#it's so hard i wouldnt wish it on anyone

[klapollo]

i dont talk about my ocd much because im blessed enough to have worked hard enough at my ERP and taking my meds for a long time that it doesnt really interfere with my life too badly right now but it ruined me for a long, long time. i lost many years of my life -- especially my early adulthood -- to it. my grades suffered. my social life was nonexistent for a long time. i missed out on so many things i'll never get back.

there were months where all i would do was sit on the couch and literally scream at the top of my lungs because i was constantly doing mental compulsions and i wanted to silence my intrusive thoughts. ive had nearly every theme you can imagine -- contamination, scrupulosity, sexual OCD, real event OCD, numbers, superstitions. i only really got to a point where i could finally function about two years ago, after being in and out of a deep haze since i started college, and i still struggle from time to time with some things.

i guess what im saying here is if youre in the throes of severe mental illness right now, even if it's been years, youre not hopeless and you can find a way to live with it. i'll be fighting this battle for the rest of my life and i have to be constantly vigilant to avoid relapsing, and there's a good chance i will anyway, but i like to think i get stronger every time i fight it off again.

[phagodyke]

was gonna say smth else but this turned into a vent sorry everyone just ignore. typical weekend post on this blog u know how it is here we go👍

[dreadfuldevotee]

i am just...so profoundly tired of being me

[todayisafridaynight]

Prior to sending the ask I was just guessing what matrophobia meant based on the root words but I looked it up after and went ohhhh and then you confirmed that extra dimension to it and I went OHHHHH

I think that gets to the heart of what I've been thinking about, that bittersweetness, because despite his best efforts... of course he could never end up anything like Yoko, but he still ended up with an abusive "household." Because in addition to Masato ending up how he did, he has to see those same situations play out, feel that same tension in the air between Jo and Ichi, over and over for almost a decade straight.

Like, in a way, he's forced to put himself in Toshio's shoes when that happens. He can't really get through to Jo, in the same way Toshio can't get through to Yoko, but he can try to step in before lasting damage is done, and he can try to make it bearable for his son. You know. Have a nice talk. Treat him to Peking duck. I'm SO normal about the (drawn-out) parallels of those scenes

So then with Jo... he kind of does become his father, even if he never wanted to (no one wants to), both through his ruinous neglect of Masato at birth and through how he comes to look at discipline and corporal punishment. I'm sure it's not lost on him in Masato's case (owww), but with Ichi, it's not like he has any reason to see him as his son... But How Far Can That Take You.

Because it's like, at the start, he was openly beating Ichi in front of Arakawa and not letting up much when Arakawa intervened. But then you have The Yubitsume Scene and Arakawa walking in on All That and... he looks sorry. Sorry for being caught, probably, but sorry nonetheless. Like... what changed between then and now... have you two had a Heartfelt Conversation... do you know where Arakawa got that scar... are you unable to change your "nature" even then...

Side note bro your SHOE is the size of his TORSO I promise you do not need to kick him with all the strength you've got like what the hell is this 😭😭😭

BUT ALL THAT ASIDE thank you so much for delving into the symbolism! Wonderful read. I don't really have an eye for symbolism, so that makes it all the more enjoyable to revisit the comic and everything with what you've gone into. I think a lot of your experiences resonate with mine, so conversely I'm not sure what others would take away from it, BUT I think there's enough there that's so insightful and evocative that it's effective without personal experience. I don't think there's anything I could add, so. Yeah. For once I am happy to sit back and take it all in... On that note, definitely looking forward to your next comic!

AUUUGH YEAAAH YEAHEYA HYEAH THAT EXACTLY OUUUGH OWIEE OWW.....

that's literally it though. like no extra notes. except The Obligatory Few i dont think it was an accident that arakawa is set up as the beginning of the game's 'protagonist' and planting that 'troubled family' taste first thing in our mind. i remember how i felt when i first saw arakawa walk in on jo and ichi and then arakawa taking ichi out for dinner i was just like🧍‍♂️Girl No The Cycle.... It's Continuing...... //screams// LIKE UGH IT WAS SO GOOD BUT ALSO OWWW STOPPP and then on the REPLAY it just hurts more cause with the added context to jo's character its like Oh No...... You're Your Father's Son....

and youre right: jo doesn't have an implicit reason to see how he treats ichi is wrong, hence he similarly doesnt have any reason to stop- not unless arakawa intervenes of course (and i will stand outside my window thinking of the possibility arakawa ever did try to have A Conversation with jo... arms folded behind my back and all like Man™️....)

oh but yeah, absolutely no problem ! im lowkey of an egotist so i do like to talk bout the stuff i make. More In Depth (though thats obvious considering the fuckin essays in the tags i always leave ☠️☠️) gerjlgaELKjg. so i was happy to explain ♪(´▽｀) !! what i like about symbolism is that it can be intentional or not, and the fun is always finding it just by chance. i cant explain it properly, but i just think its a neat 'seasoning' of sorts to drawings (❁´◡`❁)

[winking]

hmmm

[shewhoeatssand]

I think about damp sweaty Shironeki too much for someone who has not ever drawn a damp Shironeki

[heartboreo]

[snekdood]

really stalling and dreading going through the next... hurdle of art i have to sort on da......

[elegyofthemoon]

@longagoitwastuesday see you get it lol

I dont remember Alice's voice tbh I think it was like one of those voices where I just shrugged off because every female anime character sounds like that... not to say thats a GOOD thing but its just 😔 Ah. Okay

BUT OK you get what I mean right?? about Jack's voice?? Like it's not Jack. It's a good voice just not for HIS character >_>

I don't remember much about the anime either. Last time I watched it was 4 years ago when I finally revisited PH, so I only ever remember being nitpicky about Leo and that's also because Elliot and Leo were the reasons I picked up the series and finally finished it again jfndndn so I was like. sorely disappointed fjdjdj

[phagodyke]

trying to watch all of us strangers and it's just making me cry really hard this is why I don't do romance movies WAH

[booty-uprooter]

some tips on how to make bosses easier if youre feeling theyre too hard:

play a ranged physical dps class. that way you can hang back to keep an eye on the arena and what the boss is doing without having to worry about needing to stand still long enough to complete an induction

on that note, inductions are considered finished before the bar is full. you can usually move right before it fills and still have it go off, but it takes some trial and error to figure out how close you can cut it

move your ui around. my own life was made immeasurably easier when i put the target right above my hotbar so i wouldnt have to pay attention to both the top and bottom of the screen at the same time, but try stuff out and see what works best for you

the best time to mitigate an attack is right before the boss finishes casting it. the second best time is as soon as the mit becomes available, every time it becomes available

use addle and feint. you almost never see these used in casual content and it's a waste because they really are extremely useful skills at any level

use arm's length and surecast. there are some knockbacks they dont work on but those are rare. if you know youre gonna get pushed, use these and you probably won't get pushed

take advantage of duty support. the npcs know the mechanics. watch them and let them teach you

particle effects cant hurt you (usually). with the exception of puddles that stay on the ground for a while or layered stacks like akh morn, as long as youre not standing on the marker when it disappears (or are if it's a stack), you're in the clear. feel free to move through the animation if necessary. more and more mechanics require you to do so to be in position for the next one in time

it's usually fine to let spread markers overlap. just, yknow, make sure another person isnt in yours (though its the responsibility of anyone without a spread to keep themselves out of harms way)

when in doubt, ask your party members. it's extremely rare to match with a group of randos and have everyone be a first-timer. most players are happy to help, and the ones that know the mechanics but are bad at explaining them will usually just stick a marker on themselves (usually a triangle) for you to follow

read your tool tips. boss fights are as much a test of how well you know your class as they are your ability to read and react to mechanics. unless youre playing a healer or paladin, youre going to use your entire kit, so make sure you know what everything does

on that note, freecure is a scam. once you get cure ii/benefic ii, you will never need cure or benefic again. keep them on your hotbar for when you get synced content if you wish, but otherwise you do not need them. do not use them

if you play multiple classes, try to keep skills that do the same/similar things at the same spot on your hotbar. this isn't always possible bc despite what some may claim, not all classes of the same type are actually identical, but it will save you a lot of headaches

entirely new and unique mechanics are rare to the point of being nigh nonexistent. everything is a remix of something else and practicing in lower level content can actually be a big help

look up guides. the internet is full of them in pretty much whatever form works best for you (though they can be of admittedly variable quality)

turn down party effects. theyre on one of the tabs under character configuration > controls. if you put them on minimum you can still see heals and such but you wont have your screen constantly full of explosions

turn on target health percentage. this one is under character configuration > ui. it lets you better see how close the boss is to going down

make summons smaller. we all love titan's ass but not when it's the only thing you can see. "/petsize all small" will make this problem go away

relax and have fun. panicking leads to mistakes, which can lead to worse mistakes. if you need to take a second to breathe, do so. your party members probably wont mind waiting a minute or two between pulls

[drdemonprince]

since u said to ask u questions about money. i’ve been struggling with whether/how to save for retirement. my boomer parents have been prepping for retirement and encouraging me to have retirement funds but it’s hard to balance with a lot of doomer feelings about the future. like the “why throw money at a retirement i may not even have” type of feeling. do you have a take here?

Saving for retirement is not *just* so you have resources when you are 67 or whatever. It's also so you are not as dependent upon an employer now. I strongly strongly recommend that anyone who does have the means to save research the FI/RE movement, and specifically throw some money into high interest savings accounts (Vanguard's money market account is a good one) or an index fund -- my investments are literally up 14% this year, it's money you're completely leaving on the table if you just have it sitting in a checking or even a low-yield savings account. If you're socking any money away at all, it should be working *for* you and generating income, otherwise that savings is losing value over time due to inflation. It's really all about having some cushion that makes you less dependent upon any single employer or your family or a spouse, so you can walk away if anything gets hairy. It's also so you have a slush fund to take care of emergencies and your friends. I really wish that more left-leaning people wouldnt just throw their hands up and conclude that exercising any kind of financial agency is useless, bc that thinking makes us way easier to starve and exploit! The wealthy people exploiting us want us throwing every last penny away and feeling powerless.

I recommend reading Mr Money Mustache, the book Boggleheads, following the financialindependence and leanfire subreddits, and finding the Socially Conscious Mustachians facebook group.

[manmuncher777]

Hii could you do a Targaryen men and how they would react to their wife giving birth to twin boys?

Of course my love!! thank you for the ask, I love this idea. xoxo

𝐓𝐚𝐫𝐠𝐚𝐫𝐲𝐞𝐧 𝐦𝐞𝐧 𝐰𝐡𝐞𝐧 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐠𝐢𝐯𝐞 𝐛𝐢𝐫𝐭𝐡 𝐭𝐨 𝐭𝐰𝐨 𝐭𝐰𝐢𝐧 𝐛𝐨𝐲𝐬

Daemon

I feel like this is going to be a really hard time for Daemon, he would be full of mixed emotions.

From his own experience of being a brother to the king and craving that power for himself, you can tell he worries a lot for the future. He worries that you boys will have a power struggle much like he did. The only thing he can be glad of is the fact it wont be for the crown, just the inheritance of what you and Daemon share. But still the idea worries Hi greatly. it also brings back negative memeories he has of his childhood and his relationship with his brother.

Often after spending time with your sons Daemon will take some time alone afterwards

However this doesn’t make him love his sons any less, he was so proud of you when he saw your two beautiful boys, he struggled to stay in the same room when you were giving birth due to what happened with leanna, but when he saw you wre okay and both your children were healthy, he had no worries and shot straight to you side. All he could do was whisper how proud he was of strong girl for giving him two beautiful children. You had given him his firsts sons and he couldn’t be happier,

The idea of raising young men did worry Daemon a little, he was aware that he was going to need to be more involved, and he was conscious they would turn out like him. BUt that was something he should be looking forward to you told him.

He knew it was going to be different that raising girls, but Daemon would be fine. It took him a few months to get the hang of it, but you were glad he had some male company, even if they were his children

Aemond

Truthfully Aemond was very nervous before you gave birth. However he didn’t wish to show that so he actually avoided you a bit, nothing extreme. But he would spend him evening out before coming to bed with you. He would merely go out and walk. Just thinking

He would never tell anyone this but he was worried about a good father, He couldn’t help but feel the insecurities of his childhood flowing back when he released the responsibility he was about to have

BUt when you went into labour he couldn’t even remember why he was stress, all of those thoughts melted away and were replaced by undying love for his beautiful wife.

He couldn’t believe you still managed to look angelic after having pushed two humans out of you

Honestly he didn’t care too much about the gender of your children, but when he saw you gave him two sons he couldn’t have been happier.

He swore in that moment to be an involved father in his children lives unlike his own dad.

He was going to give his children the life they deserved

during your labours he sat silently by your side, holding onto your hand and kisses your head gently. He didn’t want to stress you out any more by creating a fuss. He couldn’t believe how string you were to give him two sons in a row. but it just made him more greatful for you

Aegon

Aegon couldn’t be happier, of course there was the worry of whether you were going to birth a girl or a boy. Secretly he was happy with either but he knew that wouldnt flu with the small council.

so when you have him not one but twi boys it was safe to say he was over the moon, part of him happy that neither of you had to face the scrutiny of his mother and the hand.

And he was also happy because he had two beautiful boys who were strong and healthy

You had fear over what was happening with the succession, which son would be king? did you just pick the one that came out first, but what if you get them mixed up. or what if they fight over it in the future.

Aegon could see all the worry you had, and told you not to worry. You were getting ahead of yourself, they have only just been born

he wished to enjoy the moment.

He was right next to you when you were giving birth. otto had suggested against it but he refused to miss the birth of his first born child

Your ladies hand to move him away from you however when he started getting in the way, it wasnt on purpose to be fair. He was trying to help.

But when he saw the first of your sons in your arms no one could stop him from being by your side, and stroking you hair and you both cooed down at the newborn in front of you

When he saw you pushing again he almost let out a yell of excitement

truth be told he couldn’t wait to be a father, his children would get whatever they wanted

[where-does-the-heart-lie]

totally forgot what you think of shippy stuff but im gonna ask you anyway !!! do u think sabo n law would be friends ??! more than that ?! cause they have like . . . one arc together plus stampede and they dont seem to hate each other so !! im curious of your thoughts 🎤

Their dynamic for me is kinda just like “this guy is my little brother’s friend” kind of feel and thats really it for me. Like ifykyk what that dynamic is but for me they just,,,, theyre too similar to eachother to be much more than that in my opinion. I feel like Sabo naturally drifts to people who are very different than him, if that makes sense.

I think all the ship art I’ve seen of them is really funny though. Like they have a lot of comedic potential, I love people putting Law in Situations and that man is just doomed to be the StraightMan for the rest of his unintentionally sexy life.

And also like, to get into law’s world you really have to push and shove and claw your way in there, and Sabo is way too busy trying to get tf outta wherever he is to do that for law.

Now that im thinking about it though, i wish we knew how sabo and ace met. Cuz like luffy really had to push and shove and claw his way into Ace’s life, so i wonder if sabo had to do the same. Thats really besides the point though because i wouldnt really compare Sabo being completely alone and friendless when he was 5 and trying to find even a single friend in Ace, to Sabo in his adult years who grew up without a single memory of being alone and being constantly surrounded by people who love him.

Sabo isnt like Luffy is with making friends. Luffy has had multiple points in his life where hes had to really force people into friendship to have someone, anyone, in his life. This naturally is because he hates being alone, mostly stemming from just truly no one being there for him to connect with. He’s been woefully devoid of peers in his life. So for Luffy, having to brute force his way into people’s lives is just par for the course for him, which of course is how he became Law’s friend (self proclaimed)

But Sabo, with how he was raised post amnesia, he was never lonely. So in my opinion he wouldnt really have that drive to force his way into people’s lives like his little brother does. He wouldnt have that insecurity that Luffy has/had to make him like that.

And Law….. he’s had everyone he’s ever loved ripped away from him time and time again. To say being Law’s friend is extremely fucking hard is an understatement to say the extreme least. Sabo is also not the kind of guy to do things for people. Like for example Bartolomeo drowning in the colosseum as sabo destroyed the arena and just telling him “youre a man, do it yourself.” And then two seconds later to his woman friend he’s like “since when can you not take care of things yourself?” Like he’s very You Gotta Meet Him Halfway If Youre Gonna Meet Him At All. (‘Woman friend’ being koala, of course, but i just wanna emphasize those two points because truly it doesnt matter what your gender is or even if youre a close friend, that ‘do it yourself’ is rated E for Everybody)

Law needs to be broken in with a semi truck to be his friend, not even mentioning trying to be his lover and i really dont think sabo would put in the effort to do either of those things. I honestly think law shouldn’t be in any romantic relationship for a very long time because of how unbelievably traumatized and broken and ruined he is especially with certain recent events. So i really have a hard time shipping him with anyone even though theres lots of characters ripe for the picking.

TDLR: in my eyes, neither of them would put in the effort of trying to be anything with eachother and are kinda just on good terms because of a mutual friend.

By Every Means Necessary though, please keep shipping them and drawing ship art of them, i feel like the stuff i see with them is so creative and i encourage you to keep drawing those tragic men making out.

If you have any other thoughts or any ship/friendship propaganda for me though lmk please. This is kinda one of those ships where i really dont much understand it beyond The Bit. I’m just not the kind of person to really like ships without seeing a direct and canon dynamic between them I can pull from. Like even if its a negative dynamic i can still get into it but like these two truly have Nothing. So by all means, help me understand.

Thank you for coming my ted talk and thank you for the question, i really had to think hard about this and it was a lot of fun coming to the conclusion i came to.

[harukyuu2]

♥🐍ASKING YOU ON A DATE - Y. Endo !!

Hii! thanks for all the likes in the wb posts, i didnt expect it at all so tysm ♥ if anyone wants to send request i'll be grateful

!! - Yamato Endo x reader, neutral reader, mentions of reader being like a sibling to Umemiya, Endo being a jealous and a little obsessive boy as always, maybe a little ooc !!

Endo Yamato still hated Umemiya even if a couple of weeks had happened after his fight with Takiishi. He didnt even hide it, when they were invited to a stupid hangout on Furin, his side eye was BIG and the one from Tsubakino more.

But he couldnt care less about it. He always had to find a way to distract himself from those "hangouts"—after all, he wasnt really part of that little world Umemiya and Takiishi had created. He always found fun in following Sakura around and teasing him, but it seemed the gods had blessed him today because you—the beautiful sibling who isnt stupid and doesnt look like Umemiya—were finally alone with Sakura, not Umemiya.

Your beauty was stunning for him, Its almost like you were made to be a muse, his muse. How long has he been staring at you by now? How many times has he wished youd shrug off Umemiya’s arm from around your shoulder even if he was just showing you off, so you could run to him instead? To his arms, where he could hold you forever and keep you away from everyone else. You’d be safe, only being his since you wouldnt need to speak with others, he could handle that part—a total win in his mind.

He just wished you would turn your head and see him, to notice how much he was trying to get your attention. But since you didnt because you were too focused on Sakura, he shrugged and decided to force himself on that conversation too! It wasnt that hard to make you talk with him, after all its not the first time his eyes lean on you, its not the first time he talks to you. But yet, in the inside he always feels desperated to rush this things with you, to just kiss you already, why does he have to wait? he can see from miles away that youre his. He doesnt like the time its taking to be closer with you, what if a jackass comes and thinks he has an opportunity? he wont like that. But oh well! a small part of him enjoys the thrill of chasing you even if he just said he hated it. Knowing that maybe just maaybe he can make a part of Umemiya mad its enough to make him enjoy this chasing. It wasnt hard to talk to you. Like your brother, you were easygoing and calm—maybe a bit more reserved than him, but still, it wasnt difficult to spark a conversation if something caught your attention. Lucky for him, he found your profile and remembered the things you liked! Not that he was stalking or anything, of course—he was just trying to get to know you better. He’d leave little flirty remarks or subtle moves that, when you finally caught on and laughed starting to reciprocate them, drove him absolutely crazy. After a few minutes of this playful back-and-forth with Sakura stuck awkwardly in the middle, Suo and Nirei came to grab him—it was time to patrol. But this time, Endo didnt follow them, even if he usually enjoyed annoying that trio with his presence. Instead, he gently took your hand, leading you to the back of that stupid school he didnt miss at all, smiling to himself as he realized he’d finally have you alone for a moment.

Pure silence was found in the back of the school, Endo still holding your hand even if you two stopped walking, his thumb caressing your knuckles like if they were precious gems, his intense gaze making you nervous enough to look at the side while that action itself made a small laugh come out with his mocking smile. - "Hey doll, i think eye contact is an important part for a conversation to go fine, dont you agree?" - He stated with a total confidence that got to you easily, with your gazes connecting, he felt a shiver around all his body—he needed you.

"Endo, why are we at the back of the school? Im pretty sure Umemiya and the others are still on the rooftop—oh, including your friend, Takiishi, right?" you ask with a polite smile. To you, Endo seemed like a weird but gentle boy; his appearance told one story, but his actions with you told another.

"Yeah, they’re up there, but I wanted a little more private time with you—just like them, you know? Takiishi wouldnt appreciate his talk being interrupted by us," he says calmly, tilting his head slightly as he looks you up and down, studying your reactions. Then, taking steps closer and closer, he speaks again, a sly edge in his tone. "I’m having fun right now, Doll. Even if it looks like the cat got your tongue."

He lets out a sigh—not one of frustration, but to calm his racing heart. Its ridiculous, really, how just standing there saying nothing, exchanging looks with you, makes him feel like this. - "Look, angel, Im being serious here," he says, his voice softer now. "I like these private conversations we have—just the two of us. Even if... they dont usually last long because of your brother." – that last part was muttered with a small disgust in his tone but you didnt get to say something because he interrupts you immediately

Shrugging, he leans in as he slowly pins you against the wall. Your breath hitches at the closeness, and his intense gaze never wavers. You can feel the warmth of his breath brushing your cheeks. - "You knoooow," he drawls, a teasing edge to his tone, "I wouldnt mind us talking more. Its kinda fun hearing you when you actually say something. So what do you think? Tomorrow, wherever you want, and I’ll pay for whatever you want to eat."

He lets out a laugh at your stunned expression, but he can’t stop the warmth spreading through his chest when you nod excitedly. Ah, the feeling of falling is something he loves. You two talked for a moment, alone and really close—the tension between you almost visible. But now, Endo, enjoying the thrill of the chase more than ever, decides to back off for now. He leans in, pressing a kiss to your cheek, deliberately close to the corner of your lips, before pulling back with a smug grin. Turning away, he starts walking toward the rooftop, clearly expecting you to follow.

"Come on, angel! Move those legs. Takiishi and Umemiya are probably bored out of their minds by now, and I dont want to make your brother mad... for now," he teases with a devilish laugh. His mind, however, is racing. He cant help but picture the look on Umemiya’s face when the two of you return after disappearing for a few minutes. And honestly? He’s already plotting how he’ll push his buttons even more in the future—just to have a few extra stolen moments with you he is capable of anything.

[thelov3lybookworm]

I Am Forever Yours (part 1)

Day 1: Gentleman

Summary: Lucien is his gentlemanly self. Of course, not without being a rake.

•○●⛦●○•

Word Count: 1111 (lmao)

Warnings: none, just lucy being a delulu girlie 🤭

A/n: lol it wont be like my if i posted stuff that arent series for character weeks loll. happy @lucienweekofficial to all my fellow lucien simps, i love you all hehe.

(also i wouldnt say he is very gentlemanly in his thoughts, but we all know he wouldnt be 😏)

anyways, ENJOY🥹

°•°•°•○🌑○•°•°•°

Lucien stood by himself against the wall nearest to the refreshment tables, quietly humming along to the rising tunes of the violins from the opposite corner, eyeing the couples twirling around the dance floor. If he cared, he would have opened a dancing class just to teach the men how to dance. If he were the one dancing with them, he would be so embarrassed.

The women though. They were the embodiment of grace, elegance and poise, so beautiful and twirling like they were born to conquer dance floors.

Alas, Lucien could not do anything to bring them justice except for cursing their partners.

With that depressing thought, Lucien moved away to set his empty glass on the table when someone bumped into him, jerking him forward and making the glass shatter as it hit the floor. Lucien looked at the broken glass, then turned away to look at the perpetrator who led to its demise, and did a double take.

Wide, frantic eyes moved to meet his after surveying the crime scene of the murdered glass, and blinked at him when he did nothing, as if she had expected to be yelled at and he had surprised her.

Her cheeks shimmered lightly under the lights emanating from the numerous chandeliers hanging from the carved ceiling, her shoulders pushed back and enhancing the look of her collar bones. Just the sight of those made Lucien swallow hard.

Who is this goddess?

While Lucien had been busy ogling the lady who clearly hailed from a high family clearly given away by her dressing, an older lady sharing the same hair and eyes appeared, glaring. "Y/n Jade, I cannot believe you would be so clumsy. Do you need to go back to school?"

Y/n?

Definitely moanable-

Fuck.

Pretty, Lucein told himself he meant to say pretty. Pretty name for a pretty lady.

The older lady turned to give Lucien an apologetic glance. "Forgive me, sir, for my daughter has begun to lose her mind." With a scathing glance at Y/n, she continued. "How are you enjoying the party? I haven’t seen you around much. Are you from this city?"

Lucien offered her a polite tilt of his lips. "Yes, though I prefer to travel. I work under my father as his emissary."

Lucien figured this lady did not know of his parentage, and he would love for it to remain that way.

"Oh, that’s wonderful."

Lucien could see the gears turning in the woman’s head, and he wished he had a glass of drink in his hands so he could hide his smirk behind the rim. Even not knowing that he was the youngest prince, everyone wanted their daughters to marry this fine specimen of a gentleman.

And why would they not, Lucien wondered. He was everything anyone could wish for, if just slightly cocky.

Not cocky. Just the slightest bit self assured.

"Well, I fear I must go hunt for my husband to make sure he isn’t making a fool out of himself. Y/n, why don’t you give your new friend some company while I search for your father?"

The lady, who by now was clear was Y/n’s mother, turned away and strode off, leaving Lucien to look at Y/n, who rolled her eyes. It amused Lucien to no end.

This was new.

"So… how old are you?" Lucien mumbled, trying to get rid of the stagnant silence between the two when it became clear that Y/n found the numerous chandeliers and the arguably bad dancers more intriguing than Lucien.

She only spared him a glance before turning her gaze towards the orchestra. "Twenty two."

"I’m twenty five."

She hummed in response.

"Your name is Y/n?"

Finally, she heaved an exasperated sigh and shot him an unamused look. "Yes, I would have assumed that was clear by now."

Lucien blinked. No one talked to him like that, even when he acted like he was one of the lowly townsfolk when he travelled to avoid attention.

"I- I’m Lucien."

"Did I ask?"

He stared at her a moment, eyes widening before dipping his head, fumbling for the first time in his life when talking to a lady. "I… I just thought-"

She snorted. "Stop thinking then."

He nodded dumbly, trying to focus on the strings of the instrument that was leading the song currently playing, the shine of his boot, the crunching glass under his toes, anything to stop himself from focusing on this lady who was thoroughly uninterested in him.

It made him want to interest her even more.

"You’re from which family?"

"Oak."

The favoured advisor of the king would be her father then.

"Y/n Jade Oak? That’s a pretty name."

"I know."

Lucien inhaled, deciding that if he wanted to get a reaction out of this ethereal creature who seemed to not know how to give any reaction other than unbothered, he would have to tell her something she wouldn’t expect. "I’m from the Vanserra’s. The king’s youngest son."

And as Lucien watched her, his eyes unwavering in hopes of catching even the tiniest bit of reaction, he almost nearly cried in joy when he spied her lips twitching at the corners.

"Look, I can do nothing about that. I’m not the one you should be complaining to. Maybe try your mother?"

It took Lucien a moment to comprehend those words, for he was too busy staring at her lips that still retained that slight tilt. And when he did, an unexpected laugh burst out of him. Once he finally got himself under control, he met her surprised eyes, and she blinked at him, as if him laughing was something that had not even crossed her mind.

"My, you’re funny." He grinned, shaking his head. "Are you by any chance engaged?"

She still watched him as she shook her head. "No. They usually decide they’re way too good for an uncultured lady like myself."

He raised a brow. "Well, as much as I want to give my condolences, I simply cannot say I’m sad for you, considering they have just made me courting you easier."

For the first time, Y/n’s composure faltered. "What?"

He offered her a lazy grin as he extended his hand to her, and after a moment of consideration, she placed hers in it. "I would like to court you. If that’s okay with you, I will like to talk to your father right away."

She searched his eyes, then dipped her head in the barest of nods. Lucien smiled, brushing his lips against her knuckles before he straightened.

"Then let’s go find your father, my lady."

°•°•°•○🌑○•°•°•°

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