#if only children can have fun call me kid XD

[lunarleonardo]

PRESSURE YESS!! Oh I'd *love* to see that!! Kaede would totally own a wall dweller! I can imagine Shuichi reading all the documents and starting a chart like "WHAT DOES IT MEAN?? WHAT HAPPENED"

Him figuring out what happened at Urbanshade BEFORE buying Sebastian's document^^^

And PLEASE talk about your OCS!!! I love hearing about them- the lore is always so fun to hear about :D tell me tell meee/nf

So I actually have two drv3 x Pressure AUs !! One is the oneshot AU, which I plan to write, and the other is the Pressure Time Loop. Shuichi takes Sebastian's place as Kokichi goes through every run over...and over...and over... But I could totally see Shuichi getting crazy invested in all the documents XD He's off to the side going "hmm..." while Kokichi is flashbanging Sebastian and Eyefestation every chance he gets. Kaede is having a silent panic attack the whole time and trying to make sure the boys don't get themselves killed. She was also 100% the first one to walk into a locker full of POVM (⁠个⁠_⁠个⁠) LOL

and oh I WILL talk about them!! LUNARLEONARDO ART REVEAL LETS GO BABY

Keep in mind before proceeding that some sensitive subjects might be covered here :{

Since their stories are so extensive and Tumblr might legitimately explode if I go into as much detail as I would've, I'll keep their stories as brief as I can. Starting with my favorite,

MONTSERRAT!!

(a lot of these are drawn on flipaclip so forgive me)

Mont, as you can probably assume, is an Undertale OC. They originally came from my avid Handplates AU obsession, so they were a Handplates OC (⁠个⁠_⁠个⁠) BUT! I have since deviated from that AU and now their AU has their own thing going on, even if there are still some similarities QwQ

The three were born as brothers, Sans and Mont being created as twins (hence why they look very similar. also papyrus i just hard to draw but shh) Of course, Gaster is their dad, except he is just.. straight up evil. There's no redeeming this guy sorry Gaster fans (me. I am the Gaster fan. :( funney void guy). Sans and Papyrus were often kept separate from Mont, mostly since they were a menace even while they were being experimented on lol. And because of this and the need to keep Mont in heavier security, the funny skeleton guys we know and love both escaped the lab together. These kids didnt think twice about taking Mont with them, mostly since they just assumed that they could find someone strong enough to defeat Gaster to save them afterwards. :")

Those two's escape scared the SHIT out of Gaster. Now all these people were gonna know that he was experimenting on children to try and make super soldiers to blow up the barrier with void power and wipe out humanity !! And he couldn't have that happen!! He tried his best to do damage control, but Snowdin (where the skelebros showed up after escaping the lab), kind of.. rioted?? Like imagine an angry mob with pitchforks and fire. That kind of riot. That drove Gaster all the way to the CORE, and down down down he went. With Gaster being erased from existence, so was his lab and his followers.

...of course, since you cannot truly erase anything-- not as a monster, at least-- Gaster and that lab were cast into the void. And thus... So was Mont.

Mont, of course, was confused. They were like 11 years old when this happened, and the only knowledge they had on anything was what they had learned from the books they snuck behind Gaster's back. They wandered the lab over and over, eventually coming to realize that wow, they really were alone. Everybody left. There was no way out for them. These negative emotions were too much for them to bear as the years went by, those feelings continued to grow and grow. And eventually, the void releases them from those emotions. At a price, of course. Mont called it the "Voidserpent"; a long, snake-like creature made of pure negativity (yes i was deep into the sans auverse) that kind of wanted to kill Mont ?? I mean when you have suicidal thoughts and all of your negative thoughts and stuff manifest as a Creature. It still wants itself dead. And itself is you, so um. mont spent a loooong long time running for their life in that lab (⁠´⁠；⁠ω⁠；⁠｀⁠) just running in circles

There is Kind Of a happy ending though! This brings us to my sweetheart Cleudo! :D

(i dont have much art of her ;_; cluedo im sorry)

Cleudo works as an assistant scientist under Alphys, researching primarily the void. Eventually, their research led them to find some of the weaker spots in their world, where essence of the void could be found and studied. One of those spots is deep within the forest of Snowdin, which is where she'd often be. One day, she decided to try and access the void. Probably not the wisest decision on Cleudo's part, but she's a liiittle impulsive xD

It was because of this decision though that she gave Mont the gateway they needed. They pretty much noclipped out of the floor, scaring the everloving shit out of themself AND Cleudo. By now they're 22, so they've spent a reeeally long time in that lab. Cleudo, who has NO idea what she just witnessed, decides to do the one thing she can do: Take this skeleton to Alphys' lab and make sure they're not radioactive or something. And also call Sans and Papyrus, the only skeletons in the underground.

Overtime Mont becomes ..kind of... accustomed to life. I'm not going to get into their AUs or Everything Stays (a roleplay between me and my gf with Mont and her oc) since we'd be here forever, but as for Mont in their "canon" timeline, they avoid the human like wildfire. In the True Pacifist route, I'd imagine you have the option to fight them if you go way out of your way. It'd just be something for fun, because Mont is very fun! They're very fun and silly and doesn't take much very seriously. They looove floating, they do it a LOT, and they do have a good handle on blue magic and teleportation. However their experience with physical attacks is.. lacking, and they're very much a "one hit kill" kind of monster. They can take a pretty hard punch, but if their HP drops any amount, they're screwed. They make up for this in evasiveness though, and they make use of their surroundings to use as a weapon. They are very much the kind of person to hit somebody with a table in a fight.

The last thing I wanna mention is that pink hat. The first ever story they appeared in was a roleplay called Fallen Deep, where they wore that hat. In Fallen Deep, they did some veerrry bad things, collapsing half the multiverse to try to wipe out every AU with a Gaster variant (they were, and are still kind of, very op LOL). That hat represents Fallen Deep Mont, and thus, what they did. While the hat is a building brick of their design, it's not something Mont often has in different AUs due to what it's connected to. rest in peace fallen deep mont you would've loved commentary youtubers

QUINN

Quinn is a funky little guy. His story is a lot simpler, so hopefully this section will be shorter XD

Quinn is the eldest son to Riley Anne, a popular seamstress. She and Quinn's father divorced when they agreed that they had different goals in life-- one wanted to persue parenthood while the other just wanted to stay on that workforce grind. Quinn's father would financially assist Riley Anne as she raised their children, since she couldn't do as much work as she used to being a single mom.

When Yu was very little, she was diagnosed with an incurable illness. Dont ask me what illness because i dont know💕 but the point is that there is a very, very small chance that Yu will make it beyond double digits. Both Riley Anne and Quinn loved Yu very very much, but unfortunately, when she was 8 and Quinn was 11, Yu passed away. Quinn was right next to her in the hospital when she went, so she at least went feeling as safe and loved as possible. When this happened, Riley Anne was out getting food, unaware of her daughter's rapidly declining condition. And when she got back, she found Quinn holding Yu's hand, kind of just... frozen. It's not every day you watch someone die before your very eyes, especially not when you're as young as Quinn was. Seeing this, something in Riley Anne just... snapped. Her daughter couldn't be gone yet, the doctors said they had at least a few more years together. What happened? She was only gone for no less than a few hours.

And it hit her in that moment. Quinn must have murdered her daughter.

Of course, Quinn never did such a thing. But Riley Anne needed some reason to explain why she wasn't there with her daughter when she passed. And so Riley Anne took Quinn home. And things got... bad.

For two weeks, it was an extremely unstable household. I won't go into detail, but it was to a point that Quinn was too afraid to leave his room. He took to his father's religion for comfort, praying every day to the moon to protect his sister, wherever she was, and to bring his mother down from whatever delusional break she was having. (Note: this is not based on any real life religion, god or faith ^^")

One day, a particularly bad fight broke out. It was the usual "you killed your sister"/"what are you even talking about" argument, when things got violent. Riley Anne grabbed a knife, and Quinn, knowing perfectly well he was in danger, booked it for the front door. The neighbors intervened when they heard screaming in the front lawn, and although they stopped Riley Anne from murdering her son, he was in really bad shape. He had been stabbed over like, what, ten times ? I forget the exact number, but he almost died. And as the ambulance and police arrived, the moon god stayed true to her word-- her promise to protect those who dedicated their faith to her-- and Quinn survived. However, because of the severity of the wounds, Quinn was left with the inability to express or even feel most of his emotions. That's why is his eyes are white like that, and why he has such a flat expression. He physically cannot express anything else ｡⁠:ﾟ⁠(⁠;⁠´⁠∩⁠`⁠;⁠)ﾟRiley Anne was carted off to a psych ward, so shes getting the help she needs.

Little 11 year old Quinn, was now all alone. This ones gonna be hard to explain it youve been thinking about this from a standard sociental standpoint, but basically Quinn's father buys Quinn a mansion for him to live in, which is fairly deep in the woods. It is connected to a local town though, where a lot of the adults there help Quinn out. They give him some easy jobs around town and sometimes they stop by his house to make sure he isnt like. Yknow. Starving to death. Quinn also has a lot of domesticated animals that keep him company and also make sure he is not Starving To Death. Now might be a good time to mention that I created Quinn as a Rise of the TMNT OC and he is friends with Leo who makes fun of him for being an orphan and yeah im gonna stop there

WORLD ENDER

oh boy okay this one

So this is World Ender, once known as Zelyx (the one in the tv). Zelyx was always powerful, even in their home universe. And one day, they simply just... got bored. Their home universe was an awful place to be, unjust to those who were not already at the top of the societal ladder. So Zelyx's solution? BLOW IT UP!!!

After destroying their home world, Zelyx travelled from universe to universe, looking for something that would entertain them. And eventually, they came to realize that it was ending these worlds that brought them the most joy. So they took on the name and form of "World Ender". Their whole thing is basically just going from universe to universe and ending worlds with life on them >_> they're kind of an asshole

Now as you might have noticed, Shuichi is in that second picture. Well! That is from an AU called, wouldn't you know it, World Ender/Alternative. However I won't be getting into that here, since it's not directly part of World Ender's story. It's more of a Shuichi AU tbh :p

SOMBRE

It'd be a crime not to mention my DAUGHTER. This is Sombre! It'd take FOREVER to explain what's up with her so I'll keep it simple. Sombre is a creature called a sokochou, which is something a funky little lab deep in the woods nearby realllly wants. This is "GreenFirest Lab", who further science via unethical experimentation. basically it's because of them that legit furries exist in this universe so you can imagine how humanity reacted to that. Anyhow, Sombre, also called "GFLS-53", took on the role as the "Hound", totally robbing this one guy of his job. sorry 27 xd

The Hound is a role in the lab created to prevent containment breaches and mostly to stop the less stable and/or pissed off ones from starting a massacre. Whenever a subject escapes their cell, it's Sombre's job to take them back and/or fight them into submission. yeah so you'll never guess what sombre does after some scientists fuck up their experiment with her LMAO

Sombre is taken over by what we call "Voltage", and it does the exact massacre it was her job to stop. Many subjects die, almost all the scientists die as other subjects break out and kill them. There's a lot of death on this fateful night :( And Sombre's friends, Cybro, Stargazer, 27, and arguably Ender and VD, are rightfully confused and afraid of her actions. They take to helping subjects evacuate, escaping into the forest. 27 tries his best to bring her down, and hes almost killed. He wouldve been killed if not for his bf VD. Ender and Stargazer are helping people evacuate. It's only when Cybro, a robot dog with the soul of the lab's founder's son, asks Sombre to kill him; to finally relieve him from his duty. Sombre only comes back to herself after killing Cybro, which she is Extremely Devastated about. also 27 set the entire building on fire so it's probably time to run lol. anyways Sombre goes home a changed woman and she reunites with her sister and girlfriend and yay!! everyone is happy! except for 27 who will forever be mad at sombre for taking his job

HAKURA SAINOU & KUROKA KASHIN

Okay so these are my two Danganronpa OCs!! This is Hakura and Kuroka :3 the girlfriends ever

Hakura is the Ultimate Profiler. I watched a little too much Criminal Minds and the brain worms got me xD. meanwhile Kuroka is the Ultimate Investigator! Sadly Kuroka doesnt have much to her yet :( actually neither of them have that much. But they do work together to solve crimes and stuff and they are sooo in love . The reason they don't have that much is because I've been so focused on my fics I haven't though much about my OCs ;_; BUUUT they are in my heart trust

Those are pretty much all the main ones I could think of :p If you've read this far. Why and how . But also thank you !!! I hope my funky little guys entertained you at least a little bit :3 I had to pull out my computer to finish this post and let me tell you my wrist huurrrtts. This took me like 3 hours to do LMFAO

I am nervous to be posting this QwQ I could say a LOT more about them, like Mont's AU business, the other characters within Sombre's story, World Alternative... but this post is getting rlly long and I need to cook dinner xD Thank you for giving me the opportunity to go absolutely insane for a bit!! I really appreciate it I love talking about the funney little guys in my brain :3

[robinlmaoo]

i literally don’t know what to put here

hello. i can’t bother to be A E S T H E T I C and themey like the other tumblr intros so uhhhh here we go i guess an INTRO ABOUT ME!!

this is just going to be a bunch of random shit. i have put this off for too long now.

my name is robin!

(a bunch of my “creations” i guess. can you realise the extremely inconsistent art style. huh. help—)

(more under cut)

i like the following fandoms!

cells at work (code black more-ish. 5377 and 3846…)

minecraft (the game not the youtube community)

kid icarus uprising/super smash bros (that fixations been DEAD for a bit now but i still think dark pit’s cool)

sky: children of the light (i have wanted to get back into the game for a LONG TIME NOW (2 years) but school has me in a choke hold)

prince series (this comic obscure asf outside of southeast asia. and i loveeee. my boy SHINTAROU)

vocaloid (here only for flower and the kagamines. miku is cool tho)

stuff i do instead of do my homework

write

draw

animate

obsess over my favourite characters

(see tag #robin rambles)

things to note about me

i tend to post obsessively and biasedly towards a single character/a single character pair so if you don’t like that my blogs not for ya!

i also write 99 mol/dm3 concentration angst in my fics so uh. yeah.

i am purely taking part in creation for the sake of fun and my mental health so if my writing is inaccurate/drawings are not anatomically correct do not nitpick about that since I DO NOT CARE /nm

i use tone tags a lot. like a lot. when talking to people in dms. so yeah

uhhh will probably be update in time since i am about to sleep rnnnn so yeah!

PLEASE TALK TO ME ABOUT MY FAVORUTIE CHARACTERS

[queenbananya]

So I found this around, can I ask for Kazuki/ Rei?

♥ Send a ship and I'll give you who:

- Gives nose/forehead kisses

- Gets jealous the most

- Picks the other up from the bar when they’re too drunk to drive

- Takes care of on sick days

- Drags the other person out into the water on beach day

- Gives unprompted massages

- Drives/rides shotgun

- Brings the other lunch at work

- Has the better parental relationship

- Tries to start role-playing in bed

- Embarrassingly drunk dancer

- Still cries watching Titanic

- Firmly believes in couples costumes

- Breaks the expensive gift rule during Christmas

- Makes the other eat breakfast

- Remembers anniversaries

- Brings up having kids

This seems fun, I'll give it go.

- Gives nose/forehead kisses: absolutely Kazuki.

- Gets jealous the most: Honestly, neither. Rei doesn't understand when he's getting hit on and Kazuki would be amused and happy with Rei getting attention. Rei might get a bit upset but doesn't care too much and would never vocalize it. So let me change my answer: Rei.

- Picks the other up from the bar when they’re too drunk to drive: None. Rei won't get drunk at the bar. He also won't pick Kazuki up. If Rei was the type to drink Kazuki would definitely pick him up though.

- Takes care of on sick days: Well, Kazuki. Rei doesn't really know what to do but he does worry a bit, or he might forget Kazuki's dying and only remember when Kazuki calls him and tells him to bring him medicine.

- Drags the other person out into the water on beach day: Kazuki

- Gives unprompted massages: Kazuki might try to and get rejected. Rei awkwardly if he's trying to express something or Kazuki asks him to and catches him in a good mood.

- Drives/rides shotgun. Kazuki pretty canonly almost exclusively drives. Rei only when he has to.

- Brings the other lunch at work: Kazuki snuck into a no-parent schooltrip to bring Miri lunch. I think that answers this question xD

- Has the better parental relationship: as much as Kazuki would hate this answer, Rei.

- Tries to start role-playing in bed: I can't picture them randomly roleplaying in bed, but this reminds me of my fic where Kazuki says they roleplay as hitmen to get out of a tricky situation with Miri's daycare xD

- Embarrassingly drunk dancer: Kazuki again. Rei doesn't dance. I'd like to picture a future where he does go out and dance with Kazuki. Maybe Kazuki drags him outside and they slow dance, or Kaz just grinds on him dirtily and Rei's kind of interested.

- Still cries watching Titanic: ofc Kazuki.

- Firmly believes in couples costumes: when he's single, Kazuki mocks the couple costumes but once he's not he'll see a couple with some corny matching shirts and will make Rei wear one with him

- Breaks the expensive gift rule during Christmas: What the hell is the expensive gift rule for christmas lol probably Rei because he'd also have no clue

- Makes the other eat breakfast: easily Kaz

- Remembers anniversaries: both really, though Kazuki would be the only one that makes a big deal about it

- Brings up having kids: if we're talking about a world without Miri, Kazuki. It wouldn't occur to Rei. With Miri, I don't believe either would want more children.

[e-dubbc11]

400 Follower Celebration | Song Lyric Prompts

*You know I'm a sucker for a good song lyric game. XD

Muse: Donald Pierce Song Lyrics: "I turn my back and you're messin' around. I'm not bein' jealous. Don't like lookin' like a clown." -Joan Jett & the Blackhearts ;)

If not that one, then here's another encouraging nudge from yours truly… ;)

Muse: Quinn Mckenna Song Lyrics: Runnin' just as fast as we can, holdin' onto one another's hand. Tryin' to get away into the night and then you put your arms around me and we tumble to the ground and then you say, "I think we're alone now."

LMAO! I couldn't resist. I figure that whole scenario would make for a great getaway scene that could lead to something hot and heavy with Quinn endin' up on top of the other muse or somethin'. LOL! Either way, I have absolute faith in your abilities to tap into both muses, sweetheart! Just have fun with it and go for whatever gets those juices flowin'! Happy 400 Followers, darlin'! *hugs tight and smooches yer cheek* MUAH! <333

DAX!!! Thank you so so much for following me and I know we haven’t had any lately (I’m sorry) but I love our little chats, they always make me smile 😊 I send you all the hugs and smooches right back to ya! ♥️

And thank you for sending in this prompt and being a part of my celebration . I chose Pierce for this one (maybe I’ll do Quinn too at some point) but I wanted to get this one out for you. But please be gentle, this is my first time writing for him. I hope you like it ♥️

I Hate Myself for Loving You

Photos are not mine. They are courtesy of Pinterest/Google.

Pairing: Donald Pierce x F! Reader

Warnings: A swear word or two, bit of angst, fluffy bunnies and unicorns

Word Count: 2k-ish

Summary: Your new job at Alkali-Transigen has you crushing on the head of security

A/N: This is my first time writing for Pierce, I hope I did an ok job. Thank you for reading!

You accepted the job at Alkali-Transigen because it was the only place willing to hire you with little laboratory experience but you also hoped it would be temporary. You were very familiar with what they did there.

Yes, they were mutants but they were children. They didn’t have families, they grew up inside the facility, treated like science experiments, and were designed to be used as weapons.

But they were just kids and they deserved to grow up in a place where they could just be…kids, not in a holding room or being watched by armed guards outside their rooms.

Even though you didn’t work directly with the kids, you did everything you could to make them feel like someone cared like by bringing them candy, little toys, coloring books, and crayons.

You just felt bad for them and always wished you could do more.

Donald Pierce was head of security and leader of a militant group called the Reavers and when you saw him on your first day at Transigen, you were smitten even though you knew you shouldn’t be. Everyone told you to stay away from him but you didn’t listen.

You had heard he dated a couple of the nurses at Transigen that didn’t end well. And he was also the one they sent out to bring back anyone that tried to run, so you did your best to keep your head down and do the job you were hired to do.

Temporary…it’s only temporary.

He found you working on a Saturday morning in the lab, finishing up some paperwork you didn’t get done the day before.

“Oh…I’m sorry, darlin’. I didn’t know anyone else was here.” He said.

God, his accent was sexy. You played it cool though.

“Oh it’s alright, Mr. Pierce. I’m just finishing up and I’ll be leaving soon, if you need me out faster I can just—“ You stated before he cut you off.

“Now, now I didn’t say you had to leave. You just took me by surprise, is all. That’s not easy to do either. And Mr. Pierce is too formal for someone like me, so please call me Donald or Donnie is fine too. It’s nice to meet you Miss…” He trailed off.

You were hypnotized by his sly smile and southern charm but you snapped out of your trance long enough to answer him.

“Oh! It’s y/l/n…y/f/n y/l/n. I just started a month or so ago.”

One side of his mouth curled up into a slight smile.

“Oh no, I remember. You had your hair pulled back in a low bun that day and I noticed you had a little skull and crossbones pin on your lab coat there.” He said. “As you can see, I’m a fan of the skull and crossbones also.” Chuckling a little, he pointed to the tattoo on his throat.

His memory was impressive. There were a lot of new hires that started that day and he remembered you.

“You have a good memory Mr. Pierce.” You said, completely forgetting that he said it was alright you call him by his first name.

“Well, I never forget a pretty face.” He said with a warm smile, flashing his gold tooth.

Heat rose to your cheeks and warmth spread across your chest as you felt yourself turn different shades of red which is when he asked you to go out for a drink with him. It was the first of many dates with Donald Pierce.

He definitely did not look like Prince Charming, however he could be VERY charming and sweet. That slight southern drawl when he’d call you “sweetheart” or “baby,” made you weak in the knees. The bad boy type always enticed you, gripped you tightly and never wanted to let go and Donnie was no exception.

It was difficult to explain why you were attracted to a guy who had a mechanical arm, a throat tattoo, and a gold tooth but he really was handsome and his bad boy persona made him irresistible to you. He couldn’t be all bad though, could he?

But you weren’t the only one who found his bad boy image irresistible.

It seemed like everywhere you went together, women found Donnie attractive and they never tried to hide it either but what really upset you was when he would flirt back. Who knows what he did when you weren’t around. Maybe you were starting to regret not taking the advice from your co-workers, they did warn you after all.

You wondered if any of them had developed deeper feelings for Donnie so they hated seeing him with you and you hated the fact that you might be in love with him. Was he husband material? Or were you just having fun?

He hasn’t said what his feelings are toward you either so maybe it was just a fling and that’s why he flirted with other women. There was never talk of being exclusive and Donnie did seem like the guy you used as a fling between boyfriends rather than being an actual boyfriend.

He seemed to really like you too though.

“You haven’t run screamin’ for the hills yet but I’m not exactly the kinda guy you bring home to meet mom, ya know? The things Transigen has asked me to do…you don’t know the half of it, sweetheart. But I have to be a strong leader and I relay the orders I get to the Reavers. I can’t appear weak. I’m just not a good guy. I promise you, I do my best not to hurt them when I bring them back after they run.” He told you.

“I know the kind of work you do. I tell myself that ‘it’s just his job, it’s not all that he is’. You’re not a bad guy, Donnie.” You told him.

It scared you to think of telling him how you actually felt about him. He said he was surprised that you didn’t even flinch a little when he touched his mechanical hand to your skin. It was something that he was always a little ashamed of and it surprised you that he actually shared that with you.

“I’m not whole, darlin’.” He had said.

You had touched his mechanical hand, held it in yours and told him that it was just a part of him. It didn’t make him any less of a person in your eyes but he worried. He worried about hurting you, if he gripped your skin too tightly there wasn’t any sensation in his hand so he didn’t know how much pressure he was applying.

“I know you’d never hurt me, Donnie. You never have.” You had said.

But that was a lie.

True, he had never hurt you physically but emotionally, it hurt to watch him flirt with other women though and more than you cared to admit to. It wasn’t necessarily jealousy, it was just humiliating.

And it all boiled over one night when you met him out for dinner and drinks at your favorite local bar. Earlier on the phone, he said he was having a rough day and that he just wanted to relax with dinner and drinks with “his girl.”

As you stepped into the crowded bar, you scanned the crowd for Donnie and found him sitting at a low table in the dimly lit bar area. A wide smile stretched across your lips as you got closer to him but that smile disappeared when you saw the beautiful blonde in a short tight dress sitting across from him.

“There she is. Hey baby.” He waved and turned to the blonde and said, “you’re in her seat, darlin’.”

Your cheeks flamed with anger and your tightly clenched fists rested at your sides with your knuckles showing white.

You couldn’t take it anymore.

“Ya know what? I’ll go. You can have dinner with “legs” here.” You said, turning on your heels and heading for the door.

You heard him call out after you.

“Baby wait! Y/N!”

Suddenly, you felt cold hard metal wrap around your wrist and then your body was being pulled into the coat closet.

“Let go of me, Donnie…NOW!” You yelled.

He shook his head and pressed his lips together in a straight line before saying, “No, I’m not letting go until you tell me what the hell that was all about, sweetheart.”

He gazed down at you with his sky blue eyes, standing close enough to you that you were sharing the same air and because he was holding onto you with his mechanical arm, he couldn’t feel how hot your skin was from the pent up anger you’ve been holding on to for awhile now.

“I don’t like lookin’ like a fool, Donald! How do you think that makes me feel when you flirt with other women like that? And that’s not the first time!” You said, sternly.

Still holding onto your wrist, he replied, “They flirt with me, baby. I don’t wanna be rude. Are ya jealous?” He asked calmly.

“I’m not jealous, I’m embarrassed and I am mad at you and I hate myself for it because it’s not like we’ve ever talked about being exclusive or anything, so I know I don’t really have any right to be angry or jealous but...” You said trailing off with tears burning the back of your eyes and turning away from him so he wouldn’t see the tears that were about to spill over and streak down your cheeks.

He let go of your wrist and with his other hand turned your head toward him and tilted your chin up so you were looking into his eyes.

“Baby, I don’t want you to feel that way. Why would you say that you hate yourself?” He asked.

You inhaled sharply before letting out a long exhale.

“Because…I’ve fallen for you, Donnie.” You whispered. “And I’m afraid you don’t feel the same way because of the way you are always flirting with other women in front of me.”

Your tears had spilled over.

“Well, number one that’s no reason to hate yourself, I am pretty easy to fall for. It’s the accent isn’t it.” He said with a smug smile on his face as you rolled your eyes. But his tone changed as he said, “I really don’t mean to flirt back, I am just tryin’ be polite, darlin’ but I’ll do better because…I’ve fallen for you too, Y/N.” He said, brushing the tear away from your cheek.

Shaking his head, he said. “I don’t hear the L-word very often. But that is what you meant, right?”

You snaked your arms around his neck and gave him a warm smile.

“Yes Donnie, that’s what I meant.” You said and gently pressed your lips to his. “I do love you, ya know when you’re not sitting with hot blondes in tight dresses.”

He let out a little laugh.

“Your ass is the only one I wanna look at in a short tight dress. I love you, sweetheart.” He said.

You pulled him into a tight embrace and Donald winced in pain.

“Easy darlin’, I got shot today.” He said with a slightly wicked smile.

Your mouth dropped as you lifted his shirt and saw the bloody bandage on his oblique but it didn’t look bad.

“Is this what you meant earlier when you said you had a ‘bad day!!?’” You asked with concern in your voice.

He captured your lips again, his were warm and firm as his tongue parted your lips to tangle with yours. The bristles of his beard lightly tickled your cheeks, causing you to giggle. His mechanical hand gripped your waist tightly, pulling you flush with him while his other hand tangled in your hair.

He winked and gave you a sly smile, showing off his gold tooth. “It’s just a flesh wound, baby. C’mon, I’ll tell ya all about it over dinner.”

Tagging: @munsonownsmyass @ilovewhiteroses (I know you ladies love Boyd also) feel free to ignore 🤣

[julymarte]

Friendship

(you can find this pic without the walltext in the #meme redraw tag in my blog)

So the other day i made THIS post so i thought i'd share more information about their relationship

Taru might end up a lil in the shadow of her more popular friends but she really is the glue that keeps them together somehow, starting from the beginning...Taru and the twins pretty much grew up together they are more than just childhood friends they are almost relatives you know when you call the parents of your childhood friends uncle and aunt even if you are no way related? That thing. they are pretty much cousins- when they were children they were almost inseparable they almost spent more time together than with their siblings ( both the twins and taru have younger sisters, they also have a close bond). growing up the friendship with Nakir grew more than the one with Uri, they are still very good friends but other than gossiping and having some walks and chit chat around the market they don't do much else, with nakir instead they share the same 1 braincell if there's something dumb or risky be sure that they will team together and do it anyway for the thrill of it. Both Nakir and Taru did feel pretty sad when they had to be separated for 8 long years when she enrolled the Red Moon Academy(might do a post about the whole merc system one day let me know if you'd like to see it) and they most likely made other friends Nakir out and Taru inside of it but none as meaningful as what they have so upon their reunion it was an immediate decision to become teammates and work on missions and assignments together.

As for Pravaal...Him and Taru met for a very short time before she entered the academy but we need a little context here, mercenaries in the kingdom of moon are actually a lil bit different from what one may imagine while thinking about a regular merc, some of them have gathered quite the fortune and gained a title on par as nobility ... some are more on the fancy snob side others more on the military side...Taru's family on the part of her mother is one of them(on the military side), Pravaal is a noble sure but he has technically no ties with mercenaries aside from his runaway father most likely being one BUT a couple of merc nobility with ties with the academy offered to give him shelter after he reached out for help from the academy after fleeing from home when just a kid so, for a couple of years, they were eachother's only friendly face at those booooring adult meetings.Taru's sister seemed to enjoy them while both Taru and Pravaal used to spend their time making fun of the snobby rich elders and finding ways to prank them, he would be pretty shy about it back then but she wouldn't hesitate to take the lead on the mischief... they met again when she graduated and to her surprise he and Nakir knew eachother too cause they had been training together for the purple class, she did not expect them to have developped a rivalry tho XD (and of course she had no idea to what happened with Uri) It's just thanks to her that the three became a trio, one day Nakir and Pravaal were arguing on who would take a specific mission and she just proposed " why don't we go together" they reluctanctly accepted but it ended up being a big success, the chemisty of the party was a bit unstable at first but even tho Nakir and Pravaal deny it, they are a pretty good team. And after a good mission what's best than a niiiice celebration at the Twiin moons, they sure have become regulars at that (shady) pub and it's not rare to see them hand around there- but yeah good things don't always last, have you ever had that one friend that disappears after they get a special other? well this is kinda what happens here except their drifting away is not much cause they don't hang outtogether anymore but cause they LITTERALLY MOVE TO OTHER WORLDS, she of course has the means and will go see them but it's always kinda bittersweet

[twilightknight17]

P3R while I was gone, part 2: featuring unnecessary romantic issues, ride or die, and the last full moon.

In the last two weeks before the end of everything, we visit Fuuka’s class next door, where Natsuki has an announcement to make!

“Goodbye everyone, I’ll remember you all in therapy!” XD

More seriously, though, Fuuka is very upset. But they have a lovely conversation on the roof, and Natsuki promises to keep in touch. It helps Fuuka realize that she finally has real friends and a place to belong, and it leads to her persona evolving.

Juno is cool. ^_^ I like the wings.

I spend my time after school with Bebe to finish off his social link. He’s taking the kimono back to France to show his uncle, in the hopes that he’ll be allowed to continue living in Japan.

I’m not sure how leaving in the middle of the second semester works, but I guess it’s okay?

Considering Maiko, I’m starting to think most of my social links are going to end with people leaving. The bookshop couple didn’t, but like… they own the store. But anyone not specifically tied down has a chance of disappearing.

….DANGER NOODLE! I was wondering if you were here!!

I’ve only got one ongoing nighttime social link, so I have some time for browsing the websites I’ve bought from the deep web informant. This time, we’re going to check out a blog that guarantees to increase the yield of my crops. ^_^

……………….is… is this really the website link we bought from a sketchy dude in a club? God. At least it told me where to buy golden tomato sprouts.

The next day, we’re heading back to Tartarus to retrieve our monthly victims who wander in, as well as another cat!

Another one of my social links is in trouble, and it’s Maiko this time, which… how dare? That is a child?

Maiko was supposedly moving away that day, so… I wonder if it’s always the same links that go missing, or if it’s random. Because both times, I’ve been warned of dire consequences if I don’t save them, but it’s also been people I’ve already maxed. So that’s kind of silly.

We’ve also found the last(?) memoir piece in Monad, which…

Prince, huh? Does that make me the prince’s consort? :D

We had to leave Tartarus because we’ve reached another border floor. I GUESS we’ll never get to see what’s past it, since Tartarus is going to disappear after the next full moon. It’s SO SAD that we’ll never see the top. Can’t believe the game is almost over.

Lmao

Anyway, back to social linking and school. XD

Never change, sensei.

I’ve been helping Yuko train some elementary schoolers to run a race against the middle-school kids who want to take over their play area. They tied their race and apparently made friends with the middle-schoolers, so we’re having a party to celebrate their success, even though they keep calling me Yuko’s boyfriend. I laughed it off, and so did Yuko.

No problem! Your room’s nice. Cool stereo.

We laughed that off, right???? So why are you asking me about whether I’d want my hypothetical kid to be a boy or a girl. In conjunction with talking about your future kids?

Yeah, apparently picturing our future children. X’’’’D Look, Yuko, you’re great, and I’m glad you’ve discovered what kind of career path you want to take in the future. But I don’t think this is gonna work out.

I forgot that eventually I’m going to have to start turning down people developing crushes on me. It always makes me feel a little bad because I do like them, I just don’t want to date them?

(I want to date Mitsuru, but I’m not a ~*genius*~ yet.)

At least Aigis is having fun with her yakuza novels.

After school the next day, I receive a call from Kenji, who is freaking the hell out.

Dude, what the fuck. Were you just going around talking about this to people other than me? I thought it was a secret.

But the man in my dreams insists that I remember the consequences of my actions, so you should too. I don’t know what you expected to happen when you decided to court the ETHICS TEACHER. FFS, Kenji. Keep it together. I don’t even know if I can offer advice for this one.

At least Strega is having real problems.

They grew up in a lab, with only each other. I can understand their feelings regarding that, at least. It’s the same sort of thing as with Goro in P5R. Removing the memories of those experiences would completely change who they are as people. Like, they’re not a good people, but the solution to that is not wiping everything and making them someone else.

Jin still remembers what Takaya told him, to get him through all of that.

Taking that away would be… cruel.

But we can’t keep going like this, either.

There’s two days left, and only one of my Sunday social links is ready to rank up, so let’s go hang out with my track rival!

...you know, at least you have parents and siblings. Mine are dead. Please don’t assume anything about me. :/

So now, at last, it’s the night before the finale! Time for one last team meeting. Everyone is grateful to me for being leader, and Mitsuru is finally willing to fess up what her real reason for fighting is. It’s not entirely about righting her family’s wrongs. It’s about protecting her father.

She’s been doing this since probably even BEFORE middle school. No wonder she wants to bring an end to it so badly.

Well, we all know what’s coming. Strega is going to try to stop us. But we can’t stop now.

Takaya, you’re still not wrong, but you’re being willfully ignorant of what the actual problem is.

Jin is a Fortune arcana, and his persona looks like a spinny dice. :D

But there’s more of us than there are of them, so this was never really a contest, even if they are strong.

I dunno if evokers are really “naturally awakened”, but… yeah. Forcing it isn’t good for you. That should be obvious.

Mitsuru wasn’t aware of the fact that the Kirijo Group was experimenting on people. Which, she was a child, so I’m not surprised. But based on the note Takaya gave me before, part of the reason to experiment on other kids was to make things safer for Mitsuru. So… we probably shouldn’t tell her that.

I’m starting to think we don’t know a lot of things.

Takaya is willing to shoot himself with his real gun, but Jin stops him. Even if it’s just so he doesn’t go by himself.

They fall back over the side of the bridge, and then it’s just us and the final shadow.

Honestly, I hate the Hanged Man. The fact that it’s being held up by hooks in its skin is gross. X’D The gimmick was interesting, though. It could give itself a bunch of extra turns, and it hit really hard. Not quite final-boss hard, but it was a challenging fight.

But we won!

We can go home content in the knowledge that the world is now safe from the Arcana Shadows.

...I didn’t even know you could exist outside of the Dark Hour, honey. Wow. This is surreal.

What do you think of the sun? Have you ever seen it before? Have you seen it through me?

Yeah. Things are good. ^_^

……….

Can you at least tell me why you have to leave?? What did you remember? What ruined this miracle? I might need to know that?????

If you cry, I’m going to cry.

I wish I could hug him, but… God forbid a protagonist be allowed to hug anyone. Except Yukari in Yakushima. X’’’’D

I’ll see you soon, Pharos. Love you.

[chevvy-yates]

From the OC ask game for all of your boys: 11 and, for Ryder specifically (I'm not playing favourites ssshhhh): 33, 34, 35?

11. what do they have in common with you? how are they different? would you get along with them?

Oh boy … what a question Dx I'll try to hold it short:

Vijay:

In Common: huge love for sea animals since we were kids, 80s, retro fashion, ginger hair (mine is colored tho as I'm naturally brown), overthinking and problems to find sleep at night as thoughts run around in our minds constantly, on constant low energy as overworking outselves is 'daily life', undecided about everything (we always want to be Switzerland) different: smokes, his character is the opposite of mine as he's outgoing, loves to be around people. He always needs some affection/love or he will feel alone, he is good with computers/mathematics, understands the feelings of others very well, knows how to pep talk We would get along but not be besties. He would definitely call me often, try to lure me out of my cave to have some fun. I'd go but maybe I'll be exhausted. cannot do it everyday as Vijay knows too many people in the city. I would go nuts to know that many and have to talk so much. Though, he too has days he needs a bit lone time to load his battery due to the overworking habit.

Ryder:

In Common: being German and Hessian, all things black, definitely the perfectionism, some ocpd tendencies (his are heavier than mine tho), fast to get aggressive about the tiniest things (day is done then), not keen to start a conversation with anyone from our side, the judging gaze, always right and others are wrong, love for hard beats (techno, dark wave, industrial), only wanting to be around people when on a (rave) event/party, introvert acting extrovert in certain situations, low self-esteem (that got better with years of maturity, but can break), don't like to be really spontaneous (needs to be planned at least 2 days prior), dislike when someone is too late for a meeting, small circle of friends, problems to articulate how we feel, everything pistaccio, popsicles and lollipops, love to take pictures in cool outfits but hate when someone takes pictures in private, high interest in military and space. different: chain-smoker, relationsship with his family is bad (mine is not), heavy mobbing in the past happened to him (i got mobbed as well but for being different as I was allowed to dress like I've wanted - Ryder not, he was mobbed for being not good enough), when he works he is super focused (I'm not) as Beast steers him, he is probably funnier than I am and more outgoing too (again this is Beast's influence as well as 'real Ryder' used to be a shy introverted boy who spent time only with a small circle of friends), does lots of sport I think we would definitely love hate each other as we are very similar. xD As you can see Ry and I share the most in common, he is sort of a self insert but not a full one. Idk if I could be with him 24/7 but we would definitely get along and be somewhat close to besties. I never told it but he likes Hizumi very much as Hizumi is similar like him (and Hizumi is technially me). I bet he would drag me out more often as I spent too much time at home alone and I'd be the one who gives him a pep talk when he feels down – at least as good as i am able to bc, feelings and understanding them are ugh.

Thyjs:

In common: Military clothings (olive, camo – I dig this so much), only talks when addressed, love for classical art (impressionism) and music. 60s/70s Rock('n'Roll), drinks alcohol only when going out, love for thunderstorms, bicycling/mountainbiking different: smokes, has ptsd and emotional numbing, knows what he wants, strong personality type, family bound (would even marry and have children, I do not) We would get along, but I'd have super huge respect towards him but appreciate his silent presence the most.

Jaysen:

in common: doesn't smoke and never ever tried it out, taste for cool cars and all things cowboys, rowdyness (i may not be as rebelious as he is but I rebel against certain things and u can't change my mind), different: all what his brother above is plus careless what others think of him We would get along but I would have a hard time to have him around as he's so energetic in contrast of his lil brother xD.

Hizumi:

In common: nonbinary, doesn't smoke, has my face, fashion style (a mix of visual kei, japanese fashion (e.g. sexpot revenge), 80s, loneliness, lazyness, loves to fly (airplane travel), interest for mysticism (yokai) different: can't think of anything as I haven't developed them much but I'm sure there are some as well. Hizumi sadly is the least developed as I do not have them as pixels yet and I tend to ignore my 'cospaly pics' always.

So, Ryder is your fav u wanna tell me? :P

33. if applicable, how would your other characters describe them? i mean specifically the people around them.

Vijay: "Ryder's a complicated dude, but a real lovely one. You can't hate him, even if you wished for it. Yes, he's got problems with his tonality an' is easy to erupt. If you only get to know him superficially you may not like him. It's not easy to become his choom, but if you are allowed to be — bro, he's the best choom you can have. Never met one as loyal as Ryder — at least not before meeting Thyjs — Ry's like that lil' pup phenomenon; the stray black lil' doggo you found wandering aimlessly in the streets and picked up to bring home with you. Result is a super loyal strong watchdog who will be alerted immediately once someone approaches. I can say of my own experience that he's extremely protective if you happen to be in his rather small friend circle. He will do anything to protect you from the bad. He's a good boy and therefore my best friend forever."

Thyjs: “I didn’t know what to think of him in the first place. He talked to me with such an arrogant tone, on top in German. Ik was totaal geïrriteerd. Unsure if I would like him. He's got quite some personality. But knowing him better now, I see who he truly is and when it is the ‘other Ryder’ coming through. There is something about him I did like from the very first moment: his honesty and straightforwardness and his strong will to withstand the pain he endures every day. I can only imagine how he must feel. So I decided to give him a chance. En ik ben eerlijk — he's one of the kindest people I’ve met. Ry willed to show me the city — he hardly knew me. He decided to trust me even though I served those who he despises most. He offered me to stay at his place, as I had none, until I made some eddies for an apartment. I enjoyed spending time with him more and more. He made me put down my strict soldier shell I usually keep up, allowing me to appreciate the more casual life now as I cannot pick up my soldier career anymore. Thanks to him I’m a little more of an outgoing person now too I guess. Ryder saved my life! I owe him my protection and he magically made me fall in love with him. It was the least I expected to happen. He helps me explore my own feelings as I struggle with emotional numbing even though he has a hard time to express himself either. In private he's the loveliest and most caring man I've ever met. You can only fall in love with him."

34. how would your character describe themselves? it doesn't have to line up with how they really are.

answered here.

35. do they ever return home?

Ryder often thought about going back home to Germany but he never did as the thought of making Night City a better place kept him here. Also he feels bound to the city as long as Beast has control over him. The fun fact is, if he would leave NC and a certain area, Beast would lose control over him as it is bound to Night Cities net only and he would be free, but he doesn't know that. It would be so easy. But Beast keeps him in his place. Thinking about it now I can imagine him and Thyjs going on a vacation back to Germany just somewhere into the forest. Can only be after their big story event because his father needs to be thrown from the Militech throne first (idk if he will stay alive or not) to make it happen, as Beast needs to be gone too. But if he goes back home (near Frankfurt am Main) he will do it with Thyjs. He will show him his favorite places he's been to and shamelessly utilize his families properties that are located in many places of Germany. A luxury wooden lodge in the Blackwood Forest to spend summer or winter vacation in. The Scharfenberg Isle at the Lake Tegel in Berlin would also be a nice place to visit as the family own a little summer house on the isle where Ryder learned to swim as a young boy. And of course he would bring Thyjs to the old tarmac at Tempelhof Park! The Scharfenberg Castle (Palatinate) would be visited as well – though it's just a ruin today but tied to his family crest as he's a descendant of Carl III of Scharfenberg. As well as Schloss Wanfried in Nord Hesse. These are all places tied to good memories of his rather bad childhood and places can the least for his family's toxic behavior. Thyjs is interested in history and wants to know where Ryder grew up so I imagine they would definitely visit some of those places and stay there for a while. I also hc right now that Ryder gets the idea to drive over to the Netherlands, give Thyjs the option to see his mother again. But this all can only happen a few years after the story events of course as Militech would get suspicious even though Thjys has a different ID now with a new last name. Ryder would even let his mother drive in to on of the places in Germany if he gets out any info about her (I bet Vijay and Jay would be glad to help out).

okay turned out to be longer than I intended :,D

[nerves-nebula]

haha man it would suck if that turned out to be trafficking, I might need to think about that more xD

"Up to expectations" is basically the guardians were looking for a kid to actually adopt themselves, but they didn't want a trouble maker or a troubled kid. The thing is to get into that foster home you had to be a legal orphan, so we all had issues. They basically wanted a kid that would raise itself and give them a good reputation, and also wanted a kid that would do house work, physical labour, feed themselves/cook, etc. They kept us pretty isolated there probably so we wouldn't learn how weird the place was lol.

Not being up to expectations basically means you weren't good enough to stay their child. Might be that you got in trouble at school one too many times (you had very few chances there). Might be that you were "rebelling" by not doing what the guardians wanted, might be that you cried or were too emotional or displayed trauma symptoms etc etc. Or that you didn't come when they called your name fast enough, or tried leaving the house when you didn't have explicit permission (eventually they installed security cameras around all the windows and doors so they could check even when we were left home alone).

Thing is, is that if you were good for a few months and then got settled enough to act how you were they'd keep judging you based on those early interactions. This lead to bad kids being called "devil children," and once you started getting that label then you'd lose other privileges and stuff.

The CDs were the guardian's way of finding new people to give the kids to once the kid was deemed too "bad" to be adopted. Basically they did trial periods of being parents and if they didn't like how the kids acted they'd get rid of them and get a new kid. The CDs were shown to other adults that wanted to adopt, so like if the kid looks good that means it'll be faster for the guardians to get rid of them.

Basically instead of going and meeting the kid before adopting them you can just watch the video and see if its the type of kid you want, ya know? I guess kinda like commercials? Fun fact! The only video of me as a kid that exists is that one that's a commercial for me! I don't have a copy but I think those guardians kept a copy for each kid.

I think that answers the question? you can ask for more/different details if ya want lol I don't mind

this is somehow WORSE than i expected good lord. was this all happening outside of the system? like were they showing their friends who wanted to adopt or were they going to foster care meetings or w/e and showing the people there??

this is definitely some weird shit. making commercials/pitches for Human Children is a little too close to trafficking & the like for me. Also just the idea of grading if you wanted to keep a children or not is fucking harrowing, let alone telling them about it and keeping them updated on their standing with you.

[cielospeaks]

well 2/3 aint bad lol

and to be fair the f h one at least has alfred and timerra who are cool so. :/ (if this means solm soon im very hype bc i like those guys. they give me sheperds vibes. mom as the ghb would be fun too! gosh please)

but like. -go which for two years in a row has had extremely insensitive events that just revolve around the same unfunny joke of “riyo art is soOoo wacky XD” all of a sudden has an event that not only features a variety of artists but also isnt fucking making a joke out of real people losing their lives. good for you. theres still minor problems i have (like why have a difficulty spike on a game available for 24 hours, and minor gripes but thats more towards the game in general lol) but it was overall muuch better than previous years

and g-f. perhaps the most fucking surprising of all. has a cute collab w sanrio which is actually wholesome and sweet. ofc its the same characters as always but i dont mind so much bc i can write fun and bittersweet/emotional fics. same w go’s one.

and like. honestly. f-h could have been so much worse. im just irritated that the emotionally manipulative slimeball is the focus even tho its not even his year’s story just because he has a muscular physique and is a fan favorite. like idk. i love characters that are complicated, i love characters that are little bastards. but i love it when they are called out for it. like at least the author admits they are nasty or has underlying tones of “yea theyre sympathetic but you dont really wanna see them succeed bc it means they are giving up on their decency and morality/mercy/ect”. or like. you’re enjoying watching them be awful and thats fun bc everyone is a jerk. but like in f-h they have so many nasty characters, a guy who wants to marry his sister off to her abusers and has no problem kidnapping and forcing into labor poor children but throws a moral fit if he accidentally kidnaps a rich kid, a person so obsessed with their first love that they perpetuate a failing government and manipulate an abused child through his fear of abandonment to essentially lead to his adopted brother’s death just so she can get the kid descendant of her first love in charge of a country she doesnt even want to be in charge of, and theyre all seen as sympathetic and likeable by the series creators and bc they dont fucking think a big majority of the fans.

[ao3komorii]

Tangling with the Lifeguard (Pool Party Sett/Reader)

The Pool Party Sett story is done! I’ve gone with a beach!AU sort of setting where league races exist in a modern-day beach sort of place. Also sorry to any MF or Syndra mains, they don’t really come out the best in this xD Hope you enjoy, and as always, there is a smut warning for the end!

---

The sun was shining high in the sky, crystalline waters lapping against the shore as beachgoers took advantage of the perfect summer day. Taking in the scene from your place in the shade of a tree on the border between the beach and parking lot, you let a smile grace your lips as you mused on just how much this place seemed to not change, even after so many years.

The last time you had set foot on this beach, you had been twelve years old, full of excitement and unaware of the harsh realities of the adult world. Your parents had brought you here for that summer, now thirteen years ago, the beautiful beach an unforgettable experience. You had left after that summer with treasured memories, and a new friend, that same friend the very reason why you had returned to Port Navori beach after so long.

Taliyah had been the same age as you, with fairly lax parents who let her roam the beach by herself, even as the small twelve-year-old she had been. You had bonded instantly, spending almost every day together, and keeping in touch through letters, and later emails and text messages.

You had long said that you had wanted to come back and visit the lively beach town, but the timing hadn’t been right, not until this year.

You were done all your schooling, and had quit your high-stress, low-pay job, and as Taliyah had said on your last phone call, you had no reason not to visit. Her parents had been travelling the world since they retired, so you would have her house all to yourselves.

In your absence, Taliyah had become a fairly accomplished surfer in the local scene, working at an ice cream shop on the beach to support her expensive pursuits. She had been so insistent that you couldn’t find yourself able to refuse her offer; work in the ice cream shop with her in the day, and then spend the rest of your time catching up with each other. You had missed your friend dearly, and had accepted the offer without a second thought.

And now here you were, waiting at the beach’s edge for Taliyah to show up. She had told you to dress for the beach, sounding casual as was her usual, so you had worn a swimsuit with a short, flowy shoulderless dress on overtop. Unwilling to look like a lobster by day’s end, you had carefully layered yourself with sunscreen, and now all you needed was for your friend to get here already. Just when you were about to get out your phone to text her, an excited call of your name had you re-stowing the phone in your bag and looking back to see your friend bounding across the parking lot towards you.

Taliyah, dressed in a two-piece water suit and carrying a tropical-flower-print surfboard, came to a stop before you, leaning her surfboard against a tree to free her arms to tackle you in a hug.

“You’re finally here!” she grinned, surprising you with the strength of her hug. “We’re gonna have so much fun!”

“So what’s first?” you asked as you pulled back from the hug.

Taliyah hummed. “I guess I’ll show you the shop.”

You followed her onto the beach, recognizing the small bright blue building from the pictures she had sent you before. Taliyah took you around the back, fishing a key out of her pocket before unlocking the door and leading you into the small room.

There were large tubs of ice cream in the middle of the room, the walls lined with containers of various toppings and machines. On the back wall from you were two windows, glossy menus pasted to the doors that would display out when they were opened. Upon walking closer to the menu signs, you noticed something.

“Hey, it says we open at nine, but it’s ten-thirty…”

“It’s fine,” Taliyah replied with a shrug. “The owners are pretty chill. If anyone complains, I’ll just tell them I had to train the new employee.”

You playfully rolled your eyes. Sometimes you really envied Taliyah’s ability to be so carefree. Her calm energy was a big help for you, having got advice from her on numerous occasions over the years.

Taliyah came over to where you were, eyes flitting boredly to the menu boards before turning her attention back to you. “So I’m thinking we get you taking orders while I make them.”

“Works for me,” you agreed. It certainly sounded easier than figuring out what a poro float was supposed to be. You never knew ice cream stands had such fancy options now, used to the simple menus of ice cream cones and bars back at the shops in your hometown.

You were about to open the order windows when you were stopped by a rustling noise from the back of the store. You turned to see Taliyah digging in a cardboard box in the back corner, pulling out some folded-up fabric that was the same sky blue as the stand.

“Didn’t think you’d get away without an embarrassing uniform, did you?” Taliyah teased, tossing some of her fabric pile your way.

You caught the bundle, unfolding it to find an apron with Poro Palace Frozen Treats in pink bubble letters, little white fuzzy animals dotting the apron. There was an accompanying blue visor hat that looked like something out of a kid’s store. You reluctantly slipped both items of clothing on, looking back to find that Taliyah had done the same.

“Stylish, huh?” she smirked, striking a modelesque pose.

“We look like we work at an amusement park, Tali,” you laughed.

“Feels like it sometimes with all the annoying kids that come by,” she replied. “Okay, you can open it up now.”

Taliyah settled herself down in a chair in front of the section of ice cream tubs, and you reluctantly turned to unlatch and open the windows, unsure of exactly what you were getting yourself into.

The small room lit up with the outside sunlight streaming in from your window to outside, the immediate glare of the sun making you wish you had worn sunglasses.

Almost immediately, the masses were upon you. You noticed a woman with several children in tow who perked up as she laid eyes on you, striding over to you with her children right behind her, pushing each other as they scrambled to be the first one to get over to you.

You heard Taliyah groan behind you. “Get the pen ready. They always have the most annoying orders.”

You rose an eyebrow, but picked up the pen and notepad that sat beside the cash register as the woman came to a stop before you.

“You know, I’ve been waiting for an hour already. You young girls don’t know how hard it is for mothers,” the woman complained, not letting you get a word in edgewise. “Alright, tell her what you want.”

“I want a brownie sundae!” a small boy with blue hair who clearly intended to make full use of his outdoor voice shouted. “But with cotton candy ice cream and pop rocks and I want only blue candies!”

“Uh…” The kid was talking too fast for you to write, but luckily Taliyah had your back, a got it ringing out from behind you.

You weren’t sure how you had managed to get their orders out before they melted, messing up their total several times before Taliyah had to come and help you out. With a last snide look and a fistful of blue napkins, the mother and her little terrors left the stand at last.

“She’s the worst,” Taliyah said, bringing your weary gaze her way as she cleaned off an ice cream scoop. “I accidentally put one red candy in that kid’s sundae once and he screamed until I remade the whole thing!”

You winced. “Feels like we got off easy today.”

“Yeah,” Taliyah agreed. “Helps that they order the same thing every time, so I’ve got some practice.”

“Are they all this bad?” you asked, turning away from the window after seeing no potential customers nearby.

“Not all of them,” she replied with a strained smile. “I swear the heat just brings the jerk out in some of the people here.”

Speaking of jerks… your conversation was interrupted by an impatient-sounding throat clearing noise from behind you. You whirled around to see a redheaded woman with heart-shaped sunglasses and a revealing swimsuit leaning against your counter. She was staring at you like you were gum she had stepped in, flipping some hair over her shoulder when she knew she had your attention.

“Five cherry snowballs,” she said, dropping a few coins on your counter, some of which bounced and hit the floor. “To the red umbrella, thanks ice cream girl.”

Without any further interaction, she turned on her heel and strutted away, hips swinging as she went, leaving you wondering what had just happened.

You slowly turned back to face Taliyah again. “Um, do we usually deliver?”

“Nope,” she answered. “Not to people like that anyways.”

“But…” you protested weakly. You knew Taliyah got away with a lot here, but you didn’t want her to lose her job because some rude girl complained to her bosses. “I’ll just take them over and next time I’ll just say we don’t deliver.”

“Still tempted to put rocks in their snowballs,” Taliyah joked as she set about piling the scoops of red ice.

Soon you had a tray with five cherry syrup-coated piles of shaved ice in little plastic bowls with accompanying little plastic spoons stuck in the side of the dishes.

“I’ll be right back,” you said, heading past Taliyah to the back door, opening it to find yourself back out in the mid-morning heat.

The sand still felt uncomfortably hot underfoot, even with your flip flops on. With how hot it was out, these would have to be delivered as soon as possible to not be a puddle by the time they were eaten. Your only problem was that you had no idea where to go.

The redhead had said that she would be at the red umbrella, but of course nothing at this ice cream stand would be that easy. Standing just outside the hut, you were treated to a veritable rainbow of colored beach umbrellas. You counted at least ten red ones scattered across the beach, none particularly standing out to you. You didn’t have many options, and were forced to go with the most tedious one; checking every red umbrella until you found the girl and her group.

The first umbrella had been a bust, as had the next five. The sixth had led to a sweaty old man who told you that you were just in time to help him sunscreen his back. By the time you had hurriedly fled from that creep, it had been about five minutes of searching, the snowballs on your tray looking considerably droopier than they had been when you had left the shop.

You stared down at the tray of melting treats, unsure of what to do now. Should you go back and have Taliyah remake the snowballs? Try a few more umbrellas and hope you got lucky? You really hadn’t been anticipating this much stress when you had agreed to work here with Taliyah for the summer.

You frowned at the now-more-water-than-ice treats, your decision made. You couldn’t serve these, not as melted as they were. You would go back and help remake them and see if Taliyah had any insight as to which red umbrella was the right one. You turned around to head back to the stand, only to trip on your overheating flip flops and fall forward with a cry.

You had closed your eyes with a flinch as you fell, but opened them with a start as you heard a grunt from right in front of you. Looking up from your position in the burning sand, you felt like your heart was going to stop in your chest.

Standing before you was the most attractive guy you had ever laid eyes on, with fire red hair and a pair of black animal ears that looked soft to the touch. He was dressed in a tight pair of swim shorts, a lightweight red jacket tied around his waist. He had a flower lei around his neck, but that was the only thing that he wore on his top half, his insanely-well-built torso on full display, a torso you realized with horror was currently splattered with red syrup and shaved ice.

You looked from the hot guy to the ground, the sand around you speckled with plastic cups, spoons and napkins, your tray turned upside down in the sand. You slowly risked a gaze back up, only to see the guy staring down at you from behind his pink-tinted sunglasses as a clump of ice fell from his stomach to the sand just in front of your hands.

Embarrassment forced you to spring up, grabbing some stray napkins from the ground and dabbing them against the mess of syrup and ice on the man’s abdomen.

“I’m so sorry, I–” You looked up from your apologizing to see the man silently staring at you, your hand freezing in place as you realized that you were basically feeling this guy up through the napkins, the realization making your cheeks burn with shame and embarrassment.

“I’m really sorry!” you cried out, pulling your hands back. He still hadn’t said anything, and you realized that you couldn’t just stand here like an idiot, your flight instinct kicking in as you reached down to grab your tray before moving around the man and fleeing in the direction of the ice cream stand.

“Hey, wait!”

The man tried to grab your arm as you passed, but you were faster in your embarrassment-fueled retreat, and soon the hot stranger was far behind you. You didn’t stop running until you were back at the shop, the empty sand-logged tray clutched tightly to your chest, your heartbeat pounding in your ears as you shut the door, making eye contact with a confused Taliyah.

“Hey, are you okay?” she asked, getting up to approach you when you didn’t respond. “Talk to me. What happened? If that snob said anything to you–”

“No, no, she didn’t,” you replied weakly, sinking to the floor with your back against the door. “I didn’t even get to her.”

“Then what happened?” she pressed, bringing you a glass of water and prying the tray from your hands at last.

She ushered you to your feet and down into her chair, taking a seat on one of the counters. You took a deep breath, taking a sip of the water before recounting the events of the past ten minutes to Taliyah, who listened silently.

“…I didn’t know what to do, so I just ran,” you finished, setting your water down to bury your face in your hands.

“It’s no big deal,” Taliyah replied gently. “Everyone has embarrassed themselves in front of someone. Remember that time I tripped over my board in front of that group of tourists?”

“I covered him in cherry syrup, Tali,” you groaned. “I don’t think I’m cut out for this.”

“It’s your first day,” she stressed. “You’re bound to mess some things up.”

She stood up, returning to the shaved ice machine. “Now how about we remake those snowballs and then I’ll–”

Taliyah had frozen in place, a plastic cup in her hand as she stared straight ahead.

“Tali?” you questioned, standing up. “Are you–”

“That guy you dumped the snowballs on,” she quickly interrupted. “Did he have majorly cut abs and animal ears?”

“Uh, why?” You felt a jolt of fear shoot up your spine as you followed her gaze to see the man from earlier currently approaching the shop, well-defined abdomen now minus the sticky mess you had spilt all over him. “Oh god, it’s him!”

You and Taliyah exchange wide-eyed glances before you dove down out of sight, hiding behind the tubs of ice cream like they were a fortress.

“Please get rid of him!” you begged. “I’ll do whatever you want, I just can’t face him!”

You heard Taliyah sigh. “Fine, but this means you’re coming stone hunting with me tonight.”

You agreed immediately, even if the prospect wasn’t overwhelmingly appealing. Taliyah was always eager to add to her collection of shiny stones, but was so picky that it often took hours to find just one stone that met her standards. But right now you were so desperate that you would have promised her anything just to make the angry hot guy go away.

From your position behind the ice cream tubs, you could only hear Taliyah’s voice clearly, the general noise of the beach preventing you from hearing what the furry-eared man was saying. You wanted to peek out from your hiding spot, but found yourself chickening out. You really didn’t need him catching sight of you and making Taliyah’s job even harder.

You had gotten so in your own head with panic that you had completely tuned out of your surroundings until a hand waved in front of your face and you realized Taliyah was crouching in front of you, calling your name.

“You okay?” she asked worriedly.

“Is he gone?” you replied quietly.

“Yeah, he’s gone,” she confirmed, standing up and grabbing your forearms to pull you up with her. “Now help me remake those snowballs and then I’ll fill you in.”

You bit your lip as you scooped shaved ice into a row of plastic cups as Taliyah readied the cherry syrup. Soon you had five pristine-looking snowballs on your slightly-sandy tray, the sight of them bringing you back to your moment of collision with the cute guy.

The tray was snatched from your field of vision by Taliyah, who headed over to the rear door. “Be back in a few. Try not to freak out too much while I’m gone.”

And then the door was closed and you were left alone. Looking over at the order window, you decided that you were probably safer to just resume your position behind the ice cream tubs, unwilling to risk being out in the open in case the guy decided to come back.

While she was gone, you couldn’t help but fret over exactly what had been said between your best friend and the mysterious hot guy. She didn’t seem to be upset, so clearly their conversation hadn’t been that intense. Or maybe it had; Taliyah was a fairly relaxed person, so it would be difficult for a random angry customer to really get to her. But that didn’t quite make sense either; if he had yelled at her, you would have heard it over the noise of the beachgoers. All you were doing was overthinking yourself to death, exactly what Taliyah had told you not to do.

And it was there you remained until Taliyah returned, closing the door behind her and placing the serving tray in the sink before she turned her attention to you at last.

“Calm down, it’s fine… I think,” she said.

“You think?”

“Well he didn’t seem mad,” she explained. “He asked if a girl that looked like you worked here and I said you went home sick. Said he’d come back another time.”

“Another–” Oh god. Was he really so angry that he was willing to come back just for the chance to yell at you?

“I can see you freaking out,” Taliyah scolded. “Don’t. You’re fine. Musclehead or not, he’s not going to kill you just because you spilled shaved ice on him.”

She was probably right; hot shirtless guys on the beach likely had more important things to do than yelling at clumsy ice cream shop workers. By tomorrow, he would probably forget you ever existed, and you could go back to enjoying your time working alongside your best friend.

 The rock collecting that night had been long and boring, at least for you. Taliyah hadn’t found any rocks she liked enough to take home, only ending the search after she had found some sea glass that she had deemed acceptable to add to her collection. You could only hope that you wouldn’t owe her any more favors any time soon, unsure if you could survive another late night rock hunt.

The next morning, you entered the shop alongside Taliyah, who put her bag down and began to set up the day’s supplies. Considering it was ten minutes past opening time and Taliyah had insisted that she didn’t need help setting up, you decided that you might as well just open the order window for the day, hoping that mom and her group of demon kids wouldn’t be waiting out there, only to unlatch the widows and see something arguably worse.

The window had only been open a peek, but it was enough for you to see the large figure of the man from yesterday standing ten feet or so from your shop, his back facing you as he stared out at the beach. In your brief glimpse, you also noticed that the jacket wrapped around his waist had a white plus sign in a circle as well as the word lifeguard in white blocky letters above it. Oh god, of course you had gone and pissed off a lifeguard on your first day here.

You shut the barely-open windows with a too-loud slam that made you wince before you quickly locked them again and rushed over to Taliyah.

“Tali, he’s here again!” you hissed.

“Huh?” she replied, pausing her task of refilling a container of sprinkles. “Muscle guy?”

You nodded frantically and Taliyah frowned, putting the sprinkles down and approaching the order window herself. You watched as she opened the window ever so slightly, peering out for a few seconds before closing it back up.

“Well… can’t say I was expecting him to actually come back,” she said evenly.

“What do I even do?” you asked, staring at the order windows like they would burst open at any second and reveal you to the clearly-determined lifeguard. “He’s a lifeguard, Tali! What if he bans me from the beach?”

She rolled her eyes in response. “He can’t just ban you from the beach. Lifeguards don’t have that much power. If they did, I would’ve been banned a long time ago for all the times I’ve surfed after hours.”

“Then what does he want with me?” you asked, looking away from the window.

Taliyah shrugged. “You’d have to ask him that.”

“But what if I… don’t?” you replied weakly. “He’ll give up eventually, right?”

“I mean, maybe?” she said. “But it might be easier to deal with him now and get it over with.”

You saw her point, but it wasn’t her that was being pursued by a tall, muscly lifeguard with a vengeance!

Taliyah clearly caught the reluctance on your face and sighed. “Fine, I’ll switch with you for today. Now let’s go over how to make the basic stuff before we open.”

True to her word, Taliyah had allowed you to hide in the back making orders, telling the lifeguard guy that you were off today. You watched him walk away from behind the shaved ice machine, hoping that your ordeal was finally over, but your hopes were quickly dashed the next day as you went to open the store again, only to see the same broad back facing you from just outside the shop.

Taliyah had reluctantly agreed to switch again that day, and the day after. But by day four, even the promise of helping her scavenge for rocks again wouldn’t get her to agree to switch.

You closed the window again, turning to Taliyah with pleading eyes, but she was having none of it.

“It’s been four days,” she said, arms crossed. “Clearly he’s not giving up. You should just see what he wants.”

“But…” The thought still terrified you. You knew you deserved to be yelled at for what you had done, but it was made that much worse by the fact that the subject of your plight was just about the hottest guy you had ever seen.

Taliyah shook her head at you. “Okay, but I’m not doing orders again today, so if you want to keep hiding from him, we’ll have to move onto plan B.”

Plan B, as it turned out, was a mascot suit of sorts; three fluffy poros stacked on top of each other like a snowman. A poro each made up your upper and lower body, the last poro being the head of the costume. You looked incredibly awkward, the arms and legs of the costume hairy and tipped with little brown claws. You were momentarily stunned by the sheer lengths you were going to just to avoid this guy, but you were already in the costume, so you reasoned that you might as well follow through with it now.

Taliyah put the costume’s head on you and your world was plunged largely into darkness, minus the mesh one-way view out of the top poro’s eyes. You were helped to the back door, some fliers for the store shoved into your hands.

Taliyah helped you walk out front, and you were pretty quickly swarmed by kids. You couldn’t see the lifeguard guy, but the relief that coursed through you was short-lived, swallowed by the immediate explosion of business brought on by your costume.

One thing you hadn’t considered in your haste was the heat. You weren’t sure if it was the costume or if today was hotter than usual, but very quickly you found yourself becoming a sweaty mess under the weight of the dense, furry costume.

The longer you were in the costume, the worse you felt, but you were determined to stick this out. So you handed out fliers and posed for photos with children while Taliyah ran the stand.

You wished that you could wipe the sweat from your face, but you weren’t sure if you could even reach up to remove the costume’s head yourself due to the awkward shape of the costume. So you endured the ever-increasing heat, only feeling wearier as the time ticked by.

You waved goodbye to a group of kids as they left with their ice cream cones, the sweltering heat really bearing down on you. As you went to turn and head back to the stand to ask Taliyah to help get the head off, a wave of dizziness crashed over you. You took one step towards the stand, and then another, and then it all went dark as you felt yourself falling forward, too weak to stop your descent to the ground.

 You woke up with a heavy head, feeling foggy with confusion. The last thing you remembered, you had been heading back to the stand…

Immediately, you realized that you weren’t at the ice cream stand, and you weren’t wearing the poro suit, or even your beach dress. Sitting up in the cot you laid in, you found that you were wearing only your swimsuit.

As you sat up, a blue ice pack that you hadn’t realized was there fell from your forehead and into your lap. Picking it up, the pack only feeling slightly cold, you turned to look around the room, still unsure what exactly was going on.

You were in a room of some sort, guessing it was afternoon by the minute amount of light filtering into the room, even through the closed curtains. There was a fan gently whirring above your head, but otherwise the room was silent.

There was another cot beside yours, and a table nearby with a few red first aid kits stacked on it, some bandages messily spilling out of one of them. There was a sign pulled over the door, the side facing you reading come on in, we’re open.

You got up from the bed, shuddering with disgust when you noticed just how sweaty your whole body was. The bed squeaked as you got up from it, your knees hitting a bedside table between the cots that you hadn’t noticed had been there. On the small table was a glass of water, as well as a white fan that was emblazoned with what looked to be a group of cats waterskiing.

You picked up the fan, letting out a small laugh at the silly-looking cartoon cats on the fan. It looked like something you could win at a carnival booth.

“If you can laugh, then I guess you’re feelin’ alright.”

A deep voice from behind you made you jump, fingers fumbling the fan, which fell onto the floor with a clatter that was only made louder in the quiet room. You turned to look behind you, only to fall off the cot in shock when you saw the very lifeguard you had been trying so hard to avoid standing in the doorway of a small office you hadn’t noticed was there.

“Hey, careful!” He quickly crossed the room to squat down in front of you, taking your elbow and helping you back up onto the cot. You were too stunned to resist and found yourself falling into his chest as a wave of dizziness hit you.

“You okay?” he asked, and you tried to nod, but your head was spinning too much to focus. “Hey, hold still.”

He placed his hands on your shoulders, keeping you steady against him until you were able to regain your focus. When he was satisfied with your condition, he pulled back, releasing your shoulders and instead reaching out for the glass of water on the table next to you.

“Drink,” he instructed, handing you the cup before standing up. “I’ll be right back.”

He stared at you for a moment before finally turning back and heading into the office at the back of the room.

You watched him go, feeling on edge, but complied, bringing the glass up to your lips and taking a long drink. The last thing you wanted to do was give this guy more reason to be upset with you. You were surprised at just how refreshing the water felt, and you had soon downed the entire glass, placing it back on the table when you were done.

“Alright, lay back down,” the lifeguard instructed as he returned.

“What?” you replied. What was he going to do to you? How had you even got here? Where was Taliyah?

He stopped before you, furrowing his eyebrows as he looked down at your shaky, terrified form. “Are you–”

“I’m sorry!” you exclaimed, bowing your head. “I didn’t mean to spill the snowballs on you! If you need to yell at me, go ahead. I’m sorry I didn’t just come out sooner and–”

It had occurred to you mid-ramble that he had yet to say anything, and you cut off your babbling, slowly looking up to find him staring at you with what you could only describe as a bewildered look on his face.

He blinked. “Is that why–”

“I’m so sorry!” you interrupted, bowing your head again. “If you want to ban me from the beach, I get it!”

“Ban ya from the beach?” he replied with a bark of laughter. “The only thing I wanted to do was get your number.”

“My… what?” You had to be hallucinating. There was no way he had just said that.

“Lay down first,” he spoke sternly, and you complied, still feeling stunned by his words.

Once you were laid down, he picked something up from the bed, which you recognized as another ice pack. He placed it on your forehead, the cool pack immediately flooding you with a feeling of relief. Closing your eyes, you let out a tired sigh, suddenly feeling fatigued.

“Get some rest, princess. We’ll talk when you’re up again.”

You took his advice, the cooling from the ice pack lulling you back to sleep, your eyelids too heavy to keep open.

When you woke up again, you felt infinitely better, your head clearer and body feeling less overheated. The ice pack on your forehead was room temperature, and it was now dark outside. There was a light illuminating your left side as you sat up in bed, turning to see the office in the back with its light on.

The cot squeaked under you, which was responded to by the squeak of a chair from inside the office, the red-haired lifeguard emerging from the office and approaching your bedside.

“Feelin’ any better?” he asked, and you nodded, biting your lip nervously. “Got you some more water.”

You looked over to the bedside table to see the water cup refilled and took hold of it, grateful to have something to focus on other than the intimidatingly muscular man before you.

You drank the entire glass before you forced yourself to finally address the situation before you. “Um… why am I here?”

“You passed out,” he replied bluntly, taking a seat on the cot next to yours. “Overheated yourself in that rat costume.”

“They’re not rats, they’re poros,” you replied, unsure of what to say.

He let out a huff of laughter. “Poros that important to you that you’re willin’ to fry yourself for ‘em?”

“No, that was…” you trailed off. Well, you might as well just admit it. If he had gone out of his way to care for you after you had passed out like an idiot, then he deserved the truth. “I was avoiding you. I was scared you were going to yell at me. My friend didn’t want to keep covering for me at the window so I decided to wear that stupid poro costume.”

“So that’s what that was about,” he replied. “And here I thought you were avoidin’ me ‘cuz you weren’t interested. Gave up on gettin’ your number and then got news that someone passed out from heat stroke.”

You were still having a hard time comprehending the asking for your number part, so you instead chose to focus on the other half. “Heat stroke?”

“Not sure what you expected, wearin’ that costume in this heat,” he said. “Can’t say nobody’s ever been afraid of me before, but giving themself heat stroke just to avoid me is a new one.”

He sounded somewhat self-deprecating, and you immediately felt bad. You had clearly misjudged him, and realized that he hadn’t even mentioned the snowball incident himself.

You forced yourself to meet his eyes, even with as awkward as you were currently felt. “I’m sorry for giving you so much trouble, and for spilling snowballs all over you. I’m just really sorry.”

He laughed. “Ain’t nothin’ for you to apologize for. I’ve had worse get on me since I started workin’ here, and usually it ain’t from a cute girl.”

You tensed in your seat, tearing your gaze from his to look down at your feet, your cheeks feeling warm.

“Hey, don’t go overheatin’ yourself again,” he scolded, standing up from the bed. “If you’re not interested, that’s fine, but I think it’s best if I take ya home. Don’t need your friend yellin’ at me again if you pass out on the way back.”

As much as you wanted to deny his assertion of you being not interested, you couldn’t muster up the courage, so you instead quietly accepted his offer of help. You would have to ask Taliyah what he had meant when you got back.

It was surprisingly cold on the beach at night, the icy breeze sending shivers along your skin. You stared out at the dark ocean waves, entranced by the water crashing against the sand, when your focus was broken by some soft fabric being laid over your shoulders.

You turned to look over your shoulder to see Sett just behind you on the steps of the lifeguard office, the jacket that was usually around his waist now laying on your shoulders.

He caught your curious look and raised an eyebrow. “You nearly cooked yourself to death today, I ain’t about to let you freeze yourself to death now.”

“Thanks,” you replied quietly, reaching a hand up to keep the jacket around your shoulders.

Your feet met the soft sand as you followed Sett towards the parking lot. The beach was totally empty, an odd contrast to how things were in the daytime. It felt weird to actually see the shape of the landscape unobscured by giant beach umbrellas and a sea of bodies. You only looked away from the empty scene when you realized that you had left the sand, and Sett was staring expectantly at you.

“…what?” you asked, getting the feeling that he had said something that you had missed.

“Which way?” he repeated with a quick glance at the street ahead of you.

“Oh right,” you replied. “My friend lives on Sandstone Way.”

Sett’s ears perked up. “By that tacky souvenir shop?”

“Yeah,” you laughed. “Right by there.”

You giggled at Sett’s assessment; you had noticed the eye-hurtingly brightly painted store when Taliyah had walked you to her house from the train station. She had rolled her eyes at the store as you surveyed the display of t-shirts with embarrassing designs on them, stating that sometimes they got some good rocks in, but it wasn’t worth the amount of tourists always asking for directions when she was walking around the neighborhood.

Looking over at Sett out of the corner of your eye, you were struggling to think of anything to say. He was dressed in just his sandals and shorts, his sunglasses forgone and giving you a clear look at his golden eyes that seemed to glow in the dark.

“So this your first summer here?” Sett asked, breaking the brief silence as you walked side by side. “I know I’d remember you if I’d seen ya before.”

“I was here for a summer when I was a kid,” you answered. “But everything looks so different now. Maybe I just saw this place differently when I was a kid.”

“Nah,” he dismissed. “It never used to be this busy here. Tourists bring money to this place, but it means it’s always loud around here.”

The conversation was slowly helping you feel more comfortable with the intimidatingly handsome lifeguard. You felt dumb for putting so much energy into avoiding him.

“So have you always lived here?” you asked.

“Born and raised,” he answered with a grin that you couldn’t help but feel looked a little sad. “Ma used to work at the boating shop… and the laundromat… and the candy store.”

“All at the same time?” you asked incredulously.

Sett shrugged. “Didn’t have much of a choice. Pa ran off on us when I was a kid, and it wasn’t like anyone would hire a fatherless runt to work for them.”

“Sounds like it was hard,” you replied. “Did you ever find out where he went?”

“For his sake, I’d better not,” Sett sneered. “I heard ma cry missin’ that scumbag more times than I can count. There ain’t a family here for that bastard to come back to.”

“How is your mom doing?” you asked as you turned onto Sandstone Way, passing by the tacky tourist shop, the flashy paint on the walls too bright even at night.

“She’s doin’ good,” he answered, finally looking happy with a satisfied smile. “Got her to quit her jobs when I started workin’ enough to pay the bills.”

“You’re a good son,” you complimented him. “She’s lucky to have you.”

You smiled at him, coming to a stop before Taliyah’s house. “Well, this is me. Thanks for walking me back.”

“Take care of yourself,” he said. “I don’t wanna see you passin’ out again.”

“I’ll try not to,” you replied. “No more poro costumes for me.”

“On that topic,” he purred, leaning closer to you. “You never gave me an answer.”

“An answer?” you squeaked, flustered by his sudden closeness.

“I’ve been tryin’ to get your number for days now,” he replied, and you did your best to supress a shiver from running up your spine. Was this real life?

You wet your lips with your tongue nervously, unable to miss how Sett’s sharp eyes watched the movement.

“I, um, I don’t have my phone on me,” you said, immediately realizing how dumb you sounded. You didn’t need your phone on you to tell him your number! You hastily made to amend your statement. “…but if you come by the stand tomorrow, I’ll give it to you!”

“Oh?” Sett’s grin was wide, gold eyes flashing dangerously. “I s’pose I could find some time to stop by. See you then, sweetheart.”

Sett turned to walk away, but you stopped him with a call of his name. “Wait, your jacket–”

“Keep it for the night,” Sett replied. “I’ll get it from you tomorrow.”

You reluctantly agreed, stunned silent by his bold flirting, his jacket sitting warm on your shoulders as you watched him walk away. You stared at his broad back until he was out of sight, only then turning to head inside, knowing Taliyah would be waiting.

 The next morning she was still on you as you spent some extra time getting ready.

“I still can’t believe he gave you his jacket,” she teased with a grin. “I mean, I figured he was probably into you, but–”

“You what?” you replied as you paused styling your hair.

“I kept telling you to talk to him,” she replied. “No guy like that is going to wait outside your work for days in a row just to yell at you for spilling ice on him. But I didn’t think you’d believe me if I told you.”

“I just feel so stupid giving myself heat stroke just go avoid him,” you lamented.

“Yeah,” Taliyah frowned. “If I had realized it was that hot out, I never would’ve let you go out in that thing.”

“It’s my own fault for being so dumb,” you insisted.

“But hey, it all worked out, didn’t it?” Taliyah grinned as she slipped on her water shoes. “You’ve got a hot lifeguard coming to visit you at work today.”

“Don’t remind me. I’m still super nervous,” you said, adjusting your beach dress over your most flattering swimsuit.

“You’ll be fine,” Taliyah replied. “He’s clearly super into you. You should’ve seen him when you passed out yesterday.”

“What?” You had been so tired last night that you had only told her the basics before crashing for the night, completely forgetting to ask her what had happened yesterday.

“Someone got him when you collapsed,” she told you. “You should’ve seen his face when he pulled off the poro head and saw it was you inside the costume! I tried to come with, but he told me he’d handle it. I maaay have threatened his life if anything happened to you, but just a little.”

You laughed. So that’s what Sett had been referring to.

Taliyah came up from behind you as you stared at your appearance in the mirror, resting her chin on your shoulder and meeting your eyes in the mirror. “Relax, you look great. Fuzzy ear boy isn’t gonna know what hit him!”

“Fuzzy ear–” you sputtered, laughing at Taliyah’s choice of words. “I guess his ears do look pretty fuzzy.”

“Well if he lets you pet them, tell me how soft they are!” she teased, pulling back from you to grab her bag. “Now let’s go. You’ve got a boy to meet!”

You somehow felt even more nervous today than you had the few days you had spent avoiding Sett. You were still having a hard time wrapping your head around the fact that a guy that looked like he had walked straight out of a fireman’s calendar was coming to your little beachfront ice cream stand for the sole purpose of getting your phone number. And his jacket, which was folded neatly on the countertop beside you.

You weren’t exactly sure when he was going to come. Usually, he would be there waiting outside in the morning before you opened, but all you had opened up to today was a sparsely-populated beachfront, no handsome lifeguards to be seen. By two in the afternoon, your anxiety had begun to get the better of you.

“Stop pacing,” Taliyah scolded you. “He’ll be here.”

“But what if he decided not to?” you said, taking a deep breath to try and calm yourself down. “What if this was just a joke?”

“Then I’ll go kick his butt,” she responded plainly. “He’ll come. Relax.”

You were about to reply, when a ding of the service bell at the order window had you spinning around, ready to take an order, only for the words to die on your lips when you laid eyes on the well-muscled lifeguard with the fuzzy black ears just outside the order window, sending a grin your way.

“Here to pick up my order,” he said, leaning an arm against the window.

“Your… order?” you replied, too entranced by his appearance to properly make use of your brain.

“A pretty girl promised me her number if I came by,” he replied, looking down at you through his sunglasses.

“I… right… I…” You turned back quickly to see Taliyah staring expectantly at you, mouthing the word number at you. Right.

With slightly shaky hands, you reached for the small notepad at the front counter, taking that and a pen in hand and trying not to focus on the fact that Sett was watching you as you began to write.

Double-checking that the number was right, you handed the paper to him, your fingers touching as he took it from you. Remembering about your other promise, you reached over to grab the lifeguard jacket from the counter beside you. You went to hand him his jacket, surprised when he didn’t take it from you.

“What time do you get off?” he asked, and you answered a quiet six. “Give it back to me then.”

With a short wave and a grin, Sett made a show of stowing the phone number in his pocket before sauntering off and leaving you standing there slack-jawed.

“See? Was that so hard?” Taliyah called from her seat at the ice machine. “Now you just have to keep it together for your date.”

“I don’t know if I can,” you said, leaning back against the counter.

“You did last night, didn’t you?” she countered. “He’s just a guy. A really hot guy, but still. Don’t freak yourself out. You deserve a nice guy. It’s just a bonus that he has more abs than spiders have legs!”

You let out an amused huff. Taliyah was right, as she always was. You needed to get over yourself and let yourself have a good time tonight.”

But for now, you had customers to deal with. You and Taliyah let out a shared groan as you saw the nightmare mom and her army of brats heading towards you. You both returned to your posts, hoping their overly-complicated orders would be right on the first try this time.

 Taliyah let out a yawn, stretching her arms high above her head before beginning the process of cleaning up for the day. After the last customer left, you hastily closed the order window, not wanting to give anyone the chance to come and beg about how it was only five minutes past closing and they’ve been wanting a banana split all day. You had learned your lesson from that mistake on day two.

Once the order windows were closed and locked, you joined Taliyah at the side counter, helping to return all the different containers of toppings to their rightful places. You found your hands moving slower, your nerves slowing you down in order to prolong the inevitable.

Taliyah eventually got tired of your pitiful attempt at stalling for time and gently removed the container of blue sprinkles from your grasp. “Just go, I’ll finish up here.”

“Are you sure?” you asked, and Taliyah sent you an unimpressed look. “Okay, fine, I’m going, I’m going.”

“I hope you know I expect all the details later!” she grinned as you made your way to the door, hesitating with your hand on the door handle for only a moment before opening the door.

It was mercifully less warm outside today than it had been yesterday, not to mention that you were also minus a heavy mascot costume. Yesterday hadn’t ended too badly for you, but you would still prefer to not end today in a hospital if you exacerbated your current heat-sensitive state.

You weren’t sure if you preferred if Sett was already there, or if you got there first to wait for him; neither option seemed to abate your nerves. But of course, the lifeguard was prompt as always, leaning against one of the beams that held up the awning above the order window.

You didn’t think you had been making much noise walking along the sand, but he seemed to hear you, turning to face you with a grin as you approached.

“Ready?” he asked as you came to a stop before him, tucking some of your hair behind your ear in an effort to keep your cool.

“Yeah,” you answered, impressed that your voice hadn’t come out squeaky with how nervous you were.

“Good,” he replied, before his grin turned teasing. “Was half expectin’ ya to come on our date in that rat costume.”

“Poro!” you corrected again, trying not to get flustered by his mention of this being a date. You weren’t sure what else it would be, but you couldn’t help the butterflies that fluttered in your stomach when he had acknowledged the obvious.

He surprised you by taking your hand, pulling you along with him as you tried desperately not to stumble and fall into the sand.

The beach crowd was beginning to thin out, people heading home or to one of the many beachfront restaurants nearby. Watching as a kid packed up his sand toys, you wondered if one of those restaurants was where you were headed as well. Sett hadn’t told you anything about what the plan was, and you found yourself curious when he led you to the bright white lifeguard office.

At first, you had thought that maybe he had forgotten something, at least until you followed him into the small building to see what looked to be the table that had previously held all the first aid kits, now decked out in a soft-looking purple picnic blanket. On top of the makeshift picnic table was a spread of various tasty-looking finger foods, the scene completed by two chairs pulled up to the table, cushions with a starfish pattern placed on the seats.

You were perhaps too dumbfounded by the sight, as you snapped out of it to Sett calling your name, looking over at him to see him looking surprisingly tense. You should probably say something, you realized.

“It looks great,” you said, meaning every word as you looked over the table. “Are those cabbage rolls?”

“Ma helped me make ‘em,” Sett explained, looking bashful for the first time since you had met him as he raised an arm to scratch at the back of his neck. “Helped me with all of this, actually. Never done anythin’ like this before.”

“You mean a picnic?” you asked curiously.

Sett chuckled. “Picnics. Dates. Not a lotta women ‘round here who wanted anythin’ to do with a fatherless half-breed.”

You had a hard time believing that; you had noticed several mothers checking him out as they packed their family’s stuff to leave the beach. But the hint of something sad in his eyes made you reconsider. You had no memory of seeing someone like him that summer you had spent here, but it wasn’t like that was a surprise to you. You and Taliyah had been in your own little world at that time, only ever spending time with each other.

“Well I’m excited to try your cooking,” you said, figuring a change of subject was for the best.

Sett grinned as he sat down. “Should be decent. Haven’t poisoned anyone since high school.”

Your eyes widened, hand freezing on its path to grab a cabbage roll, startled eyes darting to his.

Sett let out a bark of laughter at your alarmed face. “Relax. Wouldn’t poison ya. Maybe those kids that keep swimmin’ into the boating zone, but not you.”

“Thanks… I think?” you replied, biting your lip as you stared down at the cabbage rolls, weighing your options.

“Wasn’t real poison anyways,” he scoffed, taking some rolls from himself. “Not my fault sugar and salt look the same.”

You laughed, grabbing some food for yourself at last. “I suppose they kinda do.”

“Ma didn’t wanna hurt my feelings, but I knew when I tried some myself,” he explained.

“It was nice of her to try,” you offered.

“Too nice,” he said. “Ma is always too nice. Never said anythin’ bad about my old man, even after what he did. Had to work three jobs for years because of that bastard, but not a word.”

“Well I’m sure she’s glad she has you,” you commented. “Even if you give her food poisoning sometimes.”

“Once,” he corrected, taking a bite. “Learned my lesson the first time.”

You followed his lead, finding the food to be entirely poison-free, and actually the best home-cooked meal you had eaten in a long time. The conversation moved to swapping work stories, and you were unsurprised to find out that the mother and her the demon children had been a thorn in Sett’s side as well.

“They really buried sleeping sunbathers in sand?”

“Five times in a day one time,” Sett grouchily confirmed. “Last time Braum went to handle it. Said I would bury those little assholes under the sand if I had to go yell at them one more time.”

You sympathized with his pain. You felt lucky that you had only experienced the tip of the annoyingness iceberg with that group of little terrors.

“Braum?” you inquired as you both left the lifeguard office, the beach now fully dark.

“Fellow lifeguard,” he answered, nonchalantly taking your hand in his as you made your way off the beach. “Bald, giant moustache, even bigger than me. Better at the whole gentle-but-firm thing than I am.”

“Oh, I think I’ve seen him before. He comes by for poro pops sometimes,” you said, mind drawing a picture of the surprisingly friendly man in the small purple swim bottoms with a weakness for poro-shaped ice pops. “So are you the head lifeguard then?”

Sett considered your question. “Guess I am the boss of ‘em. All of the other lifeguards are always comin’ at me with problems to solve. The extra pay doesn’t hurt either if I wanna keep momma from feelin’ like she has to work.”

“Say thank you to her from me for the dinner. It was really good,” you said as you passed by the familiar tacky souvenir shop.

“She’ll be happy to hear it,” he replied with a soft smile that made your heart thump in your chest. “I know she wishes she had more to cook for than just me.”

You both came to a stop before Taliyah’s house, and you sneakily glanced over just to make sure Taliyah wasn’t peeking out from a window, which she wasn’t. You turned your focus back to Sett, only to find him closer than he had just been. How was he so good at sneaking up on you?

A large hand came up to cup your jaw, thumb brushing against your cheek, and your face was tilted up towards Sett’s. You were glad it was dark out, because otherwise you knew your reddening cheeks would be obvious.

“Still afraid of me?” he asked, voice low, lips so close to yours that you could make out a small scar that crossed over his bottom lip.

“No,” you answered, making no move to pull away as you stared up into his eyes. “Not unless I was about to taste your high school cooking.”

“Smart,” he replied with a smirk. “But I’m talkin’ about right now, because if you don’t turn and run into that house, I’m gonna kiss you.”

Your bag almost tumbled from your grasp, but you held fast as you stared at Sett, whose own had already become half-lidded. You had no words to describe how much you didn’t want to run right now, so you didn’t use any, instead angling your face further upwards, trying to make your willingness abundantly clear.

With a grin, he leaned down and kissed you.

Pulling back slightly, he dove back in, his other hand coming to your waist to pull you against him. You happily leant into him, your hands on his firm chest.

When he pulled back again, you opened your eyes at last, feeling almost as dizzy as right before you had passed out from heat stroke.

Sett looked content, and you were only hoping you looked half as composed as he did right now. He leaned back in to give you one more peck before pulling back from you entirely, the cold from the air outside immediately apparent as soon as you were minus his warm hands against your skin.

“Think I’ll stop by tomorrow,” he said. “Been cravin’ a cherry snowball for some reason lately.”

 Sett was a man of his word, you learned, though you were less happy to see him the next day when he asked if he could order a cherry snowball served like last time, and then laughed as you had proceeded to sputter like a broken machine.

His visits became daily, sometimes bringing Braum with him, who continued to surprise you with the sheer amount of poro pops he was able to consume in one sitting. Quite a few nights a week, you had found yourself all around Port Navori with the half-Vastayan lifeguard. You were surprised at how supportive Taliyah was being, considering you had originally come here to spend time with her.

“Gives me more time to surf,” she answered with a shrug when you had asked her. “And maybe that boyfriend of yours can convince you to stay here after the summer is over.”

“Boyfriend?” you yelped, and Taliyah raised an eyebrow.

“You aren’t? I thought he would have made it official by now. It’s been over two weeks… have you guys even done it?”

“Taliyah!” you scolded her, switching back to professional mode as a group of people approached the stand.

As you helped prepare their orders, you couldn’t help but think about what she had said. You and Sett had kissed quite a lot actually, but he had yet to do more than that. But it was far too embarrassing a subject for you to have the confidence to broach, so you had resolved yourself to just be content with things as they were.

It was just your luck that right then was when Sett had decided to make his daily visit to the stand, approaching the counter as the other group left.

Taliyah apparently wasn’t done pestering you for the day as she sped to meet him at the counter before you could get there yourself.

“Hey!” she greeted Sett with a sly smile as you stood frozen behind her, nervous about her motivations. “You’re on your break, right?”

Sett raised an eyebrow. “What about it?”

“Well,” she said, in the voice you knew meant that she wanted something. “There’s a surfing contest I entered, and it’s almost my turn and it won’t even take that long and–”

“Tali!” you interrupted, rushing over to the counter.

“All I need is an hour,” Taliyah insisted, before pulling you beside her at the counter. “And she needs some help while I’m gone since lunchtime is when most of the people come by.”

“I’m fine, I–”

“I’m in,” Sett cut in, eyeing you with almost palpable smugness.

“Awesome!” Taliyah replied, immediately shucking her apron and hat onto the floor in her haste to get out the door. “Have fun, see you after I win!”

“Taliyah!”

Your call of her name fell on deaf ears as she already had her board and was out the door, leaving you standing at the counter with Sett still leaning against the counter.

Sett reached up to pull his sunglasses off, tucking them into his packet, his golden eyes fully uncovered and sparkling with mischief, the sight alone making you feel weary.

“Well? You gonna invite me in?” he asked. “Not sure I’d fit through the window.”

You scrambled to meet him at the back door, not wanting him to try and get into the shop through the order window that was less wide than he was. It was a strange feeling to open the back door of the shop to a guy that was almost too tall for the doorway, and another thing entirely to try and corral him into behaving as you tried to keep the ice cream stand functioning while Taliyah was gone.

“Aren’t lifeguards supposed to set a good example for others?” you huffed, wiping ice from your apron. At least he hadn’t made things truly equal and put cherry syrup on the ball of shaved ice he had pressed against your neck.

“Not when I’m off the clock,” he answered. “Besides, it’s my once in a lifetime chance to see what workin’ one of these is like.”

It would definitely be only one time if you had anything to say about it. If the almost-hour with him here had taught you anything, it was that Sett was not cut out to work in an ice cream shop.

The scoops of ice cream he doled out were easily twice the size of the ones Taliyah did, which made for happy customers, but a less happy bottom line if he was here for more than an hour. He was also lacking Taliyah’s patience, and you were forced to sideline him when an especially picky middle-aged woman came by who insisted you remake her smoothie four times until it had an acceptable pH level. The woman’s complaints had miraculously stopped the moment Sett had approached the window himself, becoming so invested in flirting with the handsome lifeguard that she had snatched her next smoothie attempt from you without complaint, not even glancing your way as she batted her eyes at him, only leaving when he excused himself with an excuse of needing to make more orders.

You approached Sett to check on him and found yourself pulled down into his lap as he leaned back in the chair.

Huffing, he pulled you against him, nuzzling against your neck. “Don’t know how you deal with that. Couldn’t pay me to make her damn smoothie one more time.”

“You get used to it,” you replied. “Don’t you deal with worse as a lifeguard?”

“Yeah,” he grunted. “But nothin’ sayin’ I gotta be nice when I deal with ‘em.”

“That’s true,” you laughed.

“If anyone complains, they can go somewhere else. Ain’t another beach within a hundred miles as well-run as this one,” he bragged, kissing at your neck.

As much as you were enjoying his sudden affection, you knew time was running low until Taliyah would return. You made to pull back to tell Sett that, but were instead pulled into a kiss that took you a few breathless moments to find the strength to escape.

“This Friday,” he murmured, face inches from yours. “There’s a party at the pool. You should come with me.”

You had heard about the exclusive pool parties on this beach from Taliyah, but hadn’t expected to ever get an invite. The pool, which was at the far end of the beach from the ice cream stand, was as exclusive as it got. Gated with walls so high that you couldn’t see in, it was the membership-only place to be for all of the elite in the beach town of Port Navori.

“Is that… okay?” you asked hesitantly.

“Why wouldn’t it be?” he countered, and you didn’t really have an answer. “It’ll be fine. Come. Have some people I wanna introduce ya to.”

The door burst open at the same time as you nodded your agreement, revealing Taliyah clutching both her dripping board as well as a shiny blue ribbon.

“You won?” you asked, trying to disentangle yourself from Sett, who reluctantly let you up.

“Easily!” Taliyah gloated. “Nobody else stood a chance. So how were things here?”

“The money ain’t worth the drama of this place,” Sett griped.

Taliyah laughed. “Smoothie lady come back with a vengeance?”

“I’ll take kids buryin’ sunbathers up to their ears over this any day,” he replied with a grimace, standing up and stretching.

At his mention of ears, Taliyah had brought both hands up to her own head about where Sett’s were on his head, and you quickly waved at her to cut it out before he saw. Thankfully she did, but you could tell that you were going to get asked if you had pet his ears yet as soon as his fuzzy ears were out of earshot.

“I’ll text ya the time when I know it,” Sett said, giving you a quick kiss on the head and a two-fingered salute to Taliyah before heading out the back door.

“So?” Taliyah asked, pulling the chair up to the ice cream station after she had stashed her prize ribbon in her bag. “Are they as soft as they look?”

“I didn’t pet them,” you answered.

“It’s been over two weeks!” she complained. “Has he at least asked you to be his girlfriend yet?”

You shook your head. “He did invite me to a pool party with him on Friday at that fancy pool.”

“Really?” Taliyah responded, eyes wide. “You have to tell me what it’s like! I mean, I’ve seen satellite photos, but it’s not the same…”

“I’ll probably be too nervous to remember any of it,” you grumbled.

“This is your chance!” Taliyah encouraged. “By Friday it’ll be three weeks. You need to ask him if he sees you as his girlfriend or not.”

You reeled back, waves of anticipatory anxiety rolling over you. “I don’t want to scare him off. What if this is just casual to him and I’m too dumb to see it?”

“Then you’ll know,” she replied. “I know you. It’ll eat you up if you put this much energy into a guy without knowing how he feels about you. So ask. If he says no, then at least you’ll have an entire store’s worth of ice cream to drown yourself in after!”

Taliyah was right. She was always right. You knew that you couldn’t keep whatever this was up without knowing where you stood with him. The more time you spent with Sett, the more you wanted, and if he intended to keep things casual, you would rather know sooner so you could make an informed decision.

So that would be the plan then. Go to the party, have a good time (and get some photos of the pool for Taliyah) and then ask Sett about the state of your relationship. Sounded easy in theory. You could only hope you could muster up the courage to go through with the plan when the time came.

 After hearing that the party was to start at four, Taliyah had gone all out, closing the stand at two so she could help you get ready to impress the snobs. You hadn’t put up too much of a fight, happy to have her help and her company, as your nerves only climbed higher the closer it got to four o’clock.

“You’ll be fine,” Taliyah said as she styled your hair. “You’ll only feel worse if you don’t get an answer from him. And with how good you’ll look at the party, he won’t be able to say no!”

“Thanks, Tali,” you replied gratefully. “I promise I’ll get you a bunch of photos of the pool. And whatever else you want.”

“What I want is for you to stay here for good,” she said. “So really I’m just doing myself a favor by helping you. This place has been a hundred times more bearable since you’ve been here, and I want it to stay that way.”

“Still,” you persisted. “I feel bad that you’re going to so much trouble. If you want anything, just let me know.”

“Yeah, yeah,” Taliyah dismissed with a wave of her hand. “You should get going, don’t wanna be late to the fancy pool party.”

She practically shoved you out the door, and then you were alone, walking down the mostly-empty sidewalk. As you walked along the street, you couldn’t help but dwell on the possibilities. What would happen at the party? What would Sett say?

If he told you that he wasn’t looking for anything serious, what would you do? It was hard to have an answer for until you were in the moment, since a lot of it would depend on what Sett’s answer would be.

You walked through the parking lot, and then onto the beach, passing by kids building sandcastles and games of beach volleyball as you walked towards the end of the beach where the pool was. As you made your way to the fancier end of the beach, you began to notice the differences that marked the split between here and the side of the beach that you were usually on.

The shops on this side of the beach were much fancier, the sand littered with designer beach chairs and umbrellas. It was crazy just how different two ends of one beach could be.

The pool was noticeable from a great distance, or at least the wall white walls that surrounded it were. At least you weren’t going to get lost and miss the party entirely.

You approached the pristine white stairs that led from the beach up to the pool entrance, equal parts excited and apprehensive. The entrance was an open doorway, covered by a deep blue curtain and guarded by a muscled bouncer in white. The sight alone was intimidating; why hadn’t you just asked Sett to meet you beforehand?

You plastered a reluctant smile on your face before approaching the man. “Hi, I–”

“Name,” he interrupted, not looking up from his clipboard, sunglasses too dark for you to see his eyes.

Well it wasn’t like you hadn’t expected some level of standoffishness from the elite side of the beach. Keeping your smile up, you told him your name, waiting the prerequisite few moments for him to leaf through the list.

He seemed to have found what he was looking for, as his hand with the clipboard went to his side and he moved over to the curtain, pulling it to one side to allow you to enter. He had said nothing further, but seemed to be staring in your direction, so you took that as your cue and walked towards the now-open entryway and into the pool.

The entryway led into a hallway with pristine white walls, soft lighting hanging overhead. You could begin to hear chatter as you got closer to the end of the hallway, exiting into an explosion of sight and sound.

The pool was huge, and there seemed to be an intricate gold pattern on the tiles at the bottom. The pool was surrounded by lounge chairs and umbrellas, tropical foliage bordering the inner walls around the pool.

There were people all over, in and out of the pool. There was also a bar in the center which seemed to be very popular, as many people were carrying around intricate-looking cocktails.

More than the scenery or the people, your eyes were scanning the area for Sett. You checked your phone again to make sure, finding that it was the time he had told you to be here for. Maybe he was just running late or…

Your rising concern was broken up by the tap of designer wedges on the granite heading your way. You looked up from your phone to see two girls heading towards you, one of which you realized you had seen before.

The stuck-up redhead that had been the reason you had been out on the beach to spill the snowball on Sett in the first place was striding towards you, not a hair out of place underneath her likely-expensive sun hat. At her side was a lilac-haired woman in a swimsuit with a plunging neckline that was color blocked with various shades of purple. Together they made quite a striking pair, but your previous encounter with the redhead had you wishing that Sett would get here soon to save you from the impending conversation.

“Look, Sarah,” the purple-haired one sneered as they came to a stop before you. “So eager to pretend she’s one of us that she rushed right over.”

You took a step back, but that only seemed to embolden them.

Sarah lowered her sunglasses, staring at you like you were in her way. “Sad when they don’t know their place, Syndra.”

“Sett invited me here,” you replied defensively.

The women exchanged a pointed look before Sarah raised an eyebrow at you, a hand on her hip. “You ever think about why that was?”

“What?” you replied, unsure of what she was getting at.

“She doesn’t get it,” Syndra said with a cruel undertone in her voice that unnerved you.

“Look around,” Sarah said sharply. “Really look. Do half the people here look like they belong?”

You looked around, not sure what you were supposed to be seeing. A man with a hook-nose sat at the pool bar, flanked by women in skimpy bikinis. A humanoid form that seemed to be made of water conversed poolside with a large purple man in a ratty straw hat who was holding a ukulele. What were you supposed to be noticing?

“Sett is too nice to break it to you, so the job falls to me,” Sarah said with a smirk. “This is our annual loser fest. Charity case race. Bring-a-freak-to-work-day.”

“Pig party,” Syndra supplied.

“Yeah, pig party,” Sarah repeated, noticing your confused look. “Don’t know what that is? Poor thing.”

“I don’t–”

“It’s pretty simple,” Sarah interrupted. “We take half the summer to find the biggest freak we can, and then we bring them all together and crown a winner, and by the looks of you, Sett is really going for the top prize.”

You gasped, eyes wide, suddenly feeling like you were going to be sick.

“Aw, you really thought he liked you, huh?” Syndra mocked with fake sweetness.

“He didn’t… he never…” you stammered, clutching your bag to your chest.

“Well duh,” Sarah replied haughtily. “He wanted to win. Do you tell a pig when it’s about to become bacon?”

“What is meaning of this?” Braum accused, storming up to your group. “I have not heard of such a thing!”

“Need-to-know, Braum,” Syndra dismissed.

“And you didn’t need to know,” Sarah added.

You felt numb. This whole time… is that why Sett wouldn’t ask you to be his girlfriend? Why he never did more than kiss you? All this time, he had just seen you as a prize pig for an ugly date contest? It all made sense now, why he had been so desperate to get your number. He had never liked you… it had all been one sick joke. You should’ve known; nobody as attractive as Sett would ever see you as anything but a freak. And was too cowardly to come and tell you the truth to your face.

“Look, she’s crying,” Syndra taunted. “Don’t cry! Soon you’ll be queen pig!”

You couldn’t do this. You couldn’t stay here with all these people who saw you as less than human as your heart was breaking into pieces. You were so, so stupid, now wanting nothing more than to cry in peace. So you did, turning and running as fast as your legs would take you out of this awful place.

“Bye, piggy! We’ll ship you the ribbon!”

You heard Braum shout your name, as well as the cruel laughter of the women, but you didn’t stop running. Not when you got to the beach, nor the parking lot or the tacky souvenir shop, the sayings on the gaudy shirts too blurry to read through your tears. Your feet didn’t stop until you were at the doorstep to Taliyah’s home, out of breath, tears running down your cheeks.

The door opened, Taliyah’s face appearing in the doorway. “Hey, did you forget– wait, what happened?”

 “Settrigh, stay still!”

Sett frowned, but did as his momma requested, allowing her to tie the ends of his hair after she had finished arranging it. He loved his ma dearly, but he really didn’t have time for her to redo his hair ten times right now.

It was getting way too close to the start time he had given you, and with how nervous of a person you were, he had intended to be on time, but that was before his mother had discovered the reason why he was cutting their visit short today.

Ma was aware that he had been seeing someone, had been ever since Sett had needed help making food for their first date.

“You do intend to let me meet her, Settrigh?” she asked, stepping back once she had fixed his hair to her satisfaction.

“Yes, ma,” he answered, standing up from the chair.

He wasn’t exactly surprised by his momma’s eagerness, considering this was the first girl he had ever dated, let alone considered introducing to her. This world was shallow; he had learned that early in life, which may be why he found himself so drawn to a girl who had put her all into having nothing to do with him. You broke up the monotony in this busy beach town and gave him something to look forward to other than seeing his ma for the first time in a long time.

Sett knew he was working on a time limit. You had mentioned that you had planned on only visiting Port Navori for the summer, and the summer was half over already, which meant his chances to convince you to stay were also halved, which is where tonight came in.

He had been taking things slow, not wanting to come on too strong and scare you off like he had watched happen to many a beachfront pick-up artist. He had been unwilling to rush things and lose you, but the slip of the calendar into August had forced his hand.

He would be lying if he said he wasn’t a bit apprehensive as to how today would end. How would you take him asking you to be girlfriend? He could only hope that he hadn’t misread you entirely.

He didn’t go to the pool parties often, but it seemed like a good way for him to introduce you to his friends, as they didn’t often all gather outside of those parties. He knew you would likely feel out of place, but Braum would be there, and he intended to stick by your side the entire time. And then after the party, if things went well, then maybe he would end the night with you as his girlfriend, but the party would be the first step.

As he left his ma’s house, he found his mind turning to the party. If you were wearing that red swimsuit you had worn last week, then it was going to be a difficult night for his self-control. His desire to take things slow had really taken a hit then, his only saving grace being ma’s lecture on being a gentleman pounding in his head as he tried not to look at how your chest was half-busting out of your top as you leaned over to pick a thread off of his glove. You were really too hot for your own good, which made him all the more eager to see you.

He knew he was running late, the party having started at least ten minutes earlier. It wasn’t his style to be late, but he was also pretty helpless to defy his ma. He only hoped that you hadn’t given up on him and left.

He took the shortest route possible, which included a short trek through some bushes that left him more leafy than he would’ve liked, but it was all forgotten when he spotted the stairs that led up to the pool entrance.

He was able to bypass the doorman who was only half as big as he was and seemed to be wary of interacting with him, stepping out of the way as Sett approached. He pushed past the curtain, hurried steps heading down the hallway. You hadn’t been waiting outside, so clearly you had been able to get in. He tried to fight back the excited grin that wanted to take over his face, but it was a losing battle as he entered the pool area, eyes immediately scanning the area for you.

“Your cruelty is unimaginable!” Braum’s booming voice carried easily through the air. “That girl has done nothing to be deserving of such treatment!”

What had Braum so worked up? Generally he was an easy guy to get along with, easily Sett’s most tolerable co-lifeguard. Not much phased him, which was a little concerning. But Sett had other priorities, the most important being locating you.

You weren’t in the pool, and didn’t seem to be sitting in any of the chairs. Maybe you had gone to the bathroom and would be right back–

“Well how else was she supposed to know Sett is too good for her? She clearly wasn’t going to see reality without a little help.”

Sett’s ears perked up, his attention snagged by the mention of his name, but especially by the latter half of the sentence. He turned around to see Sarah Fortune with Syndra at her side, who had her arms crossed and looked bored. In front of them was Braum, looking more irate than Sett had ever seen him.

“What’s this about?” Sett asked in a warning tone as he approached, the fur of his ears standing on end, leaving him feeling like he wasn’t going to like where this was headed.

“Nothing you need to worry about,” Sarah dismissed, flipping her hair behind her shoulder with a flick of her head. “We just showed a daydreaming little clout chaser the way out.”

Sett’s eyebrow rose. “A what?”

“Your ice cream girl,” Braum cut in. “These two have told her that this is a party for pigs. They have told her that you intend to bring her here to win ugly contest, and then she had run off.”

“What?” Sett growled dangerously, but the two women remained nonplussed.

“We did you a favor,” Syndra stressed. “If we get a reputation of letting just anyone in, then we’ll lose all status as members of the ruling class of the food chain. So we decided to throw this little pig party to make you come back to your senses.”

“You’re one of us, Sett,” Sarah added. “This pool doesn’t have room for little nobodies who don’t know their place.”

“Rather be a nobody than whatever the hell this is,” Sett snarled angrily, the full knowledge of the truth turning his bad feeling to a mix of simmering fury at the two women, and worry for you. He hated himself for being late and allowing this to happen to you. “Save your concern and don’t talk to me again.”

“But we were–” Syndra started, but Sett wasn’t in the mood.

“If you even look at her again, you’ll have me to deal with. And unlike that girl you just bullied outta here, I ain’t so nice.”

With that, Sett turned on his heel and stormed towards the exit to go do his best to fix this mess.

Braum quickly followed behind him. “My friend, I am sorry I could not stop them in time.”

“Ain’t your fault,” Sett replied. “Wish I’d have known. Gotta go see if she’ll even talk to me at this point.”

“I wish you luck,” Braum said as exited the hallway and emerged out into the sunny late afternoon.

Sett parted from Braum, taking the stairs two at a time as he surveyed the area, trying to see if he could catch sight of you. He quickly crossed the sand, making a beeline for the ice cream stand, even if it seemed like a longshot. He passed by a group of kids throwing sand on an older man sleeping on a towel, but ignored it and kept going. If anything was on fire, Braum could put it out. Sett’s sole focus right now was finding you and hoping you’d let him explain himself.

His chest felt heavy with anger and regret. How could he have let this happen? He hadn’t realized how cruel those women could be, and it had led to them making you believe he thought you were some freak he was using for convenience, which could not be farther from the truth.

Seeing those two talk about you like you were a pariah had brought him right back to when he was younger, to what he had endured at the hands of people just like Syndra and Sarah. People who had ostracized him, did their best to make him feel like he didn’t have a place here. Sett-the-beast-boy-bastard; the words had haunted him for a long time.

He had grown tough in response to the years of bullying, but you hadn’t. This was your first exposure to how awful this place could be. He and ma had dealt with it for years after pa ran off; he had nearly gotten expelled from school after a particularly bad fight with a kid that had made one too many nasty comments about his ma to his face.

Sett stopped, letting out a frustrated sigh as he saw the large closed sign on the front windows of the ice cream shop. So that was a bust. Without giving the store a second look, he continued on towards the rocks and then up to the parking lot.

There was only one other place to try. Chest tight, Sett followed the same path he had the night of your first date, the same path he took every time he walked you home. The walk there was one long blur, his feet unable to stop moving until the familiar house was in sight. Without a moment’s hesitation, Sett approached the front door, rapping his knuckles against the wood. When no answer came, he tried again, and after a few moments, the door opened to reveal Taliyah, who glared once she caught sight of him.

“What do you want?” she asked, narrowing her eyes at him.

“Is she here? I need to talk to her,” Sett said, urgency bleeding into his voice.

Taliyah sighed, stepping outside and closing the door behind her. “You’re lucky I’m even talking to you after this. You don’t deserve to talk to her if that’s how you let your friends treat her.”

“They ain’t my friends,” Sett argued. “If I’d have known they were gonna pull that shit–”

A sly smile lifted the corner of Taliyah’s lips. “Good answer. If you had said anything else, then I’d be slamming the door in your face right about now.”

“Then can I–”

“Talk to her?” Taliyah interrupted. “Nope. Not a good idea.”

Sett’s face must have taken on a darker quality, because Taliyah retreated back a step, raising her hands in the air in mock surrender. “Relax, tough guy. I didn’t mean it like that. But she’s a little too upset to talk to you right now.”

The information only made Sett feel worse. He wanted so badly to talk to you, to do what he had wanted to do before this mess had happened and make you his girlfriend. You had never felt farther away than you did right now.

“Give me some time to calm her down. I can get her to be at the pier at seven, then the rest is up to you,” she said, levelling him with a stern look. “I know this wasn’t your fault. That’s the only reason I’m giving you a chance. She really likes you, so try not to make her feel any worse than she already does. Bye.”

And then Taliyah was gone, retreating back into the house and leaving Sett standing on the doorstep.

 “Brought you some water,” Taliyah announced as she entered the room, glass in hand.

“Who was at the door?” you asked.

She shrugged. “Someone looking for my dad. Told them he’s not here.”

You nodded. It was probably too much to hope that it would be Sett. You winced as you thought his name. You hated how much you wanted to see him, someone who had used you to win some popular kid ugly date contest.

So it had all been a lie then? All the things he had told you about his life, his family? Every time he had kissed you, was he picturing kissing one of those girls instead? Is this really what popular people did for fun? You felt stupid for falling for it, for falling for him. You were so stupid.

With some prompting from Taliyah, you took a sip of the water. After she had made sure you had drank the whole glass, she sat down next to you, taking the glass from you and setting it down on the bedside table.

“I should have known,” you croaked.

“Known that popular girls are bitchy? Maybe,” she responded.

“That it was too good to be true,” you corrected.

“You’re acting like you’re eighty,” she scolded. “There are other guys out there. Ones who don’t have shitty friends.”

“Yeah, I know,” you replied. “But I really liked him. And I didn’t even get to pet his stupid fuzzy ears.”

“Well if you’re joking, then you must be doing okay,” she said. “How about we go do something to take your mind off of things?”

You frowned, and she rolled her eyes. “Not right this second. I’ll give you until six-thirty to get yourself ready to go.”

Taliyah got up off the bed and headed towards the door. “I’m not gonna let your night be ruined because of a couple of snobs.”

She closed the door, leaving you alone with your thoughts again. You laid back on the bed, intent on taking some time before you got ready to just veg out. As much as the notion of going out didn’t excite you right now, it was probably better than being a mopey mess all night. There would be other guys; it was just a shame that you had liked this one so much.

Two hours later, you were walking down the street with Taliyah. Your getting ready to go had consisted of washing your face of all the smeared makeup from your crying, brushing your hair into a semi-decent state and then watching dumb cat videos on your phone until you felt like you didn’t want to crawl in a hole and die.

Taliyah had assured you that you didn’t look bad, which you might have believed if you hadn’t seen yourself in the mirror as you were leaving, but at this point you were beyond caring about how you looked right now.

Taliyah had refused to tell you where she was taking you, and so you were forced to follow her down the familiar path towards the beach, unsure of where it was you were being led. Part of you was worried that you might run into Sett, but then the more rational side of you took over; he was likely back at that pool, partying it up with those girls and lamenting that you had run off before he could win his ugly date prize. It was crazy to realize just how flawed your judgment had been.

You had expected to be walking onto the beach, as it was where you two usually spent most of your time, but Taliyah didn’t go to the parking lot, instead heading towards the rockier section of the beach. You hadn’t been over here before, only vaguely aware of the area as a prime fishing location, bait shops and the like lining the street across from this part of the beachfront.

She took you past the fishing spots, down to near the end of the beach, where there was a small pier that went about thirty feet out into the sea. Like most of the beach at this time on a weekday, the pier was empty, most of the fishermen also having headed out with their day’s catches.

Taliyah led you down the pier to the small bench at the end of it, pushing you to sit down. When she didn’t do the same, you looked up at her, confused.

“I’ll be right back,” she said. “I’m gonna go grab something to help cheer you up. You just enjoy the view for a bit.”

You decided to follow her advice, staring out at the water. There wasn’t much to see other than some boats in the far distance and some buoys bobbing in the water that marked the swimming section from the boating section.

It was kind of nice in a way, the calm waters helping you to relax as you watched the waves roll in and out. You stayed like that for a while as you allowed yourself to zone out until you began to wonder how much time had passed. Pulling out your phone, you saw that it had been almost twenty minutes, and yet there was no sign of Taliyah as you looked around.

You had assumed that she went to get you two some food, which likely was still the case. Some of the places here tended to have rather large dinnertime crowds, so a twenty minute plus wait wasn’t exactly unusual. You had no idea where she had gone, so all you could do was wait. If she wasn’t back by seven, you would just text her and ask what was up.

You let yourself be taken in again by the rolling waves as you continued to wait, trying to recall what kinds of restaurants there were on the beachfront. It couldn’t be that fish and chips place; Taliyah had spent a full half hour last week complaining about how stale their food was. Or the taco place, since it had been closed for renovations for the past week. You had been trying to think of a third option when your concentration was broken by someone taking a seat next to you on the bench.

You looked over, expecting to see Taliyah back with some food, but instead nearly jolted off of the bench when next to you was the very man you were out here trying to forget.

Just seeing him when you were feeling so pathetic sent a jolt of you weren’t sure what up your spine, your flight instincts screaming at you as you made to stand up, only to be stopped by a firm grip on your wrist.

“I know you don’t wanna see my face right now,” Sett said. “But I can explain.”

“Explain what?” you replied meekly. “Those girls explained enough.”

“I haven’t,” he insisted. “Just listen for a minute. Then you can leave, or punch me, whatever you want.”

You took a look around, still not seeing Taliyah anywhere. You weren’t sure what he could have to say that would make much of a difference, but you sat back down, and he let go of your wrist.

You turned reluctantly to face Sett, waiting for him to talk first.

“Never told ‘em to do somethin’ like that,” he said gruffly. “Didn’t even know about it ‘til I got there and you weren’t there.”

“But they said…” you started, taking a breath to keep yourself calm as you prepared to recount the hurtful words. “They said you were only spending time with me so you could win their whole ugly date contest.”

Sett’s eyes narrowed, the skin of his knuckles tightening on his curling fists. “First I’ve heard of it. Ain’t no way you’d ever place in an ugly contest anyways.”

His words threw you. “Wait, so you don’t think I’m ugly?”

He snorted, a grin playing at his lips. “Well I was plannin’ on askin’ you to be my girlfriend after the party, so nah, I don’t think you’re ugly.”

“You–” you gasped, pulse skyrocketing. This was not how you expected this conversation to go. You were half convinced you were experiencing auditory hallucinations until Sett reached over, pulling you into his side.

“This is my fault,” he spoke lowly. “If I hadn’t been late, I’d have been there to stop that from happening.”

“What happened when you got there?” you asked quietly.

“Braum told me what happened, then those two tried tellin’ me they did it for my sake,” he growled. “I thought I was used to seein’ through bullies from how I grew up. Doesn’t matter now, they won’t be botherin’ you anymore unless they wanna find out why momma says I got her temper.”

“Why were you late anyways?” you asked.

He groaned, leaning his head back against the bench. Even with the sun mostly set, you could clearly see a pink tone to his cheeks.

“What is it?” you pressed, curious about why the intimidating lifeguard was suddenly being so shy.

He let out a long sigh, finally meeting your eyes. “Ma was doin’ my hair.”

You looked him over, realizing that his hair did seem to be tied differently today. The only thing that looked the same was his ears, just as fluffy as they always looked. You could almost hear Taliyah’s voice screaming in your head to pet them. Speaking of Taliyah…

“Taliyah!” you gasped, trying to extract yourself from Sett’s grip, but failing. If Taliyah was to come and see you here with the guy she had taken you out to forget about… “My friend, she’ll be back any second and–”

Sett laughed, and you were immediately left with the feeling that you were missing something.

“She ain’t comin’ back,” he said amusedly. “I’ve got you all to myself for the night… if that’s what you want.”

“Taliyah set me up?” you breathed, not having suspected a thing.

“I asked her to,” Sett explained. “Wasn’t about to let you go ‘cuz of some shallow assholes.”

Taliyah was much sneakier than you had given her credit for, you realized, but you couldn’t bring yourself to mind right now. Though that didn’t mean you weren’t hungry, your previous stress melting away and removing the only distraction from your empty stomach.

“So,” you hummed. “Are you still going to ask me to be your girlfriend?”

You still had no idea what would happen by the end of the summer, but you really wanted this. You wanted him.

“Yeah, was plannin’ on it.”

 You had thought about it all the way back to Sett’s house. Was it really for the best to go back to your city when the summer was over? Back to your parents’ house to find an equally demanding and unfulfilling job?

The more you thought about it, the more you wanted to stay. Taliyah was here, Sett was here, and other than your brief nasty encounter at the pool earlier, this summer had been the best one you’d had in a long time.

Sett seemed intent on giving you more reasons to stay as he was on you pretty much as soon as you entered his house. You had been standing in the entryway, looking at a picture of what must have been Sett and his mother when he caught you off guard, picking you up from behind.

You yelped, turning your head back to face him just in time for him to dart forward to snatch a kiss.

“You’ll have time to look around later,” he said as he walked down the hall, nudging a door open with his shoulder and then taking you into what looked to be his bedroom.

Once again, you were scarcely granted a look around before Sett had overtaken your attention yet again. You were swiftly carried over and deposited on the bed, Sett eagerly caging your body down against the sheets with his own.

“I wanted to go slow,” he said against your ear. “Didn’t wanna mess things up. But that’s not what you want, is it?”

“No,” you gasped as he snaked a hand under your dress, and then under your swimsuit bottoms. “I… I want…”

“This?” he inquired, thumb brushing against your clit, causing you to jolt against him with a breathy moan. “Waited a long time to hear that.”

Seeking more room to work, Sett pulled back to reach down and pull down your swimsuit bottoms, tossing them to the side. You watched with reddening cheeks as he returned his attention to you, head disappearing under your dress next.

His first lick against your pussy felt back-archingly good, but you didn’t have a lot of room to move with Sett’s hands holding your lower half in place. His tongue felt slightly rough, bringing pricks of pleasure-pain along its path.

Closing your eyes tight, you tried not to squirm, but it was difficult as Sett’s tongue prodded inside you before moving back to sucking at your clit. It felt good, almost too good, but you found yourself wanting more than his mouth against you.

“Sett,” you moaned. “Please…”

You weren’t sure if he got the message until you reached down to grasp at one of his hands. He pulled back from you, wiping one forearm against the wet lower half of his face as he sat back. His position on his knees on the bed allowed you a good look at the decently-sized bulge in the front of his tight swim shorts.

Sett caught your eyes, reaching one hand down to cup his cock through his shorts. “All you, sweetheart. Still think I think you’re ugly?”

You somehow managed to shake your head, speechless from his ardent display of his body. Sett seemed to bask in just how speechless he had made you, a sexy grin overtaking his face as he stared down at you.

“Couldn’t ask for more than this,” he said. “But if you want more…”

He was such a tease. With a burning face, you relented.

“Could you just put it in me please?” you asked, too shy to make eye contact.

“Can do,” he replied, and you could easily hear the smug satisfaction in his voice.

Without a moment’s hesitation, Sett stood up from the bed to pull his shorts off, wincing slightly when he pulled the tight fabric over his painfully-hard cock. Tossing the shorts to the floor, his attention quickly returned to you.

Giving his cock a few slow strokes, he watched you sit up on the bed. Feeling a burst in confidence from his display, you reached down to the hem of your dress’ skirt before pulling it up and off your body, Sett’s hungry gold eyes unable to look away from you as you moved onto your swimsuit top.

Once your top was off, Sett struck, pulling you towards him. Sitting at the edge of the bed, he pulled you onto his lap, reaching around to your front to cup your breasts as his mouth went straight to your neck. His hands were warm against the sensitive skin of your breasts, rolling your nipples under his thumbs as his teeth scraped against a sensitive spot on your neck.

You felt his hard cock under you and shifted yourself against it, Sett letting out a deep groan in response. You could feel how wet you were, but this wasn’t enough. You needed to fuck him, needed this building tension to come to a satisfying end for you both.

You turned in his lap, looping your arms around his neck and leaning down to kiss him. Sett was happy to meet tongues with you, one hand resting on your ass until you pulled back from the kiss.

You met eyes with Sett, who began to help you lift yourself up, lining up his cock with his other hand. When he brought you back down onto him, you both sighed as you were fully seated on his cock at last.

“Nothin’ else would feel as good as you,” Sett groaned as he began to help you move and up and then back down onto him. “Never wanted any girl as bad as I want you.”

You were much less coherent, moaning out his name as your hands grasped against his chest. With a further burst of confidence, you reached a hand up to his ear, running your fingers along the fur and enjoying the resulting groan, the next upward thrust of his hips hitting even better into you. Maybe you would leave this out at Taliyah’s interrogation later.

“There,” you moaned as he shifted you in his lap, his cock hitting even deeper inside you. “Right there, Sett.”

“You’re so tight,” he groaned, pulling you down into a rough kiss as he held you close, thrusting up into you as you eagerly moved along with him, needing to make this gorgeous man under you cum.

Sett came first, stilling for a moment before pulling you slightly back to put a finger to your clit, letting you cling to him as you followed him over the edge.

Once you had both come back down from the clouds, you were set back gently on the bed so Sett could run off to grab a cloth to clean you up with. You watched him leave the room, still having a hard time comprehending just how you had ended up this situation.

You definitely had some phone calls to make tomorrow. Your parents would be surprised, but you would probably focus on the Taliyah part rather than the new boyfriend part of your reasoning. Taliyah would be overjoyed for sure; you’d have to thank her for her meddling when you saw her.

As Sett returned, you realized something.

“Wait, is your mom home?” you asked in horror. You hadn’t made any effort to be quiet during sex, forgetting about his mother until he re-entered the room.

Sett laughed at your mortified face. “I don’t live with ma, so no.”

“Oh god,” you breathed in relief. “I was worried I was too…”

“She ain’t here,” he replied as he joined you on the bed, handing you the cloth he had grabbed. “You can be as loud as you want.”

You dropped the cloth, burying your head in your hands, Sett’s amused laughter ringing in your ears as you tried to content with just what you had signed yourself up for.

[moonstone27ls]

Thoughts on Bee and Puppycat Lazy In Space....

Spoiler warning....

soooo if you don’t want spoilers....

don’t read.....

warning....

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I’m WARNING you 8B......

Warning stops.... nowww....

Sooo thoughts... I generally liked it. A lot of amazing art and colors and almost each character was fun and I wanted more of.

There are some flaws I’m not gonna deny but this thing I don’t wanna call it in production hell but according to wiki “ Episodes 4-16 were produced in 2019; while episodes 1-3 were produced in 2021. “ So clearly some issues.

Do I have any favs? not sure I’m more impressed by the voice cast they got. And if Allegri’s given a second season hope she can get these actors again.  Kumail Nanjiani for Howell, the Jennifer Tilly for Violet/aka Cardamon’s mother, Steve Blum for Puppycat/Space Outlaw’s adult voice guys thats  Spike Spiegel from Cowboy Bebop also an anime voice actor legend!!! (well to me he is:3).

Anyways back to topic, the voice actors are what sell their character, I loved almost every scene with Howell X3!! I enjoyed how Puppycat got an instant mancrush on Wesley XD. They had some emotional moments well for me its when poor Cardamon has a breakdown, poor little guy is 7 and is given the role of an adult. He just wants to be a kid and no one is really trying(I mean Bee tries) to be the adult and protect/shelter him.

Story.. I admit since the story even from its early days was ambiguous I can’t say “Oh its inspirational”. No its cute, I think it still is to a degree Bee trying to grow up.... I think its the add on to the stories that make it somewhat confusing.

I guess for example, Bee is a roboy/ or cyborg? there’s never been an indication how old she is. Or that aside from Cas, not many are questioning why she hasn’t aged.  So depending on how old she is it makes you wonder why she’s having difficulties being an adult. But I’m nitpicking. What I do know from this story, Violet and Bee’s father were part of Puppycat’s crew... how Violet and Puppycat found her father we don’t know. But at somepoint the ship crashed landed on... Earth? (Again not sure of the rules in the story). Violet and her father fell in love I assume with people on the planet and each had children. I assume different times of course. Since its hinted in one pic that Bee was present when Violet had Cardamon and even helped babysit him.... but then again its also hinted she helped watch after Deckard?

I think a small nitpick, just small would be Deckard’s storyline going to culinary school. From the youtube pilot and first series, I was always under the impression that Deckard was good at cooking. It even seems that well implied in the current story, how the siblings complain that only Deckard cooked... (though sidenote judging by how badly Cas judged everyone else from not growing up(why didn’t the actual older siblings learn to at least cook basics? whatever back to Deckard)..... ... but when Deckard goes to school. He’s apparently flunking? storywise I’m confused, no I don’t expect Deckard to be a Julia Childs in the making but the poor guy was struggling BD;. And even with him gone his own sibling Crispin threw shade at him saying he couldn’t even make a cake. I dunno if this was to show “Oh your dreams flop/or change” or “you can’t do everything great” or what. Feels like a slip to me.

More so after he left and even if it was unintentional some of the Wizard siblings blamed Bee for Deckard leaving. Now including the youtube series, it was always hinted Cas out of all them wanted Deckard to grow up and do well at school. And I mean yeah some of Cas’ hostilities are explained later, but always seemed Cas blamed Bee for Deckard not growing up. So why constantly complain or go “you made him leave” when thats what she wanted? 

Which means Puppycat has been in that form for more than 20 years or so... I admit I’m curious on Puppycat too. I have questions is this a Beauty & the Beast thing, is he cursed by the warlocks to stay in that form? Or is this a personal growth thing where he’ll learn and get his form back.. or does he have to see the Princess again?

Anything else that I’ve got as a headscratcher... uhh why did Bee use the toilet instead of an actual fridge to put the food in but thats about it o3o.I am somewhat surprised for as old they intend to make her, no one other than Cas questions her or the situation or that she once burned her hands and no one’s “OH NO HOSPITAL”! And why did Toast pick so many fights with Cas will pregnant shouldn’t some of those moves during the final trimester put her at risk of losing the twins?oO 

The finale had me on the edge of my seat and I wanted MORE. I REALLY hope Netflix is merciful and gives them another season. Cause I wanna know what happens next? Will they find her father? Will they avoid the warlocks... does this mean the island or just the main cast will be going on space adventures and tempwork? with Bee and Puppycat. Or Puppycat? I’m not gonna lie since I like the Wizard siblings I would love to see Cas, Wes and Howell get their own adventure world as well.

Any other thoughts I have... I guess is where is Natasha Allgeri’s head with the romance section. I’m not complaining more of observing... I’m not gonna lie after the show I was already theorizing who’s bi/straight/etc.  I say theorizing I hope thats not offensive? If so sorry I’ll try to be better. Uhh I admit I think Howell is probably gay, but I could be wrong. I’m not gonna lie its the obvious refs to anime style. It doesn’t bother me if he’s straight/gay/bi or even asexual, or if he’s just Howell. Howell is Howell and I would literally spend a whole episode hearing his voice actor.

Even though she and Toast didn’t become a thing I still wonder if Cas is bi. I say bi because when she lost what she thought was her first kiss she called out her “boyfriend”. I wonder what the direction is with Toast/Merlin though... I mean yeah they have a few moments but I wouldn’t even call them a couple.

And then we have Deckard/Crispin/Bee/and Cooking dude? I dunno the finale that Cooking Prince felt like an obvious “oh he wants Deckard”. But dude you followed a guy to an island just because he’s not giving you attention and space for that matter... little sad 8B. And stalkery.

Not gonna lie I don’t want Deckard to be with Cooking Prince. Its not that I didn’t like Bee’s episode with Crispin. Its just I dunno from the moment we got our pilot, I always thought it was hinted she and Deckard had chemistry. When we got the first series felt it even more obvious that something’s there. This series left it a bit up in the air if that makes sense.

Bee went from love interest to, “Oh she’s a mom/baby sitter figure?oO”. And why pick Crispin? I dunno if  Allegri‘s story changed over the development or what if Crispin’s relationship was to explain how she eventually met Deckard? I dunno again really up in the air with that. Which I think I get the story’s not focused on love, its focused on Bee and Puppycat.

Do I ship her and Crispin... I admit I really dunno. Their ep gave more hints of “Oh we had a thing/didn’t work out but you’ll always be close to me”. I mean even in the finale when Crispin saw Bee... “hurt?”. Instead of being “Ohmygod she’s hurt, she needs me”. His instinct is to hit on/or ask out one of her holograms... or are they her heart defenses? whatever.

I do know some fans ship Bee with Puppycat (his humanoid form obviously)... do I? Uhh dunno. Not gonna lie fanart is awesome/adorable. But I dunno if I see that. There are times when his relationship shifts to “brother figure”, sometimes literal pet relationship. I do believe he genuinely loves her and wants to protect her. Sooo yeah hope that romance department if there is one somewhat gets more cleared.

What do I want IF Bee and Puppycat are given a second season? IF this year doesn’t give me a lot of hopes on “Oh animators are respected”/ “Ohhh Netflix is good to cartoons/good shows”.....

I want those voice actors to return! I want... Cardamon and his mom to get more time together. I will be disappointed if next season comes and they just both sleep through all the story. Don’t give me a good reunion and just put it on literal pause! 

I want Cardamon/Sticky and now Violet cuteness! Like earlier I want the other Wizard siblings to see some of the other worlds with Puppycat. I want Cardamon to be allowed to be a KID. I want Bee fixed, hope she’s getting a reuinion with father. Want to see interactions with her and Violet.

Wonder if we’ll see more of Puppycat’s background cause it indicated he had a mother. I want more of Merlin and Tim’s personalities explored, I don’t think we got quite a lot of their characters. Other than that Tim knows peoples’ secrets and apparently... Merlin didn’t finish medical school? 

Bee origin story? and her father’s. Why did her dad make her? Where is her father from? I would also say who’s Cardamon’s father but I don’t think we’ll know.

I dunno see if Toast is gonna have a role beyond bugging Cas (though it was cute when the twins punched their own daddy XD). I would say show some love but thats only if its given more development/or at least where it makes sense. Cause if we see romance brought up again, I wouldn’t mind the other Wizard siblings finding love. Cause as interesting as that... fishlady/(mermaid?) ep was... I don’t think it really counted as a real date for Wes. That ep or some of it felt like refs to Splash or the Little Mermaid... if they had rejected being humanoid.

 I wanna know whats with the warlocks. Did the Space King send them to find Puppycat or is the Princess? But I feel IF they’re given a second season, thats an obvious one to address..

I think thats about it. Sorry my words are a mess 8B.

[heniareth]

Alrightalrightalrightalright. I realize we’re also talking in private now, but this post still merits an answer (post!!!!!!!! Such a post!!!!!!!!!! ~\(≧▽≦)/~)

Thank you for the notes on the drawings!!!!! Yes to everything!!!!! Valendrian is growing more grey hairs as we speak!!!!! In fact, by now he probably has a grey-hair-sensor and a Tabris-kids-are-doing-dumb-stuff sensor (which must’ve been going haywire during the Blight. Poor man. Not a moment of rest). Alsoalso Duncan prooooooooobably didn’t take Novhen to the wedding for a reason (“he has a twin he says? well off i go to Denerim!”) And even if Novhen can’t do much about Duncan recruiting Astala (T_T) It’s the thought that counts. Astala appreciates it.

Also seeing the phrase “I left some angst for you under there” somehow gave me the feeling of coming home to a surprise package on my desk XD XD XD XD Weird how that works

Also, good to know that your Companion Novhen is not a Warden. I must’ve gotten things mixed up with your canon. It is true that having another companion who is a Warden and at the very least not opposed to sleep with Morrigan would make the Dark Ritual much less intense. But for the purposes of this AU, I like the idea of them both being Wardens, recruited at different times 😈😈 Poor Cyrion: first Novhen has to leave (maybe disappears outright? 👀👀👀👀👀👀👀👀👀), then he gets the letter detailing a dangerous new career choice, and then Astala gets roped into that same dangerous career!! And he was hoping at least one of his children would settle down with a normal job, a spouse and some children ToT Really, it’s good that things end more or less okay for Astala and Novhen if only for Cyrion’s sake.

You know, I’m also curious as to how all of this would affect Soris and Shianni. Soris in particular; I get the feeling that he was already a bit of an outsider in the family when Tabris and Sianni went of to do stuff of questionable legality together. Now they both are Wardens, with important (and harrowing) Warden business to attend to. And he certainly doesn’t have the fighting skills to keep up with them. Ironically, this might bring him and Shianni closer bc they’re on a similar skill level with regards to fighting and aren’t Wardens and stayed in the Alienage. Not that there would be a rift between the cousins necessarily; but the fact that two are Wardens and national heroes (sorta) and two are not would change the family dynamic significantly I think. Also, from his comment after confronting the slavers (“Once again you’re the big hero, cousin. Must be nice, to have everything work out for you” or smth along those lines), I always thought he felt a bit of resentment towards warden Tabris? And I mean, it makes sense. The whole Alienage turned against him after the purge and then his wife disappeared. Meanwhile for all he knows, his cousin has been traipsing about Ferelden doing great deeds and receiving many honors. I really don’t envy Soris. Poor fella

Back to the Joining! Would it be too much to ask for two mabari? 👀👀👀👀👀👀👀👀👀 If yes, we can always pull a funny and have Novhen insist on calling the mabari Griffon, and Astala insist on calling him Rascal. Mabari are smart, he’ll understand he has two names 😌😌 Or Griffon is the official name and Rascal is what people descend into when scolding him or something. Pet names are extremely mutable, after all. Although a warhound is technically (and also very practically) not a pet

Also, it makes sense that Novhen can’t and won’t tell Astala everything about the Joining. I can only imagine the cold sweat running down his back when Astala tells him she can’t leave, she’s already tainted. Even if Ilanlas isn’t part of this AU (but, I mean, we’ve already lobbed all three of them together once. In fact, if you want to import Pavle so Astala can squabble with him about the nobility, or Radka for More Crime(TM), that has potential to be great fun and maybe get out of hand. But you gotta live a little, y’know)... Even if Ilanlas isn’t part of this AU, Astala is a very physical fighter, and it wouldn’t surprise me at all if her first encounter with a darkspawn in the Korcari Wilds would result in her being tainted. And if she and Duncan have to traverse the Wilds to get to Ostagar, there’s plenty of opportunity there. Duncan meanwhile swears up and down to Novhen that he didn’t get Astala tainted on purpose. Not sure if Novhen believes him.

But also the Joining would be a delicious angst moment. Astala is taken totally by surprise and horrified by Jory’s death, only bc he didn’t want to drink the darkspawn juice. She would absolutely look around, see if she sees Novhen, and try to get some sort of reassurance for him just by look. And then she drinks the thing and drops like everybody else and oh, the seconds until they know if she’s still alive... Seems like it’s Novhen’s turn to get the Tabrises-inflict-grey-hairs disease. Astala will get her turn too soon enough, I wager.

The who is the HoF thing will be interesting. Astala will NOT have Novhen take the Ultimate Sacrifice upon himself. She just can’t. She’ll cry and beg (and probably get a bit histerical. She’s not doing well by the end of DAO in my canon). But she’ll have no alternative, bc Alistair is a good friend and she would like to survive as well, and if Novhen doesn’t tell her before the battle that there’s a ritual he’s done with Morrigan, she’ll absolutely try to stop him from killing the archdemon. It’s a bit complicated, because in my canon she basically kills the archdemon because she’s the only Grey Warden left standing. Everybody else is either injured to the point of not being able to do the deed or presumed dead (Ilanlas gets it particularly bad). She wouldn’t kill the Archdemon in a moment of adrenaline rush bc she’d just freeze up. If she kills it, it might be protecting Novhen if he’s down, and she would not go in with the intention of killing, just driving the beast away. And then she hits it too hard and we get a lovely explosion. She could also be protecting somebody else. Otherwise, the kill may be Novhen’s, and then Astala gets to scream and cry a lot because she thinks her twin brother is dead. It will not help Morrigan’s focus as she tries to save him.

And well... Astala’s gonna tag along with the decisions about the king of Orzammar and the killing of Flemeth. For the first, because there’s no better option, and for the second, because Novhen is going, and no way in the Void is she going to let him go alone. She’s probably gonna curse everything when she sees the dragon Flemeth turns into, but at that point it’s way too late to turn back. And seeing the dragon out to turn them into a metal-clad snack will be enough to convince her that Flemeth has to die.

And yeah, regarding the Zevran romance... There’s one thing I’m working on in my canon, which is that Astala is at first royally pissed at Zevran and at herself because she met Zevran at the tavern at Redcliffe, after dealing with the undead, and in her drunken state told him where they were headed next. And, lo and behold, the sweet and handsome elf turns out to be an assassin who follows them and tries to kill them all. Astala’s angry at Zev for taking advantage of her, but most of all at herself for being so stupid to say anything at all. Worst of all, that stupid part of her actually still trusts Zevran after the attempted assassination because a) he had been terribly nice and b) city elf!! friend!! :D So. Would you like to keep that? Because I think it could make for great fun; absolute bewilderment and disappointment on Novhen’s side (“Really, Stala? Really?”) and utter frustration on Astala’s side (“I know!!! I know!!! It’s so dumb but I can’t stop!!!”). Honestly Novhen would have every right to be angry at Astala because come ON girl, we have a bounty on our heads! And it’s not like you’re very inconspicuous to begin with! If you think this overcomplicates matters however, or if it just doesn’t seem as fun to you, we stay with the nice old “hey, he tried to kill us, why are you getting heart eyes, I know he’s handsome but stop”, which already makes for great fun ^^

Also yes though. Needling and fishing for gossip and teasing the other sibling about their crush. “Why aren’t you all smiles today? Something good happen?” “Hey Morri! Nice bracelet ^^ Didn’t I see Novhen carrying that around yesterday?” “Whaaaaaaat? You want to sparr with me? I thought Zevran was your new favorite sparring partner.”

ALSO! Novhen is definitely doing Witch Hunt. But, ngl, the image of Astala pulling out a long parchment of questions and methodically going through them while annotating the answers is making me crack up XD XD XD XD

Morrigan: “Must we do this? ‘Tis an awkward affair.”

Astala: “Just pretend I’m my brother.”

Morrigan: “You do realize that does not help in the slightest.”

Honestly, with the shield... I think if Novhen tells her he has a surprise for her and then returned with the shield, she’d be so awestruck that she wouldn’t even ask where it came from XD XD XD As things are, Novhen gets caught before he can do that, doesn’t he? No shield for them, then U_U Shianni as a distraction would work, however. Shianni is clever, and Astala is easily distracted. Poor Soris though XD XD XD He’s the only kid without criminal tendencies and he’s paying for it

And! We’re agreed on Adaia’s timline then 🤝 Astala’s gonna have a moment to be terribly unfair to her mom XD XD XD Poor all of them. It really is an emotionally charged time. Novhen doesn’t have to worry about her critizising Adaia after her death, however. Astala would think that terribly rude as well, and also Novhen didn’t like it at all and he’s not doing well. She’s not about to make things harder for him right now, not when he’s struggling like this. She absolutely puts the alcohol on the top shelf, maybe even pours it out or gives it away. That she won’t compromise on.

The smuggling will indeed not be to her taste at all, but I think by that point she’d be so tired from her jobs and done with everything that she just accepts it. She didn’t change her mother’s mind, she’s not gonna change his mind. And they do need the money he brings home. She’s gonna impress the need to keep Novhen safe on Alarith though, very diligently so. As for Alarith’s age, I headcanoned him to be three to five years older than Astala. But yeah, Novhen can get to tease her for a long time about it. It’s easy to make Astala blush XD XD XD XD (Also I’m happy that you like the thing with Astala starting to work after Adaia disappears XD XD XD XD I’m very fond of that detail too, although it does land Astala with a bit of lumbago and some sleep deprivation in her early twenties).

Regarding the Dark Ritual and what Novhen tells Astala after the archdemon has been slain and everything’s done with: she’ll let Novhen talk and cry all he needs to. She might be burning with curiosity, but I think she’ll catch on fairly quickly that this is a painful topic for him (also because of the lies, but also because Morrigan’s gone with the child) and not press more than necessary. And I think she would tell him to go after Morrigan! She doesn’t hold a ton of loyalty to the Wardens at that point, other than the fact that she will have their backs before the Crown. As far as she’s concerned, they’ve done their due, and there’s other wardens now to take on the most pressing duties. Nathaniel would be a good candidate. Or, hell, Alistair could step up and take up Duncan’s mantle (I don’t remember Novhen making Alistair king... He doesn’t, right?)

Also, the book 👀👀👀👀👀👀👀👀👀👀👀👀👀👀 Astala’s gonna get somebody to give her a primer on blood magic and once that’s done, she’ll study the book in private. And once she reads the part with the Dark Ritual, she’s probably gonna look up and stare into the air for a while (Zevran might get worried) before shouting “That sneaky little... Novhen!” Honestly, she’d probably not be horrified though. First, it’s already happened. Second, her brother’s involved, and she trusts him. Third, she trusts Morrigan. Fourth, she has a nephew??????????? WHERE?????? And, fifth, it did save their lives. It was good. She would probably not tell anybody anything. Novhen kept it secret under great pain, probably, and she’s not going to throw that into the wind. Morrigan and Kieran are family now. Weisshaupt can eat their letter paper for all she cares, they’re not gonna hear even a peep about them from her. Neither would she tell Cyrion. That’s Novhen’s prerogative. Does this mean that Warden Andras would interrogate Astala as well though? 👀👀👀👀👀👀👀👀👀👀👀👀👀👀👀👀👀👀👀👀👀👀👀

Also, the angst!!! ToT ToT ToT ToT ToT ToT ToT She can’t send letters! She dies first! She can only hear of her brother and Morrigan and Kieran, but never see them ToT ToT ToT ToT ToT How old would Kieran be when the Calling catches up with Novhen??

The paper is tear-stained

I hope there is some sort of an afterlife where they can see each other again

Ough my heart T_T

On the other hand, since they join forces to find the Cure, they’re surely gonna find it. Between Morrigan’s knowledge, Merrill who cured a shard of an eluvian, Avernus, and the sheer awesomeness of these two, they’re gonna be fine. They’re gonna! No way around it. I’m manifesting it

I love that the elves use the p/matronym of whichever parent didn’t leave their Alienage to get married, aka. the one best known in the community! That’s so clever!! hhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh I love these kinds of headcanons, they tickle my brain just right XD XD XD XD XD XD Also!!! With Adaia speaking Rivaini Elvhen, Astala might be a step closer to getting her ‘r’s right and understanding the Dalish!! Which is so cool!! She’d love that XD XD XD XD The help with Antivan is also appretiated. I’m pretty sure she’s gonna end up there, with frequent visits to Ferelden, but there nontheless

And you would share the WIP with me?? O.O O.O O.O That. That is an honor. I love fictional languages (Tolkien got me bad). If in the end you decide not to, no problem at all; a fictional language can be very personal. We could also operate on a need-to-know-basis. Just know that Alfish definitely activates the language nerd within me. Seriously if they’d taught me syntax and grammar at school by making me create a new language, I would’ve mastered it so quickly and thoroughly.

Also!! I wrote a little scene based on Astala exploding in front of Adaia after Adaia gets back home from being locked in a dungeon. It’s super rough and super short, just a bit longer than a page, but I’m gonna share it. Somehow. I’ll let you know how and maybe you can tell me if you like that version or if there could be some changes, and also if Novhen’s dialogue sounds good? And Adaia’s too. I must say, given that we have no in-game reference of how she talks, I really have no clue what she’d sound like XD XD XD XD The most I’ve seen of her comes from you, actually, from drawings and bits of stories. Anyways, I’m going to find a way to link it. Until then! ^^

So!! I've been wanting to do this for a while, but life got in the way, so now I'm here to take that thing up again because!!! Fun!!!! This is about the relationships between OCs, and I don't want to impose anything but. Regarding how Novhen and Astala would get along:

What if they HAD grown up together? Maybe not in the same family (although, it would be fun 👀👀👀👀👀👀 they are very similar and very different from each other in different aspects. For example both are very loyal and community oriented, but also Astala is loud and boisterous while Novhen is quieter and more underhanded), but definitely the same Alienage. They'd know each others' quirks and habits. Maybe Novhen got frustrated with Astala because she'd always hide in these really obvious spots when playing hide and seek and Astala in turn would never be able to find Novhen? Maybe Novhen would at some point have stolen a plum tart for her and maybe Astala would've helped him against another kid who made fun of Novhen? Maybe, if we wanted them to meet up later during the Blight, Astala had to move away from Denerim at some point. I think she's a bit older than Novhen; maybe she got married elsewhere. Or, if not, now we gave more elves storming Vaughan's estate, which is alwats fun. I think Novhen would get to lead that one operation until Nelaros's death, because before that, stealth does seem to be the best option.

I think these two would get along well, differences aside. Astala would make an effort to lower her if needed, and having a familiar face to lean on during the Blight year would probably be a big comfort to them both. I think they'd be comfortable enough with each other to talk about the recruitment and how it didn't exactly happen willingly; they could gripe about nobles and politics; they could just. Sit in silence after Broken Circle and try and digest Sloth's nightmare. They could kill the slavers at the Alienage together!!! I think having a like-minded person from the same cultural background would help enormously.

One thing Astala probably wouldn't be on board with is the Cult of Fen'Harel. She'd let Novhen practice alright and defend him if accusations about this were levelled against him, but I think she would either have fallen out of it if she'd ever been introduced to it (it didn't save Adaia after all, so...), or never warmed up to the idea of this elvhen trickster god

These are my thoughts as far as they go. What do you think? Also I hadn't thought of it, but if you want to move this conversation to DMs, they're open ^^

(And if this doesn't tickle your fancy anymore, feel free to ignore ^^)

👀👀👀👀👀 I am eating this ask up like breakfast. Or, er, ramen. Which is the thing i am actually eating atm. But yes yes yes to all of this, i love it so much

Full response under the readmore for length, but i'm realizing now my response is mostly about them as kids 😅 Oops

[Ask Game]

The way i play with companion!Novhen, i'd assume he and Astala are probably either siblings or cousins (i waffle), except this time on their mothers' sides. I don't know Astala's exact age, but Novhen was born in *pulls out notes* Wintermarch of 9:7 Dragon. If we try to stagger them based on Adaia's death, that's probably close to a decade between them which seems a tad bit higher than it should be. We'll just have to dance around that matter

Even if Astala isn't significantly older, there's probably never a single moment where he's taller than her XD Add onto that that girls tend to hit puberty first, there's gonna be quite the height difference around age 10

But yes, their personalities go in very different directions but are probably pretty compatible, especially if given the benefit of a shared childhood! They're both very sociable, but i suspect most people like Astala more, especially authority figures. She's much less of a troublemaker, and Novhen definitely took a while to come into his own as a social mastermind. (This also would make her the ideal candidate for a distraction whenever Novhen’s a-scheming. That’s gonna do her a lot of favors when trying to get him to steal plum tarts for her XD These two are the real blight as far as anyone in the alienage is concerned XDD)

Oh, actually! If they knew each other, i can imagine pretty well him practicing with or studying Astala to get better at social situation! And clearly it worked! (A: "Ok now make an angry face... You just look like you can't find a chamberpot. You have to scrunch your eyebrows like this." *jams her thumb down his forhead*)

Astala seems to prefer her hair shorter during the Blight, but how was it as a child? Because if it were in some sort of puff, i can imagine her child-level object permanence resulting in her hiding in an empty barrel with the puff still peeking over the top! (Artist's Rendition Below)

I don’t think he’d be too frustrated with her poor stealth outside of team games at least! (If they’re partnered is another story…) He does sometimes tease her that she’s not going to be a very good criminal when she gets bigger. Idk, how would she respond to that? Because how does she feels about the fact that she's not going to follow in her mother's footsteps (or how aware of that she'd be as a child) or maybe she would retort about how she’s already bigger or something else? Definitely a lot of ways to take that one lol

But also the idea of Novhen as alienage king of hide and seek is kinda cute. He's usually the last one left (all that damn thief training), so it’s not unheard of to see a parade of Astala, Shianni, Soris, and whoever else they've wrapped into their game (which with Astala could be quite a number) turning the alienage upsidedown to find him. There's probably at least one time he gets found in the first minute, and he thinks he's going to die of embarrassment. Because of that, they almost never let him be a hider in the first round. Sometimes when he’s hiding, they'll accidentally pick up seekers who weren't even playing along the way because they want to see him knocked down a peg XD That's what happens when you win too much!

Astala probably has him beat at wrestling tho! And the game where i imagine they’re most evenly matched would be arm wrestling. As an archer, Novhen has insane upper body and especially shoulder strength, but Astala has insane everywhere strength

On the less competitive side, imagine them as dance partners as little kids ☺️ Astala’s probably the more enthusiastic one about it, but i’d imagine she could drag him into it Easy whether through blackmail or Ole Reliable (puppy dog eyes). There have to be lots of events in the alienage that call for dancing, so it’s good to have a go-to dance partner! And if they ever get a Silly Urge while dancing, the one thing that i’ve found little kids most reliable to do is spin so fast they nearly make themselves sick, and when there’s two of them spinning each other, there’s no stopping them until the centrifugal force throws them both to the ground. At least they’re having fun lol

The Cult of Fen'Harel thing makes sense. I wouldn't expect Astala to be into that. I imagine in this case that Cyrion and Adaia agreed to expose the children to both sets of beliefs, so they could choose once they got older

It's a good thing Novhen's good at keeping matters hush because otherwise Astala would likely get stuck constantly mediating between Novhen and Ilanlas on matters of religion 🤭

Tbh Novhen would slightly begrudge her for choosing the Chantry, but i don't think he'd ever let her know if he could help it. It's just not worth it, and you can't talk about that without talking about Adaia's death which nobody is excited to talk about. Still, it's a potential source of drama, esp as the politics of DA:D are winding up

Back in the present day, if the endgame configuration is one where they live in the same location (which i think could only be the case if they were both companions), Novhen would offer her once for him to educate her child/ren in the way of the Cult of Fen'Harel and/or the Vir Banal'ras fighting style, probably get denied at least on the first one, and never bring it back up. He knows she's Andrastian and also wouldn't expect her to teach them that fighting style herself (too rogue-based), but if he had permission, he'd want to at least try to expose them to their family's traditions, so they could make a choice themselves like Novhen and Astala did

And honestly, if he's present for the origin, once Nelaros dies, Novhen would more than happily hand leadership of the mission over to Astala. Stealth only goes so far, and she has first dibs on revenge #SupportWomen

And with Unrest in the Alienage! As soon as Caladrius is dead, Novhen is scampering over his corpse to pick the lock on Cyrion's cage. Doesn't even wait for someone else to pilfer the key. Astala is free to react to that little scene however she wishes, and we get the whole Tabris family reunion after

Whoever’s Warden, i imagine those two leaning on each other a lot for emotional support during the Blight because not only are they the only alienage elves in the party, they’re family (or at the least childhood friends). Once we personalize the Broken Circle dreams, they get upsetting fast. If either of them get sent into that mission (or Maker forbid both of them), they’re definitely going to need to share a blanket by the fire for a minute

EDIT: the paragraph looks like it's been eaten but also! Novhen would be very cautious about Astala's Zevran romance at first. ("Yes, Stala, he's very dreamy, but let's not forget he's only here because he was hired to kill you.") We know he's very protective, and they're both so eldest sibling-coded

[toujoursmiraculous]

Thoughts and Reaction to SIMPLEMAN

A day late but that's what happens when good subs aren't out until the next day, and you're busy that day. This episode is so sweet and wholesome that it was worth it, for sure. I'm still not sure which one is Ella and which one is Etta. They're always addressed together so I just don't know, but I'd like to. ;-; (Note: Looked it up on Wikia, the one in pink with seafoam earrings is Etta, the one in seafoam and pink earrings is Ella) See Nino knows. Nino's concerned about Marinette babysitting three kids already. He lives with one all the time, times that by 4 and WOO that's crazy. Sweet of her to want to ensure her best friend has some time to relax with her boyfriend. Oh. OH those poor Kwami! Especially Fluff and her ears being pulled like a game of tug-of-war! I can see it now, Fluff now traumatized by young kids. So if Alix ever has any in the future, they better grow up knowing about Fluff right away or she's in for a horror show. PV TRAILER AND MUSIC! I'm such a fan of the music and the PV that when my sister told me about it, it made me even more excited for this episode than I already was. And I was very excited already! Manon: So? Aren't you going to answer it? She knows what's up. So Adrien's calling asking Marinette to help sew on a wing? Because nobody else there can do it? I dunno, sounds kind of sus to me, Adrien. Are you sure you're not using that as an excuse just to see your "friend"?

Marinette's biggest problem is thinking so far ahead in her brain that when she goes to speak, she's either way far ahead of herself or gets everything mixed up as it comes out of her mouth. If she just lived in the moment and didn't plan (which being Ladybug that's probably very hard not to do outside the costume), she'd be able to do this and overcome that fear of rejection as well. She seems to have that part fairly taken care though. When Gina said she was in China to learn Kung Fu and met a girl that reminded her of Marinette, instantly thought about Fei. How could it not be her? Rolland gets asked to babysit, immediately is like "Let's do something fun and dangerous!" Tom must have had an interesting childhood with Rolland and Gina. o.o Clearly Rolland doesn't realize who the heroes are based on. Or just completely forgot he met them when Bakerix. xD Adrien's so sweet with Marinette, even if he can't understand a single thing she says. That's adorable. But a really good way to thank her could've been "Would you stay and watch the photoshoot, and then maybe we could go do something fun/get something to eat after?" BOOM. Problems solved. But I have a feeling this may come back later, and maybe that would turn out better. Marinette's grandparents tend to give Hawk Moth/Shadowmoth the most sass and trouble in comparison to other Parisians. XD Rolland is so sweet to these kids, and they are so caring towards him. It's so wholesome! Just think: if that helicopter wasn't crashing behind her, she would've screamed she loved Adrien. So close. Simpleman is the chillest akuma. Being all "Hey kids, even though I'm akumatized, let's go out into the city!" and the kids are like "Yeah, okay. Hey let's get ice cream!"

Him protecting them from all the flying pizza boxes that guy was throwing around everywhere was super sweet too. LB and CN: Things are complicated. So we should find Shadow Moth directly. Let's run around the city screaming for him to come find us so we can fight him! I seriously think if Chat Noir or Ladybug brought up the fact that their identities made things complicated, they would've revealed themselves right then and there. LOL at the old school fighting and them behaving like young children xD "NO!" "I'm NaNa, ClaCla is no longer with NaNa! Paris is really messy! BuggyBug, KittyKity, help us!" Oh this is going to be so hilarious in the English dub with the voice actress who also voices Nathalie. XDDD A bouncy ball is very complicated for Ladybug. That a literal 5 year old can figure out. Wow this villain's power sure did a number on her. xD I find it all the more stressful actually, that Chat Noir and Ladybug can remember what they were doing the whole time they were affected by the akuma. That means if Marinette said she loved him, or they revealed their identities, there would be no going back or being able to make an excuse for it. Can we just talk about how those kids could understand that the reason he wants things to be simple and is upset that the world is so different, is because it scares him and he doesn't think he's capable of learning and changing with the world? A majority of adults these days can't even take two seconds to try to understand someone else's situation(s) before judging and being outright nasty people towards them. Yet these kids were able to do so. And a lot of kids actually are like they are in real life. Some may see this as an episode just for kids to appreciate, but there's a lot in here that's aimed at adults, too. Adults need reminders and these lessons just as much, if not more so than young kids. It's adults that lose their way and needed to be reminded of it, as they have a greater immediate impact on the world. I've seen so many people judge Rolland, make assumptions about him which is almost always the very worst things they could think of. But this episode shows how caring and willing to learn and understand he really is, he was just hiding behind his fear of change and not being able to keep up with it. Some lessons in this episode for the adult viewers are: -You're never too old to learn, get over your fears, try new things, become a better person, and see things through new eyes. -Don't over-complicate or overthink, but don't be lazy and think keeping everything simple will actually in reality be the answer, sometimes it can make things worse! -Kids tend to see the world as things are, not what they think it should be, or believing they're the center of the universe like adults tend to do. -Being wise means knowing that regardless of your field, educational background, age, or lived experiences, you don't know everything, there is always more for you to learn about everything out there. The kids in this show are quite wise, as they know that there is so much they don't know and how they treat learning new things. They also know how adults tend to understand, or act like they understand everything, so we as adults aren't used to it when we don't and react negatively to that because it scares us when we don't know. In that way, this episode was very brilliant! Also that hug at the end, oh you can bet these kids are going to want to go visit Grandpa Rolland, and honestly I'd love to see bits of them here and there, their bonds are adorable and they've changed his life in such a positive way. Also the pure Ladynoir without another hero or Alya or any kind of upsetting situation was honestly such a breath of fresh air! Maybe not the kind of Ladynoir people wanted, but it made me happy. Marinette acknowledged her problem is she's scared of Adrien rejecting her. First step is admitting it! Can't blame her for not being able to do what she wanted, she only just realized the issue after all. It's going to take a little time now to work on it! Is it just me, or

does it seem Adrien's almost trying not to laugh when she was messing up and then asked if he liked fishing? XD Maybe it was the actors tone with the facial expression but it seemed that way! But the way he just watches her run away and does that adorable little chuckle... Oh Adrien, we really need you to start realizing why you keep doing that. "She (Ladybug) reminds me of your grandmother and you know what? You look exactly like her (Ladybug)." Well. Oop. He's onto you! Apparently Rolland isn't blind, as not a single character suspected her from her personality or appearance to be Ladybug so far. Even Adrien only began piecing it together due to circumstances (and his own personal wish that Marinette is LB, you can't convince me otherwise this isn't true). This is going to come back later, possibly Dearest Family? Overall such a good episode with a lot of things in it, if you decide to watch without high expectations or biases. After all the angst lately, it was certainly needed as a nice change of pace.

[o-wyrmlight]

Lmao I agree with that anon about how the fandom would misinterpret u. Like u would say one sentence about how Affo is morally gray and has motives and his reason, they immedietly pounce cause NO HE CANT BE KORALLY GRAY HES OBVS MORALLY BLACK AND ABSOLUTELY EVIL like yeah he's a selfish brat but he also had a rough upbringing and yeah it Def wasn't the morally white thing to do but who tf cares I don't for sure he's my skrunkly now I'm gonna torture/take care of him

Seriously doe ur rlly cool and not aggressive. The fandom would call u aggressive cause u retaliated in self defence/ expressed distaste for something cause there's always some young people who can't tell between 'saying your opinion' and saying 'only your opinion is right'

U also draw rlly well, are mature and can stay cool in situations I can't XD

I aspire to be like you one day! Ur writing and drawing is amazing znd you can see from different perspectives!

I imagine u to be a grandparent sipping their cup of tea inside. Children yell at u from the yard, so you laugh and go back to reading the news. Only when children walk up to ur door and start banging and screaming do you retaliate.

Sorry this got really long... i was a bit stressed lately

I hope you can achieve your dreams!

Affogato is morally black and evil and manipulative and he's a little shit who deserves more of a punishment than just being essentially yeeted from Dark Cacao's kingdom /j

Honestly I just. I like talking about my opinions. I like commentating about things that I see, think and notice and I like offering my perspective and talking about it. That's fun to me! I genuinely don't mean to come across as someone trying to shove their opinions down others' throats. It's when other people either a) make the argument that their opinions are objectionably right or b) go out of their way to harass others that it bothers me a lot. Especially when it's a ridiculous claim that calls into question the morals of the person that they don't agree with.

For example, with the argument about Affogato and Pomegranate being the same character--sure, they're similar, but they have enough differences that they aren't the same character. One is not simply a gender-swapped version of the other. They have different personalities, motivations and goals, and I've seen people talk about how hating Pomegranate more than Affogato is 'misogynistic' because they are 'essentially the same character'.

Even if they were the same character, there's nothing wrong with just. Not liking a female character. It doesn't have to be inherently misogynistic in nature, and you don't need an excuse for why you don't like the character. 'The only excuse is if they trigger a trauma' is a ridiculously toxic notion that implies that simply not liking a character isn't a good enough reason. Pomegranate doesn't trigger me, but I don't like how she goes out of her way to trigger other cookies. And I don't like how her character solely seems to revolve around Dark Enchantress Cookie, either. And that's my particular opinion on that matter. And that's okay.

Then there's the drama over White Lily, which is a whole can of worms I don't really feel like delving into. It's essentially the same logic--'If you don't like White Lily or ship PureCacao but not PureLily then you're misogynistic'. It's ridiculous and immature and minimizes the consideration for why someone would prefer one character over the other or simply doesn't like that character.

Idk I have a lot of thoughts and I know you didn't ask for my perspective on this but I am fully willing to be an old man sipping my tea and watching kids play swords outside while shaking my head in awe at the fandom drama, thinking about how ridiculous it is sometimes. And if someone comes a-knockin' at my door or says something loudly near my window that I'm not very fond of, then of course I'm going to act.

And I'll admit that being 'calm, cool and mature' is kind of hard sometimes lol. It's something I have to actively focus on doing from time to time, and it's still something that I'm trying to work on--learning my limits and when is the best time to just step away. It's not always easy, but it's a very important skill to learn. And I'm only 23--I'm still comparatively young in the grand scheme of things. Of course I'm still learning. As an example, I know that sometimes I struggle with proper pronouns for characters/people because it was something I only started learning in the last couple of years, and it's something I'm working on bit by bit.

It really does flatter me that you look up to me to that extent! Just please remember that at the end of the day, I am a person just like you, and from time to time, I may slip up and make mistakes. Parasocial relationships in the long run can be somewhat damaging under the wrong situations. Instead of aspiring to be like me, try to aspire to be the best you that you can be with what you have right now.

I don't know how old you are, what situations you have experienced or are experiencing, or what resources you have available to you right now--but please take your time with yourself, and be patient. No matter how old you are, humans are always going to be a work in progress--we're always learning and always adapting, and I think that is a fantastic trait that we all share.

[symphonyofthewrite]

If These Walls Could Talk 

Freaking GORGEOUS cover art by Junki Sakuraba on Instagram and Deviantart!! Definitely go check him out!! His art is incredible, and from what I can tell he’s really nice dude. He absolutely went above and beyond with this prompt. 10/10 would commission again. (And probably will once I save up enough money XD)

The wonderful art later in the chaper is by niuan_ on instagram!!

It wasn’t made/commissioned for this fic--(though I’ve since commissioned her to make cover art for me, so stay tuned for those!)--but when I saw it I couldn’t believe it!! That’s one of my favorite images in this chapter, and I couldn’t believe another artist made a piece for the same idea independently!!

I'll put the links to their profiles either in the replies or a reblog (since tumblr is dumb about links)!!

Also, FYI, I'll be using this post as my "reblog post" meaning I'll reblog this post with the later chapters of this fic, so they're all in one place. So if you want to read more of this fic, check the reblogs on this post, chances are more chapters will be there!!

Comments and reblogs are MORE than appreciated!! If you have a spare minute you will really make my week, and motivate me to keep writing!!

Fandom: Castlevania Netflix

Summary: Vampires do not have reflections, and castles do not have hearts. But Dracula is no ordinary vampire, and Castlevania is no ordinary castle. If castles can fight, maybe they can think too.

The series, and Adrian’s childhood, told from the perspective of the castle.

Chapter Summary:

“My mother’s name was Lisa, and she was mortal…She actually showed up at his front door. She found the castle and banged the door with the pommel of her knife…She was remarkable. She beat on the door until my father let her in, and then demanded he teach her how to be a doctor.”

Chapter 1: "Lisa”

“Is this how the castle felt to you before my mother first arrived at your door?”

The castle doesn’t like children.

Well, maybe that’s too strong to say. It simply isn’t the place for them. Its existence is a signpost: leave me alone. It is not used to having company—much less a family—inside it, nor is it ready to welcome for a crying, puking, giggling thing into the world. It does not intend to be a cozy place to coddle him into adulthood.

The castle itself pierces the sky, its turrets and towers the dripping stain of the sun’s blood across the moon.

The bare walls hold no colorful tapestries for a child to enjoy, no paintings of its many inhabitants to tell of—for there was only ever one (and maybe that ought not change. It is safe to say the castle doesn’t like change). The royal red and gold carpets are more suited to kings; not designed for spit-up, mud, and scuffing. ‘Don’t play with that’ would be a motto around here; so many contraptions either easy to break, or which could break the child. The fireplaces, while almost always lit, only ever coughed warmth onto the floor before them—they provided no snug space to curl up on a winter’s day. Even the mirrors here are empty, holding nothing but a reflection of the bare walls they sit upon.

There are certain people who were seemingly born as they are; they never owned toys, never crawled on the floor, never walked with clumsy steps—their footfalls were always this calculated count—never burped on their mother’s nice shirts, and surely never had anything so dull as a childhood. They were always just…here, on the world. There was no innocence, and no losing it. So it was with Dracula.

The very thought of Dracula ever owning toys, even in some nice cottage far away from here, with a doting mother and an absent father, with a funny last name like Cronqvist, defied sense to the castle. So no, no toys here, nor any simple charts for learning; the books divulged their secrets to more mature minds. Just blood and books, gold and gears, forgotten magic means, mirrors that reflect nothing, and a pile of prayers to a good God they used to justify their ungood, and ungodly deeds.

All these things—or their absence—do not make for the picture of a baby-proof home.

The castle has grown accustomed to being cold and dark, and listening to one master alone. It’s not a quaint place lovers look on and think we’ll raise our kids here someday.

Its master isn’t the ideal father either—after all, the castle only reflected its king. Its master knows only of blood and nails, fangs and wails, words too big for a child’s mouth, and worlds too dark for a child’s heart.

Can he be soft? Can he be gentle? Can he keep those claws, which have ripped out better men’s hearts, from piercing a child’s—his child’s…how could one who killed so many have a child?—skin? He knows many spells, but is there one that can turn those screams into laughter?

He has been soft before. Once. And that is with this woman.

Many women have walked the castle’s halls: shivering, shrieking damsels at his feet; cold and calculating queens; fragile bodies on the floor, that he broke with the same regard a child does a vase that matters to someone else.

Those ordinary people who do come often have pitchforks in their mouths, and fiery words in their closed fists. Curses stacked on the end of stakes, banging like the castle is the church bell signifying their own funerals.

It is for this reason that the castle does not like outsiders, does not open its doors easily. But it cannot deny anyone entry. Unlike the humans’ doors, which find his master guilty until proven innocent.

They always came at night. At night, when the loudest sound is your own breathing. At night, when their fires echoed loudest, and their shouts burned brightest.

They came when the flowers were closed, when only the most eerie and vicious of animals played with the skins of their prey, and the moon waxed the world in cold, drunk shine. The sun could not watch them, could not show their blood-struck hands in their full glory.

She came at sunset. When the sun still glazed her deeds in sanguine auburn, but was just deciding to turn its gaze and let the kids have their fun. Not quite day, when the sun would kill things like Dracula, but not quite night, when the hours are named after witches, and lust is strongest—be it for the body, or the blood within it. Somewhere in between death and life, violence and peace.

This woman came with a knife in her hand, yes. But a knife, at least, was not a sword. It was not a pitchfork, a spear, a whip, or a stake; all weapons that signify, if the fight wasn’t there, you were bringing it with you. Not a war-starved weapon, pointing with mal-in—and -con—tent towards the castle doors and all the things inside it. Not a thirsty thing. Something that by default faced the other direction. Something that can start a fight if it wants to, but doesn’t crave it.

The golden woman came at sunset, with a knife in her hand, and looked upon this thing, this castle that others called ‘ugly’, and ‘monstrous,’ and ‘grotesque,’ looked upon it with awe, and gasped in wonder.

She knocked. She didn’t bang her fists upon the stone, didn’t ram pitchforks and assorted insults against the innocent doors, like how-dare-they protect their master.

She knocked, and the doors opened before she could raise her fist a second time. Maybe, just this once, not because they didn’t have any other choice.

The doors—foreboding, menacing, and all the other spooky -ings one can think of—opened to a world strewn in light; the demon’s castle looked brighter, more beautiful, more alive, than half the churches she’d been to.

Her footsteps were gentle against the castle’s floors. Not a slow, forced gentleness, but also not a piercing, purposeful march. There was no apprehension to her footsteps; her feet carried her as if anxious to take her to as many rooms as they could.

At first her steps were the only sound, enough to fool some into thinking they’re alone.

And it became clear both that she was not alone, and not a fool.

But when she saw the demon, she put the knife away, and used her words.

She used her words to repeat those she herself had heard: stories. But not the kind that make monstrous men run at the doors with naughts and crosses, the kind pious people buried along with all evidence that the world wasn’t made of black and white.

Not all the stories told that this place was cold and dark and full of death.

Amongst all the stories about death, there were others that said Vlad Tepes brought this castle to life with science, forbidden knowledge, and a little bit of lightning. Stories that say there is life here.

And, in exchange for proof that these life-stories true, Dracula asked for a trade, a trade that would prove the other stories true too. He gave up the killing a while ago—(the castle has been in one place a very long time)—but he was still not used to giving for free, and definitely not used to getting for free. Vampires trade in blood and names, not diamonds and declarations. Vampires trade in things they can swallow. This castle, too, had been a gaping hole set to swallow the world and everything that entered. Never once had it given.

And she dared to say, that this place, its master, should learn to give, when the humans have done nothing but take from them—or try their best to. He ought to be the one to invite her in, to ask what she would like, to dispense pleasant words and kind actions, when the humans forgot they invented hospitality, and showed no invitation for him to even enter their homes.

But she didn’t come with a mouth full of garlic, and hands full of superstition. Her feet did not drill holes in the floor with their sharp toll, they wandered the scenic route.

She was used to being cheated. Dracula and his castle were too. But that was not why she was there. She was not there for cheap tricks, or death. She wanted something real. A little bit of the life the castle has to offer.

Her defiance wasn’t that of a terrified citizen, or angry queen, either; rather the calm resolve of someone who is asking for something they know in their heart is good, and knows they will get it. The kind of person who believes there is good in everyone, and that this good will ultimately always win, and who won’t leave until they convince this good to show its face.

The castle has watched countless men and women cower at the foot of count Dracula. Some, do have a measure of god-sanctioned defiance; they come with whips and scourges to defeat him. The castle and the king are bound together in their resolve against them.

Except one. Except this woman. One human whom both master and castle found themselves reluctant to deny, cast away, or kill, maybe even…taken with.

She may be human, but she was not like the rest; she did not light the night on fire with her thirst for blood.

So maybe, just maybe, they could let one ray of sunlight slip through the cracks.

She was also not devoid of life, and maybe that was the key.

‘Devoid of life’ was an accurate portrayal of the castle. Bats flying out of blackness is a good description of a cave, and caves don’t usually come with the brochure ‘teeming with life’, or ‘great place to take your kids!’. The castle had a soul-sucking quality to it; those who entered often found themselves leaving less alive than they arrived. It took after its vampire master. Those who didn’t actually lose their lives within its walls, often remarked upon leaving that the flowers bloomed brighter, the birds sang louder, the grass was greener, and that they missed the sunlight.

Sunlight. Such a base thing; vampires don’t need the light or warmth to be happy.

Sunlight. Such a base way to die; wanting to get out of the cold and the dark.

“Is this how the castle felt to you before my mother first arrived at your door?”

Castlevania was alive once. Once Dracula set the pumps, and its heart began to beat. He turned the gears, and its lungs inhaled. He forged the lightning, and it began to think. Once the books, full of unknown knowledge, jumped off the shelves to get the vampire king’s attention. He filled the bottles and beakers, and they bubbled, as if laughing at a joke only they shared.

They were both alive, once.

That waned, with time. The gears got arthritis, the books caught pneumonia, the experiments atrophied. The castle ached before she came.

And Dracula, alone in the halls, picking up books and putting them down again without so much as a polite glance through them, because he read them all before. Dracula looking into fractured mirrors that could take him anywhere, but deciding there wasn’t anywhere he wanted to go. Dracula, looking into old mirrors that don’t reflect him—like there was never anything to reflect, nothing alive here to begin with, and there isn’t a master for this castle after all. Nothing but a grave. Dracula sitting alone in his study, staring into the fire. No one to talk to. No sound but flipping pages and crackling fires—nothing alive. Alive but dead. This castle. Its master. Undead is the proper term.

The other women who came through here reflected the castle, or else the castle took the life out of them the moment they entered. Queens with malice-stained past, and cracked, icy future in their eyes. Just as cold as the walls. Subjects, humans throwing gruesome insults, silky flattery, or fluttering pleas at his feet. Just as empty as the mirrors.

Only one refused the castle’s bite. Only one walked in looking for life, rather than death. Looking for a thing no one thought existed here. Already presumed dead. Put six feet beneath the ground. But maybe it was here all along; maybe the light hid in the castle’s corners while the dark came out to play, and she just had to coax it out of its hiding places. Maybe the bell was ringing all this time, she was the only one who came close enough to hear it; the only one who came to put flowers on the grave.

Maybe when she felt the machinery pumping she knew the rhythm was a heartbeat. Maybe when she heard the gears clanking she knew it was the sound of inhaling and exhaling. Maybe when she saw the lightning, she wondered what it was thinking. Maybe she looked at these books, these instruments, and saw what the vampire king saw once; something alive. They weren’t dead yet—un- or otherwise. Just sick, and in need of proper treatment. She was a doctor after all. Maybe her first subject was the very books she learned from.

Lisa, who looked at this blotch on the sky, with Death in its towers, and darkness splattered on its walls, and thought that’s where I’ll learn to heal people. Lisa, who gaped in amazement at the beast of a building. Lisa, who didn’t shudder upon entering. Lisa, who didn’t scream when its master touched her, but turned to him with calm resolve, and told him she’d teach him to be more human. Lisa, who’s life eclipsed the undeath in this place.

And there was a trade that occurred that day. For Dracula’s immortal knowledge, Lisa would teach him how to live a mortal life. To travel the world as a man, to walks as a man, to eat and drink, laugh and cry, as a man. Immortality for mortality. They gave each other the world, as so many lovers promise to do. Vlad would make her immortal, and Lisa would make him mortal, with no exchange blood.

(Except to create a thing with both their blood running through it.)

So maybe, after all this talk of life, it is fitting that she wants to create life inside this castle.

Fitting, maybe. Fitting for her. But the castle is not mortal yet, and wishes it could protest that it isn’t the right size, refuse to try on the idea.

Dracula is apprehensive as well, for the castle and he are used to each other, they take after each other, because the cold, and the dark, and the death, and the alone does something to you after a while; you start talking to the walls. After the cold queens and quaking colleens leave, or leave their bloodstains the floor. After the beasts and their silver-stained bullets turn back into righteous men in the sun. After he simply outlives everyone else. When all the living things hate, fear, or else betray you, when all the living things can die, and you, who are undead, cannot, it’s the lifeless things that stand firm by your side. When the day ends and the shadows come out to play, when you’re the only one left, in the end you still have the walls. And then…the walls are all you have. And if you talk to them long enough you make a sort of pact, spoken or silent, with those speechless stones: ‘you’re the only one I can trust.’

Dracula speaks to them one day, says he wonders if he can do this, be a father at all, not to mention a good one. The castle cannot reply. But something deep inside the walls wonders if it might be nice to hear Dracula laugh. It might be nice to put on some different clothes. It might be nice for someone new to listen to from time to time. It might be nice to live again.

The castle is concerned. Used to doing things one way, being one way, and only hearing one voice. But that doesn’t mean it is unwilling, that it intends to kill the child.

It never kills anything—Dracula does that. It cannot do anything on its own, and that includes change.

The castle doesn’t like change.

…But that doesn’t mean it won’t.

And if its going to change, its master must change first. They must change together.

Vampires do not have reflections. But Dracula has a castle, and that castle will be damned if it isn’t his mirror.

Reflections are simple to change; put on some makeup, some war paint, a new change of clothes, get a piercing somewhere. Simple, yes, but not easy, to change completely, because that doesn’t mean anything’s changed inside.

The castle did not come equipped for child-rearing; there are no rooms full of toys and cradles and school supplies.

So if this is to be, they must build their son’s world themselves.

Together they set aside a room for the child’s arrival. Just one, single room. And the castle too knows, from the start, this room will be different from all the rest. They will put paintings on the walls, and banners in the halls; things to interest him, to tell him of his parents, at least, even if there are few other relatives to spend Christmas with. The carpets will be darker, instead of the stringent red, and they will make their words smaller, the books easier to understand. The rest of the castle is warm in color, but cool in atmosphere. This room will be cool in color, but warm in atmosphere. The fire will always be set in its place, and they will try their best to make sure the warmth reaches him; if the fire fails, they will knit blankets; if the blankets fail they will make him tea, or warm milk with honey; and when everything else fails they will hold him. If there are tears here, scornful stares will not greet them, instead, kisses and lullabies will be behind door number three. If this room lives, it will be because of something much softer than pounding metal and lighting.

If a child is to live here, they must change that reflection. Everything Dracula’s castle appears to be, this room will be the reverse. Separate. Something… other than the castle.

This room will bottle all the laughter had in this castle. This room will be made of and for living, not the death the rest of the place is steeped in. So much so that this room will not stand for bloodshed.

Lisa brings in supplies from her town; color and cloth, boards and brushes, needle, and thread, and paper; all the things one needs to build a universe.

It is Dracula who takes the paint, who changes the color to something other than the blacks and reds of the rest of the Vampire’s world, cementing on the walls themselves You will not be dark here, my castle. You will be kind to him, Castlevania. The castle doesn’t know its master to work with his hands like a human, but Vlad is not the same within this room either—this room is part of the trade. He doesn’t use magic, or science, as if he is telling himself with every hammer that they are going to change together, the way one does when talking to the mirror.

Lisa sits in a chair and stiches together cloth and fur to make little creatures, toys for the boy to play with. Soft things, not sharp. They are reflections too, littler, simpler ones, of the creatures howling and prowling outside the castle’s walls, or scurrying within them.

But it is the ceiling that is the crowning jewel of the room. Something they paint together—splashing it onto each other’s clothes and noses.

His parents love the stars. They often walk outside the castle walls, fingers knit into each other’s, to gaze at them. They are scholars at soul, and have charted the constellations. They want their child to be able to do the same, to watch the stars, even if he’s not outside. At the end of every day they want him to be sung to sleep by the symphony of the night.

For them, maybe, but to the castle, one of the most interesting things about this room, is the mirror. This is strange, as, while there are other mirrors in this house, they are nothing more than a silver decoration; they have no purpose here, unless they float in shards and possibility. This is an ordinary mirror. It does hold something now, however, and that’s Lisa—only giving more credence to the idea that she is the only living thing in this castle. The castle wonders if they think it will reflect the child, as if they are hoping he will take after his mother and the room.

The mirror, and the windows. In the rest of the castle, the windows are always closed, curtained, or too small to let any real light in. But here they are big, and inviting to all the wiles of the day. Dracula protested—fearing he would burn. Lisa insisted—hoping he would shine.

The mirror, the room, are empty now. The windows closed. The books and charts dormant as the rest. It is not dead, but it’s not alive either. Not even undead. Just a question. An almost.

The room lays on Frankenstein’s table; just one lightning strike—(or one child’s laugh)—away from breathing.

[sunnysviolin]

Sometimes, when sunny visits kels house for a sleepover, (or just anyones house except for basils) the host would always wake up to:

A missing sunny (who is most likely in some weird ass place like the roof)

A sunny that it staring at you from the foot of the bed or beside it

A sunny that stares from the doorway (he stares alot)

Or

A sunny that is playing bo en my time at an unreasonable hour but at a reasonable volume (or vise versa)

Alright so a different nonnie also sent me “How many times do you think sunny scares people by staring at them from the foot of the bed / beside them when they wake up?” So I’m....combining these two XD Also if you guys like....resend things can you say they’re a resend LOL bc if I have another Cho double take situation I’m going to backflip into the sun. Also don’t resend more than twice (i’m gonna be putting that in my bio bc....yeah don’t do it makes me anxious D:)

Okay mini housekeeping thing aside! This got long it’s under a read more because it’s long, but it’s full of shenanigans, sleepovers, and our local fave cryptid Sunny

I’m going to focus this in on post-canon, because I think that Sunny’s ultimate cryptid energy flows forth in his teen years. Also I really want to include the hooligans in on this (I’m...love them)

So pre-canon Sunny and Mari’s house was the go to location for their group of six. They were almost always there, but there was some unspoken rules.

You called before you came over (Only Kel didn’t follow this rule, but he always knocked and waited patiently at the door) and you had to be invited to stay for dinner. If not you went home when Sunny’s mom called a fifteen minute warning before dinner. There was also no arguing within the house. If there was an issue that needed to be addressed, Mari and Sunny’s parents would immediately send everyone home.

Post-canon Mari is gone and the house has been sold. Hero and Kel’s house becomes the go to hang out house after that. Their house is nearly night and day to Mari and Sunny’s

Mari and Sunny’s house was always neat and tidy and very quiet. Their parents generally left the TV off and didn’t use the radio, so unless one of the two children were making noise, everything would be silent. Kel and Hero’s house is in constant motion and activity. Sally is usually either babbling or screaming, music is always playing on the radio, and their main form of communication is friendly yelling at one another. Kel and Hero’s house also has an open door policy- anyone can walk in at anytime and they all know where the spare keys are hidden.

Post-canon I see a quick friendship building between Aubrey’s gang and Basil Sunny and Kel. Hero enjoys them all, but it’s not really his scene now that he’s spent a year or so at college. He will get brought along for some adventures, and he’s always up for hanging around the house with them, but when it gets to be a bigger group he prefers to just let them have fun.

When it’s just his four kids, Hero is always a part of the group though.

OKAY ALL OF THAT BUILDUP ASIDE LETS GET TO THE ACTUAL POINT OF THIS ASK

So this is when school is in session and Hero is back at college. Kel tells Aubrey that Sunny is coming up for the long weekend, and they should all do a sleepover at his house like old times. She agrees and they arrange it with Basil. Kim overhears their plans and she has FOMO so she arranges herself to be there when they tell Basil

Normally Kel makes it a point to try and include Aubrey’s friends (who are slowly just becoming friends) but this time he just pretends she isn’t there and tells Basil to come right after school and they can drive together to get Sunny.

Kim weedles it out of Aubrey later that day when they’re alone in gym class. The reason that they didn’t immediately invite her and the others? Sunny is apparently weird at night

Kim fires back that Sunny is always a little weird, but Aubrey is being fully serious. Unfortunately all that does is make Kim more curious. She goes to find Kel afterward and half asks/half demands an invitation to the sleepover. Kel seems a little awkward about her involving herself, but he agrees that she and the others can join in if they like.

Aubrey and the others arrive

Kim soon finds out that Aubrey was 100% right. Sunny is...weird at night.

At around 10:00 pm, Sunny disappears. Basila nd Aubrey went into the kitchen to make popcorn, and Kel was busy fiddling with the TV to get the movie to start. When he turns back to the couch, he asks where Sunny is. They realize Sunny has vanished.

Aubrey and Basil come in with the bowls of snacks, and Kel asks them if they’ve seen Sunny. Basil says to check the roof.

The roof. The hooligans all laugh (Basil is a sweet kid when you get to know him, but his nerves make even his jokes strange) The other three don’t laugh. In fact Kel gets up and goes to the door.

The hooligans follow out bewildered, and Sunny is o n t h e r o o f. CASUALLY. JUST THERE PETTING AN ORANGE CAT WHO IS LOUNGING PURRING NEXT TO HIM. AND KEL AND AUBREY AND BASIL DONT REACT??? Kel just waves?? and Sunny waves back???

“We’re gonna watch Insidious now, I know you haven’t seen that one before. Wanna come in?” “Kay” “Do you want to bring your cat in with you? I’ll put Hector on his leash” “Yes please”

Then the three just walk back and tell the hooligans to follow them in. Sunny got himself up so Sunny can get himself down.

It’s only the beginning of the madness. Sunny walks in holding the still purring orange cat and settles himself down in his specific corner of the couch (They were prewarned not to sit in Sunny’s spot) Aubrey cuts Kim off before she can ask about the roof, and starts the movie. Kim looks over at the cat, and it locks eyes on her, hissing.

The movie begins and Sunny will randomly speak but only to say when a character is going to die/be scared. Right before it happens. Every single time. Didn’t Kel say before that he hadn’t seen this movie?? It doesn’t matter Sunny keeps going

A ghost. A ghost. Lost in an alternate dimension by shamanic journey. It’s bizarre. The cat continues to purr a rusty old engine noise in Sunny’s lap, periodically looking at one of the hooligans and hissing, choosing a different one every time. Who’s cat is that????

They finish the movie and start to play board games. They pick monopoly and decide to divvy up into teams. Kim immediately claims Aubrey, Vance decides to go with Kel and Kel grabs Mikhael to create a trio. Charlie and Sunny silently sit beside each other, and everyone assumes that makes them a team. Angel pulls Basil to his side and they’re prepped to play the game.

Kim likes to consider herself a pretty good monopoly player, and Aubrey is a whiz with money and numbers, so she assumes they have this in the bag.

She did not account for the Sunny factor.

Sunny stares her down through the entire time. Kim is sure he doesn’t blink. She forgets to bid on auctions for properties and gives him extra rent money. They go bankrupt first, and Sunny turns his eye onto Kel who just laughs and gives Sunny finger guns. Sunny finger guns back (his face still a blank slate) and proceeds to also take all of Kel’s money.

They go to bed shortly after, and Kim is relieved. Nothing also weird can happen. Now she just has to sleep.

She wakes up in the middle of the night and adjust her position, turning over to face the other side of teh room. Four shining eyes stare back at her, catching the dim light from the kitchen. Kim shakily grabs her phone and turns on the flashlight, whirling around to see Sunny staring at her, his orange cat on top of his head.

She wakes all the rest of them with her shriek of terror. The group of four quickly settle to sleep once more, even Sunny crashing down next to Aubrey and Basil. hissing cat caught firmly in his arms.

She and the other hooligans stay up for a bit, frantically whispering about the oddness of the situation. They resolve to leave early in the morning, and to distance themselves as much as they can from...whatever Sunny is. They’re certainly glad he doesn’t go to their school anymore.

The next morning, the group of four wake up before the hooligans and cook a big breakfast. They put the phone on speaker and chat with Hero as they do so, catching up on his latest college stories. Bo en is playing from the cd player in the corner of the kitchen, kept low so as not to wake the others.

The hooligans creep downstairs and peer inside. The scene is shockingly...normal.

Sunny is still carrying his cat, but now Kel is feeding it tiny bits of bacon and it is stretching out of Sunny’s arms to reach the next delicious morsel. He’s chatting with Hero over the phone, speaking in full long sentences which is a rarity for Sunny. He even laughs quietly at a joke Hero tells.

Kim tries to translate the horror she felt last night into this morning, but it’s not there. Sunny doesn’t seem like an eldritch horror during the day. Just another teenager happy to be with people he enjoys.

Hero hangs up shortly after, and the group of four settle back into a placid silence. Aubrey breaks it by turning to the others

“I know it was weird, but I’m glad that they came for last night.” the three boys agree, and Sunny leans against the counter near Aubrey so she can scratch one hand under his cat’s neck while still flipping pancakes. When he speaks, his voice is near silent, but they all hear it anyway.

“They’re nice. They didn’t treat me different.”

The hooligans share a look and simultaneously agree to stay for breakfast.