#harmony one shot

[writer-or-whatever]

Aesthesis

Wrote a little Harry/Hermione piece for prompt #3 (Gateway) on my 100 prompts list. Read under the cut or on AO3

Summary: After surviving the killing curse a second time, Harry is left with a magical variation of synesthesia.

Rating: T | Word Count: 1k | Fluff & Hurt/Comfort

“I believe that this is the point at which I point out that marajuana is a gateway drug.” 

Harry didn’t react when Hermione came up from behind him and dropped down to sit beside him where he was propped up against a low stone wall on the edge of the Burrow’s property. He was used to this routine of theirs by now. 

“You sound like a bad afterschool special. ‘Just say no!’” Harry said, imitating the smarmy voice that the actors on those programs always delivered the line with. 

“Ouch,” Hermione said with a laugh. They shared a small smile before lapsing back into the silence that Harry had been sitting in.

 The air around them buzzed lightly with the sound of insects and the breeze. Underneath that Harry could hear the faint static that he’d come to realize was the magic of the Burrow. He’d been extremely in tune with magic since the battle. Even the smallest spell set him on edge—wards buzz and crackle like a radio on dead air, transfigurations make the air smell like ozone, and casting lumos made his mouth taste like mint. 

In the aftermath, Hogwarts had been unbearable—a magical and sensory overload. Harry flooed to the Burrow from McGonagall’s office as soon he’d been cleared, however reluctantly, by Madame Pomfrey. She had wanted to keep him for more observation to try to understand his new senses, but Harry had refused and, without anything else to keep him, she relented and released him. 

The Burrow hadn’t been much better, not with the sheer amount of magic woven into the house just to keep it together, and the experience of taking the floo was almost worse than the deafening sound and intense pressure of the house’s magic that greeted him when he stepped out of it. Having his whole being engulfed and transported by magic left Harry sick for days—sneezing and shivering, with a pounding headache and the lingering taste of ash in his mouth no matter how many times he brushed his teeth. It wasn’t until Hermione had suggested that he get out of the house and away from the bulk of the magical stimuli that he’d started to feel better. 

“Still have a headache?” Hermione asked quietly, leaning her head on his shoulder. 

“It’s mostly gone,” Harry said before he pulled in another lungful of smoke. He held it for a moment before exhaling, carefully facing away from Hermione. It had been a few weeks since he’d suffered a bad enough reaction to send him out of the house completely. 

He and Hermione had moved into a flat in a muggle area in Cardiff in June. Harry hadn’t been able to stomach the constant influx of magic, even with frequent time spent outside, nor the lack of privacy in the wizarding world that came from being The Chosen One. So when Hermione mentioned that she wanted to go to muggle university, Harry had been quick to suggest that they look for a flat to share—neither of them wanted to be alone but it was getting harder and harder to keep staying at the Burrow. Harry couldn’t tolerate the magic or the way the whole house felt soaked in grief after Fred’s death. They had tried to get Ron to move in with them, but he said that living without daily magic reminded him too much of being on the run, so they stopped pushing him. Still, Harry was determined not to let the three of them drift apart. 

So, every Sunday, Harry and Hermione found themselves at the Burrow for dinner. It was nice, and it guaranteed them time with Ron, who had thrown himself into Auror training with a single-minded focus he’d never displayed before. After an entire summer of weekly visits, Harry could usually go the entire visit without having to excuse himself to rush outside to sit at the very edge of the wards where he could get himself back under control. It was after a particularly bad episode that Harry had taken up smoking. Hermione, like him, had grown up with a lot of anti-drug messaging in primary school and on the telly, and she didn’t exactly approve. However, as long as he didn’t smoke at home, she tended to leave him be. 

“Ready to go back? If we stay much later, it’ll be tomorrow by the time we drive home.” It was strange to have to think about distance as a factor in how long it took to get places after seven years of being immersed in magic, but Harry tolerated car sickness better than any mode of magical travel these days. Even flying was hit or miss. 

“Yeah,” Harry said, taking one last drag before putting the joint out against the low stone wall they were leaning against. 

Hermione stood up and extended a hand to Harry. Once she’d pulled him to his feet, he pulled her closer instead of letting go. 

“Thanks for coming to get me,” he said into her hair as he held her in a hug. 

“Of course,” Hermione replied, cheek pressed tightly to his chest. 

“I love you,” Harry whispered quietly. This thing between them was still new, and he’d yet to be able to tell her how much she meant to him without whispering. A tiny part of him worried that if he was too loud about it, it would shatter. A bigger part of him trusted Hermione enough to tell her anyway. 

“I love you too,” Hermione said, pulling back enough to look into his eyes, but she didn’t step out of his embrace. They shared a smile before Harry leaned in to kiss her. 

Hermione pushed gently at his chest to stop him before their lips touched. “I’m not kissing you while you taste like smoke.” 

Harry cast a breath-freshening charm without hesitation. It produced a lemony smell and made his fingertips tingle, but it was worth it to press a kiss against Hermione’s small grin. 

[ghost-bxrd]

Prompt:

Tim is the first to find out the Red Hood’s identity and from then on sticks to Jason during patrol like glue (much to Jason’s chagrin, dammit, it would feel wrong to beat up Robin when he’s that starry eyed…)

Cue: PANIC from the rest of the Batfamily, who still think Hood is a forty-something year old crime lord and now assume they’re dating.

[mothmanavenue]

can i confess something else that will absolutely get me stoned in the town square since im dropping my unpopular opinions. I don’t like altean broadsword Lance. i already disliked red paladin Lance. the broadsword was like rubbing salt in the wound. why couldn’t he have his own niche. why was his character development just making him keith. i understand that it was like “he accepts that he doesn’t have to be a leader and excels as a co-leader and you can find happiness that way yada yada yada”. but you could’ve done that without making him keith. also now give him something unique, cool, that falls in line with his sniper bit. i’m not saying just give him another gun, im saying give him something quiet and lethal. like a garotte. yeah i want garotte lance.

i yap a lot more in my notes by the way if you were interested in other unpopular opinions. don’t send me hate messages or comments i won’t read it and will block viciously i also will not be debating this this is my hill to die on <3

[spittyfishy]

(Delayed) Rarepair Week Day 6: Found footage/Local mystery

When your boyfriend is a detective so you start committing elaborate crimes so he’ll have something to do

I think this one ended up the most detailed of the bunch, so it took ages lol but I’m really happy with it!

@dr-rarepair-week-blog

[simikae]

four hundred and ninety yen

[darewolfcreates]

When I tell you my jaw dropped.

[itzyxnct]

ITZYXNCT'S MASTERLISTS

♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡

Itzy Masterlist

Blackpink Masterlist

Twice Masterlist

Aespa Masterlist

Nmixx Masterlist

Red Velvet Masterlist

(G)i-dle Masterlist

NCT Masterlist

[m-y-fandoms]

COMMISSION: Kokichi Ouma dating a taller woman (headcanon list + drabble)

Word Count: 1.4K words approximately

Warnings/Details: SFW was requested, so any NSFW headcanons would have to be a separate piece. Expect fluff, romance, and possible unhealthy relationship elements because it’s Kokichi, but still SFW overall.

(A taller woman is defined here as literally even an inch taller than him, all the way up to a major height difference. I’ve dated a man only an inch shorter than me and definitely noticed that inch difference so we have a wide height range to work with here! I personally am imagining a woman at least a good five inches taller than him in my mind, but again, anyone taller than him in any way would work!)

As friends before you two were officially dating (but he had a crush on you):

Kokichi is definitely the type to tease and pick on the people he likes. It might even be hard to tell he has a crush on you because he’s mischievous and obnoxious with everyone. Depending on your personality type, you might enjoy just having his attention so often or, you might think he hates you or is just trying to bully you.

If you respond by liking the attention or teasing him back, he would get super confident and a little more touchy each time. It would become increasingly obvious that he’s flirting with you.

If you responded by pulling away or getting offended, he would become frustrated. In his mind it would be obvious that he likes you. Why else would he be giving you so much of his precious time and attention??? He would be a little whiny when you responded poorly or eventually feel the need to explain that he really likes you, but he would hate having to explain it. His cheeks would get all red, he’d roll his eyes, talking to you like you’re some idiot for not picking up on his cues.

Kokichi lies to everyone, even himself, so even though he acts like his height doesn’t bother him and even might joke about it sometimes, it probably bothers him at least a tiny bit deep down. He doesn’t make it a focus in his life but doesn’t like when people point it out, even if he plays it off and has a sarcastic rebuttal for them.

Therefore, when he finds himself crushing on you, a woman taller then him, he for sure would use your height to tease you. If he’s going to feel insecure, then everyone’s going to feel insecure. He doesn’t want you to think his height matters/is a flaw, so him teasing you will prove he’s confident in himself, right?

You’d definitely hear a bunch on uncreative jabs and nicknames: tree trunk, giraffe, skyscraper, stretch, bigfoot, lamp-post, daddy long legs, gigantasaurus, Goliath, stilts, rooftop, and so on and so forth.

He might surprise attack you, running and jumping onto your back and latching on. Whether or not this takes you down to the ground or you carry him around like a baby sloth matters little to him.

After you two start dating:

Sometimes, he will like to prove implicitly that he is not weak and not to be looked down upon for his size…

When you two are alone, he sometimes will pull at your hair or the collar of your shirt to bring you down to his height so he can kiss you or whisper in your ear. 

He likes to put you in physically uncomfortable positions to fluster and corner you. Feeling like he’s in control and can make you nervous excites him.

He will corner you in hallways, push you up against walls and trap you in between his arms.

He’s much stronger then he looks, but like with most aspects of Kokichi, what you see initially, isn’t always what you get.

When you two are alone in his room, he will cage you below him on his bed to kiss you, hold you down, be more assertive and initiate make-out sessions.

If you’re sitting together talking or playing games, he might pull you onto his lap, reassuring you in his own immature, aloof way that you’re not too heavy for him.

The teasing never stops, and certainly not in public. Kokichi isn’t one to bring down his walls and be vulnerable and romantic in front of others. Protective, possessive, or jealous maybe. He reserves his true feelings and mushy moments for when you two are alone, and threatens you with death should you tell anyone.

If he does let out some PDA with you, it’s purposely to fluster you or scare away others that he thinks are interested in you.

Also, he’s very much the “Only I can make fun of Y/N” or “Only I can hold Y/N’s hand” type of boyfriend, especially if you’re insecure about your height already. He gets clingy and jealous even when you’re just being platonic with others.

You were sitting in your dorm room for once. Usually, you found yourself spending the night in Kokichi’s, but he was being rather secretive about his room for some reason this week. You sat next to him on the ground, looking at a splayed out deck of cards on the floor. You often spent the nights like this: with him, either wandering the school grounds and getting up to trouble or in his room where he could have you all to himself. He could be selfish like that, clingy. Sometimes seeing others get close to you made him more jealous than he’d like to admit.

And you could most definitely tell when it was one of his more needy days. He’d be more whiny, showing his true feelings through a furrowed brow here or a scrunched nose there. He sighed, tired of leaning his head onto your shoulder. He wanted more, more contact with you, more of you entirely. Without warning, he grabbed both hands firmly onto your legs and pulled you into his lap. He was sitting with his legs criss-crossed, and with an unexpected show of strength for someone of his size, he sunk his slender, pale fingers into the meat of your thighs and slid you effortlessly into his lap. He snuggled you in and you slotted perfectly into the cavity of his hips and thighs.

You squirmed in protest, gasping a little at the surprise of being lifted so suddenly. Your cheeks warmed up at the close contact and intimate position. He placed his chin back onto your shoulder, nuzzling against it every so often and resumed the game, handing you cards and promising not to cheat and peek at your hand (probably a lie).

When moments passed and you still squirmed about uncomfortably in his lap, he grunted, irate:

“Sit still, I’m trying to get comfortable!” He tilted his head, biting down into the skin of your shoulder in a childish display of frustration.

“Well… Kokichi… aren’t I a little heavily? Are you sure you want me to sit here like this…?” You finally voiced the apprehension behind your wriggling. You were bigger then him, and his frame was so lithe and petite. You felt like a beast crushing it’s prey. It wasn’t that you didn’t like the closeness and his touch, but you couldn’t help but feel self conscious.

“Why would I put you here if I didn’t want it, stupid head?!” He puffed his cheeks out in exasperation.

“It just… I mean I feel like I’m grating your pelvis into dust right now…” He wouldn’t say it directly, but he hated comments like this. Though he knew it was your own insecurities against yourself at work, he couldn’t help but be offended for himself, like you thought he was puny and weak at the same time. You would never say that to Gonta or Kaito, right? Even Kiyo, who was thin as could be would be spared from such comments. Why? Because he was 6’2”. Kokichi frowned at your comment, trying not to take out that anger on you, though he really wanted to.

“If you move even an inch, I’m going to bonk you over the head and knock you out…” he grumbled, wrapping both arms around your torso and crushing you into his chest in a show of dominance. He wanted to prove that he could hold you, he could be strong and in control, he could handle all of you.

You relaxed into his hold, feeling the beating of his heart against your back and deciding to let the topic go for now. 

BONUS: In a NON-DESPAIR AU

He gets pissed, crossing his arms and practically steaming when you guys go to amusement parks and people imply that he’s not tall enough for certain rides.

He finds your body super attractive, content to sit back and simply watch you try on clothes without complaint.

He refers to you as his “tall gf” or “huge gf” in many different scenarios, even if you’re just the least bit taller than him.

[love-me-purple]

“Closer.” Pregame Kokichi Ouma / Reader (Fluff)

CW: light cursing

note: this is from 2021 (?)

You tapped your pencil against your desk, glancing over at the windows across the classroom. It had started to rain about mid-lecture. Your eyes flickered between the window and clock. If anything, school was the least of your worries. You glanced across the classroom, fixating on your gaze on your childhood friend, Kokichi Ouma. He lifted his head from his textbook, looking over at you. You didn't even try to hide the fact you were staring. Kokichi's face seemed to flush a bit, as the corners of his mouth lifted to warm smile.

After class, you wrapped your arms around Kokichi from behind for a hug. "Y/N!" He exclaimed, getting a bit startled. "How was class?" You asked, resting your chin over his shoulder. "It was okay .." He replied. You pulled away, moving over to face him. "I'm glad it's over but, I-I was wondering if you could walk me home? I just don't like going alone." Kokichi asked, looking over at you for an answer. "I'd love to!" You smiled.

You started to walk down the hall with him. Once you made it up to your lockers, you began to look for your umbrella. "Dammit!" You closed your locker with a sigh. "Did you lose your umbrella, Y/N?" Kokichi asked. "We can share mine. I-If you want to." He offered, looking away. "You don't have to do that-"

"But, I want to." He confessed, handing you his umbrella. You smiled, oblivious to the blush growing across his cheeks. "Thank you." You said, watching him smile back. For you, it was always the sweetest sight to see him happy. "We should get going before it gets any worse." He pointed out, watching you open his umbrella. "You're right .. well, are you ready?" You asked, gently taking his hand. He didn't say anything, but nodded.

Though you grew up together, Kokichi still seemed a bit shy around you at times. His umbrella was a bit on the smaller side, but you did your best to fit the two of you under it. You pulled him in a bit closer as you stepped out of the school, feeling his grasp around your hand tighten a bit. Hand in hand, your shoulders brushed together as you walked.

You didn't mind being close to Kokichi at all. You'd always notice how flustered he'd get when you would hug him, or snuggle up to him. Rain poured down against the side walk towards his house. But, you weren't paying attention to that. The only thing on your mind was the boy next to you. "Hey, y/n?" Kokichi turned towards you, a nervous look on his face. "Hm?"

You felt his hand tremble, his free one rubbing his cheek. "I just .. I wanted to thank you." He said, meeting your eyes. "Why?" You asked. "I've never had someone care about me the way you do." He suddenly stopped talking, and let go of your hand. "I'm sorry!" He stepped back from under the umbrella, tripping backwards. Kokichi reached out for you, and you quickly caught him. You pulled him into your chest, being able to feel how fast his heart was beating. "Are you okay?" You asked, noticing he still had his arms around you. He hummed in response, slowly pulling away. "I-Im sorry." He apologized once more. "I shouldn't be saying those kind of things, and I just .. just get so nervous around you sometimes." He began. "Hey, don't worry." You said, taking his hand. "It's alright." You said with a nod.

After a bit of awkward silence, you finally saw his house coming up in the distance. You walked with him up to front door. "Are you gonna be okay?" You asked, tilting your head a bit "Uhm. Yeah .. I think so." He said, sounding unsure. "Oh yeah! Thanks for letting me borrow your umbrella." You said, beginning to close it. "N-No! Keep it! It's still raining." He said, pushing it back into your hands. You turned back, it was pouring. "I guess you're right." You shrugged. "I'll see you tomorrow okay?" You waved, beginning to head off.

"Y/N, I wanted to tell you something." Kokichi tugged on your hand. You turned back, stopping in your tracks. "What is it?" You asked, seeing the tears sting in his eyes. "Y-You won't leave me, right?" Kokichi asked, squeezing your hand. He started overthinking every word that left his mouth, too afraid of scaring you. So afraid of opening up. "Oh, Kokichi." You frowned, pulling him into a hug. "You don't have to worry about that." You assured him. He tightened his arms around your embrace. "Y/N." Kokichi pulled back and rubbed his eyes. "I promise I won't leave you. I don't know what I'd do without you." He mumbled, glancing down to his feet. As he stepped closer, he hesitantly took your hands in his. "I-I .. I really like you." Kokichi said, face lightening up in a red tint.

"I've never felt this way towards someone." He said, gripping your hands. "I-I .. um .." He took a deep breath. "I like you, y/n."

You paused before saying anything, looking back at him. His school uniform and hair were a bit wet, and his face burned a deep red. You felt the shake in Kokichi's hands pressed against yours. "I understand if you don't feel the same way." He began to move hands away. You held on. "I like you too." You confessed with a smile. "Really?" He seemed shocked, but started to smile. He wasn't a big hugger, but .. he knew it made you happy. Anything that made you happy, made him happy too. Kokichi hugged you, nuzzling his head against your chest. "I love you y/n. I-I really do." Kokichi said, a bit more happiness in his tone.

—

Afterwards, the two of you headed inside. Kokichi had made some snacks for you. "A-Are you comfortable? I can find more blankets for you if you want." He said, cutting on the tv before sitting next to you on the couch. "I'm okay, don't worry about it!" You assured, pulling him closer. And so, you both snuggled and fell asleep together.

[aheckinmess]

(One-shot series 1/3 chapters posted - posts regularly on Saturdays. If anyone knows who to credit for the Hizashi fanart, please let me know!) Read on AO3.

Tags: Graphic violence, Hizashi Yamada x OC, Present Mic, Present Mic saves the day, Hizashi Yamada is a ray of sunshine, angst, hurt/comfort, scared reader, pro hero rescue

Word Count: 4,364 words

Summary: Ichijiku Aoki has lived in hell with Kigai as her captor for three years. During a chance encounter at a dance club, she runs into her first breath of fresh air in years: Hizashi Yamada. Kigai makes it clear that Ichi belongs to him, so dare she hope for a better life and an escape from her prison?

Author's Note: I haven't posted fanfiction in years, but after a two-year obsession with My Hero Academia, I have more than enough content to share. This first series is pretty dark, but there's some comfort and sweetness along the way. Enjoy.

TW: Implied/Referenced Sexual, Physical, and Emotional Abuse

Chapter 1: Time Signatures

Ichijiku (Tigress)

In another life, listening to the pulsating beat of the music in the club might be fun. I might feed off of the voices singing at the top of their lungs, or delight in the changing colors flashing all around the dance floor. 

But I’m not living in another life. I’m living in hell.

“Give her another shot.” Kigai’s voice rises over the crowd as he gives me a look. Don’t you tell a goddamn soul what I’m doing or you won’t live to see the sunrise. His quirk stretches into my mind and reminds me just who I belong to. Of course, the bruises littering my thighs are testament to that too. Kigai would never let me go out in anything other than skinny jeans, so it’s not like anyone can see, though.

No one ever sees.

The bartender gives me a smile and I play the perfect part of being his playful partner, leaning over to give Kigai a kiss on his cheek, a loving gaze, and a swat at his butt while bile turns over in my stomach. I throw back the shot of tequila before Kigai puts his hands at my hips and looks directly at me. You’d better get out on that dance floor and pretend you’re having a good time. People have started looking at you.  “Why don’t you go have some fun, sugar? I know you don’t feel good, but the dance floor has always helped you clear your mind.”

He plants a slow and tender kiss on my lips, but all I feel is dread. I want to feel happy. I want to feel a flutter in my chest. I want to feel anything. Anything but Kigai.

You’re mine, Ichi. And don’t you forget that. His eyes bore into mine and then he turns away, laughing at a joke Shihito tells him. I can feel his gaze follow me as I put on my brave face and walk through the dance floor.

In some ways, I’m grateful for the tequila. Otherwise I’d never be able to play like everything’s fine. Winding my way through the undulating bodies feels easier to bear than seeing that look on Kigai’s face. The threat that always lingers there. In this mingling of bodies I can close my eyes and lose myself to the music, feel the beat move in conjunction with me instead of forcing me to move with it. 

The only time I’m conscious of is the time signature in the music. Minutes could pass, or it could be hours. What’s important is that Kigai doesn’t cut in and I can’t see those eyes trapping me in their domineering gaze. 

For the first time in three years, I’m reminded of the better parts of life.

And then the better part of life bumps into me.

“Whoops! Hey there, little lady. Sorry for the intrusion.” A blonde man with a broad smile and glasses apologizes to me. “Did I hurt you?”

For a moment my breath is taken away and my façade cracks. The best way I can describe him is pure sunshine. He only looks at me for a moment with that grin but the warmth seeps into my skin and makes me yearn for a normal life. My throat gets tight. Help me. I want to say. Please make him leave me alone. 

“Woah, hey, is everything okay? Did I really hurt you?” His puts a soothing arm on my shoulder as he makes himself heard over the crowd. “Why don’t you come sit down?”

“No!” I panic, forcing a grin on my face and hoping that he’ll shake it off as me being drunk. That’s what everyone else has done. “Really, it’s okay. I just get emotional when I’m drunk. I’m sorry. You just took me by surprise.” I shake my head as if trying to clear my mind and turn away from him. You’re too pure for someone like me, too beautiful for this world. If Kigai knew I slipped up…I can’t drag you down into this. You could get hurt.

“Hey, wait!” I hear him call behind me, but I ignore it and keep moving.

My feet rush towards the bathroom. I head inside and slam the first stall door I see before heaving into the porcelain bowl. Get it together, Ichijiku. I’ll kill Kigai. We can’t. I sob in the stall. We can’t do anything. Kigai has my family on his radar. We’re stuck! What a foul sack of shit. He’s not worth the stripes on my skin. I want to die. I know, Little Cub, and I’d surely embrace death knowing that you didn’t have to suffer this any longer. But we have to hold on. Change is coming. I can feel it in my bristling fur.

There’s a banging at the door that I know means I’m in trouble. I quickly wipe the tears from my cheeks frantically and flush the toilet before wetting a paper towel and dabbing under my eyes. Breathe. Get it together. We’ll survive. I’m right here with you.

I step out of the bathroom and Kigai’s hand wraps around my arm as he pulls me aside.

“Baby, what’s wrong?” He puts on a concerned simper, feeling my forehead with his free hand. You’re supposed to tell me where you’re going and why. You were trying to run away, weren’t you, bitch?  “I thought you were hurt. Did you get sick?”

“I think I drank too much.” I sniffle, looking down so he can’t use his quirk and I don’t have to listen to his haunting voice in my thoughts. It’s a mistake.

His hand comes under my chin. To an outside party it might look like he’s being a tender lover, but there’s bite in the way his fingers dig into my skin. You know I hate when you look away from me, whore.

“Honey, you only had one shot. When did you become such a lightweight?” He laughs. I’m sick of your damn excuses. He runs his fingers through my hair and his hands cup my cheeks as he kisses my forehead. “But if you need to take a seat, go ahead.” Stay where I can see you.

“Thanks, love.” I return his gesture of affection with a hug and a peck on his cheek.

For a while, I sit at the bar again, scrolling through my phone to look busy. I can’t see Kigai, but I don’t need to. His gaze always follows me, even when he’s not in the room.

“It looks like you needed a break, huh?” The blonde from earlier takes residence in the seat next to me.

I turn to look at him as I nurse a lemonade. He’s like a breath of fresh air.

“Yeah.” I look down at the table again and trace around the rim of my glass. “Sorry about earlier. I think I’d been dancing too long and was getting overheated.”

“Yeah, the dance floor can get overwhelming if you’re not used to it.” He laughs. The sound sings through my bones. 

“What’s your name?” I ask.

“Yamada Hizashi. But you can call me Hizashi.” He tilts his head like a puppy and the lights around him make him appear almost angelic. “What’s yours?”

“Ichijiku.” 

“Nice to formally meet you, Ichijiku.” He answers. “Was that your boyfriend I saw earlier?” 

“Yes.” I smile into my cup to hide the disgust in my eyes. God, I wish he wasn’t. “He was making sure I was okay.”

“Ah, good to know. From back there it looked like he was going to hurt you, but I was obviously mistaken. I’m glad you’re safe, you know?” 

Something about the way he says it makes me look up at him and feel more hope than I have in a long time. I feel seen and heard. After a cursory glance around the club without seeing Kigai, I feel safe enough to answer.

“Kigai’s not a dangerous man. He doesn’t hit me and he likes to make sure I’m taken care of.” My eyes scream the opposite. I hope he catches it. I hope he doesn’t. “He knows my favorite colors and we watch my favorite movies all the time and he loves me. He never calls me names and he always asks before he touches me; Kigai doesn’t want to hurt me.”

Hizashi’s hand moves closer to mine and when I look at him I don’t feel sick.

“So you don’t need my help at all, do you?” He asks. He doesn’t break my gaze. 

My lips part in a relieved gasp;  I’m ready to tell him everything, but my eyes hold terror as Kigai catches my gaze from across the room. What the hell are you telling him? His smile follows me even though he’s standing beside the DJ. Abruptly, I stand and move away from Hizashi.

“It would be better if you stayed away from me.” I hiss under my breath, cursing myself for wishing for a normal life. Cursing myself for dreaming that I’d ever be able to get away from Kigai. What was I thinking? If Kigai finds out, it’ll be my head. But at least Hizashi knows. Maybe he can get help! Why would he help me? He probably has no idea I need help. I was reading too much into it. No one ever notices the bruises. Or they make excuses if they do.  That’s right. No one cares about you. Who cares about a stupid whore? She’s not a whore. Kigai’s a manipulator and a rapist, and that’s all there is to it, fiend.

“Are you looking at my girl?” I’m suddenly face to chest with Kigai. Shit. He was closer than I realized. Fuck!

“Kigai, honey, it’s okay. I was just coming to find you. It’s fine.” I place my hand on his arm and squeeze, trying to redirect him. 

“No, it’s not fucking okay.” Kigai growls, glaring bullets into Hizashi’s eyes. 

“Hey, man. You have the wrong idea.” Hizashi puts his hands up, looking composed and calm. See? He knows nothing. Everything you told him went straight over his head. “She bumped into me earlier and I was just making sure she’d gotten back to the bar safely.”

“She bumped into you? Or were you trying to cop a feel?” Kigai snarls, dangerously tense.

“Kigai, please.” I beg, pulling at the front of his shirt to make him look at me. Why the hell did you let him get close to you, huh? You know you belong to me. Not some sleaze who’s just going to fuck you and leave you out to dry. After everything I’ve done for you. His words reach into my mind and I do the only thing I can to get out of the situation. I reach up around his neck and pull him in for a kiss. 

Thankfully, Kigai seems to take the bait. He becomes more possessive, gripping my hips so hard I know there’ll be bruises there in the morning. His tongue invades my mouth and he tugs fiercely at my lip. When he pulls back, he still turns a fiery glare onto Hizashi.

“Don’t you get near my girl again, got it?” Kigai wraps an arm around my shoulder and pulls me close to him. My eyes lose their shine. I guess that’s it. We’re stuck again. All in good time, Little Cub. All in good time.

He pulls me away and I risk one last glance back at Hizashi. One last hopeful plea begging him to help, but he’s not looking back at me. 

. . . . .

Six months go by that Kigai refuses to take me out again. For six months he beats the lesson into me.

“You were trying to be a clever little whore, weren’t you?” His foot connects with my jaw, but I don’t make a sound. I take it. “Thought you had a savior. Someone to take you away from me, right? But you’re mine! If you left me do you know what that would mean for your family? For you?” He yanks me up by my hair. “They’d be up shit creek without a paddle and it’d be all your fault!” 

“I’m sorry, love.” I whimper out, hating the taste of the words on my tongue. “It won’t happen again.”

“Damn right it won’t.” He lets go of me and I catch the brunt of my weight on my arms. Tears trickle down my cheeks and then suddenly he pulls me into his arms and then onto his lap on the bed.

“You know I love you, right?” He coos in my ear, saying the words that my heart wants to hear in the most twisted tones. “It’s just…seeing you with that other man…mmm…I hated seeing that. You know he was just trying to manipulate you, right? Use you when you were vulnerable?”

You’d know all about that wouldn’t you? I wish I could have been more specific…told him something more concrete. Then maybe I wouldn’t be stuck here. It’s not your fault, Dear One. “I know, Kigai. I’m sorry. I wasn’t feeling good and I just wanted someone to talk to.”

His grip tightens on me. “You could have found me.”

“You were busy, Kigai, I didn’t want to ruin your time.” I turn and kiss his cheek to make the comment more believable. “I love you.”

“Mmm, that’s what I like to hear.” He kisses under my ear and it burns. Nauseous flames swim along my body until he leaves me broken under the covers. I curl up into a ball as he gets up from the covers and starts grabbing his clothes. “C’mon, baby, get your clothes on. I think you’ve learned your lesson. I’ve got a surprise for you.”

I don’t question it. I’m silent as I pull on my clothes and fix my hair. When I’m ready, I take the arm he offers me. 

“You’re gonna like this, baby.” He rubs a small bruise he made at my neck, smiling as we head out into the street and he looks at me. You’d better not tell anyone it’s anything other than a love bite, got it? Or I’ll have your family hunted down with a snap of my fingers.  “Look at how beautiful you look with my marks on you. Everyone will know who you belong to, yeah?” 

“Of course. Only yours.” I nod, swallowing past the lump in my throat.

Before long he leads me to a karaoke bar. The sight of it puts a pep in my step; even though I’d rather be here with anyone else except Kigai, this is the most I’ve gotten out in months. I’ll take what I can get.

“A karaoke bar? How did you know?” I giggle, kissing his cheek as I slip into the assumed role.

“I know my babygirl.” He pauses to kiss me roughly outside the door before pulling me inside. He pays for the two of us before we’re taken to a private room where a few of his friends are waiting. “I hope you don’t mind, some of my buddies came to join us.”

“It’s okay.” I promise, even though seeing all of them makes my heart sink. “As long as they don’t bother me.”

“They’ve already been warned, babe, they’ve already been warned.” Kigai winks at me. Don’t test those waters after I’ve let you out. “Would you like to go first?”

“Yes, please.” 

Once again, the music distracts me from my own crumbling little world. Life seems full of more promise as the notes spill from my lips. 

“Hey, Takamaru! I’ve gotta take a piss. Keep an eye on my girl, okay? Make sure she doesn’t get into too much trouble.” Kigai chuckles and glances at me before he leaves. Don’t do anything stupid.

“Sure, man.” Takamaru doesn’t even look in Kigai’s direction. He’s too busy focusing on Shihito’s selection. “What the fuck, man?! You’ve sung homura three times already! Pick something new.”

“Shut up, Taka, it’s the only song I know.” Shihito huffs, pulling up the microphone again.

“Hey, do you guys mind if I go grab a snack?” I ask, wanting to get some fresh air without Kigai hovering over me. If he gets back before I do, I can always blame Takamaru. He never goes too hard on his buddies. 

“Sure, Ichi. Can you grab me a granola bar while you’re at it?” Takamaru tosses me a couple yen. 

“Sure thing.” I nod and head towards the vending machine on the balcony. 

I walk by a room where I hear such sweet sonorous notes I can’t help but glance into the window. Hizashi?! My feet stutter and I nearly trip. I have to keep walking. Kigai is liable to beat him up if he even sees he’s in the same building. If I were to stop and wave? Impossible. I force myself to keep walking until I make it to the machine. 

Once I’ve got a pack of crackers and Taka’s granola bar, I hang over the railing and take a deep breath. When did this all start? Why did I let myself get roped into this? I hate this… None of this is your fault, Little One. Kigai is a manipulator and a fiend. And his quirk makes it inanely difficult to give any sort of proof to the authorities of your predicament. 

“Fancy seeing you here.” Hizashi’s voice joins me on the balcony. I jump back as if stung and start backing away from him. His moves his hands from his pockets and holds them up in surrender. “Woah, hey, I’m not going to hurt you.”

“That’s not what I’m worried about.” I turn to look and make sure Kigai isn’t headed back to our karaoke room and then back to Hizashi. “You can’t be here.”

“Is he hurting you?” He asks me bluntly, eyes somehow fierce and kind all at once.

“I don’t know what you’re talking about.” I choke out, starting to speed walk back into the building. This can’t be happening. Kigai’s going to kill him if he sees him anywhere near me! 

His hand grabs my wrist and I’m forced to pause and turn back to him.

“Is he hurting you, Ichijiku?” 

The first time I saw his gaze in the club, I nearly lost myself. Seeing it now, so intentional and worried…I feel I have no choice.

“Yes.” I hiss, eyes watering. “Yes, he hurts me. All the time. For big things, for little things. But I take it, okay?” Part of me is angry. Not even at Hizashi, just everything in general. Why the hell am I in this predicament? What did I do except love people and want them to love me back? It’s okay. You’re allowed to be angry. Especially at this situation. “I take it because Kigai says he’ll hurt my family if I don’t. Because they’ll die if I don’t suck it up like a good girl, alright? And he’s going to hurt you too, Hizashi. He’ll hurt you really bad if you so much as look at me. If you’re so much as seen with me.” I keep glancing back, waiting at any moment for Kigai to round the corner and exact his punishment. “So go! Leave me alone. I don’t want anyone else to get hurt for my sake…please.” I beg, finally yanking my hand free of his hold.

When I hear Kigai’s voice down the hall, I don’t look back. I rush back into the room just in time and hand Taka his granola bar. I start nibbling on my crackers so I can compose my face before he walks in. I smile at him and offer him a cracker.

“Oo, got me a snack, baby?” He takes the whole pack and leaves me the one. “Thanks.”

The rest of the evening, I’m too nervous to sing like I want to. I pick one or two songs to make sure Kigai’s off my scent, but mostly I watch him and his friends sing. In reality, I keep watching the door to make sure Hizashi doesn’t walk by.

By the time we get ready to leave, it’s dark. I assume that Hizsahi is long gone, because as we walk by his room on our way out, it’s empty and quiet. Thank you, Lord. He deserves a better lot in life than this. 

“Damn, Kigai, every time we go out for karaoke I forget just how shitty of a singer you are.” Taka teases as we give the desk lady her key back. 

“Hey, man! I’m not that bad. At least I can carry a tune.”

“Barely.” He snorts, before nudging Shihito. “And this fucker only has one song he can sing!” 

The ribbing continues as we walk out the door. I keep my eyes down and my arm wrapped around Kigai’s until a group of voices convene on us and someone suddenly pulls me out of Kigai’s grasp.

“Police! Get on the ground, now!” Someone barks out, and my brain struggles to keep up.

Kigai and his pals look shocked to say the least. Kigai is the only one who tries to struggle, of course. “Get the fuck off me! Let my girl go! Babygirl, tell these fuckers to get off me!” 

“Don’t hurt him!” I call out, aching heart bleeding for him even in spite of all the bruises he’s left on my heart and my body.

“Get on the ground.” The cop repeats, needing two more officers to help bring Kigai down to the ground. “Sir, you’re under arrest.”

The world around me sways. My breath gets shaky and I start crying as I beg them to leave him alone. What am I doing?! I want them to take him but… He’s a manipulator. He’s made you afraid and obligated to him. I want him out of my life. I don’t ever want to see him again. My pleas ultimately die down as my sobs get louder. 

The weather is colder in the darkness. My body starts shaking and I start swaying.

“It’s okay, ma’am. We’ll get it taken care of. You’re safe now.” The woman holding me rubs my shoulders and starts looking around. “Can one of you grab a jacket for–”

“I’ve got it taken care of.” Hizashi’s voice melts into my eardrums as the police get Kigai into the back of their cruiser. I wrap my arms around myself and then he’s got something warm and soft wrapped around my shoulders. “Here. Take my jacket.”

I turn to Hizashi and then back to the police cruiser. I look at the woman.

“Excuse me, Officer?”

“Yes, ma’am?”

“Th–That man…Kigai…he…he said he’d hurt my family if I ever turned him in. Are they–”

“This young man here told us the story. We’ve got a unit at their house.” She assures me, rubbing my shoulder. “You don’t have to be afraid anymore, honey. We’ve got it all covered. We’ve been trying to find definitive evidence to put this guy away for years.”

I look at her, disbelieving. “H=How did you find any evidence?”

The officer looks at the cruiser as Kigai is hauled off, before she looks at Hizashi with a smile and then back to me. “Your friend here said that he recorded your conversation in the karaoke place. He said he’d previously met you and was suspicious of the situation.”

“I hadn’t seen you in months. I was scared I was too late to do anything, so when I saw you…” He pauses. “I started recording on my phone before I walked over to talk to you. I was hoping that maybe if I was blunt enough…you might tell me what was going on.” Hizashi admits sheepishly. “So we left as soon as I got the evidence just in case your group was planning on leaving soon.”

For a long time, I just stare at him. I memorize everything I can about him. The way his hair frames his face and the small, pampered mustache making his smile pop out on his face. Then there’s his eyes.

One look and my body works without my permission. I wrap my arms around him, tackling him into a hug and feeling three years of pain and grief claw out of my chest and manifest as sobs.

“Thank you, Hizashi.” I hold his back in a death grip, and I feel him pat my back delicately. 

“I couldn’t sit by and watch you get hurt without doing anything.”

“Ma’am, would you like me to walk you to your home?” The officer asks me, also reaching over to rub my shoulder.

“I don’t have anywhere to go right now.” I admit with a sniffle. “But if you can go with me to grab my stuff from Kigai’s, that would be great.” I turn to Hizashi. “Will you come with us? Please?”

“Of course. I won’t leave you alone right now. That a problem with you, Officer?” 

“Not at all.” She assures.

When we make it to Kigai’s house, there’s blue and red lights flashing there too. Hizashi steps with me inside as the officer gets debriefed on other things found out about Kigai’s dastardly affairs. “It’s just down this hall.” I assure him.

Going back into Kigai’s room sends a cold chill down my spine. You’re mine, whore. You belong to me, understand? I pull Hizashi’s jacket tighter around me, before steeling my nerves and grabbing my bag and stuffing it.

“Anything you need me to grab?” Hizashi asks as he looks around.

“No. I don’t have much.” I toss in my phone and charger, a few changes of clothes, toothbrush, hairbrush, and a few other necessities. “I think that’s all.” I say once I’ve got everything together. When at last I turn to him and meet his gaze, I’m expecting to hear foul words stabbing into my brain.

He is not Kigai, Little One. It’s going to be okay. 

My nose quivers as I look at him. “He’s really gone.”

“He won’t hurt you anymore, Ichijiku.” Hizashi nods. “You don’t have to be afraid anymore.”

I don’t have to be afraid.

Continue Reading -> Ch. 2

[lolocamzharmony]

Fifth Harmony Imagine #1 (Fluff)

"Good Morning, Love" Lauren says seeing your eyes flicker open as she pulls you in closer to her chest, you smile briefly inhaling her scent of vanilla and smoke , you snuggle into her wrapping your arms around her waist as she places soft kisses to your forehead making you never want to leave this bed, never want to leave the safety of her arms

[sourpeachly]

The Guardian of The Forest of Dreams

Female Lead was drawn by ansem, @ansemthesprite on tiktok.

Male Lead was drawn by Ani, @anikiri

Author note: This was a fun little project i cooked up to enter in a contest :) (p.s, Ms Brigitte if you see this, i did NOT plagiarize this, i posted this after sending in my entry. Thank you.)

Word count: 7.1k

Warning: mention of blood (like once Or twice)

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"There! I see her Highness! Men! after her!"

The girl's feet padded on the muddied ground caused by the rain prior to her escape. She had to run barefoot, her shoes discarded and long forgotten. She pulls the cloak closer to herself, like an indestructible armour. Being raised in a castle didn't allow her much physical activity making her quite frail.

Just a little more. I'm almost there.......

The place that shall keep me safe.

There she sees an ominous-looking forest, shrouded in a dark misty ambience. The grand forest of dreams. That was her destination. Her ticket out of this miserable life of hers.

Almost there....!

She could hear the royal knights closing in from behind. They were right on her tail.

Just a little more.......!

She tightly shut her eyes and focused her energy on her feet, pushing herself to reach the forest before the knights could capture her. Or even worse, present her head to the crown prince.

Faster feet...!

Just then, her feet had slipped on the muddy and unstable ground, making her crash face-first into the dirt. No... it was too late. At this rate, she would be caught by the soldiers pursuing her.

This is the end.

Just as she had accepted her grim fate, sudden screams, and sounds of confrontations made her whip her head backward. There stood a grizzly bear standing around 8 feet tall. It was blocking the soldiers' path. The bear looked back, staring at her. Her breath hitched, for a moment, she thought that the bear would pounce on her. But instead, it had turned its attention back to the royal knights before it.

She took her chance that very second and dashed into the forest. A prick of worry for the bear made her look past her shoulders. She sees the knights struggling against the bear. Just then, she could've sworn that she shared a brief eye contact with the bear before focusing her attention back in front of her.

If she hadn't known any better, she might've thought that the bear was helping her. She pushed such ridiculous thoughts away. She needed to focus on the present. Now that she's inside the Forest of Dreams, none of the royal knights would dare to follow her inside. Because of how The Forest of Dreams earned its name. Those who entered the forest uninvited.............

............never wakes up ever again.

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After walking for what felt like hours, the girl had taken a short rest under a tree with a decent shade from the sun. Her back had made contact with the bark of the tree as she lightly tapped her head against it. With it, the hood on her cloak fell, unveiling her long silvery hair. The girl sighs, curling herself by bringing her knees to her chest and resting her head on top of it.

If the Forest of Dreams was so dangerous, why did she decide to enter it in the first place anyway? She had no choice in the matter. She would rather get killed by getting eaten by a wild animal than dying at the hands of the crown prince hands. But that wasn't the only reason she sought after the Forest of Dreams. She wanted to meet the Infamous Guardian of the forest. Leshy, the Guardian of the forest or commonly known by other people as the Wood Demon.

She had snapped out of her thoughts when she heard a distinct thump, coming from behind her. Feeling cautious from her earlier train of thought, she slowly peeked her head to investigate.

What she found.....was just a young nestling who had fallen out of its nest on accident. Her amethyst-colored eyes soften immediately as she breathes a sigh of relief. She carefully scoops up the young hatchling into her palm, taking extra caution so as to not accidentally injure it.

The girl had always had a special talent with animals. Growing up, her only companions were mice that found their way into her room, birds that sat themselves down on her window sill, or stray cats that would beg for her attention by wrapping themselves around her legs. Those small animals were her only companion during her childhood years after her nanny disappeared.

Just as she had succeeded in returning the bird back to its rightful nest, her neck snapped towards the sound of footsteps steadily approaching her. She swallowed back the lump that was blocking her throat and prepared herself for the inevitable confrontation that was coming.

"Who dares to trespass these sacred lands?"

She felt a shudder run down her spine, an intimidating voice calling out to her. There was no doubt about it, this was the infamous Leshy she had been wanting to meet. Unconsciously, she held her breath as Leshy made it's appearance. The being that had struck such deep-rooted fear in people in the whole Kingdom of Garnette for centuries was not a tall stickly figure that would have branches as limbs that she had imagined inside her head. Instead, it had a human body, just like her. The only difference being the long deer antlers that sits itself on top of the being's head, as well as it's hooves replacing the normally would-be human legs. It had long silky straight hair that reached the ground. She noted that the color resemble that of the night sky. Holding a wooden staff in one hand, Leshy was wearing a porcelain mask resembling a deer.

Seeing how similar the being was to that of a human made her feel more at ease. But she still kept her guard up. surely it wasn't unfounded, the fear that Leshy had struck inside of the citizens. She took a big gulp of air before answering,

"Lord Leshy, Please listen to my humble request.."

She paused briefly, waiting for the being to reply. When it kept quiet, she took it as her sign to continue.

"Please allow me to take refuge within your forest!"

"....."

She felt her hope slipping through her fingers when the guardian kept it's mouth shut. The girl was about to open her mouth again before Leshy finally replied.

"For how long are you planning to stay for?"

At it's words, her face visibly lit up. Now that it was actually hearing her out, she was going to do whatever she could to convince it to let her take shelter in the forest for a few months. At least until the knights and crown prince cease their pursuit of her.

"Half a year would be enough, but we could also discuss it further-"

"Are you not afraid of me?"

Leshy cutting her off took her off guard, but without missing a beat, the girl's smile widened.

"I know you won't hurt me as long as I follow the rules of the forest and don't bring harm to the animals living peacefully inside the forest." "What made you so sure?" The speed of his reply shocked her, but only for a brief moment before composing herself once more.

"I have read all about you in various articles and other literature sources and I found something in common. You only hurt those who were scheming to harm the animals living in harmony. Such as poachers or hunters. But people or little children who had wandered into the forest accidentally would mysteriously return without so much as a scratch on their body besides the fuzzy memories of the forest."

When Leshy had kept it's silence, she knew that she had guessed correctly. "Am I wrong Lord Leshy?"

But after long period of silence, the familiar feeling of fear creeps up inside. Had she bitten more than she can chew? Her hope completely shattered the being turned around without so much as a word.

This was it.... this was the end...

What do I do now...?

The girl hung her head low, feeling dejected. Just then, The being spoke up, it's back still facing her. "Just as you promised to not harm the residents of this forest, I'll allow you to stay for half a year, as you had suggested."

Happiness quickly bubbled up inside the girl. Feelings of delight and relief. For the time being at least, she had the forest's protection.

"Oh thank you Lord Leshy! I'll be in your care from now on! Ah, right, where are my manners..? My name is Anya.." The girl, Anya, gave a low curtesy. Perhaps out of habit. Leshy, who was on it's way back retreating further into the forest, stopped and looked past it's shoulder to stare at the young woman.

"Don't call me that. That isn't my name. it's just what people had started to call me after a while."

The being looked off into the distance for a moment before directing it's gaze back to Anya once more.

"Call me....."

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".......Morpheus! Won't you come down and join us?"

"No need."

Anya huffed in frustration at Morpheus's short and curt answer. Currently, Anya was resting on the grass, wildflowers surrounding her. A small squirrel rests itself on her lap as various other animals sit around the young woman as well. Meanwhile, Morpheus had stubbornly insisted on resting on a tree branch above their little get-together.

After staying with the guardian of the forest for two months, Anya had thought of the being as a treasured friend. She had discovered that Morpheus preferred to be referred to as a man even if he himself admits that he does not have genitalia of either gender. However, the face under the porcelain mask remains a mystery. She had asked him about it once, he had said that his face was much too scary for the eyes. Anya wasn't quite convinced at his reasoning. Someone who protects animals would surely have a kind face.

Over the course of the two months, she could see Morpheus observing her every move. Morpheus didn't even attempt to hide the evident suspicion that he had for the girl. But she had paid it no mind. After all, it was admirable how dedicated he was to his duties of keeping the forest safe.

But she hopes that after all that time spent in each other's presence, he no longer holds such hostile feelings against her. But seeing how laid-back he is acting, it's safe to assume that he had become quite used to her presence. Somehow, everything felt a bit domestic. The thought made her crack a small smile.

Suddenly, the peace broke as quickly as it came when she noticed Morpheus's body tensing up. That was never a good sign. It wasn't just Morpheus who was acting odd, the animals that were surrounding her a moment ago had all left one by one, as if they were running away from someone, or something. The sound of Morpheus's feet hitting the ground after jumping down from the tree branch had snapped her out of her train of thought and scared away the squirrel that was peacefully napping on her lap.

"W, What's wrong...?" The girl questioned hesitantly. She was scared. Of course, she was. How could she not be when it had gotten all of the animals and even the forest guardian so agitated? Morpheus stayed silent and instead stared intently at the east side of the forest. She felt a part of her heart squeezing when she thinks of the possibility of it being the royal knights.

No, that's impossible... She pushed the idea away as quickly as it came. There was simply no way, the knights and everyone should've all thought of her as dead by now. Surely the crown prince would've demolished his search for her by now, right..? As much as she'd like to believe her own words it was becoming increasingly harder to put a lid on her growing anxiety.

Eventually, heavy rapid footsteps could be heard approaching their location. A large figure entered the scene. Emerging from the thick trees was a rhinoceros, whose height reached about 1.9 meters tall. It looked enraged... and was charging straight towards her! Not having enough time to react, all Anya could manage was to block the front of her body using her forearm and hope that the injury she sustained would not be as fatal that she'll lose her life.

But whilst tightly shutting her eyes and bracing for impact, it never came. Instead, she opened her eyes to meet the all too familiar porcelain deer mask. Part of her was shocked that he even saved her, whilst another part was glad she didn't sustain any injuries. Morpheus had saved her by lifting her into his hold. His forearm was hooked under her knees and the other was supporting the small of her back. Immediately noticing how unstable her position was, she hooked her arms around his neck.

"Anya, are you hurt?"

All she could manage was a weak nod in return, her eyes never leaving the rampaging wild animal behind Morpheus. Eventually, Morpheus found a suitable place to put down the frightened Anya. It was on top of a medium-sized tree. One that would be out of reach for the rhinoceros. After placing down the woman and making sure that she was okay, Morpheus turned around to go deal with the animal before it did some actual damage to the forest. But the feeling of his shirt getting pulled made him look past his shoulders and meet the eyes of a worried maiden.

"Will you be okay?" Maybe at the back of her mind, she had already known the answer to it. But she needed to hear him say it. To calm herself down.

He gently took ahold of her shaking hands, softly prying off her hands that were clutching his shirt so tightly. Maybe she had been more affected than he had initially thought. But even so, he gave her hands a reassuring squeeze. "This is the burden of my duties. You shouldn't worry too much. I'll be just fine."

Reluctantly, she nodded as she hung her head down low. Morpheus jumps down to deal with the beast. All she could do was to observe from above. It was less than ideal, but if she was to stay bellow with Morpheus and the rhinoceros, she would've probably ended up being a hindrance to him or even worse, getting turned into mush by the rhinoceros hooves.

Anya watched in awe from above as Morpheus expertly darted around the rhinoceros, dodging the rhinoceros's fruitless assault towards him. The girl knew that he had to be amazing to earn the title of 'The Guardian of The Forest', but to see it with her own eyes was still unbelievable.

The rhinoceros began charging towards Morpheus. At first, Anya had no doubt that Morpheus would be able to expertly dodge it this time as well. But all of a sudden, she noticed a deep dark purple liquid trickle down his legs. Could it be his blood? He isn't human after all, a different color of blood isn't too far fetch. But when she saw how much he was bleeding, a seed of worry grew inside of her. When could he have gotten hurt? She had been intently staring at him this whole time, and the rhinoceros didn't get close to him once! Unless he had gotten hurt before then.....

Could it be...?

Had he gotten hurt when he saved me before?!

Just then, Morpheus had moved to sidestep the animal when the injury on his legs preventing from moving his body how he had intended. This resulted in the rhinoceros ramming into him, its horn impaling him into a sturdy tree.

"Morpheus!"

Anya's eyes widen in horror. It had all happened so fast. The force of the impact had made a crack in the porcelain mask, promptly shattering it to pieces.

But Anya didn't care about that. She couldn't have cared less for the mask. All that was running through her mind was the guardian's well-being. Maybe that was what convinced her to climb down the tree, not caring enough about her own safety.

As she ran closer to their location, she picked up a small pebble on the way, throwing it toward the rhinoceros. Where had she gotten the courage to provoke the rampaging beast, she does not know. But all she knew was that she needed to get the animal away from Morpheus. Even if it was stupid of her to risk her life for it. There was also a possibility of Morpheus not surviving it. She pushed such negative thoughts away. He had survived for centuries, surely he'd survived this time as well.

He has to!

The pebble hit the rhinoceros behind, making it face toward her and releasing Morpheus from its horn. Morpheus slumped down to the ground. As the rhinoceros began charging toward her, she ran in the opposite direction leading it somewhere else. It wasn't as if she had climbed down from the tree without a plan at all. Well, could it even be called a plan if she wasn't even sure that it would work?

She led the wild beast towards an area filled with long vines, planning to immobilize it without actually hurting it. She took out a small dagger gifted to her by Morpheus when he had seen her struggling to pick berries, after making her promise that she wouldn't use it to hurt animals. Not like she was planning to, even if he didn't make her promise not to. Come to think of it, Morpheus had given her plenty of things. Including the soft shoes that were on her feet this very moment. She smiled at the thought. Even if he had always acted cold and distant, at his core was a kind and sincere being.

Cutting some vines and expertly wrapping them around the rhinoceros without it noticing, she successfully made it lay down on its side. She was lucky that her half-baked plan worked. Now comes the hard part. Calming the rhinoceros down. Cautiously, she puts a hand on the space between the rhinoceros eyes, trying to soothe it gently.

"It's okay. No one is going to hurt you...Won't you calm down?"

Eventually, the rhino stopped fussing and turned quiet. All that was left was quiet whimpers, almost as if it was in pain. Pain....?

......!

That was it! It was causing a scene because it was hurt but it didn't know how to convey it!

The worst-case scenario immediately came to mind. Could poachers have come and threatened the rhinoceros? But it didn't look like it was bleeding......

Suspecting that something was amiss, Anya carefully inspected around the rhinoceros making sure to check it thoroughly. Eventually, she found the root of the problem. A giant splinter had nudged itself into the rhinoceros's feet. Now comes the next problem. Pray tell, how does one take out a splinter from the foot of a large animal?

After a bit of brainstorming, Anya wrapped a sturdy-looking vine around the splinter and pulled on it hoping to get the splinter out. Of course, the chance of that plan working was slim. After three minutes of pulling on the vine, no progress was made. It was not at all helping that the rhinoceros was not keeping itself still even while bound by the vines.

"Did you truly expect that you would be able to pull out such a large splinter all by yourself?", a voice said from behind. Anya turned around, her alert amethyst eyes stared into calm sea blue ones. It took Anya a few seconds to piece together who it was since he was no longer wearing the porcelain mask.

"M, M, Morpheus?! Is that truly you?" There, standing, well.. leaning, against a tree casually with his arms crossed in front of his chest, was no other than the forest guardian, Morpheus.

"B, But how? I saw you get impaled with my own two eyes! How do you look unscathed?" It was truly mind-boggling how the hole in his chest had disappeared and what remained was the hole in his shirt and purple blood stains.

"As a forest guardian appointed and created by the Spring Faerie herself, I am not human. As you can see from my drastically different blood color.", he showed his purple-soaked shirt, "But I am also immortal. How else did you think I survived for the past centuries?" He arches a brow, his face screaming, Are you a moron?

Somehow, Anya felt slighted. "Well... I had thought that you were highly skilled for being able to survive for hundreds of years..." At that, he got quiet. "That was a reason too, I supposed.." He muttered a few moments later.

His voice sounds different without being muffled by the mask... She thinks to herself, now having the luxury of staring at him. Contrary to what he had said about his own appearance, he was a fine young gentleman. With deep blue eyes like the ocean, and a sharp jawline. Rather than scary, she would say that he was rather...... handsome.

"......Pardon?" he uttered, completely bewildered. Anya quickly slapped a hand over her mouth.

Oh great heavens, did I just say that out loud?!

"Yes, you did..", As if the situation couldn't have possibly gotten worse, it did. All she could do was wallow in embarrassment as she waited for the moment to pass. Seeing her rather adorable reaction, all Morpheus could muster was a brief chuckle.

Just then, Anya realized something. "Wait, how long have you been watching me try to pull the splinter out?"

"For about 3 minutes."

"You've been watching me struggle from the start?!" the girl fumed.

"Enough of that. Anya, you go and calm down the rhinoceros while I'll go and pull out the splinter."

She decided to ignore the blatant attempt at changing the subject and to focus on the task at hand. "Why don't we just pull on the splinter together?"

He stopped in his tracks and looked past his shoulder to stare at her with that same look again. "Do you truly think that you can make a difference with that scrawny noodle arms of yours? It would be much more useful for you to calm down the rhinoceros while I pull the splinter out." Anya promptly shut up and took her position near the rhinoceros face.

Morpheus wrapped the other ends of the vines to his hands and pulled on it with all the strength that he could muster. Immediately there was progress as the splinter began to move. Anya felt relieved. But now it was time to do her own job as the rhinoceros became restless. She puts her palm against the rhinoceros once more, attempting to calm it down. Gentle whispers of reassurance surrounded the forest as she tried her best to settle the panicked animal down. The rhinoceros began to quiet down, which shocked the girl. She hadn't expected the plan to work.

After a few more minutes of struggle, Morpheus was able to safely pull the splinter out of the rhinoceros foot. The wound left by it wasn't as big as they had thought, so they released the rhinoceros soon after. The rhinoceros gently nudges Morpheus and Anya, as if it were expressing its gratitude. But it lingered just a bit longer around Morpheus. Morpheus had reciprocated by softly patting its side with a gentle smile on his face. It was her first time seeing him smile. It looked peaceful. It caused her to crack a smile as well.

"It's okay... You weren't able to properly convey your feelings because you were hurt.." If this wasn't her first time witnessing such an absurd sight, Anya's eyes would've been bulging out of her skull by now. It was only last month that she found out the fact that Morpheus had the unique ability to talk to animals. She had found him tending to a wild fox who had gotten hurt. A forest guardian had plenty of surprises it seems.

They both watched from afar as the rhinoceros retreated back into the deeper part of the forest. As soon as the rhinoceros disappeared from sight, Anya was startled at the speed at which Morpheus turned towards her.

"You! What were you thinking climbing down the tree when the rhinoceros was still causing trouble?! You could've gotten seriously injured, or worse, lost your life!"

His words had snapped something inside of Anya. "What, do you truly think that after seeing you get hurt like that you expect me to just do nothing and stay still?! You could've lost your life!"

"I'm immortal. I don't lose my life like that of a mortal-"

"Well, how was I supposed to know that!" The woman shouted. Fresh tears pricked her eyes. "I, I, I was afraid!", tears were now flowing freely fall down her cheeks. "I was terrified! That you would perish before my very eyes and I would be left alone in this vast forest- no, world!" Anya was finding it increasingly hard to breathe. Her heartbeat ringing inside her ears.

Morpheus silently observed her. Guilt in his eyes. "I, It is my duty to-"

"Enough already!" Anya screamed, which had startled Morpheus. "I understand your point..... You have your duties to fulfill as The Guardian of The Forest. I understand. Truly. But could you stop being reckless in fulfilling your 'duties'?" She asked sincerely. Her hand clutched the garment above her heart. "I begged of you. Next time, please save yourself instead of protecting me. Then, you wouldn't have....." gotten hurt while you were protecting me.

Morpheus thought hard about her words. He looked down on the ground as he carefully chose his next words. ".... I have a duty to fulfill. To protect the forest, the creatures, and the beings in it. Because you have temporarily become one of the many residents living inside the forest, Then protecting you became one of my duties too." Morpheus tried to give her the most genuine tone he had. She too, had become an important part of his life. He hoped that she could understand that too.

"......oh.." So I'm just another duty he needs to fulfill, am I?

It felt as if a pit had drooped to her stomach.

Morpheus saw how her shoulder was shaking, and her eyes were red. If his words weren't enough to reach her, he had to find another way to stop her tears. Getting a brilliant idea, Morpheus holds out his hand for her to take. Anya was skeptical, but she trusted Morpheus. There was no need for more words as she readily put her hands in his.

He had led her through the thick forest. Across the luscious green trees and small bushes. Across the large roots sprayed on the floor. Across the tall trees and chirping birds. They arrived at a large clearing. A flower field. The view was breathtaking. It looked magical. Like something straight out of a fairy tale.

"It's... Mesmerizing. Truly." Anya looked around in awe.

"... I'm glad you feel that way." Morpheus stared at her, a ghost of a smile playing on his lips.

The field was filled with all kinds of flowers. There was one flower that had caught her eye. A flower known as gypsophila or Baby's Breath. The Garnette Kingdom national flower. Gentle hands softly pluck the flowers from the ground. Anya turns around, showing Morpheus the freshly pluck flower. Morpheus looked startled as he flinched slightly. But he recovered just as quickly. Maybe she had seen it wrong?

She decided to brush it off.

"This field is... A safe place for me. It's a place that always calms me down. And I hope it shall have the same effect on you, Anya."

Their eyes met, and for a moment, the world goes quiet.

"Thank you.", and for the first time in a while, her smile reached her eyes. Then, Anya held out a hand while the other lightly lifted her skirt to form a small curtesy. Looking up at Morpheus, he had a shocked expression and his jaw dropped open slightly, Anya barely managed to suppress a laugh.

"Would you care to join me for a dance, my lord?"

"O, Oh, I'm afraid that I've never danced before. I would only bore you.." This was Anya's first time seeing him so flustered.

"Don't worry too much about the small details. It's just us isn't it?" The playful wink from Anya had done little to calm him down, but he found himself breathing out a laugh all the same. Without wasting another second, Morpheus puts his hand in her outstretched one, squeezing it softly.

"If you mind taking the lead... My Lady,"

And so they danced. For that day, the forest was filled with giggles and gentle smiles. In this dance, they are not the 'runaway princess' or 'the guardian of the forest of dreams'.

They were just Anya and Morpheus.

✧༺✦✮✦༻∞ ✣✣✣✣✣ ∞༺✦✮✦༻✧

That day was as peaceful as every other day. It had been well over 4 months since Anya's arrival in the Forest of Dreams. By now, Anya and Morpheus had become much more comfortable around each other's presence. Spending each day in the comforts of the green humid forest, surrounded by the distant chirpings of birds and sounds of small critters, Morpheus was peacefully resting his head on a bark on a tree, his eyes never leaving the figure of a woman who was petting a tamed rabbit. She looks ethereal, even while doing something so mundane.

On the other hand, ever since the incident that had caused the porcelain mask to shatter, Morpheus had taken a 3-day trip to fix it. Contrary to what Anya had expected, the mask was as good as new. Although, Morpheus had kept his lips tightly sealed on his methods of fixing it, no matter how much she begged and whined. That stubborn fellow, him.

But unlike before, Morpheus rarely donned the mask around her, while he does keep it tied to the side of his head. She supposed that there was no longer a reason to since she had already seen what he had looked like.

Returning to the present, everything had felt peaceful. But Anya knew that something was bound to go wrong when the usually calm and nonchalant guardian of the forest had abruptly gotten up and donned his porcelain mask on. The mask he'll only put on to interact with animals or for intruders.

"Anya! Get down!"

Diving into her, they rolled downhill into a thick bush, just barely dodging the hoards of arrows fired their way. The sharp thorns in the bushes had caused her to scrape her cheek, as well as her palm and knees. But she didn't have the luxury to pay attention to her well-being considering their current predicament.

"Your Highness, 6th Princess Anastasia Von Garnette! Please cooperate with your arrest ordered by the Imperial Crown Prince, His Highness Helios Von Garnette, under the crime of plotting treason to His Majesty, The Sun of the Kingdom of Garnette, King Zachary Von Garnette with the help of The Guardian of The Forest of Dreams, Leshy!" A piercing male voice called out. He sounded out of breath after his long declaration. But nonetheless, Anya had recognized the voice to be Alexios Von Garnette, the 5th prince as well as the Captain of the royal knights.

Realizing such a fact had shaken Anya to her core. She gripped the sleeves belonging to Morpheus, her body all the way to her fingertip trembling uncontrollably. Morpheus looked at her pitifully. There was no need for an exchange of words. His larger hand gripped over her smaller ones, squeezing it reassuringly. It was as if he was saying 'Everything will be okay.' With much more determination than before, Morpheus released the maiden trembling hand and emerged from the bushes ready to risk everything to defend those he cares for.

In an instant, rain of arrows descended towards him, the tip lightly coated in a light blue substance. 'Most likely poison.' concluded Morpheus. With his inhumane level of agility and skills, Morpheus easily dodged the assault of arrows. The hoard of arrows went past him and destroyed the bushes from which he appeared from. Thankfully, he had instructed Anya to escape elsewhere beforehand.

Breathing a sigh of relief at Anya's successful escape, Morpheus did not allow himself to get distracted, as he sidestepped the sword that was aimed at his head. With a swift kick, he takes out two guards as he smashes the other three with their own heads taking all five of them out. While simultaneously trying to fend the knights off, Morpheus made a mental count of all of the knights present. There were at least 200 of them. But the situation was in his favor, for no one knew the layout of the forest better than the forest guardian himself.

The fight was so one-sided that the royal knightage was slowly losing morale to continue the battle. Soon enough, the only ones left standing on the mountain of bodies were the terrifying Guardian of the forest and the terrified captain of the guards. Even if Prince Alexios was already beaten up and haggard, he had refused to let go of the weapon in his hands. Be it because of stubbornness or undying loyalty to serve his country, or even because of his pride preventing him from admitting defeat.

As Morpheus approached him, he could see Alexios trembling, the hand holding the sword was barely able to keep the weapon steady in his grip. The Prince was breathing heavily, his eyes unfocused, he was barely keeping them open. Out of the blue, the prince started to laugh, uncontrollably. Morpheus had thought of it as odd, his face contorting to confusion. All of a sudden, Alexios grabbed a firearm that he had concealed on his thigh strap.

"If I can't defeat you, then I'll at least get rid of that nuisance, Anastasia!"

With that, Prince Alexios pulled the trigger, shooting past Morpheus, successfully hitting something behind him. With a slacked jaw and wide eyes hidden behind his mask, Morpheus turns around. Although he was the one who ordered her escape, he, himself does not know where she has hidden herself. The worst-case scenario had crawled itself into his head.

"Anya-!" Her name was at the tip of his tongue.

He turned to see... nothing. The bullet had instead hit a tree. Just then, he felt pain in his left abdomen. He looked down to see Alexios, lodging a stray arrow into his side. Successfully tricking the guardian of the forest, Alexios smirks in triumph.

"Perhaps I should thank my foolish little sister for my success in this bluff... Looks like she had some.... use.... after all..." After his last few words, Alexios had passed out. It was surprising how he had held his ground for so long.

All Morpheus could do was huff out a laugh as he slumped down a tree bark. Just then, Anya emerged from her place of hiding. It was on top of a tree, the complete opposite of where Alexios was aiming. She jumped down without caring for the hoard of bodies down below.

"Morpheus!" Hot, wet, tears stream down her face, her voice calling his name. She kneeled beside him, her whole body trembling in terror or sadness, Morpheus couldn't quite tell from his blurry vision. "Wha, What do I do..? Wait, You have self-healing, don't you? Is the arrow preventing you from healing? I, If I take i, it out, will you be better?"

Squeezing her eyes shut, Anya gripped the arrows with two of her hands, swiftly pulling them out. Her actions had caused Morpheus to arch his back whilst groaning in pain. "I, I told you to save yourself instead of protecting me.." Anya mutters to herself, salty tears still spilling from her eyes. Her trembling hands tried covering the wound, still spilling purple blood out of him. After moments and moments of waiting, Morpheus's wound had shown no signs of healing itself. A seed of despair planted itself inside of Anya.

"Wha, What's going on?! Why aren't you healing? Morpheus!" Anya screamed, desperation in her tone. With her free hand, she uncovers his face. Morpheus was breathing heavily, his eyes unfocused. Yet, a small smile tugged at his lips.

"What are you smiling for, Morpheus..? W, Why aren't your wounds healing like they always do?"

As time passed, Morpheus had become paler by the second, beads of sweat gathered around his forehead. "Anya... No.. Anastasia-"

"No! Don't... Don't call me by that name.. It, It isn't mine.." Morpheus glanced at Anya. Her shoulders trembling. ".... Very well. Anya.. the wound isn't healing was most likely due to the tip of the arrow being coated in a mixture of gypsophila, my only weakness."

Anya's body froze. A shocking realization dawned upon her. "N, No! Doesn't that mean that this is just a normal wound? No, You, You're bleeding too much! Morpheus! Tell me! How do I heal this wound? Tell me how do I heal you!" Glossy eyes stared into tired ones. Anxiousness, desperation, terror. Morpheus could see it clearly painted across her face. But both of them knew that it was far too late to save him. He had lost too much blood. All that was waiting for him were internal slumber.

"Anya..." Weakly, Morpheus brought a hand lightly caressing her cheek, slightly tainting it purple. A heart-wrenching sob pried itself out of her. With her trembling hand, she gripped his larger ones bringing it close to her cheek, cradling it. She closed her eyes, unable to bring herself to look into his eyes without herself sobbing.

"There's something I have to tell you before I-"

"No! Don't say that... You're going to survive, and then you're going to tell me!"

"Anya..." Morpheus furrowed his brow, not having any more energy to properly scold her.

Anya had no choice but to hear out his last wish. Even if she couldn't accept that it was his 'last'.

"Anya... Didn't you notice how you were surrounded by animals, big or small, your whole life?"

"What does this have anything to do with-"

"Anya."

She took a second to stabilize her breath. Morpheus was not far off. Animals had been her only friends and companions her whole life. She nodded at his question, not trusting herself to answer without stuttering.

Morpheus had kept quiet, his gaze never leaving her. "I knew... That you were special the moment I laid my eyes on you." That made Anya open her amethyst eyes to stare into his sea-blue ones. "Wha, What do you mean.." All of a sudden, Morpheus wore a serious look.

"Anya.. You were blessed by the Spring Faerie to be loved and adored by animals. Similar to how I was created using the Spring Faerie's blood to be the guardian of the forest. " Anya's mouth dropped open slightly, yet no voice came out. Seeing as Anya didn't have much more to add, Morpheus continued.

"That's why the gypsophila flowers hurt me." He placed his other hand above hers which had been blocking his bleeding wound the whole time. "They originated from the Spring Faerie's tears, they become toxic to me."

"S, So I was blessed by the Spring Faerie? Is that why the bear helped me? Is that why the rhinoceros didn't attack me? If it was a blessing, is any of the 'love' and 'adoration' from those animals I've interacted with truly their own? Who's to say it wasn't all the work of the blessing? How is that any different than brainwashing them?"

Anya's breath had become unstable, her brows furrowed together. Her feelings were in turmoil. She felt betrayed, confused, fake. She didn't know what to believe anymore. Morpheus turns to gaze pitifully at her.

"That... Isn't how the blessing works. It's because of your kind and selfless nature. All the Spring Faerie did was make that kind and selfless nature visible to the animals. Animals are an amazing judge of characters after all." Morpheus smiled, a smile that didn't quite reach his eyes. All Anya could do was hang her head low, not having enough energy to shed more tears.

"And I, as a half-animal, crafted by the Spring Faerie's blood, could also not stop the feeling of love and adoration that continue to grow for you." At his words, Anya immediately lifts her head to look into his eyes. He had a bittersweet smile on his face. She should be happy right now. Happier than before. But all she could feel were grief, sorrows, and regrets.

"M, Me as well, I share those feelings as well!" The woman shouts in desperation. She had never felt so helpless before.

For the first time, Morpheus's eyes held mirth in them. "I'm glad.... To hear that.." And just as soon as it appears, it disappears just as quickly. All of a sudden, the lower part of Morpheus turns into golden mist.

"Wha, What's happening to you?! Whe, Where are you going? Morpheus!" Anya screamed, clearly startled.

Morpheus however did not seem alarmed in the slightest. "Since I was created using the Spring Fearie's blood and a part of this forest, must mean I'm returning back to the forest. So I will not perish, and instead continue to live in this forest without my consciousness."

"You... How is that any different than actually perishing...?"

Morpheus chuckled weakly. "Perhaps you're right. There really aren't any significant differences aren't there?"

Soon enough, the hand she had been cradling disappeared, as well as his wounded torso. All that was left was his head which was kept in a smile.

"Goodbye, Anya.."

Anya swallowed back her tears and sobs, instead wanting to send him off with a smile. "Goodbye, Morpheus.."

Unfortunately, he was no longer present to hear her farewell. All that was left was a porcelain deer mask, an arrow, and a grieving woman.

✧༺✦✮✦༻∞ ✣✣✣✣✣ ∞༺✦✮✦༻✧

"Did you hear about the Guardian of the Forest of Dreams?" A patron at the bar asked his friend.

The friend in question sipped on an alcoholic beverage. "Oh, you mean the monster that had deer antlers and wore a dear mask? I hear people say that They had long black hair or something.."

"What?!" The bar patron slapped his hand on the table, shouting, "That's not true! Witness says that they had long white hair with a dear mask! There's no antlers!"

"huh, I must've misremembered the tale..."

"Well, it's no wonder! Looks like you had too much to drink! Let's get you back home."

The much sober patron lent a shoulder to his friend as they made their way home. On their merry way home, the sober man noticed a wild deer watching their every move. He thought that they were odd. Then, for a split second, he saw a hooded figure wearing a deer mask. But just as he blinked, they disappeared.

Maybe his eyes were playing tricks on him.

[teafiend]

Am happily surprised to find that this latest drama adaptation has my favourite portrayal of Guo Jing (although the actor is not really my cup of tea visuals wise but am more concerned about portrayal and characterization than looks when it comes to my favourite male fictional characters. Aesthetics wise, though, I think Ci Sha is a perfect GJ as is described in the books. And the actor is very compelling and attractive in his own ways).

Ci Sha brought out the Guo Jing of my ideals and I am enamored with his portrayal, an especially steady and composed version of GJ, yet still wonderfully kind and gentle, earnest, chivalrous and generous. And he is so expressively devoted and loving *squee and swoon* towards HR 😍🤩✨🫡 Also a super-dogged bodyguard extraordinaire who can take instructions well ✨🫡☺️🥰 And his Wuxia moves are exceedingly magnificent and cool 👏🏽

This version is also particularly amazing at highlighting the relationship dynamics between my favourite OTP. So many little details in the pairing to make me squee in shipper-fangirl delight ✨🫡🥰☺️

(To be fair, I think all the versions of JingRong - and individual GJ and HR - did the pair justice, and simply a matter of preference which who one prefers. I love all the JingRong I have ever watched, and each brings a different flavour of fabulous to this evergreen pairing/and characters).

I just LOVE, LOVE them to bits ✨🤩🥰☺️🥹 They are literally the perfect canon OTP (JingRong forever✨)

[alias-mike]

i locked in so hard today and almost finished the penacony quest. alas the final boss fight is too difficult with my current abysmally geared characters

[harmonyverendez]

Nocturnal - You Are My World.

Harmony ran as fast as she could through the forest. Her giant paws left footprints on the forest ground, but she gave it no mind.

Behind her a golden-brown wolf chases behind her, and the enormous wolf was hot on her tail.

The wolves ran through the forest ground, and branches, and jumped over logs.

They stopped at a pond.

Harmony shifted first, she popped her bones and stretched. She waited until her soulmate was finished.

Once Lucas transformed, she turned around to look at him.

His ocean eyes took in her full appearance, and he liked what he saw.

He walked close and looked down at her, Harmony closed her eyes and felt her cheeks warming.

She opened them to see Lucas' face was close to hers. “ Can I kiss you?” he asked.

Harmony nodded.

Lucas grabbed her chin tilted her head and leaned down to capture her lips with his.

Harmony felt all types of emotions.

He grabbed her and lifted her so she could wrap her legs around his waist. This way, the kiss could be more open, deeper, and more passionate.

Lucas and Harmony's lips moved in sync as their feelings were strong and seen through the kiss.

They both pulled away and gazed into each other's eyes.

Wow, this feeling was new and they never felt this before.

Their eyes seemed to say what they wanted to say out loud.

‘ I love you ’

Harmony was the first to pull away, she got down as Lucas smiled and grabbed her hand.

“ Harmony, would you like to be my girlfriend?”.

Heart shone in Harmony's eyes as she beamed at him.

“ Yes, I would love to”.

Lucas excited, crashed lips against hers as she happily kissed back.

They felt at home.

And that's where they were.

Home.

[ashmcgivern]

Hi sorry it’s been a while, works been a lot and has been taking a lot out of me. Haven’t been in the mood to draw, hoping that motivation comes back soon. If not, I took some time off in a month or so that’ll hopefully recharge the batteries a bit. We’ll see! Thambk y’all for your patience.