#i'm not decided on what our twice blessed's name would be

[paigemathews]

Okay but consider - the eldest three daughters of the next gen as:

the potential next Source with strong connections to the Underworld

the Twice-Blessed Witch and expected protégée of the Heavens

the Wielder of Excalibur and future king/queen

Obviously, the Source kid is a Phoebe/Cole daughter, but I'm undecided on if Paige's daughter is the Twice-Blessed while Piper's is the wielder of Excalibur or vice verse. Something about the division of the world and magic among three and three daughters who are expected to lead each of them and take the world into a new era of magic and harmony between good, evil, and mortal.

[numberonetastemakerwhispers]

Lustful Desires

Miguel O'hara series...

Pairing: !pornstarmiguel x !smallcampaignreader

TW: NSFW BELOW CUT ✂️

Miguel o'hara. Known for his work and videos online through his years of working as a pornstar. Hes only posted little to few videos, but the outcome of them all were beautiful.

You had found him after scrolling through some videos on your browser, the title reading 'Lust and Fuck'. You pressed it reluctantly, expecting something boring than what the title was. Instead you were greeted with a muscular tanned man. Your eyes following how his muscles flexed, the way his lips curled up as he smirked. Shit he was hot.

And god you swore you almost came at the sight unraveling. (You did) The end where he was grunting loudly as his hips moved sloppily to where he finally came.

Your hands seemingly moving on their own as they dipped down to your panties, rubbing slow circles on your clit, making you shudder. (rewatching the video, hehe)

You watched the rest of his videos, cumming almost twice as much as you usually have in months. All being breath taking and exhausting as your hand cramped from chasing your high each time.

You were also a pornstar, but not on his level. You usually did solo videos, wearing pretty lacy lingerie, indulging yourself with your sways and swoons as you unraveled yourself for the camera. Maybe even fucking yourself silly with whatever toys you had, having you moaning like a slutty bitch. Your neighbors probably have heard.

Although you did solo, you did take some requests on considering to work with others, maybe those who also did solo, or more experience but god you weren't expecting the email you were just about to get sent...

----

Few hours go by as you were getting settled in your bed, getting ready to knock out when your phone suddenly buzzed. You thought it was from one of your managers, maybe even a notifiction from one of those thristy men on your porn site. You were oh, so wrong, looking at your phone as you gasped. Your eyes scanning the name from whom the email was from before opening it. Miguel O'hara.

You thought you must have been dreaming? The one and only? It couldn't have been! But you read the message over and over and that you almost peed your pants! (or maybe you did. jk)

The message was mind blowing to you, but still it was unexpected.

' Subject: Request ...

Hello preciosa, Ive seen your works and I must say you are a sight for sore eyes...

I was wondering if you would love to work with me in one of my own?

-

Miguel O'Hara.

You squealed as your fingers starting typing faster than your brain could process, having to delete then reform your words as you typed back.

'Subject: yes please!

Ive seen your works as well! I'm quite a fan

... and i would love to work with you. We'll work things out with our managers yea?

-

Y/N.

You sounded almost too excited. Desperate even. But who wouldnt be? When a well known pornstar like Miguel who blessed with a body of a goddess? You thought you had been blessed by the gods, or cursed even. Since you couldn't sleep a wink after that email.

-

6:00 AM

Your alarm had went off on your phone. Grumbling and groggy from your restless sleep as you turned it off, wiping your eyes and the puddle of drool that had been growing from your slumber, as you checked your phone. Another email!

You tapped it as you read it over, your body feeling fully awake now at the message.

Subject: Plan

'Alo, carino you sound excited.. tomorrow at 2 pm at ******.'

-

Miguel O'Hara.

It was short. It spoke truth. it was TOMORROW?! You had thought that a meeting would take a few days even a week but it was happening tomorrow! You felt your cheeks flood with redness as your buried you face in your hands.

What was the theme going to be? Did you have to bring your own clothes of choice? Was the fact meeting him face to face might actually give you a heart attack? Would he even like how you look in person? Would it give him a heart attack?!

Gosh you decided to calm yourself down, seeing how overwhelmed you were getting over a email. You took a deep breath and started typing a reply back.

'Subject: Plan

Im a little excited.. more nervous tho. Ill be there tomorrow!'

-

Y/N.

You sighed as you hoped the day would go by slowly, letting the time for you to consume your inner thoughts and the need to be settled down. You got up and went on with your day. (with the thought of miguel lingering)

-

It was almost 10 as you settled in your comforters after a nice long shower, finishing and editing a draft of yourself up to your site as you yawned exhaustly, ready to knock out. The thought of meeting up with him roamed your mind, making you jitter with anticipation and anxiousness. You pushed those thoughts aside, ready to get back to them when you wake up.

-

You groaned. you couldn't even sleep at all. Only finally falling asleep around 4 in the morning, scrolling through pages and posts to help you fall asleep faster, to no surprise it brought you hell.

It was 10 AM, your meet up was in 4 hours, but you'd be heading there an hour early since the place was pretty far from where you lived.

You called your manager, making sure everything was still in order (it was) as you were up and getting ready. It was scary really, as you did your best to find what would be most appropriate to wear and what wouldn't be.

You decided for a skim black skirt, white sweater with a pink vest over it. Your hair blow, starting your makeup after showering and doing your daily skincare.

You had lipgloss and mascara, a little blush from here to there and that signature mole on your right cheek. You made sure you looked decent as you did last minute sprints of perfume before you trampled out your apartment.

Rushing down your apartment stairs, as you hopped into your Toyota that you had bought off an auction for half the price, starting it up as you finally hit the road, ready for the day to unravel.

You made it, but 30 minutes late. Blaming the traffic that went on your hour early drive over. Always traffic...

You had found yourself talking with your manager along the way, him scolding you back and forth about being late, as you just huffed but apologized. You were lead into a room with lights and cameras scattered around the room, an area in the middle where it must have been where you were going to perform the scene with Miguel. It was all mind blowing, even more when you laid your eyes on him.

He was way more attractive in person, his smile flooding the room. The way his shoulders flexed with every movement, the way he slicked his hair back to not let any piece fall on his forehead. He was a man who would be seen as a piece from a museum you thought to yourself.

You had caught yourself staring that sent you straight back to reality. He was looking straight back at you, with a smirk that was seen clear for days. It had your cheeks flushed and your manager still fussing on how you weren't paying attention to his lecture.

It didn't matter after you and miguel had walked up to eachother greeting eachother and eachothers managers. You smiled sheepishly as he smiled back as well.

"Alo preciosa.." He said, his voice sounded rough and smooth a hint of a grunt being heard.

"Hey.." you said your voice almost a squeak from how shy you were. You earned a chuckled from him as he took your hand in his as he gave it a firm squeeze, placing a kiss on the back of your palm.

"No need to be shy carino, since we're working with eachother today." He reassured, which made not only your heart flutter but your other heart beat with need. (oopsies)

You nodded as you chuckled to yourself, looking up into his coffee brown eyes, his fangs poking out as he smirked at you.

"Okay ill try... but don't be disappointed when I do." You said softly as your managers starting discussing on the scene and prepping the platforms, choice of clothing and need of materials.

It was all so new to you, to be working in an actual studio, and it was a big bump to your campaign seeing as you were only just a small creator. Although you knew this would be a huge raise for not only you, but your campaign as well.

When you were pulled to the dressing room you had seen scatters of different clothing presented before you, making you awe and oh at such selection.

Although it all seemed appropriate for the scene you had to display with Miguel. The scene of which 2 lovers coming out of an argument, which turned to hot angry sex.

Something new to you and a jump to what you expected. Thought of maybe slow sensational romance, him coming home as you both held onto one another but instead happened to be this..

--

After roaming through your selection of clothing, you decided to go for a simple 'at home' look. Silk shorts that clung onto your thighs nicely, and a matching silk tanktop (sleep wear). You finished by getting prepped and sprayed down after having your makeover, mascara and eye liner, lip gloss and instead of your signature mark they decided for you not to wear it.

You made your way out the changing room as your eyes caught onto the tall burly man who wore a black t-shirt that strained against his chest, making it hard for your gaze to be pulled away. He wore grey sweats, clinging onto his musclar thighs just right, showing the plump of his ass which had you blushing like a fool.

He saw you, maybe even you staring at him in such a way, as he made his way over.

"mi nína... estás preciosa..." (my girl...your beautiful...) He murmured, his gaze traveling down the outfit you wore just for the show, for him specifically. You smiled softly as you didn't understand his spanish, which made it awkward but fun.

"What are you saying?" You giggled, looking up at him with those doe eyes of yours, the feeling of staring into his seemingly felt like you were being lured in.

"nothing to worry about." He smirked as he took your hand in his, his own making yours looked drawf compared to him. You felt jittery and vulnerable, letting him drag you along as you both got on set. You take a deep breath, feeling rather tense. Miguel seemed to noticed as his hand rubbed slow circles on the small of your back.

"shh..No te pongas nervioso, te tengo amor." (dont be nervous, i got you love.) He reassured looking down at you with comfort and ease in his eyes, your body seemed more at ease as you smiled up at him.

Although you didn't know what he was saying but you knew it probably meant something sweet.

--

"SCENE STARTS IN 3..." The manager yelled from the back, you being in the kitchen as he just got back home from the pub, really to you it seemed like a toxic plot, but with miguel he seemed so sweet and reassuring, that you didn't seem to care for the plot.

"2..1 ACTION!" Your manager yelled as cameras were turned on, lights making sure they luminated the right places, as miguel walked into the door of your home.

"Hola hermosa, ¿qué estás haciendo?" (hey beautiful, what are you doing?") He asked, his arms raveling around your waist, pulling you close as you nudged him aside.

Although you didn't know what he was saying, reading your scripts and having to scan it a million times put ideas in what it might be.

"Don't hey beautiful me." You mumbled, nudging him away as you avoided looking up at him. His eyes were analyzing your reaction and movements.

He scoffed as he shook his head, rubbing the bridge of his nose as he tried to approach you once more.

"Hey.. whats the matter with you?" He said, his accent weighing heavy on his words. His eyes demanded to look at yours, as he grasped your chin, forcing you to look up at him.

You furrowed your brows, huffing as you were forced to stare into such dangerous eyes, ones that made you dizzy and undone if stared into too long.

"Let go of me, you reek of alcohol." You said, slapping his hand away as you walked it off. But not without him swooping you against the wall, his gaze was sharp, a low growl heard from him.

"¿Con quién crees que estás hablando? You know better.." (who are you talking to like that?) He said in a firm tone, his face getting closer to yours, the feeling on his breath fanning against your lips.

Your lips quivered, his thumb brushing over them as his gaze dropped to your lips.

"cariño, dime, ¿por qué estás molesta?" (baby, tell me why your upset?) He sighed, letting his grip falter as he pulled you close, hands grazing down your body as he squeezed at the plump of your ass, making you squeak.

You'd almost forgotten that this was all for show, all for a video to publish, as you got lost in the thought of acting appropriately.

"Your always out, i..didn't have the best day today, thinking if I-"

"Took your anger out on me would help?" He finished your sentence, as you nodded sheepishly.

He chuckled as he pulled you closer, pinning you against the wall as he pressed a kiss on your temple, another to your cheek before whispering against your ear.

"Meaning it would help by getting me all riled up till we ended up hate fucking?.." He chuckled as he lowered his head, pressing kisses on your neck, making you moan out as you nodded.

He clicked his tongue in disapproval.

"Words hermoso , use your words." He hushed against your neck, biting at the nape softly, leaving a mark as he licked it afterwards, soothing the sting.

"yes.. yes i did.. bu-"

"but what? wanted me to lose my patience with you? wanted me to fuck you mercilessly? till you cant breath, till you cant think straight?" he clicked his tongue again, making you gulp back the guilt.

"Qué desastre para mí, cariño, un pequeño desastre, a slutty whore for me yea?" (such a mess for me baby, a pretty little mess) He chuckled, making your face go red as he picked you up, pressing his lips against yours as you both savored each other. His hands holding you firmly against the wall, your legs wrapping around his waist for support as you felt his bulge against your stomach.

You gulped at the size, it felt huge. Girthy even. He noticed by your face, whispering something against your ear, quiet enough for the cameras not to hear.

"Gonna ruin you sweetheart." He whispered. He pressed a kiss on your temple before wrapping his lips around yours, letting his tongue explore. His hands worked on your body, groping the flesh of your hips, traveling up to squeeze and tease at your breast, making your back want to arch off the cold walls.

His weight pinned against you, making no effort of escape possible as you moaned out his name, trying to hide your face into the nape of his neck before one of the managers yelled.

"DONT HIDE YOUR FACE." Your manager yelled leaving you pouting as you brought your face back up. Miguel's eyes gazing into yours as he smirked, before running his hands under your tanktop, flicking and pinching at your breast as you whined against him. The feeling of his hips trying to find relief only adding on to your pleasure.

He peppered you with kisses, biting and sucking marks all over your chest mumbling 'mine' and 'who do you belong to hermoso?' here to there, not that you noticed, already being lost in the feeling of him slow burning your need for him.

He stopped, making you whine as he smirked momentarily.

"Got to fuck you properly." He growled, as he brought you back into his arms, carrying you to the bedroom, as he threw you down onto the bed. Your body plopping into the soft mattress before his weight towered over you.

"shh.. quiet don't want to wake the neighors." He teased, before going back to kissing you until his lips left yours, as they traveled down your body, biting and sucking at at soft flesh. His hands soothed the sting that brought from the bites, the pain only making it better.

He finally slid down your shorts, revealing the heat growing between your legs as he groaned at the sight.

"joder..toda mojada y bonita para mi ... all for me." (fuck... all wet and pretty for me) he growled as he dove right into your wet heat, lapping at the nub of nerves making you quiver, your thighs tightening against his head. His large burly hands wrapping around your thighs, pulling them apart as he started fucking you with his tongue, making you moan like you haven't before.

"M-miguel plea-"

"Shut up.. you wanted me to fuck you right? Fuck you the way I wanted? Then let me do it properly you greedy slut." You whined. His words degrading you making you nod obediently. He then slowly teased the entrance of your cunt, before shoving them right in, curling them right right.

You gasped as he started thrusting them into you roughly, curling his fingers at that one spot that made you come undone. You felt like you saw stars with how far your eyes rolled back.

You panted heavily, you were close. The feeling of him sucking at your clit with his fingers stretching you out was all too much. He must have sensed it, pulling his fingers out your needy cunt, licking one long line against your puffy clit. He pressed an open mouthed kiss against your clit before sitting up.

"Taste so good precioso" He groaned before unbuckling his belt, your eyes wavering over as he patted the spot infront of him, making you get up, crawling over to him.

He pulled his cock out, groaning as he pumped it a few times before instructing you to open your mouth, his tip leaking with precum. He had to be atleast 8 or 9 inches, girth making it seem abnormal from how large it was.

The cameras came closer to the scene as they made sure to catch your face, not missing a single shot of it as he slapped his cock against your tongue, throwing his head back with ease. His hands bunching up your hair into his fist before pushing your head down, not letting you breathe from how far he pushed his cock into your throat. You gagged and drooled, his hips fucking his way into your throat as he cursed at how tight it was.

"Fuck.. baby relax your throat f'me.." He groaned. As you did your best, allowing him to use you as if you were some type of sexy toy, his sex toy. He rutted himself into your throat, loving the way tears trickled down your face, mascara running down your teary eyes as your flushed cheeks brought a primal part of him out.

He pulled out as you gasped for air, his hands manhandling you effortlessly, throwing you onto your stomach as he pushed your back down, your ass up on display for him as he slapped it, leaving a light sting and a imprint of his hand.

"Qué hermosa... eres jodidamente hermosa." (your beauitful, fucking beauitful) He awed at how his hands left beauitful marks on your flesh, before soothing it over with his hand, before placing his hands on your hips, as he alligned himself.

"W-wait miguel let me-"

Before you could even speak he already slammed his hips against yours, shoving all 9 inches of himself into your tight wrath as he let out a breathless curse. Your eyes rolling so far back into your head you couldn't even remember if cameras were still filming or not. Nonetheless if you were even on stage or at home experiencing this.

"What were you saying? Can't hear with you

cryinf and moaning bonito.. All pretty and displayed for my cock." He grinned as he started thrusting into you, slamming into you faster but with long rough deep strokes that hit against your cervix, making you go numb.

Cameras came close, ones filming the way he was fucking you recklessly while other on your fucked out expression. Your makeup all ruined, tears prickling down your eyes at how overwhelmingly good you felt. You moaned like a bitch in heat, the way he groped at your breast, pinching the sore parts of them making you whine and cry out in pleasure as he fucked you mad.

His low grunts and groan, the breathless curses he let out as he slapped your ass, making it all red and achey before you finally felt your climax building, throwing yourself back against him as he growled at the feeling, slapping your ass roughly, pulling mewls and gasps out of you.

"Gonna cum for me? Gonna cum all over my cock baby?" He cooed, slapping your ass over and over till it was a deep shade of red. His groans growing more desperate as his hips slammed into you sloppily, showing how close he was.

"Cum with me.. cum with me mi precioso" he panted, leaning down to press soft kisses along your spine, as he slammed into you once more, shooting his ropes of cum inside you, fucking it back into you to keep you nice and full. You rode your high, his hips grinding into you slowly helping you out tremendously. As you fell against the bed limp, exhausted and fucked out as he chuckled, pulling out slowly as his cum drooled out your hole, the camera making sure to catch the sight.

He leaned over, pressing kisses on your temple, over your cheeks, and the nape of your neck all the way down your back.

"You alright mi amor?" He asked softly, his voice the sound of gravel and softness as all you did was nod numbly, trying to present a smile.

-

The scene was done and you both got cleaned up, refreshed and back into your normal clothes. You whined at how sore your cunt felt, maybe he did go a little too rough, not that you cared atleast. You had marks littered all over you, from bitemarks, to hickeys, scattered everywhere making you huff at the sight.

You finally met with eachothers managers, both seeing eachother once more before he brought his hand to hold yours, pressing a kiss to the back on your hand.

"Pleasure working with you hermoso..." He grinned, standing back up at his full height.

"Pleasures all mine, I hope the video came out as you liked." You smiled up at him, the feeling of pride filling your senses.

"Might be my favorite tape..." He chuckled, seeing the way it made you all flustered.

"Here.. before we part ways." He pulled out a piece of paper, placing it in your vest pocket as he gave you a playful wink before waving goodbye, which made you confused, excited, and sad.

As he left you pulled the note out of your vest, the feeling of adrenaline rushing through your veins as you read.

'mi amor ... here is my number .

(***) *** ****, for when you want to talk or work once more. don't be shy to call mi amor.'

Miguel .

Your heart felt as if it pounced out your chest, the feeling of getting his number was all you needed to be able to expect further things in the future. But for what you knew, you were definitely going to leave a little message in his inbox.

* End *

---

(This is my first publish of thought! Sorry if theres any miss spells or grammer issues-- scanned through it so many times and still struggling.

Hope you enjoy!)

[sciderman]

Usaually I don't bother, but I'm writing to you because i have looked up to you for a long time. I don't need you to respond, maybe even prefer if you won't, but your last post was a big blow for me.

I'm an israeli.

I was born here. My mother was born here. Her grandmother was born here. My grand grandmother fled here after the holocaust.

And you knkw what? You don't have to agree with the israel goverment, i mean if you'd look it up you'll see that almost no one here supports our current goverment. I wish i could sit with you and talk about the conflict and explain that it's nit really black and white as tumblr would like to believe, but i don't think that's a possibility.

But writing that we are "white settlers" is just... god. It's a lie. Not even just antisemtic lie, becuase 20% of israeli citizens are actually arabs (both muslims and christians). most of jewish populations are not even "ashkenazi" jews.

The interent currently is not a very reliable source of history (like, i've seen people claim we should call tel aviv "ahuzat bait" since it is its arab name. It's not. It's in hebrew, and the name of the first street if tel aviv when it was legally bought)

And if you ask why not let all the middle east countries participate in the eurivision - actually they let them. They just decided the quit when israel joined.

Again, I'm writing becuase I'm hurt. You can dissmiss it if you want, but i wish you wouldnt. Again, you dont need to post it or respond, i just wish you will think twice about what you hear or learn about a war the happens to other people, and doesnt affect you at all (some of us - on both sides - are actually afraid of dying).

Peace, love, and mostly peace.

oh bless you anon - i hope you're okay with me posting this, because i wouldn't be able to respond otherwise. i admit entirely i was being reductive - i haven't spoken a lot about this issue here because i'm afraid of letting emotion get the better of me, when i know how morally complex this issue is. i was being reductive - and i absolutely know there are a lot of israeli-born jewish people who are native to the land. and i know there are a lot of jewish people in israel who are against the occupation. and i know there is a huge population of israeli citizens who are against their government because the government is lying to their citizens just as much as they're lying to world.

but there is an image that the leading powers in israel want to paint to the world - the one they show in eurovision and any media presence (which they pour ungodly amounts of money into) - and it's of a very western, palatably white israel. i really would like you to know that when i refer to "israel" i refer only to the ruling powers that govern it - not the citizens that live there.

israel doesn't want you to see iraeli-born jews who are critical of their government and actually have been living peacefully alongside the muslim and christian population of the land for hundreds of years before the occupation. israel doesn't want to showcase that narrative, because that would show that actually the nation could've been peaceful and have equality for all it's people the whole time (because they've been doing it for HUNDREDS of years prior) and there was no reason to expel palestinians from their homes.

in eurovision, wants to show that israel has established this land and made it pristine and beautiful and countries should invest in this cosmopolitan utopia and new western culture that is so divorced from it's native people and it's history. palatable. marketable. clean. no war crimes here.

there's an unfortunate power imbalance in the world - and that's that some nations have the money and the power to curate and maintain a spotless public image - and other nations can't afford to keep the lights on in their hospitals.

i really love and appreciate you for coming into my inbox, anon. i think it's really brave and i really appreciate your voice and appreciate people like you. i know israel is a terrifying place to be right now - particularly for people who are critical of the government, you're under threat from both sides - you're distrusting of your own military, and there's the very real threat of hammas too. and i'm so, so sorry you're in that place and in that situation. and as someone who's born there, and your family being there for generations, the question of escape isn't as simple as settlers who can come and go freely. but i really, really hope you're safe and can stay safe. i'm so sorry your family went through all that you did, and that your family escaped one horror for another. this isn't the kind of world you should live in - and i'm praying that positive change will hold the israeli government accountable, and force them to prioritise their people.

not their "image", not how much power and money and land they hold. people. people - both israeli and palestinian, deserve to feel safe and heard and have a government that will protect them. it's the duty any power in the world should have to their people. and i feel like - if we deprive israel of their magical power to appear good and pristine and progressive palatable and clean of all blood in the eyes of the media - if we rob it of that, then they'll be forced to address these real problems within their government. they'll be forced to make amends. forced to apologise, and gain the world's favour again through real positive change.

i'm praying you're staying safe, anon. i really, really hope you and your family are safe. thank you so much for your message, and i'm sending you so much love from across the borders of the world.

[ga-yuu]

Sutokuin/Akihito Main Story Chapter 26

Chapter 25 // Premium story

----Part 1-----

The day after Akihito's curse was lifted.....

Tamamo: "You're up early, Sutokuin. I guess I am just in time."

Akihito: ".....Oh, it's you."

Akihito was walking pensively through the gardens of the empty house where he was temporarily staying.

Tamamo casually walks upto him.

Tamamo: "I just thought I would have a long talk with the man who stole my cute Yoshino from me."

Akihito: "I wanted to talk to you too."

Tamamo: "Oh."

Akihito: "Once there was this beautiful woman whom my father, Toba was devoted to. Her name was Tamamo-no-mae."

Tamamo: "...."

Akihito: "My father kept me away from him from the very beginning, saw I never saw her face...."

Akihito: "I was told one day that she disappeared from the palace into thin air."

Tamamo: "The more beautiful they are, the more mysterious they become, right?"

Tamamo nodded his head and blurted out.

Akihito: "That's true. But----"

Akihito: "Many years later, I met Yasuchika....and after some time, I made a deal with Ibuki."

Akihito: "I heard the name Tamamo-no-mae again."

Akihito: "It was the name of a nine-tail fox who disguised himself as a woman, that Yasuchika was ordered to defeat."

Tamamo: "----I see."

Tamamo no longer try to deny the gentle pursuit of Akihito.

Tamamo: "Sutokuin. So you and I came close to meeting twice, but....fate never let us at all."

Akihito: "Unfortunate, isn't it?"

Tamamo: "You were right, I was favored by Toba."

Tamamo: "But bearing the love of someone who is so powerful at that time was so annoying. That's why I left."

Looking at the brenches drenched in morning dew, Akihito askes quietly.

Akihito: "----What kind of person was he?"

Tamamo: "I remember him as an obsessive man."

Akihito: "...Oh."

Tamamo: "Sad that I didn't stay with you father? Sutokuin."

Akihito: "Until yesterday."

Akihito: "I already have something important. Still, my father's presence never left me."

Tamamo: "A curse indeed. Toba continued to haunt your soul even after his death."

Akihito: "......."

A provocative smile then dwelled on Tamamo's lips.

Tamamo: "Can you make Yoshino happy?"

Tamamo: "Do you think blessings come to those who do not know the definition of life's pleasures, Sutokuin?"

Akihito: "I've always felt a bit put down by it too."

Akihito: "I can't give anything back to Yoshino that's worth that she gives so generously."

Tamamo: "You don't feel that way now?"

Akihito is a slow consul.

Akihito: "Something inside me changed when I killed my father, whom my curse took the shape of."

Akihito: "For me, happiness isn't always pretty."

Akihito: "Ugly, awkwardly, bloody, and all of that."

Akihito: "No matter how dirty she gets, Yoshino will always be happy."

Tamamo: "----Is that so?"

Feeling satisfied, Tamamo's eyes softened.

Akihito: "Did that answer satisfy you nine-tail-fox?"

Tamamo: "I'll decide when I look at your future."

Tamamo: "Don't forget that mine and Yoshino's deal haven't broken yet."

Akihito: "Looks like she will have to continue to exterminate demons to break the contract, huh?"

Akihito quickly replies.

Akihito: "After all, Yoritomo is still benefitting from this, even if Yoshino is with me...."

Akihito: "I'm sure the Shogunate would like to keep the nine-tail fox around after it has regained its full strength."

Tamamo: "I like the Shogunate. So I wouldn't mind giving him what he wants....."

Tamamo: "Just because of that, it doesn't means I can't look after Yoshino."

Akihito: "It's nice to see you care about Yoshino that much."

Two graceful shadows walked side by side through the morning mist.

Tamamo: "By the way, you seemed to be thinking about something before I approached you."

Akihito: "So like our Shuten Doji, every demons like to read peoples minds..."

Tamamo: "We fickle creatures are very curious, you know."

As expected, Akihito laughed at Tamamo's affirmation without offence.

Akihito: "Well, I don't mind."

----Part 2----

Akihito: "Well, I don't mind."

Akihito: "I just feel a bit sorry for myself for not knowing how to make up with the people after living all these years."

.............

(It's time. Akihito-sama and Yasuchika-san is going finally settle things between them....)

Yasuchika: "(*^‿^*)"

Akihito: *gulps*

(Yasuchika-san is smiling, but I could feel the heavy pressure)

All four of us sat around a table, and I was feeling nervous.

Ibuki: *Smiling because he's enjoying the show*

When I looked at Ibuki for help, he coolly ignored me.

Akihito: "Are you angry, Yasuchika?"

Yasuchika: "Angry? Who me?(*^‿^*)(*^‿^*) Do I look angry to you?"

Akihito: "No. It's because you haven't spoken to me at all."

Yasuchika: "Oh that! Didn't you say that you want me 'to shut up because my mouth was annoying'?"

(....No way, Akihito-sama actually said that. No wonder Yasuchika-san is angry)

Like me, Akihito-sama was trying to protect Yasuchika-san by pushing him away....

Akihito: "Yasuchika..."

Yasuchika: "Don't worry."

Yasuchika: "I know that Akihito-sama reached out to me on a whim when I was a kid."

Yasuchika: "I was so dumb to think that it was out of love."

Yasuchika: "After all, you have thought of leaving me behind twice already."

Yoshino: "Twice...?"

When I was confused, Ibuki filled me in.

Ibuki: "After making a deal with me, Akihito tried to leave Yasuchika, when he was a kid."

Ibuki: "Yasuchika was being insistent, so we all ended up living together. Those were happy memories...."

(Now I see...)

Yasuchika: "Ibuki. Just shut up."

Yasuchika-san interrupts with a glare.

Akihito: "I didn't want to involve you in my mess again, Yasuchika."

Yasuchika: "Really?"

Akihito: "!!"

(Usually, when a cheerful person gets suddenly angry, the power is amazing....)

Ibuki: "Ahh, forgive me, Yasuchikaa.."

Ibuki: "I'll never torment you again, so please don't freeze me with your icy glare."

(Ibuki is so tough to read that is hard to figure out whether he's being teasing or serious)

Yasuchika: "I don't care about you."

Yasuchika: "I'm always angry with you that I want to kill you right now!"

Ibuki: "Aww?"

After looking at the happy Ibuki from the corner of his eyes, his gaze then turns to Akihito-sama.

Yasuchika: "Akihito-sama, why do you keep leaving me and choosing Ibuki?"

His voice was filled with pain and many other emotions.

Yasuchika: "I....am I not reliable to help you at a crucial time?"

Akihito: "That's not it!"

Akihito: "You were my hope. The bright light I found in the darkness."

Akihito: "That's why I was scared.....that I'm making you unhappy."

Yasuchika: "........"

Yasuchika: "Thank you for that. But I've never asked you to protect me."

Akihito: "......But."

(Akihito-sama, you can do it!)

I secretly cheered for Akihito-sama, who was finding his words."

Unusually, Akihito-sama became silent.

Akihito: "----But it's partly your fault too."

Akihito: "Our relationship is so awkward that you speak informally or get mad at Ibuki without holding back but when it's with me, Yasuchika is so formal...."

Yasuchika: "..... Are you reopening that door?"

Yasuchika-san stood up.

Yoshino: "Yasuchika-san!"

Yasuchika: "I now understand, what Akihito-sama thinks of me. I'm just his toy, that he can do whatever he wants."

Yasuchika: "Nothing changes for him, if I leave, right----?"

Akihito: "That's not true."

Akihito-sama quickly grabbed Yasuchika-san's hand.

Akihito: "You are important to me...I need you to stay with me. I want you to tell me what you really think."

Yasuchika: "!"

Akihito: "I was wrong. I promise I'll never leave you again."

----Part 3-----

Akihito: "I was wrong. I promise I'll never leave you again."

Yasuchika: "It's too late now..."

Akihito: "I'm an imperfect man, I might get something wrong in the future!"

Akihito: "Then I want you to get angry at me and stop me without reservation like you are doing now."

(Akihito-sama...)

Yasuchika-san gripped back his hand tightly.

Yasuchika: "...That's enough."

Yasuchika: "I feel like I've heard everything I've ever wanted to hear in my life."

Yasuchika-san muttered, not knowing what he looked like.

Akihito: "Thank you...Yasuchika.."

(Even though Akihito-sama and Yasuchika-san truly care for each other)

(Both are equally clumsy when expressing it)

(But I'm sure that their relationship will change to something even more solid in the future)

Akihito: "Also, I have one request..."

Yasuchika: "Yes?"

Akihito-sama takes something out of his pocket.

(The bracelet that seals the curse?)

The bracelet is black and faintly broken.

Akihito: "Can you fix this? You don't have to add the spells that seal curses on it anymore."

Yasuchika: "Eh?"

Akihito: "This is going to be my lucky charm."

Akihito: "If I meet a difficult fate on the road ahead, I am sure your bracelet will be there to hold me up."

Akihito: "----Is that okay with you?"

Yasuchika: "No! I'll fix it right away!"

Ibuki: "Are you done having a cold war? Good to see you both grown up."

As usual, Yasuchika-san glared at Ibuki.

(...I am sure that every time I see the bracelet, I will remember this day and be encouraged)

...................

Later, at Ibuki's suggestion, we checked the changes in Akihito-sama's powers....

Ibuki: "I see. You can't use Kotodama of much stronger levels."

Akihito: "Yes. I can use simple ones like 'don't move' but they're less effective."

Yoshino: "It's amazing that you can still you Kotodama despite it being not boosted by your curse."

(Of course he's not going to use it anymore)

Yasuchika: "Akihito-sama has been using Kotodama for so long that it has already ingrained in his body."

Yasuchika-san gives his opinion while taking control.

Ibuki: "Akihito also has no physical strength. With only his lightning abilities, he'll soon run of breath, won't he?"

Yasuchika: "----Then isn't it best for Ibuki to break his deal with Akihito-sama?"

A cold provocation was directed at Ibuki.

Yasuchika: "Akihito-sama no longer has the curse and his life is going to change from here on. So you should have no use of him, right?"

Akihito: "Yasuchika----"

Ibuki: "You have a point."

Akihito: "...!"

(It's true that Ibuki could leave once the deal has broken....)

(But)

If you think about the relationship between these three...

From my point of view, if anyone of them is missing, then it won't be complete.

Ibuki: "I hate boredom and watching the peaceful world makes me yawn."

Yasuchika: "...Great."

Ibuki: "But I'm not going to."

Yasuchika: "Excuse me?"

(Really!?)

Ibuki laughs looking at our surprised face.

Akihito: "Ibuki?"

Ibuki: "Isn't it obvious. Your punishment is to suffer me till the end for chosing such a boring ending."

Akihito: "....."

After a sudden moment of surprise, Akihito-sama giggled.

Akihito: "I see. Looks like I can't help it then."

(...I guess Ibuki likes Akihito-sama and Yasuchika-san in his own way after all)

Akihito: "Yasuchika, Ibuki helped me a lot once again this time."

Akihito: "So..."

Yasuchika: "..."

Yasuchika-san pressed his lips in an uninteresting way and then shrugs.

Yasuchika: "......Well, I guess having different powers can help Akihito-sama to protect himself."

Yasuchika: "Also there will be more traitors who will try to kill Akihito-sama in the future."

Ibuki: "Just say you're always out of tune without me, already."

Yasuchika: "Now I can test many hazardous onmyoji techniques on you. So yeah, you can say I'm happy."

(Maybe it's just my imagination, but I kinda feel a sense of relief in Yasuchika-san's voice)

Akihito-sama and I looked at each other and chuckled.

.................

After that, we were all busy with the post-war duties.

(Kurama said he wanted to fight Tamamo, so they disappeared off to somewhere....)

Yoichi: "Eehh...Already over? That means I came here all the way in a hurry for nothing?"

Morinaga: "Me too. Me too."

Benkei: "You were late. We have already safely checked on all the soldiers, other parts of the country, and whatnot."

Akihito: "But don't worry. There is plenty of post-war duties you can do."

Yoichi and Morinaga: "Haaaa...."

Sueharu: "What's with that perfect synchronized sigh coming out of two people of the enemy teams?"

The reinforcements sent by the Shogunate and the Rebels have arrived.

Along with the post-war clean-up progress was also made on the reconstruction of areas where civil war had occurred.

Morinaga: "Anyway, I'm glad to see Yoshino is safe."

Yoshino: "Thank you! Morinaga-san."

I am happy to see Morinaga-san's warm smile after a long time.

Akihito: "Yoshino, how are the people?"

Yoshino: "Yes. A lot of people have calmed down after a day."

Yoshino: "Most injured people allowed me to treat them when I convinced them myself that I'm a pharmacist."

Of the people who started the civil war, the main players were taken prisoner.

They are now being interrogated in turn by Yasuchika-san and Ibuki.

I asked Akihito-sama to allow me treat the injured among them.

Yoshino: "Of course, they say they started the civil war of their own volition but...."

Yoshino: "They are struggling with the reason why they got so mad."

(These are the people who were initially brainwashed by the curse using their insecurity and hardships in their lives)

(I hope they manage to avoid serious charges)

Akihito: "As for them, we intend to release those who show a willingness to surrender and impose a certain period of labour."

Akihito: "We need manpower for flood control projects to prevent floods from happening again."

Yoshino: "Wow, that's a lovely idea!"

Sueharu: "It's very kind of his Majesty to hire and look after the jobless."

Akihito: "I'm just sick of being cursed and cursing."

Akihito: "And if you don't rule by fear, there's nothing wrong with ingratiating yourself."

Akihito-sama gently strokes my hair.

Akihito: "I'm sure some people have softened their attitudes now that Yoshino has gone to nurse them."

Akihito: "Once again, I'm glad you're here."

(Akihito-sama....)

-----Options-----

I didn't really do much...(+4/+4)

I'm honored.

Really?

-------

Yoshino: "I didn't really do much..."

Akihito: "I'll take the credit for your modesty."

(I will continue to do the best I can)

Akihito: "I also seek to get advice from a connoisseur as well."

Akihito-sama's streaming eyes catch Sueharu-san.

Akihito: "Oh look. He's already here."

Sueharu: "....I'll help you as much as you want if you pay me."

Akihito: "Isn't it good, Sueharu. You and I are going to be friends for a long time."

Yoichi: "Benkei...he's taking our Sueharu away from us."

Benkei: "Yeah man? Why...."

Benkei: ".....Sueharu, will you come back to Hiraizumi for the celebration banquet, right?"

Sueharu: "Yes, yes, I don't want to be kidnapped again."

Morinaga: "Sueharu! Can I also----"

Sueharu: "No! I won't drink with YOU nor I'll play with YOU!"

----Part 4----

Sueharu: "No! I won't drink with YOU nor I'll play with YOU!"

Morinaga: "Awww."

(Sueharu-san doesn't seem to like Morinaga-san for some reason. I wonder how they know each other?)

Morinaga-san soon return to the topic without worrying much.

Morinaga: "Speaking of which the mastermind behind all this, Kujo, was taken into custody by Yoritomo-sama and Kagetoki."

Morinaga: "He also seems to have suddenly become 'hazy' at certain moments, as if 'the possession had fallen off'"

Benkei: "The curse amplified the original person's malice, didn't it? As for Kujo, there's not much room for sympathy."

Akihito: "I see, so----"

Akihito: "Around the time that Kujo was sitting there and inflicting ill-will on me, they were unfazed by it....."

Akihito: "That means Yoritomo didn't have any ill will towards me at all in the current situation."

Morinaga: "In Yoritomo-sama's case, it's unlikely that he would ever engage in politics or warfare based on personal feelings."

Yoichi: "On the contrary."

Yoichi: "Our Yoshitsune-sama is the best."

Akihito: "Of course, I'm grateful to Yoshitsune too."

Akihito-sama looked at everyone's face.

Akihito: "As for the peace between the Shogunate and the Rebels, I would like to proceed as before."

Akihito: "I want both armies to inform Yoritomo and Yoshitsune to that effect."

Sueharu: "Well, when both the Shogunate and the Rebels sent relief in a situation like this...."

Sueharu: "I suppose the answer is kind of obvious."

Everyone agreed with Sueharu, who shrugged his shoulders.

(Akihito-sama is about to start walking again towards the future)

(The Shogunate, the Rebels and the Imperial Court all encouraged it in their own ways)

Above all---I was sincerely happy that Akihito-sama chose the path of light of his own volition.

.................

Soon the sky is coloured in crimson....

Yoshino: "Ah, Sueharu-san!"

Sueharu: "Yoshino, why are you here?"

I saw Sueharu-san in the town and called out to him.

Yoshino: "I was told there was a medical emergency, so I came to town."

Yoshino: "It wasn't a big deal, thank goodness."

Sueharu: "Isn't it dangerous to go out at the wrong time of day, to a place you don't know, in a town where there was a civil war yesterday?"

Sueharu: "His Majesty will be worried. Did you tell him you were going out?"

Yoshino: "No, I didn't. He looked busy, so I left a note for him...."

Sueharu: "Haa...."

Sueharu-san sighs, but then smiles.

Sueharu: "Well, want me to take you home?"

Yoshino: "Yes! Thank you very much."

Yoshino: "I also wanted to thank Sueharu-san again, looks like it's just the right time."

Sueharu: "Thank me?"

Yoshino: ".....I made a weird request."

Sueharu: "..........."

(----At that time, I asked Sueharu-san for something)

-----FLASHBACK-----

Yoshino: "If I turn out to be real evil in the future and take the lives of so many for no reason..."

Yoshino: "....I want you to stop me."

Sueharu: "....!"

Sueharu: "----So you're making the poison for yourself."

Yoshino: "Yes. But if I change and I couldn't control myself."

Sueharu: "Why me? You could have asked someone else?"

Yoshino: "....Yasuchika-san loves Akihito-sama. He would hesitate to kill me because Akihito-sama loves me."

Yoshino: "Tamamo and everyone else in the Shogunate will feel burdened by such a request because of their connection with me."

Sueharu: "So you think I'm the only one who doesn't care about you?"

Yoshino: "Sueharu-san has the highest chance to kill me in the future for the Rebels. So I thought..."

Yoshino: "Sorry for making such a request."

Sueharu: "...You."

Sueharu: "So you've really made up your mind?"

----FLASHBACK ENDS----

Yoshino: "I was supported by the fact that Sueharu-san accepted my request."

Yoshino: "I'm glad I didn't get Sueharu-san's hands dirty in the end....but I really appreciate it.

Sueharu: "----I see."

Sueharu-san looks at me straight in the eye.

The sun setting behind him, made his image shine brightly and lit up Sueharu-san's one eye.

Sueharu: "But next time, if you want someone to kill you, don't ask me."

----Part 5----

Sueharu: "But next time, if you want someone to kill you, don't ask me."

(Eh?)

Yoshino: ".....Sorry. I know I was a burden to you."

Sueharu: "I mean it dammit.....Even then, I could never kill you."

Sueharu: "Your wish was impossible from the start."

Yoshino: "What...?"

Sueharu: "Yes. From the moment you told me you wanted me to kill you, the intensity of that desire took me unintentionally by surprise."

Sueharu-san gently touched my cheek.

Sueharu: "In return...I'll do any favor for you to stay alive."

(I thought Sueharu-san was a ruthless merchant and a calculated thinker....)

Yoshino: "....Thank you."

Yoshino: "I hope if there is any way I could help you in the future, Sueharu-san. Please let me know."

Sueharu: "Really? But...."

Yoshino: "Hm?"

A masculine sensuality ebbs from his smile.

Sueharu: "Sometimes when you want something so badly you never get it."

(What do you mean.....?)

Sueharu: "Anyways, let me take you home."

I hurriedly followed Sueharu-san who started to walk slower than usual.

......................

A few days later.....

Yoshino: "The post-war work is finally over."

Akihito: "Yeah. We can finally go back home."

Akihito-sama and I had a brief encounter after finishing our respective jobs.

(It's been a while since we relaxed like this)

I spilled a smile under the sunlight.

Then----

???: "Chichichi."

(Hm? Wait...)

When I looked up two small blue birds were flying happily.

Ruri: "Chichi!"

Yoshino: "Ruri!?"

Akihito: "Ah....."

Akihito-sama's eyes widened in surprise.

Akihito-sama did tell me that he set Ruri free out of force...

Yoshino: "But there are two...."

Akihito: "Partner? Or a friend...?"

When Ruri sits on Akihito-sama's shoulder.

She tweeted happily as if introducing the other little bird flying above our heads.

Akihito: "----Oh. I'm glad that you're not alone anymore, Ruri."

Akihito: "Sorry for what I did that day."

Ruri bites Akihito-sama's finger gently, which is held out to her, out of love.

She then flew and landed on my shoulder.

Yoshino: "....I'm happy for you, Ruri."

Yoshino: "Are you going away with the other bird?"

Ruri: "Pii."

Ruri rubs her head against my cheek, looking somewhat forlorn.

Then she flew high up to the other bird.

Yoshino: "---Bye, Ruri. I hope you live happily."

The two little blue birds swirl in the sky to say goodbye....

Eventually they flapped away with the wind.

Akihito: "I guess the little bird that plays in my palm is gone now."

Yoshino: "Are you sad?"

Akihito: "Yeah. But it doesn't feel-----unpleasant or lonely."

Akihito: "Even though we're apart, I know she can take care of herself."

Akihito: "...I'm glad that her last memory of me wasn't of me getting rid off her."

Yoshino: "I see...."

Yoshino: "I know that Ruri is important to you and I bet she feels the same way. I'm glad we were able to send her off happily."

(Ah.......)

Akihito-sama suddenly hugs me.

His soft lips touches mine and I sighed sweetly.

Yoshino: ".....Mm..."

My body heats up as he pecked my lips repeatedly and playfully.

Akihito-sama then whispered to my ear, when I lost all my strength.

Akihito: "From the moment we met, I thought your overly honest reactions were adorable."

Akihito: "---Once I tried to love you like you're a little bird with unusually beautiful wings."

Akihito: "I was hoping that by using the Kotodama game, you wouldn't be able to able to stay away from me."

Yoshino: "Is it different now?"

After thinking for a moment, Akihito-sama replies.

Akihito: "Now..."

Romantic End // Dramatic End

[charlie-minion]

Who am I?

I feel like I should start this journey by introducing myself. My name is Karla, but I never use my real name in any of my social media platforms. I am more used to being Charlie, and I think it is because “Karla” is the person I am in “real life”, the one I am supposed to be, the one who has a specific role. On the contrary, Charlie is my pure essence, or at least the person I’m still trying to figure out. Charlie is me without other people’s expectations, and I like that a lot. So, for all intents and purposes, please call me Charlie.

I will turn 37 years old in two months. I have a Bachelor’s and a Master’s degree, but I stopped working 5 years ago. I used to be a teacher and worked mostly with teenagers for around 12 years. Nowadays, the thought of being in a classroom makes me anxious beyond belief. I don’t know why, though. I used to really love my profession, but I guess that trying to hide your depression while pretending to be a joyous person takes a toll on you.

Oh, there’s that! I have been dealing with depression basically my whole life. I was diagnosed with bipolar disorder in 2018. When I stopped working, or better said, when I got fired from my last job at the end of 2017, I was having the worst year of my life. I attempted suicide at least three times only that year. I was done. I was in excruciating emotional pain. I had a therapist and a psychiatrist, but bless their souls, they did not help me much. I had been diagnosed with clinical depression and was medicated, but I saw no improvement whatsoever, and it makes sense since I had bipolar not depression. So, when I got fired, I decided to take a break because I was too emotionally unstable to look for a new job. That break became longer than expected because I haven’t had a formal job since then.

I identify myself as demisexual and biromantic. I only feel attracted towards people when I have formed some sort of emotional bond. Physical attraction doesn’t make me want to date someone. I can appreciate the aesthetic form of the human body, male or female, but I won’t want to be romantically involved with them, no matter how attractive they are, unless I bond with them on an emotional level first. And yes, when I say male or female, that’s what I mean. That’s the biromantic part of me. I don’t care whether the people I fall for are men or women. I haven’t met non-binary, gender fluid, or trans people in person yet, so I can’t talk about that for now, but I'm sure I wouldn’t mind that either. I just don’t really care about people’s genitals or what gender they identify as (if they do at all).

I was married to a man. It ended quite fast and quite badly, but he’s been a good friend for the last few years after our divorce. I was engaged twice before I got married. They were very painful experiences that left me a lot of wounds to heal. I have also been involved with women. The most significant one was good until it became long distance. I have had my fair share of catastrophic relationships and my unstable, undiagnosed mental illness didn’t help at all. I am nowadays single because I am still trying to figure out what I want or if I even want to have someone by my side. I have a lot of unresolved childhood trauma that gets in the way when I try to have a romantic relationship, so I’ve grown a little disillusioned because of that. For now, I think it’s better to have a relationship with myself –something I still struggle with.

I don’t have children, but that was a decision I made for myself a long time ago. I can barely take care of myself. My emotional well-being is a roller coaster, so how could I even think of having to care for another human being? I could lose my shit at any moment and actually end up killing myself, so what would happen to the child? Because of all that, I got sterilized a month ago. It’s funny because I don’t really have a male partner right now, but that could change in the future. What I know for sure will never change is my decision to not have children. Not now, not ever. 

I live alone and have seven beautiful cats. I have been very independent since I finished college. I don’t like to live with other people because I am also an introvert, so I need a lot of time by myself. Cats, on the other hand, are the most precious company I could ask for. They remind me of myself because they are also very independent. One of them, Jerry, is 11 years old, and he has traveled out of the country with me twice. The others are: Lily (3 years old), Debby (2), and Jimmy, Charlie, Abby, and Anny (all four of them 11 months old). The last four were born in my house, when I adopted Debby, the night she was giving birth to them. Debby and Lily were stray cats that I adopted and neutered. Jerry was born where I used to work at the time, but someone was trying to find homes for the kitties, and I adopted the one nobody else wanted because he was the smallest one. He is now a huge, gorgeous, spoiled, and still very healthy senior cat. 

I am sort of retired now. I don’t have plans to work in education anymore. I am lucky enough to be able to make a living without working. My mom gave me a very big house that I sold to buy a much smaller one where I now live. I invested the rest of the money, and now I make a living out of the interests. I am an occasional freelance, though. As I am bilingual, I do translations for a couple of lawyers in my country when they need my services. In 2018, I got a job as the vice-principal in a private school, but when I read the contract and noticed some things, I just refused to sign and didn’t accept the job. I haven’t been actively looking for a job since then because I realized that I didn’t want to go back to that life. I chose my peace over making more money.  I was lucky that when the pandemic started, I was already retired, so I could continue to focus on my mental health. 

I think this is a very good overview of who I am and where I am in life now. My experience with bipolar and how having a wrong diagnosis for years made it all so hard should be a post of its own. Also, little by little, I’ll pour my soul here because I am in the process of figuring stuff out, and I can only do that when I write. You see? I learned from a very early age not to express wants or needs, and I got so used to being low-maintenance that now when I try to identify MY wants and needs, I have a really hard time. I cannot express them; I cannot even differentiate them from the wants and needs of other people that I tend to put first. However, when I write, it’s like I open a door to my psyche that allows me to see things I didn’t know were there. That’s the main reason why I want to start doing this again. I need to know what I want in life because right now I feel very much stuck.

If you read all this, thank you very much. I’ll come back soon with more. For now, this is me. This is Charlie.

[zuffer-weird-girl]

Red hair as roses, and turquoise eyes as orchids

"Dada look!" The bored and depressed blue eyes stood up from his lap to his 6 years old daughter, extending her tiny hands up high in the air.

"Be careful with what you're gonna do pretty doll." He manage to smirk a bit as she pouted, strands of red brushing against her forehead until a huge wave of flames of the colour blue danced around her hands until she jumped and a small prinkle of flames were throw in the air.

She laughed at the sign and clapped her hands in glee at her own little show as Dabi let out a chuckle at seeing the happines of his daughter... instead of him, Emika had the blessing of having a body that could tolerate the heat enough of his quirk that she inherited it from him. Your quirk itself being a huge help for the little girl to not have scars as her father's.

"Did you see Dada?! It was soooo huge and beautiful!!!" She ran towards him only to trip and thankfully landed on the brunette male's lap, giggling with a smile so bright that could've hury his eyes.

"Hmm. Almost like mine princess, im impressed." His hands carresed her chubby cheeks until he heard murmuring behind them.

Of course. Even with his disguise, that were people whose were going to mutter, say bad things... he lost count on how many times Emika had been bullied because her quirk was similiar with the most cruel and wanted villain....

And much to his dismay, Emika didn't take that... very well.

"WHAT ARE YOU WHISPERING ABOUT?! LEAVE US ALONE!" the little girl shouted and the adults only scoffed, picking up their kids and getting out of the park.

"You're going to scare off anyone with that attitude of yours princess." He muttered while carresing her red hair and picking her up as she scoffed.

"They cant say bad things about MY dada!" He smiled at the little girl and sighed.

"Yeah yeah, just lets get out of here before you burn things down."

"Thats something you would do!" She poked his scarred cheek. "Ne ne dada? We gonna visit mama right? I want to bring flowers to her this time!"

His eyes dropped at the ground as his feet carried them to the cemetery...

"We can arrange that."

.

.

.

"Mama was so pretty!!!" Emika squealed as Spinner and Toga showed her some photos as Dabi stared holes into their skulls.

Is not that he didn't wanted his daughter to forget or to not know about her mother... but it was painfull enough to have a father as a villain, now being a mother orphan was just more harder.

Emika couldn't go to school without being recognized as Dabi's daughter. So he brought himself the task to teach her things , being thankfull to his past self that he had studied enough.

"Yeah and she was strong as fuck too according to your dad there." Spinner grinned, showing a picture of you pinning down a hero on the middle of the street.

"Emika-chan, despite not meeting (Y/n) you look so much like her!" Toga beamed with a smile, fangs showing and the little girl giggling when Dabi just yanked her away from the two.

"Naaaaaa dada no bed time!" She squirmed as he carried her to now the comfortable room the league gotten ever since the incident with Shigaraki and Redestro.

"Dont complain or else Im going to take away your toy." He grumbled as the girl gasped and pouted at him much like you would do.

"You wouldn't!" She defies him with a cheeky smile although while settling down on the bed she shared with him.

"Try me." He smirked with a atched eyebrow making her laugh.

Some time passed and Dabi watched as the eyelids of Emika slowly dropped until she called him softly.

"This place we are now... we gonna stay or are the bad man breaking it and we have to move again?" His heart clenched.. she still had the memories when the league had captured that blonde kid and the heroes busted the bar...

With her own view, she saw the villains as the good and normal people despite Toga being a crazy assasin that loved drinking blood, Shigaraki a men that only wanted to destriy the world, Twice a bipolar man and the list goes on...

Emika saw the villains as good people, and the heroes as bad ones... after all, after she found out on her own that her mother died not because of childbirth, but because of a hero that accidentally killed her with a much too strong attack... and only because she wanted to protect the baby on her arms at that time.

So much blood dropped from his eyes... some even dropping on your lifeless body and on the crying baby he soon noticed that thankfully was alive.

He would never forget whem he craddled the baby on his arms and sobbed deyly as his child wailed at not having the warmth of her mother anymore.

Things were tough until they found the league of villains and had at peast a place to crash.

Emika was now soudly asleep as he sighed and brushed his hair.

"When the heroes come to us... I will make sure yoi stay outta of the mess Emika. But you will not like to know the truth about our origins..." he muttered as a scarred hand brushed her bangs and smirked when she nuzzled on his hand... reminding him of how you would nuzzle on him on cold nights...

"Time to sleep off huh? The more we sleep, the pess we have to face the reality." He muttered before laying down and bringing her close to his chest.

.

.

.

"Dada..." she whimpered as fat tears fell feom her turquoise eyes as she tremblingly holded the box of paper towels, helping him clean off the blood from his stapples as he took a final look on the mirror, his white hair finally at show for the first time in so many years.

"Hey," he crouched down and made his best to not wince "I'm fine. Daddy is used to this by now and-"

"bUT I'M NOT!" she yelled and punched his chest with her tiny fist as he frowned and holded her as she sobbed on his chest.

"...Is it true..?" He looked down at the tuff of red hair on his chest "That uncle Twice is not coming back..? That.. T-That grandpa did this to you..m that we are from the family of E-Endeavour?"

He frowned and wiped her tears away as she holded his wrist while sobbing at the loss of Twice, whose always played and made silly faces with her on spare times.

"Yeah... Im sorry for not telling you... but I thought that... Me and your mother actually decided that Emika (L/n) was better than puttingnon a fake and... well, not right name on yours."

"... which hero... killed... mama..?" His heart stopped... should he reaally tell her? She was only a baby of five years.. five fucking years... he was already damaged by society, but her was just a little flower growing...

"Princess.. I-"

"Who?!" She sobbed as his eyes dropped, a heavy sigh as he dinally sit down on the edge of the sofa as he put his hand on his face as the other helped her sit on his lap.

"... your grandpa."

.

.

.

Emika cried heraelf to sleep that night. Wailing that she hated the heroes, that she hated Endeavour, that she hated him for not telling her the truth for so long, that she hated having fo be a Todoroki.

Each word was a spike to his chest as he tried and eventually succeed on calming her down enough, from harsh sobs and eails to soft sniffles and the rest of the tears she had to sheed.

He hugged her just a bit tighter that night as one drop of blood fell from his eyes.

"I thought I could do it (Y/n)... I fucking promised you... but... fuck." He bited his bottom scarred lips to contain a whimper "Everything is just the worst now... why did you have to be so goddamn stubborn and risk your life dammit..."

.

.

.

"Is your fourth bowl of ice cream ya know?" Dabi muttered from his place on the miserable yet comfy apartment you two shared as you stared back at him with a spoonfull of your favorite ice cream on hand close to your mouth.

"I have the right. I'm pregnant. Leave me be." You made a show of putting the spoon on your mouth and moaning out loud as Dabi shooked his head in dismay before taking a place on your side ofbthe couxh before you two cringed at the sounds of the old mobile almost creaking.

"We need to got money to find a new couch." You muttered horrified, just apmost ending all of your money on baby supplies and clothes.

"Or I can just steal one." He smirked at the slight slap you gave to him.

"And have shitty heroes coming our way later? Nu uh mister... maybe just rob a bank though." You muttered before both of you chuckled as you laid your head on his shoulder as he subconsciously placed his hand on the sweel of your stomach and felt a kick already.

"She is going to be a daddy's girl. Im so sure of it." You giggled as he arched an eyebrow.

"How cam you say this already? We dont even know if it is a girl of a boy doll."

"I know is a girl. I just know it. And she has already a favorite parent." You carresed your belly just besides where Dabi's hand was layed on.

"You're exaggerating." He chuckled as he felt another kick "They are going to be a nasty oen though, they kick alot."

"She kicks a lot when your nearby or talking to her. Just like I said, a daddy's girl." You smiled sweetly at him and he never felt so happy...

He looked at your lips for a second as you narrowed your eyes playfully at him before your lips almost touched-

.

.

.

He woke up with a hand tapping on his cheek and soon saw his daughter looking down at him with a pout.

"Can we go walk?" She almost whimpered as he could only stare and slowly nod as he caught his disguise and a very own for her.

.

.

.

She clunged to the black bunny plushie as she walked with pinks connected to him as he stated down at her in worry until she gasped at a convenience store.

"Dada! Snickers!" She pointed as he smiled at seeing a bit of bright on her eyes once again.

"How about we get some, eh?" She nodded with a small smile and soon followed her dad inside.

While she waited for Dabi to get the snacks and pay for them, for once, she gasped when a purple haired boy at the same age as her bumped accidentaly to her making her plushie drop.

"Hey!" She called out with tears on her eyes, being emotionally damaged enough for those past days.

"I'm sorry." The boy said immediatly, kneeling and grabbing the plushie to hand it to her "Its yours?" He tilted his head as Emika grabbed immediatly.

"Of course it was! It was with me until you bunped on me!" Emika slowly dropped her tone of voice at seeing how the purple haired boy seemed genuily sorry as he aproached and bowed once again.

"Sorry, I just am here to grab some medice and a chocolate for my mom and dad. They're both sick and they dont know i went out so I needed to hurry." He smiled as Emika soon dropped slowly her guard down as she muttered.

"Is okay... is just that bunny is speacial to me."

"I can see why. Your mama gave it to you right." Her turquoise eyes widened as she frowned her eyebrows at the boy.

"Kinda of..?" She clinged to the toy "Why do you that?"

He closed his eyes with a tiny giggle.

"Well, she told me as soon as you started to tear up. She is always by your side aparently." Emika eyes darkned and she let go of one hand of the plushie to heat up her hand.

"Say that one more time. I dare you. My mama is not here." She almost cried until the purple boy touched her forehead with two fingers and soon she was not more in the grocery store, but in a blank space.

"HEY YOU!" she shouted "THIS IS NOT FUNNY LET OUT YOU FUCK-"

"Geez, daddy did not spare you of curse words then?" She froze and looked behind her and saw the sane woman Dabi showed photos of and was compared whenever she was laughing or making a trick on others.

She froze for a bit before silently tears started to fall and she hiccupped for a bit before dropping her bunny and running to you as you hugged her tightly.

"Mama! I cant believe-! Is you-! I-I-" she hicupped as you wiped her tears with your thumb and let some of your own fall.

"You're take so much of your dada im so happy... My little girl is just so beautiful..." you whispered as she sobbed while wiping her tears with her sleeve.

"D-Dada!" She gasped before smiling widely and grabbing your sleeve "Dada needs to see this! Mama he misses you a lot he need to see yo-"

"Im sorry princess..." you grabbed her cheek softly "I wanted to see your daddy just as much, but I cant...." her face fell a bit but soon nodded while playing with your fingers and hair.

"Mama? Why did you do it?" You hummed as she looked up hesitantly "Why did youbleave dad? Why... you took.. Endeavour attack..?" She asked sadly as you furrowed your eyebrows but soon closed your eyes and smiled.

"Emika... the day you were born was the day I was gone as well... but when I saw your grandpa recognizing me as a villain and blasted an attack close to where you were... I just had to. I had to protect the feuit of love that me and your father made..." you smiled sadly as she sniffed.

"But you arent with us..." she almost sobbed until you made her look up.

"Emika... Im so sorry for the loneliness you had to endure... the pain... that was the only dowside of the decision I made. My swest little girl..." you cuppex her cheek and wiped a tear "Thank you for letting me be your mother, and Touya for being your father..."

You touched your forehead with her as she noticed your body was slowly turning to tiny hints of lights and fireflies.

"Mama..?" She looked at you crying softly as you kissed her forehead.

"Emika, evertime you see a star in the dark sky it will be me watching over you and your dada... and please understand one thing," you got away from her as your hair floated majestically "Dying for you, was a noble sacrifice I did for love..."

She widened her eyes as she grabbed your hands as you giggled at her expression.

"Say to dada Im watching him too, and that loving him were the happier moments I spend... I love him and always will...after all, he is my canolli, dead or not, okay?"

The littpe girl gasped and looked at the place she was, the grocery store and the boy from earlier retracting his hand with a unsure littpe smile.

"It was your quirk... you... you made me talk with my mama." She says outstruck as the boy giggled but soon gasped at looking the time.

"I have to go! But I hope we meet again." He ran to the door with the bags before looking one more time behind to her "Call me Akira! See you soon Emika-chan!"

She stood there in complete shook before brushing her fingers on the tingling spot you had kissed on her forehead before smiling widely and giggling before knocking her daddy's leg as he grunted.

"Emika what the-"

"Mama is watching us!" She bounced up and down as he atood with a 'what the fuck' expression.

"What the hell Emika?" He grabbed the packs and carried her as he walked on the street.

"Mama said your name is Touya dada! Which I found strange at first but anyway! She kissed my forehead! Hugged me and said how much she loves me and you and is watching us! She is a star dada! A star!!"

His eyes widened. Emika didn't hear his speech to Endeavour. Emika didn't know his real name was Touya instead of Dabi as the league called him... so she was not imagining neither making things up.

"..so you saw mama?" She giggled and nodded while boucing on his arms. "... did she say something else?" He asked hopefully and she smiled widely as much as you would do.

"She said loving you was the most happier she got! And that your are her canolli forever!"

His steps faltered and almost that he dropped his daughter as his eyes widened... only you knew that god for saken nickname you gaved to him...

"Dada?" His daughter words and hands on his cheeks made him ho back to reality as he saw the blood on his little girl's fingers and worried expression "Are you crying..? Dada?"

"Heh..." he wiped with one thumb the blood before smilling at her and continuing walking "Nah. Must be one of my staples..." he stared up as his daughter rested her face on his neck. "Mama is a star then?"

"Ya.." she yawned "Watching us... I bet she is that one." The little girl pointed at the shiniest star on the sku as Dabi smiled...

"Yeah... I also bet on that one."

[the-punslinger]

Exandria Unlimited Quotes and Memorable Moments - Series 1 (42/?)

Aabria [dressed in leathers]: "I am Aabria Iyengar, and though I normally go by Game Master, my outfit would suggest today that Dungeon Master is a far more appropriate appellation. So we'll go with that."

Aabria: "She's not making physical contact. She's just sort of hovering imperiously over her in a moment that I have decided in my head is very cool looking." Dariax: "(laughs) You're not alone." Aabria: "Oh my god, thanks. Have inspiration for believing in my vision." Fearne: "Okay. Would my staff still be activated?" Aabria: "Did you grab snakes with you? You just had some loose snakes?" Fearne: "Just some loosey-goosies, you know, flopping around." Aabria: "Yeah, you just have loose snakes in your hand as you were flying down." Dariax: "Dariax was like: [screams]" Aabria: "Truth over wild, y'all."

Dariax: "22, rolled a natural 20." Opal: "Hey!" Aabria: "What?!" Dariax: "I get them every now and then." Dorian: "21 for me." Dariax: "Yeah!" Aabria: "Oh my god." Dariax: "Team Double D." Aabria: "Please stop being the same name next to each other." Dorian: "Never!" Opal: "D, D, D, D!" Aabria: "Very hurtful. You want to get skipped? This is how you get skipped." Dariax: "You're the uppercase, I'm the lowercase." Aabria: "Oh, I should do lowercase. Yeah, that's smart. Look at that, guys. Learning is a lifelong process."

Dariax: "I do still maintain my concentration from the hit, by the way." Aabria: "Smart, thank you. ♪ Things I meant to ask and I remembered ♪ Oh, that's right, I need to knock the Bless off of you. Noted." Opal: "God, that sounds very aggressive. Aabria: "The Bless was very useful last time. I will not let that stand twice."

Opal: "I'm just quietly in my mind going to try to keep connecting to Ted." Aabria: "Love it. I mean, you have her." Opal: "I know, but tell me more!" Aabria: "You're just getting... [Ted screams]"

Opal: "Tell me more! Stop yelling! Aabria: "She's here!" Opal: "Use your words, bitch!" Ted: "Don't call me bitch. I'm having a day!"

[As Aabria reveals the stage of the last fight, which is a ruin] Dorian: "Oh no!" Opal: "Whoa, that's a ruin." Fearne: "Ooh." Aabria: "It's a ruined ruin." Orym: "You ruined it." Opal: "I ruined a ruined." Aabria: "R-O-O-N-T, it's roont." Dorian: "Ruined rune rune?" Fearne: "Roont."

Aabria: "Let's get you guys out on the field. I'm going to say you're off here in the corner, boop. My sweet baby girl who's never done anything wrong, Myr'atta, hanging out over here." Dariax: "That's fine." Aabria: "And we'll use our imaginations." Dariax: "♪ Imagination. ♪ Aabria: "We love imagination. And my big, cool thick boy." Dariax: "I heard "cool fuckboy". Aabria: "Yeah, a very cool fuckboy." Dariax: "Get it. Dorian: "Oh yeah. That's an oxymoron for sure." Dariax: "Yeah, no joke."

[bill-y]

𝐈𝐍𝐔𝐑𝐄

Peeta mellark x male reader

We all know who Katniss Everdeen is, but what if Primrose hadn’t been chosen but another boy from another unfortunate family? YOUR family.

Info: This is basically a reader insert and I’ve changed a few rules, not ground breaking though. The reader is a bit bland for now but I plan for his actions to be different. Because he has different moral grounds from Katniss and such. Would appreciate feedback! FEEL FREE TO POINT OUT TYPOS. GRAMMARLY SOMETIMES DOESN’T DO MY DYSLEXIC ASS JUSTICE

Part one: Over there, buddy

Part two:You’re here right now. :)

Part three: Click here, pepperoni salami.

Wattpad account: L0calxDumbass

I separated with Gale and Katniss for a while, telling them I needed air. I sighed, leaping from branch to branch in the thicket of trees. Bread, not just bread, baker's bread. If I'm lucky I could get just enough squirrels for the baker, he had a taste for it but his wife was much of a witch, so he only buys it when she's not around.

I remembered how she found me stealing some burnt bread from the trashcan. I looked at her with wide eyes, frozen, I thought I was going to die, stealing was punishable for death, after all. But she just let me go, screaming about her frustration of Seams picking through her trash.

I got bread that day either way.

I landed on a sturdy branch, spotting a squirrel on the tree adjacent to me; it was quite huge, I'm sure he'd love this. Let's just hope the witch isn't home by the time I give this to him.

I crouched down, still as a statue as I watched the squirrel run up and down the tree. I pulled out the thin, glistening dagger, unwrapping its course, leather bindings, which became a makeshift thin rope. I felt my eyes unconsciously widen,  watching the squirrel's movements.

My arm aimed, then with a simple flick, the dagger whistled through the air. The small creature was then pinned to the bark of the tree through its eyes. The dagger's blade was thin enough to not damage anything when aimed right.

I pulled on the rope, the blade coming back, dragging the animal carcass with it. A small smile tugged on my face, I can get bread.

Kunal was surely panicking, he was the type to worry about the smallest of things. He once stepped on a cat's tail, Buttercup, Primrose's cat and he bawled, nobody could calm him down. Until he was offered food, that is.

I chuckled at the memory, slowly pulling the blade off the head of the squirrel. I held it in my hands victoriously, a grin on my face. I whistled a small 3 tone song, the chirping mocking birds falling silent before they imitated the tone.

After meeting up, we went back home, passing by the Hob. It was sort of a black market, where coals are transported directly to trains. I disliked it here, the amount of coal dust always bothered me, so when I come here I tend to cover my nose.

We managed to trade six of the fish for good bread, the other two for some salt. The lady who sells soup, the one that always glares at me because I've insulted her soup on multiple occasions, Greasy Sae: took half the greens we gathered, along with the dead dog meat that she calls "beef".

That's why I hate her soups, though it's not like I have much of an option, we can't afford luxury here. Unlike those obnoxious, entitled, privileged people in the Capitol. My jaw clenched at the mere thought of those scums.

We finish our business on the market, so we went to the mayor's house, who was particularly fond of strawberries. We knocked on the back door, his daughter, Madge opening it for us.

She's in Katniss and I's year sits beside us at almost every event because we don't really have groups of friends. For being the mayor's daughter you'd expect her to be an entitled brat or maybe a snob, but she was alright, she kept to herself.

I like that, I hate noisy people, They'll scare away the game, that and I've never really liked loud noises. I still remember the explosions in the mines, it was traumatizing, even though my father didn't meet death there. I really wished he had.

Madge didn't wear her usual attire, instead, she wore an expensive white dress, her blonde hair up with a pink ribbon. Reaping clothes. I felt my face scrunch up, that day was supposed to be a form of celebration. It's more of a way for the capitol to show who's in control.

We were being punished for the crimes of the people who failed, disguised as some form of celebration. It's disgusting.

"Pretty dress," Gale complimented. Madge shoots him a look, trying to see if it's genuine or if he was just being ironic. It was a pretty dress, but it was a waste.

She smiled, "Well, if I'm going to the Capitol, I want to look nice, don't I?"

I clenched my jaw, "But you won't be going to the Capitol," I said coolly, my voice monotone. My eyes landed on a small, circular pin on her dress. Real gold. The testament to the fact that she probably won't be chosen. "You probably have five entries, compared to us, that's a blessing."

"That's not her fault," Katniss said. Madge looked slightly hurt, probably because I've never really spoken my thoughts to her, I try my best to be polite when she engages a conversation with me.

"I know," I responded plainly. Madge smiled towards me, though it was clear it wasn't exactly genuine. She then handed the money for the berries. She looked towards Katniss "Good luck, Katniss"

"You too," She responded.

We walked toward the Seam, I can't help but feel angry. Her? Going to the Capitol? What a joke. When you're twelve your name gets put in the pile once, thirteen twice then so on. Up until your eighteen, where your name is entered seven times.

But the thing is, the rich have an advantage. You can enter your name willingly in the pile when you're starving in exchange for some tesserae. I had been doing this since I was twelve, having entered my name 3 times, for my mother, brother and myself.  Every year following suite, it has always been like this.

Now at the age of 16, I've entered my name twenty times, same with Katniss. Gale was in even greater danger, with a number of forty-two.

And she'll be the tribute this year? It can happen but it's deadly slim. I knew Gale felt the same way, listening to him rant about tesserae in the woods with Katniss was enough confirmation, along with the fact that I join in on the rants. Always end it with a promise to destroy the Capitol, somehow.

But what good does that do us?

Gale, Katniss and I divide our spoils, though it wasn't really the evenest distribution.  Gale got more, understandably since he has more mouths to feed.

"See you guys in the square," Katniss said, Gale nodded, "Wear something pretty," he joked.

I decided to stop by the bakery, by then the witch should be home but I took my chances. There was Mr Mellark, sitting outside, watching the pigs. He saw me from the corner of his eye, he grinned. "Greyback!' he called.

"Mr Mellark, still up for some squirrel?" I ask, holding the fat one up. He nodded, "You're lucky my wife isn't here, yet. Hold on, I'll get the bread for Kunal," he said, rushing inside.

I walked to the backdoor of the bakery so that he wouldn't trouble himself that much. I waited awkwardly outside, looking at a small bird fluttering about. I whistled, holding my finger out.

The bird landed on my finger, making me smile. From the corner of my eye, I saw a boy, blonde, stocky. Could probably kill me, if I'm being honest. Even though I was fast, I wasn't strong.

Soon enough, the bird flew away with the arrival of the baker, with a loaf of sweet, savoury bread, hot from the oven. "Here you go, Greyback."

I nodded, handing him the squirrel. "Oh!" he hummed, "Have you met my son, Peeta?" he asked, a smile on his face, "You're in the same year, yes?"

I didn't know what to say. Sure, I know him but I don't know that well him that well. My eyes travelled to the boy, who simply waved and briskly walked away. "I don't think so," I answered.

"I better be going, Mr Mellark. Nal needs his favourite bread after all," I said, flashing a small smile before I left. A small pit of dread boiled in my stomach, something bad is going to happen.

But then again, it's Reaping day, nothing good ever happens.

Word count: 1.3k

Tags:

@nin3s

:)))

[athys-obelia]

character/s: claude de alger obelia, diana of siodonna, felix robane

synopsis: it's...uhm....an empress!diana x concubine!claude crackfic 😭😭

warning/s: uhh a sprinkle of politics, the robane duchy is now siodonnan and not obelian screw canon, diana is lowkey mean to rogrog

a/n: i'm so sorry this is so bad

part one

felix's foot taps against the tiles of the empress' room impatiently. "you stayed up finalising the agreement all night, your majesty, perhaps some rest is due?"

diana spares him glance, turning sideways from her position on her bed. "what was his name again?"

  "pardon?"

  "the painter," she elaborates, pointing towards the painting on the ceiling above the bed. "i keep...i don't know, i keep finding new things the more i look at it."

  "is that so?"

the painting itself, a coronation gift from felix, depicts the goddess diana reaching out to the children of the world and vice versa. "if you look at the sky closely - remember our old siodonann classes?- 'for the people' is hidden in the stars. isn't that cool?"

the knight squints at the painting. "oh, i see it! i wonder why it's in old siodonann, though?"

  "i would guess it's because the imperial family wasn't worshipped in the old days," diana explains, "for example - right now, in some parts of the empire, my late father - bless him - and i may actually have shrines because people believe the imperial family's descent is from the gods. when the kingdom was just formed, though, kings and queens weren't allowed to ride alone in carriages as they greeted their subjects- they needed to have a slave with them at all times, who kept on repeating 'you are human' to them. 'you are human', 'we are all the same in the eyes of the true gods."

the sound of the army of maids behind the door is enough to pull felix out of his trance. "er...horatius calvus, your majesty."

  "hm?"

  "the artist, that's his name."

  "ah." diana turns to the painting once more, eyes staring at the goddess' hair that melted into the night sky. "would you be able to get in contact with him? i'd like to commission a piece."

felix bows gracefully. "as your majesty commands. oh, and - for the obelian delegates' farewell celebration tonight...has your majesty decided on an escort?"

she groans, falling back on the bed. "i've had so much free time lately, the harem is all i think about!"

  "very funny, ma'am. then...shall i prepare the usual?"

diana shakes her head. "i'll visit viscaria palace later and see for myself. the obelians brought some concubines with them as presents, it's be nice to weed through the bunch."

felix's eyes nearly pop out. "you're visiting the harem?! your majesty! did you find someone you like??"

she chucks a pillow at him before he can continue. "you weren't loud enough just now, fe, i don't think all of siodonna heard you."

  "...apologies, ma'am."

three years ago, when she had only just come into power, diana remembers being afraid of the large, gold doors between her and the council room. she remembers pausing before entering, regaining her breath, preparing her mind. projecting an image.

if there is one thing she has learnt, though, it's that only fools can be afraid of their own property. their assets. the larger-than-life doors swing at her command, allow or deny entrance with solely her permission. confidence comes easy when you act like you own the place - nevermind the fact that she did own most places.

but i have no reason to be afraid.

the obelian delegates stand at her arrival and bow like good little lords should before an empress. one of the more prominent ones stands to address her as soon as the meeting commences.

  "blessings and glory upon the sun of the great siodonnan empire," he says.

diana raises an amused eyebrow. this game, hm? "is that an obelian greeting, duke? how interesting. here, one would usually wish 'a long life to the protector of the siodonnan people'. that's all i am, after all - how could i be the sun?"

duke alpheus sputters. "er...i failed to acquaint myself with siodonnan culture appropriately, my apologies, your majesty. i shall do better next time."

how arrogant. still, she smiles, "i must confess, duke alpheus - i am slightly susceptible to praise, so i'll let you off this time."

  "thank you, ma'am."

  "although making the assumption that there will be a next time at all was quite courageous of you." diana signals the guards, who open the door to let the final participant of the meeting inside. "however -courage and bravery are traits best suited for kings and queens, duke. not lords."

the obelian delegates pale as they watch their - former - emperor, wrists bound, enter the hall with an entourage of knights.

diana glances at the newcomer. "although i suppose even for an emperor, too much of a bravado may cost a war."

anastacius de alger obelia glowers at her.

she frowns at the knights. "how come such a precious friend of mine is tied up like this? is this how we siodonnans treat our guests?"

felix bows deeply. "i apologise, ma'am - he was resisting far too much."

  "whatever the case. get a seat set up right here, beside me - after all," diana smiles at the fuming obelian, "we were dining together just a few months ago, weren't we?"

  "three months ago, to be precise," anastacius spits out, "after which you decided to switch tides and invade us like a coward."

she watches one of the knights set down a fancy chair to the left of hers, reaching out to untie the bindings on anastacius' wrist. diana frowns suddenly, waving over felix, "ah, is this the leash my brother used when he tamed his dragon?"

the former emperor flinches, staring down at it. "someone here tamed a dragon?" a light pink dusts his cheeks - did he really touch the actual leash of a dragon?

felix shakes his head with a small smirk. "this is the leash her majesty the late dowager empress used, ma'am. for her dog."

  "-ah, right, i remember now! all the ones marked with this little purple line are used for tying down senseless animals, aren't they?"

  "yes, your majesty." felix returns to his spot behind her, clear amusement swimming in his grey eyes as he watches the obelians try and maintain their composure.

diana gently lets the leash loose, a hand on the stunned anastacius' shoulder to lightly push him into the seat. "you aren't wrong - i did betray your hospitality, didn't i?"

roger alpheus winces at the sudden authority in her tone as the knights pass out a document to each of the obelian lords.

  "obelia's greeting and offer for peace was kind to me, so i must return this generosity. your country is now part of the siodonnan empire, so we should be parting on a good note. will a little present suffice?"

a brunette diana remembers to be a count speaks up, "...a gift, your majesty?"

felix moves closer to the table, watching the detailed map of siodonna carved into its centre. as he raises his hand, almost as if it were a chess piece, a small island moves to the left. its color flickers between a siodonnan purple and the obelian teal.

diana sighs. "i was planning on the island of delphine, since it not only contains a relatively large gold mine, but also much tourist attraction."

oh, she can see the stars in alpheus' eyes already. "thank you, your ma-"

  "but." he shrivels under her piercing gaze, "but, obelia doesn't need gold, does it? what you need is better foreign relations. and what better way to form an alliance..."

she eyes the map, and with a flick of felix's wrist, a small stretch of land connecting two continents switches from its original purple to a hue of blue.

diana looks up now, meeting even anastacius' shocked eyes. he eyes her suspiciously, "do you really-?"

she nods. "...consider it a gift from your sovereign. it is enough, yes?"

  "i- uh," duke alpheus blinks twice, "the isthmus of erven is...an adequate present, yes, your majesty. the people of obelia shall thrive due to your generosity."

  "it is not generosity, duke. your people are my subjects now. however, i hope you realise the isthmus isn't obelian property for obvious reasons. there is no trust between us. despite this, what i will allow is some access." diana stands, watching the foreign nobles mirror the action. "the terms and conditions of our relationship from this point onwards are in the papers before you and are, obviously, subject to change. feel free to approach me with concerns, should you have any."

  "you were firmer than i'd expected with the obelians, your majesty," felix comments.

diana recoils as his eyes light up at the sight of viscaria palace. "remember when i visited obelia for anastacius' coronation? i was only seventeen, but two years into my studies as heir - and they were all over duke renauld's son! poor cousin ronnie couldn't stop apologising."

felix snorts. "the renaulds wouldn't have dared challenge your majesty's claim, not while the late empress dowager was behind you."

  "ha! that's right, everyone was scared of mama." she grins fondly, "papa most of all."

the knight nods, murmuring a prayer.

  "i want them gone as soon as possible," diana admits, "but there's much to settle before that. i need to fix up anastacius before we can let him back, the second prince is still...what was his name, again?"

  "claude de alger obelia, ma'am."

she winces. "yes, he's an impo-"

a commotion sounds from within viscaria. felix raises an eyebrow at the shouts echoing from the beautiful building, a hand already atop his sheathed sword. "ma'am, stay back, i'll have a look- your majesty! where are you going-?!"

navigating through the decorated halls, diana halts before the entrance of the garden. the argument is between two men she doesn't recognise, as the older concubines gather to the side, amusing twinkling in their eyes.

  "attention!" felix roars, "her imperial majesty, empress diana celeste!"

the two freeze in fear.

  "disrupting my peace. how dare you?" diana demands.

one of them, dressed too finely for someone she hadn't even seen yet, steps forward. "your majesty, my name is xerre, i was only-"

she raises a hand, effectively shutting him up. tone softening, diana turns to the group crowding around the desert table. "lex?"

the group shuffles to let a young, silver haired young man forward. lex bows gracefully, laugh lines around his eyes crinkling. "yes, my lady?"

  "do you know what happened here?"

lex nods. "the monthly salary was being distributed, your majesty, and xerre - being a present from the kingdom of masur - had some trouble believing his amount was the same as a former obelian slave's. verhan stepped in to argue that your majesty was the one to decide this, and they began fighting."

  "shall i prepare for his voyage back to masur, majesty?" felix asks, as the rest of the concubines roll their eyes at his antics.

diana studies the masurian concubine, beckoning him closer. "it is common knowledge i do not generally accept gifted concubines from territories out of my own."

she watches his adam's apple rise and fall, tracing a nail over the well defined jawline. xerre shivers.

  "however, your king is new to his throne, and his queen one of my dearest friends. do you realise how our alliance will look were i to send you back?"

he nods cautiously.

  "i do not wish to withdraw support from someone i consider a brother, xerre. especially when he is engaged in armed conflict on two fronts."

  "i- i am prepared for any punishment your majesty deems appropriate."

diana sighs softly. "i would send you to work for me in the capitol, but the rules state every concubine entering must reside here for a certain amount of time. until then, bear with it. this palace, and a life of luxury, is only meant for my favorites. clear?"

  "yes, your majesty."

  "my apologies, ma'am," felix says once the crowd disperses, his head hanging. "i should've prepared for your arrival with more care."

she waves off the apology, heading to the guest hall to take a look at the new obelian  concubines.

  "vera leaves for her son's wedding for a week and we've already had an incident. honestly, felix."

  "...who's vera?"

diana pauses at the unfamiliar voice. her gaze falls on the figure sitting on the window seat, entirely immersed in the book in his hands. she blinks, stunned, watching the colourful window's filtered light paint the brilliant blonde of his hair.

felix is the first to address him, scoffing, "i believe your majesty's beauty has enchanted one of the gods - who else would dare address the empress of our nation so casually?"

diana chuckles, watching as the man stands, intrigued. she stays silent, breath hitched, as he towers over her, studying her with a curiosity that rivals hers from a moment ago. and only when he finally lowers himself to a knee does his hair part, and diana flushes at the red tinting his ears.

  "greetings to her imperial majesty, may the gods grant the protector of the siodonnan people a life long and blessed."

she offers him her hand. "rise. and tell me your name."

a beat of silence passes as he stares at her outstretched hand before hesitantly accepting. "claude, your majesty."

  "claude," diana tries, finding it rolls of her tongue deliciously.

he raises an eyebrow as she regards him. "your majesty...?"

diana smiles, her hand moving to touch the various jewellery adorning his fingers. gently, she slides off the gold ring off of his ring finger. "you must have a good reason to be donning an unauthorized magical item in my palace."

he doesn't answer, head lowered.

her hand lets go of his, raising to grip the blonde's jaw. diana tilts up his face, meeting his gaze. the dull grey eyes from before have vanished, replaced by glittering blues.

she inhales sharply. "you're...the obelian pr...the second prince of obelia."

he nods.

diana turns, more puzzled than angry. "why is he in my harem?"

  "... didn't your majesty wish for it?" felix tilts his head in confusion.

  "what? no?"

the knight frowns. "but i was so sure...your majesty said you didn't have an heir because you wanted a concubine as beautiful as me...when we took over the imperial palace, as the army swore their allegiance...your majesty said the prince was the prettiest you’ve ever seen?"

  "i- felix, i was kidding!"

  "...oh."

she turns to the prince then, "and you! you're a prince! how come you just went along with this??"

  "well...it was the most peaceful part of the palace..."

diana gapes at the two men, before finally sighing in defeat. "you're telling me i was scouring the lands for you, while you were right...?" she raises a hand to massage her temple, "...gods grant me patience."

felix cautiously steps forward, "your majesty...i understand this is shocking, but... tonight's escort..."

she glances up at the obelian prince. "allow them all to retire. i've found the perfect escort."

a/n: hmmm this was a bit empty claudiana wise, wasn't it? their development is coming though, i had to give empress!diana an intro :) also !! the situation may seem a bit confusing rn, but next chapter will clear things up! or you can just ask me for clarification <3

💕 felix is dying to find a concubine diana likes bc he really really really wants to be an uncle

💕 in siodonna, emperors/empresses are referred to by their first(diana) + middle name(celeste) and not a last name bc they technically can't belong to a house, they belong to the empire. but the middle name is important bc you have to ask for it (from someone you love and respect usually), you're never just born with one (so you could ask a parent / friend / mentor yada yada and they give you a name they believe fits best)

[hawksward]

Wolves in Sheep's Clothing Ch. 1: Push/Pull (Childe/OC)

Since being granted a vision at the tender age of 10, Irina has owed her life to the Tsaritsa and dedicated herself to rising through the ranks of the Fatui. In becoming a top-ranking diplomat she's received her easiest assignment yet: ensure the 11th Fatui Harbinger remains ignorant of La Signora's plan to obtain the gnosis of Rex Lapis. A simple task for someone who's made a career out of lying.

Unfortunately, even the simplest tasks can go awry when feelings get in the way.

Rating: E (For eventual smut)

Warnings: None that I can think of for this chapter, there will eventually be smut

Banner credit goes to @shinsotired because I'm incapable of art.

Prologue:

Cold. She couldn’t remember the last time she wasn’t cold. At first, the nerves in her fingertips were screaming, the skin exposed through the holes in her worn gloves. But now it was different.

The cold had faded into warmth as she laid on the ground in the alley. At first, it was uncomfortably hot. So hot she wanted to strip off her already thin winter coat and hat. But now it was pleasantly warm. She couldn’t remember the last time she’d felt this way.

But it wasn’t right. It couldn’t be.

The snow seemed to fall in waves, flakes occasionally falling into her eyes. The girl flexed her fingers before closing her eyes, they were becoming harder and harder to move.

I’m dying

The thought echoed in her head. She couldn’t decide if she was scared or relieved. If she died there would be no more suffering. Tears slipped out of her eyes, freezing on her cheeks.

I can’t. Not here. Not like this.

She curled herself into a ball. Clenching her fists as tight as she could to stay awake. She desperately tried to conserve what little body heat she had left.

The voices were faint at first, two men engaging in idle chatter as they strolled through the alley. One man’s footsteps stopped short when he saw her, much to the dismay of his partner.

“Leave it Misha. Street kids die every day here.” His foot pushed her from her side onto her back. She could barely open her eyes, any energy she had for defiance long gone. She immediately knew the man by his mask. Fatui.

“She’s holding something.” Misha reached down to pry open her clenched fist.

Her palm was soaked in blood around an object she knew she wasn’t holding before. Although she couldn’t quite make out what it was from her angle, she noticed the man’s eyes go wide.

“How many street kids do you know who have been blessed by the Tsaritsa?”  He plucked the object from her hand and held it to the lamplight. A cryo vision.

“What’s your name, child?”

Her voice came as a whisper

“Irina”

Ch. 1:

The wind in Liyue Harbor was far milder than the chill winds in Snezhnaya. The boat journey was amicable, albeit long, and she would be in Liyue for the foreseeable future. Even from the docks, she could tell. The whole city was in chaos.

Only a day passed since the Rite of Descension, a disaster of epic proportions, and it was clear there were still no answers.

Irina leaned over the side of the boat, watching the fish scatter as the anchor plummeted into the sand below. Men hurried into the boat the moment the gangplank fell, eager to unload the crates of liquor shipped from the motherland.

Pushing herself off the rail, Irina made her way down the gangplank. She knew next to nothing about her assignment. Only that Rex Lapis was dead and there was now a sea of red tape between the Tsaritsa and the gnosis.

“I trust you’re our new diplomat?”

Her attention was brought to the man before her. He had half a head of height on her with bright auburn hair and even brighter blue eyes. It was clear from what he was wearing that he was Fatui.

“Yes. I’ve been sent by Her Majesty, the Tsaritsa, to aid in the issue with the exuvia.” She held out her hand for a handshake only for the man to hold her hand to his lips, placing a small kiss before releasing.

“I’m Childe. We’ll be working closely together while you’re here in Liyue. Not like I needed the assistance, I have the situation under control.”

She wasn’t surprised that he was less than excited for her arrival, she didn’t climb through the ranks to take easy assignments.

“Aster.” It was an alias of course, she couldn’t remember the last time she used her real name. “You must be Tartaglia then. Don’t mind me. I’m here to help grease the bureaucratic gears. I won’t be interfering with your bank loan operation.”

Irina knew that the Northland Bank was a large source of revenue for the Tsaritsa in Liyue. She also knew that their interest rates and collection practices were less than ethical. Not like it was any of her concern.

The smile on Childe’s face faltered for only a second, but it was enough to betray his false hospitality. He was a harbinger, most Fatui agents and diplomats alike wouldn’t dare talk to him in that manner. But most diplomats weren’t hand chosen by the Tsaritsa herself.

“Well Aster, I’m sure you’re tired from the journey but why don’t I show you around and get you acquainted with the members of the Northland Bank, where you’ll be stationed. As your superior officer allow me to give you the grand tour”

His words weren’t lost on her. Although she wouldn’t be reporting to him on her assignment she needed to appear like she was. She couldn’t have him asking questions.

“Of course, Lord Tartaglia ” the words rolled off her tongue like venom “Please lead the way.”

——

It was clear from the endless amount of stairs he had her climb to the Yujing Terrace that he was looking to torture her. Nothing about the tour was optimal and only served to exhaust her further.

“Don't tell me you’re getting tired already!” Childe was beaming from ear to ear

She wanted to stab him. They had gone back and forth to a new landmark, each somehow across the city from the other, for the better part of 3 hours. And while she was in shape, she didn’t have an elite soldier’s stamina. Nor did Childe have to make the trek in heels.

“Of course not, I’m ready to experience all the city has to offer” She put on her most charming smile. She wouldn’t let him best her, especially not so early in the game.

Childe laughed before waving her over to the nearby railing. The view from the terrace was beautiful. From the top of the city was a view of the harbor. The streets below just beginning to light the lanterns for the night.

“I see you know how to make an impression” Irina smiled to herself as she drank in the view.

“What can I say? I have many talents.” He leaned against the rail, his eyes trained on her. “One of them is sensing bullshit. So why don’t you tell me why you’re really here.”

Irina raised an eyebrow, turning her attention to the man before her. “I’m here because the Tsaritsa is unimpressed at how long it’s taking you to complete your mission. Signora obtained her gnosis within a week of arriving in Mondstat.”

“Signora didn't have to contend with a dead Barbatos.” He countered

“If you think you can do this on your own then by all means be my guest.” Irina pushed herself off the rail, “But as of today all matters dealing with the Liyue Qixing will be handled by me. If you take issue with that you’re free to look through the paperwork I brought with me.”

Childe had no retort, but it was clear that she struck a nerve by comparing him to Signora. It didn’t matter. She would complete her mission as soon as possible and then leave Liyue for her next assignment. which would hopefully not involve the 11th harbinger.

“Well then. Allow me to escort the lady to the Northland Bank. Ekaterina has prepared the small office for your arrival.”

——

Childe didn’t lie when he said the office was small. Her office was a glorified storage closet on the upper level of the bank, barely large enough to fit a reasonably sized oak desk already stacked with paperwork. She knew when she wasn’t meeting with the Qixing she would be expected to help out with administrative work for the bank.

She didn’t expect for her superior  to drop all of his work on her as well.

Before he left for the night he tossed a map her way, a large red x marking where her accommodations would be. She was mildly surprised he hadn’t offered to walk her to the inn to keep tabs on her. Then again the Fatui presence in the city was nothing to scoff at, someone would see her eventually and most likely report back.

Thankfully the inn wasn’t difficult to find, centered in the middle of the merchant district. Accommodations weren’t large by any means, but the warm wood and red bedding were lush and inviting.

What little luggage she brought on the boat was tucked away in the corner, next to a small bathroom. She never carried much, even a small suitcase seeming excessive after growing up with nothing.

Irina glanced at the clock sitting on the dresser. Currently 11 pm. She needed to be at Liuli pavilion in 3 hours. She changed out of her clothes for something that didn’t scream ‘Fatui agent skulking around at all hours of the night’.

—-

Liuli Pavillion definitely looked closed. Irina passed maybe two people on her way from the inn to the restaurant, both of whom were definitely too drunk to remember anyone who passed them by.

Irina checked her surroundings before knocking on the door twice, followed by a brief pause, followed by four more times. She could hear footsteps coming from inside before unlocking the door.

“Can I help you? We’re closed” a middle-aged man looked her up and down, a scowl on his face

“I’m here with the jueyun chili order.”

“Already got it last week.” He barked

“Yes, but this order is a special delivery from Qingce Village.”

The man gave a curt nod before stepping out of the way. The windows in the restaurant were tightly drawn shut, locking in the dim candlelight. Irina made her way to the voices coming from the adjacent room.

The room held a small square table, one seat was filled by a dark haired man in an expensive looking suit. The other was filled with none other than the 8th harbinger herself.

Signora.

“You’re late.” She didn’t bother to look up as she took a sip from her glass of wine “Sit down, we don’t have much time.”

Irina sat down as the man from the door placed a glass of wine in front of her. She took a small sip, locking eyes with the dark haired man across the table. Was Signora going to make an introduction or not?

“This is my subordinate, Aster. She’ll be your point of contact for all things related to the contract” Signora began “Aster, this is Zhongli, you may know him better as Rex Lapis”

Irina nearly choked on her drink. She knew the anemo archon, Barbatos, had taken on a human form before having his gnosis taken. But she never imagined she’d see another archon in the flesh. The Tsaritsa living among her people wasn’t exactly common.

“It’s an honor to meet you, sir.” She wasn't sure how to respond. Clearly he didn’t want many to know if he was going by a different name. But was it alright to treat him like a normal person?

“None of that. In this form, I am simply Zhongli, consultant for the Wangsheng Funeral Parlor.” He gave a small, polite smile before sipping from his wine “Not to mention going forward we’ll be colleagues.”

“Listen closely because I’m only going to explain this once.” Signora reclined back in her seat, her fierce gaze not once leaving Irina, “The Tsaritsa has signed a contract with Rex Lapis for procurement of the gnosis. Since I can’t be in the city without drawing attention, you will be my proxy. You will tell absolutely no one of the contract nor about Zhongli’s identity. Do you understand?”

“Of course Lady Signora. I will maintain the utmost discretion.”

“Good. Since you’ll be doing it anyway, I want a report on anything you can discern from the Qixing as well.” The tall blonde woman stood from her chair, turning her back momentarily before returning her focus to Irina. “One last thing. If Tartaglia so much as develops an idea of what’s happening here consider yourself out of a job.”

Irina rose from her chair to give her a nod and a salute before the other woman left the restaurant. She had no intention of failing a mission, but it was clear that Signora would rip her entire life out from under her faster than she could blink if she did.

“Please, enjoy the glass of wine with me before you leave.” Zhongli motioned for her to return to her seat “We should get to know each other since we’ll be working closely together. Not to mention it is a vintage.”

[twstlotus]

Hi!! May I request scenario for Leona where the s/o is going back home and never coming back(+a fight before going)? I'm kinda in need of angst contents xD, of course if it's alright with you! Also I look forward to seeing your works in the future

Me: Ah, finally! The Great Seven seem to have blessed me with midterm break for a week. What’s in the inbox today?

The inbox: Angst, angst, angst, and more angst.

Me: Oh.

Content Warning: heartbreak, arguing, Leona sort of gaslighting S/O

Leona Kingscholar; “I’m never coming back.”

This was the day, you decided.

This was the day you absolutely must confront Leona about it.

You always held it all back—trying to see the best in the relationship you two built over time. Initially, it even seemed like a dream come true. You were with who you named “the love of your life”, you always recognized that Leona was no Prince Charming, that’s for sure, and you accepted him anyway. But now, it was too much for you to handle.

Leona had already fallen into a deep slumber when you slowly slid the door open to his room. He always did this. The first few times, maybe it was excusable. You saw it as him having difficulty to adjust to a new schedule with you (him being the lazy lion as is), but the third time he missed your dates? All because he wanted some sleep?

No more.

Fool me once, shame on you.

Fool me twice, shame on me.

Fool me three times…

“Leona,” You called to him in a somewhat soft yet stern voice. His ear flickered soon after. A swing from his tail started before he arose from his slumber with half-lidded eyes that quizzed into a puzzled expression upon seeing your figure. “...Why are you in that fancy getup?” His tone was bored, unamused, a slight tinge of aggression was evident in his tone, probably because you just woke him up from his precious nap.

“Leona…,” You paused. Should you really tell him this? He already said before that he isn’t going to be the perfect boyfriend you dreamt of and there were likely going to be bumpy rides on the relationship, but still…

‘No.’ A voice in your mind firmly stated, your voice.

‘I have to tell him.’

Your lips tugged to a frown and your fist began to ball. “You missed our date. Again.” The words left your tongue were confident and stern, yet there were traces of your voice wavering as well. “This is the third time, Leona. I thought we already agreed that you’d come. I was waiting for 45 minutes and you didn’t even bother showing up!” Tears began to prick your eyes as your voice grew louder, enough to knock the lion out of his daze.

He sent a hand up to his forehead as he sat on the edge of the bed and rubbed his temple, a somewhat distressed expression noticeable on his face. “Yeah, yeah. I know, I’m sorry, okay? It won’t happen again…” A yawn barely escaped his lips at the end of his sentence. Honestly, at this point, you didn’t even know if he felt sorry for what he did. “I know it won’t happen again,” Another pause in your voice. You mustered up every courage you had left to say what you planned to say, and when you finally did,

“...Because I’m breaking up with you.”

The words left your lips with a wish that it would lift off the heavy weight that strained your heart. But instead, it now felt heavier than before.

Leona immediately shot his head up to your shaking figure. His eyes are as wide as plates, but quickly narrow down as his eyebrows do. “What the hell did you just say?” His voice is dark, furious, yet, even so, there’s a hint of fear in it.

“I said I’m breaking up with you.” You reaffirm.

“Hah! You’ve found someone else, haven’t you?” He begins to yell out. “Who is it? Jack?! I’ve seen that mutt around you more often than usual, you reek of his scent. Or—no, Ruggie?!” Your eyes eventually lower to an object, or the sky—anything. Anything but the man who you once truly loved. Once.

He catches hold of your disregard to his words and only turns more livid by the minute. “Oi! Don’t you dare look away when your king is talking to you, herbivore! Answer me, who is it?!”

“You don’t have anyone but yourself to blame, Leona,” you state as firmly as possible, but you avoid sounding angry or anything of the sort, “You never act responsible in the relationship! Hell, this is the third time you missed our date, and in a row!” You list off. Leona looks at you with a furious expression, teeth bared and eyes glaring—still, you hold your ground. 

“You’re always arrogant and lazy, and you never even seem to want to make up for it! You complain, complain, complain—but you don’t even look like you want to fix whatever problem you have. Meanwhile, I have to take responsibility for anything you want to do, just because you’re too lazy to do it! We never even get to do anything outside of the house and I always have to bend my needs and interests just so we can do whatever you want!” So much for trying to sound calm. You huffed for air after finishing your sentence.

There was a small trace of regret in Leona’s eyes—it was a blink and you miss type of moment. Still, he hardened his gaze at you before letting out a dark laugh. It was like the one he let out when he was nearing his Overblot before.

“So that’s it? You’re leaving me? Just because of what I did? It’s not like you never messed up either,” his pride began to envelop him. His words burnt and hurt your heart like fire pricking at your skin, and he knew it, yet, even so, he still felt unable to truly own up to his actions.

“Oh, piss off! It’s not like I messed up as much as you did! Yes, I admit that I made some mistakes a few times, but at the very least I had the decency to admit it.” Tears began to quickly run down your cheek as you yelled at the man who you once loved, and he only grew more livid as the seconds pass.

What should have been a short agreement then turned into what seemed like hours of endless arguing, going back and forth on who’s fault it was and what each partner did wrong.

At this point, you couldn’t even remember what made you fall in love with him.

You raised your hands defeatedly with a long, exasperated sigh. “That’s it.” Was all you muttered before you began gathering your things that you kept in Leona’s room. “..What are you doing?” He asked, his tone still laced with aggression.

“I’m leaving.”

“What?”

“I said I’m leaving. I’m going home,” you held back from completely sobbing in front of him. Your mind was on auto-pilot at this point. You weren’t sure if this was the right decision, where would you go? Where can you stay?

But your heart knew that any place was better than the one you were in.

“And I’m NEVER coming back here.” You stated through stifled sobs before slamming the door to his room shut, thus ending your relationship with him with a heavy heart and a loud shut on his door.

“FINE. Leave then! I don’t need pesky herbivores like you on my territory, and don’t come back here again!” He yelled loudly. His voice easily being heard outside of his room, and by extension, heard by the other Savanaclaw members, too.

Despite how he reacted, Leona knew both you and him would never be the same again, and he had never been in so much utter pain in hearing those five words.

He’d never be able to hear your cheerful laughter at his jokes. Never be able to feel your calming caresses on his cheek. Never be able to feel the sweet taste of your lips ever again.

For when he lost your heart, he lost everything he loved.

[starneko123]

Butterfly Effect

Star's Note: So I finally got around to putting my main OC in the MK 2021 movie storyline and the first part is like a...songfic? Yeah so prepare for that and also Korë Nagako X Liu Kang is a crack ship, in general, please don't take it seriously lol.

OC Characters Involved

Nova Nagako

Mileena walked through the foyer leading to Shang Tsung's throne. Kabal and Goro were joining her it wasn't like she needed assistance for this. She preferred to do this one alone but the iron lung and royal brute refused. The trio reached Shang Tsung and once he gave Mileena the signal she spoke "She was spotted in Earthrealm far from Raiden's Temple as we speak. She seems to have...a different life with others around her. A caregiver." Mileena finished with an aggravated sigh "A caregiver?" Shang Tsung echoed in question.

Kabal cut his way into the conversation "She means her mother but with the description you gave it made it more difficult to find her. No white streaks in the hair, no pink eyes, and no magical powers. The reincarnation is shit." Kabal spat gesturing behind as if she was there. "Nova-" Shang Tsung began and Kabal cut him off once more. "News Flash she doesn't even go by Nova over there! Who the hell would name their kid Nova in this modern day. Her name is Korë. Not any better but it's different. Not fucking Nova." Now he was finished, and he put his hand on the hip for added flare.

"She's not our Lady Nova but still she stands out." Prince Goro mentioned. Mileena may have sniffed her out but Goro tracked her down. He found her first his chest swelled with pride. "She has companions." Mileena groaned half-heartedly "A friend and a consort." Shang Tsung leaned forward standing up from his throne altogether. "A consort?!" Kabal spoke again, "Yeah, not very good looking or the sharpest tool in the shed but they're around each other." Too bad they couldn't see Kabal rolling his eyes because he was doing so every few seconds. "Are you the better option?" Kabal asked genuinely "She is my Queen, my better half." Shang Tsung's voice echoed dreamily and again Kabal rolled his eyes "That's what they all say." Mileena then stepped closer to Shang Tsung as if it was just the two of them. "She had the marking of a Chosen One." Shang Tsung smirked "All the better." He then snapped his head to the side to look over at Nitara perched on a block of stone petting her wings. "Kabal and Mileena...Nitara will assist you in retrieving Nova." Mileena had no problem with that, she got along with Nitara so far. "Yes, master." Nitara said slyly as she sashayed towards the two said kombatants.

"Kill or injure beyond repair whoever stops you from bringing back my wife!" His voice echoed into the maroon sky.

Korë herself was sitting in a chair next to her close friend and housemate, Soleil. "You know what I think I did a really good job on my eyeshadow." She said brushing it a few more times and facing Soleil to show her eyelids covered in white eyeshadow and silver outline. She also had glitter on her face it must have been from the perfume or another form of body glitter. "I think you did really good this time, you're getting better." Soleil put her brush down and stood up fixing her dress in the process. Korë and Soleil were wearing the same dress it was a short pure white dress with lace at the ends and at Korë thought it was plus since it also wasn't strapless.

"Korë Nagako and Soleil Zaveri... five-minute call out. Almost showtime." It was their manager, Soleil responded with an 'Alright' and Korë an 'Okay'. Soleil stood up from her rolling chair as she finished her winged eyeliner and Korë followed her as she finished putting on her lip gloss.

"Yeah, I'm at the place it's like this, singer stripper bar or whatever, I don't know but she's here," Sonya said as she entered the bar and took a seat in the back, and ordered a drink.

"Now, blessing us with their presence is the femme fatale duo is Korë and Soleil!" The response to the statement was scattered cheers. The duo walked onto the stage and the atmosphere itself changed when she saw Korë. Korë had a slight headache that she had been nursing for a couple of days and Soleil knew that but Korë was convinced that it had gone away and she was just dealing with the aftermath. They both cleared their throat and as the stage light shined on them, Soleil started harmonizing as the beat started playing and Korë started singing.

It's like you got superpowers

Turn my minutes into hours

You got more than 20-20, babe

Made of glass the way you see through me

You know me better than I do

Can't seem to keep nothing from you

How you touch my soul from the outside?

Permeate my ego and my pride

"I love you." Shang Tsung said as he wrapped his arms around Korë twisting her around so she was facing him and she gazed at him lovingly as a teasing smirk spread across her obsidian lips. She leaned in until their lips were ghosting over each other "Do you want me to say it back?" She asked jokingly "I think my heart will truly break if you don't." Shang said dramatically and she giggled "I love you."

I wanna love me (ooh)

The way that you love me (ooh)

Ooh, for all of my pretty

And all of my ugly too

I'd love to see me from your point of view

I wanna trust me (trust me)

The way that you trust me (trust me)

Ooh, 'cause nobody ever loved me like you do

I'd love to see me from your point of view

"If you stop moving it would hurt less Prince Goro." He growled again at her statement and she returned it with a cold, unmoving stare. His growls then calmed down to huffs and puffs "Thank you." She said to him as she finished wrapping the bandage around his arm. "The wound isn't too bad, you'll heal fast either way." She said as she stood up and gathered her healing equipment and before she left she was grated with a rumbling "Thank you." at least he had manners she'll give him that. Before she closed the door she sent him a smile. A kind smile. One to remember.

I'm gеtting used to receiving

Still gеtting good at not leaving

I'ma love you even though I'm scared (oh, scared)

Learnin' to be grateful for myself (oh, oh, oh)

You love my lips 'cause they say the

Things we've always been afraid of

I can feel it startin' to subside

Learnin' to believe in what is mine

"I wouldn't recommend it Mileena," Nova said as she closed her spellbook and stood to face Mileena and they were roughly the same height. "But to ensure my knowledge of it-" Nova sighed and grabbed Mileena by the shoulders "I don't want you to learning just yet, you must stick with the powers you were born with for now. I will teach you myself when you have elevated your powers. Understand?" Nova asked tilting her head for the effect and Mileena nodded. Nova brought her in for a hug and kissed her on the forehead and at that Mileena purred in comfort and delight for the slight praise she got.

I wanna love me (ooh)

The way that you love me (ooh)

Ooh, for all of my pretty

And all of my ugly too

I'd love to see me from your point of view

I wanna trust me (trust me)

The way that you trust me (trust me)

Ooh, 'cause nobody ever loved me like you do

I'd love to see me from your point of view

I couldn't believe it or see it for myself

Boy, I be impatient, but now I'm out here

Fallin', fallin', frozen, slowly

Fallin', got me right

I won't keep you waitin' (waitin')

All my baggage fadin' safely (my baggage fadin')

And if my eyes deceive me

Won't let them stray too far away, I

I wanna love me (ooh)

The way that you love me (ooh)

Ooh, for all of my pretty

And all of my ugly too

I'd love to see me from your point of view

I wanna trust me, ooh (trust me)

The way that you trust me, baby (trust me)

'Cause nobody ever loved me like you do

I'd love to see me from your point of view (oh)

Yeah

As they finished their performance they got a fresh round of applause and Korë finally let out a breath as she always did after a performance and smiled alongside Soleil. After giving a wave they went backstage and collected their money. Since they didn't feel like staying at the bar anymore that night they decided to head home. "Good night KoKo," Soleil said with a yawn as she kissed her on the cheek and closed the door to her room. Korë was outside on the back porch humming and looking up at the sky, enjoying the night breeze. Until she heard whispering and then shuffling in the bushes 'The fuck?' she said under her breath as she quickly grabbed the steel bat near her that they used for protection.

She walked closer to the bushes and beat them with the bat a few times before staring at them again. She sighed, maybe she was just tired that was more than likely the case. She let out another breath as she turned but then yelped as she was met with a woman who was roughly her size and height. Her eyes glowed in the night and her mouth was covered in blood and it looked almost stained on her face. "Mommy Nova! I have waited so long for you!" She grinned widely showing off her razor-sharp teeth and reached for a hug arms opened wide but Korë moved a couple of steps back, her back bumped into someone and she turned to see a man taller and lankier.

"Hey, sweetness." It sounded like a man, a man who had trouble breathing and could barely compose his words. Korë wasn't thinking straight that's all she could of. She swung her bat wildly at the two intruders causing the man to speed away and the woman teleport back a few feet away from her. But she knows that she has hit one of them by the blood on her bat and the scar that was made on her stomach. She shrieked as she held her stomach and she did a full 360° but she couldn't see them. She felt like she was going to faint from the loss of blood and the lack of sleep. She then heard gunshots and she fell to the ground hoping that nothing else would wound her.

"Get up and get in the car!" She didn't have to be told twice since she was living off of adrenaline at the moment. She ran past the woman who was still letting off gunshots as she got in the car and slammed the door as she leaned into the seat protectively. After letting off a few more shots that the duo continued to dodge Sonya ran back to the car as well and got into the driver's seat starting the car and zooming off as she saw beady red eyes staring at her in the rearview mirror. "Who the hell are you?" Korë asked with a hiss as the woman started looking at her up and down when she suddenly asked "Where is the marking?" She asked indignantly "What fucking marking?! What the fuck are you talking about?" Korë spat and Sonya rolled her eyes as she tugged Korë's hoodie upwards and ghosted her finger over the Mortal Kombat marking.

"You wanna explain that?"

[artificialqueens]

Gimme Love, 2/9 (Miz Cracker/Blair St Clair) - Grinder

AN: Heyo, yall! Just hope yall are enjoying this fic so far. I worked really hard on it, but so proud. So many times I just wanted to quit it. But I stuck it out!

Major TW for this chapter: Child abuse mentions // mental breakdown // Anxiety // Dementia mentions

2020

I flinched, feeling a hand lightly slap my foot twice. "Wake up, Princess."

I rolled over slightly, blinking as if to clear my vision. Jujubee looked as if she had been awake for hours, looking fresh as fuck in her dressing gown. She must have had a shower hours before because, despite the dry hair, I could smell the mango and papaya soap. Fuck, it smelt so good.

Then there was me; hair wrecked, makeup long expired, body smelling of that typical hangover smell. Like a hospital, except unclean.

I whined like a child, rolled back over on my stomach and buried my face hoping it would stop my head from pounding.

"Nope. Not happened." Jujubee sat down on the bed and shook me.

"What time is it?" I asked with my face still smushed into the pillow.

"It's 2PM." She answered.

That's what got me up. I threw the covers back and went to stand. "Fuck!"

Jujubee grabbed my hand and pulled me back down. "Relax. It's our day off, remember?"

I whined even more, curling up with my head in her lap.

"Not that it makes a difference considering you're always late anyway," Jujubee added as she stroked my unbrushed hair.

"Shut up. I'm the boss. I can do what I want." I mumbled.

"Ah, Brianna Caldwell, you never change." Jujubee quipped. "Only follows the rules whenever it suits her, bosses everyone around - -"

"I do not, you whore. And can you please not speak to me so loud right now?" I pulled myself up and tousled my hair. "I need some shades or something."

I always needed shades when I was hungover, so Jujubee was already prepared. She pulled them from her pocket and handed them over. "Shade up, baby girl."

Life was already so much better with them on.

"But back to the topic at hand, though. Don't you remember the chess boys from high school?" Jujubee spoke a bit quieter now. "You literally bossed them around."

"They let me boss them around 'cause they wanted to sleep with me, Jujubee," I replied, reaching for my phone.

"And, you bossed me around too." Jujubee raised her brows.

"Mmmm, I don't remember that." I hummed, feeling pretty much over the conversation.

It took Jujubee an hour to convince me to get out of bed and clean myself up. After finally getting showered and dressed, we were out of the apartment and already heading to Starbucks.

I could have made my own coffee, but that required effort. And that I wasn't willing to give that day.

We were sitting at a booth in the back, with minimal effort in trying to go incognito. But this was a regular hang out for us. There was no need to worry about our names being shouted out. The baristas eventually learned to just bring our orders to us. It made Jujubee feel bad, but I didn't mind.

The barista, Kyle, came over and put our drinks down on the table.

"I deserve this. I really, really deserve this." I said, already taking a sip of my coffee.

"Congrats on last night. The boss said if you both need a refill, just let me know." Kyle winked. God bless Kyle. "So, When's the launch day?"

"Kyle, as charming as you are, you'll just have to wait like everybody else." I tried my best to beam a smile.

"Alright. Enjoy, ladies." And Kyle walked away.

Jujubee let her eyes follow for a moment longer. I know she was literally staring at nothing in particular, but I decided to have a bit of fun. "Go ask him out, Juju."

"Girl, you ask him out," Jujubee smirked. "I'm happy enough being a crazy cat lady. I don't need no man."

I knew it was a joke. Jujubee wasn't the type to encourage me to find someone. It was like she knew how it could bother me.

Despite liking the single life, I kind of did like the sound of being with someone. Maybe it was the fear of the past that stopped me from pursuing a relationship. I had a few girlfriends in the past. But they hadn't lasted long. I was afraid they would have somehow found out about my past self. Because, once upon a time, nobody would've even dared think of me as an attractive, promiscuous, alluring, single female.

But now that I had the glow-up of the century, dyed my hair blonde, I had quite a lot of admirers. It only really started to occur when NASA began sponsoring the project, bringing more traction.

My phone started ringing, but I paid no heed.

Jujubee, however, almost dropped her drink.

"Girl, why is Ed Sheeran calling you?" Jujubee raised a brow.

And as soon as the name met my ears, I was reminded of the night before. "Oh, God." I held my head in my hands.

"What did you do?" Jujubee was already groaning.

"I fucked up," I answered.

"You didn't have a quicky with him or something, right?" Jujubee questioned further.

I lifted my head, looking at her with squinted eyes. "What? No. Ew. Juju." I sipped my coffee before bearing the news. "OK, so...I don't know why I did it, maybe 'cause I'm a mess when I'm drunk, but I…" I lowered my tone, "kinda offered him the chance to be the first person to go into the other world."

"What?? I thought we were gonna do that!" Jujubee was freaking out.

"I know. I fucked up."

"Well, call him back."

"And, tell him what? 'Sorry, Ed. Jk'?"

Jujubee's forehead was in her hands, "I was really excited." She whined.

As I said before, this meant a lot to us. We hadn't discussed it with the team yet, but Jujubee and I had privately planned that we'd be first to enter the other world. So you could understand this was incredibly disappointing for her.

"OK. How about this? Ed will go in for 5 minutes. After that, we bring him back to Earth. And then we fly off by ourselves?" I suggested.

"I was looking forward to the pink sky. And the flying horses. And the…"

Jujubee went on a ramble as my phone began to ring again. I picked it up, letting it ring for a few seconds before declining Ed Sheeran's call.

I checked if there were any texts from him. Nada. But there was one message that caught my attention. The memory of reading it the previous night came flooding back.

Jujubee was still rambling, but I put my phone down and leaned across the table slightly. "Juju, do you remember Blair St Clair?"

Jujubee's expression changed instantaneously. "Girl, of course, I do. You were in love with her for years."

"Oh my God, can you whisper, please?" I questioned, the desperation in my voice very much apparent.

"Brianna, she's back in Ohio. We're in New York. I don't think anyone's gonna go and tell."

"You never know," I briefly looked behind me for fear that somehow the world decided to shit on my luck and make her appear in the booth behind me.

"Girl, chill out. And yes, I do remember her." Jujubee replied, "you know something that always stuck with me? Please don't ask why, but I'll never forget the day you told me you were in love with her. You came out to me that day too."

-_-_-_-

1995

"Juju, I gotta tell you something," I said, throwing my doll to the side of the fort. If I didn't tell her the truth now, I never would.

"What is it?" Jujubee sounded scared.

I crossed my legs in a pretzel shape, straightened my back and declared, "Juju, I like girls. And Blair St Clair is the girl I'm in love with."

I was expecting amazement, awe, shock. But Jujubee just seemed confused.

"What? How is that possible?" She asked.

"You promise you can keep a secret?" I offered my pinky.

Jujubee joined hers with mine. "Of course I can."

"OK." Our fingers remained twisted around each other. "Well, I saw two ladies in the mall kissing. And my Mommy told me girls can like girls. And I had an a-piffa-tree. The reason I like Blair so much is because I'm in love with her!"

"Brie-Brie, you need to slow down." Jujubee put her hand up. "If girls can like girls, then how come we never see girls kissing girls? It's always boys and girls."

"I don't know."

"Have you ever kissed a girl?"

"Nope."

"Then, how are you sure?"

"I don't know. You ever get that weird feeling inside that tells you that you're right? I can feel it. I know I'm not lying."

"Wooow." Jujubee looked away briefly. "Does that mean you like me?"

"I don't know. You're my friend, Juju." I shrugged. "I mean, maybe we should kiss just to figure it out."

Juju looked like she was contemplating this for a moment before nodding her head and sitting up. "OK!"

I didn't even hesitate. Instead, I moved closer and gave her a quick kiss on the lips.

"Ew!" We both pulled away.

We both agreed to never do that again, nor ever speak of it.

As if nothing had happened, we continued on playing with our dolls for another hour before the rain came out.

I walked Jujubee home, feeling very much like 'the big girl' being all responsible.

And in walking back to my own place, wrapping my arms around myself, I saw Blair - walking alone, drenched from head to toe.

"Blair!" I ran towards her.

She turned to look at me, her face scrunched up, trying to see through the downpour.

Call it instinct, but I knew something was up, just from how she was looking at me. I put my hands on her shoulders. "What's wrong?? Are you OK?"

"I'm lost. I-I'm trying to find my way home." She said quietly.

"What. How did you - -" I stopped myself from talking any further. Instead, I took Blair by the hand and pulled her towards the bus shelter off to the side of the road.

We both sat down when we got inside. She was shaking, close to catching a cold in the awful weather. Not to mention she had no jacket on. So I pulled my arm out of its sleeve and draped half of the coat over her.

"What happened to your coat?" I asked

"I didn't bring it." She replied.

"Why not? It's cold. You're going to get sick."

"I'm sorry. I just...ran."

I was silent for a moment. Then, "What do you mean?"

She was also silent for a moment, her blue eyes drifting to the ground. "Brianna...is it normal for Daddies to shout real loud all the time? Do they smash things a lot?"

No. It was not expected. I may not have had a Father figure in my life, but I knew well enough. "Blair, what happened?"

Blair clenched her fist around the jacket. "My Daddy...he…"

Despite her timid voice trailing off, I understood. She didn't even need to say it. "Do you have somewhere to go?"

She lifted her eyes to me, "I need to get home. I just ran as fast as I could. And somehow ended up here. I don't know my way back."

"I don't think you should go back," I admitted.

"I have to. Or he'll be even more mad."

I was wracking my brain. There was no way I could let her go back. "OK. Is there somewhere you can stay for a while? Somewhere close?"

"No." Blair shook her head. "Wait. Yeah. My Granny lives somewhere around here." She looked at me with optimism in her eyes.

"That's great! I know this place like the back of my hand. I bet I can find it in a few seconds."

After sitting for 10 more minutes, the rain was starting to settle, so Blair gave me the address, and off we went. I carried her bag for her. She was probably exhausted from all the walking.

All the while, I just listened as she talked about many things - Madonna, her Princess Belle doll, how Jade from school actually picked her nose when no one was looking. So many different topics. And I didn't speak a word. I guess I was just so...astonished. Here I was, walking along in a light rainstorm, hanging out with the prettiest girl in my class. How was this possible? Was this real life?

"You've been really quiet." Blair pointed out.

"Yeah, I just can't believe you're talking to me. What the fuck?" Yes, I said that.

Blair laughed at my potty mouth. "Yeah, why wouldn't I?"

I shrugged. "Well, I don't know. Maybe 'cause no one likes me."

Blair stopped in her tracks for a moment. "I like you."

I stopped, spun around, and looked at her with wide eyes. There was no way I heard her say those words. No fucking way.

"Come on. I know where we are now. Granny's house is around the corner." Blair began to move again.

But the butterflies in my stomach were going wild. I felt warm and wanted to just hug her. But I also didn't want to alarm her. Baby steps, Brianna.

I walked Blair to the house. Her Granny came to the door and was obviously quite confused. And Blair began to cry again.

I wanted to turn and run, feeling very out of place. But Blair grabbed me before I could leave and pulled me into a hug. She pressed her tear-stained face against my shoulder and whispered, "Thank you, Brie."

"I gotta go."

I pulled out of the hug and ran as fast I could. I don't know if I left her standing there confused or if she just knew by then it was just a me thing to be awkward.

But my mind was racing; Blair liked me. I knew not in the same way as I liked her. But, surely, that meant we could be friends.

Oh, how naive I was.

A few weeks later, it was the beginning of Summer. Mom took me to the park, and there was Blair with her friends.

I ran across the grass to the picnic blanket they were all sitting at.

"Blair!" I called excitedly. I practically threw myself down next to her, giving her a tight hug.

"Ew." Jade laughed.

"Shut up, Jade." Blair snapped.

"Are you friends with the freak now or something?" Carmen questioned, inching away from me.

"I'm not a freak!" I shouted.

"Uh, yeah, you are," Serena added. "We don't want freaks in our friend group. Go on. Get lost."

"Girls - -" Blair tried.

"You wanna join her?" Jade pointed her gaze at Blair, her face scrunched up in disgust.

I was waiting for it; The big 'fuck you' as Blair stood up, took my hand and walked away.

But she remained seated. Her eyes trailed down to the ground. I tried shaking her shoulder.

"Blair?" I spoke quietly.

She didn't say a word. It was as if she had turned to stone.

My body felt cold.

"See? She doesn't like ugly people like you. No one does." Jade smirked.

I remember the moment being more intense than it actually was. Because in a matter of seconds, the girls were screaming as I began to punch Jade in her bitchy face. I couldn't punch for shit. But if it left a bruise, I was happy.

"Brianna!" I heard my Mom's voice. Her dark arms wrapped around me, pulling me away from the now crying Jade. "We are going home right now." Mom threatened. But I didn't care.

From being dragged away from the fight scene all the way until we got home, I screamed.

Mom screamed back for a while when we were in the car. But you can't fight fire with fire. So she stopped when we pulled up.

I got in, I beat the fuck out of every object that came into my line of vision. And my shouting never stopped.

"No one wants you, ugly freak!" I smashed a vase. "Worthless piece of trash!"

Mom had been chasing me all over the house, trying to calm me down. But this wasn't like any tantrum I had ever had, and as Mom had no idea what was actually going on, she had no idea what to do.

She eventually scooped me up in her arms and held me tight as she sat on the ground. I screamed as I tried to fight off her grasp, downing out all her hushed whispers. "I got you, Baby. I got you. Mommy's here."

My screams did go on for another while, but as soon as they ended, all I could say to Mom was, "I should give up. Blair will never be my friend. I'm too ugly."

Mom stood me up, so she knew I was looking directly into her eyes. She pointed a finger in my face and spoke with a cracked but stern tone. "Don't say that. Never ever say that. You are so beautiful, and no one has the right to tell you that you're not. I want you to go look in the mirror, really, really look at yourself, Brianna. And I want you to see how pretty you are. Look at your hair, your brown eyes, your freckles. You are just as pretty as everyone else, girl. You are not ugly."

I squeezed my fists, feeling the hard lump in my throat. "Then why did my Mommy and Daddy give me away?"

Mom was stunned for a moment. She took my hand. "Baby, that had nothing to do with how you look. They…" she paused, trying to find the right words to use, "they just…" another pause, "look, I'll tell you when you're older. But I promise you are not ugly."

I couldn't hold on anymore. I let out a pained cry and immediately threw myself into her arms and buried my face in her shoulder.

-_-_-_-

2020

That was my first major emotional breakdown, marking the beginning of many more to come. But, unfortunately, Mom didn't want to immediately get me help. She had a feeling it would upset me further. And she was right.

Just as I had begun middle school, I had another huge episode. That was it. There had been too many episodes throughout those years.

You can try covering a crack in the wall with a pretty picture, but the problem would never go away, would it?

I couldn't stand therapy. Why was I the one to work on my emotions when I only felt the way I did because kids were assholes? Where were all the breathing exercises and meditation sessions to make them not be dicks?

But as much as I hated it, the older I got, I opened my eyes. What I hated the most was seeing the pain I was putting Mom through. So I really tried hard not to freak out.

I didn't want to upset Mom anymore. She really did her best. And to this day, I wouldn't change her for the world.

"We're here."

I was brought out of my thoughts as the cab pulled over. I had been so gone, just sitting in the backseat, staring at the magenta glass vase in my hands.

"Keep the change," I replied, handing the driver the money and thanking him as I got out.

He took my suitcase from the trunk and left it by my side. And with a goodbye, he drove off.

Standing at the bottom of the lawn, I looked at the house. Fuck, once upon a time, I wouldn't have been so in love with its appearance. I had no idea what my Mom was going for with the multiple colours. The outside was painted pastel yellow with a sky blue door and pink frame. Then there were the various flowerpots stuck onto the wall next to the door. All different colours; pink, green, orange or blue.

OK, I lied; as a kid, I fucking loved our house. Everyone else's was boring. But when high school rolled around, people would whisper how I was "the weird hippie chick from the rainbow crack house". So, you can understand why it quickly became an eyesore for me.

I knocked on the front door, feeling the excitement bubble within me. I had been so busy with the project, it was a few months since I last saw her in person. I glanced at the vase in my hand, the perfect Birthday gift. It was perfect because I got her a new one every year. Because I never got over the guilt from smashing her favourite vase as a child. This act was to make a point - to show that no matter how much I apologised, I was always sorry, and would always be.

I knocked again. There was only a barking behind the door. Good to know someone was in.

I still had my own key. No point in standing outside all day. I made my own way in, knowing I could just surprise her later.

"Hi, baby!" I spoke in a hushed tone as Piggie started to jump around excitedly. Fuck, I missed him so much.

I closed the door and knelt down next to the pug, bringing him into a hug and kissing him on the head. "You good boy," I said in between kisses, "Let's get you some food."

Standing back up, I made my way to the kitchen, and Piggie was only happy to follow. I still remembered where his food was kept, so I poured him a bowl. Then, while he was distracted, I took my suitcase up the stairs and into my old bedroom.

Fuck, there was always something so surreal about walking into it. I hadn't lived at home since before I went to college. From that moment on, Jujubee and I always had our own places. And now, I had my apartment in New York.

Meaning, the last time I had redecorated was years before my glow up (in personality and looks). The walls were pink, I remember them being a pretty pastel tone, but they looked duller now. Above my bed, the wall was littered with posters, writing and photos. I made eye contact with Reese Witherspoon on the Legally Blonde poster, remembering how I always wanted to be like her. Funny how I kind of did achieve that.

I realised I was just standing in the doorway, just staring. So, I sat the suitcase against my desk and went to lie down. I smirked as I found all 5'5" of my whole being still fit into it.

I took out my phone and snapped a picture of myself to Jujubee, the caption reading 'Hey, babe, my parents are out?￰ 😉😉 come over?'.

While waiting for her reply, I changed my pencil skirt and blouse, choosing to wear leggings and a tank instead. Suddenly, I felt 10 years younger.

An hour passed, and Mom was still nowhere to be seen.

"Maybe she's at work. Does she have a job?" Jujubee asked me through the phone.

"I... don't know, Juju," I murmured, my attention not really on the question but on the contents of the fridge.

There was a punnet of strawberries. I helped myself to a few.

"When was the last time you spoke to her? Seriously, Brie, I'm getting so nervous." Jujubee sounded concerned. I knew her mind was thinking of the worst. And oddly enough, I found it to be entertaining.

"A few months back, actually," I smirked. "She's been real quiet, to be honest." Piggie was at my feet, looking for one of the juicy strawberries. I shook my head at him.

"Oh God, no. Did you check every room? Talk to the neighbours?"

"Oh, fuck! Juju. My God, there's a head in the fridge!" I feigned terror.

"Brianna!"

"Relax. I'm fucking with you. I spoke to her last night." I took one more strawberry. Biting into it, the juice dripped down my fingers and onto the ground. Piggie was beyond happy now, licking it up. I let him be and made my way out of the kitchen.

"That's not funny, Brianna. Don't joke about that. I thought she was missing or...worse."

"Fair enough. Sorry, girl. Anyway, how's work today?" I walked into the living room and sat on the couch.

"Good, good. Ed Sheeran's team finally got in touch," Jujubee said with a hint of disdain.

I held my forehead in one hand, wanting to punch myself for even speaking to him the week before.

I groaned, "See, this is why I should stop drinking."

"Well, to be fair, you don't drink as much as you did back in college. But when you do, you go hard."

Jujubee continued talking, lecturing me about my life choices when I moved my foot and felt it touch something under the couch. It startled me at first, but I pulled out the item.

A slipper. Grandpa's slipper. Sitting back on the couch again, letting my eyes just stare at it. "Hey, Juju. I'm gonna go."

There was a sigh on the other end. "Fine. Not like I was talking about anything important or whatever."

"Sorry," I said quietly.

"Don't worry. I still love you, whore." She said.

"Of course you do."

I made a nasty kissing sound through the phone. She was grossed out, of course, and hung up. I chuckled for a moment and put my phone away.

Piggie came into the room and jumped up on the sofa next to me. I began to pet him, my eyes now back on the shoe.

Grandpa wore his slippers more than he wore regular shoes. Every time he found out Mom had put them in the wash, he would be furious. I would always listen to him ranting and wonder why men were gross. But I'd also laugh at how he threw his hands up in the air in frustration.

There was one time, in particular. He had gotten mad for the same reason. He huffed and came into the living room, sitting down on the couch, in the very seat I currently was sitting. He was shaking his head, just looking at the TV.

I shuffled closer to him and offered a few potato chips. His frown was immediately reversed. His smile had never seemed brighter. He took a few chips and asked with a full mouth, "Hey, kiddo. Aren't you late for school?"

It was 2PM. On a Saturday.

My smile was beginning to fade, my eyes still focused on the slipper. I could feel it - a familiar twisting feeling from somewhere within my stomach, the oxygen in my lungs seeming to fail me, a tremble taking my hands over.

And then, Piggie licking my arm.

I flinched slightly as I was brought back to the present. I smiled, petting Piggie. "Where would I be without you, baby?"

Piggie didn't answer, of course. Instead, he just licked my hand, which was enough for me to chill out.

I put Grandpa's shoe back under the couch, now inspired to search more of the house. But before I got off the couch, I checked my phone. Jujubee had Snapchatted me.

Clicking into it, I froze for a moment. She was in her bathroom, the shower running behind her. I wanted to say she was the main element to the picture, cocking her head to the side, pouting her lips and raising a brow. Despite the fact Jujubee never sent me pictures like this, it wasn't the first time I had seen her in her lingerie, though. But, I couldn't help but glance at her black lacey bra. The breath was caught in my throat for a moment.

The text read, 'You OK, babe?'

Around middle school, Jujubee developed this 6th sense, knowing when something was up with me. It was impressive.

I lifted my phone up high, took a picture and made sure to get Piggie in the frame. He wasn't looking, however.

"Piggie." He was looking now. I smiled and took the picture. I captioned it, 'Just hanging out with this one'.

I hit send. And now filled with inspiration to go on a nostalgia trip, I got up from the sofa and went off to explore. I called Piggie to follow.

I found myself upstairs, standing in the doorway of Mom's room. It felt rude to intrude. After all, a bedroom wasn't just a bedroom. It was a sanctuary, a place to be yourself, to carry out your own private rituals free from judgement, a happy place. So it felt like an intrusion to invade her space.

But I spotted the perfume bottles on her dresser. There was one bottle, in particular, a fragrance she always bought. It was her favourite - a musky scent with a hint of amber vanilla.

I couldn't resist. I made my way to the dresser, lifted the bottle and smelt the underside of the lid. Immediately, I felt my body relax. It smelled just like her. And there was no smell sweeter than the smell of your own Mother. It felt safe, loving, warm. Now, I was even more excited to see her again.

That was as far as I'd go into her room. So I put the perfume back, ushered Piggie to get down from her bed and left.

I was back in my old bedroom. I wanted this nostalgia trip to be unlike any other. So I knew exactly where I'd find it. I looked in the drawers of my desk. And in the very bottom drawer, I found it; my old diary.

"This is going to be wild, Piggie. I just know it." I smirked, sitting down on my bed, my back against the headboard. Piggie curled up beside me. We were both sitting comfortably. So I began.

'Dear Dairy'

Already, I had to pause and laugh. 7 year old me would have been a legend in a spelling bee.

'Today, I had a fight with Jujubee. She really upset me, but I upset her too. I should say sorry. That's all. Bye.'

Short and sweet, child me didn't beat around the bush. She just gave you the information you needed. That was it.

I flicked a few pages forward.

'Dear Diary,

I had another fight with Jujubee. I really don't want to upset her. But sometimes I get so angry, I don't know what to do. I lost a tooth today too. So I am going to leave a note to the tooth fairy. I want her to take all my anger from me instead of my tooth. I hope it works.'

I remembered that. I had gotten mad because we were playing house. I wanted Jujubee to be both the parents, and I'd be the two kids. She didn't want to. She wanted to play the part of a child too. I freaked out, of course. I specifically remembered telling her she'd do it if she cared about me. She said she did care. But in the heat of the moment, I didn't believe her.

"God, I was such a brat," I spoke quietly.

I skipped some pages, unsure of what I was to find. And seeing one specific name, I stopped flicking through.

'Dear Blair,

You are like the sunshine. You are…'

I stopped reading, cringing at my child self. Was this before I realised it was a crush or not? What was hilarious about this entry was how damn long it was. All other accounts were short and straight to the point. But this? It went on for 3 pages. I bet my younger self felt mega proud about writing so much. But now, I felt the need to build a fucking time machine, go back to that moment and tell little Brianna, "Guess what? Nothing happens. Blair never becomes your friend. She never feels the same way about you the way you feel about her, so stop before you make it worse for yourself!"

I decided I was taking this diary back to New York. I needed to investigate it more. And there were probably some accounts that Jujubee would cackle laughing at.

My nostalgia trip wasn't at its peak just yet. I needed something that would just send me over the edge of happiness. And I knew I'd probably find that in my memory box. But there was a problem. I had given it to my Mom, asking her to hide it away somewhere. And whenever I wanted to put something into it, I'd give it to her, and she'd hide it for me.

And I made her promise to only give it back to me when I turned 50. No matter how much I cried and begged, she could not break that promise. Young me knew one day I'd be on a one way trip down memory lane.

I was so tempted to find the box. Surely, it couldn't have been too hard to find. But Piggie growled for a moment, his ears perking up. He looked at the window and started barking. I was now aware of the sound of a car's engine. A familiar one at that.

Finally, Mom was home.

I peaked out the window to see she was grabbing her bag from the car.

Piggie and I raced down the stairs, taking the vase from the living room and waiting excitedly at the door.

Funny how with excitement there came a level of anxiety, the tiniest hint of fear bubbling in your stomach. And I felt it all as soon as I heard the jiggling of the key.

The door opened slowly as if she already knew something was unusual about the place like she was bracing herself for whatever she was going to find.

She peeked around the door. My smile was beaming.

"Happy Birthday!" I shouted.

"Jesus Christ!" Mom flinched, almost falling back and stamping on the ground. Piggie was going wild now, barking from all the excitement. "Brianna, you could have given me a heart attack!" She shut the door and clasped a hand to her chest.

I laughed at her over-the-top reaction and held out the vase. "I got you another one."

Mom looked at me, still panting from her shock. She was silent for a moment, and in that silence, I realised how much I had missed her.

Mom stepped forward, took the vase and put it to the side. As she pulled me into a tight hug, I could see her face scrunching up.

There are two people of people; those who can't stand seeing their Moms cry. And fucking liars.

Of course, I belonged to the first group. As you know, I…

Well, you already know. Here, let me put in a fun diagram of things I didn't want to deal with at that moment.

"Don't ever scare me like that again, you bitch." Mom spoke softly in my ear as she cried.

"I couldn't help myself." I forced a smile.

As much as I hated seeing her cry, I knew she needed it. Me being the only child she ever had, it broke her heart when I moved out in the first place. I'd imagine it was tough now that she was alone.

Yeah, she had Piggie. But it obviously wasn't enough. So I let her cry it out as she hugged me. I could smell the perfume, and again, I felt that safety, the security a Mother's love brings.

When she pulled away, she immediately moved to the kitchen, already brewing some tea. I let her know that I didn't mind if she had to go upstairs and change or anything. But she insisted we get into the catch-up.

"I invited some people from work to come over later. You remember the flower shop beside the old church?" Mom rambled, her shaking hands pouring the tea into two mugs.

"Of course I do," I answered, sitting at the table, with Piggie in my lap.

"Yeah, I work there now." Mom replied.

I felt bad. This shouldn't have been news. It was my part to already know that.

Mom sat at the table, placing the mugs down too. Piggie's attention was drawn to them, licking his lips with thirst.

"So I hope you're not jet-lagged, girl." The excitement was practically radiating from her face.

I was a bit exhausted, but she deserved to have a great night. "I'm good. Don't worry."

"Oh, and your aunt is coming." She added, sipping her tea.

"Aunt Monét! Yes, bitch."

It had been a very, very long time since I last saw Monét. She knew how to turn a party. And she was always so glamorous. I remember numerous times as a child asking her to teach me her ways, be my mentor, so I could grow up to look as good as she did.

"So, it's gonna be a long night. Be prepared." Mom said.

"So, it's a party?"

"Not my plan, but knowing Monét, that's how it will turn out. Anyway, I saw pictures from the event last week. You looked great up on that stage, baby. Keep doing me proud."

I gave her a gracious smile as I sipped my tea. A small drop fell onto my lap. Piggie was searching for it, but it had already soaked in. Sorry, Piggie.

"Yeah, I kinda fucked up, though," I said, playing with one of the dog's ears.

"'Fuck’ always has been your favourite word," Mom shook her head, "Go ahead. Tell me, what did you do?"

"So at the after-party, I kinda offered Ed Sheeran to be the first person to go through. Please don't ask me why. The answer is; I was drunk. I don't have a more logical explanation for you right now."

Mom was silent for a moment, her eyes narrowing. "Ed Sheeran? Why him?"

"I told you, I have no idea." I sipped my tea. "I'm just a fucking idiot when I'm drunk."

"So, what now? Is he actually going to do it?"

"Yep. His team got in contact. Everything is set in stone." I was ashamed of the whole Ed Sheeran thing, but now telling this to my Mother, it felt all the more embarrassing.

"Oh, God. This is going in history books, girl." Mom held her forehead in her hand.

"I know," I reciprocated. "Even worse, now they're asking the big questions like 'is the atmosphere safe on the other side?' We're still in the middle of working all that out."

"OK, asides from the Ed Sheeran fuck up," Mom put her hand on mine, "I am extremely proud of how far you've come since you were just a kid."

Uh oh. This wasn't what I wanted.

"And I know you're so busy with this whole thing, but sometimes, I just wish you'd call."

Fuck. "I'm sorry."

"Oh, no. I don't wanna make you feel bad, girl. Like I said, you're a busy lady." She held a hand up.

But still, I felt bad.

"Shit. I was supposed to pick up some lemonade on the way home." Mom stood up, taking her tea with her. She had barely touched it.

"I could go to the store if you want," I suggested, taking a big gulp of tea.

"I mean, if you wanna, go for it. Tina still works there. It would be nice to see her again." Mom continued. She reached in her pocket.

I kissed Piggie on the head before putting him on the ground. "It's OK. I got it." I stood up from the table.

We had a bit of back and forth about who paid. I left before she could even give me her spare change.

Before I walked out the door, Piggie looked sad to see me go. Of course, I was coming back, but he didn't know that. Therefore I felt guilty.

I put my sunglasses on as I walked out the door. It wasn't even sunny out, but I knew I'd probably get stopped by people I used to know to dive deep into conversations about how far I had come. I had things on my mind, so many thoughts circling in my head.

I knew I should have put more effort into staying in contact with Mom. But after years of putting her through hell, I felt a sense of guilt. There were a few times I'd message, and somehow the conversation would take a turn, and she'd bring up a childhood memory.

I was done with my past. I was once a troubled child who eventually grew up to have a better mindset. I didn't want to relay the breakdowns, all of the vases I had smashed.

Then I realised how much of a contradiction that all was as I realised it was all that was on my mind as I walked down the street. So I plugged in my earbuds and drowned out the thoughts with whatever Spotify had to offer.

[bisexual-horror-fan]

Oh Bex, Bex, Bex! Of course I've been mulling it around all day and we need more Freddy on your page. He IS the main boy after all. Prompts? Prompts. "I cleaned these blades, but they just wanna get dirty again." "Kitten, don't make me tell you twice." And the piece de resistance: "I'm so sick of your voice. Why don't you come over here and put your mouth to better use?" Have fun, boo 😘

Oh TINA!

GOD bless you!

These sentence prompts were fucking GOLD you fucking nailed it with these! You know me I adore any excuse to write about our favorite boy! I had a good ass time with these and I hope you enjoy this!

I also very much appericate everyone’s patience when it comes to these asks because again I am getting married in 9 days and am SO BUSY AND SWAMPED! But hey it’ll pick back up again when it settles down again. Anyway.

Here we go!

Rating. Explicit. Length. 2.1K. Freddy Krueger X AFAB Reader. Warnings: Knifeplay, light blood play, Freddy being a bastard, implied murder, dirty talk, chase, hunting, edging, denial, implied oral, pet names, defiant reader.

---

What A Mess You Are.

---

They say that there's two things in life that are inevitable, death and taxes.

But that wasn't true for you.

For you it was three things, death, taxes, and Freddy Krueger being an insufferable and unrealtening tease to you.

Tonight was no different than any other night when you went to sleep.

He didn’t visit you every night, but the nights he DID decide to visit?

What would be a good word to describe those nights?…

Hot?

Dirty?

Satisfying?

Memorable?

While the other descriptors felt very appropriate somehow memorable felt like it fit the best. Mostly because you didn’t typically remember your dreams that often, well at least not in such vivid and explicit detail as you did with the dreams you shared with him.

It was also easier to remember those dreams when the evidence of those dreams was oh so clear  painted across your body, whether it was blood or bruises or cuts or a certain pleasant ache and delightful soreness that was left behind in some parts of your body, whatever that ‘evidence’ was: it was all good to you.

You didn't really like the chase, at least not the same way he seemed to like it, you did at least like the effect it had on you. It was a work out but it became part of the foreplay, you knew what would be coming after the chase ended so the simple notion of what was to come was enough to start your mind running with possibilities of what he might do to you. He was always surprisingly inventive with what he did to you and you were endlessly thankful for that, you were unsure why he chose you but why question a good thing? You elected to just reap the benefits of it instead, revealing in the sinful dreams you had when he occupied them.

You knew tonight's chase was coming to an end and he would be on you soon. It was always terribly exciting for you, how would it happen? What would he do? How would he have you?

That was always the question wasn’t it? The ‘how’ not an if, there was no doubt.

Because he would.

He would have you and he would do whatever he wished and you would love it the same way that you always had. You were just so hungry for it, for his attention and just for him in general, what he had to give, you wanted it so much, so desperately.

It was always easier to pretend like this that you weren’t fucking begging for it while you were still running, still evading him, because we all know that as soon as he does catch you keeping up that act isn’t really an option, it becomes a much more difficult task, a near insurmountable one.

It wasn’t like you didn’t like him to know how much you enjoyed what you two had but he could just be such a dick about it, the man had a big enough ego already without you adding fuel to the fire. Thing was that you still gave him more than enough to work off of, it was hard to play it cool and aloof and uninterested when he had you on your back, hand around your throat and you cumming on his cock while gasping for breath.

You were sure tonight would end in some similar fashion and you could hardly wait for it, you were tempted to turn around and meet him in the middle already.

Speaking of, you hadn’t heard him behind you in a little while.

You looked over your shoulder to see nothing, odd. You could have sworn he was almost on you just a little while ago, where did he get to-

That thought was interrupted when, still running forward when you had looked behind you, crashed into him. Heart pounding as his arms wrapped around you and you looked up to him, that smug look,

“Running right into my arms, miss me that much?”

Your hands on his chest and you pushed back slightly, his grip loosened but he refused to let you go, arms still around you. You tried to keep your expression hard as your responded, still playing the game for now,

“Ugh no way Freddy.”

“Awe kitten, don’t tell me you aren’t in the mood.”

You rolled your eyes and pushed harder breaking away from him, but only because he allowed it to happen, something unspoken that you were both aware of, things only happened here because he allowed it to.

“Don’t call me kitten.”

You clasped your hands behind your back and looked away, stepping aside carefully so you were leaning against one of the few spaces of wall not occupied by rusted pipes. You of course were very much into the pet names he gives you but again why tell him that and give him the satisfaction?

He scoffed as he took a step forward to get closer to you again,

“Playing so hard to get hmm?”

“Maybe.”

There was something about the way he was acting tonight, normally he was so confident and he seemed even more so than usual and there was this odd kind of relaxed attitude too, as if he was in no rush. It looks like he caught on to whatever you were thinking as your eyes were drawn down to that glove of his, fuck that glove really did things to you, and not just physically when it was on you, simply being so fucking close to it had a profound effect on you.

“You aren’t the first visitor I’ve had tonight.”

The way he said that, which way did he mean that? That got you to look away from that weapon and up to him, the look on your face made him chuckle and what he said made you let out a small and questioning-

“Oh?”

His glove met your hip and he squeezed, the threat of those blades so close made you inhale a little sharper and while you were sure he noticed he didn’t say anything, he did smirk just a little harder though.

“I just got through with someone else before you got here.”

Got through with.

Again it wasn’t explicitly clear what he had done before you arrived yet but you couldn’t linger long on the thought as his glove trailed slowly up your side. The tips of those blades catching on the fabric of your shirt, he was just watching you for a moment, what he could do to you so easily with the smallest and lightest movements. The metal still felt so cold through the fabric of your shirt, you were thankful it was there, the fabric in the way preventing any serious damage from happening to you yet, you wanted to squirm away and were still feeling bold, still willing to play the part of the unwilling victim, so you did.

“What did you do exactly Freddy?”

He wasn’t going to let you get away from him again. Non-gloved hand gripped your shoulder hard and pushed you into the wall harder, small sound of protest leaving your mouth from the harsh movement, your hands were still clasped together behind your back, effectively pinned with how he had you positioned. With you now stuck so close to the wall his glove continued sliding up until he gripped your jaw hard, making you look him in the eyes as he decided to dignify you with his response.

“Curiosity killed the cat you know.”

You still felt defiant and felt like talking back even with that weapon right in your face,

“Doesn’t that saying finish with ‘and satisfaction brought it back’? ”

That got a chuckle out of him, and a light pat on your cheek that felt condescending as he said,

"You're lucky I like what else you can do with that mouth of yours."

Talking back to him was a little too fun, before you could say something else to him he continued, his glove let you go and his blades dragged down over your front and dipped in between your cleavage and cut your shirt as it went, slowly revealing skin as it went but not cutting you.

"You know…"

A harsh and quick move that ripped the rest of your shirt open, split down the middle, nicking your stomach in the process, you winced and he finished the thought,

"I cleaned these blades but they just wanna get dirty again."

Oh.

Oh that is what he did with whoever was here before.

And why did that get to you so badly?

The thought that he just ended someone else’s life before you showed up.

Why did he want him to use you to dirty them again?

You knew you were flushed but you still wanted to talk back, cover up the sudden rush of arousal but those blades hooked in the waist of your pyjama pants as he leaned in closer, chest to yours as he whispered low,

"I'm going to let you use your hands and you're going to take these off."

He eased off, non-gloved hand leaving your shoulder, glove hand against the wall next to your head, always ever present and threatening. It allowed you to slip your hands free from behind your back. He was still so close to you, staring you down as he watched what you'd do. You were looking up in his eyes, fingers finding the edge of your pants and you lingered, fingertips in the waistband as you did nothing else.

A beat.

He laughed, a shake of his head and his glove moved again, blade on his index finger dragged down your cheek and he said harshly,

"Kitten, don't make me tell you twice."

"And what if you did have to tell me twice?"

You said it while slipping them down your hips and down your legs, pants pooling at your feet, shirt barely hanging on and panties the only thing covering you.

"Well I'd have to do something terrible, something awful and while your curiosity would be satisfied you wouldn't be."

"But you would be?"

Glove gripping your shirt collar and ripping the remaining fabric from your body, it pulling apart easily from the previous cuts.

"Naturally."

That smug look when he said it eyes roaming over you,

"I bet I could make you cum with one finger."

You scoffed at that and fired back at him,

"Oh really? I doubt it."

"Yeah? You doubt it?"

His glove came down, blades feather light over your side and you shivered but you still said with surprising confidence.

"Highly."

Blades hooked in your panties and he ripped them from you easily, fuck that got to you so badly, it turned you on terribly. He was then holding them up,

"Such big talk but look at this, your panties are a mess."

Your gaze broke from his and yeah your now ruined panties were soaked, they were tossed aside and his non-gloved hand found its place between your thighs.

"Still don't think you ca-"

Sentence dying on your lips, cut off with a gasp as his fingers, or rather finger, found your clit, slow and steady circles drawn over your sensitive flesh,

"What was that?"

"Noth-ing Freddy."

Your hips betrayed you, arching into his touch as he manipulated you so easily. You tried to fight it, but he made it so hard, you let yourself give in slowly. Breathing quickened, chest rising and falling, thighs trembling, small gasps and moans leaving your mouth. In mere minutes you were reduced to what you always were with him, moaning and shaking, sweating and barely coherent.

“What a mess you are.”

You didn’t have strength to reply and you were eternally grateful for the wall you were leaning against otherwise you wouldn't be able to stay up.

It felt so fucking good, you weren't talking now, eyes closed, boldness and bravado forgotten as he touched you, and soon you were right there. So fucking close and you breathed his name as a warning and then, cruelly he pulled away, you tried to follow his hand pathetically and cried out your protest as he stepped away. Your legs weren't prepared for the sudden movement of attempting to follow him so soon after being brutally edged and you fell to your knees, hard.

Your eyes opened back up when your knees met concrete and he laughed.

"Theory proven."

You were looking to him as he licked his finger clean, staring you down as he did, leaning his back against the opposite wall, standing right across from you. Your chest was heaving and you spoke up,

"You fucking bastard-"

He cut you off with another laugh and said,

"I'm so sick of your voice."

He started to undo his pants and presses on,

"Why don't you come over here and put your mouth to better use?"

You scowled but that look of his and how badly you wanted to cum you got onto your hands and started to crawl over to him, closing the space he created when he stepped back.

"Good choice kitten."

[bopinion]

2021 / 15

Aperçu of the Week:

Democracy is the worst form of government, except for all the others. (Winston Churchill)

Bad News of the Week:

On Friday, I got a message from my kids' school: there will be distance learning again next week, because the 7-day incidence is higher than 100. No surprise there, as the numbers have been steadily rising over the past few days. The surprise is in a side sentence. There it is mentioned that the school directors assume that until the end of the school year - that is with us in Bavaria at the end of July! - no more normal presence school might take place, but distance and shift learning in the change.

Wait a minute! We will all be vaccinated soon. And are tested twice a week. And it's getting warmer. Our sacrifices have to be worthwhile somehow. Are we losing confidence? Likewise, I read the day before yesterday that immunologists believe a booster vaccination will be needed in the fall. And then more vaccinations every year. Because the virus will continue to mutate, it's in its nature. And the new mutation from India seems to be somewhat immune to the current vaccines.

Wait a minute. Shouldn't the nightmare be over at some point? Shouldn't we have reached herd immunity by late summer? Shouldn't the pandemic be under control? The answer is simple: the pandemic will eventually be over. But not the presence of the coronavirus and its ever-expanding family. According to Wikipedia, a pandemic is defined as follows: "A pandemic is an epidemic of an infectious disease that has spread across a large region, for instance multiple continents or worldwide, affecting a substantial number of people." But how far does a virus mutation have to be from its progenitor to be considered a new virus? After all, we are currently battling "SARS-CoV-2." So there was already a SARS-CoV-1, in 2002 and 2003 to be precise, and this ancestor was also classified as a pandemic by the WHO. Is this never going to stop?

No. It's not going to stop. Neither the presence of the current coronavirus, because our poor handling of it allows it to survive. Nor can we rule out the outbreak of SARS-CoV-3 (or whatever its name will be), since our way of life - and we're not just talking about China here - not only favors but virtually forces the infestation of humanity by viruses from the animal kingdom. We will probably have to live with it. In the long term. The meaning of normality must be redefined. That's not bad news. That's plain and simply bad.

Good News of the Week:

Germany's conservatives have always been divided into two parties. In Bavaria there is the CSU (Christian Social Union), in the other (first 9, after reunification 15) federal states the CDU (Christian Democratic Union). At the federal level, there has always been closest cooperation possible. In parliament by means of a parliamentary group, in government by means of a coalition. Obviously a recipe for success, the CDU/CSU has been the chancellor in 15 of the 22 federal governments since the founding of the Federal Republic of Germany. At the end of September this year, the 4th legislative period with Chancellor Angela Merkel will come to an end. And she will not run again. So the Union needs a new candidate for chancellor. So far, the Union sent 17 chancellor candidates from the CDU and 2 from the CSU into the race. The CDU was successful in 15 of 17 cases, the CSU in 0 of 2. So all clear for the upcoming nomination of the Union's candidate for chancellor? No.

There has been a power struggle in the CDU/CSU for a week now. The CDU's candidate is Armin Laschet, a moderately successful politician who is currently minister president in North Rhine-Westphalia. He has struggled to reach the top of the party and is seen as a suitable candidate for chancellor by only 17% of the conservative voter base. The CSU's candidate is Markus Söder, a classic power politician on a steady path to success who is currently the Minister President of Bavaria. He became party chairman as a self-runner and is seen as a suitable candidate for chancellor by 72% of the conservative voter base. So all clear for the upcoming nomination of the Union's candidate for chancellor? No.

Laschet announced last Sunday that he would be available as a candidate, of course. Last Monday he got the support of the presidium and executive committee of the CDU and assumed that, as the candidate of the larger of the two sister parties, he would have a "right of access" to the official candidacy. Söder also announced last Sunday that he would be available as a candidate. Won the support of the presidium and executive committee of the CSU last Monday and assumed to have a real chance as an option clearly leading in the polls. A parliamentary group meeting on Tuesday was not officially responsible, but important for a "mood picture" - after all, the prospect of individual members of the Bundestag retaining their seats also depends on the pulling power of the top candidate. The result was probably inconclusive. Surprising, considering that the clear majority belongs to the CDU.

In recent days, there have been endorsements and criticism from both camps. Many in the media are talking about a hanging game, which would not be good. Not for Germany, not for Europe and not for the world. Why, actually? After all, politics works like this: a politician tries to organize a majority for himself as a person or for his program. In order to take responsibility and implement what he stands for. A competition of ideas and positions. Democracy at work. It's nice that there's still room for this even in such difficult times. Now all that remains is to put a theory into practice: that the better man may win. Actually, it's quite simple.

Personal happy Moment of the Week:

Easter is the most important time in Christianity. Palm Sunday is also a part of it. On this day, palm bouquets, bound palm catkins from a willow tree, are blessed in church. Then you keep them at home for two weeks as a decorative messenger of springtime and then throw them away, when their life force vanishes. It's stupid because you're ripping out an early bloomer that's important for botany. So I had mixed feelings when a little willow seedling came into our house. Traditional and pretty, yes. But probably soon - like its Christmas counterpart, the poinsettia - in the organic waste garbage can. But our spring greeting has decided to survive: for a few days now it has been sprouting strong, fresh green. A vital sign of life energy. And encouraging, especially in these difficult times. Thank you, dear nature!

As I write this...

...I'm still in my pyjamas. There's nothing better than whiling away a Sunday cozy at home when it's uncomfortably cold and damp outside.

[alexhogh7137]

Rule The World With Me-

Ivar the Boneless × Reader

Story Summary: Ivar travel's to Kiev to escape his brothers, where he meets you and hopes that you will be his queen.

Chapter Eleven: The New Ruler of Kattegat

Chapter Summary: today is the day you all go to Kattegat, where Hvitserk is bound to rule.

Word Count 2,020

Warnings: mentions of rape

Today is the day. The sun has arisen and you knew you had to get out of bed. Ivar's eyes were open, he was just laying there, holding you.

"Ivar...are you okay?"

Ivar "yes my love, are you ready?" Before you could answer him, Hvitserk opens up your bedroom door. 

Hvitserk "we gotta get ready brother." Ivar kisses you and gets out of bed as do you. He puts on his full armor and you put on a white long dress. Ivar gives you a chest piece of armor that you can wear under your fur for protection. He cares about you and wants you to have at least one piece of body armor on you, you can never be too safe. 

Ivar "come on, my princess. It's time to talk to your people." He grabs your hand and you walk out the door. 

….

Ivar "People of Kiev!! Can I please have your attention." Without you knowing it, Hvitserk came up next to you. "Good, now that I have all of your attention. If you don't know my brother and I yet, my name is Ivar Lothbrok and this is my brother Hvitserk Lothbrok. We have been banished from our homeland, Kattegat...by our two brother's Bjorn Ironside and Ubbe Lothbrok. Your queen and I are asking for your help today."

A shield maiden "What do you need from us, my queen?!" 

"I need you to all listen closely. Today, Ivar, Igor, Hvitserk and myself are traveling to Kattegat. Where I will bring Bjorn Ironside back here, so Hvitserk can stay in his homeland. He misses his home, and because of Bjorn, he is not welcome there. That is not justified!" The whole town was in shock by what you were telling them about Bjorn. They knew him as a kind king, not an evil one. 

A man "What do you want us to do? How can we help?"

Ivar "We need you all, to be on high alert for when Y/n comes back from Kattegat. Like your queen has stated that she will have Bjorn with her. He is a threat! He is not the king that you all think he is! He is ruining our fathers image! And my brother and I need to get our home back!"

Hvitserk "we need all of the shield maidens, all of the warriors to be fully equipped, and to be ready for our brother. Once he is in these gates, he is NOT ALLOWED TO LEAVE!"

A slave "so we are holding him here?"

"Yes. Once he is here, he can not go back to Kattegat!"

The same slave "so what will you do with him, my queen?"

Ivar "that will be left to you all. Once you meet the real him, you all will decide his fate."

"Now you have your orders, get ready!" Everyone scatters and prepares for Bjorn Ironside. They all looked like ants, fleeing on the ground. 

Hvitserk "thank you, for taking up for me."

"Of course, he has no right to banish you Hvitserk. Kattegat is your home too." 

Ivar "brother, can I talk to you for a moment?" You go inside and get Igor ready. 

Hvitserk "what is it?"

Ivar "I just wanted to tell you, that I want you to rule Kattegat."

Hvitserk "what?"

Ivar "I said that I want you to rule Kattegat. You are it's rightful ruler Hvitserk. Bjorn is the oldest but he is unworthy to be sitting on our father's throne! You should be up there brother."

Hvitserk "I...I don't know what to say."

Ivar "it's okay, you don't have to say anything. But I want to give you my blessing."

Hvitserk "what about you? You aren't staying in Kattegat?"

Ivar "no..no. Kiev is where I belong now. I belong here with Y/n. And you...belong at home, with Thora."

Hvitserk "Ivar...thank you." Ivar gave him a hug and they came back into the palace. You are applying makeup to Igor's face to make him look frail and sickly.

Ivar "damn, you are good at that, m'lady!" 

"I do what I do! I figured that if Igor looks ill and like he hasn't eaten in weeks, that Bjorn will jump to the offer more quickly."

Hvitserk "you are too clever y/n." You applied the finishing touches and then you were all ready to go. 

Hvitserk "it's time to go!" You walk out the door.

One of your close friends "everyone is ready, my friend. Stay safe out there." You hug her and walk towards your sled, where Ivar is waiting for you. 

Ivar "As you know, my love, I can't ride with you. But I will be close behind, yeah?"

"Yes. I love you."

Ivar "I love you." Hvitserk looks at me from his sled.

Hvitserk "I'll see you soon." You nod and get in with Igor. The wolves pull the sled and you head towards the gates, Ivar watching you leave. He takes a big deep breath, trying to calm his nerves. He loves you so much, he just can't wait for this all to be over and it's just you and him on the throne of Kiev. 

____________________________________

The journey took less time than you thought. Before you and Igor knew it, you were inside the gates of Kattegat. Four guards stopped your sled and demanded you to get out. Once you were out of the sled, one of the men grabbed you by your hair and threw you to the ground.

"WHAT IS YOUR BUSINESS HERE?!" 

"My-My son and I need help. We need Bjorn's help, sir" 

"This is your son?"

"Yes sir.." 

"He looks sick ma'am.."

"He is sir..please we don't have much time! Can I please speak to the king?" The guards nod and take you and Igor to the house where Bjorn was. You had Igor in an arm-lock so that you two didn't get separated. 

You finally see him. The great Bjorn Ironside and his Wife. He looks so mean, so vicious and threatening. 

"My king, this young mother and son have traveled here for your help." 

Bjorn "very well, you may go. What is your name?"

"Y/n, Y/m/l, and this is my son Igor."

Bjorn "well y/n, what help do you need?"

"Well you see, my husband Prince Oleg has fallen ill and sadly died a few months ago. My kingdom is kingless, my king. And my son, he hasn't eaten in weeks! He struck a fever this morning. I don't know what else to do, please help me!"

Bjorn "I am so sorry to hear that. But are you asking me to help you rule your kingdom?"

"Yes my king. Please...I'll do anything!" You saw his wife twist and turn in her chair.

Bjorn "well, I think something can be arranged. But...how do I know that I can trust you?"

"Oh I would never lie to you, my king. You are the great Bjorn Ironside, son of Ragnar Lothbrok. I idolize you! All I am asking you is for your help. Please? For my son." 

His wife "you should help this poor woman. Look at her poor boy, he looks so frail. Go help her." 

Bjorn "you really think so?" 

His wife "I do."

Bjorn "well that settles it! I will come to your kingdom and help you get your home settled. I will help gather food and help with anything you need, m'lady. Tell me, where is your kingdom?"

"It's Kiev, my king." 

Bjorn "oh, very well. GUARDS, GATHER UP MY THINGS!" He stands up, kisses his wife and walks towards you. "With one condition.." Your heart dropped. Ivar was right, he is going to try to rape you. You thought about tapping your foot twice but you didn't want to give up just yet. 

….

Ivar "you gotta be kidding me?!"

Hvitserk "is he..?" He sees Bjorn grab your arm, whisper to you, and lead you to a private room. "That son of a bitch." He was about to get up when Ivar grabs his arm.

Ivar "she didn't do the signal! We can't go in there!"

Hvitserk "He's going to rape her Ivar!" 

Ivar "Ubbe is there, huh?"

Hvitserk "I think so..what is your point?"

Ivar "maybe he will stop him. Let's just wait this out, brother."

….

Bjorn pulls you to a private room with no one in sight. This is where you get scared. You didn't know where Igor was, which worried you. 

"What are you doing?"

Bjorn "well you said that you would do anything. So…" he puts his hands around your waist and tries to kiss you, but you move your face. 

"Please don't."

Bjorn "you want my help, yes? Then you must fuck me." Before he could do anything, a man came into the room. 

Ubbe "well well well who is this? A new guest?"

Bjorn "yes, Ubbe. She has come to Kattegat for my help."

Ubbe "is that so? Well if this nice lady needs your help, maybe you should help her instead of trying to fuck her against her will." Ubbe is your lifesaver right now.

Bjorn " very well, let's go." You offered Ubbe a smile and whispered, "thank you" before you were drug out of the room. You instantly spot Igor and you ran to him, pulling him into your side. 

Igor whispers "are you okay?" 

"Yes. Ubbe came in just in time, let's go home."

….

Ivar "there they are. She's so strong."

Hvitserk "Bjorn looks frustrated, Ubbe must have stopped him.."

Ivar "see, I told you dear brother! Ubbe has always been against Bjorn and his ways with women. Now let's go, they are leaving."

Hvitserk "no, I'm not going. I'm staying here." He gets out of the sled.

Ivar "very well. I hope you and Ubbe fix things and you two can rule Kattegat together as equals. Oh and Hvitserk, give Thora a hug for me." Hvitserk nods and heads into the house. This isn't the last time you see Hvitserk.

….

Bjorn "So tell me princess, how did your husband die again?"

"Oh he fell ill just before the big snowstorm. The medical maiden's couldn't save him. Kiev has struggled ever since his death." You tried so hard not to laugh because it was the total opposite, Kiev is now prospering because the king is dead.

Igor "I miss him mother."

"I know dear Igor."

Bjorn "well fear no more, I will help you both. And your people." The whole ride, Bjorn kept trying to caress your thigh. Making you sick to your stomach. He is such a pig, you couldn't fathom how he got such an amazing, loyal wife.

….

"We are here!"

Bjorn "this is your kingdom?" 

"Yes. This is home." Once you got through the gates, you spotted your army in ready position and shield maiden's were right by the gate. You hear them bolt down the gate, making Bjorn turn his head back around. "Come now, we can talk more inside, it's freezing out here in the blistering cold!" You both get out of the sled and walk towards the door when Bjorn stops.

Bjorn "these people don't look like they are leaderless.." You don't answer him, you just open up the double doors to your castle. Sitting on the throne was Ivar. 

Ivar "hello brother." Bjorn stood there motionless. "Welcome home, my queen!"

"Hello, my king."

….

Ivar arrives before you. He takes a shortcut, making his time of getting to Kiev get cut in half. Once Ivar arrives, he prepares the shield maiden's and soldiers. He told them that you weren't far away and that they needed to be on alert just in case Bjorn tried to make an escape. He sits on the throne of Kiev and waits for you to open up those doors. 

Ivar "hello brother..welcome home,  my queen."

"Hello, my king." You both lock eyes and smile at each other as you think to yourself, "we did it! We actually did it."

_____________________________________

{The next chapter is going to be a long, intense! I hope you loved this one, because it is the start of a new beginning}

@hvitserkmarcosource @moriartysringtone7137 @ivarthebloodyking @willxpod @desiredposion