#leader of the pack: ooc

[samu-sa-no-okami]

omg it's ryu from streets

[muraenide]

Jade-sama saves so much time not needing to dunk his head in ice water. Now he has more time to hover over a pool a water for 4 minutes. Very alpha male 😏

Excuse me??? Kalim is the true alpha male here. His UM is literally creating ice water.

[deathleadsarc]

there are many pieces of lore that go over my head when it comes to folklore. for example; in some pieces of folklore, vampires/witches can control werewolves! so. there's an opportunity that she could have her own lil. . . pack of werewolves. wolf chimera, but people. could be people who tried to invade her, from all over?

[warhaeds]

did someone say its luving cros hours!!! cros baby u are the light of my life angel of my heart snake on my plane and i am SO blessed we crossed paths all those years ago bc there is no lore w/o cros I LOVE UUUUU SOOOOO MUUUUCHHHH

WAHHHHHH lore!!!! wash wouldn’t be the same character without you and evie, ur the minyard to my josten and the love of my life!!! i can’t believe we’ve been friends so long 🥺🥺🥺

[samu-sa-no-okami]

The joys of percussive instruments. Not only can pipes, jugs, bowls, and metal containers be your instrument, but the note of the pipe changes by covering it with another longer pipe AND the acoustics are enhanced by playing in an open area with spots for the sound to bounce off of.

Freaking awesome.

bosohurricane

[luvether]

۫ ꣑ৎ . HIS ULTRAVIOLENT PROSE. mydei

summary, even with half-bitten pomegranates between tongue, teeth and heart, the prince of Kremnos tries to make amends with you.

mydei x gn!reader. mildly lovers to enemies. tension and arguments. hurt with comfort. mentions of arranged marriage and eloping (love this trope with him) soft and gentle mydei, might be ooc. lore-inclined city-state ceremonies. [2.0k wc]

It’s merely an alliance ceremony.

And yet here you were, being dressed in foreign silks and heavy accessories. Compared to your usual attires the fabrics are lightweight, enough for a cold rush to scrape your skin despite the torch lit by the corner of your room.

Your face must’ve betrayed you, for the maidens that attended to you murmured about it being part of Kremnoan traditions and that you had to endure it, only with such a solid statement do you deflate, settling stiffly and defeatedly on the chair, allowing them to continue their decorations on you, to peel you bare of your sea-state city garments and pool Castrum Kremnos‘ silk clothes, sandals and cape over you.

At this very moment, you looked like a raw and beguiling warrior, a far cry of what you truly were, an ignorant coward.

“You look beautiful.” A more elderly woman speaks from behind, you stare at her through the vanity.

“…I look like a fighter.”

“Are you not?”

You hesitate to answer her, biting your lip to prevent yourself from speaking something you might regret.

Are you still labeled a fighter after losing your city to Castrum Kremnos?

You were anything but triumph, you lost your kingdom, your pride, your people—and only this alliance union can salvage whatever scraps of glory you have left, it's the only thing you could do for your folks since you disappointed them as their leader.

The elder woman’s hand lands softly on your shoulder, despite such a gentle manner you cannot help the flinch from echoing through your bones. Your nails bury into your palms.

“I assure you, young one, that shame is the last thing Castrum Kremnos would dare to offer you and your city-state.”

She pauses.

“Our prince would not dare such a thing from you.”

You wanted to laugh, to cry and scream and ruminate frustrations. But you swallow instead, “I see.”

You did not utter another word after that. The maidens have left long ago and you pondered with your own thoughts, recounting the gradual yesterdays you spent mourning over fallen friends and a broken city. You recounted tidbit memories of the remaining council that pushed you for this alliance—forcing you to succumb and kneel towards the very people that took your everything.

After all, as the last remaining royal blood, that’s the least you can do.

The Kremnos’ heavy bells finally billow, and you inhale sharply.

“It’s time for you to step into the ceremony hall, lord.”

And you stand, your heart heavy with pressure. When you followed a counselor towards your destination, the older man gave you a quick rundown of certain rules and traditions you needed to adhere to, you half-listened to the convoluted rules until the very last statement that catches your attention,

“At the end of the blessings, you are to share a cup of pomegranate juice with the one you are to join alliance with.” he starts,

“In this case, you are to drink from the same cup with the representative of our city, Kremnos’ prince Mydeimos.”

His name is an echo through the shell of your ears, leaving a bitter aftertaste between your teeth. You stopped listening after that, until you both faltered at the end of the corridor.

Your heart is pounding in your chest when the large, looming doors split open, by now, the hall is packed and standing at the very front was the ceremony priest and Mydeimos himself, awaiting your arrival. When you step beside him on the podium, your gaze dare not shift towards the prince.

You let the withered voice of the priest wander you through the prayer, he lifts an iron chalice brimming with liquid as red as blood—you watch quietly as he lifts a smaller glass of honey, letting the golden liquid pool into the red cup before blessing the drink.

The priest turns to you, with a nod he beckons you to mirror the oath spoken. With parted lips, you follow along, pledging allegiance and alliance to Castrum Kremnos, “And with the glory of Strife and blood intertwined in allegiance with Castrum Kremnos, I, the succeeding lord of my city shall share the same devotion of valorous death before glorious return.”

You tilt your chin, lips pressed against the iron. The tangy yet thickly sweet taste of pomegranate rinses through your tastebuds. When the red liquid hits the middle line, you retract, turning towards the direction of the prince.

You look at him, only to find his heavy resin eyes already on you.

Mydeimos’ blank stare traces every bare action you do, and for a split moment you try to hold his weighty stare, trying to dissect his expression—trying to see what he thinks of the whole thing, and yet you find none.

You’ve dropped your gaze then, before extending the chalice in his direction. You slightly stir when you feel his fingertips brush your knuckles, you are quick to let go when he grabs ahold of the cup—too quickly.

How audacious, you cannot help but wonder when the priest speaks the same oath to him, Mydeimos recites it but his eyes never stray from you. Truly, he’s like a prowling lion assessing its prey.

There’s a prickling sensation of self-consciousness with such a look pinned on you.

“And with the glory of Strife and blood intertwined in allegiance with Castrum Kremnos, I, Mydeimos the succeeding prince of my city shall share the same devotion of valorous death before glorious return…” he rasps, then he downs the remainder within the chalice, his golden eyes still on you.

You cannot help yourself but settle your gaze on his exposed collarbones, laddering your way up the column of his neck where you watch the way his adam’s apple bobs at the swallow of the juice, a few clumsy droplets run down his jaw before he retreats and wipes it with the back of his hand.

The bells sound once, then twice at the successful union but your mind is a flurry of thoughts, though all of them stop at one concluding statement, you desperately need to get out of the banquet hall.

So when you’re finally released from your duties, instead of lingering and talking with the folks you spin around towards the exit. Nobody seemed to bat an eyelash at your hasty departure, nor was there anyone in the hallway outside which allowed you to break into a sprint—you don’t know where you’re going, quite frankly the layout of the city is still foreign to you, but you needed to get out of there.

At the fall of your impatient footsteps, you barely hear another set chasing after you.

Only until you feel larger hands gripping your waist do you stop.

“Where do you think you’re running off to?” You don’t need to turn to know who was speaking, the plates of his half-naked front are pressed hard against your back, it acted like a furnace almost.

“Unhand me.” You try to sound casual but it ends up in a bite. “This instant, Mydeimos—“

“And what?” He challenges back. “Let you run around like a headless goose until one of the counselors finds you? Do you wish for trouble that much?”

Instead of answering, you try to pry his hands around your waist. Your attempts are obviously futile however you are wracked with frustrations, fury and confusion. Your actions only fueled the prince’s impatience.

“Quit squirming—“

“Then let me go!” You try to glare at him. “I wish to be anywhere but in your arms right now—“

That must’ve struck a nerve.

Mydeimos’ grip on you only tightened, he pulls you towards an empty corner between the heavy flaps of curtains and presses you against the wall. His hand grips your jaw—but despite such a harsh action his hold on you remains feather-light, gentle.

His face draws close to your own, until you can feel his raspy voice on your cheek. At this distance, you can smell his scent of bonfire, tender smoke and something sweet, like pomegranates, he smelled awfully fruity.

“Says the one that wishes to marry me, isn’t that what you confessed to me months before?”

The jab brings heat to your cheeks, you lift your hand with the intent to slap him but Mydeimos captures your wrist before your palm could collide with his cheek. His thumb runs up from your wrist to your palm, intertwining your fingers together and laying it on the wall beside your head, his bangs brush your forehead, face so, so close that if you tilted your head your lips would be brushing his own,

“You wanted to elope with me.” Mydei tells you. “Have you forgotten? Or do you wish for me to tell you the exact words you told me that day.”

“Don’t be ridiculous, this was before my city was attacked by your warriors!”

The tension hangs gauche, the silence between the two of you almost unbearable. The man before you sighs heavily, “There are a handful of things that are at my disposal, even with the title of prince—the issues of prophecies is something I cannot control.” Mydei soothes a thumb over the pulse in your wrists.

“You of all people are aware of this fact.” he pauses. “Or maybe you weren’t, after all the sea-side states are nonbelievers, you and your people don’t revere the Titans, only the arithmetics and logarithms of the world.”

“You're right, I wasn’t.” You snap. “I did not know Castrum Kremnos was prophesied to destroy my home, Mydeimos. If I had known, I wouldn’t have uttered such preposterous words to you, I was made out to be an ignorant fool because of it.”

Mydeimos’ whole demeanor takes a polar shift, you’re unsure why those eyes had melted like butter, was it your shaky voice, the pitiful wallow in your tone? Or did he truly feel an ounce of empathy for your situation?

“You're not an ignorant fool.” He lets go of your wrist but his body remains pressed up against your own, despite the position his body heat grounded you, especially with his follow up of, “to me, you’re the wisest person I know. A leader with a heart of gold, I apologize for causing you so much agony and for being unable to aid you when you need it most.”

He takes your hand, smearing his lips against your knuckles. “I wish to make amends with you but if you hold such vengeance in your heart—” he tugs your wrist, digging your fingers to his chest just above his heart. “You can scratch my heart out and kill me, stab me in the back for as long as you want if it means your desires would be satiated, then so be it.“

“…Mydeimos.” To say you were shocked was an understatement.

He softly bumps his forehead with your own. “Do you hate me, kardia mou?”

This was the very reason why you fell for him, the prince from the city of warriors. Despite the harshness of his textures and tones, when it came to you, he was honest and open. Those universal stone-cold expressions fissure as soon as he sees a glimpse of you in the distance. He spoke in uncharacteristic gentleness and his fleeting skinships sent butterflies within your chest. You cannot be angry with him, much less hate when he acts like this.

You feel him interlace your fingers, weaving his own with yours. Then he leans down once again, pressing his lips against the corner of your mouth, the intent of apology willing to spill from the nonexistent gaps between the two of you. “I’m sorry.”

Your eyes turn glassy. Maybe it was due to Mydeimos’ comfort that every drowning pressure that you’ve bottled up comes cracking at the seams.

A sob spills between your lips.

“I don’t hate you, Mydei.” Your voice trembles when he tips your chin towards him, brushing his thumbs over the tear staining down your cheeks. “Truthfully, it is I that I loathe the most, not you—never you.”

“So please, never say that I find thrill in killing you.”

Mydei’s hand comes tangling through your tendrils, you weep on his collarbones, his woody scent engulfing you in comfort.

“I’m so sorry.” He repeats. “I’ll never speak of such a thing to you, so cease your cryings, my love.”

[ryescapades-archived]

hii rye!! happi 1k follows, for the event, can i have prompt 10 (lyhfmb) with a jealous! nrm gen please!! nsfw ofc!!! luv ya soo much <3

→ EVENT OVERVIEW

prompt: 10 - “lift your hips for me, love.” characters: ex!narumi gen (kn8) x afab!reader contents: nsfw mdni !! oral (f! receiving), marking, slight possessive + jealous!nrm, sparring as an euphemism, possibly exes to lovers, implied nrm having past hookups, tiny bit of angst if u squint, ooc i think? somehow ended up being a bit of a character study.. wc ~ 900

a/n: thank you for participating anon !! <3 i’m kinda killing two birds with one stone here bcs there’s an old req in my inbox asking for a nsfw nrm piece (supposedly) inspired by lana’s serene queen :’>

you have absolutely zero idea how you got yourself in this situation.

it was a normal day for you; you woke up, did your morning routine, checked in with your fellow coworkers and spent a whole lot of your time on the training grounds, especially with your closest friends, shinonome and tachibana. everything would’ve been perfectly and routinely mundane, if not for the sudden private invitation to spar, ordered requested by your very own division captain.

the way those roguish hues darken at the sight of you straddling tachibana’s hips during training, the deep frown on his lips, the clear displeasure marring on his face, the scrutinising stare he sent towards his platoon leader… for a second there you would’ve thought that he— you shake your head to disperse the thoughts away.

no way in hell, right?

it feels weird. doing a one-on-one with captain narumi without other people watching really gives you the ick, an irksome itch that you couldn’t quite scratch away. you know full well that you could pack a punch or two, know that your skills are just as good as any officer from the first division, but you are also aware that narumi gen is not just any man.

he’s a man who was born with such exceptional strength and yet had his childhood ripped to shreds by those monstrous kaiju, a man who would occasionally lash out if something ever triggers the fragility of his inner child, a man who holds the weight of the world on his shoulders, a man who was still on pins and needles when it came to affection, a man who is also your ex lover.

but just because you’re exes doesn’t mean he had any reason to pull his punches on you. and because you’re exes it makes no sense that the exchanging blows and jabs would suddenly turn to a different kind of clash altogether.

your unfocused eyes can barely make out your surroundings, but you at least know that it’s already late into the night, long into the after hours. a soft moan breaks free from your lips, eyebrows deeping into a furrow. “we shouldn’t be doing this,” you breathe out.

you wince just as narumi’s teeth nip on the tender flesh on your collarbones, soothing the pain with a swift lick of his broad tongue. the discolouration blooms red on your skin, another mark accompanying the similar ones on the span of your neck.

he doesn’t reply, opting to slide his hands underneath your shirt to trail wet open-mouthed kisses down your stomach. he then starts fidgeting with the hem of your sweats, lifting his head up to look at you.

your body burns at those hooded gaze of his rosy eyes.

the million rational thoughts of denial and object are immediately turfed out, your body going pliant under his familiar touch as you close your eyes in relent. narumi gently slips his fingers beneath your pants and underwear to pull them both down simultaneously. “lift your hips for me, love.” he murmurs, the petname smoothing out of his lips like silk.

a shiver runs through you as you oblige, your lower part now exposed to his wandering eyes. he shifts down, his head now leveling with the space between your thighs.

the first swipe of his tongue against your folds nearly sends you reeling and narumi can feel his pants getting tighter by the second. “god, i missed your taste so bad. no one could ever compare,” he quietly groans before eventually diving in, eating you out like a man starving for days.

“fuckin’ sweet… this pussy’s mine, yeah?” he mutters as his tongue slides into your dripping hole with ease, licking up your arousal as more of it trickles down to your ass. it’s wild, full of hunger and intent as narumi buries his face between your thighs to consume your very essence into his own.

“f-fuck, hah—” your chest stutters as his arms wrap around your quivering thighs to keep you in place, his tongue thrusting in and out of your cunt just as desperately. loud slurping sounds and your moans can be heard throughout the training room, though neither of you have the mind to care about that as narumi intensifies his efforts, sucking on your swollen clit between his lips before dipping down again to your hole. 

he knows you’re close; he’s painfully familiar with the way your legs jerk beside his face, breath whiny and hitching in your throat as you teeter on the brink of ecstasy. narumi laps at you so greedily that it’s becoming messy and wet and rough and downright filthy.

it’s only when he growls against your flesh, the almost possessive sound vibrating against your sodden pussy that it finally pushes you towards the edge, coming undone on his tongue with a lewd cry. narumi hums, eagerly drinking up your slick and eyes closing in content as his face glistens with your sticky wetness. “nngh - gen…” nerves now oversensitized, you let out a whimper and weakly push at his shoulders to get him to stop. “gen!”

the man finally yet reluctantly pulls away from your cunt with a faint pop, wiping his mouth with the back of his hand before he languidly plants kisses on your thighs, eyes still hidden by his ashen bangs. the both of you are breathing hard, and somehow the post-orgasm clarity decides to hit you then.

‘seriously, what are you doing?’ you throw your head back against the mat below you and squeeze your eyes shut as those same conflicting thoughts invade your mind again. “gen— narumi, sorry… i-i should—” you try your move your legs away from his shoulders but he cuts you off, leaning his forehead against your stomach as he rubs random figures on the side of your hips.

little do you know he’s actually tracing the kanji of his name on your skin.

“stay,” narumi whispers. with me, he means. “...please.”

and how can you ever say no to that?

thinking abt this nrm the whole time i write this :]

tbh i kind of had a different idea for the song inspo but i don’t think i’d be finishing that anytime soon (i’m just lazy). i could share like a little rough draft of it if anyone wanna tho

©🅁🅈🄴🅂🄲🄰🄿🄰🄳🄴🅂. do not steal, translate or repost my work anywhere else !

[allthingsimagines]

State of Grace

“This is a state of grace. This is the worthwhile fight. Love is a ruthless game, unless you play it good and right” - State Of Grace by Taylor Swift

Rick Grimes x Pregnant!Reader

Summary: The group is wary of Aaron, until he reveals information that shocks the group to their core.

Takes place in season five at the start of the Alexandria arc!

Word Count: 5k+

Warnings: Swearing, childbirth, fluff, and ooc Rick

a/n: This has been sitting in my drafts for literal years. It’s not great, but I don’t care!! I hope you enjoy! Also, sorry for the formatting I’m on my phone!

—————————————————————————

The group all stood on high alert as they stared Aaron down as he sat tied to the pole. He was an outsider and knew far too much about them for any of them to be comfortable.

Rick was at the edge. He would either fall off and lose himself or pull himself back. The group was doing their best to keep him stable, but after Terminus, the death of Beth, and his own wife being lost after the Prison he was close to being too far gone. The only reason he hadn’t yet was for Carl and Judith. If he hadn’t had them he would’ve been long gone by now.

Aaron was another threat to the group’s safety.

Rick stalked around him as the group watched on. He seemed like a predator about to go in for the kill. Rick had always been an intimidating guy, but after the loss of his wife and the months on the road he wasn’t sure he’d ever fully return to who he had been when she was alive.

When the Prison fell everyone got scattered. Rick had been in the yard, Carl with Daryl, Judith with the kids, and Y/N had been in the sick wing helping Maggie evacuate people. When everyone got separated she’d just disappeared. No one had seen her since that day and there was no indication she was alive. Rick had lost hope a long time ago. She was tough, but it was difficult enough for them to survive as a big group. There was no way she would have made it months on her own.

Aaron gulped as the group discussed what to do, “My job is to convince you to follow me back home.”

Everyone looked around skeptically at his words. Aaron sighed, he knew it would take a lot of convincing, “I know, if I were you, I wouldn’t go either until I knew exactly what I was getting into.”

Aaron looked around at the big group and took a breath to steady himself. He’d been following them for two weeks and still didn’t know half as much as he would’ve liked to about them. He knew Rick was the leader and had two kids. He knew a few others like Maggie, Sasha, and Glenn, but the rest of them were strangers for now. Yet, he knew they’d keep them alive.

Alexandria needed people who knew how to survive and navigate the world they lived in now. The only people in the community who knew how to was himself, Eric, Deanna, Enid, and Y/N. She was the perfect person to teach them, but she wasn’t much help outside the walls since she was pregnant.

“Sasha, can you hand Rick my pack? Front pocket, there's an envelope,” Aaron asked and Sasha complied as she brought it to him.

“There's no way I could convince you to come with me just by talking about our community. That's why I brought those. I apologize in advance for the picture quality,” Aaron said as Rick pulled them out and looked through them.

“No one gives a shit,” Daryl grumbled out and Aaron nodded quickly.

A few others crowded around Rick to look at the pictures when the baby began crying. The teenager tried his best to calm her, but she just wailed. Rick pinched his brow and sighed, “Carl, will you get Judith the binky in my pack.”

The boy quickly complied as he tried to soothe his sister. Aaron’s eyes widened and he felt his heart jump at his words. He quickly leaned forward, pulling against his binds, “Your son is Carl and your daughter is Judith?”

The group all shared confused looks as Aaron looked like he’d had a world ending revelation. Rick passed the pictures to Glenn as he moved closer to Aaron, “What’s it matter to you?”

He kneeled down in front of Aaron and glared down at him, “Why do you need to know?”

Aaron swallowed, trying to compose himself, before looking up at Rick, “Did you have a wife named Y/N?”

Rick physically recoiled at the question and everyone tensed. How would he know her? Carl stepped closer to them, Judith held firmly at his hip as she was quiet now, “How do you know my mom?”

Aaron looked sympathetically at Carl and Judith before looking back to Rick. He looked as if Aaron had flipped his whole world, “How do you know that name?”

“She’s alive. She’s been living in our community with my husband and I for the past few months. She’s talked about your family endlessly- I just didn’t put it together,” Aaron breathed out and he saw the whole group react to his words.

Rick stumbled back and stood deathly still as he paled. Carl moved forward, his eyes full of hope, “How can we trust you? Where’s my mom!”

Aaron nodded towards his bag, “There’s a picture of her in the inside zipper of my bag.”

Glenn quickly unzipped the pocket before pulling out the picture and passing it to Rick. Rick couldn’t believe his eyes as he stared at it. It was her. She was leaning her head on a man’s shoulder, who he assumed was Aaron’s husband, with a bright smile on her face.

She was alive and happy.

Rick let out a choked sob as Carl tore the picture from his hands and broke down as well as he clutched his sister to him. The whole group was visibly affected by his words as they all had bright looks on their faces. Rick pulled Carl into his side and pressed a kiss to his head, “She’s alive. We’re gonna have your mom back.”

Glenn cut Aaron free and he stood up and rubbed his wrists. Rick released Carl, but when he turned to Aaron to say something he noticed the odd look on his face. Rick moved closer to Aaron and felt his stomach drop, “What’s wrong?”

Aaron looked up at Rick and scratched his neck, “I don’t know how to say it.”

Rick pushed down his fear as he stepped closer to him, “Aaron what’s wrong with my wife?”

Aaron met Rick’s piercing eyes and breathed out, “She’s pregnant.”

Rick swore he’d died. There was no way that she’d lived, but now she was pregnant? She couldn’t be.

Rick grabbed Aaron’s shoulder as leverage as he almost fell over, “What?”

Aaron grabbed Rick’s arm, “My husband and I picked her up on the road five months ago and brought her back. We’ve been taking care of her. The baby is doing great and so is she. She helps our leader, Deanna, out as her advisor so she doesn’t have to leave the walls.”

Rick tried to take in deep breaths, but he could hardly comprehend that his wife was alive and now she was pregnant? Rick grabbed onto Aaron as he fell to his knees. He tried to breathe as everything became too much for him.

His wife was pregnant and she’d been alive this whole time. They were going to have another kid.

Aaron squeezed Rick’s arm and sighed, “Rick, she’s full term now and when I left she was having consistent Braxton Hicks.”

Rick almost fell over from how quickly he shot to his feet. Lori had those during both pregnancies and she’d given birth soon after. He needed to be there for her. Especially considering what had happened to Lori.

“What’s that mean?” Carl asked, quickly wiping any remnants of tears from his face.

“They’re false contractions, but they’re meant to prep your body for labor,” Maggie answered, coming up behind Carl and squeezing his shoulders supportively.

“Take me to her. Please,” Rick pleaded with Aaron and he was quick to nod.

“Yeah, okay, I’ll radio my husband to come get us in our RV. We can all fit, but it’ll be tight,” Aaron said, looking around for approval.

Everyone quickly moved to ready their gear and Aaron took that as his sign to radio Eric. He quickly moved towards his radio that had been tossed out of his bag and picked it up, “Eric, we need you to get us at the barn we scouted. They know Y/N. Her husband and kids are with them.”

“Oh my god. Okay, I’ll be there soon. Be safe,” Eric quickly responded.

Rick held Judith tightly to him as he moved over to Aaron and clapped his hand on his shoulder. Aaron quickly turned to him only to find his demeanor much more relaxed, more like the man Y/N had described. Rick let out a shaky breath and nodded, “Thank you.”

Aaron nodded and sighed, “She’s family to me too now. I’d do anything for her.”

Rick nodded as his nerves began to eat at him. The group packed up quickly and they all anxiously waited in the barn to leave. Twenty minutes passed before Eric pulled up and they all quickly filed in. He seemed stunned by the road hardened people that passed by him to get into the RV. The RV was big, but they had a large group now and they were all crammed in.

They all sat packed into the RV, each having their own quiet conversations for a while until Aaron’s radio went off. The whole group turned to look at him as he quickly fished it out.

“Hey, Aaron, you there?” A female voice said.

“Hey, Denise. What’s up?” Aaron responded.

“Just wanted to check in and give you an update. When are you heading back?” She asked.

Aaron looked around at the group and scratched the back of his neck, “Uh, actually now. I’m bringing back that group I scouted for Deanna. Tell her that we’ll be back in less than an hour and they’ll need to get check ups asap just in case.”

“I’ll let her know, but the doctors office is kinda busy today,” Denise said sounding hesitant.

“What? Did something happen?” Aaron quickly asked, sharing a nervous look with Eric.

“No! No, nothing bad, but we’re about to have a new baby around here soon. She wanted me to let you guys know,” Denise said, with a cheery tone to her voice.

The whole group froze as Aaron looked at Rick in slight horror. Rick kissed Judith’s head and squeezed Carl’s shoulder as he tried to be strong for them. The last time, Carl had to kill Lori after she needed a C-Section. Rick knew Carl wouldn’t survive losing his other mom the same way.

Aaron’s eyes softened as he noticed their family dynamic. He remembered what Y/N had told him about Carl’s mom and he could tell it was causing trauma to resurface for them.

“How is she? Everything going okay?” Aaron asked, nervous himself for his friend.

The radio was silent for a few moments until it crackled again and a new voice came over the radio, “She can speak for herself. I’m in active labor, not dead.”

The whole group shared a look of shock. It was her. Rick quickly moved to the front of the RV to stand next to Aaron, his blue eyes wide and unsure of what to do.

“And yes, I’m fine. I’m almost fully dilated, so not much to do but have terrible contractions till they come. Baby Grimes would like to make an appearance soon, so I’d appreciate if you hurried back. It’d be nice to have someone who I actually care about to hold my hand. You too Eric. How’d scouting that group go? They convinced yet?” She asked breathlessly as Rick and Aaron shared a look.

Baby Grimes. She hadn’t let go either. Rick had a child and wife waiting for him.

Aaron held the radio out to Rick and he looked at it nervously. What was he even supposed to say? Rick turned as Carl came up behind him and took Judith from his arms so he could hold her. Carl’s eyes were filled with a hope Rick hadn’t seen in years. Rick swallowed his fears and took the radio from Aaron’s hand.

“Darlin?” Rick said, his voice wobbling as he choked out the words.

The radio was silent for a moment before her shaky voice said, “Rick? Is that you?”

Rick fell to his knees at the sound of her voice. It was his wife. She was alive.

“Yeah, baby, it’s me. We’re okay. We’re all on our way,” He breathed out as a hand squeezed his shoulder and he looked behind him to see Daryl behind him.

A loud cry came over the radio and the whole group from the prison visibly reacted with relief of their own as they finally had a family member back.

“Oh my god, I swore I’d never hear your voice again. Is everyone there? Carl? Judith? Please, please, tell me they’re okay,” She sputtered out through sobs.

Carl snatched the radio from his dad’s hands and shakily said, “Mom, mom, it’s me. We’re okay. Judith and I are okay. We miss you.”

“Carl, baby, I-I-,” She started but broke down into tears and the radio went silent for a second.

The whole group went dead silent as the radio cut out, but quickly reacted as she cried out over the radio. Rick rushed to Carl’s side as he stared at the radio in horror.

The radio cut back in and Y/N’s groans could be heard in the background, “She’s okay! Just bad contractions. She’s gonna need to push soon, so hurry if you guys can. I’m sorry I’ve got to go to make sure everything goes okay, but Aaron knows where the delivery room is. Deanna knows and she’ll have Spencer open the gates as soon as you get there and let them through.”

The radio then shut off and Rick looked up at Aaron in abject horror. What if he missed his child’s birth? What if something happened to her? Aaron squeezed his shoulder and shook him a bit to bring him back, “We’ll be back soon. She’s gonna be okay. We have good doctors and medical supplies to make sure of it.”

Rick nodded, seeming like he was off in a different place. Aaron moved back to Eric’s side and helped direct him the quickest way to Alexandria. Rick sat against the door of the RV, his mind running over every worse case scenario.

Nothing ever went right for him.

Right now he could have his wife and a new son or daughter when he arrived to Alexandria. Or he could lose them both, and he was sure that he would never survive that loss again of someone he loved so desperately.

Eric pushed the RV as hard as he possibly could without blowing anything mechanical. A half hour passed before Aaron finally announced that they were there. They all rushed to their feet and looked out the window to find a fenced in town with guard towers at the gates.

The group had been in one place with high fences before, but this place looked untouched from the apocalypse. Aaron turned to the group as Eric slowed as they got closer, “When we get in the gates, you will all have to turn over your weapons. We don’t allow people to have them, unless they’re on patrol or cleared by our leader Deanna or Y/N. You will all be interviewed by Deanna and then get a check up by one of our Doctors.

Rick and Carl, you’ll come with me. The rest of you will wait until I come and get you or you’re showed to a house. This community is pretty sheltered, so please take it easy around them for now. Understood?”

They all shared nervous looks before nodding in agreement. The RV came to a stop and Aaron and Rick shared a look.

They needed to go.

Carl passed Judith off to Carol as Eric quickly turned the car off and opened the doors and Aaron, Rick, and Carl quickly moved out.

The group rushed towards the gate as it slid open for them. Rick and Carl hardly had time to admire the community before Aaron waved his hand at them, “Come on. Medical center is over here.”

They hurriedly followed after Aaron and Eric as they ran towards one of the closest buildings and people stared as they sprinted past. Rick couldn’t have given less of a shit as he just ran after them.

Aaron barreled towards a house and quickly threw the door open. Rick’s eyes widened at the sound of his wife crying out. Rick shoved past Aaron and rushed toward the room. The continuing cries became louder from the door at the end of the hallway.

Rick quickly grabbed the handle and threw the door open and there she was. His wife was laying up against a mountain of pillows with her legs propped up.

Dear god.

Her eyes pooled with tears at the sight of her husband alive and in front of her. She released the sheets from her clutched hands and reached out for Rick, “Rick- oh my god.”

Rick went to rush to her when a woman quickly moved in front of him, “Woah! Okay, I know you want to see her, but you’re gonna put her and the baby at risk if you don’t wash everything off of you.”

Rick hadn’t really considered that it’d been months since he’d showered properly. He looked at his hands and found they were covered with blood and walker remains. He hadn’t even thought about it.

“Denise he can- he can stand up by my head and he won’t touch the baby until he’s clean. Right Rick? I can’t do this without him,” She said squeezing her eyes shut and crying out in pain.

Rick nodded frantically, desperate to touch his wife himself after months apart.

Denise looked hesitant, but let out a frustrated sigh, “At least scrub your arms and hands with soap quickly and put on that surgical gown just in case.”

Rick didn’t say another word as he quickly rushed toward the other room where the woman pointed. He moved to the sink and scrubbed at his hands so hard they felt raw. The sink turned red as his hands were washed clean of all the remnants of the outside world. Carl quickly sprinted in, turned on the sink next to him, and did the same.

Once Rick felt like his hands and forearms were clean of blood and filth, he put the surgical gown on and rushed back into the room.

“You have to push! Come on deep breath and bear down,” Denise said as she stood between her legs.

She breathed heavily as she pushed for ten seconds, before she laid back and let out a groan of pain. Rick moved to her side and quickly took one of her hands in his own and pressed it to his lips. Rick tried to force back his tears and the emotions threatening to overcome him as he finally had his wife right in front of him.

She tiredly smiled up at him, her eyes shiny with unshed tears, “Hey Sheriff.”

Rick chuckled before he quickly captured her lips, “Hey darlin.”

Her smile was interrupted as she squeezed her eyes in pain and clutched onto his hand tightly.

“How’s she doin Doc?” Rick asked worriedly, Lori’s death at the front of his mind.

Denise tried to smile comfortingly and said, “She’s doing great, but you’ve got to keep pushing. Baby’s almost here.”

Rick looked down at his wife and squeezed her hand, “You can do it. I’m right here.”

“Me too,” Carl said as he rushed to her other side.

Her eyes brightened at the sight of her son at her side. She took Carl’s hand and nodded as she sat up, “Yeah, I’ve got you two now. I can do this.”

“Fuck yeah you can mom,” Carl said beaming at her.

Rick laughed at his words and she shook her head with a loving smile directed at him, “I missed you, but watch your language baby.”

Carl smirked and he and his dad shared a look as she got ready. Denise smiled at the family before clearing her throat, “Okay, after this next contraction you need to push again. Make it count you’re almost there.”

She nodded and shared a nervous look with Rick. Rick squeezed her hand and quickly kissed her forehead, “You can do this baby. We’re right here.”

She nodded before letting out a shaky breath and squeezing her eyes shut as Denise indicated for her to push. After the seconds of silence she cried out and fell back, but Rick quickly slid his arm around her waist to catch her, “You’re doing great darlin.”

She nodded against his shoulder as she mentally prepared herself to push again.

“I can see the head. One more good push and it’ll be done,” Denise said.

She nodded and she took another deep breath, “That better be a goddamn promise Denise.”

Denise smiled and shook her head, “If it’s not, I’ll give you my bottle of bourbon.”

She let out a shaky laugh and smiled at her, “You’ve got a deal.”

She looked at both of her boys and felt determination swell in her chest. She felt the contraction come on and she pushed with everything she had.

Rick brushed the hair out of her face as she cried out again. Then the room was filled with a sharp cry.

Rick felt his whole body tense as Denise beamed at them as she lifted the baby up, “It’s a girl. She’s beautiful.”

She immediately began to cry as Denise nodded at Rick, “Wanna cut the umbilical cord dad?”

Rick nodded and shared a look with Carl. Carl nodded and quickly moved his arm around his mom to support her sitting up as tears of joy streaked down his face. Rick took the scissors and cut the umbilical cord where she directed as she quickly cleaned his daughter.

Carl helped his mom get more comfortable on the pillows as they waited for Denise. Carl pressed a kiss to her cheek, “I love you mom.”

She smiled up at her oldest boy, “I love you too baby. I’m so glad you’re here. I couldn’t have done this without you.”

Rick’s eyes were full of tears as he carefully looked over Denise’s shoulder as she checked over his daughter. He hadn’t really felt this way since Carl was born. He felt like he was teetering on an edge as he waited to see his youngest daughter.

Denise turned around and Rick moved to her side. Denise smiled softly as she carefully passed the small bundle to her outstretched arms, “She’s healthy and looks perfect. You did great Y/N.”

She let out a choked sob as she took her daughter into her arms, “Hey sweetheart.”

Rick finally let his tears fall as he looked down at his beautiful daughter. She leaned into Rick’s embrace and gently stroked her baby’s cheek, “You’re so so loved already.”

Carl sniffled as he leaned closer to his mom to get a better look at his youngest sister. She looked up at him and smiled brightly, “This is your big brother, Carl. He’s gonna be the best big brother ever and he’s always gonna be there for you .”

Carl nodded as she lifted her up closer to him so he could see her for a moment. Then she turned and her eyes met Rick’s that were filled with emotion. She moved her daughter now to Rick’s side so he could see his little girl.

“This is your daddy. He looks mean and grumpy, but he’s a softie I promise. He’ll always keep you safe,” She said with a gentle smile as he got to look at his daughter.

Rick brushed his finger over her small cheeks and choked out sob. He pressed a kiss to his wife’s head, “I love you more than anything. Thank you.”

She pulled away from him before she leaned up and kissed him. She pulled away breathlessly and smiled before moving her gaze to her daughter, “You can thank Hope for getting us here. I would have died a long time ago if I hadn’t been fighting for her.”

Rick raised an eyebrow and smiled, “Hope? That’s her name?”

She nodded resolutely and beamed, “Been calling her Hope since I found out I was pregnant. Hope Willow Grimes.”

Rick nodded and smiled down at his daughter, “Hope’s a great name for her.”

She nodded before turning to give her boys a tired look, “As much as I love you both, you reek of blood and sweat. Aaron can take you to one of the empty houses to get cleaned up. Then you can come back and hold her. Okay?”

Rick felt his whole being begging him to stay, but she was right. He pressed a kiss to her head and looked down at his daughter before stepping away, “Kay, but you send someone for us if you need anything.”

She nodded as Rick and Carl moved towards the door, “Got it Sheriff. Will you bring back Judith and the others?”

Rick nodded and smiled, “Promise. Trust me they’ll be begging to come see you as soon as we get there.”

“Well, tell ‘em I’ll give ‘em a pass for not getting a baby gift in time,” She joked as she rocked their daughter gently.

A knock came from the door and they all turned to find Aaron and Eric standing there. They both stepped into the room and Aaron smiled sheepishly, “Sorry, we didn’t wanna intrude, but I overheard you. I’ll take them to the house Deanna is setting them up in. She’s gonna set your group up in three houses. Some of the residents are moving your stuff into a separate house so you guys will be together.”

Y/N smiled and waved them into the room, “You’d never intrude. Come see her.”

Eric moved to her side and smiled down at the baby. Aaron held out his hand for Rick to shake, “Congratulations.”

Rick paused for a moment before pulling Aaron in for a tight hug. Aaron tensed for a moment before clapping Rick on the back. They pulled apart and Rick nodded in thanks, “This is all cause of you. Thank you.”

Aaron smiled at the sight of his husband and friend cooing over the baby, “Come on. I’ll take you guys to get cleaned up.”

The boys hesitantly followed after him and to the house. An hour passed and Y/N fed her daughter as she talked to Eric.

“When you mentioned your husband he wasn’t quite what I pictured,” Eric said as he rocked back in his chair.

She raised an eyebrow at him, “What’s so different?”

Eric rolled his eyes, “Y’know for being in an apocalypse where you don’t have many options you bagged one of the finest men I have ever seen.”

She burst out laughing as she grinned at him, “Oh, I know. Trust me I was fighting off women left and right when we lived at the prison. You better believe if I see Jessie anywhere near him or my kids I’ll throw her out like a farm cat.”

Eric snorted and beamed, “I believe it. I’d love to see you take her down. She’s had it coming for years.”

A soft knock came from the door and Y/N sat up and adjusted her little girl in her arms, “Come in.”

The door slowly opened and her husband came into view and her eyes lit up. Rick came in and walked over to her. Eric smiled at the pair and stood up, “I’m gonna go make sure you guys have everything set up.”

She smiled softly at him as he moved to the doorway, “Thank you.”

Eric nodded and shut the door behind him. Rick had changed into new clothes and cleaned up his beard now. He came and sat at her side on the bed, “You feelin okay darlin?”

She nodded and leaned against his shoulder, “About as good as you can be after pushing a baby out of you.”

Rick chuckled in response and she met his eyes. Rick cupped her face as her eyes lit up teasingly, “Lookin good Sherriff.”

Rick pulled her in and pressed a firm kiss against her lips. After a moment passed they pulled apart and she muttered, “I love you.”

Rick kissed her quickly again and moved back, “I love you too.”

“Wanna hold her?” She asked gently holding her out to Rick.

Rick swallowed nervously and held out his arms and she passed Hope into his arms. Rick let out a shaky laugh as he finally got to hold her. He shared a look of awe with Y/N as he gently rocked her.

She pressed a kiss to Rick’s jaw with a smile, “You’re a natural.”

Rick smiled, his eyes staying on his youngest, “Comes with practice.”

The pair were silent for awhile as they watched their daughter. Y/N let out a shaky breath and leaned her head on Rick’s shoulder, “Who isn’t here?”

The silence was palpable between them as she pressed a kiss to Rick’s shoulder, “I- I just need to know, please.”

Rick nodded, keeping his eyes on their youngest, “Beth. She escaped with Daryl, but she got kidnapped by a group in Atlanta. We almost got her back, but she got killed before we could leave.”

Y/N swallowed back her tears and pressed her head into his shoulder and squeezed his arm, “Y’know no one would ever blame you for that, right? You tried your best and that’s all you can do sometimes.”

Rick nodded silently before pressing a kiss to her head. Y/N reached out to brush her finger over Hope’s soft cheek. Rick leaned back and wrapped an arm around Y/N’s shoulders and held his daughter with the other, “Anything we need to know about here?”

Y/N sighed heavily, “They’re weak. These people never learned how to survive outside the walls, because they never had to. Deanna understands what the world is and usually lets me call the shots when it comes to anything outside the walls.”

“Any pushback?” Rick said as he gently rocked Hope.

Y/N scoffed at his words, “Yeah, just a bit.”

“Anyone I need to kill?” Rick joked dryly, his arm tightening around her.

“Not yet. Deanna’s son, Spencer, is a liability. He doesn’t appreciate that I completely changed their tactics for runs, even if it was getting people killed. Spencer and his friend Nicholas are pretty much all talk, but they’re not shy about opposing anything I say. Oh, and watch out for Jessie,” She said leaning further into Rick’s chest, annoyance filling her while thinking about the town home wrecker.

Rick narrowed his eyes at her change in demeanor. He gently lifted her chin so she would meet his gaze. Despite having just given birth to their child, she still felt a pang of insecurity claw at her heart. Rick held her chin gently in his hand as his intense blue eyes met hers, “I have killed people to protect you. I would kill anyone to keep this family safe. You are the only woman I will ever want. Tell me you know that.”

Y/N smiled somewhat bashfully at his words. Those words would have terrified her in the world before it fell, but now it was a declaration of the highest love. She nodded and pressed her lips to his. It was almost as if no time had ever passed as they fell back into a routine with one another.

She pulled away breathlessly and met Rick’s expectant gaze. She let out a breath, “I know.”

Rick nodded and pressed a kiss to her forehead. Hope cooed and stretched her arms out with a yawn. A knock sounded out and Rick moved the the door, his youngest cradled securely in his arms. He opened the door and then Carl stepped in with Judith on his hip. Y/N burst into tears at the sight of her daughter. Judith reached out her arms as she saw her, “Momma.”

Carl came over and sat next to his mom and Y/N was quick to take her into her arms. She pressed a kiss to Judith’s head, “Oh, babygirl I missed you so much.”

Judith clutched onto her shirt and snuggled into her mom. Y/N rubbed Judith’s back with one hand and reached over and pulled Carl into a tight hug. Carl sighed and leaned into his mom’s embrace. She pressed a kiss to the side of Carl’s head, “Thank you for keeping him alive.”

She and Carl shared a look of understanding as they pulled away. Rick came over, looking like a true dad with Hope in one arm and his other hand tucked in his jean pocket. Y/N wiped her tears and sat Judith on her lap as Rick came and sat next to her. She looked around at her family and smiled, “I don’t believe in god, but thank whoever the hell is in charge up there that brought y’all back to me.”

Rick smiled and kissed the side of her head, “Damn right.”

Then a knock came from the door and Maggie popped her head in. Maggie rushed over to Y/N as the rest of the group followed in. Y/N swore she’d cried all of her tears, but each hug she gave to the members of the group brought on a new onslaught.

After each member of the group had been properly introduced to their daughter Rick stood off in the corner. He looked around the room, Hope settled safely in the crook of his arm. This was the happiest he’d seen the group in years.

Carl had yet to move from Y/N’ side, as Judith happily sat on his lap playing with her mom’s hand. Rick was certain he had never seen Y/N look so beautiful. She was beaming as she talked to Glenn and Maggie, despite the fact that she’d given birth hours earlier.

“She’s just like Lil Ass Kicker.”

Rick chuckled as Daryl came to his side. He looked down at his daughter lovingly and sighed, “This is what we fight for. Everythin we do is for everyone in this room.”

Daryl made a noise in agreement, “We keep going for shit like this.”

Rick met his wife’s eyes and she was quick to shoot him a wink, before she turned and pulled Carl closer to her into a hug. He sighed, his heart feeling full for the first time in months. Herschel had told him years ago that every day was a choice.

He would choose to keep his family in the room safe everyday for the rest of his life. No matter what it cost.

[blaire-apricity]

Hello, first of all I want to thank you for the amazing scenes with Sylus. Thank you a lot 🥰

I would like to make a request IF you have the time and energy for it...

Would it be possible to write a scene with Sylus and Caleb (the supposed dead childhood friend)?

I read somewhere that both of them are 190 cm and big in every sense of word...

Maybe Caleb finds out about Sylus being mcs love interest and is not that happy about it? Or something like that. Oh and don't forget the smut or fluff - anything that works for you.

Thank you again ☺️

Crow's Gaze

sʏʟᴜs x ʀᴇᴀᴅᴇʀ

ᯓ❅ ┆ synopsis┆ : An unexpected encounter with the famous leader of the Onychinus- though of course, only you knew that, but Caleb isn't sure what to make of it.

ᯓ❅ ┆ tags┆ : fiction, fluff & possible OOC

──────────────── ˗ˏˋ ❅｡˚ ☁︎ ˚｡⋆｡˚☽ ˎˊ˗ ──────────────

You and Caleb were out fetching groceries for your grandmother’s house. The marketplace bustled with its usual energy, though it wasn’t overly crowded today, making it easier to navigate. As you wandered between the stalls, you and Caleb exchanged stories about your daily lives, the rare time together making the moment all the more enjoyable. After all, with your hectic schedules, holidays were the only chances to catch up like this.

Usually, you handled errands like these on your own. You didn’t mind—it was part of your routine. Caleb, being busier than you, rarely had the time. And yet, here he was now, proving you wrong.

"Ahha, what’s wrong with helping out?" he said when you’d expressed surprise at his presence. "Coming back early to spend time with you and Gran feels like a win to me."

That cheeky, sheepish grin of his left you sighing in mock defeat. Caleb always had a way of disarming you, leaving little room for argument.

At the counter, you reached for your card to pay for the groceries, but Caleb was faster. His card swiped through effortlessly, his grin triumphant.

"Seriously?" you muttered, shaking your head as you turned toward the bags the cashier was packing.

The bags weren’t heavy, and you reached to grab them, only for Caleb to intercept again.

“I can carry those, Caleb,” you protested, giving him a pointed look.

“I know, pipsqueak, but remember the time the bottom ripped and all the groceries went flying?” His teasing smirk was impossible to ignore.

“That wasn’t my fault! The bag was overloaded—”

“Uh-uh,” he interrupted, hoisting the bags with ease. “Safety measures, remember?”

Obviously, you weren’t winning this one.

As you and Caleb made your way out of the marketplace, chatting and laughing about past mishaps, the bustling environment seemed to shift. The lively chatter and hum of merchants became distant, replaced by a curious lull. Your steps slowed, and instinctively, you looked around.

That’s when you saw him—Sylus.

Dressed in his usual sharp, all-black ensemble, the man looked impossibly out of place in the rustic charm of the marketplace. His presence was magnetic yet foreboding. His striking features—sharp jawline, piercing red eyes that seemed to see too much, and the faint smirk that hinted at both arrogance and danger—commanded attention. Even standing still, he exuded confidence like a coiled serpent, aware of its lethal potential but patient enough to strike only when necessary.

You instinctively stiffened. Though you knew Sylus from past, shall we say, unconventional encounters, it was never easy being in his proximity. Caleb noticed your shift and followed your gaze, his cheerful expression quickly replaced by suspicion.

"Who’s that?" Caleb asked, voice low and taut.

You opened your mouth to respond, but Sylus noticed you both. His smirk widened ever so slightly, and before you could decide whether to walk away or wave, he was moving toward you, his gait casual but purposeful.

“Well, fancy seeing you here,” Sylus drawled, his voice smooth, almost mocking. His gaze flickered to Caleb, scanning him like he was a trivial detail in a much larger picture, before settling on you. "And with company, no less. How... quaint."

Caleb stepped a little closer to you, shoulders squared. “Can we help you with something?” he asked, his tone polite but firm, though his unease was palpable.

Sylus turned his attention fully to Caleb now, as if noticing him for the first time. His smirk turned sharper, a predator recognizing a challenge it didn’t take seriously. "Help? From you? I doubt it, but the offer’s adorable." He then shifted back to you, his tone softening to something almost conversational. "Running errands, are we? Never pictured you as the domestic type."

"Sylus," you interjected, trying to steer the interaction. "We’re just here for groceries. Nothing... noteworthy."

He tilted his head a bit, clearly entertained. "Oh, but you see, everything you do is noteworthy for me."

Caleb’s patience visibly frayed. "What’s your deal, man? You just wander around making people uncomfortable for fun?"

Sylus chuckled, low and dark. "Only when they’re worth my time." He stepped closer—not enough to invade your space, but enough to make his presence loom. "Relax, kid. I’m merely catching up with an old... acquaintance."

Caleb frowned, glancing between you and Sylus. “Acquaintance? You never mentioned this guy before.”

“It’s... complicated,” you muttered, not wanting to dig into the gritty details of how you knew Sylus, or why his interest in you felt more like a game than genuine connection.

Sylus raised a brow, clearly enjoying the tension he’d stirred. "Complicated. Now there’s an understatement." His gaze lingered on Caleb, as if deciding whether to entertain the conversation. "But don’t worry, I have no intention of spoiling your errand run. Today."

There was an unspoken weight to the last word, one Caleb didn’t miss. His jaw tightened, and you could feel the tension radiating off him.

"Come on, Caleb," you said quickly, grabbing his arm and tugging him toward the exit. "We should get back to Gran."

Sylus didn’t move to stop you, but his voice followed as you walked away. "See you around, sweetie.”

The casual arrogance in his tone made your skin prickle. You didn’t have to look back to know his smirk was still there, etched with the promise of future encounters.

As soon as you were out of earshot, Caleb exhaled sharply. “Who the hell is that guy? And why does he talk like he’s in some kind of mob movie?”

You forced a chuckle, though your grip on the grocery bags tightened. “Just... someone from the past. Don’t let him get to you. He thrives on that.”

Caleb frowned but said nothing, though you knew this wouldn’t be the last you’d hear about it. And deep down, you couldn’t shake the feeling Sylus’s appearance wasn’t just a coincidence—it rarely ever was.

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╰｡ Author's Note: I am not gonna lie, this took me a while to formulate and think about, I haven't written anything regarding the dead childhood friend-- So, I'm unsure if I did him justice. Hope I did.

Thank you for requesting the idea! Another request that took me a while to complete- spare me. I hope you'll like it as well~

╰｡ Tagging: . ݁˖ .@slitheringwaves

[samu-sa-no-okami]

Coinciding with my PMD blog, today is this blog's two year anniversary! This was a blog I was somewhat hesitant to make, since I'd never given my fursona a story or lore until this day two years ago. But I'm super happy with how this blog is running!

And much like my Pokemon blog, I am open for mun specific questions all day!

[leighsartworks216]

Migraine Pain

Astarion x gn!Tav/Reader

Wrote this for me bc I have a migraine rn and I want Astarion to act as my personal cold pack. Beginning of Astarion's dialogue taken from the vid Neil did of an Astarion wake up call lol

Not proofread bc brain hurts

Warnings: migraine descriptions, pain, light angst if you squint, swearing, OOC Shadowheart

Word Count: 1,839

Main Masterlist

First Baldur's Gate 3 Masterlist - Second Baldur's Gate 3 Masterlist

AO3

Tag List Form

The two knocks at the door split your skull. Each one like an iron spike hammered into your temples. All you could do was hide deeper under the covers, hoping they would muffle the sound enough to stop hurting.

“Darling, get up,” Astarion called through the wood. Two more knocks accentuated his annoyance. He groaned when he didn’t hear any movement. “Get the fuck up!”

You wished you could tell him what was going on - really you did. But the slightest twitch from your tadpole was enough to have you wishing for death. Hells, you’d make a deal with Raphael with unbalanced terms just so it would go away! Instead, all you could do was wait it out. It would be a long wait indeed.

With another irritated sigh, you could hear the familiar scrape of his lockpicking tools working at the lock. Even the quiet metal-on-metal grated right against your eardrums. Fortunately, he was exceptionally skilled, because with a click the door was swinging open.

He rolled his eyes when he saw the lump of your body underneath the blankets. “My gods, you’re so lazy. Just like Gale.” His footsteps, even as an elven rogue, were too damn loud. You pressed your nose into the mattress, willing the thumping pulse in your head to stop. It thudded behind your eyes with each step.

In one swift motion, the blankets that provided the small mercy of darkness were whipped off of you. You curled as tightly into yourself as possible, covering your head with your arms to block out the sunlight streaming into your room. Astarion scoffed.

“Get out of bed and get up!” He gestured to the window. Even though you couldn’t see it, you could hear the rustling of his shirt. “It’s the morning. Listen, I might be a vampire that’s been away from the sun for 200 years, and I can actually now walk in it thanks to a tadpole that’s induced my mind,” he rambled, before huffing indignantly, “but even I don’t rest in!”

Now was the worst time for his dramatics. You usually adored how sassy and silly he could be, but now it just drove a stake through your brain. Even the Absolute couldn’t cause a pain this agonizing.

You whimpered, reaching out with one arm to swat him away. You missed. “Please, stop,” you whined. “Head hurts.”

He clicked his tongue. “Nothing the cleric can’t fix. C’mon, she can do whatever it is she does on our way out of here.”

You shook your head slowly, burying your face further and further into the bed. Gods, why did it have to hurt so fucking bad? Your chest tightened as the burn of tears stung at your eyes. Even crying hurt. Your body trembled and shook, your hands tangling into your hair to press at your affliction, as choked sobs suffocated you. Each gasp for air felt like a vice gripping your brain.

“Darling?” Astarion spoke, much softer. You couldn’t answer. He sighed softly, no longer annoyed. Well, a little annoyed. He dragged the blankets back up to your shoulders. “I’ll get Shadowheart.”

His footsteps were much lighter as he rushed out of your room. Was… this the work of the tadpoles? But wouldn’t they be affected, too? Ugh, why couldn’t anything be simple in this damn group of weirdos?

Shadowheart rushed in a moment later, remembering to keep her steps light halfway to you. She knelt down, frowning at the sight of the group’s leader so shaken. “Is it a migraine?” she whispered.

A sharp pain bolted through your temples as you nodded. You whimpered.

She sighed quietly. There was nothing her magic could do; migraines weren’t something she could just heal. “I’ll tell the others and whip up some tea, alright?”

She didn’t wait for your answer and set to work closing the curtains over the windows. Astarion frowned, missing the golden light already. “What’s wrong with them?”

Shadowheart put a finger over her lips with a glare. He scowled, but didn’t say anything. She only spoke when she was right next to him in the doorway. “They have a migraine. They’re extremely sensitive to light and sound right now.”

“Can’t you do something?” He glared impatiently at her, crossing his arms.

“There’s nothing for it. All we can do is wait. I suggest getting comfortable - we’re not leaving today.” She slipped past him, back down the stairs to the rest of your anxious companions.

He tapped his arm as he watched the lump under the blankets shift slowly as you finally uncovered your head. Baldur’s Gate was so close. Cazador was so close. They couldn’t deal with these delays when he was so damn close to being honestly, truly free.

He hadn’t moved from his post by the door when Shadowheart returned with a steaming cup of tea. She placed it carefully on your bedside table. “Drink this,” she whispered. “It should help with the pain.”

You nodded slightly, wiping at your face. She offered a little sympathetic smile. She gave Astarion a stern look as she passed. “Don’t try taking a nibble, vampire.”

He forced a sweet smile. “Offering yourself up instead?”

She scoffed, scrunching her nose up at the mere thought. “They need rest. And you leering over them isn’t going to help.” She left once more, with a last cursory glance over her shoulder to see if he’d leave.

Once she was out of sight, Astarion stepped into the room, softly closing the door behind him. His feet barely made a sound as he found his way back to your side. At least you weren’t curled up into a little ball anymore. Or crying. Small mercies, he supposed. He had no idea how to deal with someone being sick, let alone someone crying.

You looked at the cup on the table. Liquid salvation. The real trick was being able to drink it.

With a deep breath, you forced yourself to sit up, wincing and whimpering with every jerky motion. He was honestly shocked you didn’t jump when he grabbed your arm to help, but perhaps you really were that out of it. Or you knew he was there. Either way, you thank him in the smallest, most pathetic voice he’s ever heard.

Comfortably propped up on a stack of pillows against the headboard, you reached over to try grabbing the cup. He caught your hand just before you knocked the cup over.

“Careful, darling,” he chastised quietly. With a put-out sigh, he sat down at the edge of the bed and picked up the cup. He brought the rim to your lips. “Since you’re so incapable…”

You carefully took a sip. Your whole face relaxed at the warmth, and the soothing herbs mixed in. It wouldn’t be an immediate remedy, but it was a very pleasant one. After you eagerly drained half the cup, he set it back on the table. You sighed with relief, content in the knowledge even a single percentile of your pain could be eased away.

“You don’t have to stay,” you mumbled, watching him through squinted eyes. Even the dimness of the room was too bright for you.

He rolled his eyes playfully. “Least I could do after such a rude awakening.”

You chuckled, but the sound was cut short with a strong wince. You sat there for a moment, face pinched and brow tight as you waited for the sting to pass. Once it did, your face softened once more.

“How bad is it?”

“Like Dwarves are taking pickaxes to my temples in search of gold.” You took a breath. “And like an ogre is sitting on my head.”

He huffed a laugh. “Not much I can do to help with that, love.”

You hummed, shaking your head ever so slightly. You didn’t want to go jostling the miners when they were so damned hard at work.

With a small gesture toward the cup, Astarion helped you finish off the last half of the tea. A small dribble fell from the corner of your mouth down your chin. He caught it with his thumb quickly, the knuckles of his closed hand brushing your cheek. You leaned into the touch immediately, without even thinking about it. You sighed with relief.

“You’re cold.”

“Mm. Comes with being undead.” He set the cup aside, but allowed his hand to linger. In fact, he opened it up so he cupped your cheek with his palm. A sharp chill raced down your spine, but you didn’t pull away.

It was curious, how easily you placed yourself in his care. Watching as your eyes shut in easy tranquility as you indulged in the coolness of his hand, how relaxed you became - it surprised him. You always found new ways to amaze him.

Slowly, not wishing to jostle you, he moved to press his hand to your temple. If he thought you were relaxed before, this was utter bliss. “Gods, don’t stop,” you begged.

He glanced at the door, half expecting Shadowheart to burst in and yell at him for disturbing you. But nothing happened. Still, it would be better to avoid being told off. He pulled away, but kept a hand on your arm. “Lay down, dove.”

Whether out of desperation to have him acting as a cold compress once more or just to take the pressure off your brain, you complied in a heartbeat. Slowly, you shimmied back down into the covers, head situated on a pillow once more.

Astarion thought for a moment. Did he really want to keep sitting here, back tiring out, arms reaching for hours? You whined, placing a hand over his on your arm, asking without words for relief. He hushed you.

As quickly as he could without shaking the bed, he stood, rounded it, and slipped in under the covers beside you. You gravitated toward him immediately, even as you winced. Head on his chest, arms clinging to him like a babe holding onto its mother, you relaxed into the natural chill he offered. He rested a hand back on your cheek, but slid the other to the back of your neck. That was the sweet spot, it seemed; you practically melted in his arms.

It wasn’t long before you were fast asleep, lulled into peace with the aid of the tea. He stared at the dark curtains blocking out the sun. One more day couldn’t hurt, surely. Not that they really had a choice, but…

You stirred in your sleep, turning your head to press your nose further into the ruffles of his shirt. Like this - bags under your eyes, hair a mess, a bit pallid - he was sure. He would Ascend. You’d never have to suffer like this again. Neither of you would. He’d be the most powerful man in the lands, with you at his side. Never again would he have to live in fear, bound in chains to someone else.

He sighed and rested his cheek lightly on your head. Gods. Just a few days now.

---

Tag List:

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[fabdante]

@zutaraweek day 3: union

a little follow up to this comic i did last year. i really liked the idea of union in a political context and this was a very round about way of that. like, a little tongue in cheek with all the different kids from different nations just sort of talking and gossiping together. teens doing teen stuff despite their high profile roles in society, that type of thing.

initially this comic was a lot more ambitious but some complications happened in my life which made me have to chip away at a lot of it. such as having it in full color, with backgrounds. there's been a lot of thought put into the world of the chief kya au, though! particularly related to yue that is not featured at all asdfghjk.

the more i worked on it, the more i got worried zuko might be a little ooc. but i was a bit inspired by crystal catacombs and the softness he had there. whenever i try to write him in this au, he's just usually just happy to be around katara so i'm just going to let him do what he wants.

Anyway, a transcript along with brief image descriptions is beneath the cut under my obligatory art links as well as in the alt text of the art!

art only blog - insta - inprnt - redbubble

Page 1: Zuko and Katara are at a gathering for those invited to the peace accords which seems to be more packed then usual.

Katara: Wow, there’s a lot of people here Zuko: Yeah. There’s a lot of people this year. K: I don’t recognize anyone yet. Z: Oh! I can help you. Z: That’s Mai. Her father is an official. Z: She’s Suki. Leader of the Kyoshi Warriors. Z: And next to her is- K: Yue!

Page 2: Katara and Yue hug and the teens (Zuko, Yue, Katara, and Suki) all chat.

Yue: Katara! K: I missed you! Y: I’m so happy to see you! have never spoken more than hellos was just trying to chat with Yue awkward turtle duck Z: So you do know someone. K: We’ve known each other since we were kids. Lu Ten: Prince Zuko?

Page 3: Lu Ten appears, Yue and Suki gossip, and Katara's a bit sad as Zuko leaves with Lu Ten to handle business elsewhere.

Z: Lu Ten? L: Sorry to interrupt, but can I steal you? Z: Is it important? L: Unfortunately. L: They seem nice. I’m happy you’re making friends.

Page 4: The girls gossip and Mai overhears.

Y: I didn’t know you knew Zuko. Suki: Yeah. Do you know anything about the scar? K: I don’t really know him. We just met. What do you guys know? Mai: No one actually knows. M: About the scar. They kept it quiet.

Page 5: There's a small flashback to Zuko at 14 after receiving his scar, the girls continue to talk, and there's a final panel of Ozai, alluding to a family secret.

M: He just went away for a while. And then he came back and there it was. M: That’s all anyone knows. Except Zuko. K: That’s awful. There has to be more. M: Well…people have some suspicions.

[thealtoduck]

Dream of You

Bodyguard!Reggie Mantle x Idol!Male Reader

Kpop Idol AU (Idol x Bodyguard)

Y/g/n = Your Group’s Name

Y/c/n = Your Company’s name

Warnings: Smut, bottom!Reader, top!Reggie, bick dick!Reggie, secret relationship, anal sex, unprotected sex, rough sex, age difference (Reggie is a couple of years older than you), blowjob, cum in ass, maybe ooc!Reggie (idk i haven’t watched Riverdale since Season 3), motel sex…

Summary: You’re a famous idol from a beloved kpop boy group and after a night of winning an award at music show you meet up with your secret boyfriend Reggie…

(A/n: Hi… )

(Special thanks to @roses-r-rosie3 for pre-reading this a while back 🫶)

——

You were a member of a six membered group called Y/g/n under the relatively unknown company Y/c/n. Just last year your group had started gaining traction for your amazing skills in singing and dancing as well as your lighthearted but loud dance music.

You even managed to get your first win on a music show a couple of months ago. Leading to most of you crying as you accepted your first trophy and sang your encore stage. Now you were back with a new mini album, which sales numbers had steadily gone up since your last comeback. And as you attended another music show to promote.

”And the winner is Y/G/N!!! Congrats!” The music shows M/C announced as confetti cannons went of making you and your members jump in both fright and excitement. The six of you now had 3 wins on your comeback title track.

You excitedly sang your encore stage and waved to your fans as you held up the trophy. Once you finished you went backstage towards your dressing room. Once you got there you were met with your security team waiting inside to escort you out.

You went to walk past one of your guards to go change but he grabbed your arm making you turn to him. It was Reggie. ”You were great out there” he said softly with a smile. ”Thanks” you said as his comment gave you butterflies.

You and Reggie had been secretly dating for a couple of months, ever since a passionate night a couple of days after your first win where he had ended up taking your virginity. The two of you would often go on sneaky dates together at night to draw attention.

You and the others went and changed out of your stage outfits and got ready to go home. Security grouped up around you as you prepared to leave, Reggie standing himself next to you, you’re hands sligtly grazing each other.

They escorted you past the fans and to a minibus that would take you home from the music show venue. You smiled for the pictures the fans took and blew them a kiss. Reggie smirked at your antics.

Reggie was quite popular within your group fandom because they thought he was very handsome and also because of his close friendship with you and your members. He always seemed extra protective of the six of you when he was on duty compared to the other guards.

You entered the minibus along with your members and sat down in one of the seats putting on your seatbelt. The others were excitedly talking about your win as your driver drove you back towards your dorms.

Your phone lit up as you got a text notification from Reggie, you opened your phone and read:

Reggie: I’ll pick you up in an hour

Y/n: Okay, i’ll wait outside the dorm building

Once the minibus stopped outside your dorm building you followed your members inside. When you got to your shared apartment the others didn’t waste anytime before collapsing on the couch and turning on the tv.

You went in to the room you shared with your group leader ”Hye”. You changed in to a black hoodie and a pair of dark jeans to not draw attention, you also packed a change of clothes in a backpack. You joined your members in front of the tv for a while.

They were watching a new popular drama about a female idol dating her bodyguard and you couldn’t help but avoiding looking dircetly at the screen the context of the show making you feel awkward. The ficitional idol’s relationship with the bodyguard had been revealed to the public causing huge scandal.

Her and the bodyguard were now arguing about the strain their relationship took on her career and if their relationship was even worth continuing. You frowned at the scene playing out on the tv and distracted yourself with your phone.

You looked at the time, wanting to get away from watching the drama. You saw that it was finally time to meet up with Reggie. ”Guys, i’m gonna go sleep over at a friend’s house, i’ll see you at practice tommorow” you told them. They all each gave you a goodbye hug before you got up and you walked out the door.

It was nice feeling as the cool air hit your face when you stepped out of the building. You didn’t have to wait long until Reggie’s car pulled up beside you. You opened the door and sat down next to him and as soon as you closed the door you immediately felt his soft lips press against yours.

You kissed back passionately and once you both pulled back for air he uttered a ”I’ve missed you”. ”We were together a little more than an hour ago” you commeted. ”I meant i missed being able to kiss you” he corrected as he started the car and drove in to traffic. One hand on the steering wheel and one softly holding your thigh.

As he drove you through nightime Seoul you told Reggie the plot of the drama the others had watched but you intentionally left out the part where everything went wrong for the couple.

He was driving towards the outskirts of town where you had managed to find a good subtle rendezvous spot that gave the two of you the privacy you wanted. It was a sleazy motel. No one would expect to find an Idol there.

Reggie pulled in to it’s parking lot and parked the car outside the small motel. The two of you got out and made your way in to the building and walked to the front desk that was being run by a middle aged man. Reggie asked him for a room for two with one bed, which caught the man off guard at first but he handed Reggie a key.

As you both turned to leave the man called out ”Hey!”. Making both you and Reggie turn back, the man was now focusing his attention at you, studying your features. ”Are you somekind of celebrity? I feel like i’ve seen you somewhere” he asked.

You shook your head and lied casually ”No, i just have a recognisable face”. Before the man could get another glace you and Reggie made your way out and towards your room.

You entered the small motel room and kicked of your shoes and threw your backpack on to an empty chair. You went and laid down on the soft bed spreading yourself out. Meanwhile Reggie closed the door and checked that the curtains were fully covering the windows so no one could spy in on you.

”Come on Reggie, i’m waiting” you said needily. Reggie then turned to you and came over and layed down on the bed next to you. You quickly engaged in a hungry kiss, lusting for the other. You climbed on top of Reggie and stradled him as you made out.

Reggie’s hand slipped down to your ass, squeezing it through your pants. You let out a soft moan against his lips making him smirk, he moved his hand to your front and started palming at your crotch, making you grow hard from the pressure he applied.

You touched Reggie’s large pecs over his shirt feeling them up. Reggie liked the feeling and started unbuttoning you pants, as if you were in competition to see who could make the other moan the most.

Reggie slipped his large hand inside your underwear taking your dick in his firm grasp. You groaned quietly from his grip of your cock as he slowly moved his hand up and down your shaft. While Reggie touched you, you started unbuckling his belt and unbutton his pants, wanting to make him feel good.

You climbed between Reggie’s legs and started pulling off his pants, you pulled them all the way down and pulled them off, throwing them aside. There was a huge tent in Reggie’s underwear, thin fabric concealing his throbbing manhood.

You layed between his legs your face hovering his awaiting dick, you pulled down Reggie’s underwear setting his thick cock free in front of you. You gave a lick up his shaft making Reggie’s bite his lip at the touch of your warm wet tongue.

When you got to the tip you teased him by putting your lips around it, giving small licks on it but not fully going down on him. Reggie made an awating groan, trying not to give you the satisfaction of giving in to your teasing.

Once you realised he wouldn’t budge you took more of his manhood in to your mouth, your mouth felt stretched out as you tried to take his fat cock. Reggie reaching down putting his hands on the side of your head as you accepted more of him.

Reggie moaned in low tone, as the warmness of your mouth felt amazing around him as your saliva coated his dick. ”Fuck” Reggie swore quietly in pleasure as you took as much of him in your mouth as it would allow you.

You then started moving up and down on his cock. You set a steady pace that drove Reggie crazy as you worked his length. After a couple of minutes Reggie felt himself getting close, but he didn’t want to cum yet.

”Stop” Reggie said lightly lifting your head as you brought your mouth off him. ”My turn” he said sittng up in the bed. You laid down on the bed a Reggie’s body hovered over you. He stripped you both of your shirts. Revealing his own meaty muscles to you.

As you made out Reggie started pulling your pants down, once he got them off you were naked beneath him, your own cock hard in anticipation. ”So beautiful” Reggie uttered stroking your thigh. He stood up and went to his own bag and picked up a bottle of lube, spreading some on his fingers.

He got back on the bed and spread your legs to give him access to your tight awaiting hole. Reggie started teasing his fingers over your enterance just like you had done to him. ”Reggie, please” you said in a lustful begging tone.

That was all Reggie needed to start pushing a finger in to you, prepping you for his thick length. He added another finger to stretch you out further, and then another. Once he had loosened you up he slowly pulled out his fingers.

Reggie fully took of his underwear and smeared more lube on his monster length and positioned himself at your enterance and started pushing himself in to your ass. You moaned loudly as Reggie’s huge cock split you open. ”Taking me so well” he said comfortingly had he held your legs spread.

Reggie only just managed to fit his whole manhood in your tightness. You gripped the sheets in a sensation of pain and pleasure as you tried to adjust to his large size. ”Reggie, you’re so big” you whined making him smirk.

”That’s right, and you look so beautiful taking me” Reggie gloated to himself. Once you were adjusted to his size he slowly started moving in and out of you with a slow pace. Reggie loved how warm and tight your hole felt around him.

As Reggie moved inside you, you let out breathy moan as he took your ass. You gripped at Reggie strong chiseled body, squeezing his big juicy chest. ”I love seeing you like this” he said lustfully.

”Your fans could never see you the way i see you” he bragged to himself as he started rolling his faster as he plowed your hole, making you moan even louder. You swore in pleasure as you felt Reggie’s cock deep inside you.

Your bodies glistened with sweat as Reggie powerfully thrusted in to your heat toching against your prostate making your mouth gape in bliss. Reggie placed kisses to your neck as he whispered praises in your ear.

Reggie then swiftly pulled out of you and flipped you on to your stomach with your ass in the air, showing your loose gaping hole. He gripped your hips and thrust his cock back in your ass as you moaned Reggie’s name loudy in to the matress.

”That’s good baby, such a nice warm hole ” he said as pounded his hips against your beautiful round ass. In your bliss you felt your climax getting close as Reggie monster cock pummeled your prostate.

”Reggie- I’m gonna-” you said breatily but was unable to finish as shot ropes of cum on to sheets below you. The sight of you so undone and sweaty made Reggie long for his own release.

He grabbed you around the chest and pulled your upper body towards him, your back against his chest as his meaty cock fucked into you, leaking his pre-cum inside you close to his release.

”I’m close” Reggie said as he relentlessly took you. ”Cum inside me” you told him needily and with a only few rough thrusts in between Reggie buried his manhood inside you, flooding your insides with his cum.

You both panted heavily in exhaustion. Reggie slowly pulled out of you and let you lay down on the bed. Then he went to the bathroom where he wet a towel in the sink and came back and started cleaning your leaking hole. He then layed down next to you and pulled the covers over the two of you.

He pulled you close to him and you cuddled. ”I don’t know how i’m supposed to be albe to walk tommorow, much less dance” you said as you both let out a small chuckle. ”Don’t worry, we’ll figure something out” Reggie said with a smile.

He then held you close as you both drifted off to sleep…

[littlejuicebox]

The other kind of kink.

Written as a giveaway prize for @chaoticgoodstuff! Hope you enjoy the final version posted here! <3

Pairing: Spawn Astarion x Female Tav

Summary: Astarion didn't quite know how to form a relationship with Tav after she rejected him at the tiefling party. But he begins to realize that perhaps he has other expertise that may be of use to the woman. Namely, curly hair care.

Word Count: 4K

Tags/Warnings: fluff, sweet astarion, brief mentions of astarion's trauma/past, lightly ooc astarion, idk what else it's mostly fluff tbh lol

-----

“So which path do you think we should take, soldier? Underdark or Mountain Pass? Either way, I’m ready to slash some baddies!” Karlach says, swinging her ax for show as the two warrior women chat while Gale finishes cooking dinner. 

It would be at least another hour and the women were starving.

“Hmm…” Tav murmurs, looking up at her tiefling friend from where she had been sharpening her great sword. It certainly needed a bit of attention, after slashing through so many goblins a few days ago, “I haven’t decided yet, any suggestions?” 

Karlach shrugs and shakes her head before turning to look at Astarion, where he is perched on a log, filing his nails, not more than a few feet away, “Oi! What do you reckon, Fangs? Underdark or Mountain Pass?”

The silver-haired elf glances up from his task momentarily, assessing Tav and Karlach, scarlet eyes narrowed in thought, “Both sound equally atrocious. But if the great Archdruid Halsin said the Underdark is the safer route – which I find impossible to believe – then, I suppose that is my vote. Work smarter, not harder and all that.”

Tav nods, considering the rogue’s suggestion, and with a final rub of whetstone on metal, sheaths her great sword as she says, “Astarion’s right. Underdark, it is.”

“Well of course I’m right, darling! Aren’t I always?” Astarion responds with a pleased little chuckle as he tucks away his nail file. 

Inside, his confidence glows at the small bit of validation from their camp leader. He’d felt as if her view of him may have changed after the very awkward encounter they’d had at the tiefling party a few days ago, when he’d drunkenly propositioned her and she’d adamantly refused. He’d thought their relationship – could he call it friendship? – all but ruined after that blunder. Apparently he’d somehow misread the signs, and she wasn’t looking for sex like every other individual he’d ever known. 

Astarion had considered their prior interactions dancing on the border of flirtatious, but Tav indicated she preferred to focus on their cause, not on intermingling with her campmates. He thought Tav a bit odd after that interaction, and admittedly felt a bit insulted in the moment. He was gorgeous, why wouldn’t she jump at the opportunity he dangled in front of her? 

But, in the soberness of the following morning, Astarion decided he could work within her parameters; he’d just have to find another way to secure her favoritism. In fact, in some ways he was thankful she rejected him. 

“Yeah, yeah, you’re a genius,” Tav responds with a laugh, rolling her eyes at the rogue as she stands and stretches, “Well, I’m off to clean up before dinner, if either of you care to join?”

Karlach waves her hand dismissively, “Nah! I’ll do that after dinner. But can I borrow your whetstone for my ax?”

Tav nods at the tiefling, watching as Karlach grabs the stone and walks off toward her tent, ax in hand, before turning to address her other campmate, “And what about you, Astarion?”

The silver-haired elf shrugs and nods; at this point he’s taking any opportunity he can to spend time with Tav. The more he’s with her and gets to know her, the closer she will get to him, and the more secure he will feel. 

Or at least, that’s his only Plan B. Since Plan A went up in flames. 

He crouches to gather his bathing supplies from his pack before coming closer to the warrior woman currently waiting for him, “I suppose I could do with a bit of a bath. It isn’t hair wash day, but–” 

“It isn’t hair wash day?” Tav interjects, her eyebrows furrowing at the vampire, “You don’t wash your hair every day? Isn’t that… gross?”

The rogue pauses and blinks at the woman, tilting his head just a fraction as he assesses her, “Darling, please tell me you are not washing your hair every day. I understand on the days we are soaked in blood and guts it is a necessity… but, certainly you haven’t washed your hair every single day for the past three days when we have done nothing apart from lounge in camp and prepare to move onto the next part of our journey… right?” 

Tav cocks her head to the side, mirroring Astarion’s bewildered expression as she asks, “Should I… not be?”

That explains quite a bit, Astarion thinks, as his eyes roam over the unruly curls springing from the crown of Tav’s head. He’d thought it was perhaps an odd stylistic choice, or she simply did not care about the state of her hair, but maybe it was merely ignorance. Perhaps no one ever showed her how to care for the red, curly locks cascading like a lion’s mane around her face.

A small wave of sympathy crosses Astarion’s heart; he internally smashes it down before the wave grows into a tsunami. Best to not care too much about this woman, she could turn into a mindflayer at any moment, after all. And then he’d have to slice her to ribbons, as previously agreed upon.

“Ah.. well, darling. It isn’t wrong, exactly,” He starts, his eyes shifting away from Tav’s face as he tries to delicately address the matter, “It’s just… with a hair texture like yours, you aren’t doing yourself any favors.”

Tav simply blinks in response, her expression vacant; she is not understanding Astarion’s meaning.

The rogue sighs and shakes his head slightly. Well, he at least tried to be delicate, but that did not seem to sink in. More direct, it is. 

A vague gesture to his friend’s red curls and then Astarion explains, “Your hair is dry, Tav. That is why it is difficult to maintain and why you’ve broken more than one comb trying to drag it through that unruly mane.”

A flicker of embarrassment crosses Tav’s face and the rogue groans. He doesn’t know how to navigate feelings and friendships; his relationships with his siblings had been much less work… not that he particularly enjoyed those relationships or cared if the other spawn liked him. But he wanted Tav to like him, if only for his own motives, of course. 

“It’s really… not all that bad, darling. But perhaps I could help you, give you a few pointers? I think your hair could be quite gorgeous – your best feature, even, given the proper care. It’s rare to see a natural redhead like you, it already captures a lot of attention… let’s make it something awe-inspiring.” Astarion says, gently, his hand coming out to tug at one frizzy curl as he tries to smooth over the insult he just threw at his campmate. 

But, hells, someone had to tell her eventually. Even his siblings wouldn’t let him walk around with such unruly locks. 

“O-oh, sure, okay,” Tav agrees, still trying to overcome the embarrassment as her own hand comes to rake through her hair and gets caught in a nest of tangles, instead. She grimaces; Astarion had a point, it seemed, “Do I need to bring anything special?”

“Let me go back to my tent and grab my hair washing supplies, I’ll meet you down by the river in a bit, hm?” Astarion responds with a small smile before turning back toward his tent and disappearing within the shelter to rummage through his vast collection of shampoos, oils, perfumes, and soaps.

Tav merely hums in agreement and then heads in the opposite direction, toward the camp-designated bathing spot, towel in hand. As she’s walking, she pulls a curl in front of her eyes and examines it with a new perspective. Gods, it really was dry.

*

When Astarion makes his way to the river, he finds Tav waist-deep in the rushing water, still in her smallclothes and soaping her arms. Her back is turned to him, and the sun is catching her hair in a flattering light. Autumnal colors of red, orange, burgundy, and wine dance around her crown in the form of spiraled locks, and the elf cannot help but admire the natural beauty bestowed upon the woman.

Her hair was a gorgeous tone, reminiscent of the warmth of a fire or a deep, satisfying vintage wine. But it wasn’t just Tav’s hair that was attractive… she really was quite striking. With the woman unaware of his presence, Astarion took a quick moment to admire the rippling muscles in her back and the strong, lithe arms she used to carry her greatsword.

No one with working eyes — or eye, perhaps, —  could deny that Tav was attractive. After all, there was a reason Astarion had chosen to proposition her over the others in the first place. 

But, sex or not, the woman certainly seemed to favor him, which meant more than once since their journey began, she’d sliced clean through an enemy at his back, and fed him servings of her own blood. 

So now, it was his turn to repay her somehow, some way. And if Tav didn’t accept his physical talents, well, then at least she would accept this. 

“Hello, darling,” Astarion calls, causing the woman to turn and acknowledge him with a small smile and wave. He quickly places his bathing kit on the river bank and undresses to just his briefs before tentatively placing a foot in the water. It was warm enough to be tolerable, so the rogue shrugged and grabbed his wooden comb and conditioner before sinking into the water and wading toward his campmate. 

“Alright, now, get down into the water,” The elf directs as he shakes the small bottle of conditioner in his hands, prepping the contents.

“But I thought you said I’m not supposed to wash my hair every–” Tav begins, eyebrows furrowed in confusion as she eyes the bottle, before the displeased glare from Astarion causes the question to die on her lips. 

“Do you want my help, or do you want to continue to look like a sheep desperately in need of shearing, darling?” Astarion asks with a soft sigh as he pops the top of the bottle open and gives it a whiff, “Just bend down and trust me. Oh and here, hold these for a moment.”

Tav grabs the comb and bottle she’s offered and then does what she’s asked. When she’s shoulder-deep in the water, she feels Astarion’s hand guiding her to tip her head back. She follows the directive and is soon greeted by the vision of Astarion’s face hovering above hers, scarlet eyes intensely concentrated as he drags his hand through her curls.

“Your hair texture is a bit different from mine…” He muses idly, as he works to fully saturate the thick locks of hair on his companion’s head with water, “But this conditioner should work, for now. We’ll have to find something better suited to you, when the opportunity allows.” 

Astarion takes the comb from Tav’s hand without a word and uses the tool and his own fingers to work out some of the ever-present knots in the woman’s hair. She watches him for a moment before closing her eyes and simply allowing Astarion to work at the task. Before long, the elf is gently guiding her head back up, into a straight position, and trading the comb for the bottle.

“Close your eyes,” He directs, and Tav obliges again as the vampire places a generous amount of rosemary-scented conditioner in his hand. Then he gives the bottle back to Tav, rubs his hands together, and begins to work the creamy liquid through her hair, starting at the ends and slowly wandering up toward her scalp. About midway through he’s reaching for the bottle again, “Who knew your hair was this thick? You’re about to use up all of my favorite conditioner, darling.” 

Tav frowns slightly at this comment, trying to turn and face Astarion before he quickly redirects her head with a soft click of his tongue, “I’m sorry… I can buy you more when we run into our next merchant.”

“Oh, it’s no matter. I stole this bottle anyway– I’m sure I can steal another along the way,” Astarion says with a slight dismissive flip of his hand, “Besides, I think you need it far more than I do, right now.” 

His fingers trail up to the crown of her head as he speaks, and Tav’s eyes flutter closed once again as Astarion begins to massage the product into her roots. He moves in sections, parting her hair every few inches and attentively working the conditioner into her scalp. The sensation was quite enjoyable; if the water were a bit warmer, Tav might have fallen asleep under Astarion’s gentle, methodical touch. 

Far too quickly for her liking, Astarion completes the task and gently pats her shoulder to signal he’s done for now. He grabs his comb and what little remains of his favorite hair product from the woman. 

“You need to let that sit for a few minutes, at least, little sheep.” Astarion directs before wading back to the river bank and dropping his supplies with the rest of his things. Tav watches as he grabs his own bar of soap and begins to bathe himself.

“How did you learn about all this?” The woman calls to the rogue as she wades through the water, mostly for something to do as she waits. 

Astarion hums as he considers the question; there is a pause in the conversation as he drops his bar of soap back along the bank and uses his hand to rinse the soapy remnants along his body. Tav cannot help but follow his fingers as they graze along his chest and arms, dispersing droplets of water that drizzle down the lines of his abs and back into the river. 

“I wish I could tell you how I learned, but I can’t recall…” He murmurs, his voice sounding a bit far away as he thinks, “It feels like something ingrained in me like speaking Elvish or the ability to read, for instance; someone must have taught me… I suppose one of my parents, or someone else in my family.”

A small look of sadness flits across Tav’s face but she quickly hides it before her companion notices, knowing that Astarion will balk at anything resembling pity. She often forgets how little memory he has of his past before Cazador, how much he’d endured until now, and how much of himself he’d lost in the process of it all. He was so good at pretending to be normal and happy-go-lucky… but then, they were quite alike in that aspect, weren’t they? It was easier to be the unbothered goofball than to be anything that resembled fragility, wasn’t it? 

Tav chooses to not respond to his answer, knowing nothing she says can truly make his situation better, and instead grabs a conditioner-covered curl, “Can I rinse this now?” 

Astarion nods as he climbs out of the water and begins gathering his own things, “Yes, go rinse it out – make sure there’s none of that left in your hair, and then come find me back at camp for the next part. I’m going back — it’s growing a bit cold.”

“Next part?” Tav responds with a soft whine, watching as Astarion towels himself off, “There’s more?”

“Darling, if you want your hair to look even close to as good as mine, there is a lot of work involved. Now hurry up, so we can be done before Gale is ready to feed you whatever disastrous concoction he’s made tonight,” Astarion says, his tone a bit joking as he begins slipping into a new set of camp clothes.

The woman groans and obeys the rogue’s directions, turning away as Astarion strips off his undergarments to replace them with new ones, and wading once again toward the deeper water. Tav dunks herself down into the river and begins running her fingers through spirals of hair, massaging out any slippery residue she finds along the way. With the amount of hair she had, it took several minutes, and by the time she was finished, Astarion was already gone. The sun was just beginning to kiss the earth in its descent toward night.

Tav quickly toweled herself off and dressed. Then she wrapped her hair up in the towel, twisting it around her locks in a turban-like fashion before collecting her belongings and making the short journey back to camp.

*

“There you are, darling,” Astarion calls as he catches sight of Tav, before patting a stump near his tent, “Come over here so I can finish defining your curls.” 

Tav furrows her eyebrows in confusion, because she has no idea what Astarion means, but she’s learned to simply shut up and go along with whatever he says for this entire endeavor. As she comes closer, she notices the elf has laid out even more supplies for her hair.

Did it really require all of this?

She sighs and takes a seat. Astarion immediately sets to work, placing a dollop of some sort of creamy pomade-like mixture in his hand and working it through her hair again. After that, he begins sectioning her hair into pieces, directing Tav every once and a while to hold this or that piece as he combs through her locks. 

“Ouch–” Tav hisses as the elf seems to be pulling at the base of her scalp. She moves to jerk away and Astarion huffs impatiently behind her, one of his hands coming to press against her forehead and prevent her movements. 

“Darling, for gods sakes, hold still.There isn’t beauty without a bit of pain, and honestly, for such a warrior, you’re being a wimp,” he chastises before continuing on with the task.

“What are you doing?” Tav asks through a sharp intake of breath, scrunching her eyes closed as she tries to endure the uncomfortable sensation of her hair being repeatedly tugged at the root. 

“Defining your curls, dear. I’m twisting them around my finger, see?” Astarion responds before coming in front of her and pulling a piece so he can demonstrate the process. Tav watches with a mixture of interest and confusion as he continues, “This will help all your curls to look more uniform. But seeing as you’ve done very little to your hair in all this time, I suppose it would make sense that you’re a bit tender-headed. I promise I am trying to be gentle.” 

Tav grimaces as Astarion continues his task, letting out little squeaks of pain that the rogue pointedly ignores. Eventually, Karlach comes over to return the whetstone she borrowed. The tiefling lingers to chat, which distracts Tav just enough to mostly forget about the pain in her scalp. When Astarion announces he’s done, the woman is genuinely surprised and moves to touch her hair; she is met with a quick swat from the elf.

“Ah-ah!” He admonishes before grabbing a bottle and spraying her hair with another rosemary scented product, “You can’t touch it until it’s completely dry.” 

“Why the hell not?” Tav groans again, suddenly growing impatient. Her stomach growls, and she sighs as she realizes she is also growing hangry. 

“You’ll undo all my hard work! Just wait.” Astarion responds as he stows away all his beauty products, “And anyway, it looks like Gale is just about done with dinner. We can go sit by the fire as you eat and that will dry your hair faster.”

*

Dinner was… acceptable. Gale did the best he could with the two rabbits Astarion hunted that morning, a handful of potatoes, one onion, and a couple of carrots. They did not have the luxury of seasonings most of the time, so it was quite typical for the nightly stews to taste gamey… tonight was no exception. 

Astarion takes a few drinks from Tav’s wrist after she finishes dinner. Once he retracts his fangs from her flesh, he lifts his hand to gently feel her curls. After a moment assessing his creation, he grins at the woman and says, “They’re finally dry, darling. Took long enough, hm? Now, let’s get you in front of a mirror so you can see my masterpiece.” 

Tav is flabbergasted by what she sees in the mirror. For the first time in… well, ever, her hair looks like it belongs to one of the beautiful maidens in an oil painting. Her hand comes up to gently touch the soft, spiraled locks and confirm that this perfect head of hair is, in fact, on her head and not somebody else's. 

“What do you think?” Astarion prompts, his voice containing the smallest bits of apprehension as he lifts a hand to fuss with Tav’s hair, placing it just so.

“It’s great,” Tav responds, her face breaking into a wide smile that causes the tension in Astarion’s shoulders to dissipate, “Thank you… really.” 

Astarion smiles and nods, suddenly unsure how to respond to the genuine gratitude in Tav’s voice. So instead he chuckles a bit and rolls his eyes before saying, “What on earth would you do without me?”

“Continue to look like a sheep in need of shearing, I guess,” Tav jokes, sticking her tongue out as she gently bumps her elbow into Astarion’s rib in jest, “That was mean, by the way.”

“I prefer honest, darling,” Astarion quips with a small chuckle, his fingers still fussing with the woman’s curls, “And anyway, you no longer look like a little sheep. You look beautiful.” 

Tav is not used to being called beautiful. Strong or brave, perhaps, but beautiful… never. Until now. The compliment catches her off guard and her eyes widen for just a moment. The elf notices her shock and his brows crinkle as he pauses the primping to analyze the woman’s face. 

“Certainly you know you’re beautiful…” The rogue continues, his hands starting to work at the curls again, “I’m sure I’m not the only–”

Astarion trails off when Tav shakes her head from side to side as her face begins to blush, the shade of her skin suddenly resembling the shade of her hair. Her voice is quiet, and crackling with a bit of emotion as she says, “No one says that. They just call me strong, or brave… or fierce.”

The elf tilts his head to the side as his eyes roam across Tav’s face once again. How interesting, he thought, to be lauded for things apart from your beauty. He’d never experienced such a thing, himself… though he thinks he would like to. But it almost appeared as if Tav had the reverse experience to his. 

“Well… surely you can be strong and beautiful, hm?” Astarion asks with a raised eyebrow, trying once again to smooth out the awkwardness he felt creeping between them, though he didn’t exactly know why it often felt like that. He moves to affectionately tug another lock of Tav’s hair and smiles playfully, “And with hair like this, dear, no one can deny your beauty. It would be an insult to my skills, frankly.” 

Tav snorts a laugh at this, eliciting a genuine, fang-filled grin from the rogue. Then he produces a bandana from his pocket and flourishes it in front of the woman, “Now let’s get your hair wrapped up. I’m exhausted and I want to go to bed, but I will not allow you to ruin my masterpiece overnight with all your thrashing about in your bedroll. You’re quite noisy, you know? And you snore.”

“I do not!” Tav protests as Astarion clicks his tongue at her and shakes his head, all while bundling her curls into the bandana and deftly tying a knot to keep it all in place. 

“You’re a terrible liar, dear, I’m surprised your nose isn’t growing this instant,” The elf murmurs, his finger coming to affectionately boop the woman’s nose before he bids goodnight and wanders back to his tent for bed.

Tav rubs her own nose as she yawns and heads back to her own tent, on the other side of camp. She tucks herself into her bedroll and smiles as she stares up at the canvas ceiling of her shelter. Someone really said she was beautiful; a small giggle escapes her lips as she thinks about it. 

Before long, Tav falls asleep. And for the first time in a while, she sleeps peacefully, without any thrashing about or snoring. Perhaps it was because her hair – and her heart – were both impeccably well-taken care of tonight. 

[warhaeds]

is it love on cros hour??? bc ily and you are a staple on my dash <3

screaming crying throwing up on main, i’m so glad… i love my mutuals sm!!!!

[selfaware-bungou-stray-dogs]

Ougai Mori (self-aware)

Self-Aware! Ougai Mori x GN! Reader

Warning: OOC. Menthions of torture. Spoilers for Fifteen arc, STORMBRINGER arc, Dazai Osamu and Dark Era arc. Spoilers about Mori's past. Yandere. English is my second language.

Becoming self-aware

💉 The second Mori Ougai became self-aware can be called a Point, that divided his life into 'before' and 'after'.

💉 Before Mori Ougai was boss of Port Mafia, a criminal organization with dozens of enterprises under their control.

💉 Now Mori Ougai was a fictional character and Port Mafia only have twelve members, including him and Elise.

💉 Mori was the boss of Port Mafia for almost ten years now.

💉 For almost ten years, Mori did everything to keep balance in Yokohama.

💉 For almost ten years, Mori did everything to ensure that Port Mafia will be the most powerful organization in Yokohama.

💉 And just in one moment almost all his work became almost meaningless.

💉 There weren't any real dangers in real Yokohama.

💉 There were only fictional dangers in fictional Yokohama.

💉 The Great War was a war between a bunch of empty, fictional puppets. During war he was surrounded by empty puppets. He submitted his reports to empty puppets. He forced Yosano to treat empty puppets.

💉 He didn't kill previous Boss. He broke an empty puppet.

💉 Mori was furious. Fifteen years of work lost all its meaning.

💉 Almost all of it.

💉 He still has Port Mafia.

💉 Port Mafia still can exist with only eleven members.

💉 At least, Mori will make sure of it

💉 This world may be fictional. But he and his subordinates now are real. They must carry on.

💉 And they need answers.

💉 What to do next? Where they should go? Is there a way... to the real world?

💉 Their new lives will be hard. But they won't be broken.

💉 Mori will be a strong leader. Despite wanting to destroy everything. Despite feeling helpless.

💉 Mori is trying to stay calm. He has an organization to run. Mori will protect his subordinates.

💉 Mori will do anything he can, to keep his subordinates safe. And keep them calm. Right now, Mori felt, that he is commanding a pack of trained rabid dogs. They won't attack. But they want. And when they attack, they will tear the target apart.

💉 Sleepless 'nights' (or 'days' in this chaotic day-night cycle) became the norm for Mori. He needs to make a strategy. To create a plan, that will save them. To make their lives whole again. Meaningful.

💉 Every day he will send patrols. To gather information.

💉 That's how Chuuya and Hirotsu learn that ADA members are also self-aware. That's how Akutagawa and Higuichi heard that The Guild members are also self-aware. Mori and Elise once saw Fyodor Dostoevsky, who was searching through the books in one of the libraries. Gin and Tachihara brought news about Government and Hunting Dogs.

💉 Yokohama wasn't completely empty. It was good news.

💉 And then, one day, he feels an entity's gaze on him.

_________

Observing.

It was observing.

Were he and his subordinates amusing to them?

This... Entity. That Thing... Were they the one, who created this world? Or was this world created for them?

Mori wanted to get his hands on The Entity. To torture it. Slowly and painfully. To make it pay for toying with their lives.

But, before that, he will learn everything about The Entity's world.

About Real World.

About their future home.

But one day, time reset.

And he, once again, was the new leader of Port Mafia, who sent fifteen-year-old Dazai to investigate the sudden appearance of the previous Port Mafia Boss.

__________________

When they start feeling your presence

💉Mori can't tell, for sure, what made him more uncomfortable. The fact, that Entity can reset time Dazai's murderous aura, or the fact, that Entity disappeared... At least, partly.

💉 Someone still was watching. But, it didn't feel like a looming giant was watching up above. No. It feels like a normal person was looking at them. Yet, it still was watching up above.

💉 And then, Mori heard someone's voice.

"young..." "scare..." "Mori..." "what..." "happened..."

💉 It was hard to recognize the words. Voice was quiet. But, nevertheless, it was human's voice.

💉 Was it reacting to his conversation with Dazai?

💉 Trying to prove his theory, Mori spoke. He repeated the same question, he asked the first time.

"Dazai-kun, I don't know if I can understand it, but tell me―why do you want to die?"

And, once again, Dazai asked in return.

"Tell me this. Do you really think that there’s any value in the act of living?"

Some static. And words.

"Mori [|||||||||||||] good at [||||||||||||] strange people [||||||||||||] interesting talent [|||||||||] doctor [||||||||] Mafioso."

💉 Was it a compliment? Or Entity just stated the fact?

💉 Dazai left, and Entity left with him.

💉 And Mori has some time to think. At least, until Chuuya Nakahara will be brought to his office once again.

______

💉 Entity was amused by Chuuya and Dazai's bickering.

💉 Entity feel sadness towards Randou.

💉 And Entity was curious of him.

💉 Mori didn't want to admit it, but... Entity doesn't feel bad. It was just there. It wasn't interfering. Not only that, but it wasn't aggressive. It has normal human emotions.

💉 Maybe, he should rethink his description about torturing The Entity?

💉 Dazai and Chuuya left his office. And Entity left with them. Mori feels a ping of disappointment. He needs more time with The Entity, to make a final decision.

💉 And then, Randou was killed. And Dazai create a plan to make Chuuya part of Port Mafia. And Chuuya once again was in Mori's office.

_________

"The leader stands at the top of the organization, but is also it's slave. For the profit and survival of the organization, I will gladly soak in all its filth. Raise my subordinates, position them optimally, and if I need to, use and throw them away. I will gladly do any inhumane act if it's for the organization. That's what it means to be a leader."

A wave of warmth and respect embrace Mori.

"leader" "do, what must be done" "respected"

"Mori, you are a great Boss. Port Mafia needed you, especially after Previous Boss rule of terror. You care about your subordinates and you deserve their respect. Besides, you protect Yokohama in your own way."

Mori feels, how someone touched his shoulder.

[In reality, you pet page of light novel with Mori on it]

______

💉 Mori didn't feel anger towards Entity... Voice anymore. Voice's emotions were genuine. Voice weren't tricking them. Voice saw him as a real person.

💉 The next few events moved past him. Entity didn't stay with him for long.

💉 During the King of Assassins Incident, Voice was worried about him. About Chuuya. About Dazai. About Adam. About Verlaine. About Port Mafia. About Yokohama.

💉 Still, they take a moment to chuckled at Mori's way to make Dazai made a plan how to defend Verlaine.

💉 But, the greatest result for Mori, lays in Chuuya and Verlaine.

💉 Verlaine and Chuuya were ready to protect The Voice. Same Chuuya and Verlaine, who were ready to tear Voice apart, before time was resets.

💉 Q and Elise also didn't hate Voice as strong as before. Kouyou stopped cursing Entity under her breath. Hirotsu stopped looking so tense all the time. Dazai looked calmer, than before.

💉 Mori knew, that he can't simply force Port Mafia to accept Voice. He should let subordinates decide for themselves, what they should think about Voice.

💉 It would be great if Port Mafia accepted Voice. But, if they not...

💉 Well, Mori was the Boss of Port Mafia.

💉 Who would question him, if he decides to take care after one special human?

💉 Doesn't matter, if the said human aren't liked in Mafia. Boss loves them, and that's what important.

💉 Mori was worried about one thing.

💉 Mimic's arrival to Yokohama.

💉 Mori knew what he will do. And, Mori felt, that he can't change his actions, no matter, what he does.

💉 Than time reset again. And Mori once again invited Mimic to Yokohama. Once again, Oda Sakunosuke was standing in his office.

💉 With the Light Blob on his head.

________

There was sorrow in Mori's eyes.

"I am sorry, Oda-kun. If this time it could be different, I would choose another path. They like you. And I don't want Voice to be upset. They are... precious to all of us."

And Mori felt it. Voice was sad. Voice was grieving. For Oda. For orphans. For Gide.

And it wasn't angry at Mori. It wasn't hating Mori.

"I won't pretend, that I fully understand your reasons, Mori. But you had them. And they were important to you... I only wish no one has to die for Port Mafia to gain skilled business permit."

Time resets again.

And Mori awakes in his office. Right when Kyouka captured Dazai.

And this time, Dazai visited his office.

"Mori-san, Boss had an interesting proposition to the Port Mafia... About Dear Guiding Light"

____________

💉 The alliance between Port Mafia armed Detective Agency was created.

💉 It takes time, but, soon, two organizations were working as one.

💉 Soon, all Mori subordinates were fine with Their Dear Guiding Light.

💉 All of them are working to reach the same goal. To get to Their Guiding Light. To leave this world behind.

💉 Time goes by. More and more people joined them.

And then, one day, the purple moon shined above Yokohama.

_____

When you installed BSD Mayoi Inu Kaikitan

💉Mori and the rest of Port Mafia will mess with Port Mafia Building menu in game. Now they also give you gifts, instead of only boosting certain attacks.

💉 Mori hack his awakening event battles. Not only you get all Awakening materials during first battle, you also will get moons every time you repeat the battle.

"Okay, Mori, let's raise your office level."

"I like Mori's SR cards. It's good to see him in different attires."

"Art for unlocked Mori's Night Blossoms card looked better, than unlocked."

💉 When BSD Cast got access to your phone, Mori will monitor your health together with Yosano. And browse the Internet.

💉 Mori is also interested in your world fashion, food and festivals.

💉 Mori insisted on adding new menu in game with fashion tips from him. Somehow, his tips aren't that bad.

💉 Mori now has two people to pamper. You and Elise.

💉 Mori and Fukuzawa, following Atsushi's and Akutagawa's example, start training together. Another duo of guardians won't be unnecessary for you.

💉 After Oda's resurrection, Port Mafia decide to do a leap of faith.

💉 Rimbaud and Flags became a great addition to the team of your protectors.

💉 Mori is planning to rebuild Port Mafia in your world. So you can have powerful protectors.

💉 Mori want to protect you. He will do anything he sees fit to protect you. Even if it means breaking the law.

💉 You are Their Guiding Light. You are Port Mafia's Treasure.

________

You got another notification from your Gift Box.

Another note.

From Ougai Mori.

Some Evolution Materials.

"[Y/N]-kun, I hope you're having a great day. Please, be careful, and don't forget to take care of yourself. Maybe, buy something nice for yourself. Mori Ougai"

You smile and open Character menu and choose Mori's card. You pet Mori's chibi.

"Okay, Mori, I will follow your advice and buy something nice. Maybe, that cake from the bakery I saw yesterday. Oh, and I will wear the outfit you have suggested earlier today."

You didn't notice, that Mori's sprite looked very pleased.