#i have written one fill already but think i will hold off until posting until i come back from my holiday in october 🤔

[leftneb]

Curiositas aka sirens!AU

in which Lando is a siren with species dysphoria and Oscar is the defintion of Just Some Guy, who happens to get caught up in Lando's mess. and obviously they fall in love along the way etc etc

I first posted about this idea over 2 months ago and I'm happy to announce that there is now a fic in the works!!! which will likely take at least another 2 months because goddamn the concept outgrew itself (as you can tell by the fact charles and max also, like, exist now) it's sitting at ~8k words rn, which is by far the longest thing I've ever written in my life already, but story isn't even close to being finished, so yeah it'll take a while lmao

for now though I have some character designs and lots of thoughts, which I'd like to share :3

ramblings about their individual designs and details below the cut!!

and massive thank you to my dear partner @lailau7904 for not only holding my hand through writing the fic so far but somehow being even more insane about this whole AU than I am???

LANDO

main character (and POV holder) his design isn't based on any real fish, closest resemblance is to a fake fishing lure (reference provided)

very little scarring despite sirens' hunting culture, some tiny cuts and scratches around the top of his tail from smuggling pretty stones and shards of glass

absurdly bright green scales (I really could've made him fluorescent but I think that would be overkill) which is absurdly shit for stealth purposes but good for catching the attention of potential victims

vague triangle shape language but in a semi-elegant way

doesn't eat fish and would rather not eat human either

MAX

fills the position of a leader in his and Lando's colony, inherited the role in his late teens but grew up to it pretty quickly

shark motif, all sharp and angular shapes, visibly intimidating

lots of scars collected during hunts, wounds covered over by red scales from Charles

his scales are pretty dark but they shine blue when the light hits them just right (plus Charles' scales are a bright red lmao, which is a bit suboptimal for stealth but he thinks it's worth it)

CHARLES

koi fish motif, soft and round shapes

no scarring at all

has known Max since they were kids but actually didn't meet Lando until their 20s despite Max and Lando being childhood best friends

considered legally dead by monegasque officials (this has lore reasons which I'm not about to spoil)

GENERAL NOTES

the AU plays in a modern setting, altough sirens are very behind on human technology

their gills are on the side of their ribs! they can also all breathe with their lungs above water

funky scales patterns on their torsos around "modified" areas such as their gills and back fin

they have no hands but don't let that fool you! I was simply too lazy to draw any, what you would see if I did draw them tho would include:

webbing between fingers!! matches the colour of fins

longer, and more solid, claw-like nails

wrinkled palms and fingertips

I really wanted to make Max and Charles' torsos more life accurate but could not be arsed, they all have Lando's body type, aka I've accidentally twinkified Charles and Max lmao

by now you might have noticed that there's no design for Oscar, and as much as I really want to make a siren design for him that would have some pretty heavy lore implications so I'm... hesitant to do so

other people on my sirenification waiting list are:

George Russell and Alex Albon (for the 2019 rookies circle to be complete)

Franco Colapinto (based purely off vibes)

the whole grid really god I'm so ill

for the record Logan is a human in this AU but he IS present fuck you James Vowles

you may have also noticed the papaya version I labeled as McLaren themed (this one is also the highest quality image I have in this thread if you're gonna do any zooming in please do it on this one,,,,)

all throughout writing and drawing I couldn't help but think about another banger siren!Lando fic: Salt Skin by @strawberry-daiquiris! in which Lando has orange slash papaya scales, which I just had to draw honestly

a lot of my design process was also inspired by a piece by @dumbf1sketches (it's somewhere in the pile of other gorgeous art in that post)

bonus underwater version of all of them because it wasn't bright enough for me to feel good about it being at the top but it's still like, the main colour example to my brain

TAGLIST(S)

AU @mintraindrop @cx-boxbox (I know the og post is from actual ages ago but you two were interested so I humbly offer you these crumbs)

ART @santongkabayo @cyclonixi @alto-the-avocado @loquarocoeur

people that put up with my ramblings on dc @lyslsstuff @peppysinc @girlrussell

[abbyromanoff]

Can I request GP college Emo Wanda x cam girl reader where Wanda jerks off to the videos, then reader holds a contest for one of her viewers to meet up with her and have dinner if they donate the most money and Wanda ends up winning and they go out to dinner and reader teases Wanda the entire time making Wanda frustrated so they have rough but passionate sex in Wanda’s dorm room afterwards. (with praise, daddy kink and scratching [ r to wanda] ;) and face sitting if that’s ok <3

My Girl

Pairings: g!p Wanda Maximoff x reader

Summary: Quite literally the ask just written onto a doc

Word count: 3170

Warnings: daddy kink, smut, belly bulges, face riding, scratching, Wanda has a penis, degrading, praising, kinda public sex, fingering, mentions of free use and cnc

No one is permitted to steal, copy, or reblog my work as their own!!

Wanda huffed as she threw her books down and got out her laptop. Her professor would not stop giving her shit today and she was pissed off. Opening the electronic she locked the door to her dorm and tore off her jeans. She sat back down onto the bed and scrolled onto your account, her favorite. Every week that you posted she’d be the first one on, commenting whenever she could and replaying every video she could. Finding the most recent one she clicked on it, seeing you using a large dildo on your pussy with a butt plug inside of your tight ass.

Pulling out her semi-hard cock she started a slow pace with her hand, her thumb brushing against the tip every time she reached it. “Mm, such a little slut aren’t you? You wanted me to see you, didn’t you? You knew I’d be watching you, you waited for me like the good little girl you are.” She spoke into the empty room. Your moans filled her ears as it brought her closer to the edge, only a few minutes in and she was already about to cum.

“Look at that sweet little pussy, so ready for me. Wish I could fill it up, wish I could just slide right inside of that tight little hole and use you.” She whispered out once again. She’d always imagined you could hear her, she liked to picture it was your hand instead of her own wrapped around her length. You moaning beneath her as she used you for her own pleasure, not caring if you’re overstimulated but just wanting to make herself feel good.

She soon came into her hand as you finished around the large silicone dildo, she knew she could make you feel better than that stupid toy. Groaning, she felt unsatisfied. No matter how much she could finish onto her hand from watching you it always made her realize just how lonely she truly was. If she was being completely honest, she wanted you. She could care less about any of the other girls in her classes, all she wanted and needed was you.

She scrolled through your account some more, trying to see if you posted anything else in the past day. When she saw what you wrote in your bio she gained hope, ‘Whoever donates the most money on the next stream at 2:00 PM on Tuesday will receive a free dinner with me and maybe even a dessert ;)’ it read. She quickly looked up her bank account and realized just how little she had, no wonder why, she was a college student. Although, she did have a job. Texting her boss with a small ‘Will I be able to pick up some extra shifts for a few days?’ Before putting her phone down and doing her schoolwork. The entire day she couldn’t stop thinking about that, her whole week was spent thinking about you and you only.

Tuesday finally came and she prepared herself, saving the perfect amount of money for you. At 2 PM she scrolled onto your account and reloaded until she saw your face. A small smile took over her face when seeing you, you were even more beautiful than she pictured. In your videos she could barely ever see your face but now, now she could see you in your full glory. People already started spitting out cash the second they joined while Wanda was too focused staring at you. Getting out of her trance, she made her first donation of one hundred dollars and you thanked her, causing her to smile at the thought. For the entire two hours Wanda continued giving you her money to stay at the top, which she did. Before the live ended you gave a shout out to her, or to ‘ScarletW01’ as that was her username. She waited for you to text her impatiently and when you finally did, she almost immediately replied. You both fell into a small conversation as you got to know one another better, wanting to make sure she wasn’t a random old creep. She later found out that you lived only six miles from her dorm and you both decided on a restaurant to go to later that week.

She couldn’t stop thinking about it. If she had to go another day waiting she would lose her mind. But the day was finally here, the day where she would take you out to dinner and hopefully woo you enough to spend the night.

“Okay, which looks better, black or red?” She asked her roomate who at this point was most likely sick of hearing her. Agatha sighed and turned her body to look, ditching her notes for what felt like the thirtieth time in the past hour.

“They both look like shit but I guess the red matches you more.” Wanda sighed, aggravated with the womans words. “Agatha, you’re not helping here. I really like this person and I want to impress them so can you please just help me find something? Anything?” Agatha groaned but agreed, walking to her roomates closet and looking for what might look best.

She spent a good five minutes of tossing around clothes before she finally found the one, a red jacket along with a low, black dress that showed cleavage. “Perfect. I know you can’t live without this stupid coat so, here. It will show her that you’re not trying too hard but also that you try hard enough to impress her.” Wanda had no clue what she meant but rolled with it anyway, adding her jewlery and makeup to finish off the look. Brushing her hair a tad bit more she looked herself over in the mirror, trying to find her best angle.

“Okay Wanda, you got this. It’s not difficult, it’s just a date. Just a date, that’s it.” She tried reassuring to herself, still not believing a word she said. When her timer went off she said her goodbyes to Agatha who whished her luck, closing the door behind her as she jogged out of the building.

When she arrived at the restaurant she took a quick glance around and found someone sitting at a double table, it was you. She took a deep breath and walked your way, giving a small tap to your shoulder to gain your attention.

You turned around and were greeted by the sight of probably the most beautiful woman you’ve ever seen. “H-hey, Wanda right? I’m Y/N, which you probably already know, sorry.” You say, catching yourself rambling slightly. You don’t mean to be so nervous, but this woman already had an effect on you. She smiled at your words and quickly took her seat across from you. “Yeah, that’s me. Uh, thank you for this, I kind of haven’t been able to stop thinking about you ever since last week.” That was sort of the truth, she hadn’t stopped thinking about you for what seemed like months now.

You blushed slightly, opening your mouth to say something until you guys’ waiter appeared, asking if you two would need more time or if you’re ready to order. You ordered a small glass of wine while Wanda ordered some lemon water, still not legally being able to drink.

“No alcohol for you, huh?” Wanda laughed lightly before giving a response, “Nope. I’m only twenty so I have to wait a few more months until I can start ordering it at a restaurant.” You nodded in understanding and got back into a conversation. You were shocked at how nice she truly was, when you held the contest you expected some douche who’d just want to get into your pants but Wanda actually seemed interested in you. She listened to every word you said intently and even voiced her own opinions occasionally. This was already your best date you’ve ever had.

When the food was delivered shortly after the drinks, you started your fun. Using your heeled foot lightly rub against her exposed leg. You exaggerated moans when eating your food and noticed her face turning a small shade of red. Going back into small talk, you asked about her family and personal life, as she did with you previously. Your foot continued to stroke her own leg, starting to go higher and higher until you reached her inner thighs. Her breathing was uneasy and she could feel her growing erection in her pants.

“Is something bothering you Wanda?” You asked teasinly, faking a pout as you used your pity voice. She stared at you with pure lust and muttered out a ‘lets go, we’re leaving’ before dragging you out of the place, leaving a one-hundred dollar bill on the table to cover the cost.

“You wanna act like a slut, I’ll treat you like a slut.” She said, pushing you up against her car door and rubbing her hard on against your backside. You let out a whimper when she ran the pads of her fingers over your covered core, tracing your clit lightly as she watched you squirm beneath her.

“Oh you like that? You like when daddy puts her little whore back into place?” The title she gave herself made you even wetter, by now there had to be a small wet spot on your panties.

“Daddy, please not here. People can see.” You whispered out into the cold air. The woman behind you chuckled dryly as her digits sped up in pace, starting to move your underwear to the side so she could finally slip inside your tight hole.

“What, you don’t want everyone seeing how dirty my perfect little girl is?” Before you could respond, her middle finger finally entered your awaiting pussy. She started with a slow pace, soon gaining the courage to speed up and truly fuck you. You body was slammed against the car as your breasts slid up and down on the window slightly.

“Daddy! You fuck me so good- oh!” You were cut short of a sentence as she found that spongey spot inside of you, the one that drove you nuts. Before you could let out a loud moan her neglected fingers filled your mouth as she hit the back of your throat.

“That’s it baby, take me all down your throat like you did with that dildo last week. Did you really think I wouldn’t see? That I wouldn’t see how you were basically begging for me to fuck your throat till you were drooling all over me?” Wanda knew it wasn’t just for her. She knew that before this you barely even knew her, that the videos weren’t meant for her pleasure but for everyones. The thought caused a small pain to the heart but she quickly regained herself, focusing on making you feel good. She could tell you were getting close, she could feel the way you clenched and throbbed around her. She pulled her digits out of you, licking them clean before opening the car door and rushing you in, desperate to get home and fuck you properly. You had no time to protest as her hand went to place itself onto your inner thigh, almost like how you did earlier to her.

“Wanda-” “Don’t. Just because I’m not railing you senseless doesn’t mean you don’t call me daddy. Trust me, you’ll be screaming it sooner than later.” You gulped fearfully and leaned back into the seat, getting ready for a torturous ride.

By the time you arrived it was already almost midnight, the campus lights were off and only a few dorms had a yellow glow in them. Wanda walked you to her dorm, slamming you against her door when she finally reached it. She struggled to unlock it and had to pull away just to make sure her key went in right. You could tell she seemed embarrassed but it quickly faded once she got her hands back onto you. The woman pulled you into the small room and pushed you down onto the bed, climbing on top of you quickly. She quickly removed her jacket and threw it across the room somewhere, taking your shirt to join the growing pile.

“Daddy wants to make you feel good tonight, will you let her? Will you let daddy play with you all night till you cum all over her?” She asked, already knowing the answer. Your rapid nod wasn’t enough for her as she gave a small smack to your face, repeating her last sentence once again.

“Yes daddy. You can use me however you want, I promise I’ll be good.” Your seeminly innocent tone made Wanda want to destroy you right then and there. Groaning, she grabbed you by the chin, pulling you close to her and forcing you to make eye contact.

“Yeah? You’ll be good for me? You’ll let me prove that I can be better than any of those stupid toys you use?” She didn’t let you answer before she moved herself off of you and removed every article of clothing you had, getting rid of her own soon after.

“Yes! I promise I’ll do whatever you want. I just want your cock so bad.” You whined desperatly, hoping she’d pitty you enough to give you what you wanted. She chuckled and layed down on the bed, patting the spot next to her as a signal for you to join her. At first you were confused, that was until she grabbed your leg and draped it over her awaiting mouth, leaving your pussy on full display. You looked down at her with a shocked expression, honestly surprised that she wanted you to ride her face.

“Now baby, I want you to watch me as I lick your pretty little pussy. And I don’t want you to cum until I tell you that you can do so, understood?” You answered her question quickly and she dove into your wet cunt, licking and sucking anywhere she could. She moaned into you as she stuck her tongue into your hole, her mouth exploding at the new found taste.

“Mmm, you taste so fucking good baby, I can’t stop.” She mumbled into your pussy, going right back in the moment she finished speaking. You held eye contact with her like she asked, slightly bucking your hips up when her nose made contact with your clit.

“Daddy! I need to cum so bad, wanna cum all over your face, please!” The woman didn’t give a response as she was too engrosed in the flavor of your juices in her mouth. She shook her head back and forth to stimulate you more, the wet noises echoing throughout the bland room. The woman finally leaned back to talk, “Of course princess, I want you to squirt all in my mouth. I want to feel you finish on top of me.” The moment she finished speaking, you came. You finally got that release you’ve been wanting for the past hour. She soaked in the moment, letting you ride out your high while you continued basking in the feeling. You yelled out her name repeatedly until you finally calmed down, slowly moving yourself off of her and admiring her soaked face. You brought yourself down to meet her, your noses brushing against one another slightly before you started licking the juices off of her. She moaned as your mouth trailed all over her, grinding your already sensitive pussy onto her crotch.

“Daddy, too sensitive.” You whined out, already feeling that coil in your stomach once again. She shook her head repeatedly before finally responding, “No, no, no princess. I know you can take it, I thought you were my good girl, I guess you don’t want to be my sweet little angel anymore.”

“N-no daddy, I’ll be good! I need your cock please, I need it in my pussy.” She finally complied and lined herself up with your hole, rubbing your clit with the tip before slipping insde of you. Your breath got caught in your throat as she lowered you down until you were at the base of her cock.

“‘M so full daddy!” She groaned at the thought, noticing a small bulge outlined on your lower stomach. Using her hand to grab your hips, she guided you to go back and forth slowly while keeping her eyes on the imprint.

When she heard your moans she flipped you over almost immediately, wrapping your legs around her shoulders to find a new angle. Feeling your hands lay on her back and grasping the muscles that laid upon it. You scratched down her back harshly, leaving red marks and a little bit of blood behind. Wanda never thought someone scraping her back would turn her on this much but it did, it felt heavenly. Your eyes rolled to the back of your head and your mouth went wide open.

“Mmm, daddy’s little brainless slut, aren’t you? My cock feels so fucking good, doesn’t it? You can’t even think straight anymore.” She muttered into your ear, feeling you clench around her desperately.

“Mhm, I’m your brainless little slut daddy! I’m whatever you want me be, I’ll be your fuck toy.” She could’ve came on the spot, your words were affecting her more than she wanted to admit. “Yeah? You wanna be my fucking toy? I’ll use you whenever I want, I don’t care if you don’t want it I’ll fuck this sweet little cunt anyways. You’ll be my own personal fleshlight, you’ll please me whenever I want, won’t you?” You nodded faster than you could think. The coil in your stomach was about to snap any minute as was Wanda’s.

“I’m gonna cum in this tight little pussy, I’m gonna fill it up with my cum.” She knew you wanted it, you’d take whatever she gave you without complaint. You nodded once again, being too fucked out to even speak. You felt spurts of hot liquid fill you as you finally let yourself go once again. This had to be the best orgasom you’ve ever had, none of the hook-ups or toys could even come close. Wanda whispered out sweet words as you two slowed down to a hilt. She started to pull out until your whines filled the quiet room, stopping what she was doing and stilling herself inside of you.

“You okay? I didn’t hurt you, right?” You shook your head and brought her head back into your neck, wrapping your arms around her neck and holding her closely. She inhaled deeply and finally relaxed for the first time in awhile. She was worried about your reaction to her question she wanted to ask you, she didn’t want to make this awkward if you didn’t feel the same way. But she asked anyway, the fear that if she didn’t then you’d end up with someone else, someone other than her.

“Will you go on a date with me?” The silence was deafening until you finally said something in return. “Sure.”

[n0tamused]

Hiya

Please can I request some hurt/comfort with Kaveh, like maybe the reader gets injured. Also I saw on one of your posts a couple months ago you weren't secure with writing him, so if you still aren't I would mind Alhaitham or Ayato <3

A/n: Hello, I'm not sure where I was going with this honestly, I haven't written for Kaveh in what feels like a decade so I hope I didn't butcher him. However, I admittedly rushed a bit so I can get back to you with it and I do hope I was able to provide some comfort to you with this. Hope you enjoy🌙

Contents: Kaveh x reader, gn, hurt angst to fluff, sensitive reader? Imo... Drabble wordvomit

“Where have you been?! Do you know how worried I was about you-” the loudness his tone reached pulled the octaves of his voice higher, unlike the sweet lilt he usually addresses you with. Turning your head sharply to look at him through the thin veil of the dark night, your tear stained cheeks stun him for a good moment, making him choke back words and audibly he stutters and sputters as his eyes widen further. His eyes flicker over your face, across your features until he follows the bend of your arms that hold your leg and foot, both hastily wrapped in bandages - if the situation wasn't as dire as it was Kaveh would've scoffed and made fun of it. 

“Where were you-” he asks again, his voice swimming in fear as a chill runs up his spine despite the scalding desert air. More than one question is squeezed into those three words as he rushes over to kneel beside you. Cautious, airy hands hover over the ankle and the shin of your leg, but he refuses to touch you, as if you break from the simplest of touches. He looks up into your eyes again, silently pleading for a response to all the questions brewing in his mind. “What happened to you? Were you attacked? W-When did this happen? Do you not know how long I've been looking for you?!-”

Mehrak swoops into the sands, releasing a little sound that was both alarm and curiosity, the blinking green dots for eyes angled in your direction. Soft little beeps come from the suitcase looking machinery, yet you have little strength to pay any attention to it. 

“I-I’m fine..! I just sprained my ankle really badly while I was looking for you and.. I couldn’t walk properly, I thought I wouldn’t be able to make it back” you explain, a breath of ease filling your lungs as you paw at your eyes with your hands to dry your tears, fear still grasping your bones with chilly hands. Not only were you dazed from the scorching sun, but now the cooling night air was slowly creeping up, already heralding a fever in your fatigued muscles. “I didn’t even know which direction to go in, everything looks the same around here” adding that, Kaveh holds his breath as he carefully takes your shin in hand to lift it from the ground, his other hand holding your foot to take a better look at it. He could smell the fear on you and he couldn’t blame you one bit for feeling so scared, he had his moments too where he thought he was lost to the dunes. But not a moment has passed before he was already gritting his teeth, saying “I shouldn’t have agreed to bring you this far out.. ugh, and to even leave you alone.. Why did you go after me? I told you to stay in the shade, I wasn't going to be away for so long and..” he sighs, nearly wincing as he trails off. 

He’s grumbling, taking the whole weight of the blame on his shoulders, again, his brows knitting together, angling in sadness as his chin lightly tips down so he could look at your foot, gently probing the skin. 

“It’s fine, I shouldn’t have been so stubborn to leave the camp.. Had I gone any further out..” you trail off, dreading to think what could have happened. 

Kaveh goes to open his mouth and say something, ready to scold you and lecture you all about how Eremites could have found you, mercenaries, scorpions, and how all of it could have impact him if all he found of you was pieces hanging between a vulture’s beak. He shivers and closes his mouth, remembering the fear and glistening tears on your eyes, tears of frustration and fear and fatigue no doubt. 

Keep quiet, Kaveh, he scolds himself instead. 

“But you did not, and that is good.. that is a relief.. Would you like to try and stand, with my help of course. We still need to get back to camp” his voice mellows out towards the end, and he lets go of your ankle when you wince at one particular touch from his fingers. He lowers it to the sand slowly and turns to look at you, his elbow resting on his knee.

“No..no..I tried. But… Let me try again” you persist, suddenly feeling a wash of determination to ease his worry or perhaps prove to yourself that what you've done isn't as stupid as it was. Kaveh looks at you, unsure but he doesn't go against it as you're already grasping on his shoulder and trying to lift yourself up.

His hands fly to your waist, stabilizing you when you stumble, bringing you closer to his side so you have something to hold on to. But it all came crashing down when you accidentally went to step on your injured foot, sending a shock of pain up your body. Kaveh sighs, frustrated at the situation, and he is swift to lower you back to the ground. “You can't walk with a foot like that..” he says through his teeth, his heart constructing painfully at your own pain. For what seems like the nth time, he sighs and his arms swoop underneath you. “Hang on to me.. let's try this. One, two and- three” he tells you, and waits until you're clinging onto him before he lifts you up in his embrace. 

His arm is underneath your knees and the other supports your back, and now that you're closer to him you can feel the shaky breaths he's pulling into his lungs. He's refusing to look at you now as he begins to tread through the moving sand underfoot. 

“Kaveh…” you whisper as you look at him, greeted by the side of his face. The fine sheen of sweat is visible in the dying daylights, and his hair is a complete mess, and you can feel grains of sand throughout his scarves and clothing.  “Are you… alright?”

“I am alright.. just..” he looks to the side for a moment, his eyelids falling heavy over his dark colored eyes. “I was just really worried about you..” he confessed, as if it was hard to tell. Were it any sort of other situation, you would've teased and cackled at him, but you can feel his tense muscles begging to feel you, and you're sure he'll begin trembling at any moment.

“Oh, Kaveh…” you coo gently, creeping onto his shoulder like a shy doe, apologetic and sad. “I'm sorry.. I really am. I am fine now, okay? It's just a sprained ankle, it happened before, and this surely isn't the last time I'll sprain it”

Kaveh steals a glance at you, his eyes flickering over your face before he turns his gaze forward again, watching how Mehrak floated ahead to light the way in green and pale lime hues.  “It's alright..  I'm just glad to have found you, and that the injury wasn't any worse. But I hope you know I will not forget this, ever” his tone gains a part of its natural flare and passion, still wishing to scold you as if that would teach you a lesson and make you forget how to get hurt.

“I promise to be more careful, okay? Will that soothe you any better?” You lean the side of your head on his shoulder, feeling the tension slowly melting from his shoulders.

“Yeah, right. That's what you said last time as well, and look where that got you”

“Last time there was an accident, that guy pushed me!”

“Oh, spare me- and this wasn't an accident?-”

Ⓒ n0tamused. Do not repost, translate, edit, and/or copy any of my works. Likes, comments, and reblogs are appreciated.

[dance-is-life27]

The Bet

Joaquin Torres x Reader

Summary: You make a bet with your boyfriend, Joaquin, that involves cockwarming him for the entirety of a soccer match.

Warnings: Female Reader, 18+, smut, blowjobs, it goes like straight into the smut, very little plot

A/N: This fic was created solely based on the fact that I need to give Danny Ramirez Joaquin Torres head and this post from @tigerlillyyy Also I haven't written smut in like years so if this is bad, I'm sorry. Reblogs are appreciated more than likes!

You let your eyes flutter shut as Joaquin tosses his head back. A breathy groan leaving his lips and the word fuck has never sounded more beautiful falling out of his mouth. Your thighs clench together at the sound.

“Baby, I don't think-, I can't-,” Your eyes reopen to find Joaquin staring at you once more. His pupils blown wide and his curls a mess atop his head. “Baby please, you're killing me here.” 

You let out a hum that has Joaquin twitch in your mouth before you pull off of him completely, allowing his teasing to come to an end temporarily. 

“What's the score baby?” You ask, your voice raspy, jaw sore, and throat dry, but you'll deal with those things later, you have far more pressing matters at hand. Joaquin breathes heavily over you, his eyes flicking up toward the screen and then back down towards you, twice. 

Huh, not very good then. “That bad?” You pout, mock upset filling your voice. Truthfully you don't care about how badly the match is going for your team, at least not right now. Right now your sole focus is on Joaquin and making sure he holds up his end of the bet.

Joaquin lets out a whine as he nods, you've been stroking him this entire time, not giving him a proper break from you. “Please, mi amor, I can't take it. It's too much.” Joaquin shudders out in a whisper and you can't help the smirk that rises on your lips. 

“Oh yeah? You wanna call the bet off?” Joaquin’s once half-lidded eyes spring open at your words, “Oh don't act so surprised honey. You had to know that was coming.”

Joaquin whimpers deliciously when you run your thumb over his tip, the motion getting him to buck up into your hand. You switch up the pace on his cock, going back and forth between fast and slow as an idea pops into your head. 

“How long until half-time?” You question, slowing your hand once more to allow your boyfriend a moment of breath to be able to answer. 

“15, maybe 20 minutes or so left,” Joaquin answers, one of his brows coming up after his gaze turns downwards to you. 

“Okay then, here's the new bet. I'm going to keep sucking you off, at my pace at whatever speed I choose until half-time, if you cum at any point before half-time you lose the bet. Deal?”

Joaquin’s nod is immediate as he glances up at the TV quickly, “Yeah I can do that.” 

You force yourself to hide your laugh, knowing that your poor boyfriend is already so wound up, you're sure that your victory is just around the corner. 

You don't give Joaquin a warning as you take him back into your mouth, he lets out a hiss in response and one of his hands comes up to rest on the back of your head. 

You go slow, moving at a snail's pace as you suck from the tip of his cock down to the base of it. You let out a moan each time you bottom out, unable to help the way just having Joaquin’s cock in your mouth affects you. And well, the soft groans the man himself is letting out definitely don’t help. 

It doesn't take long for you to increase your speed, allowing your head to bob more fluidly, all the while keeping your cheeks hollow around Joaquin. 

“Fuck!” 

You can't help but keep your eyes open as you watch all the faces Joaquin makes. All of them are of pure and absolute pleasure. From the furrowed brows and the gritting of his teeth to the slacked jaw, head-thrown-back look, all of them incite you to work him that much faster. The hand at the back of your head tightens its grip slightly as your tongue begins to pay extra special attention to the head of his cock. 

“Oh, fuck! Shit, baby-,” Joaquin moans as you keep up your pace. His hips bucking into your mouth on instinct that lets you know that he's absolutely done for. “Yeah baby, your mouth-, oh god!” 

Joaquin continues to babble, his vocabulary switching from English to Spanish to absolute gibberish in a way that has your mind near melting and your underwear fucking soaked. 

“Oh fuck-, yeah!” 

You moan around his cock once more, unable to help yourself from rubbing your clit through the clothes and underwear and Joaquin makes the mistake of looking down, his eyes opening wide to look at you that lets the both of you know that he's done for. 

“Oh, fuck I'm cumming!” Joaquin moans out, tossing his head back as his chest all but leaps off the back of the couch. The hand at the back of your head forces you to stay as his cum shoots down your throat. You let yourself still, allowing Joaquin this moment as his salty cum fills your mouth, and you swallow all he has to offer. 

You pull back slowly, once Joaquin has stopped pulsing in your mouth and his body slumps back against the couch. Your eyes stay on him as he cools down, and your hands rubbing soothing circles into his thighs, subtly reminding him to breathe. Joaquin is halfway through a deep breath you hear from behind you the announcement that half-time is just about to start and to stay tuned for the rest of the game. 

Your lover freezes, all that work to calm him undone in a second. But you still can't help the vindictive smile from appearing on your face. 

“Oh honey,” you start, unable to help the teasing in your tone. Joaquin groans in frustration as you move to stand in front of him. “You were so close.”

Your boyfriend gulps before he speaks, “Alright, what's my punishment?” 

You start to undress, allowing every inch of your clothing to fall to the floor, reveling in the sight of Joaquin’s mouth practically drooling as he takes in every inch of your body with his eyes. “I'll dish that out later, but for now,” you continue, moving to lay back against the rest of the couch with your legs spread, “how would you like a reward?” 

Joaquin smiles at you before he leans in, giving kisses up your inner thighs and the game on your tv screen becomes forgotten about background noise.

[bluejeanstrash]

tags: 626 words, seungcheol x reader, angst, infidelity, break ups

‘no, i won’t do it’ seungcheol stands in front of the door, blocking your only exit ‘i won’t break up, i refuse’

you’re so tired ‘get out of the way’ you say weakly, just wanting to go back home.

‘please’ his voice falters ‘please baby, it was just one kiss. one. it meant absolutely nothing. please you have to believe me’ he’s crying now, gripping your shoulder as he shakes you desperately.

just one kiss — the story of just one kiss with famous k-pop idol had started as another post on an anonymous gossip site. user cherry0912 had written she’d kissed celebrity S at a nightclub.

“when he realised we were fans he paid for all our drinks!!! and then somehow we started dancing together and then…we kissed. everyone, kissing a celebrity really is everything you can imagine”

first brushed off as a delusional fan, the details in every follow up post had started to get very specific; then she posted that picture — the one your friend takes as proof when you’re kissing a famous idol in a club. everything was blurry and dim and most said you couldn’t tell it was him but you knew immediately. call it a woman’s intuition. guilt-ridden, he had confessed thinking you would forgive him. after all, it was just one kiss. the only silver lining — if you could even call it that — was your relationship was not public. so at least you’d been spared that humiliation.

‘let me go’ he loosens his grip, dropping his hands ‘and get out of my way’

seungcheol knows, he knows once you walk out that door he’ll never see you again.

‘please don’t do this’

your fatigue is suddenly consumed by a fit of rage ‘YOU DID THIS!’ you scream ‘YOU! you ruined it. not me. how could you-’ your voice breaks ‘how could you do this to me’ you break down, falling to the floor and start crying, wailing like a little kid who doesn’t know how else to express their pain.

you cover your face with your hands and cry and cry until seungcheol slides down, pulling you into a familiar hug. you let him. it feels so safe and reassuring in his arms that you forget for a second that he’s the one causing you this pain.

‘i’m sorry, i’m sorry, i’ll do anything’ he holds you so tight, trying to bridge the irreparable gap between you both. then he pulls away, holding your face in his hands, his eyes filled with a sudden resolve ‘i’ll fix it. i can fix it, i promise. just- just don’t leave me’ he looks at you hopefully, desperate to get through to you. it doesn’t work, you just can’t look at him the same anymore. you start to stand up as he pulls you back down ‘no, no, no, don’t go. let’s talk about it’

‘there’s nothing left to talk about’ it was true. everything to say had already been said. you’d been arguing for hours now, going through all the motions — the screaming, the crying, the silence. ‘you hurt me, you intentionally hurt me’ you shake your head ‘i have nothing left to say to someone who could that me’

‘but, i- i don’t want to break up’ it sounds more like he’s telling him that.

‘well’ you push him off you, not able to stand his touch anymore ‘it’s not just up to you’ and get up. he just sits there, staring at nothing as you walk past him and head to the door. your hand shakes as you grab the handle.

‘please don’t leave me’ you hear his voice, soft and sincere ‘don’t leave..’ it almost pulls you back. the door clicks open and without even turning around to look at him one last time, you walk out.

‘please..’ he pleads to no one, realising what has just happened. he turns around, watching the door shut slowly, knowing your chapter too has closed with it.

[edith-is-a-cat]

Malleus Draconia x GN!Reader (No pronouns used or mentioned, can been seen as romantic and/or platonic, and written in second person)

Word count: 651 TLDR: Showing Malleus Howl's Moving Castle with a side of some sad thoughts. Comments: I honestly think Malleus would love Howl's Moving Castle. I may be bias because it is my favorite movie..

You are sitting in Ramshackle after the events of Idia's overblot, still having so many memories of previous ones on your mind. You're laying on the couch trying to think of what to do to take you away from the intruding thoughts of what could go wrong next. Grim is already asleep even though it just barely hit sundown. You decide to take a walk.

You throw on an old hoodie from when you first arrived, it gets surprisingly cold in Wonderland at night. Just when your hand meets the cool metal of the doorknob three solid knocks are heard from the other side. You twist the knob slowly creaking it open just enough to see who is there. Surprisingly, the figure was familiar, looming and almost eerie in the low lighting, Malleus Draconia. "Greetings, child of man." the still shrouded figure softly spoke, as if he could spook you, "May I come in?" You nodded as you opened the door for him. Why not, company could be better than a walk to shut your nagging and anxiety filled thoughts up. Your eyes follow Malleus as he walked around like he knew this places as well as the back of his hand. You invite him to sit down in the lounge while you go back to rummage in your room for anything to entertain the prince with. You carefully sift through your belongs that have been mostly in your room's closet ever since you arrived. As luck would have it you were going to a sleep over when you were almost ran over by that damned carriage. You wonder if your friends worried where you went... you stop your thoughts right there. No time to worriedly wonder about your presence back on Earth, you had a guest over. You continue to rifle through your closet when you reach into the bottom of your old backpack for your hand to hit something hard. You pull it out to see it was a DVD copy of Howl's Moving Castle. Score! you found at least something to show him, hopefully he will take an interest in it. You shake off any dust that might have gathered on it, you were going to watch it at that sleep over. If Malleus was to stay the night then you guess its quest would be fulfilled. Either way it would be fun showing him something from your world. You go back to the lounge with your prize from the hunt in hand. Holding it up like a certain lion cub. You look to Malleus, who sits perched on the couch, for any comment. He cocks his head as he softly asks, "If I may ask, what may you be holding?" "Movie, from my world." You proudly say as you beeline over to the TV and all the tech stuff you got as an apology for what happened with the last overblot. You have to take a minute to look around the TV and figure out which gadget would work with what gizmo. After a taking an almost saddening amount of time turning on everything, you grab the remote from it's spot on the TV cabinet. You then turn and take your spot by Malleus. You finick with the remote until you can finally get the correct setting to work the TV. Malleus looks at you with pity but decides it's better for you to learn by yourself. You eventually figure out how to work most of the remote and have satisfied yourself with the setting enough to finally play the movie. "I really think you are going to like this" you chirp as you lean back into the couch. The prince silently nods as he intently watches the the TV. Oh, only if you knew what you had done. He did not stop talking about it for weeks, even suggested commissioning a gargoyle of Howl's bird form.

Ending comment: Uhm! Hi!! thank you for reading.. I wrote this in Auburn's inbox and though "eh I'll post it too"

[odyssean-flower]

The Winding Path of Fate Chapter 11 - The Honeymoon (Part 3)

Masterpost

Pairing: Neuvillette x Female Reader Summary: You and Neuvillette have a fun time in Merusea Village Warnings: None except for the fact that this story is 50% written based on vibes Note: This chapter is 13k words long so yeah, strap in Note 2: If you want to be on the taglist for this fic, please make a reply to this post, send a message or send a private ask

Have a pic of Neuvillette hanging out in Merusea Village

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 “Madame, are you feeling alright? Please let me know if we need to stop the boat somewhere for a short rest.”  

“I assure you, I’m fine. I stopped feeling nauseous a long time ago. The boat has been moving very smoothly so far.”  

Despite your repeated assurances, Neuvillette still looked slightly doubtful. He was probably going to ask this question again later.  

After lunch, Neuvillette took you to a small dock to the south of the willow tree, where there was a small, inconspicuous boat waiting to take you two to Elynas, where Merusea Village was located. The vishap had followed you and saw you off.   

Queasiness took hold of you once you got onto this boat. It was probably because you just had lunch. Luckily, the boat wasn’t going too fast. You suspected that it was on purpose.  

You glanced up at Neuvillette. Like the rowboat at the tree, this boat was smoothly cutting through the water of its own accord. You didn’t hear a motor, nor was there anyone at the wheel.   

Leaning back against the cushions of the seat that Neuvillette made you sit on after you first mentioned your dizziness, you closed your eyes. The warm sunlight felt like a comforting blanket despite being filtered through clouds, and the refreshing sea breeze stroked the hair at your nape like gentle fingers. The boat’s steady rocking was soothing, almost hypnotic. Ah, this is heaven. I’ve been missing out.   

The cry of a seabird near your ear caused you to open your eyes. You saw Neuvillette standing at the bow. His long snow-white hair was fluttering in the wind, along with his coat tails. He had his cup in his hand, no doubt filled with water. You couldn’t see his expression from here, but judging from the relaxed set of his shoulders, he was also enjoying himself.  

In another life, Neuvillette would make a fine ship captain, you idly thought as you observed his stately, erect figure. He certainly had the bearing of one. Or what you imagined a captain would be like from the various novels and books you read.   

Your fingers itched to paint him. You were already thinking about the composition and colors. This was strange. Usually, you didn’t really enjoy painting people. You didn’t even like doing self-portraits. Landscapes and buildings were more to your taste.   

As though sensing your gaze, Neuvillette turned around and looked at you. “We will be reaching Elynas in about an hour or so. Please, relax until then, Madame. Are you sure you’re feeling alright?”  

“I am. Please stop asking,” you said firmly and resolutely fixed your gaze ahead. The sharp peaks of Elynas were still just a faint dot in the distance. You could see the shadows of ships gliding on the water. What would their passengers think if they saw the Chief Justice standing in this small, inconspicuous boat?  

You turned your head back in the direction of Erinnyes. All you could see now was the shoreline and verdant trees. It was as though that giant willow tree and vishap never existed in the first place. Like it was all a dream.   

The seat next to you sank down with Neuvillette’s weight. “Did you have fun at Erinnyes?”  

“Oh, I did!” you turned to him with a broad smile. Perhaps it was just your imagination, but you thought his pupils dilated slightly. “It’s the most beautiful place I’ve ever been to. It’s so… so mystical. I wish we could have stayed longer.”  

Neuvillette let out a little chuckle. He put his hand to his mouth, as though to hide his expression. “I’m very glad to hear that. I hope the vishap didn’t spoil your mood.”  

“Not at all,” you shook your head. “I was a little scared at first, sure, but she was actually very gentle. I did assume there would be more vishaps around, though.”  

“Most of them live underwater to hide from the sunlight and humans. I considered summoning them aboveground to introduce you to them, but I didn’t want to overwhelm you.”  

The thought of those large vishaps dwelling beneath the ground was somewhat disconcerting but thrilling at the same time. Erinnyes was supposed to have a complicated network of underground caverns. You supposed they lived there.   

Another thought occurred to you just then. “You can speak their language,” you turned to him. “Are you related to them in some way? Like…their overseer or something?”  

“Overseer…? Interesting choice of words,” Neuvillette stroked his chin, thinking your question over. “I would not call myself that, but I do watch over them, and they depend on me.”  

“I see,” you said. It didn’t escape your notice that he didn’t answer your question about whether or not he was related to them. You stared at his slitted eyes again. They did resemble vishaps’ eyes quite a lot. Could Neuvillette turn into a vishap? You couldn’t quite imagine it. If he could transform into something, you’d imagine that it would be something more majestic and graceful, like…  

Neuvillette cleared his throat. That was when you realized that you had been staring into his eyes for far too long. Hastily, you looked away, your gaze landing on the sparkling water.   

“I…I didn’t know that the Chief Justice’s duties also extend to looking after the wild creatures of the land,” you said. You hoped that you didn’t sound too flustered. “I don’t know how you manage it.”  

“Well, those wild creatures, as you called them, are also citizens of Fontaine, so they are under my purview in that sense. And also, the role of Chief Justice isn’t the only role I play.”  

You didn’t quite understand what he was talking about, and he didn’t seem to have any intention of elaborating. For a while, the two of you watched the neighboring shoreline move past you.  

Eventually, the back of the Opera Epiclese came into view. And in the distance, the Court of Fontaine loomed over the waters. Looking at it from here, you once again appreciated just how big it was. When you first moved there, it had taken you weeks to find your way around without getting lost.   

“What a great view of the city,” you said. “I’d love to take some pictures of it.”  

“Why don’t you, then?”   

“I’m afraid I’ll run out of film since I took so many pictures back at Erinnyes, so I want to save it for Merusea Village.”  

“There’s no need to worry about that. I’ve brought several rolls of film with me,” Neuvillette patted his pocket.  

“Oh, really! Don’t mind if I do, then.”  

You went to the cabin to get the Kamera, then proceeded to take pictures of the city from several angles. It certainly looked imposing, with its tall ramparts and the lofty Mont Esus looming in the background, but it was simply too gaudy and contemporary for your liking. Maybe it’ll look better in a few hundred years, when it’s all ruins. You found yourself focusing on the half-sunken beams and pillars poking out from beneath the water instead. Are those from the last flood period? I wonder what used to be there?  

You closed your eyes as you tried to recall what you read in The Divers’ Guide to Underwater Ruins. It had belonged to your old art teacher, a former adventurer, and you used to beg her to lend it to you after every lesson. I think that’s where the old Institute of Natural Philosophy used to be. How sad it is to think that so much research is forever lost.  

Although, you also felt a bubbling excitement in the pit of your stomach, as you always did whenever you thought about old, crumbling, forgotten ruins.  

“Madame, are you feeling ill?” Neuvillette’s voice snapped you out of your reverie. You opened your eyes and was met with lilac orbs filled with concern. You stepped back a little in surprise, not expecting his face to be so close to yours. You could smell the crisp scent of his cologne, although you weren’t expert enough to identify the ingredients. It was different from the one he wore at your wedding. It smells nice, though. Maybe I should start wearing perfume too.  

“I apologize for startling you,” Neuvillette said as he saw the look of alarm on your face. “You closed your eyes and had an odd expression on your face, so I was worried.”  

“Oh, it was nothing. I was simply lost in thought,” you waved your hands dismissively as you felt your heartbeat settle down to a normal rate. It wasn’t that you were uncomfortable with being in close quarters with a man or anything. Neuvillette was still your husband, after all, so you should probably get used to it. It was simply that you were still coming to grips with the fact that you were on this little boat in the middle of the sea with the Chief Justice (who really did look quite resplendent. You should ask to take a picture of him. As a souvenir of this day, of course), and you couldn’t forget how different and warm and comforting it felt to be in his arms. That was all.  

“What were you thinking about?” he asked. He stepped a little bit closer, like he was actually curious.  

About old, crumbling, unexplored ruins and how the Court of Fontaine would look much better as a pile of rocks, you thought, but didn’t say it aloud. It was hardly a conversation topic for a date. And you were pretty sure you would be taken to the Fortress of Meropide for that second part.  

“I was just spacing out. It’s really nothing,” you said dismissively.   

Neuvillette nodded slowly and turned away. A shadow passed over him. It was cast by the aquabus railing, marking the halfway point of this journey.   

By the time the boat emerged from the other side, gray clouds were gathering in the sky. Neuvillette was still turned away from you. You bit your lip, regretting your tone. You hadn’t meant for it to come off so bluntly. Your mother often criticized you for not speaking softly and gently enough for a lady. You wished you had Neuvillette’s quiet, soothing voice. It never failed to calm you.   

Instead of researching honeymoon spots, I should have read more books on how to behave on a date, you inwardly lamented. You were not a charming, talkative person by nature. It took work on your part to pretend to be one. Probably because of this, your romantic history was non-existent.   

If only you were your sister…she seemed to have a way of lighting up any situation.   

It was funny. Mutually agreeing to be just friends was supposed to be make everything easier. Friendship was supposed to be easy and natural. There was no pretense between friends. Though you didn’t exactly have a large social circle back home, you did have a few close friends. But Neuvillette was nothing like your school friends or your old art teacher, by virtue of his position and status. And that wasn’t even mentioning the fact that you two were in a marriage of convenience.  

If only Lady Furina hadn’t gotten involved, we could have lived together quietly and peacefully as just friends until the year’s end. You felt a stab of resentment towards the Archon. Because of her, Neuvillette—and you, by extension—was forced into this awkward situation. She must have really riled him up. Why can’t she just be happy that Neuvillette is getting a “taste of matrimonial happiness” or whatever and leave it at that? …Then again, we haven’t exactly acted like a proper married couple until now. And even now...  

“Madame, here you are,” Neuvillette’s voice broke through your thoughts. He was holding a cup of water out to you. “Drinking water can ease seasickness.”  

You haven’t been feeling sick for some time now. What sort of look did I have on my face? You wondered, but accepted the cup anyways. The water was crisp and refreshing. It cleared your mind.  

There’s really no use in overthinking this, you concluded. The best thing I can do for Neuvillette is to go along with whatever he has planned for us and help keep the mood light and pleasant. I have no idea if Lady Furina is watching us or not, but one can never be sure.  

You considered for a moment what you could do, then stood up with the Kamera.   

Neuvillette’s eyes were fixed on the sea ahead. You remembered a story that Muirne, a Melusine who worked at the Palais Mermonia, told you about Neuvillette staring out at sea and causing a crowd of people to wonder if there was something going on out there. Looking at him now, you could understand how that happened. There was a magnetic intensity in his gaze that drew you to him. You had never seen that expression for yourself, though. Perhaps it was reserved for the sea.  

There were many things you didn’t know about him. He was fathomless like the ocean itself. What you saw now was only the surface. You couldn’t hope to catch even a glimpse of his depths. The thought gave you a strange restlessness.  

Just stop thinking, you told yourself firmly. Easy, casual. Remember that!  

“Monsieur Neuvillette,” you addressed him. “May I take a few pictures of you?”  

To your surprise, he readily agreed. You were under the impression that he didn’t like being photographed, considering the scarcity of his photos in the papers and his avoidance of being in public.  

“Should I pose or, ah, smile?” he asked, fiddling with his fingers. Maybe he was like you, uncomfortable with being photographed.   

“No. All you have to do is to stand and look as you usually do,” you said, even as you find yourself curious about what sorts of poses Neuvillette would make. “Just stand against the railing and look out at sea. That would be perfect.”  

As you aimed the lens at Neuvillette and looked at him through the viewfinder, it struck you then that from an outsider’s point of view, you looked like a real couple, on a real date.  

Embarrassingly, the thought made your heart flutter.  

Except it wasn’t, really. It was a sham, all for show. It was like a play, almost, performed for an invisible audience. A farce for no one except the two of you (and the Hydro Archon).   

But that doesn’t change the fact that you’re happy right now, a voice whispered in your mind. How long had it been since your heart felt so light?  

You weren’t sure if that made you more pathetic or not.  

You took a deep breath, clearing your mind of these errant thoughts, and concentrated on taking pictures of Neuvillette. He really is very photogenic, you thought. Though he does a look a bit stiff. You put on what you thought was an encouraging smile to help him relax, but it seemed to have the opposite effect. Whoops?  

After you were done, Neuvillette said, “I do hope the pictures will turn out well.”  

“I’m sure they will,” you said, putting the Kamera back down and flopping back down onto the bench. “There is no finer pairing than a handsome man and beautiful scenery.”  

Neuvillette made a choked noise. He blinked rapidly and shook his head, like he couldn’t believe what he just heard. “Pardon me?”  

“‘There’s no finer pairing than a handsome man and beautiful scenery’?” you repeated your words, confused. Neuvillette still looked a bit stunned. You began to wonder if you had said something wrong. You meant it as an innocuous comment, but it could be taken the wrong way in the context of your relationship. Perhaps Neuvillette thought you meant something more by it. You should rectify things before a misunderstanding occurred.  

Just as you opened your mouth to speak, Neuvillette beat you to the punch.  

“You…consider me handsome?”  

Now it was your turn to stare at him. “Of course I do?”  

“I-I see,” Neuvillette said in a low voice. He seemed awfully caught off guard by your words. That was strange. Surely he was used to receiving compliments on his looks? Whenever he made a rare public appearance, the papers always made sure to describe his looks in loving detail, and it was well known that he had a legion of fangirls, some of whom had even been sent to the Fortress of Meropide for their extreme behavior.  

“I mean, I consider you handsome in the same way that most Fontainians do, in an aesthetic sort of way. I don’t mean anything untoward, sir. Did you find what I said offensive?”  

“No,” Neuvillette said, then cleared his throat. He was looking at anywhere but you. You could have sworn that the tips of his ears turned red. He almost seemed embarrassed. “No, I was simply…simply surprised, that’s all.”  

“Surprised? Why?”  

“Because you…ah, never acted in a way that suggested that you did…” Neuvillette struggled to find the words to finish his sentence. Poor man, you were embarrassing him to death. “Admire my looks, so I assumed that you…did not think of me in that way.”  

You stared at him with your mouth agape, only to hastily close your mouth when you saw how flustered you were making him. So Neuvillette was aware of the effect that his looks had on people. “Wait, what about that time when I kept staring at you? That counts, right?”  

“No, it was different. It felt more as though you were trying to analyze me,” he said. He must be so used to the amorous stares of his admirers that he was able to differentiate between the different types of gazes. His brow wrinkled, as though recalling unpleasant memories. Most likely related to the more extreme side of his fans. Poor man , you thought again.  

“I see,” you nodded. “I am sorry if I caused any offence by never saying anything.”  

“It isn’t something I care a whit about,” Neuvillette said quickly. If you didn’t know him, you would have thought he was trying to convince himself. “I find the fixation on appearances quite baffling and needless, honestly.”  

“Really?” you gave him a once-over. He wasn’t wearing his usual judge’s garb, but he was still dressed much too formally for a casual outing like this. The afternoon sun gilded the edges of his white hair, which looked soft and silky to the touch. His hair care regimen must be intensive .   

“Yes, really,” he nodded. “I only put up with such standards because of the demands of my position.”  

Easy for someone as stunning as him to say, you thought, but felt no bitterness. Maybe it was because he sounded truly sincere.   

Perhaps it was that sincerity that spurred you on to say what you said next.  

“Even so, I think there’s nothing wrong with complimenting someone on their looks, especially when they look as radiant as you,” you struggled to find the right words. You were never much of a writer. “Looking at you…reminds me of the mountains near my home. I liked seeing them every day. They never fail to take my breath away.”  

A thought popped into your head. Wait, a comparison to the sea would have been more apt here. But truth be told, you didn’t have any strong connection to the sea. Mountains, on the other hand, have been the constant backdrop for your childhood, so that was why they were the first thing that popped into your mind.  

A thrill of elation shot through your heart. Back in your old ball-attending days, your family would advise you to compliment potential partners on their appearance and dress. You tried, but somehow it always seemed to not land correctly. Perhaps it was your tone or the way you spoke. With Neuvillette, you had put all your sincerity and goodwill into your words, and it seemed to have worked.   

Neuvillette had always been nothing but courteous and gentlemanly towards you. It was time that you repaid the favor.  

The loud cry of a sea bird at the front of the boat drew your attention, and you spun around, your back facing him. Elynas was just up ahead.  

As you admired the white ridges of the mountains in your jubilation, you were completely ignorant of your husband’s intense, heated gaze aimed at the back of your head and the rapidly clearing clouds.   

“Welcome to Merusea Village, Monsieur and Madame Neuvillette!”  

A high-pitched chorus greeted you at the entrance of the underwater village.  

You surveyed the crowd of Melusines before you, still reeling from the journey here and what happened on the boat. Your hand was still tingling.   

The Melusines immediately surrounded the two of you, talking over each other.   

“Your wife is so pretty, Monsieur Neuvillette!”  

“I wish you invited us to the wedding!”  

“Does this mean you’re our new mother?”  

“When are you going to have a baby?”  

The last two questions took by complete surprise. “P-Pardon me??” you spluttered.  

Neuvillette, noticing how flustered you were, cleared his throat. “Everyone, I understand that you’re all excited to meet Madame Neuvillette, but you’re overwhelming her by coming up to her all at once.”  

The Melusines looked sheepish. “Sorry, Madame,” they said in unison.  

“There’s no need to apologize,” you said, although you were still not over the whole “mother” thing (your mind had automatically blocked out the baby question. You were still trying to wrap your head around the whole “being married” thing). You knew that the Melusines saw Neuvillette as their father and that he treated them as though they were his own daughters, but you hadn’t thought about how you factored into these relationships. I mean, in that sense, I guess I’m their stepmother…?  

Having spent much time with the Melusines recently, you had begun to think of them as your little sisters.   

 A blue Melusine with brown hair stepped forward. “Monsieur Neuvillette is right, everyone,” she said in a tone that you immediately recognized to be that of a big sister. “We should all introduce ourselves to Madame one by one. I’ll go first. I’m Serene.”  

The others followed her example and introduced themselves. You tried your best to remember them all. Cosanzeana, Iara, Sedile, Virda…  

“Madame,” Sedene said. “Shall we give you a tour of the village?”  

“Yes, please do,” you said. The Melusines happily grabbed your hands and led you to the opening of the cave.  

You couldn’t help but let out a gasp as you laid eyes on the enchanting sight before you. The contrast between the gloomy and dangerous Elynas above and this cozy and adorable underwater village was incredible. You had seen pictures of the village, but they failed to completely capture its charm, from the cupcake-shaped stone houses to their bubbling chimneys. The gentle light cascading down from above bequeathed a mysterious air to the village that made your heart leap. It looked just like the fairy villages in the picture books you loved as a child.   

You wasted no time in taking pictures. The Melusines were delighted by the presence of your Kamera and asked if you could take photos of them as well, which you happily agreed to. So, the tour became a rather sluggish one as the Melusines led you around the village, taking turns to point out which house belonged to who, pointing out all the interesting spots and showing you their little knickknacks. You dutifully complied with their picture-taking requests. It was an absorbing process. You almost fancied yourself as an anthropologist, documenting the culture of an unknown civilization.  

Neuvillette seemed content to hang back and let the Melusines take over. He, like you, was also surrounded by a gaggle of the little creatures. Whenever you glanced back, he was always in the midst of patting their heads or picking them up in his arms. You could hear him inquiring about them and their eager answers.    

The party made its way past a basin. Or perhaps it would be more accurate to call it a passageway, since it appeared to be bottomless. “This is how we go to the underwater part of the village,” a pink Melusine named Xana explained.   

You peered down. You could just make out the blurry gray shapes of houses. It reminded you of the small pool that you arrived here from. Neuvillette told you that it was a secret shortcut that not many people knew about. It certainly lived up to its status as a shortcut, since you ended up at the bottom of the water in the blink of an eye, before you could even register the fact that Neuvillette had wrapped his arms around your waist and asked you to close your eyes and hold your breath for a few seconds as he dove into the water with you.  

You felt your face turn slightly warm as you recalled the feeling of his arms around you and being pressed against his chest. He was more muscular than he looked, under all that loose-flowing fabric.   

You stole another glance at him. He was in the middle of examining Xana’s collection of shiny things that she was proudly holding out to him. Sensing your gaze, he looked up and met your eyes.  

Before you could look away, he walked up to you. “What is it, Madame?”  

“Um…” you fumbled for something to say, something that wasn’t related to Neuvillette’s strong, comforting arms or his broad chest. “I was wondering if we could go visit the underwater part of the village.”  

“Underwater?” Neuvillette repeated. The corners of his lips turned downward. “I would dearly love to, but I don’t believe you can hold your breath for that long.”  

“Oh, I see,” you felt a little disappointed, but there was nothing you could do. You’ve always had a fascination with underwater structures and ruins and the like, but it seemed that you could only see them in pictures.  

“Can you swim, Madame?” Xana asked.  

“Yes, but not very well. I can only stick to shallow water,” you said. “Monsieur Neuvillette is a very good swimmer, though. We got all the way down here in seconds. It’s like he was born for it.”  

The Melusines looked at each other and giggled, like they were sharing a secret.   

The tour made its final stop at the entrance of a conjoining cavern. You spotted a small house some distance away. “That’s where Mamere lives,” Serene pointed at it. “She’s out of the village getting materials for her paints right now, though.”  

“I was wondering where she was,” Neuvillette mused. “Is she still keeping to herself most of the time?”  

“Yeah, I told her that she needed to stay in the village since today’s a special day, but you know how it is with that kid…” Serene let out a long-suffering sigh that you emphasized with as a fellow older sister. “She does whatever she wants.”  

“Who’s Mamere?” you asked.  

It was a Melusine named Topyas who answered. “She’s a painter like you, Madame! I don’t really get her paintings, though.”  

“Yeah, what’s the word humans use again—abstract? Her paintings are very different from yours. Madame’s paintings are much easier to understand,” Xana said.  

“Oh?” That surprised you. You never thought that the drawings you did for practice for make it this far across the nation. “You’ve seen my paintings? Did the Melusines from the city show them to you?”  

“No, it was Monsieur Neuvillette. He showed them to us when he came here before.”  

“He did?” you looked at him. He nodded. You thought he looked a bit bashful.   

“I hope that is okay with you,” he said. “I wanted all the Melusines to see them.”  

“Well…um, I have no problem with it,” you looked down at your feet. It was funny. You never had much attachment to your paintings and considered them to be adequate enough to be part of your portfolio, but having them shown around like this almost made you wonder if there was something in them Neuvillette and the Melusines saw that you didn’t see. “I’m just worried that they’re too boring for your tastes. They’re just landscapes of my hometown, after all.”  

The Melusines disagreed vehemently. “But they’re so pretty. It feels like I’m right there when I’m looking at them,” Iara said, clapping her hands together.  

“I really love the sunflowers,” Cosanzeana said wistfully. “I wish I could grow them down here, but they need the sun. You’re so lucky that you get to live in a place with so many flowers.”  

“Is that so? I think you’re the lucky ones, getting to live in this beautiful village,” you gestured around. If you had the chance to live near the skeleton of a giant beast, you’d never leave. Of course, you did not say that out loud.  

“Monsieur Neuvillette also said that you’re very modest, Madame,” Serene said.   

“Oh, really?” you looked at Neuvillette again. He avoided your gaze this time. “What else did he say about me?”  

“He told us that you’re—"  

Neuvillette cleared his throat a bit too loudly. “Oh, that reminds me, we prepared a feast for you!” Serene said quickly. You could hear amusement in her voice. “Are you two hungry?”  

“I’m not,” you said.  

“Nor am I. Your sandwiches were very filling, Madame,” Neuvillette said.  

“Madame made sandwiches for you, Monsieur?” a Melusine asked.  

“She did, and they were delicious,” Neuvillette said, smiling at you. Really, this man… “I only wish she made more so we can share them with all of you.”  

The Melusines looked at you with expectant eyes. Looks like you’ve just been volunteered for more sandwich-making duties in the near future. “How about this? Why don’t you all come to Monsieur Neuvillette’s house when the sunflowers are in full bloom? I’ll make plenty of sandwiches for all of you then. And Monsieur Neuvillette can entertain all of you while you’re there,” you gave him your sweetest smile. “If it’s okay with you, of course.”  

Neuvillette looked a bit dazed as he stared at your face. Perhaps you had gone a bit too far. There were a lot of Melusines here, after all. But then he blinked and shook his head slightly, like he was awakened from a trance. “I think that’s a wonderful idea. We’ll send the invitations here when the time comes.”  

Overjoyed by the invitation, the Melusines quickly began to chat amongst themselves over what to wear and what to bring. As it was still mid-afternoon and neither you nor Neuvillette were hungry yet, it was decided that you would spend your time leisurely until evening arrived.   

So for the next few hours, you played and chatted with the Melusines. You had expected them to ask you endless questions about your marriage, but they didn’t. Perhaps Neuvillette had told them something beforehand, saving you the trouble of coming up with answers. Playing with the Melusines brought back fun memories of your days assisting at the schoolhouse back home. For some reason, they were infinitely fascinated by your life and hometown up above. You told them about the fields of wildflowers, the majestic mountains you played in when you were a child, and even a bit about your life in the city. They stroked their mitten-like hands along the fabric of your skirt and exclaimed over it like it was made of spun gold. They admired the flower in your hair and squealed over the fact that Neuvillette had a matching one in his hair.   

Up until now, you had always considered your life to be drab and hopeless. It wasn’t even tragic, just lackluster. At home, you were overlooked in favor of your sister, and in high society, you were invisible. It wasn’t lost on you that your life could be much worse. However, as destined as you were for a life of quiet spinsterhood, it could still be amended. You could still have shreds of your childhood aspirations, molded into adult reality.  

That was why you adopted an attitude of always looking forward and never dwelling on the past for too long. Staying too long in one spot would only trap you there forever. You’ve read all sorts of stories about old gods and heroes who met their downfall by clinging too much to the past. You were nowhere near their level, of course, but your old art teacher told you that all the most valuable lessons were learned from history, and you trusted her with all your heart.  

But being with the Melusines—being with Neuvillette—was starting to make you see the color in your black-and-white life. You were beginning to see that there was something beyond the constrained life you were born into and destined for.   

Don’t lose sight of your goal. Don’t forget who you are. The little voice in your head warned you. Thinking of your future plans always managed to clear your heart and refresh your mind. But now, it sounded strangely muffled compared to before.  

Speaking of Neuvillette, you looked around for him. Currently, you were resting on a bench. He had wanted to stay with you, but you encouraged him to play with the Melusines. This was one of his rare visits, after all. You spotted him with some Melusines by the waterfall. Laume—the Melusine who wanted to be a journalist, if you remembered correctly—was holding the Kamera and instructing him to pose. You watched as he placed his hand on his hip and held up his hand in a peace sign. He really does indulge them. You knew that he had a soft, paternal side he showed only to the Melusines, but having it displayed before you like this was something else.  

More Melusines came up to him, wanting to take pictures with him. He patted their heads with a fond smile. A lucky few even got the chance to ride on his shoulders. His affection for the Melusines was evident in his every expression and gesture. And it was clear that the Melusines reciprocated that love just as much.  

“I hope you aren’t too tired out by the kids,” Serene said, sitting next to you. “They can be a handful.”  

“It’s all right, I’ve done this kind of thing before,” you waved your hand. “I’m more worried about you. Shouldn’t you be playing with Monsieur Neuvillette like the others instead of running around taking care of everyone?”  

You’ve learned that Serene was indeed the big sister of the Melusines here, the one who looked after everyone and sent reports to Neuvillette about the goings-on of the village. She really was a big sister.  

“That’s my job, after all. I’ve got to take it seriously, just like how Monsieur Neuvillette always takes his job seriously,” Serene said matter-of-factly, but you could hear the admiration in her voice.   

“But it’s good to take breaks sometimes. Even Monsieur Neuvillette does, like today.”  

“Today…” Serene mused. Then she smiled. “You know, Madame, when we learned that he was bringing you with him to the village, we were so happy. We thought, ‘Finally, Monsieur Neuvillette has someone by his side.’”  

“Someone by his side?” you repeated. “But he has all of you, doesn’t he?”  

But even as you say it, you thought that you understood what Serene meant. You had the same thoughts before.   

“What I mean is, someone who can share his worries and burdens. Someone he can be himself with. I don’t know much about how human marriages work, but I think that’s what it’s supposed to be, right? I’m so happy that Monsieur Neuvillette has finally found someone like that. You must be really special.”   

You looked away from the Melusine, biting your lip. Serene didn’t know the circumstances surrounding this marriage, of course. She didn’t know that it was based on pity and self-interest. She didn’t know that you and him were simply wading in shallow water, never intending to go deeper than that. She didn’t know that even for this trip, it was an obligation handed down to him by the Archon, not something he did because he wanted to, or that there was something he was refusing to tell you for reasons you didn’t understand.  

You didn’t say any of this out loud. Instead, you forced a smile. “I’m really not all that special,” you said.  

“But Monsieur Neuvillette thinks you are, Madame! You should have heard how he talked about you. And his face! I’ve never seen him look like that before.”  

“What did he say about me?” you asked, curious. You couldn’t imagine it.  

“Oh…I shouldn’t. I don’t want to embarrass him,” Serene giggled. “But trust me, they were all good things. And he was right, you’re as wonderful and lovely as he described!”  

Wonderful and lovely? Those were two words that better described your sister, not you. You almost wondered if Neuvillette had been talking about someone else.  

Just then, a Melusine ran up to you. “Madame! Come take a picture with us!”  

“Okay, I’m coming,” you answered, then took Serene’s hand. “Come on, let’s go take some pictures.”  

The crowd of Melusines immediately made room for you to stand next to Neuvillette. You glanced up at him. Despite having to keep up with the Melusines’ seemingly boundless energy for so long, he didn’t look the slightest bit fatigued.     

“Are you feeling more rested, Madame?” he whispered as you positioned yourself next to him. “Hungry yet?”  

“Yes to the first question, and no, I’m not hungry yet,” you whispered back. “Are you?”  

“I also am not hungry,” he answered. There was a short pause before he asked another question. “…Are you enjoying yourself?”  

“Of course I am,” you said in surprise, for he sounded genuinely troubled. “Why do you ask?”  

“It is just that…” Neuvillette trailed off, as though searching for the right words. “I couldn’t help but notice that you had a rather grave expression on your face when you were chatting with Serene.”  

He could see your expression from all the way over here? You looked at the other side of the village, where the bench you had been sitting. His eyesight must be incredible.   

“Oh, there’s nothing to worry about,” you said airily. “We were just chatting. And that’s how my face always looks. But why were you looking over at us, anyways, when you have all these charming young ladies around you?”  

One of the Melusines in front of you giggled and turned around. “That’s because he was feeling lonely without you, Madame!” she chirped.   

“Yeah, that’s why he keeps looking in your direction!” Another Melusine chimed in.   

“Is that true, Monsieur Neuvillette?” you looked back at him. His face was kept carefully smooth and expressionless, but you could see spots of color in his cheeks. “Can you really not bear a single minute away from me?”  

“I…” Neuvillette looked as though he wanted to take off and leave right there and then. But he ended up being saved from having to come up with an answer by Laume.  

“Okay, everyone! I finally figured out how to use the timer!” she announced. “Now, we can all take a group picture together!”  

Wow, I didn’t know Kameras from back then had timers, you thought as Laume directed the Melusines to cluster together as closely as possible so that they could all be captured by the Kamera’s lens. You and Neuvillette eventually ended up in a position where you were basically pressed against each other.  

“Madame,” you heard him whisper into your ear. Despite this not even being the first time, your heart never failed to beat just a little faster. “May I put my arm around you?”  

You looked up at him. His lilac eyes bored into your own, exerting an invisible force. You nodded, and he wrapped his arm around your waist, his hand resting just above your hip. You could feel the warmth of his hand seeping through the fabric and into your skin. The weight of it made you feel twitchy and lightheaded. It felt like every nerve in your body was concentrated there in that one spot.  

“Get ready, everyone! The Kamera’s about to go off in five seconds! Smile!” Laume shouted. She proceeded to run back to the crowd. Just then, you felt him tighten his grip imperceptibly, drawing you towards him. Your head brushed against his shoulder.  

The Kamera flashed, capturing this moment in time forever. With that, the crowd dispersed, and Neuvillette let go of your waist. You could still feel the shadow of his touch. You stared after him, wanting to say something, but didn’t know what.    

A pink Melusine called out to him. “Oh, Monsieur Neuvillette, could we please play with your hair now?”  

“Why, certainly,” Neuvillette said. The Melusines cheered.  

“Madame, have you ever played with Monsieur Neuvillette’s hair before?” one of them asked.  

“I haven’t,” you said, causing them to gasp in surprise.    

They insisted that you be granted the honor of touching Neuvillette’s hair first, despite your protestations. As for the man in question, he had no problem with it, although his mind seemed to be somewhere else. And so was yours, for that matter. You just couldn’t figure him out, and it bothered you greatly. Were friendships supposed to be this complicated? You thought that once you and Neuvillette agreed to be friends, things would be so much easier between the two of you now. In some ways, it was, but it also wasn’t, as it was in this case.   

Why am I feeling so strangely about this? You wondered to yourself. He just put his arm around me, that’s all. Why, just today, he carried me in his arms when we came down here and kissed the back of my hand because I complimented him (an overreaction, but I can understand the logic behind it). And I did run into his arms and cling to him (only because I was startled by the vishap)…I suppose the difference is that I can’t think of any conceivable reason that he would put his arm around me back there.  

Stop overthinking, you told yourself once again. It’ll just give you a headache. Remember, easy and casual!  

“Madame…Madame!” High-pitched voices pierced through your thoughts. Before you knew it, you were sitting on the stone bench again. Neuvillette was perched on the end, his back facing you. The ends of his tied hair were resting on the stone surface. His pure white locks reminded you of untrodden snow, too pristine to touch. You uneasily wondered if you should wash your hands first.  

“I brought the hair things!” Cosanzeana announced, bringing over a box. It contained combs, brushes, ribbons, and various other hair ornaments. It seemed that this was a favorite activity of the Melusines. Neuvillette was evidently used to it as well, for he was sitting quietly with his back erect and his hands clasped in his lap.  

It was somewhat unnerving to have an audience of bright, inhuman eyes watch you, but you got on with it. You slowly undid the black ribbon at the end of his hair and placed it by your side, then leaned forward to remove the feathered hairclip and Lamplight Lily tucked near his temple. You tried your best not to touch his skin, but he probably didn’t feel it.  

His hair was even more stunning unbound. You couldn’t help but smile as you ran your fingers through the silky strands. You couldn’t lie to yourself—there were times when you were tempted to touch his beautiful hair, and now one of your secret dreams had come true.   

“Monsieur Neuvillette’s hair is so lovely, isn’t it?” Serene said, beaming.  

“It sure is,” you said. His hair had an awful tendency to get tangled and snagged in the smallest cracks and crevices, so you’ve always wondered why he didn’t cut it short for practicality’s sake. But honestly, if you had his hair, you would let it grow freely and run through the forest like a woodland creature, feeling your hair stream in the wind behind you. “I hope he never cuts it. It would be a tragedy for Fontaine when that happens.”  

Your comment caused a horrified gasp to rise from the Melusines. “Oh, Monsieur Neuvillette, promise us that you’ll keep your hair as it is!” a few of them pleaded.  

“I will not,” he assured them. “I prefer my hair the way it is as well.”  

“They should pass a law that forbids scissors from being within three meters of Monsieur Neuvillette’s hair,” you said as you began to run the seashell comb through his hair.   

“An interesting idea, though frivolous,” Neuvillette said. “I hardly think an edict like that would be much accepted among the people.”  

“I think you’d be surprised at how many people are invested in your hair,” you said as you worked through a knot, trying to be as gentle as you could. You were thinking about an old classmate of yours who was obsessed with Neuvillette’s “luscious, pearlescent locks of moonlight” (the girl who coined that phrase would go on to write for the Steambird) and wondered what she would say if she saw you now.  “And I don’t see how this law is any more frivolous than not being allowed to place fruit tarts on unheated trays or put unfinished Fonta in the middle of the road.”  

“You’ve been reading up on the laws of Fontaine, Madame?” Neuvillette sounded genuinely surprised. “You never shown much interest in judicial affairs.”   

“I am your wife, after all,” you said. And there’s not much else besides legal codices to read in your house, you added silently. A trip to the library was due. “It’s perfectly normal for a wife to take a little interest in her husband’s work, isn’t it? Some of it is actually quite interesting.”  

You weren’t sure how much the Melusines knew about the truth of your marriage, but you thought you should at least put on the façade. Neuvillette didn’t say anything in response.   

You tried to be as gentle as you could as you untangled the knots and snarls. Inwardly, you marvelled at how healthy and well-maintained his hair was. What is his haircare regimen? You once again wondered as you idly twirled a lock around your index finger. It even smelled nice. You had the urge to bury your face in his hair. I bet he’s the type who only uses soap to wash his hair. It must be a pain to brush it in the morning, though.     

The long, blue ornaments were getting in the way. You grabbed them at the ends and pressed them down, but they bounced back up. Thinking that you should take them out, you looked for the place where they were clipped into his hair, only to find to your amazement that they were attached to his head.  

You rubbed the ornaments between your fingers. They didn’t feel like they were made of synthetic materials. Were they…?  

You heard a low grunt. “M-Madame…w-what are you doing?” Neuvillette sounded different. His voice was breathy, strained-sounding. Did you pull on his hair too hard?   

“I wanted to move these blue hair ornaments, but…these aren’t ornaments, are they?”  

“They are not.”  

“Are they antennae, then? Or feelers?”   

There was a brief silence. “They are horns ,” Neuvillette said at last. He sounded offended.  

“Oh…” you looked at them again. What sort of creature would have such floppy horns, you thought, remembering how they fluttered about in the wind. “Why didn’t you tell me that?”  

“You’ve never asked.”   

“I see,” you said. “I’m sorry if I caused you pain.”  

“You did not. It’s just that my horns are very…sensitive to touch, so please tell me beforehand if you are going to touch them.”  

“Oh…okay,” You didn’t know what else to say. You hadn’t expected the conversation to go this way, and you were very glad that Neuvillette couldn’t see your face right now.  

“Madame’s face is red!” a Melusine yelled. You turned and found a crowd of wide eyes flitting between you and Neuvillette.  

You cleared your throat. “Who wants to help me braid Monsieur Neuvillette’s hair?” you said in an overly cheerful voice.  

“Ooh, me, me!” the Melusines pressed forward eagerly. You inwardly let out a sigh of relief for diffusing the awkward situation, completely failing to notice the rosy flush that appeared on Neuvillette’s pale cheeks and the tensing of his neck.  

With Neuvillette’s hair as the medium, you demonstrated various hairstyles—braids, ponytails, twin tails, and so on. It brought back fond memories of doing your sister’s hair. The Melusines happily helped with gathering flowers and ribbons to adorn Neuvillette’s hair. Much fun was had, and many pictures were taken. Neuvillette remained admirably composed upon seeing the monstrosities done to his hair in the mirror, but fortunately for him, no one else would ever see these sights.  

Eventually, you felt hungry, and it was decided that dinner would be served shortly. As you were letting down Neuvillette’s hair, Topyas asked you a question. “Madame, why don’t you call Monsieur Neuvillette by just his name?”  

“Well…” you had to think about it. Neuvillette, who had been shifting slightly, stilled. “It just feels a bit odd to not call him by his title. He’s such a great, accomplished man after all.”  

“But aren’t you two married? I thought married couples call each other by their nicknames.”  

“Everyone’s different,” you said, brushing Neuvillette’s hair. “Monsieur Neuvillette has always been Monsieur Neuvillette to me. He never calls me by my name either.”  

“Huh, now that I think about it…” Topyas said, putting her hand on her chin. “That does make sense. It does feel a bit too formal, though.”  

“Madame can call me whatever she feels most comfortable with,” Neuvillette said. “As I do with her.”  

You tied the black ribbon to the end of his hair and returned the hair accessories to their original positions. You felt a complicated mix of emotions swirling within you.  

Melusine cuisine was not what you expected. When the dishes were first served to you, you wondered if you were being poisoned. The meat was green and purple, and the dead eyes of the fish sticking out of the pie—it was called Poissonchant Pie, if you remembered correctly—briefly made you consider swearing off fish and pies for the rest of your life. And the scent was...stimulating, to say the least. Was this even edible , you wondered. You looked over at Neuvillette to see what he was going to eat.  

“Why, this all looks delicious,” he said, surveying the dishes and smiling at the expectant crowd. “Thank you all for this wonderful meal.”  

“Um...yes. Thank you, everyone,” you said.  

Then, he elegantly brought a forkful of meat to his mouth, his eyes closed. In pleasure or resignation, you couldn’t tell. It didn’t seem to have any ill effects on him, but then again, he was not human, so it stood to reason that he had a stronger stomach than you.   

Unfortunately, the sandwiches were all finished, and the Melusines were looking at you with their expectant bright eyes. You steeled yourself (and your stomach) and took a bite out of the oddly colored meat. Well, if I do get violently sick, at least Neuvillette is here. He can take me to the best doctors.   

You forced yourself to chew and swallow. Surprisingly, the meat didn’t taste spoiled. In fact, it was quite good. You took another bite.  

“Do you like my food, Madame?” the chef, Lutine, asked.  

“Yes. It’s very good. You’re an excellent cook,” you said.   

“Oh, I’m so happy to hear that!” she said with a sigh of relief. “Humans are put off by our dishes because of their appearances, so most of them don’t know how delicious our food actually is!”  

“They’re definitely missing out,” you assured her, then sampled the pie. It was also very good, despite the eerie feeling that the fish were about to break into song. “There’s a lot of food here, though. I hope I can finish it all.”  

“Monsieur Neuvillette only visits us here a few times a year, including his birthday,” Lutine explained. “So I make as many dishes as I could whenever he comes, so he can taste them all.”  

“He only visits you a few times a year?” you repeated incredulously, looking at him. “Is he so busy?”  

“Yes, he is. He almost never takes vacations,” it was Sedile, a Marechausee Phantom agent, who answered this time. “But now that he has you, Madame, maybe you can convince him to rest more.”  

“Maybe,” you said vaguely, but you doubted you had that much influence on him. Next to you, Neuvillette continued to eat, not saying anything.  

After the meal, you decided to take a private stroll in the side cavern where Mamere’s house was located. Neuvillette was being detained by the Melusines, so you slipped out when they weren’t looking.  

Watching him and the Melusines made you feel a mix of emotions. It was gladdening to see him being surrounded by creatures who adored him so openly and unconditionally, but it also made you feel a bit lonely, like you were a star orbiting a sun on the outskirts of its gravitational field. He was much more relaxed with them as well, compared to when he was with you. It was almost as though you were seeing his real self.  

It’s only natural, you thought to yourself. He and the Melusines have a long history together, and you’re just an outsider he didn’t even know existed until a few months ago. Besides, it’s hard to be so serious and formal with them.   

There was no point in feeling gloomy. The sights here were far more interesting. You didn't have the Kamera with you, but that didn’t matter. You took enough pictures for one day. You just wanted to be alone with your thoughts and get some respite from all the bustle.   

“Madame,” Neuvillette chose that moment to join you. “My apologies for leaving you all alone. But you mustn’t go off on your own like this. You can easily get lost in these caverns.”  

“Don't worry about me,” you said. “I’ll stay close to the village. Please, feel free to go be with the Melusines. You’re their father, after all. I’ll join you later.”  

“But we are on a date. It's highly ill-mannered of me to leave you alone.”  

"Oh, Monsieur Neuvillette, there’s no need to keep up this pretense of a date. I do appreciate everything you’re doing and how seriously you’re taking this, but you should be concerned about your own relaxation more. You don’t visit Merusea Village as often as you would like, do you? You should make the most of your time here before we go back. I’ll be fine on my own. I’m used to it.”  

You thought you sounded dependable and logical, but the look in Neuvillette’s eyes spoke otherwise. They were filled with alarm. His mouth moved, as though he wanted to say something, but no words came out. It was then that you knew that you had definitely said something wrong.  

But before you could say anything, Neuvillette seemed to have finally found his words. “...Have I done something wrong?” His voice was a low whisper, but every word was transmitted to your ears clearly. It raised the hair on the back of your neck.  

“W-What do you mean?” you frowned. “Of course not. You’ve been nothing but a perfect gentleman to me today.”  

“What is it, then? Is this place not to your liking? Do you wish to go home now?” He took a step towards you, and you reflexively backed up. Neuvillette was looking down at you, his eyes piercing into your own. It didn’t strike you until then just how tall he was, and how intimidating he could be when he wanted to. Is this what criminals see? You thought even as your heartbeat hammered in your ears.  

“No, not at all. I love this place and everyone here!” you shook your head vigorously. “I wish we could stay longer.”   

“Then why are you pushing me away?” The usual silkiness in his voice was gone, replaced by something rougher and unfamiliar. You felt your heart beginning to beat quickly, your hands becoming slick with sweat. He took another step towards you. You stepped backwards once again and found yourself backed up against a pink wall.  

“I-I’m not pushing you away! It’s just that I need a little bit of alone time to recover my energy after socializing with so many people, and there is no need for you to stick with me. It has nothing to do with you and the Melusines, and everything to do with me. I’m sure you understand that, don’t you, sir?”  

“I do,” he said. “Indeed, I understand. But what I don’t understand is your insistence on there being no ‘need’ for me to stay by your side. If you ask it of me, I would be happy to accompany you in silence.”  

“But I would not be,” you said. “Like I said before, this isn’t a real date, and we...aren’t a real couple. You don’t have to always be with me, especially since you don’t take a lot of personal holidays. I would rather you spend the free time you have with someone who isn’t as boring as me.”  

You stated the last part matter-of-factly. It was simply the truth.  

However, it seemed to have been the wrong thing to say.  

Neuvillette stepped even closer to you. He bent down, his face so close to yours that your noses were practically touching.  

“…Did Furina approach you?” he said, his voice as low as the bottom of the sea.  

You stared at him blankly for a moment. Why was he bringing up Furina all of a sudden?   

“She hasn’t,” you said after a pause.  

Neuvillette’s intense gaze roved your face, as though to search for any signs of lying. You did your best to stare back at him. At last, he let out a breath and nodded slowly.   

“Now,” you gritted out, putting all the force you could muster in your voice. “Could you please step away from me?”  

At last, he seemed to realize that he was practically pinning you against the wall and quickly stepped back. A look of shame flashed across his face.  

“My apologies,” he said at last. “I did not know what came over me.”  

“Me neither,” you said curtly. “It’s very unlike you. Why did you ask me if Lady Furina approached me, anyways?”  

Neuvillette did not answer, though you saw his jaw tense. His gaze flitted away from you. He seemed to have said something he shouldn’t have.   

You pondered over it all. His question, his behavior over this past week, his fixation on being boring...it all clicked into place.  

“Oh, it all makes sense now,” you said. Neuvillette’s face snapped back to yours. “Lady Furina called me boring and dull, didn’t she?”  

Neuvillette’s silence was all the confirmation you needed.  

“Is that all she said about me?”  

“...Yes.”   

“I see,” you nodded. It all made sense now. How ridiculous this whole situation was. It felt like a heavy load had been lightened. “So it was nothing, really.”  

“You’re not offended?” Neuvillette looked so confused that you couldn’t help but let out a laugh. He flinched.  

“Why would I be offended by the truth? It’s impressive how she was able to figure out my personality despite never meeting me. I suppose that’s to be expected of an Archon.”  

“It is not true at all. She has no right to falsely disparage someone she has never met. You have every right to be angry. I will ask her to apologize to you.”  

“There’s no need to go that far,” you exclaimed in shock. Furina was his superior, so you didn’t want to be the cause of conflict between the two of them, even though you doubted she would ever fire him. “Look, Monsieur Neuvillette, I know I’m not a very interesting person. Lady Furina isn’t the first person to call me boring. Plenty of others have before her as well. I’m used to it. It’s not the worst thing in the world, you know, to be called that. And—”  

You broke off your sentence there, upon seeing the expression on his face. There was a deep furrow between his brows, and his jaw was clenched tightly. He looked...angry.  

“Others have insulted you as well?” he said slowly. You found yourself suddenly fearing for the lives of those young ladies and gentlemen from so long ago.   

“Well, I-I wouldn’t call it being insulted, e-exactly,” you stammered. Neuvillette’s eyes seemed to pin you in place. Grabbing onto whatever came to mind and vocalizing it was the only way to break the spell. “I-It’s just that my interests and hobbies aren’t what you call ‘in vogue,’ and you know, at balls, what most people want to talk about is the latest gossip and plays and fashion and things like that, all of which I’m woefully ignorant about. And, you know, I’m not beautiful, witty, or fashionable enough to make up for that, so really, it’s only natural for people to find me uninteresting. I don’t have much to offer.”  

Oh, how wonderful. You hadn’t expected that your date would end up with you unearthing all your long-buried insecurities. A feeling of despair welled up within you. So much for maintaining a pleasant atmosphere. Of course, you would be the one to ruin this day.  

“I don’t care anymore, though,” you hurriedly added, trying to salvage this in any way you could. “It’s all in the past now, when I was a teenager. In fact, I think having a plain personality is a benefit for the line of work I’ve chosen, so it all works out in the end. Like I said before, sir, being boring isn’t a crime and—”  

“But you were hurt before,” Neuvillette interrupted. His eyes reminded you of rippling pools of water. You wanted to run away, but it was as though your legs had turned into stone. “And you are still hurt.”  

“No, I told you, I’m completely over it! It doesn’t matter anymore. It’s nothing but petty teenage angst.”  

“If you are over it, as you say, then why are you fixated on the idea that I would be bored with you. Even if it is in the past, it still occurred, and you continue to be affected by it. You have every right to be angry, to hold a grudge against those people.”  

Now you recognized that additional emotion in his eyes. It was sadness. His eyes were rippling with unshed tears, and his lips were pressed tightly together.   

He looked like he was about to cry.  

You were utterly baffled. Why did he seem more upset than you about this? You had told him the truth. Those feelings of sadness, inferiority, and self-loathing were buried deep inside you long ago. You had made sure of it. Compared to the teenaged you from so long ago, you now felt lighter, as free as a bird.  

“I...I don’t understand,” you whispered. Your voice came out a rasp. “Why do you care so much, sir? I’m sure you’ve seen people who suffered far worse than me."  

“Why would I not care?” Neuvillette said. He placed his large, gloved hands on your shoulders. The gentle but firm weight of them made something within you unfurl. “You are someone dear to me. I cannot forgive anyone who has hurt you, even if they are the Archon herself. It does not matter how minor a slight it may be. Your feelings should be valued as much as anyone else’s. And...it pains me deeply when I hear you talk about yourself in such a way, that you believe them.”  

Long buried memories resurrected themselves and flashed through your mind.   

Of disinterested eyes sizing you up, then passing over you like you weren’t even there, landing on girls much more beautiful, girls you could never hope to be.  

Of barely concealed bored looks, looking past you to someone much more interesting.  

Of incredulous sneers and raised eyebrows upon hearing of your interest in pressing flowers and Remurian history, and quick switches to far worldlier topics, like overseas vacations or the latest plays at the Opera Epiclese. Conversations you couldn’t even hope to partake in, because you came from a family that could only afford to go to the opera house once a year. You didn’t even have the confidence to bluff your way through these things.  

Balls, you had quickly learned, were like plays. You were either in a starring role, or you were a background actor without even a name.  

It wasn’t as though anyone had ever publicly humiliated you or ganged up on you like something out of a cheap romance novel. You were too insignificant for that.   

Eventually, you had learned to endure these little jabs, hardening your mind and heart. You were a poor baron’s daughter, someone with very little standing in the grand scheme of things. You couldn’t afford to offend your betters, anyways. There was nothing you could do except to shrug it off, to polish and improve yourself, and to make yourself worthy of being seen and chosen. Your parents had told you so as well. You couldn’t--shouldn’t--rely on them in such matters. They had their hands tied as well.  

The only one you could rely on was yourself. If no one else was there to pick up the pieces, then you would have to be the one to do it. That was a philosophy you had lived by, and it worked out for you so far.  

But now...  

You stared at the distraught man in front of you. A man with too much empathy for someone who didn’t deserve it, especially compared to those who had gone through actual suffering.  

You wanted to push him away again, to reassure him that there was nothing to be sad about, that it was wasted on you. You wanted to tell him to go be with someone happier, more cheerful, and to leave you be in your misery until you could recover yourself once more and go back to him with a smile.  

But then you remembered that young girl crying into her pillow after a particularly difficult ball where she didn’t get asked to dance even once. The herbarium (as you had insisted on calling it) that you diligently maintained since you were a child, thrown away in the trash.   

Even boring, dull girls had feelings to hurt.   

You stepped towards him and wrapped your arms tightly around his waist, burrowing your face into his jacket.  

“Madame...?” you heard his stunned voice above your head. But his arms wrapped around you tightly, bringing you deeper into his embrace. Hot tears prickled the back of your eyelids, but you let them flow. You could pay for his dry cleaning later.  

“Thank you,” you mumbled into his clothes, then raised your head to look straight into his eyes. “Neuvillette. For always thinking of my feelings, far more than I do myself. It makes me...very happy.”  

You really were a terrible friend. You thought you were putting him at ease by maintaining a respectable distance between the two of you, by dismissing his worries. But that had the opposite effect.  

He coddled you, something you hated, but maybe it was okay to sink and give in sometimes.  

“There is no need to thank me,” Neuvillette said. “I am only doing what I ought to do.”  

“I know. And that’s what I love about you.”  

Neuvillette’s eyes widened. You made no explanation for your words. He placed his hand on the back of your head and gently stroked it. You closed your eyes, wanting to engrave this warmth into your memories.  

Suddenly, you heard gasps and giggles coming from the cavern’s entrance. Both you and Neuvillette whipped your heads in that direction. Small, colorful heads squealed and quickly hid behind a rock.   

“It looks like we got an audience,” you said.   

“Indeed. How troublesome,” Neuvillette said. Neither of you let go of each other.  

One little Melusine poked her head out from the rock. “Kiss!” she shouted.  

Several of her sisters joined her. “Monsieur Neuvillette, kiss her!”  

The two of you looked at each other. Neuvillette’s face was a mixture of awkwardness, embarrassment, and affection. Your face mirrored his, you were sure.  

"Neuvillette, can you bend down for me?” you whispered, then changed your mind and stood up on your tiptoes, then pressed your lips against his smooth, marble cheek. But unlike marble, it was soft and warm.  

You heard a sharp inhalation from Neuvillette, which was quickly followed by a chorus of high-pitched squeals and cheers.  

As you watched Neuvillette’s cheeks turn red and felt your own burn, you couldn’t help but think that Furina had been on the right track with this whole marriage business, even if you disagreed with the way she went about it.  

Neuvillette deserved to have someone who loved him wholeheartedly and without hesitation. Someone who can serve as a comforting shelter for him, just like he did for you.  

“Do you really have to leave so soon?”  

You and Neuvillette were standing at the entrance to Merusea Village once more. The Melusines were gathered there to see you off.  

“It is almost dusk. I must bring Madame home before it gets dark,” Neuvillette told them. The Melusines let out “Awws” of disappointment.   

“I had a wonderful time with all of you. I’ll never forget it,” you assured them, patting your purse. As a parting gift, they had given you a heap of shiny components, which you gratefully accepted, although you wondered where you were going to put it all.  

“Thank you all for being such good hosts for us,” Neuvillette said, patting their heads. You did the same.  

As you looked at the rows of smiling faces, you thought that those who were loved by Neuvillette were the luckiest people in the world.  

“Madame, when you visit us for Monsieur Neuvillette’s birthday, I’ll play a song I composed for you!” Topyas said.  

“Neuvillette's birthday?” you repeated quizzically.  

“That’s right! He visits us every year on his birthday. Lutine bakes a really tasty cake for him, too. You will come with him as well, right?”  

Neuvillette’s birthday was at the end of the year, if you remembered correctly. Would you even be married to him by then?  

But faced with such a shining, hopeful visage, you could do nothing except smile and nod.  

“Madame, we’re above water now.”  

Neuvillette said into your ear. He watched as your eyes opened slowly, the fluttering of your eyelashes reminding him of a butterfly’s wings. You let out your held breath, which caused the strands of his hair to flutter. His arm was under your knees, and your arms were circled around his neck. Your head was resting on his shoulder. A small part of him wished he delayed in telling you that you had emerged from the water.  

He carefully set you down on the ground, steadying you by holding your elbow. You smiled up at him gratefully, then turned your head to the scenery in front of you.  

“Oh, did it rain?” you looked around. Indeed, there were shallow puddles on the dirt path that led to this pool, and the grass was glistening with water droplets. The air had that pure, refreshing quality of a passed storm. “It’s good that we missed it.”  

Neuvillette could only nod. There was something different here. He couldn’t quite put his finger on it.   

“Shall we head back to the boat now? Oh, I hope it hasn’t gotten too drenched by the rain.”  

The two of you began to walk back to the beach. Neuvillette offered his elbow to you, worried that you might slip on the wet, muddy ground, and you linked your arm through it, thanking him. As you strolled down the path, your arms brushing against each other, it hit him, suddenly, what was different.  

The small space that you maintained between you and him had disappeared.  

The sky was painted in hues of orange and pink. Little birds chirped in the trees. As you neared the beach, Neuvillette saw ships of all sizes, either sailing back to Fontaine or setting off to distant harbors.  

Neither of you spoke much. Neuvillette was reminded of the calm and quiet after a storm, when everything was newly refreshed and washed clean.   

The tension he had sensed from you ever since he met you remained, but it seemed to have been chipped away a little bit. He still wasn’t sure what happened, but he was glad of it.   

All he knew was that he was a terrible judge of character.  

He had assumed that being a quiet, mild-mannered woman, he wouldn’t have the issue of having to deal with being overwhelmed by extreme emotions, but he was wrong.  

When he was with you, every emotion within him, from joy to sadness to anger, seemed magnified tenfold.  

The boat was there, right where he had docked it. Neuvillette did not have many chances to go boating, and he always preferred to swim anyways. However, recalling how your hair blew in the wind and how your eyes sparkled as you gazed out at sea, he was beginning to see its charms.  

“What a beautiful sunset!” he heard you exclaim. The orange sun was near the horizon, gilding the waves gold.   

For a moment, the two of you simply stared at the sight. Had a sunset ever been this mesmerizing before?  

“Neuvillette, let’s take a picture together with the sunset in the background. We never took a picture of just us together, have we?” you turned to him suddenly.  

For a moment, Neuvillette didn’t register your words. His mind was too preoccupied with the sunset, trying to figure out what made this one so different from the thousands he viewed before. And then, it struck him lightning.  

"You’re...calling my name without my title now.” That was the first thing that came out of his mouth. He inwardly cringed at his forwardness.   

“Um...yes,” you said, looking a little bashful. “To be honest, it is a little silly of me to keep calling you Monsieur for so long, since we’re friends. Do you hate it?”  

“No, not at all,” he shook his head vigorously. Hearing you call him by simply his name, even if it wasn’t his real name, sparked something in him. He felt like he was hearing his name for the first time when it came from your lips. “And yes, let us take a picture together.”  

You fiddled with the Kamera and walked around to get the right position and to figure out the timer function. Once that was done, you ran back to him, having placed the device on a nearby tree stump. There was five seconds before the Kamera would go off. Before this moment would be captured forever.  

“May I put my arm around your shoulders, Madame?” he asked. It felt wrong to just stand side by side.   

“Yes,” you nodded, and just as he did so, the Kamera’s flash went off.  

I hope I had a good expression on my face, he thought. Smiling on command was not an ability he possessed.   

“Shall we go now?” you said after you retrieved the Kamera. “It’ll be getting dark soon.”  

“Wait, there is one more thing I need,” he said. It was something he had been waiting for all day.  

“What is it?” You looked up at him.  

“Madame, do you remember how you said that you will give me feedback for the date? Would you allow me to receive it now?”  

“Feedback?” you repeated, your expression incredulous. “Wait, you actually want it?”  

“Yes, of course I do,” he said. “Your opinion means a great deal to me.”  

“If that's the case...” you tilted your head slightly, frowning. “I must admit that I have very little experience with dates and other romantic things of that nature. I’m not sure if my opinion would be very valuable.”  

“It does not matter. I want to know what you think.”  

"Alright then, if you insist,” you cleared your throat dramatically. Neuvillette leaned forward a little unconsciously. “In all my days of existence, I have never enjoyed myself more than today. If I were to suddenly drop dead right now, then at least I’m dying happy.”  

“Surely you exaggerate.” Neuvillette was never quite able to grasp your sense of humor.  

“Maybe a little,” you admitted, letting out a small laugh. There was something bright in it that made his heart beat just a little faster. “It’s definitely in my top ten, though. After all, I was able to go to places I’ve never been before, meet new people, and experience new things. And best of all, I had a delightful companion by my side. What more can I ask for?”  

“You truly think I’m a delightful companion?” It was rare for anyone to describe him that way.  

“I do,” you said, conviction in your voice. “Better than I deserve, really.”  

Neuvillette looked at you, taking you in. He felt a small amount of guilt upon hearing your words.   

Truthfully, he had chosen the locations for today’s outing—the Weeping Willow of Erinnyes and Merusea Village—not only because he wished to take you to his favorite places.   

He was driven by a selfish, vain desire to show himself in the best light to you by taking you to the places where he was most comfortable.  

Entertaining guests was not his strong suit. Taking a young lady out on a date was even less so. He lacked ideas as to where to take you, so he defaulted to these remote locations, far from the human world that he had little interest in.  

But as he looked at your content face, he felt something like a chasm within him. It was ever-widening, an inexplicable need to be filled.   

Self-indulgence was dangerous. He was well-aware of that. It would be difficult to escape such a trap, no matter how sweetly it beckoned.   

Perhaps his time in the human world had weakened his resolve.  

“Let me take you to a restaurant next time,” the words came out of his mouth before he knew what he was saying. “I am no expert on cuisine, but...”  

“I’ll choose for us, then,” you said. “There are a few places I’ve been dying to try out.”  

Neuvillette nodded. He silently pledged to savor whatever was served to him, no matter how dry it may be.  

He reached out his hand to help you onto the boat, but you didn’t take it. Instead, you asked him a question.  

“Did you have a good time today, Neuvillette?”  

He was startled. “Why do you ask?”  

“Because this is a date. It’s a collaboration between two people. It's not a good date if only one of us enjoyed ourselves.”  

Neuvillette pondered your question. He thought of your look of wonder upon seeing the willow tree and Merusea Village, the sight of you playing and chatting with the dear Melusines, the little smiles you’d give him, the feel of you in his arms, the sensation of your hands in his hair and around his horns, the kiss...  

How could one day feel so long and yet so short at the same time?  

A rush of warmth surged through his body. He took your hand in his and raised it to his mouth. Then, before your astonished eyes, he brushed his lips against the back of your hand.  

“This day will be engraved into my memories until the end of time,” he said solemnly, looking directly into your eyes. “I have no complaints about anything. You were absolutely perfect.”  

He saw your cheeks becoming rosy. You looked away, but he didn’t miss the way your lips turned up in a smile. “And you say I exaggerate,” he heard you mumble.  

The two of you went onboard the boat and sailed back home.  

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[ariesqueencobra]

what we used to be | XV

Pairing: Eli Moskowitz x Fem!Reader

Summary: You didn't think joining Miyagi-Do would end your friendships. But thankfully, you're making new ones.

Warnings: dojo rivalry, karate training, swearing, mentions of heartbreak

Word Count: 1.8k

A/N: A short chapter but its a good one! Have ch 16 done but I'm gonna give it some time to post cause then it'll give me time to edit ch 17. But we're closing out season 2 with ch 17 and season 3 is next! I already have up to season 4 planned out and a little written, still brainstorming for season 5 and even s6 lol!

Thank you to those who already reblog and comment, I see you and I love you all for it!

I don't consent to this work being copied, translated or reposted.

You frowned as another message to Aisha and Tory went unread. A few days ago, they were blowing up your phone, asking if you were okay. You were guilty that you didn’t respond, but you were going through so much heartbreak. You didn’t want to bother.

Now that you were part of Miyagi-Do and you felt happier, you decided it was time to reach out, the only thing—your friends weren’t responding.

Defeated, you walked through the dojo, phone pressed against your ear as it rang. Relief filled you when Aisha answered.

“I’ve been worried sick, you guys haven’t been answering,” you began.

Two voices scoffed.

“So now you’re worried?” Tory asked in disbelief. 

“Of course, I am,” you furrowed your brows. “You guys are my friends.”

“Funny, I didn’t know traitors are classified as friends,” Aisha accused. 

Confusion filled you. “What are you talking about?”

Tory muttered under her breath and she was annoyed, allowing Aisha to answer.

“We saw you hanging out with Miyagi-Do the other day and we confirmed with Moon that you joined,” Aisha said.

“We thought you just left Cobra Kai, but joining the enemy?” Tory questioned, disappointment filled in her tone.

“I didn’t think I was going to join Miyagi-Do,” you defended.

“So what? You accidentally joined?” Aisha scoffed. “Sorry about you and Hawk breaking up but joining Miyagi-Do is a low blow. Enjoy your new friends,” she said before hanging up. 

You stared at your phone in disbelief. 

“Everything alright?” Sam asked, holding onto the punching bag to stop it. She glanced at you with wonder, her brow raised and blue eyes sparkling in the sunlight.

“Aisha and Tory completely blew me off, some friends,” you shook your head. “Sorry, I know you don’t like Tory.” 

You frowned, knowing their history. But after what had happened, you didn’t like her so much either.

“Don’t apologize, if they can’t see you’re trying to be better, then that’s on them,” she shrugged before going back to her warm-ups, her punches becoming stronger. 

You shrugged off your backpack, warming up alongside her until the rest of the guys showed up. 

Mr. LaRusso was nowhere to be seen and with the summer heat, you all made it under a tree in the dojo. Still, the shade wasn’t enough to keep you from burning.

“Oh God, it’s so hot out,” Demitri gasped. “I’m sweating in places I didn’t even know had pores,” he wiped his forehead against your shoulder.

You grimaced at the sweat, shrugging him off.

“Alright guys, get out from under that tree. It’s time to work,” Sensei said. 

You all groaned as you got up, the small movement troubling in the excessive heat.

“Mr. LaRusso, it’s like 100 degrees out,” Robby complained. “Can’t we take it easy today?” He was saying what you were all thinking.

“Are you kidding? This heat wave is a gift. Today you are going to experience Shochu-Geiko,” he smiled.

You arched a brow.

“Like the car insurance?” Chris asked.

“Shochu-Geiko is a Japanese exercise where you train during the hottest days of the year,” he explained. “It’s about pushing yourself to the limit. The fight isn’t always gonna come when it’s 75 degrees and breezy.”

“Aren’t we supposed to avoid the fight?” Sam questioned.

You nodded. The whole reason you joined Miyagi-Do in the first place was to stop fighting.

“Sometimes you can’t,” he sighed. “Someday, the fight might come to you. And I want to make sure you’re ready,” he gazed hopefully. “So today, we’re gonna see what Miyag-Do is made of.”

That’s how you found yourselves formed in a circle out front. The sun beating down as Robby stood in the center, waiting for Mr. LaRusso to call out a number. 

“Two!” 

One of your classmates ran towards Robby but he punched him right in the chest, sweeping his leg and sending him to the ground.

Everyone reassembled.

“Five!”

Sam blocked Robby’s kick before spinning around and landing one straight on his abdomen. “Got you,” she smiled, their gaze lingering.

You sent Demitri an amused glance, one he didn’t match as he let out a groan.

“Alright, Demitri’s turn. Come on, Demitri get in there,” Sensei encouraged.

He reluctantly sighed before going in the middle. He raised his fists before Mr. LaRusso called a number out.

“Three!”

It didn’t take much for Chris to punch him in the stomach. 

Figuring it was just a rough beginning, you waited for the next number, which happened to be yours.

“Seven!” 

You lunged towards him. You wanted to give Demitri a chance to fight you off but it was so easy sweeping your leg and watching him fly to the ground. 

“I hate this!” Demitri groaned. 

“Alright, get up!” Sensei encouraged.

You offered your hand, helping him up. “Sorry, Demitri.”

He reluctantly forgave you, putting his weight on you as you made it back to your spots.

“Can we please take a break? This heat is brutal,” Sam sighed.

You all agreed.

“You guys want to cool off?” 

“Alright, I think I can accommodate that,” he grinned.

You were hoping for a trip to the pool, not a freaking freezer storage.

“So, you couldn’t take the heat of Shochu-Geiko, perhaps you’ll find Kangeiko more to your liking,” he smiled with that same grin from earlier.

You shivered as you stood in the middle of the room, regretting you wore a tank top today.

“There are no “geikos” that take place in a spa?” Sam asked, the cold evident in her breath.

“It’s not about the heat or the cold. It’s about adapting to the environment around you and using that to your advantage” he said. “Look around, what do you see?” 

“Frozen London Broil?” Chris asked.

You snickered.

“No, not the meat, look past that. I see the exhalation of breath,” he pointed to Sam. “The twitch of a muscle,” he glanced at Robby. “The shift of a stance,” he pointed to Demitri. “If you lean into the cold, it will heighten your senses,” he said. “And then you’ll anticipate the moment before your opponent strikes and you’ll always be ready,” he concluded.

You understood what he meant, noticing signs too.

His phone began ringing, hesitating to answer before he told you all to circle up, taking the call. 

Now ready, you stood in your place. You watched Sam move about in the circle, looking out for obvious clues. She blocked Chris’s strike before Robby’s turn. They both battled, neither hitting the other and they stopped as they got lost in each other’s eyes.

You used to look at Eli that way. Your heart ached, memories flooding through but they were interrupted when Mr. LaRusso interrupted.

“All right, let’s get Demitri in there,” Mr. LaRusso said.

“Alright, here goes nothing,” he sighed. “Literally.” 

He got kicked right in the stomach.

You sighed out in slight disappointment, knowing he had it in him.

“I can’t do it, Mr. LaRusso. Between the cold and the shouting and the hole in my sock. I’m not sure when that happened but it’s really uncomfortable,” he began complaining.

You rolled your eyes. Knowing your friend, he always had something to complain about.

“Demitri, you are the most neurotic person I know. You always expect the worst,” Sensei approached him.

Demitri sighed in agreement, a bit reluctant about it though.

“But you can use that to your advantage. It means you anticipate. Think of it like a spidey sense,” he stated.

“Actually in the comics, they call it Spider-Sense,” your friend corrected.

“Look, Demitri, this isn’t about who’s fastest and who’s strongest. It’s about instincts, using what’s in here,” he pointed to his head, your friend getting it now. 

With some confidence, he took his stance, raising his fists.

“Two!” Mr. LaRusso called out.

Demitri noticed Chris, blocking his first strike and his second before he punched him in the gut.

You cheered for your friend, and the rest of the class too.

Unfortunately, he didn’t get the next person.

“Baby steps! It’s alright!” Mr. LaRusso reassured.

You patted Demitri on the back, the rest of the class crowding around you.

~

“Sam and I are more like acquaintances than friends,” you said.

It was unexpected to have Moon reach out. Knowing your situation with Aisha and Tory and now barely knowing Sam, it was good to have a friend.

“I’m sorry about telling Aisha that you joined Miyagi-Do, I didn’t think this rivalry was that bad,” she said, frowning as she sat on her bed.

“Don’t worry about it, I guess I would’ve had to tell them sooner or later,” you shrugged, sitting across from her.

“Listen, I’m glad we’re doing this, I really meant what I said about being friends. I did want to give you space though,” she offered, tipping her head to the side.

“Thanks, Moon,” you smiled. 

It’d been a few months since she apologized before the All Valley. You never considered reaching out, still hurt that she wasn’t true to her word about showing you she was serious. But now she is and better late than never, right?

“So how are doing? With the breakup and everything?” She searched your eyes.

“Heartbreaking,” you hummed self-deprecatingly. “Eli was the first boy I ever loved, love,” you corrected. “I have karate as a distraction, but honestly, sometimes I just want to reach out,” you sucked in a breath. “Am I crazy?” You glanced at her.

“Not at all,” she shook her head. “It’s normal to experience that after breaking up. And considering how long you’ve known Hawk, your souls are connected. Best friends, boyfriend-girlfriend, first loves,” she listed, growing giddy. “I can’t imagine having a close bond with someone and it would suck to be apart even if it’s for the best,” she explained.

“That makes sense then,” you raised a brow. “The longest I spent without Eli was when he’d go to sleepaway camp with Demitri. That was only for a few weeks, this has been almost two months,” you hummed, shocked at the realization. “Thanks for being a friend,” you smiled genuinely.

“It’s nothing,” she giggled. “But as a friend, I have something I want to give to you,” she said, reaching under her bed and pulling out a wrapped gift. “I had this saved for the right moment. You’re right when you said talk is cheap,” she handed it to you. 

You hesitated, eyeing her weirdly before you took it and unwrapped the gift, finding a lime green sketchbook.

“Moon, you didn’t have to,” you gasped slightly.

“I did,” she stopped you. “I hurt you, Y/N. I destroyed your property and I can’t undo what I did, but I want us to start new,” she sincerely said.

You grinned, leaning in to hug her and you felt happy as she returned it.

“Thank you,” you beamed. “It does mean a lot.”

[fellow-travelers-fic-recs]

All the fics that have been written using prompts from the Promise You WILL Write collection. This list will be updated monthly with anything new, most recent works listed first.

Please visit the collection to leave a prompt for someone to write or take one for yourself… All are welcome! You can check out their page @promiseyouwillwrite for more info.

✨ Be sure to show the authors some love and appreciation with kudos and comments on the fics you enjoyed!

*Authors: If your tumblr (or other socials) isn’t linked, and you'd like it to be, let me know and I'll be happy to add it. Or, if you're linked, and you'd rather not be, please contact me to remove it.

Most recent posted fics (new works this month, not WIPs) will be featured above the cut. ✂️

🥛 too late to run for cover by @promise-you-wont-write | masterwords [NR, 3K] Lucy's done with Hawk's drinking and tells him to leave so he buys a house on Fire Island and decides to fully integrate into the lifestyle at great detriment to his own well-being.

Part 1 of and so with the sunshine: the fire island chronicles Prompted by: @beyondxmeasure

🥛 right or wrong i can't get along without you by @promise-you-wont-write | masterwords [NR, 3K] Jackson Fuller disappears and everyone fears the worst - until he turns up in San Fransisco asking Tim for help. Prompted by: @arbor-tristis

🥛 i've got my love to keep me warm by @promise-you-wont-write | masterwords [T, 6K] Mary brings Tim to a Christmas party at Hawk's mother's house. Prompted by: @ishipallthings

🥛 Kiss of Fire by drabbleswabbles* [NR, 2K] Tim pays a matchmaker to set him up on a blind date. Things do not go according to plan. Prompted by: @ishipallthings

🥛 hold on (i'm coming) by @promise-you-wont-write | masterwords [NR, 2K] Hawk's nightly phone calls become increasingly desperate until Tim has no choice but to go to him. Prompted by: @lispenardst

🥛 my boy by @promise-you-wont-write | masterwords [G, 783] Tim wants to know who Hawk belongs to. The answer isn't what he expects. Prompted by: anonymous

🥛 Within The Heart of Me  by drabbleswabbles* [NR, 9K] Lucy goes to the hospital to talk to Tim. When she arrives, Hawk is already there.

Otherwise known as a prompt fill that wanders a bit off the mark, but is close enough in spirit to give credit where credit is due as far as inspiration goes. Prompted by: @beyondxmeasure

🥛 Darkness Before the Dawn  by @beyondxmeasure | Cyantific [NR, 1K] It’s June 1944, following the US offensive against the German-led Caesar line that tore through a small squad of the 141st Regiment, killing two men and wounding others, along with Sergeant Hawkins Fuller. Following the blast of the Nazi’s K5 railway gun, he underwent surgery to repair sustained shrapnel damage and is now recovering in the Army’s 32nd Evac Hospital. In the bed next to him lies Corporal Marcus Gaines from the 85th Infantry Division, also wounded in action.

Or, the story of how Hawk and Marcus met. Prompted by: Anonymous

🥛 you just make my whole world weep (i'm at your feet)  by @startagainbuttercup | startagainbuttercup [E, 1K] Even now the thought of the shape of his mouth imprinted on Tim's skin makes him shudder as he slides down Tim's body past his ridiculous Christmas sweater.

Or, a blowjob scene that went very differently. Prompted by: @startagainbuttercup

🥛 Let Me Shower You With My Love  by @beyondxmeasure | Cyantific [M, 7K] Hawk helps Tim in the shower.

A 1986 canon divergent fix-it. Prompted by: Anonymous

🥛 like being home  by @startagainbuttercup | startagainbuttercup  When Hawk turns eighteen, he expects the name of Kenneth Willard to appear on his skin, tattooed on his arm or his leg, a soulmate mark that bonds you forever with the person you belong to.

Hawk doesn't know what you're supposed to feel for your soulmate, but what he feels for Kenny, his sweet Kenny must be very close, or at least Hawk thinks it is.

Or, a soulmate AU one person asked for and I still managed to do it wrong. Prompted by: @ishipallthings

🥛 I Belong to You  by @beyondxmeasure | Cyantific [E, 2K] This isn’t even close to how he saw their night ending, but here they are, and if Tim wants it rough, who is Hawk to deny him?

Or, the ‘Hit me.’ scene… but a little different. In which Hawk still hits Tim, just not where you think. Prompted by: Anonymous

🥛 Please Ease My Pain.  by Southernkiss* [E, 3K] As the four men shed their clothing, their motivations varied. Some sought to satiate a thirst that could never be quenched, while others craved the rush of dominance. But little did they know, their desires would lead them down a path of self-discovery and into a twisted reality they never could have imagined. The darkness that resided within them and in this new world consumed them, tainting every aspect of their beings. And as they delved deeper into this abyss, they soon realized the true consequences of their actions. Prompted by: @doodlingawaits

🥛 gold-skinned, eager baby  by @lispenard-street | lispenardstreet [E, 10K] Tim sets out for Fire Island with a single goal: to dig Hawk out of his pit of self-destruction.

As it turns out, Hawk is after something else entirely.

A 1979 fix-it… of sorts. Prompted by: @lispenard-street

🥛 you should be in my space (you should be in my life)  by @startagainbuttercup | startagainbuttercup [E, 3K] What if Tim let Hawk touch him during their mutual masturbation session. Prompted by: Anonymous

🥛 In my nothing, you meant everything to me.by @in-our-special-place |  Cupping_Cakes [M, 636] Her body trembled with conflicting emotions—a slight tingle of pain for being unfaithful, but also a wave of happiness for finally feeling desired. Prompted by: Anonymous

🥛 make sure he knows by b3y0ndm3asur3* [G, 693] “How did you manage it?” Marcus asks Hawk, not making eye contact.

Hawk squints at him, head pounding from the amount of liquor he’s consumed over the past couple of days. “Manage what?”

There’s a pause. Hawk watches Marcus swallow. “Losing a kid,” he says eventually through gritted teeth, like he has to force the words out. Prompted by: Anonymous

🥛 is it over now? by @satelarry | satelarry [M, 42K] Seeing the love of your life walk away without being able to tell him that you love him has to be one of the worst situations a person can go through. But Hawk decided to fulfill Tim's request, knowing it will be the last.

What happens when he wakes up, 18 years before, with the knowledge of what's going to happen if he makes the same decisions?

Does the ending always stay the same?

Or, the Time Travel AU in which the only thing ruining Hawk's plan is Tim's stubbornness. Prompted by: @ishipallthings

🥛 In his voice I heard decay, the plastic face forced to portray. by @in-our-special-place | Cupping_Cakes [M, 557] Marcus finally broke the silence, his voice heavy with sorrow. 'Hawk,' he said, his gaze fixed on his glass. 'I have something to tell you.' Prompted by: Anonymous

🥛 So simple now by @startagainbuttercup | startagainbuttercup [G, 581] Hawk has loved Tim his whole life, too. He's loved him since the minute he saw him smiling adorably on that election night. He's loved him since the moment he felt him writhing in his arms, lost in pleasure. He's loved him for thousands of years, even before he was born. He loved him every second of every minute he spent with him, and he loved him even more when they were apart.

Or, the "I have loved you my whole life…" scene, but in Hawk's POV, a lot of overwhelming feelings. Prompted by: @lispenard-street

🥛 I'll follow you down and I am here right beside you. by @in-our-special-place | Cupping_Cakes [E, 1K] Tim's eyes were filled with a mix of satisfaction and sadness, as if he too felt the ache of their lost connection. Prompted by: Anonymous

🥛 There’s no place I'd rather you be than with me. by @in-our-special-place |Cupping_Cakes [E, 719] Their embrace was raw and primal, fueled by the angst of wanting each other but being afraid to admit it. Prompted by: @ishipallthings

🥛 something i can't go without by @satelarry | satelarry [E, 7K] Hawk goes to Fire Island to escape dealing with his feelings but that isn't far away from Tim's kind heart. Perhaps he doesn't want it to be.

Or, The Meat Rack AU. Prompted by: @beyondxmeasure

🥛 Just keep on usin' me Until you use me up. by Southernkiss* [E, 1K] Tim could feel Hawk's hot breath on his neck as he whispered in his ear, 'You want to be loud, Tim? Well, go ahead. I want to hear you.' Prompted by: @deputy-buck

🥛 Yours forever anyway by @bluebellsinburbank | ConsumingLove (Bluebellstar) [G, 733] Hawk and Tim dance together. Prompted by: Anonymous

🥛 Until next time by @lovebunnie | space_kid [T, 1K] There was a moment in time where he could have run into Tim in this hospital with his newborn baby. He could have seen the devastation in his eyes as the betrayal became real, no more an abstract concept born in the early hours of the morning. Hawk had just missed watching Tim lay eyes on his son for the first time. He itched for a cigarette. Prompted by: @feelingpure

🥛 He calls late at night by @startagainbuttercup | startagainbuttercup [T, 1K] Hawk calls Tim after Jackson's death Prompted by: @lispenard-street & @ishipallthings

🥛 Love is an angel disguised as lust by @bluebellsinburbank | ConsumingLove (Bluebellstar) [E, 2K] Hawk's eyes darkened, from outshining the daytime sky to rivaling the night. His lips curved into a wicked smirk. If Tim didn't know better, he might suspect he'd just played right into Hawk's hands.

"Educate me." That wasn't exactly what Tim had intended. But, his attention caught by the glint off Hawk's wedding ring, Tim decided he could work with that. Or, the edging fic that's probably sixty percent soft. Prompted by: Anonymous

🥛 My religion is you by Southernkiss* [E, 734] Tim bit his lip; his body was already aching for more. 'You spank them,' he whispered, his voice trembling with desire. Prompted by: Anonymous

🥛 I wave my hands and I got you by Southernkiss* [E, 616] He belonged to him, ring on his finger or not. Prompted by: Anonymous

🥛 I’ll become the sea and the sea will come to kiss me by @in-our-special-place |Cupping_Cakes [M, 1K] Tim's voice was a gentle whisper. 'I know, Hawk. But I'm here. You're not alone in this.' Prompted by: @ishipallthings

🥛 We’ll be on the road like jack kerouac by @jesterlesbian | captainquint [M, 4K] He tried to think of what Tim would do or say. The man who had only spoken to his son a handful of times over one weekend in 1968, but had seemed to understand him far better than Hawk ever had. The business card felt like it was burning a hole in his pocket. An idea burst to life in Hawk’s mind. This was an emergency if he’d ever seen one. “What would you say to coming with me to San Francisco?” Or, Hawk and Jackson go on a cross-country road trip to San Francisco. Prompted by: Anonymous

🥛 Like to make you comfy cozy by @bluebellsinburbank | ConsumingLove (Bluebellstar) [G, 1K] During a lazy night in bed together, Tim sings Hawk to sleep. Prompted by: Anonymous

🥛 So give me just a little, baby Just something to get by. by @in-our-special-place | Cupping_Cakes [E, 1.3K] Tim couldn't help but think that this was the best milk delivery he had ever received. Prompted by: @beyondxmeasure

🥛 You take my body I give you heat. by @in-our-special-place | Cupping_Cakes [E, 1K] Without hesitation, Tim bent down and began to lick the milk off of Hawk's body, savoring the taste and feel of Hawk's skin under his tongue. He traced every muscle and curve, his lips and tongue sending waves of pleasure through Hawk's body. Prompted by: @startagainbuttercup

🥛 champagne lovers  by @satelarry | satelarry [NR, 12K] It's awards season, and what better way to celebrate than with a Hawk/Tim awards AU. Whether they're strolling the red carpet together, supporting each other as they're up for awards, or just presenting something. It's up to you. Just 'tis the season for this kind of AU! Prompted by: Anonymous

🥛 You taste divine  by @carnivalrow | nightfall_in_winter [E, 1.3K] Hawk joins Tim in the shower in episode 6 because he wants to kiss him…there! Prompted by: Anonymous

🥛 A Star To Steer Her By by Anonymous [NR, 6K] Tim is a starship captain, Hawk is a diplomat. Things happen when Hawk arrives on Tim's ship. Or, the Star Trek AU one (1) person asked for. Prompted by: Anonymous

🥛 Beautiful Things by @carrotcakecrumble | LuxLox [M, 1K] I turn away from the radio I’d just been tuning, there’s a crackle and pop on the wave, but Miller’s ‘Over the rainbow’ is just about spattering through in tune. Kenny says something about how he loves this one. It could be the first time he’s hearing it, for all I know. He falls in love with everything.

A multi-chapter fic following a young Hawk and Kenny throughout their relationship, from beginning to end. Prompted by: Anonymous

🥛 the thrill of your sweet embrace  by @redmyeyes | redmyeyes [E, 4.4K] "Somewhere, a butterfly opened its wings."— Erik Larson, Isaac's Storm

Let's see if we can make this a fix-it. Part 5 of Fellow Travelers. Prompted by: Anonymous

🥛 all those letters unsent and that garden ungrown by @startagainbuttercup | startagainbuttercup [T, 1.4K] Dear Tim, I know I promised I won't write, but I believe what I really promised is not to send you letters, and this one I'm not going to send, so it is not a violation of my promise. Skippy, I miss you more than I thought I could. It's your birthday and I can't help but think about you the whole day, you consume my every thought and I can't stop wondering, what would it be like if you were here. Or, the letters Hawk never sent. Prompted by: Anonymous

[addledmongoose]

Good Omens Fanfic Friday (05 Apr 2024)

Almost everything this week is canon-compliant/adjacent. For a change there's only one human AU.

Nice And Ominous: a reluctant eschatology of the Second Attempt (series) (84K currently; Rated T/E)

Every so often there comes along a week where I'm absolutely ecstatic to recommend something. I spend all week in anticipation of sharing it with everyone in the hopes they'll love it as much as I do. This week, it's this series, a three-part post-S2 that definitely deserves way more kudos and attention than it currently has.

Part I (rated T) is from Crowley's POV and focuses on him slowly healing from the heartache of losing his angel. He learns to be friends with Maggie and Nina, becomes like a big brother to Muriel, and even gains an almost-friendship with Eric. The story isn't as angsty as it sounds, though Crowley doesn't always have the healthiest coping mechanisms (a tendency to drink and drive across the world). The author does a great job of not putting all the breakup blame on Aziraphale. You can always tell the difference between Crowley blaming Aziraphale in a story and the author blaming him.

Part II (rated T) is from Aziraphale's POV. This story is definitely more angsty that Part I. Aziraphale's up there doing is best, but with only one real (human) friend back on Earth to rely on and trust, he's mostly on his own. Just as with Part I, the author doesn't put the entirety of the blame for the breakup on Crowley any more than he does Aziraphale. Be warned that it ends in a cliffhanger.

Part III (mostly rated T but some E) is still incomplete, but the author posts weekly and the story is already written, so I feel confident we'll see the end. I can't say much about the plot of this one without serious spoilers, but if you read the first two parts you'll definitely want to read Part III. It hurts at times. A lot. If you need mostly fluff right now, this isn't the one for you. (The rest of today's list is pure fluff, though, because I needed it after obsessing over this story).

If you don't like to be left hanging on a story, read Part I, but hold off on Part II until Part III is complete. It won't be too long; the author has already released two chapters since I started writing this note (7 of 14).

This series is incredibly well-written. It's almost certain to make my year-end best-of list, as it's easily one of the best "what happens next" after Aziraphale leaves for Heaven. I haven't been able to stop thinking about it all week.

***

Break the Rules (1.4K; Rated G)

Aziraphale has a beard. Crowley loses his mind.

***

In Love We Rise (11K; Rated E)

One of two AJ_Constantine stories on my list this week filled with fluff and gorgeous writing. It's Easter Sunday and Aziraphale is feeling a little down about the holiday. Crowley decides to cheer him up.

***

Bad Communications (series) (15K; Rated T)

Funny post-S2 three-part series where Crowley and Aziraphale are made to realize (by Nina/Maggie and Muriel respectively) that they might not have communicated with each other as clearly as they thought during the Final 15. I particularly love how Muriel is written here.

***

Heaven On Wheels (3K; Rated M)

Aziraphale buys a Scoopy moped and convinces Crowley to go for a ride. The author, CopperBeech, describes it as "a sappy, happy, old-fashioned s1-compliant (and s2-defiant) post-Nopocalypse getting-together fic."

***

Caramel Delight (16K; Rated E)

Human AU. Another wonderful bit of fluff from AJ_Constantine. Crowley is delighted when his terrible neighbors move out and even more delighted when he sees his new neighbor is a gorgeous blond man. The neighborly thing to do would be to bring over a jar of his Nan's caramel sauce as a welcome to the neighborhood gift, of course. Crowley is really dense here; hilariously so. The "they share one brain cell" tag would be appropriate, but Aziraphale is the only one using it.

[munsonownsmyass]

Matthias Helvar x reader

Notes: I got tagged in this post and well... It inspired me. Thanks for the inspo @theradioactivespidergwen 😆🩷

It's just a silly little something. Unbeta'ed, unedited. First thing I've written in months. Enjoy 🤣

Warnings: None, really. Unless you don't like werewolves... Or women who like werewolves. Some fluff, a boy too big for his furry body, a little spice.

Words: under 1k

With a heavy sigh, you turn the car off and stare into the darkness. Already so dark. You loved this time of year, sure, but not getting home until it was already dark could be so depressing. The only real light was the moonlight, bathing your small cabin in a pale glow.

Grabbing all your stuff, you get out of the car, slowly making your way to the front door. You really couldn’t wait to just relax. Maybe take a hot bath? Wash the day off. Have a nice dinner. But walking in, you realize that’s not going to happen.

Right in front of you, crouching so he doesn’t hit the ceiling, is your boyfriend. Correction, the furrier version of your boyfriend. It dawns on you that it’s a full moon tonight.

“Matthias, what have I told you about shifting indoors?” You sigh as you take the coat off. The big wolf turns, knocking over a lamp with his tail. “Matthias!”

“Sorry.” The voice still throws you off sometimes, so much deeper and gritty compared to his normal warm and smooth voice. You didn’t mind it, though.

It’s almost comical watching this huge mass of a wolf lean down to pick up the lamp, trying to maneuver his claws delicately on the shade, trying to get it back on. Matthias was a big guy even in his human form, but as a wolf? Big. Intimidating. Hot, honestly.

You take pity on him and walk over, taking the lamp from him. As you do, you feel his eyes on you. That’s when you hear it. A soft thud thud thud. Looking around his side, you see his tail wagging, hitting the couch with every swing.

“Someone’s happy.” You say, unable to stop smiling yourself.

“Happy because you’re here.” He says, his tone soft as his paw comes to rest on your cheek. Leaning down, his nose nudges at your other cheek, inhaling your scent before placing a soft lick on your neck. So far, Matthias has barely touched you in his wolf form, fearing he couldn’t control himself around you. That he’d end up hurting you. The touches had been fleeting, barely there. Yet, every time, it would set you on fire.

You knew he could tell. How he could hear your heart speed up, your pulse quickening. The swallow, strained breathing followed by a tiny gasp at the roughness of his tongue on your delicate skin. The scent of your arousal in the air.

His paw gently falls from your face as he steps away, his eyes averting yours. He can’t hide his desire for you either, despite his best efforts. The giant paws do a poor job covering his erection and he looks away ashamed. Instead of telling him again that he has no need to feel embarrassed, you walk to the kitchen with your groceries to give him some space.

“I bought us some nice steaks. Big one for you, of course.” You look over your shoulder with a wink before pulling more stuff out of the bag. “And waffles for the dessert.”

You turn around to look at him, seeing a wide smile on his face. Even though he’s 7 feet tall, broader than any man and covered in dark fur, his smile always makes you think of a Golden Retriever puppy. You’re pretty sure Matthias is the only werewolf pulling of looking this cute.

Just as you’re about to say some more, a loud thud fills the air. His wagging tail has brushed one of your books off the coffee table. When he moves to pick it up, he almost knocks a plant over. You don’t even have it in you to get mad, seeing how adorable he is, holding the book to his chest in one hand and balancing the plant in the other.

“No more shifting in the house.” He agrees, putting the stuff back as you make your way around the kitchen counter to him.

“Well… there is one room where you can’t really knock anything over.” You softly, your tone flirty as you run your fingers through the soft fur on his chest. He’s probably going to say no. He’s done so every other time. But maybe… today could be your lucky day.

“But… Min hajefetla, I-”

“You won’t hurt me.” The plea in your voice clear as one hand slowly makes its way down his abs, feeling every ridge of his hard body. Wrapping your hand around his sheath, you look into his eyes. “Please.”

With a snarl, he pick you up in his arms, making his way down the hall to the bedroom. When his eyes find yours, they’re dark with desire, his tongue coming out to lick his snout. “If you end up bruised, remember you asked for this, min trassel.”

Tagging: @e-dubbc11 @mindidjarin @itwasthereaminuteago @hlkwrites @pedrito-friskito @mattmurdocksscars @murdock-and-the-sea

[shenanigans-and-imagines]

The Photo Album

Eddie Munson x OC, Minor Angst, Heavy Fluff

Summary: Eddie and Lucy are helping Wayne move only for Lucy to find an old album.

Inspired by this post

A/N: This was written on my phone in a frenzy at work. I don’t control when the inspiration strikes. So apologies for any spelling errors/typos, yada yada we die like men.

Word Count: 932

“Mr. Munson, what’s this?”

It was such an innocent question, Eddie didn’t even bother to look up to see what exactly Lucy was talking about.

The pair of them had come over to help Wayne unpack the boxes Hawkin’s lab had been able to salvage from the trailer. The lab had the good graces to help in the relocation process making the moving of a few boxes feel trivial compared to the rest.

He vaguely heard his uncle move towards the front room and a low chuckle follow.

“I was worried about this one,” Wayne answered. “That’s Eddie when he was around three.”

Eddie’s back straightened and in the next moment he had jumped to his feet and sprinted to the living room.

His worst fears were confined as Lucy had made herself comfortable on the couch holding a familiar photo album in her lap with Wayne sitting right next to her.

“We don’t need to look at those,” Eddie croaked, already feeling his ears beginning to burn.

“But you’re so cute!” she exclaimed.

Were to anybody else Eddie would have taken the comment as sarcastic or at least teasing, but he knew Lucy could only mean it in the most sincere way possible.

The blush was now making its way down his neck.

She continued to look at the photos, her eyes soft and her lips curved into doting smile.

“What about this one?” she asked, turning to Wayne.

“Christmas ‘72,” Wayne explained. “Nearly drove me and Joan crazy with that thing, but he loved it.”

Eddie didn’t need to look over the couch to know what photo they were talking about. That was the Christmas Wayne had gotten him a toy guitar. It could hardly make any kind of music, but he had loved that thing. It also happened to be one of the Christmases Al had been absent meaning he and his mother could enjoy it in relative peace.

He felt his stomach lurch a little as it always did when he caught a glimpse of her in one of the photos. Wayne said he looked like her and while he was grateful to know he and Al had little to nothing in common he wasn’t sure being compared to his mother was much better.

His eyes turned to Lucy.

She was still smiling, each photo only seeming to bring her more joy like she was being let in on a secret. He supposed she was. That unpleasant twisting in his gut loosened at the thought replaced with something warm and a little buzzing.

He took a seat on the other side glancing down at the album.

“Shit you kept that one?” Eddie said, staring in horror at his four year old self.

There wasn’t any real organization to the photos. Besides pictures of Christmases past and a handful of summer moment. In the middle of one of them was Eddie looking very proud at the fort of mud complete with moat. He was absolutely filthy and absolutely beaming.

“I think it’s sweet,” Lucy said. “Very telling of things to come.”

Eddie had to laugh, pressing a kiss on her temple.

“You’re being mean,” he grumbled.

She only scrunched her nose in that way that said “maybe but I’m being cute about it”. He couldn’t argue with that nose.

She pointed to another photo and another until the three of them had spent nearly an hour going through the whole thing.

Some part of Eddie felt something akin to loss when they were forced to close the album.

It wasn’t that big all things considered. Most of the photos cut off after his eight birthday, the same year his mother finally had enough and bailed. Al wasn’t one for photos. Wayne took a handful when he could, but it wasn’t the same.

He remembered easily enough the afternoon Mrs. Henderson had roped him and Lucy into a similar situation.

She had photo albums, plural, all of them filled to bursting with memories and moments. The only pause was the year Lucy’s dad had died and even then the photos had come back with a vengeance as if to make up for lost time.

He felt the absence of his own in that moment. He wanted to share more. He wanted to watch Lucy as she laugh and smiled and indulged feeling the same satisfaction he had, like he knew her just a little better.

Wayne got up from the couch saying something about stepping out for a smoke leaving the two of them alone.

“Please tell me there are more of these laying around,” Lucy said, grinning as she said it.

Eddie shook his head. “‘Fraid not, these are limited edition baby photos. Can’t risk flooding the market.”

Something flashed behind Lucy’s eyes mirroring his own disappointment, but she smiled all the same deciding to keep it light as he had.

“Understandable, too much of these and you’d run all the other cute babies out of business.”

“Okay you gotta stop calling me cute or I’ll start to take it personal.”

“I’m sorry,” she said patting his thigh reassuringly. “You’re a very attractive and virile man.”

“Thank you.”

“Who also happened to be an adorable toddler.”

Eddie gave a groan of frustration burying his face into her neck as he pulled her closer.

“Aww, poor baby,” she cooed.

“Stooooop.”

Lucy only laughed, petting his hair as she held him right back.

Christ he loved her. First thing tomorrow he was buying a camera. God damn it if he wasn’t going to capture every second of this while he could.

[secretlyawitch]

The legacy

Pairing: Wednesday Addams × Fem Reader

Summary: You were Infatuated by Wednesday Addams. Little does she know you have a dark past.

Author's note: This is my first fanfic. It was inspired by "First Kill". There are going to be multiple parts. I will try to post daily so I hope you guys enjoy. Please give me feedback.

Warnings: Violent Descriptions.

Part 9

Part 10

After filling in Wednesday on everything that happened, you were crying. You are not sure whether it was because of sadness or anger. Wednesday had a murderous glint in her eyes.

"I can call my parents and uncle Fester. We can make it look like an accident." Wednesday says, her voice low and dangerous. You feel safe knowing that she is there for you, as well as her family. But you promised yourself you will never be the cause of someone else's hurt or death ever again.

"No don't worry, Principal Weems handled it. I doubt I'll see them again." You smile softly at her. You were laying on your bed, arms wrapped tightly around each other. Wednesday sighs slightly.

"I just want you to be safe." She says. You feel the butterflies awaken in your stomach again.

"I know. I appreciate you so much, thank you for being here for me." You say sincerely. You feel Wednesday shift, then feel her lips press against your forehead. You cuddle deeper into her. You wish you can stay here forever, but then you glance at the clock. 7:03 pm. It's time.

"We have to head to the cage." You say softly your voice shaking a little. You feel Wednesday tense underneath you.

"What time do you start to turn?" She asks you, lacking any emotion, which made you suspicious.

"Around 8. We have to be there earlier to get everything ready. You don't have to come if you don't want to." You say, sadness evident in you voice.

"Don't be ridiculous. I am coming with you, whether you like it or not." She says quickly, barely giving you a chance to think about it. Wednesday stands up from the bed, holding out her hand for you to take.

You look up and smile at her while grabbing her hand. She pulls you into her arms, and leans in to kiss you so softly, as if any hard touch can break you.

"You will be fine." She says reassuringly. You can only nod you head, not trusting your voice. You give her one last hug and make your way to the cage.

You make unknown twists and turns, Wednesday following beside you, until you finally reach it. It was placed so discreetly that no one will be able to locate it without knowing about it. You turn to look at Wednesday but her eyes are glued to the cage, an unreadable expression on her face.

"Well, this is it." You breath out. You make your way to Principal Weems, who is already waiting for you.

"Miss Addams, I didn't know you would be accompanying Y/N tonight." Principal Weems said suspiciously.

"Don't worry Principal Weems, she knows about everything, and I want her here tonight." You say while looking over at Wednesday, but her eyes are still glued to the cage. You grab her hand and give it a light sqeeze. She finally looks at you and you give her a reassuring nod.

"Very well. Are you ready Y/N?" Principal Weems asks. You sigh and nod your head. You step into the cage, it feels foreign yet familiar at the same time. You lead Wednesday into the cage with you. She looks at you with confusion written on her face.

"I want you here every step of the way, I want you to fasten my chains, and be here when Weems unties me again. I want you to be here. For me." You say. Wednesday could tell you were scared.

"Okay." That one word sounded so reassuring to you. You stand in the middle of the cage, it's not big, but you always feel small when standing inside it. You lift your arms at your side, waiting for Wednesday to tie the shackles around your wrists.

She steps forward, grabbing the chains from off the floor, and clasps it around your right wrist. She tightens it a little.

"Tighter." You say, your voice shaking.

"It's already very tight..." you cut her off.

"Tighter Wednesday. Please." You tell her, holding back tears. She nods slightly and tightens it. You bite your lip trying to ignore the pain shooting through your wrist. She moves on to the left wrist and repeats the action. Once she is finished, you let out a sigh of relief.

She gently caresses your cheek and leans in for a soft kiss. You savour the moment even though it only lasted a couple of seconds.

"You will be fine Mi Amor." You melt at the new nickname she gave you. You only nod, not being able to form a lot of words since you arrived. A single tear falls from your cheek. Wednesday is quick to wipe it away.

"Y/N, it's almost time. Wednesday please exit the cage." Principal Weems said. Wednesday gives you hand one last squeeze and leave the cage. Principal Weems shuts the door and gives you a small smile.

A couple of minutes have passed, your eyes not leaving Wednesday's. All of a sudden you feel the shift start to happen. Muscle aches, blurred vision, pain in your mouth from your fangs coming out, mind foggy, and unexplainable hunger forming in your stomach. You let out a gut wrenching scream and pull at your restraints.

Wednesday watches, she flinches as she sees you pull at the chains, bruises already forming on your wrists. She looks into your eyes, but it's not you. It's not the soft look she is used to. All she sees is pure hatred and fury in your now bloodshot eyes. She now understands why you chose to be chained up.

"Wednesday, please go to my office, look behind the portrait of the school and bring me the cooler box that is behind it." Principal Weems said.

"What is it?" She asks.

"It's her blood bags. She is extremely hungry when she turns back." Principal Weems said, her eyes not leaving you.

After a while, Wednesday returns with the cooler box, she sees that you have now calmed down. You are seated in the corner of the cage, knees pulled up to your chest with a deathly grip around them. You seem frustrated.

A couple hours have passed, and Wednesday finally allows herself to close her eyes and rest. She doesn't know how much time has passed when she is awoken by a piercing scream. She immediately stands up and looks at the cage. You are on your knees, screaming and clawing at the floor.

"What is happening?" She asks Weems worriedly.

"She is shifting back. You've been asleep for a couple of hours now." Weems said.

"What time is it?" She asks, not believing she slept so long.

"5:00 am. Hurry and get the blood bags ready while I inspect her." Weems said while walking to you.

You finally open your eyes and come to your senses. You look around, your body aching. You are crying due to the pain and hunger. You finally see Principal Weems and immediately wrap your arms around her. She hugs you tightly.

"How do you feel?" She asks softly.

"Hungry and sore." You sniff out. You see a second person coming into view. Wednesday. You try to get up but the chains are holding you back. You wince at the pain. Principal Weems immediately starts to unchain you. Wednesday kneels next to you, concern and worry on her face. Once you were free you immediately wrap your arms around her. She grabs you and holds onto you tightly.

"Y/N. You have to drink this now." Principal Weems said, handing you a blood bag. "I'll leave you two alone for now, once you are done please head to the infirmary for a checkup." You nod as Principal Weems leaves.

"Drink this my love." Wednesday said. You immediately take a sip of the blood, sighing in satisfaction as the hunger is finally quenched. Wednesday looks at your wrists, which were severely bruised, she takes one of your hands and starts messaging the bruises softly. Once you were done drinking, you look at Wednesday. She wipes the small blood drop from your mouth and leans in to kiss you, the metallic taste still on your tongue.

She pulls back and rests her head on your chest. You wrap your arms tightly around her. Contentment filling your heart and your mind.

Right here, with the love of your life in your arms, you knew everything will be okay. You are not going to follow in the footsteps of your parents, but instead, you're going to create your own legacy.

END.

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

Author's Note: Thank you so much to everyone who took the time out of their day to read this story. I appreciate each and every one of you. <3

[mistresswriter19]

~The Temptation Of A Vampire's Touch ~

~Lord Corvo X Reader ~

( Fanart By Me )

Author's Note: So been writing fanfics mostly about Oc's from a few artists I follow so in addition here's a vampire one that's an oc for Villainous. Plus I simp for him and so do many others cuz he's Hella attractive. Lord Corvo needs the spotlight so here I am making a one-shot of him with the Reader. ( This is before he got a wife xD)

Lord Corvo belongs to @deniiart13 support her content and give her a follow on the media.

Enjoy ^^

They walk upon the night and feast on human flesh to keep on living because the blood gives them the strength and perhaps if a vampire feels alone, he shall turn the one he dearest the most a bride in all immortality. Thank you for your time.

You were a journalist and your passion was studying vampires however what mostly exist were villains and superheroes, which you didn't mind but it would be interesting to have a some batty bits of something more exciting that you read books and movies no matter what the plot if it was vampires you were interested.

Commenter: Y/N can't you get it through your head that there are no such things as vampires.

Y/N: I know you think my research and journals about vampires are such nonsense but sooner or later I'll prove to you!

Commenter: This isn't Twilight Y/N.

You turned red when a few people mentioned Twilight and other vampire series you were into and the novels as well made it worse. You walked out of the interview hearing people that studied you laughing their asses off about your passion which made you lose hope if vampires do exist.

Y/N: Assholes...

You said as you went out to take a deep breath rubbing your eyes trying to get emotional, the citizens always thought of you being the weird type about gothic culture but you didn't care it was something that you really liked and you'll still do it no matter how many times you got made fun of.

You gasped when you saw a large crow sitting on the lamp post that flicker back and forth. What caught you more intrigued was the crow's eye. It wasn't black like most crow's, it was red like a vampire. You took your phone and quickly took a photo as the crow glanced at you. You felt a shiver between your body feeling like this wasn't going to be the last time you'll see that crow. Then he flew away, your f/c hair got frazzled and your f/c eyes felt so hypnotized by that crow it was like a different form of a bat.

Y/N: We'll crow's do form of the gothic ascetic like bats. Maybe this could be something more. I need to find a cemetery where I can prove my point!

Hours passed and it was already night, you didn't have a car or couldn't afford an Uber so you unfortunately had to walk back home and you took a different path this time. It was pretty chilly, and you tugged on your research bag and the skin of your skin was a little pink from the chil. Hopefully you don't end up with a cold.

You turn your back many times with a huge fog out of nowhere starting to appear to the direction you kept walking until you bumped into a black gate.

Y/N: Yes, yes a cemetery this is where I can prove to them all!

You said your hands curled into fits filled with glee but a bit of anxiety because it was dead at night very silent, you opened the gate with a loud CREAAAAAK from the chains dangling attached with the lock that looked very ancient so this cemetery must be here ages. You take a step forward roaming around the thousands of Graves which kind of made you feel uneasy of what happened to the people leading them to their Graves. You stepped on a coffee color sheet holding up with both hands. It was written in French.

( Recherché "Vampire". s'il vous plaît, amenez mort ou vivant pour une récompense)

( WANTED )" Vampire ". please bring dead or alive for reward

Y/N: So vampires do exist…

???: Indeed mon chéri~

Y/N: Who said that!?

You said turning your back dropping the paper as you looked up to see the crow before with the red eye staring down.

Y/N: I must be tired…

But it wasn't you saw the crow flap his feathers swerving around you as you focus on his movements that is until red mist started to appear from the glow of his eye and you felt you body fell onto the grass with the loud thump erupting to the part a few tombstones cracked a little. You used your arm to cover yourself from the rocks and dust and were immediately stunned when a large tall figure shadow appeared to look down at you and revealed him beyond the shadows.

Y/N: Oh my…vampire!?

You said face turning a little flushed realizing how tall this vampire was and he reminded of a musician for some reason but that will be for another time. He had luxurious black hair, one slanted up, a dark gray spot behind his long pointy ears, white sharp fangs, mustache, facial hair that blended in with his hair. Black soulless eyelids, arching eyebrows either if he was pissed or intimate, red beaming eyes like most vampires would have. Black long coat that fit his broad fit body, quite veiny hard hands whenever he balls them into a fists. Dark gray color shade vest w red button that matches the thick red line of his coat. Black pants, black shoes and red mixed it was like looking to a 20 year old Dracula ~

???: Quite ashamed not all believe in our kind~ at least for you to have that hope. That's cute~

Y/N: A..a..are you a real vampire?

???: What gives it out, the fangs, how dark I dress or maybe it's my hair that people can't stop laying there hands on~

Y/N: So vampires are real

???: Hmm~ you like a those journalist types I like those kind ~

You were already drawn away from this vampire's technique and not to mention how alluring his voice was; it sounded kind of like a true Dracula.

Y/N: What's your name?

The Vampire chuckles as he grabs you, your delicate hand places a kiss as he speaks, his red eyes glistening to your f/c the same time you see the crow.

???: Lord Corvo mon chéri a pleasure (Kisses your hand )

Y/N: I see you're quite a charmer… Lord Corvo

Lord Corvo: What can I say, people can't resist me~ but there's something I like about you my dear~

Y/N: And what would that be

Lord Corvo: Your innocence, your devotion of studying us vampires, and you're quite cute when you blush when i lean closer to your ear ~ or perhaps your neck ~

You whimper a little when Lord Corvo hot breath leans into your ear and then his breathing getting close to your neck as you felt his broad arms holding your arm and his other sliding up and down your body making you face flushed and his actions getting more enticing to explore every inch of you

Y/N: N..no..( Panting) I know what your doing…

Lord Corvo: Oh you do? This is what most of my victims aspect all the time being pinned, couldn't fight for there life, and can't resist of “ A Vampire's Touch “.

Y/N: Ah..l..Lord Corvo.

Lord Corvo: If you be a good little one, I'll make you scream out my name when I get all the way down

Y/N: AAAAAAAAAHHHHH!!!!!!!

You immediately pushed Lord Corvo out as you adjusted your outfit that he slipped off a little and trying to remain calm as Lord Corvo dusted himself and stands back up

Lord Corvo: Was it too much ~

Y/N: You got a little steamy there…( Laughs nervously)

Lord Corvo: Most novels that's what my kind enjoys doing a few bites here and there and perhaps a grand opening between the legs. You can't tell me you read those type of books before my dear

Y/N: ONLY ON MY FREE TIME, I DIDN'T PLAN ON THIS REALLY!?

Lord Corvo: You get really flustered dear, I think I'll let this slide~

Y/N: What do you mean, you're not going to turn me into a vampire

Lord Corvo: ( Chuckles ) No you're too cute to toy with and besides, you haven't meet others of my kind yet ~

You immediately grabbed your research bag holding close to your arms and blush once more it was true, you couldn't resist from the books, wattpad stories, ao3 even Tumblr you couldn't keep your phone down for a good vampire story. You saw Lord Corvo hold you against the waist as he winked, placing you on top of a tombstone, his thumb upon your lip that quiver whenever he touched you.

Y/N: c..c.ca..n..i..k..Ummm

Lord Corvo: What is it ~mon chéri ? You're going have to speak up

Y/N: Kiss you?

Lord Corvo: Is that all unless you want a bite to return

Y/N: I..i..I never had experience like this and I like to study more and maybe spend more time with you.

Lord Corvo: You're really cute… quite bold of a human asking me this most would either put a stake in my heart or try to use holy water, and garlic but little they know when you also meet fellow demons objects like that have no chance

Y/N: Lord Black Hat?

Lord Corvo: My you catch on very quickly, him and a few others are the reason why I keep on living the villain side of things is what this town needs not just for evil but it can always compact a good story for a journalist like you.

Y/N: Really.. well it does sound compromising.

Lord Corvo grins as he leans in his mouth inches to you with his broad fingers caressing your f/c hair ever so lasting it did remind you something out of a vampire plot. I look to see Lord Corvo looking directly at your f/c eyes sparkles between his red bright eyes like you were hypnotize as he closed his eyes and his lips lean into yours for a passionate kiss making you gaps and face the brightest shade of red like a fresh tomato ready to be pluck from its vines. You then lean onto the kiss arms wrapped around his back as he grins in the kiss knowing that you have him wrapped around his finger falling for him. A few moans slipped between as he held onto as he bit a little of your tongue to taste your blood making you let out a moan and pull out.

Lord Corvo: Your taste is like a strawberry, nice and ripe… ( Groans) I can't get too addicted to you, it could do something I'll regret.

Y/N: It's fine.. I can take it..

You said as you pull down your top a little to reveal your neck making Lord Corvo groan in remorse as he places you down on tombstone and pierces his fangs into your flesh. You immediately cried and let out a few hot breaths as he feast and your shaky hands attached to his warm broad fingers folded together with your pure blood dripping on the tombstone, marking a few stains on your outfit but you didn't care, you wanted this being in the hands of a vampire. Lord Corvo pulled out breathing heavily back and forth because he didn't want to take too much because you could have no survival like most of his victims marked on the graves. You laid there f/c out of place, and your mind into complete bliss as Lord Corvo leans back to kiss you with your blood dripping from his fangs and he saw part of his vest open a little but he'll have to save it when he gets to know you more and if you are the one for him

Lord Corvo: You'll see me again mon chéri

Y/N: ( Panting) L..l..Lord Corvo please

Lord Corvo: You're all for me~ rest now when you wake up you'll find me around

Y/N: Lord Corvo…

Your voice was more in a whisper as Lord Corvo held onto your shaking arm one last kiss as he turned into a crow and flew through the night sky with the sun starting to beam as you got up seeing your clothes undone and your neck dripping blood and seeing Lord Corvo had marked you.

Y/N: I..I. think I'm in love …

End Of One-shot

~Mistresswriter19 ~

[sunshinebingo]

The Princess and the Knight Chapter 6

A/N: Sorry @headcanonheadcase and @shadowsxgwynriel there's no smut in this one 🤷‍♀️

Synopsis: The Princess has lunch with the Count of Windhaven.

Word Count: 1.7k

Read the previous chapter here

Read on Ao3 here

The next day, Gwyn had not expected to see Azriel until the middle of the night when he would come to her chambers again. To her delight, her mother had arranged for the knight to accompany her to her lunch with the count as her official escort. Gwyn was starting to like her meddling now more than ever. One who was not delighted at all by the knight’s presence was the count Devlon.

The sight of Azriel had instantly made his blood boil. The knight was precisely the reason why he had rushed with his demand to court the princess. Even if no members of the castle have made any official claims about the knight and the princess, the rumours of their secret relationship had already spread. When it had reached Devlon in Windhaven, he had not even bothered to separate the truths from the exaggerated before his letter to the queen was written.

He had spent too many years crafting a plan to approach the princess for someone below him to just come and snatch away his chance at having a higher rank in the royal council. And since no seat was higher than the throne itself, Devlon would not give up so easily. When Gwyneth and her knight walked to the rose-filled conservatory together, the count put a smile on his face to hide his irritation.

Azriel could see the anger on the count’s face when he saw him. He did not care what the man would think of him. He was here under Queen Orla’s command to guard her daughter. He was also glad to have the opportunity to keep a close eye on the man who wanted to take his Gwyn away from him. Not that he would object if that was her choice.

Gwyn smiled shyly at Azriel before she walked towards the table that was set in the middle of the conservatory. The count extended a palm to her. He kissed her knuckles as he curtsied when Gwyn placed her right hand in his. She tried not to wince at the feel of his wet lips on her skin.

Gwyn took the seat that would give her the perfect view of the entrance and of Azriel who was posted there. With his back to the knight, Devlon did not notice the wink that Azriel threw at Gwyn. The conversation between the count and the princess started with casual talks about the weather.

As soon as the servants brought in the food and a bottle of rich red wine, Devlon set his plans in motion. He started by listing all the things he had accomplished in Windhaven since he had been assigned the title of count. The count was determined to paint an image of the great man that he was, talking about how, thanks to him, Windhaven was one the most thriving towns in all the Kingdom of Sangravah. He believed that the tales of his political intelligence and his skills in being a good ruler would convince Gwyneth that he was the best candidate to consider for the throne.

In reality, Gwyn was not at all impressed by him. His long talks about himself only confirmed what Aurelia thought of him; that Devlon was a conceited old man. The only reason that Gwyn was not bored to death by the count was Azriel. While Devlon went on and on about his exploits, Azriel kept rolling his eyes and making grimaces behind his back that had Gwyn needing to hold in the laughs that threatened to burst out of her.

To distract Azriel back, Gwyn occasionally batted her eyelashes and winked at him when the count was staring down at his plate. She even went as far as dipping her finger in her chocolate mousse and sucked it off while staring at him. Azriel’s mind immediately rushed back to the previous night when it was his cock that she was sucking on.

I want you, he mouthed to Gwyn before slowly dragging his tongue on his lip. Gwyn blushed and pressed her legs together beneath the table. Azriel noticed the obvious change in her and smirked, which made Gwyn blush even more. She took a long sip from her glass before she forced herself to get back to the conversation with the count across from her.

Devlon was convinced that the smiles and the sparks in the eyes of the princess that Azriel were eliciting were his doing. And so he went on by talking about his noble lineage and all the successful people born in his family. When the count shut his mouth for long enough that Gwyn could finally talk, she told him about Emerie, her closest friend from Windhaven.

“Ah yes the daughter of the tailor. She is a beautiful woman,’’ Devlon commented with a hand on his chin, ‘’despite her lower birth status.’’ Gwyn furrowed her brows in question at the count.

‘’I suppose the wealth that her family has acquired with her father’s business among the nobles has certainly been beneficial to the lady’s qualities.’’ Behind him, Azriel scoffed in irritation. When Devlon turned around, he only saw a stoic looking knight standing with a hand on his sword and with the face of someone who was focused on his task.

Devlon assessed the knight suspiciously from head to toe then turned back to the princess and continued, ‘’although none can be as beautiful as you, Your Highness,” the count drawled and offered Gwyneth his most charming smile. This time Gwyn did not hide her dubious expression.

Azriel thought if Devlon believed that his Gwyn could be wooed with only one compliment after he had spent the whole meal talking about his own person and insulted one of her dearest friend in the process, the count was bound to wait for the princess for the rest of his lonely life.

‘’You think that people who are born in less noble families should be thought in lower regards,’’ Gwyn stated.

‘’I believe everyone should be given a chance in life,’’ Devlon began. ‘’Though those of more noble births are the ones who had led to the rise of our kingdom to such renown.’’ Gwyn had thought that Devlon would at least try to hide his disdain for the lower classes from her, if only so she would not see how cold he was. Clearly she had been wrong. From the incredulous look on Azriel’s face, she knew that he was also being appalled by the count’s opinions.

‘’But I am sure that you will agree with me, Your Highness, that people of higher ranks, like myself,’’ Devlon emphasized, ‘’are more apt at serving in terms of politics and any matters that are close to the crown.’’ Devlon hoped that, as the princess, Gwyneth would understand that having a knight on the throne would be a disgrace.

Azriel did not know if the count was doing it on purpose, but he suddenly felt like the target of those words. He and Gwyn were both aware of the little gossips and rumours running around in the castle. But Devlon’s words and tone made the knight wonder if the news of their relationship has crossed the castle gates and spread even further than the Capital.

‘’Well I do not agree with you at all,’’ Gwyn said sharply to the count. She had no idea how the conversation had suddenly veered into political matters and the crown. But she would not tolerate anyone belittling her people in front of her. Even less when those remarks were directly being pointed at her loved ones.

The count froze at the princess' tone. The frown on Gwyneth’s face was indication enough that she was vexed.

‘’I am simply saying Your Highness,’’ Devlon said, trying to prevent the situation from escalating, ‘’that people like me have the best skills and intelligence to ensure the good running of the kingdom.’’

‘’People like you,’’ Gwyn snapped, ‘’think they are above everyone else only because they were born on silk sheets.’’ From his place at the door, Azriel could feel the count tense in his seat at the princess’ tone. But Gwyn was not finished.

‘’Unlike you my lord,’’ she continued, ‘’I do not think that a person’s qualities can be judged by the rank that they were born in.’’

‘’So you think that this cold and brute knight will be better at ruling than me?’’ The princess gasped and Azriel almost growled. It was clear now that his earlier statement was about him. It was even clearer to him that the count was trying to get rid of the competition to reach a comfortable seat on the throne. But Azriel did not see Devlon as his rival. To him, the count was only a pathetic man who was greedy for power and attention.

Devlon’s eyes widened as soon as he realised that the words he were thinking had left his mouth. He cursed himself for his inept mistake. The princess must have understood that he knew of her affair with the knight and might think that he was trying to interfere in her personal affairs. The count immediately started to fear the repercussions that these words would have on his plans to court the princess. Soon, she might also start to suspect his motives and the reasons why he had acted now.

As she kept her gaze on the count, Gwyn wanted to list all the reasons in which her knight was better than him. She did not even bother with denying any supposed claim that the haughty man had made about her and the Knight standing in the room. When she was sure that Devlon has seen the indignation in her eyes, Gwyn stood up and threw her napkin on the table.

“I will not be with someone who is only interested in himself and who treats others like dirt beneath his polished shoes,’’ she said while still staring at the count. ‘’Have a good day my lord.”

The count stood to stop her from leaving, but Gwyn had already reached the door of the conservatory where the knight was waiting for her. She did not spare him a final glance before she walked out. But Azriel had the audacity to smirk at him in triumph before he turned and followed the princess.

It would be humiliating for him if word spread that the princess had rejected a man like him for this brute. As he sat in the conservatory and served himself to another glass of wine, Devlon thought about the pair. He would find other ways to achieve his goal. But before that, he would first have to get rid of the knight.

[sweet-s0rr0w]

hello, might you have any excerpts to share, either something new or a beloved passage of an old fic?

Hello lovely kind person, and thank you so much for messaging me!! Now this ask was sent during the Great AO3 Outage which means that I am drastically late with it, and I am afraid I don't have anything to new share at present (I've just started working on a longfic, which if the stars align I might submit for a fest next summer, so I can't post an excerpt on here), BUT I was just talking to @sitp-recs about the three fics I've written this year, and how I think that I'm finally getting more comfortable at writing smut, so in celebration of that I'm going to offer up a porny little snippet from my Dronarry fest fic, Silhouettes.

(for context, the fic is established Ron/Harry)

“What,” Ron says to Draco, letting his chin rest on Harry’s shoulder, “have you changed your mind, then?”

Draco steps into the room, eyes flashing and – it’s amazing, Harry thinks, how well Ron understands Draco, how cleverly he lays down a challenge, appealing to Draco’s deep-rooted need for approval. Draco’s gaze meets Harry’s, lingering for a second, then drops lower – lighting on Ron’s hand, the covetous way it’s splayed across Harry’s stomach – then lower, and lower still.

“Fuck,” Draco breathes, and for a split second Harry wants to run, wants to cover himself – damn, it’s been so long – but Ron’s arm just tightens around him, holding him in place as though for Draco to drink his fill. Harry knows he’s blushing under the scrutiny, but he can feel his cock responding all the same.

“Undress him,” Ron tells Harry, nodding at Draco, who steps forwards wordlessly, unfolding his arms so Harry can comply. Harry’s hands feel heavy, his movements clumsy – and grow clumsier still when Ron begins toying with his nipples, one and then the other, tweaking them hard enough to make Harry cry out. Ron presses his body up tight against Harry’s, cock full and insistent against the small of Harry’s back, and now Harry’s dragging Draco’s belt from its loops, tossing it aside, desperate to get his hands back on Draco’s skin. The first brush of Harry’s fingers beneath his waistband has Draco jerking forwards, Harry’s cock smearing precome all over the front of his expensive trousers, and it’s too much already, Harry thinks, driven almost out of his mind, liquid want in Ron’s arms.

When he’s finished exposing the evidence of Draco’s desire, Harry reaches out, running a finger along his collarbone, pressing his hand over the flush that’s bleeding slowly down his torso. But when he leans forwards, eyes fixed on Draco’s lips once more, Ron’s hand is firm against his chest.

“On the bed, Malfoy,” Ron says.

“Sod off, Weasel,” Draco mumbles, but he obeys all the same, sprawling back atop their duvet: a tableau he’s well acquainted with, except this time Ron’s standing behind him, and Draco’s turning his face into Ron’s pillow, inhaling deeply, and it’s so fucking hot that Harry can hardly breathe.

“Now you,” Ron tells him, applying just a hint of pressure to the curve of Harry’s spine. He climbs onto the bed until Draco’s laid out beneath him, lean and elegant, uncharacteristically defenceless.

“Good idea, d’you reckon, Harry?” Ron says, joining them on the bed. His voice is teasing, pitched easily loud enough for Draco to hear, and Harry can only groan in response, mind a roaring confusion, leaning forwards to fan his hands out over Draco’s stomach.