#i apologise i'm quite the boring person

[loonylupinblack3]

Go Slow

Pairing: Logan Howlett x Reader

Warnings: SMUT! p in v, unprotected sex (wrap it before you tap it), riding, (brief) dry humping

Summary: it's your first time and Logan tries to go slow, he really does, but some things just can't be helped

Word count: 1.6k

A/N: i'm not too practiced in smut so sorry if it's shit 😭

Logan knew you were on the shy side of things. During the start of your relationship he’d had to coax words from you, feelings and opinions you held until you felt comfortable enough to share them without being asked. You’d be nervous and fidgety when asking to see him, acting like he was an attractive stranger when he was your boyfriend. 

In all honesty though Logan didn’t mind. He enjoyed your shy, almost naive personality, and was more than happy to wait for you to be comfortable with him before suggesting going any further. 

Sure, it was difficult for him to wait, but not impossible. If his pants tightened slightly when you walked in the room with ridiculously short shorts and practically sat in his lap with them, you didn’t notice. When you were sleeping in bed together and would unconsciously rub yourself against him, causing him to have to leave the bed for a bit lest he did something he'd regret, you remained blissfully unaware. And if he was putting away your laundry and came across a pair of lacy black panties with bows adorning it, you wouldn’t even notice they went missing.

Logan was more than okay to wait.

You, on the other hand, were not.

It started with small changes in you and your actions, though Logan couldn’t quite place his finger on what it was. You were more flustered around him than usual, jumpier and shier than you’d been before. You were quieter too, staring at him with more intensity than before, as if trying to read his mind. Yet it wasn’t as if you were pulling away from him, because you were much more touchy and clingy than usual, always needing to hold him and often being the initiator of any make out session you two might have- which is as far as you’d gone.

It was during one of these sessions, having started when you both grew bored of the movie playing on the screen, that you started straddling Logan, kissing him with more fevor than you usually did. Surprised, though certainly not disappointed, Logan kissed you back, hands resting on your thighs and occasionally running up and down them when his control slipped.

When he felt you rock against him slightly he knew something was up. You were never this forward with him, and was always the one to stop Logan when he got a bit carried away. Yet there you were, gently rocking against him while you kissed, moving against his jeans almost desperately, rubbing against him until there was a rock hard bulge for you to move against and Logan had to gently push you off him.

Immediately you started apologising, looking at your hands nervously fidgeting with your t-shirt, refusing to so much as glance at Logan.

“Hey, hey, you’re alright Bub,” Logan said gently. “I just don’t want to do anything before talking about it first.”

You risked a glance at him, trying to find any lie in his face. “You’re not angry at me?”

Logan would have laughed if he wasn’t worried about upsetting you further. “‘Course not. I fucking loved that, actually, but we can’t do it, or anything like that, without talking about it first. I gotta make sure you’re okay with it.”

You nodded your head with such eagerness Logan’s cock twitched in his pants. “I’m okay with it.”

He smiled at your needy demeanour and had to hold himself back from gladly going along with it. “What exactly do you want, Sweetheart? I gotta know that.”

You bit your lips shyly, glancing up at him from your lashes in such a way Logan was tempted to be fucked with all of this and just take you. He’d been waiting for months, however, so he could certainly wait a few more minutes, and restrained himself as such.

“I want to feel good,” you mumbled quietly. “Want you to make me feel good.”

Oh fuck.

Logan wasn’t sure he could handle this. Desire was coursing through his veins, his cock was throbbing almost painfully against his pants as he watched you, shy and naive but so wanting for him.

“Alright Bub, we can do that,” he eventually said, because fuck he wanted to make you feel good too. He wanted you moaning and whimpering his name, whining and panting underneath him because of him.

Yet as soon as he had you undressed and under him he could tell it wasn’t what you wanted. You looked petrified, eyes squeezed shut as you waited for Logan to enter you, and that just wouldn’t do.

“I’m not doing this Sweetheart,” he said, moving away.

You opened your eyes, seeming both relieved and disappointed at the same time. “What? Why?”

Logan sighed, wrapping you up in his arms and kissing your neck. Even with both of you naked it was surprisingly not desire filled and simply comforting. “Because you obviously don’t want it.”

You shook your head and turned around to face him, straddling him in a similar position as before. “I do want it. Just… it felt a bit scary like that.”

Logan thought about her words for a moment before inspiration struck him. “Do you want to ride me instead?”

You actually gasped, your eyes widening at the suggestion, yet he could also see the desire radiating off of you- he could smell it too- and feel the slick coming from your cunt at the thought. He smirked, taking that as a yes.

“I’m going to lift you up and slowly place you down on me. You can stop me at any moment, okay?” he asked you, wanting to make sure you were comfortable with this.

You nodded your head, looking apprehensive but also excited, as you glanced down at his hard on, licking your lips slightly. “I don’t know if it will fit.”

Logan nearly groaned then and there. “It will.”

Hesitant but sure, you let Logan’s hands wrap around your waist and lift you up, positioning his cock at your entrance. He gave you a few seconds to back out, and when you didn’t, staring at him confidently, Logan sunk you down on his cock.

Fuck even just his tip inside you felt like heaven, your cunt squeezing against him. You let out a gasp and he hesitated, waiting, and you slowly nodded your head, giving him the go ahead to continue. He did so gently, making you take him inch by inch, stopping every so often for you to get used to the feeling of him until you’d finally taken all of him inside you.

The feeling of your walls squeezing his cock was heavenly. He could barely think, and all he wanted to do was fuck you hard and fast, chase the release he so desperately wanted. Yet he waited for it to feel comfortable for you, waiting for the pain to ease before he did anything.

“Okay… what now?” you asked in a timid voice.

Logan had to muffle the sound threatening to escape him at the sight of you blinking bashfully at him while he was inside you. It was too good to be true.

“Now you move,” Logan said roughly, because he didn’t trust himself to move and not fuck you viciously like he wanted to.

You thought for a moment before giving an experimental rock, gasping at the pleasure accompanying the action. You repeated the rock again, then again, creating a slow but sure movement that was slowly killing Logan.

Every sway of your hips, the way you rode his cock eagerly if not skillfully, was pushing him closer and closer to the edge.

“That’s it baby,” he rasped. “Just like that, you’re doing so good for me baby.”

You rolled your hips, whining at the praise and closing your eyes but only increasing your motions, one hand moving up to cup your breast. You grounded onto him, gasping when he hit that perfect spot, whispering Logan’s name like a prayer

He swore at the sight, and couldn’t help the jerk his hips made, a small gasp escaping you. It felt so good, the spike of pleasure overwhelming and your readily response too much, and he did it again.

You moaned this time, a dirty, high pitched sound that was ringing in Logan’s ears, urging him on as he took your hips in his hand and lifted you up, only to slam you down on his cock again. Your moan was delicious, and you placed both your hands on his chest, moving forward to make him go deeper.

Logan did groan this time, and used your hips to continue moving you on his dick, his large hands squeezing the soft flesh of your hips. You were a whining mess, eyes glazed and body limp above him.

“Feel so good,” Logan grunted, thrusting into you. “So fucking good for me.”

You whimpered, gasping as your eyes fluttered closed again. Logan grinned.

“You like that baby? You like me telling you what a good girl you’re being, riding my cock so prettily.”

Your moans came more frequent, panting every second, and Logan could tell you were close. He increased his pace, wanting to see you fall apart in front of him, and wasn’t disappointed by the result.

“Come on baby, cum for me.”

With a cry you threw your head back, ecstasy painting your face as you came, your walls tightening. The feeling of them squeezing Logan’s dick, your cunt milking it for all its worth was too much and he felt himself fall after you, his load of cum shooting into your already stuffed hole.

“Fuck baby,” he cursed, helping you ride out both your highs, moving your hips over him.

You were still panting as you slowly came down from your high, boneless as you laid against Logan’s chest.

“You did so good for me darling,” he murmured, kissing the top of your head.

You let out a sound, nuzzling his neck, and he happily held you against him, pressing kisses to your face and neck till you were ready to move.

[phoenixblaze1412]

Could I request reader who is like huo huo from honkai star rail except the fear is of Dottore ^^

I apologise that this one took so long cause I had to learn about HuoHuo and even do the quests about her and I love it!

It was Pantalone who hired you. You were but a scared little foxian priestess that got lost in Inazuma in which the Regrator has found you during his mission and decided to take you back with him.

It took him months to get you to open up to him without having to be frightened about him or his status as a harbinger. He had shown you that he bore no ill-intent nor will he ever harm you.

So with time, came trust. You told him about your past and the Regrator offered you a more high-paying job to be his personal assistant.

Of course he knew about Mr. Tails, he doesn't mind how the spirit would be sarcastic or somewhat rude towards him. He's already used to it.

He would be dragging you along with him to every meeting. Protest or decline his offer all you want but he would keep a firm grip on you as you are forced to come out of your shy and introverted shell. Extrovert adopting an introvert dynamic.

Regrator would always show you off to his fellow harbingers. Even though said harbingers would always be complaining on why he would even keep you when you're just a coward. Pantalone was quick to argue that you are a hardworking and it would be such a waste to just let you die in the forest back then.

Capitano and Columbina adored you due to your foxian features. Childe liked talking to Mr. Tails and sometimes have some playful arguments with him. Those three harbingers you were comfortable to speak without stuttering but there's another harbinger who just makes you want to run away: Dottore.

You don't know why but seeing him everytime makes you want to dig a hole and bury yourself in it. He just has the vibe of something sinister and horrendous. You would always tell the Regrator about it but he would only jest about how you would be overthinking about it and to simply treat him as your superior since he is, after all, the second harbinger.

"Why do I have to go in the laboratory.. can't Lord Regrator just order someone else to do this.."

You cried out as you held the document to your chest, slowly walking along the quiet hallways down to Dottore's laboratory. You were about to knock on the door only to hear the sounds of someone screaming in anguish.

"....maybe no one is inside. I'll just deliver this another day-!"

You turned and were about to run back only to be stopped by Tails as he pushed you back to the door.

"Quit yapping already and just give the documents! We don't have all day to your complains. Best to get the job done and be over with it!"

"But I don't wanna! It's scary! Didn't you even hear that scream? Lord Dottore is probably torturing someone!"

"The only someone who's about to get tortured is you! If you don't deliver those stupid papers, I'm going to torture you instead!"

"You're so mean!"

You whined as you looked back to the door before taking a deep breath and knocked. You shakily opened the door and peeked inside only to see the entire room pitch black. You wanted to lay on the floor and cry so badly but tails was quick to keep pushing you inside, only for you to trip and scatter the documents Pantalone instructed you to hand over to Dottore.

"Mr. Tails I can't find the other papers! Lord Regrator is going to be upset at me and fire me! Wait.. this could be a great idea. If I'm fired then I don't have to face any of these scary stuff or see Lord Dottore anymore! I should start writing my resignation letter."

"Oh? You do not wish to see me anymore?"

The light of the room was turned on as you turned to face the doctor himself. You could only sit up at the floor as you watched him walk over to you. Tears already forming at the corner of your eyes as you crawled back, hoping to get a good distance from him. You couldn't even see his eyes. The only thing you could look at was his bird-like mask which makes it more horrifying.

"N-no I didn't mean it like that, sir.."

"Sweet little (Y/n).. you know I have very unique observation skills. From the first time we met, you were always quick to hide behind your master. So easily frightened like a small prey. You should know I felt a bit hurt to see you run away when I simply wanted to have a little chat..."

"I'm sorry... please don't kill me-!"

You were already on your feet as you ran towards another door behind you, screaming like a headless chicken. You ran and turned around a corner only to bump into a hard chest. You glanced up only to see Dottore smiling down at you as he grabbed your arm.

You shrieked in fear, not knowing how he was fast at catching up with you but you were definitely sure you were ahead of him. You let out a cry as you waved your arms around to squirm out of his grip, only to smack the mask off his face instead.

"Oh my goodness- I'm so sorry! Wah!"

You screamed in fright at what you saw. What you thought you were looking at were the eyes of harbinger was nothing but circuits and wires with a red diamond in the middle staring back at you. You quickly pushed him away and skedaddled away, not wanting to be in the laboratory anymore.

"Mr. Tails please help me! I don't want to die! Why are you not helping me?! I need you!"

You tripped on air as you skidded and fell to the floor. You cried as you glanced at Tails only to see him still stuck to you and not even bothering to help you out. You sat up and hugged your knees to your chest as you let out quiet sobs. Already thinking of the worse, you closed your eyes and waited for the doctor to torture you as well like what he does to his experiments.

You let out a squeak when you heard the sounds of heels clicking against the floor coming towards where you are. You glanced up and stared horrifed as you saw not only one but two Dottores walking up to you. One still has the mask on his face and the other one was who you accidentally smacked the mask away from.

"P-please don't kill me! I'll be good! I'll do anything just please don't hurt me!"

The Dottore with the mask was quick to shush your cries as he picked you up bridal style before walking back to his office.

"Not to worry, little one. I hold no malicious intent towards you nor will I harm you out of boredom. You being in this area of the laboratory, especially near the cells will surely lead you to your death if you keep running around. Although I do enjoy a little chase with you, we'll put that on hold for now. Omega, make sure you lock the area here."

"Very well, sir."

You were shaking the rest of the way back, sniffles and hiccups can be heard from you as you clung to Dottore's clothes. Your heart and mind still in shock from everything that has happened.

Dottore placed you on the couch in his office as he looked over you to make sure you didn't end up having any injuries from your little run. He held your chin between his fingers as he tilted your face from side to side, observing your features up close with a grin.

"...please don't experiment on me.. I'll do anything..."

"Silly fox, I just stated that I won't bring any harm to you. But if you're offering to do anything, then who am I to waste an opportunity?"

Your ears flattened against your head, tears rolling down your cheeks to which Dottore wiped them off with his thumbs as he lightly coo'ed and grabbed your hand. Oh, he definitely loved seeing how frightened you get so easily because of him. He wants to see it more. Something dangerous bubbling up from within him as he grinned at you, his grip on your hand tightening a bit which made you winced but he didn't even bother to notice.

"You said you'll do anything, yes? Then be mine. Work under me from now on. I'll handle Pantalone. Just stay here with me instead, hm?"

[ravenelyx]

I love you in every timeline - Prologue: In Search of Lost Time

Pairing: Sebastian Sallow x Fem!Reader

Words: 1.9k

Chapter Warnings: angst if you squint, Harry Potter characters appearance, no name appearance (not even y/n dw), some swearing, use of 2nd person for the reader (I know I know but I promise it makes sense for the story)

Summary: "He turned around, and the world seemed to stop around him. She had followed him: into another timeline, into another universe.". In which Sebastian, in his search for a cure in the Dark Arts, finds himself 100 years into the future and meets his most trusted companion's descendant (who looks far too similar to the girl he was once secretly in love with).

A/N: this is the first english fic I've written, so I'm terrified. Anyway, Trimetravel! AU with Sebastian Sallow. Some background info: Reader is not MC; Reader is a Gryffindor, MC was a Slytherin; MC was a Pureblood, Reader is a Muggle Born. Also, english is not my first language so if you find any mistakes, I deeply apologise. Not proof-read (for obvious reasons).

→ Find the rest of the fanfiction here on AO3 :)

"For we are not as faithful to the being we have most loved as we are to ourselves and sooner or later we forget her — since that is one of our characteristics — so as to start loving another." - Marcel Proust, In Search of Lost Time

If a chasm had opened under Sebastian's feet and swallowed him all the way to the depths of hell, he would have gladly accepted his demise there and then.

Unfortunately, its mercy seemed to be out of business that day — or any other day in his life, really.

Sebastian paced the corridors, a frown adorning his face; he had just come out of the Headmaster's office due to the absolute disaster that had occurred to him just a few hours prior.

After weeks of research, he had finally found something that could help him, a breakthrough with which he could finally achieve his goal. An artefact so powerful that it could break the fabric of time and space, something that could help his poor sister live a happy and healthy life again. He did not care that they were not on speaking terms at the moment: he would find a way to talk to her so that she would take this last chance. He would force her if he had to. It was his last hope, and Merlin knows he had tried everything.

If he had known about the artefact's effects earlier, he would have thought twice before using it.

"So, Mr Sallow, could you be so kind as to tell us how you came to be in our time?" the Headmaster, who had earlier introduced himself as Albus Dumbledore, had asked him.

Truth was that not having stopped dwelling with the Dark Arts in search of a cure for Anne had led him to find himself in another timeline instead. His face twitched: in terms of unlikelihood, the scales seemed pretty unbalanced.

It had been a brief conversation, really, with Sebastian omitting some details (like his friendship with an Ancient Magic wielder or the murder of his uncle, for which he bore full responsibility) and grimacing against his own will when the Headmaster had looked at him through his half-moon shaped glasses as if asking him, 'Why are you lying to me?'

He had pushed the thoughts away as quickly as they had come: it wasn't like he could read his mind... or could he?

Sebastian breathed a sigh of relief when the Headmaster had dismissed him after giving him specific instructions on how to behave until they found a way to return him to his timeline — one of which was, "Please don't inform anyone of your condition unless it's absolutely necessary." That had seemed quite reasonable to him, so he nodded.

The artefact was damaged, as expected, and unlikely to work again unless a powerful form of magic came into contact with it and repaired it: something like Ancient Magic, perhaps, or a miracle.

"I see you're still causing trouble everywhere you fare, aren't you, Mr Sallow?" the familiar voice of Phineas Nigellus Black had mocked from his portrait, effectively startling him. Sebastian had looked up and into the eyes of his old Headmaster, his mouth falling open at the sight of him. He looked old, weary, and angrier somehow — yet, in a way, he had brought Sebastian some form of comfort, almost. A sense of familiarity.

Before he could have said anything, Black had disappeared, and a woman with severe blue eyes and long robes had escorted him out of the office.

-

Sebastian looked around at his familiar surroundings, which would have been almost comforting if not for the nameless faces looking at him with curiosity: Hogwarts students tended to recognise each other effortlessly, and anyone who didn't fit into that bundle of familiarity was to be ostracised. He remembered all too well when he was the one helping the new fifth-year find her way around those same corridors, except he didn't need guidance: this was his home, after all.

But he did have a guide, and she wasn't as charming a student as he was either.

The Head of the Gryffindor House walked right next to him, a stern expression on her face made even more prominent by the shadow of her large witch hat. The woman Sebastian had come to know as Minerva McGonagall was also the Transfiguration teacher and Deputy Headmistress, at least it seemed that way, which was no doubt why she was accompanying him rather than the Head of his own House.

Sebastian decided not to ask himself any questions and do what the Headmaster told him to: attend class, fit in, and pretend to be either a transfer student or someone with a complex background — he hadn't decided which story to tell yet (and both, in a way or another, would be true).

The clacking of Professor McGonagall's shoes stopped so abruptly that he almost would have missed it if she hadn't started speaking.

"You're about to meet two of your new classmates. Prefects of the Gryffindor House." She raised her left arm in their direction, and his eyes followed it to two red and gold robes leading into warm faces.

"I am pleased to introduce you to Ms Hermione Granger—" she gestured to the girl with curly hair to her left, who wore a friendly smile all while maintaining a serious and clean look, "—and Mr Ronald Weasley." Sebastian's eyes shot to the boy to his right when he heard the familiar name, and to be honest, he might not have needed an introduction at all: the red-haired boy gave him a wry smile, his freckles standing out even more in the natural light. He would have recognised those features anywhere.

Finally, Sebastian noticed their uniforms. He didn't pay much attention to the boy's — he himself also wore a very similar one, uncomfortable and informal as it seemed to him — for his eyes were fixed on the girl's. She was wearing a grey cardigan with red and gold trim, the colours of her House, and her skirt was much shorter than he remembered, with black denier tights covering the rest of her legs. Sebastian felt himself blushing slightly and averted his eyes.

He wondered why the Slytherin prefects were unsuited to the situation: at the end of the day, he was a Slytherin, too. Sebastian didn't undergo the Sorting again — the Professors didn't seem to deem it necessary, not to mention the Hat had recognised him from his shelf, too. He didn’t forget easily.

McGonagall turned back to Sebastian and briefly adjusted his robes, her face softening slightly, "For the time being, it is best if you don't draw attention to yourself. We will find a solution," she straightened her posture and nodded at him, "Welcome to Hogwarts." She turned on her heels and walked away, leaving him with the two Gryffindors.

He studied their faces for a moment, searching for the right words to say, deciding on which story to tell, but the only thing he could muster was: "How come you're Gryffindors?"

The two students stared at him, appalled, and he mentally slapped himself. He wanted to correct his statement and explain his intention, but the girl stopped him before he could even form a coherent thought.

"You're wondering why they asked us to guide you and not the Slytherin Prefects, am I right?"

Either his question wasn't that unclear, or the girl had excellent deduction skills, and judging by the epiphany on the other boy's face when he understood the meaning of her words, it was most likely the latter.

Sebastian sighed inwardly and nodded, mentally promising not to stumble over his words again.

The boy — Ronald, Sebastian recalled — chimed in: "Because otherwise you'd have to deal with Malfoy, and he's an idio—" the girl slapped him on the arm and gave him a warning look before turning back to Sebastian.

Malfoy, Sebastian thought. A family of the Sacred Twenty-Eight. It was clear why a Weasley would want nothing to do with him.

Sebastian wondered if they still held the same values as in his day: if the Malfoys were still blood maniacs, and so was the person they spoke of, or if he wanted to distance himself from his family as Ominis did. Judging by Ronald's opinion of him, Sebastian did not think that was possible, but then again, he did not know the fellow. Maybe, Sebastian thought, things had moved on after a century: no blood wars, discrimination or superiority complexes. Perhaps this was all just a simple rivalry between two students from different Houses.

"Professor Dumbledore thought us to be best suited for this difficult situation. No other student but us knows about your... misadventure," said Hermione.

To call it a "misadventure" would be an understatement , Sebastian wanted to say. As it turned out, however, he didn't need a story to tell. He didn't know whether to feel betrayed by the Professors who had decided to disclose that information or relieved that he didn't have to go through it all alone. A beat of silence followed, in which Sebastian could only nod at the girl's words, and then it was interrupted abruptly.

"Where have you been?" called a voice from the end of the corridor, directly behind Sebastian.

He turned around, and the world seemed to stop around him.

He definitely didn't have to go through it all alone because there she was. Standing a few feet away from him, looking straight at him, was the person who had accompanied him on all his adventures.

She had followed him: into another timeline, into another universe.

He felt his lips twist into a grin, and he beamed at the sight of her. Had she been looking for him?

He frowned a little as he noticed her expression: she seemed annoyed, almost angry. Perhaps she had no intention of following him and had just ended up here for no reason? Were the two of them connected on a deeper level than he thought? Or perhaps she was just worried for him and angry he didn't look for her too?

The girl started to walk towards them, and his smile widened even more the closer she got.

She was almost there when he realised she wasn't sparing him a glance.

Instead, her eyes were focused on the red-haired boy next to him, who was staring at her in horror, looking completely terrified.

Sebastian looked back at the girl, finally noticing the red and gold tie around her neck where a green and silver one usually belonged, a crease in her eyebrows that wasn't there before, and her eyes were a different colour than he remembered.

What the hell is going on here?  he thought, staring at her wide-eyed.

"Ron, for God's sake, I've been looking all over for you! Do you intend to give me back my book before class starts, or should I pull a new one out of a hat because you can't use your own?" she threw her hands in the air disapprovingly.

Ron stuttered briefly before hesitantly pointing at the Slytherin boy next to him, "I've just had too much to do. Prefect stuff, you know."

The girl scowled at him before turning to the said boy, her eyes softening slightly. "Oh! You're the new fifth-year!"

Sebastian's eye twitched. How bloody ironic.

"I'm Sebastian Sallow," he replied feebly, body stock-still like marble.

"Nice to meet you," she smiled politely.

And then she introduced herself.

His breath caught in his throat. Sebastian could have recognised that surname anywhere, but her name fell completely deaf on his ears.

You weren't her.

--

→ Chapter 1

[lilirari]

new year's day

charles leclerc x gn! reader ☆ fluff ☆ food & alcohol ment ☆ 1.02k words ☆ heavily inspired by taylor swift's 'new year's day'.

💭 author's note : a very short & simple writing to start off the year ! i've gotten a bit rusty with written works tbh :( anyways 2024 will be charles' and ferrari's year !! 🤞 (delulu)

it was already past midnight, the leftovers and remains of a new year's party clearly evident in your apartment. there's glitter all over the place and empty bottles of alcohol, boxes of pizza, cans of soft drinks, and random polaroids littered the hardwood floor.

a sigh escaped your lips as you rubbed the temples of your forehead, a trash bag in hand. as you looked around the trashed apartment, your eyes landed on the only other person present there.

" you don't have to stay back, you know. " you pointed out, as the other person shook his head. " it's alright, y/n. it's the least i can do... especially after my friends absolutely wrecked your place. " charles mentioned, offering you an apologetic smile as he looked around the place.

you chuckled softly at his words as you waved your hand in dismissal. " it's all good, charlie. you don't have to apologise. i was the one who invited them anyways so i'll take the blame. although, i must admit that it was quite fun meeting them again. they were the life of the party, especially daniel. it would've been pretty boring without any of them so i don't really regret inviting them. "

charles laughed at your words, nodding his head in agreement. " that is true.. they do know how to party well. "

" hmm.. but charles, you really should go. do you really want to spend the first day of a new year cleaning up an apartment that's not even yours ? " you asked, your voice laced with concerned as you picked up a few empty cans and threw them inside the trash bag.

upon hearing your words, the monegasque man raised an eyebrow. " y/n, are you trying to get rid of me ? " he asked as he slumped his shoulders and folded his arms. " i'll have you know that i'm quite hurt by these words of yours. " he commented, pretending to be upset as you suppressed a laughter, trying your best not to crack at his antics.

" oh, you know it's nothing like that, charlie. but i'm just worried that i'll ruin your new year's day. like, you're supposed to be at home having a good rest right now but you're stuck with me here instead. and this is not really an ideal thing to be doing on the first day of the new year, y'know ? " you continued, voicing your concern over his stay as he just smiled.

" y/n, you're not getting rid of me. there's no point in telling me to leave because i won't. i've already made up my mind. i'm staying here and i'm going to help you until the end. "

there was something about the way he looked and smiled at you that made your heart skipped a beat and your breath hitched. he was always so kind to you, a true gentleman. and the fact that you had the biggest crush on him didn't help at all. as you felt your cheeks start to warm up, you quickly tried to cover it with a small cough. " fine. but you can't complain if you get tired, alright ? "

the sound of his laughter filled the room as he gave you a cheeky smile. " deal. "

the remaining hour went by rather silently, with only the sound of soft music playing in the background being heard. the two of you swept the floors, rearranged any of the furnitures which were out of place and picked up all the trash. the only conversation you had in between the clean-up was when charles found some funny polaroids the other drivers took, which made you both laugh until your stomachs ached and you had to cross your arms over your stomachs in an attempt to catch your breaths.

eventually, you somehow finished cleaning up the place and made it look like how it was before it got trashed. you held onto a mop for support as you sighed, the exhaustion from all the partying and the cleaning finally catching up to you.

charles walked back into the room, having gone out to throw the garbage bags into the bins on the street. " looks like our job's done. " he pointed out as his eyes scanned the room, which seemed to be devoid of any irregularities now and looked spotless. his eyes landed on you as you wiped away the sweat on your forehead. " tired ? "

you nodded at his words as you placed the mop back to its original place and walked up to the driver. " a little, yeah. but it was worth it. thank you for helping me out, charlie. i would've never finished cleaning all the mess in a short amount of time without you. " you extended your thanks, moving your lips slightly to indicate a smile.

" it's nothing, y/n. this is why i told you not to get rid of me. " he nudged your sides, showing you his pearly whites as he grinned. you playfully rolled your eyes at his words, before remembering something. " oh yeah, i forgot to ask you earlier. did you enjoy the party ? "

" i did. " charles muttered, his voice suddenly growing softer as he took a step forward. " there's one thing i regret not doing at the party though. "

" hmm ? what's that ? " you hummed, your eyes searching for an answer in his. nothing could've prepared you for his next words though as he placed a hand on your cheek, his eyes landing on your lips for a mere second before darting back to look at you. he took in a deep breath, as his thumb gently grazed your lower lip. " i really wished i had kissed you when the clock struck twelve. "

your eyes widened and you felt your heartbeat pick up it's pace. did he feel the same way about you as you felt about him ? there was only one way to find out. you boldly leaned in, closing the gap between the two of you as you looked into his eyes. " well, can't you kiss me now ? "

charles couldn't have been more happier to hear those words come out of your mouth as he immediately pressed his lips against yours, giving you the answer to your question through this action of his and a memorable way to begin a new chapter of your life.

© LILIRARI, 2024 ★

[dwindlinghaze]

Hi :)) im wondering if you could write a Remus fic with a suuuuper shy!reader? Reader loves him but poor baby can't even look at him omg. Love your fics darling🌙

hi lovelyyy,, thanks for requesting !! yes ofc i could :) i hope you like this !! ☁️🪽🫧🫧

one spoon for two

(remus lupin x reader)

contents : fluffy, shy reader, mentions of twoz book series bcs my ozian ass is obsessed with them😭🙏, not proofread

　 . • ☆ . ° .• °:. *₊ ° . ☆

it wasn't a secret that you were shy.

you don't talk much. you usually let the others do the talking and you listen. despite your lack of voice, your ears are fully open. which is not so much of a convenience really.

sometimes you worried that your friends get bored of you because you have nothing to say. it's not like you don't care, you do. you just don't quite know the right words to express what you think.

you only talk when it's necessary. when people talk to you first. that's why you've been getting frustrated lately.

sitting on the grass with a book open on your lap, you were focused on the neatly printed pages and illustrations on your book along with the sound of soft winds and dried leaves. well- that was until you saw the infamous marauder, james and sirius trotting on the ground while throwing a snitch at each other to catch.

you don't want to look at them. although every part of you wanted to steal a glance towards the kindhearted marauder, remus lupin.

he's the perfect combination of every good things in the world.

he is smart, funny, witty, caring, and so much more.

it takes everything in you to keep your little pupils away from his face. if you look at him, you were sure you'd blush and that would be embarrassing.

you got up slowly, escaping whatever you're feeling right now.

there he goes, averting his eyes to your moving figure. he frowns a little, knowing that you were quite shy in front of people and prefer being in the company of your own.

"whatcha looking there moony? your girl?" sirius quipped.

"she wouldn't even look at me," he shook his head. he wondered if you knew his feelings and were terrified.

"she's just shy, moony," james said, almost missing the snitch sirius threw.

the next time you were in the same room with him was in potions. you noticed how his hair flops in the prettiest way possible with the perfect shade of golden.

then the next second, he turned his head so you reluctantly look away immediately. thankful that he was turning to look at james and not you.

and god does the universe loves seeing you nervous!

your were partnered up with remus and james to brew a potion together.

the two boys walked towards your table. james skipping like a child while remus tried to keep his cool.

"hey darlin' i will be getting the ingredients yeah, and you and remus can set up the table," james grinned a friendly grin.

you nodded, whispering a 'yeah'. it wasn't loud, but remus heard it just as clear.

as you set up the table, remus tried talking to you, to hopefully get you comfortable and to show that he is a good person.

you didn't need him to do things just to prove he is a good person. you already knew that of course. he is nice to everyone. he's selfless and caring.

"hey, you alright?" he noticed your timid movements.

"yeah, m'fine," you said to him in such a quiet voice. you couldn't look at him, you're too shy to do so.

it was the middle of brewing when your hand brushed his while you were crushing pearls. "sorry," you mumbled.

"no need to apologise..." he frowned, confused as to why you were so... away from here yet you were in the same room. "you sure you're alright?" he continued, reaching for your palms.

he was shocked at himself. he just touched your hand? he's never done that to anyone except his marauders. but he didn't regret it though, your skin was so much softer than his. he felt like he's holding a ball of cotton.

your cheeks turned red when his hand grasped yours. your heart beating twice as fast. "remus, i'm promise im okay...," you answered.

remus squeezed your knuckles, sending a confused look to james in which he returned with a teasing grin that made remus rolled his eyes.

maybe he liked you. well- who's he kidding, of course he does! he saw you almost everyday, and you look so enchanting the entire time.

he thinks your hair is perfect. you styled it in the way that makes your pretty face prettier. your energy (or lack of energy) is cute too. you fumble with your words when people talk to you. and he thinks it's adorable and attractive at the same time.

the way you pushed your hair away from your eyes as you crushed those pearls. it was absolutely angelic.

"i think y/n likes you moons," james said when they were all sprawled on their dorm at the end of the day.

"i think so too" sirius agreed, chuckling as he threw a piece of crumpled up paper.

"me too." he said.

everyone stayed silent after that. mouth wide open. they never thought remus would be so confident saying that someone likes him (although it's not a bad thing, just out of remus' usual self deprecation).

"wha- no!" remus shook his head in disbelief. "i mean i like her too," he corrected shyly, his cheeks flushing.

"we know," the three of them said at the same time and bursted into laughter the next moment.

"it's quite obvious moony!" james said, "especially this morning when you held her hand. you never do that! let alone let us touch your little shoulder."

"it's different!"

"oh we know! you never look at me like you want to kiss my face off but you do look at y/n that way," james said.

"she always steals a millisecond to look at you y'know?" sirius snickered. enjoying the embarrassment his best friend is experiencing currently.

"don't lie, pads. she didn't even look at me the whole potions class," remus sighed.

"she's just shy, moony," sirius rolled his eyes. "if you really really and i mean really feel like you two can work out together, my advice is that you should reach out and talk to her. slowly but surely she'll be less nervous with you!"

and remus took sirius' advice. usually his advices are absurd and obnoxious but sirius has girls and boys falling for him left and right. surely he knows how to treat a girl right?

he saw you sitting at the library one evening. nose buried in your book. the only features he can see are your hair, forehead, and eyebrows.

and they all look pretty. your brows would furrow when you read something weird in the book.

it's hard to compose himself when you were there. just sitting peacefully with no care about the things surrounding you. you weren't even doing anything and he is smitten.

you heard shuffling besides you and you look up almost instantly, meeting a pair of honey green eyes in the colour like a comet in the sky.

you look away immediately, focusing on your book, growing nervous under his stare.

he smiled, "is it okay f'me to sit here?"

"yeah," you replied. you cringed at how short it was. you don't want to come off as rude or cold or anything but it's hard to speak a sentence.

"what're you reading there?" he asked, his voice sweet like candy.

"uh," you flipped your book around, to read off the title. "the road to emerald city of oz," you replied, tilting your chin towards him as you smile gently but still keeping your eyes firmly on the page.

"is it like a series? i heard about the wonderful wizard of oz somewhere," remus replied.

"it is," you nodded. it's hard to read when he's beside you like this. when you're the only thing in his view right now. when you're the only one in his head.

"do you have all the books?" he asked, just wanting to hear voice.

"i do," you finally flickered your eyes at him for a good two seconds before returning them back to your book. you blushed when you look at him. he was radiating comfort and care but you were too much in your feelings. eye contact is your weakness.

"can i borrow them?"

"you want to read them?" you looked at him again, this time a little longer and a little more confused. confused as to why anyone would be interested in what you like.

"why not? don't you like it?" he asked.

"i do," you replied. "i'm on the seventh book," you looked down again.

remus let out a soft chuckle, gazing at you like you're the most precious human being ever.

"huh?" you furrowed your brows. looking at his sweater instead of his face.

"you're so dear you know," he smiled.

your cheeks flushed red at his compliment. you didn't reply. didn't know how to.

"i'll get the book for you," you scrambled out of the library, heading to your dorm to give remus the first book in the series.

while being away from him, you collected yourself, taking deep breaths because he's so breathtaking that close. you've never been this close to him. he smells so good.

you were back in a jiffy, only to find out that remus has scooted more in the middle, making your legs touch when you sit down.

"oh yeah! just like what i heard "the wonderful wizard of oz," he nodded.

"sorry, it's a children's book," you replied in embarrassment, just realising that you were reading a book for children!

"oh i don't mind! i read cringy werewolf romance books and that makes you so much better than me," he laughed, seeing the small smile that appeared on your pretty lips.

the next time he was talking to you this close again was when he finished the first copy of your book. he had finished it in just two days, leaving you in surprise.

he read it so fast so he can find an excuse to spend time with you again. the story was quite alright, but he would not tell that to you.

"hi," he plopped down next to you in the library. same exact spot as last time. "i finished it!" he held up the book.

"oh that's great," you replied, surprised he was sitting here again next to you "did you like it?"

"i loved it! i can't believe the wizard of oz is just an old basic man! not even magic," he huffed childishly, making you giggle.

the sound is simply spa music to his ears.

"what's your favourite character?" remus asked.

"glinda."

"oh the witch... from the south?"

"yeah," you replied.

"next book?" he questioned.

you had it in your bag, ready to give it to him anytime. "i've got it here," you pulled it out.

remus smiled as your fingertips brushed past his in a quick incandescent touch.

this routine continued so and so until he noticed a few changes within yourself. you weren't that shy nor timid anymore. you still couldn't hold eye contact with him for more than five seconds but that's alright for him.

during those five seconds he is sure he has fallen in love. he couldn't help it. you're his crush since forever, it's bound to happen.

"hey, i finished glinda of oz!" remus cheered, putting down the book on his lap as he took in your appearance.

this was not at the dark library that shadows off your features. you were sitting on grass in the afternoon, making your skin glow under the golden rays of sunshine. he can see your pretty face clear now.

you smiled at him as he took a seat beside you, you actually feels secure enough around him to look at his face.

"that means you finished the whole series, rem," you let out a soft and proud but light chuckle.

"i now know why you love it so much!" remus smiled. he realised he always smiles when he's with you. you must have super powers.

"do you like glinda?" you asked.

"my favourite character is the tin wood man. he's funny, but yeah. since you like glinda so much then i guess she can be a favourite of mine too!" remus replied, rubbing circles in your knuckles.

just that little gesture he did made you shy all over again, unable to look at him like the first time you two were talking.

remus smiled again, gently taking your other hand with his other. "i want to ask you something, lovie," remus looked into your beautiful eyes.

your head is fuzzy. he called you 'lovie'. a nickname. you're sure you were warm in the face.

remus brushed his fingers on your left cheek with the softest touch known to men. "love..."

"yes...?"

"the next hogsmeade trip is this saturday.... do you want to er- like share the trip together- i mean as a date?" he looked at you with such fondness in his eyes.

"me?"

"yes you, lovie, look at me yeah?" remus gently cupped your cheeks.

you two were so close to the point that you can feel remus warmth radiating off of him.

"what do you say?"

"yeah," you nodded. embarrassment washing you again when all you said was just a 'yeah'.

"yeah yes or yeah no?" remus asked, a smile playing on his lips.

"yes i'll go with you," you were a blushing mess, trying to look away from his eyes but his soft hands kept tugging you back.

remus felt the heat from your cheeks in his palm. it was absolutely a fuzzy feeling knowing that you were showing likeness towards him.

he wanted to kiss you. doesn't have to be on the lips. he'd love to plant small kisses on your red cheeks. but he didn't of course. boundaries.

"settled then yeah? i'll be waiting at our common room, darling," he smiled.

[mazeinthemiroh]

I love the reactions you write I was wondering if i could ask for a cute txt reaction where the reader falls asleep listening to the members heart beat.

txt when their s/o falls asleep on their chest

genre: fluff, hurt / comfort

word count: 0.8k

warnings: extremely fluffy, approach at your own risk!!

author's notes: some are different lengths, i hope that's ok. writing this made me cry because clearly i am touch starved and want to cuddle with someone desperately ;-; anyways hope you enjoy :DDD

soobin

"are you comfortable?" "very."

soobin knew he didn't have to ask you this every time he was close to you. but even so, he wanted to be sure. and that never failed to make you feel warm inside. you felt so safe in his arms. so secure and out of harm's way. nothing could hurt you or upset you when you were with him. that's something you couldn't say about anyone else.

life had been getting you down recently. it was busy and tedious and boring, and there was very little happiness in it. except with him. so as you lay there on top of him, head on his chest as his arms wrapped around your body, you felt as if you had never been so happy before in your entire life.

and with the calming beat of his heart, you fell asleep. maybe life had given you something to be grateful for, after all. and your boyfriend felt the same.

yeonjun

"just listen to my heartbeat, baby."

yeonjun knew how bad your insomnia would get. but he didn't have all the solutions. which, honestly, frustrated him. when it came to you, he wanted to figure out and fix all your problems as soon as possible. but with things he didn't understand, or things that couldn't be prevented, he was at a loss. does that mean he soon gives up? never.

so his solution to your insomnia was simple. him. he knew he could relax you. knew he could soothe you and lull you to sleep. it had been such a success so many times before.

so as you lay in his arms, perfectly snug with your head laying on his chest. you focused on the beat of his heart. it was a comforting sound you had gotten used to. and he felt that he had found the right solution for you, just by giving you the comfort you needed.

beomgyu

it was a usual thing for you and beomgyu to stay up all night talking. he was just such an interesting person and had a lot to say, a lot of opinions and a lot on his mind. but tonight, you found yourself too tired to keep awake.

the position of laying on his chest didn't help. the gentle heart beats paired with the soft rumble of his voice as he rambled on about his day made you feel so comfortable. he felt like home. he was your home.

"and then yeonjun told me i was being dramatic, but personally i thought that was a bit harsh becau-" beomgyu stopped himself mid-sentence as he realised you hadn't been responding for quite a while, only to see you fully asleep in his arms. he smiled softly and placed gentle kisses on your face, whispering a 'goodnight' that you were unlikely to hear.

taehyun

today was not a good day.

i mean, that was an understatement; you had been crying for most of it. this week had gotten progressively worse, and the only thing that could keep you from spiralling was your boyfriend. so, in a desperate attempt to make yourself feel better, you phoned him up. and he dropped everything, and came immediately.

"i'm so sorry." you kept apologising, and he hated that. there was nothing to feel sorry for because you were his priority. he had your lead laying on his chest as he ran his fingers through your hair, hushing you and making you feel warm and at peace again.

you focused on his calm breathing. inhale, exhale. inhale, exhale. the rhythm was slow and beautiful. his whole presence was gentle. kissing the crown of your head, he whispered to you every now and then; words you couldn't comprehend as you slowly fell asleep. but the only coherent words that remained in your mind were 'i love you.'

hueningkai

it happened the first time you cuddled up to him.

it was raining outside, tapping gently on the window while the moon was covered with clouds. you had hueningkai were in the very early stages of your relationship, trying to figure out where to go, where to touch, how to touch, how to look, what was appropriate, what was not. it was all a confusing and awkward time, but also a time that bought you both butterflies at the pit of your stomach and the heat in your cheeks.

but you had finally decided to cuddle up to him. it was so late, and you were both closer than you ever had been before on the couch. so taking the opportunity, you placed your head on his chest and wrapped your arms around his middle. his heartbeat was beating faster than it ever did before. this close proximity with you was already too much, but now? you were actually on him.

"hueningkai, calm down," you whispered and giggled lightly, giving his tummy a little rub to comfort him. and with that reassurance, he relaxed to your touch. and soon, his heartbeat slowed into a peaceful sound, and you both fell asleep in each other's arms.

[rosiemarieyn]

Evening Party

pairing: Thomas Shelby x Reader

Summary: Meeting the blue eyed stranger who makes your heart flutter.

Genre: Fluff

word count: 1.2k

Note: This is how Thomas and reader met from the fic "First Love" Requested by @chaimaarouaine11 I HOPE YOU LIKE IT CUS I WASN'T VERY MOTIVATED BUT I DIDN'T WANNA KEEP YOU WAITING !!

⋅───⊱༺ ♰ ༻⊰───⋅

Coming from high society, you were expected to marry a wealthy nobleman like your father. Yes, this event was boring but you had to attend anyway, you didn't want to upset your parents when they wasted sooooo much time trying to find you a husband at the age of 25 as if you couldn't find someone you love.

walking around the ballroom, trying to get old and perverted men off of your back, you bumped into a not-so-tall man. "Excuse me, miss. I apologise," he looked at you, a little smile tugging onto his lips. "It is quite alright, I was the one in the wrong." you felt some heat on your cheeks, avoiding his ethereally blue eyes.

"I'm Thomas, by the way," he held his hand out. You took off your glove and shook his hand "It's a pleasure meeting you Thomas…"

"And he was sooooo handsome!!" you paced around your room, fangirling about the man you met the night before. Your two sisters stared at you as if you were insane, "Are you sure he is the one though?" Your older sister, Mary, muttered worriedly. "Yeah, she is right!! What if he is a bad person??" your younger sister, Evelyn, ranted. "I'm sure! he even asked me if I wanted to have dinner with him!!"

"WHAT?!?!?!?"

⋅───⊱༺ ♰ ༻⊰───⋅

[chodzacaparodia]

I have more thoughts on bllk and Isagi soo It was cool in the start because Isagi was like one of the worst players and we could see how he evolves and that was interesting and weren't boring hearing his inner monologues I guess? And the others all seemed impressive from his perspective lmao But now he acts like a main boss of something and a prodigy who has lots of skills and actually acts a bit rude towards others? (here comes the personal taste that one can just not like his personality I guess) but he like turned to a prodigy whom he admired and win against in the first half and now those are the ones trying to beat him but Isagi is the main characters so kinda these evolve around him which is unfortunate for the ones who don't like his character Soo I kinda mean that we could try to bring back Isagi not being too good? and now he could actually lose (like he can I guess bc he already win a lot and evolved so it's not like it'd be over just for him to get less op and the others could catch up too, because the power scales and balanced really shifted from him needing to beat someone to others needing to beat him which is quite an interesting development of events and a lot has a more tragic past than him now give them a win pls (this is just some personal thoughts I came up with they might not be full correct so my apologise)

Thank you so much for sharing your thoughts!

I understand your point of view because in many respects I agree. I admit that it was interesting that he started to develop from an average player into one of the best. His internal monologues were also completely different, because not only did he surprise others, but he was also often surprised himself when he noticed complete things and analyzed them.

I like that you wrote that Isagi turned out to be a prodigy. Because that's the truth. He was a prodigy from the beginning, but before Blue Lock he never had the opportunity to discover it. It's not that I don't think he hasn't developed as a result of hard work and training, but his greatest strengths are actually related to his way of thinking and his special ability to analyze, something that not every character is gifted with and is unlikely to practice because it happens rather automatically.

As the story progressed, Isagi actually became overconfident. (Yeah, totally like a main boss!) And that's why he actually started to think that he was better than others (actually I did a meme about it ). And I must admit that it irritates me a bit. Surprisingly, this didn't irritate me with characters like Barou or Rin. Maybe it's because we get to know them as characters who feel better than others. And Isagi went from a guy with low self-esteem to a guy with a bit of a God complex. From extreme to extreme.

And in fact, he behaves rudely towards others. It seems even more visible because he was a really nice guy from the very beginning! But honestly, I think it's not just a matter of him feeling better than others (but I think that's largely the case). Isagi blended in with the Blue Lock's atmosphere. He was constantly exposed to people who treated others in the same way (including Isagi), so I'm not surprised that such behavior influenced him and he adopted it as well.

(And it must be really irritating when someone you don't like makes you grow. Typical bllk experience).

Honestly, I wish he would lose and humble himself a bit. I want absolute destruction. After all, the higher a person rises, the more painful the fall. And logically, sooner or later Isagi has to lose, because you can't always win. However, I'm not sure Isagi can return to that level as before (I'm not talking about the level from the very beginning, because he will never return to this times, but maybe more to the level from the 3rd or even 2nd selection). He's gone too far with all this. After his defeat, he would definitely go through a worse time, but would he actually become more humble? Would he have completely despaired of his abilities? Would he feel inferior to someone else? It's possible, but I think it's more likely that it will be just an episode rather than a longer streak of self-doubt. This will be seen from the outside more as "His rival was better" than "Isagi wasn't good enough".

But deep down, I really want the character I like more than Isagi to win. I admit that I often let my thoughts go in the direction of "this character has a traumatic past, he deserves to win as compensation". But in my head there is always the thought that Blue Lock was a manga unlike any other from the very beginning. Such issues really don't matter there. On the field, no one cares about the characters' traumatic pasts. All that matters is being the best and striving for a goal without any scruples or moral compass. And as interesting as it was (I would REALLY like to see it), even though the other characters theoretically deserved their victory more. A character doesn't have to have a tragic backstory (like Isagi) to win. They just has to be the best.

(I'm sorry if this wasn't the answer you were expecting! I didn't know how to respond to this and I thought for a long time, but in the end I let the discussion carry me away and referred to some of your thoughts and added my own, not necessarily related to your statement. I really don't know what and why I wrote all this 🙈).

[cordiformpink]

@blushy-tigerrr responded to this post for a vaguefic!!! one that i love can be either romantic or platonic!! i love the scenario where person A pokes person B in the side in a joking manner (usually after person B makes a bad joke or something like that) and person B unexpectedly FLINCHES, and that causes person A to worry they hurt them only for person B to sheepishly respond that it actually just tickled. cue tickle attacks >:)

He likes this, sitting with B on the couch. As it happens, B's flat doesn't actually contain any other chairs, so their seating options are rather limited, but this is nice. He's reading an article, B is doing his crossword, and every now and then, one of them will murmur something. B a clue he's stuck on, or a word he likes, or A some particularly interesting nugget of research, or an amusing phrase.

They've begun to do this quite often, lately, in the evenings. Tonight, though, B is a little more talkative than he usually is. A isn't sure whether it's because he's had a boring day, or if he's just in that sort of mood, but each time A says something, B will murmur a cheeky little rejoinder. He's got this wonderfully quick, clever sense of humour, but he so rarely lets it out, except in these dry little murmured comments. Somehow, he's making an article about the prevalence of infectious disease in mice funny.

B is sat quite close, today. It seems like they sit closer to one another every day, excitingly. He glances over at the article A is reading. "I'd posit the author is a mouse, with the size of that diagram."

A snorts, distracted from the paragraph he's reading. "What've you got against this author, B?" he laughs, nudging B in the side with his elbow.

To his surprise, B flinches, hard.

Immediately, A feels horribly guilty. "Oh, I'm sorry! Are you injured?" It's not unheard of for B to be hiding injuries at any given time. With time, A hopes he might persuade B to be a little more open about those, to come to him and admit to being hurt rather than trying to pretend he isn't until it causes a problem. But this closeness between the two of them is new, and that makes it fragile. Trying to convince B of something like that at this point might just make him retreat.

But B shakes his head. "No, no..."

He could be lying. "Are you sure?" A asks, tilting his head. "You flinched... I must've hurt you."

Strangely, B's cheeks are beginning to look a little pink. He doesn't say anything, just shakes his head.

"B?" A asks, growing more confused by the second. If he's hurt B... all he wants to do is apologise. Why should that make him blush?

"It didn't hurt... I'm not hurt." B's blush has darkened. "It just... it tickled a bit."

Oh. Oh. That makes more sense. Slowly, a smile starts to spread across A's face.

B finally looks at him again, but the moment he sees A's grin, his eyes widen in fear.

"Ticklish, are you?" A asks.

"No... no, no, not really..." B starts to say, looking away now, eyes darting everywhere but A.

"No?" A echoes, unable to stop grinning. This is brilliant.

"Well... maybe a bit. Just a bit..." B hedges, clearly trying to find an answer that is least likely to provoke A's curiosity.

"Is that so?"

B stares at him, uncertain, frozen. "...Yes?"

A reaches out and pokes him in the side. B flinches again with a little gasp.

Delightful. Before B can move, A's hands dart out and latch onto his sides, and begin to tickle. Immediately, B dissolves into giggles and near-collapses, yanking his legs up onto the couch and folding himself back against the couch cushions.

"No, nonono!" B giggles, trying to push himself backwards away from A's tickling fingers. A follows him, bringing one knee up to pursue B across the couch, still wriggling his fingers into B's sides where he can just about reach.

"Oh, yes," A grins. "I had no idea you were so ticklish!" He catches a particularly sensitive spot right under B's ribs that suddenly makes him jerk and yelp. "Oooh, right there, hmm? Is it bad right there?"

"No!" B giggles, but when A targets that spot again, he starts to squirm more desperately, laughter rising in pitch and volume. "Nohoho! Please!"

"No? What about here, then?" A skitters his fingers across his belly, which earns him a squeak and another jerk backwards.

B is nearly fully on his back now, pink-cheeked and giggling endlessly as he tries to shield himself with his arms and his legs. A knocks one leg out of the way and crawls half-over him, then targets that extra ticklish spot under his ribs to stop B from changing position to defend himself. Not just a brief tickle there either; A really goes for it, squeezing and poking and scribbling until B is shrieking with laughter, twitching and squirming helplessly. "Please!" he begs.

A takes pity, but only a little. He switches back to squeezing B's sides, which still renders him a helpless, giggly mess, of course. B twists, trying to find a way to escape, but A has him somewhat caged now, his weight half resting on him. "Hmm, so where else are you ticklish?"

"Nohohowere!" B giggles.

"Something tells me you might be lying. Alright, then. Let's see." He trains his eyes on B's face. "What about... hands. Forearms. Shoulders. Underarms." The twitch of B's eyebrows gives him the answer he needs. "Aha," he grins. "Underarms is right, then."

"Ohhhh, dohohon't!" B immediately hugs himself, trying to press his arms as tightly to his body as he can, but A worms his fingers in there, and scratches lightly at B's armpits. That's all it takes to break him. Poor B shrieks again and wriggles violently, letting out a mostly incoherent stream of pleading interspersed with giggles. Not wanting to torture him too much, A slips his hands down, leaving his armpits alone and tickling his belly instead. That turns B's laughter somehow cuter still. His nose scrunches and begins trying to twist again, obviously wanting to curl up in a ball.

Entranced by B's laughter and the way he's grabbing helplessly at A's hands, A finally stops, giving B a chance to breathe.

"Oh!" B sighs, dropping his head back in relief, eyes shiny with tears of laughter and smile lingering sweetly on his face. "Oh, I can't believe you just did that to me." Adorably, there's still something of a breathless laugh to his voice.

"If I'd known this would get you to smile so much, I'd have done it much sooner!" A grins. "I don't think I've ever heard you laugh so much."

B covers his face with embarrassment, but a little poke to his ribs quickly gets him to yank his hands down with a gasp. He giggles and grabs hold of A's hand. "I don't think I ever have laughed so much."

"It was cute," A says, squeezing B's hand. "And I'm definitely going to do it again."

B makes a show of scowling and sighing and trying to pretend he wants to forget about the whole experience, but for the rest of the evening, a soft smile lingers on his face. A isn't fooled for a moment by his huffing and scowling. Besides, now he knows just how to deal with that sort of mood.

if you haven't met me before, hi, i'm cordie, i write fic with my obscure fave characters in mind and then change the names and make the details vague so that others can imagine their own faves instead! if you want a version of this fic but with different pronouns or diff names, pls drop me a request and i'm happy to edit and post!

[studentinpursuitofclouds]

Hello, an anon with long question had arrived! 😭 I've brought some virtual foods and drinks so you won't be bored on what I'm about to ask you~~~ 🍔🍟🍕 🥤🧋

I don't know if this would interest you, but what do you think about the perception of magic in SVE? (I'm basing my question on my Farmer's lore below.)

My Farmer's parents despise magic, viewing it as a destructive force that can only harm others, based on their past experiences, particularly with Farmer's grandmother (RSV lore). Because of this, Farmer grows up avoiding magic and initially fears it due to his parents' influence. However, his views start to change over time.

Farmer sees Rasmodius using magic to protect Pelican Town, encounters the benevolent Junimo restoring old buildings, and witnesses a fairy enchanting his crops. In Castle Village, he observes battle mages using magic to defend the weak and elixirs with diverse medical uses. Additionally, magic has practical everyday uses. It can summon bubbles without soap, animate puppets for traveling performers, enhance sound for festivals, even had a very simple spells such as all-purpose cleaning, birthday reminders, or sweetening placebos spells for those who cannot consume sugar!

Ultimately, Farmer realizes that magic, like weapons, can be used for both good and ill. The witch who curses his plants at night is one of the proof of the latter. But alas, he understands that like weapon, when used by the right people, magic can improve lives.

... This turns out to be ramblings about my Farmer, and I'm sorry.

But in conclusion, how do different people's perceptions of magic affect their lives, just like Farmer's did? Are there others like Farmer's parents who hate magic? Or are there families who see magic as a special status, where greater understanding of magic elevates social status in the mage world? (It would be an interesting headcanon if either mages in the game like Ras, Lance, Camilla, or Jadu came from such families but disagreed with their views and chose to keep their distance from them.)

Dear anon, don't apologise for this, I love all your discussions and theories about my favourite game, especially this mod and your Farmer OCs 😭💕 And thanks for the virtual food! (gosh, I miss pizza so much! 🍕😋). Have a wonderful day! (Send you some virtual cookies 🍪🍪🍪🍪🍪)

_________________________________________

First of all, thanks again for sharing your Farmer OC and his lore, it was interesting to read! We have quite similar views and headcanons on SDV/SVE/RSV lore, and I tried to describe all my thoughts about it here (apologise for a very, very long text 😅)

So, about your ask....

You're absolutely right about magic being both a tool and a weapon. There was an interesting quote I remember about magic, but I don't remember if it was a quote from a video game or if one of my friends said it to me when we were discussing game lore (not SDV). Basically, magic was compared to an axe, but it's up to the individual to decide whether to chop wood for the winter with that axe or kill their neighbour. It is the same with magic: it can be used as a useful tool in everyday life, or as a way to bring chaos and destruction - all depends on the person. But, as it often happens in fantasy world, people who are not familiar with the concept of magic at all, are afraid of incomprehensible power, and if they had negative stories in their past (witch curse, for example), they will definitely consider all those who are somehow connected with magic as evil.

About the question of how magic has affected people's lives and whether or not it's being treated as only evil... If you're referring specifically to the inhabitants of the Stardew Valley, dear anon, it's pretty ambiguous. Looking back at the vanilla lore, some villagers simply denied the existence of magic (Shane in his dialogue at the Feast of the Winter Star), some were frightened by the strange noise coming from Magnus's tower and showed fear and distrust (Marnie). And at the same time, no one had any preconceptions about the maze in Spirits Eve, which miraculously appeared in just one day. "Yeah, that weird ourple dude did it all," and no one would show any concern. Not even the same Shane (free food and pumpkin cider, so he doesn't care too much, I guess 🤷). Also the fact that almost everyone considers the life elixir a universal liked gift. I don't know if I can attribute monsters to this as well, because in my mind, where there are monsters there is dark magic, but maybe the inhabitants see them differently (like mutated animals or something).

As for the Expanded mod specifically, nothing much has changed here either in terms of the vanilla game's residents. But! Victor, our beloved spaghetti man, stands out among all of them. In his event we are already introduced to the fact that Victor openly and directly reveals that he knows for the existence of adventurer clans, and that they - attention! - use magic to fight monsters and to protect people. Also worth noting is his separate dialogue where he tells Farmer that the Ferngill Republic government want to cut down the magical forest here in order to find useful things that can help in the war with the Gotoro Empire. And, most interestingly, as I quote, "that wizard won't let them do it." "That wizard." A wizard! Not "strange man", but a wizard. So, he believes in magic, and he's a man from big city with modern technology. Victor is not speaking negatively about magic in these examples, but more angry at the realisation that the government is intent on greedily gnawing at any opportunity to achieve its goals, in this case at the cost of the unique ecosystem of the Stardew Valley. But Magnus isn't giving them that. This means that people (at least some) also realise that magic exists. I wonder though: if the local authorities respect Magnus's word that it's strictly forbidden to cut down the forest, or if they're just afraid he'll send them away with fireballs if they go into the Valley without asking? I'm leaning more towards the second scenario.

With the Ridgeside Village mod, coming to a conclusion about people's attitudes (both in Pelican Town and Ridgeside Village, and in the rest of the world) is a little easier. And it's all because of Gabriella, the main antagonist of the RSV mod. As far as I understood correctly, her goal is to wreak havoc in the whole world (for what purpose - Hell knows, probably for funnies or whatever), and her minions, soulless shel, faithfully serve their dark queen: killing local politicians (all politicians, not to be confused with the Cult of the Lady with the Red Tail), committing attacks, cursing forests and sources of magic, as it was with Spirit's Realm. Of course, ordinary people who are either victims themselves, or their family/relatives/friends who are affected by it, will see magic only in a negative way and consider it the source of all their troubles. And most won't realise that it's all up to the person (Gabriella isn't a person at all): magic is evil, period. No buts. Because for them, it's easier to deal with pain and loss, to protect yourself and your loved ones.

The moment where wizards and witches lead a rather secretive life from the rest of the (modern) population only adds fuel to the fire of the problem with distrust. Consequently, some magicians also distrust people due to this discrimination. And so the endless wheel of distrust goes on.

People like our Farmer, who in their work as farmer/fisherman/gatherer/adventurer/miner use both magic and modern technology, can be the ones who help these two different social societies find common ground. Or on the contrary, the Farmer will be considered an outsider everywhere, despite helping both modern society (improving Pelican Town's economy, rebuilding many important buildings) and magical society (protecting people from monsters and fighting renegade wizard/witches).

What about our SVE mages...

I used to hold the idea that Lance was NC/LC (no contact/low contact) with his parents for just such a reason. That he, a man with a "gift", was at odds with the views of his parents, who shunned magic like a plague. But over time, I like the idea of his parents being retired noble adventurers with magic better (*looking at my mutuals with their lovely headcanons 👁️👁️💕), so Lance had no problem with that.

Jadu on the other hand, fits more into the category of someone whose views on magic have changed over time. I think he suffered the same fate as Morgan, Magnus' apprentice, when they were taken away from their parents and not even allowed to contact them. Naturally, when you, a child, are taken away from your parents or guardian so abruptly, you're going to see wizards as a source of evil because they came to your home, almost forcefully and threateningly took you from your parents' nest and sent you to who knows where and who knows who, "to learn the arcane knowledge". Even in a fantasy world, that sounds very sus. The witches and mages themselves, under whose wing the young talents were given, can be both the reason for the child's revision of the concept of magic (magic not bad, but also good), and make the situation worse. Later, this can then lead to the formation of renegade mages, thirsty for revenge, they hurt ordinary people in the process of revenge, and the fear of magic in general will be even stronger.

I like to think that Camilla was so determined and opinionated that she wasn't the one they came for, but she somehow fucking came to the Ministry and was like, "teach me!" At least it's sounds funny 😅

Magnus, oh well... I honestly don't know, but he was probably taken into the care of a wizard when he was young to learn spells and alchemy to protect people and help adventurers with "monsters clean up".

Got a bit of a chaotic answer again, but I hope I've answered all the questions!

[missn00tson]

Am I the only person that hated s4 of tua?

Look, i am a big fan of the series, and I was so happy when the new season came out.

And s3 was a bit long for me, in the sense that some scenes were boring, so I wasnt too unhappy with a shorter season.

But what was this

Spoilers for The umbrella Academy season 4!

First of all, the whole Five and Lila relationship.

They are platonic friends, like siblings. Who thought it would be a fun idea to make them romantic all of a sudden?

"Oh, but they got stuck in time for 7 years its only natural"

You have to be shitting me.

I've been celibate for over 7 years, you think I'd date my brothers WIFE if we spend time tgt for those years? No. Fuck no.

It doesnt even seem to click with Five's personality, because he's so insanely loyal and caring towards his family. He would not do that, if we were to follow his personality from s1 to 3.

This brings me to Ben.

I have never been the biggest sparrow Ben fan, I'll admit that. I've always been an umbrella Ben fan and sometimes I wished sparrow Ben was more like him.

So you can imagine, I was happy when he started to appear more caring for Jeniffer.

Until they totally switched up his character.

Yes, he was influenced by the bond (which reminds me of the whole nesting situation of the last episode, which I must admit was very entertaining) which made him more loving yadaydaydaya. But everyone shows their love in a different way, sparrow Ben' type of loving is in no way shape or form sweettalking and grossly cutesy forms of affaction.

You might think so (the writers apparently did) but I surely disagree.

So his personality was, as you might guess, also out of the window.

His talking brings me to my next point. The dialogue.

I'm not sure if its just me, but it was so.goddamn.messy.

It was no dialogue, it was just a bomb of one liners aiming for nothing.

It had no feeling, no personality. Its as if the writers saw the one liners we liked, pasted them into an ai engine, and let it spit out 100 new ones to fill the movie.

I would like to give specific examples, but it happened all.the.time. If you dont believe me, watch the last episode. The only in character person was Victor (even though he's not my bestie, I loved that they stayed true to his character) with wanting to save his siblings, standing up to their father, wanting to keep his peace but always choosing to help his siblings no matter how much they hurt him in the past.

He was the only one who felt like the same person as the other season. Even Reggie was a goddamn mess (and thats something to say about that uptight bastard)

Now this part is purely personal. But the plot? The scenes? The entire construction was such a mess.

First of all. 7 years in that station? 7years? Youre telling me that super smart old man Five didnt think to look at those lines first before stepping in that train? You think "I must know everything and enything about everything and anything" Five didnt look up, took a good glance at those letters and knew. "Mhmm. Thats that weird writing my father used. How bout I try to TRANSLATE it BEFORE i step on this mystery train?"

If you think him stepping on a random train, not even looking at the map he picked up is in charcater? Sincerely, quit shitting my dick cuz no way you think that.

And then him giving up on finding his siblings? He was in an apocalypse for what? 50 years? And he always kept the stupid eye, thinking it might save his siblings. And now, here he is, giving up on them cuz he' a lil lost in daddy's train station?

Babes, you cant be serious.

Im aware that this post is very opinionated, and perhaps negative, but thats just how itll be. But if you feel offended by anything here, I do apologise. I love the series aswell, but his season, felt more like a 12 year old' followup story of season 3 (and that is not to say that 12 yo' cant write, cuz some of them r amazing, but you get the idea) and I cant believe they actually funded this.

And that is not to start about the decisions they made. Ben making them drink the marigold? Five not just going back to that moment if he could time travel (which he coulve bcz him and Lila went back to the "present" which is 7 years earlier than when they were stuck). Then stop them from drinking the Sake/Marigold. Merging the marigold with Jennifer and everything is fixed? Bcz they didnt have their powers anymore?

Either way

I might follow up on this, I might not.

But I do hope that some share my opinion, even if many dont.

Bye loves!

[irithnova]

Mongolia hcs because I'm bored:

That man's hair routine is water + hoping for the best y'all are out of your minds thinking he has an elaborate plan for it

If you told him you needed therapy the best thing he'd do is tell you that he hopes you find a job soon

Kalmykia + Buryatia drain his wallet with the amount of shit they manage to guilt him into buying

Seems like he's good with kids on the surface but he can't actually parent.

Can be condescending towards Tuva because Tuva was ruled by Mongolia for a while

Also condescending because he's fully convinced himself Tuva has a stealing problem and thinks that calling him a kleptomaniac instead of a thief is politically correct, so is annoyed when Tuva doesn't recognise his attempts at being sensitive 🙄

Dog person but will pet kitty cats when they approach

It's so hard for Mongolia and China to feign niceness/diplomacy to each other in a formal setting that you get the most awkward and obviously forced interactions

Can honestly sleep soundly on any surface

Believe it or not Mongolia can actually swim and no he's not afraid of water. He finds the ocean a little eerie sure but you guys realise Mongolia has huge lakes right

Fluent in Russian but purposefully butchers it sometimes to annoy Russia

Insults Russia by calling him a drunkard when he is arguably worse with alcohol

Tibet is his Lady Macbeth. No I will not elaborate

Is freakily good at puzzles/logic games it's literally one of his traditions

Has actually made quite a few puzzles himself

Goes to the bathroom to play some on his phone when a meeting is boring the hell out of him (he was so close to the next level anyways-)

Not always but sometimes he carries around a small pouch of shagai (ankle bones of goat or sheep) for good luck

Seems composed on the surface but is secretly entertained by drama

If he accidentally steps on your foot he'll instinctively reach his arm out to touch your wrist or try to shake your hand to apologise because that's what you do in Mongolia when you misstep onto someone's foot

Always carries cigarettes with him

Deep/rich voice 🥺 He speaks somewhat softly though

Do not tug on his braid

[stardustjie]

𝚕𝚒𝚝𝚎𝚛𝚊𝚛𝚢 𝚙𝚑𝚒𝚕𝚘𝚜𝚘𝚙𝚑𝚢

oh, this one took a lot. i apologise for the wait, it was quite a busy month. i'm not even that proud of this drabble if i must be honest, but i hope you like it anyway ♡ there might be some mistakes, but thank you for being patient

buying books and reading books are two different hobbies, but very few things could give the reassurance to have every title in your "to be read" list already bought and patiently waiting on the shelf. when you would read said book was a mystery for everyone, you included, but it was there for when the time will come. there was this feeling of comfort, knowing you didn’t have to buy it and you just had to wait for the right moment in your life to actually enjoy the reading. this might seem a bit strange, but you are lucky your girlfriend understands your literary philosophy. except she had a whole library in her home.

the first time she mentioned it, you thought she was joking. you were talking about your favourite book again, illustrating all the characers and the specific things you enjoyed. at some point she said the word library, but you didnt really pay attention to it. until she finally invited you in her home and with the most natural expression she showed you the biggest collection of physical books you have ever seen with your own eyes. you realized oftentimes your girlfriend didnt need to endure the bother to buy those books, rather than to find them.

now you are in the same library, with lara explaining how she bought the book you are holding in your hands so carefully. you lightly touch the title, gently. you are scared the littlest mistake will ruin it despite the other girl reassured you its not that fragile. you haven't been together for a lot, her stories are so new and interesting. you could listen to her for hours until she got bored. lara was telling you about one of her expeditions, how she found this little market stall in iraq a few months before.

"how do you manage to remember which one you have and which one you dont?" you ask at some point. your girlfriend watched you with curiosity, doe eyes wide open, and giggles. apparently she has list of them. everytime she is interested in a new book she looks for the title in a list she has on her personal tablet to see if its already in there. every title is in alphabetical order under its group genre. lara wasn’t as organizza and one would think, but she tooks her library quite seriously.

"its easier than it seems," she explains "its just a matter of habit and willpower. also, most of those books arent really my own. they are my father's or my ancestors' i think." but you were still suprised. you were still used to her little apartment in with the paper on the wall in front of her desk and books on the ground. now she is telling you she spendt her first week in the manor taking care of the library (and her other stuff, but that's not the important part).

"of course, if you see anything you like just take it. i dont mind" lara says and in your head it definitely sounds like a marriage proposal. you could hear the bells already. she probably notices your heart-eyes and giggles a little. you spend the rest of the day with her in thr library, talking about the numerous editions and books you could find and learning about the ones she used to read when she was little and her favourite characers. you are delighted when she explains her interpretation of enjolras and grantaire and lara listened carefully to your there about that duology you are reading.

you never thought you would be like this, talking for hours with your girlfriend surrounded by the biggest collection of books you have ever seen. sometimes she moved her hands a little bit to highlight a concept, other times she quickly showed you the paragraphs she was referring to. you really could listen to her until sunset came, the passion in her voice was addicting.

and you didn’t even know next time ahe was going to show you the art room yet.

[kkooongie]

MOOT GAME: " make up a trope for your moots and their biases. doesn’t need to be romantic. can be crackfic/funny. ^ㅇ(๑>◡<๑)ㅇ^ "

OMG ANON IM SO SO SORRY THIS WAS SO LATE but it was so fun at the same time hehehe but srsly im so sorry of how late im doing this. also if i get any of your biases wrong IM SORRY :'D

@wonumatics + wonwoo in "college friends to lovers". yeah the two of you probably became friends after being the only two members in the ten member group project who actually worked and lo and behold! maybe wonwoo is cute. and maybe...wonwoo thinks the same too.

@thepoopdokyeomtouched + mingyu in "met though mutual friends". honestly you were losing track of all the friends your friend was currently introducing you to until you saw mingyu. and honestly mingyu was feeling bored until he started talking to you. now its just mingyu trying to babysit a wild you but hey you both love each other this way.

@aaniag + soonyoung in "meet cute". when people said kids love the zoo, the last thing you expected was your nephew to start crying on seeing the tigers roar. until a stranger took it up as his personal mission to make your nephews realise they weren't as bad as they sounded. the same stranger whom you were sharing an ice cream with (without any nephews).

@nishloves + soonyoung in "met through mutual friends". when your friend wonwoo texted you saying he unfortunately had to bring a friend over for your pvp session, you didn't expect the said friend to be...such a cutie. and right now you were on purpose destroying him just to see soonyoung's cute sigh of frustration. and soon it became a regular thing until even wonwoo wasn't invited to your sessions. or...date as soonyoung called it.

@haecien + minghao in "museum dates". you hadn't meant to spill your dirty water on his clothes. really. the pain box happened to slip out of your hand as a new surge of crowd walked into the room, knocking over the jar of water onto the stranger beside you. and you opened your mouth to quickly apologise but you froze, because right in front of you was the most beautiful stranger you had ever seen. and the rest was history.

@slytherinshua + joshua in "picnic au". your expectation for the perfect sunset picnic was completely ruined when a dog ran amok and knocked over all your food. until your perfect neighbour joshua appeared suddenly to your rescue. and now as you sipped tea with him under the sun, you realised that maybe it wasn't too bad.

@mangocustard16 + seokmin in "childhood best friends to lovers". seokmin was your everything. quite literally because if not said best friend then who else? but he added lover to the everything after kissing the corner of your lips one drunken evening, murmuring how much he loved you and making you realise that so did you.

@weird-bookworm + vernon in "library au". was vernon a library person? no he always prefered the movies. but would he be willing to stay in the library for hours if it meant staring at you and maybe, maybe talking to you? sign this man up immediately.

@nonononranghaee + seungcheol in "fake dating au". reason for fake dating (lie vers): 'i need someone with me for my sister's wedding'. reason for fake dating (truth vers): 'i'm in love with you and i've heard dating opens up new sides of people so maybe i'll find something icky about you'.

[asteriasfallingstarsandtears]

What if WoL instead meets Emet for the first time in Eulmore? As a former Garlean resident she'd recognize the Emperor's face, but she also knows that there are doubles at this point on the First. The chances of the very old and very dead Emperor being on the First being incredibly slim in her mind.

And this person, whoever he was, was very much not an elderly man.

This HC also requires the Chais to not accept the WoL when they enter Eulmore, precipitating the need for another sponsor or needing an alternative means of staying for investigation purposes.

(wish I had a little gpose to go with this but sadly not)

“How strange, so very few take in the sight from up here.” She hadn't noticed anyone else here when she had come here.

She turned to apologise for disturbing him but when she met his gaze she found she couldn't speak. Something about him was familiar, even more familiar than G'raha felt. It was impossible that they would have met, though she would have said he looked like the late Emperor of Garlemald. She had met other look alikes since her arrival here, not exactly the same as those she had once known on the Source. It was possible there was a reflection of the Emperor here. She didn't even know what year it was here, it could be the equivalent of his youth now here.

She shook her head, trying to concentrate again. She was babbling to herself, trying to justify what she saw. It was simple, really.

She wasn't on the Source and no one here, save those very few from the Source, were their counterparts.

“Did anyone tell you it's quite rude to stare and not introduce yourself?” His brow raised and he crossed his arms, looking annoyed save for the twitch of his lips. For all his seeming annoyance, he seemed to be fighting off laughing.

She licked her lips, trying to breathe. “Forgive me, sir. I did not know this balcony was occupied, I will leave.”

“Must you? Merely make up for your rudeness.” He strode towards her, leaning easily on the rail beside her. “Your name, for a start, and an explanation of why you might be out here, sad and dressed thus. Is this not the happiest place in all of Norvrandt?”

She snorted. “Happy for some.”

“True, there are a number of rather unhappy people below.” His lips curled up in a smile. “Now, will you make me guess?”

There was no way for anyone to know her here, and despite his being a stranger, she felt at ease with him. Far more at ease than she had in a very long time. Not since Haurchefant’s death, anyway. “Mina.”

“Mina.” He repeated, looking amused. “Hardly a common name amongst your folk. I'm sure there is quite a story about it.”

“Nothing so exciting, save I wasn't raised amongst my kind.” She wasn't lying, she hadn't been. She knew what her name would have been, but it did not follow the Mystal traditions, so it wasn't worth repeating here. “As for why I'm out here, my would be patrons have rejected me. It was but a moment of weakness.”

Also not a lie. It was easier to tell a kernel of truth always.

“Ah, you are new to this fair city. No wonder you do not feel the joy and exaltation so many others here do.” He gave a dramatic wave of his arm and rolled his eyes. “And so, you find solace on…” He peered over the rail, seeing only the sea before them and the crystalized wall of Light. “Emptiness?”

“Perhaps the decadence inside was overwhelming.” She shrugged. “I'll have to return eventually, if only to enjoy what brief time I've left.”

“Hm, you'll give up so easily?” He leaned on the rail.

“Hardly.” She grinned. “I've options, I'm told. Something called the Honeybee?”

He scowled. “Surely not, not you. You would be unimpressed and bored of the seductions that happen there within hours. It's hardly a challenge.”

“Maybe I don't want a challenge, the world's tough, and an easy life sounds…” she had trouble keeping a straight face. She knew exactly what the Honeybee was. She would be bored. “Well, the world doesn't always give us what we want.”

He didn't say anything about that, only tapped his fingers distractedly. She was about to excuse herself, claim she wanted to see the city before her removal or find her father even. She didn't want to, she enjoyed their small exchange, but it was a distraction and she only had so much time.

“I could sponsor you.” She stared at him, mouth slightly open. They didn't know each other, there was no reason for him to. Unless he had taken her suggestion of the Honeybee as a sign she was receptive to other things. She wouldn't oppose it, he was nice enough looking, seemingly well toned for what must be a relatively sedentary lifestyle here and despite the exhausted black rings and other signs of middle age below his eyes, his face wasn't so bad. “I've need of a companion and it would give you some protection against the less savoury types of Eulmore.”

“And in exchange?” She asked. If she didn't like the terms, she could say no. If he refused to accept her answer, she didn't need weapons to defend herself, they only made things easier. What little time she had spent here had taught her that nothing was free, even the food supplement moel came with the understanding of obedience.

[oh-shtars]

Hi Flicker :D! I just finished watching a summary and analysis of the movie “Soul” and I have to share my existential crisis with you and how I think this could support Rani's character development :] (Warning: I'm going to ramble and a LOT).

So, I was watching the movie and I saw that 22's character is quite similar to Rani, not in personality but in what they mean, she is someone who believes she hasn't found her talent yet, what she wants to dedicate herself 100% to or as they say in the movie “her spark”, they feel lost and feel like they are letting someone down because of that, but they both deal with it in different ways, we also see Joel believing that “the spark” is the THING that defines you, your purpose, this maybe what Rani may think, but I imagine as she gets older she realizes that's not such a bad thing, in fact maybe it's a bit negative to get 100% rooted to your purpose, because some people think that with that their life will be better or something, when no, I think Rani will realize that the “purpose” or what she “wants to be totally dedicated to” is not really what she expects, it's more those moments where you just feel something that makes you grateful to be alive, like when she finished carving a wooden figure and liked the result, when she enjoyed doing an activity, or when she was just with friends or her family having a challenge. Because that's also what that “spark” is about, isn't it? They are activities that generate a feeling of happiness and are one more impulse that helps you to be grateful to be alive, it is not your life 100%, it is something that simply sweetens it a little more, but not having it does not mean that you are a nobody, but it means having more possibilities to enjoy different things in life. (Sorry if what I'm saying is obvious or doesn't make sense, I was looking for the message I wanted my wish Au to give and I ended up having an existential crisis, I hope you didn't get bored reading this).

AHHHHH THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU ALED!!! THAT’S WHAT I’M GOING FOR RANI ✨💖✨

You don’t need to find just one passion you need to be 100% dedicated to be happy and satisfied with life. These bursts of joy can all come from anything you enjoy doing such as hobbies or friends and family. Those are the little sparks scattered throughout your life!!

Rani just thinks that since his parents are these amazing figures he looks up to, that helped encourage people to have faith in pursuing their dreams, that he feels embarrassed of not having a definite one that he’s so sure of pursuing despite being their son. (Which is also why he doesn’t communicate this to them either.)

Please never apologise for sending me an ask. It always sends me over the moon to see y’all engaging with my story and AU. 🥺💖

In fact, you’re making me want to rewatch Soul again. Really good movie with a deep meaning, I like it ^^