#it tries to make up for these with a wealth of information

[triplspacee]

I’m gonna osmose so much knowledge with this shower curtain

[dcxdpdabbles]

DCxDP fanfic Idea: Marriage trap the Office supplier!

Danny had developed an appreciation for office supplies. He didn't know where it came from; just that one day, as he was cleaning his parents' office, he noticed their invoices and Order forms were out of order, so he chose to organize the binders.

It was just to make things easier to find the information when Tax season came around, but he found a strange joy in locating the correct stamps to mark each form.

Approved with a little thumbs up.

E-mailed with a flying envelope.

Entered with a little arrow.

Scanned with a picture of a scanning machine. Completed with a little check mark. Even the Cancelled and its accompanying x-out circle made him feel giggly.

Before long, Danny went hunting from some dividers and was excited to assign colors to certain tasks. He even made sure to separate everything by the order in which it was completed. By the time he was done, he realized he had no more use for his stamps, so he chose to go about the rest of the office.

He did not sleep that night. The next morning, the Fentons woke to their office lab in its best state since they had moved in. Everything had a place, and everything was neat and tidy with Danny happily explaining his organization system- all written down and marked on colorful legal pads he found shoved in a box.

Since then, Danny would excitably talk about the newest pen, sticky note, paperclips, or paper clamps he had found. Often, they were in strange shapes- "Look, Dad, these are sticky notes shaped like toast inside a Toaster holder!"- and no one could tell why it bought him such joy.

Even desk organizers excited him, often seen changing up his things every once in a while with new highlighters or traveling pens. His two best friends were often spotted walking behind Danny at any store within a fifty-mile radius of Amity Park that sold office supplies.

But that meant no one was surprised when Danny eagerly announced he would work in an office until he had enough money to open his own stationery store. What was surprising was that Danny somehow managed to find a job at Wayne Enterprise right out of high school as an office admin assistant.

A high-ranked one. He was the right-hand man to Bruce Wayne himself, working as a personal assistant then anyhting else.

It was clear across state lines no one knows how Danny even managed to land an interview since Mr. Wayne asked for at least a bachelor in office management to even apply or that Danny seemed unworried about living in a crime-infested city working for the man that was target a lot due to his wealth.

Danny only talked about all the superb brands of pens and notepads he would get with his new salary.

What was more shocking was how efficant Danny was at his job. He breezed through his work like a pro, getting Mr. Wayne on time every time (no one knows how) and cheerfully gaining the approval of the board.

Danny often stepped in for Mr. Wayne, Mr. Wayne-Drake or Mr. Fox, quietly becoming known as "Third-in-Comand" at WE despite the fact everyone knew him as "just the admin assistant"

He was also known for being very excited to show his desk to the office, covered in cute or interesting supplies from around the world. He spent hours schooling through websites and making wishlists of things he wanted to buy and try out.

Danny Fenton was a gift among the staff. He ran the office like a smoothly oiled machine, employing new systems and communication means that errors rarely happened in different departments.

WE genuinely feared the day he would leave the company to open that store. They tried to bride him by offering to pay his entire college career and make him a head of any department he wanted, or even officially give him Mr. Wayne's PA position but Danny insisted he wanted to open his store someday.

A plan was hatched by a low-level intern who had personally seen Danny take minutes with an invisible-ink pen and black light at his interview, only to witness the man fight for his right to have a paid internship and full benefits.

He mentioned how convient it was that Danny was close to every member of the Waynes. Yes. Bruce Wayne made it clear he would not be adopting the boy seeing as he was too old for that but what if....they ensured Danny stayed with WE if they made it the family bussiness?

Danny could still be a Wayne. They just had to get him to marry into the family, and WE could keep the embodiment of an office employee forever.

His idea spread through the company like wild fire, and not long, every single person who's checks were signed by Bruce Wayne was gunning for a chance to give Danny and a Wayne a wedding.

(Unknown to them, Danny is the hero Phantom, who, upon learning Batman's ID, instantly asked to work for him in an office setting because he wanted to open a stationery shop one day. Feeling blackmailed, Bruce allowed it, thinking he would catch Danny lacking, only to....find out the kid genuinely loved his job? And was good at it?

His kids are close to him as fellow vigilantes and are unaware of the WE employee's goal.

Danny just really likes Office Supplies. It might have something to do with his Ghost Obsession changing, or it's a Specail interest. He doesn't really care for the reason)

[diamondcitydarlin]

Just fair warning- I said on my personal post about this that I wasn't going to talk about Neil Gaiman anymore, but as it's becoming clear that him and his publishers and anyone else who makes money off of him is circling the wagons and trying to bury these allegations, as well as some fans still defending and trying to 'rationalize' this information, I feel like, actually, we need to keep talking about him (as much as I cannot stand him and feel physically disgusted now when I so much as see his face somewhere). Specifically, the fact that he's a liar, master manipulator and should not, under any circumstances, be given access to his fans like he has in the past. At the very least. (And if you need to blacklist his name or even unfollow me so as to not be triggered, I completely understand, but I will always try to tag these posts accordingly and I think it's crucial right now that the truth be put where people can see)

This post specifically is in response to those 'rationalizations' I've seen, some that have gone as far as to blame the young fans/groupies that hooked up with him for being 'golddiggers' or just making a mountain out of a molehill for something they now regret. It's not that simple, yall. (And, again, this requires some amount of completely ignoring the story about him extorting his tenant for sex under threat of eviction of her and her three young children, I'm not sure how you 'rationalize' that under the best of circumstances)

So let's be clear here. What we know is that NG has routinely, for possibly an upwards of 30 years, pulled sexual 'partners' from his fan groups, most of whom are 18-22 year old young women (though possibly younger, accounts are coming forward of 16 year olds having allegedly been inappropriately touched/flirted/propositioned by him, which ig is the age of consent in the UK but still?? 16 year olds!!). This wasn't one or two times in the course of three decades, this was a constant pattern of behavior for him and for a very insidious reason.

This isn't to try to infantilize those fans or young women/young people in general or try to suggest that they couldn't have consented to sex with an older person or famous person. In fact, the onus isn't on them at all. This is about an older guy with a lot of fame, power and wealth choosing to sleep with people that he had already conditioned to idolize him and using that power imbalance to coerce them into doing things they didn't want to.

Regardless of one's age or gender identity, it can be difficult to impossible to say 'no' to someone like that. After all, you've been 'chosen' by the chosen one, you're special and not like everyone else, and if you don't do what the popular person everyone trusts is telling you to do you could end up ostracized. Alienated. Or worse. And you know what? Gaiman knew that! He knew it when he was crafting his 'approachable dad' persona on tumblr. He knew it when he was cultivating a fandom of personality. He knew it when he was having huge meetups to try to ensnare more victims. I hate to even think it, but I'm starting to believe he knew it when he was writing children's books too.

It's been talked about again and again in separate issues, but needless to say something not being strictly illegal does not make it inherently, morally okay. It does not erase the fact that this man has been essentially grooming his fandom to feel safe meeting/speaking with him so he can coerce those he can snare into sexual acts they're not comfortable with. That is predator behavior, whether strictly 'illegal' in the eyes of a court or not (but ofc I think he should be criminally punished even if I'm not naive enough to think he actually will be, because this IS rape and rape should be criminally punished)

I'm not personally advocating for anyone to give up being in his related fandoms, but what I am personally advocating for is that people don't forget who he is and what he's capable of, especially when he tries to crawl back to where he was (I'm almost certain he will eventually, as I've said).

Again, at the very least, we need to use what little influence we do have to keep him from infiltrating fan spaces again. He should not be on tumblr yukking it up with young people, he should not be at public appearances hitting on teenagers, he should not be given the unrestricted access to fans that he's 'enjoyed' for the past 30+ years because he is not a safe person. While I wish there was more in the way of restorative justice that could be done, I think at very, very least we should do what we can to limit his proximity to people he could hurt in the future. Make sure no one forgets, because sweeping this under the rug means Gaiman gets to hurt more people.

Lastly, no one is the wrong for having been manipulated by him. Let's make that very clear. What we're NOT gonna do is blame ourselves, each other, the victims, etc, for evil acts that Gaiman chose to do himself, time and time and time again. It doesn't help the situation and it certainly doesn't protect future potential victims. We were all duped because we're human and we attach and a lot of us want to believe there are good people out there, particularly those who make art that means so much to us.

And there are. But let's also use this a teaching/learning tool about how much faith we place in famous people in the future, regardless of how 'approachable' and 'safe' they might seem. Let's remember to have a healthy suspicion of creators/famous people that are oddly immersed in fandom spaces- yes, even the ones you still currently like that seem fine, as difficult as that may seem.

At the end of the day, we don't know them or what they're capable of doing or what they might be plotting to do to us. Support victims. Amplify their voices. Don't forget.

[six-of-cringe]

hello yes i am Seeing i am Looking and i am Envying how succinctly you sum up what took paragraphs for my loquacious ass to get around to

kaz and wylan are very much foils, and while much has been said about their similarities and how their stories parallel each other, it’s also worth noting that while kaz gives up his rietveld identity to survive in the barrel, wylan clings to what makes him wylan throughout his time in the barrel. when kaz loses everything, he throws away goodness and honesty; when wylan loses everything, he clings to goodness and honesty because it’s all he has left. they have fundamentally different backgrounds which obviously influence their choices and outlooks on life, but it’s interesting nonetheless!

[anastasiabowe]

𝙍𝙄𝘾𝙃 𝙂𝙀𝙉𝙏𝙇𝙀𝙈𝘼𝙉 — As a broke college student, it’s not wrong to want a rich boyfriend! That doesn’t mean you’re a gold digger, or will stoop so low you will ruin your worth, it just means you want a man who will take care of you, and guess what? You found him.

note: this will be a 3 part series! First one I’ve ever made and may be my last! So please not too much on these writings! Luv you!

𝙋𝘼𝙍𝙏 𝙄 𝙋𝘼𝙍𝙏 𝙄𝙄 𝙋𝘼𝙍𝙏 𝙄𝙄𝙄

Content Warnings: language, suggestive content

Nanami is a man of morals. He usually keeps his hands and eyes to himself, he holds the door for anyone, women especially, he respects boundaries, and if anything that causes him to think inappropriately he will kindly excuse himself to make sure he doesn’t seem like a creep. But Nanami is just like any man.

Nanami longs for a lover, a wife. He desires children, a family. But in this cruel, sick world, he can’t find a woman who wants him for him. Nanami is one of the top 10 richest men on the planet, he not including himself, but his company in that title.

Every woman he has attempted to date tries to put on their best “I love you for your heart not your money!” act, but it slips the second they tell him “oh no! I forgot my wallet!”

Nanami knows every trick in the book, he knows the look women give him when they are impressed by his wealth, he knows the lip biting they do to show interest in his looks, he knows the voice and excuses they say to make him fall down to their feet, which he never once has done nor will do. He knows it all. So dating people that have seen him before he’s met them makes it all the more boring.

So, when Nanami’s friend, Haibara introduced him to dating apps, he obviously was shook.

“You really had no idea there were dating apps?” Haibara blankly looked at him. Nanami bit his thumb in uncertainty.

He grumbled a little “no.” And his friend smiled. “Then sign up! What can you lose? They don’t have to know what you look like.”

Nanami hated that idea. “No, I want them to know who I am.” His firm voice erased that idea completely from his friends plan.

“Well, 80% of this world knows who you are, that wish you want isn’t going to happen.” Nanami sighed knowingly, just tired from his sad lonely life.

“Haibara, thank you for this..” Nanami thought carefully of his words. “Great discovery, but I think it’s best you head home and I sleep on it.” Haibara understood, and firmly grabbed Nanami’s shoulder on his way out.

“You’ll find her, I know you will.” Nanami placed his hand firmly on Haibara’s in a thank you, and Haibara left.

After Nanami heard Haibara leave, he hurriedly sat down on his couch and opened the dating site.

“RICHTON THE DATING APP FOR THE WEALTHY!”

Nanami quickly laughed at the cringe advertisement, but it was a popular app, so something was working.

Nanami put in his information and had to choose which photos to put on his profile. He chose the first decent ones he could find, not caring too much about perfection, and he was brought up with the interests slide.

He clicked three random ones and pressed continue. The app asked to use his camera to verify his age and photos. Nanami positioned the camera to where it said to and he was verified. The app welcomed him to a very ugly woman.

Nanami had skipped the tutorial at the beginning and just swiped towards the X like he has seen on TV. This app was the definition of a gold diggers dream. Rich men pay to speak with women that aren’t even all that.

Nanami swiped and swiped towards the x. No woman looked like a decent women. They all looked like they seduce men or are prostitutes, maybe both. Nanami frowned seeing all the half naked women.

“Should I really be on this app?” He thought to himself. He continued to swipe, heart sinking each swipe to the left seeing women who don’t know their worth. Ass in the camera more than their face just to get a quick buck. Nanami swiped one more time ready to turn his phone off, and his thumb froze.

A girl with straight hair smiling in what seems to be senior photo. She was in a white summer dress posing in a daisy field. The beach was calm behind her and he couldn’t help but stare at her smile. She seemed so pure, so innocent and that was exactly what he was looking for. He swiped right on her profile and it opened up a message saying:

“YOUR FIRST MATCH! SEND HER A MESSAGE WITH THE AMOUNT YOU WOULD LIKE TO SEND!”

Nanami saw a text box and a drop box. The drop box has let Nanami type in the amount he would like to send. The minimum was 5 dollars. He typed in $100 and pressed on the text box.

His thumbs again froze. What should he say? Should he compliment her? Introduce himself? Nanami combined them. He typed.

“Hello, my name is Kento and I couldn’t help but be in absolute awe seeing your photos. You are absolutely beautiful.” He sent it without looking back, this was already hard enough.

Nearly instantly you saw his message and typed.

Y: “Oh my god, you did NOT have to send that much money!”

He imagined your voice as he read your message. He chuckled to himself like a madman and he started typing back.

N: “I wanted to, you are so beautiful, I couldn’t help myself.”

He nervously tapped his thumbs on the side of his phone waiting for your response.

Y: “I really do appreciate the compliment but $100 is too much, I can’t accept that!”

N: “Too late, I want you to have it, I want to talk to you.”

Y: “You can’t talk to me for free!”

N: “That’s not how this app works..?” Nanami was confused.

Y: “Oh, right.. I forgot you have to pay to chat.”

N: “Please don’t be alarmed by the money, I’m not running out anytime soon😂”

Nanami cringed at himself for using such an emoji, but he wanted you to feel at ease.

Y: “Thank you, you really didn’t have to though. I won’t stop saying that.”

N: “Then let’s change the subject. Why are you on this app?”

You saw his message but didn’t text back. Did he ask a triggering question? You soon started typing, and his nerves came back.

Y: “You know, a broke college student who needs a little extra cash😅”

He chuckled, for a girl who didn’t want a hundred bucks, that’s sure what she was looking for.

N: “Haha, so you won’t mind if I send more?”

Y: “Don’t send more! I’m not that broke😭”

Nanami smiled. He smiled as if you were really there. He imagined having this conversation with you and how hard you would make him laugh with your silly remarks.

N: “Don’t worry, I won’t 😂, but it’s not like you’re going to stop me.”

Y: “I’ll send it back😜✌🏾”

N: “I’ll send it back!”

Y: “And I’ll send it again, it will be a whole thing if you make it💀”

The fact you both were arguing over money is crazy, Nanami never argued with a woman about sending them money. They usually do a “oh no you don’t have to do that!” But will eventually accept. You on the other hand are just outright refusing. Nanami is now intrigued by you.

N: “If you won’t accept my money via here, how about dinner? I’ll pay, and I won’t argue about it when we get there.”

You again took your time typing, very obvious you are unsure.

Y: “Okay… but where are you tryna take me?”

N: “I was thinking…. Hermes?”

Y: “You’re joking!”

N: “What?”

Y: “I can’t afford that!”

N: “You’re not paying.”

Y: “Still, I can’t make you pay for that!”

N: “I want to pay for it, I eat there all the time.”

Y: “Not for two☹️”

N: “I’ve paid for 10.”

Y:“Kento..”

N: “Y/n, please. I want to meet you. You intrigue me, I’ve never met someone like you. I don’t want to seem like a begged, nor do I want to pressure you, but I would love to meet you and enjoy a nice dinner with you.”

Nanami felt desperate even though he just met you not even an hour ago.

The long response time again happened, and Nanami felt like he blew it. The once time he felt like he actually found someone worth the time, he blew it.

Y: “Okay.”

Nanami’s heart fluttered seeing your message.

N: “You will have dinner with me?”

Y: “Yes! I’ll have dinner with you😂”

Nanami felt like a little boy again. He hadn’t felt this excited to ask a girl out since never and it felt good.

N: “How does tomorrow sound? I know that’s soon, but it’s the only day my schedule isn’t busy.”

Y: “Yeah, tomorrow would be great!”

N: “Alright, I’ll see you then!”

Y: “See you!”

+

The next day Nanami felt different. His head was somewhere else, somewhere lighter, happier. He felt… excited? He wasn’t sure, he hasn’t felt this way until his first client offered him half a million dollars as he started his journey in this company.

Nanami played more upbeat music, very different from his normal taste, and he swayed and stepped with every beat to the song as he ironed his clothes. He had opened windows and instead of wincing from the sun hitting his eyes, he smiled.

“What a beautiful morning.” He thought to himself. Nanami must have been in a different place that he didn’t even know was so negative until now. He was looking forward to a dinner with someone. He hasn’t felt that way in years and he just wishes he could meet you right then and there.

Nanami nearly put on his freshly ironed clothes and grabbed his briefcase and blazer. He locked his garage door and headed straight to his black Porsche that he usually doesn’t drive, but today, why not?

Nanami drove to work with a smile on his face. Haibara greeted Nanami as he stepped out of his car and a valet stepped in for him.

“Good morning.” Nanami smiled and Haibara walked beside him.

“Good morning…” Haibara stared at Nanami’s face.

“Did something happen?”

“What do you mean?”

“Did you win the lottery? What’s got you so happy?”

“Haibara.” Nanami stopped and turned towards his friend, “Thank you.”

Haibara wanted to laugh, he didn’t even do anything, right?

“for what” Nanami smiled at Haibara.

“For showing me that ‘app’. I’m going to meet someone for dinner tonight.” Haibara smiled at Nanami.

“That’s great, Kento! What’s her name?”

“Y/n.”

“Hm, is she pretty?”

“Beautiful.”

“Is she rich?”

“Eh..”

“Is she young?”

“Kind of.”

“What do you mean by ‘kind of?”

“She’s… 20..” Nanami purses his lips waiting for Haibara’s reaction.

“20?!” His eyes were wide and he laughed. “You’re 34!”

“She’s very aware of my age.” Nanami said not amused by his friends reaction.

“I mean, hey, if a woman 14 years older than me asked me out, and she was hot, I’d go out worth her too.” Haibara threw his hands up in a ‘what can I say’ pose and Nanami rolled his eyes.

“We meet at 6, so I just need to get through today.” Nanami said more to himself. The happy facade started to break, and he felt the butterflies pool in his stomach.

He was nervous. He hasn’t been on a date with someone he actually wants to meet in over 10 years. He doesn’t remember how to be charismatic, he doesn’t remember how to be enticing and interesting. Work has been the only topic that’s been keeping his conversations alive. He doesn’t talk to anyone about anything personally other than Haibara and that is hard enough.

Haibara saw Nanami. He knew Nanami for nearly 6 years and this was the look of nervousness. He’s seen it countless times, but that’s only because he knows him. He can tell from the slight twitch in his jaw and the subtle fidgeting with his hands.

“Come on Nanami, let’s go to my office.” Nanami nodded and followed Haibara.

+

In Haibaras office, he gave Nanami tips.

“Now I have met countless women. Hard to believe, I know, and I know how to get them wanting more.” Nanami cringed at the thought of his good friend seducing women.

“I’m not trying to get anything from her, I just want to hold a conversation and hopefully get to know her more.”

“Alright, I got you.” Haibara walked over to his whiteboard and wrote “NANAMI’S FIRST DATE”

“This isn’t my first date, Haibara.”

“I know, but you’re acting like it is.”

Nanami nodded in agreement, and Haibara clapped his hands together.

“I have cancelled all meeting that require you to be there, and will have your secretary fill in for the ones that don’t. We have all day to get you ready for your date, alright?”

“Ok.” Nanami replied. Nanami felt silly sitting in the chair and listening to his younger friend teach him how to act right on a date. Nanami usually lets the women talk since he usually doesn’t care too much about them. He usually just lets his colleagues recommend a woman and set up a date. Nanami regrets every single dollar he wasted on the money thirsty women. But he wants to try with you. He wants to talk to you and let you talk. He wants to actually get to know you, maybe even go on more dates and hang out.

“Ok, first step. Do NOT let them talk the whole time. Even if they ramble, try and have a mutual conversation. Sometimes when they ramble, they think it’s because you aren’t interested and they will want to make sure you're still intrested” Haibara took in a huge breath, “OR they are nervous.”

Nanami nodded.

“You just have to read their body language.”

“Well, how will I know if they are nervous or not?”

“You’ll know. If they look around when talking, when they cover their face when talking, when they hold their hands in their lap, if they look tense, come on, you know what nervous looks like.”

Nanami nodded again.

“Use your words, this is practice. Don’t just nod your head,” Haibara mocked him by aggressively nodding his head “say things like ‘I agree’ or ‘I’m listening’ or ask them about whatever they’re talking about so they know you’re listening.”

“Okay.”

“And don’t just say ‘okay’.” Haibara mocked again. “Try and be more creative! Let’s practice.”

Haibara sat down in his seat and tried his best to look more feminine.

“So yeah, me and my friends went mini golfing and I didn’t know what to do so I just sat and watched them play.”

Nanami sat there. What did Haibara want him to say? Haibara looked at him, waiting for a response.

“Oh, well that is very sad.” Nanami said unsure. Haibara sighed and rolled his eyes.

“Yep, might as well pay the bill and leave.” Nanami sat there dumbfounded. What was he supposed to say?

“What should I have said instead?”

“Nanami, I can’t tell you what to say, but that would have sent her home crying. You sounded like you didn’t care. You should say something along the lines of ‘did you ever end up knowing how to play mini golf?’ That will at least let her know you’re listening.” Haibara stood up and sighed.

“We have a lot of work to do.”

+

After many hours of preparing, Nanami’s watch chimed. It was 5:30 and he needed to head home and change.

“Thank you Haibara, this was very helpful.” Nanami shook his friends hand and headed towards the front of the office.

“Don’t try too hard! Just let it come out naturally!” Haibara cakes out to Nanami. Nanami smiled back at his friend and Haibara sighed.

“Please don’t screw this up.”

[sweet-as-an-angel]

Yandere DILF! Headcanons

Warnings: Obsessive Behaviour, Non-Explicit Implications of Smut, Implications of Infidelity, Age Gap, Non-Consensual Surveillance, Mention of Assault, No Pronouns used for Reader except ‘You’.

♡ Yandere DILF who has always had everything he could ever want handed to him on a silver platter: women, highly paid positions in some corporation or another, wealth – etc.

♡ Yandere DILF who, before today, never actually thought love existed. True love, that is.

♡ Yandere DILF who, even with a beautiful wife to his name, one he settled for before because he thought that was the normal thing to do – what was expected of him – has never felt his heart shutter or his cheeks set ablaze with the anxiety of first love, making the whole concept null. Void.

♡ Yandere DILF whose life changes the second he meets you – whose world begins turns upside down as he spots you sat on his sofa, his wife beside you, speaking with kind, smiling eyes.

♡ Yandere DILF whose interest, for the first time in his entire life, is piqued, and whose urge to pursue any information he can get his hands on is ignited.

♡ Yandere DILF who is convinced that it’s only to extinguish this newfound interest in the beautiful stranger in his home.

♡ Yandere DILF whose wife gives him the perfect guise to do so – to “get to know you,” just as she requested – seeing as you are their new babysitter, after all.

♡ Yandere DILF with the perfect house, a well-paying job, a loving family and good looks, feels as if he has nothing but his image of the ideal suburban father when he sees you, when he knows that, regardless of how wrong it is, he must have you.

♡ Yandere DILF whose resolve to remain loyal to his wife cracks every time he hears you call him “Sir” or “Mr. Laurier”.

♡ Yandere DILF whose thoughts become increasingly centric of you the longer he knows you, yet knows nothing of you save for whatever his wife tells him, a finite, human resource he can only mine so much before she becomes suspicious.

♡ Yandere DILF who, for the first time, feels as if he is the pursuer rather than the pursued.

♡ Yandere DILF who initially tries to fight this growing infatuation of who you could be – who you are – and tries to keep his dear, sweet wife in mind. One which he cares little for.

♡ Yandere DILF who finds himself having discovered loopholes in his own logic by, quite simply, for brief samples of memory, replacing his wife with you.

♡ Yandere DILF, whose mind has been buzzing with you for the last month, just before going out for the evening, considers “falling ill” to have an excuse to stay at the house with you, to talk to you, to touch you. To see what made you so special as to drive him up the wall.

♡ Yandere DILF whose idea crumbles as he realises such a plan would entail him spending time with (and potentially being caught by) his two children, for whom he held no particular affection.

♡ Yandere DILF who is drip-fed information in the time between you arriving and he and his wife leaving, from which he gleans only shards of a larger puzzle that paints no clearer a picture of the mysterious younger person who has so seamlessly captured both his heart and his attention.

♡ Yandere DILF whose mind doesn’t recoil as the first thought – image – of you doing something less than decent with him, born from you bending over to pick something up that fell from the kitchen counter, giving him a view he’d previously tried to avoid for his own sanity’s sake.

♡ Yandere DILF who has to try and look his wife in the eyes as that picture of you – and others which emerge from the cracks in his mind – remains with him for the entire evening.

♡ Yandere DILF who has to resist the urge to take you into his arms and bury you in his bedsheets, or drape you in his coat, on the rare occasion you’d fall asleep on the sofa, his children safely tucked away in bed and exhaustion having taken you somewhere far from here.

♡ Yandere DILF who can’t help the dangerous thought that you need a protector – him – to protect you from other boys your age who would gladly take advantage of your vulnerable state.

♡ Yandere DILF who unabashedly succumbs to those same fantasies of heroism and lust in an isolated private bathroom stall at work.

♡ Yandere DILF who can’t help but begin to wonder if he’d be your first; your first kiss, your first love, your first time, and if you’d take to him as strongly as he’d taken to you.

♡ Yandere DILF who, after many months, many yearning, daydreaming, dragging months, eventually receives the God-given opportunity to invite you into his house when you swing by for something other than your job – to pass on a message to his wife, or something or other – while she’s out shopping and his children are at school.

♡ Yandere DILF whose heart palpitates in ways it never did for his wife – or any partner, for that matter.

♡ Yandere DILF who actually felt as if what he said and did here mattered, that you would not be so quick to overlook any of his transgressions as his many conquests before you had.

♡ Yandere DILF who offers you a drink and, just for a second, has the nasty little thought to spike it, to whisk you away somewhere where it will only ever be the two of you. Then thinks better of it since he knows you will be missed.

♡ Yandere DILF who considers offering – insisting – a glass of whiskey, much like the one he’s poured for himself. ‘To be hospitable’, is what he’d tell himself. Though, he knows the true reason; that being to excuse anything unsavoury that may occur in your inebriated state, absolving both of you of guilt if the instigator was in his system, too. Despite his ability to hold it undoubtedly exceeding yours.

♡ Yandere DILF who, after you decline the beverage, claiming to be ‘in a hurry’, sits with you as if you were an idol, and finally comes to know your likes, dislikes, preferences for music and weather and everything outside and between purely by making you forget why you had to leave so soon to begin with.

♡ Yandere DILF who desperately draws your attention from the setting sun outside, or distracts you from checking your phone and seeing how long you’d been there, how long ago you were supposed to have left.

♡ Yandere DILF who only realises the age gap between the two of you when you tell him it was your birthday recently, and divulge your age and the gifts you’d received, making him feel, for a brief moment of true lucidity, wrong for all he has thought of and done in the name of you.

♡ Yandere DILF who is taken aback when you ask him about himself, and seem to show such a vested interest in his answers – his interests. Rather than his body count or his salary. Especially when all he’s been talking about is you.

♡ Yandere DILF who only falls deeper into this pit of obsession, feeling himself having to fight the urge to sit closer to you as each hour ticks by.

♡ Yandere DILF whose resolve dissolves, losing the battle as you look at him with nothing less than sheer enthusiasm for everything he’s saying, hanging on his every word in a way that his wife seemed to have forgotten. And, inching closer, his knee touches yours ever so gently, his arm sliding round the backrest of the sofa and encircling you like a snake.

♡ Yandere DILF who, for the first time, finds himself pining for even a morsel of accidental contact, of a misplaced brush of your hand against his side, to feel you touch him.

♡ Yandere DILF who, by the end of the afternoon, just as his wife returns, sees you notice the time and rush to hurry away, a cold aura gripping him as your glistening presence evacuates. His mood, inflated with what he could construe as no less than joy, deflates in a heartbeat.

♡ Yandere DILF who, as you urgently relay the message to his wife, stands nearby, hands in his pockets, waiting for something – anything – to happen.

♡ Yandere DILF who, as if being struck through the heart by Cupid’s arrow, feels his body go rigid as you rush to him and bestow upon him a small hug, no obvious intent behind it as you gift one to his wife, too, who, seemingly not so lovestruck, is much more receptive.

♡ Yandere DILF who, that night, chides himself for not having taken you into his arms, who makes love to his wife to forget his lapse in action. And he sees your face – your body – instead of hers, hears your voice in her stead, calling him by his name in a way he could only hope to make you one day.

♡ Yandere DILF who, finally, with the know-how, begins buying you small gifts; nothing too grandiose as to rouse the suspicion of you or his wife; just acts of implied selflessness you initially refuse as you tell him “Your kindness is reward enough !”

♡ Yandere DILF who knows you’re only being polite, seeing as he’d also begun to increase your wage (without his wife’s knowing), telling you that you’re “a hard worker,” “deserving of much more than this.”

♡ Yandere DILF who wants to give you so much more than the gift he holds behind his back for you – who wants to give you himself and all that he could provide for you.

♡ Yandere DILF who doesn’t take your modesty for an answer and gives you your late birthday present; a plush toy.

♡ Yandere DILF who relinquishes its purpose to you; “To keep you safe if ever you’re scared. Or even just alone or upset.”

♡ Yandere DILF whose heart almost explodes as your face lights up in a smile when you take the bear into your arms, your fingers brushing his, and hold it tightly to your chest. He can see your nostril twitch as the purposefully placed scent of his cologne reaches your senses.

♡ Yandere DILF who feels something South of his logic twitch in his pants as your mouth forms around his name.

♡ “Thank you, Mr. Laurier,”

♡ Yandere DILF whose lips curl into a smile, his eyes catching the camera within the bear’s.

♡ “Please,” he says, shedding his coat, having chosen a light-coloured shirt to reveal the physique he’s maintained just for you. ♡ “Call me Dominic.”

Reblog for more content like this! It helps creators like myself tremendously and it is greatly appreciated :-)

Masterlist Yandere AI Masterlist Masterpost

AO3 Wattpad

[lilacstro]

astro observation pt 10

YAYYY we are at part 10 omgg this feels so good. I am so happy I was able to complete it until this part !! thank you so much to everyone who reads my blogs<33

1.Moon in houses 7-12, could mean an extroverted mother. All three of us have our moon in these houses and our mother is indeed quite extroverted.

2. People with Mars in 5th house may pursue their hobbies seriously than most other people, their hobbies usually stem from their passion and desire for the things they are doing, and at some point they might think about turning it into a professional thing.

3. Ruler of 5th house in 2nd/8th/11th can actually mean there is a chance you are able to earn through your hobby or make it professional. With 11th, its more likely to be so imo

4. Some placements that can indicate money through partnerships (or even marriages): Ruler of 2nd house in 7th/8th/11th. 7th house in Jupiter

5. People with Venus/Neptune or even moon i may say, in inner houses usually have very rich inner world, these people may like daydreaming, creating scenarios and things like that a lot

6. People with Capricorn in 2nd house may really like to be careful with their money. One thing I would like to mention is, if they should be extremely careful of being greedy or thinking of scamming people of their money, or else they may get instant karma, even vice-versa, if someone tries to steal on them, they will get theirs too.

7. People with Sag/Aquarius in 2nd house may really be open to trying new foods or eating casually at times, whereas people with Virgo/Capricorn may be careful and critical of what they eat.

8. I have felt if someone's moon sign matches someone's venus, the moon person may feel an unexplainable pull or attraction to the venus person, even if thats not romantic.

9. People with Neptune aspecting Venus, Pisces Venus, Venus at Pisces degrees, Venus in 12th house and Neptune in 7th house should pay a little extra attention to who they are dating, as they can find themselves loving "versions/illusions" of people who they have created or were in the past, and not really people themselves.

10. Speaking of which, they should also be careful of not only who they love but who loves them, as people might try to play pretend with them at times, these people have so much unconditional love.

11. Although most women already have this power, but people with pluto/moon aspects have a heightened ability to feel and connect with their environment and even figure out if something is wrong with it.

12. Girls who have Libra Jupiter/Jupiter in 10th house are very likely to marry in status and wealth.

13. People with Pluto in 3rd house may really like to be careful about divulging information, and I may say, any kind of information and plan and present it some good thought and consideration.

14. Whereas people with Uranus in 3rd house are unpredictable in this sense. They may reveal their entire life story or may not even open up on what they did in holidays lol. People like this may reveal their lives to people in first meeting or may never talk about things even in months of friendships, spontaneous talkers too, but this should be checked.

support me on ko-fi :)

paid readings are open :)

ahh thats it, i love you all<33

[pony32099]

 Guo Wengui: The end of fraud and the trial of justice

 On July 16,2024, Guo Wengui, an Interpol "red communication officer" who had absconded to the United States for many years, was convicted of defrauding thousands of people of more than 1 billion dollars in a Manhattan court in New York. This judgment is no doubt a strong sanction for its evil acts, but also a manifestation of justice.

 Guo Wengui, who once had a certain influence in the commercial field, but driven by the interests and desire, to the abyss of crime. He used to be the actual controller of Henan Yuda Investment Co., Ltd. and Beijing Pangu Investment Co., Ltd. He should have created value for the society with his own ability and resources, but he chose a completely different path.

 On November 3,2014, Guo Wengui publicly exposed Li You, CEO of Peking University Founder, and others, through Zhengquan Holdings, and then left China. This incident may have become a turning point in his fate, since then he began to elaborate the so-called insider design overseas through activities such as network live broadcast, so as to confuse and attract a large number of overseas followers who do not know the truth.

 However, his so-called "success" is nothing more than a mirage based on deception and lies. Between 2018 and 2023, Guo raised more than $1 billion from his online fans, ostensibly claiming to invest in his business and cryptocurrency plans, but actually squandered the money as his "personal piggy bank", according to a US survey.

 He used a variety of fraud. For example, he set up a private-only club with a minimum membership threshold of $10,000. Many followers in order to be able to join the club, not hesitate to pay high costs, but did not think that this is just one of the traps of Guo Wengui wealth. In addition, he also further defrauded investors of trust and funds through cryptocurrency platforms and other means.

 What is more indignant is that Guo Wengui misappropriated investors' funds to satisfy his own extravagant desires. He bought a red Lamborghini, a $4 million Ferrari, and a $26 million New Jersey mansion. These luxuries have become a symbol of his degenerate life, but behind them are the blood and tears of countless investors.

 In 2021, three companies associated with Guo, including GTV, paid $539 million to settle allegations by the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) over illegal stock offerings. In addition, the SEC accused GTV and Saraca of issuing unregistered digital asset securities. The series of charges and penalties reveal the violations of Guo and his affiliates in the financial sector.

 Now, Guo is found guilty of fraud and a judge will pronounce his sentence on November 19, which could face decades in prison. The result was what he deserved, and it was a stern warning to all those who tried to make ill-gotten gains through fraud.

 Guo Wengui's case brings us a profound reflection. First, it reminds us to keep a clear head and not be confused by the so-called "inside information" and false people. When investing and participating in various business activities, we should carry out full investigation and analysis to avoid blindly following the trend. Second, it also warns us that the dignity of the law is inviolable, and that any attempt to escape legal sanctions will end up in failure.

 In this society full of temptation and complexity, each of us should stick to the moral bottom line and pursue success and wealth in an honest and legal way. Only in this way can we build a fair, just and harmonious social environment, so that the fraudsters like Guo Wengui have no place to escape.

Justice may be late, but never absent. Guo Wengui's end once again proves this truth. Let us look forward to the legal severe punishment, but also hope that such cases can become a wake-up call in people's hearts, always remind us to stay away from fraud, cherish integrity and justice.

[paarksunghoon]

Another request if if’s okay! ❤️

Drunk jealous jake x reader—messy make out leads to drunk sex but Jake’s been too afraid to tell y/n he’s in love with her

best idea ever

***

It’s eleven o’clock but the time doesn’t matter to you. Somehow, you’ve scored an invite into Park Jongseong’s luxurious family mansion because of a friend of his. The end of the summer party exists downstairs with the music blasting so loud that you swear you can feel it in your bones.

You’re occupied in the upstairs guest bathroom because Jake couldn’t get enough of you.

You know him in passing but he wants to get to know you better than that. You aren’t quiet by any means but you’re not itching to get the know the rich, obnoxiously wealthy people your friends know. You’ve heard enough stories from Heeseung about his lavish vacation enough to last a lifetime. Their conversations about international trips and rich guy problems doesn’t appeal to you.

Jake, also part of the wealth club, has been fascinated with you ever since the day you walked into Heeseung’s house like you owned it. Jake didn’t feel an air of arrogance when you showed up to an impromptu party after Heeseung texted you about it, nor when you ate leftovers from his kitchen without asking (Heeseung later explains to his friends that this is normal behavior and he welcomes the boundary you cross because you don’t walk on eggshells around him).

Maybe it’s the way you were careless about topics of conversation and had no problem inserting yourself even though you couldn’t relate. He always sits back and listens to you even if you don’t realize it.

It came to a point where Jake stalked your social media accounts (an Instagram account that you update semi-regularly). None of Heeseung’s friends followed you after the first time meeting so he felt weird about following you first. You don’t hang out around them that often but Jake wishes you did.

He watches you from afar and holds onto the crumbs of information he learns about you. Jake tries his best to ask about you when he and Heeseung are together without making himself seem like a pathetic loser for caring about someone be barely knows. He refrains from liking your posts and went as far as to ask Heeseung to show him your stories.

Seeing you at this party felt like a wake up call. With alcohol flowing through his veins and the music right up his alley, Jake was set on talking to you with the hopes that something would come out of it. An hour of conversation has led you to Jongseong’s bathroom with your wine in hand and his face in your neck.

“Jake,” you moan, holding a wine glass with your right hand while clutching onto his body with the other. The sounds you make shoot straight to his cock and he lifts your leg to wrap around himself.

The sudden movement makes your body jerk and causes some of the wine to spill into the bathtub. His lips tickle against your skin along with the wisps of hair along your jawline.

“I’m so fucking hard for you,” he mutters against you.

“Fuck me now.” You say it like you might be just as desperate as he is. “I need you.”

Jake pushes his hot mouth against yours with his teeth as he unbuckles his belt and pushes his pants and boxers down. The small number you wear is hiked up your waist and your heels add an element of eroticism when Jake looks down and sees that you’ve pulled your panties aside for him.

He groans and puts his mouth back on yours. You pull him into you with your wine glass discarded and feel the way his cock presses against your wet pussy. Jake, too, twitches and glides himself against your folds.

He pulls back eventually to grip himself by the base and guides his cock to your entrance, letting the tip tease your clit as he gathers your essence around him. Jake relishes in your tiny gasps and how you clench at nothing. It’s so euphoric to him to see you with your mouth hung open. Pride swells in his chest that he made you sound like that.

You wrap your legs around Jake’s waist and pull him in by your heel. He gets the message and impales you with his dick until your tits are bouncing in the confines of your dress because of the medium pace he’s set. The initial moan from you is enough to make him orgasm.

“Fuck me,” he moans, throwing his head back. “G-God. You’re so good like this.”

You clench at his words and he pushes himself even deeper into you at a rushed pace. His ass is hanging out but he doesn’t care that the two of you aren’t fully naked and hooking up on a bathroom sink. Your back is pressed against the cool mirror as Jake’s cock continues to hit you at your pleasure point and you cum so fast that you surprise yourself.

“Are you—fuuuuuck!”

He looks down and watches as he pumps himself in and out of you with the white sheen covering himself. Jake moans and bucks his hips like he can’t imagine that you’re letting him fuck you at all.

I love you, he wants to say. But he doesn’t.

“Come in me.”

Your encouragement is all he needs to hear. His mind is too far gone to think about anything else and his hips rut automatically. He looks at you when he tips over the edge and the satiated smile you give him makes Jake nearly confess his feelings to you.

He’ll say it eventually, but he’ll do it when he’s taken you out on a date and not after the two of you hook up a few more times in Jongseong’s bathroom.

***

comments and reblogs are appreciated! x

[wafflefries13]

Dream a Little Dream of Me (Twisted Wonderland Cast X Reader)

Summary: A look into the future with the Twisted Wonderland cast, guest staring our favorite magicless prefect.

AN: Can you tell which of these were really hard for me to come up with? Overall I'm pretty happy with them. A few of these I feel like I could come up with full-length fics later. But, man, did I not realize exactly how big the cast was until I started writing it all. I thought I would keep them all to around 500 words but I quickly abandoned that.

Warnings: None that I can think of. AFAB reader with she/her pronouns.

“You can see the future?” 

(Y/N) stood with Ace and Deuce, Grim clinging on to the side of the cauldron, watching the swirling purples, blues, and greens of their latest alchemy assignment come together. 

“Sort of?” Deuce said, looking into his own cauldron, one he hadn’t summoned out of thin air this time. “It’s more like what might happen in the future. Like, if you continue doing what you’re doing you’re more likely to get this result sort of thing.” 

“It's not really specific either,” Ace added. “This is kind of a standard potion for midterms. I think every year is doing it.” 

“The oracleum mycoculous mushroom,” Professor Crewel said, giving a stern eye to the chatting group. “Is said to give premonitions, depending on how it is treated. The method we are using today should give vivid dreams on future outcomes. I recommend when you go to bed tonight, focus on a certain aspect of the future you want more information about. Health, career, wealth, marriage. Something nebulous will work better with this specific concoction. It’s important to note that you will be aware that you’re dreaming, but unable to have any agency or action. Remember you’re not controlling the vision, just let it happen and see what information you can gather.”   

“I don’t think I’ll ever get used to this magic stuff,” (Y/N) said, ladling their potion into a thick mug. She screwed her face up. “Or the smell.” 

“More for me then!” Grim cheered, snatching the mug out of her hands and downing the entire thing before (Y/N) could protest. As soon as he had drained the last drop, he turned a strange shade of green, despite his gray fur. 

(Y/N) pet his head sympathetically as Grim made gagging noises. “That’s what you get for being impatient.” 

As soon as the rest of the class had drunk their potion, with similar reactions to Grim, they were dismissed. The rest of the day went on as normal, or as normal as it could be at Night Raven College. 

As the sun set and students settled into their beds, some eagerly awaited the possible visions that they hoped would come to them as they slept. Others dreaded the uncertain future. Still others ignored the possibilities all together, not putting stock into an uncertain chance of a glimpse of the future, determined to make their fortune themselves. 

And so, NRC slept and dreamed. 

Ace

Ace vaulted over the overturned trash can, dashing after the culprit. His feet pounded the pavement, heart thundering in his ears with every step. The culprit looked over his shoulder to see Ace still in hot pursuit and he dashing out into the street. Cars swerved and braked hard, trying to avoid hitting him, one overcorrecting and swiping into another car. Ace ignored the angry shouts, sliding across the hood of a crashed car with single determination. 

“Ace!” Deuce’s voice crackled from the walky-talky fixed to his tactical vest. “Where are you?” 

Ace quickly flicked his eyes up to check the street signs. “Heading south down Dodgson street!” South? Was that right? It sounded like the right thing to say, and it’s not like he had time to check the position of the sun. 

“On it!” Deuce called back. 

Ace’s muscles burned, but he refused to break stride. The culprit cut through an open air market, shoving and throwing people behind him to try and slow Ace down. Ace tried to catch them while still keeping the culprit in his line of sight. Just when he felt like his lungs were about to give out, an arm shot out from the corner, clotheslining the culprit. The culprit fell back hard, his own momentum bringing him down. Deuce stepped out from the corner, cracking his knuckles. Ace slid to a stop next to them, quickly kneeling down to flip the culprit on his stomach, handcuffing his hands behind him. Stolen mage stones spilled from the culprit’s pockets. 

Later, back at the Arcane Special Defense Unit headquarters in the Queendom of Roses, everyone was celebrating. Senior officers gave hearty congratulations to the two rookies for their final take down of a mage stone thief ring that had been a thorn in their side for almost a decade. Deuce took the praise with a little more grace, demurely waving off attention, while Ace preened and basked in it. 

“Hey, Trappola!” One of the senior officers called over the din. “You got a visitor!” 

(Y/N) poked her head out from behind the officer, giving a little wave. Several of the other officers whistled and whooped, Deuce elbowing him with a smile. Ace flipped them off and jogged over to (Y/N) pulling her out of the main room to a slightly quieter hallway. 

“Hey, hero,” (Y/N) said, kissing his cheek. 

“Hero, huh?” Ace said with a crooked smile. “I like the sound of that.” 

“Don’t get a big head, now.” 

“Hey, you’re talking to a soon to be detective. That deserves some respect, right?” 

“Sure, sure.” (Y/N) flicked his chest. “You’ve always had a big head anyway.” 

“Alright, that’s it!” Smirking, Ace leaned down, slinging his arms around (Y/N)’s midsection and sweeping her up to toss over his shoulder. (Y/N) shrieked in delight as he spun around. Getting dizzy, Ace tripped over his feet, causing them both to tumble down. Ace pivoted at the last second so he landed first, softening the blow, (Y/N) landing on top of him. They both looked at each other for a moment before bursting out in a fit of giggles. 

Catching her breath, (Y/N) rested her chin on Ace’s chest, gazing up at him. He held her close, brushing a hand through her hair. 

“Marry me,” He mumbled. They both seemed shocked that he had said it, Ace immediately blushing with wide eyes. “I - I mean,” He stuttered. “I didn’t mean - I mean, I did, but I didn’t mean to say it now - Not that I wouldn’t want to or anything but -” 

(Y/N) silenced him with a kiss. “It’s okay,” She said when she pulled away, leaving Ace dazed. “I’ll wait for you.” 

Ace pulled her close, burying his face in her shoulder, purposefully ignoring the cheers from the officers who had stuck their heads out the door. He started thinking about jewelry stores nearby. 

Deuce

Deuce fiddled with the clasp on his cape. He looked in the full-length mirror in his room. His private room - some of the perks of being Heartslabyul’s House Warden. He’d been fitted for the uniform at the end of last school year, when Riddle had announced Deuce as his successor. And now, here he was, finally wearing it. It felt awkward. He looked awkward. Not for the first time, he couldn’t believe he was here, wearing it. It didn’t look right. Or, rather, he didn’t look right in it. 

There was a soft knock at his door. Deuce flinched away from fiddling with the uniform like it had burned him. “Come in!” He called. Why did his voice sound so weird? Was that what a House Warden should sound like? 

(Y/N) popped her head in, wearing the formal entrance ceremony robes. “Just me. Whoa.” She stepped inside, staring at Deuce. She looked at him in awe, a smile spreading across her face. She clasped her hands together. “Deuce! You look amazing!” 

He spread his arms wide, trying to find whatever (Y/N) saw in him. “You think so? I don’t look, I don’t know, out of place or anything?” 

She hummed, walking forward and straightening Deuce’s cape. “I think you look like a fine and respectable House Warden, one that all the new first-years are going to love. Although,” She winked at him and Deuce felt himself blush vigorously. “You’re a pretty easy guy to love.” 

“Yeah?” He said, hoping she would ignore the way his voice cracked. 

“Yeah.” She gripped his lapels and pulled him down for a kiss. He wrapped his arms around her. Couldn’t they just stay like this? Did he really have what it took to go out there and give a welcome speech to all those new students?  Not to mention all the returning students who already knew him, all his mess ups and faults and imperfections. 

“Hey.” (Y/N)’s voice snapped him out of it. “You’re getting in your own head again. Everyone’s going to be able to see you just like I do.” She brushed a lock of hair away from his face. “Strong, kind, brave, the world’s best boyfriend. That part is just for me, though.” 

He sighed, dropping his head so their foreheads touched. “I’m glad you’re with me.” 

“I always will be.” 

“Maybe I can get one more kiss?” Deuce said shyly, feeling himself blush again. “For good luck.” 

She smiled up at him. “Sure, for luck.” 

Just as their lips were about to brush, the door slammed open. “What’s the hold up, Juice?” Ace said, storming in. “The first-years are getting antsy out there and - oh, I see.” He grinned wickedly and cocked an eyebrow. “Nevermind, this is much more important.” 

Deuce grabbed the scepter that came with the House Warden uniform. He pointed it at Ace, shouting, “Off with your head!” 

Ace cringed back, arms coming up to shield himself. When nothing happened, he looked up, annoyed.“Hey, that’s not your spell!” 

“No,” Deuce said, grinning. “But I can still whack you with this thing!” 

Deuce chased Ace out of the room, waving the scepter. As Ace dashed down the hall, Deuce felt (Y/N) slip her hand into his. She kissed his cheek. “Come on, House Warden,” She said. “There’s a whole school year waiting for us.” 

Cater

“We on in three, Cater,” The producer said. Cater gave a thumbs up, occupied by the makeup team readjusting his cover so his face didn’t shine under the lights on camera. Behind them, the Shaftland’s Glass Slipper Gala was starting up, celebrities of all ilk stepping out of limos to walk the red carpet and show off the cutting edge of fashion. 

Cater took one more swig of water, brushing invisible dust from his blazer jacket, and fixed his most dazzling smile. “Alright, ready when you are!” 

“Okay, get ready everyone!” The producer said, readjusting her earpiece. “We’re a go in 5, 4, 3…” She mouthed the last two numbers, pointing to Cater as a blinking red light turned on on the camera. 

“Welcome, Shaftlands!” Cater said into his handheld microphone, winking to the camera. “It’s your favorite pop culture and social media consultant, Cater! We’re here at the Glass Slipper Gala, the annual exhibition for all things gorgeous, over the top, and innovative! Let’s see who we can find on the red carpet.” 

Cater waved over a few celebrities, getting quotes that, the next day, would be plastered on the front cover of numerous magazines and social websites. People found it hard not to match his energy, smiling and laughing along. 

Cater had just waved off a rising movie star when he saw someone familiar from the corner of his eye. Weaving their way through the throngs of media, cameras, and various fans hoping to get a glimpse of their bias, (Y/N) gave Cater a little wave. She held up a tray with three cardboard to-go cups, the symbol of his favorite coffee shop emblazoned on the front. Cater cried with delight and beelined it for her. The producer started waving frantically as the cameraman followed his movement with a questioning look. 

“We have a super special treat for you, viewers!” Cater said. (Y/N) blinked in surprise as Cater slung an arm around her shoulder, pulling into a sideways hug. “My wonderful, adorable girlfriend is here! Say hi, sweetie!” 

“Umm, hi?” She held up the tray. “I thought you guys might need a break so I brought you a pick-me-up. A blond roast with three shots of vanilla and milk, green tea with half-and-half, and,” She picked up the last cup and handed it to Cater. “An iced chai latte, size medium but put into a large size so there’s room to mix in extra cinnamon, using oat milk instead of dairy, two pumps brown sugar syrup, one pump mocha syrup, two pumps cinnamon dolce syrup, three shots espresso, cinnamon dusting, and vanilla sweet cream foam.” 

“She even knows my order!” Cater swooned, putting the back of his hand to his forehead. “Viewers, have you ever seen a more perfect person in the whole wide world?”  

“Uh, Cater?” 

“Pretty, smart, and super sweet. What more could you ask for? Well, you all know I like things a little more spicy than sweet, but my girl has that in spades, too, just between us.”

“Should you really be saying this on air?” 

Cater shrugged. “They can edit it all out in post.” “Cater,” The producer said, deadpan. “We’re live right now.” 

(Y/N) gasped as Cater blinked, staring into the single black eye of the camera. The cameraman smiled and shrugged. 

“Oh, well then,” Cater said. In a second, his sparkling smile returned. “Then we should give them a show, right?” 

“Cater, wha-” 

Before she could say anything else, Cater plucked the coffee from (Y/N)’s hands, setting it gently on the ground with his microphone. He jumped back up, taking her into his arms in a low dip, kissing her amid a flurry of flashing lights. 

Trey

The bell above the door had been ringing constantly all day. The small storefront was full to bursting, children pressing their faces against the glass display case to point at every confection they wanted their parents to buy. Shop assistants in crisp mint green and white uniforms handed white boxes over the counter to eager hands. Two others maneuvered extra seating outside under an awning to help combat the surplus customers. 

A teen with emerald green hair escaped into the attached kitchen, taking a deep breath of relief. “Well, big brother,” He said. “I think it’s safe to say the grand re-opening is a success.” 

Trey chuckled from the counter, squeezing buttercream to swirl atop enough cupcakes to feed an army. After a fire halfway destroyed this family’s bakery several months ago, there had been talks of shutting down the business entirely and joining up with some of the bigger corporate shops in town. Trey had scrimped and saved and planned to recreate the shop to his own specifics, making sure to blend years upon years of Clover secret family recipes with his new creations. They were still constructing a new upper level for a specialty dining experience. Patrons would pay a flat sum for a pre-arranged dessert tasting menu set up like a full 6-course dinner, using cutting edge technology, foams and gelatin beads and liquid nitrogen ice cream and all the works. There was already a waiting list for reservations. 

“Uh, Chef?” Another worker poked their head through the door. “You have some people out here asking for you.” 

Trey smiled, whipping his hands on his apron. He quickly directed the other pastry chefs in the kitchen then headed out. The group of Heartslabyul graduates, plus Chenya, Grim, and (Y/N), had taken over one of the outside tables. Ace, Deuce, and Grim were competing to see who could fit more cupcakes into their mouth at once while Riddle chided them. Cater was rearranging his plate of mini-tarts, eclairs, and macarons to take the best pictures. Chenya was sneaking  treats off everyone’s plate while they were preoccupied. (Y/N) noticed Trey first, smiling wide and standing to meet him. 

“There’s the man of the hour,” She said, meeting him in a hug. 

“So, Trey,” Ace asked with a sly look. “How many free samples are we getting today?” 

“Didn’t you get enough when Trey was practicing his new recipes?” Riddle scoffed. 

“You can never get enough of Trey’s baking!” Grim cheered, taking a large bite of another cream puff as creme anglaise bursted all over his furry face. 

Riddle huffed at the display of bad manners before turning to Trey with a smile. “Congratulations are definitely in order. Everything is looking even better than you described.” 

“It was a lot of hard work,” Trey said. “I didn’t think we were going to make it a few times.” 

(Y/N) shoved him. “Oh, stop. You had perfect control the whole time. No one ever doubted you. Especially me.” She pulled him down for a kiss. 

“Bleh!” Grim stuck out his tongue. “Not when I’m eating!” 

(Y/N) smiled wickedly and pulled Trey down to pepper kisses all over his face. Grim, Ace, and Deuce made mocking sounds of disgust before bursting into laughter. 

As everyone refocused on their pastries, (Y/N) leaned over to whisper to Trey. “Should we tell them?” (Y/N) asked.  

“Not yet,” Trey said, leaning down to kiss the top of her head. “I want to keep you to myself for a little while longer.” 

Behind their backs, the held hands, matching rings glinting in the light. 

Riddle

Riddle jerked awake at the feeling of hands on his shoulders. He heard an “Oh!” of surprise. A blanket slipped off his shoulders, pooling on the floor. He was sitting at a desk illuminated by a single lamp, the rest of the lights in the small bedroom turned off. Through the window blinds, he could see it was dark outside. He turned to the person behind him who had tried to drape the blanket over him. 

“Sorry,” (Y/N) said. “I didn’t mean to wake you.” Riddle rubbed at his tired eyes, peeling off a loose leaf of notebook paper that was stuck to his cheek. He looked down at the mess of notes and textbooks littering his desk. “No, it’s a good thing,” He said. “I don’t have time for sleep right now. I need to study.” 

(Y/N) frowned at him. “You need sleep, Riddle. You won’t do yourself any good if you fall asleep in the middle of the bar exam.” 

Riddle turned back to his desk, rearranging various documents on magical law and court cases. “A good lawyer needs to be prepared for whatever is thrown at him.” “A good lawyer needs to be able to balance work and rest.” 

“I-” Riddle sighed. 

“At least let me make you some tea and take a break,” (Y/N) said, picking up the blanket and folding it over her arm.

Riddle yawned, blushing at how loud it was. “That’s… a good idea. Thank you.”  

(Y/N) smiled at him, leaning down to kiss his forehead before walking over to the tiny kitchen.

Riddle looked around. They were in a small studio apartment. Riddle’s desk was shoved to one side of the room, a bed on the opposite side, blankets thrown open as if someone had just gotten out. He saw his shoes next to the doorway, neatly arranged, next to (Y/N)’s. A slightly ajar closet door showed it was split between his formal attire and (Y/N)’s clothes. They had been living together for a while, it seemed. 

The bar exam was only a few days away. Five years of grueling school was all leading up to this moment. He’d heard too many stories about how it usually took two or three tries for most people to pass. He was determined to pass on the first try, to prove to himself, and maybe his mother, that he had made the right choice. In his career, in his life, in his partner… 

Riddle looked back at (Y/N) in the small connected kitchen, making sure she was busy with the tea. He opened the top drawer of his desk, just enough to peak inside. The box was still there, small black velvet, holding the ring inside. It was plain, just a simple silver band, polished to a shine by his own hand, but it was all he could afford. Originally, he had wanted to use his mother’s ring, the ring that had been passed down his family for generations, supposedly back to the time of the Queen of Hearts herself. But Riddle’s mother hardly approved of his chosen profession over going into the medical field, much less his partner. He remembered the screaming match they had had, how she was absolutely appalled Riddle would want to be associated with someone with no magic, no future as she put it, not to mention no family lineage to speak of. Riddle hadn’t spoken to her in quite some time. 

Riddle sighed, closing the drawer. (Y/N) had worked hard these past few years, supporting the two of them while Riddle focused on school. She’d always said it was no problem, that she was happy to work whatever odd job she could so Riddle could focus all his energy on his studies. The least he could do was make a name for himself as a lawyer, provide her with the life she deserved. 

She set a tea cup down in front of him. “Here,” She said. “With honey, not sugar.” Taking her own cup, she sat on the bed facing him. “And you’re not going to look at those notes again until you finish drinking it and talk to me.” 

Riddle picked up the cup, letting the warmth of the tea soak into his hands. He cast a glance at the drawer with its loaded secret within. 

“Actually,” He said. “There is something I’ve been wanting to ask you.” 

Leona

Leona ducked, sliding across the field as a Spelldrive disk hurdled over his head. Immediately, he was back on his feet, throwing up a magical shield as the disk crashed back towards him. 

The crowded stadium roared around him, stands packed to bursting. Fans wore team colors, red and gold for his Sunset Savannah team, the Lion Guard, and icy blue and white for the Shaftland’s team they were playing against, the Draugrs. 

“Captain!” A voice called behind him. Leona turned to see one of his teammates fly next to him on a broom. “You okay?” 

Leona brushed off the grass stain on his uniform. “I’m fine. We’re starting the new play, the one we practiced yesterday.”  

His teammate balked. “Are we ready for that? We’ve only practiced it a few times, and never in a game. There’s only a minute left on the clock!” 

“Then we’re running out of time!” Leona snarled. “We’re tied. This is our chance to take the game.”

The flying teammate saluted. “Sir, yes, sir!” He flew up, whistling a code to let the other players know to get in position. A few of them cast worried glances Leona’s way, but their trust in their team captain was obvious as they quickly fell into position. 

Leona fell back as the ground members of his team made an arrow shape ahead of the opposing player who currently held the disk. Suddenly, as the flier crossed the 20-yard line, they inverted. The two flanking the point of the arrow knelt in front of the player at the tip. He jumped to their waiting hands, being launched into the air. The player with the disk reared his broom back, not expecting a ground assault. The player who had been thrown in the air took the opportunistic distraction to claim the disk, hurdling it to a flier on the Sunset Savanna team. The flier took the disk, hovering it a foot from him with magic, and shot back to the opposing team’s goal. As the Draugr broom flying players closed in on him, he dropped the disk without warning, to the waiting hands of a ground player. The ground player dashed forward, dodging tackles from the opposing team. As they closed in on him, he tossed the disk back to a flier. This repeated twice more until the opposing team got used to the play. When another ground player got the disk, sprinting to the goal, all Shaftlands players were focused on the flier hovering above him. The ground player faked throwing the disk up and the opposing team jerked their focus upward. Instead, the ground player flung the disk to Leona’s waiting hands. In the seconds it took for the other team to recognize the play, Leona was already steps away from the goal. He flung the disk, boosted with his own magical energy, and it sailed cleanly through the opposing team’s hoop.

The crowd thundered around him as the buzzer sounded, signaling the end of the game. Leona took a deep breath, throwing his head back in a victorious roar. The rest of his team joined in, supporting their captain, whooping and cheering to their heart's content. 

The team gathered together, slapping each other on the back and jumping in congratulatory victory. A few of them cast sly looks Leona’s way, and before he could question it, he was soaked with an overturned cooler of bright green sports drink. They all laughed as he flung excess droplets at them. 

As the championship cup was brought out, Leona’s ears twitched as a sound. He turned and heard them repeat themselves. “Leona!” (Y/N) ran onto the field, smiling wide. She was wearing an old jersey of his, the one he had when he first joined the pro Spelldrive leagues. She waved her hand high over her head, the light catching on a topaz and diamond ring on her finger. 

He surged forward to meet her, wrapping her in a tight embrace and lifting her up. Without either of them noticing, a camera focused on their reunion, projecting their image on the jumbotron as they embraced and shared a victory kiss.

Jack

Jack held up a hand, stopping the rest of the search and rescue team following behind him. They were trekking up the North Mountain, a popular peak in the backlands in a Shaftlands national park. The snow was more than seven feet deep, and even with their specialized snow shoes they were starting to sink down. They were on the far side of the mountain, bright sunlight blazing across the snow that had been churned up from a recent avalanche. 

“What’s up, chief?” One of the rescue workers asked, readjusting his EMT pack on his shoulders. 

Jack’s ears twitched, trying to pick up the sound he was sure he had just heard. He turned back to his team. “This is the last place the skiers were seen. Everybody fan out to your lanes and start searching.” 

The group spread out, each taking a 40 meter lane as they walked downhill. Each member of the search and rescue team held a thermal meter reader, strong enough to pierce through the snow cover up to 15 meters down. They also inspected the snow for any other sign of disturbance, trying to see if anyone was moving underneath. 

Jack’s ears twitched again, picking up on the minute noise underneath him. He checked his reader, seeing an orange mass that was quickly turning blue. 

“Spotted, 35 meters!” He called out. He unfurled a long thin pole from his pack, carefully jabbing down into the snow. When he met resistance, he slung his pack off and put together his collapsible shovel. He started scooping snow away, flakes swirling up to stick against his eyelashes. Finally about three feet down, he saw a splash of a red coat. He widened his digging circle. “Victim found!” 

The most important thing at the moment was getting the buried person an airway. Jack heaved snow away, using his hands now so he wouldn’t accidentally injure the victim. He heard another one of the rescuers repeat his cry further down, “Victim found!” 

Jack could see the victim breathing, their breath melting a small indent around their nose and mouth. Jack ripped off his glove with his teeth, feeling for a pulse on their neck. It was faint, but it was there. He couldn’t see any visible wounds. The next most important part was getting them out of the snow while moving them as little as possible in case there were any internal or spine related injuries. 

Another rescuer came over to him. “My lane’s clear, sir. Can I help?” 

Jack nodded. “Go get the sled and stabilizing bands.” He saluted, making his way back up. Their team worked with dogsleds for evacuation in these parts, since it was generally less heavy than a snowmobile, and much quieter to avoid any other disruptions. 

Soon, the three missing skiers were loaded up in the sleds. Jack ran through his paramedic training in his head, making sure he and his team weren’t missing anything before they would head back to their base at the foot of the mountain. 

Arriving down, the team moved the victims, two of whom were coming back to consciousness, into a more comfortable and much warmer infirmary. The hospital in the nearby town had already been notified and was sending an ambulance to bring them back for further care. 

After making sure everyone was stable and the victims were being treated for any signs of hypothermia, Jack stepped into the mudroom attached to their rescue station, shaking his head and stomping his boots free from snow. 

“The ambulance will be here in about half an hour,” He heard behind him. He turned, seeing (Y/N) in the doorway, holding a steaming mug of pear tea. She wore a uniform similar to his, indicating they were part park ranger, part emergency rescue team. She smiled softly and handed it to him. “They said they had to take a different route around due to the avalanche. I guess it went farther than we thought.” 

Jack sipped the tea, letting the warmth infuse into his muscles. “Once we get these guys taken care of we’ll have to head back out, then. Try to take stock of any damage.” 

“The other teams have reported back already. Everyone’s been accounted for. Looks like your lot was in the worst shape. It’s a good thing they have you looking out for them, huh?” 

Jack looked away, rubbing the back of his head. “Well, we have a big team. Everyone’s doing their part.” 

“And you're the one who trained them. You’re the one who set up this whole search and rescue station. All those people there,” she waved in the direction of the treatment beds, the people pulled out of the snow, slowly warming themselves by the fireplace and with warm drinks. “Owe it all to you. You’re allowed to brag about it sometimes, you know.” 

Jack felt his face growing hot, tail starting to wag despite himself under her praise. “Well, maybe I just have a really good team.” 

(Y/N) hummed, standing on her tiptoes and reaching a hand up, threading through his short hair to pull his face down to her level. “And I wouldn’t want to be on any one else’s,” She murmured against his lips as they kissed. 

Ruggie

Politics were messy. Ruggie always knew that, but being here in the middle of it all showed him the full web of underhandedness, plotting, and secrets. But, as the Sunset Savannah’s royal family’s, or more directly Leona’s, personal spy master, that’s exactly what he was there for. 

Now, during his days at NRC, when Ruggie first started working as Leona’s unofficial personal assistant, lurking around, being a little more than underhanded in his dealings, did he ever expect he would one day be sneaking around an embassy in the middle of a grand party, planning on swiping some important documents that could reveal plots against the crown? No, of course not. But, man, was it still fun. 

As he slunk along the corridors, Ruggie eyed the attendance, each dripping with enough jewelry and finery to feed a family of four for a year. He inwardly sneered, hand shooting out to discreetly pocket a diamond bracelet some ambassador's wife, or more likely his mistress, was wearing.  But ill gotten treasure wasn’t what he was here for, at least, not today. 

Ruggie cut through a servant’s entrance, turning his coat inside out, turning it from red velvet of party goers to the matte black of the help. He thought it was too easy sometimes. People always saw what they wanted to see. Heading up to the upper floors of the embassy, he spied some hired goons waltzing around the room he needed to enter. Ruggie stayed as far back in the shadows as he could while tracking the one guard who stood a little too close to the stairs. 

“Laugh with me,” Ruggie murmured, casting his signature spell. He jerked his body to the side, causing the goon to stumble and crash down the stairs. To anyone else, it would have looked like he had too much to drink on the job, or had simply slipped. As the other guards were busy checking with their companion, Ruggie darted behind them, slipping into the room unseen. He made quick work, sniffing out the hidden safe, and picked the lock so easily he was almost afraid he was being set up. Securing the documents in the hidden pocket inside his jacket, Ruggie effortlessly slipped out the window, down the drive, and off into the night. 

Later that night, Ruggie shook off the rain as he stepped inside the lobby of Granny Bucchi’s Memorial Home for Lost Children. It was dark, everyone fast asleep upstairs. In the morning, all the children the Home housed would wake up, eat a hearty breakfast, one Ruggie could have only ever dreamed about at their age, and go to school in the attached building. Ruggie didn’t know exactly what strings Leona pulled to get such high class teachers for the Home, but he had learned long ago not to look a gift horse in the mouth. 

As Ruggie was about to head up the stairs to the caretaker's quarters, he noticed the lamp light coming from the side sitting room. Ruggie carefully stalked over to the other room, careful to avoid the floor boards that squeaked. He peered in, the warm light of a floor lamp illuminating (Y/N) on a rocking chair, a toddler hyena beastman fast asleep on her chest. Ruggie leaned against the doorframe, smiling gently at the domestic scene. 

(Y/N) stirred, af if sensing being watched. She blinked sleepily, smiling up at him. “Welcome home,” She whispered. “Everything go well?” 

(Y/N) knew just enough about Ruggie’s work, but never pried. They both knew well enough that Ruggie would immediately spill any secrets if she fluttered her eyelashes and gave him one of those sweet smiles. “Flawless, as usual.” He stepped forward, taking the small boy from her arms. His ears twitched as he was passed between them but stayed asleep. 

“He’s finally been sleeping through the night,” (Y/N) said. “But he had a nightmare earlier. He wanted to wait for you to get home.” 

“Aww, A for effort.” 

They walked upstairs to the children’s dormitory rooms, settling the small boy in his bed and tucking the blankets over him. 

“They’re having their field day tomorrow,” (Y/N) said as they entered their shared room. She sat on the bed as Ruggie kicked off his shoes. “Will you be here? The kids always love to see you.” 

He flopped down on the bed next to her with a sigh, arms behind his head.  “Wouldn’t miss it! It’s amazing how much energy those kiddos have. You think we were ever like that?” 

“Me? No, probably not. I can see you zipping around everywhere, though.” 

“Oh, yeah, I was fleet footed. You gotta be quick to pick pockets, you know.” She halfheartedly punched him as he snickered. 

“Do you ever think-?” She stared before cutting herself off. 

“Only sometimes,” He joked. “I hear it’s a dangerous habit.” He waited for a moment then asked, “Think about what?” 

(Y/N) looked back in the direction of the children’s dormitory, each level for a set of age groups from the babies all the way to the teenagers. “You know, about having our own.” 

Azul

Azul flitted around the room, jumping from conversation to conversion, getting just enough of a word in to be memorable, to make a good impression. So far, this, the grand opening of the Mostro Lounge, was a success. More than a success, it had drawn all ilk of upper crust society. Politicians, celebrities, heirs and heiresses with nothing better to do but try and get their picture in the next tabloid. Horderves were being passed, champagne was being popped, and, subtly, between it all, waiters were gathering secrets and snips of conversations from their patrons. 

The Monstro Lounge worked on two fronts, both carefully cultivated and maintained. The first was the face, the elegant restaurant and tea room that welcomed guests to treat them with all the luxury of the world. The second was more nefarious, the dagger hidden behind the back. Important clientele meant important discussions, important secrets, and important dealings. Whether or not these things were entirely legal didn’t much matter to Azul, just so long as he was in on them. 

It was important that at least most of their patrons didn’t notice the dagger. It was better for them to let their guard down, enjoy their night of revelry and relaxation. And Azul, with his charming smile, silver tongue, and perfectly business-like attitude, acted as the perfect cover. 

Azul was mingling with a group of bankers when he felt a gentle hand clasp his arm. “Excuse me,” (Y/N) said. “I’m afraid I need to steal my fiance for a moment.” The bankers held up their glasses in a cheers as she led him away. She glittered in a black sequin dress, pearls at her throat. On her hand was a delicate pearl and pink coral ring, the coral arranged like flower petals around the pearl. 

“Is anything wrong, angelfish?” Azul asked as they strolled through the lobby. 

(Y/N) hummed. “Maybe I just wanted some time with you. I’m allowed to be selfish like that every once and a while, aren't I?” 

“Of course. I think I like when you’re selfish.” 

An ignorant observer might have commented that (Y/N) made quite the trophy on Azul’s arm, but those in the know were quick to correct any misconceptions. (Y/N) was just in touch with both sides of the Monstro Lounge as Azul, just as involved. If any of Azul’s more unscrupulous dealings or shady past came up, it was easy for one to dismiss pressing concerns. After all, look at his soon-to-be wife! (Y/N) was more than capable of smoothing over any worries or uneasy feelings. And, possibly more importantly, keeping some of Azul’s more underhanded ambitions  in check. 

“Zuzu!” Azul nearly jumped out of his skin as he heard his mother’s voice. (Y/N) took a skilled step back to allow room for Mrs. Ashengrotto to envelope Azul in the kind of hug only a proud mother could give. Of course, the hug was missing a few limbs since Mrs. Ashengrotto was currently in human form, but it was still just as tight. She kissed both his cheeks and, while Azul was always happy to see his mother and show off his accomplishments, he couldn’t help but cringe at how the act tainted the elegant and stern reputation he was building for himself. Releasing him, she turned to her soon-to-be daughter-in-law. (Y/N) accepted her hug with a little more grace, the benefit of seeing an affectionate attack coming. 

Azul readjusted his glasses, greeting his mother and step-father. “I’m glad you both were able to make it.” 

“Wouldn’t miss it for the world,” His step-father said, giving him a firm handshake and warm pat on the back. 

His mother had started to tear up, (Y/N) patting her hand sympathetically. “Oh, my. My little Azul, all grown up. I remember when you were just a little fry, darting in your octopot at anything. Look how big my boy has gotten! Have you been eating well, Zuzu? You look so thin!” 

“Why don’t we grab a table?” (Y/N) neatly interjected. Azul cast her a grateful look and quickly waved a waiter over who brought the small group to a VIP section. An aquarium that took up the entire back wall cast elegant blue light over the private section. 

After the waiter took their drink order, Mrs. Ashengrotto laid her hands flat on the table, looking seriously at Azul and (Y/N). “Now,” She said. “When can I expect grandchildren?” 

Jade

“Anglerfish,” (Y/N) said. 

Jade grinned, turning back to her as he held his lantern high. “What was that?” 

“Nothing, nothing at all.” 

Jade smiled, looked down at (Y/N) as she zipped their tent closed. The cool spring night air swirled around them, moon bright and sky clear. 

While Jade mostly lived in the Coral Sea, studying with his parents to prepare to take over the family business, part of his heart would always remain up in the mountains. He’d published a book last year, Roots of the Earth: Flora, Fauna, and Folklore of the Bald Mountains, which had become a bestseller almost overnight. In depth discussions and depictions of dry land environments were apparently pretty popular underwater. His publisher had been eager for a follow up. Which led him here, camping in the Mount Moln mountain range, ready to set off on an overnight exploration. 

He didn’t, however, expect certain company. Not that he minded (Y/N)’s presence. Quite the opposite in fact. 

While she hadn’t been an official member of the Mountain Lovers club back at NRC, she had participated in a few hiking trips, whenever her schedule, or Crowley, would allow. They hadn’t seen much of each other in person since Jade graduated, but they did exchange correspondence regularly. Jade knew that (Y/N) kept up with everyone from NRC in a similar fashion, but couldn’t help hoping that his particular letters were a little special. At least, the ones he sent back to her were. 

When Jade had arrived in Harveston the day before his expedition, he was surprised to see her with the lilac haired Felmier family. (Y/N) had cried in delight and thrown her arms around him, making his heart speed up in a not unpleasant way. Over tea, (Y/N) had told him that she had mostly been jumping around Twisted Wonderland, still trying to find a more permanent place in a land she wasn't native to. With the apple planting season coming up, Epel’s family had offered a position, one she had eagerly accepted. And, when he slyly implied that he would need assistance traversing the mountain and keeping track of his gear and research, she had enthusiastically agreed. They both decided to ignore the knowing glances from Grandma Felmier. 

They had risen before the sun that next morning, beginning their trek up Mount Moln. While the weather was defiantly warming, small clumps of snow still stubbornly clung on the higher they climbed. They’d made camp early, with the sun still up, digging into warm soup the Felmier’s had prepared for them, before turning in. They knew they would be getting up in the middle of the night, so they tried to get as much sleep as possible beforehand. 

Which brought them back to the present, Jade sweeping his lantern across the trail with (Y/N) staying close behind. 

“So,” (Y/N) said. “Remind me what we’re looking for?” 

“Panellus pusillus,” Jade said. “Otherwise known as the little ping-pong bat mushroom.” 

(Y/N) snorted a laugh. “That’s pretty cute.” 

“They are bioluminescent. During the day they look like normal white fan-like mushrooms. But at night they glow beautifully. They wrap around tree branches so they often look like string lights. I’ve been wanting to take back a few samples for my project back in the Coral Sea.” 

“For your next book?” 

“That, and something else. I’ve been working on an underwater biome meant to replicate various ecosystems from the mountains I’ve traversed here on land. It would allow sea-dwellers a chance to experience environments they normally wouldn’t be exposed to. I’m still gathering funds, but I think it will be a fascinating experiment when completed.” 

“Sounds like a big undertaking.” 

“Definitely.” Jade cast a glance over his shoulder, meeting (Y/N)’s eyes. He quickly looked away again, holding the lantern out a little farther so (Y/N) wouldn’t notice the red tint to his cheeks. He only ever had to worry about that in human form. “I’ve actually been gathering a team to help me set everything up. Having someone native to land would provide a unique perspective. If you would be interested, after your work in the orchards here. I wouldn’t want to impose on any previous commitments.” 

“I don’t think you could impose on me even if you wanted to.” Jade stopped, turning around to fully face her. He watched (Y/N) gulp, readying herself, before she took a step forward. They were just a breath apart from each other now. Her hand reached out, stopping between them. “I - I’ve really missed you. I didn’t expect to this much, but then you showed back up and it kind of punched me in the gut all at once. Sorry, I feel like I’m not saying this the right way. But… I really missed you.” 

Jade let the silence sink in as his thoughts turned in his head. Crickets, owls, and other night creatures filled the air with their songs. (Y/N) looked down, shuffling her feet. Jade transferred his lantern to his other hand, reaching forward and taking hers. 

“My,” He said with a teasing grin. “This is certainly unexpected. Not unwelcome, of course. What would you do if I said I harbored similar feelings?” 

Underneath the soft glow of mushrooms overhead, (Y/N) stood on her toes and kissed him. 

Floyd

Suffice to say, most people were pretty surprised when Floyd decided to take an engineering course for the first leg of his NRC 4th year internship. With his happy-go-lucky and action-first personality, it was easy to forget that he was surprisingly good with technical skills. Even still, most people assumed he would get bored soon, skipping off to a more physically exciting internship for the next quarter. However, he stayed for the entire year. It definitely helped that the particular engineers he had partnered with specialized in roller coasters. 

And now, here he was, standing in the middle of a brand new theme park just a few weeks away from opening. When he had first approached Kalim for funding for his dream project he hadn’t expected much resistance. After all, both boys could appreciate a good time, whether from an over-the-top party or an exhilarating thrill ride. 

Floyd’s specific idea was for a theme park both land dwellers and merpeople could enjoy simultaneously. This led to the unique structure of Marine Canyon. The theme park was nestled perfectly in a natural canyon carved out thousands of years ago by glaciers. A slim river still ran through the canyon. Half the park was located in the canyon while the second half descended underneath the water of the sea the river emptied in. Guests would be able to easily traverse either side, either by assistance of underwater breathing potions, temporary form transformation potions, or a clever half-scuba half-submersible vehicle Floyd had designed when (Y/N) first met his parents.  

He stood with his hands on his hips, watching the cars roll along the track of one of the premier coasters in a test run. Everything was going perfectly. In a few days, Kalim would be coming out for the last run-through of testing and they would launch for a media day before officially opening the park. 

“Papa!” 

Floyd turned, wide smile getting even bigger. He crouched down, opening his arms, as one of his sons rushed to meet him. He swept Argonaut up in his arms, spinning him around as the boy cackled. He threw his arms around Floyd’s neck, waving at the two others approaching. (Y/N) waved back, walking over with their other son, Caspian. 

“Do we get to ride it now, Papa? Can we, can we?” Argo asked giddy, bouncing up and down. 

Cas cast a wary look up at the empty car plunging down the coaster track. “Can we go in the dark ride first? The pirate one?” 

Floyd ruffled his hair as (Y/N) answered, “We still have to wait for the safety checks to make sure everything is working properly.” 

“But,” Floyd told the twins. “The water park part is ready! And we need testers to make sure it’s fun for humans and mers. Do you know anyone who could help me with that?” 

“Me, me, me!” 

“We can do that! We’re human and mer!” 

The boys wiggled their ways out of their parents arms and dashed off, already kicking off their shoes in anticipation for changing from their dry land form to their eel-mer hybrid form. 

“Be careful running!” (Y/N) called after them. She sighed as Floyd came over, wrapping her in a backwards hug and resting his chin on the top of her head. “They really do like going between the land and sea. Do you think they have a favorite form?” 

Floyd hummed. “Don’t know. I like both of them. It’s just all different, you know? But they can use both their forms here. They can be with all their family and friends at the same time.” 

“Is that why you wanted to build it like this? You’re really kind, aren’t you?” 

Floyd grinned. “Only for Shrimpy and the guppies. Don’t let anyone else know, okay? I still have a reputation, you know.” 

(Y/N) poked his side. “Ooh, scary Floyd Leech, big bad family man. Don’t think I don’t remember you crying on the boys’ first day of school.” 

Floyd sniffed. “My guppies aren’t going to be guppies any more! What am I going to do when they get too big to carry, or when they go to NRC and we can’t see them everyday?” 

(Y/N) took his hand and started pulling him in the direction the boys had darted off in. “Then I guess we just need to make the most of the time we have with them now, right?” 

Floyd tightened his grip on her hand, smiling wickedly. “Or we could just make more guppies.”  

Kalim

“Mr. Al–Asim, I need your signature here, please.” 

“Mr. Al-Asim, when would you like to schedule our shareholder meeting?” 

“Mr. Al-Asim, I have those reports and next quarter’s budget for you to review.” 

Kalim was drained. While he was more than proud that he had managed to expand his family’s business to not only the sea but also the Briar Valley, he didn’t quite anticipate all the paperwork that would come with it. Now that Jamil was off leading his own life outside of the Asim influence, Kalim had taken on more responsibilities. Not that he wasn’t happy for Jamil, of course. He was thrilled when his friend told him of his plans after graduating NRC, even if those plans didn’t directly involve Kalim. Kalim was mostly just happy that Jamil seemed happy. But he did still miss Jamil’s presence, his guidance, how he always knew what to say. 

Kalim groaned, falling face first on his bed, not bothering to change clothes. Warm evening sun streamed in from the balcony windows, casting golden rays across the room. (Y/N) blinked at him from her side of the bed, sliding a bookmark in her book. She leaned over to him, gently petting his hair. 

“Rough day?” She asked. 

Kalim groaned again, twisting to catch (Y/N) in his arms so they crashed down together in a tangled hug. “There’s so much paperwork!” He lamented. “Why do we still even have so much paper? Isn’t it better for the environment if we use digital or something?” He sniffed, eyes watery. “Just think of all those birds whose trees we cut down.” 

“With great accomplishment comes great busy work,” (Y/N) nodded sagely. “It just shows how much so many people are relying on you.” 

“I guess,” Kamil muttered into her hair. He suddenly perked up. “Oh! I own the company, so maybe I can just tell everyone they have the day off tomorrow!” 

“Maybe, but then you and everyone else would just have a backlog of work when they come back.” 

Kalim face planted back onto the bed. (Y/N) regarded him for a moment before sliding out of bed. “Wait here, I’ll be right back.” Kalim gave a half-hearted thumbs up. 

As (Y/N) padded out of the room, Kalim kicked his shoes off, curling up on the bed. He grabbed her plush pillow, holding it to his chest. Hints of her fragrant shampoo still clung to it. 

Kalim didn’t think he could ever really express how grateful he was to have (Y/N) with him. Not only had she worked hard to repair his and Jamil’s relationship at NRC, but she gave him the in that helped him bring the Asim name to the Briar Valley in the first place. The land of night fairies was notoriously difficult to expand foreign trade to. But (Y/N) with her easy way of making friends and stubborn determination had given him the connections he needed to do something no other Asim had. He signed again, happily this time. It was just another reason he was so glad that she was going to marry him. 

(Y/N) nudged the door open with her hip. She carried a large silver tray holding a pot of spiced hot chocolate and several small plates with cake slices. “We still need to choose a wedding cake flavor,” She said. “Your mom has been asking me about finalizing details. We’re going to look at takchitas this weekend.” 

Kalim popped back up, a wave of fresh energy zipping through him. A party! This he could do. Not just any party, but possibly the most important party of his life! He and (Y/N) spent the next hour discussing wedding plans, colors and flowers and music. In between, they would eat bites of cake, chocolate, champagne strawberry, vanilla with raspberry filling, orange olive oil. At one point, Kalim smeared some frosting on his nose. At  her laughing, Kalim took a forkful of fluffy buttercream and painted it across her nose. They collapsed together in a giggling fit. 

“How about I come with you tomorrow?” (Y/N) asked. “I should start learning everything anyway. I want to be helpful to you.”

“You’re always helpful! Look, I'm feeling way better already!” 

“I think that might be the sugar rush.” 

As the sun set, the two of them lay together, crumbs of cake and the empty chocolate pot soon forgotten. As (Y/N) fell asleep in Kalim’s arms, he quietly said, “I can’t wait to be married to you, azizati.” 

Jamil

The air conditioning in the dance studio had gone out a few days ago and it quickly became sweltering with the aerobic activity. (Y/N) had drug in a large swiveling electric fan at some point that was working overtime to try and cool the room. Jamil whipped sweat off his forehead, watching the soon to debut idol group run through their routine again. Jamil had been working as the lead choreographer for Corona Talent for about a year now. While the agency was still relatively small, they were picking up preeminence, especially with their stylized music videos. 

“Figaro,” Jamil said to a cat beastman with black and white hair. “You need to work on controlling your tail. Having it flick around like that makes you look nervous. Sebastian, I know you’re still getting used to your land legs but remember to not lock up your knees, it makes you jerk and you’re more likely to fall. Let’s go back to just before the switch line and take it again.” 

While Jamil’s teaching style could easily be described as strict, no one could deny his results and the quick time in which he produced them. 

A little while later, and combating fears of overheating, Jamil called a water break. The group of boys formed a semicircle around the fan waiting for it to oscillate over their faces. Jamil watched them chat in benign amusement. They were about as old as he had been during the Song and Dance Championship at NRC. Jamil would never admit it, but he had recycled some of Vil’s methods during their training in the Ramshackle dorm. 

And speaking of NRC, his phone pinged. Jamil knew who it was before he even looked at the screen. 

Kalim: Jamil! I had an idea for the wedding! What if we have a grand entrance with you riding an elephant? 

Jamil: You know (Y/N) and I aren’t even engaged yet. 

Kalim: I’m planning ahead! It’s good to be ready. 

Jamil: No elephants. 

Kalim: What about peacocks? Or birds that warble on key? Or a tiger! 

Jamil: Do I even want to know where you’re getting these animals? 

Kalim: ~Secret~ 

Jamil laughed under his breath. Ever since he and (Y/N) had started dating during her last year at NRC, Kalim had basically been planning their wedding. When he had given Jamil two tickets on a week-long river cruise for his birthday last year he had called it a pre-honeymoon. 

And speaking of…

Jamil’s phone pinged again with a video attachment from (Y/N). The video showed (Y/N) next to a perch with a red and green macaw parrot. “Come on, Alfie,” (Y/N) prompted. “Show Dad your new trick.” 

The parrot tilted his head to think for a moment before tilting to the side and raising a claw in a wave. “Love Dad!” It croaked. He then started vocalizing to the tune of one of the first songs Jamil choreographed for, bobbing his head and side stepping. (Y/N) hummed along, nodding encouragingly. The macaw stretched his wings wide and gave a victorious cry. 

“Good job, Alfie!” (Y/N) praised, giving him a treat. Alfie shuffled onto her shoulder, nibbling the treat. “See you soon, Jamil. Love you.” (Y/N) blew a kiss to the screen, Alfie mimicking the sound. The video ended on a still frame of (Y/N)’s smiling face. Jamile smiled, content. Warmth, having nothing to do with the heat of the studio, filling his chest. 

“Ooh,” One of the idol’s said, wiggling his eyebrows in Jamil’s direction. “Was that your girlfriend, Coach?” The other boys cooed and whooping in good natured teasing. 

“Alright, Sven,” Jamil said, standing back up. “You just earned everyone another round of drills. Come on, on your marks.” 

The boys groaned, taking their places. As they began stretching and doing calf raises, Jamil texted Kalim. 

Jamil: Do you still have that jeweler’s number? 

Kalim: :D

Vil

Vil double checked his lipstick in a compact mirror from the backseat of the limo. His eyes cut across the back cab to (Y/N) fiddling with the hem of her dress. “Stop fidgeting,” He said. “You’ll wrinkle your dress.” 

(Y/N) jumped, smoothing her dress. “Sorry, just nervous, I guess.” 

“Nerves cause wrinkles, too. Besides, there’s nothing to fret over. Star Crossed is destined to be a hit.” 

Star Crossed was to be Vil’s first directorial debut, with (Y/N) taking a lead writing role for the script. The idea had come when the two had been discussing media back from (Y/N)’s world during one of Vil’s photoshoots. (Y/N) had been acting as somewhat of an unofficial assistant then. Although, and Vil would never admit this, he more just wanted an excuse to have her around. As they talked, (Y/N) made references to classic story ideas shared between both worlds, focusing on ideas of forbidden love. She gave a lyrical and poetic soliloquy, one that Vil immediately latched on to. She explained it was from a play called Romeo and Juliet, one of the most famous plays in her world and a story that had been retold countless times. She said it was standard school curriculum in her world and had memorized several passages for homework. Canceling the very hard to get dinner reservations the two had, they instead worked deep into the night, reworking the romantic tragedy between their two world’s cultural differences, writing the first draft of what would end up becoming Star Crossed. 

“What if they don’t like the ending?” (Y/N) worried. 

“Then they’re fools with no sense of depth.” 

“But won’t that look bad for you? I don’t want a box office bomb to affect your career.” 

“I assure you, nothing I’m associated with could bomb.” Although Vil wasn’t in the starring role for this film, instead preferring to focus on directing, he did keep a cameo as the rewritten Prince of Veronia, now the Prince of Fleur City. 

“We kept a lot of the traditional language,” (Y/N) continued as if she hadn’t heard Vil. She looked out the window, the tall buildings and bustling crowds as they got closer to the theater. “Not word for word of the monologue, but still. You don’t think it was too old-fashioned or metaphorical?”

“Sweet potato, we’re going to the premier, you know. It’s a little late to be thinking about rewrites.” 

(Y/N) sighed again, flattening her hands against her lap. “Yeah, you're right. The costumes were amazing, though.” 

“That’s thanks to you as well, you know. Professor Crewel wouldn’t be willing to design for just anyone.” 

(Y/N) smiled weakly. She fidgeted in her seat. She switched sides to sit next to Vil instead of across from him. He raised a perfectly shaped eyebrow but didn’t say anything. 

“Vil,” She said, choosing her words carefully. “I really liked working with you on this.” 

“Well, you’re not the worst person to collaborate with either, (Y/N).” 

“Would you want to, I mean, maybe later if you don’t have other projects already lined up, do you want to work together again? I mean, there’s a ton of Shakespeare plays. I don’t know all of them by heart or anything, but I know a good couple. Hamlet is dramatic with political intrigue, Much Ado About Nothing is a romantic comedy, A Midsummer Night’s Dream is another romantic comedy with magic and everyone falling in love with the wrong person, well, that one has fairies so I don’t want to offend anyone or anything, oh, and Macbeth is all dark about going mad with power - people said it was cursed back in my world even if we didn’t have real curses, it was just something people said, you know, but I was also thinking maybe we could do others like Pride and Prejudice or if you want to do something completely different there’s this series called Star Wars that-” 

Vil abruptly cut off (Y/N)’s ramblings with a kiss. There, in the back of the limo, it was just the two of them, alone in the world. No fans, no expectations, no competitions. Just them, and a warm growing feeling between them. 

Vil pulled back, taking a moment to appreciate (Y/N)’s dazed face and bewildered smile. “I would love to work with you again, (Y/N). I’m not sure I would ever want to work with anyone else. Come, we’re here.” 

An attendant opened the door of their limo, the roar of fans and flashing lights breaking the stillness on the cab. Vil stepped out in one graceful movement, lifting a hand in greeting. A red carpet stretched out before them, littered with other actors from the movie or celebrities there to give support. Vil leaned back, offering (Y/N) his hand. She stepped out of the cab, blinking at the sudden lights.

Vil tucked her arm through his, whispering, “Stick with me. I’m certain we can get through anything together.” 

Rook

Rook flicked on his flashlight, illuminating the cavernous chamber. His team of archaeologists and researchers followed behind him, sliding down a rope through a ventilation shaft into the long buried and forgotten temple underneath an old gnarled tree. 

“Is it what you thought it was, Hunt?” A fellow archaeologist asked him, shining her own light around the foreboding space. 

“I’m not sure yet,” He replied. “But I think… Ah ha!” Rook cheered, bounding over to the far wall. He took out his magical pen, casting a fire spell into a trough of dark liquid that ran the perimeter of the chamber. It caught alight, flooding the room to showcase the detailed carvings and relief work decorated on the walls. The team gasped, immediately taking detailed notes of the pictographs and images. Carvings of mermaids in a grotto, a pirate ship looming off the coast of a tropical island, and what appeared to be a flying boy with his arms outstretched were just a few of the designs that had been painted and carved on the walls millennium ago. 

“Magnifique!” Rook breathed in awe. “The Temple of the Second Star! Just as we thought!” 

“Just as you thought, sir,” A stoat beast-man researched said. “Your instincts were spot on again.” 

Rook preened but brushed off the comment. “Non, non, we’ve all put so much work into this discovery. You should be proud of what you’ve accomplished, n’est-ce pas? But, we’ve only begun our exploration. There’s something very important here I need to find.” 

“Is that safe, sir?” The archaeologist asked him. “We haven’t mapped anything out yet, who knows what it’s like down there?” She nodded her head to a dark doorway leading further into the temple. 

“Ah, but what is our profession without the allure of danger? Allons-y!” Leaving the others to their detail oriented inspection, Rook bound down the adjoining hall into the depths of the temple. 

Rook traveled down the halls, stopping only briefly to poke his head in adjoining rooms, none of which held what he was looking for. He paused every so often, checking a trap or pitfall that had been left how many hundreds of years ago. Finally, he came to a split in the corridors. 

“Hmm,” He muttered to himself. “I believe it was… Second star to the right.” He chose the right passage. 

The passage led him to a large stone door, once more inlaid with gem studded pictographs. “Ah,” he said. “A clever lock. Let’s see if I’m more clever.” He looked closely at the depictions. A group of four children flying over a cityscape, a towering clock with a large round face, a sun and moon arranged on either side, and, of course, the signature stars. He noticed several of the gem motifs could be moved. He suspected the right one would unlock the door, while the others might lead to disaster. And, as thrilled as he was to see what kind of disaster it could be, he was on a mission. “Second star to the right,” He said to himself again. “And straight on till morning!” He adjusted the hour hand on the clock face, changing it from pointing at the moon to the sun. A mechanism groaned and the door slowly fell open. 

He swished his flashlights around the chamber. It was littered with jars upon jars on a sparkling yellow dust. He tapped the glass on one of the jars, feeling lighter, his hair floating around him. And, while this was a fascinating discovery, and he would definitely have to report back to the Roi de Dragons that their study of ancient fairy lore had been a success, there was something more valuable than pixie dust he was after. There, in the center of the room, was exactly what he was looking for. An acorn and thimble dangling off a delicate chain - the ancient symbols of a pure kiss. 

As Rook turned to confront the mechanical crocodile that had emerged from its hiding place, a clock ticking in its chest, he tucked the treasure into his pocket. He shrugged his bow from his shoulder, knocking an arrow, thinking about how beautiful the necklace would look on (Y/N) when he proposed to her. 

Epel

Epel undid his tie for the third time. Nothing was looking right. Should he keep his hair up like this, in a high ponytail that cascaded down his back? Was his suit not fitting right, stretching over muscles he had worked so hard for so long for? 

That was one thing directors loved about him, how he could flip from appearing sweet and docile to ablaze with righteous fury in a second. It helped boost his popularity at the box office, his latest action movie breaking records. But that limelight also came with its drawbacks. Like how today, possibly one of the most important days of his entire life, Epel had been distracted with checking with security at every odd occurrence. They had already kicked out a couple of unscrupulous paparazzi the other day. Epel was glad he was back in Harveston for something so monumental, surrounded by his family, but he couldn’t help but feel a little guilty at the strain he was putting them all through. But they would always wave him off with smiles, saying that it was the least they could do for all the publicity he had brought to their farms. And besides, what was family for, if not to lend a hand on your wedding day? 

There was a knock and the door opened before Epel could reply. Vil stepped in, checking a clipboard with a meticulously maintained schedule. “The cake finally got here, thank the Seven,” he said. “Everyone’s taking their seat. I knew people would be late - that’s why you put the ceremony time on the invitation a half hour before you actually want it to start. Now we just need to-” He stopped, looking up, and glared at the cloth around Epel’s neck like he had glared at Epel himself so many times during their NRC days. Vil sighed, setting the clipboard down and pulling at Epel’s tie. “Honestly, have none of my lessons stuck with you?” 

Epel felt a momentary sense of pride against the scolding as Vil had to look up to speak with him. “Nothing looked right,” He said. “I wanted it to, you know, look right.” 

Vil hummed. “Are you sure that’s what this is about?” Epel didn’t reply. “You’re not getting cold feet, are you? I’ve never known you to be one who runs away from problems.” 

“No, never!” 

Vil gave a final tug on the eldredge knot. “Well, that’s the only thing that matters, isn’t  it?” He gave one of his rare sincere smiles. “And she chose you, Epel. Remember that.” 

Epel shrugged. “It’s a lot to live up to.” 

“And you’ll rush to meet those expectations with flying colors. Now hurry up, we have a schedule to keep.” 

They had set the ceremony space in the middle of the apple orchard. Soft pink apple blossom petals swirled around the air, beautiful organic confetti cascading over each guest as they took their seat in the circular audience. Epel looked around, smiling back at friends and family beaming at him. His mother hadn’t stopped crying happy tears since before breakfast that morning. His grandmother reached out and squeezed his hand as he walked past. 

A group of local boys had been recruited to play music for the wedding. As Epel took his spot under the flowery arch up front, they began playing. Epel felt his heart thundering in his chest, jumping like a jackrabbit. He felt more nervous now than he did at his first premier. 

Everyone stood, looking towards the back of the aisle as the bride started to walk down, billowing white dress, cascading flower bouquet, lace veil covering her face. It felt like forever, Epel transfixed. She stepped up to the alter and Epel gently lifted the veil away from her face. (Y/N) smiled up at him. 

“Dearly beloved,” The officiant started. Before he could get another word in, Epel surged forward, kissing his bride. (Y/N) started laughing, wrapping her arms around him to return the kiss. 

“Hey!” Vil called jovially from the crowd. “You’re ahead of schedule!”  

Idia

Idia was curled  up on the couch, the room dark, light from the three computer screens in front of him illuminating the space and searing his eyes. He chewed on his bottom lip, writing code only to immediately delete it. 

He sighed, rubbing his eyes. Blinking away dark spots in his vision, he glanced over at the left computer screen where he had taped a photo of Ortho and their parents. Ortho was wearing a director’s coat, showing off for the camera. Idia smiled, straightening the photo. At the time, when Ortho had volunteered for the position of S.T.Y.X. junior director in Idia’s place, Idia didn’t expect the rush of relief that swept through him. It had been about a year so far and the two brothers talked almost every night, Ortho regaling him with stories of new advancements and studies they had made, his enthusiasm peaked in every word. 

But what Idia hadn’t expected was the sudden sense of helplessness, like he’d been cut free of some invisible tether. He’d just hang around for a while, working in this tech company, that cyber security industry, before he got bored. He was able to improve every company by leaps and bounds before deciding to drop it and head somewhere else whenever the mood took him. A few military weapons companies had tried to recruit him, but he’d swiftly rejected their offers. 

Eventually, a small group of eager indie video game developers had reached out in an email he had almost deleted without reading. He knew a few of the names from discussion boards on Star Rogue fan sites. They asked if he had wanted to join them for a new project and, having nothing else pressingly important going on, he’d agreed. Soon, however, he’d found himself absolutely engrossed with the game, bringing in more money and resources than any of the other teams members had ever seen for a similar project. 

And now, here he was. Stuck. The team couldn’t figure out their next steps, couldn’t solve problems with the set up and coding. They had hit a wall. Idia had hit a wall. 

He heard movement from the bed behind him, a sigh of someone waking up. “Idia?” A sleep addled voice called. He didn’t move, fingers clacking on the keyboard. He heard movement behind him, getting out of bed and dragging the blankets with them. 

(Y/N) tumbled onto the couch next to him, leaning her head on his shoulder. “You said you were going to come to bed like,” She squinted at the clock. “Four hours ago. Idia! You need sleep!” 

“Want to get this done,” He mumbled back. 

“It’ll still be there in the morning.” 

“I have to work on it now or I’ll lose momentum.” 

“You’ll lose your eyes if you keep working in the dark like this. And I like your eyes. And your hair. And your smile. And your-” 

“This code is a total mess. It’s full of redundancies. There’s an explote here that would basically make you able to walk through any wall no problem. And they’re focused too much on feature creep, it’s like they want to add a cool new gimmick every day. Like, yeah, connecting to the microphone during the stealth section so if the player is loud the enemies can find them easier is cool, but it’s only in that one part of the game and it’s making a whole bunch of unnecessary complications. Or there’s this part with the poisoning spell basically breaks the game if you unlock it too early. Or this part with the character modeling where-” 

“Idia!” Idia startled, blinking at (Y/N). “Your girlfriend is asking you to come to bed with her.” 

Idia’s hair immediately burned bright pink. “Oh, yeah, okay.” 

Silver

Silver rolled his shoulders, adjusting the weight of his heavy armor. He was in a tent, getting ready for his bout of jousting for an annual tournament in the Briar Valley. This wasn’t the first tournament he’d participated in, of course, but there was always a nervousness that built up in his stomach, an eagerness to prove himself as worthy of being Malleus’s retainer, Lillia’s son, a loyal knight of the fae kingdom. 

“Knock, knock.” He turned to the front flaps of the tent. (Y/N) pulled aside one of the flaps, sticking her head inside. “Sorry, there’s not really a place to actually knock or ring a bell or anything…” She cleared her throat, stepping inside. She wore a traditional Briar Valley dress. “Wow,” She breathed, taking in Silver in his armor. “You look like a real knight! Not that you aren’t, usually, I mean. It��s just really formal now I guess. I’ve been able to see everything from up in the royal viewing box with Hornton and Lillia. It’s great watching you and Sebek, competing and everything. It’s like a whole Renaissance fair out there.” 

Silver set down his helmet. “Is that something from your world?”

She nodded. “I’ll have to tell you about it some time. They were always fun.” She looked away nervously, trying to find the right words to say. “There was this kind of tradition, at the Renaissance fairs, for knights. I think it went back to medieval history in my world. I was hoping you could help me with it.” 

“Of course,” Silver said. He took a step forward, closing the distance between them, gently reaching out to take her elbow and turn her back to him. They were so close their bodies nearly brushed each other. “Whatever you need.” 

She hesitated for another second before reaching up and pulling a ribbon out of her hair. He noticed it was (favorite color) instead of a matching shade to her outfit. “When knights would go for tournaments, they would wear a token or flag from their partner. It’s for good luck or something.” She twisted the ribbon around her fingers, not meeting his eyes. “I was hoping…” 

Silver untangled the ribbon from her hands, tying it around his forearm. He felt a swell of pride at how it stood out from his armor, gently waving in the breeze. “I’d be honored,” He said. “To wear your token.” 

(Y/N)’s eyes lit up, a smile blossoming on her face. “Okay, yeah, sure, of course! I’m glad you like it.” She pressed her lips together, considering something, before adding. “Would it be okay if I gave you another token? For good luck. Not that you need it or anything, you’re going to be great.” 

Silver smiled at her nervous deflection. “I’d love anything from you.” 

(Y/N) looked around nervously again, fiddling with her fingers. Just as Silver was about to speak, she reached up, wrapping her arms around his shoulders, and pulled him down for a kiss. 

Lilia

Lilia leaned against the railing of the barge, watching the glowing red lanterns float gently above the river, their reflections casting ruby ghosts against the dark water below. The Floating Lantern Festival in the Land of Red Dragons never failed to excite, but this year was especially memorable. 

“It’s even more beautiful that you describe it,” (Y/N) breathed in awe next to him, stretching out over the barge railing to take in every sight and sound around them. Her eyes trailed the parade along the banks of the river, party goers dressed in red hanfu carrying more lanterns and a long red paper dragon on tall sticks. 

“The best stories are the ones you experience in person,” He said. 

They’d been traveling together for a while now, by boat, by train, on foot, exploring the whole world. (Y/N) had always been bothered that she had no frame of reference for the world of Twisted Wonderland, no practical understanding of its cultures and countries. Lilia tried to alleviate some of her frustrations with stories about his numerous travels before finally deciding a more hands-on presentation would be a better fit. 

Lilia snuck up behind her as she marveled at the lanterns drifting into the night sky. He suddenly grabbed her shoulders, as if to push her off. She gasped and turned to give him a halfhearted glare as he laughed. 

“Well?” Lilia asked. “Do you feel more prepared to conquer the world now?” 

(Y/N) frowned. The Land of Red Dragons was meant to be the last stop on their tour. (Y/N) had said she had no real plan for after the journey. While the multitude of friends she had made during her years in school were more than happy to lend her a place to stay during their travels, (Y/N) had confided in Lilia that she felt like she was taking advantage of their good nature if she lingered to long, without finding work or direction in this strange world. Maybe she would return to NRC to see if Crowley had any work for her? (He always did.) 

“I mean, I suppose?” She said. “Everything has been so wonderful. It’s almost a shame to be stuck in one place after all this.” She gave a mirthless laugh. “I can see why you like moving around so much.” 

Lilia hummed, leaning back against the railing. He turned, considering (Y/N)’s profile, lit against the red glow of the lanterns. He felt himself pause, lost in the marvel of her eyes, full of delight and wonder at everything around them. There was a strange stirring in his chest, one he had experienced multiple times over their journey together, a feeling he hadn’t had in almost 500 years. 

Lilia shook his head, trying to reign his focus back in. “You know,” He said, casually. “I’ll be heading back out again soon. Malleus came up with the idea of sending out ambassadors from the Briar Valley, trying to strengthen relationships between fairies and the rest of the world.” 

(Y/N) nodded. “That seems like something he would do. You’re going to be the first one, then? It seems like a good job for you.” 

“Not necessarily the first.” (Y/N) turned to look at him and Lilia felt himself squirm under her direct gaze. Goodness, he would have thought he was a lovestruck teen of 200 years by the way he was acting. “I proposed that you should join me as an ambassador. I thought it might make things easier, having a fellow human to represent dual interests. And, I must admit,” He purposely looked away. “I’ve grown fond of our time together.” 

When (Y/N) didn’t reply he looked back at her. She was smiling up at him and he felt his heart stutter. “I’d like that a lot,” She finally said. Which part she didn’t specify. He didn’t need her to. 

As they watched the lantern festival continue around them, their hands slid together on the railing, fingers entwining.  

Sebek

Sebek’s heart was beating a mile a minute. He knelt in front of Malleus, in the grand throne room, crowds of nobles eagerly watching his knighting ceremony.  

Malleus, regal sword in hand, stood over him. “Sebek Zigvolt,” He said, voice echoing around the chamber. “Do you so solemnly swear to uphold the code of knightly honor, to defend the Briar Valley with all your might, your will, and your faithfulness?” “I do,” Sebek replied, trying to keep his voice to a reasonable volume, not letting his giddiness shine through. 

“Do you so solemnly swear to serve your king and country and never waver from your duty?” 

“I do.” 

“And do you so solemnly swear to be truthful to yourself, loyal to your loved ones, and show bravery in the face of doubt and fear?”

“I do!” 

Malleus smiled down at his friend, pride for his retainer crinkling the corners of his eyes.  “Then, as rightful king and ruler of the land of night fae and the Briar Valley, I hereby dub thee, Sebek Zigvolt, high knight and warrior to the crown.” Malleus lowered his sword against Sebek’s shoulders and the crown of his head. “Stand and receive your blessing.” 

Sebek stood, fist thumbing against his chest. Cheers started up from the assembly. Happy tears pricked the corners of Sebek’s eyes, his smile wide as he tried to keep a serious face for the occasion. 

After the ceremony, everyone congregated in one of the grand ballrooms of the palace. Sebek stood with his mother, father, and grandfather. His mother was flitting over him, brushing away an invisible speck of dust every other second. 

“My darling boy!” She cried. “Look how big you’ve gotten! Oh, you’re so official now! Dear, what happened to our little Sebek?” 

“You’ve done a lot of hard work, Sebek,” He father said, nodding proudly. “You should be proud of everything you’ve accomplished.” 

“Of course he’s proud,” His grandfather scoffed. “He’s a Zigvolt! Greatness and duty is embedded in our history!” 

His mother rolled her eyes. “Yes, yes, Papa, so you’ve said many times.” Her eyes cut behind Sebek, smiling and taking hold of either of the two men’s arms. “Well, we wouldn’t want to monopolize your time, Sebek. There are many people who want to congratulate you, after all. Come along, dear, Papa!” Ignoring their protests, his mother dragged them away. 

As Sebek waved in a confused good-bye, he felt a thump on his back. “Look at you!” He heard a familiar voice say. “So do I have to call you Sir Zigvolt now or something?” Sebek turned to see (Y/N) beaming up at him. It was surprising enough to see her here, but Sebek’s breath caught in his throat as he saw her dress. Zigvolt colors. She was wearing Zigvolt house colors. 

“H-hum- Er, (Y/N)? What are you doing here?” 

“Horton invited me! Or, I guess I should say King Malleus here, shouldn’t I? Well, either way, he told me you were having your official knighting ceremony. And I got a letter from your mom, too! She thought it would be a fun surprise to have your friends from school show up to support you.” She indicated one of the banquet tables across the room. Sebek saw Grim, Ace, Deuce, Jack, Ortho, and Epel milling around, all dressed in their own formal wear, catching questioning glances from the various fae knights and nobles. 

But they weren’t wearing his house colors. So why was she? And why did it make his heart thrum like that? 

A band started up, couples taking their places along the dance floor. “Ah, would  you…?” Sebek felt like he could’t find the right words. He couldn’t understand why he was suddenly falling all over himself like this. 

(Y/N) clasped his hands in hers. “I’d love to dance! I might not know all the steps, since this seems pretty fancy and formal, but you’ll just have to show me, okay?” Sebek nodded stiffly as she pulled him to the dance floor. 

Sebek took one of her hands in his, his other settling on her waist. He felt it burn with the contact. As he swept her along the floor, he finally said, “Your dress…” But couldn’t manage to finish, his thoughts tumbling around. Had it really been so long since graduation? Since he had last seen her? Sure, they had written multiple times, he kept up correspondence with many NRC alumni, but how had she changed this much since then? Had her eyes always shined that way? Was her hair that beautiful? Was her smile that dazzling? 

“Oh, your mom lent it to me,” She said. “I didn’t have anything that would fit, so she lent me one of her old ones. Although with all the adjustments I think it might just be mine now. Do you like it?” 

“You look like a Zigvolt,” He said. 

“Oh.” She seemed surprised at that, heat rising to her face. They turned around the floor a few more times. “You know, you’ll be seeing a lot more of me soon.”

Sebek felt his heart flip. “I’ll have to put up with you more, you mean.” 

(Y/N) stifled a laugh and gently hit his chest. “Rude. I mean Horton offered me a position here. Ambassador for human and fairy relations. I’m not totally sure what it will be like next, but he’s given me a townhouse just next door. It’s near your parents, I think. So, you know, I’ll be around. If you ever want to see me or anything. Or I guess if I want to see you, I’ll know where to come to bug you.” She laughed awkwardly. 

Sebek unconsciously tightened his grip on her hand. “I think I wouldn’t mind that. It’s a knight’s duty to look after those he cares about, after all.” 

Malleus 

Malleus turned over in his bed, hands crumpling the sheets next to him. He was in his chambers back in the palace in the Briar Valley. The bed next to him was cold. Cool dawn light was just beginning to spill through his window behind the heavy velvet curtains. 

The dreaming Malleus, the one all too aware this was a premonition of a possible future, sighed. He had completed this potion many times, both at NRC and in his private education in the Briar Valley. And, no matter how many times he drunk the noctious concoction, his future always remained the same. A lonely bedchamber, government work, fawning lords and ladies vying for his favor. If he was lucky, he would get to interact with Lilia, Silver, or Sebek. Although he dreaded the times when he could clearly see age lining their faces while he remained the same. 

The door to his chamber creaked ever so slightly. Someone was entering. The dream Malleus, the one projected in this future vision, tensed in his bed. The dreaming Malleus, forced to watch everything unfurl, was confused. Was this some sort of half-baked assassination attempt? Had relations between the country of fae and the rest of the world degraded to such an extent under his reign? Was he destanted to watch his own death? 

The dream Malleus closed his eyes. There was a sound of soft padding feet, a giggle, then a sharp hush. The intruders were right next to him now. 

“Ready?” A voice whispered, familiar but changed with time. “One, two, three…” 

“Happy birthday, Papa!” 

The dream Malleus opened his eyes, a slow and easy smile crossing his face. The curtains were thrown open, revealing the three young boys standing at his bedside, rosy cheeked, green eyed, and horns curling up from their ebony locks. One of them held a plate stacked high with pancakes, dripping with strawberry syrup. Another held a party popper, which he pulled releasing a torrent of confetti and ribbons. The third held a paper card tightly in his hands, his grip causing it to crumple at the edges. 

“Did we wake you up, Papa?” The boy with the card asked in a concerned voice, pouting. 

Malleus smiled, sitting up in bed as the young boys climbed up to sit around him. “Not at all, Grimwald. What’s that you have there?” 

Grimwald shyly held the card out. Malleus gently pried it from his fingers. It was obviously homemade, colored pencil drawings of a family of five holding hands across the cover, four with Darconia horns crowning their heads. He opened the card. There was a large birthday cake drawing inside, with the words ‘Happy Birthday!’ in large blocky lettering above it. Around the cake, the artists had scribbled their names: Grimwald, Lilianos, and Malachite. 

“They wanted to surprise you,” A soft voice said. Malleus, both in and out of the dream, felt his heart skip a beat as (Y/N) came around the bed. She sat down at the edge, catching the plate of pancakes from Malachite so they wouldn’t splatter on the floor. She turned to him, carding her fingers through his hair, and leaned forward to kiss his forehead. “Good morning, Horton. Happy birthday.” 

“We made them ourselves!” Malachite proudly proclaimed. “Grandpa Lilia showed me how!” 

“Don’t worry,” (Y/N) whispered to him. “I supervised.” 

“Do you have to work today, Papa?” Lilianos asked. “You can’t ‘cause it’s your birthday, right? You have to stay and play with us today.” 

Malleus gathered his boys together so they all fit on the bed. “Birthdays are family days. I’d love nothing more than to spend the entire day hearing about  how you’ve been terrorizing the palace.” 

“Oh, oh!” Malachite called, hand shooting up. “I breathed fire and it burned up the curtains in the grand dining room!” 

(Y/N) looked at him sideways. “On accident, right?” 

Malachite blushed. “Yes, Mama.” 

“Can we go watch the knights train?” Lilianos asked. “Uncle Sebek and Uncle Silver said they would teach us to ride a horse!” 

“Why would you want to ride a horse when you can fly?” Malachite said, spreading his arms wide. 

“I want to go to the menagerie,” Grimwald added. They began to talk over each other, making plans for their father’s birthday without his input. 

Malleus smiled, watching his family. He turned back to (Y/N). She smiled at him, as glorious and warm as the sun after a year of frozen nights. He reached up, cupping her face, and brought her close. 

“I always knew my future would bring me to you.” 

[llamagoddessofficial]

Another morsel of the Mafia bad sanses ... pretty please

After Nightmare decides you're now his, the other three skeletons become your bodyguards. They're the only ones allowed around his human. They rotate as Nightmare sees fit - some days, it could be just one of them, and some days it could be all three at once. Depends on who's available. And who Nightmare is getting jealous of

They don't tell you what they do when they're away. There's a lot they'll give you. That information is one of very few things they won't.

Killer's bodyguard days mostly involve junk food and videogames, which can be a relief when you're constantly around people who seem accustomed to exorbitant amounts of wealth. But he's also, conveniently, the only one Nightmare trusts to take you out of the mansion alone. Dust has his own agenda and is much too untrustworthy, Horror's protectiveness might cause a scene if he doesn't have another powerful skeleton around to reel him in. If you want to go on a quiet duo daytrip, Killer's your man.

Killer is honestly a pretty good friend. He knows how to make you laugh, even in your deepest slumps. He pays attention to what you like, he's never too energetic to notice the moment and slow down when you need him to. But... at the end of the day, he simply can't be trusted with your innermost thoughts. Not when he's so hard to read; not when there's so much he clearly isn't telling you. Everything could be fake. You have no idea.

Dust will spend his one-on-one days looking after you. He's very much the one who gets your innermost thoughts. You both complain in low tones to each other about your current situation, making the most of having someone else who understands. He promised he wouldn't leave you alone here. He was serious about that.

Nightmare trusts Dust with you the least. But he can literally taste how much of your stability and comfort relies on Dust's presence. He isn't happy about it, but Dust gets to play with you for now. But Nightmare has made it (violently) clear to Dust that if he ever acts on the soft & romantic feelings Nightmare can sense within him, there won't be room for mercy.

Horror really likes being your sole bodyguard for the day, because he gets to double as an in-house chef, cooking whatever you like. He loves looking after you. It's still difficult to imagine Horror as the monster people say he is; you know logically that it's true. But he's just so sweet with you. He bakes, he smiles, he follows. He tries to tell a joke but fumbles, but you laugh anyway and his whole face lights up. How can this possibly be the man from all the stories you've heard?

Nightmare is, honestly, pretty awkward when he's actually got time to be alone with you. He likes taking you to nice places, but he doesn't ever know what to say. He's not used to being flustered - and his stony face and frightening aura mean that when he's flustered he appears unamused and scary. There'll be plenty of misunderstandings where you think you're boring/offending him, but really, he's the happiest he's been in months.

Nightmare is aggravated that you grew to like the other three before him. Were they any other men, he'd simply have them killed or sent away, unwilling to share you with anyone... but as vicious as he is, he doesn't want to immediately frighten you so severely. And he can't really afford to murder all three of his top soldiers just because he's jealous.

... Nightmare's power grabs around the city have slowed almost to a halt.

Dream has noticed.

[thestarsofpines]

a little wip of a combination of prompts and AUs I've seen that I just had to give my own take on.

Damian was bored. He’d followed Father around for most of the night, listening absentmindedly to the trivial blabbering of rich socialites that tried to suck up to the prince of Gotham. He could only handle it for so long, patience quickly running out as a few shoved their own children his way, perhaps hoping the young heir would make a friend and create easier access to the Wayne wealth. Pitiful. 

The young teen stood off to the side of a polished dance floor that had couples mingling and swaying to the soft classical music playing. He’d picked up a drink and was sipping at it slowly, just to have something to do with his hands. He itched for something to do that wasn’t making small, meaningless talk.

He hears footsteps approaching, perhaps a bit heavier than intended, as if it was a warning for someone that they were approaching.

“Little Badger, we talked about this in great detail earlier, you are not to leave my sight-“

Just as a man moves to place a hand on Damian’s shoulder, the teen turns around and glares at the man. He takes in the details of the man quickly; older, likely mid forties if not older, gray hair pulled back into a low ponytail, vibrant blue eyes that at first are narrowed at him in perhaps annoyance before they turn wide with shock. The man recovers quickly, expression turning apologetic as he steps back.

“Oh-my most sincere apologies, I thought you were someone else!” He breathes out, and his expression shifts again to one of slight surprise as he takes in more of Damian’s features from the front. “My, you two do look quite alike.” He says easily, hand coming back to rest beside him before he places both his hands behind his back. “I do apologize again, young sir…?”

Bruce spots this interaction, politely ends the conversation he was in, and makes his way over to investigate. 

“Damian Wayne, my son.” Bruce slides up to the pair, standing easily at Damian’s right. “Vlad Masters, yes?”

Said man’s eyes widen ever so slightly at the easy recognition and at the fact that he could’ve accidentally torn into such an influential young man as he’d been planning to do to whoever he was looking for, but he recovers quickly again.

“Yes, I was just apologizing to your boy here, Mr. Wayne. It seems he has quite a lot of physical similarities to my godson.”

Damian remains silent, but nods in the direction of the billionaire. Something isn’t sitting right with him about Masters, but he can’t put it into words. He’ll allow Father to handle the situation, for the moment. 

“Oh? Why, that is quite interesting.” Bruce smiles, open and disarming. He places a hand on Damian’s shoulder, and gives a subtle squeeze. “What’s the young man’s name?”

“Daniel,” And the grip tightens ever so slightly. “He is the son of some old family friends who unfortunately cannot take care of him anymore, so I’ve become his legal guardian in their stead.”

“How kind, opening your house to a youth in need.” Bruce continues, pushing for more information. “From experience I know how hard that can be. Raising a teenager is no cakewalk that’s for sure.”

“Oh yes, I do recall hearing of your experiences with adoption; you’re up to four adoptions now, yes?” There’s a hint of something in Vlad’s eyes, likely aware of the information seeking nature of this conversation but unconcerned by it. Intriguing. “I can hardly claim to have such kindness, one fifteen year old is enough for me.”

Damian has to physically restrain his face from reacting. Perhaps this is another cloning situation. Perhaps this Vlad Masters should be higher on the priority list of people to investigate closely. 

“Oh, well I do believe I have taken up enough of your time, Mr. Wayne. I really must get looking for Daniel, as we do intend to leave soon.” Vlad holds out a hand to the two, smiling confidently. “It was a pleasure to meet you both.” 

Bruce takes it and shakes it politely; Damian’s following is more forced in its gentleness. Vlad Masters unsettles him and it is driving him mad that he cannot pinpoint why. 

“Enjoy the rest of the gala, Vlad Masters. Perhaps our paths will cross again soon.”

[nightlyrequiem]

I just got an idea of Valeria trying to court a painfully obvious and slow reader. I was reading your bimbo hcs and just thought of it. All I can think of for reference is Adrien Agreste from miraculous. The reader would unintentionally friendzone Valeria, making it seem impossible for Valeria to succeed. Do with this information what you please :p ^_^

-💋xoxo

I love love love the oblivious trope. Adrien's level of obliviousness was definitely something else. Especially with the wax statue scene...

I just think it's super fun when a character has to really work for that relationship. Like yes, show me you're truly committed. If they aren't willing to be unknowingly rejected five times, then I don't WANT IT!

also since you mentioned the bimbo headcanons then I'm going to assume you wanted Reader to be similar here. I like this idea so much I might write a little one-shot for it someday

Valeria and Oblivious Reader

Valeria absolutely ADORES you. Even if you maybe aren't too bright. You and Valeria met because you worked at a clothing store. She just happened to stop by one day to check it out and saw you very enthusiastically styling some woman.

Suddenly Valeria had no sense of style and needed you to help her out. She approached you confidently and was pleasantly surprised to find you not intimidated by her. In fact, you gushed over her tattoos and touched her arm. You also loved her 'super cool haircut.'

Valeria proceeded to show up whenever she could. Chatting you up and befriending you. It wasn't hard, you were so friendly and eager to talk to her. Unfortunately, you didn't pick up on flirting. At all. At first, it could be excused, she was being subtle and testing the waters but one time she told you how kissable your lips looked, and you just replied with all the lip products you used. Valeria did not care about the brand of lip-gloss you used. Although she did go and buy some. She'd put it on her lips and pretend she just kissed you.

Bless her heart, she was doing her best. You took her compliments on your figure as friendly bantering.

Valeria was very generous with her gifts and money, too. Always showing up with roses. Jewelry. She even paid for your rent a few times and always paid for your dates hangouts. Oh, you like that dress but can't afford it? Valeria will get it for you. You just have to give her a kiss first. You laughed off her silly words.

When flirting didn't work, Valeria tried to make herself seem more physically attractive. Tighter shirts to show off her chest and arms, taking extra care into styling her hair. Valeria was proud of her physique and would often flex for you, hoping to get a compliment. She tried out eyeliner, but you had to wipe it off and fix it for her. Not that she minded of course. You had your hands on her face and were practically staring right into her eyes.

"Just a few inches and we'll be kissing." She said. Her voice was serious and low, hoping you'd take the bait and close the gap. You just giggled, and she left feeling defeated.

She even tried confessing at one point. She sat you down one day and told you how much you meant to her. How happy she was to have you in her life. When you responded by saying you knew exactly how she felt and that you felt the same, she got so excited thinking you two were finally going to become an item. Then you spoke again, shattering those dreams.

"You're such a good friend!"

Valeria just stared at you before forcing a smile onto her lips. She agreed then left.

She had attempted to ask you out numerous times, too. She figured taking you to a fancy restaurant outside of the city would be self-explanatory. She even dressed up for the occasion. You were thoroughly impressed and yet somehow still missed the mark. Referring to the date as a 'hangout.'

She'd boast about her wealth and achievements in hopes of attracting you. Valeria makes so much money, she could take care of you. She actually just had her bathroom remodeled, didn't you know? The bathtub is big enough for two people, you should come over and join her for a nice warm bath and some wine. She just got a new bed too and it's so comfortable but too big for just her. She needs someone to come keep her warm at night. She'd love to cook you breakfast in bed sometime. Oh, and she saw this beautiful sheer lingerie set. You'd look gorgeous in it. Incredibly obvious flirting and you somehow, SOMEHOW thought she was being friendly.

"Oh, I've never shared a bath with a friend before."

Valeria wanted to rip her hair out.

Things were looking hopeless. She was beginning to think you did pick up what she was laying down. That you were just friendzoning her on purpose. She invited you to her house one day and made you dinner, listening to you ramble. After you were finished eating she invited you to sit with her on the couch and once you were sat, she grabbed your thigh and got up in your face.

"I want you to be my girlfriend."

She made sure she was very clear this time. No room for interpretation.

"In a romantic way. I want us to sleep together and wake up together. I want to live together and go on romantic dates."

You gasped, all surprised. You totally didn't see this coming. Why didn't Valeria give you any clues?? Of course you want to be her girlfriend. It took a year and a couple of months but you finally got the hint.

[ellastone-olsen]

The Legend of Sleepy Valley - Wanda Maximoff (part 1)

★Pairing: Vampire!Wanda Maximoff x f!reader

Summary: no one had ever seen the family members living in the huge estate nearby. maybe this is not just the case and they are hiding something. legends surround this place and soon you will find out for yourself where is the truth and where is the lies. this is the first time a vampire will not kill her victim.

★Warnings: NSFW 18+ (in future parts), dark au, blood, stalking, mentions of murders, nightmares, slowburn

★Word count: 2.6k

★AN: I decided to re-read Dracula and an idea came to me. this is my first series fic and the first part is preparation for the most interesting things. maybe there will be one or two more parts, I don’t know how much my imagination will suffice.

The small village of less than one hundred fifty people could not boast of special wealth, but as they say, human blood is not water, this is the true wealth that these people had. If only they knew about it.

Away from the crowd of dilapidated houses stood the old estate of the Maximoff family, whose history dates back to ancient times. No one could say exactly how long ago they settled, but every generation of people who lived here knew who lived in the ancient “castle” as the locals called it. Family members did not often catch the eye of the village residents, preferring a secluded life without “good neighbors” nearby. All you knew about them was information gleaned from the legends that parents told their children, passing on these terrible stories from generation to generation.

One of them said that it was the Maximoff family that was behind the disappearance and fatal diseases of ordinary peasants who lived in these parts. If someone’s livestock died, it means that people’s turn will soon come. No one could explain exactly how they were involved in this, which is why they were legends. Some said that all the troubles began with the arrival of the first ancestor - Konstantin Maximoff. As soon as this man set foot on the dead, poor soil of these regions, terrible things began to happen.

But who are you to believe in stupid old legends? Now is not the time when people rely on fairy tales. This was the age of computer technology and the Internet, so you could read horror stories on Google. It’s a shame that the stories turned out to be true, what’s even worse is that you learned this from your own experience.

“Why did you kill me? Why did you kill me?" You looked in horror at the doorway in which stood a man... no, a child, judging by his height, about 7 years old, but his face was not visible. Only glowing beady pupils and a dark silhouette, that’s what you could make out in the pitch darkness of the tiny room. “I didn’t do it, I didn’t kill you.” You tried to move, but it was all in vain. The body froze like a heavy marble stone. The brain was already awake, but the limbs were stuck to the mattress of the bed. Heart beat out a fast, ragged rhythm, threatening to jump out through ribs. No one would come to the rescue, you knew. “Why why did you kill me.” The hallucination repeated these words like a prayer in the temple of the Lord God, to which you were ready to go any minute. What to do, what to do, probably the same as always. Scream.

An eardrum-breaking screech escaped from your chest, maybe someone will hear it? But absolutely everything that happened was only in your head. Together with the scream, flashing flashes began to hit eyes, a good sign that the method was working. If anyone had heard the screeching, they would probably have gone deaf.

You suddenly sit up in bed, breathing as if you had run a marathon and won. It was all over, but the fear remained. Sleep paralysis was never limited only to the state of paralysis itself; even after them, anxiety was with you, sticking to the subcortex of consciousness like soft molasses. You turned on the light in the room and picked up the phone. The clock showed 3:42 am, if you are lucky, within an hour you will fall asleep again. Your finger clicked on the messenger icon and you entered a chat created specifically for communication between people living in your village and surrounding area.

Your eyes quickly scanned hundreds of messages and ads for old junk when photos of the scene caught your attention. It was talking about another cattle killing of one of your neighbors. People, as always, wrote that these were wolves or pumas, which often live in these parts. At least the claw marks were definitely not left by a human. A terrible bloody mess, what more can you say. Soon panic will sweep the village again, because everyone knows that this will be followed by the death of one of the residents. Damn it, sitting at home all day long again was the first thing your sleepy brain generated. Well, let it be, but you will get some sleep for the first time in the last couple of months.

The phone slowly fell from your hand onto the soft, fresh sheets and your lead-filled eyelids fell into your eyes. Finally the long-awaited dream. You saw your past, but more exaggerated. Winter frost, a scarf that covers half of your face and you don’t know where to go. The picture changed and you found yourself on the red carpet, walking towards the door at the end of a hundred-meter corridor. There are white walls and camera flashes all around. You didn't know where you were going, but it seemed like a good place. The door opened revealing a round room with a bunch of people and animals. A ginger cat similar to yours came up to you and you extended your hand to pet him, but the animal grabbed you with its teeth, biting over and over again. The claws passed along your forearm, leaving red droplets of blood, the wonderful dream again became a nightmare and you opened your eyes.

Your room again. The lights were off. It's strange, you didn't seem to turn it off. Perhaps mom woke up and walked past the room. Your gaze could not focus on anything, you looked around, blinked a couple of times and looked into the doorway. Someone was standing there again. A woman with long hair, you would think it was your mother, but she had short shoulder length hair. Again, hallucination is the first thing that came to your mind. You tried to bend your leg to make sure that this was the case, but the movement was easy and you sat down in fear. The figure was still standing in place and eyes accustomed to the darkness could discern clothing in the form of a knee-length dress, boots and a jacket, it seems? The head of the unknown woman in your room tilted to the side, she was also looking at you. She studied, as if deciding what to do next. It seemed that being noticed was not part of her plans.

"Who are you?" the vocal cords did not produce anything louder than a whisper. And only now did you notice a strange pain in your hand, in the same place where the cat scratched you in your sleep. You grabbed the forearm of your left hand, feeling the moisture under your palm and lifted it to get a better look. You couldn’t see anything in the darkness and you licked your palm to feel the metallic taste. Liquid scarlet blood was streaked and still leaking from the scratches, not deep enough to leave scars.

In response to your action, the stranger loudly sniffed air and seemed to... growl. But people don't know how to make SUCH sounds. “Did you do this?” you extended your palm to her, but instead of answering, the dark figure disappeared outside your bedroom. You wanted to catch up with her, but got tangled in the blanket and fell to the floor, cursing under your breath. When you went into the common room, no one was there anymore. Not a trace of anyone else's presence.

The morning greeted with the rays of the sun, which lay softly on your face. The smell of homemade pancakes wafted from the kitchen, the recently returned birds chirped on the tree branches as if they were wound up.

The phone was still lying next to you and the clock on the screen showed noon. Among hundreds of notifications overnight, you found a message from your friend Lily, which read: “I’ll pick you up at one o’clock in the afternoon.” Well, at least you had an hour to get ready. Surely, after those messages about the murder, your parents would lock you at home, and you wanted to have time to take a walk in the first days of spring.

While you were sitting in the kitchen and looking at one point, while finishing breakfast, your thoughts returned to this night. There was no doubt that the first thing that happened to you was sleep paralysis, but what happened then? How could someone sneak into your family home so silently and without a trace, why did this woman need to watch you, and even more so... You could write off the incident as another nightmare, but your forearm still stung. Raising your hand, you saw scratches that were already covered with a blood crust and were in the process of healing. Oh no, it wasn’t definitely a hallucination. When you got out of bed, the first thing you did was check your room for missing valuables, but everything was there. Apparently the only thing this strange woman touched was you. Today before going to bed you need to check all the locks in the house, all the windows and make an impregnable fortress out of it.

“Are you sure you want to go there?” The question hung in the warm spring air. Your friend was dragging you by the hand to the so-called Sleepy Valley. The children of your village were not allowed to go there, firstly because flocks of sheep usually grazed there, and secondly...

“Y/N, do you know why this place is called that way?.” Of the two of you, you knew more about local folklore, so you easily found the desired legend in the memory archives. The legend of the Sleepy Valley.

“My mother told me that there were always sheep grazing there, but one day a shepherd came into the valley and the whole flock was lying on the grass. It looked like someone had thrown cotton balls around. It looked as if the animals were simply asleep, but when the man approached one of the sheep, he realized that it was dead. They were all dead. Some maniac or animal ripped out the throats of the poor animals. This is where the name comes from.” You finished the story and were walking through the wild forest when you saw an opening. Perhaps there were such stories around this place, but there was no other place for walking cattle in the vicinity.

As the tall trees retreated, a majestic field stretched around, with a herd of fluffy white sheep as usual. Lily pulled you by the arms a little away from the animals to sit on the fresh green grass looking up at the sky. The two of you just lay there and listened to the chirping of tits, voluminous white clouds rushed above you, forming bizarre shapes. Life seemed unreal at that moment.

Only in the forest from where you came out it was watching you. Red eyes scanned everything that was happening, and acute inhuman hearing caught your conversation even at a distance of twenty meters. Your night visitor did not miss the chance to follow the first person whom she, for some reason unknown to her, did not kill during close contact. Wanda was patient, even too patient, and something about you caught her attention that night. Maybe your peace of mind or... No, it’s too early to think about that. In any case, she spent the rest of the night waiting for you to wake up and leave the house.

For so many years that she lived on this sinful earth, the daughter of the Maximoff family could tell a lot from a person’s blood. She drank dozens of people dry and each was unique in their own way, from the first sips one could understand what kind of life a person lived and what it was like, blood for her was a thing in which the essence of human nature was hidden. None of her victims had aroused an iota of interest or compassion in her, until that day.

Once every few months, Wanda’s family could afford such a delicacy as a few people from the village for whom no one would grieve. She liked to stretch out the pleasure and start with cattle, leaving human lives for dessert. Then she decided to watch the future victims and find the most tasty morsel in her opinion; in the end, her choice fell on a young beautiful girl like you. When life is in full swing, taking it away is many times more pleasant and sweeter.

That night, her plans included killing you, drinking to the last drop like everyone else before, but standing right next to you, she froze. Something was wrong. Why were your eyes open but you didn't move? She heard your heart that was ready to jump out, but it was not because of her. It seemed like you saw something that she didn’t see and she became curious. The woman walked into the darkness of the room, to the farthest corner, and watched. So you woke up, jumped out of bed and nervously turned on the light. Wanda sensed your fear, but did not understand what it was connected with.

Waiting for you to fall back into the world of dreams, she turned off the light that was blinding her and came closer, running her sharp nails along your arm to collect a small portion of blood for testing. When the first drops touched her tongue, her pupils dilated, covering the irises of the vampire's red eyes. The blood was saturated with adrenaline and was even sweeter than she expected and your personal taste. There was something about it that she couldn't place, something familiar. She took a closer look at your calm face, noticing what a cute little thing you were in her hands. No, killing you was too great a loss, she turned on her heels to hide as quietly as she appeared, but a rustling was heard behind her.

Wanda stood in the doorway and watched as you woke up for the second time that night. It’s surprising how you didn’t notice her right away, but when she saw your wet, rough tongue running over your palm, licking the scarlet substance, something clicked in her. “Did you do this?” your voice, hoarse from sleep, has long since become a spring deep inside her being. She needed to leave right now if she didn't want to kill you or take you by force.

The woman silently left the house and sat down nearby in the wild raspberry bushes. "She was beautiful, but who the hell was that?" Thoughts were heard in her head, but they were not hers. She heard your thoughts and her eyes widened, remembering what her stepmother told her many decades ago. If her memory did not deceive her, and it did not deceive her, then when sampling a person’s blood, if they arent killed, she will be able to hear all the thoughts associated with her. Then, being a recently converted vampire, Wanda did not attach any importance to this, because she did not think that something would happen that she would not complete the job. Apparently this was very arrogant on her part.

But since this has happened, why not entertain yourself for the first time in the last two hundred and ninety-seven years. From that moment on, she had her own personal human.

Part 2?

[ultraintrovertedgryffindor]

𝓜𝓲𝓷𝓮 - Aemond Targaryen

i got a job so now i don't have any time to write, but i'm still trying to find the time on my days off but all i wanna do is sleep lmao. But here's this, it turned out way longer than it was supposed to be lmao

Summary: After your father betroths you to another lord, your secret lover is livid when he finds out and decides to make you and everyone else see that you will always be his.

Warnings: SMUT (MINORS DNI), arranged marriage (not to Aemond), possessive!Aemond, period typical misogyny, loss of virginity, slight innocence kink, breeding kink, not so dry humping, very slight dubcon, and noncon exhibitionism (reader is unaware, therefore not able to consent)

word count | 9.4k🤙🏻(oops)

You almost let out a scream when your father told you his “happy” news. You were stunned into silence, frozen in fear but boiling in rage beneath your skin.

Your father informed you that he had found you the perfect match, some old fat lord in the North that would strengthen the bond between your two houses. Of course, it wasn’t your perfect match. It was your father’s. He was always power hungry, but you never thought he’d give you up to a stranger for more wealth. You always thought you were his little girl, precious and untouchable, always the favorite. Oh, how wrong you were.

As fearful as you were for yourself, you couldn’t help but think how terribly your lover would react.

You had been secretly spending time with the second son of the King, prince Aemond. Your father had moved the two of you to King’s Landing after he managed to snag a spot as one of the Master of Coin’s advisors on the small council, allowing you to be in the vicinity of the royal children more often than not. You were quiet, kept to yourself, much like the young prince. You were intimidated by all the royals at first, but most of them welcomed you or were indifferent, which you didn’t mind. You met all the children when you first got to the Red Keep. You liked Helaena, she was kind and open minded, besides the ominous words she often spewed, you thought of her like a sister. Aegon was more so the indifferent one, and Aemond seemed to be as well. Aemond never showed any emotion on his face, so it was hard to get a read on him. When introducing yourself with a curtsy, all he did was nod and let out a hum of acknowledgement. It often felt like he only tolerated you, until he proved otherwise.

You were wandering the halls waiting for your father to get out of a meeting when the elder prince Aegon had cornered you, deep into his drinks and unable to control his urges, begging you to allow him to take you back to his chambers and show you “a good time.” You had always felt a sense of unease around the firstborn son of the king, especially after being warned by the servants that he had a tendency to get handsy, but you always tried to give people the benefit of the doubt, even living in the world you did. Prince Aegon had never tried to seduce you before, so you figured he respected you as the daughter of a member of the small council. Again, you had a habit of being wrong in your opinions.

Aegon had grabbed ahold of your hand and started placing wet kisses on the palm of your hand, trying to pull you with him. But before Aegon could go too far, his younger brother shoved him away from you, seemingly appearing out of nowhere. Aegon immediately backed off, clearly in fear of his brother and drunkenly stumbled down the halls back to his quarters. “I apologize for my brother’s behavior, my lady. I will make sure he does not bother you again.” And that he did. After that day, prince Aegon never even looked in your direction, much less tried to seduce you again.  You found prince Aemond in the library the next couple days, thanking him for his help. “I couldn’t bear the thought of a lady as beautiful as yourself getting defiled by the halfwit I’m forced to call my sibling.” 

It made your heart flutter.

After that, you found yourself wanting to spend more time with prince Aemond. He was thoughtful, passionate, and surprisingly kind. He was everything the rumors had said he wasn’t. Aloof, bloodthirsty, and cruel, those were the rumors you had heard about the younger prince. Sure, he could be those things towards other people, but never towards people he cared about. You saw how he behaved around his mother, sister and her children, especially with the children. He let his niece and nephew play with his hair, his clothes, anything they could get their stubby little hands on, all while a content smile decorated his face. He was the only one who actually listened to his sister, the only one who treated his mother with the utmost respect. You even caught him joking around with Ser Criston Cole in the training yard one morning. And steadily over time, you become one of the people he cared about.

It was subtle things that made you realize prince Aemond started to care for you. Firstly, he saved you from being assaulted by his brother. Afterwards, he would start to exchange pleasantries whenever you’d see each other, something he did not do to anyone else. At first, you thought that maybe his mother forced him to seek out conversation with you, just out of politeness or for some sort of advantage. But what sort of advantage would the prince have if he befriended you? Over time, the prince would seek you out so often that he couldn’t have been forced to do so, and surely not being as gentlemanly as he was with you when he did. Spending a morning with princess Helaena and the children, your face heated up furiously when she told you in confidence that her brother had a soft spot for you. She had also told you that Aemond might’ve been too gentlemanly, not afraid, but cautious to make the first move.

Back then, you weren’t too worried about your father marrying you off that you felt you could explore a courtship on your own without disapproval. Plus, courting prince Aemond wouldn’t be the worst for your house, if you ever thought that way. You were still a naive girl, never been through many hardships or traumas, you had a rosy view of the world even with all your education. You were an optimist, the thought of taking a chance on prince Aemond didn’t frighten you as much as it should have. You didn’t think of what the repercussions could be if he didn’t reciprocate your attraction, and what his rejection could do to your father’s role on the small council. But it turned out to be the best decision you could ever make.

During a walk with prince Aemond around the Godswood, you decided to bring up your relationship with him. “Besides Helaena, I feel as though you’re my closest friend here.” Your direct statement had briefly taken him by surprise, no one had ever been bold enough to express sincere feelings towards him. Most were too intimidated by him to even look in his direction, but you never seemed scared of him, even when the two of you first met. It was awkward as any first meeting goes, but after that, you were never afraid to look him in the eye and speak freely, despite him being a son of the king. 

You were endearing to Aemond, a feeling he had only felt towards his sister and her children. But you were different, he felt a protectiveness over you much like his family, but jealousy had also come with it. Seeing you talk to any other lords or men at court made an uncomfortable pressure form in his chest, a weight that burned and he couldn’t get rid of it no matter how much he tried. That day when he found Aegon practically drooling over you, it took everything Aemond had to not bash his older brother’s face in. Aegon was lucky to get away with just a shove. It troubled Aemond that he yearned to do more, to his brother or any man that gazed upon you salaciously. He felt the need to protect that childlike innocence you still often displayed. When the feelings got too strong, he’d often seek out Helaena to vent and listen to her cryptic advice. Most times, she’ll just giggle, which wasn’t helpful but he was just thankful his frustrated venting didn’t disturb her.

So when you revealed that his sister may have fibbed about his secret affection for you, he had half a mind to storm into her chambers and tell her off angrily, even though he’d never do that to her. But he did feel embarrassed, his face flushing a dusty red. He froze when you took a step closer to him, your natural warmth radiating off your body and onto his, your eyes looking up at him with a familiar expression. He often saw a similar look on Aegon or the whores on the Street of Silk, but it didn’t disgust him now when that particular look was on your face. In fact, he couldn’t look away. You looked between his eye and his lips, wetting your own and raising yourself up on your toes so your face was level with his, a delicate hand holding onto his shoulder for support. He didn’t move, wanting to see how far you would take it, your behavior already proving unbecoming of a lady. Though, he couldn’t help the way his eyelid became heavy with lust as your lips got closer and closer to his.

Disappointment rushed through Aemond as you kissed his cheek, leaving his lips tingling and yearning for yours. Along with that disappointment, he also felt a surprising warmth. You had kissed him so gently, almost featherlight, and he’d never experienced that kind of affection from anyone, not even his mother. He was all sharp and rough edges, no one daring enough to risk being cut by his frightening figure. But you pulled away, unharmed, a shy smile on your face. Unfortunately, that was all you had done. “My prince,” You curtsied politely, and left a stunned Aemond in the Godswood nonchalantly, as if you hadn’t just triggered a part of him that he never thought he’d feel; desire. He had thought he wanted to protect your innocence, but now, all he could think about was ruining you.

The next morning, there was no place you could hide from prince Aemond. He found you almost immediately as the day started, dragging you to a secluded part of the Red Keep where he knew there would be no prying eyes. “Quite the display you made yesterday, care to enlighten me on the sudden…affection?” Aemond had asked.

You only smiled innocently, too innocently. “Whatever do you mean, my prince?”

Aemond reveled in the light gasp you made when he pressed you against the wall, his arm resting on the wall above your shoulder and the other on your waist, the slight pressure making you dazed. “You know very well what I mean, my lady. That kiss. Such a tease. You look so meek and innocent on the surface, but beneath all your polite smiles you’re just a little vixen, aren’t you? I’ve half the mind to take you right here right now, out in the open where any lord or lady could see.” The hand on your waist tightened, moving up your side but he froze when you placed your hand on his, a nervous expression on your face.

“Prince Aemond, I’ve never–I’m a maiden, my prince, I can assure you.” You stuttered uncharacteristically, making Aemond loosen the grip he had on you. “I never meant to make you think that…I was a woman of…loose morals.”

Aemond’s brows furrowed, one hidden beneath his eyepatch. “Then, yesterday? Why did you kiss me like that, just on the cheek, and leave?”

You exhaled a shaky breath, trying to compose yourself. “I didn’t want to just kiss you on the cheek, trust me. I almost really kissed you, but then a realization hit me right before I could. If someone were to see, report it to my father…he could lose his position because of me and I couldn’t do that to him. I’d be shamed, labeled a whore or worse.”

Aemond hummed, taking in your words, only a few really being comprehended more than the others. “If you had really kissed me…I would’ve kissed you back.”

You looked down at your feet, giggling shyly. “I assumed.”

Aemond lifted your chin with his hand gently, making sure your gaze stayed on him, your widened eyes making him force back a smirk. “You still could. Kiss me.” He stroked your cheek lightly, the peach fuzz of your face tickling his knuckles.

“B-But, my father-”

“Your father doesn’t have to know. I know the Red Keep like the back of my hand. I know the places that are scarcely visited, when others are devoid of servants or family, and there are secret passageways all over the Keep and there happens to be one that leads from your room,” He leans in close, his lips right next to your ear, “all the way to mine.”

You almost moaned, but pushed him away before your desires overcame you. “As delightful as that sounds…I don’t plan on giving away my maidenhead anytime soon. I can’t risk siring bastards, it would bring shame upon my family and my house. I’m sure that…you could understand.” 

He could, and he did. As much as he wanted you, he’d respect your decision. He understood being a woman in this world was much more dangerous and had stricter societal rules. Besides, he’d never want to have bastards, that would be hypocritical. Though, the vision of your belly swollen with his seed made him aroused more than he would ever admit. He’d keep it to himself. “Of course, my lady. I’m not attracted to you just because you’re a maiden, you know? But…there are other things we can do together.”

You smiled. “Like what?”

Aemond’s hand was back on your waist, sliding his body against yours until his warmth and scent encompassed you entirely, bringing back that same dazed feeling in your head. “I could teach you about the history of Old Valyria, our house, maybe even teach you some Valyrian if you’d like.” His hand ran up and down your side, when you think his hand will reach the underside of your breast, he’d go back down. A frustrating cycle, his tone of voice not helping either. It did not sound like he was talking about teaching you history, more like teaching you about more…intimate studies. “We could read together in the library, perhaps I could introduce you to Vhagar one day. But first, you could kiss me. No one is around, no one will be for a while. That’s not too dangerous, is it?”

Your face flushed with heat, your eyes growing heavy with lust, a similar position you had him in just yesterday. “No, I suppose not.” You breathed out, placing your hands on his leather covered chest, feeling the tight muscles beneath, making the sensitive apex of your thighs ache with want.

Aemond stroked your cheek with the back of his hand, taking his time and his eye running over every detail of your face he could find, finding the imperfections that endeared him to you even more. He placed a loose strand of hair behind your ear, the gesture making your heart thump even more rapidly in your chest, the anticipation almost making you lose your patience. Is this what you made him feel yesterday? But after what felt like an eternity, Aemond finally started to lean in, his breath fanning over your face, your own intermingling with his. 

It was featherlight at first, tickling, not enough pressure to even feel like a kiss. But after a few seconds of Aemond simply teasing and tracing his lips with yours, he finally pressed against you more firmly. His lips were soft against yours, not rushing and moving languidly, eliciting a small noise of contentment from you. As he opened his mouth to trace his tongue on your bottom lip, you could tell he had some practice. You both deepened the kiss, his hand on your waist tightening and pulling you forward against him until your back ached off the wall. His other hand cupped your jaw roughly as the kiss became more passionate and frenzied, his teeth nibbling the sensitive flesh of your bottom lip until you winced from the sting, but you found that you quite liked it. You reached one of your hands to the nape of his neck, tangling and tugging at the silvery white hair until he groaned, the both of you sighing into each other’s mouths as desire overtook you.

You finally realized, despite you being adamant about retaining your virtue, your body was moving on its own accord. You were pawing at Aemond like some lecherous woman on the Street Of Silk, soft moans and sighs leaving your mouth unabashedly. Only when your hips started canting up towards him you finally managed to stop yourself, pulling your lips away from his with wild panting breaths.

“You’re a fast learner, my lady.” Aemond panted, chuckling breathlessly, seemingly unwilling to let you go.

“I suppose I am.” You mirrored his shy smile, reluctantly pulling away from his embrace only to immediately yearn for his arms around you again. “Perhaps we could read together in the library tomorrow?” You asked hopefully.

Aemond smirked. “To read, or to repeat what we just did?”

You scoffed, lightly smacking his shoulder. “To read!” You giggled, making Aemond laugh in return. You felt yourself swell with pride. It was so rare to see the prince genuinely laugh, and to be the one to elicit such a reaction from him, it made you feel like you were on top of the world.

When you both met up in the library the next day, you didn’t do much reading like you had planned…

From that day to the present, that had been a lot of what your relationship with prince Aemond was like. You got to know each other, of course. You had deep conversations, shared secrets you never told another soul in the world, learned about each other’s cultures and traditions, and grew fond of one another as the days passed. You each both confided in one another, making your bond deep, spending every moment you could in the privacy of your own bedrooms. It was inevitable that you fell in love with each other. Aemond spoke of his feelings first, which surprised you, thinking that it would be you to tell him first.

It had been a normal day like any other. Aemond was trying to teach you some Valyrian, laughing harder than he’s ever laughed in his life at your gods awful pronunciation at most of the words, but you were trying so hard he almost felt bad for laughing at you. Almost. When you finally perfected the phrase he was trying to teach you, your whole face lit up with pride. He had found he had a habit of just staring at you, especially when you smiled. He thought you were one of the most beautiful sights the world had to offer and he realized he needed you like he needed oxygen, and that’s when he said it. “I fear I’ve fallen madly in love with you, my lady.”

It only took you a few seconds for it to register, the statement making you freeze, then overwhelming joy completely consuming you. “I love you too, my handsome prince.” You grinned brightly, taking Aemond’s breath away and forcing a surprised huff from his lips when you lunged towards him, accidently knocking him out of his chair and you with him, collapsing together on the floor of his bedroom. You would’ve been mortified if it weren’t for the dark, lustful look in his eye as you hovered above him, your legs naturally coming to straddle him, like you were made to be in this position with him. Your face flushed with heat as you could feel the evidence of Aemond’s arousal through his trousers, pressing against your own aching core. “I want you…I want you so badly, Aemond.” You spoke brittly, the throbbing between your legs getting harder to ignore. Aemond leaned up off the floor with his elbows, surging forward to kiss you before you stopped him. “But I can’t give up my maidenhead…”

Aemond deflated in disappointment, but a light shined in his eye suddenly, a soft smirk adorning his lips. “I know of a way we can without taking your virtue.”

You sighed. “I don’t know-”

“Do you trust me?” Aemond looked up at you with pure love and adoration, the intensity almost forcing you to look away. 

“With my life.”

Aemond situated himself on his bed, only in his smallclothes, making his erection even more prominent than before. He helped you undress down to your shift, with your permission, indulging in the feelings of your barely covered breasts as your gown was practically see through. You weren’t nervous or embarrassed like you thought you’d be, Aemond just made you feel so at ease and comfortable, looking at you like you were a goddess he worshiped that all insecurity fled your body in that moment. “Sit on my lap,” He instructed calmly, not giving away how eager he was to feel you against him. He had more self control than that, besides, he wanted this to be about you as much as himself.

You placed yourself in the position you were previously, just behind his arousal, waiting for his guidance. Aemond didn’t say anything as he took hold of your hips, bringing you forward until your aching cunt made contact with his cock through his smallclothes, the contact already making you both sigh out in pleasure. “Just rock yourself against me, sweetling.” He guided, helping you find your rhythm until you started to rock against him yourself, but his hands still stayed at your hips to ground himself.

This technically wasn’t losing your maidenhead, but it felt so good that it still made you guilty, but you were too aroused to care.

You moaned softly as you rubbed your slick folds against his clothed cock, your clit getting delicious stimulating pressure with every cant of your hips, all the while Aemond did not take his eye off you, his own groans of pleasure escaping his lips. “Does it feel good, my lady?” Aemond asked, almost smugly.

“Yes, my prince. So good.” You stuttered, finding it difficult to multitask…and breathe. You found yourself quickly getting overheated, your legs started to shake with your efforts. Aemond seemed to sense this, rolling you over on your back, a smile coming to his face when he saw the wet patch you already made on his smallclothes. “Did…I do that?” You asked in embarrassment.

Aemond smirked with pride. “It means you’re enjoying it, my lady. Now let me take over for a while, alright?” You nodded, your face heating up like a furnace as he hovered above. Even when making sure he wasn’t crushing you, you could still feel the power in his body, how easily he could force you into submission. But he wasn’t, he was letting you take the lead for the most part. But now, he was rutting against you, his clothed cock rubbing against your core just as perfectly as the previous position you were in. He was more confident and assured in his movements than you were, hitting your clit with more precision, making you cry out his name.

You clawed at his back, high pitched whines leaving your mouth, panting heavily. Aemond kissed all over your face, neck, and pulled down your shift until your breasts were freed from its confines to kiss them as well. Aemond’s breathless moans fanned against your ear, where he had tucked his face in the crook of your neck, the occasional soft whimper making you feel emboldened enough to roll him over to straddle him once again.

You braced your hands on his bare chest as you started to rock yourself faster, an unfamiliar pressure building in your lower stomach that threatened to burst if you kept going. It scared you, how could it get any better than this? You already felt like your heart was beating out of your chest, what would happen if that coil in you did burst? You thought you’d die on the spot, but Aemond kept giving you reassuring words and soothing your overheating body with his hands, encouraging you to keep going. “It’s alright, my lady. I’ve got you.” He cooed, one hand on your hip and the other taking hold of yours to kiss across the thin skin of your knuckles.

You felt the pressure building and building, like the whistling in a teapot getting louder as the water rose in temperature; until you came with a strangled cry, the feeling of euphoria overpowering your senses, your hips stuttering, tears coming to your eyes and falling down your cheeks in rivulets. Aemond’s grip on your hips returned, the force surely causing bruises to form as he continued to rock you against him, chasing his own end. You powered through the overstimulation, the sight of Aemond losing himself to his pleasure enough to make you want to do it all over again. He came with a loud grunt, his eye shutting tightly and bucking his hips up against you until he painted the inside of his smallclothes white, his spend mixing with yours. “You are truly magnificent, my lady.” 

You loved each other so much. You couldn’t imagine life without him, and he felt the same as well. You always imagined living the rest of your life with him, married someday, and a gaggle of white haired children running around the Red Keep. That was until your dreams were crushed when your father told you that you were to be wed to someone who wasn’t your handsome prince.

How were you going to break the news to Aemond? How badly would he react? You didn’t want to stop being with him, you cared for him more than anything. But you had a duty to fulfill, you had to listen to your father, you simply had no choice. Women never got a choice.

You entered prince Aemond’s chambers through the secret passageway that he had shown to you, your heart already dropping to your stomach as he looked up from a book he was reading, grinning ear to ear as he laid his eye on you. “My lady,” He rose to his feet, greeting you with a soft kiss. “To what do I owe this pleasure?” Your expression must’ve given you away, for his grin fell, a look of concern replacing his joy. “What’s the matter, my love?”

You deflated, instinctually burrowing yourself into his chest with quiet sobs, his arms instantly wrapping around you. “My…my father…” You hiccupped, unable to get the words out for it was too painful.

“Shh, shh, shh,” Aemond cooed, rubbing his hands along your back to try and comfort you. “Take deep breaths, love. Take your time.”

“My father has betrothed me to someone else.” You cried, your tears falling freely off your face, staining your cheeks and creating a dark patch on Aemond’s white tunic.

Aemond froze, his heart starting to beat rapidly in his chest, anger threatening to take over his entire being. “What?” He spoke darkly, his voice dropping several octaves. “No. No, you can’t.”

You pulled away, wiping away your tears with the back of your hand angrily. “I have no choice, Aemond. Father has already set up a meeting with the lord. No matter what, I’m expected to marry him…bed him and bear his children.” You spat, your fate making you wish you were never born.

Aemond grabbed your shoulders tightly, a wild, dangerous look in his eye. “No. I won’t let this happen.”

You sighed in defeat. “Unfortunately, my love…it’s not up to you.”

You left his chambers feeling worse than you had felt before. Usually, you always left him beaming and weightless, like you could conquer the world as long as he was by your side. But now, you were going to be forced to leave him. You didn’t want to marry someone lord from the North. All your life, you’ve heard how hard living in the North was, how the citizens and even lords lived more like Wildlings than actual people. You’re betrothed was rugged, hairy, loud, and plump, the total opposite of your Targaryen lover. The thought of having to lay with someone like that, especially for your first time, it never failed to bring you to tears. It made you want to run back to Aemond, just so your first time would be with someone you loved. But that would be a sin, and if found out, might get you killed. If you didn’t bleed on your wedding night, your virtue would be called into question and you’d be labeled a harlot and be discarded onto the streets or worse. Your father promised the Northern lord a virgin, so you had no choice but to remain chaste.

Over the next few weeks, the Northern lord visited King’s Landing to meet you. You tried your best to be polite, not act disgusted as you truly felt whenever you were forced to dine with him. You barely saw Aemond, and you couldn’t, lest you garner unwanted attention that would have rumors spread like wildfire. But that didn’t mean Aemond tried to stay away himself.

Every so often, you’d spot him in the corner of your eye, watching you intently. You were never afraid of him, but you now started to fear what he might do to keep you, not that you’d protest. You could feel the tension in the air constantly when he was around. There came a point where Aemond would interrupt every meeting you had with the Northern lord. Even though it was quite amusing to see your prince so jealous, you couldn’t help but worry what your father would do if he found out Aemond was trying to sabotage your courtship. You could tell the lord was getting annoyed with all the interruption, but unfortunately, that made him all the more determined to wed you. Aemond wasn’t helping, at all. And he could tell. The night before your final meeting with the Northern lord to determine if you’d make a good match, Aemond came to your chambers through the secret passageway.

“Aemond? The hour is late, what are you doing here?” You asked with a bashful smile, standing up from your bed in nothing but your nightgown, not leaving much to the imagination.

Aemond smirked, sauntering towards you and placing his hands on your waist, pulling you flush against him. “What? I’m not allowed to see my lady?”

Your face grew hot at the possessiveness of his words, a pang of arousal shooting through your core. “No, my prince, you are not. Because if you recall, we’re not wed.” You sighed sadly. “...and never will be.”

Aemond tsked in annoyance, his grip on your hips tightening almost painfully. “You say that like it is a sure thing.”

You frowned. “Is it not?”

Aemond tilted his head as he gazed upon your face, running his pointer finger down your cheek, then along your jaw, gently lifting your chin up so your lips met his. “I will not let this happen to you, love. You. Are mine. Not some Northern dog…do you trust me?”

“Of course.” You asked immediately, melting against his touch, like his skin was a balm against yours.

“Then let me take care of it. Of you.”

“You already take care of me, my handsome prince.” And with that, his lips were back on yours in an instant, possessive and more aggressively, making you whimper. His hands caressed your body, running along your sides, grazing the underside of your breast until they traveled down to grab handfuls of the fatty flesh of your ass, eliciting a squeal from you. “Aemond,” You chuckled breathlessly between kisses, “I have to wake in the early morning.” You sighed out as he attached his lips to your neck, sucking harshly. “Aemond, no marks tonight.” But he paid you no mind. Then, you felt his fingers brush against your clothed core, and you had to push him away. “Are you trying to…bed me?” You asked nervously.

Aemond smirked. “I am.” 

Your eyes widened, taking a step away from him, causing him to frown. “Why can’t we do what we normally do? The way without taking my virginity?”

“Do you not want me, my lady?” He asks, desperate to get his hands on you again.

“Of course I do, my prince. But to bed each other now, while I’m betrothed to another; it is a sin against the Seven. You know this.”

“What did I say? I will take care of it. But first, let me take care of you. I want you so badly. I’ve wanted to be buried inside you since I first laid my eye on you. Please, my love, I need more than just rubbing myself against you.” You gasped as he took hold of your hand and guided it to palm his already hardened cock, “Feel how I yearn for you?”

“I yearn for you too…” You stuttered, running your slightly trembling hand over one of his biceps while you experimentally squeezed his hardened length, causing him to let out a soft growl.

Aemond caught your lips with his once more, his breathing quickening as he felt his desire grow. “Then say yes.”

Then with a hesitant breath, you spoke, “Yes.” 

As soon as the word left your lips, Aemond found yours with a vigor you hadn’t experienced from him so far into the relationship. He was desperate, and so were you. Your shaking frame gave away how nervous you truly were, but he soothed you with his hands, running them along your uncovered skin until you relaxed for him.

Aemond kissed and nipped at your neck as he led you to your bed, slowly undoing the various buckles and laces that held his clothing together. He smiled shyly as you raked your eyes over his now naked form. Even though you’ve seen him like this before, there was a whole new element involved, knowing that you two were going to be the closest two humans could possibly be. You lifted up your hand to reach for his eyepatch, noticing his body tense but allowing you to remove it. This wasn’t new either, but it still took Aemond some getting used to being so vulnerable with someone, that little boy in him still scared that you’d be disgusted by his scar; but as you removed the piece of leather for the umpteenth time, you smiled lovingly as his sapphire glimmered in the light from your fireplace. “My beautiful prince.”

You shivered as Aemond slowly pulled your nightgown down your body, goosebumps rising all over your skin at his featherlight touches. “My beautiful lady.” He replied with a smirk, allowing his hand to lower further down until he reached the slickness that spread over your folds. “So wet for me already, darling.” He chuckled.

“It’s easy when you treat me the way that you do, my love.”

“Yes? And how do I treat you exactly?”

“...like a princess.”

Aemond gripped both of your hips tightly, pulling your body flush against his, feeling his erection prodding against your inner thigh, his eye staring down at you with an emotion you couldn’t quite place. “If all goes according to plan, you will be…” He spoke ominously.

You furrowed your brows, tilting your head in confusion. “What do you-?” You squeaked as Aemond pushed his lips against yours roughly, interrupting your question and replacing any thought you may have had with pure desire. He had such power over you, you couldn’t even fight it, not that you'd want to. He moved up your body, leaving sparks in their wake, trapping your face in between them as his mouth devoured yours desperately. You moaned at his passion, feeling completely wanted and cherished and he hadn’t even done much to you yet.

You gasped as Aemond guided his throbbing length to glide against your folds, your slick creating a pleasant friction that had your prince groaning at the feeling. You held onto him tightly as he rutted against you, his cock nudging your clit with every thrust. “I-I thought…you were going t-to bed me?” You babbled mindlessly, the minute pleasure you were feeling already throwing you for a loop.

“I am, my sweet lady. I need to get you warmed up first, understand? Patience.” He lightly scolded, his tone only making you more impatient. “On the bed.” He ordered, and you obeyed diligently. You tried not to shiver as he stalked above you, like a predator cornering his prey, making you feel even more vulnerable than you already were, his one remaining eye making his gaze more intense somehow. “Spread your legs for me.” You shivered then, the slight chill in the air grazing your cunt unpleasant, but it was worth it to see Aemond’s lips twist into a proud smirk. “Such a good girl for me, aren’t you, my lady?”

You watched with heavy lidded eyes as Aemond sloppily kissed up your legs and inner thighs, his long silver hair tickling your skin and the slight sandpapery feel of his chin surprising in how much you liked the sensation. Then, you felt his panting breaths on your core, jolting as he licked one long stripe along your folds. “What are you doing?” You asked in a gasp.

“I’ve read about this before. It is supposed to be pleasurable for you, my lady. Would you like me to stop?”

You shook your head. “No…please, keep going.” He smiled and dove in, using the tip of his tongue to run through your folds teasingly, barely stimulating your clit, making you whine.

“You taste divine.” Aemond moaned like he was the one being pleasured, making your face heat up. The bed shook lightly as he gently rutted into the sheets, hearing your whines and whimpers making his cock ache for attention. You let out a breathy moan as Aemond suckled at your clit, the feeling making your eyes roll to the back of your skull briefly. You couldn't stop your hips from jerking up against his mouth, but he placed his hands there to hold you down.

“Oh, gods, Aemond. Right there, please, please…” You whined, his tongue plucking your strings to perfection, making you near that euphoric crescendo way too quickly. “So close…” You babbled, unable to form a word as you neared your peak.

“Come.” Aemond ordered gruffly. “Come for me, my lady.” And with a loud, sharp cry, you came on his tongue, your senses bubbling over like boiling water. “Good girl. That’s my good girl.” He praised, soothing your overheated skin with his rough hands, pinching your pebbled nipples in fascination. He kissed your tears from your cheeks, gazing down at you in adoration, the expression directed at you almost as good as reaching a climax. “Think you’re ready for me, my love?” He asked softly, and you didn’t care how much it would hurt, you wanted him badly.

“Please…I need you, Aemond.”

You started to notice how anxious Aemond must’ve been, the way his hands trembled as he ran them over your soft skin, the way he took his breaths like he was frightened. He didn’t want to hurt you. He wanted to make your first time as painless as possible if he could, but his body was so aching and ready to take you just the way he wanted. But he restrained himself for you. He could be rough with you another time. “Tell me if it gets to be too much.” All you could do was nod.

Your own cum slick entrance wasn’t enough to prepare for how much you’d have to fit inside. You knew Aemond was well endowed, but you didn’t think you’d ever have to worry about it actually fitting inside you. You had to hold in your cries as he pushed the tip of his cock past your entrance, a heated sharp pressure building in intensity the more he pushed in. He groaned above you as you pulsed at the intrusion, but you wouldn’t dare to tell him how much it actually hurt, not when he looked so pretty like this. The pain was worth it. But after he finally bottomed out, he gave you a well needed break and the pain slowly morphed into something more. It still hurt a bit, but now you needed him to move, like you’d die if he didn’t.

Aemond gasped silently as you started to gyrate your hips, encouraging him to start moving. He started off slow at first, still worried about hurting you. But as he noticed your pained whines turning into moans of pleasure, he sped up his thrusts a bit more. He couldn’t stop the smirk that worked his way onto his features as your breasts bounced with every cant of his hips, his hand reaching out to grope them roughly. “Fuck, my love. You feel so amazing.” He panted, his skin starting to glimmer with a thin sheen of sweat.

WIth how much slick you were producing, you wouldn’t be surprised if your bed linens were ruined. You could hear yourself, you could hear where Aemond’s body met yours with each thrust. With his cockhead hitting a place deep inside you paired with the sound of the splash of your wet skin violently meeting his, you could feel that intense building sensation that you had grown so accustomed to thanks to Aemond, but it was different. You could almost feel him in your chest, he was so deep. 

You moaned and sobbed uncontrollably, your velvety walls clenching tightly around his cock, making him grunt loudly. “Oh, gods, Aemond!” You cried, almost hyperventilating due to the overwhelming pleasure. You didn’t even realize you were clawing into his shoulders until he pinned them to the mattress, forcing you still as he plowed into you, but still unable to stop the rest of your body writhing in oversensitivity. “Aemond, Aemond…” You whined, practically shaking underneath him.

Sweat dripped down Aemond’s forehead and off his nose, the fireplace roaring not helping with how much warmth the two of you were creating between your bodies. Your sweat covered bodies clung to one another, sticking you together, the filthiness of it all making it all the more passionate. “I know, my love. Hold on, I’m so close.” He panted, his thrusts becoming sloppy and erratic as he chased his end. His eye rolled to the back of his head as he was right on that edge, just one more thrust could do it, but instead he pulled out, making you whine. Aemond stroked himself quickly until he came on your stomach with a loud groan, shuddering as goosebumps rose along his skin. “Fuck…” With one final kiss to your swollen lips, he collapsed beside you, his chest rising and falling deeply in exhaustion.

You both turned towards one another as you caught your breath, a small smirk playing at the corner of Aemond’s lips. You hummed contently as he ran one of his hands up and down your upper arm, leaning into his touch like a kitten. “Are you alright, my lady?” He asked sweetly.

You nodded bashfully, teeth showing in a bright smile. “It was everything I ever dreamed of.”

Aemond leaned forward to kiss your forehead, bringing you close to his chest. “I’m glad I could be the first one to give this to you.” But the comment only made you frown.

“What happens now?”

Aemond looked down at you burrowed in his chest, an aura of confidence buried just beneath the surface of his thoughtful expression. “Let me worry about that, my love. You just sleep now. Sleep.” He cooed, and being as exhausted as you were, you had no trouble obeying him like you always had.

By the time you awoke, Aemond had already left, but not before leaving you a note saying something about his princely duties but he also took the time to remind you how much he loved you. It satisfied you anyway as you also had duties to attend to, and you could only pray to the Seven that no one important noticed your slight limp.

Meanwhile, all Aemond could think about was the night you shared together. Training was a bit more difficult in that respect, even gaining Ser Criston’s curiosity about where his head was at. He just blamed it on a restless night, which…wasn’t false. But his thoughts were also occupied by a plan that formed in his mind. This day would require luck on Aemond’s part, if he were to do this correctly. Being a son of a king, he had his ways of knowing where anyone was at any time. What he hadn’t expected, however, was his target making his way towards Aemond himself. “Lord Umber, to what do I owe this pleasure?” Aemond greeted coldly, not shying away from the lord’s attempts to appear intimidating. It was amusing, if anything. Pathetic, more like.

“I don’t know what your intentions are with my betrothed, but I would advise you stay away from her. I don’t care if you’re a prince. She’s mine, or will be very soon.”

Aemond couldn’t help but smirk, his mind conjuring up all the ways he had already made you his, right underneath this hairy oaf’s nose. “My lady does not belong to anyone but me, lord Umber.”

The larger man laughed, amused like Aemond was a child who had just told a joke. “She’s yours, is she? Sounds to me like your royal highness is jealous.” Aemond narrowed his eye. “Yes, I’ve seen you with her. The way you cling to her side like a lost pup. You just can’t imagine her being with someone else, can you? Well, don’t worry, prince Aemond. Once she’s my wife, I’ll treat her kindly on our wedding night; but just the first time. By dawn, her voice will be sore from screaming my name. She’ll have sired me an heir by the time I’m done with her.” Aemond had half a mind to slit this stupid man’s throat right then and there. How dare he speak of you that way? And as if the man couldn’t get any dumber, he continued on. “She seems so innocent, doesn’t she? I bet she’s never even tried pleasuring herself. Imagine how tight her-”

And with a swift pommel to the temple, the Northern lord was finally interrupted from his perverse rant and knocked unconscious.

Aemond hummed, staring down at the man with a certain morbid curiosity. How strange a man that burly could be rendered completely useless by just one blow to the head. It just hammered in the thought in his mind that this lord was not worthy of you. Not one bit. He’d deal with the consequences later. Right now, he needed to find you before the lord came to. And he found you fairly quickly.

“What are you doing?” You giggled nervously as Aemond dragged you to a certain part of the Keep, gasping as he pushed you up against the brick wall, the memory of being in a similar position not that long ago flashing in your mind. You hummed as he kissed you lovingly, leaving your eyes heavy lidded and pupils lust blown as he pulled away.

Aemond held up his index finger, motioning for you to wait. He looked around the corner of the somewhat secluded area of the Rep Keep, smirking furiously when he saw the Northern lord still laying in the hall right where he left him. He could wake at any moment, Aemond would have to start now. “I started to miss you as soon as I left, my love.” Aemond spoke as he found his way back to you, running his calloused hands along your sides. “Couldn’t stop picturing you split open on my cock. Need to see it again, need to feel you.”

As Aemond tried to lift up your skirts, you made a feeble attempt to stop him. “But, what if someone were to walk past? Anyone could see us?” You whisper yelled. Aemond restrained himself from rolling his eye. That’s quite the point.

“That’s why I checked if anyone was near, my love. Please, my cock aches for you.”

Oh, how could you refuse when he begged so prettily like that?

Aemond lifted up your skirts, feeling a wetness gathered at the apex of your thighs. “Do you just get wet at the sight of me, my lady?”

Your face burned like a furnace, a bashful smile on your lips. “Maybe.”

Aemond grinned, turning you so your front was pressed against the wall. “Is this okay?”

“Yes, my prince. Please, fuck me.” You whined, and he couldn’t hide his expression of pride and shock.

“Oh, you want me to fuck you, hm? Not make love to you?” He teased, talking in your ear as he undid his trousers.

You shivered, feeling the blunt tip of his cock prod at your entrance. “Yes.”

Aemond heard the faintest shuffling from the hall, halting his movements briefly. He turned to see in the corner of his eye the silhouette of lord Umber, frozen as he stared at the shocking scene before him. Aemond could only laugh under his breath as he pushed into you, smiling genuinely when you couldn’t bite back your moan. “Fuck, my love. Still just as tight as you were last night.”

You cried out as Aemond’s thrusts speed up in their pace and roughness immediately, the force jolting your whole body in place, making your breasts push against the brick wall. “Who do you belong to, my lady?” Aemond growled suddenly, marking up the skin of your neck with his teeth. “Say it! Who do you belong to, jorrāelagon?”

“You, Aemond!” You stuttered, losing yourself in the pleasure he was giving you.

“You’re mine, are you not?”

“Yes, yes, I’m yours. Only yours, my love!”

“Not that idiot Northern lord Umber?”

“No, I belong to you. I don’t want anyone else, my prince.”  You babbled, almost unable to form full sentences.

“Think he could make you feel the way I can?” Aemond hummed with a dark smirk, knowing fully well the lord could hear them. He hadn’t looked towards the burly man in a while, focusing on making you fully relent to him, forcing you to scream exactly how he’s made you his. If he could guess, the lord was probably red with rage, the thought making him pound into you faster. “Hmm? Can you not answer me, my lady? Is my cock making you feel that good?” He asked condescendingly.

“So…so good…” You moaned, peaking without any stimulation to your clit.

Aemond grunted. “You want my cum, love? You want me to fill you up?” You must’ve been out of it, because you begged him to. “Good girl. ‘M gonna give you my cum. Fuck, you’d look so beautiful carrying my child if my seed takes, wouldn’t you agree?” By that time, lord Umber was long gone, and Aemond could sense it. Now, he was just saying whatever he felt like saying for himself. The image of you married to him, carrying his Targaryen babe, made him finally let go. 

Aemond’s chest heaved against your back, sweat making your clothes stick to your bodies. “Avy jorrāelan…” He grinned at your attempt, your pronunciation was a bit off, but he couldn’t say anything when you spoke the words so sweetly.

“I love you, my lady.” He nuzzled into the back of your neck, inhaling the scent of your hair. “Mine…all mine.”

What came after that was par for the course.

Lord Umber, enraged and embarrassed, went to your father to tell him what he had seen. The Northern lord demanded a virgin, but in his eyes, what he got was a whore. It was his word against yours, a woman, so you obviously wouldn’t have been believed even if you were telling the truth. But out of pure survival instinct, you lied and denied. You would never give away your body like that, even to a prince. Your one saving grace from being scalped publicly, was prince Aemond. To get his side of the story.

“Lord Umber said that he saw you and my daughter…engaging in premarital activities.” Your father spoke, his voice unsteady in his rage.

Aemond, as calm as you ever saw him, spoke, “That is an outrageous lie. I would never defile a lady such as her.”

Lord Umber guffawed. “You lying prick. I saw you, balls deep into this whore.”

Aemond’s eye darkened, taking a step closer to the three of you. “You are a guest here, lord Umber, but you forget yourself. To spread such vile rumors against the son of the king, is treason.” And with that one word, the warmth in the air depleted, leaving a cold eerie silence in the room. “Do you know what happens to people that commit treason against the crown?” Lord Umber was uncharacteristically silent now. “On your way in from the middle of nowhere, you did notice all the heads that were stacked neatly on pikes, correct? Those were all men and women who spoke lies about us. Would you like your head to join them as well?”

The Northern lord was finally frightened into submission, but Aemond didn’t stop there.

“I shall have my grandsire arrest you and behead you on the morrow.”

“Wait, my prince!” Lord Umber called out desperately. Aemond smirked, how the big strong men fall when they’re faced with death. “Please, I take back what I said. I didn’t see anything! It must’ve been someone else. I sincerely apologize for being so quick to anger and place blame on the wrong person. Please, forgive me.” He begged.

Aemond pretended to consider the apology, but he knew what he wanted from the moment they sought him out. “I will pardon this indiscretion…but for a price.”

“Whatever it is, my prince, it shall be yours.”

“Your betrothed.”

“What?” You, your father, and lord Umber spoke at the same time.

“I will let you keep your head if you give me her. Seems to be a small price to pay, wouldn’t you agree?”

Your father and lord Umber shared looks, while you and Aemond did the same. Theirs were filled with fear and uncertainty, but yours with Aemond…pure love and respect. You didn’t even think of the means he was able to make this happen. But now, you wouldn’t have to leave for the North with a man who would never see you as his equal. Now, you have the chance to live with the love of your life for the rest of your days.

“She’s yours, my prince.” Your father announced, and you had to stop yourself from jumping with joy.

“You made the right choice. As for you, lord Umber, I want you out of King’s Landing by daybreak. If any of our guards find you after then, I’ll bring you back here and behead you myself. Are we at an understanding?”

“Yes, prince Aemond.” Lord Umber spoke, excusing himself and running with his tail between his legs. No amount of chains could hold a dragon down.

For the first time in Aemond’s life, he didn’t care that he disappointed his mother and grandsire. He gained his father’s permission and that’s all that mattered to him. Although, it wasn’t too difficult to convince a man addled on Milk of the Poppy.

That same night, Aemond came to your chambers, immediately captured in an embrace. “How?” Was all you asked.

“You know how people say Targaryens are closer to gods than men? Well, I just used some of my godly powers.” He grinned, kissing you like his life depended on it. “I hope you aren’t upset with me.”

You huffed incredulously. “Why would I be? Aemond, you save me from a miserable existence in the North. I can’t thank you enough. If you hadn’t done what you did, I’m sure my father would’ve found me another lord so he could fill his pockets.” 

Aemond lifted your chin, forcing you to meet his bright eye. “You won’t have to deal with your father any more, my love. I’ll take care of you. And I will not let anything or anyone come between us. I swear it.”

Finally, Aemond was all yours, and you were his; now and forever.

yeah, i rushed the ending so i could finally finish this. WHAT OF IT???

[animeyanderelover]

Anon: If I may, my request is about Soo won (Akatsuki no Yona), Akutagawa and Chuuya (Bungo Stray Dogs), Floch and Eren (Attack on Titan), Sai and Shikamaru (Naruto), Shu and Subaru (Diabolik lovers), all seperate, with an unbothered reader who's stronger than them physically and has a noble and powerful background even though she's illegitimate she's very much loved by her stepmother and half-siblings anyway, her family, personal servants and few friends are very supportive and caring, and she received a great upbringing and pretty much was free to try and learn anything (as long as not too dangerous from when she was like under 12), so she's also on the very strong side physically and intellectually enriched while having multiple skills. After the kidnapping, she turn out to know it all but didn't mind and she could've always found a way to avoid it but she just didn't as she also have feelings for the yandere and already informed her family and friends she won't be there for a pretty long while and to just ignore it, she's very confident in herself and great at communicating when uncomfortable without touching the wrong nerves of the yandere and just enjoy her time with the yandere finely, her only big NOs is threats or actions against people she care about, physical violence on her, hiding things after the "kidnapping" already happened and unnecessary killings of strangers because of her.

Tags: @shumidehiro @swagenemyartisan @cachamata @chxxz @leveyani @izanami78

Tw: Yandere themes, possessive behavior, obsession, delusional mindset, protective behavior, paranoia, clinginess, stalking, guilt-tripping, isolation, abduction

I can handle you

Nara Shikamaru

🦌​He didn't always like you. If Shikamaru would have to be honest there was a brief period during his childhood where he held the belief that you would be arrogant and spoiled due to your rich upbringing. Luckily his father quickly taught him better as he told his son that he shouldn't judge a person before getting to know them better. Only after he took the words of his father to heart did Shikamaru actually realise that he had been wrong about you. Because he recognised a similar mindset in other children that he used to have whilst observing you. Children were either avoiding you since they were scared of your noble background or tried to cosy up to you to bask in your wealth only to talk behind your back since it wasn't actually you they were interested in. He doesn't see himself as a hero yet back then he couldn't help but stand up for you, a naive gesture considering that you were more than capable of doing this yourself. Nevertheless though, it was this action he took that led the two of you to become very close friends over the following years. It isn't always easy with you due to your many hobbies that you insist him to join you but he does it still because he wants to spend time with you.

🦌​Shikamaru's obsession is in a similar fashion almost as lazy as he is. It takes time for his feelings to escalate to the point of a real obsession yet being a childhood friend of yours is a good precondition for it to happen. That is when some problems arise that previous weren't there simply because he has such feelings for you now. He used to not mind that you were always busy with training or doing your hobbies because he knew you'd still make time for him. Now the absence actually bothers him and no one is more annoyed by the sudden change of feelings than Shikamaru himself. It's plainly speaking silly and embarrassing that such things now bother him when they didn't in the past. Everything about his feelings has to be carefully concealed when he is in front of you, especially because of your family. Deep down he starts despising just how much troubles he finds himself in simply because your family is so important. He has a feeling that they wouldn't be too thrilled if he were to ask them for your hand in marriage and his frustration partially ends in him slipping up, subtle words meant to influence you. Your sharp mind sadly always catches on, forcing him to cover his slipup up.

🦌​There are a lot of things he needs to consider whilst planning for an abduction, specifically because your family is influential and important. Shikamaru spends months carefully putting everything together and then can only patiently wait until you finally leave the compound of your clan and give him the best chance to abduct you. Only to find out later on that you had a feeling that he would do something like this but decided to let it happen anyways because you also love him. There are a lot of things he could reply to that yet the only thing he can manage is a groan. Seriously? Couldn't you have told him that sooner? Do you even know how many hours he spent crafting this plan? Shikamaru finds himself neither particularly surprised nor shocked about this revelation though. It is after all just like you to pull off something like this. Now that the cat is out of the back though he sees no reason to keep any secrets anymore which ends in both of you having a long discussion about how things should proceed between the two of you now, something that feels more diplomatic than it should be considering the content of the talk yet both of you come to an agreement.

Sai

🖌️Sai has done his fair share of bloody work whilst working for Root and it is actually through a mission that he was tasked with that he met you. Danzo had gazed upon your family with growing dislike as your clan spoke up against some of Konoha's unsavory incidents and mistakes, something that caused the leader of Root to consider you a threat. At the same time it was undeniable that the support and influence of your family was too important to lose, meaning that Danzo needed a bait to ensure that your family would continue giving their support and benefitting Konoha as a result. That's how Sai was tasked with watching over you, the illegitimate heir of the family who was still very much beloved. If things were to turn to worse and your clan would consider breaking off any relationship with the village Sai would take you as a hostage to ensure that everything would proceed as it had done for the last few decades. Even Sai must admit though that it was remarkably difficult to keep a constant eye out on you. Not only because you were well-guarded but also because sometimes he had an intuition that you knew that he was watching you, your gaze lingering in the direction he was hiding.

🖌️He spends a remarkable amount of time keeping an eye on you, following you from the shadows as you go on with your days. You are very skilled in taijutsu, genjutsu and weaponry as far as he can observe which leads him to start analysing your abilities so that he can counter them if Danzo should give him the order to capture you. He watches you and watches you and watches you until he knows everything about you, can fluently inform someone of your schedule throughout the entire week and knows you better than he has known everyone else in his life, even himself. Unaware to even himself he has grown an obsessive fascination with you, one Danzo takes note of when Sai ends up rambling about you whilst giving his report as he drifts off and just starts telling the old man about everything that he noticed about you that week and about little quirks of yours that fascinate him. He's especially fond of the fact that you have taken a liking to drawing, has watched you countless times in the past either doodling something idly on paper or spend hours painstakingly painting something on canvas. Sai himself has mutliple sketches featuring you, all capturing moments you fascinated him.

🖌️Root is the last restrain that keeps him from abducting you so when Danzo is killed by Sasuke there are no chains holding him back anymore. By now Sai has also realised what this funny feeling in his chest is that he constantly experiences when he does as much as thinking about you. His time in team 7 has opened his eyes and Sakura especially has done a good job explaining to him what this sensation in his chest is. So this is love. It isn't like him to rush things, especially since he is still unfamiliar with love but when you leave your clan to travel he knows that this is a chance too good to miss. He wants to show you though that he is no stranger though you have never met him before so he makes sure to hang up all of the sketches he made of you over the years in the room he takes you in as soon as you are abducted. You handle the situation incredibly well though, handle Sai very well. He just stares at you with his black eyes as you list to him what you will and won't tolerate, the scenario familiar to him as it reminds him of someone giving him orders for a mission which makes it easier for him to understand. He accepts the conditions though as you promise to stay with him.

Eren Yeager

👊​Eren meets you during his time in the Survey Corps as you and your family reside in Wall Sina. You have been fairly isolated from the life behind the walls you lived in as your family always thought that they were better than other commoners. When Historia is crowned Queen and a lot of nobles are stripped of their reputation for being involved with the impostor king you are spared as you offer your honest support for the new Queen as well as the other Survey Corps. You're talented and gifted, everything Eren doesn't believe he is yet you possess such a curiosity of the world outside that almost overwhelms him at times. It reminds him too much of his younger self and the innocence he has lost over the years. Nevertheless he indulges you and tells you stories. Initially he leaves out everything that he wish he wouldn't have seen yet you quickly realise that he is hiding things from you and call him out for it. You want to know the truth after all. You have been sheltered enough. That surprises him but eventually he does as you wish, realising that he was just trying to hide you from knowledge and a burden he sometimes wishes he wouldn't have been loaded with.

👊​Over the years Eren starts trauma-dumping when he is around you. Some of his worries he just feels like he can't share with even Armin and Mikasa yet around you he can. He never explicitly states what is plaguing his mind but you never push him to tell you the entire truth either as you just listen to him and then comfort him in a way you knows works perfectly for him. Maybe that is why he finds himself seeking you out more and more whenever he feels his soul being tormented by the visions that he sees and the knowledge that he can't share with anyone. You're able to put him at ease in ways no one else is able to do and since he has a lot of stuff on his mind he starts searching for you more and more often. He longs for your voice and your gentle touch until it eventually becomes an obsession. He's agitated when he doesn't know where you are and one day without being in your embrace greatly affects his mood and only enhances the silent stress he is feeling. He starts to get controlling, asks the Yeagerists to keep an eye out on you so that you are always well protected. He knows you are capable of fighting yet paranoia outweights any logic he possesses.

👊​The thing that ultimately breaks him is when he starts catching glimpses of the future where you are with him. A path that is shaky and delicate, visions that are like smoke as he is unable to properly grasp them. Eren knows that he doesn't have much time left but he desperately longs for that future that he sometimes sees but if it won't happen by itself he will force this path to appear. That is how you soon find yourself locked away by Yeagerists who keep a sharp eye on you. Eren is fully prepared to push down any guilty feelings when he steps into the room, prepared to appear as determined and cold-hearted. It is your confession of not only having expected this to happen but also of your own feelings that shatters that ruthless facade. You know him far too well to let yourself get fooled by his cruel appearance and perhaps that is why he clings so much to you. You see the vulnerable boy beneath the Titan. Eren expected that he would have to calm you down and even intimidate you so you wouldn't throw too much of a scene yet it ends up being the complete opposite. You end up calming him down as he is the one clinging to you and begging silently for comfort.

Floch Forster

🟫​Floch initially just despises you. After all you are just a spoiled and naive little thing that knows nothing about the struggles people like him had to go through so that your noble arse would be safely protected. Yet you have the utter trust of Queen Historia which leaves him with little to no choice but to tolerate your presence. Nevertheless, he throws a lot of shade your way only for you to reply with an equal amount of sass back which does surprise him a lot. He expected you to be offended or not know how to reply but you are very much capable of standing up for yourself which is something he begrudgingly accepts and maybe even admires. Still, he avoids you a lot due to his dislike. That is until he starts seeing and realising what you are capable of. You're smart, skilled and even know how to properly use an ODM gear despite having never been part of the Military. How do you know how to use one of those? That is when he finds out that you have always been allowed to train in a lot of different areas and that you are not just a weak and spoiled noble but a courageous and talented lady whose assistance is desperately needed for the future of Paradise Island.

🟫​That is when he starts to get jealous. In a way Floch feels undermined, something he absolutely despises. You're probably underestimating him, especially if you were to find out just how much of a coward he used to be back in the days. None of that is true but it is in his head. He doesn't avoid you anymore but instead starts actively seeking you out. He needs to have you stop underestimating him, needs you to acknowledge him or needs to simply find one single flaw that he can target to elevate his own ego. Yet even the flaws he discovers and targets you carry with dignity he could only dream of possessing and all of it slowly drives him mad. He's obsessed already with you, constantly bothers you and follows you around like a creep yet no one can tell him to stop. Perfect. You are far too perfect. How can one single woman be so utterly perfect? You are everything he should aspire to be, everything anyone should hope to be and it is this gradual realisation that is the last push he needs to spiral down the rabbit hole of obsession. Now more than ever he is desperate for approval and acknowledgement yet internalised self-doubt of his own still lets him believe that you secretly hate him.

🟫​As someone who is essentially the leader of the Yeagerists Floch uses the brooding mood that arises within the population of Paradise Island as the conflict unfolds to capture you. After all you are on your own as most nobles who were in power during the reign of the fake king are imprisoned and despised by the overall public. Now he finally has a chance to talk to you, to get you to see him as more than a loser. You should side with him. He can protect you, he knows how the mind of the larger crowd works. In his mind he has prepared a speech already yet you just have to shatter his plans when you nonchalantly admit that not only you knew of his plans but that you also love him even if he is quite a nasty person and that you never got a chance to tell him since he never listened to you properly. Floch is dumbfounded to the point where he stays silent for a solid minute before he starts laughing. He refuses to believe that what you just said is the truth. Because if it would be he would only cement himself further as a fool in his own eyes and would only feel secretly more insecure when in your presence. God, sometimes he despises just how smart and perfect you are.

Sakamaki Shu

🎵Illegitimate or not, your family is one of immense power and influence which gains the attention of his cursed father. Karlheinz shows an interest in your family and especially in you even though you are an illegitimate child. From a very young age on he suggests that perhaps one of his sons should be your husband in later years and Beatrix instantly grabs the chance as soon as she perceives it. Whenever your family is visiting she forces Shu to tag along with her and introduces him to your parents and to you as well. The boy is meticulously tidied up on such occasions as his mother has cleaned him and dressed him up properly, constantly reminding him to be on his best behavior in front of your family. For Shu none of it has ever been fun as he had never interest in being engaged forcefully even though he didn't hate you per se. It is after the death of his dear friend that he completely retreats within himself, his heart growing colder. The words and pleads of his mother to charm you and to prove himself as a good choice of a future husband fall on deaf ears as he doesn't care anymore. He just wants to be left alone. He doesn't care about an arranged marriage or about you.

🎵As if sensing that something is wrong with him, you suddenly start seeking him out a tad bit more without overwhelming him. Shu ususally either ignores you or tells you bluntly that he doesn't want any company and even though you feel like leaving him alone with his sorrow is wrong, initially you respect his wishes. After all you yourself don't know what the proper way to consult him is and until you have figured that out you decide to give him some time. She just appreciates that you left him alone at all. Until one day you suddenly appear again, this time though you carry a violin with you. It does gain you a lazy look from him before he closes his eyes again but he has given you a moment of attention and hasn't told you off either so you see this as a sign to continue. You're still new to playing violin as it is something that you have only recently picked up so you mess up a few tunes yet you still sense somehow that Shu is listening in. He doesn't say anything the first few times when you repeat this process but one day eventually he actually stands up when you are done with your play and asks if he can borrow your violin. You've gotten a few notes wrong. Listen to him playing so you don't get it wrong again.

🎵You know in that moment that you have won him over and from that day on those sessions continue. Initially it always involves a violin or sometimes also a piano as the two of you start playing together. With passing time sometimes he just listens to music together with you whilst sharing an earphone with you or he just simply listens to you as you tell him what is going on with your life. This has been going on for decades, decades in which he started thinking about being your husband in a less negative light, especially whenever his other brothers try to get under his skin and mock him that they might try to become your husband in the future. He sees a future with you, only with you and away from the chaos of the mansion he is living in. That's why he lures you away to the countryside into a cottage, hoping for peace with you in this small house. Much to his relief you have a very calm reaction to it all and he can only give you an amused huff when you inform him that you expected him to try something like this for a while now. You know-it-all. You could have saved him all the effort if you would have just taken the lead sooner and confessed your feelings to him.

Sakamaki Subaru

⬜Subaru has spent more time watching you from a window than actually being right next to you. Whilst all of his other half-brothers were allowed to play with you and get to know you he was kept away from you as if he were a dangerous dog that might bite you. As a young child this mainly just saddened him as he had secretly hoped to be your friend. After all you always looked so happy and pretty whilst playing with the triplets or listening to Reiji when he told you something interesting. As the years passed that sadness grew into bitterness though. You probably wouldn't even want to meet him even if you had the chance. Who would want to be friends with a monster after all? At one point he stops looking through the window, stops admiring you from a distance to not torment himself anymore. As if sensing his growing anguish though that is when you one day appear right in front of him whilst he is sitting alone in the garden of the mansion. He's far too surprised to say anything as he just stares at you but it is the careful question of yours if he's alright or not that frees him from his trance. He stands up and abruptly leaves, tells you harshly that he doesn't want you to follow him.

⬜​He regrets it later that night that he spoke to you so rudely. Subaru just didn't know what else he should have said in that moment. Maybe it's better that way though. Now you at least have seen the real him and will probably ignore him from now on. Only that it never happens. Instead you start to search for him and his dead heart always leaps in his chest when he sees you waving to him whilst he's staring at you through the windows. Loneliness eventually gets the better of him and when all his other brothers are gone he seeks you out. He's awkward, doesn't know how to act around you and at times that leads to him saying something rude yet you are never scared or angry around him. You understand that he has probably had his fair share of terrible experiences in this family and always keep that in mind when he lashes out. You're the first friend Subaru has ever had and he quickly grows attached and protective. He's terrified that one day you might change your opinion and see him as nothing more as a brute, fears that you may prefer one of his other brothers over him and abandon him for them. It should be no surprise that those feelings bloom into a romantic obsession.

⬜​It is when he is informed from Reji that your family considers choosing one of them as your husband that Subaru ultimately falls victim to his paranoia though. After all why would your parents choose him? They will probably choose someone like Reiji who is educated and sophisticated. He's going to lose you after all those years now, isn't he? There is barely a grand plan that Subaru forms. He just one day drags you away with him, as far away from the Sakamaki mansion as he can whilst keeping a tight grip on you. Both of you eventually stop in the middle of nowhere and that is when you finally decide to talk to him. You already have a very good idea what his motives are and your suspicions are confirmed when he lashes out with his overwhelmed emotions. He doesn't want to lose you, especially not to one of his brothers. You're all he ever had. He would have never expected you to confess that you have feelings for him as well, after all he was always told that he was nothing more than a monster. He doesn't believe you either when you tell him that you have feelings for him, thinking that you're just trying to calm him down. If you're not lying though, he'll try. He'll try for you.

Akutagawa Ryunosuke

⬛️It is quite risky to work as closely with Akutagawa as you do. He has a reputation for being aggressive, easily angered and prone to using violence to the point where not even the current leader of the Port Mafia has full control over him. You are very focused on doing what you are supposed to do though and it isn't like you don't know who he is when you specifically ask for Akutagawa's help. Your family has some good ties with the Port Mafia after all which is why Mori isn't opposed to offering you some help when you inform him that you need one of his men to take care of a problem or two. Akutagawa just seems like the right guy to you when you are offered different options and Mori doesn't question your decision too much as he knows that you are pretty good in assessing a situation and making the decision needed. Other people are quite cautious around Akutagawa and you can't blame them. He isn't exactly the most friendly person there is but he's here to get a job done and you acknowledge that. It takes you a little bit before you have figured out what the best way to handle him is but after that luckily you are able to communicate well enough with him.

⬛️The two of you spend a lot of time together and more than just once you have to stop him from acting on impulse. He can't just storm in after all, a little bit of planning is always needed. Despite your position Akutagawa treats you quite rudely when he is mad and somehow you find that quite amusing. It's not everyday that someone gives you such an attitude after all. The relationship between the two of you is somewhat strained but it still works. Until one day you happen to get into a tricky situation and whilst Akutagawa would have saved you, you decide to take care of the situation yourself and that is when he feels for the first time something akin to respect for you. After all not only are you calculated and smart but are also very capable of fighting for yourself. You're strong... Why does this bother him so much though? Unbeknownst to him his feelings have already started shifting and with this arises a fear that you might never fully acknowledge him if he isn't strong enough. It is a fear he last experienced with Dazai only that this time it escalates even further as his obsession grows and festers within his soul.

⬛️Akutagawa is just itching to prove himself which ultimately leads him to abandon the plan you made as he just slaughters everyone he is supposed to target brutally and by the time you arrive the bloodbath is already over. Your mild disappointment almost makes him nauseous when you see the scene in front of you. It is when you decide that he has done his job and that he should return to the Port Mafia that Akutagawa snaps. You're just sending him away as if he's worth nothing to you. He won't allow you to deprive him of acknowledgement and respect like this. Everyone else would be terrified when faced with the sight of him enraged, Rashomon activated and towering over them yet you remain quite calm. Somehow this adds only salt to the wound as it feels like you aren't even acknowledging just how terrifying his ability is. He doesn't want to admit that he has feelings for you even when you point it out to him but he does react when you admit that you have feelings for him, a look of disbelief crossing his face as he analyses you closely to figure out if you're lying to him or not. He loathes this situation as it is as he hates that you are the one with control in this situation.

Nakahara Chuuya

🟠​Chuuya and you meet whilst your family discusses a possible partnership with the Port Mafia. You have quite the target on your back, not only as the heir of the family but also because not everyone is too fond of you as you are an illegitimate child so Chuuya is actually there for additional protection. You don't mind too much since he is charming and sweet. It does annoy you a bit though that he follows you wherever you go though you know that he has his orders and that an important partnership is on the line here, meaning that consequences would be grave if he were to let something happen to you. Whilst it isn't pleasant it isn't something you aren't used to either as you have grown up with bodyguards surrounding you. You're just hoping that Chuuya won't be as strict as some of your bodyguards and you seem to have struck gold with him when you discover that a bit of begging and pretty eyes seem to do it for him. If the pretty lady wants to enjoy her time in Yokohama he'll see it through that he fulfills you your wish though you still have to promise him to stay close to him. Other than that Chuuya just allows you to have a great time in the city.

🟠​You visit the Port Mafia a lot even after the partnership has been formed simply to get out of your home for a bit and every time Chuuya is assigned to keep an eye on you. At this point the both of you know each other quite well and Chuuya sometimes even jokes that at this point you're just hanging out with him for fun and not because you actually require his protection. He's seen you in action before and he won't lie, his ego was slightly let down when he figured out that he couldn't play hero for you but he's just made sure to turn his flattery up a few notches since then. He loves buying you something as soon as it catches your eye even though you could easily effort it by yourself, insisting that he would like to do at least something for you and he always invites you to dinner with him in expensive restaurants. He's not one to deny what is obvious. Chuuya knows that he has fallen in love with you more than he should have but he can't blame himself for it whenever he looks at you. He just wishes that he could do more and provide for you than he can do now. After all you have already everything many people could only dream of, meaning that he has to impress you all the more.

🟠​It's quite likely that the abduction has a more dire background considering the position and the importance that you have. Chuuya can't just simply abduct you after all, not when you are part of the family that his boss works with. Maybe someone did manage to almost get to you and actually injured you, something that would cause Chuuya to act for a short amount of time on his paranoia more than his logic. After all he is a highly protective man. That's probably how you wind up in his house all whilst he is fussing over your wounds before you manage to calm him down enough for him to sit down and listen. It's after he has slightly calmed down that he winds up confessing to you that he can't bear the thought of something happening to you because he loves you and that all he wants is to protect you. This isn't how he had planned things to go, he wanted to properly court you and win your heart over instead of sloppily blurting his feelings out whilst sitting on a couch. He's frustrated and angry with the situation as well as himself until you decide to follow his example and confess to him as well, promising to inform your family that you'll be gone for a while until he's calmed down.

Soo-Won

👑​The Kouka Kingdom welcomes the arrival of your family with high hopes and expectations as you are ambassadors of a neighbouring kingdom with which the current king hopes to form an alliance as the other option would be one of conflict and maybe even war. You are also allowed to travel along as your father feels like it is important for you to get a real taste of what diplomacy is after he has taught you years about strategies, tactics and everything you need to know when you eventually take over his role. Soo-Won and you both share the same thought when spotting each other for the first time when your family is greeted into his palace. Both of you think that the other one doesn't look like too much of a threat but at the same time both of you can't help but feel that there is much more than either of you can see on the surface. You can't help but think that there is a dark determination hidden beneath that soft and fragile appearance and Soo-Won can't help but feel like you could be much more dangerous than you look. It is a keen intuition about each other that both of you share and during the banquet held in the evening both of you keep on glancing at each other.

👑​What follows is a carefully concealed game of cat and mouse only that is remains unclear who is the cat and who is the mouse. Soo-Won seeks you out and converses with you, questions you how you like it in Kouka and that if you experience any discomfort you can tell him. He uses his carefree and somewhat oblivious personality in an attempt for you to let your guard down yet you remain cautious with the information you reveal. Slightly frustrating but also much more exhilarating in return. In some aspects you remind him of himself as you are very reserved when it comes to revealing too much about yourself. As underhanded of a strategy as it might be, at one point he attempts to crack your facade by subtly bringing up the topic of you being an illegitimate child only to be left even more impressed by you when you hold your head high and masterfully answer the question only for you to return the blow as you question him about his own father, especially the crimes he committed. You are a dangerous player on this field, Soo-Won realises that much yet at the same time he can't help but be drawn to you for some reason. It is almost ironic that despite his intelligence he knows so little about love.

👑​When Soo-Won finally realises that he has fallen in love with you, because someone pointed it out to him, he isn't as surprised as he thought he would be. After all it is hard not to fall for a sharp-minded and talented beauty like you. His mind is quickly made up to claim you as his. He could attempt to write your father and ask for your hand in marriage yet he wonders if you have noticed his feelings for you, is curious how you would react if he were to expose his darker side to you. It is this eerie curiosity that leads him to lure you to his bedchambers before locking the door and ordering the guards to not let you out. Any kindness vanishes from his face as he observes you like a hawk, trying to detect any sign of fear on your face or in your body language only to be met with composure and confidence. He can't say that he hates it though, especially once you confirm his suspicion and admit that you knew about his feelings before even he himself was aware of it. You appeal to him though that there is no need for any casualties for he can have an alliance with your kingdom as well as you for you also love him. Looking at you he knows you're going to be his greatest enemy as well as the best Queen.