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shomixremix · 9 months ago

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Dates they like ♡︎

okay so i just found out that in version 4.5 there will be an itto AND a neuvillette banner (christmas came early) so i will gt a chance to pull for neuvi and even though i already have c2 arataki, c3 can't hurt hehe

I'M SO EXCITED!! i immediatelly had to write something for the both of them!!

i'd love to hear some of your ideas so feel free to request!!

tags: Itto, Neuvillette, Thoma, Wriotheslay, female! reader, fluff, kissing, smut, overstimulation, riding, pussyeating

-> your boyfriend would love to spend time with you anywhere and doing anything, yet he does have his preferences on how to spend that time. all dates with you are always amazing, but there's always that one activity he likes the most.

reqs open ♡︎ | minors DNI

-> itto

"itto! stop moving so much, you'll smudge them!" you exclaim as you paint the oni's nails. he stills immediately, watching as you paint his left thumb a beautiful, crimson color.

"sorry, love bug! i just wanted a kiss, sweets, you look so freakin' good and i need to let my baby know she's fuckin' gorgeous!" he exclaims through a roar, throwing his arms around you. you screech at him:

"ITTO! your nails!"

his eyes turn wide as he pulls his hands back quickly, giving you an apologetic smile.

"oh, shit, sorry baby! i'll be good, i swear, i'll stay still and quiet, i promise. oni's honor and word!"

you smile as your boyfriend really does keep his word and stills, allowing you to paint more efficiently.

"there, all done! want the gold sparkly top coat, hon?"

"uhh, duh! 'f course i do, baby! gotta be nice and shiny, like you, yeah?"

painting nails in the comfort of your home in inazuma city was always one of itto's favorite dates. with snacks prepared, you two would spend hours in each other's arms with you just painting his sharp claws. then, you'd let him paint yours - even though you would always have to fix them later. sometimes, when he would ask, you'd paint his horns, which you were pretty sure he only asked you to do so you'd sit on his lap.

"there! all done, babe! you like them, arataki?" you smile as he pulls you into his arms, twirling you around in the air like you were weightless.

"hell yeah, love bug! i love 'em! and i love you too, sweets! thanks for doing this f' me. now c'mere so i can kiss those pretty lips"

♡︎

one of his favorite parts of having freshly done nails, on both you and him, was how good they looked sliding against bare skin.

"mmm.. yeah, yeah! that's good, s' fuckin' good, yeah? yeahhh, you just keep on scratching your pretty little nails down my back, yeah, baby? shit, sweets... just like that, fuck!" he groaned into your skin as he fucked you into your matress. your arms roamed his big back and shoulders, gently caressing him with your newly painted nails. you left scratch marks, clawing at his skin with every hard thrust he pumped in you.

his own newly-painted claws slid down to the fat of your ass, greedily kneeding and squeezing everywhere. the sounds echoing of the walls of your bedroom are lewd yet make your mind spin.

"ohhhh, itto! itto, baby, feels so freakin' good! mhphh!" you moan as he fucks you like there's no tomorrow, his fat cock bullying that one spot inside you that made you see stars. your hands run to his hair, pleasantly scratching his skull with your messily-painted matching red nails. he groans at this, his hips stuttering as his pumps get sloppier.

"mmhh, fuck!" he mutters as he suddenly loses his composure and messily comes, fucking you through it with desparate little thrusts. he falls on you in exhaustion, enjoying how you still soothe him with your hands.

"mphhr, love bug.." he melts under your touches, still overly sensitive from his orgasm. you coo praises in his ear as you continue comforting him, his hands soothing your bare skin in return.

archons, he loves those nails.

-> neuvillette

"am i... doing this correctly?" he asks unsurely, gently gathering your hair in his palms and twisting it around.

"heh, no, love. you need to separate three strands and than braid" you say gently, sitting with your legs crossed just a little in front of him. neuvillette hesitates for a moment, still just gently petting your head.

"could you show me again, mon amour?"

you knew damn well that was just an excuse for you to play with his long, silver hair as you braid it. you still did it, of course, never the one to deny your boyfriend pets and cuddles. you knew that playing with his hair has always been one of his favorite past-time activities.

his long hair flowed against your fingertips like a river, strong and yet beautiful. you tangled your hands in it, massaging his skull a little. finally, you separate it in three thick strands and start gently braiding.

"mmm" he hummed, immensily enjoying your touches, "i must admit this hairstyle looks quite nice, mon cherie. you will have to do my hair everyday for court trails"

you chuckle, finishing his braid and tying it with a blue ribbon.

"sure, neuvi, if that's what you'd like"

you turn to face him, sitting in front of him.

"would you like to try now?"

he smiles, placing a feathery kiss on your neck as he removed your hair from it.

"sure"

♡︎

there were multiple reasons why neuvillete loved when you would play with or braid his long hair and when he would play with yours, and one of them was that he could pull on it during your love making.

"mhhhphhr.." you mewl as he's got you on all fours, pounding into you from the back and keeping a tight grip on your hair, which was braided messily by his inexperienced hands.

"mh, fuck, little one, you feel incredible.."

he'd hold onto your hair tight, thrusting hard and slow inside so you'd feel every inch of him. sometimes he'd pull you back by your hair, like a leash, you thought, but only when you move and squirm too much. then, once he pulls on it just enough to get you to arch your back and never too much to hurt you, he'd bottom out inside you and let out a pleasured sigh.

he really loved your hair.

but he also really loved you pulling on his.

when he was in between your plushy thighs, face buried in your folds and pleasuring you endlessly, you'd tangle your fingers in his soft hair and try to pull him closer but push him away in the same time from how good it felt.

"ahh! neuvi! ohhh, neuvi~!"

and when you'd finally finish with an ego-rising scream of his name, allowing him to taste all of your sweetness and squeeze him real tight, that's when neuvillette felt the greatest.

-> thoma

"welcome home, babe!" your boyfriend chirped as you entered your shared home, surprised to see a fully made dinner on the table.

"oh, hey, hon! what's all this?" you ask, setting down your bag and removing your shoes as you walk to him.

"nothing, i just thought to surprise you with a few of your favorite dishes! i finished all of my work early in the kamisato estate, so i thought i could do something nice for you!"

you throw your arms around the blonde's neck, kissing his cheek.

"aww, thoma, sweetie, you didn't have to!" he laughs and rubs his neck humbly as you praise him, big green eyes watching you take in the table filled with many delicious meals - including his famous rice cake soup.

"mmmm... this all looks and smells amazing! i can't wait to try it all!"

he smiles, wrapping an arm around your shoulders.

"well you know food is my love language!"

it was true - more than anything, thoma liked showing you how much he cared for you through delicious meals he'd prepare for the both of you, when you could just eat and chatter the night away.

♡︎

even though he loved preparing you dinners to eat, he loved having you for desert even more. good lord barbados, you were the single most delicious thing he ever tasted...

"mmmphhh..." he moaned into your needy pussy as he ate you out like a man starved, physically unable to move. thoma was truly a pussydrunk man, addicted to the taste of your slick on his tongue.

you were spread out on your dining table with your legs far apart, with your boyfriend nestled between your slick-covered thighs that were now also covered in love-bites. your slick stuck to his chin as he ate you out, but did he care at all? no. no, he did not.

the taste of your folds in his mouth was far more important.

you couldn't imagine how much pleasure this was giving him - he could've came just by giving you oral, letting his dick make a sloppy mess of his pants even though untouched. impossibly hard and leaking precum like crazy, thoma tried releasing some of that tention by rubbing himself through his pants, whimpers and whines being sent from his mouth straight to your pretty cunt.

he sucked and sucked and kissed like you were his last meal, never wanting this to end and for you two to go to bed. actually, he did want to go to bed - but only because you'd be able to ride his face there.

and when the boiling hot knot inside you finally becomes too much and it snaps, thoma can't hold it in much longer. he greedily laps up all you give him like a dog in heat, overstimulating you as his tongue fucks way after you've already came down from your high. at the feeling of your cum in his mouth thoma comes as well, shooting rope after rope of white in his own pants, a little ashamed of the fact. his hips rut into the air as if he's trying to help himself through it or at least to stop - but he can't, he can't stop coming, not when you taste that good.

-> wriotheslay

"the weather is so nice today..." he hummed as he held your hand, lazily lounging on the checkered blanket.

as the duke of the fortress of meropide, wriotheslay rarely gets to go out and experience the warmth of the sun or the falling of the rain. which is exactly why outdoor dates were always his favorite - doing anything with you, his favorite person, while feeling the fresh air and the gentle breeze was his idea of best-spent time.

"sure is" you laugh, dressed only in your swimsuit as you lounge with your lover on a secret, deserted beach in the beryl region. it was always so private and quiet here, perfect for a couple desperately in need of intimacy...

"wrio, honey..."

"hm?"

"we should really do this more often... i missed having you like this..." you mumble in his skin as you lounge on his bare chest, pressing lazy kisses up his jaw and neck.

wriotheslay snickers, caressing your back with the tips of his fingers.

"i agree, doll. trust me, if i could, i'd never leave here, yeah? just you and me, forever..."

you sigh, reminded again how busy the both of you were. your boyfriend notices, getting up with you in his arms.

"wanna swim now, baby?"

♡︎

but when you return from the water, wet and your bodies pressed tight against each other, wriotheslay can't help but not sit you on his lap on your warmed blanket, sinking himself inside you inch by inch. once he bottoms out he lays back, one hand behind his head and the other holding your hip.

"you know what to do, doll"

you nod eagerly, your palms on his chest for support as you start to sink down on him hard and fast, trying to fuck yourself on his cock.

"there you go... ahh, fuck, baby..." he moans at how you take him and your chest swells in pride.

you whimper and mewl at how good he feels as his hands soothe your sides, comforting you from the slight stretch of his fat cock in your tight pussy.

"can't... wrio... too much..!" you complain with quivering lips, yet he doesn't make any effort to stop, bouncing you on his lap.

"shhh.... i know you can, doll, you've had me inside so many times, and it always fits. try a little harder, baby"

you give it your all to thrust back on his cock but nothing helps until he rolls his hips into yours, finally helping you. soon it all becomes far too much and you cry out, falling on his chest as you tighten and spasm around him while you come. wriotheslay quickly follows, filling you up untill you're shaking from the overstimulation in his arms.

something about outdoor dates, especially outdoor sex, drove him wild.

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sassy-cass-16 · 6 months ago

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Oh god I promised myself no bell’s hells meta until c3 ends but my brain is turning the “can she be trusted?” line over and over like chicken at the shawarma shop. because there are layers to that.

more under the cut because i let this run away from me:

so first off, there's the obvious: dorian initially seems to start to address the whole group, everyone who's left in the inn room, but turns and just locks eyes with orym when he asks. orym, who of everyone has the most reason to be biased against laudna right now. orym, who just got into a fight with laudna over the sword that killed both of them and orym's husband and father-in-law. that's who dorian thinks to ask, because he trusts orym not to let his judgment be clouded.

dorian first saw orym again after months of being separated, like, three days ago, and despite how much orym has visibly changed in those months, dorian doesn't hesitate to believe that orym will still be objective. he trusts that orym will be the one to look at this situation and tell him the truth.

because dorian has experience with orym telling him the truth. dorian knows firsthand how willing orym is to shuck his personal feelings in favour of what's true. dorian just saw what he could have become, had orym not stepped in to stop him taking the circlet of barbed vision. he owes the fact that he's alive and beholden to no gods to orym's willingness to be rational and objective in a situation involving a powerful magical item. by his own admission, "i wouldn't be here without you."

so of course dorian trusts him right now.

and there's something to the exclusion of the others, with that. dorian doesn't look to fearne and orym, although that would make sense because he's known the two of them the longest. he doesn't look to chetney, who's proven to be able to get a handle on this with the scream needle compromise. he doesn't look to ashton, who's been extremely levelheaded through this whole mess. he looks at orym, exclusively. he is asking orym, exclusively. not the group, although everyone decides to jump in to answer and then imogen comes through the window to complicate the matter. just orym.

dorian is the kind of person with a lot of potential for darkness in him. he hides it well because he's also deeply kind and friendly, but it's always been there. he's just been through something massively traumatic, and that was after the original circlet conflict back in exu prime. he had his alignment forcibly changed from good to neutral. but even after all he's gone though, orym's alignment is still good.

as much as orym doesn't want to be a leader and prefers to be a protector and follower, he does very well in situations where he takes on an amount of responsibility. when he's in some level of control over a situation, he takes to it naturally. he's a very good babysitter to his gaggle of weirdos. the "can she be trusted?" might have been an attempt on dorian's part to give orym a bit more control here. to reassure him that regardless of anyone else's feelings—regardless of how laudna's reaction might have affected him—orym deserves to be trusted, and he can make a decision that dorian will trust.

back in exu and all the way into early c3, dorian and orym slotted into a sort of parental position in their groups. watching over the crownkeepers' clothes when they went skinny dipping in exu. orym repeatedly steering everybody away from bad ideas. matt even described dorian leaving dariax in zephrah in 4sd as "dad just going out to get cigarettes." there's always been that underlying sense of "we are two of a pair" with dorian and orym. not to say that either of them don't see the others as adults, but they do have that rapport of being the babysitters in the gaggle of weirdos.

that kind of bond is just part of their dynamic. but especially in light of what's been happening while they were separated, and then what happened between them earlier that evening, "can she be trusted?" is a reminder of that bond. orym's been lonely, by his own admission, and one of the secrets he divulged at nana morri's was "i really miss dorian." he broke down crying during his last message through the sending stone, and then again on the bench not a few hours before this whole incident went down.

dorian came to comfort him. he flat-out said to orym's face "i'm here now." he reminded orym that he needs to rely on other people, that he can't always be the one saving everybody else. he gave orym the room to not be the strong one, and told him he has that room because dorian's there to support him. they can be two of a pair again.

he knows orym's been feeling like he can't do anything, like he had to resort to what he stopped dorian from doing with the circlet. and so dorian both gives him a choice to make, something to do, and shows him that he still trusts him unconditionally. "can she be trusted?" also means "i trust you" and "i'm here with you" and "this is how we've always been."

we know from liam in 4sd that orym has feelings for dorian that he's not sure are reciprocated. but even regardless of the romantic element here, dorian and orym have always had a partnership. they have always been two of a pair. the sequence of events leading to "can she be trusted?" is a perfect microcosm of he relationship between the two of them. it's just incredible.

#critical role #cr spoilers #critical role spoilers #campaign 3 #dorian storm #orym of the air ashari #dorym #bells hells #cr meta

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hardly-an-escape · 14 days ago

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Square: C3 - Clairvoyance

Title: "can you scare me up a little bit of love?"

Rating: G

Ship: Dream/Hob

Warnings: No archive warnings apply

Additional Tags: pre-relationship, Halloween, Hob Gadling's birthday

Summary: Before their friendship ever develops into something more, Dream attends a Halloween party at the New Inn and learns something new about Hob.

Link to AO3.

kind of shoehorning this in but heck it we ball!!! @dreamlingbingo

Monday, October 31, 2022

Calling all devils, demons, imps, sprites, and spectres to The New Inn for a HALLOWEEN SPOOKTACULAR Monday October 31st 4:00-9:00 PM Snacks! Games! No cover and one free drink ticket per attendee! Come in costume or come as you are! It’ll be… A HELL OF A PARTY!!

Hob had had a soft spot for Halloween for years. Always loved a good scary story, he had, and nowadays? The creativity and pure talent people put into their costumes and their horror movie marathons? It beats the hell out of carving faces in turnips and decking yourself out in a flour sack. And he couldn’t deny that his hedonist heart loved the lack of inhibitions that went hand in hand with costumes, sweets, and a little bit of booze. He may have had six centuries’ worth of practice at enjoying life, but a little help never hurt.

So he’d papered his little neck of the woods with posters, stuck them on the bulletin boards around campus – even put an announcement up on the New Inn Instagram account one of his young bartenders had convinced him to start. It had all been up for a couple weeks, but on the day of Hob was still gratified to see how many people had turned up for his Halloween do.

No matter how old you got, it was still nice when people wanted to come to your parties.

He’d even told his stranger about it, when Dream (and yes, the name felt like its own kind of gift) had popped up unexpectedly one evening in late September. He hadn’t gotten around to printing the posters yet, but he was already full of plans for the hellishly-themed decorations. Dream had listened to his descriptions with a little smirk that Hob was beginning to categorize as “sarcastic but fond (?)” in his private lexicon of Dream’s expressions.

That is not what Hell is like, Dream had said matter-of-factly.

Oh, and I suppose you’d know? Hob had responded teasingly, and of course Dream had said nothing, just sat there with the same little smirk and a disconcertingly knowing look in his eyes.

You’re welcome to come, if you’d like! Hob had said, brightly. If Halloween parties are even a thing you do.

I have been known to attend parties, Dream had said. Albeit never one for Halloween.

Well… come by if you want to try one out! Hob had said. He’d wanted to say more. He’d wanted to say Please come and I want you to be there and I want every moment with you I can possibly scrape out of this long life. But he’d managed to avoid it.

It was Monday night, the Inn was full, the cider was flowing, and Hob was happy. The decorations had turned out rather nicely, he thought: lots of big black candles, a real skeleton in the corner courtesy of the biology department, a few red lightbulbs scattered about, and of course a good spooky playlist. Behind the bar, lifelike plastic models of giant cockroaches and trilobites were taped up on the mirror. In the low lighting he hoped they appeared to be scuttling.

Hob was quite pleased with his costume, as well. He’d gone with a classic vampire look – slicked back hair, black embroidered waistcoat, a big cloak (the real deal, his from the 1890s, thank you very much), and of course some ostentatious costume jewelry. He was back by the bar with some of his colleagues, most of whom were dressed as various superheroes, when the bell on the front door tinkled.

Hob looked up reflexively at the sound and almost swallowed his tongue. Dream was standing in the door and he looked… he looked…

He looked fantastic. And bloody terrifying.

His hair was even wilder than normal, as if he’d been standing in a wind tunnel, and his face looked somehow paler and more gaunt, if that were even possible. He was dressed in all black, as per usual, but – different. Almost alien. His leather tunic looked stiff and structured, like it was holding something at bay, with a high collar and long sleeves that reached almost to his knuckles. It came down to a point at Dream’s narrow hips, and from under the edge of the leather flowed a kind of two-tiered skirt that pooled on the floor and looked like it was moving on its own – although perhaps that was just a trick of the moody lighting.

Under his arm was some kind of… helmet, Hob supposed, was the only word. It, too, looked strange and alien – all rivets and leather and… was that a spinal column hanging down? Dream cradled it as though it was a precious thing, and also as though it might explode at any moment. The glassy eyes gleamed red.

Hob saw all this in the second it took for the door to swing closed behind Dream, who stood, poised, looking slightly unsure what to do next.

“Who’s that then, Robbie?” asked Lidia from the English department. “He’s got a wicked-looking costume. Friend of yours?” But her question was directed at Hob’s back as he wound his way through the crowd to Dream.

“You’re here! I didn’t think you’d actually come, to be honest,” Hob said with a tentative smile.

“I have recently been persuaded that it is wise for me to spend more time among the humans whom I serve,” said Dream. “This seemed like an appropriate opportunity.”

“I’m so glad.” The words slipped out before Hob could stop them.

There was a heartbeat’s worth of awkward silence.

“Right. Well. D’you want to come over and meet some of my colleagues? They’re a good lot.”

Dream inclined his head in a gesture of assent and Hob ushered him across the room, one hand hovering an inch or so over Dream’s shoulder blade.

“Er, how should I introduce you?” he asked quietly as they navigated the crowd. “Only I think ‘Dream’ might raise a few eyebrows. Dunno if that matters.”

“I am the Prince of Stories. The Ruler of Dreams and Nightmares,” said Dream, somehow enunciating every capital letter. “But your colleagues may call me Morpheus.”

“Righto,” said Hob as they rejoined the professorial circle. “Everyone, this is Morpheus. Morpheus, this is everyone. Lidia, Michael, Phil, Christo, What’s-His-Face, the French one… pause for jeers…” His colleagues obligingly jeered. “Now, who wants a drink?”

His hand descended the final half-inch to rest briefly on Dream’s shoulder. The Inn was full, the cider was flowing, and Hob was happy. His friend was there.

“So, how come we’ve never seen you around, Morpheus?” asked Lidia. “How do you know Robbie?”

“We met in a pub,” Dream said. “A long time ago. My sister introduced us.”

“Morpheus is maybe my oldest friend in the world,” said Hob. “Sometimes it feels like I’ve known him my whole life.”

“Then why’ve we never met him before?” pressed Lidia, the ever-inquisitive.

“My work keeps me exceptionally busy,” said Dream.

“Oh? What is it that you do?” asked Michael.

“Lord, who wants to talk about work?” exclaimed Hob. “It’s Halloween, for Christ’s sake. Go bob for apples or something, leave off.”

It was very strange, watching Dream of the Endless circulate through a normal human party. The fact that it was Halloween actually helped, reflected Hob; somehow, seeing Dream lean down to listen to tiny Professor Hathaway as she chattered about the Pre-Raphaelites was easier to swallow when said professor was wearing a witch hat and drinking punch out of a goblet. Dream wandering through the costumed crowd with his outlandish helmet under his arm and a cup in his hand made far more sense than Dream in normal clothes on a normal night in the pub ever could.

Hob watched him, and wondered idly what parties were like in Dream’s realm; he imagined them weirder, and far more grand, perhaps with dragons in the rafters and other fae beings waltzing through enormous ballrooms. Dream had mentioned, in passing, a throne room and a vast library, a castle which Hob’s imagination populated with fairy tale creatures, ogres and dryads and talking animals.

But it was hard to believe anything he could imagine would be better than this. All his favorite people – even his old stranger – in his cozy pub, on a special day.

Around 8:30 those who had to teach the next morning began to take their leave. Hob retrieved his big umbrella from behind the bar and escorted Professor Hathaway into her waiting taxi.

“That young Morpheus of yours showed quite an astonishing understanding of the work of John Everett Millais,” she said as they walked down the front path. “You must bring him round again, Robert. I have a few books he might be interested in borrowing.”

“He’s not my Morpheus, Professor,” said Hob. “And he’s not exactly young, he’s older than I am. But I’ll tell him you enjoyed his company.”

“Tch. He may not be yours, but I rather think you’re already his, aren’t you?” she said knowingly. Hob grimaced.

“Has anyone ever told you you’re far too insightful for your own good?” he asked extremely courteously as he handed her into the backseat and closed the car door. Professor Hathaway waved a birdlike hand cheerily through the window as the taxi pulled away.

Hob paused for a moment in the drizzling darkness. The light rain tapped on his umbrella and the warm light streamed out of the front windows of the New Inn. He shivered slightly and drew his cloak a little more tightly around his shoulders. The night was chill, and if it weren’t for the cars parked on the side of the street, Hob felt as though he might have been transported back in time. Professor Hathaway’s parting words rolled around inside his head like a snowball.

I rather think you’re already his, aren’t you?

How had she known – what clairvoyant spirit had possessed her? How had she seen, in just a few hours, what it had taken Hob decades (if not centuries) to admit to himself?

Because he was Dream’s. He was, and had been for a long time, and he’s pretty sure he hadn’t realized just how far gone he was until Dream had walked through the front door three months ago and Hob had released a breath he’d been holding for thirty-three years.

He shivered again. Time to go inside.

Hob got caught up in farewells to several more colleagues before he found Dream again, perched on a barstool and looking like a great black bird. His weird helmet rested on the corner of the bar.

“Well? What did you think of your first Halloween party?” he asked, sliding onto the stool next to him.

Dream paused before answering.

“I found it more illuminating than I expected,” he said. “The people here are… contented. Uninhibited, but not to an extreme. You have created a comfortable space here. I commend you.”

“Thank you,” said Hob, touched. “That means a lot, coming from you.”

“You are welcome,” said Dream. “However, I admit I am slightly confused about some of the costumes. Yours, for example. Are you… dressed up as me?”

He sounded almost uncertain, and Hob couldn’t help the laugh that escaped him.

“No, no. No fear, my friend, I’m just a regular old vampire. I suppose it was this that made you ask?” He touched the large red fake jewel that was nestled in the collar of his black shirt.

Dream nodded.

“Saw it in the shop while I was looking for plastic fangs,” Hob chuckled. “I can’t lie, it did remind me a bit of you. But then, after Dracula was published I spent a good few years thinking you might actually be a vampire as well. So it seemed fitting.”

“I see.”

Hob waved to Lidia and Christo as they ducked out the front door into the night, then turned back to Dream. “Listen,” he said, “there’s one more thing I want to do tonight, after all the punters clear out. Do you… would you mind sticking around? Just a bit longer?”

“I will, if you so desire.”

“Great!” said Hob. And if his voice was just a trifle too enthusiastic, well, that was between him and the skeleton behind the bar. “Give me half an hour to get last call sorted and we’ll go upstairs.”

Eventually they made their way upstairs together to Hob’s flat; Hob loose from cider and contentment and Dream as upright and straight-backed as ever. Hob kicked his shoes off and hung his cloak on the rack by the door.

“Can’t believe I used to dress like this all the time,” he muttered, loosening his cravat. “All these stiff bloody buttons.”

Dream was perusing the bookshelves, which was typically his first stop whenever he happened to be in the flat; Hob supposed the Prince of Stories must have a natural affinity for the written word in its infinite variety. Hob slipped into the kitchen and came out bearing a small cake with a little candle stuck in it, which he laid out on the coffee table.

“This is what I wanted to do,” he said, gesturing for Dream to sit and digging a lighter out of his pocket. Dream deposited himself gracefully on Hob’s couch and placed his eerie helmet on the cushion beside him. “It’s… ah, it’s my birthday, actually. My real birthday.”

“All Hallows’ Eve was the day of your birth?” asked Dream, intrigued.

“Well, I don’t know exactly,” said Hob, lighting the candle. “Calendar was a bit squiffy back then. But I know it was after the main harvest and sometime around Allhallowtide, because I remember hearing stories about the martyrs in church when I was just a lad and thinking how that was a bit of a downer, as far as birthday celebrations went.”

“In that case, I wish you a happy birthday,” Dream said. “And how old are you now? If it is not impolite to ask.”

“That’s the best part,” Hob said with a grin. “When I met you in the summer of 1389, I was about to turn 33. So in Anno Domini 2022, that makes me…”

“Six hundred and sixty six,” said Dream dryly.

“Yeah! The number of the Beast! That’s a milestone birthday if I ever heard of one. Especially now, when I know that apparently, Hell and the Devil are real.” He laughed quietly, staring into the candle for a moment. “You know, most of the people I knew growing up didn’t even make it to sixty. My father didn’t. Those blokes I was with in the White Horse when I met you – none of them did. Sometimes I wonder what they’d think of what the world has become. What they’d think of me, if they could see me now.”

There was a long moment of meditative silence, and then Hob blew the candle out.

“Are you not supposed to make a wish?” asked Dream, and Hob thought he must be imagining the teasing note in his voice.

“Do you know,” he said. “I can’t think of a single thing I would wish for that I don’t already have.”

“Is that so?”

Hob made a show of deep thought.

“Yeah,” he said finally. “It is. Now, do you want half this cake or should I eat the whole thing myself?”

read on AO3 >>>

fun fact, this is one of the very first fics I ever started in this fandom – over two years ago! it was originally inspired by this post by @littledreamling

#dreamling #the sandman #my writing #dreamling bingo 2024 #happy halloween

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holylulusworld · 1 year ago

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Dishonored

Title: Dishonored

Summary: You fell. For his lies. For him. From grace.

Pairing: Prince!Steven Grant Rogers x Princess!Reader; Lord Barnes x Princess!Reader (no polyamory)

Warnings: heavy angst (I’m not joking), lies, manipulation, hurting people for revenge, implied loss of innocence, unwanted/unplanned pregnancy, Steve being the worst, sadness, hopelessness, desperation, suicidal tendency/suicidal thoughts, attempted suicide, fluff, we stan Bucky in this story

Rating: Mature

Words: 2,7 k

Square filled for @anyfandomfluffbingo: Square 9: “I never loved you.”

Square filled for Lulu’s Winter Bingo 2022: Square 4: Winter

Square filled for @steverogersbingo: C3: Free space – Royal AU

Square filled for @buckybarnesbingo: C2: Sharing body heat

Please heed the warnings for this story. It contains triggering content such as attempted suicide.

You fell. For his lies. For him. From grace.

How do you move on when your honor and grace get ripped away by the man who promised you love and devotion?

He lured you in – sweet-talked you into giving him the one thing you cherished the most. Your honor and innocence. Reserved for your future husband, and the man loving you unconditionally.

Lies. All lies.

It was a moment of weakness making you stumble and fall. Into his bed. Into his arms.

He took you apart, gentle, and slow. A miracle to you when you think about the aftermath.

A few months earlier, your father’s castle

“I can't believe Prince Steven came to woo me,” you mumbled to yourself. The prince arrived earlier this morning and you hoped your dreams would come true. You always felt a deep connection to the prince, and now, he’s here to talk to your father.

“Princess!” Your chambermaid scolded. “You shouldn’t be out here in the cold! Your father called for you. He wants you to meet Prince Steven. He will stay at the castle for a few weeks until he travels to his uncle’s castle.”

Your face fell. He came here to sit out the approaching snowstorm, nothing else.

How could you have been foolish enough to believe he came to ask for your hand?

“I’m…coming,” you tried to not cry. All your hopes and dreams ended up on the ground - shattered and torn. “We cannot let our guest wait.”

“Father,” you stepped confidently toward your father to peck his cheek. He was always soft on you, and let you break a few rules. Especially when it came to etiquette. You’re his little thunderstorm, a wild child with a bright mind and softness that’s hard to find among royals. “I heard we have a guest.”

“He’ll be here in a minute,” the king softly said. He ran his hand over your hair and patted your head. “I need you on your best behavior. I angered the prince, and we don’t want him to tell his father the king about it.”

You wrinkled your forehead. “What? I don’t understand,” you whispered so no one could hear. Your father is one of the kindest people you know. How could he possibly anger the prince?

“Your Highness,” Steven walked inside the throne room, accompanied by his best friend, and confident Lord Barnes. The brunette watched you with interest while the prince’s eyes drifted toward your brother and his fiancé, Lady Margaret Carter. “I see the princess will join us for supper.”

“Your Highness,” you turned your attention toward the prince. “It’s a pleasure to meet you again. It’s been too long.”

Steven eagerly took your offered hand to press a chaste kiss to the back of it. “The pleasure is all mine. Thank you for having me.”

“Lord Barnes,” you smiled at the brunette. Last time you saw him he was reading a book in the garden, chuckling at something he read. “I hope you’ll enjoy your stay. The library is always open for you.”

“Princess,” Lord Barnes smiled wildly. “You look as beautiful as ever.”

“Oh…my…you are too kind, Lord Barnes,” you replied gracefully and batted your eyelashes. “It’s always a pleasure having you around.”

Supper was more than pleasant. Lord Barnes kept the conversation flowing while the prince watched you the whole time. He complimented you and raised his glass on your beauty and grace.

You were surprised. His eyes seemed to be glued to your brother and his fiancé. Out of a sudden Prince Steven turned his attention toward you. He even stopped his friend from talking to you.

Your cheeks heated up, and you felt warm when he placed his hand next to yours, subtly brushing your pinkie with his finger.

It was the first time he was so close, and you allowed yourself to bask in his attention for as long as it lasted.

The next days felt like a dream come true. Steven asked you to spend time with him and go for a walk in the gardens. For propriety's sake, a chaperon accompanied you and Steven. But you didn’t care at all.

The moments spent with the prince were the best of your life. He made you smile, and laugh and your heart flutter.

All that mattered to you was his smile, his soft blue eyes, and the way he looked at you. It was the same way your father looked at your father and your brother at his chosen bride.

“I wish these days will never end,” you dared to hope Steven would say the same.

He took you by surprise when he replied. “Even if they end,” he looked you deep in the eyes, leaning a little closer to whisper, “I’ll always come back to you."

The prince was about to press a soft kiss on your forehead when your chaperone stepped in.

“Your Highness, please do not forget you are wooing for a princess, not a wench. Remember your manners,” she tutted. “We should head back inside. It’s getting colder, and I can smell the snow.”

Marjorie, your chaperone was right. Winter came faster than expected, accompanied by a snowstorm that wouldn’t let up.

The whole country was suffering from the cold weather and the snow masses.

Days turned into weeks, and weeks into months. The snowstorm and unforgiving winter kept Steven and Lord Barnes from leaving your castle.

You didn’t mind. Most of the time you spend with Steven, chatting about his kingdom, childhood, and love.

Yes. Love.

You held hands, and when your chaperone wasn’t looking, he even stole kisses. Steven promised you that love is the most precious thing to protect in this world.

He played you well, you give him that.

Your heart couldn’t take being apart from Steven for a single moment. So, you gave him everything you had to offer, and what he was craving.

On one of these cold winter nights, you let him sneak into your bedroom, and take you to bed. He kissed you, and when he settled between your thighs you believed he would make you his wife and love you forever.

When it was over, he smirked, and his eyes grew cold. Your heart dropped as he hastily redressed. “Steven, what are you doing?”

“My plan went well, didn’t it?” He looked at you, making you feel ashamed of yourself. You grabbed the blanket to cover your body. The one he ruined with his touch.

“I don’t understand, Steven. My love. What has gotten into you? You said you love me.” You cried as he looked at you, wrinkling his nose at your disheveled state.

“I never loved you,” he coldly replied. “Your father forced the woman I love to marry your brother,” he sneered and curled his lips. “I stole his beloved daughter’s innocence. What will he do if he finds out you are carrying my bastard under your heart?”

“Steven, I don’t…” Your voice trembled. “Why? I…”

“I came here to ask your father to stop this insanity and let me marry Margaret. I love her dearly. He refused and wanted to send me away.”

You remember now. Your father told you that he upset Steven.

“But…she came here, begging my father to help her. She wanted to marry my brother. Margaret wasn’t my father’s first choice. Some princesses and ladies were more beautiful and with a better reputation. He agreed because she was in love with my brother and threatened to kill herself if he didn’t allow her to marry my brother.”

“What?” He looked a little shell-shocked at your words but shook his head. “Lies!” Steven yelled, making you flinch. “Shut your mouth, wench. Never talk about Margaret like that again.”

He left without looking back and slammed the door shut. Leaving you devasted, heartbroken, and ruined.

After that night, he never looked at you. He declared that he was going to stay at the guest wing until it was time to leave.

One month later, …

Hopelessness is the only thing left in your life. You can feel a new life growing in your womb. Every passing day brings you closer to doomsday.

Soon you won’t be able to hide the secret. Soon everyone will know you got dishonored.

Foolish girl letting a man take what should have never been his.

You run your hand over your belly, choking out another sob. If you want to save what’s left of your honor, you must take matters into your own hands.

Shakily you glance at the balcony parapet again. If you do it now, you can save your honor, and your father’s.

Stepping toward the parapet you release a shuddery breath.

What if it’s not high enough? What if you survive? What if they ask questions?

“No,” you step away from the parapet. This is the wrong way to go. You must let it look like an accident. Or maybe, if you can find someone selling you a potion, you can end your life painlessly and fast.

The river looked inviting to you. You looked at the floating water, fascinated by its power and grace.

Once upon a time, you were gracefully too.

That was until your grace and innocence got ripped away from you like it meant nothing to him. “If I step into the river, it will be over soon. Maybe they will believe it was an accident. I slipped and fell into the river.”

Slowly, you stepped toward the water, closing your eyes for a moment. This was the only way to save your honor. The water would wash away the sin you committed and take your secret with it.

You took another step, and another until you felt the cold water kiss your feet. “Cold.” You whispered but walked farther into the water, feeling it tug at your gown. “It will be over soon, my little stardust.” You rubbed your belly. “I’m so sorry.”

The water surrounded you, almost reaching your waistline as you heard someone call for you. “Princess! NO!”

It was Lord Barnes. His heart stopped beating for a moment when he saw you in the river. He knew something was wrong with the way his friend acted out of a sudden.

“Nooo!” You heard the water splashing and then, two strong arms wrapped around you like anchors holding you in this world. “What are you doing, princess.”

“I cannot…he dishonored me,” you choked out a heartbreaking sob. “I cannot remain. No man will want me. Not after he took my innocence and…the baby…it will be a bastard.”

Lord Barnes stiffened when the words floated out of your mouth like the water in the river. He couldn’t believe his friend and confidant would do such a thing to you for revenge.

“My love. No,” he dragged you out of the water, and wrapped you in his arms, letting you cry in his chest until there were no tears left in you. Lord Barnes said. “Stay with me, my love. I’ll keep you warm. We need to keep each other warm.”

“But I—” You lifted your head to look at him with tear-clouded eyes. “You should’ve let me die. Father will…”

“He won’t know. Not about what happened with Steven, nor what you did today. What a coincidence I came by when you slipped and fell into the river,” he whispered and kissed your temple. “I came back to ask for your hand, and to wed you in spring.”

Your heart thundered in your chest at his words. “I’m…ruined. You don’t want me, or my bastard child.”

“I will love it like my own, my love,” he kissed your cheek. “You are not ruined, princess. Only a little broken. But we can fix this. I got my heart broken once too. We will heal together.”

“My lord, the babe…it’s not yours…I can’t…you can’t.”

“It’s cold, let’s head back to the castle and get you warm. I’ll call for a healer…”

“Not a word about her condition except for the cold,” Lord Barnes warned the healer. “If you say a word about the other thing,” he patted his sword, “you won’t be able to spend all the gold you’ll get.”

“Not a word,” the healer nodded and walked back inside your room.

“Marry my daughter?” Your father eyed Lord Barnes warily. He came back a few days after Prince Steven and he left the castle. Alone, and with a grim expression. “But…what about the prince?”

“He’s a foolish man, my king,” Lord Barnes growled. “He lost his heart one too many times to a pretty face. I cherish your daughter, her grace, and her kindness. If you allow me to woo her, I’ll be forever grateful. I’m not a prince but love her dearly.”

“She admires you too,” the king replied. “She talked about you, and that you love to read as much as she does. If my daughter agrees, I’ll agree on your bond.”

Lord Barnes didn’t wait until spring to wed you. He insisted on marrying you within another month.

You watched him with sad eyes as he desperately tried to fix his friend’s mistake.

“Lord Barnes, you can still find a better bride,” you took his hand to press a soft kiss on his knuckles. “I’m thankful that you tried to save my honor, but I cannot make you miserable for the rest of your life.”

“My love,” he whispered. “I fell for you the first time we met. If only I knew about Steven’s plans, I wouldn’t have stepped back and let him woo for you.”

“It’s not your fault, only mine,” you sniffled, and wiped your eyes. “I wasn’t raised to become a wench. I decided to let him do this to me…”

“Y/N, you’re not a w-.” He shook his head. “Never use that word again,” he angrily said. “He was the one stealing the light from you. You’re still an innocent angel.”

“I know that I’m not,” you hid your face in his shoulder, allowing yourself to let the mask you wear so well slip. “You’ll get damaged goods, my Lord.”

“Call me James, or Bucky, my love,” he gently rubbed your back. “I promise, you are far from damaged goods for me. You are going to be my wife and I’ll love you. And the babe will get all my love too. They are going to mine.”

“What a beautiful pair, don’t you think?” Your mother asked. “She looks happy, my love.”

Your father smiled wildly as he watched you and your groom share the first dance. You smiled and laughed as Bucky twirled you around.

“I was worried about our daughter for a while. Prince Steven’s departure left her heartbroken,” the king held out his hand for his wife. “Let us join them and celebrate their union.”

The queen smiled and took your father’s offered hand. She didn’t have the heart to tell him the truth.

A mother always knows when her child is in need.

She will never break her promise to herself and tell her husband that she saw you at the river when Lord Barnes saved you, or that she heard what you confessed.

“He is a good man, my love,” the queen whispered. “Our beloved daughter couldn't find a better man.”

While everyone celebrated your wedding and danced, Steven stood in a corner, watching you and his best friend happy together.

He squared his jaw and balled his hands into fists. His heart dropped watching Margaret and your brother join you on the dance floor.

Everything he did was in vain…

Tags in reblog.

#steve rogers angst #bucky barnes #buckybarnesbingo2023 #steverogersbingo #anyfandomfluffbingo #prince!steve rogers #royal!bucky barnes #royal au #angst #tw: attempted suicide

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sapphoswh0re · 8 months ago

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A Kuroshitsuji theory about the emerald witch arc

I've never posted something like this and English isn't my main language but I just wanted to share some thoughts with other fans, so please let me know what you think about this :)

We are in the dream in chapters 93-95, and could these scenes hide clues about the future/role of certain characters???

Who are the pieces on the chessboard?

(Maybe a big foreshadowing about the most recent chapters????)

What pieces are present for each group?

Black: 1 king, 1 horse/knight, 1 rook*, 3 pawns

White: 1 queen, 1 horse/knight, 1 bishop, 1 rook*, 2 pawns

*I'm almost sure it's a rook because it's the only piece left and the other shapes wouldn't really fit.

First, let's include a bit of symbolism for each piece. (Full article: https://chessquestions.com/chess-pieces-symbolism-shape/)

After looking at the various characters that Yana linked to the pieces it was super interesting to re-read their role/symbolism and try to understand the reasons behind those placements.

Later two mirrored panels appear and they indicate that certain pieces represent certain characters.

Ok that was easy.

But what about the others?

And we know that Yana doesn't do things randomly, so what could be the reason for certain choices?

Let's see the theory little by little…

White:

▪︎ BISHOP -> Joker

▪︎ PAWN 1 -> Doll

▪︎ PAWN 2 -> ?

▪︎ ROOK -> ?

▪︎ HORSE -> ?

▪︎ QUEEN -> ?

▪︎ ?

Black:

▪︎ ROOK -> Vincent

▪︎ PAWN 1 -> Madame red

▪︎ KING -> ?

▪︎ HORSE -> ?

▪︎ PAWN 2 -> ?

▪︎ PAWN 3 -> ?

4 of them are revealed by Yana herself and two more are quite obvious: O!Ciel is the black king and Sebastian the black knight.

These two symbolisms are often used both in the first chapters and in the anime.

Furthermore, it is mentioned in the same chapter:

O!Ciel is frequently shown as the "black king" but in the chapter we can see him standing in front of the king, he covers part of it and it's as if he is the one wearing the crown.

R!Ciel is leaning on the horse when he says that Ciel is scared to look at the "proof of sin" which is a clear reference to Sebastian. Also, on the chessboard in the first picture, we find the horse close to O!Ciel.

Ok, perfect, now the hypotheses and spoilers for the latest released chapters begin.

I start with two characters who are shown in the chapter but not as chess pieces: Rachel and R!Ciel.

Rachel is not present in the second picture but is always shown next to Vincent (in this chapter too) so I think she could be the pawn seen in the first photo in the box G8.

For R!Ciel, however, the question is a little different because we actually know which piece he represents even if that piece is not shown on the board.

R!Ciel is the white king, this not only because he's O!Ciel's twin but because it's shown to us by Yana through the way he moves.

This picture is super helpful to understand where the characters are positioned and how they move.

We can see him (blue dot) standing on C3 in a scene, then he moves until he's on F2 (the X), standing in front of the black horse (G2, red dot).

I found it interesting how the way he moves is almost underlined with zooms and sparkles: first, a single step obliquely (in D2) and then another single step.

We don't actually know if the move was C3->D2->E2->F2 or C3->D2->E3->F2 but the important thing is that he moves in multiple directions but only one step at a time, and this is a main feature of the king in chess.

So what is the situation now?

White:

▪︎ BISHOP -> Joker

▪︎ PAWN 1 -> Doll

▪︎ PAWN 2 -> ?

▪︎ ROOK -> ?

▪︎ HORSE -> ?

▪︎ QUEEN -> ?

▪︎ (KING -> R!Ciel)

Black:

▪︎ ROOK -> Vincent

▪︎ PAWN 1 -> Madame red

▪︎ KING -> ? (O!Ciel)

▪︎ HORSE -> ? (Sebastian)

▪︎ PAWN 2 -> ? (Rachel?)

▪︎ PAWN 3 -> ?

I'm not actually interested in the black pieces at the moment so let's focus on the rest.

Looking at the situation that has been created with the return of the real Ciel and other characters recently, do we perhaps have some clues about the current factions???

Both R!Ciel and Doll returned as bizarre dolls, so could we consider the whites their side or at least a side that is O!Ciel's enemy?

Then we can now guess who the white horse is in my mind.

Why do I think that Undertaker is the white horse?

He has a somewhat similar role to that of Sebastian for O!Ciel, albeit distorted.

They're both the "knight" to their "kings", someone who stays by their side (white horse in B4, really close to the white king in C3) and provides support and strategy, I don't know but it just made sense to me.

What about the white queen?

OK, now it's going to get a bit crazy.

Let's look down again where the white queen and black knight are shown, and let's see what is said.

“Nothing will hurt you here” is referred to O!Ciel, so who could be a threat to him?

Sebastian, of course (in that same moment in the manga he was trying/considering eating him, his goal is to devour Ciel's soul at the end) but is also shown the white queen???

A queen who could hurt him?

Yeah so I think it represents Queen Victoria. Why?

My theory is that on the chessboard she is part of O!Ciel's enemy faction (she is not R!Ciel's ally at the moment and she wasn't involved with the blue cult arc since Undertaker despises her lol) because she could be connected with the events of the twins’ tenth birthday.

There are too many coincidences about 14 of December: Prince Albert's death, the twins’ birth, the attack. A lot of theories here on tumblr explain it really well.

And the other pieces? I don't think it's too crazy to assume that all 4 stars may be present on the board: Sirius, Vega, Canopus and Polaris.

2 of them are already there-> Sirius (both Ciel) and Canopus (Doll).

We now know that Vega is Layla, so she could be PAWN 2 or the ROOK based on her future role/importance(??)

Polaris has yet to be revealed but I believe it could be Joker who is already the white BISHOP, an important piece who is however not linked to the royal court but to a different master, who in his case is Baron Kelvin.

For my first post, it got waaay too long, so maybe I should explain in different posts all my theories on the queen's role, Polaris' identity, etc.

I hope it wasn't too chaotic 😅

#kuroshitsuji #black butler #kuroshitsuji theories #ciel phantomhive #phantomhive twins

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ahmoseinarus · 1 month ago

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Why I'm not okay with Vax'leth...

okay, hear me out before you come for me, "their love was used to break the world"ers, cuz I'm seriously not trying to start a fight... First and foremost... this is only my opinion. And my opinion has absolutely no bearing on your thoughts, views, opinions, or what is canon. The Eight Nerdy-Ass Voice Actors have spoken: Vax'leth is canon, end of story. And I'm certainly not going to say Vax'leth shippers are wrong, or stupid, blah blah blah... hell no. That is not my place, nor my right (well, legally it is my right, but my personal morals and feelings on the matter say that it's a dick move, so). I don't care who you ship (as long as it ain't pedophilia). That's the beauty of fandoms. We can all have our thoughts, ideas, opinions, and somewhere, find someone of like mind to share them with. Second, yes. I ship Perc'ildan... But I also ship Vax'more. Hell, when I was watching Campaign 1, Vax gave Percy a big ol' smooch on the cheek, Liam said "Percy and Vax, people! Ship it!" I said "O, captain, my captain!" and never looked back. But otherwise, there wasn't much else in canon to go off of. Not like there was with Vax & Gilmore. Very quickly, the chemistry there blew me away, I was shipping them so damn fast, and I had so much hope for them! But then... "You know I'm in love with you, right?"

💔 ... that single, Iconic moment that kicked off the Vax'leth joy for nearly a decade for so many, was a moment of shattered hopes and heartbreak for me. And it came out nowhere! I was not expecting it! I knew people were shipping them (I was not in online communities yet, I got into the fandom very late, they were between C2 & C3 when I started watching C1) but I didn't know how the campaign ended, I didn't know if anyone ended up together... I had not recognized any interest between those two characters except for one brief moment, when Vax went unconscious in the fight with the Briarwoods in Emon... He pictured his mother, his sister... and Keyleth. And I thought "oh god, please don't go there." And for a couple more eps, it seemed okay, but then he dropped that line...

"You know I'm in love with you, right?"

... fuck.

Part of me wanted to stop watching. But that was silly and childish. And holy shit, the Briarwood Arc. I think I paused, though, and stared at the ceiling and had a silent mental tantrum. Later, watching him pseudo-break up with Gilmore from their pseudo-thing that was never really official to begin with, because of what looked unrequited love, left me feeling nauseous. And... it never got better. Nothing about Vax and Keyleth ever felt right.

Now, I wasn't particularly happy about Perc'ahlia either, but... I was okay with it. I mean, damn, Laura and Tal played it well, Vex & Percy had the chemistry... They came together, they said "yes, you are what I want", and "Lady in the streets, tiger in the sheets" Vex said "Great, let's fucking go," grabbed Percy by the short & curlies and has been dragging him around, plucking his flower ever since, and making him a very, very happy man. But I digress. No, Vax'leth just never felt right. The chemistry wasn't there. They always seemed just a bit out of synch, never quite in harmony with each other... I know the arguments have been made before. Keyleth and Vax felt forced; yeah, they really did. They were awkward; yeah, I mean, Keyleth was already socially awkward, Marisha played that brilliantly, but this was... more. Vax carried everything; yyyyeah, he did. He seemed desperate to make it work. Sure. I saw all of that. Every single one of "their moments" was so incredibly uncomfortable for me to watch, it was almost unbearable... There were a couple of times when I physically squirmed in response. But... why? I didn't have this response to Percy & Vex... I see Perc'ahlia fanart online, I've even read a couple of Perc'ahlia fics... but Vax'leth? I actively avoid it... I've never read anything that might include it... I block the tag on every platform, because stumbling across fanart with them in any... intimate position just brings a visceral cringe reaction from me... ... But... I'm fine with Percy/Grog. Or Percy/Tary. Or Vax/Grog. I've read a Vex/Percy/Grog. I'm down with Vex/Zahra/Kash... Vex/Percy/Zahra. o.o I've read Polymachina where it's "hm... whose bed am I sleeping in tonight?" And that's where I figured it out... because whenever characters started getting mix-matched up together, occasionally I'd find myself skipping stuff, just "oof, no, not interested in giving that paring/threesome/grouping a chance..." And I finally realized it all had the same thing in common. It was Keyleth herself. And between that, and watching C3, I started to realize something. Or recognize something. There was something about Keyleth that was resonating with me. There was something about her, that I was relating to. And once I figured it out, I couldn't believe it had taken me so long to see it. Keyleth full on fucking screams Aromantic Asexual so hard!

And she doesn't even know it herself!!!

This is an incredible woman of strength, power, wisdom and compassion. She is one of the leading figures in the entire world. Her life has been nothing but a journey of seeking knowledge, and power, and self-control, and wisdom and leadership. She has had incredible burdens and responsibilities heaped upon her shoulders since she was just a girl. Her Aramente was supposed to be about finding herself, yes, but that's also what the journey of life is. I realized that the reason that Vax'leth made me so uncomfortable, was because I recognized what I was seeing. I was watching Keyleth, who had no understanding of herself, and who had not yet had the time to explore and figure herself out, being confronted with someone that she cared about, expressing feelings for her, and she was going through the motions of trying to to respond. She was just doing what she thought she was supposed to do, playing the part she was supposed to play, and even wanted to play, because this! This is what people do! This is part of what everyone gets to have! Something that is normal, but special, and just for her, in this otherwise insane, overwhelming chaos that is the rest of her life, with the world crashing down around her... "This is what I'm supposed to do! I care for this person, he cares for me, he loves me, so I'm supposed to fall in love with him! That's what's happening! I'm supposed to do this! This is what I'm supposed to say! Is this what it's supposed to feel like when we hold hands? I'm probably just nervous and overreacting. This is what we're supposed to do. Yes, we're supposed to kiss. I'm supposed to like it. Yes, act like I like it, tell him I like it, tell myself I like it, this is what I want because I care about him, and this is what you do when you care about someone!"

At some point, you start to question. "... is it... really supposed to fee like this? Is this really what I want? Is this really love? Or... OMG have I just been playing along because I'm trying to conform to the expectations of society... and myself?!" It's confusing... because you genuinely do want it!!! Until you realize... that you don't. And then you're just confused. And trying to figure out why. Maybe you weren't really in love? Maybe you didn't really want it with this person? Or... did you ever really want it at all?

Let me tell you, some of the best smut fanfiction is written by asexuals, in case you didn't know that. There is a big difference between loving sex, and loving the idea of sex. Or loving romance, and wanting to have your own. There are so many written works of love and romance and erotic, explicit sex, being written by people who can't get enough of reading and writing it... but have no interest in having that themselves... But I'm sure quite a few of us went through the motions in our youth, of dating, kissing, or even a bit more, before we realized OMG no, keep it out of my reality and in fiction, please. Keyleth never had the fucking chance. Perhaps in their year off between the Conclave and the final Arc she started to wonder and question... I think at some point, maybe on a Talks Machina, Liam did say that Vax and Keyleth's relationship was mostly asexual. But then, of course... Vax was gone.

I wonder if he knew, on some level... Especially after his deal with the Matron. That as much as she loved him, it was not as much as she thought she did. Or, if I may, even as much as Marisha loved Vax. Maybe Keyleth has figured herself out by now... maybe she hasn't... In Dalen's Closet, she asked the Champion how she is supposed to get over him if he keeps sending her Ravens. But I can't help wondering if she isn't clinging to Vax's memory, in part, because as long as she is still grieving him, it gives her an excuse to not move on. If she hasn't moved on, and isn't moving forward in a state where someone might be trying to catch her eye, she won't have to deal with that self-reflection, and start to question if what she had with him was ever real to begin with, or just another lie she was telling herself. I have to wonder if she is ready to see and accept that part of herself. It takes a lot of time. I was in my mid thirties by the time I realized I was on the asexual spectrum. And nearly 40 when I realized I was aromantic. And now, looking at Keyleth as an Aromantic Asexual, everything just seemed to slot into place, and make sense for her, and everything that bugged me about her suddenly... doesn't anymore. I've always enjoyed Keyleth's character, outside of Vax'leth. But I'm curious, if I go back and rewatch C1 now, with this perspective, while I will certainly never like it, and will certainly never ship it... I wonder if I can at least find some peace in it. But, for those of you who think I'm stark raving mad, that Zephrah is for lovers, and the Raven & the Tempest is the love story for the ages, well... You've waited a long time for LoVM Season 3! Enjoy and savor every Vax'leth moment you get!!! But I will respectfully be filtering them out, and shall let you have your moments of triumph and delight in peace.

💖Fandom is for Shippers (Canon Compliance not required) -Responses are fine, I just ask that you bear in mind all I have put forth is my opinion, and nothing more, and I have tried to do so in a manner that is respectful to those that I know will likely not share my opinion. Should someone feel the need to come back at me with considerably less respect than I have shown, well... then in the words of one Pike Trickfoot in LoVM S1 E01... "Easy Grog... we don't waste our time on talking assholes, remember?"

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a-french-coconut · 6 months ago

Text

Malconnor

Nobody has ever beaten Malcolm at chess.

It's something he's quite proud of, maybe even a little too much.

But how could anybody blame him ? He won against all his challengers, the white king always falling to his flawless strategy.

So when Connor Stoll comes knocking at his cabin's door asking to play, he accepts quickly, confident in his ability in winning.

"Aren't you bored of playing chess the traditional way ?" Connor asks, lazily resting on one of the beds while Malcolm searches for the chessboard.

"There's only one way to play chess, Connor."

Malcolm frowns, still looking for the chessboard. He always put it in the same place, did he store it somewhere else after his victory against Miranda ?

"Only if you lack creativity," sings Connor from the bed.

"Fine," Malcolm sighs, abandoning his search, "what do you propose ?"

Connor smiles and gets closer to him, his blue eyes glinting.

“I suggest we play in our minds. No real chessboard, all will be happening up there,” he gives Malcolm a light tap on the forehead, “do you accept ?”

Malcolm hesitates. Connor’s idea definitely seems more challenging and fun than virtual chess but…

“What’s with that troubled pretty face of yours ?”

Connor gets even closer than he already was and with an infuriating smile taunts him :

“Scared you’ll lose ?”

For one second, Malcolm cannot get past the pretty face of yours.

Does he really mean it ?

Or is it just an expression the friendly son of Hermes uses ?

Then, he registers the taunt.

"Don't be ridiculous, Stoll." He scoffs, consciously ignoring the blush spreading on his cheeks. "I'll win either way."

"If you say so" The other boy snickers before taking a few steps back, allowing himself and Malcolm to concentrate.

He closes his eyes and visualize perfectly the chessboard and its pieces.

“Closing your eyes is not allowed though.”

Malcolm jumps at the voice’s closeness and when he opens his eyes, Connor is standing impossibly close to him, those blue eyes still sparkling and now looking right at him.

“We have to play the whole game looking in each other’s eyes. Otherwise you lose.”

“I don’t remember agreeing to those terms.”

“You agreed to play.”

With no mercy for Malcolm's heart, Connor gets even closer to him, to the point where he can the freckles dotting the other boy's face.

"You can still back out if you want."

Ah, it's nothing more than a calculated strategy then. A plot to make him flustered in order to win. Ignoring the pang of disappointment in his heart, Malcolm steels himself and looks right back at the son of Hermes.

"I'm not, now quit your little games and let's begin."

Connor cackles, allowing Malcolm to push him away.

"You take white and I'll play the black pieces, timer ?"

"Nah" Connor says with a smile, "I don't want to rush our time together."

The son of Hermes is sprawled on a chair, the definition of a cat bathing in the sun.

Except for those eyes, bright and sharp, pointed at Malcolm.

"Shall I ?"

Malcolm nods, trying his best to concentrate despite feeling so seen.

"Okay, let's see... Knight to C3".

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

Malcolm lost tracks of how much time they have been playing.

All that matters is that he's losing.

Terribly so.

He makes stupid moves, place his bishop in front a rook defenceless, doesn't picture Connor's queen taking his knight.

It's not his fault though, it is Connor's entirely.

It's his fault he's sweating, that his throat is dry no matter how much he drinks.

It's his fault for getting so close, his hands brushing Malcolm's and then putting distance between them, for making him suffer a brain malfunction when he licks his lip while concentrating, for

But mostly, it is the constant eye contact, the vibrant blue of Connor's eyes, the burning intensity that drives him mad, making him lose all focus.

It's a miracle he never adverted his eyes, he's sure he is blushing mess, a sight Connor seems to find particularly amusing.

Of course he would, his damned strategy is working with grandiose efficiency.

"Earth to Malcolm, do you copy ?"

"What ?" He says started, Connor way too close for him to function properly.

"I said checkmate, and I don't think you have any way out."

He's smiling, a horrible smug smirk that suits his face very well.

He tries to picture the board but all he sees are Connor's eyes looking at him with the glint of victory.

"Fine" he sighs, "You win."

Immediately, he looks everywhere else but Connor, the other boy clapping and praising his own victory.

"Well, there goes my winning streak." He plops down on his bed, eyes facing the ceiling.

Only to almost have a heart attack when Connor's face appears in his vision.

His breath hitches, his heart's rate going crazy when he realises Connor is right next to him, laying on his bed and looking at him like he wasn't actively trying to kill him.

"If it is so important to you, we can say you won," he shrugs, "My goal wasn't to beat you anyways."

He turns his head so fast he almost snap it.

"Then why did you act like that ?" He asks bewildered.

"Like what ?" Connor looks at him innocently, his face the definition of an angel. But his eyes are definitely the house of a demon, they way they shine mischievously.

"Like-", he feels his face reddens. Had he misinterpreted ? Maybe Connor was just acting normal and he read too much into it. Oh Fates, kill him now please.

"Did it bother you ? The way I acted ?"

For the first time since he entered the cabin, Connor's voice is unsure, his hands fidgeting and his voice coated with nervousness.

Malcolm's brain is going to fry and he is going to die.

Or maybe his heart will give up before his brain.

Either Connor is still playing, a frankly cruel game is that the case, or he is trying to make Malcolm understand something.

He dearly hopes it's the latter option.

"No, hum, it didn't." He gulps, his hand reaching Connor's, "Actually, I kinda liked it."

When he brushes his fingers, he waits for the cry of surprise, the "woah, what are you doing ?" but none of that comes.

Instead, Connor intertwines their fingers together.

He then props himself up with his other hand, his face hovering on Malcolm's.

He must be the colour of a tomato and Connor can probably hear his heart pounding.

"Can I kiss you ?" Connor whispers, those blue eyes looking straight into his grey ones.

"Yes." He answers breathless.

He has kissed people before.

A girl named Laura when he was twelve and it has been tasteless, only the feeling of his lips touching hers and nothing more.

The one with Rafael before the battle of Manhattan had been filled with some kind of frenzy, the one you get when you think you won't live to see another day.

But this, this is intoxicating.

When Connor kisses him, Malcolm instinctively grabs his neck, pulling him closer.

He doesn't want this to stop, he wants to kiss Connor until he can't breathe, until his lips are swollen and red, until-

"Wait, wait, I need to breathe."

Connor gently pulls himself off Malcolm, contently resting against him.

"By Athena, that was amazing."

"Please don't mention you mom just after we kissed."

"Right, you're right. But still, amazing."

Connor laughs, a sound full of mirth that Malcolm wants to hear until the day he dies and hopefully after too.

"Can I presume we will be doing that again ?" He asks, twirling a strand Malcolm's hair with his finger.

"You presume right."

They stay silent for a minute, basking in each other's presence and proximity.

"Does that mean you're not telling anyone that I lost ?"

"Sorry, can't do that."

"Why ?"

"Because I won darling."

The blush comes back with full force when Connor calls him darling, making the other boy cackles.

"Everybody know what was my goal when I entered this cabin. Right now, I think they are waiting for us outside to throw us in the lake."

He gets up, beckoning Malcolm to do the same.

"Shall we, boyfriend ?"

Connor's lightens up when he calls him boyfriend, happiness literally glowing around him.

He is the most beautiful boy Malcolm has ever seen.

"Yes, we shall."

Indeed, the second they step out they are swarmed by the other campers.

"To the lake !" Cecil screams.

"That's my line."

"Not when you're the one whose about to take a bath, brother."

All the way to the lake, Malcolm holds Connor's hand and when they get thrown, he doesn't let it go.

"Wanna ditch them and take a trip to New York ?" His boyfriend whispers in his ear, "I know the way."

"You're going to be a very bad influence on me."

"That's not a no."

"Chiron is going to be furious."

"We're not the first lovesick demigods to pull this kind of trick."

"We are both counsellors."

Connor kisses teasingly his neck and Malcolm's entire body short-circuits.

"They'll be fine. Besides," He gives him another kiss, on the jaw this time "I know a great restaurant that I'm sure you'll like."

"Okay," his voice comes out strangled and way more high pitched than usual, "lead the way."

"Excellent choice !" Connor says, excited, "we are going to have so much fun !"

When they come back, Chiron is indeed irritated, scolding them about how dangerous and reckless they had been.

Malcolm doesn't miss the fond look in his mentor's eyes when he shoos them away, letting them go without any kind of punishment.

What a better way to start Pride Month than Malconnor ?

#percy jackon and the olympians #pjo #percy jackson #heroes of olympus #connor stoll #malconnor #camp half blood #pro fandom

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starlazergazer · 2 years ago

Text

I Will Come Back for You

Pairing: Anakin x Reader

Request: Anakin and the reader were friends since they were little, both slaves, when Anakin gives her a necklace to remember him by when he leaves for the jedi with the promise that he will free her one day. Years later Ani realizes he is in love with the reader and decided to rescue her. Only to find out that a prince has freed you and taken you with him so Anakin mounts a rescue plan to free you from the prince’s grasp.

Warnings: Some swearing, some jealousy

Word count: 7K

A/N: As always I may have played with the original request a bit so if @sweetcheesecakesblog has any issue with the story let me know! But I had a lot of fun writing this so I really hope you enjoy it!

“Alright helmet”

“Check” 8 year old Anakin called back out in a bored tone, more than used to your prefight checklist you made him go through every time.

“Seatbelt?”

“Check”

“Flux density compressor”

“You made that one up” he laughed with a shake of his head, flipping switches on the dash to bring the speeder alive.

“Did I or do I just know more about mechanics than you?” You taunted with a smile on your face, bringing one, as it always did, to Anakin’s as well.

“That’s funny. You’re funny”

“So do I get to come along for this one?” You asked him sweetly, wide puppy dog eyes staring up at him from the ground beside the speeder. He made a point to avoid connecting with them.

“Absolutely not”

“Ani come on” you whined with a roll of your eyes, “you never let me come”

“I’m going for a record Y/N” He shrugged dismissively, busying himself with the controls that honestly no longer needed his attention.

“So?”

“So it’s dangerous”

“How come you’re going then?” you demanded with a frown

“Because-because-“ And he didn’t even know what words he was reaching for, knowing he didn’t want you coming along on a dangerous run but not fully understanding why. Instead he said the first thing that came to mind “because I’m a boy”

“What and girls can’t do anything dangerous” you laughed back at him with a raised brow.

“Yup” he answered simply, resting his arms on the edge of the speeder as he looked down at you “I think it’s a law”

“Now who’s making things up” you grumbled

“Alright you’re right that’s not a law” he ceded with a smirk “it actually says girls named Y/N can’t do anything dangerous”

You pouted back up at him, crossing your arms defensively over your chest prompting him to sigh. “Come on Y/N I need someone to time me”

“C3-PO could time you” you protested

“C3-PO’s not done” he countered

“Exactly my point!” You exclaimed in exasperation “you’re giving me a job so simple an unfinished protocol droid could do it”

And now it was Anakin’s turn to pull out the puppy dog eyes “Y/N please”

And just like he knew you would you caved, sighing as you sank into yourself on the spot, taking a second to note that his helmet wasn’t even on before holding up the stopwatch so he could see, pointedly hitting the button to start the timer.

“Wait wait I’m not ready” Anakin called out in a panic, throwing on his helmet and buckling himself in.

“4…5…6” you counted with a smirk on your face, watching as Anakin rushed through the last of his preparations before tearing off.

Hugging each corner more than he realistically should have Anakin made the loop in what felt like record time, slamming on the breaks to bring the speeder to a stop before yelling out to you excitedly “what was my time?”

He couldn’t hear your response over the drum of the engine so he shut it down, pulling off his helmet before repeating himself “Y/N what-“ and the sight before him made the words die in his throat.

The spot you had just been standing in was empty, nothing but a stopwatch buried in the sand in your spot.

“Y/N?” he called out in confusion, hopping down from the speeder and desperately looking around. You had been in a wide, empty area no where to go or hide in the amount of time he had been gone, it didn’t make sense.

He knelt down to pick up the stopwatch before a glint in the sand caught his eye, a familiar gold chain just to the left of the stopwatch.

But that was impossible, he hadn’t given you that necklace yet, wouldn’t for another year at least when he leaves with Qui-Gon, a way for you to remember him until he comes back for you.

“Ani?”

The voice caught him off guard, it was your voice but different, older? He spun around on the spot to see you standing there, but it wasn’t the you he knew at 8 years old, it was a you that was the same age as him now. He barely even registered that he wasn’t that 8 year old kid anymore either.

“Y/N?” he asked hesitantly, gripping the necklace pendant in his fist as he surveyed you “what’s going on?”

And at this you laughed bitterly only furthering his confusion “I was going to ask you the same question”

“What?”

“It’s been years Anakin” you words came quickly and sharply, anger dripping from each one “you said you were going to come back. Going to come get me out of here”

“I am…I-I I will I just can’t-“ his words tumbled out of him as he struggled to speak, his mind struggling to keep up with what was happening.

“Oh I’m sorry have you been busy?” you sneered at him, pushing him back “too busy learning to be a jedi, making friends, saving the galaxy, that must have been so hard for you”

“Y/N I’m sorry-”

“Oh good” you laughed, taking a step back from him “I’ve been a slave stuck on Tatooine with no friends, no family, working under Watto for years but it’s nice to know that you’re sorry, that sure helps”

“Y/N I meant what I said” he pleaded with you “I’m going to come free you”

A humorless laugh escaped you, all anger dropping from you almost instantly as your whole posture sagged “yeah well, you’re too late”

His eyebrows scrunched together, taking a hesitant step towards you “what do you mean-“ the rest of the sentence hung in the air as a man came into his field of vision.

He was someone Anakin had never seen before but a very well-dressed man, a man that was very pointedly only looking at you, looking at you with an expression that immediately had Anakin on guard.

“She’s beautiful isn’t she” the man spoke softly, reaching out to drag a single finger up your arm, the touch causing your entire body to tense up, Anakin’s fist clenching down on the necklace pendant in response before he even fully understood what was happening.

“Who are-“

The man cut him off, reaching up to put a single finger under your chin, pulling your gaze up to his “she was wasted on a person like Watto, a planet like Tatooine” You’re entire body seemed to shake on the spot.

“Look I don’t know what is going on here but if you don’t-“ Anakin’s threat was cut short as he tried to take a step forward only to find his feet buried in the sand below completely unable to move.

The man laughed softly, “With a face like this” he suddenly grabbed your chin, fingers squishing harshly into your cheeks as he turned your head to face him, a mischievous glint in the stranger’s eyes as he looked back at Anakin “think of the possibilities”

“You lay one hand on her and I will end you” his voice had dropped dangerously low, fist clenched so tightly around the pendant it dug harshly into his skin.

“Oh” the man laughed again, dropping your face to pull you by your arm, crashing your body into him, his arms snaking their way around your waist as your eyes pleaded with Anakin to do something “I wouldn’t dream of it”

His hand went instinctively for his lightsaber only to find the spot where it was usually clipped to his belt empty, his hand fumbling uselessly around in his robes for a bit as the stranger watched in amusement.

“If you’re quite done with these empty threats Y/N and I have some place to be” he smirked, pulling you along by your elbow.

“Y/N no please” he called out desperately, weight shifting forward on his feet though they still refused to move.

You didn’t say anything as you were pulled away, didn’t fight back, didn’t do anything but look back at Anakin sadly, begging him wordlessly to do something, to save you.

“No…stop…Y/N” he called out but his voice was starting to die within him, knowing he couldn’t do anything while his feet refused to move, forced to just stand there as he watched you get pulled away from him.

He reached out with his hand towards you as far as he could, putting all his weight into his toes trying desperately to do anything to move. When suddenly it was as if they became unstuck from the ground, his whole body immediately pitching forwards, his face flying directly to the ground.

His hands came up instinctively to protect himself as he hit the ground but he didn’t ever connect with it really, instead he fell through it, reality shifting instantly so he was falling through the ceiling of his room, body slamming back down on the bed violently prompting him to bolt up inn an instant, breaths heavy and erratic as he took in his surroundings.

It was his room at the temple, his empty room, it was just a dream, at least that was what he told himself. But this felt different somehow than the dreams he had of you before. You had been his age in this one, that was what struck him, before you had always been at most the nine years old he had last seen you at on Tatooine but not in this one, why not in this one.

Something felt wrong, he could feel it. Not in the force per say but in his gut, you were in trouble he just knew it.

As he felt his heart rate start to go down, his breathing finally slowing back down to a normal rate, he brought his hand up to his face, looking down into his palm, an indent of a familiar necklace pendant etched into the skin staring back up at him.

You had never been one for court. The threats and promises Prince Willard doled out without a second thought as if he were a god, capable of controlling everything and everyone beneath him. As if he somehow deserved the loyalty of these people due to a position he was born into, as if he deserved to posses the fist that he too often used to crush innocent people.

It was why you barely paid attention to the next person that strolled into the throne room that day.

He had fluffy hair that fell nearly to his shoulders, piercing blue eyes that looked almost familiar if you stared into them for long enough but of course you didn’t. You never liked to note the hope in people’s eyes as they asked for favors before the prince snuffed it out.

It was the man’s voice that caught your attention. A voice that haunted your dreams, a voice that had promised you he would come back for you, the voice of a kid you had long since given up hope of ever seeing again.

“Your majesty” the man said, dipping low into a bow as you sat up straighter, inching ever so slightly closer to the edge of your seat, eager to see the man’s face as he came back up only to see his gaze already on you, the edges of his lips turned up into a small smile “My name is Anakin Skywalker”

And you felt your whole world freeze, because it was him, that boy, the one you had grown so close to as a child, the one you had waited years for on an empty promise made when he was nine, the one now much older than when you had last seen him, bowing before you on the floor.

You felt a relief wash over you instantly, you’d spent all this time worrying for the worst: if he was dead, if he had forgotten about you, if he had never cared in the first place.

But now standing before you, eyes never breaking from your own as he smiled you could see that none of that was true, that he had kept his promise after all, that not so little anymore Ani had finally come back for you.

If only he hadn’t come too late.

“What can I do for you Mr.Skywalker” Prince Willard’s voice filled the silence you hadn’t realized you had let fall, not missing the way the Prince’s eyes flicked back and forth between you and Anakin suspiciously, a tightness in his jaw you never liked to see make an appearance.

“I come for the princess” Anakin’s gaze never left yours, but you tried to force yourself to ignore it, to slump back down into your chair, to force your expression into one of indifference.

A humorless laugh filled the throne room, echoing off the expansive stone walls as the prince looked between you and Anakin again “you come for my princess?”

“The republic does not condone keeping slaves Prince Willard” Anakin continued to threaten no matter how much you begged him behind your eyes to shut up “so I suggest you release Y/N to me and we can set this whole matter behind us”

“You must be mistaken” you hated how calm his voice was as he spoke, remaining the same even tone even as Anakin’s started to spike in anger “Y/N is not a slave here, she is as you said a princess”

“I happen to know for a fact that you purchased her servitude from Watto just two years ago” Anakin continued, stalking dangerously close to the throne as his voice dropped down an octave “thereby making her your slave”

“I freed princess Y/L/N from Watto two years ago” you could hear the smugness in the prince’s voice as he spoke, more than happy to put Anakin in his place “she is here of her on accord. Isn’t that right sweetheart”

You felt your heart seize in your chest at the nickname, watching as Anakin’s eyes broke back to yours wide with hope, begging you to say otherwise, to let him take you from here.

You practically choked on your next words “that’s correct”

You forced your gaze back to the prince’s before you could watch Anakin’s chest fall, watch the hope flicker from his eyes. It would make the first time in this room you had caused that instead of the prince.

“Nevertheless-“ Anakin tried to continue though his voice had lost most of its bravado in the process.

You watched as the prince’s hand started to snake further down the armrest of his chair, fingers coming dangerously close to the button you knew was at the end of it that would call in the guards and did the only thing you could think to do to stop it.

You leaned over and grabbed the prince’s hand, calmly lacing your fingers through his and giving it a soft squeeze.

You watched both the men freeze at the touch, Anakin’s eyes snapping immediately to your interlaced fingers on the prince’s thrown.

The prince’s eyes, however, immediately snapped to you and you could see the confusion in them. Afterall when was the last time you had shown him such affection, surely not since your first few weeks in the castle, not since you learned exactly what type of man he was.

But you forced a smile to your face, watching in some small satisfaction as a similar one grew on his, his other hand coming over to rest atop your own.

“I suggest you leave Mr.Skywalker” and there was some annoyance in his voice as the Prince said it. But annoyance was good, annoyance you could deal with, as long as it meant the anger had been washed away.

Anakin shook his head in response, taring his gaze away from your clasped hands and notably not stopping to rest on yours for even a second “not without the princess”

You had never wanted to throttle the Skywalker boy more in your life.

You could practically see the anger rising within the prince as Anakin continued to demand your freedom, his fist coming off of your hands to bang on his armrest as his voice for the first time rose enough that you were sure the guards were going to be alerted “now you listen here-“

You cut off the prince quickly with a simple “darling”, reaching out to his chin to softly pull his gaze to yours. The anger was wiped from his face in an instant, as if it had never been there in the first place and you could see him practically hanging off your every word. Afterall it was a nickname you only pulled out in the most dire of circumstances.

And though you knew it was a dirty trick to play, and that Anakin was standing right before the two of you, more than able to see everything you were about to do, you leaned forward a bit giving the prince a good view down your neckline, watching the way his brain lagged as his gaze was instinctively drawn to it.

“Do you think we could wrap this up I’m feeling rather tired” you asked sweetly, the prince’s gaze finally snapping up to your eyes.

“Of course sweetheart” he all but whispered, bringing your hand up to his lips to press a small kiss to the back of it, you doing your best not to flinch before he turned back to Anakin.

You could see Anakin’s clenched jaw even from your chair above him, not missing the daggers he glared in the prince’s direction as he waited for him to speak, his hands clutched tightly into fists at his side.

“I will not ask again Mr.Skywalker” the prince acted as if he couldn’t see the anger dripping off of Anakin, his eyes only straying from you for brief moments to address him “leave now or I will have you thrown out”

At this Anakin’s eyes broke to yours, this time not begging you to say something but rather daring you to, giving the stare but a moment’s pause before he bowed again, never taking his eyes off you as he spoke “as you wish” and you knew those words weren’t directed at the prince.

Nevertheless Anakin strolled out of the throne room slowly and you tried your best not to watch him go, not to wish he would come back and take you with him despite everything, not to want him to stay.

“come let’s get you to bed” the prince’s words broke you from your trance as he helped you from your chair, a soft hand placed on the small of your back as he led you down the hallway.

“What’s brought all this on my sweet” he asked innocently though you could detect the undercurrent of suspicion in his words, forcing your feet to stop carrying you forward, turning more fully to the prince as you spoke.

“Just…hearing someone lie like that…about knowing me in order to get close to me…it scared me honestly” you forced your voice to be as small and helpless as possible, exactly the way he seemed to prefer his princesses.

And you watched his face light up in response, a small chuckle escaping his lips before he pulled you softly into a hug, your head crashing lightly into his chest as he rubbed a hand up and down your back “there is no need to worry. I will always protect you”

And though you gagged on the inside, and had to fight the urge to push him away from you, you forced yourself to sink further into the hug, mumbling softly against the linen of his shirt “I know you will”

You woke in the middle of the night to a soft tapping on your window, familiar blue eyes connecting with yours from the balcony outside.

Swearing softly under your breath you slipped out from beneath the convers, careful not the wake the prince sleeping right next to you as you did so.

Only once the crisp night air hit you did it dawn on you that you hadn’t bothered to throw anything on over the simple slip you slept in with the prince, something that clearly didn’t escape Anakin’s notice either.

“Did you-“ he let the question hang in the air, his eyes flitting back to the prince still asleep in your bed inside.

“I’m fine” you answered simply, not caring that that was not the question he had asked in the first place “Ani what are you doing here”

You hadn’t meant for the nickname to slip out, the familiarity of being in his presence just taking over but you could see the way his mouth quirked up at the sound of it, his attention drawing completely back to you as you said it “I could ask you the same question”

“Yeah well” you crossed your arms protectively over your chest, gaze breaking to anything other than Anakin’s eyes as you spoke “only one of us is here willingly”

You watched the smile on Anakin’s face grow into a grin as you admitted it “I knew it”

“I’m so glad my enslavement amuses you” you grumbled back in response.

“Hey it means I can do something about it” Anakin responded just making you shake your head more, had he learned nothing from this morning.

“You cannot-“ and you cut yourself off, eyes darting back briefly to your bedroom to check on the prince’s sleeping form before you changed tactics, only focused on ending this conversation as soon as possible “Anakin you need to leave”

“What?” he asked in disbelief, blue eyes bouncing back and forth between your own “I can’t leave. Not without you”

“Ani I-“ you sighed, eyes breaking to the sides of the castle “look at least meet me in the guest bedroom okay, its just that balcony over there” you pointed to the balcony a few rooms down from your own “we can’t have this conversation here”

He looked down at you skeptically, eyes breaking back into your bedroom before reluctantly nodding.

You sighed back in relief, carefully slipping back into your bedroom and out into the hallway though not without grabbing a robe to wrap yourself in on the way.

And you had meant to go into the room telling Anakin off, demanding he leave before he causes even more trouble. But then you saw him standing there in the room, the perfect reflection of the little kid you had known on Tatooine, and you couldn’t help yourself.

You bound up to Anakin quickly, wrapping your arms around his neck as his snaked around your waist pulling you into a deep hug. You felt him sigh into it, pulling you tightly against him and you knew he needed this as badly as you did.

“You grew up” you whispered into his ear, feeling your whole body shake as he laughed in response, reluctantly letting you go.

“So did you”

And you relished the smile on his face as he said it, the familiar air that had encapsulated you in that moment, as if the years that had passed without him didn’t exist, as if he had been there with you the whole time.

His eyebrows suddenly quirked and you watched his hand come up to your neck, fingers grazing the skin around it as he pulled on the simple golden chain he had given you ages ago.

“You still wear it” the words came out in disbelief, a soft chuckle along with them.

“A good friend gave it to me” you responded with a smile “told me it was so that I wouldn’t forget him, or his promise”

“And did you?” he asked you, eyes breaking from the necklace back to you hopefully.

“Not for a second” you answered honestly.

His next words came quick and with the same veracity as that promise he had made you long ago “neither did I”

Another brief silence passed between the two of you before Anakin finally broke it, dropping the necklace, allowing its charm to thud softly against your chest “why did you agree to go with him Y/N? I promised I would come get you”

“How long was I supposed to wait Ani?” you asked him softly “I’d already waited so many years, I had no way of knowing if you were even alive, so when the chance to finally get out from under Watto came along. I took it”

“And the prince?” he asked in response “he treats you well? You’re happy here?”

“He treats me well” you assured him, taking one of his hands in yours and giving it a soft squeeze, pointedly ignoring his latter question.

“come back with me” he pleaded, taking your other hand in his.

“I can’t” you shook your head in response.

“Why not?”

You sighed softly at the question “Because I am single handedly keeping at bay three different wars by staying his hand” your answer slipped out before you could stop it “because the people here deserve better than to live on a war torn planet which is what this place will be reduced to if the prince is left to rule alone”

“the jedi order can-“

“The order can do what?” you cut him off quickly “there is a treaty in place and the prince has so far done nothing wrong. The order can’t step in until it is too late and you know it”

And again there was a moment of silence as Anakin digested your words, tried to think of a way to counter. “Please don’t make me leave without you.” He took a deep breath, eyes bouncing desperately back and forth between your own “I already did that once and I can’t bear to do it again”

And you couldn’t help but smile sadly at that, a hand coming instinctively up to cup his cheek, rubbing soft circles into the skin “Ani I can’t”

Anakin opened his mouth to respond but instead the prince’s voice came out startling the two of you “You know I knew you were lying when you said you didn’t know him” You and Anakin jumped back from each other hastily. The prince continuing on softly as if he hadn’t noticed “I never thought I asked you for too much. I gave you everything you could ever want: a castle to explore, a planet to rule over, subjects to wait on you hand and foot and all I ever wanted in return was for you to love me. Instead I find out you’re undermining my rule behind my back.”

Anakin grabbed your arm protectively, pulling you closer to him as he spoke “you don’t get to buy someone’s love like that. You earn it and if Y/N doesn’t want to go back with you than she won’t”

The prince in turn completely ignored Anakin’s words, his eyes only focusing on you “Now Y/N you know I don’t like to play this card but I do own you” he held a hand out to you, waiting for you to take it, already expecting that you would “now be a good girl and come back to me”

And he was right, it was as if your hand was being pulled by strings, your arm already lifting before Anakin was pulling you back behind him, defensively standing between you and the prince “As I already said slavery is illegal under the republic”

“As the leading supplier of weapons to the republic I’m willing to bet they will look the other way just this one time” he said it all with a smile, already knowing he had won, that you were bound to come back to him just as you always did.

“They may be but I am not” Anakin dropped into a defensive stand before you, hands making for his lightsaber strapped to his hip and illuminating it before him, casting an eerie blue glow in the room.

“I warn you this is not a battle you can win Skywalker” the prince threatened, giving Anakin a moment to stand down before calling out “guards”

In a second the room was swarming with guards, every available space filled with a new one, each with their blasters pointed squarely at Anakin.

And you could see from his stance that there was still no backing down, that he planned to go down fighting if that was what the situation called for.

The prince, however, kept his eyes on you, a smirk on his face as he held a hand out to you still, patiently waiting for you to take it.

“Ani stop” you all but whispered, setting a soft hand on his back as you made your way around him.

“Y/N, no” he tried weakly to stop you though you could tell his heart wasn’t in it. He knew this was a fight he couldn’t win.

You ignored him as you stepped around him, reaching out to take the princes hand, not missing the way his grip was much stronger than necessary once you had grabbed it. “that’s a good princess” he cooed happily, smiling back at the daggers Anakin was glaring into him “now you and I are going to have a very important discussion but first” he turned his attention back to the guards, hand never breaking from your wrist “show the jedi out and make sure he doesn’t come back this time, I don’t need the entire order on my ass claiming I kidnapped one of their knights”

For a moment there was just silence, Anakin glaring back at the prince, no doubt imagining the thousand of ways he could kill him right now before he finally deactivated his lightsaber, turning his attention back to you just over the princes shoulders “I’m coming back for you” he promised, putting as much force into the words as possible before his gaze snapped back to the prince “and I’m not taking no for an answer”

It had been a while since you had been thrown in the dungeon, something that happened fairly rarely though still often enough that you had your own room.

Some furniture had been added, a more comfortable bed and all but there was still no mistaking it for what it was, a prison cell.

Anakin had said he would come back for you, the exact promise he made you as a nine year old on Tatooine, and sure he had fulfilled the promise the first time but that how many years? Could you really afford to wait that long again?

But Anakin didn’t owe you anything, you weren’t his responsibility, and further it made no sense for the jedi to sanction a rescue mission like that. Overthrowing the monarchy of the planet that supplied most of the republics weapons over one girl? That didn’t make sense.

But his eyes when he had promised you again, the tone in his voice, the conviction with which he said it, you believed him, you really did.

But logic won out, it always did, you just needed to sit here and wait, wait for the prince to forgive you, wait for him to decide he would rather have his arm candy at the next ball than be mad at you. Put your head down and play your part that was how you had gotten this far in this life and it was how you were prepared to continue.

So you waited, waited for an all too familiar apology, the same excuse of how he didn’t like treating you like this, or even worse that this hurt him to see you like this more than it hurt you.

Instead on the fourth day you were awakened by an explosion loud enough to shake the castle walls.

You were on your feet in an instant, pressing your ear desperately to the door trying to pick up any noise at all that would clue you into what was happening but the door was too thick, you couldn’t make out anything.

Swearing under your breath you gave up on that tactic, moving instead to pacing the room before deciding better of it, grabbing the only thing you could think to make a weapon (a pillow) and pressing your back to the wall right next to the door.

Forcing deep, even breaths you waited, only having to stand there for a few minutes before the door finally slid open, you waiting a single moment before swinging the pillow towards the person walking into the room.

Only a few steps in the person effortlessly turned to you and held a hand up to block, you only realizing with relief that it was Anakin after you had nailed him in the forearm.

“A pillow? Really?”

“I don’t exactly have options for weapons in here” you sighed, throwing the pillow back onto your bed.

“Literally anything would have been better” he chuckled “you could’ve just punched me”

“Then you could’ve grabbed my wrist and I’d have been restrained”

“Oh glad to know there was at least some thought put into this plan” he shook his head in amusement “now come on you’re ruining my knight in shining armor moment”

With a grin you took his hand, letting him lead you down the hallway to the stairs that would take you to the main floor, the sound of gunfire growing with each step.

“The order sanctioned a hostile takeover of the castle?” you asked him in disbelief.

“Its just the 501st battalion up there” he whispered back to you as he drew his lightsaber, pointedly not answering your question.

“And the jedi council and the senate gave you permission to use them to come here right?” you responded with a raised brow.

“When we get up there stay low and stay behind me we’re going to be moving quickly” Again Anakin ignored your question as he started to move up the stairs.

You reached out to grab his arm, forcing him to stop and look at you, you raising your eyebrows waiting for your answer.

He sighed as he looked down at you before shaking his head softly “I made a promise. And I already wasted too much time before fulfilling the first one”

“Ani but all this” you sighed back at him, gesturing to the sounds of battle above “people could get hurt, you’re going to be in so much trouble-“

“I told you” he cut you off with a small smile “I’m not leaving this planet without you”

And to your own surprise you had no response to that, a moment of silence hanging in the air before Anakin turned back to the stairs and whispered “now stay low and behind me we’re making a break for the ship okay?”

“Okay”

You can’t remember the last time you were able to just sit in the grass and watch the clouds. Honestly you weren’t sure you had ever been able to do so. There was always work to do, customers to overcharge, kingdoms to run. It was nice to just sit and do nothing for a change.

You heard footsteps approaching from behind you but didn’t bother to turn around and look, you knew who it was.

Anakin sat down wordlessly next to you, his shoulder brushing yours lightly as he leaned back on his hands, his gaze following yours up to the sky.

“How much trouble did you get into for an unsanctioned rescue mission like that” you asked him with a raised brow, laughing softly as you watched his gaze pointedly avoid yours.

“Why don’t we just say that doesn’t matter now” he proposed with a soft smile “you’re here, you’re free, that’s what matters”

“So a lot. I tried to warn you” you chuckled with a soft shake of your head.

“I free you from being a slave, from a literal dungeon and you’re still going to do an ‘I told you so’ moment” He laughed finally looking down at you.

“I mean I did” you shrugged with a grin, moving to sit up straighter, your smile slowly dropping from your face as you picked at the grass beneath your legs, letting you gaze stay down as you prepared for your next words “you know, waiting all those years on Tatooine, I was starting to think you had forgotten me”

“There wasn’t a day that went by that I didn’t think about you” Anakin’s answer came immediately, his tone soft but serious.

“Yeah?” You chuckled lightheartedly, eyes coming up to see that he was already looking down at you “nice to know I had such an impact on your childhood”

At this Anakin chuckled softly, wringing a hand through his hair as he spoke “I mean how could you not? We spent nearly every minute together, you were the one I always wanted to talk to, the one who made me laugh no matter whatever else was going on. Of course I thought about you. I meant it when I said I was going to come back for you”

“I know you did” you answered honestly “even back then, I knew you did”

A moment of comfortable silence fell over the two of you before Anakin broke it “you know I had this plan in my head on how I was going to rescue you” he chuckled softly, eyes casting up to the clouds above as he spoke “I was going to storm in and demand you back, fight my way to you if I had to, and you would see me and be so grateful that I had finally come for you that you ran to me, threw your arms around my neck and…” he seemed to choke on his next words, a brief moments pause before a humorless chuckle escaped his lips “and that’s not how it ended up going at all”

“It did not” you agreed with your own chuckle

“then I saw you on that throne, looking more beautiful than you ever had before in that gown that I almost forgot what I had planned to say. I panicked and bowed instead”

And you couldn’t help but laugh at that, at the idea of the Anakin Skywalker getting so flustered by anything that badly was absolutely ridiculous.

“Then you acted as if you had no idea who I was” his voice seemed to hollow out at these words, “and this pit grew in my stomach, and I just needed you to look at me and tell me that you remembered me”

You took his hand without a second thought, giving it a soft squeeze as he continued.

“Then I saw you reach over and grab his hand, and you called him darling and smiled at him with that same smile you used to give me and I told myself that I could be okay with that. That I would be okay with that if you were in love with him, if you were happy. If being a princess gave you all you wanted then I would just walk away”

“Then why did you come back” you asked him softly “later that night”

He chuckled softly to himself again, giving your hand a squeeze “I told myself that I just wanted to make sure that you were happy. That if you looked me in the eyes and told me that you liked it there that I would leave. But honestly” he paused for a deep breath, looking down at you for the first time “honestly I just needed to know that you remembered me, that I wasn’t crazy for hanging onto those years we knew each other as kids for as long as I did”

And you couldn’t help but laugh at his words, resting your head against his shoulder as you did so “Oh Ani I could’ve never forgotten you”

“Yeah?” he asked you and though he tried to play it off as a joke you could hear the desperation beneath his voice, how badly he needed to hear you say it.

“Of course I didn’t forget about you” you sighed out, your other hand coming up to squeeze his bicep softly “I’ve been in love with you since we were five”

You felt him go rigid beneath you, a brief moment of panic coursing through you as you sat back up to look at him, his wide eyes planted squarely on you as you straightened up to meet his gaze “you what?”

“I thought it was obvious” you chuckled at his reaction “always practically hanging off your side, doing anything and everything to get you to laugh, to notice me”

You could practically see his brain working to catch up, to process your words “why…why didn’t you tell me?”

“And when would I have done that?” you chuckled again “when you were my only friend in the world that I couldn’t risk losing or after you left to go become a jedi?”

His eyes flitted back and forth for a moment, his head whirling at what had apparently been new information to him only making you smile and shake your head softly.

“And what about now?” he asked quietly

You smirked back up at him, a mischievous glint in your eye “what about now?”

He forced out a chuckle at your words, his grip on your hand tightening unconsciously “what do you think of no longer nine years old Anakin”

You couldn’t fight the grin off your face as you leaned back slightly, allowing your eyes to graze over him, pretending to scrutinize before answering “hmmm not bad. Could use a haircut though”

And you watched a grin grow on his own face at your words, the grip on your hand used to pull you closer to him. “I’ll have you know I like my hair”

“Oh no the long hair suits no longer nine year old Anakin” you assured him, reaching up to run a hand through it “just a little trim”

He caught your hand as you tried to withdraw it from his hair, pressing a soft kiss to the delicate skin on the inside of your wrist before he spoke softly “okay, for you, anything”

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