#honey and clover scene by scene

[prythianpages]

Cruel, Wicked Thing | Eris x Reader

summary: you are betrothed to Sawyer Vanserra yet that doesn't stop the eldest Vanserra from wanting you.

warnings: I can't really think of anything? this isn't really fluff or angst, just eris longing. slow burn maybe?

a/n: this can be read as a stand alone imagine but it's a part two to this. I intended the second part to be something else but then I ended up writing this scene and it didn't really fit the vibes I was going with so I decided to just post it separately.

As Eris steps out into the courtyard gardens, his gaze is immediately drawn to you. You’re seated upon one of the stone benches that faces the grand water fountain, the one where he first met you. His steps slow, compelled to take in the sight of you. The sun’s light filters through the clouds, caressing your features with a golden glow as you delicately turn the pages of a book. A gentle breeze rustles through the Autumn trees, creating a ballet of falling leaves and causing loose strands of your hair to dance in the air. As the wind carries the sweet scent of rose and honey to him, Eris inhales deeply.

Among the fluttering leaves, a single one lands atop your head, a delicate crown bestowed by nature itself. Yet, you remain unaware. You’re completely lost to the realm of literature in your lap. The same way Eris is lost in you.

He wonders if he should turn and walk the other way. Much like he has done in the weeks that you’ve moved into the Forest house. He doesn’t want to avoid you but the magnetic pull you exert is thrilling yet fear-inducing. So he's resorted to studying you from afar. He knows you enjoy walking around the gardens, reading and hanging around the stables. He knows you well enough to know you don't belong in a cruel court such as this one.

Yet, the Cauldron has unequivocally marked you as someone special to him and he finds himself wary of the potential depth of affection you might set ablaze within his guarded heart. It’s laughable, how someone as sweet and pure as you is so dangerous to him.

You are engaged to his younger brother, Sawyer. And Eris? He’s engaged in the delicate balance of playing the role of the perfect son—perfect heir—all while conspiring against his own father. He cannot afford to harbor any weakness nor does he want to drag you into the depths of his hell. 

But as he looks around the gardens, he confirms there’s no one else around. He then decides to indulge himself, even if only for a little bit.

As he walks toward you, he deliberately steps on the fallen leaves, allowing them to crunch under his boot. The intentional sound announces his approach and has you looking up. Your eyes widen in surprise as you sit up straight.

“Lord Eris.”

The corner of his lips quirk up and he greets you with the same formality. “Lady y/n.”

His fingers reach out to delicately pluck an orange leaf from the crown of your head. The touch lingers longer than necessary, and “accidentally,” his hand brushes against the softness of your cheek as he lowers it. The lingering contact leaves you slightly flustered, a soft blush creeping up on your face—a reaction he takes delight in.

“I’m surprised you haven’t run away,” he remarks.

Eris knows the past three weeks have been rough for you. He’s not only seen it as you chased Sawyer, your unfortunate husband to be, like a lost puppy but he’s also felt it. On occasion, he sends one of his hounds, Clover, to cheer you up. Even the vicious little creature has fallen victim to you, revealing a softer side in your presence. One she normally only shows Eris.

Your father, a busy and highly esteemed merchant, departed as soon as he signed your marriage contract, leaving you to navigate the Autumn Court alone. Sawyer barely gives you the time of day. It’s a double edged sword because though Sawyer is content with neglecting you, he is the lesser evil of his three remaining brothers. 

Sawyer’s disinterest for you, however, often leaves you vulnerable to his two other brothers, Hunter and Oliver. Hunter, who much like his name, always has a thirst and desire to give chase to anything that isn’t his and Oliver–well, Oliver lusts after anything with two legs. The thought of them touching you–hurting you–sends a fire to course through his veins. It reaches his hand, small flames emerging from his fingertips and the leaf in his hand succumbs to ashes. He brushes them off, feigning nonchalance, grateful that you're unfazed.

With a deft motion, you dog-ear the page you were on before closing your book and gracefully rising to your feet. Upon realizing his attention drifting to the book in your hands, you swiftly hide it behind your back. 

“Why would I run away? Maybe, I’m right where I want to be.”

As his gaze lifts to meet yours, a flicker of surprise and curiosity dances in his amber eyes. Bold words. Unlike you. Despite your hands held behind your back, the subtle nervous twitch of your arm muscles is not lost on him.

“But you’re unhappy,” Eris says and he almost expects the emotions churning within you to come to surface. For you to agree. For you to complain. He leans in closer to you, willing to listen.

You do none of that, though. Instead, you force a smile onto your face. One that fails to reach your eyes. "I'm very happy.”

 “Well, you’re very convincing.” 

“And you’re very nosey.” 

Eris lets out an exhale through his nose and you shrink back, worried you have offended him. The small smirk that lifts the corner of his lips soothes your concern. “I kind of have to be, angel. This is my court and I am to rule over it someday. It is my duty to be aware of everything that goes on.”

“Perhaps, I should start with finding out what had you so captivated earlier.”  Eris adds, eyeing the book you continue to conceal behind your back.

You take a step back, fingers tightening against your book but it’s useless. In a heartbeat, the book disappears from your grasp and reappears in Eris’s thanks to his magic. He holds it up in a taunting manner and you’re running after him.

“Eris!”

A spark ignites in his amber eyes as he recognizes the title, and a chuckle escapes him at your adorable yet desperate attempt to reach for the book. He holds it higher, taking full advantage of his height.

“You shock me, angel. I didn't pin you to be the type to read–”

“Please give it back.” 

Eris pauses for a moment in deep contemplation. You are asking so nicely–begging, more like it. But he finds that he likes the way you’re madly blushing at him too much. He shakes the urge to give into your puppy dog eyes. “I don’t think so…shall I start reading where you left off, hmm?”

Panic flashes in your wide eyes as you desperately lunge forward to retrieve your book. However, Eris's quick reflexes had him turning away, causing you to trip over the pavestone. With Eris's body no longer there to block your path, you found yourself tumbling into the water fountain with a loud splash.

The water is cold and has you gasping, goosebumps rising on your skin. You lift your gaze and though you glare at him, he finds it adorable. Absolutely endearing. He tilts his head back in laughter and the sound softens your gaze.

Eris is still laughing when you hold out your hand to him expectantly. “What?”

Your eyebrows knit together in disbelief. “Aren’t you going to be a gentleman and offer me your hand?”

Unspoken desires stir within him as he gazes at your outstretched hand. In his eyes, there's a subtle ache, a silent wish to offer you more than just his hand. The wave of your hand has him breaking from his thoughts. This time, he takes it. He fails to notice the gleam in your eyes as he does. He doesn’t realize his mistake until it’s already too late–until he’s falling into the fountain and on top of you. Quick reflexes save your book from the water, while one hand is planted at your side to avoid the full weight of his fall.

“Not so funny now, is it?” Your laughter dies in your throat and your voice embarrassingly losing its vigor as you both find yourselves unexpectedly close in the watery aftermath.

Wide amber eyes, bathed in the warm glow of honeyed hues, lock onto yours. His chest is pressed against you and his nose is so close to yours, they’re almost brushing. All you can hear is the soothing sound of running water and his soft breath. You can feel the warmth of it too and the way his chest rises and falls with every breath. 

“You cruel, wicked thing,” he murmurs, voice dripping in velvet, capturing the not so subtle shift in your gaze from his eyes to his lips.

He does the same, also well aware of how close he is to you. Gods, you’re dangerously close to him and as your eyes flutter shut, anticipation charges the air. A mere inch closer, and he could savor the allure of your lips—your pretty but devilish lips. The mere notion sets his heart aflutter. The golden string, binding you both together, seems to tug at him insistently, reeling him in.

Closer, the bond in his chest sings. Closer–

A series of distinct and deliberate chimes has both of you abruptly turning your heads towards the grand clock that oversees the gardens. Eris suppresses a sigh. He has to go but doesn’t want to leave. Reluctantly, he pulls away and rises to his feet, stepping out of the fountain. He then offers you his hand, helping you up. When your shoes slip along the fountain’s tiles, he chuckles and helps steady you by bringing you close to his chest.

“Thanks,” escapes you in a breathless whisper, the frenzy of your mind leaving no room for any other words. 

Once you’re back on steady feet, he distances himself from you, careful not to betray the protest of his heart. While you wrap your arms around your cold, trembling form, your gaze lowers to the book he safeguarded through the entire ordeal. Eris summons every ounce of strength to resist the urge to rush towards you and warm you with his kiss. He has to leave now.

“I’ll return your book to you,” Eris promises, smirking at the small sigh of relief you let out and mischievously adds:  “Once I’m done with it.”

Then, Eris leaves before you can say a single word. Before you can unravel his resolve further. You’re dangerous, he reminds himself. A cruel wicked thing that beckons a wayward soul like his to crave entry into heaven. Not just any heaven, but yours.

a/n: what type of book do we think the lovely reader was reading? lol I do have 2 more parts planned for this little au and maybe more 👀 depending on how the other 2 parts go (they're both inspired by songs and i'm literally just going with the vibes now since I'm really indecisive on how I want to go with this au. I have so many ideas.)

[sendryl]

which cottagecore niche are you? by caspaint on uquiz

Keep reading

[raven-at-the-writing-desk]

I’M HERE FOR THE TEA please can we see Mama Rosehearts seeing Trey again?? You know the boy she probably blames for leading her son astray with SUGAR 😆 maybe throw in the Clover siblings or Clover parents too? Only if you want to though!

Scalding hot tea to go with those banned strawberry tarts... 👀 (Not gonna lie though, it's so funny to me that Mrs. Rosehearts may see Trey, one of THE most normal and mild-mannered dudes in the main TWST cast, as some kind of twisted degenerate that peddles an addictive white powder to her child 🤡)

While writing this, I kept thinking of the passive aggressive dinner scene in Shrek 2 (that eventually turned into a full-blown food fight) 😅 Trey can be Shrek since he's green and Mrs. Rosehearts can be Fiona's dad since they're both protective parents-- (I decided to keep it to Trey, Riddle, and Mrs. Rosehearts! The rest of the Clover family would be a lot of people to account for in one interactions.)

Family means Nobody is Left Behind or Forgotten.

Trey was used to cutting cakes, not cutting tension. The vice dorm leader job description had said nothing about the latter—yet here he was, newly saddled with the responsibility.

To his right was Riddle, forcing himself to maintain impeccable posture for afternoon tea. Back straight, head up, eyes forward, as he wove a teaspoon through a cup of warm liquid. Normally, he would slightly sweeten his tea with honey—but he went without it today, only stirring on reflex.

A ha-RUMPH! sounded as Riddle set the teaspoon down on his saucer. Their guest was disapproving, as Trey had expected. He gathered his strength and muttered a silent prayer to the Great Seven.

"Tea?" Trey offered the woman to his right, teapot at the ready.

Mrs. Rosehearts tapped a dagger-like nail against her arm. She had painted them a deep crimson, the exact shade of the red velvet cakes Patisserie Clover whipped up—though with the scathing expression she wore, Trey figured the last thing she wanted to hear about was baked goods. The woman looked like she was out for his blood, rich and oh-so-red.

"Okaaay, no tea then." Trey carefully returned the teapot to its spot and reached for a plate of the least sweet item avaliable. "How about a finger sandwich? We've got all different kinds of fillings, so just pick the one you like."

Mrs. Rosehearts didn't so much as pass the poor sandwiches a glance out of pity.

"Alright, I guess that's also a negatory?"

Her icy eyes bore into Trey, silently judging him. The tension thickened, turning heftier than a filling pea soup (though he doubted she was in the mood for any food at this point).

A hand reached over and plucked a sandwich from the top of the pile, staving off some rigidity in the air.

"Thank you, Trey." Riddle offered a small smile.

"You're very welcome. Don't eat it all up in one bite now. Remember to save some for everyone else," Trey joked light-heartedly. "You've got a smoked salmon on whole wheat there. I tossed the fish in lemon juice, salt, and pepper, then mixed it with a little cream cheese, dill, and minced onion."

"Is that right? It sounds delicious and healthy," Riddle said carefully, emphasizing the final word. He delicately nibbled at the crusts--still left on--while eyeing the contents of his teacup.

The table settled back into a stiff silence. Riddle staring at his drink, his mother staring at Trey, and Trey staring at the wall behind her. If he made eye contact, would she explode?

Trey rubbed a hand on the back of his neck. His hand came away damp with perspiration. He dared to say what was on everyone's mind.

"Well, uh... This is awkward."

There was an audibly sharp intake of breath. Riddle, paralyzed. His thumb pressed down hard on his sandwich, puncturing a hole in the bread.

"You're the eldest son of the bakers," Mrs. Rosehearts declared, her first utterance as prickly as thorns. "The boy who led my Riddle astray with sugar."

She makes it sound like I was peddling something way worse than what it actually was! It was only a slice of strawberry tart...

Trey bit back his protests and tried at a smile. He and Riddle had spent hours reviewing and rehearsing their game plan for this dreaded moment. "Don't challenge her, don't instigate," his dorm leader had instructed him. "Be agreeable. Lie if you must. Whatever it takes for us to come out of this encounter unscathed."

His had confidence wavered, worry in his big eyes. A flash of fear, and Trey saw the sad little child from years before, the fat tears that had been dribbling down Riddle’s contorted face. Sobbing, apologizing, pleading.

He had tipped his head and nodded. A mere card soldier obeying his queen. The line he parroted so often was spoken once more: “Yes, dorm leader.”

Trey reached within himself for the best he could manage. "It's nice to see you again, ma'am."

"If only I could say the same!!" Mrs. Rosehearts huffed dismissively. She then snapped, quick as a whip, to Riddle, who flinched. "It’s no wonder why you came home in such a sorry state for the holidays! I suspected it for a while now, but this confirms it. You’ve been reintroduced to bad influences at school."

“That’s not exactly…” Riddle trailed off, his voice weak. His mother continued to rant, undaunted.

“NRC has its fair share of students that cause trouble,” Trey confessed, tactfully cutting in. “Still, that’s to be expected of teenage boys."

“My Riddle rarely ever behaves in such a disrespectful manner,” Mrs. Rosehearts retorted. Rarely stung like a slap to the face. “Were it not for poor choices in friendship, he would never act out.

“Why a prestigious learning institution like Night Raven College would allow such riffraff in, I’ll never understand! They only ruin it for the others. It only takes one bad seed to spoil the whole bunch.”

She didn't name names, but it was clear who she was talking about from where she directed her intense gaze.

“I don’t know about spoiled apples, but bruised ones can still be used,” Trey pointed out, eager to divert the heated topic. “They don’t look the best, but they still taste fine. Bruised apples work for lots of recipes. Salads, sauces, ciders, jams..."

The smoked salmon sandwich slipped, falling into Riddle’s untouched tea. His eyes widened. Then Trey’s slowly followed. Both of them caught the misstep, their times staggered.

The scowl on Mrs. Rosehearts deepened, her crimson lips forming an almost bloody line. “You would just love to stuff my son with more of that sugary poison, wouldn’t you? Just like you’ve filled his head with your poisonous thoughts!!”

“What? No, I wouldn’t… I haven’t—” He instinctively pivoted to providing a defense, something to placate her.

It was an ill-advised mistake.

"Young man!!" Face red, she rose from her seat, slamming both hands on the table. The fine china and silverware clattered violently. "First you feed him that horrible junk food, then you've graduated to feeding him all these untruths!! You've done quite enough damage to my son."

He had one foot in the rabbit hole now, the situation spiraling into chaos. Trey braced himself against the verbal barrage, wincing as her volume climbed higher and higher, her features distorting from rage.

A part of him wanted to cry out. To argue, to shout. But fear clawed at his throat, seizing his tongue.

"Look where hanging around you has gotten him! He comes home over the winter break spouting nonsense—nonsense he no doubt picked up from you. I thought I had done all I could to rid us of the pests buzzing around him, but clearly even those efforts haven't been enough!"

"M-Mother, please... I can explain!" Riddle insisted, jumping up. His teacup wobbled, threatening to topple over and stain the table and rug. "I implore you, don't blame Trey--"

"A mother knows what's best for her child! I'll be speaking to the headmaster about this, and there WILL be some changes around here!"

Riddle recoiled, defeated. He balled his hands into fists on his lap—to stop them from shaking.

It's happening, Trey realized. Again, it's happening...

The edges of his vision blurring, his throat closing up. A distant memory of his parents profusely apologizing to a screaming woman. Riddle huddled behind her, in tears, tugging, begging to be heard. Him, standing frozen, unable to act.

"Riddle..." Trey made to place a hand on his shoulder to reassure him, but a protective arm blocked his path. He met the livid face of Mrs. Rosehearts.

"Don't you touch a hair on my son's head.”

His hand jerked back but refused to fall limp to his side. He frowned slightly, brows furrowing in hesitation.

But he pushed himself forward and tumbled deeper down the rabbit hole.

"With all due respect, ma'am," Trey said very evenly, "I get wanting to support and protect him, I really do. That's part of my job as his vice dorm leader—but Riddle doesn’t need it all the time. He’s not the fragile flower you seem to think he is.”

He was the thorns that warded off enemies. He was the stalk, morally upright and willful. He was the roots that burrowed deep and anchored the group.

He was anything but a rose.

“Frankly, I think you sorely underestimate how strong Riddle really is,” Trey continued. He must be, if he has the courage to speak up for me when I couldn’t do the same for him. “I don’t mean just in magic either. He has the will of a queen too.”

Mrs. Rosehearts drew back, positively appalled. Her nostrils flared. "And just what are you insinuating?!"

Shock replaced the delicate discomfort on Riddle’s face. “Trey, you…”

“Ahahah… Sorry, Riddle.” He passed his friend a faint smile. “I guess I couldn’t help but meddle this time. I broke my promise to you. My bad.”

“No, don’t be.” His response was quiet, like the trace of a whisper on a breeze.

“I understand now. It’s not the school that needs changing, but you,” Mrs. Rosehearts snarled, jabbing an accusatory finger at Trey. “I’ll have you expelled from this school!! You won’t ever be put in a position where you can sink your venomous fangs into my…"

"Stop, mother...!!"

"Riddle?" Mrs. Rosehearts looked expectantly at her son. She had stiffened, the fire in her eyes now petrified to stone.

He hesitated under her gaze.

"... Hey. It's okay. You've got this," came a soft voice from beside him. From Riddle's right, his right-hand man. "No one else can speak for you but yourself."

Riddle swallowed. He tried to maintain his cool, but his words came out shaky.

"Mother, I..." He stopped and started again. "You may see Trey as a villain, someone who leads children astray from the good and morally righteous path with a house of sweets. But that's not what he is.”

Riddle remembered the scene well.

In a garden of rose hedges… Collars turned into fluttering playing cards. Then the pitch black had consumed him. A light he had reached for. The hand that had reached back. Someone calling out to him, panicked.

That person was…

"At my darkest moment, Trey was there to stop me from sinking lower than I already had. When I sought a hand in the void, it was he who reached back for me. His hand is what pulled me up when I was down.

“For that, I will always be grateful, no matter what you may think of him. He is worthy of standing by my side as Heartslabyul’s vice dorm leader. That is my decision—a decision acknowledged by all.”

His mother bristled. "You would side with this… this boy over me? Your mother? Your family?"

“I’m suggesting that raising a complaint to the headmaster wouldn’t change the circumstances. He, too, is aware of Trey’s merits as my second-in-command and would wish for him to stay.”

Riddle shared a small, knowing smile with his friend. Indeed, Crowley had been present for the debacle—and indeed, he would promote their support of one another. To save face and reputation. (“Wh-What nonsense is this!! Of course my students are well-mannered and cooperative! What would make you think anything less of them?!”)

“Clever,” Trey mouthed.

“Well, I never!!” Mrs. Rosehearts huffed, abruptly rising from her seat. “The depths of depravity know no bounds!! To think you’ve magically convinced the entire school that you’re good…!!l

“I’ll do my best to show you my good points too, ma’am,” Trey replied. He couldn’t stop a smirk from making its way onto his lips. “After all, everyone at NRC’s like a diamond in the rough. All they need’s their time to shine.“

At this, Riddle coughed into a fist to conceal choked laughter. “… Yes, one could say such a thing. Rest assured, mother; I’m in good hands. There is no learning institution more fit for me than here.”

At our Night Raven College.

[bettathanyou]

Hii againnn, if requests are open could I get a cedric and reader fic where somehow the entire castle thinks shes pregnant and congrats them,throws a party or sumn and theyre just so confused its hilarious??? Maybe at the end of the day they realize they actually want a child??? Bonus points if there's a time lapse to when she's actually pregnant and how the castle finds out??? Thanksss

Oh boy, we do love a supportive castle for the non-existent baby to be! Hehe I love exploring Cedric's viewpoint about children, it's so fascinating to me!! Anyways I hope you enjoy, and thank u so so much for all the asks!!

Edit: the fic was getting long, so I couldn't squeeze in the bonus scene! But I left the ending as hinting towards reader and Cedric having children! :)

____________________________________

An Absurd Idea, Isn't It?

A fic by bettathanyou, requested by @acupnoodle

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You were tending to a patch of the royal garden, replaying the words princess Sophia spoke to you; "I need all the blueberries you can get- clover is suuuper hungry today!".'

A smile forms on your lips as you chuckle slightly to yourself. You found Sophia's devotion to her pets quite endearing; but even so, you had a gut feeling that there wasn't something quite right with Sophia's request.

You've been her personal servant for over two years now, and within those two years, it was a very rare instance where Sophia didn't make Clover's meals herself. You tried to brush aside the suspicion that was mounting in your head, but you couldn't get rid of the thought that Sophia was up to something.

You sigh to yourself, dropping another handful of berries into your basket.

"Well, I guess it doesn't matter... I still have quite a lot left to pick."

You lift your head to scan along the bundles of blueberry patches, taking a quick moment to rest in the solitude of the garden. The day was quite mild today, with the sun partially obscured by the clouds. A strong breeze carried across the royal gardens, making the leaves around you rustle and sway.

The silver banged sorcerer saw you earlier sitting in the gardens, while he himself was taking a break by gazing out of his balcony.

Cedric's warm caramel eyes drank in the sight of you, a serene look on your face that made his heart melt with affection. At first, he didn't want to disturb you- you both hated being interrupted, after all. However, the more he looked at you, the more his body ached to be by your side.

Exhaling a love sick sigh, he teleports to the lush garden with a flick of his wand.

With your mind distracted by nature, you didn't notice the approach of Cedric off to your right.

Cedric then calls out your name in greeting, and his voice snaps you out of the trance you were in. Your head whips to your right, taking in the sight of the lanky man you've come to love so much.

"Cedric!" You speak his name in equal parts shock and excitement, your eyes shining with love. You scramble to your feet, dusting off the grass and leaves that cling to your clothing.

"Sorry I didn't see you, there- my mind was..." You trailed off, waving your hand to signal that you were lost in thought.

"No worries, darling- I just got here." Cedric gives you a reassuring smile, stepping closer to grasp your free hand that was still in the air. He brings the back of your hand to his lips, gently kissing along your knuckles.

You watch wordlessly as Cedric kisses your hand, feeling too flustered to speak. Your heart starts to beat faster, and the familiar flush of your cheeks betrayed how Cedric's touch made you feel.

"W-What.. what are you doing here, by the way... need more herbs?" You ask with a shy smile, trying to regain your composure.

"Hm?" Cedric's honey brown eyes flicked up to meet yours.

"Well... actually, now that you mention it..." Cedric pauses, his eyes tearing away from yours to span across the well kept garden. You watch as his eyes scan the expansive area, a soft laugh leaving your lips at how his brows scrunch up- that's how you know he's focused on something. His eyes also take on a particular glitter- like a cat, searching for its prize.

Upon hearing your laugh, his attention snaps back to you again.

"Anyways-! I just saw you, sitting alone in the garden from my balcony... I thought you could use some company." Cedric shrugged with a coy smile, and you raise a brow teasingly.

"Right... Are you sure it was me who needed the company?" You cock your head to the side, sarcasm laced in your voice.

"W-Well..!" Cedric sputters, eyes widening at how easily you cut through his intentions. "If you'd prefer me to leave, then.." Cedric says with a pout on his lips, but you could see the corners of his mouth twitch as he fights off a smile.

The sorcerer steps away from you for emphasis, his back already halfway turned to leave.

"Hey-! I didn't say that!" You exclaimed in mock defense, grabbing onto Cedric's robe sleeve as you laugh. Cedric stops, giving you a sideways glance with a mischievous glint in his eye.

"Come here." You commanded, pulling on his sleeve to motion Cedric to turn towards you. Thankfully, he complies, with a full grin plastered on his face that made your heart light up inside. Your eyes meet as Cedric steps close to you, his arms snaking around your back.

After a brief pause, you weren't sure who initiated the kiss- but you find your lips brushing together in the blink of an eye. You sigh lightly into the kiss, enjoying Cedric's affection and body heat as your skin tingles.

After a few more gentle kisses, you both part, with cedrics lips lingering on yours for a moment longer. His honey gaze bores into you, his fair skin taking on a faint rosy tint. His bangs hang into his eyes as he looks down at you, and you tenderly brush a loc of silver away.

"So.. is this what you meant by 'keeping me company?' Because it seems like you're just keeping me distracted, Cedric." You say in a slightly teasing voice, biting back a laugh as you hold Cedric's gaze.

A chuckle escapes Cedric's lips, his eyes crinkling as he laughs. His warm mahogany eyes drift over to the basket that you needed to fill, seeing the cogs in his mind begin to turn.

"Ah, forgive me, love. Shall I make up for it, then?" Cedric's eyes flick back to you, his hand already reaching for the wand that stashed away in his sleeve pocket.

Before you could reply that you were fine, after all it wasn't a hard task picking blueberries by any means- Cedric had already stepped forward, a spell halfway being cast. You watch with an amused smirk as Cedric's magic sends the remaining dark blue berries into your basket, neatly placed in a huge pile.

"Thank you, Ceddy." You nod towards the sorcerer, placing a hand on his back with gratitude.

Cedric turns towards you, dipping his head towards you in respect. You smile in response, your hand leaving Cedric's back to interlock with his own.

"Say.. why are you out here, anyways? You're usually with Sophia." Cedric eyes you curiously, waiting for your reply.

"Well, Sophia is why I'm out here in the first place." You shot back with a shrug, but you took note at how Cedric noticed the oddness of your task as well.

"The princess said she needed them for Clover.. and with the amount she requested, I almost believe her." You say with a snicker, rolling your eyes playfully.

"Almost?" Cedric parrots back with a raised brow.

"I think she's up to something... not sure what, though." You confess, reaching down to lift up your basket of berries.

"That girl is always up to something," Cedric retorts, muttering under his breath as he helps you lift the hefty basket.

You giggle at Cedric's unamused comment, finding his reaction endearing. Some days, you really do see Cedric as an extended father figure to Princess Sophia. They speak about each other all the time, and the level of care they both carry in their hearts for the other makes you only love Cedric and Sophia more.

"Well, it's not my job to question her whims.." You say with a weary sigh, shaking your head. Tipping the basket on your hip, you turn towards the castle to leave.

"I should get this back to her. Thank you for your help, Cedric!" You chirp happily, flashing the sorcerer a genuine smile.

"Anything for you, dear." Cedric says with an affectionate hum, watching as you walk towards the servant tunnels to report back to the princess with a slight sadness in his gaze.

-------

You dutifully carry the goods Sophia requested to the palace kitchen, huffing with exertion as you lift the basket onto the closest table you could reach. The basket landed with a heavy thud, shaking the utensils that were already on the wooden table. Swiping at the sweat along your brow, you rub your arms to soothe your aching muscles.

As you recover in the kitchen, the doors swing open suddenly. You flinch from the noise, your head snapping to the kitchen entrance to see princess Sophia strutting through.

Her puffy pink dress sways behind her as she marches up to you, an extra spring in her step- moreso than normal. The grin on Sophia's face reaches ear to ear, and you nervously smile back.

"S-sophia! Your timing couldn't be better, I just finished-"

"Yeah, it looks ah-mazing, (y/n)!" The young princess cuts you off quickly, her eyes not even sparing a passing glance to the overflowing basket of berries.

"Ah.. thank you, princess.." You say halfheartedly, your eyes narrowing at the increasingly odd behavior the princess was exhibiting.

"Would you like me to prepare Clover's plate for lunch?" You offer a small smile, your feet moving towards the cutlery.

"No-!" Sophia cries out, her tone a little desperate. You turn to her sharply, your confused and slightly suspicious stare on full display. Sophia's bright blue eyes dart away from your piercing gaze, clearing her throat awkwardly as she shifts from heel to heel.

"Ah, I mean, um.. no, thank you, (y/n)." The princess declined, shaking her head.

"I actually have another thing I need you to do, if that's alright?" Sophia asks sweetly, looking at you with a hopeful gaze.

Seeing the princess's sweet smile always has a way of disarming you, so you decide to set aside your questions about her behavior for now.

"Of course, princess Sofia- that's what I'm here for, after all. What can I do for you?"

"I need you to get Cedric, and bring him to the ball room. It's really important!" Sophia says with confidence, her bright blue eyes boring into yours.

A sigh of annoyance leaves your lips before you can mask it, making the princess slightly deflate.

"Well, I wish I knew that beforehand- I was just speaking to Cedric in the garden.." You mutter, trying to keep your voice level.

"No offense, Sophia- but why is it important that I ask Cedric?" You ask with a curious tone, your mind reeling at the bizarre conversation between you both.

"Well..." Sophia drags out, a mischievous spark in her eye that you didn't quite like.

"Cedric can't say no to you, so I can count on him to actually show up if you ask." Sophia says with a giggle, eyeing you with a knowing look.

Your cheeks immediately start to burn like hot coals, embarrassment making you lose the words on your tongue. Sophia's giggle only increases in volume the more your face begins to flush, making you hang your head in defeat with a resigned sigh.

"..Alright, I'll go get him." You agree with a strained voice, not waiting for Sophia's reply as you carry yourself out from the kitchen doors.

_________

You walk beside Cedric, escorting him towards the ballroom as your nerves begin to feel shot. Cedric didn't look to be faring any better- but no words of comfort came to mind to soothe him.

Instead, your hand reached for the familiar gloved hand of your partner. You both interlock your fingers together, a silent act of solidarity as you both stand in front of the towering doors of the ballroom.

"It's quiet in there... too quiet." Cedric glares at the double doors in front of him, his lips forming a tight line.

"Whatever Sophia is planning... I know you can handle it." You glance over at the man, seeing his unconvinced look to your words.

You swallow, digging further into your brain for what you think Cedric needs to hear most right now. You squeeze Cedric's gloves hand tighter, feeling the soft worn leather on your fingertips.

"There's a reason you're called Cedric The Great, you know. You'll do... great!" You offer an encouraging smile to Cedric, your heart beating in anticipation for what lies in store for both of you beyond the door.

That seemed to slip past the wall of doubt around Cedric's mind, as his tightly knit shoulders loosened slightly.

"Let's hope you're right, love." Cedric says with an unreadable look, pushing the doors open. You both blink in surprise, finding the ballroom empty, with the windows barred with thick drapery to block out the sunlight.

You both turn to each other at the same time, exchanging an incredulous look. You step cautiously into the room first, calling out Sophia's name nervously. Your voice echoes in the empty hall, the only reply you get.

You glance back at Cedric, and as he opens his mouth to say something, the room explodes with a bright light. You both gasp, blinking harshly to adapt to the newfound lightsource.

"Surprise!" A choir of voices join from all sides of the ballroom, familiar faces popping up from behind the furniture adorning the hall. King Roland and Miranda, Sophia, Amber, James, Baileywick, along with a plethora of other servants and hand maidens you know or befriended, all gaze at you and Cedric with bright and cheery smiles.

You sputter in disbelief, your eyes searching for any explanation for what is going on right now. As you look upon the scene further, you notice the decorations that adorn the walls, bright ribbons and balloons in every nook and cranny of the walls. You and Cedric both stand in utter shock, your voices temporarily gone.

"Congratulations, you two! I always knew it would only be a matter of time..." King Roland's loud voice cuts through the room, his smug smile landing between the two of you.

"What-?!" You and Cedric both exclaim with equally confused expressions, your usual decorum for the royal family now gone at the moment.

"Oh, there's no need to play coy anymore! We all knew about it for weeks... Well, I was the first to figure it out, anyways." Princess Amber chimes in, hiding a cat-like grin behind one of her favorite hand-held fans.

"I thought Sophia mentioned the baby stuff first- didn't you, Soph?" Prince James gives his twin a raised brow of suspicion, before turning his head to Sophia.

You and Cedric both share a sharp glance at the mention of the word "baby", turning back to the royal children now beginning to bicker about the origins of the baby rumors.

You go to open your mouth to interject, but Cedric beats you to the punch first.

"Whatever this- "baby stuff" you're all referring to, I'm ecstatic to inform you all that (y/n) is not pregnant...!" Cedric announces loudly to the room, his voice confident until the last few words of his sentence. He feels his palms become slick as he partially turns to you, his eyes wide and his skin turning slightly pale.

"Y-you're... not, right?" Cedric stutters in fear, swallowing hard as his golden cognac irises swirl with dread.

"...No, I'm not." You reply flatly, crossing your arms defensively as your eyes linger across the room. Your eyes pierce through Sophia, feeling your anger rise as you fight it from breaking through the surface.

The young princess shyly dodges your icy glare, biting her lip nervously. You catch on to her tell, knowing that Sophia realized the enormity of her mistake.

"B-but... the baby clothes! I saw you make them!" Sophia cries, stepping towards you with huge eyes that begged for understanding.

You feel the entire room's eyes on you, crumbling your nerve. Your skin tingles in embarrassment, and you awkwardly clear your throat. Your mind feels blank, but each second you stand in silence, the more you feel as if you're being accused of something.

"Yes, I was making baby clothes-" you start, but you're cut off by Amber's bossy voice.

"So then you must be pregnant! Why else would you be making them?" Amber pipes up, grabbing Sophia's hand to come to her defense.

You sigh, pinching the bridge of your nose in frustration. In any other scenario, you would respect Amber's loyalty to Sophia- but now, it's only becoming more of a nuisance.

"For my cousin, Amber. She is pregnant, not me." You shake your head, pausing as you laugh from the absurdity of the idea.

"God, no..." You mused to yourself, shaking your head.

"Oh..." Amber replies, her voice numb from shock. She turns to her sister, her brows raised.

"I-I'm so sorry, (y/n)!" Sophia sputters out, her cheeks red from shame. She approached you quickly, looking up at you with her sad puppy gaze. You let out a tired sigh, glancing over to Cedric to gauge his reaction.

His warm golden eyes had since hardened, looking at Sophia with a disgruntled expression. Cedric's brows were heavily knitted together, deep wrinkles of annoyance etched into his face. Feeling your eyes on him, his brown irises flickered to yours.

You both share a complicated look, and Cedric's shoulders twitch in a halfhearted shrug. Almost as if saying "this is your call, not mine."

You sigh again, looking down at princess Sophia.

"It's- it's alright. I know you were only trying to be kind, Sophia." You crouch down to Sophia's level, touching her shoulder reassuringly. You give her a smile, trying to cheer her up. Her expression softens a little, but she still looks at you with sad eyes.

"And hey- you cared enough to make this huge party for Cedric and I, right? That's what any good friend would do for one another." You say in earnest, your smile slowly cracking through as you spoke.

"Isn't that right, Cedric?" You tear your gaze away from the girl, shooting Cedric a foreboding look to ensure his compliance.

His eyebrows rise in a panic, momentarily erasing the sour look on his face for a fake saccharine smile.

"A-aah, yes, that's right..!" Cedric coos, his voice overtly sweet, practically oozing sarcasm if you listen hard enough.

Thankfully, Sophia doesn't pick up on Cedric's sarcasm, ever- so her eyes regain their shining luminosity in an instant.

"You guys really aren't mad...?" Sophia asks slowly, her bright blue eyes darting between you both.

"Well-" Cedric cuts in, but you leap to your feet in the blink of an eye, grabbing Cedric's hand tightly. He stutters in confusion, so you take your opportunity to lie.

"Nope, not at all." You say with as much conviction as possible, glancing once again at Cedric with a smile full of daggers.

Cedric's eye twitches to betray his true feelings, but he purses his lips and nods in agreement.

You practically see the weight lifted from Sophia's shoulders, as she exhales a heavy sigh of relief.

"Well, since you already have a party going, Sophia- why don't you uh... celebrate... I don't know, you can probably think of something- you seem to already have quite the... imagination." Cedric responds coyly, arching a brow as he throws a copious amount of shade at the young girl.

However, you can't help but let a snicker pass your lips at how subtle Cedric's comment was. Sophia looks over at you, and you quickly cover your tracks by clearing your throat.

"Hey, I'm always down to party!" James responds with a whoop, quickly grabbing a party popper from his coat pocket. He launches a rainbow of confetti and streamers into the air with a satisfying pop!, finally clearing the heavy tension that had accumulated in the ballroom.

The guests finally broke out into laughter, and quickly the sound of mingling voices gave you and Cedric the perfect chance to slip away from the party. With a shared glance, you both made a straight bee line to the doors, your footsteps echoing in the empty halls.

_______

It is an absurd idea, isn't it? Us, being parents- could you imagine it?"

Cedric snorted as he shook his head in disbelief, settling down into his work stool.

His caramel irises glanced over to meet your own in solidarity, but you nimbly dodged his gaze in order to hide the flicker of hurt that flashed across your (e/c) orbs.

You weren't even sure why you felt upset- after all, both of you agreed early on into your relationship that children weren't a priority for either one of you.

Up until now, you thought were sure of your feelings...

So, why now did hearing the sorcerer laugh off the notion of having children so casually feel like a sword was struck through your heart?

You lean against the wood of Cedric's work desk, fiddling with an empty bottle to try and still the ache in your chest.

"Well- I- I can't imagine it would be much different than what our jobs are already." You say with a weak chuckle, keeping your eyes glued to the small vial in your hands.

Cedric stops for a moment, his eyes resting on yours.

"What do you mean?" He asks, trying to sound as neutral as possible.

"Well, my main job is to look over a child- I know it's not the same as being a mother, but.." You trailed off, sighing.

"You certainly might as well be- I see Sophia more with you than I have her real mother." Cedric replies with a snort, sifting through the papers at his desk.

You scoff in amusement, but don't bother to deny Cedric's claim. Walking over to where Cedric sat, you wrap your arms around him from behind in a hug.

The sorcerer stops for a brief moment, before surrendering to your embrace with a low hum of contentment.

"You know, I could say the same of you, Cedric... Sophia talks more about you than she does her own father." You speak softly, resting your check against the curve of Cedric's neck.

"Really?" Cedric asks in a bewildered tone, his face turning towards you.

"Of course... She looks up to you." You affirm with a nod, moving your face to hold eye contact with Cedric.

You see the cogs turning behind his mahogany colored eyes, processing your words. He then abruptly turns his face away from you, brushing his finger over his lips as if he was conflicted by something.

"Well... even so- I'm not, good... with children." Cedric drags out his words as he cringes, shrinking into himself.

"Sophia is nice to me, because she's nice to everyone- but outside of her, I just... don't know what to do with them." Cedric admits with a weary sigh, running his hand through his hair in a nervous habit.

"I don't really think that's true, Ceddy." You reassure the man with a light chuckle, shaking your head.

Instead of answering right away, the sorcerer looks at you with an arched brow and a scathing side eye that would dissuade most from arguing further.

You though, brush off the look with another chuckle.

"I'm not just saying that, Cedric." You reiterate, your voice full of conviction.

Cedric hums noncommittally in response, clearly unconvinced but willing to see where you would take your argument.

Swallowing hard, you speak further.

"You.. really do have a way with kids, love." You pause for a moment, trying to find a solid point to base your claims on.

"I mean, come on- who's the first person the royal children run to when they need help, hm?" You stand up straight as you talk, crossing your arms.

Cedric waves you off, a snicker rolling off his lips.

"Yeah, sure- because those little devils think I can just snap my fingers to make their problems all disappear," Cedric mutters bitterly.

"Ceddy- that's a little harsh, even for you." You give Cedric a pointed look, and he shrinks a little bit under your gaze.

"They go to you so much because they trust you; because they can rely on you." You speak with a confident smile, your hand squeezing Cedric's shoulder.

"I don't think that you being a father would be that absurd.." Your confident voice dips into a more hushed tone, your cheeks heating up at every word.

Cedric looks down at the ground, feeling lost for words at your implications. It's not like the idea hadn't crossed his mind before- he just never had any reason to entertain it much.

Not until you, anyways.

And until tonight, neither of you had really talked about the possibility of becoming parents- only reaffirming your shared terror at the idea of it, in the beginning of your relationship in passing.

Cedric sighs again, feeling weighed down as the reality of the conversation started to finally hit him.

"I... I thought- we said..." Cedric starts, then stops as he doesn't want to sound crass when you look so vulnerable.

"Has your mind changed, about wanting children?" Cedric asks in a light voice, curiosity and a slight mix of dread filling his body.

"I... maybe? I- I don't know, it's just.." You rub your arm self consciously, feeling regret at even bringing the topic up at this point. You still weren't sure why it even irked you this much, so why were you trying to make it into a big deal?

"You can speak to me honestly, darling." Cedric coos in reassurance, his hand finding your own and taking it into his grasp. He gets up from his seat, his free hand giving your arm a soft squeeze as his eyes rest on you.

Feeling Cedric's touch and soft gaze eases your tense muscles slightly, halting your racing thoughts so you could think clearly again.

"I never really thought much of it, I suppose- then, well. Today, happened.." You glance up at Cedric with an amused smirk, and a small grin forms on his face in reply.

"Then, once you mentioned- ah.. the idea, of us being parents... being 'absurd-'," you pause for a moment, and Cedric bites his lip apologetically.

Taking in a breath, you continue.

"It made me feel.. upset, hearing that from you. My change in attitude is sudden, I know- I have no justification for it, really." You shrug halfheartedly, feeling emotion claw its way up your throat.

"It's fine, dear- you're allowed to change your feelings about what you want." Cedric stroked your hair as he spoke, warm caramel eyes softening as he gazes down at you.

"I know, but- your feelings haven't changed, though."

You try to disguise the emotion in your voice, but the sentence still comes out wobbly. You look down at your feet, studying the groves between the stone floor so your thin facade won't break underneath the crushing weight of Cedric's eyes on you.

"It's- my feelings aren't as.. rigid, as I make them out to be, (y/n)." Cedric mumbled, feeling his skin prickle as he uttered the truth.

"Your feelings are always rigid, Cedric." You say with a tiny laugh, trying desperately to make a joke so you won't cry.

While Cedric could tell you were trying to lighten the mood, he didn't have it in himself to laugh.

"It's not that I dislike the idea, of having a child.." Cedric exhales in a long sigh, rubbing your arm to soothe both him and yourself as he speaks.

"...I'm afraid, (y/n). I- I would have no idea what I'm doing, being a father. I didn't exactly have the best example to go off of, growing up."

Cedric's voice tightens, causing you to lift your head in concern. You see the worry lines appear on the sorcerer's face again, and a brief flicker of the fear he hides behind those brown eyes you adore so much.

"I know..." You whisper gently, raising a hand to cup Cedric's cheek into your palm. Your gaze softens as you drink Cedric in, your heart aching at the memories Cedric carries in his own heart of his father.

"There's only one chance to get it right, with a child.. I can't imagine messing up something that important." Cedric nuzzles his face into the palm of your hand, exhaling slowly into your skin. His body is tense now, shoulders hunched with his skin a shade paler.

"You won't- well, wouldn't." You quickly correct yourself, a tinge of melancholy in your voice.

"Parents aren't meant to be perfect- we'd both make mistakes. But- you wouldn't be alone, and you wouldn't be like.. him, Cedric. You're too kind."

Your voice falls low as your thumb caresses the sorcerer's cheek, guiding your arm around his waist to pull him closer to you.

Cedric stands quietly, pressing his cheek to your palm even closer; almost as if feeling your words seep through his skin.

The silence is heavy between you both, but not in an uncomfortable way.

Instead, it feels like a blanket, enveloping you both in the words still left unspoken inside yourselves.

"I'm not saying we try now, by any means.." You whisper, your voice hesitant and light.

"I just..." Your words shrivel up on your tongue, as you're still unsure what this conversation means to you.

After a beat, you feel a warm hand reach up to where your own hand rested on Cedric's cheek. You jump, eyes flicking up to meet his once again. The color had returned to his skin now, and their lustrous golden hue now sparkled with the same adoration he always held for you.

"...Think we still have more to discuss, than we initially thought?" Cedric offered, a ghost of a smile on his lips.

You burst out laughing, shaking your head.

"It would seem so, Cedric."

Then, very sweetly, the silver banged man leans down to capture your lips into his own. The kiss is soft, endearing- full of promises and the hesitation of beginning something so strange and new.

You break apart, finding a new kind of sheen in each other's eyes- excitement, along with small flecks of hope.

[coquettedragoon]

(you don’t have to reply I just wanted you to know this ;w; sorry that it’s long!!)

I replay my favourite scenes from Coquette whenever I’ve had a really tough time at uni. The subject matter you write about is so beautifully portrayed, relating to Xio’s struggles and seeing her be treated kindly despite her messiness is so deeply comforting, I don’t even have words for it. It feels so surreal to have feelings I’m unable to describe be written so clearly in a project like this.

Every time I load up CD it’s just striking how much effort has been poured into everything; the graphics are stunning, the songs are genuinely so catchy (I scoured both Ootheca and Clover And Sealife’s SoundClouds trying to find the soundtracks!! xD) and everything just feels so polished. Aside from just how insanely beautiful everything is, the characters are so vivid and their experiences are enthralling, I just want to keep reading more and more about them. I personally am most excited for Bell to show Honey her pudding transformation fetish art which I’m hoping wasn’t a joke because that would be hilarious

I really, really can’t stress to you how important and inspiring I find CD as both a young adult teen girl and a creator. It brings me so much hope that creating things like CD isn’t impossible and can be done; the existence of such a clean, polished, openly queer and weird and strange and thoughtful VN that genuinely brings me comfort when I’m struggling means that it’s a doable thing!!! I’d love to make something someday that can make someone feel how CD makes me feel.

Thank you so much for making Coquette and all the effort you put into it, it’s so important to me and I can’t wait for more!!! 💞💞💞 (Please make sure you rest also 🫂)

i'm very touched, thank you

[shakespeare-official-account]

u asked for a passionate homosexual anonymous love letter UwU (btw obviously i dont acutally have romantic feelings for u at all i just wanted to write this cause its fun lmao)

November 1, 2024.

Frankly, we haven't known eachother for very long. Yet, even still, I find myself falling deeper and deeper into the crescendo of wordless emotions, swirls of colors and lights and unintelligible sounds, when I talk with you.

You’d think that the world might make it easy on me for once, despite the misfortune that seems to shadow me wherever I go.

But no, here I am trapped in this cage of a world where I am not allowed to love you. And god, does it hurt worse than I ever thought it could.

Right now, I'm looking at the stars, and I'm allowing myself to float away into the aforementioned emotional cyclone.

How comforting it is to know that you will see this same sky.

The sky that I have grown to love more than myself.

When I imagine scenes of violets, lillies, roses, and tulips; crocuses and daffodils, clovers, hibiscus, and the flavors of their sweet, honeyed nectar, and the apparent beauty of the world, they replace with thoughts.

Dreams that I can’t control, golden gilded dreams of your smile.

From every color under the stars. From grand to simple. From every crevice of my mind.

I long to paint a portrait of you, in front of me with your eyes and hair, lips and nimble, soft fingers, of your beauty and your flaws, the flaws that you are so self conscious of, but make you human and alive. Alive as my heart cracks to pour blood onto my canvas; no matter where my masterpiece ends up, we will be connected, in blood and paint, until the colors are burnt away.

Should the day ever come where we are not together, even as friends, you will continue to shine like gold in my memories. And just like I cherish the mere existence of your being, if you’ll remember me, I'll live forever.

One wish, to be reborn. Vice off my heart. Where bones were, flesh and feathers.

"Fly away," they say, not understanding that I can't leave you; singing songs of solitude, to entice me into giving up.

Because good girls don’t cry, don’t complain.

Don’t show their pain to the world.

So please, accept this letter as a confession of my infatuation with you. I do not expect reciprocation. I just needed to tell you, because if I didn't, the guilt would eat my heart away.

With love from the very edge of my being,

Anonymous

*files it under Further Proof Of My Rizz with a smile* I thank thee, dearest anon. Thy writing art wondrous indeed <3

[locatislunaticolupin]

Day Eight: Guts

Written for day eight of @remadoramicrofics. 236 words. Also available on Ao3.

There were guts all over their garden.

Dora slammed the door in Teddy’s face (“Sorry! Please go get da, honey, alright?”) and surveyed the scene. A hare’s carcass was strewn about, half of it under the plastic table and half of it hiding in the clovers. Bongui, their probably-at-least-Greyhound-mix, was laying in the middle of it all chewing a bone, tail wagging, looking very proud of herself.

The door rattled and banged as it always did, and she heard her husband’s whistle before she felt his hand on her waist.

“I blame you for this one,” she said. Remus startled.

“What did I do?”

“You’re the one who found and brought that vicious murderer home. I could bring you in for housing a criminal, you know?”

“You wouldn’t dare. Who would clean this up for you if I wasn’t here?”

“I’d move houses. I’m seriously considering it right now. Teddy, get away from the window!”

Remus tried to hide his chuckle in her hair. Dora, figuring her husband wasn’t about to make himself useful anytime soon, took her wand and attempted to clean up the bloodbath.

“I was never any good with household spells,” she said, the hare’s head now looking straight at her on the bloody clovers. Remus kissed her cheek. A loud crack and crunch came from Bongui’s direction. “You clean this up, and I’ll wrestle that bone from her before she hurts herself.”

[dreamwritesimagines]

OH MU GAWD!!!!! I was thinking the same thing about Teddy being Clovers son😱😱😱 but like I was watching some pretty messed episodes of Law and Order SVU so my messed up theory was that Teddy was Clovers, forced on her by her own father(very loved by Clover but despised by her mom and dad for obvious reasons one of them being that they had to hide out from their village for months)….and like I thought so many times of sharing this with you but thought I was crazy for even thinking Teddy was Clovers let alone also her dads. And I thought this was gonna be one of her secrets till only a few chapters ago. AND I also thought of sharing this with you so many times but I thought it was to much of a messed up theory and I also believed that I must be the only one thinking it so why put it out there. Glad to learn I wasn’t the only one that at least thought the same thing I did for part of it🫣😅😅😅😅 AND TO LEARN THAT HE WAS ALMOST CLOVERS!!!!! Dream the angst that this could’ve cause in so many different ways(chefs kiss👌👌👌) I really want to know what differences this would’ve caused for different scenes through out the story!!! Dream if you ever feel the creative juices flowing to share snippets and conversations between her and Ben about him finding out or Clover even sharing this little tidbit with him, or even bens inner dialogue thinking about it. Just know that I’d be the first in love to read….oh wait I just thought of maybe even an au one shot?? Of course this is only an idea but I hope you share a little🫣🫣😏…lastly please excuse my excessive use of certain words I’m excited and wrote this all up in a few minutes😂

TW: Abuse

Omg omg!😱 So I don't think I could write abuse BUT Teddy being Clover's, from maybe her lover from her past or something!? 😱 I did consider the ton making up rumors about that even if Teddy is in fact her brother, but if he were her son, it would change so so many things in the story! 😱

Let's have a HC with the idea of Teddy being her son honey! ❤️ Thank you so much for this! 🥰❤️

So Benedict would be very shocked at first, and I feel like Clover would tell him before they got married, when they "got engaged" 😈 And Benedict would be sitting there all frozen, and Clover would be like,

"Are you alright?"

"Yeah! Yeah I just- I didn't know."

"Yeah, that was the point, no one in the ton knows. Listen, Benedict, I'd just appreciate it if you didn't tell anyone else the real reason why we break off the engagement-"

"We didn't break off the engagement."

"Come on, this changes things."

"This changes nothing concerning my feelings for you."

"You're jesting."

"We could just have Teddy live with us once we're married, the ton still wouldn't know."

"Benedict."

"I'll raise him like my own, you know that."

[chillingaudrina]

INSTITUTIONS OF HIGHER LEARNING. a companion playlist for 'intro to mortal studies.'

1. People, I've Been Sad. Christine and the Queens. 2. Midnight Sky. Miley Cyrus. 3. Disconnect. Clean Bandit feat. Marina. 4. Everybody Here Wants You. Jeff Buckley. 5. Crush Culture. Conan Gray. 6. This Charming Man. The Smiths. 7. Black Magic Woman. Fleetwood Mac. 8. Crush. Cigarettes After Sex. 9. Blue Velvet. Lana Del Rey. 10. Filthy Mind. Amanda Ghost. 11. This Is Hardcore. Pulp. 12. Fire for You. Cannons. 13. Be Sweet. Japanese Breakfast. 14. Cherry Blossom. Kyle Dion. 15. Happy. Mitski. 16. Effigy (I'm Not An). Ministry. 17. Crimson and Clover. Joan Jett & the Blackhearts. 18. Touch-a, Touch-a, Touch Me. Susan Sarandon. 19. Homosapien. Pete Shelley. 20. The Only Heartbreaker. Mitski. 21. You're So Fucking Pretty. The Regrettes. 22. Honey Honey. Feist. 23. Rapt. Karen O. 24. Like Real People Do. Hozier. 25. Lover's Spit. Broken Social Scene. 26. Ever Fallen In Love (With Someone You Shouldn't've?). The Buzzcocks. 27. Trash. Suede.

[ LISTEN ]

[aclaywrites]

How to fall in love via Deneuve Magazine Personal Ads Circa 1993

❖ Go to your mailbox and see that your latest issue of Deneuve magazine has been delivered. It’s in a plain brown envelope, but you still take it all the way inside the house before you open it.

❖ Take a moment to gaze at the cover and appreciate the fact that it’s named after Catherine Deneuve in honor of her sex scene from The Hunger which awakened us all.

❖ Flip past the first few pages of ads. Do I want to fax away for a brochure about the chance to go on a Kenyan photo safari with the world’s first out lesbian commedienne? What about the Olivia Thanksgiving cruise?

❖ Enjoy the Editor’s Column about how our new President Clinton has pledged to make real progress for the LGBT community. Bask in the warm glow of happiness knowing that the gay dark ages are finally coming to a close.

❖ Chuckle at Alison Bechdel’s ad for the Feminist Bookstore Network and wish you had one of those stores near you.

❖ Keep up with the state of the lesbian nation via the letters to the editor. Aren’t the repressive laws being passed in Oregon and Colorado shocking? Goddess bless that Kentucky baby dyke having to dodge the KKK at her high school 🙁

❖ Read the wedding announcements and get all choked up, remembering why you’re here. Resist the urge to flip to the end and see if there’s anyone new from last month. Hope springs eternal!

❖ Oh, the 20th anniversary of Naiad Press! I love their stuff! Especially how all the covers look like they’re printed with ink that was on sale. I wonder if they have any more copies of that Lesbian Queries book from 1990???

❖ Audre Lorde sure is gonna give them hell at the march on Washington, eh?

❖ So many bookstores. So many books.

❖ An article about Safe Sex! Hell yes! Even though lesbians don’t get AIDS because we’re God’s chosen people, this will be fun to read about in theory! “After all, aren’t we told that lesbians and priests are in the lowest risk category?” lol people thought priests weren’t constantly having gay sex. Simpler times.

❖ An interview with Alison Bechdel! She’s so swoony.

❖ Articles about soap operas, speculation about Hilary Clinton, gossip about Madonna and Sandra Bernhard. And what about Whoopi Goldberg? And that Ellen lady? She’s been on Arsenio Hall acting all cagy about the men in her life. A list of women we wish were gay, including Joan Jett? Didn’t she sing Crimson and Clover without changing pronouns like waaaaay back in the 80s

❖ Music reviews: Sweet Honey in the Rock and Alix Dobkin! We’re almost to the ads…

❖ Labrys jewelry, freedom rings. C’mon, let’s get to the good stuff!

❖ Here we go! Classified ads– 30 words for $20! Queer personal finance, we buy used computers, a lesbian resort in New Hampshire.

❖ Personals at last! Is my woman here?

❖ Hey there’s that woman who has an ad every month expressing her ‘complete and sincere respect for’ women in military, fire, police, private security, corrections’. A gay male ad would say ‘Uniform fetish’ but apparently we’re too delicate.

❖ Bisexual boston babe ‘femalely handsome’ looking for someone who’s ‘nice to look at, not a feminist and not a bitch’. Next!

❖ Lonesome in Wyoming, Bisexual Bodybuilder, Softball is over, time to find someone warm for winter, Reubenesque Arkansas Buddhist…

❖ Find a girl who sounds promising– seems interesting and is not too far away. Spend a day or so composing a letter with a pen and piece of paper introducing yourself. If you don’t have a photo of yourself that you like, have a friend take one. Then finish the roll of film and bring it to the Fotomat and wait a day or so and then pick up the prints and hope you like one of them. Choose one anyway, and put it in the envelope with your letter.

❖ Get a stamp, hang it on the mailbox, never hear anything ever again.

❖ One month later, go to your mailbox and see that your copy of Deneuve has arrived.

[acerikus]

Replaying pacifist and g o d, the part where martlet can toss a coin into the wishing well and wish for clover to make it home safely. When I first saw that scene I was already like 'oh no but they're gonna die at the end :(' but it has a whole other layer to it now. Martlet honey there's only one way clover can make it out of the underground alive and you do NOT want that 😭

[warriors-wyrms-writing]

The House

a story where something is not quite right.

    At a traveler’s first glance it may have seemed an ordinary house, albeit a bit large. However, it was anything but. Such a thing could be seen by the more keen of observers as far away as the wrought-iron gate, noticing the fantastical creatures and strange runes hidden within the intricate whorls and spirals. Most dismissed it as curious and went on their ways, and even those who didn’t initially were forced to, for the only time the heavy gates screeched open was when a new family took up occupancy, which happened rarely, and none of the residents deigned to leave except in boxes, even to retrieve food, all of the inhabitants as far back as memory served always having their few goods delivered through a hatch in the gate. That was the closest “common” folk ever got to the house, unable to see over or even really through the closely-woven iron.

  If any of them had on a regular day, they would have seen a stone path forgotten by time and people, overgrown with moss and wildflowers that children would gather up by the bunches when they lived there, and for a few weeks, the worn white stones would be visible once again among the waving grasses. If—and this is growing exceedingly unlikely—by any chance someone was to journey along the forgotten stone path through the clover and dandelions and actually approach the front door, they’d notice an elaborate white arched doorway, carved with waves and dolphins and with fishes and seashells.

     Ensconced within this intricate frame was a wooden door, sometimes red, sometimes black, it’s only extraordinary quality that it was always faded. And, of course, the silver door knocker. This intricate knocker was almost never used, but it was beautiful despite, or perhaps because of, it, carved into the shape of a dragon with a coiled tail. Though the detailed knocker was seen by so few, those who did gaze upon it did so for the rest of their lives, along with every other detail of the great red-brick house. It wasn’t just a house you lived in; it was a house that lived in you.

     If one got past that marvelous knocker, which on the date of this writing very few have, they would find themselves standing on a rug so red that one could almost fancy that it had been stained such with the blood of former occupants, staring out at softly tinted lilac walls and honey-gold wooden floors, and a crystal chandelier larger than the world’s tallest and fattest men combined and shining like a thousand captured stars in the light streaming through the great bay windows of the house’s welcome-room.

     If a resident (all who have ever beheld theses scenes have been residents) were to advance up the white-carpeted spiral staircase in the room’s middle as they all did eventually, they’d find a long hallway, seemingly windowless but lined with white doors along the corridor of which the walls had been painted with mint in an age time has forgot, but which still looked like it had been done last week.

     The rooms beyond the doors were all exactly the same, although with the house’s layout and outward appearance that seemingly would have made no sense to an outsider, although whenever you were actively beholding it it seemed perfectly reasonable. All these bedrooms were splendid, and would have been the envy of the state had they known of them. With a beautiful and cheerful abstract pattern, though still identical to those in the other rooms, letting in flecks of colored light that danced upon the yellow walls and flitted over the dresser and nightstand’s painted vines and flowers, pausing only to linger on the sunny blue blankets that lay upon the bed.

     If one elected not to venture up that spiral and instead went around it’s back, they’d find themselves in a kitchen tiled with geometric patterns in small black diamonds and with copper pots hanging over the black counters shot through with white from the underside of the dark cabinets fixed to the walls, the silver handles appearing to drip off them like teardrop earrings.

     At the far end of the kitchen was a swinging door such as everyday folks see in a restaurant, and if one were to go through it they’d enter the dining room, home to a chandelier even more impressive than the one in the welcome-room, structured too instead of merely a cascade of prisms. The candles held by its branching golden arms would illuminate a dining table and chairs carved with the same whorls as the fence outside, complete with the hidden pegasi and griffins, dragons and twisted runes, climbing up legs and backs, hissing malevolently at the residents of the cabinets of golden wood that lined the deep forest green walls, intricately painted dishes and vases accompanying sculptures of people and animals and a few strange mixtures of the two behind the glass fronts.

     The chandelier would also, more likely than not, illuminate a small passageway five feet high and three wide, lined in mirrors. If one would so choose to enter this strange passage, they would find it full of sharp corners and unexpected turns before it suddenly spit them out at the back of the house, near the dark grey rear door, the passage they had just emerged from looking like a mere unassuming crack in the red brick.

     They could re-enter the house through the grey door, but unless they knew about the key, hidden within the beak of the bird carved into the doorknob, it was unlikely. This was when the front-door’s dragon knocker was most often used, for few could find the mirrored hallway from outside. If, after re-entry of the welcome-room, they would turn right, they’d find themselves in a room with walls and cushioned couches of maroon and gold, and a fireplace large enough for a midnight tryst. The walls round the room were hung with portraits in ornate gold frames, or at least gilded thus. 

     If one did all that they would have explored all the house easily accessible, though not even half of the whole. After all, they hadn’t even discovered the secret greenhouse yet, but ah, maybe another time we’ll explore the innumerable mysteries of that strange house.

[doyouevenshipbr0]

its funny bc i feel like in recent yrs toradora has gotten a LOT of hate

and im always like “wtf this is one of my FAVS how does everyone hate it so much?!” yet at the same time i dont think i could EVER rewatch it bc upon a rewatch i do think i would not like it fkdhsksks

when i first got into anime almost 10 yrs ago, toradora was all the rage. when ppl talked ab romance anime, toradora was alwaysssss at the forefront. it was regarded as the quintessential high school romance. but now, i feel like i only ever hear it in conversation when ppl are talking about shows that are insanely overrated. so thats a weird switch for me to see.

its just one of those things bc toradora was the first romance anime i EVER watched (and therefore one of the first anime i ever watched in general) and i was literally 14 yrs old and i remember being so ENTHRALLEDDDD with the show like i literally could not get enough. the christmas scene where taiga runs out onto the street shouting for ryuuji? when they decide to run away and get married? THEIR FIRST KISS??? all of these scenes were so magical for me and thats rly the only way i can describe it.

but when i think logically…… almost 10 yrs later i rly do not think i would like it if i watched for the first time td. tsundere trope? SO over it atp. actual physical abuse? dont think i would think its “funny” anymore. the fact that taiga looks like shes 8? at first i appreciated the quirkiness and thought it was being “body positive” but just recently i couldn’t get through more than 5 eps of honey and clover bc of how childlike the main love interest is portrayed. im also getting pretty sick of the whole slowburn thing (not entirely, but they need to be done rly well for me to stay intrigued) and toradora honestly has little to no actual romance until the last like 5 eps the more i think ab it.

anyways long story short toradora will probably always be considered one of my favs and i will always hold it so near and dear to my heart but u couldnt pay me to watch it bc i just genuinely dont think i would like it and it would disrupt all the rly fond memories i have w it.

[monstroustea]

a friend was talking about style influences earlier and it reminded me of this old meme and i wanted to do one!!!!! i'll talk more about each one under the read more, but if you want to do one, here's the link: https://www.deviantart.com/foxorian/art/Influence-Map-Template-174550753

Sailor Moon (particularly the 90s anime) - this is a big one! i remember drawing sailor moon in elementary school and playing pretend/LARPing sailor moon on the playground... the good old 90s anime style with the exaggerated expressions! cute girls! friendship! this general kind of soft, roundness to the style of the 90s anime? it has everything

Honey and Clover - this manga/anime means the world to me. i love the style, the way the mangaka draws emotions, but also the protagonist's story of finding himself? resonant. the manga especially is precious to me bc of the art tho, it has a sketchy quality that i love

Hey Arnold! - another childhood favorite... this one doesn't reflect on my actual style so much, but it's a big influence on the stories and characters i like and create. if i could make everyone watch only one cartoon, it would be hey arnold

this is a triple threat... Persona 5, sketchbooks, @meruz - if you look at more than one page of this blog, you can probably guess i like p5(r)!! a lot!! i love all the characters, even if you mostly see me drawing the protag and akechi bc i'm a shipper at heart lol... i'm always inspired by sketchbooks of other artists! especially proper sketchbooks, where they're messy and worked in and aren't curated to be "good looking" for people to look at. that said, this is a page meruz posted from one of their sketchbooks (go buy them) and i adore meruz's work! i got into their work a while back and their lineart really drew me in, the lineweight and use of spot blacks is delicious. i need to work more on those in my own art and meruz's work always makes me want to do just that

Dolls - and here we take a little detour from the obvious? i sadly don't own this doll :( she's a rune naito fashion doll and i want one so badly. i collect dolls, especially fashion dolls!! i love their designs!! i usually just leave them in their stock outfits bc those are part of the charm to me. i wanna draw my dolls more, but for now they're just a big influence on design and outfits for characters

Amanda Lafrenais - i've been following amanda for so many years i can't keep count anymore!! her style blends "western" and "anime" so well to me and also she just draws lots of pretty women?? also we love queens who draw different body types

Roleplaying (pixelated image from wiki-how) - i've been roleplaying, mostly just with my bestie erin, since i was like 14? i draw stuff inspired by our roleplays soooo much, whether it's from a scene or just "what if"s we threw around. erin is a brilliant writer, has great ideas, and she's basically the GM even tho it's collaborative writing-based rping lmao... im just like "erin come up with a plot and we can shoot ideas back and forth" lol

Drawfee - no idea anymore how i came across drawfee but it's a really fun and funny channel and i'll do some of their challenges on my own sometimes!! (my favorite is the 30s character from memory challenge, i'll have erin give me characters and time me) also they have a ttrpg-style series called Drawtectives that has great characters!!! also every time julia draws a scene im like "ah i want that to be me..."

The Golden Age of Illustration - i'm such a junkie for cartoons and anime and comics and such, i don't really know the classics OOPS... but in the past year or two i've gotten really into what's apparently known as the "golden age of illustration"!! roughly the 1880's to 1920s, there's a lot of fairy/folk tale art from this era and i'm obsessed with all of it. standout mentions that i love to look at the work of are kay nielsen and edmund dulac

honorable mentions are just... every manga i've ever loved. every artist i've ever obsessed over the art of. and HONORABLE honorable mention to drawingwiffwaffles who sadly hasn't updated in a few months... she got me back into traditional media tho and is a general delight to watch work

[midnightsaboteur]

@writermuses

continued from [x]

In his line of work, Leo encountered a great many interesting people. Of them all, Charlotte Clover was perhaps the most interesting. He knew her line of ‘work’ was distinctly more illicit than his own, and if he looked hard enough then there would be some clue or evidence that would lead him to evidence of her activities. And yet, Leo saw no need to go after her in such fashion, not when she’d been useful to him on a variety of cases, and not least because of the unique ‘relationship’ they’d struck up at the same time. Charlotte never threatened him nor his work, and if anything she was often the perfect way for Leo to unwind, as evidenced clearly in the moment by how she reached out to undo his tie whilst offering him the chance to unwind rather than explain. 

Her gesture made Leo smirk slightly, a brief yet knowing laugh also following. “It’s really no contest at all, darling. I’d like to unwind first,” he told her, tone husky yet words dripping like honey whilst he eyed her up and down. The scent of rosewood and apple lotion from her intoxicated his scenes, though not as much as the sight of her, every inch tantalising Leo as she always did. With how she’d nudged his knees apart and positioned herself between his legs, Leo could easily reach out to touch her, so he did. He ran his fingertips gently up her thigh, ghosting her hip and then moving to her abdomen as she spoke. Her question was simple, earning an equally simple “Yes. The bad guy is behind bars,” from Leo. Not even a second passed before he murmured “I’d like you to take a seat on my lap.” Polite, considered in tone, certainly, but with a clear hint of dominance too. 

[filliteapot]

Hello!! what is your favorite character storyline in honey and clover? I tried watching it but it annoys me how everyone seems to fall in love with Hagumi Hanamoto, her voice is annoying... but I did liked Yuuta. I don't mind spoilers cause I reread summaries of the episodes so I already know what happens.

Honey and clover was my introduction into the world of josei, so I love it a lot, it's really hard to say which storyline is my favourite. It's that kind of slice I love the most nowadays, and probably my love is caused by this series in particular. I remember feeling confused about the characters and their weird ways to express themselves in the beginning too, but this feeling soon dissipated and I came to care about almost all of them.

About everyone falling in love with Hagu - well, not everyone, and the love they feel is not as simple as what we usually mean by 'love' in romance series. Now when much time passed since my first watch I see this as story where the romance part is present, but is not the key and the reason why it struck me hard and remained in my heart forever. It's just a good story about youth, choosing a path, first steps you make without anyone's help and pain you feel on that path. It got so much right and was so cruelly honest, about precious connections you make that will break or stay in the past, and days you'll never forget, that are bound to end soon and torment you for a long time. About the pain you feel from unrequieted love, missed opportunities, unfulfilled wishes, wasted efforts, which are still the very things that made you "you" and which can't be called useless and meaningless.

Takemoto is my favourite character in this series, with his kindness and struggles on the way to finding himself. And his relationship with Hagu is also something that still makes me emotional -- formally it was an unrequieted love, but with so much more depth and care and mutual support than you could expect from just 'unrequieted love'. The final scene at the station is like #1 in my list of scenes that murder me with feels every time. But tbh I love everyone. Hagu and her path of the artist, the struggle to 'open as many boxes as possible'. Hanamoto-sensei with his open wound from the past and losing people that were like a part of his own body. Morita with his weird personality and expressiveness and tragedy of the past and not being taken for serious by anyone. Yamada with an unreqieted love of her own and struggles of letting go and moving on (love her relationship with Morita btw). Nomiya with his cruel ways of teaching people what being responsible about your feelings is, and suddenly finding himself capable of softness and care. Mayama wih his unshriking love that happened to be enough to pull another person into the life again. Their daily life of art students, art projects, obligatory deadlines, their trip to the giant ferris wheel, girls cooking awful food, searching for lucky clovers, new years celebrations, hanamis, terrible caraoke singing, Takemoto destroying his 'tower of youth', going on his bicycle journey, Nomiya and Yamada going to see each other and giving each other a miss, Sensei's memories of his friends from past days. Choosing love of choosing career. Saying goodbye at the station. Crying and eating the lucky sandwiches. Spitz songs. Everything.