#i had an idea for a drawing of her meeting silver and her colours are more saturated bc shes not from this world

[beheeyemite]

Someone else.

[thelien-art]

Melkor, Manwë & Varda; Most Powerful of the Valar 

Might also be my favorite Valar just need to add Nienna too design HC below↓

Melkor: This is obviously post Silmaril heist as he is already burnt and has white hair, which I HC him getting after fleeing Valinor, as he is said he took a foul form before being trapped in his body, yet when meeting the Edain, he has a fair form, which I explain by the importance of colour.

Colour is important for our welfare as it influences our moods, stimulates our brains, and decides how we experience the world, I find it exciting for Melkor, as a manipulator, to use colour to manipulate, which especially is seen in Angband, and also use it on his body, so when he gets stuck in a physical body, I interpret that as him being unable to fully shed a body, unable to roam simply as a power, and getting his crayons ability to use colour taken from him as punishment, so when the Ainur says he is trapped in a body, all elvers just assume that they mean only one body, and when asking into it the Ainur more or less confirm this as they have problems seeing the difference between being stuck in a body you can change, and being stuck in a body you CAN´T change.

And as always I like to think Melkor created a lot of pressure metal/gemstones, and as is canon in Morgoth´s ring, gold holds the biggest part of him after he poured himself into the world, so gold he shall be clad in😌

Manwë: I take great inspiration from the wedge-tailed and Golden eagle, as well as biblical angels, and peacocks for his clothes. I like the idea of his hair being a part of the sky, just like with Varda giving the "Lords of all Wind" a different sweet respect. He and Melkor, when first making bodies, took forms that looked alike, which he kept, so he looked closest to what Melkor looked like before his downfall.

I give him bronze as it has a warmer told, and I while I don´t doubt he can be cold, I always read him as someone who´s trying to cater to everyone even if it doesn't always go like he wants it to.

Varda: Rearely do I think she goes down to the Eldar, which also means she has a tendency to blend the light of the stars into her body a bit more than what might be safe for those who are not of the Ainur, making her almost transparent with inner light at times, and although she quickly corrects it when she accidentally does it the Eldar says that the reason it hurts looking at her is because of her beauty, much to her own amusement. And then, of course, the underside of her hair is the same night sky you can see closest to the door of night and the gates of morning where it is at its clearest.

I give Varda silver as that was one of the things Melkor couldn´t put his power in, including water, and a little headcanon of mine is she might have had a hand in the star metal being untainted...

Support me on Ko-Fi - get early access drawings + WIPs

[chanandlersstuff]

Little Miss Director and Starboy.

Pairing: Hayden Christensen x Reader.

Summary: The timeline of how Hayden gradually fell in love with her until he was madly in love, to the point of no returning.

Word count: 8.457

Warnings: Not much actually, age-gap and a slow burn.

Author’s note: It’s the first time I write something about Hayden so I hope you like it. I have nothing against his private life nor his love ones, this is just for fun. With that been said, I had this idea in my head for a long time and it will have two more parts.

gif credits @haydenchristensengifs

Next Part →

May 2019, first meetings.

When he was offered the role of Anakin again for Obi-Wan’s series, he jumped in without thinking twice and that’s how he met her. He saw her face for the first time on a tiny screen on his phone. The first few things he noticed about her were that she used glasses, her voice was sweet, that she smiled pretty much all the time and that she was young, several years younger than him.

She was very polite and enthusiastic, telling him all about the ideas for the series and explaining everything about the project. Maybe revealing a few things she shouldn’t but he didn’t care. She kept it professional but light, which he thanked because acting formally in the comfort of his house while wearing joggers and slippers was a no can do.

A few weeks after that he hopped in a plane and flew all the way to the studios, where she worked, to meet with her and talk about the project. He was directed to her office, where she was supposed to be expecting him but she wasn’t. “I’m sorry Mr. Christensen, but she will arrive in a few minutes.” The boy behind the desk said with a polite smile. “Please follow me.” He got up and walked towards an office at the end of the hallway. “You can wait for her in her office.” He opened the door. “Feel free to get comfortable.” The boy smiled. “Would you like something to drink?”

Hayden looked around the room, it was big; but not too big, painted white with big windows that let all the light enter and a little sofa with a desk in the middle. “No, thank you.” But the main thing he noticed was the lack of personal things in it. No photos on the desk, instead, little drawings stuck to the computer and an old video camera from the ‘90s on one of the shelves, which he found odd. 

He stood watching the window and how the sun illuminated everything around. A couple of minutes passed by when he heard voices outside the office. “Hi, Charlie, how are you?” The same sweet voice reached his ears. Some muffled words and the sound of boots against the floor. "What? He's in there?” She whispered-shouted. “He's early!” It was true, Hayden was early. A trait he picked up from his father. "I know!" The boy at the reception whispered-shouted too. "He’s cute.” Hayden smiled a little at the words. “Charlie! Unprofessional.” It wasn’t as if he was eavesdropping, they just happened to be speaking not so quietly. “I’m not ready.”  He heard her say. “Yes, you are.” The boy encouraged her. More muffled sounds reached his ear. “Fake it, till you make it.” He smiled at the phrase and moments later the door was opened.

He turned around and she was there with a nervous smile on her lips, not like the ones he saw on Facetime. “Hi.” She said, blushing a little.

The brunette walked closer to greet her properly. “Hello.”

“Wow, you are tall.” She said rapidly under her breath, but he heard it, making him laugh.

“I got that a lot.” He extended his hand and she shook it. To the list of things he noticed about her, he added that her hands were cold, despite the warm weather outside, and full of small classy silver rings. She apologised about it but he was focused on looking at her. She was small, a little smaller than average, barely reaching his chin. Dressed in black Doc Martens, light colour jeans, a fitted black t-shirt and a red leather coat. Long straight hair and no glasses on. 

She hung her bag and coat and smiled at him, a more natural one. “Can I offer you something? Tea? Coffee? Orange Juice?”

“A tea would be nice, thank you.” She nodded and ordered Charlie, the boy behind the desk at the front, a tea and a coffee.

“Shall we?” She gestured to the sofa for them to sit down.

He tilted his head to the side. “By all means, it’s your office.” He let her walk in front of him, as the gentleman he was taught to be.

She looked around with a tiny smile on her lips. “Yeah, I still don’t believe it.” 

“You have a beautiful view.” He added.

“Yeah, doesn't it?” She asked happily and looked around. “First of all," he was the object of her gaze again. "thank you for coming all the way here just to chat about this.” 

“Not at all, it’s a pleasure. And far easier than talking on the phone.” He sat more comfortably.

She laughed and nodded. “I like this kind of human contact, I feel like there’s nothing left to guess, or misunderstood, and I also believe it is more personal.” He agreed, noticing she moved her leg nervously. Another thing to add to his list about her. “I will try to not occupy much of your time and don’t bore you.” She joked.

But he shook his head “No, nothing of that.” trying to reassure her. 

A knock on the door interrupted him. “Sorry.” She got up and opened the door. Charlie entered with the two cups and left them on the desk. “Thank you very much, Charlie.” The boy smiled and walked away. “Sugar? Sweetener?” She offered him.

“Sugar, it's fine.” She passed him the little packets while she poured a little one of sweeteners into her cup. The pleased smile on her lips, when she took the first sip, would always be tattooed on his mind.

Hayden asked the normal things about the project and she told him everything she could about it. Slowly, bit by bit, he saw how she was more nervous-free and how excited she was for all the things she was telling him about. “But it’s still in diapers, we are still figuring things out. I’m still figuring things out.” She played with her hands. “The writers started putting everything on paper and I’m working with the executive producers about the cast.” She ended with a smile.

“It’s your first big project?” He asked, taking a sip of his tea. She laughed a little, moving her head side to side, it wasn’t a yes but neither a no. “How old are you?” That was a question he had in mind for a while and hoped it didn't sound rude.

“Twenty-seven.” He raised his eyebrows, surprised. “I know, too young and very big, immense, shoes to fill.” She said with a bored tone like she got that too much. 

Hayden shook his head. “I was 19 when I took the role of Anakin and felt the same way. Everything is going to be fine.” She looked at him a little unsure. “If they choose you to be here, it’s because you are the best. Don’t let them intimidate you, otherwise they will eat you alive.”

She smiled at him, big and brightly. “Thank you, Hayden, truly.” Her eyes accompanied the smile, kind and truthful.

All of a sudden, he turned shy by being under her gaze- What? Shy? Come on man. -so he shrugged and changed the subject. Trying for his life to not blush at how sincere and kind her eyes looked at him moments prior.

October 2019, surprise surprise.

By the second time they met in person, they had been talking a couple more times by the phone, she asked a few things about what he felt about Anakin, what were his thoughts about him and things like that.

Hayden was walking towards her office, for some reason he wanted to see her before going to meet with the writers, executives and a few of the characters for the first reading of the script, which was going to take a few days, to see if everything was going according to plan, smoothly. 

He entered the office and Charlie was there, sitting behind the desk, just like all those months before. They made small talk while the boy accompanied him to her office. When he opened the door, she was looking down at some papers on the desk and her hair was up supported by a pen. “Perfect, Charlie, sorry to bother you, but I'' Who apologised to his assistant for asking something? Always so polite.

When she looked up, her eyes opened big in surprise at seeing him. Hayden realised she was wearing the glasses she wore when they first met and that with the light entering the room her eyes shined. Maybe it was my presence? No, it couldn’t be. It was 100% the light, for sure. “Hello.” He said with a kind smile on his lips.

“Hi.” She smiled brightly, just like she usually did. Usually as in the two times he saw her, one in person and the other by a screen. “You are early.” She looked at the watch on her right wrist.

“Again.” He joked earning a laugh from her.

“Please, make yourself comfortable.” She pointed at the sofa where he sat months ago, a vase with white jasmines on the little table there. “Tea?” He nodded and when she was about to ask Charlie the boy nodded and walked away with a tiny smile on his lips.

He, for sure, made himself comfortable and started walking around the office. It didn’t seem empty as it did before, now it had books on the shelves; a few more drawings, it was more cosy, and the same video camera was still there on one of the shelves. He traced it with his finger, slowly, trying to not damage it. “That camera was the thing that started everything, it was my father’s but I made it mine.” Her sweet voice became sweeter.

“It was your first camera?” He turned around to look at her and she nodded with a smile on her lips. Was she always smiling?

“I used to record everything around me with it.” The papers on her desk were long forgotten. “Everything that made me happy, to never forget it.”

He smiled at her way of seeing things. “You still do?”

She hummed. “From time to time, when I’m utterly, incandescently, happy.” He was about to comment on that but she interrupted him. “Besides, vintage makes everything look good.” She laughed and he did too.

Charlie entered right when their laughs were in sync and their eyes shined. “Your tea, Mr. Christensen.” The boy left the drink on the small table there and walked away with a smirk on his lips.

“Are you ready for today?” With a few strikes, he sat on the sofa facing her. She nodded, biting her lips, while arranging the stacks of papers on her desk. He was about to comment on something about her nervous behaviour but chose against it, afraid of making her more nervous. “Did you eat something?” She shook her head. “You want me to grab you a coffee or something?”

She looked up to him. The same kind eyes of all those months back were looking at him “No, thank you.” and shook her head. “If I drink coffee now I’m afraid I will not be able to sit still on the reading table.” A little laugh escaped his lips and the same shyness, and blush, from months ago, appeared again making him clear his throat. Get it together.

With small talk, his attempt to take her mind out of what was about to happen, the time had passed and they had to go to meet the rest to do the first reading table. They exited the office and, as the gentleman he was, he offered to carry all the papers in her hands, but she refused it. Claiming that she was more than capable of doing it herself.

For the first time since he saw her that day, he paid attention to her whole outfit and it was much more formal than the one she used the first day they met. Little heels that made her reach his mouth, black tights, a skirt with a little cut on the side that fitted quite well and a black shirt with the first two buttons undone. And she smelled like jasmine, like the ones in her office.

They reached the room where everything was going to unfold and she stopped a few meters from the door. “You okay?” Hayden asked her and she nodded. “You need a minute?” She nodded again and he gave it to her, even took a step back and let her gather her strength.

The brunette watched her take a few deep breaths and move her head from side to side. “Okay, you got this.” He heard her mumble and a smile appeared on his lips. After a few seconds, she turned around and looked at him. “Ready when you are,” she joked.

He got closer to her laughing, “Ready.” She nodded and he held the door for her to enter first, he walked after her.

Ewan was already there, the executives and the three writers too. The two long-time friends hugged each other and caught up for a few minutes. “Have you already met our amazing, incredible, director?” The Scottish man asked.

“Yes, I had the pleasure,” Hayden said, looking around for her. She was standing by his side moments ago and now she wasn’t.

“She’s amazing, I have been working with her since the beginning and I promise you are going to be blown away by her.” Ewan was more excited by all that was happening than any of them. 

“I have not a single doubt,” his eyes found her in the mess of people and a smile appeared on his lips.

Four days of the same routine, Hayden would arrive every day a little earlier than the prior just to sit in her office and talk to her. Some days Charlie would have a tea already in the making for him and others he would carry a coffee with a chocolate muffin in hand for her because she tended to not eat.

And his list of things he noticed about her would keep getting longer. Her favourite colour was red, she had a sweet tooth, and jasmines and yellow daffodils were her favourite flowers, she used normal glasses when her eyes got irritated after using lenses all the time; plus according to her, they added dramatic effect when she was stressed, she was left-handed, that she scrunched her nose, but her brows didn’t frown, when she didn’t like something and that she truly, and naturally, was a smiley person. All the things he noticed weren’t personal stuff, she was pretty reserved and he could resemble her about that.

It was the last day of the reading table and truth be told, the script was garbage. It was the same thing as the series that were already being streamed. All those days, and hours spent were futile, the ones he had to be seated at that table, not the ones he was seated on the sofa in her office. They all tried to bring something to the table for the script to work, but it was useless. Everyone knew it and someone had to rip the bandaid off. 

“Well...” the executive producer began, “thoughts?” And they all looked at her.

As if she could feel all the gazes on her, she looked up. “Sincerely?” And they nodded. She looked around the room, Hayden could see her demeanour changed as if she had built a wall inside her and was ready for anything. “It’s the same thing we saw billions of times.” She was straightforward. “If we keep this way, the critic is going to smash us.” She voiced what all of them were thinking.

“Excuse me?” One of the writers said.

She frowned, “we are making a series about an icon of the cinematography universe, whose story is tightly intertwined with one of the biggest villains of history, about a universe that changed lives and the way of seeing cinema and this script-” she picked it up “does not reflect that.” The nervous girl Hayden saw before was left at the door and seated with him was a decisive woman, with her work pants well put on and a clear idea in mind. "This script is too small for a production as big as this one, as awaited as this one."

“And what would you know about making a script for a production this big?” The writer looked at her up and down. “You are just a child, you are too small a director for a production like this.” All the people in the room were surprised at such harsh, disrespectful, words. “Little Miss Director.” He added with a derogatory tone.

Ewan and Hayden were ready to chime in, along with a few other people on the crew, but she beat them to it. “First of all, you are excused.” She raised her chin and sat straight. “Second, I formed myself, I studied and improved after every project I made, it didn't matter how little it was.” Long was gone the sweet tone she carried. “I'm worthy of being here, believe me, I am one of the best out there and I have the skills to direct this project.” She had a cold look in her eyes. “If this is your script, which I guess it is, by how offended you are getting at hearing my honest opinion, maybe it’s you who does not know about big productions.” 

The silence that fell upon the room was a sepulchral one, not even a fly flew around. She kept her gaze on the writer until he stormed off the room, followed by a bang from the door. They all looked that way, but Hayden kept his eyes on her and caught the moment when she let go of a shaky breath and played with one of the many rings on her fingers. Their eyes connected and he frowned, asking a silent question, but she just gave him a small smile, reassuring him she was fine. 

After apologies from the executive producers and the writers on behalf of the rude partner, they all agreed with her that the script was awful and that she was right. Ideas came and went but nothing seemed to fit and be worthy of, the concept they had in mind. “You worked as a writer too for the projects you were on, didn't you?" Ewan asked, looking at her. "Besides, directing them.”

She narrowed her eyes. “Yes…” 

“They were very good, award-worthy.” He added making her open her eyes big, Hayden frowned. But when she was going to answer, the Scottish talked again. “Why don’t you write something?”

She seemed caught off guard, Hayden watched how her lips parted a little and her eyes scanned the room, while Ewan had a kind smile on his lips. After all, he was one of the executive producers and he had that kind of power at the table. “Yeah, we will meet in a couple of months and we will discuss it again.” Another executive producer said.

She looked even more surprised, her brows a little more raised than before. “We can work with you, discuss ideas and build the story together.” One of the writers said while the other nodded eagerly. “We will help each other and it would be an honour for us.”

A smile appeared on her lips, but Hayden realised it was a nervous one; not like the ones he saw her make when she took a sip of her coffee, or when she talked about the video camera in her office. “Yeah, okay.” The confident woman who put the idiot writer in his place was gone and the same nervous girl who was left outside the room appeared again. “We can do that. There are a few ideas in here that we can use as a base and build upon them.” She nodded looking at the script as if it was going grow a mouth and eat her alive

The meeting finished after a few minutes and they talked about schedules for the future, which was uncertain until the scripts were ready. When Hayden got up to talk to her she was already on her way to walk away from the room, like her life depended on it, and was left to talk with Ewan, not that he didn’t like catching up with his friend, but if he was honest, he was a little worried about her.

January 2020, first vestiges of emotions.

The last time the pair saw each other they couldn't even have the chance to say goodbye because when Hayden went to her office to talk to her, Charlie told him she was already gone for the day and he was flying back to Canada in a few hours. He weighed the options of calling her, or sending her a text, to ask if everything was fine but in the end, he desisted, to not come up as dense. 

To his surprise, she texted him a few weeks after their last encounter, a simple hello, sorry to bother you, and presenting herself, as if he didn’t know who she was. All that to talk about work, about the script she, and the other writers, were working on.

Finally, it was time to see them, the team, in person. To see her in person. Their routine was picked up where they left it, him taking her a coffee and muffin and a hot tea waiting for him at her desk, and, of course, he arrived early. 

“Hello, Charlie,” Hayden said as soon as he passed the door from his office floor. 

“Hello, Mr. Christensen,” The boy said, despite the multiple times he told him to call him by his name and not that formal title. “She will arrive shortly, you can come in,” Charlie said with a smile on his lips. “You already know the way.” 

Laughing a little, he walked towards her office. There were new drawings on the shelves, still no photos, the video camera was still in place and the smell of jasmine was still there. The sticky posts on the computer were there and despite all his mother's teachings that what he was going to do was impolite, he did it. Slowly he walked to the other side of her desk and readed them. 'Most Ardently’ was writing in one of them with a little heart and clear handwriting, ‘Shine on, you crazy diamond. Love, the kids and I’ that one made him frown. She was married with kids? The kids would explain all the drawings, but she never mentioned anything about kids when he talked about his daughter, and the married thing was hard to guess with all the rings she had on her fingers. She never said anything about being taken, nor had any photos in her office with someone, and she was a very closed person, so he was not going to pray into her private life if she didn’t let anything on. 

And like months ago, when they first met, he heard her sweet voice in the hallway talking with Charlie and it went almost the same way it did the first time, him being cute wasn’t said that time. 

“Hi, Hayden.” She said as soon as she opened the door. When he looked at her he had to suppress a laugh that was about to escape his lips. “What?” She was frowning at him.

His eyes trailed her up and down. “You are under all that?” She was small, that much was a fact, but she looked so much smaller under the, almost, total black outfit she was wearing. A big ass long coat, loose high dress pants, a fitted t-shirt that covered her up to her neck and white Converse, that looked like they were from his daughter from how small they seemed.

“Well yeah.” She took the sunglasses off her head and a few rebel hairs fell to her face making her blow them away. Her silver rings and silver necklace with her initials contrasted with her clothes. “I’m cold.”

“I can see that,” he laughed while walking to greet her. It came naturally to him to kiss her cheek followed by a little. “Hello.” The smell of jasmine invaded him and his voice sounded deeper for some reason. When he moved away, the brunette took notice of how her cheeks and nose were red from the cold. Was it from the cold though? “Are you that cold?”

“Huh?” She frowned like she didn’t understand. “Ah, yeah.” She nodded, and a nervous laugh escaped her lips. 

Charlie interrupted them carrying his tea while she hung her coat and got comfortable. The little interaction was forgotten by the time the boy walked out of the office with a frown on his face, looking at his boss. “I brought you breakfast,” Hayden said pointing at the cup next to her keyboard.

She smiled kindly at him, but that smile changed when she took a sip of the hot drink. It wasn’t a bad change, it was a good one. The way her lips curved gave him flashbacks of the memory tattooed on his brain about the first time he met her in person. He wasn’t afraid of messing up her coffee order, he knew it was the right one because he had picked it up on the few times they had been together.

She seemed less nervous this time around, there weren’t stacks of papers on her desk like the last time, nor she wasn’t running around. She seemed grounded, confident even. He tried to get information out of her about the new scripts but it was impossible, she gave him vague answers with a polite smile on her face, which made him laugh. “You are getting better at this,” he took a sip of his tea, looking at her.

“I know,” she smiled smugly. “I've been taking notes on how not to spill everything about a new project.” The brunette noticed how proud she looked about that. “I wouldn’t want them to fire me for speaking too much,” her tone was a playful one.

He laughed. “They would never,” his eyebrows were frowned and he shook his head. “Not after all the work you’ve done,” he reassured her.

Between sips of hot drinks, Hayden told her about his farm in Canada, about Briar Rose and small things here and there about his life while she listened attentively to all his words. The morning sun entering from the window behind her, seated at his side, added some kind of soft, cosy, effect to the office. Intimate. While they were laughing about something he said, a knock on the door behind him interrupted them. “Come in,” she called, still laughing.

“Hello there,” an accent Hayden recognized very well reached his ears and she started laughing again.

The brunette turned around and standing there was Ewan with a smile on his face. “Obi-Wan,” the pair said, making the Scottish laugh too.

“Good to see you two here.” They all hugged each other. “I was coming to pick our beloved director up but you beat me to it,” he joked looking at him.

Immediately she blushed. “We are having breakfast, would you like something?” She asked in her sweet tone.

“No, no. Nothing darling, thank you.” The trio stood in the middle of the office. “Are you ready?” Ewan asked and Hayden looked at her too.

She nodded, “Yeah, everything’s ready. The scripts are already arranged in the room where we are going to meet, the seats are designated.”

“You are well prepared then,” Ewan said surprised. “Yeah, you seemed more ready than last time when you were running around like crazy until the last minutes,” Hayden added. If his eyes weren’t on her, he would have seen the look in his dear friend's eyes.

“Well, I've had everything ready for like a week or so,” she shrugged but the pair looked at her surprised. “What? I like having things in order,” she defended herself.

It was time for them to meet with the rest of the crew so they walked out of the office, her first, and made their way there. The two men told her about the funny things they remembered while they filmed the first two movies and the technology they had to do it. 

Hayden noticed that she seemed much more carefree this time around than the first time they did the table reading, she didn’t stop at the door to take a deep breath, nor to give herself a little pep talk. She just entered the room like she owned it, like she deserved to be there, which she did, and that made him smile.

Just as she said, the table already had the scripts on it and tags in front of the chairs, it was a completely different room than the one they were months ago. There were different people inside, who were supposed to be the cast, the writers, the executive producers and them. “Ready boys?” She asked with a smile on her lips making them look at each other with their eyebrows raised and they laughed, but followed her nonetheless. 

They all sat around the big circular table, the writers at her sides, while he Ewan, and the rest of the team, dispersed around the table. The crew was also there, seated surrounding them. The reading started but her sweet voice didn’t chime in at any moment, Hayden watched her make notes here and there on her script and whispered with the writers beside her.

They connected eyes more than a few times, she always caught him looking at her for some reason, only a couple of times it was the other way around like they could feel their gaze on each other. Her reaction was always the same, a sweet smile on her lips. Her hair was held by a pen, again, and at some point, she put her glasses on. This time around she didn’t play much with her rings, but she did it with the silver delicate watch on her wrist. 

He looked around the table to watch the crew's reaction and they all had mixed emotions, but they were the exact opposite of what that rubbish script generated. By the time the reading ended, everyone was silent with unreadable looks on their faces. But she was in her world, still making notes. Almost three minutes passed when someone decided to speak. “Well,” Ewan broke the silence, from his tone he could guess, because he had his blue eyes fixed on her, that he was smiling. “Little Miss Director did it again.” She raised her head looking at him.

And looked around the table confused, suspiciously. “Meaning?” Her tone was so unsure, he found it cute.

“It’s brilliant, this is excellent.” One of the producers said.

Everyone chimed in to praise the script, the cast; the crew; and every single person in the room. Hayden watched at how her face broke into a beautiful big grin, eyes shining and cheeks blushed. Her eyes connected with his and he grinned too, that was the effect of her smile. 

The session was over and everybody stood up to leave, and this time she didn’t run away instead stood chatting with whoever approached her. “Didn't I tell you she was brilliant?” Ewan said, clapping his shoulder.

“Yeah, you did.” He nodded and his friend looked pleased. “It’s one of the best scripts I have ever read, well written; well articulated; balanced. It's amazing.” Hayden was speechless at how creative she was, at how amazing she was.

Ewan nodded proudly. “I knew from the moment I watched one of her films that she was perfect for the series, that’s why I recommended her for the position.” He raised his eyebrows, surprised. “Plus, her resume is impeccable. She's something else.” The brunette nodded with his eyes fixed on her. “Totally worthy of being showrunner.” Hayden looked at him surprised. “She didn’t tell you?”

He shook his head. “She doesn't talk much when we are together, I do most of it, plus she’s very private.”

“Yeah she is, it took me a while for her to trust me but she would eventually open up,” his friend tried to reassure him. “If she trusts you,” he added, clapping his back laughing. 

Hayden shook his head, “thanks man.” Ewan laughed harder.

“She reminds me of you a little bit when we first met,” the Scottish said and he looked at him frowning. “Incredibly passionate young soul, keen and very creative." 

Hayden smiled at the kind words of his dear friend and found it more special that he found such touching words related to her. He was about to respond when she walked towards them.

"Good job, Little Miss Director." Ewan joked when he saw her.

She laughed tilting her head back but did a little bow, Hayden smiled. "Thank you, Ewan." He bowed his head. "Truly for your trust and help in this process."

He smiled, "It was my pleasure darling." And they hugged.

When they parted, she looked at Hayden with a big smile too. He felt shy under her gaze but enjoyed it too. "Thank you too, Hayden." He shook his head. "For being patient with me and all my questions, helping me and your encouraging words."

Sweetly, as her voice, she hugged him. Engulfed him with her arms around his neck, she was on her tiptoes and he had to bend down a little to put his arms around her back, not her waist because he was respectful. The jasmine scent, her scent, reached his nose making him dizzy. His mouth was so close to her neck, to her pulse point, that if he moved his head a little to the right he would graced it with his lips and he felt her hot breath in his pulse point, making him weak on the knees.

The hug ended far too quickly for his liking. What? When they pulled apart he had to clear his throat and blinked a couple of times. Fucks sake, Hayden, get a hold of yourself. You are 38 and she’s 11 years younger than you, think straight.

February 2020, special day.

It had been a couple of months since he last saw her, which he was thankful about because the hug she gave him was too much for him. Too much for his brain. Too much for his heart. Too fucking much.

He thought that maybe the peace of his farm would give him the clarity he needed but it didn't happen. Not a single clear thought about whatever he was feeling came his way. About work? Yes. About what he was going to eat for dinner? Lots. About feelings, which were a mess? Not a single one.

Ewan and he were talking on the phone about life, making a habit of staying in contact and not like the last decade and a couple of years. They were talking about projects and life, while all Hayden’s brain was screaming was, Ask him about her. ASK HIM! but he tried to not let that part of him win. 

Obviously was futile because he ended up talking about work, which of course ended up with her name being said. “You know anything about her?” He shut his eyes and frowned, with his free hand he pinched the bridge of his nose.

“Yeah, I talked on the phone with her a couple of days ago. Something about the script.” His friend said and he nodded.

“How was she?” The words blurted out his mouth before he had the time to process them. He was seconds away from smashing his head through the wall if that made him stop thinking about her. Teenage behaviour, right there Hayden. The laughter on the other side of the phone made him shake his head, regretting asking. 

“Fascinated by our Little Miss Director I see.” Ewan teased and he had to hum because if he opened his mouth the teasing would meet no end. “I get it, she’s pretty awesome.”

“Yes, she is.” Well, fuck it, he would embarrass himself for shits and giggles.

The days after his chat with Ewan, where he mentioned her resume, he could have Googled her, to know what his friend meant, but he decided against it. The opportunity, the privilege, of hearing about her life from her mouth would be more rewarding, more special, than reading it on some gossip page.

Ewan laughed again. “It’s her birthday in a couple of days.” His ears perked when his friend told him the exact date when it was. “Did you know it?” 

“No, no. I didn’t know it.” Mentally the date was already marked. 

The Scottish laughed again. “Well now you know, thank me later.” The brunette thanked God that the teasing stopped because otherwise, he was going to mentally kick himself. They kept talking for twenty minutes and the conversation ended with “Send her something pretty!” from Ewan’s part before he hung up.

The date of her birthday came and Hayden kept looking at the phone on his counter, Briar Rose having breakfast next to him. “Are you okay Daddy?” She asked in her sweet voice.

“Yes, sweetie.” He caressed her face. “Just thinking.”

“ ‘bout?” Her big blue eyes looked at him.

He deliberated on telling her about his doubts or brushing them off. “It’s one of my friend’s-” Friend? Was she a friend? Or a colleague maybe? What was she?  “birthday and I don’t know what to get her.” Maybe she would help him decide what to give her.

“What she likes?” She asked, taking a sip from her princess cup.

He racked his brain trying to think about something she told him she liked, but a single thing came up. “Flowers.” Unconsciously he could scent jasmine, even though there wasn't a single one of them in his house. "Jasmine."

“They’re nice and pretty.” That was answer enough for him.

Smiling, he leant and kissed the crown of her head. “You are right, sweetie.” She smiled. “Thank you.”

Giving her a last look, he took his phone and walked to the living room. First tone. You got this. Second tone. Nothing to stress about. Third tone. They're just flowers. Fourth tone and they answered. Too late to back down.

Twenty minutes he was on the phone with the flower shop, twenty minutes where he felt like a teenage boy with a massive crush, a little pathetic if he was honest with himself, and then he went on with his day like normal.

He and Briar were making lunch when his phone rang, whipping his hands on a towel he grabbed his phone and as fast as he picked it up he almost let it fall. Her name appeared on his screen, she was calling. She was calling him.

After coming out of his astonishment, he answered it before she hung up. "Hello."

"Hayden, hi." Her sweet voice reached his ear. "How are you? I hope I'm not interrupting your day." He could hear her walking around her office.

He chuckled. "I'm fine, how are you?" He turned the burner down. "And you are not interrupting, we were making lunch." 

"We?" She cleared her throat. "Sorry. What were you making?" 

"Briar Rose wanted pasta for lunch, so I'm obliging." The little girl walked past him and he caressed her head.

"Nice, it goes great with the cold." The picture of her with her nose and cheeks red popped up on his brain. "I will not take much of your time with her." He shook his head as if she could see him. "I called you to thank you for the beautiful bouquet, I love it." 

He smiled, big and brightly. "I'm glad you liked it." Was she smiling too?

"The note is very beautiful too. My favourite part may I say." The teenage boy with a crush feeling was worthy then.

"I'm pleased to hear, Little Miss Director." He joked, hoping to hear her laugh and he did. 

"How did you know?" She asked curiously.

"A little chatty bird called Ewan maybe, possibly, most certainly, slipped that your birthday was coming up while we talked a few weeks ago.” Hayden knew that wasn't the entire truth, not even close, but just this time he was going to throw his friend under the bus for sure.

She laughed, and possibly she was shaking her head. "Who else if not him?" He laughed too and the background noise became louder. "I'm sorry to cut this short, Hayden, but I got to go." Her kind tone reached his ears.

"No no, please. Duty calls." He thought that she would send him a quick message so hearing her voice was a surprise, although it was for a couple of minutes.

"Bye, I hope your lunch is good. See you later, Starboy." And before he could answer, she hung up.

As if his life was taken from a cheesy rom-com, like the ones he acted in, Hayden stood in the middle of his kitchen looking at his phone as her name disappeared from the screen, but not the feelings from the centre of his chest.

April 2020, Unexpected delight.

His birthday was a special day for him, surrounded by the ones he loved the most. Spending the whole day with his daughter, eating with his family and having a fun time with a few friends. As the private person he was, he couldn't ask for more.

Soon he would have to start training for Anakin's role, so he was enjoying the time off. Briar Rose surprised him with breakfast in bed, helped by his mother, who came around to greet him and helped her beloved granddaughter. 

They were seated in the living room talking about small things and his plans for the day when the doorbell of his front gate rang. “Did you invite someone?” He asked his mother while walking towards the phone he had by the door, but she shook her head. “Yes?”

“Is Mr. Christensen at home?” A male voice said.

He looked at the little screen there and it was a grown man dressed in a FedEx uniform. “Yes, he is.”

“We have a package for him, we need his signature to confirm that he received it.” The man showed the papers in hand and at the box below his arm.

“Okay, I’m coming.” Grabbing his jacket and keys, “It’s a package, I’ll be right back.” he said over his shoulder.

The walk towards the front gate was chilly, he had his hands in his pockets and nose buried in the neck of his jacked. When he saw the guy at the door, the package he had in his arms was a normal size. “Hello.”

“Hello.” They nodded at each other. “You know what it is?” The brunette asked.

The guy shrugged. “No idea, man. It just says fragile and it’s from the US.” Hayden opened the gate and the guy passed him the pen and paper for him to sign. 

He did it, but frowning. It couldn’t be the script, because she would have told him, or Ewan. His friends would have told him if they would be sending him a present, so that wasn’t an option. He tried to think what could possibly be but nothing came to mind. He handed the pen and paper back and the guy gave him the box. “There you go, have a nice day.”

His blue eyes were fixed on the box. “Yeah you too, man.” As quickly as he could he made his way back to the house.

Shaking the box to see what was inside wasn’t an option because it said fragile and whatever it was it could break. His curiosity was getting the best of him when he entered his house. Briar and his mom were still seated on the couch talking but raised their heads to look at him. “What is it, dear?” His mom asked but he shrugged. “From who is it?” He shrugged again. “You know something?” She asked, teasing.

He rolled his eyes. “It’s from the US and it’s fragile.” Her mom frowned. But he walked towards the kitchen and put the box on the counter while he looked for scissors. 

“Can I see it, daddy?” Briar Rose asked from the couch. 

He opened the top drawer. “As soon as I open it, I’m going to show it to you, sweetie.” His voice raised for her to hear him.

The box had a simple black box inside and nothing on it, he frowned again but kept opening it. When he lifted the lid the inside was colourful and smelled amazing. It smelled like jasmine and he smiled. Large pieces of paper, of all colours, surrounded a black cup and a couple of tea bags next to it. He picked up the box and walked towards the living room. “Look, sweetie.”

The little girl opened her eyes big and made space, even though there was plenty, next to her for him to sit. “What is it?”

“A gift.” He said putting the box on the mini table there. The little girl picked up a few of the papers there and started playing with them.

His mother looked at it and smiled. “It’s nice. Who sent it?”

Hayden knew who sent it by the mere smell that came from it, the tea was another clue for all the times they had breakfast together. “A friend.” Two simple words that had nothing simple, describe nothing simple and meant nothing simple to his feelings. His big hand engulfed the cup and lifted it, a laugh came out of him when he saw what was engraved on the side.

Briar Rose and his mom looked at it and the little girl found it hilarious, even though she didn’t quite understand the reference, while her mom laughed a little too. “Storm Pooper.” The girl said between giggles and Hayden laughed at hearing her giggling. 

His mother passed him a white paper folded in half, “there’s a note.” 

Quickly he exchanged the cup for the paper with her and stood up. His name was written in clean neat handwriting and inside were a few simple words. 

Happy Birthday, Starboy, enjoy your day surrounded by the people who are glad and cherish your presence in this world.

 Love, Little Miss Director.

“Someone special?” His mom’s voice brought him back to the real world. He looked at her frowning for a couple of seconds before his eyes fell back to her words. “You are smiling quite big right now.”

Why deny the obvious? “I have to make a phone call, can you keep an eye on Bri?” But he didn’t wait for an answer and walked to the kitchen with his phone.

The last time they talked on the phone was in March for something related to the script, a few questions she had about when he filmed the movies and Ewan was also on the call because the question was directed at him too, so it wasn’t like they talked to each other and it was completely professional. First ring. Keep it simple. Second tone. Casual, relax. Third ring. You are just colleagues, nothing more. Fourth ring. Nothing more because she’s 11 years younger than me. Fifth t- “Hi.” Her sweet voice reached him, a little out of breath as if she was running.

“Hello.” And again, for some reason, his voice went deeper. More than what already was.

Music could be heard in the background. “Did you receive it?” She sounded excited. “Please tell me it arrived whole, please.”

He laughed. “Yes, it did.” She exhaled. “Thank you very much.” He smiled and hoped that she was smiling too. “You didn’t have too.”

“Nonsense.” He could imagine her shaking her head. “Did you like it?” She sounded unsure and he tilted his head to the side. “Because if you don’t it’s okay.” She didn’t let him answer. “I have the sense of humour of a twelve-year-old and I will not apologise for it, but I will understand if you find it hideous.” She used, what he remembered was, her mocking tone and took him back to one of the times he was in her office and they were just chilling. 

“I love it.” He said truthfully and heard her make some victorious sound that made him laugh, which made her laugh. “Briar Rose found it hilarious too.” 

“She did?” She sounded excited again. “Oh, that’s amazing.” He nodded. “When we saw it, I thought that it was hilarious and had to buy it for your birthday.”

He was touched by the sentiment and the gesture. She saw something and thought about me. But the plural pronoun made him frown, it didn’t sit right with him. “We?”

“Yeah, my niece, nephew and me.” She was sharing something private about her. She trusts me. “They are a little older than Briar Rose.”

“Oh.” So the drawings must be from them. But was she married? “Well, you have great taste and as soon as I use it, I will let you know.”

She laughed. “Thank you and I hope you like the tea too.”

“So, what’s up with the nickname?” Since she started calling him like that after her birthday the question has been on his mind.

She laughed. “It seems only fair since I’m Little Miss Director that you are Starboy.” and said in an obvious tone. “Does it bother you? Cause if it does I will stop calling you that.” She was quick to say.

But he shook his head. “Not at all, I’m okay with it.” He heard her hum and, a little afraid, of the conversation finishing there he scratched the back of his head thinking about what he could say to keep her on the phone. “I called in at a bad time?” Hayden wanted to keep talking to her, keep hearing her voice.

“No no, I was cleaning my house, that’s why I was late to answer.” He nodded even though she couldn't see him. 

“On Sunday?” She would notice that you don’t want to hang up, Hayden.

“It’s my only free day.” She laughed. “What about you? Big plans for today?”

They talked for a little while longer, about noncenses, but Briar started calling for him and he didn’t want to take too much of her time, bullshit, so the call was cut short. But the smile he carried for the day was notorious to his mum, to his daughter, to his friends, to everyone who saw him that day, and all because of a phone call with his director.

Next Part →

[tamayakii]

Their Angel. Yan!HOTD x Reader

I've been having so many thoughts about yandere house of the dragon x reader, how the 3 big houses (Targaryen, Velaryon & Hightower) would fight for the darlings' affection. Platonic, Familial or romantic. I feel like they would, of course, all fight over what colours you would wear, what house you represent until a very annoyed and exhausted council member suggested white.

"like an angel," Viserys adds, it was said that the gods had sent you down to bless them so dressing you in white seemed the best option... but that didn't stop them from gifting you jewellery that had the colours of their house.

The Hightower jewellery had the most expensive Jade and Emerald on top of gold, these pieces can range from delicate rings to big statement necklaces that encompass your neck. Alicent prefers to give you these gifts in person, alone, perhaps in her or your chambers. Presenting you with the beautifully engraved box as she opens it, showing you a new necklace with a beautiful dark green emerald. Otto's gifts never cease to awe you in how quiet that man is in his actions, a small indiscreet box upon your pillow when you ready for bed. Inside lays a note, upon which Otto describes the moment he found this beautiful ring and knew he must get it for you, the handwriting almost as beautiful as the peridot ring you now proudly wear on your pinkie.

The Targaryen jewellery is almost always extravagant, having connections to get you the best out of everything. Viserys gifts you capes, crowns and veils but unlike the others, he almost always keeps them in white, unless they have jewels. His favourite thing to see you in is crown veils, the jewellery hanging down and framing your face makes you seem like you stepped down from heaven's gate. When Aemma was still around, she gifted you rings and earrings, she wasn't able to give you much before she passed in childbirth. So you hold these gifts quite dearly to your heart, always sporting the dark ruby red ring on your thumb, twisting it when you get nervous. Rhaenrya, oh dear Rhaenrya, she wanted everyone to know that you belong to the Targaryens. To the Blood of The Dragons, her first gift to you was a cloak clasp that show two dragons on each side, her second gift was a crystal bracelet that had a chain connecting to a ring, it was a simple design but by the gods it made you feel exquisite. There was one gift that set the nail in the coffin, it was a gift from Rhaenrya and Aemma, a dragon that wrapped around your neck. Signifying the hold that House Targaryen has on you.

The Velaryon jewellery is often pearls or other sea gemstones as they sit on driftmark and have a hand over the trading routes, Rhaenys upon her second meeting of you, gifting you a pearl ring slipping upon your finger herself. Corlys gifted you a relic that was been with the Veleryons for ages on your first birthday with them, the beautiful necklace made with blue topaz, moonstones and blue chalcedony, wrapped beautifully with Valeryon silver. Vaemond... never was quite as fond as you as his brother and sister-in-law were, you were no Targaryen or Velaryon but for small moments he forgot that and adored your sweet smile.

I would love to draw male and female outfits of what this au's darling would look like, i can also do a part two of the other things the other characters would give you as i excluded a lot as to not make this any longer than it is. Should i make a fic with this idea? pls send me an ask if you're interested in this au

[toothpastecanyon]

Hi! I’d like to start with the fact that your writing is PHENOMENAL, the way every first chapter is designed to grab the readers attention, with a mystery or a cozy little opening, establishing where the character is in life and their motives, or a sneak peek at the problem the characters must overcome.

I’m really bad at articulating my thoughts, but ur characters are really well written and I’d like to make more fanart of them, but I’m not quite sure what they look like.

(The only fics of your la that i KNOW you wrote are Unto Dust, and The Comfort of Agony (both of which are really good btw, I also love how you write existing characters, and your portrayal of them(especially Lucy Ann))

Anyway, because there are so many interpretations of species used in TAU, I got a little mixed up on what the non-human characters look like.

Darceus- in Lucy Ann and the Lunch Bunch, there is a Kitsune named Felicity, who is described as “looking a kind of like a human, and kind of like a fox” which my interpretation of is shown below. I forgot that that isn’t typical for kitsune characters in tau (even though she’s the only one since yours) and drew her in a similar way. ( also, are there any distinctive features on her nieces?) btw the LION idea is phenomenal, also do you think she has a mane? They’re fun to draw.

June- how big is she? I assumed she was the size of a human based on her interactions, but then I realized she might be looking down of people because she can fly. But then I remembered that it says she walks around. So then I confused myself. Also, skin tone, hair color/texture, eyes?

Beatrice- SHE IS SO WELL WRITTEN I felt genuinely angry while reading her meeting with Lucy Ann (in a good way) and she seems like someone you would meet in real life, totally obnoxious! Also, I don’t really know how TAU elves usually look so, idk anything about her skin tone or hair or eyes.

Here are pictures of my doodles in case you want to take a look, try to ignore the paper texture please.

Also, an old picture of Felicity:

Sorry if any of this is worded weird, im not that good at talking, but could you please give a solid description of the major/cool characters in Unto Dust?

(And in case I didn’t say it before, the Comfort of Agony is SO WELL WRITTEN there is too much for me to say about it!)

Oh wow, this is all so kind of you to say! Thank you so much - I'm so glad to hear you enjoy my writing, and I love the sketches you've done! You already have a lot of great designs and the characters look super expressive!

It's really exciting to be asked more of what my characters look like and I'll give you the best description I can, but I do want to note I often don't have a clear idea of what my characters look like - I like that writing lets a reader come up with their own spins on what a character looks like! So while I'm adding my own interpretation of my characters here, if you have a different idea you think works better or just looks cooler to you, I say go for it!

I'll organise my thoughts by each character:

Darceus: I was definitely inspired by @feferipeixes' character Felicity to make a kitsune character! I really like the mane idea you have going in your sketches, and female lions do occasionally grow manes! I like the way you've drawn her formal attire, with the nine tails spread out behind her like a sort of cape! You really brought her to life!

I probably still imagine her with a fox's colouration - I liked the lion imagery to evoke the broader facial features and just overall stockier build than an average kitsune.

The nieces: They're probably both young adults of average height. I don't have a clear idea of what they look like, but it might be fun to draw them as a different type or species of fox - silver foxes look really pretty with distinctive markings! They probably have less tails than Darceus, maybe three or so.

June: I definitely had the idea of her being average sized - I think writing it from Lucy Ann's perspective makes her seem taller as a lot of characters have to look down on her (sorry Lucy Ann!). I really like the wings you drew for her! She's a middle-aged lady with a little grey in her red hair, and probably likes wearing a lot of running gear - gotta train for that 10K!

Beatrice: I really like the long ears you've given her, that looks super distinctive! The loose t-shirt is really good. I probably imagine her with more of a pear shaped build with dark brown eyes and hair. If she does magic like in her appearances with Noie I like to think it'd look a lot how Mod V's elf OC Florian does it.

Also I definitely am looking for Lucy Ann to start wearing a glove! I'm not sure whether it would be fun to have it be a red glove to match the rest of her outfit, or if it's black or some other clashing colour to illustrate how she sees it as something unwanted and forced upon her.

That's all I can think of, but if you'd like anything more specific I'd be more than happy to help! Thank you again for this ask and your awesome sketches - if you end up drawing anything else I'd really love to see it!

Have a great day! :D

[spacesquidlings]

Luminaries: Deliverance

Hello beautiful people!!!! I recently commissioned a comic from @jadesnapart featuring some of my OCs in a scene for my currently untitled Luminaries project, and I have been absolutely enchanted by it!!!! Please take a gander at their beautiful art just below, and I've also included the scene the comic is based on underneath the cut!!!! I'm very proud of it, and it was the first scene that came to mind when I began rolling the idea of this part of the story over in my mind. But anyways, without further ado!!!!!

Again, the artwork was done by @jadesnapart who is just the most fabulous person, they're always so beyond kind and patient and working with them is such a treat. I really really recommend taking a look at their art if you can, the movement and colour and expression in their artwork always makes me smile and they've been one of my favourite artists!!!!!!

Scene this comic is based on just below <3

Scarlet stared at her hands, at the floor, her head hurting so badly she couldn’t think, couldn’t breathe.

“Marigold,” she said, her voice wavering. “I don’t even know my own birthday. When was I born?”

Marigold opened her mouth, then closed it. Scarlet felt her breath rushing from her lungs, and no matter how hard she tried she could not draw any air back. She could not breathe, could not think. All there was inside of her was the churning panic that she did not know when her birthday was. That she did not know where she had been. That she did not know who she was.

All she knew was the pounding headaches and her name and the fragmented images of people and things she wished more than anything that she could remember.

Her eyes burned, the world glowing silver and watery as tears spilled from her eyes. They burned her skin as they poured down her cheeks, rivulets of fire and smoke charing her face.

Her hands shook, and again she felt that burning, felt her body aching, like there was something deep inside of her begging to be released. She could feel it pushing against her skin, crackling in her veins.

And yet it would not come, it would not explode into the world, and she was left with an empty chasm in her chest. She was a dying star that had imploded on itself, had turned into a black hole that was swallowing the light and the fire. Stardust was little more than ash, and soon even she would be swallowed whole into the chasm that was splitting her apart, even as whatever was beneath her skin screamed for freedom.

She shuddered, unable to fight against the sobs that clawed their way up her throat, turning it bloody and raw.

Her hands shook as she tried covering her face. She felt so helpless, so useless. She couldn’t even remember. She couldn’t remember their names or who they were to her, she couldn’t remember anything but warm hands and bright smiles and laughter. She couldn’t remember anything but the ghost of their voices, so quiet now that she couldn’t make out the words they said as they surfaced in her memory.

She couldn’t even remember herself. Couldn’t remember what she was to these people, couldn’t remember who she was important to. She couldn’t remember what she loved or why she burned, why the sword slash hadn’t marked her, why she was always so desperate to fly and to fall.

But she couldn’t cover her face. Because there were hands at her wrists, drawing her hands away.

They were warm, gentle and uncalloused. Not like the hands of the fighters in her memory, not like her own hands.

She lifted her gaze to meet Marigold’s eyes, so dark they were practically black. They held her gaze, gentle and kind.

“Scarlet,” Marigold said, her voice low and soft. “What do you mean, you don’t remember your birthday?”

Scarlet opened her mouth, but nothing but another sob spilled into the air.

Marigold’s arms wrapped around her, but paused. “Would it be okay if I held you?”

Numbly, Scarlet nodded. She felt other sets of arms around her even as Marigold drew her close, even as she felt her friend rest her cheek on the top of her head.

She felt others. She felt sunshine and cool air, she heard glittering laughter, she tasted crackling ozone.

She felt warmth, from whatever people were buried deep in her heart. And she felt warmth from the strong surety of Marigold, who held her now.

“Scarlet,” Marigold said again, once the sobs had been loosed into the world. “Are you saying you can’t remember things?”

Scarlet nodded, her cheek squishing against Marigold’s shoulder. “I can’t remember most things. All I know is my name and that I’m here.”

Marigold hummed before pulling away.

“Scarlet,” she said, her voice lowering, her mouth set into a straight line. “I’m going to do something, and you have to trust me, okay?”

Scarlet blinked, confusion warring with the misery that slid through her like oil.

But she had no reason to mistrust Marigold. The gentle assistant who’d brought Scarlet a basket of figs. Who had accompanied her when she’d chased after the wild pegasus, desperate to taste the sky. Who carried treats in her pockets for stray cats and dogs. Who had a little beehive that always seemed to hum merrily just beyond her small cottage.

No, she could trust Marigold.

So Scarlet nodded, and Marigold moved her hands, placing them delicately against Scarlet’s temples.

She didn’t notice anything at first, but then she felt the gentle heat against her skin, pouring from Marigold’s fingertips. And then the heat grew stronger, to a temperature Scarlet knew was likely unbearable, and yet she did not feel herself scorched or burned.

“What are you doing?” Scarlet asked, her voice little more than a whisper of a breath.

Marigold winced, her brow furrowing as the heat grew stronger still. “I’m trying to heal your mind.”

It was such an absurd statement that Scarlet didn’t want to believe her. To be able to heal without herbs or tonics was magic, and magic didn’t exist except in the bloodlines of the royalty. And it was practically nonexistent now, the queen’s heir apparently possessing no more than a party trick compared to those who had preceded her.

But something within Scarlet stopped herself. Because somehow she felt that there were much stranger things that she herself had seen in the world, stranger than the power to heal without medicines.

For a while there was nothing but the heat against her temples, but then Scarlet began to feel it seeping within her mind. Felt tendrils of warmth snaking their way through her muddled memories, reaching deep, deep within her.

And then there was heat, more than there had been before. There were fires flaring to life in her mind, illuminating the darkness that often swarmed her memories.

She saw blue eyes, golden hair. She heard his voice, heard him calling her name. Heard him calling out sunbeam as he laughed, as he cried. She saw blood on his hands, saw him hunched over a computer. Saw herself reaching towards him, laughing as her heart ached at seeing him again, calling out his name. Calling out to Xander.

Xander.

She saw someone knew, deep blue ocean eyes, graceful movements as she moved around the kitchen. Looks of annoyance, firm hugs, laughter that filled the room. She saw blue and gold, saw wings stitched to a suit of blue, saw her dancing through the clouds. She felt a hand in hers, a promise on both her and the woman’s lips. Promising to Corrina that they were family.

Corrina.

She saw green, heard bright, shining laughter. She could smell the ruined food, hear the shouts of outrage and the rapid footsteps as she was chased through the house. She saw a hand in hers, her hand squeezing the woman’s, swearing to keep her safe. She saw plants on the windowsill, in pots scattered throughout the house, coaxed to life with her care. She saw cards thrown on tables, more laughter from the woman as her emerald eyes sparkled. As Iris swore up and down that she hadn’t used her telepathy to cheat.

Iris.

Another set of green eyes, not as sharp as his sister’s. A twin face swimming into her vision, shrieks of laughter as a prank was executed. The food on her tongue tasted burnt and salty, even though she knew it was meant to be sweet. Felt her being poked in the middle of the night, scared witless before Wes’ eyes came into view again, cackling as he ran from the room before she thought to kill him.

Wes.

She felt salty ocean waves splashed against her face, a challenge dancing in the air as sweat clung to her skin. She saw dark wide eyes right before they vanished, a whispered breath guiding her to the people robbing the bank. A camera flash, a joking comment as Scarlet was defeated by the woman in every video game they owned. Flora pumping her fist into the air as she defeated everyone once again, only to fall later in laser tag against Scarlet.

Flora.

She tasted ozone, heard the thunder boom across the sky as the ivory-haired woman summoned her lightning. The air glittered in violet and periwinkle and mauve and silver. The glitter was cast across a canvas, delighted chattering spilling from the woman’s lips as she set her paintbrush down, telling Scarlet why she’d wanted to paint the image the way it was. Light brown hands twisting ivory hair into a messy bun when she agreed to take a drop-in ballet class with Corrina and Scarlet. Bab’s fingers stained with graphite as she sketched out a scene Scarlet told her about from a dream she had.

Babs.

Engine grease in the air. Oily hand prints on the walls of the garage. He rolled his motorcycle into the garage, muttering about needing to buy new parts. Slate grey eyes that reminded her of the island sky in the fall. Quiet evenings when she was so drained she could hardly speak, sitting silently, but not uncomfortably. Books pressed into her hands to be borrowed; he was always recommending books and magazines to everyone. And he was always the first to know when the stars would be brightest, when meteor showers would cascade across the sky. She heard Ryu’s voice in her mind, telling them all to pile into the van, to head into the middle of nowhere so they could spy and wish on the stars.

Ryu.

Pale green eyes flashed through her mind, the fire illuminating this person banking for a moment before raging stronger, because she needed to be remembered too. For both her and Scarlet’s sakes. Wavy auburn hair, laughter that Scarlet now knew had been fake, and then laughter that was so warm she knew it had to be real. Her body burned in agony, smoke choked her lungs, but then there were those eyes again in the darkness of space, and a hand reaching towards her, and Scarlet knew that the smoke had only been a distraction, that there was more to Raven, if Scarlet was willing to reach back.

Raven.

The true memories came next, burning through her like wildfire. The dying star sparked, before flaring within her chest. She was no longer ash and darkness and a starving void that would swallow her whole. Each memory burned bright and strong, rushing through her mind until her head ached from the life she had lived. 

Meeting Xander, knowing she loved him, her first apartment, the frost on the windowpane that had started this all. The ice sculptures she had made with Xander in those first days before her life had become this. The abandoned warehouse Raven had set ablaze, the smoke that clogged her lungs. Her sister’s arms as she held her tight. Flora promising to keep an eye on her while Scarlet was gone.

Fake IDs Xander slapped together getting them on planes, Corrina’s eyes as they met for the very first time. Chasing Raven across the world and finding Iris on her heels too, searching for her brother. Wes, who had been so relaxed when they’d rescued him that Scarlet had thought she’d been dreaming.

The near-deadly wound Xander had suffered, Raven stumbling backwards, her eyes wide and terrified. Xander’s hand in hers as she felt life pouring into him, his wound healing all on its own as Scarlet glowed beside him, refusing to let him go.

Storm clouds and missing people, Raven vanishing into the night as Scarlet let her go.

Peace, for a moment, until Babs had been chased, stolen into space, and they had followed after her.

She saw moments from her life, from her childhood, her sister right after she had been born and Scarlet had cradled the mewling newborn in her arms. Fights over who got the top bunk when they were older. Stitching together a stuffed animal she loved that had been torn during a fight.

She saw her school, felt the agony of tests and how her mind could not wrap around the numbers and the knowledge, and felt it fade as it sunk back beneath the surface of her memory. She felt the scrapes on her knees as she was shoved against the asphalt, as she was smacked in the stomach while she’d hung from the monkey bars, her skin tearing as she fell to the sharp, rocky ground beneath her.

So much, she saw so much, she felt so many things. But as her memories were illuminated by the light that Marigold poured into her mind, she felt the star in her heart bloom. Her skin burned, but it did not hurt, did not ache.

Instead, as if in answer, the light in the room pulsed, flared bright as she began to glow, becoming sunlight made flesh.

She felt her last memory before she fully remembered it. The plan that had started to fail, the missiles that had pummeled against her, turning her mind murky before their momentum propelled her into the black hole that had formed behind her.

And then there was nothing, truly nothing until the moment her eyes opened and she found herself in this strange new world.

Scarlet gasped, the world around her gold, and Marigold pulled her hands back, her eyes wide as she gaped at Scarlet.

The light continued to pulse, filling the room until it was near blinding. And then slowly, Scarlet spooled it back towards her. She called her light back, and it sank back beneath her skin, until only a gentle glow radiated from her. She could have turned it off, could have sent it deeper within her, held it tight against her heart, but she didn’t want to.

She was loath to hide her light, after losing it for so long. She wanted to feel it warm her body, wanted to feel it skitter across her arms and dance through her hair. She had missed it, hadn’t realized that the ache had been from her light trying desperately to break through whatever spell had been cast on her mind and her power.

But she had it now, and she was not letting it go.

Marigold continued to stare, her gaze sweeping across Scarlet, taking in the glow, the way her eyes churned with starlight and sunfire, the way it wove through her unbound hair.

Marigold blinked. “Do you remember anything?”

Scarlet couldn’t stop herself from smiling, laughing as she felt the memories and the people that filled her mind and her heart. 

“I remember,” she sang, true joy dancing in her heart as it never had since she’d awoken here. “I remember everything.”

[mimzaucracks]

Silly little Oz AU

I wanted to create something silly for Spooky Season, so I did.

(Click for better quality)

Leonardo is not Dorothy. The idea is that this would be like an actual episode of the show; he'd get Wizard of Oz'd into, well, Oz, and the episode would play out like an abridged and heavily toned down version of the The Wonderful Wizard of Oz (1900). Which in turn means that the others are not the other three Turtles, either. They are, however, styled after and voiced by the other three. So, instead of saying something like "Donatello", I'll either use "Donatello-as-the-Tin-Woodman" or simply "the Tin Woodman" (which of course also applies to the other two).

The idea of the Scarecrow, the most intelligent character in the main cast in the book, speaking like Michelangelo does in the show was too funny not to implement!

I imagine the dialogue in the scene where Leonardo and Kiki meet him would go something akin to:

“I'm going to the Emerald City to find the wizard to help me back to New York.” “You suppose that wizard dude could give me some brains?" "Yeah, I'm sure he can!" "Mondo tubuloso!”

Not sure if I want Leonardo to be outed as knowing the fact that the wizard is a fraud, though...

I put Leonardo in the silver shoes from the book, since I heavily doubt anyone would've cared for fighting MGM for the rights to use the ruby slippers. On Discord while sketching, we did joke that I could put him in silver Birkenstocks or ruby Crocs. Sadly, Crocs weren't invented until 2002 😔

I debated a lot who to cast who as. Leonardo in the role of Dorothy and Raphael as the Cowardly Lion were easy enough, but which one of the other two brothers to cast as the Scarecrow and Tin Woodman? Both Michelangelo and Donatello work for either, since the book characters' main traits are intelligence and empathy respectively, but I finally settled on the casting that I did. Like mentioned above, the Scarecrow with Michelangelo's speech pattern is absolutely hilarious, but I don't think that Donatello-as-the-Tin-Woodman's hilarity should be understated, either; especially since his canon name when he was human (turtle?) was Nick Chopper, which does fit Donatello's general strategy of repairing things in the TV show by hitting or kicking machines strangely well.

While sketching, I also joked that Raphael-as-the-Cowardly-Lion looks like Raphael just finished a Cats the musical rehearsal but hadn't told anyone and just got busted sneaking back into the Lair. I also accidentally coloured him piss yellow when I coloured the flats, which I suppose is fair. Yellow is actually a colour associated with cowardice (even though the Lion wasn't actually a coward at all, but we'll set that aside).

Speaking of colouring mishaps, when colouring the Tin Woodman's base colour, I decided to look up images of tin to find a good rough match. Well, it then hit me to double check whether tin actually does rust or not. And guess what, it doesn't. Thus, I got around the problem by making his bolts, screws and joints made of iron instead. He has to rust somehow; you cannot have a Wizard of Oz "adaptation" without [Dorothy] and the Scarecrow oiling him upon meeting him.

The Toto situation was a tricky one, since TMNT isn't really known for its prevalence of dogs. The only actual noteworthy canine characters I can think of in any iteration are Rahzar and Dogpound, and as funny as it would've been for me to cast Rahzar as Toto, truth be told I had honestly forgotten him and Tokka even existed in the cartoon. I briefly considered having April be Toto (somehow), but I refused to entertain that idea even more than I already had. Instead, I got around the Toto problem by just drawing a dog (here a Scottish terrier, like how I pictured Toto in my head) and then renaming it. And thus, Kiki! And I love her.

Also, fun fact, the Scarecrow actually wore blue in the book!

[willowpenguinwritting]

Elle's Birthday oneshot(Wrote for her Birthday)

///////This thought came to me randomly. The credit of Tara and Elle's quotations to a wonderful Twitter account I follow, they are incredible. //////////

Like every year the fourth of May rolled around faster than anticipated. The picnic bench squad members had already prepared Elle's presents for their sleepover the coming weekend. Each of them with excitement had packed their bags already, with the presents and plastic lightsaber. They were going to have the lightsaber fight at school but Elle had convinced them otherwise.

It was the group's first official birthday of Elle's without them seeing each other at lunch after bothering her in maths with notes and drawings that were somewhat related to maths in a very odd sort of way. Obviously, they had agreed to meet Elle for lunch and her new friends were eager to come as well.

Whilst they were sitting in English waiting for the bell to ring Tao's mind was spiralling with thoughts of if Elle would actually like his gift to her. He managed to calm himself down by the time the bell went and he met Charlie and Issac to go and meet Elle.

They reached the gate where Elle ran to give them all a large hug. All of them were smiling happily, Tara and Darcy also grinned at each other whilst they walked to a bench. Once they had all settled they agreed to eat their lunch, then Issac would give out his handmade cupcakes and then Elle would unwrap her presents.

Issac was grinning happily at the mention of his cupcakes, he had told Charlie that they were marble with transgender flag colours in them with icing of cats. Charlie's head was not fully screwed on as he was still imagining things to do with a certain puppy *cough* sorry rugby lad.

They all ate their lunches, well more or less. It wasn't quite a complete lunch without Darcy chucking monster munch at each of them. Issac opened the tub and handed it to Elle which she instantly awed at and took a quick photo of them. After their happy consumption of the cupcakes, it was time for presents.

Darcy handed Elle a small box, which was unwrapped to reveal a simple silver chain necklace."I thought you would want to make your own charm to attach to it." Darcy explained. Elle thanked her gratefully and placed the chain around her neck.

After Elle unwrapped the rest of them, leaving Tao's till last coincidence or not she carefully unwrapped it. Inside was a small pile of books on makeup artistry and a few makeup products, all of which Tao probably had no idea what they were for. Elle put her arm around him with a very loud train of thank you's being exclaimed.

Tao smiled to both himself and Elle in relief that he had done a good job present-wise, he had felt less nervous at the time he brought Elle's first dress for her but it was still something a bit unpredictable response-wise.

"Right, it is also star wars day so everyone grab a stick to be your lightsaber and let the battle begin."Tao declared, the boys and Darcy collected sticks and started thrashing them against each other occasionally making a noise with their mouths which Elle assumed was supposed to be like the woosh noise of a lightsaber.

Elle laughed at Tara's questioning face, "Does this stuff often happen at Truham?" Tara asked.

"Yeah, about once a week if you let them, you get used to it." she laughed in a light-hearted response.

Elle was feeling lucky, she was lucky to have such wonderful friends. She was very appreciative of how much thought Tao always put into his gifts for her. The stick, lightsaber, fight ended with Charlie seeming victorious based on his tongue out that he was taunting Tao with.

They wished their goodbyes and most of the picnic bench squad's thoughts were I will defeat them in the lightsaber fight at the sleepover. Elle however was thinking about how she would try and convince them to paint their nails as an activity for the sleepover as it was as it her house.

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

Now a quick Narlie interaction because it is kind of linked.

"Hi," Nick said as he sat in his usual seat next to Charlie.

Charlie was writing in his planer but his head lifted up and he responded "Hi,"

It was routine of theirs by this point. Never enough hi's to one person who you sit next to in form.

"I like your nail varnish," Nick said gesturing to Charlie's black and sparkly nails that Elle painted.

Charlie smiled, "Thanks, my friend painted them at her birthday sleepover."

Nick's brain instantly thought Don't be a girlfriend, please don't be a girlfriend. Despite the fact he knew Charlie is gay and it would not be a girlfriend. This odd jealousy faded as he showed Charle a photo of Nellie in the bath from his weekend.

[umbralsound-xiv]

Home To Him.

A surge through the aether had seen Sayuri relocated to her home, a deep sigh of relief leaving her at the success of her transportation. Her gaze settled on the door to her home, feet immediately setting into motion to have her pass the threshold swiftly yet quietly, the door only opening enough to let the Seeker slip by before shutting once more. Her ears perk up as she stands in the upper level, listening for any possible sign of life within the house.

As Sayuri enters the house, there is no immediate sign of Eir. At least, not more than an immaculately clean room; The floors mopped and swept, every dish and plate returned to it's place; Save for two colourful cups. The lilies are still present if a little drooped; though the water has at least been topped up since her departure. The room smells faintly of cooking; Salmon, were Sayuri to guess. But Eir does not call out to her… On account of being asleep. Curled up in the corner of the bookcase, a few pillows pad out for his shoulders, a blanket loosely draped over him for warmth. A book, half-open rests on a nearby pillow. He'd not intended to fall asleep, it would seem. But after a morning of cooking and cleaning to keep himself busy, his body had other ideas.

Her ears flatten initially, yet she soon stalks through the house - quietly making her way down the stairs. A soft smile settles on her lips as she spots him in the corner, the realisation of exactly how much she had missed him settling with a pang in her chest. Aware she may be about to startle him, she takes the steps needed to close the distance between them; letting herself drop down to her knees next to him before flopping further to land halfly ontop of him, her lips immediately seeking out his cheek upon impact.

The cold sees him draw in a deep breath, brow knitting as he's pulled from his sleep to the sensation. He'd move an arm to stretch, only to find it half beside him, and much less free to move. The realisation comes much quicker, then. Eyes flickering open to meet his wife, those arms wrap around her to pull her close, in a desperate, needy embrace. "Y-you are home…" He manages against her, words wavering as he swallows to keep his composure. "I--- I am sorry i was not awake to greet you. I have missed you so much…"

...She is here. Home, and happy, and... With me. Am i dreaming? Is she truly back? ...I have missed her so, so much.

Her arms wrap around him tightly, head nuzzling against his. "Hi." She whispers softly, aiming another peck at his cheek. "Shh, it's okay, love.. I missed you too."

The kiss brings a smile to his lips, and it's all he can do to kiss her gently on the temple, cuddling her close. "---Your aether. Is… Is everything well?" Even despite not knowing, he doesn't hold her any less tightly. "…It does not hurt? And… It is not…" He doesn't have a word, but allows his sentence to trail.

"Everything is fine, now." She murmurs, cuddling herself a little closer. One arm retracts to grasp at the blanket, with every intention to pull it loose enough for herself to scoot in under it with him. "It is.. stronger, but not so out of control anymore."

"It is… It is, now you are back…" He bundles her into the blanket, pulling her close against his chest, craving the cold she brought with her presence like a salve for a wound. "Stronger. Stronger is… Good. As long as i can still hold you… It is good…" Silver eyes gaze down to meet her own, an arm releasing her to gently caress her cheek. "…I… I had not known you were returning, this sun. I… Did not know how long it would be, but… I kept the house clean. There are onigiri in the icebox. Just… Just in case you came back, and… Were hungry…"

...Cooking helps to settle me. It is something... Productive and useful i can do, save for pace and wallow. Vex seemed to enjoy my cooking, and we spoke much about food during her time here.

A content exhale leaves her as she pulls herself closer against him, gaze lifting to meet his. ".. I wanted to surprise you." She murmurs, raising a hand up to gently caress his cheek. ".. Hey.. Wanna know something..?"

"…I could not think of a more lovely surprise to receive than you…" Eir slowly traces her cheek with his thumb, smiling gently. "…Hm?" There's suddenly a pang of concern, but he tries not to hold onto it. "…Is… Everything okay?"

A soft, reassuring hum leaves her at the question, her head gently nuzzling against his hand before she seeks to press her lips against his cheek for a third time. ".. I can feel your warmth again."

"Y-you can?" For a moment, Eir looks almost happier than she does about the prospect. "---Is… Is it permanent?" He asks, hopeful. The snowflake-like kiss is delivered to his cheek with a blush, awaiting her answer.

"I.. don't know yet. But I'm going to enjoy it as long as I can, and if it ends up being permanent.. I will be happy." She beams a soft smile.

...Warmth. She can feel warmth... I can hold her, and she can feel the sensation of soft, warm blankets, and gentle kisses. Every warm cup of tea, or the sunshine on her skin...

"Oh, Sayuri… Me too. Me too…" He nears her as though he'd kiss her, as though the thing he'd been looking forward to upon her return was suddenly something he was almost shy about. "…I have missed you. I---I know it was only a few suns. I… I did not even get to kiss you goodbye, the sun we parted…"

"I missed you too, Eir." Her head tilts a touch, eyes slightly lidded. ".. That just means we have some to catch up on, hm?"

His eyes flick from her mismatched gaze, where they'd settled, down to her lips, and back… Before closing as he sank into the kiss he'd sought after. It is as gentle as it is passionate, lips parting to her own as the hand at her cheek combs into her hair, weaving his fingers through the strands. And there, does Eir remain; until his heart is pounding to fight for breath, eventually parting with a gasp, forehead to her own. A pause, and a blush, as his eyes dart away. "---Sorry."

Sayuri rather happily sinks into the kiss, ears wiggling joyously. Her arms slip to wrap around his neck in order to pull herself closer, content to remain in the kiss as long as possible - panting ever so slightly as they parted with her forehead nudging against his. ".. Don't you dare apologise, Eir Fellfrost." She scolds, in the softest tone possible.

"I---" Eir halts what would surely be another apology, though opts to stifle it more fully with another kiss, a little softer, then. "I am glad you are home…" He admits, nudging his head to her own. "…Though i think i have told you thrice in the last few moments. Part of me wants to pick you up and run, or dance in celebration. And the other part just… Wants to stay right here…"

".. And I am glad to be home." She murmurs, snuggling herself against him. "..I, personally, have.. very little motivation to move."

...She must be tired. I can imagine all her time in Coerthas has taken it out of her... ...Suppose i am, too. I... ...Have not really slept properly, in her absence...

"…Not even to the pillow pile?" Eir asks, gently scritching at her scalp. "I… Have not had the heart to sleep there without you. Or… Sleep much at all. It has been a series of naps, more than anything…"

".. I may be able to be convinced to be brought to the pillow pile." The revelation sees her ears tilt back, a more saddened expression taking to her features. ".. Oh, Eir.."

"It… It is not the same… We--- We have not been… Separate since…" His face contorts into a frown at the very thought of it. Wrapping her firmly in the blanket, Eir rises from the little book corner, carrying her towards the aforementioned pile of pillows. "…Your absence was already keenly felt. A nap was all i could manage. I… Was worried." Slumping into the pillows, Eir breathes another sigh of relief, soon nestling down into them. "…I do not think i can sleep here without you by my side…"

Wrapped up in the blanket, there's little else Sayuri can do but snuggle herself further into Eir, her head gently nudging against him as he carries her. ".. I know.. But, I'm back now. And I'm okay." She reassures him, while they sink into the pillows.

"…You are back. Here in my arms. Home…" The gentle smile on his face as she snuggled against him doesn't seem set to leave any time soon. "…And able to feel my warmth, besides. If it is as much a comfort for you, as your cold is for me…" A pause, then. "…Did you still wish to go to La Noscea for a few suns?"

".. I've always felt comfort in your arms, the warmth just.. adds to it." She murmurs. ".. I do."

"…I am glad." Eir smiles, gazing down to her, all bundled against him. The mere sight brings him to gently squeeze her, a reminder that she's here; and for her, that he is there. "…Tomorrow? Or… The sun after, perhaps? Vex… Ate most of the groceries during her visits in the last few suns, but… There are still some few things i have prepared, and some fruit, too."

".. Of course she did." Sayuri huffs, yet smiles. ".. I'll allow it, as she kept you company. And.. The sun after, let me have some food, too." A tiny pout settles on her lips.

...Food, and some rest. In truth, i just want to hold her as close as possible. ...And then, when we are ready... We will take a little trip to La Noscea. Just the two of us.

[prince-toffee]

Aww, I'm sorry to hear that bud. I hope you feel better soon.

As for recommendations for what to draw I could talk about these two till the sun gives out, but here's some ideas I've had rattling around in my brain:

06 Timeline:

In the 06 apocalyptic timeline, Blaze and Silver meet for the first time as little cute babies as Blaze scars off some bullies bothering Silver, because people fear her fire as they believe she is a spawn of Ibilis. But Silver's not afraid, he's really thankful that she stood up for him and he shares his food rations with her. And they become close friends.

I also like to think that Silver never knew his parents so Blaze is the one who names him, because she likes the colour of his fur.

Blaze and Silver come across several abandoned ruined buildings were they play in. A bar with a karaoke machine that miraculously somehow still works, it only has a few songs so they learn them off by heart by replaying them over and over. There's a collapsed library full of books, their favourites are history books about medieval times. They'd often go to a nearby abandoned jewelry store put on all the necklaces and rings they could hold and reanact what they read in the books, pretending to be Princesses and knights, making fun of how they looked and talked, oh the irony.

Post 06 + Pre-Reunion:

Silver is now alone in the apocalyptic future. Blaze is reborn in the Sol Dimension. Every night he dreams of letting someone go as they float away. And everytime he wakes up in tears, reaching for someone that isn't there. Blaze in her Dimension always sets up two plates when preparing herself a meal, placing a plate opposite her for a guest that isn't there. Silver covers himself in multiple blankets every night because he's cold even though he lives in a world of fire and brimstone. The bed has never felt colder. Blaze is never comfortable in her bed, she has the silkiest and softest pillows and mattresses in the Queendom, but the bed never felt harsher. They feel like something's missing.

When they close their eyes, when they dream, they can sometimes see each other, but they always forget each other when they wake up, like you would a dream.

Post 06 + After Reunion:

Silver encounters the ocean for the first time when Blaze brings him to a beach. He's never seen that much water. "Y- You can, like, touch it, and it won't burn you?" But after Marine pushes him in, maniaclly cackling, you can't get him out of the water. He loves it.

Silver has also never seen or felt rain or snow before. So he reaches out his hand to catch the raindrops outside. And he just starts giggling to himself, he's so enthrolled by things Blaze takes for granted. He runs out into the pouring rain and just runs around laughing. "It's water!" "Uh huh." "From the sky!" "Uh huh." Is all Blaze can say with a stupid smirk on her face, it's so endearing. He pulls her out into the rain with him.

During Winter Blaze is enjoying a hot coco while snow begins to gently fall, as Silver rushes in and grabs her attempting to drag her inside as he confuses the snow, which he has never seen before, for nuclear ash. Blaze explains to him that they're snowflakes and that there's need for alarm. Silver calms down and procceeds to enjoy the feel of it as they touch his skin. But when Silver asks Blaze if she likes the feel of snow or rain she replies that she doesn't feel it, because of her power they evaporate on contact with her fur. She doesn't know what they feel like. Silver is incredibly saddened by this and proceeds to describe the sensation to her.

I have more, but I feel like I've gone overboard. Sorry. I hope these might help with your boredom (that you mentioned in your tags). And I hope you get well soon! :)

jm so ill.. need more silbaze contwnt..

[wickedgamesoyaoya]

❧ read suna’s version here 

❧ fireworks masterpost 

❧ Summary: Atsumu had given up on the prospect of finding his soulmate years ago. He just wasn’t lucky like his friends, or so he thought. Because after an accidental meeting with a local painter, the volleyball player found himself entranced by someone who wants nothing to do with him. 

❧ the soulmate principle: “The Soulmate Principle is the idea of two people being destined for each other at birth. These people are called soulmates. Soulmates will often instantly ‘recognize’ or be drawn to one another, even if they have never met. A soulmate couple are regarded as being 'perfect’ for each other in every way. Usually, the soulmates provide each other with understanding, healing and strength. Soulmates are connected by a phenomena called the “silver cord,” or soulmate bond, which remains unbroken until death. It can be felt by a shock or a jolt of electricity when bare skin touches bare skin. Soulmates can also share emotions with each other through the bond.”

❧ warnings: reader grew up in a toxic household, has clear mental health issues, mentions of blood and injuries. 

❧ story format: written.

❧ word count: 1.6k 

❧ part: one out of three | read part two here

❧ A/N: I don’t even know ya’ll. DFGHJK I just hope someone enjoys lolol 

A person raised on a battlefield will not be able to differentiate between a flower and a knife. Littered with carefully sliced lacerations and a blade sat neatly between your ribcage, how could anyone expect more? Because every smile that is cast in your direction carries with it a consequence, one that draws a bitter copper to smear across your mouth. 

And most of the time, you don’t know whether the crimson tainting your trembling fingers belongs to you, or someone else entirely. 

That was why when Miya Atsumu brightened your day with the sweetest, most radiant smile you had ever witnessed, your heart lunged inside your chest, but your feet forced you to retreat. because even without knowing about the thin strings of fate drawing you to him, you refused to bathe in the male’s blood. 

Every inch of your mind was desperate to scrub away the memory of the male - to erase the vibrant colours his smile had instantly blossomed. Though, it was a fruitless endeavour, as each and every time your eyelids fluttered shut, you could only see him. 

Solace was discovered only in your canvas. Yet, your fingers drenched in the coloured substance would only work to depict him.  A mechanical laugh would claw up your throat as you questioned your own sanity. 

How did you manage to memorize his features in the span of minutes? 

Never did you think you would be adding ‘stalker’ to your list of defects. Was it not enough that you were a beckon of death? 

But of course, your puzzled mental state was due to a lack of knowledge. Your father never informed you about the soulmate connection, nor did anyone teach you about it at school. 

Perhaps that was partially your fault, considering the fact you failed to develop any sincere relationships with your colleagues. It was for good reason, you had reasoned to yourself. As you were only conditioned to hurt others, never to love. And nothing would be different with the boy with ash blonde hair.

In the end, you would mutilate the very happiness that brightened his youthful features. 

The issue was that while you were desperate to maintain distance, and rid yourself of any reminder of the male, Atsumu was replaying your interaction  incessantly.

The event in question occurred forty three hours ago, when Atsumu agreed to accompany his friend to a local shop to select a gift for his girlfriend. 

“I can’t believe you’re buying her a painting. Why don’t ya go for something more romantic?” The blonde ran his fingers through his damp strands, seeking to provide his hair with a bit more fluff. 

“Buying her a painting is romantic, ‘tsumu. You don’t get it because you’re shit at relationships.” Suna did not care much for his friend’s commentary, a fact illustrated by the raising and dropping of his shoulders. If the middle blocker was with the other twin he would have been careful in selecting his words, as Osamu was still stinging with the wound left by his ex-wife. 

But with Atsumu, he could be frank without a care in the world. The entire friend group knew the blonde had resigned to the fact that his soulmate did not exist. Or, at a minimum she was nowhere to be found. 

“Really? You’re sayin’ that when you were shit at them until a year ago! Your soulmate had to chase after your ungrateful ass.” The setter fought the urge to grind his teeth together, instead he elected to scoff to demonstrate his disbelief. 

Maybe he was the smallest bit envious of Suna. Since meeting his soulmate, everything in the middle blockers life had shifted for the better. It was as though her presence was enough to sprinkle his life in good fortune. 

“At least it makes a good story.” A small smirk twitched at the ends of the black haired male’s mouth, further increasing Atsumu’s irritation, although his irritation deflated upon hearing his teammates next words. “One we can tell our kids one day.” 

“Kids?! You’re not even married yet!” The setter’s mouth fell agape with both astonishment and horror present in his features. The prospect of having another niece or nephew was thrilling, but things were progressing so quickly. 

Too quickly, even. 

“Yeah, but we’re gonna go down that road, ‘Tsumu.” A low chuckle parted the middle blocker’s mouth as he paused, reaching the entrance of the establishment they were set to visit. “Now close your mouth and get inside.” 

As he tugged open the front door, the wind chime whistled to announce their arrival. Atsumu was still baffled when he proceeded inside, but a smile hung on his mouth, showcasing his genuine happiness for his friend. It was that smile that caught the eyes of the individual stood near the counter of the shop. A canvas was sat on the glass, propped between your hands. The only reason you were at the shop was to deliver your latest piece, but the owner was taking abnormally long in the back of the store. He said it would only be a minute, but it had already been five. 

To your amusement the short man returned the very second the new visitors set foot into the small gallery. 

“Ah, Mr. Suna! Perfect timing.” 

Instinctively your gaze drifted from the stubby male to those he was greeting so warmly. The black haired one raised a hand in acknowledgement before stating a plain ‘yo’ in response. But it was the other one, the blonde beside him, that had your heart creeping into your throat. He was surely gorgeous, yet your immediate attraction to him was anything but natural. In fact, it was nauseating. 

You were grateful that his gaze did not immediately meet yours, providing you with just enough time to return your owlish eyes to the male who still owed you your payment. 

“Ernie...” The low threatening voice used to vocalize his name was dismissed with a wave of his hand. His attention did not leave the pair of striking men behind you. 

“This is the painting I was telling you about, and this is the artist!” Without bothering to secure your consent, the store owner took the canvas from your grasp prior to presenting it proudly. All you could do was stare at him, bewildered. 

“Oh shit. That’s gorgeous.” 

“Wow. You really didn’t give it enough credit over the phone, Ernie.” 

The first compliment came from the blonde, who was now leaning forward to admire your artwork. Atsumu was no expert on art, yet his eyes twinkled in awe at the piece ahead of him. The emotions captured in each stroke swayed him instantly. 

“You’re so talented.” He exhaled the sentence in a feathery tone, and despite the lightness, there was edge that suggested the topic was not up for debate. He was simply stating a fact. 

And if that was not enough to set your chest ablaze, the gentle gaze that met yours seconds later certainly sealed the deal. Atsumu’s pupils dilated the instant your eyes secured with his, causing your heart to stir restlessly inside your chest. 

“... Thank you.” Unconsciously, you shuffled the bottom of your boots against the tiles below, moving a careful step away. 

Distance. Distance was safe. 

“Ah yes, Miss L/N. These two fellows are from the National Volleyball Team. Miya Atsumu and Suna Rintarou.” The introduction was accompanied by a cheerful clap; it was clear that the old man could not read the room. The unspoken emotions stringing around both yours and Atsumu’s necks could not be sensed by the collector. 

But Suna recognized it. 

How could he not, when he experienced the same thing over a year ago? 

And even without any experience with the soulmate connection, Miya Atsumu knew it was responsible for his instinct to bring you closer. He wanted to open his mouth, and spout the right words that would make you stay. Yet, unfortunately you were the first to regain control over your vocal cords. 

“Right. Nice to meet you both.” Overwhelmed by mere eye contact with the male, you needed to leave - to ensure that nothing else would occur. The little voice inside your head chanted the word run, and your legs were itching to comply. “Um, you know what? I just... remembered that I have another appointment to attend. Just etransfer me the money, Ernie.” 

Bowing your head to the ground, you spun on the outsole of your boots and tuned out the confused protests issued by the older male. 

Just run, and don’t look back. Run. Run. Run. 

Your nose scrunched up as you struggled to contain your racing thoughts. A few more steps and you would be able to break into a sprint. Only a few more steps - 

“Wait!” 

There was no need to turn around to ascertain who had followed you, and yet you faced the blonde once more. Guilt weighed on your eyelids as you tried to stop yourself from mentally outlining his delicate features. 

What the hell was wrong with you? 

“I ... really need to go. Sorry.” Before your heart would betray your mind and regain control over your body, you clutched the door handle, forcing it open and creating an exit from the suffocating scenario. 

Atsumu would have followed you once more, but the terror glimmering in your irises made him stay. No one had ever looked at him with such devastating confliction. There was a sense of longing, but it was mostly overtaken by panic. And he couldn’t for the life of him, comprehend why you stared at him as though he was something so fragile and pure.

Something that you could taint with those nimble fingers of yours. 

taglist: @yourstarvic  @amarinthe @elianetsantana @the-golden-jhope @boosyboo9206 @hazzaloveschopsuey @chibishae34 @neologyro​ @haikyuusimp91​

[violettelueur]

— RYOMEN SUKUNA || LET ME MARK YOU THEN

↳ featuring : ryomen sukuna from jujutsu kaisen

↳ warnings : mention of sex, mention of hickeys and grammar issues

↳ form : imagine

↳ published : 22 january

↳ pronouns : she/her

↳ word count : 3.7k

↳ synopsis : (modern!AU) after your lectures, you decided to pay your tattoo artist boyfriend a little visit only to then be persuaded to let him draw a tattoo design on you even though you never actually wanted a real one to be marked with.

↳ barista’s notes : just a little gift to you all before today’s episode and the reset the ‘coffees in progress’ list (wip) when i get enough sleep and after my disgusting online classes, i hope you enjoy the free cup of coffee everyone ʕ•ᴥ•ʔﾉ♡ - also i feel like this is the longest imagine i have ever posted ʕ ㅇ ᴥ ㅇʔ

Having a morning full of tedious lectures was not someone’s ideal day and it was definitely not yours. Although, there was nothing you could do but pursue them through with as much enthusiasm and determination that you could possibly muster while being impatient about the hands on the clock taking forever to move a single inch.

However, at this moment in time, you were able to escape the suffocating lecture hall after many hours for today and was now walking down the busy streets of Tokyo with a white plastic takeaway bag in one hand while the other was occupied with your tote bag that was resting on your shoulder, which surprisingly kept hold of some of your textbooks as well as your laptop giving you some reassurance that the bag that your boyfriend gave you was going to last for quite some time.

Looking around the busy quarter of the capital, you began to notice a few high school students roaming about here and there with some hanging out with their friends - mostly likely going to a cafe or to the nearest karaoke lounge that they could find - while other were either rushing home as they entered the station or to their part-time jobs that they had managed to obtain for a few extra bucks to save up for their next step in life. Noticeably, there were also a few adults out and about with some working as street-food vendors selling delicious treats that you would be craving if you weren’t so full while others were dressed extremely professional with their laptops out on their cafe/restaurant table to what seemed like they were on their lunch break.

‘He should be on his lunch break right now, but if not, I’ll just put his food in the shop’s fridge’

Continue walking to your destination, you finally reached to a quieter area with the city leading you to then stand in front of a glass order with a ‘closed’ sign in front along with another extremely noticeable sign proudly stating ‘Malevolent Shine’ to which if you had said that to any tattoo fanatic within Japan, they would instantly know what you were talking about.

Opening the door, there was a sudden noise of a ring being heard leading you to immediately look up to see the silver bell that you told him to arrange since he always got annoyed about the number of potential clients popping up without his acknowledgement only to tell him that they didn’t book an appointment at all causing him to become more irritated - and as a matter of fact, you couldn’t blame him at all.

Looking around the tattoo shop that you had entered, there wasn’t a single person in sight leading you to come to the conclusion that you were right about his lunch break since his assistant would be at the front desk if they weren’t. Although there was no one to greet you, the dark atmosphere did. It gave an odd sense of comfort with its hints of red that could calm a customer down if they were worried about the tattoo they were committing to having on their body or if it was their first - especially when it came to him.

“Oya~ ain’t you a sexy customer? But I’m afraid we’re closed, but I don’t mind giving you a private session if you want, kitten” someone smoothly stated, leading your eyes to slowly shift to the person who was leaning against the desk with a confident smirk on his face. There he was, the mastermind behind the whole shop itself.

“Well, I’m not coming in for a tattoo but I am here to give a little gift, Sukuna,” you mischievously stated, as you lifted the white bag with the takeaway you had ordered for the man himself, leading him to look at you in surprised before tilting his head indicating you to come to the back with him.

Following his lead, you placed the bag on his table once you reached the backroom before placing your tote on the floor beside the table’s leg so it didn’t fall, letting any of your precious studious contents to be lost as well as avoiding any damage to your laptop.

“I’m surprised you’re using the bag, kitten,” Sukuna suddenly commented, as he sat on his chair while pulling out the white styrofoam box of Thai food that he always ordered along with a bento box that was wrapped in a black cloth.

“Well, how could I not? You did buy it for me,” you quietly mentioned as you took off your black longline coat before placing it behind your chair since there was nowhere else to put it.

“Did you make this?” Sukuna quickly questioned as he lifted the bento box causing you to nod at his question once you saw what he meant leading you to state, “I didn’t know if you were going to stay back tonight, so I prepared some food for you in case,” causing Sukuna to smirk since you were right about your assumption and it did catch him by surprise since he didn’t mention it to you today when he left your shared apartment.

“Thanks,” he quietly muttered before pulling his chair closer towards you so he could place a lingering kiss on your cheek to show his appreciation towards you. “How was class?” he then asked, as he began to unwrap the cloth of the box to your surprise since you bought his favourite item from the Thai restaurant but made no mention of it.

“Annoying, it was suffocating in there but the lecture was interesting so that’s a plus,” you answered, as you began to scan his messy desk that displayed the many drawings that he was working on. Some of the designs that Sukuna was drawing were almost complete, while others were in the same situation but for some odd reason, it was crossed out as if he was unsatisfied with the outcome that it was going to have which lead you to be perplexed since some of the drawings were incredibly detailed and beautiful. However, you didn’t have the eyes of an artist like your boyfriend did, instead, you had the eyes of someone that was able to analyse things exceedingly well hence why you decided to pursue a career as a criminal lawyer.

“How has the shop been while I was away?” you asked, as you carefully picked up one of the designs that the tattoo artist seemed to have scraped leading him to answer with an annoyed huff. “A pain, there’s been so many dumbass people coming in thinking they could just walk in and get a tattoo done immediately without even booking a meeting,” Sukuna answered before taking a bite of the soy-glazed fried chicken you made as he then continued with, “it was a good idea to get the bell since I could see if it was a customer I knew or not,”.

Looking at your boyfriend, you couldn’t help but smile at the man as he continuously munched the context in the box as if he hadn’t eaten in the past week when in reality he had been raiding the fridge back home only just this morning. Slowly, you turn your head back to the paper that you were holding as you continued to admire the work of art right in front of you. 

To be honest, it was quite simple compared to all the other ones that were lying about on his work desk but that didn’t mean it wasn’t beautiful. The light sketch depicted a short section of a branch or stem decorated with different types of beautiful flowers and next to it was the same design with the only difference of it being coloured lightly in case the client wanted to have options.

“What happened here?” you asked before tilting the paper to the side, letting Sukuna have a glance at the design he decided to discard.

“Oh, the client cancelled since I wouldn’t have sex with her,” Sukuna casually stated leading you to nod before taking another look at the design with a small smile on your face. Sadly, it was such a waste since the design was beautiful and it was disappointing to not see Sukuna put this beautiful art into life.

Some people might wonder why you were so calm about the statement he had just given you, heck even his younger twin brother Itadori Yuji thought it was weird that it didn’t bother you as much as other girls would have been. The reason was that you were so used to him having female attention as well as male attention and it wasn’t a surprise when people would book an appointment with him just for a fling or hoping for something more than just that - and even though you were calm, there was also a hint of jealousy and fear within your heart that you couldn’t help.

It was like the first time you saw him in your second year of high school.

                                               ꕥ 

Stretching your arms, you had finally finished the last sheet of the budgets for the school clubs leading you to carefully clip the pile of sheets into the folder as you then stood up from your desk before quickly heading out of your homeroom, so you could give the documents to the student council president, who was a third-year within your school.

However, as you were walking past a few classrooms with some people greeting you with a smile, you came to a sudden halt when you saw a whole crowd of female and males students in front of you leading to a blockage of the halls and a blockage of the classroom you need to go through to hand the documents to your senior.

“Did you hear, I heard he was back?!”

“I can’t believe he’s back, I missed him so much!”

“I like Yuji’s kind and goofy personality, but how could you not love a bad boy like him?”

‘Bad boy?’

Carefully, you managed to find a gap between the sea of students and forcibly made yourself fit within the gap before badly struggling to make it through the arc of the classroom door leading you to nearly trip the second you got the chance to push through the gap to ender the class. Quickly looking around, you found your senior sitting next to someone who looked like your friend and basketball club member Itadori Yuji - well more like a mature replicant of the boy you were used to. However, unbothered by the sudden appearance of the new third-year, you speedily made your way to the council president and handed him the booklet that he needed today leading you to receive his gratitude.

Yet, before you could even take a single step away from your senior, you unexpectedly felt someone grab your wrist causing you to quickly turn around to find Itadori’s replica behind you leading to a few gasps coming from the students from the outside as well as in the homeroom.

“Is there an issue?” you firmly asked, as you looked down at his hand that had a tight grip on your wrist causing you to have a small glance at the two black bands that were tattooed around his wrist - even though it was prohibited to have any in your school, you weren’t the type to scold someone for having them since you weren’t sure on how the teacher’s thought it affected someone’s education.

“Have you ever thought about getting a tattoo?” the salmon-haired third-year curiously asked, as he began to admire your wrist by gently turning it for your veins to come into view before beginning to trace your skin with the tip of his thumb causing a light shiver to go down your spine due to the ticklish feeling as well as his deep voice which was the complete opposite to what you thought it was going to be.

‘So this is the infamous Sukuna everyone was talking about’

“Not really,” you answered as you looked at him causing his eyes to look back at you before you continued with “I don’t think it would suit me at all,”.

“I disagree,” Sukuna counteracted, as he went back to admire the blank canvas of your wrist that he wanted to draw on so badly. No not draw. Mark. “I think you’ll suit something, maybe something on your neck or collarbone at best actually,” Sukuna mentioned leading you to give him a confused expression before he then proceeded with his speech by saying, “I’ll convince you one day and mark you brat”,

‘What...did….he….just….call….me..?’

“Ah...good luck with that idiot,” you stated in an annoyed tone leading to a few of the admiring student to gasp at your wording as well as sudden confident as they were scared on what was going to happen to you now since Sukuna wasn’t the type to tolerate insults in a nice way no matter what gender you were. However, exceeding the audience’s assumptions, Sukuna began to smirk excitedly at your attitude as he suddenly found you more interesting than any other girl he has met at the back of the school.

“Be prepared, little kitten”

                                               ꕥ

‘That nickname….’

Back then Sukuna was known to be a playboy from what you could recall, every week there was news on the new girl he had managed to convince to meet at the back alley of the school while you were just being a model student with the dream of going to law school. However, during the middle of the school year, you began to realise that the common scandalous news that seemed to be popular enough for it to be on the front cover of the newspaper began to gradually fade as Sukuna slowly pushed himself into your life since you were close with his twin brother due to your friend being part of the basketball team as the assistant coach - she even mentioned that ever since Sukuna came into your life he had stopped his acts and change slightly because of you to which, of course, you denied at the time.

It was during the first term of your third-year that you agreed to give Sukuna a chance since he was constantly annoying you by popping up at the school gate after school to ‘walk you home’ ever since his graduation - when in reality it was to take you out somewhere - without fail even when you had to stay in a few hours. However, you had given him three conditions since you were still conscious of the consequences of dating someone with such a disgraceful built reputation - much to his dismay, he shockingly agreed.

If you are going to have a fling with someone behind my back, don’t think about seeing or talking to me again.

I know you are sexually active, but you have to wait until I’m ready.

Don’t tattoo me.

Let’s just say that Sukuna had managed to keep condition number one in check and you didn’t have to worry about it at all, while with condition number two he didn’t have to wait that long for you to give in to your desires which you could tell he certainly enjoyed when you finally gave him the ‘okay’.

Number three though...

“Do you want to try that design out?”

Breaking from your daze, you quickly turned your head to find your boyfriend staring at you - with the bento box practically empty at this point - while tilting his head to the paper that was still within your grasp.

“I think you giving me hickeys are enough in my opinion, babe” you jokingly mentioned leading to both you and Sukuna laughing at each other slightly.

“I mean, do you want me to draw it on you to see how it looks?” he then asked, causing you to look at the floral design one last time before giving him a hesitant nod.

‘Trying it out won’t hurt right?’

“I need a confident answer little kitten, where did that feisty attitude of yours back in high school go?” Sukuna teased, causing you to give him the side glance before giving him the verbal permission that he wanted, leading him to smirk at you since knew his mockery would get you to give him what he wanted since you were also the stubborn type - a side that he always loved to play with.

Grabbing his pen and a black pot full of his thin-tipped coloured skin markers, he wheels his chair even closer to your before pausing, leading you to look at him in confusion since you had already pulled your wrist in front of him, the same area he had grabbed back in high school.

“You’re wearing a lot of clothing today,” Sukuna muttered as he began to fiddle with the collar of your white silk dress shirt causing you to look at him with extreme confusion before mentioning, “well it is getting colder since the Autumn season is coming around,” leading him to hum in an understanding tone as he continued to play with the smooth fabric.

“I want to draw on your collarbone area, I don’t want to draw on the area where the client wanted it to be,” Sukuna stated as he lightly pushed away your wrist leading you to realise why he paused. “You can,” you quickly mentioned leading the tattoo artist to look at you to see if you were lying, only to see nothing but the light of the trust within your eyes.

Slowly, Sukuna began to reach over to the top button to then unhook it from its loop before continuously doing the same with the others until enough skin of your shoulders were exposed with the top half of your shirt resting on the side of your arms to which then he slowly moved away the right-hand side of your bra strap to fully expose the canvas that he wanted to mark so eagerly.

Admiring the skin that was in front of him, Sukuna began to trace the area with his thumb before leaning in to place a chaste kiss on the same side of your neck before cradling your face on the other side with his other hand - as if it was a way for him to say ‘thank you’ for letting him do this.

Regrettably pulling away, Sukuna quickly grabbed his black pen as he then leaned in towards your collarbone to start drawing the outline of his design on his now favourite canvas causing you to shiver somehow due to how ticklish and weird the sensation felt when the ballpoint pen continuously gently gilded upon your skin. However, what got you shaking the most was the constant feeling of your boyfriend’s breath being felt on your upper body now that your shirt was basically off - it wasn’t completely off to the same feeling when you were underneath him the first time you allowed him to make his claim on you.

“Baby, it feels ticklish,” you commented, the second you felt a different sensation upon your skin leading Sukuna to glance up to check if you were alright like you were an actual client before placing another kiss on your jawline in a way to comfort you since he had switched to his skin markers to colour in the design he had drawn on you.

“You’re being a good kitten though, you’re not moving a lot then I thought you would,” the tattoo artist whispered leading you to quiver as his deep voice was not helping so much with your beating heart - erratic to the point where you thought he could hear or even feel.

Due to Sukuna concentrating, you couldn’t help but keep silent to help him continue with his work causing you to glance around your room with your eyes before landing upon a wall where there was a multitude of messages written leading you to carefully scan the writings that were visibly presenting themselves.

As expected, there were messages of encouragement - not that the arrogant Sukuna needed it to be honest, but it was nice of the client to do so - and a few drawings from other tattoo artists that Sukuna had famously done. However, not to your surprise, there were a few numbers here and there causing you to sigh since you couldn’t help it - you couldn’t blame your boyfriend for being an extremely handsome man.

Unexpectedly, you felt another kiss being placed upon your cheek causing you to look towards your boyfriend with a smile on your face - it was as if he knew what you were looking at. “I’m finished by the way,” Sukuna announced, causing you to look at him with widened eyes since the drawing session was a little faster than you had anticipated.

Reaching over to a drawer in his desk, Sukuna suddenly pulled out a mirror before passing it to you, leading you to lift up the little instrument to see the result that was drawn on your skin.

“You changed the design,” you quietly stated, as you began to tenderly trace the design with your index finger as you began to admire the piece of art that was masterfully drawn on your collar bone. The tattoo beautifully depicted a single strand of a blooming lavender across your collarbone with each petal in different shades of purple while the buds that weren’t in bloom were in a slight pale pink shade making you smile more since Sukuna drew this straight from his head causing you to have a hint of proudness for him.

“I wasn’t going to give you that previous design, it doesn’t suit you one bit,” the salmon-haired artist mentioned as he continued with, “I’m not going to let that disgusting design touch your skin, especially since this is the first time you let me mark you somewhat,” as he then moved behind you before placing his chin on your shoulder to look at you through the mirror you were holding.

“I might let you mark me permanently then,” you suddenly announced causing your boyfriend to look at you with a surprised look on his face leading you to giggle at his reaction.

“Yeah, let’s break condition three then, you can mark me this one time,” you informed him as you turned to look at him, causing Sukuna to give you his classic smirk before possessively grabbing your chin leading him to lean closer to you.

“Let me mark you then”

© violettelueur 2021 : written and published by violettelueur - do not steal or repost

[vaya-writes]

The Wyvern's Bride - Part 1.3

When Adalyn gets sacrificed to the local wyvern, she’s a little annoyed and a lot terrified (and that’s fair). Upon meeting the wyvern, she discovers that he’s not particularly interested in eating people, and mostly wants to be left alone. In a plot to save himself from the responsibilities his family keep pushing on him, Slate names Adalyn as his human Envoy, and tasks her with finding him a wife.

Cis female human x cis male wyvern. 1700 words.

Previous

-

Here we are. Not that long for about a week of effort, but now that the introduction and the premise are out of the way I can get to writing cutesy, fun, and spicy scenes with my favourite wyvern. Please comment and reblog to let me know what you think :)

-

The beating of Slate’s wings can be heard over the roar of the wind – reminiscent of the staccato of a war drum, echoing off the Spires. The wyvern gains height with each flap of his wings, and Adalyn’s curses die in her throat. Higher and higher he takes her until the valley stretches out beneath them, until she can see the length of the Spires, the edge of the plains to the east. 

Exhilarating. Terrifying. Freezing. Slate’s grip on her is steadfast, but she clings to him anyway. The wind whips at her hair and her eyes water, but she keeps them open – this is the ride of a lifetime. She doubts she’ll ever see the world this way again. Even as her extremities go numb, and she finds herself gasping for breath, she stares, enraptured, as she traces the length of the Clearwater River, as she spots the great inland ocean at its end, as she squints and searches for the other side. 

Are you okay?  

The voice echoing inside her mind draws attention. Apparently the vocal cords of a wyvern in their true form aren’t conductive to speech, but a natural telepathic ability makes up for it. 

She forces a nod. 

You sound like your heart is going to burst. 

With horror she realises he’s right. That the gasping isn’t just excitement – that she’s literally struggling to breathe. It’s an effort to speak through her teeth, clenched against the cold. She forces herself anyway; 

“Air... thin...” 

He curses. I’m so sorry, I forgot you aren’t built for these heights. He banks, and she lurches, clinging on tighter as the valley approaches them with some speed.  

He levels out and she can breathe again. Rational thought comes back to her. “I’m going to freeze. Put us down please.” 

Slate begins to fly circles around Fleecehold, a gradual descent she realises is for her own benefit. Or perhaps to build tension in the watching villagers. They appear in uproar, scurrying left and right. By the time Slate lands in the hamlet square, half of the villagers have returned from afield and taken shelter in their homes. Many others gather around and gawk. 

Adalyn doesn’t blame them. In his true form Slate sits as large as a house. His scales are dull, the colour of ash, flecked with silver in places, with a charcoal grey pattern that runs down his back. Narrow spines also run down his back, ending at his barbed tail. Several sets of spikes ring the back of his neck, and the horns that curl from his temples are larger in this form.  

He flexes his membranous wings and Adalyn forces herself not to stare at the talons at each tip, as long as scythes. His clawed back legs, which had held her aloft during their flight, now dig into the ground, splitting the cobblestone. She notes the change in his demeanour. 

Whose grand idea was it to send me a human sacrifice? 

The voice that had murmured to her mind is nowhere to be heard. It’s replaced with a cacophony of noise, a high pitched ringing in her ears, a pressure behind her face. Adalyn discreetly checks that her nose has not started bleeding. 

There’s a muttering from the crowd. Some pushing and shoving before Arryn, dishevelled and gaping, is brought forward. None of his supporters make a move to stop this. 

Who is this, Envoy? 

Adalyn blinks as Slate addresses her before the crowd. 

“That’s Arryn. Fleecehold’s Shepherd.” 

This is the one who sent you to me? 

“The most vocal one, at least.” 

There’s a long silence as Slate eyes the shepherd. Arryn quakes in his boots, probably silent for the first time in his life. 

Finally Slate turns away, facing Adalyn. The voice that speaks to her is softer, with none of the domineering pressure of his previous address.  

Dawns and dusks I will check for you at the Spire’s edge. Return there when you have news for me. Without further ado he launches himself into the air.  

Adalyn watches, awed, as he lets out an unearthly roar, and flies back to the mountains, eventually vanishing over a peak. Her awareness jolts her with several observations. First, she probably should have thanked the wyvern. Second, she is not alone in the square. The rest of the villagers poke their heads out of houses, or stare after Slate with varying levels of terror written across their features. Lastly, that she herself is the subject of many of those stares. 

Right. Envoy. That means speeches. Even if it didn’t, one is needed. 

It’s one more thing. One last thing, and she can go home, curl up beneath her blanket, and sleep off the previous night.  

Adalyn rubs her face, before straightening and facing the closest villagers. Arryn is one of them. 

“Tomorrow morning we meet at the bakery to discuss the wyvern’s demands. Spread the word. Don’t be late.” 

She doesn’t give them a chance to argue, heading straight home. She keeps her composure until the door shuts with a thunk behind her. In the privacy of her house she allows herself to slouch; to lean against the door as the bone deep exhaustion settles in. She trudges up the stairs, cursing under her breath. 

Her head is spinning when she collapses onto her bed. Her thoughts are occupied with preparations she needed to make, but with another groan she pulls a pillow over her face. A bath, and a sleep first. Everything else can wait. 

- 

Despite catching up on sleep, Adalyn is bleary eyed and bitter the following morning, with not an ounce of patience to spare. The small congregation squeezed into her living room don’t do much for her mood, and it shows. She hadn’t baked for them. Hadn’t brought out more chairs. These are the people who tried sentencing her to death. She doesn’t owe them shit. 

She stands, and the room silences. Wordlessly she hands a letter to Marcine – the first of sixteen. Her hand had cramped and ached, but she’d painstakingly written them in careful print the previous night. She’d burnt through three candles in doing so. 

“Read it.” 

The farmer picks up the letter, reads the first lines to herself, and her eyes widen. 

“Aloud, Marcine,” Adalyn drawls. 

“Th- The wyvern has expressed no need for bloodshed, nor our livestock. His only desire from the people of Clearwater Valley is a bride-” the outroar is instantaneous, and Marcine struggles to be heard over the crowd, “to which he will offer prosperity, care, and safety. No dowery is required.” 

Adalyn lets her irritation show. “The next person to speak without my say so, will be forcefully uninvited from this meeting.” 

It works, and as the silence settles once more, Adalyn gestures that Marcine continue. 

“The best applicant will have a basic education, and be able to fulfil typical wifely duties (cooking, cleaning, consummation). All applicants must be of age, and present of their own desire.” 

The room is alight with tension. Everybody is desperate to ask for more detail – particularly regarding the consummation. Adalyn doesn’t blame them, but hides her grin as Marcine goes on. 

“Suitresses are to present to the wyvern’s selected delegate, Adalyn Baker, located in Fleecehold, before the month’s end.” 

You could hear a pin drop in the bakery. Arryn looks like he’s having a conniption, trying to hold back the flood of questions. Adalyn tries not to bask in her position of power. It’s rare that she holds one over her neighbours. A self-satisfied smile slips through.  

“There you have it. You can gossip over the details later, but first; Martha, Alice, Trevor. You three are in charge of lodging. Everyone here is to pitch in. If you have spare bedding, a spot by the hearth, an empty room: these three have my permission to borrow them for the purpose of housing any women that stay with us. There shall be no bellyaching about it. And if I hear one word about anyone harassing these women, you’ll be out on your ass faster than I can cry wyvern. Do I make myself clear?” 

She’s honestly surprised at the pale faces and the nodding heads. Fleecehold doesn’t have an elder, nor a reigning council in place. Important decisions usually came down to whoever shouted loudest and had the greatest following at town meetings. Perhaps it’s why she’s able to take charge so easily. That and her spectacular entrance curtesy of Slate, yesterday.  

“Edgar, Gaven, Marcine, stay behind. Everyone else, out.” 

It takes some time. Villagers drag their feet, dawdle outside her house, and peer discreetly through her windows. Everyone wants to hear the rest of Adalyn’s plans. 

“You two need to deliver these letters. I figure you’d know the route best,” she nods to Gaven, the store keeper. She unrolls her map on the table, and pushes forward two piles of letters. “Nine settlements to the west. You should make it in two and a half days if you borrow one of Marcine’s horses. Seven to the east, Edgar. Two days on horseback. Marcine?” 

She nods her assent. “I can ready the horses.” 

Adalyn looks to the men, who pour over the map. “Make sure these letters go to an elder or an authority. A notice board, if nothing else. Don’t leave the settlement until you’re sure there’s somebody there who can read. Make sure they spread the word.” 

Marcine leaves to prepare, while Edgar and Gaven linger to plot their routes. Adalyn hands some additional letters to Edgar with strict instructions for delivery, and some copper for the trouble. She instructs the men to offer guidance to any travelling women on their way back. Soon they leave, deciding to start their journey this morning, rather than waiting another day.  

Finally alone, Adalyn starts removing any trace of her neighbours from her house. Today she’d prefer her own company.  

Next

[ichigopanhpff]

Sonata Ch. 4: Tenuto

[Previous Chapter] -- [Masterlist] -- [Next Chapter]

Thanks so much for all the reblogs and likes for this little story of mine. You have absolutely no idea how elated this makes my heart. I didn't expect "Mont Blanc" to get that much traction. I generally don't think my writings are anything spectacular and I'm even happy with single digit likes, but here I sit corrected.

I've also been busy drawing out chapter 10 of "Little Dark Age" by @sanzucide 'cus it's that damn good. I'm still debating on the part 3; ideally, I want to illustrate the whole chapter but I want to feel this out organically.

Warnings: Mentions of drug abuse/overdose and physical assault, abandonment, gun violence, mild blood, mentions sexual themes/preferences/kinks.

Note: If you see any notes messages being responded with ‘amaeichigo’, that’s my primary account name.

( \ tā-ˈnü-(ˌ)tō): hold a tone or chord firmly to its full value 

Her throat was bone dry with anxiousness as she tailed behind Bonten’s head and second in command by a few steps; three faceless men, assuming they were higher ranked in the pecking order, brought up the rear of their procession, making their way into one of their many secure underground conference rooms. From a strategic standpoint, it would’ve been dumb to meet at the main headquarters unless they wanted to be attacked head on.

The silver white haired man announced his presence with the loud clatter of the double doors opening. The rest of the admins had been waiting in their respective plush leather seats situated on the side. A lone vacant seat sat in between the walkway, facing Manjiro’s at the far end. A silk banner with Bonten’s insignia embroidered onto the fabric hung behind it.

“Sit,” Manjiro instructed, to which she did so without argument. She watched his back walk away with Sanzu and sat at the end of the room, facing her. His static obsidian orbs were cold, void of any emotion.

“(Y/FN), I’m sure you have a lot of questions,” the leader began and leaned back into his seat, making the leather squeak. “I permit you to ask them at your pace.”

“Is that wise?” Mochizuki inquired with a steady glare at the hostess. “She hasn’t proved we can—”

“We’re out of time now that we’ve confirmed they’re starting to move,” Bonten’s advisor cut in sharply.

“It’s as Takeomi says,” Manjiro agreed.

The former gritted his teeth and huffed and audible annoyed breath from his nostrils before falling back into his seat. “Well, girl? Ask.”

Taking a shaky breath, she nervously fiddled with her fingers as her gaze cast downward on the plush, blood red carpet. Where would she even start? Her mind flashed back to the five people killed right in front of her, still remembering the scent of warm, fresh iron on her nose. Her body trembled as cold terror sweat formed by the nape of her neck. Squeezing her eyes close to rid the gruesome imagery, she slowly opened them again in hopes of drawing some courage to look back up.

She wanted answers, right?

The least she could do was make eye contact to try hiding her fear and uncertainty.

“T-Those men your admins… k-killed…” she gulped before continuing, trying to keep what’s left of her stomach contents at bay. She tightly gripped the top of her left index and middle fingers to stop herself from shaking. “W-Who were they?”

“They’re from a rival gang called Daruma,” Kakucho calmly answered.

“H-How did you know they were going to be there?”

“We had scouts planted to survey your neighborhood and report back to us. The landlord you got the place from is one of my informants,” the dual-eye coloured man replied. “The intel we gathered confirmed they’d be making a move on you within these few weeks.”

“So you used me as bait?!” she angrily exclaimed and stood up.

“You make it sound so bad…” Ran casually butted in with his head resting on his left fist. “Think of it as…” He twirled his other hand around, looking for the right words. “A way to lure the unknown out from the shadows.”

“That���s the same thing!” she shot back irritably and pinched her nose bridge, trying her best to control herself from throwing something at the purple haired man by letting out a controlled breaths from her mouth.

“It was a calculated risk in order to see our enemy in the flesh,” Kakucho continued and lightly bowed his head at her. “We apologize for the inconvenience this caused you.”

“That’s putting it lightly,” she scoffed. “I could’ve died!”

“But you didn't thanks to us,” Rindou coolly retorted with an expressionless face. "So, you're welcome."

Running her hand through her hair to calm down, lightly pacing back and forth, the other hand firmly planted on her hip; a sudden thought invaded in and snapped her head back up.

“Did you burn down my building so I’d end up here?” she cautiously asked.

“No,” Kokonoi answered clearly. “We were gonna buy it and knock it down for redevelopment to get you evicted. But let’s be real: that building was a literal fire hazard with all that old wiring. However, we can’t assume Daruma didn’t have a hand in it either.”

“What do they, no…” She paused for a moment to rephrase her question better, placing her index knuckle to her chin. “What do I have to do with your feud?”

“You catch on quickly, angel,” the older Haitani commended with an impressed, lazy grin.

“We have reason to believe you hold valuable information regarding our organization and Daruma’s,” Takeomi answered.

“Information?” she blurted out in confusion with squinted eyes. “I’m just a hostess. What could I possibly—”

“When we did the background check on you upon being hired at La Reverie, we found something… interesting,” the advisor intercepted. “Your mother, (Y L/N) Kana, is not who she says she is.”

“What… do you mean?” she stared at Takeomi with full blown skepticism.

“You’re… not aware she’s an undercover agent for Cabinet Intelligence?”

“Wh...at?” she uttered out in a barely audible voice and slowly blinked. “A government agent?” She paused for a beat, trying to make sense of all this. “She was a deadbeat who worked various part-time jobs. No. No.” She vigorously shook her head in denial. “Y-You must’ve gotten her mixed up with someone else.”

Kokonoi stood from his seat and handed (Y/N) a manila file from his hand.

“What’s this?” she looked up at the finance admin with suspicion.

“The truth.”

“And you expect me to believe you?” she sneered. “For all I know, these could’ve been fabricated by Bonten to get me on your side.”

His solemn expression didn’t change. “Doubt us all you want, but this…” He gestured to the documents. “This isn’t something we could make up even if we wanted to.”

She looked deeply into his dark, snake-like orbs, sensing no lies behind his words. Hesitantly accepting it, she opened the folder and read through each page carefully. Her eyes widened with every line as her breathing quickened by the second, slowly feeling light-headed. It was as if each thread of her very being unraveled like an overworn piece of clothing and set ablaze.

(Y/LN) Kana was an alias: Her real name is Igarashi Meiya, an undercover agent with Cabinet Intelligence, specializing in infiltrating the underground world for drug cartels, human sex trafficking, and money laundering. Igarashi’s last known whereabouts was on the border between southern California and Mexico for a drug cartel sting in cooperation with the CIA. She shifted the papers around and found a photocopy of her birth certificate; her gaze widened and felt her lungs suddenly burning and combusting from the lack of oxygen as she held her breath from disbelief.

Meiya wasn’t her birth mother; she was adopted.

She didn’t leave her; her assignment probably changed after she finished whatever she needed to in Japan, including her.

She only made it look like she did.

“So… the debt…” she incoherently mumbled out.

“Used as a distraction so she could get away,” the silver haired man concluded.

She wryly chuckled with empty eyes and looked up at the admins in disbelief. “So that’s why you were keeping such a close eye on me…” Her arms went limp, dropping some pages on the carpet. Her legs staggered and felt like she was going to collapse at any second.

“This was all about what my “mother” found out, never the money.”

“Oh no, the money was a concern,” Kokonoi clarified. “But its priority paled in comparison to what Igarashi found out.”

“Has she mentioned anything to you about this?” Mochizuki inquired.

“We didn’t have much of a relationship,” she dejectedly recalled, feeling the sting of reality hit her core. “She was either drunk half the time or didn’t come home until late morning, smelling like the men she’d been with the night before.”

“Did she give you anything, some kind of physical item?”

“Even if there was, the fire would’ve destroyed it.”

“So she’s useless then,” the muscular admin sighed and crossed his arms.

(Y/N)’s upper body slumped over, cradling the folder close to her chest, still trying to digest all this new information. “So what now?” she murmured feeling her body shake. “You gonna put a bullet in me and throw me in Tokyo Bay?”

“You’re more valuable to us alive,” Manjiro finally spoke. “Were you under Daruma, you would’ve been beaten, tortured and raped.”

“And not necessarily in that order,” Sanzu added with a knowing glower from his azure stare, his scarred mouth turned up in a sadistic-like smirk. “Consider yourself lucky, dove.”

She bitterly scoffed. “Do what you want,” she said in a barely audible whisper and resigned to her fate with closed eyes.

“Don’t say words you don’t mean, doll,” Ran advised with a fox-like grin and darkened violet eyes. “You’re in a room of ravenous men.”

“No different from being a hostess,” she unconsciously blurted, no longer caring about her image and cleverly crafted words. “At the end of the day, you’re all depressed and lonely derelicts, looking for temporary love and warmth on your skin to offset what you cast away inside for this world you've drowned yourselves in.”

Nothing mattered anymore. The facade she’d cleverly created all these years for survival was cracking like cheap porcelain. Everything she’s done up until this point for her freedom had been for naught; no—she was never free from the start. All current events led her to where she was like an invisible collar around her neck and into the whims of her captors. She was given the illusion of freedom, like a well trained dog.

Sanzu immediately drew his gun and pointed it at (Y/N); the corner of his eye twitching with anger. She nonchalantly glanced up at the pink haired man.

“What? Did I hit a nerve?” she mockingly goaded and stood up with her arms stretched out, encouraging him to shoot her, dropping the entire folder and its contents down on the carpet from her opened palms.

“Don’t provoke him, (Y/N)-chan,” Kokonoi nervously advised. “He’ll do it.”

“What the fuck do you know, bitch?” he growled out and cocked the pistol hammer with a look of disdain masked with his rage. “You don’t know any of us.”

“Sanzu,” Manjiro warned.

“You’re right; I don’t,” she admitted with a small scorn. “What I do know is you’re a group of insecure men-children, flashing your big, shiny weapons to intimidate and kill any obstacle because you’re too weak to face them head on!”

“I! AM NOT! WEAK!” the pink haired man madly bellowed and steadied his aim.

“Sanzu!” Kakucho shouted.

Just as he pulled the trigger of his AMT AutoMag V with a ringing gunshot, Bonten’s number three rushed to the pink-haired man’s side and pushed his arm in the nick of time. The aftershock of the bullet made everyone's ears buzz with a uncomfortable high-pitched vreen vibrating from their collective eardrums. The bullet grazed (Y/N)’s cheek before hitting the wall at the far end. Blood trickled down as she stood stationary, not caring about the stinging sensation burning her epidermis; the pain she was feeling on the inside couldn’t even compare. Kokonoi and Kakucho both hastily strode up to her, the latter pulling out a handkerchief from his pocket to put pressure on her wound.

“Jesus! You’re crazy!” the finance admin exclaimed with a look of panic in his dark eyes. This was the first time she’s ever seen him react like this. “What the actual fuck!”

“Oi! Didn’t you hear Mikey?!” Rindou stood from his seat and roughly shoved Bonten’s number two’s shoulder. “We need her alive!”

“Fuck off, Haitani,” the scarred man growled out and pointed the gun at his temple with a mad, deranged look in his cerulean eyes. “You want a piece of this too?!”

“Kill him, I kill you,” Ran threatened and appeared behind Sanzu all of a sudden with a small knife situated at his jugular.

“Stop.” Manjiro finally raised his voice with a sharp glare. “Sit. Down. All of you.”

Doing what their head commanded, he turned his attention to (Y/N) and the two tending to her.

“Treat her wounds.”

The two men escorted her out of the conference room, with Kokonoi still holding the now blood soaked handkerchief to her face. Situating in one of the waiting rooms, Kakucho left to find a first aid kit.

“You’re an actual idiot,” the silver haired man tutted, gently rubbing both his traguses folded on top of his external auditory meatus, in hopes of getting the ringing out so he could hear properly again. “Wantin’ to die like that.”

“Wouldn’t you?” she whispered with a quiver of her voice and turned her head away. “After realizing your whole life’s a lie and all your efforts were for nothing?”

Kokonoi couldn’t respond; were he in her position, would he be wishing for death too? A calm, dense silence filled the room while the two waited for Kakucho to return.

“All my life… I tried to do right by others to those who deserve it,” she scoffed at herself. “How naive of me…” Her gaze turned to a random spot on the floor with a pained look. “Kokonoi-san… Did you find anything on my birth mother?”

His sharp eyes looked at her with hesitation.

“You wish to know?”

“Can’t get any worse.”

“… She was a prostitute,” he reluctantly revealed. “And a drug addict; OD’ed a few months after you were born. Your birth mom was in contact with Igarashi-san as a potential informant for the case she was on.”

(Y/N) said nothing and closed her eyes, reaching up to remove his hand to replace with her own over the handkerchief. She felt numb and apathetic. All these feelings of emptiness and never knowing where she belonged all made sense now.

She came into this world insignificantly alone and will most likely die that way too. Part of her wanted to scream and cry and angrily lash out, but they’d only be empty and meaningless actions.

It’d be like asking sympathy from the devil.

The scarred man came back at last with a small white tin box in tow. The finance admin moved so she could be treated.

“Let’s see the cut.”

He reached up to remove the blood stained cloth; the laceration was shallow with most of the blood already coagulated. Taking out an alcohol wipe from the box, he ripped the paper packet open and begun wiping the dried blood around the wound first. The fumes from the alcohol stung the cut, making her grit her teeth. All he could see of her how was a shell of her former self after knowing her truth. Part of him sympathized, having lost his family from when he was barely old enough to understand the world around him and was shoved into an orphanage, left to fend for himself. Tucking those memories back into the dark corners of his mind, he then generously smeared bactine on it before peeling a gauze bandage to cover her cheek.

“Does it still hurt?”

She shook her head no. Making their way back into the main conference room, everything became white noise to her. All she wanted to do right now was to be left alone to process everything; but even that was a big ask given her current company. Until they could figure out how she can get the info her mother left behind, the only solution was for her to move in with one of the admins for surveillance. (Y/N) was to also quit her job at La Reverie and her debt was to be written off as a loss in their accounting.

They were making her disappear without a trace.

“At the very least…” she finally spoke in a barely audible murmur. “May I say good-bye to my clients?”

“I thought you didn’t care about the job,” Kokonoi said with a slight tone of surprise.

“The job, no. The clients, yes,” she answered earnestly. “They deserve a proper farewell from me. And please give them over to Ami-chan. She’ll treat them right.”

Three weeks after the confrontation with Daruma, the story (Y/N) spun to her co-workers and clients was she had an elderly relative to take care of in Nagoya as her reason for leaving the club. Just as she settled into her apartment, everything was packed back up again. The furniture she bought was sold to the nearest second-hand store for cash and only had what she could carry with her in a duffle bag. Having yet to decide who she would stay with, she was taken to Bonten’s headquarters under the watchful eyes of the admins; they couldn’t trust any of their men to be tasked with this.

They were on their respective devices, going about their daily affairs with the syndicate. With nothing to do, (Y/N) scanned the bookshelf in their meeting room and picked a random one to read to distract her mind from thinking about recent revelations; more like, she was still trying to digest it all and sit with her feelings. The bits and pieces she remembered of her childhood were neither good or bad; the ones that stood out the most was whenever she had to drag her mom from the doorway, having blacked out from drinking too much the night before, and onto her futon. Despite how she grew up, she never once hit her nor let her go hungry, no matter what.

Now that she thought about it, Igarashi Meiya acted more of a guardian to her than a mother; perhaps she raised her that way to prevent herself from being emotionally attached. It’s not like she could suddenly find her and ask her all these questions either.

Ran eventually reached his mental cap for work and decided to slack off for the remainder of the day. He strolled over to where she was sitting and plopped down on the couch beside her with his signature lazy grin. She remained unbothered by his piercing violet gaze and presence.

“So, (Y/N)-chan,” the older Haitani brother drawled out and perched his hand on his temple. “Satisfy my curiosity: you really didn’t sleep with your clients?”

“No,” she tersely replied, her eyes not leaving the book and turned the page.

“You weren’t tempted at all?”

“No,” she said again with emphasis.

“You a virgin or something?” he finally asked with a mild teasing tone.

“Not your business.”

“Only a virgin would say that,” he grinned, excited at the thought of an untouched maiden waiting to be defiled and molded to his lustful whims. “What sensible hostess doesn’t sleep with their clients? Especially with the amount of money they’d throw on a pedigree like you.”

“When was the last time you got tested, Haitani-san?” she leisurely inquired to divert the topic of discussion, her eyes still focused on the book, despite reading the same sentence twice already. “Mayumi sleeps around and without protection sometimes.”

“She says she’s on the pill,” he justified.

(Y/N) dropped the literature on her lap and looked up at the tall man in disbelief. “You… realize the pill only prevents her from not getting pregnant and doesn’t protect against STDs and STIs, right?” she stated matter-of-factly.

The elder Haitani blinked a few times as his usual calm demeanor suddenly turned nervous and thickly swallowed, thinking about the last time he and La Reverie’s number one hooked up, where he saw a rather interesting rash on her thigh.

“Aniki?” Rindou cautiously asked, watching his brother shift uncomfortably in his seat and took out his phone. After a short beat, he stood from the couch, saying he realized he had a last minute appointment. All she could do was softly snicker before going back to her book.

“So was my brother right?” Rindou asked. “Are you a virgin?”

“You lot got a personal cash pool going on this?” she sharply exhaled, annoyed and extremely uncomfortable about the subject matter.

“No. But now that you mention it…” he trailed off, making a mental note to suggest it later.

She sighed heavily and dropped the book back on her lap again and shot the younger Haitani an unamused glare, as if reading his mind.

“No matter how much any of you try, I’m not sleeping with anyone in this room,” she firmly declared. “Especially with your preferences.”

“Oh?” Takeomi ears perked up with a lit cigarette in his mouth. “And you think you know--”

“You and Kanji-san both have sir and daddy kinks,” (Y/N) immediately cut in with a straight face. “Akashi-san likes the leather collars worn around his property. Makes his ego feel good. Well…” She folded the corner of the page and closed the novel, not making eye contact with either one. “That can be said about any man.”

The two men stuttered as Rindou snort laughed before sipping his coffee.

“Rindou-san’s kink is sadism and praise,” she announced and glanced over at the younger Haitani, making him spit out his drink. “Considering how close you are with your brother, you wish to be seen as an equal to him from those around you. You like hurting others so they praise you to stop the pain and give them their ‘reward.’”

“Damn,” Kokonoi heartily chuckled and looked up from his laptop. “Never thought you were this brutal, (Y/N)-chan.”

“Oh don’t get me started with you, exhibitionist,” she ridiculed with an irked look, scanning him up and down like he was covered in something. “You like to watch before deciding on joining in.”

The silver haired man coughed uncomfortably and looked away from his laptop screen, his whole face a bright shade of red. The twin doors at the far end of the spacious conference room swung open, with Kakucho, Mikey and Sanzu entering. The three casually glanced at (Y/N) as she rolled her eyes, already knowing what they were going to ask.

“Soft dom, yandere and possible shibari fetish,” she grocery listed in a bored manner, to which they all covered their mouths to hide their snickers and uncontrollable wheezing laughter much to the confusion of the three. Her company was soon called into a meeting, with her being escorted out to one of the many waiting rooms. She was getting restless and irritable, being brought around their many office buildings as if she worked for them.

She was their hostage.

They say they’re doing this to “protect” her, but she knew they would off her the moment they got what they needed. Nothing good will come from it should either party get their hands on whatever they’re looking for from her. The problem was she had no starting point. Well aware her situation with Bonten is temporary, she need a way to save herself.

But it’s not like she had anywhere to go either.

Until she had some sort of a lead as to what she was looking for, she’s a sitting duck.

Another two hours slowly crawled by; they collectively decided she should head back to Manjiro’s for the night since they were still trying to barter a deal with an overseas client. Sanzu escorted her to the unmarked black car. En route, she requested to stop by the convenience store to buy ingredients for dinner; the last thing she ate was over 8 hours ago and she was starving. Arriving at the penthouse, Manjiro’s bodyguard let her in before heading back out; she saw all of her personal items arrived without damage either.

Sighing to herself, she grabbed her duffle and entered the guest room to change before preparing food. Tonight was beef curry. Starting the rice first, she washed the short grain vigorously before placing it into the cooker. After washing, peeling and cutting the ingredients up, she heated up her pot before dumping each item in to cook. The food was ready about thirty minutes later.

While waiting for the rice to finish, she decided to decompress by playing the piano a little. Lifting the lid up, she neatly folded up the velvet dust rag sitting on top of the keys and mindlessly stared at the instrument for a beat. Her hands started moving to play a familiar melody she remembered from her childhood.

She can count on one hand the amount of times she and her mother spent time together. Thinking back on it now, it made sense with all the times she was out all hours of the day, doing god knows what; Kana at least had the decency to leave cooked food for her when she got back from school.

“(Y/N),” a woman called as she entered their small apartment. “Come here for a moment.”

A young girl set down her crayons on the tatami and walked over to her mother; she looked up with a bright, curious gaze.

“Mama saw something today and thought you’d like this.” She revealed a small, wrapped box hidden from behind her back and handed it to her daughter. “Open it.”

Untying the ribbon, the child opened the box, revealing a small, black music box. She opened the lid and it started playing “Moonlight Sonata.”

“Do you like it?”

The girl fervently nodded with a wide smile, looking down at her new gift.

(Y/N) stopped playing the piano all of a sudden and quietly gasped.

Why did she remember this now?

–

En route to Bonten’s headquarters, (Y/N)’s mobile phone started ringing, catching Manjiro’s attention. Hastily picking up, she spoke quietly into the receiver for a few minutes before hanging up.

“Sano-san…”

“Didn’t I tell you to call me ‘Manjiro’?” he asked with a mild tone of annoyance, his eyes still closed.

“Ma-Manjiro-san…” she reiterated with hesitancy. “Is it possible to drop me off at the police station?” she meekly requested. His dark eyes immediately snapped open and glared. “It appears they have some follow-up questions to ask me about the apartment fire, even though we have an idea who did it.”

Disapproval was written all over the white haired man’s furrowed brows and clicked his tongue.

“Daruma isn’t going to be that stupid to pull something in front of a station,” she pointed out. “And I’m certainly not dumb enough to let them know of my current company.” Bonten’s leader remained quiet as she let out a small sigh. “Obviously, asking you to trust me is out of the question…” she paused to craft her persuasion. “Maybe they recovered some of my things from the fire they want to give back. And there could be clues to what you’re looking for.”

“You’d risk your own safety for it?” he asked dubiously.

“Don’t get me wrong: we have no common goal here,” she cleared up. “I know you’d kill me the second you get your hands on whatever this is.”

“So you’re using it as a bargaining chip?” Manjiro followed up with an icy stare in his onyx orbs.

“This may be hard for you to believe, but I’m doing this for closure.” (Y/N) swallowed hard to wet her dry throat. “I wanna know what my mom found and if I have to work with Bonten to achieve this, so be it.”

The man closed his eyes and smirked to himself, resting his cheek on his left knuckles.

“Who’s to say you won’t run away after?”

“You literally have your men scattered across every centimeter of this city,” she firmly stated. “Where could I possibly go?”

Heaving a long breath, the white haired man took out his phone and typed something on it before putting it back into his pocket.

“You have a two hour window,” he declared. “Go to the station, answer what they need and leave. A car will take you back to our headquarters. You are to tell us everything that happened. If we find out you’re hiding anything…”

“A bullet will be wedged between my eyes,” she finished his thought. “Got that message loud and clear the first time from Sanzu-san.”

Dropping Manjiro off first, the car then made its way near Shibuya police station for (Y/N). She felt her heart beat inside her throat, not knowing what to expect. Nervously gripping her bag strap, she made her way in. Checking in at the front desk area, a uniform escorted her into one of the interview rooms for privacy. A short moment later, a detective holding a few sealed plastic bags of evidence and a manila folder in his hand entered.

“What happened to your cheek?” the man asked, pointing to the bandage.

“I tried to pick up a stray cat and… it didn’t like the way I held him,” she quickly fibbed with an uneasy, crooked smile.

“Ah, that happened to my kid once,” the detective sympathized. “Wouldn’t stop crying for hours.”

Jumping into the proper interview procedures and last questions, he then laid out the bagged items across the table.

“We’ve been trying to get these back to their owners,” he explained through his gruff voice. “If there’s anything you recognize here, please point to it.”

Carefully scanning through each one, she noticed a small, familiar black box and mini book near the edge. Pointing to the two items, the detective reached for it and looked at the documentation.

“A music box and photo album…” he analyzed through the bag. “Surprised they’re both still in this good a condition.”

“You and me both…” she huffed out in amazement.

Signing the proper documents, he released the item back to (Y/N). Taking his leave first since he still had a long list of her former neighbors to interview, she bowed back to thank him. Tracing her fingers on top of the lid, she opened it with a small folded note sitting on top of the brass contraption. Looking at her watch, she realized she only had 15 minutes remaining. Pocketing the note into a hidden area of her bag, she carefully placed the box and album inside before making her way out.

Doing as what Manjiro instructed, she got back into the car to drop her off back at Bonten’s headquarters. As a security grunt escorted her to the main room, she requested to use the restroom. Giving her privacy, the man stationed himself at the door while she entered one of the stalls. Steadying her breath, she reached into her bag and unfolded the note. The edge of the paper was stained with burned marks as she tried to make out the message.

Trust no one. The rot is everywhere. When you find this, destroy it. Don’t let this get into anyone’s hands.

She re-read the note once more until it was seared into her memory, recognizing the handwriting as her mother’s. What did she mean by this riddle? Was this why she left?

Immediately ripping the paper to shreds, she threw it down the toilet and flushed it in case they decided to search her bag. Hastily scrubbing her hands with soap to rid her fingertips of the burnt scent, she wiped them clean with her handkerchief before folding it back into her bag. Allowing herself to be brought into the conference room, eyes from some of the admins trained on her, with Manjiro sitting at the far end of the table.

“Well?” Manjiro stared her down intensely. “What’d they say?”

Reiterating word for word the questions the detective asked her, she had to be careful not to slip up and let them know about the note. If there’s one thing she knew about Bonten’s head, it’s that he was very meticulous with his observation. Any change in her demeanor and body language would have him suspicious. After reporting in, she reached into her bag and gently set down the burn-marked music box and album on the table.

“And that’s all they were able to recover?” Takeomi asked and lit his cigarette up.

She quietly nodded. “Of all the evidenced items they showed me, these were the only possession they had of mine. Everything else was destroyed.”

“Open it.”

Doing as she was told, she gently lifted the lid; the music box played a muffled and stuttering version of “Moonlight Sonata.” The cylinder, comb and base plate were damaged from the heat of the apartment fire. She wasn’t sure what they hoped to find, but needless to say, they were disappointed.

“Take the box apart,” Manjiro requested.

“Does anyone have a screwdriver set?”

“Just smash it,” Sanzu impatiently blurted out and crossed his arms.

“I’m not doing that,” she firmly stood her ground with a matching gaze. “This is all I have left of my mom.”

“Why do you even care?! She wasn’t even your real mom!” the pink haired man chided.

“Even so, this was…” Her hands lightly gripped on the blazed item. “This is one of the few good memories I have of her.”

Kokonoi rummaged in his laptop bag and slid a mini screwdriver kit across the table to her. Just as she reopened the lid and rotated the object to find where the screws were, the box slid out of her hand. She fumbled with it through panicked grabs and something fell out with a small clatter on the table the moment she successfully caught it back in her hands.

And there it was.

A USB stick stripped of its casing, exposing the small circuit board of the device.

Taglist: @xngelsau @shizunxie @mikeysbabygirl @im-a-mf @garlicgarlicgirl

[crystal-moon-101]

Since I saw people talking about Ben's little big chill kids, I thought I'd finally do some headshots of my ones, who are also a part of my Ben 10 Next Gen. For me, I've always imagined that for young necrofriggians, they all start out looking the same (Beyond some size difference), but as they grow older, they'll start to develop their own patterns, small body traits and shades of colour, as showcased here. I'll share the little info on each sibling, and the basics of who they are as a person. When Ben first found them again, saving them from poachers and going full mum mode, they had been developing these different psychical traits, but not enough to identify each properly on their own, so while giving them names, Gwen used bandana pieces to colour code them, and each kid still wears theirs to this day, slightly modified. So here they are now, as full grown young adults. You can follow from left to right each row, or just the colours next to their names. -North (Black)- The largest and physically strongest of the kids, North acts as the leading member when Ben isn't around, doing their best to watch out for their siblings and be a middle ground to them. It's been this way since they were born, looking out for them and doing whatever they can to protect the others. This has resulted in North collecting quite a few scars and wing tears, though they wear them with pride, wanting to display how strong they are to others. They often looks up to Ben when it comes to being a hero, in how their mumdad protects others and the galaxy, and wants to be a fighter like him one day, often asking to train with their mumdad whenever he's around. Ben has suggested Plumber training for North, but they're still thinking about that. -Tundra (Red)- Tundra is a very curious one, and is known to wander off when things catch their interest. They prefer using experience to learn from, thus making them quick on their feet when something happens, and good at thinking logical. When the siblings are struggling with something, or come across some kind of problem, it's often Tundra who provides the quickest answers that should go well for them. That being said, due to their wandering, they gave gotten into trouble a few times and need to be saved by their siblings or Ben, as despite how smart they are, they can be a bit of a ditz when something catches their interest. -Grey (Silver)- Having a connection to the earth bellow, Grey often spends their time searching caves, and any hidden areas they can find. They especially love to research and find minerals of any kind, ranging from metals to gems, sometimes even studying their metal lunch for the day before eating it. Because of this, they can be carelessly dirty, and aren't the cleanest of people, but does pick up after themself when reminded. Grey is also pretty close with their sibling Storm, and surprising Gwen and Ben when first hearing the two call each other "Dweeb" and "Doofas", when first meeting them again. -Storm (Brown)- As someone who likes to spend a lot of time flying and high in the clouds, Storm is fascinated by the weather and how it behaves, and feeling the cold fresh air and challenging themself with flight training. This has provided them to have the most agility in the air, and knows the best ways to build up speeds, while also not draining themself. Whenever they aren't flying around, they're doing research on the weather, very keen to be a meteorologist one day. Whenever Ben visits, they will often ask him about the weather on other planets, and any adventures he's had in the sky. Storm is also pretty close with their sibling Grey, and surprising Gwen and Ben when first hearing the two call each other "Dweeb" and "Doofas", when first meeting them again. -Crystal (Blue)- Graceful on their feet, Crystal is a charming and gentle person, with a keenness for the art of dancing, especially when hovering in the air. This was something sparked in them when seeing how the patches in their wings, which are see through, glittered and reflected light through them, making Crystal often move around to see what they could get them to do, and the introduction of dancing was something they latched onto as a result. They are one of the hardest of the siblings to get angry, upset or rile up, and often goes with the flow and speaks in a slow and soft voice. Because of their kind nature and beautiful display of their wings, Crystal has attracted many others who are interested in them, many falling for them after meeting Crystal for a mere minute, though they tend to pretend not to notice, and turn down those who ask. -Orion (Orange)- Having an eye for art, Orion is a skilled painter and drawer, while also dabbling into other art forms to create things, their room filled with their works of art, and often creating gifts for others. From when they were little, Orion has always admired their auntie Gwen, and are always keen and eager to hang out with her when she visits, showing every new drawing and painting they have made while she was away. In fact their fondness for auntie Gwen is why they picked the orange bandana, as it reminded them of her hair. -Neva (Green)- Fashion focused and head strong, Neva is a keen one, who knows exactly what they like and isn't afraid to say it. They love designing things to wear, especially since fashion isn't that big on Kylmyys, and Ben brings them fabrics and items they request from earth whenever he comes by on a visit. Though, despite Neva's expensive tastes, they are most certainly aren't a snob, and more often than not create outfits and accessories for others that Neva knows they'd like, and wants to bring out the best beauty in them. Though admittedly, they can get a bit carried away if someone asks for fashion advice, or even brings up the idea of something related to it. Neva also a bit of a business mind too, having gotten some clients recently on their homeworld after seeing what Neva could make. -Raine (Aqua)- A very sweet young one, Raine has a keen eye for collecting things, particularly shiny or unknown stuff. From gemstones to simple earth utensil, if something interests them, Raine is known to take it with them, sometimes snatching without thinking. They don't mean any harm, and just sometimes think before acting, and will give something back if they've realized what they've done, but if it's clear they can keep it, then they aren't one to share, though do like to show off what they have with joy. They are also very well organized, knowing where everything they own is, and even when their siblings misplace something, having a photography memory and mental list of things. They may own a lot of stuff, but that doesn't mean they want to live in a pigsty. -Vale (Yellow)- Being one of the quiet ones, Vale likes to keep a lot to themself, and don't speak very often, only when they need to. They spend a lot of time outside, observing nature as it passes by them, using a little diary to note down what they see, hear, feel, smell and even taste. They like to appreciate silence and the world around them, and the beauty of nature, and collect little things to store away in their diary as memory. Whenever they visit earth, they love to visit the forests in the spring and summer, seeing the range of colours blooming from flowers, and has many flower prints because of this. -Lux (Beige)- Quite the basic of people, Lux likes to live life in a simple way, and tends to try and stare clear of any chaos, which is quite hard when you have 13 wild siblings. Because of them, they can come across as annoyed and frustrated at times, and can be blunt and honest, but they do love their siblings, and is often the one that says what's needed to be said. Lux also have massive wings compared to their body, a ratio none of the others have, and use to trip over their feet a lot growing up. Now, their massive wings are a great way to hide away when they're not in the mood to talk to read a book, or to hug a family member when seeing them down. -Micha (Pink)- Bubbly and sneaky, Micha has been dubbed the "Pink Ninja" for a reason, someone almost always able to hide away and sneak up on others. They love to jump scare people, and has found more and more crafty ways to get around without being noticed, even without their ability to go invisible. They love to pull jokes and get a laugh out of people, and Micha is known to have a snort with their own laughter. It's always their mission to catch Ben off guard when he visits, as each time it gets trickier due to him knowing it's coming, and his training and skills build up over the years, but Micha always finds a way in the end. -Zodiac (Gold)- Patient and often neutral toned, Zodiac is often seen to be pretty wise. From a young age, they've always loved stories from history, especially those about myths and legends they hear from around the galaxy, and spend a lot of their time reading and researching anything they hear about, always keen to hear a new story they may have never heard about before. It always fascinates them how much Ben has seen and done, and the stories he tells, Zodiac is practically fond of those about Alien X and Celestialsapians, and wants to meet one one day. -Alaska (White)- High on energy 99% of the time, Alaska is always zooming around and never has time to stop. They rarely sit still for long, and it takes a lot to drain them of their endless energy, always moving in a blink of an eye. Because of this, Alaska is the fastest of the crew, which has come in handy often. But they can be easily bored, and a little frustrating to deal with when they don't pay attention, but they do like to spend that energy by jumping around each sibling to spend the day with, and wants to engage in all of their activities to support them. -Arlo (Purple- The smallest of them, Arlo was born the runt of the group, but thanks to their siblings, especially North, they managed to survive childhood when most other necrofriggian runts would have died. This makes Arlo the baby of the group, and the one they all want to protect, even if it can be a little baring at much, wanting to prove they can be strong on their own. And Arlo somewhat got their wish, when reaching a certain age and Ben learning that one of his children had the spark, thus meaning Arlo is an Anodite, and is able to use magic, though they're far from being perfect at it, and their small body sometimes struggles to keep up. But each day Arlo practices, wanting to feel more than just the tiny one, but they are generally kind and great with emotions, being very supportive and just trying their hardest.

[definitelynotsuzumi]

Zapped to Another World

Genshin Impact x Fem!Reader

I wrote this in my spare time when I was working back in November and thought that I should share this ^-^ 

Depending on the comments/notes and if I have spare time, I may be updating this. 

[Masterlist]

The rain poured down your umbrella. The clouds coloured the sky a dark grey as you ran for the bus. You sighed as you reached the traffic light. Yup, you were definitely not going to be able to catch it now.

School had ended for the year, which meant more free time for you and the new game you had recently gotten into. Genshin Impact.

You could not help but smile at the thought of it. With school out of the picture, you could finally focus on the game completely. There was so many things to do. Farming for artifacts, completing your daily commissions…

You sloshed your way over as the lights turned green. While you love that school is out, you honestly hated the wet weather that came with the winter break and the feeling of wet socks on your feet. After safely crossing the road, you winced as a white truck rushed by, soaking your clothes through as the giant puddle you have been trying to avoid poured onto your skirt and legs.

You let out a sigh as you quickly took shelter under a tree nearby to try and wring out the remaining water when it happened.

“Just my luck…”You muttered as you clumsily balanced your umbrella, “Can it get any worse?”

Just as those words left your lips, it happened. A white flash lit the sky for a brief second. But it was too late. Thousands of volts came cascading upon your body and everything turned white.

“This is your fault.” You heard a voice. It sounded like a young, sulky boy.

“How is this my fault? You’re the one who lashed out when I put down that +4 card down.”

“THAT AIN’T FAIR STILL! I WAS SO CLOSE TO WINNING AND YOU BLEW IT!”

“Uh…What’s going on?” You blinked as your vision settled. You sat in what looked like a library of sorts, with several shelves lining the walls and a long white and gold marble table in the centre of it all. A girl with long, platinum hair glared down at her male counterpart, who huffed in annoyance.

“How about you explain it to her, Artem.”

“Sorry, but I don’t speak to cheaters.”

“Oh for gods sake- fine. We apologize for uhm…Killing you. Truly, a thousand apologies. If only someone can control their temper for once in their life-“ The girl shot a dirty look at Artem.

“LIKE YOU ARE ONE TO TALK! SOLARIA, YOU SINGED MY EYEBROWS OVER KILLING YOU IN AMONG US!”

“Well excuse you! My anger was perfectly justified! You voted me out even when I told you the truth and that I was innocent!”

“DO YOU KNOW HOW HARD IT WAS TO EMBROIDER AND GROOM THEM BACK TO NORMAL AGAIN?”

“Could you guys please stop fighting for 10 seconds?” You yelled over the noise. The girl and boy finally stopped, leaving you to rub at your ringing ears.

You sighed. Kids were always a handful back in your home. You had to take care of your cousins whenever your aunt was over, and it often resulted with your ears ringing and your head pounding.

“What’s done is done. I’m…well, dead and I seriously have no idea where I am.” You said, trying to stay composed.

“Well…In your human terms, this is kind of like the After Life.” The boy, Artem explained, sighing as he put down his Uno cards.

“Or well, it shouldn’t since…You were supposed to live for like, another 50 to 60 years. But someone messed it up.” The girl, Solaria, summoned a book from a shelf. You blinked as a weathered leather book with gilded, golden pages floated down onto the table.

“Shut up. I said that I was sorry, didn’t I?” Artem groaned.

“Sir Artem, are you losing your braincells? I was the one who apologized. You still owe the human an apology.” Solaria bit back icily.  

With a wave of her hand, the pages of the book flipped and she studied it carefully for a minute before looking back up.

“Well, as a soul now, you have an option. You can go into Elysium or be reincarnated.” Solaria sighed as Artem huffed again.

“Huh. What do you know? Elysium sounds real good right about now-“You thought out loud as Artem’s eyes turned wide with fear.

“Please don’t go into Elysium!” Artem yelled. The books shook in the shelves as his voice echoed.

“Ow, inside voice please? Hasn’t your mother taught you better?” You winced in pain. It seems that immortals had a throat of steel, judging from the way they could shout infinitely.

“I’m really sorry, but if Dad finds out I brought in another human because I accidentally killed them…He’s going to banish me…To Earth…” Artem looked down onto the table.

He was unable to meet your eyes as you stared at him with bemusement.

“Yeah, as much as I hate to say it, please…Reconsider on our offer to reincarnate. He is on thin ice with Father and if he is banished, I’d have to take on his duties as well. I’m pretty exhausted with the workload as it is.” Solaria sighed.

“As long as it’s not Earth, I’m cool with it.” You looked up at the ceiling, which took your breath away. The entire solar system was on it. With it, was the familiar sphere of white, green and blue.

“Hm, that is easy enough. I could reincarnate you into my world.” Artem brightened up.

Solaria sighed with relief.

“And to make up for it, I could buff you up with a couple of blessings here and there-“

“Within reason.” Solaria cut in, with a sharp look at Artem.

“Psssh, as if it’s hard to make a Gnosis.” Artem had considerably relaxed after hearing your statement.

“Are you serious? Don’t you even know the situation down at Teyvat?!” Your eyes widened. Were they talking about what you were thinking of?

Artem rose to his feet, the ivory wings on his lower back flaring. His eyes gleamed gold as he stared down his sister.

“It’s my world. I do what I like with it. If you don’t like it, get a world of your own.”

“You only got your world because Mother took pity on you. Don’t act all big when you have killed so many humans.”  Solaria hummed, rolling her eyes.

“I’ll only grant this human the bare minimum. Anything more, and I’ll let Father know of your deeds thus far, even if it means more work for me.” Solaria glared back. Her eyes gleamed silver as she did so. You felt a shiver run down your spine. 

“That’s all that I’ll need then. Work on your blessings and gifts. I’ll work on mine.” Artem turned away from his sister. The siblings set to work, the atmosphere of ice cold professionalism now in the air.

Solaria rose from her place on the table. With a flick of a finger, the Uno cards vanished with a burst of gold sparkles. The leather book floated beside her as she constantly referred to its pages while flying around the room.

“Hmm…Not much of a combatant, I see. Polearms and swords will probably be hard for you. Perhaps…A catalyst?” She pulled out a bright blue book adorned in gold, with feathers sticking out.

Blowing off any dust from the beautiful book, she casually tossed it over her shoulder and onto you. You instinctively brought your arms up to protect your face but as the book hit your arms, it disappeared into a burst of gold.

“Huh?” You blinked as you saw the book reappear beside you, its pages flipping.

Solaria returned with a satchel and a bag of gold coins. Looking satisfied as she noticed the book beside you, she inserted the bag of coins into the satchel before sliding it over your shoulder. Solaria hummed to herself before smiling again.

Reaching behind her neck, Solaria detached a shimmering teardrop necklace before slipping it around yours.

“There’s nothing special about it, apart from it glowing. I thought it would be a nice touch.” Solaria winked at you. 

Tilting your chin up, you froze with shock as she pressed her lips against yours.

“WHAT WAS THAT FOR?” You felt heat rush to your cheeks.

“Oh, please. Don’t be flustered. That was merely a blessing of mine. It will help you when you need to speak with the natives of the land.” Solaria coolly said as she wiped her mouth.  

You were still reeling in shock. Your throat seemed to tighten as you coughed. 

“..Thank you, for agreeing with us on our selfish request. To be forcibly stripped of our powers can be the worst pain and humiliation a god or goddess can bear.” Solaria murmured to you as she hurried to the end of the room, where she knelt and seemed to draw symbols in gold.

You held back your tongue. ‘What about me? I got zapped to death here.’ You thought to yourself.

“It is done. Please step into that summoning circle there.” Artem held a floating, golden cylinder in his hands. Solaria rose from her place on the floor, gesturing for you to come over.

It was a Gnosis! You were quick to obey as you hurried to Solaria’s side.

Stepping into the centre, you turned to face Artem and Solaria, who stood side by side. They flared their wings as you sensed an energy swirl around you.

“I, Artem, God of the Moon, grant you passage and dominion over my world, Teyvat. Do you accept, (Y/N) (L/N)?” Artem’s voice echoed in your ears.

“I accept.” As the words left your lips, the Gnosis within his hands flew into your chest. You gasped as it did so, a heat spreading rapidly across your chest.

“Be safe on your travels, (Y/N) (L/N).” Solaria flashed a warm smile as you coughed.

“Resigno!”

The gold summoning circle glowed bright blue and you found yourself falling through the blue skies.

You screeched ungracefully as you fell from the sky headfirst. The green grass was coming up way too fast. 

‘Am I going to die again?’ You thought as you held out your arms to break your fall, only for a huge gust of wind to cushion your fall. 

“Huh?” You blinked in surprise as a person clad in green floated beside you. 

It was a young boy with 2 braids, which gleamed blue in the light. His eyes were a beautiful mix of green and blue. 

‘Venti?’ You gaped as he grabbed your hands and guided you back onto the ground. 

“Never thought I’d have an audience during my practice session. Are you okay?” Venti grinned at you. 

“Never...Never better. Thank you...”You gave a thumbs up as you got air back into your lungs again. 

His deft fingers plucked at his harp as he sat down on the soft grass. 

“It’s no problem. But what brings you here anyways? Not many people know of this spot.” Venti tilted his head. It seemed as though you uncovered his secret place. 

“I- uh well...Accidents happen. I’m not a mad fan or a stalker, I swear. Well, maybe I am a fan but still.” You rambled but you forced yourself to stop talking and to breath. Venti is real and he is in front of me. Venti is real and he is in front of me. 

Your heart was beating fast. 

‘I should say something smart, introduce myself or something.’ You thought to yourself as you composed yourself. 

You wanted to at least tell him your name but the words are out faster than you can stop them. 

“Wanna grab a drink?”