#i do think that it is an interesting change to have dawn have grown up around some of silverbloom? let's see if i keep it. a lot of this is

[galaxyofender]

You mentioned in your tags that Dawn doesn't have as much of a backstory as Selene does. Do you know how she got turned into a werewolf?

so. update. dawn has a bit more backstory now! im telling you it all sorry not sorry

place names are hard, but dawn was an orphan child on the capital of this kingdom (yet to get a name-) who gets taken in a member of the silverbloom hunter guild, group who dedicate themselves to hunting vampires and was originally founded in the honor of the weeping lady (the goddess of death of this world's pantheon, who despises the undead since they are a disgrace to her domain), even if not all members of silverbloom are that religious or followers of the weeping lady necessarily- but a good amount of them do follow this goddess

the hunter that took dawn in also took another child in, theodore, who dawn grows to be quite close to, seeing him like a brother, and another orphan who ended up becoming quite a devout follower of the weeping lady and very excited to join the hunter guild once he is old enough, he sees it that getting rid of such vermin in the eyes of his goddess is a great honor 

(theodore was bdubs in the original au, the goddess was originally cleo but weeping lady became merged with another goddess from an original pantheon that didn't have a world and doesn't resemble cleo that much anymore)

so, after several years of insisting that she joins too, theodore drags dawn to join the silverbloom hunters, even if she did have some doubts, and it's during a training hunt that dawn gets bitten by a werewolf 

dawn got lost from the path in the middle of the forest, did not realize it was a full moon, ran into a “weird wolf” and got attacked and bitten by it on the leg. she hides the bite from the rest of the trainees, and ends up joining the hunters 

the bite happens roughly four to five ish months before the start of the story, so dawn is pretty new to being a werewolf still and the quest to the town where dawn meets selene is the first proper one she gets sent to by silverbloom

[octoberautumnbox]

Consider: Yubin who's your seatmate and is very professional in school but every night at 10pm you get the raciest, sauciest, spiciest nudes from her with no warning

Hell Week

tripleS Gong Yubin & Male Reader

Categories/warnings: smut, that's p much all anyone needs to know i think

Word count: 5.5k holy shit

a/n: jeez howd it get this long :nolookk: oh btw i took some liberties with the prompt not that u care heres the fuckin yubin fic :DDDD

~~~

A hand lays itself on your shoulder, the sudden contact nearly making you jump. You turn around and find Yubin clutching a book to her chest with a gentle look on her features. Gesture over to the chair across from you, all the while trying to get your heart rate back under control. 

“My bad, didn't see you were locked in.” She gets into the chair left of you anyway and turns her book to the same page as yours. “How's it going?”

You stretch and groan to let out as much of your tiredness as you can, paying just a bit of mind to everyone else in the library doing pretty much the same. “Dunno. Around twenty minutes ago I accepted I'm retaking this class. What's up with you?”

She giggles while her eyes scan across the paragraphs talking about desert flora and types of precipitation. She rests her cheek on her palm, “I still have a bit of fight in me, but I'm losing hope. I was hoping I could borrow some from you.”

“Sorry, Yubin,” you whisper with every ounce of sympathy you had, “fresh out.” You return to your own book, yet all you do is run your eyes over the same page over and over without much staying in your head. 

A cursory look over to your left shows you scholar-mode Gong Yubin: focused, sharp, and serious. Not that it ever got in the way of you two being friends, but when she gets like this, you know better than to underestimate her–she's capable of plotting the downfall of kingdoms if she set her mind to it. 

However, at the same time, you notice her distress, then immediately notice how well she hides it. It's the same slight crease of her eyebrows in freshman orientation, after midterms in Linguistics 103, and when she finally stopped putting off Geology 102. The realization dawns on you: the situation is dire now that she asks for your help while she's like this, so how could you let her down now?

“Bet you I can score higher,” you challenge her. You have no good reason to issue such a proposition, but if it means giving her support how it matters, whatever embarrassing thing she'll make you do is more than worth it.

It piques her interest and a smile pulls up the corners of her lips. She side-eyes you with an excitement she didn't have just two minutes prior, and you know it worked. “If I win,” she announces as loud as she's allowed to, “make me thick tofu stew. The right way.” 

“Really? That's it?” Then you rebut with just as much fervor, “If I win, you do three of my essays in comparative lit next semester.”

“Now hold the fuck on,” she stumbles, her eyes grown wide and her smile grown toothy, “if you're gonna raise the stakes like that, I need to think of something else!”

Your phone and hers vibrate at the same time, and your screen reads “Get your ass over to Geog.” You both pack your bags and head off to your last Geology class before finals together, and as your book takes its place in the darkness of your backpack, “Fine, but I get to change mine too when I hear yours,” and the spring in her step as you walk tells you it's mission accomplished. 

~~~

In hindsight, it really wasn’t all that bad. The class review session your professor held that day helped you nail down just enough of whatever the fuck sleet might be, and while you're certain it isn't flying colors, your grade at least wouldn't be red. 

Coming out of the exam room, you spot Yubin just seconds before she finds you, and your good deed pays for itself as she skips to approach. 

“Got a good feeling?” There was no point in asking other than that you had to hear it from her, though the wide grin on her face was proof enough. 

“Yeah, I think barely,” she sways cutely from side to side, “and don't think you're off the hook!” She hits you light on the arm, and the most shining feature you can’t ignore is her eyebrows without any sign or symptom of the crease. 

“Not over ‘til the fat lady sings, Gong Yubin,” though you know she's already won. “Three whole essays against… Haven't you decided yet?”

“No, not yet, but the bet is still on!”

You relent, “Fine, fine. Anyway, Nakyoung’s treating the gang to drinks tonight. Wanna come?”

“Nah, busy. Laundry and stuff.” She shifts her weight from foot to foot, and you can tell she’s giddy about what her grade is going to turn out to be. It’s a sight for sore eyes, especially ones that have seen too many grainy tectonic plates and water cycle diagrams. “And why do you insist on full-naming her?”

“I know someone whose name sounds the exact same. As far as I’m concerned, our Nakyoung’s the other Naky.” You place your hand on the small of her back and lead her away from the doorway, and she walks with you without a second thought.

“Mean. You’ll have to introduce me to this first Naky, then.” You slide into rhythm with her gait, and it hits you just how relieved you are for Yubin’s worries to be over. 

It seems such a waste, you think, that laundry is the only thing keeping her away from celebrating, so as you walk out of the Social Sciences building, you bargain one more time: “We’ll be there all night, so just come by when you’re done. I speak for everyone when I say we want you to come, please?”

She giggles again, “I’ll see what I can do. It’s not like I don’t wanna be there, either. Plus,” she admits defeatedly, “we’re getting the results later, and God knows I’d rather not be alone when it comes.” 

~~~

“Hey, where's Yubin?” Nakyoung slings an arm around your shoulder and shoves another mug of beer into your hand. It's a welcome gesture, and it takes all of two and a half seconds for you to down half of it. 

“She has laundry,” you nearly shout back your reply above the music. “Said she'll drop by if she has time.”

Nakyoung makes to yell another reply right into your ear, but decides to pull you away into one of the quieter booths in the bar. “She's a goody-two-shoes, no? Laundry, oh please. Kaede hasn't done laundry in two years.” She takes a gulp of her own beer and wipes her mouth with the back of her hand. 

“Hey. She studied her ass off for that test. I made a bet with her and it looks like she has high spirits, but I honestly dunno what I'd do if she fails.”

Your friend takes your chin up with her finger and you realize how pensive an expression was sitting on your face. “This is Gong Yubin. You know she'll kill it.” Nakyoung flashes a confident smile, and it reassures you almost more than your own trust in Yubin herself. “You drunk yet?”

“Nah, not getting shitfaced without Yubin.”

“Cute. You know she likes you too?” 

“Go fuck yourself, Nakyoung. Go steal Seoyeon's boyfriend while you're at it.”

“I wish; she has him under lock and key. But I wouldn't really mind both of them,” she muses, eyeing Seoyeon in the middle of the dancefloor. 

Just then, the devil strolls in through the front door. “Hi! You weren't kidding, it's really loud in here,” Yubin exclaims with her hands shielding her ears as she adjusts to the noise.

She takes Nakyoung's seat–you whip your head around and find Nakyoung at the dancefloor, with Seoyeon grinding against her–and picks up Nakyoung's old mug. She takes a careful sip and ends it with a relieved ahhhh, before setting it back down and getting to business. She leans in like keeping a secret, though she can't hide her toothy grin. “Have you seen your grade yet?”

“It's out?!” You fumble for your phone, and the second it lights up, cold runs through your veins–the email notification is the first thing at the top of the screen. Meanwhile, Yubin calmly slides her phone across the table to you. She asks “I read yours, you read mine?” with the sweetest smile on her face, again with the slight crease on her eyebrows.

Calm your nerves, silence the alarms blaring in your head. You know she did well, absolutely certain. However, it still doesn't soothe you enough; not until you see the grades for yourself. So, as your thumb hovers over her email, your heart nearly beats out of your chest, only to see–

“You got 87 percent,” Yubin states in the blandest, matter-of-fact tone you've ever heard. Her eyes move left and right over the same spot on your phone, making ultimate certain that she's reading it right. Once she is, her tone softens just enough, “Yeah, 87 percent. Wow, that's good,” she sighs with relief, “... Hard to beat.”

Now her turn, you peek at her score. doing the same making sure, and then some. When you read it for the fifth time, you kick yourself mentally for being so worried and having such little trust in the genius that is Gong Yubin. “Goddamn, 95 percent.”

Her eyes widen like sinkholes as her hand flies to cover her mouth. It almost doesn't matter that you hand her back her phone; she snatches it back anyway. Her disbelief chips away at itself with every run through of the email she reads for herself, and when she's finally done, returns her shocked gaze back to you.

“You were that scared of three essays?” you joke. The beer tastes sweeter now that your worries have gone, and as if all six septillion kilograms of the world is off your shoulders. 

“No, three essays is easy,” she taunts, but immediately her voice takes on a gentler tone, “so I win, right?”

You scoff at her haughtiness, but your relief triumphs over all. “Yeah, whatever. What do you want?”

“... I wanna go home. This is enough excitement for one day.”

“Alright, let me take you. Tell me in the cab what you want for winning, though?”

“Sure,” she says with a tiny smile.

~~~

“So,” she declares. She catches her breath, and her face is overcome with a subtle red flush, “about the bet.”

“Yeah, about the bet.”

“I want…” and she hesitates. The cab runs over a mild speed bump, and the resulting sway seemingly knocks her completely out of focus. She gathers her resolve once more, as if every time she tries to speak she drops it and has to pick it up again. 

“You want…?”

It's a good couple minutes of her breathing heavily, and your concern shows itself for her and whatever she has planned for you.

“Is it illegal? What could possibly be so bad that you're hesitating this much?”

“No, no, shut up. I'm working on it.” She takes one last deep breath, even placing a hand on her heart to steady it. “I want… a cum tribute.”

“... A cum tribute.”

“Yes.”

“You want me to…?”

“I'll send you a photo. And do it on that.”

“You want a photo of–”

“Video.”

“You–video?”

“I want a video. Of you. Cumming on a photo. My photo. I'll send it to you.”

There's no way the cab driver doesn't think this is weird. Then again, he has an earphone in, so he might not be listening in at all. You get the feeling Yubin doesn't care either way, completely focused on you. 

“... Alright. You want it this bad, fine.”

“Good. Um,” she follows, “sorry in advance. It's gonna be my first time… taking a photo like this.” She refocuses her attention to the buildings whizzing by outside as she says it, the telltale sign the conversation is over. Still, it lingers in your head for a little while: Yubin's first time. 

~~~

“Look, I'm sorry,” she sighs, “just come up with me? Please?”

You're standing with her outside her dorm, all the while the meter ticks away in the cab. The driver waits expectantly inside for you to get back, but Yubin's fingers wrapped around your sleeve make for a very difficult decision. 

“Okay, okay, just let me pay the cab driver,” you concede, but as soon as you sum up the fare, Yubin snatches it from you and brings it over herself. She and the driver exchange a few words, ending with her waving him off and him leaving her in the dust. She waddles back with her signature grin: the one that tries and fails to hide her excitement. 

“Can I just ask why you want it so bad?”

She shakes her head, “Nope. Now shush,” as you both make the now-silent trek up the four flights of stairs to her floor and room. 

Upon entering, you immediately notice it's nicer than most dorm rooms: huge space, carpet floors, a big window, and two double-size beds, not to mention its own bathroom. It makes you stop and wonder if you ever glossed over any signs that Yubin or her family might come from old money.

“Uhh, give me a few minutes to get ready. The bed on the right is mine, make yourself at home. WiFi password by the light switch. Kaede doesn't like her stuff messed with, so steer clear.” Yubin then disappears into the bathroom, and you lay yourself down on her bed. You're made aware of how you sink comfortably into the memory foam, and of the disarming fragrance that wafts from her bedsheets and pillowcases. She's always smelled like this, you recall, but it's rather nice, you finally admit. 

“Hey,” Yubin attempts. She sits on the edge of her bed next to you, wearing a set of pajamas and no makeup at all. You always knew Yubin was a pretty girl, God knows how many times she's been asked out, but seeing her like this is new; her allure draws you in with a smile and an embrace. Shit, was Nakyoung right? Do you like her? 

“So… How do you want me?” She avoids your eyes and touches her fingertips together, a blush forming on her cheeks. 

“Do you… Do you have a tie?”

Her ears perk up, “Yeah, hold on,” and she retrieves a thin, striped necktie from her dresser. She places it around her neck, her fingers delicately maneuvering the fabric into an intricate-looking knot, and when she's done, she presents herself to you. 

“Take off your top, Yubin,” you tell her, and she hands you her phone with the camera already on. Point it at her, making sure the flash is off, and start taking pictures one by one. 

She pushes aside the tie and fiddles with the top button. It's effortless how she undoes it, and she pulls the collar apart to show you more of her. She unbuttons the next, then the next, all the while showing you her smooth skin. With half the buttons undone, she shows off her chest, showing nothing but skin underneath her top.

You take a moment to catch your breath, swallow your spit. “Are you sure about this, Yubin?” 

“Yeah… Just keep going, please.” She undoes her fifth button at the very bottom, revealing her midriff and making you salivate. Must be heaven to kiss her there, when she snaps you out of it, “Are you still taking pictures?” Am I that distracting?” Look up to her, find her with the same sweet smile on her face but with a new blush decorating her cheeks.

Her last button is her fourth, and it's undone before you know it. She keeps her pajama top on a little bit longer, covering her chest a little bit more, and finally she shrugs it off one shoulder. It's nothing but everything all at once, and the split second your self-control wavers is the exact moment you leap in.

You drop her phone somewhere on the mattress; both your hands grip her shoulders as your lips capture hers. She leans into the kiss, wrapping her fingers on the back of your neck, and tiny moans escape her amidst smooches that get louder the hungrier she gets. 

Pull the top off her other shoulder, and she finally strips it all off. However, you can't even enjoy the sight, not yet, as you draft down from her lips to her slender neck, leaving a trail of kisses on your way. She runs her fingers through your hair before holding you in place, all the while leading your free hand to her chest. 

She sucks air in through her teeth, “That's really good, just like that…” she moans as her head tilts to allow more access to her neck. The scent of her shampoo fills your nostrils and you feel yourself getting addicted, but not as much as to the softness of her skin. 

She pulls you down onto the bed, and you find yourself leaning over her. Yubin lies under you, watching you intently and waiting for what you'll do next. Her tie sits right in the valley of her tits, and it drives you wild. Take a nipple in between your teeth while you fondle her other breast. She breathes heavy in pleasure, wordlessly asking for more and more of your attention and love. Her fist closes on your hair as she pushes you further onto her chest, her other hand hopelessly tugging on your pants.

It's all the message you need from her: your pants go, then your underwear, then everything else. Your cock stands hard in her sights, and the way her fingers wrap around your length is nothing short of heaven. 

“Do… do you wanna do it with me?” Her question is purely innocent, without a single hint of malice in her voice. She rubs your shaft slowly, sending waves of tantalizing pleasure throughout your whole body.

“Do you have condoms?”

“... Kaede will forgive me.” She crawls down the ladder, picks out a square plastic wrapper from her roommate's dresser, and hurries to get back to you. The smile on her face as she comes up the ladder again is one of, if not the most beautiful things you've ever seen. 

You guide her as she puts the condom on you, and the sensation of her fingers gently unrolling the rubber along your length only makes you more impatient. Finally, you hook your fingers on the garter of her pajama bottoms, and she lifts her hips to accommodate you. The fabric slides off her so easily, revealing her long, smooth legs that she seems desperate to have you in between of. 

“Go easy, okay? I told you…” 

“Yeah, your first time. I'll take care of you,” you reassure her. Line up your throbbing cock against her slick heat, feel her palm on your cheek, watch her flash that killer smile again. She bites her lip, and while you know it isn't on purpose, it makes her look sexier all the same. 

Slide your cock into her, making sure to go slow. She shuts her eyes harder with every inch she takes of you, and when she moves her hands to your forearms and grips tight, it reminds you like a looping cycle: “Go easy, go easy.”

So you go slow and steady, staving off your lust for the woman giving herself to you. Each thrust into her sex is careful and calculated, though by the second you feel your calculations going awry. She pants at every good spot in her cavern you happen to drag across, earning her little admissions of newly found pleasure in the form of mewls and moans like a song you’d never tire of. 

“Faster, please…? You’re so–ugh, fuck…” And the way she pleads flips a switch in you; plant your elbows into the memory foam on either side of her head while she takes your face in her hands. Yubin pulls you in for a kiss and it means the world to her when you grow careless with your lovemaking.

“Fuck, fuck, not too fast, just right, mmm,” each time you push into her cunt. The way she mumbles sweet nothings into your ear, the way she holds on for dear life and leaves scratches all the way down your back, she takes up every single thought going through your head: Yubin, Yubin, Yubin…

You scarcely notice how she's scratching your harder, gripping you tighter, grinding against you faster–it’s much too late to finally hear her warning, “I'm close, I'm close, oh fuck, fuck, aaahhhh!” as she explodes with you still inside her. Her pussy clenches around your cock in all the best ways, and you savor the feeling as she rides out her orgasm. Her knuckles turn white as she grips you by the shoulders, though all you can see is how her tits bounce with every jerk that runs through her body. Yubin's eyes roll to the back of her head and her mouth hangs open, a prolonged, deep moan gracing your ears as she ambles closer and closer to spent. 

Take a moment, let her breathe. Every gasp of air in her lungs is like a blessing, and each one steadily brings her from beyond heaven back to you. Her hands fall to her sides as she pants out her delirium and replaces it with tiredness, and once she's stable she flashes you that killer smile again. It pulls on the corners of her mouth, showing the tiniest amount of teeth, though her eyes are nowhere near open. Plant a kiss on her cheek, then her neck, then receive her giggles once you stay and rest right on her pulse. 

“You good? Still alive?”

All she can do is nod, having had every last ounce of her strength sapped. She lays motionless under you, save for her chest rising and falling with her breathing, and you know she looks to you for comfort and security. You take another moment to bask in her afterglow; she's never looked more gorgeous. 

“Hey,” she whispers, and you swear it's the most tired you've ever heard her, or anyone for that matter. “You good?”

“Yeah, I'm okay. Are you sure you're good?”

“Yeah. Thank you.” She pulls you back down and plants a kiss on your cheek. Her lips linger for a second, as if she's taking in your scent made hers. You stay like this for a good while, just enjoying each other's presence, relishing in the warmth of a body that gave itself up for the other. You don't even notice when you slumped over onto the mattress beside her, but her head on your chest felt like the rightest thing in the world.

“We're not done, by the way,” she prods.

“What? Why not? Aren't you tired?”

“‘Tired’ isn't part of the bet. I still want that tribute.”

And you remember, you have a job to do, a debt to pay. It’s between your common sense and your lust for the hottest girl in the world right now, and there is a clear winner. 

Pull back from her, off of the bed, and plant your feet on the floor. Firm and resolute, tell her: “Fine, on your knees.” The flush on her face deepens to an igneous red, and she scrambles to the floor in front of you.

“You're so pretty, Yubin,” you muse as you point her camera back to her face. Make sure the flash is off, and once you push the big red button to record, your other hand immediately takes her cheek and guides her to your tip. 

Yubin's eyes flutter shut as she inches her lips closer and closer to your cock. The first contact is heavenly; just gentle kisses and licks from a complete novice pretending to be an expert at this sort of stuff. The way her tongue glides over your shaft, the way she plants kisses all over your cock with the tiniest sucks, the way she does all of this with her eyes gracefully shut makes for a killer video for her to get off to later. A blowjob from a girl like this comes once in a lifetime, so you resolve to give her everything she'd ever want from a tribute like this. 

A moan escapes you, and she picks up that she's doing it right. With your subconscious approval, the hand on her cheek pulling further her in, she takes your tip in her mouth. Her tongue works overtime in running all over the head, paying special attention to your slit, making absolutely sure her spit coats wherever she can reach. She takes in more and more of your shaft, pressing her tongue on the underside of your cock as she does, all the while her cheeks hollow out like her life depends on it. 

Tiny vibrations from her throat only add to the pleasure, sending shivers up your spine and your hand to the back of her head. For the first time, she opens her eyes, and the sight is something to behold: she looks up at you with the biggest, roundest, most pleading eyes, the epitome of cuteness if not for your cock she oh-so-diligently services to get what she wants. 

Yubin takes you in just a bit deeper, slightly turning her head and savoring the way your length fills her mouth, when you hit the back of her throat, causing her to gag. She pulls back abruptly as a tear forms in the corner of her eye, and you have half a mind to pull out entirely to make sure she's okay. Instead, she never lets you–she takes your cock again, shooting you another pleading look before she shuts her eyes and bobs her head onto your cock again and again. 

Luckily, you pick up on her message; Snake your fingers through her hair, grab a fistful, make her yours. A moan rises from her throat once again, and she steadies herself with her hands on your thighs in preparation. She's ready. 

Pull her in as far as she can take, and it's a good most of your shaft before she gags again. Offer her no breathing room, bob her head onto your cock over and over, all the while more of her slobber coats your length, some of it falling off her lips and onto her chest and lap. She never fights, only takes–soon the gagging is replaced by an obedient, rhythmic gluck-gluck-gluck than you're sure even she'd find hot if she could think straight. Instead, her phone picks up every sight and sound for her to enjoy later, while you both enjoy each other now. 

It's everything all at once: the sight of Gong Yubin's plump, sexy lips around your shaft, the feeling of her tongue relentlessly dragging over every inch of your cock, the sound of your tip meeting her throat again and again while her groans fight their way out. “Yubin… I'm close,” you confess, but with her eyes still shut and her tongue still going crazy all over you, you don't think she heard. So make the decision yourself: yank her hard off your cock, rub your shaft right against her delicious lips. Once she exits her daze, she takes your dick in her hand and rubs all across the length. Tears fall from the corner of her eyes and her lips give off the slightest tremble, but she's resolute in what she wants to earn from you. 

It takes no time at all until you reach your limit. It's the best handjob anyone has ever probably given, but it's that one last kiss from her, right on your tip, that sends you over the edge. One last groan, one last jerk, one last tug of her hair, and your orgasm hits. Your cum shoots out in ropes, all landing on her face and tits. She's determined to receive everything from you, so it's only right to give her exactly what she wants. She shuts her eyes again, but her mouth stays wide open to catch whatever she can of it–she never stops jerking you off even as your cum falls onto her eyelids, her nose bridge, her forehead, her chin. Yubin savors every moment and every drop, burning the memory of bliss into her mind as you coat her face with your love. 

Your orgasm finally dies down, and you realize just how much she squeezed out of you. You're sure no one has ever looked lewder, your cum smeared all over her face, yet she proves you wrong when she picks up a fingerful of it to take into her mouth. She licks her lips, apparently loving the taste, while you love the sight of her acting so sultry for you. 

Stumble back onto the bed, take Yubin with you. Both of you are out of strength, breathing heavy, and in the middle of processing that you just painted her face with cum–that she asked you to paint her face with cum. You barely notice the stars swirling in your eyes, but your sense of the situation comes back just quick enough to avoid things getting awkward. 

“I think I wanna shower, so you should wash up first,” you mumble, still staring at her beige ceiling, and you can feel she's panting and doing the same without even seeing her. 

Wordlessly she gets up and her carpet-muffled footsteps grow quieter as she heads to the bathroom. A door shuts, a handle creaks, a shower gushes to life. Your brain sits idle, making no attempts to form thoughts other than acknowledging the shower turning off and on while she bathes. It's calming in its own way, you suppose–taking a bath is one of the normalest things in the world–as if what you just did with her was a close runner-up. 

An unknowable amount of time passes, and a fresh, citrus-scented Yubin emerges from the bathroom again. She dries her hair with her towel as she makes her way to her hair blower, but not before shooting you a gorgeous smile and a head tilt to the bathroom to let you know it's your turn. 

~~~

Leaving the bathroom yourself, you find a dark bedroom, save only for a yellow lamp shining against a nearby wall. Yubin is sitting up in her bed and scrolling on her phone, and once she spots you, she beckons you over.

“Look, funny,” she whispers with a giggle, and she shows you a clip of a guy much too excited about a truck looking like Optimus Prime. 

“Yeah. Hey, listen, I'm pretty tired,” you attempt. In no way is this a lie, and you're sure she's tired too. You bet she wants nothing more than to finally go to sleep and end what should be a perfect night on a high note. 

“Totally,” she agrees, “come on in. It's cold.” She lifts up the covers and looks over to you expectantly. Not that it dumbfounds you, but it throws you for a slight loop; she literally just said it was cold. 

“Wh– I'm heading out, is what I mean. You should get your rest, too.”

Yubin's eyes take on a softer expression, “Oh, you're not staying over?”

“... Did you want me to?”

“Yeah…?”

Your eyes lock with hers for what seems like half a second and a million hours at the same time. You're stuck in place, still in a stalemate of a staring contest with her, and you're not sure even she knows what the two of you want out of the situation. Her expression turns into one of concern, and her arm holding up the covers falters just a bit. Fuck, you think, window's closing.

Make your choice, have no regrets. Get in the covers with her, and she lets them drop to snuggle up to you. Once the both of you settle, her head on your chest and yours on one of the fluffiest pillows in the world, she blurts out quietly: “You fucked up, you know.”

She navigates to her gallery and finds your video of her, and skips to a part near the end. “Your dumb ass stopped recording just as you were about to cum.” And the video did show that: Yubin rubbing your cock, eyes shut, tongue out and ready for your load, and the video stops. 

“Shit, sorry–” 

“This wasn't the bet. I wanted a cum tribute, not a facial. You need to send me a proper one,” she muses, “or take a proper video.”

Now that stuns you. You wonder how interesting her ceiling is for you to stare at it so much, but she snaps you out of it partway through by snaking a hand up your shirt and settling it right above your heart. Reciprocate–it only feels right–wrap an arm around her shoulders and pull her even closer. An exhale from both of you, and one last exchange of words: 

“Okay. Tomorrow?”

“Can you go again that soon?”

“If it's you, of course.”

“Don't guys need to recharge?”

“... I'll handle it.”

~~~

[all-purpose-dish-soap]

50 / 820 words / for @keegansshark who converted me to the cult of Hesh <3

...

"Anyone sitting here?"

"Uh, no. Knock yourself out."

You sit down across from Hesh. The mess hall isn’t crowded yet. You have plenty of space. "So. About yesterday."

"Remind me,” he says. “It's been a long week."

You roll an orange in your palms. "I was just wondering. Do you want to?"

"Want to what?"

You stare at him, brows raised, curving your thumbnail into the rind until it dawns on him.

"Oh. That."

You've never seen him nervous, and most people wouldn't peg him as nervous right now. You can see it, though.

"I think so. Yeah. I mean, yeah." Hesh looks down at his tray. "I want to."

You begin peeling the skin off in one long strip. "Haven't had time?"

"I haven't, no. I've... you know... been focused on other things." Hesh takes a long swallow of water. “Military stuff."

"Dad stuff."

"Yeah. Dad stuff."

"You looking to change that?"

"Eventually."

"Hm." You dig your nail into a stubborn bit of orange skin. "But not yet?"

Hesh falters. His eyes flicker down to your hands. "The issue isn’t when I want to. It’s how.”

“Ah.”

“I've never actually dated. Or had a girlfriend. I don't know where to start."

"If you want to give it a shot, I can help you out."

Hesh blinks like he's not sure you meant what you just said. "You? Help me out with women?"

You snort. "Not with women. With sex."

Hesh's brow furrows. "What?"

"You said you’re interested in sex. I'll have sex with you if you want."

For several seconds, Hesh doesn't respond. Then he asks, "Why?"

You shrug and tilt your gaze to the side, glancing at the other soldiers in the cafeteria. They don't pay your conversation much attention. "Because this is No Man's Land. If you're waiting for a golden opportunity, you'll probably die before it comes along."

"No, I mean-- why not one of the other guys in our unit?"

"Pretty sure you could get one of them to do it for you if you prefer that. Keegan once told me about this one time when he--"

"No. No, I mean," Hesh says hastily, "why me? Why are you offering me, uh... what you're offering me?"

You peer at him. He doesn't look nervous, but the tips of his ears turn a darker shade of pink. You lean back and bite an orange slice in half. "Because you've never done it."

"Right. But, I mean, that's not a reason." Hesh pauses, searching for the right words. "You can't possibly be interested in me."

"We're friends, aren't we?"

Hesh glances away again. Friends is strong language for it. "Still."

"You want to know what's in it for me," you guess.

"Yes. I do." Hesh crosses his arms, waiting for you to speak. You pop an orange slice in your mouth and chew slowly. Then you peel away another two slices and begin stripping them of their stringy pulp. "Yeah, what is in it for you?"

"I mean, I’m no golden opportunity, but I’d feel sad if you died tomorrow never having known the touch of another person or whatever. Life sucks out here. We have to take small pleasures where we can get them." You pull a piece of rind out of your teeth and flick it into the pile of orange skins. "Something like that."

"So, out of pity."

At his deadpan look, a smirk spreads across your face. "If that's what you wanna call it. I don't make this offer to everyone, if that's what you're asking. It's Merrick's job to fuck the newbies, not mine."

Hesh's eyebrows shoot up.

"I'm kidding."

“Uh huh.” He's not sure how to feel. It's almost a relief that it's not about him, personally. It's not about him at all. Just No Man's Land. "Aren't there rules about that? Fraternizing, or... or whatever."

You tilt your head at him. It's a little funny to see him flustered. He has the whole act down, usually—refined, quiet, confident strength. Almost a perfect soldier. Lab-grown for the Ghosts.

“It's fine, Hesh, really. No big deal either way. You know where my bunk is if you change your mind.” You scoop orange peel scraps off the table. “You've got a night if you want it."

"Wait," Hesh says as you rise. "It's not that, it’s…”

As you walk away, Hesh barely quashes the sudden urge to stand up, back straight, like the goddamn president is leaving the mess hall. He's not even sure what he wants to say. There’s a strange desperation in his gut to keep the conversation from ending yet.

Instead, he watches you go and his stomach flips sideways.

You dump your orange peel into the compost and head for your bunk. Merrick sits at the fringe of the cafeteria. He looks at you, then at Hesh, and his brow creases in confusion. You shake your head as if to say nah, don't ask.

...

more call of duty: ghosts / masterlist tag

[writtensweethearts]

Something More

Pairing: Steve Harrington x GN!Reader Word count: 2k+ CW: Misunderstandings, friends to lovers, Eddie being his lovely self A/N: Not my best work but I hope it makes you smile Also Thank you for all the love on my first post, xoxo

Steve has been your friend as long as you could remember.

The years have been kind, gifting you with memories you’d soon come to agonize over, memories you’d learn to feel such fondness over, it left you dizzy. Late nights rotting in bed, laughing over melted ice cream, Steve was summer. He was the distant smell of campfires, tanned and freckled skin. He was road trips and movie nights and so distinctly him, a place of comfort, a constant in your life. He was the anchor during your first heartbreak, the shelter you sought after nightmares, the soft reassurance during the aftermath of witnessing the Upside Down. He never changed, never outgrew you, never once stopped prioritizing you even when faced with the snarky remarks of his peers in high school. Steve has been your friend, your best friend, for more years than you can count.

But you can’t remember exactly when you stopped seeing him as one.

Maybe it was the summer after freshman year, when he’d slowly grown taller right before your eyes. Limbs growing lanky only to be filled out with sharp lines and taught muscle by the end of senior year, when you couldn’t recall exactly when he’d changed so much. Or maybe it was the whispers in the hallways of Hawkin High, classmates speculating that the two of you held something more. Or maybe it was right now.

“Hey, do you remember Cassidy Davis?”

Your elbows sink into the mattress of Steve’s bed as you push yourself upward, angling your body to face him as he stands over the sink of the connected bathroom.

“From highschool? I think so, blonde right?”

He hums in response, reaching over to grab the razor resting on the counter top. You always loved moments like this, the domesticity of it all, the quiet, intimate moments where you could pretend that this was all that mattered. You and Steve.

“She stopped by Family Video today during my shift.”

You frown at that, head turning away in hopes he wouldn’t catch your reaction from the reflection. 

“Huh. Did you talk to her?”

He nods, eyes fixated as he glides the blade against his jaw, “Yeah. She was eyeing Dawn of the Dead and I mentioned Eddie’s obsession with it.”

Your lips twitch upwards at that, for all the wry comments made between the two boys it was endearing to see the light cracks in the facade.

“So I told her what he told me, and she seemed interested enough to check it out by the end of it,” He paused, eyes flickering over to you. You watch as his throat bobs, before he turns his attention back to his own reflection. Curious, you waited, watching as he rinsed the remaining shaving gel off his face.

“I asked her to dinner.”

Oh. Oh. 

“Or well- She asked me if I wanted to watch Dawn of the Dead with her, and I didn’t want to tell her no, so.. It just kind of happened.”

He walks over to you, knees hitting the ends of the bed frame.

“I won’t go if you don’t want me to.”

You stare at him, brows furrowed. 

“Why wouldn’t I want you to?”

He seems a bit puzzled at that, hands reaching up, nervously tugging the back of his sleep ruffled hair.

“No I just, I just meant if you don’t like her it’s important to me. I won’t go out with someone you can’t stand.”

“Steve, how I feel shouldn’t matter. If you like Cassidy you should go for it.” He looks at you warily so you add, “I barely remember her. I think I had calculus with her but we never talked. I promise I don’t have any negative feelings.” He returns your response with a small smile, leaning forward to press a light kiss onto your temple, leaving the skin warm and tingly and your chest tight.

The date hadn’t gone as hoped. Guilt gnawed at you as you watched Steve return, head high yet ego bruised. Though he’d seemingly taken the failed night in stride, you felt uneasy with the relief you’d felt as he told you about his evening. 

Things began to change after that. As the months went by Steve continued spending time with girls he’d met. Movies at the drive in, picnics at the park, pool days in his backyard.

The unfamiliar feeling of wanting more made everything unbearable.

“And so Robin was telling Janice that no way is David Bowie the best musician of all time-” The distant ringing in the hallway cuts him short.

“Hold on, sorry.” Steve watches as you untangle your legs from his, the lost warmth of your calves leaving goosebumps in its wake, his thighs missing the pressure of your weight. You’re off the couch in seconds, high speeding to the landline attached to the wall of your hallway, in hopes to catch the call before it ends. He could hear your voice through the echoes of your empty home.

“Hello?” He leans forward in an effort to figure out who the person on the other end is. It’s too far for him to recognize the voice, but his ears perk at the sound of your laughter and a quiet promise of seeing the mystery caller soon. You return, nudging his legs to the side as you take your place back onto the comforter, pointedly ignoring Steve’s watchful gaze.

A beat passes, “So you planning on telling me who that was?”

“Just a friend.” You keep your head down, fingers picking into your cuticles as you try to act unaffected under his scrutiny. 

“Hm. And does this friend have a name?” You chance a look at him, his eyebrows twisted upwards with an expectant look on his face. You sigh, “It’s just Eddie. We’re hanging out tomorrow, he was calling to let me know when he’d be coming around to pick me up.” You're gifted with a surprised look. You grin, “What? I got other friends too, Harrington.” 

He doesn’t take the bait. 

“What are you doing with Munson?” 

You shrug, pulling yourself away to face him properly, “We’re just hanging out. He’s taking me to his trailer to show me his guitar but we didn’t make a full itinerary. Nosy much?” You tease.

His expression remains thoughtful as the conversation ebbs, both of you content in the silence and comfort of each other.

It’s been weeks now since you last saw Steve. You’ve dropped by Family Video a few times only to be greeted by a sympathetic Robin letting you know that no, Steve was not available. You weren’t sure what to do, but by the fourth missed call that week, you’d decided to leave it alone, he’d come around when he was ready. 

Restless from the longing in your heart, you tiptoed out your bedroom door, slipping into the night. Eddie’s trailer was a short walk away, a new found solace, the evening breeze cooling your warm skin. You’d wondered on your way whether you’d made the right decision, unsure if an unwarranted visit at late hours would cross a boundary in your new friendship. But you were lonely, sick of the quietness of the dark, embarrased at the radio silence from your best friend.

You eye the dim light of the trailer, the faint noise of Eddie tuning his guitar. Taking a breath you knock loudly, door rattling in hopes he could hear you over his music. It takes a second, a sharp “who is it?” before the door opens, revealing ring clad fingers and tatted skin.

“Hey sweet thing, to what do I owe this pleasure?” He’s grinning down at you, the steps of the trailer allowing him to tower above you, you smile widely in return.

“Munson. Dropping by to keep your lonely heart company.” He doesn’t hesitate to shove the door wider, metal creaking as he steps aside, allowing you to walk into the living space. His hand wraps around the knob, attempting to pull the entrance shut before a hand reaches out, desperately holding it open.

“Eddie, wait.”

The familiarity of the voice has you spinning on your heels, eyes wide as you exchange glances with the metal head. He leans on the frame of the door, broad shoulders blocking Steve’s view, a strange sense of dissappointment overcomes you as you realize, he hadn’t noticed you yet.

“Harrington, what a lovely surprise.” You could imagine Steve rolling his eyes at Eddie’s tone, dripping in sarcasm.

“Do you have a second to talk?” You stand still, holding your breath as you watch Eddie hesitate for a moment before answering, “Sure.”

“What’s going on with you two?” 

“Gotta be more specific than that lover boy. Me and who?” It’s so soft you could have missed it, Steve’s voice calling out your name, said so lovingly and full of endearment, a complete opposite of how he'd made you feel the past few weeks. You catch Eddie’s eyes, tilting your head in a slight nod as you take light footsteps towards him. He takes a step back as your body fills the entrance,

“Why don’t you ask them yourself?”

The harsh crinkle of fallen leaves breaking as you walk down the quiet streets of Hawkins, makes you cringe. The relief you’d once felt just moments before, autumn winds embracing you, has now left you feeling overheated, sticky, uncomfortable. Or maybe it was a result of the boy walking silently next to you, the thick tension twisting the cool night into something dark, something uneasy.

“So you and Eddie huh?”

You pause. “What?”

“I didn’t realize,” Steve huffs out a humorless laugh, “I should’ve known.”

Dumbfounded, you stare into his back as he continues walking, unaware. It takes a moment before he turns, a confused stare painted on his face, matching yours.

“Steve, what are you talking about?”

“You and Munson. Come on, I already heard. I- you could’ve told me you know. I could handle it.”

Your head is spinning, trying to understand what he’s trying to say, trying to work out what you should say. But all that comes out is, “Who did you hear that from?”

He’s staring at you as if you’ve confirmed his suspicions, “Max was telling Lucas at the arcade about how you’ve been visiting his trailer recently. She bet five bucks you guys are dating.”

Shocked, you choke out a laugh.

“Steve. Max is fourteen. She’s brilliant and I love her, but she’s fourteen. Eddie and I are just friends, I’ll regret to inform her that she just lost five dollars.”

Your laughter dies down, leaving only the sounds of crickets in the air. A sense of understanding falls over you, “Is that why you’ve been avoiding me?” you ask gently. He flushes, pink stretching over his cheeks, reaching the tops of his ears, you take that as a yes. 

“Why? Were you hurt because you didn’t hear it from me?”

He”s staring at the distance between you, eyes intently watching the concrete. You move, closing the space until you’re standing close enough to see the freckles on his face summer had left behind.

“Steve?” You call out.

“I’m sorry,” he shuts his eyes as if in pain, “shit, I- I didn’t mean to avoid you I just.. I didn’t know how to be around you without you knowing.”

Your heart swells with hope as you peer up at him. 

“Without me knowing what?” You prod.

He opens his eyes, focused on your lips as a smile blossoms on your face.

“You really going to make me say it sweetheart?” You nod, cheeks aching.

“I love you. I’ve loved you since we were kids and you cried when I carved our initials into a tree, because you didn’t want it to feel pain. I loved you in middle school when I had that awful haircut and was worried about what you’d think. I loved you when we were teenagers and I listened to you cry about Nate Thompson standing you up. And God I love you right now even though I’m terrified you’ll break my heart.”

And maybe it really was the summer you’d noticed he’d grown taller, or maybe it was the day months ago when he’d announced he was going on a date with Cassidy Davis, or maybe it was right now. In the gentle air of the fall weather, standing over crumpled leaves on an empty street, where you realized Steve Harrington was not your best friend. He was so much more.

[sylverstorms]

Daniela x Maiden ---- Hunted Ch.9

Ch.1 Ch.2 Ch.3 Ch.4 Ch.5 Ch.6 Ch.7 Ch.8

Warnings: Mildly spicy. Rated M just to be safe.

As is often the case with any change within the castle, whispers have begun circulating among the staff about Daniela and you. They were few, too quiet to catch and far-between at first, but after two weeks the voices’ hushed speculations have grown in certainty;

Daniela is acting differently because of you. More tolerable. More docile.    

Even to them, happy to avoid her at any given chance, a subtle shift in her demeanor has become apparent, like a tempestuous sea giving way to calmer waters. Of course, it could simply be the fact she has no interest in dragging unfortunate souls into her cruel little games anymore, now that you fully occupy her time outside of hunting with her sisters. 

Either way, something has indeed changed. But even if asked you cannot safely say what, if it is Daniela or your feelings towards her. 

A past version of you would have recoiled at the notion of finding comfort in a mutant. Current-you has fallen into a habit of joining her side all too easily, caressing her awake every evening, kissing her at midnight and lying in her rose-scented bed at dawn. 

Maybe it’s because she makes it so easy –two polar opposites in power balancing into something startlingly equal– with your arrangement. You give her what she wants, take what you need from her and you both have a nice time in the process. Too nice, perhaps. Dangerously so.

Enough for you to almost forget why you sought to leave in the first place.

You understand now what Alexia meant weeks back, when you asked her how she got so hooked on Cassandra in the initial stages of their relationship. It’s addicting to be given influence over a being much more powerful than you are, she said. The more dangerous, the more addicting. 

Perhaps the opposite is true for the sisters? Daniela could take whatever she wanted from you at any time, like she has done with other maids for decades. Yet her pale, slender fingers toy with your outfit or hair, rather than tug or drag or pull. She always asks, all long, batting eyelashes and slow smiles. Usually, it’s things like ‘can we reenact that scene from my book?’ and ‘Knight, will you come to bed with me?’

Tonight, one thing or another has got her going early on. You can tell because she comes to you while you’re rearranging decorations in the hallway, barely says “Hi~” and immediately leans in to kiss you, pressing herself against you in a particular,  incriminating way.

Her hands roam a little more than when she means for just one peck in greeting. “Can we go to the library?” she breathes against your lips. 

If your brain cells hadn’t long since lost the fight to your hormones, maybe you’d think twice about it. The two of you have discussed it’s not smart to initiate anything heavy before dinner, when the family is at its hungriest. Daniela herself has admitted she has more trouble controlling her thirst than the others. Yet against all reason you nod, following the redhead to her favorite chamber. 

The door shuts behind you, the space darker than the corridor with how low the fireplace is burning. Daniela sits back on the couch and pulls you over her, hands firm on your shoulders. Your first attempt to ask if she’s feeling okay is silenced by her mouth, locking over yours insistently. When your tongue slips over hers, she mewls and grips you tighter. Her fingers find yours and guide them up the valley of her breasts, to wrap around her throat. Urging you to squeeze. 

Except, you know what it does to her when you do. 

“Dani.” you whisper. With a little whine, she opens her eyes; stark, glowing amber. A darker quality in their depths that betrays the grip thirst has on her. Somehow, you’re cautious, rather than afraid. “Dinner is in one hour. Shouldn’t we wait?”

“I don’t want to wait.” Daniela complains softly. With a sultry smile bordering on feral, she arches into you. “I want it now.” She’s in a mood. She’s definitely in a mood and that automatically renders her less than fifty percent safe compared to her norm. 

Funny. A month ago you would have ran. 

“I’ll be good.” She promises, gaze locked with yours. To make her point, she allows her tensed muscles to relax, leaning fully back into the cushions, all the control surrendered to your hands.  

Can you really trust her in this state, though? You don’t know. You don’t know, but your hand is already unzipping her outfit and slipping over the black bodice beneath, so perfectly hugging her skin. Then moving lower, to the waistband of her pants and underwear. Lower still…

Daniela throws her head over the back of the couch, biting her lower lip. Her fangs dig into the skin there in a way that should be painful, but she doesn’t seem to care. “Yes…!” she encourages. 

You move into her and she moves with you, a little less controlled than what you’d previously established was a hundred percent safe. Her fingers grip your biceps when she usually doesn’t dare reach for you upon nearing her peak and you let her, even as her nails dig into your arm through the fabric of your shirt. 

Daniela shakes and shakes, coming down from her high with deep breaths. Gradually, her hold eases and her head rolls onto your shoulder. She doesn’t bother pulling the zipper of her clothes up, merely traces lazy circles on your arms, where she previously grasped. 

You draw back to look upon her, and find her irises a little clearer now, closer in color to her normal bi-tone green and blue. “Anything I can do for you in return?” she asks. 

“Well...” you begin. “I want a tour of the village.” You want all the possible escape routes from someone who knows the area, but you can’t exactly say that.  

Her full lips press together, contemplating. For a moment, you think she will ask you what for and you inwardly search for a good excuse.  

Daniela, however, doesn’t question you. 

“Okay.” she nods. “One hour after dinner.” A little smile. “Dress up nice for me.”

–

–

The temperature is merciful tonight. No biting frost snaps its jaws at you the moment you step out the massive front gates, your jacket enough to ward off any lingering chill. 

Stealing a glance at Daniela, you note that she, too, seems at ease, breathing deep and only pulling her hood over her head as an afterthought. Relief blooms in your gut like a winter flower. It gets to you –apparently more than you thought– when you see her all tensed up, miserable from the cold.

“All good?” you ask her.

The redhead, naturally, doesn’t respond with a simple yes or no. “Hmm…” Instead, a playful glint lights her eyes and she feigns a shiver, an obvious ruse to draw herself closer to you. With a small, mischievous smile, she leans into your arm, her fingers interlocking with yours. “Now we’re golden.”

The two of you begin your leisurely stroll towards the village, the path illuminated only by the soft glow of the moon and the scattered lanterns glimmering far in the distance. A few howls come from the heart of the forest, yet they don’t have the same bone-chilling effect on you they once did. 

“Bear the little doggies’ noises for a bit longer, Knight.” Daniela tells you. “All will be quiet when my sisters come out to hunt…” Her voice darkens at the end in pure satisfaction at the idea.

“Wait.” You tilt your head, peering at her profile past the hood. “Your sisters are going out tonight? And you don’t want to hunt with them?” 

From what you’ve gathered, this is a pretty big deal for them. Not for nourishment –they have finer things to drink and eat in the castle– but for the chase itself. It must appease their inner beasts. You’ve seen how irritable they get when they have to remain indoors for more than a few days.

And yet. Here she stands. 

“I’d rather be with you.” the apex predator says, so very simply. 

You feel something flicker in your chest, but choose to ignore it to be safe. Your mind refocuses on why you sought this outing in the first place and your next questions serve a purpose other than mere conversation. What is this way and that, how the village’s trading and resupplying works. 

In your head, you piece together everything she tells you –and everything she withholds– into a map of the general area. So there is an underground cave network, but it’s filled with more mutants. Still, if push comes to shove… anything is better than open spaces. 

Within the next hour, you have walked a loose perimeter of the village. Only a small portion is left, between the forest and the Beneviento estate, but Daniela’s hold immediately steers you away from it the moment you make to walk forward. 

“There’s nothing that way.” she tells you, too quickly. “Only skeletons. Ruins.” 

“Very odd ruins…” you comment.

Strange outlines peek through the pitch-black, resembling pillars and old houses split open by dark trees as if the forest quite literally ate a portion of the land up. 

“A reminder, of sorts.” Daniela stops, letting go of your hand. Her fingers flex, open and closed, in a way that would have broken yours if they were still intertwined. “Of what happens when Miranda’s word isn’t heeded.”

“So, you say…” A heavy frown settles over your brow. “She did this?”

“They did it to themselves.” She’s sharp. Cutting. Daniela doesn’t get like this, unless… 

It’s personal. 

It’s hard for you to picture what may have occurred there, though. What those people were guilty of, to have Miranda make the forest swallow them alive. Is there any reason valid enough for this haunting image of raw punishment you’re seeing? Thorns, sprouting from the ground, impaling stone and bones alike... 

“Did they really?” 

She meets your gaze, her eyes holding a mixture of sorrow and defiance. “It’s hard for you to accept, isn’t it? That humans could be at fault? So, let me tell you a story.” She starts pacing, taking a breath. “It starts with a pair of wealthy merchants, descendants of fallen royalty, who came to this village about a hundred years ago. After witnessing the locals’ immunity to many fatal diseases, as well as their long lifespans, they naturally sought the same gifts for themselves.” 

A sense of unease settles in your stomach about what’s coming, but you don’t interrupt her.

“Miranda warned them that meant never leaving the village again. It meant complete acceptance of this land’s dark god and its future influence over their bodies. Just like the villagers before them, they accepted her terms.” Daniela explains. 

As if to say nobody has any right to complain about the state of things now. I don’t know if I agree with that logic…

“The merchants were held in high regard, as model citizens. Many followed their example. But they started wanting more than what they’d been given. And back then, a surefire way to obtain more was to sacrifice a strong, healthy son or daughter to the god's Herald in exchange. They had a child for that reason alone.” 

Oh, no...

“A daughter they groomed into perfection. Not allowed to go out in fear of falling, hurting herself, ruining her beauty in any way. Not allowed to speak out of turn, or to learn skills they didn’t deem useful, or to dream.” A fang catches the faint light underneath her sneer. “Always told her purpose in life, raised to be a sacrifice. Loveless. Livestock.”

“Daniela–”

“It wasn’t uncommon. The prettier the sacrifice, the bigger the gifts. But they didn’t even have a good excuse! Like, say, poverty or terminal illnesses. No –they had everything.” she hisses. “And even when they gave her up, they still weren’t satisfied.”

You want to shut your ears and not listen to anything more, you want to erase this information from your brain to get rid of the mental images.

But. It’s never that simple. 

“This whole damn section of the village conspired to force Miranda to grant them immortality like her own.” Daniela points over her shoulder. “Let’s just say, no villager ever thought to turn against her again.” 

‘See?’ The glacial look in her eyes tells you. ‘Your precious humanity can be worse than monsters.’  

“How can you… how can you say that after what she…” –did to you. You want to say, but the words never make it past your lips, rendered mute by the thought of experiments far from humane. 

You feel sick to your stomach from everything you just heard. Unsteady, you sit back onto the nearest surface, a pile of stones that once probably served as a fountain or statue.

“…I came out the other side with a family.” she states, approaching you. 

To think of the person who experimented on her as a liberator for giving her what she never had at the end of her torment is far too many layers of fucked up to even process. And yet it’s clearer now than ever before, that everything is in the eye of the beholder, even good and evil. A hero can be a villain at the same damn time. 

But you already know that, too well.

Monsters and saviors are too close for comfort in real life. Is that why you like your books best, where everything is clearly defined…? 

“Cass and Bela would get mad at me for saying this to their faces, so I don't, but… ignorance is bliss. That's one luxury I never had.” She takes a deep breath, still refusing to glance at the ruins behind her. “I knew if I came to this place, everything would be there, waiting. Staring me right in the face. All of it.”  

“I’m sorry.” you whisper, taking her gloved hands into your own when she stands close enough. “I’m so very sorry.”

“Don’t feel sorry for her.” she speaks as if it’s debatable how much of the sad girl in that tragic story she shared with you is left in her to begin with. “That’s a different life.” her voice holds none of the earlier weight now, back to its usual, light tone. “I only told you all this because you have that same look in your eyes sometimes. The one she had.”

Lifting your gaze to her, you frown. “What look?”

“Like you’re counting down days and hours and minutes to something terrible, your whole life.” she shocks you with. “Like you never had a family, either.”

She’s not entirely wrong. And she’s not completely right, either. How much can you say? How much can you bring yourself to speak out loud? It feels as though you’ll rip apart in two just trying to explain…

“I… had a family.” You were happy. You think that you were happy, so much bone-chilling terror ago you can’t even remember their faces in detail.  

“And what happened to them?”

“They...” Your temples begin to pound like a war drum. Your heart pushes ice through your veins. “They–” You see red everywhere, your home wrecked. You see yourself, screaming, running, paying for their mistakes, for their kindness and their sin. 

Daniela’s fingers curl into yours and tug, before your tremors can get any worse.  

“Seren.” The sound of your name falling from her lips grounds you, though barely. “Breathe. The past is in the past.”

With great difficulty, you breathe out; “...If only… that were true.”

For her and you both.

[hotchocolatefanfics]

Hi I really loved your fanfics they are so interesting and quirky! I hope you continue to write and explore those ideas and your writing in general. I can empathize with your sentiments about your dad, my father also passed away a few years ago and IK what you mean by being angry with the world and its continuous pace. I really resonate with your statement about being angry about how the world can keep moving when your father is not in it. I really love the PoTA films as I also used to watch them with my dad as well! A question I guess I have for you is if the movies could be played out differently how do you think Koba could be reformed? In other words if things were different how do you think Koba’s story could have gone? Do you think he could ever be written as a reformed character? Thank you for reading and my sentiments and condolences go out to you ❤️

Hello, and thank you! I’ve really grown to love angst and romantic themes since writing PoTA fanfics so I hope to explore them in the PoTA world soon. I’m sorry about your dad too. It feels weird that things keep happening without him there, doesn’t it? I hope re-watching the PoTA movies remind you of good times with your dad as they do with me. 

And now for your question! 

If there were to be any reform in Koba, something would have to change his mind about humans. Thanks to Rise and the Firestorm book, we get a very in-depth idea of Koba’s backstory leading up to his escape in Rise. We know that Koba faced years of abuse and torture at the hands of humans which caused his deep hatred of them to begin with (which I think we can all agree is valid but still). 

Koba rarely encountered a friendly human during this time and when he did they didn’t stay long enough to show him kindness that could have changed his mind. Because of this, Koba has a very narrow view of humans. The ‘all humans are evil and dangerous and must be killed’ mentality we saw in Dawn. 

He was willing to listen to Caesar and express his concerns to him but I don’t think this could have been enough to change Koba’s mind (like even if Malcolm and the humans never entered the forest, I do not think anything Caesar said or done would have convinced Koba otherwise).

Basically, the only way Koba could have changed his mind about humans was if one of them were to show him kindness. For example, what he were the one who got sick instead of Cornelia and Ellie helped him? It doesn’t have to be Ellie specifically, but something serious would have to happen to Koba and he’s put into a vulnerable state and the only one to help him is a human for him to actually see that humans aren’t all bad. 

This isn’t necessarily a solid theory because, for all we know, Koba could very likely still try to kill all humans and just spare that one who helped him but this just means it would have to be more than one human involved (like maybe a few humans and some of the apes). Even if this does happen, Koba would still have to actually chose to change and do what he can to stop the war from happening. 

Plot-wise, I do not know how something like this would have fit in the movies but I could see it easily extending into Revelations (where Koba’s followers sort of picked up with where he left off-mainly Red, Grey…(other apes who’s names I can’t remember at this moment lol). Before War was released, there was some idea of bringing Koba back (that he somehow survived his fall) which could be utilized for this as well but it all depends on how much of the original plot you want to keep or change and what actually happens to Koba.

There’s actually a really good fanfic called Dawn of War on FanFiction that explores all this beautifully. To briefly explain it with no spoilers, Koba isn’t the one who started the war but is involved (sorta) in it’s creation and has a solid redemption arc. I highly recommend it if you haven’t read it!

[ad-hawkeye]

someone translated part of the artem birthday pv we are definitely getting dad face reveal finally:

“To be precise, that day was a proof I had prepared.At that time, I wanted to ask... whether I had grown up to be what he expected.I am worthy of my parents' pride, at least... I didn't disappoint them.”

HELLO! HI ANON. i am going to use this ask as a means of collecting all of my Birthday Artem thoughts, AND talking about that translation/his dad!

first of all, the lily and morning glories are interesting bc i'm so used to looking into flower symbolism when it comes to lbc. so this is a fun change. lilies represent innocence, purity, and rebirth. morning glories represent affection, love, and the beauty of the dawn.

i'm quite surprised to see artem associated with the lily. while he's idealistic and good intentioned, i wouldn't call him innocent, pure, or associate any sort of major life changes to a "rebirth" within him. though it shows up in BOTH card arts, so i have a feeling these themes may be relevant! especially since we see a Young Artem in the first one.

the morning glories are a bit more self explanatory, especially in an otome game.

second of all, his outfit in the first card art reminds me of a graduation gown. do i think it is one? probably not. but it's obvious artem is receiving SOME kind of law related achievement, with the stained glass and the trophy/gift.

third of all, the dialogue you sent. it's.. it's kinda sad? i'm not getting my hopes up because tot has a way of downplaying any sort of issues regarding artem's parents. but. "i wanted to ask if i grew up as he expected"? "at least i didn't disappoint them"? ... man. rly hoping we get some interesting info about his dad at least.

as a side, personal note. i'm hardcore missing rosa in the second art... sobs... bring her BACK i miss my daughter!!

[love-is-a-pearl]

Watching Pokemon mezamas for the first time because I can't binge DP rn orz

If you wanna see me ranting and reacting, I'll leave things under the readmore >w<)b

Starting with ep 1 and 2! Cause I dont have as much free time as I wish I had so I'm doing 2 episodes per day till friday.

Winds of Beginning! The Endless Road!!

It's just me or the music at the beggining was Alola music? If yes.. That's just the cutest. Alola music as Ash's music QAQ

The best part of the episode was the 5 minutes we spent with Ash and Pikachu before the stupid Latias appeared. Add that one to the pokemon I now hate because of the anime..

Man, I'm still bitter those 10 episodes weren't focused on Ash and his Pokemon only. It would've been the absolute best way to use those 10 episodes (and still reach the same conclusion Mezamas as it is reached), why couldn't Ash ever be alone with his mons? He can be enjoyable if the writers tried. Sigh

At least Buizel is here ♥ Also it was adorable to see Noivern and Sceptile in security duty while everyone else slept! Babies! However I'm sad Buizel and Donphan didn't go to cuddle with AshPika and Latias ù3ú

What was the point of all the drama about "Ash's pokemon not being able to attack TR because it could hurt him" when... Pikachu just went and... did just that? (also, Noivern going there and breaking the glass would've hurt Ash less??????) I get they needed "Ash suicidal tendencies make him likeable" moment but gosh, it could've been done better, for sure.

And you know, mandatory Dawn mention, but it's kinda poetic that both Ash and Dawn got done dirty in their final moments because of some stupid legendaries. They're trully one and the same. Even in shitty writing decisions from anipoke staff LMAO

Satoshi VS Kasumi! Seaside One-on-One!!

I know that Misty's metaphor about how her and Clauncher are meant to be is an obvious Pokeshipping hint, of course it is! I know that! but...

Not to sound like a conspiracy theorist but the fact Pikachu ignored Psyduck for Misty, and Clauncher didn't seem at all to reciprocate Misty's feelings is... interesting... Added to that how Ash just replaced her lure with Cilan's is.. Almost like adding to her own metaphor, that while Misty still has feelings for Ash and believes that they're meant to be, because of fate, because she is the "OG twerpette" like TR called her, Ash himself is like.. Pikachu to Psyduck and Clauncher to her. Neutral at most, and with someone else having their favoritism.

And y´know, it's even more interesting that at the beggining of Sinnoh Ash still had her lure (and was protective of it) and immediately after Sinnoh he changed her lure for Cilan's. I sure wonder what happened between those events for him- It's Dawn! its Dawn that happened!

Dont judge me I can make anything be about pearlshipping if I try hard enough.

Shipping aside, I adore seeing episodes with the general same plot but with different characters. Compare this to the Buneary catch and it's really interesting to see just how different Ash acts with Misty and Dawn about the same thing. Him and Misty have a battle about who is gonna get it, which does makes sense, they will resolve all their arguments with battles instead of actual talking and I adore that trait of their relationship~

And even Misty's disappointment at the end, that Clauncher still likes hanging with Corphish is very different than Dawn bringing up her closeness with Ash to win Buneary over. I love those sort of similar episodes, it's great to understand how each character thinks.

Gosh, even comparing to Totodile's catch shows how Misty and Ash themselves have become closer and more understanding of eachother! In here they make rules about how to catch Clauncher instead of fighting the whole time, it's a nice showcase of how they've grown! I'm just sad that Totodile was in this episode and no one mentioned the similarities :T

Also I will never get tired of Pikachu's "Pikachupi"! Ikue Otani does it in the cutest voice and I just want to squeeze the rat's cheeks every time he says it!!!

Speaking of Pikachu, I love that at the very least in those 10 episodes he went back to having some hint of a personality since he hadn't shown much of it for... a long time before it (and remembered the names of the people he cares for. I was so angry at the lack of "Pikapi" in Alola).

Same goes for TR, is nice to see their motto being animated instead of some re-used footage. One of the things that made their apparitions enjoyable in OG-DP was that they always added some personality to it. That was fun to see again.

---

And that's it for today.

[whitetaileddeer]

Tell us Dawn’s side of the Vicky and Athena situation

Please

I like Dawn

It’s Dawn time.

As previously mentioned, Dawn, Vicky and Athena were as close as they could be in primary school, and this followed them into the first few years of secondary school. Dawn had no interest in making new friends or being around anyone other that Vicky and Athena. Of course she did end up meeting new people, but she never felt like needed anybody other than her two best friends. They understood her in a way no one else did, whenever she was overstimulated or unable to communicate how she felt, they were there and they knew. They understood her better than she understood herself, and she couldn’t imagine being herself without them. 

When Athena began to struggle after her mam left, withdrawing from her friends, Dawn tried very hard to see things the way Athena did, but she couldn’t fully grasp what Athena was feeling or how to fix it. Vicky was always the problem solver, always the more assertive and authoritative friend. When Athena began to date Liam, suddenly changing her opinion on his advances, Dawn again struggled to see things through Athena’s eyes. The entire affair rubbed Dawn the wrong way, especially the secrecy. It took both Vicky and Athena persuading her not to tell anyone for Dawn to stay silent. It made no sense to her, if something wasn’t wrong, why wouldn’t you tell? (Honesty is Dawns biggest crutch in navigating the world around her, secrets, double meanings and lies frustrate and distress her.) 

Both Dawn and Vicky remained unaware of the way Liam treated Athena, so when she broke up with him seemingly out of nowhere, Dawn was just as surprised as Vicky was. Though she had never been the biggest advocate of their relationship, she was under the impression that Athena was happy.

After not hearing from Athena for a few days (the break up possibly happened during a half term break) Vicky pulled Dawn aside in the early morning before tutor began, with wide eyes and a tense jaw, and told her what Liam had lamented. 

Athena had cheated on him, cheated on him with the new boy Giovanni. That all the time the two spent together in the music rooms compiled a great mosaic of Athena’s infidelity. Vicky told Dawn that she couldn’t believe it, in the way that people do when they do believe something but don’t want to. Dawn repeated the sentiment, in the way people do when they truly don’t believe something.

It made no sense, Dawn knew Athena. She would never do that. It wasn’t a question of why she would do something like that, but the simple verdict of she wouldn’t. Vicky had already made up her mind, tormented at the idea of never truly knowing her best friend and the pain she’d caused her brother. Dawn said nothing, needing time to think. It was within the week that the rumours had grown and spiralled, that everyone that cared to hear it knew what Giovanni and Athena had done behind closed doors. 

Athena hadn’t spoken to Dawn in days.

Vicky refused to even look at Athena, dragging Dawn away from her and keeping her close.  It took a while, maybe a day too long, for Dawn to catch Athena. She didn’t want to talk over the phone or text, she needed to see her and hear her voice. 

It was after school, Athena having hidden herself away for the entire school day as she had done for the past week or so. Dawn found her lingering behind in a tutor room with Giovanni.

The conversation was staggered and awkward, neither knowing what to say but both desperately wanting to say something. Dawn is quite blunt, and can come across as rude or snarky whilst being completely genuine. Her grasp on social customs isn’t the best and tends to default to unfiltered honesty in emotional situations. All this being said, she made the mistake of asking Athena if it was true she had cheated on Liam. 

Athena didn’t react well to this, seeing it as an accusation, a condemnation, rather that the sincere question Dawn intended it to be. Dawn didn’t believe that Athena had cheated on Liam, but asked the question in order to lay out all the facts in front of her. Athena tore into Dawn, with tears in her eyes, the venomous words came easily. How could you believe something like that? Do you really think so little of me? That i’d whore myself out? I know you don’t get it, Dawn, you never get it. Leave me alone, I don’t want to talk to someone who thinks that low of me. I hope you and Vicky are happy together, a perfect duo.

If Dawn were a more poetic person, she would have seen that one slither in time, that snap shot moment as the epitome of that period of her life. Left standing on her own in an empty classroom, feeling like she’s in the wrong but not knowing why. Athena almost brushed her shoulder as she stormed out, Giovanni trailing behind, and Dawn for once wished she had.

Dawn found herself reaching back for a constant yesterday, watching park swings knock together with a pit in her stomach. Laughter and bows and discounted dolls made her inexplicably angry, and the idea of a hand in hers made her palms sweat and prick. She hated birthday cards and candles and handwriting and feathered lace.

While both Athena and Vicky stewed in their own anger as self centred and obnoxious as stars exploding outwards, dawn felt her own anger wither and die quietly, falling in on herself. Dawn stuck by Vicky, out of a desperate need for routine than anything else. She didn’t believe her, and every sly comment that dripped acid from Vicky’s curled lip made her sink further in her chair, but Athena was unreachable. 

Dawn felt unbearably alone.

[mamamittens]

Had a funny thought about a fem!Ace AU where all that charisma and good looks from her parents coalesced into her being absolutely

Postiviely

Fucking adorable.

Like, from day one this girl has folks fawning over her, even when she was chewing on table legs cause she was still a feral fucking brat.

Like, all those good looks hit so hard from day one it looped from (age appropriately) sexy to just timelessly adorable. Nothing she does changes this. Even as a pirate, Marines are half trying to save this clearly air-headed cutie from the poor decisions of those scoundrel pirates holding her up as a figurehead.

This is absolutely not the case but Garp thinks it's funny and half refuses to believe otherwise so he throws his weight in to support that idea.

Anyway, Ace is still a bit bratty with a heart of gold and genuinely, truly cares about the people around her. She's not as concerned about her father's shadow because she's too busy being pissed that out of all that terrifying legacy she managed to only get Lethal Cuteness.

Dadan has an interesting time raising her cause she's not immune to cute, she's just so pissed at how quickly those watery eyes get to her it ends up failing anyway. Dadan does, however, meticulously teach Ace caution about her looks and how to best use them and when. She's strong enough on her own to not worry too much at least, but it's a much more prepared and cautious Ace that leaves Dawn.

She's very put out when it's confirmed by Shanks that the cute is almost certainly from her mom cause Roger was definitely an idiot at times, but no one was cooing over a grown man like they would over her. She did get most of his coloring though. She thanks her lucky stars she doesn't have strawberry blond hair or the airhead allegations would never die, no matter how many times she sets marine bases on fire.

Anyway, the funniest part is that there's a mix up or someone gets the bright idea of having her taken out by other pirates since other warlords clearly weren't cutting it. Or at least 'scaring her off from the dangerous world at sea since she somehow hadn't gotten overwhelmed yet, that poor girl'. Which leads to the false claim she wants Whitebeard's head.

She's so pissed about it cause it's even written with an undertone of an enamored relative cooing about a toddler offering to beat up someone's husband if he doesn't treat their favorite auntie right or something. It's so condescending and if she didn't know full well it wouldn't help at all, she'd actually kill Whitebeard just to shove the obituary down the author's throat.

Which leads to the inevitable clash of wills where she (in a rare display of what's left of her bratty childhood self) whines that she has no intention of killing Whitebeard.

"I can already see it now!" Ace whines, throwing her hands in the air as Thatch and Marco give each other a look. Whitebeard watching in great amusement. "I could have all the strength and power in the world! Able to kill you with a flick of my finger before you could even blink! And! And you know what would happen?!"

She whirls around to glare at Thatch and the man instinctively steps back, hands up in a placating gesture like it's flu season and the nurses were ready to put the shots in dart guns if anyone else tried to run.

"Uh... We'd be very sad?" He tries lamely, struggling to not coo at the soft pout that transformed Ace's sharp features to round, apple cheeks. Face flush as she stomped her foot with a strangled screech.

Whitebeard was exactly no help at all, it was all he could do to not pick her up and cuddle the tantrum out of her--like she was five.

"The next FUCKING DAY--THE PAPERS WOULD BE ROLLING OUT! EVEN IF THERE WERE THOUSANDS OF WITNESSES AND LIVE COVERAGE BY EVERY HARD ASS MARINE AND GOVERNMENT OFFICIAL--UGGGH!" Ace shot of flickers of fire, sparks that flew from her hair as she ruffled it aggressively. Black curls dancing around her face and shoulders. Just as suddenly she deflated, huffing in defeat with a dramatic pout. "Oh, the strongest man finally gave up his reign of terror--just couldn't bring himself to fight back against wittle Cinders Ace! Heart probably gave out at her little cutie pie attempt to stand strong against a big, mean, pirate! Poor thing, bet she didn't even know what was happening until it was over! Whitebeard, dead by natural causes due to old age. Good riddance. Hope someone saves that poor, silly girl from all those nasty pirates taking advantage of her!"

Thatch awkwardly pat her shoulder, cautiously consoling her.

"Aw, honey, it's alright. We were there front and center when you fought Oyaji! You knew exactly what you were doing! And crazy strong too--where the hell did you even come from?! Papers say East Blue but they're also pretty biased about you so..." She huffed but he wasn't scorched, so Thatch considered it a win.

"Nah, I'm from the East Blue... Well, I was born in the South but my mah died in childbirth and Gramps brought me to his home island. Maman raised me from there." She sighed, lightly flicking his hand off her shoulder, which Thatch removed without complaint. "Been like this from day one. Can't have shit around here without some asshat talking about me being so damn cute and precious. Setting them on fire only does so much... For some reason most think I do it on accident? Like, no???? I set your dick on fire after hitting on me for half an hour and putting your hand on my waist, that shit was intentional."

Ace whines some more.

Whitebeard doesn't seem dissuaded in the least from adopting her. Yeah, she has issues, but it was arguably one of the funniest problems a pirate could have.

Too cute to commit crimes.

[thana-topsy]

WIP Wednesday!

Thank you to @mareenavee for the tag! I tag @expended-sleeper @viss-and-pinegar @anxious--ace @kookaburra1701 and @moriche

WELL this is a WIP that may never see the light of day, honestly. It takes place during [vague hand gesture] but sometime after Halfway to the Sky ends. Honestly, I just kind of wanted to write Aiden and Harukar talking and getting to know each other outside of everything that had happened on their journey. So, I've cut out the bits that spoil how HttS ends, but have a Giant Nerd and a Vampire basically going on a date:

Word count: 1267

---

"But indulge me, if you will: what would you be doing had Sarel never come to you?”

Aiden raised an eyebrow. “You say that as if you don’t know the truth of his arrival.” 

“It’s neither here nor there. He’s in your life regardless. So, tell me about yourself. What are your interests? What drives you, outside of parenthood?”

“Is this a date, now?” 

Harukar gave another small shrug, and Aiden felt heat rise in his cheeks. Implications of their non-date aside, it was a good question. Aiden was slightly terrified at the fact that he didn’t have an answer readily available. 

“I’ve always wanted to prove myself as a scholar. I’m no great mage, but I know the theory behind most schools of magic backwards and forwards. It makes me a good enough teacher, but teaching isn’t really my passion.”

“So, what is?”

Aiden thought for a long moment, letting the question roll through his mind. “Research, I suppose. History. I feel most at home surrounded by books and manuscripts. Piecing together clues from the past, finding parallels between different theories, drawing new conclusions. It’s thrilling to prove an old theorem wrong.” He groaned. “That sounds so pathetic, I know.”

“Not at all. The life of an academic is attractive to many people.”

“I just wanted to do something that had never been done before—ask questions other scholars were too afraid to ask. I just wanted to find the thing that would change the history books, something attributed to me. People would hear the name ‘Aiden’ and their first thought would be of me, and not the damn Direnni Prince!” 

“How many siblings did you have?” Harukar asked. 

The question caught Aiden off guard. “Er, four. I was the…” And then it dawned on him. “Middle child.” He sighed and covered his eyes with his hands. “I’m pathetic, aren’t I?”

“You speak terribly of yourself so often. It frustrates me. And, if I’m honest, it makes me rather angry with whoever it was that put these thoughts into your head.”

“Would it be better if I spoke too highly of myself? Thought myself Auri-El’s gift to Mundus?”

“There’s a third option, you know.”

Aiden smiled and took a sip of wine. “What about you? What would you be doing now had you never become a vampire?”

“Well, I’d most likely be dead, considering I’m about two hundred years past my expiration.”

 Aiden snorted into his cup. “Fair point.” He chuckled and wiped droplets of wine from his cheek. 

Harukar appeared to think for a moment. “I probably would have died a warrior with the Ash’abah. We aren’t known for our long lifespans. So, in many ways, my affliction afforded me the ability to do much more than I might have otherwise been able to. And, despite everything, I feel that I’ve been able to do a lot of good. So I’m thankful, in the end.”

“Do you ever get tired of trying to constantly see the good in life?”

Harukar smiled. “No. Nor do I tire of trying to see the good in people.”

Aiden flushed with unwanted heat once more. “So, you said that you’ve had children, adopted or otherwise. I assume they’re all grown up?” 

“Or dead, now, yes.” 

“Dead?” 

It was Harukar who averted his eyes now. “The unfortunate aspect of having a long life. I pity elves who take human partners.”

“Ah, yes. I worried about that with Collette. Briefly, that is. Our relationship—” Aiden bit his tongue. The wine was loosening his lips already. “Well, that is to say, if you could call what we had a relationship, it didn’t last very long. So it’s less of a worry, now.”

“Collette?” Harukar tilted his head curiously. 

“She was basically a mother to Sarel. We’d… attempted a relationship before I began my research into the Falmer, but of course it ended in disaster. As all my relationships do.”

“And how many have you had?” 

What a shameful question with an equally shameful answer. “Three, I suppose. If you count a teenage fling that lasted less than a month. And then the second one was with a fellow student when I was at the College of Sapiarchs. They all end the same way: her being the first to call it off. I just—I never seem to know what they want from me!”

“Pardon?”  

“Women. They confuse and elude me,” Aiden confessed, taking another long sip of wine. “I think I’m better off alone.”

Harukar wore a strange look, seeming to take a long moment to study Aiden. “Forgive me, this may be too forward, but… I had assumed you preferred men.”

Aiden snapped to sit up straight, letting out a too-loud laugh. “What? Why?” 

Harukar gave another one of his infuriating little shrugs. “Just a feeling, I suppose.”

“Well, I’m not. I don’t.” He hesitated. “At least, I don’t think I am… or do. I’ve never—”

Don’t lie to his face, Aiden. 

Ah, of course, it had been too long since his little Daedroth had interjected. 

We both know the fantasies that occupy your mind, alone, with only your hand to keep you company.

Aiden cleared his throat. “Even if a man showed interest in me, I’m not sure I’d even know what to do.” This conversation was getting out of hand. 

“I find it’s very much the same, regardless of sex or gender. The mechanics vary slightly, is all.”

“You mean, you’ve—” Aiden tried not to gape. “You’re—?”

“I’ve had many partners in my life so far. Men and women, and a few that fell somewhere in-between. I don’t really have a preference. It all depends on the person.”

“Oh… So, then—er—what do you find attractive in a partner?” 

Harukar hummed thoughtfully, looking off and to the right. “I like those with a quick wit. I rarely hold back my own sarcasm, so someone who doesn’t feel put off by that kind of humor. I also tend to be drawn towards more…bookish types. I think, being raised a warrior, I seek my opposite in a lot of ways.” 

“You can’t be serious.” 

“I very much am.” There was a playful glint in Harukar’s glowing eyes. “I’m also attracted to passionate people. Those who have a spark for life, one might say.”

“Is that—” Aiden did manage to catch himself that time and clamped his mouth shut. 

“Is that what?”

“Sorry, no. That… I feel like that would have come out wrong. It would have been rude.” 

Aiden might as well live with his foot in his mouth, he could hear his sister saying. Anything he thinks, he says. (It had been many, many years since she’d made that observation, and Aiden had thought that he’d improved since then.)

“Now I’m curious.” 

“I was going to ask if the attraction to… that ‘spark for life’, as you said, was because you were…” Aiden gestured vaguely in his direction. 

“Ahh, because I’m undead.”

Aiden smiled, though it was more of a grimace. 

To his relief, Harukar laughed. “You should have just said it. It would have been funny. It’s one of the things I like about you.” 

“That I have the chronic ability to fit my entire foot in my mouth?”

“Mmm, I understand it’s a quality that’s probably unbecoming of an Altmer.” Harukar leaned on the table, propping his chin in his hand. “But I find it charming… most of the time, at least.”

He finds you charming. He’s attracted to men, he likes bookish types, and he finds you charming.

Most of the time…

Aiden cleared his throat before refilling his tankard with another heavy pour of wine. 

--- These fucking guys...

[puff-mmd]

in-soft-grass, this au is for you

it's also for me and everyone else i know that likes vampires, but specifically for you bc you inspired it

--

VAMPIRE AU

ok so basically, it's what i think would happen if kaisei was a vampire and like. how he became one and how he ends up meeting ciro (who is a vampire hunter), and like. all that good stuff.

i did watch interview with a vampire (2023?) on recommendation of a friend and i Liked certain parts of it, so if some elements sound familiar, well. you know why lol.

OK LETS GET INTO THIS

--

it starts out during the turn of the century. kaisei is an odd-job worker who picks up work to help take care of his mom (whom took care of him his whole life by herself and is now older and declining in health).

one evening he decides to stop by a tavern. normally he avoids places like this because they do nothing but suck the money and time out of you, but he's so tired and just wants to see some of the few friends he knows frequent this particular establishment.

it's here that he meets a man named yakumo 👀

and yeah this is the whole "i was inspired" bit where they spend time together and they start to fall in love. kaisei definitely feels like what they have is special, and yakumo does too...

but he rushes into things a bit too much.

he divulges his identity as a vampire, and begs kaisei to become one too so they can spend eternity together.

really romantic, right?

yeah, well. as touched as kaisei is by this, he is 1) a little freaked out by having fallen in love with a bloodthirsty monster, and 2) even if he gets over that, he has friends! he has a mom he's taking care of, he can't abandon her!

but things change when he can't seem to find work anymore, nobody is willing to take him on. his friends drift away faster than ever as he no longer has a connection with them through mutual jobs.

and then the worst of all, his mom dies.

it's the last straw, and surrounded by abandonment and grief, kaisei agrees to be turned so he can spend the rest of forever with at least one person who won't leave him.

(oh kaisei, i'm so sorry, yakumo is not any better in this au. in fact, did you ever wonder, kaisei, why you stopped getting jobs and your buddies abandoned you? how your mom, even though her health wasn't stellar, sharply declined? huh. interesting.)

still thinking about the reasoning, but yeah. yakumo is okay for a few years and tries to love him as best he can, but eventually feels suffocated having to take of kaisei, and is overwhelmed by the prospect of eternity. he can't seem to understand that this (kaisei being dependent on him to traverse being an undead bloodsucker) will not last forever, though the years that fly by so quickly make him feel otherwise. he starts doing things in an attempt to push kaisei away, but the fact of the matter is that he is all kaisei has left. there isn't anything he wouldn't do or put up with that would keep him from following yakumo to the ends of the earth.

he is all he has left in this world.

and yet, one day, kaisei wakes up to an empty house.

nothing in the stillness but a single note with his name, inside of it an "I'm sorry" and a pitiful amount of money.

nothing is left in kaisei but a shattered heart.

--

kaisei attempts to make ends meet on his own, but it's difficult finding work when you can only meet with people at night, even if the prospected job is performed in the wee hours. he resorts to feeding on small animals, beings that won't be missed, in order to avoid attracting attention from humans.

he can afford some kind of roof over his head, but in all honesty, kaisei is fucking miserable.

his stability in life, his mother, is dead and buried. the people he once called friends have all grown old and died, never even knowing what happened to him. and the man he threw his humanity away for ended up abandoning him when he was needed most.

it's decades later, i'm thinking 70's, and one night when kaisei is wandering the streets before dawn on his way 'home',

he's stopped by a man with a gun pointing to his head.

...yeah, it's ciro 😔

while not his target, ciro is not one to pass an opportunity to rid the world of one more monster if he can. this monster however, straightens up to press the gun barrel against his head and, accepts? the fate of death?

ciro is baffled by this response.

he's used to these monsters pleading for him to spare their life, not asking him to end it without even saying a word.

ciro figures if this vampire isn't going to fight him, he might as well try to get some info out of him, if possible. he asks if he knows a vampire named yakumo, and he can sense he's onto something when he watches kaisei bristle and the hands at his sides clench into fists.

Of course kaisei knows that mf'er. He's the whole reason kaisei is the monster he is now, doomed to live out eternity alone and miserable.

kaisei admits to knowing him, but doesn't know where he is. ciro decides the fact that kaisei has had some kind of contact with his target is useful, and lowers the gun.

at first i imagined this part being more dramatic, but knowing how defeated and tired kaisei probably is, he more likely turns around slowly and takes hold of the gun's barrel - Ciro wasn't quick with taking it away anyways - and points it back at himself.

"Please."

"Not while you can be useful to me."

Ciro pulls the gun away again, this time placing it in it's holster. He extends his hand back out, offering kaisei a deal.

"If you work with me, I'll keep you alive."

"What makes you think I want to live?"

"I think you want to know where that monster's at too."

kaisei stares resentfully at ciro, knowing he's right to some degree.

if he could see yakumo again, what would he say to him? would he ask why he abandoned him? would he apologize for something he doesn't even know he may have done? would he beg for him to bring him back into his life?

probably not those latter ones after so many years alone, but kaisei isn't sure of himself here.

He doesn't take the extended hand in his own, but nods and agrees to follow ciro anyways.

--

they end up back at a dingy, shady motel where ciro was staying (places like this are handy for a guy that travels around at night and doesn't need to be asked unnecessary questions like "why are you checking in so late?" or "why is there blood on your clothes?")

ciro tosses aside his coat and turns to see kaisei standing awkwardly in the doorway. He walks over, jabs a thumb towards the bathroom door and mutters, "you can sleep in the tub."

He mostly does this because there's a lock on the outside of the bathroom door (i meant it when i said shady motels), and he can keep kaisei locked in there to be safe. No, kaisei wouldn't hurt him, but ciro doesn't know him yet, and he'd rather be safe than sorry.

they go to sleep and when they wake up, they kind of hash out where they are going from here. ciro proposes he won't kill kaisei if he will to help him find yakumo. he also says he'll take kaisei along with him when he moves around to different places, but of course, there's the obligatory "if you try anything funny, you'll regret it" line.

Ciro lays out that Kaisei must sleep in the bathroom until he feels that he can trust him. Kaisei is just grateful to have a decent roof over his head, so he doesn't mind. He explains that he goes around during the day to take jobs and get information on targets while leaving the hunting for specific nights, so when one's asleep, the other will probably be out. Ciro also questions kaisei's feeding habits, to which kaisei responds with the whole "i don't feed on humans, only animals" thing, which is acceptable enough for the blondie.

At first, I think ciro takes some pity on kaisei and decides to just kind of let him do his own thing until he thinks kaisei is a little more comfortable around him. At that point, he asks kaisei to accompany him on his hunting jobs at night, to which kaisei kind of shrugs and admits he doesn't have much else to do anyways.

Ciro asks this after coming back at dusk one evening to see kaisei snuggled up in the bed. He was exhausted and thought he might have a little bit of time to indulge in an actual mattress before ciro returned to kick him out. The sight of the sleeping man makes ciro's heart clench, and all of the sudden he feels bad for forcing him to continue sleeping in locked bathrooms like some wild animal. So yeah, when ciro asks kaisei to join him, he also throws in there that they can take turns sleeping in the tubs when they are both in the room. kaisei kind of looks at him, before raising an eyebrow and saying, "why cant we share the bed?" Ciro blinks back, unaware of how warm his face was, and simply states that as long as kaisei doesn't kick him in his sleep, it shouldn't be a problem.

Some time passes, and they move around to different places and different motels. Ciro's main target of yakumo doesn't change, but in the meantime he does take up a few investigative and "removal" jobs. Imagine a fellow vampire's surprise when he shows up with kaisei, a vampire, to help exterminate them.

Which by the way, he isn't half bad at doing. With all the weird jobs kaisei has had throughout his life, killing other vampires isn't even the worst thing. He ignores the vampires pleas to stop, that they are one and the same. Kaisei does not give a shit - he is the way he is because the only vampire he'd ever known had lied to and abandoned him. Why should he care about the life of another lying, despicable creature?

With time as well, their relationship also evolves. It's not clear who started feeling differently about who first - is it kaisei who inches closer to ciro on those days with the curtains drawn and they share the bed, him searching for the warmth that ciro's living body gives off? Is it ciro who starts to think about how handsome his undead companion is in the moonlight after carrying out a successful job? It's hard to say, but...

Ciro is in fact the first to act on those feelings.

--

It's one evening that ciro returns to their room after gathering some information on their mutual silver-haired bastard, and he finds kaisei tinkering with some old kick knack he found in an alley (i would think after being alive for nearly a century, kaisei would be the type to pick up many little hobbies). In the blonde's hands is a paper bag, inside is a bottle of wine. He states that he acquired some promising intel, and wanted to celebrate.

"Can you drink wine? Or does it taste like shit to you now that you're dead?"

"It's been so long, I can't remember. Might as well see."

They each pour a glass, and in the dingy motel room, kaisei sits on a musty old couch while ciro sits in an armchair. With a few sips, Kaisei divulges that the wine in fact tastes like nothing - not good nor bad, but it might still be leaving its inebriating effects on him.

"Hm? How so?"

"I don't recall you looking quite so attractive."

Ciro tilts his head, letting his bangs fall over his eyes. He plays with one of the buttons on his already half undone shirt, pulling another through its little hole.

"I've got a question for you, vampire," he drawls, emerald eyes sliding down the purple haired man's body.

"If you're technically dead, can you still get it up?"

Kaisei fails to hide the way his breath hitches at that question.

"If I've had enough blood, I can."

The blonde sets his wine glass down on an end table, rises from the chair, and steps towards his companion on the couch. A few more pops of his buttons echo in the tiny room. In a few moments, he stands in front of kaisei and lifts his wrist over the vampire's wine glass.

"Go on. I want to make sure you have enough then."

Kaisei stares in awe up at him. Was Ciro really offering his own blood to him right now so they could fuck?

Before he can answer, the blonde pulls a pocket knife from his trousers. With one quick slide across his skin, blood drips from his arm into the wine glass in kaisei's hand. After he determines that should be enough, he pulls his wrist away, only for kaisei to catch it in his free hand and bring it to his lips. He licks the cut, and ciro is surprised not only by the action, but also that the wound stops bleeding after he pulls away from kaisei's mouth.

He momentarily forgot that vampire's saliva had congealing properties when used to heal a wound, a little distracted by the unbearable tension building between them.

"Well, try tasting it now. See if it's any better," he breathes out.

The vampire brings the glass to his mouth and drinks the remaining liquid in the cup. He pauses before answering, "It's sweet."

The lustful look in kaisei's half-lidded eyes looking up at him breaks ciro's self-control. He sits himself on kaisei's lap, taking his face in his hands and kissing him deeply. The wine glass is forgotten as kaisei grabs at ciro's waist, pulling him close and responding to the fervent kiss with his own desire. He pins him to the couch, laying on top of him and breaking the kiss only to whisper breathlessly,

"Are you sure?"

Ciro's eyes widen at what he believes to be an obvious question - what did he think the whole bloody wine trick was for?

"Of course I am."

--

Future me here to write this out yeaaaaaa

The pair grows closer over time, hunting down vampires and finding comfort in each other when they need it. The comfort comes in many forms: from gentle, assuring touches to stress-relief via more lustful means. They spend a few years with this same routine, their ultimate goal remaining the same: find that bastard yakumo and take his ass out of this realm of existence.

However, things suddenly change when ciro finds himself caught up in a mistake of his own creation.

Given a reliable but time-sensitive tip, he decides to forego retrieving kaisei and decides to follow up on it alone. Turns out, the tip was a set up, not even by yakumo or anyone who knows him, but another vampire who caught wind that ciro and his deranged vampire partner were the ones killing off his friends. Like any smart vampire, he doesn't carry out the dirty work himself, oh no. He gets a human to trick ciro and get him alone in an alley, only for him to make a clean gunshot through his abdomen.

Thinking he's done his job, the man leaves ciro to bleed out in the alley, all while kaisei is back at the motel, completely unaware of what's transpired.

But unfortunately for the lackey, ciro isn't one to go down easily, and luckily for him, the man had shittier aim than he prided himself on. He is able to get himself to a nearby payphone and calls kaisei for help. Kaisei is of course shocked and frantic as he takes off as soon as ciro discloses where he's dragged himself to. By the time he reaches his partner, the blonde is slumped on the wall near the payphone, breathing still, but just barely.

Kaisei tries to scoop ciro into his arms, assuring him that he will be alright, they will get help, but he's been losing blood this whole time. Kaisei is fighting his own urges as he tries to help his partner up, but ciro can't even stand at this point. He looks at kaisei, and the vampire can't ignore the pain on his face - he knows his time is up.

"Can...can you turn me?"

Kaisei's eyes widen at the request. He had never tried to turn a human before, and he had never wanted to inflict his own fate onto anyone else. But now the only person in his life who had not abandoned him was asking for that lonely fate.

"I...I can't bear abandoning you. You don't deserve to go through that again."

With those kind words, who was he to deny the one person he truly loved and felt that love be returned a request to stay with him longer?

As much as he wants ciro to stay with him, the process scares kaisei. He has to drain ciro of blood until he is almost gone (which at this point is not a lot more), and then get him to drink from his own blood. There is no set time or amount of these things, and this is something he's never attempted nor has a clear memory of his own turning at this moment. He tilts ciro's head and takes a breath before biting into his flesh. He tastes the warm blood flowing into his mouth, and it takes every ounce of his control to not drain him completely.

Just as ciro begins to lose strength and lean into kaisei, he pulls away and the blonde slumps to the side with a groan. Kaisei quickly drags his nails across his wrist before placing it to his partner's lips and encouraging him to drink. He once again has to tilt ciro's head back to allow the blood to trickle down his throat.

Seconds feel like hours after he pulls his arm away, having given him a decent amount of blood. Kaisei's blue eyes watch closely as his partner's breathing slows to a halt. Fear creeps up the back of his neck that he did something wrong, he had failed, his companion and lover was dead-

Until ciro began to cough violently, to the point of retching. Kaisei put an arm around him, a feeble attempt to comfort the man as he experienced the worst pain imaginable, his insides dying and giving way to whatever demonic powers kept their undead bodies moving. Sitting up shakily, ciro leaned into his savior and groaned again. Shifting his arms, he uncovered the bullet wound and felt a mix of disgust and relief to see it slowly closing itself.

They sat in the alley with the distant sounds of the city bearing witness to the sins they committed in the name of love.

--

After some time, kaisei helps ciro to his feet, and they slowly make their way back to the motel. They were lucky it was evening, but the dawn was fast approaching, and they were not about to be caught in the sun's rays.

They stumble into the motel room, kaisei doing his best to keep ciro up. He has regained some strength in his legs, and at this point insists that he can wash up on his own. The blonde fumbles with the handle to the bathroom, until it clicks open and he steps inside, closing the door behind himself.

Kaisei, however, is too wound up to do anything other than fret over his partner. He listens for anything suspicious, only hearing a few wet thumps of clothing being balled up and dropped into the tub. The silence that follows beckons the purple haired man to peek into the door, only to find ciro standing over the pile of bloody clothes, staring down despondently. He swings the door open slowly, and the blonde turns his empty gaze up at him. It's enough to break kaisei's heart, and he steps forward to embrace his lover.

Ciro is still as kaisei sobs apologies into his shoulder. He closes his eyes, wrapping his arms around him. He whispers that it wasn't his fault, he should have known better than to do something so stupid on his own.

"The only reason I'm still here is because of you."

Standing in the glow of the buzzing overhead lights, kaisei gives ciro one last squeeze, before asking him to rest - he will take care of the clothes and wash him up afterwards. Ciro does not argue, he hums a response and shuffles back into the darkness, shadowed by the heavy curtains on the single window, before collapsing onto the bed. His tired mind focuses on the muffled sounds from the bathroom, the thin lines of light escaping the cracks between door and frame - the only traces of light in the pitch darkness.

Water rushing, then lightly splashing, followed by thumps of wadded clothing being unfurled and scrubbed. The gentle noises, comforting darkness, and exhaustion were enough to close ciro's eyelids for the time being.

--

He was just barely falling asleep when he felt a hand on his shoulder trace up to pat his head - kaisei's voice following the caring touch.

"Lets clean you up before you get too comfortable."

Ciro sits in the tub, allowing his partner to scrub the drying blood and other bodily fluids from his skin, being extra careful around the now barely visible wound. He relishes the warm water on his cooling skin - it's a strange sensation, one he guesses it must feel like for a person with hypothermia to be doused in warm water. The silence made him ever more aware that he could not hear blood rushing in his veins, only a barely audible trickle like water dripping into his ears. His heart, or whatever now inhabited the cavity in his chest, did not beat as it had hours ago. He breathed slowly, and was grateful for the rise and fall of his chest still feeling somewhat normal.

Kaisei noticed the far-off look on his partner's face, and cleared his throat to break the silence.

"I know it feels strange," he whispered softly as he held ciro's wrist in his hands, "to suddenly not hear the sounds your body made for so long without you ever noticing."

Ciro nodded.

"It was one of the first things i noticed too - it freaked me out," kaisei said with a dry chuckle.

"You'll eventually get used to it, just like how we must have gotten used to all the noise when we were alive."

The purple-haired man slid his fingers down ciro's wrist and held his hand in his own. He held it to his lips and mumbled, "i will miss that warmth of yours, though."

Ciro leaned forward and pressed a gentle kiss to his lover's forehead.

"We'll just have to find other means of keep warm then, won't we?"

--

Not sure how much more i will add on to this, but i was thinking as an extension, writing about them finding yakumo at some point. Part of me was thinking maybe he should be alive, but more fittingly, i feel like yakumo would be dead. Whether by his own hand or someone else's, i just can't see him being alive when they track him down, because what would there be to say? In the end, it would never make sense to kaisei why he was abandoned, no matter what yakumo would use as an excuse or reason.

I also had ideas of branching out into ciro's family (all of or almost all of which are vampire hunters) and making the decision to confide in them his fate. On the fence about his family being accepting of how things have turned out, or being ashamed of him and turning him away.

Also also i had a scene of them intimately together, and kaisei voicing that he would like to find a more permanent living situation. He has been around a long time now, and feels like he has not had a stable home for most of it. Having found someone who won't leave him again, he wants to settle down and at least attempt to enjoy eternity - for real this time, and not another false promise from a man that likely never meant it in the first place.

[kasienda]

Adrino Mixtape - Cooking

Thanks to @bbutterflies for organizing Adrino week! I'm loving all the adrino artwork and stories!! Feeling absolutely spoiled and well fed!

Read on Ao3

Day 2 - Cooking

Nino clapped his hands together in satisfaction. The table was set. He still thought the rose petals were probably a bit much, but Adrien liked grand romantic gestures so even if it was cheesy as hell, he knew it would make Adrien smile. 

And Nino needed it to be over the top too because words were not his strong suit, so the setting needed to do half the talking for him. Maybe more than half. Nino was really bad at talking. 

He moved back to the kitchen to check on the lamb shanks. He opened the oven and the sudden wave of heat fogged up his glasses. He waited for the moisture to clear and then poked at the lamb with a fork. It wasn’t quite falling off the bone, but it was getting close.

The sauce wasn’t quite right though. It needed more spice. He was sprinkling on more harissa when he froze. 

Was this too much spice for Adrien? Adrien was obviously well traveled, but he was still white.

He glanced across his small kitchen, tugging at his hat. Would Adrien who had grown up with five star chefs preparing every meal even like a home cooked meal from Nino? Like, Nino knew he wasn’t a bad cook. He really enjoyed the things he made himself as it was really the only time he got to have anything that tasted like home. But would Adrien?

Nino’s stomach twisted into a tight ball of anxiety as he took in the table setting again. It was so over the top . There was no misinterpreting what it meant. Adrien had been his best friend for years, and yesterday when Adrien had smiled that soft smile with sparkles in his eyes, Nino had been certain that he wasn’t the only one who had caught feelings. 

But what if Nino had imagined it? What if Adrien took one look at the candles and rose petals and bolted? What if he felt so awkward about the whole thing that he stopped hanging around? 

Nino couldn’t lose him. Not now. 

Did he have time to revert the table back? 

A playful rhythm knocking at the door said he was out of time. Leave it to Adrien to arrive stupidly early. 

Nino wiped his hands on his shirt and swung the door open. 

Adrien’s smile was like the sun dawning over the horizon. 

“D-Dri?! What are you doing here?” 

Adrien brows furrowed. “You invited me? You said seven right?” He glanced down at his watch. “I guess I’m a few minutes early.” He smiled that beaming smile again. 

A few?! Adrien was like an hour—

Nino caught the time and felt the blood drain from his face. Adrien was only four minutes early.

“I was just excited! After yesterday–” 

Where had all the time gone? How had Nino managed to run so far behind? The food wasn’t ready, he hadn’t showered or changed.

“Do you need me to be late?” Adrien asked. “I can come back…?” He twisted around pointing to the empty wall behind him. 

Nino shook his head. “No! Don’t be silly. Get your butt in here.” 

He ushered Adrien ahead of him, and followed, pinching his shoulder, staring at Adrien’s feet as Nino followed him, terrified of seeing his reaction. 

Adrien stopped walking. Nino heard his sharp intake of breath. But Nino still couldn’t bring himself to look up. And Adrien didn’t say anything. 

Nino’s eyes remained glued to Adrien’s bright orange shoes that absolutely couldn’t be the same ones he had in the first year of collège, but they looked like the same shoes, which meant Adrien must have really liked them. 

Adrien shifted, and turned back toward him.

“Nino?” 

Nino’s eyes shot up to Adrien’s face. This was it, this was when Adrien told him ever so gently that he was flattered, and that he loved him like a brother. 

“Y-yeah?” 

“Is this—? Is this what I think it is?” His voice held so much hope, and his eyes were glassy. 

Nino grinned, suddenly feeling light, like he could fly. How had he ever let himself doubt that Adrien was interested? 

“Umm, yeah, probably. I just— after yesterday, I realized that I— You’re like, my favorite person in the world. I really wanted you to come home with me and I never wanted you to leave. It’s probably just as well, though because if you had, I would probably have done something stupid like kiss you, or I don’t know. I just—“ 

Nino cut off abruptly, painfully aware that he was rambling and making less sense by the moment. His face and neck were on fire and Adrien had closed the space between them to almost nothing and it was hard to think with him so close Nino could feel his breath.

“What if I kiss you now?” Adrien asked. 

Nino nodded dumbly, and Adrien didn’t waste a second. Nino poured years of longing into that kiss. Adrien responded with the same enthusiasm as if he had been pining for just as long. But that couldn’t have been the case. That would have been stupid. 

It was only when the smoke alarm went off, that Nino pulled away in panic. 

“The lamb!” 

Dinner was ruined. 

“It’s fine,” Adrien reassured, his fingers tracing light trails down Nino’s arm in a way that was making him shiver. “I’m not particularly hungry right now anyway. But if you are, we could order something?” 

Nino sucked in a breath, pulling Adrien into his arms. His boyfriend was right. They could eat later. For now, they had other things to occupy their time.

[wallymaddieandcharley]

okay, I’m still processing episode 8. there’s a lot to process. read ahead at your own risk

but I’m both kinda disappointed and also very interested in how the episode unfolded. definitely loved the Maddie & Simon and the Charley & Wally interactions. like Wally calling Charley “Char”? reminded me of nick and Charlie in the best way. (that reminds me to work on my Maddie/Wally Charley/Wally and Maddie&Charley thing I’m working on…)

not sure super excited that Maddie’s not dead bc I don’t think her “living” again is the best idea. all the characters have changed and grown because of her disappearance and presumed murder, and I worry that her coming back to life would ruin that. I do feel vindicated that Mr. Martin is up to something, though. I knew something was up with him. But I need to know more. Like about those journal entries and why there’s no written record of Janet, and why they lied about their deaths.

Xavier is becoming a more well rounded character, and even though he isn’t perfect, he is trying. Claire, too. she’s definitely an interesting character, and I’m interested to see where her relationship with Nicole goes

poor Simon. but he’s gonna have to realize Maddie isn’t just a coping mechanism, right? because she gave him information and clues he would never have been able to get on his own.

but overall there’s a lot still to be answered in (hopefully) season two. like, who hurt Janet-as-Maddie because they found a lot of her blood. if it was a little, one could argue Janet did it to set up the idea that foul play happened. but it was not just a little.

I’m also relieved that Dawn and Mina managed to stay fairly distanced from Mr. Martin by NOT going to his little group sessions. maybe being away from his influence and hearing the words she needed to hear, was what made her crossing over the way it was

(also, the lights flickering in the hallway when Maddie was alive?? I have ideas about that)

[pixelchills]

I just wanted to say two things:

1: I’m glad I’m not the only one who wanted more fluff than what tsams is offering (gosh, stop breaking them, give us joy gdi). I stopped for a similar reason. I want happy lord not all this depressing angst.

2: I’m so sorry people kept comparing your work to tsams, it’s not alike at all! I’m also sad we won’t get to see your lunar eclipse character. I would’ve been very interested to know how he turned out. People don’t realize how hurtful comparisons can be. (I almost killed Roth because someone called him a magical girl because of how he shapeshifts.) Is there any chance you could give a summary of what the Lunar Eclipse would’ve been like? Or is he just gone for good and you don’t want to mention him?

Sorry if this is annoying. Just wanted to say, I’m with you on fluff (which is why I love your work. Perfect balance of angst and fluff! We learn about something painful, and then there are hugs. Something scary happens, and then there are plushies. Well balanced), and I’m sorry you felt you had to remove your lunar eclipse.

Thank you for the nice message!

I know I'm an angst writer myself but depression with no fluff to make up for any of it is not enjoyable. I just think they should've continued with mostly gaming stuff and funnier lore videos after Eclipse was defeated.

But that's just my opinion and I am allowed to stop watching/enjoying content when it doesn't tickle my fancy anymore. If they ever happen to start doing happier and fluffier videos again I might start watching them again, but as of now I feel like the story has gone a bit downhill from what it used to be; too many universes, too many characters, it gets confusing and I don't particularly like how some of the characters are written, like Moon being the OP emo genius, but again, that's just my opinion 😂

What comes to the Lunar Eclipse character I was going to have, here's the deal;

The Lunar Eclipse character is still technically there, but the desing and name have been changed from what I originally had in mind. Lunar would have been a girl.

A big spoiler for "Lunar" to the far future of ANSSW:

"Lunar" was going to be Sun and Moon's adopted daughter. A baby stage Animutant who had to be taken out of the incubator tank too early because of the Apocalypse.

She is still sleeping because she hasn't developed fully. There's a 10% chance that she'll wake up before she is fully grown, but the 90% chance is that it will now take about 200 years since she is no longer in the incubator liquid.

Her new name is Dawn.

[nitannichionne]

If He Was Your Fan (A Henry Cavill Fanfic) Chapter 71, Version 2: Found Wanting

You thought it wasn’t so bad. Everyone complimented you on it, or looked at you smiling and complimenting you on your gloves. You even brushed up on your glove etiquette. You felt like you’d passed, until you read this:

HENRY’S OLD NEW LOVE

First, a quote from a previous interview:

While Cavill's tastes lean towards younger ladies now, he admits that he dated a 32-year-old woman when he was 19—and he still isn't quite sure what to do with his heart (or, uh, his bald eagle). He told Playboy, "It's tough for anyone to be in a relationship with someone like me. It's a tough lifestyle. If I want someone who's a professional, they've got their own s*** going on. So unless I meet someone who's very, very young who hasn't yet started trying a career like that, you can then go, 'Okay, I'm going to travel with you and do some stuff, maybe I'll write or whatever; I'll entertain myself or build my own kind of travelling career.' I'm looking for someone who's my own age and will have a career. If they haven't, then maybe I should be worried. It's easier said than done."

We hope he finally finds her.

Now, he is dating a slightly older American woman of color who writes. She is of middle middle class, living somewhere in Brixton (it’s on the upswing these days, but Brixton?). And instead of checking what is fashionable, goes out on a limb with this attire. Some say it’s old, some say it’s classic, others say it’s basic, but honestly, we honestly are not sure.

He seems perfectly happy, but we’ve seen that before, too.

Thumbs up or Thumbs down?

Is this a case of potential hypergamy (marrying up) or hypogamy (marrying down)?

Love to hear your comments!

And did they comment.

You try to steer your eyes from the comments. Some described you as a witch who put a spell on him in a play for his money. Some said you were playing into his mama’s boy complex, some said it’s because he’s been “going young so long he’s going the other way now,” and so on. Only a few said that you are both grown and it’s no one’s business. That was me years ago. As far as the dress goes, everything worn is from the past, they make a few changes-sometimes none-and it’s new.

“Don’t worry about it,” Chiru says in video call with Sophie to you. “The press is trying to find a way to spin it and make it interesting, and God knows there are a lot of jealous female fans.”

“Mmm-hmm,” Sophie nods. “Bound to happen.”

“I wanted to go shopping today,” you confide. “Henry starts his press junket in a couple of days, but—”

“But, what?”

“He’s not talking about it as much as he did before,” you tell them. “He talked about how the experiences in a junket for single production could be a book in itself-it’s something he didn’t think he could describe…you know, the people, the places, the food?”

“He was either hyping it up for you to experience, or rubbing it in.” Sophie says slowly.

“I’m going with option one, which has me wondering why the change?”

You can barely talk. “Yeah.”

“Oh, sweetheart,” Sophie’s expression is one of sadness. “Girls day?”

“I don’t know—”

“Ah, come on,” Chiru encourages. “mani-pedis on me?”

“Tea on me?” Sophie adds.

“And how about a nice ride?” you add with a sigh, beginning to smile.

“Yes!” Chiru and Sophie grin back at you on the screen.

“Okay, I’m in,” you shrug simply. What they describe doing is away from the public for the most part, and you’ll be home before most get off work. You know at some point you will have to do whatever whenever despite whoever, but not right now. Besides, I had something to share with them…

You decide to meet at dawn at Trent Park around dawn, and you are ready to see Luc. It always seems too long, or maybe it is that when you see him, you feel free. He loves you, misses you, accepts you in a way that you wish others would. It’s like he knows.

You are relieved that Finn opened the store early so you could pick up your brand new winter jacket. You did not want to ride with anything else. You shop early, thanks to him, and you get a discount because of your work with Luc, buy a few resale things. You set it aside and slip on the new jacket, sighing, and then make your way to Luc.

“Good morning, John,” you say.

He turns and brightens when he sees it’s you. “Hey! Long time no—”

“I know, it’s been a couple of weeks,” you say apologetically. “How is he—” You are interrupted by a very demanding whinney and snort. “Oh.”

John nods and rolls his eyes. He hands you carrots. “There ya go.”

“Thanks.” You got to the stall and see him. He stamps his hoof, and you cringe. “Luc?”

He snorts and turns away slightly.

“Hey, baby,” you coo to him, raising your hands in submission. “I just got back, honest. Family stuff. Been so busy. I’m sorry, okay?” You offer the carrot, and he takes it. You nuzzle him, and you feel tears come to your eyes.  You have truly missed him, especially now. “You know, I think I might start coming up here and sit in the café more. It seems so quiet here—”

“Hey, girl!”

“Well, usually,” I joke in a whisper. “Hey, Chiru. Where’s—”

“Whoo! Got here.” Sophie exhales, looking like she’s been running.

“Yeah, I got here, early.” You smile broadly.

“I could have picked you up, you know,” Chiru frowns. “You’re on the way. When are you going to get a car?”

You roll your eyes. “It’s a big undertaking, Chiru. The note, the repairs, the insurance, the fuel…it’s easier to…” You slip Luc his last carrot. “feed a horse.”

“You might have a point,” Sophie smiles and shrugs. “At least the horse loves you back. Hi, Luc.”

“Don’t interrupt the man,” Chiru jokes. “he’s eating.”

Luc glances up and keeps chewing.

You look out over the fields, and breathe in fresh air.

You all saddle up and ride out in the crisp morning air. You’re feeling free at the moment, not a care in the world. “Follow me!” You kick into a gallop. You hear Sophie squeal and Chiru laugh behind you, and you smile. You can trust them, you can.

You deviate from the path.

“Hey!” Chiru calls ahead.

“Oh, my God, we’re going?” Sophie says excitedly. “I’ve always wanted to go!”

“Where?” Chiru’s voice tinges with worry. “Where?!”

“Oh, my God,” Sophie’s eyes are wide with awe. “Camelot.”

“Camelot?” Chiru repeats. “The Camelot?”

“According to maps and legend, yes,” you nod. “Come on, we’ve got to clean up.”

Sophie looks around. “Dear God, yes.”

“Please, Chiru?” you beg, feeling tears come to your eyes.

She looks about. “I’m in, mera mitra.”

“Tie the horses here,” you tell them. You take a sack out and give them gloves and sticks. “Let’s clean the castle!”

At first, you are all in awe. You swear you can hear voices and music, but your imagination always seems to run wild in this place. It is so quiet, and then you start to talk, and then laugh. You feel like you’re being watched, but you feel like you’re being watched over than anything. You pick up all the trash, but leave all tributes and trinkets behind. Then you do the island itself, the place where Camelot may have stood and you always get a little lightheaded when you cross. You’d never tell the others that; they’d think you’re crazy.

“Thank you,” you whisper and hug them when you’re done. When you step back you see tears in their eyes.

“So, what, we’re the new round table?” Chiru asks with a mischievous grin.

“More like a troublesome trio,” Sophie says sarcastically, but giggles. “That would make you Arthur!”

“HA!” you laugh out loud. “As if!”

“Are we coming back?” Sophie asks.

“I don’t see why not,” you shrug. Chiru and Sophie cross the moat and you follow, looking back and around. You whisper, “Thanks for having us,” and as you leave, you feel a breeze at your back and leaves rustling…leaves that are no longer on trees…

By the time you return, you have elevensies at the café, and decide to get swabbed for your DNA reading for the Christmas party and then go shopping together for your dresses, Christmas and New Year’s.

You are trying to have fun, remain calm, but you’re freaking out. Chiru and Sophia sense your tension and try to make it fun, but you just need…something…

You are at Harrod’s shopping, and for some reason, Chiru and Sophia don’t want to leave. It’s so public, and some people have started to recognize you. You don’t want to bow your head like you’re ashamed; you’ve done nothing wrong. You tilt your chin up and try not to notice, and you hate that reaction because you might seem aloof or stuck up, when you’re just treading the crowd and trying to keep focused on your tasks.

“Hey!”

You recognize the voice and see Stella. You run to her like one swims to a life jacket and hug her tightly. “Stella.”

“Hey, I thought I’d join you guys for tea,” Stella smiles.

“I thought you were too busy—”

“I thought I was, too, but—” She nods toward Chiru and Sophia. “They called and asked me to take an afternoon.”

You turn to look at them thankfully. Ah, true friends. What a luxury! You smile with tears in your eyes. “I’ve a lot to do.”

“We’ll get it done, and we’ll have tea,” Stella nods with grin as she locks elbows with you. “It’s time we all become friends.”

You all group hug, and you shakily exhale.

“Don’t worry, okay?” Chiru says softly.

“We’ve got you,” Sophia smiles and gives a squeeze.

“The Formidable Four,” Chiru raises her chin. “Femme Four Fatale?”

“What?” Stella quirks an eyebrow.

“We’ll explain over tea,” Sophia grins. “Oh, this is going to be a fun season!”

“Unforgettable, at least!” you laugh.