#idk its not gripping me as much. ill go back to it eventually but once ive actually finished some other books ive gotten recently

[vaugarde]

sadly removes shadow of kyoshi from my storygraph “currently reading” list bc i havent read it in months  and i forgot what happened but god im not interested in it rn as much as my other books

[bounce-a-coin-off-your-witcher]

Whump you say? Geralt gets Hanahaki

I’ve been waiting for you, Anon. I’ve been waiting for this prompt specifically and boy when I tell you I might have cried writing it...

2k ish (a little less) words long. Idk why y’all were worried, it’s me. It’s gonna have a happy ending.

tw: Hanahaki, blood mention, illness, angst with a happy ending, whump with a happy ending ---

It had started up just before they parted ways for the winter; Geralt had quietly coughed a handful of rose petals into the corner of his cloak and hidden them from sight as Jaskier gave him their yearly parting embrace. “See you in the spring, Geralt!”

“Hmm.”

You might not ever see me again, actually, the Witcher thought. He tried not to let anything show on his face; not his fear and certainly not his longing, but he ached to tell Jaskier that he loved him and that he’d miss the bard’s presence through the long and dreary cold of the winter months. Geralt also knew that if he told Jaskier the truth about his feelings that he may never set eyes on the bard again anyway, regardless of how the disease currently wracking his body developed over their time apart. He was sure that Vesemir could identify whatever the strange illness was; the old swordmaster might even have a cure ready to go in the old storeroom. If not, they could send for Triss. 

“Safe travels.”

“And you as well,” Geralt nodded curtly. He mounted Roach with all his usual grace and ease, biting back another cough and tasting the sickly sweet floral note of rose rising up his throat to coat his tongue again. 

---

“Fuck,” Vesemir sighed. “It’s Hanahaki disease, Geralt. It’s not going to be easy to cure now that the pass is full of snow.”

“What’s Hanahaki disease?”

“It’s-” the eldest Wolf Witcher scrubbed his hand over his bearded face and took a moment to compose himself. He’d seen it happen before. He’d seen human bodies buried in the ground with entire root systems crawling from their chest cavities. He’d watched young men and women alike cough entire violet or rose or daisy buds from their mouths while they shivered with fever and seemingly unending pain, but a Witcher? Vesemir hadn’t even thought it was possible for a Witcher to contract such a frivolously deadly illness. “I don’t know exactly how to explain this to you, Geralt.”

“I won’t go screaming into the hills, if that’s what you’re afraid of,” his middle-child joked, “I can’t run very far anymore without a coughing fit.”

“I can’t send for Triss or Yennefer, either. They won’t be able to do anything,” Vesemir spoke calmly and evenly. Geralt, propped against some pillows on adoptive-father-enforced bed rest raised an eyebrow. “It’s a disease that eats at you from the inside out. It latches on to, uhm, romantic feelings and grows with them until it overtakes its host completely. Or until the host, uh… confronts those feelings head on and admits them to the object of their affection.”

“So this is…” Geralt’s eyes were wide and terrified. The eldest Wolf had never seen the stoic boy look quite so scared before, and he’d seen him go through the Trials. “This is going to kill me, is what you’re saying.”

“Who are you in love with, you stubborn oaf!?” Lambert cried, marching into the room from where he’d been lurking in the hall. He startled the other two Wolves and Geralt coughed out another handful of petals. The blood that came with them was surprisingly new. 

“What do you mean!?”

“He means,” Vesemir said, as slowly as possible (so that even the great Geralt of Rivia would understand his situation), “That until you tell this person how you feel, the flowers inside you will continue to grow and dig their roots in and, if you never tell them how you feel at all, you will eventually die.”

“Then I guess my fate is sealed,” Geralt smiled sadly, settling himself back against the pillows. “My time as a Witcher is up. Coughing up flowers isn’t the worst way to go, all things considered.”

Lambert growled angrily. “I’m not ready to lose my brother yet, Geralt, so just tell us who you’re pining after and we’ll go fetch her back!”

“No.”

“Why the fuck not?!”

Geralt, growing increasingly more feverish and already exhausted from everything that had happened that afternoon, closed his eyes. “Because he deserves better than me, Lambert. He deserves so much more than I could ever give him and I’m not about to steal him away like a selfish ass and force my feelings onto him for my own sake. I’d rather die.”

“Self-sacrificing bastard,” the youngest of the Wolf Witchers snarled, storming from the room. “Ass! Cock! Fool!”

Vesemir could only nod his agreement and follow silently after.

---

Jaskier read the letter once.

Then he read it again.

After a third time through he was sure that he hadn’t misunderstood the contents.

Dear Jaskier (aka Julian Alfred Pankratz, Viscount de Lettenhove, Prof. of the Seven Liberal Arts at Oxenfurt),

I am Eskel, brother to Geralt of the Wolf Witcher School at Kaer Morhen. I write to you now to ask for your presence at the keep. Geralt has fallen gravely ill and will not likely make it through the season. He does not know that I have written to you, but as his best friend and companion on the Path, I thought it my duty to invite you to see him one last time before he’s gone for good. He’s loathe to admit it, but he misses you and fears for your safety come springtime.

Sincerely,

Eskel of the Wolf School

Somewhere beneath the bright embroidery of his doublet and the hand-woven muslin of his chemise, Jaskier’s flighty, deeply-loving heart shattered into a million pieces. 

He grabbed his heaviest woolen cloak from its peg near the door and made for the stables at once.

---

“Geralt!”

The White Wolf opened his eyes a sliver to confirm that he wasn’t hallucinating again; ah yes. What a lovely last dream to have before I die. Standing in the middle of his bedroom at Kaer Morhen, covered with still-melting snow, was Jaskier. The bard’s blue eyes were brimming with tears and his bottom lip was wobbling violently as he gazed upon the Witcher’s withering form.

“Geralt, what’s wrong? Your father and brothers sort of explained it to me but I’m still not sure what’s happening. You’re dying?”

“Don’t worry, bard,” Geralt smiled. A loud, sudden cough wracked his body and he bent over double, spitting a blood-spattered but fully-bloomed rose out into his cupped palm. He laughed joylessly and tossed the bloom onto his bedside table. “I’ll be out of your hair, soon. Won’t this be a last ballad to write, a wolf dying as he’s eaten by flowers?”

“I don-”

“Hush,” Geralt rasped. Jaskier dropped his cloak to the ground uncaringly and rushed to his Witcher’s side. He sat on the edge of the mattress and took Geralt’s closest hand in his, grasping the appendage to his chest and sobbing into the sword-calloused skin like his tears might save his best friend’s life. “Don’t be sad, Jaskier.”

“I am sad, Geralt! I’m absolutely fucking terrified and heartbroken and crushed! Vesemir said you could heal this at any time but you just… you just won’t because you’re stubborn and an idiot and the sweetest goddamn man I’ve ever met in my life! How dare you tell me goodbye when you are perfectly capable of fixing this problem yourself! How could you promise to see me in the spring and then break your word by dying well before the grass turns green again?! You bastard!”

“You won’t miss me after another year passes,” Geralt reassured him, flexing the hand still held tight in Jaskier’s grip. “You won’t even remember me by the time the first daisies spring up.”

“How dare you,” the bard cried again. He pressed a nervous kiss to the tip of the Witcher’s pointer finger before letting go completely and dropping his head into his own hands. “How dare you say those things to me when you know full well that I love you with all my stupid, fragile mortal heart. You asshole.”

“Wh...what?” 

“I love you, Geralt!” The Witcher stared up at his friend with nothing but confusion written across his handsome features. Jaskier reached out, wiping a smear of blood away from the corner of Geralt’s mouth as tenderly as any maiden in any of the bard’s favorite romance novels. “I love you and I’ll never forgive you for letting yourself die on me like this.”

Geralt blushed. He stammered. He coughed up two or three more bloody roses and Jaskier tossed them all into the fire with rage blazing in his cornflower irises. 

“I love you more than I’ve ever loved anything on this gods-forsaken Continent and now you’re going to take yourself away because you’re, what, scared of something? Is it Yennefer? If she’s refusing to help you then I’ll ride all the way to Vengerberg by daybreak and then I’ll break all her fucking fi-”

“I love you, too.”

“What?” Jaskier asked, stopped mid-rant and mid-thought by the Witcher’s sudden admission. “What did you just say to me, Geralt? If I didn’t misunderstand, you said you loved me too.”

“I did. I do! I have loved you for a rather long time, actually.”

“Well, I’m glad we’ve settled that,” Vesemir said from the doorway. He turned on his heel and disappeared. “See you both for breakfast tomorrow, I’m sure. Well... maybe breakfast is being a bit optimistic. I’ll see you for lunch.”

“What did he mean?” the bard asked. His eyes flitted between the empty doorway and Geralt’s guilty grimace. “What the fuck did Vesemir mean when he said he’d see us at lunch?! You’re still clearly dying and I-”

Geralt felt his fever receding and coughed experimentally. There were only a few brown, half-dried petals that fell from his lips. No blooms. He coughed again and nothing came out of his mouth at all. He grinned and laughed, tugging Jaskier up onto the bed and against his broad chest. “Vesemir was right!”

“What the fuck is going on?!” the bard begged. His hands twisted into the neckline of Geralt’s shirt, holding him still and steady. Blue bore into gold with such heated intensity that the Witcher thought he might pass out regardless of his recently healed disease, “What just happened!?”

“I- I told you I loved you and it cured the Hanahaki!”

“You had fucking Hanahaki and I was the cause of it? Oh Geralt, I’m so sorry! I should have noticed sooner! I should hav- Why didn’t you say anything sooner?”

“I didn’t think you loved me back.”

“You didn- Geralt, have you been paying any sort of attention for the past seven or so years? I follow you everywhere, I bandage your wounds, I put food on your plate and a pillow under your head whenever we get the chance. I bathe you and mend your clothes when your fingers are too stiff from practicing your forms to do it yourself… you utter fool. You buffoon. You great, dumb, goofy, idioti-”

He was cut off by Geralt bringing their mouths together with such gentle but insistent pressure that all Jaskier could do was melt against him. His hands unwound from the shirt and stabilized against the Witcher’s pectorals instead. He sighed into Geralt’s mouth, swallowing down the happy sounds his dearest Witcher made in return. When they were finished pouring out their affections they sat, breathless, curled against the pillows of Geralt’s enormous bed. 

A large pointer finger slipped beneath Jaskier’s chin and tilted his face up, locking their gazes, “This isn’t how I wanted you to meet my family or see Kaer Morhen for the first time, but I’m glad you came. I know the journey through the snow couldn’t have been easy, even though I’m sure there was some magical assistance.”

“For you, my love, I’d travel the pass barefoot.”

“You’d die of exposure.”

“Not if your life was on the line,” the bard murmured against those flower-chapped lips. “For you, Geralt, I could survive anything. Just as you must swear from this moment on to survive whatever you can to make it back to me.”

“Will you go back to the academy until spring?”

“I’m never leaving your side again, Geralt of Rivia. Come flora or fauna, you’re stuck with me for good.”

“Hmm. Good.”

“Just… Just don’t bring me flowers any time soon.”

[vortexbeyondthestars]

decided to post some of my ideas for a ninjago/atla au besties. tell me whatcha think

under read more cus its kinda long lmao

some background first…

here, the first spinjitzu master is smth that doesn’t actually exist in avatar bc i couldn’t for the life of me figure out what to make him so now he’s like… he’s basically the child of all the original benders: the badgermoles, the sky bison, the dragons, and the moon spirit combined. he was born of their powers, and he was the first avatar, kinda like this au’s version of raava i guess?? so this au’s version of vaatu is the overlord, and like in ninjago, they have this never-ending rivalry. and the overlord is an avatar, too, but more of a dark one. it only cares about corruption and evil.

the first bending master, as he’s called in this au, manages to banish the overlord into the spirit realm, but he knew that one day, it would return. so he creates a land called ninjago and fills it with people of all kinds, each corner of the world having one type of bending. he gave the humans bending, but only one type for each person.

he didn’t want a repeat of the overlord.

so then he has two sons: wu and garmadon. he hemmed and hawed over what elements to give to them, but eventually he chose. wu gets airbending, the element of life and serene and calm. garmadon gets firebending, rough and harsh and the element of destruction. his fire is violet and incredibly hot.

everything goes fine, and the first bending master manages to keep balance of the world as its avatar. except the overlord does indeed return.

garmadon gets corrupted by its spirit and is bitten by the great devourer. he becomes obsessed with power and wanted to be the avatar more than anything in life. he believes that his father was holding his powers back because he didn’t trust him. and he believes that his father was going to hand over his power to wu after he died. and he couldn’t have that.

wu notices his downward spiral and suggests that he take a trip to visit the mortals. maybe that would help him realize that there is reason for their father being the only avatar in the world.

so garmadon goes down into the mortal plane. and meets fire lord chen and his second in command clouse.

fire lord chen is quite interested in an old legend of what is called the serpentine: ancient tribes of snake people said to have been born from the hatred and despair of the overlord, led by the toughest and the greatest, the great devourer. chen wants to bring these serpentine back, and at first garmadon agrees to help him, if only to get revenge on his father.

but he snaps out of it, because he realizes that its the great devourer’s fault in the first place that he’s like this. he betrays chen and clouse and warns wu of their plan, but without telling him whose plan it is. together, the brothers manage to gather together an alliance of the greatest bending masters in the world. garmadon wants their father to help, but wu gives some unfortunate news.

the first bending master is near his deathbed. he is very, very ill, and he is thousands of years old at this point. he wants rest.

so, naturally, garmadon is conflicted about this. he’s ecstatic bc he thinks that he can gain the powers of the avatar once his father passes, but also he’s sad, because, well, thats still his dad after all.

but anyway, the bending alliance manages to defeat the serpentine and seal them away in the spirit realm, like the first bending master had done to the overlord. this… turns out to be a bad idea.

fire lord chen and clouse both manage to shift the blame away from them, and since garmy was the only one who knew they caused the plan, he lets it happen. because he still is a bit evil.

something happens that gives him hope, though: he meets misako, who might be the love of his life. (also in this au that weird love triangle shit don’t happen) they get married, and for a while, garmadon seems perfectly sane. but.

the first bending master dies.

lloyd is born almost right after.

no one makes the connection, though, thankfully, but it is enough for garmadon to lose whatever sanity he had left. he completely goes insane.

he races back to their family monastery believing that he can and will gain the powers of the avatar, somehow, but he doesn’t. and that is too much for him to take. all of this… all of this… waiting… for nothing?

garmadon stares at himself in the mirror. he looks down at his hand, at the bite mark blemishing his skin, and grabs a ceremonial knife. he laughs to himself and places his hand on the mirror, slowly raising his knife towards it… he thinks he can stop all this pain in one easy swoop.

garmadon, sneering at himself: maybe… maybe this will fix it… if i just cut off the damn thing…

first bending master, in the mirror: i would not recommend it, son.

garmadon, face falling: why are you here?

first bending master: i came to speak with you. and to try and help you.

garmadon, snarling: don’t pretend like you care about me! i know what you really think. you think i’m a monster.

first bending master: i think you’re conflicted. the part of you that wants to be the avatar so badly you are willing to kill for it… that part of you clashes with the real you. the one that wants everyone you care about to be safe. your brother, your friends, your wife… your son.

garmadon: *laughs and turns around* why should i care about them, father? they don’t care about me! not my brother, not my wife, not my so-called friends, and certainly not you! the only one who does care about me is my son, and thats only because he doesn’t know any better. he’ll leave one day too.

first bending master, solemnly: you are wrong. i do care about you. i always did. i love you, garmadon. i do.

garmadon shakes, his hand gripping the knife tighter. his mouths trembles, and eventually turns into a scowl. he whirls around to face the mirror and slams his knife into it, shattering it into pieces.

he gets worse from there on. he begins to attack people left and right, villages and cities, even going so far as to consider breaking the serpentine free. he doesn’t get that far, though, because his brother interrupts him.

wu is very concerned, bc, well, garmy was a bit weird but never straight up insane like he is now. so he heads over to his family’s old monastery. there, he finds garmadon, seething and stewing. garmadon doesn’t take his arrival well.

garmadon: ugh! for once, can’t you just leave me alone?!

wu: no, i cannot. this isn’t you, brother! you must snap out of it!

garmadon: this is me! this has been me for my entire life, wu! i can’t change it now, and i can’t even be the avatar. what’s the point?

wu: the point is that father trusted us to take care of ninjago once he passed on. we have a duty.

garmadon: father was a fool, and father was selfish! i am remaking the world in my own image, an image that won’t let anyone have the kind of power that he did, except for those who are worthy!

wu: that’s crazy! you can’t just pick and choose who gets to be the most powerful bender in the world!

garmadon: isn’t that what father did, though, when he died? who is the new avatar, wu?! tell me!!

wu: i don’t know. and neither will you, if you keep this up.

garmadon: *laughs* are you threatening me?

wu: i am.

garmadon: fine. you want to take control of ninjago over me? fine. fine. fine. i challenge you to an agni kai! the battle that was always meant to be.

wu: very well.

garmadon: for the record… i’m sorry it had to end this way, brother.

wu, sadly: no. you aren’t.

cue final agni kai type fight, light vs darkness. fire vs air. obviously, wu wins, and manages to chain garmadon up so he can’t attack anymore. garmadon then has a complete psychotic breakdown like azula, complete with the spitting fire and sobbing hysterically while wu watches sadly.

wu banishes garmadon to the spirit realm, because he doesn’t think there’s anything else he can do.

ninjago is saved.

or so he thinks.

see, chen and clouse are still around. as are the serpentine, biding their time in the spirit realm. they meet garmy and decide that they should work together. garmadon, so torn up by hatred and despair, agrees to help them, if he gets to destroy his brother.

meanwhile, everything is going good.

lloyd is the avatar, obviously, but he’s only like. thirteen when he finds out. he’s an airbender avatar and lived with koko (bc its my au and i get to pick the mom i use) in one of the air temples (idk which one tho). he’s raised believing that he’s just a random kid who happens to serve the avatar, kinda like kyoshi.

that avatar he believes he serves is none other than morro, the adopted son of airbender sage wu. morro is four years older than lloyd, and he was just revealed to be the airbending avatar. morro, of course, is thrilled. but he also gets an incredibly big ego over it, believing that he is better than other people bc he is the avatar. the reason he was thought to be the avatar was because he appeared to waterbend at one point, but it is later revealed to have been simple airbending that pushed the water.

but morro doesn’t realize or know this until its too late. and when he does… its a shitshow.

basically, lloyd and morro are sent to meet with fire lord chen and his daughter skylor, along with wu, koko, and some of the other air sages. skylor is a chi blocker, an incredibly talented one who has mastered all of the different bending fighting styles even tho she herself is a nonbender.

ok so clouse is obviously there. he recognizes lloyd via koko and is fucking pissed. he’s like my ex-boyfriend rival’s son is here?? what the hell?? so he keeps a close on eye on lloyd bc he doesn’t like him. morro, meanwhile, is treated like a king at the palace bc chen wants to get into the avatar’s good graces.

and uh. well, as it turns out, morro isn’t the avatar…

they’re attacked by the serpentine, bitter at the bending masters for having locked them underground. morro is excellent at fighting, but lloyd has more adrenaline.

and lloyd firebends.

cue shock and horror and anger from all sides.

wu is the most horrified of all. the son of his brother… the man he banished… is the avatar?

so yeah thats the background AT LEAST. i dont really know what happens after that but lloyd runs away or something. i will write more i promise!!!

[ayymanwtf]

im in an aesthetic writing mood which, im quite aware is nothing like my usual content but im a limitless being and you should probably accept that. please?

anyway here are the aesthetics that some of my fave mgk songs have:

FLOOR 13 — drunkenness, trembling hands covered in blood, the source of it unknown, stumbling through an abandoned psych ward of a hospital, feeling the floor beneath you move in waves, rocking from wall to wall of the narrow corridor, seeing a figure resembling the one person on your mind at the end of the hallway, white knuckles gripping the steering wheel, pushing as hard as you can on the pedal of a car, eyes glassed over, the curve of the road not being the only unstable thing, dizziness, experiencing jealousy for the first time, getting in trouble on the playground and trying to excuse your actions, vodka swirling in a crystal tumbler, you’ve lost count of how many you’ve had, sipping it and thinking its water, mysterious white powders sprinkled on glass tables, looking out the balcony of a hotel, the curtains fluttering in the evening breeze, the first moment of serenity in a while, begging for them to come back, regret

LOCO — return, amusement, superiority, seeing a person you used to know and immediately judging them on how they turned out, cracking your neck too hard and feeling it ache, liking the feeling knowing it was the first time you’d felt something in a while, the concept of exoticism, ruining someone else for your own entertainment, not caring despite knowing, the kind of sex that is derived from pure anger and resent, anger and resent for someone else, but still leaving the new person heartbroken, new beginnings and sealed endings, rekindling with your old friends, only to end it all to see the looks on their faces, a blunt laced with gold, pushing someone off you too hard and hearing them wince, internalised desperation, numbness, living life with anger and thinking its the only option

Death In My Pocket — the clouds during a sunset, experiencing grief for something you never had, reminiscence, mourning the life you could have had, a silver flute crushed under your boot, cleaning up the wounds on your knuckles yourself and remembering a time when someone else would have done this for you, stepping outside for the first time in months and feeling the sharp wind on your cheeks and still not feeling anything, running away from nothing at dawn, begging and bargaining, leaving the house on your own for the first time and witnessing things you never wished you had, diving into an icy cold lake, exhaling reflexively once your face reaches the water, feeling your lungs burn for oxygen underwater, and still not coming up until you feel them fill with liquid, wetting the shoulder of a stranger with your tears, asking why, asking why, asking why, again and again, feeling pain and wondering when the next time will be that you forget this feeling

RAP DEVIL — piano and bass chords combined, welcomed confusion, betrayal, feeling someone sit on your lap and wanting to throw them off you, repetition, de ja vu, anarchy, rebellion, standing up against bitchy old people, leaving your respect behind to do whats right, being drunk at a party and hearing all the songs around you meld and blend until everything sounds the same, someone telling you to smile more, accidentally saying the wrong thing and hurting someone’s feelings, eventually accepting and standing by your words once you find out who they truly are, refusing to ask for forgiveness, eating the rich and remembering to season them, childhood shows with creepy ulterior meanings, burying an enemy, misconceptions, idolising your father until you realise his neglect, snapping someone’s neck and feeling no guilt 

LATELY — clocks ominously ticking, reminding you of the time youre wasting, taking LSD for the first time, seeing the world swirl and mix around you, looking in the mirror after taking acid and seeing the most genuine version of you, ghosting and then sending I miss you texts to the same person, experiencing nostalgia with anger instead of contentedness, falling asleep in a cold hotel room and seeing your worst fears come to life before your eyes, empty rooms and bare faces, singular drops of blood dripping from your palms once a day, looking directly into the sun and thinking about how the moon harnesses that much light, dancing on the dance floor and mid-song feeling your social battery die and wanting to go home, asking someone to help and them leaving you on read, doing shrooms and feeling like you’re sat inside of a rapidly spinning washing machine, knowing that nothing will ever be the same and still denying that fact

el Diablo — a casino in the middle of the deserts of Nevada, Mexico at the peak of its drug war, playing poker with blank cards, upheaving the gambling table, a woman squatting in a leather mini skirt with her legs spread wide open, her cigarette dropping ashes onto the road in front of her, glowing embers on an ash tray that carried the ashes from the cigars belonging to the most powerful men of the americas, pushing a traitor against a wall and keeping them there with the grip you have on their neck, remembering where you came from and making it a big portion of your success, doing deals with the devil, the devil pitying you, abandoned hotels turned into brothels, biting the hand that feeds you, nonchalance portrayed in the most douchebag way possible, playing saxophone in high school and growing up to be the person everyone wanted to be, mob bosses hotboxing in a room full of strippers, being the authoritarian figure you always hated, being the person that people go to for permission, rising from rock bottom to the very top of the mountain, knowing all and saying none, driving in the desert and leaving dust trails to make sure everyone knows that you were here, kissing with split lips and not bothering to clean up, not just thinking youre the superior, but actually being the superior, gaining everyone’s respect AND fear, never begging but always waiting, an intelligence unmatched  

if you guys want more let me know?? idk if anyone will actually like this but I know that I had a lot of fun doing it and ill gladly do requests as well!! anyway sending my love, have a great day!! feedback is also appreciated also: @ripbrat k im tagging u but ur allowed to ignore this 10000% dont feel pressured I just thought huh mgk. OH WAIT K LIKES MGK. anyway uhhh have fun please!! 

[yeehawbabs]

idk anything about this actually <3 hehe

“kuroo ive been thinking”

he paused , a look of genuine concern on his face, “thinking what?” 

“ok if your piss hole is big , will you piss faster ? like cuz itll all come out at once right ? but the piss velocity is a lot lower but itll just flop out right ?”

“what the fuck are you on” 

“do you wanna try it ? can i try it on you”

“try WHAT on me”

“can i sound you” you said flatly

“sound me?”

“yknow like . put a rod in there n stretch it out . is that alright?”

“just to see if i piss faster”

“thats a part of it yea , but also i think itd be fun”

“itd be fun for YOU , youre not getting your dickhole stretched in this situation are you”

it took a bit more explaining, but he eventually agreed after you elaborated on how itll hit a bunch of nerves inside of him, and he eased into the idea. you both did enough research after the discussion and decided you would do it when you had time, which for you both was your upcoming break. where you had ordered the sleek metal rods that came in way before you were ready to use them .

“tetsu!”

“whats up”

“look ! they came in !”

“youre not putting that in me tonight”

“next month”

“i think”

“hey you little pissbaby . you think youre sonfucking cool huh . uou think youre so fucking tough “

“are you going to do it or not”

“im FOING to do it . do you remember the safeword”

“you remind me every three seconds of course i remember it.”

“then waht is it”

“vanilla”

“cuz youre a little vanilla baby bitch !! get gotmothetfucker”

“hurrry up and do it”

“youre so esger now huh” you were kneeling on the floor , him sitting on the bed lesning bacj on his hands. 

you lubed his dick, focusinf on the little hole at the tip. he twitched . you pumped him a bit, just to rile him up a  it more . you slicked up the rod, and pushed it against his tip. 

“ready?”

he sighed , “ready”

you hummed, with a strady grip on his cock, alowly insertinf it into him. he tensed almost immediately, and you rubbed his thigh tonsoothe him as best as you could

“too much?”

“sfine,” he breathed out, “keep going”

“let me know if its too much ok?”

you pushed it in more, centimeter by centimeter sliding it down the inside of his shaft , and he eventually relaxed into the feeling . 

“just a little bit more n itll be all the way in, okay?”

“alrught,”

you gently ushered the toy unto him, and let him sit with it for a moment. 

“how does it feel?”

“it fuckinf stings”

“do you want me to take it out?”

“no, no not yet”

“let me know if i can start moving it okay?”

“youre gonna fuck my hole with this already?” 

“if uou dont want me to i wont”

“no ! you can do it just give ke a minute alright”

“whenever youre ready”

you rubbed your thumb over his hipbone, estinf your head on his jnee, waitinf for any signal of what he wanted next . he out a hand on your head, runninf his fingers theough the hair .

you looked up at him, and he nodded .

you pulled the rod out slowly, and his thighs trembled

“too fast?”

“you can keep going”

“but is it too fast? i can go slower if you want,” to emphasizeyour point, you dragged the rod slowly out.

“no ! go a little faster!”

“m gna push it back in a bit okay?”

“just do what you have to do, alright?”

“dont say it like that ! youre making it sound like im making you do this against your will” you pouted at him, mockingly.

“you know i dont , “

you thrusted the tog back into him, and pulled it out . you were barely trying to pull or push , and his breathinf was so heavy.

“are you alright tetsu?”

“it just , felelsbettetthannuthiught”

“huh” 

“i didnt think it would feel good…” 

“so you like it?” your face lit up with a sense of pride, as you continued to pump it in and out of him at a leisurely pace

“babe , can you, ah, can you take it out”

“is everyrhinf alright?”

“sfine just , ih god, babe can i cum ? i dont think i can cum unless you take it out”

“ill take it out” you pulled the sleek tod out snd set it on the clean rag you laid ohtbon the nightstand specifically for this

you stroked his dick, looking up at him sweetly.

“what do you want me to do for you tetsu?”

“just ah ! just do whatever ! just dont be too riugh okay?”

“of course my love ~”

you kissed the tip, still pumping your hand ip and down, before licking the hesd and wrapping your mouth around it. you sucked gently , not wanting to irritste him too much so that hes hurting

you kept your mouth in the tip solely to avoid any aggressive feelings, like his sore hole having to hit the back of your throat.

you pulled off, and rubbed one of your hands over and over the hesd, watching him squirm in place.

“can i cum? babe can i cum? please ? i wna cum, i really want to cum, olease ? please i-”

“tetsu its fine!! u can cum whenever you want” yoh smiled up at him , encouragingly.

his face scrunched up, and his hand squeezed at the comforter below him, his thighs spazzing.

it really was a sight to behold , your cocky, intimidating boyfriend becoming a sloppy mess fue to your ministrations. it leaked out, making a mess on your hands as he groaned and twitched jn your hold.

“you alright?”

“m alright”

“ill clean you up okay?” uou ssid softly as you stood up, and kissinf his forehead, his hesd in your hsnds. 

“and youll be back right” clingy ass mf

“ill be back ,” he pulled you to kiss him, just a small peck that may have lingered a second too long 

you came back with a warm rag, cleaning up the mess on his dick and thighs. he had moved himself to lay on the bed, looking awfukly sleepy

tou pulled him into your lap, so his head was leaning against your chest as you were sitting upright 

“tetsu, sweetheart, can you drink this for me”

“what is it,,,”

“its just water okay? you did so good for me. youre so good, yknow that right”

“i know , i . “ he paused for a seconf. “ it was fun”

you smiled brightly at him, “so can we do ut again? if we keep doing this we can get more fun shapes ! and itll feel different ! and !! how fast can you pee! “ uou rambled on and on, jntil your fsce fell.

“tetsu,” 

“what?” he loojed at you, concerned , withr his brow furrowed an a frown on his face.

“we shouldce time how fast you peed before hand”

he laughed at yiu, and playfully slapped at your thigh. 

“shut up ! its not gonna make a big difference yet”

“how are we fonna jnow if we didnt time you!” you nuzzled into his hair, wrappinf your arms around his neck

“we can try this time an just measure it from here in out,”

“i lvoe you”

“i lcoe you too”

you both sunk down, snd pulled the blanket over you, makinf sure he was as comfortable as he could be as his dick was literally just stretched moments before

[samsexualdeancurious]

Many Dark Places | Chapter Two

Pairing: Thor x Reader (Eventual)

Words: 1,964

Warnings: hurt!Reader, trauma/PTSD, references/flashbacks to past torture, emotional and physical hurt/comfort, past and attempted kidnapping, Thor being a darling.

Summary: When cleaning up a camp of dark magicians near the new Asgard, Thor stumbles upon Y/N - the daughter of an Asgardian nobleman, who disappeared before Thor first traveled to Midgard in 2011.

A/N: I started writing this fic pre-Endgame and, as such, it exists in a strange world where they didn't make new Asgard on Earth and also maybe Thanos didn't win? Idk. (Loki's still dead, though. Sorry.)

Betaed by @samsgoddess​ and @the-soulofdevil

Header by me

Check out Thor's scent

---

You don't know how far it is to the camp, seeing as you sleep until Thor sets you on a bed in a large, cozy tent that is clearly his. An older woman, dressed in a simple brown traveling dress and carrying a leather bag, hovers a few feet away.

“Y/N,” Thor says, petting your head soothingly. “This is Svanhild. She's a seidr-woman and here to help you, if that's alright?”

You eye her warily. Something about her face reminds you of home, of someone who sang quiet songs when you were scared and kissed your every bump and bruise. Swallowing back the emotions that well up unbidden, you nod.

She smiles kindly and sets her bag on the bed, sitting on the edge. “I'll start with your feet and we'll go from there. I promise I'll tell you before I do anything. How does that sound?”

Your words won't work but she understands your nod.

“Alright. Lift your foot up here, please.”

Thor sits behind you as you rotate to put your feet by her, his strong warmth supporting your back. Svanhild works quickly, explaining as she goes. Salves are applied to the cuts. They sting a little but that quickly fades and then she wipes the salve away to reveal new skin where the small cuts once were.

“Now, let's look at this ankle.” She lifts your foot onto her lap and gently feels the swollen joint. “Broken. I would like to use a small amount of magic to see how bad the break is.”

You clutch Thor's cloak tighter around your body, feeling his huge hand cover your own. The contact helps to steady you and you nod. If Thor trusts her, then you will try.

A wave of her hand, a few murmured words, and a soft blue light wraps around your ankle. Svanhild examines something you can't see and frowns.

“This is bad,” she sighs. “But not hopeless. I will set and bind it now. This will hurt a bit but should feel better once I've finished.”

It does hurt a bit and then it does feel better. As she finishes binding your foot and ankle, you breathe a sigh of relief. Next, she treats and wraps the rope burns on your wrists.

“Is there anything else I should look at?” she inquires.

“I think we should see what affects the dark magicians have had on you,” Thor says softly. “Would that be okay?”

You agree and Svanhild performs a spell similar to the one before, this time resulting in a deep purple light. When the light fades away, she looks puzzled.

“I cannot see any ill effects,” she tells you. “Unexpected but a good thing. You need a bath, food, and a good night's sleep. The bandages have a spell to keep them from getting wet, so you should be fine. Feel free to take a long, hot bath.”

That sounds heavenly. You give her the biggest smile you can muster and she returns it.

“I will check on you in the morning before we return home. Goodnight my lady, my King.”

Thor dismisses her and then carries you to a curtained off “room” of the tent- which you now realize is more like a small two-room building with canvas walls than a tent- that houses a large tub a servant is finishing filling with steaming water. She bows hastily and backs out of the room.

“Would you like any assistance?” Thor inquires, setting you on a stool by the tub and crouching to put his face at your level.

You shrug. You would rather bathe yourself but you know there are places you can’t reach. Thor seems to understand.

“Alright. I will help where you feel comfortable with me. Here, let's get you into the water.”

Between the cover and the warmth it's provided, you’re reluctant to give up the cloak. Thor sees it on your face and smiles to himself as he keeps it in his hands, using it as a barrier between his skin and yours. When you glance up at him, his eyes are politely averted. He doesn't look at you until you're settled in the water. The suds do a decent job covering you, assisted by the fact that the tub is nearly flowing over the edge.

The heat from the water begins seeping into your limbs, warming a chill you’d almost forgotten about, it's been in your bones so long. You settle against the side of the tub with a contented sigh as it fades.

Thor pulls a chair over and sits a few feet away. “How are you feeling?”

You look over at him, taking in his posture: leaned forward, elbows on his knees, hands clasped. You’ve gotten good at reading people- best way to avoid accidentally upsetting someone- and reading Thor is easier than most. All his thoughts, his emotions, are right there on his face and in his eyes. He’s concerned, genuinely so, and interested in what you have to say.

You shrug. How are you feeling? Your body still aches, though the major sources of pain have been dulled by the healer’s work. You’re cold at your core but warming slowly. Honestly? You’re feeling better than you have in months. Years. You open your mouth to say something, though, and the words won’t come. It’s like an invisible force is stopping the words from ever reaching your throat. Panic wells up in your chest.

Thor must read it on your face. He reaches out, hand hovering just above the edge of the tub. “It’s okay if you can’t speak,” he says. “I know all of this must be overwhelming.”

You can't help a soft snort at that. Overwhelming is an understatement.

Thor chuckles. “I understand. Would you like to rest a little in the bath? I can have food brought here.” Your eyes must brighten at those words because Thor nods and rises. He moves to the door and speaks in hushed tones to someone in the larger room of the tent before returning to his seat.

“Food is on its way,” he informs you, resettling into his former position. “Would you like to be left alone?”

Fear seizes your chest and one hand flies out without any thought to grip the closest part of him - his hands.

“Hey,” Thor says softly, strong fingers turning to give your much smaller ones a gentle squeeze. “It's all right, Y/N. I won't leave you alone.”

A soft tap outside signals the arrival of food. Thor gives your hand another squeeze before dropping it to fetch the tray. It's designed to hook over each side of the tub, creating a shelf above the water. The food is simple - a slice of bread, a bowl of basic soup, some vegetables. Your mouth immediately begins watering at the sight but you find yourself too nervous to eat.

“Go on,” Thor urges. “You need to regain your strength.”

The soup is verging on too hot but you can't find it in yourself to care, not when it tastes so good and you're so hungry. You don't even bother with the spoon, just pick the bowl up and take big sips. It's mostly broth, with chunks of potato and some kind of meat, most likely poultry.

“Slow down a little,” Thor says with a quiet laugh, shedding his armor as he speaks. It clinks as he drops it to the floor, leaving him in a simple blue tunic and black breeches. “It would defeat the purpose if you became sick.”

Your cheeks warm at that and you force yourself to put the bowl down. You trade it for the bread, taking little nibbles to savor it because it's probably the best bread you've ever had.

The room is quiet but not in an uncomfortable way. Thor is easy to be around. When you finally decide you can't eat anymore, he doesn't comment on how much you left untouched. Only moves the tray to the other end of the tub - within reach but out of the way.

“Ready to clean up?” Thor asks, fetching a small basket from the floor by the tub.

You nod, taking a bar of soap and a cloth from the basket. The soap smells spicy and musky and you're more than happy to rub it on the cloth. You take your time scrubbing everything you can reach, savoring the feeling of bathing probably for the first time in Odin only knows how long. There comes a point, though, when you can't wash anything else simply because you can't reach.

Thor has focused on his hands, giving you a little extra privacy as you bathe. He looks up when you hold the cloth out to him.

“Would you like some assistance with your back?” he asks, carefully taking the cloth.

You nod, curling your arms around your chest and sitting forward. Thor moves the stool closer to the tub.

“I'm going to touch you now,” he warns before he begins gently scrubbing across your shoulders and upper back.

The scratch of the cloth in places previously untouched feels wonderful and you can't help a soft sigh, letting your head tip forward. Thor is thorough but careful not to overstep. When he's done, he drapes the cloth over the edge of the tub.

“Would you like me to wash your hair?”

Washing your hair is a short process - the dark magicians cut it shorter than a boy's early on and have kept it that length ever since - but Thor's huge fingers massaging your scalp help to draw more tension from your body and when you're finally all clean, you feel better than you have in years.

“You're all shriveled up,” Thor teases, tapping your fingers where one hand is draped over the side of the tub. “Perhaps it's time to get out? I had some clothes brought for you to sleep in.”

You're reluctant to leave the safety of the water but the water is getting cold and the towel Thor offers is fluffy, oversized, and oh so inviting. You climb out of the tub and Thor immediately wraps the towel around you, using it as a guard between his hands and your skin like he did with the cape earlier. He guides you to sit on the stool so you can dry off while he fetches the clothes - undergarments and a simple blue sleeping gown. The fabric feels strange against your skin, a soft weight you haven't felt in a long time.

“I think it's time for bed,” Thor murmurs. “Can you walk?”

You test your ankle against the floor. It doesn't hurt as bad anymore and you could probably walk on it if you’re careful but sleep is making your brain fuzzy and you know you're gonna fall over if you stand. You shake your head a little sheepishly.

“That's all right. I can carry you.”

And he does just that, strong arms looping around your shoulders and under your knees. He hoists you into the air with ease, settling you against his chest. You fight the urge to burrow into that warmth and fall asleep right here again - something about him is comforting in a way you haven't felt in years.

The trip to the bed is a short one. Before you know it, he's laying you on the mattress and pulling thick, heavy blankets up to your chin. The blankets settle over you, a weight that seems to soak up every ounce of tension from your body and dissipate it elsewhere. You find yourself sinking into the mattress, suddenly too tired to keep your eyes open.

The last thing you're aware of is Thor's hand resting gently atop your head, thumb rubbing soothing circles along your hairline.

---

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---

Team Forever: @mrswhozeewhatsis​ @manawhaat​ @laughing-at-the-darkness​ @tumbler-tidbits​ @imsuperawkward​ @books-and-icecream​ @emoryhemsworth​

Team MDP:

[finn-nelson-for-the-win]

The Good Life: Chapter 5

Hello, my lovelies! Another week, another chapter of this story. I don’t really have too much to say before this chapter, so I suppose I’ll just get right to it.

Need to get caught up? The Good Life: Ch1, Ch2, Ch3, Ch4

If you want to be added (or removed) from the tags list for this story, just feel free to let me know!

@pink-royaute @believethaticanandiwill @milllott @likeashootingstarfades @i-dream-of-emus

The Good Life: Chapter 5

The bell to the lift chimed as the metal doors slowly slid open, signaling that they had reached their desired floor, and Finn stepped aside to allow Rae to walk out first.

“I still can’t believe that we’re on the fifth floor of the building!” Rae mused as she looked over the railing outside of the lift that overlooked one of the busy city streets.

“It’s a good thing neither of us are scared of heights, huh?” Finn joked as he adjusted his grip on the large box he was carrying in his arms.

Finn and Rae turned left after exiting the hallway with the lift, already becoming familiar with navigating the building after following the same path numerous times.

When Finn stopped in front of one of the doors, he turned to look at Rae, who was lagging behind slightly as she walked leisurely to take in the view from the top floor of the building.

“Do you have the keys, Finn, or do I?”

“I do, but I can’t get to them with this box,” Finn replied.

“Do ya want me to take the box from you?”

“No, it’s pretty heavy,” Finn replied with a slight grunt as he adjusted his grip on the box to prove his point, “but can you get the keys out of my pocket?”

“Er, sure...which pocket?”

“Back left pocket of my jeans,” Finn said as he angled his body towards her so she could easily reach his pocket.

“Alright,” Rae replied as she hesitantly reached her hand into the pocket of Finn’s jeans to grab the set of keys.

“Uh, sorry,” Finn replied sheepishly when Rae pulled the keys out of his pocket and it elicited an unexpected giggle from him, “that tickled more than I expected.”

Rae laughed and shook her head, but stepped in front of Finn to unlock the door and allow him to walk inside first.

Once inside the door, Finn walked into the large open space that would eventually resemble a living room and placed the box he was carrying beside the other tall stacks of boxes.

“Was that the last box?” Finn asked over his shoulder as he restacked some of the boxes to reduce some of the clutter.

“Indeed! Who knew that between the two of us, we’d have so much stuff?” Rae asked with a laugh as she looked around the room at dozens of cardboard boxes that had been piled haphazardly around the room.

“I don’t know about you, but I’m very proud of how efficient we were today. We got all your stuff and my stuff packed into the moving truck and got it all brought up to the apartment all in a matter of hours!”

“That’s pretty impressive! We make a good team, huh?” Rae asked as she walked to stand beside Finn and bumped his hip with hers playfully.

“We absolutely do,” Finn replied as he wrapped an arm around Rae’s shoulders and pulled her slightly closer, “I think we deserve to reward our hard work. We should order some takeaway since we have no food here yet and then after we’ve eaten if we feel up to it, we can start unpacking boxes. What do you think about that?”

“I think it’s a great idea. I’ll order and you can go pick it up, if that’s alright with you? What do you want to eat?”

“Of course! I don’t have a preference, I’m just starving and would like a lot of food,” Finn added with a smile as he walked away.

Rae called in their takeaway order while Finn reorganized the boxes against the perimeter of the room to ensure that they had a clear path to walk around without tripping.

“Alright, our order should be ready in less than half an hour. I ordered from the Chinese restaurant just down the street because their online reviews looked really good. I hope that’s alright with you.”

“It’s great, thank you. I’ll leave to go pick it up as soon as I find my keys again,” Finn replied with a nervous chuckle.

“Your keys are on the kitchen counter,” Rae replied with a fond smile at Finn’s forgetfulness, “Do you want me to try to find some plates and utensils in one of these boxes while you’re gone?”

“Yeah, that’d be great!”

Once Finn grabbed his keys, wallet, and phone off of the counter where he had left them, he left to go pick up their takeaway order.

Rae searched through the stacks of boxes trying to find whatever she thought Finn and she would need to eat their takeaway and before long she heard the door unlock and Finn walking through the door.

“Sorry if I took longer than you expected. I, uh, wanted to--what is this?”

Rae beamed with pride at the look of surprise on Finn’s face when he walked into the living room to see a small lamp on top of a short stack of boxes to subtly light the room as well as a pile of pillows and blankets strategically arranged to make the floor more comfortable to sit on, since the couch they had bought online wouldn’t be delivered until next weekend.

“I was looking for the boxes with dishes in them and I got a little carried away,” Rae replied with a shrug as she walked up to take the bags of food from Finn.

“Well it looks great! I thought it seemed appropriate that we mark the occasion today with a drink,” Finn replied as he pulled a pack of beer from one of the bags Rae had placed on the kitchen counter, “so I picked this up too. I know it’s not champagne or anything fancy, but...”

“Don’t worry about it. Champagne is disgusting anyways,” Rae replied with a chuckle as she continued unpacking the bags of takeaway containers onto the counter.

“We can go ahead and serve ourselves food and then I also have my laptop here if you wanted to watch something or listen to music while we eat.”

“I don’t feel like paying close attention to anything, so maybe we can just put on some music?” Rae suggested.

After they had served themselves plates full of various entrees, noodles, and sautéed vegetables, Rae sat down on the pile of pillows and blankets as Finn grabbed his laptop to put on one of his many playlists to listen to in the background.

“It’s crazy to think how quickly everything has moved. I mean, less than a month ago I was panicking about how I was going to find a roommate and a little over a week ago we were barely starting to tour potential apartment!” Rae mused as she ate.

“No kidding! If you’d told me over a month ago that I would have moved out of my Da’s house and be living with you, I wouldn’t ever believe it,”

“Oh wow! Thanks, Finn!” Rae scoffed.

“That’s not what I meant! I just meant that I wasn’t serious about moving out until I found out how badly you needed to find a roommate. Even when I first suggested it, it was just a spur of the moment kind of thing. I couldn’t even fathom why you had agreed to be my roommate, if I’m being honest.”

“Well I’m glad that this whole thing worked out as well as it has so far!”

“Me too, Rae!” Finn replied as he lifted his can of beer into the air in cheers.

The pair continued eating and talking until both were completely stuffed and pleasantly buzzed on cheap beer.

“Wow,” Rae began after a long yawn, “I’m so exhausted!”

“I know what you mean! After lifting all those boxes, I’m sure both our arms are gonna be sore tomorrow.”

Rae leaned over to place both of their now-empty plates on top of one of the nearby boxes. When she sat back, Rae angled her body so she was leaning into Finn’s side.

She looked over at him, silently asking if that was okay, and while he looked a bit surprised, he didn’t hesitate to wrap his arm around her in a loose embrace.

“I don’t want to unpack boxes tonight. I have the day off of work tomorrow as well, so I’ll unpack tomorrow while you’re at work.”

“I can’t let you unpack everything alone! I’ll play hooky from work and stay here to unpack with you,” Finn replied.

“You don’t have to!”

“No, but I want to.”

“Alright,” Rae replied with a small smile as she allowed her eyes to slowly drift shut as they continued talking and listening to music.

When Finn stood from the ground and grabbed the dirty dishes to wash, he looked back to see Rae curled up on the pile of blankets, scrolling through her phone.

“Did you want another beer before I put them in the fridge?” Finn asked from the kitchen after he had finished washing their dishes and setting them aside to dry.

When he did not get a response, Finn walked out into the living room and was surprised to see Rae asleep on the pile of blankets, snoring lightly.

Finn chuckled quietly, walking back into the kitchen only long enough to turn off the light and returned to the living room.

Finn grabbed Rae’s phone from beside her face where she was laying down and set it on the box closest to her so she could easily find it in the morning.

With all of their larger furniture being delivered over the next week, Finn and Rae had already determined that they would be sleeping on the floor for the foreseeable future, so Finn simply unfolded one of the blankets that Rae was not laying on top of and covered her up with it. Finn considered his options for just a moment before shrugging and laying down on the pile of blankets and pillows in the space beside Rae and allowed the dizzying combination of exertion and excitement to lull him into a state of much needed sleep.

A/N: Yay! Move-in day is over and Finn and Rae are OFFICIALLY roommates! I know this point took a while to build up to, so I made a point to make this chapter extra cute and show how quickly Rae and Finn are getting used to the idea of living together and how adorably domestic these two idiots are even though they’ve only lived together less than a day.

The cuteness has only just begun and even just based on the chapters that I’ve already written or mapped out, there is a lot of fun shenanigans in the upcoming chapters. I know the last couple chapters have been super dialogue-heavy between Rae and Finn (idk how y’all feel about this...I LOVE to read/write dialogue-heavy stuff, but it may not be everyone’s cup of tea), but in the future chapters I’m bringing the gang back and we’ll get to see how the gang feels about the Rae/Finn living situation now that more time has passed.

Anyways, I hope you all enjoyed reading this chapter and as always: Stay awesome, my friends! :)

[meet-me-at-kingsmeet]

a/b/o arranged marriage au

I was writing the outline for the wedding sabotage au until i got bored. So I watched one of my fave movies Marie Antionette and had this idea. Wrote this drabble in a couple hours. I’m tired but its cute. idk if u want more lemme kno of course (dnt worry i’ll still work on the other one too). As always, love you guys a lot and enjoy <<<333

It has come to my attention, after discovering a possible invasion and attempt to conquer Delfeur, that I, King Aleron de Vere, implore a disparate annex towards Vere. It would be unwise to take an area of Veretian soil and expect absolute subjection. The Delfeurean people are loyal to the crown of Vere and a war against our country will cause the death of a great many young men and would impact the taxes of both our nations. Raises in taxes will lead both our people to restless behavior and acrimony towards you, King Theomedes. For you will be solely responsible for this war. You must also take into consideration that when compelling my people under your rule, they too will remember that you are solely responsible.

I would like to make an offer that both kingdoms, Vere and Akielos, should find presentable and most suitable for avoidance in war. Prince Damianos, heir to Akielos, is of age to marry and is yet to be. It is in Vere, The Council, and my greatest interest and contentment that my youngest son, Prince Laurent de Vere, has recently come of age. From what I have heard of your most honorable son is that he prefers the physiognomy that my son bears. Prince Laurent is an intelligent young man but knows when to hold his tongue, follow orders, and sustain his duties. In my most unbiased opinion I see it as a very tolerable match and constitutes itself as a preferred one of the people when the knowledge that it keeps from war is greatly acknowledged.

I hope you take this into great consideration. For both my people of Vere and the people of Akielos have their lives in your most dignified hand.

Sincerely,

The Regent finished and looked up towards his brother, King Aleron.

“See, dearest brother, all you need is to sign the document. I’ll have it sent and we wait for King Theomedes’ answer.” The Regent gave a wicked grin and placed and pen and paper on the desk in front of King Aleron, who had his head resting gravely against his hand.

“Laurent goes off to marry some sweaty barbaric-”

“He is much more use there than he is here. Prince Auguste is the only heir we desire and Laurent wastes his time riding and reading books and when not doing that he is distracting Prince Auguste with such nonsense.”

“A royal marriage will not only be beneficial to this Kingdom but to Laurent as well. He will be forced to learn Akielon and practice the social cues of both Veretian and Akielon.”

King Aleron gave a heady sigh. “And the council agrees with this idea?”

“They admire it greatly. They appreciate not sending their sons to war and sending the surly Prince away.” King Aleron gave a boisterous laugh. His younger brother only smiled and picked up the pen to hold it out towards his brother.

“One signature and two things happen: You stop a war and are beloved by both Veretian and Akielon alike, or King Theomedes denies the fruitful request and will be blamed by every mother who lost a son. Either way, you’re golden.”

King Aleron took the pen from his brother’s gloved hand and pondered up at him for a moment, distressing “how did you conclude to this idea?”

“I saw Laurent was...of age and yet so unbecoming of a Prince of Vere. I told him punishment would rain down on him and he refused to believe me.”

“So this is a punishment towards Laurent?”

The Regent puckered his lips in thought. It took him only a second to spew “a punishment is for teaching. This is Laurent’s lesson into his becoming of a noble Prince. And is,” The regent placed his finger just above the area for King Aleron to sign. “The very future of Vere.”

Studying the paper once over, King Aleron signed his salient signaturea and handed the paper back to his brother. When The Regent went to make his leave he was stopped by a sharp grip around his wrist. He turned back and gazed upon his older brother, who flipped his wrist upside down and kissed it once. “You have done a great service to me and this Kingdom, brother.” The Regent offered only a half smile and a nod.

“You know how much I care for you and this Kingdom,” and he permanently made his leave for the night.

*****

“It’s a dirty trick.” Kastor stated, loudly. It was only after several seconds of King Theomedes finishing the letter that Kasor had made the bold and derogatory statement.

“Perhaps, King Aleron is truly offering an olive branch in an attempt to avoid war-”

“Oh Gods, Damianos you cannot actually be serious? Your blind trust in these Veretian snakes is the real reason why Akielos would lose all its land to Vere.”

“Enough, Kastor. How dare you speak to your brother that way.” Kastor had only fumed at his father’s words, but held his jaw taut and avoided saying anything else for the brief moment.

“This proposal is an interesting one,” King Theomedes rubbed at his beard in reflection. “It shows that Vere is vulnerable, and that they cannot afford to fight in the war so they are attempting

“Or they are fully prepared to fight a war and are trying to offer an unknowingly better option.”

Kastor and Damen both began to argue over each other, Kastor pronouncing “bullshit this is an obvious attempt to trick us-

“Trick us? You act as though peace is such a terrible option-

“-into bringing in their veretian whore to spy while barely missing a war they know they couldn’t win-”

“Kastor don’t you dare refer to an innocent 13 year old as a ‘whore’ and ‘spy that’s indecorous-’”

“Oh look, father! Damen is already defending the little slut. Throw the ceremonial chiton on him now there is sure to be a most congenial wedding!”

A hard slam against the mahogany desk brought both the Akielon princes to attention. Damen turned towards his father with his head down while Kastor continued to carry his ill-look of disdain towards his brother. “This is not how my sons and heirs to this throne behave.”

A nod from Damen followed by a “Yes King, I apologize for my behavior. If I were to debate with another King I would be considered uncouth and childish.” Damen continued to keep his head down.

“I appreciate your apology, Damen, and forgive you under the fact that you are 19 and still learning. Kastor?” Kastor crossed his arms and rocked on his feet, displaying that he was not going to apologize for his, what he considered, rightful outburst. “Very well then. Damen you will tell me your opinion on this, Kastor will have no word,” at this Kastor uncrossed his arms and his countenance held a mixture of disbelief and heavy indignance.

“Father this is unwise-”

“You dare tell your King and Father how to-”

“No I am simply trying to make you understand that Damen is naive when it comes to foreign affairs and should not be given to decide on such a paramount decision.”

“I’ve had enough of your insolence, Kastor,” King Theomedes held his body up in a commanding form, yet still held grace and nobility while pointing his eldest son towards the door. Damen gazed upon his father’s stance, attempting to memorize and learn from its power. “Leave now.”

“But Father!”

“I am your King and you will do as I say before I throw you over this desk and beat your ass with a stick while the council watches.”

There was a standoff between father and son in that moment. Kastor had not left and Damen was experiencing physical anxiety from the idea of disobeying his father the way Kastor was. Eventually Kstor left by stomping his feet and slamming the chamber doors. King Theomedes shook his head but gave his full attention back to Damianos.

“What is it you wish to do, Damianos?”

“I believe accepting the extended olive branch will prove most prosperous between our two kingdoms. I cannot help but feel that if we go straight to war, without seeking a different, more peaceful approach, that we would be deceptive and irresponsible with our people.

King Theomedes nodded gracefully, “Laurent is only 13. You don’t seem to become hot at the idea of a youthful boy.”

“No, I do not and never will. I was thinking to make sure the arrangement stays solidified, Prince Laurent may stay in our Kingdom. Learns our Language and culture norms, then when he comes of age I take him as my bride.”

“The council?”

“I can take my argument of why this is a more acceptable idea than war. And if you are to be on my side they would be much more willing.”

“And Kastor? He will not agree to this at all.”

“This decision is more important than what Kastor agrees with.”

“He is your brother,” King Theomedes reminded.

“Yes but this is Akielos’ and Vere’s future and I am heir to the throne not Kastor and who I pick for my bride, especially if it benefits the people is not his concern.” Damen was starting to sweat under the hot breeze and excitement from his presentation. After his father stared him down for what seemed hours, Damen received a wide smile. King Theomedes walked out from behind the desk and threw his arm around his son, pulling him in close.

“That’s the passion I love, Damianos. The passion of a true king! I will stand by your side in this decision, Damianos. Remember, it is your first major one and foretell your strength as a leader and decision maker. Do not make a mistake, son.”

“I will think thoroughly and carefully and audit any advice or grievances given to me.” Damen placed his hand on his father’s shoulder and stared into his eyes. “I am grateful for this trust you have given me, Father-King. I will not disappoint.”

King Theomedes smiled and hugged his son briefly. Once he released Damen he went towards the chamber doors to tell a guard to fetch the council at once. He halted and glanced back at Damen.

“This Prince Laurent will need to be protected and gain the people’s approval. Even I hate the idea of him being here but I’m allowing this because of you. Don’t mistake an approval of a decision, for the eradication of an on-going prejudice.” 

Damen was completely unaware of what to say as he was left alone in the King’s advisory room. But from his father’s warning, he suspected that perhaps a war might have been easier.