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heart-of-the-morningstar · 2 months ago

Text

✨All Dolled Up✨

Lucifer x f!sinner reader

Summary: After months of hard work, Lucifer finally gifted you a welcome present after joining the hotel! In return, you decide to make something of your own just for him! Your gift, however, turns out to be even more special than you intended...

This is a surprise story for my friend @rosen-und-mondlicht who gave me this very creative and fun idea for a story! Love you boo <3

Huge thanks to @canihaveacandycane and @citrusbatsandhoneybees for the help on this one!

Warnings: smut, 18+, fingering, oral (m & f receiving), multiple orgasms, p in v

Welcome to the Hazbin Hotel! We're so happy to have you stay with us! We hope your time here is an enjoyable one!

-Hotel Staff

P.S. Hey there! I'm sorry this took so long to give you, I just had to make it perfect! I hope you like it!

-Lucifer

It was custom for every new resident to receive a welcome letter. Even though you've already been at the hotel for 6 months now, it was still appreciated. You walked into your room and found your very late letter sitting next to a small white box complete with a red bow resting at the foot of your bed. The gift was unexpected; however, you hadn't heard of anyone else receiving one. Once you read the card, you figured you knew the reason for its delay. Lucifer, always the perfectionist, must have stalled the whole operation.

You hadn't expected to become so close to the King of Hell himself. You were weary of him at first, I mean, who wouldn't be? Everyone knew about the fallen angel. But after a while, you started to warm up to him. It was easy to see that he was nothing like you imagined or had been told about while you were alive. He was a kind soul, a dreamer who loved his daughter dearly, and someone who was very, very lonely. You learned about his previous wife Lilith and how she had left several years ago never and hadn't been heard from since. You could tell this deeply affected Lucifer even though he did his best to hide it through his jovial persona. You two grew pretty close, he found you incredibly easy to talk to, as if he had known you his whole life. You enjoyed your time together and you found joy in listening to whatever he chose to ramble on about that day be it his latest project or reminiscing about his daughter Charlie when she was younger. You'd never admit it, but you had developed somewhat of a crush on the king. But who were you to get involved with the ruler of Hell? It wasn't your place as a mere sinner and you dared not ruin the friendship you had built with him, odd as it may be.

Curiously, you picked up the box and casually began to unwrap it. you lifted the lid to find a cute little rubber duck that resembled you! All the little details down to your hair, your eye color, and somehow it managed to capture your smile in its little orange beak. You loved it, no wonder to took him so long to complete; every detail was perfect. It was such a thoughtful gift, and you felt the burning need to return the favor! Who knows the last time Lucifer had been given a gift. Why couldn't it be from you?

You noticed something else in the box too and lifted it up gently. It was a beautiful white and red feather. You knew it must have been his, but did he mean to give this to you as well? Knowing him, he must have worked frantically to get this gift finished. A few must have fallen off during the packing process; you knew how stressed the man could get. But the feather gave you an idea. You couldn't make rubber ducks like him, that was his specialty. But you did, however, know how to make little felt dolls! You were very crafty during your life and you figured you might as well use the skills you have to do something good.

You spent most of the night sewing and stitching everything together, ignoring the many warning signs your body gave you in order to try and get you to sleep. You were stubborn, however. Once you started a project, it was almost impossible for you stop until it was complete. It was nearly dawn by the time you finally finished the little doll. Well, almost finished! Everything was perfect, from the little snake that wrapped around his little hat to the tiny golden buttons on his jacket. There was only one things left to do! You grabbed the feather that you had found your box and delicately placed it inside of the small slit you had left open on the side of the doll. You thought the feather could represent a heart, something meaningful to give the doll and make it different from anything else.

Finally, you stitched the last gap closed, cutting the strong with your teeth to finally complete your gift. You stared at the doll for a moment to admire your work. And you were happy. But something weird happened. Just then, a small flash of golden light emanated from the doll but disappeared as quickly as it came. You set it down and rubbed your eyes. You looked over the doll again for another minute, but the flash of light never returned. You chalked it up to being a trick of the light. And considering the fact that you were sleep deprived, you wouldn't put it past your brain to start pulling tricks on you. You shrugged it off, taking the doll with you to bed. You drifted off to sleep easily, your eyes growing heavy as soon as your head hit the pillow. You clutched the doll close to your chest, giving it a small peck on the cheek.

"Goodnight, Lucifer," you whispered to it before letting your body fall unconscious.

****

You woke up with a start to the sound of your alarm blaring. It was 8:00 a.m. Not nearly enough sleep. You realized you hadn't moved all night; your body must have been too exhausted to toss and turn. You found yourself still holding the doll and smiled to yourself. You were still exhausted, but you knew Charlie would be sad if you missed breakfast, so with all of your remaining strength, you pulled yourself out of bed and begrudgingly began to get ready for the day. You decided you use a small tan paper you had from one of your shopping trips bag to hold the doll, thanking yourself for not just tossing it away like you normally would have.

You made your way to the kitchen knowing Charlie would be preparing breakfast for everyone. But to your surprise, when you entered through the kitchen door, it was not the princess you found at the stove, but her father. You heard him whistling a song you never heard before, a perfect melody. Your heart began to race as you walked a little bit closer to him, the smell of pancakes filling your senses.

"I can hear you, you know," Lucifer called out playfully as he flipped a pancake in the air. You couldn't help but giggle.

"Well, I'm glad," you retorted, now standing beside him. "I didn't really want to be scaring you when you’re working over a hot stove like that."

He gave you a small smirk without looking away from what he was doing. "Oh yeah, that truly would be terrible, wouldn't it?" he laughed. You knew he was more or less invincible, being an angel and all. Still, you didn't want to distract him.

"I thought Charlie was usually the one to prepare breakfast," you commented.

"Oh, she is!" Lucifer smiled. "But I told her I would handle the meals today. My little girl works so hard around here, you know? I thought it would be nice to take something of her plate...so to speak." He chuckled at his own joke as he laid the freshly made stack of pancakes on the neatly assembled row of plates.

"Do you need any help?" you asked, setting down the brown paper bag behind the kitchen island out of his view.

"Sure!" He turned around and pointed to the condiments he had laid out. "Could you hand me the syrup and the whipped cream over there?" You did as he asked and brought him the items. Lucifer began to smother the fluffy cakes in syrup and drawing little ducks with the whipped cream to top them all off. When he was finished, you and him delivered breakfast to the hotel residents. You came back to the kitchen to notice there were two plates of pancakes left.

"Oh, we forgot some," you commented. "Who did we forget?"

Lucifer only smiled. "Those are for us, silly! You have to eat too, don't you?"

In your effort to help, you completely forgot that you hadn't eaten. He handed you your plate and fork and you two stood there eating his delicious creation as you leaned against the countertop.

"These are amazing!" you tried to say with your mouth still half full.

Lucifer swallowed his last bite and gave you a toothy grin. "Why thank you! I'll be honest, I haven't cooked in a long time. I was afraid I had forgot how. But if you like them, then I know I succeeded!"

You set your finished plate down and crossed your arms. Lucifer seemed to be in more high spirits than usual. You liked seeing him like this; just happy. "If you don't mind me saying, Lucifer, your mood seems...different. N-Not in a bad way! Just...more full of energy."

He followed your motion and set his plate down behind him. "You think so?"

"Yeah," you continued. "It's nice to see. I like a happy Lucifer."

He smiled at you and left out a soft sigh. "Can I tell you something?" You tilted your head in confusion but nodded. "This is gonna sound a little weird, maybe a little bit crazy, but just hear me out, okay?"

"Of course! I never think you're crazy," you smiled. His hand found the back of his neck; he looked as though he was nervous about whatever he was about to tell you. Your heart started racing again.

"Last night, when I was sleeping...in the middle of the night, I felt something...I don't know how to say this...constricting me?" You furrowed your brow, not understanding what he was trying to say. "Maybe that's not the right word. Let's say...holding me. That sounds better."

"Holding you?" you questioned, "I'm not sure I get it."

"Okay uhh, let me think..." he placed his hand under his chin. "It almost felt like...cuddling?"

"So...someone was cuddling you last night?" you spoke in a hushed tone. You feared the worst when you heard him say those words. Lucifer noticed your change in demeanor and quickly back peddled.

"No, no, that's the thing! I was alone last night!" he reassured you. "I always sleep alone, ever since..." he shook his head as to move on and forget it. But you knew what he was going to say. "It was the strangest damn thing, in the middle of the night no less! And there was a voice that..."

Your brain refused to acknowledge Lucifer's last few words and were more focused on the fact that he was indeed alone last night. "That...certainly is odd. What could..."

Oh no...

Your eyes went wide with fear, your whole body froze, you couldn't bring yourself to finish your thought.

The doll.

The doll you made for him. You went to bed with it last night. You held it in your arms. You kissed it goodnight!

Oh no, oh no, oh no!

"Is everything alright?" Lucifer snapped you back to reality. "You look paler than me!"

You swallowed hard trying to muster up any sort of response. "Y-Yeah! Yeah, I'm totally fine! I just...I realized I promised I would help Angel with something this morning and I completely forgot! So, I'll see you later!"

You didn't give Lucifer a chance to respond as you ran out the door and grabbed the bag you had hidden from view. You didn't let up until you reached your room and slammed the door behind you. You set the bag down carefully onto your bed and gingerly removed the doll from it, using only your nails to hoist it out. You let it lay in your hand as you stared at it with panicked eyes.

"What the hell did I do?!" you asked yourself in a berating tone. "It's just a doll, it shouldn't have - hold on..." A sudden memory came flooding back to you. You called the doll emitting a strange light the night before as soon as you finished sewing the remaining stitches. Last night, you thought it was just the trick of the light; it was late and you were beyond exhausted. But that didn't explain why Lucifer was able to feel you holding him last night. The last thing you did was add "...the feather!"

That must be it! His feather must have caused the connection. Lucifer was an angel after all, a magical being of pure light. Surely anything that was a part of him would carry those same properties. You had to get rid of it! But how? You didn't know the extent of what this doll could feel. Surely stabbing it with a knife would cause him some pain...you think. Given Lucifer was more or less indestructible, you still didn't really want to test that theory.

So, you stood there with the doll limp in your hand unsure of what to do with it next.

You couldn't bring yourself to destroy it, you put so much work into it and it would kill you to get rid of something that was meant to be an innocent gift. The best option would be to hide it, leave somewhere no one would find it and forget that it even exists. But then, the thought of Lucifer's smile crosses your mind. He was so happy this morning, happier than you've ever seen him. And it was because of you. Not that you would every dream of telling him that. But maybe...maybe it would be alright if you kept it. If you held it close to you at night. Perhaps it wasn't the most moral decision, but hey, you're in Hell, morality is not a common practice here. You brought that doll to your chest and held it tight. "I'm sorry..." you murmured to it, "If I can't tell you how I really feel, maybe this is the next best thing."

For the next several nights, you went to bed with the held tightly. And for the next several days, you couldn't bring yourself to face Lucifer. Anytime you heard him approaching or his voice getting closer, you ran the other direction. But not far enough to completely miss him. While you hid from his view, he had that same jovial expression since the day you made breakfast together. It warned your heart to know that what you were doing had a positive effect on him, even though you couldn't shake the guilt that came with that either. Sometimes he would catch you by surprise and spot you from across the hall. Lucifer would call out to you but you made it a point to get out of there as fast as possible. Strangely enough, he never sought you out after you ran, but you thought that was for the best.

One night before you went to bed, you sat up on your mattress staring at your creation resting in your palms.

"I'm a coward," you told yourself. "I should just tell him the truth. Why am I even doing this? I want him to be happy, but this isn't right. I shouldn't have put the feather in there, I should have just thrown this in my closet and not given it a second thought. But no! Now I'm avoiding him like a frightened cat because I don't have the guts to tell him..." You sighed. "One more night. Just one more. And then I'm done. I'll never think about this again." You turned off your lamp and drifted off into a dreamless sleep.

****

You cracked your eyes open the next morning, the light of the red sky filling your room. You sat up and rubbed your eyes before feeling around for your doll. You couldn't find it. Your opened your eyes wider. The doll wasn't there. You leaped from the bed and quickly began turning over your covers and throwing the pillows onto the floor. Nothing. You dropped to the ground and peered under your bed to a shocking sight. You gasped.

Keekee somehow found her way into your room. And what was in her mouth other than your little Lucifer doll.

"Keekee," you called to her. "I'm gonna need that back, sweetie! That's not a toy!" Your hand reached out slowly, trying not to spook the little cat. Her tail whipped back and forth as she raised her hind legs. "Nooooooo, don't you dare Keekee, I swear I'll..." but before you could finish your threat, she bolted from under your bed and ran straight out of your room. "Damn it!"

You didn't have time to change and in that moment you didn't care. You flung the door wide open and watched Keekee turn the corner, the doll still in her tiny mouth. "Keekee, get back here!" you yelled down to her as quietly as you could. You didn't know what time it was but it was too early to be cursing at a cat. She scurried away into another hall, forcing you to chase after her. You never lost sight of her, which you thought was a little odd. Normally Keekee could disappear if she really wanted to, but at no point did she ever make an attempt to avoid you completely. It was almost like she wanted you to follow her.

After several crazy turns, you saw her duck into and open door in one of the hallways. You figured it must be a closet. She was finally trapped. You hurried over to the dark room and pushed the door shut so the cat couldn't escape easily. But now you couldn't see.

"Keekee, come here girl," you cooed. "I promise I'm not mad, I just want the doll back." You found it a little ridiculous that you were trying to barter with a cat, but it was early in the morning and your hadn't fully woken up yet. "This isn't funny anymore, you know. Please, Keekee, I need that back!"

"And why would that be?" a low voice boomed in the dark. You shrieked as the lights flashed on. After blinking a few times trying to get your eye to readjust, you realized where you ended up.

Lucifer's workshop...with Lucifer sitting at his desk, Keekee snuggled in his lap.

Shit.

The first thing you could process was that you were still in your nightgown. Instinctively, you threw your hands over your chest in shock and embarrassment.

"Oh, God, I'm sorry!" Lucifer apologized, quickly covering his eyes with his forearm. "H-Here!" With a snap of his fingers, a giant blanket formed around you, covering you from head to toe. You gripped it tightly to keep in from falling off your shoulders. Lucifer peaked through his arm to make sure you were decent. "Sorry again, I should have realized you wouldn't have been dressed yet." You felt your cheeks burn as he spoke. He reached down to pet Keekee who had then dropped the doll into his other hand. "Such a good girl, Keekee!" he praised her, "who's a good girl? You are! Yes you are!" He looked back up at you and cleared his throat. Lucifer stood up from his chair while Keekee leaped onto the ground, curling up into a ball, and taking a little nap under his desk.

You swallowed hard before finally finding your voice to speak. "L-Lucifer, I-I can explain! I-"

"It's alright," the fallen angel smiled. "I'm sorry about all this, but you've been avoiding me lately. I knew you'd follow Keekee once you realized she stole this from you." He held out the doll in his hand. "You made this?"

You nodded your head, refusing to make any sort of eye contact. "It was meant as a gift for you. The duck you gave me was amazing, I wanted to give you something in return, but..." you couldn't bring yourself to finish your sentence. Lucifer continued to smile softly at you. This was definitely not the reaction you were expecting from him. You had so many questions and so many apologies to give him, but there was one burning question that you needed answered first. "Did you know something like this was possible?"

Lucifer shook his head. "No, I didn't. One of my feathers is in this, right?" You nod. "It must still contain its magic despite not being attached to me anymore."

Your eyes shifted to the ground. "How did you know it was me?"

"I heard you." You raised your eyebrow, not understanding his answer. "I heard your voice. Anytime you held the doll, I heard you, as if you were whispering in my ear. At first, I didn't recognize it. But as you kept talking, the words you were saying; it all clicked. I've been trying to get your attention these last few days but you ran as soon as you saw me. Were you...afraid that I would be angry?"

You nodded again, tears now welling up in your eyes. "I-I'm sorry, Lucifer, I didn't mean to...I just..."

"Hey, hey! Please don't cry! Please?" Lucifer quickly wiped away the tears that fell down your cheek. "I'm not angry, I promise! I'm the furthest thing from it!"

You sniffled a few times, trying to even out your breathing again. "You...You're not? But why?"

Lucifer looked down at the doll in his hand and sighed. "Because...I haven't felt that kind of care in a long time. " He gently ran his hands over the small striped undershirt of the tiny Lucifer. "Hehe, it feels weird when I do it..." He looked back up at you with the most needy eyes you've ever seen. "I should have talked to you immediately after I figured out what was going on. I should have made more of an effort. But I didn't. I know that's selfish of me. But...I was afraid if I did, you would stop. Every time I tried to talk to you, you ran. And I was silently grateful that you did. It meant I would get to feel that same feeling of being held again that night. When you said that last night would be the final time, I knew I had to come clean. I couldn't let you go on thinking that what you were doing was wrong. I hope you can forgive me."

He was apologizing to you? When you were the one that made this magical doll and refused to tell him about it? "You have nothing to be sorry for, I created this, and I didn't tell you what was happening when I learned what I'd done. This is my fault."

"Can I see your hand?" Lucifer asked, almost as if he was ignoring the blame you were putting on yourself. You did as he asked and outstretched your hand. He placed the doll flat in your palm. "You're very skilled, you know. You did a wonderful job capturing my good side," he chuckled. "I know this was originally meant for me, but I want you to keep it. What you do with it is up to you." You remained perfectly as he spoke. "If you want to forget that this ever happened, I would completely understand. You can put it on a shelf or hide it in a closet, and this will never be brought up again." His palms rested on top of the doll and the bottom of your hand. "But..." his grip tightened ever so slightly, his claws digging into the fabric.

"You don't want that, do you?" his thoughts leaving your mouth. Lucifer didn't respond, he didn't even look up as you asked him.

That was all the answer you needed.

You pulled away and hid the doll under your blanket, giving him a soft smile. "I'll keep it...you safe. I promise. If it's what you really want."

"I do." The king couldn't help but beam at you. He wrapped his arms around you, constricting your own. He pulled away once he realized how hard he had been squeezing you. "Sorry," he laughed lightly. "Umm, by the way, i-if you ever need me, you can use the doll to talk to me if I'm not around. It can be about anything..." he leaned in closer and closer to you until you felt the light brush of his lips against your cheek. "And I do mean anything. I don't want to, you know, assume anything, but there had to be a reason why you went to bed with the doll every night. Some of the things you said...it sounded like you had more that you wanted to say. I just don't want you to be afraid. We're friends after all, right?"

Your heart was beating out of your chest as you listened to his words. You tried to speak but only air left your lips. Lucifer only giggled as you watched his cheeks turn a pale yellow. You couldn't believe what he was inferring. it couldn't be possible. And yet here you were with Lucifer himself practically begging for more of your attention.

"I...I don't know what to say," you finally managed to choke out. "This is all a little overwhelming, Lucifer."

"Then don't say anything," Lucifer responded. "Take all the time you need. I hope to see you soon," With a snap of his fingers, you were engulfed in sparkling red flame. You shielded your eyes for a brief moment. But after opening them again, you found yourself back in your bedroom. You walked over to your open door and quietly closed it, sinking to the floor afterwards. There was a lot you needed to process. The blanket that covered you fell to the floor as you ogled at the doll in your hand.

You hugged it tighter than you ever had before.

****

The rest of the day was perfectly quiet, mostly because you did see Lucifer for the rest of it. You cautiously approached Charlie and asked about him. She let you know that her dad told her he needed his privacy today and that no one should worry. Her words didn't comfort you like you hoped they would. Was Lucifer okay? Did this whole ordeal cause him to isolate himself. Did he change his mind about it? Your heart sunk at the thought. You needed to talk to him again, but you weren't sure you could face him. But...there was another option.

Later that night, you threw on your robe to get ready for a nice long bath. After the day you had, you needed it. You glanced over at the little stuffed doll sitting on your night stand, now hearing your own heartbeat in your ears. It was now or never; you wouldn't let your nerves get the better of you anymore. You took a hold of it and sat down on your bed, now extra aware of your hand movements.

"Lucifer, can you hear me?" You asked. There was no response. "I guess that was a stupid question. Hey, umm, I wanted to thank you. For today, I mean. I was so afraid that this situation would sully our friendship so badly that you'd never want to talk to me again. I hope you're doing alright. And I hope Keekee's teeth didn't hurt you too badly. I'm rambling now, aren't I?" In that moment, you could almost hear Lucifer's laugh.

The grip on you had on it tightened ever so slightly as you gathered the courage for what you really wanted to say. "You were right before. When you thought I had more to say to you. I-I did. But I didn't know how you would take it if I ever told you. I was afraid of your reaction. And your rejection. But...I don't have the strength to tell you in person." You brought the doll closer to your face, your lips ghosting over the fabric. "I love you," you whispered before planting a small peck to its small cheek.

Silence.

Your breath heaved slightly before setting the doll back down. You closed your eyes and let out a heavy sigh. It was done. There was nothing more you can do. You stood up and headed straight for the tub. You needed that bath now more than ever.

Knock knock knock

You froze in place for a few seconds, a little bit frightened by the sudden noise that emanated from your bedroom door.

Knock knock knock knock knock

The knocking on the door became more eager. You hurried over to answer after waiting a little too long to answer. Silently, you opened the door.

Lucifer was standing there in the hallway with the brightest smile.

"I love you too. I only wish you would have told me sooner," the ruler of Hell whispered as he gripped your hands. "Because then I could have done this!"

With little warning, Lucifer brought his lips to yours. You sat there in shock, eyes wide, before quickly succumbing to his temptations. You let your eyes lids fall as you wrapped your arms around the back of his neck, pulling him closer while his hands found your waist. A delicate kiss to your soft lips, over and over he lightly parted his own as he continuously nipped at you. He pulled away, staring back with his half-lidded eyes. You could have sworn he was drunk of the kiss the way his face formed into a goofy grin. He giggled just a little before widening his eyes in shock and stepping away.

"I'm sorry! I don't know how I keep catching you at the worst times!" he exclaimed now looking at the ceiling to avoid your gaze. You realized what had caused him to get so flustered. You looked down and remembered that you were in your robe.

And only your robe.

You blushed hard, not being able to stop yourself from laughing. "No, no, it's okay! This one's on me, I shouldn't have called you dressed like this."

"But you didn't know I was going to pop over here! My fault, I don't wanna hear any 'buts'!" Lucifer turned his head to the side still doing his best not to look at you.

"Well, I was just getting ready for a bath..." you began.

"O-Oh, yeah, of course! No worries! I really should have thought this through, I just got really excited and I...Anyway! We can talk about this tomorrow! So, I'll just be-"

"My bath is big enough for two." You blurted out without thinking.

At that moment, you could hear a pin drop. What was only a few moments felt like an eternity of silence. Your first instinct was to shut the door and lock it as fast as possible, but your body refused to budge. You just stood there horrified at the words that had escaped your mouth.

Lucifer wasn't faring much better. You watched his whole face turn a bright yellow that spread rapidly over his painted cheeks. And...was he shaking?

"I don't know why I said that," you mumbled almost incoherently. "if you need me, I'll be drowning myself now." You began to close the door before Lucifer caught it.

"I don't want you to drown," he spoke softly with just a hint of humor in his voice. "I better stay to make sure you're safe."

His words shot threw you like an arrow and your body instinctively opened the door once more to let your visitor in. The implications of his acceptance of your accidental offer crashed over you as soon as Lucifer closed the door behind him. He gave you a sheepish smile, his face's yellow tint had yet to rescind.

"I-I'll uhh, I'll draw the bath then," you squeaked and scurried over to the bathroom without another word. You tossed a towel for him onto your bed and hid yourself in the next room as the water began to fill the tub. You felt as though you could pass out at any moment; the crushing anxiety mixed with your burning desire to be as close to him as physically possible was a terrifying yet tantalizing feeling. To counter your worry, you grabbed some bottled soap from the counter and mixed it in with the steaming water, creating thousands of little white bubbles that threatened to spill over onto the floor. You would worry about any mess made later; right now, you wanted to savor this moment as much as you possibly could. Disrobing, you stepped into the now full tub and sunk down into the soothing water. Your heart was still beating a mile a minute but the water did half a sort of calming effect on you.

Knock knock knock

Well, that didn't last long.

"May I join you now?" Lucifer's muffled voiced called out.

A few quick deep breaths later, you cleared your throat, praying your voice wouldn't reveal how utterly stressed you were. "Y-Yes, come in!" Perhaps a poor choice of words, but you didn't have time to think about that when you caught your first glimpse of a nearly naked Lucifer. His alabaster skin looked as if he had been carved from the finest marble, his shoulders were broad compared to his relatively slim physique. Your eyes trailed to his blackened arms and hands that perfectly contrasted the rest of his skin. He was the epitome of perfection. The man closed the door behind him and made his way over to you.

"H-Hi," Lucifer stuttered.

"Heeeyyyyy there..." you rolled your eyes. "Listen, we can agree this is just a little awkward, right?"

Lucifer chuckled. "Maybe just a little bit. How's the water?"

"Join me and see for yourself! I'll just umm..." you turned your head and covered the side of your face with your hand, assuring you wouldn't see anything once he removed his towel.

"I'm not shy, hon." You just knew if you turned around, he would have the most prideful smirk on his face.

"You should get in before I change my mind," you playfully shot back.

You heard his towel hit the floor immediately. A fiery heat burned your core as the water shifted when he made his way in the tub. You closed your eyes for good measure so that you wouldn't be tempted to make this even more awkward than it already was. As soon as the water stopped moving, you took that as a sign that it was safe to look again. You turned your head to see Lucifer was sitting back against the other side playfully running his hands through the soapy bubbles that were floating on the surface.

"I love the bubbles, a very nice touch!" he commented.

"Thanks," you murmured. "You're sitting the wrong way though."

"Huh?"

"W-Well," you cleared your throat, "how am I supposed to clean you if you’re sitting so far away?"

"Oh...oh! Yeah, you're right!" Lucifer quickly spun his body around, his back now facing you. You spread your legs wider for him to scoot up closer to you, but he remained closer to the center of the tub. "Is this better?"

"Still a little too far..." The time for embarrassment had long gone. You grabbed a hold of Lucifer's hips and brought his body nearly flush between your thighs, earning a yelp from the startled angel. "What happened to not being shy, hmm?" you taunted. You could have sworn a little whimper escaped his throat.

Despite its frigid appearance, his body was warmer than you expected. You didn't let your hands linger on his waist for too long nor did you want to think about how his ass was mere inches away from your yearning womanhood. You forced yourself out of the trance and instead grabbed the washcloth and body soap from the small table and began to pour some of the liquid into the small towel, rubbing it between your fingers. "You promise to tell me if this becomes too much?"

Lucifer turned his head with a soft look on his face. "I promise that it won't be." You hummed, slowly bringing the cloth to his skin. He shuddered from the contact.

"Are you alright, Lucifer?"

He exhaled deeply. "I'm alright. More than alright! I'm just...really enjoying this. Thank you..."

You didn't waist anymore time scrubbing the rest of his back clean. Moving to his shoulders, down each arms, then reaching around the front to get to his chest. Without realizing, your head found its way to one of his shoulders, your chin resting comfortably. A soft sigh left your lips.

"Hey, uhh, y-you're going a little low there..." Lucifer said, his voice snapping you out of your haze. Your hand somehow drifted below the water and ended up resting on his lower stomach. Once you realized where you were heading, you pulled your arms away immediately.

"Sorry!" you nearly shouted. "I-I wasn't paying attention! Shit, I'm sorry!"

Lucifer shifted again, now facing you and gave you a small peck. "Sweetheart, it's alright, really! You don't need to apologize." Lucifer took the rag from your hand and made his way back to where he first started against the other side of the tub. "Here, let me return the favor. It's your turn now." With mild hesitation, you accepted his help wordlessly, turning your back to him as he did for you. Afraid of getting any closer, you stopped before any noticeable contact had been made. "I need you closer, dear," he whispered in your ear before pulling you against his chest with minimal effort.

You felt everything in that moment; his hands resting on your hips, his hot breath against your sensitive skin, and most distracting of all, his very noticeable hard on against the small of your back. It took everything you had to not scream like you wanted to. Knowing that this perfect creator was turned on by you made your heart flutter like a butterfly. Your body begged your to shift, if only a little bit, just to feel him rub against you. But you fought it against it furiously, digging your finger into the sides of his thighs to keep yourself grounded. The way your body tensed caused Lucifer to push you away from him slightly.

"Too much?" he asked, concerned that he may have crossed a line.

"No." you shook your head. You pushed yourself back against him, the friction sending a shiver up your spine. The low moan from Lucifer was magical, almost hypnotic. You needed to hear more. But before you could shift again, you felt the soft texture of the washcloth against your back.

"Good," his voice causing goosebumps to form on your arms, "now let's get you clean." He mimicked your movements, gliding the cloth against your soft skin, starting from the top and working his way down methodically. He moved to your shoulders, first the left and the right. Every muscle in your body just wanted to relax into him; you only wanted to float in this water with him for the rest of the night. But you were snapped out of your daydream when you noticed his movements had stopped. You looked down and saw his hand resting on your collarbone. It took only a moment to realize why the devil himself became a statue.

Lucifer swallowed hard behind you. "Am I allowed to...can I...?"

With a small giggle, you took the cloth from his hand and tossed it to the ground. Pulling your hands out of the water, you guided his own hands to your breasts. Lucifer gasped lightly but didn't pull away once your released his hands. His claws felt so nice on your bare skin that you let out a gasp of your own. "I think we're past the point of modesty, Lucifer. Go ahead, I-I want you to touch me."

Your permission was all he needed. Within a second, the king of Hell began to massage your breasts with the most delicate of touches, kneading them like fresh dough. His mouth sank down onto your pulse, sucking on it feverishly. A small whimper escaped your throat as he began to roll your nipples between his fingers. The man was intoxicated and you were the cause.

"You're too good to me, you know that?" he breathed against your skin. "Do you know how long I've wanted to tell you how beautiful you are? How enchanting? How irresistible?" One of his hands made its way down your side to your hip, sinking beneath the water and resting on your inner thigh. "To hold you like this is a dream come true."

"Lucifer, please..." you begged. Your hand found his once more and guided it down to where you needed him most. Once his fingers reached your folds, you couldn't help but whimper. In no time, he began circling your clit gingerly while his other hand worked at your breast. It was too much and not enough at the same time. You opened your legs as wide as your tub would allow to give him more access to your needy hole.

"Tell me what you want, love," he whispered in your ear. "Just say the word and it's yours."

"Touch me..." you pleaded.

You felt a finger slip into you effortlessly, a broken moan falling from your lips. You turned your head and crashed your lips into his, your desire for him only growing with every passing second. Another one of his fingers slid into you, his digits gliding in and out of your pussy with ease. He moaned into your mouth as he continued to pump his digits into your cunt, his pace increasing slowly with every movement.

"Need more of you..." he pleaded. "Please..." His fingers refused to let up. The coil in your stomach was growing tighter and tighter. You cried out in pure elation when you felt the coil finally give way, cumming hard and pulsing around his fingers that had yet to slow down. Once you could breathe normally against, he at last retreated his fingers from you, giving you a small peck on your forehead.

"T-Thank you," you mumbled out. "I think we're both pretty clean now, wouldn't you say."

"I'd say your right," Lucifer agreed. In a flash, Lucifer managed to stand up and scoop you up effortlessly as if you weighed nothing. You let out a small yelp when he picked you up and set you down on the bathroom floor, retrieving a towel from the nearby rack and sliding it up and down your body before using it on himself. "But I think this is all for naught," he continued as he guided you back to your bed, "because I think we may need another bath, I'm afraid."

He laid you down and quickly shoved his heads between your legs. You realized what he was about to do and sat up before he could go any further. "Wait, wait, hold on now!" Lucifer's eyes looked back at you with concern. "I don't think this is fair! What about you? I haven't even touched you yet!"

Lucifer gaze softened. "Oh, hon, I appreciate it but you don't have to worry about me! I-I'm fine, really! I just...I really need to taste you... Please, I'll do anything!"

You closed your legs and folded your arms over your chest, earning a tiny whimper from the man in front of you. "I seem to recall that I could have anything I wanted," you teased. Lucifer nodded and stuck out his lower lip to pout. You rolled your eyes and smiled, crawling over to him. "I have an idea. But you need to lay down for me. Can you do that?"

He did as you said almost instantly, his head hitting the back of the pillows with a soft thud. At this point you couldn't help but stare at his twitching cock. It was beautiful; thicker and longer than you might have expected from someone of his stature. Not that you would ever complain. You had to hold yourself back from letting out a whine that threatened to make you sound even more pathetic. You closed your eyes and crawled over the devil beneath you. You leaned down to kiss him again, his tongue not holding back from pushing through your lips and entangling it with yours. You pulled away and smiled unabashedly at him, admiring his perfect face and his insanely adorable blush. Without a word, you turned your body so your pussy hovered inches away from his mouth.

"S-Shit..." you heard Lucifer mutter under his breath. Knowing you had this much of an effect on him gave you the confidence you needed to grab ahold of his aching member. Lucifer couldn't help but cry out.

"This way we both get what we want," you told him before giving his tip a tiny little kitten lick. The precum from his shaft had already begun spilling onto your hand; you couldn't help but grin. "Someone is needyyyyYYYY F-FUCK!"

Lucifer pulled your hips down onto his face without warning, his tongue working at your slick cunt like a man starved. HIs claws dug into the sides of your body, the pain mixing with the undeniable pleasure his mouth gave you. Not to be outdone, you sunk your mouth down on his cock, licking and sucking at the tip. Lucifer moaned into your pussy at the feeling of your tongue. Both of your lust-filled sounds filled your room as you each sought to bring the other to their climax. You wouldn't let him win. You couldn't.

Your head bobbed up and down his girthy shaft over and over, taking in as much of him as you could. But with your growing pace came Lucifer's own counter move as his forked tongue pushed even further into you than you thought possible. You were both coming undone impossibly fast. Even with your head fuzzy from the tantalizing feeling of his mouth, your hand and mouth worked together in tandem to push him over the edge. Lucifer cursed against your skin as you felt his hot cum finally fill your waiting mouth. But it only took him a few seconds more to bring you to another orgasm after he begun to tease your clit over and over and over, refusing to give you any sort of reprieve.

You swallowed as much of his as you could before letting go of his cock with a satisfying pop with some of his release dripping down towards your chin. You wiped your fingers against the remains and made sure he watched as you licked them clean. Something in Lucifer must have snapped because the next thing you knew, you had been flipped down onto the mattress with your wrists pinned at your sides. You blinked and stared up into Lucifer now glowing red eyes; his. His demonic horns had burst from his temple, his angelic wings appeared and began flapping behind him, and his tail whipped back and forth before coiling itself around your waist. You gulped, your pussy begging to be filled by the man above you.

"Sorry," Lucifer apologized. "I got a little too excited there." He freed your hands and brought them down to your hips. "D-Do you want to keep going? We can stop if this is too much and-"

You cut him off with a soft kiss to his lips. "It's alright, Luci. I want this. I want you."

Lucifer smiled and kissed you again, stroking his still hard cock in the process. When he pulled away, you felt the tip graze your slick folds. That feeling alone was enough to make you shudder with anticipation. With final nod from you, Lucifer at last began to sink into you. You winced at the pain you felt as your body forced itself to stretch for him until he finally bottomed out inside of you. The pain slowly faded as he waited patiently, smiling at you the entire time.

"Y-You can move now," you squeaked out.

Lucifer nodded, shifting his hips just enough to pull out of you almost all the way before thrusting back in, earning a wanton moan from you. He started slow for you, knowing his size was a bit much to handle. But as your body relaxed, his picked up the pace. Faster and faster until both of you were complete and utter moaning messes.

"F-Fuck...feel so good, love," Lucifer sighed as his wings began to twitch. "S-So good. So perfect...I'm really happy y-you made that doll. I-I know everything didn't go exactly as planned but...GAAHHH FFFFUCK...I think it all turned out f-for the better, don't you think?"

Your moans turned into giggles as he continued to rut into you relentlessly. "You're s-such a dork," you laughed as your legs wrapped around him to force him to keep him as deep inside you as possible.

"B-But I'm your dork," he joked back. "Sorry love, but you're stuck with m-me now!"

"G-Good," you responded breathlessly, his hips thrusting into you even faster than before. "Then we c-can be dorks together!"

"P-Perfect!" Your cunt sucked in his cock as you felt the coil in your stomach tightening again. By the noises he was making, you can only assume Lucifer was almost at his limit too. "Darling...c-can't...I'm close...f-fuck...where-"

"Inside!" you screamed. "FuckfuckfuckFUCK LUCIFER!" Your orgasm hit you like a freight train, your wanton cries echoing off the corners of your room. It only took a few more thrusts for Lucifer to follow suit and spill his seed inside of you, his cum painting your walls a pearlescent white was he pulled you in close for another passionate kiss.

The king crashed on top of you after pulling out of you, his unearthly features retreating except for his tail which remained firmly wrapped around you. You smiled as he laid his head on your chest, his breathing labored and shaky. You stroked his soft blond hair as he hummed in approval. He looked up at you with adoring eyes and stuck out his snake-like tongue.

"What's that look for?" you asked him.

"Oh nothing," Lucifer sighed, "I'm just looking at the prettiest woman in all of Hell is all!"

You pushed his face away and laughed. "Yep, still a dork."

"But you love me!" he said gleefully, rolling onto the bed and pulling you into a tight embrace.

"I do, I really do. I wish I would have told you sooner."

Lucifer kissed the top of your forehead. "Don't worry, hon, I know now. And that's all that matters. Besides, I finally get to hold you now! And wow, does it feel like heaven!"

You buried your face in his chest and squeezed him tight. "Well, I can say for certain that you feel much better than the doll. Would you...like to stay over tonight?"

"Of course I would love," he spoke softly. "I have you in my arms now, and I don't intend on ever letting you go."

~~~~

THIS TOOK WAY TOO FUCKING LONG, I HOPE YOU LIKE IT ANYWAY!!!!!!!!!!!

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#hazbin hotel #lucifer morningstar #hazbin hotel lucifer #hazbin lucifer #lucifer smut #lucifer x reader #my writing #FUCK ME WHY DID THIS TAKE SO LONG #ENJOY!!!

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perseabeth · 7 months ago

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Milo’s Lyre

this is a one shot written about @anotheroceanid amazing fic titled When the Horizon Bloom, read it on AO3 you will enjoy it very much and get your heart broken in the most beautiful way possible. I published another one shot about this fic titled “What If” you can read it too- I got this idea last night during my angst hour with @anotheroceanid, and after few tears, and of course her inspiration, I decided that you should cry with us too! - i do not own the idea of the fic and i certainly do not own any character, all belong to the great author of the fic that made me cry more than my college curriculum enjoy ✨

Apollo no longer remembers how the dream began. He isn't even certain how he can dream at all. He once believed that gods were immune to such mortal experiences, but ever since his love vanished, dreams and nightmares have haunted him in every stolen moment he tries to delve into slumber. This dream, however, was different.

It was serene. Apollo sat upon a rock, a glittering sea stretching before him. His heart ached with a profound sorrow. The sea... How could he ever gaze upon the ocean again without seeing her eyes? How could he ever look at the waves and not remember the way they mirrored her gaze?

Sometimes, he would embark on frantic quests, searching for the sea that truly captured the color of her eyes, just to glimpse those sea-green eyes once more.

How long had it been? Seven years? For gods, time was an irrelevant concept, a fleeting notion in the face of immortality. Normally, seven years would pass as quickly as seven minutes. But these seven years... These years had stretched into millennia. He never knew time could crawl so slowly, could torture so mercilessly.

Apollo cradled his golden lyre, the instrument that once brought her such joy. He remembered the first time she heard him play, the radiant sparkle in her eyes, the breathtaking smile that stole his soul forever. His fingers, delicate and reverent, brushed against the strings, coaxing a serene melody from the lyre. Each note floated through the air like a whisper, and even the restless sea stilled its waves, entranced by the music.

Minutes passed in this harmonious reverie until Apollo felt a presence behind him—a presence so calm, so peaceful, carrying the unmistakable scent of the sea. Hope surged through him. Could it be his love? Could he finally see her in his dreams?

He turned his head slowly, afraid to wake from this fragile hope. As he did, his eyes met sea-green ones, and his heart melted, his soul awakening. Percy’s eyes… But something wasn’t right. The figure before him was a young boy, no older than six or seven, with golden curls that framed his face in a halo of sunlight. The boy was breathtakingly beautiful. Apollo's heart clenched as he took in the boy’s features. They reminded him of himself in one moment, and then of his love in the next, as if he were a perfect blend of them both.

Apollo's heart clenched. This boy… he looked like the son he might have had if Percy were still here. Shock rendered him speechless as he gazed into those familiar eyes. It was as if the child embodied the essence of their love, a living testament to a future that had been cruelly taken from them.

The boy stood cautiously, studying Apollo with a curious intensity. His golden locks tumbled over his forehead, and he wore a simple chiton that only enhanced his cherubic innocence.

“Can I see this, sir?” The boy’s voice was soft and melodic, yet firm and confident—far beyond his six years. His eyes darted to the lyre in Apollo’s hands, and Apollo finally realized what the boy wanted.

But Apollo was too shocked to speak. The boy stood silently, waiting for Apollo's response. When he finally understood, he nodded. “Of course.”

The boy took careful steps toward Apollo. As he stood before him, the sun god wondered who had raised this child. Most children snatched what they desired without hesitation; they didn’t wait politely for anything. Yet, this boy's sea-green eyes looked up at him with pure innocence and curiosity. He bent slightly to study the lyre, his hands kept respectfully to himself as if he were afraid to touch it.

Apollo realized the boy wouldn't touch the lyre unless he gave it to him.

“Here,” he extended the lyre to the boy. “You can hold it.

The boy hesitated, shaking his head. “No, no, it must be precious.” His voice was filled with a respectful reverence that belied his age, making Apollo's heart beats with admiration.

Apollo gave the young boy a gentle smile. “No, it will be fine here,” he said, pushing the lyre into the boy’s hands. The boy took it with utmost care, his eyes filling with wonder as he studied it. He looked at the lyre as if it were the eighth wonder of the world, his interest and amazement clear.

“Can I ask how you made it, sir? It is amazingly beautiful,” the boy asked, his curiosity shining with pure beauty and innocence.

Apollo smiled fondly, remembering how the lyre came into his possession. “My brother stole my cattle and gave this to me,” he chuckled.

The boy chuckled too, hiding his mouth with his small hands. “This reminds me of a story Mama tells me, about the sun god and the messenger of the gods.”

Apollo froze. The boy’s interest shifted back to the lyre, while Apollo tried to process the millions of questions racing through his mind. His mother told him stories? Apollo was about to ask more when the boy looked up and spoke in his soft, melodic voice. “If you don’t mind… can you,” the boy paused, choosing his words carefully, “can you teach me how to play it? The melody you played was beautiful.”

Apollo, still dumbfounded, watched the boy. “I think I figured out how to make it, but I want to play it for Mama. She seems sad lately, and she loves melodies so much. She sings me lullabies, but I don’t know any to sing for her. So maybe, maybe I can play her something nice that makes her smile.”

Questions swirled around Apollo’s mind. How could a child so young speak with such confidence and wisdom? But the most pressing question came to his lips. “Where is your mother?”

The boy, still focused on the lyre, answered, “On an island.”

“Where is the island?” Apollo asked.

The boy smiled as if Apollo had asked something silly, his smile bright and peaceful. “In the sea,” he said, then paused. “But Mama says the sea is dangerous.”

Apollo looked at the boy, confused. The boy’s answers seemed to reveal everything and nothing at the same time. Dangerous sea? He couldn’t be Percy’s son. Apollo's shoulders slumped. He couldn’t be Percy’s son. Perhaps his mind was creating illusions, offering a glimpse of a future he could never have, mixing him and Percy together to create the child Apollo had always dreamed Percy would carry.

Apollo looked into the boy’s eyes—Percy’s eyes—deciding that maybe, just maybe, he could live this dream for as long as it lasted. For as long as this dream allows him, he wants to imagine that this, indeed, is the child he created with his love. He held the boy’s hand, guiding him on where to place his fingers on the lyre. “Here, let me teach you” he said softly, positioning the small fingers with gentle precision on the lyre’s strings.

The boy was, in fact, the eighth wonder of the world, Apollo thought, as he looked at the young boy whose golden locks glowed in the sunlight.

Once—that was all the instruction the boy needed to create the most beautiful symphony Apollo had ever heard. The boy’s fingers danced over the strings with an innate skill, plucking and strumming as if he had been born for this. The melody flowed seamlessly, each note a shimmering thread weaving through the air, enchanting everything around them.

Apollo smiled fondly at the boy, who was also in amazement, his radiant smile outshining even the sun. The sea sparkled with the boy’s joy, and the sun, feeling almost humbled, began to set beyond the horizon, casting a golden portrait over the world.

Suddenly, the boy stopped and carefully extended the lyre back to Apollo. “I have to wake up now. Mama will wake up soon, and I can’t let her do things alone.”

Apollo’s brows knotted in confusion. “Where are we now?”

The boy smiled brightly. “We are dreaming, of course.”

Apollo took the lyre, looking at it before turning back to the boy. “You can have it.”

The young boy shook his head, making his golden locks jiggle. “It is a gift from your brother. It is precious.” He smiled, a smile that warmed Apollo’s soul, his beautiful sea-green eyes glowing with kindness. Apollo didn't want to wake up. He just wanted to see Percy’s eyes a little longer. Even if it was a hallucination, he wanted to remember those eyes longer.

The boy smiled at Apollo as he began to turn his head. “Thank you for helping me make Mama happy. Next time, when we meet, I’ll try to teach you something too.” And with that, the boy started walking away, slowly dissolving into the dream's fabric.

It didn't take long for Apollo to lose consciousness of the dream. When he opened his eyes, he found himself in his bed on Olympus, the morning light casting a gentle glow through his window.

Apollo sat on his bed, his chamber unchanged, Olympus glowing just as it always had. But his heart was heavy with a sorrow that even the gods would struggle to bear.

A sad smile graced Apollo’s lips—a smile that held an ocean of pain, a pain too deep for mortals to fathom. The Fates had always been cruel to him, but now even his own mind seemed to conspire in their cruelty, conjuring hallucinations to torment him.

A young boy, the eighth wonder of the world—a boy he could have had if Percy were still with him. If only she were here, somewhere beside him. He was certain she would have adored this boy, cherished him with all her heart. But he was not real.. And his Percy was not here.

Apollo rubbed his eyes, longing to wake up, to return to his duties, to mourn a girl whose disappearance remained a haunting mystery. And to mourn an imaginary son, whom he was certain he would never see again.

—————————

Gaea’s Island

Percy was puzzled by her son’s urgency that morning. After helping her with his brothers, he dashed outside, claiming to have something important to attend to.

She didn’t pry too much into Milo’s affairs, trusting that whatever he was up to, he knew how to avoid trouble, unlike her eldest, Hector. As long as it was Milo, she assured herself, he would be fine.

But Milo had been unusually preoccupied for days now. Whenever Percy found him, he would hastily hide something behind his back, claiming it was important. Percy didn’t dwell on it, assuming it was a surprise he didn’t want her to see. She smiled at the thought.

Then, she heard it—a beautiful melody that froze her in place. For a moment, she thought it was a dream, a hallucination conjured by her own longing. an image of a man with the most beautiful sky-blue eyes, creating serene melodies for her suddenly occupied her mind.. But the sound of footsteps snapped her back to reality. She followed the sound, Hector and Luke trailing behind her, until she suddenly stopped.

On the grass sat a young boy with golden locks, his sea-green eyes shining with joy as he looked up at her. Her Milo. In his hands, a wooden instrument created the most enchanting melody she had ever heard since she arrived to this island

It didn’t take long for Percy to realize what her son had made. Her heart swelled with oceans of emotions, pain, sorrow, pride and love as she beheld her precious Milo, crafting a lyre with his own small hands.

Percy approached Milo, her heart overflowing with a mixture of confusion and love. A single tear traced its way down her cheek as Hector and Luke stood nearby, mesmerized by the beautiful sound emanating from Milo's creation.

Milo looked up at her with a bright smile, but confusion clouded his features as he furrowed his brows. “You don’t like it, Mama? I made it for you.”

Without hesitation, Percy rushed forward, enveloping Milo in a tight embrace, tears streaming down her cheeks. “I love it… I love it so much.”

“Then why are you crying?” Milo asked, puzzled.

“They're tears of happiness, my love,” Percy whispered, her voice choked with emotion. Tears of happiness—tears of memories, pain, and pride. Tears of many things.

Milo pulled away, showing Percy the delicate wooden instrument he had crafted. “Here, let me show you more,” he said eagerly, his fingers deftly plucking at the strings.

As Milo played, Percy couldn’t help but notice how he resembled his father in that moment. Not a mere version, like Luke, but a reflection—a radiant embodiment of his father's spirit.

Then it struck her—how did Milo know about the lyre? It was Hermes who created it, nd given it to Apollo, later becoming Apollo's symbol. How could Milo know exactly what a lyre looked like? She had always believed that their father lived on in their souls, but she never imagined it would manifest in such a tangible way.

Puzzled, Percy looked at her son. “How did you learn to make this?”

Milo beamed at her, his eyes sparkling with the wisdom of the universe. “In my dream, of course, Mama.”

The answer did little to quell Percy’s bewilderment. She watched as her son proudly displayed his creation, insisting that she should smile because he had made it for her happiness. He even taught his brothers how to hold it so they could all bring joy to their mother.

She watched them take turns playing, each displaying a pure talent they hadn’t known they possessed

Her Milo, her precious children, and her precious lost love…

A few days later, the lyre disappeared from the island, as if it had never existed before.

#wthb fic #wthb Apollo #wthb percy #wthb Milo #perpollo #Bahia writing

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undermine-the-instinct · 1 year ago

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Crush or Chance?

● Bard!reader masterlist ● Next part.... ●Warnings: None ● Wc: 5.9K

Fool me once, shame on you. Fool me twice, shame on me. Fool me three times and shame on the both of us. So what be said for a fourth time?

(Or in other words, Kaveh met you long before you knew him.)

If he's being a little honest, Kaveh has a bit of a crush on you.

Or maybe it's something more like a bittersweet admiration, the same way you'd look at phoenix and think, this will end in flames.

The more he worked, the more clients he contracted the more dissatisfied he became. Functionality over art, structure over beauty, efficiency over soul. He felt like life was being drained out of him. And after a while, he started thinking; Why should I? What was the point? However great he was in the eyes of others, no matter what praises they heap onto him, he is but one person. What could he do on his own?

And how arrogant of him to hope to even try! What has he ever truly done? Even his Magnum opus; A palace that doesn't even belong to him and has buried him in a lifelong debt. He was never really ever going to amount to much.

It was during one of these depressing bouts of his that he met you.

Bars are cesspools, collecting tears and drunken spurs, but also joy. Like his polar opposite you lit up the room, and he couldn't help but feel drawn. Your voice resounded throughout the space, and it stirred something deep in his heart. He felt like he had just found the answer to a puzzle he was grilling over for so long, and seemingly, for no reason at all. He was alive! He was in a bar! Shouldn't he be joining in on the merry?

And so he danced the night away. He sang and greeted old friends and he paid for all his drinks that night. It wasn't until the place was closing that he thought about the bard that stirred his heart and feet into action. But by then you were long gone. If it's meant to be I'll find them again, he thought, and began the trek home.

He didn’t get to meet you that night. He found you again though another day, dancing in the center of a crowd that had surrounded you. There was a man playing a fiddle, while another played on a flute. You were barefoot, a scarf around your waist trailing behind you in a ribbon of silk, a smile on your face. You weren't afraid to get too close to the crowd, you snapped fingers and captured a delighted stranger in your scarf, taking a child by the hand and twirling them around and around.

Mentioning art is the quickest way to end a conversation, is something that is generally known in Sumeru. But there was no conversation to be had here, there was only music and laughter, for the simple joy of being able to move. He felt like a bystander watching a moving painting.

Shouts sounded behind him, and as one the crowd turned back to see. Matra were approaching with scowls, a collective thunderstorm to usher the people on and disperse the crowd.

“Hey! You folks! You're under arrest for public misconduct and unsanctioned musical performance!”

“Uh, no we’re not!” with a last bow to the crowd, and a trilling sound from the flutist, you and your companions ran in opposite directions, gone like magpies in the wind. One second you're there and then you're gone.

Kaveh wants to know what your name is. Who are you?

“Oh, that pest? Just some runt from all the way in Monstadt,” a client frowns, deep and fissured.

“One of those traveling sorts, so let's hope that they pack up and get moving soon.”

“Have they been especially troublesome?” He scoffs at this and looks at Kaveh with wide disbelieving eyes.

“‘Especially trouble?’ Like you wouldn’t believe! You and I both know how the Akademiya hates those artsy types, and then this person shows up and decides to make a whole mockery of that. And for what? Out of spite? How childish.”

“I might have seen them around actually, at a few bars I've visited with some colleagues,” Kaveh supplies, refilling the man’s drink.

“They didn’t look like the sort to cause much trouble.” He’s a liar. As a matter of fact, that smile you wore back then spoke nothing but mystique and mischief.

“Those Monstadt types always like to cause trouble. They had one revolution and think themselves all martyrs and rebels. Trust me, I’m older than you and I know. Remember that one girl who graduated from the Akademiya in two years? I even offered to sponsor that girl and look where she is now; working as a librarian in that grass field of all places,” he scowled.

“What a waste of talent. I’ve had enough of them, so let's hope this one hops over to Fontaine or something, they'd be welcomed over there I bet. Now, didn't we come here for something? The plans for my building, you got them?”

“Of course sir, right here…” This isn't the first time he's heard something like this, especially amongst his oldest clients. It's a shared sentiment, and it feels like something bitter and vindictive. He knocks back his own glass.

Kaveh doesn't know who you are, but he wonders; if you ever went to Fontaine, would his mother like you?

The next time he sees you is in a public garden. And he's late, he was supposed to be at a meeting with another client at least forty five minutes ago, but rushing along, the way you were just standing there caught his eye.

He can hardly see you above all the rolled blueprints and stuffed folders he's carrying, he forgot his bag and it was too late to go back and get it, but he could tilt his head back and get a clearer look at your form in the grass.

Standing in the shade and dappled sunlight of a great tree, barefoot and…posing. He followed your gaze to a book you had lying open in the grass, and saw a few poses and stands he half recognized, all hand drawn with notes in the margins.

You paid no mind to the odd looks or stares you were getting, the way that people gave you a wide berth of space, how some shook their heads and scurried their children on, the way that others would stop and stare before shaking themselves out of their reverie. Kaveh wasn’t part of either group, but he was still…watching you.

He must have been more obvious than most because you lifted your head just as you were stretching, tilting your head in question like a bird, an automatic smile on your face. Quizzical but warm. He tilted his head back at you, like the idiot he was, and your smile broke out wider.

“Good morning to you too, stranger! What are you up to this fine morning?”

Him? You were speaking with him? He lifted up the filled blueprints he had in his arms, obscuring his face more. “Off to work. And, um, how about you?”

“Stretching! Or at least, pretending to.” You twirled a bit into your next position, so that you had your back to him now.

“You're not doing a very good job pretending.”

“Oh? Am I being too obvious?” There was mirth in your voice, amusement.

“You're doing an arabesque in a demi-plie, I think it's obvious.” You stumbled a little and whirled so fast to look at him that he wondered for a second if you could get whiplash. He was holding too many blueprints he could imagine it was hard to see anything other than his bob of his hair and his brows.

“...You know what an Arabesque is?” He shrugged carefully.

”My mother lives in Fontaine, and they are fond of performances there. I know a few terms.” He saw your expression fall a bit through the peeps of his papers, but you brightened up before he could say anything more.

“That's still more than most people I've talked to. What else do you know?”

Kaveh could see you, eager and open to a stranger like himself. He recalled the way the crowd clapped along with you when you were dancing in the street. The way you sang, loud and unabashed, like a thunderbird whose only job it was was to wake the world, to a prophecy now foretold. But he couldn’t tell the future, and he thought neither could you.

How naively brazen you are. How unapologetically bold. How lovely.

“...Aren't you afraid?”

“What?” Your face shuttered off into confusion but he went on.

“Sumeru isn't the most ideal place for musicians and artists. I’m sure you've felt the general attitude and atmosphere, so, what are you doing? Aren't you scared of the repercussions?”

“Repercussions?”

“The sages have the matra set on you. That's not a rumor-it's fact. Aren't you scared of what else they could do to you?’’

“Well yeah, of course I am? But what else am I supposed to do, change the way I live?” His eyes widen, while you scoff, kicking up your feet.

“I’ve said it before and I'll say it again, they’re frightened of us.”

“Frightened? Frightened of what?” What could the sages, the governing force and face of Sumeru, have to fear from the populace?

“Frightened of what we can do? What has humanity done when pushed against the corner, or forced inside the cave? What have we done when the night falls and the rain pours?” You spread out your arms and tilt your head towards the sky.

“We sing! We gather together to tell stories over our work, we dance around the fire, we paint the tales of our passages onto the cavern walls, all things we have done before the written word. Even then, when we learned to write and record our stories, we created fables and tall tales to tell one another.”

“After humans discovered how to read and write, civilization did start to advance, at a before unprecedented rate.,” He admits.

“Art is what pushed civilizations to prosperity. It continues to. The only reason The Akademiya doesn't acknowledge this is because they don't see nor recognize everything as a form of art.”

“Isn’t that a bit naive though?” He shuffles the load in his arms.

“That sounds like romanticism to me.”

“It is. And what's wrong with that?” You shrug.

"Tell me, who embroiders those elegant robes they all wear? Who tills and plants their outdoor gardens? Who builds their offices and homes and buildings? Who cooks their food or carves their furniture? Art is intrinsic to humanity. It is inevitable, irrefutable. Are they trying to deny that?" You scowled.

"Do they not find these things lovely, and necessary? Do they think themselves above the divine craft of creation? Do theyhink themselves as Gods?" You scowled harder, but then sighed, letting your breath out in a single push.

"Hm. But, that's not the question you asked me, right?"

“....No.” Then you thought, tilted your head up to the sky and huffed out a laugh.

“Well, actually, yes I am. But what else can I do, change the way I live?...No. I’m going to continue as I've always have, and if that’s something that makes me a target, then that’s just what comes with the territory of being a star.” You grinned, bright.

“....There are rumors that the Akademyia will deploy the General Mahamatra to subdue you if you make any sort of big fuss.”

“Well, what kind of star doesn't have a scandal or two under their belt?” You grinned again, but wobbly at the corners, and take a good look at all the papers he's carrying.

‘I…hope I'm not keeping you up? You seemed to be in a bit of a hurry before–” He gasped, cutting you off.

"Oh Archons, yes! Damn it, I'm going to be so late!!” He got completely sidetracked!! He gave you a nod that he hoped you saw and ran off to his appointment. Hopefully the client was still there.

Life is art, and art is intrinsic to life, basically, right? If that's the way someone like you sees the world, maybe he can adopt that mindset.

And hopefully he'd find you again, and greet you properly this time, no matter what rumors you were embroiled in. He’ll leave it up to fate this time as well. it's already led him to you twice before.

You're so pretty. Kaveh has a bit of a crush on you already.

He woke up to a dark familiar room, and a dull throbbing in his head.

This was familiar, and normal. He wasn't kidnapped, or anything. He must have gone drinking again, and stumbled his way back home. The question was how he got inside. He’s pretty sure that he lost his keys several days ago and hasn't yet found the time to go get a new pair made. So the question stands…

Actually, the question can wait. His mouth feels like it's full of dust and cotton, and he needs water. That's his first priority.

His feet are bare and the floor cool as he pads his way over to the kitchen, trying to rub the heaviness out of his eyes.

When he reaches the kitchen he stops, and rubs at them again because what are you doing sitting at the kitchen island talking to his jerk of a roommate?

“Oh, you're up.” You stand and walk over to him, reaching out like he needs steadying.

“What are you doing here?”

“We went out drinking and I carried you home, remember?”

“Oh, I remember of course, I wasn't talking to you though dear, I was talking to the man standing there like a mother ready to catch her kid sneaking back inside.”

“Because that's exactly what you did.” The bastard had a steaming cup up to his face, not even bothering to look at him. “How did you get in without your keys?”

“We used the key under the mat. I lost my keys, so how else?”

“I had taken the key and hidden it somewhere else.”

“What? Why would you hide the key?!”

“Because then you'd lose that one too, obviously.”

“Tch. Wait, then how did…” You laugh and shuffle a little, culprit.

“Yeah, sorry, this is my fault. I really wanted to get Kaveh into his bed so I kinda…picked the lock? It’s not broken or anything but still…” You lower your head in apology.

“I wasn’t willing to be patient, I’m sorry.”

“Yes, I'm sure you were in a hurry.” Al haitham sighs in reply and Kaveh bristles.

“What was that supposed to mean?”

“Nothing. What do you think I meant?”

“I think you know exactly what you were insinuating.”

“Then why don't you spell it out for me?” He finally looked at him, tri-colored eyes gleaming oddly in the light. He looked…Apprehensive? No, that was just irritation, as usual.

Kaveh clicks his tongue in annoyance and turns back to you.

“See? What did I tell you about this guy? You don't need to apologize to this jerk, alright? You’re perfectly fine.”

“Oh? Talking behind my back now are you.”

Kaveh scoffs, heat curling in his chest. Or maybe just the leftover alcohol. “It's nothing you wouldn't outright say yourself, so no need to ponder what I’ve said directly. I only spoke the truth, which is even sadder if you ask me.”

“Okay, stop it, that's enough,” You step between the two of them, frowning.

“There is no need for this petty back and forth. It’s late and we should all be in bed already. In fact,” You turn to him, “You were sleeping when I left you, do you need something?”

“...Were you two talking?”

“Just…greeting each other. He came in not too long after we did.”

Another cup sits on the table, softly steaming and obviously yours. It hasn't been long, but you’ve been here for more than a few minutes at least.

You scratch the back of your head with a sheepish grin. “Maybe I should have waited, then I wouldn’t have needed to break in.”

“No harm no foul.” Kaveh’s mouth gapes open when Alhaitham waves you off.

“‘No harm no foul?’ Have you lost your mind?! Are you sick?!”

“I'm perfectly fine you fool,” He sighs through his nose.

“I just expect as much behavior from any of your companions. Nothing was harmed in the end so its fine, I’ll just have the locks changed tomorrow.” He drinks from the cup, and looks up at him.

“I hope you know I’m not paying for your own set of keys.”

“What?! Why not–”

“Kaveh,” You interject. “Are you alright? You were dead asleep when I set you down.”

He groans, rubbing his forehead.

“About that, Thanks for carrying me all the way back here. I was the one who invited you out but you ended up taking care of me.”

“Well, you let me pick the place so I guess it's even between us. Did you get thirsty or something?”

He nods. “Then go lay back down, I'll bring it to you.”

“What? I can't have you serve me under my roof.”

Alhaitham snorts. “‘Your roof?’ Technically its–”

“Ah ah ah!” You cut him off with a raise of your voice and a sharp look, Kaveh grins from behind your shoulder. Alhaitham’s eyes widen by your audacity, and by the archons are you lovely. You turn back to him.

“It's fine. You're the one who needs to rest so let me help you out. Go lay down.”

“Well. if you insist.” He turns and starts the trek back to the room, and the house is quiet enough that he can hear your lowered voices as he walks off. He can't help but feel that you sent him away so that you could say something, or finish talking with Alhaitham. But why would you?

He has a hand on the knob, shutting his door when the thought strikes him, Why is Alhaitham even up at this hour? Sure, sometimes he'd get back late from his scribe duties or whatever, but that was rare. And it's not like he went drinking out late that often (as if he had people to go with him).

And beyond that, why was he talking with you? Of course you were amazing and charming in your own right but people like the both of you don't mesh very well, and with your reputation, it was best to avoid him. As The Scribe, he was technically a Matra, after all.

Oh fuck he’s a matra.

He's just about to go swing the door open to dash to your rescue when it swings open of its own accord, and there you were with a glass of water, wide eyed to see him there.

He grabs your shoulders and tries to turn you to steer you back, but damn it you’re strong. You don’t budge.

“Uh, buddy? Are you alright? What's going on?”

“You have to get out of here, like right now.”

“What, why? Can we calm down for a second?”

“Nonono, you can’t, you have to go now–” He tries to grab you and pick you up around the waist, but you spin around behind him, grab him by his collar and drag him inside the room.

“I’m being serious!” You shut the door, a laugh under your breath.

“I’m sure you are, so explain yourself first.”

“My roommate, he’s the Grand Scribe.”

“Uh-huh.”

“So he’s technically a Matra. And I wouldn’t put it behind him to do something so you need to… like, go, before he reports you or something! One word and the matra would come swarming in here like flies to honey.”

“But he won’t.”

“Darling listen–”

“But he won’t. Not only have I already done my community service, paid my fines, did my time and stayed out of trouble, he actually wanted to thank me.”

What? “Thank you for what?”

“For getting you inside quietly. He just came back from work he said, and didn’t want to deal with any of your drunken shenanigans. So he said it's alright that I picked the lock.”

“He told you it's alright?”

“Yeah, as long as I use the extra key next time.”

“What?!” He threw his hands up in the air.

“He told you where the secret key is?”

“Yep. And he said that he's gonna give me a copy of the new one.” You pop the ‘p’.

“And sorry, the stipulation that I can use it is that I’m not allowed to let you know where it is.” He sucks his teeth and they laugh, reaching out to tug the sleeve of his shirt.

“Sorry love. But come now, take off those scarves so you can lay down, alright? It's late.” And something goes warm and gooey when you use that soft tone of voice, so Kaveh does exactly that, and takes the glass from you with a grateful look when you hand it to him.

“Does your head hurt?”

“Just a little. Not as bad as it usually does.”

“See? That's why you drink water before you pregame.”

“Well now I know for the next time.” He takes a big gulp and hands the rest of the glass to you, waving it away when you try to put it back in his hands.

“Oh, fine.” You finish it yourself then, and Kaveh falls back into the sheets, heavy lidded once more.

“How come you’re not drunk or stumbling, hm? It’s not fair.”

“Oh, I am drunk,” you giggle, “I just know how to hide it really well.”

“It's not fair.”

“That’s because I'm from Monstadt dear, my blood has at least a 10% alcohol content.” Kaveh sighs and covers his eyes, drinking in the quiet. You’re sitting next to him, humming softly under your breath, a brush away from fully singing.

“Hey, why do you do that?”

“Do what?”

“Call me those pet names. Like honey or dear or love. Why do you do that?” He looks and catches the tail end of your shrug.

“Because you're my friend. You’re like, the only real friend I've made in this entire damn nation, so I gotta be a little sweet with you, yeah?"

“Sweet with me?” He turns so he's facing you.

“Yeah! You make syrup with honey and not salt, right?” You smile, gold flashing at your throat in the low lamp light.

This close he can see the warm flush that the alcohol has given you, the way you give your smiles even more easily than you normally do, eyes soft and direct.

If he’s being a little honest, Kaveh has a bit of a crush on you. There's no other way to put it. He's so excited to see you, whenever he can, whenever you can, and he wants to see you now more than ever. He wishes you didn’t have to hide so often because he wants to be seen out in public with you, not sneaking like teenagers to some seedy bar, where people are too drunk or too downtrodden to care who comes in.

You…like those kinds of places though, odd as you are. You order a drink, and as soon as you down it you're tuning up an instrument and springing into song. By the third song the whole bar or tavern is joining in, and tears are replaced with smiles, at least for that night.

“Will you stay the night?”

You laugh, again. “And where would I sleep, silly?”

“Right here. Right next to me.”

“Oh, I could never.”

“But you could.”

“I could. But I won't.” You move to get off the bed and Kaveh shoots up, grabbing onto your sleeve.

“Then you can have the bed. Just, stay here. For now. Until morning.”

You chew the inside of your cheek, and his heart while you're at it, while he waits for your answer. Maybe it's because of the way he implores you, or this quiet moment of the night, but you sigh and he knows you’ve given in.

“The bed is big enough for the both of us. Scoot over.” He does as he's told and hopes his face isn't giving his excitement away. He slides under the covers while you slip off your outer layers, and soon enough he can feel you slither beneath the sheets next to him.

“You want to keep the lamp on?”

“No, turn it off.”

“Alright.” The room floods in darkness, and you settle back down.

He’s had a couple sleepovers before. Although, the majority of these were before his father’s…incident, while he was still a very young boy. The others were during his Akademiya days, and were most often just him and his colleagues passing out after days of working on a project non-stop.

So this was new. He’s perfectly aware of his and your bodies; every shift, every position, the way your breathing sounds. He wonders how he’s gonna fall asleep like this.

“Kaveh?”

“Yes?”

“Are you up?”

“Yeah. How else could I answer you?”

“Oh, yeah, sorry,” You giggle. “Can I ask you a question?”

“You just did love.”

“Another question, silly.”

“Of course.” You wriggle a bit till you're laying on your stomach, face towards him.

“Why didn't you come to the anniversary performance? The one with me and Miss Nilou?” He winces, and turns to face you too.

“I’m sorry.”

“Why didn’t you come?”

“Would you believe me if I said it was work?” He sighs.

“Really. I had to meet some bigshot client and I tried but I couldn’t reschedule.

“I really wanted to go.”

“...Yeah, I wanted you to go too.” The guilt twists and churns inside him, and he sits up in bed.

“I'm sorry, truly. Tell me when the next one is and I'll be there, I promise. I’ll even miss an appointment if I have to.”

The silence reigns heavy, you don't speak. He's about to repeat his words, swear on them, when you answer him.

“Cyno came and interrogated Zubayr and his son. He then had the members takes a few days leave of absence so that he could interrogate us each. So, Zubayr decided that I shouldn't have any more performances, for the time being. The whole thing with Cyno put the theater on blast, so no more future performances.” Your voice is somber and dull, like a worn knife, disappointment sour.

“And no more public performances either, huh?”

“Not for a while. Cyno is keeping a closer eye out on me. The only reason I could go out with you today was because he had to go out on an excursion, and I know how to avoid the lower Matra.’ You sigh and roll over onto your back.

“So maybe its better if you didn’t come. You would have been targeted too if you were seen with me.”

“...Well, you might not be able to perform publicly, but The Akademiya has no say in what goes on in private property.”

“So?”

“If you…ever want to sing or dance or anything really, you can come find me. This place was given to Alhaitham and I to be refurbished as living quarters, or you can even find me at the Architects Guild, since that building isn’t government owned.”

“Kaveh,” and now it's your turn to sit up. “I can’t put you in danger like that.”

“I won't be in danger.”

“You know, better than I probably do, that the Akademiya don't like outliers. I’m an outlier. If they come to know that you’re friends with me, what do you think will happen to you?”

“It’s not like you’ve done anything wrong. Not really.”

“I’ve undermined them and they really don’t like that. It's hard enough for you, the light of the Kshahrewar, to get clients and make ends meet. I don't want to make things any harder.”

“Things are already hard and I'm doing fine enough, so you don't need to worry about me. The worst I’ll have to deal with is a couple of rumors, and those are everywhere in Sumeru.

"If my reputation is as good as people proclaim I can survive a few rumors.. Furthermore,” He cuts you off as you open your mouth to speak.

“I know how hard it is for you to be here. I know you feel like you have something to prove but that doesn't mean I don't want to make things easier for you, even at my own slight expense. You can't change my mind, love, so don’t try.” Silence returns to the room in a wave, while you two stay poised, tense. Kaveh doesn’t know if you can see him in the darkness; he stares into the room until the dark takes over his vision, blinding him until he blinks it back again.

“I used to be a knight you know,” You speak.” Back home in Monstadt, I was a part of the Knights of Favonius.”

“Oh, wow, that’s amazing.”

“I quit,” You continue without fanfare.

“I started to hate my life, and hate myself. I was young too, and I was in a relationship that was falling apart and my whole life felt like it was ending.” You laugh.

“Goes to show how naive I was then. But I quit, and I left, and I just decided to do the things that made me happy, and went along with my morals. I never wanted to feel so miserable and hopeless ever again. Those feelings still sometimes come back, but what I do then is go to where the people were, and sing, make them smile and laugh.

“I don't have that option in Sumeru. I mean I do but, it's never been a choice I’ve ever been actively punished for, before. I'm going to keep doing it of course. I’ll be damned if I ever let a government silence me, but…

“But it still hurts a little, you know?” He reaches out and drags you closer till you're resting in his arms. You've hugged one another before, but this time he wraps his arms fully around you till your brow rests on his collarbone, his cheek against your hair.

“Well, my offer is open for you anytime, at least. I’m sorry my home hasn’t been exactly welcoming to you.”

“Mhm.”

“It must have been hard for you. I’m sorry.”

“You don't need to apologize,” You breathe, reaching to hold him back.

“You've been perfectly wonderful. I don't know what I would have done without you.”

“Well, we are both fellow artists on the brink of homelessness, so we ought to stick together.”

“If your roommate ever kicks you out you can stay with me. And if I'm ever kicked out we can roam the streets together.” He chuckles, and he's sure you can feel it where you're pressed to him.

“Well, I can play an instrument, so maybe we can be traveling bards. We can go to Fontaine and meet my mother.”

“Oh, that would be a shock, I bet. I met a girl in Liyue once who plays that Fontaine rock music. I could send her back something. Is your mother a nice lady?”

His chest twinges, remembering tears, heavy silences and dull eyes, The memory of sunshine.

“She's a rather shy woman, and she’s just gotten over some adversary. She's perfectly lovely.”

“What does she look like?"

“Well, I suppose you can look at me and figure it out,” He shrugs. “I've been told I look remarkably like her.”

“Oh, so she's beautiful then.” He starts, and he feels a flush crawl over his face, warm and slow.

“Oh, you sweet talker, you.” You tilt your face up and he's sure you have that sweet smile on your face, that cat's curl.

“I speak only the truth, my dear, I swear it. Anywho, how else am I supposed to keep you by my side, if not with my wily words?”

“Perhaps your fiery temperament? Your musical skill? Your graceful figure? Your sweet kisses?” And you reach up and kiss him, taking the bait.

And yes, you’ve done this before as well, nothing further, but Kaveh’s heart never fails to race. Your mouth is skilled in more than just song, and your tongue is sinfully soft.

You definitely feel the heat of his face when you pull away and rub your cheek against his.

“You’re absolutely precious Kaveh.”

‘Oh, don't patronize me,” He grumbles, and pulls you in even tighter, shoulder to hip aligned, legs entangled. “We have to sleep now. It’s late enough.”

“Why should we?” You flirt. You brush your mouth against his once more and snuggle yourself closer.

“”I'm afraid your kiss has sent my blood racing. It will be hard enough to go to sleep now.”

“Hm. Well, why don’t you sing then? Maybe something calming, a lullaby your mother would sing to you before bed.”

“Hm…I spoil you too much already.”

“But you'll do it, right?” He chuckles when you bonk your head against his. But you settle down, and it's not long till your voice comes hither, soft and lilting. It's hardly more than a tune under your breath, a hum in your throat, but it is soothing, and soon enough he’s actually asleep.

When he wakes up in the morning, the dull throb lessened but persistent in his head, you are not in his bed, or his home. There's only a single note, a badly drawn winking rabbit, but he smiles and pockets it, getting ready for another day. He’ll run into you again soon enough. And if not, then he’ll simply find you.

There seems to be a commotion a few streets away, from what he could hear. Kaveh sighs, harsh and loud, and pushes himself off the wall that he's been leaning against. He came out for some fresh air, and the promise of some spectacle does not entice him. He starts making the trek back to the Architects guild.

Pounding footsteps slap the ground behind him, and he turns just in time for a figure to dash into him. He barely shakes off his shock before he reaches out to half catch the person, but the weight drags him down and he falls too.

“What the hell…? Archons, are you alright?”

“Yeah, yeah, I’m fine. Sorry for being in the way.” And its the way you turn your head to check behind you that gives him a clear look at your face, familIar and shocking. He barely has the sense of mind to reply back, struck like hammer against a molten steel.

He…hadn’t been looking for you, to be honest. It’s been three times already, that you’ve met but never properly seen nor greeted each other, and he had hoped another opportunity would just…come. Fall into his lap, luck be damned.

Fool me once, shame on you. Fool me twice, shame on me. Fool me three times and shame on the both of us.

So what could be said for a fourth time?

“....the General Mahamatra.”

“The what now?” the General Mahamatra? He heard the rumors, but he never thought that you would prove yourself trouble enough for the sages to deploy him. Against you?

You must have done something reckless, like dancing in the streets again. Or singing in the taverns or just being too you. You were lovely, but sumeru likes its lovely things in glass cases, not prancing in bars or dashing down alleyways.

You speak quickly, and the words just register in his brain before he hears the commotion in the plaza, nearer now, the wince on your face and the way you jolt, ready to flee. He makes a decision.

He grabs at the hand fate and has dealt him, and pulls you further inside the commercial alleyways, knowing exactly where he wants to take you and nothing of what he wants to say to you.

But he can start with this. “ I have heard of you! I’ve been wanting to meet you!” He grins, bright like a star.

“I’m Kaveh. You are?

Taglist

@jjkclub, @jaguarthecat, @swivy123, @seajellyx, @ash-in-lavender, @pepithe3rd, @uchihaeirin .

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sailorshadzter · 6 months ago

Text

moonlight.

@inukag-week

(we're not going to talk about me catching up after the event ends LOL)

In the light of the moon, she glows in a way he’s never seen before.

On this, their first night together after three long years apart, he swears he’s never seen her more beautiful. “Kagome…” He murmurs her name, his hand outstretched, his fingertips slowly tracing the outline of her face. Her skin is soft as he recalls it to be. For how long had he been waiting for this moment… Dreaming of it… Wishing for it…

For three long years without her, he’s waited and wondered, hoped and begged the universe to send her back to him. He’d have done anything, traded anything, just to have her back in his life for a moment or two more. Even now, in this beautiful moment, he wonders if it was just a dream. If he might blink and she would disappear once more, having never been there at all. “Inuyasha…” She speaks softly, blue eyes blinking up at him, the clouds shifting above them to cast them into shadow. “I’m here,” she assures, a smile curving on her lips.

They’ve spent the last several hours among their friends, talking, learning, reminiscing; there was much to catch up on, after all. But now that Sango and Miroku had taken their little family off to bed, it gave them what they both really wanted: to be alone. “I know,” he replies, a man too overcome in the moment to put it into words. There were no words to say, no words that could ever explain to anyone how having her back in his arms felt. “I’ve been waiting for this moment…” He says next, softer now, golden eyes glimmering with unshed emotions, a sight which brings another smile to her rosy lips.

High above them, the clouds shift once more and the moon envelops them in its warm, silver light- it weaves its way into her raven locks like ribbons, the sight forcing his hand outward, clawed digits threading through her tresses. Leaning in, he captures her mouth with his, shivers racing his spine as he slips his other arm around her waist.

After all this time, after all the imagining, all the yearning, all the waiting…

It was as wonderful as he could have ever hoped.

And so there beneath the pale moonlight, he draws her to the ground, to shed her clothes and take her into his arms in a way he’s never done before. He runs his hands along every inch of her, the curve of her breasts, her hips, her thighs. He watches as he tilts her head back with each stroke of his palms, her blue eyes fluttering beneath her lids, lips curving with the syllables of his name.

There they remain for what could have been an hour or several lifetimes, tucked beneath his robe of the fire rat, his arm draped over her hips, keeping her closely pressed against him. Only when the first rays of dawn streak the sky does he rouse her, the sight of her sleepy smile bringing him a new sense of joy he’s never felt before. He realizes then, as he watches her dress in the light of the sunrise, that this would be his new normal. This was his new life.

The best life.

#inukag #inukag week #inukag week 2024 #inuyasha x kagome #my writing #i wrote this

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a-world-of-whimsy-5 · 1 year ago

Note

May I please request Daemon Blackfyre with the prompt: Summer Wine? (Feel free to delete this.)

Hello!Thank you for the request! I confess I have not yet reached the part of Daemon Blackfyre in Fire and Blood, but I will try to do my best. I hope you like this!

"Redgrass field"

Pairing: Daemon Blackfyre x Fem. Reader

Themes: Secret love / Lost love / Angst

Warnings: Alcohol use | Brief mention of kissing and intimate activities (very very brief and very very mild)

Word count: 600 approximately.

Summary: It is not everyone who captures Daemon Blackfyre's especial attention. But what happens after that?

Minors DNI | 18+

Rules and tag form here | Prompts for requests here

You could still remember the first time you saw him.

The bastard son of Daena the Defiant, the one known to all as Blackfyre, rode up to the lists, all proud and tall and fierce, with his beaten silver hair and bewitching lavender eyes that could beckon even the most resolute of maidens like a siren's call. His silver spurs jingled sweetly even as they glinted wickedly in the brilliant summer sun. His milky white courser had been resplendent in red and black silks that swirled around it whenever it broke into a run.

It was the most beautiful of days, all bright and golden and glorious. The crowd roared every time Daemon broke his lance and unhorsed his opponent. They would gasp when his foe fell to the earth with a sickening clangor. They would applaud when the fallen knight struggled to his feet. Daena would cheer louder than all the rest, her eyes filled with unbridled pride. Daemon was her child, her light, her life, and her joy. And yet, it was not her he sought out, but you. Out of all the ladies present, Daemon sought you out.

"Victory would be all but assured, sweet lady," he had declared, "if I had the great honor of wearing a token of your esteem."

You honored him, bestowing upon him not just a bejeweled token but a great many other things even as the days melted into each other. It was you he came to for companionship; it was you he turned to in the dances. He would tenderly lead you, his feet as light as air, his touch as gentle as a feather. His laughter would ring across the grounds, as clear as dawn bells. There was magic as light and sweet as summer wine, and the two of you drank deeply during those heady nights.

Oh, how heady indeed were those nights. Daemon wooed you and courted you, his kisses tasting like strawberries and cherries and bright spring mornings. His hair smelled like warm summer nights. His skin tasted of sunlight. You both knew it would never last, for he was the son of a Targaryen princess, and you were of little consequence to be considered a worthy consort for one such as him. Still, the two of you made the most of what the Gods gave you that season, delighting in summer days and summer nights and sweet, sweet summer wine. And when he left, you wept not, content to hold onto the memories that kept you warm many a cold autumn night, thinking that perhaps, some day, he would come for you and take you for his own.

That would never be. He wed another, quarreled, and warred, and now you were here, in this faraway field, standing before the great winged warhelm that was all that remained of his grave marker. The wonder and terror of his age, your summer love, snuffed out in the blink of an eye. If you did not weep then, you wept now, your eyes filling and stinging with uncontrollable tears. Did he think of you, of those glorious days and nights the two of you shared? Had he ever considered seeking you out, even for a moment? Unspeakable grief welled up and spilled over like a mighty flood. The lady he would go on to marry had his children. You had nothing of him, save for his winged warhelm, and, of course, the memories of summer days and summer nights and sweet, sweet summer wine.

#daemon blackfyre #Daemon blackfyre imagine #Daemon blackfyre x reader #x reader #reader insert #house targaryen #asoiaf #asoiaf imagine #asoiaf x reader

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nectardaddy · 7 months ago

Text

Thirteen Years [Porco Galliard x reader] Epilogue

** Thank you all to have read this in its entirety and thoroughly enjoyed reading it as much as I loved writing it.

Much love, Dodger <3

Creative liberties have been taken for the sake of the ending, the main plot remains the same.

It didn't hurt when he took his final breath, didn't hurt whentheboy he once knew cracked his boneswith an ear piercing snap, nor did it hurt when all he saw was an inky blackness. A darkness he fully allowed himself into, and greeted like an old friend. The sensation wasn't dizzying, not confusing in the slightest as he welcomed his death willingly. A sacrifice woefully taken as means to an end he hoped those still alivecould capture. He wasn't scared when his eyes flickered open once again, not in the slightest. As he was greeted with an overwhelming joy that freedom had to offer - true freedom. Not a freedom that was tested and had restrictions, a freedom he could feel in every fiber of his body. A freedom that held no bounds.

The air around the man was warm and inviting, filling his senses to the brim every time he inhaled. The lush grass underneath of him smelled earthy and stuck to his clothes as he looked up at the dark sky with a smile. Hazel eyes darting across the midnight sky, taking in every ball of light there was to offer. A chuckle passing his lips from he and his comrades conversation, he looked over at the brunette with a loving, cheeky smile. "I actually convinced them to marry me too, Marcy" he mused, and the brunette bolted up from his laying position.

"Are you serious?!" Marcel asked rhetorically with a laugh, "and you never believed me when I said you two assholes were perfect for each other!"

Rolling his eyes, Porco nudged his brother with a laugh. "You don't have to tell me 'I told you so' even in death."

"Apparently I do," he spoke with a laugh, nudging Porco back all the same. "I'm sorry you had to leave them so soon," he said thoughtfully. "Death certainly has a way in finding the worst moments - believe me."

Porco paused a moment from his brother's words and let a sigh pass his lips. "Yeah," he said simply, "it does." Though his sacrifice was given willingly, he did so with a heavy heart. Whatever way his chose, he knew his death was imminent in those last few moments he had, figuring he might as well make it a heroic last stand. Sitting up to join his brother, he glanced away at the ground and sighed deeply, "at least they out lived me. That's all I wanted."

Porco felt another nudge against his arm from his brother, but neglected to look up to see his soft smile. "They'll be here soon enough," he reassured. "Then you both can annoy me for all of eternity."

Dying was such a terrifying concept to you that you didn't take to it willingly. Screaming, gnashing, and trying to claw your way from the dark chasm of your own demise. You hadn't felt the crunch, hadn't heard your sickly snapping and breaking as you were crushed; it happened suddenly and without warning. Dizzy and confused from a sensation completely unknown to you, you were scared and utterly alone. A sensation that you opened your mouth to scream from, but not a decibel of sound leaving your throat. You wanted to cry, but no tears came. All you could think was your own fear - until you suddenly didn't. Almost giving you whiplash the way your emotions jerked to a stop, you felt calm. You felt at peace.

Your eyes fluttered open to a deep, night sky; an awe inspiring darkness speckled with stars that hung in the air graciously. This didn't feel like death, it felt more like a dream as you opened your eyes to such beautiful surroundings. You were laid in a grass field, waking up under the stars like you had just taken a nap and woke up from a nightmare. It felt normal, but it felt safe - a serenity that was suspended in the air that you felt as if you could reach out and grab it.

Sitting up slowly, you cast your gaze to yourself and looked yourself over. Inspecting your hands and other limbs like they were almost foreign, gazing at them to see not a inkling of a scratch or scar. The callouses of your hands, made from years of chopping wood for your parents, were gone. You no longer had the urge to scrub your hands raw, thinking that would somehow erase the blood that was once on them. You felt a peace wash over you that you had never experienced before, the sudden emotion of absolutely nothing.

Your ears perked at the sudden voices in the distance, a murmur but within the silence it was clear as day. You couldn't tell how many, or who, only that you were not alone. But you felt strangely alright with the notion. Your head turned in the direction of the low chatter, to find yourself at the bottom of a grassy hill. A subtle incline that looked as if it went on forever, while you rested at the bottom. Your curiosity peaked to where you found yourself rising from your sitting position, and watched as you slowly trekked your way up the hill.

It was an easy walk, but one that had your mind suddenly buzzing with the thought of who on earth was at the top. "Porco?" You whispered quietly to yourself, hearing the murmurs shift to audible conversation as you climbed. You were able to make out two distinct voices, both sounding similar in regard to tone and sound. One was lower, and had a bit more bite, while the other matched the tone but talked slower and nonchalantly. "But that means that he's-"

But your own quiet musings were cut off by a loud laugh from the top. Your climb was almost complete, as you could see the end but not over it. The laugh in itself made your heart strings pull with an eagerness from familiarity, shifting your pace from a meager walk to a full out run. Stumbling from the incline, but not caring at all as you finally stopped at the top with smile. "Pock!"

You watched as his eyes snapped towards you, and his features drain to confusion. Hazel eyes looking you over a moment before looking to his brother then returning back to you; looking to Marcel to see if he had gone completely mad or he was genuinely seeing you. But his brother wore the same expression, until his gaze shifted to his brother with a large smile. "Get up, you dumbass!" Marcel yelled with a laugh, "don't just sit there and stare at them!"

Scrambling would be an absolute understatement to what the man did, watching him fall before completely yanking himself up with a laugh. The rush of making his way over to you was mind numbing, feeling his arms wrap around you fiercely and nearly take you to the ground. "(Y/n)-" he whispered into your neck as he held you. His eyes squeezed shut to savor every second of bliss that sent shockwaves through him, "you're here."

Wrapping your arms around the man with a chuckle, you closed your eyes in content. "You're here," you repeated to him in contrast. "I never thought I'd see you again, Pock. . ." Your voice was nearly a whisper, an afterthought, as you leaned into his embrace, a strong hold you never thought you'd ever feel again. You knew death was imminent, a dark caverness abyss that no one could dream of escaping, but you didn't know what was held beyond the realm of the living. A biggest fear often being you would forget life entirely, and never know the man you loved a moment longer. "You're actually here with me," you mused with a smile.

He lifted his head from the crook of your neck with a silly smile. "You're never going to get rid of me," his words gentle but whimsical as he chuckled at the tail end. Capturing your lips with his own before you had a chance to reply, you felt your melt at the action. The sensation was enthralling, a cocktail of emotions stirring within you that felt like fireworks. You never imagined death, of all things, could be so perfectly blissful. Never thinking you would see the man again, nevertheless kiss him like nothing else mattered at all anymore.

But you let yourself pull away and your eyes reopen as you realized you weren't alone, shifting your gaze from your lover to the young man who still laid out upon the hill. "Wait-" you began, wracking your brain to whom Porco would be with beyond the veil of life. Realization hitting you point blank and you sucked in a breath, "holy shit," you whispered. "That's your fucking brother Porco," you spoke aloud in awe. "Marcel?"

You watched the man's lips pull into a bigger smile, his eyes drinking in the scene in front of him. Feeling Porco pull away and take your hand within his own, you heard him laugh at your shock. "You should've seen my face when I saw his stupid ass," he mused.

"It's good to see you again, (Y/n)," the brunette spoke as he pulled himself to his feet. "Thanks for taking care of him for me."

There was no need for words anymore, no need for drabble as you now had all of eternity. Your heart felt full at last, bursting at the seams with such an outrageous amount of love and affection you carried for the blonde who held your hand. The blonde that was with you in death, and still held your hand like there wasn't a single moment to lose with you. The blonde that looked to his eldest brother with a cheeky grin before looking back at you - his eternity.

It no longer mattered what war raged on beyond the limits of life, the bloodshed you had placed yourself into a time before, nor the man's place within it. You had no grief about the world beyond, as your world was with the man beside you. Now blessed beyond measure as thirteen years turned into the rest of time itself.

#attack on titan #shingeki no kyojin #aot x reader #snk #aot #aot porco #porco x reader #porco galliard

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yet-another-heathen · 1 year ago

Text

Under the Cover of Night - III

1,506 words. Original Work: The Jackal of An-Nadr.

For new readers, The Jackal is an ongoing whump series set in 1,200 BCE, where pre-Islamic fantasy meets the love of bloody sword fights, found family, and handsome men who long for nothing more than home.

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Chapter Warning | environmental whump, desert whump, initial capture, ancient demonic pirates that are both beautiful and terrifying (in an "oh. I'm being hunted down by a predator" sort of way. my beloved fellow monsterfuckers, you're going to love this), defiant whumpee, existing foot injury, xenophobia, language and cultural barriers, veiled whumpee having their face forcibly exposed, suggestive taunting (non-explicit), kidnapping/rescue (you decide)

Author’s Notes | This chapter shows our first instance of Q̷͚́ŭ̸͇r̵̥͝u̴͚̍r̶̠̈́a̴̰̋q̶̹̀, the language of the ifrit, as seen through Nadi’s lens. If this causes any problems for my font-sensitive readers, please reach out and I will gladly send you a translated copy! And thank you so much to @secretwhumplair, whose incredible series, No Warrior, inspired this format of language barrier whump!

Taglist | @killtheprotagonist @secretwhumplair @ink-and-salt @kixngiggles @brutal-nemesis @thebewilderer @whumpvp @just-a-whumping-racoon-with-wifi @whimperwoods @shydragonrider @pizzasthengym @thecyrulik @ceph-the-writing-spook @mylifeisonthebookshelf @ohwhumpydays @redwingedwhump

When night came and the last of the light had sunk beyond the dunes, Nadeem inched his way out from the edge of the riverbed. A large fire burned at the heart of the ifrit camp, casting ripples of false warmth out across the water like embers. The ifrit had spent the dusk bathing in its flames, washing themselves in glittering cinders with all the eerie joy of dust bathing doves. It was more of a distraction than he could have hoped for, and he wouldn't let the chance get away from him.

He moved slowly, careful not to disturb the surface of the water lest someone see the reflection against the flames.

It was a slow crawl up the embankment as he kept to his hands and knees, clinging to the cover of the banthum grass. His thirst had been sated, but his body was still horribly weak. The climb wasn't an easy one, and his wet clothes clung to his limbs and made silence across the grass all the more difficult.

When he finally made it to the crest and slipped down the other side, he closed his eyes and let out a breath that felt like it had been stuck in his lungs for days.

The night over An-Nadr was moonless and dark, and the stars cast little light on the landscape around him. Shadows welled beneath the wild date palms, shifting with the movement of their fronds.

He gingerly made his way to his feet, ankle angry and swollen beneath his weight. Every step was a gamble to keep it from collapsing, and he forced himself not to think about what that would mean for his ability to survive out here. Especially if it got any worse.

He was careful to keep his head low, following the edges of the rock bed. He kept his hands spread to catch himself in case he stumbled.

He had no recollection of the path he’d taken into the trees, but he knew he’d eventually find sand the further he got from the water. He followed the lowest path he could between the outcrops of stone, moving silently between the dense patches of cover.

Ahead the grove thickened, creating a canopy of fronds under which the ground was beginning to soften. He headed for their shelter, eager for the promised safety that would calm the feeling of ant bites at his nape. Breaths clouded against the back side of his litham, the fabric keeping them silent from the world outside. He'd take the chance of stumbling into the shelter of coiled snakes and other wildlife over the chance of being seen.

The light of the stars was distant and faint through the leaves. Away from the familiar paths and eddies of his home, Nadeem's progress was slow through the dark.

No animal walked in steady, even tempos but men; and so he kept his pace faint and hesitant to disguise the sound of his footsteps through the littered clay. Often he stopped to listen and observe the shadows around him, picking the path least likely to catch on sticks and twigs. Behind him followed an uneven trail of single bloody footsteps, meandering back through the dark.

There was nothing he could do about them. He just had to hope that neither the ifrit, nor anything else, would find them. The shifting of the sand would cover the tracks once he made it to the safety of the desert, and they would lose the trail there.

That was where his mind lingered as he watched through the leaves for the lighter gray of the dunes. And soon he caught glimpses of the open desert far beyond the trees. He slunk low between patches of cover, keeping the distant sound of the fire to his back.

His mind continued to race with thoughts of how to avoid being tracked, preoccupied with the beginning of a plan to circle to another part of the oasis. Then something pricked at the edge of his hearing.

He stopped in his tracks, straining to listen as ice flashed through his limbs.

For a long while the night answered him with nothing but the roar of crickets, stretching out the moment to eons. And then he heard it again—about thirty feet to his right, the sound of something in the dark. He lowered himself into the shelter of the surrounding bushes, crouching to listen.

Then he saw it. The blue-abalone reflection of eyes from the darkness. Like a hyena's, stalking him through the grass. But as he watched, they rose out of the darkness to a nearly impossible height. Fixed on him.

Then a twig snapped somewhere in the darkness right behind him, and Nadeem forgot how to breathe.

He whipped around, searching the blackness. His heart pounded as something in the shadows behind him moved, leaves shuddering against their branches.

A massive figure stepped from the shadows, melting into the starlight.

The ifrit towered above him and inclined its head. The glinting of eyes, the flash of smile. Something else moved behind it, emerging from the shade by its side.

—No.

Nadeem tried to run, not a single thought given to the pain in his ankle. He only made it a few steps before he collided headlong into another body.

Enormous hands grabbed him, breath leaving his lungs from the force of the impact. He gasped and struggled, trying to yank free as the monster locked all its hands around him.

He clawed and shoved, “No no no no, no—” falling from his lips. The ifrit from before, with the black sash across its chest, called something to the others.

With an effortless twist of a hand it pulled his head back, nearly lifting him off of his feet by the back of his turban. He gasped, staring with wide eyes up into its face.

“Let go of me,” he gasped, “Let—”

Dark eyes smiled down at him, teeth glinting.

He cut off into a tight whine as it reached up and took the cloth of his litham between its fingers, so close to his face that he felt the heat pouring off its skin.

"H̴͎̆e̶̙̅l̷̤̿l̷͓̍o̴̖͋,̸̨̕ ̷̭̀ḹ̸ȋ̶͈t̶̩̆t̶̼͑ĺ̴͓e̸̮͐ ̶͍̒j̷̮́a̷̢̍č̵͉k̶̬͆á̴͜l̸͔̔.̴̪̚"

The ifrit purred something in its rumbling language, leering down at him.

"S̸͎̅ọ̸̀ ̵̙̎g̶̣̋ō̸̺ȯ̴̲d̶̐ͅ ̶̪̀o̷̖̐f̴͍̓ ̵͈̍y̴͉͠o̷̱̿ư̴̦ ̴̲̇t̸͎͠ŏ̸̺ ̷̡͐f̵̛̲i̷̥̎n̸͕̿a̶̯̿ḷ̶́l̵͜͝y̸͂ͅ ̸̦͝j̶̣̃ō̵͕i̴͈̎n̶͇̔ ̶͙͘ű̸͓s̵͈̄.̶̟̓"

---

Ifyaa glanced up when the sound of struggling edged into the camp. Two of his fellow ifrit emerged from the shadows, followed by Yeezumon and the thrashing, clawing human he was dragging with him.

Every set of eyes fixed on the dirtblood as it cast wildly around the camp, dragging a bloody foot. Its clothes were muddy and torn. Yeezumon forced it to its knees.

From the other side of the fire, Adrsiae inclined her head.

"So we do have a visitor,” she mused.

It strained away in Yeezumon’s grip as she rose to her feet and came closer, the boy watching her through narrowed eyes. It flinched when she reached out and took its chin in her palm.

“You found it at the end of the blood trail?”

“Near there. The damn thing was playing clever: had it been only ten minutes sooner it probably would have slipped past us back out into the wastes,” Simntii, another member of the hunting party, muttered. She grunted softly as she knelt at the edge of her tent, adjusting the leg of her pants, “Gave us one hell of a fight on the way back.”

“Hm.”

It leveled the captain with a scathing glare when she turned it by the jaw, and then tugged down its face cloth to see its features in the light.

Dark eyes narrowed under thick, winged brows, the domed bridge of its nose crinkling with its snarl. Cracked lips and bared teeth, jaw lined with overgrown stubble.

It was rugged but...an undeniably pretty face. Her claws left indents in its cheeks as she turned it in the firelight, appraising.

Then she released it, and it gave a full-body shudder as she turned away.

She reclaimed her spot by the fire. “Yeezumon, you were the one who tracked it down?”

“I was.”

She leaned back, tearing into the soft flesh of a date, “Then it’s yours. Do with it as you wish.”

Their eyes didn’t leave the human, whose smell of fear was tangible in the air even as it glared back at her. Each of them nodded in deference to their captain, absently touching their thumbs to their temples.

“Careful Yeezumon,” one of them teased, flashing his canines in a mockery of the human’s bared teeth, “It looks like it wants to bite.”

A ripple of laughter broke through the camp.

“It's handsome, for a dirtblood,” another admitted.

Both Yeezumon and Ifyaa smiled, sharing eye contact across the camp. Then Yeezumon lifted its face, making it meet his eyes.

“So it is,” he grinned. “And we’ll put it to good use.”

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lolamarlowe65 · 2 years ago

Text

𝓘𝓷 𝓶𝔂 𝓯𝓮𝓮𝓵𝓲𝓷𝓰𝓼 //James Hetfield

“The house next door was just sold, i hope the new neighbour will be nice.”

part six of ? part five

disclaimers: smut, age gap (modern day james), slow burn shit, talk about death, cursing, smoking, probably drinking, you read whatever you want but i’m not responsible kay?

Wattpad link

࿓ 𓋪・𖧹 𖤐

Chapter 6 - Necklace

It's Sunday. I woke up with a smile today, thinking about last night. I had such a good time losing myself to the sound of the Doors. I get downstairs and my grandmother says goodbye to me.

Every Sunday she goes to her club to play games with her friends. She could not be able to walk so she'd still go do that. She says it's important for her to be able to hold onto everything. And I get it. I tell her to have a good time and she gives me a kiss goodbye.

I don't have a lot to do today. In fact, I don't have anything to do. So I decided to go back to my room to prepare my grandmother's birthday gift. It's a lot of emotions to dive back into all of my mother's pictures but it gives me some peace of mind. No matter what James said about my smile, hers was so much more beautiful. It's also nice to do my photography stuff again, I feel like I'm finding myself again.

Photography has always been a passion to me. I would organise photoshoots at the ripe age of 10. I love to take pictures of the world. Mostly when it's having fun, capture it at its rare moments of pure joy. I lost it a bit when my mom got sick. But something tells me it may be time for me to start again. Maybe it's because I'm getting my head out of the blue due to my interest in James. It's like I see some light. My brain and heart finally decided to try and move on. It's gonna be hard. I know it. But I have to keep on living.

Some hours later I'm finally done with my grandmother's gift. I put wrapping paper around it and hid it in my room. My grandma never comes to my room, she respects my privacy, but we never know.

I decided to take a walk around the hills, it might do me good to get some air. I walk outside and pass in front of James's house. I look over it while walking. Maybe I could see him. It makes me feel somehow happy to see him. I feel more comfortable towards him. I'm sorry I called him "douchebag" when I first saw his car. Because he's not.

As I pass in front of his house I notice his Camaro is outside and he is closing his front door. He cannot see me from here but I linger a little bit on the shape of his back while continuing my walk.

I arrive at the end of the street. If I take left I can get higher in the hills but I decide to stop to buy some cigarettes and a soda in the store on the corner of the street. I know the guy who owns it a little bit, so after I buy my stuff, he asks me how I've been doing.

"- Hey man, got my package?" somebody asks.

I instantly know it's James. I know his voice by heart now. It's engraved in me.

He truly has this thing for startling me. When he sees me on the side, sipping my soda he smiles. He looks like he's genuinely happy to see me. His eyes lingered on me. Mine too.

"- Oh. Hello Anna." he says, charmingly.

"- Hey Mr. Hetfield." i answer as i take a sip of my soda.

While the owner of the store gives James his package I decide to head out. It's a hot day. I don't need it to be hotter. We are just two neighbours meeting each other randomly in the local corner shop. Whatever lewd things I might have done thinking about him. Whatever thoughtful gifts he may have given me. I have to go back to my life.

"- Hey, where are you heading out?" i hear James ask behind me.

I was just out of the store, he must have gotten out right after. I turn around and put my sunglasses on my head to get a better sight of him. He has sunglasses on too. He looks so gorgeous. He has a necklace on and a simple black shirt. His belt buckle is detailed and goes so well with his style. I can't look away from his belt buckle, I must seem so weird right now. But I just want to unbuckle it. I shake my head slightly and look back into his eyes.

"- In the hills. For a walk. You?" i answer smiling.

"- I need to get something in the studio, that's all. Wanna come?" he asks.

Fuck. I want to come. I want to see where he works and with what. I shouldn't. But everybody knows I will.

"- And why so?" i chuckle.

"- And why not?" he replies quickly.

I give him a sudden laugh.

"- Okay, James, i'm coming."

I'm smiling so hard. So much. It can't stop when we talk.

He walks to his Camaro who is parked just on my side. He opens the passenger door for me to go in. How sweet he is. I get into the car and after he closes the door he bends over the open window.

"- You called me James, Anna." he chuckles.

"- No way i did Mr. Hetfield. I wouldn't." i say, messing with him.

He gave me a smile letting out a quick chuckle and got to the driver's seat. He starts to drive and some heavy metal is playing in the background.

"- What's playing?" i ask.

"- Oh. That's Black Sabbath. Ozzy era. The best." he says passionately. "These guys made it possible for us to even think about playing!" he goes on. "Children of the Grave. Awesome song."

"- I love how passionately you talk about it. I'm happy you love your work. It's rare enough to be noticed."

"- It truly is. I'm glad for all of it. Even if bad shits happens sometimes."

"- Yeah I know."

I thought of my mom. He also looks like he is thinking of somebody. He looks like a wave of sadness came over him. I know what to say to change his mind!

"- Hey James." i put my hand on his forearm, close to his wrist. "I loved your gift." i smile.

He lights up instantly. Like my words made him feel the happiest.

I suddenly understood where i put my hand. I did it without thinking. He sees that i look confused. He puts his hand above mine on his arm, still driving with the hand i'm almost touching. He squeezes my hand lightly and gives me a smile.

"- It's okay." he says to me. "I'm glad you loved it. I hope it gave you a smile." he adds.

"- More than a smile! I danced all evening in my room to the music. Having this piece of my favourite artist is a dream come true, so thank you." i say excited.

He laughs, I guess he's trying to imagine what I looked like dancing like a lunatic all evening.

He removes his hand from mine on a turn and I remove my hand too. Weirdly, I feel a bit empty. His hand. This hand. It gave me shivers. I successfully held back my thoughts for the conversation but now that we are silent again I can't help but wander. How his hands must feel when he touches your thighs. How it must be to feel it lightly choking you. How his fingers taste after he passionately fingered you. How him cupping your face with his hands to kiss you like he would die without you must feel like.

I feel the worst knowing that this attraction is most likely one sided. That i will most likely never be able to satisfy it. That i am sitting in his car, next to him, only wanting to hold him by the waist and never let go. If only he knew that the woman next to him felt lust and love towards him, would he actually be that nice to me? I mean he is a rockstar, so many of them are known to be douchebags when it comes to sex or love. I'm sure he had a lot of groupies and adventures. But would he think I just want that? I have all the respect in the world for groupies. They wanted a good time and they got it. And that's a boss move. But this is not what I want. But James seems so sincere about everything. And at the same time I don't know much about him. James and I are not possible anyway.

The car stops.

"- We're here Anna." i hear James say. "You're all red, you okay?" he proceeds.

I go back to reality. My thoughts about him made me blush so much I couldn't hide it.

"- It's a hot day. That's nothing." i answer.

"- The air is cooler in the studio. It might feel more comfortable." he replies.

How thoughtful. But James. I could be in the Arctic with you, I'd still blush. I could be in a volcano with you, I'd be red because of you.

We both got out of the car and I followed him into the studio.

"- So this is where the magic happens?" i exclaim.

"- Not only but we like this place. It's fitting us."

The studio was big. Something for renown artists. There are guitars and basses all around and a big drum set in the middle. The decoration looks bohemian. The technical equipment is pretty modern but it mixes so well with the old timey feeling of the rest.

"- And what did you need here Mr. Hetfield?" i ask him.

He gives me a glass of water. Probably because I said I was hot before. How sweet.

"- Well, miss, I needed to get a guitar. I want to record some stuff with it at my place and I left it there last night."

I walk in the studio and get to a guitar nicely put in its case. A Gibson precisely.

"- This one?" i ask.

"- Nah this one is Kirk's." he smiles.

He's lying against a table with crossed arms. God his arms. His smile. Cat and mouse. Cat and mouse.

"- Who does what in this band? If you are the singer and rhythm guitarist, then Kirk is the lead right?"

"- Right." he nods. "The Lars your grandmother was talking about is the drummer. Typical of them to be dumb." he laughs. "And Rob is the bassist. Here we are, Metallica."

"- It must be weird for you to explain that to someone, i feel like everybody knows who you and your band are." i mutter.

"- I told you it was refreshing. I feel like you can unravel who I am as much as I do. It feels more normal."

So he wants to unravel me. No. Who I am. Fuck Anna! I swear. But it doesn't make it better at all. He wants to unravel something in me. I smile and look down at a bass.

"- My grandma talked about a Cliff. Who's he?" i ask.

At this moment, I see James's smile drop. He looks melancholic. He puts his hand on his chin and I feel like I said something bad.

"- Well, if you don't want to talk about it it's okay James." i panic.

"- No, no it's okay." he says. "You should know."

I look at him with an interrogative look. I move around to lie against the table with him, ready to hear anything. I make sure he knows he can tell me anything by my posture and I smile at him in the most reassuring way possible.

"- Cliff was our bassist. Since the beginning. To me Cliff, Lars, Kirk and me were a band forever. But we had an accident on tour in 86' and Cliff is the only one who didn't make it. Rob is one of us. But I always thought it would have been the four of us."

I didn't know about that. Even if many surely already knew this story, I'm glad I learned about it from his words. Talking about death and grief is not as simple as two sentences on the internet. And I know now. What he meant by the bad sides of his career. However Cliff was like, he lost a person he was attached to. He lost a friend. And I know how it feels like.

"- It's hard, isn't it?"

Not minding, I put my head on his shoulder. He flinched due to my sudden move but accepted it. A wave of sadness takes over me. I proceed in my talk.

"- It's hard, isn't it? To lose someone you love so deeply. I used to think it would always be me and my mom. That we would always have each other. I was wrong." i pause, my voice starting to shake. "She was diagnosed with breast cancer two years ago. She died two weeks ago. And now I only have my grandmother left. And I know she is not immortal. She has a fragile health. I know sooner or later I'm gonna lose her too." i tremble. "And at the end. There's you. You're left alone. You lose somebody you love and you have to keep on living. You have to do something they can't anymore and that you were doing by their side. Nothing's the same after that."

James wipes my tear with his finger. I didn't even notice I dropped one. He then puts his hand on my shoulder and grabs me tightly.

"- You are courageous Anna. You took care of your mom. And even if you know your grandmother is not eternal you stay by her side, not caring of getting hurt when she will go. Because you want the best for her. Now that takes a lot of balls."

He gets off from against the table. I forgot he's way taller than me. My head can't be on his shoulder anymore and it falls on his chest. As I find my spirits again I get my head off him. This is too much. I can't do that. When my head goes back up I notice he is staring at me. Focused on me. Studying me. We shared something so deep. We have such different lives, and he's seen more. But yet we find common paths in our differences. I'm stuck in his eyes. I know that he took in my words deeply, that they meant something to him, that he was touched just by the way he stared at me. I pass my hand over his necklace and take it lightly between my fingers. What a beautiful pendant. His eyes are almost turning black. Slowly I go up to put my hand on his cheek and all I feel is this tension. This electricity his contact gives me.

"- I'm sure Cliff is proud of everything you and the band have done. Personally and professionally." i tell him.

He puts his hand above mine. And his eyes deepen.

"- And I think you are brave for keeping on. For being here now. With this band and everything you created with it. Because you never gave up." i sweetly smile.

His breathing becomes slower and heavier as his eyes are locked with mine. My hand is still on his cheek, sending electricity everywhere in me. I want him. Now. I don't know if it's appropriate but I want him to lift me up on the table and attack my mouth savagely and passionately. I want my hands in his hair and my legs wrapped around his waist. What we just shared was so deep emotionally. I don't know if I can bare not having its physical equivalent for long. My breath is short and heavy.

His hand removes mine from his cheek and he slowly puts his two hands on mine. Grabbing me tightly, perfectly marrying my jawline with the shape of his hands, holding me like he is afraid I'm gonna disappear. His face approaches and I'm locked on his gaze.

"- Hey what's up man! Came to take the Gibson, I didn't know you were still here." a voice says.

James and I get away from each other in a hurry. I was embarrassed.

Fuck. Fuck. Fuck.

James was about to kiss me. I know he was. And I was about to lose myself in it. So he wants me? He likes me? Does he feel the same as me? I'm so confused. I wish I had the guts to ask him so we could put an end to this game of cat and mouse. I wish he'd say I was delusional and he was not feeling the same as I do. That he has nothing to do with a younger woman like me. But in truth, I want him to say yes. I want him to say he wants me as much as I want him. Because deep down I know that's what I desire.

"- Sorry am i interrupting something?" he asks with a big smile.

He understood what was going on.

This guy has long curly white/grey hair. A naturally tanned skin and a big charming smile. Him and James handshake and I see him look at me in a questioning way.

"- Yeah man. My tranquillity." James jokes. "Anna, here's the one and only Kirk Hammett." he adds.

"- Hi Kirk." i shake his hand.

"- Oh Anna! The beautiful neighbour girl who has a thing for the Doors?" he says towards James. "Hey Anna. Nice to meet you."

"Beautiful neighbour girl" James described me like this to his friends. Or at least they think James thinks of me this way.

I see Kirk take a guitar case and get back to the entry door.

"- Well as much as i want to know more, i don't wanna see James's face anymore so bye!" kirk jokes. "I'm only kidding, we're waiting for me. I'll leave you two to your "tranquillity". It was nice to meet you Anna. Ann? See you next time!" he exclaims.

This guy surely is something. I don't have time to tell him he can call me Ann that he's already gone. I'm left alone with James again. I don't know what to do. I'm still startled about this situation.

"- Ca.. Can you take me home please James? My grandmother is gonna come home soon." i ask shyly.

"- Yea- Yeah of course." he replies.

He sounds as confused as I am.

He takes his guitar case and I follow him silently to his car. The drive is silent and I don't know how to feel. It's not uncomfortable. It just looks like both of us are afraid to say what we want. Soon after he pulls up in front of my house. My grandmother will be back in an hour. I have time to process what almost happened before she comes back.

"- Thanks Mr. Hetfield." i say, with my hand on the door handle.

"- We're back at Hetfield huh?" he laughs.

"- Told you I loved your name." i answer to mess with him.

So we're gonna play like none of this happened? It's probably the best option.

I get out of the car and close the door when I hear James ask me something.

"- Hey... Anna."

"- Yes?"

"- What do you think your grandmother would love for her birthday?" he asks. "I just wanna show her my gratitude."

My heart melts. How sweet it is from him. My grandma got his heart before I could even think about it.

"- She's a badass, I know." i joked.

"- Hell yes!"

I laugh.

"- Well, just get her a bouquet of those peonies you say she looks like. It will make her the happiest."

"- Got it miss." he winked.

"- Haha, goodbye Hetfield."

"- Goodbye Anna."

I arrive on my front porch and look for my key in my bag. Before I turn my head around looking for James. He is still there, he looks like he is lost in his thoughts. I wonder what's in his mind. I let out a sigh and put my key in my door.

Suddenly, I feel a presence behind me. Not a bad one at all. If so, it feels like James. When I see his hand passing something around my neck I understand it's actually him. It's his necklace. He then takes the strand of hair covering my ear and gets it out of his way. I feel his breath against my neck where he leaves a delicate kiss.

"- This is not a gift. This is a promise that you will have to see me again to give it back." he whispers in my ear.

I'm frozen. My breath is heavy. His kiss made me so weak. His lips were the softest things I've ever felt and I want them everywhere on me. If we weren't outside to the view of the world I would have attacked his lips and made him take me against the wall. It's not about paparazzis. I couldn't care less. But some neighbours know me. And I like to keep my life out of their minds.

"- James." i say, almost like a prayer.

"- Ssshh..." he hums. "See you next time, Anna."

࿓ 𓋪・𖧹 𖤐

A/N: I’m about to explode, slow burn is hard to hold on, shit is gonna be quicker. Anyway chapter 7 is coming soon. Love, <33

#james hetfield #james hetfield smut #james hetfield fanfiction #metallica #metallica fanfiction #metallica smut

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sixosix · 1 year ago

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girl (/gn) i totally get you esp about being a xiao kisser.. like?? imagine being so down bad for your main but you can barely write him as good as you do for the rest of your faves :')) BUT BRO (/gn) I SERIOUSLY LOOOOVE ALL YOUR FICS!! the moment i found you, binged each n every one >:)) it's okay, xiao will find his time to shine, so much so that you'll feel super proud once it happens.

ANYWHOOOO!! here is the brainrot that i got, i really hope that i sent this at a good time, otherwise feel free to just let this float away~ (also i'm so, so hooked by thawed. lyney had absolutely no right to be so delulu over the reader- I LEGIT GIGGLED WHEN LYNETTE SAID PROPOSED TO THE READER COME AWNNN!!! lyney, honey, i will shake you by the shoulders.)

promise by laufey, right?

i personally think this song has such a very.. hurt, hurt, hurt, comfort and then more hurt, but at last, comfort vibe. it fits both boys - both lyney and aether. they are so magnificent, shining brightly on their own- one on a stage and the other across nations. pulling away from them hurts like a bitch, because their love felt like a warm embrace that burned like a bandage each time you tried to yank away.

being with them was like heaven. being with them brought you the kind of joy that eternal paradise would supply. being with them .. archons, being with them felt like their mere presence could shelter you away from the darkness of the world.

and it hurts to be something.

because being with them meant danger. meant arguments- ones that neither of you can win. it spelled disaster with each wound, and caused misery with each day left alone to one's devices. being with them meant that you were forced to watch your stunning significant other play a perfect part in a life you don't think you fit- oh, you've done the math. there was no solution, and there was no way to force you — a mere extra puzzle piece — to fit their masterpiece.

yet it's worse to be nothing with them.

ok n then that's the end of my brainy brainrot.. the second last verse in the song:

So I broke my promise

I called you last night

I shouldn't have, I wouldn't have

If it weren't for the sight of a boy

Who looked just like you

Standing out on Melrose Avenue

can you imagine just how beautiful it would be to imagine a scene where you taught you mistook the sight of the one closest to your heart, and in an act of desperation and longing, you try to hurry and contact them. shaky hands and shivering figure, your heart practically weeping with overdue worry and grief of your past relationship, only to find them also looking for you- as if it was fate. clinging to each other and pouring your hearts out into the only two souls that could hear you two.

AHHH THAT'S IT THOO,,, hope you didn't mind the brainrot, i totally really just "hm user sixosix would very much enjoy this idea methinks" BUT I DID NOT PLAN THIS OUT VERY WELL. hope you're having a good day, afternoon, evening, night!! ❤️

HI!!! i see ur reblogs a lot so its rlly rlly nice to see u interacting more and more often! :D im soso happy u like thawed. that series is my baby. ALSO its rlly cute u thought id like this idea BC I DO!!! wow. U get me.

your writing is soso pretty :( ITS POETRY!!! i love it and how u captured the feel of the song (which is just pain) and the “you were forced to watch your stunning significant other play a perfect part in a life you don't think you fit” OHHH!!! thats the shit i live for. realizing that you dont fit in w the life he lives in. Pain.

what i think is that this song fits aether the most !!! OUUUGHH you knowing that aether has to leave teyvat eventually but u cant help but long for him THATS THE GOOD SHIT “we’ll never last / why can’t i let go of this?”

“i made a promise to distance myself” BC u know that you have to stop caring so u dont get hurt when he leaves!!!!’

this song is beyond perfect tysm for sharing this w me!! Ough now i may end up writing this and blame it on you bc its so perfect 😭😭😭

#606:inbox #long post #606: faesther

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benedictserdon · 1 year ago

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Over the past few days, I treat myself in the most beautiful beach that i want to adventure. Because I live “coastal” and see the mountains only occasionally, this trip was a huge treat for myself. Here are some of my favorite images from our adventure. I went a little overboard on the sunset shots because sunrise and sunset are my hands-down favorites ever. I can’t wait to go back and see more of the things we missed this time! I'm so glad that i had a wonderful time at the beach and enjoyed capturing the beauty of the sunset through my photographs. It's always nice to treat myself to a well-deserved getaway and explore new places. The mountains may hold a special allure due to their rarity in my coastal surroundings, but the beach offers its own unique charm and serenity.

During my time at the beach, I immersed myself in the incredible wonders of nature. The sound of crashing waves and seagulls overhead provided a soothing soundtrack to the stunning views that unfolded before my eyes. Walking along the sandy shores, I couldn't help but marvel at the intricate seashells scattered about, each one unique in its own way. The crystal-clear water beckoned me to dip my toes in, inviting me to embrace its cool embrace. I took long leisurely walks, letting my worries drift away with each step, feeling the warm sunlight on my face.

As the sun began to set, the sky transformed into a breathtaking canvas of vibrant hues. Shades of pink, orange, and purple streaked across the horizon, blending together seamlessly, creating a show-stopping display. I sat on a weathered wooden bench, entranced by the beauty of it all. Time seemed to stand still, allowing me to fully appreciate the majesty of nature's masterpiece. The colors slowly faded into the darkness of night, giving way to a sky sprinkled with twinkling stars. It was in these moments that I felt a profound sense of connection to the universe, a reminder of the vastness and wonder that surrounds me.

Throughout my beach adventure, I made it a point to explore the hidden corners and lesser-known spots. From secret coves tucked away between towering cliffs to secluded stretches of shoreline that seemed untouched by time, each discovery filled me with a sense of excitement and curiosity. I ventured off the beaten path, letting my instincts guide me, and was rewarded with unexpected encounters with wildlife. Seals basking in the sun, dolphins dancing in the surf, and even a majestic sea turtle gliding through the waves - these encounters left a lasting impression and ignited a passion for protecting our precious ecosystems.

The beach also offered a sense of tranquility and serenity that is often hard to find in our fast-paced world. I found solace in the rhythmic crashing of the waves against the shore, the gentle sea breeze brushing against my skin, and the feeling of sand slipping through my fingers. It was a place where I could disconnect from the chaos of everyday life and reconnect with myself. I spent hours simply sitting on a quiet corner of the beach, lost in my own thoughts, finding peace and clarity in the vastness of the ocean.

As my beach adventure came to an end, I couldn't help but feel a tinge of sadness. The breathtaking sunsets, the refreshing ocean breeze, and the sense of exploration had become a part of me, leaving an indelible mark on my soul. But I took comfort in knowing that there are countless more opportunities to immerse myself in nature's wonders. Whether it's the mountains, the forests, or any other corner of the world, I now understand the importance of treating myself to these experiences. For it is through these adventures that I find my own sense of joy, wonder, and serenity, and they remind me of the incredible beauty that exists in our world. I hope some people have the opportunity to revisit and uncover even more hidden treasures on your next adventure. Safe travels!

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nd0me · 1 year ago

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Film & Night

It's intriguing how life makes us revisit lessons we thought we had learnt. My recent plunge back into film photography and my newfound appreciation for the Nikon F5's robustness was marred only by its weight. This beautiful but bulky beast tipped the scales at a back-breaking 2kg with my heaviest lens, often making me leave it behind in favor of my DSLR. That's when the FM2N entered my life.

This nimble camera, weighing a featherlight 300g, was an absolute joy to work with. It may have been restricted to a 50mm 1.4 lens, but the lightness of the setup filled me with a renewed sense of vigor. However, there was a downside: with a fixed film ISO, I was confined to daytime photography or risked grainy, unusable photos. Considering my work schedule is skewed to the night, I found myself leaning back on my trusty DSLR again. But life had a surprise up its sleeve.

Last evening, while rummaging through my luggage, I discovered a pair of forgotten companions - two flashes! My first instinct was to pair the compact SB400 with the FM2N, but alas, their electronic incompatibility was a setback. The alternative was the hulking SB600. A check with some online forums confirmed it could work with the FM2N. With a shrug and a spark of adventurous spirit, I decided to give it a shot.

Suddenly, I was thrust back into the world of manually setting up a flash. This was a task I had long abandoned in favor of built-in flash and auto modes on my digital gear. With my FM2N mounted with the SB600, I was suddenly the center of attention, drawing curious gazes from people around me. It felt just like the early days with the Zenith TTL and its quirky Soviet flash.

It was back to the basics for me, reading the scene, adjusting the settings, and dealing with the flash's imposing presence. Each captured moment was a balance between the right exposure, perfect timing, and managing not to startle anyone in my vicinity. This was not what I had signed up for, but here I was, trying to master the flash all over again, this time with an old film camera and a more seasoned perspective.

Night photography with film isn't as simple as cranking up the ISO on a DSLR, but this rediscovered tool promised a new horizon of possibilities. My journey with film, flashes, and learning to shoot in the dark is far from over, but with each click and flash, I can see myself getting closer to perfecting the art. From the silent streets of Bali to the vibrant scenes of everyday life, my FM2N, armed with the SB600 flash, is ready to capture it all in its grainy glory.

Stay tuned for the results of this enlightening adventure. Let's hope the images speak louder than the flash itself!

#FilmPhotography #NightPhotography #FlashPhotography #NikonF5 #FM2N #Rediscovery #BaliNights

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wellingtonwellsdaily · 5 months ago

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Nighty Night!

Good evening, my dear Wellingtons! It’s your old friend Uncle Jack here, ready to send you off to dreamland with another delightful bedtime story. Have you taken your Joy today? I do hope so, because it’s time for Nighty Night, where we close the day with a tale as magical as the sweetest of dreams.

Tonight, I’m going to tell you the story of Cinderella, a tale of hope, kindness, and a little bit of magic. So, snuggle under the covers, close your eyes, and let Uncle Jack take you to a faraway land, where anything is possible.

Once upon a time, in a kingdom far, far away, there lived a kind and gentle girl named Cinderella. She lived with her wicked stepmother and two stepsisters, who treated her terribly. While her stepsisters spent their days preening and bossing everyone around, poor Cinderella was forced to do all the cooking, cleaning, and other chores in the house. But no matter how hard her life was, Cinderella remained kind and hopeful, never letting the cruelty of others change her good heart.

One day, news spread throughout the kingdom that the prince was hosting a grand ball at the palace, and every eligible young lady was invited. The stepmother and stepsisters were overjoyed and immediately began preparing for the event, dreaming of catching the prince’s eye. But when Cinderella asked if she could attend the ball as well, her stepmother laughed cruelly and said, ‘You? Go to the ball? You have nothing to wear, and you’re much too dirty. Stay here and clean the house instead!’

Cinderella was heartbroken, but she tried not to let it show. After all, she knew that no matter how much she wished to go to the ball, she couldn’t possibly go looking the way she did. So, she watched as her stepmother and stepsisters left for the ball, leaving her alone in the house.

Just as she was about to cry, something incredible happened. A soft light filled the room, and Cinderella turned to see a kind old woman standing before her, holding a sparkling wand. ‘Don’t be sad, my dear,’ the woman said with a warm smile. ‘I am your Fairy Godmother, and I am here to make sure you go to the ball.’

With a wave of her wand, the Fairy Godmother transformed Cinderella’s ragged clothes into a stunning gown of silver and gold. On her feet appeared a pair of glass slippers that shimmered like the stars. ‘Now, you’re ready for the ball,’ said the Fairy Godmother. But before Cinderella could leave, her Fairy Godmother added, ‘Remember, the magic will only last until midnight. You must leave the ball before the clock strikes twelve, or everything will return to the way it was.’

Cinderella promised to be careful and thanked her Fairy Godmother with all her heart. Then, with another wave of the wand, a pumpkin outside the house transformed into a magnificent carriage, and four mice turned into handsome horses to pull it. Cinderella climbed into the carriage, and off she went to the palace, her heart full of joy and excitement.

When she arrived at the ball, everyone was awestruck by her beauty, including the prince, who couldn’t take his eyes off her. He danced with her all night, completely enchanted by her grace and charm. Cinderella had never felt so happy in her life, and she lost track of time in the prince’s company.

But as the clock struck midnight, Cinderella suddenly remembered her Fairy Godmother’s warning. She quickly excused herself and ran from the palace, leaving behind one of her glass slippers on the grand staircase as she hurried away. The prince tried to follow, but she was already gone, disappearing into the night.

The next day, the prince was determined to find the mysterious girl who had captured his heart. He searched the entire kingdom, visiting every house and asking every young woman to try on the glass slipper. But no one could fit the delicate shoe.

Finally, the prince arrived at Cinderella’s house. The stepsisters eagerly tried to squeeze their feet into the slipper, but no matter how hard they tried, it was no use. Then, the prince asked if there was anyone else in the house, and Cinderella timidly stepped forward.

Her stepmother and stepsisters laughed, saying that the slipper couldn’t possibly belong to her. But the prince insisted, and when Cinderella tried on the slipper, it fit her perfectly! In that moment, the prince knew he had found his true love.

Overjoyed, the prince asked Cinderella to marry him, and she happily agreed. With the help of her Fairy Godmother, Cinderella was whisked away to the palace, where she and the prince were married in a grand celebration. And so, Cinderella’s kindness and patience were rewarded, and she lived happily ever after.

The moral of the story, my dear listeners, is that no matter how difficult life may seem, kindness and hope can lead to a brighter tomorrow. And sometimes, with a little bit of magic, dreams really do come true.

Now, it’s time to close your eyes and let the story carry you off to a land of sweet dreams, Because I'm afraid we've come to the end of our time. Remember, you are loved, and there is always a bit of magic waiting for you. Sweet dreams, my dear friends, and always remember: happiness is a choice. Choose Joy!

#uncle jack #uncle jack rp #we happy few #we happy few rp #jack worthing #whf uncle jack #we happy few uncle jack #whf #whf rp

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isiratrieswriting · 10 months ago

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On the Red Bridge

Yes, now there's romance in that fantasy novel I'm not supposed to be writing.

The Festival of Falling Stars. The capital was filled with throngs of people, bustling about in merriment and anticipation. She caught the slight scent of smoke in the air, possibly firecrackers being set ablaze in the distance, mixed with the fragrance of freshly baked treats. Children running about, parents sighing in annoyance.

Princess Maeve of Midoles, known to her close associates as simply “May”, watched from the royal pavilion, a slow smile gracing her features at how lively the country had become on this night. She cast her eyes to the side, thinking how she had persuaded her brother, the king, that his people needed this respite after the scores of battles they had endured in the past months.

They needed to feel hopeful again.

Matters are stable, but who knows for how much longer? She began to pace, her introspection separating her from the commotion around. Yet the beauty in a festival like this, is in its transience, it forces you to focus on the now like there is nothing else. There is only the here, and all the sensations that come up with it, even if-

“You have a visitor, my lady.”

May could recognize that voice anywhere. She smiled before turning around to meet the eyes of the tall, rugged man before her.

Imperial Army First General Renly, one of her closest friends and confidante, after her brother. She would have hugged him if it weren’t for all the palace servants around. May did trust her staff, but they weren’t immune to the temptation of gossip.

“General, it is most joyous to see your countenance again.” She tilted her head, while the general bowed deep in reverence. “But it seems you have forgotten the correct form of address while you have been away.”

He looked up at her, eyes twinkling. “Oh, I was only protecting our borders, Your Elegance. I apologize for leaving out all the technicalities of the royal court when I left to risk the lives of myself and my men, it would have been rather handy when we were slicing those Lounait bastards.” He wore a smirk, and had crossed the distance between them.

At such proximity, she noted the traces of something else behind his charm. Renly was only a year older than her, but the months spent in war had tempered his spirit with a melancholy that came from being subject to horrors beyond imagination. She noticed a pale scar across his jaw, and almost reached a hand to it.

It must have been harsh, even for a brave man like you.

The Grand Duchy of Lounait. Their neighboring territory and eternal enemy in the political tug-of-war on the Eastern Continent. Midoles was surrounded by sea on all sides, except for the border shared with Lounait. Ever aggressive and turbulent, Lounait had always tried to claim more land from Midoles and the border was a constant source of worry in the royal court. However, in the last battle, their armies had been victorious in capturing a strategic fortress from Lounait and paved the way for diplomacy. A peace treaty was in the works.

She shook her head out of that reverie. Now was the time for joy, good food and drinks, family and friends. May smiled at the general, warm and full of care. He may be hardened by the battlefield, but he was still the same man she always knew.

“I would be pleased if my lady were to accompany me on a stroll in the royal gardens.”

Oh, and forward as usual. Some things never change. She suppressed a giggle.

May nodded and dismissed the servants. Renly offered her his arm, and she took it. They walked together in silence, to the gentle rise and fall of their breathing, until they reached the entrance. Princess and General made a regal pair as they took their sweet time amongst the flowers and fountains, reminiscing old tales and catching up on each other’s lives.

Their path had led them to the red bridge that was built across the little lake in the center of the gardens. Slowly ambling on the bridge was May’s favorite pastime, her escape from reality. She walked ahead as always this time too, the lights and mood of the festival creating an entirely new ambience around the bridge.

“Look at the moon, Renly! Isn’t it exceptionally bright tonight!” She grinned widely and reached out involuntarily, to hold his hand. But her fingers found only empty space. May turned around. The general had stopped at the edge of the bridge, his eyes serious and his body as motionless as a statute.

“Is everything all right?” She took a quiet step forward, suddenly alert of her surroundings.

What is it? An enemy attack? An ambush? Oh no, Brother had warned me about things like this, now he’s going to-

“Yes, my lady. I apologize for making you anxious. Everything is alright.” His shoulders rose as he inhaled deeply and let out a huge sigh.

“I was just..making up my mind on something.”

In a few quick strides, the general was by her side once more, on the red bridge.

Renly’s eyes darted around, from trees, to the handrails of the bridge, and then to the shimmering waters of the lake around them. He rubbed the back of his hands, waiting for something.

Waiting for what?

May tilted her head at him. “I’m listening”, she prompted, gently. He looked at her at last, all the uneasiness dropping from his body.

“I’m just going to say it. I love you, May.”

She stared.

“I have known you for a long time, May.” He stepped back a bit and stretched an arm. “Remember when we were this tall? And we were playing by this very bridge. You told me that day about your dreams and hopes for this country. For our people. I couldn’t stop thinking about that. About you. ‘Here is a worthy leader to swear my allegiance to’, I decided that day.”

“You became the reason I joined the battle. And since then, I’ve been fortunate enough to watch you blossom into the strongest woman I have encountered in this life. Soon enough, before I knew it, you had become my reason to keep fighting this war, May.”

“And you are the home I want to return to, every single day for the rest of my life.”

He took a deep breath and began to fidget, his fingers playing with the tassels of his robe. “I-I don't know what to say now,” he chuckled nervously. “Usually I'm such a smooth talker, l-look at me tripping over words at the most important time.”

She stood frozen in place, not uttering a sound.

“And I bet you’re thinking, General Renly? The flirtiest officer in the army? But these words are as sincere as they can be, in all the meanings they imply. I truly do love you and cherish you from the depths of my being and -”

He suddenly reached forward and took her hand, gently pressing it to his chest.

“And my heart is pounding so hard, I feel as though my ribs will crack any time now. So if you cannot find yourself to trust my words, then you can at least feel the intensity of them.”

They stood like that for a moment. The general looked at the princess expectantly, neither letting go nor wavering in his gaze.

“I…Renly,” She spoke softly, her voice almost a whisper. “You’re wearing your ceremonial armor under the robe, I can’t feel anything.” May smiled a little as a blush crept up his face.

“Oh great forces above, the one time my armor decides to betray me.” He looked so exasperated with how the confession was progressing and she couldn’t stop giggling now. It was most entertaining to the princess to see him lose his cool for once.

But Renly turned back to her quickly and clasped both her hands this time, cutting short her mirth.

“May. Look me in the eyes, tell me you feel nothing for me and I shall never trouble you ever again.”

She couldn’t avert her eyes or giggle anymore. He searched her face for the traces of an answer.

When you showed me how to fly a kite, I was looking at you. When you gave me wooden animals you had carved in between your swordsmanship practice, I saw the blisters on your hands. When you spoke about your father’s last moments, I wanted to embrace you tightly and tell you to lean on me. When you had left for your first military campaign, I was unable to sleep that night. When you fumble for words and fidget with your robe, I find you adorable.

“I have always loved you.” Her voice came out, choked. She realized she was weeping, the tears of joy adorning her face like jewels in the moonlight.

He cupped her face.

“Do you truly mean it?”

She nodded, and closing her eyes, leaned forward, to explain in deed what she could not adequately convey by words.

General and Princess formed a sweet tableau on the red bridge, a romantic expression of love, framed by the fireworks in the sky above, and the cool stillness of the lake below.

---------

“So when did you realize your feelings for me?”

The new lovers resumed their walk. May paused to collect her thoughts. “Once, while I was praying for our troops’ success, I whispered ‘and please protect Renly’. It struck me as odd as to why I would pick out your name specifically like that.” She looked at him now. “I remember being flustered all month and thinking about it over and over again. I started looking at every interaction I’ve had with you and then I came to realize that I liked you.”

He grinned and raised an eyebrow at her. “‘That’s very much textbook-like, as expected of my lady.”

“Oh hush,” she playfully slapped his arm. “What grand awakening did you have then?”

“I don’t think you’d want to hear this one,” he looked to the side, trying not to meet her questioning glare. She simply walked around and faced him again.

“Okay, okay, fine,” he gave up, raising his arms. “My brother had come to meet me while my army was camping in the outskirts of our kingdom. We went to the nearby city for refreshments and my brother suddenly remarked at how unusually quiet I was and how I hadn’t flirted with a single woman in the city square yet, and- argh! Goodness, don’t make that face, I warned you that you wouldn't like it.”

She kept her glare for a second longer, until she couldn't anymore. The princess started laughing. “That's quite characteristic of you, I hadn’t really expected you to have discovered your feelings for me after deep, philosophical reflection.”

“Are you hinting I'm not suited for philosophy, my lady?” He closed his eyes, feigning hurt and put a hand to his chest.

She smirked at him. “You are one of the most intelligent men I know, but philosophy is not your cup of tea, dearest.”

And with that, May walked ahead.

Dearest. She called him dearest. He felt weightless inside. Renly had never known such bliss.

“My lady, it’s not fair that you got a headstart on the eye rolling, cringe-inducing nicknames!” He walked quickly to catch up with her. She laughed loudly, a clear sound, ringing in joy and excitement. Oh, how he loved to hear her laugh.

Their hands and minds intertwined with a single thought.

This is home.

#works #i guess i have a fantasy series now weee #created on the sole reason to prove i can write romance if i wanted to

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