#gloves and its held up well but i think that would maybe feel a bit stiff for a cloak and not be very breathable if its like.

[toytulini]

miniature crochet clown cloak experiment 1

pattern i more or less followed is here:

i made some alterations, mainly, the scale

[moonsaver]

how touchy do you think sunday would be with his partner? (yan! or otherwise, if there's a difference)

Great ask. Simple, well rounded. I like the prompt. Thank you for the request!

[Cw; slightly suggestive, but nothing sexual. Mentions of being naked. Also yandere.]

As for Sunday..

Normally, I like to think Sunday is Adequately Touch Starved™️.

He doesnt make a show of it in public – PDA is a huuuuge nono, only an exception under specific circumstances to the point where it's better if you let Sunday initiate in public instead of you. In private? Go ham. Hug him from behind while he's brushing his teeth. Ask to join him in the shower. Kiss his face while he's eating breakfast. He'll pepper your face in soft kisses in return, smiling against your skin when you giggle. He'll literally insist on drying you off himself after you shower if it means he gets to hold you. He would adore absolute skin contact, like full blown naked cuddling. But with Sunday, I imagine things are rarely sexual, but rather more sensual or romantically intimate.

Depending on how deep into the relationship one might be with him, he will do a few cheeky or endearing things. Like for ex. If you wear gloves, he slides his hand into your glove just to hold your hand, and smiles when you laugh. He likes being held and holding you, but hates it when those times are interrupted – its a similar feeling to how someone feels when theyre in the shower and don't want to leave. He doesn't admit it, but sometimes when you pull him back as he's just about to leave through the door and kiss him – he loves it. Absolutely savors the feeling of a faint imprint on his face (but has to check for appearance concerns).

His biggest problem is; in the starting of your relationship, or if both of you are new to physical affection as a means of love language – he will neverrrrr initiate. He says he doesn't want to push you (which is half true, but also because he's a big cowardly nervous little dog who doesn't want to appear like one). You have to slightly ease him into it. But after a certain duration of time, he gets more comfortable and initiates it instead. And he does it in ways you don't normally notice, so sometimes you unknowingly might even interrupt his attempt and walk away.

Yandere Sunday is not shy.

Yandere Sunday, I imagine, is a tad bit more touch starved than the usual Sunday, and entirely shameless about it with you, far too soon.

He always wants to keep his hand on you – he holds it, or acts like he's guiding you to do something just by holding it, maybe even tells you he's inspecting something as an excuse to. In the beginning, he still manages to stay low about it, but later on, he doesn't care about hiding it much.

Always expects physical affection when he's within your vicinity. Maybe not too much in public (thank the aeons for your own dignity), but in private, he's no less than 'all over you'. Constantly squeezing in and sitting beside you if you're on the couch, circling his arm around you and holding you tightly against him. If you're sitting, he might pull you into his lap and push his face into the curve of your neck, relishing your scent. His lips are always pressed onto your skin – on your knuckles, your face, maybe on your head, your neck, anywhere he finds. Sometimes he's not even kissing you, but squishes up his face right beside you.

maybe even if he's let go of his reservations to an extreme degree – he makes you sit on his lap in his office. Maybe slides up a gloved hand under your shirt and acts annoyed that you're squirming, as if none of his employees can walk in any moment and see the compromising position. But he doesn't care much, since the door is locked.

I'd say in general, for Sunday, he likes the skin to skin contact aspect of physical affection. And the warmth during cold winters is also a huge favorite of his. He tends to feel lonely and untethered most of the time, so touch can also serve to help ground him – especially if he's stressed or just didn't have that great of a day.

[it-happened-one-fic]

Steal Away - Malleus

Author Notes: I wrote this fic a little while back and its just been gathering dust in my documents until now. I guess you could say this fic is a bit of a callback to simpler times pre-Diasomnia chapter, though it doesn't have to be specifically set at that time. This fic was written while I listed to the song “Steal Away” by Robbie Dupree. As per usual, reader is gender neutral. I hope you enjoy!

Type: Gender neutral reader/ sfw/ fluff/

Word Count: 979

I slipped quietly out of the front door and onto the porch of Ramshackle Dorm. My eyes quickly finding the shadowy figure that had drawn me out of my warm bed and into the chilled night.

Most people would probably be distressed by seeing a tall, horned figure out in their front yard in the dead of night. But I wasn’t concerned. After all, I happened to know the young man whose lilting humming currently filled the otherwise silent darkness quite well.

“Hornton,” He turned at the sound of my voice, bright green eyes widening slightly as he spotted me before he relaxed once more.

“Child of man, I wasn’t sure if I should expect you after you didn’t come out to greet me last time….”

And there it was. His signature pout. It was hard to believe that anyone could find this man terrifying when I was looking at him like this. Especially considering that he let me call him ‘Hornton’ of all things.

“Sorry about that… I guess I must’ve been really tired the other day,” His expression softened as I explained my absence from whenever his last visit had been.

There was a slight smile on his face as he tilted his head, “Is your daily toiling so great that you fall into such a deep slumber when the evening comes?”

I laughed slightly at his odd way of phrasing before shaking my head, “Well, Crowley and school together do keep me pretty busy, but I think I was just sleeping really well.”

His smile turned amused as he continued to gaze at me, “And what of tonight? Does sleep evade you, Child of Man?”

I blinked up at him before shrugging, “Maybe a little? I just saw you and wasn’t really that tired, so I came out to chat.” 

And it was true. Up until the moment I’d seen Malleus’s glistening faerie lights, I’d been curled up in bed listening to Grim’s soft snores, feeling totally incapable of falling asleep.

He hummed in response before turning to glance into the distance before looking back my way with a distinct frown, “It seems I shall not be staying long this evening.”

His pout had returned, and it wasn’t hard to guess why. Sebek and Silver were no doubt out looking for him, and that meant he would either be returning to Diasomnia or giving them slip yet again.

I reached out, patting his arm affectionately as I grinned at him, amused by his sulking, “Hey, it’s okay. I doubt this will be your last evening escapade.”

His eyes widened in an almost comical fashion as he echoed me, “Escapade?” His gaze turned thoughtful, and he seemed to look past me, at some distant point of interest, before reaching a sudden decision.

A grin that I could only describe as evil crossed his pale face as he looked at me and held out a gloved hand, “A splendid idea, Child of man. Shall we steal away?”

I blinked up at him, startled and with widened eyes, before fumbling out a reply, “Wha- What?”

He chuckled, a low sound that, accompanied by his gleaming, unnaturally green eyes, made him both appear and sound distinctly villainous. 

Maybe I actually could understand why some of my classmates were wary of him. Just a little…

“An escapade. Would you like to come with me?” His explanation confirmed my suspicions. 

The great Malleus Draconia, heir to the throne of the Valley of Thorns, was asking me if I wanted to help him avoid his bodyguards and play hooky.

It was an impulsive decision, and I honestly wondered if Ace’s troublesome ways were beginning to influence me, but I found myself slipping my hand into his nonetheless, “Just for a bit, we don’t want to worry them too much.”

His grin was now positively devious as his fingers curled around my hand as if he were claiming some sort of prize, “They would be fine even if I stayed away all evening.”

I squeezed his hand slightly and grinned back at him as I teasingly scolded him, “Behave.”

He chuckled again before tugging me over towards him and wrapping an arm around me. I stumbled slightly but managed to catch myself against him before I looked up at him as the strangely firefly-like green lights began to float around us. A signal that he was just about to use his magic and teleport to some place.

In the distance, I could hear Sebek calling for his lord, but I ignored him in favor of questioning Malleus, “Where to?”

His gaze met mine, and he squeezed me ever so slightly in a half-hug before turning his bright-eyed gaze towards the sky with a truly villainous grin, “Where else? Into the night, of course.”

There was a floating sensation and flash, and then we were gone. Leaving the front yard of Ramshackle dorm empty as both knights came walking up. One, perfectly calm even as the other one agitatedly scanned the area.

“LORD MALLEUS?” Sebek’s yell shattered the silence of the night as Silver shook his head.

“It looks like they’ve already left,” His voice was distinctly tired sounding as he trailed off in a yawn that had Sebek looking at him irritably.

“Who are they? The only person I’m concerned with is Lord Malleus!” Silver sighed almost immediately at Sebek’s intonation before looking at him meaningfully.

“Malleus and Y/n. We should leave them be. Father said having friends was good for Malleus,” And with only those words, Silver turned and started to stroll away. Leaving a sputtering Sebek to follow him.

“Bu- But… A HUMAN?”

“Quiet Sebek. You won’t want to wake the ghosts like you did last time,” Silver hardly even missed a beat as he continued on his way. Leaving you to spend time with Malleus for as long as your shared escapade lasted.

[jellalism]

Genshin x GN!Reader fic: First kisses

It's obvious that he wants to kiss you—and that the feeling is mutual—but you feel obligated to tell the truth beforehand.

“I’ve never actually kissed someone.”

How would various Genshin men react? 

Characters: Albedo – Alhaitham – Ayato – Childe – Cyno – Diluc – Gorou – Kazuha – Kaeya – Tighnari – Xiao – Zhongli 

Word count: 1996

Content warning: Ayato's part gets a little suggestive.

Notes: Reader is gender neutral.

Read below or on AO3.

Albedo

“Neither have I. I’m interested to know what it’s like.”

“That’s…” You chuckle, not finishing your sentence. That curiosity is so typical of him; curiosity about what it is to be human. 

“Oh, but don’t get me wrong. I would not do it with just anyone. But you… you are special. I’m curious about you—what it would be like to kiss you, among other things.” 

How can he say that with a straight face? you wonder. Still, you can’t help but smile. “I’d be more than happy to satisfy your curiosity, Albedo.”

His eyes light up. “Well then, if you allow me…” His gloved hand moves to cup your cheek as he leans in. You close your eyes, his warmth floating towards you in the darkness. Then, you feel something on your lips. Albedo’s lips seem to brush yours, barely even touching them—not wanting to take more than his share, more than you let him. Then he pulls away again—leaving you hungering for more. 

"Was that okay?” he whispers. 

“It wasn’t enough. Try again.”

Alhaitham

“You needn’t worry about that. I can teach you all about it.”

Before you can react, his lips are already on yours. You’re surprised at first, but soon enough, you let him lead. His hand rests firmly at the nape of your neck. Not in a forceful way, but in a way that makes you feel held close, safe. While his tongue doesn’t enter your mouth, it’s not any less passionate. He holds the kiss and plays around with your lips, exploring every part of them. You don’t mind. Despite the intensity, you feel there’s a part of him that’s holding back. Alhaitham always seems so composed, but the way he devours your lips makes him seem like he’s a dam that’s about to burst. 

When your lips finally part, you look at each other and remain silent for a moment. 

Alhaitham is the first to break the silence. “That was the first lesson. If you’d like, I can continue teaching you.” 

You feel your cheeks flush. 

Ayato

“You haven’t? How particular of you.” He smirks. 

“What do you mean by that?”

“It’s quite uncommon to find someone your age who hasn’t had such an experience yet. Of course, there is nothing wrong with it. In fact…” he trails off. 

“In fact, what?”

“I think I rather like the idea that you haven’t kissed anyone yet. I should like to be the first.” He winks. He tries to surreptitiously place his hand on your back. You notice but pretend not to. When his hand finds its place, he pulls you close. “Let me be the first, won’t you?” You don’t resist, and he closes in. His lips on yours, so sweetly. His tongue—his tongue slides its way inside your mouth. You hadn’t expected that, but maybe you should have, knowing Ayato. His tongue against yours feels weird yet infinitely intimate. The corners of his mouth curl in a smile. It seems Ayato’s aim is to inspect every nook and cranny of your mouth, the way his tongue travels through it, brushing against yours all the while. 

When you feel it’s enough, you make a little sound, but Ayato hasn’t had enough yet. He continues for a bit, still smirking—he does have a sadistic streak. You let him. You’re his, and his alone. When Ayato finally breaks off the kiss—on his own terms—he holds your face between his hands, thumbs playing with your lips. “Now, I’ve made you mine. Properly.”  

Childe

“Comrade, you know me. I promise I’ll be gentle, so there’s nothing to be afraid of.” 

“… Alright. Then…” Kiss me, you want to say, but it feels too embarrassing to say it out loud. You can’t even look him in the eye. 

Fortunately, Childe seems to understand but asks just to be sure. “Can I kiss you?” 

You nod, still not able to look him in the eye. But he hooks his finger under your chin, forcing your head up, to look at him. “Close your eyes.” You obey. He presses his lips on yours—like he promised, he is gentle. He lingers a little while, getting a good taste of your lips, and you get a good taste of his—it tastes like that Snezhnayan liquor he’s fond of—before finally moving away. “Now, that was pretty nice, if I say so myself. Agreed?”

“Yeah,” you say, burying yourself in his embrace. Harbinger or not, he’s a warmer and kinder person than most people think. 

Cyno

“And?”

That answer hits you out of nowhere. “I, uhh… I don’t know. I thought you should know? To make sure you won’t be disappointed in my… skills…” 

He sighs. “Look, y/n. It doesn’t matter to me. I want to kiss you because I want to feel close to you. Because I care about you. I’m not one of those guys who just kiss for the physical sensation of it. It’s not about the kiss, it’s about you.” 

A moment of silence falls. 

“May I? You don’t need to worry about not doing it right. I just want to feel close to you. You’re dear to me.”

You nod. “You may.”

And he presses his lips on yours. Just for a moment. Then he moves into a hug. “You’re warm. It’s nice.”

Diluc

“Are you nervous?” He smiles. “No need to be.”

“I just don’t want to disappoint you or anything,” you say. 

“You could never disappoint me, love. Now…” he pauses for a moment. His hand is already on your cheek, his thumb on your lips. His entire face asks “May I kiss you?”, though he doesn’t speak the words.  

You feel hot, as you give a barely noticeable nod. Diluc moves in slowly, closing his eyes – you close yours too. First, his breath tickles your face, but then you feel him on your lips. Carefully and gently at first, but soon enough, the kiss grows more passionate. His mouth is firmly planted on yours. One hand is on your cheekbone; the other on your lower back, pulling you closer. He can’t seem to get enough, and you don’t mind either—until you do. You gently pull away, and he lets you. All you can say is, “wow”. 

He smirks—a rare occurrence. “I told you there was no need to be nervous. I think that was great.” 

Gorou

His ears perk up in surprise. “Oh, is that so? Well, don’t worry! There’s a first time for everything, right?” 

His openness puts you right at ease again. “You’re right. Thanks for understanding.” 

“So… would you, maybe… darn it, how do I put this?” He fumbles with his words, cheeks flushing red. He doesn’t mean to be, but you always find him so cute. 

Instead of letting him continue to fumble, you hold his face in your hands and press your lips on his. “You shouldn’t worry too much, either.” 

“Y-yeah…” he mumbles, eyes downcast in embarrassment. But he quickly recovers. “Well, then…” This time, he’s the one to initiate the kiss. He trembles a little bit—excitement, probably. He tastes sweet, like lavender melon. Before you know it the kiss is over. 

“I hope your first kiss didn’t disappoint, and… thank you for letting me have the honor.”

Kaeya

“Oh? Who would’ve thought that someone as lovely as you would still be so innocent?” he teases. 

“Shut up,” you grumble while failing to suppress a smile. 

“See? That cute smile of yours… I would’ve kissed that a thousand times by now if I could.”

His cocky comments awaken something in you, a need to tease right back. “Then you need to start making up for lost time.”

You don’t need to say that twice. In the blink of an eye, he stands right in front of you, hand cupping your cheek, and moving his mouth towards yours. You close your eyes and lean in ever so slightly as well. Then you feel his lips… on your forehead. You open your eyes again. Kaeya is looking at you triumphantly. “Wasn’t enough?”

Instead of answering, you are now the one to move to him, and press your lips on his. He seems taken aback at first, but quickly recovers and eases up. When you pull away again, Kaeya moves his mouth to your ear and whispers, “That’s one down, 999 more to go.”

Kazuha

He smiles, head slightly tilted. He says nothing, but his eyes speak for him. “It matters not,” they say. He slides towards you, and you open your arms for him to enter. He doesn’t go for the kiss, but just lets himself be enveloped by you. His arms wrap around your back, as well. It’s a calming hug – Kazuha is fond of those, loving to be touched by you. His skin is soft, it always manages to make you feel at ease. 

He untangles himself a little, just enough so he can look at your face. “You’re beautiful.” His earnest words make you blush. You’re tempted to say “you too,” because he is beautiful, but a phrase like that feels awkward and dishonest when he said it first. Then, quietly, with a whisper that you almost miss, he says, “kiss me”. 

Oh, he is adorable, you think. 

Then you press your lips on his. 

Tighnari

“Oh, you’re worried about that somehow? No need to be. Everyone has to have their first kiss sooner or later—or at least, those who get around to kissing at all.” Tighnari states it so matter-of-factly that it’s hard to argue with him. Still, a part of you remains uneasy. 

“And you don’t mind? At all? Maybe I’m not… good at it?”

“Hey.” He puts his hands on your shoulders. “Stop that. You’re dear to me. How good you are at kissing is inconsequential. It’s not about skill, it’s about – love.” He paused before speaking that last word. He moved from speaking facts to speaking feelings. “I love you, and nothing can change that. Got that?”

“Mm-mm,” you nod. 

“Good. Now, may I?”

You nod again. He places his lips upon yours. 

Xiao

“… And?”

“Well, I don’t know… Maybe you expect skill from me that I don’t have.”

He clicks his tongue in annoyance. “You needn’t concern yourself about that.”

“But…” you can’t help but begin, but you’re not sure what it is you mean to say, and so you trail off without having said anything. 

“But what?”

“You can tell me not to concern myself about it, but I do it anyway. I want to please you, Xiao.”

Xiao isn’t an expressive man, so his expression of slight surprise must indicate his absolute shock. “I.. I…” he stammers. It’s rare to see him like this. “I’m already happy to have you by my side. It’s ridiculous to think I’d be disappointed over something like you not being good at kissing.”

“Oh, I see.” You feel reassured by his uncharacteristic honesty. “So… Do you want to?”

“To... kiss?” He seems a little flustered, but you don’t let that stop you. 

“Yes. Please kiss me.”

His expression grows more confident. He pulls you close and kisses you. 

Zhongli

“That’s not so strange, is it?” 

“I suppose not, but… you won’t be disappointed?”

“Honey, you could never disappoint me.” He holds out his hand. As you take it, he pulls you closer, making you sit on his lap. “I don’t mean to pressure you, so feel free to pull away any time. But…” he moves his mouth to your ear, “may I kiss you?” 

“Yes,” you answer softly. 

Zhongli places a kiss on your cheek before moving to your mouth. He is slow and careful, taking his time. It’s not passionate, but somehow still intense – like he savors every moment. When you finally pull away, he looks at you with eyes full of love. “I hope that was to your liking. It was to mine, in any case.”

[nqmonarch]

After Life

I like Yaoshi too, they're beautiful (and horrifying)

Yaoshi x Reader, Slight Luocha x Reader

You were strong. You did your job. There was nothing else you could do, left bleeding out near the Ambrosial Arbor. You wished you had a bit more time, to see your family's smiles, to feel your friends' hugs after a long fought battle, and to take in the sounds of the world, the birds chirping, the beautiful sound of dawn.

But for you, it was now night. You could rest now. A gentle breeze encompassed you, filling you with warmth, and despite the lack of sound when your eyes fluttered one last time you saw milk pale feet in golden sandals walking toward you. A strange sight for what had been a battlefield only moments before.

Gentle hands reached underneath your armpits to lift you up, another reached toward your chin, a third hand, and a fourth pressed something to your mouth.

"Eat," A voice both raspy and soft commanded and you felt compelled to listen.

You closed your mouth around the circular object feeling its sweetness flood your tongue. It was too sweet. Sickeningly so. You would've tried to spit it out if not for the new thing blocking your mouth. Unlike the fruit, you recognized what this was, a pair of lips pressed softly against your own.

They were cool to the touch and felt like a flower's petals. Moving gently, softly, but always asking for more. You swallowed the fruit and the lips removed itself from yours. A cough escaped your lips, bringing pain from your shattered ribcage with it. How were you still alive?

You felt their hands on you, three of their hands, two holding your head still, another resting comfortably on your shoulder as if warning you. It wasn't like you had the strength to move anyway. But you had the strength to open your eyes now, and you did hoping to get a glance of this mysterious assailant. Your eyes were quickly covered and you felt their lips on your forehead now accompanied by a quiet voice.

"I will take care of you in this life, now rest." A voice which held too much power for you to resist.

When you woke up among the field of dead a long haired blonde man was crouched in front of you, staring at you skeptically. "Did you heal me?" It was the only possibility, of how you were the only one of your group left alone. Maybe the guilt and loneliness was worse than death.

The man seemed to ignore your question instead speaking quizzically, "I really didn't think it would be you. How interesting, for that abomination to go to such risks for you. I suppose it's nothing new."

He stood up without much effort and raised a gloved hand out to you, deep voice too different from the person who saved you talking hesitatingly as if he was afraid of making the same mistake again, "The name's Luocha, would you mind accompanying me?"

If that abomination had already tainted you, you would be around for a while. You might as well stick around him.

Just had an idea of reader dying and Yaoshi being like lol nope

[madeholyy]

you & i ; leon kennedy / reader

and i'm not normally the jealous, jealous type. but if we're picking favorites than i am yours. [jealousy, requited unrequited love]

He wouldn’t admit it, but you could see it clear as day in his eyes. Or at least you think you could. Leon was quiet and focused, repeatedly checking on his hand gun like he didn’t believe it was perfectly fine. You fiddle with your combat knife between your fingers while stealing glances at him. No matter how many times you asked if he was alright he always gave the same excuse: It’s just Ashley. But it wasn’t. He was worried, but his mind was occupied with something else— someone else. It wasn’t any of your business, but the haunted look swirling about the solid blue in his eyes was your ghost as well. She might as well wrap her gloved hands around the column of your neck and squeeze the air from your lungs with the aftershocks she sent through you both. An appearance from an echo of another time, another place.

And the silence was the worst part of all.

It gnawed on the marrow of your bones and made a home in your chest. He barely acknowledged any attempt you made at a conversation. You wanted the sky to open up and swallow you whole; break every bone in your body and tear you so finely apart you were nothing more than stardust. Maybe you’d come back as a hurricane or an earthquake. Maybe you’d unleash your anguish and heartbreak in a fury of raging winds and seismic waves. You didn’t care what you’d leave behind in the wake of your destruction, everyone else be damned. What mattered was the aftermath. The peace beyond satisfaction as you wither into nothingness. But you weren’t a devastating storm, you were just devastating. And it hurt to feel so small with someone who made you feel so warm. Leon never talked about her much, but he confided in you enough for you to know whatever you guys were was in jeopardy if not already damaged beyond repair. His demeanor only solidified the fear.

Then he stood up and you watched his every movement right down to the way his shoulders rose and fell in rhythm with his breathing. He holstered his gun. You faced the knife blade down between your thighs and dug it into the wooden chair beneath you. He avoided eye contact. Your knuckles turned white from the sheer force of your anger-turned-suppressed-sadness. Did you even exist to him right now?

“Let’s get goin’.” His voice held firm, but you felt anything but. Standing up after him, you slide the knife back into its sheath wrapped against your thigh. You figure a small hum in response would suffice. Before walking out behind him, you glance back at the window that is wide open and clench your jaw. Then you swiftly turn away.

You suppose you should have realized Leon wasn’t serious about you two. All those flirty exchanges and nothing to show for them. You had thought this was just the usual talking stage, but perhaps he never planned for it to go past that. Of course, why would he? With a woman as beautiful as her it would be no competition. You follow him through a hallway in disarray with only a single room at the end of it. Chairs, tables, and other furnishing items were shoved up against the walls with no regard. Inside the small room was nothing special, but you looked around regardless. The fireplace was lit and wood burned and crackled within. There was a table with books and cups strewn across it with chairs around it. You stepped forward, placing your hand on the book that rests at the end of the table. Your eyes scanned over the pages and you barely noticed Leon attempting to press on.

“You could let me get a good look around before you rush me.” You narrowed your eyes at him, your voice dull of emotion. He seems a bit taken aback by it, but his expression melts away into something more his speed; neutral.

“We have more important things to do than read.” Leon holds your gaze and you roll your eyes only to abide by his pace in the end.

His hand reaches out for you. You look up at him from the ground, cautious and hesitant, but accept his help. You didn’t realize how badly you had been smacked into the stone wall until he examined you from behind.

“That’s gonna make a nasty ass bruise.” He scoffs, his demeanor different all of a sudden. You’re quiet, studying his face for a sign. Your lack of reaction causes him to stare back with something almost unreadable then his gaze drops to your lips and back up to your eyes. There’s something soft, but you’re so scared of his soft. Quickly looking away, you roll your shoulder back a few times and groan.

“They pack a punch in here… I hope Ashley is okay. I know they wouldn’t—“ You pause, inhale, then exhale, “Let’s just fine her.”

Leon keeps his eyes trained on you and you alone. He makes you feel naked under his stare; vulnerable and exposed. There’s a beat then he’s matching your steps down the path before you. It’s so painfully awkward, but you only have yourself to thank for that. It would’ve been easier to play the stupid, oblivious second choice as you assumed he’d want you to. But you didn’t want to. You wanted to be selfish in a job that forced you to be only selfless. You wanted him in every possible way and so painfully wholeheartedly it made you want to cry. So badly it felt too heavy on your chest and you struggled to breath against the weight of your wants. What did you have to do to be enough? The pain rushed through you in quick succession. You were thankful Leon was behind you or he’d see the way your lip quivered as you fought back tears the welling in your eyes. 

Leon never promised a future together. He never even let you get your hopes too high. It always hurt knowing he wasn’t all in like you were, but you accepted it nonetheless. Now you feel foolish. You couldn’t convince someone to love you.

Ashley was elated to reunite with you both after Leon comforted her. You stayed back guarding the door, unable to look her in the eyes. She would know something wasn’t quite right with a glance. It was a talent you weren’t anticipating dealing with. Ever since you had both located and saved her, Ashley was keen on asking you questions about your relationship with Leon. You wouldn’t give clear cut answers, but the way your cheeks dusted pink and you tried to hide a smile, Ashley knew. She would be able to spot it a mile away. The older sister-younger sister dynamic came easily between you two as you were relatively close in age to begin with. It was sweet, but also terrifying how she could pinpoint your thoughts with accuracy. Maybe that was your downfall. You wore your heart on your sleeve and Leon kept every little thought and emotion locked up tightly. He wasn’t stoic by any means; capable of laughing, smiling, and joking. He was just…guarded. Way better at it than you were. If she couldn’t get answers from him she could get them from you. It was easy to tell yourself that talking about how you felt made it somewhat better, but then you’d have to admit what you avoided. You’d have to tell Ashley she was right all along. These were words you weren’t sure you could say.

There was a knock on the double door behind you. A signal that he and Ashley were finished talking. Once you had walked in, Ashley ran up and hugged you with all her might (which was surprisingly a lot). Her head easily rested against your shoulder due to you both being very similar heights. You, of course, embraced her back and the lump in your throat came back. Warm, comforting…it was what you needed most with your conflicting thoughts and emotions.

The moment was broken by Luis on Leon’s earpiece. You and Ashley slowly pulled away from each other as you watched. From what you both could hear it sounded as if Luis was in quite a predicament. You frowned, but there was a hint of amusement in your eyes at their interaction. The transmission is cut short and Leon’s face is contorted in annoyance.

“Can’t believe that guy.” He scoffs, doing one last sweep of the room for anything remotely useful before your journey continues.

“He’s in trouble. We can’t just leave him, right?” Ashley was not fully separated from you, concern glistening in her eyes. She was sweet, but Leon looked exasperated having to come to Luis’s aid. He was an interesting guy despite his past dealings and you couldn’t lie about feeling distrusting of him, but he made you laugh and it was hard to not like someone who did that. You join him in taking a quick look around before he pushes the door open to reveal a hedge maze below. You lean against the railing, pulling your rifle off your pack and situated in your hands. You peered through the scope. A lone Colmillo stalked a pathway across from your group.

“Fifteen?” You asked.

“This isn’t even a fair bet.” Leon huffed a small laugh, crossing his arms as he watched your target. You hummed, taking aim and watching for a moment to catch the creature off guard. The second he stood still your finger squeezed the trigger and a loud shot rang out across the maze. His body fell limp to the floor. You leaned back and Leon whistled, ruffling your hair. For just a minute you forgot why you were even upset and welcomed his gentle touch.

“Alright, write it down. I owe you fifteen bucks.” He playfully rolled his eyes at you. When his back turned, you watched him saunter off down the steps with his handgun ready. Ashley glanced at you.

“Did he do something?” Her voice was soft and gentle as if you were a cornered animal. You hardly realized the frown on your lips and the way your eyebrows creased together. His retreating form made you feel empty. Loneliness thrived.

“Let's not fall behind.” You smiled in her direction, but it never reached your eyes. Now it was Ashley’s turn to frown, but she complied.

Your knuckles turned pearly white as you gripped the golden bars of your cage. Your eyes were focused on the balcony above you where Ashley had been taken. Leon hurried to unlock a door, but was interrupted by another call on his ear piece.

“Ada?” His voice speaking her name caused your stomach to plummet far, far down— or at least that’s how it felt. Every nerve in your body trembled as you bow your head against the bars. The conversation seemed brief as not a minute later he was calling out her name frantically then sighed. You couldn’t even stand the thought of looking at him. It seems that’s all you have felt this last hour; unable to confront the one person you should be able to trust the most.

“C’mon— Hey, are you alright?” His hand barely grazed your shoulder before you whipped around and stared at him with wide eyes. He seemed stunned himself, holding his hand in the air, mouth agape. You couldn’t think, couldn’t move. The ache in your heart and the burning in your lungs. Your chest feels heavy and constricted and you could only watch as he lowered his hand and waited on your cue. But there wasn’t a cue. You wanted to scream at him, but you also wanted to run off alone and scream until your throat was raw and bloodied. Attracting the attention of the castle's inhabitant did not matter, but thinking rationally wasn’t on your agenda currently. You bit the inside of your cheek and inhaled a trembling breath.

“...I’m sorry. I just…” But you couldn’t finish your thought or rather your excuse as none came readily to mind. It should’ve been easy to blame the things you endured, but that wasn’t it. And even if you were to voice the real reason you would feel idiotic. Leon was in mission mode and didn’t need a lovesick girl making a scene while the President’s daughter was snatched from their hands.

“You haven’t been acting like yourself. One moment you’re talking to me like normal and the next you’re— You seem so angry.” Of course he would pick the worst time to wrangle the truth from you. His eyes were so sincere, but his features weren’t soft. There was determination dancing in his tone as he spoke.

“It’s just this whole mission.” You were quick to excuse yourself, but Leon followed.

“Is that really it?” He brushed his fingers on your elbow, but you refused to look back at him. You’d kill for one of those Zealots to interrupt this moment, but God wasn’t so kind.

“I knew it wasn’t going to be easy, but everything is so fucked up. I’m just not doing so well.” It absolutely murdered you to seem so weak and vulnerable to something you both had been groomed for, but it was easier to use that as an excuse than confess to being head over heels for your partner. Of course, it wasn’t like Leon hadn’t already blurred that line. He proved it in the way he stepped around you to stand face to face once more. You didn’t need to look up to know exactly how he was watching you. In fact, it was better you didn’t. One look into those mesmerizing blue eyes and your anger and sadness would waver. It was so easy to forget when he looked at you like that. Leon cautiously raised a hand and wrapped it very gently around your elbow, caressing the material of your black long sleeve. The fabric had already been snared by a close call with a Zealot and his crossbow. He could make out the vibrant blue and purple painting the soft skin of your arm. You were littered in battle wounds and deep bruises.

“We’ll handle this the same way we always have. Together.” He was soft spoken and reassuring. It only made you want to cry. How could he be so kind when breaking your heart?

“Yeah…yeah. Let’s go find Ashley.” You finally matched his gaze with a meek smile. He was hurting you and didn’t even notice. Leon was ever the oblivious type unless you made it apparent. He looked over you with confliction as if something was stuck in his throat and he didn’t know how to say it. His hand fell down your arm, fingertips bumping against yours as if he was attempting to muster up the courage to hold it. You could feel your heart rate speed up at his simple gesture. You quickly cover the lower half of your face with your hand and turn away from him.

“I said let’s go find Ashley!” You sped walked over to the room that opened up beside you guys earlier.

“As you wish.” He huffed a laugh and you could just hear the smile. He knew he had gotten to you.

The mineshaft was damp, musty, and smelled heavily of rockdust. You sat next to Leon as he flexed his arms, watching the limb very carefully for any protruding veins. Luis proudly leaned against a structure. You wished you could finally breathe a sigh of relief that the suppressant worked, but Leon was a ticking time bomb. Any moment the infection could regain control and the symptoms would resurface. How long did he have until then? What measures could you both take to hold it at bay? You were overthinking and thinking overall was bad, you knew that. If you thought for too long you would eventually break away piece by piece until nothing was left of you but brittle bones and teeth. Your heart was shattering for a man who would not give you his eternity.

So you did the next best thing: walk away from the problem— literally. Feigned the desire to strategize while he recovered and hid away between wooden crates and empty drums. It wasn’t home, but you could breathe. The ache in your chest and lungs subsided as you drew your knees to your chest and wrapped your weary arms around them. Held them as close as you wanted to hold him but he longed for the embrace of another; a woman dressed in red and confidence. An image of her face flashed through your exhaustion riddled mind and you simpered. You were a kettle ready to shriek from the pressure that built deep within. Only your shrieking would be a spectacle. It would be tables turning, glass shattering. You would not go with grace for that was admitting a defeat only you knew of. Was letting go even possible? Leon left a scar on you that would never fade and every fall you’d see him in the fog like a phantom of the past. He was inescapable. And you wanted to be selfish anyways, hold onto him like he’d dissolve into ash if you let go.

“You look…stressed.” A familiar voice startled you out of your thoughts. Eyes wide like a deer in headlights, staring up at Luis as he held your attention with his signature smirk. You scoffed, stretching your legs out while he took a seat beside you.

“That’s an understatement. All this Plagas bullshit is getting on my nerves.” You fibbed through pearly white teeth. The words felt bitter on your tongue and you were unable to hold his gaze.

“Is it really that?” He asked. You froze. Your expression remained neutral, but Luis could feel the confliction radiating off of you like body heat.

“Is that answer not good enough? I know I’m bad at lying, but have some sympathy.” Your words spilled from your lips with a tremble. Your voice cracked into a whisper as if you strained to maintain composure and perhaps that was precisely the struggle. A question. It was simple and you could have lied again. But you were weak and he was honest.

Luis sighed, smiling softly to himself while looking at the ground, “I’ve spent my whole life mastering that and you can’t fool a professional.”

Now you were fraying at the seams. Every emotion bloated in size and threatened to burst. Heavy was the weight you burdened yourself with. Droplets fell like pearls on the floor of the mineshaft, collecting dirt on its spherical surface until it popped and soaked in. You looked up for a brief moment wondering if the ceiling was leaking only to discover you had begun to cry. Ducking your head down again, you pulled the hem of your sleeve up your palm and used it to dab the tears streaming down your face.

“That was kind of corny.” You sputtered a laugh and sniffled.

“Corny? I think you’re just embarrassed and don’t want to admit it.” He was right, but you refrained from answering. Instead, you inhaled deep breaths as you patted down your damp cheeks.

“I guess you can know, but it’s a secret between us.” It was meant to come across as humorous, but you sounded pathetic, “It hurts. Ya’know, being in love with someone who belongs to someone else.”

Luis didn’t interrupt. He also didn’t belittle you for how you felt. He sat there, listening attentively, and occasionally nodding along so you knew he was still listening. It meant the world and more to you. Had Ashley been here you knew you’d have broken down the same way in front of her, but she was so far away and you were so fragile. Luis was a shoulder to cry on; something you needed for a long while. 

“I don’t really know the specifics, but…maybe you’re not looking at it from the right angle.” Luis merely suggested and you could hear the struggle in his words as he chose what to say very carefully. It made you laugh again.

“Hey, we ready to go?” This time, Luis was startled as well, but he hid it quickly behind a cheshire grin. You looked up to see Leon a few feet away. In the dim lantern light, he appeared holy. If you were to believe in something, you’d believe in his divinity. Something godly walked among men and you weren’t the religious type, but you didn’t need to be. Shaking your head gently, you stumbled onto your feet. Leon watched you cautiously. You knew your eyes were red and puffy, but you merely walked past him to the path forward. It took awhile for you to realize they had fallen behind, but the further away you were from him, the more at ease you felt. 

If looks could kill, yours would be lethal. In fact, you spent the entire boat ride avoiding absolutely any eye contact with Ada. It was awkward and Leon was tense. You expected him to make his move here, but that was more so your imagination. As soon as Ada had left and the boat stilled at shore, you leapt forward to grab his arm. You don’t know what came over you. It was almost on instinct you attached yourself to him. Leon looked down at you, eyes filled with bewilderment. The waves crashed against the rocks below you both, filling the silence with ambient sounds. When he fully turned to face you, you pushed yourself off him and heaved a shaky breath. 

“Leon—”

“This is about Ada, isn’t it?” You paused, snapping your head up to meet his eyes. It was like he gave you permission to combust, word vomit everything you had been thinking and feeling the entire time.

“I don’t want to do this anymore.” It came out close to a whisper, but you tested the waters with it.

“Hey now—” But he was effectively cut off as you picked up a rock and threw it at the boat with all your might. Now he was just confused. This didn’t stop him taking a step back as you found more ammo to unleash on the one thing that did absolutely nothing to you. You pelted it with stone after stone, grunting at the force with which you launched them. It was the same cycle of scour and attack until you became noticeably feeble with your hurling.

“I hate—” The rock hit the very front and left a noticeable dent, “—her so much! I hate that you love her!”

Then you crumbled, meekly tossing the rocks now with no strength behind them. It was cathartic at first, but quickly became meaningless in the face of heartbreak. You were now a shell of your red-hot anger; a bright flame dwindling in the rain until the glowing embers were burnt out. For the first time since this feeling settled on your stomach, you sobbed inconsolably. You covered your mouth with your palms and leaned forward to curl into yourself and released a scream muffled against your skin. It hurt. Everything hurt and you wanted to puke so hard your intestines fell out of your mouth. You wanted to be gruesome and unsightly. You wanted to be swallowed whole by absolutely anything at this point. Unrequited love was too much to bear. Ashley was gone. Luis was dead. You had no one to lean on while you wept so hard you began to choke and gag. The arms that wrapped around your trembling form were so warm and, even if it was Leon’s, you were desperate for comfort.

“Please, please don’t pick her over me. I can’t live with that. You’re not allowed to break my heart like that. You’re supposed to fall for me.” Your hands came up to grip the material of his black shirt, “I want you, Leon. More than anything and if you pick her, then you pick wrong.”

Your conviction was solid. It had to be you and no one else because who better to understand exactly what he was going through than you? The world could end tomorrow, but all that would matter was that he wanted you more than he ever thought of her. You both could fail this mission, you could become parasitic with the rest of them, but you would know he loved you more. It was a simple choice. You or her and you hoped to god he would choose you any day in any lifetime. 

Leon was silent, however. His grip never wavered, but he was in deep thought. Then he pulled back from you and you lifted your head. He leveled his gaze with you. There was something unreadable on his face. His touch was ever so gentle and you swore you would melt if he were any softer. One of his hands reached up to caress your cheek with calloused fingertips. You shuddered, leaning into his touch. As you closed your eyes, you pictured spring and flowers and his smile belonging to you. It was perfect and so were the lip brushing against yours as your eyes fluttered open. There was no time to react; you could only accept his lips pressing against your own in a gentle kiss. There were no sparks, no fireworks, only something akin to the gentle warmth of a fireplace. After what felt like eternity, he pulled away.

“It wasn’t like you gave me a choice anyhow. The moment I looked in your eyes for the very first time, I was fucked.” He chuckled, thumb brushing against your supple cheek as he leaned his forward against your own. You could hardly contain the tears of joy that flooded you now. It felt almost too good to be true, but sometimes that is just the way it goes.

“Good because I was prepared to give a whole speech about it.”

“Powerpoint, too?”

[manias-wordcount]

hello :) can you write a black butler oneshot w/ sebastian michaelis x fem reader?

reader is a succubus demon and she and seb are ex lovers of some sort then one day seb is surprised to see reader working as a servant in the manor. ciel accepted her without seb's knowledge but ciel also did not know about their history. seb is a bit skeptical of reader cause he does not know her motives so he acts a bit cold towards her but reader actually did it just cause missed seb (but not that she'll admit it cause she is too proud for that. also maybe seb feels the same who knows lol) reader is the teasing and provocative type if thats ok. pls ignore this request if ever its complicated to understand, i just based this on some random imagination i had hehe. anyway thank you :>

What You Couldn't Do (Sebastian Michaelis x Reader)

𝗔/𝗡: 𝗵𝗲𝗿𝗲 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝗴𝗼!! 𝘀𝗼𝗿𝗿𝘆 𝗶𝘁 𝗴𝗼𝗱 𝗸𝗶𝗻𝗱𝗮 𝘀𝗮𝗱 𝗹𝗼𝗹

𝗪𝗔𝗥𝗡𝗜𝗡𝗚: 𝘀𝗼𝗺𝗲 𝘀𝗲𝘅𝘂𝗮𝗹 𝗹𝗮𝗻𝗴𝘂𝗮𝗴𝗲 𝘂𝘀𝗲𝗱

𝙒𝙖𝙣𝙩 𝙩𝙤 𝙧𝙚𝙖𝙙 𝙢𝙤𝙧𝙚? ⇒ 𝙈𝙖𝙨𝙩𝙚𝙧𝙡𝙞𝙨𝙩

𝙟𝙤𝙞𝙣 𝙢𝙮 𝙙𝙞𝙨𝙘𝙤𝙧𝙙 𝙨𝙚𝙧𝙫𝙚𝙧?

The door to the kitchen shuts behind you with no fanfare. That is to say, there’s no light-hearted, half-shouted greeting from one of the other quirky members of staff. Nor was there a harsh, barked order from the young master of the household. There wasn’t even a small, near silent yet warm grunt of acknowledgment from your favorite tea-sipping house steward. 

  So naturally…

  “Oh, Sebastian!”

  …you knew who it was…

  “To what to owe the pleasure of this-”

  …and all that it entailed.

  In an instant, you find yourself cutting off your own words with the swiftest of tongues. You suppose it truly is the smartest choice. You had only been working at the Phantomhive Manor for a mere couple of days. You were still in all sense of the word. You didn’t yet have the young master’s good favor. Nor did you think you could ever be on the receiving end of any sort of sympathy from a boy such as him. So it’s only right you learn your place and you learn it well. Because while such a feeling make be odd and discomforting, you imagine it’s still better than the feeling of the knife being held between Sebastian’s gloved hand plunge itself into your throat.

  “What is your aim.” His low murmur comes from behind as he traps your body from behind between himself and the counter. Despite his words, you know to take everything as a demand rather than a question purely based on the dull pressure of the boning knife pressed lightly against your jugular. That, among other things of course. “Why are you here.”

  You pursue your lips, fully aware of the way his eyes would follow your every action through your faint reflection in the mirror. His voice is as cold as you remember it to be. Unfeeling and so very cruel. The unspoken threat to you is loud and clear. His utter disdain for you? Even louder and even clearer. Yet, you find that it’s terribly hard to hide your excitement. The arm that crosses over your chest to hold the knife to your throat brings up so many memories. The way his body presses and molds into yours reminds you so much of the past. When the two of you weren’t so-called co-workers serving under the most irritating of charges. When the two of you weren’t so-called enemies who spent your days and nights, far, far apart. When the two of you weren’t anything to each other. 

  But when the two of you were lovers.

  “Knife play, Sebastian? That’s a new one…” And fueled by those resurfaced memories, you respond to him. It’s obvious in the way that his eyes narrowed into dangerous slits through the window’s reflection, you know you’re not exactly giving him what he wants. But you hope- no, you don’t hope, you know- he’ll play along with your typical game. Just for a little longer. Just one last time. “You certainly seem like a much different man than from what I remember…I wonder how that little brat managed to whip you into-!”

  Once again, you found yourself cutting your words short in favor of a long life. Your murmured words were meant to be heard. Meant to rock the boat. Meant to get yourself in trouble. They always were. But you know when enough is enough. Even when your entire life is about toeing the line and saying the things that men and women wish they could say- you when it’s not your turn to speak. At least, not your turn for the moment. 

  Though you can’t help but feel pleasantly surprised now that the threat you’re faced with is being phrased a little differently than before. No, the knife is not being pressed further into your skin. It still sits where it was originally- relaxed in a comfortable grip as it delivers the lightest of kisses against your skin. Rather, it’s Sebastian himself who has changed. It seemed that with your bold words, he was no longer content with just trapping you with weight. The arm that had now snaked against your lower waist and was holding onto your hip with a vice-like grip tells you as if the action was words itself. 

  “I won’t ask you again.” He bites out behind you in a harsh whisper and it’s almost shameful how your body instantly reacts to the feeling of his breath just dancing over your ear. “Why have you followed me here.”

  The way you just shivered at his words? The way you just gasped at his tone? You’re worse than you thought. God, what are you doing? Chasing a man like you weren’t the one who should be chased in the first place? All while trying to play coy as if you weren’t practically shaking with excitement at the thought of seeing him again. All while trying to play powerful as if the first thing you wanted to do when you saw him after all this time was to get on your knees and listen to his every command. 

  You’re not going to last like this. You’re not, you’re not, you’re not. So with one last selfish act for yourself, you decide that you won’t That you had come all this way. That you had pulled all these strings to get here. And the very least you could do for yourself after all this time running and running and running after a man you know doesn’t deserve you was to be kind to yourself. That’s all you could do. Be kind to yourself. Because if not today? Because if not now? Then when?

  “I missed you…Sebastian.”

  As if you could ever be kind to yourself at all…

  “What…” For once, he sounded stunned. This great and powerful demon that you knew so well sounded like he was taken by surprise. But even then, you couldn’t enjoy the feeling. Even then you couldn't look in the eyes- even as he released you from his hold and stepped away. You couldn’t. Not with your heart beating so fast you could have sworn you were alive in this moment. Not with your throat shaking so much you could have sworn that you were truly the blushing virgin you tried to appear as. “No. No, that cannot be true.”

  Not with the way he denies you after all this time.

  “Oh, but it is, Sebastian. Even after all this time…” You murmur softly, a sad smile crossing taking over your beautiful face. Words left unsaid. Memories left on repeat. And heartbreak that begins to take shape. You couldn’t look him in the eyes now that your life has been spared. You couldn’t look him in the eyes now that the two of you are no longer close. You couldn’t look him in the eyes when you feel like this. “Even after all this time, I…I continue to miss you.”

  And you certainly couldn’t look him in the eyes right now.

  Because how could you stand to see such a handsome face through the blurry mess of tears?

  You just couldn’t. 

  You just couldn’t.

[shadowdaddies]

Meant to Be - Part IV.

Dark!Manorian x Reader

Part One | Two | Three

A/N: I keep deviating from my outline but I expect there to be 2 (maybe 3) more parts to this story

Muffled shouts sounded through the air, the sound echoing painfully in your head. Gloved hands grabbed your arms firmly, hauling you up as your vision cleared to reveal your guards eyeing you with concern. 

“Miss, are you alright to stand on your own?” You turned to your right to see a young guard holding your arm - honey brown eyes searching your face with genuine concern. You hadn’t taken the time to really look at these men who were with you almost constantly in the castle - the four of whom had been watching your every move. An oversight on your part, which you would be sure to remedy. 

You eyed the guard up and down - he was quite handsome, actually, with dark brown hair and ivory skin, tinged pink from the wind - and made a show of smiling at him as you put your hand on his. “Yes, I’m alright. Thank you...?” 

“Ryon, miss.” You batted your eyelashes, giving Ryon your best doe-eyed, innocent look. You peered at the guard to your left - a slightly older gentleman with rich umber skin and graying hair - who was eyeing you with suspicion. You moved your hand to his lower arm, giving a gentle squeeze as you smiled brightly.

“And your name?” 

The guard’s eyes softened almost imperceptibly. “Arnoux, miss.” 

Rubbing your thumb soothingly along Arnoux’s arm, you stepped back slightly from the two men to stand on your own - all four guards still watching you intently. “Well, thank you both for your assistance. I do think that I should head back to my room, though. I am still feeling a bit faint.” 

Ryon and the other two guards - you’d have to remember to learn their names later - looked to Arnoux, who was still watching you closely, an air of caution evident on his face. His dark eyes never left yours as the man gave a curt nod, signaling his approval. Ryon gently guided you ahead so that you were walking with the other two guards ahead of you, Ryon and Arnoux close behind. 

You held your head high, mostly so that it was easier to make note of your surroundings without turning your head too much. You suspected Arnoux’s, admittedly wise, consternation towards you was due to your unabashed snooping, and you’d need to be more careful moving forward. 

The group arrived at the door to your room, a tall blonde guard who Ryon addressed as Warrick ushering you inside as Arnoux instructed him to alert their Majesties of your “incident” in the garden. You internally sighed, hiding your disappointment as the door closed behind you, locking you in the room once more. The clock ticked quietly on the wall - its hands revealing how late in the day it was.

You looked out the window to the garden below where you had just fainted, your pulse pounding when you remembered what was in your dress pocket. You let out an exhale when flowers brushed your fingertips - they hadn’t caught you with the foxglove. Rushing over to the armoire, you took the foxglove from your pockets, burying the flowers beneath your sleeping clothes. You closed the drawer and doors to the chest, hurrying back to sit on the bed before anyone might come in and see. 

The moment of rest as you sunk into the mattress was like a dam breaking open - the swell of emotions crashing down into a torrent of tears as you began to process the news. Your fiancé was alive, and here. This changed everything in your plan - you’d have to find not only your own way out of this castle, but how to help him escape as well. 

Now was not the time for planning, however, as you finally let the tears fall, crying audaciously for anyone to hear. You wanted them to hear - Arnoux, Ryon, Manon, Dorian. You would let the entire palace hear your pain. And when you were ready, the entire palace would feel your wrath.

The door burst open, interrupting your sinister daydream as Dorian rushed in, Manon right behind him. Dorian looked near to tears himself as he knelt before you, sapphire eyes studying you for any sign of pain. Your mind detested how your heart swelled at his care. “We hurried here when Warrick informed us that you fainted in the gardens. We’ve called for a healer, but I needed to see that you were alright.”

Realizing they were coming from the dungeons where your fiancé was supposedly held, you glanced discreetly towards the clock on the wall. Less than eight minutes for Warrick to get down to the dungeons, and for them to return. If you could find the path to where he was kept, you would be able to make your escape with your love. An idea came to you - this would take time, but would be worth it in the end. 

You turned to Dorian, slipping on the too-familiar mask of innocence you’d used on Ryon just moments ago as you sniffled and nodded into his hand that held your cheek. “I am feeling quite ill. The journey to the gardens was unexpectedly difficult for me. I was thinking, I should probably stay indoors for awhile. The library was warm and comfortable.”

You held back your smirk at the shocked look on their faces at your proposal, their predatory smiles of pleasure as they thought they’d finally tamed you. Little did they know that the fawn was luring the wolves into an archer’s range. 

[ma3mae]

MAEEE AAAA I NEED PART TWO OD YOUR "NO BRAIN, JUST HORNY" HC AKSJDJDDJ

Make a part two??🥺🫶Maybe Chuuya and Nikolai?

No brain, just horny! 2

Summary: Oh no! Your bf's acting all hot! What to do??? (Chuuya, Akutagawa, Nikolai, Fyodor)

Genre: fluff, crack, bit suggestive 🤓

Warnings: TO HORNY JAIL WITH YALL 💀✋

A/N: ANOONNN WKDJEKHFKS HERE U GO, SWEETIE 🤩🤩🤩 how can yall find rat man hot, idk man 💀 his parts rly short bc I CANT WRITE HIM so see it as a small extra 💀💀 not proofread btw 💀

Part 1

Nakahara Chuuya

😳 yall wanna get railed by this man, huh??

Cant blame u tho 💀😭 😭

honestly i think his reaction would prob depend on his mood, lowkey like rampo

Just that his reaction would be a bit more intense EHEH

idk if hes kinda busy at the moment and annoyed bc work is being a hoe, hed prob be all impatient like "Damn, doll. Im barely holding myself back as well so just wait a bit, will ya?"

As much as hed love to indulge u immediately, he still values his work yk 😔😔😔

ok yk what would be funny tho? Like he told u he'd be having a meeting at his work place and honestly, its not hard enough to know where it is bc its like legit one of the highest buildings (idk maybe even the highest???) in yokohama lmaoo

And you've been waiting for him to come back home after two weeks but noooo, he has to report everything to his boss 🤓🤓🤓🤓

so you're like "alright, im horny and been waiting for too long."Guess where we're going yall 😋😋😋😋???

TO HELL

Jk nah but we makin our way over there and lets just say they only know u as "the love of his life who def shouldnt be messed with if they wanna live" bc he'd go haywire AS HE SHOULD if anything happened to u 💀

Anyway we know when the meeting's being held so oopsie, we "accidentally" manage to find him in the hallway with some of his colleagues

"Oi, isn't that your girlfriend over there, Boss??" not only tachihara but everyone's confused on why u r even there??

Chuuya just whips his head around and doesnt know if he should just yeet himself outta the building or be happy to see you bc

YES

YES HE DID MISS YOU BUT WHY ARE YOU THEREEEE??💀💀💀💀💀💀😭😨

its especially bad if our boy still hasn't told you what hes actually doing bc no way in hell wants he to drag u into that shi 💀

Anyway you're just too excited so u ignore his to tomato face with a twitching eyebrow and you start to jog towards him but damn tf is that???

OF COURSE theres a bump sticking outta the carpet SMH SUE THE CLEANING STAFF😋

And obviously we all know whos gonna trip on that

But as embarassed as he is, your future hubby will make sure that you won't end up on the floor 💕💕

all you feel is a slight gust of wind and you can only open your eyes to see his gorgeous ones

"Don't just fall for me every time you see me, doll." LMAO thats so corny and he actually gets even more red when he realises wtf he just spouted out of his mouth but he couldnt help it 😭

Especially when hes holding you bridal style in his arms and you can feel him subconciously squeeze you tighter against him bc he missed his wifey

and we are just too whipped to stop ourselves from saying "Chuu chuu, i just couldnt wait anymore. Can we move this to our place? I'll be anything you want, even just a hole for you, mkay?"

HAHAHAHA WHY ARE WE LIKE THIS 💀

thats the EXACT question that goes through his mind as he just stares at you like 😳

But he cant deny that it made him feel hot, even down there a bit...

"Come in when you're done, Chuuya." is all you hear from HIS fking boss as he just sends the both of you a smile as he enters the room before closing the door

Help our man, hes so TORN

All he can do is take a deep breath, trying to stop his face from heating up bc its already hot enough as it is

He'll gently set you down but still keeps a secure grip around your waist with one arm

His gloved hand tilts your face slightly up and all you see is a sea of blue

Letting his gloved thumb slowly glide on your bottom lip

"You really like teasing me. Dont'cha sweetheart? Just give me 15 minutes and then we'll be at home. Honestly might scold you for your little stunt but it's not like you don't like that, right? But I gotta say...."

cherry sweet lips lock onto yours for what seems like only a second before feeling them on your forehead

"I did miss you pretty much...and I'll make it up to you. Thanks for your patience, love."

now YOU'RE the one who's face is about to explode and that annoying ass smirk of his isnt even helping u but oh well

He should be lucky that you're so in love with him and that his handsome looks always manage to hold you back from yelling at him out of embarassement 💀😳

He gives you a peck on the lips before giving you on last squeeze

"Only a little bit longer, okay? Will give you a proper kiss when we're at home."

He makes his way back but stops "Also I love you but please... wait at home next time. No need for anyone to see your cute ass here. Only mine to look at, yk.." the last part kinda gets muffled under his breath as he tilts his fedora down to hide his heated face but welp, ofc u heard everything 😋

Anyway, you let him go to his meeting with a wave with ur hand bc he did promise to make it up to you and your body would be tingling with excitement until yall get back home for yk what 😋😋😋💅

Akutagawa Ryunnosuke

ngl he'd make a similar expression to this pic here 💀 like hes fking constipated or smth

Give my man some time pls bc its his first relationship and he needs some minute to get it through his head that you feel sexually attracted enough to him to yearn for him, broo

"Can't you just... wait until we get home? Why now?" SKKSKS you think he sounds so pissed but hes just so confused 💀😭😭

lmao just came up with a ridiculous scenario

idk some random wannabe gang is stirring up some trouble in yokohama

And how do u resolve this problem as fast as u can?

By sending one of ur best men there who legit just slices them all in mere secs 😋

but wait whats that?

"Are you fucking kidding me?"

You just stare wide eyed at your boyfriend as he stands there infront of the mall, choking the living shit out of what seems to be some weird thug

"Ryu, what are you doing here?"

He just clicks his tounge out of annoyance and casually tosses the man to the side as he makes his way towards you

Stopping infront of you, you only see his furrowed eyebrows and the annoyed look on his face

But if you look closely, you'll see a glimpse of worry in them💕

"I could ask you the same thing. Didn't I telll you to stay at home? And specifically to not enter this area?"

You can only sheepishly laugh at his words and the huff at your answer wasnt that helpful

"Well, the mall here had your favorite tea on sale and I really wanted to surprise you with it!"

He just puts a hand on his face as you peek over his shoulder, only seeing whips and bits of rashomon dealing with the thugs while you boyfriend seems somehow unbothered by their presence, hell he was legit not even aknowledging them at this point 💀

"Let me just finish this real quick and then I'll take you home."

"But I still have t-"

A glare from him immediately zipped your mouth shut, deeming it unnecessary to argue with him any further since he could be very very stubborn

"Just stay behind me and wait."

If you had to be honest, watching your bf just casually beat the shit out of 20 or more men without even breaking a sweat made you feel really hot

He might be stoic, blunt or whatever everyone would call him but at the end of the day, he'd make sure you're well protected and cared for, even if it would take some nudges from you to guide him

He was a fast learner after all in every aspect of your relationship

And it wasn't until he poked your forehead that you snapped out of your trance, your face beet red and only for him to raise an eyebrow at you

"Don't tell me you got sick from just being outside for a bit? I really don't know how someone frail like you had managed to live for so long."

Harsh words yet the gentle press of his hand against your forehead was telling a different story

"Hm, you aren't heating up that much. But I'll still be taking you home."

"Can you stay with me then? Because honestly, watching that fight somehow made me really horny."

🤨 > 😳

"Are you kidding me? How does watching me beat the shit out of some random wannabe thugs make you horny?"

You can only groan at his answer but couldn't keep the smirk on your lips from growing as you noticed the red hue on his cheeks

"It's just hot to see how easy it was for you to just casually fend of all of them. Not to mention, that it's always nice to have a reminder what a strong and reliable lover I have. I'm just really lucky, I guess"

Ah, you smart vixen.

Always using his praise kink for your advantage and oh boy, he knows

But he just can't help his rising pulse at what your words just do to him

"W-Why-? Y-You-???"

Suddenly he grabbing your hand, he turns his body away from you, only his back in your sight as he continues to walk

"Ryu, are we walking ba-"

"Told you I'm taking you home. Someone has to make sure nothing happens to you since you probably wouldn't even know how to defend yourself."

"Aah, I see. Well I'll be sure to thank you properly when we're at home." 😋🤩

A hitched breath and his grip tightening around your hand really made it difficult not to laugh at him

Well, atleast it was nice knowing that you weren't the only one eager to get home asap 💀💀

At the end, you thanked him as promised and he made sure to make you feel safe as always

"Oh, thank you for the tea... I guess.." he'd mumble in your ear as he pressed your back against his chest, his arms tucked comfortably around you. 🤭

Nikolai Gogol

erm 😨 how about no?

Do u not value life?

Jk but his goofy ass would NEVER let u rest if u even show him a tiny bit on how horny you are 💀💀💀💀

bro's like "ew human desires, they only bind u" lowkey (not as hard as fyodor but yk what i mean)

but hes sadly down bad for his future or maybe already wifey so 😉 how could he 😉 say no 😉

like idk lets say for whatever reason u r also part of their rat gang 💀 and its honestly a big headache to endure his weird and annoying antics every day

But thats what made u fall in love bc u have bad taste 😋😋😋 same tho

is prob gonna tease u about that too like "Oh, Y/N~ So many men out there and yet you still chose me?? Either you're just very desperate or you just don't care at all! But don't worry, I'm more than happy to be the one who's on your mind all day 🤩🤩🤩" he says as he's casually bombing a whole building and kills hundreds of people 🤩

Thats for sure gonna be blowing ur mind for weeks 💀 IM SORRY

throw him into a trash can or smth 💀 jkjk maybe im not 💀💀

anyway back to the scenario 💀

lets say hes as always acting like the 🤡 he is and disrupting everyone's life by being plain annoying

Ok so fyodor threatened to kill him for the 100th time? Check.

Sigma's crying in his office bc he just escaped random pairs of scissors flying at him for the whole day? Check. someone has to cut that atrocious hair away, okur💀💀💀

Getting hit by gf after randomingly stealing kisses from her?

Che-

"But why won't you let me kiss you, Y/N????"

Dodging his attempts for what would seem the 30th time for the day, you hastily continued to make your way to Sigma, a box of self made cookies in your hand.

"You've been harassing everyone for the entire day as always! And don't get me started on what you tried to do to Sigma!"

You could only hear a whine as fast footsteps tried to outrun yours, you wanting nothing but wanting to somehow lift Sigma's spirits up since no one else would make their time to comfort him after the inhuman pranks your boyfriend couldn't refrain from doing

"But he's just so funny, you know! How could anyone resist not teasing him all day?!"

"Teasing doesn't mean endangering his life! Only because YOU don't like his hair!"

"Hmm, but won't you atleast give me one kiss before you go?"

"nope, never. Bye!"

Aah, you really shouldn't have challenged him 😨

"Well, then I guess you won't be needing that then!"

"Huh?"

A

"NIKOLAI GOGOL?! GIVE ME THE FUCKING BOX BACK!!" only hearing maniacal cackling quickly distancing itself from you, as he ran away with the box in his hand

Ah, he really was blessed with the perfect ability for him

Too stubborn and annoyed to realise his intentions, you quickly followed him, the urge of wanting to punch him pulling you towards him like a magnet

"A chase is what he wants? Okay, he'll get it." 😋😋

Knowing immediately that he made it too easy for the both of you as he nonchalantly laid on your shared bed, crumbs on his cheeks as he enjoyed your cookies, his mask casually laying next to him.

"You are more than an annoying child, you know that?"

"Yep but I don't care! Also how dare you only make cookies for your friend when you've got such a loving partner like me!"

A groan slipped out of you as you walkes over to him, earning yourself a "HEY?!" as you snatched the box away from him

"If you wanted some, you could have just asked like a normal person. I wouldn't have minded sharing some and Sigma probably not."

"Ugh, like a normal person? You know that's just boring~ buuuut if you really want me to then-"

You felt a pull at your wrist, making your chest hitting his as you landed on top of him, affectively stradling him

Both of your hands at the side of his head as you tried to lift yourself up, yet the arm around your waist stopping you, your faces only mere inches away from each other

A smirk splayed on his face as he wiped the crumbs away from his lips with his gloved thumb

Pressing it softly against your lips, the movement ingrained in your body as you opened them without any protest

a low chuckle at your cute actions as you licked the crumbs of his thumb before releasing it with a soft 'pop'

"Is that normal enough for you, my dove?"

Not letting the heat on your face and body stop you from throwing remarks at him, you merely stated "That wasn't asking, just plain seduction at this point."

Letting his eyes trail over your body and the hands next to him, tightly clutching the sheets only spurred him further on.

"Well, I've got your attention now, right?"

"You're lucky that I love you."

"Isn't it good to know we're both obesessed, dearie?"

A whine left his lips as you tucked at his hair at that statement, grazing your teeth across his neck before harshly biting on it.

"Well, then end what you've started then."

"Gladly."

Getting hit by Y/N after randomingly stealing kisses from them? Hair pulled, make out sessions and more after annoying them? Double Check.

Fyodor Dostojevski

💀 im dead, you're dead, we're all DEAD

ok jk he wouldnt kill u bc even if he wont admit it immediately, he loves u 😋

but why would u feed his annoying god complex like that 😨😨

but guess what 😋 youve always had bad taste so why not be together with a terrorist 🤩

Ur only dates would be either sitting in his stinky room full of computers as hes been sitting there for days and you're chilling on his lap

or yall actually go outside to ruin someone's life 💅

and honestly, what better way to confirm that humans r horrible af when he sees you get turned on by his horrid acts 💀💀💀

"I just took a life infront of your very eyes and all you say is how hot that is? Well, aren't you ruined to the point of return? But that's what makes you so interesting, I guess."

UGHH IDK HOW YALL CAN LOVE HIM 💀💀💀

i think it would be rly difficult to actually turn him on as well at first

Or catch him off guard tbh bc all you'd get is a condescending smirk of him just teasing you

He'll prob also just call u out about how horny you are but its ok bc he loves having that effect on you 🤩

"Is it seeing someone's eyes lose their light? Killing the gifted because the world would be purer without them? Tying them up and choking the life out of them? Or is it because I am the one doing these acts? Planning it all out, only for you to witness it? How about I'd do it to you, hmm?"I FEEL ITCHY AFTER WRITING THAT 💀

tbh it depends how "horny" u r tbh bc he'd prob make you beg for it first by just telling u off n stuff until you cant take ir anymore

Like if you want him then SHOW him how much you want him 🤩

he prob has not that much of a stamina but he'd make up for it with technique what am i writing rn😭😭😭😭

anyway you'd def be satisfied but he'd prob make you work for it first before tending to ur "needs"

im crying i hate this

😭

A/N: DAMN already hit 400 followers?? thinking of maybe doing smth for that, idk what tho. Got too many ideas 💀 and lmao sorry for the radio silence 💀 writers block and life, we love it.

[twistyfish]

𝙎𝙖𝙡(𝙞)𝙫𝙖𝙩𝙞𝙤𝙣

requested by @lilacmingi ♥

~☁☼☁~

You patted a stray hair off your lilac skirt, the velvet plush beneath your shaking fingers. You pulled at a tight coil of your hair, twisting and releasing it from your updo. An unexpected weakness had befallen you. Goosebumps littered your chest, the deep neckline normally thrilling but unwelcome today as you shook with chills.

It was an unfortunate time to fall ill, as you were attending a ball of great grandeur. The domed ceiling of the palace was ivory, etched with intricate depictions of gothic scenery. Angels clashed spears with the fangs of great beasts, serpents and hounds alike coming to wage battle on the figureheads of Heaven. Marble pillars held up the artwork in a star pattern, and moonlight filtered in through the multicolored windows. You felt rather small in comparison to the rich, dizzying landscape.

You sat in a corner with your head against the wall, still overwhelmed. You had managed to sneak out into a narrower hall, seeking a smaller space, though this smaller space was still large enough to house a baby giant.

"My dear, you seem lost." A short man in a lacy top and slick raven hair walked up to you from around the corner. Your eyes widened, and you scrambled to get up. Your blood pressure dropped as you stood, and you leaned against the wall.

The man chuckled. It was a pitchy, sinister sound. "Did I take your breath away? I apologize."

"No, not at all," you said breathlessly.

Something about this man seemed familiar. "From where are you visiting?" You asked.

He grinned, pointed incisors gleaming. "Family of the host."

Oh.

"You're Bumjoong's brother?"

He nodded and extended a gloved hand to you. "You can call me Hongjoong. Come, let me take you back to the ballroom." You groaned internally, not wanting to go back to the loud, sweaty room you had just escaped. But you had to be polite.

You took his hand in yours, wrapping your fingers around his. His hand was nearly the same size as yours, which was kind of charming. He led you to the ballroom, which was gargantuan in comparison to the already huge hall you had come from. Scarlet curtains adorned the massive windows, and amber lights framed the huge room. People whirled around in masses, and you already felt queasy.

Maybe your discomfort was visible, because Hongjoong tilted his head to look you in the eyes. "Such events aren't much to my taste either. But we shall converse to pass the time, yes? What's your name?"

You told him, and he spoke it aloud carefully, as though pronouncing a word from another language. "How melodious. It suits its owner." He ran his tongue across his pearly teeth absentmindedly. His skin was pale, but not with any rosy or golden undertones. His pallor was like milk. Almost like there was no blood running under the skin. His nose was small and sharp. His features were almost too perfect.

He noticed you examining him, and he smiled with his chin resting on one hand, revealing his pointed teeth once again.

You cleared your throat. "You know, there are rumors of your family being vampires," you remarked, holding back a cough.

"Is that so? What do you think about them?" He seemed truly interested.

"I think there are a lot of things I've yet to see in this world."

He laughed heartily at that. "Did you know vampire saliva has healing properties? Our ashes too, but I'd rather not deal with the implications of that option. I think it would be beneficial for me to demonstrate."

"Oh? Why?" The corners of his lips twitched up. "You're not feeling well, are you my dear?"

You feigned ignorance, but he was right. You were intensely feverish. "Perhaps I'm not feeling all that fit," you admitted.

"Then let me show you my theory."

Your brows twitched, a bit of feverish delirium surfacing. "How do I know you won't bite me?" You asked in a low voice.

"I guess you'll have to take a chance." And with that, his lips were on your neck. You gasped as his tongue drew a line from your clavicle to the crook of your neck, and his lips gently closed around a patch of flesh. His teeth grazed your skin, but true to his word, he never bit.

His arm looped around your waist as you sank to the floor in his arms, his rough tongue still lapping at your neck. Your eyes rolled back as he tenderly sucked you like a thick smoothie.

Within a few minutes, a cool sensation spread from the base of your neck through your body, and he rubbed your arm as you shuddered. Your wooziness faded gradually.

"Better?" He asked.

"Yes," you said.

Unfortunately, quite a few people were now staring at you.

Oops.

~☁☼☁~

requests are open!

[carpsurprise]

 ˗ˏˋ ´ˎ˗ prompt list, "winter" + sam ... !

→ gender neutral — (they/them pronouns)

→ notes: is it almost june... yes... did i find this while cleaning my docs... yes... so sorry its out of season for us northern hemisphere Girlies

→ word count: 800-ish

The wind had sent a shiver down Sam’s spine, making him grab at his arms in hopes of keeping any warmth to himself. Even though he had fully known it was going to snow, he had still worn his beat-up old jacket and ripped jeans. He had clearly cared about looking nice over staying warm, but being nearly thirty minutes from both the farmhouse and his house had created some issues.

“Sam, I don’t think you’ll survive this,” the farmer complained, flitting their eyes over to him. They had come fully dressed for the occasion, wearing multiple layers of nearly everything to help them brace the valley’s cold. 

“No where else to go but home,” he mumbled, setting his gaze down at the snow beneath their feet. He kept his eyes locked onto his path, making sure to not trip on any hidden roots or rocks in lieu of him rolling down the snow-covered mountain. Any other time he would’ve happily dived down for some fun, but the way his fingers burned with numbness had reminded him to act his age. 

The farmer rolled their eyes at the situation at hand. Had they acted on bringing an extra set of gloves and a hat like they had thought, neither of them would be cutting their date short due to a risk of hypothermia. They had known Sam all too well, and should have acted on their first worry. Grabbing Sam’s shoulder, and feeling him flinch in response, they helped Sam navigate the uneven places of snowfall. Even with their guidance, he kept his head and voice low.

“Thanks.”

“Not a problem,” they responded, turning their head to look at him. The tip of his nose was red, and snowflakes left to solitude littered his eyebrows and hair. Lifting their hand from his shoulder, they rested it upon his cheek for a few seconds before pulling it over the back of his head. “Good thing you woke up too late to gel your hair, huh?”

“Oh, yeah,” he huffed, knitting his eyebrows in concentration. “Can’t imagine how bad that would’ve been.”

The farmer let their silence overcome them again, focusing on getting to one of their homes with as little frostbite as possible. Upon their arrival to town, the farmer had stopped just as they hit the cobblestone, waiting for Sam to turn to face them. “Hey, maybe we should go to the farmhouse. I know it’s a little bit more of a walk, but I have a fireplace you can sit by.”

Sam nodded without speaking, walking to the farmer’s side as close as possible to take any heat they radiated. He wrapped his hands robotically around their upper arm, tensing up the further he walked. Sam was frozen to silence, a true rarity in any interaction with him. The two arrived at the farmhouse promptly with no conversation. The farmer ran up the steps to open the door quickly, shutting it behind Sam the second he stepped in to stop the snow from following. 

He found the loveseat by the fireplace within seconds, slouching with his head in his hands as the farmer quickly stoked the fire. They stood up after finishing, lingering on Sam’s pitiful state for a moment before turning to the kitchen. Pulling out a mug from the cupboard, they prepared a hot cup of coffee for him, glancing back at him every few minutes to ensure he was still alive. Sam hadn’t moved from his position when he entered, still staying completely silent.

They returned to his side, setting down the coffee and pulling a blanket off the couch to drape over him. “Here, you could’ve taken this when you sat down, Sam.” He shook his head slowly, mumbling under his breath as he slowly raised his head. “Coffee,” they stated simply, watching as he slowly stretched his arm out. They held their hand beneath it, fully expecting him to drop it from his numbed hands. 

Mumbling out an affirmation, he successfully held the mug in his hand with a relieved sigh. After a few moments he turned his head to the farmer with a sad grin. “Sorry for ruining our date like that.”

“It’s fine,” they responded, shaking their head and setting their hand against the back of his neck. He still felt chilly, but not nearly as bad as before. Sam sighed once more, relaxing his body into theirs, and resting his head on their shoulder. 

“I’ll make it up to you, and next time I’ll look at the weather before I leave this house.”

The farmer laughed, pulling themselves away from him. “Yeah, you better. I can’t deal with this every time we go out.”

He shrugged, lazily turning his head to look at them. “Gonna have to get used to it, especially now that you’re stuck with me.” 

[acutiewithagun]

Taglist: @oleander-nin @itsyagurlchip @radicallxser

Trigger warning: paranoia

Word count: 1,030

Mic testing- Chapter Five: A Unsettling Interaction

It was a chilly winter day, nothing special or worth really thinking about. At least that was you thought as you performed to the non-existent crowd. You had just wrapped up a song and decided to pack up and head home.

But as you were putting the guitar away in its case, someone walked up behind you. Whipping your head around quickly you came face to face with a person standing over your crouched form, bundled up in a thick purple winter coat.

They extended a black gloved, three digit hand. You looked at their scarf-covered face and hesitantly took their hand. It's not every day a very covered stranger comes up to you out of the blue. They pulled you up as you lurched forward slightly. "Ack, apologies, I didn't mean to trip you! Are you ok!?"

They started frantically checking you for injuries, despite the fact you were just pulled up. "Fine… so what did you want..?" They paused their worried pursuit and cleared their throat dramatically. "Ah yes, I am Othello Von Ryan. I quite like the sound of your voice and was wondering if you could do one song request."

You rubbed the back of your neck and looked down at your now packed gear. "Sorry, er Von Ryan? I just packed up everything and was just about to head out…" You bent down to grab your stuff before they swiftly gripped your arm.

"Ah um, could I just hear it acapella? I promise it's not long, please." Their voice sounded a bit nervous as you sighed and relented. "Alright, one song, so what is it?" They seemed to be beaming and quickly pulled out a type of phone you've never seen before. "Thank you so much, you have no idea how much this means to me. I have the lyrics here." They turned the phone over to you and tapped their booted feet excitedly.

You gave them an awkward smile and sang them their song. They thanked you quickly, giving you a pretty nice amount of money, and left swiftly afterwards. It was as if they didn't really exist. They appeared and disappeared without a trace. Just an odd name and request.

You gave a nervous laugh as the air now feels heavy, coming back from the flashback. "I'm sorry?" A smile was plastered on your face as you tried to examine the question presented. "Has anything odd happened during your street performing? I've heard some horror stories from other street performers and was curious if you had any of your own." The room had a cold air to it, something about that question just irked you in the wrong way.

"Not any interesting ones that I can recall, I've been extremely fortunate." You gave him a smile as you shifted in your seat, looking over at Sabrina. The yokai looked completely uncomfortable with the situation as well.

Mike pressed for a more entertaining answer. "Well it still sounds like you have a few stories. And we have about…" He trailed off and looked back at Sabrina as she, in discomfort, held up her hands twice. "...Twenty minutes left to talk."

You shifted uncomfortably in your seat and took in a deep breath. "Look, I'm happy to tell stories of my time in the entertainment industry. However that isn't what you are asking for. So I am uncomfortable with answering your questions." Mike just smiled as he tapped the table with his finger impatiently. "I'm just asking an innocent question, nothing malicious. You're talented and I have no doubt you have interesting stories." He paused with a slight frown before smiling ominously. "How about you tell us a few stories about the people you've met? Maybe some nice people you've encountered?"

Sabrina frowned and shook her head as she gazed at the clock. You hesitate before tapping your hand under the table with a sigh. "Yes, I've met plenty of kind people and they have helped me a lot." As the clock ticked you glanced over at the mutant woman who was just itching to press a button. Which you assumed to be the music that would be played after you left.

Suddenly a phone rings and Mike answers it. Sabrina takes the opportunity to press the button and usher you out of the room. As the door shut behind her, she turned to you with a sigh. "Sorry about him, he'll do anything for an interesting interview. You should go home, I'll explain it as an emergency." You gratefully smile at her and wave as you rush down the hall.

But looking back you see a smirk on her face as she entered the radio room again. It sent chills down your spine you thought Mike had given you. You just turn away as the door shuts behind Sabrina and quickly leave the building. Obviously waving to the receptionist before you rush out the door.

The walk home was bone chilling and filled with paranoia. Nothing was really concerning or threatening. However the way the two were clearly hiding their true intentions was something that made you flinch at every shadow and noise. Corners made you walk wide to look around them. Car lights and horns made you look around frantically. And odd sounds made you speed up your rushing.

You are about to throw up as you shakingly open your apartment door and rush into your room. Where you are greeted by your squeaking spider that caused you quite the hassle that morning. You flop face first onto your bed as Melvet climbs onto the top of your head. You struggle to push your shoes off with your feet as you adjust your laying position to look at your wall.

"Hi buddy, I'm just gonna parish here for a bit. I'm definitely not going to do that again." The white yokai chirped and rubbed itself on top of your head. You still had goosebumps and an itching feeling of unease as you smiled slightly at the small creature. You were just doing your best to ignore the strange sounds coming from your window, assuming it to be paranoia and just the city outside.

[mod-kyoko]

OSHITTT YOU’RE BACK AAAAAAAAAAA

May I please request Kyoko, Mahiru, and Mikan with an S/O that has DISTURBINGLY high pain tolerance and cares very little whenever he gets injured?

i don't know who you are anon but you don't know how freakin happy you just made me "you're back" like holy shit i am that well liked on here ;-; all i want in life is for people to get joy out of things i create its so fulfilling so thank you

i was so happy when i got this actually that i wanted to work on it immediately but i had a couple other asks (asks that were collecting dust that i feel incredibly guilty about) but anyway excuse my rambling and here you go:

kyoko, mahiru, and mikan x (male) reader with a crazy high pain tolerance

the first time she ever witnessed you get injured was when you were prepping dinner

you needed to slice a few vegetables, but weren't being super careful with the knife

oops

suddenly your finger was gushing blood

if there wasn't so much blood, in fact, you wouldn't have even noticed you hurt yourself

it wasn't really a big deal to you, your reaction was kind of just "oh shit, lemme get a bandaid"

well, let me tell you, a bandaid would not fix this

you turned around, examining your bloody finger, and kyoko, who was preparing a cup of tea, gasped

she rushed over to you and grabbed your hand

"this is going to need stitches, s/o."

you looked down at it. it was a small cut. yeah, there was a lot of blood but honestly? it was barely stinging and you really didn't feel like taking a trip to the hospital

"nah it's fine, babe, i'll just wrap it"

and so you did, despite her protests

it was actually driving her crazy a little bit, how you were able to just pretend like nothing happened

you continued to chop the veggies, but kyoko noticed blood seeping through the gauze

"Okay, you are banned from chopping vegetables, and we are going to the hospital"

you couldn't help but groan in protest

"kyoko, it's fine, it doesn't even hurt"

she rolled her eyes and grabbed your wrist, leading you to your shared car

before you got in, she cupped your face in her gloved hands

"i'm actually worried about you, s/o. even if it somehow 'doesn't hurt,' you need to be able to recognize a bad injury"

it was cute the way her eyes glimmered and her lips pouted while she held you

she wasn't going to let this go

"okay, fine. let's go, babe"

kyoko stared in disbelief as you hopped in the driver's seat

"absolutely not, you aren't in any condition to drive, what are you thinking?"

honestly you don't know why she was making a big deal out of all this, but you knew she would win anyway, so you retreated to the passenger seat

as kyoko got into the driver's side, she let out an exasperated sigh

what was she going to do with you?

mahiru needed you to reach something up high on a shelf, so she dragged over a chair and pointed to what she needed

finally there was a real man around to help her

you weren't really thinking about your footing as you reached for the top shelf, and as you leaned forward, your foot slipped off the chair, and the rest of you fell with it

at first you thought it was just a simple fall, maybe you would get a bruise here or there, but no injuries

until you heard mahiru scream

she was on her knees with her hand on your shoulder, gawking at your left arm

your left arm?

oh

a "couple bruises" was an understatement

you must have fallen on the arm or something, because it was bent completely backwards, obviously not the way it's supposed to

your whole arm was covered in shades of red, purple, and blue

"mahiru, darling, do you think you can drive me to the hospital?" you inquired very nonchalantly

her jaw hung wide open, tears gathering in her eyes

"are you freaking kidding me, s/o? how are you not in pain?"

to her surprise, you let out a chuckle, and wiped away her tears with your thumbs

"it's just a broken arm, it can be fixed. don't worry about it." you assured her, stroking her hair

with an overly aggressive sniffle, she rolled her eyes and stood up

"you're an idiot. come on, let's go."

despite her acting annoyed with you, she was really in pain

it was her fault you got hurt, she made you get on that small chair, not thinking about potential falling

it was almost as if you could read her mind, because as she was driving you to the hospital, you grabbed her hand

"seriously, mahiru, don't worry about it. i'm a klutz."

poor mikan

poor, sweet mikan

the amount of times you have shown up at her doorstep injured is incredible

and she's never gotten used to it

the first time was a common accident in a household

you were making noodles for dinner, and had to strain out the boiling water

well, silly you decided you didn't need oven mitts, so you just picked up the pot and brought it to the sink

...

and, you dropped it

you were standing over the sink already, so it thankfully didn't fall on your feet, but a good amount of boiling water did splash onto your wrist

now, you were standing at mikan's door with your wrist hastily wrapped in gauze

you told her very calmly what happened, but she was not so calm

cue the tears

"s/o!! thats a third degree burn!"

i like to think that mikan is extremely empathetic, like she really feels other people's pain and emotions

she was imagining how painful the experience was for you and immediately started sobbing

the nurse in her then took over, and, still shaking, she dragged you into her kitchen, where the first aid kit was kept

the sight of her sniffling while tending to your burn made you chuckle

she looked up, bewildered, wondering how you could be laughing at a time like this

"seriously, what's got you so worried? it'll heal, right?" you flashed a smile at her, but it didn't calm her so much as make her more hysterical

"oh no, you're in shock! just calm down, s/o, everything will be okay" her voice cracked, but she kept her composure as she wrapped your wrist with some new gauze

as soon as she secured it, you took her in your arms and kissed the top of her head

"i'm so lucky to have you," you whispered

"seriously why aren't aren't freaking out right now" she sobbed

♤♧♤♧♤♧♤♧♤♧♤♧♤♧♤♧♤♧♤♧♤♧

fuck,,, these girls have my heart

thanks again for the ask !

-mod kyoko

[wickedapostate]

for Hawke: canvas: Does your OC have any scars, piercings, tattoos, or other markings? Do they display or cover them up at all? for Zinnia: change: Has your OC ever drastically changed their appearance? Significant haircuts, big tattoos, complete wardrobe swap, etc? Why? How do they feel about the change? for Nazari: armor: What kind of armor does your OC wear? Is it well kept? Bonus: where does it come from? Is there a story behind it?

Meme / Accepting!

💖

Garrett

He does have a significant amount of scars all across his body, he is frequently putting himself on the frontlines as a tank and taking damage so he can be even more dangerous as a reaver. Scars from this he makes no effort to hide and no effort to really show off. If asked about any of them though, he'll tell you a story about how he got it, about 70% of the time the story is true (the rest he earnestly forgets when he got)

He also has top scars after his twin Marian was able to blood magic off his boobs. These he tries to conceal unless around friends, in which case he'll happily show them off

His ears are pierced though he rarely wears any earings as they're too likely to get grabbed and pulled out

And lastly, across his nose, he has a large slashing scar. It was at Ostgar that he got it, a strike that would have killed him had he not bashed his shield into the path of the sword and changed its course. Originally he wasn't trying to hide the injury when he swiped across his nose to try to get the blood to stop running down his nose. In Kirkwall though, he eventually started using some war paint to swipe across his nose both to give the smugglers something to remember him by, and so people would stop asking about what happened. Then one thing lead to another and it became a Hawke family copyright, whoops

Zinnia

Yes! They have actually quite a lot! Spefically get hair changes a lot throughout the game

At the start its a braided bun, that one in the default character creator, she is heavily wound up and holding back from just about everything

Then after Hawke is lost to The Nightmare, things really really stink in as serious on a personal level, and she tries to pivot to being pragmatic above all else. The bun goes, and her braid becomes a tight one that goes along where her middle part would be, no stray hairs, no time to mess around

Then her and Solas have their fateful talk, she's already drank from the well, they already are overwhelmed, they're already questioning the pantheon. She ends up letting Solas remove her vallaslin. It's next to impossible to adjust to seeing her face bare again, it makes them feel like a child

Between Corypheus' defeat and trespasser she changes up her look again. Firstly getting a new vallaslin, one that she's designed, it's a full body one with elements on pretty much every part of their body. Secondly, they start wearing their hair in twin braids that she wears over her shoulders, and let's herself have some loose hair framing their face. Their presentation is still considered, but far freer than before

I'm still figuring out what they'll look like by the time of Veilguard but right now I'm thinking they've changed their hairstyle to one large thick braid along with hair framing their face

Nazari

A very good question, unfortunately... Nazari doesn't really wear armor. There's none that fit her comfortably, and she's confident with her barrier spells

You could maybe count her gloves as armor cause they're made of a tiny bit of metal? She pretty much just made them to look cool. Here's an example of what they look like

I do also have a description of her combat/adventuring outfit

"A sleeveless layered top, the under layer is a elegantly patterned deep purple toned turtle neck, the top layer is a v neckline that slightly pops out around the neck in a dark violet velvet. It is tucked into black trousers held up by a belt, the sides are cut out and stitched back together with black cord in an X pattern, a move to make the pants fit better on herself. The pants are tucked into caff height black leather boots which have had it's straps dyed purple-ish."

The funniest part of this all is that originally Nazari was gonna be a warrior

[kirythestitchwitch]

assassin!Klaus/fence!Caroline au - Girl, buy a clue: he is flirting!

He was taking too long. Caroline did her best not to fidget, a bad tell at the best of times, but he brought it out in her. His careful hands–hands that could have belonged to a musician or maybe a sculptor–kept touching things and despite the gloves he wore, she would have to take a Lysol wipe to the knives after he left. 

That was hardly a logical response but Klaus Mikaelson brought that out in her.

Sliding a knife from the velvet cloth they were kept rolled in when tucked out of sight, Klaus tested the weight of it in his hand. “You always have such an eye for a well-crafted blade.” The blue of his eyes was warm as he looked at her sidelong across the knife. “I appreciate you opening your private stock to me on such short notice.”

Caroline crossed her arms. “Well, you did promise to make it worth my while. Where’s this chip?” She made her voice sound skeptical out of habit. Annoyingly, Klaus had always come through on a promise, and he wasn’t likely to start being flaky now.

A sly little smile lingered around his mouth as he slid two fingers into an inner pocket of his casual yet stylish coat and pulled on the ends of a loop of bright blue ribbon. Soon a necklace slipped free and Klaus held it out towards her, like a temptation. Caroline hesitated a moment, then put out her hand for him to drop the necklace into. It pooled in her hand, slightly warm from being next to his skin, ribbon a satin tease against her fingers.

It was a locket, blue and white enamel forget-me-nots on the lid studded with tiny diamonds. The ribbon ended in a necklace clasp. Victorian, excellently cared for, and worth a pretty penny all on its own, the necklace shown in the lights of her cozy outer showroom. She could think of several buyers in the jewelry market who would coo over this, despite the lack of original chain.

“It’s very pretty,” she allowed, prying it open to reveal a Micro SD card inside where a picture probably once resided. Gingerly, she plucked it out of the necklace. “Are you looking to sell it?” Snapping it closed, Caroline wiggled it in her hand, yes or no.

“Sell? No. It’s a bit of a momento, you see.” Klaus set the knife back down on the velvet.

“Pity.” With an underhand throw, she tossed the locket back to him, and he predictably snatched it out of the air. From behind the counter she stood behind, she pulled out a tablet and pressed the SD card into a slot in the side. Tapping her finger on the screen, she opened up the password prompt from the predictably encrypted chip.

“Don’t suppose you’ll give me the password?” She joked, starting to turn the tablet towards him.

“Caroline,” he said simply, and she paused, waiting. After a moment, he clarified. “That’s the password. ‘Caroline.’”

She stared at him for a moment, face turning inexplicably rosey. “That’s a terrible password. Someone could brute-force hack that in like five minutes.” 

Klaus looked extremely amused at this. “They’d have to take it off my person first, and after you kill the first dozen professional pickpockets, the rest tend to get the message. Still, there is the occasional stupid young one.”

Caroline shot him an appalled look as she turned the tablet back around to face her. “Please tell me you aren’t killing every teenager that tries to pickpocket you on the subway?” The mayor would have to declare another Son of Sam.

He shrugged unconcernedly. “A broken wrist seems to suffice as a deterrent,” he replied, as if he and that Ducati he had parked in the alleyway outside her showroom had any passing acquaintance with the subway. You probably couldn’t open her up in the city–although something told her that Klaus didn’t give much of a damn about speed limits–but maybe he got out of the city and let her go on the highways out of New York. She absolutely, positively, did not wish he would take her with him and let her feel that wind in her hair, nope.

Having those types of thoughts–or any others about Klaus–were off-limits. He was a client, nothing more.

[responsiblyirresponsible]

The Most Irresponsible...Man(?) in Space, Chapter 1: At Liberty You May Be, But Not To Say Just Anything

Peacetime settles upon the crew of the Soyokaze enroute to home, as an unexpected announcement brings an upheaval even to the consistently irregular lives of those who serve under Tylor. Just what awaits them on the other side as peace finds the crew with more time than they could ever want away from one another, and what exactly is the cause of it all?

Once I started fronting, it seemed like the right thing to do that I, well, do the 'write thing'! If you've never watched the Irresponsible Captain Tylor, well, you're allowed to do whatever you want, whenever you want. As for me? I'm posting this.

Thanks to @beedokart for the illustration commission!

On AO3 and under the cut:

There were many ordinary days aboard the United Planets Space Force destroyer Soyokaze, and perhaps just as many extraordinary ones. The thing about either of those kinds of day was the difficulty in determining which was which.

After all, when the extraordinary becomes frequent, doesn’t it become typical? And when the ordinary becomes less commonplace, isn’t it exceptional when it happens?

Is the extraordinary simply that which defies convention?

And if so, on a ship like the Soyokaze, could it not be said that a day when everything goes according to schedule and all crew members perform their duties as assigned is, well….

Really fucking weird?

This was the question, put in more polite terms, that Yuriko Star and Makoto Yamamoto put to one another. As the sole members of the crew who had ever held to anything even approaching the by-the-book standards of the UPSF, their ordinariness was itself extraordinary.

“Ms. Star,” Yamamoto chuckled in a more amiable tone than he might have used earlier in his service aboard the Soyokaze, “sometimes I wonder whether you and I are the only sane people aboard this ship.”

“But Mr. Yamamoto, wouldn’t that make us the aberrant ones?” Yuriko asked with a smile. This conversation (and variations upon it) had been continuing for some time across several days, and reaching this point caused a smile to sneak across her lips.

“And therefore, insane?” Yamamoto affirmed with a nod. “Yes, that is exactly what I was thinking. And if insanity is the norm, and being sane means that we are in turn insane, then therefore…?”

“We’re the same as everyone else aboard, is what you’re saying?”

Yamamoto came to a stop, standing almost as if at attention as he slapped a gloved fist into his palm, barking, “precisely!”

He held the pose for a single beat as Yuriko stared at him, her slight smile threatening to break out into a full grin until Yamamoto’s rigid posture relaxed.

“Too much?” He asked, his smile seeming a bit more abashed as he scratched the back of his head, ruffling his hair and shifting his uniform cap forward on his brow.

“Maybe for the rest of the Space Force, but I think it’s just right for the Soyokaze,” Yuriko answered, starting to walk ahead of him. She took the halls in with a long, sweeping gaze, wondering aloud, “who would have ever thought that either of us would become, well, so very accustomed to this ship and its crew? That this place, this ship could become….”

“Home?” Yamamoto suggested, moving quickly for a moment to catch up.

Yuriko turned her head to look up at him as he neared, and said, “I was thinking, more like ‘family’.”

Yamamoto looked up, to the right, down, and back at Yuriko, his brow furrowed in thought.

“Do you suppose that makes the Captain the ‘father’?”

Slowing her stride for a moment and falling behind Yamamoto herself, Yuriko considered it, and shook her head. “I’d say he’s more like an eccentric uncle, but even that….”

“...Somehow doesn’t feel exactly right, does it,” Yamamoto agreed. “Well, we’ll have to come up with something to say about him. They’re going to be writing books about us, Ms. Star.”

“Not exactly the way you hoped to go down in history, is it?” Yuriko asked, sighing.

It wasn’t quite defeat, nor amusement.

More like….

Acceptance.

“I think the Captain would say,” Yamamoto began, doing his best to imitate Tylor’s relaxed expression after a quarter century of taking himself seriously, “that it may not be what we expected, but ‘that’s alright anyway, isn’t it?’ Or, well, something to that effect.”

“Yes,” Yuriko agreed, “it’s certainly alright. Or at least, better than the times when we were demoted, held captive, or thought the Captain was going to be executed.”

“Commendations and promotions all around? Recognition of meritorious service for our role in ending the conflict with the Raalgon Empire?” Yamamoto asked, staring into a distance that may have laid far beyond the turn in the hallways that stood some meters away from them. “Yes, Ms. Star, I certainly do think it’s better than all of that.”

Yuriko laughed softly, and was about to observe that being held captive by the Raalgons had actually been fairly decent under the rule of Azalyn Goza XVI when she overheard a pair of familiar voices at a volume just outside of the range of intelligibility.

“Is that the Captain…and Admiral Mifune?” Yuriko asked, looking at Yamamoto.

He paused, listening with a hand cupped to his ear before whispering, “it sounds like it. I wonder what they’re…but it wouldn’t be right to eavesdrop.”

Blinking, Yuriko considered that.

“That’s very true, Mr. Yamamoto,” she quietly agreed as a slightly mischievous glint came to her eyes, “but is it really eavesdropping if it happens in a public corridor on the way to the bridge? We’re heading that way, anyway.”

As she started ahead, Yamamoto shook his head slowly and followed, murmuring something that sounded like, “I believe Ms. Kim may be a bad influence on you….”

It was indeed the Captain up ahead, a video communicator in-hand and displaying the image of Vice Admiral Mifune, the camera pointing at an angle that would not have shown them peering around the corner.

“I understand,” Mifune was saying as Yuriko and Yamamoto edged further around the corner, “then, in recognition of your achievements and that of your crew, I hereby grant Commander…’Justy’?”

It was an odd emphasis on the Captain’s name, and it made Yuriko move into view of the communicator to try and prompt an explanation, as Tylor hummed for a moment in apparent consideration before replying, “well, I guess it’ll do for now.”

“Then, Commander Justy Ueki Tylor, I hereby grant you and the crew of the Soyokaze a period of no fewer than three and no more than five months of liberty,” Mifune said, seeming to notice the pair of eavesdroppers. “Ah, Lieutenant—no, Lieutenant Commander Yamamoto, Commander Star. The same goes for you as well. Good work.

“Liberty—you mean shore leave?” Yuriko asked, searching her admittedly fairly detailed memories of regulations, and coming up with no explanation. “But for such a long period of time?”

“Admiral Mifune, isn’t liberty typically measured in days, not months?” Yamamoto asked, looking uncertain of what he might even do with that much time. “What possible cause could you have for that? A quarter of a year at the very least?”

Mifune’s eyes moved oddly in Tylor’s direction, and Tylor nodded.

“Off the record, the reason is medical leave. Command has become aware that Captain Tylor is in need of a routine procedure for reasons that are not life-threatening, but will nevertheless mandate a lengthy period of recovery. On paper, however, the justification will be that maintenance crews have discovered potentially critical faults in the Soyokaze’s engines. Once her Captain is cleared to return to duty, the Soyokaze will likewise be declared spaceworthy,” Mifune said, sighing before muttering under his breath just loud enough to come over the comms, “if it could ever be called that in the first place.”

With all of his usual grace and sincerity (which is to say, very little and perhaps too much), Tylor managed a salute and an ebullient, “Thank you, Vice Admiral, sir! I promise you won’t regret it.”

As the transmission cut out, Yuriko could swear she heard Mifune grumble, “I already—”, but Tylor was already ambling away, his usual bowlegged gait seeming somehow more contained. Yet at the same time, spritely.

It might have been Yuriko’s imagination, but it even almost looked like his hips were swaying.

“I’ll be in my quarters for a bit, ‘kay?” Tylor said with a backwards wave. “Feel free to tell everyone the good news!”

Turning to face Yamamoto, Yuriko was met by a mystified expression that matched the one she felt on her own face. The ship’s XO gave the shrug of a man who had just been told he was going to have a months-long vacation with obscure justifications: a physical expression of the sentiment of, ‘well, yeah, but….’

“I think it goes without saying at this point that anything involving our captain is going to defy common sense,” Yamamoto said, sighing through his nose and slumping bodily downwards for just a breath, before straightening up and saying, “but does that change our duty? I think not. I, for one, am due on the bridge, and anything else will simply have to wait.”

With that, he led the way, and Yuriko followed after.

The usual bridge crew greeted her:

At navigation, pilot Harold Katori, recently risen to the rank of Lieutenant proper. Joining him in that promotion was helmswoman Kim Kyung-Hwa at the conn. Yuriko had come to accept that, in spite of their idiosyncracies, the pair were perfectly capable of running the ship without command in an emergency.

Aside from the Captain’s hopefully temporary absence, the bridge also saw one addition who was just as common by his presence as Tylor was by his absence: the ship’s surgeon, Hidezaburo Kitaguchi, presently peering down the open doorway into the hall that led to the Captain’s quarters. Among all of the oddities of the ship, Doctor Kitaguchi was perhaps one of the oddest due to one simple detail.

That detail was inexplicable, and Yuriko still did not fully believe it, but supposedly, somehow...Kitaguchi seemed to function better as a medic when he was drinking. It wasn’t that he suffered any kind of debilitating withdrawal; modern medicine and UPSF healthcare being what it was, the thirtysomething naval surgeon had a healthier liver than many civilian teetotalers.

“I don’t need to be the best doctor in the fleet to know that something’s up, between your expressions and the Captain’s shit-eating grin,” Kitaguchi said, glancing back again towards the door to Tylor’s quarters before turning to face Yuriko and Yamamoto, adjusting his lenses as he did. “Mind filling a guy in?”

“Well,” Yuriko said, “the Captain did encourage us to tell everyone.”

With a self-satisfied smirk, Yamamoto announced to the three other crew members present, “Commander Star and I happened to catch the Captain speaking to the Vice-Admiral. The crew of the Soyokaze will soon be enjoying the rare treat of several months of liberty!”

“You’re kidding!” Lt. Kim gasped, as Katori let out a less articulate noise of surprise.

“Months? In my informed opinion, that’s what we call ‘mighty suspicious’,” Kitaguchi said more to himself than the audience around him, rubbing his bushy brown beard. “Even with our accomplishments of late and the formalization of peace with the Raalgons, a leave that long? Why, it just doesn’t make sense!”

Yuriko shook her head. “Doctor, you took the words right out of my mouth.”

“Is that so?”

Taking her usual seat, Yuriko searched for answers in the view of the vastness of space beyond the Soyokaze. If the stars knew something, they weren’t indicating it, so she was left to ask, “if it’s medical leave, why wouldn’t they call it medical leave in the first place? To call it liberty…!”

“Medical leave?” Katori gasped, looking at Yamamoto, and then at Lt. Kim; the former nodded his head, while the latter let out an ‘I dunno’ noise.

Doctor Kitaguchi, in turn, let out a laugh.

“Oh, is that the situation? That explains everything.”

As the ship’s surgeon relaxed and took a swig from a bottle that the rest of the bridge crew hadn’t noticed until that moment, Yamamoto boggled.

“You mean to tell me, there’s precedence for this?”

Taking a moment longer to drink, Kitaguchi let out a breath and said, “well, sure! A UPSF officer whose medical records show he’s in perfect health, going on medical leave that’s officially reported as shore leave? That’s textbook cover for, well…it isn’t my place to say.”

Yuriko was shocked at Kitaguchi's sudden clamming up. “Doctor!”

In turn, Kitaguchi’s expression soured behind his ever-present sunglasses and thick beard. “Haven’t you people ever heard of a little thing called medical ethics? If the Captain doesn’t want us to know, and the brass didn’t say anything, then my lips…are sealed!”

At that, he took another swig, and made his way to the exit from the bridge, leaning against the doorframe in a hunched posture.

“But—!” Yamamoto uttered as he reached out towards Kitaguchi , before seeming to let it go, palming his face and groaning into his glove, “oh, who am I kidding? A man is entitled to his privacy, after all.”

Straightening up a bit, the doctor slipped out from the bridge, saying something very strange as he did.

It sounded more than a bit like, “a man and his privacy? Well, give it a few months. We’ll see which part of that remains true.”

---

This was it.

After months of sitting around uncertain of what exactly to do with himself, fielding question after question from members of the crew who were certain that he must know something of what was happening to Captain Tylor, and only being able to offer the same assurances that he was reliably informed that the Captain was in good health and would be returning soon….

The Soyokaze was declared spaceworthy and ready.

From what the Vice Admiral had said, that meant that Captain Tylor was alright and would be back to his usual self. The lifestyle to which Makoto Yamamoto had become accustomed against all odds was finally going to be restored, and the mind-numbing routine of the life he used to treasure was at long last behind him.

Or at least, it would be.

After he put on his best crowd-pleasing smile and tried to not scream about a bunch of politicians, celebrities, and who-knows-who’s-whos with the right connections to be invited on a tour of the refitted, refurbished, re-shined and resplendent Soyokaze.

The crowd continued filtering in, familiar and unfamiliar faces alike blurring into a sea of disingenuous ingratiation. It all felt so fake, so plastic. A cheery mask hiding the frustrations at dealing with people who didn’t know the first thing about what was going on underneath the surface.

Not that he’d ever let it show.

That was the point of a mask like that. You showed people what they wanted to see: the gleaming blue Soyokaze, the ship that had brought peace between the United Planets and the Holy Raalgon Empire, pride of the UPSF.

Not the mis-fitted boat full of misfits that he had come to adore.

These talking heads wouldn’t understand the charm of it, the brilliance of the Captain who was still absent. After all, even Yamamoto himself had needed to endure mortal peril to grasp it. How could someone understand if they had never served under any commander, much less Tylor?

Oh, the media had tried their best to find out. But to their frustration, the crew’s interviews were seemingly inconsistent—all of them containing some kernel of the truth, of course. And the Captain was even harder to find, with the UPSF brass seeming to block any information about Tylor that wasn’t a mere trickle of the same facts of his public achievements.

It was actually all kind of strange.

They hadn’t even officially released any photos of the man. And when Yamamoto noticed that a broadcast of one of his own interviews had been oddly cut, he learned that the Space Forces Public Relations Bureau had mandated a redacted version of not only his own testimony for the camera, but all other crew members.

So, no.

None of the people touring the ship could understand it, and they certainly couldn’t understand Tylor. The mystery of it and the inability to properly convey the admiration he had come to feel for his Captain was an irritant that Yamamoto could not allow himself to show, of course.

So, he suffered through the introductions.

The xenoanthropologist Vivienne Hawkins, a noted expert on Raalgon culture.

Bradley Stanton, a vocal critic of the war who seemed no happier that things had ended peacefully, looking about the ship as though he expected something to go wrong at any moment.

Millie Russel, a popular scientist often appearing on televised discussions of the news of the war. Filmmaker Dean Emmerich, celebrity reporter Audrey Pitillo, some politician named Ebert Lerner, basketball star Charles Thiele, diplomat Ilene Ziyi and her sister Ling, other politicians like Ishirō Watanabe and Gareth Anno, retired warship captain Gordon Douglas, author Martin Stevens….

An endless parade of people whose names and faces he increasingly only knew because he had spent two days studying the list of those who would be allowed aboard the Soyokaze for its official pronouncement as spaceworthy.

There were, of course, a few last-minute changes he didn’t recognize, but he’d been advised of that, as well. Not that those responsible could be bothered to tell him the names. He was fairly certain that he had the count right, or….

Yamamoto stifled a yawn by inhaling and exhaling deeply through his nose, the action briefly distracting him from the total count.Well, it was just a matter of redundancy in accounting for every person boarding the ship. They wouldn’t have even gotten onto the shuttle if they hadn’t been someone allowed aboard, after all.

He didn’t need to worry about it.

The Captain wouldn’t want him to worry about it.

The Captain would….

“Where is he, anyway,” Yamamoto muttered under his breath, looking around. The Captain really should have been there to greet every one of these people. In fact, he was rather surprised that none of them seemed bothered by the fact that they were only being greeted by the ship’s first officer.

Yes, none of them looked all that out of place at all.

At least until the last member of the tour group came through the shuttle door, and Yamamoto was compelled by her appearance to blurt out, “Commander Star?”

But no, it couldn’t be her. After all, the brown-haired woman in the red halter dress that stood at the door to the shuttlecraft couldn’t possibly have been the same person as the fellow officer who had not yet budged at her place by his side. Yuriko looked just as surprised, but more at his questioning stare than her doppelganger.

“What is it, Mr. Yamamoto?”

He looked back and forth again, as the woman found her way to the crowd of politicians and celebrities, and pointed as politely as he could, saying, “it’s just, that woman looked so much like you—Commander Star, is she related to you somehow?”

Craning her head over to look, Yuriko narrowed her eyes, and shook her head. “I’m afraid I’m the only child of only children going back a few generations. And I really don’t see the resemblance, myself.”

“Oh, well, if you say so,” Yamamoto murmured, snapping to attention and putting on his best smile. “Ladies and gentlemen, if you’ll just follow myself and Commander Star, we can get started on the tour!”

It was mind-numbing pleasantries with people he couldn’t relate to, all while he found his eyes sweeping over the refitted and polished Soyokaze for anything amiss. Yamamoto knew he was often taken for a man who did well in social situations and prestigious environments, but the truth of it was that he was simply very good at following the rules as presented. He thrived on structure, on being able to predict his day, on certain norms.

And under Tylor, he’d gotten used to the rules being misrule, the predictions being less reliable than outright gambles, and the norms being abnormal.

Things going according to plan seemed, well…distressing, at this point.

As Commander Star took the lead on presenting the Soyokaze’s interior to her guests, Yamamoto looked for something, anything to seem unusual enough to get him back into the constant abnormality of serving under Tylor.

His eyes settled onto that last woman who had exited the shuttle, whose name didn’t come to him, in spite of her oddly familiar appearance. She seemed to linger towards the back of the group, a khaki bundle of heavy fabric folded up tight under one arm. Perhaps some sort of odd bag or case. The security sensors on the shuttle and in the Soyokaze’s bay would have detected anything dangerous inside of it, so he ignored it in favor of the woman’s appearance above the shoulders as she fell into step less than a meter beside him.

On closer examination, he had to admit that the resemblance wasn’t quite as strong as he’d thought at first. Where Commander Star’s hair was a pleasantly warm chestnut brown matched closely by her dark eyes, the hair of the woman in red was several shades darker.

And her eyes…he found himself lost in them as they moved across the interior surfaces of the Soyokaze. A deep and endless blue, like the promise of the vast seas or the open skies. A downward slope of azure, like the stony sides of a distant mountain. What was it that type of eye was called? Ah yes, ‘tareme’. The kind of eyes that, if his life was a work of fiction, might have suggested a soft innocence, a sad yet delicate kindness. Eyes that said the nearby ears would listen to his heart.

Those eyes met his gaze, and crinkled with an almost mischievous smile.

There was something familiar about those eyes, and that smile. Beyond the resemblance to his fellow officer, he just couldn’t shake the feeling.

The group ahead of them had shifted far enough forward that he couldn’t quite make out what Commander Star was saying, and anything he himself might have said would have surely been inaudible to anyone aside from the woman beside him. And so, he cleared his throat and asked in as sober and professional tone as he could muster, befitting a man of his experience and rank, “um, have we…met somewhere? It’s just, you look so familiar.”

“Oh?” The woman uttered, her voice surprisingly husky, the richness comparable to a well-aged liquor. As her eyes narrowed with a widening smile that made the blue sparkle like sapphires, he felt certain that liquor was the right comparison: he felt drunk on that smile.

What a man like him wouldn’t do for a smile like that. It was the kind of smile that could charm you even if you weren’t the sort to find women attractive, especially with those eyes, moving over him so mirthfully as something tugged at her lips.

A sound bubbled up from inside her beautiful form.

And to Commander Yamamoto’s confusion, it was a snickering, snorting laugh.

“Mr. Yamamoto,” the woman said in that rich, deep voice, a voice that was strangely familiar, “you can’t mean to say you don’t recognise me after all? I know I’ve changed a bit, but you of all people?”

He felt sweat beading on his brow, in the palms of his hands, and a few more unmentionable and uncomfortable places.

Swallowing down his nerves, Makoto Yamamoto murmured, “you know my name, but to my shame as a man, I cannot seem to recall yours. I’m afraid you have me at a disadvantage, Miss…?”

Now smiling more toothily, a wide and guileless grin, the woman held out her hand in greeting—no, no greeting at all:

She slapped him on the shoulder, saying, “oh, Mr. Yamamoto, you silly man! It’s me, Captain Tylor!”

They say that a chick that cannot break its shell will die without being born. But was the Captain we knew really just an egg, or is it the whole world that’s scrambled?   Next time: I Told You That So I Could Tell You This. Watch for it!