#i SAID centipede don't look!!

[plaidpyjamas]

just call me Kira (cause I drew half of this in the dark with my left hand inside a chip bag)

[deutsche-bahn]

[hiwelcometothemonstersancturary]

Poppy Playtime: True Ending (all toys saved, all secrets founds)

Synopsis: Angel saved all the toys inside PlayCo, and is now sitting outside waiting for the authorities to appear. What will happen now? Warnings: Canon-typical violence. Story is in 2nd person but Angel is their own character here. THIS HAS NOT BEEN PROOFREAD SO THERE WILL BE ERRORS. Have fun, byeee.

You are shaking.

Granted, this is the first time in the last two weeks that you aren't trembling due to fear of being killed or due to the cold, but anxiety. You're scared, still riding off adrenaline and without any idea of what could happen now, and you are certain that in any moment, you'll end up dropping unconscious on the floor. And yet, you don't. You cannot, really, considering your situation.

You take a deep breath, the smell of smoke filling your senses. Despite your best efforts, your hands are still dirty with dried blood.

Dogday lies against you, eyes turned towards the Sun. His white pupils seem to be sparkling in amazement; this is the first time in more than a decade that he has seen the Sun. Maybe two, who knows, you're too tired to do the math. You scratch his head, but he doesn't look away from the sky. The beautiful open sky. You had taken it for granted a few times in your life. Only a few. Never again. Never again...

Kissy is on your right side, anxiously holding your arm. Poppy is on your lap, still holding your Nokia phone and telling the kind 911 operator of your situation. You wonder how anxious she would be feeling if you were the one talking there... She was at the verge of tears before speaking up. "Understood, miss", she tells the second normal human she ever interacted with in the past decade. "Please warn them to be careful, we went through a lot and don't want to deal with even more".

You scratch her head. Huggy is next to your rundown car, on the other side of the parking lot, the mini critters and wuggies running around. Some of them grab the leaves and jump at the newfound texture. Others try digging in the dirt. One of them points at the car and ask each other how they can disassemble it. Catnap, standing right next to them, shakes his head. "This belongs to our Savior".

Baba is also sitting next to you. She watches over the mini nightmares debating over something you don't fully understand, as some of them climb over Catnap. He doesn't mind the act. Doey, on the other hand...

You stare at him. Little Simon is still sleeping on his arms, too anxious to join the others. Doey adjusts his own hat, his eyes going from corner to corner, especially towards where the little ones of Safe Haven are. Marie is taking good care of them, sitting on the concrete floor as they analyze flowers. Delight is next to her, tilting her head in curiosity as a centipede crawls over her hands, eyes sparkling. "This is fascinating!", she announces, happily stimming with her feet.

"... Doey?"

You reach your hand to him. He flinches before blinking, taken out of his trance. Upon noticing your worried stare, he forces a smile on his face: "I'm okay, Angel, no need to worry about me".

"And what about the other two?", you ask again, not letting go of him.

He's once again caught off-guard. You thought that by this point, the three kids would have gotten used to being equally acknowledged. Guess there's still work to be done, but we'll be alright. We have time, now. Just enough time.

"We're fine", Kevin grunts, looking away.

"Just tell me when it's too much, alright, kiddos? Don't want the sirens to scare you guys. They sound similar to the stuff back at PlayCo."

"I said we're fine", and there goes that familiar growl. "Shoosh, leave them".

"Matthew, let Kevin speak. It's okay for him to be upset".

"We can't scare the others"

"The others would like for all three of you to speak a bit", you reply, shaking your head. "Including Jack. Is he alright?"

"...", Doey shakes, before timidly nodding and fidgeting with his hands. "... I am".

You give him a smile. Dogday bumps his head against his shoulder, and Jack relaxes, his tense body softening. He repeats the gesture towards the critter, confirming that he'll be alright.

Pianosaurus and Yarnaby then bump their heads against your legs, both of them with plants hanging out from their mouths. Poppy jumps on your lap: "Thank you for the... Bouquet", you tell them, accepting the offering. Yarnaby purrs as a response, sitting on the ground. "Ollie, ya okay, kid?"

The baby long legs stares at you with that very, very energetic look of his, wrapped around a blanket and shaking in his lone seat next to yours. "It's fucking cold", he growls, grumpy as ever.

"Language!", Dogday warns him.

"We're not inside PlayCo. anymore, we can say whatever we want now, you dingus".

"Please don't have another argument before we arrive at the hospital", you ask the duo, sighing again. "... Want another blanket, Ollie?"

"I want a warm room away from this cold, that's what I want".

"Wait an hour or two, then".

"Urgh".

"You welcome".

You close your eyes, feeling the Sun against your skin. The Prototype's words echo in your head, the promise you two made still there:

These kids shall be safe and happy.

You can still hear the mechanical sounds his legs made when he walked. A part of you swears that it can feel him watching over your bunch from inside the factory, despite the cameras outside not being functional anymore. You don't doubt he would be capable of finding a way to watch the scene, though.

You stare at the burning parts of the factory in the background, and, before you can start doubting if this will grab the authorities' attention, you hear sirens in the background.

Cop sirens, to be exact.

Poppy looks up to you, Doey jumps on his seat, and you put the doll on Kissy's lap before jumping over Yarnaby:

"KIDS!", you call the others. "EVERYBODY, GET BACK THERE, THEY'RE COMING!"

Just one word:

FUCK.

Why did it have to be the COPS the first people to pop up, and not a fucking ambulance?! Fuckfuckfuckfuck. Just. Shit. FUCK (again). You are so, SO fucking lucky sometimes, urgh. Let's hope they don't scare the kids even more.

Huggy, Catnap, Marie and Doey help you retrieve the chaos gremlins back to the group. You count: All +100 of them are there, with no exceptions. You hold Doey's face and tell him to remain strong, you tell Kissy and Huggy that they have nothing to fear with you around, you assure Marie and Catnap don't make a murder plan, and you sit back on your seat.

The first car that appears makes your stomach curl. You stare at it, unmoving. The tension is palpable. The kids are anxious, terrified and horrified when the two cops get out of the car and turn to you.

You stare at them, suddenly more aware than ever that you have visible blood stains on your clothes and you must be looking like hell, and they stare at you in silence, approaching with their mean looks. Poppy moves on your seat, clinging to you even more, her call having just ended.

You stare at the cops again.

The cops stare at you again.

You bite your tongue. They aren't approaching you anymore, instead, stopping several meters away from your group, wide-eyed, and then you realize that they aren't reaching for their guns.

Finally, you roll your eyes:

"Do we have a problem here, officer?"

The guy you think is the oldest of the duo, a pale man with sunken brown eyes, seems taken completely off-guard for a moment. Bunzo clings to your leg, anxious. PJ Pug-a-Pillar tilts his head in curiosity, and you notice that Delight is waving at the duo.

"W...", the younger man's voice fails him. "What the-"

"Don't ya finish that sentence, there's kids there", you grunt, noticing the other cars appearing. "We need as many ambulances as possible, now. The kids needs medical attention".

"What happened there?", the officer demands, and his eyes go to the very much still burning piece of factory. You glance back at it for a moment before returning your attention to him.

"Executives", you shrug, aaaand more people pop out of the cars. "Tell your friends to back off, it's been a decade since these kids saw other people, and they bite".

"This is private property. What are you doing here?"

Private property, private property my fucking ass- "get your friends to back off, or else I won't say shit to you".

"You have no right-"

"Mister Officer, please, you must listen!"

You would have laughed at the guy's face upon seeing Poppy getting up from your seat. Catnap growls as a response to his voice tone, and you don't know if it's the sound he makes or his movements, but it seems convincing enough for the asshole to actually back off, and actually and properly inform the rest of the group to not approach.

"Thank you", Poppy mutters.

"Don't thank him", you scratch her head. "I am in private property because the owner of this frickin' place invited me in because he and these kids were stuck in there for the past decade. I need a dang ambulance for once".

"And who is the owner?"

You almost say Elliot Ludwig, but even your own tolerance for absurdity isn't high enough to buy that one. So you bite your tongue, you stay on your seat, and you hear more sirens echoing in the background.

"Long ass story", you mutter, before getting up, bag on one hand, Poppy in another.

You have no idea how or why, but the officer almost doesn't react when you approach him. His friend places a hand on his gun, but you don't react either, merely giving him the heavy bag.

"These are the documents", you tell him, watching the ambulances arrive.

"Did you steal these documents?"

"They were given to me", you half-lie, half-tell the truth.

"I'll have to ask you to follow me, ma'am, and tell me why there's a fire happening in an abandoned factory".

"W-wait, no!", Poppy desperately stares at you, wide-eyed. "T-they can't go, we need them!"

You merely unzip your jacket, exposing your very much still bleeding out shoulder and your very much still soaked in blood torso, and shrug.

You see people coming out of the ambulances. Bunzo runs to you, grabbing your leg as he stares at the officer, wide-eyed. "I-I won't let you take mama away!"

Well, there goes the cop's control of the situation, because now some of the minis also approach you, clinging to both your legs and back, and you know they look too realistic and move too naturally for them to be animatronics or robots. Other cops start moving to approach you, and you...

Yawn.

Damn, you're tired as hell-

A guy presents himself as the lieutenant, and another as the deputy chief. You tilt your head. Looks like your way of grabbing attention may have worked too well...

Marie's hand grabs your good shoulder. You don't react to her staring at the group, merely waiting for your permission to probably kill them or something worse. Despite what you wish you can do, you merely hold her hand. The deputy chief grabs the bag, and stares at the nurses who just got out of the ambulance before petting the shoulders of the first officer.

"Looks like we got big fish in our hands", he tells the guy. Uhm. Okay. "Go take these things to the ambulance. Let us handle the rest".

You blink, remembering what the Prototype told you about many people knowing about what PlayCo. was doing, but never doing anything about it. You stare at the man's eyes, and you aren't very good with judging people by looks but your stomach curls around itself, and you know one damn thing.

He stares at you with a certain disdain and hatred in his eyes. You smile. You hear a helicopter approaching, alongside a van from a news report. Your smile widens, a shit eating grin that goes from ear to ear as you realize who has the power over the situation.

"Looks like the mess you ignored finally caught up to you, eh, officer?"

You turn your back to the group, unafraid. "W-what's going on, Angel?", Dogday asks on his seat, terrified, as you put Poppy on his lap.

"Oh, a lot", you now grab your actual backpack, reaching for your water bottle as the kids stare at you, anxious. "A whole, whooole lot".

"What are they going to do?", Marie asks in a whisper. "Should we...?"

"Nope. We aren't killing anyone, pirralhada", you take a generous sip of water. "We just hit the jackpot".

You hear the number of people growing in the background. Good thing you told the kids to keep themselves quiet, and even better thing that they are listening.

"We're going to take whatever remains of PlayCo. down. And, most importantly, we'll make sure the people who didn't help you guys pay. But, right now?"

You turn towards the humans again.

"Right now, we gotta go to the hospital".

[eclipseberrycake]

Doll Face (Poly! Moonflower x Reader

AN: I like details dw! This gave me plenty of ideas to work on! I did kind of veer away from the Lolita things, mainly because I just don't understand it well enough to pay homage to it in a way that's both respectful and accurate. Plus, I know there's some fetish content out there catered to Lolita style that makes me a little uncomfortable, but Reader still dresses in a way that is fantastical and caters to the more feminine side!

Also, I know it said that they were made with Dandy, but I tweaked that just a bit because I think, lore wise, something happened with Dandy's creation?

This is a request!

☁ The details surrounding your creation are kinda amiss to be honest. Most of the other handlers didn't even know that Devan was married let alone to someone like your handler.

☁ She was known around Gardenview since she made all the costumes/ articles of clothing that the toons wore! So when Delilah and Arthur send word that you're getting your own toon, the other handlers are ecstatic for her!

☁ Dandy and the other mains are there when you're shown off for the first time. He's holding onto Astro, bouncing off the balls of his feet at the anticipation of it all. His own handler has to tell him to stop shaking poor Astro, who looks so dizzy they worry he'll collapse.

☁ When Delilah steps through, carrying you in her arms, both Dandy and Astro have to take a second. You're in a poofy dress, eyes wide and darting from one new thing to the next. You look unsure, but excited, eager to get to your feet and meet everyone, including your new handler.

☁ Your handler is holding Devan's hand so tightly he has to wince, but let's her do so, even if it makes Dandy snicker at the karma of it all.

☁ You're slowly set down in front of them, taking a moment to smooth out the fabric of your several petticoats, which twirl and swish with every one of your movements. You blink after it, eyes trailing over each handler and their accompanying toon before landing on Dandy and Astro. They look at you the same way you look at them. With wide eyes and tilted heads.

☁ Then you smile. "Hello! My name is...Well. I'm not too sure, actually." You hold a finger to your lips, looking back to Delilah, who gestures to your handler.

☁ You follow the gesture to your handler, blinking up at her once more before beaming. "Hello! I don't have a name, but they told me you're my handler!"

☁ Your handler grins, kneeling down and extending a hand. "I am. Welcome to Gardenview, Y/N."

☁ The newly bestowed names makes you absolutely preen, turning back to Astro and Dandy. "My name is Y/N! It's an absolute pleasure to meet you!"

☁ "I'm Dandy!" The flower chirps with a fluid bow before gesturing to the celestial beside him. "This is Astro. He's shy, but a good cuddle buddy!"

☁ Astro flushes a navy blue but does offer a near silent greeting.

☁ From there, your relationship absolutely flourishes. They help teach you the ropes on being a main, explaining the differences between them and the other commons.

☁ There are days spent giggling over something as simple as the pads on your fingers that mains have, but commons don't. You poke Dandy's and Astro's, watching their fingers curl at the prod, only for them to return the favor.

☁ They are there when your handler bestows a small centipede, painted all your favorite colors in the rainbow. All of them. It's all the colors.

☁ You name it Tilly after a night of brain storming with the other two, which makes it chirp at you. Tilly and Pebble get along great by the way.

☁ They're even there when the outbreak happens. You're forced to watch Dandy turn for the first time, Astro off with some kids in the Sky dome. You're the first he goes after, and it goes black before you can even register what happened.

☁ When you're returned, the first person you see is Astro. He looks more tired than he normally does, but the stress lines in his face immediately ease upon seeing you're awake. He immediately wraps you in tight hug, all sorts of words of relief flying from his lips.

☁ Astro isn't an overly protective partner, but he has his moments. The first few days your back are some of them. He's constantly in your shadow and ultimately wary of Tilly.

☁ Your twisted form was some cruel amalgamation of yourself and your beloved pet, with the upper half your once pristine features, only marred by ichor staining your cheeks rather than the blush normally there, and the lifeless red eyes. The bottom half was a larger version of Tilly's own body with several little legs that scurried along, crawling up walls and ceilings only to spit acidic mucus at the distractors. It gave him shivers thinking about it.

☁ When you're allowed back on runs, he's watching closely, practically on your heels while you figure out how to properly extract. You seem to be a natural at it, completing the first machine in no time. The others ding and finish quickly and you both make your way to the elevator. Just as you turn a corner, there's a twisted poppy who immediately spots your form, and Astro does have a moment of panic before you're hitting the creature away with your umbrella and dragging him along.

☁ He swears after that the stars in his eyes were always there, but you know better, giggling behind a hand as you poke his cheek.

☁ When the doors open, Dandy is already mid-spiel before pausing, eyes landing on you. His mouth drops open as you apprach, giving him a shy wave. "Hello, Dandicus."

☁ He swallows tightly, and you glance at Astro for some sort of support. The celestial himself stiffens, hand reaching to grab yours tightly. But Dandy soon smiles and Astro relaxes just the slightest.

☁ "You're as beautiful as the day we lost you." Dandy breathes out and you have to catch yourself from crying. You step forward to gently cup his features, looking into is multi-colored eyes as he cups your hands with his own. He presses a soft peck to your forehead before pulling away just enough to look at Astro. "Thank you. For letting me see them."

☁ Astro hums at this, placing a blanket covered hand on your back.

☁ He knows times running up and this is only emphasized more when the elevator gives a little click. Dandy is quick to retract at this, making you frown as you try to figure out whats happening.

☁ Dandy gives you a cheeky little wave before blowing a kiss in your and Astro's direction, smirking at the two of you. "I'll see you both soon, my sweet roses."

☁ After the outbreak, it's hard to keep a relationship with a toon only visible during certain floors and only for a reasonable time, but if you're dedicated, both Astro and Dandy are willing to work for it until they figure out a more permanent solution.

☁ Dandy also is a little wary of Tilly, but I think that's just because he's a flower and she's a bug and he doesn't like the odds that are there.

☁ Additionally, you all get to chat about your times as mains pre-outbreak. I firmly believe the mains used to go on all sorts of adventures back in the day.

☁ Like it's canon im actually Qwel's shoe trust. /j

☁ Astro gets you back into sewing in memory of your handler, and you take up making outfits for the rest of the toons! You're the only one allowed in your and Dandy's handlers old room, rooting through it for fabrics and patterns and learn how to work a sewing machine rather quickly.

☁ Astro is your live-in mannequin but you make sure Dandy gets his own share as well.

☁ Maybe eventually some day you guys do get dandy back, and get to live happily forever after, but until then, you're happy as you are and that's more than enough for them.

[thebluejoker]

SHARING A ROOM WITH THEM

WARNINGS: No NSFW, SFW ONLY

TAGS: Teasing, feeling a little bit guilty, fluff

SHIP: Jax x reader, Ragatha x reader

JAX

It's his fault

He decided to sneak into your room and leave some spiders there

Yeah, he knew you were afraid of them, that's kinda the point

He expected some screams, yells and frustration

What he didn't expect, was you not entering your room after finding out about the spiders

You REFUSED to go to sleep or even be near your door

Caine was somewhere else so he couldn't help you with the bugs

Ragatha isn't fan of bugs as well, so she politely declined your offer to get rid of them

She could take you into her room, but she wouldn't leave Jax with a punishment

And his punishment was you sad, right?

He wasn't satisfied with the news

I mean, yeah he pranked you, so what?

"Get over it, kid. You're not spending this night in my room"

He said and turned away to leave

He would eventually leave, if Ragatha didn't threatened to push him into the void

It sounded more like a promise by the way

So, later on, you were in his room, standing with a pillow and blanket that Ragatha gave you

She prayed for you as well

Jax, without hesitation, told you to sleep on the floor

There was only one bed and it was his only

As always, he expected you to be mad or upset

"Alright"

You said and seriously laid down on the floor, covering yourself up with the warm blanket and nuzzling into the pillow

That did surprise Jax

You didn't want to be near him so bad that you just went along with sleeping on the floor?

So easily???

WITHOUT SAYING A WORD???????

Nah, that cracked his ego

Yeah, he's an asshole, but not that bad one that you just sleep on the floor, without even looking bothered by it

Eventually he just dragged you into the bed

And I mean, DRAGGED

You refused to go into his bed, your literally fighted for your life, self-love and ego

But that purple rabbit is taller and stronger than you even though he looks like a damn stick

He didn't just drag you into his bed cause his ego was slightly cracked, but also cause he wanted to test a new way of teasing

He wrapped his arms around you

Yeah, it seems to sound romantic, but it was more like he was keeping you in jail

"You leave and I put a spider in your mouth"

You immediately stop fighting and just laid there, hoping that he was joking

The night started to get darker and deeper

But that doesn't mean he stopped talking

Or rather teasing

"I can hear you heartbeat getting quicker, crybaby"

He couldn't

You were the one pressed against his chest

In fact, his heartbeat was quicker than usual

He would never admit it, but it was the best night of his life here

You on other side couldn't sleep, thinking of how he would put a spider in your mouth

By the way, after that he putted bugs into your room more often

RAGATHA

Oh, you both were having a sleepover

After you appeared in the amazing digital circus, you both quickly got along

You were good friends

Spending time with each other everyday

Eating lunch, dinner, dinner, breakfast, dinner, lunch together don't know what time it is, so..

Joking together

Hating Jax together

Being afraid of centipedes together

So, no wonder you came up with an idea to have a sleepover

You seemed to be very excited

While Ragatha too, but she felt nervous at the thought of sharing a bed with you

Not like she didn't wanted it

In fact, she wanted it very much

But it was quite embarrassing and it made her doll heart race

At the beginning, you both gossiped

Guess about who

You both also laughed like horses, interrupting everyone else sleep

You also tried to make her hair, but it was quite impossible

It was all good and nice until you both were tired if it's even possible in Digital circus

It was time for sleep

When you both laid down together, Ragatha thought she would "die"

You on the other side immediately fell asleep, feeling really comfortable

She's a soft toy after all

Ragatha couldn't sleep

Or move

Not sure if breath

She was afraid to wake you up

"They look so cute.."

[spinningwebsandtales]

Imagine Beetlejuice Helping You Through A Bad Day

Beetlejuice X FemReader

Rating: T

Warnings: Mentions of gross stuffs, dead things, Beej being Beej, suggestive themes

Word Count: 1k

(A/N:) I got a little gross with this one guys! But it's Beetlejuice what do you expect?! Consider this my second Halloween fic of the season! Happy reading and hauntings! ~Countess

Your apartment door felt so far away as you trudged up the stairs. Work had been awful, you woke up exhausted, all your chores were piling up, and you didn't know how you were going to get enough energy to make dinner tonight. You decided to order out, though it would be the third time this week. Biting your lip you fought back the tears as several people elbowed you while passing you on the stairs. You were an emotional wreck and you refused to break down until you entered into your apartment where you could be yourself. As soon as your bag hit the floor and your shoes went flying, you broke. Tears rolling down your cheeks, you let out all the frustrations of the day. You never let yourself break in front of anyone, you always waited until you made it home. But there was one person you felt comfortable enough to show your real emotions to. He had a knack for making you feel better, no matter your mood and he could be by your side in seconds. Sniffing loudly and wiping your nose on your sleeve you said the word that could bring your best friend to you.

"Beetlejuice."

The air grew still.

"Beetlejuice."

The temperature began to drop.

"Beetlejuice."

A evil cackle rang through your ears as your apartment began to shake.

Immediately the atmosphere changed and you could feel yourself getting better.

"What's up babes," that deep rough voice sounded behind you.

You turned looking up at Beetlejuice. He had the usual smirk on his face but it fell instantly the moment he noticed the tear tracks down your cheeks and how you seemed paler than normal. He was pale all the time so it didn't matter what he looked like. Normally he didn't concern himself with the matters of living flesh bags but you were different. You made him feel wanted and he didn't like when you weren't feeling your best.

"Rough day," he asked.

You nodded, trying to fight the tears again but it didn't work. The waterworks broke through and you mushed your face into his cold, stripe suited chest. Stunned Beetlejuice stood there, his undead heart dropping into his stomach. You hung on to him tightly until you were able to control your emotions a little better.

"You have no idea," you hiccupped. He dug around in the liner pocket of his suit jacket. All sorts of bugs and critters leapt from Beej's searching dirty fingers. Bits of unidentified things fell to the floor before skittering away, the ghost constantly muttering to himself as he searched for whatever he wanted in his pocket.

He pulled one piece out that looked like a centipede, "Saving that one for later." He winked and went back to digging. Finally he pulled a soiled handkerchief from the pocket and offered it to you with a slight flourish. You shook your head and went to grab a tissue from your bathroom counter.

"It's bad if you're desperate enough to summon me."

"You're my best friend Beej. Unlike the jerks I work with."

"That's a little sad there babes."

"Beej!"

"Hey I'm sorry," throwing his hands up. "I make your world go round huh?!" That time his head began to spin and you couldn't help but laugh. "You make my head spin around apparently too. C'mon over here and give me a hug."

You snorted but went to him anyway, "You're such an idiot Beej."

"I'm your idiot though."

You sighed before leaning back a little bit, "You smell like death."

Beetlejuice preened, "Only the best for you babe. It's a new cologne Eau De Dead Opossum. Main fragrant notes of bloated opossum, with a hint of maggot swill, and ending notes of sun baked dog vomit."

"Mmmm no wonder you smell like an atrocity to mankind," you snickered and tried to pull away.

"Don't run baby! Let Beej take all those bad vibes away and replace them with nightmares beyond your wildest dreams. Need me to bio-exercise someone? Possess them? Make their life a living nightmare? Makes my heart beat in excitement. Y'know if it still beat in there."

This time you couldn't help but laugh. "Thanks Beetlejuice."

"Ah ah watch it. Don't make me disappear too soon. The fun is just startin'! You get me all hot and bothered babe."

"Beej you're dead how can you get hot?"

"Trust me," he grinned, suggestively waggling his eyebrows.

"Gross."

"Now how about me and you go out and do whatever you living people enjoy doing! Kicking puppies? Robbing graves? Arson?"

You shook your head, "How about I order pizza and you watch a movie with me."

"Only if I get to sit in your lap," Beetlejuice picked at his teeth and wrapped an arm around your shoulders.

"You can lay your head in my lap," you retorted.

"Fine take all the fun out of my life will ya!"

"I could just send you back," you threatened. Though your tone of voice was anything but threatening.

"I'll be good I promise," Beej exclaimed.

"Your fingers are crossed behind your back," you glared.

"Curses caught again!"

He took your hand leading directly to the little living room, his fingers interlacing with yours. He kissed the back of your hand and waited for you to order pizza for delivery. It wasn't lost on you how the living made your life an absolute nightmare but you found a great friendship with the most obnoxious ghost imaginable. But he could be more real than anyone you came face to face with. That's why you felt like you could trust Beetlejuice more than others. And he made you laugh. He always seemed to be there for you and it was more than anything you could ever ask for from a person. As you sat by his side waiting for the pizza and discussing what you both wanted to watch, you completely forgot of all the horrors that had happened today. It was just you and Beetlejuice and you wouldn't have it any other way.

[mortimermcmirestinks]

me: ooh, a subreddit called /r/whatisthisbug! surely this will be a fun subreddit where I can see some cool bug pics :)

the subreddit:

[picture of a bedbug] saw this in my bed. is it a bedbug?

[picture of a bedbug] saw this in my bed. is it a bedbug?

[picture of a bedbug] saw this in my bed. hope it's not a bedbug!

[picture of a ladybug] the fuck is this freaky shit?

[picture of a mosquito] saw this in my bed. is it a bedbug?

[picture of a bedbug] saw this in my bed. is it a bedbug?

[picture of thousands of writhing maggots] found this in my dinner. is this bad?

[picture of a regular cicada] this is a Mongolian Death Snake, right?

[picture of a flea] saw this in my bed. is it a bedbug?

[picture of an engorged tick filled to the brim with lyme disease and covered in blood and arsenic and malaria and it has DON'T TOUCH THIS painted on it with a huge skull and crossbones] found this cute lil guy and let it bite me! what a sweetheart <3

[picture of a bedbug] saw this in my bed. is it a bedbug?

[picture of a bedbug] saw this in my bed. is it a bedbug?

[picture of a house centipede that is pixel-for-pixel identical to the one in the sidebar under header reading "Commonly-Posted Bugs (check this list first!)"] what is this?

[picture of a cool bee] what kind of bee is this?

[5 pixel by 3 pixel image] what kind of spider is this?

[picture of a bedbug] what kind of spider is this?

[picture of a harvestman] what kind of spider is this?

[picture of a bedbug] saw this in my bed. is it a bedbug?

[picture of a bedbug] saw this in my bed. is it a bedbug?

[picture of the coolest-looking bug you've ever seen, like, it's got antlers and fairy wings and there's iridescence and it glows in the dark and it squirts out pristine $500 bills every thirty seconds and it sings hauntingly beautiful music] just squashed this disgusting fucker. what was it?

[picture of a bedbug] saw this in my bed. is it a bedbug?

[picture of a wall covered six inches deep in termites] my landlord said this wasn't anything to worry about but I'm worried. are these bedbugs?

[duhragonball]

Daima 06: Lightning

Centipedes? In my rations? It's more likely than you think!

Last time, Goku's group set out for the next leg of their trip, when the plane crashed. Apparently it wasn't that big a deal. Panzy concludes that they put too much luggage on board, which kept the plane from flying very far, but it didn't actually do much damage. Panzy recommends they leave a bunch of their supplies behind and she'll give the engine a look and they can be on their way.

Okay, I think there's a growing consensus among fans that Daima is slower-paced, and maybe this is setting up a controversy over whether this is a good or bad thing. Maybe the honeymoon period for the show is winding down, or we're just far enough into the series for the audience to realize it's probably going to be this way from here on. So I'll go ahead and weigh in on this.

For my part, I think the pacing is fine. It's different from the other shows in that you don't have this constant reliance on filler to pad the runtime. We're not checking in on King Kai to see what he thinks about all of this, or sending Goku on a fetch quest that ends up becoming a plot cul-de-sac. Instead, we're mostly laser-focused on this one set of characters on a journey, and occasionally we'll switch over to Gomah or Bulma's group on Earth, and pretty infrequently too.

But Daima does its own padding for time, and it does it by lingering a bit on things that probably don't need quite so much time. Conversations take a bit longer than they need to. The running gag where Goku gets Glorio's name wrong. The fight scenes are a tag gratuitous, but I think everyone gives them a pass because they're good. Still, I don't think anyone was worried about whether Goku could win that barroom brawl. If this show had half as many episodes allotted to the same plot, I'm pretty sure they could cut a lot of material and get the important stuff to fit.

I don't mind that much, because this relaxed pace kind of reminds me of reading the Dragon Ball manga. By that, I mean each episode kind of feels like a manga chapter, and not that much gets done in a single chapter. You might have several panels of characters getting to know each other, and then just enough exciting stuff to make the chapter feel worthwhile. Actually now that I think about it, it's a lot like my experience reading the Jaco the Galactic Patrolman manga. It's like twelve chapters, and the first five or so are very focused on introducing characters and situations, so it really doesn't pick up until the end, and even then, it's still quite low-key. But it's so good that I didn't mind it. It was just really chill. Daima feels a lot like that.

That having been said, I do find this plane crash between Episodes 5 and 6 kind of a cheap way to waste time. King Kadan described all the extra provisions he loaded onto the plane in Episode 5, then the plane started to go down and Panzy said it was the excess luggage. Then in Episode 6 the plane lands and Panzy repeats that the luggage was the problem, and she lists all the supplies all over again.

Then Panzy gets out her tools to run a diagnostic on the engine, but instead of actually working on the plane, she asks the Supreme Kai what his whole deal is. And that's fine, but it starts to wear thin in places. Like, they could have just had this conversation on the plane and gotten wherever they're going. The plane crash just adds time, and I'm not sure how many more times they're going to pull that trick before it gets old.

Nevertheless, I'd rather watch these characters talk about themselves outdoors than on the plane, so I'm not too worked up over it. But I can already tell this is going to be a focus for Daima critics in the future.

I like the way Goku explains the Supreme Kai. He tells Panzy there's a "bunch of god-like guys called 'Kais.' And the greatest one of them all is Supreme Kai-sama here!" and he gives him a hug while he says it, like he's bragging on a pal, which I guess he is. I just think it's nice to hear Goku's perspectives on all of his friends.

Panzy's impressed that Shin is a god, and that he made a smart move leaving the Demon Realm to take the job, but then she finds out he doesn't get paid, so it sounds less impressive to her. This kind of raises more questions than answers. Does Panzy even understand what a god is? Also, it seems pretty clear now that Shin and all the other Kais were born in Demon Realm and left to become gods in the Outer Universe, but how did that work? Did Grand Zeno put up a help-wanted sign? Were their other overseers that the Glind replaced when they became the Kais?

I just always assumed these guys were some sort of weird feature of the design of the universe. Like, there were always Kais running things, and they were literally born and bred to carry out that role. But no, they're just Demon Realm expats who showed up to work one day. If the universe functioned without them before, then why do we need them now? Hopefully this series will answer all of this.

Anyway, Goku's gotta poop, so he just announces this to everyone for no reason. He farted in Episode 3, so I have this sneaking suspicion that this show is going to do a lot of Goku poop-and-fart stuff as we go. That might be a good idea, as it keeps the show from getting too reliant on "Goku's hungry" gags. GT did those a lot, and it got pretty ridiculous. It got to where Goku would complain about being hungry right after he got done eating. If he said he had to poop half the time, at least it would cut the hungry gags down to a manageable level.

Anyway, Gomah's troops show up while they're waiting for Goku, so Glorio and the others have to play it cool to get rid of them. Glorio claims to be from the First Demon World, and Shin from the Second, but since Panzy's from the Third, they want to scan her collar, which she has under her scarf. Gomah apparently made all the Third Worlders wear the collars to make it easier to collect taxes from them, but he didn't implement this policy elsewhere, since the goons aren't too suspicious of Glorio or Shin. They find the idea of tourists traveling around the Third World strange, but let them go. Oh, and they ask if they've seen a kid with spiky hair and red pole, because there's a ten gold coin reward out for him.

Goku returns when they leave, and Shin suggests that Goku tie his hair back or something. Goku says his hair is too resilient for this. Oh, right, there was that Super episode where he had all that hair gel in it, and his hair sort of broke loose like when the Incredible Hulk rips through Banner's pants legs but not the crotch. Panzy asks if Goku washed his hands, and the answer to that question is no. Goku, that's nasty.

The gang take off again, and Panzy asks Shin if it's true that Glinds are born from trees. Shin confirms this, so I'm glad we're not doing away with that lore. I was seriously beginning to wonder if Toriyama forgot about all that stuff, or if he was dumping it in favor of new lore. Of course, this is all news to Goku, so the Supreme Kai explains how his kind are born "once every few centuries from the Glind Tree". There's a flashback to show this, and we see these trees with big purple trunks that are all fat on the bottom, and the newborn Glinds are in these holes in the bark, just hanging off of stems from their backs.

Also interesting to note: the Glind buildings and vehicles in this shot look a lot like Namekian houses and ships. I don't know if that's intentional, or this is just Toriyama's aesthetic for this sort of thing. I always thought Majin Buu's house looked a lot like Namekian architecture, for example.

So does that make the Supreme Kai and the other Glinds plants? I never really thought of it that way, so Goku raises an interesting point. Shin says he "doesn't know about that". I feel like there ought to be a firm answer to this, one way or another. Goku also asks if this is why Shin only drinks liquids and never eats, but Panzy jumps in before he can respond. I feel like we've seen Shin eat before, but oh well.

Panzy wants to know about Degesu, who works as Gomah's second-in-command. Is he Shin's brother? Yes, because he was born from the same tree about 216 years after Shin. Are all of the Glinds brothers, since they're all born from the same tree? No, because there's five Glind Trees. Kibito and the Elder Supreme Kai must have been born from one of the others.

Panzy wants to know why Degesu remained in the Demon Realm instead of leaving with the other Glinds? Okay, this implies that there was one Glind migration out of Demon Realm, and Degesu chose not to go. But for this to work, it must have happened after Degesu's birth, which is well after Shin's.

The thing is, Kibito is much older than both of them, and the other Supreme Kais from Universe 7 are even older still. I'm talking about the ones who fought Majin Buu and Bibidi like five million years ago. The whole point of all that was that Shin was the rookie Supreme Kai, implying that the others had been doing the whole god thing for a lot longer.

And then you have the Elder Supreme Kai, who's much, much older still. He claimed to be the Supreme Kai from fifteen generations prior. I'm not even sure what that means if they were all born from the same five trees. Maybe it just means there were thirteen Supreme Kais between the Elder and the current Supreme Kai. But Shin reigned as Supreme Kai for at least five million years, so these aren't short terms in office.

I'm not too worried about this, because I have to assume we'll get to an episode that explains the Namek and Glind exodus from Demon Realm. They keep bringing it up, so it must be important. And I guess this is what I mean when I say I don't mind the slow pace of this show. There's still a lot to look forward to, even if it's just characters swapping lore.

But back to Degesu, Shin says that he was very ambitious and didn't get along with the other Glinds. That doesn't seem like much of an answer to me. Then again, Shin came along on this mission because he hasn't seen Degesu in so long and he really doesn't know what he's been up to after all this time. He may not know a whole lot about him in the first place.

Panzy asks about a Glind woman who's a genius scientist, and Shin confirms that this is Arinsu, his older sister. Or, more accurately, they're siblings, since Glinds don't actually have genders, so they're not "exactly men or women."

Again, I had heard this about the "Core People" before, and I'm glad they didn't toss out this lore. I've never quite understood it, though, since the Elder Kai is big horndog, and the Supreme Kai of Time once got a big crush on Bardock in Xenoverse 2. Arinsu has big ol' titties, and I don't know how you get those if you grow from a tree. Like, none of these guys have anything to do with sex at all, right? The trees might have freaky deaky alien tree sex, but not the Glinds themselves.

Then again, I guess this is all just fantasy stuff, and I might as well be asking why Arinsu has nostrils or ears. There must be some magic that makes these trees grow people, and maybe some of them end up with big ol' titties or a magnum dong or both or neither. But until today I kind of figured all of the Kais were just completely smooth down there. Like they didn't even have buttholes.

Perhaps they modify their bodies at some point in their life cycle, and some of them present as man or women just out of a personal preference or some sense of fashion. This might explain the Supreme Kai of Time's transformation where she gets really tall and shapely. They all sit around figuring out what they want to look like, like they're screwing around with a character creator mode in a video game. Chronoa's like "Yeah, I want my base form to be all smol and cute, and then my super form's gonna have a big ass and big-ass titties."

Wait, maybe I'm onto something. The Supreme Kai gave Goku those pointy ears with remarkable ease. Maybe that's not a special weird power that only gods have. Maybe all the Glind have it and they do it to themselves all the time. Degesu just gives himself a third testicle for a week to "see how it rides."

Anyway, we don't learn anything new about Arinsu in all of this. She's a mad scientist who also stayed behind for the excitement of Demon Realm, but this was already known.

Night falls and Panzy explains that it's perpetual twilight on Third Demon World nights because there's two suns. Glorio wants to land and make camp in a cave for the night, and Panzy hates this because she wants to shower. Goku's like "skill issue, just never shower, like I do."

While Goku sleeps off dinner, Panzy asks why Glorio says he's from First World, when he looks like a Third World guy. He claims that he got hired by someone in First World, so he currently lives there. Who hired him? He deflects the question. Shin asks why he wants to defeat Gomah, and he claims it's because Gomah is evil, but Shin finds it odd for a Majin to have such a defined sense of justice.

Anyway, we find out exactly who Glorio's working for, because he phones up Dr. Arinsu while the others are asleep. But Shin hears him return to camp, so he clearly knows something's up, even if he doesn't know what.

By early morning, a minotaur comes out of the cave they're sleeping in, and he plans to eat them all. Apparently he stinks really bad. Goku isn't scared because he thinks the guy is a cow, so he doesn't get why this guy thinks he's on the other end of the food chain. Normally this is where Goku would kick some ass, but Glorio volunteers first, and Goku's like "Uh, I'm the main character, I should fight this guy." But Glorio doesn't see it that way, because he doesn't think Goku's that much stronger. Well, there's only one way to settle this, so it's on.

Yeah, the minotaur gets reduced to a spectator, and it's Goku vs. Glorio. Goku's impressed with Glorio's abilities, but we all know he's not trying very hard. Finally, Glorio whips out some purple lightning powers, and Shin asks Goku to fight harder so he can see the true extent of Glorio's power. I guess he figures that'll help him understand Glorio's agenda better.

So Goku fights harder, but Glorio manages to knock the Nyoibo out of Goku's hand, and he prepares to fire some big finishing lightning move. Goku decides to try something out, and he turns Super Saiyan. He did this briefly in Episode 5, but now he's staying in that form, and just stands there and lets Glorio shoot at him so he can try to deflect the beam. And he does. He just throws out his hand and it dissipates on contact. Goku does a little self-satisfied "Hmp!" and then snap-vanishes behind Glorio and puts his hand on his back. Fight's over, Goku wins.

This is a really great way to introduce Super Saiyan into the series. This is very likely the most iconic aspect of Dragon Ball. Maybe the Kamehameha clears it, but I don't think there's much else that comes close. So it's hard to imagine viewers who don't know anything about the form, but they're still out there and they need to know. So we have Goku fighting in base form, and then he decides to use it, not to win a hopeless battle, but to do something cool in a sparring match. Base Goku could probably have done something else to defend against Glorio's power, but Super Saiyan Goku can just tank the thing and get past Glorio's guard all at once.

It doesn't give away the entire Super Saiyan experience. It's a power up, and it shows a lot of promise, but here, it's just one of Goku's many techniques. The full extend of it can be shown off later. It's still an open question how well Goku can fight this way. He's been de-aged, and the environment in Deamon Realm slows him down further, so it's possible that he can't use Super Saiyan as long as he could before, or maybe he can, and it just doesn't give him the same boost that it normally does.

Also, it's just really cool to see Goku enjoy showing it off. He does this cool smile when he finishes transforming, and he looks all badass when he blocks Glorio's beam, and he's grateful that he can still do it in his kid body. "Yep, I'm whatcha call a legend, nbd. The missus doesn't like the hair color, but what're ya gonna do, right?"

Oh, right the minotaur. Well Goku hasn't forgotten him, but the minotaur suddenly remembers that he had a big dinner the night before, so he's too full to kill and eat these guys like he said he would, so he goes back to bed. Well, that's a shame. Maybe they should swing by this cave on their return trip.

Goku poop update: He has to go again.

Meanwhile, back on Earth, Vegeta is doing reps on the Lookout while Bulma finishes the Supreme Kai's old plane. They all pile in to follow Goku to Demon Realm, but Bulma… stays behind? That's weird. Anyway, the ship lifts off, then immediately breaks down. It didn't even get twenty feet into the air. So that's another plane crash cliffhanger for you. I sure hope this show finds a more reliable mode of transportation soon.

[phangneh]

Voice in the Abyss

✨Manhwa : Into The Light Once Again

✨Elmir royal family x Fem!Reader

✨Warning : princess!reader, lost memory, yandere elements (both platonic and romantic), protect, ... (will add more)

📌Note: this is just a fanfic, there are many details unrelated to the original story line. English is not my native language, if I make grammatical mistakes or use incorrect words, please forgive me.

🎭Summary : You have a voice that is said to change the world, when you sing, your sweet voice makes people happy and all things flourish. One day, your kingdom was destroyed, you had to live with the pain of losing your family and being severely mistreated. But it seems that you will die in misery, there will be people who will come and take you out of the abyss.

"O God, when this song ends, come and take me away"

"Let me live forever, peacefully in your magical arms"

My dear, your voice can change the world...

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Looks like there's a noise on the ground, you think. But you're not really sure, is it really noise? Or are your ears just imagining for themselves?

It's been a long time, even a little warmth of sunlight you haven't even seen, two years of being confined to a dark underground prison, all your senses and body have been worn out. Dark, cold, snake centipede insects you are also used to.

When will you be freed?

Why aren't you dead yet?

Eventually, you find yourself lying on the moldy, slurping ground. A finger can't move now, is God taking you?

The noise doesn't go away, but at this moment you don't care about it anymore. When you close your eyes, it feels like you're leaning on your mother's lap, and she sings you lullabies. There is the voice of your mother, of your father, of your brothers and sisters, it seems that you are with them.

And then you don't feel anything anymore.

...

You wake up, light creeping into the corner of your eye. Brilliant, and uncomfortable. But it's also warm and comfortable. Your head is blank, strangely enough, you don't have any memories in your head. You can't think of anything, you're so strange around, you wonder where this is, there's a lot of mixed emotions, anxiety, fear, restlessness in you,... Suddenly the door of the room opens, a woman enters and is alarmed to realize you have woken up, she is so shocked that she almost dropped the tray in her hand.

"She's awake!"

She speaks something you don't understand. You're vague, weak, but still aware enough that two people came in later, they both looked in a hurry, and seemed surprised to see you open your eyes. Who's that? Do you know them?

"Are you okay? How are you feeling?" A soft voice that you can hear, she speaks a language that you understand, you want to answer, but your throat is too weak to say something.

The owner of the voice was a woman with a gentle and beautiful face, her eyes were like beautiful purple jewels.

She looked very worried... Why?

"Hurry up and call the priest here!" Another voice, but that of the younger girl, they were the same, they both had cloud-white hair, but she had blue eyes... It was like that lake, clear and shining. She was as beautiful as an angel.

"It's going to be fine, you're safe."

You are confused, why are you here, who they are, why are you like this, so many questions in your mind.

What happened?

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

[Chapter 1]

[Chapter 2]

[Chapter 3]

[Chapter 4]

I hope someone will like it (๑•̀ㅂ•́)و✧

[ericshoney]

Mini Matt in the May vlog ~ Sturniolo Triplets

Summary: Based on their latest vlog, sorry if some bits seem muddled up. I'm trying to remember everything, I probably won't add everything as well.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

You had gone back with the guys to Boston. Getting a chance to catch up with your dad, their parents, Justin and Nate. The guys had planned to do a bit of vlogging throughout the time and your first stop was the aquarium. You were also happy Madison had joined getting a chance to hang around another girl after becoming good friends with her.

"Dude look at the size of that octopus!" You exclaimed, as you got closer to the tank.

"Eww." Chris mumbled.

"Don't say eww." Madison said, as if to tell him off, but Chris only laughed.

"If they said I could put my hand in there right now and she'd wrap around it, I would." She continued.

"That would be kinda cool." You mentioned.

"I don't like the fact it's called their suckers." Chris responded.

You laughed and continued walking around, checking out everything. You bought a matching penguin to Nick's from the gift shop as the others, minus Chris, got their turtle hats.

"I'm so happy there are gay penguins." Nick said, making you giggle.

~~~~

A couple days later you took a seat at the kitchen island, listening to Matt talk about his nightmares.

"You know what's scary?" You called, as Matt finished talking.

"What?" Nick called.

"I had a similar nightmare too." You answered.

"Really!" Chris shouted.

"Yeah." You said with a nod.

"Man, Mini Matt dreaming like Matt too." Chris said with a chuckle.

You all laughed at his words, wondering how many times that would happen.

After you arrived at your next destination, walking through the woods, it seemed relaxing, until Matt started screaming penis. You laughed as Nick kept telling him off.

"Don't you start." Nick said, giving you a side eye.

"I'm not gonna scream penis." You said between giggles.

"You Mini Matt, who knows what you'll do." Nate replied with a laugh.

You laughed again as you continued your walk, Matt talking about beavers. You were just happy to be out of the house for a while.

You then all returned to Nate's place, ready for some game he and Nick came up with. You sat around the table and watched as he pulled out a toy crocodile and Nate pulled out some lemon juice, as Nick explained the game.

"Help me." You whispered to the camera, Chris laughing as he sat next to you.

You all had a turn pressing a tooth on the crocodile, squealing when it wasn't you chosen. It then slammed shut on Nick's finger, making you laugh and him scream as he took the shot of lemon juice. You carried on again until it chose Nick again.

"Fuck! It's rigged." He shouted as he took another shot.

You and Nate were the lucky ones as it never landed on either of you, making you happy.

"Me and Nate must be lucky!" You cheered as you cleaned up.

"Next time, kid." Matt said, making you stick your tongue out at him.

~~~~

"What the fuck is that!"

Are the first words you heard as you come back from the bathroom, only to see the four boys crowded around the window. The movie had been paused as Chris held the camera up, vlogging whatever was on the curtain.

"What's going on?" You asked, joining the group.

"There's a fucking centipede on the curtain!" Matt exclaimed.

"Yeah fuck no I'm out!" You shouted, jumping on the sofa behind you.

You then watched as the guys tried to fight the bug, four grown men against one bug, but it was so fast. You held onto Chris and Nate as Nick and Matt killed the bug, laughing as Matt used his shoe and Nick used grandpa's cane.

"People are gonna have so much fun with this content." You said.

"To all the bug loving freaks out there, where were you!" Nick said to the camera.

"My heroes!" You teased, hugging Matt, who laughed but hugged you back.

"Well, back to the movie." Chris said.

You all laughed, keeping an eye out for anymore bugs and knew this was a trip back to remember.

[cosmerelists]

How Shallan, Adolin, & Kaladin would Divide up Chores (If They Lived Together)

If these three were roommates (reader's choice as to whether they also share a bedroom ha ha) and also lived in the modern world, here is how I think they would divide up the house chores.

1. Laundry: Adolin

This is because Kaladin & Shallan would both look disdainfully at the "gentle cycle" or "dry clean only" instructions on a piece of clothing, shove it directly into the washer with everything else, and dump on some bargain-brand detergent. "Clothes that cannot survive this are too weak for me," Kaladin would intone and Shallan would be like, "Yeah, if they die, they die." And Adolin in the background would scream, "OKAY I DO THE LAUNDRY FROM NOW ON."

2. Dishes: Kaladin

I'm just thinking back to Kaladin's surgeon training and how his dad was like, "We must wash our hands son" and Kaladin was like, "Nobody else washes their hands are we sure that rotspren even exist" and Lirin was like, "It is the wisdom of the heralds, my son." Or something like that. Anyway, Kaladin seems to be uniquely trained in hygiene and avoiding sickness, so he should take care of the dishes.

3. Dusting: Shallan

Shallan would fill the house with art, and she wouldn't want it to get dusty (plus, I'm feeling knick-knacks from her), so I think she would be the one to make sure all of the art and books and other stuff stays dust-free.

4. Cooking: Shared

I don't think any of the three is a stand-out cook, so they should just take turns. Shallan-as-Radiant follows recipes very exactly, Kaladin keeps making soup, and Adolin is pretty sure adding wine makes any dish fancy.

...Sometimes Rock cooks for them and then they have good food.

5. Paying Bills: Kaladin

Kaladin scoffs that no lighteyes know the value of money and that Shallan & Adolin won't budget correctly, so he'll take care of any shared household finances like paying utilities. I bet he balances checkbooks, too.

6. Taking out trash: Adolin

"You can handle gross things. You poop yourself all the time," says Shallan, a wording that Adolin does not appreciate but cannot argue with.

7. Vacuuming: Shallan

Pattern likes it when the vacuum makes neat lines in the carpet and hums excitedly the whole time.

8. Grocery Shopping: Shared

No particular reason. I just think it would be cute if they all went to the grocery store together.

9. Cleaning gutters: Kaladin

It's high up there, but Kaladin is not afraid of heights. He kinda likes being on the roof. It's like chipping crem off of a roof, only it's leaves. It makes sense.

10. Answering the door: Adolin

When the doorbell rings, the resident extrovert is sent to deal with it while Shallan and Kaladin hide behind the couch.

11. Getting rid of scary bugs: Shallan

If there is a spider or a big moth or even a centipede, it is Shallan who handles it because, as a wise tumblr poster once said, "Cremlings is bugs."

[zhvakinnn]

Hii, i hope your having a good day! I just wanted to ask if you could do the reverse death thing again but for Tyler instead? If not it’s totally fine, thank you very much!!

Sorry I was busy at my exam's i couldn't answer all your requests but here we are!

Warning's: character death angst to fluff

✨as always i don't know much English so if something is wrong correct me✨

Ashlyn ask if everyone was ready you all agreed and the seating arrangement was you were in between Taylor and tyler and beside Taylor was Ben and Logan was at the back

"alright you know what to do right? Close the gate after we're out then run to-" Aiden cut was Ashlyn was gonna say saying

"to the other door. Wait for you to honk and then bolt for the jeep...I got it don't worry"

you were holding Tyler's hand and feeling him squeeze you're hand you look at him with a smile and tyler return the same thing when he was about to say something Ashlyn already started to drive making you both jolt backwards

While driving Ashlyn honk and you saw aiden get in the jeep

"are they following??"

"y-yeah but they aren't keeping up" Logan was holding a sniper in the back of the jeep

And they continue to talk about going to the next town (to lazy to add the text)

Ben and tyler were holding a flash light while Aiden was bugging Ashlyn to play music

"you good tyler wanna switch place?" You asked he think for a minute before nodding and you both switch

"thanks (name) my arms were kinda sore too" he said while rubbing his arm

"after all your training in baseball you still have a sore arm I'm not surprise"

"hey I'm still stronger" you two continue to giggled making Taylor butt in and kept chatting not so loud though

Once Ashlyn took a turn not so long she turn right (or was it left?)the jeep making you fall to Tyler

"what was that for?!" Ashlyn just looked at hi. The answerd

"there was a big tree root in the road"

"that's strange?, this road is usually well-maintained" then Ashlyn ran over something making Logan yelp

When Ashlyn came passing in the gas station she bolted the jeep making it speed

"hey! What's with the sudden speed?!"

Then another root was past making the jeep bump again

"hey Ashlyn you good" you said looking at her

"Ashlyn?.. what's up" Aiden said you two saw the terrified look in Ashlyn's face

"what happened to the road" Taylor said looking terrified aswell

Tyler asked Ashlyn to go back because this is seriously not ok

"we cant... Because it's right behind us" when she said that you can now heard the tud's of someone running but bigger

You all look back then shock what's right behind you

A giant phantom looking like a centipede but bigger

While we all are panicking you couldn't help but notice Ashlyn was more stressed because she was the driver

"screw it!" She then turn the jeep right and the big pillar's hand claw whatever was in your door making you yelp in fear holding tyler

Ashlyn then question if you all are alright

"the door is banged up pretty bad, but none of are hurt" tyelr said sounding more terrified

Now you were holding tyler who was holding ben and Taylor you were also worried about Logan in the back

We kept getting bump by roots the jeep was making to much shaking making you bump the door you heard a click then suddenly.....

You heard Tyler scream while reaching out for you

"(name)!!" Tyler was holding a hand for you yet he didn't grab you

"go back Ashlyn!! Go back" tyler said while Ben was holding him down "I can't!"

Now you were on the ground you tried to grip on the floor yet you fell in the cliff

You wished it was already time out you wish you woke up already then you bump into a tree then you were suddenly impaled by a tree

"Ashlyn please go back (name)! Theyre still there Ashlyn!" Tyler said causing a tantrum Ben and Taylor were now holding him Taylor started to tear aswell she's worried about you too

Since you came with them everything change with tyler you were her friend and she even called you her sister-in-law

"we will! But we have to survive first!"

---------------------------------------------------

"(name)!!" The parents heard tyler screaming in the bus you were shaking violently your pupils were widen Taylor and tyler holds you

"help please !!"

You're parents check you out "(name) sweetie wake up! What happened?!" Then Ashlyn's dad scoop you "hey where are you taking my child?!" Your mom holds Ashlyn's dad

"were taking them to the hospital!"

You were now at the hospital the parents and your friends are waiting in the waiting room (duh)

Your parents couldn't sit still your father calmed your mother down while she's in a brief of anger and depression

---------------------------------------------------

You suddenly woke up seeing a nurse the nurse turn around to you and saw you looking like a crazy person you aske her what's going on

Youre heart rate was starting to increase

You sat down holding your stomach feeling the sore the monitor kept beeping

You shouted trying to escape the nurse you were struggling due to the pain but you flash back to Tyler

He looked at me while i fell in the jeep

I wanna go to him i need him and my friends are they ok did they survive?!

You can hear Taylor's screams you then got out of the nurses grip and ran you held your stomach and rip the wire that was attached to your arm

You tried not to pass out but you felt dizzy pushing everything then there you are... You saw them mostly

Him

Tyler stop then ran and wrap you in his arms

"are yo-you, you're here, your okay" tyler didn't stop himself for tearing up

Your mom suddenly jump to you too "your alright darling" tyler loose the hug to you and your mother didn't stop kissing your face and hugging you thigthly

Then suddenly two nurse came and aske mom and dad if they were my legal parents

Tyler kept whispering how he was worried while Taylor tried to calm him ,ben text if your ok and, logan cried on how he was worried about you, and Aiden uh? His an asshole but his words were in a worried tone aswell

"wait where's Ashlyn"

"she grab things with her dad.... I'm just glad your alright" Taylor said smiling at you

While they took you back at your room tyler said

"I'm glad you're alright please dont leave me... I love you to much" you he peck you're cheeks you giggled at him and hold him thigth "i love you too to much Tyler" you smiled at him then carry on the room

Daym never thought Tyler's more longer making story than Aiden btw Aiden's part is on my masterlist goodbye!

Masterlist | about me | rules

[blackjackkent]

While testing something in BG3 earlier, I ended up wandering into the initial encounter at Elerrathin's Home WITHOUT Jaheira and discovered some new dialogue I hadn't seen before! Posting it here as part of my ongoing duty to provide any and all Jaheira-related content possible.

This is probably not an exhaustive collection of all dialogue available in this scenario, but I've dug up as much as I can (and done my best to clean up the often interconnected dialogue leaves into something readable :P ).

-----

Starting with Fig!

FIG: Oi, stop a moment! FIG: Right. You look harmless enough. The commander keeps an open house, so you may pass. PLAYER: Who's the commander? FIG: That's secret. And anyway, she's away, so Rion's in charge. So be nice to Rion, or I'll kick you out. (OR) PLAYER: Thank you, noble sentinel. FIG: I'm not a centipede, I'm a guard. (OR, if Minsc present) PLAYER: Wait, little girl - how do you know Minsc? FIG: I'm not a little girl, I'm a warrior. MINSC: Even I could have told you - this was a silly thing to say. FIG: Now pass!

On subsequent conversations:

FIG: Move on. Commander might be away, but I keep a tidy house for her.

-----

Rion and Jord have different ambient banter when you get inside!

RION: Where's the boy got to, Jord? JORD: The boy is upstairs. The girls were a little rough in their play earlier. (Devnote: Wry - emphasis on 'the boy' is in response to Rion calling the youngest child that instead of his name. 'The girls' is an echo of that stress") RION: Chauntea's cheeks, I told them to give him space. That's two volunteers for dishes later, then. (Devnote: Dark foreboding - the girls are in trouble)

JORD: Telk says they shut the Church of Last Hope down. RION: And how did Telk see that, through the bottom of her drinking mug? (Devnote: Snorting, derisive of this friend of the family) JORD: She was stone cold sober. Heard it from Mother Aramina herself - the Steel Watch said they were only 'encouraging the refugees into an unlawful gathering'. (Devnote: Grim humour, passing on stories from the city to his sister) RION: Aye. A warm meal and a scrap of rags to sleep on must be very encouraging. Well, the mother knows-- (Sarcastic - what little the refugees were being offered was hardly reason to shut the shelter down) JORD: That we have space to spare if she needs it. Aye, I passed it on. (Devnote: Smoothly reassuring, cutting his sister off - she doesn't need to worry, he already passed on what she was going to ask.)

RION: Throw some cabbage on your list for the market, Jord. JORD: You know I could just grow it myself. Even a lowly apprentice can manage that much. (Devnote: A little affronted - he's in training as a druid, not fully in his power yet) RION: I know you can, brother. Just being careful - don't want the young ones going all weird from eating mystical greens. (Devnote: Tone is 'hey, I mean no offense') JORD: What do you mean, 'weird'? (Devnote: Now very affronted - his sister has implied his magically cultivated food would poison the kids) RION: Well. Fig. (Devnote: Shrugging - using the youngest of their siblings as an example of how the kids are weird. Just her name alone is argument enough.) JORD: Ah. Fig. Yeah, fair enough. (Devnote: Anger dissipating into immediate agreement - Fig IS weird )

-----

Speaking to Rion first:

RION: Make a habit of just letting yourself into people's homes, do you? My mother's not here, if that's who you've come to see. (If Minsc present) MINSC: Eh, Rion...? We know your mother is not here. She is travelling with us. (Devnote: Speaking up as Rion hasn't seen him yet - a little sheepish to correct her) RION: Minsc? I don't understand - she was chasing down the cult for a lead to save you. If she's already done it... MINSC: Ah, well. If Boo were to be technical, he would say that it is not Jaheira alone who saved Minsc. It was this one here. (Devnote: Still a little sheepish, no direct gesture to player) PLAYER: Who's your mother? RION: ...So you're not here to see her? Who are you, then? It's a bold thief who would just stroll into the druid Jaheira's home. Still time to turn around and go. PLAYER: Wait - I know Jaheira. I've just returned to the city with her. RION: She's... she's alive? Who are you to her - a Harper? PLAYER: A friend. Though maybe not so close as I'd hoped - she never mentioned you. (OR) I'm [NAME]. Your mother hasn't mentioned me in any letters? RION: Don't be too wounded. Up until this moment, she was missing - presumed dead out in the shadowlands. (OR) PLAYER: Allies. We fought General Ketheric Thorm together. RION: General...? We'd heard of the cult army heading this way - I assumed she'd died trying to stop it. RION: But... she's alive. EVERYONE, SHE'S ALIVE! RION: Bring her here. So we can kill her.

On subsequent conversations:

RION: Bring Jaheira home. We are in dire need of a mother-daughter chat.

Rion also has two unique dialogues if you speak to her directly as Minsc. The first, if Jaheira IS present and had the intro conversation:

RION: I hear you've been causing mother some trouble. Remember what I told you about causing mother trouble? MINSC: There was talk of your hammer. And... Minsc's head as the anvil. RION: Good boy. Just remember, Fig has always wanted a hamster. MINSC: Boo would be proud, to join such a warrior in battle! MINSC: But Minsc would be dead. You are heard and understood, Rion.

The second, if Jaheira is NOT present AND Rion doesn't know she's alive yet:

RION: Minsc. I... wasn't expecting to see you. If you're looking for mother, I... well. There's no easy way to say it: she's dead. The great Jaheira finally her match, taking down General Ketheric Thorm out in the shadowlands. MINSC: Ah... Rion? Minsc does not like to correct you, but... I think you are mistaken. Jaheira is not dead! Just a short time ago, she pretended to be angry at Boo for rolling around in her herb-pouch. (This then leads to the above "EVERYONE, SHE'S ALIVE!" line.)

-----

Speaking to Jord first:

JORD: If you're here about the vines, I've cleared them off the neighbouring houses already. Can't promise it'll be the last time. The druid's away for a while - I'm just her son. And apprentice too, for my sins. (If Minsc present) MINSC: Aha! Jaheira has left you some tasks while she was away, Jord? JORD: Minsc? She's not... away. She's gone. I am sorry. MINSC: And I am confused. She is not with us at this very moment, no - but she's around the city somewhere. (Devnote: Quizzical) JORD: What? You know where mum is? Tell Rion - quickly! (Otherwise) PLAYER (DRUID): An urban grove is nothing strange. Life takes many forms, and nature is hardier than any stone walls. JORD: YES! Thank you. Meet my mother when she returns - put it that way, and you might just convince her. (OR) PLAYER: Why would this place need a druid? It's a house, in the middle of the city. JORD: You think like my mother - that's why she keeps a small grove here. To 'return nature to the unnatural'. JORD: Me, I don't think nature ever left. People lay down cobbles, aye, but seeds still sprout between the cracks. (OR) PLAYER: Who's your mother? JORD: Oh. I... took you for a friend of hers. The druid, Jaheira? (OR) PLAYER: I know Jaheira. We're travelling together, in fact. JORD: What? You know where mum is? Tell Rion - quickly!

On subsequent conversations:

JORD: Bring mum back. It won't come to blows, whatever Rion says. Probably, it won't.

Jord also has a unique conversation if initially spoken to as Minsc directly:

JORD: Minsc? MINSC: Jord! I think this druidry suits you - you have grown taller than Minsc! (Devnote: Happy to see Jaheira's son) JORD: You've come back at a... sad time, ranger. Jaheira's gone. MINSC: I am not sure why this is such sad news...? Your mother is with us! Not this very moment, no - Boo thinks she is probably shouting at a tree stump somewhere. (Devnote: Quizzical - doesn't understand that Jord thinks Jaheira is dead) JORD: Wait - what? You know where mum is? Tell Rion - quickly!

-----

And finally Jhessem and Tate, who each only have a couple interaction lines each to direct the player back towards Rion and Jord:

JHESSEM: Greetings, saer. You have not been announced to this court, and we deign not to speak with thee.

JHESSEM: You may enjoy the freedom of our manor house, so long as you behave in a way befitting nobility.

TATE: Y-you're not meant to b-be here.

TATE: Our m-mother wouldn't like strangers in the house. She could k-kick your behind.

-----

I love them all, your honor! (Particularly how excited they all clearly are to learn Jaheira is alive, even though Rion tries to cover it with a tough front. <3 <3 <3 )

[snowsinterlude]

˚ ᜔ ࣪ gone girl. 🪽 ͣ ͣ

(coriolanus snow x reader)

summary: coriolanus snow, your dear husband, was the prime suspect ever since you disappeared.

c.w: short, short fic, drama, mentions to cheating, mature content, coriolanus pov, mentions of blood and crime scene.

a/n: i may keep this idea alive if it doesn't flop. this is just the first part of the movie/book and will probably be a looong fic. thank youu

when I think of my wife, I always think of her head. In her shape, first of all. when we first met, it was the back of the head I noticed, and there was something lovely about it, about its angles. like a hard, shiny grain of corn, or a fossil in a riverbed. It was what the victorians would call a beautifully formed head. you could imagine the skull quite easily.

I'd recognize her head anywhere.

and what was inside it. I also think about this: her mind. her brain, all those spirals, and her thoughts darting through those spirals like fast, frantic centipedes. like a child, I imagine myself opening his skull, uncoiling her brain and searching through it, trying to capture and understand her thoughts. what are you thinking, Y/n? the question I asked most often during our marriage, though not out loud, not to the person who could answer. I suppose these questions hang like dark clouds over every marriage: what are you thinking? how are you feeling? who are you? what have we done to each other? what will we do?

standing outside of our home, by the trash cans, i decided to enter our home. asleep, she didn't bother waking up and greeting me, kissing me goodbye. I thanked her for it, for giving me the place to be the caring husband of a tired wife.

making my way to the clothing shop I owned with my cousin, I was forced to move back to the old penthouse in Panem when she called; grandma'am was sick.

“Tigris, I'll come back home. you don't have to take care of everything alone.” I said. she didn't believed me- i could hear her sighing on the other side of the line. “I'm serious, Ti. and why not? there's nothing for me here.

“And Y/N?”

I haven't thought about it. I simply thought that I could wrap my capitol wife with her capitol interests, her capitol pride, push her away from her capitol parents and everything would be fine. it wouldn't. of course it wouldn't. 

but would I admit it? of course no.

“Y/N will be fine. she..” I stopped myself before saying that she loved Grandma'am. she didn't. every encounter they had was a shock to both of them. Y/N would spend days dissecting a single conversation they had. “— and what does she mean with…” as if my Grandmother was a stranger to the Capitol, as if she was a beggar who was begging for something that wasn't offered in the first place.

and yet, with her wanting nothing to do with my family, i still thought it was a great idea to bring her to the other side of where we lived on the capitol.

“well, hello, your majesty.” Tigris said, sprinkling water on my face.

“your majesty doesn't like getting wet.” I said.

“yeah, fine. what's up, snowflake?” she asked. I didn't answer.

“i cheated on her.” i blurted out. 

“on who- on y/n? coriolanus are you crazy?”

“what- no! i'm not. i was tempted and-”

“and nothing. y/n loves you– or so i think. do you know what women do when they discover something like that?” Tigris looked at me angrily, and for the first time i felt fear- true fear. the more i thought about it, the more i felt dumb. my wife would go through heaven and hell if it meant she could have her vengeance on something that hurt her. “you better pray for her not to find out. we both know y/n is not that simple to deal with.”

🪫

it was our fifth year aniversary when i woke up with my breath warming the pillow this morning. i walked barefoot to the edge of the stairs and listened, playing with my toes on the thick wall-to-wall carpet that y/n hated on principle, as i tried to decide if i was ready to join my wife. y/n was in the kitchen, oblivious to my hesitation. she hummed something melancholic and familiar. i struggled to figure out what it was—a folk song? a lullaby? — and then i realized it was the theme song to virgins suicides. suicide is painless. I went down the stairs.

nothing is happy with her.

y/n spied the crepe sizzling in the pan and licked something off her wrist. she looked triumphant, the typical married woman. if i held her in my arms, i would smell red fruits and powdered sugar.

when she saw me looking at me in my old boxer shorts, my hair standing on end, she leaned on the kitchen counter and said:

“hello, handsome.” fear filled my throat. i thought to myself: okay, go ahead.

💋

i was very late for work. my cousin and I had done a foolish thing when we returned to our grandma'am house. we did what we always said we wanted to do. we opened a bar. we borrowed money from y/n for this, eighty thousand dollars, an amount that had once been nothing to her, but was then almost everything. i swore I would return it, with interest. i wasn't going to be a man who borrowed money from his wife — I could feel my father grimacing at the mere mention of the idea. well, there are all kinds of men, was his most damning sentence, the second half unspoken: and you're the wrong kind.

but it was actually a practical decision, a smart business move. y/n and I needed new careers; that would be mine. she would choose one someday, or not, but in the meantime, it would produce an income, made possible by the rest of the nest egg. just like the ridiculous house I had rented, the bar appeared symbolically in my childhood memories — a place where only adults went, to do whatever adults did. maybe that's why I insisted so much on buying it after being deprived of my livelihood. it was a reminder that I was an adult after all, a grown man, a useful human being, even though I had lost the career that had made me all those things. I wouldn't make that mistake again: the once-vigorous herds of magazine journalists would continue to be slaughtered—by the Internet, by the recession, by the Panem public, who preferred to watch TV, play video games, or electronically inform their friends that, like, rain It sucks! But there was no application for a rush of bourbon on a hot day, in a cool, dark bar. the world will always want a drink.

we called the bar The Bar. “people will think we're ironic rather than creatively bankrupt,” my cousin reasoned.

yes, we thought we were smart in a New Panem way—that the name was a joke that no one else would really get, not like us. don't meta-sack. we imagine the locals turning up their noses: why did you call it The Bar? but our first customer, a gray-haired woman in bifocals and a pink tracksuit, said, “I like the name. like in Breakfast at Tiffany’s, where Audrey Hepburn’s cat is called Puss.”

we felt a lot less superior after that, which was good.

I entered the parking lot. I waited for a strike to sound at the bowling alley—thanks, thanks, friends—and then I got out of the car. I admired the surroundings, not yet bored by the sight: the squat, light-brick post office across the street (now closed on Saturdays), the unassuming beige office building just below (now closed, period). the city was not prosperous, not anymore, not by a long shot. I dared myself to dream about the long-lost dream i had when i was young; dreaming that i'd be the president that would make Panem great again. that was something that had always been stuck to me. with me.

but now, watching the blood of my wife on the floor of our house when i arrived on our fifth anniversary, a chill went up and down through all my body as i searched for her, my eyes didn't even blink while i searched for anything that prooved me that she's alive; that she's there. and that it was just a prank; but she wasn't. the more i looked for her through the house, the more i saw her, but not physically. i saw her in the small things she put there and there when decorating our house, even on my office there were small things that reminded me of her.

i would never escape her. loved her too much to escape.

so, when the police arrived and searched through all the house– now, a crime scene– and determined that I was the prime suspect, i threw up.

[amalainse]

𖦹 IN YOUR SPIRIT, SINGING SOFTLY ⇆ yuuji itadori

┆︎summary ┆︎betrothed to an elusive shy highborn lady, yuuji is determined to uncover the woman hiding behind the harsh expectations placed upon her by her family.over the years, you grow to love one another.

┆︎tags┆︎medieval/fantasy au, prince yuuji, highborn lady reader, toxic families (readers), neurodivergent coded reader, betrothed childhood friends to lovers, fingering, missionary, loss of virginity, vanilla sex

┆︎wc┆︎8.7k (woo boy!)

┆︎an┆︎can this be a get-together fic if you're already married...?

the day dawns like any other.

it is well beyond the first hours of light touching the highest towers of castle itadori. the air is cool, crisp, gently wafting through the trees. from end to end, the entire land seemed to be waiting with baited breath as his father proposed a betrothal to you, a lady from not-so-distant lands.

tensions have been rising between your families, it is no secret to anyone. and yet, no one knows what started it, who fanned the flames of hatred between the two―only that his father wishes to fight no longer. marriage of his only son, to your families only daughter was the easiest way to promote prosperity between both families.

to yuuji, being betrothed to you is both a blessing a curse. he is only nine, and anxiety looms inside him in a way that is foreign. he had only heard of you in passing. in scant lessons from his tutors (when he bothered to attend) when they explained the lineages of other great houses. even then his tutors did not have much to say about you.

an enigmatic girl, said one. the other; a delicate whisper, in name and in mannerisms. not much at all to go on at all, yuuji thought―not when your older brothers were described in such apt words, endless details, it seemed, of their accomplishments for your house.

luckily, he did not consider himself the type of prince who let others do all of his thinking for him. determined to speak to the girl he was promised to marry, the young prince sought you out all on his own.

it takes him a while, wandering the halls of your castle. but eventually he finds you in one of the dayrooms. it's well into the afternoon, and his stomach grumbles.

you're sitting on your knees, resting them against a pillow, yellow gown fanning out against the fine hardwood floor. like a tulip, turned over. most of your black hair is pulled away from your face―like tufts of clouds. and two pieces frame the sides of your face, decorated with pale wooden beads. simple but intricate jewelry adorns your neck and wrists. and as if in juxtaposition with your overall dainty appearance, a bug skitters across your knuckles.

its long and spindly, with a black body and hundreds of brown little legs. it is easily the ugliest creature the young prince has ever seen. you make a game of it though, turning your cupped hands this way and that as you keenly watch the bug scatter across your brown hands.

"what is that?" yuuji asks, dramatically gagging, as he approaches. he sits beside you on the floor, peering over you to try and get a better look. you try to shield the creature from him, but when your eyes catch his own curious gaze, you relent, slowly showcasing it to him.

"it is a centipede" you say quietly, turning your attention back to the hideous creature. "the maids were going to kill it"

i can see why, he thinks to himself. "it is...interesting to look at" and strangely grotesque as well. yet the longer yuuji looks, the less disgusting it becomes.

you don't reply to that. yuuji allows himself several moments to study the face of his future bride. you're pretty―why no one has ever told him this before? the sun darting through the windows only highlights your skin, turns it to simmering gold before his very eyes.

he watches keenly as your fingertip softly traces the backside of the centipede. your head turns slightly to look at him. "would you like to hold it?" you ask, and your voice is so quiet that it could easily have been drowned out if there were more people present. "it does not bite, if you are worried about that, prince itadori"

another foreign feeling overtakes him. fear, apprehension, skittering around his body like the centipede over your hands.

"just yuuji, please" he warbles, steeling his nerves. "alright"

you only stare for a moment. "you do not have to, if you so wish"

"of course i don't want to" yuuji admits, pouting at you. "but you are, and you seem to like it. how bad can it be?"

you stare for a moment longer. your head turns instinctively towards the unmistakable sound of footsteps coming down the hall.

"i am not someone who needs to be impressed, my prince" you say, standing to your feet, quickly crossing the dayroom to reach the large window.

yuuji follows after you on lanky legs, unlatching the window and pushing it open. you stand on the tips of your toes, carefully depositing the centipede onto the side of the castle wall. it doesn't move, but with a gentle nudge from your fingertip, the grotesque beast understands the notion and scurries away to freedom.

and just in time too. the door opens, and your mother strides pridefully into the room, head held high, flanked by several ladies. she's so different from you, who seems to further fold into yourself when she makes herself known. he finds himself watching the scene was intense concentration.

he doesn't like what he sees.

your mother takes one long look between you and him. "prince itadori, what a surprise" she smiles, but it's a fake one. she looks about as pleased to see him as he does her. "your father is looking for you" she says dismissively towards him as she sinks her claws into your shoulder. "dear, come along now"

you follow after her like an obedient little duck, looking back at him only once before your mother forces you forward once more.

--

the young prince is hardly a boy, anymore. ten long years have passed since he's met you―and your mother and father have kept you on a tight leash. he's seen only glimpses of you, and now that he's met with you completely, yuuji finds that he is at a loss for words.

you have yet to see him, and in fact, your back is turned to him. your chaperone stares him down―like he might somehow defile you if he even dares to step too close. ijichi, yuuji's own chaperone, stands closer towards the garden gates. it had taken far longer than it should have to convince your parents to allow for a courtship.

they had seen no importance in it. the two of you were to be married, the agreements set around that notion ten years ago. why did it matter if he courted you properly if the end result was to be the same?

he thinks they are fools. it isn't uncommon at all for people to be arranged to marry. his parents were. but they fostered love for one another over the years. yuuji is determined to make it work with you.

yuuji takes a step forwards, then another. your head is craned downwards, towards your lap. the prince wonders what has caught your attention. at last, your chaperone ruins the serene moment with a cough and a pointed glance in his direction. you turn slowly, and it is with that motion that yuuji finally sees what had been closely capturing your attention―another one of your spindly beasts.

the sight of it brings a fond smile to his face. yuuji bounds eagerly towards you, taking the available seat next to you on the marble bench. just like when he was a boy, the prince cranes his neck, peering into your hands. "that is a large beetle" yuuji remarks, gazing at the insects unique markings. "where did you find it?"

you glance towards him―pretty brown eyes scanning over his features. "in the peonies" you tell him quietly, and place the beetle onto the grass, and both of you watch it as it scurries away.

there are perhaps a hundred different flowers. "which ones are the peonies?" he inquires, once he can no longer follow the bug with his eyes.

"the coral colored ones, there" you instruct, pointing, before bringing your hand back into your lap. yuuji watches the movement with rapt attention.

the prince hums in response. he knows that conversation isn't something you really seem to...like doing. from his observations of you over the years, you are content to be alone and in silence. yuuji wants to know where you go, when you recede into your mind like this.

the flowers are very pretty though, and it's just as nice to sit beside you and exist. but he practically vibrates with the need to ask you a thousand questions. to know as much as possible about you.

you like the gardens, that much is obvious. you seem completely relaxed and at peace here—more than he's ever seen in the past. how often do you come here? do you simply sit alone? are you lonely? you seem like you are. is it possible to be both lonely and at peace?

"prince ita–yuuji" you start and his attention comes to you swiftly. you seem to notice him looking, because you keep your own gaze focused on the sleeve of your dress. "...nevermind. it's nothing"

"no!" yuuji exclaims, perhaps a bit too enthusiastically. he winces, and holds the back of his neck. "sorry—i don't mean to be loud. it's just that i care what you have to say, even if you don't think it's important"

you look surprised for a moment, before that expression too, falls away. you shake your head softly, looking at him. yuuji likes it when you look at him, he realizes. there is always so much to say in your gaze and yet none of it leaves your mouth.

"i was only going to apologize" you explain in that little voice of yours. he can excuse the way he scoots even closer—surely far closer than appropriate—at the softness of your voice. there is a sad expression, more melancholy than usual and one that the prince does not like. "i know i must not be the sort of woman you would have married willingly. but despite my faults—"

yuuji's face scrunches up. "did your mother tell you to say that?" he interrupts, sounding annoyed and far angrier than he means to. you aren't like the other women. why your mother insists on forcing you into the same little box, yuuji has no idea.

silence. behind you, he can hear the shifting of weight from one foot to the other of your chaperone.

"only that i should vow to do my best by you" you say, after a long while. there's more to it that you aren't saying. but yuuji knows the sort of woman your mother is, the sort of man your father is. it couldn't have been anything good. and he hates how they've sank their claws into your skin and made you think so lowly of yourself.

"did you want to be married?" inquires the prince instead, staring at you. slowly, you give a small shake of your head. "so it should be i that should apologize then?" yuuji asks once more, though there is a teasing edge to his words.

another shake of your head, innocent and genuine. "you've done nothing wrong"

"and neither have you" he says, watching the way your eyes widen slightly in shock. "i would rather be wed to someone real than someone constructed based on what they assume i do and do not want in a partner"

it's too early for yuuji to tell how he feels about you. and he knows he cannot expect you to know the same. he can't say, with complete certainty, that he loves you. but the way the corners of your mouth quirk up into a slight smile makes him believe that he could. or maybe, he is already well on his way to doing so.

--

yuuji wonders how many times he's going to find you like this : alone and with your back to him, the foreground in a scenic location. his foot crunches on a twig, and you turn to face him. there is recognition on your face and you do not look as closed off as you usually are. yuuji swears that he won't allow himself to wonder what that means.

"hello, yuuji," you greet softly, and the prince forces his legs to carry himself. he stands in front of you—raking his eyes over your form. you're dressed more formally than when you lounge around in the gardens. a soft colored gown, lavender or white he cannot tell, with pretty pearls embroidered in elegant designs. poufy sleeves, curling like your hair, and a shiny necklace around your throat.

"you look beautiful" he says honestly, clasping his hands behind his back so that he can fidget with him. his voice comes out slightly raspy, throat dry. he hopes you cannot tell.

you stare at him for a moment. "thank you" you say, clearly waiting for something.

yuuji startles. "sorry!" he says, chuckling. he can't stop staring. his eyes flit from your face—your eyes especially, and your mouth, and then to the curve of your neck. your shoulders, your waist. your hands, where your fingers are intertwined. yuuji swallows again, and curses his wandering eyes. "your father sent me to retrieve you. the hunt is starting soon"

this late into the courtship, and with the wedding not so far away, both of your chaperones have eased up, and yuuji has been alone with you on a few opportunities. and the prince knows that your reclusive nature only eases the minds of society. no scandalous activity of any sort will be taking place between the two of you. but each time has ended exactly as it is now—with him stumbling over his words and making an utter fool of himself.

softly, a frown etches its way onto your face. "i thought i had more time" you say quietly, more to yourself than to him. your eyes meet his own. "i do not wish to go" you tell him, nearly pleading.

"i know" yuuji responds, and stands a bit closer. his heart pounds in his chest, beating so loudly it feels physical— at the way you unconsciously lean in the direction of his voice. you take comfort from him. from his presence. even though you do not say it. you do not need to. he feels as though he is beginning to unravel you, and the fact that you let him makes him feel...makes him feel honored.

he knows how much you hate these events, but as his betrothed both 1of you know how important it is for you to place yourself into society. he wants to touch you, to place a comforting hand on your shoulder. but the prince knows the two of you are not there—not yet.

"will it comfort you to know that the hunt will not take very long?" he asks quietly, as the two of you begin to walk back with the rest of the royal hunting party.

"it does" you reply softly, looking up at him briefly with your captivating gaze. "you will make sure it doesn't suffer?" you ask quietly, after a moment.

you and your bleeding heart. "you have my word" yuuji promises solemnly, meaning every word.

as you both near the clearing, the prince can hear the sounds of conversation. the men clean and toy with their weapons, boasting loudly of the kills they are sure to earn. the women are all huddled away from the sun underneath a tent. the smell of fruit wafts from it, fresh and cloying. honey and lemon cakes too, if his nose does not betray him.

"prince itadori! we were waiting for you" calls out one of the lords. his hair is graying, but he can't possibly be older than forty years of age. he walks up to where he is standing at your and shakes his hand. "if you were to take any longer, i'm sure some of the elders would have fallen over"

"i apologize" yuuji tells him, though he does not truly mean it. "my lady's father asked that i retrieve her" the lord seems to have remembered that you are actually present and turns that sleezy smile in your direction. then he reaches out to offer to shake yours as well. you take a miniscule step towards yuuji, and decline the offer with a shake of your head, a quiet no thank you on your lips.

the lord is clearly miffed by your refusal. his mask cracks, minutely, before repaired. "it's rude to refuse to shake a lords hand, my lady. has no one taught you this?"

immediately, yuuji is stepping forward. he doesn't like the way the lord speaks to you, clearly. the disgust in his voice. the sneer of his upturned nose.

"that is my future wife, and your queen" yuuji's says lowly, blood boiling. he cuts in front of you, glaring down sharply at the stout man. "i will not allow her to be disrespected, in front of me no less, as though she is a simple-minded animal"

"my apologies, my prince— i only meant that—"

"what is meant is what was said" snaps yuuji, catching the attention of several other passerby's at his outburst. he opens his mouth to say more, but is stopped by the brand of your fingers wrapping gently around his forearm. yuuji's voice dies in his throat, eyes glancing down to stare at your slender brown fingers against his skin.

you're touching him. your melodious voice melts his brain as you begin to speak. "it is alright yuuji, i take no offense"

"i apologize for my tone" the prince apologizes, turning to face you more openly now—uncaring as the man slips away with a hurried excuse. "i wasn't too much of a brute, i hope?"

you laugh. laugh. at something he's said. it's soft, but its undeniably there. today is beginning to be one of many surprises. "only the normal amount, my prince" you respond, though he can hear the jest in your tone.

a horn blows, more for his benefit than anyone else's. it is with great that yuuji must leave you—though he stands and watches you enter the tent with the rest of the women before joining the men for the hunt. he is terribly useless during it all, mind clearly wandering. he is teased far more than he would like about the obvious subject of the prince's distraction. the hunt is over a handful of hours later and the men return to camp carrying a boar and a handful of rabbits.

those who are married go to their wives. those who are not either chat up the few ladies who remain unwed, or talk amongst themselves. yuuji busies himself with searching for you. the prince knows you'll be alone and he begins to make a game of it—searching in many nooks and crannies around the clearing. and he does find you, a short while later.

or rather, it is you who finds him.

"i was looking for you" yuuji says, stating the obvious, once you quietly alert him to your presence. he can spot his own parents talking, sharing a drink as they laugh, caught in their own world. before he can think twice about it, the prince begins to imagine the two of you in such a scenario.

you hold a small box in your hands, ignoring his words as you deposit it softly into his hands. "i regret that i could not see you for your birthday" you explain, folding your hands into one another as you stare down at your feet to avoid his gaze. "i hope you like it yuuji, though if you do not, my feelings will not be hurt"

"i love it" yuuji says, even though he has yet to open it. you lift your head, quirking a brow at him. the prince is quick to amend himself. "i mean—i will love it. because you are the one who got it for me" he tears open the box quickly, uncaring of how eager and childish it might make him look.

it is a pocket watch. small and golden, engraved with vines. when he flicks it open, a simple message awaits him ; happy birthday, yuuji and signed with your name. the surface is smooth, and yuuji runs the pad of his thumb across the front again and again.

"you fidget, sometimes, with your pocket watch—when you are troubled, i think" you explain, looking up at him. the prince holds your gift in one hand, reaching down to his pants to tug the old one off the chain. the surface of the clock itself is cracked. "you visited our house for tea, and when you opened your watch to check the time i noticed it was cracked."

the gold of your gifted watch stares up at him. yuuji's face reflects in its surface and he feels oddly near tears. it is a simple gift. he has received more expensive things by a long shot. but nothing compares to the fact that you see him well enough to notice his habits. to notice something as minuscule as knowing he needs a new watch.

i can't wait to marry you is perhaps too loaded for this moment. the last thing he wants to do is scare you off. things are going so well. you've just begun to open up around him. his presence brings you serenity instead of the discomfort of a stranger. he has the rest of his life to tell you how he feels.

so instead, yuuji swallows, looks at you and says, "thank you"

--

the morning sun streams through open windows. yuuji, who usually sleeps with his back facing them for a reason—wakes with the light pressing against his eyes. with a displeasure hiss, he turns over only to find that the right hand side of the bed is empty. the prince, now married as of one day, sits up hurriedly in bed.

once his alert mind catches up to him, you're easily found. you lean against the balcony, looking down. the line of your body is tense, and your shoulders are square. yuuji imagines that for you, there is much to be unhappy about. he tries to remind himself that none of it is because of him.

quietly, so as not to startle you, yuuji calls out your name. he stands beside you, shoulders nearly touching. if the wind blew hard enough, he imagines he could feel the tense side of your body against his own. "early riser, i take it?" yuuji inquires, turning so that his back is pressed against the rails. he can get a better look at you this way.

your mouth pulls down into a soft frown. your fingers twist and pull at one another anxiously. "occasionally" you tell him. then, "when i cannot sleep"

"what troubles you?" asks the prince, just barely fighting to tack on a love at the end of it. not there yet, he reminds himself. not there, we're not there yet.

it is probably the wedding. you don't like attention at the best of times. but not even you could weasel your way out of this one. imagine―a crown princess hiding out from her own wedding. and how alienating it must be, to live in a place that is not your home, surrounded by people you do not know. yuuji absentmindedly traces his lips with his finger, recalling the chaste kiss pressed to them at the ceremony the day before. was there more he could have done, to ease your discomfort?

"we did not consummate the marriage" you explain softly. nervously, you pull at your fingers.

"you did not want to" reminds the prince, not unkindly, staring at you, trying to piece together what you really mean. "why would i force you to do something you do not wish to? it is cruel"

"i should have pushed past my discomforts" you whisper softly, staring down at your bare feet. "they may argue that our marriage is less legitimate if i cannot produce an heir—much less if word gets out that we did not...i do not want to cause you more worry" you finish, sounding so helpless it breaks his heart.

he has an inkling of what this is really about. for a moment, at the reception, your mother had pulled you away. you had left him with an uneasy smile on your face and returned to him so obviously crestfallen. he can't imagine what it is that she's said to you, what lies she's filled your head with.

yuuji steps closer, and gently covers your hand in his own. he turns it over in his palm, relishing in the fact that you do not move away. "if our positions were reversed, would you force me?"

you stare up at him with wide eyes. "...i would not"

"why do you insist on treating yourself so unkindly?" he says softly, brushing his thumb against your knuckles. "i only want to see you happy. i wish to bring you no discomfort, no pain. and i know you wish for me to be the same."

"children require a lot of effort, and take a toll on the mind, and the body" continues the prince. "we will not sire a child until you wish to, and not a moment before. it is you who i am wed to, not the court. the court will not be the one to carry the babe, you will"

you are silent for a long moment. the minutes stretch onwards, and your hand trembles where it rests against his own. a quiet sniffle, and then tears. yuuji stares, unsure of what to do.

"what if i am never ready?" you whisper wetly, looking away from him.

yuuji wants to kiss you. it's a thought that comes at the worst possible time—and shames him thoroughly. but it is true. yuuji wants to kiss you, and he wants to hold your hand, and show you so many wonderful things. things you deserve to have. that you should have already had. but he swallows, and pushes down the feeling.

"i still would not force you" he says truthfully, and it physically pains him to imagine a world where he would. another soft sob escapes you. it physically pains him to see you this way, like someone has stabbed him and left the wound open. "would you like to be held?" yuuji inquires softly.

he doesn't expect you take him up on it. but you do, nodding minutely before stumbling your way into his chest with a sniffle. it's a testament to how much you've grown, over the years. yuuji's arms wrap around you immediately, rubbing softly at the center of your back as quiet cooing noises leave his lips.

"...thank you" your soft cries have subsided, but yet you remain in his embrace. if you do not wish to move, then yuuji won't move you. he can feel you moving, can feel your chin digging into the center of his chest as you slowly blink up at him. tears clump your lashes. the prince brings his finger to your cheek to brush away the last of them.

"i am here for you" yuuji tells you, staring you in the eye so you know how serious he is about this. about you. "always"

you say nothing, only moving to tuck yourself back into his chest. yuuji can feel the way you breathe deeply, and the shuddery exhale that follows as you allow yourself to be comforted.

--

it has been nearly two months since then. and something almost...tangible has passed between the two of you. yuuji can feel it, in the heavy way you look at him. contemplative. questioning. though not in a malicious way. the opposite, really, considering there is no-one more incapable of malice than you.

and that is why yuuji is so afraid to ruin things. ruin them with his feelings, ones he isn't sure you return. afraid to ruin them by showing you that he is not as good as you surely think him to be. afraid to disappoint you.

yuuji's sure you've already noticed his mood as of late—sullen. brooding. clipped, one word answers. how he holes himself up in the council room, or in his office. and when he cannot contain his anger and frustration at the state of things, the training yards with the knights.

that is where he is now, when you find him. todo, one of the knights, has just swept him expertly off his feet. he lands ungracefully on his ass. with a groan, the prince pulls himself to his feet—uncertain now why the usual boisterous training yard has fallen silent.

his heart plummets to the bottom of his stomach when he finally spots you standing in the yard. you hold the skirt of your gown in light fists to protect it from getting soiled by the mud. the juxtaposition it creates—a delicate flower surrounded by dirt and grime.

"i tried calling for you" you say quietly, as the prince bounds to your side, leading you away from the dirt. he knows he must smell, yet you do well to keep your face cool and neutral. simply being in your presence is enough to begin to lift away the sour cloud that hovers above him. "i stood on the balcony. but you could not hear me. it is very loud here" you continue to explain, as if yuuji might somehow be upset with you for any of it.

"have you any need for me?" yuuji asks, cursing himself for being so filthy. if he were cleaner, perhaps you would be up to holding his hand again.

at this, you hesitate. but then the prince can physically see the way you steel your nerves, before raising your eyes to his and giving him one solemn nod.

"only your company" you tell him, so very obvious that you're forcing yourself not to look away. "but it seems i have caught you at an ill time. so it can wait until tomorrow—but i was...i was wondering if you would like to spend the day together?"

"yes, please" yuuji rushes out, before you can even finish. you look at him in surprise, for a quick moment. like you can't believe he had agreed. "today, works. i just need to bathe quickly—"

you give him a small, fond smile, tilting your head to show that you're listening attentively. yuuji's mouth clamps shut and he feels himself turning red.

by now, the both of you have reached your shared chambers. and so, there is no real need for yuuji to stammer out a shaky, "i will be only a moment. to bathe. if that does not set our plans too far back"

but he does. stammer, he means, and you only send him another one of your soft smiles. your hands are clasped lightly at your front. really, you look none at all inconvenienced. "i will wait here for you" you say—gesturing to the bedroom.

"alright" yuuji croaks, and proceeds to set records for fastest bath ever taken. you stand close, much closer than usual, as the two of you exit the chambers. the prince tries not to let the proximity of your body heat ruin his life. he fails. how is it that your presence alone sends him spiraling, but is the only balm for said malady?

and then his brain really does short-circuit once you close the little distance between you. your left arm loops through his right one—but you keep your gaze trained forwards. steadily so. "i am not being too forward?" you ask, refusing to look at him.

"not at all." a gaggle of maids smile as you both pass. yuuji places his hand over the one currently curled around his bicep. he is stiff, almost, as you lead him where you please.

eventually, the two of you end up in another one of the castles gardens. this one is smaller, more private. out on the veranda are two chairs and an easel.

"you mean to paint my portrait" yuuji says, quite dumbly—feeling his face get hot. his palms itch and he feels sweaty, all of a sudden. he's thankful now that you aren't holding his hand.

"if you do not oppose" you wager and you both are looking away from each other now. "i am good at it. i wouldn't make you look like a horrid beast"

it's meant to be a joke. and yuuji takes it, laughing a lot harder than he should for such a little quip. but the corners of your mouth turn up slightly in satisfaction.

"what would you have done, if i had not agreed?" yuuji inquires, departing from your warmth. not that he would have.

you take your place by the easel, holding a pencil in your hand as you begin to sketch the shape of his head—the drape of his wonderful sandy hair. "i would have painted the other chair"

yuuji makes a noise, and laughter peals from his throat so hard that he loses his careful position. you sketch furiously now, concentrated and he realizes that you are trying to capture his laughter.

your head pokes around the easel, brows knit. "you have so many facial expressions."

"that's a good thing, i hope" yuuji replies, feeling his face flush at the way you stare at him. the levelness of your gaze and the relaxation that settles into your bones.

"i have never seen something so alive before" you murmur softly, more to yourself than to him. your eyes dart just west of his face. they dart away again, just as quick. you move to mix your paints now. "i want to be alive like you are"

you are alive yuuji wants to say. painfully so. people just do not care to stay long enough to see it. but he does. he has. yuuji has been there, every step of the way—watching you blossom underneath his hands and eyes. a choked, panicked sound erupts from his throat. your eyes snap up, alarmed.

"...forgive me" you apologize, just as yuuji says, "i am in love with you"

both of you freeze. the ornate palette in your hand hovers in midair, awkwardly close to the easel.

"i have tried to hide it" yuuji whispers at last, when you do not say anything at all. he pretends to pull at a very determined thread in his pants, avoiding your eyes. "and i have tried not to pressure you.i—in anyway. you do not have to return my feelings"

out of his peripheral, he can see see the way your face pulls and twists. "how do you know?" you aren't disgusted. he hadn't expected that you would be. he knew you wouldn't. you aren't the type. but still the fear had clung to him like a second skin anyway.

"i think of you often. i see you everywhere, even when you are not present" yuuji starts, swallowing thickly as you continue to paint. "i have always seen you. since i was a boy. i want you to feel safe, and happy. anything that pleases you, pleases me in turn. when you hurt, i am hurt as well."

you choose not to say anything towards that for a moment. the silence is killing him. yuuji is practically vibrating in his chair.

"i have always wondered, what that feeling felt was called" you murmur softly, looking at him so clearly now. you place your brush down onto your palette, squeezing at the bodice of your dress—over your heart. "i have known very little happiness in my life. and i thought you...i thought you would be like the rest. and yet you have shown me the complete opposite of my expectations. you possess such goodness. it's a rare trait for most to have"

"if that is called love, then that is what i feel for you" you say determinedly, and yuuji had forgotten what it was that he was so upset about in the first place.

surprisingly, after that, the two of you don't talk about it. not openly. he doesn't need you too, he realizes. over the next few weeks, you continue to work on his portrait. yuuji doesn't understand much about painting and art in general—but what he knows is that you've already reached the point of needing him to sit for you. and yet, that doesn't stop you from offering anyway.

always, magically, you seem to sense that he needs a reprieve from the life of the almost-king. you pull him away into your world, where everything is peaceful and calm and quiet. it's different, from the times where he's had his portrait as a boy. he had always assumed he had been too restless, too energetic to sit still for so many hours.

and yet, whenever you tell him that you are finished for the day, yuuji is surprised to find how much time has passed. his body prickles, waking up. he gets so lost in watching you or daydreaming about you or some combination of the two that the time flies.

he's almost...saddened, when you finally finish it for good. you've sent for a few servants to carry it off into the dayroom—covered by a tarp. yuuji will be the only other person to see it. there's almost this, apprehensive look to you, brimming with excitement as your hands pull off the tarp.

"do you like it?" you ask, gazing at him with your wide brown eyes.

he is only half-aware of dropping his lemon tart to the ground. you've painted him in this half-surprised, half-joyful expression. but there's indescribable fondness in there too. there's the parting of his mouth—as if he is only waiting to exhale a breath. there's ruddiness to his cheeks and his eyes seem to be trained towards something just out of reach of the frame.

how long has he stared at you, for his gaze to be always trained towards you—even when immersed in a painting?

"is this is how you see me?" he asks, brown eyes darting from you to the portrait again, amazed.

you sidle up next to him, standing so close that yuuji has to wrap an arm around your shoulders, anchoring you to his side. "that's how you have always looked at me"

--

it's nearing your second anniversary. yuuji has your gift (s) hidden away in his study—where he is now. a collection of things he's found on his occasional travel throughout the kingdom. a yellow and blue day dress with gorgeous golden lace and flowing sleeves. he's always liked you in yellow, and the fabrics feel soft to the touch. ones he'll know you prefer to feel against your skin.

a very large tome about insects, seeing that you've finished what little the castle libraries have on the topic. a journal with a clasped lock, embroidered with pretty vines. so that you can jot down your findings and recite them to him later.

you've recently gotten into calligraphy, and yuuji had procured you nice pens which the vendor promised were prefer for the art. and finally, two tickets for the sleeping beauty ballet—on the last day of its showing, when there are guaranteed to be less people attending.

a little overboard perhaps, considering the fact that yuuji stops and gets you a gift no matter where he is. even if it is as simple as a rose. but he can't help but spoil you. you deserve it. and his reward is the delighted expression you make, and the soft breathless thank you, that passes your lips—ever sweet and genuine.

your fist knocks gently on his door. yuuji makes sure that your gifts are out of sight before telling you to enter. you do, but do not cross into his study. yuuji's brow quirks at the odd behavior. you hang onto the doorframe, grip tight.

"dear?" he inquires, standing up with a start. "is something wrong?"

you shake your head. "n-no. there isn't. i just. i'm ready."

a puzzled look befalls him, trying to discern your meaning. "ready for what?" you only stare imploringly at him. it hits him all at once, what you mean. what if i am never ready? his face turns bright red. "now?" he confirms.

"please" you warble "if you want—"

"of course i want to, love" yuuji interjects, before you can get in your head about it. he steps out from behind his desk, pushing aside the work he planned to finish before bed. his palm settles on the small of your back, guiding you back into the bedroom. further still, so that your bottom lands on the bed.

yuuji crawls in after you, gently pulling you forwards. his hand cups the side of your face—like he has so many times before, eyes fluttering shut as your mouths meet in a soft kiss. you seem to melt in it, bringing your arm up and around his shoulders. he pulls away, pressing a quick kiss to your cheek before diving back in for another. and another, and a dozen more.

you squirm against him and sparks light up down his spine. yuuji's hand toys with the short sleeve of your silken fabric of your nightgown before pulling away. he needs both hands for this, untying the lacing for his breeches and top—but unwilling to separate from your mouth.

he tugs himself, almost impatiently, out of his shirt. it pulls the softest sound of laughter from your lips and yuuji nearly moans at the feeling of your hands pressing against his bare chest. your hand darts away at the sound—but yuuji intercepts the touch, pulling you back in.

yuuji dives back in for another kiss, tilting his head to deepen it as your hands curl up at the front of his chest. the two of you languidly kiss for a few more minutes as the arousal begins to slowly pool in both of your bodies. your hips twitch, bucking unconsciously against the hardness of his cock against your thigh.

his hand slides up the side of your body, once against playing with your nightgown. "lets get this off" he suggests softly, gently—like his isn't itching to feel your bare skin. you agree with a soft noise of consent, and a breathy okay, yuuji before you allow him to undo the lacings at the back of your nightgown.

he bunches it up at the bottom, knuckles skimming along your thighs before slowly pulling it up, up, up. his mouth waters as each inch of tantalizing skin is revealed to his eyes. he's never seen so much of you before, body usually covered by your dresses and underskirts. gently, yuuji presses you down against the bedding, bracketing your body with his own as his hand cups your supple breast.

untouched and unused to anyone touching you in such a way, you squirm, a soft sound leaving your lips as yuuji fondles your breast in his warm hand.

"is this okay?" he asks, kissing you again.

you nod, pulling your bottom lip between your teeth. his thigh slides between your legs, and he can feel the dampness of your panties. his thumb circles around your nipple, dragging his lips from your lips to your jaw and then down to your neck.

use your words, love, gently admonishes yuuji. i need to know if i'm hurting you.

"okay" you say softly, giving him a pleasured little sigh that doesn't do anything but make his cock ache. "yuujji—that feels good"

your skin pebbles underneath the touch. a moment later, and your nipple is stiff, pressing up against his fingers. yuuji switches to your other breast, angling his body to pull the right back into his mouth. his other hand splays across the warm skin of your stomach, skirting further down to your panty-clad mound.

there's a damp spot against the fabric. yuuji groans around your nipple at the feeling. wet already, and he's done nothing major but play with your breasts and kiss you until your both dizzy. he's going to make you feel so good. yuuji pulls away from your nipple with a wet pop!, fingers pushing your panties to the side as his fingers lightly trace through your folds.

the shape is familiar, and the sound of your moan echoes in his ears as he places the memory of the anatomy model against the real thing. yuuji studies your face, watching and cataloguing which touches make you squirm. which ones make you moan. and which ones make breathless exhales of his name pass through your lips.

you seem to like it best when he starts from the bottom, dragging two of his fingers around your entrance before skirting back up to press firm circles onto your hooded clit. your hips twitch and buck—seeking more friction.

"i'm going to put one in now" yuuji murmurs, spreading your thighs nice and wide for him. he can feel you stiffen up slightly and that won't do. his kisses you again, rubbing quickly on your clit to get your legs to fall open once more. he presses in, tucking his face against the crook of your neck to groan at the tightness of your cunt.

your hips squirm and wriggle, cunt clenching wetly around the intrusion for a moment. trying to push his finger out, before greedily sucking him in. your arms circle around his head, nails lightly scraping against his shoulder and back.

he fingers you slowly, pulling all the way out before pushing back in steadily. his cock is rock hard now and he can't help but to softly grind his cock against your body. "th—that feels good"

"yeah?" yuuji asks, sliding a second in along the first. "how does this feel? too much?"

you shake your head, biting at your lip again. and then you remember yuuji's earlier admonish, gasping out a "no-no. please don't stop" that has him nipping at your skin in deep curling satisfaction. he alternates between stretching you out, scissoring your cunt and between thrusting in an out two fingers becomes three and by the time he works you up to four, your so desperate for it that your thighs tremble and shake―toes curling.

"am, am i not ready now?" you ask, drool escaping your mouth. your eyes fly down to meet his own and the lust that reflects in them has him pulling his fingers out with a rush, licking them clean.

you rise up from the bed enough to help him out of his breeches and underwear, lying back down and spreading your legs. yuuji settles back between them, feeling your warm thighs underneath his hands―the heated supple flesh.

at the last moment, his hand darts out to grab one of the pillows, shoving it underneath your hips. at your questioning look, yuuji turns slightly pink for an entirely different reason.

"i've read that it helps with the penetration. makes it easier for a maidens first time" he explains softly, idly rubbing at your thigh to calm you. "and i'll reach deeper inside―which will feel really good"

it's your turn now, to wear an expression of slightly embarrassment. yuuji's body brackets yours more fully now and he begins to guide himself inside your sticky cunt. a soft, almost pained sound escapes you, replaced by another drawn out one. "you've...been reading?"

he's caught between watching your face and watching his cock sink inside inch after inch. "i inquired about it with your physician. she informed me that female pleasure requires more than male pleasure and―breathe love, there you go, you're doing so well―oh god, you feel so good."

his words bite off, snapping his hips forward and burying the last few inches inside of you with a groan. you yelp, thighs shutting before cracking open again, blinking up at him with wide eyes. you breathe, like he's told you to, visible as you settle around the sudden stretch.

"it doesn't hurt" you murmur quietly, like you can't quite believe it. your eyes go back up towards his face, hand settling around his bicep. "wh-what were you going to say?"

"your physician." yuuji starts, and then stops. his brows crinkle, and his hand trembles in the bedding with the effort it takes to hold still and not to just go wild. "she pointed me to a few books about female anatomy and pleasure―is it alright if i move now?"

you process his words, before nodding. a meek, "yes, please" falls from your lips and no sooner is he pulling out and pushing back in. a squeaky little noise leaves you, shadowed by yuuji's own moan as your tight cunt grips him. practically greedy, the way it's sucking him back in.

he understands now. why men go to war for their women. why they fight so hard and for so long, brutal. anything to be able to come back to this. he's never understood the appeal for sex―why men were so desperate to sleep with someone.

though you aren't just anyone. you're his wife, his sweet wife, nails pricking at his shoulders as his hips snap up to meet your own wriggling hips, little ah ah ah's leaving your lips, eyes fluttering shut and opening again. he feels that fondness bubbling up in his chest, love spilling out into each thrust into your sopping cunt, each fevered i love you, uttered into your skin.

yuuji leans forward to nip at your skin, sucking a mark along your collarbone when you make a loud moan, body seizing up like someone had just poured liquid fire over you. afraid that he's hurt you, yuuji pauses, lifting his head from the crux of your neck and shoulder―panic on his features.

you're quick to reassure him of the opposite. slurring, "no, noplease, please don't stop. please―" and he realizes, sort of late, that he's hit your spot.

"it's okay, sweetheart, love, i'm not stopping" yuuji promises, angling his hips and nailing that spot head-on. you make a litany of noises now, legs wrapped tightly around his waist and nails scrabbling along his back.

he loses himself in the feeling of your velvet heat. the sound of his heavy balls slapping against your round bottom fills the bedroom and the creaking of the bed adds a filthy undercurrent to the way yuuji is pleasuring you. he can feel your cunt clenching around him, throbbing and you're just as close as he is.

his mouth blindly finds yours, though the sloppy kiss is more tongue and teeth than any of the gentle finesse from earlier. yuuji props himself up on his elbow, driving his cock into you again and again, ramming against your g-spot―before slowing down into a sensual roll that has your hips lifting off the bed, chasing after him for more friction. his hand snakes down your body, returning to your clit.

it only takes a few more quick, rough circles on your sensitive nub for your body to tighten up and release, reaching out for him and panting out broken syllables of his name. it's a sound he won't ever be able forget.

yuuji pulls out, hand around his aching cock. jerking once and then twice, painting your thighs and cunt in thick stripes of hot seed. he collapses into bed beside you, curling around your naked body.

"was that your first time too?" you ask, turning to face him. though, its more like your face is in his chest and a moment later he can feel you mouth at the skin of his neck. it tickles, and he laughs, throat dry.

his hand rubs at your back, like he can't quite be separated from you just yet. nerves still thrumming with energy. he's decided that he'll follow after you into the bath, if you're comfortable with it. that'll be nice. bathing with you.

"it was" yuuji assures, gazing down at you. "i wanted you to be my first―if you wanted to at all." his first and his only. for the rest of his days. for as long as he's known you, he's been entranced. first with figuring you out, then with learning you overtime. and now simply, with being with you for the rest of his life.

a fond look passes over your face. you look just as fond as he does, smitten out of your mind. "i must make every woman in the kingdom extremely jealous, to have the heart of such a good man"

he's willing to argue that he's the luckier one. but exhaustion befalls your face, and you curl up further against him. moments later, you're deeply asleep.

the prince, nearly king now, presses a kiss to your slacken lips and follows you off into slumber.

© amalainse -- do not copy, steal or plagiarize my works.

[jacenotjason]

1 and 2 for the Hykau interview ^_^

OC INTERVIEW MEME

1. Who are you?

Hyakuashi grabs the collar of his jacket with two sharp claws and pops it high, as if preparing for a spotlight that only he can see.

"My name's Hyakuashi," He beams, "most people call me Hyaku."

"People call me all sorts of things, though." He continues, "Y'know, fun nicknames like, 'don't walk near that guy', and, 'human centipede'," He counts them off casually on his fingers, like he's listing old friends.

"Oh, and 'that dick'."

He looks entirely too pleased with himself.

2. Where did you come from? Were you born in this town or did you move here, etc.?

Hyaku twirls a pointer stick between his claws like a baton before stabbing it at a map. A red circle has been drawn near Osaka; no doubt in permanent marker, on a map that he did not own.

"I hail from Japan!" He says between obnoxious taps. "rrrright about here," He spins the stick theatrically in a circle, then stabs the center with flourish; as if marking a place only he knows the significance of.

“I moved here not too long ago. Eleven years, give or take.” He sets the pointer down, a bit more subdued now.

"I lived in Japan during my... ehh......"

Hyaku turns his head, looking away at nothing. Whatever he's remembering, he's not looking at it very fondly. "better... earlier years..." he mutters, his jaw tight. His clawed hand presses against his hip, as though resisting the urge to reach back into time itself.

"BUT—" he suddenly snaps back to the present, slicing the air with one hand like he's cutting through the memory itself.

"WHATEVER."

"PAST IS PAST," he says, louder now; too loud, maybe. "Can't change it. Doesn’t matter. I live here now."

"I moved here when I got bored of my home," He said finally, rolling his tongue over his teeth like he's pulling something back into his mouth. "I decided I had seen everything it had to offer me."

There's a flicker in his eye; something restless, something resentful.