#happy birthday nalufever!

[impracticaldemon]

Be the Dragon Slayer, Chapter 8: “Maid to Order, Part II”

fanfiction by Impracticaldemon written for @nalufever (Happy Birthday!!)

Rated: M (for sexual content) Words: ~ 2200   Read on  AO3 | FFnet

A/Note: Written for DancesWithSeatbelts aka @nalufever (tumblr) for her birthday. You wanted to know what happened next, since the story obviously wasn't quite finished (and neither were Natsu and Lucy!).

Follows directly after Maid to Order (written for Nalu Love Fest 2017).

Maid to Order, Part II Prompts: Role Play (Main), Lust, Chains

When Lucy returned from the kitchen, she was carrying a plate with a massive heap of fried potatoes, the thick wedges crisp and glistening with herb-flecked oil. Natsu could also smell a marinated roast of some kind, but apparently he'd have to wait for that. He was curious as to how he was going to eat his meal, since he had no cutlery, but he'd decided that his 'maid' would no doubt instruct him.

Lucy set the plate down in front of him and then solemnly re-linked their wrists with the thin chain. Natsu once again felt the not-quite-static of the magic in the chain. This time it brought with it a wave of arousal, as his body remembered the way Lucy had led him into the bathroom to 'wash' and the way her tongue had felt on his body.

Meanwhile, Lucy was bowing deeply again. Her cheeks were still a little flushed, but her expression was calm.

"I will now feed you, Master." She slid carefully, but deliberately across his lap so that she was straddling him. Then she twisted, her breasts just inches from his face, and picked up a golden wedge. "First, this one must make sure that the Master's food is well-prepared and not dangerous."

Natsu immediately anticipated that Lucy would make a performance of eating the potato wedge, but he hadn't expected her to start by licking delicately at the coating, her pink tongue at first barely touching the surface and then moving more… firmly. It was just like her to know how much he enjoyed savoury foods and to turn that to her advantage. Bananas might be more traditional for this kind of performance, but... Natsu found himself thinking that he'd never be able to look at fries the same way again. He squirmed a little and moved his hands to Lucy's hips, wondering why she'd even bothered helping him back on with his trousers. Lucy immediately stopped what she was doing.

"Master must not interfere with the tasting," she said in an admonishing tone. Although she did nothing that Natsu could make out, a current of energy seemed to pulse in the chain links around his wrist, making him blink. It wasn't quite painful, but it found a way to resonate in his bones that was uncomfortable.

"You're making it hard to sit still Luce," he muttered. Then he smirked—it was a dumb, obvious joke, but difficult to resist. "Or just making it hard."

Lucy leaned forward, her body pressing tightly against his chest and abdomen. She bent her mouth to his ear.

"Master must not be rude. He must be very, very good." Her breath was warm and moist, and her lips and teeth teased his skin; he turned his head in order to nip at her neck, but there was another pulse of magic, stronger this time, and the silvery bracelet seemed to tighten of its own volition. "Now then," Lucy continued, still murmuring gently into his ear, "time for Master to eat."

She sat up again, and Natsu discovered that somehow, at some point while they'd been pressed together, she'd unhooked her bra. A wriggle sent the pale blue lace off her breasts and down her arms. She pulled one hand free—the one that wasn't chained—and reached for the food.

Natsu was fighting not to reach for Lucy's breasts. For the first time that he could remember, he found it difficult to swallow his food, as Lucy pressed the warm, delicious potato wedges into his mouth with fingers that soon glistened with oil. Every time she moved to pick up another piece, her nipples grazed him and his hands twitched.

"Is it not good?" she asked after a while, appearing to pout. "Does Master not like his food?" She leaned forward and licked his lips, and then used her whole mouth to taste his more fully. "Mmmm," she all but purred at him. "It is too bad that the taste does not please Master."

"Uhh, no, that's not really the problem," Natsu told her sincerely.

Lucy looked down, as though concerned. "Perhaps Master is not comfortable?"

Natsu nodded vigorously. "Yeah, that's it. And getting more and more uncomfortable."

Lucy continued to look down, and Natsu saw that she was once again undoing the ties to his pants. Now what? He kept his hands firmly clenched at his sides.

"This one is very sorry that Master cannot enjoy his food properly," Lucy told him seriously, finishing with the ties and then slipping from his lap. "The situation must be resolved." She tried to frown, but a gleam in her eyes betrayed her. "Excuse me."

Lucy unlinked the bracelet from Natsu and allowed her bra to fall to the floor. Then she leaned down toward him and casually coiled the chain loosely about his neck and shoulders, removing his scarf and leaving it over the back of the chair. Natsu shivered, although the metal wasn't cold.

"Master must behave and not move, yes?"

"Uh—sure."

Lucy moved gracefully away to the kitchen, Natsu's eyes following every movement. He saw her transfer several large chunks of meat from a covered dish into a bowl, and then she came gliding back, bowl held aloft in one hand so that he could enjoy a perfect view of her now nearly-naked form. The meat smelled wonderful, Lucy smelled wonderful…

Setting down the bowl, Lucy tilted her head to survey Natsu's predicament. Being a kind woman, she started by choosing a tender piece of meat and popping it into Natsu's mouth. She got back an "mmm" of appreciation, and then knelt to remove Natsu's trousers, taking the time to stroke the hard muscles of his thighs and then calves. There was a rumbling sound from above her.

"Do I need to eat this time? Because to be honest—"

"Patience, Master. You will be fed, as is proper." Lucy stood up, hooking her hands under her skirt. Her panties joined the bra and most of Natsu's clothes on the floor.

"Lucy—"

"Yes, sir? Is this better, sir?" She slipped back onto his lap, hands running up his bare chest. One hand tangled in the back of his pink hair, drawing him into a very long, deep kiss. His arms came up involuntarily around her, but her free hand reached up and grasped the looped chain. She tugged on it, and energy ran down Natsu's arms, making all the fine hair stand on end.

"Dammit, Luce, I need to touch you!"

"It is time to eat. Perhaps the second course will be more to your liking. Can you reach the bowl, Master?"

"I don't want the bowl!"

"That is not polite, sir. It is time to eat. Now then…" Letting go of Natsu's hair, but still grasping the thin chain looped around Natsu's neck in one hand, Lucy rubbed her fingers into the wet folds between her legs, watching Natsu's eyes widen and feeling his erection twitch against her. Taking care to move slowly, she stroked first herself and then him, and then finally slid herself over and onto him with a sigh of pleasure that was echoed by a moan from Natsu.

"I want you," she whispered into his ear. "I want you so badly right now. I can't stop thinking about what you could do to me. Right here in this chair. Or maybe bent over the table." As Natsu bucked under her, grinding his body against hers, she yanked hard on the chain. The near-electric pulse raced over both of them, making them gasp in unison.

Lucy leaned back a little, expression challenging. "Master? This one must make sure that you eat properly. Otherwise"—a feigned woeful expression—"otherwise this one is a bad maid and cannot have what she wants…"

Natsu was panting, hands balled into fists at his sides. He could just ignore the games, pick up Lucy and fuck her until they were both exhausted. That really appealed. Instead, with every ounce of self-control at his disposal, he picked up the bowl from the table. It was worth it to see Lucy's eyes light up in surprise and then admiration. … And maybe a touch of chagrin?

"Alright, then. Since it obviously means so much to you."

With great deliberation, Natsu started to eat his way through the tender pieces of meat sitting in sauce in the bowl. Spicy juices ran down his fingers. Lucy kept her gaze on him, and they settled to their respective tasks: Natsu eating with fixed concentration, and Lucy using all of her finely trained muscles to ride him, her inner walls tight around his shaft as she moved above and around him. The seconds ticked by, and their breathing became more ragged. The silence was broken more and more often by soft moans as Lucy became tighter and wetter, and Natsu's muscles started to tremble with the need to move faster and seek release.

Natsu never forgot those few minutes. Eating—but not inhaling his food—while Lucy stroked his chest, and whispered in his ear, and pressed her incredible breasts against him. Warning tremors from the chain every time he wanted to touch anything but the food. Lucy in his lap—Lucy on him—Lucy's heat clenched around him.

The instant he was done—the meat, that is—Natsu reached out and grabbed Lucy's wrists.

"I've eaten like a good boy, Luce. Now I get to do what I want, right? Just so you know, that could take a while, because right now I can think of so many different ways I want to fuck you—and the only question is where to start." He pulled her mouth roughly against his, burying his tongue in her; the other hand gripped her ass hard. Her moan wasn't a protest; his sensitive ears could easily make out the whine of need and the harder tones of lust.

He moved them—or they moved—to the floor, to be able to move more freely, Natsu eventually on top and gripping Lucy's wrists tightly so that she was pinned. He bent his mouth to her breasts, making her pitch and cry out under him as he suckled and nipped at taut pink buds that he'd already teased hard with rough, knowing fingers.

"Natsu!"

"Oh?" he responded, half-breathless, half-teasing. "Not Master?"

He saw her gather herself for a counter-attack—if such it could be called—but kissed her before she could say anything.

"I've decided what I want-at least to being with," he told her. "First though…" He lifted the thin chain from where it had fallen and looped it about Lucy's wrists, tugging the links tight against her skin. "Now we can finish this in style—right? Since you did all this planning." He looked into her eyes and waited for her agreement.

"Yes… since I did all this planning, and since you've been such a good boy."

"I'm not your puppy, Luce." Lucy was caught off-guard when Natsu withdrew and tugged her over and onto all fours. He patted her ass and she looked back over her should at him. "But if that's what you're into, then let me see what I can do." A hand reached up between her legs, rubbing her clit—there was a lot to be said for experience, even if it was only a couple of months' worth. Then Natsu was inside her again, hands gripping her hips, and all she could do was scrabble at the carpet and try not to moan too loudly as he took her hard and fast and deep. Eventually, Lucy forgot about keeping the noise down.

It was a wild ride, and they came one after the other, shaking with the intensity of it. Afterward, they lay together on their sides on the carpet, panting, Natsu curled around Lucy's back.

"Fuck," muttered Natsu, forehead pressed against Lucy's shoulder blades.

"True."

"Yeah… but… but Lucy."

"Shh. I'm enjoying the afterglow." There was the tiniest pause, and then Lucy added, "And don't you dare feel guilty about it. It's all good—don't spoil it."

"Yes ma'am."

"Ha ha. You know, it wasn't a bad concept—the maid, I mean."

"Um, Lucy—you're… you're not going to write about this are you? That would be… um…"

"We'll see," Lucy replied mischievously, rolling over to face him. "After all, you said you had several ideas in mind for the rest of the evening." At Natsu's look of horror, she grinned, but said reassuringly: "No, to be honest… That was just my mind wandering off on a tangent. I can't really imagine writing about this kind of thing. It's way too personal, you know?"

"Yeah, okay… well, good." Natsu frowned. "Some people do though." Another minute passed and then he added: "Actually—now that I think about it, didn't you have that book of Erza's the other day? Seriously, I can't believe somebody writes that stuff! And you and Erza read it!"

Lucy blushed slightly, but refused to be fazed. Instead, she grinned. "Yeah? Well apparently so did you, or how would you know? In fact, maybe I should reconsider writing about sex. Now that you point it out—sex sells."

"Nice little chain you made for them," Loke remarked, eyes gleaming appreciatively.

"Thank you Loke-san. Discipline and punishment are important." Virgo bowed, maid's uniform as crisp and pristine as usual. "I was glad to be of service to Lucy-hime."

Loke nodded. "Of course." A very cat-like smile flitted across his face. "However, I do think that you should tell Lucy that there is no, ah, safety feature."

Virgo looked puzzled. "You mean, tell her that if the user's request is not fulfilled then the magical discharge continues to rise until the target dies? But why would she want an item for discipline that did not exact a full and proper penalty for disobedience?"

"I understand. Nevertheless, you will tell her, won't you?" Loke patted Virgo on the shoulder. "Not that I'm especially worried about Natsu. He appears to be resistant to everything the universe can throw at him. Still, best to tell Lucy, alright?"

Virgo bowed, and the two Celestial Spirits went their separate ways.

A/N: My, my... Oh well, sounds like everyone had a good time!  All likes, rebogs and comments much appreciated.

[eliz1369]

Happy Birthday @nalufever! 🎉🎁🎉

[shell-senji]

I was tagged by @todayintokyo. Thank you!! :-) 

Once you get this you must share five random facts about yourself, then pass this on to 10 followers.

These are always a challenge to me because I feel so utterly boring XD but here goes:

I own two tortoiseshell cats and one basenji. Or rather, they own me.

I have a string of star-shaped lights that are probably technically (read: definitely) Christmas lights that I keep up year-round in my dining room because they make me happy.

I can touch my tongue to my nose (just barely).

Fall and winter are my favorite seasons. 

For my birthday this year, I bought myself a 5 foot tall skeleton who currently is sitting in a chair on our front porch with a couple skele-kitties and a skele-crow. I’m more than a little tempted to stick a Santa hat on him and leave him out through Christmas. What *would* the neighbors think? ;-)

Tagging: @eheartangel @eliz1369 @impracticaldemon @katiaos3173 @sassyhazelowl @hakuouki-or-hakuoki @hakuyamazakisensei @sabinasanfanfic @resshiiram @nalufever (and of course, as always, anyone who doesn’t want to doesn’t have to! No obligation!)

[rocktqueen]

Tagged by @milykamiya Thank you sweety!^^

LAST [1] drink // water [2] phone call // none [3] text message // my cousin [4] song you listened to // the palm of a tiny hand - clannad [5] time you cried // 30mins ago i re watched clannad

HAVE YOU EVER…// 

[6] dated someone twice // no  [7] been cheated on // no

[8] kissed someone and regretted it // nope 

[9] lost someone special // my grandparents  [10] been depressed // not really

[11] gotten drunk and thrown up // no!

LIST 3 FAVOURITE COLOURS //

[12] black  [13] blue [14] gray

IN THE LAST YEAR HAVE YOU… //   [15] made new friends // yes [16] fallen out of love // noope [17] laughed until you cried // yes xD [18] found out someone was talking about you // no [19] met someone who changed you // no [20] found out who your true friends are // yes

[21] kissed someone on your facebook list // no!!

GENERAL…

[22] how many of your facebook friends do you know in real life // the half or les

[23] do you have pets // my love,my cat [24] do you want to change your name // when i was youger xD [25] what did you do for your last birthday // ….nothing

[26] what time did you wake up // 8:00 or 9:00 am

[27] what were you doing at midnight last night // chat with su-chan and listen music  [28] name something you cannot wait for // new fairy tail movie kakki single eurovision [29] when was the last time you saw your mother // 15 min ago [30] what is one thing you wish you could change about your life // be less shy [31] what are you listening to right now // clean bandit symphony [32] have you ever talked to a person named tom // nope [33] something that is getting on your nerves // many things [34] most visited website // tumblr [35] elementary // finished  [36] high school // same [37] college // nope [38] hair colour // brown  [39] long or short hair // medium [40] do you have a crush on someone // for kakki?! XDD

[41] what do you like about yourself? // im honest,ironic [42] piercings: on my ears [44] nickname // crì , cristì ,titina for my mom xD [45] relationship status // single and happy [46] zodiac sign // libra [47] Pronouns // [48] fav tv show // fairy tail ,anime

[49] tattoos: Nope // not yet maybe soon

[50] right or left handed //  right handed 

FIRST…//  [51] surgery // none [52] piercing: my ears // [53] best friend // one of my cousin we grow up together [54] sport // what?! [55] vacation // none

[56] pair of trainers // idk

RIGHT NOW…// [57] eating // pizza [58] drinking // water [59] i’m about to // go to bed [60] listening to // msic on yt

[61] waiting for // nothing [62] want // chocolate [63] get married // …no [64] career // eh?!

WHICH IS BETTER… // [65] hugs or kisses // both  [66] lips or eyes // both  [67] shorter or taller // shorter u.u [68] older or younger // youger

[69] romantic or spontaneous // spontaneous [70] nice arms or nice stomach // both [71] sensitive or loud // idk [72] hook up or relationship //relationship  [73] troublemaker or hesitant // idk

HAVE YOU EVER…// [74] kissed a stranger? // no [75] drank hard liquor? // i try [76] lost glasses/contact lenses? // no [77] turned someone down // maybe [78] sex on first date? // nope [79] broken someone’s heart? // no [80] had your own heart broken? // no [81] been arrested? // no xD [82] cried when someone died? // yes [83] fallen for a friend? // no 

DO YOU BELIEVE IN…//  [84] yourself? yes [85] miracles? // not sure [86] love at first sight? // ah idk

[87] santa claus? // no never xD  [88] kiss on the first date? why not? [89] angels? // maybe [90] current best friend’s name // carmen su-chan and hy-chan xD [91] eye colour // brown/green

ah another long post xD 

Tagging @nalufever @kanadeana @reincarnation-no-koi @hydranomago @alecrazy21

[impracticaldemon]

Under the Stars

Fairy Tail fanfiction by impracticaldemon for @nalufever​

Words: ~ 1000   | Rating:  T (this is fluffy stuff with a tiny hint of spice)

Under the Stars

They’d become even closer, since the war.  More silent, though.  It was as if the pain and destruction had left them each with a need to simply be together without words.  Or maybe it just felt safer, since words might trespass into things neither wanted to discuss just yet.

That particular night, they were hiking up a nearby hill to go stargazing.  Natsu’s fingers were threaded tightly through Lucy’s, warm and reassuring.  Loving.  She’d been conscious for a long time that he loved her, although exactly how and in what way had often been in doubt.  Her own feelings were quite clear to her -- she loved Natsu in every way.  

The trees suddenly grew sparse, and then gave way to grass.  As soon as the sky was open above them, Lucy stopped and turned her face up to the stars.  She avoided looking out over Magnolia at night -- the extended dark areas were too eloquent of recent loss.

“So, Lucy...”  Natsu’s voice was uncharacteristically hesitant.  He might be a little quieter now, but he’d retained the fierce confidence that inspired his friends and frequently baffled his enemies.

“Yes?”  Lucy glanced sideways, then turned more fully when she saw the serious expression on Natsu’s face.  It was full night, and dark, but she didn’t need much light when it came to reading those particular features.

“I’ve been trying to think how to say this, and nothing seemed quite right.”

“Mmm?”  Lucy’s outward calm was all for show, and she knew that Natsu could tell.  Her heart was suddenly beating so fast that for a moment it seemed all she could hear was the blood rushing through her body.  Don’t get your hopes up.  You cherish what you already have.  She always told herself the same thing, and she always failed to follow her own advice. ��

“I love you.  You are the most important person in the world to me.  And if it’s okay with you, I’d like to kiss you.”

Lucy stared at him.  Was she hallucinating?  Projecting?  

“...Kiss?”  

“Is that a yes?”

Time sped up again.

“Yes!  That’s a yes -- but -- does that mean --”  She felt the warmth of Natsu’s arms around her waist and shoulders.  “So -- just to be clear -- are we -- “

Natsu’s forehead rested lightly against hers.  His face took up most of her vision, surrounded by darkness and a few twinkling stars.

“I heard this line in a ballad a while ago, Lucy; and it got me thinking.  Because it sounds like us, you know?”

“Natsu?”

He cleared his throat, but didn’t actually sing the words.  Instead, he  bent his head further and quoted the line to her softly, his warm breath tickling the top of her ear:  “Let us be lovers, and marry our fortunes together...”

It was impossible to tell, who kissed who after that.  Their lips met, fervent, if not yet practised.  Their arms twined about each other, holding their bodies as tightly together as clothes would permit.

They ended up in the grass, still together,  their belongings strewn about them.  Lucy felt Natsu’s hand running tentatively over her curves, caressing her from her hips to the swell of her breasts. She returned the favour in kind, tracing the hard planes of his chest and back with one hand, while the other gripped his hair and kept his mouth tight against hers.  She was amazed at how good -- at how very hot -- it felt to have his tongue twine with hers and then probe deeper into her mouth.

Time passed.  Their breathing grew more rapid, and their movements less controlled.  Natsu was half on top of her now, his weight, and his knee between her legs, promising intimacies yet to come -- if not tonight, then in the not too distant future.  Lucy felt as though her body was burning with heat.

She blinked her eyes open, and looked up at the sky above them, magnificent with stars.  Natsu’s lips and teeth -- sharp teeth! -- moved to her neck, and she licked at puffy lips as she automatically picked out the constellations among the sparkle and glitter overhead.  

“Looking at the stars instead of me?”  Natsu’s voice was huskier than usual.  Lucy thought she saw the tiniest flicker of uncertainty in his expression as their eyes met.

“No... At least, not exactly...”  Lucy moved a little under and against him, deliberately sensual.  “It’s more like looking at the stars and you.  A perfect moment...”

“Hmmm.”  Natsu nipped at her earlobe, and then pressed a hot, sharp kiss under her ear.  She saw his lips twitch into a smug -- or at least happy -- smile when she couldn’t prevent herself from voicing a breathy moan.  “That’s a pretty good answer, I guess.”

Lucy laughed up at him.  “Thank you, I guess.”

Natsu grinned, but silenced her laughter with a passionate kiss on the lips that made her toes curl and her body long for a lot more touching.  When he finally drew back a little, she tried to get a look at his expression -- was he as thrilled, as turned-on, as she was?  His face was too deep in shadow to see clearly, but she was once against struck by the profound joy of being there with him, in this way, under her beloved stars.

“There you go again...”  Natsu’s words held a hint of complaint, but his tone was all warmth and happiness this time.

“Deal with it,” retorted his lover and best friend.

“Well, if you put it like that...”  

Always ready for a challenge, Natsu pulled Lucy closer, prepared to woo her away from the celestial heavens.  Lucy smiled inwardly.  While she was delighted to be wooed, her mind was already very much on earthly matters. 

[END]

[impracticaldemon]

Hakuouki Vignettes: The Bargain

by impracticaldemon

Words: ~ 750   Read also on: FFN | AO3

Written as a birthday ficlet for @eheartangel ~ I hope you enjoy it!

To @eliz1369 and @kurokiorya ~ I consider this a 'moment in time' from the same canon-verse setting as The Gift of Teasing Laughter.

To my various OkiChi shipping friends, followers, and readers (not exclusive categories, obviously!), the way this short story just seemed to work for me is a testimony to the effect of your diligent and (sometimes - ow! - sorry) reasonable arguments in favour of your ship (grin) (but a sincere grin, I swear!).

The Bargain

It was an unusually lazy afternoon, but Chizuru was eventually forced to concede that she'd needed it. It wasn't just that their life entailed a significant amount of physical labour, but that living in the shadow of death—Sōji's death, specifically—was mentally and emotionally exhausting for her. Fortunately, Sōji was much more practical about these things than she was, and when he decided that they—that she—needed a break, they took one.

He was noticeably stronger now, she reminded herself, as she watched the clouds drift in endlessly changing forms across the blue sky of late summer. That thought made her turn her head to look at him—again—taking in the healthy colour on cheeks that had once been hollow and pale. He lay on the warm grass beside her, loose-limbed and a little untidy, but as breathtakingly beautiful as always. Aloud, she called him handsome. She knew all too well how he scoffed at both the idea of male beauty and those who too obviously embodied it, although she'd long suspected that he perceived it just as easily as she did. Or perhaps that had been the problem? He had loved to mock both Itō-san and Hijikata-san for being vain, but he'd never once said that it was unwarranted.

This last reflection took her thoughts in a different direction. For many reasons, Souji no longer spoke of Hijikata-san much at all, and never with the unveiled contempt of the old days. Especially not since they'd heard that a sizeable portion of the Imperial Army had landed in Ezo over two months ago. They hadn't spoken with anyone since—their interactions with neighbours were infrequent—but it seemed likely that—

"Sober thoughts, Chizuru-chan? You promised to smile…"

Chizuru started, and then found herself under attack by relentless fingers that knew exactly where she was most ticklish. Bright green eyes glinted down at her, and even as she struggled not to giggle, she knew the game was lost. "Sōji…"

Once she was completely breathless with laughter—which never took long—Sōji rolled back onto the grass and pulled her on top of him. It always entertained him to re-enact what he still referred to as the first time she'd tried to seduce him. She'd given up pointing out that Yamazaki-san had accidentally thrown her into him.

"I figure the least you can do is provide a proper blanket for me, since you didn't keep up your part of our bargain." He grinned wolfishly, and she blushed, though not nearly as much as she would have before.

"What bargain?" she demanded, rallying, trying to ignore the arousal that his touch so frequently awoke in her. "I was about to do laundry, and the next thing I knew you had picked me up and dropped me out here on the grass." She poked the tip of his nose—something that he often did to her, and that she'd been working up the courage to try.

"Oi!" He batted her small hand away, laughing. The open happiness on his face made her melt in ways that she couldn't describe, and she felt heat that had nothing to do with the sun course through her.

"Well then, what was your part of the bargain, Sōji?"

Without warning, his hand was in the hair at the nape of her neck, and her mouth was being pressed to his. His teeth bit lightly into her lower lip, and then his tongue was exploring her mouth. She couldn't quite suppress a cry of something that wasn't pain, and their lips briefly parted as Sōji smirked up at her, loving the way that she was so wholly, transparently his. She didn't mind; she understood better now why it mattered so much to him—and also that any ownership went both ways.

"Our bargain's never changed, Chizuru: you smile for me"—and only me—"and I'll do everything I can to make you happy."

It was an unusually wonderful afternoon.

[END]

Tags:  @eliz1369 @kurokiorya @shell-senji @nalufever @soujthings @hakuyamazakisensei @beelzebubz0 @very-x-vice @sabinasanfanfic @resshiiram @cherryb0mb79 @moon-faced-pear-shaped @hidetheremote 

@fic-writer-appreciation

[impracticaldemon]

30 Questions Meme

30 questions and tag 10 -- here goes!

# of followers: ... a lot more than I realized...  Over 1k now.  I should do an appreciation post, or giveaway -- I’ve got to think about this (and get my writing done first).  Thank you very much to the people who have followed this blog!

average hours of sleep: If I could get back to 4-5 hours (of which at least half was during the night) I’d be very happy!

lucky number: 7 (me too, @nollatooru !)

instruments: piano (once upon a time, still a bit); I tried learning electric guitar -- it was fun, but I wanted bigger hands (and pre-made callouses -- damn that hurts); I can sing competently but not when I’ve been coughing up a freaking lung for three freaking weeks omg

what are you wearing: dark royal blue night-shirt from the Cows store with “Hit the Hay” (need to either get up or go to sleep) 

[Canadian ice cream store famous for cow puns (and general silliness about the “Common Cow”): ”MooTube”, “Cow Wars” (who can forget Ham Solo and MooBacca?) , “MooCraft”, “BatCow”...]

dream job: Who am I kidding?  I long to be independently wealthy, and write a book or ten.  I’d say “editor”, but my vision of the job has changed since learning from @shell-senji that there is a lot of poorly-written porn involved.

dream trip: Used to be Japan (may be again some day).  Probably to go back to England, Scotland, Wales, and finally visit Ireland.  Greece/mediterranean if it weren’t so darn hot.

birthday: The Ides of November

height: 157 cm or roughly 5′2″

gender/pronouns: she/her

other blogs: Not so far.

nicknames: Imp, Oni-chan, Chibi Oni (I refuse to list any of my dad’s nicknames for me as they’re uniformly embarrassing)

star sign: Scorpio

time: 10 am (well it WAS)

favourite bands: No particular favourites these days (I find what I like through random youtube videos, amvs for anime/games I like, soundtracks I happen to hear, and sometimes reccs -- I am horrible at knowing or remembering artist/band names)

favourite artist: ... I’m kind of drawing a blank here... Van Gogh? Dali? (certain pieces, at least) Various fantasy and game artists (but my memory isn’t working). On Twitter, there are two artists I’m especially fond of sherry and tatuhina.

favourite tumblr artist: There are quite a few artists I really like, and how do you pick between genres and fandoms anyway?  The first artist I got to know on tumblr was @miss-zei (who is amazing); I also have to mention @kawaii-ash who has drawn several chibi commissions for me (for Teachings of Demons) ♥; I adore @nollatooru ‘s work because it makes me smile and the characters always just seem so right; and then there are @eliz1369 @nalufever @kurokiorya who all write as well as draw... And I just KNOW I’m missing all sorts of great artists I follow. :(  (Bows apologetically, especially to artists in the FT fandom, because my memory is not functioning this morning.)

song stuck in your head:  No One’s Gonna Love You (More Than I Do)

last movie you watched: I don’t watch movies much.  Probably Hakuouki Movie 2.  Otherwise, maybe the second-to-last Star Wars movie?

last show you watched: Chuck.  Binge watching is so much fun, though I have to be in a “tv” mood, which doesn’t happen often.

why did you make your blog: I was looking for Otogisoushi translations by Cyan Delirium, and wanted a tumblr account.  Then I thought, “hey, I can link to my writing here.”  Then I discovered the Hakuouki fandom (I was such a geek newb).  Then I got interested in Fairy Tail (drawn in by the friends, the fun anime, cool art, and writing opportunities). ...Honestly, this blog just kind of happened.

what do you post: Mostly Hakuouki and Fairy Tail writing, edits (esp. chibis), occasional gifs. Otome game stuff (a bit of indie, mostly Otomate, but now also Cybird’s mobile game Ikemen Sengoku -- which is now available on Vita). Japanese scenery somehow crept in there (but I really like it).  A bit of humour. Writing tips. Languages -- thoughts, tips, and humour.  Also, plushies.

last thing you googled: Rodney Matthews (fantasy/sci-fi artist)

ao3: Yes? But I started on FFN so tend to post there first.

do you ever get asks: Sometimes. Right now I’m embarrassed that I’m so far behind on everything (including a small handful of asks).

how did you get the idea for your url: I used to use ImpracticalMagic as an internet-name (I liked the concept of “Practical Magic” and reversed it for all the weird and wonderful stuff/fluff online). Turned out that Impracticalmagic was already taken on tumblr.  Since I was writing a story about demons (Oni), I changed it to Impracticaldemon, blog title ImpracticalOni.  It really works for me; I like it.

favourite food: Probably chocolate.  But... pizza?  Tough call. 

last book you read: The past two years I’ve done more writing and editing than reading. So, probably whatever comfort reading I did most recently (not sure which series that was, since I do a fair bit of re-reading of favourites).

top 3 fictional universes: Can’t do “top 3″, but here are three that would always be high up:  Middle Earth (Hobbit & LOTR timeline) will always have a special place in my list of reading worlds. Pern (Anne McCaffery -- a woman I babysat for said “read this” -- so I did, and I loved it). Zelazny’s world(s) of Amber/Chaos (but without his sexist take on so many things -- granted a lot of it was written before I was born).  

~ Imp

[impracticaldemon]

A Glimpse Beneath the Surface

Fairy Tail Fanfiction by Impracticaldemon

Author's Note:

A birthday ficlet written for @sanguine-fairy and her Word of the Day Prompt for June 22, 2017. Happy Birthday!! I hope you enjoy the story - although it’s really just a scene, I’m afraid.   😊 🎁

Partially inspired by a previous ficlet about Yukino and Rogue, and Yukino's departure from Sabretooth (Soft Shadows, chapter 1 of Fairy Tail Tales).

Words: ~700 [also on FFN and AO3]

~Impracticaldemon

A Glimpse Beneath the Surface Word of the Day: Apple Polish (verb "to apple polish")

Minerva glanced out the window, her lovely features and graceful head and neck outlined against the evening glow. She allowed Sting to fidget behind her and noted with self-directed amusement that she rather wished she could make Rogue do the same.

"Oh do calm down, Sting," she murmured over her shoulder.

"Easy for you to say," grumbled Sting, although he looked guiltily at the slight dent in the doorframe from an over-enthusiastic kick.

Rogue continued to say nothing. Minerva turned to him, determined to somehow break that self-contained stillness.

"Fairy Tail could stand to learn a lesson, don't you agree Rogue?"

"Maybe." Rogue's eyes were dark and flat as they observed the Master's daughter's face. "They certainly seem to know how to give them."

"Hmmm…" Minerva moved closer to dark-haired Slayer and trailed a finger lightly down his jaw, a faint smile touching her lips when she felt him shiver ever so slightly. Then her hand suddenly gripped his chin in a vice-like hold, as proximity brought her a faint, familiar scent and her eyes caught sight of a single white hair half-hidden by a fold of dark cloak. "Said a tearful farewell to the snow-maiden, did you?" she mocked, none to gently. "I hadn't realized that you were so close."

Sting eyed his partner in surprise: "You saw Yukino? When?"

"We weren't close," Rogue said, shrugging and calmly ignoring the fingernails digging into his skin. Minerva hated that she was left to guess how much of the calm was feigned. "But I did speak with her before she left. When she was packing."

"You weren't supposed to see her at all," noted Minerva, wondering what would happen if she continued to grip his face. He'd never enjoyed prolonged contact with anyone except on his own terms.

"Well I can't blame him," said Sting, abruptly coming to stand beside Rogue.

Minerva decided that she'd rather take on the challenge of Rogue's self-control another day, when Sabertooth wasn't already in chaos following Natsu Dragneel's invasion. She let go of his chin and gently patted his cheek, her spirits lifting when she saw his eyes narrow at being treated like a young child. Her smile at Sting was unfeigned—she'd always liked the way he projected both power and confidence—but she kept her tone sharp when she replied.

"Why can't you blame him, Sting? Yukino has been banished from Sabretooth because she failed. The last I heard you were one of the strongest proponents of our code."

Sting crossed his arms, but didn't look down as Minerva's hard, bright eyes met his.

"She knew the rules and she paid the price for failure, I get it," he said gruffly. "I just think the rest of it was… unnecessary."

"I'm surprised at you Sting," Minerva responded, raising her well-defined brows. "You've never gone in for apple-polishing, precisely, but until now you've always—shall we say heartily endorsed?—the Master's approach." She crossed to the center of the room and propped one hip against a table, the slit of her dress falling open slightly to reveal one perfect, muscular leg. She surveyed the two young men from under her dark lashes, admiring their good looks while deploring the weakness they were showing. Before Sting could react to her comment, she added: "Or were you also a secret admirer of the pretty, little, baby angel?"

The irritation and embarrassment on Sting's face could mean a number of things, Minerva decided, but the faint—ah, but not quite faint enough!—redness on Rogue's pale features suggested that there was something of interest to explore. Sadly, it would have to wait. There were other things to be dealt with first, such as winning the Grand Magic Games.

[END]

Please leave a short note or comment if you like the story! Your encouragement is always appreciated.  \(^u^)/

@miss-zei @sassyhazelowl @eliz1369 @shell-senji @nalufever