann’s family ribs him for the lapses in his German the way Newt’s family does (America is rotting your brain, Newt!), though maybe somewhat less gently. “And?”

“I’ll finish my doctorate in the spring,” Hermann finishes, with a small smile.

“Dr. Gottlieb,” Newt says. “Nice. I like the sound of that.”

Hermann suddenly spills a large amount of coffee down the front of his sweater. He doesn’t seem to notice, though his ears (which stick out just a little) do go red, so Newt doesn’t say anything.

It’s unfortunate how cute Hermann is. Newt briefly debates the ethics of hitting on your roommate’s hot British brother and whether or not it breaches some sort of sacred roommate code. On the one hand, Hermann is only here for a week, so it’s not like they can get up to too much, and Bastien himself will be packing everything back up for Germany in like, six months tops when his study abroad program ends in the spring anyway. And besides, it’s not like Newt and Bastien are tight or anything like that. On the other hand—I mean, that would be weird, right? You can’t just hit on your roommate’s hot British brother, especially not when he's sleeping on your couch for the night.

Newt has over a hundred final exams to grade, and a suitcase to pack for his own trip (albeit one that’s a maybe-thirty minute ride on the commuter rail) out to his dad’s for the break. He kinda wants to hit on Hermann.

He’s going to hit on Hermann.

“Sooooo,” he begins, “you got any plans, or—?”

And it’s then that Hermann’s cell phone begins to buzz in his pocket. “Ah,” Hermann says. “One moment—apologies.” He pulls out a battered flip phone that looks like it’s been passed down from at least two other people and squints at the screen. “My brother,” he explains, “at last. He’s finishing up at the library and wants to meet for dinner.”

“Oh, right,” Newt says. “Of course. Duh.”

Hermann closes his phone slowly and hazards a small, but considering, glance at Newt, and Newt has a fleeting suspicion he’s not the only one weighing the pros and cons of risky flirting. He might just be flattering himself, though. “…Would you like to join us?” Hermann says. “I’m sure Bastien wouldn’t mind. It might be…” He works his jaw a few times. It’s incredibly cute. He’s clean-shaven in a way Newt hasn’t managed to be since he turned seventeen (the Geiszlerian curse of thick facial hair whether you want it or not), and it makes him look even more like a weird kid trying very hard to be an adult. “Fun.”

It's a bad idea. Hermann’s only here for a week, and he’ll clearly be busy with his conference and his big talk and all that, and then they’ll be back on opposite sides of the Atlantic probably forever—Newt would just be setting himself up for heartbreak. And six months of awkwardly dodging his roommate, which is possibly worse. Ugh. Being responsible sucks. “I shouldn’t,” he finally sighs. “I have to finish—”

“—your finals. Of course,” Hermann says. “Yes, of course, I’m sorry. I forgot. I’ll let you be.” He sets his mug on the counter by the sink. “Thank you for the coffee.”

“Sure, dude,” Newt says.

Hermann works his jaw again, chewing at his lower lip, and then says so quickly Newt almost misses it “If you’re around next Tuesday, perhaps you would like to see my talk?”

Newt tries very hard to be chill. “Yeah, totally,” he says. “That would be awesome. I think I can make it.”

Hermann nods solemnly. “Excellent. I’ll ask Bastien to give you the details later.”

He finally begins to dot at the coffee stain on his sweater with a handkerchief he pulls from a different pocket, and Newt squeezes past him to rinse their mugs out. (No dishes in the sink overnight.) His elbow brushes against Hermann’s as he dries them with a dishtowel. Hermann makes no effort to move away from him, and this close he smells like stale cigarette smoke. Newt can imagine him standing out in the rain in a dreary English landscape somewhere, maybe in the oversized coat he saw hanging by the door, scowling and crushing cigarette filters beneath his cane.

There’s something strangely magnetic about Hermann.

“Hey, listen,” Newt says. He dries his hands off on his pants. Hermann looks at him, abandoning his efforts to clean himself up. “You wanna swap emails or anything…? Maybe we could talk. Collaborate on, uh, something.” He has absolutely zero idea of Hermann’s subfield so he doesn’t know exactly what they’ll collaborate on just yet, but he’ll think of something. Make some notes during the Tuesday lecture. Newt has three PhDs and counting, he can come up with an excuse to talk to a cute boy, okay, he’s not twelve. He’d ask for Hermann’s number like a normal human being if he could dream of affording the international texting rate.

Hermann gives him another stiff nod and the shadow of a smile, which Newt hopes means an enthusiastic yes, Newt, I’d love to be your penpal!, so Newt fishes a pad of paper and a pencil out from the kitchen junk drawer and they take turns printing their emails out as neatly as possible. Hermann folds the slip of paper with Newt’s in half and slips it into his top pocket. “It was very good to meet you, Dr. Geiszler,” Hermann says, and he offers Newt a parting handshake.

What the hell, Newt thinks, and takes it.

It takes ten months and a split in reality at the bottom of the Pacific Ocean for Hermann to get around to emailing Newt. Newt expects they’ll have a lot to collaborate on in the near future.

[siriuslysmoking]

Wandering Very Far | Chapter 10

(The Year Everything Flipped Upside Down Masterlist)

—And then one day A magic day he passed my way And while we spoke of many things Fools and kings This he said to me "The greatest thing you'll ever learn Is just to love and be loved in return"— – Nat King Cole

She’s made peace with the idea of dying before they even make it to the Wheeler house. The car is filled with silence as Steve drives to the house. She watches the scenery during the drive. As many times as she thought that she was going to die she didn’t expect this, many times she thought she might die, but now she knows that this is probably the end. For her.

It’s funny, how a few weeks ago she was writing college essays and applying for scholarships, now she’s fighting monsters in her head. That doesn’t seem fair.

But she’s going to die and that’s okay. 

Nancy and Robin will meet them at the Wheeler Residence since there isn’t enough room in Steve’s for anymore with the two of them and the three in the back.

She might not even make it to her eighteenth birthday. It’s in a few days but the last thing she needs to do is celebrate her life that’s going to end in a day or two.

There’s no way to stop it, no leads, nothing that could stop this. It’s fate, you could say. No way to stop it, no way to stall. Steve and Alex can hear the three kids whispering in the back about something, but Alex pays no mind, just stares out of the window of the empty road.

When they arrive Y/n decides she should call her mom, she’s been gone since she left yesterday morning for work, and knowing her mom she has another day before she files a police report. Nancy points her to the phone hanging on the wall in the kitchen.

Ring… 

Ring…

Ring… 

—Hello?

“Hey mom…”

—Y/n, sweetie, where have you been?

“I’m sorry, I’m staying at Nancy’s for a few days, I forgot to call you.” Y/n bites her lip, holding a muffled sound, something about talking to her mother is bringing it out, making her realize she is going to die.

—Okay… Just keep me updated.

“I will.” Y/n takes a deep breath, “I love you mom.”

—goodbye, sweetie

“Mom.” Y/n rushes, “I love you.”

—I love you too, silly

“Bye, mom.” As she hangs the phone on the wall back in its original place. She lets out a shaky breath before climbing down the stairs to the rest of the group. Steve, Dustin, and Lucas all sit on the dusty old couch sitting in the basement. Y/n sits on top of the desk across the room with her feet on the chair. 

Her leg starts shaking as she focuses on her breathing, in and out, she reminds herself.

Steve is quietly murmuring with the younger boys while Nancy, Robin, and Max work on the Victor Creel look. “Did you call your mom?”

“Yeah.” Y/n mumbles to Steve. Steve stands up, moving over to her, standing in front of the chair, his hands on the top of the chair.

“Wanna go get some air?” Y/n just nods to Steve, sliding off the table, and stepping down from the chair. She follows him up the wooden stairs to the main level, making their way out of the back door to the fenced in backyard. They sit next to each other on the stairs of the deck. “Want to talk about it?”

“I’m gonna die, Steve.” Y/n looks out into the sky, “He’s gonna kill me.”

“We don’t know that.”

Y/n chuckles, shaking her head, she does know. They’ve all tested their luck with the line between life and death. It’s time someone pays up their dues and if it happens to be her, she’s okay with that. “I am.”

She pauses, Steve stays silent, licking her lips, she speaks again, shrugging. “It’s okay, though.”

“Alex…” Steve murmurs, shaking his head, wrapping an arm around her body, encasing her in a side hug. “Don’t say that.” he closes his eyes, feeling his throat start to close, making his voice come out all shaky and wobbly “Please.”

“It’s the truth, Harrington.” she shrugs, resting her head on Steve’s shoulder, accepting his warmth. “I’ve accepted it, you should too.”

“I won’t.” Steve’s voice comes out harder this time, “I’m not going to accept that you’re going to die.” he shakes his head, “‘cause, you’re not.”

She doesn’t risk saying anything else, she just wants to sit in silence with her friend, being comforted, that’s what she needs right now. If he doesn’t want to accept that she will probably die, that’s fine, he will accept it though, in time. When the time comes he’ll have to.

“You can’t die.” Steve bows his head, “You can’t.”

“I can’t promise you I won’t.” she speaks, nuzzling her head into the warmth of his neck. “I’m sorry, that I can’t.”

“College, work.” Steve mumbles, “Moving in together, that’s what we planned. Together, we were going to be adults together, a shitty two room apartment, going out to bars on the weekends with Robin.”

“Movie nights, dance parties, cooking.” 

“We need to have that.” Steve lifts his head, looking in her eyes, “We deserve that. Normalcy.”

“Yeah…” She trails off, “we do.”

“You hungry?” Steve’s eyes light, “You gotta be hungry.” He stands and grabs onto her hand, lifting her up as well to her feet.

Steve was always a good cook, it’s what he does in his free time. Of course he needed to eat and with his parents always  being gone he had to pick it up, when he was younger and he couldn’t drive to go get something to eat he worked with what he had. Cooking was Steve’s thing. Baking was Y/n’s. They fit together. 

Steve was her best-

No, Chrissy was her best friend. But she is her fucking soul mate, platonically speaking. If she had to choose someone to be by her side in all of this it’d be Steve.

Steve raids the Wheeler’s ridge while Y/n sits on top of the counter. Steve is in his element so she doesn’t even think about bothering him, he is mashing up an avocado as his pan heats up. He has bread, a tomato, two different cheeses, and a whole load of spices.

It takes him maybe ten minutes to finish it. “Tadah!”

He presents the sandwich after plating it, he has another plate in hand with more of the same for the rest of the group. “It’s a grilled mozzarella sandwich.”

He scoots it towards her eagerly, waiting for her to try his masterpiece.  She does, taking a bite, not until now did she realize how hungry she really was. She just hums into the bite.

Steve does a celebratory dance while walking over to the stairs, yelling at the younger ones that he made something to eat while heading up the stairs to tell Robin and Nancy.

-

-

I totally lied about it being a long chapter, sorry lol. next chapter might come a out a week late because my work is gonna be double the normal hours since the dad has to go back to work, if you didn't know I'm a nanny, and the dad's a teacher and he goes back to school before the kids do, and the mom's a doctor. okay enough about my job.

Hope you enjoyed this chapter, likes and reblogs are super appreciated. as always if you want to be added to the tag list ask in the comments! <33

Much love!!

[tinymoonrider]

Tuberose

Summary: The servant, a friend of the prince, is finally old enough to take over the chores of their mother. The prince, upon learning that his friend is starting to date, starts getting a little... Strange... (Prince x reader)

Warnings: Character death, kidnapping, fear, obsession, yandere, and blood

The main character is gender neutral

My family had been serving the Larson family for years. By the time I had reached my eighteenth birthday, I was to take over the chores my mother was in charge of. "That's why having children in this profession pays off!" she'd always tell me with a tired smile on her face.

Eventually her and my aunt, would try to play match maker in hopes that I would be able to leave this life behind. They'd set up dates with people who had stable jobs in the village. My mother hoped that getting a partner with a stable job could also help me get a job somewhere else outside of the castle. They'd especially try to get me to go on dates with those who were from other villages. "Please just try. For me? I don't want you scrubbing floors and plunging toilets for the rest of your life." They'd push me forward, getting me to leave with my date. To be very honest, a couple of them have managed to catch my eye, but, whenever I try to reach out to them again, it seems as though they weren't interested.

Although I appreciate my mother and my aunt trying so hard for me, I just think that all of this is in vain. None of the people I've met up with want to see me again. Besides, I don't mind working for the palace. They provide all of their workers with food and shelter. It's not so bad here.

I wring out a rag over the soapy water mixture contained in the rusty bucket next to me and continue scrubbing the tiled floor. The sound of sharp clicking of heels makes their way over to me, I try to make myself look busy in case it's the queen making her rounds on the servants. The shiny surface of the area I've cleaned so far reveals the face of the young prince, Alexander.

Alex was about my age, only a year's difference between us. We grew up together in the castle, in fact, for a while I was assigned as his personal chambermaid. Although it only lasted for a week, we managed to become great friends. Unfortunately I was fired after the explosion incident in the servants kitchen (he only had half of his eyebrow left, but at the very least he wasn't dead). When I was ruled unfit to be his chambermaid, I remember Alex crying his eyes out over it. The night I was fired, Alex had one final request: more pillows and blankets and for me, specifically, to bring it to his room. Upon bringing it to his room, I was "formally kidnapped" for the night. I slept on his bed next to him, the extra pillows and blankets forming a little nest around us. I told him a story to help him sleep that night, as he couldn't sleep. He said that his mother would've read stories to him had she not been busy. At the time, I knew that she really wasn't doing anything at that time of the night. She just didn't have the energy to deal with her son. She couldn't bear the guilt.

The next day, after a light scolding from both of our mothers, I wasn't allowed to hangout with Alex for a couple of months. Even after our sentence was over, Alex was forced to learn all the ways of being a prince and the heir to the kingdom. Anytime he saw me, he was more than excited but, mainly kept to himself. It was only after his parents had encouraged him to pursue other princesses from other villages that Alex had really changed. Any free chance he had, he would cling to me, following me around the castle, pulling me away from my chores, and even acting out to get what he wanted from me.

A hand covers my eyes and another wraps around my waist. "Darling~... Guess who." A deep sing-song voice whispered in my ear. I rolled my eyes and decided to mess with him a little bit. Teasing him never got old.

"James? From the library right?" Alex growled from behind me, "Oh my gosh, I thought I'd never hear from you again- how are you?" I stifled a laugh as his grip got tighter, "Thanks again for buying me that book, I honestly couldn't put it down. It's so interesting... Say, now that I have you, I was wondering if you wanted to go out again sometime?~" Alex spun me around and wrapped his arms tightly around my back.

"It's not James." He huffed, "It's me, Alexander. Whoever this James is, doesn't deserve to go out with you. He doesn't even know what you'd like..." Pouting, he lets me go and turns away from me. Rolling my eyes, I start to giggle.

"Alex, I was joking around with you. I haven't heard from James in a while." I sigh, "Besides, I heard from his parents that he hasn't been home for a couple of weeks... They said he went missing." I play with the rag in my hand and wonder where he could be.

"You shouldn't worry about low life scum like him." My eyebrows knit together as I glare at him. "You never met James. How dare you say something like that."

Alex challenges me, "I know about his criminal record. I'm sure Mr. Prince-charming never told you about that!" His hands find purchase on my waist. He squeezes, "You're better off not going out with him ever again." He mumbles something under his breath and turns back around. Snapping his fingers, he gestures for me to follow him. I shake my head and pack up my cleaning supplies, following him to where he wanted me to go. We head outside towards the gardens. A place we often frequented when the weather was nice. Sitting down in the gazebo, I relaxed with him in the cool breeze. I enjoyed the scenery around me, the colorful spring flowers danced along with the wind, their scent was as beautiful as they looked. Alex's eyes never left me in moments like this. It was like he was studying me, making mental notes of how I looked and felt in those moments.

"You should stop going on dates." Alex scooted closer to me on the bench, his hand reaching for mine. Ignoring him, I lifted my head up slightly, refusing to hear what he had to say.

"That's not something for you to decide."

"But it is."

"Oh really?" I looked at him, searching his eyes for the gull he had to say such a thing to my face. "How so?"

"I technically control the church too you know. You might not be able to marry in this village if I say so." I took a deep breath.

"It's not your life. If you do that, I'll never forgive you." I got up from my seat, the moment soured by his declaration. His hand reached for mine, desperate to keep me there with him for a little longer. I ripped it away from him. "I have to get back to work. I do have a busy job to get back to, unlike some people..."

Leaving him there, he watched on in bewilderment.

"What did I do wrong?"

--

In the servants kitchen, I started on some stew that could last me for a couple of weeks with enough rationing. Prepping the ingredients, I had gotten ready the pot I was going to cook it in. Soon a clearing throat rang throughout the kitchen, turning around on my heels, I was met by one of the royal dinner servants standing there, looking at me expectantly.

"Yes, sir?" Putting down a tomato, they gesture for me to come near.

"Prince Alexander has requested an audience with you up in the dining room." Wiping my hands on my apron, I follow the servant up to the dinning room where Alex and his parents were eating. I stood on the other side of the table from him, waiting patiently for him to acknowledge my presence so I could leave. I was still so upset with him from earlier. His off hand comment, still simmering in my mind. Upon seeing me however, he only smiled and continued to finish eating. He made faces at me to try to get me to smile wanting me to cheer up from earlier. When I didn't do what he wanted, he put down his utensils and cleared his throat, gaining his parents' attention.

"Mother, father, I have some very exciting news for you." He paused for effect and waved off the other servants, pointing at me to stay. Once all of the other servants had left, he continued, "As I mentioned to you both earlier, I found the person I want to spend the rest of my life with..." His mother smiled, while his father grinned as he took a stab at his steak. The king, gestured for me to get him another refill for his drink. Popping open a bottle of wine, I refilled his cup as Alex kept talking. Making my way around the table, I eventually made my way to Alex, his hand wrapped around my apron, tugging at me like a child asking for attention.

"I managed to get permission from their parents. They were more than excited to see us be wed. All I need is for you to approve of the marriage." His mother nodded.

"Of course, we would need to meet them first of course." She continued to eat away at her meal, Alex's hand tugging at me again. I manage to wiggle myself out of his hands to put away the wine. Making eye contact with him, urging him to stop, he silently begs me to come back next to him. When I don't listen, he rolls his eyes and gets out of his chair, his parents watching him with curiosity.

"Prince Alex, sir, I can get whatever you may need. All you need to do is ask," I make my way over to him gesturing for him to sit down rather harshly. He shakes his head at me and pulls out a chair next to me. Taking my arm, he pulls me down to the open seat and pushes it in. Grabbing an empty plate from a cart, he starts fixing the plate with the food on the table until it's overflowing. Setting it down in front of me, he gives me a couple of his forks and his glass of wine. Bewildered, I glared at Alex, upset with him for breaking the rules.

"Alex," his mother starts, her eyes, stabbing at me, "you know the rules right? No servants at the table. They have their own place to eat downstairs." Her voice raises slightly. His father watches intently at what his son would do. I start to pull away from the table as quietly as possible. Alex, pushes me back.

"I shouldn't be here right now, I can come back." I say to no one in particular, they ignore me.

"They're not a servant." He grabs a fork and takes a piece of meat from my plate, lifting it up to my lips. I don't bite.

His father sighs as his wife complains to her husband, trying to get him to do something about me sitting there with them at the table. "You know what, you're right, Alexander, they're not a servant." Now addressing me, he says sternly, "You are to pack your things and leave this castle. You are to be gone by morning or else I'll have the guards to remove you themselves." He turns towards Alex, mouthing, "don't you even think about doing what you are about to do."

Alex grins. "They're going to be married to me." I turn towards him, begging him to say that he's just joking around. He doesn't. The room is silent. It feels as though a heavy weight hugs my chest tightly. What? His mother glares at me, telling me with her eyes to drop dead so he could marry one of the many options already lined up for him. "Mother, would you stop being so rude?-- You know, you should really relax that face of yours, your crows feet will only grow if you don't." She lifts her hands to her face. Alex takes my hand into his and squeezes. Offering me a soft smile, he pulls me up to my feet and guides me so I stand behind him.

"So, what do you say? You both already know her! She's lived here all her life so she knows the castle like the back of her hand-- as well as everyone in it." The queen starts to sob quietly, "She's a very hard worker and a very quick learner-"

"No." The king places a hand on his wife's shoulder. Rubbing her back, he gently pulls her into his chest. Alex's hand, still holding mine, tightens.

"What?"

"You heard me. There are so many better options out there than that." He points at me with his fork, "Options that can easily improve relations between kingdoms." The queen sobs harder, "That wretched thing behind you is no more than a servant. They can't help you. They can't help anyone! In any way that counts at least. As royalty, you have a duty to marry. Not for love but for purpose." Alex's hands try to curl in on themselves, my fingers unfortunately in the way. It feels as though they would pop off of my hand at any moment. Unable to hold my voice back any longer, I let out a small whimper. Alex's attention immediately snaps to me, the conversation between him and his father long forgotten.

"I'm so sorry, my Love. Come on, let's go to my chambers. We can talk more there." Pulling me so that I was in front of him, he guided me to his room. His father calls out for us, declaring that the conversation wasn't over. Alex ignores him, pulling me along with him, forcing me to ignore his father too. Not that I wanted to speak with him, especially without Alex.

Once in his chambers, he locks the door behind me, guiding me to his bed. "How about we find you something to wear..." I feel like my brain is about to turn into mush and leak out of my ears. He pulls out a long sleeved white undershirt. Comparing the size of it to my body, he makes a satisfied noise. Nodding to himself, he rummages his closet looking for a pair of bottoms that would be able to fit me.

"Alex, I can't marry you." My vision blurs, I can't control my breathing. Alex's face falls flat.

"Is this about what my parents said? 'Cause, Honey, we could just elope! I'll take a couple of jewels and cash from the treasury and then we can buy a farm-- I remember how much you like animals-- we'll be at the edge of the village so no one will bother us!" My head involuntarily shakes at the idea.

"How stupid are you?" I look at him, unable to hold the tears back, "We can't just elope! You're next in line for the throne, you can't just leave." He frowns. "Your parents are right, this isn't a good idea." I offer a small smile, trying to lessen the tension in the room, "If we go back now, and apologize-"

"No! Don't you see? I love you," he wines, "I want you. Only you. Screw other women. Screw this fucked kingdom!"

"Alex-"

"No," he stated, "I love you. I want you. I want every single fucking part of you. You are my life. My love. None of those other assholes deserve an angel like you." He grabs my hands and leans closer to my face, "You were made, for me. You are mine as I am yours. You will understand that in time. You will understand just how much I crave you. Every single fucking part of you." He leans in, this breath fanning at my face. My chest hurts at how fast my heart is beating. His lips brush against mine when a knock at the door interrupts us. Alex sighs and goes to answer it. A mumbled exchange between the two and he begrudgingly excuses himself from the room. Locking the door behind him, I'm left alone with my thoughts.

After a couple of hours, a personal chambermaid of his, unlocks the door and hands me a note as well as a glass of water. With a small, shy smile and curtsy, she leaves the room, the sound of the lock clicking back into place. Unfolding the note, I read through the carefully written loops and swoops of his letter, wondering what is taking him so long.

"Apologies, Hon, I'll be a little late to bed tonight. I have to take care of something but, I promise that we can continue our little conversation tomorrow. Maybe even walk through the gardens? Play with a couple of the animals from the pet shop you love to visit so much? Anyway, go ahead and get some rest. I'll see you tomorrow morning my Love.

-Alex"

I let out a deep sigh and took a sip of the water given to me and changed into the shirt he had taken out. Plopping down onto the bed, my eyes instantly felt a wave of drowsiness wash over me. With my body relaxing, my mind drifts away from my body, almost missing the piercing scream that rings through the castle. Almost.

--

The next morning, I'm neatly tucked under the soft covers of Alex's bed. Sunlight filtered through his sheer curtains gracefully. As if he had known I had woken up, Alex walked in with a breakfast tray. On it were all of my favorite foods, a glass of orange juice, and a vase of white tuberose flowers. They had bloomed in the garden not too long ago. I remember mentioning how beautiful they looked in the sea of color. How pure they seemed in that sea. I guess he remembered.

Setting the little portable table on my lap, he settled himself next to me, grabbing my fork and stabbing a piece of somewhat burnt bacon. Nudging my lips, he waits for me to take a bite. Opening my mouth to talk, he shoves the bacon past my lips and smiles. After eating a couple of bites, I decided to address the elephant in the room.

"Can we continue our conversation from last night?"

He nods, "Are you accepting my marriage proposal?" He takes a bite himself and waits for my answer. I shake my head, reaching for the spare fork, he takes it off the table and throws it across the room. He lifts more food towards my lips for another bite. Trying to take the fork from his hands ends in vain as he dodges and manages to get the food past my lips once more. "Well you won't have much of a choice..." Confused, I ask him for answers only for him to shake his head. We finish our breakfast in silence. Ordering me to get dressed and to meet him outside, chambermaids rush in to help me.

I'm led towards the main room of the castle where many soldiers, a couple of villagers, and Alex circle around something  on the floor. Quietly, I take my place next to Alex, the fancy clothes he had me wear felt out of place on my body. Usually the clothes I'm allowed to wear around the castle, as per the queen's orders, were basically a bunch of old rags stitched together. Upon seeing what they were looking at in the middle of the circle, my heart rate starts to increase. A white sheet outlines a body laying on the floor. A faint odor wafts towards my face. I look at Alex for answers to which he whispers, "The queen is dead."

--

Later that day, while in the gazebo with Alex, he explains to me that he had found his mother earlier that morning bathing in her own blood on the floor. A distinct line carved into her neck like a smile. His father, the king was missing. He looked straight into the distance at the sea of flowers. The sky was a dark grey. His face is both full and void of emotion. I couldn't fathom how he had felt in that moment. The head of the church had come up to him just before we left to go outside, telling him that he was to lead the village until they were able to find the king. They had also mentioned that they would be able to help him out for the time being but, ultimately, the final decision would be dealt with by Alex.

He leans into my chest, wrapping his arms around me, he inhales my scent and buries his face into my chest. Mumbling his secrets into my heart, I sit still and run my hands through his hair. "I'm going to need you. I'm going to need your support. I can't do this alone. Not without you." I nod.

"Of course, whatever you need."

--

It had been three years since that day. I had stuck by Alex's side, learning alongside him on his journey to becoming the new ruler. Alex's proposal had slipped to the back of my mind, not that he ever brought it up since then. I assumed he had forgotten about it too. Or maybe he had other things on his plate that he needed to worry about. Either way, I was more than happy to just support him on the sidelines, giving him guidance whenever he needed it the most. I was so busy helping out to take care of the kingdom, my mother, and the other chores that I had been neglecting, that I was blind to what was happening in the background.

One day, Alex had called me into the dining room for another audience. We had both been so busy that this would've been the first day we'd finally be able to see each other for more than ten minutes. Opening the door, I had walked in on Alex lighting a couple of candles on the table. The lights were off, the warm glow was our only light source in the room. As soon as I opened the door, all of the servants had rushed out of the room, giving a curt bow and curtsy as they passed by me. Sitting down at the table, we ate dinner and enjoyed each other's presence for the night. In the middle of the table a bouquet of tuberose flowers sat, their scent evoked pleasant memories from before all that had happened as of late.

"So, I have a bit of news for you. Would you like the good or the bad news first?" He gave me a sad smile, one reminiscent of the one he had when his mother had died.

"Bad." I braced myself for what was coming.

"They... They found my father. He was held up in one of the villagers basements at the edge of town... This villager and his family..." He paused excusing himself to take a deep breath, "the man killed my mother and didn't leave much left of my father to recover unfortunately..." I put my hand over my mouth and apologized.

"I-I'm so sorry to hear that."

"They're together in a better place now. That's all that matters." His sad smile turned hopeful, "The good news is, they read my father's will and it seems as though we will be getting married after all." He stood up from his chair, "There was a fail safe put into place in case I was to take over the throne while still being a bachelor..." He kneels on the ground in the space beside me, laying his head on my lap he continues, "I am to be married to you. To you quite specifically. It seems as though they... Changed their minds about you..." Taking my hands into his, he kisses each individual finger and knuckles, "How lucky right? The wedding is to be in no less than two weeks. We can get married earlier than that but, I want to make sure we have enough time to plan everything. Including the honeymoon." I rip my hands away from his reach.

"Excuse me?"

"I want everything to be perfect. The church is more than willing to take over while we visit other countries and just relax. Our army has been built up over the years and is more than capable of handling things while we're gone..." I tried to collect myself before I struck him across the face. Excusing myself, I stand up from my seat, my chair falling behind me, I rush towards the doors. Pushing against them with all my might, they don't budge. Rattling the door knobs, I bang against the doors, calling out to anyone that could hear me.

"Someone please, open the door! I want to leave- I need to leave!" Alex appears behind me, wrapping his arms around my waist.

"Honey, I have the key, they couldn't even open it if they wanted to." I start to cry.

"What did you do?" I turn towards him fighting his hold as he calmly pulls me against his chest. A smile, a warm genuine smile, tugs at his features.

"What are you talking about, Darling?"

"I'm not stupid. I'm not blind. You obviously had something to do with this." I manage to push him off, backing off to another corner of the room. Using the table, I generate some ounce of distance between us. Adrenaline rushes through my veins, an obvious chase about to ensue. "This is all too convenient for you. Your parents never liked me. They wouldn't want you to marry me. They'd rather find a way to bargain for a princess of a rival village to marry you, even in death, they'd find a way." He chuckles.

"Is that so?" His chuckles turn into full on laughs. "Honestly Darling, you should be thankful. I did this for you- for us!" My mind was spinning, it felt as though the room was swaying. My dinner threatened to come back up. "Elise!" A chambermaid knocks on the door and Alex goes to unlock it. He promptly grabs me by the arm and drags me away from Alex. As I followed them outside the room, I managed to slip from their grip, running out into the court yard. The chambermaid called for me to come back. I managed to make it outside of the castle and out towards the front of the building, the garden beds that decorate it, helping me to relax. Sneaking towards the exit of the castle walls, I'm immediately dragged back inside by one of the guards. The guard who had found me carried me on his shoulder I was unable to see anything besides his back. The creaking of a door alerts me that I've reached my destination. As I'm put back onto my feet, the guard kicks me down the stairs of the wine cellar. All of the lights are off, the void effectively swallowing me whole. The only source of light being at the top of the stairs, where Alex appears at the door. With a disappointed look on his face, I try to get up and race towards the top.

"Alex, please!"

"You had your chance. I think you need to take a time-out to learn your place. I'll see you in the morning, Darling."

My only source of light is snuffed out by my future husband. By the time I reach the top of the stairs, the turn of the key, clicks the lock in place. The cold, empty void drags me back down stairs.

I am swallowed whole, and never seen again.

[rainbow-nerdss]

Duty/Desire

Written for @augustwritingchallenge day 28: Royalty Ronance, 1.1k Read on AO3

Nancy Wheeler knew from a very young age that her life path was one which had already been chosen for her.

She understood that being the first born child of the King meant that her duty to her country would always come first. She dedicated herself to her studies, learning history, diplomacy, and the laws of the land.

Nancy Wheeler was eight years old when she learned that they were humoring her by teaching her these things. When she learned it would not be her to inherit the throne, but her younger brother.

On the day she learned this fact, Mike Wheeler was five and a half years old, and he'd been rushed to the physician's rooms after attempting to figure out how many almonds he could fit up his nostrils.

Nancy Wheeler had known from a young age that things weren't always fair.

It still came as a surprise, however, when her mother came to speak to her on her fourteenth birthday, and told her what her real lot in life was to be.

It really shouldn't have been a surprise. It made sense, in retrospect.

She remembered the visits between her father and the king of the neighboring country. Remembered being seated next to Prince Steven at banquets, tolerating him at best

She was to marry Prince Steven on the occasion of her eighteenth birthday. It felt a lifetime away, but also all too close.

She didn't want to marry Steve. Her mother tried to comfort her, talking about how there were things one must do, how she hadn't wanted this life either, but her children were her greatest joy and she wouldn't exchange them for the life she had originally wanted for herself. 

Nancy couldn't see herself living for a hypothetical future child in an unfamiliar kingdom.

When she was sixteen, she met Sir Jonathan, the lowborn knight who caught her eye, who offered to take her away, show her the world. She had been tempted, but then his brother fell ill. He had to return home to help his mother, and they parted ways. That dream had been nice, but Nancy knew that wasn't what she desired either. 

It's not until her duty brought her to Steve’s kingdom shortly after his coronation that she realized what it was she did want. 

King Steve was a strange sort. She'd heard stories from his younger days, before his father had died. He'd been a rogue, a layabout and everything she hated. He'd changed, apparently. He preferred sitting in and listening to his bard than brawling in taverns these days.

That wasn’t what turned Nancy's head, though.

It was King Steve's advisor — a woman Nancy's handmaiden informed her used to be a serving girl at the tavern, who Steve had managed to befriend, who he'd appointed as advisor upon his coronation, to everyone's surprise.

Nancy asked if it would be possible for the king's advisor to advise her in the ways of the kingdom. The courtly traditions, the trade and agriculture of the region. If she had no choice in her fate, then she would at least do her duty to the highest standard.

The Lady Robin was funny, occasionally crass in a way that was refreshing to Nancy. Jonathan always used to dance around her sensibilities, her title always being a barrier to true comfort between them. Robin seemed to forget immediately that Nancy wasn't just another girl she befriended in the tavern, and Nancy loved it.

They spent days together, Nancy learning all about Steve's kingdom, Robin asking Nancy questions about herself.

Robin asked her what she desired, from the future.

Nancy didn't know what to answer, except: "I just want to live my life how I choose."

"And how do you choose?"

Nancy looked at Robin, and Robin met her eyes clearly, openly, until Nancy looked away.

"That's an excellent question."

The following day, Nancy was taken to see Steve, a private audience.

"Princess, how do you like my kingdom?" Steve asked.

"It's really very beautiful, your Majesty."

King Steve watched her carefully, leaning against the throne rather than sitting in it.

"How would you like to make it your home?" he asked.

"My lord, I—" 

Steve raised a hand. "You do not love me. I know. I hoped you would, once, but I understand your eye has been... Diverted. My offer still stands, and it isn't a marriage proposal. My advisor had an idea, you see."

Nancy's heart skipped a beat and that's when it became clear.

What she desired. Who she desired. 

Steve offered her a diplomatic role in his household — not as his wife, but as a representative of her home kingdom in his court, someone with influence, with a voice. In return, he would send the boy he has already named as his heir to be his representative in the other court. 

"Somewhere in the future, perhaps a love match will unite our courts, but until then I hope this will satisfy your father?"

"I hope so, as well." 

Nancy ran to find Robin, to thank her for the solution. 

When she saw her, at the end of a long corridor, Nancy lost her composure for a moment and wrapped her in a hug. 

There were people about, servants and knights, so Nancy straightened herself up, clearing her throat and trying not to relish too much in the flush which crept up Robin’s face. "I have matters to attend to. Perhaps you could accompany me to my rooms, so we might discuss your idea further?”

As soon as they got inside Nancy's chamber, she kissed Robin. Robin was surprised but delighted. "I'll admit, I hoped you wouldn't marry him — and not just because he's an oaf."

Nancy's maid came in from the adjoining room to say her bath was ready.

She blushed a little and dismissed the maid. "We’re discussing important matters. The water will keep warm, I'll attend to my own bath in time.

Once the maid was gone, Nancy met Robin’s eye and led her out to the other room, where the bath water was steaming behind an ornate screen.

They undressed each other slowly, careful hands unlacing corsetry and sliding down arms, unhooking stockings, gowns dropping to the floor. The bathtub was barely big enough for two, but they climbed in, using the soap, washing as an excuse to touch, lingering in certain places and avoiding others until the desire builds too high and they can't help it anymore.

The water was cold by the time they got out, drying each other off, exchanging now-familiar touches to still-sensitive areas. Nancy helped Robin back into her clothes, leaving soft kisses on every inch of skin before she covered them up, to be unwrapped again at a later date. They had all the time in the world. 

Time for what they desired.

[my-head-is-an-animal]

Caustic: An Origin Story

Caustic/Alexander Nox x Original Female Character

Rating: 18+

Chapter 7

My life over the next few months had taken a new direction, by day I was Dr Nox’s assistant, the guardian of the keep, the enforcer of peace in his labs, but by night, I was his… girlfriend? We hadn’t really talked about it in all honesty, we mostly just sat drinking tea, watching television and occasionally I would be left to my own devices while he was in his gym. Part of me wanted go in and watch him, watch the flex of his muscles and probably get turned on doing so, but I thought it may have distracted him too much. He was preparing for an upcoming match after all.

    ‘I would appreciate it if you could keep an eye on a few things while I am away,’ Dr Nox handed me quite a large list of things he wanted me to do. We decided that while it wasn’t against any rules for us to be in a relationship of any kind, it might not have been the best idea to advertise that fact while Dr Humbert was putting pressure on us. ‘The match could last days, not including travel time, but I have a few experiments already running.’ He went on. I followed him around each of the experiments he was talking about and he tried to slowly and carefully explain the ones he knew I’d have no clue in understanding. I made notes and listened as hard as I could, I didn’t want to mess anything up. ‘Any questions?’

    ‘More than you could imagine.’ I commented, jotting down the last few things. I looked up to see him grinning. ‘I’m sure I’ll be fine.’

    ‘I don’t leave for another week so that should give you enough time to practice with me.’ He said and suddenly it made sense why he was giving me a list of things so early on.

    ‘That’s good, I’ll need to get the hours in.’ I nodded. ‘I think the biological ones will be fine, they’re a little more up my street, but these gas-based ones, I’m struggling with. Can you explain them again?’

    ‘Would you like me to go slower for you?’ I felt my cheeks flush pink, he was echoing a few nights previous when we had been together and it had been a little much for me. He did that sometimes, when he was in a good mood or had some kind of breakthrough, Alex would shine through.

    Dr Nox went over the gaseous experiments again and suggested a little reading from his research notes to help me better understand what he was trying to do, my job would just be maintenance until he returned, but I was getting increasingly anxious about it.

    Alex would tell me every night for the next week that it would be fine, that he would be fine, no one actually died during these games, it was a battle royale with characters and one that provided more than enough entertainment for the universe.

    ‘So, what’s your top finishing position?’ I asked, sipping my tea and settling down on the sofa next to him, he would be leaving the next morning and we decided to have a quiet night together so he could get the rest he needed, he said he always slept better when I was around. ‘There are twenty teams, right?’

    ‘Indeed. Though the highest I’ve been able to rank is fourteenth, I was on a team with two very experienced competitors, but unfortunately, I made a few mistakes, we could have had a better finish.’ Alex seemed genuinely frustrated by his efforts.

  ‘Fourteenth is still a good position,’ I tried to encourage him, but I didn’t realistically think it would do anything. ‘Your average is eighteenth, right?’ He nodded, observing me carefully. ‘So, what do you need to do to rank higher?’

    ‘Well, training always helps to give you a distinct physical advantage.’

    ‘Okay, trust me, you’ve got the physical.’ I chuckled.

    ‘Strength, yes, but stamina is where I often fail and mistakes get made.’

    ‘Stamina is not something I think you have a problem with.’ At least that made him laugh. ‘Okay, so you need to work on your cardio a bit more then, maybe you don’t need as much strength then, maybe trade some of it in for the stamina you need? These matches can last days, even weeks, you can’t afford to skip over things like that.’

    ‘Perhaps you’re right.’ He smiled, warmly. I could see there was something else on his mind and just rolled my eyes, indicating he should just say whatever he wanted to say. ‘Are you happy with me?’

    ‘Of course, I am.’ I half laughed, frowning. ‘Do you think I’m not?’

    ‘I’m not sure some days.’ Honesty, it was all I ever asked for. ‘Sometimes I feel as though you’re still scared and I’m at a loss for what to do to help you. I want you to feel safe here, perhaps one day, you could feel safe enough to stay and we could build something together, but I fear that I may not get that chance while you still hold a fear you won’t talk about.’

    I could already feel the tears building in my eyes, he knew me far too well and the reality was, that was what I was afraid of. I put my tea down and watched him for a moment, deciding where best to start.

    ‘I joined the army when I was fifteen,’ I started slowly. ‘I never had a best friend, or childhood friends I could rely on or even anyone I could trust to any degree. When I joined, they told me I was too small to be a real soldier, but if I learned medical skills, I could be a good medic, so that’s what I did. Those soldiers trusted me to get them out of trouble safely, to make sure they survived and I trusted them to do as I asked, when I asked, but there was something else in those relationships, it was more than a trust. We held each other’s lives in our hands, relied on each other to get ourselves out of bad situations, we were a family. When I could no longer do my job, I started losing their trust, not because they didn’t love me like a sister, but because they could no longer rely on me to keep it together when I needed to.’ I felt myself getting a little emotional just thinking about it. ‘They felt sorry for me and I couldn’t stand it. I was still their Captain and I was still their doctor, but I couldn’t do the things I used to do any more… I guess, I learnt that even your family can reject you when you can’t give them what they need anymore. I never got too attached to anyone when I was in the army. People died, so you couldn’t really… I suppose I’m scared the same thing is going to happen here and I don’t know if I can do it again. I don’t know if I can be rejected like that again.’

    Alex sighed and pulled me closer to his chest, softly stroking through my hair and placing small kisses to my forehead.

    ‘I will not reject you,’ he whispered. ‘Your existence alone is all I need from you, believe me.’ Alex continued to stroke through my hair, relaxing me as I closed my eyes and thought about the time we had shared together. It had been so wonderful to simply be with him, to talk to him, to know that I was safe and that I truly was when he was around.

    Without realising it, I’d fallen asleep and Alex carried me to bed, once again as if I weighed nothing at all. I vaguely heard the sounds of him leaving the bedroom to get in a quick work out before finally resting with me. I partially woke up and turned over to kiss him, it made him chuckle.

    I let my hand find his muscular arm and gently squeezed it for my own pleasure. I was only half aware of my movements, but he was fully aware and allowed me to do as I pleased.

    ‘Is it bad that I’m now horny, but too tired to do anything about it?’ I mumbled, he laughed darkly against my mouth, softly kissing me.

    ‘Not at all.’ He growled. ‘Spread your legs for me.’ I didn’t know I was doing it, but suddenly I could feel his fingers drifting lower below the line of my underwear. ‘Your sensitivity is interesting, considering I’ve done very little so far.’

    ‘It’s just you.’ I mumbled, still half feeling the pull of sleep. ‘You do that.’ I sighed as he began keeping me just awake with his small, delicate movements.

    ‘I do this to you?’ He teased and I knew he was smiling, but I couldn’t bring my eyes to open and see him.

    ‘Yes.’ I sighed as lightly dragged his finger up my centre, I was obscenely wet for him and it only made him hum against my jaw. I suddenly wanted to wake up and have him in every way I knew I couldn’t take him just yet, I bit down on my lip and smiled just thinking about it.

    ‘What are you thinking about?’ He asked and I once again couldn’t find the will to control what came out of my mouth.

    ‘I want you to fuck me in every way.’ I sighed and felt his movements stutter for a moment as he regained his breath.

    ‘In every way?’ He asked, I nodded, feeling his slow circles around my clit remain agonisingly slow. Alex traced his thumb over my lips. ‘Would you like me to fuck you here?’ I brought my tongue out to flick over his thumb and before I knew it, I was sucking it and bringing out small moans from Alex’s throat. His circles sped up as did his breathing. ‘I know you want me to fuck you here.’ He said, sliding a finger inside me, making my back arch. ‘But I wonder about here.’ He continued to let me suck his thumb as his other hand descended lower to where I’d never taken any man before.

    Without even knowing it was something I desired, I let out a whimper of desperation and a faint ‘yes’ as Alex pressed a harsh kiss to my mouth. I felt him tracing circles around my arsehole and it seemed to increase my need to come.

    ‘Please.’ I begged, I needed some kind of release.

  ‘Perhaps I will explore you properly when I get back.’ He had to have known how much control he had over me and I didn’t even care, I didn’t care for a single second that he could do these things to me, I was just glad it was him. ‘Would you like that, Jessica?’ He asked, somewhat genuinely. ‘Would you like me to bend you over and fuck you like that?’

    ‘Yes.’ It was a much breathier moan on my part and only had him groaning into my jaw, placing soft kisses and gentle bites.

    His hand moved back up and he once again inserted his fingers into me, his thumbs circling my clit the exact way I liked him to. ‘Say my name, Jessica.’ He panted. ‘Say it and come for me.’

    ‘Fuck, Alex, yes!’ I said, and tightened around him.

    ‘Good girl.’ He smiled against my neck. ‘Sleep now, you need to rest.’ Alex was still bringing me down slowly as my whole body began slipping towards sleep. ‘I’ll wake you before I leave, my angel.’

If you liked this, please consider supporting me ☕ thanks for reading!    

[murshili-ii]

May Day special: Old Man of the Forest

~ ~

Our eighteenth Spring Vignettes piece celebrates May Day, on May 1st.

Before you read what the piece was intended to portray, share what it portrays to _you_. I’m just the artist; you’re the beholder.

Leave a comment.

~ ~

The 1st of May is celebrated across Europe as a special turning-point in the greening of the earth. Some traditions consider it the beginning of summer. Rich May Day traditions exist from west to east.

It is widely considered an ideal time for protective magic, love magic, and other sorts of petty magic and divination. It is said in Romania that one should wash one’s face with dew on May Day morning to preserve health and beauty.

May Eve, the night before May Day, is itself often celebrated with festivities and rituals; known as Walpurgisnacht in Germany, and coinciding with Beltane in the Gaelic countries. Bonfires are often lit on May Eve to ward away evils and misfortunes.

In the Germanic-speaking countries (such as England, Germany, the Netherlands, and Scandinavia), the "maypole" (in German, "Maibaum"; in Dutch, "meiboom") is a fixture of May Day celebrations; a tall wooden pole or freshly-cut sapling, festively decorated, and erected in a public place to be danced around.

In some areas there is a tradition of competing with other towns to erect the tallest maypole. In Bavaria, towns try to steal each other's maypoles, which I think is very excellent.

Maypoles vary in design and construction. I've noticed that Scandinavian ones tend to be adorned with cross-beams and hanging rings, whereas German ones are often encircled by concentric rings; and maypoles hung with long trailing ribbons seem to be an English and Anglo-American characteristic. In Scandinavia it seems to be popular to wrap them in ivy, while in the mainland they often have barber-pole stripes.

I gave my maypole a mixture of characteristics, just to keep things ambiguous. I gave it a concentric ring, colorful trailing ribbons, and some tufty greenery on top; so there's no telling where the scene takes place.

I find it likely that the maypole is a continuation of the tree-worship practiced by various Germanic pagans, who are known to have venerated many sacred trees and poles as effigies of a great cosmic tree that unites the universe.

The Yggdrasil, just such a cosmic tree, is described in the Norse Eddas. Historians tell of how King Charlemagne, after reconquering the rebelling Saxons, had their sacred tree or pillar, the Irminsul, cut down, and forced them to become Christians. A sacred tree near Hesse called Donar's Oak was supposedly a center of worship for pagans in Germany until it was felled by St. Boniface and his followers. The great temple at Uppsala, Sweden, apparently one of the most holy sites for pagans in Scandinavia, was described as standing next to a great sacred tree of an unknown kind. Sacred trees and pillars are mentioned in quite early Roman accounts about Germanic tribes.

The ceremonial significance of trees, pillars, and poles dates far back in the Germanic traditions, and the continuing practice of raising them in the Germanic-speaking world is not surprising.

Tales are told in many places about some hairy, shaggy, leafy wild-man of the forest who guards the wild lands outside of human settlement; a protector of the wilderness, but also a friend to shepherds and other people of the wilds, if they are friends of the forest.

The Romans and Greeks of antiquity venerated a hairy forest-god who rules the wild creatures, a reclusive friend of herdsmen who frolics with the wood-nymphs in the deep wilds. The Greek god of the woods and wilds is Pan, often portrayed with the horns and legs of a goat. The equivalent Roman god is Faunus, lord of animals, to whom Sylvanus and Inuus were sometimes equated.

In the various Slavic traditions, there is a figure known by many names, one of which is the Leshy ("He of the forest", "Woodsy"; Russian Леший, Polish Leszy, Serbian Лешиј / Lešij). Those who frequent the forest may encounter him; and the result will depend on how one is held in his regard. He guides some, and leads others astray.

The Basques, the last enduring successors of Europe's ancient pre-Indo-European inhabitants, tell of the Basajaunak (singular Basajaun), a race of hairy wild-folk who sometimes aid shepherds in return for offerings of bread. It is said that humankind learned the secrets of farming, smithing, and building from them in ancient times.

The hairy wild woodwose is a figure often found in European heraldry. Such wildmen were a subject of much fascination in the Middle Ages. In the infamous Bal des Ardents, King Charles VI of France nearly burned to death when his highly flammable woodwose costume caught fire. The Green Knight in the tale of Sir Gawain is sometimes interpreted as a great green wild-man. The face or figure of a leafy "green man" can be found carved on a great many old churches, buildings, doorways, and ceiling-bosses.

In some parts of England, an old May Day tradition survives in which a person is dressed up in greenery to act as "Jack o' the Green", counterpart to the May Queen.

In the background of the piece, we see some maidens wreathed in flowers dancing around a maypole; and in the foreground, we see a tense encounter at the edge of the forest between a shepherd and an intimidating sylvan being. The looming forest-creature may look threatening; but are its intentions malevolent or benevolent?

Given how calm the lost sheep seems to be, my guess would be benevolent; but then, sheep aren’t very discerning creatures.

The border consists of ivy and wild roses. Most cultivars of domestic roses are immensely puffy and petally monstrosities, but roses in their wild form have only a single row of five petals. Roses are usually depicted this way in heraldry.

[dastardlyobnoxious]

Robots 2005 Review

Blue Sky Studios, while it’d later be defined as the production company behind many famous films such as Ice Age Meltdown, Ice Age: Dawn of the Dinosaurs, and Ice Age: Collision Course (I jest) back in 2005, the studio was still getting its footing as an animated film producer. Following the success of the original Ice Age (2002), its next work Robots, released in 2005 set as the title implies in a world of robots. But how well does it hold up? With its eighteenth anniversary having just passed us earlier this month, here are my thoughts and opinions on it.

The first thing that comes to mind when discussing Robots is their art style, think something like Toy Story or Meet the Robinsons. Its visuals pop out in a way that’s helped age the movie in more ways than one. From its character to city design almost everything about the movie sells this world, think of the film's Rupert Goldberg machines or the design of the ever-intimidating chop shop. That said, don’t stare too hard at background characters cause you’ll likely notice a few repeating designs (Ex; Bigwelds Corporation), and like most early 3d don’t look at the liquid cause it’ll look metallic. Aside from more background stuff though, gotta appreciate the main cast's design and how they all look rather distinct from one another. For example, Cappy is the most futuristic looking as opposed to Fender looking older/rustier by design. Madame Gasket and Bigweld are probably my favorite design-wise of the movie with both of them being very striking in how their design correlates to their personalities. And that’s ignoring the visual treats here and there from the referential posters to the high school graduation pictures and quotes. The occasional action sequences the film has are also pretty fluid, really helping to up the ante in a couple of scenes. All and all, this is the standout highlight of the film and if you like the look of the posters and trailers you’ll probably love the look of the film.

The story of Robots is unfortunately, nothing that striking, a young Rodney Copperbottom is trying to make it big in Robot City when his idol Bigweld goes missing. Will he be able to figure out what's going on, and stop Ratchet and Madame Gasket from taking over Robot City? It’s a simplistic make it big in the city story, and while it’s at least somewhat uplifted by its comedy, voice talent, and art style. At the end of the day, it’s a very forgettable plot, with the occasional strong point such as the introduction of the Chop Shop and Madame Gasket. This is a comedic film first and foremost and while I’ll focus on that more in the next section, it does undercut more of the narrative-focused serious moments. Robots had the workings to be more memorable since I didn’t dislike what they were going for, but whether the result of the movie being so short or having to introduce so much in a narrow window it’s just not the greatest. Speaking of run time, this movie could’ve easily run for another thirty minutes to an hour than it ended up having. While it could’ve been budget or production reasons, part of me does wish we got more from the story.

Then we have the comedy, which, it’s honestly surprising how much they get away with, from the movie's frequent adult jokes, toilet humor, darker humor, and its off-the-walls absurdism. Some of it landed but most of it didn’t for me, and from what I can glean from the trailers and some of the behind the scene stuff, the movie was aimed towards tweens and teenagers. I can see why the movie was able to be more daring in its comedy. In a world that in the past few years had seen stuff like Shrek or South Park become global phenomenon's. As I mentioned a bit ago, the humor can be kind of at odds with the film’s narrative, hijacking it at times. And I think that’s best shown via the character of Fender. Fender throughout the film has many moments where he’s intentionally or unintentionally being used as a comedic device. And while I enjoyed Robin Williams' performance, it’s way too focused for a comedic character. Fender is very Looney toons esc in his non-stop energy, and aside from one scene comforting Rodney he is always bouncing off the walls. So much so that the main villains don’t get anywhere near the same amount of focused screen time as him. Fender in my eyes is the worst of the comedic hijacking, and if he had been scaled back a bit I think he would’ve worked a lot better as a character. Take, for instance, Diesel and Wonderbot their comedic bits are more occasional and toned back and usually work better within the scene. Again, not to say I didn’t enjoy Fender as a character. My favorite jokes of the film usually involved Fender doing something absurd (the fight dance scene, Rodney and Fender dancing, etc), because once you go beyond him, a lot, and I mean a lot of the humor is crude. Take a side character like Aunt Fanny for instance, the second you see her the second you know the recurring joke with her. To each, their own though, the movie gave me the occasional laugh but I didn’t find it all that noteworthy in its comedy.

Now onto our main characters, and their vocal talents, characters such as Aunt Fanny and Diesel will be left out since I feel like the comedy section covers them well enough. This’ll mostly just be my impressions after having watched the film twice so if I don’t point out a vocal talent in the blurb assume they did alright in my book.

Herb Copperbottom - performed by Stanley Tucci, Herb was a really fun character and I think Tucci nailed his general enthusiasm during the opening scenes and later when he was more solemn. His overwhelming support of Rodney and his dreams are super uplifting, but beyond that, there isn’t much to him.

Rodney Copperbottom - Played by Ewan McGregor, the main character of our film Rodney is one of the blander parts in it. Partially because he has to be built up as this hero leading the charge against Madame Gasket. Partially because of the scriptwriting, I think McGregor’s performance here is alright but I was left wanting more from his delivery. I’ll touch on Rodney’s dynamic with other characters in their own sections but by and large, excluding Herb and Bigweld his relationships with the remainder of the cast are serviceable but weak.

Bigweld - Played by Mel Brooks, I One hundred percent expected Rodney and Cappy to find him near death/dead in his workshop on my initial viewing. Ends up kind of overriding the other side characters given he’s able to solve the problem by firing Ratchet. He’s a standout character that gives a sort of Walt Disney aura coming off as bigger than life, that said after being knocked out by Ratchet he becomes more of a plot device than someone actively contributing with the villains and Rodney fighting to save/kill him. Can't not shout out Mel Brooks because he's great here.

Ratchet - Played by Greg Kinnear, the best character in the movie hands down. Greg Kinnear’s over-the-top performance of a capitalist nut obsessed exclusively with profits is great. From his sleazy nature to his dimwittedness in charming Cappy. His relationship with Madame Gachet is something of a strong point. There isn’t much I disliked about this scumbag of a character only wish he had more scenes.

Cappy - Played by Halle Berry, advertised as Rodney’s love interest, as a character she’s barely present. It feels like they wanted to do more with her and Rodney but besides a few action sequences and her bailing Rodney out she just has so little.

Fender - Played by Robin Williams, this’ll be brief since the comedy section covers how I feel about Fender for the most part but he’s the strongest of the supporting cast due to him having the most time with Rodney. Their relationship is very quick to go from Fender mugging Rodney to friends, and I can’t deny Robin William's strong vocal talent.

Lug and Crank - Performed by Harland Williams and Drew Carey. Sorry to say, both Crank and especially Lug are relegated to background characters. Cranks' cynical view of the world could’ve been used to juxtapose Rodney’s optimism but as it stands his most memorable scene is a one-off joke. Lug, on the other hand, is irrelevant, and scenes with him in the frame, let alone talking, probably total somewhere under ten minutes of the entire film. Directors seemed to have more plans for them both initially but it seems that got scrapped at some point.

Piper - Played by Amanda Bynes, she’s in a similar situation to Lug and Crank, she’s just narratively present as Fender's younger sister who’s attracted to Rodney. Hardly anything comes of this beyond a few jokes between her and Fender, but she also gathers the army for the final fight. From the advertising, you’d have expected her to have a much bigger role since she’s up there on the poster but nope!

Madame Gadget - Played by Jim Broadbent, I'm gonna be real the design of Madame Gadget feels like something out of an entirely different movie. Their introduction nails them as this super intimidating villain, and they deserved to have more standalone/planning scenes with or without Ratchet. Loved the crazy mom angle they went with her, honestly didn’t expect her to get the blast furnace in the end.

Alright, that’s probably the most anyone has written on Robots in quite a bit, I’ve heard this sentiment echoed online but after having seen the film I do feel this had the potential to have a more lasting impact than it did. While most of what I saw on the behind-the-scenes, development stuff was on Youtube if there's anything I missed, comment! Or however Tumblr works, I’m still getting used to this stuff.

It’s been a minute and figured I’d write a short piece while I write more long-form stuff, and this was free on Youtube at the time of writing. Until next time, don’t question what is and isn’t a robot in this universe lol.

[jrpneblog]

O come all ye faithful

With the big day just around the corner North End embark on the series of games that can ofter catapult a team up, or down, the league. The four games over Xmas are not the most daunting on paper but only a fool would consider any game a "gimme" in this Championship. On Saturday North End travel to Loftus Road to play QPR, kick off 3pm, followed by a home game on Boxing Day against Hull City with a 3pm kick off. On Sunday 29th we play Sheffield Wednesday at Deepdale, 12:30 kick off, and finish the festivities with a trip to West Brom on New Years Day, kick off 3pm. We will have a look at the Sheffield Wednseday and West Brom games in a bit more detail next week.

Last Saturday we suffered the heartbreak of conceding a last minute equaliser against Leeds United at Deepdale in a game were we certainly held our own for the majority of the ninety minutes. After taking the lead with an excellent goal early in the second half we slightly eased our attacking intent as we looked to hang on top what we had. With just a minute and a half left of added time we looked like we were going to do just that but, alas, we conceded in the dying moments to give the visitors a point that they probably deserved on the day. It was a crushing blow and as this North End side shows continuous improvement I was hoping a win against Leeds would really lift everyone. However it was not to be but nothing should be taken away from North End in what was a very good performance.

On Saturday we travel to the Capital to face QPR who started very poorly this season but, like ourselves , have shown gradual but sustained improvement over the recent weeks. I can`t say that Loftus Road is my favourite ground in the Championship but we have had our share of wins there over the years. Rangers sit one point and two places below North End in the table in eighteenth place but have the third worst home record in the League. They have won just two of the eleven home games they have played this season, drawing five and losing four. They have scored thirteen goals in the process and have conceded sixteen. All things considered I think if North End can score twice down in Shepherds Bush then that will be enough to secure all three points on the road.

Following on from QPR we welcome Hull City to Deepdale on Boxing Day for a game North End must be looking to win. The Tigers sit rock bottom of the Championship as we speak and going into this weekend`s games they have sixteen points from their twenty one games. At home Hull have been very poor but away from home they have collected half of their sixteen points winning two and drawing two of their ten games. Of course, as with QPR, it would be extremely foolish to write anybody off in this division and Hull will be no different. Obviously North End will be looking to take six points from these two games against teams below us and I expect us to do that the way we are playing. Four points would not be a disaster in a Championship where the only certain thing is the uncertainty of the results.

And finally this week:- on Monday of this week the North End Media Team contacted me with regards to Harry Billington. A post on Social Media last Wednesday night regarding Harry still watching North End at almost 90 years old had gone viral with close to 100,000 views on Twitter. The club wanted to show their appreciation to one of North Ends most loyal followers and the Grandad of Deepdale. On Tuesday afternoon the club captain, Ben Whiteman, and the North End media team turned up at Harrys front door to present "Bomber" with a Pennant, a letter from Paul Heckingbottom and a shirt signed by Ben Whiteman. It was a fantastic gesture and the ensemble spent about half an hour chatting to Harry and recalling some great moments in North Ends past. The video is on the official website for anyone wishing to know more. North End sometimes get criticised for the things they do but let me tell you this was Fan engagement at its very finest and I would, personally, like to thank Ben Whiteman and Jake Oates and, indeed, all of the North End media team who made one of our finest a very happy man on a dull December Tuesday afternoon. Proud Preston

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MATCH PREDICTION

QPR (A) League - Away Win

Hull City (H) League - Home win

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JR`s HIGH FIVES

Sheffield United to beat Cardiff City 21/20

A £5 Stake returns £10.25 on bet365

SEASONS STATS

Returns £85.52 Stake £95.00

Percentage loss - 9.98%

Predictions 19 won 6 lost 13

[spadeselfshipcorner]

SPADE x HUNTER Chronicles

The Hunter Exam Pt. 1

In case you don't come from the main post, hi. This is my attempt to fully insert my HxH S/I in the main story! Gotta thank my friends whose feedback has kept me motivated to continue writing and finally posting this work, because my original plan was to keep it to myself lol

From December 1st to January 3rd OST: Ode an das Meer

My journey started in Itaria. I basically traversed half the Mobius Lake to get a Hunter license, pretty crazy, huh? I’d never traveled so far on my own, but I managed! The crew was also pretty nice to me. Lucky! The trip by boat was about a month long, I am officially immune to sea sickness! I also wondered if anyone else on board was there for the Hunter exam, not that anyone would outright admit it anyway. All the people there were older than me, so the trip was pretty boring, I didn’t get to make any friends, and my phone wouldn’t work, so I couldn’t talk to my cousin. I basically spent those thirty days drawing stuff; I nearly ran out of space in my sketchbook! I had to buy a new one once I got to Zaban City, it’s a big place with lots of markets, so I was sure I’d find one where they had sketchbooks too. I also spent my eighteenth birthday on the boat. That was a little sad, but it couldn’t be helped, I had to get to the Exam in time! New Years on the boat was fun, we toasted at midnight and some of the passengers played music and sang. The following day everyone was back to minding their own business, and two days later we finally got to Dolle Harbor! I just followed a map from there to Zaban. Some roads were a little tough, but I managed to make it there a day later.

From January 3rd to January 5th OST: Asaichi Nite

The first step was finding a nice apartment to stay in until the day of the exam. I found this cute cheap apartment near the main street, very cozy and spacey enough! The next step was actually finding the place where the exam was going to be held, and to do that, I had to do some spying. I kept an eye on both the harbor and the town's gates, and finally spotted something promising on the 5th. a ninja accompanied by a couple tour guides. I overheard their conversation, and the guides were talking about a meeting spot, and I heard them utter the word “hunter” a couple times. Bingo. I hid my aura with Zetsu and followed them to an inn called “Gohan”. I looked at them through a window, hearing them say some sort of password. “A steak combo that will make me see the light, grilled slowly over a flame until done.” At which point the chef led the ninja to the back room. Interesting, but it still felt like I was missing something, so I came back to the inn a couple hours later, at dinner time, not only because I wanted to know if I was correct, but also because I was craving steak. Surely enough, while I dined, more people showed up asking for the back room and then ordering the same thing as the ninja, only to be led in the back.

January 6th

OST: New Genious (Brother)

The food was actually really good so I ended up going to Gohan the following day as well, and again, I saw the same pattern repeat. I spent the rest of the 6th buying a couple things I thought I might need, like a new sketchbook and a compass to add to the rest of my stuff. Finally, I packed my backpack. I was ready. Once the evening rolled in I went back to Gohan, the owner recognized me and invited me to sit down. I was looking forward to seeing his expression when he understood I wasn’t just there to eat this time. Chatlog:

- [Owner]: “Why, good evening, welcome back, Table two is free, you can sit there and service will come to you in a couple minutes.”

[Spade]: “Actually, this evening I’m looking to dine in the back room.”

[Owner]: “Oh! … I understand, what would you like to order?”

[Spade]: “I’ll have a steak combo that will make me see the light, grilled slowly over a flame until done, please.”

[Owner]: “Very well then, right this way.” -

He understood I was serious, and had a waiter lead me to the back room, and finally gave me a number tag #378. I waited a couple minutes there, until the room started moving down. The meal I ordered was actually there, so I got to have dinner while it descended, and then, about ten minutes later, a secret door slid open, and it led me to a strange and creepy tunnel, where hundreds of people had gathered already. I looked around and saw two men having a strange back and forth, with the one carrying a laptop apparently identifying the other as a 'rookie crusher'. My cousin warned me about those people; they enjoy breaking rookies’ dreams of becoming hunters by using their ignorance and naivety against them. Luckily, I’m prepared.

About half an hour later, that rookie crusher approached me too, introducing himself as Tonpa and trying to get me to drink his spiked soda. I gave him a death glare and warned him that if he spoke to me ever again I'd punch his face in. I accidentally used my Ren to make myself clear. He called me a weirdo and fled. I felt pretty proud of that. Then I suddenly felt someone with a menacing aura, staring at me. It was a very weird guy full of needles, and I tried acting like I didn’t even see him. I know it was probably because I used Ren with Tonpa, and just hoped that he wouldn’t tell anyone he spotted a Nen user, even if my hopes were pretty much in vain. Once night time came by, I saw some people sleeping in groups and such. I didn’t know if I wanted to sleep too, it’d be dangerous to do so, but at  the same time I wanted to be well rested since the exam was the next day. I noticed that one of the groups seemed to be mostly girls, so I approached them and asked them if I could stay next to them for the night, because I didn’t think sleeping on my own would be a good idea. They were surprisingly okay with it, admitting that none of them actually knew each other, and just decided to group up for the night. The only guy in the group was a dude named Pokkle, but a girl named Ponzu assured me he was a good guy, so I rested easy.

Part 2

Master post

Proship/Comship & Kink blogs DNI