#got that religious trauma drip

[ahappydnp]

thinking about the pholly of man

answer not a phool according to his pholly, lester you be like him yourself

phoverbs 10:09 ⚞ ⚟

[stuck-writing-sickos]

In Poor Taste [P5]

(Yandere × F! Reader)

[Warning: addiction, alcohol, ageism, sexism, misogyny, mention of bodily harm, religious trauma]

[A/N: its high time we show yuki some love 🫶]

[Series Link]

You were never crazy about spoiled rich men. They couldn't stand being unremarkable.

"Bless me, father, for I have sinned."

Silence. The stuffy wood walls felt as if it was contracting.

"It's been five years since my last confession, and I accuse myself of the following sin."

No answer yet as per customary. Lukas tugged at his tight collar, anxious. His blunt fingernails reached inside the gap, letting a puff of air hit his chest dripping with sweat.

"I am lost, father."

"And why did you say that?"

"I have nothing special about me. I never really had to try hard to get what I want, and now... I don't know which path to take."

"You walk with God, my child."

Something within his chest inflated, leaving him gasping for air.

"Is that all there is, Father?"

"We are all nothing without Him. He will show you the way."

Lukas wanted to get out of the booth, but he couldn't. His body was frozen in place. Panic set in as he tried to squirm only to find his strength redundant.

"I don't see it, Father!", he tried to scream, but his voice came out weak, "I don't see it... I need to forge my own."

"And how do you plan to do that, when you are unspecial and lost?"

The priest's voice wasn't singular anymore. It dissolved into a chorus of many, thunderous and firm. Lukas heaved, choking on the taste of pennies. He felt a weight from the other side pressing against the confession window, closing the walls in.

The curtain cracked open. Lukas could only look as a hand reached in and grabbed his collar, harshly yanking him forward as if he was a ragdoll. His body was then unbound, light and fluid like water.

He gasped, his eyes fluttering open. Lukas felt the cold sweat on his neck. Between dream and reality, he almost remembered the bruised knuckle and the familiar fingers that pulled him awake.

___

Yuki figured the newbie was a quick learner, but he didn't think Lukas would pick up on your introversion that quickly.

It was ironic that this newcomer was already half of the foreign staff present in the end-of-year dinner that the foreign dept threw. The other half was you. Together you and him sat, tall and quiet. The cozy private restaurant lounge was bustling with chatters, but not one peep from this pair. Far off from the other side of the long table, Yuki could only steal glances at you who only nodded and smiled at any attempts at conversations that went your way. He was worried that Lukas might try something weird tonight what with alcohol so readily available, but so far he had seen nothing but a rather impressive effort at maintaining social norms. He assumed that ought to clear his mind, yet any time he found himself letting his guard down, he was sorely reminded of the punk rock clothing site. Some parts of him were starting to manifest doubt - was he the weird one for fixating? Was it some... American norms he failed to consider? After all, Australian culture could very well be less intense than its riveting cousin. Deciding at last that he was overthinking, he tried to keep up with the conversations around him.

If something bad were to happen, you'd say something, right?

"Say, Sakamoto", he jumped at Tahara's voice, surprised to see she had her attention on him now, "are you ever gonna get married?"

Instantly, eyes were on him. Yuki shifted, laughing nervously.

"Yeah", another voice chimed in, "You're 26, you're earning good money, you got your family's name. Women must be flocking to you."

That voice would be Hanao, quite possibly his least favorite senior. 33, begrudgingly married and completely removed from the concept of boundaries, he could only get worse with a pint in his hand.

"I have some unmarried cousins who would look great on you", Tahara piled onto the mess she herself caused, "Do you want a blind date with her?"

"Or look around the dept", Hanao exclaimed, his ugly habit of getting loud when he got drunk seeping in, "so many young, beautiful ladies are lining up for you!"

Yuki couldn't help but notice the discomfort on the faces of the "ladies" in question, their gaze downcasted or unsubtly turned away.

"Hanao, that's not fair to them", Yuki finally interfered, treading carefully so as not to trigger another terrible habit Hanao got up his sleeves when alcohol got into his system - getting angry, "they are not lining up for me, I'm sure."

"Nonsense", the older man dismissed, waving him off. Yuki's back felt cold as Hanao fully turned to his younger female colleagues who had gotten stiff and awkward, walled in by the long table and the crowd of coworker.

"Wouldn't you ladies want him? He's a bit dull and quiet, but he's a good kid. He is handsome, and his wallet is thick, too. I'm telling you, if you want a chance you better be quick."

The young women politely tried to move on from the topic, but it only fueled his insistence. Stressed out that Hanao was stuck on talking about marriage, Yuki finished his drink painstakingly fast. Hazy now, he landed the pint harshly.

"Excuse me... I should go for a smoke."

"Hey, what's the rush? Are you embarrassed?", Hanao asked, "It's okay Sakamoto, men only get finer with age! Sit down, I think Ms. Sasaki is interested, right?"

Yuki was already standing up with a cigarette in his mouth by the time Sasaki meekly protested. Something about "Mr. Hanao, you're so mean. He will hate me now!"

He looked at the girl. Yuki barely remembered any interaction they had with each other. Did they ever even talk? She was smiley, cheerful, and she had a sweet voice, but he didn't find anything reeling him in. In fact, the expectant look on her face as she tried to make eye contacts made Yuki queazy. Nervous and tense, he excused himself without even acknowledging her presence.

Sometimes, the body remembers things the mind tries to forget.

The smell of food followed him outside. Yuki hurried to a street corner, anxious for that first hit of nicotine to cool his head. Tipsy and disoriented, he was fumbling with the lighter when he saw you. He must had missed you slipping out of the party when Tahara and Hanao cornered him with their tedious talk of marriage. You were on your phone. Your thumbs were still hovering over the bright screen when you. Clearing his throat to make his presence know, Yuki was startled by the blank stare you gave his way.

"Everything okay?", he asked and walked over to stand by your side. Your eyes didn't follow his movement. You looked straight ahead, your face drained of any expression.

"Yes", you tried to sound casual, but your voice were light as air, "everything is fine."

He finally managed to light his cigarette. The first pull was long and crisp. His flexed shoulders dropped as he leaned against the wall and sigh, satisfied. From the corner of his eyes, he could see you tapping on your phone, your fingers typing up a storm. Something was wrong, he could tell, but he didn't want to push. Beside, he was just drunk enought to feel content keeping your company in silence.

It was by the second cigarette that you peeped: "can I have one, Sakamoto?"

That messed with his buzz. Propping himself upright, he turned over to face you.

"No."

You didn't respond. Instead, you stared at him with desperate eyes and quivering lips. Yuki watched your fingers curling up and flexing. A twinge in his chest made him drop the stern tone.

"What happened?"

You hung your head. Your quiet, exasperated voice was almost swallowed by the city's white noise: "please..."

He sighed and fished out one, seeing that it was no use persuading you. His hand hesitated as yours reached over, starved.

"You've quitted for 3 years. You were doing good."

You didn't say anything.

"Are you sure?" He asked for the last time, and the ache in his chest tugged again as he saw you nodding. He handed over the stick and watched helplessly as you stuck it between your teeth. As a last ditch effort, he tossed his lighter into the nearby dumpster.

"I'm sorry", he sighed and took another drag, puffing smoke out his nose, "you can call me a hypocrite, I deserve it. But I just can't-

He was cut off by your cool skin grazing his own as you took his cigarette right out of his mouth. Gently, you placed the burning end onto your unlit one and pulled until you've successfully kindled.

"I'm sorry", you choked, handing back what you'd stolen. He took it, slow and bewildered.

"It's okay. I'm worried, though. Did Lukas do something weird? You know you can tell me."

Your shoulders closed in. You couldn't look him in the eyes.

"No, not Lukas."

__

Lukas didn't like the hot, crawling excitement his body manifested when you were near. He couldn't focus. After the concert, he didn't want to face you. He tried to tell himself many things: you weren't any hotter than the girls he had back in college, you were too independent, you didn't bother to act feminine,... Didn't matter. You had something else that he wanted.

That was why no matter how tedious and stressful the dinner party was for him, someone who didn't know a lick of Japanese, he would rather sit in silence than to talk to you. You were quiet next to him, as if lost in thought. The entire day, he had noticed you spacing out and getting distracted. It was out of the ordinary for someone as put-together as you to keep saying "I'm sorry, I must have forgotten". The final straw was when you blankly sipped on your drink only to spill on your skirt. You didn't even react, only sighing and wiping it off with the tissue he handed over.

"Excuse me", your voice was monotone, "I'm going to the bathroom."

He didn't know who that was directed at. Only him, he assumed, since everyone else were lost in their own coversation. Seeing that your beer had splashed on the floor near where you sat, he reached over to wipe it off. His hand was nearby the phone you had forgotten when it buzzed, its screen lighting up.

"He is going through an episode again"

Lukas never thought of himself as someone who would snoop - after all, he never really cared for any women to reach that point - yet that text from your mother stirred up a morbid sense of curiosity. He watched the bright screen blinking again as another text popped up.

"Please... talk to your brother. He's threatening to do it again."

The screen door slid open, snapping him out of it. Quicking resuming his position, he smiled at you who were carefully finding your way back to your seat, side-stepping your coworkers. Your weary smile was poorly faked.

Lukas' heart beat fast. He was itching to ask you about what he saw, though he decided to hold it in. He didn't know how to begin the conversation without admitting that he had violated your privacy...that would warrant a strong reaction. Yet, within his curiosity, Lukas caught a glimpse of anticipation. How would you look at him, if you were to get mad? He tried to imagine you scowling, your jaw flexed and fists clenched. He wonder if you would curse him out. Maybe, you would even hit him.

God, he hoped you would.

Lost in a fantasy, he was grounded again when you softly excused yourself out "for some fresh air". Nobody paid any mind when you rushed off, your feet barely touching the ground.

Maybe now wouldn't be a good time to test out the validity of his craving. Lukas drew his attention to the rest of the party, trying to forget about it. He didn't understand a single thing, but Sakamoto's side was getting loud: he saw the guy bashfully trying to get through a coversation before excusing himself shortly thereafter with a cigarette in his mouth.

Anxiety bubbled in his guts as he sat alone and confused, bothered by the mental image of you and Sakamoto outside, bumping into each other. Would Sakamoto notice something was up with you? He might - the senior was sensible and keen-eyed. Lukas wasn't in love with small details, but he had seen the way the man covered for your lies on the spot. Short on breath, he caught his own fingers playing with the hem of his button-down shirt. Lukas tried to remind himself that whatever fixation he had on you should come to a stop, but amidst a feverish daze he couldn't resist the instinct to insert himself into your narrative. He didn't care if your mood would worsen. In fact, he hoped it would. He hoped you would take it out on him. Pulling himself up, he hurried after you.

By the restaurant entrance Lukas looked left and right, his heart racing. He didn't like that the reason he chose to be out was to interrupt your conversation, so he convinced himself that he was looking for something else, like a convenient store to get a pack of smoke. After all, he had a bad habit of craving them when he drank. Maybe, he could even look for Sakamoto and ask for one.

Lukas walked down the street, his eyes scanning faces of strangers. They didn't look his way, blurring past him like shadows. He wondered if he looked the same to you - a flash of color that breezed by, flat, voiceless, inconsequential. He didn't have time to let that thought eat him away when he caught Sakamoto's tall form leaning against a wall, half of his body hidden in an alleyway. Lukas took a long stride toward the man only in time for the buildings to move to the backend of his vision, revealing you who were giving a lit cigarette back.

[drunk-person]

Look after you (The Gossip) P.11

Pairing: Aemond Targaryen x cousin!reader

Summary: One of the most talked about gossips among the lower class servants in Kings Landing is the fact (or not) that Aemond Targaryen got involved with his cousin Y/n Targaryen when they were both teenagers. Mainly due to the fact that at the age of 17 she was sent to Old Town overnight. Some employees claim that Aemond was caught between her legs. Some say that, like her father, she had had a horrible fight with her uncle and aunt and was sent away. And other than that none of this happened, she just became interested in the course offered at the Old Town conservatory. But now five years later, Y/n Targaryen is back, and rumors haunt those who favor them.

This chapter is a part of a main story The gossip, you can find the previous chapter, summary and general tags by accessing the link.

Summary of the chapter: In a world where lies and half-truths reign, truths come to light and choices are finally made.

Warnings of the chapter: 18+, fights, dysfunctional family, severe trauma, mentions of depression, religious guilt, mention of purification rituals, mentions of past abortion no description for reader.

Word count: 15.900 k

A/n: Sorry for the delay dears, this was really hard to write. Hope you all enjoy! Songs of the chapter: Stop Crying Your Heart Out by Oasis, Outro & Wait by M83 and Look after you by The Fray.

Good morning Kings Landing, after the scandal at the charity ball, Targaryen Inc.'s shares have fallen this weekend, but it seems that this did not affect the person responsible for it much, since Aemond Targaryen was seen entering the Aegon's Fort hotel yesterday afternoon. What business would he have to resolve with his cousin or his uncle, who is known to be staying there? The branches of the Targaryen family tree seem to be very close in the last few days.

❦❦❦

Y/n swung on the swing higher and higher as Aemond pushed her, her joyful laughter making him laugh too.

-Higher Aem! - She shouted, throwing her head back to look at him with a smile on her lips while her hair tied with colorful ribbons flew in her face in the wind. - Higher!

-Mommy said it can be dangerous to go that high. - He answered a little fearfully, but still pushing her on the swing harder and harder.

-But if we don't go high then it's no fun! - She shouted laughing once more, throwing her head back to look at him.

Aemond just rolled his eyes laughing and continued to push the chains of the beautiful wooden swing in the garden. When the swing was at a considerable height Y/n jumped off it, making the older boy's eyes widen as he watched her fall onto a pile of golden and orange autumn leaves piled up earlier by the gardener, making them fly through the air and scatter once again across the lawn.

At the same moment Aemond ran towards her with a frightened expression, calling her name with a childish voice overflowing with concern. But when he got close to the pile of leaves he could hear his cousin's happy laughter as she thrashed through the leaves as if she were already playing in the snow.

-I thought you got hurt! - He murmured looking at her still worried.

-Don't be silly Aem. - She laughed, taking out a dry leaf stuck in her hair as she felt a drop of rain dripping on her cheek. - The leaves are soft.

-You could have gotten hurt anyway. - He grumbled, kicking a pebble that was on the grass.

-I'll never get hurt with you always looking out for me. - The youngest replied smiling, rolling her eyes, and with a mischievous look she grabbed several dry leaves and threw them at Aemond before running through the mansion's wide backyard.

-I'll get you! - He shouted, darting after her amidst the flowers and neatly trimmed grass, his silver hair flying in the wind as more soft drops of rain clung to his skin and clothes.

-No, you won't! - She shouted happily, quickly looking back, her hair tied with colorful ribbons and her white dress with ruffles and lace flowing around her as she ran smiling.

The rain became heavier, going from soft drops to thick drops, creating streams of water through the grass and leaving the yard increasingly muddy. It was in one of these mud puddles that Y/n slipped, falling backwards onto the lawn amidst laughter of joy.

Aemond, who was following Y/n at full speed, couldn't help but slip and fall beside her, feeling the cold rain, which was now torrential, falling down his face as he heard the youngest's contagious laughter.

-My dress! - She suddenly shouted, but it was too late, there was already mud stuck all over the white lace fabric.

-It's okay, we can ask my mother if we can go to that store you liked again so we can buy another one. - He smiled, taking her hand and looking at her fondly.

-Swear? - She asked looking down while pouting and carefully stroking the stained lace of the dress.

-I swear! - Aemond assured, squeezing her hand gently as he spoke.

And upon hearing this, Y/n smiled again, rolling around on the wet and muddy grass as if she were a tomboy laughing with fun. With a smile, Aemond plucked a blue hydrangea from the muddy flower bed and gave it to the youngest, who accepted the flower with an even brighter smile on her lips.

-From now on, they are my favorites! - She spoke exultantly with excitement, holding the flower against her chest.

Aemond's bones ached with cold at this point, but he didn't care since his heart was warmed with joy.

❦❦❦

The sun bathed the interior of the room with its warmth, but it wasn't enough to warm the cold bed in which Aemond woke up. His bones were still frozen with cold like in the dream, but the warmth of Y/n's laugh had disappeared, making him look around with sleepy eyes in search of her, still slightly intoxicated by his cousin's perfume that was permeated in the hotel pillows. , still almost feeling her soft touch against his skin.

Aemond hadn't even realized it when he slept the night before, he was so tired and so exhausted from the last few days that finally having Y/n's body around his own brought him the peace of mind he so desperately needed to finally fall asleep and rest as he needed. But now looking around, she had disappeared.

-Y/n? - He called her with a voice hoarse from sleep, frowning, getting up from the bed still naked and with messy hair.

The room was completely silent, there was no sound of water running in the shower or of the TV on in the adjacent hall, just a morbid and cruel silence that made Aemond's stomach churn, and he was sure that if he had anything inside him he would have vomited the moment he realized she was gone.

❦❦❦

Not far from the hotel, laughter flowed freely amidst words that contained enough venom to putrefy an entire ocean. At the Heyford residence, friends were eating cake and talking as if their lives depended on it.

-I doubt any of you will try to deny the facts now! - Elyrio said laughingly, pointing the dessert fork at the others present.

-By the Gods, I thought he was going to kill Jason! - Pia muttered, stirring the tea gently before drinking it, her eyes still wide. - Did you see his face?

-Jason's face after Aemond attacked him or Aemond's face that looked like a demon while attacking him? - Lion frowned ironically.

-Even better, Floris's face as she watched her fiancé attack Jason for dancing with a woman who wasn't her. - Jane laughed, throwing her head back on the back of the couch

-I think he groped her ass. - Pia muttered, frowning.

-He didn't, the Targaryen is just crazy. - Lion chuckled, shaking his head. - They are all weird, fucking your cousins for years makes you that way.

-Cousin marriages were quite common. - Pia rolled her eyes and adjusted herself on the sofa. - All of our families have done it.

-Yes, in the middle ages… like centuries ago. - Elyrio grimaced, rolling his eyes.

-Didn't your cousin Tilde marry your cousin from the North last year? - Pia smiled ironically, curving her eyebrows at Lion and Elyrio, who remained silent for a few moments.

-That's beside the point… - Elyrio dismissed the conversation, waving his hand as if that gesture could remove the topic. - They are not direct cousins, almost fourth degree at this point.

-Anyway, I haven't seen Floris since all the confusion started at the ball. - Lion changed the subject soon after.

-You probably won't see her for a long time. - Jane muttered, leaning forward a little on the couch. - I heard one of the Targaryen security guards saying that our dear Y/n broke her nose.

-Damn. - Elyrio laughed, putting his hand to his mouth and throwing himself back on the couch. - The Targaryens will probably hide them both in a capsule in space for about three years after all this.

-Most likely. - Jane rolled her eyes agreeing. - I heard my father saying that Viserys Targaryen called an extraordinary emergency meeting with several members of the company for today after the drop in shares.

-I don't think so… - Pia muttered with her eyes slightly wide as she read a news story on her cell phone and then immediately showed the screen to the others, with the headline and a photo of Aemond leaving Aegon's Fort with the car windows down taken a few minutes ago.

-He must have gone there to give her moral support after seeing all those photos on the way out of the dance. - Pia concluded, turning the screen back to herself.

-We're past that phase, Pia. - Lion rolled his eyes. - With the anger he was in on Friday night, he must have fucked his dear cousin until her brain turned to jelly last night.

-Lion! -Pia croaked, blushing slightly at her friend's foul language.

-Nothing more than facts, little Pia… - He smiled mischievously against the cup, staring at them over the rim. - And now everyone knows about it.

❦❦❦

Aemond dressed in a hurry, looking around the room once more, before slamming the door and going down to the reception, slightly disheveled, without even caring about it. His head was boiling with fear and worry.

-Where's my cousin? - He growled at the reception man with his jaw clenched.

-I don't know, s-sir. - The boy stuttered slightly, unable to look at him properly. - She left a while ago, she said to hand over her luggage to her father and stepmother and ask him to check out.

-You're not going to hand her luggage to anyone! - Aemond hissed lowly with wide eyes, almost jumping over the counter. - Leave everything exactly as it is, am I clear?

-Y-Yes, sir. - The boy nodded nervously as he watched the Targaryen walk hard toward the parking lot, his face contorted in fury.

Aemond got into the car, slamming the door behind him with excessive force, causing a loud bang in the parking lot, feeling his hands tingle with desperation, barely able to put the key in the ignition with the slight tremor that took over his entire body.

-Seven fucking hells! - Aemond shouted in frustration, slamming his hand on the steering wheel as he tried to imagine where the hell Y/n had gone besides the hotel.

Almost completely overcome by despair, he closed his eyes and took a deep breath, mentally repeating the words he wanted to believe now more than ever: "I'll find her, I'll find her." Feeling momentarily calmer, Aemond finally started the car, sighing shortly after as he left the hotel parking lot.

His mind was racing, trying to think of a way to find her. His main idea was to call her, but he had no idea what the youngest's new number was, besides the fact that his phone wasn't with him. Since in his rush to leave the house the day before, he had forgotten it on the bed, along with the clothes Aegon had lent him.

As he drove back to the apartment, Aemond mentally listed who might have her number, but he couldn't think of anyone, since they had been together practically the entire time since the day she arrived until that horrible day when they had the argument.

Aemond felt so foolish, so stupid. He asked himself every moment "How could he let her go? How could he lose her once again?" A lone tear of pain ran down Aemond's cheek as he thought about her, as he thought about the fact that in that moment he would give anything to have his Y/n back smiling by his side.

Daemon's voice seemed to echo through his head, making his stomach churn as he imagined Y/n moving on with life without him, at imagining another man in his place. Memories of the night of the ball invaded his mind, her so beautiful in that red dress next to that wretched Lanister. Aemond's blood boiled at the mere memory, but the anger was instantly replaced by pure pain when he remembered Y/n's voice telling him not to touch her as she pulled away from him.

And amidst all the pain of last Friday's memories pounding through his mind, Y/n's provocative voice seemed to shine, speaking mockingly about her own dress. Olenna's dress, for which Aemond knew that Y/n had such great admiration that it bordered on fanaticism. And with renewed spirit, he accelerated the car even more, since if anyone could have Y/n's number it would certainly be the old fox Olenna Tyrell.

He didn't even bother to lock the car when he got out of the parking lot, he just ran towards the elevator, pressing the button repeatedly, as if that would help the elevator move faster. When he finally opened the main door, Aemond frowned the exact moment he stepped inside, noticing that things were definitely not where he had left them.

A stab of pain shot through his chest and Aemond felt his heart freeze when he saw the open trunk with several of his precious memories scattered across the couch and floor. Without even closing the door behind him, he ran towards where the mess had been made, eyes wide and hands shaking.

Aemond's breathing was almost returning to normal flow, when once again his stomach dropped at the sight of Alicent's expensive moss green leather bag resting on the table in the entrance hall. Bile rose in his throat at the exact moment the realization dawned on him that it was his mother who had come in there and gone through his things.

Feeling his throat almost closing up, he bent down and picked up Mr. Bunny from the couch, and next to the plush, a picture of him and Y/n hugging and laughing on one of her birthdays, while a hot tear ran down her cheek almost to her neck before Aemond wiped it away roughly with the back of his hand. Her smile, frozen forever in that image, almost made him lose his breath once more.

Until Vhagar's soft meow sounded through the room, making him look away at her, who was looking at him curiously while gently rubbing herself against his legs.

-It's okay, dear. - He whispered more to himself than to her, stroking the cat's ears while she was allowing him to do so. - It's going to be okay.

Aemond's voice sounded more determined, before he put the old plush back on the couch and walked to the bedroom looking for his cell phone, almost smiling when he realized it still had enough battery. Aemond was about to leave the apartment with only his cell phone in his hands, when something flashed in the back of his mind.

He would not wait any longer, he would never lose her again, not in this life or in all the others that would come. With this in mind and his heart full of fear, Aemond bent over the trunk, fearing that the wooden box he always kept at the bottom was no longer there, feeling almost instant relief when he saw it intact and unopened among the other things that remained in the trunk.

With a sigh, he grabbed the box and headed toward the elevator, slamming the apartment door behind him. Still with his angry eyes, he strode toward the reception as soon as the elevator door opened, making the doorman flinch slightly.

-May I ask why you let my mother break into my apartment while I was away? - He practically growled at the man, leaning over him as if he were ten feet tall.

-I'm sorry, sir, I didn't mean to. - The doorman muttered without looking him directly in the eyes. - But your cousin asked me to come up and I thought there would be no problems…

-My cousin? - Aemond's voice dropped five octaves in ten seconds upon hearing that, his eyes shining with shock as the threatening posture gradually left him. - Y/n was here?

-Y-yes, sir. - He nodded as he spoke. - She asked me to wait for you, said you wouldn't mind.

-When was that? - Aemond asked, his voice bordering on hysteria. - What time did she come?

-It was yesterday afternoon, she said she would wait for you. But then your mother arrived, sir, and went up too. - The man gestured towards the elevator as he spoke. - She didn't stay up there for long, but as soon as she left it didn't take long and Miss Y/n went too.

-By the fucking gods. - Aemond hissed furiously, and without saying anything else he headed towards the parking lot with his eyes flashing with fury.

He had barely slammed the car door behind him when he selected the Tyrell residence number from his cell phone's contact list, feeling all his body tingle with unease.

-I need to talk to Olenna Tyrell. - He growled angrily as a girl's voice sounded on the other end of the line.

-My grandmother doesn't answer calls on Sundays. - The pretentious and arrogant voice sounded against Aemond's ears, making him even angrier.

-It's extremely urgent. - He hissed slowly through his teeth, his jaw so tight it could break.

-She continues not to answer calls on Sundays. Call again on Monday. - The girl said ironically before Aemond heard the sound of the phone being hung up.

-Insolent slut. - Aemond practically shouted angrily, throwing the cell phone hard against the passenger seat, not knowing what to do next, and then just starting the car, leaving the parking lot for the light of the street.

A few moments later, when he stopped the car at a traffic light, Aemond looked ahead and the news screen of the main avenue lit up, making his heart drop, when suddenly several photos of Y/n alone on the road after the charity ball appeared.

Her eyes were scared and slightly reddened by tears as she tried in vain to cover her face with her arms. It got even worse when a video started next, where one of those vultures placed the camera so close to her face that it almost knocked her over.

Even watching from a distance without the audio, Aemond could almost hear the sound of her voice, almost feeling her desperation on his own skin, with her eyes wide with fear, looking in all directions but with no way to escape. Bile rose in his throat, making him feel like he was going to vomit, anger and fury were boiling inside him like a toxic and explosive mixture at that moment.

Taken by nothing more than pure hatred, Aemond made the left turn that would take him to the family mansion, breaking the right of way and honking at whoever the idiot was who had gotten in front of him, gripping the steering wheel with such force that his knuckles were slightly white.

❦❦❦

The movement in the Targaryan family mansion that day was much greater than usual. While Rhaenyra and Aegon were talking to several of the main shareholders along with some of the department heads, Viserys had been locked in the office with Alicent and Larys Strong, the head of the public relations department, for at least two hours.

Each suggestion given to resolve the problem made Viserys want to disappear from the room, not wanting to upset his wife, but not knowing exactly which path to take to correct all that chaos.

-The Lanister family is undoubtedly furious. - Larys communicated to Viserys in a restrained manner, while walking around the room with both hands behind her back, her head lowered, but with her eyes observing every detail inside the office, as if analyzing Alicent who stared at Viserys with a frown while picking at the skin around her nails lightly. - They demand at least a public apology from Aemond, and are considering reevaluating some recent investments with the Targaryen.

Viserys sighed at this, raising a slightly trembling hand to his forehead as he tried to think of a solution.

-Let's leave that for later. - He finally decided. - Tymond Lanister is an old friend of mine, I spoke to him personally about it later.

-What about the Baratheons? - He finally asked while crossing his hands on the wooden table top and looking at Larys.

-Borros Baratheon has publicly stated that he will not collaborate with anything that has the slightest to do with Targaryen Inc. - Larys murmured in a soft and slightly paused voice as he observed Viserys from bottom to top, as if she were analyzing him meticulously. - Not after the terrible humiliation suffered by your daughter.

-The girl however… claims that she would still agree to get married, even in… the current circumstances. - Larys clasped both hands together, looking from Alicent to Viserys as spoke.

-And what do you expect me to do? - Viserys hissed, staring at him slightly impatiently, raised his hands up. - May the Gods help me! Aemond said he won't marry the Baratheon girl! - Viserys roared lightly, glaring at them. - What can I do?

-Force him to marry Floris! - Alicent demanded furiously, placing both hands on the tabletop, staring at her husband with eyes blazing.

-What do you want from me, wife? That I put a knife to the boy's throat and force him to go up to the altar? - Viserys roared in a low voice, glaring at her with a mixture of exhaustion and anger. - I can't do that!

Viserys didn't need to try very hard to know where all this would end. Exactly where Daemon ended up, forced to marry Rhea, stuck in a loveless marriage and with a heart full of hate. He pressed his hands firmly against his face, knowing very well where this whole story between his grandmother and Daemon had ended. In more shouting and more fighting, in a loveless marriage, in the permanent separation from his brother and in the birth of Y/n in a house that looked more like a war zone than a home.

-How can you not, Viserys? - The youngest looked at him indignantly, leaning even more firmly on the table and almost lifting her feet off the floor to face her husband with eyes shining. - Do as your grandmother did with your brother, tell him that either he marries Floris or he will be disinherited!

Before Viserys could give his answer, the office door opened and Aemond appeared with his jaw and fists clenched in fury. The older man looked closely at his son who looked completely destroyed, with his wrinkled suit, his long disheveled hair tied in a poorly made bun and his bloodshot eyes full of dark circles making it seem as if all the joy had been sucked from his soul. Viserys held his breath momentarily with the cruel thought that he hadn't seen him like this in five years.

-That's what you're doing then? Planning my ruin behind my back? - Aemond hissed with slightly wide eyes, walking slowly into his father's office, while looking from one to the other with betrayal burning in his gaze, watching his mother turn and stare at him with shock in her eyes, before regaining her composure.

-Your ruin? - Alicent arched her eyebrow in confusion, as she approached Viserys behind the desk and looked at her son very seriously. - Everything I've done up until now has been to protect you, Aemond! Every decision, every little thing… - She pointed out, tightly squinting her eyes as she spoke. - It was to protect you and your reputation! It was to ensure that you have the future you deserve!

-And what is the future that I deserve, mother? - He spat out the words angrily. - A fake marriage to satisfy your and my grandfather's ego? Living forever on lies while everyone knows that I love another woman? That I desire another woman?

-By the seven, I forbid you to speak of this matter again! - She hissed, serrated her lips immediately afterwards as she slapped her hand against the table.

-Mother, I’ll only ask you once. - Aemond ignored Alicent's words, still slightly blinded by anger, speaking through his teeth with his jaw so tight that it was almost possible to hear it creak. - What did you say to Y/n? - Aemond demanded, staring at his mother with wide eyes burning with fury.

-I don't know what you're talking about. - Alicent replied at the same time, looking away from him briefly. - I haven't seen her once, besides the night of the ball, since she came back.

-Stop lying to me! - He practically shouted, taking long strides towards the table where his mother and father were standing behind with their eyes even wider.

-I know you were in my house, I know you went through all my things! I know you said something to her because now she's just gone and I have no idea where she is! - Aemond seemed out of control as he spoke, his voice hateful and cruel with each word he uttered as he walked around the office with hard steps, feeling almost compressed to be again in the same room where they had ripped half of him away years ago.

-Tell me the truth! What did you say to Y/n? - He growled now in a low voice with his face contorted with anger and his eyes jagged.

-Exactly that, the truth! - Alicent finally screeched, walking towards her son decisively. - I didn't say anything else to her, I just stated the facts. If she decided to leave, she decided on her own! I'm not to blame for any of this!

-Lies! - He hissed once more, glaring at her decisively while Larys and Viserys watched the exchange in silence. - She wouldn't do that, she wouldn't leave, she wouldn't leave me if you hadn't done something about it! - Aemond yelled while gesturing to the older woman.

-But you're right, mother, none of this is your fault. - He growled, glaring at her even more furiously, his face contorted into a hateful frown. - It's mine for letting things get to this point! It's mine for not sending my grandfather to the seven hells the day he came up with that infernal proposal!

-If she wanted to leave, it was of her own free will! - Alicent reiterated angrily, walking towards her son, stopping a short distance away. - What you need to do now is stop this madness and focus on your future. - She begged him, looking him in the eyes, holding her son's shoulders firmly. - We still have time to fix things between you and Floris and resolve this whole mess!

-There is no me and Floris. - Aemond screamed lividly upon hearing those words, breaking free from his mother's touch in the process. - Y/n is my future! - He hissed between his teeth. - And I wouldn't marry Floris Baratheon even if it were to save my neck! - He growled increasingly furious as he looked around the office, briefly meeting his father's shocked eyes on the way. - I would rather drop dead right now than accept living like this!

-Dear, you're confused. - Alicent murmured, her eyes shining with unshed tears as she approached him once more. - Let's just talk to the septon and sort this all out, everything will be fine after you talk to the septon!

-I'm not going to talk to anyone! - Aemond walked away from her, his eyes sparkling. - I don't want to talk to anyone! - He shouted, walking towards the door. - The only thing I'm going to do is find Y/n, and no one is going to stop me!

-Don't you dare turn your back on me for her! - Alicent shouted, taking a few steps forward and facing her son with clenched fists, her nails almost sinking into his flesh, making Aemond stop with his hand on the doorknob. - That girl is a mistake!

-No, she's not. - He sighed wistfully, looking back briefly and facing his mother. - This is all a mistake.

Without looking back again, Aemond left through the office door, slamming it as hard as he could behind him, quickly going down the stairs, feeling as if his brain was rattling inside his head, while his mother's voice sounded behind him, along with the footsteps heavy weights of Viserys, who was also descending the stairs, followed by Larys Strong.

Little by little the screams filled the main hall of the mansion where Aegon and Rhaenyra were trying to calm the spirits of some worried shareholders, making everyone instantly look towards the stairs. Quickly, the curious eyes of the mansion's employees and everyone else who was there paid maximum attention to the scene, barely looking away as Aemond descended the last few steps of the stairs in a rage, followed by Alicent who seemed on the verge of despair.

-Aemond, if you leave through this door, you don't need to come back! - Alicent shouted, standing at the foot of the stairs with tears in her eyes, watching her son cross the hall towards the front door, while Viserys looked around, not knowing what to do, in the midst of such a delicate situation and with so many extremely important people seeing everything firsthand.

Aemond froze for a moment, looking at the perfectly polished floor of the house where he had grown up, the same floor on which he had run with Y/n so many times playing tag, the same floor on which she had been dragged away from his arms years ago, the same floor on which his tears had flowed freely for nights on end as he remembered her.

He looked up and in front of him, near the door, were Aegon and Rhaenyra. His half-sister stared at him with what seemed like a mixture of fury and disdain, while his brother had a frown and a very serious look on his face, staring at him with a look that practically made Aemond hear a voice screaming in the back of his own mind.

Choose.

With his jaw serrated and his hands clenched into fists, he turned around again, staring at his mother with shining eyes as he took his wallet out of his pocket, opened it, and ripped the company's access badge with his credentials out, threw it onto the hall table with force in an act of pure fury under everyone's shocked gaze.

-Aemond! - Alicent squealed in horror, putting both hands to her mouth as her eyes widened.

-Then I'm not coming back! - He loosened his tie, ripping it off angrily, followed by his jacket and throwing them on the table along with his badge while he glared at both his father and mother. - It's over for me!

Without saying anything else, Aemond walked towards the exit of the mansion, his gaze momentarily crossing with Rhaenyra and Aegon's once again, she looked at him with even more disdain if that was possible, while Aegon had a palpable smile of pleasure on his face, nodding quickly when his younger brother walked past him in long strides towards the garden.

Nothing else mattered to Aemond at that moment, the only thing that existed in his mind was Y/n, the only thing that would keep him breathing was finding her. And going as fast as possible towards his car he had an idea of ​​how, there was only a certain type of person who always seemed to know where everyone was in that damn city, those faggots from the gossip papers, who seemed to be everywhere at the same time.

Slamming the door behind him furiously, Aemond accelerated the car leaving the mansion's grounds without even looking in the rearview mirror. When he was a safe distance away a few meters later he stopped, turning around almost at the same moment to reach for his cell phone on the passenger seat.

Aemond sighed deeply, almost punching the steering wheel in frustration resorting to the last desperate resource that could help him find her, praying quietly to the gods that some tabloid would have at least one update with Y/n's name.

-Hell where is she? - Aemond muttered to himself as he scanned through the various gossip pages with hundreds of hits. Until his gaze caught on one in particular called "Kings Landing Daily", in which Y/n's name appeared in large letters in an article from about an hour ago.

"Is it time for pruning? Y/n Targaryen was seen at the Black Water Bay airport a few minutes ago, apparently completely alone. Some sources claim that she bought a ticket to Essos, but no one could say which city! Perhaps the more libertine airs across the sea will do our dear girl good, who seems to enjoy unorthodox entanglements."

Just below the headline was a photo of Y/n entering the airport looking even more haggard than when he saw her the day before, her gaze vacant and unfocused, while her lips were curled down in a frown so sad that it made Aemond's heart drop almost to his stomach.

With trembling hands, he checked the flight schedule, feeling the air return to his lungs briefly when he saw that no flights had left for Essos, and there was only one scheduled to take off in the next two hours. With that in mind, Aemond started the car again, stepping on the accelerator towards the airport.

As soon as Aemond started the car, the radio turned on too, still tuned to the same radio station that Y/n had left on the previous days. And Aemond's eyes filled with unshed tears when Shania Tyrell's soft voice began to sound from the speaker, singing that same song that his sweet Y/n loved, the song that she always said belonged to the two of them.

Stopping the car at a traffic light, he closed his eyes momentarily, while the memory of her smile took over his mind. As if by magic, the memories of the dream he had had earlier that day returned, and Aemond's heart ached even more as he remembered the sweet promises made by those two children in the rain.

❦❦❦

A few miles away, Y/n was sitting curled up in an armchair in the cold, gray private waiting room of Black Water Bay Airport while outside the chaos of the airport continued without her. Y/n looked at everything through the large window next to her armchair, carefully observing the profusion of excited or irritated conversations, while the mechanical voice of the sound system announced the next flights.

Amidst the tumult of people rushing to catch their flights, she then saw a smiling couple, the woman in a very fine lavender dress and the man wearing an expensive suit, in the middle of them holding both of their hands while occasionally gaining momentum and lifting her small feet off the ground, there was a beautiful little girl who must have been no more than five years old. Smiling and laughing, chatting things that Y/n couldn't hear to her parents, who just looked at her with love.

Y/n's eyes slowly shifted to another direction, her gaze lost in the sight of a blue flower sticker on the window of one of the stores across the hall. Little by little, her vision lost focus as she felt her mind wandering down paths she didn't like to go down, through memories that brought her more pain than any other physical wound she could have ever had.

As if to make everything even more painful, Shania Tyrell's soft voice sounded through the airport speaker, singing so sweetly that it made her close her eyes momentarily as she thought painfully about everything she had lost and everything she would still lose, being slowly dragged into unconsciousness.

❦❦❦

The green meadow of RuneStone seemed even bigger and greener than Y/n remembered in her childhood memory of the happy moments she had lived there with her mother. The sweet smell of grass and sea entered her nostrils, bringing a soft feeling of innocent joy to her heart.

With a smile, she admired the beautiful mountains that covered the entire Valley, full of greenery and small colorful flowers that gave them a charm that in childhood made Y/n think they were magical. Everything seemed perfect, the sky so beautiful and blue that it could be a painting and no one would know, and suddenly a firm voice, but at the same time full of warmth and deep love, sounded through the sound of the leaves in the wind, making her heart skip a beat.

-How is my little girl?

Y/n's eyes filled with tears at the same moment as she slowly turned around, feeling the wind ruffle her hair, messing it up, her heart flooding with barely contained joy and extreme melancholy as she heard her mother's voice for the first time since she was a child.

-Mama! - Y/n sobbed out loud as soon as her gaze met Rhea's, and without thinking for a second she ran straight into her mother's arms, throwing her onto the fresh, soft grass of the Valley, falling next to her as tears ran freely down her cheeks.

-Mom, I missed you so much. - She practically sobbed, holding tightly to the woman, hiding her face in her chest as tears and more tears ran down her face. - So… So much.

-Oh my little girl. - Rhea stroked her hair with adoration and care, an unwavering love and longing in her eyes as she left a kiss on her daughter's hair. - I'm so sorry I couldn't be with you.

-I'm dead? - Y/n asked with a trembling voice, still clinging to her mother. - I'm dreaming? Are you really real?

-I assure you that you are very alive and that I am very real. - The woman held her face by the cheeks softly, looking into her eyes. - You needed me, didn't you? - She smiled without taking her eyes off her daughter. - So I came to see you.

Y/n sobbed with joy upon hearing that, hugging her mother even tighter as she hid her face in her neck and cried profusely, feeling a wave of security so strong in her bones at that moment that it almost left her breathless.

-But why only now? - The younger girl's gaze towards her mother was nothing but confused as she tried to breathe and dry her tears, and still couldn't let go of Rhea. - Why not earlier? I've needed you before, mom.

-But not as much as now. - Rhea caressed her daughter's cheekbones with her thumbs, frowning momentarily.

-You're giving up, Y/n. - Rhea spoke very seriously. - You've never run away in your entire life, you've never cowered in the face of problems, you've been through much worse trials than this and you've always kept hope in your heart, you've always fought for the things you wanted.

-I can't stay, mom. - She sniffed, wiping a tear with the back of her hand, feeling her heart burning with pain. - I don't have the courage to tell Aemond what happened. - She sobbed lightly, holding on tighter to her mother as she said those words. - And I also don't want to be the one to blame for ruining his future.

-You need to tell him the truth, my dear. - The mother smiled sadly, caressing Y/n's hair. - I know how painful this was for you, but what happened is also part of Aemond's story. He needs to know. And you need to tell him so you can move on.

-Mom, I'm so scared of telling him the truth. -Y/n sobbed, pressing her eyes tightly, the pain inside her threatening to take over her entire being at the mere mention of a not-so-distant past.

-My sweet girl, I can feel your anguish. - Rhea whispered to her melancholic daughter. -But sometimes we need to face the past to be able to forgive.

-I don't want him to hate me. - Y/n murmured, hugging her mother tighter and tighter as she listened to each of the older woman's words with her eyes full of fear. - I won't be able to bear it if he hates me.

-Not when you already hate yourself for what happened, right? - Rhea caressed Y/n's face with a look of deep sadness and the youngest looked away. - It wasn't your fault, Y/n. You need to forgive yourself.

-I don't know if I can. - She sighed with her eyes closed in deep pain. - It hurts so much when I think about it, mom, it makes me wish I had died that night.

-You were just a little girl. - Rhea spoke sweetly but very seriously. -You weren't responsible for anything that happened. It doesn't matter what anyone told you.

-Aemond loves you more than anything, Y/n. - Rhea smiled melancholy against her daughter's grass-scented hair. - I don't think it would ever be possible for him to hate you, besides, he's a smart guy. He'll understand. He will suffer just like you, but he will understand.

Y/n smiled momentarily against her mother's heart when she heard this, thinking about her dear Aemond and how much she loved him, but then she became serious.

-I don't want him to suffer, mom. - She murmured hoarsely, feeling her stomach churn at the mere thought of causing Aemond suffering.

-You can't take that away from him, my dear. - The woman answered solemnly, stroking a lock of her daughter's hair. - Just like you can't take away from him the opportunity to choose what he wants for his own future. - Rhea continued in a serious voice, looking deeply into Y/n's eyes. - You have the right to your choices, and Aemond has the right to his. His mistakes are not your fault, just as yours are not his.

-But it's not fair to you or him to leave like this, my dear. - Rhea murmured against her hair, leaving a soft kiss there, making her daughter sigh with contentment.

-And how much did Alic… - Y/n swallowed the bitter words before continuing, while raising her head and looking Rhea in the eyes. - And what about Aemond's mother?

-You don't owe anything to Alicent Y/n. - Rhea grumbled, her voice slightly heavy and her eyes sparkling subtly.

-She was good to me, mom. - Y/n frowned in confusion as she rambled on, even if deep in her heart a certain bitterness resonates at the sound of the words. - She took care of me as a child when I lost you.

-Just because someone had a good attitude towards you in the past doesn't mean you should subjugate yourself to them forever. - Rhea held her daughter's face more firmly as she said those words. Her face was as firm as the rocky mountains that surrounded them. - The past is in the past. Alicent took care of you when you were a child and that won't change.

-But something that also won't change is what she did to you afterward. All the pain she caused you. - The older woman's voice sounded fiercer, while her jaw clenched subtly as she said the words, with a look of deep protection in her eyes. - It's okay to feel angry with her for that, it won't make you ungrateful when she hurt you in so many ways.

-I don't expect you to retaliate, but I didn't raise my daughter to be a coward. - Rhea whispered to Y/n with a stronger voice as she looked her firmly in the eyes. - To cower in front of Oto and Alicent Hightower and run away!

-You're not just a Targaryen, you're a Royce! - Rhea growled with burning eyes as she stared at her daughter while holding her by the shoulders. - And Royces don't run like cowards, it's us that the cowards run from!

Y/n's eyes burned when she heard that, but this time not from tears, but from a feeling of inexorable bravery taking over her and leaving her almost breathless, while her lower lip trembled gently.

-I'll be brave, mother. - She stated in a firm voice, feeling her heart race in her chest with the promise.

-I wouldn't expect anything less from you. - Rhea smiled widely as she gently and softly caressed her daughter's cheeks, just like she did when she was a child.

-My sweet Y/n. - Rhea's voice grew weaker, almost a whisper as she still looked at her daughter with that same look of affection and sweetness. -Be happy!

❦❦❦

-I'm will! - Y/n whispered softly in her sleep.

A profusion of sounds burst from all sides, and still feeling her heart warmed by her mother's words, Y/n woke up from her dream looking around the gray airport waiting room a little scared trying to locate herself in that place that seemed so cold compared to the green meadow of her dream.

With her eyes returning to focus she turned once again to the large window next to the seat, but now the movement of people had reduced drastically, since everyone was looking basically in the same direction while whispering among themselves. Y/n raised her eyebrows slightly confused, since she couldn't see what all those people were looking at from where she was.

But then suddenly she held her breath, the moment she realized that Aemond's familiar voice echoed through the room. For a moment Y/n didn't know if she was awake or not when she walked towards the public area of ​​the airport and her gaze found Aemond arguing with a security guard a few meters ahead, just behind the non-passenger limit area.

-Mr. Targaryen, without a ticket, I cannot let you pass from here. - The man tried to explain in a firm voice, but one that inevitably contained a note of fear.

-I just don't understand why I need a ticket when my family owns the fucking airport! - He hissed through his teeth, furious, his nostrils flared and his eyes wide, making the security guard flinch a little.

-I-I'm sorry Sir, but that's the airport policy…

-Fuck the airport policy! - Aemond didn't let him finish, looking even more furious, almost advancing on the security guard. - I need to talk to my cousin right now! Where is she?

His face looked completely red as he spoke, while around him several people watched the scene with curiosity written all over their faces. Some had already taken their cell phones out of their pockets and were discreetly filming the whole mess.

But Y/n didn't even notice those people, her gaze focusing solely on Aemond, who as if sensing her presence turned to look at her, all anger leaving his expression almost instantly upon seeing her. The next second, without giving any explanation to the security guard with whom he had caused a scandal seconds ago, Aemond walked with long strides towards Y/n, without hesitating for a second on the way to the youngest, while he felt relief gradually replace the despair with which his heart seemed to be so familiar.

Y/n in turn just remained motionless in the same place, still numb from the dream, not sure if it was real or not. Until Aemond got close enough for her to feel his breath brushing against her skin and pulled her against him in a desperate hug, almost crushing her bones against his.

-You can't do that to me. - He murmured against her neck in a desperate voice, holding her against him in the middle of the airport hall. - You can't leave again when you promised me a week ago that you would never leave me again.

-Aem… - She murmured in a frightened voice, looking around. - People are watching.

-I don’t give a shit about any of them. - He interrupted her at the same time with a growl, holding her face between his palms. - Let them stare.

-What are you doing? - Y/n stared at him with wide eyes, while she felt the gaze of everyone around her burning holes in her back.

-Which I should have done the moment you came back to me. - Aemond hissed softly, looking deep into her eyes, his heart racing in his chest, almost taking his breath away.

-I love you, Y/n Targaryen. - He declared in a firm voice, still holding her face between his hands, which were now shaking slightly as he spoke. -I have loved you since I knew what love is.

Y/n felt her heart jump in her chest when she heard those words, her stomach churning while the rest of her body suddenly seemed to start tingling simultaneously. She couldn't say anything, just stare at Aemond with her breath caught in her throat, barely able to move, paralyzed by that moment.

-Wherever I go, I see you! - He whispered, his red eyes seeming to look straight into her soul. - On every street I walk, every sunrise and every sunset I watch. On every rainy day, every damn flower that dares to grow in a field. - He sighed heavily, pressing his eyes tightly. - I see you!

-My heart is chained to you, Y/n. - He opened his eyes again, staring at her in such a raw way that it made her skin crawl. - You can't leave without tearing me apart in the process.

-Aem… - She gasped, her eyebrows furrowed, staring at him, unable to look away even an inch.

-If you leave, you'll be condemning me to a life of endless pain and sadness. - Aemond stopped her from saying anything, as he pressed his forehead against hers. - I don't care about anything else. - He murmured, his eyes sparkling as they met hers.

-I don’t care about companies, politics, family. I only care about being with you! I'd live in an isolated cabin in the middle of the Iron Islands if I could be with you. - He practically growled.

-Aemond. - She sighed, her face contorted in a mixture of doubts, her hands slowly rising until they gently rested on the older man's cheeks, holding him carefully just as he held her while shaking his head. - This will ruin you.

-I'm already ruined, Y/n. - He sighed to her with teary eyes, guiding his hands through her hair and holding her closer. - I've been ruined for five years, since the night they took you away from me.

-And I would give up everything… - He practically gasped, his eyes wide as he stared at her, while Y/n held her breath, unable to take her eyes off his. - I would give up all the money and our family name right now, if it means that you will be mine forever.

-Because if I have you and nothing else, I will be satisfied. - He murmured, gently brushing his nose against hers in an act of affection so gentle that it almost pulled all the air out of Y/n's lungs. - But if I have everything a heart could desire and I don't have you, I can never be happy.

Y/n's body was so close to Aemond's that she could feel his heartbeat against her own chest, as if it were only one, and at that moment her heart was beating so hard that she feared she would die right there. In a brief moment of hesitation, her mind went back to the previous afternoon, and Alicent's cruel words about how all of this was ruining Aemond's life, and for an instant she wanted to let go of him.

But as quickly as the thought came it dissipated, replaced by his own mother's voice, whispering softly to her that Aemond's choices belonged to him, and no one else. It was not up to her to decide what to do alone, it was not up to her to choose for him. Aemond was making his decision and he was choosing her over all other things, and Y/n knew she had to make her own decisions and that she would be the biggest fool if she refused him, if she refused her greatest wish and opportunity to be happy.

Feeling her eyes filled with tears, Y/n slowly approached Aemond, brushing her nose against his slowly, her lips just a breath away from touching his.

-I love you too. - She whispered, her face contorted in pure contentment as she said those words, closing her eyes slowly and sighing, as if saying those words lifted a weight off her shoulders.

Little by little Aemond's face contorted in tension began to dissolve into a soft smile with his eyes shining with emotion, while he felt the purest relief inflame inside. Being taken by that overwhelming wave of contentment, Aemond didn't care about the hundreds of eyes that were already watching them open-mouthed, he just sealed the millimeter distance that was left between them with a passionate kiss right there, in the middle of the airport hall full of people.

The moment their lips touched, dozens of flashes went off simultaneously in the distance, but Aemond didn't care, not when Y/n was in his arms so close that he could feel her heart as if it were his own. Not when he could taste her lips on his, feel the flavor of her love mixing with his.

Aemond broke the kiss with a soft sigh, leaving a short peck on her lips in the process, brushing his lips against Y/n's afterwards as they both kept their foreheads together, unable to pull away from each other.

As the buzz increased along with the increasingly deafening noise of the flashes, the two were slowly pulled back into reality. Aemond assumed a stoic expression again, locking his jaw as he pulled Y/n behind him, protecting her with his body, afraid to see the frightened look from earlier on the screens firsthand if she had to face the photographers face to face alone. He walked with long strides towards the exit, always keeping her close to him, while the airport security guards tried to keep the paparazzi who had appeared like vultures.

Y/n, in turn, barely saw or heard the photographers, even though the flashes were popping madly a short distance away while they shouted scandalous and dirty questions at both of them. Her eyes only saw Aemond, her ears only heard his breathing and heartbeat as he whispered softly in her ear that everything was okay, holding her protectively in his arms the entire way to the car, only letting her go to open the passenger door and then helping her get into the car as quickly as possible, before running to the other side and getting in as well, already starting the engine and driving the car out of the airport parking lot.

The youngest didn't know what to feel, her heart racing as fast as a hummingbird in mid-flight. She was still catching her breath when she looked to the side and saw Aemond with his eyes fixed on the road ahead of him, driving on a path that seemed familiar to her, but still Y/n had no idea where it would lead.

-Where are we going? - She finally found the courage to ask as she bit her lower lip, staring at the older man.

-To a safe place… - He murmured with a small sideways smile, looking at her out of the corner of his eyes. - A safe and special place.

It wasn't long after that and the two arrived at a large empty property, surrounded by a high stone wall and a huge cast-iron gate that looked like it had come straight out of one of the books Aemond read to them before they went to sleep, or on the days when it was too cold to play in the garden when they were both children.

Y/n couldn't see anything behind the walls, only through the bars of the gate where she could notice several trees and flowers planted around a vast green lawn, along with the sound of dozens of birds singing happily while colorful butterflies flew around, brightening up the place.

-What is this place? - Y/n smiled playfully for the first time in days, but still with a melancholy in her eyes, as she stared at the older gently raised her eyebrows. - The enchanted forest?

-Well, see by yourself. - He murmured, still with a subtle smile on his lips, already taking off his seatbelt and getting out of the car, making Y/n frown when he opened the back door and took out a solid wooden box that for a moment she remembered seeing at the bottom of the trunk the day before, but she didn't have time to snoop around with Alicent's sudden arrival.

Y/n squeezed her eyes shut and sighed before finally getting out of the car, feeling her heart in her mouth as she tried to imagine the million possibilities of what all this could be. Aemond waited patiently for her outside with his hand extended in a courteous gesture that she gladly accepted, and with a subtle smile he guided them both to the gate.

Without letting Y/n see the rest of the box's contents, he pulled a large, copper-colored key filled with colorful trinkets that seemed familiar to Y/n from inside the box and unlocked the huge gate, which let out a rather loud creak as it opened.

-First you my lady. - He murmured, holding the gate open so that the youngest could pass, making Y/n lean gently and pass under his arm, looking curiously at the immense property now that she was inside the walls.

The two walked down a short stone road that seemed to lead nowhere, and Y/n couldn't shake the feeling that she knew that place, even if she didn't remember being there. The only sound heard was that of the birds and both she and Aemond walked in silence, without saying a single word to each other, until the older one let out a resigned sigh.

-I never forgot you. - He murmured, looking at her painfully while tightly gripping the wooden box. - Not even for a minute.

-Aemond, you don't need to, I've already… - Y/n began to speak, feeling her heart tighten with the guilt of the words she had said to him in the hotel room, being immediately interrupted by the older man.

-I need to. - He sighed, grabbing her hand through his free one and bringing it to his lips, placing a soft kiss on the palm. - I need to tell you how much I missed you, how much I wanted you back during each of the days that passed.

-Some days I talked to myself. - He murmured, looking down. - I pretended you could hear, I pretended you were there because I felt like I was losing you, I felt like I was slowly going crazy.

-I think maybe I could hear you. - Y/n whispered back holding his hands between hers. - Sometimes I was sure I heard you whispering my name during the night, maybe I was dreaming, but I preferred to just believe it was your voice. - She smiled melancholy looking at the floor.

-I'm sorry for making you think that I didn't care about everything that happened. - His voice was solemn and his gaze downcast. - I missed you, more than anything in this world. So much so that some days I thought I was going crazy. - Aemond gasped, squeezing his eyes shut at the mere memory.

-It wasn't your fault. - She murmured softly. - I just… I was so scared and so insecure about this whole Floris and you thing that…

-Y/n, this is over. - Aemond interrupted her at the same moment, the Baratheon's name causing a bitter taste in his mouth. - There never was a Floris and me, and there never will be. I put an end to all that lying, there is no more engagement, there is nothing else. There is only you and me now. - The last words were spoken quietly as they both leaned closer to each other.

-Close your eyes. - Aemond asked in a low voice, almost whispering, watching with slightly teary eyes as the younger girl arched her eyebrows in confusion before slowly closing her own eyes.

Y/n shivered slightly as she felt the older man's soft hands gently touching her shoulders, turning her in another direction that she assumed was the sun, as she could feel a subtle golden glow through her eyelids.

-You can open them now. - He whispered with his lips pressed against the shell of her ear, making Y/n's skin crawl.

Slowly Y/n opened her eyes, blinking a few times to adapt her vision again, and when she finally could see clearly again, she could see the hills of Visenya and the enormous sept of Baelor above her. Completely covered by the orange sunset just like it was all those years ago when Aemond said he loved her for the first time in that same meadow.

-Is-is it our meadow? - She asked, looking back with her eyes brimming with emotion, while her lips trembled as she spoke.

-No. - Aemond smiled, turning her towards a completely clean and empty meadow, only well-trimmed grass growing in that place. - It's our home… - He murmured against her neck, smiling anxiously. - Well, our future home

-It was the first thing I did when I started working at the company. - Aemond sighed, pulling her even closer to him, making Y/n melt into his touch as she looked at the property, finally recognizing little things that remained unchanged over time, like the beautiful colorful flowers that Aemond always picked for her.

-I bought this place for us, Y/n. - The oldest kissed her neck gently as he spoke. - To build our lives here, just like we always dreamed. - Aemond slowly moved away from her, leaving a soft caress on her left cheek and then looking away at the wooden box.

Y/n bit her lower lip in curiosity as she watched him trying to discover the contents of the box, until he took a paper from inside and after closing it again, unfolded it, making Y/n feel her heart almost collapse when Aemond placed the slightly crumpled paper in her hands. An old, faded drawing of orange walls, white windows, beautiful classic columns, colorful hydrangeas everywhere. The drawing of the house she had made all those years ago.

-You saved it. - She whispered, holding the paper with trembling hands, raising her wide eyes to look at him.

-Of course I did. - Aemond smiled wistfully with tears in his eyes, caressing her cheeks with his fingertips. - It's our dream, the future that I promised you.

Y/n looked around once more, finally noticing the beautiful hydrangeas growing everywhere. Mainly around the grass field where the space for the house to be built was located.

-I've only been here twice since that day. - He looked at her with a serious look. - Once on the day I bought the property and had the wall built, and the other on the day I hired a gardener to take care of everything.

Aemond couldn't help but smile as he slowly saw Y/n's amazed gaze as she looked in all directions, admiring the beautiful place that had once been so common to her eyes.

Just as they always did in the past, the two joined hands and walked side by side to a large tree and sat in the shade, surrounded by several very well-kept hydrangeas. They had barely sat down when Y/n leaned over to hug Aemond, who was leaving the wooden box on the grass. In the middle of the hug, she began to speak, her lips on the older man's chest.

-I'm sorry, Aemond. - She sniffed lightly. - I should have told you how I was feeling, I didn't want to feel this way but… I was so angry with you for this whole situation. For everything that happened, it wasn't your fault, but I felt it. - Y/n took a deep breath before continuing to speak.

-The only thing I could think about was how much I loved you and how much you had moved on without me and forgotten me in the years that passed. - The youngest couldn't lift her head and look him in the eyes, feeling so ashamed of such thoughts now that she knew better.

-I would never do that. - Aemond lifted Y/n's chin, looking very serious. - I swear I tried to convince them to bring you home, I swear Y/n. I offered to stay in your place, to go study in the north… I… I would do anything to have you back.

-Helaena told me what happened after I left. - She looked at him from under her eyelashes with an extremely low tone of voice.

-How much did she tell you? - A resigned sigh left Aemond's lips.

-Not much. - Y/n shrugged, still looking at him in that same way.

-My mother offered me a deal after you left. - Aemond began in a low voice, determined not to hide anything from her anymore. - If I had a weekly conversation with the septon, she might reconsider your departure.

-Conversation with the septon? - Y/n raised an eyebrow at her cousin in disbelief.

-It was more like a weekly purification ritual. - He smiled melancholy without being able to look her in the eyes, the mere mention of those moments making him feel disgusted.

- I didn't want you to know about that. - Aemond murmured, still with his head down. - I didn't want you to think that for a moment I wanted to purify myself of something we did, I didn't want you to feel sad for me when you've already been through so much worse.

With tears in her eyes, Y/n slowly pulled him towards her, making Aemond lean towards her at the same time, eager for the gentle touch he missed so much. The youngest hugged him tightly, tangling her hands in his silver hair, almost losing her breath when she felt Aemond return the hug with the same intensity.

-It's okay Aem. - She whispered to him gently as she carefully stroked his hair. -I'm here with you.

-Let's not hide things from each other anymore. - He murmured, stroking her hair gently. - Let's always be honest about our feelings.

Y/n felt a pang in her chest when she heard that, an overwhelming feeling of fear climbing up her spine and completely freezing her back. For a moment she held her breath, biting her tongue and cheeks lightly, feeling unable to say what she had to say with such a strong wave of fear overwhelming her. And then her mother's voice seemed to whisper again in her ear.

"Royces don't run like cowards!"

-Courage - Y/n whispered softly to herself almost in a sigh as she clenched her fists tightly, making Aemond frown.

-Are you okay? -He asked against her hair, gently inhaling the scent of shampoo in the process as he gently stroked her arms.

-I need… I need to tell you something. - Y/n began with a trembling voice, feeling smaller every moment as she shrank more and more against her cousin. -Please Aem… don't… -She held her breath momentarily before speaking, her eyes suddenly looking opaque. - Don't look at me differently after that.

-What? - He hugged her protectively while displaying a confused expression, practically sighing the words against her hair. - Not in a million years would I look at you any differently than I am looking at you now.

The youngest shuddered when she heard those vows, breathing deeply through trembling lips as she tried to utter the words that hurt her so much, like a thorn in her chest that had never been removed. Slowly all the feelings from that night five years ago returned to her. The anguish, the fear, the pain… she could almost hear her own screams amid the septa's furious words as she dragged her to the infirmary. And after all that, the purest terror and despair she had ever felt in her life when she found out what was happening.

-I was pregnant when they took me away. - Y/n finally whispered against Aemond's chest as tears ran down her face.

The older man's expression slowly fell as the words hit him. At that moment, it was as if Aemond felt his own heart freezing in his chest, along with a sick feeling in his stomach that made him feel like he was going to vomit.

-Pregnant? - He whispered, his lips suddenly starting to tremble.

-A month that night, probably. - She sobbed harder, clinging tighter and tighter to Aemond, who held her tighter and tighter against his chest, staring blankly as he felt his vision gradually blur. - It must have happened before your trip to the Vale.

The moment Y/n said that, a bitter taste filled Aemond's mouth, the clear memory of the night in Driftmark where the two of them had snuck into the room, but before anything else, the younger woman took the antibiotic for the throat infection.

He should have been more attentive, he should have paid attention to that small detail, but as always, Y/n's mere presence drove him crazy to the point of forgetting even his own name, let alone things that at the time seemed so insignificant compared to the joy he found next to her soft body.

And now Y/n was there, with her head buried in his chest, sobbing in pain. Aemond didn't need to ask her what had happened to know, but he needed to hear, he needed to hear it from her lips so that his troubled mind could believe.

-Wh-what happened? - He asked after a few moments gathering courage, uttering the words with tears in his eyes, his voice trembling and stuttering as he hugged Y/n.

-It was my fault. - She cried even more as she bit her lips to try to contain her sobs of pain and pressed her eyes shut. - I didn't know… I didn't know I was pregnant. - She looked into his eyes and Aemond felt his own heart break into pieces with the pain he saw in her.

-I stopped eating as soon as I arrived in Oldtown. - She sniffed, trying to breathe through her tears, barely able to speak without sobbing. - I didn't leave the room, I barely drank any water.

-The doctor said my body was too weak to… to… keep the baby. - She collapsed into his arms at that moment amidst her sobs, feeling as if the dam of repressed pain that she had been filling for years had irreparably broken, and Aemond held her even though he wanted to fall too upon hearing all that, each word a knife to his heart.

-She said it was a miscarriage. - Y/n finally murmured the words minutes later, her gaze lost as the sun lowered on the horizon more and more. Tears ran freely down her face, her red and swollen eyes slightly out of focus, as if she were suddenly reliving that horrible moment.

-It was almost eight weeks when it happened. - Y/n sobbed, pressing her eyes shut as if that would ease the traumatic memories. -It hurt so much and I cried so much, but not because of the pain, but because I was losing him.

Aemond felt his throat close up as he heard that, the memory of the dream he had had on the night of the storm coming back to him vividly. The crying from Y/n, the screams of despair as she called out to him, the pain he saw in her blood red eyes. She was losing him that night, losing their child. Tears inevitably ran down Aemond's cheeks at that moment, as he tried to process all of that.

-The septas kept repeating how horrible I was in the eyes of the gods for being pregnant before I was married. - Y/n laughed sadly as more tears rolled down and she looked away from Aemond again, unable to bear to see him cry. - And all I could think about was how things should have been, how our baby should be born and how you should at least know about him.

Aemond had never felt so small and powerless in his life, not even when Y/n had to leave, deep in his heart and soul he knew he would have her back one day. But this was different, it was irreversible. This pain was irreversible, he could never fix what happened, he could never meet his lost child, he could never take away from Y/n the tragedy she had been through.

-Remember what I told you in Lys that they had forbidden me from going on excursions to the city? - Y/n muttered very quietly, looking at her hands and feeling her head hurt a little. - A few months later, when I was allowed to go on my first excursion, I ran away and tried to call you. - She sniffed, lifting her head briefly to look at him. - That was why. To tell you what… what had happened.

-But one of the girls saw and told the septa. - She spoke in a bitter voice, squeezing her own arm tighter. - They never let me leave after that.

-Bastards… - Aemond growled angrily, his eyes burning with fury and tears as he pulled Y/n to him again and pressed his body to hers even harder than before, feeling the coppery taste on his lips. The memory was still fresh of the Septa telling Helaena that Y/n was fine and being very well taken care of. - Damn bastards.

-I swore I would tell you as soon as I found you. - The youngest moved away from him a little to look at him, her eyes still full of tears making Aemond's pain and anger for everything that happened triple.

-But when I saw you again… I couldn't tell you. - She covered her face as if she felt ashamed. - Cause it was all my fault! - Y/n practically squeaked against her hands. - What a shit mother I am, I couldn't even keep our child and… and… - She sobbed, feeling her heart compressing in her chest.

-Don't ever say that again. - Aemond held her face firmly between his hands, looking at her very seriously, while a tear ran down his cheek. - None of this was your fault. Nothing.

-Look me in the eyes, love. - He asked in a sad voice and Y/n obeyed a little shakily, breathing deeply and trying to regain control over her own emotions while feeling Aemond's gaze upon her. Her skin crawled as she looked straight into his eyes and saw all the pain that she so wanted to avoid was printed there, but along with that pain she could clearly see the purest love that had always shone every time Aemond looked at her. - I'm sorry for not being with you at this horrible time, I really am. We were supposed to be together. But you need to know you didn't do anything wrong.

Y/n felt more tears running down her face as she looked at the older man, absorbing every word he said.

-You would never intentionally hurt our child. - He caressed her cheek with his thumb, his voice full of a mixture of pain and conviction, Y/n laid her face against his palm feeling her own breathing calm down.

-It still hurts, Aem. - She confessed with a choked voice full of emotion. - I buried all of this inside me for years, so it wouldn't hurt so much and I could handle it. - She gasped. - But it still hurts…

The two of them hugged for what seemed like hours, watching the sun descend closer and closer to the horizon, while its golden light illuminated them softly.

-I-I had to take an elective class at college. - Aemond spoke with a slow and shaky voice, randomly after a few minutes. - I was so tired of everything that I missed the deadlines and ended up taking biology…

Y/n frowned in confusion upon hearing that, subtly tilting her head to the side, trying to understand the older man.

-In one of the classes we learned about something… fetal microchimerism. - He looked at her very seriously, wrapping his hands between hers and gently frowning. - It's something that happens during pregnancy, with the mother's and baby's cells.

-The two share each other's cells, and even with the abortion, in a way… - Aemond gave Y/n a small, melancholic smile, slowly leaning his forehead against hers. - The child remains with the mother forever.

Y/n's heart little by little began to flutter in her chest with each word Aemond said. And when he finally finished, she could barely breathe with the idea that a part, even a small one, of her long-lost baby, lived with her. An innocent and sincere smile appeared on the girl's lips and for a few moments she just stood there processing that information.

-I don't want to forget him, Aem. - She finally sighed with her eyes closed. - Never.

Hearing Y/n say that, Aemond got up from the lawn, carefully letting go of his cousin and leaving a kiss against her hair in the process. With just one look she understood that she should wait there, so she just watched him walk through the trees, returning moments later carrying some stones in his arms, making the youngest look at him confused.

-We need to say goodbye to him appropriately. - Aemond whispered, crouching down in front of her with a sad look. - Even if he didn't really come into this world. - He smiled melancholically at her who sniffed, staring at the rounded stones in his arms.

There was no body for the two to burn, as was common in the Targaryen family over the centuries, but just like the Royce tradition they could make a tomb of stones. Even if symbolic. Even if just to remember.

With a sigh Y/n got up from the ground, taking some of the stones from Aemond's arms, dividing the heavy load between the two. Side by side they walked to a small clump of colorful flowers at a slow pace, breathing deeply the sweet scent of the meadow as they looked at each other.

-This looks like a good place. - Aemond's voice sounded solemn amidst the cheerful humming of the birds around, making Y/n nod positively with her head looking at the beautiful flowers.

With an almost reverent care the two distributed the stones together, placing them one by one until they organized a firm pile that stood out among the flowers. With each stone placed Y/n felt lighter, as if those stones had all been piled on top of her for the last five years and now they were finally being removed.

Slowly a smile appeared on Y/n's lips as she placed the last stone in place, looking at the small monument with affection and letting a tear fall, she brought her right hand to her lips, kissing the tips of her fingers and then placing it on the stones, while she felt Aemond hug her with tenderness and affection.

The older man's heart ached with each movement, watching each of his cousin's reactions carefully, and even in the midst of the pain of saying goodbye to a being he had never met, a sweet relief warmed his soul when he saw the peaceful expression on Y/n's face at the end of her simple tribute.

-I always kept asking myself, what if this happened because I shouldn't be a mother? - Y/n whispered one of her greatest fears out loud for the first time as she looked at the stones and felt the cool wind slowly dry the salty tears on her face. - What if this was a warning from the gods to me?

-You will be the best mother this world has ever seen. - Aemond turned and smiled melancholy at her, carefully bringing his right hand to the younger girl's face, who sniffed in return, smiling slightly.

-You will have a peaceful pregnancy, with me by your side taking care of you, as it should be. - He gently wiped her face, which was still damp with tears, with the tips of his thumbs, with each word Aemond said, Y/n's heart warmed.

-I'm sorry for not protecting you back then, for not protecting you both. - He murmured in a pained voice, staring into her eyes while holding her face between his palms.

-But things are different now, darling. - He gently brushed his nose against hers. - I promise you they are, and that I will never let anyone hurt you again. - Aemond pressed his eyes tightly as he spoke, his jaw clenched as if the mere idea of ​​Y/n getting hurt again caused him pain. - That I will take care of you, protect you and give you the life I promised you. The life we ​​both dreamed of.

With the last words he left a slow and chaste kiss on her lips. Holding the youngest's locks of hair firmly between his fingers, sealing that promise in the best way he could, making Y/n almost float out of her own body, only being pulled back to reality when their lips parted.

The increasingly golden rays of the sunset made the beautiful meadow practically shine under Y/n and Aemond's eyes. The flowers seemed even more beautiful through that light, and with a last breath before they walked away, the youngest leaned over and picked a beautiful blue Hydrangea, placing that flower on the small tribute made to her lost child.

Maybe Y/n would never get over that pain, maybe she would live with it forever, but for some reason the crushing guilt of having failed seemed to lift from her shoulders, slowly dissipating like the clouds in the orange sky of Kings Landing. With a final sigh she turned around, finding Aemond's outstretched hand in front of her, and smiling peacefully, she took his hand, following him back to the large tree where they had sat in the shade earlier.

As they walked, the sound of the birds seemed to get louder, as did the sweet scent of the flowers and grass, which seemed to become more and more pronounced. The cool breeze of the wind caressed both of their skins, and Y/n couldn't help but smile at the sight of Aemond's beautiful silver hair flying against the wind.

When the two finally sat down again under the tree, Y/n's eyes strayed to the wooden box that Aemond had brought with him, suddenly curious again.

-I… - Aemond murmured hesitantly. - I kept a lot of our things. - He caressed the lid of the box with his fingertips as he spoke. - I clung to every little thing that reminded me of you to keep me alive.

-I know you kept it. - Y/n murmured back, feeling her cheeks heating up instantly, lowering her gaze. - I opened the trunk when I was at your apartment yesterday.

-Were you the one who opened the trunk? - For a moment, relief threatened to bloom in Aemond's chest at the idea that it hadn't been his mother, and that all the memories he had kept so carefully for years hadn't been tainted by his mother.

-Yeah. - Y/n smiled shyly, still embarrassed for having gone through Aemond's things without permission, even though many of those things were hers too. But little by little the smile faltered on her lips as she remembered what had happened between her and Alicent the previous afternoon. The contempt in the woman's eyes as she spoke each cruel word to her.

-Y/n? - Aemond's voice called her carefully while stroking her hand. - What happened in my apartment yesterday?

She looked at him confused from under her eyelashes when she heard the question, feeling the older man's warm touch soothing her.

-I know my mother was there. - He concluded with a much more serious look, clenching his jaw as he spoke, fearing what could have happened to have shaken the youngest in the way he had seen. - What did she say to you?

-She was… unnecessarily cruel. - Y/n muttered with a hesitant voice, but with her eyes filled with a subtle glint of fury. - Basically, she blamed me for everything wrong that had ever happened in your life so far.

Aemond's chest burned with anger when he heard that and he squeezed Y/n's hands more firmly between his.

-Listen to me now. - He growled with a firm gaze, his eyes slightly wide and his nostrils subtly flared. - I don't regret any decision I've ever made involving being by your side. The consequences of my mistakes are mine, not yours or anyone else's, Y/n. You understand? - Aemond asked seriously and she nodded slowly without looking away.

-Good. - He murmured, nodding subtly, but still with the thought of his mother blaming Y/n tormenting him, especially after the pain of betrayal that burned in his stomach for what she had caused. For what she had made them lose.

-I can already see her mentioning that stupid incident with the dog… - Aemond muttered angrily. - We were children, Balerion bit me, it could have been any of us. - He grumbled, rolling his eyes. - Even Aegon, Helaena or Daeron.

-But it was you. - Y/n arched her eyebrows, carefully stroking the place where she knew the scar was under Aemond's clothes, the guilt for what had happened not yet having completely left her.

-Yes, that was me! - He stared at Y/n, shoving his hands through her hair as he spoke. - Because I love you and I would rather die than see you hurting yourself if I could avoid it.

-You know your mother won't accept this, don't you? - Y/n stared back at him, concern written all over her face.

-I don't give a damn about what my mother, my grandfather or any of those vultures in the press think. - He growled, pressing his forehead against Y/n's. - No matter what they say, we were both meant to be, meant to be together. And I will never give up on us.

The youngest's heart fluttered incomparably when she heard that, beating so hard she thought it would come out of her mouth. Overcome by the euphoria that only Aemond could cause her, Y/n closed the distance between them, kissing the older man on the lips with praise, tangling her hands in his silky silver hair just as he tangled his own hands in hers.

-I have something to give you back. - Aemond sighed against her lips as they broke the kiss, still with his eyes closed. Without waiting for Y/n's response, he reached into his pants pocket, taking out the sapphire pendant necklace that he had carried with an amulet for the past few days, watching the younger woman's eyes shine with joy as they landed on the beautiful silver jewel.

Without saying a word, Y/n slowly turned around and lifted her hair, exposing her neck. For a moment she caught her breath as she felt Aemond's warm touch mixed with the familiar cold of the metal against her neck. The weight of the necklace fit her perfectly, not feeling heavy like the diamond necklace she had worn to the charity ball, but rather ideal, like a part of herself.

-Thank you, Aem. - She sighed with a smile, leaving a peck on his lips, holding the beautiful blue pendant between her fingers and looking at it right away.

Aemond smiled sideways, feeling his chest burn when he saw her again with the necklace around her neck.

-It worked, you know? - She rolled her eyes, still looking at the pendant with affection. - I always thought of you when I looked at the necklace. It brought me hope on bad days, made me believe that one day… things would be okay.

-I have one more thing to give you. - He murmured, leaning over and leaving a kiss on her shoulder.

Under Y/n's curious gaze, Aemond picked up the wooden box on the grass, carefully opening it and taking out a small black velvet box. The youngest immediately felt her heart palpitate in her chest, and her stomach freeze at the same moment, bringing her right hand to her mouth, biting the soft skin of her index finger gently while looking at Aemond with her wide, shining eyes.

-I bought this some time ago. - He murmured, leaving the wooden box against the grass once more and looking in Y/n's direction with a small smile on his lips. - More precisely, a year after you left, I thought about going to Old Town and taking you away from that place, but there was no way I could do that.

Aemond held the velvet box tightly between his fingers and Y/n could barely breathe as she stared at him at that moment. All sound around them seemed to have disappeared, not even the wind seemed to make a sound against the leaves. It was just the two of them under the almost setting light of the sun on the horizon.

-So I waited. - Aemond continued with a firm and low voice, caressing the velvet of the box between his hands. -I waited for your return during each of the days we spent apart, I would wait for you for another five years, or a lifetime if necessary, as long as you are mine forever. - He stared at her with a raw and sincere look at each word spoken.

-I can see that the more time passed, the more I lost control over everything, over myself and over my life. - He sighed resignedly, swallowing dryly for a moment and closing his eyes.

-But Y/n, you are my destiny! The only one I want today, tomorrow and always is you. Only you! - He practically growled as he knelt before her who was still sitting staring at him with teary eyes.

-If the stars don't align of their own accord, then I will align them all myself. - He growled, holding her hands between his and squeezing them. - But I will never… never again, let them separate us again. That's a promise!

-Then please say you'll be mine forever. - He opened the velvet box and a hot tear of pure joy and emotion ran down Y/n's cheek as she smiled uncontrollably at the sight of the beautiful silver ring with designs that resembled two intertwining vines and a beautiful sapphire stone adorning it in the center.

Not even when Aegon convinced her to ride the roller coaster at Casterly Rock, Y/n felt so many butterflies flying in her stomach at that moment. Never in her life could she remember her heart beating so fast. Nothing she had ever felt before compared to the feeling of seeing Aemond on his knees with that velvet box in his hands, staring at her with that passionate look in his eyes.

Feeling his heart burn with emotion at the sight of the youngest's eyes shining with expectation, Aemond finally uttered the words he had waited his whole life to say.

-Marry me, Y/n. - His voice sounded firm even in the midst of the raw nervousness he felt, and his eyes couldn't move away from Y/n's, who looked at him with a glow of happiness so deep that it almost eclipsed the sun itself.

The moment the older man closed his mouth after pronouncing the proposal, Y/n had already jumped on him and knocked him onto the grass, kissing him passionately as she tried to nod her head positively, barely managing to stop smiling amidst the kisses.

Aemond's silver hair spread across the grass like a halo. While Y/n's joyful laughter invaded the clearing, seeming to echo along with the wind, replacing the sad sobs from earlier.

-Yes. - She exclaimed with that innocent joy that Aemond loved so much in her, her beautiful skin seeming to shine under the last rays of golden sunlight. - I will marry you! - She smiled, sitting on his belly with both hands resting on her chest to keep herself steady.

-That's all I want most in my life, Aemond! - She laughed emotionally, leaning forward and brushing her lips against his as she said this.

With relief almost overflowing from his eyes, Aemond held her by the waist and sat down on the grass with Y/n still on top of him. His eyes glistened with tears as he took the ring out of the box and placed it on Y/n's trembling ring finger, whose eyes burned with anticipation as she bit her lower lip, looking at her own finger, feeling herself shiver at the soft touch of Aemond's lips on the ring as he looked at her from under his eyelashes with affection.

In pure devotion, Y/n plunged her fingers into Aemond's hair, almost pulling him by the ears in a new passionate and happy kiss. Hardly able to believe that this was real, hardly able to believe what was in front of her. Leaving her forehead pressed against his as she breathed deeply, closing her eyes and trying to convince herself that it was really real.

-Did you like the ring? - Aemond smiled against her lips, leaving a kiss as sweet and soft as possible in the process.

-More than anything. - She smiled back, opening her eyes again and looking at him as she reached out her hand to admire the beautiful ring with affection. - It's perfect in every detail.

-That's good, because I chose the stone to match something very special. - He murmured, tilting his head and leaving a kiss on the necklace that rested again in its rightful place on Y/n's neck.

-You really did well on that one, sir. - She sighed at the sweet sensation of Aemond's lips against her neck, the smile not leaving her lips as he gently caressed her hair. - Because this is the most beautiful ring I've ever seen in my life and it will match practically everything.

-That's because it was made with you in mind, my lady. - Aemond smiled against her neck, leaving another gentle kiss there, making Y/n squirm in his arms. - I chose the stone. - He left a chaste kiss on her ear. - And the model personally. - He kissed her temple, gently nuzzling his nose into her hair. - Everything thinking about you.

-I love you Aemond. - She whispered, leaving a kiss against his jaw. - I love you so much.

-I love you too, my dear. - He murmured against her hair, smiling slightly amid the hug.

-Will you never let me go again? - Y/n frowned, almost gasping the words.

-Never. - Aemond promised in a whisper, holding her even tighter against himself. - Never again.

Visenya Hills already had its bright lights from the sept of Baelor lit, illuminating everything in a long distance. The birds had already stopped their singing, and the only sound present there was that of the owls, the wind and the occasional car passing by on the road.

Darkness had already taken over the meadow, and the only thing that illuminated them was the moonlight, but Y/n would not fear, she would not fear anything as long as Aemond kept his arms around her, protecting her from everything and guaranteeing her his most precious possession, his love.

❦❦❦

tag list: @afro-hispwriter @fan-goddess @strangersunghoon @zenka69 @callsignwidow @amanda08319 @alesswift-blog @marialikescherries @palomavz

A/n²: I wrote and rewrote the final scene about a thousand times, it took me about two weeks alone. I hope it was up to par, and the music also helped a lot in the creation. If you want to listen to Die for You by Starset, I highly recommend it because it's a new perspective from Aemond's perspective on everything.❤️‍🩹

I hope you enjoyed the chapter, give me feedback, I'm very happy to read your thoughts on the story! Thank you to everyone who read this far! 💕💕💕💖

[milfsloverblog]

How Eve Felt (NSFW)

Jane Murdstone x Fem!reader

A/N: Listen, this is just pure filth. 1500 words of porn without plot. Nothing but Jane Murdstone smut. I started this WIP months ago and thought I’d never publish it but a few of you liked the snippet I shared, so... Anyway, enjoy <3

tw: spit kink, mention of Christianity related stuff (this is how I deal with my religious trauma)

✨ AO3 LINK IN TITLE ✨

You always tried your best to keep your eyes away from your lady’s flesh when you undressed her. That night had been no different as you only looked at your fingers working on the lacing of her corset.

Jane stayed quiet for a while, her eyes never leaving your reflection in the mirror as you worked behind her.

“You did say this was your first time working as a lady’s maid, didn’t you?” She asked, her voice as stern as it usually was.

“Yes, Miss Murdstone.” You nodded and carefully peeled the corset from her, folding it before placing it by her dress on the chair.

“In that case,” She said as she turned around to face you, cocking her head a little. “I cannot help but wonder where on earth you have learnt how to undress a woman so swiftly.”

You swallowed thickly. Your eyes had caught sight of the swell of her small breasts under her chemise and it instantly made your throat go dry.

What were you supposed to tell her? Oh, well, I have undressed my fair share of women, right before laying with them.

“Well?” She insisted. “Cat got your tongue?!”

You knew then by the smirk on her face that Miss Murdstone probably had a good idea of how you’d become an expert at undressing the fairer sex.

“I suppose I'm a quick learner, my lady.” You simply answered, hoping it would satisfy the tall woman’s curiosity.

Jane narrowed her eyes, silently looking at you for a moment while the gears turned in her head.

“Take my chemise off.” She eventually ordered in a bark.

It felt like she was testing you. Sure, this was part of what a lady’s maid had to do but the way she said it, it did feel like she was testing you.

You ended up doing as you were told, silently thanking your hands for not shaking too much when you grabbed the hem of her chemise and pulled the garment over her head.

Don’t look. Don’t look. Do not look.

“Look at me.” Jane demanded, your eyes immediately snapping from your hands to her face.

“I am looking at you, Miss Murdstone.”

“Look at me the way you really wish to.” She smirked again and you were sure your thumping heartbeat could be heard throughout the whole household.

You exhaled shakily and eventually moved your gaze from her eyes to her nose, then down to her mouth. What would it be like to kiss her? To lick over the scar on her lip? To have her tongue push into your mouth?

You spent a few seconds on the length of her neck, watching her pulse point steadily move up and down. From the look of it, she didn’t seem nervous about what was happening, at least not as much as you were.

Her shoulders were next, pulling a smile from your lips. It was a funny thing, really, for a cold and metallic woman like Jane to have such an inviting freckled skin.

Your breath hitched in your throat when your eyes landed on her chest, her nipples visibly hardening as you took in her pert breasts.

“Miss Murdstone, we should not-“ You were cut off by Jane’s hand roughly grabbing hold of your face, her fingertips digging almost painfully into your cheeks.

“And who decides on what we should or should not do, hm?” She asked, using a honey-dripping voice as if she wasn’t holding you with a vice-like grip.

“You, Miss Murdstone.” You whispered barely audibly, nearly letting a whine out when she let go of your jaw.

“Good.” She gave a slight nod and sat down on the edge of the bed, her eyes never leaving yours.

Your eyes widened when you noticed that she was slowly spreading her legs. Her lips pulled in a devilish smirk seeing how your face twitched as you tried your best to keep your eyes locked on hers, knowing full well the sight that would be waiting for you if you allowed yourself to look down at her crotchless bloomers.

Jane had to admit that she was impressed by your self-restraint, many girls would have run for the door while some, fewer, would have touched her already.

“Kneel.” She barked, delighting in the way you slightly jumped at the unexpected order.

Your legs wobbled and you fell to your knees like a devotee praying at the altar. Your gaze inevitably fell on the wet pink flesh between her legs, your mouth watering at how inviting it looked.

“Well, do come closer!” Jane spoke as if she was in a hurry and for a split second you wondered if she was eager to feel you on her.

You did as you were told, crawling closer until you were kneeling between her legs and tentatively placed your hands on her covered knees. Jane raised an eyebrow at the boldness of your move but decided she would allow it.

“I assume you have done this before, haven’t you?” The woman asked, her chin never lowering as she looked down at you, making her appear even more condescending.

“Have I ever found myself between a woman’s legs? Yes. Have I ever knelt before one? No.” But I don’t mind kneeling for you. I don’t mind praying at your altar. I would spend the rest of my life on my knees if you asked me to. I do want to worship you.

“Let us make it a memorable first time, shall we?” Jane purred and her fingers took hold of your face again, gentler than they did before.

She tilted your head back as far as it would go and pried your jaws open, chuckling when you stuck your tongue out instinctively.

“Aren’t you a well-trained slut?” Jane cooed, gathering the saliva in her mouth and slowly letting it fall on your tongue, a wave of arousal coating her sex when your pupils dilated.

The older woman raised an eyebrow and, knowing exactly what was expected of you, you closed your eyes and swallowed. You couldn’t help but be reminded of your first Holy Communion when, kneeling before the priest, the sacred host had been placed on your tongue.

You almost let an Amen slip from your lips when Jane suddenly grabbed a handful of your hair and your eyes snapped back open.

“How many women have you laid with?”

“Plenty.” You admitted in a whisper, wondering how many Jane had shared her bed with.

“Prove it.” She smirked, bringing your face closer to her cunt.

You didn’t waste any more time and dipped your thumbs into the warmth between Jane’s legs, brushing the tip of one thumb over her clit to watch the way her whole body responded. Jane jerked, hips canting forward, and you hid your grin by placing a soft kiss on the milky skin of her inner thigh. The woman’s breath hitched and you wondered if it was caused by her not expecting any softness from you (or anyone else).

Keeping your fingers holding Jane open, you leaned in closer, blowing lightly over her cunt before burying your face in it. You wrapped your lips around the woman’s clit and sucked sharply, Jane’s body jolting above you as a moan tore itself from the back of her throat.

The woman opened her mouth to speak but cut herself off as you sucked harder, drawing tight circles around her clit. Moving one hand from where you had it braced around Jane’s thigh, you pushed your thumb into her entrance, tugging at her opening and massaging inside of her. The streak of moans that escaped your lady’s lips made your whole body shudder.

Then suddenly her hand snaked back in your hair, holding tightly and so close to your scalp that you felt your skin burn. Jane pressed you so deep into herself you could hardly breathe. She had taken back control of herself, and of you as well. You fisted the material of Jane’s drawers and squeezed your eyes shut as your tongue was ridden, your lady grinding herself into your mouth exactly how she wanted, how she needed.

Feverish shivers ran down your spine, your knees slowly sliding open on the wood flooring. You wished you had tucked a pillow between your legs before this began so you could ride out your own pleasure as you dripped from having your face fucked. But your lady wouldn’t have allowed it, you were quite certain she enjoyed having you squirm helplessly.

Jane’s movements became erratic, her chest quickly heaving up and down as she desperately chased her release. And then you felt it. You felt her come. You felt the cruelest woman you knew come into your mouth, her clit throbbing against your tongue as she let a single loud guttural moan out.

As the hand on the back of your head loosened its grip, you slumped against the older woman’s thigh. And as you knelt there, half of your face slick and chin dripping with Jane’s essence, you wondered - is this how Eve felt, taking the first bite of the forbidden fruit, as pomegranate juice dripped on her naked breasts from her open lips?

————————————————————————

tag list: @mysteriouslysapphic @opheliauniverse @yourlocaldisneyvillain @notinmyvocab @h-doodles @teeniegreeniebeanie @katie-bennet @willowshadenox @bikergurl5 @renravens

[sunlightandsuffering]

Sacrilege has got a chokehold on me so I don’t think I’m ever going to shut up about it I’m sorry Lys 😭😭😭😭😭Days before Eremika’s wedding Mikasa’s mother has the talk with her in her room «  honey there are things you’re gonna have to do with Eren , you’re going to give him the greatest gift you have , your purity. It’s something only a husband can take » not knowing Eren is hiding in her closet wheezing because they were fucking in her room 10 minutes prior

BRO IM CACKLING!! Treadmill gym Drabble 🥰🤗😂

Eren likes his future mother in law in an abstract sort of way.

After all she raised the little lunatic that he’s proposed to, and as such he has to like her. Even if she did inflict a mild amount of religious trauma on his bride, it’s not entirely her fault he blames the church for that part.

It’s not unwarranted for people to want to believe in a higher power, it brings them comfort and as such he understands, he can’t be too upset with her.

But sitting, locked inside Mikasa’s tiny bedroom closet he cannot help but curse the woman.

He can see through the small crack in the doors that she’s sat Mikasa down on her very pink, very unicorn themed bedspread that he knows from personal experience is not comfortable in the slightest.

Mikasa had turned as pink as the covers the first time he’d seen it and told him quite vehemently that she had never been allowed to change it and under absolutely no circumstances was he allowed to make fun of her for it.

Of course he’d made fun of her and she’d attempted to suffocate him with said bed covers.

But back to the current predicament, he can hear clear as day the words that leave her mother’s mouth and Eren dreads every second of the coming conversation.

“Mikasa, darling I think it’s time for us to discuss what will be expected of you.”

“What do you mean mom, what’s expected of me?”

Mikasa plays dumb and Eren isn’t entirely sure if that’s a mistake or not, especially not with his cum dripping down her thighs and her hair looking like a fucking bird’s nest because when her dear mother had interrupted them, she’d been blowing him and rather expertly at that.

Her lips are still swollen and his dick still throbs at the thought, because he’d been so fucking close.

“Well darling what a woman is expected to do when she marries, what Eren will expect of you,” she pauses a moment, lHe’ll expect your purity, your virginity and I’m here to explain how it’ll go darling I don’t want any surprises for you.”

“Mom,” Mikasa gasps, “you don’t need to- I took sex Ed I know,” Mikasa waves her hands awkwardly and her mom purses her lips.

“But that doesn’t really prepare you dear, you don’t know about the minutia of it, and darling I’m worried, Eren is a rather large boy, I’d be worried about the erm… size of him, I want you to know to use lubricant and —“

“MOM!” Mikasa yelps and Eren chokes from the closet, trying his best to cover a wheeze at the turn the conversation has taken.

“Mikasa! I just want you to be prepared darling it’s not about anything else I just—“

He can see Mikasa attempting to shove her mom right out the door, “Mom I don’t need this I can figure out how to have sex just fine thanks!”

“Mikasa it’s just because I care about you!”

The door is slammed shut and Eren winces as Mikasa opens the closet, staring at him, beet red.

He allows his legs to spill out of the cramped space, sighing as he’s allowed to actually breathe. It’s silent for a moment as they both stare at each other and finally Eren shrugs, “Wanna finish me off?”

Mikasa stares back, aghast, “You’re insane.”

“Is that a no then?”

[fanged-fanfics]

Vittorino (8:11) x reader..angst…WHEN…..

I luv ur fics so much keep it up 😭😭❤️❤️

☆ "Rabbits, they called us" — Vittorino x GN Reader Fic ☆

Genre: Angst/Hurt No Comfort || they/them pronouns for reader || Warnings for descriptions of injury, religious/medical trauma, and PTSD/self-harm (all mild/implied)

──────.𖥔 ݁ ˖˗ˏˋ ★ ˎˊ˗.𖥔 ݁ ˖ ──────

You had only wanted to help. You'd been there for years by Vittorino's side, seeing the best and worst of him. You didn't exactly remember when he became so quick to snap and irritable, but little flickers of memory occasionally caught you. Doctors in seafoam scrubs, a younger and more approachable Vittorino disappearing for a few moments only to come back with blood dripping from his head and a new wrap of bandages. It was hard to retain many memories, the Basilica was as dizzying and confusing as it was large. Sometimes you could barely make your way around the place.

But something you did retain clearly was the mention of rabbits. Vittorino had brought them up quite a few times, enough for you to somewhat associate him with the animals. In an attempt to brighten his mood, you decided today to bring one into the Basilica. You'd proudly held the small lagamorph up to the pale priest, but the reaction you got was wildly different than what you had expected. Vittorino had yelped as if hit with an electric shock, backing up to the farthest wall and yelling in a frenzied panic over it. You'd quickly and gently put the rabbit back in its carrier compartment for safety before attempting an approach.

Vittorino still had himself backed against a wall, mumbling nearly incoherently under his breath. One of his hands was clutched onto the 'wing' part of the left side of his hair, tugging hard. The other was gripping a rosary a little too tightly, the cross part was digging directly into his palm and the base of his fingers. "Vittorino?" You called gently, but he didn't even glance near you. You couldn't fully understand what he was muttering, his breaths shook his words and made them warble in a way you'd never heard. The most you could gather was it was Italian.

"Vittorino, hey," You began again, taking a step closer. He jumped violently at registering noise, whirling around with rage immediately replacing his fear, frozen panic morphing to blinding red hurt. "What were you THINKING?!" He yelled at you, causing you to step back "Hey- it's alright, Vittorino, I put him up. See?". You held up your empty hands to show him "I'm so sorry, I didn't think that-"

"Of course you didn't" Vittorino cut you off, an aggressive scoff punctuating his words "You obviously didn't. Not something you do often, hm? I don't know why I expected anything else". You felt your own irritation rising at that, and you replied back immediately "Excuse me? I made a small mistake because I wanted to help you! I couldn't have known it would be like this". "You might have, if you ever listened to me" Vittorino snarled "Just once, think about someone other than you". "I was, I was trying to do something for you!" You shot back.

"By sending me to an early death?! Congratulations! How amazing that I have you here, truly a joy" Vittorino shot back sarcastically. You almost gave another retort, but your throat caught. Using the opportunity, you forced yourself to relieve a rough sigh. "...Okay, I messed up. I- I'm sorry I missed something, I really am. But it's not fair for you to start talking to me like this"

"Do you want to know what's really 'not fair'?" Vittorino asked lowly, his tone coming across as a dangerous rumble. "What's not fair is being caged and prodded like some pest, or shoved aside like roadkill. You want to see 'unfair', hm? You wouldn't survive having to claw and fight for even enough air to breathe in your own rectory". As he went on, his hands around his scarf got tighter. You couldn't tell if he was shaking from fear or rage, and his harsh tugging was closing the fabric around his own neck. He was still ranting, even when his own actions were close to cutting off his air "You see how many demons they can bleed out of you and get you to stop scratching each other, then we can talk about what's 'just' or 'fair'!"

"Vittorino- Vitto, stop" You said, hesitantly trying to stop his hands "Vittorino!". He pulled his hands away from his scarf, freeing his own airway. Even with the care you showed, he was still giving you a searing glare. "Get out, before I call the police for trespassing" Vittorino said in a low growl. "Wait, come on- look, I'm really sorry!" You called out, but he didn't listen. He'd already turned on his heel, beginning to retreat into one of the many hallways. "Vittorino! Vittorino!! Come on, I- I'm really-" you shouted out, but you found yourself choking up all over again. He didn't even wait before storming down the halls as fast as he possibly could.

You took a few deeps breaths to steady yourself, trying not to let tears fill your eyes or bile gather in your throat. You stepped back towards the entrance, seeing how the animal you'd brought was calmly gnawing on the celery in his container. You sighed, petting the top of the carrier. "It's not your fault" you said gently, almost a whisper. You knew realistically the animal wasn't harmed. Vittorino hadn't even touched him, and he was safe where he sat. Maybe you just needed those words to be said, to believe them for even a moment, and hear the reassurance.

You noticed your vision blurring, and you quickly wiped your eyes dry. You lifted the carrier, gently heading for the doors, saying, "Let's get you home, little one" to the critter within it. As your shoes made noise on the floor, you let your thoughts wander with the echoes. A mix of regret, guilt, and anger still filled your chest in a sickening weight. You reached the doorknob, opening up the large entrance and pushing it open. Maybe there'd be time to meet up with him again someday, but at the moment, Vittorino was the last person you wanted to think about.

As you walked down the street, Vittorino sat in his rectory. His whole body shook, and he was heaving deep, slow breaths. He looked down at the hand clutching his rosary, slowly opening it. Red stained the cross and his gloves, skin having punctured under his grip. He growled a frustrated sigh, throwing the beads on the ground before stomping to the bed. He sat down with a heavy weight, pulling a hidden box out from under his bed. He began working at the latch, opening it up to reveal bandages inside.

He tried to pick up the roll, but his quivering hands kept having them slip through his fingers. He grumbled as he tried to pick it up, each time the fabric fell and evaded his grip. He made a shout of frustration, throwing the box full force away from him. It clashed and clattered on the floor, the contents inside scattering across the surface. His breathing was back to uneven, jaw clenched painfully tight. At the sight of a miniature scalpel, he shuddered with sudden intense nausea. He had to force himself to look away, staring at his own pillows instead. Though his vision was impaired by a burning ache in his eyes, wetness overcoming his sight.

He didn't bother brushing it away. His rectory was the one place he felt it was safe to be like this. A pained, strangled noise left his lips as his hands clenched tightly. He'd never managed to keep company for very long these days, and this was a stark reminder as to why. His superiors had been right, he was a danger. Too much for anyone to handle, God's worst mistake. He eased the growing disgust and anger in his system by gnawing the side of his gloved hand. Ever since what those doctors did, he couldn't feel the contact anyways. Or anything in his hands for that matter. Not since-

He squeezed his eyes shut to try and block out the thought, jaw clamping tighter as his already bleeding hand started tugging at his scarf. No more, no more, please no more. He forced himself to breathe deeply, moving his hand out of his mouth as his cheeks became stained with tears and remorse. He didn't mean to, it was an accident. Why did he have to- especially to you, of all people?! He mumbled under his breath, prayers long since engraved into his memory spilling out before he could control it.

He'd have to find time to see you, to explain or maybe make amends. But the thought of your hurt expression at his words made the tears fall faster, and his teeth grit tighter. He had to fix this... he had no idea how he would, but he couldn't bear the thought of losing anyone else. Especially you

[the-matpat-ever]

This is just an old oneshot of an interpretation of Phantom based on a roleplay I did with a particularly lovely person in my fnaf esc discord server. Im still so proud of it!! This was created based in the same world as the Twin AU of Mad and Ness

Context: Post incident with Mad trying to kill and torture Nate, Mare is created from the pure hatred Nate had been bottling up underneath the surface. Phantom on the other hand was created from Nate's religious trauma from his mother, viewed by Nate as an imaginary friend or guardian angel when they were small children. Phantom is all of Nate's greed, deceitfulness, and self destruction, changing with Nate as they got older. Phantom acts as superior when he really isn't, viewing Mare as an annoying little brother. They are just thoughts that can take a physical form, hence: Thoughtforms

♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡

Natemare

I'm glad we can both agree on something (:

You had a job, but sorry buddy, your position has been filled.

Fill your head with hot air all your WANT, convince yourself you HELP Nathan now, but you don't.

You are just another con man, Phantom.

A LEECH.

11:52 pm

A red glow illuminates his phone from his eyes. The raven digs his nails into flesh, itching to shed blood. His heart beat was irregular as it pounded in its hollow chest. He was just so...ANGRY. At himself for letting Nate get hurt, for Mare for calling him OUT. He drops his phone as Phantom claws at his head while he shakes. He tried his best.

It wasn't enough.

Nate was better off without it. All he did was LIE. He had no use for him anymore, Mare was simply just more effective than it. He grits his teeth until it feels like he's crushing his teeth from the pure pressure. Phantom thinks back to all the years he had protected Nate. That's all he wanted to do; It's what he was made to do and he FAILED. Teeth clench down further, puncturing his lip in the process. It was trembling and panting. He just wanted to feel just a little bit of freedom. He wanted to see the world. It didn't matter what he did in his free time; Even if it was tricking and consuming human souls...

ALL THOSE YEARS FOR NOTHING. Nate wasn't even grateful..His breath quickens, sucking in a gulp of air before throwing the first thing his ivory hands reach. His staff hits the wall with a loud CRACK not too long after. It rebounds off the wall, leaving a crack in the glass ball that was located in the snake's maw. Fingers pull at raven hair, the aching burn not even comparing to the fire eating away at his insides until there is nothing left. It was AGONY.

Black drips down his arms from his fingertips like hot wax while a thin black tail curls around his thigh to ground itself. His legs gave out, being forced to sit on his knees. His breath was hot as he coughed up bits of ash and live embers, lungs filling up with hot steaming smoke, exhaling black and crimson through his maw and nose.

Ashy fingers replace their grasp on black bony appendages that sprouted from the sides of its head. He lets out a pain ridden shriek from how much it B U R N E D. He collapses face first onto the floor. The cool floor was almost a blessing in disguise. It indiginitally crawls on the ground before reaching for his cane. Shame envelopes the demonic thoughtform like a stab in the chest. What was he doing? Crawling on a dirty ass floor like a low life; a peasant. He HATED it. HE HATED IT, HE HATED IT, HE HATED IT.

The thoughtform is unable to bring itself to sit up and do something productive because this was definitely NOT beneficial. He just wallows in self-pity, feeling absolutely horrid with himself.

@wouldntyou-liketoknow

[mamawasatesttube]

Have you seen this? I have very very mixed feelings but. https://www.tumblr.com/nightmareinfloral/730720741856788480/magdalene-visaggios-rejected-proposal-for-kon

i skimmed it and all i can say is, im glad it got rejected because i would've hated to have to hate a major canon queer storyline but. lol. lmao. this just drips christianity. magdalene could you make it any more obvious you don't know how to write a story that isn't about yourself??? like idk i can't bring myself to be excited about the idea of transfem kon when literally everything else about this sucks so bad. "kon is the jason todd of the superfam"????? so we're just putting words in sentences now huh. all this says to me is that magdalene herself is a trans woman with christian religious trauma and that is the only story she knows how to tell. im deeply not interested in that.

[mulders-too-large-shirt]

s1 episode 18 thoughts

i have been busy and my nightly watch sessions have fallen to the wayside, so i was really excited to watch this one! a great end to a busy day <3

so we open with a child reciting the bible to bring a dead burn victim back to life. i'm american so this was like an ordinary day for me ngl. like yeah yeah the child who believes he can resurrect, we've all seen it. nothing a good southern hallelujah can't fix in some people's minds.

the preacher says he found the boy on the banks of the mississippi which was SO funny to me. moses who?!

there was another scene of the ministry being cultishly devout and i wrote in my notes "like this isn't even really funny this is just the south i know people like this" and i stand by that assessment

scully wants to go investigate even though it's not an x file because they need someone with medical experience. she seems to think he won't want to come but mulder is soooo happy to join :D "when are we leaving for tennessee?"

(he needs to be out of his office for stimulation)

the preacher was dripping in expensive jewelry, had 4 cadillacs, again, many such cases here in the US of A.

when they meet the miracle healer boy (who has been accidentally killing people lately) he says to scully "do you deny the power of God?" and she says "no". i am storing that information for future use.

scully got deeply uncomfortable and tried to shut it DOWN when the miracle guy brought up mulder's sister, but he wanted to hear more. she even called the sheriff over. she said you are NOT going to mess with that man's head in front of me absolutely NOT.

then we had a plague moment in the courtroom. GRASSHOPPER ATTACK BE UPON YE!

mulder was reading from the old testament... this is so ethel cain coded

then he starts seeing his sister as a little girl and running toward her!!! he runs out during a chat with the preacher and scully is confused

she asks hey man. what did you see. he says "a girl". she says "who, jessica hahn?" (now i had to google who that is but she was a model.)

scully you are quick-witted and good at teasing this man. but he's sad and says "a LITTLE girl". making fun of mulder for having a crush has been temporarily POSTPONED due to his childhood trauma resurfacing.

i actually felt really bad for the healer guy who started killing people by touching them because i find it very believable that religious trauma will have you thinking that your evil hands made people choke to death because you are Sinful. again, seen similar things. in a less dramatic sort of way.

they return to the ministry event and mulder points out a seat in the crowd to scully then guides her with his hand on the small of her back. god, when is my turn? i have seen what you make the fictional men do.

the religious people are blocking an autopsy for religious purposes. which is something i will be googling later because tbh i'm curious if that is still a thing.

! SCULLY LORE REVEAL ! she was raised catholic! she is familiar with scripture and says "God never lets the devil steal the show!" mulder laughs and says "you must have loved the Exorcist" and she says its one of her favorite movies! (DANA SCULLY HORROR FAN?!?!)

we see a person in scrubs sharpening a knife for an autopsy and i did NOT like that so imagine my SHOCK AND HORROR to learn it was none other than scully herself getting to business!!!

mulder is also there and he is very squeamish so he's being a great friend by sitting on the counter while she cuts a body up. thank u for ur service king.

(she makes him look at some lungs and he does NOT want to do this. think of the poor man's stomach, scully!)

when he runs out to go see the healer turned killer kid in jail, i was like yeah he was looking for an excuse to get tf out of there

also scully... in scrubs... <3 yes the sharpening of a knife was impersonal and scary but it's still Her... she's in her Doctor Mode and i love to see it

the healer boy tormented mulder about his sister and had him in the jail cell yelling "IS SHE ALIVE" ohhh i was seated. i was on the edge of that seat i was sat upon. needed to know if he was going to crack some skulls to get answers about his sister.

well no skulls were cracked in THAT scene but in the very next one, the sheriff hires some henchmen to kill the healer guy in jail which is like. not really analyzed a lot throughout the rest of the episode. and i feel like we moved past this a bit too quickly. but okay.

i was worried they were going to make the shady pastor the hero of the episode and thankful they did not do that. we don't need that energy to be encouraged. don't we deal with enough as is? another megachurch pastor might break me.

(our duo breaks into the court room where earlier a plague of locusts had begun) "what exactly are we looking for?" "clues" okay cryptic scooby doo mulder. acting like the guy from blue's clues. dumbass. i love him. (blue skadoo, you can too!)

then he yells "SCULLY! it's potato" in a deadly serious tone. this obviously has Implications for the investigation but "SCULLY! it's potato" is a phrase that had me laughing until my sides hurt. the deadpan delivery. scully. it's potato. new phrase entering my mental roster. rotating it in my mind over and over again.

they realize it's the burn victim the boy healed as a child who killed all those people! and when they get to his house, scully takes a deep sniff of whatever he was drinking and announces it's poison. which again, important to the plot. but it looked like she was just:

(scully takes a deep inhale of some liquid that looks like water) cyanide...

like girl why are you sniffing that! they always tell you not to sniff unknown chemicals when you get to high school chemistry class!!! her med school training flew Out the window. she needs to sniff the poison.

we see them getting packed up to head home and MULDER BROUGHT A PHOTO OF HIS SISTER AND KEPT IT BY HIS BED. does he do this for every single roadtrip? holy fuck i was gonna cry. the impermanence of the hotel room but the permanence of his grief, trying to hold on to what he can remember, her photo as a symbol of what he works for, what he spends his life working toward, why he devotes so many late hours and sleepless nights to the job... because its about getting her back above all else. no i'm Fine it's totally okay.

i enjoyed that for once, this was just a good ol' fashioned murder. a guy was poisoning people and letting someone else take the fall. a totally rational situation! a win for the disbelievers from all backgrounds!

(okay, so we don't know exactly why the guy could heal people in the first place or cause mulder to see his sister. but don't think about that too hard! enjoy the w for skeptics and scully nation!)

[my-castles-crumbling]

Hi Cas!!!

Recently i wrote a poem and decided I loved it and send you an ask with it 2 days ago but i think it got lost or smth.

Little backstory here so I live in a family full of artists and very creative people so sharing my work always made me self concious since I always compared my work with theirs. Turns out I also have a problem with openly sharring my work with others which is a bit of a problem considering I need to do share my work for school. Because of that I've decided to share my poem with someone cause I'm really proud of it but I also want someone to tell me their honest opinion/feedback. So here it is I guess??? Also english is not my first language so sorry if there s any mistakes 🦖

Earth breaking beneth my feet

Hands holding my arms

While pushing me down

Sinking into the ground

Divine paintings flashing before my mind

Their meanings going up my mouth

Watching me choke down all the noble words

Blocking their way out

Only to laugh

As the Devil listens to all the broken sounds

Coming from my eyes

Crimson tears staining my cheeks

Honey dripping from my lips

Straight into a vase near my feet

Angles are gathering the golden liquid

Collectiong memories I missed

Reminding me things I did

That are straining my guilt

People I left forgoten

Are sitting faceless

Waiting for my jugement

God is listening to everyone

Except for me

As I bleed out on a light floor in front of him

Staining red everything I could see

While room fillds with blood

That's comimg from my wounded heart

Drowning me

Ending my tortures

While our outstanding preformance goes on

The capitol's laughing

The kids are dying

But why do I care?

About them when I'm away

Maybe these scary meaningfull portraits

Maybe paintings that left me empty

Are happening somewhere on Earth

Someones mother is dying

But all we do is drink honey

Someones child is fighting

But all we do is play a song

Song of Army Dreamers

And say 'scary things happened years back'

While ignoring the fact

That those things are also happening now

Somehow I made a poem about war with my religious trauma, Kate Bush reference and few Crimson Rivers references. Thats cute. When im rereading it now it seems a bit silly and kinda looks like i tried using 'big words' but i still love it.

Also the way you ate up last Caledenstine(HOW TO WRITE THAT????😭) chapter??? Ate and left no crumbs? Yessir. I support Regs rights and wrongs even if his wrongs are treaky(?) sometimes and make me want to hit him with a paper (just jk i would probably hug him and then make him some good soup)

Losts of love for you and your wife and your cat(s) (pretty sure you have a cat or two but maybe im mixing people???? Prolly should go to sleep but this was more important for me?????) Hope your sleep shedule is better then the rests of the fandom tho you are a teacher, an ao3 writer and a trumble user so its probably not the best while school year but still! 💃All the best ❤️

Hi hon!!! Your original ask was actually next on my list lol but I'm responding to this one because you added some things.

Damn, that ending though.

And say 'scary things happened years back' While ignoring the fact That those things are also happening now

This is SO real, and so poignant. You absolutely should share this with others, it's a very powerful poem. I love the imagery you have throughout. Please don't compare your work to others- art is supposed to be unique, you know?

hahah yeah Reg is in his Rep Era rn I feel. I'll not elaborate more.

My sleep schedule is...well it's 12:30am and I am not planning on sleeping for a while, as I need to edit and then post the next chapter. By the time this ask is posted (I'm scheduling it) the next chapter should be out! yay, summer?

Sending you all the love!

[aplaceinthedark]

chapter eleven: JUST wouldn't STAY DOWN

Summary: Down in the Shenandoah Valley, there lay a court consisting of the Grim, the Drowned, the Witch and the Watcher.

CW: supernatural themes, mentions of vehicular accident, mentions of motorcycle accident, religious sacrifice, ptsd, large canines, bodily injury, body horror, graphic violence, religious trauma, blood, witchcraft

Every chapter will have a different cw section. This is Bad Omens rpf, so obviously I don't know all the little nuances of the members or their family members.

A/N: Some things are color-coded. If any of you are colorblind lemme know. 

I tried to relax the best way I knew how: playing with the cats. When that didn't work, I tried staying still on my bed, but the scent of Nick was still ingrained in my sheets.

“Lyds, why am I so useless?” I asked, less to the calico and more to myself.

My only response was the sound of cat paws hitting the wooden floor. Great, even they were abandoning me. I sat up, watching Lydia move towards the dresser that was still pulled away from the wall. The lock box still discarded near it—

But not empty.

I scooted off the bed and picked it up. In his haste to take out whatever had been it, Noah didn't scoop out some papers that had stuck to the bottom.

It looked like notes, like mine, but attached to it was a page from a book, or maybe a handbook:

"Beyond the conceptual or abstract, it is an existence born of darkness and light, manifesting in every corner of our world. This Divine Power cannot be wielded or controlled by humankind, but merely channeled through distinct means. The greatest way to channel Divine Power is to become a Vessel for the Truth.

To become a proper Vessel, one must be completely open to receive the Truth. To be open, one must be empty: all unnecessary thoughts and emotions must be cast aside in a process called Hollowing. Hollowing occurs at the end of one's journey to seek Truth.

Once the Hollowing is complete and one has become an Empty Vessel the Truth may then fill that void using the Ritual of Cleromancy. Those filled with the Truth are fully enlightened, a receptacle of knowledge and Divine Power. Imbuement is the greatest privilege for those who seek the Truth, as all who journey strive to reach this peak."

And then on the paper, written in a small, clipped handwriting:

"RITUAL OF CLEROMANCY = STAB SOMEONE IN THE GUT"

God, even back then Noah was a blunt bastard.

I shook the lockbox, thinking something else might've gotten stuck, and I was rewarded with something metallic and small dropping out of the box. It bounced, and Jerry scrambled to chase it, batting at it with his paws. I quickly retrieved it before he would try and chew on it.

It was a small ear spacer, almost the size of a stud. It had to be Nick's, from when he started to stretch his lobes.

That's when I heard noises from the other side of the house “Taylor?” I heard Folio call.

“Coming!” I scrambled up and out of my room. I ran to my living room where—

"What the fuckin' hell?” I shouted.

Folio’s hands and mouth were coated in blood, but Noah was almost drenched head to toe in it. He had shed his shirt and jacket, and this close I could make out the pattern of symbols tattooed from his collarbones to his hips. And despite his human appearance, the branch-like antlers were present.

“Like what you see?" Noah asked after popping his jaw, a sound like several twigs snapping accompanying the motion.

I was too grossed out to be angry at his comment. “What the fuck did you guys do to him?”

“Interrogated,” Folio said, grinning. God, his fangs were dripping blood still.

"When you said bloody, I didn't think this much—“

“There's a lot of blood in a human body,” Noah said, wiping his bloody mouth with the back of his hand, which didn't do much since that was covered in blood as well.

I swallowed. Surprisingly I didn't feel like throwing up. “Did you at least get something out of the guy?”

“Well, we definitely got his intes—“

Noah smacked Folio upside the head, earning a small growl. “No location, but Jolly's working on that. But we got the reason behind all this.”

“Between all the screaming," Folio added.

“They’re going to try and resurrect the old Watcher, so they can go back to the old ways. And since it’s not one of the Days of Power, they’re using a practitioner for the Ritual,” Noah said. “They were going to use Granny, but they took Nick when he showed up unexpectedly.”

My vision started spinning. The Ritual. “Cleromancy,” I muttered.

“How did you—“

“You left some stuff behind,” I said. My legs felt too heavy to move, so I couldn’t get the handbook page. “We have to find him. I can’t…”

I couldn’t lose Nick. Not after I’ve lost so much already.

“Is there a way we could speed up the locating process? Jolly only has maybe eight hours, and has fifty miles to cover,” Folio said.

“If you know another way, I’m all ears dude.”

My eyes fell on my coffee table while they conversed. Amongst the papers we had abandoned last night, the little red string stood out like a fresh wound.

"What if we get separated?"

"This helps with that as well. Unless you'd rather I hold your hand the entire way?"

I don’t know why I threaded the string through the ear spacer, nor why I tied the string around my wrist. I wasn’t a practitioner, nor a witch. Was it a good luck charm? A pathetic excuse to connect to Nick? It wasn’t even that great of a job, since I did it one-handed.

Except I felt a spark of… something.

It started as a warmth in my chest and head, where my near-healed head wound was. It moved to my hand, where the metal spacer heated up and felt like it would sear my skin. I hissed in surprise and pain, pulling the spacer away, but there was no mark on my skin.

“The fuck are you doing over there?”

I turned around at Noah’s voice. He looked annoyed but curious at what I was doing. When I turned though, the metal cooled down. I turned back, and the metal heated up again.

“I think I just unintentionally casted a location spell.”

“So when did you learn how to practice?” Noah asked.

“I didn't. It just… I don't know,” I said, sighing.

This trek through the woods was a lot faster, even though I kept tripping and falling, due to not having Nick keeping me upright. At one point Noah suggested Folio carry me on his back, even going so far as to call it a “furry piggyback ride” after we refused the first time. Needless to say, we refused again.

I couldn't feel angry at him. Just… pity, I guess. “You got serious anger issues then. Probably should see a therapist about that,” I stated.

Unfortunately, Folio ran on ahead to scout the area in front of us, with Noah acting as the middle man if we had to change directions because of the terrain. Which left me with the man who just this morning had me pinned to the wall by my neck.

“So how long?” I asked. Noah made an inquisitive grunting noise. “How long did you have feelings for him?”

Noah was silent for a while, almost making me think he wasn't going to dignify me with a response, until he finally spoke, “Not too long before shit went down, actually. We… bonded a little after we watched Folio get killed.”

“Bonded? Is that a euphemism for–”

“No, get your mind out of the gutter,” Noah snapped. “We kissed once, okay? After i lost my mom, I stayed over a lot. Nick wasn't into it, and I respected that. We stayed friends, and I got a girlfriend soon after.”

“Elin?”

“God, don't fucking remind me. That bitch deserved her fate,” Noah growled. The thought of what that fate probably was had me pushing through another several moments of tense silence.

“You didn't get over him, did you?” I asked quietly.

“I did, in fact. When I was in service to the original Watcher as the Towering Man,” Noah said with a bitter laugh. “Being over six feet tall was a curse in school, and the Watcher just loved to rub my face in it.

“I would wait for Nick to realize that I wasn't dead; that I was right outside in the woods behind his house. Nick used to search the woods after the search parties gave up, turns out. I thought he had just given up. So I left, and didn't see him until the next Summer Solstice.

“I guess seeing him with you… brought back old wounds. And I acted on them.”

Noah was about to respond when he suddenly crouched down, pushing me down with him. “You see that fire?” He hissed.

We crept up on the scene before us. It was… horrifying. That was the only way I could describe it, but even then, it felt inadequate. It looked exactly how I’d imagine a cult would look like: dark clearing, candles, an altar.

I could only count ten members. They all wore black cloaks, and black masks that mimicked a deer’s skull and antlers. They all stood in pairs, except one who stood before a tall effigy made of thick branches, twigs, vines and leaves. And tied that effigy, in some kind of terrifying mockery of the crucifixion, was Nick.

I had to clamp my hand over my mouth to middle the sound of my choked sob. From this distance, I couldn’t see if he was alive or not; just that he was covered in blood.

“What do we do now?” I asked.

“Wait for Jolly to lure them to the river. He's not far,” Noah said.

My stomach churned when I looked back at Nick. A part of me wanted to rush the cultists and get him down, but I knew with my disabled hip I wouldn't be able to take on ten people who may or may not have something to stab me with. At least one person had to if they were going to try to sacrifice Nick.

Just then, one of the cultists brought out a small drum, starting to tap out a rhythm that was simple but loud. I could compare it to what my heartbeat felt like.

The one that was closest to Nick, who stood out amongst the others because their mask’s antlers were blood-red instead of black like the others, held up a hand. “We will now drink from the Cup of Fate,” the leader called out.

“Come on, Jolly. Any second now,” Noah hissed from behind me.

“Our words uttered into the formless void.”

“Our words uttered…” the cultists parroted back.

“Reverberate through the space between space, between space.”

The rhythmic beating of the drum and the smell of smoke was almost hypnotizing. More so than the one time I heard Jolly’s guitar playing…

“We are heard by THAT WHICH WATCHES OVER US, so it may lift one heavy, eager eye in our direction.”

“You don’t think they have the drum to dispel Jolly’s song, do you?” I whispered to Noah.

“We are heard by those who shall always be nameless—“

“Fuckin’… shit!” Noah cursed.

“—whose incorporeal arms reach for us—“

“Alright, Folio, get in there.”

“—uniting us in unbodied observance, until we are heard no—“

The chant was cut off by the sound of a long howl. The drum stopped, and when the howl faded, I could hear the sound of a guitar and a clear voice singing:

“If God came down from His kingdom; He came down from His home, and we asked Him if He would take us back, He would surely tell us no.”

Noah had warned me of Jolly's songs, which was why I brought some small ear plugs that blocked out certain frequencies. It just so happened to block out any siren-esque frequencies as well.

What they didn't block out was the absolute chaos that came next.

They didn't block out the sounds of creaking wood and snapping branches behind me as Noah shifted into his other form. They didn't block out the sounds of Folio’s paws thundering through the forest, nor his snarls. They didn’t block out the screams as some people were ripped apart by Folio’s jaws. I had to block it all out myself.

I looked up as Noah’s deformed shadow fell over me. He looked down at me through a deer’s skull, which from this angle, I could see was melded to his face. His large, glowing white eyes pierced the darkness.

GET TO NICK.

I didn't need to be told twice.

As Noah loped towards the remaining cultists, I bolted towards Nick as fast as I was able to. I almost slammed face-first into the effigy when I skidded to a stop, but I caught myself by digging my fingers into the cracks between the sticks. The carnage behind me was still unfolding, even as I heard Noah unleash an unearthly shriek. Using a small pocket knife to cut Nick’s legs free, I soon had to climb the effigy to free his wrists.

That's when I heard a small noise come from him. I pressed a hand to his chest, feeling his heartbeat and his chest rise and fall. I almost collapsed in relief. “Nick? Nick, hold on. We're gonna get you out of here,” I sputtered, moving my hand to cup the side of his face. His eyes fluttered open at the touch. They looked drained of color in the dim light.

“Hey, you’re gonna be alright, okay? I’m gonna get you out of here,” I repeated, trying to keep him conscious. “I'm gonna cut this one rope, and I'll try to catch you, but we might take a fall–"

I had cut through the rope, finally freeing him, and Nick started to slide down. I managed to catch him, but I couldn't compensate for the near-dead weight in time. As my footing slipped, I tried to catch us by grabbing onto the effigy. The wood tore my hands up. I hissed in pain, but held on for dear life; more for his and less for mine.

My feet touched the ground, followed by Nick's. Luckily he was only half a foot taller than me, because otherwise this would've gotten awkward as I wrapped his arm around my shoulders.

I searched wildly for Noah. Thankfully, he was easy to spot. I got him!! I screamed out into the ether in his direction.

GO! RUN!

Just then, a dark force barreled into me, launching me and tearing Nick from my arms. As I landed on my bad hip, a visceral scream of pain tore up my throat. In my dazed state, I barely saw the same force kick me with what seemed to be supernatural strength, as I heard bones crack as I flew several feet away and landed on my back.

“You who are empty, I shall guide your step. Lo, though you envy, envy not. Lo, though you covet, covet not.”

Despite the agonizing pain in my side, I managed to turn myself over onto my stomach. Vision spinning, I was able to find Nick, who had managed to push himself up onto his elbows. I started to pull myself toward him.

“You who are empty, I shall see through your eyes. Lo, though you toil, toil only for me. Lo, though you suffer, suffer only for me.”

A strong hand grabbed the back of my skull, tearing some of my hair out from its bun and my scalp. The pain was dulled, thanks to the adrenaline. The voice that hissed in my ear was the same voice as the leader.

“You who are empty, I shall be with you and within you. You who are empty, you shall want no longer.”

He suddenly let me go, a wave of dizziness and fog overcoming me as I collapsed back to the ground, face smashing into the hard ground. I groaned into the pavement as the adrenaline faded, and my entire left side felt like it had been scorched. I couldn’t feel my legs.

I sucked in a deep breath, though it hurt my chest to do so, and shifted my head to where my cheek was pressed against the hot asphalt. Someone’s headlights illuminated the entire crash scene, but my eyes immediately fell upon a masculine body that was several feet away, blue-gray eyes fixed on me. Eyes that pleaded for me.

I forced my body to move, even if it was just my arms. I clawed at the blacktop, my weak strength barely getting me off the street, and I barely felt the twinge as my fingernails split and broke.

YOU CAN'T SAVE HIM.

Yes, yes I could. If my stupid body would just cooperate–

YOU ARE WEAK.

Why wasn't I moving?

YOU ARE EMPTY.

No. Not this again.

My brother was dying. Again.

And I was being forced to watch. Again.

Fuck, everything hurt.

Everything was hazy as well, like the whole day was spent underwater. Nicholas tried to think of the last thing he remembered clearly. Having sex with Taylor? That was practically so ingrained into his brain, he’d never forget about that in a million years. Noah being angry and yelling at him about Taylor having sex with Taylor? Yeah, that was pretty much ingrained into him as well. Driving to his grandmother's house, going through the front door, and then… That's where his memories took a nosedive.

He practically existed in a halfway state, up until now. Small flashes of consciousness here and there was all he had. He had tried to reach out to the Woods to try and gain some energy back, but he couldn’t, so whoever had him must've drugged him or bound his inner power. He felt like a battery whose insides were slowly leaking.

Except he could sense a little spark he couldn't quite reach.

It was like it only existed in the corner of Nicholas’ vision; whenever he would look directly at it, it would disappear. When he looked away, it would appear again. It felt familiar, the little golden light, like it was a friend—

Oh, that's what it was. The fact that they were still holding onto it was surprising to him. Maybe they did share the same feelings after all.

He had coaxed the little spark closer and closer, weaving his practice into suggestions that would lead them to him, until he could almost touch it. Except when was right in front of him, he couldn't. Why couldn't he take it? It was his, after all.

“--? Nick, hold on.”

With the sound of a familiar voice, Nicholas roused to a state of semi-consciousness, but that meant the spark vanished, leaving him in the dark once again. Except now he could feel. And everything hurt.

He felt his body let out a small noise of pain. “Hey, you're gonna be alright.” A warm hand touched his face, and he was so shocked at the feeling of something not painful that his eyes slowly opened. His vision took awhile to clear up while a slightly feminine voice kept speaking. Large brown eyes swam into view. Noah?

No, Taylor. “I'm gonna cut this one rope, and I'll try to catch you, but we might take a fall–”

He couldn't hear the rest because he was too focused on the feeling of gravity pulling him down. It quickly stopped, but not before someone let out a noise of pain. He then felt his feet touch solid ground, and Taylor took all of his weight onto themselves.

Except then he was flying again - no, falling. Everything hurt more when Nicholas felt his body connect with a hard surface, almost knocking him out again, but that darkness went away when an ear piercing shriek roused him more to consciousness.

Taylor. Taylor was hurt.

Nicholas pushed himself up and looked through the curtain of his tangled and bloody hair. He managed to see Taylor, saw their eyes connect with his, until a shadow descended over them. All he saw of their attacker was blood-red antlers, and his heart dropped.

He screamed in pain and terror and anger as he launched to his feet. He managed to land a swing despite being drunk on pain and blood loss. The figure, this new leader of the cult, stumbled backwards, and then a long, branch-like arm snagged him and threw him further away.

Nicholas fell to his knees next to Taylor. “Tay?” he shouted, rolling them over. “Taylor!” Their brown eyes were wide, unseeing, but he could feel their pulse beating frantically under his fingers. They would jerk and moan occasionally, like they were experiencing a nightmare. They were under some malediction.

“Maledictions are just what we call dark practice,” Granny had told Nicholas several years ago, when he was just starting to learn the practice. “These are mostly spells that are used to hurt people, like a curse or what ordinary people might call a hex.”

Nicholas looked up at the sound of a roar that used to haunt his nightmares.

Despite facing two paranormal entities, the cult leader was somehow still standing. It was almost like watching the fight between Noah and the Black Stag all those years ago. But that meant there was only one way to defeat the Stag, if he really was possessing the cult leader. Just like last time.

And to save Taylor from the Hollowing, he’d have to kill the Vessel the only way he could.

“That sounds intense,” Nicholas had replied that night with Granny. “Have you ever done a dark spell like this?”

“No,” Granny had replied, “they can steal something from the practitioner. You might not even feel it, but the malediction can take something from you. The darker the malediction, the bigger the sacrifice.”

Using what little of his inner power he had left, Nicholas scooped a handful of dirt and rubbed it between his palms. “Come denizens of the dark earth, banish the evil and let it be no more,” he muttered into his hands. He then ran and jumped onto the Vessel’s back, earning a surprised, unearthly shriek. He wrapped his hands around the man’s throat, digging his now-black fingers into the soft flesh.

YOU CANNOT KILL US.

“No, but we can stop you. And we’ll keep stopping you from coming back, again and again, until you finally give up,” Nicholas hissed into the Vessel’s ear.

WE WILL NEVER GIVE UP, FOR WE ARE THE VERY BEST AT WAITING.

“Then you can wait in Hell, motherfucker.”

Nicholas squeezed his fingers tighter around the Vessel's throat, speaking the spell he had learned those several years ago, despite being warned of the consequences. “May the righteous triumph over he who walks the untrue path. With this sacrifice, I bind your suffering. May you eternally wither.”

And under Nicholas’ fingers, the cult leader began to rot away, until nothing was left except the wet slap of skin and bone hitting the ground.

Nicholas looked up at Noah, who was shifting into his humanoid form. He could hear Folio limping towards them, and could hear Jolly’s song fading, meaning that they were all okay. All his family was safe.

He turned to look at Taylor, who was stirring to life. Nicholas let go of the cloak, breathing out a sigh of relief as the last scraps of his essence slipped away.

And everything went black.

Tysm for reading! Next chapter coming soon!

[magicalbats]

Also since there HAS been so much content coming out I thought it might be fun to do a bit of a recap on everything and share some of my thoughts! I know there are at least a few people who read my fics without playing the source material or really having much baseline info on the characters before going into it (and you guys are incredibly special to me, rest assured 🫶🥺) so I figured this might be a nice way to do some little introductions!

Sticking this behind a cut so anyone who doesn’t want to see me rambling can easily skip over this post lol

In an attempt to keep things somewhat chronological, I’m going to start with the drip marketing for these two. Iirc they were officially announced one day apart, back to back, and I saw multiple people making angel/devil comparisons with them which really tickled me. 🤭

I’ll talk about Sunday first since he’s by far the character we’ve known the longest and man what a wait this has been. We met him in 2.0 and he is finally going to be playable in 2.7, and in a lot of ways it almost feels surreal that we’ve finally made it to this point. Genuinely it’s been such a bumpy, perilous ride with him. For a good moment there I wasn’t even sure if he was going to make it out alive or not, then I wasn’t sure if he was going to be playable, then leakers were saying he would be joining the Stellaron Hunters and then it was actually wait, he’ll join the Astral Express instead, and then he was getting a new outfit and for a second there it even looked like he might end up getting a new VA too. 🤣 When I tell you this man has had me STRESSED this entire time.

Luckily there is finally light at the end of the tunnel though, and I’m honestly so, so happy with how his playable look turned out! My silly little guy with his youth pastor drip 🙏🥹 He’s honestly my second favorite character in HSR right after Sampo, and I know that probably sounds bizarre for how different they are but look. I’m a woman with a refined, complicated palette okay? xmdkdmdkzk There really isn’t anything at all I don’t like about this man, he’s a little crazy but he’s also soggy and a bit pathetic at the same time, I’m sure you can see why he’s like crack cocaine to me. And the fact we’ll get to travel with him from now on … the fics really do just write themselves.

And that’s not even mentioning the religious trauma, god. I need him more than I can even put into words. Please let me win this 50/50 in a few weeks, I am begging. 🙏 😭

For Ororon I didn’t have that same immediate click with him when we got our first glimpse in the 5.0 Natlan trailer. He barely showed up for five seconds which didn’t help but he was also presented in a very mysterious, brooding kind of way that just didn’t lunge out at me. But the one thing I will always give Mihoyo credit for is they’re very good at layering different personality traits on their characters to make them not so one note. With that in mind I wanted to meet him first before drawing any definitive conclusions on whether or not I liked him.

And I am SO glad I did because he truly subverted every single expectation I think everyone had just based on that initial impression. Not only is he NOT an edge lord of the highest order, he also turned out to be one of the sweetest, cutest characters I’ve ever seen. 😭 He’s just a little guy, your honor. Please do not bully him.

He’s confirmed to be in his early 20’s but he has this very innocent, guileless manner about him that makes him feel indescribably boyish in the most charming way possible. He’s also a grandmas boy, and he calls anyone who he perceives to be older than him granny or gramps. I have some thoughts about him calling us mommy, either accidentally or on purpose … and other thoughts about him using the vegetables from his quaint little garden in less then wholesome ways. 😏 Like, guys. He loves animals, feeds squirrels, raises aphids, and he’s got his own little cottage core farm away from the rest of his village. I don’t think you understand what he’s doing to me.

With his release in game and access to his full bio we’ve also learned that he has a talent for art on top of everything else and look, I’m just saying but he might actually be perfect.

What are we looking at here, you may ask? Ororon’s art, that’s what. 😤

I was very pleased to learn that we actually do have another male character coming up in the Natlan lineup at SOME point in time, but this is the one and only look at him we’ve got so far. His name is Ifa and he’s a veterinarian, and also seems to be Ororon’s bff. I don’t have much else on him yet but we know he exists so I figured I’d mention him. For posterity if nothing else. lol

I fully admit knowing he’s a veterinarian is like having a fast pass into my pants. I love animals so if a man also loves animals there’s not really much else I can do other than fuck him, you know what I mean? 🤣 I’m very curious to find out how accurate the drawing of him is, so I’m really hoping we get to see some visual leaks coming out soon.

I’m also going to take a quick moment to talk about Mr. Reca too. Now, he doesn’t have drip marketing yet but he did appear in version 2.6 in the main storyline and wow, he was such a blast. Definitely a bit unhinged like his lightcone art suggests but in such a fun, mostly harmless way that I can’t help but stan. Also he’s a girl dad to a mechanical frog who acts as his assistant director? Good lord …

Indeed he is a little film nerd freak and also a Memokeeper, we don’t know much else about him just yet but I want to assure everyone here that as soon as I got my first glimpse of him I was looking so incredibly hard and I have not stopped looking once. He resembles Zhongli imo, if he was less unflappable and more prone to whimsy. I like that. A lot. 😏

“We can shoot a movie, we can bang like Rambo 🎶 “

We knew for sure Lighter was coming pretty early on into 1.2 when Caesar and Burnice got their banners so his drip marketing didn’t come as a surprise and he also has the esteemed honor of being the FIRST ever limited male 5 star in ZZZ, and yes it feels like a long time coming even though the game is only a few months old now. ✋😩 All the other men are either 4 stars or standard 5’s so I was more than likely going to pull for him no matter what. Out of desperation, and to show support for the men, even if he ended up not being to my taste.

For better or worse though, he actually turned out to be an amazing character and I fear I am very smitten with him. He’s just so cool and hard boiled, but also a little silly? A little goofy? And man, I don’t want to take up a bunch of time waxing poetic about this, but the fact he’s the only guy in the Sons of Calydon that we know about, surrounded by all women, and he is not the least bit threatened by it just really does something to my brain. Like, I unfortunately can’t add the picture due to Tumblrs image limit but his drip marketing has a little shot of him buying stuff for the girls — makeup and fashion magazines, stuffed animals and snacks and like … that’s real masculinity right there. I can’t decide if he’s like a dad or a big brother to them, but either way I am HERE for it.

I’m genuinely confident beyond a shadow of a doubt that he would have no problem at all buying tampons/pads for you, and I also think he’d be perfectly respectful about it too. He’d ask what brand you prefer, what size and what type, and he’d make sure he came back with exactly that even if he had to traverse a hollow completely blind to get it. I’d bet everything I own on that. I like him a lot. 😌

His banner will be available this coming Tuesday and I am unfortunately going into it on a 50/50, no guarantee, so please pray for my success. djemfkxksmwkw

So remember when I said Mihoyo is good at layering different personality traits on their characters? Yeah, so Harumasa is another great example of that.

When we first met him I (and I think many others too) kind of got the impression that he was a smooth talking playboy type and I even called him a fuck boy on multiple occasions. 🤣 But at the start of 1.3 in Yanagi’s story quest we actually got to see him interacting with his fangirls and he was not feeling it at all so I now suspect that he probably only flirts when it’s beneficial to him, specifically so he can fall back on his good looks to get by and put in less work than everyone else. He understands what pretty privilege is and he intends to use it to his advantage. lol

I actually think he ended up being a very charming character now that weve gotten to see more of him. He’s chronically tired and maybe just a bit lazy, doesn’t like hard work or long days, calls out sick often and looks for any excuse to leave work early. He’s INCREDIBLY relatable tbh. 🤣 Based on a few brief pieces of dialogue in Yanagi’s story I’d started to suspect he might actually be for real sickly in some way but then we got a leaked image of his weapon …. And it’s literally just a pill case full of medicine. So although I don’t yet know all the details I have to say Harumasa has really grown on me since his first introduction where I mistook him for some kind of womanizer. lol And this is exactly why I like to wait and actually get to know Mihoyo’s characters before deciding whether or not I like them, they’re just so incredibly good at layering them together in a way that imo makes them feel more tangible and alive. I genuinely can’t wait to see more of him in the near future!

Gonna go ahead and just toss WuWa right here, this won’t take too long seeing as there’s only one new male announced so far! 🤪 And look, I’m going to be completely honest here. Kuro Games is really pissing me off with this because we still have not seen hide nor tail of Scar since 1.0. Let me say that again. 1.0!! It’s been MONTHS that he’s just been rotting away in jail, let him out already you sick bastards! I want him!! I need him!!

Now Brant … I literally know nothing about him aside from his appearance and his name. He was just revealed the night before last so this is literally all we’ve got atm. But I will say I think he’s real cute and I definitely think I’m going to like him a lot. It took me a while to figure out what he’s reminding me of and then it suddenly clicked that his silly little cape looks a bit like Howl’s Moving Castle, doesn’t it? I’ve never seen the Ghibli film before, just screenshots, so I’m not sure what Howl is like or how that might potentially play into Brant’s characterization but I thought that was an interesting possible connection.

I especially like the deep plunge in his shirt, that shit goes almost straight down to his pants. He might be a little slutty. 😏 And the obvious pirate motifs paired with the harlequin mask on his hip. I am definitely looking. Disrespectfully, I might add. Eager to learn more about this one tbh.

And finally we have the big HSR reveal from the livestream on Friday. 🤭 I was ofc hoping for a preview of the next planet we’ll be going to since version 2.7 will be the last update before 3.0 but I wasn’t even remotely prepared for the trailer that dropped. Three men feels like a HUGE win so yes we are definitely celebrating this one.

Much like Brant all we’ve got so far are faces and names so I won’t be able to talk too extensively about these characters unfortunately. As for my initial impressions though I will say that Anaxa has my attention the most right now. I like the eyepatch and his long hair tied in a loose ponytail over his shoulder, and just his entire general vibe. He definitely seems to be my type and for the moment he’s the one I’m most looking forward to meeting.

Mydei is next in line for me, he looks like he might be a hot blooded masculine type and in fact I’m almost reminded of Itto a bit. I think? He might be equivalent to the god of war, Ares or Mars, so he should be an interesting one.

Phainon is definitely attractive but I think he looks a bit too much like Ayato for me to get super excited for him right off the bat. I don’t dislike Ayato, mind you, but his personality just doesn’t do much for me overall — so I’m tentatively looking forward to actually meeting this guy and seeing how he is in person. All of these characters seem to be alternate versions of ones from Honkai Impact the 3rd which I know close to nothing about but based on what I’ve heard Phainon should be a Kevin expy and I think he’s pretty important? I expect he’ll probably get the characterization to match tbh so I’m choosing to trust the process for now.

And that about wraps it up!

I will say if nothing else, this has taught me that if you’re someone who enjoys male characters the key here is to play multiple games at the same time to get your fill. 🤣 Because individually other than HSR they’re really just giving us crumbs one at a time. Like going into Natlan we truly only had two confirmed boys and maybe Capitano further down the line to look forward to, the rest were all girls. But when I put them all together like this we’ve suddenly got ten men to talk about, and tbh that’s really giving me the pick me up I needed. alsmfcosmszk

So, if anyone’s stuck with me this long, what are your thoughts on these characters? Who’s your favorite and who are you most looking forward to? Are any non players thinking about picking up one of these games? Feel free to share any of your thoughts with me, my inbox is always open! 🫶😊

And of course happy thirsting everyone!

[shitslikethis]

shoutout to whichever mutual was blogging about hazbin hotel bcus this is the absolute best. do you wish the gravity falls kids had been allowed to say fuck? they’ve got you covered! wishing someone would animate tboy swag in the style of kim possible with the drip of a 1930’s gangster femme fatale? we’ve got that too! the devils daughter is a musical theatre fan, the bartender is asexual, and the television is onceler coded. the transatlantic radio broadcaster voice is sentient (and haunting you, probably). it’s episode 4 and they’re arguing over whether or not porn is art. also, stephanie beatriz is here. the writers all have religious trauma and the animators are all furries.

[wanna-b-poet31]

remember how I'll Follow You Into the Dark was on Aziraphale's playlist and we all lost our minds because it was dripping in religious trauma and fear, but then Season 2 happened and everyone forgot that Aziraphale would literally follow Crowley anywhere, and defend them from anyone, but this time he's got to be the one to go alone first?

[bigbadripley]

Chapter 24 - Como Te Quiero Yo

Marc Spector/Steven Grant/Jake Lockley x Female!OC

Summary: Marc never expected to see his childhood friend Simone ever again. To Simone, Marc may as well have been dead. However, when Simone met Steven 15 years after Marc disappeared, she couldn’t help but notice how familiar he was.

18+!! | 3kish Words | Third-person omniscient | Dark?/Angst/Smut | AU/AT | THE FINALE (until the imminent sequel because I'm not done here)

Tagging for update: @ahookedheroespureheart

Warnings: Language, OC with religious trauma, childhood trauma, sexual trauma, the effects of this in adulthood. Smut, oral sex (f receiving), smut mention, OC experiencing body dysmorphia, maybe some typos, some fluff towards the end.

A/N: I update warnings with each chapter. Only proceed if you can handle the themes included in the warnings.

Minors DNI, DL;DR, if I miss a warning, please let me know.

Chapter list - Official Chapter Playlist (spotify)

"I want you constantly, eternally, unconditionally 'Cause we got issues, everyone does Si no hay drama no hay amor But lately, I just wanna make love I don't wanna fight, can we make up?" -"Como Te Quiero Yo" by Kali Uchis

Simone never realized how much she took movement for granted until she could barely move her legs. Once she got them going again, however, she started taking long walks every morning. It was nice to get out, clear her head, get her blood flowing, and enjoy the sun and fresh air. 

Often she went with a hoodie on and long sweatpants, the warmer weather not agreeing with the wardrobe choice much, but it was the only way she was genuinely comfortable being out of the apartment now. Everything about herself seemed worse through her own eyes these days. 

To nobody's surprise, Marc was the only person with an issue with Simone's morning walks, regardless of attire. He would pretend to be asleep when she left the moment the sun would peek through the sky, and he would wait until she came back, afraid that she would get snatched up again. Of course, this thought frequented Simone's mind, but she doubted anyone would likely take her. 

Simone would return to Marc's and shower at the end of each walk. Joyce had started joking about her practically living there these days, only really showing her face around the place they shared together to water the houseplants while Joyce was working. Though the intention wasn't to move in, it occurred to them that it was a valid option. 

This morning's walk route had Simone walk past her office building. Seeing the place and familiar faces walk in and out caused her incredible heartache and made her long for work again. 

How much time off is too much? She thought to herself as she finally turned around to go home.

"You know, I think I'm ready to go back to work," Simone called out from the shower. Under the hot warmer and steam was when she thought things through best. Marc was standing at the sink in nothing but a pair of sweatpants, shaving as clean as he could, to the chagrin of Jake, who insisted they should grow a mustache. 

"If that's what you think, you know I'm gonna say go for it." He called back out to her in response as he shook the safety razor in the water-filled basin to dislodge the short dark hairs. 

What he said was only partly true, as he wanted Simone out of his sight as little as possible. The only reason he stopped griping about the walks was because she would go crazy if she had to sit around all day. 

The idea of returning to work was exciting, like the prospect of seeing an old friend again. Simone knew it wouldn't come easy, but there was no debating that it would be better for her. 

Marc heard the shower turn off as he ran the razor down his neck, the sound of the stubble being cut much louder now that the water wasn't running anymore. He dunked the razor back into the sudsy water and watched Simone swiftly rip open the shower curtain to reveal her nude, dripping form. He admired her momentarily, rolling his eyes over each curve and mound before handing her a clean towel from the rack to his side.

Even though he marveled at her, Simone couldn't help but feel self-conscious of the ever-prominent scars that littered her skin. Marc paid little mind to them, arguing that they made her look more badass while they were all Simone ever saw in herself these days. Dark, jagged tiger stripes that told everyone to stare at her.

She took the light blue towel and flipped her hair to her right shoulder, dabbing out the excess water as she became hyperaware of the markings and immediately wanted to cover her body. "Maybe not, though." She concluded from her previous point before wrapping the towel over her shoulders like a cape. 

"Why'd you say that?" Marc asked, confused by the sudden change in her mind as he returned to shaving. Simone stepped behind him to frame herself in the mirror, bare feet padding against the tile floor. His eyes flicked between her and his concentration on not slicing himself open.

"I guess I'm afraid to scare my patients away." She admitted, peering into the sliver of the pane that she could see her face in, fingering over the rough tissue that was once the soft flesh of her left cheek.

I would scare children on the street if I wasn't covered all the time. She thought to herself, feeling her eyes and sinuses sting. Never in her life did she imagine she would end up so caught up in her appearance. That was before she had disfigurement to worry about. 

In many ways, she felt guilty for being so vain. If she spotted another woman with this issue or worse, she would find them incredibly beautiful and strong. Why couldn't she accept that in herself? 

"Maybe I should find a new line of work." 

"Don't say that," Marc said softly, dropping the razor into the sink and turning to the soaking-wet woman he loved. He hated that doctor for getting her hopes up and telling her she wouldn't have scars like this. "You're good at what you do." He attempted to reassure her. His hands grasped her terrycloth-clad shoulders and rubbed his thumbs over her collarbones. Simone wanted to believe him so bad.

"Look at me, Marc. I look like an old cutting board." 

"A few scars won't matter; if you're afraid they will, maybe find a new focus instead of a new career." 

Simone heard him loud and clear but didn't feel the words in her heart.

What you have are a few scars. She thought as she brought her hand to his bare chest, tracing her fingertip over the puckered skin left from combat. I'm just not as strong as you are. 

You have no idea how crazy I am for you. Marc thought as her touch and tender eyes made lust roar in his gut. He had been a bit more restrained with her as she's healed, afraid to be too rough with her. Though the idea made him twitch, he hated to see the frightened look in her eye she used to have. 

"I'll think about it." Simone finally responded. Her palm rested on his chest, feeling the dull thump of his heart. 

"Maybe that's the problem," Marc replied, placing his hand under her chin to tilt her head up to look at him while the other hand met the small of her back. "Maybe you're overthinking, baby."

Simone knew what he was getting at and bit her lip, thinking he would finally give her what she wanted. As much as she loved that he could be gentle, she didn't like that he treated her like she was broken. She wanted things to be normal again. Her eyes darted to a glob of shaving cream that resided on his jawline, and she smirked,

"Though I would agree, you need to clean up first." 

This confused Marc for a moment before he remembered what he was doing before, turning around and spotting the white patch. He caught Simone in the mirror again, trying to hold back giggles. 

"Fair enough. I'll finish up here. You take your fine ass to bed and wait for me."

Simone did just that, laying on her back in nothing but the towel, staring up at the ceiling. The sound of the tap whooshed in her ears as her anticipation grew, and it heightened once the water was turned off. Her head rolled over to watch the shirtless man with a now baby-smooth face step toward her. 

While Marc's head flooded with images of the filthy things they used to do together, his heart ached. 

She's been through so much. He thought as he pulled the damp towel off her, exposing her to him before joining her on the bed. "You are-" He wasted no time meeting his mouth with hers, completely cutting himself off to run his tongue over her freshly brushed teeth. His body rolled on top of her, snuggly meeting his clothed middle between her legs. 

"-Gorgeous." Marc finally finished his sentence in the form of a breath spoken into Simone's lips. The comment warmed her cheeks before he trailed wet and urgent kisses down her jawline as he used a hand to roam her soft, slick folds. Quiet, breathy moans spilled through her teeth like she wanted to hold them back as he rubbed slow circles with his middle finger.

He kissed down her neck, to her breasts and the valley between them, admiring every inch of her while snaking down her body. It was soft and sensual, but judging by the direction he was heading, Simone had no reason to complain for the time being. 

When Marc reached her center, he went to work immediately, slowly sliding his tongue up her slit. Her legs twitched when his tastebuds grazed the sensitive area, giving him the confidence to move forward and roll his tongue over her eagerly by starting with the curly letters in the alphabet that she enjoyed the most.

Soft whimpers flowed into Marc's ears like the sweetest songs that were only slightly muffled by squeezing of her plush thighs over his ears. Her fingers locked into his hair, grabbing for whatever she could to brace herself. 

Without stopping, he inserted the middle finger of his right hand into her, pushing upward slowly on her favorite spot. This caused Simone to wince with pleasure and inch closer to completion the more he toiled on her most sensitive areas. 

She started to rock her hips along his tongue and finger, helping things along as the fire grew in her belly. She threw her head deeper into the pillow under her as she unraveled. 

"F-fuck!" Simone groaned as her walls squeezed around his fingers, and sweet nectar leaked out of her. She arched her back painfully off of the bed while he relented, working on finishing out that blinding moment until she started to twitch and writhe from the sensitivity. 

Simone's chest fell heavily with each scattered breath as Marc crawled back up her body. She silently hoped he would be reckless with her like before, but once he started placing gentle kissing around her chest again, she knew he wouldn't be. 

I'll take matters into my own hands. She thought in her frustration. Marc was so caught up in what he was doing that he didn't notice he was being rolled over until she was on top of him. The back of his head sank into the mattress as he entered the position he wasn't familiar with. He put his hands on her hips, intending to turn things back around.

"Moni, bab-" He was swiftly cut off by her grabbing his wrists and pinning them above his head. She was offended by his insistence on being delicate with her.

"You..." Simone started, wanting to call him an asshole.

Don't call him anything too mean.

"-Goober!" The word left her lips before she could come up with something better. 

Marc stared up at the woman with confusion before his bewilderment turned into hilarity. "What did you just call me?" He asked, trying everything he could to hold back an eruption of laughter. "Goober? I'm a goober now?"

A huff escaped Simone's throat as she realized how ridiculous this looked. "I don't know! I'm just-" The words were drowned out by the chuckles he failed to contain. There was something about her being naked and saying that word that was so out of place it tickled him. 

Simone threw her head forward into his chest and buried her face behind her damp hair with a groan. The deep giggles vibrated against her from his ribcage, and if she hadn't been so touchy, she might have laughed also. 

"Okay, I think I'm done." He said as his humor started to die down. "What's wrong?"

She sat back on top of him, her mouth downturned and clearly more upset than he thought. "I just wanna be normal, babe."

"Are you not normal?"

"This-" She gestured to him with both hands, palms turned upward. "This sweet and gentle stuff isn't normal! Not our normal! I'm not delicate or broken, so don't treat me like it!"

The thought hadn't crossed Marc's mind before that his perception of her affected how she saw herself. He wanted to make her feel beautiful and unique, but never once did he realize he had done that just fine before, how they used to do things. 

He pondered an apology for a moment before it occurred to him that he had just gotten the most plain-as-day invitation to fuck Moni as rough as he pleased. He skipped the apology and, instead, flipped her onto her stomach. 

Once their escapades concluded, Simone sat in the rolling office chair with a bowl of cereal and flicked the TV on. She only wore her oversized Hawks tee, and her bare legs were curled to her chest, feet planted into the old cushion while the news played. After the police teased her about not watching the news, she tuned in when possible. A reel played that showed a white figure with a hood on CCTV footage beating the piss out of some brutes, calling him an "unknown masked superhuman."

"I see you've been busier than I thought, Bronx." She spoke up between bites, knowing her Jakers was responsible and in no way unknown to her, while the brutes were likely the goons of some other deity with whom the bird has beef.

Jake looked at the TV curiously from the bed, realizing he didn't notice security cameras in the area the night before. "Yeah, not much that needs savin' around here, but I guess I still managed to get some attention." He replied. Simone placed the cold ceramic bowl on her knees as she chewed the spoonful of flakey cereal, only swallowing half before she responded,

"The real vigilante playground is New York." 

The sound of her speaking through a partially full mouth made the corner of his lips tick upward while a small chuckle pushed through his throat. It made him realize how he would have hated it if something had happened to her before they got to her. He would have never gotten to keep her close and watch her be comfortable with him like this. "S'Right, hermosa." He said, forcing himself off of the bed. 

Upon swallowing her last bite, she added to her point. "I imagine that Spider-guy and even Captain America have seen some shit around there. Enough to make you need therapy." She joked. From the corner of her eye, she watched Jake put his sweats back on and stagger over. He bent down to her and touched his lips to her head to stamp a small kiss.

"Lástima que no te tienen." He said into her hair before continuing in the direction of the kitchen, telling her that it was too bad they didn't have her. What Marc said just hours before replayed in her head: 

Maybe find a new focus instead of a new career. 

The office chair quietly squeaked as it turned in the direction Jake walked until he came to a complete stop, seeming to think the same thing she thought almost immediately. 

A superhuman specialty! 

"What if they did?" She asked, roughly slapping her feet to the hard floors as she stood and placed the bowl on the seat. Jake pivoted around, but Marc interrupted. 

"Let's not get ahead of ourselves, Moni."

"I'm already there! Think about it!"

"I am, and uprooting your life out of the blue doesn't sound like the best solution. Especially after-"

"I think there's no better time. I don't have patients right now, Joyce is cycling me off the lease, and I'm not on yours yet, and you have to re-up in- What? A month? C'mon!"

There was a sparkle in Simone's eyes that Marc hadn't seen since before the incident with Walton. He couldn't help but feel like she was jumping into this idea impulsively, based on what? An off-comment from Lockley? Still, she looked at him for acceptance. 

Sadly, Marc wasn't sure if he could provide that. Not with how constantly worried he is for her. 

"We can talk about it, love." Steven decided to step up in Marc's silence. He took her face into his hands as the glimmer slightly dimmed. "It's not a no, but we can look into it. Do research, figure it out before we jump in head-first, yeah?"

Simone nodded slightly and gave him a heart-hearted grin to match his half-agreement before she was pulled into his chest. He knew there was nothing they could do now to get the idea off her mind, so the only option was to be supportive. 

Steven would follow her to the ends of the Earth if he had to, and he knew Marc and Jake would agree.

After that, Simone couldn't get the thought out of her head and made Steven sit with her while they looked into every facet of it on her laptop. They both lay on their stomachs with the screen in front of them, Steven with his little reading glasses on to better see what Simone would read aloud. 

Once she figured out how much the excursion would cost, what they would have to do, and even the tiny details, she stared at him again with wide, glowing eyes for approval. 

Before Steven could say a word, positive or negative, about the idea, a voice boomed from the corner of the room.

"Accept, fool. We will do better to protect the travelers of the night in New York."

The baritone shook Steven to his core, and though Khonshu was Jake's business, he remembered what was said back when they were first acquainted. 

He suspects Seth has an avatar here on Earth and is plottin' something big. Like, full-scale invasion, big.

"Yeah, it's quite possible, darling," Steven uttered, trying to hide the hesitation in his voice. To Simone, it sounded like support, and in response, she started kiss-attacking him all over his face. 

"You-" kiss. "Are sucha-" kiss. "Fuckin'-" kiss. "Sweetheart."

The affection caused a bright rouge to rise over him and an uncontrollable grin to plaster the lower half. 

"Good, Grant. You're smarter than I thought!" The voice boomed again, nearly startling him at the mention of his surname. His blood would have run cold if his face wasn't so hot. 

"Anything for you," Steven said. 

[jellogram]

Look I'm not super into remakes but Children of the Corn absolutely needs one. That film completely butchered the book and I think in today's climate where criticizing religious extremism isn't a fringe opinion, it could totally get the interpretation it deserves. And they could also fix that bullshit ending they tacked onto the original film to avoid being too dark.

Like, the book is about how teaching children to be religious extremists when they can't understand the concepts is fundamentally dangerous. It's about childhood trauma and naivety and the brutality that kids are capable of. The ending is grotesque and shocking and dripping in Christian symbolism.

The movie is about Scary Little Kids Bad.

I feel like if someone like Robert Eggers or Ari Aster got ahold of it, they could make a really gripping and fucked up masterpiece. Maybe Clive Barker. Or Ti West if they wanted to lean into the violence. The OG director was more of a B-movie guy and Children of the Corn is not a B-movie concept. Come on Hollywood you can do this.