#i think king getting more protective/jealous as they grow older together makes sense

[roselleasly]

found a scrapped platinum bones sketch and redrew it

[click for better res]

[watevermelon]

Just Enough | Diluc (Genshin) x Traveler!Reader

✧ Summary: Between freeing Dvalin and pursuing the Geo Archon, you were constantly moving forward to find your brother with hardly a second to look back. You were in a rush to find your lost sibling, not realizing how your heart had stopped in Mondstadt. Visiting the city while waiting for things to die down after Rex Lapis’ death, you return to a… jealous Diluc?

➳ Spoilers for the Dark Knight Hero quest and some of the manga background ➳ Notes: lots of fluff, slight angst and jealousy, character development, mutual pining at one point, a long one-shot that covers the (1.0) beginning of the Liyue story  ➳ Navigation

---xXxXxXxXxXx---

If he had only asked you to stay.

To say that these past few weeks were a blur would be a severe understatement. For months you were simply a lost wanderer, traveling from world to world for any sort of clue that could lead you to your brother.

And in just a matter of weeks you were suddenly Mondstadt’s hero.

From bringing peace to Dvalin’s heart to meeting Mondstadt’s infamous Dark-knight hero, you were familiarizing yourself with a people and a place for a world you knew you did not belong to. Learning of the history of the Seven Archons, the Gods’ of contracts or of freedoms, suddenly you were being thrust into it all at once.

You shared the burden of knowledge with a few of Mondstadt’s elite, the true God of Freedom walking in plain sight to the citizens of his nation. And with him, were the quick allies you found side-by-side when fighting a dragon. 

It was all happening so suddenly and Lord Barbatos himself was giving you directions to the next country over, to continue on your journey in meeting all seven Archons to Liyue. 

To this day, you could fondly recall your final celebration in Mondstadt.

“To think that despite his small stature he can drink so much.” Kaeya commented from his seat at the table, eyes slid in the direction of Venti at the bar next to you. You could see the impatient stare behind Diluc’s eyes, not at all happy that their God was indulging himself so freely.

“Honorary Knight, Mondstadt thanks you for your service.” Jean formally stated, for the nth time since Dvalin had been freed.

“I’m just glad I was at the right place at the right time.” You answered back, offering a placating smile in return.

“Humility doesn’t pay for dinner!” Paimon hmphed next to you.

“But aren’t we at a feast now?” You countered, gesturing to the table. 

She sighed again before moving to get a taste of some of the honey roasted ham. “Fine, don’t blame me when we have to settle into that poor excuse of a tent!”

“Please, do not feel you are in any rush to leave.” Jean offered, “You are welcome lodgings at our Favonius Headquarters.”

“With the other Knights of Favonius?” Diluc asked, face completely blank if not for the small upward tilt of his left brow.

Kaeya flirted with you from across the room, uncaring of the other partygoers, “You could always stay with me.”

You laughed lightly and responded, “That’s a hard pass.”

The Cavalry Captain simply shrugged, offering it to you again if you changed your mind before grabbing another glass of wine and walking with Jean toward the busy table.

Barbara was trying different dishes and offering some to her older sister, spouting descriptions with medicinal purposes and flavors that compliment one another. Lisa was no better as Amber egged both of them on, completely sober as she continued to feast on the food laid before her. Other Knights of Favonius that you recognized were scattered about, enjoying the first truly peaceful night in the past few weeks.

“You are welcome to stay at the Dawn Winery, while you look for your brother.”

He relished in the sight of your smile.

“Thank you, Diluc.”

That was three months ago.

And since then you had been thrown into more of not your business but suddenly IS your business, business.

You remembered your last day before setting off from Mondstadt. The Knights of Favonius would surely call on you again and so you had quick goodbyes with Jean and Kaeya the day before. Venti was saved for last, a somewhat light-hearted and yet somber goodbye as he was the first and last person for you to see in Mondstadt. 

But Diluc… How could you even start that conversation?

He was the lone wolf with a prickly reputation and an even worse sense of patience. You remembered the first time you even spoke to him, clipped words meant to get straight to the point. Not to mention that he was the first person to antagonize Kaeya, who was one of the few people you kinda trusted in the beginning.

It was not until the side adventures, the little quests you did one-on-one that you realized how much more there was to the edgelord that was Diluc. 

Of course, he was still the strict type to focus solely on the mission. 

But you realized more about why Diluc had come to be this way. 

‘The uncrowned king of Mondstadt.’

As you worked together against the possible abyss invasion of Mondstadt, you poured over strategies and testing of his slime potion. And while slimes were not the hardest enemies to fight, he still complimented you on your form and appreciated your quick style with the sword.

You had a unique style, unlike Kaeya or anyone else of this world.

“Elegant, but deadly.”

You took that as a compliment.

And little by little Diluc opened up to you, cluing you into his personal history. 

He and Kaeya were step-brothers, growing up together at the Dawn Winery. How he knew Jean since he was child and once served as her superior in the very organization he now despised. How he still has things to protect, to avenge. And while his description about what happened to his father was nothing more than a quiet stare, you were still grateful that he was entrusting you into his world.

You remembered Kaeya’s words as he discovered Diluc’s nighttime secret:

“I’m glad you’re working with an assistant.”

Kaeya’s tone may have come out scathing, but you knew better. Kaeya and Diluc used to be close, close enough to entrust their lives with one another. There was no doubt that Kaeya still cared about his brother, but with Diluc pushing everyone away….

Again, you were so appreciative that he chose to let you in.

When Kaeya finally left the bar, you turned to Diluc with a smile. “I think my work tonight earned me at least one glass of wine?”

That broke a small smile on his face, not the slight tilt on the sides or the wistful, far off look he got when he recalled something beyond your knowledge.

“Alright.” He waved over a nearby waitress, all of the customers tonight employees of the Dawn Winery. “Let’s take this up to the balcony, I’m going to close up anyway.”

“Oh?” Paimon’s squeaky tone somehow went up another octave in curiosity, “I just remembered I have to ask Venti something! Why don’t you two enjoy your date alone.”

She flew away before you could swat at her for her teasing words, blush apparent on your face. Diluc kept his flat face as he maneuvered things behind the bar, wiping at something before putting something in the below cabinet. 

To your surprise, he handed you a bottle and two glasses, motioning with his head toward the second floor. Charles was among some of the ‘customers’ tonight, taking his usual spot behind the bar as Diluc stepped out.

You followed him wordlessly, walking up the steps and out the second-floor door closely behind him. He pulled out a wooden chair next to the table outside, you taking the seat underneath the stars as he plopped down alongside you.

“I thought the stars here in the city would get overcrowded by the lights.” You admitted, “But they’re beautiful even here.”

“Yeah, they are.” Diluc agreed, making you smile before turning to him.

“You’re not even looking at the stars.”

The pyro-user simply smirked, before looking up at the starry sky with you. You relished in the moment, glad to have some time alone with Diluc. Many had commented that the winery owner was so elusive, missing from the bar weeks at a time and unseen within the city walls. And yet here he was, enjoying the crisp air and a glass of wine with you.

“Thank you.” You started.

“Shouldn’t you be demanding thanks from me?” Diluc asked.

You laughed lightly, “Yeah, cause I’m sure that the abyss mage would have totally kicked your ass without me.”

Diluc had that slightly amused expression on, looking a bit more light-hearted as he turned to you with a slight tilt at the corner of his lips.

You continued, “I mean, thanks for entrusting me with your secret.”

Diluc paused, looking you straight in the eyes, probably to gauge your honesty. And he would concede that there was nothing else there. You wanted to be his friend, the first in a long time to have approached him without your own agenda regarding either the winery or his fortune.

In return, he poured you a glass of wine and replied, “You’ve long earned it.”

“Thank you, Diluc.” You took the glass and felt your heart flutter at the brush of his fingers. “I’m glad I got to know you.”

“I’m glad you’re in my life too.”

He shot you another one of his genuine, millisecond smiles before pouring some from the bottle for himself. 

“Wine and not grape juice today?”

But he did not answer, instead eyes latching onto the rise of goosebumps on your arms. You could not help it against the crisp Mondstadt air, naturally feeling a chill at this time of night. Without a word, he shrugged off his outer coat, the thick black one he wore at almost all times of day, and rested it casually on your shoulders.

You muttered a small thanks as you snuggled into it. Diluc’s iconic dark coat, a complete contrast to yourself. While you wore a white dress with open sleeves and plenty of skin, Diluc wore black covering most of his body with the exception of his neck and face. Seeing it on your shoulders only reminded you of that fact.

“Don’t need you getting sick anytime soon.” Diluc stated plainly, as he returned to his seat.

You huddled into it more and replied, “Aw, Diluc cares.” Again, you were rewarded with another flat expression. “Or rather, if the events of today are to show anything, you’ve always cared. Just in your own, protective way.”

He slung an arm across the back of your seat, leaning closer before stating in a low voice. “Don’t forget that.”

Your eyes snapped to his, the both of you basically sharing the same breath in your close proximity. His scarlet eyes, usually a searing color when on the battlefield, looked surprisingly tender only inches from yours.

“You mean so much to me, Diluc.” You whispered back, afraid that anything above a whisper would punctuate this amorous atmosphere.

He slowly dragged his face alongside yours, stopping beside your ear and continuing in his low voice. “So do you.”

There was no stopping the shiver of anticipation that crawled up your spine.

You could feel the small smirk grow against your skin before he pulled off and grazed his lips against your forehead.

The expression on your face was practically begging him to kiss you. From the small lean in your side against his arm slung around you to the way your eyes slowly fluttered closed, it took all of his self-control to stop himself before he pulled you closer. He wanted nothing more than to grasp you by the back of your neck, relish in the way you melt against him. To kiss you now and tomorrow and maybe even the morning after at the winery.

Diluc had to remind himself that in less than a week you were going to be long gone.

He did not want to ruin this memory a week from now, asking what if and why. And so he settled on a simple kiss above your brow before leaning back in his seat, enjoying the moment he had with you tonight.

You were disappointed, but actually not surprised. It was a feat in itself that you were so close to Diluc in this short amount of time, it would do no good in pressuring him into anything else. But also, another more rational part of you, had to remind yourself that getting attached to the people of this world would only make it hurt more when you had to return home.

This was for the better.

But no matter how much rational thought Diluc used to push you away, you were sure that you had already fallen for him. From the small interactions with Diluc, you could barely recognize the moment that you were completely enamored with him. It was not during the first time you saw him fight or even the night he leant you his jacket. No, you feared it was much before then.

To think you had gotten attached to Diluc in such a short amount of time.

But then you had to say goodbye.

“Safe travels.” Diluc stated from behind the bar when he saw you enter on your last day.

You were not sure what you expected, a drawn out goodbye or a fore longed hug, but Diluc was still, well. He was still Diluc. And to see him re-erecting his walls before you left for your journey was a sad thought, but needed while the two of you were hundreds of miles away from one another.

But you would regret it if you didn’t say anything.

Instead you settled on, “I’ll miss you.”

The hopeful look in your eyes spelled out exactly what you wanted to hear back.

Diluc instead replied, “You fight good.”

“Oh. Um.” The hesitation was clear in your voice.

Was this really how you were going to leave things?

But with Diluc turning his attention back to the wine glass he was previously wiping, yes. It seemed that this was exactly how he wanted to leave it. Paimon scoffed, but said her own goodbyes before flying away.

“Goodbye, Diluc.”

Outside the tavern, you let your frown grow at that interaction. After everything you had been through together, Diluc complimented you on your fighting? Then said peace out?

“That was really lame.” Paimon commented aloud as she floated alongside you. You could not help but internally agree, but you had a whole journey ahead of you. At least the busyness of Liyue would keep you busy from dwelling on that conversation.

But as you said goodbye to Venti, the both of you stood in silence under the giant tree staring at the city. You thought about going back three times, to get a proper goodbye out of Diluc. But doing so would do neither of you any good, since it would only open more issues.

“No more questions about the other Archons?” Venti asked, voice surprisingly serious.

“Can’t think of anything.”

“None even of a certain… winery owner?” You could almost hear the smile in his voice.

You rolled your eyes and responded, “You’re such a little shit.”

“Hehe.”

You both continued to stare at the city, the marvels of its people and history within its high walls. To think Barbatos and Dvalin were finally free, because of your otherworldly intervention. Venti was truly thankful for you, and while he knew his words were on the more mischievous side, he knew that you understood.

Venti’s voice permeated the air. “Be safe in Liyue.”

You smiled back and offered him a tight hug, replying. “As always.”

To think that the same day that you stepped into Liyue, Rex Lapis was murdered before your very eyes. It was like the Gods actually hated you, having to rely on a Fatui to run away from the government officials hot on your trail.

Since then you had been working with Zhongli to prepare for a parting ceremony. From running around for certain types of Jade materials to singing to flowers, you were happy to take a second to yourself at all. You were afraid that trouncing around Liyue with a bounty on your head would do you no good and often stayed in the wild areas. Visits to the city were for necessities only, which often left you relying on the ever so truthful Childe or the mora-averse Zhongli.

More than three months after your initial departure to Liyue, you stepped back into the walls of Mondstadt’s bustling city, a commission nearby and you figured you were safe simply due to your reputation under the Knights of Favonius.

Venti was the last face you saw and the first face that greeted you, beckoning to join him for lunch. With your final commission of the day finished, you joined him with a smile and ordered some honey roasted ham.

You recounted some of the news to Venti, meeting many of the adeptus and how out of touch they seemed with the region. You described Zhongli from the funeral parlor who always felt like he knew more and played a higher part in Liyue (and you inwardly noted how Venti’s eyes lit up in recognition at the name). And also, Childe the Fatui Harbinger that had you on edge. 

“You’re hanging out with a harbinger?” Venti asked.

“Uh oh.” Paimon reacted.

“Well.” You remembered your last encounter with Signora. “It’s complicated.”

Venti paused before sighing, “Is he cute?”

“That’s not why!” You huffed back instantly.

“So he is cute!”

“And rich!” Paimon added, joining in on the teasing.

“Not the issue here.” You stated, “He saved me from the Millelith and helped me get into contact with the adepti.”

Venti’s mischievous smile from the earlier teasing turned blank, as if he was fully ingesting your words. “... Why would he do that?”

“Huh?”

But Venti quickly recovered, waving away the question and urging you to move past it. “Just thinking out loud, continue. What happened after?”

And so you recalled everything from then. How the soldiers followed you all the way up the mountain and how you had to defend yourself from people that were supposed to be on the same side as you. 

How there was someone out there with the strength to take down a God.

Venti laughed at you for like, twenty minutes.

After his laughter subsided, he held a hand over his stomach and asked. “They think you killed Rex Lapis?”

He took another look at your pouting face and laughed again.

It only made you scowl further. “I’m glad you think my supposed war crimes are so funny.”

“I think I’m missing the punchline again.” Paimon added.

“Hehe. You’ll be fine.” Venti shot back his mischievous smile, “Besides, I’m sure you’re looking forward to laying low here with a certain… someone here.”

You paused and put your fork back down, “What are you trying to say?”

“Well, the Dawn Winery is throwing a festival tonight.” Venti stated clearly, “Isn’t that why you’re here?”

“Wait, really?”

The mischievous light was back in Venti’s eyes, “I’m sure the winds of fate have brought you here purely on coincidence.”

You sighed and turned to him fully. “You trying to fight, old man?”

“Hehe.” His signature giggle, one you found almost endearing, was undoubtedly mocking you. “We should go together later.”

And true to his word, somehow you found yourself with the Anemo Archon heading over to the bar. To think that it was Venti who introduced you here and now he was bringing you along again.

That is, if you even had a chance to make it inside at this rate.

The area was packed to the brim, all the seats outside in front and on the side of the building already taken. There was a line out the door, many hopeful young women with gleaming eyes trying to get a one-on-one conversation with the current barkeep and owner.

You peered into the open door and saw Diluc and Charles behind the bar, the red-head adorned with his usual flat-expression. It was the first time in months since you had seen him, but he looked exactly as the day you had left. Still the same colored wardrobe and prickly atmosphere, Diluc was still, Diluc.

What did not help was the ever growing line of flirty men and women trying to vye for his attention.

It only seemed to further nail the pit in your stomach.

Was this… jealousy?

You didn’t dwell on the thought for long.

Instead, you considered for a single-second if you should just turn tail now, but Venti must have seen your hesitation and grabbed you by the arm to walk inside. Dozens of eyes followed you on the way in, many people recognizing you as the young hero of Mondstadt and honorary knight of Favonius.

The crowd was surprisingly less inside, but knowing Diluc he probably would have tried to corral everyone to the outdoor areas. Venti continued to lead you towards a table in the back and you saw a familiar red-bowed Outrider.

“I didn’t even know you were going to be here today!” She greeted you excitedly. 

“Tone-Deaf Bard here convinced us to stay the night.” Paimon replied.

“Oh?” Her voice lifted in a tone that only spelled trouble, “No matter, I’m glad to see you in one piece.”

“I’m assuming you’ve heard.”

Amber stretched in her seat and lowered her voice, smile turning to a smirk. “Well, I won’t confirm anything. But my suspicions are that the blonde person the Knights were pursuing for stealing the Holy Lyre may be the same blonde person running from the Millelith.”

“What a crazy theory.” Paimon responded as she cleared her throat.

“At least it’s just a theory, right?” Amber replied. “Anyway, we’ll hold the seats. Do you mind going up to the bar to order?”

Paimon chimed up as she floated down into the wooden seat, “Yeah, you should go.”

You barely had a second to object before Venti agreed and was motioning for you to go back to the bar. If not for their eager stares at you, you would have rolled your eyes at how obvious they were being.

“Fine, fine. I’m going.” You stated aloud, getting up from the seat you inhabited for at most ten minutes. 

Turning towards the bar, you took in a deep breath to collect your thoughts. To think you fought the Wolf of the North and Oceanid with more courage - it was just Diluc.

“Long time no see.” You greeted, trying to sound extremely casual. “Bottle of wine for one of your favorite people?”

Diluc looked at you for a quick second, then back down to the bar, then rapidly snapping back up to you in surprise. “Hey. Of course.”

Unsure what to say, you responded back with a simple, “Thank you.”

“Didn’t know you’d be in town today.”

“It was all coincidence. Venti told me about your event tonight.” You mentioned, motioning behind you to the table where the three of them were waiting. Amber waggled her eyebrows in response and you turned back to Diluc in embarrassment.

But he was looking at you the entire time. “For a war criminal, you look well.”

“Ugh, not you too.”

“Ironic how you delinquents always return here while hiding it out.” Diluc did not answer, instead openly teasing you.

Honestly, it was a little ironic that you and Venti ran here after stealing the Holy Lyre, just to end up back here while the Millelith were on the hunt for you.

Instead you replied, “They didn’t release any names.”

“Right, it’s probably some other sword-wielding blonde with white clothes and access to the Anemo vision.”

“Obviously.”

To think you were so involved in Teyvat's politics. An otherworldly being with no prior connections to the people or nations was somehow involved with the highest ranking people of every country you’ve stumbled into.

Everyone from the Dvalin team knew about your primary objectives: to find your brother and regain your full power through the seven Archons. And when news of Rex Lapis’ death reached Mondstadt, Diluc could almost physically feel the dread in his heart that something had happened to you. And when the Millelith released their man-hunt of your exact profile, there was no doubt that you were involved. 

To see you standing before him, in association with an Archon of all people, it was like a breath of fresh air on his heart. You were here in the tavern, fine and even enjoying the night. 

A large part of him wanted to ask about your journey, what was it that had you on the run again? But with the growing line out the door, he knew he barely had time to keep this conversation going.

So instead, Diluc grabbed glasses and a bottle of wine from beneath the bar and asked, “Spare a few minutes for me later?”

You nodded quietly, handing him the necessary Mora before returning back to the table.

Amber did not pull her punches, “So, you guys dating yet?”

You almost dropped the bottle, but Venti was quick even through his laughter.

“Yeah and I’m the Archon of Snezhnaya.” Paimon replied sarcastically.

“Shut up.” You pouted, “It was just nice to see each other after all this time.”

“Oh so you had a good conversation? Did he ask you to stay after? Are you going to stay the night? Did he offer for you to stay at the Dawn Winery?” Amber spit out question after question, not a sense of patience or tact in her words.

Venti was still laughing like the Archon of assholes he was.

While they prodded through their multiple questions, you tried to wave them away to another conversation topic. If Amber was prodding you like this, you could only imagine that the other Knights, such as Kaeya and Jean, were also aware of your strange relationship.

Amber tried to push it a bit more, but you were able to spin the conversation to ask what the others were up to. It was interesting to hear about the little tasks in Mondstadt, small commissions that the Knights take care of in the city as well as guarding the areas further out into the country.

And while you hated to drift off with them sitting right in front of you, your mind often wandered toward the red-head behind the bar. Diluc had personally asked you to stay back later, undoubtedly to speak to you about something one-on-one. Would it be cowardly if you left early? Would the others notice if you tried to make a break for it at one point?

Again, it seemed as if Venti was capable of reading your mind, lightly calling you to attention and putting a casual hand on the back of your chair.

He was not letting you get away from this.

Venti even shifted the conversation to you, asking about Liyue and the local adventures you had while in the city. Unable to ignore the direct questions, you told them about the stories of the people you met so far and the strange events you seemed to be dragged into.

“Wait, start over.” Amber cut into your most recent story about a ship just outside of the Liyue city. ”You just glided down onto the Pearl Galley?”

You paused then replied, “Well. I mean the ship was just sitting there outside the harbor and I was curious.”

“And so you boarded a luxury ship without an invitation?”

“Yeah, so?” Paimon answered with a question, genuinely confused.

“And yet you wonder how you keep getting involved in all these crazy schemes.” Amber answered ambiguously.

“Well, eventually I did get an invitation.”

“But after you were already on the ship.” Amber pointed out. “How did you even glide that far out?”

“I climbed to the top of the nearby mountain and then just dropped down.”

“Wow.”

“Is it really a surprise?” Venti commented, “She doesn’t even follow the proper stairs here in the city. Don’t think we don’t see you climbing over every wall here in Mondstadt.”

“You’re such a weirdo.” Amber sighed with a smile, “You’re lucky we love you so much.”

You continued on with your stories, some in the city and others within hidden temples deep in the wilderness, puzzles and timed traps masking treasures you sought to find. Amber and Venti listened on in rapt attention, asking questions here and there and even teasing you about your constant climbing.

You hadn’t even noticed how the bar patrons were starting to slowly thin out.

The night with Venti and Amber was such a refreshing feeling compared to the nights you spent staring up silently at the night sky, only Paimon at your side. It was nice to hear and speak to other people, to not be on the run and always looking over your shoulder.

Feeling a light tap on the side, you turned to see Diluc standing at attention.

“Hey.” He greeted you again.

“We were just on our way out!” Amber exclaimed, standing instantly with Venti not far behind her. “Mondstadt’s star Outrider has to be up bright and early tomorrow.”

“Which is why you’re both leaving…?” You asked.

“It’s my duty to ensure the safety of the city and we said we were going to discuss something.” Venti answered ambiguously.

You crossed your arms, “Discuss what?”

“The— !” Amber paused, “The thing. You know, with the stuff at the Seven Winds Temple.”

“Right! Let’s get going.” Venti turned to Paimon at the last second, “I think this will interest you.”

Paimon winked at you before turning to Diluc, ”Right, the stuff!”

Diluc motioned you to follow him and so, once again, you found yourself following behind the Pyro-user out the second-floor balcony. However, instead of sitting at the table, you learned against the railing while Diluc stood to the side.

“Wasn't expecting you to be gone for so long.” Diluc started with a flat voice.

You turned to him with a slight grimace. “I’m sorry, I ended up getting caught in something important back in Liyue.”

More important than him.

The implication was quiet in the back of Diluc’s mind.

But that would always be the case. To think that the first person in years to open up his shell was someone who could only be in his life temporarily. You intrigued him to the high heavens - the strange mix of both pride and humility as you fought and carried yourself. You were strong, but merciful. Kind, but a purveyor of your own brand of justice.

It had been a while since he met someone with such genuine reservations as you.

But your time together was already ticking down, from your time in Mondstadt to your time in his world. You were looking for your brother and who knew if he was even in Tyvat currently? It would be unfair to be bitter towards you. And so he resolved long ago to simply cherish the moments you had together.

So instead of snapping back, Diluc teased you.

“I’m sure. I’ve heard of your extensive… wanted days.”

You sighed aloud, “How did the news travel here so fast?”

Diluc smirked, “First Barbatos and now Rex Lapis? What kind of luck do you have?”

“The worst kind.”

Of course, there was something he wanted to learn more about. After he had caught wind from Katheryn in Liyue, Diluc still wanted to be informed about your current situation. To think that you were in close association with one of the high Fatui Harbingers after Signora personally attacked you, it was almost like you were openly inviting trouble.

It also did not help that many of the gossip mills included how attractive this particular Fatui was.

He goes by the alias of ‘Childe.’ Young, but deadly!

A Fatui, but doesn’t wear his mask - for good reason! He’s quite the looker.

I wouldn’t mind if he impaled me somewhere. ( ͡° ͜ʖ ͡°)

Needless to say, his sources did not alleviate his worries.

Of all people? A Fatui was one of your close associates in Liyue? A party of him wanted to snarl, the thought a worse downgrade from the Knights of Favonius. At least he knew Kaeya would do you no harm; he doubted the same could be said about Childe.

Archons, why did he care so much?

Diluc told himself multiple times that your abrupt parting was necessary to keep himself from getting too attached to you. But it hardly mattered when he was worrying this much anyway in spite of that.

Fuck, why did he just let you walk away like that?

Diluc was not going to make the same mistake.

He turned to you and asked, “Like the Fatui kind?”

You sighed, “Believe me, I don’t like it either.”

“And yet somehow here we are.”

“It’s complicated, okay?”

“When is it not with you?” Diluc asked, more hypothetically. And while from anyone else, it may have felt offensive, you could tell from his tone that it was just a tired sigh.

“Tell me about your journey.” He continued.

“What?” You answered with a question, genuinely surprised. “It’s a long story, not all that interesting.”

Diluc took a step forward, taking the spot next to you against the rail as your shoulders touched. “I want to hear it from you.”

You couldn’t help but smile, “Okay.”

And so you recounted your journey to find the Geo Archon, how the adepti set up strange puzzles and at some point you swore you were pulled into a teacup that somehow contained a full domain.

There were also other missions on the side, other things you would do to collect Mora or materials if you were going to get any stronger. Some of them made sense — doing deliveries, clearing abyss camps, and other mercenary like duties. Other instances, not so much.

“Only you would accept a commission from a ghost.” Diluc teased as you recounted the treasure in the mines.

“In my defense, I didn’t think he was a ghost at first.”

“Right. Nothing suspicious at all about a transparent old man in the middle of an abandoned village.”

“I was reading the poster he was showing!”

“And when did you realize he was a ghost?”

“... After I met three other ghosts.”

Diluc cracked a smile at that, only making you pout more. You had adjusted your postures overtime, standing against with rails to your backs as you faced the tavern.

“He paid me good Mora!” 

“How…?” Diluc thought about it before waving it off, “Forget it. I don’t want to know.”

You laughed back before you saw the lights inside the tavern switch off, complete darkness in the windows as the remaining employees packed up and went home. 

“Oh wow, I hadn’t even realized how long we were out here.” You admitted, “I’m sorry I took up so much of your time.”

“Don’t apologize. I wanted to spend this time with you.”

“Still, it’s already late.”

“You’re right. Where were you and Paimon going to spend the night?”

“Honestly, I don’t know.” You admitted, “Venti convinced us to stay, but I don’t even know where he is.”

Diluc pushed off the railing to stand facing you, “You could stay the night at the winery. We can retrieve Paimon tomorrow.”

What game was he playing? Your disappointing departure with Diluc cutting you off and now he was asking for your time and space back into his life? You hated that he pushed you away just to pull you back in at his convenience. And while you understood his personality tended to keep people at a distance, you had your own limits as to what you could withstand. 

“... Diluc, what are you doing?”

“You’ll have to be more clear.”

You closed your eyes, trying to gather your thoughts and hamper down on your rising temper. “Come on, why are you being so nice to me?”

He stared at you expectedly, blank eyes urging you to continue.

It only served to make you more angry.

“Diluc, when I left you hardly blinked. And now that I’m here, after months of us not talking, you want me to spend the night?”

“I told you before how much you meant to Mondstadt.”

To Mondstadt? Not even to himself personally? 

You decided it was better to confront him cleanly asking, “Why didn’t you kiss me that night we were drinking here?”

Diluc paused, not a single hint of surprise on his face as you addressed the situation head-on. “Why should I have?”

“Don’t act like you didn’t feel it. There was something between us.” You scoffed.

He noticed your use of past tense.

“Does it honestly matter? You would’ve left anyway, I saved us both the trouble.”

You visibly recoiled in response. “Is that what this is about? I have to go to Liyue and the other counties, Diluc. I have to find my brother.”

“I know that.” Diluc cut in, before you got the wrong idea. “You don’t think I’m acutely aware of that fact? The fact that this is my home and not yours. That one day you’ll find your brother and I’ll never see you again?”

“Wait.”

“Believe me, I know better than anyone that you’re off to find your brother. And I’ll help you in any way that I can.” Diluc continued, not heeding your confused attempts to stop him. “But let’s not pretend like I was anything more than a stepping stone in your journey.”

“That’s not true!”

“Oh?” Diluc’s tone was almost challenging,  “It’s not? So once the dust is settled, if I asked you to stay here with me, would I be enough?”

You stuttered over your words, “I --”

“I don’t want to hear your excuse because we both know the answer.” He cut you off, “I was trying to save myself from that before it happened.”

“Will you let me speak, you idiot!?” Your voice cut through the silent evening air.

Diluc paused, standing a good ten feet away from you and looking angrier than you’d ever seen. But he did, thankfully, stop talking.

“Is it crazy to think that I feel the same way about you?”

“What?”

“Diluc, I’m just me!” You answered, “I have nothing to my name but an objective to find my brother — if he’s even alive at this point. I need to try and I need to continue on this path…”

He crossed his arms, but stayed quiet as he listened. 

“But just because I have so much ahead of me, that doesn’t I don’t care about where I’ve already seen.” You took a few steps toward Diluc as you spoke, “You mean so much to me and I wouldn’t ever want to throw that away.”

“You won’t have a choice if you have to leave this world.”

“If!” You pointed out, “Diluc you’re so worried about the future, about me walking away from you forever, but it doesn’t have to be this way.”

“And suddenly there’s an alternative?”

“There’s always been one, you idiot! You just never bothered to actually talk to me.” You put your hands on his chest, the light material of his dark clothes underneath your palms. “I would’ve tried. If you asked me to make this work, to come back to you at the winery back then, I would’ve done it.”

Diluc closed his eyes, taking in your words as his hands snaked down to your wrists.

“Don’t give me empty promises.”

“I mean it!” You defended, “You aren’t just another person, Diluc. I—“

He opened his eyes then, reflecting back to you as hopeful and curious. “You…?”

“I care about you more than you know.” You settled on, still unsure about the extent of your feelings. “Why are you giving up on us before even starting?”

You stared right back at Diluc, his silence paramount to the inner turmoil you were sure he was going through. From his late father to the betrayal from the Knights, there were plenty of reasons why Diluc was so hesitant to connect with other people.

But you’d be damned if you didn’t try.

Your hands felt heavy against his chest. Despite your small demeanor and even smaller palms, the weight of your hands seemed to play seesaw between his heart and mind. He had logical reasons to keep you at a distance, but here you were trying to carve your way through back to him.

It had been a long time since he cared about anyone like this. And Diluc could not even recall the last time he wanted to sorely kiss someone at all. But how could he not want to now? You stared up at him, eyes blazing with determination as you tried to convey your feelings.

“You mean so much to me.” Diluc stated after a few silent minutes, “Let’s make this work.”

The smile you shot him was wide and radiant, a private blessing that only he was gifted tonight. He wrapped his arms around your waist, eager to feel more of you — to envelop you in his arms and keep you within them tonight. 

One hand strayed upward, carding itself in your hair and pulling you closer until both your eyes fluttered closed. The soft skin of your lips slotted against his, an endearing frenzy to give one another tender pecks. You could not help the happy mewl that escaped your lips as Diluc licked against the crease of your skin.

Moaning aloud to his tender touch, Diluc was eager to explore every inch of your wet cavern. There was no battle of tongues, simply moving in tandem as Diluc dominated the kiss. You tried to maneuver to give him more access, but with your height difference it was the best you could do.

Diluc lifted one of your legs, wrapping it around his waist and lightly tapping the other to do the same. Eyes clouded with lust, you did as instructed and quickly felt the soft thump behind you, the wall of the tavern helping hold you upright.

You fell more and more into the passionate lip lock, pushing to match his intensity as Diluc connected you in one of the most intimate ways possible. One hand was still in your hair while the other continued its scandalized trail downward.

You prayed to Barbatos that nobody heard you outside the tavern.

The both of you would later attribute this impassioned frenzy due to the prolonged time apart and mutual pining (culminating in a mistake outside on the balcony, twice inside the bar, and the rest of the night back at the winery).

For the first time, you enjoyed the morning sun streaming in through the windows, a lazy arm strung across your waist as you snuggled in the chest of the man you were growing to love.

Diluc woke long before you, hand threading through your hair silently as he resolved to remember this moment. You kissed at the naked skin of his chest twice before nuzzling him, feeling the light arm pull you closer.

“Good morning.” You started, voice muffled against his skin.

But you would have never expected Diluc to be so affectionate.

He kissed the top of your head, murmuring in a low tone. “Good morning, my love.”

Nothing about your relationship was perfect. You still fought and cried like every other couple. But you both knew that what you had was real, willing to fight for it no matter the obstacles that came with the future.

It did not matter that Tyvat was not your home.

Wherever Diluc was, that was where you’d return.

---xXxXxXxXxXx---

Extra: “What if they end up fighting?” Amber asked the other two as they walked down a side-street of the city.

“Then we’ll find out the moment it breaks out. Trust me.” Paimon replied. After all, your Anemo power would only serve to make any fire larger.

“They’ve both been in that pining puppy phase for so long, I doubt it’ll come down to that.” Venti added.

“500 Mora says they’ll be dating by the end of this week.” Amber bet.

“1,000 that they’ll be together by tonight!” Paimon countered.

“10,000 that they’ll be joined in every way by tonight.” Venti added, the mischievous tone not missed by either woman.

“You tone-deaf bard!” Paimon exclaimed as she slapped her hands over her red cheeks. “The traveler is more dignified than that!”

Amber had a hand on her chin, “Dating? Probably. But more than that…?”

Venti held out a hand to both, vying for both to shake one and accept the bet.

Nothing, but a couple of suckers. 

Amber grumbled once when she heard the news, but otherwise excitedly congratulated you two on finally accepting your feelings. Paimon’s whine could probably be heard in a fifteen mile radius and Venti’s proud smile didn’t help either — accepting the easiest twenty thousand Mora he ever made. 

And, just to gode the tiny guide a little more, Venti turned to Paimon in the middle of her complaining rant. 

“Hehe.”

---xXxXxXxXxXx---

A/N:

The festival idea comes from Diluc’s story 1: “The winery holds festivities from time to time. These events are routinely attended by enthusiastic fathers, eager to introduce their wonderful daughters to the young and single winery master.”

[idontblushsrry]

SFW Alphabet|| Megumi Fushiguro

A/N: Uhhhh I’m back on my bullshit >:) it’s missing Fushiguro hours folks.

Word Count: 2050

A: Affection (How affectionate are they? How do they show affection?)

(If you want some more in depth affection headcanons click here)

Fushiguro is someone who isn’t big on pda but makes up for it in private. In public, he’ll hold your hand but in private he’s laying i your lap while you massage his scalp. Basically, he’s a big softie that just represses his urge to cuddle until he’s alone with you.

B: Best Friend (What would they be like as a best friend? How would the friendship start?)

Best friend Megumi is literally the president of the Y/N defense squad. If anyone has a problem with you, they have a problem with him. Of course, you have to rein him in sometimes and remind him you can fight your own battles, but just know he’s lookin out for you.

C: Cuddles (Do they like to cuddle? How would they cuddle?)

Fushiguro loves to cuddle, but he will repress the urge to do so for as long as possible. Because of that, he doesn’t let you go, preferring to cling to you throughout the night. His cuddles are always deceptively loose too. His arms give you just enough wiggle room but the second you try to get up, it’s like fighting two pythons.

D: Domestic (Do they want to settle down? How are they at cooking and cleaning?)

I don’t think he ever really planned on settling down, Megumi figured that he’d die long before he ever got the chance to settle down. Everyday is pretty much a new experience in terms of domesticity for him, he doesn’t have plans for the future, but as long as you’re with him, he’ll be happy.

E: Ending (If they had to break up with their partner, how would they do it?)

If he ever had to break up with someone, he’d probably ask for help on how to do so. The first person he’d ask (regrettably) would be Gojo who’d tell Megumi to just ghost the person. After asking around some more, he figured Kugisaki’s approach of getting it over with as bluntly as possible (although less mean) was the best option.

F: Fiance(e) (How would they feel about commitment? How quick would they want to get married?)

Megumi isn’t really the type for wedding ceremonies. He’s all about commitment (even though working up to marriage for him is longer than most) but he’s not a fan of being the center of attention, so a wedding ceremony/reception wouldn’t be his thing. If you wanted a ceremony, he’d be willing to compromise somewhat but otherwise, he’s perfectly fine with just going to the courthouse.

G: Gentle (How gentle are they, both physically and emotionally?)

He’s kind of rough around the edges. In private, he can be the sweetest, most tender soul, but in public he’ll put 7 yards of distance between you both if you try to hug him. Basically, he’s very shy, so anything that’ll draw too much attention is a no go (he isn’t opposed to linking pinkies though).

H: Hugs( Do they like hugs? How often do they do it? What are their hugs like?

At first Megumi really only hugged you when he was missing you, sad, or tired. Over time though, he got better at becoming more open with his affection and he’ll hug you whenever he feels the urge to. Despite that though, his hugs still have an undercurrent of desperation in them. He holds on just as tight each time like he’s afraid you’ll disappear.

I: I love you (How fast do they say the L-word)

He’s operating on a very strict ‘If you don’t say it, I won’t’ policy and as such this man will not say a single thing to you unless prompted. He knows deep down that he loves you and that you set off butterflies in his stomach every time you smile, but he never really thought to verbalize that until you say ‘I love you’ first.

J: Jealousy (How jealous do they get? What do they do when they’re jealous)

Megumi doesn’t get jealous, he’s fought side by side with you and he knows you’re more than capable of fending off any unwanted suitors. Megumi put a lot of trust into you by already being in a relationship so to him, it makes no sense to be jealous over you. That all being said, he’s not above the occasional side eye if someone’s getting a little too buddy buddy.

K: Kisses (What are their kisses like? Where do they like to kiss you? Where do they like to be kissed?)

On a normal day, his kisses are so natural, he’s so slow and the pressure is just enough to have you thinking you’ve got all the time in the world. In near death/ post-near death circumstances, he’s a little more feral. When he kisses you like that, it feels like it’s the end of the world and he’s trying to make the most of it.

L: Little ones (How are they around children)

Fushiguro isn’t good with kids that aren’t old enough to communicate. Older kids are fine with him, but guessing what a baby needs based on how loud it’s crying? Hard pass for him and he doesn’t even feel bad about it. The last time he had to watch a baby, he tried to leave one of his shikigami to watch it; long  story short, he had to explain to a cackling Gojo why his demon dogs wouldn’t let him leave to go to the bathroom.

M: Morning (How are mornings spent with them?)

Mornings with Fushiguro are pretty rare. Most of the time you guys don’t really get to sleep in or even spend mornings together since most of the time there’s missions or trainings you’ll have to go to. When you do get the rare morning off, Fushiguro makes the most of it. He sleeps in and doesn’t wake up before 10 no matter what you try. When he does finally wake up, he loves cooking breakfast with you, he’s not the best cook, but he treasures the experience over anything.

N: Night (How are nights spent with them?)

Nights with Megumi are also rare as most curses come out at night and that’s kinda your guys’ job. If all goes well though, you’ll both come back a little earlier and just go straight to sleep. If it’s a late night where the curse took more out of either of you than expected, yall usually stay up and talk and snack until one of you falls asleep or the sun comes up.

O: Open (When would they start revealing things about themselves? Do they say everything at once or wait a while to reveal things slowly?)

It takes him an extremely long time to open up to you about his past. Not because he doesn’t trust you, but because he’s embarrassed and doesn’t want you to think less of him for it (especially during his problem child era). To be honest, you probably find out about certain things from other people. Once he’s cornered confronted, he’ll be completely (albeit a bit grudgingly) honest about it.

P: Patience (How easily angered are they?)

His anger is kind of weird, whereas before, he was a lot quicker to explode, bluntly telling off or even fighting whoever pissed him off, he’s changed. He tries his best to repress his emotions and as such, he comes off as patient, never expressing his true feelings/desires until pushed to the brink. 

Q: Quizzes (How much would they remember about you?  Do they remember every little detail you mention in passing, or do they kind of forget everything?)

He’s the king of remembering details you mention in passing. His love language is partially acts of service so for him, remembering details about you helps him later. Oh remember that one time you needed a pen/pencil but didn’t have one? Never again, this man has a section of his shadows dedicated solely to pencils because of you. Oh what’s that, you like this random song? Guess what just got added to the playlist he made for you. Basically, while he may not look like it, he’s actually a simp and so if he can make your life easier/ make you happy, it’s worth it.

R: Remember (What is their favorite moment in your relationship?)

So Megumi is someone who doesn’t play video games but is really good at them for no reason. One day, you’re playing a game of smash bros. and he’s just kicking your ass, like it was sad. Needless to say, after his 4th win, he “accidently” pressed the wrong button and let you win. He thinks you don’t know he did this but when you won, you kissed him and completely flustered him, to the point that he couldn’t play for a solid 5 minutes. 

S: Security (How protective are they? How would they like to be protected?)

Despite knowing and trusting that you can defend yourself, he’s still super protective of you. You’re one of the few people that he cares about in the world and he’d give everything to see you safe and protected. As for how he’d like to be protected, knock some sense into him every once in a while. He has a habit of self sacrificing so if you want to protect him, remind him that you want to keep him alive as much as he wants to keep you alive.

T: Try (How much effort would they put into dates, anniversaries, gifts, everyday tasks?)

On the outside, his dates are very simple. They usually consist of you and him either staying in or just hanging out at stores and the like. Every once in a while, he’ll try to take you somewhere special, like a cove he found or a festival. For most people, these may be simple dates, but Fushiguro puts so much effort into so may aspects of your dates that honestly, anything bigger would lose the personal touch your dates have.

U: Ugly (What are some bad habits of theirs? (I’m gonna add arguments here because they aren’t on the prompt list I found))

One of his worst habits is his self-sacrificing tendencies. Even during a baseball game, he can’t help but sacrifice himself (especially if it means his friends/ you get to get the glory). With time though, he grows out of this and realizes it’s not selfish to want the best for yourself.

V: Vanity (How concerned are they with their looks?)

He’s giving “I woke up like this” and it’s... it’s something. One might think the style is intentional since obviously, the look could only be achieved with gel, and to an extent, it is intentional. He might use gel to spike it a little more but the man legit rolls out of bed and chooses to leave his hair up like that.

W: Whole (Would they feel incomplete without you?)

No, as much as he loves you, Fushiguro is an introvert. He needs time to just be by himself and unwind every once in a while, so he’s got no complaints if you leave him to his own devices or have to be gone for a long time.

X: (E)xes (Any previous relationship experience. How does that factor into your current relationship?)

Megumi has negative zero relationship experience. He’s never found someone that was worth the risk/ worth opening up to, hell, he just barely got friends when he entered high school. Because of this, every part of your relationship is like navigating uncharted waters.

Y: Yuck (What are some things they wouldn’t like, either in general or in a partner)

He’s less someone to dislike a specific thing/ personality trait, and more someone who doesn’t like different people for different reasons, ex. Todo and Mai. If he had to pick a single trait, it’d probably have to be hypocriticism.

Z: Zzz (What is a sleep habit of theirs?)

He is someone who will fall asleep spread eagle one night and the next be huddled into a tiny little section of the bed. Mercy on you if you try to cuddle because now you’re wrapped up into his unconscious acrobatic routine.

[annabellenaughtyprincessrose]

My Brothers, The Lovers ❤ (Repost: Classic fanfic)

My Brothers, The Lovers *Revised version*

By Annabelle Naughty Princess Rose

Summary:I wouldn't trade my Brothers for anything in the world. SAM/DEAN/OFC. Wincest!

Rated: MA (18+)

Author notes: Hey guys! Well, I have  another classic fic of mine to share. This was a little idea I had while I wrote this story, an OFC sister of Sam and Dean Winchester, and thier growing forbidden bond. So, this is a Wincest story.

This story was recently published on my Fanfiction.net, as well as on live journal, Wattpad, and WordPress page. There may be some little changes I made because the story had bad typos. (Don't judge me.)

Please note: That this story contains Wincest. If you are uncomfortable with this nature, please DO NOT read!

Lastly, I don't own any characters. The story plot was my idea. ;)

XOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXO

(Reader's POV:)

I love my brothers. They are caring. They are protective. When you're feeling down, they turn your frown upside down. If it was over a guy, they would stop at nothing to nail his ass to a wall. Any person, whether boy or girl is lucky to have them.

I wouldn't trade my brothers for anything in the world. They are a godsend. Sam and Dean: my knights in shinning amour.

We been through a lot together. Since our father died, it has been hell on earth...literally!

But no matter, we had stuck it through till the end and now we could live our lives...

A lot has happened since we saved the world from certain doom. We had one hard challenge: to learn how to live normal lives. I mean, I know it sounds stupid to do one simple thing, but come on, In our eyes, we are hunters. We were born as hunters. I don't think the three of us couldn't shake the fact that life was over. It was the only thing we knew.

But still, we somehow mange to cope with it. We settled in Kansas with the help of our father's will. We brought a house pretty much like the one you see on those commercials with the white picket fence.

It was close to the University Sam was planning to attend to resume his studies as a attorney and close to Lisa, Dean's one last stand and his possible legitimate lovechild Ben. I, myself was planning to go to a local Community College. At first, I didn't really wanted to go to school, but Sam insisted that it was serve me well later in life.

Yeah, life was perfect... at least for the half of that year. The urge of the life of freedom were still brewing inside us. We miss the life with no worries, of bills, school, kids...

So we sold the house hop into the impala and left.

About three months after, I noticed that our bond was changing. I noticed Dean would at times, would make quick glances out from the corner of my eye. I really didn't pay to much attention to it at first because I thought it was something that brothers normally do.

But now I found at night when I take turns laying next to him or Sam, at times I could have swore I felt his eyes staring down at me while I sleep.

Sam on the other hand had a very different approach. There would be times whenever me and him are alone, he wouldn't normally act like your typical big brother. He would act as though like a boyfriend. When me and him are alone, He would be a lot closer than usual. At times when I'm in the shower, I could have swore that I heard him breathing on the other side of the curtain not to mention to very tall figure I see just standing mere inches.

I guess I'm just imagination things. That's it's all in my head. Or maybe, I have a bad case of thinking dirty. Can I help it? I am not going to lie. My brothers are absolutely drop-dead gorgeous! They could get the princess of Cambridge a heat attack! I found that comment to be quite interesting! I begin to think the times when the three of us would be out, like geoceries shopping, bars,at the park. I have women rolling their eyes, whispering words about me, thinking that I was a whore for my brothers...

Nothing could prepare me for what happened two weeks later...

I remember that day as if it was yesterday. I was sitting on the sidewalk in front of a sleazy hotel. I was writing in my journal at the same time sneaking glances at Dean as he was wiping down the impala. The way he smiles as he glazes down at his baby makes me happy but a tad jealous...but he assure me that I was his main baby.

I could hear the faint sound of water coming from the bathroom. Sam,was inside, washing his god build form in the shower.

Turning my head, I couldn't help but grin as I saw a narrow view of his ass. Even after all these years, Sam still had a nasty habit about leaving the shower curtain open.

"Hey," Dean replies getting my attention. I turn my head towards him trying to look innocent."What are you smirking at?" He asks.

At his question, I raised my eyebrows giving him a side smile.

"Nothing. just a thought I was thinking." I looked up at him and I could tell he wasn't buying it. That's the thing I love about Dean, he has the sense to know whether something was troubling me or Sam...and he would stop at nothing to find out.

"About? I curious," He replies in a singing tone making me laugh.

"It's personal. My thoughts only," I winked. Finally he give up the debate and returns to his duty wiping down his impala.

Later that night, we decided to pay a visit at local bar. That day was the worst night of my life.

To be from what seemed, the only sibling with two very handsome attractive brothers was a bitch!

From the second we walk in, there were woman, whether their were in a relationship,married, or even betrayal their same-sex partner, had cornered us.

One was a blonde, who I can tell had the personality of stupid trying to seduce Dean with her luscious but totally fake breasts. While a brunette who was staring Sam down and was the bartender of the bar didn't give a damn if she had other people waiting to be served. It disgust me how women could be so depraved for a man.

I wanted to get out of there. The room felt as through it was trying to suffocate me. It hurt my heart to see I was the only one left out. To keep myself from bursting into tears, I did just that but my attempt to leave was cut short by a hand on by wrists.

Turning my head, I came face to face to a man who was pure hillbilly. He had messy hair,oily jumper and I remember that when I was at the bar, I would turn my head and he would smile at me.

"Where do you think you're going, darling?" The man asked. I can tell that he was drunk and had the slightest clue as what he was doing.

"Going home," I replied. "And I appreciated if you remove your hand from my wrist." I tried to Jerk him away but it was a useless attempt.

"I don't think so darling, You're looking very pretty there's no need for an angel face like you to scurry away..."He tried to pull me along, but I stood my ground. Then he does the unthinkable, He roughly pulls me against him loosing his balance completely falling on one of the now broken tables.

Everyone turned their heads Including Sam and Dean who immediately lest from their social gathering to my aid.

"Hey Asshole!"Dean replies as he and Sam walked over to the scene. "What are you doing with my sister?!" He began to throw insults at the poor man, while ignoring Sam's attempt to help me up, I stood up on my feet.

"I'm fine," I replied. "The fat ass broke my fall."

"Fat ass?" The man shouted. "Who are you calling a fat ass you bitch!"

"Hey!" Dean shouted. reaching down to jerk the man up by his collar. "Don't fucking talk to my sister like that!"

"What happened?" Sam asked, taking my hand and I jerked it away.

"Oh! Like you care! he was trying to rape me!" I shouted. "Forget it! I'm getting the fuck out of here!" The last thing I remember was Dean calling that fat bastard "a Son of a Bitch" before throwing punches and Sam trying to calm him down.

At the Hotel, I stood fully nude in the shoulder letting the warm water abuse my body. I was just so relieved that I got out of there.

So what I acted like a ass. So what if I act like a jealous girlfriend. I'm not going to be held responsive. I could hear the door to the hotel room opening following the distant voices between the two.

Dean was shouted some sentence that were inseparable and Sam was speaking in a mild tone. I covered my ears, to try to block out the conversation, along with the pounding of the door, but it a useless. Finally, I finished my shower, wrapped myself in a towel, and took a deep breath. I made my way out of the bathroom with my head down before glazing at the faces of my older brothers.

Sam, who now has a sad look on his face. His green eyes sparking with concern. Whilst Dean has a pissed off expression, trying his best to remain calm. There were no words that were unable to fall out of mouth. I just walked passed them and climb into to very large king side bed we shared with saying a unexpectedly surprising, I suddenly began to cry my ear out.

Almost immediately, Sam and Dean's expressions changed. If they were confused, I could say the same thing. The reason why I was crying, I couldn't understand. I was always the second tough one when it comes from intense situations, I guess with everything that we had been through together finally had took a toll on me. I see with my watery eyes Sam turned towards Dean and he nodded his head. without hesitation, they began to walk towards me.

Dean lay on my left, Sam lay on my right. They huddled up against me trying to console me. Sam was wiping away from my tears, while Dean began to rub small circles down my back.

This warm fuzzy feeling began to grow inside me. I gaze into Sam's eyes and I can see the easiness and calm in his face. Then I did the unthinkable. I reached my hand and caress his cheek and I leaned in a kiss him passionately on the lips.

There was no feeling I can't describe other than, I felt as through I explode into a million pieces. What was more shocking is that Sam didn't pull away. He gave in and began to response with my advances. Dean was anxious to show his passion. I could feel his lips on my neck, his hands trailed down to my breast giving them a firm squeeze.

I moaned in response breaking my lips with Sam replacing them with his. I tried to show my love for the both of them. Wanting to give them all of me...

Everything happen in a flash. the removing of clothes. The hot soft lips on my heated skin. The feeling of being completely filled. Like flipping a page in a book. Like riding the biggest wave and suddenly ,you're caught in the tide.I felt so much pleasure.

It felt like Heaven. It was heaven...

That was last night...

And here we are...

Today is a new day. I stare at the ceiling with a smile on my face as I felt warm naked bodies sleeping silently against me...

Nude Dean on my left...

Nude Sam on my right.

Right now, I can't say that God is pleased. Not with the events that had happened. Now, When I said I love my brothers...I love them more than just a sibling nature. I love them, I'm madly in love with them! When I think of their eyes and their smiling faces, it makes my body want to explode in fireworks.I don't care what people would say. I don't care if our father would turn over in his grave, I feel like I'm the luckiest girl in the world! it always will be the three of us forever...

Sam and Dean,

My brothers, the lovers.

The End.

[shadow-sovereign]

Part 1

I’ve got another Ryuji/Jin-Woo fic idea in an au world.

Let’s start with the setting: It’s a low tech world where everyone has magic. There’s no cars or computers, but they have magic-powered appliances like fridges and blenders. And the continent is broken up into different kingdoms.

Magic beasts roam the world, though I’m still debating whether it’ll be a natural occurrence or a result of gates. Could be a mix of both. Either way, it means they need Adventurers or Knights to deal with said creatures and protect the public.

In this world, people can grow their magical potential through training, though once they get to a certain point, it becomes harder to advance. Like, everyone naturally has a plateau point where it becomes harder to get stronger, and it’s different for everyone.

This story centers around Jin-Woo and Ryuji, who are Knights in King Go Gun-Hee’s army. Ryuji is the General (the top position) and Jin-Woo would be a...Captain? I imagine the top ranks going Captain, Commander, General.

At this point, Jin-Woo is in his twenties and stronger than Ryuji, which is why he’s gotten Captain rank already. But the King (who’s in charge of top ranking promotions) wants his Commander class to have more experience leading missions.

So, I imagine the backstory of this being that Jin-Woo joined the military when he was 16 (the youngest that they’re allowed). He was in training for two years, where he occasionally ran into Ryuji and developed a bit of a crush.

At 18, he started going on missions, protecting civilians from magical beasts. He discovered that he has a beast taming skill (somewhat rare!), which got the King’s attention. The stronger someone’s magic is, the more beasts they can tame, so the King assigned some tutors to him, to focus attention on training his magic to grow.

It even got him Ryuji’s attention, who likes to recruit strong Knights into his division. (Commanders have their own divisions and Captains have teams. The general has his own division too, but he’s also in charge of the entire army.)

So, Ryuji and Jin-Woo started training sometimes and going on missions together. By the time Jin-Woo is twenty, his small crush has turned into full blown infatuation and love. But he never makes a move, because Ryuji is known for sleeping around. (Not necessarily deep commitment issues like in ‘My love is a fire’ but he just doesn’t pursue people for long-term relationships. Open to the possibility, but he doesn’t go looking for love.)

Ryuji is also known for how proud he is of being the strongest fighter in the country. He doesn’t like competition. (Rumors even fly that he’ll try to take the crown when Go Gun-Hee passes, whether he’s named heir or not).

At first, Ryuji isn’t threatened by Jin-Woo’s growing strength, just excited for another strong fighter under his command. But then Jin-Woo passes his second in command and he starts getting worried. Then agitated.

Jin-Woo notices what's going on, but even with him trying to hide how fast his power is growing, it quickly becomes obvious when he surpasses Ryuji. It completely sours their growing mentor/mentee relationship.

Ryuji grows resentful of Jin-Woo’s power, jealous and threatened that someone is stronger than him. He can’t entirely avoid Jin-Woo, not when they’re sometimes the best two for a mission, but he puts distance between them.

Jin-Woo is not happy about that at all. He tries being nice at first, but when that doesn’t work, he tries out various ways to get Ryuji’s attention. (Like with kids, negative attention is better than no attention at all.)

He’s never deliberately rude, as he doesn’t want Ryuji’s dislike of him to grow, but he starts trying to banter with him. Finding what will make Ryuji respond, maybe bringing out his competitive side.

Though what they’ll compete about, I’m not sure. It can’t be purely physical activities that Jin-Woo could brute force his way through with strength. But maybe skill-based activities that Ryuji has just as much chance of winning, especially since he’s older and has tried out more things?

But their competitions won’t be the main focus of the fic, so I won’t spend too much time mulling over that.

So, the main timeline of the fic will be when Ryuji is in his forties and Jin-Woo is in his late twenties. I’ll probably have a chapter or two for the backstory, then get into the main plot.

I’m still working on some of the exact details, but let’s say there’s some tension with a neighboring country. They’ve had some skirmishes with them and Go Gun Hee’s efforts at diplomacy aren’t yielding much results, so it looks like a war might be brewing.

Ryuji decides that this is a golden opportunity. He’s been wanting to rule for a while now, but he has doubts that Go Gun-Hee will name him as heir and trying to forcibly take over after his death will have its own complications. Maybe he doesn’t want to spark a civil war in his birth country?

So, he decides that he wants to take over this ‘enemy’ nation. But how to do so?

He’s got some strong, loyal allies who might be willing to help out. (The S-ranks that were in his guild in the canon world.) They’ll be fighting the enemy soldiers, anyway, but they would need enough power to get a foothold into the country. To make their way to the capitol city and defeat that nation’s ruler.

His mind flashes to Sung’s beast taming ability, envious. If he had that skill, he could create an army of loyal soldiers. And then inspiration strikes. Just because he doesn’t have the ability, doesn’t mean he can’t make use of it. But how to get Sung on board?

He’s known Jin-Woo long enough to know that he has his own moral code. One that might balk at disposing of a foreign royal to put someone he doesn’t get along with in charge. (He doesn’t yet realize that the rivalry with Jin-Woo is one-sided.)

So, the odds of him convincing Sung to help him take over a country seem low. He goes looking through his library, searching for possibilities.

In this world, people can have a wide range of gifts, some that need specific circumstances to unlock. So, he’s been collecting books about obscure magic, both to see if he might have some of these gifts, and to know what to test his loyal people for. To see if they have any useful gifts that can be unlocked.

And he comes across a very rare form of magic, a type of control magic. Not mind control, but using mana to control another person’s actions. But it’s not something that can be learned.

Ryuji almost gives up on the idea, until he reads a detail that some with this gift can enchant an object to act as a control object, and the control of said object’s abilities can be transferred to another.

[That was a clunky way of saying it, but it’s basically this. Person with ability enchants collar. Gives control of collar to Ryuji. Now whoever’s wearing the collar will be forced to obey Ryuji.]

It seems like the perfect solution, but how does he find one of these people?

With a great deal of searching. Luckily, he does have a network of people that he can ask to keep an ear out for rumors of someone with this gift.

When he hears of something that seems promising, he goes on a trip and finds someone with that gift. [It probably won’t be from his pov, though. Jin-Woo will just notice that he’s gone for a while.]

And when he comes back….he somehow gets the collar on Jin-Woo.

Somehow.

I haven’t figured that part out yet.

Tricks him into it, maybe? Makes a bet with him?

Perhaps the collar will latch onto Jin-Woo’s neck if Ryuji gets it close enough.

The collar is powered through the wearer’s own mana, so Jin-Woo can’t just overpower it. Supposedly. In reality, Jin-Woo gets the sense that he could overpower it. (The same way the giants in canon were able to overpower that barrier Yuri Orlov put up.)

But Jin-Woo holds off on trying to break free because he wants to know what the heck Ryuji wants badly enough to put a slave collar on him. (Sadly for Jin-Woo, Ryuji is only focused on getting an army and not anything...else.)

And I think I’ll have part 1 end here, with part 2 being on pillowfort. Because Jin-Woo’s reaction to the collar isn’t exactly PG. I don’t want to post anything not SFW on tumblr, in case it gets deleted.

I don’t post a lot on pillowfort, but it’s for anytime I have a not SFW story idea I want to share. And if tumblr ever gets deleted off the internet for some reason (like getting sued into the ground), then you’ll be able to find me on pillowfort. It’s my backup website.

https://www.pillowfort.social/posts/2283048

[loominggaia]

What do think is the root of all Skel’s behavior? His neuroticism, germaphobia, unwillingness to openly show how much he cares for others? And also his cross dressing as an elven princess in his free time? Would this have to do with his time as a slave? Or I think more accurately his time as a goblin pet? And also his relationship with Jasenia and how broke up with him?

Honestly, I think a lot of it just stems from what was shown in the story "Steel Knuckle Squad".

In that story, we learn that he was born in a hellish slave yard and ripped away from his mother at a young age. This might explain his neuroticism, as he didn't have that sense of safety and security that children are supposed to have at this crucial age. He was very young when he was trafficked to Barha and sold to the royal family as a slave. He had no parental figures to protect him, no family, no one to comfort him at all, so he quickly learned to be independent and take care of himself.

Technically he was a gift for Jasenia's older sister, because she wanted a "real-live baby doll" for her birthday. So her parents, being as rich as they were, just went ahead and bought her a literal toddler to play with. He was a slave in a technical sense, but really more of a toy. Jasenia's sister outgrew Skel after a few years, but since he and Jasenia were a similar age, they ended up being best friends and growing up together in the palace. Skel was intended to be put on regular slave duty once the princesses tired of him, but Jasenia never did. She threw a big turbo-tantrum when her father threatened to make Skel do slave duty, so he just let her have her way and treated Skel like another one of his children instead.

So Skel lived a happy life with the royal family for many years, falling in love with Jasenia and planning to marry her one day. So imagine his shock when the king set Jasenia up with a foreign prince--he felt totally betrayed by the closest thing he ever had to a family. What's worse is that Jasenia actually agreed to do it, choosing her people over Skel. This betrayal is the cause of his paranoia and distrust in people, especially in women and elves. He's constantly on guard, just waiting to get screwed over by someone.

As for the weird crossdressing/elf cosplay stuff, I think that's due to his resentment over his own species. Skel hates that he's a goblin. He believes that goblins are sad, lowly creatures destined for slavery, and deep down he's always wished he was an elf instead. Though the royal family was kind to him, the other goblin slaves were constantly reminding him that he was not truly one of them and never would be. I think that really got in his head, so to reassure himself, he plays dressup and pretends to be an elf when no one's looking. He loved Jasenia and admired her very much, but he was also super jealous of her and the life that was handed to her on a silver platter. He always wanted to be her. Now he fantasizes about this alternate life through playing pretend.

As for the germaphobia, I imagine that's a result of over-using telekinesis for so long. He rarely touches things with his hands, so when he actually does, it feels weird and he doesn't like it. He has become hyper-aware of how grimy things are.

There could be other reasons for his behavior too. There was a big stretch of time between "Steel Knuckle Squad" and his next appearance, so it's anyone's guess what happened to him during those years. I have at least one Skel-centric story lined up for the future that gets deeper into his character, so watch out for that!

*

Questions/Comments?

Lore Masterpost

[ezrastokes]

[ CODY CHRISTIAN, HE/HIM, CISMALE ] —  [ EZRA STOKES ]  is a child of [ HEPHAESTUS ] with the power of  [ TECHNOKINESIS ] .  they were born in [ 1995 ] and have been in nemean lion since  [ 2010 ] .  with the change, they [ HAVE GRADUATED FROM ] the [ TECHNOLOGY ] role which makes sense since they’re usually [ FIRING POTTERY IN THE KILN AND BREWING A THIRD CUP OF COFFEE ] .  if you’d like to meet them try the [ MOON ]  building .  —  kati / she & her / est / 18+

links: stats / pinterest .

background

most of ezra’s early years were spent not fitting in and for most of that time, he didn’t know why. he didn’t understand why his father seemed to hate him so much, why his younger brother, caleb, seemed to get all of the attention. ezra chalked it up to just not being quite good enough, maybe because he wasn’t into sports the way caleb was, coming home with paint on his shirt instead of grass stains. 

for a while, ezra tried to fit in, went out for baseball to try and garner his father’s approval, but it was never really him. over time, he began to isolate himself instead, because it was easier to be on his own than face rejection and disapproval.

his mom was loving, but only behind closed doors. it always seemed like she was scared to show her affection for ezra in front of his father, like she felt GUILTY about loving him, about caring about him. she’d sneak into his room at night and read him stories or they’d spend all day together when his father was out of town. “ why does dad hate me so much ? ” he’d ask, and his mother would smile sadly and say, “ i’ll explain more when you’re older. ” 

ezra started developing his powers when he was about twelve years old. his mother had hoped it would never happen. it started small, realizing he could do things like make the toaster pop up without touching it or turn on the television with what seemed to be sheer willpower. his parents started noticing this too. he overheard them talking about it one night, fighting. ezra didn’t know what it meant, but over time, he’d listen at the top of the stairwell as the arguments got more and more heated, resulting in broken glass. caleb would sit with him sometimes. “ what are they always fighting about lately ? ” ezra would ask. “ you, ” the dreaded answer, but he’d already known. he just needed to hear someone say it. “ it’s because you’re a freak. ” 

anxious during a test at school, ezra set the printer going so hard that it started smoking and set the fire alarm off. to most people, it was nice to get out of the test, but ezra went home demanding answers. “ just tell me what i am, please ! ” rising frustration, appliances in the house whirring to life. ezra was getting more powerful, it was not just a PHASE that he could outgrow. his parents had to tell him the truth. 

his mother sit down and told him about an AFFAIR she had once, with the god hephaestus. he had been able to forgive her for it, but his father had never been able to get over the living manifestation of her disloyalty, the obvious misfit in the family that stuck out and didn’t belong. every day, ezra seemed less and less like he could be his father’s son. everything seemed to click into place for ezra, but it didn’t make him feel any better to be the product of circumstances he couldn’t control ; things would have been easier if he’d been born normal like caleb. 

his mother expressed concern for the way his powers were growing and that modern society might not be the place for him. she’d been told if such powers ever developed, that there was a place that he could go. so, at age fifteen he packed this things and began training at nemean lion. 

ezra naturally assimilated into the technology track with his powers, it seemed to make the most sense for him. in terms of helping heroes, he is most comfortable beneath the hood of a car, developing advanced transportation technology and essentially providing heroes with the best possible support. he also built his own motorcycle and car from scratch, they’re named thelma and louise respectively, his pride and joys. ezra is  a quiet person but get him talking about his hobbies / geeking out and you’ve hit the sweet spot. 

recently graduated and working, though he feels like he’s in no position to mentor the newbies…he’ll try. he would’ve been happy to be a student forever, but due to nl’s new status, he felt the need to rush his graduation and work a little harder so that they’d have the tech help they need for the heroes on the field fighting monsters and such. 

personality

PERSISTENT. essentially, when ezra sets his mind on something, he will accomplish it. in some ways, he can be pretty one-track minded when it comes to things, like he’ll start a task in the garage or at the kiln and he won’t speak to anyone for days until it’s done. balance ? he doesn’t know her. but achieving his goals ? yes, king. sometimes i think ezra believes that people are to be measured on accomplishments and his value only exists in terms of what he can do for others. however, you can definitely count on him to get a job done. 

PRACTICAL. ezra is a pretty realistic person, not the type to get caught up in a daydream or set an unrealistic expectation for himself. granted, he knows he can accomplish a lot, but he would never expect more of himself than what is tangible. he’s definitely not a naive person and is more inclined to believe actions over words every time. 

INDEPENDENT. ezra is the sort of person who has always felt like he’s had to fend for himself and is pretty mature. he’s good at taking care of himself and has never felt like he NEEDS other – not that anyone’s really need him. he’s very self-sufficient as a person basically and doesn’t rely on others to get things done. you’ll literally never feel like ezra’s a mooch, but he would let others mooch off him tbh. 

PESSMISTIC. as a result of that practicality, he can come off as rather negative in conversation or in ideals. essentially, ezra can be a real downer to be around sometimes because he will always anticipate the worst case scenario ! he’ll tell you he’s just being prepared though. 

SENSITIVE. although he comes off as tough or even unapproachable sometimes, this is actually because he’s EASILY hurt. he puts on a front like a badass but seriously he is a sensitive baby and if you say something that rubs him the wrong way he will legit never forget it. can literally hold a grudge for 8092390482 years like if you cross him slightly he will bring it up until you die. 

headcanons

if he’s not working with vehicles, he’s making pottery. he has a wheel in his room and is really passionate about art and ceramics. so, when he’s not working, he’s probably firing something.

yes, he has an etsy store <3 

has a little black cat named soot that is genuinely his best friend

has a natural affinity toward all things fire and smoke, developing the nasty habit of smoking cigarettes – american spirits, too, because he has no class. however, since he started dating his current girlfriend, he’s pretty much quit smoking to make her happy – and like, to be more kissable.

genuinely, his girlfriend cecilia baum ( y’all know her ? ) has been a super positive influence in his life because he used to drink, smoke, and isolate himself a lot more before getting to know her but honestly the act of developing a crush and trying to impress her all the time got him into better habits and her caring about him has made him care a bit about himself more too.

granted, it’s not JUST cece. making better friends and meeting people that care about him has been a positive influence on him overall

don’t ask me too much about cece, strud and i are mid-plotting but they are dating. 

you’d probably think like mechanic, artist, he must be super messy? however, ezra is really meticulous and organized, i would say he’s always been really mature and independent. he has his shit together, but he’s also fueled by a ridiculous amount of coffee in order to do so. 

though he does often smell like gasoline from working in the garage so much, though he personally loves that. 

really likes thrifting? like browsing thrift stores for hours and finding weird shit or interesting art pieces. he’ll treat thrift stores like museums, could spend hours walking around, but he’ll also spend hours walking around museums. 

wanted connections

best friends, bros, etc !! i’m looking for the people he really vibes with in a number of ways, his squad, his fam, the wholesome shit. the scott to his stiles, the schmidt to his nick, all of these things. 

but i would especially love to have like his DAY ONE, i will simply go crazy go stupid for a best friend connection and i feel like that person who supported him from the start and made him feel less alone on his first days at NL prob means the fucking world to him.

like, someone he’s protective of? maybe a little sister type connection, essentially someone that’s probably softer and more naive and he feels like he has to look out for them and keep them safe and such. 

someone to test out his vehicles and inventions. ezra is always tinkering away in the garage and he comes up with cool stuff for the heroes to use out when they’re saving the world, it would be nice if he had someone who was always down to literally come through in the middle of the night and be the elastigirl to his edna mode and all.

someone that he really clashes with. give me enemies for god’s sake, or anything, i feel like especially when he first arrived at NL he was a bit rough around the edges, hard to get to know. ezra definitely comes off as grumpy and standoffish around people he’s not super comfortable with and he’s pretty introverted, so they might have gotten a bad impression of him. 

or honestly if you play a char that’s kind of ? stuck up ? full of themselves ? that would really rub him the wrong way. tho he’s probably just jealous bc he lacks that confidence like damn. 

an almost? like a case of bad timing where they were hitting it off or maybe there could have been something between them but he started dating cece instead. maybe your character read into it more than it was and felt really hurt by it. OR he told them he didn’t want a relationship/do relationships and then started dating cece right quick like that’s gotta hurt. 

someone who is good w money. help him manage the finances of his etsy store and how to run a business because he doesn’t even know how to properly price his own goods, probably undersells himself. gimme the business mind to his art mind. 

drinking buddies! sitting around w a good glass of scotch talking about life after a hard day. ezra doesn’t drink so much but honestly their work is hard and ppl die so like, a lil something to take the edge off. 

roommates? is that a thing here? he is in moon building.

naturally also down to vibe and plot anything, exes, family members, enemies, besties, all the things, this is just off the top of my head !!! 

[profoundnet]

Header by @cryptomoon and is available on merch from her redbubble store. You can use all those fancy emojis (and more!) on our Discord server!

The masterpost is open for all creations by ProfoundBond members which are posted in their entirety during that month.

MEMBER CONTRIBUTIONS FOR JUNE 2020!

Featuring works by @blueraven06, @castielslostwings, @delo0821, galium, @goldenraeofsun, @imbiowaresbitch, @jemariel, @masterofevilmonkeyness, @multifandom-fanatic, ravens_tell_stories, @saywhatjessie, @shadowkat-83, shikaro, @spnsmile, tiamatv, @thefandomsinhalor, @vulfmert, and @wookieefucker under the cut.

Redamber79 - @imbiowaresbitch - Redamber79

Free Hugs (E, 2.6k)

Castiel is moving into his dorm for his first year when his older brother Gabriel trips him into the arms of a half-naked hunk holding a sign reading FREE HUGS. Then Cas meets his roommate...

Tags: No Archive Warnings apply, meet-cute, explicit, roommate AU

The Fall of Castiel (E, 5.8k)

Another fight, Castiel's blue eyes flashing as he pinned Dean to a wall for his stubborn refusal to accept his role. A desperate attempt to convince the angel to join Team Free Will. Dean could never have anticipated how well it would work.

Tags: no archive warnings, explicit, canon-adjacent, wing king, grace powered orgasms, claiming, confessions

“Yes, Sir.” (E, 3.8k)

Dean's earned himself a spanking, but keeps losing the count. Cas decides it's time to up the ante for his punishment.

Tags: no archive warnings apply, bdsm, explicit, safe sane consensual, safewords, top cas/bottom dean

Pizza Man (E, 3.4k)

Dean and Castiel are roommates in their third year of college. Cas frantically shows his best friend a horrible typo on the latest ad for the pizza place where he works, just knowing it's going to ruin his night.

Tags: no archive warnings apply, roommates au, explicit, PWP

Grow For Me (E, 20k)

Dean is desperate for a housemate after Charlie moves out. After interviewing several potential tenants with near disastrous results, he meets Cas. Can the lawyer with the strange habit of talking to plants fit into Dean's life?

Tags: no archive warnings apply, omegaverse, POV Dean, explicit, Roommate AU, Complete, Happy Ending, mating cycles/in heat

FriendofCarlotta - @delo0821 - FriendofCarlotta

Adventures in Demon Summoning (E, 10k)

When Dean's friends get high and decide to summon a demon, it seems like a monumentally bad idea. Of course, even Dean couldn't have guessed that the whole thing would land him with a grumpy, sarcastic angel who seems dead-set on following him around.

Tags: Alternate Universe - College/University, First Time, Meet-Cute, Soft Boys

JessJesstheBest - @saywhatjessie - JessJesstheBest

Five Times Dean felt Out Of His Depth and One Time He Definitely Was (G, 10k)

It was with a sore shin and a broken model P-51D Mustang that Dean began to consider he wasn’t quite ready to be a foster parent. Or it's exactly what is says in the title.

Tags: Human AU, Fluff, Parenthood, foster parent au, Established Relationship, 5+1 Things

castielslostwings - @castielslostwings - Castielslostwings

Fire and Ice (E, 165k)

Firefighter Dean Winchester has somehow tumbled headfirst into a whole new kind of relationship with his quirky paramedic best friend, Castiel Novak. What was only meant to be mutual relief from their high-stress jobs is quickly developing into something more, but with all the missed signals and crossed wires, can these two ever figure out that they're so much closer to being on the same page than they think?

Tags: Firefighter Dean, Paramedic Castiel, Dom Castiel, Sub Dean, Friends to lovers, mutual pining, angst with a happy ending, BDSM, all the sex.

multifandom-fanatic - @multifandom-fanatic - multifandom_fanatic

We Can’t Keep This Undercover (T, 5k)

Cas and Dean have been dating for a month, but Sam is clueless, despite the fact that they haven't been hiding that they're together. Or so they thought. After reflecting on Sam's obliviousness, Dean deviously suggests he and Cas try to be as obvious as possible to see how long it’ll take for Sam to realize. Cue Dean and Cas' escalating attempts to prove they're together, and Sam mistaking every scenario until Dean just can't take it anymore.

Tags: Oblivious Sam Winchester, Clueless Sam Winchester, Fluff, Feels, Teasing, Idiots in Love, Sneaky, Flirting, Domestic Fluff, Plotting

Put a Ring on It (T, 3.2k)

After non-stop researching, Cas is in the Bunker's kitchen making Dean lunch with the radio on when he hears Single Ladies by Beyoncé. Suddenly he's stuck by the lyrics and realizes just how much he loves Dean and therefore needs to put a ring on him. Cas goes out and buys a ring, and a week later he proposes to Dean in the library of the Bunker. Will Dean say yes?

Tags: Marriage Proposal, Proposal, Engagement, Castiel Proposes Marriage to Dean Winchester, Inspired by Beyoncé, Crack, Song: Single Ladies (Put a Ring on It), Romantic Fluff, Love, Fluff

galium - galium

scents & sensibility (M, 5.7k)

There are three things Dean knows about betas: (1) Betas are boring. (2) Betas can be passive. (3) Betas have a mediocre sense of smell (well, unless you're Cas).

Tags: AU, A/B/O

ravens_tell_stories - ravens_tell_stories

i’d rather drown (E, 3.7k)

Was there anything weird that you noticed?” “Weird? Other than the fact that I could see you while you were several states away?” “Yes, Dean,” Cas sounds impatient now, which is never a good sign. “Weirder than normal.” Dean tilts his head, weighing his options, then sighs and scrubs a hand over his face. “Yeah, I, uh… I could see your wings.” ~~ wing!kink destiel oneshot.

Tags: No archive warnings apply, smut and a little fluff, pwp, handjobs, set season 8

Jemariel - @jemariel - jemariel

Cas is a Tummy Sleeper (T, <1k)

A short fluffy ficlet. Cas is sleepy and snuggly. Dean is smitten. Everything is beautiful and nothing hurts.

Tags: Cuddles, bedsharing, human!Cas, fluff

MasterOfEvilMonkeyness - @masterofevilmonkeyness

“Ah yes. Me. My brother. And his Angel who sneaks in his bed when they think I’m asleep” (SFW)

Art created for Meme about Sam, Dean and Cas.

Vulfmert - @vulfmert

Ghost Road (SFW)

Art created for the fic Ghost Road by Kris-Kenobi in the Bottom Dean Big Bang and it’s lovely.

Tags: Michigan, Canon Compliant, Human!Cas, Only One Bed, Case Fic, Post Series. Collaboration with fic by Kris-Kenobi.

spnsmile - @spnsmile - spnsmile

Undercover in the Bunker (M, 3.5k)

Castiel invites an angel to the Bunker to 'observe' the Winchesters in order to change Heaven's view about his charge, only to end up making Dean just a little miserable and himself a little jealous.

Tags: Domestics,  Castiel in the Bunker

Devastatingly Yours (G, 3.9k)

When almost everyone—demons included— all but told Dean that his angel is the hottest, most devastatingly handsome angel in the face of the seven seas, he not only believed them, he’s secretly and most exclusively Cas’ number one fan. So when the angel is recruited as a model in the middle of a case, what is Dean to do?

Tags: Established relationships, domestic, fluff

Saved by a Stranger (E, 43k)

Rule One: Never change the deal. Rule Two: No names. Rule Three: Never look in the package. Ex-Special Forces operator, Alpha Castiel Novak adheres three strict sets of rules, which he never breaks as a mercenary "transporter" who moves goods—human or otherwise— from one place to another. No questions asked. Until his new delivery contains a deal-breaker pretty face hot-headed Omega—who turns out to be his true mate— Castiel knows rules have to be changed especially with a dangerous group intent to get their hands on his Omega. Castiel wants to see them try. Destiel x The Transporter AU

Tags: Non-con,  Graphic Depiction of violence

The Room Service (E, 39k)

‘Hands off, Pants on!’

Dean Winchester has groomed himself to be a professional room service staff providing hotel guests with all the necessities they need while catering to all mundane whims and complaints except one: keep hands off the staff. Until a mysterious blue-eyed guy enters the 7th heaven floor and shakes Dean’s steamy dreams. And after saving Dean from one dangerous stalker, it seems like the restriction is practically flying off the window for his grumpy blue-eyed hero.

Hotel x Destiel AU

Tags: Romance,  Fluff,  First meeting,  Jealousy,

Baby Plushie (G, 1.1k)

A Baby. Who says Dean doesn't need it?

Tags: Romance,  Fluff. Inspired by art by @gabester-sketch.

Shadowkat83 - @shadowkat-83 - Shadowkat83

Better Than I Know Myself (T, 1.1k)

He had to make a choice; he didn't want to. The choice was between the two people he cared about the most: Cas and Sam. They both knew him so well but on different levels. How could he possibly go through with this?

Tags: Hurt/Comfort, Songfic, Fluff, Love, Confessions, Mutual Pining, Ambiguous/Open Ending

Shikaro - shikaro

Mr. Tall, Dark and Handsome (E, 1.5k)

the one where Dean comes untouched for the first time

or the one where they meet at a bar

Tags: PWP

blueraven06 - @blueraven06 - blueraven06

College days (G, 1.2k)

It's Castiel's first day of college and he is already late.

Tags: Alternate Universe - College/University

goldenraeofsun - @goldenraeofsun - goldenraeofsun

Magic Quarantine Ride (M, 1k)

“Cas,” Dean growls as he stalks past the hospital's general information desk. “What the hell are you doing here, you psycho? Go home - where it’s safe!” Cas whirls around. “You forgot this,” he says hurriedly as he rushes forward with the necklace he made for Dean. “I told you, it will provide protection.” He waves it in the air like a crazy person trying to ward off demons. “You are insane,” Dean says flatly.

Tags: They were quarantined, witch!cas, college nurse!dean, fluff and angst, mentions of COVID-19, mutual pining, emotional hurt/comfort, discussions of PTSD

thefandomsinhalor - @thefandomsinhalor - thefandomsinhalor

A Driver Worth His Salt (E, 68k)

Twenty-year-old Dean Winchester hates fixing up stolen cars on the side for Gordon Walker. But with his grandfather’s dry-cleaning business slowly dying, medical bills piling up, and his younger brother Sam abandoning the prospect of attending college because of their grim situation, Dean convinces himself that it isn’t as reckless as it seems.

When everything goes belly up, leaving him in a troubling position with the wrong people, a representative of the Garrisons, the city’s most powerful and notorious family, offers Dean to help him with his situation in exchange for his employment.

The job is simple: drive the passenger a few times a week to yet-undisclosed locations and return with said passenger without fail. Don’t ask questions. Be on time. Be discreet.

And never interact with each other outside of work.

Shady, but simple.

So, he accepts.

But once he meets the passenger in question—the sharply dressed and rough-looking Castiel Novak—Dean finds that abiding those rules may be more complicated than he had anticipated.

Tags: Graphic Depiction of Violence, Alternate Universe - Modern Settings, Crimes & Crimes & Criminals, BAMF Castiel, Slow Burn, Hurt Sam Winchester, Trauma

wookieefucker - @wookieefucker - wookieefucker

The Eye of the Storm (T, 8.5k)

“Only fifteen miles to the highway,” Dean said cheerfully, reading from a sign on the side of the path. Bobby groaned loudly. “Shoulda known I’d get my body back only to put it through its paces right away.” Amara left with Chuck, promising that she was going to give Dean what he needed. Maybe what he needed was different than her first impulse.

Tags: eventual Castiel/Dean Winchester, season 12 AU, canon AU, canon-typical violence

tiamatv - tiamatv

Spicier Ginger (G, 4k)

Kevin held out a flat piece of dough and spooned in a teaspoon of pork mixture. “You can’t put too much in them or leave any air bubbles inside," he explained, folding up the dumpling. "‘Cause they’ll explode.” “So kind of like packing shotgun shells,” Dean joked. “Uh, yeah. Sure, Dean,” Kevin agreed, very dubiously. “Sure.”

Tags: Cooking, Domesticity, Kevin Tran Lives!, Winchester Family Fluff

To Sleep, Perchance (T, 3.4k)

Dean wasn’t used to good dreams. But he was used to taking what he could get—so when he dreamed of a lean, compact body pressed against his back, an arm heavy over his waist, he settled into it, hazy and comfortable.

Tags: Canon Temporary Character Death, Canon Compliant, Dreams vs Reality, Mark of Cain

Ephelis (E, 1.8k)

“I think someone has sent me a picture of their genitals.” Castiel looked down at his phone. “Erect.”

Tags: AU-Canon Divergence, Dick Pics, Plot What Plot, Fluff and Crack, Season/Series 09

Phaleonopsis (E, 4.8k)

“Here, let me.” Cas’s long fingers plucked away a dead leaf from a calathea, and Dean watched helplessly as Cas rubbed the bare spot where the leaf had come away with a fingertip. “See? Isn’t it nice to let someone touch you now and again?” “Goddammit, Cas ain’t the creep, I’m the creep,” Dean muttered, and put his head down on the desk.

Tags: Alpha/Beta/Omega Dynamics, Gardening, Roommates, Fluff And Smut, Alpha Castiel/Omega Dean

(Atypical) Love Story (E, 13.k)

“Are you… scenting me?” the man in an oversized beige trench coat asked, suspiciously, in a deep gravel voice that ran down Dean’s spine. "Why? I really don't smell like much." Dean’s mouth sagged open. “Dude,” he answered, honestly, “You smell amazing.” He’d never seen anyone look so shocked at a compliment before. “O-oh.”

Tags: Non-Traditional A/B/O Dynamics; Scenting; Top/Bottom Versatile Dean/Castiel; Alpha Dean/Omega Castiel; Enthusiastic Consent

Pigment (G, 1.6k)

Dean wasn’t ashamed of what he was doing or anything. He didn’t think he had any reason to be, hell. So what if he liked to spend a little of his downtime just putting little blobs of paint inside neat little lines?

Tags: Canon Compliant, Hobbies, Painting, Fluff

[sooghostwriter]

The Bee and the Fly

Pairings: Do Kyung Soo x OC

Genre: Mature,  Romance, AU, childhood friends, fluff, a tiny bit of angst because being a teenager is hard. 

Summary: Kyung Soo and Eunji have been friends since always. Growing up together, finding themselves, following their dreams. 

Part 1: Growing up. 

Everybody called him Bee since he was five. Everybody called her Fly since she was four.

Kyung Soo got that nickname because he was cute and tiny like a bee and if he wasn’t eating he was always doing something. Helping his mom, playing with his dad or watching TV with his brother. But most of the time he was playing with her.

Eunji got that nickname because she had big eyes and she was everywhere. Not gossiping or being noisy but watching. Since then she was always interested in watching and hearing. Learn from the way adults behave. What they did, why they did it. She wasn’t nosy, but she always asked when she didn’t understand something.

She didn’t have a single childhood memory without Kyung Soo.

In the memory where she broke her right arm, Kyung Soo was calling his mom for help and grabbing her other hand, cleaning her tears and telling her it was going to be ok.

On her birthday she wouldn’t blow the candles if he wasn’t sitting next to her. And if Kyung Soo liked one of her gifts, she would give it to him.  

Movies at her place. Games at his. Summer afternoons at the park. Winter afternoons at the food market close to their house. New year’s together looking at the fireworks. Kyung Soo would cover her ears and she would never let go of his hand because he had a special talent to get lost in the crowd. Christmas where she would fight every kid who insisted on telling him that Santa didn’t exist.

Her entire childhood she had this constant presence next to her that was able to tone down any fear. His cuteness always gave her a sense of trust. If he said that everything was going to be alright, it was because it was going to be alright.

On her first day at school, Kyung Soo was grabbing her hand and taking her to her classroom, acting as a mediator so she could talk with her new classmates and checking on her every hour through the door. She didn’t acknowledge his presence because she wanted to look brave and secure in his eyes. Not as if she was looking at the door all the time to see him and get that short burst of relief. By the end of the day, he congratulated her on how brave she was, and she felt like twirling around in joy.

On school days she would have breakfast at his house since his dad would drive them to school. Kyung Soo would have dinner at hers, since his mom and dad would arrive late from work.

They were friends, their families were friends. A big family of seven.

They went to the same school. And although he was one grade higher, it was as if they were classmates.

Their parents always commented on how weird it was that such different kids could get along so well. Because they were.

She preferred solitude and he always had friends around. They loved him. She had a handful of friends, and it included her mom and Kyung Soo.

She had good grades and Kyung Soo always did just enough. He just didn’t like school. At home, she had the habit of studying, but he preferred to occupy himself with his acrylics.

That was one of her memories too. Kyung Soo painting, Kyung Soo drawing, Kyung Soo making cute animals with his Play-Doh. Everybody was always in awe of his talent.

She was the ‘smart one’. Her parents always bragged about how she learned to read and write in pre-school. How eloquent she was. How imaginative she was when playing with her dolls.

By the time he was seven, Kyung Soo’s path was very clear. He was going to be an artist.

By the time she was six, Eunji’s path was very clear. She was going to be a writer. She only told Kyung Soo though, scared that people would make fun of her. She has always been afraid that no one would understand, so she always kept everything for herself. She wanted to write books like the ones she read at that short age. Stories about animals making friends with kids, or travels through dreamlike places.

When she had issues socializing, Kyung Soo was there. First day at school or games at the park. Despite being in a different class, he was there with her at least during one recess of the day, and at lunchtime, he always sat with her. When the mean girl from school asked them if they were dating, they both answered no. When she asked if they liked each other they both answered yes. She looked at him giggling and he giggled back. They were in first and second grade, young and innocent enough to think that liking was a friendship thing. Of course she liked him. He was one of the few people she enjoyed spending time with. He was calm when needed or an endless resource of fun. They knew each other since always, of course she liked him. As she liked her mom and dad. Philia love was the name. She read it once in a book.

It was a common childhood story. That typical story where they were each other’s first kiss. Of course they completely forgot about it, but his mom had an adorable picture of Kyung Soo sitting in the swing as she grabbed his round face and kissed him. There was a second picture with her still holding his face and they were both laughing. She saw the pictures again a lot later when she was seventeen. As soon as she saw it, she felt so much jealousy. She was so jealous of the Eunji from the picture. She was fearless.

That’s how their first decade of life went by. 

 She remembered quite clearly when in middle school they began to part from each other. There wasn’t a specific moment, at least she didn’t remember one, but it was around that age that they began to change. She began taking English classes every other afternoon after class, so they didn’t walk home together anymore. She also made a new group of friends there, and they would often meet on Saturdays for food and games. Especially with Junmyeon.

She never introduced them to Kyung Soo. These were her friends. And they were all obsessed with Harry Potter, and they read Stephen King behind their parents backs and they listened to cringy emo music. Things that were of her interest, not his.

Kyung Soo went through some changes too. His brother went to do his service, so he grew more attached to his friends and his parents. The art club of the school got quite popular too, so they were always away during the weekends at local art fairs showing their work with other schools from around the country.

He stopped coming to her house for movies or dinner. She asked him once why he did “My mom works closer to home now, so she can come home early enough to cook for us…and I guess we are ok like this, watching movies with our friends and not ourselves” She nodded in understanding. She thought the same. Kyung Soo always liked to watch dramatic movies, meanwhile, she enjoyed stupid comedies. She liked her drama in books, not in movies. After that she walked home and didn’t think about it for a while until her head hit the pillow, and a horrible melancholy took over her. Now, much older, she knew what that feeling meant, that night she was unable to understand the pain in her chest.

Everything changed. It was as if now they were only classmates, not friends anymore.

They were a set when kids and now they grew apart. It was normal, and she wouldn’t have to change it, she was having fun. Her group of friends was small, but she felt included and she achieved that all by herself. But there were days when she missed him desperately. Or maybe she just missed the simpler days.

When he got into high school things changed again. That summer she began dating Junmyeon, her friend from English class, her right hand, and accomplice in every fun quest they had with their group of friends.

Kyung Soo began dating one of his classmates. He was always very popular between the female students, so she wasn’t surprised. She wasn’t a huge fan of hers, but if Kyung Soo liked her, IT was good enough. They were still in that plateau face of their friendship. 

Highschool brought them a bit closer. Now they had the same teachers so that always gave them fresh gossip to talk about, but that was pretty much all. Junmyeon became the Kyung Soo of her present. He would visit her on Sunday before lunch and would sit on her bed watching some anime as she was finishing one of her stories for the writing club. Then he would read it and tell her if it was easy to understand.

Sometimes Kyung Soo would come over to bring something to her mother or father. He would stay around for a little while. They would talk about their respective partners. His relationship wasn’t going very well. Hers was good and she was having a lot of fun with Junmyeon. He always told her that he was happy for her. He was relieved that she found someone like him. 

“And if he does something to you, I have a sock and a can ready for him” He wasn’t joking, she knew it. Kyung Soo never shied away from violence when it came to protecting his friends, if she still was that. 

“Thanks, just don’t aim for the face, it would be a terrible loss” 

Then they would laugh about something and then he would leave. At school they didn’t speak at all during the breaks because Kyung Soo split those moments between his friends and his girlfriend. During lunch, they didn’t sit together anymore, but whenever he didn’t eat his dessert, he would give it to her.

When Kyung Soo was in 12th grade he went through other changes. He broke up with his girlfriend and began focusing on his studies since he made the decision of entering a good university to study art. The art club at school wasn’t enough for him so he began attending different workshops. She knew all these through her gossiping mom.  

 That same year, she went through some big changes too. Not her, but her surroundings. One afternoon her parents gave her the news that they were getting a divorce and her dad was moving out of the house. The relationship between the two of them hasn't been the same in the last two years. They weren’t a couple that fought a lot, but the silence sometimes was unbearable. She wished she could break the tension by breaking a plate or smashing the door close. Shouting at each other and ignoring each other had the same amount of violence and it anguished her to the bones.  So, the news of her parents gave her some relief.  They were doing what was better for them. But the uncertainty terrified her. Not knowing how her relationship with her father would be from now on. Would they date other people and get married again? Was she going to have brothers or sisters in the near future? Where would her dad live? Who would cook for him?

He left immediately that night. He hugged his soon to be ex-wife and then hugged her. She jolted when he cradled in his arms. It felt as if he was cutting some ties with her too. Not all of them, but she knew that starting from there, her dad wasn’t going to be part of her everyday life.

He closed the door behind him, and she and her mom stayed seated for a long time in complete silence. She could hear her mom’s brain trying to find the right words, something that they hadn’t told her before to console her, but she couldn’t. How could she? She was the one that had run out of love for that man, but Eunji didn’t. She still loved her dad, but he left anyway.

She wasn’t mad towards either of them. She wasn’t disappointed or scared. She was sad. Just sad. For the three of them. She told this to her mom, but she didn’t seem to quite get it, so she just went to her room, running away from that charged room. All of her life she dealt with her emotions alone. Mostly because she never felt strongly about anything. She was never too angry, too sad, too happy. She never built up any emotion, because as the emotion was developing inside of her, she exorcised it through her writing.  Now she didn’t have the time to write, the sadness had already grown in her chest and it expanded to her neck, choking her with tears.

Eunji stood in the middle of her room and walked slowly to her bed. She felt like hiding there, under the covers and wait until her chest felt normal again. She still felt the strong grip of her father’s arms and it made her feel worse “Eunji, open” She heard a voice at her door. A voice that with the years had changed and it wasn’t as familiar as before. But the emotive notes of that voice were still the same. Worry. Worry because his friend was in pain.

It was Kyung Soo.

She didn’t know why he was there, but she didn’t care either. She needed him now. He could take care of the sadness in her chest. He always did. He always took the pain away. She opened the door with desperate hands and met his worried face. 

“Let me in, my mom told me what happened” It was a mixture of an order and a plea. He went in, standing in the same place where she was before. 

“How bad are you?” He asked, rubbing his hands nervously. 

“Very bad, I feel terrible Kyung Soo”

“Eunji, I’m so sorry Eunji” He walked to her and pulled her to him wrapping his arms around her. His embrace was warm and protective as always, but bigger than she remembered. His arms felt solid, but still gave her the space to breathe. He kept repeating how sorry he was as if any of this was his fault. Her world had stopped in its axis and nothing moved around her, or inside of her, only her rattling heart. His long hug took away some boiling hurtful feelings for a long while although there was no concept of time there. She pressed into his body searching for more warmth and his arms helped her doing so. He caressed the back of her head and moved her to the bed so they could sit. She just followed him, not even considering the idea of releasing him.

She didn’t say anything. If he knew what was going on, he didn’t need explanations. He also remained silent, but his hug never lost strength. After some long minutes he spoke, his voice soft and sweet “Everything is going to get better, and it will be alright”

“Really? I mean I know it will, but now I can’t find the positivity to think  like that, so say that again” He laughed dryly against her shoulder and repeated himself. 

She let him go when he said it for the third time as if it was a spell. Her hands went to her sides, but he held her from the shoulders as she could collapse. 

“Thank you for coming,  I don’t know what would I have done without you” He rubbed her shoulders making her look up at him. 

“Eunji, it doesn’t matter what happens with us or between us,  but I  will always be there for you, especially when crappy things happen to you” There was a soft glimmer in his eyes, a sweet severity that tried to convey what he was promising. 

And she wished strongly in her heart that this was a real promise. That this was more meaningful than cutting your finger and rubbing it with your friend’s cut finger. A spoken  pact instead of a blood pact. She thanked him again and hugged him because it was their only language for now. He answered the hug but it didn’t feel like the supportive hug from before. It was the signature of the pact. 

“What we have…can’t compare, it’s forever” He whispered against her ear, and at that time she didn’t question it. She didn’t obsess over the meaning of that phrase, because the meaning was clear to her.

Philia.

She didn’t know if she said it out loud or not, but she didn’t get an answer from him.

The days after her parents’ divorce were tough. Her mom was clearly affected but acted like she didn’t care, putting way too much attention on what she did or didn’t do. She wasn’t really used to that and by the fifth time, Eunji stopped her. She didn’t shout at her mom, she spoke to her very calmly, which to her surprise, angered her mom even more.

Kyung Soo didn’t come to visit her again. The feeling of his hug visited her quite often during the day, especially when things got complicated at home. At school, he would sit next to her at the library during lunch break and ask her how things were going. She always answered with a hopeful better.  

“Really?” He always  followed up. 

“Yeah, I’m trying to get used to it, I miss my dad a lot, and I still don’t know what is going to happen”

“With what?”

“My family, my mom, and dad…In less than two years I could move to Seoul to study. What's going to happen with my mom? She can’t stay alone, and now who is taking care of my dad? He can’t cook, he can’t wash his clothes, my mom and I spoiled him like a child” Kyung Soo grabbed her hand under the table and squeezed it tenderly. 

“You can worry, but there is nothing you can do, you can’t stop living your life, you can’t not study because of your mom, and your dad…he is an adult, he can learn how to cook, he has a mother who can take care of his meals, you will take care of them when they are old, but now they are perfectly capable adults who can take care of themselves” Kyung Soo always had that power. He wasn’t a man of a lot of words, ever. Because he didn’t fill the silence with shallow words and didn’t give opinions when nobody asked him. When he spoke it was because he had something to say. And he was always accurate. 

“I don’t think I can do that”

“I know, you always worry too much about the people you love…and I’m not saying you should change that, that’s a beautiful thing, but you should always be the priority”

“So I should go on with my life?” He nodded. 

“I talk with my dad every day and he is managing”

“See, things aren’t that bad, it’s going to take a while to get used to it I guess, but this is not your problem, the most you can do is support them” She wanted to thank him for his words but the ring of the bell ate her words. He released her hand, cursing loudly. He explained to her in a hurry about forgetting to ask for the book he needed for the next class and went to talk with the librarian. She left in a hurry too, but before her class started, she made sure to text him a simple thank you. He answered with a smiley face.

When she expressed these same worries to her boyfriend, his answer wasn’t the same. He just didn’t know what to say. Junmyeon did his best to support her and understand her. But his young self wasn’t ready to deal with a slightly depressed girlfriend. She didn’t blame him. Their relationship was pretty much two friends who made out and had some fun when their parents weren’t at home. They never had deep talks and she never really shared her deep thoughts with him. He wasn’t the type. 

“Are you going to be better without me?” He asked playfully when she told him that she wanted to break up. 

“Don’t say it like that, I just feel like I need to be alone”

“I understand” His cute peach cheeks told her that he really did. 

“I’m sorry” She apologized,  several times.

“Don’t be, this was great, I had a great first girlfriend, I couldn’t ask for more”

“You were an amazing boyfriend too Junmyeon, an amazing friend” He hugged her pulling her to his chest, he knew it was her favorite. 

“Are we still that? Friends?” She promised him that they were. One part of her heart, if it had the ability to do more than pumping blood, was always going to love him.

She didn’t want to be part of a statistic, but her parents’ divorce detonated a change in her. It was time to become an adult. In the sense of being responsible about herself. She needed to grow up, make decisions and ensure her own happiness.  Kyung Soo’s words were a big influence on this decision.

Often at school, he would check on her. A ‘How are you doing?’  as they passed each other, a short talk during lunch. Despite how short they were, he was the only one asking. He was the only one who heard her honest words. One afternoon she found him alone in the art room cleaning his brushes and tools. She was actually looking for him, but for some reason kept repeating to herself that it was an accident. She needed to talk to someone.  As soon as she entered the room Kyung Soo noticed her bothered face. 

“You don’t look your best, something happened?” She sat in a stool next to the window. 

“I don’t think I have look my best in a while Kyung Soo “

“I dare to disagree, but what happened?” After school she did something she had been pulling off for a while. The one on one interview with her teacher about her future. 

“She asked me if I was still considering medicine because one time she asked me what I wanted do become,  I panicked and I said doctor “

“You want to be a doctor?!” There was a mixture of surprise and disgust in his question. 

“No of course not, I told you I panicked, so today when she asked me again I told her what I really want to do”

“And that is?” She was sure he knew it. 

“A writer” He nodded smiling softly. 

“Then why that face?”

“She is going to tell my mom for sure and my mom doesn’t know, she thinks I’m going to become something profitable like an engineer or a lawyer, I’m scared of her reaction, I don’t want her to attack  my passion “

“Are you clear about where you are going to study?” She nodded. 

“Are you clear how you are going to pay for said education?”

“I think I can get a scholarship” He finished drying his hands with a lot of calm and brought a stool in front of her. 

“I know how secretive you are about your writing for that same reason, and I know how your mom is, she is a great woman, but she doesn’t have a way with words”

“What would you do?” He straightened his back, crossing his arms and adopting a thinking face that she hasn’t seen in so long, so, so long. It was the same, the same face she saw so many times before. 

“If you are confident, and if there are possibilities of studying for free I say you should do it, and also I know your parents, they are going to be mad or whatever for a couple of days and then they are going to let you do whatever you want”

“You are saying I’m worrying for nothing”

“I would never say that, I’m telling you to go for it, you can” A knock on the door took away his focus on her and their conversation was cut short, he had to go somewhere. She felt like staying in that room for a little longer just staring at the paintings of the members of the art club. She stopped him as he was leaving the room, needing to ask a question which could fuel her resolution. 

“Kyung Soo, are we still friends?” There was shock for a second in his face, his eyes betrayed him. 

“Yes, we never stopped being friends Eunji, things needed to change a little bit, but we are still friends” Her throat tightened up, but her chest felt full. As if the emotion was grabbing her by the neck and relief was pumping her chest.  

That night she barely slept. As soon as she arrived at her house she talked with her mom about her plans. Of course she didn’t react well. 

“You still write?” She couldn’t blame her mom for asking that. There was no way she could know. She never shared that side of her with her parents. 

Her dad was supportive, maybe out of guilt, but she didn’t get full support from either of them. She needed to give them some time to process it, as Kyung Soo said. But that wasn’t what was keeping her up. What kept her up was her newfound friendship with Kyung Soo. Their relationship went from a hundred to zero and now back to a hundred. Or maybe fifty. They still didn’t meet as often as they used to. But being able to talk again with him. Opening up to him and finding a trustful ear was marvelous. That evening, as she was talking with the night, she noticed that their friendship was one of those connections where they could start from where they left. No need to catch up or regain confidence. It felt as if they had press pause, went to do whatever they needed to do, and now they were pressing play.

Of course now they were different. More mature, with different issues to discuss. She felt a bit guilty that she was the only one opening up, needing help. She didn’t ask him how he was doing. Maybe he had issues too, and he was only focusing on her. That was a very common thing in Kyung Soo, but now she was older and less demanding than the 8 years old Eunji. The next time they met she was going to ask him how he was doing. This year was a big one for him, and maybe he was going through some issues just like her.

 The next Monday she was washing her teeth when she heard someone knocking at the door. Her mom went to open it and she could hear her from upstairs greeting the early guest with a lot of enthusiasm. It was Kyung Soo.

From then on, he picked her up every day so they could walk to school together. She did what she promised to herself and asked him. Anything. He answered all her questions and they held 15 to 20 minutes conversations every morning. They weren’t telling each other all the things that happened during those years where they lost contact. They were learning the new sides of this old friend.

 It was her birthday when something she feared happened. It was a fear that her mom injected on her several years ago when she and Kyung Soo were just kids. 

One day after she answered on her school homework that the person she loved the most was her friend Kyung Soo her mom said, jokingly. 

“Eunji, careful with falling in love with that little Bee, you could lose him” She loved her mom, but she was a master of saying the wrong things all the time. That day, when she was 7 years old, her mom came up with that brutal sentence. If falling in love with him would result in losing him, she was going to make sure to never see him as more than a friend. But that day, when she turned 16, the thing she feared happened. She noticed that the feeling she had for him wasn’t Philia anymore.

She didn’t want to have that conversation with herself. 

“When did you start loving him, Eunji?”.  No. 

Because the answer, whichever it was, could mess with the image she had of herself. If she had been in love with Kyung Soo since she was a child, what was Junmyeon? Before her head could answer, she stopped herself. She didn’t need that answer. It didn’t matter. The thing was that she was now in love with her best friend. 

After celebrating in the morning with her friends at her house Kyung Soo came to pick her up. 

“Let’s go Fly, we have one hour to arrive there, past 3pm we have to pay” She was just bidding goodbye to Junmyeon when he got in through the back door. He pushed the brakes when he saw her ex standing there. She wasn’t sure if he knew that they weren’t dating anymore. 

“Oh sorry. You guys have plans?” Junmyeon answered, all smiles and glowing cheeks. 

“No, we already celebrate, I was just leaving, good to see you Kyung Soo”

“Same” It didn’t sound like he felt the same though. Eunji took him to the door and wished him a safe trip back home, glad that she could celebrate a birthday with a friend.

Kyung Soo was in the kitchen nibbling on some leftovers from the celebratory breakfast. 

“Your English friends?”

“Yeah, we always do this” He grabbed a piece of fruit cake and put it in his mouth, it surprised her how he managed not to choke. 

“Did I miss something about Junmyeon and you? You two didn’t look like a couple” Years of experience allowed her to understand what he was saying. 

“We broke up some months ago, we are still friends tho”

“I feel crappy for not knowing” She played it down and went to grab her jacket.

 During the one-hour bus ride to the next town and before the birthday outing began, Kyung Soo made it very clear that he was penniless. So, they were going to do only free things. 

“I can buy you lunch, but I can only pay for a happy meal”

“I haven’t had one in a while, I like it, can I keep your toy?”

“Sure, birthday gift” In all these years of them being friends, then not so much, and now back to being friends again, this was the first time they shared a day like this, doing something both loved. First stop was the museum. Kyung Soo wanted to visit a biennial of media art at the contemporary museum. 

“Why media art? You are a fine arts kind of guy”

“I like using old techniques, but I hate fine arts themes, I’m seeking for inspiration regarding current matters, also I can’t deal with computers, so for me, all this media pieces look so hard and complicated, I like it” He kept being talkative like that for the two hours they spend in the museum. 

He commented on all the pieces with her, either monologuing or debating with her. She loved it. There were about 11 videos, and as engaging and beautiful they were, she was still a bit tired when they got inside the last room. The video had just started and the room was empty. In the middle of the room there were a couple of mats and pillows so people could sit down and watch. She went straight to the mat and laid down on it. Kyung Soo copied her action and laid down next to her. The beautiful images of Lofoten Islands and relaxing sounds of the sea that the video showcased got her in a peaceful trance. She wasn’t sleepy, but her body was fully relaxed now, and her brain had slowed down. Still, the words of the biologist on the screen brought tears to her eyes. Kyung Soo sighed heavily next to her when the video was over, and then turned around, resting on his right arm. Half of his body was hovering above her, his chest and face too close to her body. She couldn’t see his face since it was dark inside, the room slightly illuminated by the blue light of the video. She knew he was looking at her, but he was silent. The sound of the waves kept playing in the background as she felt his hand brushing hers, playing with her fingers. 

“You look really pretty,” He said, still hidden by the darkness “Did you cry?”. 

Answering yes or no suddenly became an impossible task after being caught off ward by his comment. It drove her crazy not being able to tell if he was smiling, frowning or just staring at her with a blank face. That could change the meaning of his words drastically. 

“I did” She answered, but her shock was louder, she was sure. 

“Me too, that was so scientific but also packed with poetry, amazing, you mind if we watch it again?” She agreed and he went back to his previous position, this time resting his head on her shoulder.  The second time she couldn’t watch the video. She completely forgot about its existence. She could only look at the top of his head. His hair tickled her cheek. She could only sense his smell and his warmth. But above all that, she could feel and hear her heartbeat, shocking her and deafening her. Loud as drums and scary like a storm. This wasn’t the first time she felt like this, so she knew what it was, what it meant. 

“Let’s go, we have one more exposition to see '' He stood up and pulled her up with him. They walked out of the room, needing a couple of minutes to adjust to the bright light.

 He locked arms with her and walked her to the next room. That exposition, in particular, was way past her level of comprehension. It was just a bunch of silly videos for her, but Kyung Soo was analyzing every bit. She listened carefully, and whenever she stood in front of a video and he walked away, he would come back, grab her hand and pull her with him to the next piece. He didn’t let go of her hand. He wasn’t holding it tightly, just locking his pinky with hers. When he did it for the first time, she had to look at their hands just to check if it was happening or not.

On one hand she was so grateful that he was seeking for her, on the other she was sure that by the end of the day she was going to have some kind of heart failure.

But at the same time, it was so exciting. It wasn’t the first time he would act like this with her. When they were kids Kyung Soo told her she was pretty several times, and he held her hand whenever they were outside.

But they weren’t kids anymore.

After the museum, he took her to a book shop so they could do something she enjoyed. They walked several streets so they could visit her favorite bookshop “We spend about three hours at the museum, I’m willing to spend three hours here for you”

“Gee, thank you, you know I can spend three hours here right?”

“I know, that’s why I’m telling you” As she followed him around the museum, he followed her around the bookshop. 

She would grab books she had already read, and comment on them. Kyung Soo would grab books too, based on how cool the cover was and ask her if she had read them. They whispered to each other all the time, under an accomplice aura. She loved it. 

She was going through the sci-fi section when she lost track of Kyung Soo. The library was a little bit packed at that time. She shouldn’t have let go of his hand, he still had a talent to get lost. She searched around with a soft smile on her lips, the memory of a 5-year-old Kyung Soo pouting and wide-eyed, waiting for her to find him, kept humoring her from the past. She found him in the poetry section on the second floor. 

“Old habits don’t die uh?” She told him, sitting next to him on the floor. 

“I wondered and ended up here, on my defense, I don’t cry when I get lost anymore” She patted his back and asked him what he was looking at. He had a small stack of books next to him.

“These books are not very expensive, I can get you one”

“You don’t have to, the happy meal and the museum date was enough” He shrugged it off and insisted. When it came to getting a new book, she wasn’t hard to convince. His selection wasn’t bad, although she had half of them. She ended up picking up a selection of poems from Sapho, a simple yet feminine edition. Kyung Soo grabbed it happily and took it to the register and paid for it. It was already a bit late and if they wanted to grab a seat on the bus, they needed to be quick.

Kyung Soo read her new book on their way home, taking pictures of the poems he liked. 

“You have something similar to this at home?”

“Yeah, I have another book of Sappho and other female authors”

“Borrow them to me” She never had issues borrowing her books, even if it meant losing some of them. She invited him to her place, her mom gave them dinner and then they went to her room so Kyung Soo could check her books and take some of them. He got a call from his mom asking where he was and only then they noticed it was past midnight. 

“I’m going to stay here with Eunji for a little longer” He told his mom and hung up. He didn’t even ask her, she didn’t dislike that. Her mom came to check on them a couple of times until sleep was stronger than her and she went to bed. Eunji wasn’t sure if she was just checking if they needed something or if she was checking if what they were doing was Christian enough. As if anything like that could happen. 

Kyung Soo convinced her to watch a movie he had recently watched. She was sure that they would both fall asleep during the movie, but he insisted and she has never been able to say no to him. The movie was so good and engaging that by four in the morning it was over, and they were wide awake. Awake but hungry. They went downstairs and got themselves some snacks and the entire bottle of coke. They chatted for a little while until Kyung Soo got serious. He fumbled with his fingers a little bit, locked eyes with her and then looked down again. She gave him time, not even daring to wonder what he had to say. If he was nervous, she had to stay calm. 

“I decided that I’m not going to L university, I gave it a lot of thought and the way they select their students and also the way they plan their classes does not fit me” He was right. L university was everybody’s choice because it was close to their town, so it was cheaper. It was known also for how easy it was to get in, but how hard it was to stay. Also, if he wanted to study arts, L university wasn’t the best. 

“Where are you going then?”

“I did some research and the Seoul Institute of the Arts is my best option” Seoul. That was almost 10 hours away by bus. He was going to spend money on rent for sure. 

“You are moving to Seoul?”

“Yeah, next week I need to go for my personal interview and after that, I will know if they accept me, but I’m sure they will accept me, I was scouted in one of our art fairs and I send some of my work and they liked it, so…I’m confident” Another difference between L University and the Seoul Institute of the Arts was how hard was to get in it. They didn’t care about your grades, nor did they have an entrance exam. If they liked your work, you were in. And if they really liked your art you were in and with a scholarship. Kyung Soo was scouted and had one foot inside the institute.

“I don’t want to congratulate you and jinx it, but I can tell you that I am really proud” He giggled shyly and thanked her. 

“So you are not going to be here next year”

“No, I’m going to leave during the summer” The word leave weighed heavily on her chest. It was a terrible one. There was nothing more she could say. And Kyung Soo didn’t ask her more. He climbed on her bed and rested his head on her pillow, snuggling. 

“I don’t want to leave my life here, but I can’t keep living it if I don’t go”  

“You are right” She crawled to his side and sat on the floor facing him. 

“I just feel like we are all so young for so many changes, our brains can’t be ready for all this…but also, our parents went through this, our parents’ parents too, so it can’t be that horrible”

“Of course not, and we are luckier than them, my dad couldn’t go to medical school because of money, your mom wanted to be a teacher, but her dad didn’t let her…not like us who got to decide what to do, and we couldn’t choose more uncertain paths in life, an artist and a writer” Eunji covered her mouth to tone down her laugh. Kyung Soo was right, and they should celebrate their freedom. 

“Have you decided where you want to study? With your grades you can go anywhere you want”

“I have some options, but I’m planning on deciding next year”

“Since I’m not going to be here you are going to have a lot of free time…what? Why did you get sad all of a sudden?”

“How can you ask why? I just got you back and now you are leaving” There were less dramatic ways to express what she was feeling, for sure, but she was being honest. 

“Eunji, I never left so how could you get me back, we just…I don’t know, what happened to us Eunji?” He grabbed on to her pillow with much strength hiding his face and sighing with something close to frustration. 

“There were days where I missed you so much, I needed to do and say things I couldn’t do with my friends…and you were across the street, but I just couldn’t do it, things weren’t as before, and I knew that you would treat me like before, that everything would go back to what it used to be, like now, but I just couldn’t, I was afraid and embarrassed” She reached for his hand and grabbed it. 

“I missed you too, so much, but also our time apart allowed us to do so many things and met so many people…and when I needed you the most, you came, and we are back to how it used to be” He raised his face slowly and looked at their hands. 

“That night, after your mom called mine telling her what happened, I didn’t think about it twice and came here, and now here we are” He rested his head on the pillow again and looked at her with a sweet, sleepy smile. 

“You have a point when you say that you never left…we remained friends” He nodded, closing his eyes.

“Now you get it,” He whispered playfully. 

The hand she was holding felt softer, more relaxed and when she looked at his face it was clear he was asleep. Why bother waking him up? He was tired, it was too late, and this wasn’t the first time they shared a bed. Of course, in the past, her bed had a Barbie bedspread and her ceiling was covered in glow in the dark stars. Now her bedspread was gray and her ceiling naked. But the feeling in her room was the same from 10 years ago. Homey, safe and happy.

She took off her sweater, brought a blanket and laid next to him, covering both with it.

She faced his back and made sure to stick to the wall, so she wouldn’t bother him. His back and nape looked so manly from behind. His silky black hair falling onto her pillow, his breathing, a bit loud, filling her silent room.

He was so big now. An almost grown-up.

The Bee was gone long ago. Now he was more of a bumblebee. She giggled quietly to her own thoughts. .

She drifted off to sleep feeling that bursting sensation inside of her. The feeling of loving someone. Of loving him.

She woke up early with the sound of her mom’s voice. She opened her eyes and found her with her phone taking pictures. 

“This was a throwback” She whispered to a still half-sleep Eunji. She tried to explain herself, but her mom wasn’t interested. 

“I’m glad you guys are still friends…make sure to serve him some breakfast ok? I’m leaving for work” Before she could answer, her mom left looking at the pictures she had just taken. 

Eunji turned around on her bed a couple of times and then got up. It was early and she had probably slept 3 to 4 hours, but she was fully awake now. Kyung Soo on the other side was still asleep. She went to the bathroom, took her time, and when she came back Kyung Soo was moving around her bed, turning from one side to the other, grasping to the last seconds of sleep. She sat on her desk and did her best to comb her hair into a bun. Some hairs were sticking out, but it was under control. 

“Eunji, stay there, let me take a picture” She jolted on her seat and froze on her spot, reacting to the urgency in Kyung Soo’s voice. She asked him several times what it was, but he only insisted on her staying still. He stood up and grabbed his phone from her desk where it was charging. In the reflection of her mirror, she could see him standing behind her and pointing his camera to her nape. 

“You are taking a picture of my neck?”

“Your nape, yes, Can I paint it?” He stood next to her and showed her his phone with her picture.

“Why do you want to paint it?”

“It looks very cute, and the nape is one of the most attractive things in the human body” She chuckled and looked at her picture, it looked quite cute if she could say so. 

“That’s your subject, the human body?”

“I think so”

“Ok, you can paint it, but unnamed” Kyung Soo frowned in doubt. 

“I was planning on naming it Eunji, or Fly…but if that’s your only request, unnamed it is” Kyung Soo called her pretty yesterday and now was saying that her nape was cute. She wasn’t used to compliments, and she knew that his were obviously an exaggeration. But she could take them and believe them for a couple of days or weeks.

Kyung Soo stayed for breakfast and then left the  house without a word, only giving her a hand signal.

Before lunch, she got a text for him thanking her for the food, the company and the beautiful day they shared.

She answered hoping that they could do that again before he moves to Seoul. Kyung Soo answered – I will not leave your side for the rest of the year -

Two weeks before his graduation he got a call from the institute telling him that he had been accepted. It was settled that his departure was going to be in the middle of the summer, a month after his graduation.  

He wasn’t lying when he told her that he wasn’t going to leave her alone. She still met her friends regularly, but whenever she was at home, Kyung Soo was there. If she was studying, he was on his cellphone or sketching. Whenever he went downtown to buy art supplies, she would come with him. They were coming back to an old routine that for sure she was going to miss in the future.  

And with every day they spent together, the love for him kept growing. Kyung Soo had become a second home, a safer and more supportive one. He was polite with everybody around him. Watching him interact with his friends, so lovingly yet stern was a new side that she didn’t see very often. With her, he was just sweet. He always had the right word, the right touch, he even appeared just when she needed him. One time she asked him if he could read her mind and he only grinned and said maybe.

There were different kinds of love and different degrees of love. She never stopped to think about how much she loved him or how. She wasn’t interested. There was no point in facing anything if he was about to leave. But the main reason why she refused to fully acknowledge her feelings was fear. Fear of being rejected and breaking their bond.

She was never too brave. Especially now as an almost adult. If the five-year-old Eunji could possess her current body she would cross the street, go to Kyung Soo’s room, grab his cute face and kiss him on the lips. But the old Eunji disappeared years ago, and the new one was shy and a coward.

But she was cautious and strong. So, whatever happened she was sure she would be able to deal with it. Deal with anything but heartbreak. Missing him, she could handle that much. Losing him for a sudden love confession, that would break her.

And also, there was no rush.

She didn’t mark on her planner his moving day. She didn’t need to remember it. The day before his friends organized a party in a restaurant and they invited her. She really didn’t want to go, she had come out with an excuse when Kyung Soo called her asking if she was coming. 

“I thought it was a surprise party”

“It was for like ten minutes, I found out what they were planning in a heartbeat, go please” She complained by groaning his name in annoyance. 

“Please, I know you find them funny, and they like how chill you are, you just have to go, eat and speak once in a while, nothing more”

“Ok”

“I promise that I’m going to make you sit next to me so you don’t have to do small talk” She ended up agreeing, and of course she didn’t regret it. 

The party was more of a gathering. They ate and laughed loudly. Telling different stories about them with Kyung Soo, commenting on where he beat them and with what. Some of them cried thinking about him leaving, some of them made him promise that he would visit them often to which he refused. 

“I don’t think I’m going to be able to visit very often, it’s a 10-hour drive from there, plane tickets are expensive, also, I’m going to be an art student, I’m going to have money for art supplies and maybe food, that’s it” He was answering to his friends, but that was for her too.

She wasn’t going to be able to see him too often.

The next morning she woke up after one hour of sleep. She arrived late from the party, but once she laid on her bed sleep refused to take over. At one point she gave up and began reading.

Kyung Soo’s dad was going to drive him to the bus station at 8 o’clock. It was 6 am. She went to take a shower, washed her hair and then sat on her bed for almost an hour covered in her towel, just staring at her wall. Her mind went from completely blank to being filled with the image of Kyung Soo and the sound of his voice. She was already feeling homesick.

Her hair had already dried when her mom knocked at her door. 

“Let’s go and say goodbye to Kyung Soo” Her mom was holding an envelope against her chest, Eunji looked at it raising an eyebrow. 

“This is a bit of money to help him settle, it’s the only thing I can do…and also, next year you are going to go through the same I suspect, so…”

“That’s very nice of you mom” She looked happy with her compliment and hurried outside the house. Her neighbor’s door was open, the car parked outside, and she could see them chatting in the living room. Eunji’s mom went inside and she just followed her. Kyung Soo’s mom was teary-eyed and ran to hug her friend, Kyung Soo and his dad laughed lovingly at her. Eunji felt a bit awkward and was kind of grateful that she didn’t hug her, she was sure she would cry with her.

“Our kids are leaving us, it’s happening  too soon” She said between sobs. 

“Now we only have Eunji”

“Yeah, but don’t get too attached, she would be leaving next year” Her mom joked, hugging her friend. 

“But you guys have each other at least” Kyung Soo commented standing next to her. 

“I’m leaving Eunji here, and going there alone” His mom released Eunji’s mom and went to hug her son sobbing about how her baby was going to be all by himself. 

“Mom, I was joking, I’m going to be alright” Despite Kyung Soo’s mom crying, which was expected, there was a very light atmosphere at his place. He had already packed everything and was enjoying a snack before heading to the station. He looked relaxed, excited to leave and answered his parents’ questions over and over again, with patience. 

They asked him at least 10 times if he took the credit card with him and he answered the 10 times with his signature calm. Eunji did her best to copy, to absorb some calm from him, but on a scale, she was closer to his mom’s mood than his. She did her best to act natural. Laugh when needed, hold a conversation. But she could hear her voice softer, trying to go past her tight throat.

“Eunji, before I go, come to my room with me” She followed him upstairs and walked inside his room. The shelves were half empty and the open doors of his wardrobe showed empty shelves and hangers. 

“I was going to take my blankets but my mom forbade me to do so, she said that the bed had to be ready for when I come to visit” She sat on his bed and smiled at him, finding his mom’s way of thinking so adorable. Kyung Soo moved around his room, probably checking if he was forgetting something, her eyes following him as he moved. She felt so jealous of him. So jealous of his peace. He stood in front of her with his hands on his waist looking down at her with a soft smile “Are you ok?” She shook her head. 

“Are you sad because I’m leaving?” She nodded looking away. Kyung Soo was going to say something, but his dad interrupted them by calling him from downstairs. It was time to leave. 

She felt so desperate, as the time with him was running short. Kyung Soo grabbed her hands and made her stand up. 

“Have you thought about studying at the Seoul Institute?” His voice was rushed. 

“I have”

“I don’t want to push you, it’s your decision, but it would be great if we went there together”

“It would depend…I need to get a scholarship otherwise it’s going to be impossible” He insisted that she wasn’t pushing her decision and she wasn’t going to recognize that a part of her would kill to go there and not have to miss him. 

Kyung Soo didn’t let go of her hands and kept rubbing them with his thumb. She wanted to put her hand on his chest. Maybe his face wasn’t giving too much away, but his heart, his heart must be showing it. He had to feel something right now, he was leaving. He must feel at least half, even a third as sad as her. Her hands were itching to touch him, to bring him to her. Kyung Soo was a step ahead. He hugged her, bringing her to his body slowly, taking his time to envelope her with his arms and rest his chin comfortably on her shoulder.

And she felt it.

In his breathing, in his hold. His heartbeat matched hers. His hold was tight and desperate and his voice sounded low and so close to her ear as if he didn’t want to share this with anyone, not even the walls of his room. 

“See you soon Eunji”

“See you”

“Take care” His arms held her tighter and she did the same. 

“You too, if you need anything, call” His laugh rumbled against her chest. 

“What could I need from you, money?” She hit his back playfully. 

“I’m broke, but you know…”

“I know, I will call…I’m gonna try not to bother you too much” Eunji pulled apart and held to his upper arm, putting together all her effort to look serious and try to send along a message that she knew she was not going to be able to say, but maybe, just maybe her eyes would be able to express. 

“Kyung Soo, bother me all you want” His eyes went wide for a quick second and then a smile took over. He didn’t laugh, so it wasn’t funny to him, his smile was more of a thankful one. 

“That was very cool Eunji, ok, I will call” He hugged her again, quickly, so she didn’t have the chance to hug him back.

The farewell was short, they were a little bit behind schedule. He hugged her again and this time she was quicker, hugging him back and not letting him go for five seconds. 

 +++++

She wished for their love story to be a Shakespeare comedy, ups and downs, a little misunderstanding, lovely characters but with love as the champion of the story. But early after Kyung Soo’s departure, she realized that this was a Bronte novel. All of the Bronte sisters. Because, there was a possibility that love could win in the1 end, but in the middle, there was going to be a lot of drama.

With the divorce of her parents, she noticed something about herself, and now with the recent events, she confirmed it. She was terrified about the uncertainty of change. If her life kept moving on as it was, she could easily predict the future. And that was perfect. She wasn’t a fighter, she didn’t function well under pressure. A predictable tomorrow gave her confidence. When her dad left, the global image she had of her future changed and it became uncertain. And now with Kyung Soo leaving, again her future became uncertain. There were so many options, but just one of them meant full happiness for her.

Her mood, her private mood, the one that showed in the loneliness of her room, during bus and car rides or when her day became dull, changed too soon for her own taste. She thought she would make it for a month or two and just then she would begin missing him. But sadly, it wasn’t the case. The next day she sat at her couch and stared at the door of his house hoping that yesterday was a dream.

If they hadn’t gotten closer again, she wouldn’t be like this. So at least she had that. She missed him because they were friends again, and during those days they spent together she developed a love for him that was something to be cherished. These kinds of feelings were a double-edged weapon. Loving someone was always a blessing, but love brought a kind of pain that she wasn’t ready to feel. With her love, came the nostalgia, the silent ache, the need to cry out loud or to be sitting completely quiet. This was terrifyingly new. Her first love didn’t teach her about this. Her relationship with Junmyeon was pain free. It didn’t toughen her up.

 On the days that came, she began wondering about his changes. When they cross paths again, what new colors would Kyung Soo have? She begged for him to not forget her. To not forget his affection for her. She was sure her affection wasn’t going to change. If anything, a year away from him could only feed her love for him and make it grow and grow. Holding onto her feelings, she went back to the scenes she shared with him. All of them. Just to feed her hope or fire her melancholy.

Her mood towards the others didn’t change too much. She still did great at school. Her relationship with her mom was the same, just avoid confrontation. Her relationship with her dad was the same, just give him enough information about herself.

She hung out with her friends, which was one of the two things that kept her spirits up. Her friends kept her busy. With them she laughed, she joked, she sang and danced, went out for food or to just kill time. And she enjoyed it, she really did. But Kyung Soo, as a ghost, appeared always in her thoughts and almost materialized in front of her. When she laughed, she imagined him laughing. When she joked, she imagined him hiding his laughing face behind the closest shoulder. When she sang and danced, she imagined him watching her, cheering, mouthing the lyrics with her.

She wanted to read, but she knew that every book that could pass through her eyes would be tarnished by her current reality. She could remember where she read every single book, so of course, she remembered what was happening in her life at the time she read any specific book.

 The month before he began his classes, the messages and video calls were customs. Those video calls made her weaker inside. She couldn’t reach for his arm or bump her shoulder with his. The small screen didn’t make justice to his cute face either. And reading his messages with his voice didn’t help. Not being able to meet him and have a normal conversation frustrated her immensely.  

Autumn lasted a couple of weeks, as always, and then a winter that lasted half a year arrived.

The rain gave her peace. She always preferred winter over summer. Winters were long in her town, so she had to learn to love them. Kyung Soo reminded her of winter. He looked like summer but felt like winter. He was comforting but wild and thunderous sometimes.

As her friends made her forget for a little while, writing made her turn her sadness into something.

She began writing obsessively.

One time at a workshop they told them to “Use your sadness, the best things would come from your extreme happiness and extreme sadness”. That sounded stupid to her. She hated the idea of romanticizing sadness or depression. 

But she had to recognize now that her best things came from her sorrow, melancholy and yearning. Not one of her stories was sad, quite the opposite. She went to happy, brilliant, magical places just to keep her feelings away. In every short story she wrote, she created a character that was Kyung Soo. Could be a time-traveling neighbor, a coffee shop owner or a voice coming from a tree in the forest. They were all little pieces of him that she kept to herself.

His first calls were only enthusiasm about everything. After some weeks stress made its debut, and then she began to notice how he lost weight and how his eyes now had a darker companion under them. He spoke about due dates, some teachers being a bit square and expensive art supplies. Of course, he spoke about good things too. His classmates, his roommates, the Friday nights and the great art scene in Seoul. He always said how he wished she was there.

As the year went by his calls were shorter until there were none. His text went from one every day to one every week. She expected that much, so it didn’t hurt too much. She could understand why he stopped writing and calling. But when two weeks passed and he didn’t write to her, she broke down during dinner when her mom asked her about Kyung Soo. She dropped her spoon and dashed to her daughter’s side, terrified of seeing her cry. Eunji never cried in front of other people. She only did it when it was too much for her to handle. She kept calling her name, caressing her head. Containing her between her familiar and eternal arms. After she calmed down, her mom made her wash her face and took her to bed with a cup of tea on her nightstand. She laid next to her in bed and heard her in silence as she was finally relaxed enough to speak. Eunji was scared of sharing so much. Scared of being judged for her feelings, or being made fun of or even worse, she was scared of hearing her mom looking down on her feelings.

But she didn’t.

When Eunji finished talking her mom held her tighter, kissed her head and told her something she wanted to remember forever so she could pass it on to whoever needed it. 

“Eunji, you did something really amazing with Kyung Soo, you turned him into an immortal being because no one dies when they have been loved, love turns us into holly creatures, love is longer  than life” She began crying again, but not for Kyung Soo.

  From all of the stories she wrote during that year, she chose one to send to the Institute. If they liked it, she was in. If they really liked it, she was in and with a scholarship. Those were Kyung Soo’s words. 

“Look, and if you don’t get accepted, you go to L University, and you are going to be an hour closer to Kyung Soo” Her mom tried to cheer her up. 

“Mom”

“Eunji, take a joke, there’s no way you are not getting accepted, that story, thank you for letting me read it by the way” She commented ironically, because of course she didn’t let her mom read it  “I’m sure is an amazing story, I trust that you are a great writer as you are smart, and I know you are not doing this only for him, but if this stops you from crying like the other day, then do it” L university indeed was her second option, in fact, they already got in touch with her asking what options she was considering but her mind was settled on the Seoul Institute of Arts.

They did take their sweet time to answer though. She was waking up the morning after her graduation party when she got a call. Her mom picked up since she was going through an understandable case of dysphonia. She didn’t know her mom was such a teaser. Her face didn’t say good or bad news. She only answered with an assortment of A-ha’s and I see and when the call was over she put down the phone and crossed her arms. 

“Well Miss Eunji, you just saved your parents a big amount of money…you are in, with a full scholarship” She shouted, although it came out as a loud whisper, and jumped into her mom’s arms.

Now her life was back to being predictable. Uncertainty out of the window. At least for the next summer.

TBC

Notes:

Thank you so much to @xiuminscheeks​ for the beautiful mood board. 

The biennale is real, I visited it this summer, chef kiss, it was amazing. And here is the video I refer.  

The Seoul Institute of the Arts is real, but everything I wrote and write in the future about it is fake, just my imagination. Abut the entrance system, that’s how art school’s work in my country, no idea how it does in Korea. 

And last, check my cute playlist for this story. 

[kunderdogs]

KNK As Brothers

First time doing something like this and I had a fun time writing it! My siblings are close but not by much lol 

Jihun: The Best Friend

He’s your number one guy, no matter what

The type to be there, no questions asked

Always takes your side if you’re fighting with your parents

Will make sure you’re safe whenever you go out

Offering to pick you up and take you there

Waits up for your call so he can drive you to make sure you’re safe

Your very first friend

As children, you two rarely ever played with anyone else at the playground

You two rarely fight - you’re too similar

Doesn’t mind if you want to put make-up on him

Just don’t post it without his approval - needs you to have one with his good side at the least

Wants to screen everyone of your boyfriends/partners before he can approve of them

They have to meet certain criteria before they’re approved

If he sees you crying, he’ll comfort you immediately and want to know what’s wrong and how he can help

Will buy you a bunch of food to help you feel better

Cuddles like when you were children

No concept of personal space

Will barge into your room and flop on your bed when you’re laying down

Wants to have deep talks about anything

Confides in you the most

You’re first one he tells good news to

HUGS FOR EVERYTHING!!!!!!

The kind of hugs that lift you up and spin you around

Gives you his old clothes/things 

Sneaks you some spending money when you need it, even if your parents tell him not to since you always use it on snacks

Joking around with you like your one of his friends

Includes you in most of his plans and includes himself in yours

Especially if you’re going to get a pedicure, he’s like “I’M DOWN!!!”

Wants to do face masks with you and watch rom-coms since his friends don’t like that

Tells every single one of his girlfriends that you come before them and they find it cute until he ditches them on a date when you call him crying about your boyfriend

When you move out, he makes sure to make him a copy of your key and interrogates the security at your apartment building about every little detail. “Are those cameras in the elevator operational? How many break-ins have you had in the last two years?”

Will drag you to the gym with him when you stay too long on the couch

Complains about your driving even though you’re a better driver than he is

Buys you random things that remind him of you - like a stuffed lizard because it’s your favorite color

Seoham: The Gentle Protector

You can do no wrong to him

You’re perfect - it’s that simple

Almost fatherly in a sense

Wants only the best for you

Encourages you to do your best in school/work and pursue your dreams

Supports you 110% all the time

Will correct you if you need guidance but he does it lovingly

Takes you out on “sibling dates” when you were younger so you have high expectations of your future s/o

Probably won’t approve of anyone you bring home because no one can be good enough for their little sib

Looks intimidating but will pout and whine if you don’t want to talk about your problems with him

Doesn’t have good advice but he’s a great listener

Tells you men are terrible and encourages you not to date forever

Tries to have the birds and bees talk with you when you’re nine

Will panic when you get your period because he has no idea how to handle this new development so your parents are like “She’s the same person...just don’t be weird about it.”

Helps you play pranks on your other family members

Eventually you two have a prank war between you two

You thought you won until he replaced the sugar with salt one day when you were planning to make a cake for your friend

You were PISSED but had to acknowledge defeat at that point

He has a paper crown that says ‘KING OF PRANKS’

Gets you the oddest Christmas presents - like tire caps that are pink and sparkly

And a cereal dispenser - which you love but why the fuck would he get you that

Takes you to award shows so you get the chance to dress up

Whines that you’re too pretty and now he’ll have to shoo away all the guys from trying to hit on you

Glares at anyone who looks at you for too long

If you don’t do good in school, he’ll be very disappointed and blame himself

Tells you stop wearing his clothes if you’re gonna get make-up on the collars

Buys matching sibling shirts for you guys

Always smiling when you call/text/face time him

Wants to do holiday cards with you in those stupid onesies, even though you’re 28 years old

“You’re never too old for family pictures!!” “You’re 30 and wearing a Snoopy onesie...”

On your birthday, he’ll send you gifts at your school/work like big balloons or a flower arrangement

Brags about you to his friends even if they’ve known you for years

VERY affectionate

Will probably cry if you deny him a hug

Crying at your graduations

Cries when you get engaged

Crying the loudest when you get married like even more so than your parents

“You’ll always be my little sister.”

Dongwon: Overprotective

As your older brother, he feels the weight of the responsibility

You guys weren’t that close growing up since you’re girl

Didn’t know how to relate to you tbh

Asks your oldest brother for advice to be closer to you

Tries to be there for you but he gets distracted by his own life

Doesn’t let anyone bad mouth you EVER

Will stand up to anyone for you, even your own family

Has gotten into fights over some guy at school making an inappropriate comment about your skirt

Is so overprotective because he doesn’t want you to end up going down the wrong path

Goes about it the wrong way, let’s be real lol

If you try to sneak out, he’s on yo ass & will drag you back home

Will embarrass you in front of your friends and “your lil boyfriend”

“Who is this guy?” “Your BOYFRIEND? Hell no. Wait for me in the car.”

Lectures you about being responsible and focusing on school in order to be successful in life

You guys argue all the time when you’re teenagers/college age honestly

He’s so hardheaded and he doesn’t understand why you don’t see he’s doing this out of love

It takes your older brother to break it up and separate you two before you hurt each other feelings

Even though you do argue, he’s the first to make up. He can’t stay upset with you and it breaks his heart to see you crying because of something he said

He’ll buy your favorite food and apologize, wrapping you in his arms and kissing your head

You two get closer as you get older and you mature under both your brothers guidance

Thinks there’s no one in this world that deserves you so he won’t approve of anyone. You could bring home the nicest, kindest, sweetest guy and Dongwon would be like “Hm...I don’t like his vibe.”

HATES when you go out with your friends and will force his friends to come with him so he can keep an eye on you

Glares at anyone who tries to make a move on you, effectively keeping all potential suitors away from you

Is satisfied with himself when he grabs the drink some guy bought for you and downs it

Yep, he’s the one that will follow you on your first date and sit in the back of the restaurant with a hoodie and sunglasses on but you immediately spot him and sigh

Why is he like this

When he gets older, he will shower you in gifts to “make up” for him being an ass when you were younger

It makes you feel a little guilty but he got you a new macbook so you keep your mouth shut for the most part

Your relationship improves as you get older because he is more mature

Inseong: The “Twin”

Since you two are the youngest in the family, you guys are dotted on

But since you’re the baby, you get everything

He’s jealous of you when you two are children

He wants all the attention on him but then you were born

Asks your mom to return you when you were 3

Your oldest sister is the mediator but she goes thru puberty and you’re kind of on your own

Since you and Inseong are so close in age, you go to school together

He doesn’t speak to you much in school, you revolve in two different circles but he keeps an eye out for you 

Instead of him protecting you, you protect him and stand up for him since he’s too shy to say anything

He appreciates it a lot even if he doesn’t say much about it

One day a girl in his grade was making fun of how he laughs and she didn’t see you near by

So when you confronted her, it turned physical very fast and you were pulled off of her and sent to the principal’s office since you punched her first

Inseong heard about what happened and was worried about you but you were sent home before he could get to the office 

When he gets home, he’s relieved that you’re not hurt but he’s upset that you got into a fight for him. “You shouldn’t fight for me.”

“You’re my brother. I’d fight the whole school if they said something bad about you.”

He’s so touched, he’s crying in your arms now

You’re like wtf dude get a grip but just smile and tell him to be with you when you have to tell your parents what happened

After that you guys are inseparable - like twins

ALWAYS taking pictures of you and selfies with you two

Demands you take “candid” pictures of him. “Is it really a candid if you ask for it though?” “Just take it Y/N!”

He’s very cuddly with you and loves resting on you cause you’re tiny

Will buy you just about anything if you act cute to him

Complains when you steal his clothes & hoodies but doesn’t really care

He gives in to every suggestion you have

Mostly goes along with your bad ideas

Has to have you looking good in public because “you’re a reflection of me!”

Will be nervous if he brings a girl over to meet you and your older sister because he wants you two to approve of her and he knows how blunt you two are

Doesn’t want you to have a boyfriend because he doesn’t want you to “forget” about him

Pouts when you tell him you’re dating someone

HYPE man to the max

Will be bawling at your wedding then will sing “I Will Always Love You” by Whitney Houston but has to stop since he’s crying again

Asks to live with you after you get married because he misses you

You think he’s joking cause he laughed it off but he’s serious

He now lives 10 min walking distance from you

Heejun: The Bad Influence

Since y’all were so close in age, your parents made you do everything he did

If he played soccer, so did you

When he wanted to learn the guitar, you had to as well

You wanted to take dance classes? They signed him up too

Unfortunately for you, he was a boy wonder and excelled in literally everything, even the things you “forced” him to do

He’s always getting you in trouble though

In school or at home

Somehow manages to run and hide whenever someone is scolding you

One time, for a senior prank, he and his friends pulled the old ‘water bucket over the door’ trick on the dean and you somehow took the fall even though you were in class at the time

But it’s okay since you find him and beat him with whatever is in reach (backpack, math book, frying pan, your mother’s heels)

Always promises to make up for your suffering somehow

He’s still your favorite family member though

You two sneak out all the time

Some times to hang out with all your friends

Or he’ll drag you to a party

Heejun won’t let you drink underage though, HELL NO

Each time he sees you’ve some how managed to get another red solo cup, he’ll snatch it from you

Tries to set you up with his most responsible friend because he doesn’t trust none of the others honestly

Teasing the hell out of you for anything

“WooOOOOWW straight A’s? Your nerd is showing~”

Always screaming and making random noises that make you jump

Gets drunk one night when he’s in college and face times you at 3am to tell you that men are trash and don’t date anyone like him

Runs to you every time he has girl problems

He taught you how to hot wire a car and when you asked how he knew how to, he said “If I told you, I’d have to kill you.”

Play wrestles you when you least expect it

Like you’re just walking in your house and you’re tackled from the side and put in a headlock with him screaming “TAP OUT! TAP NOW!”

When he finds out you were crying over a boy, he’ll throw on a hoodie and call his boys, “We ride at dawn, bitches. We’ve got to hurt some people.”

Literally will beat your ex’s ass for cheating on you and will play innocent when you question him, even though his knuckles are red and bruised. “Hm? Oh, this? I...fell. Yeah, that’s what happened.”

Pouts when you won’t come to his band’s performance 

Literally will whine and bitch about how you don’t love him if you don’t come and watch him play for the millionth time

Is always showing you physical affection of some kind - arm over your shoulders, ruffling your hair, nudging you, kicking you softly when he wants your attention

Will toss ice on you if you don’t wake up when he wants you to

Is basically a little shit

Demands you name your first kid after him if you wanted kids

Is very offended when you have a girl and don’t name it Heejun

But he’s the best uncle honestly - so sweet and loving. 

Completely different than how he treated you

Your daughter is his princess and he’ll deadass fight you if you tried to take her home after he spent the day with her.

“So you think you can just come back into our lives after all this time?”

“Give me back my kid. I was at work.”

[0asis-sanctuary-0wn]

tarot cards predict my future husband..

i think it was in feb when a tarot reading video came on to my feed in youtube. i watched one and i honestly cannot remember the exact video i watched. so yeah and then i watched many videos about my love life but not consecutively.. it was during different times and i actually watched on different youtube channels to see if there will be a consistent message the universe wants to send me regarding my alleged future husband HAHA 

and to be honest these readings were at random. i chose from different piles of cards so it is not all the same. but luckily there is some similarities from the readings.

1. HOW WILL YOU MEET YOUR SOULMATE? (yt channel: supermoon tarot)

Cleaning house (getting life together), chariot, queen of swords, 6 of cups, 5 of cups, wheel of fortune, devil, strength card, queen of pentacles, king of pentacles, Cleaning creates momentum, the queen of sword in the chariot making it happen, no more excuses, has a plan, time that i am focused, six of cups (absolute satisfaction), they seem to pop up starting an event that benefits others, extremely satisfying that's when soulmate pops up 

Soulmate: opposite, breaking an addiction, loss, developed a bad negative habit, masked feeling

2. WILL YOU MEET YOUR SOULMATE IN 2020? (yt channel: charmed intuition tarot)

quick, unexpected, big yes

Tarot: The fool, wheel of fortune, 9 of cups

Other cards: let your friends help you, wedding, New beginning, adventure card, moon card (gaining momentum), transformation card, lily (positivity from each other, chance card (when u least expect it), expansion card (grow together, long term)

Charms: flexibility, go with the flow, unexpected surprise, letter I, spiritual connection, contrasting na hindi quick slowly din to open up, strong friendship, little getaways

3. WHO WILL I MARRY? (yt channel: charmed intuition tarot)

Cards: King of wands, king of pentacles (doctor, hard worker, perfectionist, very protective), excellent leader, magnetic personality, engagement card (territorial, propose quickly), let go of control issues, controlling, very passionate and romantic, bond over music, very financially well of, hard work paid off, hates being bored/lazy, treasure island (focused on my needs), 9 of pentacles (very focused on needs), very handsome, self confident, charming, excellent family man, work oriented, loyal, say things quickly, hyena card (very funny, sense of humor), jealous at times, possessive, head over heels, protective

Charms:Fire sign, masculine, passionate energy, family oriented, hard worker, focused on fantasy, committed, letters: DR doctor????? 

Physical feature:Black hair, green eyes, 

4. WHO WILL YOU MARRY? (yt channel: vision quest amal)

Already met?, pale skin, white skin?, north card, king of water (blue eyed fair skin), horse card (works out, likes to eat, strong, tall), king of swords, goblin (younger looking) baby face, mature, high up in career, very wise person, very hardworking, earth energy, very ethical at work, very happy at work, work with hands, loss card (alone for a long time), not a party animal, solitude card, high priestess, lost someone in the past, matured a lot, abundant, super super similar, sarcastic, sense of humor, way of talking, the bard card (really good at talking, history) king of sword (storytelling), older person, got stories to tell, immersed in their circle, different culture or country, very romantic, person wants you, cultural difference, religion in the way, conflict with family, 9 of cups, exciting relationship, great friends, high priest, immersion 

Words: Dream, coming, in time, beautiful, leave, old, game, bond, try

5. WHO IS YOUR FUTURE SPOUSE? (yt channel: vanessa somuinya) 

cards; Earth sign, crystals, water earth sign, persistent about goals (perform as well as possibly can), focused and determined, laser sharp focus, very passionate, im going to feel it, a lot of talents (never fail to suprise), new info that surprises you, done so many things, very responsible, family man/ person, nightingale spirit, flamingo spirit(embrace in between life), fire energy, very happy with their life, last minute type of person, think on their feet, nothing stresses them out, makes everything work, solution oriented, delight card, leadership card, loves responsibility, leader genuinely feel they protect others, gonna make you smile, loves to protect and guard love ones, not afraid to start a fight, strong protective instinct, healthy life (getting rid of toxicity), dont have an addictive personality 

6. How will you recognize your future spouse? (Lunar light tarot) 

Very focused on you, 8 of cups, high priestess in reverse, moon in reverse, blindsided, show up out of the blue, like a secret revealed, not gonna see it coming, the tower, claim relationship, gonna shake things up in your life, 2 of cups (amazing connection, full of surprises, spontaneous), cautious and nervous, high priestess inn reverse, meet in something not obvious, three cups in reverse unconventional place, unexpected, moon in reverse, nine of swords, might be at work, do similar work, someone has a change of job, king of pentacles, shift something for you, attentive, change things to fix things, prove through action that he deserves in your life, have anxiety and soothe that for you, really care for you, loving, caring, might give gifts, take to dates, do most of work in the relationship, lift you up in this relationship, 

Light colored hair, light colored eyes, life of the party, full of energy, full of life, passion, energy 

7. Who will you marry? (Brook waldorf tarot) 

Todoroki group

Fire sign, magician (manifesting), princess of wands (maid in waiting), waiting where is he/she, go out, go do something, get out more, two of wands (new path or old path, optimistic and getting out more) flipping of perspective, more optimistic, leo sagittarius aries, masculine energy, in charge, entrepreneur, self employed, humble person, very grateful, friendly, lovers card, commitment, instant connection, really balance with you, work well together, both want commitment, Step out of your comfort zone, manifesting this person, listen to intuition, peaceful resolution (maybe didnt work in the past life), heart to heart conversation, soulmate card (instant connection), fear of vulnerability, 

Hair: Light brown, dirty blonde, light platinum blonde

Eye color: wears colored contacts, brown

Zodiac: fire signs (leo, sag, aries)

Personality: tough love, cold, aloof (think todoroki), intense, compassionate/gentle, 

Style: average, high fashion 

Your wedding will be like: april and andy (parks and rec) Quick courtship, spur of the moment, simple and sweet, close friends and family only, marry your best friend

8. How will you meet your soulmate (charmed intuition tarot)

Anchor charm

Nine of wands, star card, world card, action, choose love, express you love

Beginning of something new, courage, feeling strong against the odds, after major shift and life change, major turning point in life, both had major change, relief, wish coming true, good connection, feeing hopeful and renewed, be more optimistic, least expected, dont prevent yourself from finding a person, very exciting, suspicious, nervous, new person, surprise, least expecting, fully being yourself, open and honest, Yes met at somepoint, hasnt been with similar experiences, 

Dive/action : you are gonna make the first move, 

recharge: January/February 2021

Charms: time, fire sign, initial contact thru phone, transformation, growth, finances, career, 2020 focused on goals, start talking this year, 5 of pentacles, feeling of loss, stuck, 2 of cups, 4 of swords (patience) rest, 2 horses, both single and independent, new beginning, spend a lot of time, new kind of person, working out with anxiety, pull from someone from the past, very understanding, wish come true, 

Rescue: helping you in a sense, 

J & W

[baldwin-montclair]

Baldwin’s Nightingale (Part 7)

Characters: Baldwin Montclair/OC

Timeframe: After the S1 Finale, TV Show canon only (haven’t read the books yet)

Summary: After an impulsive move to protect her guard, Alisha recovers whilst her ambiguous connection with Baldwin causes contention.

Tag requests: @christi14 @poemfreak306 @pookie-cleary

PART 1

PART 2

PART 3

PART 4

PART 5

PART 6

Alisha awoke to the beep of a machine near her.

“Uh, Baldwin...” a voice she didn’t recognise caught her attention and she opened her eyes to see a young male with unruly dark hair and youthful features.

Instantly she flinched away from the unfamiliar vampire.

“Alisha?” Baldwin’s voice helped make her feel more secure and she was faintly aware of a cold sensation on her hand.

“Baldwin? What...where am I?” She asked, realising he had covered her hand with his own.

“My apartment, it’s safer,” he explained, noticing her glance at Marcus, “this is Marcus, my nephew, he’s here to help.”

“Marcus, hi.” She replied and gave a small, awkward wave.

“Alisha, I’ve heard a lot about you.” He smiled but instantly stopped when he met Baldwin’s glare.

“You got me to your apartment after all.” She chuckled and sat up in the large, super-king sized bed.

Clearly he liked his space, or it was meant to be shared by more than one, or even two. She shook the thought from her mind, it wasn’t the time to get jealous of unproven exes, or current ‘distractions’.

“This is not a laughing matter!” He warned, sternly, his hand gripping hers.

“It’s really not,” she agreed, “how did you know to tell Christina about Guillermo?”

“I heard about Michael, I’m sorry.”

“Thank you, but how does that relate to that vampire coming after me?”

“There are creatures that we keep an eye on, we watch their movements and when I heard about Michael I did some digging, suspected he may be after you.”

“Done.” Marcus disconnected the drip beside the bed from the entry point into her hand. He capped it off and removed the small cannula needle from her hand, replacing it with a band-aid.

“What did you give me?”

“You’re suddenly concerned about ingesting unknown chemicals?” Baldwin’s annoyance was evident in his voice.

“Marcus?” She asked, ignoring Baldwin’s dig.

“Saline solution, you’ve been out almost a day.” He answered.

“Not blood?” She asked, relieved.

“He didn’t get the chance to drain you, but he would have, it was a stupid risk!” Baldwin got up, moving to the window, clearly trying to stay calm.

“I’ll be outside.” Marcus left with haste, his father’s temper was one thing but even Marcus could sense the steadily thumping heartbeat of anger coming from his uncle.

“Baldwin,” she started after a few moments, “did you-“

“Kill him? Tear his fucking head off for daring to touch never mind bite you? Yes, I did!” His manner was unusual, he was furious, almost manic and not the calm and measured Baldwin she had already become acquainted with.

“Like, literally?” She shimmied out of the opposite side of the bed from where he was standing and realised she was in just a way too baggy T-shirt and some bed shorts, tied tightly to keep them up.

Not exactly the sexy reveal she’d been hoping to surprise him with when the moment presented itself.

“Yes, literally, you need to understand the gross overstep this was. An attack on you is an attack on me.”

“He called me your pet, is that what I am now, your property?”

“In the time we’ve spent together,” he advanced on her, his hands gripping her upper arms, “have I at any point made you feel that way?”

She shook her head, embarrassed, feeling foolish for allowing her own self-consciousness to take heed of Guillermo’s taunt.

“No.” She averted her gaze.

“Then why would you ask me that?” He touched the side of her neck not bruised from the bite, his thumb resting just under her chin to tip her face to look at him.

“You know why!” She responded, the strength of the statement somewhat undercut by her vision growing slightly woozy and she felt strangely off balance.

“We’ll talk later, you need to eat something.” He told her, holding her steady the two steps back to the bed before pulling the covers back over her.

Alisha narrowed her eyes to indicate suspicion.

“Can vampires...” she stopped until he prompted her with a questioning quirk of his eyebrow, “cook?”

He surprised her for the second time with a genuine laugh, the kind that felt like an invisible exhale and she realised just how tense he’d actually been.

“Of course we can. We were human before remember?” He teased and turned to leave when she caught his hand and he stopped, turning back to look at her.

“Thank you.”

“Alisha-“

“You saved me.”

“I put you in danger.”

“No, you didn’t, he wasn’t after me because of you, he...” she paused, unsure, until she met his determined and concerned gaze.

“There’s something I have to tell you.” She answered just as Marcus entered with a tray. Baldwin stroked his hand over hers, letting her know it was okay for her to let him go, standing up when she did so.

“Broth, nice and healthy.” Marcus explained in a proud, chipper tone as he placed the tray over her knees.

“It smells amazing, Marcus, thank you.” She praised, noticing Baldwin leaving.

“Baldwin?”

“Whatever you need to tell me, it can wait until after you eat.” He answered, unable to keep some of the tense energy from creeping back into his demeanour.

“Music? That’s why Michael was killed?” Baldwin asked in disbelief as they gathered in the lounge. Alisha had an armchair to herself. Marcus was perched on the edge of a sofa and Baldwin paced behind it.

“It’s not just music, it was a code that Michael translated into music.” She explained.

“The code that was on a painting?” Marcus clarified.

“Not a painting, a Fresco, in Venice.” Alisha corrected.

“Why would vampires be interested in that?” Baldwin’s impatience was evident.

“I don’t know but Michael had been asking about the Fresco’s, there are three, he translated one and was in the process of the second one when...” she stopped.

“Do you need a break?” Baldwin asked gently, causing a surprised look from Marcus.

“No, I’m..I’ll be fine. I was going to say that he didn’t even get to see the third fresco because the property was recently sold to a vampire called Gerbert?”

It was obvious from the look Baldwin and Marcus shared they too were aware of him.

“Christina did needle him about being Gerbert’s lackey, which he denied.”

“Bit of a coincidence,” Marcus admits, “is Gerbert still in Madison?”

“We have no idea where he is. Knox and Satu returned empty handed but Gerbert did not accompany them.” Baldwin answered with barely concealed anger.

“Do you have a copy of the photo’s?” Marcus asked.

“No, Michael destroyed his computer to stop anyone finding the code.” She explained.

“The music, can you remember it?” Baldwin prompted.

“Yes but I need my-“ she stopped, eyes going wide in panic.

“It’s here, Christina mentioned it was important to you!” Baldwin reassured her and approached a table at the far end of the room, bringing the violin case to her.

“You play?” Marcus smiled.

“Incredibly well!” Baldwin answered.

“You exaggerate.” She lifted the violin to hear a rattle coming from inside.

“What the-“ she gently tried to get the object out from the f-shaped opening on the front and it fell into her hand.

A small USB drive with the word ‘Poppet’ written in sharpie on the front in Michael’s hand-writing.

“Alisha?” Marcus asked.

It was such a simple thing, a pet name, but it hit her like a sucker punch, the delayed reaction from fear and danger had waited long enough.

In no time, Baldwin took the instrument from her nerveless fingers and back into the case before crouching in front of her.

“What is it?” He asked gently and she showed him the drive with the writing on it.

“A USB drive.” Marcus stated, unsure of the issue.

“Michael,” she took a shuddering breath, “it’s...what he called me.” She stood, and looked around like a cornered animal.

“I just...I need a minute.” She headed for the bathroom, vaguely hearing Marcus and Baldwin argue behind her before she closed the door and slid down to sit, hugging her knees and crying in halted, gulping breaths.

“Take your fucking hand off me or so help me I’ll break it!” Baldwin growled when Marcus prevented him going after Alisha by grabbing the older vampire’s upper arm.

“Listen to me, you have to just let her cry it out, be there for her after but right now she needs to get it out of her system and she can’t do that in front of you.” Marcus reasoned.

Baldwin just glared and Marcus released him, holding up his hands in surrender.

“But what do I know?” He added, sarcastically.

Baldwin strode towards the door but stopped halfway, realising he was right.

“Fuck!” He shook his head.

“Baldwin,” Marcus started after a few moments, “what’s going on?”

“What are you talking about?” Baldwin hissed dismissively.

“You care for her.”

“Choose your next words carefully!” He warned, still facing the door, fighting every instinct he had to go to her.

“I’m trying to help and letting you lie to yourself is not going to help either of you.” Marcus reasoned and Baldwin turned to face him.

“What do you think you know, boy?” Baldwin approached and Marcus managed to maintain his composure.

“I’ve seen this before. You are acting the exact same way as Matthew before he first took Diana to Sept-Tours.”

“Marcus!” He growled.

“The congregation wanted Diana. The congregation now wants to speak to Alisha so I take it you have no problems just handing her over to the other daemons.”

“They cannot protect her and you know it!”

“Now, where have I heard that before?”

“She stays with me until the hearing!” Baldwin tells him with defiance.

“She’s a witness in the death of a daemon who was killed by a vampire!”

“I’m a Knight of Lazarus and she cannot protect herself, it’s what we do, is it not?” Baldwin stated rhetorically.

“Is that why you’re doing it?”

“Does it matter?”

“Yes, if your reasons for wanting to protect her are personal.”

“You dare give me that line, after what your father did.”

“I do, considering how much crap you gave him for it. Now, because it’s you it just doesn’t matter?”

“She’s a daemon Marcus, not a witch.”

“Exactly! She cannot protect herself Baldwin and you will always be a target. You’re the head of the family, if you become compromised it threatens all of us.”

“I am not compromised.”

“Not yet. If you mate with her, that instinct to protect her will override everything, it’s leverage we cannot afford.”

“I care for her, that much I will admit. But in two thousand years I have never had the inclination to form a mate bond and I’m not starting now.”

“You say that like it’s a choice.”

The sound of sobbing had grown to quieter, uneven breaths. Tired of arguing, Marcus decided to leave the fight for another day.

“It’s late and I actually need some sleep. I’ll be back tomorrow.”

“You should stay here, there’s a spare bedroom.”

“No thanks, in the angst zone I’ll never get any sleep. I’m looking forward to the very nice room I have booked at the Four Seasons.”

Baldwin bid farewell to Marcus before checking on Alisha.

She was still sitting against the main door so Baldwin instead knocked on the en-suite door.

“Alisha, may I come in?”

“Okay.” The small voice replied and he entered to see her sitting against the door, legs outstretched and still clutching the USB drive.

“You can’t stay on the cold tiles all night, you’ll be more comfortable in bed.” He told her, not waiting for a response before scooping her into his arms. In response she rested her head against his shoulder in tired surrender as he carried her into the room and placed her back into the bed.

“Let’s put this on the table.” He didn’t take the drive from her. He instead waited until she handed it over before placing it on the bedside table as he promised.

“Wait,” she called after he turned to leave, “stay with me, please?”

“I don’t sleep very often.”

“I know.” She replied weakly and he understood her meaning, she just didn’t want to be alone.

“Alright,” he relented, “I’ll stay.” He took position on the bed beside her, fixing the pillows to prop himself up.

She moved closer to where he was and he instinctively moved his arm to let her rest her head against his shoulder and her hand on his chest. She instantly relaxed when he placed his hand over hers and used the other to lightly run her hair through his fingers, falling asleep just moments later.

Baldwin looked around with a start. He’d fallen asleep, surprisingly, as he hadn’t felt that he needed rest. Also, he had never permitted himself to sleep in the presence of anyone before.

Vampires were extremely vulnerable in this state and it was not like him to show that level of trust to anyone.

Alisha was still fast asleep in his arms, her heartbeat steady and her breathing deep. Listening to the rhythmic sound had clearly lulled him into a state relaxed enough to drift off.

He glanced across at the USB drive, wondering what Michael had saved on it that would have led to him hiding it someplace only she would find it.

It had to be connected to Diana Bishop and the book of life or why else would Gerbert go off grid to track it down when he has been laser focused in his pursuit of it. They were out of his grip, both her and the book, and even Matthew. What did he want with a daemon violinist.

Alisha mumbled in her sleep and Baldwin realised that he’d inadvertently gripped her tighter with the thought of her falling into Gerbert’s clutches, especially given what had happened to Diana.

He remembered his disagreement with Marcus from the previous night.

I care for her, that much I will admit. But in two thousand years I have never had the inclination to form a mate bond and I’m not starting now.

The admission of his affection for her had surprised even him. He wasn’t given to sentimental proclamations but he had to maintain his position that, despite everything, he was not the type to relinquish his sense in order to take a mate.

You say that like it’s a choice.

He wondered if Marcus was right, just how in control was he?

Again, he was interrupted by his musing by the distant sound of a key in the door of the apartment.

Marcus had returned.

He managed to delicately extricate himself from Alisha and joined Marcus in the lounge.

“What?” He noticed the on-edge demeanour of the younger vampire. He was holding a small stack of photos in his hand.

“It’s not good.” Marcus admitted and handed him the images.

Baldwin shook his head in disbelief as he looked through them/

“What is this?”

“It’s one of the fresco’s Michael had gone to see in Venice, the other has been defaced, it’s destroyed, irreparable. Apparently this one depicts the Roman goddess Diana on a hunt.”

“But this is-“

“Diana Bishop. Or the exact likeness of Diana Bishop on a fresco from a thousand years ago.” Marcus finished for him.

“Who’s Diana Bishop?” Alisha asked sleepily from the doorway of the bedroom.

———

PART 8

[rilldineth]

So a friend of mine told me that given that we are now in 2020, it will be fun if I did a top 20 ships of the past decade for me and boy, did I thought was a good idea and I have decided, why not right? I will be listing them here and...if followers decide to read it...well...

You will quickly notice that probably that most, if not all the ships fall on the following categories: a) rare-ships that are obv not canon; b) ships that are obviously crack; c) ships that had wasted potential, the ones hinted but never happened or briefly happened in canon and writers decided to fuck up. There’s also only one...one RL ship and I am ashamed yet not, but had to list it because I spent a long time hung up on it so don’t judge me.

So yes list...

Before the list, no list is complete without some honorable mentions, these are mostly ships I either got into the hype to recently (not being dedicated for years as the one I will list) or had my fancy then lost it.

HONORABLE MENTIONS:

Charlastor from Hazbin Hotel (recently got into it)

Clack from Final Fantasy VII

Cloud x Squall from Final Fantasy/KH series.

Hayffie from The Hunger Games.

TodoMomo from Boku Hero no Academia.

Gency from Overwatch series ( on and off )

RinMako from Free!

Terraqua from Kingdom Hearts series.

TOP 20 SHIPS OF THE PAST DECADE

20. Spuhura - Spock x Nyota Uhura (Star Trek original and reboot): Again this was another ship that I liked, since the original series, while everyone was Spirk this and that, I was like,’’yas, yas give me the sweet, sweet Spock and Uhura interactions’ and I was happy the reboot hooked them up, even if that ended dubiously but for a glorious moment, I had it.

19. Swarkles - Barney Stinson x Robin  Scherbatsky (HIMYM): This is one of those ships I am bitter, bitter and salty about, there are more in this list in fact next spot is another one. But I loved it and I did think they complimented each other better than the wet noodle they stuck Robin with, they took the time to know the other, grown separately and then together, the episode where Barney proposed to Robin gave me all the feels and it was so sweet, and then fuck the writers deciding to do what they did. It’s no wonder the finale of this show is so hated.

18. Lotura - Lotor x Allura (Voltron Legendary Defender): When they announced a new reboot to Voltron I didn’t think much of it. I had fancied Lotor x Allura in the original series, as dubious as that was, but then I started to watch this Netflix thing and there was something between them, something more tangible and I was happy. It was this strong woman with an equally strong man encouraging her strength and not putting her in the box of the exotic pretty princess, like a certain dude, and wanted to know her mind and interests, they discovered things together and for a brief moment knew peace and I was here so happy that we were getting something good and then fuck the writers again that decided ‘Nah bro, you’re not getting it’ and you know to fuck off again. I will always have fan fiction I guess.

17. VinTi - Vincent Valentine x Tifa Lockhart (Final Fantasy VII series): This is a ship that I think started to like during my second playthrough of the game, I always figured the both could work, both having loved people that for one reason or another couldn’t fully love them back (Lucrecia due to damn guilt and Cloud because of Aerith) and both were mature enough to fit together, I just like them okay.

16. Helsa - Hans x Elsa (Frozen): Truly, I have never made it a secret that I really dislike this movie, I truly do. The only good things were Hans (which I am still huh at the ‘turns out he is evil’ I still call trolls) and Elsa (because of her damn powers) and then the next step was shipping them and honestly, he should have gone for the older sister lmao, they make more sense and there have very nice fiction out there.

15. Yuzuvier - Javier Fernandez x Yuzuru Hanyu (Figure Skating): Ahh, we have reached my dreaded and dark secret only RPF fancy. Be it broship or more, I always liked the friendship and camaraderie these two skaters had with each other, they were rink mates and rivals but above all friends. I was kokoro break when Yuzuru was telling Javi that he couldn’t do it without him and stop it you two. I just like them, they are wholesome.

14. Victuuri - Viktor Nikiforov x Yuuri Katsuki (Yuri!!! On Ice): And here we have another precious figure skating duo when I started to watch this series it was only because it was a figure skating anime and I love figure skating, I never expected to see a wholesome and wonderful healthy relationship to explode in front of me. The relationship between Viktor and Yuuri is just so lovely, so mature, they both worked through issues, grew from them and accepted them even and I can’t I love it. (Special mention here to Yurio x Mila, as is another ship I love from this series and so underrepresented).

13. Jonerys - Jon Snow x Daenerys Targaryen (ASOIAF/GoT): Regardless of the stupidity committed in the series, I have shipped them since the books, because I can read in between the lines and there are too many parallels between them and their journeys, ones that at will some point collide and bring them together in a way that will be worth it, so better make it count George. 

12. Rhaegar Targaryen x Lyanna Stark (ASOIAF/GoT): Yes, mea culpa, I love tis ship and no one can shame me for liking it and boy has people tried to do so. Were these two smart of escaping like that and not saying a thing? Nope, they were so not. Was Brandon smart going to Kings Landing, knowing there was a crazy king with a penchant of burning people and demanding his heir's head? Nope, that was probably the stupidest move of all. Do I want to believe they loved each other? Why not? Martin has a penchant for tragic love stories, I know this ship is problematical for some, but I still love it and if you see spot 10 here, well I have varied tastes.

11. Soriku - Riku x Sora (Kingdom Hearts series): Come on, this is a given. Prior to Kairi appearing, it was clear Sora was Riku’s world and Riku’s was Sora, they were attached to the hip, the rivalry for Kairi more felt like Riku being jealous of Kairi and wanting Sora’s attention back. Then we have KH2 where Sora spent the whole damn game being all ‘Riku, Riku!’ and Riku doing his damn best to help him from the shadows, ashamed to be seen. DDD was more Riku protecting him and Sora leaning on him, even KH3 had Sora wanting to find and reach Riku, and then Riku going once again to find him by the end, so I am sorry but if there was a love story written here it was between these two. 

10. Hannigram - Hannibal Lecter x Will Graham (Hannibal): Quite honestly, from all the things I ship, they are probably what one will consider the most toxic one I guess, which fair considering one part of the ship is a charismatic yet cannibalistic serial killer. But there was something in the way this relationship was developed by Fuller and brilliantly brought out by Mads and Hughs that just hooked me, their soft moments, their violent ones, it just somehow worked for me. I guess this is also one of the few canon ships that I have, funny enough.

09. Rivetra - Levi Ackerman x Petra Ral (Shingeki no Kyojin): Who will have thought that a series about human eating titans was going to give me one of my most everlasting and also shortlived OTP’s. Years can pass by and I will still love this ship, my heart will still believe there was something more between them, something that was realized or something that wasn’t, I don’t know, but I will forever love it and even though years have passed since she died, I always enjoy the hints here and there that he still remembers her or hints where we are supposed to do so.

08. Squinoa - Squall Leonhart x Rinoa Heartilly (Final Fantasy VIII): People can say whatever the fuck they want ‘the love story was rushed’ ‘we hate Rinoa’ (fuck you btw) but it doesn’t change the fact that Squall fell in love with her and that Rinoa helped him to open up, to not take things for granted and Squall taught her to be even stronger and conquer her fears, they helped each other grow and it’s what matters in the end.

07. Feanor x Nerdanel (Tolkien): This is probably, from all the romantic relationships that Tolkien has gifted us, which I have loved the most and held my attention the longest. They have the happy times, the ones that were full of joy when they met and fell in love and had their children, then we have the tumultuous times when he became too obsessed with this craft, the separation when he left with their kids leaving her behind in her pain and then their possible reencounter when he leaves the Halls of Mandos and how they might deal with it.

06. ItaHina - Itachi Uchiha x Hinata Hyuuga (Naruto): Both the heads of two of the most important clans of their villages, both with heavy expectations upon their shoulders that nearly broke them, only one was talented from the start and the other had to learn, yet they are also similar. Both love their siblings to a fault, sacrificing so much for them and their happiness, both seem to hate conflict yet know is necessary and both are devoted and loyal to a fault, they would have suited each other wonderfully, in an AU probably they would have gotten engaged, who knows, but it would have been wonderful.

05. SessKik - Sesshoumaru x Kikyou (Inuyasha): A ship that could have been but that we didn’t have. This is a ship that has been with me for years and I don’t plan to let it go, they were the best players (in a sense) in that game against Naraku, also probably the strongest, both level headed and smart, not easily intimidated and calculating, together they would have been quite a formidable force and it’s a shame we didn’t get to see that.

04. Bethyl - Daryl Dixon x Beth Greene (The Walking Dead): Another wasted potential and gone so soon, not to mention forever salty at the waste. The way they were being developed promised so much, in the few time he was with her, well, she taught him to have faith and it’s something that apparently still shows from times to times (I am not sure as I stopped with this show) and imagine how it will have gone if they had more time. Just a waste.

03. Romanogers - Steve Rogers x Natasha Romanov (Marvel/MCU): I have been shipping them for years, like honestly, and when the MCU was showing me the seeds of potentiality I was happy, not even that stupidity with Bruce killed my hope, as they still had this steady relationship, he trusted her and she trusted him, something that she couldn’t say of many, they had each others back and took care of the other...but again another wasted potential right there.

02. Huddy - Gregory House x Lisa Cuddy (House MD): I spent years, kind of, season after season watching the delicious and lovely UST between these two characters, watching them snark and then help each other, watching the ‘won’t they will they’ dance, waiting for the moment when these two will finally collide and my lord was it glorious when they finally did, and I was eager to see where it went, as they both seemed to be in relatively good places, but no once again forbid the writers to stop House from being self-destructive and another ship I had waited years was ruined.

01. Terrence "Terry" Graham Grandchester x  Candice "Candy" White Adley (Candy Candy): And this is still my most important ship of the decade, I was forever bitter they never ended together and that their authors decided to make them suffer so much, but then Final Story came and all clues were pointing that aha they did found the other again and ended together as they were supposed to be, and before anyone says shizz, I did manage to read the novel and I do believe all hints were there to let us all know the identity of her husband was Terry and I am so happy.

And there it is, all the ships of the decade for me lol. Next stop, I should maybe make a list of mythos ships I like lmao.

[themanicmagician]

Icarus [oneshot]

[AO3] Summary: Jevil has always wanted more.

When he wakes again, Seam is there, watching. Not triumphant in his victory, as Jevil expected. Just tired.

There are thick bandages wound around Seam’s head and now-empty eye socket, more still peeking out of the collar of his shirt. Jevil’s body throbs dully with his own remnants of their battle. He knows if he looks he’ll find gouges on his stomach from Seam’s claws, bracelets of scars on his arms and legs where Seam’s strings had dug in like barbed wire.

They’re separated by a row of cell bars.

“You think something like this can contain me?” Jevil sneers.

Jevil tampers with his code, adjusts his strength output. But when he goes to pull the bars apart, the steel doesn’t budge an inch. He calls his scythe next. It bounces off the surface of a bar leaving nary a scratch.

“It’s hopeless,” Seam tells him. “The Knight enchanted the bars himself.”

“Liar! The Knight wouldn’t betray me.”

There’s something pained in Seam’s expression. “He was never on your side, Jevil.” He shows Jevil the key in his palm. “This is the only key. I’m going to scatter the pieces around the Dark World. It’ll be my last duty in service to the crown.”

He has to be lying. There must be another explanation. The Knight was the one who taught him everything—it makes no sense for him to turn around and punish Jevil for the freedom he gave him.

Jevil presses his face up against the narrow space between two bars, spitting venom. “Sure you don’t want to stay on and hog the spotlight? Isn’t this what you’ve always wanted, to get me out of your way?”

He loathes the pitying look Seam affixes him with.

“I wish I could help you. But this is all I can do.”

Seam almost moves closer, in range of Jevil’s hands, but thinks better of it. He’s crying now, tears dripping slowly from his one remaining eye.

“This is goodbye, Jevil.”

He turns and begins the slow march up the stairs of the dungeon.

Jevil grasps two of the bars and shouts up to him: “Are you kidding? You can’t just leave me here! Seam!”

There’s a slam of a door, far off. It has a sound of finality to it.

Jevil rests his head against the cool metal of a bar.

“He’ll be back.”

~*~

“Jevil! Up, get up!”

Starwalker kicks his cot.

He doesn’t bother to turn around, or uncurl from his sleep position. His tail flicks out, smacking Starwalker in the eye.

“’m sleeping.”

“You’re missing it. You need to see this guy. Hurry, before he finishes his act!”

Starwalker had joined the circus troupe two towns over, and had become Jevil’s bunkmate in his sleep tent for lack of space. Somehow, the greenhorn equated their mandatory proximity for friendship.

“So you go watch it.”

“No, you’ll want to see it! He’s as good as you!”

Now he’s awake. Jevil sits up so abruptly his head nearly collides with Starwalker’s.

“How so?”

Starwalker huffs. “Let’s go, and you’ll understand.”

Starwalker rushes out of their tent. Reluctantly, Jevil follows after.

Jevil doesn’t remember a life before Ringaling Circus. His earliest memories are of the fortune teller’s tent. Her musty perfume was thick and cloying in the air. She snuck him treats beneath the table between guests so he’d stay quiet during her sessions. Whenever she read doom in someone’s future, he’d poke their feet and giggle as they ran screaming from the tent.

The Ringaling Circus is the best in all the Dark World; Jevil was given training in every aspect of circus life from a young age, and soon excelled in acrobatics and juggling. Scythes are his hallmark. For his latest act, he balances atop a scythe on one toe as he juggles a collection of knives.

He is only eleven years old, as far as he can figure, and he’s the star of the show. Ringmaster Ringaling holds tryouts for new recruits at every town they tour, poaching new talent before the other troupes can. Several fresh acts have tried to match Jevil, have sneered at his youth and sought to knock him from the top. He’s bested them all.

Jevil weaves his way through the pitched tents, towards the small tryouts platform. He passes by posters of his own face, nailed onto wooden posts. He grimaces. His devilish grin as depicted on the yellowed poster has been marred since he lost one of his front teeth. The new one is growing in, but slowly, and his words whistle from his mouth in a way that’s embarrassing.

There’s an unexpectedly large crowd gathered to watch the wannabe performer’s show. Starwalker rocks on the balls of his feet, straining to see over the taller adults. Jevil shoves his way through to the front.

He gasps.

The darkner on the stage before him is…unspooled. That’s the only word for it. The purple cat has unwound the threads that connect his arms and legs to his torso. It shouldn’t be possible.

And yet.

The cat’s legs trot across the stage as if out for an everyday stroll. His hands shuffle cards elaborately.

The cat’s button eyes meet Jevil’s astonished gaze. He winks.

The cat’s torso twitches, and the gathered crowd gasps as his body pulls itself back together again in an instant. All together again, he bows.

The crowd applauds heartily, but Jevil scowls. The cat seems flustered by the attention, scratching the back of his head. A façade of humility. Surely.

“Excellent show, my boy.” Ringaling’s voice is warm as he climbs the stage to clasp the cat’s shoulder. Louder, he says, “Everyone welcome the newest member of our troupe: Seam!”

Seam is ushered on a tour of the camp by a clump of enthusiastic performers. Jevil watches the throng leave, then heads off to follow Ringaling.

The Ringmaster is back in his tent when he finds him. Fire magic burns under a chipped kettle as he rustles around the cluttered mess of his tent in search of a mug.

Ringaling glances his way as he steps inside, then returns to his searching.

“Jevil. I don’t suppose you see a tea cup anywhere in all of this, perchance?”

“Why?” Jevil asks.

“Hm?” Ringaling replies absently. “For the drinking of tea, of course. Ah—there you are.” He unearths two cups from a heap of velvety capes, and cradles them protectively to his chest. “Shy little things.”

“Why are you bothering with that—that cat?”

Ringaling smiles. “I saw the slack-jawed look on your face. You couldn’t figure out his trick, could you?”

“I—he’s—he’s clearly unpolished. Too muted in his attitude, too.” Jevil stammers.

“Are you volunteering to assist with his training, then?”

“No!”

The Ringmaster chuckles.

The tea kettle shrills. With an absent flick of his hand, Ringaling snuffs out the flame. He pours tea into two mugs, and hands one to Jevil. He takes a small, reluctant sip. Ringaling always plies him with disgusting black tea—no cream, no honey, no sugar—whenever he visits. He swears the darkner has no taste buds to speak of.

After a mouthful of tea, Ringaling says, “There’s no need to be jealous, Jevil. Yes, you may be sharing the spotlight, once he’s trained up more. But you know, Seam isn’t much older than you. You’ll be fast friends, I’m sure. I can see your magics working quite well together. So give him a chance, won’t you?”

Jevil chews the inside of his lip, and forces a smile.

“Yes, Ringmaster.”

~*~

Jevil understands what isolation can do to the mind, because he’s witnessed it for himself.

King Spade’s queen had been assassinated during their son’s fifth birthday. The killer threw himself over a balcony to escape, but broke his leg in the fall down and was subsequently captured. King Spade had been terrifying in his fury, and only the quick intervention of his chamberlain saved the assassin from becoming a smear on the courtyard tile. The killer—Pawner, his name was—was arrested and interrogated. They used him to track down the rest of the rebel movement, which was swiftly quashed. Pawner’s punishment for his treachery was not death, but a life of imprisonment.

Alone.

Once they squeezed him dry of information, Pawner was placed in a 6x6 foot cell. Thick white concrete, no windows. He was given a simple cot, with no sheets. A bucket for waste. His arms were bound in a straightjacket to keep him from harming himself, or trying to escape. Meals were pushed through a slot in the door twice a day.

At first, Pawner endured with a quiet dignity. It was a small price to pay for the success of his mission.

Then, all sense of time was robbed from him. The guards would leave the lights on for days. The habitual two meals a day were delivered at random hours, once even the second was given not fifteen minutes after the first. One of the guards confessed to Jevil that Pawner had tried to grab his wrist as he slid the food in, trying to feel the proof that others besides him still existed.

Pawner was found dead in his cell nearly two years into his stint in isolation. He’d drowned himself in his own waste. When they pulled his head from the bucket and hosed him off, there was a peaceful smile on his face.

~*~

“I have a son now.” King Spade explains, seated atop his throne, as if there isn’t a darkner in the entire Dark World that hasn’t been bombarded with the news of an heir since the queen’s first announcement of her pregnancy. “Prince Lancer will need to be entertained. Ringaling has recommended you both most highly for the position. After watching your performance tonight, I’ve made my decision.”

The king pauses, his gaze sweeping over both of them. Jevil keeps his tail pressed tight against the back of his leg, to keep it from lashing anxiously. A quick side glance at Seam confirms his friend isn’t doing much better than he is; he’s rigidly straight, and his ears are pinned flat to his head.

“You.”

King Spade points to Jevil.

“You are dismissed.”

Jevil blinks, his mind slow to catch up. The king surely can’t—he can’t mean—

Seam grabs his hand in a firm, grounding grip.

He bows slightly. “With all due respect, Your Majesty, we’re a team. I won’t leave Jevil behind. So it’s—it’s either both of us. Or neither.”

Jevil’s gaze is drawn like a magnet to Seam. His friend meets the king’s eyes unflinchingly.

“If you’re alright splitting the pay, then it’s acceptable.” King Spade rumbles.

“Yes. That’s not a problem.” The salary offered is more than they’d make five years at the circus. Not to mention the sheer acclaim they’ll receive entertaining royalty is worth far more than money to them.

“Let it be done, then. Report here tomorrow, my chamberlain will get you sorted.” He dismisses them with an absent wave of his hand.

Once away from the throne room, Seam turns to Jevil, sheepish.

“That was okay, right? I didn’t even ask if you wanted to come along with me.”

Their hands are still clasped together. Seam lets go first, almost embarrassed.

“Please. You’d be useless without me around and you know it.” Jevil’s retort is shaky, lacking any bite.

If their situations were reversed, would Jevil have even thought to challenge the king for the sake of their friendship?

He likes to think that he would. But he knows in his heart he’s never been as good a person as Seam. Too selfish, too greedy. A part of him would have taken satisfaction in being picked as the best, even though he would’ve missed Seam terribly.

He hates Seam for making him aware of who he really is.

~*~

Jevil takes time to explore. Past the bars, there isn’t much to see. This isn’t the castle dungeon, but some dark, secret place that no one will find by chance.

Beyond is the void. All encompassing. Just a black expanse with no end and no beginning.

He leaves the cell bars behind, walking forward in a straight line. No matter how far he walks, the cell bars get no further away. He tries walking to the left, to the right, even up and down. But the result remains the same.

Time passes as he waits, slumped against the cell bars, but no one ever descends the steps that lead down to his prison.

He’s trapped here, alone.

“Not alone,” A voice says.

“My Knight,” He breathes, approaching the figure. His body blends within the void; only his face is visible. “There must be some mistake. I’ve tried erasing the code for the bars, I’ve tried warping out. Nothing’s working.”

He expects answers and assurances. He’s confused by the Knight’s patronizing smile.

“But of course. He requested I keep you locked in here, and so I shall. You might have some knowledge of how this world really works, but I will always understand more.”

Seam hadn’t been lying, then. The Knight truly did betray him.

“Why? What did King Spade offer you to do this?”

“You misunderstand. The king wanted you dead. He thought you a potential threat to his son and himself. No, it was Seam who pleaded with both him and me, for the chance to spare your life. To seal it away instead of take it from you.”

“But why? I don’t understand. Why would you do this? I thought…” He thought he meant something to the Knight, as his devoted follower.

The Knight’s grin stretches wider.

“How could I not? It’s all so terribly ironic. To “save” you, he had to turn to the very same person who’d ruined you in the first place, because he was the only one who could. Oh, would that you could have seen the look on his face.”

A hand materializes, cupping Jevil’s cheek.

“He loves you so terribly, do you realize that? And you’ve thrown it away without a thought.”

“I didn’t!” Jevil protests. “I—I love Seam, too, it’s just…”

“It’s just that his love wasn’t enough for you. You wanted more. You’ve always wanted more. And so you followed me down into the dark.” The Knight laughs at him, cold and cruel. “Do you still think you made the right choice?”

~*~

Card Kingdom is divided into four territories, each ruled over by their respective monarchs. In the heart of the Dark World sits Card Castle. Every four years, the kings rotate who lives in the central castle, as whoever has residence is granted a veto power over the other kings regarding new bills and motions. This tradeoff of power has done wonders to keep the peace. Rather than kill darkners in pointless territory wars, as the kings of yore had, the modern kings just spend their four years in office doing their damndest to undo whatever it was the previous king in power had accomplished. Nothing ever really gets done, but it keeps the kings satisfied and they leave the public mostly alone, so most consider it a successful system of government.

King Spade is roughly a year and a half into his current term at Card Castle when the man abruptly appears in the throne room, right in the middle of a standard court session.

He’s not announced at the threshold, no; there’s a sharp crack of magic in the air, the overwhelming stench of sulfur, and suddenly the man is in the thick of the gathered nobility.

The nobles spring back in alarm. Jevil takes a step closer, but is held back from approaching as Seam shoots his arm out in front of his chest. Seam shakes his head.

The man’s body is covered in black. His face—or perhaps it’s a mask—is bright bone-white. Two jagged cracks splinter either side of his face. Six hands with holes in their palms float in a circle around his body.

“King Spade.” The man bows elegantly, right before two guards seize him. The hands clench into fists, briefly, then relax again.

Out of the corner of his eye, Jevil sees Kaard usher Prince Lancer quickly out of the room.

King Spade descends from the throne, his footfalls heavy. He looms before the man, radiating royal authority, but the man doesn’t seem bothered in the slightest.

“I come bearing wisdom. I know how you can escape the Dark World. How to take revenge upon the lightners that have trapped you here. Please, won’t you speak with me, O King?”

He has a curious, unfamiliar accent. Jevil has toured every corner of the Dark World, and he’s never heard anything like it. He’s still dwelling on the man’s entrance as well. Had that been a type of teleportation magic? He’ll need to see it again in action a few more times to accurately pin it down.

“Release him.”

The guards do so, but linger, should the stranger attempt an attack.

King Spade jerks his head to the meeting room adjoined to the throne room.

“Let us discuss this matter privately.”

One of the nobles squawks indignantly at that. “Your Majesty, you cannot seriously be considering listening to this man—”

The king silences him with a thunderous glare.

“Thank you, Your Majesty.” The man demurs.

He follows the king. He doesn’t walk, exactly, but rather, he seems to glide across the ground, his cloak billowing out behind him.

The man passes Seam and Jevil. Those dark eye sockets briefly flick Jevil’s way before they return forward.

The door shuts behind the king and the stranger with a soft click.

“I don’t like the look of him.” Seam mutters. “Sets my teeth on edge.”

But Jevil is staring at the closed door, wondering what secrets he’s not privy to.

“I want to meet him.”

Seam rolls his eyes. “Weird guy pops up in court somehow and wants the king to wage a war on the lightners. And you want to meet him. Of course you do.”

“He’s interesting.”

“Well, then for your sake, let’s hope the king finds him interesting too and not just some nutjob. Otherwise that’s going to be the last we see of him.”

~*~

Days—Weeks?—into his captivity, he abruptly remembers: his phone.

Jevil digs the device out of his pocket, tapping buttons at random. The screen stays black. The battery’s dead.

That doesn’t matter. He can do—well, not anything, not anymore—but he can tinker with the phone’s code, reset it to a recharged state. With some quick adjustments, the phone flickers to life again in his hands, fully charged.

He lets out a short, happy gasp. The home screen picture is of Seam, of course. Drooling on some historic and irreplaceable book from the castle library.

With shaking hands he pulls up his contact list. He taps Seam’s name, and presses the phone to his ear.

The device squeals static. Jevil jerks the phone away with a wince.

“No, no, no,” He murmurs. He returns to the edge of the cell. He holds the phone through the bars of his prison, hoping against hope that the signal will return if the phone is at least in the proper reality.

Still, there’s nothing but the buzz of static, and random garbled noise.

He tries several other numbers, just to see, but there’s no deviation. He and whatever possessions he has left have been truly cut off from his old reality.

But does he at least have…yes.

Jevil could cry. All the pictures he’d ever taken on his phone are still here. He embraces the brief reprieve, takes his time cycling through each and every photograph.

When he’s finished, he clicks through them all again.

~*~

“That’s my cot!”

Seam pauses mid-groom, tongue still stuck to his forearm. Jevil is near-shaking with anger. Someone brought another cot into Jevil’s tent for Seam, and to make matters even worse, the damned cat had elected to splay out on his cot instead.

Seam’s tongue retracts. “Sorry. I mean, it’s not like they’re marked or anything.” He obligingly shuffles off the cot to claim the new one instead. “You must be Jevil. I’ve heard a lot about you.”

He extends a paw for a handshake. Jevil ignores it.

“What you did before—that unravelling. How did you do it?” If Jevil can master the ability, then Ringaling won’t need to keep Seam. They can leave him here.

Seam drops his hand. Then, an infuriating grin grows on his face.

“My, you’re a curious one, aren’t you?”

“…Well?” Jevil presses, when Seam lapses into silence.

“I’ve heard you’re something of a prodigy. If you’re so clever, why don’t you figure it out for yourself?”

Jevil gapes. No one’s ever flat-out denied him information before. Troupe members are normally so eager to share the basics, which Jevil swiftly masters and overcomes. He’s never seen magic like Seam’s before. He understands it’s some form of body modification magic, but nothing more. Learning how to replicate it, without so much as a hint to go on, will be difficult.

Seam just keeps smiling in that self-satisfied, confident way of his.

Well, fine. Jevil will figure it out. He’ll show Seam in front of everyone, will wipe that stupid smirk off the cat’s face permanently.

“I will.” Jevil vows.

“Good.” Seam sounds doubtful.

“I mean it.”

“No one else has managed. But you’re welcome to try.”

Jevil stalks out of the tent. He’s going to solve the riddle of Seam’s magic trick.

But first, he has to make a stop into the nearby forest. He’s filling Seam’s bedding with burrs tonight.

~*~

The moment happens during a day like any other.

They’re performing a magic show together for the nobility. Jevil’s constructed a menagerie of circus animals from his magic, and Seam uses faint strings of yarn to tug life into them. The court watches in awed silence as the animals bounce and whirl their way around the room.

Seam and Jevil have worked together for years, so very long that Seam just need to quirk an eyebrow and Jevil’s magic moves to act on his silent command, launching the finale of their show with a herd of trumpeting pink elephants.

The crowd erupts in applause, and they take their bows. Jevil’s gaze meets his friend’s as they rise, and Seam’s warm smile makes something weird flop in his chest. The curious squirming feeling doesn’t leave him, and it’s not until he’s staring up at his ceiling in bed that he finally recognizes it for what it is: affection. Deep, more-than-friendly-levels of affection. He has a crush. On Seam.

It’s not too strange, he supposes, once past his initial bout of panic. They’ve spent many years together already thanks to their work. Seam is also the only worthy rival he’s had. Others have tried to best him in games of wit and trickery, but Seam is the only one who’s ever successfully made a fool of a fool, and has seen through his illusions. It’s maddening, and enthralling. Lately he’s spent more and more time thinking up new illusions, not for the easily-satisfied court, but for Seam.

The question now, of course, is what to do about it. He doesn’t know who to go to—he only ever really spends time with Seam, after all—so somehow he finds himself picking the lock to a lowly trainee’s quarters in the wee hours of the morning.

“Zounds!” Rouxls scrambles upright in his bed, clutching his comforter to his chest. The pom pom on his night cap dangles distractingly in front of his nose. “What is thou doing in my roometh at—” He checks the alarm clock on his night stand. His voice climbs higher with indignance. “—3:42 in the morning?!”

“Kaard.” Jevil begins without preamble. He sits cross-legged in the air beside Rouxls’ bed, his tail keeping him propped up. “I require your assistance.”

Rouxls Kaard is an understudy of one of the crown puzzlemakers, and in addition he cashiers at a small shop in Card Castle for tourists. He’s dumb as a box of rocks as far as puzzles are concerned, but even Jevil has heard the whispers and giggles of the staff whenever Kaard flounces by. He has to know a thing or two about amorous relationships. (Besides, Jevil just likes messing with him.)

Jevil explains his dilemma. Kaard pinches the bridge of his nose, and says tiredly: “Why dost thou not just asketh him out on a date?”

Jevil scoffs. As if it can be that simple. He can’t just march up to Seam and confess. If Seam says no, it’ll ruin what they have already. So Jevil has to stack the deck. If he proves himself worthy of Seam’s affections, if Seam is compelled to ask him, well. Then Seam can think the idea of dating was all his. It’ll be Jevil’s grandest trick yet.

~*~

There’s a lull in activity; the troupe has several hours yet before their evening performance. Jevil intends to make the most of the respite. He finds an area by the storage tents, where he can practice without anyone to observe.

Normally, he delights in training in front of a gathering of awed, envious performers. But Jevil has never attempted body manipulation magic before. He’s never thought of himself as the focus of his craft, just a conduit for the magic itself.

Many darkners are too afraid of body manipulation, as it runs the risk of causing real harm if done improperly. But Jevil is clever and determined and unafraid.

He squares his shoulders, closes his eyes, and concentrates. He can feel magic pulsing through him, buzzing at his extremities, but strongest at his core. Rather than push it outwards, as he’s accustomed to, he tries to draw it back inside him. He pictures Seam, unraveled on that stage. He opens his eyes again, and watches his first uncurl. He imagines his pinky finger unwinding, and shunts magic towards the digit.

Jevil sneezes, and sparks of magic shoot out his nose. His pinky remains totally intact.

He huffs, his tail thwacking against the dirt in irritation. Maybe it’s not a matter of size. It might be better if he focuses on disconnecting something at a joint, first. Jevil kicks out his leg in front of him, coaxing his magic to pop it off at the knee.

Wrong again. Thick magical pressure makes his head throb. Jevil groans, pressing a palm to his temple. His magic is trying to obey him, but he doesn’t have the finesse yet to target specific areas of his body. The magic builds up inside him, and then has nowhere to go. And that stupid cat made it look so easy.

It’ll just take practice and refinement, like anything else. What’s a small headache against the promise of glory?

Jevil is about to attempt shaking loose his tail when the nape of his neck prickles. He’s being watched. He whips around and scowls at the sight of Seam. He thinks at first the cat has come to mock him, but then he notices that Seam has the actual nerve to look worried for him. As if Jevil can’t handle some simple practice on his own.

“Piss off.”

“You shouldn’t be attempting body modification magic alone. It’s dangerous.”

“I told you I was going to figure it out.”

“Yeah, but.” Seam scuffs his foot, kicking up a small spray of dirt. “I didn’t think you’d actually…keep trying. Most people give up after the initial headaches, you know?”

Jevil bristles. “I said I was going to figure it out. I meant it.”

Seam falls silent again. Jevil turns his back to him. He won’t let the cat distract him. He concentrates again on his pinky finger, trying to make it spiral off the bone. His finger twitches up, just slightly, and with mounting excitement he throws more magic—

“You know,” Seam shatters his concentration. Jevil glowers at him. “It’s different for everybody. You’ve got to think of your own composition. We’re two different people. My body is cloth-based, while yours is flesh and bone. Thinking of your body unravelling like yarn won’t work for you.” Seam looks him up and down. “I feel like you’re the type where it needs some sort of bounce to it.”

Bounce? What does that even mean?

But Jevil nods confidently, like he completely understands Seam’s advice.

“…Thanks. I guess.” Jevil mutters, so quietly he doesn’t think Seam will hear. But then the cat’s face turns up in a small smile.

Under Seam’s watchful eyes, Jevil keeps practicing.

~*~

Jevil summons a scythe to his hands, and flips it around so the curved blade faces him. There are easier weapons with which to kill himself, but the scythe has been his signature since he first started performing. Nothing would be as fitting.

He sinks the scythe through his chest. The pain is white-hot. He coughs blood, and sinks down to the floor. In moments, a chill steals over him despite the warm, growing puddle of blood that pools around him. He closes his eyes and waits for the inevitable end.

~*~

And then he’s back. Staring at the scythe in his hands, the curved blade polished and clean.

“How…” Had he just imagined going through with it? No, he remembers the bite of the blade too keenly for it to have been just a fantasy.

The Knight’s pale face appears beside him.

“You are past the realm of mortality, fool. Your existence in the void is eternal.”

“No.” His grip tightens on the scythe’s hilt. “No.”

“Still you doubt me?”

Jevil cleaves the Knight’s smirking face in two. The halves of a bone-colored mask fall to the floor, then disappear.

Hundreds of copies of the Knight’s face surround him, thousands of black eyes staring through his soul.

“Naughty child. Do you feel any better?” The faces speak as one.

“Leave me alone!”

“Are you sure that’s wise? Think of Pawner. Isn’t my company better than isolation?”

Jevil swipes out. The scythe glides harmlessly through the row of faces.

“I don’t need you.”

“You will.”

Then the faces are gone, the sudden darkness surrounding him a shock.

Jevil gets what he wants.

He’s alone.

~*~

Presents. Everyone loves presents, right?

Jevil spends a good chunk of time pondering over the perfect gift for Seam. The court magician is a simple soul with few interests, but Jevil ultimately figures out what to get him. He tops his present with a bow and leaves it at Seam’s front door.

Seam arrived late that day in their shared office space in Card Castle. Jevil counts it as a victory—surely, Seam was so busy admiring his present that he lost track of time.

“How has your morning been?” Jevil greets him, twitchy with anticipation.

“Rather strange.”

“A good strange, one hopes!”

“No.” Seam looks alarmingly queasy. “Some sicko left a pile of dead mice on my doorstep.”

Jevil falters. Seam…does not sound happy. He’s ill just at the memory of Jevil’s thoughtful gift.

“I…thought cats liked mice?” He laughs nervously.

Seam levels him with a disbelieving look. “I don’t just eat dead things off the ground, Jevil.”

“Hm. Strange that someone would leave mice out for you, then.” Jevil makes for the door abruptly. “If you’ll excuse me.”

“Where are you going?” Seam calls after him, confused.

“I have errands to run!” He has to discard the second box of mice he’d planted for Seam in the library.

~*~

“Where’s Seam?”

Jevil looks around the tent, rather put out when he finds only Starwalker present. He’s rigged up several buckets of water above their typical practice area, and he has all intentions of leading the cat under it. It’s well-deserved revenge for last night’s supper, where Seam had swapped all the custard filling of his tarts with glue.

Starwalker lowers the comic he’s reading and shrugs. “He left a while ago? He looked kind of grumpy, come to think of it.”

Frowning, Jevil heads back outside. Does Seam know about the buckets, and is already working on his response?

Jevil asks around, and his fellow performers point him in the general direction of the medical tent, to his mounting confusion.

He’s about to push inside when the circus’ resident physician, a hathy by the name of Betty, steps outside. She brightens upon seeing him, and tries to plant several kisses on his face, which take all his skill to evade.

Betty pouts. “You used to let Betty smooch your cheeks when you were a little imp. What happened to my cute little Jev-Jev?”

Face flushing, Jevil barrels on. “Have you seen Seam?”

“Ah, he hasn’t told you then? You two are all-but glued to each other, I thought it would’ve come up by now.”

“Hasn’t told me what?” Jevil goes to brush past her to check on Seam, when Betty stops him with a tendril.

“Shh. He’s sleeping right now. Betty gave him the good stuff.”

Inexplicably, he feels a twinge of concern. A very, very faint, barely there thing. But still.

“What’s wrong with him?”

“The type of magic dear Seam uses, it wears on the body when used consistently,” Betty explains patiently. “Sometimes it hurts him just keeping himself all together, so Betty gives him some painkillers to sleep it off.”

“There’s no way to fix it?”

“Seam is young yet. If he stopped using body transformation magic, then maybe.” Betty’s smile is sad. “But he is like you. The entertainment comes first.”

Jevil’s gaze flicks back to the closed canvas flap of the tent.

“I want to see him.”

“That’s fine. Quietly, now.”

Jevil slips inside. Betty has doused all the lanterns in the tent save one, leaving it rather dim. There’s a collection of medical supplies on a shelf, haphazardly organized, as well as five cots. All are empty save one. Jevil slowly approaches.

Seam is twisted on his side. Even in sleep, even with the aid of painkillers, his face is still scrunched with pain.

Jevil doesn’t like it.

He spins on his heel and leaves (flees) the tent.

Seam returns to their shared tent well after suppertime. He acts like nothing is wrong; Betty must not have told Seam of Jevil’s visit. He exchanges a greeting with Starwalker. Jevil watches out of the corner of his eye as Seam sinks into his cot with a barely-perceptible wince.

Seam looks over at Jevil with suspicion. “You’re awfully quiet.”

Jevil shrugs.

“What, out of ideas for future pranks?” Seam fishes. “Have I won, then?”

Jevil scoffs, crossing his arms and flopping back on his bed. “As if. I just decided to be the bigger darkner in our dispute.”

Starwalker laughs at that. Jevil glares at him.

Now that he knows what to look for, Seam’s tells are obvious. After a week of back to back performances, Seam moves gingerly, retreats to his cot immediately after dinner. His smiles are more grimaces than anything.

Jevil is the sporting sort. It doesn’t count as a true victory if he triumphs over a Seam too hurt to give his all. So once Jevil recognizes Seam’s energy taking a dip, he finds excuses to halt their prank wars. He even makes sure Seam gets extra sachets of tea at their meals. If Seam ever catches on to what he’s doing and why, he doesn’t say.

~*~

“You’re in a mood today.” Seam observes as Jevil joins him behind the curtains. Out in the big top, the Ringmaster revs up the packed tent for the highlight of the show: their dual performance. Jevil is all but vibrating in place with pent up energy, bouncing on the balls of his feet.

Today’s the day he’s finally going to show them all his new act. He’s told no one, and he’s daydreamed about Seam’s amazed expression every day for the past week.

Jevil just shrugs, brushing off Seam’s probing statement. “Always eager to perform for an adoring crowd.”

Jevil had been spitting mad when Ringaling had first put them together for a joint act, but his hatred of Seam has long since softened to a grudging respect. Their skills and performances build off each other fantastically; the Ringmaster knew what he was doing, putting the two of them together.

“—put your hands together for the Juggling Jevil and the Sensational Seam!”

That’s their cue.

No matter how many times he does this, giddy glee still warms his chest as the crowd roars at his entrance. He takes the briefest moment just to stand there and bask in their adoration—and then the show’s on.

Balanced atop a scythe, which itself is in turn balanced on a giant ball, Jevil begins his juggling act, tossing knives in a circle with easy familiarity. The crowd absolutely loses their minds as Seam detaches his body parts, tossing them up to Jevil one by one, until Jevil is juggling all of him in addition to the blades.

After a time, he throws every piece of Seam up in the air at once, and with a quick pop of magic, his body reforms again.

Then it’s Seam’s turn to launch Jevil into the air. The crowd gasps as he appears to be free-falling, plummeting back to the unforgiving ground. Jevil summons his scythe, and hooks the curved blade around a near-invisible strand of string that Seam has woven into the air. The crowd cheers as Jevil uses his momentum from the fall to spin himself around on the taut string, all with just the lightest of grasps on the snath of his prop.

After several spins, he lets go, and Seam catches him before he hits the ground.

When he’s set back on his feet, Jevil knows it’s finally time. There’s more to their act, but first—Jevil repeats what he practiced last night, in secret. He presses his head down against his body with his palm, and then releases it. His neck, now in the form of a spring, uncoils, making his head bounce up and down. Keeping his eyes open is a mistake—his vision tilts and bobs wildly. It’s too jarring a sensation. He clenches his eyes shut, but nausea still rises in him.

This isn’t quite like last night, when he practiced. He’d felt more in control of it then. The spring keeps going, somehow, adding more loops.

Seam near jumps out of his skin beside him.

“What the hell are you doing?” He hisses frantically, for Jevil’s ears alone.

Jevil can’t take these sensations anymore. He pukes, because his head isn’t where it should be, it’s dragging against his back, and now he’s got vomit dripping down his tights. He hadn’t thought—he didn’t realize it’d be so hard to focus and fix himself again under pressure. He pulls at his magic frantically, but he’s stuck, he’s so disoriented he can’t focus.

And the worst part of it all is that the crowd is laughing. At him. To them, this is all entertainment, a part of the act. Look at the dumb incompetent clown, isn’t he so funny?

His head is finally steadied between two paws.

“Come on. We’re getting out of here.” There’s another part of their act they still need to cover, but it’s impossible now. “I can’t carry you like this. But I’ll keep your head steady, alright?”

“Y-Yeah.” He croaks. He doesn’t dare nod like this.

“Follow me.” Seam leads him carefully back to the curtains. The great spring that’s replaced his neck bounces and drags along the compact dirt floor as his body stumbles after Seam, like it’s on a leash. It all feels wrong. He thinks about how he’s even breathing right now, and that makes air hitch in his lungs, so he tries very hard then to not think about it.

“You’re up.” Seam tells Starwalker and his tightrope partner, who are waiting in the wings for their turn.

“But—”

“Now!”

They scuttle out to perform. They’ll have to find some way to extend their act an extra fifteen minutes, to make up for Seam and Jevil.

All the noise past the curtains fades to a dull roar. It’s just them here, now.

“I’m going to help you fix this.” Seam promises.

“I—” The word drags out, but that’s as far as he can get. His body keeps screaming wrong wrong wrong.

“Don’t try to talk. Now, just. This might hurt a bit.” Seam bunches up the spring—it burns as the coils crush together—and twists his head back around so he’s facing the proper way. “Okay, I’m holding you in position right now. I’m not going to let go of you until you’re back together, so don’t worry about your head springing off again. I’ve got you. Just focus on reforming.”

It’s so hard, and his panic is just making it more difficult still. He’s afraid he’s messed himself up irreparably, but Seam holds him steady as he coaxes him back through the reformation. Eventually, he manages it. Jevil gasps, then gulps in another breath of air, because he can, because it rasps through his throat as it should.

“You’re alright now.” Seam says, brushing a hand over Jevil’s reformed throat, tracing the cords that stand out on his neck. He’s reassuring them both. “You’re alright.” It isn’t long, though, before Seam’s relief is supplanted by worried anger. “What were you thinking?”

“I thought I was ready. I did it before—”

“We were supposed to practice it together. This is exactly why I didn’t want you trying it alone!”

“I know, okay?” Jevil snaps out. “I know, and I just. I just wanted…” Everyone to be proud of him. Seam to be proud of him.

Tears of exhaustion well to his eyes. He swipes at them, frustrated by his own display of weakness.

“Damn it, Jevil. Come here.”

Seam wraps him in a hug. He’s impossibly soft, and warm. Jevil lets himself melt into the embrace, his head pressed to Seam’s chest. He feels the gentle rumblings of his purrs. He gets Seam’s shirt damp, but his friend doesn’t mind.

~*~

Forget gifts. Gifts are dumb and more complicated than they have to be.

Jevil changes his approach up. He lays the charm on thick, acting as the picture-perfect gentleman. He rushes to hold the door for Seam. Carries his books to and from the castle library. Fetches him lunch at his first complaint of being hungry. Seam is perturbed, but doesn’t deny Jevil his whims. Much better than his first idea, this is.

It all comes to a head one Saturday evening, at the end of another of their joint performances. It’s a bad day for Seam—a bad week—his smiles small and pinched as he pulls himself apart. His performance is lackluster, leaving Jevil to fill in the gaps. The viewing audience never realizes any difference from their usual performances, but they both know.

Still, once they’re backstage, Jevil heaps on the praise.

“Marvelous, my companion.”

But unexpectedly, Seam whirls on him, features twisted in a scowl.

“Would you knock it off already?”

Jevil falters. “W-What do you mean?”

“I don’t know why you’re acting like this all of a sudden, but it needs to stop. I’m not some addled old man. I’ve been dealing with this all my life, and I don’t need you to—to try to take care of me, or coddle me, like I’m some invalid.”

No no no, Seam’s misunderstanding everything. He never realized before that Seam’s chronic pain also stings at his pride. And Jevil’s just been making it all worse, insinuating Seam can’t take care of himself, that he needs Jevil’s pity.

“I’m not—”

“We both know I flubbed that performance. Jevil, I.” Seam pauses. “I always trusted you to be a fair critic. What changed?”

“It’s not like that!” Jevil backpedals. “I don’t think any less of you. I just wanted to cheer you up.” He hates seeing Seam like this, defensive and withdrawn and hurt.

Seam sighs, dragging a hand down his face. He tries for a smile. “Sorry. I shouldn’t have snapped at you. Let’s just go, okay?”

Jevil trails behind him as they walked through the corridors. They cross paths with a cabal of puzzlemakers, Kaard among them.

He raises an eyebrow, looking pointedly at the obvious distance between Jevil and Seam.

Just tell him, Kaard mouths.

Jevil flips him off.

~*~

Not only does King Spade accept the strange man’s words are reliable—he subsequently knights him for his “unparalleled gift to all darkners”. As court magician, Seam oversees the ceremony between king and servant, responsible for weaving magic into the vows of fealty made. Jevil attends the ceremony out of curiosity. The Knight presses a devoted kiss to the king’s knuckles, but somehow Jevil is left with the impression that the Knight is truly the master here.

Jevil tries to intercept the Knight as the ceremony draws to a close, but he doesn’t get the chance; King Spade whisks him away immediately for further talks of their future war.

But Jevil has never been one to give up easily. Any moment he can spare away from his own duties, he spends shadowing the Knight from meeting after meeting.

Today, Jevil watches the Knight leave his quarters. He turns a corner down a hall. Jevil runs after, and pokes his head around the corner. There’s a long hallway before him, with no other doors. But the Knight is gone.

“Fool.”

He startles as the Knight’s voice comes from behind him. He whirls, craning his neck to meet those blank eye sockets. Jevil knows teleportation magic, and that wasn’t it. It’s like the Knight is able to cut and paste himself wherever he wants. Which is, of course, impossible.

“Why do you haunt my steps, child?”

“What are you?” Jevil blurts, giddy that the Knight is finally talking to him. “Are all lightners like you?”

That pulls an amused chuckle from the Knight’s cracked mouth.

“Little fool, I am neither lightner nor darkner, as you call them. I am not a part of your small world. I suppose long ago I could have been called a monster. But I’m beyond such titles now.”

“Are you…God?”

The Knight laughs again. Derisive, this time. “Do you ask that of every being with more knowledge than you?”

“If you’re not some higher being with incredible powers, then how did you learn these tricks?” Jevil persists. “What manner of illusion lets you appear to—to fold space?”

“It’s no spell or illusion.” The Knight says. “It looks like I’m folding space, because I am.”

“That’s impossible!”

“For you, as you are now, it is.” The Knight thinks, then offers, “I could teach you. That and more. Your magic has much potential you haven’t been capable of tapping into. But are you sure you wish to learn from me?”

“Yes!” A floating hand presses a finger to his mouth to silence him. Irritation flashes through him—he’s not a child—and he barely resists the urge to bite at the offending limb.

“Think on this with care. The knowledge you seek is not intended for the quotidian person.”

Jevil bats the hand away. He’s far from the ordinary darkner. Whatever’s involved, it’s nothing he can’t handle.

“Teach me.”

The Knight smiles, pleased by his answer. Hands settle on Jevil’s shoulders, pushing him along to keep pace with the Knight as he glides across the floor.

“Then let us begin, immediately.”

~*~

“You want to what?”

Jevil gestures helplessly. “You know. That thing you do. Where you stick the thread through a circle.”

Seam folds his arms. “Needlepoint? You, of all people. Want to do needlepoint.”

“Yes! I discovered last night the ardent, burning passion I had for it. All along, deep down, I’ve really wanted to be a….needlepointist.”

“It’s called being an embroiderer.”

“Yes, that.”

It couldn’t be further from the truth. Unless he’s reading up on magic theory, Jevil hates sitting still for any length of time. But Seam is always stitching away whenever they have a free moment. If Jevil can convey that their interests are similar, that will be enough to get Seam to fall for him, surely.

“Do you even know what a tent stitch is?” He sighs at Jevil’s blank look. “Hold on.”

Seam fetches a pair of canvases encircled by wooden hoops. He hands one over to Jevil. The court jester rolls it around in his hands, inspecting it from every angle, as Seam brings over a case full of needles and threads of many assorted colors.

They spend a good part of an hour together working through the very basics of needlepoint embroidery. Jevil can’t really focus on Seam’s instructions. The subject of their conversation is impossibly dull to him. And he keeps getting distracted by the glint of Seam’s eyes, the way his rasping voice climbs in pitch with his enthusiasm. It’s…It’s cute, and that realization makes Jevil’s insides squirm and twist.

“…get all that?”

Jevil nods along.

“Good. Try to make something on your own, now.”

Seam picks up his hoop. He threads fine green string through a needle and starts working on his own piece for the afternoon.

Jevil eyes his own needle with trepidation. He has no clue what to make—he didn’t think that far through his plan. He selects a simple black thread, and grapples unsuccessfully for several moments with its fringed end, and the needle’s impossibly small eye. He keeps missing the tiny opening and pricking his fingers.

Seam takes pity on him after his fifteenth unsuccessful attempt. He sets his needlepoint to the side and gestures silently for Jevil to hand it over.

Maddeningly, Seam threads it on the first try.

“How?” Jevil demands. “Impossible. What type of magic is this?”

“No magic.” Seam chuckles. “Just years of practice.”

They fall silent again. Jevil shoves the needle through the cloth at random, not really trying to make anything. He steals frequent glances at Seam. He’s traded out the green for yellow, embroidering bright flowers.

“What is this, Jevil?” Seam eventually asks. Jevil looks down at his work. The white cloth is speckled here and there with spots of black.

“It’s, uh. Stars?”

“Not what I meant. What is going on with you? Are you dying? Is that it?”

“Aren’t we all? Uhe he he…”

Seam silences Jevil’s nervous laughter with a sharp look.

“You’ve been acting odd lately. Moreso than usual.”

Just tell him.

“It’s nothing! Why would something be going on? You’re imagining things.”

“Did I do something wrong?”

He doesn’t want to hear Seam try to blame himself for Jevil’s awkwardness. He needs to make Seam stop talking, but rather than speak over him, he eschews any common sense he has left and presses his lips overtop Seam’s. When he pulls back Seam is blinking, bewildered.

“Uh…”

“I really, really like you.” Jevil blurts.

And Seam—Seam laughs.

Jevil just wants to die. Face aflame, he goes to leave, but freezes as Seam grabs his sleeve. Seam tugs him back down onto the couch. Jevil fixes his gaze down at the cushions, but Seam tilts his chin to make Jevil look at him. Seam captures his lips in a second kiss.

Wait…what?!

“I’m sorry for laughing, just. It’s about damn time.”

“I—you—what?”

“I’ve been in love with you for years now, you little fool,” Seam says with fond exasperation. “From the very first time I saw you, I think.”

“Oh.” He’s left inarticulate in the wake of Seam’s easy sincerity.

“I’ve wanted to ask for some time now, but I always had the feeling you weren’t ready yet. What changed?”

“Nothing. It wasn’t anything in particular.” He curls his hand in Seam’s larger one. “I just…I think I’m the same. I think I’ve always loved you, and I’m just now figuring that out. Whenever I’m around you, it feels like I’m home.”

It all really did work out, because Jevil just told him. No matter what, he will never let Kaard know the truth.

Jevil darts in and steals another quick kiss. “Is—Is this alright?”

Seam chuckles. “Yes, love.”

Seam leans back on the couch, tugging Jevil on top of him. They move slowly, eager but tentative, feeling each other out. Jevil peppers Seam’s face with soft kisses, heart ready to fall out of his chest, it’s beating so hard.

Suddenly, he chokes. Something is wedged tight in his throat. He hacks, and spits Seam’s button eye into his palm.

He looks down. Seam is unraveling beneath him, cotton seeping from gaping wounds in his head and chest, trailing from the empty socket of his one eye.

“No, wait—” Jevil frantically grabs at fistfuls of cotton, trying to push them back inside. “Just hold on! I can fix this!”

He tries to use his magic. Nothing happens, and Seam continues to unspool beneath him.

“No, no, no, no,” Jevil grabs his sewing needle next, but it’s too blunt to pierce through Seam’s body. Jevil presses his hands to the worst of the wounds on Seam’s chest, begging someone, anyone, to save him.

The cotton beneath his hands thickens and darkens to a tar-like black ichor. It sticks to his hands. He pulls them back, but the ichor clings, creeping further up his arms.

The darkness is everywhere, he’s sinking into an endless well of it. It swallows the surface of his skin, drips into his eyes, his mouth, he can’t breathe—

Jevil jerks awake in his prison, gasping for air.

He doesn’t sleep again for a good while.

~*~

He begs for the Knight until his throat is hoarse, but he does not come.

His fear turns to rage. He curses the Knight, says he never wants to see him again.

He curls into a ball, tail winding around his arm.

An ineffable amount of time later, he recants. He didn’t mean it. He was dumb. He doesn’t want the Knight to be angry with him. Just, please. Can he come?

The Knight doesn’t come.

~*~

Jevil has never felt so alive.

He’s altered his coding, and now he can tap into a well of magic so deep it makes his previous reserves feel like a puddle.

He all but skips down the dusty road to the cottage he and Seam share, his body buzzing with euphoric levels of magic. With a flick of his tail, cartoonish ducks appear on the grass, waddling around at random. A snap of his fingers, and a herd of show ponies stampede through the forest. There’s no reason for it, save for the fact that he can, that it’s all just so easy now.

“I have something to show you!” Jevil announces, as he lets himself into the house. There’s not an immediate response, so he calls, “Seam?”

Jevil finds him sprawled out on the couch, in an uneasy sleep. Jevil scowls. That’s not good for his back.

Jevil squats down and pokes Seam in the cheek. After three prods he starts to stir.

“Jevil?” Seam blinks sluggishly, voice sleep-thick. Then he jolts up as if he’s been shocked, nearly knocking his head against Jevil’s. “Jevil!”

“Uh, yes?”

“Where the hell have you been? Are you alright? God, I had half the castle guard out looking for you.”

Seam runs his hands along Jevil’s sides, scanning him for any injury. Jevil lets Seam check him over, bemused.

“I’m fine. Why wouldn’t I be?”

“Where have you been?”

“I finally got the Knight to speak with me!”

“So you’ve been with him at the castle this whole time? You couldn’t have called?”

“But I came right here after,” Jevil says, still confused by Seam’s worry and frustration. “It’s only been a few hours, did you miss me so terribly?”

Seam gapes at him. “It’s been six days, Jevil.”

“W-What? No, it was…” It hadn’t felt that long to him, but he supposes it could have been. There was so much the Knight had to teach him, after all. Jevil’s still trying to process it all. He feels bad for worrying Seam needlessly, but his guilt is soon crowded out by his excitement. “It doesn’t matter how long it was. Seam, the Knight is incredible!”

“An incredible asshole,” Seam grumbles.

“Hey, don’t do that. The Knight is—” Teacher, deity, administrator of the game. “—my friend. He was helping me. He’s shown me so much—come, come look!”

Jevil grabs Seam’s hand and hauls him outside.

Some of the ducks have waddled over, and a stray pony nibbles at the grass by their mailbox. Jevil impatiently dismisses his lingering magic so it doesn’t distract from the main show.

“Watch!”

Jevil raises his arms like a conductor before his orchestra, and his magic responds eagerly.

Elephants, first. Horses above, followed by flamingos, ducks, snakes, and mice. A six-tiered carousel of animals, carefully balanced as they whirl in dizzying circles. It’s an enormous output of magic, especially to maintain. But Jevil understands the rules of the games now, and how to break them.

He turns to Seam, then, and drinks in the astonished look on his face.

“This is incredible.” Despite himself, Seam is impressed. “How did you ever manage this?”

“I always could do it. The Knight just showed me how.”

~*~

A thought dawns on him, abruptly. He pulls up Seam’s code. His chronic condition is part of his backstory. The Knight cautioned him against tampering with past memories and history. He wants nothing more than to erase Seam’s pain both now and retroactively, but it’s not worth the overall risk. There’s the possibility the deletion could do Seam mental harm, his mind both remembering the chronic pain and denying the memories exist all at once.

So he can’t outright delete it, but that doesn’t mean Jevil can’t stop it from continuing any further. Jevil adds a new line to Seam’s backstory. Inexplicably, two years into his service to King Spade, Seam’s chronic pain abates entirely.

It’s simple, but incredibly potent. The next morning Seam all but springs out of bed, with an energy to him that Jevil hasn’t seen in years.

The Knight’s teachings were worth it, if only for this.

~*~

Jevil is about to place a lizard on Seam’s cot in retaliation for an earlier prank when his attention is snagged by a small wooden box tucked beneath his bunkmate’s pillow. He sets the lizard down absently, immediately turning his focus.

The box has a normal hinge, a space for a lock but none is put on. Not that a simple lock could stop Jevil regardless, but the ease of access gives him pause. Did Seam deliberately plant the box, knowing Jevil would find it?

Jevil opens the box ever so slowly, ready to spring away at any second. He’s fallen prey to too many of Seam’s stink bomb traps already; it’s next to impossible to wash the stench out of his costume.

His fears are unfounded. All that’s inside is a whole bunch of nothing. There’s bits of string, crumpled streamers and shrunken balloons. Jevil picks up a piece at random, and is surprised when it resonates with him. These are leftover bits of his magic. But why is Seam keeping all this stuff?

There’s something else at the bottom. He digs it out. It’s a stack of photographs. Come to think of it, he does often see Seam fiddling around with one of those crappy disposable cameras. He flips through the photos. Starwalker on the tightrope, a few of Ringaling…but most are of Jevil, taken backstage. He remembers these performances. They’re all times he’d been nervous to show off some new trick in front of the audience.

“Hey!” Seam hisses as he enters their tent, and Jevil scrambles back guiltily, clutching the box to his chest. “That’s private.”

Seam reaches for the box. Jevil wraps his tail around the leg of a cot and propels himself out of the way.

“Give it back!”

“Why do you even have this junk?”

“It’s—look, just give it here!” Seam is frazzled, his tail puffed up and everything.

Seam chases Jevil around the tent for it. Jevil cackles, bouncing all around to evade the nets of string Seam tries to grab him with.

“Too slow, too slow!”

“Damn it, Jevil, would you just—”

“What’s going on in here?”

They freeze. Starwalker takes in the chaotic scene before him. Two of the three cots are upended, and the tent’s support beam is precariously slanted. The lizard Jevil brought in is chewing absently at Seam’s pillow.

Starwalker sighs. “Well, you know you couldn’t have hid it forever, Seam.”

Jevil rounds on him. “Hide what? What is it?”

Seam takes his moment of distraction to snatch the box away at long last.

“What is it what is it what is it?” Jevil bounces on his tail impatiently.

Seam flushes deeply, not speaking.

Starwalker rolls his eyes. “You two are hopeless. Seam here—” The cat looks like he wants to sink through the floor. “—was all boo hoo-y after that whole spring incident—” Jevil winces at the reminder, dragging a hand over his neck. “—so he thought he’d keep a collection of your successes to show them to you the next time you screwed up.”

Jevil shoots Seam an incredulous look. Seam is gripping the little box so hard Jevil’s afraid he’ll break it.

Affection wells up in Jevil. Seam understands like no one else does why his failure bothers him so much. And this…this is exactly what he needs. Jevil takes the box from Seam, and holds it close to his heart.

“Thank you, Seam. I’ll treasure it.”

“Now that that’s over, can I please go to bed?” Starwalker asks, wearily.

“Piss off.” Jevil and Seam say in unison. They grin at each other.

~*~

Jevil is still alone.

Jevil has always been alone.

~*~

He picks a test subject at random. There’s no malice, no ill-intent behind his choice. He beckons over the first soldier he comes across. A rudinn, a sentry looking bored to tears at his guard post. The soldier follows him obediently all the way to the top of one of Card Castle’s smaller spires. Decades ago, when the kings still squabbled over territories, it’d served as an archer’s lookout. Now, it is empty and forgotten. Jevil discovered it months ago, during one of his habitual snoops around the castle, and it’s become a hideaway of his, for whenever he needs to get away from things and just think.

Sensing they’ve arrived at their final destination of the trip, the sentry addresses him.

“So, what did you need me for, sir?”

“Turn around for me, would you?”

The rudinn’s face creases with confusion, but he does as he’s asked.

Jevil summons his scythe. It appears easily, the hilt a familiar weight in his hands.

The sentry grows nervous, about to turn around.

“Jevil, s-sir—?”

Jevil launches at him, embedding the scythe deep in the sentry’s back, severing his spine. He lets out a small, startled gasp of air, and falls forward on his stomach. He’s dead before he hits the ground. Jevil circles around him. His jaw is slack, eyes glazed.

Nausea rises in him, and he barely makes it to the edge of the parapet before he pukes. He wipes his mouth clean with his sleeve before he returns to the sentry. Blood sticks to his shoes.

Now is the moment of truth. Jevil squeezes his eyes shut, his fists clenching by his sides. He does as the Knight taught him, and when he opens his eyes again, there’s a black screen of scrolling code before him. He hunts through the swirl of zeros and ones until he finds this particular rudinn’s code. He resets his numbers, pulling him back to the state he was in minutes ago.

The screen disappears. There’s no transition—one moment the rudinn is motionless on the floor, the next he’s upright again, the scythe nowhere to be seen as he chirps:

“So, what did you need me for, sir?”

Jevil stumbles back. The sentry’s face flickers with alarm, and he rushes forward to steady him.

“You’re mighty pale. Are you alright, sir?”

Jevil can’t help it—he laughs. And laughs, and laughs. The sentry is watching him like he’s snapped, and Jevil thinks he very well might have. The Knight had told him the truth after all. What he’s just done and undone, that is beyond the realm of magic. He can do anything. He can kill everyone in the Dark World, and bring them all back, and no one would ever know. Not that he even wants to—but he could. He could conquer the four kingdoms, just to see what would happen. He has no fear of the kings, not when he can so easily manipulate their stats and swat them like insects. Then, whenever he gets bored of the scenario he’s orchestrated, he just has to reset everything back to the baseline. It’s all just a game for him to play.

There’s no point to any choice he makes if he can just undo it. But this is what he wanted, isn’t it? Knowledge that no one else has. No one knows as much about their fabricated world as he does, save the Knight.

“Sir? I’m going to get some help, alright?”

The rudinn edges away from him, both concerned and fearful.

A sudden rage spikes through him. He summons the scythe without a second thought, and lops the sentry’s head clean off. The head rolls, coming to a stop in one corner of the spire.

He slides down against the floor, resting his head against the cool brick. He hugs the scythe to his chest. A small breeze drifts through the air.

He’s not sure how long he sits, thinking, before someone seeks him out. The trap door that leads to the spiraled stairwell below is thrown open. Ah, Seam. They have a performance they’re supposed to be putting on right now.

“Jevil? Are you—” Seam freezes, taking in the scene before him. “What happened here? Did—Did he attack you?”

Seam always thinks so highly of him. Jevil laughs, the sound hollow. Seam rushes to his side, and checks him over for injuries. He’s more alarmed when he finds none.

“Jevil…?”

If they’d ever had real choices, if their meeting wasn’t necessary for the story, he wonders if Seam ever would have loved him.

“Seam, my dearest companion. I’ve been working on a new trick. Would you like to see it?”

“What have you done? Why would you ever do something like this?” Seam’s paws fist in the fabric bunched around Jevil’s shoulders.

Jevil rolls his eyes.

“Don’t be so dramatic. It’s nothing I can’t undo.” He’s already located the coding once, so it’s much easier to pick it out a second time. He resets the sentry.

“So, what did you need me for, sir?” He looks between them, surprised to find Seam beside Jevil. “Sirs, I mean. You right snuck up on us, Seam!”

“I need a volunteer.” Jevil says.

Jevil’s tail coils around the rudinn’s leg.

“Wait—!” Seam reaches forward, but he’s too slow; his fingers grasp loosely at the sleeve of the guard’s uniform before Jevil throws the hapless rudinn off the edge of the parapet. There’s a shriek, swallowed by an abrupt thud. Seam rushes over to the rail, looking down to see the rudinn’s crumpled form below.

Jevil giggles, nudging Seam in the side.

“Nice trick, right? I made him disappear.”

“Put him back.” Seam demands, roughly. Jevil’s smile falters. Seam grabs him by the shoulders and gave him a firm shake. “I’m not kidding around with you. Bring him back.”

“What’s the matter? Aren’t—Aren’t you impressed? This is beyond any illusion we’ve ever achieved before—”

“Now.”

“Fine. Ruin my fun, then.” The menu flickers back into existence, and in moments, the rudinn is saluting them again.

“So, what did you need me for, sir?” He chirps. He looks between them. “Sirs, I mean. You—”

“Nothing. Never mind.” Seam interrupts. “Go back to your post.”

“...Right away, sir!” He marches back down the steps, swinging the door shut behind him. So long as the crown is paying him, he likely doesn’t care what weird orders they give him.

“They don’t remember anything. It leaves no lasting damage. Can’t you just for one minute stop and think about the implications this will have for our performances? The new potential I’ve unlocked? Together, we can do anything we want!”

He can’t understand the expression on Seam’s face.

“The Knight showed you how to do this, didn’t he?”

“What does it matter now? It’s my power. I control it.”

“Oh, Jevil,” Seam says, low and mournful. “What has he done to you?”

Jevil withdraws, spiteful. “You don’t get it. How disappointing.”

“Please. Don’t do this.” Seam kneels, taking Jevil’s face between his paws and pressing their foreheads together. “Please. For me. For us. I’m begging you to…to undo this. Get the Knight to put you back to how you’re supposed to be.”

Anger claws at his chest. He jerks back, out of Seam’s reach.

“This is me! This is everything I ever wanted to be. And you want me to go back to being weak. Pathetic. Nothing, just like you. You’re jealous. You’ve always been jealous of me.”

Seam bows his head in grief. When he raises it again, his eyes are hard with determination.

“You’re not yourself anymore. You wouldn’t want this, you wouldn’t say these things. The Knight has poisoned your mind. If I have to be the one to stop you before you can hurt anyone, I will.”

That startles a laugh out of him. “You? And what can you do? I could erase you from existence. In fact—how do you know I haven’t already done it?” His voice drops, low and threatening. Seam flinches back from him with genuine fear. “Maybe I have. You’d never remember if I did.”

He can do it right now, if he wants. Lines of code stream down in front of him, waiting for his hand.

But…

Manufactured relationship or not, he still cares for Seam. And he’s not ready to scrub that affection clean from his own code.

“Just stay out of my way.” Jevil says instead, before he leaves Seam behind.

~*~

“What will you offer me, little fool?”

Tears spring to his eyes at the sound of another voice beside his own.

“My Knight?” He rasps.

“I gave my company to you freely once before, and you rejected me most thoroughly.”

“Please,” Jevil’s breath hitches. “Please stay.”

The Knight remains cloaked in shadow. When he speaks, his voice reverberates around Jevil—he has no clue where the Knight is hiding.

“And what will you offer me?” The Knight repeats.

He twists behind him as he feels the touch of a ghostly hand whisper over the nape of his neck. But there’s nothing there.

“Anything, please. Anything you want.” Just don’t leave me alone.

Silence hangs still and stagnant in the air, and Jevil fears the Knight has left him once more.

“Please—”

A hand clamps over his mouth. He tugs at it, but it doesn’t budge. There are hands everywhere, like a colony of rats scrabbling over him. Fingers exploring beneath his shirt, nails scratching against the inner flesh of his thighs. One removes his hat and then two sets of hands are carding through the short choppy mess of his hair.

The hands grip his limbs tightly, and drag him over to the cell bars, pressing his face against them, so he can look out at the dungeon forever just beyond grasp.

He opens his mouth to speak, and the hand covering it takes the opportunity to shove inside. He gags as the hand prods and pinches his tongue. It tastes like ash in his mouth. The hand worms too far back, scraping the top of his throat. Jevil slaps at the bars of the cell, trying to communicate—

The hand withdraws, glistening wet with saliva. Jevil retches, spitting bile onto the ground. Thumbs brush along the tears at the rims of his eyes.

His tail lashes wildly, and its soon stopped by two hands, one at the base of his tail, the other at the tip. Fingers hook in his mouth, forcing it open. He breathes harshly.

The Knight’s hands rip his clothing, buttons scattering to be lost forever.

“S-S-Stop. Stop!” He whimpers, a line of drool oozing from his mouth.

“You promised me anything, did you not? You might speak without thinking, but that is not my problem.”

He freezes as a hand squirms beneath his pants to wrap around his flaccid cock.

“You wanted this.” The Knight reminds him, his breath like rot.

Something thick and slippery pushes itself inside him, and Jevil screams.

He needs Seam to save him from this, but he’s driven him away in his arrogance, in his stupidity. There’s no one coming to rescue him. His cries of pain are choked off as another dark tendril forces itself inside his mouth, and he can feel the mad beat of the Knight’s pulse. Nails rake against his back as the Knight thrusts inside him.

There’s not an inch of him the Knight leaves unexplored, and with mounting horror Jevil at last understands that this is all that remains for him. The Knight has him now, body and soul, to do whatever he wants, for as long as he wants.

The Knight grunts, and something warm drips down Jevil’s legs.

He’s released, and Jevil lays limply where he’s dropped. There’s no point to moving, no point to anything anymore.

“Why, Why?”

Why him? Why did the Knight orchestrate his downfall? For his amusement? For the game? Or just to keep a pet locked away for him to use for his own pleasure?

He needs to know, he needs to understand.

But the Knight just laughs, and doesn’t answer.

[iimuchakk]

Seven seas babies AU

This AU is because I wanted all the generals to still be alive and love each other! I cant draw so writing will hopefully be good enough~ there are also references in three of the children’s names, one a fandom two historical. One you’ll get easily the other two I doubt, so if you do round of applause for you

Hinahoho’s babies xxx

Kikiriku is around 28 now, but of course he’ll always be his dad’s bouncy baby boy~

He’s tall, like d a m n he takes after his mother in stature 

A tad reckless, but very nurturing 

Absolutely no common sense, if you tell him the cookies are in the top shelf he’ll still look in the bottom and complain he cant find them

Tries so hard to become the man his dad’ wants him to be, even though Hinahoho has made it clear he’ll support him no matter what

Clumsy

Still manages to accidentally crush Ja’far in hugs

Spend’s a lot of his time in Sindria with aunt Pipirika away from his dad and siblings, but visits as many times as possible

Catori and Aponi are Hinahoho’s twin daughters, both 26.

Defiantly not identical 

Catori is a tall powerful women, favored to become the next tribe leader

Aponi still struggles tying her shoe laces and is the imuchakk version of a mouse, though is very smart

both really spoilt

dads away on a business trip? remember to bring something back for us!

uncle sin is selling some new merchandise? does that come in a yellow?

Bidzill and Bodaway are another pair of twins Rurumu blessed Hinahoho with, 25 years old, and too identical for anyone’s liking.

“Hey Boda- oh sorry Bidzill-”

Impossible to tell apart 

They even act the same, both really mischevious

Only Hinahoho really knows the difference

He says its his parental instincts

He gave them both “matching” broaches but in reality they have slightly different cuts so he knows whose who

Last but no means least Ahanu

Black sheep of the family

Literally never smiles

Equivalent of a 23 year old eskimo emo

Constantly calls his dad old just because he’s over 50 and sometimes hurts his back

Likes swimming, swimming calms him

Ja’far’s babies xxx

Sometime’s Ja’far wishes he never had a child

loves Rabi to bits but he acts like he’s 4 but in reality he’s 16

It’s like having another Sinbad, except this time he actually HAS to love him

Rabi likes magic, wants to be a magician, cant be a magician, settles for magic tricks

magic tricks he uses on his dad

magic tricks that get him in trouble

Sinbad and his mom are so supportive

He has about five different top hats and the palace garden is now filled with rabbits

secretly now hates being a magician

but cant back out now since uncle sin has spent to much money on him

o o p s

looks nothing like his father apart from being covered in freckles

his skin’s tan, his hairs ginger, his eyes actually have life

craves his fathers attention but he’s always busy working

secretly wants to become an advisor like his dad so he can spend more time with him

smokes but no one needs to k n o w t h a t

Sinbads babies xxx

Sadiq is very much a troubled child

illegitimate son of his idiot father

had a hard life

mother abandoned him when he was young

found Sinbad and the others when he was 13

has been living in the castle for 3 years now

Rabi is constantly following him

“No I dont want to see you pull a rabbit from a hat-”

takes a deep interest in Ja’far who unlike Sinbad has no qualms with disciplining him

skilled sword fighter, but foot work needs work

Sinbad always offers to help him but Sadiq never let’s him

Sinbad tries so hard

but it never seems to work

far from being a ladies man

thinks when you find a women you should commit yourself

tries to hard trying to find that woman

commits himself to quickly

boi gets heart break a lot

Kikiriku gives him ice cream

Masrur’s babies xxx

Two wives come in handy

especially when you love family as much as Masrur does

especially when they kick ass better then Masrur does

Sadi’s 18, likes naps like her father, hard working liker her mother Razol

strong

excellent warrior

very smiley

jokes a lot

literally falls asleep standing

has a major sweet tooth

terrible babysitter

once she was playfully throwing Domonic up, and he never came back down

Angelou is 18 to, but born to Masrur’s second wife Rehema

he’s a lot like his father, apart from the fact he never sleeps

lost two fingers off of his left hand from when he was 10 and decided to go looking for a fight

found a fight

lost his fingers

it was a traumatizing time for him but his family helped him through it

has grown up a lot since then

very protective older brother, dosent want what happened to him to happen to the others

Ruby is 17, was Razol’s second born

very jealous of her older sister, acts as if she dosent like her family

they all see through it

grumpy guts, will make anything tiny into a big deal

always tries to start a fight

is always carried off by Angelou, who see’s himself in her

Domonic is Rzaol’s third child, 14 years old, Rehema stopped having children after complications in Angelou’s birth

just wants to explore

is conflicted between becoming part of the fanalis corps or a dancer

keeps his passion for dancing secret, since he thinks his family will want to abandon him

Lo’lo is the only one who knows he likes to dance

covers for him so he can sneak out to go meet his dancing group

Sharrkans babies xxx

Only has the one baby who he’s constantly cradling!

wanted more but his wife died in childbirth

despite the two not being in love, just best friends, he was still devastated

called his son Ozymandias like his wife wanted

he hates the name though and shortens it to Oz whenever he talks to him

Yamariha agrees it’s a terrible name when she visited, but admits the babies cute, acted like a second mom

When Sharrkan questions something Ozymandias does he only ever gets gargles in reply

Ozymandias loves snakes, a bit to much

they’re all scared of him since he constantly tries to hold them, but ends up strangling them

no baby has ever drooled more, Sharrkan has to constantly change his bib

he cries if Sharrkan leaves the room to

being an evil dad, Sharrkan sometimes pretends to disappear and has a little giggle

spoils Ozymandias as an apology

Oz has a wooden toy snake he teethes on,

the toy snake had half a head in the first day of having it

Pisti’s babies xxx

Pisti has no babies

Pisti looks after Tir, her nephew, like he’s her son

Her 42 year old sister Pheme who was Tir’s mother died in a flight accident defending the kingdom, Pisti made a vow to protect him

Pisti wants her own baby as well

she’s trying to find the right man

cannot for the life of her find the right man

has lived in Sindria so long she wants a man who can sweep her off of her feet

not under them

is determined for Tir to grow up brave and fair

Tir is already obsessed with animals

thinks he can fly like a bird

dont tell him he cant

you’ll only make him cry

Pisti dresses Tir in feathers to add to his illusion

plus she knows when he’s older she wont be able to make him look this stupid ever again

Tir is 100% a pervert

Spartos’ babies xxx

Both very religious

Elizabeth is 16 and boi oh boi did puberty hit her well

very curvy, very beautiful

very big problem for the men of her family

spartos cries daily

many suitors try to win her affection

however she is very determined to stay chaste and pure until she marries

very much a relief for the men of her family

Elizabeth is smart and strong willed like her mother

has her father’s hair and eyes

believes world peace can only be followed by world war

strives to bring people together through music

very talented and very promising singer

Mystras jr is named of course after Mystras

people like to call him junior

wants to become a sasan knight

knows how important it is to become a sasan knight

will not stop until he becomes a sasan knight

very skilled fighter for his age

very protective over his sister

loves his sister more then anything and enjoys listening to her sing

he’s adamant that when he’s knight king he will create her the most extravagant theater where she can sing all the songs she wants

really not bothered about women himself

to busy bothering trying to take care of himself

wants to be independant

he cant cook or clean his own clothes

water and soap? on clothes? that’s what the maids do? well that must be easy!

Que explosion

Drakon’s babies xxx

Only had one after what happened to Spyro

boys only 12 and he considers himself a monster

one side of him looks like his mother

brown hair

big beautiful eyes

and the other half looks like his father

covered in scales with claws and sharp pointy teeth

he’s sometimes to scared to look at himself in the mirror

wears shawl and masks a lot

saher tells him he’s beautiful but he dosent listen

blames his father and is ashamed of himself for doing so

plus side he has fire abilities

incredibly skilled fighter since he spends a lot of his time in isolation trying to hide from the world

shy as anything, very mature for his age

Rabi is constantly dragging him to parties along with Sadiq

himself and Sadiq run off whenever they can

gets along surprisingly well with Sadiq

his hair is so long

likes his man buns

dont make fun of his man buns

he’ll get angry if you make fun of his man buns

you won’t like it when he’s angry cause he gets an ugly vein in his forehead 

e w w w w w

Yamraiha’s babies xxx

also has no babies

but shes expecting!

has been for 3 months exactly!

has a cute lil baby bump

already getting very canky

she wants pickles! get her pickles!

if she’s ever practicing magic the baby will kick like mad

Yamraiha thinks it’s because they really like it

or at least she hopes that’s the reason

that is the reason right?

PLEASE SOLOMON LET THAT BE THE REASON

cries a lot and just wants snuggles’

is always contacting the other generals because she complains she misses Sindria and that she wants the baby to meet them all

is the whole reason Sinbad comes up with the idea for them to have a family reunion in Sindria!

yay! family meet baby bump!

refuses to say who the father is

her kingdom is a very accepting place after she took over, so she wants to keep the magnostadt father a secret for now

feels bad if she gives him to much responsibility all at once

plus she enjoys having complete control over the kingdom

Hinahoho is 52, had Kikiriku (28) when he was 24, twin girls (26) when he was 26, twin boys (25) when he was 27 and Ahanu (23) when he was 29

Ja’far is 46, and had Rabi (16) when he was 30

Sinbad is 50, had Sadiq (16) when he was 29

Masrur is 41, had Sadi (18) at 23 and had Angelou (18) at 23 also, Ruby (17) at 24 and Domonic (14) at 27

Sharrkan is 42, had Ozymandias (4 months old) at 42

Pisti is 39, Tir’s ( 4 years old ) mother Pheme was 38 when she had him

Spartos 43, had Elizabeth (16) at 27 and Mystras (14) at 29

Drakon is 50, had Spyro (12) at 38

Yamraiha is 44, currently expecting

[chenria]

Romance asks *cough* for Calliope *coughcough* all, maybe? ^.^

All… ALL??… okay… let’s try…XD

But this goes under a cut because it got quite long ;)

1. What drew your character to their LI and vice versa?

They met in a bar and had a one-night-stand. Neither of them was proud of it… but when they met again by chance it was super awkward… their mutual friend Nivalis (character of @lonyn) said they should figure this out… so they met for lunch and talked and they clicked. They just liked each other’s company… Cal liked Gladio’s sense of humor and Gladio enjoyed Cal’s wit. Lunch dates turned to dinner dates and some more after a while. 

2. What was the first moment that they knew they were in love with their LI?

That was when both thought the other was in grave danger. When Insomnia was attacked and Cal raced through half of the town to make sure Iris was fine (and helped them escape Insomnia). And Gladio knew when he felt the overwhelming relief after hearing that Iris was safe and that Cal had come to help them. 

3. When they are having a fight, what is it about and how do they deal with it?

Mostly stupid things. In the beginning both can’t really deal with their feelings for each other. Since they can’t really “go away” at some point they deal with it by sulking and sitting next to each other until one of them caves in and apologizes and they start talking again about why they started shouting at each other earlier. 

4. Their favorite physical feature on each other?

Okay… my two dorks being superficial? Cal adores his tattoo … and his broad frame. And I see Gladio really liking her hair and the back tattoo she got to compliment his.

5. How do they comfort each other when they are sad?

Gladio makes her hot cocoa or pours her a glass of wine. Cal offers a cup of ice-cream and a camping-trip weekend (and Cal hates camping, but to see Gladio happy she endures it every now and then). 

6. Who is the big spoon?

Gladio ;)

7. Favorite date activity?

Open-Air cinema night. It means being outdoors (which Gladio loves) and watching a movie (which Cal adores). And they eat popcorn and nachos and cuddle :3

8. What are their most prominent memories of each other?

Cal will never forget the first time she saw Gladio train shirtless (the tattoo). Call her superficial, but she likes looking at him. Gladio was so proud of his girl when she got her badge and entered active police duty and how happy and confident she looked in her new uniform. 

9. How open are they with their feelings?

Once they accept that they are madly in love with each other… it gets better and they are pretty open about their feelings for each other. 

10. Do they have pet names for each other?

Both use “Babe” as pet name. It started because Gladio called her “Babe”.

Cal: Don’t “Babe” me, Babe!

And it stuck ;)

11. Do they have any inside jokes?

Oh, a few and they all would need a mature tag if I wanted to explain them :P 

12. Do they have similar goals? If they clash, how do they deal?

Both have the goal to serve the king… Gladio wants to be worthy of his position and Cal wants to be a great cop… it mostly doesn’t clash. Both understand that sometimes their jobs need time and attention, too. 

13. How do they react at being away from each other?

They are both adults. They can deal with separation. Then they text each other often and at night they phone - for quite some time if possible. They miss each other and whoever was away makes sure they celebrate it properly when they are reunited again. 

14. Is there anything they associate with each other?

Calliope associates anything “eagle” with Gladio. And when Gladio sees anything that has to do with the Insomnia Police he thinks of Cal... that sort of association? 

15. Does their view of themselves differ from their partner’s view?

For Cal quite a lot. She doesn’t think she is anything special or strong enough to be worthy of Gladio. He would argue that any day. And Gladio would doubt he manages to offer her enough attention aside his duties but Cal never feels neglected. 

16. Jealous at all?

A little, they can’t deny it. Cal works with lots of men in (pretty) uniforms. Gladio eyes them suspiciously quite a lot. And Cal sometimes worries when Gladio accompanies Noct to formal occasions where there are pretty ladies. What if one of them is more appealing?

But at the end of the day they are faithful and trust each other. 

17. Their ways of expressing their love.

They say it openly and quite often. Cal and Gladio also like to hold hands. On a more intimate level they both are well aware that the other loves them and that it is very much mutual ;)

18. Is their any way they disappoint each other?

Neither Cal nor Gladio can cook... but they try and are both disappointed at themselves when it’s not working out again and they have to either get take out or invite themselves over to Ignis and Niva again. 

19. Describe how they communicate.

They actually talk to each other. And they text when they are at work, or sneak in phone calls during lunch breaks. 

20. Did either person change at all, to be with their partner?

No... they are pretty much the same people. That’s why they get along so well. They accept the other for who they are. Gladio calmed down a little with Cal, and Cal got a little more confident with the help of Gladio... but nobody changed to be with the other. 

For the creator

21. Personally, do you think they are a good couple?

Mostly... yes. They are sometimes ying-yang and bicker ... but at the end of the day they are a great team and make each other happy. Neither is taking advantage of the other, they are people with a life without the other - though they have more fun being together than being apart. 

22. From the outside looking in, what is their dynamic like?

The bickering couple where neither is admitting that they are adorably cute around each other. 

23. Did you tailor your OC for the other in the romance?

Not really... Cal developed in chats with @lonyn and started to shape up... she was not tailored to be with Gladio... it happened that they worked out in my headcanon... 

24. Is their any moment that happens between them that you know happens and just makes you melt?

They were broken up when Insomnia fell. Even though Cal did everything to take Iris, Talcott and Jared out of the city. It was her duty. She owed Gladio when she promised she would keep an eye on Iris while he was gone. When they met again in Lestallum and Gladio met Iris she told him all about their escape. It was later that day that he met Cal who had been out in town running errands and trying to get information. And when he saw her Gladio just walked up to Cal and kissed her. ♥

25. Share any headcanons about their relationship.

They have their separate places for quite some time, even though Cal mostly spends her nights at Gladio’s place at a later point. His place is bigger and closer to her work, too. In the mornings Gladio gets up first to go on his morning run. Cal can’t be persuaded and besides it’s Gladio’s personal thing to go running. So when he gets back and showers Cal mostly gets up and prepares breakfast - or joins him in the shower for some early morning fun before work claims them again for the day ;)

26. How important is the romance in your OC’s overall story?

Fact aside that 98% of it only exists in my head ... it’s romance 50/50 mixed with detective stories... 

27. What makes you excited about their relationship?

They are equals. Neither of them is a minor character without the other. They don’t need the other to function, as I said before. They manage to surprise each other and care for each other as well as still challenge each other occasionally. 

28. Is their any similarities to your OC and LI’s relationship to one you have had IRL?

I am a very happy single woman with hardly any experience in relationships... so no, this is just me hoping to give the characters some interesting lives. 

29. What are your favorite moments that happen between them?

The Fluff. For example Gladio always makes her hot cocoa after long and exhausting days in her job (as police detective) and then they cuddle up on the sofa and watch some silly TV shows. Or Cal gives Gladio a back massage when he is all tense. Or when they cuddle on the sofa - Gladio is reading and Cal is playing on her tablet and both just calmly and quietly enjoy to be with each other.

30. How does their love change as they get older?

It grows. They realize that they found the missing piece in their lives. They happily return to each other at the end of a tough day at work or a risky mission. 

31. Share anything you would like about the couple!

In the canon ending of FFXV Calliope dies before the final stand. She and Gladio don’t last through the 10 years because Gladio withdraws, thinking he failed his duty to protect his king. How could he protect someone else? So they grew apart and broke up. When the team gathers back for the final fight against Ardyn Cal joins them as well. She dies protecting Gladio from an Ariadne-daemon. 

(This is not happening in the alternate-verse after Episode Ignis...)